北外老师介绍的英语阅读佳篇To Ask or Not to Ask

高三英语阅读理解文章结构题单选题30题1.The author starts the passage with a question to _____.A.attract readers' attentionB.provide background informationC.introduce the main topicD.show the importance of the issue答案：A。

本题考查文章开头以问题开头的作用。

选项A，以问题开头通常是为了吸引读者的注意力，让读者产生好奇心从而继续阅读文章。

例如“Have you ever wondered why the sky is blue?”这样的问题会引发读者思考并想知道答案，进而继续阅读文章。

选项B，提供背景信息一般不是以问题开头的主要作用。

选项C，问题不一定直接引入主题，可能只是引起兴趣后再引入主题。

选项D，以问题开头不一定直接表明问题的重要性。

2.The first paragraph of the article begins with a story. This is to _____.A.make the article more interestingB.support the main argumentC.give an exampleD.provide historical context答案：A。

以故事开头通常是为了使文章更有趣，吸引读者。

比如以一个有趣的小故事开头，能让读者更容易投入到文章中。

选项B，故事开头不一定直接支持主要论点。

选项C，故事开头不一定是为了举例说明。

选项D，一般故事开头不是为了提供历史背景。

3.The article starts with a quote to _____.A.emphasize the author's pointB.show the author's knowledgeC.inspire readersD.provide an expert opinion答案：A。

When it comes to purchasing books,there are several factors to consider to ensure you make the most informed decision.Here are some tips to guide you through the process:1.Identify Your Needs:Before you start shopping,know what youre looking for.Are you buying for academic purposes,leisure reading,or professional development?This will help you narrow down your search.2.Research the Author and Genre:Look into the authors background and reputation,as well as the genre of the book.Check reviews and ratings to get an idea of the books content and quality.3.Consider the Edition:If youre buying textbooks or academic books,be aware of the edition.Sometimes,older editions are cheaper but may not include the most recent updates or information.4.Check the Condition:If youre buying secondhand books,inspect them for any damage that might affect your reading experience.Look for underlined text,missing pages,or water damage.5.Budget:Set a budget for your book purchase.Books can be expensive,especially if they are new releases or hardcover editions.Be prepared to compromise on certain aspects if youre on a tight budget.6.Look for Deals:Keep an eye out for sales,discounts,and special promotions.Many bookstores offer discounts during certain times of the year,such as Black Friday or endofsemester sales.7.Consider Digital Options:eBooks and audiobooks can be a more costeffective and spacesaving alternative to physical books.They are also often available instantly,which can be a great advantage.8.Support Local Bookstores:If possible,try to support your local bookstores.They often have a more curated selection and can provide personalized recommendations.9.Read Sample Chapters:If the bookstore allows it,read a few pages or a chapter to get a feel for the writing style and content.This can help you decide if the book is right for you.10.Ask for Recommendations:Dont hesitate to ask for advice from friends,teachers,or bookstore staff.They may have insights or suggestions that you hadnt considered.11.Resell Value:If youre buying books that you plan to resell,such as textbooks, consider their resale value.Some books hold their value better than others.12.Diversity in Reading:Try to diversify your reading by exploring different authors, genres,and cultural perspectives.This can enrich your understanding and appreciation of literature.Remember,the most important thing is to choose books that you will enjoy and that will contribute to your personal or professional growth.Happy reading!。

高一英语学业规划步骤练习题50题1. When you listen to English tapes, you should try to catch the key words. What is the key word in the following sentence? "I went to the park and played basketball with my friends."A. parkB. basketballC. friendsD. went答案：A。

本题中，“park”是关键信息，因为整句话围绕“去公园”展开，后面提到在公园和朋友打篮球。

选项B“basketball”只是在公园做的事情之一；选项C“friends”是一起打篮球的人；选项D“went”是一个动作，不具有关键信息的代表性。

听力技巧：在听的时候要注意抓住关键信息，通常名词比较容易成为关键信息。

2. In a listening passage, you hear "She likes reading books and watching movies. But she prefers reading books." What does she like more?A. reading booksB. watching moviesC. both equallyD. neither答案：A。

文中明确提到“she prefers reading books”，所以她更喜欢读书。

选项B“watching movies”是她喜欢的但不是更喜欢的；选项C“both equally”与原文不符；选项D“neither”错误。

听力技巧：注意转折词“but”后面的内容通常是重点。

3. While listening to an English dialogue, you hear "I will go to the store after I finish my homework." When will the person go to the store?A. nowB. laterC. neverD. yesterday答案：B。

北外教授丁往道告诉你英语写作最重要注重写的练习。

强调听和说，听说领先，是对的；经常阅读，大量阅读，也是必要的。

但对于排在“四会”末尾的“写”，千万不要认为它可有可无。

“写”在学英语的过程中有其特别重要和不可替代的作用。

只要是写一篇短文，就得思考内容和观点，组织材料，安排层次，斟酌词句，这是极好的锻炼。

而且写对语言的正确性和表达的准确性的要求比口语要高些，因为可以考虑和修改。

这对提高语言质量十分有益。

要关心中国文化。

中国人都应关心中国文化，主修英语或别的外语的朋友们更要注意对中国文化的学习和钻研，因为在外语上用很多时间，可能会忽略中国文化的学习，结果是对所学语言国家的情况和文化特点知道得多，而对中国的文化特点知道得反而少。

中国文化源远流长，有很多宝贵的成份，我们应该珍视这份遗产，努力予以发扬光大。

中考书面表达专题指导：说明文说明文是中考写作题中常见的形式。

主要目的在于对所写事物进行解释，回答"为什么"或"怎么样"。

在初中阶段说明文主要的是让学生将活动、人物或地点进行清楚的描述，考察学生的观察能力和将表格或所给提示词转化为完整文字信息的能力。

说明文具有直观，具体等特点；它要求语言简明扼要，通俗易懂，说明过程讲究条理性和层次性。

常见的说明文考题有以下两种形式：1. 通过图表式形式，将所要说明的人物或事物的信息特点表达出来，如介绍一个新的同学或朋友，介绍如何使用某一具体的器材等。

2. 以提纲式呈现写作材料，主要是根据汉语提示来完成写作。

怎样写出一篇合要求的说明文？一审。

要做到文章切题、要点齐全，审题至关重要。

同学们在下笔之前就要将所给的材料看清楚，看准材料所要表达的内容或情景，写出符合要求的文章，如果提示语较多，就要严格按照要求来写。

二定。

一定要点：根据所给材料要点，定出中心句。

要特别注意首尾句，注意适当发挥，避免逐字逐句翻译。

二定方法：常用的说明方法有举例法、过程分析法、分类法、因果分析法、比较法、细节法等。

2023年北京重点校高三（上）期末英语汇编阅读表达一、阅读表达（2023秋·北京顺义·高三统考期末）阅读下面短文，根据题目要求用英文回答问题。

请在答题卡指定区域作答。

Ghanim Al-Muftah, 2022 Qatar World Cup Ambassador(大使), was born on May 5, 2002, with a rare condition known as Caudal Regression Syndrome, which causes its patients to be born without the lower half of the body.Naturally, one would expect him to use a wheelchair, but he insists on moving around on his hands because he believes that he should make use of everything with which he is blessed rather than focus on what he doesn’t have.While Ghanim was growing up, he found it difficult to attend school initially because his classmates played jokes on him. Nevertheless, his mom encouraged him to speak to these classmates, teach them about his condition, and raise awareness for the community. Ghanim has gone further at accepting his condition.Ghanim has overcome all kinds of difficulties in his life, yet, there is still one issue Ghanim must continually deal with-many medical treatments and surgery. Despite these routine medical treatments, he knows that with faith, commitment and hard work he will be free to accomplish his ambitions. Ghanim refused to let his condition stop his thirst for life and took on various sports-tackling everything from scuba diving, rock climbing to skateboarding. It is this exemplary take and attitudes towards life that have earned him the love, respect, and admiration of millions of people in Qatar and across the globe.Currently in university studying political science, Al Muftah hopes to become a diplomat one day. He is also a major social media star, with millions of followers on social media. And he spoke about his future ambitions on the university’s website, saying, “I hope to help raise public awareness on disability rights; foster respect for disabled persons and through the process promote more inclusive and tolerant societies.”1．Why does Ghanim insist on walking with his hands instead of using a wheelchair?2．What problem does Ghanim have to handle continually?3．Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.Ghanim believes he will accomplish his ambitions through taking on a range of sports and speaking out on social media.4．While Ghanim has earned respect of people across the globe, how do you earn respect of people around you? (In about 40 words)（2023秋·北京朝阳·高三统考期末）阅读下面短文，根据题目要求用英文回答问题。

给外教提英语阅读意见的英语作文Dear English Teacher,I hope you are doing well! I wanted to write to you about the books we have been reading in class for English. I really like learning English and reading the stories, but I have some thoughts on the books we could read that I hope you'll consider.The first thing I'll say is that I like when the books have pictures or illustrations. The pictures really help me understand what is happening in the story. When there are no pictures, it can be hard for me to imagine the characters and setting just from the words. The pictures also make it more fun and engaging for me as a reader. My favorite books are the ones with colorful, detailed pictures on every page.I also prefer when the books have fairly simple language and vocabulary words. I'm still learning English, so books with really advanced words I don't know can be frustrating and make it harder for me to follow along. I like when there are just a few more difficult words per book that I can learn. My English gets better when I can understand most of the words and phrases.Another thing I appreciate is when the books have relatable characters and storylines. Books about kids my age doing regularthings like going to school, playing sports, or having adventures with friends are a lot of fun for me to read. I can imagine myself in those situations. Books with crazy fantasy worlds or historical stuff from long ago are harder for me to connect with.As for topics of the books, I have a few preferences there too.I really enjoy books that are funny and make me laugh. Humor is great and makes reading way more enjoyable. I also like books with a little bit of a mystery or problem that gets solved - kind of like a mini-detective story. And books that teach me something new about animals, science, different cultures or far away places are super interesting to me.On the other hand, I'm not a huge fan of books that are too scary or have mean characters being bullies or hurting others. I know kids my age can handle a little bit of intensity, but I prefer to avoid really dark, creepy, or violent stories. It's just not as much fun for me.I also have a hard time when the books are part of a long, ongoing series. If I miss reading one book, then I'm really confused when I read the next one. I prefer when each book has a full story contained in just that one book, making it easier to follow along.As for the actual books we've read so far this year, I'll share some thoughts:I really enjoyed "The Day My Crayons Quit" because it was so imaginative and funny seeing the crayons coming to life and quitting their jobs. The pictures were amazing too."The Boxcar Children" book was pretty good, but it was hard for me to relate to since it took place a long time ago when kids had to live in a literal boxcar. The vocabulary was a little too advanced for me in some parts.I didn't like "Coraline" at all because it was way too creepy and spooky with the Other Mother villain. It actually gave me nightmares after reading it."The Story of Ruby Bridges" was an important book on civil rights history, but some parts were really sad when she faced racism and hatred from adults. I appreciated learning about that period though.Overall, those are just my opinions as a student! I know you have to choose books that are appropriate for our reading level and educational too. But I hope you'll consider mixing in some more fun, engaging, easy-to-read books that I can really enjoy.Reading is so much better when the book keeps me interested and entertained. Thanks for being an awesome teacher!Your student,[Your name]。

2023外研社杯样题阅读阅读理解是各类考试中常见的题型。

通过阅读理解题，考生可以锻炼自己的阅读能力、理解能力和语言表达能力。

以下是一篇关于阅读理解的样题和解析，帮助考生更好地应对考试。

题目一：阅读下面短文，根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。

选项中有两项为多余选项。

(1) Bilingual education is a system of teaching aimed at students who are not proficient in the language of instruction when they enter the educational system.(2) In bilingual education, the first language, also known as the native language or mother tongue, is used to receive instruction while the second language is learned.(3) Bilingual education has become more popular in recent years.(4) Proponents argue that this system benefits students by allowing them to continue their education in their mother tongue while learning the second language.(5) Critics argue that bilingual education may delay the acquisition of the second language.(6) However, research shows that bilingual education does not hinder language development and can even enhance cognitive abilities.A) Furthermore, bilingual education can help students develop better problem-solving skills.B) Additionally, bilingual education can promote cultural diversity.C) Moreover, bilingual education improves students' overall academic performance.D) On the other hand, bilingual education can be costly to implement.解析：本文主要介绍了双语教育的概念和论点。

II . ReadRead the following passages. Underline the important viewpoir while readin g.1. Why Watch Television?Matthew: Television is undoubtedly a great invent ion, but one of the mainyou've criticisms of it is that people just aren't selectiveenough. I.esley,got a television; how do you pick out the sorts of programmes you want to watch?Lesley: I t.ry and look at the prograxnmes that are on to decide which particular ones interest me, rather than you turning it on a seveno'clock and you leaving it on until half-past eleven when the programmes finish.Matthew: Do you think of television though as a great time-waster? Lesley: Un ...I think it can be a time-waster and it depends on how partic ularpeople are about what they want to see...Mm, it can just be a sort of total amusement for someone and totallve consuming without really considering what it is they're watching.Matthew: Aha, but how do you prevent it coming into your life and taking overyour evenings and at the same time perhaps get . . . get out of the television some of the sort of best things...best programmes that...that undoubtedly are on television?Lesley: Well,I suppose one of the problems is ...will depend on what a per son'slife style is, and that if he has other outside interestswhich are equally important to him as television, he will then, youknow, mm . . . be more careful about which programmeshe wants to watch because he has time which he wants to use forother things.Matthew: Do you think though that... that in . . . in a sense television has killed people's own er...sort of , creativity or their abilityto entertain themselves because if they're bored all they do is justturn on the television?Lesley: Yes, I think that is a danger, and I think that. .in fact is what is happening to a lot of people who use it as their ... their main...umfield of amusement and ... because they don't have other outsideinterests and even when people come round they'll leave the televisionon and not be, you know, particularly interested in talking to them,you Know the television will be the main thing in the room.Matthew: Peter, have you got a television?Peter: I have, in fact I've got two televisions.Matthew: Do you watch them a lot?Peter: Er ... no I...I watch very seldom er ... In fact, I find that I watch television most when I'm most busy, when I'm working hardest and I need some sort of passive way of relaxing, something which requires nothing of me, then I watch television a lot. When I've got more energy left...um ...in my own private time, in my free time, then I find I do moredifferent things. I do things like um reading, or going out, or working on anything . . . my hobbies.Matthew: Do you think though that people can live a perfectly happy life if they haven't got a television?Peter: Oh yes, I think people who don't have a television or people who entertainment.don' t watch television can be expected to be more happy. You canassume I think if they never watch television they are happier people than the people who watch a lot of television,because I think that television goes with the kind of life whichleaves you with nothing tospare, nothing left, you have to be givenpotted, passive entertainment.Matthew: Bot in that case you ...you seem as though you're completely against television, is that true?Peter: No,it's not. I...I have a television in fact,I have two as I said, but er I ... I ...I think there's a dilemma, a difficult situation.Television in itself is very good; a . . . a lot of the informationand a lot of the programmes are very instructive, they introduce youto things you may never have thought of before or never have heard about before. But in watching, it makes you very passive; you sit for hour after hour and you get very receptive and very unquestioning audit seems to me the important thing in life is to be active, to . . . todo things, to think things and to be as creative as possible, and television prevents this.2. Children and TelevisionHousewife: What do I think of television? Um, um, well, um, it keeps the family at home, the kids don't go oot at night so much now, they come st raight in from school most of them, they run in and straight, well the tele vision's on when they come in, I watch it myself during the afternoon. Er, well it's company really and, er, well, then the kids come home, they eat their tea, I have no trouble with them eating their tea because they just ...well, they don't even look at what they eat, they just sit down and, erm, they eat it and they like the programmes and, and it keeps them quiet wh ile I' m cooking the tea for their dad when he comes home an hour later and tea is ready when the news is on when he comes in, and, er and the news is on or perhaps the football match or something, er, they have to be quiet then,they're not very interested in that themselves, they like the cartoons and things but, em, yeah, well, I think television's great, er, we get onmuch better in the house now, um, well, we've got things to talk about, e rm, you know, if I miss a programme, er, if I' m cooking or something in the kitchen, I miss a bit of what's going on, I mean I have the door open so I can hear, but if I miss a bit then they will tell me, and then perhaps later or perhaps the next day we' ll have a chat about it, you know. It gi ves us something to talk about really. Um, I don't think it hurts the kids, I don't think it's a problem, you know, like, er, it stops them, makes their eyes go funny or something, I don't think it,s a problem like rhat. I don't think it's a problem at all. They've... they've learned a lot from television, I think, they're always piping up with questions and learning a lot from t he television.3. Television Is Doing IrreparabIe Harm"Yes, but what did we use to do before there was television?" How oftenwe hear statements like thisl Television hasn't been with us all that long, but we are already beginning to forget what the world was like without it. Before we admitted the one-eyed monster into our homes, we never foun d it difficult to occi.spy our spare time.We used to enjoy civilised pleasures. For instance, we used to have hobbie s, we used to entertain our friends and be entertained by them, we used t o go outside for our amusements to theatres, cinemas, restaurants and sp orting events. We even used to read books and listen to music and broadc ast talks occasionally. All that belongs to the past. Now all our free time is regulated by the `goggle box' . We rush hom.e or gulp down our meals t o be in time for this or that programme.We have even given up sitting at table and hading a leisurely evening me al, exchanging the news of the day. A sandwich and a glass of beer will d o-anything, providing it doesn't interfere with the programme. The monster demands and obtains absolute silence and attention. If any member of th e family dares to open his mouth during a programme, he is quickly silenc ed.Whole generations are growing up addicted to the telly. Food is left uneate n, homework undone and sleep is lost. The telly is a universal pacifier. It i s now standard practice for mother to keep the children quiet by putting t hem in the living-room and turning on the set. It doesn,t matter that thechildren will watch rubbishy commercials or spectacles of sadism and viole nce-so long as they are quiet.There is a limit to the amount of creative talent available in the world. Ev ery day, television consumes vast quantities of creative work. That is why most of the programmes are so bad: it is impossible to keep pace with th e demand and maintain high standards as well. When millions watch the s ame programmes, the whole world becomes a village, and society is reduc ed to the conditions which obtain in pre -literate communities. We become utterly dependent on the two most primitive media of communication: pic tures and the spoken word.Television encourages passive enjoyment. We become content with second-hand experiences. It is so easy to sit in our armchairs watching others wo rking. Little by little, television cuts us off from the real world. We get so lazy, we choose to spend a fine day in semi-darkness, glued to our sets, r ather than go out into the world itself . Television may be a splendid medi um of communication, but it prevents us from communicating with each ot her. We only become aware how totally irrelevant television is to real livin g when we spend a holiday by the sea or in the mountains, far away from civilization. In quiet, natural surroundings, we quickly discover how little we miss the hypnotic tyranny of King Telly.4. Television Is Good for PeopleTV may be a vital factor in holding a family together where there are, for example, economic problems and husband and wife seem at breaking poin t. The dangerous influence is surely no more than what all of us are expo sed to every day. . . in advertising, in the press.Primary and secondary education have improved out of all recognition since the arrival of TV in the home and this is not only because of progra mmes designed for schools. Through TV a child can extend his knowledge and it provides vital food for his imagination.5. Television Is to BlameTV passes on to children the corrupting values of a corrupt society.It's only a matter of time before we can give statistical evidence'of how m any criminals society has given birth to in front of the TV on Saturday nig ht.You can blame TV for the fact that children take longer to learn to read th ese days and barely see the point any more of acquiring the skill. In my o pinion watching TV should be strictly confined to "treats".。

北京外国语大学附属外国语学校八年级英语上册期末阅读理解汇编一、八年级英语上册阅读理解专项训练1．阅读理解"What! You too? I thought I was the only one." Have you ever said this to someone? If so, you may have ended up becoming friends with this person.It seemed that similarity often helps form friendships. The Greek philosopher（哲学家）Aristotle once said, "Some define（下定义） friendship as a matter of similarity. They say that we love those who are like ourselves."Now, there is some science behind this idea. Scientists from University of California said friends have similar brains, Scientific American reported.The scientists invited 42 university students to take part in an experiment. Each student watched the same set of videos, which included a comedy, a discussion and a soccer match. Meanwhile, scientists studied their brains and recorded their brain activity.According to their study, friends who watched the same video clips reacted in similar ways. Similar parts of their brains lit up while watching the videos, especially parts that were connected with motivation（动力）， learning and memory.However, people who weren't friends had different reactions to the same clips."Having close friends whose brains react like ours may be rewarding because it makes one's won values, opinions, and interests strength," scientist Carolyn Parkinson told Business Insider. But brain similarity is not the only thing that can result in friendship. Scientists from the University of Leipzig, Germany, found that friendship is also based on how physically close you are to someone.They did an experiment with first-year college students who met in class for the first time. In this experiment, students who sat in neighbouring seats were more likely to become friends.（1）What does "this idea" in Paragraph 3 refer to?A. Many friendships start with small chats.B. Friends try to develop similarities between themselves.C. People with similarities may become friendsD. We like those who like us first.（2）The 42 university students in the experiment_____________.A. are all from the University of CaliforniaB. were close friends before the experimentC. watched the same set of videosD. reacted differently from each other（3）What did the study of the students' brains show?A. They had watched the same video clips.B. Friends had similar reactions to the same clips.C. Watching videos improves one's memory.D. It's good to have friends who react similarly.（4）According to the story , what else may help build friendship?A. Being fun and helpfulB. Studying at the same college.C. Having similar appearancesD. Being physically close.（5）The best title of the passage is "__________"A. What is friendshipB. Friends can think alikeC. An experiment about friendshipD. How can we build friendship2．阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。

2023北京英语高考阅读第一部分知识运用(共两节，30分)第一节(共15分)阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

I was always timid(羞怯的). Being new to the school made me even ____1____ , so it was surprising I’d ____2____ to anyone around me. Now I was paying the price﹣to write a five﹣page essay on “Why I Should Not Talk in Class”. That would take all night!After I got home, though. I took my time petting the cat﹣postponing the pain.When I finally sat down to ____3____, I began with the reasons Ms Black would want to hear.Talking kept me and my neighbours from ____4____. One paragraph down; now what? I chewed on my pencil. Aha! What if talking were the first step towards life as a criminal? Without the education I was throwing away, I’d turn to theft and go to prison. Whe n I got out, people would say, “She used to talk in class.” The pages began ____5____.But when mum got home from work, I was still ____6____, “Five pages! That’s impossible!”“Well, you’d better get back to work,” she said. “and I want to read it when you’re through.”Soon after dinner, I handed the essay to mum. I half expected a____7____﹣at least an “I hope you’ve learned your lesson”. ____8____, mum laughed and laughed as she read.The next day, when Ms Black read the essay to the class, everyone laughed. I could ____9____ they weren’t making fun of me: they laughed because I had the power to tell a funny story. My____10____ still needed some nudging(激发), but I did learn I wasn’t shy in print.1. A. freer B. shyer C. calmer D. happier2. A. nod B. point C. listen D. chat3. A. weep B. rest C. write D. read4. A. learning B. playing C. planning D. laughing5. A. standing out B. flying by C. breaking up D. checking in6. A. celebrating B. longing C. complaining D. warning7. A. lecture B. reason C. reward D. solution8. A. Therefore B. Moreover C. Meanwhile D. Instead9. A. hope B. imagine C. tell D. predict10.A. patience B. confidence C. tolerance D. independence【答案】1. B2. D3. C4. A5. B6. C7. A8. D9. C10. B【解析】【1题详解】考查形容词比较级词义辨析。

To Kiss or Not to Kiss？That Is the Question1. Never shall I forget the first time I met my ex-boyfriend's mother – a 50 year old English lady with a well-kept perm, giving me a suspicious stare over the rim of her glasses. I briskly stepped out with my hand outstretched and ready to give her my Dutch three kisses –right, left, right. However, after my first kiss I noticed a considerable change in her body language – as I was nearing her enthusiastically, she all of a sudden froze, and I held a limp woman in my arms. Embarrassed, I stopped half-way through, my second kiss trailing in the air, trying to make up for the awkward situation by grasping her hand even more firmly, while trying to smile a reassuring smile that ended up not being seen by her averting eyes.2. In sharp contrast with this situation is the moment I met my husband's mother, years later – a small, cheerful and expressive Colombian woman. As I approached her with my outstretched hand, ready to shake hers firmly and plant three kisses on her cheeks, she swept me off my feet, embraced me passionately, held my face between her hands and placed a long lingering kiss on each cheek, while murmuring phrases I could not understand.3. Why does an English woman freeze when a Dutch woman tries to kiss her? Why does a Dutch woman feel intimidated by a Colombian lady's passion? Why does the kiss have different meanings in different cultures? Kissing is one of the most intimate forms of communication – and communication, as Hall argues "constitutes the core of culture and indeed of life." (Hall 1966: 1) Whereas kissing prehistorically might have originated in a mother feeding her infant by transferring chewed food from mouth to mouth, nowadays, it is a form of communication that is acknowledged in most cultures, in one form or another. However, the context in which we kiss may differ: we can kiss because we love, because we respect, because we greet or say farewell, or because we comfort. Knowing when to kiss or when not to kiss – that's the question.4. Using kissing as a form of saying hello might be widely accepted in certain cultures but shivered upon in others. Hence I am sure most of us have been in situations where their kisses embarrassingly hovered in mid-air, or even worse, ended in someone's most intimate parts of the neck –or vice versa, where their “hello's” and formally outstretched hands were surprisingly met by passionate kisses. In a contemporary world where the meeting of people transcends nationalities, a certain “kissing etiquette”could be useful –but, we have to ask ourselves, how accurate can such etiquette be?5. There are certain cultures in which any type of physical contact in public is mostly frowned upon – hence kissing as a form of greeting someone is considered a taboo. Examples are countries like China or Japan. On the contrary, we'll find that in most western European cultures, kissing is so much accepted that it even has become a formality – examples are the Netherlands, Germany, Spain and of course France. The number of kisses, however, might differ across countries and depend on certain additional conditions like gender, age, relationship and context. In countries like theUS or Australia, hugging might be more customary than kissing, however, a peck on the cheek is certainly not uncommon in Australia. Then there are Muslim cultures in which it is appropriate to kiss only within your gender –physical contact between males and females is not widely accepted. Lastly, there is a certain ambiguous category to which the English belong – known for being reserved, they shy away from kissing, however it has happened to me more often than not that I was kissed by an English person without having made previous acquaintance.6. Hence, generalizations are there to be disputed. A culture averse to any form of physical contact in public – and hence to kissing – is the Chinese, as mentioned above. However, in 2004, a supermarket with the fascinating name “Everybody is Happy” in the Chinese municipality of Tianjin called out a kissing contest on Valentine's Day. This caused huge controversies between their more conservative, older customers and the younger ones –however, the kissing contest took place with great success. In Japan, the so-called western or Christian wedding ceremony has more and more commonly replaced the traditional Japanese wedding –and is thus sealed with a wedding kiss. However, in most of the cases, the kiss is planted on the cheek rather than on the lips.7. In the Netherlands, as part of the “inburgerings-examen” or integration test for future migrants into the country, a shot is shown of two gay men kissing. The exam includes a question on how to behave when witnessing two gay men kiss in a public place – next to questions on the Dutch colonial history, the nationality of the crown princess and public transport. This question has been met by a lot of protest among certain Arabic and Asian cultures, where even though kissing in public might be accepted by now, homosexual kissing is a taboo. So here, interestingly, the act of kissing is used as a tool to send out a certain message to future immigrants.8. To kiss or not to kiss – it remains an ambivalent question where different layers of meaning disguise any straightforward attitude to the gesture of kissing. Taking a closer look establishes that in communication, nothing is as straightforward as it seems, however culturally determined as it may be. Culture, as such, is in constant flux and human interaction, therefore, is continuously changing and adapting. Thus, the only thing we can do is to pay close attention to our surroundings wherever we are, and be prepared to kiss, or not.Pre-class tasks:1. Based on the given frame and key words, analyze the structure of the text.2. Prepare for a quiz in class:1) Study the language chunks listed at the end of the text carefully. Prepare for a quiz of thelanguage chunks. (Form of the quiz: Translate the language chunks from Chinese into English.)2) Read the text carefully and prepare for a cloze test (one paragraph of the text).3. Work with your group (Group 1-5). Find out how people in the following countries greet each other when meeting for the first time, or meeting again after a long time? Demonstrate what you find with a small role-play. Control the length of your role-play within two minutes. Here is what each group member can do for the group work: S1: search for the information; S2: write the mini play; S3, S4 & 5: act out the play.1) in England (Group 1)2) in the US (Group 2)3) in Australia (Group 3)4) in France (Group 4)5) in Brazil (Group 5)4. Work with your group (Group 6). Find out the source of the sentence structure “To kiss or notto kiss？That is the question”. Share what you find with your classmates with PPT. Cite more sentences that make use of this structure. You may distribute your group work in this way:S1&2: Search for the materials about the topic and organize them.S3: Search for more sentences that use this structure.S4: Make PPT for the presentation.S5: Give presentation in class.5. Read the supplementary articles for further classroom discussion.New words:■更高要求词汇★较高要求词汇（六级词汇）@积极词汇（一般要求或四级词汇）Language chunks:To kiss or not to kiss？That is the question. 吻还是不吻？这是个问题。

北京中国人民大学附属外国语中学八年级英语上册期末任务型阅读汇编一、八年级英语上册任务型阅读专项训练1．根据短文理解，选择正确答案。

CEarthquakes usually come without warning. What should you do if this happens to you? An earthquake is dangerous, but there are still things you can do to protect yourself.·Stay calm as the earth begins to shake. Your chances of survival （幸存; 存活）in an earthquake go up if you can keep calm. ①_______.·②________ You need to have something strong around you to protect you from falling objects. Do not stand near walls or windows and stay out of the kitchen. The kitchen is dangerous because of many glass objects.·③_______ Stay away from buildings and trees. If you are in a car, pull over to a place where there are no trees or tall buildings and stay in the car. If you are close to the sea, try to get as far away from the water as possible. Earthquakes can cause huge waves that can really harm the people nearby.·④_______ For example, gas fire often comes with an earthquake. If you see a fire, quickly move outdoors to an open area.Remember to always hope for the best but prepare for the worst.（1）阅读以上短文, 从文后表格中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项, 使文意通顺、正确。

北京外国语大学附属外国语学校八年级英语上册期末任务型阅读汇编一、八年级英语上册任务型阅读专项训练1．热点题任务型阅读。

Car Free Day encourages drivers to give up their cars for a day to protect the environment. People from around the world get together in the streets to remind the world that we don't have to accept the society full of cars. It was first started by 34 cities in France and September 22 is Car Free Day. The first Car Free Day in China was in Chengdu in 2001. The slogan for the day is "If we drive for one less day, we can have one more nice day."Organized activities are held in many cities on Car Free Day. In Brussels, Car Free Day shall be valid （有效的） for everybody except persons with a special permit（许可证）, but they have to slow down to the speed of 30 kilometers per hour. The public transportation is free on that day. In London, they have special "green areas". Walking, biking and public transportation are encouraged. The streets are open only to walkers, bicycles and buses from 7: 00 a. m. to 7: 00 p. m. In Beijing, it asks drivers to leave their cars at home for one day each month and walk or ride a bike to work. More and more people are joining in the activity. In the first quarter of this year, Beijing only had 52 blue sky days, and you may see haze（雾霾） almost every day! We must do more for Car Free Day as a Beijing driver said, "We may not change the weather, but we can choose not to drive."But we do not want just one day and then a return to "normal" life. We should go on with Car Free Day.（1）Where was Car Free Day started first？[within （不超过） two words]（2）How long should the car drivers not drive in the streets in London on Car Free Day？（within three words）（3）Who's allowed to drive on Car Free Day in Brussels？（within five words）（4）What does Car Free Day ask Beijingers not to do every month？（within nine words）（5）What's the purpose of Car Free Day？（within seven words）2．任务型阅读Many people think self-confidence self-confidence（自信） come from? ________is the key to a happy, successful life. But where does I'm Lucy. Self-confidence means that I can do something well. It's even better if someone else tells you that you're good at something, too. When people listen to me and pay attention to my ideas, I know they like me. When people don't listen, I sometimes feel sad.________I'm Jeff. Respect from my family and friends makes me feel the best. I don't care if I'm the best football player, or I don't get the highest grade on a test, or don't succeed at everything I do.________If someone says something unkind about you, you don't mind that much because you know they're wrong --- that means you have self-confidence.I'm Sue. I really feel good when my mum gives me a hug and says, "Have a nice day!" before I leave the house. Also, one day in a store I asked a salesman where to find something, and to my surprise, he said, "You have a beautiful smile."________ These kinds of things have to come naturally and from the heart, but they make a big difference in the way a person feels.________Believe that no matter who you are, you can build your own self-confidence.根据材料内容，从下面五个选项中选出能填入文中空缺处的最佳选项，使短文意思通顺，内容完整。

北京外国语大学附属外国语学校八年级英语下册期末阅读理解汇编一、八年级英语下册阅读理解专项训练1．阅读理解Let's take a look at the cool inventions in science and technology.Robot-teacherSome students in South Korea have new language instructors: the English-teaching robots. The robots help students practise speaking English. South Korea employs many foreigners to teach English. The robot-teachers can help to solve a shortage of English teachers. Can robots replace human teachers one day?Superhero suitHave you ever dreamed of becoming a superhero? There's a real Iron Man suit, XOS 2. The suit provides the power to lift 200 pounds and break the wood easily. It was designed to help the military with heavy lifting. One person in the suit can do the work of three soldiers.Hard-working robotThe EMIEW2 robot is a perfect office helper. It can guide visitors to the places they want to go. The three-foot-tall robot can know different human voices and react to instructions. One day, it may work as a receptionist or a guard.（1）What do the robot-teachers teach?A. Moths.B. English.C. Chinese.D. History.（2）A man in the superhero suit can do the work of _______ soldiers.A. twoB. threeC. fourD. five（3）The EMIEW2 robot may work as a in the future according to the passage.A. teacherB. superheroC. soldierD. guard（4）Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?A. Robot-teachers help students in South KoreaB. The Iron Man suit, XOS 2 provides the power to lift 200 pounds.C. The Iron Man suit, XOS 2 is a robot.D. The EMIEW2 robot is a perfect office helper.2．阅读理解It was 8:30 at night. Don was driving home. He was surprised when he saw a large, green light in the sky. The light was floating（漂浮）over a field. Don stopped his car and went out. He stood behind a tree and watched.The light got very bright. It came nearer and nearer. It was a UFO! And it landed in the field! "What's that? Maybe there are travelers from space in the UFO, "he thought. He started to walk across the field.Then a large door on the UFO opened. Something came out! It moved toward Don.The thing was not nice to look at! It had long yellow strings（细绳）on its face. Two round and blue balls were on its face. Under the round things, there were three holes. One hole opened and closed and made big noises.Now Don was afraid, but he tried to be brave. He walked nearer and listened to the terriblenoises."Hello," said the strange thing. "My name is Zeeb. I'm from the planet Mars（火星）. This is my first trip to the earth. Glad to meet you."（1）The light came nearer and nearer. And finally it .A. floated over the fieldB. floated in the airC. come to the groundD. open the door in the air（2）The strange thing came to the earth from Mars in a UFO .A. lookB. hitC. visitD. walk across（3）The thing from space was .A. uglyB. smartC. cuteD. nice（4）The strange thing was .A. not happyB. friendlyC. angryD. strange3．阅读理解You may feel interested in students in other countries. Do they have so much homework? What do they do in their free time? Do they often go to parties? People did a survey in China, Japan, South Korea and the US last year. Here are the results.Who studies the hardest?Chinese students spend the most time in studying. About one in two spends more than two hours on their homework every day. Why? Maybe they' just want to improve themselves, or they do that just because of the school and their parents.Who sleeps most often in class?About 45 percent of Japanese students doze off in class. 32% of us students feel sleepy in class, while in China, there are 5% students sleeping in class. Why do Japanese students get tired and sleepy in class more easily? Because they always like to stay up late at night!Who is the most distracted?American students are the most active in class, but also the most distracted. 64.2% of them talk to friends in class. 46.9% of them eat in class, and 38.9% of them send e-mails or read other books in class.What do they do after school?In their free time, most Chinese students study or surf the Internet. Most American students hang out with their friends or go to parties. Most Japanese students do exercise while most South Korean students watch TV.（1）What percent of Chinese students spend more than 2 hours doing their homework every day?A. 32%B. 45%C. 50%D. 64.2%（2）What does a "distracted student" usually do in class?A. He listens to his teachers very carefully.B. He keeps quiet and does his homework.C. He always falls asleep in class.D. He does things that have nothing to do with learning.（3）What does the passage mainly want to tell us?A. The students from different countries have different character.B. Chinese students work much harder than those from other countries.C. The students around the world do something different in their free time.D. Most students in the world are interested in going online or watching TV.4．阅读理解Langshan Mountain, lying in Xinning County, is about 500 kilometers away from Changsha. It is one of China's National Geological Parks and is famous for its special Danxia landform （丹霞地貌）.Covering an area of 108 square kilometers, Langshan Mountain has rich natural scenery and lots of tourism resources （资源）. There are more than 60 scenic spots （景点） in Langshan Mountain, among which the most famous are Tianyi Lane （天一巷）, Chili Peak （辣椒峰）, Bajiao Stronghold （八角寨） and so on.On August 2nd, 2010, Langshan Mountain was recorded in the World Heritage List （世界遗产名录） and became China's eighth world natural heritage.If you would like to visit Langshan Mountain, you can take a bus from Shaoyang South Station to Xinning County. It will take you about 2 hours and the price of the bus ticket is 54 yuan each adult. Then you can take a taxi to Langshan Mountain. The best time to visit Langshan Mountain is from March to October.（1）Langshan Mountain lies in ________.A. Xinshao CountyB. Xinning CountyC. Longhui County（2）How many scenic spots are there in Langshan Mountain?A. More than 60.B. Less than 60.C. About 16.（3）Langshan Mountain became China's ________ world natural heritage in 2010.A. sixthB. seventhC. eighth（4）You can take ________ to Langshan Mountain from Xinning County.A. a trainB. a planeC. a taxi（5）The best time for you to visit Langshan Mountain is ________.A. in DecemberB. in MayC. in February5．阅读理解Babies love chocolate and sometimes they also eat the paper around it. My cat enjoys a meal of good, thick paper, old letters, for example. She doesn't like old newspapers very much. Of course, the best paper comes from wood. Wood comes from trees, and trees are plants. Vegetables and fruit are plants, too, and we eat a lot of them. So can we also eat wood and paper? Scientists say," All food comes in some way from plants." Well, is that true? Animals eat grass and grow fat. Then we eat their meat. Little fish eat little sea-plants, and then bigger fish swim along and eat them. Chickens eat bits of grass and give us eggs. What food does not come from plants in some way?Scientists can do wonderful things with plants. They can make food just like meat and cheese. And they can make it without the help of animals. It's very good food, too. They have begun to say," We make our paper from wood. We can also make food from wood. The next thing is not very difficult." What is the next thing? Perhaps it is food from paper. Scientists say," We can turnpaper into food. It will be cheaper than meat or fish or eggs. "So please keep our old books and letters. （Don't feed your cat.） One day, they will be on your plate, if what scientists say may come true.（1）Why does the writer mention that babies and the cat eat paper?A. To tell us babies and his cat like to eat paper.B. To tell us the writer likes babies and his cat.C. To tell us people can eat paper.D. To tell us sometimes paper can be eaten.（2）What can NOT come from plants in some way?A. Nothing.B. Meat and fish.C. Cheese and chicken.D. Wood and paper.（3）What do scientists think of making food from wood?A. It's very difficult.B. People can make eggs from wood.C. It's easier than people think.D. It's not possible.（4）Where may we see the passage?A. In a storybook.B. In a science magazine.C. In a cookbook.D. In a travel magazine.（5）Which of the following is the best title of the passage?A. We Should Protect the WoodB. How to Make Food CheaperC. Keep Your Old Books and LettersD. Where May Food Come from in the Future 6．阅读理解In Canada and the United States, people enjoy entertaining at home: they often invite friends over for a meal, a party, or just for coffee and conversation.Here are the kinds of things people say when they invite someone to their home."Would you like to come over for dinner Saturday night?""Hey, we're having a party on Friday. Can you come?"To reply to an invitation, either say thank you and accept, or say you're sorry and give an excuse."Thanks, I'd love to. What time would you like me to come'?" or "Oh, sorry. I've tickets for a movie.Sometimes, however, people use expressions that sound like invitations but which are not real invitations. For example:"Please come over for a drink sometime.""Why not get together for a party sometime?""Why don't you come over and see us sometime soon'?"They are really just polite ways of ending a conversation.They are not real invitations because they don't mention （提到） a clear time or date. They just show that the person is trying to be friendly. To reply to expressions like these, people just say "Sure, that would be great!" or "OK. Yes, thanks."So next time when you hear what sounds like an invitation, listen carefully. Is it a real invitation or is the person just being friendly?（1）Which of the following is a real invitation'?A. If you're free, let's go for a drink sometime.B. Please go to the cinema with me someday soon.C. Would you like to have a cup of tea with us sometime?D. I've two tickets here. Can you go to the concert with me?（2）If people say "Let's get together for lunch someday", you just say“ ”A. That would be nice.B. How about this weekend?C. Oh, sorry. I'm very busy.D. That's great. I'll be there on time.（3）Why do people in Canada and the United States use an unreal invitation?A. Because they want to show that they're trying to be friendly.B. Because they want to show that they're trying to be helpful.C. Because they want to show that they haven't got ready for a party yet.D. Because they want to show that they're trying to make friends with others.（4）What's the passage mainly about?A. Expressions of starting a conversation.B. Ways of ending a conversation.C. Real invitations or not.D. Entertaining at home.7．阅读下面材料，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项。

北京中国人民大学附属外国语中学阅读理解中考英语专项训练含答案解析一、中考英语阅读理解汇编1．阅读理解Chinese painting is one of the oldest art forms in the world. Painting in the traditional style is known today in Chinese as Guohua.Traditional Chinese painting is done with a brush dipped（浸） in black or colored ink（墨水）.Paper and silk are also needed for painting. The finished work can be put on scrolls （轴）.Traditional Chinese painting includes landscape（山水）painting, figures（人物）, bird and flowers. Landscape painting is regarded as the highest form of Chinese painting.Chinese folk（民间的） music is an important part of Chinese culture. It has a long history. One of the Confucianism Classics（儒家经典） Shi Jing, contains many folk songs. They are much loved by people up to now.Traditional Chinese musical instruments are symbols of Chinese culture, such as guqin, guzheng, pipa, erhu, xiao and chime（编钟）. Sheng and suona are also popular in northern villages in China. Xi'an drum music is large traditional drum music. It is a valuable part of Chinese ancient music, and is regarded as the "living fossil（化石） of Chinese ancient music" in the world.（1）People usually use for doing traditional Chinese painting.①brushes②ink③color pencils④paper⑤silkA. ①②③④B. ②③④⑤C. ①②③⑤D.①②④⑤（2）The highest form of Chinese painting is .A. landscape paintingB. figuresC. bird and flowersD. trees（3）The underlined word "contain" means .A. holdB. controlC. preventD. include（4） is called the "living fossil of Chinese ancient music" in the world.A. Folk musicB. Country musicC. Ancient musicD. Xi'an drum music（5）The two paragraphs above are about .A. Chinese musicB. Chinese paintingC. Chinese cultureD. Chinese history【答案】（1）D（2）A（3）D（4）D（5）C【解析】【分析】本文讲述了传统的中国水墨画和民间音乐。

英语名篇佳作100篇背诵手册Content1 If I Were a Boy Again 42 Ways of Communication 53 The Fight against Youth Smoking 64 The Value of Time 65 Touchy Topics 76 What Money Is For?87 I Dread the End of the Year 98 Education — a Means to an End 109 Air Jordan 1110 On My Mother's Birthday 1211 The Polar Bears 1312 Blood, Toil, Sweat and Tears 1413 Science — a Way of Thinking 1514 Are These the Best Years of Your Life? 1515 Abraham Lincoln 1716 Autumn —the Harvest Season 1817 All Work and No Play Makes Jack a Dull Boy 1818 Sleep and Your Life 1919 Accurate or Polite? 2020 Sweet and Low 2121 The Media 2222 What Is the Best Time to Exercise for Energy? 2323 Advertising 2324 How to Behave in an Interview 2425 Television 2526 The Importance of English2627 Don't Give Up 2828 Football 2829 How to Solve Personal Problems 2930 Song 3031 Colour and Life 3132 The Personal Qualities of a Teacher 3233 Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan 3334 Crowded Earth—Billions More Coming 3435 Grandma's Childhood 3636 Something Better than Money 3737 Companionship of Books 3838 Inaugural Speech by HKSAR Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa(I) 3939 Inaugural Speech by HKSAR Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa{2} 4040 The Fountain 4141 Active Play or Passive Entertainment? 4242 Collecting—a Serious Hobby 4343 On Idleness4544 Time Spent in a Bookshop 4645 Only a Madman Would Live in a City 4746 Living a Long Life 4847 Bill Gates' Tips on the Makings of a Good Manager ( I ) 4948 Bill Gates' Tips on the Makings of a Good Manager (2) 5049 Gettysburg Address 5250 Candle in the Wind 5351 Youth 5452 Pain and Growth 5553 Four Freedoms 5654 Knowing the Consequences of Choice(I) 5755 Knowing the Consequences of Choice(2) 5956 Secrets of Straight-A Students(I) 6157 Secrets of Straight-A Students (II) 6258 Bill Clinton's Remark at Beijing University(I) 6359 Bill Clinton's Remark at Beijing University(II) 6460 A Red, Red Rose 6661 How to Avoid Foolish Opinions 6762 Cloning 6863 The Delights of Books 6964 Exercises and Energy 7065 Friendship 7166 First Snow 7267 The Generation Gap 7468 Greening Our Future (I) 7569 Greening Our Future (II) 7670 When We Two Parted 7671 The Nature of Happiness 7772 Kindness to Animals 7873 Reading for Pleasure 7974 Freedom 8075 Spell of the Rising Moon 8176 Winners 8277 Losers 8478 Peace in the Atomic Age 8579 Three Days to See 8780 The Daffodils 8881 The Aim of a University Education(I) 8982 The Aim of a University Education(II) 9083 Work Done for Humanity 9184 Give Me Liberty, or Give Me Death 9285 The Declaration of Independence 9486 The Glamor of Hollywood 9587 Every Living Person Has Problems 9688 Crime 9889 Spring, the Resurrection Time 9990 Stopping by Woods on a Snowing Evening 10091 Glories of the Storm(I) 10092 Glories of the Storm (II) 10193 The Ugly Americans 10294 Cambridge—the University Town 10495 Civilization and History 10596 The United Nations 10697 The Enchantment of Creeks 10798 I Have a Dream(I) 10899 I Have a Dream(II) 110100 She Walks in Beauty 1121 If I Were a Boy AgainIf I were a boy again, I would prac t ise perseverance oftener,and never give up a thing because it was hard or inconvenient. If we want light, we must conquer darkness. Perseverance can sometimes equal genius in its results. "There are only two creatures," says a proverb, "who can surmount the pyramids—the eagle and the snail."If I were a boy again, I would school myself into a habit of attention; 1 would let nothing come between me and the subject in hand. I would remember that a good skater never tries to skate in two directions at once. The habit of attention becomes part of our life, if we begin early enough. I often h e ar grown-up people say, "I could not f i x my attention on the lecture or book, although I wished to do so," and the reason is, the habit was not formed in youth.If I were to live my life over again, I would pay more attention to the cultivation of the memory. I would strengthen that faculty by every possible means, and on every possible occasion. It takes a little hard work at f i rst to remember things accurately; but memory soon helps itself, and gives very little trouble. It only needs early cultivation to become a power.If I were a boy again, I would look on the cheerful side. Life is very much like a mirror: if you smile upon it, it smiles back upon you; but if you frown and look doubtful on it, you will get a similar look in return.Inner sunshine warms not only the heart of the owner, but of all that come in contact with it. "Who shuts love out, in turn shall be shut from love."If I were a boy again, 1 would school myself to say 'No' oftener. 1 might write pages on the importance of learning very early in life to gain that point where a young boy can stand erect, and decline doing an unworthy act because it is unworthy.If I were a boy again, I would demand of myself more courtesy towards my companions and friends, and indeed towards strangers as well. The smallest courtesies along the rough roads of life are life the little birds that sing to us all winter long, and make that season of ice and snow more endurable.Finally, instead of trying hard to be happy, as if that were the sole purpose of life, if I were a boy again, try still harder to make others happy.Words: 428生词和词组perseverance /7pEsI5vIErEns/ n. 坚持，坚定，毅力inconvenient genius creature surmount school faculty accurately frown erect decline courtesy companion as well endurable sole purpose假如我再回到童年假如我再回到童年，我会更多地培养自己的毅力，决不因为事情艰难或麻烦而放弃不干。

2023年北京重点校高二（下）期末英语汇编阅读理解B篇一、阅读理解（2023春·北京朝阳·高二统考期末）My wife Hannah and I usually don’t keep houseplants. Anything in pots gets either overwatered or underwatered. After my diagnosis (诊断) with a brain cancer, I loved to have something green and alive around us. And then I got a lucky bamboo plant in a pot from my friend Mitch. I told Hannah I wanted to care for the plant myself.As a physician, I was used to providing care. Since my diagnosis, I had to rely on help from other people, leaving me feeling aimless and upset. Watering the plant taught me I could still be a caregiver.Over the next few months, I recovered from surgery and completed the first round of treatment. Both the bamboo and I were thriving (繁荣). Then, mysteriously, it began to show signs of stress. No matter what I did, the leaves kept dropping to the floor, making me discouraged and uneasy.“I can’t even care for simple plant!” I yelled. “I’m failing!”Hannah reminded me that we’d seen houseplants die before. She asked me why I was getting so worked up about this particular one.“If my lucky bamboo dies,” I cried out, “I might die too!”Identifying with the plant had offered me comfort. Now that the plant was struggling, I felt increasingly fearful.Suddenly, one day, I realized I had wrongly connected my care for the plant—something over which I had at least some control — with my own survival — something over which I had no control. When my cancer returned, it would not be because of any failure on my part — not because I ate sugar occasionally and certainly not because I failed to keep this plant alive.As my anxiety lessened, I learned from online tips to care for my dying plant. I moved the bamboo to a larger pot, separating its roots to give it room to grow. When it was back in the sunny window, we both began to thrive again.1．What made the author change his attitude toward keeping houseplants?A．He recovered from surgery.B．He got a lucky bamboo plant.C．He was diagnosed with a cancer.D．He learned how to water a plant.2．What was the main cause for the author’s anxiety?A．His struggle with cancer.B．His decision to care for the plant.C．His inability to look after himself.D．His belief in linking his survival to the plant’s.3．What can we learn from the passage?A．Everything comes to those who wait.B．Positive thinking is a cure of anxiety.C．Trust yourself that you can do it and get it.D．You carry the passport to your own success.（2023春·北京大兴·高二统考期末）Selena Evans had been down for days because she had no idea how to please those two girls. At first, Elizabeth Moretz just wouldn’t hide her disdain (鄙视) for her. About a month ago, when Selena ran into her near a coffee shop, she called her name from afar. However, Elizabeth didn’t show any kindness; instead, she scolded her, “You scared the hell out of me”. To apologize, for several days in a row, Selena would buy some coffee and stand at the door of the cafe, waiting for Elizabeth to come, and then pass the coffee to her and say friendly, “This is for you!” ut every time, Elizabeth would look at her doubtfully and then reject it.But one day before a math class, Elizabeth sat down right next to her and said, You know, I always speak out of turn without thinking. Sometimes it might hurt people. But you’ll realize I’m a good person soon. Please forgive my rudeness.”Then she passed her a cup of coffee, “This is for you.” elena couldn’t believe it was happening. She took the coffee excitedly.But soon she discovered she shouldn’t have been happy like that because the coffee wasn’t even for her. It was for Sara Crawford. Sara didn’t show up that day, so Elizabeth gave it to her instead.Should I try to be one of a group where I don’t belong?“No, I will spare no efforts to be their friend!”The next day Selena went to the bakery and bought three loafs of bread, one for herself, one for Elizabeth and one for Sara. As she was walking to the cafe, she saw Elizabeth sitting at an outdoor table of the cafe, pouring some water from her thermos into a coffee cup. After that, she put the cup lid back really quickly and then looked around alertly.Selena paused a little, and then called her loudly in the distance, “Morning!”Following the sound, Elizabeth saw Selena. She put the thermos back into her pack really quickly and stood up with that coffee in her hand.Selena ran to her and passed her a loaf of bread, “This is for you.”“Oh, I…” Elizabeth waved her hand, “I don’t like bread.”“Then, what do you like?” Before Selena could finish, Elizabeth had runaway with that coffee.Selena had been feeling down for two classes. The third class was lab course. She went to the Girls’ room before that and when she came back to the lab, Elizabeth walked to her with a cup of coffee. She dragged Selena, shoved the coffee into her hand and turned away.4．What did the underlined part probably mean?A．Selena was in a dilemma what to do next.B．Selena would continue to make them happy.C．Selena found them difficult to get along with.D．Selena was determined not to make friends with them.5．Why did Elizabeth put the thermos back into her pack quickly on seeing Selena?A．She wanted to pass coffee to Selena.B．She wanted to accept the loaf of bread.C．She hid from Selena the fact of filling the coffee cup with water.D．She was so excited to see Selena that she was at a loss what to do.6．What made Selena upset before the lab course?A．Elizabeth hated being with her.B．Elizabeth didn’t hand her the coffee at first.C．She was concerned about the coming lab course.D．Try as she might, it seemed hard for her to please Elizabeth.（2023春·北京海淀·高二统考期末）Noodles can turn from white to purple to pink with the aid of red cabbage and lemon juice; a chocolatey “liquid” can be rolled like a solid. These are just a few of the edible (可食的) treats in The Kitchen Science Cookbook that kids can make from everyday kitchen ingredients. The book has non-edible experiments, too—volcanoes that erupt with lava made from baking soda and vinegar—and most recipes cost less than a dollar, says the book’s creator, a nanotechnologist (纳米专家) and science communicator, Michelle Dickinson, known as Nanogirl.Dickinson was inspired by a mother who told her she’d failed in science at school but wanted to develop a love of science in her own daughter. “Then the mother offered me a cake she’d made at home as a gift. I told her, ‘You do use science—you baked this cake!’ and she replied, ‘No, that’s baking, very different from science.’ I said, ‘Well, what happens if it doesn’t rise enough? You use more baking soda and then turn the oven up higher...’ There was a real disconnection between what the mother was doing and the word ‘science’.”So Dickinson spent three years using her kitchen as a lab, coming up with 300 experiments. She put a call-out online for recipe testers, “thinking I’d get about five of my friends with kids responding, but in 24 hours we had 2,000 applicants from 24 countries!”In 2012, she was asked by TEDx to give a lecture on nanotechnology, where she presented herself as Nanogirl—a confident, smart, amazing superhero on stage. In last year’s six-week nationwide tour, Nanogirl performed science stunts (特技表演) to thousands of kids, and trained 200 teachers in how to integrate science in the classroom.Dickinson has got thousands of videos posted by children who’ve attempted the experiments she encourages them to try at home. “Then we have kids building all sorts of weird and wonderful things.”Now Nanogirl has gone global, with local versions surfacing in five countries and in four languages.Dickinson self-published The Kitchen Science Cookbook as part of a pay-it-forward program, where for every book sold, a book will be donated to a library, school or community organization. A Kickstarter fund helped pay for the printing. “I’m so grateful people believed in us.”7．Dickinson became a science communicator because ______.A．her mother developed a love of science in herB．she got inspired by her cake-baking experienceC．she noticed people were unaware of science in lifeD．her kitchen experiments went popular on social media8．What impact has Dickinson made?A．200 teachers have joined her to become nanogirls.B．Nanogirls emerge following in her steps worldwide.C．A few schools and libraries have been funded by her.D．Many kids are encouraged to donate books to schools.9．According to the passage, Dickinson is ______.A．passionate and inspiring B．creative and humorousC．cooperative and generous D．courageous and grateful（2023春·北京西城·高二统考期末）South Africa’s viniculture industry employs around 270,000 people, producing some of the world’s most sought-after wines. But not all jobs are best left to humans. In some cases, it’s better to get your ducks in a row, and then put them to work.Outside Cape Town on the banks of the Eerste river, Vergenoegd Löw, the Wine Estate, has repurposed a centuries-old practice by gathering a group of ducks to keep its vineyards free of pests. “I call our ducks the soldiers of our vineyards,” says managing director Corius Visser. “They will eat aphids, they will eat snails, they will eat small worms—they keep (it) completely pest-free.”The species, the Indian runner duck, is flightless, with a peculiarly upright stance and highly developed sense of smell. The duck troops are employed on a 14-day circuit through the vineyards, eating and fertilizing the ground as they go.The ducks’ “annual leave” takes place during the harvest (they’d eat the grapes). During this time they search for food on open farm pasture, swim in a nearby lake and undergo selective breeding, says Visser.Duck eggs are consumed in the vineyard restaurant, but never the ducks themselves—“that would be like eating a colleague,” Gavin Moyes, the estate’s tasting room manager, said in a 2020 interview.Inspired by ducks used to remove pests from rice paddies in Asia, the winery calls on the services of some 1,600 ducks as part of its effort to make wine production more sustainable. “The world is moving away from more conventional farming to (being) a bit more organic,” Visser explains. “For Vergenoegd, it’s a big goal … to have less influence on the Earth, the soil and the environment.”As a pioneering winemaker with industry influence—vines have been grown on the estate since the late 17th century—Vergenoegd Löw is hoping to convince others to adopt its approach. Visser says the vineyard plans to sell 750 ducks to other vineyards and replenish numbers by breeding the birds.“I think the industry itself has the potential to engage more in experimental ways,” he adds. That requires money, and increasing the price point of South African wines could help fund Vergenoegd Löw and other vineyards’ green initiatives.“If we can achieve that, we can then put back some of that (income) into our people, into our land, and become more sustainable,” Visser says.10．What’s the function of the ducks in the vineyards?A．To keep the vineyards free of pests.B．To guard the vineyards from thieves.C．To make the vineyards more attractive.D．To provide eggs and meat for the vineyard restaurant. 11．According to the passage, the ducks in the vineyards ______.A．help harvest the grapes B．have a sharp sense of tasteC．fly around the vineyard freely D．leave the vineyard at a certain time12．Based on what Visser said, which of the following might happen?A．More vineyards will have duck “soldiers”.B．The price point of South African wines will fall.C．The vineyards will depend more on conventional farming.D．The winery will come up with more ways to experiment on ducks.13．Which of the following words can best describe the vineyard’s approach of using ducks?A．Efficient.B．Advanced.C．Challenging.D．Green.（2023春·北京东城·高二统考期末）In the middle of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, Amanda Barrows carefully placed a wooden nightstand(床头柜) on the ground. She attached a sign reading, “Take a poem, leave a poem.”“It’s completely unexpected,” said Barrows, a park ranger (管理员) by day and a poet by night. “I’m really taken aback by the outpouring of support.”Barrows has always considered herself a writer, so she enrolled in a class called Poetry for the People. The final project of the class is to find a way to “bring poetry into the community”.At first, Barrows struggled to land on an idea. Eventually, she realized that she could fuse her love for parks and her love for poetry. A coworker gave Barrows a weathered nightstand. She thought it would be the perfect tool for her project.She filled the drawer at the top with fresh paper and pens and added a box at the bottom for poems. To get the ball rolling, she asked her close friends to add their favorite poems to the drawer for people to take away.The poetry nightstand reminded her of Little Free Libraries. That project features bookstands stationed across the city. People can leave and take books from little libraries. She only had a single nightstand to work with, so Barrows decided that she would leave it in a park for four days before moving it to a new location. San Francisco’s Recreation and Park Department manages about 220 parks, and Barrow’s goal is to bring the poetry nightstand to all of them.Since the project started, people have added a wide range of writing. Barrows shares most of the submissions on social media. Some are clearly composed by kids, while others are more refined. People have also written poems in various languages. “I love to see different people’s handwriting and share their personal words,” Barrows said.The instructors of Poetry for the People said the nightstand fulfilled the main purpose of the project. Other students in the class wrote poetry on sidewalks with chalk. Another gave out poems disguised as parking tickets. Tanea Lunsford Lynx, a guest instructor for the class, says the project is “an invitation to slow down”. She believes that the old-fashioned nightstand stands out in a city that is filled with new technology.Barrows says she intends to “keep this going indefinitely,” and she hopes others will build off the project and contribute their own creativity. “It really is a community project,” Barrows said. “It belongs to all of us.”14．Why did Barrows put the nightstand in the park?A．To share poetry submissions.B．To follow Little Free Libraries.C．To advertise a poetry class.D．To complete a required task.15．What does the underlined word “fuse” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?A．Combine.B．Reveal.C．Strengthen.D．Clarify.16．What do we know about Barrow’s project?A．It has involved 220 parks.B．It is popular on social media.C．It improves people’s handwriting.D．It makes poetry reach more people.（2023春·北京平谷·高二统考期末）We have met, just not in person. I am a mortgage (抵押贷款) banker so I do my financial transactions over the phone and computer. This lady is a borrower of mine and I have done two of her refinances over the past few years. She is not a woman that is my mother’s age, not a grandmotherly type of client. She is my age.We have never met in person. She lives in New Jersey and I live in California. I always try to make a Mortgage transaction as exciting as and as fun as it can be and of course her loan turned out great, but nothing spectacular happened where I saved the day or anything like that. Everything ran smooth. Mortgage is not the most exciting thing in the United States of America. Every couple of months, for the past three years, she would email me a little note that told me how much she appreciated me, how I made a difference in her life, how smart I was, and how thankful she was of me.I have a stressful job, and sometimes my cheese is falling off my cracker all day long and just one little note from her completely changes my whole day. Sometimes it even makes me cry a little because it’s exactly what I needed to hear. Little does she know that one little action to somebody she barely even knows does so much for me over here on the other end.This morning I turned on my computer and was trying to wake up and grunting at my emails and there it was, another note from her. I started my day in such a good mood and I let her know how much she makes a difference in my life! I also let her know how lucky the people are that are in her life if she treats everybody like this!Everyone is so stressed out and lonely right now. Take a moment in your day tomorrow to do one little nice thing for somebody, even if it’s for someone you do not know. You can make one little difference in their life and put into motion a whole stream of positivity after that.17．What is the possible relationship between the writer and the woman?A．Buyer and borrower.B．Manager and employee.C．Boss and customer.D．Banker and client.18．What can we learn from the passage?A．They live in different countries.B．The writer borrowed money from this woman.C．The woman and “I” have met in person before.D．Both of them are thankful to each other.19．From the underlined sentence “…sometimes my cheese is falling off my cracker all day long”, we can infer that the writer was______.A．upset B．relaxedC．satisfied D．optimistic20．What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?A．To tell his/her story with an unknown woman.B．To introduce his/her job as a mortgage banker.C．To encourage people to do one little good thing to others.D．To call on people to make a contribution to the whole world.参考答案1．C 2．D 3．B【导语】本文是一篇记叙文。

learning how to read english booksLearning how to read English books is an important skill that can open up a world of knowledge and entertainment. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced learner, there are several steps you can take to improve your reading comprehension and enjoyment of English literature.The first step is to choose the right book. If you are a beginner, it is recommended to start with simple and engaging books, such as children's books, graded readers, or books with large print and illustrations. As you become more confident, you can move on to more challenging books, such as novels, biographies, or non-fiction.Before you start reading, it is helpful to preview the book. Look at the cover, title, and author to get an idea of what the book is about. Read the blurb or summary to learn more about the plot and characters. You can also flip through the pages to get a sense of the style and format of the book.When you start reading, it is important to read actively. This means engaging with the text, asking questions, and making connections. Try to understand the meaning of each sentence and paragraph, and how they fit together to form the overall story or argument. Look up any unfamiliar words or phrases, and make note of them for future reference.As you read, it can be helpful to take notes or highlight important passages. This will help you remember key points and ideas, and make it easier to review the book later. You can also write down your thoughts and reactions to the book, and compare them with those of other readers.Finally, don't be afraid to ask for help if you are having trouble understanding the book. You can consult a dictionary, grammar guide, or English tutor, or join a reading group or discussion forum to share your ideas and questions with others.In conclusion, learning how to read English books requires practice, patience, and a willingness to learn. By choosing the right book, previewing it before youstart, reading actively, taking notes, and seeking help when needed, you can improve your reading comprehension and enjoy the many benefits of reading in English.。