CANYOUIMAGINEHOWHARDITWOULDBETOREADSENTENCESLIKETHIS? Every one of us gets so used to punctuation marks that not many of us give them a second thought.Actually, the ancient Greeks wrote this way.The lack of punctuation marks probably didn’t bother good readers, though.As they read, they just put pauses where they fit best.Also at this time, sentences switched directions.A sentence read from left to right.The next one read right to left, and then left to right again, etc. The ancient Romans sometimes punctuated like this: They put something that can separate words in a sentence.The word punctuation actually comes from this idea and the Latin word punctum, which means a dot.

When the 5th century arrived, there were just two punctuation marks: spaces and points.The spaces separated words while the points showed pauses in reading.Then in the 13th century, a printer named Aldus Manutius tried to standardize punctuation.He always used a period for a complete stop at the end of a sentence.He used a slash (/) to indicate a short pause.Over time, that slash was shortened and curled, and it became the modern comma (逗號(hào)).

Since that time, other marks have enlarged the punctuation family.The exclamation mark (感嘆號(hào)) comes from the Latin word io.It means “exclamation of joy.” The question mark originally started out as the Latin word questio, meaning question.Eventually, scholars put it at the end of a sentence to show a question.

Punctuation even keeps changing nowadays.New marks are coming into existence, and old punctuation marks are used in new ways.Take for example the “interrobang”.This 1962 invention combines the question mark and exclamation mark for times when writers want both.For example, “She did what?” or “How much did you pay for that dress?” Obviously, the interrobang is not widely used or recognized yet, but its invention shows that English is not yet finished with its punctuation.

1.From the first paragraph, we can know that _______.

A. good readers had trouble reading without punctuation marks

B. a sentence always read from left to right in ancient Greece

C. ancient Greeks switched the direction of punctuation marks

D. the use of punctuation marks can date back to ancient times

2.The passage is developed _______.

A. by time B. by space

C. by comparison D. by importance

3.We can learn from the passage that _______.

A. ancient Romans didn’t use any punctuation marks

B. exclamation and question marks came from Latin

C. spaces and slashes were already used before the 5th century

D. Aldus Manutius first started to use commas

4.What can be concluded from the last paragraph?

A. The combination of two marks will not work.

B. It takes time for people to accept new punctuation marks.

C. Old punctuation marks need to be standardized.

D. Punctuation marks are still changing today.

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科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:2016屆陜西西安市高三上學(xué)期第二次月考英語(yǔ)試卷(解析版) 題型:閱讀理解

The National Gallery

Description:

The National Gallery is the British national art museum built on the north side of Trafalgar Square in London. It houses a diverse collection of more than 2,300 examples of European art ranging from 13th-century religious paintings to more modern ones by Renoir and Van Gogh. The older collections of the gallery are reached through the main entrance while the more modern works in the East Wing are most easily reached from Trafalgar Square by a ground floor entrance

Layout:

The modern Sainsbury Wing on the western side of the building houses 13th- to 15th-century paintings, and artists include Duccio, Uccello, Van Eyck, Lippi, Mantegna, Botticelli and Memling.

The main West Wing houses 16th-century paintings, and artists include Leonardo da Vinci, Cranach, Michelangelo, Raphael, Bruegel, Bronzino, Titan and Veronese.

The North Wing houses 17th-century paintings, and artists include Caravaggio, Rubens, Poussin, Van Dyck, Velazquez, Claude and Vermeer.

The East Wing houses 18th- to early 20th-century paintings, and artists include Canaletto, Goya, Turner, Constable, Renoir and Van Gogh.

Opening Hours:

The Gallery is open every day from 10am to 6pm (Fridays 10am to 9pm) and is free, but charges apply to some special exhibitions.

Getting There:

Nearest underground stations: Charing Cross (2-minute walk), Leicester Square (3-minute walk), Embankment (7-minute walk), and Piccadilly Circus (8-minute walk).

1. In which century’s collection can you see religious paintings?

A. The 13th. B. The 17th. C. The 18th. D. The 20th.

2. Where are Leonardo da Vinci’s works shown?

A. In the East Wing. B. In the main West Wing.

C. In the Sainsbury Wing. D. In the North Wing.

3.Which underground station is closest to the National Gallery?

A. Piccadilly Circus. B. Leicester Square.

C. Embankment. D. Charing Cross.

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根據(jù)短文內(nèi)容,從短文后的選項(xiàng)中選出能填入空白處的最佳選項(xiàng)。選項(xiàng)中有兩項(xiàng)為多余選項(xiàng)。

Lots of people give you advice on overcoming fear. 1. However, I want to tell you that a world without fear would be more dangerous, less rewarding. So we want to treat fear as a friend? Here are three reasons.

2. Think about it. Do you get more nervous when you meet the girl (or guy) of your dreams? Which is more fearful, talking to the boss of your company or to some of your friends? 3. If you didn't have fear to guide you, you might not know that! Not so bad, right?

Next, fear encourages us to take action. Fear is a call to action. In the past, our ancestors didn't run away in fear when they saw a tiger running toward them but tried to kill it for food. Now, most of us don't face serious danger like hungry tigers every day, but we do face serious bosses or public speaking. So, what can we do? 4.

Lastly, fear lets you know you are alive. Why do we like roller coasters? 5. Same for horror movies.

So fear can guide you towards what's important for you and encourage you to take action to improve. Don't we all need that kind of friend?

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C. Imagine what life would be like without fear.

D. Let fear provide us with the energy to do what needs to be done.

E. Fear is showing you what is important and what matters to you.

F. Don't fear to be wrong.

G. They say if you can overcome fear, you will be successful.

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閱讀下列短文,從每題所給的A、B、C、D四個(gè)選項(xiàng)中,選出最佳選項(xiàng)。

A glass a day keeps obesity at bay.Alcohol has always been thought to cause weight gain because of its high sugar content, but new research suggests a glass a day could form part of a diet.Looking at past studies they found that, while heavy drinkers do put on weight, those who drink in moderation can actually lose weight.

A spokesman for the research team at Navarro University in Spain says, “Light to moderate alcohol intake, especially of wine, may be more likely to protect against, rather than promote, weight gain”.The International Scientific Forum on Alcohol Research reviewed the findings and agreed with most of the conclusions, particularly that current data do not clearly indicate if moderate drinking increases weight.

Boston University’s Dr.Harvey Finkel found that the biologic mechanisms (生物學(xué)機(jī)制) relating alcohol to changes in body weight are not properly understood. His team pointed out the strong protective effects of moderate drinking on the risk of getting conditions like diabetes(糖尿病),which relate to increasing obesity.Some studies suggest that even very obese people may be at lower risk of diabetes if they are moderate drinkers.

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For now there is little evidence that consuming small to moderate amounts of alcohol on a regular basis increases one’s risk of becoming obese.What’s more, a study three years ago suggested that reveratrol, a compound present in grapes and red wine, destroys fat cells.

1.The passage is mainly for those ______.

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A. properly B. carefully

C. excitedly D. frequently

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A. Because its calories are stored in fat.

B. Because it is rich in sugar.

C. Because it changes drinking patterns.

D. Because it increases the risk of diabetes.

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B. Resveratrol is proved to increase the risk of becoming fat.

C. The research found moderate drinking has a strong protective effect.

D. Current data clearly show that moderate drinking increases weight.

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B. How to prove the finding mentioned above.

C. How to make wine in a healthy way.

D. How to reduce the calories contained in wine.

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I am a single working mother and going to college for a better life for my three-year-old child and myself.I am taking a nurse course called “Urban Community(社區(qū))”.We were asked to do a major project on problems in urban communities.I chose the topic “Homeless”.

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All these kids were very respectful.None of them was high on drugs nor were they drinking.Some of them enjoyed reading and writing.Some of them enjoyed skateboarding, dancing and playing music.

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B. a single mother who attends college in New York

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C. I felt sympathy for them

D. I fell in love with them

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A. Sorrow B. Anxiety C. Anger D. Understanding

4.Little Mary left home and became a wanderer because ________.

A. her stepfather didn’t want to live with her

B. her stepfather treated her so badly that she was injured

C. her mother treated her so badly that she felt hurt

D. her mother didn’t believe her and her stepfather treated her badly.

5.What’s the best title for this passage?

A. A Story of a Single Mother

B. Care for the Homeless Kids

C. An Urban Community

D. How to Survive on the Streets

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______ opinions on the schedule, we finally reached on agreement.

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Robotic Puppy

Roll over,sit and fetch aren’t commands normally given to a robot,but the smart toy company WowWee has developed a new way of owning a puppy.

CHIP (Canine Home Intelligent Pet) is a robotic dog with blue LED eyes and pointy ears and can sit,shake,dance and make all types of dog noises.It also has tracking capabilities to help locate its owner.“The beauty about CHIP is that it has its own thing going on,” said Sufer,CTO at WowWee.“It has its own life and own kind of intelligence.Even if you’re not around,it’s always doing something.”

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“We worked on CHIP for about five to six months,” Davin Sufer,told dailymail.com,“We typically come up with a concept,model and product and get it on shelves within a year.” The company plans to start shipping units by next fall,which will allow them to load up the robotic dog with sensors and add many more animated responses per-owner interactivity.

The high-tech toy company made its debut(處女作)in 2004 by releasing the 1.5 foot RoboSapien,which sold millions of units.MiP,which hit shelves last year,is a seven inch tall robot covered in white with black accents.Users can direct it,change its emotions and make it dance to any song on your iPad. It’s loud,fast and active.

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B. a smart wristband

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D. blue LED eyes

3.From the passage,we can know_______.

A. CHIP can be bought in the store now

B. WowWee introduced its first product last year

C. Tekno provided the bright future of the robotic puppy

D. MiP is the first company to develop the robotic puppy

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In the West, most families have pets, like cats, dogs, and birds. If you live 1. a farm you also have horses, sheep, goats and something of this sort2. will become part of the extended family.

Our family had many pets in the past. My favorite pet was a little gray poodle 3. (call) Suzie. The first time I saw her, she had long matted hair, needed a bath and haircut, but had such4. beautiful face. I5. (take) her home, bathed her and clipped all her hair back to reveal the most lovable little dog.

Poodles are full of 6. (intelligent) and she was too. She learned to recognize the sounds different 7. (car) in our household made. She knew when my father’s car was coming down the road, and would run around 8. (mad) barking then rush out to the front driveway and sit there 9. (wait) for him. She also seemed to know when people 10. (be) upset and would jump up onto their laps and sit there cuddling up as if to give comfort.

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