Every Sunday morning, as most people line up outside neighborhood breakfast spots, watch TV news shows, or head for church, Chloris Noelke－Olson is tuning up her fiddle. She's preparing to enjoy bluegrass music the old－fashioned way: with friends, at home, for free.

“To be able to play with other people face to face and have that sort of connection, it's spiritual，” Ms. Noelke－Olson said of the weekly house concerts in Chicago she participates in. “It's like a good conversation with instruments—something that doesn't seem to happen much anymore because everyone is blabbering(饒舌) on their cell phones.”

She is among a growing group of Americans who are finding it pleasant to unplug from the digital grid, at least temporarily. While there is no exact data to track how many people are forming knitting groups, hosting house concerts, or organizing family game nights, it is possible to connect the dots between the rising price of entertainment and the rising sales of board games (棋類游戲) and craft supplies.

Between 2007 and 2008, the prices for restaurant meals, concert tickets, and movie tickets all increased. At the same time, board games sales rose 6 percent, while total toy sales decreased 3 percent.

These trends are expected to continue because of the struggling economy. Instead of outfitting their homes with expensive home entertainment systems, consumers are more likely to be interfacing the old－fashioned way: eye－to－eye. Families are rediscovering ways to come together that have nothing to do with high tech.

“People are turning inward to build in enjoyment time for family and home”， said Linda Bettencourt, an interior designer in San Francisco whose clients typically live in million－dollar homes. Over the past six months, Ms. Bettencourt has been hired to redesign living spaces to foster the kind of connectivity that doesn't involve wires. “The big game table is back，” she says. “People want to sit around and see each other's faces rather than facing a flat－screen TV.”

1. Why is Chloris Noelke－Olson enjoying bluegrass music the old－fashioned way?

A. Because she likes playing musical instruments.

B. Because she wants to provide free music for her friends.

C. Because she doesn't like talking on the cell phone.

D. Because she likes to form a close connectivity with people.

2. Ms. Bettencourt has been hired to ________.

A. connect the rich people with others

B. redesign living space for the rich people

C. give some advice to people on connectivity

D. help people to save money

3. We can infer from the last paragraph that ________.

A. home designing has become a big business

B. rich people usually pay more attention to their living space

C. even rich people are changing their ways of entertainment

D. rich people spend more on home entertainment

4. This passage is about ________.

A. a new trend in people's entertainment in America

B. the present economic situation in America

C. the modern family life in America

D. the change of people's interest in America

5. If this passage is posted on the web, it most probably appears in the section of ________.

A. people  B. travel

C. environment  D. lifestyle

 1. 解析：選D。細(xì)節(jié)理解題。從文章第二段第一句可知，Chloris Noelke－Olson跟朋友一起享受bluegrass music，目的是為了建立一種面對面的直接的聯(lián)系。

2. 解析：選B。細(xì)節(jié)理解題。從文章最后一段可知，Ms Bettencourt被富人遨請去搞室內(nèi)設(shè)計。

3. 解析：選C。推理判斷題。從文章最后一段可知，那些擁有豪宅的富人也重新裝修居住環(huán)境，原因是他們也開始轉(zhuǎn)向家庭娛樂。

4. 解析：選A。主旨大意題。概括全文可知，本文主要論述的是美國人在經(jīng)濟(jì)危機(jī)的影響下，娛樂方式的轉(zhuǎn)變，家庭娛樂正在成為一種潮流。

5. 解析：選D。推理判斷題。娛樂也應(yīng)該是人們生活方式的一種，因此D項正確。

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科目：高中英語 來源：2010年寧夏青銅峽市高級中學(xué)高一下學(xué)期期末考試英語卷 題型：完型填空

完形填空（每小題1.5分，共30分）
It was a normal summer night, humidity（潮濕）hung in the thick air. The only sound was my sister’s heavy __36__ from the bed next to me.
I couldn’t go to _37__, partly because of my cold and partly because of my __38__ for the next day. My mum had said that tomorrow was going to be a __39__ .
Sweat stuck to my aching body. Finally, I gathered enough __40__ to sit up. I looked out of my small window into the night. There was a big bright __41__ hanging in the sky, giving off a magic glow.
My sister turned over as though she was as light as air. Why could she sleep soundly? Why wasn’t she __42__ too? Did she know about tomorrow?
I couldn’t stand the __43__ anymore, so I did what I always do to make myself feel better. I went to the __44__ and picked up my toothbrush and toothpaste. Pouring the red paste onto the brush, I cleaned back and forth, up and down.
Then I walked downstairs to look for some __45__of movement, some life. Gladiator, my cat, __46__ me as he meowed（貓叫）his sad song. He was on the old orange couch （長沙發(fā)）, sitting up on his front legs,   47   something to happen. He looked at me as if to say, “I’m __48__, pet me. I need a good hug.” Even the couch begged me to sit on it.
In one movement I settled down onto the soft   49 . This couch represented my birth, my parents’ marriage, and hundreds of other little __50__.
As I held Gladiator, my heart started beating heavily. My mind was __51__ with questions: What’s life? Am I really alive? Are you listening to me? Every time I moved my hand down Gladiator’s body, I had a __52__ thought; each touch sang a different song.
I forgot all about the __53__ and the next day’s surprise. The __54__ was so full of warmth and silence that I sank into its arms. Falling asleep with the big cat in my arms, I felt all my worries __55__ move away.

【小題1】
A．murmuringB．breathing C．cryingD．thinking
【小題2】
A．sleepB．workC．studyD．rest
【小題3】
A．interpretationsB．plansC．a(chǎn)rrangementsD．expectations
【小題4】
A．surpriseB．hopeC．successD．failure
【小題5】
A．energyB．ideasC．strengthD．stamps
【小題6】
A．cloudB．starC．sunD．moon
【小題7】
A．thrillingB．sweatingC．sleepingD．speaking
【小題8】
A．silenceB．coldC．pressureD．pain
【小題9】
A．sitting-roomB．kitchenC．bathroomD．waiting-room
【小題10】
A．sightsB．signsC．signalsD．notices
【小題11】
A．interested B．pleased C．remindedD．frightened
【小題12】
A．begging forB．a(chǎn)sking forC．a(chǎn)dmiring forD．waiting for
【小題13】
A．lonely B．shyC．friendlyD．lively
【小題14】
A．bedB．couch C．catD．bad
【小題15】
A．peopleB．a(chǎn)nimalsC．eventsD．pets
【小題16】
A．floodedB．a(chǎn)pplaudingC．satisfiedD．knocked
【小題17】
A．strangeB．difficultC．newD．noble
【小題18】
A．coldB．mindC．timeD．heat
【小題19】
A．familyB．a(chǎn)tmosphereC．heartD．bed
【小題20】
A．completelyB．slowlyC．suddenlyD．partly

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科目：高中英語 來源：2008年普通高等學(xué)校招生全國統(tǒng)一考試江蘇卷英語試題 題型：閱讀理解


We experience different forms of the Sun’s energy every day. We can see its light  and feel its warmth. The Sun is the major source of evaporation (蒸發(fā)) of water from the oceans and lakes. Sunlight also provides the energy used by green plants to make their own food. These green plants then provide food for all organisms (生物) on the Earth.
Much of the energy that comes from the Sun never reaches the Earth’s surface. It is either reflected or absorbed by the gases in the upper atmosphere. Of the energy that reaches the lower atmosphere, 30% is reflected by clouds or the Earth’s surface. The remaining 70% warms the surface of the planet, causes water to evaporate, and provides energy for the water cycle and weather. Only a tiny part, approximately 0.023%, is actually used by green plants to produce food.
Many gases found in the atmosphere actually reflect heat energy escaping from the Earth’s surface back to the Earth. These gases act like the glass of a greenhouse in that they allow energy from the Sun to enter but prevent energy from leaving. They are therefore called greenhouse gases.
When sunlight strikes an object, some of the energy is absorbed and some is reflected. The amount reflected depends on the surface. For example, you’ve probably noticed how bright snow is when sunlight falls on it. Snow reflects most of the energy from the Sun, so it contributes to the low temperatures of winter. Dark-coloured surfaces, such as dark soil or forest, absorb more energy and help warm the surrounding air.
【小題1】According to the passage, the root cause for weather changes on the Earth is ______.

A．the atmosphere surrounding the EarthB．water from oceans and lakes
C．energy from the SunD．greenhouse gases in the sky
【小題2】Only a small part of the Sun’s energy reaches the Earth’s surface because most of it _______________.
A．a(chǎn)bsorbed by the clouds in the lower atmosphere
B．reflected by the gases in the upper atmosphere
C．lost in the upper and lower atmosphere
D．used to evaporate water from the oceans and lakes
【小題3】We learn from the passage that _______________.
A．a(chǎn)ll living things on the Earth depend on the Sun for their food
B．a(chǎn) forest looks dark in winter because it absorbs solar energy
C．only 0.023% of the energy from the Sun is made use of on the Earth
D．greenhouse gases allow heat energy to escape from the Earth’s surface

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科目：高中英語 來源：2012-2013學(xué)年海南瓊海嘉積中學(xué)高二上教學(xué)質(zhì)量監(jiān)測（三）英語試卷（帶解析） 題型：閱讀理解

We experience different forms of the Sun’s energy every day. We can see its light and feel its warmth. The Sun is the major source of energy for our planet. It causes the evaporation (蒸發(fā)) of water from the oceans and lakes. Sunlight also provides the energy used by green plants to make their own food. These green plants then provide food for all organisms(生物) on the Earth.
Much of the energy that comes from the Sun never reaches the Earth’s surface. It is either reflected or absorbed by the gases in the upper atmosphere. Of the energy that reaches the lower atmosphere,30% is reflected by clouds or the Earth’s surface. The remaining 70% warms the surface of the planet, causes water to evaporate, and provides energy for the water cycle and weather. Only a tiny part, approximately 0.023%, is actually used by green plants to produce food.
Many gases found in the atmosphere actually reflect heat energy escaping from the Earth’s surface back to the Earth. These gases act like the glass of a greenhouse in that they allow energy from the Sun to enter but prevent energy from leaving. They are therefore called greenhouse gases.
When sunlight strikes an object, some of the energy is absorbed and some is reflected. The amount reflected depends on the surface. For example, you’ve probably noticed how bright snow is when sunlight falls on it. Snow reflects most of the energy from the Sun, so it contributes to the low temperatures of winter. Dark-coloured surfaces, such as dark soil or forest, absorb more energy and help warm the surrounding air.
【小題1】According to the passage, the root( 根本的) cause for weather changes on the Earth is         .

A．the atmosphere surrounding the Earth
B．water from oceans and lakes
C．energy from the Sun
D．greenhouse gases in the sky
【小題2】Only a small part of the Sun’s energy reaches the Earth’s surface because most of it is         .
A．a(chǎn)bsorbed by the clouds in the lower atmosphere
B．reflected by the gases in the upper atmosphere
C．lost in the upper and lower atmosphere
D．used to evaporate water from the oceans and lakes
【小題3】We learn from the passage that         .
A．a(chǎn)ll living things on the Earth depend on the Sun for their food
B．a(chǎn) forest looks dark in winter because it absorbs solar energy
C．only 0.023% of the energy from the Sun is made use of on the Earth
D．greenhouse gases allow heat energy to escape from the Earth’s surface

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Once in a blue moon there is one on New Year's Eve. Revelers ringing in 2010 will be treated to a so-called blue moon. According to popular definition, a blue moon is the second full moon in a month. But don't1it to be blue - the name has nothing to2the color of our closest celestial(天體) neighbor.
A full moon3on December 2. It will appear again on Thursday in time for the New Year's countdown.
"If you're in Times Square, you'11 see the4moon right above you. It's going to be that brilliant," said Jack Horkheimer, director emeritus of the Miami Space Transit Planetarium and host of a weekly astronomy TV show.
The New Year's Eve blue moon will be 5in the United States, Canada, Europe, South America and Africa. For partygoers in Australia and Asia, the full moon does not show up 6New Year's Day, making January a blue moon month for them.
However, the Eastern Hemisphere can celebrate with a partial lunar eclipse(月蝕) on New Year's Eve when7of the moon enters the Earth's shadow. The8will not be visible in the Americas.
A full moon occurs929.5 days, and most years have 12.10, an extra full moon in a month - a blue moon - occurs every 2.5 years. The11time there was a lunar double take was in May 2007. New Year's Eve blue moons are rarer, occurring every 19 years. The last time was in 1990; the next one won't12again until 2028.
Blue moons have no astronomical 13 , said Greg Laughlin, an astronomer at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
"`Blue moon' is just a14in the same sense as a `hunter's moon' or a `harvest moon,'" Laughlin said in an e-mail.
The popular definition of blue moon15after a writer for Sky & Telescope magazine in 1946 misunderstood the Maine Farmer's Calendar and marked a blue moon as the second full moon in a month. In fact, the calendar 16a blue moon as the third full moon in a season with four full moons, not the usual three.
Though Sky & Telescope corrected the17decades later, the definition caught on. For purists(語言純正癖者), however, this New Year's Eve full moon doesn't even qualify as a18moon. It's just the first full moon of the winter season.
In a tongue-in-cheek essay19on the magazine's Web site this week, senior contributing editor Kelly Beatty wrote: "If skies are clear when I'm20celebrating, I'11 take a peek(瞇著眼睛看) at that brilliant orb(天體) as it rises over the Boston skyline to see if it's an icy shade of blue. Or maybe I'11 just howl."

  1. 1.
    1. A.
      wish
    2. B.
      wait
    3. C.
      hope
    4. D.
      expect
  2. 2.
    1. A.
      deal with
    2. B.
      do with
    3. C.
      develop with
    4. D.
      form into
  3. 3.
    1. A.
      occurred
    2. B.
      came
    3. C.
      ran
    4. D.
      went
  4. 4.
    1. A.
      full
    2. B.
      half
    3. C.
      bright
    4. D.
      part
  5. 5.
    1. A.
      out of sight
    2. B.
      visible
    3. C.
      big
    4. D.
      clear
  6. 6.
    1. A.
      until
    2. B.
      when
    3. C.
      before
    4. D.
      since
  7. 7.
    1. A.
      part
    2. B.
      all
    3. C.
      any
    4. D.
      none
  8. 8.
    1. A.
      moon
    2. B.
      eclipse
    3. C.
      sun
    4. D.
      shadow
  9. 9.
    1. A.
      each
    2. B.
      every
    3. C.
      either
    4. D.
      all
  10. 10.
    1. A.
      On the whole
    2. B.
      Generally speaking
    3. C.
      On average
    4. D.
      In addition
  11. 11.
    1. A.
      last
    2. B.
      next
    3. C.
      other
    4. D.
      another
  12. 12.
    1. A.
      go
    2. B.
      see
    3. C.
      come
    4. D.
      look
  13. 13.
    1. A.
      point
    2. B.
      evident
    3. C.
      theory
    4. D.
      significance
  14. 14.
    1. A.
      name
    2. B.
      object
    3. C.
      phenomenon
    4. D.
      tradition
  15. 15.
    1. A.
      created
    2. B.
      came about
    3. C.
      made
    4. D.
      copied
  16. 16.
    1. A.
      named
    2. B.
      called
    3. C.
      introduced
    4. D.
      defined
  17. 17.
    1. A.
      error
    2. B.
      name
    3. C.
      reality
    4. D.
      number
  18. 18.
    1. A.
      blue
    2. B.
      red
    3. C.
      yellow
    4. D.
      grey
  19. 19.
    1. A.
      published
    2. B.
      posted
    3. C.
      printed
    4. D.
      written
  20. 20.
    1. A.
      in
    2. B.
      out
    3. C.
      away
    4. D.
      on

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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：完形填空

It was a normal summer night, humidity(潮濕)hung in the thick air. The only sound was my sister’s heavy1 from the bed next to me.
I couldn’t go to2, partly because of my cold and partly because of my3 for the next day. My mum had said that tomorrow was going to be a 4 .
Sweat stuck to my aching body. Finally, I gathered enough5 to sit up. I looked out of my small window into the night. There was a big bright6 hanging in the sky, giving off a magic glow.
My sister turned over as though she was as light as air. Why could she sleep soundly? Why wasn’t she7 too? Did she know about tomorrow?
I couldn’t stand the8 anymore, so I did what I always do to make myself feel better. I went to the9 and picked up my toothbrush and toothpaste. Pouring the red paste onto the brush, I cleaned back and forth, up and down.
Then I walked downstairs to look for some10of movement, some life. Gladiator, my cat,11 me as he meowed(貓叫)his sad song. He was on the old orange couch (長沙發(fā)), sitting up on his front legs, 12something to happen. He looked at me as if to say, “I’m13, pet me. I need a good hug.” Even the couch begged me to sit on it.
In one movement I settled down onto the soft14. This couch represented my birth, my parents’ marriage, and hundreds of other little15.
As I held Gladiator, my heart started beating heavily. My mind was16 with questions: What’s life? Am I really alive? Are you listening to me? Every time I moved my hand down Gladiator’s body, I had a17 thought; each touch sang a different song.
I forgot all about the18 and the next day’s surprise. The 19 was so full of warmth and silence that I sank into its arms. Falling asleep with the big cat in my arms, I felt all my worries20 move away.

  1. 1.
    1. A.
      murmuring
    2. B.
      breathing
    3. C.
      crying
    4. D.
      thinking
  2. 2.
    1. A.
      sleep
    2. B.
      work
    3. C.
      study
    4. D.
      rest
  3. 3.
    1. A.
      interpretations
    2. B.
      plans
    3. C.
      arrangements
    4. D.
      expectations
  4. 4.
    1. A.
      surprise
    2. B.
      hope
    3. C.
      success
    4. D.
      failure
  5. 5.
    1. A.
      energy
    2. B.
      ideas
    3. C.
      strength
    4. D.
      stamps
  6. 6.
    1. A.
      cloud
    2. B.
      star
    3. C.
      sun
    4. D.
      moon
  7. 7.
    1. A.
      thrilling
    2. B.
      sweating
    3. C.
      sleeping
    4. D.
      speaking
  8. 8.
    1. A.
      silence
    2. B.
      cold
    3. C.
      pressure
    4. D.
      pain
  9. 9.
    1. A.
      sitting-room
    2. B.
      kitchen
    3. C.
      bathroom
    4. D.
      waiting-room
  10. 10.
    1. A.
      sights
    2. B.
      signs
    3. C.
      signals
    4. D.
      notices
  11. 11.
    1. A.
      interested
    2. B.
      pleased
    3. C.
      reminded
    4. D.
      frightened
  12. 12.
    1. A.
      begging for
    2. B.
      asking for
    3. C.
      admiring for
    4. D.
      waiting for
  13. 13.
    1. A.
      lonely
    2. B.
      shy
    3. C.
      friendly
    4. D.
      lively
  14. 14.
    1. A.
      bed
    2. B.
      couch
    3. C.
      cat
    4. D.
      bad
  15. 15.
    1. A.
      people
    2. B.
      animals
    3. C.
      events
    4. D.
      pets
  16. 16.
    1. A.
      flooded
    2. B.
      applauding
    3. C.
      satisfied
    4. D.
      knocked
  17. 17.
    1. A.
      strange
    2. B.
      difficult
    3. C.
      new
    4. D.
      noble
  18. 18.
    1. A.
      cold
    2. B.
      mind
    3. C.
      time
    4. D.
      heat
  19. 19.
    1. A.
      family
    2. B.
      atmosphere
    3. C.
      heart
    4. D.
      bed
  20. 20.
    1. A.
      completely
    2. B.
      slowly
    3. C.
      suddenly
    4. D.
      partly

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