高三英语阅读材料

合集下载

高三英语阅读理解题训练及答案详解

高三英语阅读理解题训练及答案详解第一篇：Imagine a mass of floating waste is two times the size of the state of Texas. Texas has a land area of more than 678 000 square kilometers. So it might bedifficult to imagine anything twice as big.All together, this mass of waste flowing in the North Pacific Ocean is known as the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch. It weighs about 3 500 000 tons. The waste includes bags，bottles and containers—plastic products of all kinds.The eastern part of the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch is about l 600 kilometers west of California. The western part is west of the Hawaiian Islands and east of Japan. The area has been described as a kind of oceanic desert，with light winds and slow moving water currents. The water moves so slow that garbage from all over the world collects there.In recent years，there have been growing concerns about the floating garbage and its effect on sea creatures and human health. Scientists say thousands of animals get trapped in the floating waste，resulting in death or injury. Even more die from a lack of food or water after swallowing pieces ofplastic. The trash can also make animals feel full，lessening their desire to eat or drink.The floating garbage also can have harmful effects on people. There is an increased threat of infection of disease from polluted waste，and from eating fish that swallowed waste. Divers can also get trapped in the plastic.Its existence first gained public attention in l997. That was when racing boat captain and oceanographer Charles Moore and his crew sailed into the garbage while returning from a racing event. Five years earlier，another oceanographer learned of the trash after a shipment of rubber duckies got lost at sea. Many of those toys are now part of the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch.In August，2009，a team from the University of California，San Diego became thelatest group to travel to it. They were shocked by the amount of waste they saw. They gathered hundreds of sea creatures and water samples to measure the garbage patch’s effec t on ocean environment.51.How did the writer introduce the topic of the passage?A. By giving an example.B. By listing the facts.C. By telling a story.D. By giving a parison.52.What do we know about the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch?A. It is made up of various kinds of plastic products.B. It is a solid mass of floating waste materials.C. It lies l60 000 kilometers east of California.D. It is described as a kind of oceanic desert.53.Why do people pay attention to the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch?A. Because it may prevent the flow of ocean water.B. Because the polluted plastic articles will move up the food chain.C. Because it may be from an island in the pacific.D. Because ships may be trapped in the floating waste.54.Which column can you find the passage on a newspaper?A. Sports and entertainment.B. Media and culture.C. Environment and society.D. Science and technology.55.The purpose of writing this passage isto____________.A. warn people of the danger to travel in the pacificB. analyze what caused the waste patch in the pacificC. give advice on how to recycle waste in the oceanD. introduce the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch第二篇：Europeans should try to stay indoors if ash from Iceland's volcano starts settling, the World Health Organization warned Friday as small amounts fell in Iceland, Scotland and Norway.WHO spokesman Daniel Epstein said the microscopic(微小的) ash is potentially dangerous for people when it starts to reach the Earth because inhaled(吸入) particles can enter the lungs and cause respiratory problems. And he also said Europeans who go outside might want to consider wearing a mask.Other experts, however, weren't convinced the volcanic ash would have a major effect on peoples' health and said WHO's warnings were "hysterical." They said volcanic ash was much less dangerous than cigarette smoke or pollution. Volcanic ash is made of fine particles of fragmented volcanic rock. It is light gray to black and can be as fine as talcum powder. During a volcanic eruption, the ash can be breathed deep into the lungs and cause irritation even in healthy people. But once it falls from a greater distance — like from the cloud currently hovering above Europe — its health effects are often minimal, experts say."Not all particles are created equal," said Ken Donaldson, a professor of respiratory toxicology at the University of Edinburgh, "In the great scheme of things, volcanic ash is not all that harmful." And he said most Europeans' exposure to volcanic ash would be negligible and that only those in the near districts of the Icelandic volcano would likely be at risk.Dr. Stephen Spiro, a professor of respiratory medicine and deputy chair of the British Lung Foundation, said the further the particles travel, the less dangerous they will be. "The cloud has already passed over northern Scotland and we haven't heard of any ill effects there," he said. Spiro said to wear masks or stay indoors to avoid volcanic ash was "over the top" and "a bit hysterical."60. The text is mainly about .A. the effect of volcanic ashB. the health risk of volcanic ashC. the disadvantages of volcanic ashD. the opinions on health risk of volcanic ash61. Which one is true according to Paragraph3?A. The volcanic ash’s effects on Europeans were little.B. The ash caused irritation even in healthy people.C. Other experts thought WTO’S warnings were useful.D. The volcanic ash was more dangerous than cigarette smoke or pollution.62. The underlined word “hysterical” in Paragraph4 most probably means .A. amazingB. practicalC. valuableD. overstated63. What can we learn from the passage?A. The volcanic ash wouldn’t be harmful to people.B. All experts thought the volcanic ash did great harm to our health.C. People close to the volcano would likely be at risk according to some experts.D. Europeans should stay indoors because Iceland's volcano starts settling.第一篇：51.D。

高三英语阅读理解解题训练及答案

高三英语阅读理解解题训练及答案第一篇：It was a village in India. The people were poor. However, they were not unhappy. After all, their forefathers had lived in the same way for centuries.Then one day, some visitors from the city arrived. They told the villagers there were some people elsewhere who liked to eat frog's legs. However, they did not have enough frogs of their own ，and so they wanted to buy frogs from other places.This seemed like money for nothing. There were millions of frogs in the fields around，and they were no use to the villagers. All they had to do was catch them. Agreement was reached，and the children were sent into the fields to catch frogs. Every week a truck arrived to collect the catch and hand over the money. For the first time, the people were able to dream of a better future. But the dream didn't last long.The change was hardly noticed at first, but it seemed as if the crops were not doing so well. More worrying was that the children fell ill more often, and, there seemed to be more insects around lately.The villagers decided that they couldn't just wait to see the crops failing and the children getting weak. They would have to use the money earned to buy pesticides (杀虫剂) and medicines. Soon there was no money left.Then the people realized what was happening. It was the frog. They hadn't been useless. They had been doing an important job—eating insects. Now with so many frogs killed, the insects were increasing more rapidly. They were damaging the crops and spreading diseases.Now，the people are still poor. But in the evenings they sit in the village square and listen to sounds of insects and frogs. These sounds of the night now have a much deeper meaning.1. From Paragraph 1，we learn that thevillagers________.A. worked very hard for centuriesB. dreamed of having a better lifeC. were poor but somewhat contentD. lived a different life from their forefathers2. Why did the villagers agree to sell frogs?A. The frogs were easy money.B. They needed money to buy medicine.C. They wanted to please the visitors.D. The frogs made too much noise.3. What might be the cause of the children's sickness?A. The crops didn't do well.B. There were too many insects.C. The visitors brought in diseases.D. The pesticides were overused.4. What can we infer from the last sentence of the text?A. Happiness es from peaceful life in the country.B. Health is more important than money.C. The harmony between man and nature is important.D. Good old days will never be forgotten.第二篇：Somali pirates (海盗) robbed three Thai fishing ships with 77 sailors on board nearly 1,200 miles off the Somali coast, the farthest-off-shore attack to date, an officer said Tuesday.Pirates have gone farther south and east in answer to increased patrols(巡逻) by warships off the Somali shore. The robbing of the three ships Sunday was about 600 miles outside the normal operation area for the international force, said a spokesman.The spokesman said the attack so far out at sea was a clear sign that the international patrols against pirates were having a “marked effect on pirateactivity in the area”.“Once they start attacking that far out, you're not even really talking about the Somali basin or areas of water that have any connection with Somalia.” said an officer, Roger Middleton. “Once you're that far out, it's just the Indian Ocean，and it means you're looking at trade going from the Gulf to Asia, from Asia to South Africa.”“This is the farthest robb ing to date. They are now operating near the Maldives and India.” said another officer.The three ships-the MV Prantalay 11,12，and 14-had 77 members on board in total. All of them are Thai, the spokesman said. Before the Sunday robbing, pirates held 11 ships and 228 sailors.Pirates have increased attacks over the past year in hopes of catching more dollar payments. Because of increased patrols and defenses on board ships, the success rate(率) has gone down, though the number of successful attacks has stayed the same year over year.1. The pirate attack reported in the texthappened________.A. far out in the Indian OceanB. in the normal patrol areaC. near the Somali coastD. in the south of Africa2. According to the text, which can best describe the situation of the pirate problems?A. More goods on board are lost.B. Pirate attacks happen in a larger area now.C. The number of attacks has stayed the same these years.D. Pirate attacks are as serious as before along the Somali coast.3. Which is TRUE about the warship patrols according to the text?A. The patrols are of little effect.B. The patrols are more difficult.C. More patrols are quite necessary even in Asia.D. The patrols only drive the pirates to other areas.4. How many sailors were held by the pirates up to the time of the report?A. 228.B. 77.C. 383.D. 305.第一篇：本篇文章为记叙文。

高中英语阅读理解试题及答案

高中英语阅读理解试题及答案高中英语阅读理解试题及答案（通用13篇）高考英语阅读考察的是大家对文章的理解与信息的提取能力，为了帮助大家，店铺分享了一些高中英语阅读理解试题及答案，希望能对大家有所帮助!高中英语阅读理解试题及答案篇1Artificial(假的) flowers are used for scientific as well as for decorative purposes. They are made from a variety of materials, such as wax and glass, so skillfully that they can scarcely be distinguished from natural flowers. In making such models, painstaking and artistry are called for, as well as thorough knowledge of plant structure. The collection of glass flowers in the Botanical Museum of Harvard University is the most famous in North America and is widely known throughout the scientific world. In all, there are several thousand models in colored glass, the work of two artist-naturalists, Leopold Blaschka and his son Rudolph?The intention was to have the collection represent at least one member of each flower family native to the United States. Although it was never completed. It contains more than seven hundred species representing 164 families of flowering plants, a group of fruits showing the effect of fungus diseases, and thousands of flower parts and magnified details. Every detail of these is accurately reproduced in color and structure. The models are kept in locked cases as they are too valuable and fragile for classroom use?51. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?A. An Extensive Collection of Glass Flowers ?B. The Lives of Leopold and Rudolph?C. Flowers Native to the United States?D. Material Used for Artificial Flowers?52. It can be inferred from the passage that the goal of Leopold and Rudolph was to ______________?A. create a botanical garden where only exotic flowers grew?B. do a thorough study of plant structure?C. make a copy of one member of each United States flower family?D. show that glass are more realistic than wax flowers?53.The underlined word “it” refers to ______________?A. the intentionB. the collectionC. one memberD. each flower family?54. Which of the following is NOT included in the display at the Botanical Museum of Harvard University?A. Models of 164 families of flowering plants？B. Magnified details of flower parts？C. Several species of native birds？D. A group of diseased fruits？55. Which of the following statements is true of the flowers at Harvard University?A. They form a completed collection？B. They have a marvelous fragrance？C. They are loaned to schools for classroom use？D. They use authentic representations.【答案与解析】 51—55 ACBCD51.A.细节理解题。

高三英语阅读理解专项训练100(附答案)含解析

高三英语阅读理解专项训练100(附答案)含解析一、高中英语阅读理解1．阅读理解When you go to the doctor, you like to come away with a prescription．It makes you feel better to know you will get some medicine. But the doctor knows that medicine is not always needed. Sometimes all a sick person needs is some reassurance that all will be well. In such cases the doctor may prescribe a placebo.A placebo is a sugar pill, a harmless shot, or ail empty capsule. Even though they have no medicine in them, these things seem to make people well. The patient thinks it is medicine and begins to get better. How does this happen?The study of the placebo opens up new knowledge about the way the human body can heal itself. It is as if there was a doctor in each of us. The doctor will heal the body for us if we let it. But it is not yet known just how the placebo works to heal the body. Some people say it works because the human mind fools itself. These people say that if the mind is fooled into thinking it got medicine, then it will act as if it did, and the body will feel better.Placebos do not always work. The success of this treatment seems to rest a lot with the relationship between the patient and the doctor. If the patient has a lot of trust in the doctor and if the doctor really wants to help the patient, then the placebo is more likely to work. So in a way, the doctor is the most powerful placebo of all.A placebo can also have bad effects. If patients expect a bad reaction to medicine, then they will also show a bad reaction to the placebo. This would seem to show that a lot of how you react to medicine is in your mind rather than in your body. Some doctors still think that if the placebo can have bad effects it should never be used. They think there is still not enough known about it. The strange power of the placebo does seem to suggest that the human mind is stronger than we think it is. There are people who say you can heal your body by using your mind. And the interesting thing is that even people who swear this is not possible have been healed by a placebo．（1）What do we know about placebo according to the passage?A. It contains some sort of medicine.B. It won't function if you are negative about medicine.C. People who don't believe placebo can't be healed by it.D. Patients and doctors know clearly how it helps to heal the body.（2）Why is the doctor sometimes the most powerful placebo?A. The patient needs help badly．B. The patient believes in the doctor．C. The doctor knows better about your body．D. The doctor has carefully studied medicine．（3）What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 5 refer to?A. The placebo.B. The bad effect.C. The body.D. The medicine.（4）What is the passage mainly about?A. Placebo：Work on Your MindB. Placebo：The Most Powerful MedicineC. Placebo：The Best DoctorD. Placebo：Heal Your Body【答案】（1）A（2）B（3）B（4）A【解析】【分析】本文是一篇说明文，有时候病人的病并不是需要真正的药物来医治，而是需要医生开一些安慰的药剂，安慰病人的心理使病人的情绪得到舒缓，从而有利于病情的痊愈。

英语阅读理解练习题及答案含解析

英语阅读理解练习题及答案含解析一、高中英语阅读理解1．阅读理解They say that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Well, there is one lady who believes that it's actually chocolate. At 102 years of age, she's living proof.According to Boonville, Indiana's Eunice Modlin, a daily dose of chocolate has been the key to a long and healthy life. Specifically, two pieces of dark chocolate. It's not just Eunice who believes this.Many scientists have attributed the sweet to health benefits such as lower chances of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.However, researchers believe that Eunice might be overlooking the fact that she has never smoked or drunk alcohol in her long life, and that chocolate might not be the significant cause of her longevity."There are so many other factors to her long life and chocolate isn't the only one," nutritionist Vanessa Rissetto said. "Genes, her diet in general…are probably the main reasons."At any rate, Eunice is still alive and kicking. With four children, seven grandkids, 14 great-grandkids and 11 great-great grandkids, this lady has a big family.It must be noted that Eunice was also very athletic, being an archer in her 20s .Amazingly, she has lived through tough times such as the Great Depression and World War II .Also, the healthy blood runs through the veins of other family members. Eunice's brother is also still alive, at 101 years of age.No matter what you might think, Eunice's consumption of chocolate can't be ignored. In 2015, a BMJ study showed that a daily treat of one small bar would give the consumer 23% less chance of having a stroke (中风).What is in the sweet that makes it so beneficial? Apparently, cocoa beans have flavonoids, plant nutrients that have useful antioxidants (抗氧化剂)."Not all chocolate is created equal," Rissetto warns. "Dark chocolate has more flavonoids than milk chocolate, and white chocolate—which does not actually contain chocolate—is not a good source of flavonoids."（1）According to the article, which of the following lead to Eunice Modlin's long and healthy life?a. two pieces of dark chocolateb. genesc. lifelong exercised. good diete. love of her large familyA. a, b, dB. b, c, dC. a, b, eD. a, c, d（2）Rissetto thinks that .A. chocolate is the most important thing that affects Eunice's healthB. no smoking or drinking contributes the most to Eunice's longevityC. chocolate really has nothing to do with her long and healthy lifeD. Eunice's good dietdoesn't only mean taking chocolate every day（3）What the author presented in the passage sounds .A. persuasiveB. objectiveC. subjectiveD. critical（4）From the whole passage we can conclude that______________.A. there's universal proof for what contributes to a long lifeB. it is generally accepted that chocolate is the key to longevityC. many factors may contribute to people's good healthD. a bit of any chocolate a day keeps the doctor away【答案】（1）A（2）D（3）B（4）C【解析】【分析】本文是一篇说明文，美国印第安纳女性Eunice Modlin现在已经102岁的了，她认为自己长寿的秘密是每天吃巧克力，并分析了她长寿的原因以及巧克力对健康产生影响的原因。

高三英语高考练习阅读理解之社会生活类(一)通用

现吨市安达阳光实验学校Passage 1The latest research suggests that the key factor separating geniuses from the merely accomplished is not I.Q., a generally bad predictor of success. Instead, it’s purposeful practice. Top performers spend more hours practising their craft. It you wanted to picture how a typical genius might develop, you’d take a girl who possessed a slightly above average language ability. It wouldn’t have to be a big talent, just enough so that she might gain some sense of distinction. Then you would want her to meet, say, a novelist, who coincidentally shared some similar qualities. Maybe the writer was from the same town, had the same family background, or shared the same birthday.This contact would give the girl a vision of her future self. It would hive her some idea of a fascinating circle who might someday join. It would also help if one of her parents died when she was 12, giving her a strong sense of insecurity and fuelling a desperate need for success. Armed with this ambition, she would read novels and life stories of writers without end. This would give her a primary knowledge of her field. She’s be able to see new writing in deeper ways and quickly understand its inner workings.Then she would practise writing. Her practice would be slow, painstaking and error-focused. By practising in this way, he delays the automatizing process. Her mind wants to turn conscious, newly learned skills into unconscious. Automatically performed skills. By practising slowly, by breaking skills down into tiny parts and repeating, she forces the brain to internalize a better pattern of performance. Then she would find an adviser who would provide a constant stream of feedback, viewing her performance form the outside, correcting the smallest errors, pushing her to take on tougher challenges. By now she is redoing problems-how do I get characters into a room-dozens and dozens of times. She is establishing habits of thought she can call upon in order to understand or solve future problems.The primary quality our young writer possesses is not some mysterious genius. It’s the ability to develop a purposeful, laborious and boring practice routine; the latest research takes some of the magic out of great achievement. But it underlines a fact that is often neglected. Public discussion is affected by genetics and what we’re “hard-wired” to do. And it’s true that genes play a role in our capabilities. But the brain is also very plastic. We construct ourselves through behaviour.76. The passage mainly deals with_____.A. the function of I.Q. in cultivating a writerB. the relationship between genius and successC. the decisive factor in making a geniusD. the way of gaining some sense of distinction77. By reading novels and writers’ stories, the girlcould _____.A. come to understand the inner structure of writingB. join a fascinating circle of writers somedayC. share with a novelist her likes and dislikesD. learn from the living examples to establish a sense of security78. In the girl’s lon g painstaking training process,________.A. her adviser forms a primary challenging force to her success.B. her writing turns into an automatic pattern of performanceC. she acquires the magic of some great achievementD. she comes to realize she is “hard-wired” to write79. What can be concluded from the passage?A. A fuelling ambition plays a leading role in one’s successB. A responsible adviser is more important than the knowledge of writing.C. As to the growth of a genius, I.Q. Doesn’t matter, but just his|her effort.D. What really matters is what you do rather than who you are.答案 76.C 77.A 78.B 79.DPassage 2Remembering names is an important social skill. Here are some ways to master it.Recite and repeat in conversation.When you hear a person’s name，repeat it. Immediately say it to yourself several times without moving your lips. You could also repeat the name in a way that does not sound forced or artificial.Ask the other person to recite and repeat.You can let other people help you remember their names. After you’ve been introduced to someone，ask that person to spell the name mad pronounce it correctly for you. Most people will be pleased by the effort you’re making to learn their names.Admit you don’t know.Admitting that you can’t remember someone’s name can actually make people relaxed. Most of them will feel sympathy if you say. “I’m working to remember names better. Yours is right on the tip of my tongue. What is it again?”Use associations.Link each person yon meet with one thing you find interesting or unusual. For example，you could make a mental note: "Vicki Cheng -- tall, black hair. " To reinforce you’re your associations, write them on a small card as soon as possible.Limit the number of new names you learn at one time.When meeting a group of people, concentrate on remembering justtwo or three names. Free yourself from remembering every one. Few of the people in mass introductions expect you to remember their names. Another way is to limit yourself to learning just first names. Last names can come later.Go early.Consider going early to conferences, parties and classes. Sometimes just a few people show up on time. That's fewer names for you to remember. And as more people arrive, you can hear them being introduced to others-an automatic review for you.56. How will most people feel when you try hard to remember their names?A. They will be moved.B. They will be annoyed.C. They will be delighted.D. They will be discouraged.57. If you can't remember someone's name, you may __A. tell him the truthB. tell him a white lieC. ask him for pityD. ask others to help you58. When you meet a group of people, it is better to remember __A. all their namesB. a couple of names firstC. just their last namesD. as many names as possible59. What does the text mainly tell us?A. Tips on an important social skill.B. Importance of attending parties.C. How to make use of associations.D. How to recite and repeat names.答案 56.C 57.A 58.B 59.APassage 3When students and parents are asked to rate subjects according to their importance ,the arts are unavoidably at the bottom of the list . Music is nice, people seem to say, but not important. Too often it is viewed as mere entertainment, but certainly not an education priority （优先）。

高三英语阅读理解试题(有答案和解析)及解析

高三英语阅读理解试题(有答案和解析)及解析一、高中英语阅读理解1．阅读理解Sometimes we start a day with the previous day still in mind. We think about the mistakes we made in the previous day, how things went wrong, and how we felt bad about it. No wonder it becomes difficult to focus on the current day.Here are some steps on how to start your new day fresh:⒈Take time to evaluate your dayAt the end of a day, take some time to think about it. The purpose of this thinking time is not to regret how bad your day was, how things went wrong, or how people treated you badly. This won't do you any good. Instead, the purpose of this thinking time is to extract（吸取）lessons which you can bring to the following day.⒉Make a commitment to apply the lessonsAfter you extract the lessons, you should make a commitment to apply them. To do so, find some actionable things you can do to apply the lessons. Next, remind yourself to do them. You may write them down if you want to.⒊“Close” your dayAfter you have spent the time to think about the day and extract the lessons, make a decision to “close” the day. You are done with it; don't think about it anymore.⒋Bring only the lessons to the next day and nothing elseAfter you “dose” a day, you should not bring anything ou t of it to the next day except for the lessons you extract. Focus on applying the lessons to the present. This way you will be able to start your day fresh without the burden of yesterday.（1）What will happen if we think too much about the past?A. There will be a disaster.B. There will be good results.C. We won't have a peaceful mind.D. We surely won't finish today's task.（2）When should we draw lessons from the past mistakes?A. At the end of a day.B. When we make mistakes.C. At the beginning of a day.D. When we regret making the mistakes.（3）Why should we extract lessons from the past day?A. To set them down.B. To consider them again.C. To make a better decision.D. To apply them for future use.【答案】（1）C（2）A（3）D【解析】【分析】本文为应用文。

高三英语阅读理解精选5

英语阅读理解精选⑤Passage 1A man was mending a street lamp when he saw a pretty young woman and three children get into a car which was in the garden of a house near him. He saw that the car had a flat tyre, and tried to warn the woman, but it was too late—she was already driving the car out of the garden, and into the busy street. When she had got there, she stopped the car at the side of the street, got out and looked at the flat tyre. The children stayed in the car. Very soon another car stopped, and the driver offered to help her. The young woman accepted his offer, and the man changed the tyre for her.When she had thanked him and he had gone, she drove the car back into the garden, got out with the children and went back to her work in the house –with clean hands.1. This story is mainly about ___.A. a man who was mending a street lampB. a man who offered help to a pretty young ladyC. a pretty young lady who had her car repairedD. three children who stayed in the car2. From the passage, we can see that the story might be told by ___.A. a pretty young ladyB. a man who was mending a street lampC. a warm-hearted man who offered helpD. a man who is not mentioned in the story3. What kind of expression was on the lady’s face after th e man who offered help left?A. Anger.B. Thankfulness.C. Pleasure.D. Sadness.4. From the passage, we can infer that ___.A. only when the young lady arrived in the busy street did she find the tyre flatB. the young lady knew what had happened to the tyre even before she went to the busystreetC. the young lady didn’t know the tyre was flat until her children told herD. if the young lady had heard the man who was mending the street lamp, she wouldhave the car repaired before she went to the busy street5. Which of the following is true according to the story?A. The young lady and her children were going to a garage to have the car repaired.B. The young lady and her children were going to take a trip when she found the tyre flat.C. The young lady herself could not repair the tyre of the car at home.D. The young lady drove the car with a tyre flat into the busy street on purpose.She wanted to have it repaired there.Passage2One day when the famous American scientist Addison was on his way home, a young man stopped him and required to have a word with him. Addison accepted his request.The young man asked, “How, Mr. Addison, can you invent so many things and achieve your fame?”The scientist said, “It seems that you have been thinking of becoming famous every day.”The young man nodded, “Yes. I have been dreaming of being a person as notable as you. Every minute I am thinking of how to become reputable. I don't know when I can achieve my fame.”Addison told him, “Don’t worry, young man. If you want to be a famous man this way, you will have to wait until you die!”“Why should I?” the young man was puzzled.Addison said, “What you dream is actually a high building. You never think of how to build it with bricks. Thus the building will never come into reality. However, your story can serve as a mirror. People will remember you because of your illness and laziness. They will often speak of your name while they give warnings to their children. Aren’t you a notorious pe rson by then?”1. What happened to Addison when he was on his way home?A. A beggar stopped himB. A robber stopped himC. A man wanted to speak to himD. A man wanted to have words with him2. The man asked Addison to tell him ___.A. how to invent new thingsB. how to become famousC. how he became a noblemanD. how to become a scientist3. After hearing his talk, the young man was puzzled because Addison told him ___.A. he would die after he was famousB. he would be famous before he diedC. he would die before he was famousD. he would never be famous4. The man didn’t achieve his fame because ___.A. his wish was too highB. he was short of hardworking spiritC. he didn’t learn from othersD. he was too stupid5. The story mainly tells us ___.A. a person needs high spiritB. one shouldn’t dream of becoming famousC. only by hard work can one’s wish come into realityD. one person shouldn’t be idle and lazy6. The man and Mr. Addison had a talk ___.A. in the classroomB. in the labC. in the streetD. at homePassage 3 An artist has a small daughter. Sometimes he painted women without any clothes on, and he and his wife always tried to keep the small girl out when he was doing this, “She is too young to understand,” they said.But one day, when the artist was painting a woman with no clothes on, he forgot to lock the door, and the little girl suddenly ran into the room. Her mother ran up the stairs after her, but when she got to the top, the little girl was already in the room and looking at the woman. Both her parents waited for her to speak.For a few seconds the little girl said nothing, but then she ran to her mother and said angrily, “Why do you let her go about without shoes and socks on when you don’t let me?1. An artist is a person ___.A. who paints picturesB. who paints women with no clothes onC. who paints wallsD. who paints buildings2. The parents always kept the little girl out when the father was painting women without any clothes on, because ___.A. the girl wasn’t old enough to understand what her father was doingB. the girl would follow the women’s exampleC. the girl was too young to learn to paintD. the parents didn’t want her to be interested in painting3. From the passage we can conclude that the parents didn't allow the girl to ___.A. go around bare footB. enter the room suddenlyC. disturb her father’s workD. see any of her father’s work4. As a matter of fact, ___.A. the girl didn’t notice the woman in the picture didn’t wear clothesB. the girl knew a lot about artC. the girl didn’t want to understand artD. the girl enjoyed going around with her shoes and socks on5. What the girl said made her parents ___.A. worriedB. uneasyC. relievedD. interestedPassage 4Man has always wanted to fly. Some of the greatest men in history had thought about the problem. One of them, for example, was the great Italian artist, Leonardo Da Vinci. In the sixteenth century he made designs for machines that would fly, But they were never built.Throughout history, other less famous men had wanted to fly, an example was a man in England 800 years ago. He made a pair of wings from chicken feathers. Then he fixed them to his body and jumped into air from a tall building. He did not fly very far. Instead, he fell to the ground and broke every bone in his body.The first real steps took place in France, in 1783. Two brothers, the Montgolfiers, made a very large “hot air ballon”. They knew that hot air rises. Why not fill a balloon with it? The ballon was made of cloth and paper. In September of that year, the King and Queen of France came to see the balloon. They watched it carry the very first air passengers into the sky. The passengers were a sheep and a chicken. We do not know how they felt about the trip. But we do know that the trip lasted eight minutes and that the animals landed safely. Two months later, two men did the same thing. They rose above Paris in a balloon of the same kind. Their trip lasted twenty-five minutes and they traveled about eight kilometers.1. Leonardo Da Vinci ______.A. said that man would in the sky one dayB. built a kind of machine which never flewC. drew many beautiful pictures of birds.D. made designs for flying machines.2. Eight hundred years ago an Englishman _____.A. made a kind of flying machineB. tried to fly with wings made of chicken featherC. wanted to build a kind of balloonD. tried to fly on a large bird3. In fact, the Englishman who tried to fly ______.A. lost his lifeB. flew only 8 minutesC. got badly woundedD. succeeded in flying4. The very first air passengers in the balloon were ______.A. the King and the QueenB. two FrenchmenC. two animalsD. the Montgolfiers5. When did two Frenchmen rise above Paris?A. In December 1783.B. In September 1783C. In November 1783.D. In the seventeenth century.Passage 5 Australia is nearly as large as the United States, but most of it is too dry to live in. Around the edge(边缘) of this huge dry part are large sheep and cattle farms. A few of them are as large as the smallest states in America. Often the nearest neighbors are many hundred miles away.The two-way radio is very important to people who live on these great Australian farms. It works much like a telephone. A person can listen to someone else talk and give an answer.When these radios first came into use, the Australian government set up a special(专门的，特别的) two-way radio programme(节目). Then, people on the large farms could talk to a doctor hundreds of miles away. They could tell the doctor about someone who was sick, and the doctor could let them know how to care for the sick person.Since the large farms were so far from towns, the children could not to go to school. Radio schools were set up for them in some places. At a certain time each day, the boys and girls turn on their radios and listen to teachers in cities miles away.Families on the large farms wanted to give news to their neighbors. “Round robin(知更鸟)” talks by radio were started to keep families in touch with each other. They could talk about who was getting married or who was sick or who was going away. The men could talk about their sheep and cattle and how much money the markets would pay for them. In many ways the radio became a newspaper for the farm people of Australia.1. This passage tells us something about ___.A. how the radio is used in AustraliaB. why the radio is important in AustraliaC. how large Australia isD. both A and B2. Australia is ___ America.A. almost the same size asB. larger thanC. just as large asD. as large as the smallest state in America3. How many examples were given by the writer to show the use of radio on the great farms?A. Three.B. Only one.C. TwoD. Four4. Families on the large farms kept in touch with each other by ___.A. a birdB. radioC. a newspaperD. telephone5. The two-way radio is something like a telephone because ___.A. you can talk and listen to somebody by radio at the same timeB. people could talk to a doctor hundreds of miles awayC. the radio has two telephonesD. the government has set up a special two-way radio programmePassage6 Bali is a tiny island that today is part of Indonesia. It is a pretty island that has many mountains and a pleasant climate. For a long time, Bali was cut off from much of the world.The people of Bali were happy and gay and had a peaceful life. They were not allowed to fight. At one time there had been terrible wars on Bali. Then the people decided it was wrong to fight or have wars. They made rules to keep apart those people who wanted to fight.Bali was divided into seven small kingdoms. The land around each kingdom was kept empty, and no one lived there. Since the kingdoms did not share the same borders, the people could not fight about them.On Bali, even children were not allowed to fight. If two children started a fight over a toy, someone separated them. When two boys argued, they would agree not to speak to each other. Sometimes they did not talk together for months. This gave the boys a chance to forget their anger.Families who were angry with each other also promised not to speak. Their promise was written down, and the whole village knew about it. If they broke their promise, they had to offer gifts to their gods.1. Bali is an island belonging to ___.A. IndiaB. AfricaC. AsiaD. America2. The people of Bali have been ___.A. living a happy and peaceful lifeB. fighting for a long timeC. cut off from much of the worldD. quarrelling about their borders3. How did the people of Bali prevent fighting from breaking out?A. They shared the same borders.B. The island was divided into seven kingdoms.C. They made rules to punish those who wanted to fight.D. Land was kept empty around each kingdom and no one lived there.4. When children started a fight they ___.A. decided not to speak to each otherB. gave each other a chance to forget their angerC. would never talk to each otherD. were separated from each other5. Which of the following is not true according to the passage?A. Bali is a beautiful island with many mountains and nice weather.B. People had to offer gifts to the villagers if they broke their promise.C. At one time there were terrible wars on the island.D. You’ll hardly see children fighting on the island.Passage 7 In some faraway Turkish village of Kuskoy, whistling is as important as talking. In fact, whistling is talking because the villagers speak and sing by whistling. Kuskoy parents begin to teach their boys and girls the language of whistling about the time the children learn to talk. It is considered so important that the village school includes it as one of the subjects taught along with the Turkish language.This art of communication has taken centuries to develop. The village of Kuskoy spreads out across two hillsides that are separated by a deep valley. The villagers had to find aneasy way to communicate where their voices couldn’t carry. They developed a high-pitched (高音的) whistle language that could be transmitted as far as five miles through air. As a result, Kuskoy, which means “bird village” in Turkish, has come to be known as a whistler’s paradise (乐园).Whistling is so much part of everyday life in Kuskoy that men and women speak, argue (辩论), and court (求爱) in whistles. The story was recently told of a young couple who eloped (私奔). The news was sent over the “mountain telephone” by whistling. The lover’s adventure (冒险经历) was quickly known to all the villagers.It is little wonder, then, that the children of Kuskoy study whistling in school. Wouldn’t it be fun to start the school day with a song—whistled of course!1. In the story, Kuskoy is the name of ___.A. a manB. a countryC. a townD. a village2. The children of Kuskoy learn to whistle because ___.A. it is funB. it is an important way to communicateC. it helps them learn to singD. it is like the Turkish language3. In Kuskoy, whistling as a way of talking started ___.A. recentlyB. hundreds of years agoC. fifty years agoD. ten years ago4. The high-pitched whistle can heard at a distance of ___.A. 10kmB. 5kmC. 15kmD. 8km5. Which of the following do you think is the best title for this story?A. To Learn Whistle Is Very ImportantB. Whistling Is FunC. Whistling—The Mountain TelephoneD. The Strange Turkish Language Passage8To find out how the name Canada came about, we must go back to the 16th century. At that time, the French dreamed of (梦想) discovering and controlling more land across the world. In 1535 FrançoisⅠ, King of France, ordered a navigator (航海家) named Jacques Cartier to explore (探险) the New World and search for a passage to India.Cartier first arrived at the Gulf of the St. Lawrence, which he wanted to explore. He did not know what to expect but he hoped that this Gulf was just an arm of the ocean between two islands. If it was, he would soon be on his way to the Far East. So he sailed upwards along the St. Lawrence River. However, instead of reaching Asia he arrived at Quebec or Stadacona, as the Indians called it. It was at this point that the term (词) “Canada” entered the country’s history. Apparently (明显地) the word “Canada” came from an Indian word “Kanada”, which means village. Cartier first used it when he referred to Stadacona or Quebec. What a huge “village” Canada is!1. What was Cartier ordered to do? ___.A. To build a new countryB. To find the New WorldC. To get in touch with American IndiansD. To know more about America and find a new way to Asia2. When Cartier reached the Gulf of St. Lawrence he hoped ___.A. he had got to the Far EastB. it was a water way to the New WorldC. it was a water way to the EastD. he had sailed into the Pacific3. In the 16th century, Quebec was ___.A. an Indian villageB. a city in CanadaC. the place which we call Canada todayD. a village facing the Gulf of the St. Lawrence4. Which of the following is true according to the passage?A. Quebec and Stadacona were two islands.B. The Indian language for village is Stadacona.C. Quebec and Stadacona were two villages in Canada.D. Stadacona was what the Indians called Quebec.5.Canada was first used to refer to ___.A. AsiaB. the New worldC. a huge villageD. QuebecPassage9No other capital in Europe has more charm (迷人) or a richer past than Vienna, the capital of Austria. Green woods, mountains, and the large Danube River give the city beautiful surroundings.Vienna has more than 1,600,000 people. Almost one-fourth of all the people of Austria live there. Vienna is s ometimes called “a city without a country”. It is so big that it does not seem to be suitable (适合的) in so small a country as Austria.Vienna was a center of science and art and music, too. Many great musicians lived there. It had the name of being a city of spirits, partly because of the dance music and operettas (轻歌剧) written by Viennese musicians.After World War Ⅰ Vienna found itself the capital of a rather poor country of less than 7,000,000 people. World War Ⅱ made Vienna even worse than it was before. Since 1955, however, Vienna has been fast regaining its past greatness.1. Vienna is a city which is ___.A. the most beautiful city in EuropeB. so big that it doesn’t belong to AustriaC. the richest capital in Europe nowD. a small capital of a large country2. According to the passage, Vienna was once a center of ___.A. trafficB. trade and scienceC. art and musicD. B and C3. Vienna was a rich city ___.A. before 1955B. before World War IC. after World WarD. during World War4. Which of the following is true?A. To understand Vienna, one must know its trade.B. After World War, about 7,000,000 people lived in Vienna.C. Green woods, mountains and a large river surround Vienna and make it a beautiful city.D. Vienna musicians did little to make Vienna a city of spirits.5. Which is not mentioned in this article?A. The history of Austria.B. The position of Austria.C. People in Vienna become rich again.D. The population of Austria.Passage 10 Co-operation means working together for the benefit of all. Without co-operation modern society could not exist. Co-operation has at its best among the farmers in the dry areas of certain parts of Australia and Africa. The fields have been irrigated in these areas. Crops cannot be grown without water. For this purpose, canals and reservoirs have been built. The canals have been cut through the fields of not only one farmer. Those who live higher up the valley than the others have permitted canals to be built through their land in order to carry water to the fields of farmers lower down. When there is a long period without rain, all share the water. Instead of taking all the water for themselves, the farmers in the higher land leave enough water for their neighbours down the valley. Farming in the dry areas has been made possible by such co-operation. By co-operation farmers have learned to make even the desert produce crops.1. Co-operation means ___.A. working for othersB. working for oneselfC. working together for the interests of allD. working together for the benefit of the whole world2. A reservoir is used ___.A. to keep the fields wetB. to store waterC. to join canalsD. to prevent farmers from getting water3. In dry weather the farmers who live higher up the valley ___.A. share the water with their neighboursB. keep all the water for themselvesC. build canals across the fields of other farmersD. work hard to store water4. Crops can be produced in desert only because ___.A. there is a lot of rainB. there is one reservoirC. the people work together for the benefit of allD. many wells have been found5. Farmers have dug the canals through ___.A. the fields of many farmersB. the fields of only one farmerC. the whole desertD. many valleysPassage11 Smoking is very prevalent(普遍的) in the West, both by men and by women. But there are still people who do not smoke and who dislike the smoke of others. Be careful not to smoke in such a way or in such a position that your smoke blows into others’ faces. If you are a guest in a home where no others are smoking, it is better to refrain from smoking. If you think they would not mind your smoking, you may say, “Would you mind if I smoked?” and await their assurance (承诺) before lighting up. There are many places where people do not or should not smoke: public meetings, movies and plays, stores, ball-rooms, trains (except in the smoking car), buses (except in the back seats), at the dinner table (except when invited by the hostess near the end of the meal to do so). Many people feel that ladies should not smoke on the street.Be a clean smoker—Use an ash receiver and put out the cigarette completely when you are finished. Be very careful where you put down your lighted cigarette; it is thoughtless and inconsiderate to allow your cigarette to burn the furniture or table covers.1. What does the sentence “…it is better to refrain from smoking” mean?A. You’d better smoke outside the guest’s home.B. It’s better to hold yourself back from smoking.C. You’d better ask the other guests t o smoke together with you.D. You should break away from the bad habit of smoking.2. If you are in another person’s home and want to smoke, what should you do?A. You had better give the host (男主人) a cigarette.B. You should ask the host or hostess if they mind your smoking.C. You shouldn’t light up until you get their promise.D. Both B and C.3. People shouldn’t smoke unless ___.A. they are having public meetingsB. in buses or ball-roomsC. invited by the hostess near the end of the meal to do soD. they walk on the street4. What does the writer suggest people do when they finish smoking?A. Throw the cigarette end (烟头) on the floor.B. Try to blow off the ash.C. Keep the cigarette end burning.D. Use an ash receiver and put out the cigarette completely.5. According to the passage, which of the following is not mentioned?A. Smoking is very common.B. When you smoke, be careful not to blow smoke into others’ faces.C. People don't think it good manners for women to smoke on the street.D. Smoking does harm to your health.Passage12If you can speak English, you know a lot of English words. You can read, speak and understand English. But there is another kind of language you need to know—the language of the body, a part of what is called non-verbal communication.All over the world, people “talk” with their hands and with their eyes. When Japanese people meet, they bow. When Indians meet, they put their hands together. What do American and British people do?Americans are more informal than the British. They like to be friendly. They use first names, they ask questions and they talk easily about themselves. When they sit down, they like to relax in their chairs and make themselves comfortable.British people are more reserved (保守的). They take more time to make friends. They like to know you before they ask you home.When British and American people meet someone for the first time, they shake hands. They do not usually shake hands with people they know well. Women sometimes kiss their women friends, and men kiss women friends (on one cheek only). When a man meets a man friend, he just smiles, and says “Hello”. Men do not kiss each other, or hold hands. Even fathers and sons do not often kiss each other.1. In the first paragraph, the writer thinks that body language is ___.A. uselessB. difficultC. quite easyD. important2. Which of the following is right?A. Different countries have the same body language.B. Different countries have different body language.C. People in Asia share the same body language.D. Many people only use their body language.3. If an American friend visits you, he probably ___.A. sits straightB. never sits downC. makes fun of youD. sits freely4. It takes ___ time for you to make friends with British people.A. noB. littleC. lessD. more5. Generally speaking ___ kiss more often.A. menB. womenC. British peopleD. AmericansPassage13There are many stereotypes (定型) about the character of people in various parts of the United States. In the Northeast and Midwest, people are said to be closed and private (私有的，秘密的). In the South and West, however, they are often thought of as being more open and hospitable (好客). Ask someone from St. Louis where the nearest sandwich shop is, and he or she will politely give you directions. A New Yorker might eye you at first and after deciding it is safe to talk to you, might give you a rather unexpected explanation. A person from Georgia might be very kind about directing you and even suggest some different places to eat. A Texan just might take you to the place and treat you to lunch.American stereotypes are abundant. New Englanders are often thought of as being friendly and helpful. Southerners are known for their hospitality and warmth. People from the western part of the United States are often considered very outgoing. These differences in character can be traced to different factors such as climate, living conditions, and historical development.When traveling from place to place, Americans themselves are often surprised at the differing degrees of friendliness in the United States.1. The main idea of the passage is ___.A. even Americans are surprised at the big differences among themselvesB. there are many differences in character in different parts of the USAC. there are many reasons for the differencesD. stereotypes about people are not necessarily true2. Which of the following is true according to the passage?A. New Yorkers are usually open with strangers.B. People from the South are usually considered good hosts.C. The friendliest Americans travel from place to place.D. Different parts have different customs and habits.3. The differences lies in the following expect ___ of the parts.A. the weatherB. the historyC. geographyD. the names4. The word “abundant” in the second paragraph may probably mean “___”.A. plentifulB. normalC. curiousD. strangePassage 1CDCBD Passage 2CBCBCC Passage3 AAACCPassage 4 DBACC Passage5 DAABA Passage6 CADDBPassage7 DBBDC Passage8 DCADD Passage9 ADBCBPassage10 CBACA Passage 11 BDCDD Passage12DBDDBPassage13 BBDA。

1、下载文档前请自行甄别文档内容的完整性，平台不提供额外的编辑、内容补充、找答案等附加服务。
2、"仅部分预览"的文档,不可在线预览部分如存在完整性等问题,可反馈申请退款(可完整预览的文档不适用该条件!)。
3、如文档侵犯您的权益，请联系客服反馈,我们会尽快为您处理(人工客服工作时间：9:00-18:30)。

高三阅读资料——叙事类美文系列T h e K e y o f a C a rA young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted.As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautiful wrapped gift box. Curiously, but somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the young man's name embossed in gold. Angrily, he raised his voice to his father and said, "With all your money you give me a Bible?" Then stormed out of the house, leaving the Bible.Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and a wonderful family, but realizing his father was very old, he thought perhaps he should go to see him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make the arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care of things.When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search through his father's important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. As he was reading, a car key dropped from the back of the Bible. It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words... "PAID IN FULL".How many times do we miss blessings because they are not packaged as we expected?I trust you enjoyed this. Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; but remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.Four wives in our livesThere was a rich merchant who had 4 wives. He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to delicacies. He took great care of her and gave her nothing but the best.He also loved the 3rd wife very much. He's very proud of her and always wanted to show off her to his friends. However, the merchant is always in great fear that she might run away with some other men.He too, loved his 2nd wife. She is a very considerate person, always patient and in fact is the merchant's confidante. Whenever the merchant faced some problems, he always turned to his 2nd wife and she would always help him out and guide him through difficult times.Now, the merchant's 1st wife is a very loyal partner and has made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and business as well as taking care of the household. However, the merchant did not love the first wife and although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her.One day, the merchant fell ill. Before long, he knew that he was going to die soon. He thought of his luxurious life and told himself, "Now I have 4 wives with me. But when I die, I'll be alone. How lonely I'll be!"Thus, he asked the 4th wife, "I loved you most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showed great care of you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No way!" replied the 4th wife and she walked away without another word.The answer cut like a sharp knife right into the merchant's heart. The sad merchant then asked the 3rd wife, "I have loved you so much for all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No!" replied the 3rd wife. "Life is too good over here! I'm going to remarry when you die!" The merchant's heart sank and turned cold. He then asked the 2nd wife, "I always turned to you for help and you've always helped me out. Now I need your help again. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?" "I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!" replied the 2nd wife. "At the very most, I can only send you to your grave." The answer came like a bolt of thunder and the merchant was devastated.Then a voice called out: "I'll leave with you. I'll follow you no matter where you go." The merchant looked up and there was his first wife. She was so skinny, almost like she suffered from malnutrition. Greatly grieved, the merchant said, "I should have taken much better care of you while I could have!"Actually, we all have 4 wives in our life. The 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it'll leave us when we die. Our 3rd wife is our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, they all go to oth ers. The 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how close they had been there for us when we're alive, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave. The 1st wife is in fact our soul, often neglected in our pursuit of material, wealth and sensual pleasure. Guess what? It is actually the only thing that follows us wherever we go. Perhaps it's a good idea to cultivate and strengthen it now rather than to wait until we're on our deathbed to lament. Perhaps it's a good idea to cultivate and strengthen it now rather than to wait until we're on our death bed to lament.Appointment with loveSix minutes to six, said the clock over the international booth in New York’s Grand Central Station. The tall young Army lieutenant lifted his sunburned face and narrowed his eyes to note the exact time. His heart was pounding with a beat. In six minutes he would see the woman who had filled such a special place in his life for the past 13 months, the woman he had never seen, yet whose written words had sustained him unfailingly.Lieutenant Blandford remembered one day in particular, during the worst of the fighting, when his plane had been caught in the midst of a pack of enemy’s planes. In oneof his letters he had confessed to her that he often felt fear, and only a few days before this battle he had received her answer: “Of course you fear…all brave men do. Next time you doubt yourself, I want you to hear my voice reciting to you: ‘yeah, though I walked through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I will hear no evil: for you are with me.’…” He had remembered, and it had renewed his strength.Now he was going to hear her real voice. Four minutes to six.A girl passed close to him, and Lieutenant Blandford was surprised. She was wearing a flower, but it was not the little red rose they had agreed upon. Besides, this girl was only about 18, and Hollis Meynell had told him she was 30. “What of it?” he had answered. “I’m 32.” He was 29.His mind went back to that book he had read in the training camp. Of Human Bon dage it was; and throughout the book were notes in a woman’s handwriting. He had never believed that a woman could see into a man’s heart so tenderly, so understandingly. Her name was on the book plate: Hollis Meynell. He had got hold a New York City telephone book and found her address. He had written; she had answered. Next day he had been shipped out, but they had gone on writing.For 13 months she had faithfully replied. When his letters did not arrive, she wrote anyway, and now he believed that he loved her and that she loved him.But she had refused all his pleas to send him her photograph. She had explained:” If you’re feeling for me as any reality, what I look like won’t matter. Suppose I’m beautiful. I’d always been haunted by the feeling that you h ad been taking a chance on just that, and that kind of love would disgust me. Suppose I’m plain ( and you must admit that this is more likely), then I’d always fear that you were only going on writing because you were lonely and had no one else. No, don’t ask for my picture. When you come to New York, you shall see me and then you shall make your decision.”One minute to six…he put hard on a cigarette. Then Lieutenant Blandford’s heart leaped.A young woman was coming towards him. Her figure was long and slim; her blond hair lay back in curls over her delicate ears. Her eyes were as blue as flowers, her lips and chin had a gentle firmness. In her pale-green suit, she was like springtime coming alive. He headed toward her, forgetting to notice that she was wearing no rose, and as he moved, a small, provocative smile curved her lips.“Going my way, soldier?” she murmured. He made one step closer to her. Then he saw Hollis Meynell.She was standing almost directly behind the girl, a woman well past 40, her grayi ng hair tucked under a worn hat. She was more than plump; her thick ankled feet were thrust into low-heeled shoes.But she wore a red rose on her rumpled coat. The girl in the green suit was walking quickly. Blandford felt as though he were being split into two, so keen was his desire to follow the girl, yet so deep was his longing for the woman whose spirit had truly companioned and upheld his own; and there she stood. He could see her pale, plump face was gentle and sensible; her grey eyes had a warm twinkle.Lieutenant Blandford did not hesitate. His fingers gripped the worn copy of Human Bondage which was to identify him to her. This would not be love, but it would be something precious, a friendship that he had been and must ever be grateful…He squared his shoulders, saluted, and held the book out toward the woman, although even well while he spoke he fell the bitterness of disappointment. “I’m John Blandford, and you---you are Miss Meynell. May---may I take you to dinner?”The woman smiled. “I don’t know what this is all about, son,” she answered. “That young lady in the green suit; she begged me to wear this rose on my coat. And she said that if you ask me to go out with you, I should tell you that she’s waiting for you in that restaurant across the st reet. She said it was some kind of test.”Life inspiringA daughter complained to her father about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know she was going to make it and want to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.Her father, a cook, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In one he placed carrots, in the second he placed eggs, and in the last he placed ground coffee beans. He led them sit and boil, without saying a word.The daughter sucked her teeth and impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing. In about twenty minutes, he turned off the burners. He fished the carrots out and place d them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then he ladled the coffee out and placed it in a mug. Turning to her, he asked," Darling, what do you see?"“Carrots, eggs, and coffee.” she replied.He brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. Then he asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, were soft . Then he asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. She smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.“What does it mean, Father?” she humbly asked.He explained that each of them had faced the same adversity, boiling water, but each reacted differently. The carrot was strong, hard, and unrelenting. But after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique ,however. After they were in the boiling water ,they had changed the water .“Which are you?” he asked his daughter.When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?。