山西省太原双语中学高考英语专题精选阅读理解强化训练集(三十二)

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山西省太原双语中学高考英语专题精选阅读理解强化训练集(四十九)

山西省太原双语中学2012届高考英语专题精选阅读理解强化训练集（四十九）阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

AHow often do you travel by plane?How much electricity do you use?These days everyone is worried about the size of their carbon footprint．In order to reduce global warming we need to make our carbon footprints smaller．But how much CO2 are we responsible for?A new book by Mike Berners Lee （a leading expert in carbon footprint） might be able to help．How bad are bananas? The Carbon Footprint of Everything looks at the different things we do and buy, and calculates the amount of CO2all of the following created: the ingredients, the electricity used in the brewery, the equipment, the travel and commuting of the beer, and the packaging．It’s amazing how many different things need to be included in each calculation．And it’s frightening how much carbon dioxide everything produces．But all of this can help us decide which beer to drink．From Berners-Lee’s calculations, it’s clear that a pint （568ml） of locally-brewed beer has a smaller carbon footprint than a bottle of imported beer．This is because the imported beer has been transported from far away, and it uses more packaging．The local beer only produces 300g of CO2, but the imported beer produces 900g! So, one pint of local beer is better for the environment than three cans of cheap foreign lager from the supermarket．Berners-Lee has even calculated the carbon footprint of cycling to work．Nothing is more environmentally-friendly than riding a bike, surely? Well, it depends on what you’ve had to eat before．To ride a bike we need energy and for energy we need food．So if we eat a banana and then ride a kilometer and a half, our footprint is 65g of CO2．However, if we eat bacon before the bike ride, it’s 200g．In fact, bananas are good in general b ecause they don’t need packaging, they can be transported by boat and they grow in natural sunlight．So, does this mean that cycling is bad for the environment? Absolutely not, for a start, if you cycle, you don’t use your car, and the fewer cars on the ro ad, the fewer traffic jams．And cars in traffic jams produce three times more CO2 than cars traveling at speed．Cycling also makes you healthy and less likely to go to a hospital．And hospitals have very big carbon footprints!So maybe it’s time for us all to start making some changes．Pass me a banana and a pint of local beer, please．1．According to Berners-Lee, which of the following produces the most carbon dioxide？A．A pint of local beer we drink．B． A pint of imported beer we drink．C．A banana we eat before a bike ride． D．The bacon we eat before a bike ride．2．The underlined word “brewery” in Paragraph 3 most probably means “___________”．A．a factory where beer is made B．a machine which makes beerC．a container where beer is stored D．one of the things from which beer is made3．To make our carbon footprints smaller, we should often ___________．A．cycle to work B．drink more local beerC．calculate the amount of CO2D．buy cheap things from the supermarkets4．What’s the most suitable title for the passage?A．Bikes, Beer and Bananas B．Starting to Make ChangesC．How Big Is Your Carbon Footprint? D．The Carbon Footprint of EverythingBIt is easy for us to tell our friends from our enemies．But can other animals do the same? Elephants can! They can use their sense of vision and smell to tell the difference between people who pose a threat and those who do not．In Kenya, researchers found that elephants react differently to clothing worn by men of the Maasai and Kamba ethnic groups．Young Maasai men spear animals and thus pose a threat to elephants; Kamba men are mainly farmers and are not a danger to elephants．In an experiment conducted by animal scientists, elephants were first presented with clean clothing or clothing that had been worn for five days by either a Maasai or a Kamba man．When the elephants detected the smell of clothing worn by a Maasai man, they moved away from the smell faster and took longer to relax than when they detected the smells of either clothing worn by Kamba men or clothing that had not been worn at all．Garment color also plays a role, though in a different way．In the same study, when the elephants saw red clothing not worn before, they reacted angrily, as red is typically worn by Maasai men．Rather than running away as they did with the smell, the elephants acted aggressively toward the red clothing．The researchers believe that the elephants’ emotional reactions are due to their different interpretations of the smells and the sights．Smelling a potential danger means that a threat is nearby and the best thing to do is run away and hide．Seeing a potential threat without its smell means that risk is low．Therefore, instead of showing fear and running away, the elephants express their anger and become aggressive．5．According to the passage, which of the following statements is true about Kamba and Maasai people?A．Maasai people are a threat to elephants．B．Kamba people raise elephants for farming．C．Both Kamba and Maasai people are elephant hunters．D．Both Kamba and Maasai people traditionally wear red clothing．6．How did the elephants react to smell in the study?A．They attacked a man with the smell of new clothing．B．They needed time to relax when smelling something unfamiliar．C．They became anxious when they smelled Kamba-scented clothing．D．They were frightened and ran away when they smelled their enemies．7．What is the main idea of this passage?A．Elephants use sight and smell to detect danger．B．Elephants attack people who wear red clothing．C．Scientists are now able to control elephants’ emotions．D．Some Kenyan tribes understand elephants’ emotions very well．8．What can be inferred about the elephant’s behavior from this passage?A．Elephants learn from their experiences．B．Elephants have sharper sense of smell than sight．C．Elephants are more intelligent than other animals．D．Elephants tend to attack rather than escape when in danger．CHans was an honest fellow with a funny round good-humored face．Living alone, every day he worked in his garden．In all the countryside there was no garden so lovely as his．All sorts of flowers grew there, blooming in their proper order as the months went by, one flower taking another flower’s place, so that there were always beautiful things to see, and pleasant odors to smell．Hans had many friends, the most devoted being the Miller．So devoted was the rich Miller to Hans that he’d never go by his garden without plucking a large bunch of flowers or a handful of sweet herbs, or filling his pockets with fruits．The Miller used to talk about noble ideas, and Hans nodded and smiled, feeling proud of having such a friend．The neighbors thought it strange that the rich Miller never gave Hans anything in return, though he had hundreds of sacks of flour, many cows and sheep, but Hans never troubled his head about these, and nothing gave him greater pleasure than to listen to all the wonderful things about the unselfishness of true friendship．In spring, summer, and autumn Hans was very happy, but when winter came, and he had no fruit or flowers to sell, he suffered from cold and hunger．Though extremely lonely, the Miller never came to see him then．“There’s no good in going to see Hans while the snow lasts．” The Miller said to his wife, “When people are in trouble they shouldn’t be bothered．So I’ll wait till the spring comes when he’s happy to give me flowers．”“You’re certainly very thoughtful,” answered his wife, “It’s quite a treat to hear you talk about friendship．”“Couldn’t we ask Hans up here?” said their son．“I’ll give him half my meal, and show him my white rabbits．”“How silly you are!” cried the Miller．“I really don’t know what’s the use of sending you to school．If Hans came up here, and saw our warm fire, our good supper, and our red wine, he might get envious, and envy is a most terrible thing, and would spoil anybody’s nature．I am his best friend, and I’ll always watch over him, and see that he’s not led into any temptation．Besides, if Hans came here, he might ask me for some flour．Flour is one thing, and friendship is another, and they shouldn’t be confused．The words are spelt differently, and mean quite differentthings．Everybody can see that．” He looked seriously at his son, who felt so ashamed that he hung his head down, and grew quite scared, and began to cry into his tea． Spring coming, the Miller went down to see Hans．Again he talked about friendship．“Hans, friendship never forgets．I’m afraid you don’t understand the poetry of life．See, how lovely your roses are!”Hans said he wanted to sell them in the market to buy back his things which were sold during the hard time of the winter．“I’ll give you many good things．I think being generous is the base of friendship．” said the Miller．“And now, as I’ll give you many good things, I’m sure you’d like to give me some flowers in return．Here’s the basket, and fill it quite full．”Poor Hans was afraid to say anything．He ran and plucked all his pretty roses, and filled the Miller’s basket, imagining the many good things promised by the Miller． The next day he heard the Miller calling: “Hans, would you mind carrying this sack of flour for me to market?”“I’m sorry, but I am really very busy today．”“Well,” said the Miller, “considering that I’m going to give you my things, it’s rather unfriendly of you to ref use．Upon my word, you mustn’t mind my speaking quite plainly to you．”Poor Hans was driven by his friendship theory to work hard for his best friend, leaving his garden dry and wasted．One evening Hans was sitting by fire when the Miller came．“Hans,” cried the Miller, “My little boy has fallen off a ladder and hurt himself, and I’m going for the doctor．But he lives so far away, and it’s such a bad windy night．It has just occurred to me that you can go instead of me．You know I’m going to give yo u my good things, so you should do something for me in return．”“Certainly,” cried Hans．He struggled into the stormy night, and got the doctor to ride a horse to the Miller’s house in time to save the boy．However, Hans got lost in the darkness, and wandered off into a deep pool, drowned．At Hans’ funeral, the Miller said, “I was his best friend．I should walk at the head of the procession．” Every now and then he wiped his eyes with a handkerchief．9．From the passage, we can learn that Hans ___________．A．was extremely wise and noble B．was highly valued by the Miller C．admired the Miller very much D．had a strong desire for fortune 10．“Flour is one thing, and friendship is another” can be understood as ___________．A．“Different words may mean quite different things．”B．“Interest is permanent while friendship is flexible．”C．“I’m afraid you don’t understand the poetry of life．”D．“I think being generous is the base of friendship．”11．From the Miller’s talk at home, we can see he was ___________．A．serious but kind B．helpful and generousC．caring but strict D．selfish and cold-hearted 12．What’s the main cause of Hans’ tragedy?A．True friendship between them． B．A lack of formal education．C．A sudden change of weather． D．Blind devotion to a friend．13．The author described the Miller’s behavior in order to ___________．A．entertain the readers with an incredible joking taleB．show the friendship between Hans and the MillerC．warn the readers about the danger of a false friendD．persuade people to be as intelligent as the MillerDIt was a beautiful Sunday morning, and Maggie and I were returning from our walk through the woods．We were only a couple of blocks from home when I spotted a cellphone and a credit card sitting on the road．We took them home．We always find amazing things on the street and Maggie looks upon them a movable feast—a chicken wing here and a barbecue rib there．I found another cellphone a few years back, too, and called a number in its phone book．I explained the situation to the guy who answered．He said it was his sister’s and that he’d come to pick it up, which he did．And that was that．No verbal thank-you, no written thank-you, no “here’s a box of chocolates” thank-you．I didn’t have time to call anyone on my latest found cellphone．I was pouring myself coffee when it started to vibrate（震动） and dance across the kitchen counter．“Who’s this?” someone asked when I picked up．“Who’s this?” I countered．（反问）“Sarah?”She was surprised at my knowing her name until she realized her name was on the credit card, “Could you send them to me?” she asked．She lives in Arlington, which is 2 miles from my house．“Humm, no,” I replied, adding that I thought she could come to get them, and that if I wasn’t at home, they would be in my mailbox．A day later, when I was out for a run, someone retrieved （取回） them．There wasn’t even a piece of paper put in the mailbox with “Thanks” on it．In this age of e-mail and cellphone, there’s really no excuse．Years ago, I found something more precious than a $100 bill on the street: a driver’s license．I saw that its owner lived a couple of blocks from me, so I called him up．He asked whether I could slip the license through his front door．“I guess I could,” I replied．And that was that．14．What is the relationship between Maggie and the writer?A．Wife and husband．B．Daughter and father．C．Teacher and student．D．Master and pet dog．15．How did the writer know it was Sarah calling?A．From her telephone’s phone book．B．From her credit card．C．From her e-mail．D．From her driver’s license16．The writer wants to tell us _______ through the unusual stories．A．we should return the things we pick to the ownersB．people don’t know how to appreciate others because of the use of e-mail andcellphoneC．people should learn to appreciate persons who provide help to youD．the advance of society make people lose some virtuesEWinners ClubYou choose to be a winner!The Winners Club is a bank account specially designed for teenagers．It has been made to help you better manage your money．The Winners Club is a transaction account （交易账户） where you receive a key – card so you can get to your money 24/7 –that’s 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!It’s a club with impressive features for teenagers:●No account keeping fees!You’re no millionaire so we don’t expect you to pay large fees．In fact, there are no account keeping or transaction fees!●Excellent interest rates!You want your money to grow．The Winners Club has a good rate of interest which gets even better if you make at least two deposits （储蓄） without taking them out in a month．●ConvenientTeenagers are busy –we get that．You may never need to come to a bank at all．With the Winners Club you can choose to use handy tellers and to bank from home using the phone and the Internet … You can have money directly deposited into your Winners Club account．This could be your pocket money or your pay from your part –time job!●Mega magazine includedAlong with your regular report, you will receive a FREE magazine full of good ideas to make even more of your money．There are also fantastic offers and competitions only for Winners Club members．The Winners Club is a great choice for teenagers．And it is so easy to join．Simply fill in an application form．You will have to get permission from your parent or guardian （so we can organize that cool key –card） but it is easy．We can’t want to hear from you．It’s the best way to choose to be a winner!17．The Winners Club is a bank account intended for ．A．parents B．teenagers C．winners D．adults 18．Which of the following is TRUE about the Winners Club?A．Special gifts are ready for parents．B．The bank opens only on work days．C．Services are convenient for its members．D．Fees are necessary for the account keeping．19．The Winners Club provides magazines which ．A．encourage spending B．are free to all teenagersC．are full of adventure stories D．help to make more of your money20．What is the purpose of this text?A．To set up a club．B．To provided part – time jobs．C．To organize key – cards．D．To introduce a new banking service．A篇BAAC B篇ADAA C 篇CBDDC D篇 DBC E 篇 BCDD。

山西省太原双语中学2012届高考英语专题精选阅读理解强化训练集(十二)

山西省太原双语中学2012届高考英语专题精选阅读理解强化训练集（十二）阅读下列短文, 从每题所给的选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出最佳选项。

AOne night I was sitting in my room half-listening as my 15-year-old brother fought with my 12-year-old brother Kevin. I didn’t pay attention when Kevin rushed up the stairs with the hurt on his face.About 20 minutes later, as I was walking upstairs I heard Kevin crying inside the bathroom. I knocked on the door and asked, “Hey！Kevin, do you want to talk?”No response. I tried again, “Why don’t you come out of there?”Again, no response.So, joking around, I grabbed a stack of index cards and a pencil and wrote, “If you don’t want to talk, we can write notes to each other.”An hour later I was still sitting on the floor outside the bathroom with two stacks of index cards in front of me. One was blank and one was cards from Kevin on which he had translated all his yucky feelings into words for me. As I read one of Kevin’s notes, tears came to my eyes. It said, “Nobody in this family cares about me. I’m not the youngest, and I’m not the oldest, and I’m not talented. Tommy thinks I’m stupid and Dad wishes he had the other Kevin as a kid because he’s better at basketball. And you’re never around to even notice me.”Tears came to my eyes again as I wrote back to him. “You know Kevin, I really do love you and I’m sorry I don’t always show it. I am here for you and you are loved in this family.”There was no response for a while, but then I heard a tearing sound coming from inside the bathroom. Kevin, who had run out of index cards, wrote on a torn – up paper cup, “Thanks.”I wrote back “For what?” It returned to me with “Loving me” written on it. Since then, I try my best never to half-notice my family members anymore. Kevin and I have closer relationship now, and sometimes when one of us notices that the other is upset we’ll smile and say “Write it on a paper cup.”1. Why did Kevin stay inside the bathroom alone crying?A. Because he lost in the fight with Tommy.B. Because the author didn’t help him win Tommy.C. Because he felt no love from the family members.D. Because he hurt him when rushing up the stairs.2. The underlined word “yucky” (Para.6) most probably means “”.A. unpleasantB. excitingC. doubtfulD. frightening3. What could be the reason that Kevin’s Dad doesn’t like him?A. Kevin likes fighting with others.B. Kevin is not good at playingbasketball.C. Kevin doesn’t want to talk to others.D. Kevin is not talented as hisbrother.4. What did the author learn from the incident?A. It’s hard to comfort young brothers at home.B. It’s dangerous to half – notice someone in the family.C. It’s important for family members to show their love.D. The best way to communicate with family members is by writing.BWhich giant do you support, QQ or 360?Chen Guan, 25, a computer programmer:I will continue to use QQ. You can’t deny that it has influenced our life greatly.Tencent’s market status has threatened many small IT companies, but how can you make sure that other companies’ products do not scan your hard disk?Tencent’s influence also shows the great power of a domestic product. Can you imagine what would happen if all the software installed on your computer was made in USA?Gao Ling, 23, a civil servant:The motivation for 360 to start the fight is not innocent, but it’s also true that QQ is enjoying “monopoly”(垄断) status in China’s instant messaging market.Giants in the industry shouldn’t forget that they should serve users. Whatever the competition is, they should put the users’ interest in the first place.I will continue to use their service but I hope there are regulations to force IT giants to open doors and become compatible (能兼容的) with each other.Yao Jie, 27, an art teacher:I used QQ for nine years but switched to MSN when “the 3Q fight”began. Tencent acts as if we can’t live without QQ. It seems the company considers itself a policeman. But this is my computer and I have the final say about which software to use.Quitting QQ does not obviously affect my life. Everyone can survive with the absence of someone else, especially when the “someone else”is just a chatting tool. Lin Xiang, 19, a university student:I’m angry with Tencent for stirring things up.One night after the “war” broke out, my younger brother logged on his QQ Pet service and got a pop-up from QQ: “ Master, a bad guy called 360 wants to grab me away. I really don’t want to leave you. Please kill that bad guy 360.”The competition between two companies is understandable but it has nothing to do with children. How can they fan resentment (愤恨) in the heart of a child?5. What do we know about these people’s attitudes toward “ the 3Q fight”?A. All of them are for QQ.B. All of them are for 360.C. Lin Xiang is for 360.D. Chen Guan is for QQ.6. From what Gao Ling said, we may infer that ______________.A. Lack of regulations may contribute to the tussle (争斗).B. 360 is right in starting “the 3Q fight”.C. Users’ interest should always be put in the first place.D. 360 is competing with QQ in instant messaging market.7. The underlined part “I have the final say”is similar in meaning to _______________.A. I have to say something finallyB. I make the final decisionC. I tell people at lastD. I should speak in the end8. Why is Lin Xiang angry?A. “The 3Q fight” has disturbed his daily life.B. He and his younger brother can’t log on the QQ Pet service.C. Tencent company tries to make younger children hate 360.D. His younger brother’s QQ pet is not living happily because of a bad guy.CFrom the health point of view we are living in an amazing age．We are free from many of the most dangerous diseases．A large number of once deadly illnesses can now be cured by modem medicine．It is almost certain that one clay medicines will be found for the most stubborn remaining diseases, The expectation of life has increased greatly．But though the possibility of living a long and happy life is greater than ever before, every day we witness the unbelievable killing of men, women and children on the roads．Man vs the motor-cart It is a never-ending battle which man is losing．Thousands of people the world over are killed or horribly killed each year and we are quietly sitting back and letting it happen．It has been rightly said that when a man is sitting behind a steering wheel （方向盘）, his car becomes the extension of his personality. There is no doubt that the motor-car often brings out a man's very worst qualities．People who are normally quiet and pleasant may become unrecognizable when they are behind a steering-wheel They say, they are ill-mannered and aggressive, willful as two-year-olds and completely selfish．All their hidden angers and disappointments seem to be brought to die surface by the act of driving．The surprising thing is that society smiles so gently on the motorist and seems to forgive his behavior．Everything is done for his convenience．Cities are allowed to become almost uninhabitable because of heavy traffic; towns are made ugly by huge car parks; the countryside is ruined by road networks; and the deaths become nothing more than a number every year, to be easily forgotten．It is high time a world rule was created to reduce this senseless waste of human life．With regard to driving, the laws of some countries are unbelievably lax （不严格） and even the strictest are not strict enough．A rule which was universally accepted could only have an obviously beneficial effect on the accident rate．Here are a few examples of some of the things that might be done．The driving test should be standardized and made far more difficult than it is; all the drivers should be made to take a test every three years or so; the age at which young people are allowed to drive any vehicle should be raised to at least 21; all vehicles should tie put through strict tests for safety each year．Even the smallest amount of alcohol in the blood can damage a person's driving ability．Present drinking and driving laws （ where they exist） should be made much stricter．Speed limits should be required on all roads．Governments should lay down safety specifications for car factories,as has been done in the USA．All advertising stressing power and performance should be banned．These measures may not sound good enough．But surely nothing should be considered as too severe if it results in reducing the number of deaths．After all, the world is for human beings, not motor-cars．9．What is the main idea of this passage?A．Traffic accidents are mainly caused by motorists．B．Thousands of people the world over are killed each year．C．The laws of some countries about driving are too lax．D．Only stricter traffic laws can prevent accidents．10．What does the author think of society toward motorists?A．Society laughs at the motorists．B．Huge car parks are built in the cities and towns．C．Victims of accidents are nothing．D．Society forgives their rude driving．11．Which of the followings is NOT mentioned as a way against traffic accidents?A．Build more highways．B．Stricter driving tests．C．Test drivers every three years．D．Raise age limit and lay down safety specifications．12．The author's attitude towards the traffic situation is ______．A．positive B．unsatisfied C．appealing D．unclearDUndercover Boss Takes CEOs Back Down the Ladder of Success Undercover Boss is a new type of reality TV sh ow. It’s new because it does not show off the rich and luxurious. It’s new because the main players are not greedy fame seekers. Put simply, it’s new, because, for the first time in reality TV, a show is focusing on the lower classes: the overworked, the underpaid—the inspiring army of the American Dream.The revenge-based show sends a wealthy CEO undercover in his or her company. Over the course of a week, a camera crew films the boss completing the tasks of an ordinary worker, working side-by-side with his lowest paid labourers. The first thing that attracts people’s attention to the show is that the high-powered CEO is reduced to bumbling (拙劣地做) through basic tasks. But the real insights come from the workers and their touching stories.The blue collar employees who teach the CEOs how to clean toilets and make hamburgers are the heroes of the show. Their stories are moving and inspiring. At the end of the show, the CEO reveals his true identity and makes changes to the business in line with what he learned from the experience.In a recent episode, the owner of the fast food chain White Castle, David Rife, goes undercover. Rife shaves off his beard and wears an apron as he takes on various positions in one of his fast food restaurants.In the fast-paced kitchen, he struggles to remember orders and coordinate tasks. He rushes back-and-forth from the drink machine to the deep fryer to the grill (烤架), unable to put together a meal for a waiting customer.“I didn’t know this would be so hard,” says Rife to a hidden camera. “I’m so tired. After just one day, I’m exhausted!”Then he meets Donna, a female employee who has worked in the kitchen for eight years. She’s quick and efficient. She’s also recovering from a heart attack and working double shifts to support her disabled husband. Her emotional account of her life story is moving.At the end of the episode, Rife unveils himself to be the owner. He decides to give Donna a raise and a chance to spend more time with her husband.Undercover Boss isn’t about r isk-takers willing to do anything to get a high-paying office job. It’s different. It shows the side of humanity we are more familiar with: people who show up to work every day to make ends meet.That’s not new in real life, but it’s new to prime-time TV.13. What’s the main idea of the passage?A. It tells a story of an undercover boss.B. It tells a story of Donna, a female employee.C. It introduces a new TV program.D. It advertises a fast food chain.14. According to the passage, Undercover Boss is a new type of reality TV show because of the following reasons except that____________.A. it shows how the bosses achieve their successB. the program doesn’t show off the wealthy and luxuriousC. the real heroes of the program are the overworked and the underpaid people.D. the program focuses on the ordinary working people.15. The underlined word “coordinate” in paragraph 5 means ___________.A. make things work togetherB. start doingC. work with othersD. write down16. Which of the following statements about the recent episode of David Rife workingin his own restaurant is true?A. David Rife shaved off his beard so that he would look neat and tidy.B. Donna’s life story has been intended for David Rife.C. David Rife could get so many tasks done at the same time after some basic training.D. Donna is a quick and efficient worker and she is also strong-willed.EIf I had to select a word that best describes the majority of American parents, that word would be guilt-ridden. How sad it is to see parents become the willing victims of the “give-me game”, only to discover that, no matter what they do, it isn’t enough. In the end, they are looked down upon for their lack of firmness and blamed when their spoiled children get into trouble. With this in mind, I shall first answer this question: “What do parents owe their children?” and I shall start with what they don’t owe them.Parents don’t owe their children every minute of their day and every ounce of their energy. They don’t owe round-the-clock car service, singing lessons, tennislessons, an expensive car when they reach sixteen, or a trip to Europe when they graduate.I take the firm position that parents do not owe their children a college education. If they can afford it, fine. But they must not feel guilty if they can’t. If the children really want to go, they’ll find a way. There are plenty of loans and scholarships for the bright and eager who can’t afford to pay.After children marry, their parents do not owe them a house or money for the furniture. They do not have an obligation to baby-sit their grandchildren when the parents were on vacation. If they want to do it, it must be considered a favor, not an obligation.In my opinion, parents do not owe their children an inheritance, no matter how much money they have. One of the surest ways to produce a loafer is to let children know that their future is assured.Do parents owe their children anything? Yes, they owe them a great deal.One of their chief obligations is to give their children a sense of personal worth, for self-esteem is the basis of a good mental health.Parents owe their children firm guidance and consistent discipline. The parents who say “No”when other parents say “Yes”sends a double message. He is also saying: “I love you, and I am ready to risk your anger, because I don’t want you to get into trouble.”Parents owe their children privacy and respect for their personal belongings. If a mother feels that she must read her daughter’s diary to know what is going on, the communication between them must be pretty bad.Parents owe their children a set of solid values around which to build their lives. This means teaching them to respect the rights and opinions of others; it means being respectful to elders, to teachers, and to the law.No child asks to be born. If you bring a life into the world, you owe the children something. And if you give him his due, he’ll have something of value to pass along to your grandchildren.17. According to the author, .A. parents ought to send their children to college as a dutyB. parents needn’t feel guilty if they are unable to send their children to collegeC. if they say “No”, parents will surly make their children angryD. parents must support their children even after their marriage18. The underlined word “loafer” most probably refers to .A. a poorly educated personB. a well educated personC. a hard-working personD. a lazy person19. The author’s attitude towards the parents is .A. angryB. pitifulC. disappointedD. satisfied20. The writer of this passage mainly wants to tell us .A. why children look down upon their parentsB. the difference between duties of the parents and the childrenC. over devotion to the children results in trouble for the parents themselvesD. children should depend on no one but themselves1—4 CABC 5—8 DABC 9—12 DDAB 13—16 CAAD 17—20 BDBC。

山西省太原双语中学2018届高考英语专题精选阅读理解强化训练集(一) 精品

山西省太原双语中学2018届高考英语专题精选阅读理解强化训练集（一）阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

AFrom the health point of view we are living in an amazing age. We are free from many of the most dangerous diseases. A large number of once deadly illnesses can now be cured by modern medicine. It is almost certain that one day medicines will be found for the most stubborn remaining diseases. The expectation of life has increased greatly. But though the possibility of living a long and happy life is greater than ever before, every day we witness the unbelievable killing of men, women and children on the roads. Man vs the motor-car! It is a never-ending battle which man is losing. Thousands of people all over the world are killed or horribly killed each year and we are quietly sitting back and letting it happen.It has been rightly said that when a man is sitting behind a steering wheel (方向盘), his car becomes the extension of his personality. There is no doubt that the motor-car often brings out a man’s very worst qualities. Peo ple who are normally quiet and pleasant may become unrecognizable when they are behind a steering-wheel. They say, they are ill-mannered and aggressive, willful as two-year-olds and completely selfish. Their hidden angers and disappointments seem to be brought to the surface by the act of driving.The surprising thing is that society smiles so gently on the motorist and seems to forgive his behavior. Everything is done for his convenience. Cities are allowed to become almost uninhabitable because of heavy traffic; towns are made ugly by huge car parks; the countryside is ruined by road networks; and the deaths become nothing more than a number every year, to be easily forgotten.It is high time a world rule was created to reduce this senseless waste of human life. With regard to driving, the laws of some countries are unbelievable lenient (宽容的) and even the strictest are not strict enough. A rule which was universally accepted could only have an obviously beneficial effect on the accident rate. Here are a few examples of some of the things that might be done. The driving test should be standardized and made far more difficult than it is; all the drivers should be made to take a test every three years or so; the age at which young people are allowed to drive any vehicle should be raised to at least 21; all vehicles should be put through strict tests for safety each year. Even the smallest amount of alcohol in the blood can damage a person’s driving ability. Present drinking and driving laws (where they exist) should be made much stricter. Speed limits should be required on all roads. Governments should lay down safety specifications for car factories, as has been done in the USA. All advertising stress power and performance should be banned. These measures may not sound good enough. But surely nothing should be considered as too severe if it results in reducing the number of deaths. After all, the world is forhuman beings, not motor-cars.1. What is the main idea of this passage?A. Traffic accidents are mainly caused by motorists.B. Thousands of people all over the world are killed each year.C. The laws of some countries about driving are to lenient.D. Only stricter traffic laws can prevent accidents.2. What does the author think of society toward motorists?A. Society laughs at the motorists.B. Huge car parks are build in the cities and towns.C. Victims of accidents are nothing.D. Society forgives their rude driving3. What does the author mean by saying “his car becomes the extension of his personality” inParagraph 2?A. Driving can show his hidden qualitiesB. Driving can show the other part of his personalityC. Driving can bring out his characterD. Driving can represent his manners4. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a way against traffic accidents?A. Perfect the road networkB. Stricter driving testsC. Test drivers every three yearsD. Raise age limit and lay down safety specifications.5. The author’s attitude t owards the traffic situation is ______.A. confusedB. discontentedC. appealingD. doubtfulBConsult the page adapted from an English dictionary and do Questions 46-49.6. What does the phrase “green shoots” mean in “Green shoots have begun to appear in different markets”?A. Signs of recovery.B. High prices.C. Environmental protection.D. Change in policy.7. Fill in the blank in the sentence “I can’t believe this is Joshua—he’s ______ since we last met!”A. shot outB. shot throughC. shot upD. shot down8. When you are talking about unimportant things, we say you are ______.A. shooting yourself in the footB. shooting the breezeC. shooting your mouth offD. shooting questions at somebody9. Choose a word to complete the sentence “The ______, which killed a policeman and wounded a passer-by, was reported to have lasted only 13 seconds.”A. shooterB. shootC. shotD. shootingCDo you want to live with a strong sense of peacefulness, happiness, goodness, andself-respect? The collection of happiness actions broadly categorized(把…归类) as "honor" help you create this life of good feelings.Here's an example to show how honorable actions create happiness.Say a store clerk fails to charge us for an item. If we keep silent, and profit from the clerk's mistake, we would drive home with a sense of sneaky(卑鄙的) excitement. Later we might tell our family or friends about our good fortune. On the other hand, if we tell the clerk about the uncharged item, the clerk would be grateful and thank us for our honesty. We would leave the store with a quiet sense of honor that we might never share with another soul.Then, what is it to do with our sense of happiness?In the first case, where we don't tell the clerk, a couple of things would happen. Deep down inside we would know ourselves as a type of thief. In the process, we would lose some peace of mind and self-respect. We would also demonstrate(演示) that we cannot be trusted, since we advertise our dishonor by telling our family and friends. We damage our own reputations by telling others. In contrast, bringing the error to the clerk's attention causes different things to happen. Immediately the clerk knows us to be honorable. Upon leaving the store, we feel honorable and our self-respect is increased. Whenever we take honorable action we gain the deep internal rewards of goodness and a sense of nobility.There is a beautiful positive cycle that is created by living a life of honorable actions. Honorable thoughts lead to honorable actions. Honorable actions lead us to a happier existence. And it's easy to think and act honorably again when we're happy. While the positive cycle can be difficult to start, once it's started, it's easy to continue. Keeping on doing good deeds brings us peace of mind, which is important for our happiness.10. According to the passage, the positive action in the example contributes to our_______.A. self-respectB. financial rewardsC. advertising abilityD. friendly relationship11. The author thinks that keeping silent about the uncharged item is equal to_______.A. lyingB. stealingC. cheatingD. advertising12. The underlined phrase "bringing the error to the clerk's attention" means_______.A. telling the truth to the clerkB. offering advice to the clerkC. asking the clerk to be more attentiveD. reminding the clerk of the charged item13. How will we feel if we let the clerk know her mistake?A. We'll be very excited.B. We'll feel unfortunate.C. We'll have a sense of honor.D. We'll feel sorry for the clerk.14. Which of the following can be the best title of this passage?A. How to Live TruthfullyB. Importance of PeacefulnessC. Ways of Gaining Self-respectD. Happiness through Honorable ActionsDPsychology(心理学) has a new application in the field of medicine. Many doctors, together with their patients, are looking for alternative methods of treatment of physical problems. In large hospitals, modern therapy（疗法） seems to focus on the physical disease. Patients may feel they are treated like broken machines. Some doctors have recognized this as a problem. They are now using psychological therapy, in which the patient is working with the doctors against the disease with the help of medicine. The patient does not wait for the medicine and treatment to cure him or her, but instead the patient joins in the fight.The doctor knows that a disease affects a patient's body physically. The body of the patient changes because of the disease. He is not only physically affected, but also has an emotional response to the disease. Because his mind is affected, his attitude and behavior change. The medical treatment might cure the patient's physical problems, but the patient's mind must fight the emotional ones. For example, the studies of one doctor, Carl Simonton, M. D., have shown that a typical cancer patient has predictable attitudes. She typically feels depressed, upset, and angry. Her constant depression makes her acts unfriendly toward her family, friends, doctors, and nurses. Such attitudes and behaviors prevent recovery. Therefore, a doctor's treatment must help the patient change that. Simonton's method emphasizes treatment of the “whole” patient.The attitude of a cancer patient receiving radiation therapy, an X-ray treatment, can become more positive. The physician who is following Simonton's psychological treatment plan suggests that the patient imagine that he or she can see the tumor（肿瘤） in the body. In the mental picture, the patient "sees" a powerful beam of radiation like a million bullets of energy. The patient imagines the beam hitting the tumor cells and causing them to shrink. For another cancer patient, Dr. Simonton asks him to imagine the medicine going from the stomach into the bloodstream and to the cancer cells. The patient imagines that the medicine is like an army fighting the diseased cells and sees the cancer cells gradually dying and his blood carry away the dead cells. Both the medical therapy and the patient's positive attitude fight the disease.Doctors are not certain why this mental therapy works. However, this use of psychology does help some patients because their attitudes about themselves change. They become more confident because they use the power within their own minds to help stop the disease.Another application of using the mind to help cure disease is the use of suggestion therapy. At first, the doctor helps the patient to concentrate deeply. The patient thinks only about one thing. He becomes so unaware of other things aroundhim that he is asleep, or rather in a trance（催眠状态）. Then the physician makes “a suggestion” to the patient about the medical problem. The patient's mind responds to the suggestion even after the patient is no longer in the trance. In this way, the patient uses his mind to help his body respond to treatment.Doctors have learned that this use of psychology is helpful for both adults and children. For example, physicians have used suggestion to help adults deal with the strong pain of some disease. Furthermore, sometimes the adult patient worries about her illness so much that the anxiety keeps her from getting well. The right suggestions may help the patient to stop being anxious. Such treatment may help the patient with a chronic（慢性的）diseases. Asthma （哮喘） is an example of a chronic disorder. Asthma is a disease that causes the patient to have difficulty in breathing. The patient starts to cough and sometimes has to fight to get the air that he or she needs. Psychology can help relieve the symptoms of this disorder. After suggestion therapy, the asthma patient breathes more easily.Physicians have learned that the psychological method is very useful in treating children. Children respond quickly to the treatment because they are fascinated by it. For example, Dr. Basil R. Collison has worked with 121 asthmatic children in Sydney, Australia, and had good results. Twenty-five of the children had Excellent results. They were able to breathe more easily, and they did not need medication. Another forty-three were also helped. The symptoms of the asthma occurred less frequently, and when they did, they were not as strong. Most of the children also felt better about themselves. Doctors have also used suggestion to change habits like nail-biting, thumb-sucking, and sleep-related problems.Many professional medical groups have accepted the medical use of psychology and that psychology has important applications in medicine.15. What does the passage mainly discuss?A. How suggestion therapy benefits adults and children.B. How modern therapy focuses on the disease.C. Responses from the medical world.D. How to use the mind against disease.16. How does psychological therapy work?A. The patient waits for the medicine and treatment to cure him.B. The doctor uses medical treatment to cure the patient's problems.C. The doctor, the medicine, and the patient work together to fight disease.D. The patient uses his mind to cure himself.17. What can we learn from the studies of Carl Simonton, M. D.?A. The medical treatment can cure the patient's mental disease.B. The treatment of a patient by treating the body and the mind is necessary.C. The mental treatment is more important than medical treatment.D. Few patients have emotional response to the disease.18. The use of psychological therapy is helpful to some patients in that .A. the medical effect is better with psychological therapy than without itB. the patients can see a powerful beam of radiation hitting their tumor cellsC. the patients' attitudes towards themselves have changedD. the patients are easy to accept the methods the doctors use to treat them19. It can be learned from the passage that suggestion therapy cannot be used to .A. help adults deal with the strong pain of some diseasesB. help the patients with chronic diseasesC. help change some bad habitsD. help cure patients of insomnia（失眠症）20. According to the passage, which of the following remains unknown so far?A. The value of mental therapy.B. The effectiveness of suggestion therapy.C. The working principle of suggestion therapy.D. The importance of psychology in medical treatment.1—5 DDAAB 6—9 ACBD 10—14 ABACD 15—20 DCBCDC。

山西省太原双语中学2018届高考英语专题精选阅读理解

山西省太原双语中学2018届高考英语专题精选阅读理解强化训练集（三）阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

AThere is a wonderful story about a young girl who had no family and no one to love her.One day， feeling very sad and lonely， she was walking through a grassland when she noticed a small butterfly caught in a thorn （荆棘） bush. The young girl carefully released the Butterfly. Instead of flying away， the little butterfly changed into a beautiful fairy. The young girl rubbed her eyes in disbelief.“For your wonderful kindness，” the good fairy said to the girl，“I will give you any wish you would like.” The little girl thought for a moment and then replied，“I want to be happy.”The fairy leaned toward her and whispered in her ear. Then the fairy disappeared.As the little girl grew up， there was no one in the land as happy as she. Everyone asked her secret of happiness .She would only smile and answer，“The secret of my happiness is that I listened to a good fairy when I was a little girl.”When she was very old and on her deathbed， the neighbors all gathered around her， that her unbelievable secret of happiness would die with her. “Tell us， please，”they begged，“Tell us what the good fairy said.” The lovely old woman simply smiled and said，“She told me that everyone， no matter how secure they seemed， no matter how old or young， how rich or poor， had need of me.”1. ______ the girl felt sad and lonely.A. There were many friends butB. There was nobody to love herC. There was nothing to doD. Seeing the butterfly was caught2. Noticing the butterfly was caught by the thorn， the orphan girl ______.A. helped the butterfly escaped from the thornB. felt sorrow，but she didn′t go up to help itC. fell down on it tooD. failed to help it release from the thorn3. The butterfly ______ after it was saved by the little girl.A. flied awayB. still diedC. changed into a fairyD. was more beautiful than before4. The only thing that the little girl wanted was________.A. to be richB. to have her own parentsC. to have a lot of friendsD. happiness5. The neighbors all gathered around the old happy woman when she was dying， because ______.A. they loved this woman deeply and they didn′t wanted her to dieB. the woman had lots of money to be shared as soon as she diedC. they wanted to know the secret of her lifetime happinessD. they wanted to pray for her after her deathBThe most important holiday in spring， especially for Christians （基督徒），is Easter. This Christian holiday is not on the same date every year， but it′s always on a Sunday. It can be any Sunday between March 22 and April 25. Many people celebrate Easter by buying new clothes. Children celebrate by hunting for colored eggs that their parents have hidden around the house. People also give Easter baskets filled with candy and other goodies to one another to celebrate the day.But the holiday is more than new clothes and good things to eat. On Easter，many people go to church to celebrate Jesus′ resurrection （复活） from the dead.Most people color them. Some people hide them. Others just eat them. But no matter what one does with Easter eggs， they are an important Easter tradition throughout the Western world.People from many different cultures celebrate Easter. In both America and Belgium， children look for Easter eggs hidden on lawns and in bushes. In America，children believe the eggs are hidden by the Easter bunny （复活节兔子）。

山西省太原双语中学高考英语专题精选阅读理解强化训练集(二十一)

山西省太原双语中学2012届高考英语专题精选阅读理解强化训练集（二十一）阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

ACensus figures (调查数据) published last Friday indicate that the number of women in management jobs rose by 95% between 1980 and 1990. Most evidence shows that women are still in the lowest class of management and in the lowest-paying industries.I first noticed that girls were different from boys when I was about 4 years old. No experiences either in my personal life or in my business life have caused me to change my opinion. Throughout my adult life, however, I have had to evaluate again and again these differences between men and women and how they affect the way men and women relate to one another and to the environment in which they work. Working with women has given me deep understanding I would never have gained in any other way.Women are working at a decided disadvantage in the business world created by men to make things comfortable for men. To me, this means men often understand the rules without having to be taught or even having to think about them. It is not so easy for women. If I may fall back on typically male sports terms, women have had to learn both the game and the game plan at the same time.At least in my own observation, women in business tend to be more honest than men. A direct question to a woman often results in a direct response. This quality makes it more difficult for women to “yes” an employer. It also makes women more trustworthy than the men who often can’t, or won’t, give a straight answer to a question. Women are also more open than men about their feelings, their ambitions, and everyday situations in the office. This makes them easier to be hurt than men. Traditionally, women in business have been more severely judged than men. They have had to be better in a job than a man to get ahead.1．What is this passage mainly about?A．the unfair treatment the working women suffering in businessB．the differences between working men and womenC．the qualities of the working men and womenD．the author’s pity on t he working women2．The author mentions the “sports terms” to show that __________.A．women are more diligent than menB．women are often looked down upon by menC．women are slower in learning new things than menD．men always make things comfortable for themselves3．How many good qualities of women are mentioned in the last paragraph?A．Two. B．Three. C．Four. D．Five. 4．Which of the following will most probably be the first sentence of the fifth paragraph?A．For example, I have interviewed many people for the job of advertising salesperson.B．Another difference between working men and women is that men take more chances.C．Of all the differences that I have noticed, one in particular stands out.D．On the other hand, men also enjoy more rights than women.BPeople say teenagers are no good．They make too much noise in shopping malls; they drive recklessly up and down America’s main streets; they carry chips on their shoulders as big as the Sears Tower．And at least some of the time those things are true．But we shou ldn’t forget that there are hard moments in the life of a teenager too.I watched such a moment not long ago at a woman’s funeral．I didn’t expect the event to affect me．Through much of the ceremony, in fact, I remained unmoved.The teenage grandson stepped forward．With his very first deep breath, every heart in that church was achingly reminded of something we had all forgotten．Softly he began: “I want to share a few values that Nana taught me．She never failed to see light in any situation．When our family dog would truely attract her, what would Nana say? ‘oh, what beautiful barking that dog has!’ That was Nana．”“She was a strong woman who often lived in the shadow of my grandpa, who was a successful businessman in this city．But she was the one behind the scenes who provided the strength and support for my grandpa’s career,” he said, with a voice now trembling, “That was Nana’s way.”Through a low sob, he continued, “Whenever she did anything worth recognition, you’d have to hear about it from a different so urce, because she was never one to show off.”Finally, in a voice breaking free of sorrow, he looked up and said, “Nana taught me courage．She put up an incredible fight to the end, when she died peacefully, which is how she lived her life．That was Nana’s way, and I hope I can carry on in the same mann er.”There are no hearts as sensitive as those of teenagers, because everything is happening to them for the first time．The trouble with teenagers is that they haven’t learned to be controlled.When that boy rose to speak about the woman who surely had been his truest and dearest friend, his honest voice dragged each of us out into the open where we could no longer hide in the calm ceremony ．He exposed us to the truth about this very real woman who believed in a boy who probably tried the patience of many adults．He reminded us that his grandmother was more than another dot on the chart of life and death.All over again we felt those powerful losses crossing our own hearts, and we knew that when you say good-bye to something happy, something young in yourself．And that something never really returns, and the pain never really goes away.5．In the first paragraph, the writer gave some examples to_____.A．support his idea that young people are no good.B．introduce his point of view about young people.C．tell people every coin has its two sides.D．show young people often make mistakes.6．From the boy’s speech, we know _____.A．his grandmother had great influence on himB．they had a dog which often attacked peopleC．people had forgotten her until the boy appearedD．his grandmother was so weak that she is always living in the shadow of his grandpa7．Which of the following statements is true?A．The boy ‘s speech moved no one present at the funeral except the writer.B．The boy’s being good at expressing himself enabled him to draw everyone’s attention.C．The boy was too grieved to accept the fact that his grandmother had passed away.D．The writer didn’t expect the event would affect him.8．What words can best describe grandmother’s quality?A．Weak, mild and modest.B．Easygoing, cautious and considerateC．Sensitive and hard on others.D.Patient, optimistic, strong and helpful．9．The passage tells the readers____.A．facing certain bitter facts help young people to growB．young people have to control themselvesC．the adults should learn from the youngD．the adults should teach the young how to be braveCROME: The legend of Leonardo da Vinci is covered in mystery: How did he die? Are the remains buried in a French castle really those of the master? Was the "Mona Lisa"a self-portrait in disguise (伪装)?A group of Italian scientists believe the key to solving those puzzles lies with the remains, and they say they are seeking permission to dig up the body to conduct carbon and DNA testing.If the skull is undamaged, the scientists can go to the heart of a question that has fascinated scholars and the public for centuries: the identity of the "Mona Lisa." Recreating a virtual and then physical reconstruction of Leonardo's face, they can compare it with the smiling face in the painting."We don't know what we'll find if the tomb is opened. We could even just find grains and dust," says Giorgio Gruppioni, an anthropologist who is participating in the project. "But if the remains are well kept, they are a biological record of events in a person's life, and sometimes in their death." Silvano Vinceti, the leader of the group, said that he plans to press his case with the French officials in charge of the said burial site at Amboise Castle early next week.Leonardo moved to France at the invitation of King Francis I, who named him "first painter to the king." He spent the last three years of his life there, and died in 1519 at age 67. The artist's original burial place, the palace church of Saint Florentine, was destroyed during the French Revolution and remains that are believed to be his were eventually reburied in the Saint-Hubert Chapel near the castle."The Amboise tomb is a symbolic tomb; it's a big question mark," said Alessandro Vezzosi, the director of a museum dedicated to Leonardo in his hometown of Vinci. Vezzosi said that investigating the tomb could help identify the artist's bones with certainty and solve other questions, such as the cause of his death. He said he asked to open the tomb in 2004 to study the remains, but the Amboise Castle turned him down.The group of 100 experts involved in the project, called the National Committee for Historical and Artistic Heritage, was created in 2003 with the aim of "solving the great mysteries of the past," said Vinceti, who has written books on art and literature.Arguably the world's most famous painting, the "Mona Lisa" hangs in the Louvre in Paris, where it drew some 8.5 million visitors last year. Mystery has surrounded the identity of the painting's subject for centuries, with opinions ranging from the wife of a Florentine merchant to Leonardo's own mother.That Leonardo intended the "Mona Lisa" as a self-portrait in disguise is a possibility that has interested and divided scholars. Theories have existed: Some think that Leonardo's taste for tricks and riddles might have led him to hide his own identity behind that puzzling smile; others have guessed that the painting hid an androgynous lover.If granted access to the grave site, the Italian experts plan to use a tiny camera and radar to confirm the presence of bones. The scientists would then exhume (挖掘) the remains and attempt to date the bones with carbon testing.At the heart of the proposed study is the effort to discover whether the remains are actually Leonardo's, including with DNA testing.K s*5uVezzosi questions the DNA comparison, saying he is unaware of any direct descendants (后代) of Leonardo or of tombs that could be attributed with certainty to the artist's close relatives.Gruppioni said that DNA from the bones could also eventually be compared to DNA found elsewhere. For example, Leonardo is thought to have rubbed colors on the canvas with his thumb, possibly using saliva (唾液), meaning DNA might be found on his paintings.Even in the absence of DNA testing, other tests could provide useful information, including whether the bones belonged to a man or a woman, and whether the person died young or old.Even within the committee, experts are divided over the identity of the "Mona Lisa."Vinceti believes that a tradition of considering the self-portrait to be not just a faithful imitation of one's features but a representation of one's spiritual identity may have resonated (共鸣) with Leonardo.Vezzosi, the museum director, dismissed as "baseless and senseless" the idea that the "Mona Lisa" could be a self-portrait of Leonardo. He said most researchers believe the woman may have been either a wife of the artist's sponsor, the Florentine nobleman Giuliano de Medici, or Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a rich silk merchant, Francesco del Giocondo. The traditional view is that the name "Mona Lisa" comes from the silk merchant's wife, as well as its Italian name: "La Gioconda."10．Why does the author ask a couple of questions in the beginning?A．To arouse the interest of readers. B．To puzzle Italian scientists.C．To answer the questions himself. D．To make fun of French officials. 11．The best title of this story might be “_____”.A．What Is the Purpose of an Investigation?B．How Did Leonardo da Vinci Die in France?C．Are the Remains Really Those of the Master?D．Did Leonardo Paint Himself as 'Mona Lisa'?12．The sentence “he plans to press his case with the French officials” (u nderlinedin Paragraph 4) suggests that Vinceti intends to _____.A．press the French officials to participate in their projectB．urge the French officials to open the tomb early next weekC．persuade the French officials to allow opening the tombD．reco rd events in a person’s life with the French officials13．Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?A．Scholars have the same opinion on DNA testing.B．Scientists doubt if the remains are those of da Vinci.C．The identity of “Mona Lisa” has already been proved.D．Alessandro Vezzosi got permission to open the tomb.14．We can infer from the last two paragraphs that _____?A．“Mona Lisa” is the name of the wife of a silk merchantB．the “Mona Lisa” is a self-portrait of Leonardo da VinciC．experts divided the committee into several groupsD．opinions differ of the identity of the “Mona Lisa”D“Mom, I have cancer.”These four words catapulted my son and me on a journey that lasted two years. On that dat I felt a wave of paralyzing fear.Scott was the oldest of my four children. He was 33 years old and a successful assistant principal at SamRayburn Hifht School in Pasadena, Texas. He and his wife Carolyn were busy raising four active children. Scott was 6’2’’, weighed 200 pounds and had never been sick a day in his life.A few month earlier a mole（痣）on his neck had changed color. “Dr.Warner called,” Scott said that spring morning. “It’s melanoma.（黑素瘤）” I tried to comfort him, naming all the people I knew who had survived skin cancer. Yet, I felt small tentacles of fear begin to wrap around my chest.Our next stop was MDAnderson, the famous cancer hospital in Houston. Scott had surgery at the end of May and was scheduled for radiation treatments over the summmer recess. “There is an 80 percent chance it won’t reoccur,” the doctors said. At the end of summer, all his tests came back negative and Scott was back at school in the fall. However, in December, Scott discovered a lump on his neck. It was examined and the result came back “malign ant.（恶性的）” We now relized that Scott fell into the 20 percent category. I could feel the tentacles tightening around my chest. He entered the hospital for an aggressive treatment, a combination of interferon and interleukin.After five months of treatment, he had radical surgery on his neck. The test results were encourging, only three of the 33 lymph nodes（淋巴结） removed were malignant. We were very hopefull.For the next six months, Scott’s follow-up visits went well. Then in October, X-ray revealed a spot on his lung. The spot was removed during surgery and the doctors tried to be optimistic. It was a daily battle to control the fear and panic each setback brought.In January, he was diagnosed as having had a “disease explosion.” The cancerhad spread to his lungs, spine and liver and he was given three to six months to live. There were times during this period when I felt like I was having a heart attack. The bands constricting my chest made breathing difficult.When you watch your child battle cancer, you experience a roller coaster of emotions. There are moments of hope and optimism but a bad test result or even an unusual pain can bring on dread and panic.Scott was readmitted to the hospital for one last try with chemotherapy. He died, quite suddenly, just six weeks after his last diagnosis. I was completely destroyed.I had counted on those last few months.The next morning I was busy notifying people and making funeral arrangements.I remember having this nagging feeling that something was physically wrong with me. It took a moment to realize that the crushing sensation in my chest was gone. The thing every parent fears the most had happened. My son was gone. Of course, the fear had been replaced by unbearable sorrow.After you lose a child, it is so difficult to go on. The most minimal tasks, combing your hair or taking a shower, becoming monumental. For months I just sat and stared into space. That spring, the trees began to bloom; flowers began to pop up in my garden. Friendswood was coming back to life but I was dead inside.During those last weeks, Scott and I often spoke about life and death. Fragments of those conversations kept playing over and over in my mind.“Don’t let this ruin your life, Mom.”“Make sure Dad re models his workshop.”“Please, take care of my family.”I remember wishing I could have just one more conversation with him. I knew what I would say, but what would Scott say? “I know how much you love me, Mom. So just sit on the couch and cry.” No, I knew him better than that. Scott lo ved life and knew how precious it is. I could almost hear his voice saying, “Get up Mom, Get on with your life. It’s too valuable to waste.”That was the day I began to move forward. I signed up for a cake decorating class. Soon I was making cakes for holidays and birthdays. My daughter-in-law told me about a writing class in Houston. I hadn’t written in years, but since I was retired I decided it be time to start again. The local college advertised a Life Story Writing class that I joined. There I met women who had also lost their children. The Poet Laureate of Texas was scheduled to speak at our local Barnes and Noble. I attended and joined our local poetry society. I never dreamed that writing essays and poems about Scott could be so therapeutic. Several of those poems have ever been published. In addition, each group brought more and more people into my life..I don’t believe you ever recover from the loss of a child. Scott is in my heart and mind every day. However, I do believe you can survive.Scott fought so bravery to live and he never gave up. He taught me that life is a gift that should be cherished, not wasted. It has taken years to become the person I am today. The journey has been a difficult , painful process but certainly worth the effort and I know that my son would be proud.15．What might be the best title of the passage ?A．Life is valuable B．Grieving and RecoveryC．Love and sorrow D．Alive or dead16．How old was Scott probably when he died?A．33 B．35 C．37 D．4017．What does the underlined sentence “ The bands constricting my chest made breathing difficult” probably imply?A．It implies that Scott’s mother was likely to have a heart attack.B．It implies that there was something wrong with Scott’s mother’s chest.C．It implies that Scott’s mother was very upset and panic because of Scott’s severe illness.D．It implies that the cancer had spread to her chest just like her son. 18．Which of the following statements best shows the author’s feeling about Scott’s dath?A．It was a daily battle to control the fear and panic each setback brought.B．She felt a wave of fear.C．She felt a feeling of fear begin to wrap around her chest.D．The fear had been replaced by unbearable sorrow.19．From Scott and his mother’s conversation, we can know that Scott is ________.A．considerable B．humorous C．determined D．sensitive 20．The author intends to tell us that___________.A．it takes a long time to make a person recover from the shock of losing a child B．Scott is proud of his motherC．life is full of happiness and sorrow.D．We’d better make our life count instead of counting your days.。

山西省太原双语中学高考英语专题精选阅读理解强化训练集(三十三)

山西省太原双语中学2012届高考英语专题精选阅读理解强化训练集（三十三）阅读下列材料，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

AFamous centenarians (百岁老人) still active in arts, science are in no mood to retire. "Those who stand still, die," is one of Oliveira's favorite phrases. He knows from experience what it means, as the Portuguese film director has reached the age of 102 and is still active in his profession. Every year, Oliveira shoots a film and is currently working on his next project. "You have to work, work, work in order to forget that death is not far away," he said. When asked about his age, Oliveira said with some humility: "It's down to mother nature. It gave to me what it took from others."Being both mentally and physically fit in old age is partly a matter of luck, but it also has something to do with character. Not every white-haired person is wise and social skills, openness and the ability to train the brain are essential for senior citizens.Along with the architect Oscar Niemeyer (103), Nobel laureate Montalcini (101) and director Kurt Maetzig (100), Oliveira is one of those people of whom it would be very wrong to think as members of a listless elderly generation.Another master in his profession is the architect Oscar Niemeyer. The 103-year-old Brazilian is best known for his futuristic-looking（未来派的）buildings in Brasilia, but he also speaks out on behalf of the poor. "The role of the architect is to struggle for a better world where we can develop a form of architecture that serves everyone and not just a privileged few," said Niemeyer recently. He spends almost every day working in his office in Copacabana, and even when he falls ill he keeps working on ideas: After a gallbladder (胆囊) operation he composed a samba tune (桑巴舞曲) in the clinic.Another man who could sing a song about age is 107-year-old Heesters. The Dutch-born opera singer spent most of his life performing in Germany, where he still works. Recently Heesters said: "I want to be at least 108-years-old." He also plans to keep performing. "Should I just sit at home and wait until they come and pick me up?" Heesters has not given up trying to add to his tally of awards and is looking for a "good stage role".Italian scientist Rita Levi-Montalcini, who is 101-year-old and is still active in medical science, has described the force that keeps driving her on: "Progress is created through imperfection." In 1986 she and her lab colleague were awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine for their work on nerve growth factor. She's convinced that humans grow on challenges.With so many brilliant examples given, we can see clearly that age is no barrier to some high achievers.1. From the first two paragraphs, we can see ______.A. being active at 102 is achievable for everybodyB. Oliveira owes his long life to his mother’s helpC. being fit in old age is a matter of luck and characterD. social skills and wisdom are difficult for the senior2. How many centenarians are mentioned in this passage?A. 4B. 5C.6 D. 73. By saying "Should I just sit at home and wait until they come and pick me up?", Heesters shows us he ________.A. wants to sit or lie in comfortB. is waiting for people to pick him upC. is willing to work till he diesD. prefers to give performance at home4. In the passage so many examples were given to show ________.A. old age is a big problem if you want to succeedB. as a senior citizen, you have to be open-minded and optimisticC. ole people should never think of themselves as oldD. old age can not prevent a great person from achieving a lot5. In the writer’s opinion, the architect Oscar Niemeyer is not ________.A. sympathyB. pessimisticC. positiveD. diligentBAbout five years ago , an American electrical engineer named Scott Brusaw and his wife Julie came up with the idea of putting solar panels(控制板)on the ground rather than the roof . Then they began to develop the Solar Roadway . The Solar Roadway is an intelligent road that provides clean renewable energy using power from the sun while providing safer driving conditions , along with power and data delivery . They predict that the Solar Roadway will pay for itself through the generation of electricity along with other forms of income and that the same money that is being used to build and resurface current roads can be used to build the Solar Roadways.Each Solar Road Panel measures roughly 4 meters by 4 meters and contains a microprocessor(微处理器)that monitors and controls the panel , while communicating with neighboring panels and the vehicles traveling overhead . The inventors suggest that this provides a communications device every 4 meters on every road which could be used for example to warn drivers of cars which are moving across a centre line and various other speed control problems. The top of the Solar Road panels is made of super-strong glass that would offer vehicles the tractions(抓地力) they need.According to the inventors, the Solar Roadway creates and carries clean renewable electricity and therefore electric vehicles can be recharged at any conveniently located rest stop , or at any business that has paved Solar Road Panels in their parking lots.The inventors say their Solar Roadway has many functions and advantages from main roads to driveways, parking lots, bike paths, sidewalks and runways.The Federal Highway Administration has given Brusaw ＄100,000 to develop the invention and Brusaw hopes to build a smart-road parking lot in the coming spring .6. In the inventors’ opinion, the Solar Roadway .A. is too expensive to build at presentB. costs no more money than current roadsC. can provide as many data as present computersD. will bring them a large sum of money7.The underlined word “they” in Paragraph 2 refers to .A. the panelsB. the inventorsC. the researchersD. the vehicles8.The Solar Roadway includes all the following advantages except .A. providing safer driving conditionsB. helping drivers communicate with each other while drivingC. creating and carrying clean renewable electricityD. warning drivers of various speed control problems9. It can be inferred from the text that .A. the Solar Roadway has already been put into useB. ＄100,000 is only enough to build a smart-road parking lotC. the Solar Roadway is not available for gas-powered carsD. future electric vehicles can be charged anytime and anywhere10. What can be the best title for the text?A. Solar-powered smart road of the futureB. The great changes on the roadwayC. The influence the Solar Roadway has on peopleD. The Solar Road—a much faster roadCA third of primary schoolchildren in China are suffering from psychological ill-health as a result of classroom stress and parental pressure, a ccording to a study published on Tuesday.The problem is so bad that urgent measures are needed, warns the study, led by British and Chinese researchers.The investigation surveyed 2,191 pupils aged nine to 12 in nine schools in urban and rural Zhejiang, a relatively prosperous coastal province in eastern China.Eighty-one percent of the youngsters said they worried "a lot" about exams, 63 percent feared being punished by their teacher, 44 percent had been physically bullied at least sometimes–with boys likelier to be victims than girls – and 73 percent had been physically punished by their parents.Most of the children complained they struggled to cope with the amount of homework they were assigned.Over one-third reported headaches or abdominal pains– psychosomatic symptoms of stress – at least once a week. The most stressed children reported incidence of aches or pains of four times a week.The investigation, led by Therese Hesketh, a professor at University College London (UCL) Centre for International Health and Development, pointed the finger at extreme competitiveness in China's education system,from the onset of primary school."The competitive and punitive educational environment leads to high levels ofstress and psychosomatic symptoms," the authors say."Measures to reduce unnecessary stress on children in schools should be introduced urgently."The paper appears in Archives of Disease in Childhood, a peer-reviewed journal of the British Medical Association (BMA).The "urban" setting for the study was Hangzhou, the provincial capital of Zhejiang, while the "rural" setting was a poor county in Quzhou prefecture, in the west of the province.The study highlights some of the complexities that, it says, explain the demands for academic excellence and intolerance of failure.One factor is the country's dramatic rise in prosperity,which has created "previously unheard-off possibilities for upward mobility" and in turn stoked pressures on children to do well at school.Other reasons are China's one-child policy and the Confucian traditions of respect for parents and elders, filial piety, obedience and discipline."The aspirations of many parents, who had limited educational opportunities themselves are now invested in their only children,"it says.Previous studies on school-related stress and its impact on health are few and generally come from Scandinavia.A 2008 assessment among 10- to 13-year-old in Sweden found that 21 percent of boys of 30 percent of girls experienced headache, and 17 percent of boys and 28 percent of girls experienced abdominal pain at least once per week.11. What mainly caused schoolchildren to suffer from psychological ill-health?A. Competitiveness in education systemB. Classroom stress and parental pressureC. Physical punishment from their parentsD. Endless homework from school teachers12. The underlined part “cope with” in Para.5 most probably means ______.A. to fit inB. to adapt toC. to deal withD. to get along with13. From Paragraph 4, we know what the schoolchildren worry most is _______.A. bullying behavior at schoolB. many examinations at schoolC. physical punishment by parentsD. physical punishment by teachers14. What can we infer from the passage?A. More and more schoolchildren will drop out of school soonB. Homework and examinations will be cancelled at all schoolsC. Parents and teachers will give up educating the schoolchildrenD. Too much stress does great harm to schoolchildren physically and mentally15. What is the main idea of the passage?A. Children in China sickened by school pressureB. Measures to reduce unnecessary stress on childrenC. The investigation, led by University College LondonD. Extreme competitiveness in China’s education systemDIt was a cold night in Washington, D. C., and I was heading back to the hotel when a man approached me. He asked if l would give him some money so he could get something to eat. I'd read the signs: "Don't give money to beggars." So I shook my head and kept walking.I wasn't prepared for a reply, but he said, "I really am homeless and I really am hungry! You can come with me and watch me eat!" But I kept on walking.The incident bothered me for the rest of the week. I had money in my pocket and it wouldn't have killed me to hand over a buck or two even if he had been lying. Flying back to Anchorage, I couldn't help thinking of him. I tried to rationalize (找借口)my failure to help by assuming government agencies, churches and charities were there to feed him. Besides, you're not supposed to give money to beggars.Somewhere over Seattle, I started to write my weekly garden column for The Anchorage Daily News. Out of the blue, I came u p with an idea. Bean's Cafe, the soup kitchen in Anchorage, feeds hundreds of hungry Alaskans every day. Why not try to get all my readers to plant one row in their gardens dedicated (奉献)to Bean's? Dedicate a row and take it down to Bean's. Clean and simple.Folks would "fax me or call when they took something in. Those who only grew flowers donated them. Food for the spirit. In 1995, the Garden Writers Association of America held their annual convention in Anchorage and after learning of Anchorage's program, Plant a Row for Bean's became Plant a Row For The Hungry. The original idea was to have every member of the Garden Writers Association of America write or talk about planting a row for the hungry sometime during the month of April.As more and more people started working with the Plant a Row concept, new variations cropped up. Many companies gave free seed to customers and displayed the logo, which also appeared in national gardening public actions. Row markers with the Plant a Row logo were distributed to gardeners to set apart their "Row for the Hungry."Garden editor Joan Jackson, backed by The San Jose Mercury News and California's nearly year-round growing season, raised more than 30,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables her first year, and showed GWAA how the program could really work.Texas fruit farms donated food to their local food bank after being inspired by Plant a Row. Today the program continues to thrive and grow.I am stunned that millions of Americans are threatened by hunger. If every gardener in Amer ica---and we're seventy million strong---plants one row for the hungry, we can make quite a decrease in the number of neighbors who don't have enough to eat. Maybe then I will stop feeling guilty about abandoning a hungry man I could have helped.16. The writer described the incident at the beginning of the text to __________.A. introduce a topicB. tell a storyC. describe a sceneD. say sorry17. What does the underlines phrase "out of the blue" mean?A. a bit disappointedB. unexpectedlyC. as a matter of factD. attentively18. The program has been supported by many farmers, journalists and people in differentfields for many years. They usually donate many things to it except______ .A. moneyB. flowersC. seedsD. beans19. Which is WRONG according to the passages?A. In the eyes of the masses, the program can really help the people in need.B. Nowadays, the program is no longer a regional one, and it arouses the attentionof many farmers, gardeners and journalists.C. It occurred to the author that they could run such a program the moment he gavethe beggar nothing.D. The author felt relieved and surprised when he saw the program turned into anation-wide one.20. What does the phrase “plant a row for the hungry” mean ?A. Teach him how to fish and you will feed him for a lifetimeB. You never know what you can till you tryC. Planting has no better measures but ploughing deeply and fertilizing much more.D. Where there is life, there is hope.CBCDB BDBCA BCBDA ABAC。

山西省太原双语中学高考英语专题精选阅读理解强化训练集(三十一)

山西省太原双语中学2012届高考英语专题精选阅读理解强化训练集（三十一）阅读下列短文，然后从所给的四个选项 (A、B、C和D) 中选出最佳选项。

AIf we are to help students develop reading skills in a foreign language, it is important to understand what is involved in the reading process itself. If we have a clear idea of how “good readers”read, either in their own or a foreign language, this will enable us to decide whether particular reading techniques are likely to help learners or not.In considering the reading process, it is important to distinguish between two quite separate activities: reading for meaning (or “silent reading”) and reading aloud. Reading for meaning is the activity we normally engage in when we read books, newspapers, road signs, etc.; it is what you are doing as you read this text. It involves looking at sentences and understanding the message they convey, in other words “making sense” of a written text. It doesn’t normally involve saying the words we read, not even silently inside our heads; there are important reasons for this, which are outlined below.Reading aloud is a completely different activity; its purpose is not just to understand a text but to convey the information to someone else. It is not an activity we engage in very often outside the classroom; common examples are reading out parts of a newspaper article to a friend, or reading a notice to other people who can’t see it. Obviously, reading aloud involves looking at a text, understanding it and also saying it. Because our attention is divided between reading and speaking, it is a much more difficult activity than reading silently; we often stumble and make mistakes when reading aloud in our own language, and reading aloud in a foreign language is even more difficult.When we read for meaning, we do not need to read every letter or every word, nor even every word in each sentence. This is because, provided the text makes sense, we can guess much of what it says as we read it.1. The passage is mainly about ____________.D. reading aloudA. reading skillsB. silent readingC. readingprocesses2. The underlined word “stumble” in Paragraph 3 means ____________.A. step over something and fallB. repeat something or pause for toolongC. walk with heavy movementsD. speak in a fluent and confident way3. We can infer from the passage that the author will continue to ____________.A. discuss in detail how to read aloudB. introduce some more reading activitiesC. tell how good readers read in their own languageD. explain why we needn’t say the words when reading for meaning4. We can conclude that ____________.A. reading silently is easier than reading aloudB. to understand a sentence, you have to read all the words in itC. silent reading involves looking at a text and saying the words silently toyourselfD. there’s no difference between reading in one’s own language and in a foreignoneBWhen I was about 14, I decided to make money, so I got a part-time job at a local restaurant. With my first paycheck, I realized that I would have to work awfully hard to make very little money. My boss had been making just above minimum wage for 20 years, and I knew I didn't want to spend the rest of my life working to death. Around the same time, my godparents took me to an investment(投资) workshop. Immediately, my eyes were opened to the power of compound growth in investing. I knew that this was a way to financial freedom. I left the workshop, determined to make my money work for me instead of just me working for money.Honoring what my mother had taught me, to share whatever I had, I donated part of my paychecks to raise money for breast cancer, and saved everything else to build up a large enough nest egg to open a brokerage account (经纪人账户). Too excited to wait, I began reading everything I could about investing. With most of my life savings (which wasn't very much money), I invested in DuPont, AT&T, Caterpillar, and International Paper. The pride in being a shareholder （股东）in a company, along with watching my stocks increase in value, fueled my desire to learn more. I went to three more investment workshops with my godparents and browsed(浏览) books at the library.I began with $4,000 in my account and have added about $2,000 since then. My portfolio is now worth roughly $12,000, five years later, having grown about 18% per year, on average. My favorite holdings are biotechnology companies that I know a fair amount about because they're based near me.In the years since then, I have experienced many moments of gratitude for discovering investing so early in my life. I'm in college now, and plan to go on to medical school and become a family practice physician. And I know that, thanks to investing, my road will be much easier. Not only have I taken an active step towards improving my long-term financial future, but I am confident that I will also be able to generously support the causes I believe in with more ease than I otherwise would have imagined.5. What can we learn from the first paragraph?A. The working condition in the local restaurant was awful.B. The writer didn’t make much money because he took a temporary job.C. People can’t make a lot of money unless they work hard as hard work alwayspays.D. The investment workshop taught the writer that he could make money throughinvestment.6. The writer was eager to learn more about investing because ________.A. he had invested all his life savings in stocksB. he was too excited to wait to open a brokerage accountC. he wanted to donate more to raise money for breast cancerD. he felt proud of being a shareholder with his stocks increasing in value7. Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE according to the passage?A. Investing made his wealth grow effectively.B. Investing enabled him to achieve his life goals.C. Investing allowed him to pay off all his debts.D. Investing helped him to reach financial independence.8. The best title of the passage should be __________.A. The Rewards of InvestingB. My Dream CareerC. The Key to Successful InvestmentD. Thank You, My GodparentsCBelow is a web page from /.Kid of the Year Photo ContestEnter your kid’s photo today and win! We’re givingaway 52 weekly $250 prizes from Readers' Choice votes. PLUSour editors will select one entry (参赛作品) to win our grandprize of $7,000.Official Contest RulesNo purchase necessary to enter or win.The Kid of the Year Photo Contest entry period beginsat 12:00a.m. January 23, 2011, and ends January 21, 2012 (the "EntryPeriod"). Entries must be received by 9:00 p.m.on January 21, 2012("Entry Deadline"). Entries will not be acknowledged or returned.SPONSOR: Meredith Corporation, 1716 Locust Street, Des Moines, Iowa.ENTRY: There will be two methods of entry.ShareMy Entry:Visit /photos/photo-contests-1/kid-of-the-year/ and click the button toenter. Then complete the registration form and follow the instructions to upload one album of upto six photos of your child age three months to eight years. Photos must be taken by entrant,non-professional, unpublished and may not have won any prize or award. Photos must be .jpegor .bmp image formats (格式) and cannot exceed 3 MB.Facebook Entry:Visit /ParentsMagazine and click the Kid of 2011 tab. Fill out the registrationform and upload one album of up to six photos of your child age three months to eight years. Youmay provide one description and one album title that will be applied to all photos.Photos must betaken by entrant, non-professional, unpublished and may not have won any prize or award. Photosmust be .jpeg or .bmp image formats and cannot exceed 3 MB.This promotion is in no way sponsored, supported or run by, or associated with Facebook.You are providing your information to Parents Magazine and not to Facebook. The informationyou provide will only be used to run the promotion and register for .Photos must not contain material that infringes (侵犯) the rights of another, including butnot limited to privacy, publicity or intellectual property rights, or that constitutes copyrightinfringement. Photos must not contain brand names or trademarks.LIMIT: One entry per household, per eligible (有资格的) child, per week. One weekly prizeper child. For entries of more than one eligible child in the household, the entry process must be completed separately for each child. No group entries.9. We can learn from the passage that _________.A. you should buy something first before you enter the contestB. your entry will not be returned even if you don’t win the contestC. you should send your entry before 9:00 p.m. on January 21, 2011D. the editors of the contest will decide who will win the 20,000 dollars in prizes10. Linda, a mother with seven-year-old twins, wants to enter the contest. She must _________.A. provide a description and an album title for the kid’s photosB. go to Meredith Corporation to fill out the registration formsC. complete the entry process separately for each of her kidsD. provide the information to Facebook if she chooses Facebook Entry11. To enter the contest, photos must __________.A. have won some prize or awardB. be taken by non-professionalentrantsC. contain brand names or trademarksD. contain parents’personalinformation12. The purpose of the passage is __________.A. to advertise the website Facebook. comB. to attract photographers’ interest in a photo contestC. to introduce two methods of entering a photo contestD. to encourage parents with children to enter a photo contestDThe $11 billion self-help industry is built on the idea that you should turn negative thoughts like "I never do anything right" into positive ones like "I can succeed." But was positive thinking advocate Norman Vincent Peale right? Is therepower in positive thinking?Researchers in Canada just published a study in the journal Psychological Science that says trying to get people to think more positively can actually have the opposite effect: it can simply highlight how unhappy they are.The study's authors, Joanne Wood and John Lee of the University of Waterloo and Elaine Perunovic of the University of New Brunswick, begin by citing (引证) older research showing that when people get feedback which they believe is overly positive, they actually feel worse, not better. If you tell your friend who is slow to learn that he has the potential of an Einstein, you're just underlining his faults. In one 1990s experiment, a team including psychologist Joel Cooper of Princeton asked participants to write essays opposing funding for the disabled. When the essayists were later praised for their sympathy, they felt even worse about what they had written.In this experiment, Wood, Lee and Perunovic measured 68 students' self-esteem. The participants were then asked to write down their thoughts and feelings for four minutes. Every 15 seconds, one group of students heard a bell. When it rang, they were supposed to tell themselves, "I am lovable."Those with low self-esteem didn't feel better after the forced self-affirmation (自我肯定). In fact, their moods turned significantly darker than those of members of the control group, who weren't urged to think positive thoughts.The paper provides support for newer forms of psychotherapy(心理治疗) that urge peopleto accept their negative thoughts and feelings rather than fight them. In the fighting, we not only often fail but can make things worse. Meditation(静思) techniques, in contrast, can teach people to put their shortcomings into a larger, more realistic viewpoint. Call it the power of negative thinking.13. The first paragraph is written ___________.A. to raise an argument about positive thinkingB. to introduce the power of positive thinkingC. to encourage people to have positive thoughtsD. to introduce the $11 billion self-help industry14. According to the study of the Canadian researchers, ___________.A. positive thinking is not as powerful as negative thinkingB. encouraging positive thinking may actually discourage peopleC. happy people can think positively while unhappy people can’tD. getting people to think positively can strengthen their confidence15. What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 3 mean?A. You are pointing out the mistakes he has made.B. You are reminding him that he is not intelligent.C. You are not taking his mistakes seriously enough.D. You are showing he has great potential in spite of faults.16. We can learn from the last paragraph that ___________.A. negative feelings must be got rid ofB. there’s no point in thinking positivelyC. it doesn’t make sense to think negativelyD. negative thinking is not always negativeEIt was 1963, in Paris. While walking through the fruit and vegetable market Alice Waters was struck by the display of brilliant colors, the music of farmers selling their produce, and in the middle of a great city. She felt "directly connected to the land." Chez Panisse, a Berkeley restaurant, which was founded upon Waters' ecological philosophy, has been named "The Best Restaurant in America" by both the James Beard Foundation and by Gourmet magazine, many times in the past. Only the food grown in accordance with the principles of sustainable (可持续发展的) agriculture was used in the restaurant. Menus offered nightly at Chez Panisse have consisted only of fresh ingredients, harvested in season, and purchased from local farmers.Alice Waters has successfully demonstrated how a restaurant can develop successfully while contributing to the general welfare of the farming community. Sharing a meal between the people was one of the wishes of Alice Waters as she would love her customers to know each other. In 1996, inspired by the Garden Project at the San Francisco County Jail(监狱), Waters decided to apply her principles to education. The project was first started at the Martin Luther King Middle School in Berkeley with the idea to transform some land near the school into a garden and, in the process, to teach local school children about food and agriculture. In 1999, over 120 people came to help plant the first cover crop, which prepared the field for farming by adding nutrients to the soil.The student garden staff has had several years' worth of harvest, and has started growing gardens like herb and tea. Here, agricultural practices are continually being revised and updated and every year the Schoolyard staff attends the Ecological Farming Conference in Monterey. A kitchen classroom has also been created, where students learn about main foods eaten in other parts of the world."I believe that every child in this world needs to have a relationship with the land...to know how to nourish themselves...and to know how to connect with the community around them," says Waters. The middle school has become a model in itself. The students work the land and harvest the crops, while the cafeteria(食堂) buys and prepares the produce for school lunches. This program will go a long way in teaching kids to value fresh food and their own contributions. This project is sure to inspire a national change in school curricula(课程). In fact, many middle and high schools in California and Ohio have launched similar projects. In 1997, Alice Waters received the Humanitarian Award from the James Beard Foundation in recognition of her dedication and contribution towards environment. In 1999, the U.S. Department of Education Secretary, Richard Riley, honored her with a John H. Stanford "Education Hero" award.17. It was in Paris that Alice Waters ___________.A. made up her mind to be a farmerB. learned about cooking delicious foodC. took a fancy to a unique food cultureD. opened Chez Panisse, a Berkeley restaurant18. We can infer from the underlined sentence in the second paragraph that __________.A. the jail authorities could make some money from the Garden ProjectB. Alice Waters started the Garden Project at the San Francisco County JailC. Alice Waters taught the prisoners gardening at the San Francisco County JailD. the Garden Project was designed to transform prisoners by connecting them withthe land19.The school project is intended to ____________.A. teach students not to waste foodB. provide students with free lunchesC. teach students agriculturalD. provide Chez Panisse with fresh foodknowledge20. Which of the following best explains why Waters was awarded the title“Education Hero”?A. She had helped popularize healthy eating.B. She had made great contributions to the environment.C. Her principles had brought great benefits to farmers.D. She had brought school children into a new relationship with land and food. 1-4 CBDA 5-8 DDCA 9-12 BCBD 13-16 ABBD 17-20 CDCD。

山西省太原双语中学高考英语专题精选阅读理解强化训练集(三十)

山西省太原双语中学2012届高考英语专题精选阅读理解强化训练集（三十）阅读下列短文, 从每题所给的四个选项 (A、B、C和D) 中, 选出最佳选项。

AI'm from the South Bronx. At 7, my neighborhood was the beginning and end of my universe. It was a small town to me. Everyone knew each other, so if you got into trouble in school, chances are your mom knew about it before you got home. I felt watched over and safe.But just before I turned 8, things began to change. I watched two buildings on my block burn down. I remember seeing my neighbor Pito go up and down the fire escape to get people out. Where were the firemen? Where was the truck? Somebody must have called them.That same summer, after serving two tours in Vietnam, my brother was killed in the South Bronx. He was shot above the left eye and died instantly.People who could moved out of the neighborhood, and all I wanted to do was get out, too. I used education to get away from there and got good at avoiding the topic of where I was from. To be from the South Bronx meant that you were not a good person. It felt like a stain.After college, I didn't want to come back to the South Bronx, but in order to afford graduate school, I had to. I was almost 30 and could only afford to live at my parents' home. It felt like a defeat, and I hated it.At the same time, the city was planning a huge waste facility here, and no one seemed to care — including many of us who lived here. They were like, "Well, it's a poor community; what's the difference?"I was very angry. It drove me to act. It moved my spirit in a way that I didn't know was possible. And it changed my beliefs —it changed the way I felt about myself and my community. I worked hard with others who felt the same way, and together, we defeated the plan.After that, I realized it's just as important to fight for something as it is to fight against something. So we dreamed up a new park on the site of an illegal waste dump —and after many community clean-ups, along with $3 million from the city, we have one. And it's a glory. It was the seed from which many new plans for our community have grown.Today, the South Bronx is no longer a stain; it's a badge(象征) of honor for me.I believe that where I'm from helps me to really see the world. Today, when I say I'm from the South Bronx, I stand up straight. This is home, and it always will be.1.Paragraphs 2 and 3 make the readers believe ____________.A. the author felt watched over and safeB. he author’s brother was a bad manC. the author’s neighbor Pito was braver than a firemanD. the author felt his hometown was not a safe place to live in2.The author went back to the South Bronx after college because ____________.A. he couldn’t afford to live without his parents’ helpB. he loved his hometown very muchC. he was defeated in studies at collegeD. he almost reached the age of 303.The underlined sentences(Paragraph 2) imply that ____________.A. the author wondered where the firemen and the truck wereB. the author wanted someone to call the firemenC. the firemen didn’t come to help although calledD. the firemen didn’t find a place to park the truck4.What does the author want to convey in the passage?A. Great changes have taken place in the South Bronx.B. The South Bronx is a beautiful place.C. You can make a difference to your hometown if you act.D. Everyone should love his hometown.BTEENSGIVING in SPRING 2010Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat is TEENSGIVING?TEENSGIVING is an exciting event where hundreds of NewYork City teens gather together annually for aremarkable day of community service. This year,TEENSGIVING in SPRING 2010 participants will onceagain better New York City and impact thousands oflives!When is TEENSGIVING in SPRING 2010?SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2010Where is TEENSGIVING?All over New York City. Everyone will meet at the 92nd Street Y (92nd and Lexington) at 9:00 AM for the event kick-off. Then, all TEENSGIVING volunteers will disperse across the city to work with our partnering agencies where they will make a HUGE difference (and have fun!).Who participates in TEENSGIVING?Hundreds of teenagers from around the city. Teens come from the 92nd Street Y, various city schools, youth groups, and organizations in the area. In addition, many adult volunteers (ages 21 and older) will donate their time to TEENSGIVING in SPRING 2010. What projects do participants do at the agencies?Sample projects include painting park benches, planting gardens, visiting and playing with underprivileged children, assembling craft kits for children in hospitals, assisting at animal shelters, working at soup kitchens, delivering meals and celebrating with families at homeless shelters.Do I get anything for participating in TEENSGIVING?Yes! Everybody benefits! Teen volunteers will receive *6 hours* of community service credit, good towards honor society, high school graduation and college application requirements. Adult volunteers will be “thanked” with a light breakfast, a giftcertificate for their troubles, and the satisfaction of helping our city’s youth contribute to their community. In addition, all teen and adult volunteers will receive a cool TEENSGIVING in SPRING 2010 T-shirt.This sounds awesome! How do I register for TEENSGIVING in SPRING 2010?Interested teens and/or adults should e-mail the TEENSGIVING Coordinator Josh Hyman at jhyman@ (subject: TEENSGIVING) to receive more information and to register for this fantastic event!**Teens can also contact their school’s Community Service Advisor** TEENSGIVING is sponsored by the 92nd Street Y.5. TEENSGIVING is an event held ____________.A. from time totimeB. every yearC. every two yearsD. twice a year6. Teenagers may do the following in the event EXCEPT ____________.A. watering flowersB. cookingC. cleaningstreetsD. taking care ofanimals7. An adult volunteer may get ______ for his time devoted to TEENSGIVING in SPRING2010.A. community service credit and a T-shirtB. a high school certificate and a light breakfastC. a T-shirt and a gift certificateD. a gift certificate and community service credit8. The writer’s purpose in writing the passage is to __________.A. inform readers of some frequently asked questionsB. introduce TEENSGIVING in SPRING 2010 to readersC. encourage readers to ask more questions about TEENSGIVINGD. call on readers to participate in TEENSGIVING in SPRING 2010CBritish and American scientists are raising genetically modified(转基因的) pigs in the hope of providing organs for transplant(移植) to humans, the project leader wrote in a newspaper Sunday.Scientists in London and California have begun conducting the genetic experiments to find a solution to record–long waiting lists for organ transplants, Robert Winston said in an opinion piece written for Britain's Sunday Times.In Britain alone, around 8,000 patients are waiting for a transplant."People needing a new heart or liver are waiting for someone else to die –usually a violent death in a traffic accident," Winston wrote in the newspaper. He said his team was "trying to modify pigs so their organs might save the lives of humans."The scientists are introducing human genes into the animals to reduce the chances of the organs being rejected by patients, as has been common in previous attempts to use animal tissues, said Winston, who heads the Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology at London's Hammersmith Hospital.Working with Dr. Carol Redhead of the California Institute of Technology, Winston's team has injected human genes directly into male piglets(猪仔), adding them to the animal's sperm(精子).He said that pigs involved in experiments had successfully produced transgenic sperm, but acknowledged that British and European laws had prevented the team from using the pigs to mate.The Sunday Times newspaper reported that the experiments would be moved to the United States following difficulties with funding and regulations in Britain. It said the pigs would be bred in Missouri."Our U.S. friends will benefit from our technology and the income we might have produced for Britain will be lost," Winston wrote.Some scientists have previously blamed the idea of using animal organs for human transplant, saying the technique risks spreading animal viruses to humans. Winston said his research project is attempting to breed virus-free pigs.9. Scientists are introducing human genes into the animals to ____________.A. make the organs healthierB. reduce the pain of animalsC. make the organs live longerD. reduce the chances of rejection10. Some scientists have blamed the idea of using animal organs for human transplantbecause ____________.A. the technique is not perfect nowB. humans may be infected with animal virusesC. it is against laws and regulationsD. it may cause a conflict between humans and animals11. According to Winston, it seems ___________ to Britain to move the experimentsto the United States.A. a pityB. a prideC. a disasterD. a good idea12. It can be inferred from the passage that ____________.A. animal organs are commonly used for human transplant nowB. lots of patients need animal organ transplants nowC. examples of the animal tissues being rejected have happenedD. it is not safe to use animal organs for human transplantDFifty–eight percent of the teachers interviewed in the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) questionnaire had come across copying among their pupils. Gill Bullen from Itchen College in Southampton, for example, said, "Pieces handed in by two students were identical and significantly better than either of them could have done. Not only that, the essays handed in didn't quite answer the title question I had set". A teacher from Leeds said, "I had one piece of work so bravely cut and pasted that it still contained ads from the web page."Connie Robinson from Stockton Riverside College said, "With less able studentsit is easy to spot copying as the writing style changes in the middle of the assignment, but with more able students it is sometimes necessary for tutors to carry out Internet research to identify the source of the copy."Mary Bousted, general secretary of the ATL, said," Teachers are struggling under a mountain of cut-and-pasting to spot whether work was the student's own or copy." She called for policies to stop copying, and asked for help from exam boards and the government in providing resources and techniques to detect cheats.But there was another side. "I have found once students clearly understand what copying is, its consequences and how to reference correctly so they can draw on published works, copying becomes less of a problem," said Diana Baker from Emmanuel College, Durham."I think the majority of students who engage in copying do it more out of ignorance than the desire to cheat. They really want to succeed on their own."13. The passage mainly wants to tell us ____________.A. the benefits of the Internet for studentsB. web copying is a serious problem in the UKC. the ways to find web copying for teachersD. how we can use the Internet to do homework14. The un derlined word “identical” (Paragraph 1) probably means ____________.A. excellentB. contrastingC. the sameD. complex15. What is TRUE according to Connie Robinson?A. I t’s not easy to find the less able students copy from the InternetB. I t’s diffic ult to find whether the more able students have copied.C. The less able student will not change their writing style when copying.D. T he more able students needn’t copy from the Internet.16. What’s the writer’s attitude to wards “copying”?A. The write r doesn’t tell us.B. The writer feels angry about it.C. The writer thinks it doesn’t matter.D. The writer approves of it.EIf Barack Obama's wife and kids thought they'd be getting his undivided attention during their long-awaited summer holiday, perhaps they should think again.The US President kicked off his vacation by revealing that, in addition to endless games of tennis and golf, he plans to spend the week ploughing through five books, weighing in at an astonishing 2,300 pages. His summer reading list, unveiled(透露) by the White House, contains two heavyweight works of non–fiction and three novels.On top of the president’s table is Hot, Flat and Crowded, by New York Times columnist, Thomas Friedman. Subtitled "why we need a green revolution", it makes a leftish（左倾的） call to arms regarding the future of the planet.Mr Obama's second choice is historian David McCullough's biography of John Adams,the often under-rated second US president, who was the subject of an award-winning HBO docu-drama（纪实剧）last year.The novels include two crime thrillers: Richard Price's Lush Life, and The Way Home, a novel by George Pelecanos set in Washington, DC – which, much like Obama's best-selling autobiography（自传）, explores the relationship between a father and his son.Completing the set is the novel Plainsong, by a little-known writer called Kent Haruf. Set in a small town on the Colorado plains, its existence on the reading list may reassure voters that Middle America has not been ignored by their commander-in-chief.Publishers are keeping an eye on whether the famous "Obama bounce" – which has helped sales at the first family's favourite clothes stores, such as J Crew – will continue to apply to their troubled industry. The President's endorsement（认可）is said to have lifted sales of Joseph O'Neill's novel Netherland about cricket in Holland and New York last year.Given that President Obama has already spent a portion of his week so far playing golf, beating Michelle at tennis, and visiting friends, questions will inevitably(不可避免地) be asked about his ability to put any dent（挫伤） at all in the ambitious reading list.To finish all five books, he would have to manage more than 300 pages every day – quite an "ask" when a small portion of his time must also be spent running the country.17. What’s the function of the first paragraph?A. To give an example.B. To introduce a topic.C. To describe a hope.D. To offer an argument.18. Which of the following statements is NOT true?A. Some people doubted if the president could finish his books.B. The Way Home is a book which explores the relationship between a father andhis son.C. Lush life, set in Washington, is a novel written by Richard Price.D. Thanks to Obama, sales of Netherland have been lifted.19. Which of the following was NOT a book the President planned to read?A. John Adams.B. Netherland.C. Hot, Flat and Crowded.D. Lush Life.20. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?A. Obama’s HobbiesB. Obama’s Hol iday PlanC. Obama’s Holiday LifeD. Obama’s Holiday Book ListDACC BCCB DBAC BCBA BCBD。

山西省太原双语中学高考英语专题精选阅读理解强化训练集(五十)

山西省太原双语中学2012届高考英语专题精选阅读理解强化训练集（五十）阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项A、B、C、D中，选出最佳选项。

AFor a 400-year-old art form, opera had a bad fame: overweight actresses singing the words which were hard to understand in one of those romance languages you were supposed to learn in high school．And with tickets costing as much as $145 a performance, opera goers also had a certain appearance in people's mind: rich, well-dressed and old．But now opera companies around the country are loosening their ties and kicking off their shoes in an attempt to keep opera alive and take it to a younger and not so wealthy audience．Opera producers have found that to attract this crowd, they need to make the opera closer to common people．Because young people don't or won't come to the opera, companies are bringing the opera to them, giving performances in such unusual places as parks, libraries and public schools．The Houston Grand Opera's choice is the public library, where it performs “mobile operas” shortened versions（剧本） of child-friendly operas．This summer's production is Hansel ＆ Gretel．By performing smaller versions of large productions, producers are able to make people interested while keeping costs at a reasonable level．The San Francisco Opera, which will be celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, is staging Cinderella free of charge, keeping costs down by employing students from its Young Artists' Training Program．1．Which is the main idea of this passage？A．Opera is famous for its long history．B．Opera is only performed for rich people．C．Opera companies are trying to keep opera alive．D．Young people are not interested in opera．2．The underlined phrase in the second paragraph means ______．A．breaking up the old rules B．changing the dressesC．making the audience at ease D．advertising themselves3．Opera companies prefer to perform short versions because ______ ．A．they can be performed in public librariesB．short versions are easy to performC．it is hard to find long versionsD．they can make more people come to operaBHave you ever picked a job based on the fact that you were good at it but later found it made you feel very uncomfortable over time? When you select your career, there's a whole lot more to it than assessing your skills and matching them with a particular position．If you ignore your personality, it will hurt you long-term regardless of your skills or the job's pay．There are several areas of your personality that you need to consider to help you find a good job．Here are a few of those mainareas;1） Do you prefer working alone or with other people?There are isolating（使孤立）jobs that will drive an outgoing person crazy and also interactive jobs that will make a shy person uneasy．Most people are not extremes in either direction but do have a tendency that they prefer．There are also positions that are sometimes a combination of the two, which may be best for someone in the middle who adapts easily to either situation．2） How do you handle change?Most jobs these days have some elements of change to them, but some are more than others．If you need stability in your life, you may need a job where the changes don't happen so often．Other people would be bored of the same daily routine．3） Do you enjoy working with computers？I do see this as a kind of personality characteristic．There are people who are happy to spend more than 40 hours a week on a computer, while there are others who need a lot of human interaction throughout the day．Again, these are extremes and you'll likely find a lot of positions somewhere in the middle as well．4） What type of work environment do you enjoy？This can range from being in a large building with a lot of people you won't know immediately to a smaller setting where you'll get to know almost all the people there fairly quickly．5） How do you like to get paid?Some people are motivated by the pay they get, while others feel too stressed to be like that．The variety of payment designs in the sales industry is a typical example for this．Anyway, these are a great starting point for you．I've seen it over and over again with people that they make more money over time when they do something they love．It may take you a little longer, but making a move to do what you have a passion for can change the course of your life for the better．4．What is unnecessary in your job hunting?A．Assessing your skillsB．Going to different areasC．Matching your skills with a positionD．taking your personality into consideration5．Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?A．Isolating jobs usually drive people mad．B．Interactive jobs make people shy easily．C．Extreme people tend to work with others．D．Almost everyone has a tendency in jobs．6．What is the missing word about a job search in the following chart?A．Design．B．Changes． C．Cooperation．D．Hobbies．7．What is the best title for this passage?A．Lifestyles and Job Pay B．Jobs and EnvironmentC．Job Skills and Abilities D．Personalities and JobsCAs the human brain evolved, humans were able to laugh before they could speak, according to a new study．But here’s the punch line: Laughter and joy are not unique to humans, the study says．Ancestral forms of play and laughter existed in other animals long before humans began laughing．“Human laughter has its roots in our animation past,” said Jaak Panksepp, a professor of psychobiology at Bowling Green State University in Ohio．Panksepp has studied rats and found that when they “play,” they often chirp （唧唧叫）– an early – stage form of laughter, according to the scientist．In an article to be published tomorrow in the journal Science, he makes the argument that animal laughter is the basis for human joy．In studying laughter, scientists have focused mostly on related issues –humor, personality, health benefits, social theory – rather than laughter itself．New research, however, shows that “circuits” （电路） for laughter exist in very ancient regions of the human brain．As humans have included language into play, we may have developed new connections to joyous parts of our brains that evolved before the cerebral cortex（大脑皮层）, the outer layer associated with thought and memory．There is plenty of evidence that many other mammals make play sounds, which are like human laughter．Indeed, animals are capable of many emotional feelings, just like humans, some scientists say．"The recognition by neuroscientists（神经系统科学家）that the brain systems for pain, pleasure, and fear are the same in humans and other mammals underline our similarity to other species and is extremely important," said Tecumseh Fitch, a psychology lecturer at the University of St．Andrews in Scotland．In a 2003 study Panksepp and Bowling Green State University neurobiologist Jeff Burgdorf showed that if rats are tickled （呵痒） in a playful way, they readily chirp．Rats that were tickled developed a relationship with the researchers and became rapidly conditioned to seek tickles．Understanding the chirping of the rats may help scientists better understand human laughter．Robert Provine, a psychology professor at the University of Maryland in Baltimore, agrees there is an evolutionary continuity of laughter．"Its origin is in tickling play," he says．Provine has studied chimpanzees and found a link between their laughter - like noises and human laughter．"Laughter is actually the sound of play, with the original’ pant –pant’（喘气） - the heavy breathing of physical play - becoming the human ‘ha - ha,’” Provine said．By studying the shift from the panting of chimps to the human ha - ha, he discovered that breath control is the key to the appearanceof both human laughter and speech．8．The 2003 study about rats being tickled are mentioned in paragraph 4 in order to show that ．A．rats are such smart aromas that they can laugh like humansB．animals have emotional feelings as human beings doC．animals' emotional feelings are now widely recognizedD．tickling animals can help animals develop the ability of laughter 9．According to the text, what is the most special about Jaak Panksepp's research?A．It focuses on animals' influence on human laughter．B．People's personalities are involved in the research．C．The research studies human brain as well．D．The research deals with laughter itself．10．We can infer from the above text that____________．A．Tecumseh Fitch and Robert Provine disagree with each other on laughter B．rats’ chirping and chimp’s panting are basically the sameC．most animals are able to laugh but need to be trained firstD．human beings have now fully understood animals’ behaviorsCAD BDCD BDB。

山西省太原双语中学高考英语专题精选阅读理解强化训练集(五十一)

山西省太原双语中学2012届高考英语专题精选阅读理解强化训练集（五十一）阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

AWhen we think about giving help to developing countries, we often think about giving money so that these countries can build schools and hospitals, buy food and medicine, or find clean water supplies. These seem to be the most important basic needs of the people we are trying to help．However, it's far from enough．Ladies and gentlemen, we've got to come up with some better ideas to help them．I was very surprised, then, when I read about a plan to make cheap laptop computers for children in developing countries. A man called Nicholas Negroponte invented a cheap laptop computer, which can run without electricity．He decided to invent this computer after he visited a school in Cambodia．The laptop which Mr. Negroponte has designed is a little different from the normal laptop computers you can buy in the shops. One difference is that it is covered in rubber so that it is very strong and won't be damaged easily. As an electricity supply can be a problem in developing countries, the computer also has a special handle so that children can wind the computer up to give it extra power when needed．These special laptop computers will cost less than 100 US dollars and Mr．Negroponte wants to build as many as 15 million machines in the first year of production．The idea is that these computers will help the children's education as they will be able to access the Internet．These computers might not help the people in developing countries immediately, but by improving children's education they should help people to find their own solutions to their problems in the long term．Another idea to help children in developing countries is to recycle old mobile phones so that they can be used again．In the UK, and, probably in many other countries too, millions of mobile phones are thrown away every year．The waste created by throwing away these old phones is very bad for the environment, so it seems to be an excellent idea to recycle them．In this way we will be able to achieve two important goals at the same time．We will reduce the waste we produce and help others．In other words, we will be able to 'kill two birds with one stone', and that is always a good thing．1．It's an excellent idea to recycle old mobile phones because _______．A．it reduces waste and can help others B．it prevents waste and can earn lots of moneyC．it can send the waste produced by developed countries to other countriesD．it is good for the environment and very educative for phone users2．The author gives the example of Mr. Negroponte's cheap computers _______．A．to show what high tech can bring us． B．to illustrate the kindness of people in the developed countriesC．to show how to find business opportunities in developing countriesD．to give an example of how to help developing countries3．Which of the following statements is TRUE about Mr. Negroponte's cheap computers? A．His computers don’t need any power to function well．B．His computers are covered with rubber so that they are very cheap．C．His computers will help children in developing countries to have better education．D．His computers will help people in developing countries to find all the solutions．4．Where does this passage probably come from?A．A magazine B．A newspaper C．A lecture D．An advertisementBWe all remember seeing hitchhikers（搭便车的人）, standing by the side of the road, thumb sticking out, waiting for a lift. But it is getting rare nowadays. What killed hitchhiking? Safety is often mentioned as a reason. Movies about murderous hitchhikers and real-life crime have put many drivers off picking up hitchhikers. That no single women picked me up on my journey to Manchester no doubt reflects the safety fear: a large, strangely dressed man is seen as dangerous.But the reason may be more complex: hitchhiking happens where people don’t have cars and transport services are poor. Plenty of people still hitchhike in Poland and Romania. Perhaps the rising level of car ownership in the UK means the few people lift hitchhiking are usually considered strange. Why can’t they afford cars? Why can’t they take the coach or the train?Three-quarters of the UK population have access to a car; many of the remainder will be quite old. The potential hitchhiking population is therefore small. Yet my trip proves it’s still possible to hitchhike. The people who picked me up were very interesting-lawyer, retired surgeon, tank commander, carpenter, man who live in an isolated farmhouse and a couple living up in the mountains. My conclusion is that only really interesting people are mad enough to pick up fat blokes in red, spotted scarves. Most just wanted to do someone a good turn; a few said they were so surprised to see a hitchhiker that they couldn’t help stopping.The future of hitchhiking most likely lies with car-sharing organized over the Internet, via sites such as hitchhikers. org. But for now, you can still stick your thumb out(actually, I didn’t do much of that, preferring just to hold up my destination sign) and people-wonderful, caring, sharing, unafraid people-will stop.In the UK, with its cheap coaches and reasonable rail service, I don’t think I’ll make a habit of it. But having enjoyed it so much, I’m ready now to do a big trip across Europe and beyond. In the 1970s a female friend of my wife’s hitchhiked to India. How wonderful it would be to have another go, though Afghanistan might be a challenge. I wish I’d got that tank commander’s mobile number.5．The author tried to hitchhike but was rejected by single women drivers because .A．they were not heading towards Manchester B．they thought most hitchhikers were dangerousC．hitchhiking had been forbidden and they didn’t want to break the lawD．he was a strong man in strange clothes who seemed dangerous6．Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage? A．That some people refuse hitchhikers may reflect the safety fear.B．Car ownership levels are lower in Romania than in the UK.C．40% of UK people don’t have access to cars.D．Increased car ownership has reduced the need for hitchhiking.7．The “fat blokes in red, spotted scarves”in Paragraph 3 most likely means . A．murderous hitchhikers B．friendly and talkative hitchhikers C．typical hitchhikers D．strange hitchhikers like the author 8．According to the author, future hitchhikers are more likely to . A．visit websites and find people to share cars with B．stand by roads with their thumbs sticking outC．stick out signs with their destinations written on D．wait for some kind people to pick them up9．From the last paragraph, we know that the author .A．frequently hitchhikes in Britain B．plans to hitchhike across Europe C．thinks public transport is safer for travel D．is going to contact the tank commanderCBobby Moresco grew up in New York's Hell's Kitchen, a tough working-class neighborhood on Manhattan's West Side. But Hell's Kitchen lies right next door to Broadway, and the bright lights attracted Bobby from the time he was a teen. Being stage-struck was hardly what a street kid could admit to his partners. Fearing their ridicule, he told no one, not even his girlfriend, when he started taking acting lessons at age 17. If you were a kid from the neighborhood, you became a cop, construction worker, longshoreman or criminal. Not an actor.Moresco struggled to make that long walk a few blocks east. He studied acting, turned out for all the cattle calls(试戏通知) -- and during the decade of the 1970s made a total of $2,000. "I wasn't a good actor, but I had a driving need to do something different with my life," he says.He moved to Hollywood, where he drove a cab and worked as a bartender. "My father said, 'Stop this craziness and get a job; you have a wife and daughter.' But Moresco kept working at his chosen craft.Then in 1983 his younger brother Thomas was murdered in a mob-linked killing. Moresco moved back to his old neighborhood and started writing as a way to explore the pain and the patrimony of Hell's Kitchen. Half-Deserted Streets, based on his brother's killing, opened at a small Off-Broadway theater in 1988. A Hollywood producer saw it and asked him to work on a screenplay.His reputation grew, and he got enough assignments to move back to Hollywood. By 2003, he was again out of work and out of cash when he got a call from Paul Haggis, a director who had befriended him. Haggis wanted help writing a film about the country after September 11. The two worked on the writing, but every studio in town turned it down. They kept pitching(推销)it. Studio executives（电影公司经理）, however, thought no one wanted to see a severe, honest vision of race and fear and lives in collision in modern America.Moresco believed so strongly in the script that he borrowed money, sold his house. He and Haggis kept pushing. At last the writers found an independent film producer who would take a chance, but the upfront money was too little, Moresco delayed his salary.Crash slipped into the theaters in May 2005, and quietly became both a hit anda critical success. It was nominated for six Academy Awards and won three -- Best Picture, Best Film Editing and Best Writing (Original Screenplay) by Paul Haggis and the kid from Hell's Kitchen.At age 54, Bobby Moresco became an overnight success. "If you have something you want to do in life, don't think about the problems," he says, "think about other waysto get it done."10. Rearrange the following statements in terms of time order:a. His work Half-Deserted Streets drew attention as it opened at a small Off-Broadway theaterb. Unexpectedly Crash became both a hit and a huge success.c. He moved to Hollywood to be a taxi driver and a waiter.d. He started learn acting in spite of hardness with the belief of doing something diiferent.e. His younger brother Thomas was killed in conflict among bullies.A. d; c; e; a; bB. d; e; c; b; aC. c; d; e; a; bD. c; e; d; b; a11. Why Bobby Moresco did not tell anyone that he started taking lessons at age 17?A. He wanted to give his girlfriend a surprise.B. His girlfriend did not allow him to do this.C. He was afraid of being laughed at.D. He had no talent for acting.12. Which of the following sentences is NOT true?A. His father did not support his work as a bartender.B. Before he became an overnight success, his life experienced ups and downs.C. His brother’s death inspired his writing Half-Deserted Streets.D. Moresco grew up in New York's Hell's Kitchen which is a few blocks east of Broadway.13. The Studio executives turned the script Crash down because ______________.A. they thought the script would not be popular.B. the script was not well written.C. they had no money to make the film based on the script.D. they thought Moresco was not famous.14. What’s the best title of the article?A. How to Achieve Overnight SuccessB. Try It a Different WayC. A Talented man—MorescoD. Moresco’s Instant Success15. Which of the following can best describe Bobby Moresco?A. initiative (主动) and persistentB. shy but hardworkingC. caring and braveD. pessimistic and modestDAll Ric O Barry wants is to stop the dolphin-killing, so he is headed to this seaside Japanese town, Taiji．The American activist, who is the star of a new award-winning documentary(纪录片) that portrays the dolphin-killing here, got an unwelcome reception when he showed up here this week for the start of the annual hunt．His movie, The Cove（海豚湾）, directed by National Geographic photographer Louie Psihoyos, was released in the United States a month ago but has not yet to come outin Japan．Scenes in the film, some of which were shot secretly, show fishermen banging on metal poles stuck in the water to create a wall of sound that scares the dolphins—which have supersensitive sonar（声纳系统）—and sends them fleeing into a cove．There, the fishermen sometimes pick a few to be sold for aquarium（水族馆） shows, for as much as $150,000．They kill the others, spearing（刺）the animals repeatedly until the water turns red．The meat from one dolphin is worth about 50,000 yen, and is sold at supermarkets across Japan．Greenpeace and other groups have tried to stop the hunt for years．Activists hope The Cove will bring the issue to more people internationally—and eventually in Japan．Already, the Australian town of Broome dropped its 28-year sister-city relationship with Taiji last month, partly because of the movie．“Some regions have a tradition of eating dolphin meat,” said fisheries official Toshinori Uoya．“Dolphin-killing may be negative for our international image, but it is not something orders can stop．”The town government in Taiji—which has made whales and dolphins its trademark—refused to comment about The Cove, or the growing international criticism against dolphin-killing．Many in Taiji take the dolphin hunt for granted as part of everyday life．They are defensive about The Cove, seeing themselves as powerless victims of overseas pressure to end a simple and honest way of making a living．16．Ric O Barry made The Cove because he wanted to .A．stop the dolphin-killing B．win an international award C．support Green peace’s efforts D．make Taiji well-known in the world 17．Viewers can learn from The Cove .A．the advanced techniques to catch dolphins B．the cruel and bloody dolphin-killingC．the beautiful Japanese seaside town Taiji D．the sale of dolphin meat around the world18．What is the response to The Cove on the Japanese side？A．Taiji broke up with its western sister-city Broome. B．Japanese officials decided to ban dolphin-killing.C．The town government in Taiji kept silent on criticism. D．Most Japanese people were against eating dolphin meat.19．What does the underlined word “defensive” probably mean?A．Feeling guilty for killing dolphins. B．Protecting themselves against criticism.C．Attacking those against dolphin-killing. D．Making the determination to change.20．What can we infer from the passage?A．Many people in Japan have seen The Cove in the cinema.B．The Cove has not influenced Japan’s international image.C．Taiji’s dolphin-killing industry has been completely ruined.D．The Cove has brought international attention to dolphin-killing.1-4 ADCC 5-9. DCDAB 10-15 A CDABA 16-20 .ABCBD。

山西省太原双语中学高考英语专题精选阅读理解强化训练集(三十九)

山西省太原双语中学2012届高考英语专题精选阅读理解强化训练集（三十九）阅读理解AEvery object tells a story. Even the most ordinary objects can present to us powerful images. Sometimes it is the ordinary nature of these objects that actually makes them so extraordinary. Such is the case with an old leather shoe in a museum in Alaska. At first glance it does not look like much. It is a woman’s shoe of a style popular in the 1890s. But what is unique about this shoe is where it was found. It was discovered on the Checkout Pass, the famous trail used by the people seeking gold in Alaska. Who it belonged to or why it was left there is not known. Was it perhaps dropped by accident as the woman climbed up the 1500 stairs? Or did she throw away goods that she didn’t need in order to travel lighter?Ov er 100, 000 people with “gold fever” made this trip hoping to become millionaires. Few of them understood that on their way they would have to cross a harsh wildness. Unprepared for such a dangerous journey, many died of starvation and exposure to the cold weather.The Canadian government finally started requiring the gold seekers to bring one ton of supplies with them. This was thought to be enough for a person to survive for one year. They would carry their supplies in backpacks each weighing up to fifty pounds; it usually took at least 40 trips to get everything to the top and over the pass. Whoever dropped the shoe must have been a brave and determined woman. Perhaps she was successful and made it to Alaska. Perhaps she had to turn back in defeat. No one will ever know for sure, but what we do know is that she took part in one of the greatest adventures in the 19th century.1. The ordinary woman’s leather shoe is considered unusual because _______.A. it was an important clue to life in the pastB. it was found on a famous trailC. it at one time belonged to a VIPD. it was a fashionable shoe at that time2. According to this passage, many people who went to Alaska _______.A. eventually became millionairesB. brought with them many shoesC. had conflicts with the EskimosD. were not properly equipped3. The Canadian government made gold seekers bring one year’s supplies with themso that _______.A. they would not die of hunger and coldB. the army would have enough food for fighting a warC. they would change these goods with the EskimosD. the supplies would make Alaska rich4. No matter what happened to the woman who owned the shoe, _______.A. she must have lived a happy lifeB. she certainly dropped the shoe on purposeC. her adventurous spirit is definitely admiredD. her other shoes were equally fashionableBHonesty comes in many forms. First there’s self-honesty. Is what people see the real article or do you appear through smoke and mirrors? I find that if I try to be something I’m not , I feel unsure of myself and take out a part from my PBA(personal bank account ).I love how singer Judy Garland put it, “Always be a first-class version of yourself , instead of a second-class version of somebody else .”Then ther e’s honesty in our actions. Are you honest at school, with your parents, and with your boss? If you’ve ever been dishonest, I think we all have, try being honest, and notice how whole it makes you feel. Remember, you can’t do wrong and feel right. This story by Jeff is a good example of that: In my second year of study, there were three kids in my math class who didn’t do well. I was really good at it.I would charge them three dollars for each test that I helped them pass. I’d write on a little piece of paper all the right answers, and hand them off.At first I felt like I was making money, kind of a nice job. I wasn’t thinking about how it could hurt all of us. After a while I realized I shouldn’t do that anymore, because I wasn’t really helping them. They weren’t learning anything, and it would only get harder down the road. Cheating certainly wasn’t helping me.It takes courage to be honest when people all around you are getting away with cheating on tests, lying to their parents, and stealing at work. But, remember, every act of honesty is a deposit（储蓄）into your PBA and will build strength .5. The underlined part “appear through smoke and mirrors” in the first paragraph means “__________ ”.A. to be honestB. to be unrealC. to become clearD. to come from an imagined world6. Which of the following can best explain Judy Garland’s words?A. Be your true self rather than follow others.B. Don’t copy others or you can’t be the first class.C. Make efforts to be the first instead of the second.D. Don’t learn from others unless they’re excellent.7. What does the author expect to show by Jeff’s story ？A. honesty can be of great help.B. A bad thing can be turned into a good one.C. Helping others cheat can do good to nobody.D. One should realize the wrong in his bad deeds.8. In the last paragraph the author mainly wants to express .A. one must be brave to be honestB. it’s difficult to be honest when others are notC. one should be honest when making a depositD. honesty in one’s actions can help him in the fu tureBDAC BADD。

山西省太原双语中学2012届高考英语专题精选阅读理解强化训练集(四)

山西省太原双语中学2012届高考英语专题精选阅读理解强化训练集（四）阅读下列短文, 从每题所给的四个选项 (A、B、C和D) 中, 选出最佳选项。

AThe bicycling craze came in when we were just about at the right age to enjoy it.At first even “safety”　bicycles were too dangerous and improper for ladies to ride, and they had to have tricycles. My mother had (I believe) the first female tricyclein Cambridge; and I had a little one, and we used to go out for family rides, alltogether; my father in front on a bicycle, and my poor brother Charles standingmiserable on the bar behind my mother. I found it very hard work, pounding(轰隆隆行进) away on my hard tyres; a glorious, but not a pleasurable pastime.Then, one day at lunch, my father said he had just seen a new kind of tyre, filled up with air, and he thought it might be a success. And soon after that everyone hadbicycles, ladies and all; and bicycling became the smart thing, and the lords andladies had their pictures in the papers, riding along in the park, in straw hats.My mother must have fallen off her bicycle pretty often, for I remember seeingthe most appalling cuts and bruises(青肿) on her legs. But she never complained, and always kept these accidents to herself. However, the great Mrs. Phillips, our cook,always knew all about them; as indeed she knew practically everything that everhappened. She used to draw us into the servants’ hall to tell us privately: “Her Ladyship had a nasty fall yesterday; she cut both her knees and sprained her wrist.But don’t let her know I told you.” So we never dared say anything. Similar littleaccidents used to occur when, at the age of nearly seventy, she insisted on learningto drive a car. She never mastered the art of reversing(倒车), and was in every wayan unconventional and terrifying driver. Mrs. Phillips used then to tell us: “Her Ladyship ran into the back of a milk-cart yesterday; but it wasn’t much hurt”; or “A policeman stopped her Ladyship because she was on the wrong side of the road;but she said she didn’t know what the white line on the road meant, so he explainedand let her go on.” Mrs. Phillips must have h ad an excellent Intelligence Serviceat her command, for the stories were always true enough.1. Women did not ride bicycles at first because ______.A. bicycling demanded too much hard workB. bicycling was considered unsafe and unladylikeC. they preferred to ride tricyclesD. tricycles could carry young children as well2. How did the writer feel about tricycles?A. They were very hard to ride.B. They were safer and more convenient for women.C. They were not as fast as bicycles.D. They were not proper for women to ride.3. Cycling became popular when ______.A. the writer’s father popularised itB. air-filled tyres began to be usedC. noble people started enjoying itD. newspapers had pictures of cyclists4. The writer admired Mrs. Phillips because ______.A. she was the best cook they had ever hadB. she was in command of all the servantsC. she could keep secretsD. she had an outstanding ability to gather information5. The writer’s mother always had car accidents because ______.A. she could not control the carB. she was very old thenC. she did not understand the road systemD. she behaved too proudlyBBefore meeting with my friend Leticia from Honduras, Central America, I wouldask her if she was arriving according to North American time or Latin American time. Smiling, she would answer, "A la hora Latina, of course." This meant that she wouldbe late. The concept of time is very different for Latin Americans than for NorthAmericans.Life in the United States is fast-paced. There are fast food restaurants, overnight delivery services, shuttle services, instant cash machines, fast weightloss plans, and even instant minute rice. Keenly following such sayings as, "The early bird gets the worm," and, "First come, first served," North Americans even have their meals in an efficient manner. Microwaves help warm up their early breakfasts, noonlunches, and five-o'clock dinners."Time is money" for big businesses. Everyone follows set agendas（议事日程）. Minutes are taken at meetings that are precisely scheduled. North Americans take pride in juggling busy work schedules and still finding time to spend with family andfriends.Latin Americans stroll leisurely through life. They wander past open-air restaurants, across shaded patios tucked behind walls of Bougainvillea. In the cafes, the service is slow but courteous. Outside on the streets, people walk by, not forweight purposes, but to get somewhere. Buses arrive and depart on their own schedule, sometimes sooner or later than their printed times. And if you miss the bus, wait.One will come along eventually. Mid-morning breakfasts are homemade. Lunch is around three in the afternoon and dinner could be anytime after the arranged time. No onefollows a set agenda, but business is accomplished at a gradual and comfortable pace. Watches are not followed precisely, and one barely ever hears the question, "Whattime is it?"This cultural difference has proven to be a problem for many North Americansvisiting Latin American countries and vice versa. For example, this problem hasescalated on the issue of adoption. While in Honduras the summer of 1989, I translated for couples from the United States who were looking for children to adopt from Central America. All legal procedures were transacted between a lawyer from the U.S. and aHonduran lawyer. Legal matters on the North American end were handled almost immediately. The Honduran lawyer, however, was considerably slower with field workand paper work and was unable to give definite dates or times for the completion ofthe adoption. This created a cultural barrier and added to the confusion of thesituation.Without understanding these cultural differences, one could eventually feel offended. Having lived for five years in the Dominican Republic, I am able to understand the two concepts of time but am torn between them. People in the UnitedStates, while accomplishing much, need to live less by the clock and stroll throughmore of their days. Although Latin America can sometimes be very frustrating and remind us that, indeed, patience is a virtue, one should slow down long enough to enjoy life's simple pleasure. So whenever I am asked, "Why are you late?" I simply reply, "According to whose time?"6. Which is probably North Americans’ behavior?A. Walk to the destination even though it is far away.B. Have dinner at 9pm in the evening.C. Plan the meeting time precisely.D. Do business in a slow pace.7. If you invite a Latin American friend for a party at 8p.m., when will he/she belikely to arrive?A. After 8p.m..B. Before 8p.m..C. At 8p.m..D. Not come.8. That the writer gives an example of adoption is to show that ______.A. it is impossible for North Americans to adopt a child from Latin AmericaB. Latin American lawyers are incapableC. North Americans and Latin Americans can’t work togetherD. the different time concepts may cause difficulties in the cooperation betweenNorth Americans and Latin Americans9. What’s the writer’s opinion on North Americans’　and Latin Americans’　attitudes towards time?A. North Americans’ attitude is better.B. Both are good.C. Latin Americans’ attitude is better.D. Neither is good.10. What does the writer want to convey?A. It is important to learn about cultural differences.B. In this fast-pace society, we should learn to slow down and enjoy life.C. Patience is a virtue.D. We need to live by the clock in this competitive society.CGoing to school means learning new skills and facts in such subjects as reading, math, science, history, art or music. Teachers teach and students learn, and manyscientists are interested in finding ways to improve both the teaching and learningprocesses.Some r esearchers, such as Sian Beilock and Susan Levine, are trying to learn about learning. Beilock and Levine are psychologists at the University of Chicago.Psychologists study the ways people think and behave, and these researchers want toknow how a person’s thoughts and behavior are related.In a new study about the way kids learn math in elementary school, Beilock andLevine found a surprising relationship between what female teachers think and whatfemale students learn: If a female teacher is uncomfortable with her own math skills, then her female students are more likely to believe that boys are better than girlsat math.“If these girls keep getting math-anxious female teachers in later grades, it may create a snowball effect on their math achievement,” Levine told Science News. The study suggests that if these girls grow up believing that boys are better at math than girls are, then these girls may not do as well as they would have if they weremore confident.Just as students find certain subjects to be difficult, teachers can find certain subjects to be difficult to learn—and teach. The subject of math can be particularly difficult for everyone. Researchers use the word “anxiety”　to describe such feelings: anxiety is uneasiness or worry. (Many people, for example, have anxiety about goingto the dentist because th ey’re worried about pain.)The new study found that when a teacher has anxiety about math, that feeling caninfluence how her female students feel about math. The study involved 65 girls, 52boys and 17 first- and second-grade teachers in elementary schools in the Midwest.The students took math achievement tests at the beginning and end of the school year, and the researchers compared the scores.The researchers also gave the students tests to tell whether the students believed that a math superstar had to be a boy. Then the researchers turned to the teachers:To find out which teachers were anxious about math, the researchers asked the teachers how they felt at times when they came across math, such as when reading a sales receipt.A teacher who got nervous looking at the numbers on a sales receipt, for example,was probably anxious about math.Boys, on average, were unaffected by a teacher’s anxiety. On average, girls with math-anxious teachers scored lower on the end-of-the-year math tests than other girls in the study did. Plus, on the test showing whether someone thought a math superstarhad to be a boy, 20 girls showed feeling that boys would be better at math—and all of these girls had been taught by female teachers who had math anxiety.According to surveys done before this one, college students who want to becomeelementary school teachers have the highest levels of anxiety about math. Plus, nine of every 10 elementary teachers are women, Levine said.This study was small, and it’s often difficult to see large patterns in small studies, David Geary told Science News. Geary, a psychologist at the University ofMissouri in Columbia, studies how children learn math. “This is an interesting study, but the results need to be interpreted as preliminary and in need of replication with a larger sample,”　Geary said. That means that the results are just showing something that might be happening, but more studies should be done. If more studies find thesame trend as this one, then it’s possible that a teacher’s anxiety over math really is affecting her female students.11. Sian Beilock and Susan Levine carried out the new research in order to ______.A. know the effects of teaching on learningB. study students’ ways of learning mathC. prove women teachers are unfit to teach mathD. find better teaching methods for teachers12. The underlined part in paragraph 4 most probably means that girls may ______.A. end up learning math with anxiety from their teachersB. study the ways their female teachers behaveC. have an influence on their math-anxious female teachersD. gain unexpected achievement in such subjects as math13. In the study, what were the teachers required to do?A. Prepare two math achievement tests for the students.B. Tell their feelings about math problems.C. Answer whether a math superstar had to be a boy.D. Compare the students’ scores after the math tests.14. What is the finding of the new study?A. No male students were affected by their teachers’ anxiety.B. Almost all the girls got lower scores in the tests than the boys.C. About 30% of the girls thought boys are better at math than girls.D. Girls with math-anxious teachers all failed in the math tests.15. Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?A. 117 students and teachers took part in the new study.B. The researchers felt surprised at the findings of their study.C. Beilock and Levine are interested in teaching math.D. Men teachers are better at teaching math than women teachers.DMany a young person tells me he wants to be a writer. I always encourage suchpeople, but I also explain that there’s a big difference between “being a writer”　and writing. In most cases these individuals are dreaming of wealth and fame, notthe lon g hours alone at the typewriter. “You’ve got to want to write,” I say to them, “not want to be a writer.”The reality is that writing is a lonely, private and poor-paying affair. For every writer kissed by fortune, there are thousands more whose dreams are never fulfilled. Even those who succeed often know long periods of neglect and poverty. I did.When I left a 20-year career to become a writer, I had no prospect(前途) at all. What I did have was my friend George who found me at my home—a storage room which was cold and had no bathroom. Immediately I bought a used typewriter and felt likea real writer.After a year or so, however, I still hadn’t received a break and began to doubt myself. It was so hard to sell a story that I barely made enough to eat. Then oneday I got a call that changed my life. It wasn’t an agent or editor offering a bigcontract. It was the opposite—a call persuading me to give up my dream. On the phone was an old acquaintance. He had once lent me money. “When am I going to get the $15, Alex?” he asked.“Next time I make a sale.”“I have a better idea,”　he said. “We need a new public-information assistant, and we’re paying $6,000 a year. If you want it, you can have it.”Six thousand a year! That was real money in 1960. I could get a nice apartment,a used car, pay off debts and maybe s ave a little something. As the dollars were dancing in my head, something cleared my senses. I had dreamed of being a writer-- full time. And that’s what I was going to be. “Thanks, but no,”　I heard myself saying. “I’m going to stick it out and write.”Afterward, as I paced around my little room, I started to feel like a fool. Reaching into my cupboard, I pulled out all that was there: two cans of sardines(沙丁鱼). Putting my hands into my pockets, I came up with 18 cents. I took the cans and coinsand jammed them into a paper bag. There Alex, I said to myself. There’s everything you’ve made of yourself so far.I wish I could say things started getting better right away. But they didn’t. Thank goodness I had George to help me over the rough spots.Through him I met other struggling artists, like Joe Delaney, a painter. OftenJoe lacked food money, so he’d visit a neighborhood butcher(肉贩) who would give him big bones with little meat. That’s all Joe needed to make down-home soup. Another village neighbor was a handsome young singer who ran a struggling restaurant. Hisname was Harry Belafonte. People like Delaney and Belafonte became role models forme. I learned that you had to make sacrifices and live creatively to keep workingat your dreams.As I absorbed the lesson, I gradually began to sell my articles. I was writingabout what many people were talking about then: civil rights, black Americans andAfrica. Soon, like birds flying south, my thoughts were drawn back to my childhood.One day at lunch with editors of Reader’s Digest, I said that I had a dream to trace my family’s history to the first African brought to these shores in chains. I leftthat lunch with a contract that would help support my research and writing for nineyears.Yet in 1970, Roots was published. Instantly I had the kind of fame and successthat few writers ever experience. For the first time I had money; the phone rang allthe time with new friends and new deals. I packed up and moved to Los Angeles, whereI could help in the making of the Roots TV mini-series. I was blinded by the lightof my success.Then one day, while unpacking, I came across a box filled with things I had owned years. Inside was a brown paper bag.I opened it, and there were two sardine cans and 18 cents. Suddenly the past came flooding in. I could picture myself once again writing in that cold, one-room apartment. And I said to myself: The things in this bag are part of my roots, too. I can’t ever forget that.I sent them out to be framed(镶框) in plastic. I keep that clear plastic casewhere I can see it every day. I can see it now above my office desk, along with prizes Roots won for me. I’d be hard pressed to say which means the most to me. But onlyone reminds me of the courage and persistence(坚持) it takes to stay the course.16. According to the author, “there’s a big difference between ‘being a writer’　and writing” (Para.1) and the latter means ______.A. having a dream you cherishB. spending hours at the typewriter writingC. expecting the fame and wealth of a writerD. mistaking “writing” for wealth and fame17. Which of the following opinions would the author agree?A. Writing is not as good as many people think.B. Only those who succeed in writing know neglect and poverty.C. As long as you work hard at writing your works will achieve recognition.D. Only those whose dream is never fulfilled know long periods of neglect andpoverty.18. The author took the examples of Joe Delaney and Harry Belafonte to show that ______.A. some people never succeed despite their hard workB. people who have dreams have to sufferC. people have to make sacrifices to live creativelyD. successful artists always have dreams19. What put the author in the spotlight of fame?A. He wrote articles that began to sell.B. He wrote essays about civil rights.C. He went south and wrote about his childhood.D. He researched and traced his family’s history in his book Roots.20. When the author rediscovered his sardine cans and eighteen cents years later,______.A. he could hardly believe that they once belonged to himB. he felt sad and cold, thinking of his past years as a lonely writerC. he thought that they were part of his roots and important to himD. he had them framed because they won him a lot of awardsBABDA CADCB BABCB BABDC。

全国1卷2025版高考英语冲刺阅读理解全文翻译第32套太原市模拟试题一素材

A像爱迪生这样的宏大独创家们用他们的独创影响了人们的生活。

明显他们的贡献是有价值的，但其他一些令人惊异的独创事实上是由孩子们创建的!蹦床蹦床既好玩又能熬炼身体，但它是近代的独创。

20世纪30年头，乔治·尼森看了一场马戏团表演后，受到启发，制作了一个有弹性的“网”。

他认为接着弹跳比落网更好玩。

所以，在他16岁的时候，他把厚布放在一个金属框架里拉伸，从而独创了“蹦床”。

冰棒寒冷的天气催生了一项美味的独创——冰棒。

弗兰克·艾普森(Frank Epperson)在11岁时意外地独创了他的第一根冰棒。

他给自己做了一杯苏打水，然后把杯子放在外面过夜。

当他在早上发觉它的时候，苏打水已经冻成了固体，搅拌棒还在玻璃杯里。

第一根冰棒就这样诞生了。

盲文三岁的路易斯·布莱叶遭遇了一次严峻的眼睛损伤，导致双眼失明。

他用手指在凸起的字母上滑动，努力地阅读，但事实证明这特别困难。

十二岁的时候，路易斯学会了一种通信系统，可以用指尖来默读信息。

他改进了这一系统，创建了盲文。

现在全世界都在运用这种盲文!灯塔汉娜·赫布斯特(Hannah Herbst) 14岁时，因独创了一种名为“灯塔”(BEACON)的装置而被评为美国顶尖青年科学家。

在收到埃塞俄比亚笔友的来信后，汉娜受到启发，想要独创一种装置，可以把海浪的能量转化成电能，她希望这种装置能帮助那些不简单获得电的人。

B当萨拉·维什尼亚(Sarah Wishnia)收到女儿送来的iPad时，她说:“我对iPad简直是一窍不通。

”马克斯·罗森布鲁姆(Max Rosenblum)用她的新设备向她展示了如何在社交媒体上社交，如何网购。

在马克斯的帮助下，埃琳娜学会了对Siri输入吩咐，迈克熟识了Waze，汉妮起先在她的智能手机上搜寻关于电影、餐馆和书籍的信息。

马克斯16岁，是戴维地区的一名即将上升三学生。

他的学生是科勒尔盖布尔斯的居民，对科技着迷，渴望了解科技新世界。

山西省太原双语中学2022届高考英语专题精选阅读理解强化训练集（五）

山西省太原双语中学202X届高考英语专题精选阅读理解强化训练集（五）阅读下列材料，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

AAnewboowrittenbaChineeAmericanonheruethebetaidetforcheating F orteacher,theifiguringoutwhetheratudent’,ateachingaitantJaneMorrion eanotbetoodifficutforacarefuteacher"Studentwhohavegot tenitofftheInternetdon’,"Morrionaid Coaingcheatingmorewideread？AeniorofficiaGarHandmanatBereedoubtit"Studentwhotendtocheataregoi ngtocheatregardeofthetechnoog ThiviewwabacedbBereegraduatetudentArianneChernoc,whoathat,aftera,t udenthavetodecidewhat’betforthemeve"It’’reheretoearn,owe’veg ottomaethemotofitoureve" Andinventiveteachercanmaetheiraignmentamotcheat-entinacreativewa,an diftudent,forintance,havetotranformtheinformationintoahandout,ordoadr ama,orwriteanaccountinfirtatoediateacherLeieFarmer Thatindoftrateg,omeeorethanimtheInternetD"Comingtothefootbamatchthiafternoon""IiedMomI'dburnoffthewe edononeofourfied"Bi,ooingfarethanhi79ear,,'farm"I'giveouahand,"BiaidTheatchtoitandumtheouthernedgeofthefied,theworedtheirwaagaintt hewind,,andwithoutwarning,thecarwatucintoahiddenbanofand ,headingdirecttowardthem"Let'getoutofhere!"Roceaid,witharoar,,'eatandroofwerenowonfireBiawherehefe,,hort,"Roce!"hecried,truggingtohifeetandheadingforth ecarthroughthemoe"I'mtuc,"Roceaid"Getourefawa!"ThefirebitatBi'arm,faceandeg,buthecaughtatighthodonRoce"I'mnote avingouhere,"heaid'bodandonhiownegandarmwithhibarehandRoceawaecondee“I’dbeahenowifBihadn'tgottenmeout,”,'face,Biaid,"I'"Rocenodded,b utahewatchedBietoffowacrothebacenedfied,hewonderedhowhifriendwag oingtowaamottwomieandgetoverthreefenceAifetimeaetheirhomeintheAutraianbuhhadanentfiedintoBi'outwoaei t,Rocewidieoutthere,hetodhimefoverandover"What'thematterwiththatdog"aidVicWedding,Roce'mom,,heturnedt oeeBieaningagaintthedoor"DearGod,whathaed,aBiiddownthedoorframe"Wegotcaughtinthefire,"hewhiinwettowetoeaethe,neitherofthetwoin uredmenatch,"Roceaid,,whenRoce,utoutofhoabeer"Wemadeit,"aidRoceatheraiedtheirgae"Here'tothebetfriendamancou dhave"'betrewardcamewhenhe_______’thebettiteoftheaage DDBBACDBADCADBDADCDB。

山西省太原双语中学高考英语专题精选阅读理解强化训练集(十五)

山西省太原双语中学2012届高考英语专题精选阅读理解强化训练集（十五）阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

AAn idea that started in Seattle's public library has spread throughout America and beyond. The concept is simple: help to build a sense of community in a city by getting everyone to read the same book at the same time.In addition to encouraging reading as a pursuit (追求) to be enjoyed by all, the program allows strangers to communicate by discussing the book on the bus, as well as promoting reading as an experience to be shared in families and schools. The idea came from Seattle librarian Nancy Pearl who launched (发起）the "If All of Seattle Read the Same Book " project in 1998. Her original program used author visits, study guides and book discussion groups to bring people together with a book, but the idea has since expanded to many other American cities, and even to Hong Kong.In Chicago, the mayor appeared on television to announce the choice of To Kill a Mockingbird as the first book in the "One Book, One Chicago" program. As a result, reading clubs and neighborhood groups sprang up around the city. Across the US, stories emerged of parents and children reading to each other at night and strangers chatting away on the bus about plot andcharacter.1. What is the purpose of the project launched by Nancy?A. To invite authors to guide readers.B. To encourage people to read and share.C. To involve people in community service.D. To promote the friendship between cities.2. Why was it difficult for New Yorkers to carry out the project?A. They had little interest in reading.B. They were too busy to read a book.C. They came from many different backgroundsD. They lacked support from the local government3. According to the passage, where would the project be more easily carried out?A. In large communities with little sense of unityB. In large cities where libraries are far from homeC. In medium-sized cities with a diverse populationD. In large towns where agreement can be quickly reached4. The underlined words “shared a word” in P aragraph 5 probably meanA. exchanged ideas with each otherB. discussed the meaning of a wordC. gamed life experienceD. used the same language5. According to Nancy, the degree of success of the project is judged byA. the careful selection of a proper bookB. the growing popularity of the writersC. the number of people who benefit from reading.D. the number of books that each person reads.BMany parents have learned the hard way that what sounds like open communicationis often the very thing that closes a youngster’s ears and mouth. One common mistakeis the Lecture, the long monologue that often starts with “When I was your age….” Eighteen-year-old Kelly calls lectures “long, one-side discussions in which I don’t say much.”Kids reflexively（条件反射地） shut down in the face of a lecture. Their eyes glaze over（呆滞）, and they don’t register any incoming information. Listen to 13-year-old Sarah describe her least favorite times with her mom and dad. “First, they scream. Then comes the ‘We’re so disappointed’ speech. Then the ‘I never did that to my parents’ lecture begins. After that, even if they realize how ridiculous they sound, they never take it back.”Lines like “When you have children of your own, you’ll understand” have been seriously said by parents since time immemorial. But many of our expert parents, like Bobby, a registered nurse and mother of three, feel that by falling back on clichés （陈词滥调） to justify our actions, we weaken our position.Since kids are creatures of here and now, the far-off future has no relevance to them. Therefore, good communicators like Bobby suggest, “Give specific reasons for your actions in present language: ‘I’m not letting you go to the party because I don’t think there will be enough adult supervisions（监护）.’”6. The purpose of the passage is to _________.A. compare two ways of parents` communicating with their kidsB. give parents advice on how to communicate with their kidsC. explain why kids won’t listen to their parents.D. introduce kids` reaction to the communication between them and their parents7. Which of the following statements is NOT right?A. Kids won’t listen to their parents because they thi nk what their parents say is boring.B. Many kids think they have no right to express their own opinions.C. Some kids think their parents should apologize when they are wrong.D. Kids don’t like any discussion at all.8. What does the underlined word in the first paragraph mean?A. 独白B. 对话C. 插话D. 讨论9. Which of the following topic may appeal to kids?A. Parents` own experienceB. Kids possible life in the futureC. Something related to kids’ present lifeD. What parents have done to their own parents.10. In order to make kids follow their advice, parents should______.A. tell their kids to listen carefullyB. set out their warnings directlyC. list out as many examples as possibleD. arouse kids’ desire to express themselvesCWe keep reading that TV is bad for you. If this is true, how come the current generation of TV-addicted kids is much smarter than we are? In my home, the only people who can work the remote control are the children.Perhaps TV does educate you. For example, you learn a useful medical fact: A person who has been shot always has time to speak an incomplete sentence before he dies. “The killer was…” (dies)But I guess the biggest things we learn from TV ca n be regarded as “Life Skills”. Bad things only happen on dark and stormy nights. Emotional breakdowns cause people to wander in the heavy rain without umbrellas. And contrary to what scientists say, the crack(霹雳) of lightning and the accompanying flash happen at exactly the same time, wherever you are.I’ve even acquired useful geographical facts from science-fiction shows: Aliens speak English no matter which planet they come from.Making use of what we learn from TV can improve our security. Consider these truths. If you are ever attacked by 20 bad guys, don’t worry about being outnumbered. The criminals will hang back and take turns to approach you in ones and twos just so you can conveniently defeat them all. Bad guys who are completely covered in black clothes always remove their black masks to reveal that they are in fact, aha, women.TV also teaches us important information about escaping from danger. Watch and learn. (1) If anyone is running after you down a passage, you will find that boxes have been conveniently placed near all the walls you need to jump over. (2) If you are tall and handsome, you can run from any number of armed criminals, and every shot will miss you.Be warne d, however. If your name card says “henchman” (帮凶) and you are partof a group of plain-looking people trying to catch a handsome individual, a single shot will kill you. But don’t be anxious: TV also delivers useful information for bad guys. All cars are inflammable (易燃的) and have amazing shock absorbers that enable them to fly into the air and land without damage — except police cars.TV even teaches us about TV. Whenever anyone turns on a TV, it shows a news flash about someone they know. They then turn the box off immediately after that news item.11. By saying “A person who has been shot always has time to speak an incomplete sentencebefore he dies” (Paragraph 2), the writer shows his________.A. humorB. sympathyC. deep concernD. medical knowledge12. We can learn from Paragraph 3 that in the real world_______.A. bad things cause people to break down in the rainB. bad things never happen on dark and stormy nightsC. people with emotional problems like to walk in the rain without umbrellasD. the crack of lightning and the accompanying flash don’t happen at the same time13. On TV what usually happens when a person turns it on?A. The news shown is always about someone the person knows.B. The person always turns off the TV when it’s t ime for news.C. The program shown is always about the importance of TV.D. TV always shows news about famous people.14. What’s the main idea of this passage?A. Life skills can be learned from TV.B. TV plays an important role in society.C. Watching TV makes people more creative.D. What happens in TV is very different from reality.15. The writer of this passage takes a(n) _______ attitude towards TV plays.A. positiveB. casualC. negativeD. indifferentDMANILA, Philippines (AP) —Villagers and veteran hunters have captured a one-ton saltwater crocodile which they plan to make the star of a planned ecotourism park in a southern Philippine town, an official said Monday.Mayor Edwin Cox Elorde said dozens of villagers and experts captured the 21-foot (6.4-meter) male crocodile along a creek in Bunawan township in Agusan del Sur province after a three-week hunt. It could be one of the largest crocodiles to be captured alive in recent years, he said, quoting local crocodile experts.Elorde said the crocodile killed a water buffalo in an attack witnessed by villagers last month and was also suspected of having attacked a fisherman who went missing in July.He said he sought the help of experts at a crocodile farm in western Palawan province."We were nervous but it's our duty to deal with a threat to the villagers," Elorde told The Associated Press by telephone. "When I finally stood before it, I couldn't believe my eyes."After initial sightings at a creek, the hunters set four traps, which the crocodile destroyed. They then used sturdier traps using steel cables, one of which finally caught the enormous reptile late Saturday, he said.About 100 people had to pull the crocodile, which weighs about 2,370 pounds (1,075 kilograms), from the creek to a clearing where a crane lifted it into a truck, he said.The crocodile was placed in a fenced cage in an area where the town plans to build an ecotourism park for species found in a vast marshland(沼泽地) in Agusan, an impoverished region about 515 miles (830 kilometers) southeast of Manila, Elorde said."It will be the biggest star of the park," Elorde said, adding that villagers were happy that they would be able to turn the dangerous crocodile "from a threat into an asset."Despite the catch, villagers remain cautious because several crocodiles still roam the outskirts of the farming town of about 37,000 people.They have been told to avoid venturing into marshy areas alone at night, Elorde said.16. What can we infer from the passage?A. The villagers captured the crocodile by chance.B. The crocodile the villagers have captured is the largest crocodile captured in recent years.C. The town has already built an ecotourism park for the crocodile.D. Not all the crocodile live in saltwater.17. What can we know about the crocodiles in this area according to the passage?A. The crocodiles in the area are very friendly to the villagers.B. The crocodiles usually wander about in the center of the town.C. The crocodiles in the town have become a threat to the villagers.D. The capture of the male crocodile took three months.18. What happened to the crocodile after it was captured?A. It was sent to the ecotourism park for species found in a vast marshland.B. It was sent back to the wilderness.C. It was kept in a fenced cage.D. It became the biggest star in the park.19. When Elorde finally stood before the crocodile, how did he feel?A. Nervous.B. Proud.C. Shocked.D. Happy.20. In Elorde’s opinion, the existence of the crocodile in the wild in this area is _________.A. threateningB. puzzlingC. reasonableD. suspectingBCDAC BDACD ADADC DCCCA。

山西省太原双语中学高考英语专题精选阅读理解强化训练集(四十一)

山西省太原双语中学2012届高考英语专题精选阅读理解强化训练集（四十一）阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

AShe had been shopping with her Mom in Wal-Mart. She must have been 6 years old, this beautiful brown haired, freckle-faced image of innocence. Outside, it was pouring so heavily.We all stood there just inside the door of the Wal-Mart. We waited, some patiently, others annoyed because nature messed up their hurried day. I got lost in the sound and sight of the heavens washing away the dirt and dust of the world.Her voice was so sweet that it broke the hypnotic trance (昏昏欲睡) we were all caught in. “Mom,let’s run through the rain,” she said.“No,honey. We’ll wait until it slows down a bit,” Mom replied.This young child waited about another minute and repeated: “Mom,let’s run through the rain. ”“We’ll get soaked if we do,” Mom said.“No,we won’t,Mom. That’s not what you said this morning,” the young girl said as she tore at her Mom’s arm.“This mo rn ing? When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet?”“Don’t you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said if God can get us through this, he can get us through anything!”The entire crowd stopped dead silent. I dare say you couldn’t hear anything but the rain. We all stood silently. No one came or left in the next few minutes. Mom paused and thought for a moment about what she would say.Now some would laugh it off and scold her for being silly. Some might even ignore what was said. But this was a moment of affirmation in a young child’s lifetime when innocent trust can be developed so that it will bloom into faith. “ Honey, you are absolutely right. Let’s run through the rain. If get wet, well maybe we just need washing, ” Mom said. Then off they ran.We all stood watching, smiling and laughing as they rushed past the cars and they held their shopping bags over their heads just in case. They got soaked. But they were followed by a few who screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars. And yes, I did. I ran. I got wet. I needed washing.You may lose your material possessions, your money and even your health, but no one can ever take away your precious memories. So don’t forget to make time and take the opportunities to make memories.1. Which of the following is the closest in meaning to the underlined word“ affirmation” ?A. happinessB. approvalC. disagreementD. love2. What do we know about the mother in the story?A. Her husband was cured of his cancer.B. She was strong-willed and considerate.C. She was in despair and pretended to forget what she said.D. Her daughter completely understood the situation her family was in3. Which of the following may the author agree with?A. The mother should not tell her child about the family misfortune.B. Parents should act more bravely than their children.C. Parents should grasp every opportunity to influence their children to grow well.D. Children should learn to show gratitude and understanding to their parents.4. The best title for the passage might be _ .A. Run Through the RainB. Be a Determined MotherC. Wait in the RainD. Have a wonderful experienceBFrom the health point of view we are living in an amazing age. We are free from many of the most dangerous diseases. A large number of once deadly illnesses can now be cured by modern medicine. It is almost certain that one day medicines will be found for the most stubborn remaining diseases. The expectation of life has increased greatly. But though the possibility of living a long and happy life is greater than ever before, every day we witness the unbelievable killing of men, women and children on the roads. Man vs the motor-car! It is a never-ending battle which man is losing. Thousands of people all over the world are killed or horribly killed each year and we are quietly sitting back and letting it happen.It has been rightly said that when a man is sitting behind a steering wheel (方向盘), his car becomes the extension of his personality. There is no doubt that the motor-car often brings out a man’s very worst qualities. People who are normally quiet and pleasant may become unrecognizable when they are behind a steering-wheel. They say, they are ill-mannered and aggressive, willful as two-year-olds and completely selfish. Their hidden angers and disappointments seem to be brought to the surface by the act of driving.The surprising thing is that society smiles so gently on the motorist and seems to forgive his behavior. Everything is done for his convenience. Cities are allowed to become almost uninhabitable because of heavy traffic; towns are made ugly by huge car parks; the countryside is ruined by road networks; and the deaths become nothing more than a number every year, to be easily forgotten.It is high time a world rule was created to reduce this senseless waste of human life. With regard to driving, the laws of some countries are unbelievable lenient(宽容的) and even the strictest are not strict enough. A rule which was universally accepted could only have an obviously beneficial effect on the accident rate. Here are a few examples of some of the things that might be done. The driving test should be standardized and made far more difficult than it is; all the drivers should be made to take a test every three years or so; the age at which young people are allowed to drive any vehicle should be raised to at least 21; all vehicles should be put through strict tests for safety each year. Even the smallest amount of alcohol in the blood can damage a person’s driving ability. Present drinking and driving laws (where they exist) should be made much stricter. Speed limits should be required on all roads. Governments should lay down safety specifications for car factories, as has been done in the USA. All advertising stress power and performance should be banned. These measures may not sound good enough. But surely nothing should be considered as too severe if it results in reducing the number of deaths. After all, the world is for human beings, not motor-cars.5. What is the main idea of this passage?A. Traffic accidents are mainly caused by motorists.B. Thousands of people all over the world are killed each year.C. The laws of some countries about driving are to lenient.D. Only stricter traffic laws can prevent accidents.6. What does the author think of society toward motorists?A. Society laughs at the motorists.B. Huge car parks are build in the cities and towns.C. Victims of accidents are nothing.D. Society forgives their rude driving7. What does the author mean by saying “his car becomes the extension of his personality” inParagraph 2?A. Driving can show his hidden qualitiesB. Driving can show the other part of his personalityC. Driving can bring out his characterD. Driving can represent his manners8. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a way against traffic accidents?A. Perfect the road networkB. Stricter driving testsC. Test drivers every three yearsD. Raise age limit and lay down safety specifications.9. The author’s attitude towards the traffic situation is ______.A. confusedB. discontentedC. appealingD. doubtfulCOne night recently, I was driving down a two-lane highway at about 60 miles an hour. A car approached from the opposite direction at about the same speed. As we passed each other, I caught the other driver’s eye for only a second. I wondered whether he might be thinking as I was. How dependent we were on each other at thatmoment. I was relying on him not to fall asleep, not to be put off by a phone conversation, not to cross over into my lane and bring my life to a sudden end. Though we had never spoken a word to each other, he relied on me in just the same way.Multiplied a million times over, I believe that is the way the world works. At some level, we all depend upon one another. Sometimes that dependence requires us simply not to do something like crossing over the double yellow line. And sometimes it requires us to act cooperatively, with friends or even with strangers.As technology shrinks our world, the need increases for cooperative action among nations. In 2003, doctors in five nations were quickly organized to identify the SARS virus, which saved thousands of lives. The threat of international terrorism has shown itself to be a similar problem, one requiring team action by police and intelligence forces across the world. We must recognize that our fates are not ours alone to control.In my own life, I’ve put great stock in personal resp onsibility. But, as time has passed, I’ve also come to believe that there are mom ents when one must rely upon the good faith and judgment of others. so, while each of us faces the case of driving alone down a dark road, what we must learn is that the approaching light may not bea threat, but a shared moment of trust.10. The author considers it very important ______.A. to drive with a companyB. to have personal independenceC. to gain certain responsibilityD. to share trust and cooperation11. The author said that they depended on each other in the same way because ______.A. the approaching car was very dangerousB. they both drove their car at a terrific speedC. he might be killed out of the other’s careless drivingD. it was dark and the road was not wide enough12. From the second paragraph, we know the author drew the important lesson from ______.A. only one experienceB. many similar experiencesC. a driver on a dark roadD. many friends and strangers13. The need for cooperation increases because ______.A. peoples’ fates can’t be controlled by themselvesB. certain viruses can spread in a quick wayC. terrorism can happen everywhere and every dayD. the world has become much more dangerous14. We can infer from the last paragraph that the author has ______.A. believed in one’s own personal responsibilityB. counted upon himself alone in everythingC. had no trust in others’ good faith and judgmentD. had accomplished a change on his viewpoint of lifeDWhen I was fourteen, I earned money in the summer by cutting lawns（草坪）, andwithin a few weeks I had built up a body of customers. I got to know people by the flowers they planted that I had to remember not to cut down, by the things they lost in the grass or struck in the ground on purpose. I reached the point with most of them when I knew in advance what complaint was about to be spoken, which particular request was most important. And I learned something about the measure of my neighbors by their preferred method of payment: by the job, by the month--- or not at all.Mr. Ballou fell into the last category, and he always had a reason why. On one day, he had no change for a fifty, on another he was flat out of checks, on another, he was simply out when I knocked on his door. Still, except for the money apart, he was a nice enough guy, always waving or tipping his hat when he’d see me from a distance.I figured him for a thin retirement check, maybe a work-relayed injury that kept him from doing his own yard work. Sure, I kept track of the total, but I didn’t worry about the amount too much. Grass was grass, and the little that Mr. Ballou’s property comprised didn’t take long to trim (修剪).Then, one late afternoon in mid-July, the hottest time of the year, I was walking by his house and he opened the door, mentioned me to come inside. The hall was cool, shaded, and it took my eyes a minute to adjust to the dim light.“I owe you,” Mr. Ballou, “but…”I thought I’d save him the trouble of thinking of a new excuse. “No problem. Don’t worry about it.”“The bank made a mistake in my account,”he continued, ignoring my words. “It will be cleared up in a day or two. But in the meantime I thought perhaps you could choose one or two volumes for a down payment.He gestured toward the walls and I saw that books were stacked (堆放) everywhere. It was like a library, except with no order to the arrangement.“Take your time,” Mr. Ballou encouraged. “Read, borrow, keep. Find something you like. What do you read?”“I don’t know.” And I didn’t. I generally read what was in front of me, what I could get from the paperback stack at the drugstore, what I found at the library, magazines, the back of cereal boxes, comics. The idea of consciously seeking out a special title was new to me, but, I realized, not without appeal-- so I started to look through the piles of books.“You actually read all of these?”“This isn’t much,” Mr. Ballou said. “This is nothing, just what I’ve kept, the ones worth looking at a second time.”“Pick for me, then.”He raised his eyebrows, cocked his head, and regarded me as though measuring me for a suit. After a moment, he nodded, searched through a stack, and handed me a dark red hardbound book, fairly thick.“The Last of the Just,” I read. “ By Andre Schwarz-Bart. What’s it about?”“You tell me,” he said. “Next week.”I started after supper, sitting outdoors on an uncomfortable kitchen chair. Withina few pages, the yard, the summer, disappeared, and I was plunged into the aching tragedy of the Holocaust, the extraordinary clash of good, represented by one decent man, and evil. Translated from French, the language was elegant, simple, impossible to resist. When the evening light finally failed I moved inside, read all through the night,To this day, thirty years later, I vividly remember the experience. It was my first voluntary encounter（接触、遇到）with world literature, and I was stunned (震惊) by the concentrated power a novel could contain. I lacked the vocabulary, however, to translate my feelings into words. So the next week when Mr. Ballou asked, “Well?”I only replied, “It was good?”“Keep it, then,” he said. “Shall I suggest another?”I nodded, and was presented with the paperback edition of Margaret Mead’s Coming of Age in Samoa ( a very important book on the study of the social and cultural development of peoples--- anthropology (人类学) ).To make two long stories short, Mr. Ballou never paid me a cent for cutting his grass that year or the next, but for fifteen years I taught anthropology at Dartmouth College. Summer reading was not the innocent entertainment I had assumed it to be, not a light-hearted, instantly forgettable escape in a hammock (吊床) ( though I have since enjoyed many of those, too). A book, if it arrives before you at the right moment, in the proper season, at an internal in the daily business of things, will change the course of all that follows.15.The author thought that Mr. Ballou was ______________.A. rich but meanB. poor but politeC. honest but forgettableD.strong but lazy16. Before his encounter with Mr. Ballou, the author used to read _____________.A. anything and everythingB. only what was given to himC. only serious novelsD. nothing in the summer17. The author found the first book Mr. Ballou gave him _____________.A. light-heated and enjoyableB. dull but well writtenC. impossible to put downD. difficult to understand18. From what he said to the author, we can gather that Mr. Ballou _______________.A. read all books twiceB. did not do much readingC. read more books than he keptD. preferred to read hardbound books19. The following year the author _______________.A. started studying anthropology at collegeB. continued to cut Mr. Ballou’s lawnC. spent most of his time lazing away in a hammockD. had forgotten what he had read the summer before20. The author’s main point is that _____________.A. summer jobs are really good for young peopleB. you should insist on being paid before you do a jobC. a good book can change the direction of your lifeD. a book is like a garden carried in the pocket.1--4 BBCA 5--9 DDAAB 10--14 DCBAD 15--20 BACCBC。

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山西省太原双语中学2012届高考英语专题精选阅读理解强化训练集（三十二）阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项。

AAn idea that started in Seattle's public library has spread throughout America and beyond. The concept is simple: help to build a sense of community in a city by getting everyone to read the same book at the same time.In addition to encouraging reading as a pursuit (追求) to be enjoyed by all, the program allows strangers to communicate by discussing the book on the bus, as well as promoting reading as an experience to be shared in families and schools. The idea came from Seattle librarian Nancy Pearl who launched (发起）the "If All of Seattle Read the Same Book " project in 1998. Her original program used author visits, study guides and book discussion groups to bring people together with a book, but the idea has since expanded to many other American cities, and even to Hong Kong.In Chicago, the mayor appeared on television to announce the choice of To Kill a Mockingbird as the first book in the "One Book, One Chicago" program. As a result, reading clubs and neighborhood groups sprang up around the city. Across the US, stories emerged of parents and children reading to each other at night and strangers chatting away on the bus about plot and character.The only problem arose in New York , where local readers could not decide on one book to represent the huge and diverse population. This may show that the idea works best in medium-sized cities or large towns, where a greater sense of unity(一致）can be achieved .Or it may show that New Yorkers rather missed the point ,putting all their energy and passion into the choice of the book rather than discussion about a book itself.Ultimately, as Nancy points out, the level of success is not measured by how many people read a book, but by how many people are enriched by the process or have enjoyed speaking to someone with whom they would not otherwise have shared a word.1. What is the purpose of the project launched by Nancy?A. To invite authors to guide readers.B. To encourage people to read and share.C. To involve people in community service.D. To promote the friendship between cities.2. Why was it difficult for New Yorkers to carry out the project?A. They had little interest in reading.B. They were too busy to read a book.C. They came from many different backgroundsD. They lacked support from the local government3. According to the passage, where would the project be more easily carried out?A. In large communities with little sense of unityB. In large cities where libraries are far from homeC. In medium-sized cities with a diverse populationD. In large towns where agreement can be quickly reached4. The underlined words “shared a word” in Paragraph 5 probably meanA. exchanged ideas with each otherB. discussed the meaning of a wordC. gamed life experienceD. used the same language5. According to Nancy, the degree of success of the project is judged byA. the careful selection of a proper bookB. the growing popularity of the writersC. the number of people who benefit from reading.D. the number of books that each person reads.BMany parents have learned the hard way that what sounds like open communicationis often the very thing that closes a youngster’s ears and mouth. One common mistakeis the Lecture, the long monologue that often starts with “When I was your age….” Eighteen-year-old Kelly calls lectures “long, one-side discussions in which I don’t say much.”Kids reflexively（条件反射地） shut down in the face of a lecture. Their eyes glaze over（呆滞）, and they don’t register any incoming information. Listen to 13-year-old Sarah describe her least favorite times with her mom and dad. “First, they scream. Then comes the ‘We’re so disappointed’ speech. Then the ‘I never did that to my parents’ lecture begins. After that, even if they realize how ridiculous they sound, they never take it back.”Lines like “When you have children of your own, you’ll understand” have been seriously said by parents since time immemorial. But many of our expert parents, like Bobby, a registered nurse and mother of three, feel that by falling back on clichés （陈词滥调） to justify our actions, we weaken our position.Since kids are creatures of here and now, the far-off future has no relevance to them. Therefore, good communicators like Bobby suggest, “Give specific reasons for your actions in present language: ‘I’m not letting you go to the party because I don’t think there will be enough adult supervisions（监护）.’”Betty, who lives in Missiouri, uses an indirect approach. “I find that warnings are accepted more readily if I discuss a news article on a subject I am concerned about. My husband and I talk about it while our children absorb the information. Then they never think I’m preaching(布道).”This really helped when Betty’s kids began driving. Instead of constantly repeating “Don’t drink; don’t speed,” she would ta lk about articles in the paper and express sympathy for the victims of a car crash. Betty made no special effort to draw her kids into the conversation. She depended on a teenager’s strong desire to put in his opinions---especially if he thinks he isn’t be ing asked for them. 6. The purpose of the passage is to _________.A. compare two ways of parents` communicating with their kidsB. give parents advice on how to communicate with their kidsC. explain why kids won’t listen to their parents.D. introduce kids` reaction to the communication between them and their parents7. Which of the following statements is NOT right?A. Kids won’t listen to their parents because they think what their parents say is boring.B. Many kids think they have no right to express their own opinions.C. Some kids think their parents should apologize when they are wrong.D. Kids don’t like any discussion at all.8. What does the underlined word in the first paragraph mean?A. 独白B. 对话 C. 插话 D. 讨论9. Which of the following topic may appeal to kids?A. Parents` own experienceB. Kids possible life in the futureC. Something related to kids’ present lif eD. What parents have done to their own parents.10. In order to make kids follow their advice, parents should______.A. tell their kids to listen carefullyB. set out their warnings directlyC. list out as many examples as possibleD. arouse kids’ desire to express themselves.CWe keep reading that TV is bad for you. If this is true, how come the current generation of TV-addicted kids is much smarter than we are? In my home, the only people who can work the remote control are the children.Perhaps TV does educate you. For example, you learn a useful medical fact: A person who has been shot always has time to speak an incomplete sentence before he dies. “The killer was…” (dies)But I guess the biggest things we learn from TV can be regarde d as “Life Skills”. Bad things only happen on dark and stormy nights. Emotional breakdowns cause people to wander in the heavy rain without umbrellas. And contrary to what scientists say, the crack(霹雳) of lightning and the accompanying flash happen at exactly the same time, wherever you are.I’ve even acquired useful geographical facts from science-fiction shows: Aliens speak English no matter which planet they come from.Making use of what we learn from TV can improve our security. Consider these truths. If you are ever attacked by 20 bad guys, don’t worry about being outnumbered. Thecriminals will hang back and take turns to approach you in ones and twos just so you can conveniently defeat them all. Bad guys who are completely covered in black clothes always remove their black masks to reveal that they are in fact, aha, women.TV also teaches us important information about escaping from danger. Watch and learn. (1) If anyone is running after you down a passage, you will find that boxes have been conveniently placed near all the walls you need to jump over. (2) If you are tall and handsome, you can run from any number of armed criminals, and every shot will miss you.Be warned, however. If your name c ard says “henchman” (帮凶) and you are part of a group of plain-looking people trying to catch a handsome individual, a single shot will kill you. But don’t be anxious: TV also delivers useful information for bad guys. All cars are inflammable (易燃的) and have amazing shock absorbers that enable them to fly into the air and land without damage — except police cars.TV even teaches us about TV. Whenever anyone turns on a TV, it shows a news flash about someone they know. They then turn the box off immediately after that news item.11. By saying “A person who has been shot always has time to speak an incomplete sentencebefore he dies” (Paragraph 2), the writer shows his________.A. humorB. sympathyC. deep concernD. medical knowledge12. We can learn from Paragraph 3 that in the real world_______.A. bad things cause people to break down in the rainB. bad things never happen on dark and stormy nightsC. people with emotional problems like to walk in the rain without umbrellasD. the crack of lightning and the ac companying flash don’t happen at the same time13. On TV what usually happens when a person turns it on?A. The news shown is always about someone the person knows.B. The person always turns off the TV when it’s time for news.C. The program shown is always about the importance of TV.D. TV always shows news about famous people.14. What’s the main idea of this passage?A. Life skills can be learned from TV.B. TV plays an important role in society.C. Watching TV makes people more creative.D. What happens in TV is very different from reality.15. The writer of this passage takes a(n) _______ attitude towards TV plays.A. positiveB. casualC. negativeD. indifferentDMANILA, Philippines (AP) —Villagers and veteran hunters have captured a one-tonsaltwater crocodile which they plan to make the star of a planned ecotourism park in a southern Philippine town, an official said Monday.Mayor Edwin Cox Elorde said dozens of villagers and experts captured the 21-foot (6.4-meter) male crocodile along a creek in Bunawan township in Agusan del Sur province after a three-week hunt. It could be one of the largest crocodiles to be captured alive in recent years, he said, quoting local crocodile experts.Elorde said the crocodile killed a water buffalo in an attack witnessed by villagers last month and was also suspected of having attacked a fisherman who went missing in July.He said he sought the help of experts at a crocodile farm in western Palawan province."We were nervous but it's our duty to deal with a threat to the villagers," Elorde told The Associated Press by telephone. "When I finally stood before it, I couldn't believe my eyes."After initial sightings at a creek, the hunters set four traps, which the crocodile destroyed. They then used sturdier traps using steel cables, one of which finally caught the enormous reptile late Saturday, he said.About 100 people had to pull the crocodile, which weighs about 2,370 pounds (1,075 kilograms), from the creek to a clearing where a crane lifted it into a truck, he said.The crocodile was placed in a fenced cage in an area where the town plans to build an ecotourism park for species found in a vast marshland(沼泽地) in Agusan, an impoverished region about 515 miles (830 kilometers) southeast of Manila, Elorde said."It will be the biggest star of the park," Elorde said, adding that villagers were happy that they would be able to turn the dangerous crocodile "from a threat into an asset."Despite the catch, villagers remain cautious because several crocodiles still roam the outskirts of the farming town of about 37,000 people.They have been told to avoid venturing into marshy areas alone at night, Elorde said.16. What can we infer from the passage?A. The villagers captured the crocodile by chance.B. The crocodile the villagers have captured is the largest crocodile captured in recent years.C. The town has already built an ecotourism park for the crocodile.D. Not all the crocodile live in saltwater.17. What can we know about the crocodiles in this area according to the passage?A. The crocodiles in the area are very friendly to the villagers.B. The crocodiles usually wander about in the center of the town.C. The crocodiles in the town have become a threat to the villagers.D. The capture of the male crocodile took three months.18. What happened to the crocodile after it was captured?A. It was sent to the ecotourism park for species found in a vast marshland.B. It was sent back to the wilderness.C. It was kept in a fenced cage.D. It became the biggest star in the park.19. When Elorde finally stood before the crocodile, how did he feel?A. Nervous.B. Proud.C. Shocked.D. Happy.20. In Elorde’s opini on, the existence of the crocodile in the wild in this area is __________.A. threateningB. puzzlingC. reasonableD. suspecting BCDAC BDACD ADADC DCCCA。

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