Twenty-first century humanity has mapped oceans and mountains, visited the moon, and surveyed the planets. But for all the progress, people still don’t know one another very well.
That brings about Theodore Zeldin’s “feast of conversation”-events where individuals pair with persons they don’t know for three hours of guided talk designed to forget the past “Where are you from?”
Mr. Zeldin, an Oxford University professor, heads Oxford Muse, a 10-year-old foundation based on the idea that what people need is not more information, but more inspiration and encouragement.
The “feast” in London looks not at politics or events, but at how people have felt about work, relations among the sexes, hopes and fears, enemies and authority, the shape of their lives. The “menu of conversation” includes topics like “How have your priorities changed over the years?” Or, “What have you rebelled against the past?”
As participants gathered, Zeldin opened with a speech: that despite instant communications in a globalized age, issues of human heart remain. Many people are lonely, or in routines that discourage knowing the depth of one another. “We are trapped in shallow conversations and the whole point now is to think, which is sometimes painful,” he says. “But thinking interaction is what separates us from other species, except maybe dogs…who do have generations of human interactions.”
The main rules of the “feast”: Don’t pair with someone you know or ask questions you would not answer. The only awkward moment came when the multi-racial crowd of young adults to seniors, in sun hats, ties and dresses, looked to see whom with for hours. But 15 minutes later, everyone was seated and talking, continuing full force until organizers interrupted them 180 minutes later.
“It’s encouraging to see the world is not just a place of oppression and distance from each other,” Zeldin summed up. “What we did is not ordinary, but it can’t be madder than the world already is.”
Some said they felt “liberated” to talk on sensitive topics. Thirty-something Peter, from East London, said that “it might take weeks or months to get to the level of interaction we suddenly opened up.”
1.What can the “conversations” be best described as?
A. Deep and one-on-one. B. Sensitive and mad.
C. Instant and inspiring. D. Ordinary and encouraging.
2.In a “feast of conversations”, participants ______.
A. pair freely with anyone they like
B. have a guided talk for a set of period of time
C. ask questions they themselves would not answer
D. wear clothes reflecting multi-racial features.
3.From the passage, we can conclude that what Zeldin does is ______.
A. an attempt to promote thinking interaction
B. one of the maddest activities ever conducted
C. a try to liberate people from old-fashioned ideas
D. an effort to give people a chance of talking freely
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题
Twenty-first century humanity has mapped oceans and mountains, visited the moon, and surveyed the planets. But for all the progress, people still don’t know one another very well.
That brings about Theodore Zeldin’s “feast of conversation”-events where individuals pair with persons they don’t know for three hours of guided talk designed to forget the past “Where are you from?”
Mr. Zeldin, an Oxford University professor, heads Oxford Muse, a 10-year-old foundation based on the idea that what people need is not more information, but more inspiration and encouragement.
The “feast” in London looks not at politics or events, but at how people have felt about work, relations among the sexes, hopes and fears, enemies and authority, the shape of their lives. The “menu of conversation” includes topics like “How have your priorities changed over the years?” Or, “What have you rebelled against the past?”
As participants gathered, Zeldin opened with a speech: that despite instant communications in a globalized age, issues of human heart remain. Many people are lonely, or in routines that discourage knowing the depth of one another. “We are trapped in shallow conversations and the whole point now is to think, which is sometimes painful,” he says. “But thinking interaction is what separates us from other species, except maybe dogs…who do have generations of human interactions.”
The main rules of the “feast”: Don’t pair with someone you know or ask questions you would not answer. The only awkward moment came when the multi-racial crowd of young adults to seniors, in sun hats, ties and dresses, looked to see whom with for hours. But 15 minutes later, everyone was seated and talking, continuing full force until organizers interrupted them 180 minutes later.
“It’s encouraging to see the world is not just a place of oppression and distance from each other,” Zeldin summed up. “What we did is not ordinary, but it can’t be madder than the world already is.”
Some said they felt “liberated” to talk on sensitive topics. Thirty-something Peter, from East London, said that “it might take weeks or months to get to the level of interaction we suddenly opened up.”
1.What can the “conversations” be best described as?
A. Deep and one-on-one. B. Sensitive and mad.
C. Instant and inspiring. D. Ordinary and encouraging.
2.In a “feast of conversations”, participants ______.
A. pair freely with anyone they like
B. have a guided talk for a set of period of time
C. ask questions they themselves would not answer
D. wear clothes reflecting multi-racial features.
3.From the passage, we can conclude that what Zeldin does is ______.
A. an attempt to promote thinking interaction
B. one of the maddest activities ever conducted
C. a try to liberate people from old-fashioned ideas
D. an effort to give people a chance of talking freely
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Twenty-first century humanity has mapped oceans and mountains, visited the moon, and surveyed the planets. But for all the progress, people still don’t know one another very well.
That brings about Theodore Zeldin’s “feast of conversation”-events where individuals pair with persons they don’t know for three hours of guided talk designed to get the past “Where are you from?”
Mr. Zeldin, an Oxford University professor, heads Oxford Muse, a 10-year-old foundation based on the idea that what people need is not more information, but more inspiration and encouragement.
The “feast” in London looks not at politics or events, but at how people have felt about work, relations among the sexes, hopes and fears, enemies and authority, the shape of their lives. The “menu of conversation” includes topics like “How have your priorities(优先考虑的事) changed over the years?” Or, “What have you rebelled against the past?”
As participants gathered, Zeldin opened with a speech: that despite instant communications in a globalized age, issues of human heart remain. Many people are lonely, or in routines that discourage knowing the depth of one another. “We are trapped in shallow conversations and the whole point now is to think, which is sometimes painful,” he says. “But thinking interaction is what separates us from other species, except maybe dogs…who do have generations of human interactions.”
The main rules of the “feast”: Don’t pair with someone you know or ask questions you would not answer. The only awkward moment came when the multi-racial crowd of young adults to seniors, in sun hats, ties and dresses, looked to see whom they would be ‘intimate’ with for hours. But 15 minutes later, everyone was seated and talking, continuing full force until organizers interrupted them 180 minutes later.
“It’s encouraging to see the world is not just a place of oppression and distance from each other,” Zeldin summed up. “What we did is not ordinary, but it can’t be madder than the world already is.”
Some said they felt “liberated” to talk on sensitive topics. Thirty-something Peter, from East London, said that “it might take weeks or months to get to the level of interaction we suddenly opened up.”
1.What can the “conversations” be best described as?
A.Deep and one-on-one. B.Sensitive and mad.
C.Instant and inspiring. D.Ordinary and encouraging.
2.In a “feast of conversations”, participants ______.
A.pair freely with anyone they like
B.have a guided talk for a set of period of time
C.ask questions they themselves would not answer
D.wear clothes reflecting multi-racial features.
3.In paragraph 6, “they would be ‘intimate’” is closest in meaning to “______”.
A.they would have physical contact B.they would have in-depth talk
C.they would be close friends D.they would exchange basic information
4.From the passage, we can conclude that what Zeldin does is ______.
A.an attempt to promote thinking interaction
B.one of the maddest activities ever conducted
C.a try to liberate people from old-fashioned ideas
D.an effort to give people a chance of talking freely
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
For centuries, the body’s blood has been linked closely with the emotions. People who show no human emotions or feelings, are said to be cold-blooded killer. For example, the police are searching for a cold-blooded killer. He seems to kill for no reason, and no emotion, as if taking someone’s life as nothing.
Cold can affect other parts of the body. The expression “get cold feet” has nothing to do with cold or your feet. The expression means being afraid to do something you have decided to do. For example, you agree to be president of an organization. But then you learn that all the other officers have resigned, and all the work of the organization will be your responsibility. You are likely to get cold feet about being president when you understand the situation.
The expression “give someone the cold shoulder” probably comes from the physical act of turning your back toward someone, instead of speaking to him face to face. You may give a cold shoulder to a friend who has not kept a promise he made to you. Or, to someone who has lied about you to others.
A cold fish is not a fish. It is a person. But it is a person who is unfriendly, unemotional and shows no love or warmth. A cold fish does not offer much of himself to anyone. Someone who is a cold fish could be cold-hearted. Now a cold-hearted person is someone who has no sympathy. Several popular songs in recent years were about cold-hearted men or cold-hearted women who, without feelings, broke the hearts of their lovers.
Out in the cold means not getting something that everybody else got. A person might say that everybody but him got a pay raise--he was left out in the cold. And it is not a pleasant place to be.
1.There are _____ expressions related to cold that are mentioned in the passage.
A. 3 B. 4 C. 6 D. 7
2.When you refuse to speak to a man and treat him in a distant way, you may express by “_________”.
A. I give him the cold shoulder
B. I think he is a cold-blooded man
C. I think he is a cold fish
D. I’m likely to get cold feet
3.If Sue shows absolutely no reaction to those awful pictures of starving children in Africa, you will say _________.
A. she is a cold-blooded killer
B. she gets cold feet
C. she is a cold fish
D. she is out in the cold
4.We can use the expression “__________” to describe a man who abandons or hurts his lover without mercy.
A. cold-blooded B. cold shoulder
C. cold feet D. cold-hearted
5.The topic of this passage is about _________.
A. the relationship between cold and our body
B. some expressions about friendship
C. some expressions connected with cold
D. how cold weather comes into being
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
By the end of the century, if not sooner, oceans will be bluer and greener thanks to a warming climate, according to a new study.
At the heart of the phenomenon lie tiny marine microorganisms(海洋微生物)called phytoplankton. Owing to the way light reflects off the organisms, these phytoplankton create colorful patterns on the ocean surface. Ocean color varies from green to blue, depending on the type and concentration of phytoplankton. Climate change will fuel the growth of phytoplankton in some areas, while reducing it in other spots, resulting in changes in the ocean’s appearance.
Living on the ocean surface, Phytoplankton absorb carbon dioxide into the ocean while giving off oxygen. When they die, they bury carbon in the deep ocean, and help to adjust the global climate. But phytoplankton are allergic to the ocean’s warming trend. Warming changes essential characteristics of the ocean and can affect phytoplankton growth.
Stephanie Dutkiewicz, a scientist in MIT’s Center for Global Change Science, built a climate model that projects changes to the oceans throughout the century. In a world that warms up by 3℃, it found that multiple changes to the ocean color would occur. The model projects that currently blue areas with little phytoplankton could become even bluer. But in some waters, a warming will make conditions suitable for phytoplankton, and these areas will turn greener. “Not only are the quantities of phytoplankton in the ocean changing,” she said, “but the type of phytoplankton is changing.”
And why does that matter? Phytoplankton are the base of the food web. “If certain kinds begin to disappear from the ocean,” Dutkiewicz said, “it will change the type of fish that will be able to survive.” Those kinds of changes could affect the food chain.
Whatever color changes the ocean may experience in the coming decades will probably be too gradual and unnoticeable, but they could mean significant changes. “It’ll be a while before we can statistically show that the changes are happening because of climate change,” Dutkiewicz said, “but the change in the color of the ocean will be one of the early warning signals that we really have transformed our planet.”
1.What is the major cause that directly results in changes in the ocean’s color?
A.The temperature of sea water.
B.The type and concentration of phytoplankton.
C.The oxygen given off by phytoplankton.
D.The amount of carbon dioxide in the area.
2.What can be learned from the passage?
A.Phytoplankton have been used to control global climate.
B.Phytoplankton are of little significance in Dutkiewicz’s research.
C.Phytoplankton are not sensitive to the warming trend in the ocean.
D.A warming trend helps phytoplankton grow and oceans may appear greener.
3.What is the main purpose of the passage?
A.To describe the importance of phytoplankton.
B.To explain the effects of climate change on oceans.
C.To introduce a new approach to phytoplankton study.
D.To assess the consequences of changes in ocean color.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The moon and its possible influence over human behaviors have been objects of tales for centuries. Although the full moon can't turn people into werewolves (狼人), some people do blame it for causing a bad night's sleep or discomfort.
To find out if lunar phases (月相) affected humans, an international group of researchers studied children to see if their sleeping patterns changed or if there were any differences in their daily activities. The research studied a total of 5, 812 children from five continents. Data collection took place over 28 months, which is the same as the number of lunar cycles. These were then divided into three lunar phases: full moon, half-moon and new moon.
The findings of the study indicated that in general, sleep duration around full moon reported an average decrease of five minutes compared to new moon. “Our study provides evidence that the moon doesn't seem to influence people's behaviors,” said Dr. Jean-Philippe Chaput from the Eastern Ontario Research Institute. The only significant finding was one percent sleep decrease in full moon. However, sleeping for five minutes less time during a full moon is not a danger to health. “Our behaviors are largely influenced by many other factors like genes, education and income,” he added.
“Folk tales and even certain examples suggest that behaviors of humans and animals are affected by lunar phases,” Dr. Chaput explained. “Whether there is science behind it or not, the moon secret will continue to attract human civilizations in the years to come.”
1.Where does the moon's bad influence on human behaviors usually come from?
A.Tales. B.Textbooks. C.News reports. D.Scientific papers.
2.Why did the research last 28 months ?
A.To attract more attention. B.To cover the lunar cycles.
C.To look into more children. D.To collect as much data as possible.
3.What can be concluded from the findings ?
A.We should go to bed five minutes earlier during a full moon.
B.The moon is a major cause to affect our sleep and behaviors.
C.We shouldn't worry about the moon's influence over health.
D.The moon plays a significant role in children's sleeping patterns.
4.How does Dr. Chaput feel about the topic of the moon influence?
A.It's boring. B.It's worrying C.It's frightening . D.It's interesting.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
.In my opinion, life in the twenty-first century is much easier than _______.
A. that used to be B. it is used to C. it was used to D. it used to be
高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
In my opinion, life in the twenty-first century is much easier than ________.
A. that used to be B. it is used to C. it was used to D. it used to be
高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
Do’s and Don’ts in Whale(鲸) Watching
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has developed guidelines for whale watching in Johnstone Strait, where killer whales are found on a daily basis each summer. It is strongly recommended that vessel(船只) operators follow these guidelines for all kinds of whales.
· Approach whales from the side, not from the front or the back.
· Approach no closer than 100 metres, then stop the boat but keep the engine on.
· Keep noise levels down — no horns, whistles or racing of engines.
· Start your boat only after the whales are more than 100 metres from your vessel.
· Leave the area slowly, gradually moving faster when you are more than 300 metres from the whales.
· Approach and leave slowly, avoiding sudden changes in speed or direction.
· Avoid disturbing groups of resting whales.
· Keep at low speeds and remain in the same direction if traveling side by side with whales.
· When whales are traveling close to shore, avoid crowding them near the shore or coming between the whales and the shore.
· Limit the time spent with any group of whales to less than 30 minutes at a time when within 100 to 200 metres of whales.
· If there is more than one vessel at the same observation spot, be sure to avoid any boat position that would result in surrounding the whales.
· Work together by communicating with other vessels, and make sure that all operators are aware of the whale watching guidelines.
1. For whom is this text written?
A. Tour guides. B. Whale watchers.
C. Vessel operators. D. Government officials.
2. When leaving the observation areas, the vessel should ______.
A. move close to the beach B. increase speed gradually
C. keep its engine running slowly D. remain at the back of the whales
3. When going side by side with whales, the vessel should ______.
A. keep moving in the same direction
B. surround the whales with other boats
C. travel closer and closer to the shore
D. take a good viewing position
4. What is the shortest safe distance from the whales?
A. 400 metres. B. 300 metres. C. 200 metres. D. 100 metres.
高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
Do’s and Don’ts in Whale(鲸) Watching
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has developed guidelines for whale watching in Johnstone Strait, where killer whales are found on a daily basis each summer.It is strongly recommended that vessel(船只) operators follow these guidelines for all kinds of whales.
● Approach whales from the side, not from the front or the back.
● Approach no closer than 100 meters, then stop the boat but keep the engine on.
● Keep noise levels down—no horns, whistles or racing of engines.
● Start your boat only after the whales are more than 100 meters from your vessel.
● Leave the area slowly, gradually moving faster when you are more than 300 meters from the whales.
● Approach and leave slowly, avoiding sudden changes in speed or direction.
● Avoid disturbing groups of resting whales.
● Keep at low speeds and remain in the same direction if travelling side by side with whales.
● When whales are travelling close to shore, avoid crowding them near the shore or coming between the whales and the shore.
● Limit the time spent with any group of whales to less than 30 minutes at a time when within 100 to 200 meters of whales.
● If there is more than one vessel at the same observation spot, be sure to avoid any boat position that would result in surrounding the whales.
● Work together by communicating with other vessels, and make sure that all operators are aware of the whale watching guidelines.
1.For whom is this text written?
A.Tour guides. B.Whale watchers.
C.Vessel operators. D.Government officials.
2.When leaving the observation areas, the vessel should _____.
A.move close to the beach
B.increase speed gradually
C.keep its engine running slowly
D.remain at the back of the whales
3.When going side by side with whales, the vessel should ________.
A.keep moving in the same direction
B.surround the whales with other boats
C.travel closer and closer to the shore
D.take a good viewing position
4.What is the shortest safe distance from the whales?
A.400 meters. B.300 meters. C.200 meters. D.100 meters.
高二英语填空题中等难度题查看答案及解析
Do’s and Don’ts in Whale(鲸)Watching
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has developed guidelines for whale watching in Johnstone Strait,where killer whales are found on a daily basis each summer. It is strongly recommended that vessel(船只)operators follow these guidelines for all kinds of whales.
● Approach whales from the side, not from the front or the back.
● Approach no closer than 100 metres, then stop the boat but keep the engine on.
● Keep noise levels down-no horns, whistles or racing of engines.
● Start your boat only after the whales are more than 100 metres from your vessel.
● Leave the area slowly, gradually moving faster when you are more than 300 metres from the whales.
● Approach and leave slowly, avoiding sudden changes in speed or direction.
● Avoid disturbing groups of resting whales.
● Keep at low speeds and remain in the same direction if travelling side by side with whales.
● When whales are travelling close to shore, avoid crowding them near the shore or coming between the whales and the shore.
● Limit the time spent with any group of whales to less than 30 minutes at a time when within 100 to 200 metres of whales.
● If there is more than one vessel at the same observation spot, be sure to avoid any boat position that would result in surrounding the whales.
● Work together by communicating with other vessels, and make sure that all operators are aware of the whale watching guidelines.
1.For whom is this text written?
A.Tour guides. |
B.Whale watchers. |
C.Vessel operators. |
D.Government officials. |
2.When leaving the observation areas, the vessel should ________________.
A.move close to the beach |
B.increase speed gradually |
C.keep its engine running slowly |
D.remain at the back of the whales |
3.What is the shortest safe distance from the whales?
A.400 metres. | B.300 metres. | C.200 metres. | D.100 metres. |
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析