题型：阅读理解 题类：常考题 难易度：普通
河北省保定市2017-2018学年高二下学期英语期末考试试卷
“Belittle” was first used by Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States.
Many years ago, Buffon, a French naturalist, wrote some books about natural history. The books were a great success even though some critics did not like them. Some critics said, “Buffon is more of a poet than a scientist.”
Thomas Jefferson did not like what Buffon had said about the natural wonders of the New World. It seemed to Jefferson that Buffon had spoken of natural wonders in America as if they were unimportant.
This troubled Thomas Jefferson. He was a naturalist, as well as a farmer, inventor, historian, writer and politician. He had seen the natural wonders of Europe. To him, they were no more important than those of the New World.
In 1788, Thomas Jefferson wrote about his home state, Virginia. While writing, he thought of its natural beauty and then of the words of Buffon. At that moment, Jefferson created a new word－belittle. He said, “Buffon believes that nature belittles her productions on this side of the Atlantic.”
Noah Webster, the American word expert, liked this word. He put it in his English language dictionary in 1806, “Belittle－to make somebody or something small, unimportant.”
Americans had already accepted Jefferson's word and started to use it. In 1797, the Independent Chronicle newspaper used the word to describe a politician the paper supported. “He is an honorable man,” the paper wrote, “so let the opposition try to belittle him as much as they please.
In 1872, a famous American word expert decided that the time had come to kill this word. He said, “'Belittle' has no chance of becoming English. And as more critical writers of America, like those of Britain, feel no need of it, the sooner it is forgotten, the better.” This expert failed to kill the word. Today, “belittle” is used where the English language is spoken.
The World's Coolest Places
There's nothing wrong with a relaxing week at the beach. But travel can also be an education, a step toward empathy(共鸣) and international understanding, so for those longing to escape the crowds this summer, encounter new worlds and return with a tale, here're a few little-known travel destinations I recommend.
⒈Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands. This coral island in the Pacific Ocean, site of nuclear weapons tests decades ago, is now brilliantly beautiful and the deserted white-sand beaches are lined with coconut palms and scattered with seashells. The island is a reminder of the redemptive(救赎的) power of time and nature. |
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⒉Potosi, Bolivia. No city in Latin America is more beautiful than Potosi, Bolivia, where Europeans discovered a huge silver mountain centuries ago. Tourists can descend(下降) the silver mines to experience extremely hot and dusty tunnels, talk to the miners, get a glimpse of life image for Bolivians there and have new empathy for the miners. |
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⒊Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Maybe our family start at Victoria Falls, which wets you with spray, making Niagara Falls a backyard stream. Then we rent a car and make our way to Hwange National Park, empty of people but crowded with various animals. Zimbabwe has fewer tourists than South Africa, and there's less crime as well. |
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⒋Amritsar, India. The Golden Temple, Sikhism's holiest shrine(神殿), is a delightful place to contemplate the draw of faith. A four-century-old temple set in a lake attracts Sikhs(锡克教徒) worldwide. Walking the circuit of the lake, with your head covered, and putting up in temple buildings can be a full experience. |
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试题篮
Becky was reading a newspaper article which mentioned that it was impossible for people to remember the details of their life in the first three years. "What nonsense (胡说八道)!" she thought, because she could clearly remember her life all the way back to when she was just 12 days old. Her parents had carried her to the driver's seat of their car and laid her down for a photo. But it wasn't nonsense. She was just one of only 80 known people who have a condition called HSAM(Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory).