(2013·高考新课标全国卷Ⅱ,B)In 1947 a group of famous people from the art world headed by an Austrian conductor decided to hold an international festival of music,dance and theatre in Edinburgh.The idea was to reunite Europe after the Second World War.
It quickly attracted famous names such as Alec Guinness,Richard Burton,Dame Margot Fonteyn and Marlene Dietrich as well as the big symphony orchestras(交响乐团).It became a fixed event every August and now attracts 400,000 people yearly.
At the same time,the “Fringe” appeared as a challenge to the official festival.Eight theatre groups turned up uninvited in 1947,in the belief that everyone should have the right to perform,and they did so in a public house disused for years.
Soon,groups of students firstly from Edinburgh University,and later from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge,Durham and Birmingham were making the journey to the Scottish capital each summer to perform theatre by littleknown writers of plays in small church halls to the people of Edinburgh.
Today the“Fringe”,once less recognized,has far outgrown the festival with around 1,500 performances of theatre,music and dance on every one of the 21 days it lasts.And yet as early as 1959,with only 19 theatre groups performing,some said it was getting too big.
A paid administrator was first employed only in 1971,and today there are eight administrators working all year round and the number rises to 150 during August itself.In 2004 there were 200 places housing 1,695 shows by over 600 different groups from 50 different countries.More than 1.25 million tickets were sold.
【小题1】What was the purpose of Edinburgh Festival at the beginning?
A.To bring Europe together again. |
B.To honor heroes of World War Ⅱ. |
C.To introduce young theatre groups. |
D.To attract great artists from Europe. |
A.They owned a public house there. |
B.They came to take up a challenge. |
C.They thought they were also famous. |
D.They wanted to take part in the festival. |
A.Popular writers. |
B.University students. |
C.Artists from around the world. |
D.Performers of music and dance. |
A.has become a nonofficial event |
B.has gone beyond an art festival |
C.gives shows all year round |
D.keeps growing rapidly |
科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
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 tome.
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(市长)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 neighbourhood 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.
Ultinatel was 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.gamed life experience |
D.used the same language |
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科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
While many people agree that The Sound of Music(音乐之声)is one of the best films of all time, some are at a loss(困惑) to explain why. Well, I’ll tell you why it’s one of the best movies ever. The Sound of Music simply has everything one could want in a movie.
First of all, it has a real romance--one where you can watch the characters slowly fall in love.
Secondly, it has humor, clever and sarcastic(讽刺性的) humor. When Schraeder said, “ Bye, Maria, I’m sure you’ll make a fine nun(修女).” You just want to slap(掴) her across the face after hearing that.
Thirdly, it’s got adventure. The Nazis are the worst “bad guys” in any movie, so it’s great to see Maria, the Captain and the kids outwit(智取) them.
Fourthly, it’s got great music. The songs of the film are popular all over the world.
Fifthly, it’s got great scenery. The plot(情节) and dialogue are also amazing. I find new things to admire each time I watch.
Finally, is there a greater scene in any movie than the nuns showing the stolen Nazi car parts? In short, the film doesn’t just succeed because it cheers people up with a beautiful love story or songs. It also succeeds because it’s a wonderfully-constructed, wonderfully-written, and wonderfully-acted movie.
【小题1】What’s the purpose of the passage?
A.To tell people what makes a good movie. |
B.To tell people how to enjoy the humor in The Sound of Music. |
C.To explain why The Sound of Music is one of the best movies. |
D.To advise people to watch The Sound of Music |
A.in the author’s opinion, The Sound of Music succeeds mainly because of its songs |
B.the author can find something new to enjoy every time he watches the movie |
C.Maria just wants to slap Schraeder after hearing what she says to her. |
D.The Sound of Music is a movie about how Maria outwits the Nazis with the nuns |
A.plot | B.music | C.acting | D.clothing |
A.特征 | B.性格 | C.人物 | D.汉字 |
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科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
One might expect that the evergrowing demands of the tourist trade would bring nothing but good for the countries that receive the holidaymakers.Indeed,a rosy picture is painted for the longterm future of the holiday industry.Every month sees the building of a new hotel somewhere.And every month another rockbound Pacific island is advertised as the ‘last paradise(天堂) on earth’.
However,the scale and speed of this growth seem set to destroy the very things tourists want to enjoy.In those countries where there was a rush to make quick money out of seaside holidays,overcrowded beaches and the concrete jungles of endless hotels have begun to lose their appeal.
Those countries with little experience of tourism can suffer most.In recent years,Nepal set out to attract foreign visitors to fund developments in health and education.Its forests,full of wildlife and rare flowers,were offered to tourists as one more untouched paradise.In fact,the nature all too soon felt the effects of thousands of holidaymakers traveling through the forest land.Ancient tracks became major routes for the walkers,with the consequent exploitation of precious trees and plants.
Not only can the environment of a country suffer from the sudden growth of tourism.The people as well rapidly feel its effects.Farmland makes way for hotels,roads and airports;the old way of life goes.The onetime farmer is now the servant of some multinational organization;he is no longer his own master.Once it was his back that bore the pain;now it is his smile that is exploited.No doubt he wonders whether he wasn’t happier in his village working his own land.
Thankfully,the tourist industry is waking up to the responsibilities it has towards those countries that receive its customers.The protection of wildlife and the creation of national parks go hand in hand with tourist development and in fact obtain financial support from tourist companies.At the same time,tourists are being encouraged to respect not only the countryside they visit but also its people.
The way tourism is handled in the next ten years will decide its fate and that of the countries we all want to visit.Their needs and problems are more important than those of the tourist companies.Increased understanding in planning worldwide tourism can preserve the market for these companies.If not,in a few years’ time the very things that attract tourists now may well have been destroyed.
【小题1】What does the author indicate in the last sentence of Paragraph 1?
A.The Pacific island is a paradise. |
B.The Pacific island is worth visiting. |
C.The advertisement is not convincing. |
D.The advertisement is not impressive. |
A.its natural resources are untouched |
B.its forests are exploited for farmland |
C.it develops well in health and education |
D.it suffers from the heavy flow of tourists |
A.They are happy to work their own lands. |
B.They have to please the tourists for a living. |
C.They have to struggle for their independence. |
D.They are proud of working in multinational organizations. |
A.The number of tourists. |
B.The improvement of services. |
C.The promotion of new products. |
D.The management of tourism. |
A.optimistic | B.doubtful |
C.objective | D.negative |
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科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
For thousands of years, the most important two buildings in any British village have been the church and the pub. Traditionally, the church and the pub are at the heart of any village or town, where the people gather together to socialize and exchange news.
As a result, British pubs are often old and well preserved. Many of them have become historic sites. The most famous example is the pub in the city of Nottingham called “Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem”, which dates back to the year 1189 AD and is probably the oldest pub in England.
However, British pubs are not just for kings and queens; they welcome people from all classes and parts of society. On a cold night, the pub’s landlord or landlady can always find a warm place for you by the fire. There is always honest and hearty food and plenty of drink available at an affordable price.
That’s how things used to be. Things are beginning to change. It is said that the credit crunch(信贷紧缩) is causing 39 British pubs a week to go out of business. People do not have enough spare money to spend on beer. Recently, the UK government banned smoking in all pubs, and that may also have affected the number of customers going to pubs.
This decline is happening despite the fact that in 2005 the UK government started to allow pubs to stay open after 1l pm. Previously, with 1l pm as closing time, customers would have to drink quite quickly, meaning they sometimes got more drunk than they would if allowed to drink slowly. The British habit of drinking a lot very quickly is known as “binge drinking”, and it causes long-term health problems for people and problems with violent crime for communities.
In order to save their businesses, pubs are trying to change with the market. British pubs now offer something for everyone. A lot of pubs used to be “Working Men's Clubs”, meaning that women could not usually enter. Today, however, women can freely enter 99% of pubs without experiencing any problems. Perhaps things are changing for the better after all.
【小题1】The passage mainly tells us something about
A.the past and present of British pubs |
B.the decline of British pubs |
C.the long history of British pubs |
D.the importance of British pubs |
A.The credit crunch. |
B.The ban of smoking. |
C.The present closing time |
D.Having no spare money. |
A.British people used to like drinking slowly |
B.closing the pubs early will reduce social problems |
C.binge drinking means drinking less beer |
D.British government aims to discourage people from binge drinking |
A.is against the admission of too many women to the pubs |
B.holds an optimistic attitude towards the British pubs |
C.thinks that women in the pubs will cause less social problems |
D.thinks that British pubs should offer everything you need |
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科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
No one knows for sure when advertising first started.It is possible that it grew out of the discovery that some people did certain kinds of work better than others did them.That led to the concept of specialization,which means that people would specialize,or focus,on doing one specific job.
Let’s take a man we’ll call Mr.Fielder,for example.He did everything connected with farming.He planted seeds,tended the fields,and harvested and sold his crops.At the same time,he did many other jobs on the farm.However,he didn’t make the bricks for his house,cut his trees into boards,make the plows(犁), or any of the other hundreds of things a farm needs.Instead,he got them from people who specialized in doing each of those things.
Suppose there was another man we shall call Mr.Plowright.Using what he knew about farming and working with iron,Mr.Plowright invented a plow that made farming easier.Mr.Plowright did not really like farming himself and wanted to specialize in making really good plows.Perhaps,he thought,other farmers will trade what they grow for one of my plows.
How did Mr.Plowright let people know what he was doing?Why,he advertised,of course.First he opened a shop and then he put up a sign outside the shop to attract customers.That sign may have been no more than a plow carved into a piece of wood and a simple arrow pointing to the shop door.It was probably all the information people needed to find Mr.Plowright and his really good plows.
Many historians believe that the first outdoor signs were used about five thousand years ago.Even before most people could read,they understood such signs.Shopkeepers would carve into stone,clay,or wood symbols for the products they had for sale.
A medium,in advertising talk,is the way you communicate your message.You might say that the first medium used in advertising was signs with symbols.The second medium was audio,or sound,although that term is not used exactly in the way we use it today.Originally,just the human voice and maybe some kind of simple instrument,such as a bell,were used to get people’s attention.
A crier,in the historical sense,is not someone who weeps easily.It is someone,probably a man,with a voice loud enough to be heard over the other noises of a city.In ancient Egypt,shopkeepers might hire such a person to spread the news about their products.Often this earliest form of advertising involved a newly arrived ship loaded with goods.Perhaps the crier described the goods,explained where they came from,and praised their quality.His job was,in other words,not too different from a TV or radio commercial in today’s world.
【小题1】What probably led to the start of advertising?
A.The discovery of iron. |
B.The specialization of labor. |
C.The appearance of new jobs. |
D.The development of farming techniques. |
A.praised his plows in public |
B.placed a sign outside the shop |
C.hung an arrow pointing to the shop |
D.showed his products to the customers |
A.explain the origin of advertising |
B.predict the future of advertising |
C.expose problems in advertising |
D.provide suggestions for advertising |
A.owned a ship |
B.had the loudest voice |
C.ran a shop selling goods to farmers |
D.functioned like today’s TV or radio commercial |
A.the history of advertising |
B.the benefits of advertising |
C.the early forms of advertising |
D.the basic design of advertising |
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科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
Planning a visit to the UK? Here we help with ways to cut your costs.
AVOID BIG EVENTS Big sporting events, concerts and exhibitions can increase the cost of accommodation and make it harder to find a room. A standard double room at the Thistle Brighton on the final Friday of the Brighton Comedy Festival (19 Oct.) cost £169.15 at Booking.com. A week later, the same room cost £118.15.
If you can be flexible and want to know dates to avoid—or you’re looking for a big event to pass your time—check out sites such as Whatsonwhen.com, which allow you to search for events in the UK by city, date and category.
STAYAWAY FROM THE STATION If traveling to your destination by train, you may want to find a good base close to the station, but you could end up paying more for the sake of convenience at the start of your holiday.
Don’t be too choosy about the part of town you stay in. Booking two months in advance, the cheapest room at Travelodge’s Central Euston hotel in London for Saturday 22 September was £95.95. A room just a tube journey away at its Covent Garden hotel was £75.75. And at Farringdon, a double room cost just £62.95.
LOOK AFTER YOURSELF Really central hotels in cities such as London, Edinburgh and Cardiff can cost a fortune, especially at weekends and during big events. As an alternative consider checking into a self-catering flat with its own kitchen. Often these flats are hidden away on the top floors of city centre buildings. A great example is the historic O’Neill Flat on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, available for £420 for five days in late September, with room for four adults.
GET ON A BIKE London’s ‘Boris bikes’ have attracted the most attention, but other cities also have similar programmes that let you rent a bicycle and explore at your own pace, saving you on public transport or car parking costs.
Among the smaller cities with their own programmes are Newcastle (casual members pay around £1.50 for two hours) and Cardiff (free for up to 30 minutes, or £5 per day). (358 words)
【小题1】The Brighton Comedy Festival is mentioned mainly to show big events may __________.
A.help travelers pass time |
B.attract lots of travelers to the UK |
C.allow travelers to make flexible plans |
D.cause travelers to pay more for accommodation |
A.a hotel away from the train station |
B.the tube line to Covent Garden |
C.an ideal holiday destination |
D.the name of a travel agency |
A.half an hour | B.one hour | C.one hour and a half | D.two hours |
A.to tell visitors how to book in advance |
B.to supply visitors with hotel information |
C.to show visitors the importance of self-help |
D.to offer visitors some money-saving tips |
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科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
One of China’s most popular folk arts is paper cutting(剪纸). Archaeological(考古学的) finds trace the tradition back to the 6th century; it is supposed that the beginnings of paper cutting were even a few centuries earlier. Paper cuttings are used for religious(宗教的) purposes, for decoration (装饰)and as patterns(图案).
Today, paper cuttings are mainly used as decoration. They ornament walls, windows, doors, columns mirrors, lamps and lanterns in homes. They are also used for decoration on presents, and are given as presents themselves. They are of special importance at festivals. At the Spring Festival for example, entrances are decorated with paper cuttings which are supposed to bring good luck.
Paper cuttings are not produced by machine, but by hand. There are two kinds of paper cuttings; scissor (剪刀) cuttings and knife cuttings. Scissor cuttings are fashioned with scissors. Several pieces of paper--- up to eight pieces---are fastened together. The motif(图形) is then cut with sharp, pointed scissors.
Knife cuttings are fashioned by putting several layers (层) of paper on a relatively soft foundation consisting of a mixture of tallow (动物脂) and ashes. Following a pattern, the artist cuts the motif into the paper with a sharp knife which he usually holds vertically(垂直地). The advantage of knife cuttings is that considerably more paper cuttings can be made in one operation than scissor cuttings.
In the countryside, paper cuttings are usually made only by women and girls. This used to be one of the skills that every girl was to master and that were often used to judge brides(新娘). Professional paper cutting artists are, on the other hand, almost always men who have guaranteed (保证) incomes and work together in workshops.
【小题1】Paper cuttings can be used for ______________.
A.decoration | B.decoration on presents | C. presents | D.all of the above |
A.to be added to and make something beautiful | B.to be used as |
C.to be cut in | D.to be made on |
A.The ways of paper cutting | B.The reasons for paper cutting |
C.The purposes of paper cutting | D.Paper cutting |
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科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
Have you ever considered all the English expressions that include words about clothes? Let’s see if I can name a few proverbs “off the cuff” since I haven’t prepared for it.
English expressions with “pants” |
People wear pants to cover the lower part of their bodies. We sometimes say that people who are restless or nervous have “ants in their pants.” They might also “fly by the seat of their pants” -- they use their natural sense to do something instead of their learned knowledge. Sometimes, people may “get caught with their pants down” -- they are found doing something they should not be doing. And, in every family, one person takes control. Sometimes a wife tells her husband what to do. Then we say “she wears the pants in the family.” |
When people want to say something about money |
Pants usually have pockets to hold things. Money that is likely to be spent quickly can “burn a hole in your pocket.” Sometimes you need a belt to hold up your pants. If you have less money than usual, you may have to “tighten your belt” -- you may have to live on less money and spend your money carefully. But once you have succeeded in budgeting your money, you will have that skill “under your belt.” I always praise people who can save their money and not spend too much. I really “take my hat off to them.” Yet, when it comes to my own money, I spend it “at the drop of a hat” — immediately, without waiting. And sadly, you cannot “pull money out of a hat” —you cannot get money by inventing or imagining it. |
English expressions with “shoes” |
Boots are a heavy or strong kind of shoes. People who are “too big for their boots” think they are more important than they really are. I dislike such people. I really do. You can bet your boots on that! Yet, truly important people are hard to replace. Rarely can you “fill their shoes” -- or replace them with someone equally effective. |
English expressions with “shirt” |
My father is an important person. He runs a big company. He wears a suit and tie and a shirt with sleeves that cover his arms. Some people who do not know him well think he is too firm and severe. They think he is a real “stuffed shirt.” But I know that my father “wears his heart on his sleeve” —he shows his feelings openly. And, he knows how to “keep his shirt on”—he stays calm and never gets angry or too excited. |
A.Which words can be used to describe my father. |
B.Why English expressions include words about clothes. |
C.What people mean when they use some proverbs. |
D.How to say English correctly and properly. |
A.tighten one’s belt | B.take one’s hat off to them |
C.burn a hole in one’s pocket | D.get caught with their pants down |
A.he “wears his heart on his sleeve ”. | B.he “bet his boots on that ”. |
C.he is “too big for their boots”. | D.he “ fill their shoes”. |
A.“Amazing! How can you keep your shirt on at that time!” |
B.“You really fill your shoes” |
C.“Awesome ! You wear your heart on your sleeve!” |
D.“Cool! You are truly a stuffed shirt”. |
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