Disease, poverty, hate, love-Charles Dickens' stories opened his readers' eyes to the most important themes of his age．Two hundred years on, his stories still speak volumes across the world, proving that Dickens' legacy （遗产） was far greater than just "great literature"．
February 7 marks the 200th anniversary of the writer's birthday．To mark this date, BBC writer Alex Hudson listed six things Dickens gave the modern world．Let's take a look at two of them．
A while Christmas
Dickens is described as "the man who invented Christmas" -not the religious festival, but the cultural aspects that we associate with the festive （喜庆的） season today．
In the early 19th century, Christmas was barely worth mentioning, according to critic and writer Leigh Hunt．The committee which ran the Conservative Party even held ordinary business meetings on Christmas Day - unthinkable in the West nowadays, when everyone, but the most necessary workers takes at least three days off．
Many people believe that Dickens' popular depictions（描绘） of the festive period became a blueprint for generations to come．In his classic novel, A Christmas Carol, he not only put forward the idea of snow at Christmas,but also painted a picture of glowing warmth-“home enjoyments, affections and hopes"．
In his biography of Dickens, Peter Ackroyd wrote, "Dickens can be said to have almost single-handedly created the modern idea of Christmas．"
"Dickensian" poverty
Dickens was one of the first to take an honest look at the underclass and the poor of Victorian （the period during British Queen Victoria's reign from 1837 to 1901） London．
He helped popularize the term "red tape" to describe situations where people in power use needless amounts of bureaucracy （官僚作风） in a way that particularly hurts the weaker and poorer members of society．
"Dickensian" has now become a powerful word for describing an unacceptable level of poverty．In 2009, when the president of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers in the UK wanted to talk about deprivation in some areas, of Britain, she did not use words like "terrible" or "horrific", but rather described it as "life mirroring the times of Dickens"．
【小题1】What is the main idea of the article?
| A．Charles Dickens' impact on the world． |
| B．An introduction to Charles Dickens' classic novels． |
| C．Charles Dickens' amazing characters． |
| D．Why Charles Dickens is popular across the world． |
| A．Because he created the religious festival. |
| B．Because one of his novels helped to shape Christmas celebrations． |
| C．Because many of his novels have something to do with Christmas． |
| D．Because he was the first man to have proposed celebrating Christmas． |
| A．rules or procedures that are required to accomplish a task |
| B．a situation in which poor members of society are hurt |
| C．conflict between people in power and weaker people |
| D．pointlessly time-consuming official procedures |
| A．Dickens is still popular today in Britain． |
| B．everyone takes at least three days off at Christmas． |
| C．Dickens invented Christmas |
| D．Dickens gave the modern world six things． |
【小题1】A
【小题2】B
【小题3】D
【小题4】A
解析试题分析：文章介绍了狄更斯对现代社会的两个重要影响。
【小题1】主旨题：从第二段第二句：To mark this date, BBC writer Alex Hudson listed six things Dickens gave the modern world.为纪念这个日子，BBC作家亚历克斯·哈德逊列举了狄更斯带给现代世界的六件事，可知主要讲的是狄更斯对整个世界的影响，故选A。
【小题2】细节题：由第五段“he not only put forward the idea of snow at Christmas, but also painted a picture of glowing warmth – “home enjoyments, affections and hopes”.”他不仅提出了圣诞节雪的想法，还描绘出一幅温暖发光的图画“家庭中的生活、感情和希望”以及第六段“Dickens can be said to have almost single-handedly created the modern idea of Christmas.”狄更斯可以说一手创造了现代圣诞节。故选B。
【小题3】推断题：由倒数第二段“He helped popularize the term “red tape” to describe situations where people in power use needless amounts of bureaucracy (官僚作风) in a way that particularly hurts the weaker and poorer members of society.”可知red tape的意思是官方办事时的繁文缛节，故选D。
【小题4】推断题：由Two hundred years on, his stories still speak volumes across the world, proving that Dickens’ legacy（遗产） was far greater that just “great-literature”两百年过去了，他的故事仍在世界范围内意义深远，证明了狄更斯的遗产不仅仅只是伟大文学而已.故选A。
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
He’s not just a pretty face! Famous actor Josh Duhamel leads a group of youngsters in a two-mile charity beach run. He may be an attractive movie star, but there’s more to Josh Duhamel than a pretty face. The 40-year-old actor led a youth charity fun run for the third year running on Sunday, in aid of the Red Cross giving a hand to countries and places suffering natural disasters.
Josh sported the charity’s T-shirt and black baseball cap with black jogging bottoms as he joined a group of youngsters in the two-mile effort on Santa Monica Beach. Josh was clearly enjoying himself today, sprinting across the finish line raising both arms in a victory salute.
In March last year and January of 2010, Josh led thousands of runners and raised over $200,000 for both Japanese and Haitian earthquake relief efforts. And donations collected at this year’s Youth Run will go towards the American Red Cross PrepareSoCal campaign which helps Southern Californians get ready for disasters.
“I do the youth run because I feel that younger people may not be able to donate a lot of money but that doesn’t mean that they can’t contribute and make a difference,” Josh told the Red Cross website. “Bringing students of L. A. together for these events not only raises a lot of money, but also raises the spirits of those affected by any disaster and helps everyone young and old.”
Duhamel had won the title of Male Model of the Year in an International Modeling and Talent Association competition in 1997. Duhamel began his acting career as an extra in the music videos for Donna Summer’s song, “I Will Go With You” in 1998. Later that year, he won the role of Leo Pres on the ABC soap opera “All My Children”. He then began appearing in films, and his acting in the film “Transformers” as well as its sequels was so successful that he became a pop film star.
【小题1】Josh Duhamel led the beach run to help the Red Cross ________.
| A．raise money for places suffering from disasters |
| B．raise money for people suffering from diseases |
| C．find more young volunteers especially teenagers |
| D．build up a fame of having the spirit of entertainment |
| A．He felt it the best way to kill time especially on weekends. |
| B．He disliked it when there were reporters coming here. |
| C．He thought it a best chance to make himself famous. |
| D．He found it enjoyable and exciting to be a member. |
| A．Helping Japanese and Haitian defeat earthquakes. |
| B．Helping Southern Californians get ready for disasters. |
| C．Helping Northern Californians get ready for disasters. |
| D．Helping relieve Southern Californians defeat earthquakes. |
| A．The importance of the youth run started by the Red Cross. |
| B．The methods to join in the youth run led by Josh Duhamel. |
| C．The reason why Josh Duhamel leads the youth run. |
| D．The experiences and achievements of Josh Duhamel. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
A meteorite (陨石) flew fast across the sky and exploded over central Russia on Friday, raining fireballs over a vast area and causing a shock wave that smashed windows, damaged buildings and injured l,200 people.
People heading to work in Chelyabinsk heard what sounded like an explosion, saw a bright light and then felt the shock wave.
According to Russian space agency Roscosmos, the fireball, travelling at a speed of 30km per second, had burnt very brightly across the horizon, leaving a long white trail that could be seen as far as 200km away. Car alarms went off, thousands of windows shattered and mobile phone networks were disrupted.
“I was driving to work, it was quite dark, but it suddenly became as bright as if it were day,” said Viktor Prokofiev, 36, a resident of Yekaterinburg in the Urals Mountains. “I felt like I was blinded by headlights.”
The meteorite, which weighed about 20 tons and may have been made of iron, entered Earth’s atmosphere and broke apart 30-50km above ground, according to Russia’s Academy of Sciences.
The energy released when it entered the Earth’s atmosphere was about several thousand tons, the academy said, the power of a small atomic weapon exploding.
No deaths were reported, but the Emergencies Ministry said 20,000 rescue and clean-up workers were sent to the region after President Vladimir Putin told Emergencies Minister Vladimir Puchkov to ease the disruption and help the victims.
The Interior Ministry said about l,200 people had been injured, at least 200 of them children, and most from broken pieces of glass.“While events this big are rare, an impact that could cause damage and death could happen every century or so. Unfortunately there is absolutely nothing we can do to stop impacts.”
【小题1】When did the meteorite incident happen?
| A．At midnight. | B．In the early morning. |
| C．In the late morning. | D．In the evening. |
| A．some deaths | B．road accidents |
| C．communication problems | D．building collapse |
| A．a little slow but effective | B．quick and serious |
| C．cold and slow | D．quick but ineffective |
| A．is nearly unavoidable | B．happens every few years |
| C．can be avoided | D．is hard to estimate |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
In 2016, athletes from around the world will compete for gold medals in the Summer Olympics. Even though the games are three years away, Brazil’s residents already feel like winners.
The nation was named to host this important sporting event in October,2009. It will be the first Olympics held in South America.
The games will take place in Rio de Janeiro. The city beat out three other sites, Madrid, Tokyo and Chicago, to host the event. When the International Olympic Committee chose Rio de Janeiro, cheering people flooded the city’s streets. “This is huge for Rio and for the whole country,” says resident Sueli Ferreira.
The Olympics are expected to attract tens of thousands of people. Brazilian officials have already started to prepare for the crowds. “ We know what we need to do,” explains Brazil’s president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. “ The words from now on are work, work and work.”
Officials want to fix up local sports centers before Rio de Janeiro steps into the spotlight. They also want to reduce the amount of crime.
They hope hosting the games will improve life in Brazil. About 30 percent of people there live in poverty, or poor conditions. Tourism during the Olympics is expected to create more than 2 million jobs.
“ It’s going to be good for the economy, good for the people,” Ferreira says. “ This gives us hope that things will be better here.”
【小题1】According to the passage, the 2016 Olympics will be held in ______.
| A．Europe | B．Asia | C．North America | D．South America |
| A．proud | B．surprised | C．worried | D．nervous |
| A．crossed | B．filled | C．visited | D．cleaned |
| A．the government needs help from the Brazilian public |
| B．the government will begin to prepare for the Olympics soon |
| C．Brazilian officials will try hard to prepare for the Olympics |
| D．Brazilian official are now too busy to prepare for the Olympics |
| A．Brazilians’ life will be better because of the Olympics |
| B．not all Brazilians are interested in the Olympics |
| C．most Brazilians are now living in poor conditions |
| D．Brazilians worry about losing jobs during the Olympics |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
"This past year has been one of great celebration for many. The enthusiasm which greeted the Diamond Jubilee was, of course, especially memorable for me and my family.
It was humbling that so many chose to mark the anniversary of a duty which passed to me 60 years ago. People of all ages took the trouble to take part in various ways and in many nations. But perhaps most striking of all was to witness the strength of fellowship and friendship among those who had gathered together on these occasions.
On the barges and the bridges and the banks of the river there were people who had taken their places to cheer through the mist, undaunted by the rain. That day there was a tremendous sense of common determination to celebrate, triumphing(战胜) over the elements.
That same spirit was also in evidence from the moment the Olympic flame arrived on these shores. The flame itself drew hundreds and thousands of people on its journey around the British Isles, and was carried by every kind of deserving individual, many nominated for their own extraordinary service.
As London hosted a splendid summer of sport, all those who saw the achievement and courage at the Olympic and Paralympic Games were further inspired by the skill, dedication, training and teamwork of our athletes. In pursuing their own sporting goals, they gave the rest of us the opportunity to share something of the excitement and drama.
We were reminded, too, that the success of these great festivals depended to an enormous degree upon the dedication and effort of an army of volunteers. Those public-spirited people came forward in the great tradition of all those who devote themselves to keeping others safe, supported and comforted.
For many, Christmas is also a time for coming together. But for others, service will come first. Those serving in our armed forces, in our emergency services and in our hospitals, whose sense of duty takes them away from family and friends, will be missing those they love.
At Christmas I am always struck by how the spirit of togetherness lies also at the heart of the Christmas story. A young mother and a dutiful father with their baby were joined by poor shepherds and visitors from afar. They came with their gifts to worship(崇拜) the Christ child. From that day on he has inspired people to commit themselves to the best interests of others.
This is the time of year when we remember that God sent his only son 'to serve, not to be served'. He restored love and service to the centre of our lives in the person of Jesus Christ.
It is my prayer this Christmas Day that his example and teaching will continue to bring people together to give the best of themselves in the service of others.
I wish you all a very happy Christmas. "
【小题1】Who most probably is the maker of this speech?
| A．Queen of Great Britain. | B．King of Great Britain. |
| C．Prime Minister of Great Britain. | D．Mayor of London. |
| A．To make a summary of what has been done in the past years. |
| B．To offer congratulations on the arrival of Christmas. |
| C．To hold an anniversary celebration of an event. |
| D．To express respect for and loyalty to God. |
| A．Enthusiasm and Friendship. |
| B．Dedication and effort. |
| C．Sacrifice and service. |
| D．Civilization and peace. |
| A．The speaker was too busy to attend the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games. |
| B．Volunteers played a key role in the success of the Diamond Jubilee. |
| C．The speaker showed great respect for those still at work at Christmas. |
| D．The strength of the Christmas story lies in the worship of Jesus Christ. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
New rules will let millions of Americans know where more of their food comes from. The law is known as COOL -- Country of Origin Labeling(标签).
American congress first passed the law in 2002. Stores have had to label seafood by country of origin since 2005. But industry pressure delayed other requirements until last week.
Products that must now be labeled include fresh fruits and vegetables, muscle meats and some kinds of nuts. But the rules are complex, and many foods are not included. For example, organ meats are free to be labeled. So are processed foods, including cooked or smoked foods.
The same food may sometimes have to be labeled and other times not. Fresh or frozen peas, for example, have to be labeled but not canned peas. Foods that are mixed with other foods are also excluded. Mixed nuts, for example, do not need to be labeled. The same is true of a salad mix that contains different things like lettuce and carrots. Or a fruit cup that combines different fruits. Also, the law doesn’t include restaurants and other food service organizations. Department of Agriculture officials say the law is really meant for larger grocery stores.
The United States has imported more and more food in recent years to save money and expand choices. Country-of-origin labeling has become more common lately but has still been limited in many stores.
Food safety is one reason why some shoppers pay close attention to where foods came from. For example, when a large number of people recently got sick from salmonella(沙门菌病), officials blamed peppers from Mexico. Yet the last big food scare involved spinach grown in California. But labeling is also a way for people to know they are getting what they want. Some want to buy local foods or foods from a particular country.
The country-of-origin labeling law gives stores 30 days to correct any violations(违反) that are found. Stores and suppliers that are found to be deliberately violating the law could be fined 1,000 dollars per violation. Federal inspectors are not to take action to enforce the law for six months to give time for an education campaign.
Some food safety activists say they are generally pleased with the law. They call it a good step that will give people more useful information.
【小题1】Why has more and more food been imported to the United States in recent years?
| A．It is economical and provides people with more choices. |
| B．Foreign food is of higher quality than native food. |
| C．Americans need more and more food recently. |
| D．The United States is short of food supply. |
| A．they are curious about the origin of the food. |
| B．most of them are particular about the tastes |
| C．they are concerned about food safety |
| D．most of them are food safety activists |
| A．right now | B．in a month | C．in three months | D．in half a year |
| A．Store owners are most likely to be the supporters of the law. |
| B．The government of America will possibly forbid importing peppers from Mexico. |
| C．Federal inspectors couldn’t take measures to enforce the law. |
| D．Most Americans prefer imported vegetables to the vegetables grown in local places. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Ethiopia has greatly reduced its death rates for children under the age of five years during the last two decades, new UN statistics show. The report says Ethiopia has cut the number of child deaths, by two thirds or so, to 68 per 1,000 births compared to that in 1990.
The government owed the improved figures to its growing economy. Despite the reduction, the UN Children's Fund said Ethiopia needed to do much more to improve health facilities(设施) for pregnant women.
Ethiopia is one of Africa's poorest states, although it has experienced rapid economic growth in recent years and is one of the continent's leading coffee producers. Its economy centers around agriculture, which in turn relies on rainfall.
The BBC's Emmanuel Igunza in the capital, Addis Ababa, says Ethiopia was once representative of poor nutrition in Africa. But the latest UNICEF(联合国儿童基金会) figures show Ethiopia is one of the few African countries on the path to realizing the development goal of reducing child death rates, he says.
Ethiopia's Health Minister Kesetebirhan Admasu said increasing family incomes had helped improve people's health. "This has also resulted in better nutrition for children and women; this has translated into better medical conditions —— all these have a direct or indirect influence on the survival of children," he told BBC Africa. He said the government has also been "aggressively expanding its primary health care network".
"We have now 93% coverage( 覆盖) of one health centre for 25,000 people, which basically means one health facility within a 7km area," he said.
【小题1】How many in 1000 births would die in Ethiopia in 1990?
| A．about 680 | B．about 330 | C．about 68 | D．about 200 |
| A．Ethiopian children benefit from its fastest economy growing. |
| B．Ethiopia has a long way to go to improve health facilities. |
| C．Ethiopia is the economic center because of its rich rainfall. |
| D．Ethiopia has already become a rich state in Africa. |
| A．Many African countries have high child death rates now. |
| B．Ethiopia is the only country that has reduced child death rates. |
| C．Ethiopia is the most successful in reducing child death rates. |
| D．Ethiopia was once known for its poor nutrition in Africa. |
| A．agricultural incomes have helped improve all the people's health in Africa |
| B．now the health care network is perfect in Ethiopia |
| C．93% of the 25,000 people enjoy health centers in Ethiopia |
| D．the government has been taking active measures to improve people's health |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Most children, even the youngest of children, are delighted to be around cats and dogs. But these pets carry plenty of germs and allergens（过敏原）, prompting researchers to ask: Are cats and dogs really safe for children？
A study finds that, contrary to many parents’ fears, owning cats or dogs does not increase a child’s risk of developing allergies, and in fact, may actually protect them. The study’s lead author, Dr. Dennic Ownby of the Medical College of Georgia, says that even he was “very surprised” by the results. Ownby and colleagues followed more than 470 children from birth to age 6 or 7, comparing those exposed to cats and dogs during their first year of life to those who were not.
By using skin-prick(刺) tests for detecting common allergies, the researchers found that, contrary to what many doctors had been taught for years, children who had lived with a pet were not at greater risk.
Even more remarkable, children who had two or more dogs or cats had an even greater reduction, up to 77 percent, in risk of allergies. Researchers suggest this protective effect may be the result of early exposure to lots of bacteria that are carried by dogs and cats. Exposing young children to these bacteria helps" exercise" their immune systems early in life so that they're better able to resist allergic diseases later.
There's something very important in that first year of life when the immune system is developing that we can retrain it away from an allergic response, said Dr. William Davis.
And while researchers are not encouraging parents to buy dogs or cats just to reduce a child’s allergy risk, they say if a family already has one or more animals, there's no need to get rid of them.
【小题1】Why do the researchers feel “very surprised” by the results of the study?
| A．Because the results are contrary to their expectation． |
| B．Because so many children are playing with cats and dogs． |
| C．Because parents are so much worried about their children． |
| D．Because children with animals may develop allergies easily． |
| A．will lose the chance to develop immune system |
| B．may suffer allergic diseases more often |
| C．will reduce the harm from bacteria |
| D．can keep doctors away |
| A．pets are ill-treated by their owners |
| B．less families would like to own cats and dogs |
| C．keeping pets is a good way to keep children healthy |
| D．the results of the study can make families with pets feel at ease |
| A．the early life | B．an allergic disease |
| C．immune system | D．something important |
| A．How to protect your kids from allergies |
| B．Your pets may be helping your kids |
| C．Bacteria do good to your kids |
| D．Advantages of owning pets |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
HK's family affair
The 32nd Hong Kong Art Festival, to be held early next year, will be based on the theme of “family”.
The art festival, considered to be Asia's best, was launched in 1973.
“We hope that people from Beijing and from all over the world will go to Hong Kong to enjoy the multiple performances in our art festival,” Douglas Gautier, the festival's management director, told a press briefing in the capital.
In the 34 days of the festival, which runs from February 8 to March 7, 2004, the audience can choose from 111 performances of 51 programmes staged by 700 foreign performers, 450 local artists and 160 actors from the mainland.
Programmes vary from classical music, jazz, world music, Western and Peking opera, drama and dance to outdoor spectaculars.
The programmes include Beethoven’s only opera Fidelio, Shakespeare’s drama Romeo and Juliet, the ballet Mozartina and African dances, to name just a few.
The lineup (阵容) includes the English Touring Theatre, Prague Chamber Orchestra, Zurich Ballet, the Spanish National Dance Troupe, as well as Europe Galante, the Petersen Quartet, pianists Angela Hewitt, and arc-Andre Hamelin, and saxophonist Jan Garbarek.
In an effort to increase attention, hotels and airlines are offering discount packages along with art festival ticket sales.
For more information, please check www.hk.artsfestival.org.
【小题1】The press briefing must have been held ______.
| A．in Hong Kong | B．in Europe | C．in Beijing | D．in Zurich |
| A．more than the usual cost |
| B．less than the usual cost |
| C．for the air ticket but not for the festival ticket |
| D．for the ticket but not for hotel rooms |
| A．what programmes there will be |
| B．in which theatres there will be performances |
| C．who will perform |
| D．when the festival will be held |
| A．Literature Magazine | B．Textbook |
| C．Website www.hk.artsfestival.org. | D．Newspaper |
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