A Scottish woman has given birth to twins for the third time. Karen Rodger, 41, welcomed her first pair of girls rowan and Isla after having twice given birth to twin boys.
“I still haven’t really taken it on board because I was convinced I was having two boys,” Rodger told Sky News. Karen said her husband Colin was equally stunned when the couple learned they were going to have their fifth and sixth child. “He thought I was joking and immediately wrote back to say 'this is not funny'. I had to explain that it really was true,” Karen said.
The average couple has about a 3 percent chance of having twins when not accounting for fertility(多产)drugs. And with each following pregnancy, the changes of producing twins a second, or even third time, become less.
Karen, a dance lecturer, first learned of the incredibly rare occurrence during a visit to her doctor and immediately texted her husband to share the news. “I just could not believe it. It never crossed my mind that it would be twins again. I just thought that wouldn’t happen to people like me, but I’m absolutely delighted,” she said.
64. According to Paragraph2, when the husband heard the news, he was____.
A. upset B. worried C. relieved D. shocked
65. What can we infer form Paragraph3?
A. The average couple would turn to fertility drugs.
B. The average couple gives birth to twins for a reason.
C. The average couple’s chance of having the new twins is rare.
D. The average couple gives birth to twins because they are different.
66. From Karen ‘s reaction to the news given by her doctor, we infer that____.
A. she didn’t know she was pregnant again
B. she was happy to have twins again
C. she didn’t think she was different from others
D. she didn’t know how to tell her husband the news
67. After reading the passage, we know that Karen ____.
A. gave birth to the twin girls in her forties
B. now has three boys and three girls in total
C. was talked into having more kids by her husband
D. hoped she could have more girls soon
科目:高中英语 来源:2010年普通高等学校招生全国统一考试英 语 北京卷 题型:阅读理解
The Cost of Higher Education
Individuals (个人) should pay for their higher education.
A university education is of huge and direct benefit to the individual. Graduates earn more than non-graduates. Meanwhile, social mobility is ever more dependent on having a degree. However, only some people have it. So the individual, not the taxpayers, should pay for it. There are pressing calls on the resources (资源) of the government. Using taxpayers' money to help a small number of people to earn high incomes in the future is not one of them.
Full government funding (资助) is not very good for universities. Adam Smith worked in a Scottish university whose teachers lived off student fees. He knew and looked down upon 18th-century Oxford, where the academics lived comfortably off the income received from the government. Guaranteed salaries, Smith argued, were the enemy of hard work; and when the academics were lazy and incompetent, the students were similarly lazy.
If students have to pay for their education, they not only work harder, but also demand more from their teachers. And their teachers have to keep them satisfied. If that means taking teaching seriously, and giving less time to their own research interests, that is surely something to celebrate.
Many people believe that higher education should be free because it is good for the economy (经济). Many graduates clearly do contribute to national wealth, but so do all the businesses that invest (投资) and create jobs. If you believe that the government should pay for higher education because graduates are economically productive, you should also believe that the government should pay part of business costs. Anyone promising to create jobs should receive a gift of capital from the government to invest. Therefore, it is the individual, not the government, who should pay for their university education.
1. The underlined word "them" in Paragraph 2 refers to____________
A. taxpayers B. pressing calls
C. college graduates D. government resources
2. The author thinks that with full government funding____________
A. teachers are less satisfied
B. students are more demanding
C. students will become more competent
D. teachers will spend less time on teaching
3. The author mentions businesses in Paragraph 5 in order to ____________
A. argue against free university education
B. call on them to finance students' studies
C. encourage graduates to go into business
D. show their contribution to higher education
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科目:高中英语 来源:2009年全国各省市高考命题动态信息卷(辽宁专用) 英语(一) 题型:阅读理解
B
More and more young people enjoy having pets,but they don't like to keep them.At present in Changchun,people prefer to rent pets and play with them during weekends,regarding this as a fashionablelifestyle.
Mr.Feng,from Jilin Province,likes pet dogs.Last weekend he rented a Scottish shepherd dog from a localpet shop.He bathed the dog,and went walking with it.He said he could not keep pets in his spare time because he was busy everday except weekends.To rent pets during weekends seemsto be the most practical and economical way to relax himself.
A manager from a pet shop says his customers(主顾) are all like Mr.Feng,usually too busy to keeppets,and some of them have never kept any pets before. But they hope torent pets and learn to keep pets so that they can know whether they can be good pet masters or not.
It's reported that all pets for rent need to beimmunized(免疫).Before they are rented out,pet shops will teach their customers the ABCs of pet keeping and preparing pet food based on each pet's taste.
Shop assistants will also provide(提供)different konds of services for pets like health checkup if their customers want to rent pets for a longer period.
Dogs for rent are often not ordinary ones,so their rent is high,usually 200 - 500 yuan(US$ 25-63) per day.Sometimes,you have to leave thousands of yuan with the owner before you can take a dog away.
60.Mr.Feng rents pets instead of keeping them mainly because _______.
A.it's cheaper B.it is more fun
C.he has little spare time D.he wants a new pet for each week
61.What do we know about those who rent pets?
A.None of them ever kept a pet before.
B.They'll become pet owners later.
C.They enjoy having pets.
D.They want to help protect animals.
62.The underlined phrase "the ABCs(of…)"in the 4th paragraph refers to "______(of…)".
A.the possible dangers B.the basic knowledge
C.the communicative language D.the rules set by the shops
63.The dogs' rent is high because___________.
A.the customers are rich B.there are few dogs to rent
C.their owners hate to leave them D.they are top - class dogs
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科目:高中英语 来源:2012-2013学年江苏南京学大教育专修学校高三月考英语卷(解析版) 题型:阅读理解
Today, bicycles are elegantly simple machines that are common around the world. Many people ride bicycles for recreation, whereas others use them as a means of transportation. The first bicycle was invented in Germany in 1818. Because it was made of wood, it wasn’t very strong nor did it have pedals (脚踏板).Riders moved it by pushing their feet against the ground.
In 1839, Kirkpatrick Macmillan, a Scottish blacksmith, invented a much better bicycle. Macmillan’s machine had iron-covered wheels to keep them from getting worn down. He also used foot-operated levers, similar to pedals, so his bicycle could be ridden at a quick pace. It didn’t look much like the modem bicycle, though, because its back wheel was substantially larger than its front wheel. Although Macmillan’s bicycles could be ridden easily, they were never produced in large numbers.
In 1861, Frenchman Pierre Michaux and his brother Ernest invented a bicycle with an improved pedal mechanism. They called their bicycle a velocipede,but most people called it a “bone shaker” because of the effect of the wood and iron frame. Despite the impolite nickname, the velocipede was a hit. After a few years, the Michaux family was making hundreds of the machines annually, mostly for fun-seeking young people.
Ten years later, James Starley , an English inventor, made several innovations that revolutionized bicycle design. He made the front wheel many times larger than the back wheel, put a gear on the pedals to make the bicycle more efficient,and lightened the wheels by using wire spokes. Although this bicycle was much lighter and less tiring to ride, it was still clumsy, extremely top-heavy,and ridden mostly for entertainment.
It wasn’t until 1874 that the first truly modern bicycle appeared on the scene. Invented by another Englishman, H. J. Lawson, the safety bicycle would look familiar to today’s cyclists. The safety bicycle had equal-sized wheels, which made it easier to ride. Lawson also attached a chain to the pedals to drive the back wheel. By 1893,the safety bicycle had been further improved with air-filled rubber tires, a diamond-shaped frame, and easy braking. With the improvements provided by Lawson; bicycles became extremely popular and useful for transportation. Today, they are built, used, and enjoyed all over the world.
1.This passage was most likely written in order to _____.
A.compare bicycles used for different purposes
B.describe the problems early bicycle makers experienced
C.persuade readers to use bicycles for transportation
D.tell readers about the early history of the bicycle
2.Macmillan covered the wheels of his bicycle with iron to _____
A.add weight to the bicycle
B.make the bicycle easier to ride
C.allow the wheels to last longer
D.let the bicycle be more comfortable
3.Which of the following bicycle types was invented by James Starley?
4.Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A.Two hundred years ago,bicycles did not exist.
B.The first bicycle could be ridden at a very quick pace.
C.The Michaux brothers called their bicycle a “bone shaker”.
D.Macmillan’s machine had wheels with rubber tires.
5.The information about bicycles in this passage is arranged according to _____.
A.importance B.time C.place D.Interest
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科目:高中英语 来源:2012-2013学年重庆市高三九校联合诊断考试英语试卷(解析版) 题型:阅读理解
When we talk about stars ,especially women stars ,it seems that they are always young, pretty and own charming body shapes. But recently a Britain's Got Talent(英国达人)star Susan Boyle has changed our views absolutely.
Simon Cowell ,one of the judges of the talent show spoke of his shock over Ms Boyle's voice. "This lady camp up ,and I'm thinking, 'This will take five seconds and I can go to have a cup of tea'. That changed when she began to sing I Dreamed to Dream from Les Miserables. She knew we were going to have that reaction and just to see that look of satisfaction on her face through -it was one of my favorite moments," Cowell said.
The performance was posted on line and before long, the 47-year-old Scottish woman has been famous all over the world.
Speaking from her home in Scotland, Ms Boyle said that she hasn't thought of changing her appearance. She said that her friend helped her with make-up. "I mean, that's hardly a makeover," she added.Ms Boyle also spoke of the reason she first began to explore her vocal talents, "I was kind of slow at school, so getting like singing was a good way of hiding behind that and thus it built my confidence."
1.Susan Boyle is _________
A.a judge B.a reporter C.a beautiful D.a Scottish woman
2.Susan Boyle had a look of satisfaction on her face when she was singing because______.
A.she was confident of her singing
B.she was satisfied with the judges
C.she was pretty and in good shape
D.she sang the song I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables
3.According to the passage, which is NOT true?
A.It was the vocal talents that built Susan's confidence
B.Susan Boyle was not good at her lesson when at school.
C.Susan Boyle became famous because of her appearance.
D.Simon Cowell didn't think Susan Boyle a good singer at the first sight.
4.What can we learn from Susan Boyle's success
A.It's never too old to learn.
B.It's easier to succeed at the age of 47.
C.If you have a dream, try to make it come true!
D.If you are not able to study well, to be a singer instead.
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科目:高中英语 来源:2009年全国各省市高考命题动态信息卷(辽宁专用)英语(一) 题型:阅读理解
B
More and more young people enjoy having pets,but they don't like to keep them.At present in Changchun,people prefer to rent pets and play with them during weekends,regarding this as a fashionablelifestyle.
Mr.Feng,from Jilin Province,likes pet dogs.Last weekend he rented a Scottish shepherd dog from a localpet shop.He bathed the dog,and went walking with it.He said he could not keep pets in his spare time because he was busy everday except weekends.To rent pets during weekends seemsto be the most practical and economical way to relax himself.
A manager from a pet shop says his customers(主顾) are all like Mr.Feng,usually too busy to keeppets,and some of them have never kept any pets before. But they hope torent pets and learn to keep pets so that they can know whether they can be good pet masters or not.
It's reported that all pets for rent need to beimmunized(免疫).Before they are rented out,pet shops will teach their customers the ABCs of pet keeping and preparing pet food based on each pet's taste.
Shop assistants will also provide(提供)different konds of services for pets like health checkup if their customers want to rent pets for a longer period.
Dogs for rent are often not ordinary ones,so their rent is high,usually 200 - 500 yuan(US$ 25-63) per day.Sometimes,you have to leave thousands of yuan with the owner before you can take a dog away.
60.Mr.Feng rents pets instead of keeping them mainly because _______.
A.it's cheaper B.it is more fun
C.he has little spare time D.he wants a new pet for each week
61.What do we know about those who rent pets?
A.None of them ever kept a pet before.
B.They'll become pet owners later.
C.They enjoy having pets.
D.They want to help protect animals.
62.The underlined phrase "the ABCs(of…)"in the 4th paragraph refers to "______(of…)".
A.the possible dangers B.the basic knowledge
C.the communicative language D.the rules set by the shops
63.The dogs' rent is high because___________.
A.the customers are rich B.there are few dogs to rent
C.their owners hate to leave them D.they are top - class dogs
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