Disease, poverty, hate, love-Charles Dickens' stories opened his readers' eyes to the most important themes of his age.Two hundred years on, his stories still speak volumes across the world, proving that Dickens' legacy (遺產(chǎn)) was far greater than just "great literature".
February 7 marks the 200th anniversary of the writer's birthday.To mark this date, BBC writer Alex Hudson listed six things Dickens gave the modern world.Let's take a look at two of them.
A while Christmas
Dickens is described as "the man who invented Christmas" -not the religious festival, but the cultural aspects that we associate with the festive (喜慶的) season today.
In the early 19th century, Christmas was barely worth mentioning, according to critic and writer Leigh Hunt.The committee which ran the Conservative Party even held ordinary business meetings on Christmas Day - unthinkable in the West nowadays, when everyone, but the most necessary workers takes at least three days off.
Many people believe that Dickens' popular depictions(描繪) of the festive period became a blueprint for generations to come.In his classic novel, A Christmas Carol, he not only put forward the idea of snow at Christmas,but also painted a picture of glowing warmth-“home enjoyments, affections and hopes".
In his biography of Dickens, Peter Ackroyd wrote, "Dickens can be said to have almost single-handedly created the modern idea of Christmas."
"Dickensian" poverty
Dickens was one of the first to take an honest look at the underclass and the poor of Victorian (the period during British Queen Victoria's reign from 1837 to 1901) London.
He helped popularize the term "red tape" to describe situations where people in power use needless amounts of bureaucracy (官僚作風) in a way that particularly hurts the weaker and poorer members of society.
"Dickensian" has now become a powerful word for describing an unacceptable level of poverty.In 2009, when the president of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers in the UK wanted to talk about deprivation in some areas, of Britain, she did not use words like "terrible" or "horrific", but rather described it as "life mirroring the times of Dickens".
【小題1】What is the main idea of the article?

A.Charles Dickens' impact on the world.
B.An introduction to Charles Dickens' classic novels.
C.Charles Dickens' amazing characters.
D.Why Charles Dickens is popular across the world.
【小題2】Why is Dickens called "the man who invented Christmas"?
A.Because he created the religious festival.
B.Because one of his novels helped to shape Christmas celebrations.
C.Because many of his novels have something to do with Christmas.
D.Because he was the first man to have proposed celebrating Christmas.
【小題3】According to the article, the phrase “red tape” refers to __.
A.rules or procedures that are required to accomplish a task
B.a(chǎn) situation in which poor members of society are hurt
C.conflict between people in power and weaker people
D.pointlessly time-consuming official procedures
【小題4】What can we infer from the passage?
A.Dickens is still popular today in Britain.
B.everyone takes at least three days off at Christmas.
C.Dickens invented Christmas
D.Dickens gave the modern world six things.


【小題1】A
【小題2】B
【小題3】D
【小題4】A

解析試題分析:文章介紹了狄更斯對現(xiàn)代社會的兩個重要影響。
【小題1】主旨題:從第二段第二句:To mark this date, BBC writer Alex Hudson listed six things Dickens gave the modern world.為紀念這個日子,BBC作家亞歷克斯·哈德遜列舉了狄更斯帶給現(xiàn)代世界的六件事,可知主要講的是狄更斯對整個世界的影響,故選A。
【小題2】細節(jié)題:由第五段“he not only put forward the idea of snow at Christmas, but also painted a picture of glowing warmth – “home enjoyments, affections and hopes”.”他不僅提出了圣誕節(jié)雪的想法,還描繪出一幅溫暖發(fā)光的圖畫“家庭中的生活、感情和希望”以及第六段“Dickens can be said to have almost single-handedly created the modern idea of Christmas.”狄更斯可以說一手創(chuàng)造了現(xiàn)代圣誕節(jié)。故選B。
【小題3】推斷題:由倒數(shù)第二段“He helped popularize the term “red tape” to describe situations where people in power use needless amounts of bureaucracy (官僚作風) in a way that particularly hurts the weaker and poorer members of society.”可知red tape的意思是官方辦事時的繁文縟節(jié),故選D。
【小題4】推斷題:由Two hundred years on, his stories still speak volumes across the world, proving that Dickens’ legacy(遺產(chǎn)) was far greater that just “great-literature”兩百年過去了,他的故事仍在世界范圍內(nèi)意義深遠,證明了狄更斯的遺產(chǎn)不僅僅只是偉大文學而已.故選A。
考點:考查新聞報道類短文閱讀

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科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解

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【小題1】Josh Duhamel led the beach run to help the Red Cross ________.

A.raise money for places suffering from disasters
B.raise money for people suffering from diseases
C.find more young volunteers especially teenagers
D.build up a fame of having the spirit of entertainment
【小題2】How did Josh Duhamel feel about his joining in the beach run?
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B.He disliked it when there were reporters coming here.
C.He thought it a best chance to make himself famous.
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【小題3】What will the received donations of this year be used for?
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B.Helping Southern Californians get ready for disasters.
C.Helping Northern Californians get ready for disasters.
D.Helping relieve Southern Californians defeat earthquakes.
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D. To raise as much money as possible to help the old and young.
【小題5】What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
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B.The methods to join in the youth run led by Josh Duhamel.
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A meteorite (隕石) flew fast across the sky and exploded over central Russia on Friday, raining fireballs over a vast area and causing a shock wave that smashed windows, damaged buildings and injured l,200 people.
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The energy released when it entered the Earth’s atmosphere was about several thousand tons, the academy said, the power of a small atomic weapon exploding.
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【小題1】When did the meteorite incident happen?

A.At midnight.
B.In the early morning.
C.In the late morning.
D.In the evening.
【小題2】According to the text, the meteorite explosion caused _________.
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B.road accidents
C.communication problems
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【小題3】The Russian government’s response to the incident was ________.
A.a(chǎn) little slow but effective
B.quick and serious
C.cold and slow
D.quick but ineffective
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【小題1】According to the passage, the 2016 Olympics will be held in ______.

A.EuropeB.AsiaC.North AmericaD.South America
【小題2】The feeling of Brazilians can be described as _________.
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【小題5】We can learn from the last two paragraphs that___________.
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"This past year has been one of great celebration for many. The enthusiasm which greeted the Diamond Jubilee was, of course, especially memorable for me and my family.
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I wish you all a very happy Christmas. "
【小題1】Who most probably is the maker of this speech?

A.Queen of Great Britain. B.King of Great Britain.
C.Prime Minister of Great Britain. D.Mayor of London.
【小題2】 What might be the main purpose of this speech?
A.To make a summary of what has been done in the past years.
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A.Enthusiasm and Friendship.
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C.Sacrifice and service.
D.Civilization and peace.
【小題4】Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A.The speaker was too busy to attend the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games.
B.Volunteers played a key role in the success of the Diamond Jubilee.
C.The speaker showed great respect for those still at work at Christmas.
D.The strength of the Christmas story lies in the worship of Jesus Christ.

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【小題1】Why has more and more food been imported to the United States in recent years?

A.It is economical and provides people with more choices.
B.Foreign food is of higher quality than native food.
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【小題2】Consumers are more concerned about where foods come from because________.
A.they are curious about the origin of the food.
B.most of them are particular about the tastes
C.they are concerned about food safety
D.most of them are food safety activists
【小題3】The new rules of the country-of-origin labeling law will come into effect________.
A.right now B.in a month C.in three months D.in half a year
【小題4】Which of the following can be inferred from the text?
A.Store owners are most likely to be the supporters of the law.
B.The government of America will possibly forbid importing peppers from Mexico.
C.Federal inspectors couldn’t take measures to enforce the law.
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"We have now 93% coverage( 覆蓋) of one health centre for 25,000 people, which basically means one health facility within a 7km area," he said.
【小題1】How many in 1000 births would die in Ethiopia in 1990?

A.a(chǎn)bout 680 B.a(chǎn)bout 330 C.a(chǎn)bout 68 D.a(chǎn)bout 200
【小題2】Which of the following statements is true?
A.Ethiopian children benefit from its fastest economy growing.
B.Ethiopia has a long way to go to improve health facilities.
C.Ethiopia is the economic center because of its rich rainfall.
D.Ethiopia has already become a rich state in Africa.
【小題3】What do we know according to the latest UNICEF figures?
A.Many African countries have high child death rates now.
B.Ethiopia is the only country that has reduced child death rates.
C.Ethiopia is the most successful in reducing child death rates.
D.Ethiopia was once known for its poor nutrition in Africa.
【小題4】What Kesetebirhan Admasu said shows that_______.
A.a(chǎn)gricultural incomes have helped improve all the people's health in Africa
B.now the health care network is perfect in Ethiopia
C.93% of the 25,000 people enjoy health centers in Ethiopia
D.the government has been taking active measures to improve people's health

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科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解

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By using skin-prick(刺) tests for detecting common allergies, the researchers found that, contrary to what many doctors had been taught for years, children who had lived with a pet were not at greater risk.
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There's something very important in that first year of life when the immune system is developing that we can retrain it away from an allergic response, said Dr. William Davis.
And while researchers are not encouraging parents to buy dogs or cats just to reduce a child’s allergy risk, they say if a family already has one or more animals, there's no need to get rid of them.
【小題1】Why do the researchers feel “very surprised” by the results of the study?

A.Because the results are contrary to their expectation.
B.Because so many children are playing with cats and dogs.
C.Because parents are so much worried about their children.
D.Because children with animals may develop allergies easily.
【小題2】Compared with children who have pets,those who haven’t  ______.
A.will lose the chance to develop immune system
B.may suffer allergic diseases more often
C.will reduce the harm from bacteria
D.can keep doctors away
【小題3】It can be inferred from the passage that ______.
A.pets are ill-treated by their owners
B.less families would like to own cats and dogs
C.keeping pets is a good way to keep children healthy
D.the results of the study can make families with pets feel at ease
【小題4】The underlined word “it” in the fifth paragraph refers to________.
A.the early life B.a(chǎn)n allergic disease
C.immune system D.something important
【小題5】What may be the best title of the passage?
A.How to protect your kids from allergies
B.Your pets may be helping your kids
C.Bacteria do good to your kids
D.Advantages of owning pets

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科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解

HK's family affair
The 32nd Hong Kong Art Festival, to be held early next year, will be based on the theme of “family”.
The art festival, considered to be Asia's best, was launched in 1973.
“We hope that people from Beijing and from all over the world will go to Hong Kong to enjoy the multiple performances in our art festival,” Douglas Gautier, the festival's management director, told a press briefing in the capital.
In the 34 days of the festival, which runs from February 8 to March 7, 2004, the audience can choose from 111 performances of 51 programmes staged by 700 foreign performers, 450 local artists and 160 actors from the mainland.
Programmes vary from classical music, jazz, world music, Western and Peking opera, drama and dance to outdoor spectaculars.
The programmes include Beethoven’s only opera Fidelio, Shakespeare’s drama Romeo and Juliet, the ballet Mozartina and African dances, to name just a few.
The lineup (陣容) includes the English Touring Theatre, Prague Chamber Orchestra, Zurich Ballet, the Spanish National Dance Troupe, as well as Europe Galante, the Petersen Quartet, pianists Angela Hewitt, and arc-Andre Hamelin, and saxophonist Jan Garbarek.
In an effort to increase attention, hotels and airlines are offering discount packages along with art festival ticket sales.
For more information, please check www.hk.artsfestival.org.
【小題1】The press briefing must have been held ______. 

A.in Hong KongB.in EuropeC.in BeijingD.in Zurich
【小題2】By means of "discount packages", you can pay ______.
A.more than the usual cost
B.less than the usual cost
C.for the air ticket but not for the festival ticket
D.for the ticket but not for hotel rooms
【小題3】We do NOT have any information about ______.
A.what programmes there will be
B.in which theatres there will be performances
C.who will perform
D.when the festival will be held
【小題4】Where is this material from?
A.Literature MagazineB.Textbook
C.Website www.hk.artsfestival.org.D.Newspaper

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