When I was a boy, my parents and I traveled f...

When I was a boy, my parents and I traveled from New York City to the Pennsylvania countryside for a week-long taste of rural life. We stayed in a guesthouse on a farm, joining in the daily routines and eating meals with the farmer and his family. We got up early to see the cows as they were milked. I even tried my hand at milking one, then joined the farmer as he released the cows into the field afterward.

Decades later I still have vivid memories of that trip, which made me realize the value of a vacation, of seeing new things, meeting new people and sharing memorable experiences with family members. To this day, I still consider that family trip when I plan my approach to planning and taking time off with my wife and kids. Vacations are a time for resting and connecting. As a bank manager, I spend much of my workday encouraging my customers to save their money. One of the reasons I give is that we should all have enough money for a family vacation every year. In our busy lives, family is what we should be saving our money and time for.

For my family, our vacation starts when we begin planning the trip. We talk about destinations and our budgets ahead of time. Involving the kids in planning the vacation makes sure that they have a great vacation too. While I prefer to visit historical sites and museums, they love to fish and swim. So I build in some relaxation time for us all so that the vacation works for everyone.

Each year, setting aside vacation time to spend together is especially important to us. A relaxing environment opens the doors to all kinds of conversations - deep, silly or meaningful. There’s no pressure from the usual everyday tasks.

What matters is that everyone is having a great time.

1.Why did the author go to the countryside when he was a boy?

A.To milk the cow. B.To meet his parents.

C.To experience country life. D.To enjoy the scenery.

2.Which of the following is NOT true according to Paragraph 2?

A.The author learned to milk and fish.

B.The author understood the value of vacations.

C.The author met new people and learned things during the trip.

D.The trip helped the author understand the significance of vacations better.

3.What is the passage mainly about?

A.The author had a good time in the countryside.

B.The author tried to let family members enjoy the holidays.

C.The author advised others to spend vacations with their families.

D.The author realized the value of family vacations and put it into practice.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

When Cherry Watson travelled on a recent flight from New York to Washington and noticed an “awful tension” in the cabin, she first thought it was caused by typical bad-tempered passengers. But as the flight neared its end, it became obvious that something was very wrong.

A teenage boy with Down Syndrome (唐氏综合症) who was traveling with his family had become upset and would not return to his seat, regardless of the cabin crew’s warnings over the loudspeaker that it was almost time to land. The pilot was forced to circle above the airport, delaying the landing and angering people on the already tense flight.

“If it was a cartoon,” remembered Watson, “there would have been smoke coming out of people’s ears.”

The boy’s elderly parents and adult brothers and sisters tried to persuade him to get off the floor and back into his seat, but in vain.Watson, who used to be a teacher, stood up and quickly headed to the back of the plane.

She found the boy in the passage between rows of seats, lying on his belly, and lay down on her stomach to face him. She began chatting calmly with him, asking his name, his favorite book, and his favorite characters. He told her he felt sick and she tried to comfort him.

Minutes later, he allowed her to hold his hand, and then together they got properly back into airplane seats. Watson asked for sick bags, and held them as the boy threw up several times, including on her. As she helped him clean up, she repeatedly told him everything would be okay and that they’d get through it together.

After the plane was finally able to land, no one was impatient to step off the flight as one might expect. Instead, calmed passengers—obviously following Watson’s amazing example—allowed the boy and his family to depart first, smiling at them as they passed. His parents tearfully thanked Watson for what she had done, and a doctor sitting nearby also let her know he had even taken notes on her expert way of handling the situation.

1.The landing was delayed because _____.

A. the plane was out of control.

B. the pilot was forced to change the destination

C. a family ignored the warnings

D. a boy refused to sit in his seat

2.Watson successfully handled the “awful tension” by _____.

A. fighting against unfair treatment

B. calling on other passengers to join her

C. asking an experienced doctor to help

D. communicating with the boy

3.What changed the angry passengers’ attitude at last?

A. Watson’s efforts.　　 B. The plane’s safe landing.

C. The crew’s behavior.　　 D. The boy’s improvement.

4.Which of the following words can best describe Watson?

A. Patient and ambitious.　　 B. Kind and cool-headed.

C. Wise and cooperative.　　 D. Generous and cautious.

5.What can be inferred from the passage?

A. Watson was not a teacher when taking the plane.

B. Smoke came out of passengers’ ears.

C. The boy could not speak because of Down Syndrome.

D. The passengers were out of patience when the plane landed.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

About six years ago I was eating lunch in a restaurant in New York City when a woman and a young boy sat down at the next table. I couldn’t help overhearing parts of their conversation. At one point the woman asked: “So, how have you been?” And the boy—who could not have been more than seven or eight years old—replied, “Frankly, I’ve been feeling a little depressed lately.”

This incident stuck in my mind because it confirmed my growing belief that children are changing. As far as I can remember, my friends and I didn’t find out we were “depressed”, that is, in low sprits, until we were in high school.

Undoubtedly a change in children has increased steadily in recent years. Children don’t seem childlike anymore. Children speak more like adults, dress more like adults and behave more like adults than they used to.

Whether this is good or bad is difficult to say, but it certainly is different. Childhood as it once was no longer exists. Why?

Human development is based not only on born biological states, but also on patterns of access to social knowledge. Movement from one social role to another usually involves learning the secrets of the new status. Children have always been taught adult secrets, but slowly and in stages: traditionally, we tell sixth graders things we keep hidden from fifth graders.

In the last 30 years, however, a secret-revelation（揭示）machine has been installed in 98 percent of American homes. It is called television. Television passes information to all viewers alike, whether they are children or adults. Unable to resist the temptation, many children turn their attention from printed texts to the less challenging, more vivid moving pictures.

Communication through print, as a matter of fact, allows for a great deal of control over the social information to which children have access. Reading and writing involve a complex code of symbols that must be memorized and practiced. Children must read simple books before they can read complex materials.

1.According to the author, feeling depressed is________.

2.Traditionally, a child is supposed to learn about the adult world________.

3.According to the author, that today’s children seem adultlike results from ________.

4.What does the author think of communication through print for children?

5.What does the author think of the change in today’s children?

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

About six years ago I was eating lunch in a restaurant in New York City when a woman and a young boy sat down at the next table, I couldn't help overhearing parts of their conversation. At one point the woman asked, “So, how have you been?” And the boy—who could not have been more than seven or eight years old—replied. “Frankly, I've been feeling a little depressed lately.”

This incident stuck in my mind because it confirmed my growing belief that children are changing. As far as I can remember, my friends and I didn't find out we were “depressed”, that is, in low spirits, until we were in high school.

Undoubtedly a change in children has increased steadily in recent years. Children don't seem childlike anymore. Children speak more like adults, dress more like adults and behave more like adults than they used to.

Whether this is good or bad is difficult to say, but it certainly is different. Childhood as it once was no longer exists. Why?

Human development depends not only on born biological states, but also on patterns of gaining social knowledge. Movement from one social role to another usually involves learning the secrets of the new social positions. Children have always been taught adult secrets, but slowly and in stages; traditionally, we tell sixth graders things we keep hidden from fifth graders.

In the last 30 years, however, a secret-revelation（揭示） machine has been equipped in 98 percent of American homes. It is called television. Television passes information to all viewers alike, whether they are children or adults. Unable to resist the temptation （诱惑）,  many children turn their attention from printed texts to the less challenging, more attractive moving pictures.

Communication through print, as a matter of fact, allows for a great deal of control over the social information which children will gain. Children must read simple books before they can read complex materials.

1. According to the author, feeling depressed is ____________.

A. a sure sign of a mental problem in a child

B. a mental state present in all humans, including children

C. something that cannot be avoided in children's mental development

D. something hardly to be expected in a young child

2.According to the author, that today's children seem adult-like results from ____________.

A. the widespread influence of television

B. the poor arrangement of teaching content

C. the fast pace of human scientific development

D. the rising standard of living

3. What does the author think of communication through print for children?

A. It enables children to gain more social information.

B. It develops children's interest in reading and writing.

C. It helps children to read and write well.

D. It can control what children are to learn.

4. What does the author think of the change in today's children?

A. He feels their adult-like behavior is so funny.

B. He thinks the change worthy of note.

C. He considers it a rapid development.

D. He seems to be upset about it.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

About six years ago I was eating lunch in a restaurant in New York City when a woman and a young boy sat down at the next table. I couldn’t help overhearing parts of their conversation. At one point the woman asked,“So, how have you been?”And the boy who could not have been more than seven or eight years old replied,“Frankly, I’ve been feeling a little depressed lately.”

This incident stuck in my mind because it strengthened my growing belief that children are changing. As far as I can remember, my friends and I didn’t find out we were“depressed”until we were in high school.

The evidence of a change in children has increased steadily in recent years. Children don’t seem childlike any more. Children speak more like adults, dress more like adults and behave more like adults than they used to.

Whether this is good or bad is difficult to say, but it certainly is different. Childhood as it once was no longer exists. Why?

Human development is based not only on born biological states, but also on patterns of access to social knowledge. Movement from one social role to another usually involves learning the secrets of the new situation. Children have always been taught adult secrets, but slowly and in stages: traditionally, we tell sixth graders things we keep hidden from fifth graders.

In the last 30 years, however, a secret-revelation machine has been fixed in 98 percent of American homes. It is called television. Television passes information, indiscriminately, to all viewers alike, whether they are children or adults. Unable to resist the temptation, many children turn their attention from printed texts to the less challenging, more vivid moving pictures.

Communication through print, as a matter of fact, allows for a great deal of control over the social information to which children have access. Reading and writing involve a complex code of symbols that must be memorized and practised. Children must read simple books before they can read complex materials.

1.Traditionally, a child is supposed to learn about the adult world _________ .

A. through touch with society

B. gradually and under guidance

C. naturally and by biological instinct

D. through exposure to social information

2.In the author’s opinion, the phenomenon that today’s children seem adultlike is caused by _____.

A. the widespread influence of television

B. the poor arrangement of teaching content

C. the fast step of human intellectual development

D. the constantly rising standard of living

3. Why is the author in favor of communication through print for children?

A. It enables children to gain more social information.

B. It develops children’s interest in reading and writing.

C. It helps children to memorize and practise more.

D. It can control what children are to learn.

4.What does the author think of the change in today’s children?

A. He feels amused by the children’s adultlike behavior.

B. He thinks it is a phenomenon worthy of note.

C. He considers it a positive development.

D. He seems to be upset about it.

高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

About six years ago I was eating lunch in a restaurant in New York City when a woman and a young boy sat down at the next table, I couldn't help overhearing parts of their conversation. At one point the woman asked, “So, how have you been?” And the boy—who could not have been more than seven or eight years old—replied. “Frankly, I've been feeling a little depressed lately.”

This incident stuck in my mind because it confirmed my growing belief that children are changing. As far as I can remember, my friends and I didn't find out we were “depressed”, that is, in low spirits, until we were in high school.

Undoubtedly a change in children has increased steadily in recent years. Children don't seem childlike anymore. Children speak more like adults, dress more like adults and behave more like adults than they used to.

Whether this is good or bad is difficult to say, but it certainly is different. Childhood as it once was no longer exists. Why?

Human development depends not only on born biological states, but also on patterns of gaining social knowledge. Movement from one social role to another usually involves learning the secrets of the new social positions. Children have always been taught adult secrets, but slowly and in stages; traditionally, we tell sixth graders things we keep hidden from fifth graders.

In the last 30 years, however, a secret-revelation（揭示） machine has been equipped in 98 percent of American homes. It is called television. Television passes information to all viewers alike, whether they are children or adults. Unable to resist the temptation （诱惑）,　 many children turn their attention from printed texts to the less challenging, more attractive moving pictures.

Communication through print, as a matter of fact, allows for a great deal of control over the social information which children will gain. Children must read simple books before they can read complex materials.

1.According to the author, feeling depressed is ____________.

A. a sure sign of a mental problem in a child

B. a mental state present in all humans, including children

C. something that cannot be avoided in children's mental development

D. something hardly to be expected in a young child

2.According to the author, that today's children seem adult-like results from ____________.

A. the widespread influence of television

B. the poor arrangement of teaching content

C. the fast pace of human scientific development

D. the rising standard of living

3.What does the author think of communication through print for children?

A. It enables children to gain more social information.

B. It develops children's interest in reading and writing.

C. It helps children to read and write well.

D. It can control what children are to learn.

4.What does the author think of the change in today's children?

A. He feels their adult-like behavior is so funny.

B. He thinks the change worthy of note.

C. He considers it a rapid development.

D. He seems to be upset about it.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

About six years ago I was eating lunch in a restaurant in New York City when a woman and a young boy sat down at the next table. I couldn’t help overhearing parts of their conversation. At one point the woman asked, “So, how have you been?” And the boy who could not have been more than seven or eight years old replied, “Frankly, I’ve been feeling a little depressed lately.”

This incident stuck in my mind because it strengthened my growing belief that children are changing. As far as I can remember, my friends and I didn’t find out we were “depressed” until we were in high school.

The evidence of a change in children has increased steadily in recent years. Children don’t seem childlike any more. Children speak more like adults, dress more like adults and behave more like adults than they used to.

Whether this is good or bad is difficult to say, but it certainly is different. Childhood as it once was no longer exists. Why?

Human development is based not only on born biological states, but also on patterns of access to social knowledge. Movement from one social role to another usually involves learning the secrets of the new situation. Children have always been taught adult secrets, but slowly and in stages: traditionally, we tell sixth graders things we keep hidden from fifth graders.

In the last 30 years, however, a secret-revelation machine has been fixed in 98 percent of American homes. It is called television. Television passes information, indiscriminately, to all viewers alike, whether they are children or adults. Unable to resist the temptation, many children turn their attention from printed texts to the less challenging, more vivid moving pictures.

Communication through print, as a matter of fact, allows for a great deal of control over the social information to which children have access. Reading and writing involve a complex code of symbols that must be memorized and practised. Children must read simple books before they can read complex materials.

1.Traditionally, a child is supposed to learn about the adult world _________ .

A. through touch with society

B. gradually and under guidance

C. naturally and by biological instinct

D. through exposure to social information

2.In the author’s opinion, the phenomenon that today’s children seem adult like is caused by _____.

A. the widespread influence of television

B. the poor arrangement of teaching content

C. the fast step of human intellectual development

D. the constantly rising standard of living

3.Why is the author in favor of communication through print for children?

A. It enables children to gain more social information.

B. It develops children’s interest in reading and writing.

C. It helps children to memorize and practise more.

D. It can control what children are to learn.

4.What does the author think of the change in today’s children?

A. He feels amused by the children’s adultlike behavior.

B. He thinks it is a phenomenon worthy of note.

C. He considers it a positive development.

D. He seems to be upset about it.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

About six years ago I was having lunch in New York City1.a woman and a young boy sat down at the next table.I couldn't help2.(overhear) parts of their conversation.At one point the woman asked,"So,how have you been?"And the boy who could not have been more than seven or eight years old replied."3.(frank),I've been feeling a little depressed lately."

This incident4.(impress) me most because it confirmed my growing5.(believe) that children are changing. As far as I can remember,my friends and I didn't find out we were "depressed"6.we were in high school.

Undoubtedly,7.change in children has increased steadily in recent years.Children don't seem childlike any more.Children speak,dress and behave more like adults8.they used to.

9.this is good or bad is difficult to say,but it certainly is different.Childhood as it once was no longer10. (exist).

高二英语短文填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

I was in my third year of teaching creative writing at a high school in New York, when one of my students, 15-year-old Mikey, gave me a note from his mother. It explained his absence from class the day before.

I had seen Mikey himself writing the note at his desk. Most parental-excuse notes（请假条） I received were penned by my students. If I were to deal with them, I’d be busy 24 hours a day.

The forged excuse notes made a large pile, with writing that ranged from imaginative to crazy. The writers of those notes didn't realize that honest excuse notes were usually dull: “Peter was late because the alarm clock didn’t go off.”

Isn’t it remarkable, I thought, how the students complained and said it was hard putting 200 words together on any subject? But when they produced excuse notes, they were brilliant.

So one day I typed out a dozen excuse notes and gave them to my classes. I said, “They’re supposed to be written by parents, but actually they are not. True, Mikey?” The students looked at me nervously.

“Now, this will be the first class to study the art of the excuse note---the first class, ever, to practice writing them. You’re so lucky to have a teacher like me who has taken your best writing and turned it into a subject worthy of study.”

Everyone smiled as I went on, “You used your imaginations. So try more now. Today I’d like you to write ‘An Excuse Note from Adam to God’ or ‘An Excuse Note from Eve to God’.” Heads went down. Pens raced across paper. For the first time ever I saw students so careful in their writing that they had to be asked to go to lunch by their friends.

The next day everyone had excuse notes. Heated discussions followed. The headmaster entered the classroom and walked up and down, looking at papers, and then said, “I’d like you to see me in my office.”

When I stepped into his office, he came to shake my hand and said, “I just want to tell you that that lesson, that task, whatever the hell you were doing, was great. Those kids were writing on the college level. Thank you.”

1.What did the author do with the students found dishonest?

A.He reported them to the headmaster.

B.He lectured（训诫）them hard on honesty.

C.He had them take notes before lunch.

D.He helped improve their writing skills.

2.The underlined word “forged” in the third paragraph means 　　　　 .

A.former B.copied

C.false D.honest

3.The author found that compared with the true excuse notes, the produced ones by the students were usually 　　　　 .

A.less imaginative B.more impressive

C.loss lively D.more serious

4.The author had the students practice writing excuse notes so that students could learn 　　　　 .

A.the importance of being honest B.how to write excuse notes skillfully

C.the value of creative writing D.how to be creative in writing

5.What did the headmaster think of the author’s way of teaching?

A.Effective. B.Difficult

C.Misleading. D.Reasonable.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

I was in my third year of teaching creative writing at a high school in New York, when one of my students, 15-year-old Mikey, gave me a note from his mother. It explained his absence from class the day before.

I had seen Mikey himself writing the note at his desk. Most parental-excuse notes I received were penned by my students. If I were to deal with them, I’d be busy 24 hours a day. The forged excuse notes made a large pile, with writing that ranged from imaginative to crazy. The writers of those notes didn’t realize that honest excuse notes were usually dull: “Peter was late because the alarm clock didn’t go off.”

Isn’t it remarkable, I thought, how the students complained and said it was hard putting 200 words together on any subject? But when they produced excuse notes, they were brilliant.

So one day I typed out a dozen excuse notes and gave them to my classes. I said, “They’re supposed to be written by parents, but actually they are not. True, Mikey?” The students looked at me nervously.

“Now, this will be the first class to study the art of the excuse note --- the first class, ever, to practice writing them. You’re so lucky to have a teacher like me who has taken your best writing and turned it into a subject worthy of study. ”

Everyone smiled as I went on, “You used your imaginations. So try more now. Today I’d like you to write ‘An Excuse Note from Adam to God’ or ‘An Excuse Note from Eve to God’.” Heads went down. Pens raced across paper. For the first time ever I saw students so careful in their writing that they had to be asked to go to lunch by their friends.

The next day everyone had excuse notes. Heated discussions followed. The headmaster entered the classroom and walked up and down, looking at papers, and then said, “I’d like you to see me in my office.”

When I stepped into his office, he came to shake my hand and said, “I just want to tell you that that lesson, that task, whatever the hell you were doing, was great. Those kids were writing on the college level. Thank you. ”

1.What did the author do with the students found dishonest?

A．He reported them to the headmaster.        B．He lectured them hard on honesty.

C．He had them take notes before lunch.        D．He helped improve their writing skills.

2.The author found that compared with the true excuse notes, the produced ones by the students were usually ________.

A．less impressive     B．less convincing     C．worse written      D．more imaginative

3.The author had the students practice writing excuse notes so that the students could learn_________.

A．the importance of being honest            B．how to be creative in writing

C．the pleasure of creative writing             D．how to write excuse notes skillfully

4. The underlined word “forged” in the second paragraph means “________”.

A．false             B．copied            C．former           D．honest

5.What did the headmaster think of the author’s way of teaching?

A．Misleading.        B．Difficult           C．Effective.          D．Reasonable.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析