Now Hear This
What do former American president Bill Clinton and rock musician Pete Townshend have in common? Both men have hearing damage from exposure to loud music, and both now wear hearing aids as a consequence. As a teenager, Clinton played saxophone in a band. Townshend, who has the more severe hearing loss, was a guitarist for a band called the Who. He is one of the first rock musicians to call the public's attention to the problem of hearing loss from exposure to loud music.
Temporary hearing loss can happen after only 15 minutes of listening to loud music. One early warning sign is when your ears begin to feel warm while you listen to music at a rock concert or through headphones. One later is that an unusual sound or a ringing is sometimes produced in your head after the concert.
"What happens is that the hair cells in the inner ear are damaged, but they're not dead," says a physician and ear specialist Dr. Sam Levine. According to Dr. Levine, if you avoid further exposure to loud noise, it's possible to recondition the cells somewhat. However, he adds, "Eventually, over a long period of time, hair cells are permanently damaged." And this is no small problem.
What sound level is dangerous? According to Dr. Levine, regular exposure to noise above 85 decibels (分贝) is considered dangerous. The chart below offers a comparison of decibel levels to certain sounds. Here's another measurement you can use. If you're at a rock concert and the music is so loud that you have to shout to make yourself heard, you' re at risk for hearing loss. That's when wearing protective devices such as earplugs becomes critical.
The facts are pretty frightening. But are rock bands turning down the volume? Most aren't. "Rock music is supposed to be loud," says drummer Andrew Sather. "I wouldn't have it any other way. And neither would the real fans of rock. "
Continued exposure to loud music and the failure to wear earplugs can lead to deafness, according to Dr. Levine. He states, "There's no cure for hearing loss. Your ears are trying to tell you something. That ringing is the scream of your hair cells dying. Each time that happens, more and more damage is done. "
| Levels of Common Noises Normal conversation 50 — 65 dB Food blender 88 dB Jet plane flying above a person standing outside 103 dB Rock band during a concert 110 — 140 dB |
1.From Paragraph 1, we can learn that .
A. loud music is a major cause of hearing loss
B. famous people tend to have hearing problems
C. teenagers should stay away from school bands
D. the problem of hearing damage is widely known
2.In Paragraph 3, the underlined word "recondition" means .
A. not to be seen
B. to fill with sound
C. to become larger in size
D. to make good again
3.The purpose of the chart at the end of the article is to show .
A. a list of harmful sounds
B. the effect of rock concerts
C. the noise levels of familiar sounds
D. relationship between daily activities and hearing loss
4.Which of the following statements will Dr. Sam Levine probably agree?
A. When your ears feel warm, your hair cells are dead.
B. Drummer Andrew Sather gives good advice.
C. Many are taking the risk of losing hearing.
D. Doctors know how to cure hearing loss.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
Now Hear This
What do former American president Bill Clinton and rock musician Pete Townshend have in common? Both men have hearing damage from exposure to loud music, and both now wear hearing aids as a consequence. As a teenager, Clinton played saxophone in a band. Townshend, who has the more severe hearing loss, was a guitarist for a band called the Who. He is one of the first rock musicians to call the public's attention to the problem of hearing loss from exposure to loud music.
Temporary hearing loss can happen after only 15 minutes of listening to loud music. One early warning sign is when your ears begin to feel warm while you listen to music at a rock concert or through headphones. One later is that an unusual sound or a ringing is sometimes produced in your head after the concert.
"What happens is that the hair cells in the inner ear are damaged, but they're not dead," says a physician and ear specialist Dr. Sam Levine. According to Dr. Levine, if you avoid further exposure to loud noise, it's possible to recondition the cells somewhat. However, he adds, "Eventually, over a long period of time, hair cells are permanently damaged." And this is no small problem.
What sound level is dangerous? According to Dr. Levine, regular exposure to noise above 85 decibels (分贝) is considered dangerous. The chart below offers a comparison of decibel levels to certain sounds. Here's another measurement you can use. If you're at a rock concert and the music is so loud that you have to shout to make yourself heard, you' re at risk for hearing loss. That's when wearing protective devices such as earplugs becomes critical.
The facts are pretty frightening. But are rock bands turning down the volume? Most aren't. "Rock music is supposed to be loud," says drummer Andrew Sather. "I wouldn't have it any other way. And neither would the real fans of rock. "
Continued exposure to loud music and the failure to wear earplugs can lead to deafness, according to Dr. Levine. He states, "There's no cure for hearing loss. Your ears are trying to tell you something. That ringing is the scream of your hair cells dying. Each time that happens, more and more damage is done. "
| Levels of Common Noises Normal conversation 50 — 65 dB Food blender 88 dB Jet plane flying above a person standing outside 103 dB Rock band during a concert 110 — 140 dB |
1.From Paragraph 1, we can learn that .
A. loud music is a major cause of hearing loss
B. famous people tend to have hearing problems
C. teenagers should stay away from school bands
D. the problem of hearing damage is widely known
2.In Paragraph 3, the underlined word "recondition" means .
A. not to be seen
B. to fill with sound
C. to become larger in size
D. to make good again
3.The purpose of the chart at the end of the article is to show .
A. a list of harmful sounds
B. the effect of rock concerts
C. the noise levels of familiar sounds
D. relationship between daily activities and hearing loss
4.Which of the following statements will Dr. Sam Levine probably agree?
A. When your ears feel warm, your hair cells are dead.
B. Drummer Andrew Sather gives good advice.
C. Many are taking the risk of losing hearing.
D. Doctors know how to cure hearing loss.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
When former American President Bill Clinton travelled to South Korea to visit President Kim Young Sam,he repeatedly referred to the Korean president’s wife as Mrs.Kim.By mistake, President Clinton’s advisers thought that Koreans have the same naming customs as the Japanese. Clinton had not been told that,in Korea,wives keep their family names.President Kim Young Sam’s wife was named Sohn Myong Suk.Therefore,she should be addressed(称谓) as Mrs.Sohn.
President Clinton arrived in Korea directly after leaving Japan and had not changed his culture gears.His failure to follow Korean customs gave the impression that Korea was not as important to him as Japan.
In addition to Koreans,some Asian husbands and wives do not share the same family names.This practice often puzzles(使困惑) English-speaking teachers when talking with a pupil’s parents.They become puzzled about the student’s correct last name.Placing the family name first is common among a number of Asian cultures.
Mexican naming customs are different as well.When a woman marries,she keeps her family name and adds her husband’s name after the word de(of).This affects(影响) how they fill in forms in the United States.When requested to fill in a middle name,they generally write the father’s family name.But Mexicans are addressed by the family name of the mother.This often causes puzzlement.
Here are a few ways to deal with such difficult situations:don’t always think that a married woman uses her husband’s last name.Remember that in many Asian cultures,the order of first and last names is reversed(颠倒).Ask which name a person would prefer to use.If the name is difficult to pronounce,admit it,and ask the person to help you say it correctly.
1.The story of Bill Clinton is used to ______.
A.improve US-Korean relations
B.introduce the topic of the text
C.describe his visit to Korea
D.tell us how to address a person
2.The word “gears” in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to ______.
A.action plans B.naming customs
C.travel maps D.thinking patterns
3.When a woman marries in Korea,she ______.
A.continues to use her family name
B.uses her husband’s given name
C.shares her husband’s family name
D.adds her husband’s given name to hers
4.To address a married woman properly,you’d better ______.
A.use her middle name
B.use her husband’s first name
C.ask her which name she likes
D.change the order of her names
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
_______ she was standing and waiting for a bus that she caught sight of the former President Clinton.
A. It was while B. As soon as
C. While D. During the time when
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
_______ she was standing and waiting for a bus that she caught sight of the former President Clinton.
A. It was while B. As soon as
C. While D. During the time when
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Mr. Bill Clinton was elected ____ President of the United States in ____ 1990s.
A. the; the B. a; the C. the; 不填 D. 不填; the
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
A planned visit to Trinidad and Tobago sometime ago by a former American president, suddenly took an amazing turn form the initial plan. The presidential aircraft could not land in Trinidad and Tobago. It was reported that the runway of the airport was too short. Therefore, the aircraft had to land in a nearby country and they came into the country by road.
Everyone has a runway by which events enter into his life. The events here could be favors, miracle, connections, job opportunities, etc. The size of your runway determines the level of results that will be attracted into your life.
I have a story of two good friends. They finished high school together. One wanted to further his studies while the other decided to look for a job. As time went on, the one that wanted to work was always there to support the other one especially in the area of fees in school for a long time. As destiny would have it, they both lost contact and after a very long time, they met again but on a very different level. The one that added values to himself by going back to school had stepped up greatly to become the general manager of a big company and the other was just a little lifted. So, it was time to pay back. The one of general manager could only support him financially and make him the chief driving officer in the company. Even though he would have loved to give him a higher post he was not qualified especially in terms of skills, orientation , experience and so on. In other words, his runway was too short for such an opportunity.
Everyone must increase in knowledge and training . You must step up in your education level, human, business and communication skills. Your relationship with people must improve by being a good person. Your runway is enlarged anytime you add values to your life.
There are some jobs, opportunities, favor that cannot protect base in your life. They will have to be coming from other people into your life because you have failed to work on your own runway by improving on your abilities. It is not too late or too early to start in life because every stage in life is a good place to begin.
1. In the first paragraph, the president had to change his plan because _________________.
A. the weather condition was bad for their journey
B. they couldn’t go into that country by their plane
C. they wanted to visit the neighboring country temporarily
D. the president had to deal with something back in his country
2. The two friends had different final results because __________________________
A. they had different life goals
B. one always wanted to beat the other
C. they had different education levels
D.they wanted to show their different success
3.What is stressed in the last paragraph?
A. The key to success.
B. The need of others’ help
C. The trouble from failure
D. The real meaning of life
4.What would be the best title for this text?
A. Kindness Makes a Big Different
B. Depend on Youself
C. Competition Exists Everywhere
D. Always Improve on Yourself
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Bill Clinton was born on August 19, 1946 in a town called Hope, with the birth name William Jefferson Blythe. His birth father died in a car accident just three months before his birth. When he was born, his mother sent him to live with his grandparents because she couldn’t possibly support a child by herself. He lived with his grandparents for two years while his mother was away at a nursing school in New Orleans, trying to advance her career. When Bill was four, his mother returned to Hope, where she met and married Roger Clinton Sr. A few years later, Bill and his family moved to Hot Springs, where Bill attended school. When he was nine years old, he changed schools and went to Ramble Elementary. When Bill was ten, Roger Clinton Jr. was born, and at age fifteen, Bill took his stepfather’ s last name in hopes of helping his mother’s troubled relationship.
While Bill was growing up in Hot Springs, the town was troubled by gambling (赌博), but Bill had little contact with this part of society despite his parents’ frequent participation (参与) in these illegal practices. As time went by, his mother’ s relationship with Roger Clinton Sr. became more and more unstable. His parents often separated. In high school, Bill was a member of the band, student government, honor society and many other organizations. One summer at a political summer camp called Boys State, Bill ran for delegate (代表) to Boys Nation. He won this election and was on his way to Washington to meet John F. Kennedy, the president. Bill said of his victory, “I didn’t know if I could win a race like that... ”. After that, Bill became determined to enter politics.
1.William Jefferson Blythe moved to Hot Springs ________.
A. when he was born B. before he was nine years old
C. when his mother remarried D. when he was two
2.Bill Clinton once stayed in the following places EXCEPT ________.
A. the town of Hope B. the nursing school in New Orleans
C. Hot Springs D. Ramble Elementary
3.Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. Roger Clinton Sr. was always kind to Bill and his mother.
B. Bill Clinton was once called William Jefferson Blythe before 15.
C. Bill’ s mother and stepfather were interested in gambling.
D. Roger Clinton Jr. was Bill Clinton’ s half (同母异父) brother.
4.It can be learned from the passage that ________.
A. Bill wanted to be a president while studying at school
B. Boys Nation was a political summer camp
C. members of Boys State could see the president
D. Bill decided to enter politics after meeting John F. Kennedy
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
--Do you often hear John ___ in his room? --Yes. Listen! Now we can hear him ___ in his room.
| A．sing; to sing | B．singing; singing | C．sing; singing | D．to sing; singing |
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
Jan. 7, 2008 --- French President Nicolas Sarkozy would marry his girlfriend, former supermodel Carla Bruni on Feb. 8 or 9, media reported Monday.
The report said that in December --- less than a month after Sarkozy met Bruni --- he gave her a heart-shaped diamond engagement ring.
Carla Bruni, Italian singer, former model and girlfriend of France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy, holds the hand of her son Aurelien while wearing a pink heart-shaped ring during a visit to the ancient Jordanian ruins of Petra Jan. 5, 2008. French newspapers reported that Sarkozy would marry her early in February.
Sarkozy and his wife of 11 years, Cecilia, divorced in October. Their marital（婚姻）problems became well known in May 2005 when she appeared in public at the side of event organizer Richard Attias.
A marriage to Bruni, a one-time star of the catwalks who is now a singer, would be Sarkozy’s third: He divorced his first wife, Marie, in the late 80s --- after he had met and befriended Cecilia.
Political analyst Dominique Moisi said that a Sarkozy proposal to Bruni could be part of his desire to head off any future arguments, and the speed of their visit to the ancient Jordanian ruins of Petra Jan. 5, 2008 would fit with his personality as a busy man in a hurry.
“Apparently, he’s going to marry her, so the problem will be behind him,” Moisi said. “He will increase the opportunities to travel with her, and to say to the French, ‘You see, I must remarry… You need a first lady.’”
Bruni, an Italian-born French citizen, has dated famous men including Mick Jagger and Donald Trump. She has also reportedly been linked to singer Eric Clapton and actor Vincent Perez.
1.What is the correct order of Sarkozy’s marital history?
A. Long marriage to Cecilia
B. Visiting ruins with Bruni
C. Getting divorced from Marie
D. Giving Bruni a diamond ring
E. To marry the former supermodel
A. c-a-b-d-e B. e-d-c-a-b C. c-a-d-b-e D. a-c-d-b-e
2.What did Moisi really intend to inform the readers?
A. The president will spend more time staying with Bruni
B. Sarkozy is good at balancing state and personal affairs
C. It is not easy for President Sarkozy to seek a new love
D. It is a doubt whether the marriage would have a bright future
3.The possible purpose of the last paragraph is to _________
A. provide some unknown stories about Bruni’s love affairs
B. show uncertainty about the former supermodel’s loyalty
C. imply that past experiences have little effect on a person
D. prove Bruni one of the most popular and attractive females
4.Which would be the best title for the news?
A. Bruni, France’s first lady
B. A third marriage to fail
C. France to have first lady
D. President’s new girl friend
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Jan．7, 2008 --- French President Nicolas Sarkozy would marry his girlfriend, former supermodel Carla Bruni on Feb．8 or 9, media reported Monday．
The report said that in December --- less than a month after Sarkozy met Bruni --- he gave her a heart-shaped diamond engagement ring．
Carla Bruni, Italian singer, former model and girlfriend of France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy, holds the hand of her son Aurelien while wearing a pink heart-shaped ring during a visit to the ancient Jordanian ruins of Petra Jan．5, 2008．French newspapers reported that Sarkozy would marry her early in February．
Sarkozy and his wife of 11 years, Cecilia, divorced in October．Their marital（婚姻）problems became well known in May 2005 when she appeared in public at the side of event organizer Richard Attias．
A marriage to Bruni, a one-time star of the catwalks who is now a singer, would be Sarkozy’s third: He divorced his first wife, Marie, in the late 80s --- after he had met and befriended Cecilia．
Political analyst Dominique Moisi said that a Sarkozy proposal to Bruni could be part of his desire to head off any future arguments, and the speed of their visit to the ancient Jordanian ruins of Petra Jan．5, 2008 would fit with his personality as a busy man in a hurry．
“Apparently, he’s going to marry her, so the problem will be behind him,” Moisi said．“He will increase the opportunities to travel with her, and to say to the French, ‘You see, I must remarry… You need a first lady．’”
Bruni, an Italian-born French citizen, has dated famous men including Mick Jagger and Donald Trump．She has also reportedly been linked to singer Eric Clapton and actor Vincent Perez．
1.What is the correct order of Sarkozy’s marital history?
a．Long marriage to Cecilia
b．Visiting ruins with Bruni
c．Getting divorced from Marie
d．Giving Bruni a diamond ring
e．To marry the former supermodel
A．c-a-b-d-e B．e-d-c-a-b C．c-a-d-b-e D．a-c-d-b-e
2.What did Moisi really intend to inform the readers?
A．The president will spend more time staying with Bruni
B．Sarkozy is good at balancing state and personal affairs
C．It is not easy for President Sarkozy to seek a new love
D．It is a doubt whether the marriage would have a bright future
3.The possible purpose of the last paragraph is to _________
A．provide some unknown stories about Bruni’s love affairs
B．show uncertainty about the former supermodel’s loyalty
C．imply that past experiences have little effect on a person
D．prove Bruni one of the most popular and attractive females
4.Which would be the best title for the news?
A．Bruni, France’s first lady
B．A third marriage to fail
C．France to have first lady
D．President’s new girl friend
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析