精英家教网 > 高中英语 > 题目详情
There are over one million superstitions(迷信), and most people believe at least one or two of them.
Many people are superstitious about numbers. They think that there are lucky numbers and unlucky numbers.
The number 13 is often considered unlucky. In some parts of the world, buildings have no 13th floor and streets have no houses with the number 13. In Japan, "4" is considered unlucky because in Japanese the word "four" is pronounced the same as the word "death" .
Japanese never give gifts of four knives, four napkins, or four of anything.
What are the lucky numbers? Seven is a lucky number in many places, and "8" is considered a lucky number in Japan and China. In China, businesses often open on August 8, and many couples register to get married at eight past eight on August 8.
Superstitions about numbers are so widespread that some people--called numerologist--make a living by giving advice about numbers.
In 1937, when the Toyoda family of Japan wanted to form a car company, they asked a numerologist if "Toyoda" would be a good name for the company. The numerologist said it would not be. He explained that "Toyota" would be a better name for the company. The family took his advice. As a result, millions of people drive "Toyota" and not "Toyoda" .
There are many other kinds of superstitions. There are superstitions about eating, sleeping, sneezing and itching(抓痒). There are superstitions about animals and holidays and horseshoes.
There are even superstitions about superstitions. Those superstitions will tell people how to reverse bad luck.
When the Japanese bump heads, they immediately bump heads again. According to a Japanese superstition, the first-bump means their parents will die, but the second bump "erases" the first bump         
To reverse bad luck in general, people turn around three times, turn their pockets inside out, or put their hats on backwards.
In the United States, baseball players sometimes wear their caps backwards when their team is losing. It looks silly, but the baseball players do not mind if it helps them win the game.   
小题1:It can be inferred that superstitions about numbers are           .
A.popular neither in Japan nor in China
B.popular only in Japan and in China
C.popular both in Japan and in China
D.causing great troubles both in Japan and in China
小题2:The underlined word " reverse " means           .
A.change to bad luckB.cause to go in the opposite direction
C.change for the worseD.exchange
小题3:If a Japanese purposely bumps his head again after an accidental bump, we can be sure that     .  
A.he is madB.he is happyC.he is superstitiousD.he is very sad
小题4:The writer wrote this passage with the purpose of           .
A.persuading us to believe superstitions
B.showing us some facts of superstitions
C.showing us the magic power of number
D.showing us a numerologist

小题1:C
小题1:B
小题1:C
小题1:B    

小题1:根据短文描述可知在日本和中国都有数字迷信,故选C。
小题1:根据下文bad luck不好的运气,可知选B,这些迷信会告诉人们如何转变霉运。
小题1:根据When the Japanese bump heads, they immediately bump heads again. 及下文描述可知选C。
小题1:根据There are over one million superstitions(迷信), and most people believe at least one or two of them.及本文描述可知本文主要告诉我们一些关于迷信的事情。故选B。
练习册系列答案
相关习题

科目:高中英语 来源:不详 题型:阅读理解

I travel a lot, and I find out different "styles" (风格) of directions every time 1 ask "How can I get to the post office?"
Foreign tourists are often confused (困惑) in Japan because most streets there don’t have names in Japan, people use landmarks (地标) in their directions instead of street names. For example, the Japanese will say to travelers, "Go straight down to the corner. Turn left at the big hotel and go past a fruit market. The post office is across from the bus stop."
In the countryside of the American Midwest, there are not usually many landmarks. There are no mountains, so the land is very flat; in many places there are no towns or buildings within miles. Instead of landmarks, people will tell you directions and distances. In Kansas or Iowa, for example, people will say, "Go north two miles. Turn east, and then go another mile."
People in Los Angeles, California, have no idea of distance on the map; they measure distance in time, not miles. "How far away is the post office?" you ask. "Oh," they answer, "it’s about five minutes from here." You say, "Yes, but how many miles away is it?" They don’t know.
It’s true that a person doesn’t know the answer to your question sometimes. What happens in such a situation? A New Yorker might say, ’Sorry, I have no idea." But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers "I don’t know." People in Yucatan believe that "I don’t know" is impolite. They usually give an answer, often a wrong one. A tourist can get very, very lost in Yucatan!
小题1: When a tourist asks the Japanese the way to a certain place they usually _________
A.describe the place carefullyB.show him a map of the place
C.tell him the names of the streetsD.refer to recognizable buildings and places
小题2:What is the place where people measure distance in time?
A.New York.B.Los Angeles.C.Kansas.D.Iowa
小题3:People in Yucatan may give a tourist a wrong answer ________
A.in order to save timeB.as a testC.so as to be politeD.for fun
小题4: Which sentence is true according to the text?
A.There is no street names in Japan.
B.There is no landmarks in the countryside of American.
C.People in Yucatan always give wrong answers when asked the way.
D.People in Los Angeles measure distance in time, not miles when asked the way.
小题5: What can we infer from the text?
A.It’s important for travelers to understand cultural differences.
B.It’s useful for travelers to know how to ask the way properly.
C.People have similar understandings of politeness.
D.New Yorkers are generally friendly to visitors.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英语 来源:不详 题型:阅读理解

Sports account for a growing amount of income made on the sales of commercial time by television companies.  Many television companies have used sports to attract viewers from particular sections of the general public, and then they have sold audiences to advertisers.
An attraction of sport programs for the major U. S.  media companies is that events are often held on Saturday and Sunday afternoons—the slowest time periods of the week for general television viewing.  Sport events are the most popular weekend programs, especially among male viewers who may not watch much television at other times during the week. This means the television networks are able to sell advertising time at relatively high prices during what normally would be dead time for programming.
Media corporations also use sports to attract commercial sponsors that might take their advertising dollars elsewhere if television stations did not report certain sports.  The people in the advertising departments of major corporations realize that sports attract made viewers. They also realize that most business travelers are men and that many men make family decisions on the purchases of computers, cars and life insurance.
Golf and tennis are special cases for television programming. These sports attract few viewers, and the ratings(收视率)are unusually low. However, the audience for these sports is attractive to certain advertisers. It is made up of people from the highest income groups in the United States, to certain advertisers. It is made up of people from the highest income groups in the United States, including many lawyers and business managers. This is why television reporting of golf and tennis is sponsored by companies selling high-priced cars, business and personal computer, and holiday trips. This is also why the networks continue to carry these programs regardless of low ratings.  Advertisers are willing to pay high fees to reach high-income consumers and those managers who make decisions to buy thousands of “company cars” and computer, with such viewers, these programs don’t need high ratings to stay on the air.
小题1:Television sport programs on weekend afternoons         .
A.result in more sport event
B.get more viewers to play sports
C.make more people interested in television
D.bring more money to the television networks
小题2:Why would weekend afternoons become dead time without sport programs?
A.Because there would be few viewers
B.Because the advertisers would be off work
C.Because television programs would go slowly
D.Because viewers would pay less for watching television
小题3:In many families, men make decision on          .
A.holidayB.sports viewingC.television shoppingD.expensive purchases
小题4:The ratings are not important for golf and tennis programs because         .
A.their advertisers are carmakers
B.their viewers are attracted by sports
C.their advertisers target at rich people
D.their viewers can afford expensive cars
小题5:What is the passage mainly about?
A.Television viewers are determined by male viewers
B.Rich viewers contribute most to television companies
C.Sports are gaining importance in advertising on television
D.Commercial advertisers are the major sponsors of sport event

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英语 来源:不详 题型:阅读理解


Popular music in America is what every student likes. Students carry small radios with earphones and listen to music before class, after class, and at lunch. Students with cars buy large speakers and play the music loudly as they drive on the street.
Adult drivers listen to music on the car radio as they drive to work. They also listen to the news about sports, the weather, and the life of American people. Most of the radio programmes are music.
Pop or popular music singers make much money. They make a CD or tape which radio stations use in many places. Once the popular singer is heard all over the country, young people buy his or her tape. Some of the money from these tapes goes to the singer. Wherever the singer goes, all the young people want to meet him or her.   Now the singer has become a national star.
There are other kinds of music that are important to Americans. One is called folk (民间) music. It tells stories about the common life of Americans. Another is called western or country music. This was started by cowboys (牛仔) who would sing at night to the cows they were watching. Today, any music about country life and the love between a country boy and his girl is called western or country music.
小题1:Which of the following is talked in this passages?
A.pop music, folk music
B.popular, folk and country music
C.pop music and western music
D.folk, pop and classical music
小题2:When pop singers _________ , they will become national stars.
A.make much money
B.make a CD or tape
C.are loved by all the young people
D.are wanted to sing on the radio
小题3:From the passage we know that country music is about the ________.
A.common life of Americans
B.country life and love stories
C.life of cowboys
D.school life in America
小题4:What would be the best title (标题) for this passage?
A.American Music  B.Popular Music
C.History of Music  D.Western Music

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英语 来源:不详 题型:阅读理解

There is a story about the moon cake.During the Yuan dynasty, China was ruled by the Mongolian people. Leaders from the preceding Song dynasty were unhappy about being ruled by foreigners, so they began to organize a secret rebellion. The leaders of the rebellion, knowing that the Moon Festival was drawing near, ordered the making of special cakes. Baked into each cake was a message containing the outline of the attack. On the night of the Moon Festival, the rebels successfully attacked and overthrew the government. Today, these cakes are eaten to commemorate(纪念)this legend and are called Moon Cakes.
For generations, moon cakes have been made with sweet fillings of nuts, mashed red beans, lotus-seed paste or Chinese dates, wrapped in pastry. Sometimes a cooked egg yolk can be found in the middle of this rich tasting dessert. Some people have compared moon cakes to the plum puddings and fruit cakes which are served in the English holiday seasons.
Nowadays, there are hundreds of varieties of moon cakes on sale a month before the arrival of the Moon Festival.
小题1:According to this passage, people eat moon cakes on the Moon Festival because___________ .
A.it is a tradition
B.moon cakes are tasty
C.moon cakes look like the moon
D.people want to remember the rebellion against the Mongolian rulers
小题2:The leaders ordered the special cakes to be made in order to _________________
A.prize the rebels B.celebrate the holiday
C.plan the attack D.carry the message secretly
小题3:Why did those leaders want to overthrow the government? __________________ .
A.Because they wanted to rule the country.
B.Because they were unhappy that China was ruled by the Mongolian.
C.Because they were from the preceding Song dynasty.
D.Because they wanted to celebrate the Moon Festival in their way.
小题4:Which of the following statements is WRONG? __________________ .
A.China was once ruled by the Mongolian people during the Yuan dynasty.
B.Moon cakes were originally made to carry a message.
C.All moon cakes have a cooked egg yolk in them.
D.A variety of moon cakes can be bought a month before the Moon Festival now.
小题5:The best title for the passage is “_______”.
A.The origin of moon cakesB.Moon cakes and the Moon Festival
C.Moon FestivalD.How the Moon Festival came into being

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英语 来源:不详 题型:阅读理解

There are 70,000 pubs in England and Wales have several thousand more in Scotland.
Every country has its drinking shop, but none has an institution quite like the British pub. The most important feature of a good pub (which modern buildings hardly ever achieve) is a feeling of something private. It must have nooks and crannies, corners and snugs, where conversations and assignations can take place without the whole world listening in.
Most pubs have at least two separate bars. The “public bar” which is for ordinary and women is the basic drinking shop. The “lounge bar” (or saloon bar) which is for traveling salesmen and “ladies” probably has a carpet on the floor and rather more comfortable decoration. There may be a difference of a few pence in the drink prices, although all pubs are required by law to put their price lists easily seen on display.
Pubs have been changing over the past few decades. More and more of them sell good, inexpensive food and are competing strongly with restaurants. Tea and coffee are often on offer and children are being made more welcome. The law says that no one under 14 may enter a pub, and between 14 and 18 they must be accompanied by an adult and may not buy or consume alcoholic drink. In reality some pubs, especially in country districts, welcome whole families. Some set aside special rooms for children and where there are gardens they are almost always welcome.
The most basic change, however, came about in the 1938 licensing laws which allowed pubs in England and Wales to open not just at lunch time and in the evening, but all day, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. (Scottish laws already permitted all day opening.)
小题1: Which of the following can be the best title?
A.Pubs’ historyB.Pubs in Britain
C.Changes of pubsD.Features of a good pub
小题2: According to the British people, what kind of pub is a good one?
A.The one with all day opening time.
B.The one with good and inexpensive food.
C.The one with all kinds of people enjoying themselves.
D.The one with different parts where people can have a private conversation.
小题3:In paragraph 4, we can learn that                        .
A.pubs allow people above 14 to enter alone
B.pubs never allow people under 18 to enter
C.pubs don’t sell more expensive food than restaurants
D.pubs often sell alcoholic drinks as well as tea and coffee
小题4:According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
A.The law requires all the pubs have slightly different prices of drinks.
B.Ordinary people and women are often having fun in the “public pub”.
C.In some country pubs, children accompanied by their parents are always welcome.
D.Scottish laws allow pubs to open not just at lunch time and in the evening, but all day.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英语 来源:不详 题型:阅读理解

There are many theories about the beginning of drama in ancient Greece. The one most widely accepted today is based on the assumption that drama evolved (演化) from ceremony. The argument for this view goes as follows.
In the beginning, human beings viewed the natural forces of the world --- even the seasonal changes --- as unpredictable, and they sought through various means to control these unknown and feared powers. Those measures which appeared to bring the desired results were then kept and repeated until they hardened into fixed ceremonies. Eventually stories arose which explained the mysteries of the ceremonies. As time passed some ceremonies were abandoned, but the stories, later called myths, remained and provided material for art and drama.
Those who believe that drama evolved out of ceremony also argue that those ceremonies contained the seed of theater because music, dance, masks, and costumes were almost always used. Furthermore, a suitable site had to be provided for performances and when the entire community did not participate, a clear division was usually made between the "acting area" and the "auditorium ". In addition, there were performers, and, since considerable importance was attached to avoiding mistakes in the performing of ceremonies, religious leaders usually took that task. Wearing masks and costumes, they often acted other people, animals, or supernatural beings, and imitated the desired effect --- success in hunt or battle, the coming rain, etc. as an actor might. Eventually such dramatic representations were separated from religious activities.
Another theory traces(追溯) the theater's origin from the human interest in storytelling. According to this view, tales (about the hunt, war, etc) are gradually developed, at first through the use of action and dialogue, and then through the assumption of each of the roles by a different person. A closely related theory traces theater to those dances that are primarily rhythmical and gymnastic or that are imitations of animal movements and sounds.
小题1:Which is the best title of the passage?
A.Religious activities in ancient Greece.
B.The ceremonies in ancient Greece.
C.Drama theories.
D.The origin of Greek Drama.
小题2:According to the passage, drama_______________.
A.was played in memory of ancient Greek ceremonies
B.was a form of ceremony played by ancient Greeks to control unknown powers
C.evolved out of ancient Greek ceremonies with time passing by
D.is one of the measures Ancient Greeks took to view natural forces
小题3:In tracing the beginning of drama, which of the following is not mentioned?
A.Planting.B.Religious ceremonies.C.Gymnastic.D.Storytelling.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英语 来源:不详 题型:阅读理解

For a 400-year-old art form, opera had a bad fame: overweight actresses singing the words which were hard to understand in one of those romance languages you were supposed to learn in high school. And with tickets costing as much as $145 a performance, opera goers also had a certain appearance in people's mind: rich, well-dressed and old.
But now opera companies around the country are loosening their ties and kicking off their shoes in an attempt to keep opera alive and take it to a younger and not so wealthy audience.
Opera producers have found that to attract this crowd, they need to make the opera closer to common people. Because young people don't or won't come to the opera, companies are bringing the opera to them, giving performances in such unusual places as parks, libraries and public schools.
The Houston Grand Opera's choice is the public library, where it performs “mobile operas” shortened versions(剧本) of child-friendly operas. This summer's production is Hansel & Gretel. By performing smaller versions of large productions, producers are able to make people interested while keeping costs at a reasonable level. The San Francisco Opera, which will be celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, is staging Cinderella free of charge, keeping costs down by employing students from its Young Artists' Training Program.
小题1: Which is the main idea of this passage?
A. Opera is famous for its long history.
B. Opera is only performed for rich people.
C. Opera companies are trying to keep opera alive.
D. Young people are not interested in opera.
小题2:The underlined phrase in the second paragraph means ______.
A. breaking up the old rulesB. changing the dresses
C. making the audience at easeD.advertising themselves
小题3:Opera companies prefer to perform short versions because ______ .
A. they can be performed in public libraries
B. short versions are easy to perform
C. it is hard to find long versions
D. they can make more people come to opera
小题4:The San Francisco Opera employs students in order to ______.
A. celebrate its 75th anniversaryB. reduce the cost
C. attract young peopleD. make Cinderella popular

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英语 来源:不详 题型:阅读理解

Though war is something people hate, Director Feng Xiaoning often exposes his audience to it.
“If we don’t impress the audience, who are without the painful experience of war, with the cruel injury to life and human nature war causes, how can we bring them a love of peace and objection to war?” asked the director with a glance in his eyes.
After Red River Valley and Lover’s Grief over the Yellow River, both of which star Chinese model and actress Ning Jing, Feng drew a satisfactory full stop to his war trilogy (三部曲) last month with Purple Sunset.
The film tells a story which took place in 1945, at the very moment when World War II was drawing to an end. A Chinese peasant and a Soviet woman soldier flee into a forest, where they seize a Japanese girl. They follow the girl in the hope that she will take them out of the forest, but instead they arrive in a Japanese base. Humanity (人道主义) prevents them from killing the young, innocent (无辜的) victim of Japanese militarism. This humanity, the longing for peace and eagerness to survive, make the three unite.
“If people are touched by justice, tolerance and unselfishness, I think I have achieved my goal,” Feng said. Feng admits that there are violent and bloody scenes in the film, such as tanks fighting and Japanese burning Chinese people alive, to show the cruelty of the war. But that’s never his personal preference, he says.
“Everyone who has watched my films can tell how much I hate war,” he said. “I wrote all the things for my war films by myself. Whenever I finished one, I felt as though I had suffered great pain.”
Feng regards every one of his productions as an opportunity to learn about human nature and humanity. In spite of violent scenes which frighten and sicken the audience, a balance is sought with beautiful scenery. Just like the snowy mountains in Red River Valley and the grand plateau (高原) in Lover’s Grief over the Yellow River, a beautiful vast grassland appears in this film. “I used to study art, and I appreciate beautiful things,” Feng said. “I believe that films should offer the audience a chance to enjoy beauty.”
小题1:Director Feng Xiaoning shot war film because _____.
A.he was deeply interested in such a topic
B.he wanted to give the audience the painful experience of war
C.he hoped to arouse people’s love of peace and objection to war
D.he dreamed of becoming a world-famous director
小题2:All of the following belong to Feng’s war trilogy except _____.
A.Red River ValleyB.Lover’s Grief over the Yellow River
C.Purple SunsetD.In the Mood for Love
小题3:A Chinese peasant and a Soviet woman solider seized a Japanese girl so that _____.
A.they could find the Japanese base easily
B.she could take them out of the forest
C.they could kill her for revenge
D.it would cause the Japanese militarism to give in
小题4:Scenes of Japanese burning Chinese people alive in the film are to ______.
A.show that war is cruel
B.attract people’s interest
C.show Feng’s personal preference in dealing with details
D.make the film moving and interesting

查看答案和解析>>

同步练习册答案