Liu Qian, a magician from Taiwan, cast his sp...

Liu Qian, a magician from Taiwan, cast his spell(魔法)over an audience of thousands on the CCTV Spring Festival Show. Die-hard fans are still trying to work out the secrets behind many of the tricks he performed.

But Liu, 32, when asked, laughed off the idea that there might be an “answer” to his magic. “The most fascinating things about magic is the puzzling process. People enjoy how magicians make the impossible come true,” said Liu.

Few people today believe in the possibility of real magic. They also often fail to consider magicians’ devotion to their art. It can take a magician years’ of practice to perfect a trick before he performs it on stage.

Part of Liu’s star appeal is his astonishing skill. However, when he began in the industry, he was embarrassingly clumsy. “I could practice thousands of times for one single act. It wasn’t much fun,” he said.

No magician’s supernatural powers on stage extend to their life off stage. Liu says his life was no easier or funnier because he was a magician.

He developed an interest in magic at a young age, but didn’t consider making a living out of it until he graduated from university. He had studied Japanese language and found himself unable to find a job. “My parents never considered being a magician as a proper job. To begin with, I had little confidence I would be doing this in the long term,” he said.

Yet Liu felt a powerful calling to become a magician. “For many people, magic somehow means a miracle, which is something we all secretly wish for no matter how hard-bitten or cynical (愤世嫉俗的)we become,” he said.

Liu may be right. A popular modern dream is of the fairy godmother, who waves her magic wand (棒) and makes our dreams come true. But according to Liu, we all have the power to create magic in our lives. As Liu puts it: it’s not the magic that makes it work；it’s the way we work that makes it magic.

1. According to the passage, we can tell that ________.

A. being a famous magician, Liu Qian leads a comfortable life

B. it is a hard job for magicians to perform magic tricks well

C. Liu Qian’s parents supported his wish of earning a living by being a magician

D. Liu Qian showed great talents in performing magic tricks when he first took it up

2. As to whether there’s real magic, Liu Qian believes ________.

A. there is no real magic and what counts in our life is the way we work

B. if we secretly wish for something, magic will turn out to be a miracle

C. the puzzling process of performing magic tricks is the answer to magic

D. there exists a fairy godmother waving her magic wand to make our dreams come true

3. Which of the following sayings is similar to the underlined sentence in meaning?

A. All roads lead to Rome.                B. Easier said than done.

C. Actions speak louder than words.       D. Where there is a will, there is a way.

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A. Magic in our lives                     B. The answer to magic

C. A popular magician from Taiwan         D. The way to become a successful magician

高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Liu Qian, a magician from Taiwan, cast his spell（魔法）over an audience of thousands on the CCTV Spring Festival Show．Die-hard fans are still trying to work out the secrets behind many of the tricks he performed．

But Liu, 32, when asked, laughed off the idea that there might be an “answer” to his magic．“The most fascinating things about magic is the puzzling process．People enjoy how magicians make the impossible come true,” said Liu．

Few people today believe in the possibility of real magic．They also often fail to consider magicians’ devotion to their art．It can take a magician years’ of practice to perfect a trick before he performs it on stage．

Part of Liu’s star appeal is his astonishing skill．However, when he began in the industry, he was embarrassingly clumsy．“I could practice thousands of times for one single act．It wasn’t much fun,” he said．

No magician’s supernatural powers on stage extend to their life off stage．Liu says his life was no easier or funnier because he was a magician．

He developed an interest in magic at a young age, but didn’t consider making a living out of it until he graduated from university．He had studied Japanese language and found himself unable to find a job．“My parents never considered being a magician as a proper job．To begin with, I had little confidence I would be doing this in the long term,” he said．

Yet Liu felt a powerful calling to become a magician．“For many people, magic somehow means a miracle, which is something we all secretly wish for no matter how hard-bitten or cynical （愤世嫉俗的）we become,” he said．

Liu may be right．A popular modern dream is of the fairy godmother, who waves her magic wand （棒） and makes our dreams come true．But according to Liu, we all have the power to create magic in our lives．As Liu puts it: it’s not the magic that makes it work；it’s the way we work that makes it magic．

1.According to the passage, we can tell that ________．

A．being a famous magician, Liu Qian leads a comfortable life

it is a hard job for magicians to perform magic tricks well

C．Liu Qian’s parents supported his wish of earning a living by being a magician

D．Liu Qian showed great talents in performing magic tricks when he first took it up

2.As to whether there’s real magic, Liu Qian believes ________．

A．there is no real magic and what counts in our life is the way we work

if we secretly wish for something, magic will turn out to be a miracle

C．the puzzling process of performing magic tricks is the answer to magic

D．there exists a fairy godmother waving her magic wand to make our dreams come true

3.Which of the following sayings is similar to the underlined sentence in meaning?

A．All roads lead to Rome．         Easier said than done．

C．Actions speak louder than words．  D．Where there is a will, there is a way．

4.What is the best title for the passage?

A．Magic in our lives               The answer to magic

C．A popular magician from Taiwan   D．The way to become a successful magician

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Here’s an unusual story: a diamond ring was recently found in an egg. The magician, Liu Qian, discovered it in front of an audience of millions at CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala. Liu’s magic tricks have made the centuries – old art of magic fashionable once again, and made him the hottest magician in China.

As a seasoned magician from Taiwan, Liu is popular worldwide for his magic shows. Countries he has performed in include the United States, Japan, South Korea and the UK. Witnessing something impossible happen right before your eyes is the root of people’s love for magic.

Liu is known for his interaction with his audiences. He has a unique understanding of showmanship(演出技巧)。“It’s actually thinking rather than one’s manipulation (处理) skills that is more important to achieving a successful magic show. We think carefully about how to design the shows creatively, to make them appear more interesting,” Liu said.

Liu Qian’s success dated back to his childhood. Born in 1976 in Taiwan, he found himself attracted to a magic toy in a shop when he was seven years old. At the age of 12, he won Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest, which was judged by the great American magician, David Copperfield.

Yet, Liu never planned on becoming a professional magician. He studied Japanese literature at university and only hoped to be an amateur magician in his spare time. However, his failure to find a proper job after graduation pushed him towards magic as a career.

To refine his performing skills, he has performed on streets, roads and fields, for passersby, policemen and farmers.

“Street shows are the biggest challenge for us magicians. We have to deal with unexpected situations and tough crowds,” Liu said.

1.The story is about ________.

A. why people love magic

B. how Liu Qian became China’s hottest magician

C. how fashionable magic is

D. what magic tricks are

2.People love to watch magic because ________.

A. they love watching magicians make the impossible happen

B. it arouses their curiosity

C. they can’t figure out the secret of magic

D. it is a centuries – old art

3.Which of the following is the key reason that Liu Qian decided to make magic his career?

A. He was interested in magic when he was little.

B. He had won Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest.

C. He couldn’t find an acceptable job after graduation.

D. He became an amateur magician in his spare time.

4. What does the underlined word “seasoned” in Paragraph2 mean?

A. experienced

B. freshman

C. amateur

D. unskillful

5.From the story we know that______.

A. Liu Qian competed in many magic competitions.

B. Liu Qian often invites audiences to be in his magic show.

C. Liu Qian does street show to make money.

D. Liu Qian performs on the streets in order to increase his fame.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Here's an unusual story：a diamond ring was recently found in an egg. The magician，Liu Qian，discovered it，in front of an audience of millions at CCTV's Spring Festival Gala. Liu's magic tricks have made the centuries-old art of magic fashionable once again，and made him the hottest magician in China.

As a seasoned young magician from Taiwan，Liu is popular worldwide for his magic shows. Countries he has performed in include the United States，Japan，South Korea and the UK.

Witnessing something impossible happen right before your eyes is the root of people's love for magic.

Liu is known for his interaction (互动) with his audiences. He has a unique understanding of showmanship (演出技巧)．

“It's actually thinking rather than one's manipulation (操作) skills that is more important to achieving a successful magic show. We think carefully about how to design the shows creatively，to make them appear more interesting.”Liu said.

Liu Qian's success dated back to his childhood. Born in 1976 in Taiwan，he found himself attracted to a magic toy in a shop when he was seven years old. At the age of 12，he won Taiwan's Youth Magic Contest，which was judged by the great American magician，David Copperfield.

Yet，Liu never planned on becoming a professional magician. He studied Japanese literature at university and only hoped to be an amateur (业余的) magician in his spare time. However， his failure to find a proper job after graduation pushed him towards magic as a career.

To refine his performing skills，he has performed on streets，roads and fields for passers-by， policemen and farmers.

“Street shows are the biggest challenge for us magicians. We have to deal with unexpected situations and tough crowds，”Liu said.

1.The story is about ______.

A.Liu Qian's experiences of becoming a great magician

B.why people love magic

C.what magic tricks are

D.how fashionable magic is

2.People love to watch magic because ______.

A.they can't figure out the secret of magic

B.it makes them happy

C.they love watching magicians make something impossible happen

D.it is a centuries-old art

3.Which of the following is the key reason that Liu Qian decided to make magic his career?

A.He was interested in magic when he was young.

B.He had won Taiwan's Youth Magic Contest.

C.He became an amateur magician in his spare time.

D.He couldn't find an acceptable job after graduation.

4.From the story we know that ______.

A.Liu Qian competed in many magic competitions

B.Liu Qian often invites audiences to be in his magic show

C.Liu Qian performs on streets in order to increase his fame

D.Liu Qian does street show to make money

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Here's an unusual story：a diamond ring was recently found in an egg. The magician，Liu Qian，discovered it，in front of an audience of millions at CCTV's Spring Festival Gala. Liu's magic tricks have made the centuries­old art of magic fashionable once again，and made him the hottest magician in China.

As a seasoned young magician from Taiwan，Liu is popular worldwide for his magic shows. Countries he has performed in include the United States，Japan，South Korea and the UK.

Witnessing something impossible happen right before your eyes is the root of people's love for magic.

Liu is known for his interaction (互动) with his audiences. He has a unique understanding of showmanship (演出技巧)．

“It's actually thinking rather than one's manipulation (操作) skills that is more important to achieving a successful magic show. We think carefully about how to design the shows creatively，to make them appear more interesting.”Liu said.

Liu Qian's success dated back to his childhood. Born in 1976 in Taiwan，he found himself attracted to a magic toy in a shop when he was seven years old. At the age of 12，he won Taiwan's Youth Magic Contest，which was judged by the great American magician，David Copperfield.

Yet，Liu never planned on becoming a professional magician. He studied Japanese literature at university and only hoped to be an amateur (业余的) magician in his spare time. However，his failure to find a proper job after graduation pushed him towards magic as a career.

To refine his performing skills，he has performed on streets，roads and fields for passers­by，policemen and farmers.

“Street shows are the biggest challenge for us magicians. We have to deal with unexpected situations and tough crowds，”Liu said.

1.The story is about ________.

A．Liu Qian's experiences of becoming a great magician

B．why people love magic

C．what magic tricks are

D．how fashionable magic is

2.People love to watch magic because ________.

A．they can't figure out the secret of magic

B．it makes them happy

C．they love watching magicians make something impossible happen

D．it is a centuries­old art

3.Which of the following is the key reason that Liu Qian decided to make magic his career?

A．He was interested in magic when he was young.

B．He had won Taiwan's Youth Magic Contest.

C．He became an amateur magician in his spare time.

D．He couldn't find an acceptable job after graduation.

4.From the story we know that ________.

A．Liu Qian competed in many magic competitions

B．Liu Qian often invites audiences to be in his magic show

C．Liu Qian performs on streets in order to increase his fame

D．Liu Qian does street show to make money

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Born in 1976 in Taiwan, Liu Qian found himself _____ to a magic toy in a shop when he was seven years old.

高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

251. The America’s selling weapons to Taiwan cast a shadow on the Sino-U.S relationship. Which of the following can explain the underlined part?

高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

It is the America’s selling weapons to Taiwan        cast a shadow on the Sino—US relationship.

A．what          B．which        C．that D．where

高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

My family moved from Taiwan to a small town in central Georgia, where my dad got a visa for his family and a job. I had just learned English, and from what little I could gather from my classmates, Santa Claus would come down one’s chimney（烟囱） and put toys in one’s stocking on Christmas Eve! What a great country, I thought. After I looked up “stocking” in my Chinese-English dictionary, I knew what I had to do.

On that fateful night, after everyone went to bed, I took my longest, cleanest knee sock and attached it to a nail already on the mantel(壁炉). Obviously, the previous owners of this house were no strangers to this Santa character.

I woke up before everyone else on Christmas Day and ran to the fireplace. To make a sob story short, I was hit with the reality of an empty sock and the biggest lie ever told. I burst into tears, quickly took down the sock, and stuffed it in the back of a drawer. Santa was dead.

Every December since then, the topic of Christmas memories would unavoidably come up, and I would amuse my friends with my poor-little-me story. I had to make it as funny as possible, or else I would cry.

How could I know that Santa was just late? Nine years ago, on Christmas Eve, an older man with a white beard and a red cap knocked on my front door. He said, “I’ve been looking for you for twenty-five years.” He handed me a bulging red stocking, winked, and left. On top of the stocking was a card. It read: “For Becky—I may have missed you in the second grade, but you’ve always lived in my heart. Santa.”

Through tear-blurred eyes, I recognized the handwriting of Jill, a friend I had met just two months before. I later discovered that the older man was her father. Jill had seen the hurt little girl underneath the thirty-something woman and decided to do something about it.

So now I believe that Santa is real. I don’t mean the twinkle-eyed character of children’s mythology(神话) or the creation of American holiday marketers. Those Santas annoy and sadden me. I believe in the Santa Claus that live inside good and thoughtful people. This Santa does not return to the North Pole after a crazy delivery but lives each day purposefully, really listens to friends, and then plans deliberate acts of kindness.

1. What does the underlined part “what I had to do” in Paragraph 1 refer to?

A. Waiting for Santa Claus.

B. Putting a stocking on the mantel.

C. Asking for gifts from her parents.

D. Looking up “stocking” in the dictionary

2. It can be inferred from the passage that the author’s parents ____.

A. didn’t love their child at all

B. didn’t know the previous owners of the house

C. didn’t know much about Christmas tradition

D. didn’t have enough money to buy the author Christmas presents

3. When the author told her friends about the story, she felt ______in her heart.

A. proud　　 B. amusing　　 C. hate　　 D. regret

4. By writing the passage, the author speaks highly of ________

A. friendship　　 B. parenting

C. religion　　 　 D. culture

5. The author of the passage is probably ________.

A. a teenager

B. a primary school student

C. a middle-aged woman

D. a native American

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

My family moved from Taiwan to a small town in central Georgia, where my dad got a visa for his family and a job. I had just learned English, and from what little I could gather from my classmates, Santa Claus would come down one’s chimney and put toys in one’s stocking on Christmas Eve! What a great country, I thought. After I looked up “stocking” in my Chinese-English dictionary, I knew what I had to do.

On that fateful night, after everyone went to bed, I took my longest, cleanest knee sock and attached it to a nail already on the mantel(壁炉). Obviously, the previous owners of this house were no strangers to this Santa character.

I woke up before everyone else on Christmas Day and ran to the fireplace. To make a sob story short, I was hit with the reality of an empty sock and the biggest lie ever told. I burst into tears, quickly took down the sock, and stuffed it in the back of a drawer. Santa was dead.

Every December since then, the topic of Christmas memories would unavoidably come up, and I would amuse my friends with my poor-little-me story. I had to make it as funny as possible, or else I would cry.

How could I know that Santa was just late? Nine years ago, on Christmas Eve, an older man with a white beard and a red cap knocked on my front door. He said, “I’ve been looking for you for twenty-five years.” He handed me a bulging red stocking, winked, and left. On top of the stocking was a card. It read: “For Becky—I may have missed you in the second grade, but you’ve always lived in my heart. Santa.”

Through tear-blurred eyes, I recognized the handwriting of Jill, a friend I had met just two months before. I later discovered that the older man was her father. Jill had seen the hurt little girl underneath the thirty-something woman and decided to do something about it.

So now I believe that Santa is real. I don’t mean the twinkle-eyed character of children’s mythology or the creation of American holiday marketers. Those Santas annoy and sadden me. I believe in the Santa Claus that live inside good and thoughtful people. This Santa does not return to the North Pole after a crazy delivery but lives each day purposefully, really listens to friends, and then plans deliberate acts of kindness.

1.What does the underlined part “what I had to do” in Paragraph 1 refer to?

A. Waiting for Santa Claus.

B. Putting a stocking on the mantel.

C. Asking for gifts from her parents.

D. Looking up “stocking” in the dictionary

2.It can be inferred from the passage that the author’s parents ________.

A. didn’t love their child at all

B. didn’t know the previous owners of the house

C. didn’t know much about Christmas tradition

D. didn’t have enough money to buy the author Christmas presents

3.When the author told her friends about the story, she felt ________ in her heart.

A. proud　　 　　 B. amusing　　 　 C. hate　　 　　 D. regret

4.The author of the passage is probably ________.

A. a teenager　 　　　　　　　　　 B. a primary school student

C. a middle-aged woman　 　　　 D. a native American

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析