Flower-liked ZnO architectures and Ce doped ZnO materials with different amounts (0.2, 0.5, 1.2 and 2 at% Ce) were successfully synthesized by a simple room-temperature precipitation route. As the gas sensing materials, their sensing performance were investigated systematically. The results indicate that Ce doping can improve the performance of ZnO sensor. The ZnO doped with 0.5 at% Ce exhibited the highest response to ethanol at the operating temperature of 300℃, and the response value was about 72.6-100 ppm ethanol. With Ce doping, the proportions of oxygen vacancy and chemisorbed oxygen species were increased obviously, which could greatly promote the gas sensing properties of surface resistance-type metal oxide semiconductors. Thus, the doping of flower-liked ZnO with Ce should be a promising approach for designing and fabricating the high performance gas sensor.