1、2012高考英语二轮复习专题限时训练（江苏专用）专题2 阅读理解 17（35分钟）AI think it was my mother who taught me the meaning of honesty. Not because she actually was honest, but because she lied all the time. She felt that the easiest way out of any given situation was generally the best way out. And, for her, that generally meant
2、 telling a “little white lie.” As a young child I thought it was kind of cool. And, naturally, when I would come to her with a concern or question wondering what I should do, she generally advised me to lie.“Mom, I told Theresa that I would go over to her house, but now I would rather go to Sues hou
3、se to play.”“Tell Theresa youre sick,” she would advise. And generally I did. But I didnt seem blessed with her lack of conscience. On many painful occasions Theresa would find out that I really went to Sues house without her. These occasions taught me that it is more painful to be caught in a lie t
4、han it is to tell the truth in the first place. I wondered how it was possible that my mother had never learned that lesson.I started thinking of all the lies that Id heard her tell. I remembered the time she told someone that her favorite restaurant had closed, because she didnt want to see them th
5、ere anymore. Or the time she told Dad that she loved the lawn-mower he gave her for her birthday. Or when she claimed that our phone lines had been down when she was trying to explain why she hadnt been in touch with a friend of hers for weeks. And what bothered me even more were all the times she h
6、ad involved me into her lies. Like the time she told my guidance counselor that I had to miss school for exploratory surgery, when she really needed me to babysit. And it even started to bother me when someone would call for her and she would ask me to tell them that she wasnt there.So, I started my
7、 own personal fight against her dishonesty. When I answered the phone and it was someone my mother didnt want to talk to, I said, “Louise, mom is here, but she doesnt want to talk to you.” The first time I did it, she punished me, but I refused to apologize. I told her that I had decided that it was
8、 wrong to lie. And the next time it happened I did the same thing. Finally, she approached me and said, “I agree that lying is not the best thing to do, but we need to find a way to be honest without being rude.” She admitted that her methods werent right, and I admitted that mine were a bit too ext
9、reme.Over the past few years, the two of us have worked together to be honestand yet kind. Honesty should mean more than not lying. It should mean speaking the truth in kindness. Though I started by trying to teach my mom the importance of honesty, I ended up gaining a deeper understanding of the me
10、aning of the term.1. The authors mother _. A. thought white lies were not liesB. helped the author get out of trouble with white liesC. told the author to lie when in troubleD. taught the author the importance of being honest2. The author _. A. was thankful to her mothers adviceB. felt more awkward
11、when being caught lyingC. found that telling the truth hurt more than telling a lieD. felt guilty when hurting people with her honesty3. It can be inferred that the authors mother _. A. met her friends in the same restaurant regularlyB. didnt get along with the authors teachersC. was not popular amo
12、ng her friendsD. wanted to have something else for her birthday4. Finally the author and her mother agreed that _. A. kind-heartedness is more important than honestyB. appropriate methods are the key to telling a good lieC. honesty is defined as kindness as well as truthfulnessD. absolute honesty is
13、 basic to good interpersonal relationshipsBAir pollution is damaging 60% of Europes prime wildlife sites in meadows, forests and bushes, according to a new report.A team of EU scientists said nitrogen emissions(氮排放) from cars, factories and farming were threatening biodiversity. Its the second repor
14、t this week warning of the on-going risks and threats linked to nitrogen pollution.Nitrogen in the atmosphere is harmless in its inert(惰性的) state, but the report says reactive forms of nitrogen, largely produced by human activity, can be a menace to the natural world.Emissions mostly come from vehic
15、le exhausts(排气), factories, artificial fertilizers(肥料) and animal waste from intensive farming. The reactive nitrogen they emit to the air disrupts the environment in two ways: It can make acidic soils too acidic to support their previous mix of species. But primarily, because nitrogen is a fertiliz
16、er, it favors wild plants that can maximize the use of nitrogen to help them grow. In effect, some of the nitrogen spread to fertilize crops is carried in the atmosphere to fertilize weeds, possibly a great distance from where the chemicals were first applied.The effects of fertilization and acidifi
17、cation favor common aggressive species like grasses, brambles and nettles. They harm more delicate species like mosses(苔藓), and insect-eating sundew plants.The report said 60% of wildlife sites were now receiving a critical load of reactive nitrogen. The reports lead author, Dr Kevin Hicks from the
18、University of Yorks Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), told BBC News that Englands Peak District had a definitely low range of species as a result of the reactive nitrogen that fell on the area.“Nitrogen creates a rather big problem that seems to me to have been given too little attention,” he s
19、aid. “Governments are responsible for protecting areas like this, but they are clearly failing.” He said more research was needed to understand the knock-on effects for creatures from the changes in vegetation accidentally caused by emissions from cars, industry and farms. At the conference, the rep
20、resentatives agreed “The Edinburgh Declaration on Reactive Nitrogen”. The document highlights the importance of reducing reactive nitrogen emissions to the environment, adding that the benefits of reducing nitrogen outweigh the costs of taking action.5. The underlined word “menace” is used to expres
21、s that the reactive nitrogen, largely produced by human activity can be _.A. frighteningB. threateningC. uniqueD. unusual6. We can infer from the passage that _.A. its harmless to have reactive nitrogen existing in the atmosphereB. reactive nitrogen emissions help aggressive species less than cropsC
22、. the harm to those delicate species has a negative impact on biodiversityD. reactive nitrogen can fertilize soils and keep their biodiversity7. The team of EU scientists released the second report of nitrogen emissions this week when _.A. no action was taken to stop nitrogen emissionB. governments
23、were willing to protect areas harmed by nitrogen C. “The Edinburgh Declaration on Reactive Nitrogen” was agreedD. nitrogen emissions were threatening wildlife sites biodiversity8. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?A. Keeping Away From Nitrogen EmissionsB. Stopping Nitrog
24、en EmissionsC. Air Pollution Damaging Europes WildlifeD. Saving Europes WildlifeCThe 2010 Eustace Tilley ContestThis marks our third annual contest soliciting(征求) readers opinions on Eustace Tilley, the magazines iconic dandy(花花公子), who appeared on the cover of the first issue of The New Yorker and
25、on almost every anniversary issue since. In celebration of our upcoming 85th anniversary, we invite you to create your own version of The New Yorkers dandy.Entries to our third annual Eustace Tilley contest will be accepted from December 17th through January 18th. Winners will be featured on N.Visit
26、 to enter and for complete contest rules.Open to legal U.S. and Canada residents (except Quebec) age 18 and over.Video Conversations with James Surowiecki Watch the author of The Financial Page column in discussion with policymakers, business leaders, and economists. This month, James Surowiecki spe
27、aks with Dan Vasella, the chairman and C.E.O. of Novartis, about drug prices, health-care, reform, and the appearance of China in the pharmaceutical(制药的) industry. Visit today.The Big Apple Circus Clown Care Program The Big Apple Circus Clown Care program brings joy and laughter to young patients in
28、 seven New York City pediatric(儿科的) facilities, and 11 more across the country. 90 specially trained professional “clown doctors” visit nearly 250,000 bedsides a year, interacting with the children, family members and staff. The Clown Care program is a part of the healing process for children who co
29、me to New York Presbyterian. The clown unit provides a unique way to reduce the stress associated with being in a hospital. Being able to bring a smile to the face of a sick child clearly complements(辅助) the excellent care provided by our doctors and nurses. We are thrilled to include the Clown Care
30、 program as part of our team. Please help continue this important work by making a financial contribution today at bigapplecircus.org.9. Whose entry will be accepted by The New Yorker?A. Richard, a post-graduate from Quebec, Canada, who sent his design on Dec.20.B. Amy, a 28-year-old Asian-American
31、teacher, who sent her design on Jan. 20.C. Jessie, a 16-year-old student from New York, who sent her design on Dec. 29.D. John, a 68-year-old retired engineer from San Francisco, who sent his design on Jan. 10.10. Which of the following is NOT true about James Surowiecki?A. James Surowiecki is the a
32、uthor of The Financial Page column.B. James Surowiecki usually has discussions with people from different fields.C. James Surowiecki speaks with a chairman about issues of medicine this month.D. Visiting you can watch the conversation of this month between James and an economist.11. _ can be provide
33、d by The Big Apple Circus Care program for sick children.A. Excellent treatment and careB. Trained professional doctors and nursesC. Unique methods to relieve stressD. Special pediatric facilities12. Which of the following can be used by the Big Apple Circus Clown Care program to promote itself?A. W
34、e help all children live happy lives.B. Our doctors jump through rings to cure the blues.C. Every life deserves world class care.D. Work together for a healthier world.DLots of people have hobbies. Some people collect old coins or foreign stamps; some do needlework; others spend most of their spare
35、time on a particular sport.A lot of people enjoy reading. But reading tastes differ widely. Some people only read newspapers or comics, some like reading novels, while others prefer books on astronomy, wildlife, or technological discoveries.If I happen to be interested in horses or precious stones,
36、I cannot expect everyone else to share my enthusiasm. If I watch all the sports programs on TV with great pleasure, I must put up with the fact that other people find sports boring.Is there nothing that interests us all? Is there nothing that concerns everyoneno matter who they are or where they liv
37、e in the world? Yes, dear Sophie, there are questions that certainly should interest everyone. They are precisely the questions this course is about.What is the most important thing in life? If we ask someone living on the edge of starvation, the answer is food. If we ask someone dying of cold, the
38、answer is warmth. If we put the same question to someone who feels lonely and isolated, the answer will probably be the company of other people.But when these basic needs have been satisfiedwill there still be something that everybody needs? Philosophers think so. They believe that man cannot live b
39、y bread alone. Of course everyone needs food. And everyone needs love and care. But there is something elseapart from thatwhich everyone needs, and that is to figure out who we are and why we are here.Being interested in why we are here is not a “casual” interest like collecting stamps. People who a
40、sk such questions are taking part in a debate that has gone on as long as man has lived on this planet. How the universe, the earth, and life came into being is a bigger and more important question than who won the most gold medals in the last Olympics.13. This text is most probably taken from _. A.
41、 a research paperB. a course scheduleC. a personal letterD. a book review14. Which of the following best states the main idea of the passage? A. Philosophical questions are as interesting as collecting stamps.B. Thinking about philosophical questions is a serious interest.C. Figuring out who we are
42、and why we are here is mans basic needs.D. Philosophy has universal appeal and concerns everybody in nature.15. The author believes that _. A. no existing subject can interest everyone in the worldB. different people may have different interests and concernsC. everyone has to figure out who we are and why we are hereD. people in modern society pay more attention to philosophical questionsCBDCB CDCDD CBCDC高考资源网独家高Ks5uK&S%5#U精品资源，欢迎下载！高Ks5uK&S%5#U高考资源网高考资源网