2013届高三英语星级阶梯阅读练习 三星级 4
A
Bea, a five-year-old girl, was born with a severe illness which means she has to be kept away from other children her age, because her body is so weak that she would be unable to fight off a common cold.
Bea was diagnosed (诊断) with this disease when she was five months old. Since then, the hospital has become her second home, medicines for food, and all kinds of treatments her friends. Bea received a very special treatment when she was four years old, which would allow her to be like a normal child if successful. After that, she spent two weeks in ICU before living for four months on a separate ward(病房). Bea was allowed home in February but still needed a special tube in her nose to send in medicine every two days.
Her parents clean the house from top to bottom every two days and hoover (用吸尘器清扫) each morning to make sure Bea is free from any possible bacteria. Anna, Bea’s mother, said, “She is weak but so strong. We’ve never seen any child stronger than her. It seems as if nothing in the world could beat her. We really hope to send her to school next year.” She used to drive on the local playground, but Bea was only allowed to watch sitting in the car. “It was heartbreaking to see Bea staring at the running and laughing children there. She never stopped fighting the disease. I know she’s dying for such a normal life.”
Hearing of Bea’s story, the Make-A-Wish Foundation has paid for a play park to be built in her back garden. “Bea is very brave and she has encouraged many children like her,” said the chairman of the foundation.
56. If Bea stayed with other children freely, ___________.
A. other children would have a higher chance to catch her disease
B. she would catch a common cold which would kill her quickly
C. her life would be in great danger as she could fall ill easily
D. she would be lost in playing and forget to receive treatment
57. From the passage we can infer that ___________.
A. Bea will need a tube in her nose all the time
B. Bea has to stay in hospital until she is an adult
C. Bea’s parents will send her to school next year
D. Bea’s mother feels proud when talking about her
58. The Make-A-Wish Foundation had a play park built for Bea to ___________.
A. honor her bravery in fighting against her disease
B. call for attention to this immune system deficiency
C. encourage more children like Bea to be optimistic
D. launch a campaign against this serious disease
59. What makes Bea so brave to fight against this serious disease?
A. Her parents’ encouragement and care.
B. Her dreaming of owning a play park.
C. Her wish to become a normal child.
D. Her doctor’s skills and experience.
B
A display of supernatural existence or is it an alien interference? Questions still remain unanswered while experts are still researching on the real reason behind stones of Death Valley that slide by themselves, without the interference of humans or animals. In the southwest of the USA lies this mysterious valley—popular as the hottest and driest location in North America and it consists of a dry lakebed named “Racetrack Playa”.
“Sailing Stones” of Death Valley are all over the Racetrack Playa. The playa, a flat bed of mud, witnesses the sailing of such stones on its broken surface. The tracks formed by these sailing stones are usually 2. 5 cm deep and 4—12 inches wide, and last usually for three to four years.
This phenomenon is a mystery and the exact reason is still under research. Some researchers believe a combination of natural events cause these stones to “sail”. This area of Death Valley can get very cold in the winter nights, causing a layer of ice to form on the baked smooth soil. The rocks are gently pushed across the surface by the ice-coated ground and strong winds.
Some researchers question this theory. Some point the conditions have to be just right for these stones to move, perhaps occurring once every one to three years. They say there are some other unknown factors. To add more to this strange phenomenon, these sailing stones don’t follow a specific path that could be predicted when ice and wind are present. Some stones that are physically near each other may start out sailing in a parallel direction, but then one would stop while the other one continues.
Other researchers believing that the movements of stones are due to Milky Way. The position of stars create a magnetic structure in a way which makes the stones slide in the valley, just like the tides in oceans which are sometimes caused by the gravitation (万有引力) pull of the moon.
So far these mysterious stones and their movements remain unfilmed and unobserved by human eyes.
60. The first sentence of the passage is to ___________.
A. get readers interested in the subject
B. show how confused researchers got
C. indicate the author’s strong curiosity
D. tell the results of researchers’ studies
61. How many opinions about the reason behind “Sailing Stones” of Death Valley are mentioned?
A. 2. B. 3. C. 4. D. 5.
62. Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. The mystery of sailing stones hasn’t been solved yet.
B. So far the path of the sailing stones can be predicted.
C. Death Valley is the hottest and driest place in North America.
D. The tracks formed by the sailing stones usually last 3 to 4 years.
63. What can be the best title for the passage?
A. Death Valley B. An Alien Intervention
C. A Puzzling Phenomenon D. Sailing Stones of Death Valley
C
Sometimes it’s not easy to be positive in life; life can present us with many surprises, disappointments, and even tragedies. It’s important to learn how to be more positive in spite of difficulties, because a positive attitude helps us achieve more in life. Here are a number of ways that you can practice being more positive in life.
1. Think more positive thoughts in life
Focus on exchanging your negative thoughts for positive ones. Make it a habit every day to get out of bed thinking more positive thoughts and prepare positive plans for a good day—at home, in school, or at work.
2. Feel more positive emotions in life
Choose to have positive feelings whenever a challenge or an opportunity arouses your emotions. You can be more positive at home, in school, or at work by developing good thoughts that cause more positive feelings to surface, instead of negative ones.
3. __________________________
Use your positive thoughts and feelings to motivate constructive actions and to handle difficult tasks with a positive attitude. Whether at home, in school or at work, take the lead to get worthwhile projects underway and through to completion, all with energy produced by your more positive outlook on life.
4. Help others be more positive in life
We don’t exist in isolation (孤立). Help others share your new, more constructive mood. Point out the advantages of being more positive in thought, word and deed which include greater success and personal satisfaction at home, in school and at work. The evidence in life supports the superior outcomes of a positive attitude. It’s not easy for many of us, so try to help others see the light as often as you can.
Above all things, one way to be able to be more positive and constructive in life is through continuing education. Keep learning throughout your life to help yourself and others continually improve.
64. The passage mainly talks about ___________.
A. being more positive in life
B. life full of tragedies and difficulties
C. adopting an appropriate attitude in life
D. the importance of giving a hand to others
65. Which of the following can be filled in the blank?
A. Take a positive attitude in life
B. Develop positive thoughts in life
C. Be careful of your behavior in life
D. Take more positive actions in life
66. How can you help others to be positive according to the passage?
A. To give them much practical advice.
B. To show them the cases of your success.
C. To tell them your future project in detail.
D. To encourage them to be independent thinkers.
67. In the eyes of the author, the most important for being positive is to ___________.
A. take further study regularly
B. feel more positive emotions
C. think more positive thoughts in life
D. help others be more positive in life
D
The penguins from the movie Happy Feet (《快乐的大脚》) are tap dancing back to the screen for Happy Feet Two, which landed in China on February 21.
Mumble, the dance master of the first film, has a problem. His son, Erik, is afraid of dancing. Erik runs away to escape all the dancing. He meets The Mighty Sven – a penguin who can fly. Sven soon becomes Erik’s new idol (偶像) and Mumble has no hope of competing with him.
But losing the role model battle turns out to be the least of Mumble’s worries. Suddenly the community is faced with an ecological (生态的) disaster. However, this proves to be Mumble’s chance to shine. Erik learns of his father’s determination and courage as Mumble brings together all of penguin-dom, along with hundreds of other creatures, from the tiny krill (磷虾) to the giant elephant seals, to put things right.
Two Hollywood stars, Matt Damon and Brad Pitt, play what are probably the smallest parts in their careers. They lend their voices to a pair of krill, small creatures at the bottom of the Antarctic food chain.
Penguins, seals and whales depend on krill to survive. Reuters reports that krill fishing has gone beyond sustainable (可持续的) levels. Animals such as penguins and seals are now competing for survival against industrial fishing ships. These two stars could help make people notice the tiny animals’ cause.
Happy Feet Two is directed by George Miller, who won an Oscar for the first Happy Feet. According to the Wall Street Journal, environmental concerns were not a large part of the original story. However, Miller “(felt) forced to emphasize the green theme” as his native Australia has been so strongly affected by global warming and overfishing.
68. What is the problem with Erik according to the article?
A. He just shows no respect for his father.
B. He wants to fly like a mighty penguin.
C. He doesn’t want to be a dancer like his father.
D. He’s no longer the dancer master of the community.
69. The appearance of Matt Damon and Brad Pitt in the movie is expected to ___________.
A. draw attention to the overfishing of krill
B. prevent people from polluting the ocean
C. encourage sustainable fishing in Australia
D. make the movie a huge box office hit
70. From the article we can learn the following statements EXCEPT that ___________.
A. the movie attaches great importance to protecting Antarctic
B. the krill are dying out because too many penguins and seals eat them
C. Mumble with other creatures tries to take action against the disaster
D. Matt Damon and Brad Pitt give background voices for a pair of krill
71. Which of the following can be the theme of the movie Happy Feet Two?
A. The magnificent scenery and species in Antarctic.
B. How love and respect can bring the family together.
C. Concerns about ecology and sustainable development.
D. Human beings’ increasing desires for natural recourses.
E
Dogs and millionaires have a lot in common. They are absolute opportunists (especially when it comes to rewards). They defend their territory(地盘). And in general, they don’t like cats. Perhaps that explains a new survey showing that millionaires are far more dog-friendly than the rest of Americans.
According to a study by Spectrem Group, 58% of millionaire pet owners have a dog. Only 37% own a cat. Only 3% keep fish, 2% birds and 2% have a horse. Similarly, 39% of U. S. households own a dog, compared to 33% of households owning a cat, released by the Humane Society,
Jennifer Cona, a trust and estates attorney(信托和资产律师) and partner with Genser Subow Genser & Cona in New York, does a lot of work on pet trusts. She said of all the pet trusts she’s worked on, 90% are for dogs and only 10% are for cats.
She said dogs provide one thing especially important for the wealthy: unconditional love.
“You don’t get that from a cat,” she said, “Dogs are like children for some families, except that they don’t mess up in college or run off with money. Sometimes it’s easy to see why dogs are the favorite child.”
Millionaires show their love for their dogs in part by their spending. One quarter of millionaire pet owners spend more than $1, 000 a year on their pets every year, the Spectrem study said, while more than half spend more than $500 a year.
Many would say those numbers are understated, given all the diamond-dog collars, dog foods and booming dog spas in evidence these days, not to mention the medical bills.
The survey showed 34% of pet owners spend money on decorating, while only 6% spend on “sweaters, outfits and costumes.”
More than half of millionaire pet owners spend money on teeth cleaning for their pets. More than 16%, meanwhile, said they would spend money on reconstructive surgeries and “anti-anxiety, anti-depression” medication for their pets.
72. What is the passage mainly about?
A. Millionaires like dogs more than other Americans.
B. Keeping dogs as pets is quite popular among Americans.
C. Pet dogs help relieve their owners’ anxiety and depression.
D. Millionaires spend much money on teeth cleaning for their pets.
73. From the survey by Spectrem Group, we can learn ___________.
A. about one third of American households own a cat
B. more than half of millionaire pet owners have a dog
C. millionaire pet owners spend $1, 000 on their pets daily
D. 34% of pet owners spend money on dog clothing
74. What’s the main reason why millionaires show great love for their dogs?
A. They can afford the high expense to raise pet dogs.
B. Pet dogs have never made a mess of things around.
C. Millionaires feel more secure in company of dogs.
D. Pet dogs show unconditional love for their owners.
75. What does Jennifer Cona probably think of millionaires owning pet dogs ?
A. Ridiculous. B. Acceptable. C. Negative. D. Indifferent.
56~59 CDAC 60~63 ABBD 64~67 ADBA 68~71 CABC 72~75 ABDB
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