Down-to-earth means being honest, open, and easy to deal with. It is a pleasure to find someone who is down-to-earth. A person who is down-to-earth is easy to talk to. He or she accepts others as equals. A down-to-earth person may be an important member of society, of course, but they do not let their importance go to their heads, and they do not consider themselves to be better than others who are less important. Someone who is filled with self-importance and pride, often without cause, is said to have his nose in the air. There is no way a person with his nose in the air who can be down-to-earth.

Americans use another expression that is similar in some way to down-to-earth. The expression is both feet on the ground. Someone with both feet on the ground is a person with a good understanding of reality. He has what is called common sense. He may have dreams but he does not allow them to block his knowledge of what is real. The opposite kind of person is one who has his head in the clouds. A man with his head in the clouds is a dreamer whose mind is not in the world. Sometimes such a dreamer can be brought back to reality; sharp words from the teacher, for example, can usually get a daydreaming student to put both feet back on the ground.

The person who is down-to-earth usually has both feet on the ground. But the opposite is not always true. Someone with both feet on the ground may not be as open and easy to deal with as someone who is down-to-earth. When we have both our feet firmly on the ground, we are realistic and we act honestly and openly toward others, and our lives are like the ground below us, solid and strong.

1.If a person has both feet on the ground, he ____.

A. is in touch with reality, and doesn’t have any dreams

B. has some dreams but he is realistic

C. is honest, open and easy to deal with

D. is honest, open but hard to deal with

2.From the second paragraph, we know that sharp words from a teacher can usually ________.

A. help a student get down to the earth

B. wake a student up

C. help a daydreaming student come down

D. help a daydreaming student to become more realistic

3.The underlined sentence “But the opposite is not always true.” most probably means that ______.

A. the person who has his nose in the air is not true

B. a man with his head in the clouds is often not intelligent

C. the opposite direction is always wrong

D. a person who has both feet on the ground may not be down-to-earth

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科目:高中英語 來源:2014-2015學(xué)年高陜西西安臨潼區(qū)華清中學(xué)三一?加⒄Z試卷(解析版) 題型:閱讀理解

Everyone has done experiments in high school laboratories,but have you ever thought about designing a satellite to explore space?

On Nov.19,a team of students from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in the US awed peers and even scientists by successfully launching a satellite.

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The satellite will stay in space for at least three months.

School principal Evan Glazer told The Washington Post that the project started in 2006 as an activity in the spare time.Later it became a research project for a select group of seniors.

At a time when American students are busy with SATs,the launch of the satellite shows what diligent teenagers can achieve when allowed to pursue their own curiosities,Glazer said.

“It used to be that kids growing up wanted to be an astronaut,” Andrew Petro,program executive (主管) for small spacecraft technology at NASA,said in a statement.“I think we might be seeing kids saying what they want to do is build a spacecraft.The idea here is that they really can do that.”

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B. amazed

C. delighted

D. inspired

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D. TJ3Sat is expected to stay in orbit for the next year,sending out messages together with information about its position in space.

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A. is evidence of the advance of spacecraft technology

B. proves that hard working teenagers can achieve a lot

C. shows the importance of extracurricular activities at school

D. has inspired many people to take an interest in space travel

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Ten years ago, no one thought that using computers could become compulsive behavior that could affect the social and physical life of computer users. Such behavior has seriously affected teenagers and college students. They are likely to log(寫日志) on computers and spend long hours at different websites.

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They spend more time in front of computers than with their friends. The relation with their friends changes. The virtual life becomes more important than their real life. They have a new language that they speak in the chat rooms and it causes cultural changes in society.

Because of the change in their behavior, they begin to isolate themselves from society and live with their virtual friends. They share their emotions and feelings with friends who they have never met in their life. Although they feel confident on the computer, they are not confident with real live friends they have known all their life. It is a problem for the future. This addictive behavior is beginning to affect all the world.

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Find a support group. You probably left behind good friends and family when you moved, too. You can share experiences.

Keep in touch with home. You probably left behind good friends and family when you moved. If it’s going to be a long time until your next visit, keep in touch. You’ve not only left behind people, but also other things--- like your favorite spot to hang out. __4.___

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閱讀下面材料,在空白處填入適當(dāng)?shù)膬?nèi)容(不多于3個(gè)單詞)或括號(hào)內(nèi)單詞的正確形式。溫馨提示:請(qǐng)將答案寫在答題卷上

The way we cook is important. In many countries, the two choices are 1. (nature) gas or electric-powered stoves.

The World Health Organization warns that millions of people 2. (suffer) from indoor air pollution at present time, which results from the use of 3. (danger) fuels and cook-stoves in the home.

WHO officials say nearly three billion people are 4. (able) to use clean fuels and technologies for cooking ,heating and lighting. As a result, more than seven million people die from exposure to indoor or outdoor air pollution each year. Most of the deaths are in 5. (develop) countries, such as lndia, China and Latin American countries.

WHO officials say opening a window or door 6. (let)out the harmful air will not correct the situation 7. will only pollute the outdoors.

Nigel Bruce, 8. is a professor of Public Health at the University of Liverpool, says researchers are developing good cook-stoves and other equipment to burn fuels 9. a more efficient way.

But, this is just a start. It is urging developing countries to use 10. (clean) fuels and increase access to cleaner and more modern cooking and heating appliances(用具)

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科目:高中英語 來源:2015-2016學(xué)年四川綿陽南山中學(xué)高二上學(xué)期期中英語試卷(解析版) 題型:閱讀理解

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Larry first began diving when he was his daughter’s age. Similarly, his father had taken him along on one of his expeditions. Since then, he had never looked back. Larry started out by renting diving suits from the small diving shop just along the shore. He had hated them. They were either too big or too small. Then, there was the instructor. He gave him a short lesson before allowing him into the water with his father. He had made an exception. Larry would never have been able to go down without at least five hours of theory and another similar number of hours on practical lessons with a guide. Children his age were not even allowed to dive.

After the first expedition, Larry’s later diving adventures only got better and better. There was never a dull moment. In his black and blue suit and with an oxygen tank fastened on his back, Larry dived from boats into the middle of the ocean. Dangerous areas did not prevent him from continuing his search. Sometimes, he was limited to a cage underwater but that did not bother him. At least, he was still able to take photographs of the underwater creatures.

Larry’s first expedition without his father was in the Cayman Islands. There were numerous diving spots in the area and Larry was determined to visit all of them. Fortunately for him, a man offered to take him around the different spots for free. Larry didn’t even know what the time was, how many spots he dived into or how many photographs he had taken. The diving spots afforded such a wide array of fish and sea creatures that Larry saw more than thirty varieties of creatures.

Larry looked at his daughter. She looked as excited as he had been when he was her age. He hoped she would be able to continue the family tradition. Already, she looked like she was much braver than Lorry had been then. This was the key to a successful underwater expedition.

1.In what way was this expedition different for Larry?

A. His daughter had grown up.

B. He had become a famous diver.

C. His daughter would dive with him.

D. His father would dive with him.

2.What can be inferred from Paragraph2?

A. Larry was lucky to have got such a chance to dive.

B. Larry liked the rented diving suits.

C. Ten-year-old children were permitted to dive.

D. Divers had to buy diving equipment.

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A. To take photos more conveniently.

B. To dive into the deep water.

C. To admire the underwater view.

D. To protect himself from danger.

4. What can be learned from the underlined sentence?

A. Larry didn’t wear a watch.

B. Larry enjoyed the adventure.

C. Larry had a poor memory.

D. Larry was not good at math.

5.What did Larry expect his daughter to do?

A. Make a good diving guide.

B. Have longer hours of training.

C. Take a lot of photo underwater.

D. Become a successful diver.

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科目:高中英語 來源:2015-2016學(xué)年湖南岳陽一中高二上學(xué)期期中英語試卷(解析版) 題型:語法填空

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James Long is holding a debate called “The economy or the environment — must we choose?” Lin Shuiqing, 1. environmentalist and Qian Liwei, an economist expressed their own opinions.

Mr. Lin holds the opinion 2. large areas of the world are damaged by industrial waste. In addition, many sea creatures are being destroyed 3._______ fishing boats. Other types of waste flow into the river, 4._____________(kill) river and sea life. The world’s population is approaching 6.5 billion. He advises people to cut back 5. production, reduce what we make and buy, expand our cycling industry, and meanwhile teach people about environmentally friendly ways of living.

While Mr. Qian thinks economic development is not definitely bad for the environment. Through working side by side with environmentalists, 6._________ thinks a healthy environment and a stable economy should be possible at the same time. But he does agree that recycling may be the key to 7.________ (help) both sides. People need more effective laws to preserve the environment 8. still allow the economy to grow. Those factories 9.____________ pollute the environment should have to pay higher taxes.

At last, James says they will open the 10. for further discussion.

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