More and more people in America are celebrati...

More and more people in America are celebrating the Indian holiday Diwali. Diwali is Hindi for “row of lights”. It is the most important holiday in India.

Many people around the world are beginning to celebrate it as well. The United States is one of the places where the festival is becoming more common. Diwali celebrations can now be found at American landmarks like Disneyland in California and New York City’s Times Square. They are also held in many parks and museums.

Neeta Bhasin created the Times Square event. She said Indian immigrants have found great success in America. But, she said, many Americans still do not know much about India. So, she decided to act. “I felt it’s about time that we should take India to mainstream America and show India’s rich culture, heritage, arts and variety to the world,” she said, “and I couldn’t find a better place than Times Square.”

Bhasin came to the United States from India 40 years ago. She is president of ASB Communications, the marketing firm behind Diwali at Times Square. Tens of thousands of people attend the event, now in its fourth year.

In India, Diwali is a five-day harvest festival held just before the Hindu New Year. The exact dates change from year to year but Diwali is always in the fall. Celebrations include lighting oil lamps or candles called “diyas”.

A Diwali celebration will light up Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim this year. Visitors can watch performances of traditional Indian dances and take part in a Bollywood dance party. The event is part of a Festival of Holidays program at the theme park to show cultural traditions from around the world. The program takes place on November 10th through January 7th.

San Antonio, Texas, also holds a Diwali celebration. And it is one of the nation’s largest celebrations, with more than 15,000 people in attendance each year. Visitors can enjoy Indian dance, food and fireworks. Organizers also plan to float hundreds of lighted candles in the San Antonio River, along the city’s famous River Walk.

1.Which is the main symbol in the Indian holiday Diwali?

A.Dances. B.Lamps.

C.Food. D.Clothes.

2.Why did Neeta Bhasin set up the Times Square event?

A.To make the American culture richer.

B.To create a new business for the firm.

C.To make Indian culture better known in the US.

D.To show the achievements of Indian immigrants.

3.What do we know about Diwali?

A.It is held in autumn in India.

B.It lasts five days in America.

C.It has been held for 40 years in America.

D.It happens from November 10th to January 7th in India.

4.What is the main idea of the text?

A.Diwali is mainly celebrated in Disney Parks.

B.Many American cities compete to hold Diwali.

C.Indian Holiday Diwali lights up America, too.

D.Diwali has become the most important holiday in India.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

More and more people in America are celebrating the Indian holiday Diwali. Diwali is Hindi for “row of lights.” It is the most important holiday in India.

Many people around the world are beginning to celebrate it as well. The United States is one of the places where the festival is becoming more common. Diwali celebrations can now be found at American landmarks like Disney land in California and New York City’s Times Square. They are also held in many parks and museums.

Neeta Bhasin created the Times Square event. She said Indian immigrants (移民) have found great success in America. But, she said, many Americans still do not know much about India. So, she decided to act. "I felt it's about time that we should take India to mainstream America and show India's rich culture, heritage, arts and variety to the world, "she said, "And I couldn't find a better place than the center of the universe: Times Square."

Bhasin came to the United States from India 40 years ago. She is president of ASB Communications, the marketing firm behind Diwali at Times Square. Tens of thousands of people attend the event. now in its fourth year.

In India, Diwali is a five-day harvest festival held just before the Hindu New Year. The exact dates change from year to year but Diwali is always in the fall. Celebrations include lighting oil lamps or candles called diyas. The lights represent "a victory of knowledge over ignorance, light over darkness, good over evil."

A Diwali celebration will light up Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim this year. Visitors can watch pertormances of traditional Indian dances and take part in a Bollywood dance party. The event is part of a Festival of Holidays program at the theme park to show cultural traditions from around the world.

1.Which is the main symbol in the Indian holiday Diwali?

A. Clothes.

B. Lamps.

C. Foods.

D. Dances.

2.Why did Neeta Bhasin set up the Times Square even?

A. To make the American culture rich.

B. To create a new business to make a living.

C. To make Indian culture better known in the US.

D. To show off the achievements of Indian immigrants.

3.What do we know about Diwali in India?

A. It is held in autumn.

B. It is held in a fixed date.

C. It lasts five days in America.

D. It takes place around the Hindu New Year.

4.Which can be the best title for the text?

A. Diwali is mainly celebrated in Disney Parks.

B. Many American cities compete to hold Diwali.

C. Diwali is the most popular festival in America.

D. Indian Holiday Diwali Lights Up America, Too.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Who are these people rushing by you in the street? More than 215 million people now call America “home’’, but most of them can trace their families back to other parts of the world. If you look at the names on shop windows, you will see that Americans come from many different lands. The idea that these people, who once were strangers to the United States, have lost the customs and cultures of their original countries and have become “American’’is really not true. In fact, what exists in America is more often a kind of “side-by-side”, living in which groups of people from other countries often have kept many of their customs and habits. They join the general American society only in certain areas of their lives—such as in schools, business, and sports-but they keep many of their own native customs and manners socially and at home. This living “side-by-side” has both advantages and disadvantages. Sometimes it may cause disagreements to develop between groups whose ways of life are very different from one another. However, there are also great advantages that come from the variety of cultures brought by settlers from other lands. There is great freedom of choice among ideas and dress, food, and social customs in America. Everyone can find some part of his or her familiar world in the United States, in Churches, music, food, national groups, or newspapers.

1.More than 215 million people call America “home” because ________.

A. they buy their houses there   B. they settle there now

C. they get married there       D. they were born there

2.“Side-by-side” living style means________.

A. making friends with native people

B. the groups of people who live nearby

C. keeping their own customs while sharing American ones in certain areas

D. that they get closer to American society

3.According to the passage, people in the USA ________.

A. share American customs and culture

B. 1ive in a kind of “side-by-side'' society

C. keep their own customs and habits firmly

D. make no choice to accept American customs

4.Which of the following statements is true?

A. They always stick to their own customs and habits.

B. “Side—by—side’’living style is not suitable.

C. They face the society they are not familiar with.

D. The advantages coming from the variety of cultures make life in America colorful.

5.Which title of the following can best take the place of “Different Cultures in America”?

A. Advantages and Disadvantages.

B. Different Customs and Habits.

C. Home for the People

D. “Side—by—side”Living Style in America.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Who are these people rushing by you in the street？More than 215million people now call America"home"，but most of them can trace their families back to other parts of the world．If you look at the names on shop windows，you will see that Americans come from many different lands．The idea that these people，who once were strangers to the United States，have lost the customs and cultures of their original countries and have become"American"is really not true．In fact，what exists in America is more often a kind of "side﹣by﹣side" living in which groups of people from other countries often have kept many of their customs and habits．They join the general American society only in certain areas of their lives﹣such as in schools，business，and sports﹣but they keep many of their own native customs and manners socially and at home．This living "side﹣by﹣side" has both advantages and disadvantages．Sometimes it may cause disagreements to develop between groups whose ways of life are very different from one another．However，there are also great advantages that come from the variety of cultures brought by settlers from other lands．There is great freedom of choice among ideas and dress，food，and social customs in America．Everyone can find some part of his or her familiar world in the United States，in churches，music，food，national groups，or newspapers．

1.More than 215 million people call America"home"because　　　 　．

A. they have their houses there

B. they settle there now

C. they want to make their home there

D. they like that land very much

2."Side﹣by﹣side" living style means　　　 　．

A. to make friends with native people

B. the groups of people who live nearby

C. to keep their own customs while sharing American ones in certain areas

D. that they get closer to American society

3.According to the passage，people in the USA　　　 　．

A. share American customs and culture

B. live in a kind of "side﹣by﹣side" society

C. keep their own customs and habits firmly

D. make no choice to accept American customs

4.Which of the following statements is true？

A. They always stick to their own customs and habits．

B. "Side﹣by﹣side" living style is not suitable．

C. They face the society they are not familiar with．

D. The advantages coming from the variety of cultures make life in America colorful．

5.Which is the best title for this passage？

A. Advantages and Disadvantages．

B. Different Customs and Habits．

C. Home for the People．

D. "Side﹣by﹣side" Living Style in America．

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Men are spending more and more time in the kitchen encouraged by celebrity (名人) chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver, according to a report from Oxford University.

The effect of the celebrity role models，who have given cooking a more manly picture，has combined with a more general drive towards sexual equality and men now spend more than twice the amount of time preparing meals than they did in 1961.

According to the research by Prof. Jonatahn Gershuny，who runs the Centre for Time Research at Oxford, men now spend more than half an hour a day cooking, up from just 12 minutes a day in 1961.

Prof. Gershuny said. “The man in the kitchen is part of a much wider social trend. There has been 40 years of sexual equality, but there is another 40 years probably to come.”

Women, who a generation ago spent nearly two hours a day cooking, now spend just one hour and seven minutes — a great fall, but they still spend far more time in the kitchen than men.

Some experts have named these men in aprons(围裙) as “Gastrosexuals (men using cooking skills to impress friends)”, who have been inspired to pick up a kitchen knife by the success of Ramsay，Oliver as well as other male celebrity chefs such as Hugh Fearnley－Whittingstall, Marco Pierre White and Keith Floyd.

“I was married in 1974. When my father came to visit me a few weeks later, I was wearing an apron when I opened the door. He laughed,” said Prof. Gershuny. “That would never happen now.”

Two－thirds of adults say that they come together to share at least three times a week, even if it is not necessarily around a kitchen or dining room table. Prof. Gershuny pointed out that the family meal was now rarely eaten by all of its members around a table — with many “family meals” in fact taken on the sofa in the sitting room, and shared by family members. “The family meal has changed a lot, and few of us eat — as I did when I was a child — at least two meals a day together as a family. But it has survived in a different format.”

1.What is one reason behind the trend that men spend more time cooking than before?

A. The improvement of cooks’ status.

B. The influence of popular female chefs.

C. The change of female’ s view on cooking.

D. The development of sexual equality campaign.

2.What does the author think about the time men and women spend on cooking?

A. Men spend more time cooking than women nowadays.

B. Women spend much less time on cooking than before.

C. It will take 40 years before men spend more time at the stove than women.

D. There is a sharp fall in the time men spend on cooking compared with 1961.

3.How did Prof. Gershuny see the family meal according to the passage?

A. It has become a thing of the past.

B. It is very different from what it used to be.

C. It shouldn’t be advised in modern times.

D. It is beneficial to the stability(稳定) of the family.

4.Which is the best title for the passage?

A. The Changes of Family Meals B. Equality between Men and Women

C. Cooking into a New Trend for Men D. Cooking — a Thing of the Past for Women

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Men are spending more and more time in the kitchen encouraged by celebrity (名人) chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver, according to a report from Oxford University.

The effect of the celebrity role models, who have given cooking a more manly picture, has combined with a more general drive towards sexual equality and men now spend more than twice the amount of time preparing meals than they did in 1961.

According to the research by Prof. Jonatahn Gershuny, who runs the Centre for Time Research at Oxford, men now spend more than half an hour a day cooking, up from just 12 minutes a day in 1961.

Prof. Gershuny said, “The man in the kitchen is part of a much wider social trend. There has been 40 years of sexual equality, but there is another 40 years probably to come.”

Women, who a generation ago spent nearly two hours a day cooking, now spend just one hour and seven minutes—a great fall, but they still spend far more time in the kitchen than men.

Some experts have named these men in aprons as “Gastrosexuals (men using cooking skills to impress friends)”, who have been inspired to pick up a kitchen knife by the success of Ramsay, Oliver as well as other male celebrity chefs such as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Marco Pierre White and Keith Floyd.

“I was married in 1974. When my father came to visit me a few weeks later, I was wearing an apron when I opened the door. He laughed,” said Prof. Gershuny. “That would never happen now.”

Two-thirds of adults say that they come together to share at least three times a week, even if it is not necessarily around a kitchen or dining room table. Prof. Gershuny pointed out that the family meal was now rarely eaten by all of its members around a table—with many “family meals” in fact taken on the sofa in the sitting room, and shared by family members. “The family meal has changed a lot, and few of us eat—as I did when I was a child—at least two meals a day together as a family. But it has survived in a different format.”

1.What is one reason behind the trend that men spend more time cooking than before?

A. The improvement of cooks’ status.

B. The influence of popular female chefs.

C. The change of female’s view on cooking.

D. The development of sexual equality campaign.

2.What does the author think about the time men and women spend on cooking?

A. Men spend more time cooking than women nowadays.

B. Women spend much less time on cooking than before.

C. It will take 40 years before men spend more time at the stove than women.

D. There is a sharp decline in the time men spend on cooking compared with 1961.

3.How did Prof. Gershuny see the family meal according to the passage?

A. It has become a thing of the past.

B. It is very different from what it used to be.

C. It shouldn’t be advocated in modern times.

D. It is beneficial to the stability of the family.

4.Which is the best title for the passage?

A. The Changes of Family Meals

B. Equality between Men and Women

C. Cooking into a New Trend for Men

D. Cooking—a Thing of the Past for Women

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

A new research shows that in Britain more and more people are returning to the old tradition that the whole family have a meal at table. Worrying about the obesity and breakdown of a family, people change their eating habits so greatly, according to analysis. They find the number of the family having a meal together increases by 5% from 2002 to 2004, and most people who have meals with their family come from the rich social class.

The new discovery makes doctors and the people struggling against obesity extremely excited. Giving up the tradition that the whole family have a meal together is exactly one of the reasons for a series of problems including children’s overweight. If a child has a meal in front of the television or the computer alone, he will often eat some fast food.

Jason Collins is one of the persons returning to the old tradition. Collins is a manager of a bake(烘面包) house. He finds after he gets used to having a meal at home with his child, the child becomes much more obedient(听话的). Dr. Jin is a child psychologist, and she expresses welcome to this result of the study.  She says it can make parents have a very good chance to chat with the child when the whole family have a meal together.

1. What makes people change their eating habit back to the old tradition in Britain?

2. We can infer from the passage that _______.

3. How do the people who hope to lose weight feel about the new discovery?

4. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Mom and dad are the most important people in your life, and they’re likely to influence you more than anyone else in your lifetime. It’s a parent’s job to love and guide kids, and most parents will do this as long as they live.　　 1.　 Here are four ways you can stay close, get along, and build a strong relationship.

Spend time together. It might be easy to be physically in the same place with your mom and dad. 2. Instead of playing a computer game or watching TV by yourself, maybe you should ask your mom and dad to play with you. You can go outside together, try a board game, or read a book together.

3.　 Many kids say they would like their parents to help them when they’re upset. But your mom and dad might not know that you’re having a problem. Tell your parents if you’re sad or struggling with something. If you don’t usually do this, give it a try and you will be glad.

Be kind. Little things might mean a lot to your mom and dad. 4. It’s also lovely when a kid offers to help fold the laundry or cleans up his or her room without being asked. And if you try not to fight with your brothers or sisters, your parents might be so excited!

Show your care. Some families are always kissing, hugging, and saying “I love you” 　 5. 　　　 In addition to kisses and hugs, kids and parents can show their love by respecting each other, being caring, polite, and thoughtful.

A. But how much time do you spend just enjoying each other’s company（陪伴）?

B. It’s important to show that you care for each other.

C. But parents do a lot more than just pass down their hobbies.

D. Share your feelings and ask for help.

E. Talk on the phone and email each other to stay in touch.

F. You can brighten your parents’ day with a hug, a card or a joke.

G. That means you have many years to share with your mom and dad.

高二英语信息匹配中等难度题查看答案及解析

In Singapore, people who litter and dirty the streets are more likely ________.

A. to fine    　　　 B. fined　　　　　　　　 C. being fined　　　　 D. to be fined

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

There are many older people in the world and there will be many more. A little-known fact is that over 60 percent of the older people live in developing countries. According to the World Health Organization, by 2020 there will be 1 billion, with over 700 million living in developing countries.

It is a surprising fact that the population aging is particularly rapid in developing countries. For example, it took France 115 years for the rate of older people to double from 7 percent to 14 percent. It is estimated to take China a mere 27 years to achieve this same increase.

What are the implications of these increased numbers of older folk? One of the biggest worries for governments is that the longer people live, the more likelihood there is for diseases and for disability. Attention is being paid to the need to keep people as healthy as possible, including during old age, to lessen the financial burden on the state.

Another significant problem is the need for the younger generations to understand and value the older people in their society. In some African countries, certainly in Asia, older people are respected and regarded as the ones with special knowledge. Yet traditions are fading away daily, which does not make sure the continued high regard of older people. As society changes, attitudes will change.

Much needs to be done to get rid of age discrimination in employment. Life-long learning programs need to be provided to enable older people to be active members in a country's development.

Social security policies need to be established to provide adequate income protection for older people. Both public and private schemes are vital in order to build a suitable safety net.

1.The rate of older people________.

A. is bigger in developed countries than in developing countries

B. is one-seventh of the population in developing countries

C. will increase much faster in China than in France

D. will be sixty percent in developing countries by 2020

2.According to passage, which of the following are governments most worried about?

A. The diseases and disability of older people

B. The longer life and good health of people.

C. The loss of taxes on older people.

D. The increasing respect for older people.

3.Which of the following measure is NOT mentioned to solve the population ageing problem?

A. Getting rid of age discrimination in employment.

B. Supplying life-long learning programs to older people.

C. Making sure adequate income protection for older people.

D. Providing free health care for sick older people.

4.The author concludes in the last paragraph that ________.

A. governments have spent lots of time in solving the aging problem

B. population aging is a hard problem, but it needs to be solved urgently

C. people are too busy to solve the population aging problem

D. much time and effort will be lost in solving the aging problem

高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析