1、阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A,B,C或D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。How is it that siblings (兄弟姐妹) can turn out so differently? One answer is that in fact each sibling grows upin a different family. The firstborn is, for a while, an only child, and therefore has a completely different experience of the parents than those born lat
2、er. The next child is, for a while, the youngest, until the situation is changed by a new arrival. The mother and father themselves are changing and growing up too. One sibling might live in a stable and close family in the first few years; another might be raised in a family crisis, with a disappoi
3、nted mother or an angry father.Sibling competition was identified as an important shaping force as early as in 1918. But more recently, researchers have found many ways in which brothers and sisters are a lasting force in each otherslives. Dr. Annette Henderson says firstborn children pick up vocabu
4、lary more quickly than their siblings. The reason for this might be that the later children arent getting the same one- on- one time with parents. But that doesnt mean that the younger children have problems with language development. Later- borns dont enjoy that much talking time with parents, but
5、instead they harvest lessons from bigger brothers and sisters, learning entire phrases and getting an understanding of social concepts such as the difference between “I” and “me”.A Cambridge University study of 140 children found that siblings created a rich world of play that helped them grow socia
6、lly. Love- hate relationships were common among the children. Even those siblings who fought the most had just as much positive communication as the other sibling pairs.One way children seek more attention from parents is by making themselves different from their siblings, particularly if they are c
7、lose in age. Researchers have found that the first two children in a family are typically more different from each other than the second and third. Girls with brothers show their differences to a maximum degree by being morefeminine than girls with sisters. A 2003 research paper studied adolescents
8、from 185 families over two years, finding that those who changed to make themselves different from their siblings were successful in increasing the amount of warmth they gained from their parents.1. The underlined part “in a different family” (in Para. 1) means _.A. in a different family environment
9、 B. in a different family traditionC. in different family crises D. in different families2. In terms of language development, later- borns_ .A. get their parentsindividual guidance B. learn a lot from their elder siblingsC. experience a lot of difficulties D. pick up words more quickly3. What was fo
10、und about fights among siblings?A. Siblings hated fighting and loved playing.B. Siblings in some families fought frequently.C. Sibling fights led to bad sibling relationships.D. Siblings learned to get on together from fights.4. The word“feminine” (in Para. 4) means _.A. having qualities of parents
11、B. having qualities of womenC. having defensive qualities D. having extraordinary qualities【参考答案】14、ABDB【2014高考英语南京市、盐城市一模】请认真阅读下列短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。Parents all struggle to get children to understand that money doesnt grow on trees, wanting them to be responsible, work hard
12、and learn to save a few bucks. But these lessons are among the most difficult to teach.Enter KidZania, an internationally praised and truly unique childrens theme park, that makes life a little easier for parents.KidZania is not a traditional theme park in almost any sense of the word there are no r
13、oller coasters or merry-go-rounds in sight. There are, however, plenty of attractions and activities that will keep children busy, active, engaged and excited all day.What makes it so much fun is that its a kid-sized city complete with restaurants, banks, grocery stores and hospitals where the kids
14、get to be adults, doing the things most of us do on any normal day.They start by picking one of nearly 100 “careers” and learning about it. Then, they put on their uniform and are ready to work and earn KidZania dollars (“Kidzos”).Most activities are universal but some are localized to reflect the d
15、istinct flavors and personality of the country and region where the park is located and to keep it real for the kids.Kids get paid for every job they do, which helps them explore the mysteries of managing money. Kidzos in hand, they can spend it or save it. If they run short of money, theyll have to
16、 find a way to earn some.Each KidZania city is planned in amazing detail, even including real world brands that help sponsor the city and keep it running. I was a littlewaryof all the popular corporate logos, but the brands werent pushed at all. They are there to reinforce the “real city” feeling by
17、 mixing it with things kids recognize.KidZania employs senior citizens who give the park a homey feel and help put children at ease. Management also employs the disabled, whether blind, deaf or wheelchair-bound. Besides making for a more realistic city, this teaches children about those with differe
18、nt abilities and gives them an opportunity to spend time with people they might otherwise have stared at or treated less than kindly.Socialization is an important part of KidZania, just as it is throughout childhood. The KidZania experience empowers kids, giving them the confidence to be their best
19、selves, and the inspiration to be great global citizens. And its part of what makes KidZania such an amazing place for families and children.59. KidZania is unique in that _.A. it has no entertainment facilitiesB. it includes lots of localized activitiesC. it offers kids chances to learn through wor
20、kingD. it employs many seniors and disabled people60. The underlined word “wary” in Paragraph 8 is similar in meaning to _.A. astonishedB. cautiousC. delightedD. conscious61. Childrens theme park KidZania is set up to _.A. prepare them to be good citizens in the futureB. provide them with a place to
21、 have a good timeC. make them aware of their parents hardshipD. assist them in building a good relationship with parents62. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?A. Children do part-time jobs at a theme parkB. A theme park pushes kids to be grown-upsC. KidZania theme park mak
22、es adults life easierD. Kids get to be adults at KidZania theme park【参考答案】59. C60. B61. A62. D 【2014高考英语南京市、盐城市一模】 请认真阅读下列短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。APlaya la Audiencia, ManzanilloPlaya la Audiencia is one of the most popular beaches in Manzanillo for families and one of the best be
23、ach spots along Mexicos Pacific coast. Playa la Audiencia is a stunning little beach with a golden shoreline which overlooks the bay and offers great conditions for swimming, diving, and other cool water sports such as jet-skiing and kayaking. If you are a diving enthusiast, youll definitely love sp
24、ending time in Playa la Audiencia since its waters are shallow, calm and filled with rocks covered with corals.Playa Brujas, MazatlanPlaya Brujas is probably one of the best surfing spots in Mazatlan. Playa Brujas is located 20 minutes drive from the heart of Mazatlan and its a popular spot among lo
25、cal surfers. If you are a surfer looking to hit some waves along the west coast of Mexico, youll find Playa Brujas a very good spot to visit since Brujas possesses satisfactory waves all year round.NorthBeach, Isla MujeresNorth beach is one of the nicest beaches in Isla Mujeres and its one of Mexico
26、s finest beaches in the Yucatan Peninsula. North Beach boasts a nice stretch of beach with white-powdery sand, warmturquoisewaters and great diving spots.The bestbitabout North Beach besides its private location is that the beach is just minutes away by boat from Cancun, so youre never too far from
27、Cancuns tourist attractions such as Wet n Wild Paterpark and Xplor Eco Park, where you can enjoy caving adventures and zip-line rides.Xpu Ha BeachXpu Ha Beach is located roughly between Tulum and Playa del Carmen and it is a nice spot for relaxing under the sun, walking and horseback riding. Xpu Ha
28、is located along the stunning Riviera Maya and unlike other beaches along the Mexican Riviera Xpu Ha beach boasts asubtlebeach club atmosphere. Xpu Ha Beach isnt as busy as Mamitas beach club but it still possesses cool beach clubs, a rental shop and a hotel.56. If someone has appreciation for cavin
29、g adventures, he or she should go to _.A. North BeachB. Xpu Ha BeachC. Wet n Wild PaterparkD. Playa Brujas57. The similarity that the four beaches share is that _.A. tourists can have some sportsB. they have clubsC. the waters are shallow D. they have satisfactory wave58. Which of the following is t
30、rue according to the passage?A. Playa Brujas is close to Mazatlan and lies along the east coast of Mexico.B. North Beach is the finest beach in the Yucatan Peninsula for its private location.C. Tourists can rent some equipment at Xpu Ha Beach, which is as busy as others.D. When a couple choose a bea
31、ch with children, Playa la Audiencia is their best choice.【参考答案】56. C57. A58. D 【2014高考英语湖北省汉阳市联考试题】If you live in America in the 21st century youll probably have to listen to a lot of people tell you how busy they are. Its become the default response when you ask anyone how they are doing: “Busy!”
32、“Crazy busy!”. It is, pretty obviously, a boast disguised as a complaint. And the common response is a kind of congratulation:“ Thats a good problem to have, ”or“ Better than the opposite.” Notice it isnt generally people pulling back-to-back shifts in the ICU or commuting by bus to three minimum-wa
33、ge jobs who tell you how busy they are. What those people are is not busy but tired. Exhausted! Dead on their feet. Its almost always people whose busyness is purely self-imposed work and obligations theyve taken on voluntarily, classes and activities theyve “encouraged” their kids to participate in
34、. Theyre busy because of their own ambition or drive or anxiety, because theyre addicted to busyness and dread that they might have to face in its absence. Almost everyone I know is busy. They feel anxious and guilty when they arent either working or doing something to promote their work. Its someth
35、ing they have chosen. Busyness serves as a kind of existential reassurance(令人安心的保证），a measure against emptiness, obviously your life cannot possibly be silly or tiny or meaningless if you are so busy, completely booked, in demand every hour of the day.Idleness is not just a vacation. It is as necess
36、ary to the brain as vitamin D is to the body, and deprived of it we suffer a mental affliction as ugly as rickets. The space and quiet that idleness provides is a necessary condition for standing back from life and seeing it whole, for making unexpected connections and waiting for the wild summer li
37、ghtning strikes of inspiration.” Idle dreaming is often the essence of what we do”, wrote Thomas Pynchon. Archimedes “Eureka” in the bath, Newtons apple :history is full of stories of inspirations that come in idle moments.67. When many Americans say “Crazy busy”, they mean_.A. they are really tired
38、 of their present situationB. they are really proud of their present lifeC. they are complaining about their current workD. their life are full of all kinds of problems68. The writer mentions Archimedes“Eureka” and Newtons apple to show that_.A. history is full of interesting storiesB. Archimedes an
39、d Newton were very busy, so they made great discoveriesC. people may get inspiration when they are idleD. inspirations come from hard work69. The word “its” in the second paragraph refers to_.A. ambition B. anxiety C. busyness D. dread70. From the article, we can infer that _.A. generally people pul
40、ling back-to-back shifts in the ICU tell you they are busyB. “Dead on their feet” means “being tired out”C. all the kids are self-imposed due to the drive and motivationD. The author seems to agree that idleness is better than busyness【参考答案】6770、【2014高考英语广东省佛山市质测试题】A阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答
41、题卡上将该项涂黑。 My first wife and I only had one child. It might have been nice to have more. I would have liked a son, but we just had Carmen. I see her as my best friend. I think she always comes to me first if she has a problem. We have the same sense of humour and share many interests, except that she
42、s crazy about animals, obsessed with them-she has always had dogs, cats, and horses in her life. We were closest when she was about four, which I think is a wonderful age for a child. Thats when they need their parents most. But as soon as Carmen went to school, she seemed to grow up and grow apart
43、from her family, and any father finds it difficult with a teenage daughter. She was very moody and had an odd group of friends. There was an endless stream of strange young men coming to our house. I remember once got annoyed with her in front of her friends and she didnt talk to me for days. Ive al
44、ways wanted the best for her. We sent her to a good school, but she wasnt happy there. She left because she wanted to become an actress, so with my connections I got her into a drama school, but she didnt like that either. She worked for a while doing small roles in films, but she must have found it
45、 boring although she never really said why. She got married a few years ago, her husbands a vet. They must be happy because they work together, and she loves animals. We have the same tastes in books and music. When she was younger, I used to take her to the opera-thats my passion-but she cant have
46、liked it very much because she hasnt come with me for years. I dont think she goes to the cinema or watches TV much. She might watch my films, but I dont know. Its not the kind of thing she talks to me about. Im very pleased to have Carmen. Shes a good daughter, but I dont think she likes my new wif
47、e very much because she doesnt visit us very often. Im looking forward to being a grandfather one day. I hope shell have a son.26. Which is TRUE about the author according to the passage? A. He is disappointed with his first wife. B. His daughter treats him as her best friend. C. He and Carmen dont
48、have much in common. D. He doesnt seem to be an animal lover.27. What does the author think of getting along with his daughter? A. Its easier for him to get along with her when she was 4. B. He couldnt take care of her after she went to school. C. He tried very hard to get along well with her friend
49、s. D. He once got very angry because she didnt talk to him.28. By saying wanted the best for her, the author means that_. A. he had done everything he could for Carmen B. he was sad when Carmen wasnt happy at school C. he never asked Carmen why she gave up drama D. he was pleased that Carmen married
50、 her husband29. What can be inferred about the author and Carmen from Paragraph 5? A. They were both interested in books and music and opera. B. The author greatly influenced her daughters hobbies. C. The author was probably a famous TV presenter. D. The author didnt know much about Carmens hobbies. 30. According to the author, Carmen was_. A. grateful to her father B. quite lazy at school C. happy to get married D. eager to have a son【参考答案】DAADC