It happened to me recently that I was telling someone how much I had enjoyed reading Barack Obama’s Dreams from My Father and how it had changed my views of the current US president. The person I was talking to agreed with me that it was, in his words, “a wonderfully written book”. However, he then proceeded to talk about Mr. Obama in a way that suggested he had no idea of his background at all. I sensed that I was talking to a book liar.
And it seems that he is not the only one. Clearly two thirds of people have lied about reading a book which they haven’t. In the World Book Day survey, Dreams from My Father is at number 9. The survey lists top ten books, and various authors, which people have lied about reading. As I’m not one to lie too often, I’ll admit here and now that I haven’t read the entire ten books. But I am pleased to say that I have read the book at number one, George Orwell’s 1984. I think it’s absolutely outstanding.
Asked why they lied, the most common reason was to impress someone they were speaking to. This could be difficult if the conversation became more in depth!
The World Book Day survey also has some other interesting information in it. It shows that many people lie about having read classical works by Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, Charles Dickens and so on. But when asked which authors they actually enjoy, they named J.K. Rowling, Jilly Cooper, and Stephen King (ah, the big sellers, in other words). Forty-one percent of people asked admitted they turned to the back of the book to read the end before finishing the story.
So which books have you lied about reading — if any — and which is your favourite?
1．The main reason why people lie about reading is to _________.
A. make fun of the listener                 B. impress the listener
C. please the listener                      D. interest the listener
2．The underlined word “proceeded” in the passage probably means “_________”.
A. wanted           B. happened         C. continued            D. stopped
3．What does the World Book Day survey show?
A. Nearly half of the people surveyed didn’t read through a whole classical book.
B. People don’t like Dreams from My Father and George Orwell’s 1984.
C. Few people lie about having read classical works by Jane Austen.
D. People usually enjoy reading books by Charles Dickens.
4．What is the best title for the passage?
A. Are You a Book Liar?                 B. Readers Are All Liars
C. World Book Day                       D. Dreams from My Father
練習(xí)冊系列答案
相關(guān)習(xí)題

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：完形填空

完形填空 （ 共20小題；每小題1.5分，滿分30分 ）
閱讀下面短文，掌握其大意。然后在各題所給的A,B,C,D四個選項中選出最佳選項，并在答題卡上將該項涂黑。
I was recently invited to lecture on anxiety to several hundred mental-health professionals. My talk was scheduled to ____21__those of a number of famous psychiatrists. When my turn came, I was especially ___22__ because the speaker before me had been particularly impressive and charming. As I approached the podium(講臺)， my heart pounded and my mouth went completely ___23__.
What am I doing here? I asked myself. To make matters worse, my presentation partly __24___ with fear of public speaking. To ___25__ myself, I tried an unusual way. I asked the audience,” How many of you feel nervous__26___ you give a speech. Nearly every hand __27__. “Well, that’s exactly _28__ I feel right now!”
The audience___29__ with laughter. I relaxed and was able to get on with my __30__.
__31__, we all find ourselves in a __32___ that makes us nervous. Perhaps you’re afraid of saying __33___things at a drinking party, stumbling over a presentation at work or having your __34__go blank during a test. For some of us the anxiety is so __35__ that it is personally and professionally incapability.___36__ the years, my work with hundreds of patients has taught me that __37__ can increase his or her social ___38___, even in the most stressful situations. And I have a few simple but helpful___39__, such as tackling your fears one step at a time; focusing on others; ___40__anxity into energy and stopping comparing yourself, which I think are of great value to us in our work.
小題1:
A．takeB．followC．observeD．learn
小題2:
A．worriedB．eagerC．nervousD．a(chǎn)nxious
小題3:
A．sweetB．wetC．badD．dry
小題4:
A．dealtB．wentC．stayedD．left
小題5:
A．comfortB．calmC．enjoyD．delight
小題6:
A．duringB．whileC．beforeD．when
小題7:
A．went upB．raisedC．liftedD．brought up
小題8:
A．whatB．howC．whenD．why
小題9:
A．shoutedB．criedC．respondedD．a(chǎn)nswered
小題10:
A．jobB．ideaC．speechD．nervousness
小題11:
A．At timesB．At any timeC．All the timeD．At one time
小題12:
A．stateB．conditionC．situationD．position
小題13:
A．foolishB．wonderfulC．believableD．false
小題14:
A．headB．mindC．heartD．brain
小題15:
A．importantB．valuableC．difficultD．strong
小題16:
A．ForB．ThroughC．DuringD．Over
小題17:
A．a(chǎn)nyoneB．someoneC．noneD．no one
小題18:
A．positionB．experienceC．knowledgeD．confidence
小題19:
A．tipsB．ideasC．meansD．a(chǎn)bilities
小題20:
A．puttingB．turningC．forcingD．getting

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：完形填空

完型填空（共20小題；每小題1.5分，滿分30分）
閱讀下面短文， 掌握其大意，然后從36~55個題所給的四個選項中，選出最佳選項，并在答題卡上將該項涂黑。
It was in my high school science class．1 was doing a task in front of the classroom with my favorite shirt on．
A  36  came，“Nice shirt，”I smiled from ear to ear．Then another voice said，“That shirt belonged to my dad．Greg’s mother works for my family．We were going to  37  that shirt away，but gave it to her 38 ”. I was speechless I wanted to hide．
I  39 the shirt in the back of the closet and told my mum what had happened．She then dialed her 40  ,“I will no longer work for your family，”she told him．That night．Morn told my dad that she couldn’t clean anymore：she knew her life’s 41 was something greater．
The next morning she 42 with the personnel manager at the Board of Education．He told her that without a proper education she could not teach．So Morn decided to  43  a university.
After the first year in college，she went back to the personnel manager．He said，“You are  44  ，aren’t you? I think I have a 45  for you as a teacher’s assistant．This opportunity deals with children who are mentally challenged with little or no chance of  46 ”Mom accepted the opportunity very 47
For almost five years，as a teacher’s assistant．she saw teacher after teacher give up on the children and quit，feeling  48  ．Then one day，the personnel manager and the principal 49  in her classroom．The principal said．“We have watched how you  50 the children and how they communicate with you and admire your hard．working  51  over the last five years．We are all in agreement that you 52  be the teacher of this class．”
My mom spent more than 20 years there．  53 her career，she was voted Teacher of the Year．All of this came about because of the  54  comment made in the classroom that day．Mom showed me how to handle  55 situations and never give up．
小題1:
A．noiseB．voiceC．soundD．tune
小題2:
A．getB．takeC．carry D．throw
小題3:
A．otherwiseB．a(chǎn)nyhowC．insteadD．a(chǎn)ctually
小題4:
A．settledB．pushedC．storedD．stuck
小題5:
A．teacherB．employerC．directorD．a(chǎn)dviser
小題6:
A．purposeB．encouragementC．a(chǎn)chievementD．victory
小題7:
A．wentB．metC．workedD．stayed
小題8:
A．visitB．continueC．a(chǎn)ttendD．prepare
小題9:
A．seriousB．fortunateC．carefulD．responsible
小題10:
A．careerB．dutyC．positionD．part
小題11:
A．1earningB．judgingC．obeyingD．imagining
小題12:
A．patientlyB．eagerlyC．successfullyD．skillfully
小題13:
A．upsetB．frightenedC．guiltyD．a(chǎn)shamed
小題14:
A．looked upB．went upC．took upD．showed up
小題15:
A．believeB．protectC．treatD．receive
小題16:
A．spiritB．intentionC．a(chǎn)ctionD．a(chǎn)ttempt
小題17:
A．mustB．wouldC．mightD．should
小題18:
A．AtB．DuringC．OnD．With
小題19:
A．worthlessB．thoughtlessC．hopelessD．helpless
小題20:
A．challengingB．differentC．dangerousD．strange

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：完形填空

完型填空。（共20小題；每小題1.5分，滿分30分）
閱讀下面短文，掌握其大意，然后從下列各題所給的四個選項（A、B、C和D）中，選出最佳選項.
Twenty years ago, I drove a taxi for a living. One night I went to ___31___ a passager at 2:30 a.m. When I arrived to ___32___ the passager, I found the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window.
I walked to the___33___ and knocked,“Just a minute,”answered a weak ,elderly voice. After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman ___34___ her eighties stood before me. By her side was a small suitcase.
I took the suitcase to the car,and then returned to help the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the car.
She kept thanking me for my kindness.“It’s __35____,”I told her,“I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother __36____.”
“Oh, you’re such a good man,”she said. When we got into the taxi, she gave me a/an ___37___,and then asked,“could you drive ___38___ downtown?”
“It’s not the shortest way,”I answered quickly.
“Oh, I’m in no hurry,”she said,“I’m on my way to a hospice(臨終醫(yī)院).I don’t have any family left. The doctor says I don’t have very long.”
I ___39____ reached over and__40____ the meter(計價器)
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the buildings, __41____ the manufactory where she had once worked, the neighborhood where she had lived , and the furniture shop __42____had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
Sometimes she’d ask me to solw down in front of a __43____ building and would sit staring into the darkness, say nothing.
__44____, she suddenly said,“I’m tired, Let’s go now.”
We drove in silence to the address she had given me.
“___45___ do I owe you?”she asked.
“Nothing,”I said.
“You ___46___ make a living,”she answered. “Oh, there are other ___47_____.”I answered.
Almost without thinking. I __48____ and gave her a hug. She __49____ me. Our hug ended with her remark,“You gave an old woman a little moment of __50____.”
小題1:
A．call inB．show aroundC．pick upD．bring back
小題2:
A．discoverB．collectC．sendD．offer
小題3:
A．windowB．roomC．taxiD．door
小題4:
A．inB．ofC．a(chǎn)boutD．on
小題5:
A．nothingB．worthlessC．unimportantD．useless
小題6:
A．treatedB．hadC．receivedD．commanded
小題7:
A．handB．hugC．a(chǎn)ddressD．map
小題8:
A．forB．a(chǎn)crossC．fromD．through
小題9:
A．quicklyB．calmlyC．nervouslyD．quietly
小題10:
A．shut offB．take outC．put downD．break down
小題11:
A．includingB．concerningC．containingD．regarding
小題12:
A．whereB．whatC．thatD．there
小題13:
A．beautifulB．normalC．unusualD．particular
小題14:
A．At dawnB．At nightC．At noonD．At dusk
小題15:
A．How manyB．WhyC．How muchD．Which
小題16:
A．shouldB．mustC．have toD．would
小題17:
A．peopleB．travellersC．customersD．passengers
小題18:
A．bentB．roseC．stoodD．turned
小題19:
A．cared aboutB．hold ontoC．gave in toD．kept away from
小題20:
A．pityB．funC．joyD．freedom

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Today, we complete our story about the influential English writer William Shakespeare. He wrote plays and poems during the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, which remain very popular today.
During earlier times, people would probably have learned several ancient Roman and Greek plays. It was not unusual for writers to produce more current versions of these works. For example, in Shakespeare's play "The Comedy of Errors" Shakespeare borrowed certain details from the ancient Roman writer Plautus. For his play "Macbeth", Shakespeare most likely used a work on Scottish history by Raphael Holinshed for information. Shakespeare might have borrowed from other writers, but the intensity（強度）of his imagination and language made the plays his own. While many plays by other writers of his time have been forgotten, Shakespeare and his art live on.
Shakespeare was also influenced by the world around him. He described the sights and sounds of London in his plays. His works include observations about political struggles, the fear of diseases, and the popular language of the city’s tradesmen. Shakespeare's knowledge of the English countryside is also clear. His works include descriptions of deep forests, local flowers, and the ancient popular traditions of rural people.
It would be impossible to list all of the ways in which Shakespeare’s works have influenced the world culture. But the first and greatest example would be his great influence on the English language. During his time, the English language was changing. Many new words from other languages were being added. Shakespeare used his sharp mind and poetic inventiveness to create hundreds of new words and rework old ones. For example, he created the noun forms of "critic", "mountaineer” and "eyeball". Many common expressions in English come from his plays, including "pomp and circumstance（裝腔作勢）"from "Othello", "full circle（繞圈子地）" from "King Lear", etc. The list of cultural creations influenced by Shakespeare is almost endless. From paintings to television to music and dance, Shakespeare was well represented. Shakespeare's plays have been translated into every major language in the world.
Shakespeare became a well­known writer during a golden age of theater. His years of hard work paid off.
小題1:What can we infer from the passage？
A．Many of Shakespeare's works were influenced by earlier writings.
B．Shakespeare was hard­working when he was a student.
C．The experience of living in London helped a lot with Shakespeare's works.
D．Shakespeare became rich later because of the popularity of his works.
小題2:Shakespeare might have learnt some information from ancient Roman works in　　　　.
A．"King Lear"B．"The Comedy of Errors"C．"Macbeth" D．"Othello"
小題3:Why could Shakespeare's works survive his time？
A．Because there were so few people writing plays in his time.
B．Because he produced too many works that nobody else could do.
C．Because he was a rich and influential person of his time.
D．Because his works were rich in imagination and language.
小題4:Shakespeare's greatest influence should be on　　　　.
A．the English languageB．paintingsC．televisionD．music and dance
小題5:The passage is mainly about 　　　　.
A．a(chǎn)n introduction to Shakespeare’s life and his works
B．the main features and styles of Shakespeare's plays
C．how culture influenced Shakespeare and he influenced culture.
D．Shakespeare’s greatest influence on the world culture.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

One summer my friend and I decided to go to Italy for a holiday and we decided to travel there without going through a travel agency. You know, you would be submerged (淹沒) in crowds of tourists and lose lots of opportunities to get familiar with the country more closely. We started to think over our trip and managed to come up with a free tour of Italy.
The trip was not very long but it was still very impressive. We look forward to going there again! Of course, we spent lots of time arranging the trip, but it was well worth it! Of course I was afraid that something would go wrong and I was especially anxious about my visa, but everything went quite smoothly in the end.
The most difficult part was getting a visa without an invitation. In the Italian consulate(領(lǐng)事館), one must hand in some official paper proving that one has a hotel booked for oneself in order to get the visa. Then we had to solve the ticket problem. Airlines often sell cheap tickets and we bought ours far in advance. The next step was to book a hotel. We finally booked a hotel about thirty km away from the heart of Rome and it was the perfect choice for our trip.
Every day we took a train that carried us to the heart of Rome. Our big house, which was surrounded by the forest, was a rare girl for the fresh air and absolute silence, beautiful views, hospitable (好客的) hosts, comfortable living conditions delighted us to no end. Besides this, we were very lucky that our mistress was Russian. She gave us a lot of advice that was of great use. She told us what transport to choose and where the best places to go.
Don’t be afraid to arrange your trip by yourself. It’s not difficult! The only thing I'll say right now is that we really enjoyed traveling by ourselves. We walked with a map and a guide-book to wherever we wanted and we even met some of our fellow countrymen on the way just two or three times. So, if you're also planning a "single" trip, don't forget to take a Russian-Italian phrasebook as people in Italy prefer to speak in their native tongue.
小題1: Why does the author want to go to Italy again?
A．He had a great time there.
B．Italy has a lot of attractions.
C．His friend invited him there.
D．He didn't stay in Italy long enough.
小題2:What does the author think was the hardest in preparing for his Italian trip?
A．Buying cheap airline tickets to Italy before the traveling
B．Getting a visa without an invitation from the Italian consulate.
C．Booking a comfortable hotel on his own in Rome.
D．Solving the ticket problem far in advance.
小題3: In the fourth paragraph the author mainly explains
A．the reason why he chose to live in the center of Rome
B．the reason why the hotel he booked was the right choice
C．what transport they chose to travel in their Italian trip
D．the reason why the mistress gave them some advice
小題4:Which of the following questions has NOT been answered in the passage?
A．Why did the author decide to go to Italy for a holiday for the first time?
B．Why did the author decide not to follow a travel agency?
C．How did the author prepare for his trip?
D．What tools did the author use for his traveling?
小題5: From the text we can know the author
A．enjoys traveling everywhere in the world
B．likes being accompanied by tour guides
C．a(chǎn)dvises us to arrange trips by ourselves
D．met with a lot of his countrymen in Italy

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

How many people have I met who have told me about the book they have been planning to write but have never yet found the time ? Far too many.
This is Life, all right, but we do treat it like a rehearsal (排演) and, unhappily, we do miss so many of its best moments.
We take jobs to stay alive and provide homes for our families always making ourselves believe that this style of life is merely a temporary state of affairs along the road to what we really want to do. Then, at 60 or 65, we are suddenly presented with a clock and several grandchildren and we look back and realize that all those years waiting for Real Life to come along were in fact real life.
In  America they have a saying much laughed at by the English：“Have a nice day” they speak slowly and seriously in their shops, hotels and sandwich bars. I think it is a wonderful phrase, reminding us, in effect, to enjoy the moment: to value this very day.
How often do we say to ourselves, "I'll take up horse-riding (or golf, or sailing) as soon as I get a higher position," only to do none of those things when I do get the higher position.
When I first became a reporter I knew a man who gave up a very well paid respectable job at the Daily Telegraph to go and edit a small weekly newspaper. At the time I was astonished by what appeared to me to be his completely abnormal (反常的) mental state. How could anyone turn his back on Fleet Street in central London for a small local area？I wanted to know.
Now I am a little older and possibly wiser, I see the sense in it. In Fleet Street the man was under continual pressure. He lived in an unattractive London suburb and he spent much of his life sitting on Southern Region trains.
小題1:
The first paragraph of the passage tells us that          .
A．we always try to find some time to write a book
B．we always make plans but seldom fulfill them
C．we always enjoy many of life's best moments
D．we always do what we really want to do
小題2:
The underlined phrase "turn his back on" (paragraph 6) most probably means         .
A．leave forB．return toC．give upD．rely on
小題3:
The man ( paragraph 6) left his first job partly because he was           .
A．in an abnormal mental stateB．under too much pressure
C．not well paidD．not respected
小題4:
What is probably the best title for the passage?
A．Provide Homes For Our FamilyB．Take Up Horse-riding
C．Value This Very DayD．Stay Alive

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

            I decided early in my college years that I wanted to experience living abroad before entering in the real world. During my senior year, while most of my friends were interviewing for “real world” jobs, I was investigating how I could go work in a different country. At that early stage of my inquiry I was pretty open about where to go and what kind of work to undertake. My desire to live abroad was so strong that I was willing to do anything anywhere.
Soon I learned about BUNAC, a program that seemed to be designed precisely for student with such interests. BUNAC offers work visas ( 簽證 ) for students or recent graduates to work overseas. Of the six countries available, I chose England because of the language and opportunities for employment.
Two months after I graduated from college I went to Britain. I traveled throughout Europe for six weeks before arriving in London. I got to London on August 24, 1997 with a work visa, but no job or place to live. I have to admit it was pretty scary! The day after I arrived, I experienced my first British holiday --- a Bank Holiday, a national holiday that everything is closed for the day. It wasn’t until my third day that I visited the BUNAC office and I learned all about living and working in Britain, paying taxes, getting health insurance, traveling around Britain, finding accommodations and most importantly, finding a job. I was most scared about finding a job since my financial resources were running low and I needed to get my pay soon.
It turned out that finding a job was not so difficult. The BUNAC program is very well known in London and many employers participate in the program. As a result there are many employers in many different fields to choose from. My job search began when I chose three different business employers and faxed them my resume (簡歷). That first week I had three interviews. I accepted my first offer working for Merrill Lynch International Bank. The Merrill Lynch office I worked at was in a beautiful, old building located two blocks from Buckingham Palace. The people were nice and the work interesting.
It was easy to adjust to life in London. And there is so much to see that after six months exploring I probably covered only half of what I intended.
小題1: When the author studied at college she decided _________.
A．to enter the “real world” after graduation
B．to go and work in a foreign country
C．to settle in a different country
D．to find a job in the home country
小題2:The author chose England because ______.
A．it is a beautiful country and people there are nice
B．England is spoken there and it is easy to find a job
C．it is in Europe, not far from her own country
D．the BUNAC office is located there
小題3: After the author arrived in London, what worried her most was ________.
A．getting a jobB．buying health insurance
C．traveling around BritainD．finding a place to live
小題4:Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?
A．A Trip to BritainB．What I Want to Be
C．Living in a Different CountryD．My Work Experience

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

To tell you the truth, I’m not interested in owning a cellular (網(wǎng)絡(luò)) phone. Except for use in an emergency (緊急情況), for ordinary cellular phone service is very expensive. How would I get help if I were in trouble or in danger? A good friend said about a product she thought would settle my problem. It’s the SOS phone—a cellular phone service designed for emergency use.
With the touch of a button, the SOS phone will connect me to a roadside emergency service, a 911 service or a trained SOS operator, 24 hours a day. If I ever need help. I know it’s just a phone call away.
By pressing the “Tow” button, I’ll bc connected with my emergency roadside service provider. Or, if I don’t have one, the SOS operator can suggest one to me and get in touch with them immediately.
The “911” button would connect me to 911 emergency service in my area------best of all, the call is completely free!
If I just want to call home to tell my husband and children something necessary, I can, by pressing the “Call” hutton, I’ll reach an operator. When I ask the operator to call home, I’ll be connected automatically (自動地). And because the Call Center has my 10 most-used phone numbers, I don’t even have to recite the numbers.
Unlike ordinary cellular phone plans, the SOS phone doesn't have any minimum usage requirements (底價) or other promises that could change the price
Why not try it yourself!
小題1:The writer enjoys using the SOS phone because ______.
A．she is always in trouble or in danger
B．she thinks the cost of its service is reasonable
C．she needn’t pay for any emergency service
D．the ordinary cellular phone can not he used in an emergency
小題2:Press______button, and you can get service without paying fee.  
A．911B．TowC．callD．Tow and 911
小題3:When you have an SOS phone, ________.  
A．you will get help whenever you are in an emergency
B．you will be safe wherever you are
C．you can be connected with anyone
D．you can get service from any cellular phones
小題4:When you want to call home, ______.  
A．you will have to tel1 the operator your home phone number
B．the operator will suggest one phone number to you
C．the Call Center will pass on your words to your family
D．you’ll be connected with your family with the Help of an operator
小題5:The writer wants to ______.
A．tell us her experience
B．let us know she has an SOS phone
C．let us know something about the SOS phone
D．tell us she is very safe now

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習(xí)冊答案