Back in the days when I wrote my first songs,...

Back in the days when I wrote my first songs, I hated my voice. I saw myself as a songwriter and guitarist but never a singer! I continued to write songs, and to search for the perfect singer. After a few years I did discover a singer, so we started a project together. We held a few concerts, and put a lot of work into it. She forces me to sing some songs at concerts myself, so I started going to a bar to practice them. This was my first, small breakthrough.

One day she came round to my flat and informed me that she could no longer work with me, and also that the bar owner at the open mic venue(麦克风场地) had replaced us at short notice because some New York jazz star happened to be in town, and was available that evening to perform. The first bit of news made me sad and disappointed, but the second made me angry.

However, that same evening, with as much determination as I could muster (集合), I resolved to play three new songs at the bar, just as I had planned before. I was quite nervous, but I dragged myself down to the bar and sang those songs! I never felt so liberated(无拘束的). That night I couldn’t get to sleep. I was simply astonished, hardly believing that I was a person who acted so courageously, and that I’d been able to sing my songs myself.

Since then I’ve begun to encourage others to adopt a similar approach when they aren’t able to see their own potential. One example is an amateur fiddler (小提琴手) who could barely bring herself to lift her instrument to play in front of people. I forced her to ignore her fear, and simply get on with it. Now, a year or two later, she is a passionate, happy performer in front of any crowd!

Once you get the ball rolling in yourself, you can start inspiring those around you.

1.What was the author’s first breakthrough?

A. She found the perfect singer.

B. She started a project with her partner.

C. She started to practice songs at a bar.

D. She was able to sing all of her songs.

2.How did the author feel when she heard that her partner could no longer work with her?

A. Sad and disappointed.            B. Sad and angry.

C. Disappointed and angry.            D. Astonished and angry.

3.The amateur fiddler is mentioned in the last but one paragraph in order to show that the author ________.

A. has a good relationship with her

B. encourages others to see their potential

C. can perform in front of any crowd

D. is very interested in making friends

4.What’s the passage mainly about?

A. How to work with other singers.

B. The story of the author and an amateur fiddler.

C. How the author became a singer through her fighting spirit.

D. How to write beautiful songs.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

It was my first day back home since starting college. A lot had changed in the last year. Not with my hometown but with me. I had left as a 17-year-old boy and had now returned as an 18-year-old man. In the city, I was living on my own, had a part-time job and was studying. Even the government recognized I was an adult: I had a driver’s license. So here I was, on my summer vacation, walking down the main street with my father, desperate for him to acknowledge how mature I was. When his recognition failed to appear, I took matters into my own hands. “Dad,” I said casually, “I’m thirsty. Let’s go for a beer.” It was the first time I’d ever mentioned beer in front of my father, let alone ask him to drink one with me.

He turned to me with a curious expression on his face. “A beer ? Well I guess you’re old enough now. Let’s go to Sailors’ Bar. It’s where my cousin Tom, your uncle, used to drink. You remember him, right?”

I had only some vague(模糊的) memories of my uncle. He was the black sheep of the family. We didn’t talk about him much. “What ever happened to Uncle Tom, Dad? I haven’t seen him in years,” I said as we continued towards the bar.

“Neither have I, unfortunately. He was a good kid once. But things changed,” my father said sadly. As a boy, he explained, there had been no better-behaved boy than Tom. But after leaving school, he moved to the city and fell in with bad company. He started going out every night, drinking in nightclubs and playing cards. Soon he lost everything and had to beg his mum to pay his debts. She agreed on the condition he returned home.

My dad took a deep breath and continued his tale. “Things settled down for a while. He married a lovely woman, gave up his bad habits. But it didn’t last. He was soon back to his old ways. He couldn’t resist. He was at Sailors’ Bar almost every night. His poor mother died of grief and shame. His wife followed her soon after.

“What ruined him was alcohol. He told me once, when a man begins drinking, he never knows where it’ll end. ‘So’, Tom warned me, ‘beware of your first drink!’

“He went from bad to worse. Last year Tom sent me a letter saying he had been found guilty of stealing, and sent to prison for ten years.”

Dad finished talking just as we reached the front of Sailors’ Bar. “Anyway, here we are. Let’s go in,” he said. But I understood. I put my arm around my father and said, “I’m not thirsty any more, Dad. Let’s go home.”

1.Why did the young man invite his father to drink a beer?

A. Because he was thirsty.

B. Because he wanted to show he was an adult.

C. Because he wanted to impress his father casually.

D. Because he wanted to discuss his Uncle Tom.

2.What does the young man mean by referring to Uncle Tom as “the black sheep of the family”?

A. The family was concerned about Tom because he was always in trouble.

B. The family showed sympathy to Tom because he was unfortunate.

C. The family felt ashamed of Tom because he was a failure.

D. The family felt disgusted about him because he was different.

3.What was the main source of Uncle Tom’s problems?

A. His overly-strict family.

B. His addiction to card games.

C. The deaths of his mother and wife.

D. His inability to control his drinking.

4.In the story, the father told his son about Tom in order to ________.

A. entertain the son while they walked to the bar

B. convince the son of the harm caused by drinking

C. recall an interesting period in the father’s life

D. warn the son to keep away from Tom

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

When I was eight or nine years old, I wrote my first poem.

My mother read the little poem and began to cry. “Buddy, you didn’t really write this beautiful, beautiful poem!” Shyly, I said that I had. My mother poured out her welcome praise. Why, this poem was nothing short of genius!

What time will Father be home?” I asked. I could hardly wait to show him what I had accomplished. My mother said she hoped he would be home around 7. I spent the best part of that afternoon preparing for his arrival. First, I wrote the poem out in my finest handwriting. Then I used colored pens to draw a border around it. Then I confidently placed it right on my father’s plate on the dining table. But my father did not return at 7, Seven-fifteen, Seven-thirty. My father had begun his motion-picture career as a writer. He would be able to appreciate my poem even more than my mother.

It was almost 8 o’clock when my father burst in. He was an hour late, but he could not sit down. I can see him now, a big Havana cigar in one hand, the rapidly disappearing drink in the other, calling down bitter words on his employees.

Suddenly, he paused and glared at his plate. There was a silence. He was reaching for my poem. I lowered my head and stared down into my plate.

“What is this?” I heard him say.

“Ben, a wonderful thing has happened,” my mother said. “Buddy has written his first poem. And it’s beautiful, absolutely amazing”.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to decide that for myself,” Father said.

I kept my face lowered to my plate. It was only 10 lines long. But it seemed to take hours. I remember wondering why it was taking so long. I could hear him dropping the poem back on the table again. Now was the moment of decision.

“I think it’s bad,” my father said.

I couldn’t look up. My eyes were getting wet.

“Ben, sometimes I don’t understand you,” my mother was saying. “This is just a little boy. You’re not in your studio now. These are the first lines of poetry he’s ever written. He need encouragement.”

“I don’t know why,” my father held his ground. “Isn’t there enough bad poetry in the world already? No law says Buddy has to become a poet.”

I couldn’t stand it another second. I ran from the dining room, threw myself on the bed and cried.

That may have been the end of the anecdote(轶事) — but not of its significance for me.

A few years later I took a second look at that first poem, and unwillingly I had to agree with my father’s tough judgment. It was a pretty bad poem. After a while, I worked up the courage to show him something new, a short story. My father thought it was overwritten but not hopeless. I was learning to rewrite. And my mother was learning that she could disapprove of me without ruining me. You might say we were all learning. I was going on 12.

As I worked my way into other books and plays and films, it became clearer and clearer to me how fortunate I had been to have had a mother who said, “Buddy, it’s wonderful!” and a father who shook his head no and drove me to tears with his, “I think it’s bad.” In fact all of us in life need that mother force, the loving force from which all creation flows; and yet the mother force alone is incomplete, even misleading, finally damaging, without the father force to caution, “Watch. Listen. Review. Improve.” Between the two poles of affirmation (肯定) and doubt, both in the name of love, I try to follow my true course.

1.What did the mother think of the Buddy’s poem?

A. She was so moved that she cried.

B. She believed Buddy needed advice from his father.

C. She considered Buddy had no talent for poetry.

D. She thought the poem was well written.

2.Which underlined word in the following sentences best reflects Buddy’s eagerness to show his father the poem?

A. Then I confidently placed it right on my father’s place on the dining table.

B. He would be able to appreciate my poem even more than my mother.

C. I wrote the poem out in my finest handwriting.

D. I could hardly wait to show him what I had accomplished.

3.The underlined sentence “My father held his ground” could best be replaced by ________.

A. My father began to explain his reasons

B. My father thought his comment is unreasonable

C. My father refused to change his opinion

D. My father got so angry that he rose to his feet

4.From the passage, we can infer that the father can be best described as ________.

A. cruel and stubborn                B. loving and matter-of-fact

C. bad-tempered and rude            D. cautious and strict

5.Which of the following statements do you think the author might agree with?

A. The incident helped the writer work his work further as a writer.

B. The author only realized the significance of the incident after becoming a writer.

C. After the incident, the author stopped writing but tried his luck in plays and films.

D. The incident completely changed the author’s course of life.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Do you hate to get your hands dirty? When I see my 10-year-old son______the dirty plates　 in the sink or my 8 year-old daughter cringing(畏缩) at the wet sand clinging(黏住) to her hands, I am reminded of a time when I was ______to get my hands a little dirty.

My parents owned a 500-acre _______in Montana when I was young.I’d often come home from school to find a/an _______lamb or a calf being bottle-fed in the basement.One exceptionally cold day, I was the ______ sheep with my mother in the ranch when she spied a ewe(母羊)　　 _____.The poor thing was trying to ______ her baby lamb and needed our help.My mother calmly held the ewe’s head and _______me to grab hold of the two protruding(突出的) legs.

I hesitated, and must have had quite a look of ______ on my young face.The slimy little things were ______ not something I wanted to touch.But I worked up my _______and wrapped my fingers around them.I can still recall the feel of ______ the delicate legs and their sharp little hooves(蹄子) as of it happened yesterday.

My heart beat in fear and excitement as I ______ with all my strength.The lamb was delivered with an outpouring, and I’d never seen ______ so beautiful.I was no ______ to see ranch animals being born, but to have a hand ______ it was something I cherished then and will cherish forever.

Looking back, I’m so glad that I didn’t _______to get my hands dirty.______ I had, the miraculous moment and the precious memory would have been lost.These days I try to instill(灌输) that life lesson into my own ______ .Sometimes you need to get your hands a little dirty to experience something ______ and pure.

1.A. throwing　　 B. wasting　　 C. washing　　 D. avoiding

2.A. unwilling　　 B. willing　　 C. thrilled　　 D. content

3.A. garden　　 B. ranch　　 C. yard　　 D. field

4.A. newborn　　 B. energetic　　 C. strong　　 D. fierce

5.A. watching over　　 B. spying on　　 C. checking on　　 D. picking out

6.A. in peace　　 B. in silence　　 C. in operation　　 D. in trouble

7.A. raise　　 B. bear　　 C. feed　　 D. hug

8.A. requested　　 B. commanded　　 C. instructed　　 D. guided

9.A. panic　　 B. anxiety　　 C. delight　　 D. excitement

10.A. almost　　 B. possibly　　 C. definitely　　 D. approximately

11.A. affection　　 B. patience　　 C. confidence　　 D. courage

12.A. unbearable　　 B. unexpected　　 C. unfortunate　　 D. uncomfortable

13.A. dragged　　 B. rolled　　 C. pushed　　 D. pulled

14.A. nothing　　 B. anything　　 C. something　　 D. everything

15.A. stranger　　 B. specialist　　 C. reporter　　 D. acquaintance

16.A. in　　 B. on　　 C. over　　 D. at

17.A. hesitate　　 B. tend　　 C. refuse　　 D. bother

18.A. Even if　　 B. When　　 C. Unless　　 D. If

19.A. relatives　　 B. children　　 C. friends　　 D. colleagues

20.A. embarrassing　　 B. confusing　　 C. entertaining　　 D. amazing

高二英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

When I came back home, I wrote him a letter to show my ________ of his thoughtfulness.

A. appreciation        B. agreement        C. attention        D. achievement

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

When I was eight, I wrote my first poem. My mother read and cried, “Buddy, you didn’t really write this beautiful poem!” Shyly, but _________, I said yes. She poured out her_________. “It was nothing short of talent!” “What time will Father be home?” I asked. I could_________wait to show my work to him. I spent quite some time_________for his arrival. I wrote the poem out in my finest flourish（花体字）, drew a fancy border around it and_______I placed it right on my father's plate on the dining table. My father had begun his motion-picture career as a writer. I was sure he would be able to_______my poem.

At almost 7 o'clock my father burst in. He seemed _______. He circled the dining-room table, complaining about his employees. _______ he paused and glared at his plate. "What is this?" He was reaching for my poem. “Ben, Buddy has written his first poem!” my mother began. "And it's beautiful, absolutely amaz…”“If you don't mind, I'd like to decide for myself." Father said. I _______my head as he read that poem. It was only ten lines. But it seemed to take hours. Then I heard him dropping the poem back on the table. Now came the moment of __________ “I think it's terrible," he said. I couldn't look up. My eyes were getting____________.

“Ben, these are the first lines of poetry he's ever written," my mother was saying. "He needs encouragement.”

“I don't know why." My father held his ground. "Isn't there enough __________ poetry in the world already?" I couldn't____________it another second. I ran from the dining room crying. Up in my room I ____________ myself on the bed and cried the worst of the disappointment out of me.

That may have been the end of the story, but not of its ____________for me. I realized how__________ I had been. I had a mother who said, "I think it's wonderful!" and a father who drove me to hear with "I think it's awful." Every one of us needs that mother force, from which all creation flows; and yet the mother force alone is __________. It needs the balance of the force that __________, "Watch. Listen. Review. Improve."

Those__________voices of my childhood ring in my ears through the years, like two opposing winds blowing me. __________ the two poles of confirmation and doubt, both in the name of love, I try to follow my true course.

1.A. proudly　　 B. slowly　　 C. anxiously　　 D. honestly

2.A. praise　　 B. surprise　　 C. criticism　　 D. belief

3.A. seldom　　 B. hardly　　 C. frequently　　 D. instantly

4.A. waiting　　 B. planning　　 C. praying　　 D. preparing

5.A. embarrassedly　　 B. confidently　　 C. nervously　　 D. casually

6.A. read　　 B. revise　　 C. appreciate　　 D. polish

7.A. allergic　　 B. fragile　　 C. tired　　 D. upset

8.A. Excitedly　　 B. Suddenly　　 C. Surprisingly　　 D. Instantly

9.A. shook　　 B. raised　　 C. turned　　 D. lowered

10.A. truth　　 B. struggle　　 C. decision　　 D. discussion

11.A. wet　　 B. wide　　 C. dark　　 D. bright

12.A. terrible　　 B. elegant　　 C. fluent　　 D. inaccurate

13.A. stop　　 B. see　　 C. stand　　 D. control

14.A. seated　　 B. threw　　 C. stuck　　 D. kept

15.A. difficulty　　 B. development　　 C. significance　　 D. challenge

16.A. enthusiastic　　 B. fortunate　　 C. desperate　　 D. ridiculous

17.A. incomplete　　 B. contradictory　　 C. inappropriate　　 D. constructive

18.A. orders　　 B. persuades　　 C. warns　　 D. announces

19.A. conflicting　　 B. warning　　 C. disturbing　　 D. inspiring

20.A. In　　 B. Between　　 C. Among　　 D. For

高二英语完形填空困难题查看答案及解析

When I was eight, I wrote my first poem. My mother read and cried, “Buddy, you didn't really write this beautiful poem!” Shyly, but _____, I said yes. She poured out her ____.“It was nothing short of talent!” “What time will Father be home?” I asked. I could _____ wait to show my work to him. I spent quite some time ____ for his arrival. I wrote the poem out in my finest flourish(花体字), drew a fancy border around it and ____ I placed it right on my father’s plate on the dining table. My father had begun his motion-picture career as a writer. I was sure he would be able to _____ my poem.

At almost 7 o’clock my father burst in. He seemed ____. He circled the dining-room table, complaining about his employees. _____ he paused and glared at his plate. “What is this?” He’s reaching for my poem. “Ben, Buddy has written his first poem!” my mother began. “And it’s beautiful, absolutely amaze...” “If you don’t mind, I’d like to decide for myself.” Father said. I ______ my head as he read that poem. It was only ten lines. But it seemed to take hours. Then I heard him dropping the poem back on the table. Now came the moment of ______. “I think it’s terrible,” he said. I couldn’t look up. My eyes were getting ______.

“Ben, these are the first lines of poetry he’s ever written,” my mother was saying. “He needs encouragement.” “I don’t know why.” My father held his ground. “Isn’t there enough _____ poetry in the world already?” I couldn’t ______it another second. I ran from the dining room crying. Up in my room I ______ myself on the bed and cried the worst of the disappointment out of me.

That may have been the end of the story, but not of its ______ for me. I realized how ____ I had been. I had a mother who said, “I think it’s wonderful!” and a father who drove me to hear with “I think it’s awful.” Every one of us needs that mother force, from which all creation flows; and yet the mother force alone is _____. It needs the balance of the force that _____, “Watch. Listen. Review. Improve.”

Those _______ voices of my childhood ring in my ears through the years, like two opposing winds blowing me. ______ the two poles of confirmation and doubt, both in the name of love, I try to follow my true course.

1.A. proudly        B. slowly            C. anxiously        D. honestly

2.A. praise        B. surprise            C. criticism        D. belief

3.A. seldom        B. hardly            C. frequently        D. instantly

4.A. waiting        B. planning            C. praying            D. preparing

5.A. embarrassedly                    B. confidently

C. nervously                    D. casually

6.A. read        B. revise            C. appreciate        D. polish

7.A. allergic    B. fragile            C. tired            D. upset

8.A. Excitedly    B. Suddenly            C. Surprisingly        D. Instantly

9.A. shook        B. raised            C. turned            D. lowered

10.A. truth        B. struggle            C. discussion        D. decision

11.A. wet        B. wide                C. dark                D. blank

12.A. terrible    B. elegant            C. fluent            D. inaccurate

13.A. stop        B. see                C. stand            D. control

14.A. seated        B. threw            C. stuck            D. kept

15.A. difficulty    B. development        C. significance        D. challenge

16.A. enthusiastic                    B. fortunate

C. desperate                    D. ridiculous

17.A. incomplete    B. contradictory    C. inappropriate    D. constructive

18.A. orders        B. persuades        C. cautions            D. announces

19.A. conflicting                    B. warning

C. disturbing                    D. inspiring

20.A. In            B. Between            C. Among            D. For

高二英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

I can still remember the first day when I met my best friend. She had just moved into the neighborhood and her grandmother brought her down to 1   me. I hid behind my mother and she hid behind her grandmother, 2  to look at each other. Soon, we lost the shyness and started playing with each other. In 7^th grade, I first lost 3   with her. She was 4   family problems and I deserted her. 5   of my new friends liked her 6  they knew she had “problems”.

It was last year when I noticed the 7  . I guess I was just to catch up in high school to realize she 8  someone there for her. I didn’t know 9, but she started cutting herself!

She was 10  from clinical depression(抑郁), and had to go to a 11  during the day. I was very upset at first but with the late night 12 , and meeting each other at midnight. I wanted to be there for her since her new best friend once 13  her since people were calling her crazy.

Yesterday she came to me and said this:“I never knew what a best friend was 14  you were the only person that would 15 me from cutting; the only person that ever made me feel better about myself and my problems. You don’t know this but I was trying to 16  myself that night you called me. You didn’t even know you were 17  me. I owe you so much.”

We both cried. And I guess a kind of 18  from my life is:“never give up on your friends”. Even if they aren’t as cool as others, or people think they are 19 , they need someone there. If you desert them, you will only be 20  yourself. So if a friend needs you, and you care for them, you can never desert them.

1.                A．call            B．find            C．meet D．know

2.                A．scared         B．surprised       C．glad D．eager

3.                A．communication   B．friendship       C．relation   D．touch

4.                A．breaking through B．going through    C．seeing through D．getting through

5.                A．None          B．All             C．Each D．Neither

6.                A．even if         B．however        C．as if  D．because

7.                A．problem        B．coolness        C．assessment    D．sadness

8.                A．had            B．wanted         C．needed   D．expected

9.                A．how           B．why            C．when D．where

10.               A．dating          B．suffering        C．separating D．originating

11.               A．hospital        B．teacher        C．friend D．school

12.               A．comforts       B．conversations    C．persuasions    D．calls

13.               A．liked           B．respected       C．deserted  D．hated

14.               A．when          B．until           C．before    D．after

15.               A．protect         B．support        C．stop  D．warn

16.               A．control         B．kill            C．forget D．enjoy

17.               A．hurting         B．ignoring        C．reminding D．helping

18.               A．fact           B．truth           C．lesson D．experience

19.               A．unfriendly      B．cool           C．strange    D．crazy

20.               A．unhappy        B．foolish         C．impressive D．anxious

高二英语完型填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Day 1

I first heard of “Show Racism (种族歧视) the Red Card” when my friend Jill asked me to support their work. Basically, it’s an organization which uses professional (职业的) footballers to help fight racism in sport and society. A few weeks later, he asked me if I wanted to do a bit more for them. I thought he probably meant for me to give money or do some voluntary work. But then he told me that a group of about 20 people were getting sponsored (赞助) to play the highest ever game of rugby (橄榄球) at 5,140 meters on Mount Everest.

Day 4

We’re making our way up to the base camp — that’s where most climbers start their final climb to the top — and then, we’ll play our game. Today we started out at 8 am. We had to cross three suspension bridges (悬索桥). One of them was so high that you couldn’t see the bottom. Then we walked through some beautiful forest areas before we started a two-hour uphill hike to Namche Bazaar.

Day 10

Base camp is basically just a lot of stones and tents. The walk up was really exhausting. Maybe if I was fitter, I wouldn’t find this so hard, but then it was not just me — all of us got very short of breath.

Day 11

Today we played our game. It was supposed to be a “friendly” game, and last night, we had agreed we’d just walk and not run. However, it was a really heated game and two players were even sent off. We only played for 14 minutes. I think someone would have got hurt if we’d played any longer! My team won and I scored the last try! Of course, none of this matters. What’s really important is that we did it and we’ve raised a load of money.

1.The first time the author was asked to do something for Jill’s work, he _____.

A. got a big shock

B. accepted his request

C. looked down upon Jill

D. spread the news to 20 people

2.What can we learn about the game of rugby on Mount Everest?

A. It got little attention.

B. It was a bit competitive.

C. It ended because someone was injured.

D. It was held on the top of Mount Everest.

3.The author’s trip to Mount Everest can be described as _____.

A. frightening and fruitless

B. relaxing and interesting

C. hard but successful

D. short but fantastic

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

My First Day

I was still shy in the presence of a crowd. And my first day at the new 36made me a laughing stock（笑柄） of the classroom .I was sent to the blackboard to write my 37 . I knew my name, and knew how to write it , but standing at the blackboard with the 38of so many pupils on my back made me39  inside and I was unable to write a single letter.

“Write your name,” the teacher called to me. I 40 the white chalk to the blackboard, as I was about to write, my mind went blank, I could not remember my name,41the first letter. Somebody laughed and I became 42 .

“Just forget us and write your name,” the teacher called and walked to my side,  43at me to give me confidence.

“What is your name?” she asked.

“Richard,” I 44

“Then write it.”

I turned to the blackboard and lifted my hand to write, but then I was45  again. I tried to 46  my senses but I could remember nothing. I realized how totally I was 47and I grew weak and leaned my hot forehead 48the cold blackboard. The room burst into a loud 49and my muscles froze. I sat and50  myself. Why did I always appear so dumb 51  I was called upon to perform in a crowd? I knew how to write as well as any other pupil in the classroom, and there was no52I could read better than any of them, and I could talk 53  when I was sure of myself. Then why did strange54  make me freeze? I sat with my ears and neck 55 , hearing the pupils around me whisper, hating myself.

高二英语完型填空中等难度题查看答案及解析