高考英语高难度阅读理解15篇（3）1.Some people are pessimistic (悲观) when they think about the future. They say that, a hundred years from now, we will have used up most of the earth’s resources. We will have polluted our sea badly, and be unable to eat fish from it. We will have made air so dirty that we will need to wear masks. The world’s pollution will have doubled, and we will have used all the countryside for housing; there will be no farmland left.Other people believe that man adapts very easily. They have a different idea of the future. However, in their views, will people be living in a hundred years’ time?One architect believes that man will move off the land. He suggests that the city of the future will be a huge, pyramidshaped building, which will be floating on the surface of the sea. About 5,000 families will be living there, and the building will contain shops and schools as well as homes. By living on the sea, we will give the farmers more land to grow crops.As for oil, people will no longer need it: we will be heating our homes with power from the sun. And we will not be short of minerals, because there are plenty under our oceans. At the moment, we do not have the technology to get them out. But, in a hundred years’ time, the optimists (乐观者) say, the new sea cities will be using these resources.What will be in the shops in the year 3000? What will people be wearing? How will people be traveling?Scientists who make predictions about the future suggest that, by the year 3000, shops will no longer exist. Computers will have replaced them; and people will order goods from home.People will be wearing very light, thin clothes. By this time, scientists will have invented a fabric that keeps us cool in hot weather and warm in cold weather.As for travel, the experts say that most people will be using public transport. Electric cars will be traveling through the streets day and night. Anybody will be able to stop one and use it.An interesting picture! Unfortunately, we will not be there if these predictions come true.28. Pessimists believe that in the future ________.A. seas and oceans will be full of housesB. we’ll have used up most of the resourcesC. we will have not enough fish to eat from the seasD. we will have polluted the air not so badly that it will be possible for us to breathe29. Scientists have made the predictions EXCEPT ________.A. electric cars will be going along the streets continuouslyB. the resources under the oceans will never be used upC. people will order goods from homeD. peopl e won’t suffer from cold any longer30. What does the underlined word in the seventh paragraph refer to?A. a kind of toolB. a kind of energyC. a kind of clothD. a kind of resource31. We can learn from the article that ________.A. we should be optimistic about the futureB. we should be pessimistic about the futureC. we shouldn’t think too much about the futureD. we have no idea of what will happen in the future2. Movie ExtrasWould you mind lying in a coffin (棺材)? Would you shave your head? Are you willing to take out your false teeth?These are just a few of the questions Anne Marie Stewart and her staff sometimes ask the "talent" who serve as non-speaking "extras" in special films, television series, and made-for-TV movies produced in Toronto.Of course, the majority of extra calls are for more ordinary people, and Stewart has a list of about 650 registered extras. Crowd scenes, which are common, call for everyday people of all ages, ethnic backgrounds, and sizes.Over at Movie People, last-minute requests are not unusual. "We got a request once for an entire brass band of 30 people. They wanted it within the hour," said manager Yvonne McCartney. Another time, the company got a last-minute request fora newborn baby. "We found a baby that was three weeks premature," said Jonathan Aiken, an owner of the company.Then there was the worried call from a casting director whose "Star" got doggone stubborn one day and decided to just lie down and not work. The director needed a replacement dog, fast. "We got them two in one hour." said Aiken. "It was a matter of good connections and fast phone work." The eight phone lines needed to make 350 to 400 calls a day are one of Movie People's major expenses.Phone lines are the only way to stay in touch with casting directors and extras; but the latter are a group not necessarily interested in a long-term relationship. Most extra jobs pay only $7 an hour (with a six-hour minimum), while most agencies charge an annual $75 re gistration fee and get 10 to 15 per cent of extras’ earnings. It's no wonder that the turnover rate is fairly high.Some people who are between jobs do extra work as a temporary measure, said McCartney. But professionals, such as lawyers, also do the work because it's interesting. Others with flexible jobs have a desire to do something different. Some homemakers want to get out of the house and onto a movie set. Money's not the motivating reason."One of the first things I say to people who walk in and ask about being an extra is, ‘You have to be available,' "said a person at Karen Clifton Agency. Inc. "The next thing I say is, 'You can't make a living at this.' ”68. What kind of people are movie extras?A. TV series makers.B. Casting directors.C. Non-professional movie actors.D. Agents for movie stars.69. According to the passage, movie extras should _____.A. have special talentsB. have a flexible scheduleC. make good connectionsD. make hundreds of phone calls daily70. Why do white collar workers most probably like to be movie extras?A. They want to make more money.B. They want to start a career in acting.C. They think their regular job is boring.D. They think being on the stage is enjoyable.71. The underlined word “turnover” in the sixth paragraph probably means _____.A. business profitB. the loss of staffC. market demandD. operation expenses3.Directions: Read the following passage. Answer the questions according to the information given in the passage and required words limit.In my dual（双重的） profession as an educator and health care provider, I have worked with numerous children infected with the virus that causes AIDS. The relationships that I have had with these special kids have been gifts in my life．They have taught me so many things，but I have especially learned that great courage can be found in the smallest of packages．Let me tell you about Tyler．Tyler was born infected with HIV；his mother was also infected. From the very beginning of his life, he was dependent on medications（药物）to enable him to survive. When he was five, he had a tube surgically inserted in a vein in his chest. This tube was connected to a pump, which he carried in a small backpack on his back．Medications were hooked up to this pump and were continuously supplied through this tube to his bloodstream. At times, he also needed supplemented oxygen to support his breathing．Tyler wasn't willing to give up one single moment of his childhood to this deadly disease. It was not unusual to find him playing and racing around his backyard，wearing his medicine－laden backpack and dragging his tank of oxygen behind him in his little wagon. All of us who knew Tyler marveled at his pure joy in being alive and the energy it gave him. Tyler's mom often teased him by telling him that he moved so fast she needed to dress him in red. That way, when she peered through the window to check on him playing in the yard，she could quickly spot him．This dreaded disease eventually wore down even the likes of a little dynamo like Tyler．He grew quite ill and，unfortunately，so did his HIV－infected mother．When it became apparent that he wasn't going to survive，Tyler's mom talked to him about death．She comforted him by telling Tyler that she was dying too，and that s he would be with him soon in heaven．A few days before his death，Tyler beckoned10) me over to his hospital bed and whispered，“I might die soon．I'm not scared．When I die，please dress me inred．Mom promised she's coming to heaven，too．I'll be playing when she gets there，and I want to make sure she can find me．”81. What’s the profession of the writer? (no more than 8 words.)82. Why did Tyler carry a small backpack on his back? (no more than 13 words)83. Why did Tyler’s mother want to dress Tyler in red? (no more than 14 words)84. Try to use at least three words to describe Tyler’s personality. (no more than 4 words)4.阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑Your friends might be in Australia or maybe just down the road, but they are all just a few clicks away. Life has changed for millions of young people across the world who now make friends online. Whether you use chat-rooms, QQ, MSN or ICQ, you are a member of this group.“I don’t often talk with my parents or grandparents, but I talk a lot with my old friends on QQ,” said Fox’s Shadow, the online name used by a girl student in China. “Most of my classmates use QQ after school.”QQ is the biggest messaging service in China. A record from Tencent, the company which developed QQ, shows that 4 million people used it one Saturday night in October.And probably Fox’s Shadow was one of them. “I log in on Friday nights, and Saturdays or Sundays when I feel everything around me boring. I usually spend about ten hours chatting online every week,” she said. “But I never talk with strangers, especially boys or men.”Even though she likes chatting, she is careful about making friends with strangers online. “You don’t know who you’re talking to. You should always be careful about whom you believe in online.”Many people would like to meet offline when they feel they have known someone very well. Fox’s Shadow once met one of her online friends face to face.It was a girl who was a football fan like herself and they went to a football match together.A 16-year-old Beijing boy, named Bart Simon online, dislikes QQ users. “I used to chat on QQ, but I found that most people were talking about foolish things,” he said. Now he cha ts online in English, using MSN. “I only chat online because I’ve gotfriends in Japan, the US and Singapore,” he said. “I want to learn more about foreign cultures.” But he spends little time chatting on QQ as he sees it as a waste of time and money.“If you are really addicted to it, sometimes you can’t give your mind to your lessons,” he said. “And friends in your real life are always more important than those so-called friends you meet online.”63．From the passage, we know“…they are all just a few clicks away”means“”.A．it is wonderful to see your friends by clickingB．it is popular to make friends onlineC．it is possible to live much closer to your friendsD．it is easy and fast to get in touch with your friends64．Fox’s Shadow thinks QQ is .A．a good place to spend her time when boredB．the biggest messaging service in ChinaC．a safe place to chat with strangersD．the best place to make friends65．Which of the following sentences is TRUE according to the passage?A．All the people on QQ are talking about foolish things.B．We should think more of our friends in real life.C．We should be careful about boys or men online.D．Chatting online is a waste of time and money.66．The underlined phrase means .A．turn on the computer B．enter in QQC．surf the internet D．make friends5.American office workers spend an average of 52 hours a week at their desks, according to a statistic survey. Some might argue that not all that time is spent working, but still all those hours in windowless offices with artificial light can have an influence.A few green additions could have a large effect on worker happiness, according to the survey led by Tina Cade from Texas State University.“We pretty much found out that if you had windows and plants or even if you just had plants in your office, you were more satisfied with your job, ”Cade told LiveScience.“We thought it was important for offices because a lot of times people are looking for ways to keep employees happy and do all these expensive things like building a gym. Maybe for less investment they could put in a few plants in important places.”The team surveyed 450 office workers in Texas and the Midwest, asking questions about job satisfaction and the work environments. When asked about their overall life quality, 82 said they felt“content”or“very happpy”. Only 69 percent of those who work with plants but without windows, and 60 percent of those who have windows but no plants, said they felt this way.The group of people who work without plants or windows were the most dissatisfied, with only 58 percent of them saying that overall they were “content”or“very happy”. While no one who works with plants, windows, or both reported they felt“miserable”，0.8 percent of those who work in offices without either said they were “miserable”．“I was really surprised that having a plant in your office appeared to be more beneficial than having a window in your office，”Cade said.“Everybody says，‘I need a window！’but actually it seemed like a plant could be a suitable alternative.”52．What does the passage mainly tell us?A．Green plants can increase job satisfaction.B．An easier way to increase job satisfaction.C．What the best working environment is.D．Who are happy with their job environment.53．Among the 450 people surveyed, ________.A．69 percent have plants in their officesB．60 percent have windows in their wallsC．0.8 percent of them feel dissatisfiedD．about 18 percent of them are satisfied54．According to the survey, the group of people who work without plants or windows ________.A．didn't feel content at allB．all suffered from work pressureC．worked with low efficiencyD．were the most dissatisfied55．Which of the following statement is true?A．The employers want to do little to keep employees happy.B．Sometimes it doesn't need much to increase job happiness.C．A gym contributes less to job happiness than green plants.D．Employers have tried every means to increase job happiness.6.Before I spoke to his school, Matt was waiting for me. He sat in his wheelchair barely able to move. As soon as he saw me he started smiling. He could not talk but I pretended the sharks were eating his cereal and his laugh melted the hearts of everyone walking by.One of the teachers told me that he was actually very smart, he just could not control his muscles due to a childhood disease. He was happy and very popular at his school-his'parents' love and encouragement made all the difference. On the contrary—at a book signing session, I met a girl by the name of Anne. She walked up with her mom with a bright smile. Anne asked about my book with a slur（含糊地发音） in her speech indicating a slight head-injury. I told her about it and she smiled the whole time and asked me to sign one for her. I did.Five minutes later, I heard a voice from Anne's father, "you know you will not understand the book. You can't read well enough. You aren't smart enough." He said it so loudly that people were staring in their direction. She was absolutely crushed and her bright smile was now replaced with a look of total despair. He pried the book from her and brought it back to me and asked me to take it back. I asked him if he would allow me to purchase the book for Anne. He said no with a heartless response. I thought back to Matt. He could not speak, walk, run or play but was actually very happy and even doing well in school because of the love and encouragement of his parents. Anne on the other hand had a slight learning problem and may never know happiness of success because of a stern(苛刻的) father.What kind of parent are you? The truth is that whatever you are telling your kids-makes the difference between their success or failure in life.24. What is Matt's problem?A. He is blind.B. He isn't smart enough.C. He suffers a muscles' disease.D. He can't speak and read.25. Compared with Anne, Matt is lucky becauseA. his parents are richB. his parents love and encourage himC. his disability is not seriousD. the author feels sympathy for him26. Hearing her father's words, Anne felt __A. light-heartedB. doubtfulC. cautiousD. heart-broken27. What does the author probably do?A. A writer.B. A teacher.C. A doctor.D. A lawyer.7.Most people agree that honesty is a good thing. But does Mother Nature agree? Animals can't talk, but can they lie in other ways? Can they lie with their bodies and behavior? Animal experts agree that many animals, from birds to chimpanzees, behave dishonestly to fool other animals.Many kinds of birds are very successful in fooling other animals. For example, a bird called the plover sometimes pretends to be hurt in order to protect its young. When a predator (猎食动物)gets close to its nest, the plover leads the predator away from the nest. How? It pretends to have a broken wing. The predator follows the "hurt" adult, leaving the baby birds safe in the nest.Another kind of bird, the scrub jay, buries its food so it always has something to eat. Scrub jays are also thieves. They watch where others bury their food and steal it. But clever scrub jays go back later, unbury the food, and bury it again somewhere else.Birds called cuckoos have found a way to have babies without doing much work. Not making nests, they get into other birds' nests secretly to lay their eggs and fly away. When the baby birds come out, their adoptive parents feed them.Chimpanzees, or chimps, can be dishonest and sneaky(偷偷摸摸的）.When chimps find food that they love, such as bananas, it is natural for them to cry out. Then other chimps come running. But some clever chimps learn to cry very softly when they find food. That way, other chimps don't hear them, and they don't need to share their food.As is mentioned above, animals behave dishonestly for survival. Is it OK to lie for us humans?25. The writer uses the three questions at the beginning of the passage to ______ .A. ask the readers to answer the questionsB. draw the readers' attention to the topicC. seek answers to the questionsD. show he is at a loss about the question26. A plover protects its young from a predator by ______ .A. driving away the adult predatorB. getting closer to its youngC. leaving its young in another nestD. pretending to be injured27. What is the common reaction of most chimps when they find their favorite food?A. They let out a loud cry.B. They hide their food immediately.C. They cry in a very low voice.D. They share their food with other chimps.28. What does the author think of the animals' dishonest behaviors?A. Unforgettable.B. Unreasonable.C. Acceptable.D. Negative.8.The most complex object known to humanity is the human brain — and not only is it complex, but it is one of the few natural phenomena that science has no consciousness of. To try to replicate (复制) something that is so poorly understood may therefore seem like pride. But you have to start somewhere, and International Business Machines (IBM) and the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), in Switzerland, propose to start by replicating “in silico”, one of the brain’s building blocks.In a partnership announced, the two organizations said they would be working together to build a simulation (模拟) of a structure known as a neo-cortical（新大脑皮质的）column on a type of IBM supercomputer that is currently used to study the molecular functioning of genes. If that works, they plan to use more powerful computers to link such simulated columns together into something that mimics（模仿) a brain.In a real brain, a neo-cortical column is a cylindrical（圆柱形的）element about a third of a millimeter in diameter and three millimeters long. It is these columns, arranged side by side like the cells of a honeycomb, which make up the famous “grey matter” that has become shorthand for human intelligence. The Blue Gene/L supercomputer that will be used for the simulation consists of enough independentprocessors for each to be programmed to mimic an individual nerve cell in a column.The EPFL’s contribution to the Blue Brain Project will be to create a digital description of how the columns behave. The database from its Brain Mind Institute will provide the raw material for the simulation. Biologists and computer scientists will then connect the artificial nerve cells up in a way that mimics nature. They will do so by assigning electrical properties（电能）to them, and telling them how to communicate with each other and how they should modify their connections with one another depending on their activity.That will be no mean feat. Even a single nerve cell is complicated, not least because each one has about 10,000 connections with others. And nerve cells come in great variety—relying, for example, on different chemical transmitters to carry messages across those connections. Eventually, however, a digital representation of an entire column Should occur.Assuming that the growth of computing power continues to follow Moore’s Law, the leader of IBM’s side thinks it should be practical to mimic an entire human brain in silico this way in ten to fifteen years. Such an artificial brain would, of course, be a powerful research tool. It would allow neurological experiments that currently take days in a “web lab” to be conducted in seconds. The researchers hope that their simulated brain will reveal the secrets of how certain psychiatric and neurological, disorders develop. But that is probably not the real reason for doing it. The most interesting question, surely, is whether such an artificial brain will be intelligent, or conscious, or both.62. In a real brain, a neo-cortical column ____________.A. looks like the cells of a honeycombB. is a simulation of a structureC. is the famous “grey matter”D. contains a large number of nerve cells63. What does the underlined sentence “That will be no mean feat” in Paragraph 5 indicate?A. It is rather difficult to connect the artificial nerve ceils up.B. The function of chemical transmitters is hard to understand.C. A digital representation of an entire column is time-consuming.D. A single nerve cell is complicated to identify across connections.64. The fundamental purpose of doing the research is probably ____________.A. to simulate an entire human brain in silicoB. to tell us how some certain disorders emergeC. to discover how the artificial brain would workD. to examine whether Moore’s Law is still functioning65. What type of writing is this passage?A. A science fictionB. A research reportC. An official documentD. A computer advertisement9.Dear Textual Healing,I would be very interested in your recommendations for any books to help me through a difficult time of my life. At 57, f am feeling a bit lost. I have a wonderful, loving husband and bright, caring teenage daughter but I am lonely and have lost my spark for life.I have always taken care of everyone and managed a career, but, after the death of my father this summer, my difficulties as a child in a terribly abnormal family have come back to me regularly. / have become unfocused and often alone while my husband is away frequently on business and my daughter busy with school and friends.I am seeking the help of a therapist and taking care of myself but I would love to read something to help me “get my groove (理想状况）back” and reengage with life.PC Dear PC,From the letter you’ve given us about your life, it’s no wonder you’re feeling a little lost. But before prescribing titles to help you get your groove back, I’d recommend taking a journey into Rebecca Solnit’s non-fiction book, A Field Guide to Getting Lost, which is packed with the wisdom of everyone from Pat Barker to Thoreau and Keats.The word lost is rooted in the Old Norse “los”，meaning the disbanding of an army. “This origin suggests soldiers falling out of formation to go home, ceasing fighting with the wide world. I worry now that many people never disband their armies, never go beyond what they know,” Solnit writes. So instead of fearing that lost feeling, try seeing its potential for discovery. Explorers, remember, are always lost simply because they’re forever someplace new.“Leave the door open for the u nknown, the door into the dark,” Solnit advises. “That’s where the most important things come from, where you yourself came from, and where you will go.”For something that asks a little less of the reader while still giving plenty in return, try a dose (―剂）of Anne Tyler, the beloved creator of numerous heroes whose serious conditions will move anyone who finds themselves in a midlife difficult situation. One such character is 53-year-old Rebecca Davitch, the heroine of Back When We Were Grownups. Like you, she’s combined marriage and motherhood with a career but suddenly finds herself feeling lonely in her own home. Could it be, she wonders, that she’s “turned into the wrong person"? Don't be fooled by the way this novel ambles along —as Rebecca revisits youthful ambitions and the college boyfriend she abandoned, it asks some heart-rending questions before arriving at a place of graceful, joyous acceptance.Along similar lines, I'm also going to recommend The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce. Its hero is 65 when he learns that a former colleague sick. On his way to post her a note，he decides instead to visit her—on foot, from his home in deepest Devon to England's northernmost town, more than 600 miles away. You don’t manage that without focus! It’s a journey to a holy place that will take him 87 days to complete, during which he considers his childhood, marriage and relationship with his son, and becomes an accidental media sensation (轰动). By the time he reaches his destination, you’ll fee l anything but tired.Finally, Ruth Ozeki’s novel A Tale for the Time Being will charm the missing spark back into your life. Combining the diary of a sad Tokyo teenager with the story of the middle-aged novelist who finds it, washed ashore on a remote island off the coast of British Columbia, it’s a beautiful illustration of how our lives touch — and are touched by —others in ways we mightn't even be aware of. This Man Booker Prize finalist has plenty to teach about Zen Buddhism, and unless you happen to live in one of its settings, it provides a bracing change of scene, too.One other suggestion: books, as we all know, make great companions but that doesn't mean they can’t be enjoyed in the company of others. If you find yourself home alone, why not slip one into your back pack and head out to a favourite café.66. What has mainly led to PC’s negative attitude to life?A. The lack of helpful books.B. The blow of her father’s death.C. The contrast between her devotion to others and her being ignored.D. The contrast between her easy life and her family members busy life.67. By mentioning the origin of the word lost, Textual Healing implies that__________.A. PC should extend her knowledge by reading moreB. PC should stop struggling with anyone around herC. PC had better try to avoid going someplace newD. PC oughtn’t to be trapped in her present situation68. Who clarifies the idea in his/her work that people are socially related?A. Rebecca Solnit.B. Anne Tyler.C. Rachel Joyce.D. Ruth 0zeki.69. The character Rebecca Davitch is mentioned by Textual Healing because her experience is__________.A. typicalB. persuasiveC. enjoyableD. extraordinary70. Which of the following can be the proper title?A. Which books will cure loneliness?B. How can you get rid of loneliness?C. Here are good examples for youD. Books will keep you busy and healthy10.The tree people in the Lord of the Rings—the Ents—can get around by walking. But for real trees, well, it's harder to uproot. "Because it's a sessile organism, literally, rooted into the ground, it is unable to leave and go elsewhere." Mario Pesendorfer, a behavioral ecologist at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. "When a tree first starts growing in a certain area, it's likely that the climatic envelope, so the temperature, humidity, soil composition and so on suits it, because it would otherwise be unable to grow from a seedling. But as it ages, these conditions may change and the area around it may no longer be suitable for its offspring."And if that happens? Walnuts, hazelnuts, chestnuts, oaks, pines—many rely exclusively on so-called "scatter-hoarders," like birds, to move their hefty seeds to new locales. "Many members of the family Corvidae—the crows, jays and magpies—are scatter-hoarders, meaning they like to store food for the winter, which they then subsequently retrieve."。
