高二阅读理解专项训练(86526)-高二英语阅读(523)-21英语网

A

If you are asked about a particular year – say, 2012 – chances are you can’t describe it in detail, even if you have a good memory. You may think of a couple of notable events, but what about all of the beautiful, funny, sad moments which made up those 365 days?

US artist Cesar Kuriyama found an interesting way to remember. Kuriyama lives a routine life in New York as an animator (动画设计师). Like many of us, each of his days gradually becomes blurred (模糊的).

In 2011, when he turned 30, Kuriyama took a year off to travel around and spend more time with his family. To document the year, he came up with an idea to film one second of video every day. One year later he edited them together in chronological order and created a six-minute video. His work shows a variety of scenes ranging from the dull, such as browsing (浏览) the Internet, to the adventurous, such as a cross-country trip. Other unforgettable moments include a marriage, a funeral (葬礼) and tender (温馨的) times spent with family and in nature.

While making the video, Kuriyama gained not only a record of his daily life, but also a new perspective (观点) on how he lived from day to day.

“Recording one second every day suddenly allowed me to easily reflect back on my life – I started re-evaluating how I approached each day,” Kuriyama said at the TED 2012 idea-sharing conference. “Just because we didn’t do anything world-shaking one day, doesn’t mean we should forget that day ever happened. Use your less-enthralling (了然无趣的) days to inspire you to do something cool tomorrow.”

He also called this video a “creative drive”, as it made him attempt to capture (捕捉) something noteworthy each day.

1. Why did Kuriyama decide to film one second of video every day in 2011?

A. He wanted to enter a documentary competition.

B. He wanted to share his travel experiences with his friends.

C. He wanted to inspire himself to do something more exciting the following year.

D. He wanted to better remember his life that year.

2. Which of the following is TRUE about Kuriyama’s work?

A. It included some pictures downloaded from the Internet.

B. His family members appeared in the video.

C. It lasted 16 minutes and gave the audience new perspectives on life.

D. It focused on interesting or unforgettable moments from every day of 2011.

3. By recording one second every day, Kuriyama ______.

A. became more creative and knowledgeable

B. successfully turned his dull life into an exciting one

C. began to realize that he should have achieved more in the past year

D. thought carefully about the past and encouraged himself to do better in the future

4. What might be the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A. To call on readers to watch Kuriyama’s video.

B. To introduce Kuriyama’s original way of recording life.

C. To introduce Kuriyama’s adventurous trip in 2011.

D. To inspire readers to reflect more on the past.

B

Slang is very informal language which is often used by young people. It’s hard to keep up to date with it as new words and phrases appear and evolve. Living in a multicultural society has an effect on language, especially on the young, whose friends are often from a mix of backgrounds. TV and music also have a big impact. A complete list of slang is difficult to make; by the time it was finished, the list would be out of date! However, here are a few examples:

“Safe”, “sorted”, “sound”, “cool” or “wicked” all mean “That’s good” or “I understand”.

Instead of using different tag questions like “… isn’t it?”, “… can’t you?” or “… don’t they?”, people use “innit”.

For example, “He can dance really well, innit!” (= He can dance really well, can’t he?) or “They always say that, innit.” (= They always say that, don’t they?).

Instead of saying “very”, “really” or “completely” use “well”, e.g. “I’m well tired” or “You got it well wrong!”

“Whatever” means “I don’t care”, e.g. A: “But the teacher says we can’t leave until we’ve finished.” B: “Whatever. I’m going.”

“He’s fine” or “he’s fit” both mean “He’s good-looking”. “Fine” and “fit” can describe a boy or a girl.

Not everybody uses slang and not everybody likes it. A school in the north of England recently told its pupils to stop using slang words such as “hiya” (hello), “cheers” and “ta” (both mean “thank you”) if they wanted to get a place at university or a good job.

When British people use language like this, it’s no surprise that some say they can’t understand native speakers. But perhaps learners don’t need to worry so much. Research shows that most of the English spoken around the world today is between non-native speakers of the language.

So, how important is it to understand these slang words and expressions? If you watch films or TV in English, read magazines in English, chat online in English or are interested in English song lyrics, then understanding slang can be very useful. You probably won’t see much slang in your English examination, though.

5. It’s hard to make a complete list of slang mainly because ______.

A. many words are outdated

B. it is mostly used by young people

C. modern slang changes very quickly

D. it comes from different cultural backgrounds

6. Which of the following means “I understand” according to the text?

A. Sorted. B. Innit.

C. Whatever. D. Cheers.

7. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the text?

A. Slang prevents language from evolving.

B. TV and music are channels through which slang is spread.

C. “Fit” is only used to describe boys in the UK.

D. Slang has found its way into formal written English.

8. What can we conclude from the text?

A. Knowing little slang doesn’t greatly affect one’s communication.

B. Many UK schools are encouraging students to use slang.

C. It is essential for English learners to study some British slang.

D. More English is spoken by native speakers than by non-native speakers.

C

With an eye for style and a heart for the environment, 18-year-old Alexis Giger launched a do-it-yourself blog aimed at “reducing your environmental impact fashionably”.

The idea was sparked (激发) by the ecology unit in her biology class at Charlotte Latin School last year, she said, which taught her about issues like deforestation (砍伐森林) and habitat destruction. “I started thinking about what I could do to stop the wastefulness in my immediate community,” the fashion lover said.

The blog, ecouturieracg.wordpress.com, aims to make reusing thrift store (旧货店) finds or last season’s pieces easy and fashionable while cutting down on the resources consumed by garment (服装) production, Alexis said. Through online research, she discovered that a simple cotton T-shirt takes more than 700 gallons of water to make.

“It made me realize that the fashion industry consumes huge amounts of natural resources as it relies on producing garments quickly and in large supply – many of the garments are only intended to be worn three or four times,” she said.

Alexis had a number of tools to help her get started. Her mom, Kimberly, taught her to sew when she was 5. Her grandmother taught her to crochet (钩边) around the same time. Alexis said she also gained technical knowledge and inspiration from her part-time job at a clothing company that creates theater wardrobes (戏装) for schools and drama productions.

Before the blog launch, she spent several months illustrating “recycling” projects by creating photo tutorials (指南). Though Ecouturier hasn’t been online long, she’s been getting positive feedback. “I’ve had people come up to me in the hall and say, ‘Hey, I saw your blog. I’m working on one of the projects right now,’” Alexis said.

She said she hasn’t bought a brand-new piece of clothing since last July, and her thrift store shopping has paid off with finds such as a $5 (31 yuan) dress she wore to homecoming.

“Taking an hour from Saturday afternoon to make something for yourself can really have an impact on the environment. A little change every day can really add up,” Alexis said.

9. What inspired Alexis to launch a do-it-yourself blog?

A. Her talent at making handicrafts.

B. Her fascination with the fashion industry.

C. Her part-time work experiences.

D. Her growing concern for the environment after taking a biology class.

(下转C5版）