When I was seven my father gave me a Timex, my first watch. I loved it, wore it for years, and haven’t had another one since it stopped ticking a decade ago. Why? Because I don’t need one. I have a mobile phone and I’m always near someone with an iPod or something like that. All these devices(裝置)tell the time—which is why, if you look around, you’ll see lots of empty wrists; sales of watches to young adults have been going down since 2007.
But while the wise have realized that they don’t need them, others—apparently including some distinguished men of our time—are spending total fortunes on them. Brands such as Rolex, Patek Philippe and Breitling command shocking prices, up to £250.000 for a piece.
This is ridiculous. Expensive cars go faster than cheap cars. Expensive clothes hang better than cheap clothes. But these days all watches tell the time as well as all other watches. Expensive watches come with extra functions—but who needs them? How often do you dive to 300 metres into the sea or need to find your direction in the area around the South Pole? So why pay that much of five years’ school fees for watches that allow you to do these things?
If justice were done, the Swiss watch industry should have closed down when the Japanese discovered how to make accurate watches for a five-pound note. Instead the Swiss reinvented the watch, with the aid of millions of pounds’ worth of advertising, as a message about the man wearing it. Rolexes are for those who spend their weekends climbing icy mountains; a Patek Philippe is for one from a rich or noble family; a Breitling suggests you like to pilot planes across the world.
Watches are now classified as“investments”(投資). A 1994 Philippe recently sold for nearly £350, 000, while the 1960s Rolexes have gone from £15, 000 to £30, 000 plus in a year. But a watch is not an investment. It's a toy for self-satisfaction, a matter of fashion. Prices may keep going up—they’ve been rising for 15 years. But when fashion moves on, the owner of that £350, 000 beauty will suddenly find his pride and joy is no more a good investment than my childhood Timex.
【小題1】It seems ridiculous to the writer that_______________.
A.people dive 300 meters into the sea |
B.expensive clothes sell better than cheap ones |
C.cheap cars don’t run as fast as expensive ones |
D.expensive watches with unnecessary functions still sell |
A.It’s hard for the industry to beat its competitors. |
B.It targets rich people as its potential customers. |
C.It wastes a huge amount of money in advertising. |
D.It’s easy for the industry to reinvent cheap watches. |
A.Watches? Not for Me! | B.My Childhood Timex |
C.Timex or Rolex? | D.Watches—a Valuable Collection |
【小題1】D
【小題2】B
【小題3】A
解析試題分析:本文主要講述的很多人實際上并不需要手表。手表現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)成為了投資物品。
【小題1】D 細節(jié)題。根據(jù)第三段后四行Expensive watches come with extra functions—but who needs them? How often do you dive to 300 metres into the sea or need to find your direction in the area around the South Pole? So why pay that much of five years’ school fees for watches that allow you to do these things? 說明手表實際上沒有什么用途,但是很多人都購買,這真是荒謬。故D項內(nèi)容正確。
【小題2】B 細節(jié)題。根據(jù)第四段Instead the Swiss reinvented the watch, with the aid of millions of pounds’ worth of advertising, as a message about the man wearing it. Rolexes are for those who spend their weekends climbing icy mountains; a Patek Philippe is for one from a rich or noble family; a Breitling suggests you like to pilot planes across the world. 說明瑞士的手表經(jīng)營商把富人當成了自己的目標人群。故B正確。
【小題3】A 主旨大意題。本文主要講述的很多人實際上并不需要手表。手表現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)成為了投資物品。故A正確。
考點:考查社會現(xiàn)象類短文閱讀
點評:本文主旨鮮明,很容易在文中找到答案。做題時要注意文章的首段和每一段的首句或尾句,因為它們往往就是文章的主題句。閱讀中要注意要點之間的關系。然后帶著問題,再讀全文,找出答題所需要的依據(jù),完成閱讀任務。
科目:高中英語 來源:江蘇省木瀆高級中學2010屆高三下學期課堂測試練習試題英語(一) 題型:完型填空
第二節(jié) 完形填空(共20小題;每小題1.5分,滿分30分)
閱讀下面短文,掌握其大意,然后從36-55各題所給的四個選項(A,B,C和D)中,選出最佳選項。
When I was 16 years old,I made my first visit to Disneyland in America.It wasn't the first time I had been _16_.Like most English children I learned French 17_school and I had often been to France,so I 18_ speaking a foreign language to people who didn't understand _19 .But __20_ I went to America,I was really looking forward to _2l_ a nice easy holiday without any _22_ problems.
_23 wrong I was! The misunderstanding began _24_ the airport。I was looking for a _25_ telephone to give my friend Danny a _26_ and tell her that I had arrived.A _27 old man saw me looking lost and asked _28_ he could help me.
“Yes,”I said,“I want to give my friend a ring.”“Well,that's nice,”he said,“Are you getting _29 ? But aren't you a bit young?”“_30_ is talking about marriage?”I replied.“I just want to give my friend a ring to tell her I've arrived.Can you tell me 31 there’s a phone box?”“Oh!”he said,“there's a phone downstairs.”
When at last we did meet up,Danny explained the misunderstanding to me.“Don't worry,”she said to me,“I had so many _32 at first.There are lots of words which the Americans _33_ differently in meaning from us British.You'll soon get used to 34 funny things they say.Most of the _35_ , British and American people understand each other!”
16. A.out B.a(chǎn)way C.outside D.a(chǎn)broad
17. A.from B.during C.a(chǎn)t D.a(chǎn)fter
18. A.get used to B.was used to C.used to D.used
19. A.English B.French C.Russian D.Latin
20. A.when B.while C.if D.for
21. A.buying B.having C.giving D.receiving
22. A.time B.human C.1anguage D. money
23. A. Too B. What a C.What D.How
24. A.with B. to C.over D.a(chǎn)t
25. A.cheap B.popular C.public D.good
26. A. letter B. ring C. news D. information
27.A. friendly B. strange C. stupid D. tough
28.A.how B. if C. where D. what
29.A. to marry B. to be married C. marrying D. married
30.A.You B.She C.Who D.He
31.A.where B.in which C.over there D.that
32. A.trouble B.difficulties C.things D.fun
33. A.write B.speak C.use D.read
34. A.every B.these C.some D.a(chǎn)ll the
35. A.chance B.situation C.condition D.time
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科目:高中英語 來源:2010年高考二輪復習完形填空模擬訓練 題型:完型填空
改編(十五)
My name is Jane Eyre and my parents died when I was a baby. For ten years I lived a ___1___ life with my aunt and cousins who treated me unfairly. My cousins teased me and my aunt never showed me any ___2___. The only person who cared about me was the maid, Bessie. One day my cousin John 3me: “You should go and beg, not live with rich folks like us!” After fighting with him I was locked in a room, where I ___4___ for hours crying.
Things ___5___ the same until a tall gentleman called Mr Brockehurst came to visit. My aunt told me that I was going to a school ___6___ by the gentleman. “Train her to be useful and humble,” said Aunt. Two days later I ___7___ my home.
At first my ___8___ at Lowood School was easy. The food was bad and I was often cold but I made ___9___ and enjoyed studying. But after an illness killed several students, new owners ___10___ the school and life improved. Six years later I ___11___ a teacher and was very happy. But eventually(最后) I felt that I should explore more of the world and found a job as a private teacher in a ___12___.
Before I left Lowood, I was ___13___ by Bessie, who told me that seven years ago my father’s brother had come ___14___ me but left again to go abroad. “He looked like quite a gentleman,” said Bessie. I wondered if he would ever look for me again.
My new life ___15___ at Thornfield Hall, a large country house, ___16___ a little girl called Adele. She was the adopted(被收養(yǎng)的) daughter of the owner of the house, Mr Rochester. He ___17___ stayed at Thornfield and ___18___ my time was mainly spent with Adele and the servants. My life was quite happy now although there was something ___19___ about my new home. Often I heard odd(奇怪的) sounds ___20___ from the top floor of the house.
1. A. happy B. long C. sad D. comfortable
2. A. food B. love C. method D. schooling
3. A. shouted at B. cried over C. found out D. talked with
4. A. lived B. stayed C. studied D. beat
5. A. appeared B. worked C. seemed D. remained
6. A. built B. designed C. owned D. opened
7. A. built B. reached C. left D. sold
8. A. food B. life C. book D. study
9. A. noise B. friends C. mistakes D. faces
10. A. took over B. took up C. took off D. took away
11. A. turned B. met C. became D. found
12. A. school B. home C. library D. country
13. A. taught B. visited C. brought D. required
14. A. looking for B. looking after C. looking into D. looking at
15. A. stopped B. continued C. started D. remained
16. A. showing B. teaching C. searching D. wanting
17. A. often B. hardly C. happily D. quietly
18. A. yet B. so C. still D. though
19. A. interesting B. good C. instructive D. strange
20. A. come B. drop C. fall D. Go
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科目:高中英語 來源:2010年高考二輪復習完形填空模擬訓練 題型:完型填空
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A Strange Greeting, a True Feeling Last week I was invited to a doctor’s meeting at the Ruth hospital for incurables. In one of the wards a patient, an old man, got up shakily from his bed and moved towards me. I could see that he hadn't long to 1 , but he came up to me and placed his right foot close mine on the floor.
“Frank!” I cried in astonishment. He couldn’t 2 , as I knew, but all the time 3 his foot against mine.
My 4 raced back more than thirty years to the 5 days of 1941, when I was a student in London. The 6 was an air-raid shelter, in which I and about hundred other people slept every night. Two of the regulars were Mrs. West and her son Frank.
7 wartime problems, we shelter-dwellers got to 8 each other very well. Frank West 9 me because he wasn’t 10 , not even at birth. His mother told me he was 37 then, but he had 11 of a mind than a baby has. His “ 12 ” consisted of rough sounds——sounds of pleasure or anger and 13 more. Mrs. West, then about 75, was a strong, capable woman, as she had to be, of course, because Frank 14 on her entirely. He needed all the 15 of a baby.
One night a policeman came and told Mrs. West that her house had been flattened by a 500-pounder. She 16 nearly everything she owned.
When that sort of thing happened, the rest of us helped the 17 ones. So before we 18 that morning, I stood beside Frank and 19 my right foot against his. They were about the same size. That night, then, I took a pair of shoes to the shelter for frank. But as soon as he saw me he came running and placed his right foot against mine. After that, his 20 to me was always the same.
( )1. A. work B. stay C. live D. expect
( )2. A. answer B. speak C. smile D. laugh
( )3. A. covering B. moving C. fighting D. pressing
( )4. A. minds B. memories C. thoughts D. brains
( )5. A. better B. dark C. younger D. old
( )6. A. cave B. place C. sight D. scene
( )7. A. Discussing B. Solving C. Sharing D. Suffering
( )8. A. learn from B. talk to C. help D. know
( )9. A. needed B. recognized C. interested D. encouraged
( )10. A. normal B. common C. unusual D. quick
( )11. A. more B. worse C. fewer D. less
( )12. A. word B. speech C . sentence D. language
( )13. A. not B. no C. something D. nothing
( )14. A. fed B. kept C. lived D. depended
( )15. A. attention B. control C. treatment D. management
( )16. A. lost B. needed C. destroyed D. left
( )17. A. troublesome B. unlucky C. angry D. unpopular
( )18. A. separated B. went C. reunited D. returned
( )19. A. pushed B. tried C. showed D. measured
( )20. A. nodding B. greeting C. meeting D. acting
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科目:高中英語 來源:2010-2011學年浙江省富陽二中高一下學期第一次月考英語卷 題型:完型填空
完形(15%)
Albert Einstein said, “In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.” Once __41 __, such opportunities are like valuable diamonds hidden in the sand.
Several years ago, I spoke at a school about how we were surrounded by “___42___ ” if we could only recognize them. A man stopped by to see me, and I remembered him as somebody who had suffered through a(n) ___43___ divorce (離婚) and was examining what was most important to him. He took a small ___44___ out of his pocket. Here is what he said to me that day.
“I ___45___ on this stone when I was leaving church last Sunday. You had spoken about ___46___ opportunities—diamonds. I put the stone in my ___47___ to remind me to look for those “diamonds” that I need. I have been trying to sell my business . On Monday morning, a man who seemed interested in ___48___ some of my stock (股票) stopped by. I thought, ‘Here’s my diamond—don’t let it ___49___!’ I sold the entire stock to him by noon. Now my next diamond is to find a new ___50___ !”
Not long afterward, he did find a new and better job. From then on, he decided to keep his stone with him all the time as a ___51___ to look for “diamonds” as he dug through the ___52___ of life.
Richard DeVos is right when he points out. “This is an exciting world. It is filled with opportunities. Great moments wait around every corner.” Those moments are diamonds that, ___53___ left unrecognized, will be forever lost.
Are you looking for “diamonds” every day? If not, you may ___54___ pass them by! Perhaps there is a diamond of opportunity hidden in the difficulty you’re ___55___ now.
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科目:高中英語 來源:2011-2012學年江蘇省常熟中學高二上學期期中考試英語試卷 題型:完型填空
完形填空 (共20小題;每小題1分,滿分20分)
請認真閱讀下面短文,從短文后各題所給的A、B、C、D四個選項中,選出最佳選項,并在答題卡上將該項涂黑。
We often talk about ourselves as if we have permanent genetic defects (缺陷) that can never be changed. “I’m impatient.” “I’m always behind.” “I always put things 31 !” You’ve surely heard them. Maybe you’ve used them to describe 32 .
These comments may come from stories about us that have been 33 for years—often from 34 childhood. These stories may have no 35 in fact. But they can set low expectations for us. As a child, my mother said to me, “Marshall, you have no mechanical skills, and you will never have any mechanical skills for the rest of your life.” How did these expectations 36 my development? I was never 37 to work on cars or be around 38 . When I was 18, I took the US Army’s Mechanical Aptitude Test. My scores were in the bottom for the entire nation!
Six years later, 39 , I was at California University, working on my doctor’s degree. One of my professors, Dr. Bob Tannbaum, asked me to write down things I did well and things I couldn’t do. On the positive side, I 40 down, “research, writing, analysis, and speaking.” On the 41 side, I wrote, “I have no mechanical skills.”
Bob asked me how I knew I had no mechanical skills. I explained my life 42 and told him about my 43 performance on the Army test. Bob then asked, “ 44 is it that you can solve 45 mathematical problems, but you can’t solve simple mechanical problems?”
Suddenly I realized that I didn’t 46 from some sort of genetic defect. I was just living out expectations that I had chosen to 47 . At that point, it wasn’t just my family and friends who had been 48 my belief that I was mechanically hopeless. And it wasn’t just the Army test, either. I was the one who kept telling myself, “You can’t do this!” I realized that as long as I kept saying that, it was going to remain true. 49 , if we don’t treat ourselves as if we have incurable genetic defects, we can do well in almost 50 we choose.
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