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2021·黑龙江哈尔滨·二模
阅读理解-阅读单选(约370词) | 较难(0.4) |
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1 . With Heavenly Lake as the center, the Heavenly Lake and Tianshan Mountains Scenic Area consists of four mountain landscape belts, which covers a total area of 380.69 square kilometers. In the mountains by Heavenly Lake, there live many precious plants and animals, such as snow cocks and roe deer. The tops of the mountains are even home to contemporary glaciers and rich in resources such as copper, iron and mica.

Ideal Sightseeing Season: August and September

Opening Hours: 09:00 - 19:30 in peak season, 10:00-18:00 in off season

Ticket Price:

● Admission fee: 95 yuan from April to October, 45 yuan from November to March.

● Temple of Queen Mother of the West: 10 yuan.

● Eco- museum of Heavenly Lake: 10 yuan.

● Cableway: 20 yuan/one-way, 35 yuan/round-trip.

● Other fees: sightseeing bus (60 yuan/round-trip), accumulator car (5 yuan/person each time), painted pleasure boat (50 yuan/person each time), speed boat (35 yuan/person each time), yacht (205yuan/person each time).

Note:

● There is an obvious difference in temperature from day and in night in Xinjiang and temperature in some scenic spots is probably lower due to the high elevation or weather change. Therefore, it is still necessary to take along a coat or woolen sweater to keep warm during the summer.

● Located in the northwest, Xinjiang has a lower average temperature than that in most areas of China, but ultraviolet irradiation in it is commonly higher. The highest temperature in some cities such as Turpan can reach above 40 degree Centigrade, so it is suggested to take along effective sun block and some medicine in case of sunburn and sunstroke prevention.

● Xinjiang is a region of an ethnic minority with a common belief of Islam. Pork is one of the biggest taboos for Muslims, so please do NOT bring porky food into a Muslim restaurant or talk about pork in public areas.

● Although most areas of Xinjiang are located in UTC+6, Beijing Time (UTC+8, national standard time of China) is officially used in Xinjiang. Due to the time difference of two hours later, sightseeing in Xinjiang is usually arranged between Beijing Time 09:00 and 20:00.

1. What can we know from the passage?
A.There are many common plants and contemporary glaciers on tops of the mountains.
B.In spring visitors can enjoy the most beautiful scenery there.
C.Visitors need to carry heavy clothes, sunglasses and some medicine during the visit in summer.
D.Pulled pork is available in Muslim restaurants in Xinjiang
2. How much should a couple pay if they want to visit the Eco-museum of Heavenly Lake by taking the round-trip sightseeing bus in September?
A.165 yuan.B.330 yuan.
C.70 yuan.D.140 yuan.
3. Where is the passage take from?
A.A travel review.B.A travel advertisement.
C.A travel news.D.A travel guide.
2021-05-15更新 | 425次组卷 | 4卷引用:三轮冲刺卷03-【赢在高考·黄金20卷】备战2022年高考英语模拟卷(上海专用)

2 . Last year, 138,000 San Francisco residents used Airbnb, a popular app designed to connect home renters and travelers. It’s a striking number for a city with a population of about 850,000, and it was enough for Airbnb to win a major victory in local elections, as San Francisco voters struck down a debatable rule that would have placed time restrictions and other regulations on short-term rental services.

The company fiercely opposed the measure, Proposition F, with a nearly $10 million advertising campaign. It also contacted its San Franciscan users with messages urging them to vote against Proposition F.

Most people think of Airbnb as a kind of couch-surfing app. The service works for one-night stays on road trips and longer stays in cities, and it often has more competitive pricing than hotels. It’s a textbook example of the “sharing economy”, but not everyone is a fan.

The app has had unintended consequences in San Francisco. As the San Francisco Chronicle reported last year, a significant amount of renting on Airbnb is not in line with the company’s image: middle-class families putting up a spare room to help make ends meet. Some users have taken advantage of the service, using it to turn their multiple properties into vacation rentals or even full-time rentals. Backers of Proposition F argued that this trend takes spaces off the conventional, better-regulated housing market and contributes to rising costs.

“The fact is, widespread abuse of short-term rentals is taking much needed housing off the market and harming our neighborhoods,” said ShareBetter SF, a group that supported Proposition F. Hotel unions have protested the company’s practices in San Francisco and other cities, saying that it creates an illegal hotel system.

San Francisco is in the middle of a long-term, deeply rooted housing crisis that has seen the cost of living explode. Actually, explode is a generous term. The average monthly rent for an apartment is around $4, 000. Located on a narrow outcropping of land overlooking the bay, San Francisco simply doesn’t have enough space to accommodate the massive inflow of young, high-salaried tech employees flocking to Silicon Valley.

As the Los Angeles Times reported, some San Francisco residents supported the measure simply because it seemed like a way to check a big corporation. Opponents of Proposition F countered that the housing crisis runs much deeper, and that passing the rule would have discouraged a popular service while doing little to solve the city’s existing problems.

1. The intention of Proposition F is to ________.
A.place time limits in local election.B.set limits on short-term rental.
C.strike down a controversial rule.D.urge users to vote against Airbnb.
2. What is the negative consequence of Airbnb on San Francisco?
A.It shrinks the living space of middle-class families.
B.Users are taken advantage of by the service financially.
C.It makes the house market more competitive.
D.It indirectly leads to high house rental price.
3. The housing crisis in San Francisco results from ________.
A.explosion of the living costB.its geographic characteristics
C.generosity of local enterprisesD.inflow of migrant population
4. The author’s attitude toward Proposition F is ________.
A.objectiveB.supportive
C.negativeD.indifferent
阅读理解-阅读单选(约460词) | 较难(0.4) |
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3 . Gottfried Wilhelm von Liebniz was a philosopher and mathematician in search of a model. In the late 1600s Leibniz decided there was a need for a new, purer arithmetic than our common decimal(十进制)system. He got his inspiration from the 5000-year-old book that is at the heart of Chinese philosophy:the I-Ching, or Book of Changes.

This ancient text was such an influence on Liebniz that he titled his article on the new arithmetic “Explanation of a new arithmetic and the ancient Chinese figure of Fu X”. Fu Xi was the legendary first author of the I-Ching. The arithmetic that Liebniz described was binary(二进制)code, which is used in almost every modern computer, from iPhones to China’s own Tihane-2 supercomputer.

To figure out what Liebniz learned in the I-Ching, we need to understand something that most of us have taken for granted. When we listen to an MP3, look at a digital photo or watch the latest TV drama, we are experiencing a digital representation of reality. That representation is basically just a string of binary signals that are commonly known as 1s and 0s. What Liebniz’s gained from the book was that even the most complex reality could be represented in the binary form as 1s and 0s.

In the philosophy of the I-Ching, reality is not entirely real. It is something more like a dream. This dream of reality arises from the binaries of Yin and Yang, as they play out countless combinations, practically everything in the universe. It’s not surprising then, from the l-Ching’s perspective, that anything in the dream of reality can be represented in a string of 1s and 0s, processed by a computer.

The I-Ching was far more ambitious than the current practical applications of binary code. It is claimed that the I-Ching represents nothing less than the basic situation of human life itself. As a system for predicting the future, the I-Ching might disappoint, but as a way of questioning your own unconscious mind, it can be remarkably useful.

The I-Ching’s teachings also contain warnings about our digital revolution. Binary code, powered by modern computers, has an amazing capacity to represent reality. However, the ancient authors of the I-Ching might have understood its potential-and its dangers-even better than we now do.

So when scientific thinkers ask whether computers can create “virtual realities” or “artificial intelligence”, they are missing the point. Of course, we can create ever deeper and more complex layers of the dream of reality. The real question is, can we wake up from the dream we’ re in already?

1. Which of the following is TRUE about binary codes?
A.They share the same source with the decimal system.
B.They can form numerous combinations.
C.They are documented in the Book of Changes.
D.They are first discovered by Fu Xi.
2. In paragraph 3, the underlined part refers to the fact that ______.
A.media products are digitally represented using 1s and 0s.
B.TV dramas and digital photos are not worth seeing.
C.Reality is made more complex by binary codes.
D.Licbniz’s model is hardly understandable.
3. What can be inferred from the passage?
A.Computers’ ability to represent reality is quite limited.
B.Human life is now in grave danger according to the I-Ching.
C.We have yet to understand the complete teachings of the I-Ching.
D.The I-Ching is perfectly accurate in predicting the future.
4. Which of the following is the best title?
A.The Ancient Book of Wisdom at the Heart of Every Computer
B.The Supercomputer that Employs Ancient Chinese Culture
C.The Father of Binary Code, Gottfried Wilhelm Liebniz
D.The Origin of Eastern and Western Philosophy
2021-04-16更新 | 362次组卷 | 4卷引用:上海市嘉定区2021届高三第二学期质量调研英语试题
阅读理解-阅读单选(约400词) | 较难(0.4) |
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4 . Hazel Mayfield usually cooks the Thanksgiving meal for her extended family in Houston, Texas. She usually welcomes friends and neighbors who are eager to taste her fried turkey, green bean casserole, candied yams, homemade cornbread dressing, and dirty rice-just a few of her signature dishes. Known as Sugar Mama, because her grandchildren think she’s so sweet, the 91-year-old typically likes to do her own shopping for the ingredients to make her special dishes.

“My mother is the head cook of the family,” said Panulette Mouton, Mayfield’s daughter. “Because of her reputation, you know, there’re people in and out all day and every family comes through. They want to get some of Sugar Mama’s cooking, and some of them would like to learn from her how to cook the food.”

But Mayfield hasn’t been to the grocery store since March. And there is little about Thanksgiving in 2020 that’s usual. Because of Covid-19, the deadly virus that has killed millions in the U.S. and spoiled life around the world, everything is different. Since limiting close face-to-face contact with others is the best way to reduce its spread, hundreds of thousands of American families have re-imagined the holiday with virtual celebrations and canceled or delayed travel plans. There can only be small gatherings with people in their households in response to COVID-19.

This year, Mayfield’s family members, without exception, are lamenting the absence of a big gathering. They’ve explained to their young children and grandchildren why this year’s Thanksgiving is different. Mayfield’s youngest daughter, Michelle Sanders, says it’s tough to help her grandchildren understand why they can’t see some of their other family members and why they have to stay at home, celebrating Thanksgiving all by themselves.

“It’s really hard, trying to explain to them,” Sanders said. “When-you’re talking to them and they want to come over, you have to tell them no. They really don’t know how to be careful.” Sanders added, “And, they don’t understand that, being three, four, and six, you know they don’t really understand that. So, it’s...it’s really, really hard, and heartbreaking.”

1. According to the passage, Hazel Mayfield is ________.
A.helpful and kind-heartedB.stubborn and enthusiastic
C.talented and instructiveD.grateful and sensitive
2. The underlined word in paragraph 4 can be best replaced by ________.
A.fascinated byB.upset about
C.ignorant ofD.embarrassed at
3. What can we infer from what Sanders said in the last paragraph?
A.Children are too young to understand the situation.
B.Children are always careless on Thanksgiving Day.
C.It’s tough to help children overcome their problems.
D.Adults should show patience when talking with kids.
4. What do we know about the effect of COVID-19 according to the passage?
A.People are cutting down holiday celebration expenses.
B.People are trying hard to get together to have more fun.
C.People have to make changes in their lifestyle to stay safe.
D.People have put more emphasis on the traditional customs.
智能选题,一键自动生成优质试卷~
2021·北京西城·一模
阅读理解-阅读单选(约370词) | 较难(0.4) |
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5 . Immersive Van Gogh

From the creators of the blockbuster show in Paris seen by over two million visitors and still wowing crowds in Toronto, the west coast premiere (首场) of the Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit will bring the art of Vincent to life in Los Angeles.

Immersive art is not just a technical way to represent video and audio in huge spaces. The word immersive indicates a deep commitment of intentions which connect images and sounds in a way that the audience is able to experience a different way of the art.

True to its name, this exhibition transforms the iconic (偶像的) paintings of Vincent van Gogh into moving, wall-filling projections. “Immersive Van Gogh” promises half-a-million cubic feet of projections that pull from some of the post-impressionist’s most recognizable pieces, including The Bedroom, Sunflowers and, yes, The Starry Night.

You will experience art like never before—lose yourself in entrancing, moving images that highlight brushstrokes, detail, and color—truly illuminating (照亮) the mind of the genius.

LOCATION

The Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit is located at a secret place situated in the heart of Los Angeles. To be announced before the exhibit opens, existing ticket holders will receive an email with the place name and location once it is made public.

TICKET PRICES

VIP TICKETS—$99.99
●Priority access
●Van Gogh cushion (a gift for you)
●Limited edition poster
PREMIUM TICKETS—$59.99
●Van Gogh cushion (rental)
●Limited edition poster
BASIC TICKETS—$54.99
●Admission only
CHILD TICKETS—$29.99
●Ages 6—16 (children 5 and under do not require a ticket)
●Admission only
●Child tickets are not subject to change of date fees

Tickets are available online at www.vangoghla.com.

GIFT SHOP

Stop by our Exhibit Gift Shop to take the magic of Van Gogh home with you! From clothing and jewelry to home décor, children’s books, and so much more, you will find unique and thoughtful souvenirs at the Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit. Also be sure to check out at our online store!

Experience the organic landscapes of Van Gogh’s imagination, and journey through his brilliance and madness in a completely new and unforgettable way.

1. According to the passage, the Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit ________.
A.presents Van Gogh’s art in a modern way
B.begins a journey to Van Gogh’s hometown
C.displays Van Gogh’s paintings on moving walls
D.designs projects on Van Gogh’s learning experience
2. From where can people find information about the exact location of the exhibit?
A.An email.B.A website.
C.The ticket office.D.The gift shop.
3. How much should a couple with a 5-year-old child who would like to own a Van Gogh cushion at least pay for the visit?
A.$109.98.B.$154.98.
C.$159.98.D.$199.98.

6 . If your in-box is currently reporting unread messages in the hundreds or thousands, you might have a hard time believing the news: e-mail is on the decline.

At first thought, that might seem to be the case. The incoming generation, after all, doesn’t do e-mail. Oh, they might have an account. They use it only as we would use a fax machine: as a means to communicate with old-school folks like their parents or to fulfill the sign-up requirements of Web sites. They rarely check it, though.

Today’s instant electronic memos — such as texting and Facebook and Twitter messages — are more direct, more concentrated, more efficient. They go without the salutation (称呼语) and the signoff (签收); we already know the “to” and “from.” Many corporations are moving to messaging networks for exactly that reason: more signal, less noise and less time. This trend is further evidence that store-and-forward systems such as e-mail and voicemail are outdated. Instead of my leaving you a lengthy message that you pick up later, I can now send you an easily-read message that you can read — and respond to — on the go.

The coming of the mobile era is responsible for the decline of e-mail. Instant written messages bring great convince to people. They can deal with them at about any time: before a movie, in a taxi, waiting for lunch. And because these messages are very brief, they’re suitable for smart phone typing.

Does this mean e-mail is on its way to the dustbin of digital history? Not necessarily. E-mail still has certain advantages. On the other hand, tweets and texts feel ephemeral — you read them, then they’re gone, into an endless string, e-mail still feels like something you have and that you can file, search and return to later. It’s easy to imagine that it will continue to feel more appropriate for formal communications: agreements, important news, longer explanations.

So, e-mail won’t go away completely. Remember, we’ve been through a transition (过度) like this not so long ago: when e-mail was on the rise, people said that postal mail was dead. That’s not how it works. Postal mail found its smaller market, and so will e-mail. New technology rarely replaces old one completely; it just adds new alternatives.

1. What would the incoming generation like to do with their e-mail accounts?
A.Check bank accounts.B.Send long messages.
C.Fill in some forms.D.Communicate with their colleagues.
2. Which of the following is mainly discussed in paragraphs 3 and 4?
A.The possible reasons behind the decline of e-mail
B.The likes and dislikes of the young generation
C.The rapid development of e-communication channels
D.Evidence about the uncertain future of easily-consumed messages
3. What does the underlined word “ephemeral” in paragraph 5 mean?
A.Automatically-sending.B.Randomly-written.
C.Hardly- recognized.D.Shortly-appearing.
4. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?
A.It’s too early to determine the decline of e-mail.
B.E-mail has reasons to exist with its own advantages.
C.E-mail, just like postal mail has come to its end.
D.We should feel sorry for the decline of e-mail.
20-21高二下·江苏苏州·阶段练习
阅读理解-阅读单选(约430词) | 较难(0.4) |
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7 . Welcome to Fresh Start February! This week Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that I would transition to the private sector. Today, my last official day as the Director of the Mayor's Office of Community Affairs. After serving 6 years in the Executive Office of Mayor Muriel Bowser and 2 of those years as Director, of the Mayor's Office of Community Affairs, I am very excited and look forward to starting this next phase in my career.

I am humbled and grateful to Mayor Bowser for trusting in me to be a leader in her administration and to serve as the primary liaison between you-the members of the community, and 13 community affairs offices to foster relationships across all 8 Wards. What can I say, other than it has been an amazing journey and I am grateful!

This journey has been the very foundation of our work in partnership and collaboration between District of Columbia residents and the Executive Office of the Mayor. We have established partnerships with communities, conducted and coordinated several events, town halls, forums, and projects in support of carrying forward mayoral initiatives at the community level.

We have built stronger ties between the Mayor and community organizations civic groups, and Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANCs) while attending to the intersectional needs of the community.

Also, thank you to the 90+ MOCA staff members that have helped me up to provide support to our office directors and District residents throughout the years. Interacting with you all and having the opportunity to work with such dedicared individuals is something I have and will never take for granted. I have often been inspired by the creativity and innovation that they bring to the respective offices. Our work has left a lasting impression on my life.

Again, thank you to our first female two-term Mayor, Muriel Bowser for her leadership and for allowing me to be a part of this great work! I want to thank you for your support throughout this journey, and I am excited about the great work that will continue to go forward. I leave with fond memories of my 8 years total in the John A. Wilson Building.

2 years in the office or Councilmember Anita Bonds and with memories that I will forever cherish. I also know that MOCA is well-positioned to go to the NEXT LEVEL! It has been one of my greatest privileges to serve with you. Until we meet again.

1. А_______________ is a person whose job is to make sure there is a good relationship between two groups or organizations.
A.mayorB.residentC.directorD.liaison
2. How many years altogether has the author worked in MOCA?
A.2B.6.C.8.D.10.
3. Who is the author of the speech most likely to address?
A.Muriel Bowser.B.The private sector.
C.Local residents.D.MOCA staff members.
2021-03-05更新 | 308次组卷 | 4卷引用:二轮拔高卷06-【赢在高考·黄金20卷】备战2022年高考英语模拟卷(上海专用)
阅读理解-阅读单选(约430词) | 较难(0.4) |
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8 . Portraits as Art

According to a dictionary, portraiture is “a representation (描绘) of a person, especially of the face by drawing or painting a likeness.” However, this definition neglects the complexities of portraiture. Portraits are works of art that engage with ideas of identity rather than just a likeness. These concepts of identity involve social rank, gender, age, profession, character of the subject, etc. It is impossible to copy all the aspects of identity. Therefore, portraits reflect only certain qualities of subjects. Portrait art has also undergone significant shifts in artistic practice. The majority of portraits are the outcome of current artistic fashions and favored styles. Therefore, portrait art is an art category providing various engagement with social, psychological, and artistic practices and expectations.

Since portraits are different from other art categories, they are worthy of separate study. During their production, portraits require the presence of a specific person, or an image of the individual. In many instances, the production of portraiture has required sittings, which result in interaction between the subject(s) and the artist throughout the creation of the work. In certain instances, portrait artists depended on a combination of different involvement with their subjects. If the sitter can’t sit in the studio regularly, portraitists could use his or her photographs. In Europe, during the seventeenth and eighteenth century, the sitting time was sometimes decreased by focusing only on the head. Theoretically, portraitists could work from impressions or memories when creating a painting, but this rarely occurred according to documented records. Nonetheless, whether the work is based on model sittings, copying a photograph, or using memory, the process of painting a portrait is linked with the model’s attendance.

Furthermore, portrait painting can be distinguished from other artistic categories by its connection with appearance, or likeness. As such, the art of portrait painting got a reputation for imitation instead of for artistic innovation. Based on Renaissance art theory, portraiture was related to the level of a mechanical exercise as opposed to a fine art. Michelangelo’s well-known protest against portraits is only one example. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the attitude to portraiture was critical. Even so, artists from around the globe persisted in painting portraits despite their theoretical objections. Picasso, for example, became widely-known for cubist still-life painting (立体派静物画) early in his career, but some of his early experiments in this new style were his portraits of art dealers.

1. What does paragraph 1 mainly tell us?
A.The changing definition of portraiture reflects shifting attitudes to it.
B.Most portraits reflect artistic fashions and favored styles when created.
C.Portraiture is a more complex art form than is defined in a dictionary.
D.Portrait art shouldn’t be seen as a distinct art category for its complexity.
2. Which of the following is a characteristic of portraiture mentioned in paragraph 2?
A.Portraiture typically takes much less time than other art forms.
B.Portraiture often requires frequent cooperation between artists.
C.Portraits show models in a more accurate way than other art forms.
D.Portraits generally involve interaction between subjects and artists.
3. According to paragraph 2, during portraits’ production, artists __________.
A.based their work on the subjects’ attendance
B.preferred models’ photographs to their presence
C.were more willing to use impressions or memories
D.reduced sitting time to concentrate on a sitter’s head
4. Picasso is chosen as an example by the author because he __________.
A.altered the way other artists felt about portrait art
B.created portraits in spite of his objection to portrait art
C.depended on portrait art to establish a higher reputation
D.had fewer theoretical objections to portraitures than others

9 . During those barren winter months, with windows overlooking long-dead gardens, leafless trees, and lawns that seem to have an ashy look about them, nothing calms the uneasy nerves more than the vibrant green of plants surrounding the living spaces of one’s home. People browse through garden stores just to get a smell of chlorophyll (叶绿素) and to choose a plant or two to bring spring back into their winter-gray lives.

Now there is even more of a need for “the green,” in light of recent articles warning us of the dangers of chemicals that we, ourselves, introduce into our homes. Each time we bring clothes home from the cleaners, we release those chemicals into the closed-in air of our homes. Every cleanser releases its own kind of fumes.

Some of the chemicals are formaldehyde (甲醛), chlorine, benzene, styrene, etc. Read the labels on many home products, the ingredients aren’t even listed! During the winter, when those same windows are shut tight, we breathe in these chemicals—causing symptoms much like allergies (过敏). In fact, most people probably dismiss the effects of these chemicals simply as some allergy or other. The truth is that we are experiencing a syndrome that is called Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. Now, what has this got to do with green plants? Everything healthy! Research has been conducted with two types of plants that have actually removed much of these harmful chemicals from the air.

The two plants that seem to be the best bet for ridding one’s home of such chemicals are ferns (蕨类植物) and palms. These plants release moisture as part of photosynthesis and, as they do, pull chemicals from the air into their leaves. Even NASA has conducted some greenhouse experiments for long-term space exploration. Within hours, their plants [palms] had removed almost all traces of formaldehyde in the room. Both species of plants are ancient, dating back more than a hundred million years. Another trait they share is that they both live long lives, 100 years or more. This we expect from trees, but ferns and palms are plants; plants that can grow to 65 feet in the proper setting! Even their individual leaves live for one to two years [ferns] and one to nine years [palms]. Perhaps it is their primary qualities that have contributed to their ability to purify their environment.

1. Why does the author think we are in greater need of “the green” in our homes?
A.To bring our long-dead gardens back to life.
B.To get rid of harmful chemicals trapped there.
C.To make us feel calmer and less worried.
D.To serve as decorations as well as refresh us.
2. According to the passage, which of the following statement is TRUE?
A.The source of these chemicals released in our homes hasn’t been identified.
B.The chemicals can be removed immediately the two plants are put into use.
C.People tend to underestimate the effects of the chemical in the closed-in places.
D.People usually buy household products without referring to the ingredients on them.
3. As for the two plants, their primary qualities friendly to indoor environment include _____________.
A.the ability to absorb chemicals and live long
B.their adaptability to indoor environment
C.the fast growth and attractiveness of their leaves
D.the release of their moisture and fumes
4. Which of the following may serve as the best title of the passage?
A.Research in the New Millennium
B.Common Houseplants May Purify Your Home
C.Hidden Dangers in Your Home
D.NASA Experiment Finds the Cure
阅读理解-阅读单选(约550词) | 较难(0.4) |
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10 . Bitcoin and other so-called cryptocurrencies (加密货币)have been all over the news lately. Apparently, the idea of money that's not tied to a specific bank—or a specific country—is appealing to many. But it's worth remembering that the banking system that we now all live with is just that: A modern invention. Not so long ago, money was almost always created and used locally, and bartering was common. (In fact, it still is common among many online local networks, like the Buy Nothing Project.).

In the past, money's makeup varied from place to place, depending on what was considered valuable there. So while some of the world's first coins were made from a naturally occurring hybrid of gold and silver called electrum (银金矿),objects other than coins have served as currency, including beads, ivory, livestock, and cowrie shells. In West Africa, bracelets of bronze or copper were used as cash, especially if the transaction was associated with the slave trade there. Throughout the colonial period, tobacco was used to replace coins or paper bills in Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina, even though it was used elsewhere in the colonies and extensively throughout Europe and the U. K.

Today, on an island in the Pacific, a specific type of shell still serves as currency—and some people there are even hoarding(贮存)it, just like Bitcoin moguls, convinced that one day, it will make them wealthy beyond imagination. On Malaita, the most-populated island that's part of the Solomon Islands, shells are accepted at most places in exchange for goods.

"How much tuna(金枪鱼)you can get for your shells depends on their color and shape," Mary Bruno, a shop owner from the small town of Auki, on Malaita, told Vice. "One strip of darker shells might get you about two cans of smaller tuna, but the red ones are worth more. For the red ones, one strip might get enough tuna to feed a big family for a long time."

Just like a mint that creates coins, there's only one place on the island where the shells, which are polished and strung together to form 3-foot-long ropes, are made. The strips of red, white, and black shells all come from Langa Langa Lagoon, where artificial islands were long-ago built by locals to escape from the island-dwelling cannibals. Once marooned(困住)out on their islands, locals needed a currency to use among themselves, and so the shell currency was born.

Using shells for money was common throughout the Pacific islands as late as the early 1900s, but Malaita is unique in that they are still used today. And just like cryptocurrencies, there are those who think the islanders are smart to invest in this type of money, which is reported to have risen in value over the last three decades. It might seem strange to hoard a bunch of processed, strung-together shells, but what is a pile of dollars? Just a specially printed piece of paper and hemp that we've assigned value to—and probably less durable over time than those shells.

1. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A.Money was created and was widely used in the world.
B.Tobacco was used as coins or paper bills in American in the past.
C.The ingredients of world’s first coins may be the combination of gold and silver.
D.Using shells for money has been out of date in the world.
2. The word "mint" in paragraph 5 is closest in the meaning to     .
A.a kind of money that can exchange
B.the leaves of a mint plant used fresh or candied
C.a place to produce and polish shells
D.a factory that produces currency
3. What's opinion of the author towards shells for money?
A.Reasonable.B.Imaginary.
C.Convenient.D.Inventive.
4. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?
A.The History of Bitcoin
B.Shells Still Money
C.The Currency Is of Great Use
D.Some Shells
2021-01-03更新 | 818次组卷 | 5卷引用:2018年上海高考英语真题
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