2015届高考考前热身专练：政治经济文化、教育类阅读1.doc

2015届高考考前热身专练：政治经济文化、教育类阅读1. (2014届贵州省六校联盟高三第二次联考英语试卷）An Ofsted (英国教育标准办公室）study reports that teachers are discouraging students who want to leave school and work as apprentices (学徒）in beauty salons (美容中心）or hair dressers. Inspectors questioned 105 young people for a report on apprenticeships published on Wednesday. They found several examples of young people who felt they had been laughed at by their teachers for wanting to progress to work-based learning, particularly in care or hairdressing, rather than stay on at school.Right or wrong, is it any surprise that this is happening? From 2014，the government will measure schools according to the rate of their pupils who go to university. Brian Lightman , general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, says the government has already put teachers under “very great pressure to focus on academic subjects”.On the other hand, the Education Act 2011，which came into force in November, places schools under a duty to give fair career advice to pupils. This advice must include information on all post-16 education and training choices, including apprenticeships. This doesnt appear to be happening in several schools, according to Ofsted9S report. Many of the young people the inspectors talked to said the advice they had received on apprenticeships was “unsatisfactory”.Schools were also blamed for lack of work experience courses, which are particularly important for teenagers considering an apprenticeship. They help students decide whether they enjoy a line of work and enable employers to see whether those on work experience have the potential to be hired as apprentices in future years.But there is a good reason why they cant do this: theyd be unable to adapt to GCSE (英国普通中等教育证书）exams if they did. Sometimes, it seems, schools just cant win.1Why do teachers oppose the students leaving school and working as apprentices?A. The government urges teachers to concentrate on academic subjects.B. The students are only wasting time working as apprentices.C. Employers are under great pressure of taking GCSE exams.D. Employers dont give students chances to work as apprentices2Pressure for schools to provide pupils with career advice comes from _. A. Association of School and College Leaders B. Education Act 2011C. GCSE exams D. OFSTED3What does the author think of teachers discouraging students working as apprentices?A. Surprising B. Understandable C. Wrong D. Right2.(2014届北京市朝阳区高三第一次综合练习英语试卷）How I Turned to Be OptimisticI began to grow up that winter night when my parents and I were returning from my aunts house, and my mother said that we might soon be leaving for America. We were on the bus then. I was crying, and some people on the bus were turning around to look at me. I remember that I could not bear the thought of never hearing again the radio program for school children to which I listened every morning.I do not remember myself crying for this reason again. In fact, I think I cried very little when I was saying goodbye to my friends and relatives. When we were leaving I thought about all the places I was going to seethe strange and magical places I had known only from books and pictures. The country I was leaving never to come back was hardly in my head then.The four years that followed taught me the importance of optimism, but the idea did not come to me at once. For the first two years in New York I was really losthaving to study in three schools as a result of family moves. I did not quite know what I was or what I should be. Mother remarried, and things became even more complex for me. Some time passed before my stepfather and I got used to each other. I was often sad, and saw no end to “the hard times”.My responsibilities in the family increased a lot since I knew English better than everyone else at home. I wrote letters, filled out forms, translated at interviews with Immigration officers, took my grandparents to the doctor and translated there, and even discussed telephone bills with company representatives.From my experiences I have learned one important rule：almost all common troubles eventually go away！Something good is certain to happen in the end when you do not give up, and just wait a little！I believe that my life will turn out all right, even though it will not be that easy.4How did the author get to know America?A. From her relatives.B. From her mother.C. From books and pictures.D. From radio programs.5Upon leaving for America the author felt _.A. confusedB. excitedC. worriedD. amazed6 For the first two years in New York, the author _.A. often lost her wayB. did not think about her futureC. studied in three different schoolsD. got on well with her stepfather3.(2014届北京石景山区高考一模英语试卷）Chinese Dinner TableOf course, the main difference on the Chinese dinner table is chopsticks instead of knife and fork, but thats only superficial. Besides, in decent restaurants, you can always ask for a pair of knife and fork, if you find the chopsticks not helpful enough. The real difference is that in the West, you have your own plate of food, while in China the dishes are placed on the table and everyone shares. If you are being treated to a formal dinner and particularly if the host thinks youre in the country for the first time, he will do the best to give you a taste of many different types of dishes.The meal usually begins with a set of at least four cold dishes, to be followed by the main courses of hot meat and vegetable dishes. Soup then will be served (unless in Guangdong style restaurants) to be followed by staple food ranging from rice, noodles to dumplings. If you wish to have your rice to go with other dishes, you should say so in good time, for most of the Chinese choose to have the staple food at last or have none of them at all.Perhaps one of the things that surprise a western visitor most is that some of the Chinese hosts like to put food into the plates of their guests. In formal dinners, there are always “public” chopsticks and spoons for this purpose, but some hosts may use their own chopsticks. This is a sign of genuine friendship and politeness. It is always polite to eat the food. If you do not eat it, just leave the food in the plate.People in China tend to over-order food, for they will find it embarrassing if all the food is consumed. When you have had enough, just say so. Or you will always overeat!7The real difference on dinner table between China and West is that_.A. Youre treated to a formal dinner for the first time.B. On Chinese dinner table, chopsticks replace knife and fork.C. The host will do the best to give you a taste of many different types of dishes.D. You have your own plate of food in West while in China everyone shares the dishes.8If you have a dinner in a Chinese home, in which order will the food be served?a. serving soup.b.a set of four cold dishes.c. staple food such as rice, noodle or dumplings.d. the main courses of hot meat and vegetable dishes.A. badc B. cabd C. bdac D. cdab9The “public chopsticks and spoons” are used to _.A. taste different dishesB. consume the food in the plateC. show the friendship and politenessD. put food into the plates of their guests10According to the message, the authors attitude towards Chinese dinner table is_A. critical B. objective C. negative D. positive 4.(2014届江苏省南京市高三第二次英语模拟试卷）Heres a moviea sharp, sugar-rush of fun thats guaranteed to entertain the entire family.With some terrific computer-generated effects, a great cast and a fun-packed storyline, Robots is the best animated film (动画片) since The Incredibles. Yep, it really is that good.Set in a world populated by robots, Ewan McGregor plays Rodney Copperbottom, a young robot who leaves his small-town home to pursue his dream of becoming an inventor.But after arriving in Robot City, his hopes of getting a job at Bigweld Industries are destroyed when he learns the firm has been taken over by the evil Ratchet (Greg Kinnear).Egged on by his controlling mum, Madame Gasket (Jim Broadbent), Ratchet plans to reduce half of Robot Citys citizens to scrap metal by refusing to sell the spare parts they need to survive.Instead, he wants to make a fortune selling expensive upgrades that few can afford. As he says, “Why be you when you can be new?”Aided by a few misfit robots known as the Rustlesincluding Robin Williams as the cowardly (胆小的）Fender (“Im made of a metal called Afraidium”)Rodney must track down the firms founder, Bigweld (Mel Brooks), and convince him to save the city from Ratchets plans.The first thing thatll strike you about the movie is the thought thats gone into creating Robot City. Its a wondrous world full of mechanical marvels including wind-up cars and walking streetlamps.Also terrific are the special effects. This might be an animated movie but at times youll catch yourself thinking its really a live-action film.Of course, there have been plenty of animated movies that looked the part but were let down by a weak storyline (see Shark Tale, for example).But Robots grips (扣人心弦) right from the start thanks to a heart-warming and thoroughly engaging plot that never bores.My only complaints are with Williams who, as usual，has a one-in-10 success rate with his jokes. Also a letdown is a romantic subplot between Rodney and a shapely robot called Cappy (Halle Berry) that doesnt go anywhere.Complains aside, this is a mechanical marvel thatll have you bolted firmly to your seat.BEST QUOTE(引述): Fender: “Even though you had a discouraging day, just remember theres another one coming tomorrow.”BEST BIT: Check out those amazing images.WORST BIT: Robin Williams, character does an unfunny Britney Spears dance routine.IF YOU LIKEDIce Age, The Incredibles, Toy Story. YOULL LIKE THIS.11This piece of writing is a _.A. commercial advertisementB. film reviewC. movie posterD. literary essay12The cast of Robots is made up of all the following actors or actresses EXCEPT _.A. Ewan McGregorB. Robin WilliamsC. Britney SpearsD. Halle Berry13What is Shark Tale an example of?A. A great cast.B. A poor plot.C. Special effects.D. Clumsy animation.5.(2014届江西省九所重点中学高三下学期3月联合考试英语试卷）During the 1800s, African Americans worked long days in the fields of the American SouthTo ease their labor, they sang field hollers that they had brought from AfricaOne person sang a lineThen a group of workers repeated itThe songs words told of the hardships that people sufferedAfrican Americans sang shout spirituals, or joyous religious songsThey clapped their hands and stomped their feet to the musicAfter the Civil War, the music changed dramaticallyAfrican American music, from ballads to church music, took new formsIt also adapted dance music, called jump-upswhich had great rhythm Banjos became popularA blues singer usually played a call and response with the banjoBy the early 1900s, the guitar had replaced the banjo as the main blues instrumentNorthern Mississippi - called the Delta - was the center of the blues traditionBy the 1920s, the Delta had many clubs, so-called juke jointsAfrican Americans listened and danced to music in these clubsSome of the greatest blues men and women performed thereBlues have a soulful sound that is easy to recognizeThe musical notes are often bentThat is, they are changed slightly to give a song more strengthWhatever their origin, these bent notes most often define the bluesLyrics are the words of a songBlues lyrics describe everyday lifeThe lyrics, often about relationships between men and women, are often very intense and personalThey tell about sorrow and overworkThey tell about finding or losing love, having money or being broke, being happy or sad and lonelyThe lyrics may use humor to describe lifes trials and joysThey almost always use the rhythms of everyday speechA typical blues stanza, or group of lyrics, has three linesThe second line repeats the first lineThe third line has different wordsBy the 1940s, large numbers of African Americans had left the Delta and moved north to work Many settled in ChicagoThere, a new kind of electric, or Chicago blues beganMany of its themes were the same, but these blues had wailing electric guitars and harmonicasThe music had a steady, strong drumbeatThe loud, driving Chicago blues was excellent dance musicChicago blues led to the birth of a new music style-rock and roll14The field holler is a kind of music that came from _Athe American South BAfrica CChicago DAsia15Shout spirituals and field hollers are similar in that both_Aused banjos Bwere sung in churchCincluded call and response singing Dexpressed sadness16A typical blues Stanza is made up of_Athree lines Ba harmonica Ca driving beat Dfour lines17One can conclude from the passage that the blues _Awould have widespread without the juke joints of the MississippiBserved as a form of communication and self-expressionCwas successful only in the American SouthDthere were only greatest blues man performed in these clubs18African Americans probably moved to Chicago because _Athe South was too hot in summer Bthey liked the Chicago bluesCthere were more jobs there Dthey wanted to create a new music style6.(2014届广东省肇庆市高三3月第一次模拟考试英语试卷）Governments all over the world make public reports about the condition of their economies. Most countries, including the United States, have used a measure called the gross national product (国民生产总值)or GNP. It includes all goods and services produced by citizens of the country anywhere in the world. Recently the American Commerce Department has started using a new method to measure production. It is known as the gross domestic product（国内生产总值）or GDP. It counts only goods and services that have been produced within the nations borders. Money earned by foreign companies operating in the United States is included in the GDP, but money earned by American companies operating in other countries is not. Economic experts generally approve of the change. They say that the gross domestic product provides a truer measure of the economy. They also note that most other industrial countries use this method. Therefore it will be easier to study the economies of different countries. Some officials also hope the new system will help them make better economic policy decisions. It will provide them with a clearer understanding of economic activity in the U.S. . The new measure is less likely to be affected by sudden changes in foreign oil prices or in the value of the American dollar in other countries. Economic experts believe that the change from GNP to GDP will immediately reduce the value of American production by at least 40,000 million dollars a year. But that is really a very smal