When the residents of Buenos Aires want to change the pesos they do not trust into the dollars they do, they go to an office that acts as a front for thriving illegal exchange market.
As the couriers carry their bundles of pesos around Buenos Aires, they pass grand buildings like the Teatro Colon, an opera house that opened in 1908, and the Retiro railway station, completed in 1915. In the 43 years leading up to 1914, GDP had grown at an annual rate of 6%, the fastest recorded in the world. In 1914 half of Buenos Aires’s population was foreign-born. Its income per head was 92% of the average of 16 rich economies.
It never got better than this. Its income per head is now 43% of those same 16 rich economies; it trails Chile and Uruguay in its own backyard.
The country’s dramatic decline has long puzzled economists. “If a guy has been hit 700,000 shots it’s hard to work out which one of them killed him,” says Rafael di Tella. But three deep-lying explanations help to throw light on the country’s decline. Firstly, Argentina may have been rich 100 years ago but it was not modern. The second theory stresses the role of trade policy. Thirdly, when it needed to change, Argentina lacked the institutions to create successful policies.
Argentina was rich in 1914 because of commodities; its industrial base was only weakly developed. The landowners who made Argentina rich were not so bothered about educating it: cheap labor was what counted.
Without a good education system, Argentina struggled to create competitive industries. It had benefited from technology in its Belle Epoque period, but Argentina mainly consumed technology from abroad rather than inventing its own.
Argentina had become rich by making a triple bet on agriculture, open market and Britain, its biggest trading partner. If that bet turned sour, it would require a severe adjustment. The First World War delivered the initial blow to trade. Next came the Depression, which crushed the open trading system on which Argentina depended. Dependence on Britain, another country in decline, backfired( 失 败 ) as Argentina’s favored export market signed preferential deals with Commonwealth countries.
After the Second World War, when the rich world began its slow return to free trade with the negotiation of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in 1947, Argentina had become a more closed economy. An institution to control foreign trade was created in 1946; the share of trade as a percentage of GDP continued to fall. High food prices meant big profits for farmers but empty stomachs for ordinary Argentines. Open borders increased farmers’ taking but sharpened competition from abroad for domestic industry. Heavy export taxes on crops allow the state to top up its decreasing foreign-exchange reserves; limits on wheat exports create surpluses(过剩) that drive down local prices. But they also dissuade farmers from planting more land, enabling other countries to steal market shares.
1.Grand buildings are mentioned in the second paragraph to show ________.
A.Argentines were talented B.Argentina was once a rich country
C.Argentines miss the past of Argentina D.Argentina has a suitable infrastructure
2.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.Argentina is richer than Uruguay.
B.Argentina was once attractive to immigrants.
C.Britain is playing a leading role in the development of Argentina.
D.Argentina is not serious about its agriculture and open markets.
3.The underlined sentence in the fourth paragraph implies that ________.
A.the decline of Argentina welcomes an analysis from authorities
B.it is hard to explain the reasons for Argentina’s decline
C.it takes time to explain the reasons for Argentina’s decline
D.Argentina has declined for many reasons
4.What is the root of the problem of Argentina’s trade policy?
A.Argentina depends heavily on foreign technology.
B.Many world events caused Argentina to break down.
C.Argentina failed in adjusting itself appropriately.
D.The conflicts between classes needed to be solved.
高三英语阅读理解困难题
When the residents of Buenos Aires want to change the pesos they do not trust into the dollars they do, they go to an office that acts as a front for thriving illegal exchange market.
As the couriers carry their bundles of pesos around Buenos Aires, they pass grand buildings like the Teatro Colon, an opera house that opened in 1908, and the Retiro railway station, completed in 1915. In the 43 years leading up to 1914, GDP had grown at an annual rate of 6%, the fastest recorded in the world. In 1914 half of Buenos Aires’s population was foreign-born. Its income per head was 92% of the average of 16 rich economies.
It never got better than this. Its income per head is now 43% of those same 16 rich economies; it trails Chile and Uruguay in its own backyard.
The country’s dramatic decline has long puzzled economists. “If a guy has been hit 700,000 shots it’s hard to work out which one of them killed him,” says Rafael di Tella. But three deep-lying explanations help to throw light on the country’s decline. Firstly, Argentina may have been rich 100 years ago but it was not modern. The second theory stresses the role of trade policy. Thirdly, when it needed to change, Argentina lacked the institutions to create successful policies.
Argentina was rich in 1914 because of commodities; its industrial base was only weakly developed. The landowners who made Argentina rich were not so bothered about educating it: cheap labor was what counted.
Without a good education system, Argentina struggled to create competitive industries. It had benefited from technology in its Belle Epoque period, but Argentina mainly consumed technology from abroad rather than inventing its own.
Argentina had become rich by making a triple bet on agriculture, open market and Britain, its biggest trading partner. If that bet turned sour, it would require a severe adjustment. The First World War delivered the initial blow to trade. Next came the Depression, which crushed the open trading system on which Argentina depended. Dependence on Britain, another country in decline, backfired( 失 败 ) as Argentina’s favored export market signed preferential deals with Commonwealth countries.
After the Second World War, when the rich world began its slow return to free trade with the negotiation of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in 1947, Argentina had become a more closed economy. An institution to control foreign trade was created in 1946; the share of trade as a percentage of GDP continued to fall. High food prices meant big profits for farmers but empty stomachs for ordinary Argentines. Open borders increased farmers’ taking but sharpened competition from abroad for domestic industry. Heavy export taxes on crops allow the state to top up its decreasing foreign-exchange reserves; limits on wheat exports create surpluses(过剩) that drive down local prices. But they also dissuade farmers from planting more land, enabling other countries to steal market shares.
1.Grand buildings are mentioned in the second paragraph to show ________.
A.Argentines were talented B.Argentina was once a rich country
C.Argentines miss the past of Argentina D.Argentina has a suitable infrastructure
2.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.Argentina is richer than Uruguay.
B.Argentina was once attractive to immigrants.
C.Britain is playing a leading role in the development of Argentina.
D.Argentina is not serious about its agriculture and open markets.
3.The underlined sentence in the fourth paragraph implies that ________.
A.the decline of Argentina welcomes an analysis from authorities
B.it is hard to explain the reasons for Argentina’s decline
C.it takes time to explain the reasons for Argentina’s decline
D.Argentina has declined for many reasons
4.What is the root of the problem of Argentina’s trade policy?
A.Argentina depends heavily on foreign technology.
B.Many world events caused Argentina to break down.
C.Argentina failed in adjusting itself appropriately.
D.The conflicts between classes needed to be solved.
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
From Madrid to Buenos Aires to Panama City to Lisbon, President Xi Jinping has tirelessly promoted the building of a community of shared future for mankind, and the Belt and Road Initiative (倡议) as a means to achieve that.
But all don’t see it that way. While some are quick to see its positive potentials, other countries insist on viewing it skeptically. There have been the usual doubts about the intention behind, although the mysterious threat they speak of is one they seem unable to explain clearly.
To some of them, it is a vague assumption that investments from China are potential “debt traps”that call for extreme caution or “threats to national security”. That is why the business combinations involving Chinese companies which would be mutually (相互地) beneficial have hit the rocks. The Chinese telecommunications technology giant Huawei, for instance, has found the doors to the 5G telecommunications markets of advanced countries closed to it on “national security” grounds. Likewise, the European Union has agreed on a framework regulating foreign investment (投资), particularly those from China. on the same account.
Even as Chinese and Portuguese leaders discuss bilateral (双边的) cooperation under the Belt and Road, there is no lack of concern about “China’s influence”, But existing EU rules do not forbid Lisbon from seeking such a partnership. If Lisbon sees no harm from foreign investment, no outsider is in a position to prevent it from making a choice in its own best interests.
Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa has reminded EU decision-makers of his country’s desire for foreign investment, and advised the latter to avoid taking “the path of protectionism”. It was a timely reminder.
Faring the challenges in today’s world, China and the countries that have embraced the Belt and Road are convinced it is the way to common development and the world’s lasting peace and stability.
1.Some countries that hold a negative attitude towards the Initiative mainly doubt its .
A. power B. mystery C. intention D. potential
2.What does the underlined part “hit the rocks” in Paragraph 3 mean?
A. failed to work out B. become a hit
C. made a difference D. fallen into a trap
3.It can be learned from the passage that .
A. Huawei has caused serious security problems abroad
B. the EU will take relatively strict measures on Chinese investment
C. the Road and Belt Initiative has gained much popularity for “China’s influence”
D. China’s investment in Portugal has been extremely smooth
4.What is the author’s attitude towards Portuguese Prime Minister’s advice?
A. Negative. B. Positive. C. Doubtful. D. Unclear.
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Chinese citizens are to have their fingerprints ______ when applying for or changing their resident identity cards.
A. record B. to record C. recording D. recorded
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
When Alice was sixteen, I was the one who wanted to run away from home. It was to see the changes coming over her. She skipped school, and refused to communicate. I tried being firm, but it didn‘t . I saw a dark future for my once sweet daughter.
One school day Alice returned home very late. With a quarrel in view. I was surprised to see Alice was .
“I hope I did the right thing, Mom,”“Alice said. I saw a cat, all bloody but alive. I it to the vet’s(宠物医院), and was asked to make payment . As I couldn’t reach anyone at the phone number on the cat’s tag(标牌), I had to pay the bill.”
In the following days, the owner still couldn’t be . Alice paid the vet to continue treatment. I grew : what if the family had simply left the cat behind?
A week went by. A woman called to speak to Alice.
“She is at school,” I said.
“You have a daughter,” she said, apparently in tears.
Her family had just returned from abroad, and got a (n) from the vet. Their cat was recovering, thanks to Alice’s . “We can’t wait to hug Cuddles again,” she sobbed.
Upon her return home, Alice was filled with at the news. So was I. I learned through another woman’s eyes that my daughter was still a good person despite her teenage years. Her warm heart would surely guide her in the right direction.
1.A. pleasant B. painful C. unwise D. inspiring
2.A. remain B. match C. appear D. work
3.A. annoyed B. amused C. worried D. interested
4.A. carried B. followed C. returned D. guided
5.A. monthly B. honestly C. generously D. immediately
6.A. trusted B. contacted C. persuaded D. satisfied
7.A. active B. rude C. anxious D. proud
8.A. pretty B. grateful C. wonderful D. curious
9.A. apology B. invitation C. message D. reply
10.A. suggestion B. donation C. encouragement D. help
11.A. love B. anger C. regret D. joy
12.A. troubled B. long C. boring D. quiet
高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
When Alice was sixteen, I was the one who wanted to run away from home. It was____to see the changes coming over her. She skipped school, and refused to communicate. I tried being firm, but it didn‘t____I saw a dark future for my once sweet daughter.
One school day Alice returned home very late. With a quarrel in view. I was surprised to see Alice was____
“I hope I did the right thing, Mom,”“Alice said. I saw a cat, all bloody but alive. I____it to the vet’s(宠物医院), and was asked to make payment____As I couldn’t reach anyone at the phone number on the cat’s tag(标牌), I had to pay the bill.”
In the following days, the owner still couldn’t be____Alice paid the vet to continue treatment. I grew____: what if the family had simply left the cat behind?
A week went by. A woman called to speak to Alice.
“She is at school,” I said.
“You have a____daughter,” she said, apparently in tears.
Her family had just returned from abroad, and got a (n)____from the vet. Their cat was recovering, thanks to Alice’s____“We can’t wait to hug Cuddles again,” she sobbed.
Upon her return home, Alice was filled with____at the news. So was I. I learned through another woman’s eyes that my daughter was still a good person despite her____teenage years. Her warm heart would surely guide her in the right direction.
1.A. pleasant B. painful C. unwise D. inspiring
2.A. remain B. match C. appear D. work
3.A. annoyed B. amused C. worried D. interested
4.A. carried B. followed C. returned D. guided
5.A. monthly B. honestly C. generously D. immediately
6.A. trusted B. contacted C. persuaded D. satisfied
7.A. active B. rude C. anxious D. proud
8.A. pretty B. grateful C. wonderful D. curious
9.A. apology B. invitation C. message D. reply
10.A. suggestion B. donation C. encouragement D. help
11.A. love B. anger C. regret D. joy
12.A. troubled B. long C. boring D. quiet
高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
After years of changing residence (住处) and promotion, Madelyn moved to a new city and _____ became vice-president of a local bank.
A. eventually B. occasionally C. accidentally D. frequently
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
In the field of engineering,men hold most of the jobs.But DiscoverE wanted to change that.On February 25, DiscoverE,known as the National Engineers Week Foundation,celebrated its annual Girl Day.
Although women fill close to half of all jobs in the US economy,they hold less than 25% in the fields of science, technology,engineering,and math (STEM),according to the US Department of Commerce.The agency also reported women hold a low share of college degrees in these fields,particularly in engineering.
With such a large gender gap in STEM jobs,DiscoverE wanted to demonstrate to girls the different fields available to them.It also intended to disclose the various myths that may be causing girls to shy away from this line of work.Valecia Maclin,a director of Raytheon,a technology company and one of DiscoverE's corporate partners, addressed the three most common myths about engineers.
Myth # 1: Engineers aren't creative.
According to Maclin,the opposite is true."Engineers need to be very creative in order to solve problems," she says.And girls,Maclin adds,are great at problem solving.
Myth # 2: You'll be the only girl in your engineering class.
Maclin admits there're usually very few girls in engineering classes.Such was the case in her own experience, but rarely will there be only one girl in the class.She believes this can work in favor of girls.
Myth # 3 :You'll get paid less than the male engineers.
According to the US Department of Labor,women working full time only make about 79% of what men earn. However,STEM careers are in such high demand that even starting salaries are high. "In engineering,your performance is the driving force behind what you get paid,regardless of your gender," Maclin says.
1.Why did DiscoverE celebrate its annual Girl Day?
A. It wanted to change that.
B. It encouraged girls to take up engineering occupations.
C. It inspired girls to quit more STEM jobs.
D. It suggested that women working full time only made about 79 % of what men earned.
2.What possible myths did Maclin put forward that might cause girls to shy away from engineering?
a.Engineers aren't creative.
b.Women hold less than 25 % of jobs in the fields of STEM.
c.You'll be the only girl in your engineering class.
d.Your performance leads to your salary.
e.You'll get paid less than the male engineers.
A. abc B. acd
C. bcd D. ace
3.What can be learned about gender gap in STEM jobs?
A. Both men and women hold jobs in the fields of STEM.
B. More than three quarters of men hold STEM jobs.
C. Less than 25 % of women hold college degrees in engineering.
D. The agency also reported women hold a low share of college degrees.
4.What does Valecia Maclin mean with regard to engineering?
A. Men should hold most of the jobs.
B. Women working full time should make about 79 % of what men earn.
C. Engineering is more suitable for girls than boys.
D. Engineering is suitable for not only boys but also girls.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Want to add some hours to your day? Ok, you probably can't change the fabric of time. But a new study suggests that the way you feel about your goal can change your concept of time and that some simple strategies could make you feel less rushed.
In a series of experiments, Jordan Etkin, a professor of marketing at Duke, and her co-authors, Loannis Evangelidis and Jennifer Aaker, looked at what happens when people see their goals as conflicting with one another. In one, they asked some participants to list two of their goals that they felt were in conflict, and others simply to list two of their goals. Those who were forced to think about conflicting aims felt more time pressure than those who weren't. In another experiment, the researchers gave participants a similar prompt regarding goal conflict, but this time measured their anxiety levels as well as their attitudes toward time. They found that participants who thought about conflicting goals had more anxiety than those who didn't, and that this, in turn, led to feelings of being short on time.
"Stress and anxiety and time pressure are closely linked concepts," D. Etkin explained. "When we feel more stress and anxiety in relation to our personal goals, that manifests as a sense of having less time."
Technological advances that allow people to do lots of things at once may increase the fe'eling of goal conflict, she said."I think the easier it is for us to try to deal with a lot of these things at the same time," She said"the more opportunity there is for us to feel this conflict between our goals."She isn't the first to suggest that actual busyness isn't the only thing that can make us feel busy At the Atlantic, Derek Thompson wrote that "as a country, we're working less than we did in the 1960s and 1980s." He offered a number of possible reasons some Americans still feel so overworked, including "the fluidness ffl±) of work and leisure." As he put it:"The idea that work begins and ends at the office is wrong. On the one hand, flexibility is nice, On the other, mixing work and leisure together creates an always-on expectation that makes it hard for white-collar workers to escape the shadow of work responsibilities."
And Brigid Schulte writes in her 2014 book Overwhelmed: How to Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the Time that some researchers believe "time has no sharp edges. What often matters more than the activity we're doing at a moment in time, they have found, is how we feel about it.Our concept of time is indeed,our reality.”
Fortunately, Dr. Etkin and her team did find ways of making us feel better about time—or, at least, of reducing the negative influence of goal conflict. When participants performed a breathing exercise that reduced their anxiety, the impact of such conflict on their perception of time was less pronounced. Reframing anxiety as excitement (by reading the phrase "I am excited!" aloud several times) had a similar effect.
Breathing and reframing may not solve everyone's time problems—Ms. Schulte writes that some Americans are indeed working more than they used to. She cites the work of the sociologists Michael Hout and Caroline Hanley, who have "found that working parents combined put in 13 more hours a week on the job in 2000 than they did in 1970. That's 676 hours of additionally paid work a year for a family. And that's on top of all the unpaid hours spent caring for children and keeping the house together." Sometimes, we may feel short on time because we actually are. However, Dr. Etkin believes her findings suggest we may "have the ability to influence our experience of time more than we think we do."
"We're all going to have times in our lives when our goals seem to be in more conflict than others," she said. But with techniques like the ones her team tested, "we really can help ourselves feel like we have more time."
1.What makes people feel rushed today?
A.Goal conflict. B. High pressure.
C.Too much expectation. D. Lack of exercise.
2.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Most people are having less work to do nowadays.
B. People under a lot of stress have a better sense of time.
C. Technological advances allow people to feel less stressed.
D. The flexibility of work increases white-collar workers' pressure.
3.The underlined sentence "Our concept of time is, indeed, our reality." means_______
A.we should make full use of time
B.we value time more than the way we live
C.we can feel better about time if we want to
D.we don't have the time to enjoy life in reality
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
B Want to add some hours to your day? Ok，you probably can't change the fabric of time．But a new study suggests that the way you feel about your goal can change your concept of time and that some simple strategies could make you feel less rushed．
In a series of experiments，Jordan Etkin，a professor of marketing at Duke，and her coauthors，Loannis Evangelidis and Jennifer Aaker，looked at what happens when people see their goals as conflicting with one another．In one，they asked some participants to list two of their goals that they felt were in conflict，and others simply to list two of their goals．Those who were forced to think about conflicting aims felt more time pressure than those who weren't．In another experiment，the researchers gave participants a similar prompt regarding goal conflict，but this time measured their anxiety levels as well as their attitudes toward time．They found that participants who thought about conflicting goals had more anxiety than those who didn't，and that this，in turn，led to feelings of being short on time．
“Stress and anxiety and time pressure are closely linked concepts，” D．Etkin explained．“When we feel more stress and anxiety in relation to our personal goals，that manifests(表现) as a sense of having less time．”
Technological advances that allow people to do lots of things at once may increase the feeling of goal conflict，she said．
“I think the easier it is for us to try to deal with a lot of these things at the same time，” she said，“the more opportunity there is for us to feel this conflict between our goals．”
She isn't the first to suggest that actual busyness isn't the only thing that can make us feel busy．At the Atlantic，Derek Thompson wrote that “as a country，we're working less than we did in the 1960s and 1980s．” He offered a number of possible reasons some Americans still feel so overworked，including “the fluidness(不固定性) of work and leisure．” As he put it:
“The idea that work begins and ends at the office is wrong．On the one hand，flexibility is nice．On the other，mixing work and leisure together creates an alwayson expectation that makes it hard for whitecollar workers to escape the shadow of work responsibilities．”
And Brigid Schulte writes in her 2014 book Overwhelmed: How to Work，Love，and Play When No One Has the Time that some researchers believe “time has no sharp edges．What often matters more than the activity we're doing at a moment in time，they have found，is how we feel about it．
Our_concept_of_time_is,_indeed,_our_reality．”
Fortunately，Dr．Etkin and her team did find ways of making us feel better about time—or，at least，of reducing the negative influence of goal conflict．When participants performed a breathing exercise that reduced their anxiety，the impact of such conflict on their perception of time was less pronounced．Reframing anxiety as excitement (by reading the phrase “I am excited！” aloud several times) had a similar effect．
Breathing and reframing may not solve everyone's time problems—Ms．Schulte writes that some Americans are indeed working more than they used to．She cites the work of the sociologists Michael Hout and Caroline Hanley，who have “found that working parents combined put in 13 more hours a week on the job in 2000 than they did in 1970．That's 676 hours of additionally paid work a year for a family．And that's on top all the unpaid hours spent caring for children and keeping the house together．” Sometimes，we may feel short on time because we actually are．However，Dr．Etkin believes her findings suggest we may “have the ability to influence our experience of time more than we think we do．”
“We're all going to have times in our lives when our goals seem to be in more conflict than others，” she said．But with techniques like the ones her team tested，“we really can help ourselves feel like we have more time．”
1.What makes people feel rushed today?
A．Goal conflict．
B．High pressure．
C．Too much expectation．
D．Lack of exercise．
2.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A．Most people are having less work to do nowadays．
B．People under a lot of stress have a better sense of time．
C．Technological advances allow people to feel less stressed．
D．The flexibility of work increases whitecollar workers' pressure．
3.The underlined sentence “Our concept of time is，indeed，our reality．” means ________．
A．we should make full use of time
B．we value time more than the way we live
C．we can feel better about time if we want to
D．we don't have the time to enjoy life in reality
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The way of life he was used to _______ when he came to study in America.
A．change B．changed C．changing D．being changed
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析