The Luck of the Irish
Look at a map of Britain, and the island on the left is Ireland. It’s a small but beautiful country with a long tradition of folk music. Up until 10 years ago just about the only thing that Ireland was famous for was its specialty black beer.
Now Ireland is famous around the world for its music with names like "Kenya","U2" ,"Van Morrison"and more recently "the Corers". "Boyzone",one of the world's top boy bands ,is from Ireland too.What's more,Boyzone member shane has twin sisters,Adele and Heavy,who are members of "B Witched"
The "Boyzone"story is interesting because they were created in 1993 by Dublin nightclub owner John Reynolds.They advertised in newspapers to find members for the group and 300wannabe pop stars applied!
Ronan,who was just 17 when he dropped out of school to make his bid for stardom,and shane,who had been working as trained mechanic in his father's garage when he left to join Boyzone,were both lucky enough to be chosen. The other members are shoe-shop attendant stephen lately,former mechanic Mike Graham and one-time clothes store assistant Keith Dully.
Many people expect bands that have been created by the music industry to produce boring music which doesn't become popular. Even the boys themselves knew they the would not easily achieve international pop music success.
Boyzone quickly proved that they were more than just pretty faces and have sold millions of records around the world.At the moment ,they are not big stars in America,but they say that will change,when they begin a tour of the United States.
Ronan will shortly also start recording as a solo artist. That does not mean the band will spilt yet,but we can expect Boyzone to split sometime in the next 18 months or so.Ronan has also recently become involved as one of the managers of new Irish boy band "West Life" whose song "Swear It Again"has recently been Number 1 in the British charts.
1.Ireland is famous for ________now.
A.its black beer B.its long tradition
C.popular music D.its scenery
2.The words “wannabe pop stars” in the third paragraph mean.
A.the pops who want to join the band
B.the persons who want to become pop stars
C.the pop stars who want to become more popular
D.the persons who want to be as famous as they are
3.Boy zone was formed by ________members in 1993.
A.3 B.4 C.5 D.6
4.Acording to the passage, we know that________.
A.Boy zone will split some day
B.Boy zone was successful because it was created by music industry
C.The boys in Boy zone were certain that they would be famous one day
D.Boy zone are going to perform in the States for Americans love them very much
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
The Luck of the Irish
Look at a map of Britain, and the island on the left is Ireland. It’s a small but beautiful country with a long tradition of folk music. Up until 10 years ago just about the only thing that Ireland was famous for was its specialty black beer.
Now Ireland is famous around the world for its music with names like "Kenya","U2" ,"Van Morrison"and more recently "the Corers". "Boyzone",one of the world's top boy bands ,is from Ireland too.What's more,Boyzone member shane has twin sisters,Adele and Heavy,who are members of "B Witched"
The "Boyzone"story is interesting because they were created in 1993 by Dublin nightclub owner John Reynolds.They advertised in newspapers to find members for the group and 300wannabe pop stars applied!
Ronan,who was just 17 when he dropped out of school to make his bid for stardom,and shane,who had been working as trained mechanic in his father's garage when he left to join Boyzone,were both lucky enough to be chosen. The other members are shoe-shop attendant stephen lately,former mechanic Mike Graham and one-time clothes store assistant Keith Dully.
Many people expect bands that have been created by the music industry to produce boring music which doesn't become popular. Even the boys themselves knew they the would not easily achieve international pop music success.
Boyzone quickly proved that they were more than just pretty faces and have sold millions of records around the world.At the moment ,they are not big stars in America,but they say that will change,when they begin a tour of the United States.
Ronan will shortly also start recording as a solo artist. That does not mean the band will spilt yet,but we can expect Boyzone to split sometime in the next 18 months or so.Ronan has also recently become involved as one of the managers of new Irish boy band "West Life" whose song "Swear It Again"has recently been Number 1 in the British charts.
1.Ireland is famous for ________now.
A.its black beer B.its long tradition
C.popular music D.its scenery
2.The words “wannabe pop stars” in the third paragraph mean.
A.the pops who want to join the band
B.the persons who want to become pop stars
C.the pop stars who want to become more popular
D.the persons who want to be as famous as they are
3.Boy zone was formed by ________members in 1993.
A.3 B.4 C.5 D.6
4.Acording to the passage, we know that________.
A.Boy zone will split some day
B.Boy zone was successful because it was created by music industry
C.The boys in Boy zone were certain that they would be famous one day
D.Boy zone are going to perform in the States for Americans love them very much
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
In most parts of Britain,the black cat is a symbol of good luck and owning a black cat may bring good luck to the family.But recently,black cats can no longer enjoy so much favor.
The British Royal for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals(英国防止虐待动物协会)announced a rise in the number of black cats being abandoned by their owners,due to not looking good in selfies(自拍).According to the RSPCA,more than 70 percent of the cats in its care are black.The biggest reason for that is black cats tend not to photograph as their lighter and brighter-colored fellows with more obvious markings.An RSPCA spokesman said, “This has become a national problem.And we are urging people to never judge a cat by its color but look at its personality instead.”
The Millwood Cat Rescue Centre has taken in nice black cats in the past two weeks.The founder of the rescue centre said,“We have had a lot of black cats because people don’t like black at the moment.Other look at the black cats and then just say ‘Oh,have you got anything else?’”
Animal lover Gabriella Fletcher owns a 16-year-old black cat,Susie.She regularly takes selfies with her pet.She said,“It is hard to get a good picture as you can’t really see how beautiful Susie is.She is just as special as any other cat.”
1.Why are black cats less favored by people?
A. They are rising in number. B. They don’t bring good luck anymore
C. They are banned by RSPCA. D. They don’t look good in photos.
2.What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 3 imply?
A. People want more black cats. B. People want to have something to eat.
C. People want more pet animals. D. People are unwilling to see so many black cats.
3.In Gabriella Fletcher’s eyes,black cats are_______.
A. Disgusting B. Unlucky
C. Ordinary D. Attractive
4.Which of the following can be the best title of this text?
A. Black cats out in “selfies”. B. Black cats abandoned in the UK.
C. Black cats in need of caring. D. Black cats favored again.
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
She looked at the map,_____ her memory of the life on the island.
A.relaxing B.relieving
C.reminding D.refreshing
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Every baby born a decade from now will have its genetic code (基因编码) mapped at birth, the head of the worlds’ leading genome sequencing (基因图谱) company has predicted.
A complete DNA read – out for every newborn will be technically possible and affordable in less than five years, promising a revolution in healthcare, says Jay Flatley, the chief executive of Illumina. Only social and legal problems are likely to delay the age of “genome sequences,” or genetic profiles. By 2019 it will have become routine to map infants’ genes when they are born, Dr Flatly told The Times.
This will open a new approach to medicine, by which conditions such as high blood pressure and heart disease can be predicted and prevented and drugs used more safely and effectively.
A baby’s genome can be discovered at birth by a blood test. By examining a person’s genome, it is possible to identify raised risks of developing diseases such as cancers. Those at high risk can then be screened more regularly, or given drugs or dietary advice to lower their chances of becoming ill.
Personal genomes could also be used to ensure that patients get the medicine that is most likely to work for them and least likely to have side – effects.
The development, however, will raise legal concerns about privacy and access to individuals’ genetic records.
“Bad things can be done with the genome. It could predict something about someone – and you could possibly hand the information to their employer or their insurance company.” said Dr Flatley.
“People have to recognize that this horse is out of the barn, and that your genome probably can’t be protected, because everywhere you go you leave your genome behind. Complete genetic privacy, however, is unlikely to be possible”, he added.
As the benefits become clearer, however, he believes that most people will want their genomes read and interpreted. The risk is nothing compared with the gain.
1.In the first two paragraphs, the author mainly wants to tell us about .
A.the significant progress in medicine
B.the promise of a leading company
C.the information of babies’ genes
D.the research of medical scientists
2.Which of the following is a problem caused by this approach?
A.The delaying in discovering DNA.
B.The risk of developing diseases at birth.
C.The side – effects of medicine on patients.
D.The letting out of personal genetic information.
3.What does the underlined sentence “… this horse is out of the barn” mean?
A.Genetic mapping technique has been widely used.
B.Genetic mapping technique is too horrible to control.
C.People are eager to improve genetic mapping technique.
D.people can’t stop genetic mapping technique advancing.
4.What’s Dr Flatley’s attitude towards the technology?
A.Tolerant. B.Conservative. C.Positive. D.Doubtful.
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Every day born a decade from now will have its genetic code(基因编码)mapped at birth, the head of the world’s leading genome sequencing(基因图谱)company has predicted.
A complete DNA read – out for every newborn will be technically possible and affordable in less than five years, promising a revolution in healthcare, says Jay Flatley, the chief executive of Illumina. Only social and legal problems are likely to delay the age of “genome sequences,” or genetic profiles. By 2019 it will have become routine to map infants’ genes when they are born, Dr Flatly told The Times.
This will open a new approach to medicine, by which conditions such as high blood pressure and heart disease can be predicted and prevented and drugs used more safely and effectively.
A baby’s genome can be discovered at birth by a blood test. By examining a person’s genome, it is possible to identify raised risks of developing diseases such as cancers. Those at high risk can then be screened more regularly, or given drugs or dietary advice to lower their chances of becoming ill.
Personal genomes could also be used to ensure that patients get the medicine that is most likely to work for them and least likely to have side – effects.
The development, however, will raise legal concerns about privacy and access to individuals’ genetic records.
“Bad things can be done with the genome. It could predict something about someone – and you could possibly hand the information to their employer or their insurance company.” said Dr Flatley.
“People have to recognize that this horse is out of the barn, and that your genome probably can’t be protected, because everywhere you go you leave your genome behind. Complete genetic privacy, however, is unlikely to be possible”, he added.
As the benefits become clearer, however, he believes that most people will want their genomes read and interpreted. The risk is nothing compared with the gain.
1.In the first two paragraphs, the author mainly wants to tell us about__________.
A. the significant progress in medicine
B. the promise of a leading company
C. the information of babies’ genes
D. the research of medical scientists
2.Which of the following is a problem caused by this approach?
A. The delaying in discovering DNA.
B. The risk of developing diseases at birth.
C. The side effects of medicine on patients.
D. The letting out of personal genetic information.
3.What does the underlined sentence “… this horse is out of the barn” mean?
A. Genetic mapping technique has been widely used.
B. people can’t stop genetic mapping technique advancing.
C. People are eager to improve genetic mapping technique.
D. Genetic mapping technique is too horrible to control.
4.What’s Dr Flatley’s attitude towards the technology?
A. Tolerant. B. Conservative. C. Positive. D. Doubtful.
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Since the 1950s, most of the stars of pop music have come from Britain and America. However, in the last ten years, when many different kinds of music have established themselves on the pop scene, more and more stars have come from other countries.
Pop music changes all the time and new stars appear and become famous. For a musician to stay popular and still produced good, original music over a long period of time, is a sign of true star.
Most stars start their careers in a simple way---playing in unknown night clubs or dance-hall where people want to dance to the music, not listen to it. They may have continued doing this for many years until they get a “break”---a chance to perform in a well–known place or get a recording contract. To become a star is the aim of every singer or musician and the dream of many a pop-crazy teenager.
However a group or star makes it to the top, they can be sure that their lives will change once they are successful. Ordinary teenagers living at home with their parents may suddenly find themselves rich enough to buy their own houses. An established superstar may be able to buy several.
Despite the large amount of money that are earned, life at the top is not easy for many stars. The pop scene is hard work and many stars need to spend a lot of time away from home. For a lot of them, this means they have no home life and their personal relationships suffer. Despite great public success, life at the top can be very lonely.
1.Since the 1950s, most of the stars of pop music have come from _________.
A. America B. America and Britain C. America and Europe D. other countries
2.According to the passage, a “break” may mean a chance to ______.
perform in a well-known concert
C. play in dance-halls B. get a recording contract
D. meet a lot of pop-crazy teenagers
3.If a star becomes successful, he ______ according to the passage.
A. will have an easy life because of the larger amount of money earned
B. may have a happy home life and good person relationships
C. will live at home with their parents D. may have a lonely life
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Since the 1950s, most of the stars of pop music have come from Britain and America.Howver, in the last ten years, when many different kinds of music have established themselves on the pop scene, more and more stars have come from other countries.
Pop music changes all the time and new stars appear and become famous.For a musician to stay popular and still produced good, original music over a long period of time, is a sign of true star.
Most stars start their careers in a simple way---- playing in unknown night clubs or dance-hall where people want to dance to the music, not listen to it.They may have continued doing this for many years untill they get a “break”---- a chance to perform in a well –known place or get a recording contract.To become a star is the aim of every singer or musician and the dream of many a pop-crazy teenager.
However a group or star makes it to the top, they can be sure that their lives will change once they are successful.Ordinary teenagers living at home with their parents may suddenly find themselves rich enough to buy their own houses.An established superstar may be able to buy several.
Despite the large amount of money that are earned, life at the top is not easy for many stars..The pop scene is hard work and many stars need to spend a lot of time away from home.For a lot of them, this means they have no home life and their personal relationships suffer.Despite great public success, life at the top can be very lonely.
1.Since the 1950s,most of the stars of pop music have come from______.
A.America B.America and Britain
C.America and Europe D.other countries
2.According to the passage, a “break” may mean a chance to ______.
A.perform in a well-known concert B.get a recording contract
C.play in dance-halls D.meet a lot of pop-crazy teenagers
3.If a star becomes successful,.he ______ according to the passage.
A.will live at home with their parents
B.will have an easy life because of the larger amount of money earned
C.may have a happy home life and good person relationships
D.may have a lonely life
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Since the 1950s, most of the stars of pop music have come from Britain and America. Howver, in the last ten years, when many different kinds of music have established themselves on the pop scene, more and more stars have come from other countries.
Pop music changes all the time and new stars appear and become famous. For a musician to stay popular and still produced good, original music over a long period of time, is a sign of true star.
Most stars start their careers in a simple way---- playing in unknown night clubs or dance-hall where people want to dance to the music, not listen to it. They may have continued doing this for many years untill they get a “break”---- a chance to perform in a well –known place or get a recording contract. To become a star is the aim of every singer or musician and the dream of many a pop-crazy teenager.
However a group or star makes it to the top, they can be sure that their lives will change once they are successful. Ordinary teenagers living at home with their parents may suddenly find themselves rich enough to buy their own houses. An established superstar may be able to buy several.
Despite the large amount of money that are earned, life at the top is not easy for many stars.. The pop scene is hard work and many stars need to spend a lot of time away from home. For a lot of them, this means they have no home life and their personal relationships suffer. Despite great public success, life at the top can be very lonely.
1.Since the 1950s,most of the stars of pop music have come from______.
A.America | B.America and Britain |
C.America and Europe | D.other countries |
2.According to the passage, a “break” may mean a chance to ______.
A.perform in a well-known concert | B.get a recording contract |
C.play in dance-halls | D.meet a lot of pop-crazy teenagers |
3.If a star becomes successful,.he ______ according to the passage.
A.will live at home with their parents |
B.will have an easy life because of the larger amount of money earned |
C.may have a happy home life and good person relationships |
D.may have a lonely life |
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Thousands of hungry birds left the countryside of Britain in the bitter winter to find food and warmth in urban gardens. The move included species such as the redwing and the fieldfare, almost unknown outside rural areas
The hard situation of farmland birds has been revealed in the latest survey of bird populations from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds released today.
The redwing has an obvious stripe over the eye and a red flash on the flanks (侧翼), while the fieldfare has a grey head, a peach underbelly, and a distinctive dark band on the tail.
Graham Madge, the society's spokesman, says, “For many urban birdwatchers the sight of these striking species is a real treat. Many people have never imagined there being such an amazing chance.”
“Frozen ground prevented them from getting food in the countryside and they have been saved from starvation in towns,” he added.
He says the unusual sight this year somewhat tempered the frustration felt at the suffering of small garden birds such as robins and wrens. These birds are sensitive to cold and must eat almost continuously to stay alive. Data from people who took part in the society's Big Garden Birdwatch recorded sightings in 280,000 gardens during the last weekend of January, with the goldcrest down 75 percent, the longtailed tit down 27 percent, and the coal tit down 20 percent. The study highlighted the need for food to be left out for birds during winter.
The redwing and the fieldfare are relatively unknown outside the eastern part of the country. The research shows, however, that they moved to the other side of the country where the climate is generally mild in winter and that many for the first time have reached Cornwall and Isles of Scilly. The number of redwing sightings was up 185 percent, those of the fieldfare 73, and of the yellowhammer 68.
Another surprise garden “guest” this year was the blackcap. This robinsized, silvergrey bird was rare in Britain 50 years ago, but increasing numbers now arrive each year from Germany and Austria.
1.How did the urban birdwatchers probably feel when seeing the hungry birds?
A. Excited. B. Worried.
C. Annoyed. D. Motivated.
2.Which of the following can best replace the underlined word “tempered”?
A. Prevented. B. Relieved.
C. Explained. D. Increased.
3.According to the passage, Cornwall is perhaps ________.
A. a village in eastern Britain
B. a city in western Britain
C. a village in western Britain
D. a city in eastern Britain
4.What does the passage mainly talk about?
A. The tough living conditions of some British birds.
B. The various species of Britain's garden birds.
C. The changes of some bird's population in Britain.
D. Unusual bird visitors in Britain's urban gardens.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
April 27 is Take Our Daughters to Work Day in Britain. Started at first in the United States and brought to Britain in 1994, Take Our Daughters to Work Day has become a special day for girls between 11 and 15. On that day thousands of girls take a day off school and go together with one of their parents to their work places. The purpose of this day is to broaden girls’ horizons and raise their self-confidence.
For many years people have thought that boys can do better than girls in society. But actually, “girls can be whatever they want to be just like boys, whether it is a pilot, a nurse or a chief executive,” says the chairman of Our Sons and Daughters Charitable Trust, an organization which supported the activity of the Day. “Now the girls have a close look at what their parents are doing and this may help them to be more self-confident when they are faced with a choice of work.”
Schools and many companies support the activity too. Palmers Green High School for Girls, in north London, has made the Day a necessary part of career education.
Zarina Bart, 15, from Palmers Green, went with her mother to her lawyer’s office on this year’s Take Our Daughters to Work Day. She found it interesting to see her mother at work. “It’s really strange seeing Mum at work — running around, getting serious and telling people what to do.” She has always liked this idea of going into law and thinks it likely that she will follow in her mother’s footsteps. Having a chance to see how her mother works has given her more self-confidence.
Experts believe that girls with higher self-confidence aim higher and are more likely to be successful in life. Parents have the most important effect on the confidence of teenage girls. If parents believe in their daughters and show examples both at work as well as at home for them, this will give a lot of help to girls. Take Our Daughters to Work Day is surely a step in the right direction.
1.What is the topic of this passage?
A. Raising daughters’ self-confidence.
B. Take Our Daughters to Work Day.
C. Equally between boys and girls.
D. Following mothers’ footsteps.
2.It can be inferred from Paragraph 2 that ________.
A. women pilots are popular in Britain
B. girls are sure about their future jobs
C. people have wrongly believed that girls can do as well as boys
D. for many years boys have had a relatively wider choice of work
3.According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A. Take Our Daughters to Work Day is British in origin.
B. Palmers Green favors Take Our Daughters to Work Day.
C. On the Day children are taken to their parent’s work places.
D. Parents in Britain show good examples both at work and at home.
4.After her experience on Take Our Daughters to Work Day, Zarina felt ________.
A. confident about finding a job in the future
B. strange to watch her mother working in the office
C. sure about what to choose as her future career
D. interested in doing the same job as her mother
5.The author’s attitude towards the Day is ________.
A. favorable B. unclear C. critical D. neutral
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析