For most city people, the elevator is an unremarkable machine that inspires none of the enthusiasm or interest that Americans afford trains, jets，and even bicycles. Dr. Christopher Wilk is a member of a small group of elevator experts who consider this a misunderstanding. Without the elevator, they point out, there could be no downtown skyscrapers or tall buildings, and city life as we know it would be impossible. In that sense, they argue，the elevator’s role in American history has been no less significant than that of cars. In fact, according to Wilk? the car and the elevator have been locked in a “secret war” for over a century, with cars making it possible for people to spread horizontally (水平地)，and elevators pushing them toward life in close groups of towering vertical (垂直的)columns.
If we tend to ignore the significance of elevators, it might be because riding in them tends to be such a brief, boring, and even awkward experience^one that can involve unexpectedly meeting people with whom we have nothing in common, and an unpleasant awareness of the fact that we’re hanging from a cable in a long passage.
In a new book, Lifted, German journalist and cultural studies professor Andreas Bernard directed all his attention to this experience, studying the origins of elevator and its relationship to humankind and finding that riding in an elevator has never been a totally comfortable experience. “After 150 years, we are still not used to it”， Bernard said. “We still have not exactly learned to cope with the mixture of closeness and displeasure.” That mixture, according to Bernard, sets the elevator ride apart from just about every other situation we find ourselves in as we go about our lives.
Today，as the world’s urban population explodes，and cities become more crowded, taller, and more crowded, America’s total number of elevators—900,000 at last count, according to Elevator World magazine’s “2012 Vertical Transportation Industry”一are a force that’s becoming more important than ever. And for the people who really, really love them, it seems like high time that we looked seriously at just what kind of force they are.
【小題1】What does the underlined word “this” in Paragraph 1 refer to?
| A．The general view of elevators. |
| B．The particular interests of experts. |
| C．The desire for a remarkable machine. |
| D．The enthusiasm for transport vehicles. |
| A．to contrast their functions with elevators, |
| B．to emphasize the importance of elevators |
| C．to reveal their secret war against elevators |
| D．to explain people’s preference for elevators |
| A．Vertical direction. |
| B．Lack of excitement. |
| C．Little physical space. |
| D．Uncomfortable conditions. |
| A．the exact number of elevator lovers |
| B．the serious future situation of elevators |
| C．the role of elevators in city development |
| D．the relationship between cars and elevators |
【小題1】A
【小題2】B
【小題3】C
【小題4】C
解析【文章大意】這是一篇夾敘夾議的議論文。文章主要闡述對于電梯所持有的不同態(tài)度與觀點，并表達了自己對于電梯的態(tài)度。
【小題1】A考查判斷推理。根據(jù)劃線內容推斷應該指代的是文章第一段的“For most city people, the elevator is an unremarkable machine that inspires none of the enthusiasm or interest that Americans afford trains, jets，and even bicycles ”即大眾對于電梯的看法，故A正確。
【小題2】B考查判斷推理。根據(jù)文章第一段“In that sense, they argue，the elevator’s role in American history has been no less significant than that of cars.”作者通過提及汽車來更好的闡述觀點即電梯的重要性，故B正確。
【小題3】C考查判斷推理。 根據(jù)文章第三段“ “We still have not exactly learned to cope with the mixture of closeness and displeasure.” That mixture, according to Bernard, sets the elevator ride apart from just about every other situation we find ourselves in as we go about our lives.”可知是因為電梯的關閉給人帶來了不愉悅，也就是電梯的空間帶來的問題，故C正確。
【小題4】C考查細節(jié)理解。根據(jù)文章最后一段“it seems like high time that we looked seriously at just what kind of force they are.”可知作者的寫作用意在于讓讀者去評價電梯的價值所在，故C正確。
中考解讀考點精練系列答案科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
A device that stops drivers from falling asleep at the wheel is about to undergo testing at Department of Transport laboratories and could go on sale within 12 months.
The system, called Driver Alert, aims to reduce deadly road accidents by 20% - 40% that are caused by tiredness. Airline pilots can also use it to reduce the 30% of all pilot-error accidents that are related to fatigue.
Driver Alert is based on a computerized wristband (腕套). The device, worn by drivers or pilots, gives out a sound about every four minutes during a car journey. After each sound the driver must respond by squeezing the steering wheel (方向盤). A sensor in the wristband detects this pressing action and measures the time between
the sound the driver’s response.
Tiredness is directly related to a driver’s response time. Usually, a watchful driver would take about 400 milliseconds to respond, but once that falls to more than 500 milliseconds, it suggests that the driver is getting sleepy.
In such cases the device gives out more regular and louder sounds, showing that the driver should open a window or stop for a rest. If the driver’s response continues to slow down, the sounds become more frequent until a nonstop alarm warns that the driver must stop as soon as possible.
The device has been delivered to the department’s laboratories for testing. If these tests, scheduled for six months’ time, are successful, the makers will bring the product to market within about a year.
【小題1】According to the text, Driver Alert ______.
| A．a(chǎn)ims to reduce tiredness-related accidents |
| B．has gone through testing at laboratories |
| C．a(chǎn)ims to prevent drivers form sleeping |
| D．has been on sale for 12 months |
| A．By sounding a warning. |
| B．By touching the wristband. |
| C．By checking the driving time. |
| D．By pressing the steering wheel. |
| A．a(chǎn)bout 400 milliseconds | B．below 500 milliseconds |
| C．over 500 milliseconds | D．a(chǎn)bout 4 minutes |
| A．moves more regularly |
| B．stops working properly |
| C．opens the window for the driver |
| D．sounds more frequently and loudly |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
It is natural that young people are often uncomfortable when they are with their parents. They say that their parents don’t understand them. They often think that their parents are out of touch with modern ways, that they are too serious and too strict with their children, and that they seldom give their children a free hand.
It is true that parents often find it difficult to win their children’s trust and they tend to forget how they themselves felt when young. For example, young people like to act on the spot without much thinking. It is one of their ways to show that they have grown up and they can face any difficult situation. Older people worry more easily. Most of them plan things ahead, at least in the back of their minds, and do not like their plans to be upset by something unexpected. When you want your parents to let you do something, you will have better success if you ask before you really start doing it.
Young people often make their parents angry with their choice in clothes, in entertainment and in music. But they do not mean to cause any trouble: it is just that they feel cut off from the older people’s world, into which they have not yet been accepted. That’s why young people want to make a new culture of their own, and if their parents do not like their music or entertainment or clothes or their way of speech, this will make the young people extremely happy.
Sometimes you are so proud of yourself that you do not want your parents to say, “Yes” to what you do. All you want is to be felt alone and do what you like. It is natural enough, after being a child for so many years, when you were completely under your parents’ control. If you plan to control your life, you’d better win your parents over and try to get them to understand you. If your parents see that you have a high sense of responsibility, they will certainly give you the right to do what you want to do.
【小題1】____are to blame for the quarrels between parents and their children according to this passage.
| A．Parents |
| B．Young people |
| C．Both parents and their children |
| D．Neither parents nor their children |
| A．do things without thinking carefully ahead. |
| B．a(chǎn)sk for advice before they really start to do anything. |
| C．think in the same way as their parents do. |
| D．be very strict with themselves |
| A．they don’t feel they belong to the world of the older people. |
| B．they do not want to get into trouble. |
| C．they feel they are as clever as old people. |
| D．they want to show they have grown up. |
| A．the young people’s choice |
| B．their being accepted by their parents |
| C．developing a new culture of their own |
| D．their parents’ dislike of their choice |
| A．do everything according to his own wish. |
| B．be responsible for what he does |
| C．do everything beyond his parents’ control |
| D．do everything the way his parents do. |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Cold weather can be hard on pets, just like it can be hard on people. Sometimes owners forget that their cats are just as used to the warm shelter (住所) as they are. Some owners will leave their animals outside for a long period of time, thinking that all animals are used to living outdoors. This can put their pets in danger of serious illness. There are things you can do to keep your animal warm and safe.
Keep your pets inside as much as you can when the weather is bad. If you have to take them out, stay outside with them. When you’re cold enough to go inside, they probably are too. If you must leave them outside for a long time, make sure they have a warm, solid shelter against the wind, thick bedding, and plenty of non-frozen water.
If left alone outside, dogs and cats can be very smart in their search for warm shelter. They can dig into snow banks or hide somewhere. Watch them closely when they are left outdoors, and provide them with shelter of good quality. Keep an eye on your pet’s water. Sometimes owners don’t realize that a water bowl has frozen and their pet can’t get anything to drink. Animals that don’t have clean and unfrozen water may drink dirty water outside, which may contain something unhealthy for them.
【小題1】 What do we learn about pets from Paragraph 1?
| A．They are often forgotten by their owners. |
| B．They are used to living outdoors. |
| C．They build their own shelter. |
| D．They like to stay in warm places. |
| A．To know when to bring them inside. |
| B．To keep them from eating bad food. |
| C．To help them find shelters. |
| D．To keep them company. |
| A．To solve a problem. |
| B．To give practical advice. |
| C．To tell an interesting story. |
| D．To present a research result. |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
The clock struck（敲）eleven at night. The whole house was quiet. Everyone was in bed except me. Under the strong light, I looked sadly before me at a huge pile of that troublesome stuff they call “books”. I was going to have my examination the next day. “When can I go to bed?” I asked myself. I didn’t answer. In fact I dared not(不敢).
The clock struck twelve. “Oh, dear!” I cried. “Ten more books to read before I can go to bed!” We students are the most wretched creatures in the world. Dad does not agree with me on this. He did not have to work so hard when he was a boy.
The clock struck one. I was quite desperate now. I forgot all I had learned. I was too tired to go on. I did the only thing I could. I prayed, “Oh God, please help me pass the exam tomorrow. I do promise to work hard afterwards, Amen.” My eyes were so heavy that I could hardly open them. A few minutes later, with my head on the desk, I fell asleep.
【小題1】 The underlined word “wretched” in Paragraph 3 probably means ____________.
| A．happy | B．disappointed |
| C．unhappy | D．hopeful |
| A．it was too late at night |
| B．he was very tired |
| C．his eyelids were so heavy that he couldn’t keep them open |
| D．he hadn’t studied hard before the examination |
| A．He went to a church to pray again. | B．He passed the exam all by luck. |
| C．He failed in the exam. | D．He was punished by his teacher. |
| A．The Night Before the Examination | B．Working Far into the Night |
| C．A Slow Student | D．Going Over My Lessons |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Women are friendly. But men are more competitive. Why? Researchers have found it's all down to the hormone oxytocin (荷爾蒙催生素). Although known as the love hormone, it affects the sexes differently.
"Women tend to be social in their behavior. They often share with others. But men lend to be competitive. They are trying to improve their social status," said Professor Ryan.
Generally, people believe that the hormone oxytocin is let out in our body in various social situations and
our body creates a large amount of it during positive social interactions (互動) such as falling in love or giving birth.
But in a previous experiment Professor Ryan found that the hormone is also let out in our body during negative social interactions such as envy.
Further researches showed that in men the hormone oxytocin improves the ability to recognize competitive relationships, but in women it raises the ability to recognize friendship. Professor Ryan's recent experiment used 62 men and women aged 20 to 37. Half of the participants（參與者）received oxytocin. The other half received placebo (安慰劑).
After a week, the two groups switched with participants. They went tlirough the same procedure with the other material.
Following each treatment, they were shown some video pictures with different social interactions. Then they were asked to analyze the relationships by answering some questions. The questions were about telling friendship from competition. And their answers should be based on gestures, body language and facial expressions.
The results indicated that, after treatment with oxytocin, men's ability to correctly recognize competitive relationships improved, but in women it was the ability to correctly recognize friendship that got better.
Professor Ryan thus concluded: "Our experiment proves that the hormone oxytocin can raise people's abilities to better distinguish different social interactions. And the behavior differences between men and women are caused by biological factors (因素) that are mainly hormonal."
【小題1】What causes men and women to behave differently according to the text?
| A．Placebo. | B．Oxytocin. |
| C．The gesture. | D．The social status. |
| A．Oxytocin affects our behavior in a different way. |
| B．Our body lets out oxytocin when we are deep in love. |
| C．Our body produces oxytocin when we feel unhappy about others' success. |
| D．Oxytocin improves our abilities to understand people's behavior differences. |
| A．To test the effect of oxytocin on the ability to recognize social interactions. |
| B．To know the differences between friendship and competition. |
| C．To know people's different abilities to answer questions. |
| D．To test people's understanding of body language. |
| A．explaining people's behaviors |
| B．describing his own experiences |
| C．distinguishing sexual differences |
| D．discussing research experiments |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Moving to a new neighborhood，town，state，or even country can be a pretty scary experience.All you know is that things will be different and chances are you won’t know the kids at your new school.
The experiences that go with moving make many kids feel nervous and worried.This is perfectly normal but don’t let these emotions overrun your thoughts！You will soon get used to your surroundings and find new friends at your new school.
Leaving old friends and familiar places behind can be difficult.However，as you begin the moving process，keep in mind that saying goodbye to your old house，school，and friends does not mean that you have to forget them or that your farewell is permanent！If you’re moving to a new state or even a different country and won’t see your friends for a long nme，don’t despair.Make sure to ask everyone for their address so you can write them letters.Also，thanks to the Internet，it is very easy to stay in touch through email or instant messaging technologies.With your parent’s permission，you can even create a blog or web page to chronicle all of your new experiences.Include your thoughts，tales of your new adventures，even pictures of new friends，your new house，and new town.Your old friends will love seeing what you are busy with.
Many schools have an orientation program where a student already established at the school shows a new student around for their first week.This can help you to find your way around the school and to make new friends faster.
While moving is tough on kids of any age，high school counselor Karen Turner says moves can be particularly difficult for teens.“I think moving during adolescents is an extremely stressful experience，especially if you are into your junior high or senior year.Students tend to have established a very strong peer network during that period in their lives.Often this has more influence on them even than their families in some cases，and when they are torn from that there’s often resentment (怨氣)．” However，Turner adds that while moving isn’t easy，there are things that your parents and the school can do to help you cope with the change.
【小題1】Who are the intended readers of the passage?
| A．Education experts. | B．School teachers. |
| C．Parents. | D．Students. |
| A．Staying in contact with old friends. |
| B．Expressing yourself when it is possible. |
| C．Forming good habits at school. |
| D．Keeping positive about your new school. |
| A．helps local students in many ways |
| B．is organized by new students |
| C．offers help to new students |
| D．focuses on all the students at school |
| A．many parents seem to care little about their children |
| B．teens can easily be attached to their friends |
| C．parents should communicate with the school teachers |
| D．teens tend to behave rudely in a new school |
| A．What a new school is like. |
| B．why parents move with their children. |
| C．How parents and the school can help the children. |
| D．How children can express their anxiety. |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
To Friend or Not to Friend
We all love our parents and turn to them when we're in need, but would you like them to hear the conversations you have with your friends on the school playground or lunch queue? Social networking sites have become extensions of the school hallways, so would you add your parents as “friends” and allow them to view your online activities and conversations with friends?
In the past the generation gap included a technology gap, where children were up to date with latest technology and parents were left behind, content to continue their day to day lives as they always had because they had no need to know more about technology. However, more and more parents are beginning to realize just how important social networks are in their lives. This realization has given many parents the motivation to educate themselves about social networking sites.
These days many people are attracted to social networking sites because they can choose who they have around them; there's also a certain amount of control over privacy that we don't get in real life. Sometimes we feel that privacy is violated when we must accept a “friend” request from a parent or family member.
It's a difficult choice whether or not to allow a parent to become a part of our online lives. On the one hand we don't want to “reject” their request because that might hurt their feelings or make them feel you have something to hide. On the other hand if you do accept, then you could have a sense of being watched and no longer feel free to comment or communicate the way you did before.
A recent survey suggested that parents shouldn't take it personally if their child ignores their request: “When a teen ignores a parent's friend request, it doesn't necessarily mean that they are hiding something, but it could mean that this is one part of their life where they want to be independent.”
Perhaps talking with parents and giving explanations would help soften the blow if you do choose not to add them to your friends list.
【小題1】From Paragraph 2, we learn that ________.
| A．parents feel secure about their privacy online |
| B．social networks successfully fill the generation gap |
| C．parents have realized the importance of social networks |
| D．social networks offer a platform for parents to communicate |
| A．they hide something from their parents |
| B．they are unwilling to be watched by parents |
| C．their parents tend to fall behind in technology |
| D．their parents make negative comments on them |
| A．privacy online |
| B．social networks |
| C．the generation gap |
| D．parents' friend requests |
| A．parents | B．teenagers |
| C．teachers | D．researchers |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Most city parks are places where you can escape from big, ugly structures of metal and stone. The Manhattan High Line is different. Raised 25 feet above the ground, this massive metal structure once supported a rail line. The line opened in 1934 to bring trains directly into factories and warehouses. It was hardly used after the 1960s, and much of it was torn down. However, one section remained in an area of Manhattan called Chelsea. Chelsea was becoming more and more valuable as restaurants, art galleries and apartments were built, but the ugly railway structure remained as a dead weight. Everyone knew that at some time, it would have to be removed.
But the High Line was not destroyed. In fact, now the old rail line serves as one of the most peaceful places in the city. It holds an elevated park, with beautiful gardens, a sidewalk and great views of the city. The idea to change the rail line into a park came from Joshua David and Robert Hammond. In 1999, they attended a community meeting to decide the fate(命運) of the High Line. David and Hammond were the only people at the meeting interested in saving the structure for its historical significance. Later on, when they asked railway officials to take them up to look at the High Line, they saw a mile and a half of wild flowers growing in the middle of the city, and they realized that the High Line had potential to become a park. There was growing interest in improving urban centers, and so the project quickly won support and funds for construction were easily obtained.
The first section of the High Line opened in 2009 and immediately became popular with tourists and locals alike. Each part of the park has a different atmosphere. Some areas are like balconies (陽臺)with wonderful city views. Where the rail line goes between buildings, trees are thickly planted. Other sections have wide walkways planted with wild flowers. Only the final section remains the way it has been for the last fifty years – a railway line overgrown with weeds.
【小題1】The underlined phrase “a dead weight” in Paragraph 1 means_____.
| A．something with potential to be better. |
| B．something with historical interest. |
| C．something which is a danger to people. |
| D．something useless which slows progress. |
| A．thought it had historical value |
| B．wanted to reopen the train line |
| C．thought it would bring them money |
| D．were interested in improving the city |
| A．is different in its design |
| B．is covered with trees |
| C．didn’t change at all |
| D．became a natural countryside |
| A．It is situated above ground level. |
| B．Only part of the line remains. |
| C．It is now a popular park. |
| D．Trains still use the line. |
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