Annual holidays have become a luxury and are no longer a staple of family life, according to government research．

A getaway of a week or more is no longer considered essential by many families and is often beyond their reach, said the analysis of what parents and children say they really need．Fashionable clothes for the children, expensive birthday parties and lots of toys are also on the list of luxuries families don’t have to have．Instead, recession-hit parents are thinking of the future, and the things they want for their children centre around learning to behave properly, good education and good health．

Their picture of what a family ought to have includes a space to eat together away from the television, plenty of fruit and vegetables, and bicycles so children can get exercise．

The breakdown of necessities and luxuries was prepared by researchers from the Department for Work and Pensions(DWP) who were trying to establish an up-to-date picture of what parents say they really need．

Their findings show how families have scaled down their expectations in the face of economic difficulties — how parents are now concentrating their attention and money firmly on the long-term interests of their children．Many believe that while it is vital for a family to do things together, day trips or weekend breaks are enough．

Spending on furniture or decorating the house was also considered luxurious, unless the state of the home was so bad it became difficult to invite visitors in.

Instead, researchers said: A family home should have an area where the family can eat together, not on their laps in front of a television．Families should be able to go on outings, overnight trips and possibly short holiday: the fact of being able to share these experiences is more important than the precise activity and its cost．

1．It can be inferred that ______________.

    A．a(chǎn) week or more holiday is considered beyond many families’ reach

    B．children hardly ever need fashionable clothes and lots of toys

    C．what a family should have is basic things that they must have

    D．a(chǎn)nnual holidays were once considered necessary and vital

2．In the opinion of most parents, _____________.

    A．families can watch TV together in order to keep up their relationship

    B．day trips or weekend breaks are enough for families to share experiences

    C．their expectations should be increased in the face of economic difficulties

    D．a(chǎn) week’s holiday is an essential minimum during the financial crisis

3．Which of the following is TRUE of the researchers from the DWP?

    A．They confirm many families still need at least a week away on holiday each year.

    B．They learn it is insignificant for a family to do things with each other regularly.

    C．They want to know what parents really need in the face of economic difficulties.

    D．They found spending on furniture or decorating the house was thought valuable.

4．We can conclude from the last paragraph____________.

    A．being able to share experiences is important for families

    B．a(chǎn) family needs at least a week away on holiday each year

    C．a(chǎn) family home should have a comfortable area to watch TV

    D．going on outings and overnight trips is wasting time for families

5．What does the author mainly discuss in the text?

    A．Cycling is very important for children’s health.

    B．Family holidays once a year have become a luxury.

    C．It is vital for parents to eat together with children.

    D．Parents are concerned with children’s future.

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：2013-2014學(xué)年安徽省馬鞍山市高三第一次教學(xué)質(zhì)量檢測(cè)英語(yǔ)試卷（解析版） 題型：其他題

閱讀下面短文，根據(jù)所讀內(nèi)容在表格中的空白處填入恰當(dāng)?shù)膯卧~。

注意：每個(gè)空格只填一個(gè)單詞。

For years, researchers have looked into a possible relationship between heat and violence. There are conflicting results over whether there is an actual connection between rising anger and rising temperature, but the murder rate constantly increases during the months of July and August, according to the FBI’s annual crime report.

Many police chiefs say they put more policemen on the streets when the heat rises. “Calls for service always increase from May, June, July and August,” said New Bedford’s Captain Richard Spiriet. “The longer period of time you have the heat, the worse it is. It’s just the opposite in the winter time.”

Craig Anderson, a professor and specialist in social psychology at Lowa State University, argues the evidence is clear. “As the temperature goes up, people become more uncomfortable. They become easier to get angry,” he said. “That increases the possibility that a small conflict will be interpreted as more major.” Anderson conducted a couple of studies looking at crime rates over the course of several years within the same area to see when most violent crimes occurred. He found that violent crimes were more likely to occur on hot days and hot months － even hot years had higher violent rates than cold years, according to his research.

Other research shows it is not so much the physical climate, but rather the social climate, that causes increased violence. “During the summer months, people stay up later. They talk with their neighbors. They party with their friends,” said Jack Levin, director of the Brudnick Centre on Violence at Northeastern University. “There are more likely to be large numbers of people interacting, and they are more likely to argue.”

Perhaps the realization that there is a link will help people in an argument step back and say, “Let’s cool off” － both literally (字面上地) and figuratively (比喻地).

Title

Heat and Violence

Theme

Violence possibly has a 1.___________ with heat.

Facts

☆July and August witness the2.____________ increase of murder rate.

☆More policemen are called in with the heat3.___________.

☆People get angry more4.___________ as the temperature goes up.

5._________ of the research

☆Fewer violent crimes occur on 6.___________ days.

☆The7.___________ climate causes increased violence.

☆People usually go to8.___________ later during the summer months.

☆There are more likely to be9.____________ when people chat with each other.

Conclusion

10.__________the link will help people in an argument cool off.

 

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：2014屆江蘇南京高三9月學(xué)情調(diào)研英語(yǔ)卷（解析版） 題型：閱讀理解

 

 

Taylor Swift，23，US

     Unlucky in love as she may be，Swift was lucky at the Billboard Viusic Awards on Sunday night. The singer received the night's top honor,Artist of the Year, as well as Top billboard 20 Artist Top Female Artist，Top country Artist and Top Digital songs Artist. Her album Red topped the billboard 200 and country album categories，and her single We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together was named Top

Country Song.

Adele，25，UK

  Adele has been appointed a member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire this week during Queen Elizabeth II's annual Birthday Honors，the BBC reports．The singer was recognized for her service to music．The award is another highlight in a fruitful year for Adele，who，in addition to a Grammy and a Golden Globe，won a Best Original Song for Skyfall in Oscar 2013.

Robert Downey Jr，48，US

The actor, best known for playing the superhero Iron Man, left an 18-month-old fan in floods of tears because he wasn't wearing his character's red and gold suit in public. The heartbreaking meeting happened last Thursday while the actor was out for a walk in the Massachusetts towns of Sunderland and Shelburne Falls. A photo of the crying kid and Downey looking both concerned and awkward quickly made its way into the international news.

Jennifer Aniston，44，US

 

 

In the 10 months since her August 2012 engagement（訂婚）to Justin Theroux，all eyes have been on Aniston，with fans wondering just when she will become Mrs Theroux. But multiple sources in contact with Aniston and her inner circle say that plans for the much expected wedding appear to be left for the present time. The couple decided to delay the big day because they're both busy with work.

1.On which page of a newspaper can you find the above material？

A. On the front page.      B. On the entertainment page.

C. On the sports page.     D. On the education page.

2.2013 has been a fruitful year for Adele for she has won all the following awards EXCEPT_______

A. the Golden Globe

B. the Grammy

C. Artist of the Year in Billboard

D. Best Original Song in Oscar

3.The anecdote about Robert Downey Jr happened_______．

A. on a casual occasion B. at a fan meeting

C. at a movie promotion D. at a press conference

4.Which of the following is true according to the text？

A. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together was written for Taylor Swift's country.

B. Adele sang on the BBC to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's birthday.

C. Robert Downey did not know what to do when the kid started crying.

D. Jennifer Aniston is working on her wedding despite her busy schedule.

 

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：2012-2013學(xué)年廣西桂林市、崇左市、防城港市高考第一次聯(lián)合模擬考試英語(yǔ)試卷（解析版） 題型：閱讀理解

London taxis, with their friendly drivers who actually know where they are going, are ranked best in the world, according to an annual taxi poll(調(diào)查).

The survey by travel website hotels.com found London taxis, despite being the most expensive, beat rivals across the globe to head the list for the third consecutive years, scoring a total of 59 percent in votes on several categories by travellers.

London taxi drivers were voted both friendliest and most knowledgeable. Drivers in the English capital must pass a rigorous examination called The Knowledge to earn their taxi licence.

New York’s yellow taxis came second in the list, scoring 27 percent which was up 10 percentage points from last year even though Manhattan’s cab drivers tied with Parisian taxi drivers as the rudest.

Travellers said New York had the most available taxis.

Cabbies in Rome were voted the worst drivers in the world with almost one in 10 travellers thinking the Italian capital had the world’s worst taxi drivers when it came to the quality of driving.

“Travelling by taxi is one of the first experiences that many travellers have upon arrival in a new city. In fact, the research found that cabs are by far the most popular method of travelling from the airport to their hotel,” a spokesman for hotels.com said in a statement.

The global poll scored city based taxis for their levels of cleanliness, value, quality of driving, knowledge of the area, friendliness, safety and availability.

Rounding out the top five were Tokyo with a total score of 26 percent, Berlin with 17 percent, and Bangkok famed for its tuk-tuks scoring 14 percent.

Madrid’s taxis were ranked sixth in the poll, followed by Copenhagen and Dublin with 11 percent and Frankfurt and Paris with 10 percent.

Taxis in Sydney fell short of the top 10, scoring badly in the areas of value for money, availability and knowledge of the area.

The survey for hotels.com, part of the Expedia group, was conducted among over 1,900 travellers between May 11-28 this year.

1.What does the underlined word “rigorous” in the third paragraph mean _______?

A．official            B．lawful            C．strict             D．important

2.The writer introduced the result of the survey by _____.

A．listing the ranks of the taxi service of the European cities

B．listing the ranks of the taxi service of the cities concerned

C．different kinds of reading forms and famous travel websites

D．interviewing the taxi drivers and travellers of the cities

3.Rome’s taxi drivers are lack of _______.

A．driving skills                           B．good manners

C．the sense of cleanliness                  D．the sense of safety

4.What does the writer want to tell us?

A．The global taxi drivers should be trained strictly.

B．The global taxi drivers should be given an exam.

C．The global taxi drivers have different driving skills.

D．The global big cities’taxis service is scored by a travel website.

 

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：2014屆河南靈寶第三高級(jí)中學(xué)高二上第一次質(zhì)量檢測(cè)英語(yǔ)試卷（解析版） 題型：閱讀理解

Every ten years there is a national census （人口普查）to count the number of people. The Census Office asks every household to answer questions on a census form.

The census counts...

● the number of people in each area

● the numbers of men and women and whether they are single, married, widowed or divorced

● how many children there are, how many teenagers, people in their twenties, thirties, forties... retired people and so on

The census counts people by...

● the kind of housing they live in

● the country in which they were born

● the kind of job they do and how they travel to work

Some uses of the census:

Housing: to work out present and future needs we must know how people are housed now, and the sizes and ages of their families.

Hospitals, schools and other local services: the size of annual grants made by the Government to these services depends largely on the numbers and needs of people in the area. Many of the figures come from the census.

Planning: the census shows how many people have moved from one area to another and how the local workforce is changing. This information is used when factories, offices, shops, public transport and places for leisure are being planned.

In strict confidence

The census is taken in order to provide figures about the nation as a whole; it does not give information about any named person, family or household.

Names and addresses are needed to take the census accurately, but they are not fed into the computer.  After the census, the forms are locked away and will not be released to anyone outside the Census Office for 100 years.

The answers you give on your census form will be treated in strict confidence. NO one outside the Census Office will see your completed form.  Everyone working on the census is sworn to secrecy and can be charged if he or she improperly reveals information.

1.The writer is mainly ________ in this passage.

A．persuading people to support census

B．giving information about the importance and practice of census

C．showing the government’s determination in conducting census

D．warning people not to provide inaccurate information

2.The census is not interested in ________.

A．how many houses you have               B．how old you are

C．what your job is                         D．how much money you have

3.The census shows the changes that have taken place regarding ________.

A．the size of hospitals in the area

B．the types of public transport in the area

C．the number of people who work in the area

D．the use of power in the area

4.The following statements are true except _________.

A．the information is not fed into a computer

B．the census gives information about the whole country

C．the people who don’t work on the census will not see the completed forms

D．it is illegal for people to disclose the confidential information on census

 

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：2013屆江西省高三上學(xué)期第三次月考英語(yǔ)試卷（解析版） 題型：閱讀理解

Almost a decade ago, the federal government dropped $10 million for an Earth-monitoring satellite that never made it into space. Today it sits in a closet in Maryland. Cost to taxpayers for storing it: $1 million a year. And that's just what's hiding in one closet. Who knows what's in the rest of them?

Because we think the government should be held to at least the same standards as a publicly traded company, and because as taxpayers, we're America's shareholders, we performed an audit （財(cái)務(wù)檢查）of sorts of the federal books. We're not economists, but we do have common sense. We tried to get help from Congressional staffers from both parties, as well as various watchdog groups and agencies. In the end, we found that the federal government wastes nearly $1 trillion every year.

That's roughly equal to the amount collected annually by the Internal Revenue Service in personal income taxes. Put another way, it's also equal to about one-third of the country's $2.9 trillion total annual budget. And reclaiming that lost trillion could help wipe out the country's annual budget deficit（赤字）, improve education, and provide health insurance for those who don't have it.

So how do you define "waste"? David Walker of the Government Accountability Office (GAO), a federal watchdog agency, calls it "the government's failure to give taxpayers the most for their money." For our part, we used the kind of household test you would use on a piece of meat sitting in your refrigerator: If it smells rotten, it's waste. Our government regularly pays for products and services it never gets, wildly overpays companies to do things it could do more cheaply itself, loses money outright due to lax（不嚴(yán)格的）accounting and oversight, and spends money randomly on unnecessary programs.

How exactly does the federal government waste your hard-earned tax dollars? We've identified what we consider ten of the worst ways.

1.The underlined sentence in Paragraph1 really means         .

A．there are many other closets     B．there are some other satellites

C．there is something else in the closets    D．the waste may be quite amazing

2.Which of the following can best describe the feeling of the author?

    A．Annoyed.       B．Calm.          C．Surprised.     D．Not concerned.

3.Which of the following statements may be right?

    A．The country’s annual budget is usually decided by the public.

    B．The government failed in launching the satellite.

    C．The government is only wasting money in space experiments.

    D．The amount collected annually in personal income taxes is equal to the country’s budget.

4.The best title for the passage would be         .

    A．Protecting Our Rights!          

    B．Our Country Is In Danger!

    C．The Government Is Wasting Our Tax Dollars!

    D．How to Prevent Government from Wasting Money!

5.What might be talked about if the passage is continued?

    A．The government’s taking some steps to stop wasting taxes.

    B．Presenting people’s feelings against the government’s wasting taxes.

    C．Giving suggestion to help the government solve the financial problem.

    D．Listing how the government is wasting taxes.

 

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