高三英语美文阅读

高三英语美文阅读 高三英语美文阅读 A AMERICAN-CHINESE performer Wang Leehom has certainly made waves with his pop music and his film career, but as his recent concert confirms, the 34-year-old is more than just another star with an enchanting (迷人的) voice. He has been active in raising people’s awareness of environmental protection. Wang held a pop concert in Beijing this month to spread eco-friendly ideas. The concert was a standing-room only affair – the seating was made of recycled cardboard benches (凳子). The tickets were not only biodegradable (可分解的), but green – literally (完全地). Made from recycled paper, each ticket also contains seeds embedded (植入) in the paper. If it is watered and placed in sunshine, grass will grow from it. The concert is only one of his recent efforts to promote environmental protection through music. His 2007 album, Change Me, with the theme of saving the environment, is still a hit. Besides being sold in packaging made from recycled paper, each CD comes with notes including 10 ways to be more environmentally friendly. The special edition of the album was also packaged with limited-edition chopsticks – a green alternative to disposable (一次性的) wooden chopsticks. In practice, Wang also lives an environmentally-friendly daily life. He carries chopsticks with him for his meals. All the light bulbs in his home have been changed to energy saving ones. He also keeps the air-conditioning at too low a temperature – the lowest he sets the temperature is 27 degrees. Since he released his first album 15 years ago, Wang has attended countless festivals and ceremonies, but seldom buys new clothes. Over 90 percent of his outfits (装束) were either borrowed or rented. As a public figure, he also shares these practices with his fans and called on them to get involved. There are many stars today that take up causes. Some will take up the cause of the world’s poor, others of the environment. Many will say that we should remember that the stars often have something to sell. However, surely no one could disagree with words Wang spoke to the audience near the end of the concert: “To create a better future for our planet, we must continue to spread the word and to encourage others.” Questions: 1. How does Wang Leehom lead an environment-friendly daily life? Underline the answer in the passage. Para 4 2. What does the phrase make waves mean? 引起轰动 3. How did the concert reflect the environmental protection? Para2 4. What does the word “hit” mean? 流行的人货物 B ONCE upon a time Scotty McCreery was an ordinary young American. He liked baseball, like millions of other ordinary young Americans. But since he first appeared on a famous US reality TV show(真人秀), “ordinary” has been the last word you would use to describe him. And his days of playing quiet baseball games with his friends are long over. On May 26, 17-year-old McCreery was announced the winner of the US’ most popular singing competition, American Idol (《美国偶像》). McCreery beat his friend and rival Lauren Alaina, 16, to become one of the youngest winners in the 10-year history of the show. Since his debut (初次登场) on the program, his good looks, quiet confidence and deep country voice had won him millions of fans. The American Idol judge and movie star Jennifer Lopez even suggested that she had fallen “in love with a country singer” after hearing him sing on the show. As a little boy, McCreery liked to impersonate (模仿) Elvis Presley and began guitar lessons at the age of 10. “He started singing Elvis on the back of the bus,” his old friend Brett Bailey recalled of their elementary school time. “It was almost like a mini Elvis concert.” McCreery was an Idol favorite throughout the competition. However, the boy next door remains as grounded as ever. According to his school principal, Drew Cook, he worked on his studies six hours a day with a teacher. It was an additional workload that his older competitors didn’t have to face. However, the pressure of school and Idol didn’t wear the singer down. In fact, it was a blessing in disguise (因祸得福), as McCreery said that his studies were “like an escape” from the pressure of the competition”. He compared it to “quiet time”. “He’s an outstanding young man,” Cook told Tasteofcountry.com. “As talented as he is an honor roll (优等学生名单) student, a singer, an athlete, and he’s always very humble (谦逊的), he’s an even better person. It’s nice to see something good happen to a really good person.” 核心词汇 grounded adj. 脚踏实地的Simmons says that her family keeps her grounded. additional adj. 额外的,附加的 We have to gather additional information before we make the final decision. Questions: 1. Why was Scotty McCreery no longer an ordinary boy? Because he entered the cometition and became the winner. 2. How many years has the singing competition been held? 10 yars 3. Which of the following statements is TRUE? C A. Scotty McCreery is the youngest winner in the history of 10-year history of the show. B. After he became the winner of the competition, study is the pressure for him. C. As for himself, he preferred to study quietly at school rather than run the singing competition. D. Jennifer Lopez has fallen in love with Scotty McCreery. 4. Translate the following sentences: (1) However, the press ure of school and Idol didn’t wear the singer down. 然而,学习的压力和参加比赛并没有使他精疲力尽。 (2) But since he first appeared on a famous US reality TV show(真人秀), “ordinary” has been the last word you would use to describe him. 但是,自从他出现在美国一个著名的真人秀之后,“普通”一词是你最不能用来描述他的词汇。 C Luckier than you think Chinese students always complain that they’re under great pressure and don’t get enough sleep. But they may be surprised to learn that they’re much luckier than their peers (同龄人) in South Korea and Japan, according to a recently published report, conducted by Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences on the physical and mental health of senior high school students in the three Asian countries. __________________________________________ According to the study among nearly 6,000 high school students in the three countries, Chinese students are the tallest but poorest in physical fitness. Chinese students are on average 168.17cm, compared with 167.61cm for South Korean students and 164.70cm for Japanese students. Chinese students asked for sick leave more than students in other countries. About 72 percent of Korean students never asked for sick and injury leave during high school, compared to 53 percent for Japanese students and 45 percent for Chinese students. Moreover, Chinese students drink alcohol and smoke earlier than Korean and Japanese students. Around 70 percent of Chinese students have drunk alcohol, compared to 50 percent for Korean and Japanese students. South Korean students most stressed According to the survey, Japanese and South Korean students suffer more pressure than their Chinese peers. Statistics (统计) show 16 percent of students in China said they experienced mental pressure often over the past year, while the numbers in Japan and South Korea were 33 percent and 47 percent respectively. Their worries come from “study”, “future after graduation”, “friendships” and “relationship with their parents”. To go with stress, 57.9 percent of Korean students sleep the least, less than six hours a day, compared with 46.6 percent of Japanese students and 30 percent of Chinese students. Chinese students most confident in themselves More Chinese students were satisfied with their physical appearance, and double that of students in the survey from Japan and South Korea. The report said that over half of students in South Korea had tried to lose weight in the past year, while in China the figure was only 22 percent. In measures of self-worth, such as “I think I am valuable” and “I think I am successful”, “I can complete many things”, “I won’t give up to failure,” Chinese students showed greater self-confidence than students in Japan and South Korea. TEENS点金 respectively adv. 分别 The boy and girl are 12 and 13 years old respectively. Questions: 1. Which of the following can be filled in the blank? A A. Chinese teenagers tallest, but most unhealthy B. Chinese students drink most alcohol and smoke earliest C. Japanese students ask for least sick leave D. Chinese students asked for sick leave most often 2. What does the underlined word “that” refer to? the number 3. How do you understand the title? Para1 4. What causes stude nts to be stressed and what’s the result of stress? Their worries come from “study”, “future after graduation”, “friendships” and “relationship with their parents”. The result is that many students have sleepless nights. D Her opponent was the defending champion(卫冕冠军) whose childhood dream was to win the French Open(法国网球公开赛). She was the underdog (居于下风的人) who never saw the tournament(锦标赛)on TV as a girl in China and never thought she’d get far on the red clay (红土地) of the French Open, one of the four tennis Grand Slams (大满贯). But it was Li Na who fell on her back in triumph (胜利) on June 4. Nearly two hours’ hitting gave Li a 2-0 victory over Francesca Schiavone of Italy and made her the only tennis player, man or woman, from Asia to take home a Grand Slam title. Chinese media have been swept along by the praise. An editorial(社论)carried by Xinhua News Agency said “Li Na is the best PR (Public Relations, 公关) for China,” and called her an “outstanding name card for the country” and a “brilliant diplomat” (外交家). It compared Li to Chinese NBA star Yao Ming, noting that both “can speak very fluent English, and both of them have a kind of sense of humor that is appreciated by foreigners”. Success has come late for Li. She once gave up tennis for two years and studied journalism at Wuhan’s Huazhong University of Science and Technology. But in 2004, she returned and continues to play the best tennis she can. “Dream comes true,” Li said after the match. “I am so happy t hat my efforts have paid off.” Li has often been seen as a rebel (叛逆者), or at least a representative of a new generation. She has a tattoo (纹身), has dyed (染色) her hair many different colors and has even been known to yell at her husband in public. “The plain-speaking, tattooed, individualist has the ability to transcend (超越) the sport and become a global star”, the BBC news reported. No matter how important the French Open championship is, Li is not resting on her laurels (桂冠) –she’s already thinking a bout winning a second major title. “When you have the first one, naturally you will think about the second one. Now I have more confidence playing on other surfaces,” Li told China Daily, as she prepares for the Wimbledon Championship, which will start on June 20. 核心词汇 fluent adj. 流利的,顺畅的 She was fluent in English, French, and German. pay off 获得回报,赢利 Our three months’ hard work has finally paid off. rest on 停留 Questions: 1. Why is Li Na compared to Yao Ming? It compared Li to Chinese NBA star Yao Ming, noting that both “can speak very fluent English, and both of them have a kind of sense of humor that is appreciated by foreigners”. 2. Why is Li Na seen as a rebel? She has a tattoo (纹身), has dyed (染色) her hair many different colors and has even been known to yell at her husband in public. 3. Which of the following can replace the underlined phrase “get far” in the first paragraph? A. go far away B. be promising C. fail to succeed D. go out 4. Which of the following is true? D A. After graduating from Wuhan’s Huazhong University of Science and Technology, she began to take up tennis. B. Li Na is one of Asian tennis women players who have taken home a Grand Slam title in the French Open. C. La Na’s childhood dream was to win the French Open and became a defending champion. D. After two hours’ fierce fight, La Na defeated Francesca Schiavone of Italy by 2-0