2013届高三英语星级阶梯阅读练习 二星级 1 A Before Alaska became part of the U.S., it had been owned by Russia. Trading posts and small settlements were scattered along the coast. The rest of land was left unexplored. The Russians were mainly interested in the wealth of furs from the vast herds of seals they found there. By the mid-1800’s, most of the seal herds had been wiped out, and Russia no longer wanted to keep Alaska. William Seward, Secretary of State for President Johnson, believed the United States should buy Alaska from Russia. President Johnson wasn’t so sure it was a wise way to spend U.S. money, but he agreed to let Seward discuss it with the Russians. Acting quickly, Seward made a deal. On March 30, 1867, he signed an agreement for the U.S. to pay seven million dollars for the land. Many people thought it was a foolish waste of America’s money. They called the deal “Seward’s folly”. Then gold was discovered in Alaska and public opinion changed quickly. Seward did not live to see the true value of Alaska. He died in 1872, five years after making the purchase (购买). Each year, Alaska’s natural resources have brought in many times the $7,000,000 paid for it. Natural gas, coal, oil, lumber, seafood and other minerals, besides the gold first found, have made it a valuable addition to the United States. In 1959, Alaska became the 49th state of the United States. 71. The Russians wanted to sell Alaska because ______. A. they thought it wasn’t a good place B. they thought it didn’t belong to Russia C. they couldn’t find enough seals there D. they wanted to earn more money from the U.S. 72. When Seward signed the agreement, many people thought ______. A. he wasted U.S. money B. it had its true value C. it was a successful deal D. he was clever 73. Which of the following things was found first in Alaska? A. Gas. B. Coal. C. Oil. D. Gold. 74. Before 1959, the United States had ______. A. 37 states B. 48 states C. 49 states D. 50 states 75. The best title for this passage would probably be ______. A. Alaska, a beautiful place B. Alaska with natural resources C. Alaska, home to seals D. Alaska, the 49th state of the U.S. B To us it seems so natural to put up an umbrella to keep the water off when it rains, but actually the umbrella was not invented as protection against the rain, Its first use was as a shade against the sun! Nobody knows who first invented it, but the umbrella was used in very ancient times. Probably the first to use it were the Chinese in the 11th century BC. We know that the umbrella was used in ancient Egypt and Babylon as a sunshade. And there was a strange thing connected with its use: it became a symbol of honor. In the Far East in ancient times, the umbrella was allowed to be used only by those in high office. In Europe, the Greeks were the first to use the umbrella as a sunshade. And the umbrella was in commonly used in ancient Greece. But it is believed that the first persons in Europe to use the umbrella as protection against the rain were the ancient Romans. During the Middle Ages, the use of the umbrella practically disappeared. Then it appeared again in Italy in the late sixteenth century. And again it was considered as a symbol of power. By 1680, the umbrella appeared in France and later in England. By the eighteenth century, the umbrella was used against rain throughout most of Europe. Umbrellas have not changed much in style during all this time, though they have become much lighter in weight. It wasn’t until the twentieth century that women’s umbrellas began to be made , in a whole variety of colors. 76．According to this passage, the umbrella was probably first invented in ancient_______. A．China B．Egypt C．Greece D．Rome 77．Which of the following statements is not true about the umbrella? A．No one exactly knows who the inventor of the umbrella was B．The umbrella was first invented to be used as protection against the sun. C．The umbrella changed much in style in the eighteenth century D．In Europe, the Greeks were the first to use the umbrella as a sunshade. 78．A strange feature of the umbrella’s use is that it was used as__________. A．protection against rain B. a symbol of honor and power C．a shade against the sun D．women’s decoration 79．In Europe, the umbrella was first used against the rain_______________. A. during the Middle Ages B. in Rome C. by the 18th D. in Greece 80．This passage talks mainly about_______________. A．when and how the umbrella was invented B．why the umbrella was so popular in Europe C．the development of the umbrella D．The history and use of the umbrella C The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently announced trends in fruit and vegetable consumption(食用) among adults. Since 2000, the CDC has made efforts with goals of getting 75% of Americans to eat two or more servings of fruit a day and 50% of Americans to eat three or more servings of vegetables a day. Unfortunately, Americans aren’t meeting these modest targets. Although a diet high in fruit and vegetables can reduce the risk of many diseases, Americans just aren’t getting enough. In fact, since 2000, the amount of vegetables Americans are eating has stayed the same and the amount of fruit Americans are eating has gone down. The CDC also finds that only about a third of adults are eating their expected servings of fruit, and just over a quarter of adults are eating their expected servings of vegetables. So why aren’t Americans getting their expected servings of fruit and vegetables? It turns out that Americans might be spoiled when it comes to their produce. A national survey conducted by Fruit2day reveals that nearly half of Americans leave fruit in their fridges until it rots with people in Boston among the worst and those in New York and Los Angeles among the best. Sadly, most Americans admit to leaving fruit in the fridge for more than a week. There are many reasons why Americans don’t eat their fruit or vegetables, including the inconvenience of having to wash or peel it. Fruit2day offers consumers a surprising and convenient way to enjoy the goodness of fruit. “With no added sugar, natural juices and two full servings of fruit, our Fruit2day line has really captured the imaginations of health-conscious consumers who are actively looking to get more fruit in their diets,” said Hanno Holm, president and chief executive officer of Hero-White Wave. “Fruit2day makes getting more fruit in one’s diet easier for any daily snack routine.” 81. For 4 million American adults, how many of them are eating two or more servings of fruit a day? A. About 1.3 million. B. About 2 million. C. About 3 million. D. About 1 million. 82. We can learn from the first two paragraphs that __________ . A. Americans have been eating fewer vegetables since 2000. B. most Americans eat less fruit to reduce the risk of diseases. C. most Americans prefer fruit to vegetables. D. over 25% of adults are eating three or more daily servings of vegetables. 83. In which city are people most likely to leave fruit in their fridge? A. In Boston. B. In New York. C. In Los Angeles. D. Not mentioned. 84. With the help of Fruit2day, Americans can __________ . A. easily get rid of their bad eating habits B. conveniently have more fruit in their diets C. add sugar and natural juices to their diets D. find another excuse for not eating healthily 85. Americans don’t eat their fruit or vegetables because __________ . A. they are relatively forgetful B. they are too busy with their work C. they don’t think it convenient to eat them D. they prefer daily snacks with added sugar  版权所有：高考资源网(www.ks5u.com)
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