Harry Houdini was one of the greatest American entertainers in the theater this century. He was a man famous for his escapes from prison cells, from wooden boxes floating in rivers, from locked tanks full of water. He appeared in theaters all over Europe and America. Crowds came to see the great Houdini and his “magic” tricks.
Of course, his secret was not magic or supernatural power. It was simply strength. He had the ability to move his toes as well as he moved his fingers. He could move his body into almost any position he wanted.
Houdini started working in the entertainment world when he was 17, in 1891. He and his brother Theo performed card tricks in clubs in New York. They called themselves the Houdini Brothers. When Harry married in 1894, he and his wife Bess worked together as magician and assistant. But for a long time they were not very successful. Then Harry performed his first prison escape in Chicago in 1898. Harry persuaded a detective to let him try to escape from the prison, and he invited the local newspapermen to watch.
It was the publicity (宣传) that came from this that started Harry Houdini’s success. Harry had fingers trained to escape from handcuffs and toes trained to escape from ankle chains. But his biggest secret was how he unlocked the prison doors. Every time he went into the prison cell, Bess gave him a kiss for good luck and a small skeleton key, which is a key that fits many locks. She passed it quickly from her mouth to his.
Harry used these prison escapes to build his fame. He arranged to escape from the local prison of every town he visited. In the afternoon, the people of the town would read about it in their local newspapers, and in the evening every seat in the local theater would be full. What was the result? Worldwide fame and a name remembered today.
【小题1】According to the passage, Houdini’s success in prison escapes depends on ______.
| A．his special tricks and supernatural powers |
| B．his unusual ability and skeleton key |
| C．his magic tricks and supernatural powers |
| D．his wisdom and magic tricks |
| A．in 1894 | B．before he married |
| C．at the age of 17 | D．when he was 24 |
| A．Houdini was a famous American magician. |
| B．Houdini was first recognized in Chicago. |
| C．Houdini first entered the entertainment world together with his wife. |
| D．Houdini was popular with people from Europe and America. |
| A．A Skeleton Key | B．A Secret Prisoner |
| C．Worldwide Fame | D．Great Escapes |
【小题1】B
【小题2】D
【小题3】C
【小题4】D
解析试题分析：文章介绍了一代魔术大师哈里·胡迪尼。他起初在娱乐界打拼，但是碌碌无为，后来在1898年他成功表演了监狱逃脱后，媒体的大肆宣传开启了他事业成功的大门。为他赢得了“脱逃大师”称号的是他特殊的身体技能和一把万能钥匙。
【小题1】B细节理解题。根据文章第二段和文章倒数第二段Bess gave him a kiss for good luck and a small skeleton key, which is a key that fits many locks.可知他脚趾和手指一样灵活，而且身体也可以弄成随意的姿势。就是因为他有着不同于常人的技能，再加上一把万能钥匙，他才可以每次都能成功越狱。故答案选B。
【小题2】D根据文章第三段Then Harry performed his first prison escape in Chicago in 1898. 和第四段It was the publicity that came from this that started Harry Houdini’s success.可知他是1898年第一次成功越狱后成名，再由第三段第一句话when he was 17, in 1891.可知1898年他开始成名时是24岁，故答案选D。
【小题3】C根据文章第三段前两句话Houdini started working in the entertainment world when he was 17, in 1891. He and his brother T…..可知胡迪尼进入娱乐界是在他17岁时，和他哥哥一起，所以C选项内容错误。
【小题4】D文章讲述了胡迪尼靠成功越狱获得了声誉，以此走上了成功的道路，而且在文中作者也详细叙述了他之所以能够成功越狱的技能和秘密，由此推断D选项标题更能反映文章中心，故答案选D。
考点：考查人物类短文阅读。
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小学生10分钟应用题系列答案科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Once a great boxer （拳击家）, Tom Brown, went to a restaurant（饭馆）for dinner. He put his bag near the door, but he was afraid that someone would take it. So he got out a pen and a piece of paper and wrote on it: “The great boxer, Tom Brown, left his bag here. He’ll come back in a few minutes. ” He put the paper on his bag and went to have his dinner. When he came back, his bag wasn’t there. But he found a piece of paper on the ground. It said: “A great runner took away your bag, and he will not come back. ”
【小题1】Tom Brown went to the restaurant ________.
| A．for his bag | B．to see the runner |
| C．to have his meal | D．for his pen |
| A．to put down his bag near the door |
| B．he couldn’t find his pen |
| C．thieves would take his bag away |
| D．he couldn’t get enough food himself from the restaurant |
| A．thought the thief would not steal （偷） his bag when he read the words |
| B．was a boxer |
| C．wanted to catch the thief |
| D．wanted to get to know the runner |
| A．found another piece of paper on the ground |
| B．found his bag wasn’t there |
| C．both A and B |
| D．saw the runner running after him |
| A．Mr Brown was foolish． |
| B．The runner was a thief. |
| C．The runner made a joke on Mr Brown. |
| D．The boxer didn’t know the runner at all. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Each time I see a balloon, my mind flies back to a memory of when I was a six-year-old girl. It was a rainy Sunday and my father had recently died. I asked my mom if Dad had gone to heaven. “Yes, honey. Of course.” she said.
“Can we write him a letter?”
She paused, the longest pause of my short life, and answered, “Yes.”
My heart jumped. “How? Does the mailman go there?” I asked.
“No, but I have an idea.” Mom drove to a party store and returned with a red balloon. I asked her what it was for.
“Just wait, honey. You’ll see.” Mom told me to write my letter. Eagerly, I got my favorite pen, and poured out my six-year-old heart in the form of blue ink. I wrote about my day, what I learned at school, how Mom was doing, and even about what happened in a story I had read. For a few minutes it was as if Dad were still alive. I gave the letter to Mom. She read it over, and a smile crossed her face.
She made a hole in the corner of the letter where she looped (缠绕) the balloon string. We went outside and she gave me the balloon. It was still raining.
“Okay, on the count of three, let go. One, two, three.”
The balloon, carrying my letter, darted upward against the rain. We watched until it was swallowed by the mass of clouds.
Later I realized, like the balloon, that Dad had never let his sickness get him down. He was strong. No matter what he suffered, he’d persevere, dart up, and finally transcend this cold world and his sick body. He rose into sky and became something beautiful. I watched until the balloon disappeared into the gray and white and I prayed that his strength was hereditary. I prayed to be a balloon.
【小题1】What does the underlined sentence imply?
| A．When the girl asked if they could write to her father, her mother felt it hard to answer. |
| B．When the girl asked if they could write to her father, her mother thought her a creative girl. |
| C．When the girl asked if they could write to her father, her mother believed it easy to do so. |
| D．When the girl asked if they could write to her father, her mother found it easy to lie. |
| A．jumped with surprise | B．became excited |
| C．didn’t know how to write | D．was worried that it couldn’t be delivered |
| A．An incurable disease. | B．An unforgettable memory. |
| C．The hard time her father had. | D．The failures her father experienced. |
| A．An unforgettable experience. | B．The strong red balloon. |
| C．Fly to paradise. | D．A great father. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
I never got along with Dad. But when he was dying. I set off for Nebraska to be with him and my family. I stopped for the night at a hotel with a pool, hoping it would relax me.
The pool area was empty as I walked into the still water. A man in a bathing suit appeared. He sat on the edge of the pool with his legs moving up and down in the water. He had dark hair and deep brown eyes and smiled. “Where are you going?” he asked. When I told him about my father, he asked how we got along. I tried to change the subject, but then for some reason, I told him everything.
Finally the man said, “Even with all the trouble, remember, your father still loves you.” All at once, warm and clear childhood memories came flooding back: Dad running alongside my wobbling（摇摆的）bicycle, the proud hug he gave me at my high school graduation, his laugh when I caught him off guard with a tickle（挠痒）. “Yes, I know he does, ” I heard myself say. And for the first time in years I believed it. The man left, leaving me alone with my comforting thoughts.
Back in my room, as I went to bed, I decided it was time to forgive my father. Then I wished he’d forgive me too. The phone bell woke me up at 3 am. My sister’s voice sent a shiver（寒战）through me: Dad had just died. I had wanted to see him and make peace. But as sadness was beginning to surround me, I remembered that the man by the pool had already brought Dad and me together.
【小题1】 From the passage we learn that the author _________
| A．didn’t know his father was seriously ill |
| B．always thought highly of his father |
| C．lived in Nebraska far away from his family |
| D．was going to see his father |
| A．many other people were there too |
| B．he talked a lot with the man by the pool |
| C．he greeted the may by the pool first |
| D．the man by the pool told him everything about his family |
| A．That he was reminded that his father actually loved him |
| B．That the man by the pool mentioned his interesting childhood |
| C．That he remembered his father had taught him to ride a bike |
| D．That he knew his father would leave him forever |
| A．hadn’t accepted the kind stranger’s advice |
| B．had no chance to make peace with his father |
| C．hadn’t obeyed his father when he was young |
| D．hadn’t stayed with his father before |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the guest room. Instead the angels were given a space in the cold basement. As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it. When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied: Things aren’t always what they seem.
The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable(好客的)farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had，the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night’s rest. When the sun came up the next morning，the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their only income, lay dead in the field.
The younger angel was very angry and asked the older angel, “How could this happen?” “Why did you not watch out for the cow? The first man had everything, yet you watched over his house,” she accused. “The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you did not help.”
“Things aren’t always what they seem,” the older angel replied. “When we stayed in the basement，I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so greedy and unwilling to share his good fortune，I asked God if I could seal(封口) the wall so he wouldn’t find it. Then last night as we slept in the farmer’s bed，the angel of death(死神) came for his wife. I asked God if the angel could take the cow instead. Things aren’t always what they seem.”
【小题1】The underlined part “the pair” in the second paragraph two refers to .
| A．the poor couple | B．the rich couple | C．the angels | D．the guests |
| A．the older angel killed the farmer’s cow |
| B．the older angel treated the two families unfairly |
| C．the wealthy man gave them a bad place to live |
| D．the angel of death took the cow away |
| A．Because God wanted the older angel to take the cow. |
| B．Because she wanted to teach the younger angel a lesson. |
| C．Because she was sympathetic to the rich. |
| D．Because she wanted to save the farmer’s wife. |
| A．sometimes things are not what they seem |
| B．angels are always ready to help the poor |
| C．angels are always ready to help the rich |
| D．the young should always learn from the old |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
A man was selling medicine at a fair（集市）．At first he sold bottles of a cure（药剂）for colds（感冒）for just a dollar a bottle．
Many people wanted to buy it and the man's young assistant moved quickly through the crowd collecting money and handing out bottles of the cure．
Then，when he had a big crowd， the man held up a very small bottle．
“And now，ladies and gentlemen，he shouted，“Here is the medicine you have been waiting for．The cure for old age．Drink just one bottle of this and you will live forever．
“And，ladies and gentlemen，the man continued，“I'm not going to charge（向……要价……）you a hundred dollars a bottle for this wonderful medicine．I'm not going to charge you fifty dollars a bottle．I'm not going to charge you twenty-five dollars a bottle．Now，ladies and gentlemen，I'm going to charge you just ten dollars a bottle． Think，my friends，for ten dollars you can live forever．
Most of the people in the crowd did not believe this．
One person shouted，“If it can make you live forever，why don't you drink it？Then another person cried，“Yes， you look as if you're at least sixty years old．
“Thank you，sir，thank you，the man answered，“I'm so glad you said that． My real age is three hundred and twenty-nine．
The crowd laughed at this but there were still some people who wanted to believe the man ．One of them spoke to the man's assistant as she passed by，“Is that true？he asked．“Is he three hundred and twenty-nine？
“Don't ask me，the assistant said，“I've only worked for him for a hundred and fifty years．
【小题1】What did the man sell at first at the fair？
| A．bottles |
| B．a cure for colds |
| C．a cure for old age |
| D．a medicine that made people live forever |
| A．one dollar a bottle | B．twenty-five dollars a bottle |
| C．fifty dollars a bottle | D．ten dollars a bottle |
| A．仆人 | B．朋友 | C．助手 | D．同伴 |
| A．The man is not honest，and so is his assistant |
| B．The cure for old age is very useful and not so expensive． ． |
| C．The cheaper the medicine is，the more people will buy． |
| D．The two men are very honest，and they would like to help people live forever． |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Audrey Hepburn（奥黛丽·赫本）won an Academy Award as Best Actress for her first major American movie, Roman Holiday, which was released in 1953,But she is remembered as much for her aid work as for her acting.
Born in Belgium in 1929, Audrey’s father was British and her mother was Dutch. Audrey was sent to live at a British school for part of her childhood . During World war Ⅱ , she lived and studied in the Netherlands .Her mother thought it would be safe from German attacks . Audrey studied dance as a teenager and during college. But when she returned to London after the war she realized she wasn’t going to be a ballerina（芭蕾舞女演员）. So she began taking acting parts in stage shows. Later she began to get small parts in movies.
But it was Audrey Hepburn’s move to America that brought her true fame .In 1951 she played the character“Gigi”in the Broadway play of the same name to great critical praise. Two years later, Roman Holiday made her a star at the age of 24.
Audrey make more than 25 movies. Among her most popular roles was Hoolly Golinghtly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s in 1961. There years later she played Eliza Doolittle in my Fair Lady.
She was married two times and had one by each husband. In 1989,the UN Children’s Fund named Audrey a goodwill ambassador. She travelled all over the world in support of UNICEF(联合国儿童基金会) projects .The UN agency said she was a tireless worker. She often gave 15 interviews a day to gain money and support for UNICEF projects.
Audrey Hepburn often said her loyalty to UNICEF was the result of her experiences as a child during World War II. She said she knew what it was like to be starving and to be saved by international aid . She was a goodwill ambassador until her death in 1993 from colon cancer.
【小题1】In Paragraph 1,“her aid work”means .
| A．winning an Academy Award as Best Actress |
| B．taking acting parts in stage shows |
| C．making her own movies |
| D．acting as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF |
| A．she wanted to be a ballerina | B．her parents were from Britain |
| C．it was safe there | D．the education there was excellent |
| A．Audrey’s parents lived in Germany during World War II |
| B．Audrey lived in America in the 1950s |
| C．Audrey was made to give up dancing |
| D．the character“Gigi”in the Broadway play was her most popular role |
| A．Marriage | B．Identity | C．Contribution | D．Religion |
| A．②①③⑤④ | B．①②③⑤④ | C．②①⑤③④ | D．①②⑤③④ |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
My grandson, Daniel, and I have always been very close. When Daniel’s father remarried after a divorce, Daniel, who was eleven, and his little sister, Kristie, came to live with us. My husband and I were more than happy to have kids in the house again.
Things were going along just fine until the diabetes (糖尿病) I’ve lived with most of my adult life started affecting my eyes, and then more seriously, my kidneys (肾). Then everything seemed to fall apart.
Three times a week, I had to go to the hospital to be hooked up to a dialysis machine (透析机). I was living, but I couldn’t really call it a life — it was an existence. I had no energy. I dragged myself through daily chores and slept as much as I could. My sense of humor seemed to disappear.
Daniel, seventeen by then, was really affected by the change in me. He tried as hard as he could to make me laugh, to bring back the grandma who loved to clown around (开玩笑) with him. Even in my sorry state, Daniel could still bring a smile to my face.
But things were not improving. After a year on dialysis, my condition was deteriorating (恶化) and the doctors felt that if I didn’t receive a kidney transplant within six months, I would surely die. No one told Daniel this, but he knew — he said all he had to do was look after me. To top it off, as my condition worsened, there was a chance that I would become too weak to have the transplant surgery at all, and then there would be nothing they could do for me. So we started the tense and desperate wait for a kidney.
I was adamant (坚决的) that I didn’t want a kidney from anyone I knew. I would wait until an appropriate kidney became available, or I would literally die waiting. But Daniel had other plans. The time that he took me to my dialysis appointments, he did a little secret research on his own. Then he announced his intention to me.
“Grandma, I’m giving you one of my kidneys. I’m young and I’m healthy …” He paused. He could see I wasn’t at all happy with his offer. He continued, almost in whisper, “And most of all, I couldn’t stand it if you weren’t around.” His face wore an expression of appeal mixed with determination. He can be as stubborn as a mule (驴) once he decides on something — but I’ve been told many times that I can out-stubborn any mule!
We argued. I couldn’t let him do it. We both knew that if he gave up his kidney, he would also give up his life’s dream; to play football. It was all he ever talked about. And he was good, too. Daniel was co-captain and star defensive tackle (防守阻截队员) of his high school team; he expected to apply for a football scholarship and was looking forward to playing college football. He just loved the sport.
“How can I let you throw away the thing that means the most to you?” I pleaded with him.
“Grandma,” he said softly, “compared to your life, football means nothing to me.”
After that, I couldn’t argue anymore. So we agreed to see if he was a good donor (捐赠者) match, and then we’d discuss it further. When the tests came back, they showed Daniel was a perfect match. That was it. I knew I wasn’t going to win that argument, so we scheduled the transplant.
Both surgeries went smoothly. As soon as I came out of the anesthesia (麻醉) , I could tell things were different. I felt great! The nurses in the intensive care unit had to keep telling me to lie back and be quiet — I wasn’t supposed to be that lively! I was afraid to go to sleep, for fear I would break the spell (魔法) and wake up the way I had been before. But the good feeling didn’t go away, and I spent the evening joking and laughing with anyone who would listen. It was so wonderful to feel alive again.
The next day they moved me out of ICU and onto the floor where Daniel was recuperating (复原) three doors away. His grandfather helped him walk down to see me as soon as I was moved into my room. When we saw each other, we did not know what to say. Holding hands, we just sat there and looked at each other for a long time, overwhelmed by the deep feeling of love that connected us.
Finally, he spoke, “Was it worthwhile, grandma?”
I laughed a little ruefully (懊悔). “It was for me! But was it for you?” I asked him.
He nodded and smiled at me. “I’ve got my grandma back.”
And I have my life back. It still amazes me. Every morning, when I wake up, I thank God —and Daniel — for this miracle. A miracle born of the purest love.
【小题1】Grandma’s diabetes brought about all the following EXCEPT that _______.
| A．her eyes and her kidneys were affected |
| B．grandma became quite a different person |
| C．Daniel had to be sent back to his father |
| D．everything was thrown into confusion |
| A．He tried his best to make her laugh. |
| B．He helped her with the daily chores. |
| C．He gave up his dream of going to college. |
| D．He searched desperately for a good donor match. |
| A．She was moved by his selfless decision. |
| B．She wasn’t at all happy with his offer. |
| C．She felt relieved that an appropriate kidney was available. |
| D．She was enthusiastic about having a kidney of someone she loved. |
| A．He wouldn’t be young and healthy thereafter. |
| B．He didn’t have to search for a good match any more. |
| C．He could apply for a full scholarship to a college he desired. |
| D．He would also give up his life’s dream: to play football. |
| A．She was feeling low. | B．She was full of life. |
| C．She was exhausted. | D．She was the way she had been before. |
| A．Grandma got her life back thanks to Daniel’s selfless donation. |
| B．Grandma thought her returning to life was a miracle of pure love. |
| C．Daniel agreed with grandma that the transplant was worthwhile for her, not for him. |
| D．Much as he loved football, grandma’s life meant the most to Daniel. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
In 1974, after filling out fifty applications, going through four interviews, and winning one offer, I took what I could get ----- a teaching job at what I considered a distant wild area: western New Jersey. My characteristic optimism was alive only when I reminded myself that I would be doing what I had wanted to do since I was fourteen ------- teaching English.
School started, but I felt more and more as if I were in a foreign country. Was this rural area really New Jersey? My students took a week off when hunting season began. I was told they were also frequently absent in late October to help their fathers make hay on the farms. I was a young woman from New York City, who thought that “Make hay while the sun shines” just meant to have a good time.
But, still, I was teaching English. I worked hard, taking time off only to eat and sleep. And then there was my sixth-grade class ---- seventeen boys and five girls who were only six years younger than me. I had a problem long before I knew it. I was struggling in my work as a young idealistic teacher. I wanted to make literature come alive and to promote a love of the written word. The students wanted to throw spitballs and whisper dirty words in the back of the room.
In college I had been taught that a successful educator should ignore bad behavior. So I did, confident that, as the textbook had said, the bad behavior would disappear as I gave my students positive attention. It sounds reasonable, but the text evidently ignored the fact that humans, particularly teenagers, rarely seem reasonable. By the time my boss, who was also my taskmaster, known to be the strictest, most demanding, most quick to fire inexperienced teachers, came into the classroom to observe me, the students exhibited very little good behavior to praise.
My boss sat in the back of the room. The boys in the class were making animal noises, hitting each other while the girls filed their nails or read magazines. I just pretended it all wasn’t happening, and went on lecturing and tried to ask some inspiring questions. My boss, sitting in the back of the classroom, seemed to be growing bigger and bigger. After twenty minutes he left, silently. Visions of unemployment marched before my eyes.
I felt mildly victorious that I got through the rest of class without crying, but at my next free period I had to face him. I wondered if he would let me finish out the day. I walked to his office, took a deep breath, and opened the door.
He was sitting in his chair, and he looked at me long and hard. I said nothing. All I could think of was that I was not an English teacher; I had been lying to myself, pretending that everything was fine.
When he spoke, he said simply, without accusation, “You had nothing to say to them.”
“You had nothing to say to them”. he repeated.” No wonder they are bored. Why not get to the meat of literature and stop talking about symbolism. Talk with them, not at them. And more important, why do you ignore their bad behavior”? We talked. He named my problems and offered solutions. We role-played. He was the bad student, and I was the forceful, yet, warm teacher.
As the year progressed, we spent many hours discussing literature and ideas about human beings and their motivations. He helped me identify my weaknesses and strengths. In short, he made a teacher of me by teaching me the reality of Emerson’s words: “The secret to education lies in respecting the pupil.”
Fifteen years later I still drive that same winding road to the same school. Thanks to the help I received that difficult first year, the school is my home now.
【小题1】It can be inferred from the story that in 1974 ________________.
| A．the writer became an optimistic person |
| B．it was rather difficult to get a job in the USA |
| C．the writer was very happy about her new job |
| D．it was easy to get a teaching job in New Jersey |
| A．She didn’t like teaching English literature. |
| B．She didn’t ask experienced teachers for advice. |
| C．She took too much time off to eat and sleep. |
| D．She had blind trust in what she learnt at college. |
| A．She couldn’t ignore her students’ bad behavior any more. |
| B．She migh t lose her students’ respect. |
| C．She couldn’t teach the same class any more. |
| D．She might lose her teaching job. |
| A．Her talk about symbolism sounded convincing. |
| B．She managed to finish the class without crying. |
| C．Her students behaved a little better than usual. |
| D．She was invited for a talk by her boss after class. |
| A．They were eager to embarrass her. |
| B．They didn’t regard her as a good teacher. |
| C．She didn’t really understand them. |
| D．She didn’t have a good command of English. |
| A．cruel but encouraging | B．sincere and supportive |
| C．fierce but forgiving | D．angry and aggressive |
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