高二英语阅读材料

高二英语阅读材料（775）Day 1 Crowdfunding lunch 为同龄孩子捐助午餐，用众筹搭建爱心校园。 Ben Hofer is no stranger to fundraising (募资). This year, hes back for another round of fundraising for school lunch debts.The 15-year-old student in St. Andrews Episcopal High School, US, raised more than $10,000 (about 70,000 yuan) for students with school lunch debt in Austin district schools in May as part of his “LunchCounts!” project.This time, Hofer hopes to pay off school lunch debts not only for schools in Austin district but also for Del Valle, after learning they also struggle with school lunch debt.Hofers efforts are part of a growing national trend for which students, parents, community members and some school districts themselves are working to pay off students school meal debts through crowdfunding (众筹) sources such as GoFundMe.Lunch debt increases when students who havent paid off their account balances are provided free meals.There are thousands more who struggle to pay for low-cost school meals. According to the School Nutrition Association, 75 percent of districts nationally had unpaid meal debt at the end of the 2017-18 school year, and the amount of debt has grown substantially (大量地) in recent years.Based on a “No Shaming” law in several states since 2017, schools allow a grace period (宽限期) for students with no money in their meal accounts to receive a hot lunch. If the unpaid charges are not covered by the guardians (监护人) of the student, the school has to take it on, resulting in the rising school lunch debt.So the crowdfunding started to help pay off lunch debt to make it easier to do good.Hofer, as one of the crowdfunding activists, has set a goal to raise $3,000 at first but hopes to raise more, since there is more than $7,000 in school lunch debt in both Del Valle and Austin districts.“I would really like to raise as much as I can for these kids this year and to help their families not worry about school lunch debt,” Hofer said. “Paying this off for struggling families would be a nice present.” Choose the best answer:1. What does Hofer do to help students with school lunch debt?A. He provides free meals for students with debt.B. He pushes lawmakers to regulate lunch money.C. He asks them to join in the “LunchCounts!” project.D. He has been raising money for those with lunch debt.2. Whats the main idea of Paragraphs 4-6?A. Hofers efforts have finally paid off.B. Many people are trying to help with lunch debt.C. School lunch debt has been a big issue in the US.D. There are many reasons behind school lunch debt.3. What can we learn from Hofers words?A. He needs more volunteers to join a crowdfunding effort.B. He is ready to help out more families with school lunch debt. C. Many families worldwide are struggling with lunch debt.D. Students guardians are to blame for school lunch debt.Day 2 Eds big decade (P4-5) 艾德希兰：一个努力又质朴的音乐才子。 The UK singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran entered the pop scene in 2011 with his debut single The A Team. Less than a decade later, with four Grammy Awards under his belt, Sheeran has been credited by the Daily Mail as “the toast of British music”.On Dec 11, the Official Charts Company crowned the 28-year-old pop star with the title of the UKs artist of the decade for the most No 1 singles and albums from 2010-2019. His global smash (热门单曲) Shape of You which spent 14 weeks at No 1 in the UK in 2017 was named the top song of the past 10 years.According to the Financial Times, if he had not been so “unashamedly (问心无愧地)” focused on his career, Sheeran would have never been where he is today.At the age of 14, Sheeran picked up his guitar and left rural Suffolk county for London. This officially started his music career. However, being on the road was far from easy. He began regularly performing at pubs, where his pay was sometimes just a meal. To get his music known to others, he took part in every show he could. From small venues (场地) in London to a collaboration (合作) show in the US with singers hed met, Sheeran worked to achieve his music dream. In 2009 alone, he played in more than 300 shows. “At Atlantic a US record label everyone said UK singer James Blunt was the hardest working guy in the music industry. So I asked to get James Blunts diary,” Sheeran told the Daily Mail. “Im doing all of that times two.”“Sheeran spent most of his time on the music. Literally the first thing he did was he went over to the keyboard and played,” UK Producer Steve Mac told Billboard.However, such a diligent music man always keeps “authentic and unspun (质朴的) in the world of pop”, noted the Guardian. That also contributes a lot to his success.Both in daily life and onstage, Sheeran is just himself, with his ginger (姜黄色的) hair and casual style. In an interview with the BBC program Blue Peter in 2012, he was asked what he would spend his last 5 pounds (46 yuan) on. “Fish and chips,” Sheeran said.“Hes just like your kid brother who just happened to get really big. I think thats what is really cool, because he seems very approachable and gets what its like to be human,” Sheeran fan Sarah Barrios told Billboard.And that hard work and authenticity will help Sheeran “take over the world at some point”, said Rolling Stone.Choose the best answer:1. Why was Ed Sheeran named the UKs artist of the decade?A. One of his albums has topped UK charts for 14 weeks.B. He is the singer with the most singles and albums from 2010-2019.C. He owns the most No 1 singles and albums in the past decade.D. He is the singer who has won the most Grammy Awards.2. What do we know about Ed Sheeran?A. He was educated in a music school.B. He started his music career in Suffolk, England.C. He performed in more than 300 US shows in 2009.D. His experiences at pubs contributed to his musical success. 3. Why is James Blunt mentioned in the text?A. To show his great contributions to pop music.B. To compare his and Sheerans music styles.C. To stress how hard-working Ed Sheeran is.D. To point out how he inspired Sheerans career.4. The underlined word “approachable” in the second-to-last paragraph probably means _.A. eager to have new experiencesB. friendly and easy to talk toC. ready to help othersD. showing a sense of humorDay 3 Sleep cleaning process 睡眠是大脑清理垃圾最有效的方法。 We take showers and use the toilet every day to get rid of bodily waste. Our brains also need to take a bath every day. How can they do it?A 2013 study found the answer. Researchers at the US University of Rochester studied the brains of mice and discovered that they cleaned themselves while the mice slept. A kind of fluid in the brain, called cerebral spinal fluid (CSF，脑脊液), was found to increase dramatically (显著地) during sleep, washing away waste proteins that had been building up between brain cells in waking hours.“This study shows that the brain has different functional states when asleep and when awake,” Maiken Nedergaard, the lead researcher, told NBC News. It also explains why we cant seem to think clearly after a sleepless night while a good nights sleep leaves us feeling sharp and refreshed.Now a new study, published on Oct 31 in Science, digs a little deeper into our brains self-cleaning procedure. Instead of mice, this time humans were the test subjects.Researchers at Boston University, US, monitored the brain waves of 13 healthy adults who were sleeping, using accelerated fMRI, which is capable of recording faster changes inside the brain than a regular fMRI machine. They found that every 20 seconds, blood flowed out of the brain, making room for a large amount of CSF to come in and “clean”. This cycle coincided with (与一致) the rhythm of the brains slow waves an electrical activity that happens when were in deep sleep.Its still unknown how these brain activities are connected. But the mere fact that they are connected is exciting enough, since it allows researchers to piece together (拼凑出) possible new explanations for misunderstood diseases.For example, slow-wave sleep has been proven to play a role in strengthening our memories. This may explain why people with Alzheimers often have fewer and weaker slow brainwaves. Based on this new study, there could be one more explanation for diseased brains: They are not clean.Nedergaard, leader of the 2013 study, is also excited about the new findings. “Maybe the most important take-home message is that sleep is a serious thing,” she told Scientific American. “You really need to sleep to keep a healthy brain because it links electrical activity to a practical housekeeping function.”Choose the best answer:1. What did the researchers find when they studied the brains of mice?A. CSF in their brains decreased when the mice slept.B. More waste proteins were produced in their brains during sleep.C. CSF carried away waste proteins in their brains during sleep.D. The more CSF was in their brains, the fewer waste proteins were there.2. What did the researchers discover when they monitored human brain waves?A. It took 20 seconds for CSF to clean brains.B. Brains were cleaned when blood flowed out.C. The rhythm of the brain is slower than that of CSF.D. The brains worked more slowly when asleep.3. What are the last three paragraphs mainly about?A. The significance of the research.B. The features of slow-wave sleep.C. The importance of having a good sleep.D. The connections between these brain activities.Day 4 Do-it-yourself hockey I spent one Sunday afternoon helping my friend put together the ice hockey (冰球) net hed just bought for his kids. Done, we stood back and admired the precision (精密度) design.Although my childhood friends and I wouldve loved such a net, there is a lot to be said for the way we had to improvise (临时变动) our hockey games. Improvising goal nets with what we could find made us inventive, taught us leadership and teamwork and was fun and joyful.Most often we used boots (靴子). Each goal was marked by two boots spaced as equally apart as we could manage. The trouble was that they often went sliding when the puck (冰球运动用球) hit them hard enough. Those moments were exciting, as the goalie (守门员) had to chase a boot that had moved, and reset it quickly, or risk someone taking advantage and scoring a goal. And we also had to keep our eyes peeled for the occasional dishonest goalie who might move the boots closer together.This situation led to discussions and arguments over what might or might not have been a goal, but we improved our debating skills in these negotiations, and learned to stand up to kids who wanted to dominate (控制) everyone else.Inevitably (不可避免地), the number of competitors would thin out as moms called them home for supper.This was the best time. After the hours of play, we were sweaty, red-faced, wet and dirty. Players had to be traded to keep the teams even, but we managed the adjustments well. No time to waste now, since soon it would be dark. We joined our new team no questions asked, just taking the position on the ice the captain pointed us to. Enemies became friends. Another valuable life lesson learned, and no teacher or parent anywhere to be seen.With fewer players on the ice, there was more space to freewheel. This was a magical time. Virtually (几乎) no rules, no stoppages in play.We are often asked to identify goals that are specific and measurable. The net we put together for my friends kids might be like that.But Ill raise a stick to imprecise goals, to playing under a starry sky with boots as goalposts (门柱). Heres to goals that are boundless.Choose the best answer:1. What does the underlined phrase “keep our eyes peeled for” probably mean?A. get rid of B. make fun ofC. make way for D. pay attention to2. What did the author learn from the team adjustments made after some players left?A. How to fight tirednessB. How to be a good leader.C. How to deal with a new situation.D. How to negotiate with enemies.3. What message does the author convey with the last two paragraphs?A. Children should try to learn from the games they play.B. People tend to learn important lessons in their childhood.C. Sometimes its better not to put limits on your goals.D. Its better for children to play more outdoor games.Day 5 七选五Chinese culture values family bonds (纽带) very much. Family members dont just gather during the holidays, in fact they often live under one roof all year round.1. _ Families in the East and West are very different from each other.In most East Asian cultures, extended families (大家庭) are common. 2. _ According to the Atlantic, 90 percent of children in Shanghai and 70 percent of children in Beijing were cared for by their grandparent