It is an uncomfortable fact that civilized so...

It is an uncomfortable fact that civilized society is almost completely dependent upon fossil fuels in nearly every aspect. Whether you believe there are hundreds of years or just a few decades left of this resource, the fact remains that it is a limited resource. At some point, fossil fuels are going to either be gone or become too expensive to realistically use. That is, when fossil fuels become too expensive to use, people will just start using something else. Though this may work well in theory, actually shifting from fossil fuels is not the same as shifting from one brand of shampoo to another.

This is entirely due to the fact that humans rely so much on the infrastructure (基础设施) they have developed, which is entirely dependent upon this resource, accounting for 85% of the United State's energy use. If the world were entirely dependent upon solar energy, that would be fine because sunlight is a continuing resource. However, at the current state of things, humans are in a dangerous position owing to its complete dependence upon one single limited input.

Fossil fuels are also responsible for a significant amount of land, water, and air pollution beyond their carbon dioxide (二氧化碳) production. For example, coal mining brings solid wastes to the surface that would normally remain underground and the areas around a mine can remain barren (贫瘠的) for generations due to the lack of proper topsoil. The burning of coal for energy also produces many different types of particulate (微粒的) matter that pollutes the air. Compared with fossil fuels, renewable energy is far more environmentally friendly.

There exists an argument that renewable energy options are not as efficient as fossil fuels because the deployment (部署) of renewable energy equipment like the wind turbine (风力涡轮机) costs a lot of money. However, when factors such as pollution and climate change are considered, renewable energy is actually far more efficient than fossil fuels. And fossil fuels will be surely replaced by renewable energy whether it is your generation or your grandchildren's.

1.According to paragraph 1, we know fossil fuels ____.

A.are heavily depended on by humans

B.are a symbol of civilized society

C.are becoming more and more expensive

D.can be replaced by other resources soon

2.What does ''This'' in paragraph 2 refer to?

A.That it is necessary to use solar energy.

B.That it is hard to stop using fossil fuels.

C.That people have overconsumed fossil fuels.

D.That people have developed so many infrastructures.

3.What is the purpose of paragraph 3?

A.To show the relationship between greenhouse gases and fossil fuels.

B.To present negative consequences brought by fossil fuels.

C.To introduce how carbon dioxide affects the environment.

D.To explain why fossil fuels should be used.

4.What is the text mainly about?

A.Renewable energy equipment is economically-beneficial.

B.Renewable energy produces less energy than fossil fuels.

C.It is very urgent for people to shift to renewable energy.

D.It is an unstoppable trend to use renewable energy.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Despite the fact that it has never been seen almost everyone is familiar with the legendary

unicorn(独角兽). Descriptions of unicorns have been found dating from ancient times. The great philosopher Aristotle theorized that there were two types of unicorn--- the so-called Indian Ass and the Oryx, a kind of antelope. Unicorns are often used in the logo of a noble family, town council or university as their special sign. Even Scotland is represented by a unicorn.

According to the legend, anyone attempting to catch a unicorn had to be extremely cautious

as it has a reputation for being very fierce. A clever trick suggested by unicorn-trappers, in order to catch this magnificent beast without being hurt by its horn, was for the hunter to stand in front of a tree and then to move quickly behind it as the unicorn charged. Hopefully, the creature could then be captured when its horn was stuck in the tree.

When hollowed out and used as a drinking-cup, the unicorn’s horn was said to have the power to offer protection against person. It was believed that nobody could be harmed-by drinking the contents of a unicorn’s horn. Right up until the French Revolution in 1789, the French court was said to have used cups made of “unicorn” horn in order to protect the king. In addition, the horn was said to have medicinal value, so much so that it could be sold for more than ten times the price of the same weight of gold. What, then, was “unicorn” horn? We know at times the rhino(犀牛) was confused with this legendary creature. A drinking-cup supposedly made of “unicorn” horn was discovered to be made of the horn of a rhino.

1.Which of the following is TRUE of the unicorn?

2.To catch a unicorn, the unicorn-trappers had to try all of the following EXCEPT ____.

3.The last paragraph is mainly about ____.

4.In the last paragraph, the word “unicorn ” is in quotation marks (引号)because _____.

高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

It is thought that crying is hardly an activity encouraged by society. Tear, whether they are of sorrow, anger, or joy, typically make Americans feel uncomfortable and embarrassed. The shedder of tears (落泪者) is likely to apologize, even when a great tragedy was the cause. The observer of tears is likely to do everything possible to put an end to the emotional tears. But judging from recent studies of crying behavior, both those responses to tears are often inappropriate and may even be counterproductive (适得其反).

Humans are the only animals clearly known to shed emotional tears. Since evolution has given rise to few purposeless physiological responses, it is logical to assume that crying has one or more functions that enhance (increase) survival.

Although some observers have suggested that crying is a way to ask for assistance form others (as a crying baby might from its mother), the shedding of tears is hardly necessary to get help. Vocal cries would have been quite enough, more likely than tears to gain attention. So, it appears, there must be something special about tears themselves.

Indeed, the new studies suggest that emotional tears may play a direct role in alleviating stress, University of Minnesota researchers who are studying the chemical composition of tears have recently isolated two important chemicals from emotional tears. Both chemicals are found only in tears that are shed in response to emotion. Tears shed because of exposure to cut onion would contain no such substance.

Other researchers are investigating the usefulness of tears as a means of diagnosing human ills and monitoring drugs. At Tulane University’s Teat Analysis Laboratory Dr. Peter Kastl and his colleagues report that they can use tears to detect drug abuse, to study the causes of “dry eye” syndrome（综合症）and the effects of eye surgery, and perhaps even to measure exposure to environmental pollutants.

1.What does the phrase “both those responses” in Paragraph 1 refer to ?

A．Crying out of sorrow and shedding tears for happiness.

B．The embarrassment and unpleasant sensation of the observers.

C．The tear shedder’s apology and the observer’s effort to stop the crying.

D．Linking illness with crying and finding the chemical composition of tears.

2.From the passage we can infer that ________.

A．it is unnatural for people to shed tears

B．we can reduce our stress by shedding tears

C．shedders of tears can’t get help by crying loudly

D．unlike animals, humans can shed tears for survival

3.What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．Roles of emotional tears.        B．functions of shedding tears.

C．Unwelcome shedders of tears.     D．Research on the effects of tears.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

It is not often realized that women held a high place in southern European societies in the 10 th and 11 th centuries. As wife, the woman was protected by the setting up of a dowry (嫁妆) or decimum. Admittedly, the purpose of this was to protect her against the risk of desertion (遗弃)，but in reality its function in the social and family life of the time was much more important. The decimum was the wife’s right to receive a tenth of all her husband’s property. The wife had the right to withhold consent, in all transactions the husband would make, And more than just a right: the documents showed that she enjoyed a real power of decision, equal to that of her husband. In no case did the documents indicate any degree of difference in the legal status of husband and wife.

The wife shared in the management of her husband’s personal property, but the opposite was not always true. Women seemed perfectly prepared to defend their own inheritance(遗产，继承物)against husbands who tried to exceed their rights, and on occasion they showed a fine fighting spirit. A case in point is that of Maria, Vivas, a Catalan woman of Barcelona. Having agreed with her husband Miro to sell a field she had inherited, for the needs of the household, she insisted on compensation. None being offered, she succeeded in dragging her husband to the scribe to have a contract duly drawn up assigning her a piece of land from Miro’s personal inheritance. The unfortunate husband was obliged to agree, as the contract says, “for the sake of peace.” Either through the dowry or through being hot-tempered, the Catalan wife knew how to win herself, within the context of the family, a powerful economic position.

1. A decimum was      .

2. In the society described in the passage, the legal standing of the wife in marriage was      .

3. What compensation did Maria Vivas get for the field?

4. Which of the following is Not mentioned as an effect of the dowry system?

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Pop music is such an important part of society __ it has even influenced our language.

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

高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

Given Australia’s size and the fact that early settlements were far apart, Australian society is remarkably homogeneous (同种的). Its citizens are fundamentally prosperous and the way of life in the major cities and towns is much the same however many miles divide them. It takes a sharp ear to identify regional accents.

However, there is some difference in lifestyle between city dwellers and the country people. Almost 90 per cent of the population lives in the fast-paced cities along the coast and has little more than a passing familiarity with the desert. The major cities preserve pockets of colonial heritage, but the overall impression is modern, with new buildings reflecting the country’s youth. In contrast, the rural communities tend to be slow-moving and conservative. For many years, Australia was said to have “ridden on the sheep’s back”, a reference to wool being the country’s main money earner. However, the wool industry is no longer dominant. Much of Australia’s relatively sound economy is now achieved from natural coal and wheat, and by being the largest diamond producer in the world. Newer industries such as tourism and wine making are also increasingly important. Australians are generally friendly and relaxed, with a self-deprecating sense of humor. On the whole, Australia is a society without hierarchies (等级制度), an attitude generally held to stem from its prisoner beginnings.

Yet, contrary to widespread belief, very few Australians have true prisoner origins. Within only one generation of the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, Australia had become a nation of immigrants. Originally coming almost entirely from the British Isles, today one in three Australians comes from elsewhere. Australia’s liberal postwar immigration policies led to an influx of survivors from war-torn Europe, most notably Greeks, Italians, Poles and Germans.

The emphasis has shifted in recent years and today the majority of new immigrants are from Southeast Asia. Today Australia is a ‘blend of nations’ and although some racism exists, it has generally been a successful experiment and the country is justifiably proud to have one of the most harmonious multicultural communities in the world.

1.What does the writer mean by saying “It takes a sharp ear to identify regional accents.” in the first paragraph?

A. Australians speak Standard English with no local accents.

B. You have to practice a lot to learn to understand the different accents.

C. The Australian regional accents are very difficult to understand indeed.

D. There is not much difference between the accents in different areas of Australia.

2.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Most Australians have ancestors who were prisoners.

B. The Australian economy is dependent on sheep exports.

C. The majority of people living in Australia come from Europe.

D. The pace of life is different in the city and in the country.

3. The underlined pronoun ‘it’ in the final paragraph refers to “_______”.

A. Community              B. Racism

C. Blend of Nations          D. Southeast Asia

4.We can infer from the passage that _____.

A. there are no signs of Australia’s colonial past in its modern cities

B. Australia’s recent immigration policy encourages immigrants from Southeast Asia

C. immigrants from Southeast Asia have brought racial problems

D. “riding on sheep’s back” resulted in slow development in rural communities

5.This passage mainly focuses on Australia’s ______.

A. society         B. economy       C. racial problems      D. history

高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Given Australia’s size and the fact that early settlements were far apart, Australian society is remarkably homogeneous (同种的). Its citizens are fundamentally prosperous and the way of life in the major cities and towns is much the same however many miles divide them. It takes a sharp ear to identify regional accents. However, there is some difference in lifestyle between city dwellers and the country people. Almost 90 per cent of the population lives in the fast-paced cities along the coast and has little more than a passing familiarity with the desert. The major cities preserve pockets of colonial heritage, but the overall impression is modern, with new buildings reflecting the country’s youth. In contrast, the rural communities tend to be slow-moving and conservative. For many years, Australia was said to have “ridden on the sheep’s back”, a reference to wool being the country’s main money earner. However, the wool industry is no longer dominant. Much of Australia’s relatively sound economy is now achieved from natural coal and wheat, and by being the largest diamond producer in the world. Newer industries such as tourism and wine making are also increasingly important. Australians are generally friendly and relaxed, with a self-deprecating sense of humor. On the whole, Australia is a society without hierarchies (等级制度), an attitude generally held to stem from its prisoner beginnings.

Yet, contrary to widespread belief, very few Australians have true prisoner origins. Within only one generation of the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, Australia had become a nation of immigrants. Originally coming almost entirely from the British Isles, today one in three Australians comes from elsewhere. Australia’s liberal postwar immigration policies led to an influx of survivors from war-torn Europe, most notably Greeks, Italians, Poles and Germans.

The emphasis has shifted in recent years and today the majority of new immigrants are from Southeast Asia. Today Australia is a ‘blend of nations’ and although some racism exists, it has generally been a successful experiment and the country is justifiably proud to have one of the most harmonious multicultural communities in the world.

1.What does the writer mean by saying “It takes a sharp ear to identify regional accents.” in the first paragraph?

A．Australians speak Standard English with no local accents whatsoever.

B．You have to practice a lot to learn to understand the different accents.

C．The Australian regional accents are very difficult to understand indeed.

D．There is not much difference between the accents in different areas of Australia.

2.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Most Australians have ancestors who were prisoners.

B．The Australian economy is dependent on sheep exports.

C．The majority of people living in Australia come from Europe.

D．The pace of life is different in the city and in the country.

3.The underlined pronoun ‘it’ in the final paragraph refers to “_______”.

A．Community        B．racism            C．blend of Nations    D．Southeast Asia

4.We can infer from the passage that _____.

A．there are no signs of Australia’s colonial past in its modern cities

B．Australia’s recent immigration policy encourages immigrants from Southeast Asia

C．immigrants from Southeast Asia have brought racial problems

D．“riding on sheep’s back” resulted in slow development in rural communities

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Given Australia’s size and the fact that early settlements were far apart, Australian society is remarkably homogeneous (同种的). Its citizens are fundamentally prosperous and the way of life in the major cities and towns is much the same however many miles divide them. It takes a sharp ear to identify regional accents. However, there is some difference in lifestyle between city dwellers and the country people. Almost 90 per cent of the population lives in the fast-paced cities along the coast and has little more than a passing familiarity with the desert. The major cities preserve pockets of colonial heritage, but the overall impression is modern, with new buildings reflecting the country’s youth. In contrast, the rural communities tend to be slow-moving and conservative. For many years, Australia was said to have “ridden on the sheep’s back”, a reference to wool being the country’s main money earner. However, the wool industry is no longer dominant. Much of Australia’s relatively sound economy is now achieved from natural coal and wheat, and by being the largest diamond producer in the world. Newer industries such as tourism and wine making are also increasingly important. Australians are generally friendly and relaxed, with a self-deprecating sense of humor. On the whole, Australia is a society without hierarchies (等级制度), an attitude generally held to stem from its prisoner beginnings.

Yet, contrary to widespread belief, very few Australians have true prisoner origins. Within only one generation of the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, Australia had become a nation of immigrants. Originally coming almost entirely from the British Isles, today one in three Australians comes from elsewhere. Australia’s liberal postwar immigration policies led to an influx of survivors from war-torn Europe, most notably Greeks, Italians, Poles and Germans.

The emphasis has shifted in recent years and today the majority of new immigrants are from Southeast Asia. Today Australia is a ‘blend of nations’ and although some racism exists, it has generally been a successful experiment and the country is justifiably proud to have one of the most harmonious multicultural communities in the world.

1.What does the writer mean by saying “It takes a sharp ear to identify regional accents.” in the first paragraph?

2.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

3.The underlined pronoun ‘it’ in the final paragraph refers to “_______”.

4.We can infer from the passage that _____.

5.This passage mainly focuses on Australia’s ______.

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

Given Australia’s size and the fact that early settlements were far apart, Australian society is remarkably homogeneous (同种的). Its citizens are fundamentally prosperous and the way of life in the major cities and towns is much the same however many miles divide them. It takes a sharp ear to identify regional accents. However, there is some difference in lifestyle between city dwellers and the country people. Almost 90 per cent of the population lives in the fast-paced cities along the coast and has little more than a passing familiarity with the desert. The major cities preserve pockets of colonial heritage, but the overall impression is modern, with new buildings reflecting the country’s youth. In contrast, the rural communities tend to be slow-moving and conservative. For many years, Australia was said to have “ridden on the sheep’s back”, a reference to wool being the country’s main money earner. However, the wool industry is no longer dominant. Much of Australia’s relatively sound economy is now achieved from natural coal and wheat, and by being the largest diamond producer in the world. Newer industries such as tourism and wine making are also increasingly important. Australians are generally friendly and relaxed, with a self-deprecating sense of humor. On the whole, Australia is a society without hierarchies (等级制度), an attitude generally held to stem from its prisoner beginnings.

Yet, contrary to widespread belief, very few Australians have true prisoner origins. Within only one generation of the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, Australia had become a nation of immigrants. Originally coming almost entirely from the British Isles, today one in three Australians comes from elsewhere. Australia’s liberal postwar immigration policies led to an influx of survivors from war-torn Europe, most notably Greeks, Italians, Poles and Germans.

The emphasis has shifted in recent years and today the majority of new immigrants are from Southeast Asia. Today Australia is a ‘blend of nations’ and although some racism exists, it has generally been a successful experiment and the country is justifiably proud to have one of the most harmonious multicultural communities in the world.

1.What does the writer mean by saying “It takes a sharp ear to identify regional accents.” in the first paragraph?

2.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

3.The underlined pronoun ‘it’ in the final paragraph refers to “_______”.

4.We can infer from the passage that _____.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

From the moment that an animal is born it has to make decisions．___1.___ The animal is, in fact, playing a very dangerous game with its environment.

___2.____ It is different from the individual learning that an animal does in the course of its own lifetime.Genetic learning is learning by a species(animals of the same kind)as a whole ,and it is achieved by selection of those members of each generation that happen to act in the right way．__3.____The more important individual experience is likely to be, the less important is genetic learning as a means of getting over the problems of the survival game.___ 4.____It is not surprising to find that very few species indeed depend wholly upon genetic learning．

In the great majority of animals, their particular ways of acting in a new environment are a compound（复合体）of individual experience added to the action patterns animals are born with．__5.____

A. It has to decide which of the things around it are for eating, and which are to be　　 avoided.

B. That is why animals can survive．

C. The animal's life will come to an end.

D. Animals’ ability to act reasonably is believed to come partly from what we may call “genetic learning”

E. Because most animals live in ever changing environments from one generation to the next.

F. However, the role of genetic learning depends upon how similar the future environment is to the past．

G. Each generation has its own way of eating.

高三英语其他题中等难度题查看答案及解析