A
I fell in love with England because it was quaint (古雅)—all those little houses, looking terribly old-fashioned but nice, like dolls’ houses. I loved the countryside and the pubs, and I loved London. I’ve slightly changed my mind after seventeen years because I think it’s an ugly town now.
Things have changed. For everybody, England meant gentlemen, fair play, and good manners. The fair play is going, unfortunately, and so are the gentlemanly attitudes and good manners—people shut doors heavily in your face and politeness is disappearing.
I regret that there are so few comfortable meeting places. You’re forced to live indoors. In Paris I go out much more, to restaurants and nightclubs. To meet friends here it usually has to be in a pub, and it can be difficult to go there alone as a woman. The cafes are not terribly nice.
As a woman, I feel unsafe here. I spend a bomb on taxis because I will not take public transport after 10 p. m. I used to use it, but now I’m afraid.
The idea of family seems to be more or less non-existent in England. My family is well united and that’s typically French. In Middlesex I had a neighbour who is 82 now. His family only lived two miles away, but I took him to France for Christmas once because he was always alone.
1. The writer doesn’t like London because she ______.
A. is not used to the life there now B. has lived there for seventeen years
C. prefers to live in an old-fashioned house D. has to be polite to everyone she meets there
2. Where do people usually meet their friends in England?
A. In a cafe. B. In a restaurant. C. In a nightclub. D. In a pub.
3. The underlined part “it” (in Para. 4) refers to______.
A. a taxi B. the money C. a bomb D. public transport
4. The writer took her neighbour to France for Christmas because he ______.
A. felt lonely in England B. had never been to France
C. was from a typical French family D. didn't like the British idea of family B
The Great Barrier Reef is home to brightly colored fish, eye-catching coral, and swaying seaweed. What else is hiding in the world’s largest coral reef? Scientists recently dived into the water to find out. A team of scientists explored the reef, located along Australia’s northeastern coast. They also checked out Ningaloo Reef on the country’s western coast. The searches turned up hundreds of animal species, including some that may be new to science. Scientists spied worms shaped like trees, big-clawed shrimp and jellyfish.
“It is awe-inspiring to know that so much of what we see has not yet been described,” says Patricia Hendricks, who took part in the expedition. That is a trip with a specific goal. “The reef is truly a beautiful place with so many mysteries.”
Scientists wanted to get a closer look at some of the underwater cities’ lesser-known residents — soft coral. Using netted bags and their hands, the scientists searched the reefs. They found about 130 types of soft coral that may be new species. A lot is known about hard coral, but soft coral is more of a mystery. The creatures are very diverse, or varied. Some are shaped like bushes or fans. Others are whips that twist with the currents. They grow in a rainbow of colors. Despite the variety, some types of soft coral look very similar to one another. “This makes them a challenge to study, and so very little is known about them,” Hendricks told WR News. She and other researchers took samples of the soft coral. The scientists also zeroed in on what was living in and around the coral. They hope to identify the new species.
The reef research isn’t done yet. The scientists plan to return to the same three spots annually for the next six years. They left 36 plastic “houses” stuck to the ocean floor. The scientists hope some of the coral reefs’ residents will move into the houses over time. That will make it easier for scientists to study the creatures on future trips.
The scientists’ findings could give humans a hand. Some marine life is used in medicine. Researchers can also study how the creatures deal with pollution and climate change. That might give scientists ideas on how people could better adapt, or change. Knowing what creatures live in oceans is important, scientists say, because one-third of the world’s coral reefs are endangered. “If we don’t know what is present in the first place, how are we ever going to protect it properly?” asks Hendricks. “Learning about new species is an important step.”
5. What’s the main idea of the passage?
A. Scientists find surprises in the Great Barrier Reef.
B. Soft Coral no longer remains a mystery.
C. Scientists left 36 plastic houses to the ocean floor.
D. Scientists made explorations to deal with ocean pollution.
6. According to the passage, what makes the study of the soft coral a big challenge?
A. The diversity of the soft coral. B. Many unknown species.
C. The similar appearance. D. Various shapes and colors.
7. What does the writer mean by “That might give scientists ideas on how people could better adapt, or change.”(Para.5) ?
A. Ocean species may be of great medical value in the future.
B. A study of ocean creatures’ adaptation may assist scientists in their research.
C. Research on ocean creatures will help solve the pollution problem.
D. Studying new ocean species will help improve people’s living environment.
8. It can be inferred from the passage that _______.
A. the scientists discovered many ocean species by accident
B. coral reefs in the world are endangered because of climate change
C. the Great Barrier Reef has been attracting more scientists’ attention
D. the samples of the soft coral enables scientists to further explore the ocean C
Do you love yourself? You may think you do, but do you really? There’s only one way to find out---by taking a close look at what you think, say, and do. You may not like some of what you find, but if you are serious about really loving yourself, you can use this insight to do some positive inner work. Here’re three ways for gaining greater personal insight for deeper love:
Listen Closely to Your Thoughts
Your thoughts will determine your actions. One thing helping you to listen to your thoughts is keeping a journal. It is not necessary for you to write in it every day, but it helps to record various insights you gain as you go about your life. Instead of using a big notebook, you might use a small notepad that you can keep in your pocket for easy access to record your thoughts as they occur to you. Whichever method you choose, what’s most important is that you write your thoughts down. It will help you know what’s in your heart.
Be Honest with Yourself
To do this, you should pay attention to your actions. Actions speak louder than words, and they always tell the truth. If you say you love your job, but your actions say otherwise, which do you think is more reliable? On the other hand, if you say you’re not good at a certain job, but your actions say otherwise, that’s also important. What do you do with this insight? You can use it to make more positive choices in your life. By being honest with yourself, you will act according to truth instead of just what you tell yourself.
Take Quiet Time to Listen to Your Inner Voice
This is similar to the first point, but it takes a step further---beyond the natural mind to the heart that cannot be seen. You may want to use your quiet time to think deeply. However you use this time, the key is to shut out all of the noise around you by focusing deep within yourself. Breathing deeply during quiet time will also help you focus. I know it’s hard to find quiet time during a particularly busy day, but it’s so important---even if it’s just 10 minutes a day and you have to hide somewhere to get it. Quiet time can really make a difference in your life.
Despite what your mind may be telling you, you can have love with no limits. The key is to unconditionally love yourself first.
9. By looking deep into what we think, say, and do, we can _____.
A. know whether we really love ourselves B. appreciate what we give to the world
C. realize what type of relationship we long for
D. know whether we are loved and accepted by others
10. An important way for gaining personal insight is to _____.
A. do some positive inner work B. keep a journal wherever you go
C. look closely at what others say about us D. pay attention to our thoughts
11. The insight we gain from our actions can help us _____.
A. focus our attention on our jobs B. make more positive choices in our life
C. act according to the truth D. tell the differences between our words and our actions D
Lawmakers in the United States have expanded an investigation into the use of location-tracking systems on mobile devices. The action follows recent reports about the storing of information on the Apple iPhone. Some people consider location tracking to be a threat to personal privacy and security.
Allan Friedman, the research director, says, “All wireless companies do some location tracking as part of their networks. This information is usually stored by the companies, not the devices, and there are laws to protect it. Law enforcement(执法) agencies, for example, have to have a fairly high standard before it can access that data. And the phone company is also forbidden from selling that information.
Now, two researchers report that location tracking information is being stored directly on Apple devices. They said Apple’s newest operating systems gather global positioning system and timestamp information. The information is stored on the device in a file that is also uploaded (上传) to any computer that the device is connected to. The researchers say the information is available to anyone who has access to the device or computer.
Allan Friedman says, “This raises additional concerns. There’s the idea that because it’s on my phone and on my computer, rogue applications(恶意程序) that I pay for or that I’m tricked into downloading may be able to access this data and somehow misuse it.”
Apple says it is “not tracking the location of your iPhone”. It is simply keeping a database of Wi-Fi hotspots and cellphone towers near the user’s location. This information is meant to help the iPhone quickly find its location when needed.
Letters have been sent to some of the leading mobile device developers, including Apple and Google. The letters asked for more information about their location tracking systems. Allan Friedman calls this an important start to strengthening privacy laws. He says, “There aren’t strong controls over things like location information, what they are doing with it, how long they are keeping it. And perhaps the most important question is, is my location data with other facts about me?”
12. Why did American lawmakers investigate the use of location-tracking systems on cellphones?
A. Because the systems can store users’ information
B. Because many users have suffered loss after using them.
C. Because it is thought to threaten users’ privacy.
D. Because many reporters have shown the problem of the systems.
13. Allan Friedman believes that ________.
A. wireless companies focus on personal privacy.
B. people are forbidden to get access to private data at will
C. phone companies may sell private information secretly
D. customers may ask wireless companies to locate their tracking
14. What do we know from Paragraph 3?
A. Location tracking information is stored online.
B. Apple’s newest operating systems collect all kinds of information.
C. Location tracking information may be uploaded to any iPhone.
D. Apple’s newest operating systems may reveal the private information of users.
15. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Apple denies that it tracks the location of users.
B. The researchers may misunderstand the Apple’s systems.
C. The global positioning system is to blame for rogue applications.
D. The iPhone can quickly find its location by using its user’s information. 参考答案
ADDA ACBC ADB CBDA
2017年高考英语第一轮复习阅读理解模拟题13.doc