An idea that started in Seattle's public library has spread throughout America and beyond. The concept is simple: help to build a sense of community in a city by getting everyone to read the same book at the same time.
In addition to encouraging reading as a pursuit (追求) to be enjoyed by all, the program allows strangers to communicate by discussing the book on the bus, as well as promoting reading as an experience to be shared in families and schools. The idea came from Seattle librarian Nancy Pearl who launched (发起)the "If All of Seattle Read the Same Book " project in 1998. Her original program used author visits, study guides and book discussion groups to bring people together with a book, but the idea has since expanded to many other American cities, and even to Hong Kong.
In Chicago, the mayor appeared on television to announce the choice of To Kill a Mockingbird as the first book in the "One Book, One Chicago" program. As a result, reading clubs and neighborhood groups sprang up around the city. Across the US, stories emerged of parents and children reading to each other at night and strangers chatting away on the bus about plot and character.
The only problem arose in New York , where local readers could not decide on one book to represent the huge and diverse population. This may show that the idea works best in medium-sized cities or large towns, where a greater sense of unity(一致)can be achieved .Or it may show that New Yorkers rather missed the point, putting all their energy and passion into the choice of the book rather than discussion about a book itself.
As Nancy points out, the level of success is not measured by how many people read a book, but by how many people are enriched by the process or have enjoyed speaking to someone with whom they would not otherwise have shared a word.
【小题1】What is the purpose of the project launched by Nancy?
A.To invite authors to guide readers |
B.To encourage people to read and share. |
C.To involve people in community service |
D.To promote the friendship between cities. |
A.They had little interest in reading. |
B.They were too busy to read a book. |
C.They came from many different backgrounds. |
D.They lacked support from the local government. |
A.In large communities with little sense of unity |
B.In large cities where libraries are far from home |
C.In medium-sized cities with a diverse population |
D.In large towns where agreement can be quickly reached |
A.exchanged ideas with each other |
B.discussed the meaning of a word |
C.gained life experience |
D.used the same language |
A.the careful selection of a proper book |
B.the growing popularity of the writers |
C.the number of people who benefit from reading |
D.the number of books that each person reads |
【小题1】B
【小题2】C
【小题3】D
【小题4】A
【小题5】C
解析试题分析:Seattle公共图书馆发起一个项目,让很多人同时读同一本书,目的是为了鼓励人们读书并分享读书心得。文章分析可以实施这个项目的地方,以及如何评价这个项目实施情况。
【小题1】细节理解题。由第二段第一句及第二句中的Nancy Pearl who launched the “If All of Seattle Read the Same Book” project可知南希发起这个项目的目的是为了鼓励人们读书并分享读书心得。A项、C项和D项的叙述与原文不符。故选B项。
【小题2】推理判断题。由第四段第一句可知,纽约人口众多,背景不同。由该段第二句可知,在中等城市和大城镇里这个项目容易展开的原因是:这些地方更容易取得一致性。由此可推出这项工程在纽约不容易开展的原因是:纽约人的背景各不相同。故选C项。
【小题3】细节理解题。由第四段第二句可知,这个项目在容易取得一致性的中等城市和大城镇里更容易展开。故选D项。
【小题4】词义猜测题。由短文最后一句中的have enjoyed speaking to someone以及would not otherwise可知此处share a word应为“相互谈论或交流”的含义。故选A项。
【小题5】细节理解题。由最后一段可知,南希认为,这个项目成功的程度不是用多少人读一本书来衡量,而是由多少人从这个过程中受益来决定的。A项、B项和D项的叙述与原文不符。故选C项。
考点:考查文化类短文
点评:Seattle公共图书馆发起一个项目,让很多人同时读同一本书,目的是为了鼓励人们读书并分享读书心得。这篇阅读理解集中考查了细节题,要求考生仔细阅读全文,做好相应的标志,以提高阅读的效率和速度,做题时要审清题干,发觉和把握试题中有效的提示性信息,确认命题的角度、阅读范围和答题方式。
科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
Rene Descartes’ explanation of pain has long been acknowledged in medicine. He proposed that pain is a purely physical phenomenon – that tissue injury makes specific nerves send a signal to the brain, causing the mind to notice pain. The phenomenon, he said, is like pulling on a rope to ring a bell in the brain. It is hard to overstate how deeply fixed this account has become. In medicine, doctors see pain in Descartes’ terms— as a physical process, a sign of tissue injury.
The limitations of this explanation, however, have been apparent for some time, since people with obvious injuries sometimes report feeling no pain at all. Later, researchers proposed that Descartes’ model be replaced with what they called the gate control theory of pain. They argued that before pain signals reach the brain, they must first go through a gating mechanism in the spinal cord(脊髓). In some cases, this imaginary gate could simply stop pain signals from getting to the brain.
Their most amazing suggestion was that what controlled the gate was not just signals from sensory nerves but also emotions and other “output” from the brain. They were saying that pulling on the rope need not make the bell ring. The bell itself—the mind— could stop it. This theory led to a great deal of research into how such factors as mood, gender, and beliefs influence the experience of pain. In a British study, for example, researchers measured pain threshold and tolerance levels in 53 ballet dancers and 53 university students by using a common measurement: after immersing your hand in body-temperature water for two minutes to establish a baseline condition, you put your hand in a bowl of ice water and start a clock running. You mark the time when it begins to hurt: that is your pain threshold. Then you mark the time when it hurts too much to keep your hand in the water: that is your pain tolerance. The test is always stopped at 120 seconds, to prevent injury.
The results were striking. On average female students reported pain at 16 seconds and pulled their hands out of the ice water at 37 seconds. Female dancers were almost three times as long on both counts. Men in both groups had a higher threshold and tolerance for pain, but the difference between male dancers and male nondancers was nearly as large. What explains that difference? Probably it has something to do with the psychology of ballet dancers—a group known for self-discipline, physical fitness, and competitiveness, as well as by a high rate of chronic(慢性) injury. Their driven personalities and competitive culture evidently accustom them to pain. Other studies along these lines have shown that outgoing people have greater pain tolerance and that, with training, one can reduce one’s sensitivity to pain.
There is also striking evidence that very simple kinds of mental suggestion can have powerful effects on pain. In one study of 500 patients undergoing dental procedures, those who were given a placebo(安慰剂) injection and promised that it would relieve their pain had the least discomfort— not only less than the patients who got a placebo and were told nothing but also less than the patients who got actual drug without any promise that it would work.
Today it is abundantly evident that the brain is actively involved in the experience of pain and is no more bell on a string. Today every medical textbook teaches the gate control theory as fact. There’s a problem with it, though. It explains people who have injuries but feel no pain, but it doesn’t explain the reverse, which is far more common— the millions of people who experience chronic pain, such as back pain, with no signs of injury whatsoever. So where does the pain come from? The rope and clapper are gone, but the bell is still ringing.
【小题1】The primary purpose of the passage is to .
A.describe how modern research has updated an old explanation |
B.support a traditional view with new data |
C.promote a particular attitude towards physical experience |
D.suggest a creative treatment for a medical condition |
A.The brain can shut pain off at will. |
B.The brain plays no part in the body’s experience of pain. |
C.Pain can be caused in many different ways. |
D.Pain is an automatic response to bodily injury. |
A.offered an extremely new and original explanation |
B.was just opposite to people’s everyday experiences |
C.was grounded in an ridiculous logic |
D.was so sensible it should have been proposed centuries before |
A.costly, because it troubles millions of people |
B.puzzling, because it sometimes has no obvious cause |
C.disappointing, because it does not improve with treatment |
D.worrying, because it lies beyond the reach of medicine |
A.scientific judgments are difficult to understand |
B.theoretical investigations are generally useless |
C.researchers still have a long way to go before the puzzle is made clear |
D.there is always something puzzling at the heart of science |
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科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
You’ve bought what you need. The grocery cashier asks, “Will that be paper or plastic? You reply “Plastic, please.”
This seems like a simple question and there are plenty of reasons we choose plastic: easier to carry, lighter than paper bags, possibly less damaging to the environment, less expensive to the shop owners, able to be used as trash bag, and so on. There are different opinions on plastic and paper. Now let’s follow the travels of 3 plastic bags. It begins at the grocery store with the customer’s choice.
Plastic Bag 1: As the waste engineer come by and pick up the trash, the first plastic bag falls out. It sits on a small street for a couple of hours until a car comes along and takes it down to the road. Then a gust of wind blows it across the road, then another car, then another gust of wind finally makes its way to the beach. Water fills the plastic bag and makes it look like a jellyfish. A seal(海豹) swims by, thinking it looks very interesting, and swallowed it. The plastic bag may stay in the seal’s stomach for months, maybe years. You see, our lovely animals have been living thousands of years in a world where everything can be eaten.
Plastic Bag 2: This bag does make its way to landfill(垃圾场). Before they have a chance to cover up the thousands of pounds of daily waste, a strong wind comes up and blows these plastic bags out of the landfill. Once the wind stops, workers will be sent to collect thousands of bags around. But they can’t possibly get them all. So our little bag continues his adventure getting caught in trees, eaten by birds or making its way to our lakes or rivers.
Plastic Bag 3: The last bag also blows away but is caught in a landfill where it sits for many years, as all the trash is wrapped in a big plastic bag, making natural degradation(降解) impossible. Although workers do much work to make sure water and air system won’t be polluted, some do. Guess what, plastic bags are made from petrol, a harmful waste material, which in one way or another makes its way to the environment.
Another problem with putting plastic bags in out trash is that our landfills for most cities may be filled in about 20 years. More importantly, since we are running out of land to build homes, you might have the pleasure of one day living on top of your plastic bags!
One of the best suggestions is not to use a bag at all or bring your own cloth bags. If you must, please choose paper bags, which, though not suggested, can be eaten by animals. And there are more opportunities recycle paper bags. It does take a little extra effort. But please have a thought about the little seal next time you say, “Plastic please.”
【小题1】According to the passage, what is NOT the reason for a customer to choose plastic bags?
A.He can use plastic bags to carry trash later. |
B.He finds paper bags heavier than plastic bags. |
C.He finds plastic bags more convenient to carry. |
D.He can save money for plastic bags are cheaper. |
A.seals like eating plastic bags around them. |
B.seals really have a good stomach. |
C.seals are potential victims of plastic bags. |
D.seals are not able to differ plastic from food. |
A.still does harm to the environment |
B.can hardly be harmful to the environment |
C.is much safer than Plastic Bag2 |
D.will end up being eaten by seals or some fish |
A.Suggestions on reducing harm of plastic bags. |
B.Disadvantages of using too many plastic bags. |
C.Persuading people into using paper bags. |
D.Other potential victims of plastic bags. |
A.Excited | B.Serious | C.Ironical | D.Casual |
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科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
Sixty-five million years ago, an asteroid (小行星) that crashed on Earth led to the disappearance of the largest animals that have ever walked our planet – the dinosaurs. At least, this is what some scientists believe. But that accident happened so long ago. People have come to believe that we are free of threats from asteroids and everything else from space.
However, what happened on Feb 15 , 2013 was a reminder that we’re just as vulnerable as the dinosaurs once were. Two objects from space – a meteor (陨石) and an asteroid called 2012 DA14 – visited Earth’s atmosphere on the same day. The former fell in Russia, injuring 1,200 people, while the latter passed by Earth at a record-setting close distance.
Scientists had been expecting the asteroid since last year, but the meteor was a surprise. NASA’s telescope system only detects asteroids at least 50 meters in diameter (直径), which is just about the size of 2012 DA14. But the meteor was much smaller, which made it harder to spot.
But what if we do spot an asteroid that is headed right for Earth? There are several possible ways in which dangerous asteroids could be made to change its orbit. Which method is best depends on several factors and most importantly – how much time we have to stop it.
If there is enough time before the hit, we can send off a heavy spacecraft to travel alongside the asteroid. The gravity from the spacecraft would gradually change the rock’s orbit. Besides that, scientists could one day use sun-powered lasers to either make asteroids disappear or change their course. If there’s not enough time, we’ll have to go after the asteroid with a spacecraft and change its orbit with a crash. Finally, if things are truly desperate, there will be only one choice left – to use a nuclear bomb. That could turn the asteroid into a meteor shower, which would be even more dangerous.
【小题1】The author mentioned the asteroid that led to the dinosaurs’ dying out to ______.
A.show that asteroids fall from space frequently |
B.alert people about the possible danger of objects falling from space |
C.inform readers about the constant threats the Earth faces |
D.suggest that there are still many mysteries about the universe |
A.unprotected | B.lonely | C.stupid | D.self-important |
A.It passed by the Earth at a close distance. |
B.It was spotted by NASA’s telescope system a year ago. |
C.It is about the same size as the asteroid that passed by the Earth. |
D.It fell to the Earth and caused great damage to the local community. |
A.Learning about asteroids and meteors. |
B.The threats of objects from space and possible solutions. |
C.NASA’s latest technology to discover visitors to the Earth from space. |
D.How to measure the damage of collisions from asteroids and meteors. |
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科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
WASHINGTON—Two-thirds of the world’s polar bear population could be gone by 2050 if predictions of melting sea ice hold true, the US Geological Survey reported on Friday.
The fate of polar bears could be even worse than that estimate, because sea ice in the Arctic might be disappearing faster than the available computer models predict, the geological survey said in a report aimed at determining whether the big white bear should be listed as a threatened species.
“There is a definite link between changes in the sea ice and the welfare of polar bears,” said Steve Amstrup, who led the research team. He says Arctic sea ice is already at the lowest this year and is expected to retreat(退却) farther this month.
That means that polar bears—some 16,000 of them -- will disappear by 2050 from parts of the Arctic where sea ice is melting most rapidly, along the north coasts of Alaska and Russia, researchers said in a telephone briefing(简报).
Other polar bears could survive beyond that date but many of those could be gone by 2100, Amstrup said. By this century’s end, the only polar bears left might live in the Canadian Arctic islands and along the west coast of Greenland.
“It is likely to result in loss of approximately two-thirds of the world’s current polar bear population by the mid 21st century,” the report’s executive summary said.
“Because the observed trajectory(轨迹)of Arctic sea ice decline appears to be underestimated by currently available models, this assessment of future polar bear status may be conservative(保守的).”
In January, the US Fish and Wildlife Service proposed listing the polar bear as a threatened species, noting polar bears depend on sea ice as a platform to hunt seals, their main food.
Without enough sea ice, polar bears would be forced onto land, but they are poor hunters once they get out of the water and ice, the researchers said. The bears’ disappearance would probably take place as young cubs(幼兽)failed to survive to adulthood and females were unable to reproduce successfully.
【小题1】What was the US Geological Survey intended to do?
A.To determine whether the polar bear was in danger. |
B.To measure how fast the sea ice melts in the Arctic. |
C.To check the predictions of the computer models. |
D.To find out the exact number of the polar bear. |
A.The pollution of the Arctic region. | B.The sea ice melting at high speed |
C.Fewer food sources being left. | D.The temperature getting colder. |
A.help young polar bears to survive the cold winter |
B.have large number of seals living in the oceans |
C.make sure there is enough sea ice in the Arctic |
D.provide chances for adult polar bears to reproduce |
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科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
About twenty of us had been fortunate enough to receive invitations to a film-studio(影棚)to take part in a crowd-scene. Although our "act" would last only for a short time, we could see quite a number of interesting things.
We all stood at the far end of the studio as workmen prepared the scene, setting up trees at the edge of a winding path.Very soon, bright lights were turned on and the big movie-camera was
wheeled into position. The director shouted something to the camera operator and then went to speak to the two famous actors nearby. Since it was hot in the studio, it came as a surprise to us to see one of the actors put on a heavy overcoat and start walking along the path. A big fan began blowing tiny white feathers down on him, and soon the trees were covered in "snow". Two more fans were turned on, and a "strong wind" blew through the trees. The picture looked so real that it made us feel cold.
The next scene was a complete contrast(对比).The way it was filmed was quite unusual. Pictures taken on an island in the Pacific were shown on a glass screen. An actor and actress stood in front of the scene so that they looked as if they were at the water's edge on an island. By a simple trick like this, palm trees, sandy beaches, and blue, clear skies had been brought into the studio!
Since it was our turn next, we were left wondering what scene would be prepared for us. For a full three minutes in our lives we would be experiencing the excitement of being film ”Stars”!
【小题1】Who is the author?
A.A cameraman. | B.A film director. |
C.A crowd-scene actor | D.A workman for scene setting |
A.The heavy snowfall. | B.The man-made scene. |
C.The low temperature. | D.The film being shown. |
A.A new scene would be filmed. |
B.More stars would act in the film. |
C.The author would leave the studio. |
D.The next scene would be prepared. |
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科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
Who is the most powerful woman in the world? According to the US media, it's Janet Yellen, or at least she's about to be.
On Oct 9, 2013,US President Barack Obama nominated (提名)Yellen to serve as the next US Federal Reserve (the Fed, 美联储)chair. If confirmed by the Senate, Yellen will become the first woman to serve in the top spot.
Aged 67, silver-haired and tiny, Yellen is said to be the most qualified nominee ever. She chaired President Bill
Clinton's Council of Economic Advisers, taught at Harvard and Berkeley, and was president of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. She is currently the Fed's vice chair.
Many think Yellen is the right choice to deal with the challenges the Fed now faces:First, to bring interest rates back to more normal levels without triggering a new recession(衰退).Second, to reduce the US unemployment rate, which remains at historically high levels.
A CNN opinion piece says Yellen is unusual for an economist of her caliber(才干)."She has kept her eyes on what's critical-the people. Her research has centered on unemployment, on the best way to modulate(调整)government policies to benefit the people."
Past records also show that Yellen is exceptionally good at predicting where the economy is headed. An article in The Washington Post points out that she was one of the few voices at the Fed inDecember 2009 warning about the subprime crisis(次贷危机)and the following recession.
The reason why Yellen will be the most powerful woman in the world has to do with the unique position of the Federal Reserve, explains an article on Quartz, a US news outlet for business people in the new global economy,
First of all, the Fed is independent. Unlike US Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright and Hilary Clinton, the decisions made by the organization Yellen will lead next year are not subject to approval by anyone in the government.
Within the Fed, the chair alone sets the agenda. The Fed chairperson has huge influence on monetary policy(货币政策)and financial regulation. And don't forget how powerful the Fed itself is. It controls the money supply in the world's largest economy. The Fed's interest rate decisions don't just set the course for the US economy, its decisions set the course for the world economy, too.
Because of globalization, Yellen's decisions will affect everyone around the world, says an article in The Atlantic, making her even more powerful than some great women rulers in history, including Elizabeth I of England and China's Wu Zetian. For example, the article continues: "If Yellen even just talks about slowing down the Fed's bond-buying, Europe's troubled economies are likely to see their interest rates rise, and emerging markets, some of which, like India and Indonesia, used foreign capital to fund their current account deficits(赤字),are likely to see their currencies collapse."
【小题1】According to the passage, which of the following is NOT the reason for Yellen's nomination?
A.Yellen's professional experiences. |
B.Yellen's ability to deal with the challenges the Fed faces. |
C.Yellen's educational background. |
D.Yellen's remarkable competence as an economist. |
A.the Fed is the most powerful organization in the US |
B.Yellen gets full support from Obama |
C.Yellen holds a unique position in the government |
D.the Fed possesses great power and influence |
A.Optimistic. | B.Negative. |
C.Understanding. | D.Doubtful. |
A.To introduce the US Federal Reserve. |
B.To report on the next Fed chair. |
C.To introduce the current world economy. |
D.To report on a few powerful women. |
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科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
The fourth-graders at Chicago’s McCormick Primary School are unaware of the difficulty in learning Chinese. For most, who speak Spanish at home, it’s becoming their third language. They’ve been learning and using Chinese words since kindergarten, and it’s now second nature to give a hearty “ni hao” when strangers enter the classroom.
The classroom scene at McCormick is unusual, but it may soon be a common fixture(固定物) in American schools, where Chinese is rapidly becoming the hot new language. Government officials have long wanted more focus on security—useful languages like Chinese, and pressure from them—as well as from business leaders, politicians, and parents—has driven a quick growth in the number of programs.
Chicago itself is home to the largest effort to include Chinese in US public schools. The program here has grown to include 3,000 students in 20 schools, with more schools on a waiting list. Programs have also spread to places like Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, and North Carolina. It’s true that the number of students learning Chinese is tiny compared with how many study Spanish or French.
Advocates see knowledge of the Chinese language and culture as a help in a global economy where China is growing in importance. “This is an interesting way to begin to engage with the world’s next superpower,” says Michael Levine, director of education at the Asia Society, which has started five new public high schools that offer Chinese. “Globalization has already changed the arrangements in terms of how children today are going to need to think about their careers… The question is, when not whether, the schools are going to adjust.”
In Chicago, the trend extends beyond schools with high numbers of Asian students. “The fact that my students are 98% low income and 99% Latino(拉丁美洲人) and they are succeeding in this, tells me everyone should have a try at learning languages,” says Virginia Rivera, principal at McCormick. “We want to give our young people opportunities to advance… and Chinese is a great opportunity to survive in today’s economy,” says Richard M. Daley, Mayor of Chicago.
【小题1】The underlined word “Advocates” in the text probably means” .
A.Supporters | B.Objectors | C.Teachers | D.Learners |
A.Six. | B.Two. | C.Three. | D.Four. |
A.the competition between Latino and Asian students |
B.the global economy |
C.the interesting way to engage with China |
D.the Chinese learning |
A.Most students at McCormick can speak three languages. |
B.Chinese is gaining its popularity in all schools in Chicago. |
C.French has far more speakers than Chinese does in Chicago. |
D.Globalization in a way makes it necessary to learn Chinese. |
A.The Chinese learning in Chicago. |
B.The ways to learn Chinese. |
C.McCormick Primary School. |
D.Globalization and Chinese learning. |
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科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
The influence of America is increasing in my country. Spanish people drink Coca Cola, wear blue jeans, watch Hollywood movies, listen to American music, and eat fast food, and they do these things every day.
I think that American movies are a good way to spread American culture because people are often influenced by what they see in the movies. Most of the programs and documentaries (纪录片) we watch on TV are from America, and most of the movies we go to see are made in Hollywood.
In the last few years, the government has tried to protect the Spanish movies. Now, in our cinemas, at least twenty percent of the movies which are shown must be from Spain or from other countries in Europe.
American culture is a part of Spanish life now. It’s certain that many things from America are as much a part of people’s lives as Spanish things. For example, Coca Cola is as familiar to everybody as any typical Spanish product. I’ve known about Coca Cola for my whole life.
However, it’s different with Western fast food. For example, I don’t think McDonald’s is as successful in Spain as it is in other countries. In my opinion, one of the reasons may be the lifestyle of the Spanish people. The Spanish people normally eat at home.
On the other hand, maybe McDonald’s hamburgers will eventually replace the famous Spanish tapas. It’s true that in every city in Spain you can find a McDonald’s, and it is more popular among the Spanish children than among the adults. In any case, it’s obvious that American culture is becoming more and more a part of our lives every day.
【小题1】From the first paragraph we can know that ____.
A.the influence of America on Spain can be found everywhere |
B.most Spanish people don’t like to listen to their own music |
C.fast food spreads from Spain to the United States |
D.some Spanish actors go to America to improve their acting skills |
A.American novels. | B.Hollywood movies. |
C.McDonald’s. | D.American music. |
A.To protect foreign culture in Spain. |
B.To earn more money from Spanish films. |
C.To limit the number of American movies. |
D.To unite the European Community. |
A.Its fast food contains too much fat. |
B.He thinks it is unhealthy. |
C.Spanish people seldom eat out. |
D.Spanish adults don’t like its fast food. |
A.The name of a drink. | B.The name of a restaurant. |
C.A clothing brand. | D.A certain kind of food. |
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