上海市七宝中学2024-2025学年高二上学期期中考试试卷

2024学年高二英语期中考试试卷 满分150分;2024.10 I. Listening Comprehension Section A(1*10=10) Directions: In Section A, you will hear ten short conversations between two speakers. At the end of each conversation, a question will be asked about what was said. The conversations and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a conversation and the question about it. read the four possible answers on your paper, and decide which one is the best answer to the question you have heard. 1. A. She felt very relaxed. B. She always travels by air. C. She arrived early in the afternoon. D. She thought the flight was too long. 2. A. When do you usually go to bed? B. How often do you eat take-aways? C. What would you like to have, beef or chicken? D. Are you travelling by car or using public transport? 3. A. Three. B. Four. C. Five. D. Six. 4. A. Because he loves coke. B. Because he is on a diet. C. Because he has to drive. D. Because he doesn’t like wine. 5. A. You should wear training shoes at all time. B. You are not allowed to use all the equipment. C. You have to learn to use all the equipment first. D. You should go there between 7:00 a. m. and 11:30 p. m. 6. A. She wants to make friends with him. B. It is very difficult to find her new flat. C. If the man gets lost he can call her for help. D. The man has a very poor sense of direction. 7. A. She thinks her sister is very good. B. She thinks her sister spends too much money. C. She is proud since her sister studies in a very famous college. D. She is jealous because their father gives her sister more, money. 8. A.500. B.98,542. C.497.30. D.98,000. 9. A. Wait outside the car. B. Don’t get too close to the car. C. Park the car on the hard shoulder. D. Get out of there before it gets dark. 10. A. He needs to open a new account. B. The field trip is put off until next year. C. He is waiting for some equipment to arrive. D. Someone in his group has got into some trouble. Section B (2*10=20) Directions: In Section B, you will hear several longer conversation(s) and short passage(s), and you will be asked several questions on each of the conversation(s) and the passage(s). The conversation(s) and the passage(s) will be read twice, but the questions will be spoken only once. When you hear a question, read the four possible answers on your paper and decide which one is the best answer to the question you have heard. Questions 11 to 13 are based on the following passage. 11. A.2. B.3. C.4. D.5. 12. A. Humor can live n up the classroom atmosphere. B. Humor can help put people at ease and create harmony. C. Humor is highly valued only in English- speaking countries. D. Jokes are so common that doctors and teachers love to tell them. 13. A. After the hour- long session, the woman didn’t make any progress. B. The psychiatrist agreed to move his couch to the other side of the room against the wall. C. Because the woman was so bossy, the roles of psychiatrist and patient were reversed. D. The woman planned to convince the psychiatrist in an hour, but it took only fifty minutes. Questions 14 through 16 are based on the following passage. 14. A. To tell everything you remember about a book, movie, or lecture to your listener. B. To share your newfound knowledge with your friends, classmates or roommates. C. To select the major points or highlights of something and tell these to your listener. D. To remember any clues your teacher has given you to show what he considers important. 15. A. Focus on one part and describe it in detail. B. Don’t give away the ending in my summary. C. Make my summary extremely complete as well as accurate. D. Organize my thoughts carefully and make my summary as brief as possible. 16. A. Outline and paraphrase what I’ve seen. B Describe just one scene in de tail and even skip the ending. C. Remember everything of the movie and tell them to my friend. D. Watch carefully for the main point s and highlights and take notes. Questions 17 through 20 are based on the following conversation. 17. A. The new office is too small. B. He hates to unwrap all the boxes. C. He needs a printer right now to print out some charts. D. He doesn’t know how to connect the printer to the network. 18. A. Still wrapped in plastic. B. On Tiffany’s desk. C. To the left of Greg’s desk. D. On the shelf at the ending of the corridor. 19. A. Under the printer. B. On the shelf, under the clock. C. In the box which says “Printing”. D. In the bottom drawer of Ray’s desk. 20. A. The printer is out of paper. B. Some office equipment is still wrapped in plastic. C. Some office equipment isn’t connected to the network yet. D. There’s only power cables and ink cartridges in the “Printing” box. II. Grammar and Vocabulary Section A (1*20=20) (A) Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word, for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank. Better out than in? As I weave through the traffic on my bike, I always worry about the dirty air I am breathing. It is a relief to get back to the inside, ____1____ the air is sweeter and, you might think, better for me. But that turns out to be a false sense of security. “People don’t imagine that there is pollution indoors; it is perceived as a protective place,” says Corinne Mandin at France’s Scientific and Technical Building Centre, “But there are more pollutants in buildings ____2____ in outdoor air.” Thanks in no small part to Covid-19, which focused minds on air quality and ventilation (通风) of enclosed spaces, the long-neglected issue of indoor pollution ____3____ (finally take) seriously. Deadly seriously, in fact, as it dawns on scientists that the pollutants we encounter in our homes, workplaces and schools are probably a major cause of illness and death. It is tempting to conclude that there is nowhere safe ____4____ (leave) to breathe. But the good news is that we can all cut exposure to indoor pollution by making a few simple changes. First up is cooking, which is called “one of the most notable sources of indoor chemicals”. The exact composition of the fumes depends on what you cook and ____5____ you cook it. Gas burners are the most polluting heat source, ____6____ (release) carbon monoxide and dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which can accumulate ____7____ adequate ventilation. As a rule, frying is more polluting than boiling or steaming, which produce mostly water vapour. Frying releases toxic chemicals from the cooking oil and particulates from whatever you are frying. Meat can be an especially rich source of particulates. There are some signs ____8____ fumes from cooking meat could do more than just make us wheeze. Researchers at Nazarbayav University in Kazakhstan exposed volunteers to fumes from a chicken leg fried on a gas stove. At peak exposure, measurement of their brain activity resembled what was seen in people with ____9____ neuro-condition. Activity did return to normal after 30 minutes, but the researchers warned that chronic exposure _____10_____ cause long-term damage. (B) Directions: After reading the passage below fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word, for the other blanks, use one word that best fit s each blank. Messaging the stars If there are intelligent aliens out there, should we try to communicate with them? And who should speak for Earth? For 75 years, astronomers have been searching for extraterrestrial intelligence, often shortened to SETI. SETI involves listening for radio or optical signals sent by intelligent civilizations. But, so far, no artificial signals have been detected. The failure of SETI is called “The Great Silence”, but ____11____ this, many scientists are confident that intelligent aliens do exist. There are thought to be at least 10 billion habitable worlds in our galaxy, and billions of years have passed during which any life on them ____12____ have developed intelligence and technology. METI, or messaging extraterrestrial intelligence, has been ____13____ (common). It involves talking rather than listening. To some, it is a controversial activity. The first attempts at communication were imaginative “messages in a bottle”. In 1972, NASA launched the Pioneer 10 spacecraft towards Jupiter, which carried a plaque (牌匾) with a line drawing of a man and a woman as well as symbols to show ____14____ the craft originated. In1977, NASA followed this up with a golden record ____15____ (attach) to the Voyager 1 craft. The 12-inch record held sounds and images chosen to convey the diversity of life on Earth. Both spacecraft have since left the solar system. At their current speeds, it will be tens of thousands of years ____16____ they reach another star system. In the immensity of space, the odds ____17____ they will be found are extremely tiny. In 1974, a radio message was beamed from the Arecibo Observatory. A series of on-off radio pulses, designed to convey simple information about humanity, ____18____ (send) towards the globular cluster (球状星团) M13. Since M13 is 25,000 light years away, we shouldn’t hold our breath for a reply. Now, an international team of astronomers plans to use the world’s largest radio telescope, FAST, located in China, to beam a message towards millions of stars that are 10,000 to 20,000 light years away. The new message is ____19____ amalgam (组合) of previous ones. It contains 25,000 bytes of information, 100 times more than the Arecibo message, but 100 times less than a photo from a smartphone. NASA signals to its remote spacecraft, meanwhile, _____20_____ (reach) four nearby stars so far. A reply from aliens living in the nearby place could reach us by 2029. Section B(1*20=20) (A) Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need. A. expose B. fastened C. aggression D. commanding E. cautiously F. stimulation G. vulnerable H. obediently I. imprison J. dedicated K modeling Birdman of Los Angeles As he throws his outstretched arms toward the sky, Chan Quach’s six royal blue and fire- engine red macaws (金刚鹦鹉) pump their wings. Even more impressive is when upon command, one by one, his majestic hyacinth macaws — the world’s largest parrots by length — return ____21____ to land on his arms. Quach is a professional bird behaviorist focused on treating and preventing problematic behaviors by pet birds. He spent 15 years training birds, ____22____ proper behavior to his birds when they are young.“Parrots are like eternal toddlers — they are smart, curious. and bore easily, so you have to keep a close eye on them and provide them with regular ____23____ His core belief of training birds is the importance of building unbreakable bonds with them— similar to owners’ trust in their dogs. Quach’s birds are allowed to sleep cage less on perches (栖木) in his bedroom.“ They very ____24____creep onto my body just after sunrise, and soon I’m covered in six birds,” says Quach. Proper bird behavior training are vital because “an unhappy bird can experience psychosis, which can lead to ____25____, feather plucking, even eating themselves, which is very scary.” Free flying, a kind of training practice, is growing in popularity — the TikTok hashtag # free flight birds has more than 540 million views. The practice has its critics, who argue that free flights ____26____ pet birds to dangers including predators, power lines and bad weather. However, Quach free flies his macaws without using a GPS or telemetry tracker ____27____ to their tail feathers or wrapped around an ankle. Other owners have told Quach it’s irresponsible to fly expensive and endangered birds without using technology for the bird’s safety. But Quach’s technique of free flying his birds together as a flock provides safety in numbers, he says, and the birds also help call each other back when it’s time to return. His hyacinth macaws are listed as ____28____ on a renowned risk- assessment tool for species extinction, which has led to even more criticism of his free- flying practices. However, he says, “I don’t acquire or collect birds to ____29____them. I want them to live their best lives, flying safely. If I can build a true friendship, that’s greater than anything technology can offer me.” “He’s very _____30_____ to his birds,” says Lisa Woodworth of Eclectus Ark, a nonprofit bird resource and conservation institute. “While he does not fly them with transmitters, macaws are different from some other species of birds in that they have a very strong pair bond; they see him as the being they’ re linked with, so they return to him.” (B) Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need. A. reassessing B. implementation C. resembled D. crucially E. eliminating F. quantity G. boasted H. trialing I. distinctly J. outnumbered K. due War on plastic packaging divides consumer opinion First it was the yogurt pot lids, colored milk bottle top s and best-before labels removed in the name of the war on plastic. But when one supermarket sucked the air out of packets of meat, for some shoppers it was a bridge too far. Sainsbury’s had ____31____ a “supermarket first” but its vacuum-packed meat made some uncomfortable. Minus the air, meat becomes a dense red slice, with one customer complaining it ____32____ a body part, even if the packing method did cut 450 tomes of plastic a year. Supermarkets and manufacturers are rapidly ____33____ the packaging of every product in light of government collection and packaging reforms designed to slash waste. A deposit return scheme is ____34____ to start in Scotland this summer and in the rest of the U.K. in 2025. The measure also includes the introduction of a consistent household recycling scheme in England that will mandate (授权) local authorities to collect the same items and materials. The ____35____ date has yet to be confirmed. Another is the extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme, which requires manufacturers to pay the full cost of packaging waste. It kicked in this year with companies now required to collect data on the ____36____ of packaging they put on the market, with the first fees due to be collected in 2024. The major supermarkets are all signatories (签署方) to the U.K. Plastics Pact, led by the sustainability charity Wrap. It has set targets to hit by 2025 including ____37____ problem plastic and ensuring that 100% of plastic packaging can be reusable, recyclable or compostable (可用作堆肥的). In its annual report, Catherine David, director of the U.K. Plastics Pact, listed the wins, which included the removal of 620m plastic items from supermarket shelves since 2018; that rigid plastic packaging was now 92% recyclable and that nearly half of its members were ____38____ reuse and refill systems. The Guardian asked readers for their views on the packaging changes they were seeing and, ____39____, whether they thought they were an improvement. While some steps, like the removal of plastic packaging from Easter egg boxes, were universally welcomed, readers said others might be wrong-headed. They questioned the removal of hard plastic lids from spill-prone yogurt and dip pots, and the decision to switch ice-cream out of plastic containers and into cardboard. A small number said they would be taking their meat business to Marks & Spencer or local butchers rather than buying vacuum-packed portions. But they were _____40_____ by those who backed the change that Sainsbury’s said would stop 765,000 hard trays a year being thrown away. III. Reading Comprehension Section A (1*15=15) Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fit s the context. A child’s view of intelligent machines Why do people so easily treat machines, and especially AI systems like ChatGPT, as if they had intentions, emotions and even morals? A new study suggests that this tendency may run deep. “Intelligent” machines that would once have seemed magical are now____41____.Millions of children have grown up with a Roomba robot vacuum cleaner that moves around the house, avoiding____42____and wiggling into corners. Millions more have grown up politely asking a small box called Alexa to play their favorite song or turn on their favorite TV show. How do children view these sophisticated computers in their homes? Roomba and Amazon’s Alexa are especially interesting because they don’t look at all like people— they don’t have faces or bodies — and while they do act sort of like people, they do so in ____43____ways. Roombas can move by themselves and accomplish____44____goals, but they don’t talk. Alexa chatters away but can’t move. Tamar Kushner at Duke University and her students Teresa Flanagan and Gavin Wong ____45____ what children think about these technologies. They showed 127 children, ranging in age from 4 to 11, different kinds of machines and then gave the children a list of questions about the machines’ thoughts, feelings and moral status. Most of the children were already familiar with Alexa and Roomba. They told the researchers that both were more like computers than like people. But the younger children, ____46____, thought that even these apparently ____47____ machines — a round vacuum and a black box — could have thoughts and feelings: They might get hungry or feel a tickle or think for themselves. How the machines interact made a difference; especially when it comes to higher ____48____functions. The children said that the talkative Alexa was more likely to have a thought or know right from wrong than the____49____ Roomba. But they thought that both could be hungry or ticklish. Younger children also thought that both types of machines could choose to do harm: Roomba could run over your toe_____50_____, or Alexa could say something that hurt your feelings. Older children were less likely to say that the machines had feelings or experiences. That might be because children become more _____51_____in thinking about agency, or because they had more experience of the machines’ limitations. _____52_____, even the older children thought that the machines might have some thoughts and feelings. Strikingly, both older and younger children thought that hitting or yelling at the machines was_____53_____. One 10- year- old said, “then the robot would feel really sad.” The study may help to explain why people so _____54_____treat AI systems as if they bad minds — it is an early, natural intuition. Perhaps the best news about people and technology in the study is that children think that treating a machine as if it had a mind means treating them_____55_____. 41. A. thrilling B. common C. boring D. frequent 42. A. obstacles B. mistakes C. interruptions D. humans 43. A. similar B. various C. opposite D. several 44. A. interactive B. physical C. restricted D. extraordinary 45. A. sought for B. sorted out C. look into D. found out 46. A. for instance B. in fact C. on the whole D. in particular 47. A. simple B. intelligent C. complicated D. handy 48. A. physical B. digital C. essential D. mental 49. A. practical B. diligent C. silent D. reserved 50. A. by mistake B. on purpose C. at random D. for no reason 51. A. advanced B. talented C. delighted D. sophisticated 52. A. Therefore B. Also C. However D. Otherwise 53. A. false B. terrific C. amusing D. wrong 54. A. promo B. readily C. directly D. intentionally 55. A. kindly B. carefully C. fairly D. skillfully Section B(2*4*4=32) Directions: Read the following four passages. Each passage is followed by four questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read. (A) For years, spring in our town was welcomed by Leon and Jo Martin, who owned the Dairy Queen. Every year, after their winter stay in Florida, they would post the words “Now Hiring” on their sign. I would walk past, see the sign, see Leon and Jo readying for their spring opening, and feel winter’s departure. It was as accurate an indication of spring as any calendar. When they died and their children sold the Dairy Queen to an out-of-town outfit who kept it open year-round, it threw off our town’s circadian rhythms (生物钟). Something terrible. We’re still not sure when spring begins. Well, that’s not entirely accurate. When the implement store on the west edge of town, where Johnston’s IGA grocery store used to be, stops selling snowplows and starts selling lawn mowers, that’s a pretty good sign winter is coming to an end. If they should drop the ball, Frank Gladden is sure to stand at our Quaker meeting and announce that volunteers are needed for our spring fish fry. Frank’s announcement is as reliable as any clock and invariably mixed with worry and regret that this might be the last year of the fish fry if volunteers aren’t forthcoming. “We’re not getting any younger,” he announces. Frank is 82 years old, but he’s been saying that since 1961, so we Quakers aren’t alarmed. The Fairfield Friends Fish Fry is as constant as sunrise. But let us suppose both the implement store and Frank Gladden neglect their duties and we are cast adrift, unaware of spring’s arrival. We would then have to look and see whether Bill Eddy, our town’s plumber, was wearing a coat. When the first leaf falls to the ground in the autumn, Bill pulls on his Carhartt coat and doesn’t remove it until spring. I’ve known Bill since we were in first grade together, so I know well about his habits. He wears that Carhartt everywhere, inside and outside. There are other signs of spring if one is watchful. The deer lighten in color, the dog sheds, the buds swell, the snow melts on the south hillside, and the bloodroot in our woodlot pushes out its petals. The calf (牛犊) appears, following its mother because of hunger. Who needs a calendar when a calf is nearby? 56. What can be learned about the Dairy Queen from the first paragraph? A. It was moved to Florida. B. It used to be closed in winter. C. It is now owned by Leon and Jo’s children. D. It has several branches out of the town. 57. According to the writer, which of the following is a sign that winter is over? A. The deer turns into a darker color. B. Bill Eddy stops wearing his Carhartt coat. C. The Quaker meeting starts to call for volunteers. D. Johnston’s IGA grocery store starts to sell lawn mowers. 58. By “as constant as sunrise”, the writer means that the Fairfield Friends Fish Fry ________. A. has a long history B. makes excellent fried fish C. opens very early every day D. is sure to continue its business 59. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage? A. Why I Love Spring B. Every Changing Spring C. How I Know It’s Spring D. Spring: All Comes to Life (B) Good manners used to mean simple courtesy (礼节) and being kind. Today it seems we may fear doing or saying the wrong thing, and for good reason. Given the power of the Internet, a faux pas can mean losing a friend — or your job. Covering the ins and outs of civil behavior for the past 20-plus years, I have learned that, fortunately, good intentions never go out of style. Even better, science tells us that acts of kindness are infectious: If I treat you right, you’re more likely to treat the next person better. TO HOLD OR NOT TO HOLD — THE DOOR Q: My husband always opens doors for women (he’s over 80). But the younger women cast him a look of pure shock and rush past him without a thank-you. So sad, why has such a basic kindness gone out of style? — Jo Garcia A: Let me uncomplicate things: If I’m first to the door. I’m going to pull it open and let you go first, whether you’re a man or a woman. A push door can be awkward, but I’ll usually go through first (with my most charming“ Allow me!”) and then hold it for you. I give the same advice to my sister (and allow women): First one there opens the door and holds it. The one time to break the rule: If the person ahead of you needs assistance or is much older, step up and open the door. And for those of us on the receiving end of a door kindness, I hope we all say “Thank you” as we pass by. NO THANK-YOU NOTES=NO MORE GIFTS? Q: It especially bothers me when I give a child a gift and there is no acknowledgment from the parent or the child. What are my options? — Sharon Taft A: I’m the quick-witted uncle to three nieces, which means I rely on humor to make a point. One time, several weeks after the holidays had gone by, I e-mailed one of the girls: “I can’t thank you enough for thank-you note.” That inspired a quick, and guilty, thank-you from her. Then there was the year I boycotted them: no gifts. You bet they noticed, and they did a fine job with their thank-you e-mails once I resumed gift giving. (Yes, e-mail is just fine, especially when compared with the alternative — no response.) But I learned a lesson, too: I try my best to thank those who express kindness to me, whether it’s a flight attendant helping me with a bag or these same nieces — now young adults — who recently made an amazing dinner for our family. There’s a theory that gratitude begets gratitude. I believe that now. 60. Both Jo Garcia and Sharon Taft are puzzled by ________. A. what makes young people so rude B. what kindness means to young adults C. why kindness is not infectious nowadays D. why some good manners are out of date 61. Which statement is the writer most likely to agree with? A. Men should always hold the door for women. B. It is always necessary to express our gratitude. C. Jo should remind her husband of his impoliteness. D. Being humorous matters more than being polite. 62. The word “begets” in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to “________”. A. takes care of B. makes use of C. gives rise to D. attaches importance to 63. This passage is most likely taken from a ________. A. social science journal B. newspaper advice column C. celebrity interview script D. interpersonal relationship report (C) A new study, which found that eating ultra- processed (超加工的) food (like fish fingers, fizzy drinks and ready meals) could increase the risk of death, made for alarming headlines. The Sun told us that “just for portions of processed food a day could kill you”, while The Telegraph said that ultra-processed foods “could increase the risk of early death by 60 percent”. As is often the case, the research is well-designed and alarming. What’s more, the news coverage is not exactly false. The problem is that the numbers driving the headlines are hard to interpret, and seem more frightening than they are. Let’s unpack what the evidence means in this case. Spanish researchers followed roughly 20,000 students over 14 years, using questionnaires to estimate how many portions of ultra-processed food they were eating every day. They found that those who ate the most ultra-processed foods had a 62 percent increased risk of death from any cause, compared with those who ate the least. If we assume the conclusions are accurate, then a 62 percent increased risk of death sounds pretty shocking. But what does it mean? Let’s imagine two friends — Wanda and Winona. They’re both around 50, the same weight, do the same amount of exercise, have same family histories of disease, but not the same habits or lifestyle. Wanda is keen on instant noodles, fish fingers and fizzy drinks, while Winona prefers steamed vegetables and whole meal bread. Each one faces an annual risk of death, whose technical name is their “hazard”. The key statistic reported in the Spanish study was a hazard ratio (率) of 1.62. This means that, for two people like Wanda and Winona who are similar apart from their different diets, the one with the risk factor — Wanda — has a 62 percent increased annual risk of death over the follow- up period (around 14 years in the Spanish study). It’s tempting to interpret this as meaning that Wanda’s life is going to be 62 percent shorter than Winona’s, but that’s not what’s going on. Crucially, the risk of dying in any one year for the average person is pretty low, so a 62 percent annual increase in risk of death may not be alarming as it sounds. In the UK, for example, the average annual risk of death for 50-year-old women is around 0.2 percent, which means you might expect 2 in every 1,000 women like Winona to die each year. A 62 percent increase on that number gives around a 0.3 percent annual risk of death, which would be 3 in every 1,000 women like Wanda. The difference in 1,000, sounds a lot less alarming than the 62 percent which made the headlines. 64. What does the writer imply about the increased risk of death covered in the news? A. It reflects people’s ignorance of what makes a healthy diet. B. The interpretation of it needs to be weighed objectively. C. It is a conclusion drawn from a poorly designed study. D. The understanding of it varies from country to country. 65. What did the Spanish researchers do in their study? A. They divided the students into two groups. B. They collected the data by means of interviews. C. They followed the subjects for more than a decade. D. They made up two friends named Wanda and Winona. 66. According to the writer, why is it that the 62 percent annual increase in risk of death may not be that alarming? A. The chance of dying in a year for the average person is relatively minimal. B. It is based on the data that the Spanish researchers collected 14 years ago. C. The relevant study has failed to take other factors into consideration. D. People in the UK are becoming more and more health-conscious. 67. What can be concluded from the passage? A. The news coverage ought to be as objective as possible. B. There needs to be more evidence for the increase in risk of death. C. The harm done by ultra-processed food is not as serious as reported. D. There should be regulations on the production of ultra-processed food. (D) “It’s free and always will be,” Facebook promised on its landing page for nearly a decade. The world’s largest social network still is. But from this week its users and those of its sister app, Instagram, will have the option of paying $11.99 a month for a “verified (经核实的)” account, buying them better customer service and more widely distributed posts. The subscription is the latest example of a growing trend. Last June Snapchat, a messaging app popular among 20-somethings, launched a $3.99 plan called Snapchat+. In December Twitter relaunched Twitter Blue, an $8-per-month service. Like Facebook’s offering, both offer extra services, the most significant being a higher visibility of the user’s posts in others’ feeds. It is hardly surprising that ad-supported networks are looking to diversify their sources of income. After years of non-stop growth the online-advertising business has hit a speed bump. The great one-off shift of ad budgets from online locations, like newspapers, to the web is mostly complete. The results have been painful. Meta, Facebook’s parent company, has reported falling profit in each of the past three quarters. Snap, which owns Snapchat, has lost nearly 90% of its market value in the same period. Subscriptions are no substitute for ads. Snap said that 2.5 million people had signed up to Snapchat+, less than 1% of its app’s 375 million daily users. That implies annual subscription sales of no more than $120 million, or less than 3% of Snap’s total income last year. Though Twitter has not said how many have joined, a recent leak put the figure at below 300,000. To the extent that social networks employ subscription it will mean a windfall for the mobile platforms that host their apps. Google, which runs the Android operating system, and Apple, which runs iOS, make no money from apps’ advertising, but take a cut of consumers’ in-app purchases, including subscriptions. Having blocked the mobile ad business with new privacy rules, Apple and Google stand to profit from the resulting move to subscriptions. There may be a sting in the tail. While Meta’s new service costs $11.99 for those signing up or the web, the price if paying through the app is $14.99. Similarly, Mr Musk, who has called Apple’s fees “a 30% tax on the Internet”, charges $8 for Twitter Blue online and $11 in the app. Such pricing has proved controversial, with Apple blocking apps such as Fortnite, a video game which told users they could pay less in a browser. But as more large companies adopt differential pricing, consumers may learn that they can get a big discount by signing up outside Apple and Google’s ecosystems. 68. What trend is described in the first two paragraphs? A. Social media platforms start to increase their subscription fees. B. Social media platforms are losing their appeal to young people. C. Social media platforms start to offer paid subscription services. D. Social media platforms are making efforts to maintain their users. 69. Why do social networks need to have more sources of income? A Their market value has just started to rise. B. Ad budgets are returning to offline locations. C. Ad companies are giving up online platforms. D. Their online advertising business is slowing down. 70. The statistics in paragraph 4 are intended to ________. A. suggest a more feasible substitute for online advertising B. show that the contribution from the subscriptions is limited C. criticize social media platforms for their misleading information D. imply that there is no need to provide extra services for paying users 71. What can be inferred from the passage? A. Consumers can apply for a discount if they subscribe in apps. B. The mobile platforms may well benefit from the subscription plans. C. New privacy rules will impact negatively on the subscription services. D. Differential pricing will become a thing of the past due to consumers’ opposition. Section C (2*4=8) Directions: Read the following passage. Fill in each blank with a proper sentence given in the box. Each sentence can be used only once. Note that there are two more sentences than you need. Young children value the lives of animals more than adults do If you had to save the life of a person or an animal, which would you choose? Most adults say they would pick the person, but almost half of young children would prefer to save the animal, according to a study in Poland. “The finding really surprised us,” says Matti Wilks at the University of Edinburgh, UK. ____72____ For example, a survey of millions of people in 233 countries, most of them in their 20s and 30s, found they largely agreed that self- driving cars should crash into dogs or cats instead of people if they had to choose. However growing evidence suggests many young children feel differently. Using a toy railway and Lego figures, Wilks and her colleagues presented 170 children aged 6 to 9 in an urban part of Poland with scenarios based on a thought experiment called the trolley problem. The children had to decide whether to direct a runaway rail car down one of two tracks so that it crashed into a Lego person or a Lego animal — either a dog or chimpanzee. ___73___ About 42 per cent of the children wanted to save the dog and make the rail car collide with the person, compared with just 17 per cent of adults. About 28 per cent of children also prioritized the chimpanzee over the person, compared with 11 per cent of adults. “Children learn from their parents, teachers and others that it’s really important to care for others, but it may be easier for them to learn this as a blanket rule that applies to both humans and animals,” says Karri Neldner at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany. ___74___ “However, as they get older, they might pick up on cultural narratives that tell us it’s really important to care for other people,” says Neldner. ___75___When she asked Australian children aged 4 to 10 to order pictures of people, animals, plants and objects according to how much they cared about them, the 4- year- olds tended to care more about dogs, cats and dolphins than about classmates, police officers and sick people, but this was reversed in the 10- year- olds. The reason children value dogs so highly is probably due to familiarity, says Wilks. Her studies have found that children who spent more time with dogs were more likely to say they would save a dog over a person. A. Most adults view human life as especially precious. B. Her research suggests this shift starts by the age of 10. C. Surprisingly, children were more likely to save a dog over a person. D. For comparison, the researchers repeated this with 178 Polish adults aged 18 to 50. E. As a result, they don’t show a strong preference for saving one over the other, she says. F. About 28 per cent of children aged 5 to 9 said they would save a dog over a person, compared with 8 per cent of adults. 2024学年高二英语期中考试试卷 满分150分;2024.10 I. Listening Comprehension Section A(1*10=10) Directions: In Section A, you will hear ten short conversations between two speakers. At the end of each conversation, a question will be asked about what was said. The conversations and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a conversation and the question about it. read the four possible answers on your paper, and decide which one is the best answer to the question you have heard. 1. A. She felt very relaxed. B. She always travels by air. C. She arrived early in the afternoon. D. She thought the flight was too long. 2. A. When do you usually go to bed? B. How often do you eat take-aways? C. What would you like to have, beef or chicken? D Are you travelling by car or using public transport? 3. A. Three. B. Four. C. Five. D. Six. 4. A. Because he loves coke. B. Because he is on a diet. C. Because he has to drive. D. Because he doesn’t like wine. 5. A. You should wear training shoes at all time. B. You are not allowed to use all the equipment. C. You have to learn to use all the equipment first. D. You should go there between 7:00 a. m. and 11:30 p. m. 6. A. She wants to make friends with him. B. It is very difficult to find her new flat. C. If the man gets lost he can call her for help. D. The man has a very poor sense of direction. 7. A. She thinks her sister is very good. B. She thinks her sister spends too much money. C. She is proud since her sister studies in a very famous college. D. She is jealous because their father gives her sister more, money. 8. A.500. B.98,542. C.497.30. D.98,000. 9. A. Wait outside the car. B. Don’t get too close to the car. C. Park the car on the hard shoulder. D. Get out of there before it gets dark. 10. A. He needs to open a new account. B. The field trip is put off until next year. C. He is waiting for some equipment to arrive. D. Someone in his group has got into some trouble. Section B (2*10=20) Directions: In Section B, you will hear several longer conversation(s) and short passage(s), and you will be asked several questions on each of the conversation(s) and the passage(s). The conversation(s) and the passage(s) will be read twice, but the questions will be spoken only once. When you hear a question, read the four possible answers on your paper and decide which one is the best answer to the question you have heard. Questions 11 to 13 are based on the following passage. 11. A.2. B.3. C.4. D.5. 12. A. Humor can live n up the classroom atmosphere. B. Humor can help put people at ease and create harmony. C. Humor is highly valued only in English- speaking countries. D. Jokes are so common that doctors and teachers love to tell them. 13. A. After the hour- long session, the woman didn’t make any progress. B. The psychiatrist agreed to move his couch to the other side of the room against the wall. C. Because the woman was so bossy, the roles of psychiatrist and patient were reversed. D. The woman planned to convince the psychiatrist in an hour, but it took only fifty minutes. Questions 14 through 16 are based on the following passage. 14. A. To tell everything you remember about a book, movie, or lecture to your listener. B. To share your newfound knowledge with your friends, classmates or roommates. C. To select the major points or highlights of something and tell these to your listener. D. To remember any clues your teacher has given you to show what he considers important. 15. A. Focus on one part and describe it in detail. B. Don’t give away the ending in my summary. C. Make my summary extremely complete as well as accurate. D. Organize my thoughts carefully and make my summary as brief as possible. 16. A. Outline and paraphrase what I’ve seen. B. Describe just one scene in de tail and even skip the ending. C. Remember everything of the movie and tell them to my friend. D. Watch carefully for the main point s and highlights and take notes. Questions 17 through 20 are based on the following conversation. 17. A. The new office is too small. B. He hates to unwrap all the boxes. C. He needs a printer right now to print out some charts. D. He doesn’t know how to connect the printer to the network. 18. A. Still wrapped in plastic. B. On Tiffany’s desk. C. To the left of Greg’s desk. D. On the shelf at the ending of the corridor. 19. A. Under the printer. B. On the shelf, under the clock. C. In the box which says “Printing”. D. In the bottom drawer of Ray’s desk. 20. A. The printer is out of paper. B. Some office equipment is still wrapped in plastic. C. Some office equipment isn’t connected to the network yet. D. There’s only power cables and ink cartridges in the “Printing” box. II. Grammar and Vocabulary Section A (1*20=20) (A) 【1~10题答案】 【答案】1. where 2. than 3. is finally being taken 4. left 5. how 6. releasing 7. without 8. that 9. a 10. could (B) 【11~20题答案】 【答案】11. despite 12. could 13. less common 14. where 15. attached 16. before 17. that 18. was sent 19. an 20. have reached Section B(1*20=20) (A) 【21~30题答案】 【答案】21. H 22. K 23. F 24. E 25. C 26. A 27. B 28. G 29. I 30. J (B) 【31~40题答案】 【答案】31. G 32. C 33. A 34. K 35. B 36. F 37. E 38. H 39. D 40. J III. Reading Comprehension Section A (1*15=15) Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fit s the context. 【41~55题答案】 【答案】41. B 42. A 43. C 44. B 45. C 46. D 47. A 48. D 49. C 50. B 51. D 52. C 53. D 54. B 55. A Section B(2*4*4=32) Directions: Read the following four passages. Each passage is followed by four questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read. (A) 【56~59题答案】 【答案】56. B 57. B 58. D 59. C (B) 【60~63题答案】 【答案】60. D 61. B 62. C 63. B (C) 【64~67题答案】 【答案】64. B 65. C 66. A 67. C (D) 【68~71题答案】 【答案】68. C 69. D 70. B 71. B Section C (2*4=8) Directions: Read the following passage. Fill in each blank with a proper sentence given in the box. Each sentence can be used only once. Note that there are two more sentences than you need. 【72~75题答案】 【答案】72. A 73. D 74. E 75. B 第1页/共1页 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $$