At a time when many public schools are being ...

At a time when many public schools are being forced to cut music and art from the curriculum, the story’s insistence on the healing power of a cultivated imagination is both _____ and essential.

A.welcoming B.welcomed C.available D.welcome

高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

People have many different ways to relax during break time at work or school. Smartphones are probably the number one choice for a quick mental vacation. Although it might seem like a good time, looking at your cellphone may damage your mental power, according to a recent psychological study from Rutgers University in the United States.

For the study, more than 400 students were asked to finish a set of 20 word puzzles. Halfway through the task, the students were divided into three groups. One group was allowed to take a break and use cellphones to buy things online. The second group was asked to have a rest and buy things using a computer. The last group didn't take any break at all.

Interestingly, the group that used their cellphones during the break went back to work feeling the most tired and least motivated to continue. They also had the hardest time solving the remaining word puzzles. The cellphone group took 19 percent longer to finish the rest of the task，and solved 22 percent fewer problems than those in the other break conditions combined.

Terri Kurtzberg, co-author of the study, explained that they assumed looking at cellphones during a break would be no different from any other break---but instead, the phone may cause increasing levels of distraction（分心）that make it difficult to return focused attention to work tasks.

"Cellphones may have this effect because even just seeing your phone activates thoughts of checking messages, connecting with people, access to ever-refilling information and more, in ways that are different from how we use other screens like computers, and laptops," Kurtzberg told Science Daily.

So, during your next break, try putting your smartphone away. Go out for a walk, get to know your classmates or even take a nap（小憩）.You may be surprised by the results!

1.What did the study find about using cellphones during breaks?

A.It could affect one's relationships with others.

B.It could reduce one's ability to solve problems.

C.It could make people more motivated at work.

D.It could be beneficial both physically and mentally.

2.What can we learn about cellphones from Kurtzberg's words?

A.They have become a necessary part of people's lives.

B.Their negative influence is almost impossible to avoid.

C.They may make it hard for people to concentrate on work.

D.They may influence people in the same way as computers do.

3.Why does looking at cellphones during a break cause increasing levels of distraction?

A.Because it makes people sleepy.

B.Because it does harm to people's brains.

C.Because it activates thoughts of using cellphones.

D.Because it reminds people of their unhappy experiences.

4.What does the author suggest people do during break time?

A.Turn off their cellphones. B.Keep their cellphones out of sight.

C.Keep their cellphones face down. D.Replace cellphones with laptops.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

When times get tough, we all look for ways to cut back. When we’re hungry, we eat at home instead of going out. We take buses instead of taxis. And we wear our old designer jeans just a few months longer. With college expenses at all-time highs, high school students are eager to do anything to cut the cost of a university education.

One cost-cutting proposal（advice） is to allow college students to get a bachelor’ s degree in three years instead of four. Educational institutions have been actively exploring ways to make the learning process more efficient. But there’s a question: Would the quality of undergraduate(本科生)education suffer? Few US universities have formally approved a “three-year degree” model.

I doubt that mainstream North American colleges will carry out a three-year curriculum(课程) any time soon. For one thing, most universities already allow highly qualified students to graduate early by testing out of certain classes and obtaining a number of college credits(学分). In addition, at famous universities, the committee who determine which courses are required and which courses are electives are unlikely to suddenly “throw out” one quarter of the required credits. Professors will resist(oppose) “diluting(稀释)” the quality of the education they offer.

In my opinion, a quality four-year education is always superior(更胜一筹) to a quality three-year education. A college education requires enough time for a student to become skilled in their major and do coursework in fields outside their major. It is not a good idea to water down education, any more than it’ s not a good idea to water down medicine. If we want to help students find their way through university, we should help them understand early on what knowledge and skills they need to have upon graduation. We should allow students to test out of as many courses as possible. We should give them a chance to earn money as interns(实习生)in meaningful part-time jobs that relate to their university studies, such as the five-year co-op program at Northeastern University.

1.We can learn from the passage that ________.

A. most American universities are against the “three-year degree” model

B. many famous US universities are considering adopting the “three-year degree” model

C. professors are willing to accept the “three-year degree” model

D. the “three-year degree” model can make college learning more efficient

2.In most US universities，________.

A. college students are offered the co-op program

B. electives’ credits make up one quarter of the required credits

C. all students are required to finish four-year education before graduation

D. some excellent students can graduate ahead of time

3.We can infer that________.

A. the author is a college professor

B. the author thinks the cost of a university education is too high for people to afford

C. the author considers the university education quality very important

D. the author pays special attention to the all-round development of college students

4.The first paragraph serves as a(n)________．

A. explanation　　 B. definition

C. introduction　　　 D. comment

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Not only fashion and music are making a return—houses built in 1970s have proven to be better at cutting energy waste than those built today. The “tea cosy (茶壶套)” design, created in the mid-1970s and built in the early 1980s for low-income people, could provide a blueprint for meeting the Government aims of producing less CO2 from homes.

The 200 houses were designed to provide low-energy housing, and depend on an inner concrete (水泥) structure that holds in heat, protected by highly insulated (隔热的) setting which produces a “tea cosy” effect. The ordinary-looking houses also depend on more windows on south-facing sides, with northerly facing doors protected by porches (门廊).

A study found the houses are 50 percent more energy efficient than the average home and use a quarter of the average energy for space heating. According to researchers, they use less than two-thirds of the power of homes built to meet 2010 building demands. And they will still be 25 percent more efficient than houses built to even more strict proposed demands for 2013. The design is one of the few that will be able to meet 2016 demands for zero-carbon homes.

They were in the beginning fixed with just one or two gas heaters per home, although most now have central heating, depending on the heat from the sun and high insulation to keep steady temperatures inside the house. To be comfortable, they only need to use heating for three to four months a year, compared with seven months for UK home on average, and can be lived with no heating at all.

With many house builders at present worrying that new homes are going to be much more expensive to build in order to meet the Government’s ambitious targets, the“tea cosy”model meets this need perfectly.

1.The underlined word“blueprint”is closest in meaning to _________.

A. photo　　　　　 B. model　　　　 C. service　　　　 D. map

2.The writer develops Paragraph 3 mainly by_________.

A. analyzing data

B. giving examples

C. presenting reasons

D. making comparisons

3.According to the passage, “tea cosy” houses are better at __________.

A. saving heat for energy efficiency

B. producing solar energy at home

C. designing and building materials

D. saving building materials and energy

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

In Washington, DC, only 69 percent of public school students graduate from high school on time. Many factors influence that low rate. One of the most important ones is whether the people around the students expect them to succeed.

So, for the past 40 years, a DC organisation has stepped in to give around 10,000 students the support and positive environment they need to thrive (茁壮成长). This organisation, called Higher Achievement, provides students with a welcoming space, help with class work, and caring teachers. More than 95 percent of students who complete Higher Achievement graduate from high school on time.

Katherine Roboff is the group’s executive director in the DC area. She gives several reasons for the group’s success. One is timing. Higher Achievement does not work with students who are already in high school. It works with students in middle school. They start High Achievement at fifth or sixth grade—in the US, that is usually age 11 or 12.

Roboff says research shows that if students are doing well academically in eighth grade—around age 13—they will have a greater chance of graduating from high school and going to college. In other words, what happens in middle school has a huge impact. The years between ages 10 and 13 may affect a student’s future more than anything that happens academically in high school.

Roboff explains that students participate in Higher Achievement after school and during the summer, when public schools take a break of about two months. High Achievement students do homework, have community meetings, and work one-on-one with a mentor (导师).

“The purpose of the programme is to help them use those after school and summer hours to become better prepared academically and to develop their leadership skills and confidence so that by the time they get into eighth grade they are ready to get into some of the top high school.”

1.A little more than 30% of public school students in the US ______.

A. drop out of school

B. work hard at their lessons

C. can’t finish school on time

D. are expected to graduate from high school

2.What can we infer from the second paragraph?

A. Higher Achievement is a great success.

B. Higher Achievement works with college students.

C. Many students have doubts about the organisation.

D. Higher Achievement has spread throughout the US.

3.If students are doing well academically in eighth grade, ______.

A. they are certain to go to college

B. they are to succeed when they grow up

C. they don’t need any help in their studies

D. they are more likely to finish high school on time

4.What is the main aim of Higher Achievement?

A. To offer students advice.

B. To help student get into top schools.

C. To teach students how to behave at school.

D. To provide students with different activities.

高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

How many times have you found yourself arriving at school to start your day, only ________ that you left your homework at home?

A. having discovered        B. discovering      C. to discover      D. discover

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

When I was a child, I had to go to church and obey many other rules, though these rules at times caused resentment (怨恨). Perhaps the most extreme parenting decision my parents made for my four brothers and sisters and me was to create a home environment without a television.

We hated this decision at that time, because there was seemingly no way to keep this embarrassing fact a secret at school. Naturally, simple pleasures like cartoons, football games, and movies became huge novelties (新奇事物). I would go over to friends’ or relatives’ houses for that access alone.

When I reached high school, my parents bought a television, though it had no cable. However, I did spend most of my childhood in a home without a television. In fact not having a television did contribute a great deal to my skills, and it also forced me to develop other valuable interests. We grew up in a small town, so my brothers and sisters and I spent time exploring streets, fields and woods. And of course I read and wrote and studied, which pushed me toward a career path.

So would I give a similar situation to my own children if I had them? I doubt it, at least not in the most extreme sense. I’m too much of a football fan, not to mention the TV serials (连续剧) like The Wire. But television or almost anything for that matter is unhealthy for kids. It can prevent them from living a full life. So maybe a reasonable answer is no cable or no video-game systems or simply setting the time limit, but I haven’t exactly worked out how to confine it yet. Although some people are against my idea, we do need limits after all.

1.From the text we can learn that ________.

A. the author didn’t like watching TV as a child

B. the author’s family seldom went to church

C. not having a TV set brought the author many benefits

D. few homes had a TV set when the author was a child

2.From the last paragraph we can learn the author thinks that ________.

A. children shouldn’t watch TV too much

B. children should be forbidden to watch TV

C. children should only watch serials and sports on TV

D. watching TV is unhealthy for both adults and children

3.Which of the following can replace the underlined word “confine” in the last paragraph?

A. Limit.            B. Punish.            C. Reject.            D. Support.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

When I started teaching at my school, parents refused to send their children here. Over time, situations have improved. We’ve _________ into a place where parents want their children to learn. We have a waiting list. But with this has come increased __________ and high expectations from management.

More paperwork than ever is __________ of us. I spend a worrying amount of my week typing about children rather than having __________ face-to-face contact time with them.

But through the stress and frustration, the children I teach and their parents have kept me going. They’ve　 ______ some much-needed relief.

My students are lively and eager to learn. Many of my days have been __________ by these incredible little people and their __________ for knowledge. And over the years it is those children who have helped me to develop my personal __________ as a teacher.

I’ve come to see that every child is __________, and that there are some who just need more support. Sometimes, it’s the progress you make with these children that allows you to see most　 _____the positive effect your teaching has on learning.

One particular child ________massively with the expectations of school at the start of the academic year, laughing at other children and using　 ____words, and I spent a lot of time with him talking through __________ to be a good friend. Seeing this child a week ago showing kindness to a younger pupil makes you reflect on the incredible ________a child can make in a year.

Working with parents, too, has become a(an) __________ enjoyable part of the job. I like having　 _______ with every one of the parents of my class, and their support of the children and enthusiasm for them to continue their learning at home is truly　 _____.

So my pupils and their parents are an important　 ______ of why I got into this job. It was never to　 ______ the demands of management,　 ______ to work with children and inspire their passion for learning.

1.A.slide B.transformed C.dashed D.ran

2.A.pressure B.creativity C.motivation D.tendency

3.A.informed B.warned C.demanded D.accused

4.A.actual B.subjective C.widespread D.major

5.A.delivered B.advocate C.preserve D.provided

6.A.impressed B.teased C.updated D.brightened

7.A.caution B.enthusiasm C.responsibility D.independence

8.A.growth B.principle C.relationships D.guidance

9.A.unique B.faithful C.parallel D.universal

10.A.briefly B.clearly C.gently D.shallowly

11.A.persisted B.enjoyed C.struggled D.operated

12.A.distinct B.unpleasant C.patient D.fascinating

13.A.what B.when C.where D.how

14.A.assumption B.regulation C.progress D.explanation

15.A.merely B.innocently C.increasingly D.slightly

16.A.words B.topics C.letters D.conversations

17.A.passive B.conservative C.primitive D.impressive

18.A.interpreter B.reminder C.counter D.chapter

19.A.satisfy B.refuse C.expand D.ease

20.A.so B.on C.but D.for

高二英语完形填空困难题查看答案及解析

At times we all get angry when we are driving. It might be because we are stuck in a traffic jam or stuck behind a very slow driver. It might be because we think another driver has done something very stupid and dangerous. Whatever the reason, it seems that getting angry in a car is something which happens more and more often and there is now a special term for it “road rage”. Some experts even think that road rage is a kind of mental illness! How can we recognize this “illness” of road rage?

There are two kinds of road rage: aggressive driving and aggressive reactions to the way other people are driving. Aggressive driving can take different forms:

●Driving much faster than the speed limit.

●Increasing your speed very quickly.

●Driving very close behind the car in front and sounding the horn or flashing the headlights.

●Changing lanes very suddenly and blocking another car.

●Moving into a parking space where another car is trying to park.

There are also different reactions to the way other people are driving. These include:

●Making rude signs at people.

●Shouting at people and threatening them.

●Deliberately driving into another person’s car.

●Hitting somebody.

●Using a weapon such as a baseball bat, or even a gun or a knife.

Road rage is certainly not a joke. There have been incidents of road rage which have led to serious injuries and even murder.

Experts think that one reason for road rage is that films show a lot of examples of fast and aggressive driving such as car chases where this kind of driving seems to be positive.

Experts also think that the punishments for dangerous driving are not serious enough.

Experience shows that driving problems can be controlled, but it takes a long time. In the UK in the last 30 years, the police have been quite successful in reducing the number of people who drink and drive. They are now working to stop people using mobile phones when they are driving. Let’s hope they can have the same success with the road rage.

1.Which of the following statements does NOT describe aggressive     driving?

2.Road rage happens possibly because______.

3.What’s the tone（语气）of the last paragraph?

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

It’s very________ that, in many schools, the students are going to spend less time in doing homework than they used to .

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析