My favorite English teacher could draw humor out of the driest material. It wasn’t forced on us either. He took Samuel Johnson’s dictionary, Addison’s essays, and many other literary wonders from the eighteenth century and made them hilarious, even at eight o’clock in the morning. The thing that amazed me most was that the first time I read these works on my own, some of them seemed dead, but the second time, after his explanation, I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t seen the humor. The stories and poems and plays were suddenly filled with allusions(典故) and irony and hilarious moments. I learned more from him than from any other teacher.
My least favorite English teacher also made people laugh. Some students found him to be wonderfully funny. Many others did not. He assigned journals over a six-week period, to be written every day. At the end of the six weeks I had a notebook full of bits and pieces about my ideas, short stories, reactions to what we had read, and so on. Our teacher announced that we would be grading each other’s journals. Mine was passed to Joe, that class clown, who always behaved in a funny or silly way. He saw it fit to make a joke of and said, “This writing isn’t fit to line the bottom of a birdcage.” Our teacher laughed at that funny remark. It hurt me so much that the anger from it has driven my writing and teaching ever since.
So what makes the difference? Humor is one of the most powerful tools teachers or writers have. It can build up students and classes and make them excited about literature and writing, or it can tear them apart. It is true that humor is either productive or counter-productive and self-defeating.
【小題1】The passage mainly discusses ________.

A．teachingB．literatureC．humorD．knowledge
【小題2】The underlined word “hilarious” in Paragraph 1 probably means ________.
A．funnyB．tiringC．inspiringD．brilliant
【小題3】The English teacher the writer disliked most ________.
A．was not able to make students laughB．hurt his student’s feelings
C．didn’t let his students do the gradingD．had no sense of humor


【小題1】C
【小題2】A
【小題3】B

解析試題分析：本文敘述了英語老師能從一些干癟的材料中找出幽默，一些小說、詩和劇本經(jīng)過老師的解釋學(xué)生能夠讀出其中的幽默之處，幽默對(duì)于老師和作家是最有力的工具之一。
【小題1】C主旨大意題。根據(jù)全文的內(nèi)容可知主要談?wù)摰氖怯哪脑掝}，故選C。
【小題2】A詞義猜測題。根據(jù)My favorite English teacher could draw humor out of the driest material. It
wasn't forced on us either. 這里敘述英語老師能從干癟的材料中找出幽默，后面是舉例，所以猜出這
個(gè)詞是“滑稽的，可笑的”，故選A。
【小題3】B細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)It hurt me so much that the anger from it has driven my writing and teaching ever since.最不喜歡的是傷害學(xué)生的感情，故選B。
考點(diǎn)：故事類閱讀理解

練習(xí)冊(cè)系列答案
相關(guān)習(xí)題

科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

It was terribly cold and nearly dark on the last evening of the old year, and the snow was falling fast. In the cold and the darkness, a poor little girl, with bare head and naked feet, wandered through the streets. It is true she had on a pair of slippers when she left home, but they were not of much use. They were very large, so large, indeed, that they had belonged to her mother, and the poor girl had lost them in running across the street to avoid two carriages that were rolling along at a terrible rate. One of the slippers she could not find, and a boy seized upon the other and ran away with it. So the little girl went on with her little naked feet, which were quite red and blue with the cold. In an old apron she carried a number of matches, and had a bunch of them in her hands. No one had bought anything of her the whole day, nor had any one given her even a penny.
Lights were shining from every window, and there was a delicious smell of roast goose, for it was New-year’s eve—yes, she remembered that. In a corner, between two houses, one of which projected beyond the other, she sank down and huddled（蜷縮）herself together. She had drawn her little feet under her, but she could not keep off the cold; and she dared not go home, for she had sold no matches, and could not take home even a penny of money. Her father would certainly beat her; besides, it was almost as cold at home as here.
【小題1】The story happened ________.

A．on New-year DayB．on Christmas
C．on a rainy eveningD．on a snowy night
【小題2】From the passage we can learn that the little girl’s father ______.
A．is cruel to herB．is kind to herC．is patient with herD．is popular with her
【小題3】How did the little girl feel in the passage?
A．Doubtful.B．Hopeless.C．Confident.D．Stressful.
【小題4】The passage is probably taken from _____.
A．a(chǎn)n essayB．a(chǎn) lectureC．a(chǎn) storyD．a(chǎn) poem

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

Henry Edwards Huntington was born in 1850 in Oneonta, New York. In 1872 he went to work for his uncle, one of the owners of the Central Pacific Railroad. Twenty years later, Huntington moved to San Francisco at his uncle’s request to share management of the Southern Pacific Railroad. On the way to San Francisco, he visited San Marino, and later bought it, which is home to his collections today.
In 1902, Huntington moved his business operations to Los Angeles, where he developed the street railway system that created the structure of the Los Angeles area. He greatly expanded the existing electric railway lines, creating an extensive inter-urban system providing the transportation necessary. Huntington’s business interests continued to grow particularly in the areas of water, power, and land development; at one time he served on as many as 60 corporate boards throughout the United States.
At the age of 60, he announced his decision to retire in order to devote time to his book and art collections and the landscaping of the 600-acre farm. In 1911 the large Beaux Arts building, in the charge of the architect Myron Hunt, was completed.
In 1913, Huntington married Arabella Duval Huntington. She shared his interests in collecting. As one of the most important art collectors of her generation, she was highly influential in the development of the art collection now shown in the former building.
In 1919, Henry and Arabella Huntington signed the agreement that conveyed their San Marino property and collections to a nonprofit educational trust, creating the Huntington, one of the world’s great cultural, research, and educational centers.  
Henry E. Huntington died in 1927, leaving his great treasures the Huntington, including the world-famous Huntington Library, Art Gallery, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California to the public, which hosts more than 500,000 visitors each year.
【小題1】What can you learn about Huntington from the first two paragraphs? 

A．He worked in many fields before he came to Los Angeles.
B．He built a house to store his art collection in San Marino.
C．He did a lot to the USA railway development.
D．He founded the Central Pacific Railroad.
【小題2】What did Huntington do after his retirement?
A．He devoted himself to his personal interests.
B．He worked part time for non-profit business.
C．He was in charge of an educational center.
D．He shared his wife’s interests with her.
【小題3】Which of the following can best describe Huntington?
A．An excellent artist.B．A talented architect.
C．An ambitious educator.D．A successful businessman.
【小題4】 This article is most probably taken from_______.
A．a(chǎn) science fictionB．a(chǎn) newspaper reportC．a(chǎn) novelD．a(chǎn) biography

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解


When my brother and I were young, my mom would take us on Transportation Days.
It goes like this: You can’t take any means of transportation more than once. We would start from home, walking two blocks to the rail station. We’d take the train into the city center, then a bus, switching to the tram, then maybe a taxi. We always considered taking a horse carriage in the historic district, but we didn’t like the way the horses were treated, so we never did. At the end of the day, we took the subway to our closet station, where Mom’s friend was waiting to give us a ride home——our first car ride of the day.
The good thing about Transportation Days is not only that Mom taught us how to get around. She was born to be multimodal (多方式的). She understood that depending on cars only was a failure of imagination and, above all, a failure of confidence—the product of a childhood not spent exploring subway tunnels.
Once you learn the route map and step with certainty over the gap between the train and the platform, nothing is frightening anymore. New cities are just light-rail lines to be explored. And your personal car, if you have one, becomes just one more tool in the toolbox—and often an inadequate one, limiting both your mobility and your wallet.
On Transportation Days, we might stop for lunch on Chestnut Street or buy a new book or toy, but the transportation was the point. First, it was exciting enough to watch the world speed by from the train window. As I got older, my mom helped me unlock the mysteries that would otherwise have paralyzed my first attempts to do it myself: How do I know where to get off? How do I know how much it costs? How do I know when I need tickets, and where to get them? What track, what line, which direction, where’s the stop, and will I get wet when we go under the river?
I’m writing this right now on an airplane, a means we didn’t try on our Transportation Days and, we now know, the dirtiest and most polluting of them all. My flight routed me through Philadelphia. My multimodal mom met me for dinner in the airport. She took a train to meet me.
【小題1】Which was forbidden by Mom on Transportation Days?

A．Having a car ride.
B．Taking the train twice.
C．Buying more than one toy.
D．Touring the historic district.
【小題2】According to the writer, what was the greatest benefit of her Transportation Days?
A．Building confidence in herself.
B．Reducing her use of private cars.
C．Developing her sense of direction.
D．Giving her knowledge about vehicles.
【小題3】The underlined word “paralyzed” (in Para. 5) is closest in meaning to “_______”.
A．displayed
B．justified
C．ignored
D．ruined
【小題4】Which means of transportation does the writer probably disapprove of?
A．Airplane.
B．Subway.
C．Tram.
D．Car.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

O. Henry was a pen name used by an American writer of short stories. His real name was William Sydney Porter. He was born in North Carolina in 1862. As a young boy he lived an exciting life. He did not go to school for very long, but he managed to teach himself everything he needed to know. When he was about 20 years old, O. Henry went to Texas, where he tried different jobs. He first worked on a newspaper, and then had a job in a bank, when some money went missing from the bank O. Henry was believed to have stolen it. Because of that, he was sent to prison. During the three years in prison, he learned to write short stories. After he got out of prison, he went to New York and continued writing. He wrote mostly about New York and the life of the poor there. People liked his stories, because simple as the tales were, they would finish with a sudden change at the end, to the reader’s surprise.
【小題1】In which order did O. Henry do the following things?
a. Lived in New York.   b. Worked in a bank.        c. Travelled to Texas.
d. Was put in prison.    e. Had a newspaper Job.      f. Learned to write stories.

A．c. e. b. d. f. a B．e. c. f. b. d. a C．e. b. d. c. a. f. D．c. b. e. d. a f.
【小題2】People enjoyed reading O. Henry’s stories because
A．they had surprise endings B．they were easy to understand
C．they showed his love for the poor D．they were about New York City
【小題3】O. Henry went to prison because        .
A．people thought he had stolen money that was not his
B．he broke the law by not using his own name
C．he wanted to write stories about prisoners
D．people thought he had taken money from the newspaper
【小題4】What do we know about O. Henry before he began writing?
A．He was well-educated. B．He was not serious about his work.
C．He was devoted to the poor. D．He was very good at learning.
【小題5】Where did O. Henry get most material for his short stories?
A．His life inside the prison. B．The newspaper articles he wrote.
C．The city and people of New York. D．His exciting early life as a boy.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

In 1883. John Roebling was inspired by an idea to build a spectacular bridge connecting New York with the Long Island. However, bridge building experts throughout the world thought this was an impossible feat and told Roebling to forget the idea, but Roebling could not ignore the vision he had in his mind of this bridge. After much discussion and persuasion he managed to convince his son Washington, an up and coming engineer, that the bridge in fact could be built.
The project started well, but when it was only a few months underway a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling. Washington was injured and left with a certain amount of brain damage, which resulted in him not being able to walk or talk or even move.
"We told them so." "Crazy men and their crazy dreams.'' "It's foolish to chase wild visions." Everyone had a negative comment to make and felt that the project should be scrapped since the Roeblings were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built. In spite of his handicap, Washington was never discouraged.
One day he was lying on his bed in hospital, seeing the sky and the tops of the trees outside for just a moment with the sunlight streaming through the windows, and a gentle breeze bowing the  flimsy white curtains apart when an idea hit him. He decided to make the best use of the only finger  he could move. Thus, he slowly developed a code of communication with his wife.
He touched his wife's arm with that finger, indicating to her that he wanted her to call the engineers again. Then he used the same method of tapping her arm to tell the engineers what to do. It seemed foolish but the project was under way again.
For 13 years Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife's arm until the bridge was finally completed.
【小題1】Which of the following is true of Washington and his father?

A．They are hardworking and courageous.
B．They are stubborn and bold.
C．They are creative and persistent.
D．They are curious and modest.
【小題2】In the third paragraph, the underlined phrase ''wild vision" refers to______.
A．the tragic accident B．the building of the bridge
C．the brain damage D．the discussion and persuasion
【小題3】What can we learn about Washington's wife?
A．She could understand Washington and helped him a lot.
B．She couldn't understand him but took good care of him.
C．She didn't like Washington's idea about building the bridge.
D．She took the responsibility to continue building the bridge.
【小題4】 From the passage, we know that_______ when Roebling proposed building the bridge.
A．people all over America supported him
B．a(chǎn)lmost no bridge experts in the world supported him
C．his friends were strongly in favor of his idea
D．many people considered it would be a great feat
【小題5】The passage suggests that______.
A．NO pains, no gains. B．Many hands make light work.
C．A lighted heart is a good medicine. D．Passion creates wonder.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

friends come to visit us in the evening, they spend their time telling us they are in a hurry and looking at their watches. It isn’t that our friends are all very busy, it is just that When we haven’t got a television. People think that we are very strange. “But what do you do in the evening?”，they are always asking. The answer is very simple. Both my wife and I have hobbies. We certainly don’t spend our evenings staring at the walls. My wife enjoys cooking and painting and often attends evening classes in foreign languages. This is particularly useful as we often go abroad for our holidays. I collect stamps and I’m always busy with my collection. Both of us enjoy listening to the music and playing chess together.
Sometimes there are power cuts and we have no electricity in the house. This does not worry us, we just light candles and carry on with what we were doing before. Our friends, however, are lost---no television!---So they don’t know what to do. On such evenings our house is very full ---they all come to us. They all have a good time. Instead of sitting in silence in front of the television, everybody talks and plays games.
【小題1】The couple have not got a television, because     .

A．they are not rich enough
B．they are strange people
C．they enjoy spending evenings in their own ways
D．they don’t know what to do when there are power cuts
【小題2】Both of them are interested in    .
A．learning languagesB．traveling
C．staying home aloneD．watching people play games
【小題3】At night when there is no electricity, the couple      .
A．have to stare at the walls B．can do nothing but sit in silence
C．will have many visitorsD．have to go out for candles
【小題4】The best title for this passage is _____.
A．Why Do We Need a Television?
B．Candle! But No Electricity!
C．Different Friends, Different Hobbies.
D．We Go Without Televisions!

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

I suddenly heard an elephant crying as though frightened. Looking down，I immediately recognized that something was wrong，and ran down to the edge of the near bank. There I saw Ma Shwe with her three­month­old calf struggling in the fast-rising water，and it was a life­and­death struggle. Her calf was floating(漂浮) and screaming with fear.Ma Shwe was as near to the far bank as she could get，holding her whole body against the rushing water，and keeping the calf pressed against her huge body.Every now and then the rushing water would sweep the calf away.
There was a sudden rise in the water and the calf was washed clean over the mother's body and was gone. Ma Shwe turned quickly to reach it and pressed the calf with her head and trunk (象鼻) against the rocky bank. Then with a huge effort，she picked it up in her trunk and tried until she was able to place it on a narrow shelf of rock.
Just at this moment，she fell back into the river. If she were carried down，it would be certain death. I knew，as well as she did，that there was one spot (地點(diǎn)) where she could get up the bank，but it was on the other side from where she had put her calf.
While I was wondering what I could do next，I heard the sound of a mother's love. Ma Shwe had crossed the river and got up the bank and was making her way back as fast as she could，roaring (吼叫) all the time，but to her calf it was music.
【小題1】The moment the author got down to the river bank he saw　　　　.

A．the calf was about to fall into the river
B．Ma Shwe was placing the calf on the rock
C．the calf was washed away by the rising water
D．Ma Shwe was holding the calf against the rushing water
【小題2】How did Ma Shwe manage to save her calf from the fast flowing water？
A．By putting it on a safe spot. B．By pressing it against her body.
C．By taking it away with her. D．By carrying it on her back.
【小題3】How did the calf feel about the mother elephant's roaring？
A．It was a great comfort. B．It was a sign of danger.
C．It was a call for help. D．It was a musical note.
【小題4】What can be the best title for the text？
A．A Mother's Love B．A Brave Act
C．A Deadly River D．A Matter of Life and Death

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

Norm Pethrick, a 36-year-old man in Australia’s northern city Darwin, was praised on Thursday for jumping onto a crocodile’s back to save his wife Wendy at Litchfield National Park, a popular tourist spot southwest of Darwin, a local newspaper reported.
Ms Pethrick was standing on a river bank Wednesday afternoon when the saltwater crocodile lunged (撲), locking its jaws (頜)on both her legs as it tried to drag her underwater.
Norm Pethrick, who with his wife had been collecting water, immediately went to help her. He jumped onto the back, poked (戳) the eyes of the crocodile and finally got his wife free.
Ms Pethrick was later taken to Royal Darwin Hospital for a medical treatment. The doctors said she was suffering eight puncture wounds (傷口) in her right leg, a puncture（穿刺） wound in her left leg and a serious cut to one of her fingers.
“This could have been a fatal and tragic situation,” said the general manager of Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH), Dr Len Notaras, according to a local report.
He said Ms Pethrick was saved by her husband’s “quick and diligent actions”.
Dr Notaras also said she would remain in hospital for three to four days and have an operation to clean the wounds, which are easy to get infected because of bacteria (細(xì)菌) on the teeth of the crocodile.
【小題1】 This passage is most likely to be found in _____.

A．a(chǎn) travel guideB．a(chǎn) newspaperC．a(chǎn) textbookD．a(chǎn) novel
【小題2】The crocodile attacked Ms Pethrick when she was ______.
A．swimming in the river
B．standing on the river bank
C．watching the crocodile
D．fishing in the water
【小題3】Which of the following statements is TRUE about Ms Pethrick?
A．Her eyes were badly poked.
B．She had eight wounds altogether.
C．One of her fingers also got hurt.
D．One of the crocodile’s teeth was found in her leg.
【小題4】According to the passage, Norm Pethrick can be described as following EXCEPT ______.
A．braveB．diligentC．quickD．humorous

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習(xí)冊(cè)答案