You’ve just come home, after living abroad for a few years. Since you’ve been away, has this country changed for the better—or for the worse?
If you’ve just arrived back in the UK after a fortnight’s holiday, small changes have probably surprised you—anything from a local greengrocer suddenly being replaced by a mobile-phone shop to someone in your street moving house.
So how have things changed to people coming back to Britain after seven, ten or even 15 years living abroad? What changes in society can they see that the rest of us have hardly noticed—or now take for granted? To find out, we asked some people who recently returned.
Debi: When we left, Cheltenham, my home town, was a town of white, middle-class families—all very conservative (保守的). The town is now home to many eastern Europeans and lots of Australians, who come here mainly to work in hotels and tourism. There are even several shops only for foreigners.
Having been an immigrant (移民) myself, I admire people who go overseas to find a job. Maybe if I lived in an inner city where unemployment was high, I’d think differently, but I believe foreign settlers have improved this country because they’re more open-minded and often work harder than the natives.
Christine: As we flew home over Britain, both of us remarked how green everything looked. But the differences between the place we’d left behind and the one we returned to were brought sharply into focus as soon as we landed.
To see policemen with guns in the airport for the first time was frightening—in Cyprus, they’re very relaxed—and I got pulled over by customs officers just for taking a woolen sweater with some metal-made buttons out of my case in the arrivals hall. Everyone seemed to be on guard. Even the airport car-hire firm wanted a credit card rather than cash because they said their vehicles had been used by bank robbers.
But anyway, this is still a green, beautiful country. I just wish more people would appreciate what they’ve got.
【小题1】After a short overseas holiday, people tend to _______.
| A．notice small changes |
| B．expect small changes |
| C．welcome small changes |
| D．exaggerate small changes |
| A．Cautiously. |
| B．Positively. |
| C．Sceptically. |
| D．Critically. |
| A．the relaxed policemen |
| B．the messy arrivals hall |
| C．the tight security |
| D．the bank robbers |
| A．Life in Britain. |
| B．Back in Britain. |
| C．Britain in Future. |
| D．Britain in Memory. |
【小题1】D
【小题2】B
【小题3】B
【小题4】C
解析试题分析：本文主要讲述的是一些人在离开英国以后再回来的时候，对于故乡发生的变化的自己的理解。
【小题1】D推理题。根据文章第二段If you’ve just arrived back in the UK after a fortnight’s holiday, small changes have probably surprised you—anything from a local greengrocer suddenly being replaced by a mobile-phone shop to someone in your street moving house.可知短期出国的人在回来的时候，会对小的变化很惊讶。故使用动词exaggerate夸张。会夸大这些很小的变化。故D正确。
【小题2】B 推理题。根据文章第五段最后2行I believe foreign settlers have improved this country because they’re more open-minded and often work harder than the natives.可知她对于外来的移民评价很高，认为他们更开放更努力。故B正确。
【小题3】B 推理题。根据文章倒数第2段To see policemen with guns in the airport for the first time was frightening—in Cyprus, they’re very relaxed—and I got pulled over by customs officers just for taking a woolen sweater with some metal-made buttons out of my case in the arrivals hall.可知她对于机场到达大厅里的混乱很惊讶，没有想到会有如此多的人。故B正确。
【小题4】C 主旨大意题。本题较难，文章主要讲述的是离开英国的人在回来以后的感觉，属于对未来的英国的感觉。从文章最后一段But anyway, this is still a green, beautiful country. I just wish more people would appreciate what they’ve got.也可知道是在对以后的英国的说明。故C正确。
考点：考察人生百态类短文
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小学教材完全解读系列答案科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
During my elementary school years, I used to compare my mom with my best friend Tiffany’s mom.
Tiffany’s mom always gave her lots of money to buy the most fashionable clothes and favorite food. Her mom allowed her to do anything she liked. I really admired Tiffany. My mom didn’t give me much pocket money and she always told me that I should behave myself. I was annoyed with her.
Whenever I didn’t get what I wanted, I would complain to my mom, Tiffany’s mom would give her that! I wish she were my mom. Every time, my mom would calmly say “Poor Tiffany”. I couldn’t understand her. “She shouldn’t be feeling sorry for Tiffany!” I thought. “She should be feeling sorry for me.”
One day, I couldn’t help saying to Mom, “Poor Tiffany? Lucky Tiffany! She gets everything she wants! Why do you feel sorry for her?” I burst out crying.
My mom sat down next to me and said softly. “Yes, I do feel sorry for her. I have been teaching you a lesson that she will never be taught.”
I looked up at her. “What are you talking about?”
Mom said with care, “One day she will really want something. Maybe she’ll find out that she can’t have it. Her mother won’t always be around to give her money, and what’s more, money can’t buy everything.” 
It took some time, but I eventually understood my mom’s words. Now I am a happy and successful woman.
【小题1】During the author’s elementary school years, she __________.
| A．wished that her mom were as good as Tiffany’s |
| B．went to school with Tiffany every day |
| C．usually compared her lesson with Tiffany’s |
| D．sometimes gave lots of money to Tiffany |
| A．She felt sorry for Tiffany because Tiffany was poor. |
| B．She wanted to tell a lie to comfort the author. |
| C．She thought that Tiffany was spoiled by her mother. |
| D．She told the author this and wanted her to help Tiffany. |
| A．She was strict and taught the author to be independent. |
| B．She cared for other people’s children more than her own. |
| C．She thought that life lessons were as important as money. |
| D．She was so poor that she couldn’t give the author much money. |
| A．The author was quite annoyed with her mother in the past. |
| B．The author’s mother felt sorry for Tiffany. |
| C．Tiffany’s mother took the author’s mother’s advice. |
| D．The author is thankful to her mother now. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Please excuse me if I'm a little sad today. Mark is leaving, and I'm feeling kind of sad.
You probably don't know Mark, but you might be lucky enough to know someone just like him. He's been the heart and soul of the office for a couple of years combining great professional skills with a sweet nature. He just wants to do his job, and to do it superbly well. And now he's moving on to an exciting new professional opportunity. It sounds like it could be the chance of a lifetime, and we're genuinely, sincerely pleased for him. But that doesn't make it any easier to say goodbye to a dear friend and trusted colleague.
Life has a way of throwing these curve balls at us. Just when we start to get comfortable with a person, a place or a situation. A terrific neighbor moves away. Someone in the family graduates. A child finds new love and loyalties through marriage. The family's principle bread-winner is laid off.
But how do we do that? A friend of mine who works for the government once told me that the answer to life's problems can be summed up in four words: "Go with the flow."
"It's like surfing," Chris explained. "You can't organize the ocean. Waves just happen. You ride them where they take you, then you paddle back out there and catch the next one. Sure, you're always hoping for the perfect wave where you can get. But mostly you just take them the way they come.
I'm not exactly sure, but I think Chris was saying that life is a series of events—both good and bad. There will always be life-influencing factors over which you have no control. That doesn't mean you don't keep trying to make all your dreams come true. It just means that when things come up that aren't exactly in your plan, you work around them—and then you move on. Of course, some bumps along the road of life are easier to take than others. A rained-out picnic, for example, is easier to cope with than the sudden death of a loved one. But the principle is the same.
We're going to miss Mark, just like you'll miss that graduate, that neighbor or that newlywed. But rather than drown ourselves in the sadness of our parting, we'll focus on our hopes for a brighter future—for him, and for us. And then we'll go out and do everything we can to make that future happen.
【小题1】The passage is mainly about ___________.
| A．how to change yourself successfully |
| B．how to do if your colleague (同事) leaves |
| C．how to deal with unhappy things in life |
| D．how to deal with unexpected things in life |
| A．let us know his colleague | B．praise his colleague |
| C．introduce a topic | D．describe his life |
| A．really unpleasant | B．very angry |
| C．both happy and sad | D．a little disappointed |
| A．A rained-out picnic. |
| B．A terrific neighbor’s apology. |
| C．The sudden death of a loved. |
| D．The graduation of a family member. |
| A．accept them and hope for a better future |
| B．do as planned |
| C．overcome difficulties and let them in control |
| D．never give up until he succeeds |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Almost everyone is afraid of something --- snakes, heights, public speaking and so on.
It is normal and can even be helpful to experience fear sometimes. In dangerous situations, fear can keep our bodies alert (警醒的) so that we can act quickly to protect ourselves.
But for some people, fear develops into a “phobia”, which is a strong and unreasonable fear of something. For example, the majority of us feel a little scared when looking down from a tall building. But people with height phobia may have trouble breathing, feel dizzy or turn down a great job just because the company is on the 20th floor.
Phobias can prevent you from living a normal life. “People with spider phobia would stay out of their home or dormitory room for days if they thought a spider was present,” Katherina Hauner, a researcher at Northwestern University, US, told ABC news. This is why scientists have been trying to find a cure for this disease.
Since fear comes from experience --- from what we are told, what we see others experience and what happens to us --- some scientists think if they can “rewrite” these unpleasant memories, they might be able to help people overcome their phobias.
In a study by Hauner and other scientists, participants with spider phobia were asked to first touch a spider with a paintbrush. Seeing that it was not actually dangerous, they then tried touching it while wearing a glove. Finally, they could hold it with their hands.
Certain medicine has also been found to be helpful. Back in 2010, researchers at the University of Hiroshima, Japan, injected (注射) a special medicine into a fish --- who was afraid of light --- to turn off the fear center in its brain. From then on, the fish no longer feared light.
While the search for solutions to phobias is making great progress, it’s an open question whether getting rid of fear is good. Some people want to use these methods to make soldiers fight harder in wars by taking away their sense of fear. Dave Smithson of the charity Anxiety UK thinks that’s a bad idea. “It’s fear that prevents us from doing crazy things,” he says. “There’s a name for people who don’t have fear of consequences: psychopaths (精神变态者).
【小题1】The main point of the article is to ___________.
| A．show us what kind of role fear plays in our lives |
| B．discuss if it is good to try to get rid of fear |
| C．inform us of fear and phobia |
| D．discuss scientific studies related to fear |
| A．By making comparisons. | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By giving data in numbers. | D．By giving descriptions. |
| A．New medicine can shut off fear centers in animal brains whenever needed. |
| B．They can use phobias to keep our bodies alert so that we can protect ourselves. |
| C．They can now reduce the pain which is connected with phobia. |
| D．They have succeeded in helping some people ignore memories related to phobia. |
| A．There is nothing to fear except fear itself. |
| B．We should not let fear affect our decisions. |
| C．Fear is not a completely bad thing. |
| D．Without fear, everyone would be brave. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
One day a man found a cocoon（茧）of a butterfly in the forest. He sat there for several hours and watched the butterfly. Suddenly a small opening appeared, and the butterfly made its great effort to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no further.
So the man decided to help the butterfly. He cut off the remaining bit of the cocoon so that the butterfly could come out easily. But to his surprise, the butterfly got a heavy body and very small wings when it came out of the cocoon.
The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that the body would grow smaller at any moment and the wings would become larger and be able to fly. But neither happened. In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling（爬）around with a heavy body and small wings. It was never able to fly.
The man was in his kindness, but he did not understand the nature rules. Before the butterfly came out of the cocoon, fluid（流体）from its body must be forced into its wings, and then it would be ready for flying. It must have a hard struggle to get through the small opening to get its freedom from the cocoon.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If God allowed us to go through our life without any difficulties, it would make us fail. We would not be as strong as we could have been; we could never fly.
【小题1】What was the butterfly doing at the beginning of the story?
| A．It was trying to make a cocoon for itself. |
| B．It was struggling to get out of its cocoon. |
| C．It was flying among the trees in the forest. |
| D．It was crawling around quietly on the ground. |
| A．Patient but cruel. | B．Careful and wise. | C．Kind but unwise. | D．Brave and funny. |
| A．Struggles are sometimes necessary in our life. |
| B．Nothing is difficult if we put our heart into it. |
| C．Every good deed will come back with a good result. |
| D．The greatest happiness in the world is to help others. |
| A．The love for the cocoon. | B．The joy of helping each other. |
| C．The lesson of the cocoon. | D．The expectation for the butterfly. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
The United States economy has dipped into economic recession (经济衰退). This caused discomfort and hardship in every level of society; but for many of the nation’s poor, discomfort and hardship turned into misery (苦难).
An increase in homelessness is probably the worst result of a nation’s financial disaster. About 3 million Americans were homeless because of a lack of affordable housing. Experts suggest that a family should spend no more than 30 percent of its income on housing. In fact, in some families housing costs make up 50 percent or more. An unexpected event, such as losing work or illness, can quickly push a family into homelessness.
An article in Time magazine tells a story of one such family. A young couple and their three children rented a two-bedroom apartment for about 350amonth.Theycouldhardlygoonwiththehusband′s920-a-month take-home pay; so when their rent was raised to $500 a month, they could no longer make ends meet.
Another woman was found dead on a street in Washington D.C., the capital, and she died at a bus-stop across the street from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.
People become homeless for different reasons. Some may not be able to pay for housing, because they have lost their job and cannot find another place they can afford. Others have mental diseases, or are addicted to drugs or alcohol, many of whom do not live with their family. And what’s more, there are not enough centers for shelter as the government doesn’t pay enough attention to this social problem.
People are making efforts to solve the problem. However, it will not be easy, because it is a personal and economical problem as well as a social problem.
【小题1】The passage is mainly about __________ in the US.
| A．ways of solving economic problems |
| B．homeless people being taken good care of |
| C．different reasons for economic recession |
| D．economic recession leading to social problems |
| A．presenting specific figures | B．giving examples |
| C．explaining in details | D．discussing different opinions |
| A．an increase of living costs | B．more and more deaths |
| C．an increase of homeless people | D．less centers for poor people |
| A．2. | B．3. | C．4. | D．5. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
An older friend once gave me a piece of advice, “Enjoy the last few weeks of college,” she said, “since college is the best time of your life.”
This was not the first time I’d heard such a statement, but with graduation fast coming close, her words especially struck me. It seemed a bit disappointing to reach one's life peak at only 22 years of age, but in her opinion, college had been one of the best times in my life so far. I made friends, took classes, and learned a great deal about myself. But I was also excited for the time after college—moving to a new city, starting a new job, and becoming a "real" person. I hoped that my great dreams were practical.
Then, last week I read a column in Real Simple Magazine called 100 Years of Attitude, in which women 100 years or older shared their life experiences and views. I noticed that none of them considered college as the "best" time of their life. Not all of them went to college, but still in most cases their teens and twenties were not the best times of their life. They said some of their favorite times were raising their children, traveling after retirement, and even enjoying their present time and age.
Enjoying one's present time and age was a clear theme of the interviews. A piece of advice given by the women was about the importance of making the best of all situations. I think it more accurate than that of my friend; I can say with certainty that if I am lucky enough to make it to 100, I refuse to spend the last 80 years of my life plummeting (跌落) downhill, or even leveling off.
I am sure that our eagerness and devotion will make us college students live a meaningful life. We will not just look backwards or miss our college days. We will look forward in excitement about continued journey uphill.
【小题1】Which of the following opinions does the writer agree with?
| A．College is the best time of one’s life. |
| B．Twenties were the best time of the old people. |
| C．One should make the best of all situations. |
| D．One should not look backwards at their college time. |
| A．her achievements in college would be the peak of her success |
| B．she is looking forward to living as a “real” person in college |
| C．she becomes more and more uneasy with graduation |
| D．she is satisfied with the college life but is hopeful for the future |
| A．best time of life at youth | B．life experiences and views |
| C．different opinions about life | D．favorite time with best friends |
| A．she will not spend the rest of her time at college |
| B．she will not just obtain a college level certificate |
| C．she will not be satisfied with what she has already accomplished |
| D．she will not be content with the life in the future |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
When I was a kid, I was close to my dad, but as I grew older, my dad and I grew further apart. We always had totally different opinions. He thought that college was a waste of time, but for me it was important to finish college. He wanted me to work my way to the top as he had done in his field, but I wanted a different life. There was a time when we did not talk with each other.
A few months ago, I heard that my 84-year-old dad was in poor health. When he called and asked whether I could move from Colorado back to Tennessee to help him, I knew he was seriously ill. I am his only child and so it was time to meet my father’s requirement.
Two weeks after moving back, we bought a boat and started fishing again. Fishing was one of the few things that we did while I was young and that we both enjoyed. It is strange but true that as we are fishing we are able to put things that have kept us apart for so many years behind us. We are able to talk about things that we have never talked about before. Fishing has been healing the old wounds that have kept us apart
It is not important how many fish we catch. It is about enjoying the relationship that we have not had for years. I’m 62 and he is 84. When we are on the lake fishing, it is like two kids enjoying life. It is far better to find a way to put the unhappy past behind. I am so lucky to spend the happy time with my father in his last years. Now my heart is filled with love. A smile always graces my lips.
【小题1】The author and his father became further apart because______________.
| A．they had different views on things |
| B．they lived very far from each other |
| C．they only communicated by phone |
| D．they seldom went to see each other |
| A．Because his father invited him to go fishing. |
| B．Because he decided to live in a different city. |
| C．Because his father is ill and needs caring. |
| D．Because he regretted being rude to his father. |
| A．helps cure his father’s disease |
| B．is a good way to get close to nature |
| C．makes him realize the importance of exercise |
| D．offers a chance for them to communicate |
| A．The writer’s car is always breaking down. |
| B．Father intended me to be a fisherman. |
| C．I was unwilling to come back. |
| D．Father used to think it was useless to attend college.. |
| A．Forgiving Is Difficult | B．Fishing Brings Us Together |
| C．Memories of Old Days | D．My Beloved Father |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Some years ago, writing in my diary used to be a usual activity. I would return from school and spend the expected half hour recording the day’s events, feelings, and impressions in my little blue diary. I did not really need to express my emotions by way of words, but I gained a certain satisfaction from seeing my experiences forever recorded on paper. After all, isn’t accumulating memories a way of preserving the past?
When I was thirteen years old, I went on a long journey on foot in a great valley, well-equipped with pens, a diary, and a camera. During the trip, I was busy recording every incident, name and place I came across. I felt proud to be spending my time productively, dutifully preserving for future generations a detailed description of my travels. On my last night there, I wandered out of my tent, diary in hand. The sky was clear and lit by the glare of the moon, and the walls of the valley looked threatening behind their screen of shadows. I automatically took out my pen…
At that point, I understood that nothing I wrote could ever match or replace the few seconds I allowed myself to experience the dramatic beauty of the valley. All I remembered of the previous few days were the dull characterizations I had set down in my diary.
Now, I only write in my diary when I need to write down a special thought or feeling. I still love to record ideas and quotations that strike me in books, or observations that are particularly meaningful. I take pictures, but not very often—only of objects I find really beautiful. I’m no longer blindly satisfied with having something to remember when I grow old. I realize that life will simply pass me by if I stay behind the camera, busy preserving the present so as to live it in the future.
I don’t want to wake up one day and have nothing but a pile of pictures and notes. Maybe I won’t have as many exact representations of people and places; maybe I’ll forget certain facts, but at least the experiences will always remain inside me. I don’t live to make memories—I just live, and the memories form themselves.
【小题1】Before the age of thirteen, the author regarded keeping a diary as a way of ______.
| A．observing her school routine |
| B．expressing her satisfaction |
| C．impressing her classmates |
| D．preserving her history |
| A．A dull night on the journey. |
| B．The beauty of the great valley. |
| C．A striking quotation from a book. |
| D．Her concerns for future generations. |
| A．Notes and beautiful pictures. |
| B．Special thoughts and feelings. |
| C．Detailed accounts of daily activities. |
| D．Descriptions of unforgettable events. |
| A．to experience it |
| B．to live the present in the future |
| C．to make memories |
| D．to give accurate representations of it |
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