The idea about the phoenix goes back to Ancient Egypt, where we find the phoenix described as a handsome, eagle-like bird, with part-golden, part-red plumage, that spent most of its life in the Arabian deserts. It was rarely seen and according to one version of the story, only appeared in Egypt once every five hundred years, when it flew to Heliopolis, “city of the sun”, and deliberately burnt itself to ashes by settling on the altar (祭壇) flame there! However, it seems it did not really die because from those same ashes a young, fully formed phoenix was born and flew away, apparently back to Arabia.
It is pretty obvious that no one has ever seen or will see a living phoenix. The interesting thing is that we can find certain clues which may explain one aspect of the Egyptians’ idea. It may sound unbelievable, but some birds are apparently quite charmed by flames and small fires, especially members of the crow family. One zoologist actually proved this by setting fire to some straw near to a tame（馴養(yǎng)的）rook, a large black bird like a crow. Far from becoming nervous and backing away, the bird deliberately stood over the flames, with raised and vibrating wings. It didn’t get burnt, but the image it presented by its strange behavior was almost exactly like that shown in illustrations of the mythical phoenix!
Why birds should occasionally behave in this strange way is not clear. One idea is that they carefully use the heat of the flames to relieve the annoyance caused by their feather mites (虱) which all birds have. Whatever the reason, it is quite possible that the Ancient Egyptians saw birds behaving in this way, from time to time, and used it as the basis of their phoenix myth, adding fanciful details which closely linked it to their worship of the sun and their belief in resurrection.
Nowadays, the phoenix is much less important to us than it was to the Egyptians. But the logo of modern fire insurance companies, which employ the phoenix as one of their symbols, refers that in one sense the idea of it remains.
1. According to the passage, the phoenix _________ .
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A．is a handsome and eagle-like bird living in Arab |
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B．used to be seen when the Egyptians held religious activities |
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C．has never really existed in the world |
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D．is the king of all kinds of birds |
2. The reason why birds stand above flames is probably that _________ .
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A．the phoenix used to do so |
B．they may get rid of the mites |
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C．they want to burn their feather |
D．they can heat themselves |
3.Which of the following statements is NOT correct?
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A．The ancient Egyptians worshiped the phoenix. |
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B．The scientists have discovered why birds are attracted by fire. |
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C．The modern people still favor the idea of the phoenix. |
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D．The mythical tales about the phoenix were based on facts. |
4.Which of the following is closest to the underlined word “resurrection” in the 3rd paragraph?
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A．living forever |
B．offering warmth |
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C．coming back to life |
D．staying healthy |
5.What does the phoenix probably mean in the logo of a fire insurance company?
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A．Our company can protect you from being harmed by fire. |
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B．If your property is destroyed by fire, we will help you build it up again. |
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C．Our company will always be energetic and wealthy. |
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D．If needed, we will save you at the risk of losing lives. |
科目：高中英語 來源：吉林省長春市十一高中2009-2010學(xué)年度高一下學(xué)期期末 題型：閱讀理解
The unimaginable earthquake in Haiti has shocked the world. Thanks to modern communication technology, the world has seen the scale of destruction by the 7.0- magnitude quake. Images on TV and the Internet show the Haiti capital has been reduced to rubble and helpless survivors waiting for relief.
So far, at least 50,000 people are feared dead, and tens of thousands left injured or homeless in one of the poorest countries in the West. The number of dead is rising with each passing hour for a few days. Considering Haiti’s total population is only about 8.5 million, the extent of damage will reach every field of the country’s social structures.
Rescuers from countries such as China, the United States, France and Dominican Republic have already reached Haiti, carrying necessary things like food and medicines, life-detecting devices and other rescue equipment. Politicians，workers and Hollywood actors have opened their wallets and called for donations to help disaster relief. The whole world is ready to help them. The world is a village today where no one can remain indifferent when a neighbor falls in disaster.
The suffering of people anywhere in the world strikes the hearts of Chinese people. The death of eight Chinese peacekeepers in Haiti has little to do with it. Chinese people feel a special sympathy for Haitians because just less than 20 months ago they were struggling to rise from the earthquake.
Though Beijing and Port-au-Prince have no diplomatic relations, China was among the first nations to send a rescue team and to announce a donation. In the face of natural disasters, respect for human lives overtakes diplomacy and national boundaries. We share the pain of the Haitian people, and we believe China’s experience in rescue and operations and reconstructions will help reduce that pain.
The most pressing task after a quake is the golden-hour rescue operation. Many Haitians are buried under rubble, and relentless efforts must be made to save as many of them as possible. Yet there remains a question on how effectively the flows of aid from around the world be managed. It is here that the UN can play the leading role, for it should be responsible for common humanitarian efforts from across the globe to reach the benefits to the maximum number of people.
After the 2004 tsunami killed more than 200,000 people in Asia, some experts said the UN needed to build a well-equipped and trained force disaster rescue specialists and keep it on standby to help people after natural disasters such as the Haiti quake. It is time the UN gave the idea a serious thought, for a life-saving force could play as important as its peacekeeping soldiers.
60.According to the passage, which of the following is true?
A.The number of Haiti’s total population is about 8.5 billion
B.Rescuers from many countries have reached Haiti, carrying necessary things like food, water and medicines.
C.Chinese people feel a special sympathy for Haitians because we have the same experiences.
D.The flows of aid from the world has been managed well.
61.The word “indifferent” underlined in the third paragraph most probably means ______.
A.cruel B.friendly C.cold D.warm
62. We can infer that people around the world actively help the Haitians because ______.
A.people among countries have close relations
B.earthquake is a natural disaster, people respect human lives, and show common feelings to people in trouble
C.people should be responsible
D.people have ever been rescued by Haitians
63.Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
A.The UN plays an important role
B.We are with you, Haiti
C.People share the pain with the Haitian people
D.Modern communication technology is used widely
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科目：高中英語 來源：2014屆廣西桂林十八中高三上學(xué)期第一次月考英語卷（解析版） 題型：單項填空
Jenny suggested our going on an outing to the countryside next weekend, but the rest didn’t sound very _________ about the idea.
A. enthusiastic B. cautious C. anxious D. secure
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科目：高中英語 來源：2015屆江蘇鄭梁梅中學(xué)高一下期期末考試英語卷（解析版） 題型：閱讀理解
The church seems cold this morning, even after all the people, friends and family, fill the benches. I sit here in silence, in shock and denial. This was not supposed to happen. What about our dreams, or our plans? We were going to raise our children, travel the world, and grow old together. I’m only 37, a typical housewife. I don’t know if I can do all this alone—two children, no father. What do I do or say?
The faces of so many people confuse me as they come to pay their last respects. Some have real sorrow; I can see it in their eyes. The others seem to just say, “I told you so.” Those famous last words: I-told-you-so. How I can’t stand them. And the pointing fingers as so-called family and so-called friends pick me out of the crowd for others to see. I want to scream and wake up but I can’t do anything but sit there. How can they be so blind? I fell in love with a man. Love knows no boundaries .
He was a good man, hardworking, caring and kind. He was retired from the Navy and a gentleman. He was sensitive to others’ needs, the kind of man that knew what to do or say, how to humor any situation and calm everyone’s fears. I remember our first child was a big surprise to both of us. I remember when I told him the news. He fell off his chair, saying over and over in disbelief, “But I’m almost sixty.” After a few months he started planning our next and even doing his famous little dance whenever he discussed the idea.
A man, thirty years older than I, lies in a coffin. Flowers, the American flag and his VFW comrades surround him, paying tribute（頌詞）to him as the man he really was. And I sit alone here, with our two children, in silence, praying that this cold morning at church is only a nightmare and I will awake to his loving arms again.
1.What can we know from the passage about the writer?
A. She married a man much older than she.
B. She is going to give birth to their second child.
C. She lost her husband, who was as old as she.
D. She lost her father, whom she loved deeply.
2.From Paragraph Two, we can see ______.
A. the writer didn’t really love the man
B. some of her family members didn’t understand her
C. some of her family members and friends were blind
D. she thought her marriage to the man was a mistake
3. Which of the following can best replace the underlined words “But I’m almost sixty”?
A. I can’t believe it.
B. That’s a lot of trouble.
C. That should have happened long ago.
D. It can’t be my child.
4.Which of the following can’t be used to describe the writer’s feelings for the man?
A. Sad. B. Loving. C. Inseparable D. Complaining.
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科目：高中英語 來源：2012年北師大版高中英語選修一Unit5練習卷（解析版） 題型：單項填空
________ you listen to the passage , you’d better get the _______ idea.
|
A．The moment; general |
B．First time; common |
|
C．The first time; general |
D．Any time; ordinary |
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科目：高中英語 來源：2011-2012學(xué)年湖北省孝感市高三第一次統(tǒng)考英語題 題型：單項填空
The popularity of films such as Jurassic Park, in which a scientist clones several kinds of extinct dinosaurs, proves how the idea a mixture of fear and excitement into people’s hearts.
A．obtained B．struck C．resisted D．indicated
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