Equipped only with a pair of binoculars (雙筒望遠(yuǎn)鏡) and ready to spend long hours waiting in all weathers for a precious glance of a rare bullfinch(紅腹灰雀). Britain’s birdwatchers had long been supposed to be lovers of a minority sport. But new figures show birdwatching is fast becoming a popular pastime, with almost three million of us absorbed in our fluttering feathered friends.
Devoted birdwatchers, those prepared to travel thousands of miles for a sighting of a rare Siberian bird, are fast being joined by a new breed of follower whose interest is satiated by watching a few finches (雀科鳴鳥) on a Sunday walk or putting up a bird-box in the back garden.
“Almost three million UK birdwatchers is certainly possible if you include everyone with only a casual interest,” Stephen Moss said in his newly published book—A Bird in the Bush: a Social History of Birdwatching—which records the pursuit from the rich Victorian Englishman’s love of shooting rare birds to the less offensive observational tendencies of birdwatchers today.
Television wildlife programmes have helped to fuel the new trend. Last summer, BBC 2’s Britain Goes Wild was a surprise success. It pulled in three million viewers and led to bird-houses selling out across the UK as 45,000 people promised to put up a box.
Birdwatchers’ networking system first came to the attention of the nation in 1989, when a birdwatcher caught sight of the first Vermivora chrysoptera—a golden-winged songbird from North America—to be seen in Britain. He put a message out on the network service Birdline, and the next day 3,000 birdwatchers proved the full pull of a truly rare bird as they visited the Tesco car park in Kent, where it had settled. Today, birdwatchers can log on to www.birdline.co.uk or have news of the latest sightings texted to their phones.
“Multimillion-pound spending on binoculars, bird food and boxes point to the increasing numbers of birdwatchers,” said David Cromack, the editor of Bird Watching magazine, “The number of people involved is so big that they have great potential to influence government decisions affecting the environment.”
小題1:The word “satiated” in paragraph 2 can best be replaced by “_______”.
A.a(chǎn)ffectedB.sharedC.satisfiedD.narrowed
小題2:What happened after the message of seeing a Vermivora chrysoptera was put on the network?
A.Birdwatchers helped the rare bird settle in Kent.
B.Large numbers of birdwatchers went to view the bird.
C.Many birdwatchers logged on to the website for details.
D.Birdwatchers showed their determination to protect the rare bird.
小題3:Which of the following CANNOT be true according to the passage?
A.Television wildlife programmes started the popular pastime of birdwatching.
B.The network service has contributed to the rapid development of birdwatching.
C.Birdwatching in Britain was long considered a sport with a small group of followers.
D.The current situation of birdwatching may promote the protection of the environment.
小題4:The passage mainly tells us about ________ in UK.
A.the history of bird watching
B.a(chǎn) growing passion for bird watching
C.the impact of media on bird watching
D.bird watching as a popular expensive sport

小題1:C
小題2:B
小題3:A
小題4:B

小題1:這是一道猜義題。根據(jù)第二段的內(nèi)容可猜測(cè)出這個(gè)詞的意思是“令人滿意的”。
小題2:這是一道細(xì)節(jié)推斷題。根據(jù)第四段“It pulled in three million viewers and led to bird-h(huán)ouses selling out across the UK as 45 000 people promised to put up a box.”可判斷出引來(lái)了大量觀察鳥的人。
小題3:這是一道判斷正誤題。根據(jù)第四段“Television wildlife programmes have helped to fuel the new trend.”可判斷出選項(xiàng)A是錯(cuò)誤的。
小題4:這是一道主旨題。這篇短文主要講述了在英國(guó)人們對(duì)鳥類進(jìn)行觀察的熱情越來(lái)越高。
練習(xí)冊(cè)系列答案
相關(guān)習(xí)題

科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

As computers become all the more popular in China, Chinese people are increasingly relying on computer keyboards to input Chinese characters. But if they use the computer too much, they may end up forgetting the exact strokes(筆畫)of each Chinese character when writing on paper. Experts suggest people, especially students, write by hand more.
Do you write by hand more or type more? In Beijing, students start using a computer as early as primary school. And computer dependence is more wide-spread among university students. Almost all their assignments and essays are typed on a computer.
All the students interviewed say they usually use a computer.
It's faster and easier to correct if using a computer. And that's why computers are being applied more and more often to modern education. But when people are taking stock in computers increasingly, problems appear.
"When I'm writing with a pen, I find I often can't remember how to write a character, though I feel I’m familiar with it."
"I'm not in the mood to write when faced with a pen and paper."
Many students don't feel this is something to worry about. Now that it's more convenient and efficient to write on a computer, why bother to handwrite?
Many educators think differently. Shi Liwei , the headmaster of a famous primary school in the capital said "Chinese characters enjoy both practical and aesthetic(審美的) value. But those characters typed with computer keyboards only maintain their practical value. All the artistic beauty of the characters is lost. And handwriting contains the writer's emotion. Through one's handwriting, people can get to know one's thinking and personality. Beautiful writing will give people a better first impression of them"
To encourage students to handwrite more, many primary schools in Beijing have made writing classes compulsory(必修的)and in universities, some professors are asking students to turn in their homework and essays written by hand.
小題1:Which of the following can best serve as the title of the passage?
A.The Importance of Handwriting and Typing.
B.To Type or To Hand Write
C.Writing By Computer Will Replace Writing By Hand
D.Practical and Aesthetic Value of Chinese Characters.
小題2:The students interviewed prefer to write using a computer mainly because______.
A.they are usually asked to e-mail their Homework and Essays
B.they can correct the mistakes they make quickly and conveniently
C.they find it not easy to remember how to write a character
D.computers have become a trend and fashion in China.
小題3:Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE of the advantages of handwriting?
A.Handwriting contains the writer's emotion.
B.The writer’s thinking and personality are shown in his or her handwriting,
C.Handwriting can impress people well and build one’s self-confidence
D.Chinese characters enjoy both practical and aesthetic value.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Manners nowadays in metropolitan cities like London are practically non-existence, it’s nothing for a big, strong schoolboy to elbow an elderly woman aside in the dash for the last remaining seat on the tube or bus, much less stand up and offer his seat to her.
This question of giving up seats in public transport is much argued by young men, who say that, since women have claimed equality, they no longer deserve to be treated with courtesy 禮貌、謙讓) and that those who go out to work should take their turn in the rat race like anyone else. Women have never claimed to be physically as strong as men. Even if it is not agreed, however, that young men should stand up for younger women, the fact remains that courtesy should be shown to the old, the sick and the burdened. Are we really so lost to all ideals of unselfishness that we can sit there indifferently reading the paper or a book, saying to ourselves “First come, first severed”, while a grey-haired woman, a mother with a young child stands? Yet this is all too often seen.?
Older people, tired and quick-tempered from a day's work, are not angels, either-far from it. Many a brisk argument or an insulting quarrel breaks out as the weary queues push and shove each other to get on buses and tubes. One cannot commend this, of course, but on does feel there is just a little more excuse.?
If cities are to remain pleasant places to live in at all, however, it seems imperative(迫切的), not only that communications in transport should be improved, but also that communication between human beings should be kept smooth and polite. All over cities, it seems that people are too tired and too rushed to be polite. Shop assistant's won't bother to assist, taxi drivers growl at each other as they dash dangerously round corners, bus conductors pull the bell before their desperate passengers have had time to get on or off the bus, and so on and so on. It seems to us that it is up to the young and strong to do their small part to stop such deterioration(惡化).?
小題1:What is the writer's opinion concerning courteous manners towards women??
A.Since women have claimed equality, they no longer need to be treated differently from men.?
B.It is generally considered old-fashioned for young men to give up their seats to young women.?
C."Lady First" should be universally practiced.?
D.Special consideration ought to be shown to them.?
小題2:According to the passage communication between human beings would not be smoother unless ________.
A.people were more considerate towards each other?
B.people were not so tired and quick-tempered?
C.women were treated with more courtesy?
D.public transport could be improved.?
小題3:The author probably does NOT agree that in big cities _______.
A.Life will be even worse if no change is made
B.transport conditions are rather poor
C.it’s not uncommon to see people quarrel in public places
D.it’s unreasonable to require the tired people to be polite
小題4:The main purpose of the author is to ________.
A.call on people in big cities to pay more attention to politeness
B.blame the schoolboys’ rude behavior towards elderly women on the tube or bus
C.criticize the fast pace of city life
D.tell young men to give their seats to elderly people
小題5:How could you describe the tone of this passage?           
A.a(chǎn)cceptableB.opponent
C.negativeD.encouraging

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Mules
Although the top men in smuggling(走私)business must work together, most of a syndicate’s(集團(tuán))small fry, especially the mules, know only their immediate contacts. If caught there is little they can give away. A mule probably will not even know the name of the person who gives him his instructions, nor how to get in touch with him. Usually he even does not know the person to whom he has to make delivery. He will be told just to sit tight in a certain hotel or bar until someone contacts him. In this way if he is blown, coming through airport customs he cannot unwittingly lead agents to the next link in the chain. All the persons at the receiving end do is to hang around the airport among the waiting crowd, and see that the mule comes through safely. If he does not, he is dimply written off(報(bào)廢;注銷)as a loss. To make identification of mules easier, several syndicates have devised their own “club ties” so that a mule wearing one can immediately be picked out.
Mules often receive careful training before embarking on their first journey. One Beirut organization, for example, uses a room with three airline seats in it. There the trainee mules sit for hours on end wearing weighted smuggling vests beneath their clothes, so that they become accustomed to standing up after a long flight in a natural way, and without revealing what they are carrying. An outfit in Brussels maintained a comfortable apartment where the mules could relax and get a firm grip on themselves on the night before their first journey; they were helped to dress before setting out for the airport in the morning. More often than not a courier will not know precisely where he is going or what flight number is until he is actually handed his tickets at the airport. This prevents the careless boast in some bar or to a girl friend the night before.
Mules occasionally run off with the goods to keep the profit themselves. As insurance against this, a syndicate often sends a high-up on the same plane to keep a wary eye on couriers, particularly new ones. Even then things can go badly wrong. One international currency smuggler who was having trouble getting money out of Britain was offered help by a group of men who said they were in a position to “fix thing” – for a fee of course. Foolishly, the smuggler agreed to accept their help. When he got to London’s Heathrow Airport, he handed over to one of the men a black suitcase containing nearly $90,000 in cash, destined for Frankfurt. Just to keep an eye on things, the smuggler went along on the same plane. When they landed at Frankfurt he was handed back his suitcase. He beat a straight path to the men’s toilet, opened the case, and found only old clothes. The courier had switched suitcase en route, but the smuggler could hardly run to the police and complain that “the man who was smuggling money out of England for me has stolen it.”
小題1:What is a “mule”?
A A person who sends smuggling goods for a syndicate is called mule.
B A person in charge of smuggling goods is called mule.
C A person who makes delivery for a syndicate is called mule.
D A person who receives instructions from a smuggler is called mule.
小題2:The sentence “if he is blown” in line (6) is closest in meaning to
A if he is arrested.                  B if he is recognized, but not necessarily arrested.
C if he is recognized and arrested.     D if he runs away.
小題3:Why does the author give an example in the last paragraph?
A To show how a smuggler is caught. 
B To show a smuggler is afraid of the police.
C To show to keep a wary eye on couriers is useless.
D To show mules may keep the profit for themselves.
小題4:how does a mule work?
A Jointly.                   B Independently.
C consciously.               D Separately.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

A recent study, published in last week’s Journal of the American Medical Association, offers a picture of how risky it is to get a lift from a teenage driver. Indeed, a 16-year-old driver with three or more passengers is three times as likely to have a fatal accident as a teenager driving alone. By contrast, the risk of death for drivers between 30 and 59 decreases with each additional passenger.
The author also found that the death rates for teenage drivers increased dramatically after 10 p.m., and especially after midnight, with passengers in the car, the driver was even more likely to die in a late-night accident.
Robert Foss, a scientist at the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, says the higher death rates for teenage drivers have less to do with “really stupid behavior” than with just a lack of driving experience. “The basic issue.” he says, “is that adults who are responsible for issuing licenses fail to recognize how complex and skilled a task driving is.”
Both he and the author of the study believe that the way to mitigate (使……緩解)the problem is to have states institute so-called graduated licensing systems, in which getting a license is a multistage process. A graduated license requires that a teenager first prove himself capable of driving in the presence of an adult, followed by a period of driving with night of passenger restrictions, before graduating to full driving privileges.
Graduated licensing systems have reduced teenage driver crashes, according to recent studies, About half of the states now have some sort of graduated licensing system in place, but only 10 of those states have restrictions on passengers, California is the strictest, with a novice(新手)driver prohibited from carrying any passenger under 20(without the presence of an adult over 25)for the first six months.
小題1:Which of the following situations is most dangerous according to the passage?
A.Adults giving a lift to teenagers on the highway after 10 p.m.
B.A teenager driving after midnight with passengers in the car.
C.Adults driving with three or more teenage passengers late at night.
D.A teenager getting a lift from a stranger on the highway at midnight.
小題2:According to Robert Foss, the high death rate of teenage drivers is mainly due to ________
A.their frequent driving at night
B.their improper way of driving?
C.their lack of driving experience
D.their driving with passengers
小題3:According to Paragraph 3. which of the following statements is TRUE?
A.Teenagers should spend more time learning to drive.
B.Driving is a skill too complicated for teenagers to learn.
C.Restrictions should be imposed on teenagers applying to take driving lessons.
D.The licensing authorities are partly responsible for teenagers' driving accidents.
小題4:A suggested measure to be taken to reduce teenagers' driving accidents is that ________ .
A.driving in the presence of an adult should be made a rule
B.they should be prohibited from taking on passengers
C.they should not be allowed to drive after 10 p.m.
D.the licensing system should be improved

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

B
Domestic (馴養(yǎng)的) horses now pull ploughs, race in the Kentucky Derby, and carry police. But early horses weren’t tame (馴服的) enough to perform these kinds of tasks. Scientists think the first interactions humans had with horses were far different from those today.
Thousands of years ago, people killed the wild horses that lived around them for food. Over time, people began to catch the animals and raise them. This was the first step in domestication.
As people began to tame and ride horses, they chose to keep those animals that had more desirable characteristics. For example, people may have chosen to keep horses that had a gentle personality so they could be ridden more easily. People who used horses to pull heavy loads would have chosen to keep stronger animals. Characteristics like strength are partly controlled by the animals’ genes. So as the domesticated horses reproduced, they passed the characteristics on to their young. Each new generation of houses would show more of these chosen characteristics.
Modern day horse breeds come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. This variety didn’t exist in the horse population before domestication. The Shetland horse is one of the smallest breeds—typically reaching only one meter tall. With short, strong legs, the animals were bred to pull coal out of mine shafts (礦井) with low ceilings. Huge horses like the Clydesdale came on the scene around 1700. People bred these heavy, tall horses to pull large vehicles used for carrying heavy loads.
The domestication of horses has had great effects on societies. For example, horse were important tools in the advancement of modern agriculture. Using them to pull ploughs and carry heavy loads allowed people to farm more efficiently. Before they were able to ride horses, humans had to cross land on foot. Riding horses allowed people to travel far greater distance in much less time. That encouraged populations living in different areas to interact with one another. The new from of rapid transportation helped cultures spread around the world.
小題1:Before domestication horses were ______.
A.caught for sports B.hunted for food
C.made to pull ploughsD.used to carry people
小題2:The author uses the Shetland horse as an example to show ______.
A.it is smaller than the Clydesdale horseB.horse used to have gentle personalities
C.some horses have better shaped than others
D.horses were of less variety before domestication
小題3:Horses contributed to the spread of culture by ______.
A.carrying heavy loadsB.changing farming methods
C.serving as a means of transportD.a(chǎn)dvancing agriculture in different areas
小題4:The passage is mainly about _______.
A.why humans domesticated horsesB.how humans and horses needed each other
C.why horses came in different shapes and sizes
D.how human societies and horses influenced each other

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Audrey Hepburn was born on May 4, 1929 in Brussels, Belgium. After her parents divorced, Audrey went to London with her mother where she went to a private girls school. While vacationing with her mother in Holland, Hitler’s army suddenly took over the town. It was here that she fell on hard times during the Nazi occupation. After the liberation, Audrey went to a ballet school in London on a scholarship and later began a modeling career. As a model, she was graceful and, it seemed, she had found her position in life—until the film producers came calling. After being spotted modeling by a producer, she was signed up for a bit part in the European film Nederlands in 7 Lessons in 1984. Later, she headed to America to try her luck there.
Audrey gained immediate prominence (成功) in the U.S. with her role in Roman Holiday in 1953. This film turned out to be a big success as she won an Oscar as Best Actress. This gained her enormous popularity and many more roles. Roman Holiday was followed by another similarly wonderful performance in the 1957 classic Funny Face (1957). In 1959, she received yet another nomination(提名) for her role in Nun’s Story. Audrey reached the top of her career when she played Holly Golightly in the film Breakfast at Tiffany’s in 1961. For this she received another nomination. One of Audrey’s most radiant(輝煌的) roles was in the fine production of My Fair Lady in 1964. Her co-star Rex Harrison once was asked to choose his favorite leading lady. Without hesitation, he replied, “Audrey Hepburn in My Fair lady”.
By the end of the sixties, after her divorce from actor Mel Ferrer, Audrey decided to retire while she was on top. Later she married Dr. Andrea Dotti. In 1988, Audrey became a special ambassador(大使) to the United Nations UNECEF fund helping children in Latin, American and Africa, a position she retained until 1993. Audrey Hepburn died on January 20, 1993 in Switzerland. She had made a total of 31 high quality movies.
小題1:Where did Audrey Hepburn become famous?
A.England.B.America.C.Switzerland.D.Belgium.
小題2:We can infer that Audrey Hepburn was ______.
A.a(chǎn) learned womanB.satisfied with her marriage
C.a(chǎn) woman with sympathyD.very popular as a model
小題3:Choose the right order about the life of Audrey Hepburn.
a. Audrey began a modeling career.
b. Audrey went to London with her mother.
c. Audrey became popular in the film Roman Holiday.
d. Audrey became a special ambassador to the United Nations UNICEF fund
e. Hitler’s army suddenly took over the town.
f. Audrey married Dr. Audrey Dotti.
A.a(chǎn), b, c, d, e, fB.b, e, a, c, f, d
C.c, a, b, f, e, d, D.b, e, f, c, a, d
小題4:The underlined word “spotted” in the first paragraph can be replaced by ______.
A.seenB.shotC.recognizedD.dropped

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Despite bankruptcies,lay off and tighter comsumers spending,a few femaleled  businesses in Japan are developing well.
Shizue Hamada,52,set up a business in 1991 with eight other housewives-to care for the elderly and the physically disabled.
It wasn’t long before the Tasukeai Yui(mutual -aid group) earned a reputation for    its excellent  service. It now employs 200  staff  and  has  300 million  yuan(US $2.4million)in annual sales.
The woman said their business has been successful because they provide what  customrs really want.
These entrepreneurs are making use of a revalized  and  healthy demand  for everyday basic items.
Bread,for instance,is  in  high demand.Business  woman  Meiko Tanaka,26,started selling high-quality bread over the Internet in 2000.“Bread is cheap,”she said.“We migh  as well eat the bread baked using the the highest-quality ingredients.”
Five women—former office workers in their late 20s—have started the“OL Food Bureau of Investigation”to review restaurants on the  Internet.OL means young    office lady. It’s  a common nickname in Japan.
Business is increasing rapidly.Membership for their online magazine has reached 26,000. Their non-professional comments  seem to carry a lot of weight with consumers.This month the five women will be appearing on Japanese TV.
What all these female entrepreneurs have in common is a strong belief in their  likes and dislikes,and confidence is their own sensibilities.
They find gaps in the market and fill them with products and services that they like or want.
Japanese women headed nearly 6 percent of all  businesses in Japan at the end of  June—up from 4.5 per cent in 1999.
These female—led micro—businesses are playing an increasingly large role in the economy by plugging the gap between supply and demand.
1.When talking about the businesswomen in Japan,the writer       
A.thinks little of them
B.thinks that they will take the place of men in future
C.sings the praises of  their abilities
D.is not sure of  their future development
2.The passage mainly discusses .      
A.Japanese women                        B.female-led businesses in Japan
C.how to earn a reputation                 D.Japanese economic development
3.The five women will be appearing on Japanese TV because         .
A.thier comments have great influences on consumers
B.they have set up the first online magazine
C.they have arranged handreds of jobs for laid?off workers
D.they used to work in offices and are fairly beautiful
4.If an old man in Japan can't live by himsilf,he should turn to        for hehp.
A.Tasukeai Yui  B.Meiko Tanaka   C.OL Food Bureau of lnvestigation   D.entrepreneurs

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

One of the biggest new bands in the UK is Arctic Monkeys.Their first two singles(單曲唱片)went straight to Number One in the charts(排行榜)and their first album “Whatever People Say I Am,That's what I'm No” has become a record?breaking album.It's the fastest selling debut album(首張專輯)in UK chart history.
Arctic Monkeys are famous because of their great success.They achieved their success thanks to the Internet.Usually a new band signs to a record company and then it is through marketing that people buy their singles.The single sales then get the band into the charts and they become popular that way.
However,Arctic Monkeys became well?known in a slightly different way.Back in 2003 when the band first started,they handed out CDs at their performing concert.Certain fans liked the music so much that they put the music up on the Web.The general public had access to this music because it was on the Internet and,because people liked the music,the band's popularity increased.The band's popularity was starting to get noticed by major radio stations in the UK.
Arctic Monkeys released(發(fā)行)their first single in October 2005.Before that,their music had only been available to download on the Internet.When they did finally release a single and an album,they both rose to the top of the charts.
Music fans welcome the use of the Internet this way—Arctic Monkeys became popular simply because people liked their music when they heard it.There were no ads.As music downloads continue to increase in popularity,we can expect to see more and more bands make it big in this way.
小題1:Arctic Monkeys gained popularity through __________.
A.giving away their CDs
B.the Internet
C.singing to a record company
D.marketing and advertisement
小題2:.Before 2005,how can you get Arctic Monkeys' music?
A.Going to their live music party.
B.Download their music from the Internet.
C.Buying their singles and albums in a shop.
D.Listen to it on the radio in the UK.
小題3:Why did Arctic Monkeys become popular?
A.People could hear their music often.
B.They didn't advertise their music.
C.People liked their music.
D.The marketing company did well.

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習(xí)冊(cè)答案