It is a wonderful morning, as I write this: hot, but without being too hot.Outsi

It is a wonderful morning, as I write this: hot, but without being too hot.Outsi

题型:不详难度:来源:
It is a wonderful morning, as I write this: hot, but without being too hot.Outside my window, I can see the sunniest sky of the year reflected in a huge natural expand of water.It is the kind of sun that makes you well aware of summer"s temporary nature a reminder that if I am ever to go around to book this year"s holiday, time is running out.
It is now close to four years since I last took a holiday.This is because I have come to the conclusion, over the course of my adult life, that I am not very good at it.You might say this sounds like saying you are not very good at drinking tea or listening to music.What could possibly be difficult about the natural act of putting your working life on hold for a couple of weeks and going somewhere to do nothing?
So what is my problem? On the surface, I"m probably a bit of homebody.And I just find the pressure of being on holiday too severe: it always feels like having a gun held to my head and being forced to have fun.Somehow, packing a carefully itemized(详细列举的)list of possessions and meeting a scheduled flight has none of the excitement of suddenly deciding to take a day off and driving somewhere for the fun of it.
Thankfully, I am not alone. This summer, most of my friends have decided not to have a break. And a recent survey highlighted the downside(负面)of holidays, with the results showing that nearly two thirds of people found that the calming effects of a holiday wore off within 24 hours, as stress levels returned to normal.And this year"s the Idler magazine published its hook, Awful Holidays.Here you will find a list of the five most ecologically-damaging vacations it"s possible to take, along with 50 horrible holidays experiences voted for on the idler website. Over the last decade, The Idler has become well known for promoting the idea of an easy, lazy life.The leisure(休闲)industry might seem an unlikely target of its criticism, but Dan Kienan, the book " s editor, says that he was flooded with entries from readers for his list of awful holidays.
小题1:According to the first paragraph we can know that the writer        
A.has a strong desire to book a holiday
B.wishes that the weather would change
C.finds it is too late to enjoy the sunshine
D.realizes it"s time to decide whether to go on a holiday
小题2:The reason why the writer dislikes going on holidays is that         
A.it usually costs too much money
B.he is tired of making preparations too much for holidays
C.it is far less enjoyable than breaks planned in advance
D.he feels embarrassed when other people are having fun but he isn"t
小题3:We can learn from the survey that        
A.most people pretend to enjoy their holiday
B.all people fail to relax while they are on holiday
C.a lot of people feel that the benefits of going on holidays are limited
D.many people have made the same decision as the writer and most of his friends
小题4:The writer takes the book of Awful Holidays as an example to       
A.damage the reputation of the magazine
B.prove the idea of living an easy, lazy life to be wrong
C.indicate that his dislike of holidays is widely shared
D.focus entirely on bad personal experiences of holidays

答案

小题1:D
小题2:B
小题3:C
小题4:C
解析

试题分析: 作者看着窗外的太阳,感受着这美好的时光,想起了以往这个时候都会去度假。然而现在作者不太想度假了,因为本该休闲的假期,却应度假更劳累。
小题1:D。作者态度观点题。根据第一段It is the kind of sun that makes you well aware of summer"s temporary nature a reminder that if I am ever to go around to book this year"s holiday, time is running out.可知,窗外的太阳 提醒作者这是个夏天度假的好时间。故猜测作者想要度假。故选D。
小题2:B。推理判断题。根据第三段Somehow, packing a carefully itemized(详细列举的)list of possessions and meeting a scheduled flight has none of the excitement of suddenly deciding to take a day off and driving somewhere for the fun of it.可知度假前详细的准备工作让作者失去了对假期的期待。故选B。
小题3:C。推理判断题。根据最后一段And a recent survey highlighted the downside(负面)of holidays, with the results showing that nearly two thirds of people found that the calming effects of a holiday wore off within 24 hours, as stress levels returned to normal.最近的一个调查显示了度假的负面影响。调查结果显示将近三分之二的人们认为假期带来的美好感觉在24小时内消耗殆尽,紧张感又重新回到生活。也就是说人们认为度假的好处是有限的。故选C。
小题4:C。作者意图题。根据最后一段Thankfully, I am not alone. This summer, most of my friends have decided not to have a break. And a recent survey highlighted the downside(负面)of holidays, with the results showing that nearly two thirds of people found that the calming effects of a holiday wore off within 24 hours, as stress levels returned to normal.通过调查说明了很多人和他一样,都认为度假的负面影响大于它带来的快乐。所以作者认为他并不孤独。故选C。
举一反三
When I was eight, I wrote my first poem.My mother read and cried, "Buddy, you didn"t really write this beautiful poem!"
Shyly, but        ,I said yes.She poured out her      ."It was nothing short of talent!"
”What time will Father be home?" I asked.I could hardly wait to     my work to him.I spent quite some time       for his arrival.I wrote the poem out in my finest flourish(花体字)’drew a fancy border around it and     I placed it right on my father"s plate on the dining table. My father had begun his motion-picture career as a writer.1 was sure he would be able to      my poem.
At almost 7 o"clock my father burst in.He seemed      .He circled the dining-room table, complaining about his employees.
Suddenly he paused and glared at his plate."What is this?" He was reaching for my poem.
¨Ben, Buddy has written his first poem!” my mother began. "And it"s beautiful, absolutely amaz…”
“If you don"t mind, I"d like to decide for myself." Father said.
I      my head as he read that poem. It was only ten lines.But it seemed to take hours.Then I heard him dropping the poem back on the table. Now came the moment of     
“I think it"s terrible," he said.
I couldn"t look up. My eyes were getting      
“Ben, these are the first lines of poetry he"s ever written," my mother was saying. "He needs       ,”
“I don"t know why." My father held his ground. "Isn"t there enough      poetry in the world already? "
I couldn"t      it another second. I ran from the dining room crying. Up in my room I         myself on the bed and cried the worst of the      out of me.
That may have been the end of the story, but not of its      for me. I realized how fortunate I had been. I had a mother who said, "I think it"s wonderful!" and a father who drove me to hear with "I think it"s awful."
Every one of us needs that mother force, from which all     flows; and yet the mother force alone is incomplete. It needs the balance of the force that      ,"Watch. Listen. Review. Improve."
Those       voices of my childhood ring in my ears through the years, like two opposing winds blowing me. Between the two poles of     and doubt, both in the name of love, I try to follow my true course.
小题1:
A.proudlyB.slowlyC.anxiouslyD.honestly
小题2:
A.praiseB.surpriseC.criticismD.belief
小题3:
A.reciteB.showC.describeD.introduce
小题4:
A.waitingB.planningC.prayingD.preparing
小题5:
A.quicklyB.confidentlyC.nervouslyD.casually
小题6:
A.readB.reviseC.appreciateD.polish
小题7:
A.upsetB.calmC.tiredD.relaxed
小题8:
A.shookB.raisedC.loweredD.turned
小题9:
A.truthB.struggleC.decisionD.discussion
小题10:
A.wetB.wideC.darkD.bright
小题11:
A.practiceB.judgmentC.instructionD.encouragement
小题12:
A.awfulB.elegantC.fluentD.controversial
小题13:
A.holdB.seeC.standD.control
小题14:
A.seatedB.threwC.leftD.kept
小题15:
A.confusionB.pressureC.tirednessD.disappointment
小题16:
A.significanceB.developmentC.difficultyD.challenge
小题17:
A.failureB.honorC.creationD.improvement
小题18:
A.ordersB.persuadesC.cautionsD.declares
小题19:
A.conflictingB.warningC.disturbingD.inspiring
小题20:
A.confidenceB.confirmationC.distrustD.disapproval

题型:不详难度:| 查看答案


Beatrix Potter was a great English writer and artist, best known for her children"s books featuring animal characters such as in the children"s classic—The Tale of Peter Rabbit.
Beatrix was born into a rich London­based family where she was tutored by very strict private teachers and so spent her youth isolated from other youngsters. During her youth she had a lot of pets and spent vacations in Scotland and also the Lake District. It was at the Lake District that she developed a love of wildlife. She studied the area"s natural wonders carefully and painted them continuously.  But her old­fashioned, Manchester­born parents discouraged her intellectual improvement, thinking it inappropriate for a young lady. However, her study and watercolour paintings of wild mushrooms made her widely respected within the field of biology.
In her 30"s, Beatrix Potter wrote the remarkably successful kid"s book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Close to that time she became secretly engaged to her publisher Norman Warne. This caused a great disagreement with her parents, who did not approve of Beatrix getting married to somebody of lower social status. Sadly, Warne died before the marriage ceremony.
Ultimately Beatrix Potter began writing and also illustrating (绘图) kid"s books full­time. Using profits from her books, Beatrix grew to become economically independent of her parents and was eventually in a position to buy Hill Top Farm in the Lake District.  She extended  the property with additional purchases of neighbouring land over time. In her 40"s, Beatrix married William Heelis, a local lawyer. She ended up becoming a sheep breeder and farmer while continuing to publish as well as illustrate books for children. In all she authored 23 publications.
Beatrix died on December 22, 1943, and left the majority of her property to the National Trust. Her books carry on selling well globally, in many different languages. Her stories have been retold in numerous formats including a ballet, movies, and cartoons.
Such is her reputation, and that of the characters from her publications, that many Beatrix Potter statues have been created.  These tiny Beatrix Potter statues which include pretty much all the actual characters in her publications have become highly valued by art collectors and fans of her literature throughout the world.
小题1:What can we learn about Beatrix Potter"s early life?
A.She learned drawing skills from her tutors.
B.She was very sociable and outgoing.
C.She was greatly inspired by the beauty of nature.
D.She was encouraged to think creatively and independently.
小题2:Why did Beatrix Potter"s parents oppose the idea of her marriage to Norman    Warne?
A.They did not believe she was mature enough to get married.
B.They thought Warne was only interested in Beatrix Potter"s wealth.
C.They believed that the couple"s characters were mismatched.
D.They considered Warne to be too common for their daughter.
小题3:According to the passage, which part of the UK did Beatrix Potter love most?
A.Manchester.      B.Scotland.
C.The Lake District.D.London.
小题4:In which of the following areas did Beatrix Potter show an interest during her life?
A.Writing, biology, farming.
B.Drawing, nature, ballet.
C.Movies, farming, drawing.
D.Writing, mushrooms, travel.
小题5:What is the function of the last two paragraphs of the passage?
A.To describe the consequences of Beatrix Potter"s death.
B.To present the lasting cultural influence of Beatrix Potter and her works.
C.To show the changes in attitude towards Beatrix Potter"s works over the past years.
D.To criticise the commercialization of Beatrix Potter"s characters since her death.

题型:不详难度:| 查看答案
Steven Spielberg was not  a scholar, and his classmates teased him. Rather than read,  the kid really preferred running around with an 8mm camera, shooting home­made movies, which he showed to friends for a small fee.
In his first year of high school, he dropped out. But  when his parents persuaded him to return, he was mistakenly placed in a learning­disabled class, which lasted one  month. Only when the family moved to another town did he  land up in a more suitable high school, where he eventually  graduated.
After being denied entrance into a traditional film­making school, Steven Spielherg enrolled in English at California State University at Long Beach. Then in 1965, he  recalls, in one of those serendipitous moments, his life  took a complete turn. Visiting Universal Studios, he met  Chuck Silvers, an executive in the editorial department. Silvers liked the kid who made 8mm films and invited him  back sometime to visit.
He appeared the next day. Spielberg, dressed in a dark  suit, carrying his father"s briefcase with nothing inside but  a sandwich and candy bars walked confidently up to the  guard at the gate of Universal and gave him a casual wave.  The guard waved back. He was in.
“For the entire summer,” Spielberg remembers, “I  dressed in my suit and hung out with the directors and  writers, including Silvers, who knew the kid wasn"t a studio employee, but winked at him. I even found an office  that wasn"t being used, and became a squatter (擅自占用他人房子的人). I bought some plastic tiles and put my  name  in  the  building  directory:  Steven  Spielberg,  Room 23C.”
It paid off for everyone. Ten years later, the 28­year­old Spielberg directed Jaws, which took in $470 million,   then the biggest grossing movie of all time. Dozens of films   and awards have followed because Steven Spielberg knew   what his teachers didn"t—talent is in the eyes of the filmmaker.
小题1:Why was Steven Spielberg laughed at by his classmates?
A.He was the youngest boy.
B.He was too short for his age.
C.He liked to fight with other boys.
D.He didn"t care much about his lessons.
小题2:Why did Steven"s friends pay him some money?
A.To see his movies.
B.To use his camera.
C.To look at his photos.
D.To include them in the movie.
小题3:What did Steven Spielberg intend to do after graduating     from high school?
A.Study English at a college.
B.Become a newspaper editor.
C.Work for Universal Studios.
D.Go to a traditional film­making school.
小题4:What could have changed Steven Spielberg"s life?
A.Being dressed in a suit.
B.Meeting Chuck Silvers.
C.Missing a film­making school.
D.Working for Universal Studios.
小题5:What can we learn from the story?
A.Always follow our dream and we can make it.
B.We need someone to help us realize our dreams.
C.Anyone can become a film director if he wants to.
D.We should grasp the opportunity that comes our way.

题型:不详难度:| 查看答案
Scientists in UK have grown a living human "brain". The team at Aston University created tiny bunch of cells which act like a mini nervous system.
They believe it could help find a cure for worse mental conditions like Parkinson’s disease. Professor Michael Coleman is leading the research program. He explained, "We are aiming to be able to study the human brain at the most basic level, using an actual living human cell system. Cells have to be alive and operating efficiently to enable us to really understand how the brain works. "The experiment involves changing cells from a cancer tumour (肿瘤)and making them behave like brain cells.
Although far from finished, researchers hope the false brain cells will give them a greater understanding of how real brains work. This, in turn, could significantly further research into conditions which affect the brain. Neil Hunt, chief leader of the research group, said, "It is still very early days, but in the future the research could lead to a useful tool for looking into dementia (痴呆)."
The technique could also provide a way to carry on animal test and is being supported by the Humane Research Trust (HRT). The scientists predict that over the next ten years a million people will develop dementia. Professor Coleman believes their findings could change this. He said,"We hope our research will provide scientists with a new and highly relational human experimental model to help them understand the brain better and develop new drugs to control the related disease. However, the biggest challenge at present is that we are greatly short of fund, which will slow our research."
小题1:UK scientists grow a living human "brain" in order to ______.
A.study the structure of human brain
B.make use of living human cell system
C.discover how human brain really works
D.separate cells from a cancer tumour
小题2: According to Neil Hunt, research into brain cells ______.
A.will get finished as early as possible
B.will make people discover dementia
C.will affect the brain growth in many ways
D.will help to treat some diseases in nerve system
小题3: From the last paragraph,we can know that ______
A.the technique provided by HRT is immature
B.animal tests are no longer allowed by law
C.a million people suffer from brain diseases
D.the research program lacks financial support
小题4: The text is intended to ______.
A.tell us about a breakthrough in medical research
B.introduce a research program in human"s brain
C.introduce the progress of drugs for dementia
D.tell us about health problem in nerve system

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Phil Donahue,the former television talk show host,had something of a reputation for giving clergy(神职人员)a hard time,and he has said the reason he’s that way is that he has little respect for them.Most clergy will do anything for some media attention,he says.In his autobiography(自传),however, he tells about an encounter with a minister who was different.It happened while Donahue was a young television reporter in Ohio,and one day he was sent to West Virginia in the bitter cold winter to cover a mine disaster.He went by himself in a battered little car, carrying a mini camera to film the story.
It was so cold when he got there,however, the camera wouldn’t work.So he put it inside his coat to warm it up enough to run.In the meantime,the families of the trapped miners were gathered around.The),were just simple mining people—women,old men,and children.Several of the trapped men were fathers.
Then the local minister arrived.He was tall and thin,and he didn’t speak well at a11.But he gathered all the families around in a circle,and the held one another in their arms while he prayed for them.
As this was going on,Donahue was still trying to get his camera to work,and he was extremely disappointed because he couldn’t film the scene.Finally,after the prayer was over,Donahue managed to get his camera operating.So he told the minister he had his camera working now and asked if the minister would please do the prayer again so he could film it for the evening news.
This simple West Virginia preacher, however,told Donahue,“Young man,we don’t pray for the news.I’m sorry,but we’ve already prayed,and I will not pose.”
To this day,Donahue remembers that minister with respect.You don’t forget that kind of character,no matter who you are or what you believe.
小题1:We can learn from Paragraph 1 that Donahue _______________.
A.used to show much respect for clergy
B.thinks most clergy tend to attract media attention
C.used to have a hard time dealing with clergy
D.always misunderstands clergy
小题2:For what purpose did Donahue go to West Virginia one day?
A.To report on an accident.
B.To rescue the miners.
C.To film the praying of a minister.
D.To witness a disaster.
小题3:What do we know about Donahue’s camera?
A.It was advanced and hard to operate.
B.The low temperature prevented it working properly.
C.It was all right before the prayer started.
D.It needed to be repaired.
小题4:What did the minister refuse to do?
A.To pray for the accident.
B.To make up the news.
C.To cooperate with the reporter.
D.To pray for the trapped miners on TV
小题5:What’s the main idea of the passage?
A.The clergy are having a hard time.
B.Praying saved the trapped miners.
C.A minister who gains Donahue’s respect.
D.A mine disaster happened in Virginia.

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