"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.
It was humbling that so many chose to mark the anniversary of a duty which passed to me 60 years ago. People of all ages took the trouble to take part in various ways and in many nations. But perhaps most striking of all was to witness the strength of fellowship and friendship among those who had gathered together on these occasions.
On the barges and the bridges and the banks of the river there were people who had taken their places to cheer through the mist, undaunted by the rain. That day there was a tremendous sense of common determination to celebrate, triumphing(战胜) over the elements.
That same spirit was also in evidence from the moment the Olympic flame arrived on these shores. The flame itself drew hundreds and thousands of people on its journey around the British Isles, and was carried by every kind of deserving individual, many nominated for their own extraordinary service.
As London hosted a splendid summer of sport, all those who saw the achievement and courage at the Olympic and Paralympic Games were further inspired by the skill, dedication, training and teamwork of our athletes. In pursuing their own sporting goals, they gave the rest of us the opportunity to share something of the excitement and drama.
We were reminded, too, that the success of these great festivals depended to an enormous degree upon the dedication and effort of an army of volunteers. Those public-spirited people came forward in the great tradition of all those who devote themselves to keeping others safe, supported and comforted.
For many, Christmas is also a time for coming together. But for others, service will come first. Those serving in our armed forces, in our emergency services and in our hospitals, whose sense of duty takes them away from family and friends, will be missing those they love.
At Christmas I am always struck by how the spirit of togetherness lies also at the heart of the Christmas story. A young mother and a dutiful father with their baby were joined by poor shepherds and visitors from afar. They came with their gifts to worship(崇拜) the Christ child. From that day on he has inspired people to commit themselves to the best interests of others.
This is the time of year when we remember that God sent his only son 'to serve, not to be served'. He restored love and service to the centre of our lives in the person of Jesus Christ.
It is my prayer this Christmas Day that his example and teaching will continue to bring people together to give the best of themselves in the service of others.
I wish you all a very happy Christmas. "
【小题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. |
| A．To make a summary of what has been done in the past years. |
| B．To offer congratulations on the arrival of Christmas. |
| C．To hold an anniversary celebration of an event. |
| D．To express respect for and loyalty to God. |
| A．Enthusiasm and Friendship. |
| B．Dedication and effort. |
| C．Sacrifice and service. |
| D．Civilization and peace. |
| 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. |
【小题1】A
【小题２】B
【小题３】D
【小题４】C
解析试题分析：在圣诞来临之际，英国女王伊丽莎白二世于25日发表传统圣诞致词，今年的圣诞演讲首次以3D形式录制和在电视台上播放。女王在演讲中高度赞扬伦敦奥运会和残奥会志愿者们的无私奉献。
【小题1】推理题：从文章第二段的句子：It was humbling that so many chose to mark the anniversary of a duty which passed to me 60 years ago. 可知这个做演讲的人是６０年前做这个职位的，推断出是英国女王，选A
【小题２】推理题：从文章最后一段的句子：I wish you all a very happy Christmas. "可知英国女王伊丽莎白二世于25日在圣诞来临之际发表传统圣诞致词，选B
【小题３】细节题：第一段的The enthusiasm which greeted the Diamond Jubilee was, of course, especially memorable for me and my family.和第二段的witness the strength of fellowship and friendship可知提到Ａ项，从第六段的句子：We were reminded, too, that the success of these great festivals depended to an enormous degree upon the dedication and effort of an army of volunteers.可知Ｂ提到了，第七段的句子：But for others, service will come first. Those serving in our armed forces, in our emergency services and in our hospitals, whose sense of duty takes them away from family and friends, will be missing those they love.可知Ｃ是提到了，文章没有提到Ｄ项。
【小题４】推理题：从第六段和第七段的内容，可知演讲者高度赞扬在圣诞节还工作的人，选C
考点：考查演讲类短文
阅读快车系列答案科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
A father with Parkinson's disease was arrested as he watched the Olympic cycling road race because he failed to smile or look as if he was enjoying himself.
Mark Worsfold, a martial arts trainer and former soldier, claims that he was thrown to the floor and handcuffed just as cyclists passed by. His worried wife Nicola only found out he was being held after she reported him missing when he did not turn up for their daughter's ninth birthday party. The 54yearold man had his fingerprints, DNA and mugshot taken before being questioned about why he did not appear to be enjoying the event on July 28. Police said Mr. Worsfold, who was held for over five hours, was arrested because of his manner，his state of dress and his being too near to the course. A spokesman added that the arrest was necessary to avoid a breach(破坏) of the peace because he was standing near a group of protesters(抗议者)．
But Mr. Worsfold, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2010, said that one of the symptoms of the disease is muscle rigidity, which can cause his face to become expressionless. “I was sitting minding my own business”， he told a local newspaper. “Before I knew anything the police grabbed me off this sevenfoot wall, threw me to the floor and handcuffed me, so all I saw of the cycle race was between the feet of people from the pavement. It could have been done better. I was arrested for not smiling. I have Parkinson's disease.”
Mr. Worsfold has since asked for a letter of not being guilty from police. The officers who made the arrest have apologized to him.
【小题1】Which word can be used to replace the underlined word “mugshot” in the second paragraph?
| A．Clothes. | B．Photos. | C．Measures. | D．Tools. |
| A．Worsfold's wife was immediately informed of his being arrested by the police. |
| B．Worsfold was arrested because he was extremely dangerous. |
| C．Worsfold enjoyed the cycle race though he saw it between the feet of people from the pavement. |
| D．Worsfold was arrested because of his clothes as well as his facial expression. |
| A．The officers must have been punished for Worsfold's arrest. |
| B．Worsfold has an expressionless face and probably looks strong. |
| C．The officers apologized to Worsfold after one day's arrest. |
| D．Worsfold was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease four years ago. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
The Galapagos Islands are in the Pacific Ocean, off the western coast of South America They are a rocky, lonely spot, but they are also one of the most unusual places in the world. One reason is that they are the home of some of the last giant tortoises（乌龟）left on earth.
Weighing hundreds of pounds, these tortoises go slowly around the rocks and sand of the islands. Strangely, each of these islands has its own particular kinds of tortoises. There are seven different kinds of tortoises on the eight islands, and each kind is slightly different from the other.
Hundreds of years ago, thousands of tortoises were around these islands. However, all that changed when people started landing there. When people first arrived in 1535, crews would seize as many tortoises as they could. They would roll the tortoises onto their backs when they were brought onto the ships. The tortoises were completely helpless once on their backs, so they could only lie there until used for soups and stews. Almost 100,000 tortoises were carried off in this way.
The tortoises faced other problems, too. Soon after the first ships, settlers arrived, bringing pigs, goats, donkeys, dogs and cats. A11 0f these animals ruined life for the tortoises. Donkeys and goats ate all the plants that the tortoises usually fed on, while the pigs, dogs and cats ate thousands of baby tortoises each year. Within a few years, it was hard to find any tortoise eggs-or even any baby tortoises.
Finally, in the 1950s, scientists decided that something must be done. The first part of their plan was to remove as many cats, dogs and other animals as they could from the islands. Next, they tried to make sure that more baby tortoises would be born; This slow, hard work continues today, and, thanks to it, the number of tortoises is now increasing every year. Perhaps these wonderful animals will not disappear after all
【小题1】What can we learn from Paragraph i?
| A．The Galapagos Islands are the biggest islands in the Pacific Ocean |
| B． The giant tortoises have all left the Galapagos Islands already. |
| C．The giant tortoises made the Galapagos Islands unusual places. |
| D．People have built many homes for the giant tortoises on the islands. |
| A．They weigh hundreds of pounds. |
| B．They move around very slowly. |
| C．There are different kinds of tortoises. |
| D．They are larger than the ones in other places. |
| A．Sailors took tortoises aboard the ships. |
| B．Scientists decided to take measures to protect the tortoises. |
| C．Pigs, dogs and cats ate many baby tortoises. |
| D．Settlers brought other as to the islands. |
| A．Tortoise eggs were kept in safe containers. |
| B．The animals ate the tortoises' food and eggs. |
| C．The tortoises continued to wander freely. |
| D．The tortoises fought against the other animals. |
| A．The tortoises began to disappear gradually. |
| B．The number of tortoises began to decrease |
| C．Scientists took away other animals off the islands. |
| D．There are more and more giant tortoises on the islands. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
A towering South American plant that is believed to kill animals with its spikes(尖刺) and use their rotting bodies as fertilizer is about to bloom(开花) in England. A rare Puya chilensis was planted at a greenhouse in Surrey, a county in the southeast of England about 15 years ago. However, despite its frightening description, the tall, spiked plant is considered a threatened species.
The Royal Horticultural Society has been feeding the plant a diet of liquid fertilizer. “In its natural habitat in the Andes it uses its razor sharp spikes to snare and trap sheep and other animals, which slowly starve to death and rot at the base of the plant, providing it with a bag of fertilizer,” reads a description on the RHS website, which adds that the plant gives off a “gruesome scent.”
But does the plant actually trap and eat sheep? Other sources have simply said it is “believed” that the plant traps small animals with its spikes. After the animals die of starvation, the plant is "believed" to then use their rotting bodies as fertilizer to feed itself.
"I'm really pleased that we've finally persuaded our Puya chilensis into producing flower," horticulturalist Cara Smith said in a press release on the RHS site. Regardless of whether it actually traps sheep, the plant does have sharp spikes that can grow up to 12 feet high and 5 feet wide. However, it’s not all death and danger for this plant. Its flowery blooms reportedly provide nectar(花蜜) for bees and birds.
The Puya chilensis blooms annually in its native land of Chile, but this is the first time it has done so after more than a decade of cultivation efforts from the RHS. "We keep it well fed with liquid fertilizer as feeding it on its natural diet might prove a bit problematic,” Smith said. "It's growing in the dry section of our glasshouse with its deadly spines well out of reach of both children and sheep alike."
【小题1】From the passage we learn that in England the Puya chilensis _____.
| A．feeds on man-made liquid fertilizer |
| B．often kills sheep and other animals |
| C．has once bloomed 15 years before |
| D．uses animals' rotting bodies as fertilizer |
| A．catch | B．stop | C．fight | D．kill |
| A．it's dangerous to feed the plant |
| B．it's certain that the plant kills sheep |
| C．it's difficult for the plant to bloom in England |
| D．it's rare for the plant to bloom in South American |
| A．A new plant is discovered in Chile. |
| B．How a rare plant is fed in England. |
| C．A rare plant is going to bloom in England. |
| D．How a plant traps animals in South America. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
The US will seek to expand its own oil production in an attempt to reduce dependence on imported oil and bring down fuel prices , President Obama says . New contracts for exploration will be signed in non-protected areas of Alaska and in the Gulf of Mexico.
In his weekly speech , the President insisted the US could reduce its need for imported oil and improve safety. Using his speech to tell Americans that he understood their concerns about rising prices, President Obama focused particularly on the price of fuel, which has risen in recent months.
US consumers have historically enjoyed cheap fuel , but have seen prices rise in recent months even though US oil production in 2010 reached its highest level for seven years.
Although the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 was serious, Mr Obama said the Gulf remained a key part of the country’s future energy supply.
The President’s proposals (议案）come after Republicans (共和党人） introduced a series of proposals that would expand and speed up oil and gas production.
The White House has criticized the Republican proposals for safety reasons , but Mr Obama was clear in his speech that he felt safety and environmental standards could be maintained even though production might rise.
“ I believe that we should continue to expand oil production in America —even as we increase safety and environmental standards ,”he said.
“As a nation, we should be investing in the clean, renewable sources of energy that are the solution to high gas prices.”
Mr Obama has previously called for a step-change in energy policy, saying the US must move towards getting 80%of its electricity from clean energy sources by 2035.
【小题1】Which of the following is NOT included in Mr Obama’s speech?
| A．The dependence on imported oil. |
| B．Improving safety standards |
| C．The reason for the rising oil prices . |
| D．Expanding oil production. |
| A．Not safe enough | B．Not environmentally friendly |
| C．Practical | D．Clear |
| A．The US has got most of its electricity from clean energy. |
| B．US oil production is too small to keep the present low fuel prices. |
| C．The US produced the most oil in 2010 in its history. |
| D．The Gulf is still important in energy supply in spite of the oil spill in 2010. |
| A．Obama: US will seek oil in Alaska and Gulf of Mexico. |
| B．Obama: US will import less oil to improve safety and environmental standards . |
| C．Obama: the time of high fuel prices will be gone. |
| D．Obama: clean, renewable sources of energy are the solution to high gas prices |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
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 （遗产） 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 （喜庆的） 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（描绘） 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 （官僚作风） 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"．
【小题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． |
| 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． |
| A．rules or procedures that are required to accomplish a task |
| B．a situation in which poor members of society are hurt |
| C．conflict between people in power and weaker people |
| D．pointlessly time-consuming official procedures |
| 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． |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
The quality of drinking water in Shanghai will meet European Union standard by 2010 and, a decade later, citizens in Shanghai will drink the best water in the world.
These were the goals set out by the Shanghai Water Authority. With the city’s population expected to increase only slightly and the economy to boom by 2020, Chen Yin, and official with the water authority, said Shanghai’s water consumption will not increase from its present amount.
Zhang Yue, director of the Urban Construction Division under the Ministry of Construction, said, “Shanghai is the first city in the country to publicize these ambitions. They will not be easy to achieve.”
He said water saving will help keep the sustainable development of China’s economy.
Saving one cubic meter of water means saving the city’s infrastructure（基础设施）costs by 10,000 Yuan. Last year, Shanghai saved 300 million cubic meters of water either from readjustment of industrial structure or the employment of new technology.
“The aim is to arouse public awareness of the seriousness of water shortages,” Chen said. “The abundant surface water and amount of rain of the city are so misleading that they result in improper use of water.”
Shanghai lacks drinkable water. The Huangpu River, which supplies 80 percent of the city’s drinkable water, is nearing exhaustion.
The city, therefore, has been exploring new sources from the Yangtze River and growing forests along it to conserve quality water.
Besides penning regulations, the authority is popularizing technology among the public to efficiently cut the amount of water used.
At present, the city has 600，000 family toilets, each using 13 liters of water per flush. These are to be renovated（整修）to use only 9 liters of water per flush.
The authority is renovating the first 200 toilets for households – at a cost of 40 Yuan each.
In three years, all the toilets will be renovated, which saves the city nearly 15 million Yuan every year in water conservation.
Another task the city is engaged in is the treatment of sewage（污水）to improve the water environment.
At present the city can only treat 44 percent of its daily 5.04 million tons of waste water. To meet the total demand, 27 more sewage treatment factories are to be established with an estimated investment of 18 billion Yuan.
【小题1】People in Shanghai get their daily water mainly from now.
| A．the underground | B．the rain |
| C．the Yangtze River | D．the Huangpu River |
| A．the renovating of family toilets will save plenty of water |
| B．about half of waste water has been treated already |
| C．advanced technology makes people use water as much as possible |
| D．there is plenty surface water and large amount of rain at present |
| A．make people’s living more convenient |
| B．improve people’s living standards |
| C．ease employment pressure |
| D．meet the total demand of water |
| A．a, b, c, d | B．b, c, e, f | C．b, c, d, e | D．a, b, e, f |
| A．the boom of economy will need a larger amount of water in the future |
| B．citizens today in Shanghai drink the best quality of water in the world |
| C．not everyone today in Shanghai is aware of water shortage |
| D．all the family toilets will be renovated to save water within 3 years |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
SAN FRANCISCO—A phone app (应用程序) in San Francisco gives information about open parking spots. City officials in San Francisco introduced the app to try to reduce traffic jams in the city, but some say it raises safety concerns.
In this city, drivers searching for parking spots lead to 30 percent of all downtown jams, city officials think. Now San Francisco has found a solution—a phone app for spot-seekers that displays information about areas with available spaces. The system, introduced last month, relies on wireless sensors (感应器) fixed in streets and city garages that can tell within seconds if a spot has opened up.
Monique Soltani, a TV reporter, said she and her sister spent 25 minutes on Friday trying to park. “We were praying to the parking god that we’d find a spot,” she said. “If we had the app, we would not have to pray to the parking god.” But the system could come with serious consequences.
Some people say that drivers searching for parking could end up focusing on their phones, not the road. “It could be really distracting (使分心的),” said Daniel Simons, a professor of psychology at the University of Illinois.
City officials acknowledge the potential problem. They are urging drivers to pull over before they use the city’s iPhone app, or to do so before they leave home. Nathaniel Ford, executive director of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, said safety could actually improve if drivers quickly found a spot instead of circling and getting frustrated.
San Francisco has put sensors into 7,000 parking spots and 12,250 spots in city garages. If spaces in an area open up, the sensors communicate wirelessly with computers that in turn make the information available to app users within a minute, said Mr. Ford, of the transportation agency. On the app, a map shows which blocks have lots of places (blue) and which are full (red).
More than 12,000 people have downloaded San Francisco’s app, which is available now only for the iPhone but which city officials say they hope to bring to all similar devices.
When it is started up, the city’s parking app warns drivers not to use the system while in motion. But safety advocates said that might not be sufficient. After all, they say, texting while driving is illegal in California and in many states, but a number of surveys, including one by the Pew Research Center, show that many Americans do it anyway.
Elizabeth Stampe, executive director of Walk San Francisco, a pedestrian advocacy group, said she hoped the new parking app would lead to fewer accidents.
“It’s an innovative idea,” she said. “The safe way for people to use the device is for them to pull over, which they know they should do. The question is whether they will.”
But Ms. Soltani, the TV reporter, said using the app would probably join the group of activities already performed by drivers.
“We’re already looking at Google Maps and Facebook on the phone while we drive,” she said. “Aren’t we always looking at something on our phone, or changing the radio, or drinking coffee? You’re always slightly distracted when you’re driving.”
【小题1】What is the phone app mentioned in the text mainly aimed at?
| A．Making full use of the parking spots. |
| B．Making the traffic flow smoothly. |
| C．Preventing traffic accidents. |
| D．Benefiting iPhone users. |
| A．don’t consider the app distracting |
| B．advise drivers to park cars slowly |
| C．are aware of the app’s disadvantages |
| D．believe more parking spots are needed |
| A．Sensors"computers"app. | B．App"computers"sensors. |
| C．Sensors"app"computers. | D．Computers"app"sensors. |
| A．is a bit slow in reacting |
| B．hasn’t been put into service |
| C．was introduced several years ago |
| D．can’t be downloaded to all phones |
| A．Daniel Simons thinks the app convenient. |
| B．San Francisco will put more sensors into use. |
| C．Most drivers open the app once they start their cars. |
| D．Nathaniel Ford doesn’t doubt the practical use of the app. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Paracutin was born in Mexico in February, 1943. At the end of one week Paracutin was 500 feet high, and it is now over 9,000 feet high. Today Paracutin is asleep.
What is Paracutin? It was the first volcano(火山) in the world which was seen from its birth right up to the present day. On February 20, 1943, a peasant and his wife set out to work in their corn fields from the Mexican village of Paracutin. They were surprised to find the earth warm under their feet. Suddenly they heard noises deep in the earth and a small hole appeared in their field. In the afternoon there was a sudden loud noise and stones were thrown high in the air. The peasants ran from the field and turned to watch. They saw the birth of a volcano.
Large quantities of stone and lava（岩浆）broke out and a little hill began to form. By evening this hill was 100 feet high and hot ashes（灰烬）were falling on the village. At night the strong light of the hot lava lit up the countryside. The trees near the village were killed and the villagers had to leave their houses. When the village was destroyed, its name was given to the volcano. The news quickly reached Mexico City, far to the east. Many people came to watch the scene. The volcano grew and grew for ten years and hundreds of square miles of forest were destroyed. Then Paracutin went to sleep.
【小题1】Paracutin was once the name of______.
| A．a peasant | B．a village | C．an old mountain | D．a Mexican |
| A．Paracutin is not active now. |
| B．Paracutin is the first volcano in the world. |
| C．Paracutin did not exist until the early 1940s. |
| D．It took Paracutin 10 years to grow to its present size. |
| A．The little hill of stone. |
| B．The villagers living close by. |
| C．The forest and fields round Paracutin. |
| D．The Mexican peasant and his wife. |
| A．tell us an interesting happening |
| B．explain a scientific theory |
| C．make us believe something |
| D．make up an interesting story |
| A．New volcanoes may appear in places where people do not expect them to be |
| B．Volcanoes are always growing. |
| C．Volcanoes are active from time to time. |
| D．New volcanoes are active for only ten years. |
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