First the ground shook in Haiti, then Chile and Turkey. The earthquakes keep coming hard and fast this year, causing people to wonder if something evil (邪恶的) is happening underfoot.
It’s not.
While it may seem as if there are more earthquakes occurring, there really aren’t. the problem is what’s happening above ground, not underground, experts say.
More people are moving into big cities that happen to be built in quake zones, and they’re rapidly putting up buildings that can’t withstand (经受) earthquakes, scientists believe.
And around-the-clock news coverage (报道) and better earthquake monitoring make it seem as if earthquakes are ever-present.
“I can definitely tell you that the world is not coming to an end,” said Bob Holdsworth, an expert in tectonics (筑造学) at Durharn University in the UK.
A 7.0 magnitude quake in January killed more than 230,000 people in Haiti. Last month, an 8.8 magnitude quake--- the fifth-strongest since 1900—killed more than 900 people in Chile. And two weeks ago, a 6.0 magnitude quake struck rural eastern Turkey, killing at least 57 people.
On average, there are 134 earthquakes a year that have a magnitude between 6.0 and 6.9, according to the US Geological Survey. This year is off to a fast start with 40 so far—more than in most years for that time period.
But that’s because the 8.8 quake in Chile generated a large number of strong aftershocks, and so many quakes this early in the year skews (扭曲) the picture, said Paul Earle, a US seismologist (地震学家).
Also, it’s not the number of quakes, but their devastating (破坏性的) impacts that gain attention, with the death tolls (死亡人数) largely due to construction standards and crowding, Earle added. “The standard mantra (咒语) is earthquakes don’t kill people, buildings do, ” he said.
There have been more deaths over the past decades from earthquakes, said University of Colorado geologist Roger Bilham. In an opinion column last month in the journal Nature, Bilham called for better construction standards in the world’s big cities.
Of the 130 cities worldwide with populations of more than 1 million, more than half are prone (倾向于) to earthquakes, Bilham said.
Developing nations, where populations are booming, don’t pay attention to earthquake preparedness, Bilham said.” If you have a problem feeding yourself, you’re not really going to worry about earthquakes.”
Another reason quakes seem worse is that we’re paying attention more. The Haiti earthquake quickly followed by the 8.8 in Chile made everyone start to think.
But it won’t last, said US disaster researcher Deniis Mileti. “People are paying attention to the violent planet we’ve always lived on,” Mileti said.” Come back in another six months if there has been no earthquakes, most people will have forgotten it again. ”
73. What is the main idea of the article?
A. The number of earthquakes is increasing this year.
B. The reasons why earthquakes are so devastating.
C. The reasons why recent earthquakes have struck large cities.
D. Why earthquakes seem to be more serious this year.
74. Which of the following is NOT a reason for the seeming increase in earthquakes this year，
according to the article?
A. Greater underground activity.
B. A larger number of buildings prone to damage during earthquakes.
C. Around-the-clock news coverage.
D. Better earthquake monitoring.
75. According to the article, it is safe to say that ______.
A. there is an evil force beneath the world’s surface
B. large cities are always built in quake zones
C. enough attention has been paid to reducing the impact of earthquakes
D. the earthquake in Chili caused many aftershocks.
76. According to the article, the greater damage of earthquakes this year can be mainly caused by ______.
A. the occurrence of larger earthquakes
B. insufficient warnings about earthquakes
C. poor construction standards and overcrowding
D. an increase in large cities
科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
完形填空（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从1-15各题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Is it difficult for you to get up in the morning? Do you sometimes oversleep？ Are you often late for work or school? Yes? Then Hiroyuki Sugiyama of Japan has a(an) 1 bed for you. Hiroyuki's bed will get you up in the morning! Here is how it 2 .
The bed 3 an alarm clock. First, the alarm clock rings. You have a few minutes to wake up. Next, a tape recorder in the bed plays 4 music or other pleasant sounds.The tape recorder in Hiroyuki's bed plays a recording of his girlfriend. She whispers in a sweet 5 , "Wake up, darling, please." A few minutes later, a second recording 6 . The sound recording can be loud music or 7 sounds. Hiroyuki hears a recording of his boss shouts, "Wake up immediately, 8 you'll be late!"
If you don't get up 9 the second recording, you will be sorry! A mechanical
"foot" is in the bed. The mechanical foot kicks you in the head. Then the bed waits a few 10 minutes. What! You're still in bed! Slowly the 11 of the bed rises higher and higher. The foot of the bed goes lower and lower. 12 the bed is vertical(垂直的). You slide off the bed and onto the floor. You are out of bed and 13
Hiroyuki made his bed because he wanted to 14 a contest. He works for Honda
Motor Company. Once every two years Honda has a contest for its 200,000 employees
---"All-Honda Idea Contest", The employees think of new ideas. If their ideas win, the employees win 15 . Hiroyuki Sugiyama won a lot of money for his bed.
1. A. expensive B. special C. valuable D. comfortable
2. A. works B. runs C. happens D. moves
3. A. is separated from B. is made up of
C. is attached to D. is made into
4. A. loud B. classical C. pop D. soft
5. A. sound B. voice C. noise D. way
6. A. sends B. turns C. plays D. appears
7. A. pleasant B. interesting C. unpleasant D. funny
8. A. and B. but C. so D. or
9. A. after B. until C. since D. before
10. A. other B. another C. more D. one
11. A. end B. middle C. body D. top
12. A. However B. Finally C. Therefore D. Otherwise
13. A. angry B. work C. happy D. awake
14. A. win B. achieve C. gain D. defeat
15. A. praises B. contents C. prizes D. medals
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科目：高中英语 来源：2015届甘肃省高一上学期期中考试英语试卷（解析版） 题型：阅读理解
A farmer had a cow. He took very good care of this cow and one day when it was ill, he was very worried. He telephoned the vet.
“What’s the problem?” The vet asked him when he arrived.
“My cow’s ill,” the farmer said. “I don’t know what's the matter with her. She’s lying down and won’t eat. She’s making a strange noise.”
The vet looked over the cow. "She’s certainly ill," he said, "and she needs to take some very strong medicine."
He took a bottle out of his box, put two pills into his hand and said, "Give her these. The pills should make her better."
“How should I give them to her?” the farmer asked.
The vet gave him a tube (管子)and said, "Put this tube in her mouth, then put the pills in the tube and blow. That’ll make it."
The next day the vet came to the farm again. The farmer was sitting outside his house and looked more worried.
“How’s your cow?” the vet asked.
“No change,” the farmer said, “and I’m feeling very strange myself.”
“Oh?” the vet said, "Why?"
“I did what you said,” the farmer answered. “I put the tube in the cow’s mouth and then put two pills down it.”
“And?” the vet asked.
“The cow blew first,” the farmer said.
1.In the story, the vet must be _________.
|
A．the farmer's friend |
B．a milk factory |
C．a hospital for cows |
D．a doctor for animals |
2.The farmer asked the vet for help when his cow _______
|
A．couldn't lie down |
B．didn't eat the pills |
C．couldn't make any noise |
D．was ill |
3.What medicine did the vet give the farmer?
|
A．Bottle of pills. |
B．A long tube. |
C．Two pills. |
D．A small box. |
4.The vet taught the farmer how _________.
|
A．to blow the tube |
B．to make the cow take the pills |
|
C．to take the medicine |
D．to put the tube in his mouth |
5.Which of the following is true?
|
A．The farmer ate the pills himself. |
|
B．The cow got better after taking the medicine. |
|
C．The vet came to help the farmer change the cow the next day. |
|
D．The farmer waited for the vet outside his house the next day. |
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科目：高中英语 来源：广东省2010-2011学年高三开学初模拟考试试题（二）（英语） 题型：阅读理解
People do not analyze every problem they meet. Sometimes they try to remember a solution from the last time they had a similar problem. They often accept the opinions or ideas of other people. Other times they begin to act without thinking. They try to find a solution by trial and error. However, when all these methods fail, the person with a problem has to start analyzing. There are six stages in analyzing a problem.
First the person must recognize that there is a problem. For example, Sam’s bicycle is broken, and he cannot read it to class as he usually does. Sam must see that there is a problem with his bicycle.
Next the thinker must define the problem. Before Sam can repair his bicycle, he must find out the reason why it does not work. For instance, he must determine if the problem is with the gears, the brakes, or the frame. He must make his problem more specific.
Now the person must look for information that will make the problem clearer and lead to possible solutions. For instance, suppose Sam decided that his bike does not work because there is something wrong with the gear wheels. At this time, he can look in his bicycle repair book and read about gears. He can talk to his friends at the bike shop. He can look at his gears carefully.
After studying the problem, the person should have several suggestions for a possible solution. Take Sam as an illustration. His suggestions might be: put oil on the gear wheels; buy new gear wheels and replace the old ones; tighten or loosen the gear wheels.
Eventually one suggestion seems to be the solution to the problem. Sometimes the final idea comes very suddenly because the thinker suddenly sees something new or sees something in a new way. Sam, for example, suddenly sees that there is a piece of chewing gum between the gear wheels. He immediately realizes the solution to his problem: he must clean the gear wheels.
Finally the solution is tested. Sam cleans the gear wheels and finds that afterwards his bicycle works perfectly. In short , he has solved the problem.
1.What is the best title for this passage?
A. Six Stages for Repairing Sam’s Bicycle B. Possible Ways to Problem-solving
C. Necessities of Problem Analysis D. Suggestions for Analyzing a Problem
2. In analyzing a problem we should do all the following except .
A. recognize and define the problem B. look for information to make the problem clearer
C. have suggestions for a possible solution
D. find a solution by trial or mistake
3. By referring to Sam’s broken bicycle, the author intends to _________.
A. illustrate the ways to repair his bicycle B. discuss the problems of his bicycle
C. tell us how to solve a problem D. show us how to analyze a problem
4. Which of the following is NOT true?
A. People do not analyze the problem they meet.
B. People often accept the opinions or ideas of other people.
C. People may learn from their past experience.
D. People can not solve some problems they meet.
5. As used in the last sentence, the phrase “in short” means _________.
A. in the long run B. in detail C. in a word D. in the end
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科目：高中英语 来源：2011-2012学年陕西省高三第一次月考英语试题 题型：阅读理解
T-shirts out; uniforms in
School uniforms（制服） are becoming more and more popular across the U.S.A. That’s no surprise, because they offer many benefits. They immediately end the powerful social sorting and labeling (标记) that come from clothing. If all students are dressed in the same way, they will not pay too much attention to their clothing, and some of them will not be laughed at for wearing the “wrong” clothes.
Some people are against the strict rule of school uniforms, but they do not realize that students already accept a kind of rule — wanting to look just like their friends. The difference is that the clothing students choose for themselves creates social barriers(障碍); school uniforms tear those barriers down.
As in other places, uniforms remind the wearers of their purposes and duties. For example, when a man or woman puts on a police uniform, he or she becomes, for a time, the symbol (象征) of law and order. The uniform means to the wearer his or her special duties and sends the same message to everyone the wearer meets. People with different jobs wear uniforms of one kind or another. For students, the school uniform reminds them that their task for the six or seven hours they are in school is to get an education.
Some parents are unhappy about uniforms, saying that school uniforms will affect their children’s “creativity.” First, the clothes students choose to wear do not necessarily express their individuality (个性). They just copy their classmates. Second, students have the rest of the day to be as creative as they like. While they’re in school, their job is to master reading, writing, and maths; this should take up all the creativity they have. Mastery of those skills will be good for the students to build up their creativity in every way.
1.From the passage we learn that uniforms in general .
A. prevent the wearers from being laughed at
B. help the wearers keep their duties in mind
C. are seen as a symbol of power
D. help to create social barriers
2.Some people are against school uniforms because .
A. they fail to realize that students have accepted the uniforms
B. they believe that uniforms will make students less creative
C. they don’t agree that uniforms can remove social barriers
D. they think that school uniforms are too popular
3.The author would probably agree that .
A. it makes no difference whether to wear school uniforms or not
B. students’ individuality may not come from school education
C. students’ creativity is related to the clothes they choose
D. school uniforms help to create equality among students
4.School uniforms are becoming more and more popular and important because _____
A. they can stop the powerful social sorting and labeling.
B. if all students are dressed in the same way, they will not pay too much attention to their clothing.
C. uniforms can remind the wearers of their purposes and duties
D. school uniforms will affect their children’s creativity.
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科目：高中英语 来源：2011-2012学年安徽省高三英语综合测试题二 题型：完型填空
Do you remember last summer, when angry travelers were urging the government to do something about airline customer service? Airlines 36 to improve, and they adopted (采用) new standards just before Christmas. 37 as another summer nears, plenty of 38 travelers don’t see much improvement in customer 39 overall.
This month, the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) office will publish its first critical 40 on whether airlines are 41 their promises. One survey suggests problems: the number of 42 to the DOT about the top 10 airlines in the first 43 rose 89% from a year ago .
Hit last summer by passenger complaints and the threat (威慑) of consumer-protection laws by the 44 _, 14 airlines 45 to adopt a set of basic customer-service standards called Customers First . The “12 promises” to passengers were introduced 46 a major effort to improve service. Since then, airlines have been redesigning websites , retraining employees and upgrading technology
Recently, DOT inspector general Kenneth Mead, at McCain’s request, sent 20 examiners to airports to 47 whether each airline is doing what it promised. Mead warns travelers shouldn’t 48 too much. Most of the promises are 49 better communication with customers , not problems with flights .
“Passengers should show more understanding to airlines about their 50 to better air service.” Spokeswoman Shelly Sassoon says. “And when 51 are made, it takes a long time for them to be noticed,” she says.
Now, the efforts may be working. During the first quarter, Delta had the second-lowest rate of complaints among the 52 10 carriers. 53 , its rate, along with other carriers’, is up from last year. McCain and other lawmakers say there may be a 54 to pass new consumer-protection 55 .
1.A. promised B. managed C. hoped D. refused
2.A. So B. But C. Merely D. Even
3.A. skilled B. experienced C. tired D. puzzled
4.A. flight B. opinion C. service D. travel
5.A. news B. information C. doubt D. article
6.A. honoring B. making C. giving D. improving
7.A. problems B. travelers C. passengers D. complaints
8.A. quarter B. year C. month D. summer
9.A. customer B. company C. government D. public
10.A. wished B. agreed C. remembered D. failed
11.A. to B. for C. as D. by
12.A. explain B. discuss C. discover D. check
13. A. travel B. expect C. complain D. suggest
14.A. aimed at B. considered as C. joined to D. made from
15.A. difficulty B. situation C. reality D. efforts
16.A. suggestions B. rules C. decisions D. improvements
17.A. large B. first C. top D. bad
18.A. Still B. Therefore C. Instead D. Meanwhile
19.A. possibility B. need C. chance D. use
20.A. examinations B. service C. laws D. reports
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