Indian's snake charmers are to be retrained as wildlife teachers under a plan to prevent their unique skills and knowledge from being lost. The charmers, who make snakes dance to the sound of flutes(笛子), used to be a traditional feature of Indian life, performing in towns and villages, until they were banned in 1972 to control the trade in snake skins.
The government is now considering a plan to train the saperas, as they are known, to visit schools and zoos to tell children about forests and wildlife. There is also a proposal to set up a “dial a snake charmer” service to help householders to deal with unwelcome intruders.
“For generations they have been a feature of Indian life but now they can't earn a living for fear of arrest,” said Behar Dutt, a conservationist behind the plans, “if a policeman doesn’t catch them, animal rights activists report them.”
Many snake charmers have continued to work clandestinely since the ban, despite the threat of up to three years in jail. But their trademark cloth-covered baskets, hung from a bamboo pole carried across their shoulders, make them an easy target for police.
The fate of Shisha Nath, 56, from Badarpur, a village just outside of Delhi, is typical of practitioners(從業(yè)者) of the dying art. “I used to earn enough to support my family and send my children to school, " he said. "Now it's hard to earn even $ 1 a day. My children want to be snake charmers. It’s our identity. We love the work, but it’s become impossible.”
Next month Dutt’s project to train 30 snake charmers will begin at a snake park in Pune, western India, where experts will enrich their home-grown skills with some formal knowledge.
More than the law, though, it is the dishonest attitude of their fellow countryman that angers many snake charmers.
“We're disturbed all the time but when people want a snake removed from the house, they rush to us,”said Prakash Nath, who was ordered recently to the home of Sonia Gandhi, the Congress party leader.
1.According to the passage, snake charmers will be retrained as wildlife teachers mainly because___.
A.schools need large numbers of such teachers
B.most of them cannot support their families
C.their performances on the street are banned
D.the government plans to save the dying art
2.The purpose of the proposed "dial a snake charmer" telephone service is ___.
A.to give performance of snake dancing
B.to teach householders how to catch and kill snakes
C.to offer cleaning service to wealthy householders
D.to help remove unwanted snakes from the houses
3.The word "clandestinely" in paragraph 4 can be best replaced by the word "___"
A.secretly B.publicly
C.subconsciously D.diligently
4.Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A.Snake charmers can easily be recognized by the police on the street.
B.Children of snake charmers would not like to continue their fathers' job.
C.Snake charmers are quite angry with the attitude of their fellow countrymen.
D.The animal rights activists take a negative attitude towards snake charmers.
科目:高中英語 來源:2012-2013學年北京市第六十六中學高一下學期期中考試英語卷(帶解析) 題型:閱讀理解
Knott’s Berry Farm is the nation’s oldest, and first, theme park and draws around five million visitors each year. Knott’s Berry Farm hardly had a very good start. Arriving in Southern California in the 1920s, the Knott Family farmed about 20 acres of land and finally started a restaurant called Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant. Mrs. Knott’s food became well known and her husband Walter built a Ghost Town as a way of entertaining waiting customers. The family kept expanding and today, Knott’s Berry Farm has 165 rides, shows, attractions and restaurants. For more than 80 years, Knott’s Berry Farm has been entertaining families and visitors from around the world with great rides and fantastic fun.
Knott’s Berry Farm is separated into six different themed areas with rides and attractions. Fiesta Village highlights (突出) California’s Spanish heritage (遺產) with art work, rides and food. Indian Trails is similar to Fiesta Village but with an accent on Native American legends, crafts, music and dancing. The heart and soul of Knott’s, Ghost Town is an 1880s California Boom Town with cowboys, gunfights, stagecoaches, and a real steam train. The Boardwalk makes people think of Southern California beach and surfing heritage plus the Boomerang roller coaster and the Hammer-Head. Wild Water Wilderness is an 1800s-style park with water rapids and a magical journey into Native North America. For Peanuts fans, Camp Snoopy is a six-acre children’s wonderland with 30 rides and attractions. Knott’s Berry Farm also stages yearly special events such as Scary Farm and Halloween Haunt plus Knott’s Merry Farm for the holiday season.
Knott’s Berry Farm is in Buena Vista, Orange County, California. It is about half an hour from downtown Los Angeles and 10 minutes from Disneyland. Knott’s Berry Farm is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the week. The park is open on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays. During the summer months, the park is open later. The theme park is closed on Christmas Day. Tickets for 2010 are. adults, $53.99 all day; people older than 62, $23.99; children three to 11 years, $23.99. For more information about Knott’s Berry Farm, call 714-220-5220.
【小題1】The first paragraph is mainly about Knott’s Berry Farm’s _____.
A.attractions | B.history | C.services | D.prices |
A.Fiesta Village | B.the Boardwalk | C.Wild Water Wilderness | D.Camp Snoopy |
A.For eight hours. | B.For nine hours. | C.For ten hours. | D.For twelve hours. |
A.It is in Northern California. | B.It is open all the year round. |
C.It has eight themed areas. | D.It is not far from Disneyland. |
A.explanation | B.argumentation | C.narration | D.practical writing |
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科目:高中英語 來源:2011屆江西省安福中學高三上學期第四次月考英語卷 題型:閱讀理解
Each Indian(印第安人) was supposed to keep his birth name until he was old enough to earn one for himself. But his playmates(游戲伙伴) would always give him a name of their own. No matter what his parents called him, his childhood friends would use the name they had chosen. Often it was not pleasing, such as Bow Legs or Bad Boy. But sometimes a name fit so well that the youngster found it difficult to shake it off. If he could not earn a better one from a war later, he could be stuck with a name like Bow Legs for the rest of his life.
The Indian earned his real name when he was old enough for his first fight against the enemy. His life name depended on how he acted during this first battle. When he returned from the war, the whole tribe would gather and observe the ceremony in which he would be given his name by the chief. If he had done well, he would get a good name. Otherwise he might be called Crazy Wolf or Man-Afraid-Of-a-Horse. So an Indian’s name told his record or described the kind of man he was.
A man was given many chances to improve his name, however. If in a later battle he was brave in fighting against the enemy, he was given a batter name. Some of our great fighters had as many as twelve names—all good and each better than the last.
An Indian’s names belonged to him for the rest of his life. No one else could use them. Even he himself could not give them away because names were assigned by the tribe, not the family. So no man could pass on his name unless the chief and the tribe asked him to do so.
Sometimes an Indian would be asked to give his name to a son who had performed a noticed deed. I know of only three of four times when this happened. It is the rarest honor for a person—the honor of assuming(承擔) his father’ name.
【小題1】An Indian could be given the second name by__________.
A.his father | B.the enemy | C.the chief of the tribe | D.his childhood friends. |
A.a victory in his first battle against the enemy. | B.a name given by the chief. |
C.a ceremony to get his real name. | D.the right to use his father’ name. |
A.many people in the tribe liked him. | B.he was a great fighter. |
C.he had a lot of friends. | D.he had fought in fewer than ten battles. |
A.The names given by the playmates of an Indian were usually not pleasant. |
B.The life name of an Indian was earned in battle. |
C.An Indian could throw away his birth name when he was old enough to earn one for himself. |
D.The Indians themselves were not allowed to give their names away. |
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科目:高中英語 來源:2011屆廣東省中山市實驗高中高三上學期12月月考英語卷 題型:閱讀理解
信息匹配(共5小題;每小題2分,滿分10分)
A. Agra Fort
Near the gardens of the Taj Mahal stands the important 16th-century Mughal monument known as the Red Fort of Agra. This powerful fortress of red sandstone encompasses, within its 2.5-km-long enclosure walls, the imperial city of the Mughal rulers. It comprises many fairy-tale palaces, such as the Jahangir Palace and the Khas Mahal, built by Shah Jahan; audience halls, such as the Diwan-i-Khas; and two very beautiful mosques.
B. Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal is regarded as one of the eight wonders of the world, and some Western historians have noted that its architectural beauty has never been surpassed. The Taj is the most beautiful monument built by the Mughals, the Muslim rulers of India. Taj Mahal is built entirely of white marble. It was constructed over a period of twenty-two years, employing twenty thousand workers. It was completed in 1648 C.E. at a cost of 32 Million Rupees.
C. Keoladeo National Park
This former duck-hunting reserve of the Maharajas is one of the major wintering areas for large numbers of aquatic birds from Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, China and Siberia. Some 364 species of birds, including the rare Siberian crane, have been recorded in the park.
D. Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi
This tomb, built in 1570, is of particular cultural significance as it was the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent. It inspired several major architectural innovations, culminating in the construction of the Taj Mahal. The gardens also contain the red-and-white sandstone and black-and-yellow marble tomb of Humayun’s wife and the tomb of Humayun’s barber.
E. Grand Canyon National Park
The Grand Canyon is perhaps the most awesome sight in the United States--and one of the wonders of the world. Much of the park’s beauty is related to its geology and ecology. Schmidt explores the shape of the land, its plants and animals, and its human history. A fascinating book that everyone visiting the Grand Canyon should read. The Skywalk at Grand Canyon West is really exciting.
F. Sundarbans National Park
The Sundarbans covers 10,000 sq. km of land and water (more than half of it in India, the rest in Bangladesh) in the Ganges delta. It contains the world’s largest area of mangrove forests. A number of rare or endangered species live in the park, including tigers, aquatic mammals, birds and reptiles.
請閱讀以下旅游者的信息,然后匹配旅游者和他/她擬旅游的景點。
【小題1】Carina is fond of art and likes travelling very much. In order to take part in the following exhibition, she wants to take some photos of birds from all over the world, especially the rare Siberian crane. In the meanwhile, she doesn’t want to spend too much money.
【小題2】Daisy’s major is biology. She is interested in studies of tigers in India. Before graduation, she needs to write an essay on the tiger. She hears that it is one of the largest tiger populations of any of India’s parks. And so she wants to go there to do some research.
【小題3】Alexander is a college student of Physics. He learns that this canyon is a gift from past generations that goes beyond what we experience. He is looking forward to going there and experiencing the Skywalk in the park.
【小題4】Sammy majors in history. He will visit it again this summer. He says it’s built entirely of white Marble and is one of the eight wonders of the world. Its beauty is beyond description, particularly at dawn and sunset. It seems to glow in the light of the full moon. On a foggy morning, the visitors experience it as if suspended when viewed from across the Jamuna river.
【小題5】 Nancy comes from the history department. Last summer she visited the ancient markets of Agra and this year she wants to visit it again. Not long ago she said: “Arriving at the Delhi airport, we representatives were warmly received. Our tirdness flew in seconds by the traditional welcome that we got at the hotel’s reception.” The next day they visited the famous tomb.
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科目:高中英語 來源:2010-2011學年江西省高三上學期第四次月考英語卷 題型:閱讀理解
Each Indian(印第安人) was supposed to keep his birth name until he was old enough to earn one for himself. But his playmates(游戲伙伴) would always give him a name of their own. No matter what his parents called him, his childhood friends would use the name they had chosen. Often it was not pleasing, such as Bow Legs or Bad Boy. But sometimes a name fit so well that the youngster found it difficult to shake it off. If he could not earn a better one from a war later, he could be stuck with a name like Bow Legs for the rest of his life.
The Indian earned his real name when he was old enough for his first fight against the enemy. His life name depended on how he acted during this first battle. When he returned from the war, the whole tribe would gather and observe the ceremony in which he would be given his name by the chief. If he had done well, he would get a good name. Otherwise he might be called Crazy Wolf or Man-Afraid-Of-a-Horse. So an Indian’s name told his record or described the kind of man he was.
A man was given many chances to improve his name, however. If in a later battle he was brave in fighting against the enemy, he was given a batter name. Some of our great fighters had as many as twelve names—all good and each better than the last.
An Indian’s names belonged to him for the rest of his life. No one else could use them. Even he himself could not give them away because names were assigned by the tribe, not the family. So no man could pass on his name unless the chief and the tribe asked him to do so.
Sometimes an Indian would be asked to give his name to a son who had performed a noticed deed. I know of only three of four times when this happened. It is the rarest honor for a person—the honor of assuming(承擔) his father’ name.
1.An Indian could be given the second name by__________.
A. his father B. the enemy C. the chief of the tribe D. his childhood friends.
2.The greatest honor an Indian could earn was__________.
A. a victory in his first battle against the enemy. B. a name given by the chief.
C. a ceremony to get his real name. D. the right to use his father’ name.
3.If an Indian had more than ten names, it means that___________.
A. many people in the tribe liked him. B. he was a great fighter.
C. he had a lot of friends. D. he had fought in fewer than ten battles.
4.Which of the following statements is not true according to the passage?
A. The names given by the playmates of an Indian were usually not pleasant.
B. The life name of an Indian was earned in battle.
C. An Indian could throw away his birth name when he was old enough to earn one for himself.
D. The Indians themselves were not allowed to give their names away.
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科目:高中英語 來源:20102011湖南湘潭高三第五次模擬英語試題 題型:完型填空
When I was in the final year of my graduation studies, I visited a friend’s home for lunch. The moment I reached his house, I found the staircases of his building were not so good and his home was not painted very well. I couldn’t 36 in words but it was not even the type of house in which a typical middle-class Indian family lives.
The greatest things I did find there were his parents. We sat on the ground for lunch because they didn’t have a dining 37 . His mother served us very delicious food, smiled throughout and showed care for the 38 lunch session. I can never forget that.
His father worked as a normal 39 and I wondered if he earned enough money to support their two sons. While we were taking lunch, his father returned home to meet us. When he entered their home, his hands were dark black and his clothes were very dirty. My friend had no 40 about his father and made the introductions.
As soon as his father came in, my friend asked me if I wanted “Papad”(a typical Indian food)to eat. Before I could say anything, the father very gently and kindly 41 it for me, after going through many staircases even though he was looking 42 .
Today, my friend is a leader in a big company. He is able to 43 high rent in Hyderabad and have a new beautiful home. Not only that, he helped his brother 44 in his studies and is still helping.
What I want to say is that I consider 45 as richness in a poor family. The amount of money you make won’t 46 other’s hearts; the only way is with love and kindness. Struggle and bad periods are needed for everyone’s life, as they make us strong. If you have strong willpower, goals and also the attitude of hard and smart work, you can 47 be a successful person in some areas of life.
1.
A.describe |
B.take |
C.talk |
D.speak |
2.
A.room |
B.car |
C.table |
D.hall |
3. |
|
4..
A.doctor |
B.mechanic |
C.lawyer |
D.teacher |
5. |
|
6. |
|
7.
A.tired |
B.happy |
C.sad |
D.excited |
8. |
|
9. |
|
10. |
|
11.
A.win |
B.get |
C.gain |
D.defeat |
12.
A.possibly |
B.hardly |
C.suddenly |
D.definitely |
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