It’s not uncommon in America for a person to belong to some kind of volunteer group. Donating one’s time and services is very much a part of the American way of life. Most charitable activities are organized by churches and groups around the nation and even encouraged by the government. The helping hand is extended to the poor, the homeless and the disabled. Some people work to teach youngsters how to read. others open up soup kitchens to feed the homeless. Volunteers also take care of the disabled by making reading tapes for the blind and working in orphanages(孤兒院)to help children without parents.
High school students are often encouraged to become volunteers and many school club activities center around volunteer services. Students may work with disabled children during a summer program, or participate in a club activity which helps to bring meal to senior citizens who are shut-ins. With their sense of idealism(理想主義)students are often eager to donate their spare time. They see such activities as a way of becoming involved in the community and the adult-world. Social action for them becomes as important as their academic studies.
In a like manner, throughout the year,fund raising drives are also conducted by schools and community groups to raise money for a worthy cause. They may respond to a recent earthquake in a foreign country, a flood somewhere within their own, or another natural disaster which has left people destitute and homeless. They may organize drives to collect food, clothing and medicines to serve an immediate need. Today even the Halloween custom of ‘trick or treat’has become an occasion to collect money for a charitable cause.
This call to help those less fortunate than themselves arises from the humble origins of the American nation. Those immigrants who were poor and downtrodden(受壓迫的)became dependent on the kindness of their neighbors to make a new life for themselves.
American volunteers work throughout the world in less developed countries. They volunteer by serving as a champion of goodwill both at home and abroad, which no doubt enriches both his life and those whom he serves.
66. Which of the following charitable activities is not mentioned in the passage?
A. Some people open up soup kitchens to feed homeless people.
B. Some students bring meals to old people who can’t go out easily.
C. Some people collect money to help a foreign country with a recent earthquake.
D. Some students donate books to children in mountainous areas.
67. Why are American high school students eager to do voluntary work?
A. Because they want to participate in some social activities.
B. Because they want to go to better universities.
C. Because they can get higher scores at school.
D. Because they can realize their dream sooner.
68. The underlined word “destitute”in Paragraph 4 probably means .
A. lifeless B. penniless C. useless D. valueless
69. American charitable activities started because .
A. Americans are always ready to share with othes
B. Americans are mostly kind
C. poor immigrants needed help badly
D. poor Americans couldn’t live on without help
70. What’s the best title of the passage?
A. The Call from the Poor B. Voluntary Work in the US
C. Ways to help the Poor D. American Volunteers Around the World
科目:高中英語 來源:2010-2011學年安徽一中六中一六八中學高一下學期期末英語試題(帶解析) 題型:閱讀理解
The trip to the United State opened my eyes to the fact that there are a lot of similarities as well as differences between American youth and French youth.
The first difference is in appearance. Going around in the U.S., I found that American youth do not really care about their appearance. In the morning, they choose something in their closet and wear it with another thing, often of different colors and styles, without wondering whether their choices make them look strange. The reason behind this is that they don’t care what people look like, but are just interested in their ideas. I think it’s great, but it also causes problems. Since they don’t care about their appearance, they don’t really care about their weight. Often they get fat without realizing it.
There are differences in relationships too. When the American youth fall in love, they don’t really think of the future. Also, there are differences in the rules concerning behavior that is allowed. In some respects, the French are more accepting. For example, in America it is generally unacceptable to make physical display of love. Lovers, actually, can’t kiss or hold each other everywhere they want. People think that not showing love in public places is a way to respect others. On the contrary, the French youth can do almost everything they want.
As for other types of relationships, there are also big differences. Americans act differently from French people in front of unknown people. When an American girl, for example, arrives in front of people she has never met before, she will talk with them, trying to create a kind of tie between her and this new circle of people. The French girls will just think about rather than really do this kind of thing because they are too shy and lacking in self-confidence.
To finish, I noticed that in American classes, when pupils want to say or ask something, they just do it. In general, they don’t really care how the others will judge them. In France, it’s not the same case. If somebody wants to ask something, he/she will think about it before speaking up. I appreciate the freedom in Americans’ behavior, ideas, and ways of expressing themselves.
【小題1】The underlined word “respects” in the third paragraph probably means____.
A.a(chǎn)pproaches | B.a(chǎn)spects | C.honors | D.means |
A.will not hold each other |
B.will rarely display their love in public |
C.will always think about their future |
D.will kiss wherever they like |
A.their relationship’s future | B.their public images |
C.their physical displays | D.their lover’s ideas |
A.differences | B.friendship | C.similarities | D.relationships |
查看答案和解析>>
科目:高中英語 來源:2010年上海市金山中學高三下學期第一次模擬考試(英語含答案) 題型:閱讀理解
Scientists have devised(發(fā)明) a way to determine roughly where a person has lived using a strand of hair, a technique that could help track the movements of criminal suspects or unidentified murder victims.
The method relies on measuring how chemical variations in drinking water show up in people’s hair.
“You’re what you eat and drink, and that’s recorded in your hair,” said Thure Cerling, a geologist at the University of Utah.
While U.S. diet is relatively identical(同一的), water supplies vary. The differences result from weather patterns. The chemical composition of rainfall changes slightly as rain clouds move.
Most hydrogen and oxygen atoms in water are stable, but traces of both elements are also
present as heavier isotopes. The heaviest rain falls first. As a result, storms that form over
the Pacific deliver heavier water to California than to Utah.
Similar patterns exist throughout the U.S. By measuring the proportion of heavier hydrogen and oxygen isotopes(同位素) along a strand of hair, scientists can construct a geographic timeline. Each inch of hair corresponds(相當) to about two months.
Cerling’s team collected tap water samples from 600 cities and constructed a map of the regional differences. They checked the accuracy of the map by testing 200 hair samples collected from 65 barber shops.
They were able to accurately place the hair samples in broad regions roughly corresponding to the movement of rain systems.
“It’s not good for pinpointing(精確),” Cerling said. “It’s good for eliminating many possibilities.”
Told Park, a local detective, said the method has helped him learn more about an unidentified woman whose skeleton was found near Great Salt Lake.
The woman was 5 feet tall. Police recovered 26 bones, a T-shirt and several strands of hair.
When Park heard about the research, he gave the hair samples to the researchers. Chemical testing showed that over the two years before her death, she moved about every two months.
She stayed in the Northwest, although the test could not be more specific than somewhere between eastern Oregon and western Wyoming.
“It’s still a substantial area,” Park said, “But it narrows it way down for me”.
72. What is the scientists’ new discovery?
A. One’s hair growth has to do with the amount of water they drink.
B. A person’s hair may reveal where they have lived.
C. Hair analysis accurately identifies criminal suspects.
D. The chemical composition of hair varies from person to person.
73. What does the author mean by “You’re what you eat and drink” (Line 1, Para.3)?
A. Food and drink affect one’s personality development.
B. Food and drink preferences vary with individuals.
C. Food and drink leave traces in one’s body tissues(組織).
D. Food and drink are similar to one’s existence.
74. What did Cerling’s team produce in their research?
A. A map showing the regional differences of tap water.
B. A collection of hair samples from various barber shops.
C. A method to measure the amount of water in human hair.
D. A chart illustrating the movement of the rain system.
75. What is the practical value of Cerling’s research?
A. It helps analyze the quality of water in different regions.
B. It helps the police determine where a crime is committed.
C. It helps the police narrow down possibilities in detective work.
D. It helps identify the drinking habits of the person under investigation.
查看答案和解析>>
科目:高中英語 來源:2011-2012學年江蘇省高三模擬考試(十)英語試卷(解析版) 題型:閱讀理解
Made In The USA: An Export Boom
In his State of the Union address two years ago, President Obama argued that in order to recover from the economic recession, one of the few things the U.S. needed to do was to export more goods around the world. That night, the president unveiled a new goal: to double U.S. exports over the next five years. It would be an increase that the president said would “support two million jobs in America.”
Most economists dismissed the promise at the time as something unrealistic, but two years later, the U.S. is on pace to meet that goal. American exports are up 34 percent since the president gave that speech, and the number continues to rise.
Competitive In A Global Market
Marlin Steel, a metal working business in Baltimore, makes parts that ship all across the world.“We export to 36 countries,” owner Drew Greenblatt tells All Things Considered Host Guy Raz.“We're working around the clock, and we're growing.”
It's not just advanced manufacturing exports on the rise, but pork, cattle and all kinds of agricultural exports are up as well. Even American craft beer has found an export market.
Flying Dog CEO Jim Caruso says that increasingly, people all over the world are trying the beer from the Maryland-based brewery. Caruso says,“Even in those top beer-producing countries, a competitive American product is finding a market.”
Services Are Exports, Too
Another place exports are coming from is New York City—in particular, the 30th floor of a Manhattan skyscraper on 5th Avenue and 52nd Street. That's where the consulting firm Kurt Solomon lies. It doesn't actually produce a product for export; it provides management advice and strategy.
“Four out of every five Americans is now employed in the service industry,” the nation's top trade official, Ron Kirk says, “Services are a significant part of our exports, and make up about a quarter of our exported goods.” These services can include everything from legal consulting, finance, information technology and even engineering.
And There Are Other Factors
So why has there been an increase of more than 30 percent for exports in almost everything? Part of the increase, at least for the manufacturing side, is due to better technology, says Tyler Cowen, an economist.“A lot of it is being driven by smart machines,” he tells Raz,“The U.S. has high wage rates, which is a disadvantage, but if machines are doing a lot of the work, that doesn't matter.”
China factors a lot in America's export economy, too.“Wages in China have been going up as the country becomes more productive. Thus China is losing the cheap labor advantage it has held for some time.” Cowen says.
Will Jobs Grow, too?
“Companies have become more productive by dismissing workers and lowering costs.”Cowen says.“So I don't view exporting as a way of creating a very large number of jobs, but it will create more profits.”
So not every business or worker is necessarily benefiting from the export boom in the U.S., and Cowen says that could ultimately lead to a polarization(兩極) of economic outcomes.
Made In the USA: An Export Boom
Outline |
Details |
|
The purpose of increasing exports |
*To help America make a (1)______ from the economic recession *To help raise the nation's (2)______ rate |
|
The current situation |
*American exports have risen (3)______ thirty-four percent up to now *There has been an increase in exports in everything *The export boom does not necessarily (4)______ every business or worker |
|
(5)______ contributing to the export boom |
(6)______products |
Even in those top beer-producing countries, people try craft beer from Flying Dog, a brewery (7)______ in Maryland |
Various products |
A variety of products are provided around the world,services (8)______ for 25% |
|
Lower costs |
*(9)______ take the place of labor, helping companies reduce wages *China, who used to take (10)______ of cheap labor, has given way to America in exports to some extent because of its increasing production |
查看答案和解析>>
科目:高中英語 來源:2011-2012學年廣東省高三上學期11月月考英語題(解析版) 題型:閱讀理解
Recreational tree climbing is taking root in the ecotourism industry, and it's sending guys like Tim Kovar to far off reaches of the globe. Kovar, a tree-climbing instructor, recently returned to the U.S. from Brazil, where he spent time developing a tree-climbing operation thanks to the "slow travel" movement.
Slow travel, is like the slow food movement, the practice of giving fast food in favor of homegrown cooking—the kind that takes hours to prepare and enjoy. Likewise, slow travel urges visitors to experience a place's natural surroundings and learn about the ecology in a way not afforded by extreme games.
"Tree climbing is a slow activity," says Kovar. "It's not something you do quickly and then you're on to the next thing or event." There is no such thing as a quick climb, especially for beginners. This wasn't a race against the clock or the fellow climbers. In fact, tree climbing is unlikely to ever become a feature of the extreme games. Many climbers refuse competition. There has already been so much competition in the world.
"When you stand below the tree, it can be amazing," Rusel DeMaria says, looking affectionately up at Michael's Triumph, a 150-foot-tall tree. But reaching the treetop, he adds, is an entirely different feeling. Likewise, his wife, Viola Brumbaugh, kneels on the ground and asks Michael's Triumph for permission to climb. "It goes a lot smoother that way, "She says.
And climbing has been included into many educational programs. New Tribe offers guided climbs through its school, Tree Climbing Northwest, where "we teach enough tree biology and forest ecology to raise awareness in our students," says New Tribe present Sophis Sparks. "We know that the tree climbing experience deepens personal appreciation for trees. After climbing, people value trees more and are motivated to support preservation. This is not just to preserve their playground."
Perhaps that is why he struggles with the term "recreational tree climbing," saying, "I prefer to call it inspirational tree climbing."
1.What do slow travel and the slow food movement have in common?
A. They take people a long time. B. They are related to the eco-tourism industry.
C. They advocate protecting nature. D. They cost people little money
2.What do we know about tree climbing from the passage?
A. People compete to see who can climb to the top first.
B. It favors the experience of enjoying nature.
C. It is a kind of extreme sport and needs a lot of effort.
D. People view it as a challenge to climb the tallest tree in a forest.
3.Brumbaugh kneels on the ground before climbing trees to ___________________.
A. beg for the safety of climbing B. Expect to climb faster than her husband
C. Show respect for the tree D. ask for permission of her husband
4.Sophia Sparks prefers the term "inspirational tree climbing" because it ____________.
A. provide people with more chances to play outside
B. bring a lot of pleasure to life
C. Deepens personal love between each other
D. Makes people realize they should protect trees
5.What's the best title for the passage?
A. Tree-climbing travelling B. Slow travel movements
C. Dangers of climbing D. Respect for nature
查看答案和解析>>
科目:高中英語 來源:2010-2011年廣東省梅州市高二下期末考試英語試題 題型:閱讀理解
Can you understand the beginning of this essay?
“My smmr hols wr CWOTT. B4, we usd 2go2 NY 2C my bro, his GF & 3 kds FTF.”
The Scottish teacher who received it in class had no idea what the girl who wrote it meant. The essay was written in a form of English used in cell phone text messages. Text messages (also called SMS2) through cell phones became very popular in the late 1990s. At first, mobile phone companies thought that text messaging would be a good way to send messages to customers, but customers quickly began to use the text messaging service to send messages to each other. Teenagers in particular enjoyed using text messaging, and they began to create a new language for messages called texting.
A text message is limited to 160 characters, including letters, spaces, and numbers, so messages must be kept short. In addition, typing on the small keypad of a cell phone is difficult, so it’s common to make words shorter. In texting, a single letter or number can represent a word, like “r” for “are,” “u” for “you,” and “2” for “to.” Several letters can also represent a phrase, like “l(fā)ol” for “l(fā)aughing out loud.” Another characteristic of texting is the leaving out of letters in a word, like spelling “please” as “pls.”
Some parents and teachers worry that texting will make children bad spellers and bad writers. The student who wrote the essay at the top of this page said writing that way was more comfortable for her. (The essay said, “My summer holidays were a complete waste of time. Before, we used to go to New York to see my brother, his girlfriend, and their three kids face to face.”)
Not everyone agrees that texting is a bad thing. Some experts say languages always evolve, and this is just another way for English to change. Other people believe texting will disappear soon. New technology for voice messages may soon make text messages a thing of the past.
1.What is the writer’s opinion of text messaging?
A. It is fun and easy to do.
B. It is not bad for children.
C. It will make children bad writers.
D. The writer does not give an opinion.
2.Which characteristic of texting is NOT described in the passage?
A. Using phrases to represent essays
B. Using numbers to represent words
C. Using letters to represent phrases
D. Using letters to represent words
3.Which of the following was most probably the title of the student’s essay?
A. My Gr8 Tchr B. CU in LA C. My GF D. My Smmr Hols
4. Why do some people think that texting is bad?
A. It costs too much. B. It’s too difficult to type.
C. Children won’t learn to write correctly. D. It’s not comfortable.
5.Why aren’t some people worried about the effect of texting?
A. Not many people use texting.
B. Spelling in English is too difficult.
C. Children quickly become bored with texting.
D. Texting will disappear because of new technology.
查看答案和解析>>
湖北省互聯(lián)網(wǎng)違法和不良信息舉報平臺 | 網(wǎng)上有害信息舉報專區(qū) | 電信詐騙舉報專區(qū) | 涉歷史虛無主義有害信息舉報專區(qū) | 涉企侵權舉報專區(qū)
違法和不良信息舉報電話:027-86699610 舉報郵箱:58377363@163.com