Many artists late in the last century were in search of a means to express their individuality. Modern dance was one of the ways some of these people sought to free their creative spirit. The beginnings of modem dance were happening before Isadora Duncan, but she was the first person to bring the new dance to general audiences and see it accepted and acclaimed.
Her search for a natural movement form sent her to nature. She believed movement should be as natural as the swaying of the trees and the rolling waves of the sea. Her great contributions are in three areas.
First, she began the expansion of the kinds of movements that could be used in dance. Before Duncan danced, ballet was the only type of dance performed in concerts. In the ballet the feet and legs were emphasized, with virtuosity (技巧高超) shown by complicated, codified positions and movements. Duncan performed dance by using all her body in the freest possible way. Her dance stemmed from (源自) her soul and spirit. She was one of the pioneers who broke tradition so others might be able to develop the art.
Her second contribution lies in dance costumes (服装). She discarded corset, ballet shoes, and stiff costumes. These were replaced with flowing clothes, bare feet, and unlimited hair. She believed in the natural body being allowed to move freely, and her dress displayed this ideal.
Her third contribution was in the use of music. In her performances she used the symphonies (交响乐) of great masters, including Beethoven and Wagner, which was not the usual custom.
She was as exciting and eccentric in her personal life as in her dance.
1.. The best title for the passage would be“_________”.
A. Dance in the Twentieth Century
B. Artists of the Last Century
C. Natural Movement in Dance
D. A Pioneer in Modern Dance
2. According to the passage, nature meant_________ to Duncan.
A. something to conquer B. a model for movement
C. a place to find peace D. a symbol of disorder
3. The paragraph following the passage most probably discusses_________.
A. Duncan’s further contribution to modern dance
B. The music customarily used in ballet
C. other aspects of Duncan’s life
D. audience acceptance of the new form of dance
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题
Many artists late in the last century were in search of a means to express their individuality. Modern dance was one of the ways some of these people sought to free their creative spirit. The beginnings of modem dance were happening before Isadora Duncan, but she was the first person to bring the new dance to general audiences and see it accepted and acclaimed.
Her search for a natural movement form sent her to nature. She believed movement should be as natural as the swaying of the trees and the rolling waves of the sea. Her great contributions are in three areas.
First, she began the expansion of the kinds of movements that could be used in dance. Before Duncan danced, ballet was the only type of dance performed in concerts. In the ballet the feet and legs were emphasized, with virtuosity (技巧高超) shown by complicated, codified positions and movements. Duncan performed dance by using all her body in the freest possible way. Her dance stemmed from (源自) her soul and spirit. She was one of the pioneers who broke tradition so others might be able to develop the art.
Her second contribution lies in dance costumes (服装). She discarded corset, ballet shoes, and stiff costumes. These were replaced with flowing clothes, bare feet, and unlimited hair. She believed in the natural body being allowed to move freely, and her dress displayed this ideal.
Her third contribution was in the use of music. In her performances she used the symphonies (交响乐) of great masters, including Beethoven and Wagner, which was not the usual custom.
She was as exciting and eccentric in her personal life as in her dance.
1.. The best title for the passage would be“_________”.
A. Dance in the Twentieth Century
B. Artists of the Last Century
C. Natural Movement in Dance
D. A Pioneer in Modern Dance
2. According to the passage, nature meant_________ to Duncan.
A. something to conquer B. a model for movement
C. a place to find peace D. a symbol of disorder
3. The paragraph following the passage most probably discusses_________.
A. Duncan’s further contribution to modern dance
B. The music customarily used in ballet
C. other aspects of Duncan’s life
D. audience acceptance of the new form of dance
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The search for beauty lasts centuries.Paintings of Egyptians1.(date) back to 4,000 years show both men and women painting their nails and wearing make-up.In the 18th century,wealthy French noblemen2.(wear) wigs(假发)of long and white hair to make3.(them) attractive.Today people continue to devote a lot of time and money 4.their appearance.
But what exactly is beauty?It's difficult to describe it clearly,and we know it when we find it.Our5.(aware) of it may start from an early age.In a study,six-month-old babies6.(show)a series of photographs.The faces in the pictures had been rated by attractiveness.Babies spent more time looking at the attractive faces than the unattractive ones.
For better or worse,beauty plays7.role in our life.But it is8.(extreme)difficult to describe exactly what makes a person attractive to another.Although there are certain physical traits9.(consider) universally appealing,it is also true that beauty does not always keep to a single standard.Beauty really is,10.the saying goes,in the eye of the beholder(旁观者).
高二英语短文填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Mr. Li was out of touch last week. The police ________ for him since.
A. have been searching B. were searching
C. had searched D. has searched
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Many American presidents in the 19th century were born in poor families. They spent their childhood in little wooden rooms. They got little education. Washington and Lincoln, for example, never went to school and they taught themselves. Lincoln once did jobs for a worker, shop-keeper and post-master in his early years.
A large number of American presidents had experiences in the army. The two best known were Ulysses Grant and Dwight D. Eisenhower. Grant was a general in the American Civil War and Eisenhower was hero in the Second World War. It happened that they graduated from the same school--West Point Military Academy(西点军校).One may be surprised to learn that both of them didn't do well in the school. Eisenhower, for example, was once fined(punished to pay money) because he broke the rules of the school.
The jobs of the U.S. presidents are tiring. He must keep an eye on anything important that happens both at home and abroad. Every day, a lot of work waits for him to do and he has to make many important decisions. When Franklin Roosevelt was a child, he was once brought to visit President Taft. The old president said to him," When you grow up, you should not be president. It's a tiring job."
1.How many American presidents are mentioned in this passage?
A. 4 B.5 C.7 D. 6
2.Who regard the jobs of the U.S. presidents as the tiring ones?
A. Taft B.Grant C.Eisenhower D.Roosevelt
3.In this passage, "keep an eye on" means _______.
A.see B.take care of C.look at fixedly D.stare at
4.The second paragraph mainly tells us ______.
A.that Eisenhower became famous in the Second World War
B.how Grant became a general
C.that many of the U.S. presidents had served in the army
D.that Grant and Eisenhower were both schoolmates
5.Which of the following is true?
A.F. Roosevelt was one of the U.S. presidents before Grant.
B.Washington was born in a very poor family.
C.West Point Military Academy was founded in the Second World War.
D.Lincoln was elected the U.S. president after Grant.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Legend suggests that, in the late 16th century, Martin Luther (the founder of the Protestant religion) was the first to decorate an indoor tree with candles when he attempted to recreate the stars shining over a forest of evergreens.
The first mention of decorated trees being taken indoors came in 1605 in Germany ---- a country with a long Christmas tree history! The trees were initially decorated with fruit and sweets together with handmade objects such as quilted snowflakes and stars. German Christmas Markets began to sell shaped gingerbreads and wax ornaments which people bought as souvenirs of the fair and took home to hang on their trees.
Tinsel was also invented in Germany in about 1610. Up until fairly recently real silver was used, which was pulled into wafer thin strips by special machines. This was durable but tarnished quickly and many experiments took place to try and find an alternative - including a mix of lead and tin, which was too heavy and kept breaking. It was only in the mid 20th century that a viable alternative was found.
Artificial trees were invented in the 1880's in a bid to try and stop some of the damage being caused to real trees due to people lopping the tip off large trees, thus preventing the trees from growing any further. It got so bad in Germany that laws had to be brought in to prevent people having more than one tree.
1.The best title for the passage may be “_______”.
A.Martin Luther Was The First to Decorate an Indoor Tree
B.The Origin of the Christmas Tree
C.German Christmas Markets Began to Sell Shaped Gingerbreads
D.Artificial Trees Were Invented in the 1880s
2.The following statements are not true EXCEPT that ______.
A.in the late 6th century ,Martin Luther was the second to decorate an indoor tree with candles
B.the first mention of decorated trees being taken outdoors came in 1605 in Germany
C.German Christmas Markets began to buy shaped gingerbreads and wax ornaments
D.artificial trees were invented in the 1880s in a bid to try and stop some of the damage being caused to real trees
3.What’s the meaning of the underlined word “Tinsel”?
A.Silver products. B.Wood products.
C.Iron products. D.Plastic products.
4.The writer intends to tell us ____in the last paragraph.
A.Germans could buy more and more artificial trees if they want
B.we use artificial trees because that will increase the damage caused to real trees
C.the writer doesn’t like these artificial trees because he thinks they aren’t beautiful
D.artificial trees were invented but German government made the law which limits the number of the trees
高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
As late as the middle of the 19th century women voting was _____ common. But women in Europe and North America believed that they should have a____ in their government’s leaders.
A.less than, word B.far from, say C.rather than, words D.other than, saying
高二英语单项填空困难题查看答案及解析
Until late in the 20th century, most Americans spent time with people of generations. Now mid-aged Americans may not keep in touch with old people until they are old themselves. That’s because we group people by age. We put our three-year-olds together in day-care center, our 13-year-olds in school and sports activities, and our 80-year-olds in senior-citizen homes. Why?
We live away from the old for many reasons: young people sometimes avoid the old to get rid of fears for aging and dying. It is much harder to watch someone we love disappear before our eyes. Sometimes it’s so hard that we stay away from the people who need us most.
Fortunately, some of us have found our way to the old. And we have discovered that they often save the young.
A reporter moved her family onto a block filled with old people. At first her children were disappointed. But the reporter baked banana bread for the neighbors and had her children deliver it and visit them. Soon the children had many new friends, with whom they shared food, stories and projects. “My children have never been less lonely,” the reporter said.
The young, in turn, save the old. Once I was in a rest home when a visitor showed up with a baby. She was immediately surrounded. People who hadn’t gotten out of bed in a week suddenly were ringing for a wheelchair. Even those who had seemed asleep wake up to watch the child. Babies have an astonishing power to comfort and cure.
Grandparents are a special case. They give grandchildren a feeling of security and continuity. As my husband put it, “my grandparents gave me a deep sense that things would turn out right in the end.”
Grandchildren speak of attention they don’t get from worried parents. “My parents were always telling me to hurry up, and my grandparents told me to slow down,” one friend said. A teacher told me she can tell which pupils have relationships with grandparents: they are quieter, calmer, more trusting.
1.Now in an American family, people can find that ________.
A. children never live with their parents
B. not all working people live with their parents
C. aged people are supported by their grandchildren
D. grandchildren are supported by their grandparents
2.The reason why old people are left alone may be that ________.
A. the old don’t like to live in a big family
B. the young can’t get enough money to support the old
C. different generations have different lifestyles
D. the old are too weak to live with the young
3.The fact that the reporter told us shows that ________.
A. old people in America lead a hard life
B. old people in America enjoy banana bread
C. she had no time to take care of her children
D. old people are easy to get along with
4.Seeing a baby, the old people get excited because ________.
A. they had never seen a baby before
B. the baby was clever and beautiful
C. the baby brought them the image of life
D. the baby’s mother would take care of them
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
In the middle of the 20th century people were worried about whales.The number of whales killed worldwide came up to 66,000 per year.However,people weren't worried about the whale as an endangered animal.Instead,they were worried about the whale industry,which would disappear if there were no whales.In 1946,the International Whaling Commission was established.It limited the whale hunting for every country and controlled the whale industry.But the commission recognized that the limitation wasn't enough.They set a worldwide law against hunting whales with only two exceptions: the hunt for scientific research and "aboriginal whaling".Aboriginal whaling allows some countries to hunt a limited number of whales because it is a part of their culture.Some countries like Japan and Norway don't care about the law;they make excuses to hunt whales and sell the products.They only care about the money.
Many fishermen complain that dolphins,also a kind of whale,steal their fish.Therefore,they kill thousands of them.In fact,this is not the truth.In reality there are so many fishermen who steal the fish from each other.Some whale hunters say that they catch the animals for scientists.They have to research what whales are eating.For that, they kill them and look into their stomach.The truth is that they only want to sell the meat.Today scientists want to observe live whales for their research.
Many whale families are not protected and thousands of them are killed.Nobody knows if all whale families would survive,even if humans end all whale hunting today.The pollution of the oceans increases fast and the poison gets into the bodies of the animals.Many of them get sick and die.The human being has killed 90%-95% of many whale families.Others are already extinct.
Today some international organizations try to protect whales.They make reports to explain how important and endangered whales are.Now people are becoming more interested in whales and a complete new industry has developed,whale watching,which you may want to learn about.
1.The text is mainly about .
A. whale industry B. whale research
C. whale product D. whale protection
2.In the middle of the 20th century,what people really worried was that .
A. more whales would be killed worldwide per year
B. the whale would become an endangered animal
C. the whale industry would disappear
D. the law against hunting whales would come into effect
3.Why does Aboriginal whaling allow some countries to hunt a limited number of whales?
A. Because there are many whales in their countries.
B. Because hunting whales is a part of their culture.
C. Because they only care about money.
D. Because they live on hunting whales.
4.Why do many fishermen complain about dolphins?
A. Because dolphins steal their fish.
B. Because they want to make an excuse for killing dolphins.
C. Because there are so few dolphins for them to hunt.
D. Because people have misunderstood their purpose of hunting dolphins.
高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
The search for life in the universe took a step forward last month with the opening of the Allen Telescope Array(艾伦望远镜阵列) in Hat Creek, California. The telescopes were partly made possible by a gift of twenty-five million dollars from Paul Allen. The total cost of the project is already fifty million dollars.
At present, there are 42 radio telescopes working at the Hat Creek observatory. The signals they receive are combined to create what is equal to a single, very large telescope. The telescope will be used to observe objects like exploding stars, black holes and other objects that are predicted but have not yet been observed. Seth Shostak of the SETI Institute says this is the first telescope whose main purpose is to search for signals from intelligent life in space. The SETI Institute is based in Mountain View, California. The organization supports the search for other life forms in the universe.
What makes the Allen Telescope Array unusual is that it can collect and study information from a wide area of the sky. In addition, the 42 telescopes can study information about several projects at the same time. That means studies of large areas of the sky can be made faster than ever before.
Some officials think the Allen Telescope Array will be completed in three more years. 350 individual radio telescopes are planned. The new abilities of the Allen Telescope Array will make searching for stars similar to the sun much faster.
An earlier search by SETI, Project Phoenix, studied about 800 stars to a distance of 240 light years. The project ended in 2004. With the Allen Telescope Array, astronomers hope to gather thousands of times more information in the search for life beyond our planet.
1.The main purpose of the Allen Telescope Array is .
A.to serve for the research of weather predication
B.to prepare for the wars against life from the universe
C.to search for signals from intelligent life in space
D.to observe exploding stars, black holes and other objects
2.From this passage we know that .
A.the 42 radio telescopes at Hat Creek observatory can work together
B.the total cost of the project came from Paul Allen
C.Hat Creek observatory can receive signals from all parts of the worm
D.Hat Creek observatory is operated by an American named Paul Allen
3.Which of the following is TRUE according to this passage?
A.The Allen Telescope Array takes much more room than former telescopes.
B.The Allen Telescope Array is still being built at present in the United States.
C.Another 42 radio telescopes will be fixed in the Allen Telescope Array.
D.The SETI Institute is against the search for other life forms in the universes.
4.With the help of the Allen Telescope Array, .
A.astronomers can gather more information than before from other planets
B.humans will have more chances to live on other planets than before
C.humans will be able to find more natural resources on other planets
D.scientists will be able to find more natural resources from other planets
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The last decade of the 20th century ___ the rapid, steady development of China in various fields.
A.was witnesses B.is witnessed C.had witnessed D.witnessed
高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析