My grandmother Adele loved culture and was generous with its gifts. When I was a child, she took me to museums, restaurants, dances. She showered me with gifts from her travels around the world. But I can only remember her giving me one book—a book that, to this day, I have not read. She presented me with her own favorite childhood book: Hans Brinker. My grandmother was happy to share this book with me. She even decorated the title page with her proud writing.

I tried to read it. I adored reading, and would dive into a new pile of books from the library all at once. But something about Hans Brinker just wouldn’t let me in. The story was set in Holland, a long time ago. It felt dull and unfamiliar—even though I was a fan of classics of other times and places. I simply read the first pages over and over. I could not progress.

Standing on a bookshelf in our living room, the book was like something I avoided. It scolded me for not being interested, for not trying hard enough, for disappointing my grandmother.

The book started to fit in, almost forgotten, until Adele asked. Had I read it? Did I like it? Always determined, she wanted to know the answer. I would make some kind of excuse, feel bad, and open it again, hoping for a new reaction. The book weighed on me.

Years passed and finally Adele and I both accepted that I would never read Hans Brinker. Eventually I cleared the book from the shelf. The Hans Brinker experience led me to set a rule that I’ve lived by ever since: Do not ask about a book given as a gift. Don’t ask, despite your desire to discuss it to grow closer. The desire for such connection is what gives book-giving with special meaning—and increases the owner’s possibility to be a letdown.

Guilt is basically the same as for all gifts, though. If the giver doesn’t have the pleasure of seeing or hearing about the gift being enjoyed, and asks whether it is, then the owner—unless she can truthfully say “yes”—either has to admit to not liking the present, or else lie on the spot. Neither is pleasant. So, don’t ask.

1.When the author was a kid, his grandmother ________.

A. took him to travel around the world a lot

B. loved to take him to museums and stores

C. shared her childhood stories with him

D. gave him many gifts

2.What does the author think about the book his grandmother gave him?

A. Boring. B. Interesting.

C. Puzzling. D. Disappointing.

3.The underlined sentence “The book weighed on me” in Paragraph 4 probably means _______.

A. the book is too heavy for the author to carry

B. the author feels stressful facing the book

C. the book is full of powerful viewpoints

D. the author keeps reading the book

4.The author learns from the Hans Brinker’s experience that never________.

A. give others books as gifts

B. lie to people who give you gifts

C. get close to others through gifts

D. talk about the books given as gifts

練習冊系列答案
相關(guān)習題

科目：高中英語 來源：2016屆山東諸城市高三10月月考英語試卷（解析版） 題型：語法填空

閱讀下面材料，在空白處填入適當?shù)膬?nèi)容(1個單詞)或括號內(nèi)單詞的正確形式。

Have you ever 1. (imagine)what the world looks like through the eyes of a bee? You can try it out with the MicaToolbox．

The MicaToolbox is a free plugin(插件) 2. (build)by scientists at the University of Exeter in Britain．Together with Image J，a popular piece of software for 3. (science)pictures，it can turn many image into animal vision．This means people can check out the pictures 4. appear in the brains of animals such as insects，birds，and fish．

The way we see our world depends on how our eyes deal 5. light．Human eyes have three types of photoreceptors(感光細胞)，and this makes us see 6. colors of red，green，and blue．Animals，7. ，might see it 8. (different)．A cat’s vision is similar to a human who is color blind，while bees can see ultraviolet(紫外線)light，easily finding patterns on flowers that show them the way to honey．

As of now，the MicaToolbox has already been used in many research projects，9. (look)at，for example，how animals hide 10. (they)You can download the software from researcher Jolyon Troscianko’s website http：// www．jolyon．co．uk／myresearch／image—analysis／image—analusis—tools．

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：2014-2015學年北京市高三上學期第一次月考英語試卷（解析版） 題型：閱讀理解

D

Many critics worry about violence on television, most out of fear that it stimulates viewers to violent or aggressive acts. Our research, however, indicates that the consequences of experiencing TV’s symbolic world of violence may be much more far-reaching.

We have found that people who watch a lot of TV see the real world as more dangerous and frightening than those who watch very little. Heavy viewers are less trustful of their fellow citizens, and more fearful of the real world. Since most TV “action-adventure” dramas occur in urban settings, the fear they inspire may contribute to the current flee of the middle class from our cities. The fear may also bring increasing demands for police protection, and election of law-and-order politicians.

While none of us is completely dependent upon television for our view of the world, neither have many of us had the opportunity to observe the reality of police stations, courtrooms, corporate board rooms, or hospital operating rooms. Although critics complain about the fixed characters and plots of TV dramas, many viewers look on them as representative of the real world. Anyone who questions that statement should read the 250,000 letters, most containing requests for medical advice, sent by viewers to “Marcus Welby, M.D.” —a popular TV drama series about a doctor— during the first five years of his practice on TV.

Violence on television leads viewers to regard the real world as more dangerous than it really is, which must also influence the way people behave. When asked, “Can most people be trusted?” the heavy viewers were 35 percent more likely to choose “Can’t be too careful.”

Victims, like criminals, must learn their proper roles, and televised violence may perform the teaching function all too well. Instead of worrying only about whether television violence causes individual displays of aggression in the real world, we should also be concerned about social reality. Passive acceptance of violence may result from far greater social concern than occasional displays of individual aggression.

We have found that violence on prime-time（黃金時段）network TV cultivates overstated threat of danger in the real world. The overstated sense of risk and insecurity may lead to increasing demands for protection, and to increasing pressure for the use of force by established authority. Instead of threatening the social order, television may have become our chief instrument of social control.

1.Which of the following is NOT among the consequences of watching TV too much?

A. Distrusting people around.

B. Moving into rural areas.

C. Asking the police for protection.

D. supporting more politicians.

2.According to the passage, why did “Marcus Welby, M.D.” receive so many letters?

A. Because viewers believed the doctor did exist in the real life.

B. Because certain TV programmes recommended him to viewers.

C. Because he was an experienced doctor and saved many lives.

D. Because the TV appealed to people to pay attention to health.

3.According to the author, _________ is mainly to blame for people’s fear of the realworld.

A. network TV

B. social reality

C. individual display of violence

D. televised violence

4.We can infer from the passage that __________.

A. people tend to be aggressive or violent after watching TV too much

B. people learn to protect themselves from dangers after watching TV violence.

C. the occasional displays of individual aggression may threaten the social order

D. watching TV may cause the misuse of authority and disturb the social order

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：2014-2015學年北京市海淀區(qū)高三下學期期中練習英語試卷（解析版） 題型：閱讀理解

Every day we are exposed to images, videos, music and news. In this age of visual and aural hyper-stimulation, the medium of radio is making a great comeback.

“We’re at the beginning of a golden age of audio,” said US-based podcaster Alex Blumberg in an article in The Sydney Morning Herald. In the last month alone, 15 percent of US adults listened to a radio podcast (播客). These statistics, released by Edison Research, show the successful evolution of traditional radio broadcasts to the present day’s digital podcast format. The term “podcast” was invented in 2004, but the trend only started gaining mainstream popularity in recent years. With the sharp increase in consumer demand for smartphones and tablets, podcast sales have jumped.

The appeal of the podcast partly lies in its multiplatform delivery and on-demand capabilities (功能). You can listen during those extra minutes of the day when you’re walking to the shops, waiting in a queue or riding the subway. Similar to television shows, podcasts are generally free to download and most offer new content every week.

Donna Jackson, 22, Sydney University media graduate, listens to podcasts two or three times a week, via iTurns. “I listen while I’m wandering around the house doing something else. It makes completing a boring task much more enjoyable… And it’s an easy way of keeping in touch with what’s going on in the rest of the world,” she said, “I mainly listen to BBC podcasts, but recently I’ve also been listening to This American Life and Serial. They have a special skill to really draw you in.”

Unlike television and music, the audio format has the potential to create a deep impression on readers. Blumberg says this owes to the podcast’s ability “to create close relationship and emotional connection.” Sydney University undergraduate Hazel Proust, majoring in social work and arts, agrees. “When you’re listening, it feels as if the voice of the podcast’s storyteller is talking directly to you. It’s comforting, ” said Proust.

It seems the age-old tradition of verbal storytelling is very much alive and well.

1.From the first two paragraphs, we can learn that ________.

A. traditional broadcast has come back

B. Americans love listening to the radio

C. podcasts have become very popular today

D. smartphones sell well because of podcasts

2.The writer mentions Donna Jackson mainly to ________.

A. tell how young people relax themselves

B. explain why young people like podcasts

C. introduce what programs podcasts are presenting

D. show how popular podcasts are presenting

3.Paragraph 5 is mainly about ________.

A. the influence of radios

B. the advantage of podcasts

C. readers’ impression on radios

D. people’s reaction to the medium

4.What is probably the best title of the passage?

A. Return of Radio

B. Opinions of Podcast

C. Features of Radio

D. Technology of Podcast

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：2014-2015學年北京市海淀區(qū)高三上學期期末考試英語試卷（解析版） 題型：閱讀理解

閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的A、B、C、D四個選項中，選出最佳選項

Summer is slipping away from me．Some days, it makes me want to cry．Other days, I feel a sense of expectation within me just thinking about fall that makes me want to burst．Tonight, all five of us were in the family room doing our own things.

At this moment, my littlest kid is my number one trouble and my number one joy．He has a tooth on the way and although it’s such a tiny thing, it’s causing so much grief．I’m holding him a lot and I’m not going to lie．I live for his afternoon nap(小睡) so I’m able to actually get dressed and use the restroom.

The big E is starting school soon．The other day, I found myself a bit depressed about the end of summer and the beginning of another school year．I looked out of our front window with eyes that were heavy and a bit teary．Then, I suddenly realized just how silly this end of summer depression of mine is．I can’t change time．But, I can change my emotions and my thoughts．I decided not to spend my final days of summer vacation walking around with a sad face．I decided to hug the last few days of summer and remind myself that before I know it, we will be back in our school routine and all will go well.

This week we plan on meeting teachers．I’m taking my girl to have her nails done before her first day of kindergarten．We want to bake a few dozen cookies．We’ll take our evening walks as usual and stay up late．And last but not least, I’ll get school clothes ready, I’ll pack lunches and write lunch notes, we’ll read “The Kissing Hand,” like we normally do, and I’ll tuck(掖好被子) my third grader and kindergartener in their little beds before the big first day.

Thank you summer, you’ve been warm and wonderful, you’ve been sweet and sticky, you’ve been refreshing and exactly what we need．And your sunsets have been amazing, so thank you．

1.According to Paragraph 1, the author ______.

A．feels excited

B．has mixed feelings

C．feels worried

D．has bad feelings

2.How will the author spend the final days of the summer vacation?

A．Live a simple life.

B．Stay at home and relax herself.

C．Treasure the vacation.

D．Walk around with a depressed face.

3.From the passage, we can learn that the author ______.

A．is fond of reading novels

B．has two annoying children

C．often takes evening walks

D．has no time to get dressed

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：2013-2014學年北京市西城區(qū)高三二模英語試卷（解析版） 題型：單項填空

In the darkness, she felt ________, but when she turned around, nobody was there.

A. to follow B. following

C. to be followed D. being followed

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：2016屆湖北松滋第一中學高二下學期6月月考英語試卷（解析版） 題型：短文改錯

短文改錯（10分）

共有十處錯誤，增加：在缺詞處加一個漏字符∧，并在其下寫上該詞

刪除：把多余的詞用\劃掉

修改：在錯詞下畫一橫線，在其下寫上修改后的詞

My grandfather and I enjoy fishing.

One Sunday morning we go fishing at a lake. We took ours fishing poles and headed for the lake.As soon as we arrived, so we dropped the lines into the water.Before waiting for about half an hour, I was beginning to get impatiently, I wanted to give up, and my grandfather told me to wait a little longer. Finally, there were a sudden pull at the pole and fish was caught. Within the next few minute, my grandfather also caught a fish.

Felt hungry, we built a fire by the lake and barbecued the fish. It was delicious.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：2014-2015學年湖南省懷化市高三一�？荚囉⒄Z試卷（解析版） 題型：單項填空

Mom, could you lend me a few dollars until I _____ on Monday?

A．get paid B．got paid

C．will get paid D．had got paid

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：2015高北京第六十六中學三上第一次質(zhì)量檢測英語試卷（解析版） 題型：閱讀理解

Only two countries in the advanced world provide no guarantee for paid leave from work to care for a newborn child．Last spring one of the two，Australia，gave up the bad distinction by setting up paid family leave starting in 2011．I wasn’t surprised when this didn’t make the news here in the United States—we’re now the only wealthy country without such a policy．

The United States does have one explicit family policy，the Family and Medical Leave Act，passed in 1993．It entitles workers to as much as 12 weeks’ unpaid leave for care of a newborn or dealing with a family medical problem．Despite the modesty of the benefit，the Chamber of Commerce and other business groups fought it bitterly，describing it as “government-run personnel management” and a “dangerous precedent（先例）．” In fact，every step of the way，as (usually) Democratic leaders have tried to introduce work-family balance measures into the law，business groups have been strongly opposed．

As Yale law professor Anne Alstott argues，justifying parental support depends on defining（定義）the family as a social good that，in some sense，society must pay for．Parents are burdened in many ways in their lives: there is “no exit” when it comes to children．Society expects—and needs—parents to provide their children with continuity of care．And society expects—and needs—parents to persist in their roles for 18 years，or longer if needed．

1.What do we learn about paid family leave according to Paragraph 1？

A．It came as a surprise when Australia adopted the policy．

B．Setting up this policy made Australia less influential．

C．It has now become a hot topic in the United States．

D．No such policy is applied in the United States．

2.What makes it hard to take work-family balance measures in the States？

A．The incompetence of the Democrats．

B．The opposition from business circles．

C．The lack of a precedent in American history．

D．The existing Family and Medical Leave Act．

3.What is Professor Anne Alstott’s argument for parental support？

A．Children need continuous care．

B．Good parenting benefits society．

C．The cost of raising children has been growing．

D．The U．S．should keep up with other developed countries．

4.Why is the author against classifying parenting as a personal choice？

A．Parenting is regarded as a moral duty．

B．Parenting relies largely on social support．

C．Parenting produces huge moral benefits．

D．Parenting is basically a social responsibility．

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習冊答案