精品解析：上海市建平中学2024-2025学年高二上学期11月期中英语试题

建平中学2024学年第一学期期中教学质量检测 高二英语试卷 说明：（1）本场考试时间为120分钟，总分140分； （2）请认真答卷，并用规范文字书写。 I. Listening Comprehension Section A 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. At 7:15. B. At 7:50. C. At 8:05. D. At 9:00. 2. A. Unconcerned. B. Surprised. C. Doubtful. D. Delighted. 3 A. He is rather disappointed. B. He can’t accept the result. C. He knows his own limitation. D. He doesn’t care about a promotion. 4. A. She wants to get some sleep. B. She is to prepare a presentation. C. She has to attend a chemistry class. D. She is troubled by her sleep problem. 5. A. Get more food and drinks. B. Invite more people. C. Frepare for a party. D. Tidy up the place. 6. A. Take a taxi to the zoo. B. Walk to the zoo. C. Cross the street. D. Wait for the bus. 7. A. The woman arrived too early for registration. B. The woman got a wrong class permit. C. The woman misplaced her class permit. D. The woman missed the registration deadline. 8. A. They haven’t agreed on where to live. B. They don’t want to live in a noisy area. C. They both work in the downtown area. D. They hope to save money for the wedding. 9. A. It will clear up in the lake area tomorrow. B. The lake will be clear after the heavy rain. C. The woman is inviting the man to go to the lake. D. The woman might have to change her plan for tomorrow. 10. A. They love Italian food more than anything else. B. They are disappointed at the restaurant’s recent changes. C. They are satisfied with the current chef at the restaurant. D. They are unhappy with the prices of food at the restaurant. Section B Directions: In Section B, you will hear a short passage and a longer conversation, and you will be asked several questions on each of them. The passage and the conversation 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 through 13 are based on the following passage. 11. A. They found it charming. B. They didn’t care about it. C. They were annoyed by it. D. They had mixed feelings about it. 12. A. It wasn’t being properly maintained. B. People didn’t care whatever mess it might be in. C. There were no effective regulations concerning visitors. D. It was poorly designed and constructed in the first place. 13. A How the White House has become what it is today. B. Why more people from home and abroad visit the White House nowadays. C. How the White House has been damaged by tourists throughout history. D. How the White House became the official residence of the U. S President. Questions 14 through 16 are based on the following passage. 14. A. More of them are smoking cigars. B Teens are becoming more addicted to cigarettes. C. There has been an 11% increase in the number of teen smokers. D. Teens are increasingly exploring healthy alternatives to cigarettes 15. A. Most of the teens buy cigars because of peer pressure. B. There are only fruit-flavored cigars available on the market. C. They can be purchased one at a time so they are afforded by the teens. D. They are quite expensive and require the teens to save their allowance. 16. A. The Cigar Association has taken action against flavored cigars. B. There are no special restrictions on the sale of flavored cigars. C: Teens have been taught cigars are less poisonous than cigarettes D. The attempts to stop teens from smoking cigars have been effective. Questions 17 through 20 are based on the following conversation. 17. A. She is interested in attending an American university. B. She is calling to consult for her friend. C. She wants to learn some basic language skills. D. She has to study English for the sake of her job. 18. A. To help people find a hetter job. B. To help people with English learning. C. To help people get enrolled in, a famous university. D. To help people improve communication skills. 19. A. It is a form that helps the students get a student vise. B. It is a certificate that Indicates the student’s English proficiency.- C. It is a certificate that shows the student’s education experiences, D. It is a reference letter that helps the students get into the U. S embassy. 20. A. Applicants need to pay the tuition at the beginning. B. Applicants must confirm their applications in person. C. Applications can be made through the Internet or by mail. D. Applicants can apply to join the program at any time they want. II. Grammar and Vocabulary Section 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. The Hell of the Sandwich Lunch The competition to be the worst two words in the English language is extremely hard-fought. Surprise party. Cruise holiday. Rice pudding. Keen golfer. The list goes on and on. But right up there is “sandwich lunch”. Separately, ___1___ of these words contains lots of beautiful promise. In combination, however, they spell horrible disaster. Most obviously, they signal that your lunch is ruined. You might have been planning to stroll through a park or eat with a friend. Now you will be spending your break working, ___2___(trap) in a meeting room with several of your colleagues. Even more annoyingly, your manager has announced that sandwiches will be provided ___3___ you should be grateful for the kindness and consideration. The actual food choices are not yours. Instead, they appear ___4___ (make) by a six-year-old. The centre piece is a platter of sandwiches cut into triangles. There are paper plates. You can’t help ___5___ (look) around for party hats and balloons. Not that you actually eat much. The etiquette (礼仪) of the sandwich lunch requires everyone to take less than they want, in order to signal that they are team players ___6___ know how to share. People politely wait their turn and then restrict themselves ___7___ a few items. Your own paper plate is fairly typical: two triangles of bread, four salt-and-vinegar crisps (薯片), a limp salad leaf and one plum tomato. It’s about as appetizing as a cup of sand. You pick up the biggest of your four crisps and put it in your mouth just as the boss begins to lay out the agenda for the discussion. Crisps are never ___8___ (noisy) than when eaten at a sandwich lunch. Every bite thunders (响声穿透) through the room; eyes flick your way with each crunch and then back to the speaker. You wonder ___9___ it takes for a crisp to dissolve (溶解) through the action of saliva (唾液) alone, and conclude it is better to get the whole thing over with. Cue a desperate loud burst of chewing and all eyes are now on you. The boss has stopped speaking. One final bite, and a swallow. The crisp as well as your promotion prospects ____10____ (be) dead. 【答案】1. each##either 2. trapped 3. as if##as though 4. to be made##to have been made 5. looking 6. who##that 7. to 8. noisier 9. how long 10 is 【解析】 【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章围绕“三明治午餐”展开，描述了其种种糟糕之处以及在这种午餐场合下发生的尴尬情况等。 【1题详解】 考查代词。句意：单独来看，这些词中的每一个（或者任意一个）都蕴含着很多美好的期许。根据下文“contains lots of beautiful promise(蕴含着很多美好的期许)”可知此处表示每一个（或者任意一个）都蕴含着很多美好的期许，此处表示“每一个”用each，也可以表示“两者中的任意一个”用either，故填each/either。 【2题详解】 考查非谓语动词。句意：现在你将会在午休时间工作，和几位同事被困在会议室里。空白处在句子中做状语，使用非谓语动词，trap与主语you之间是被动关系，用过去分词作伴随状语，故填trapped。 【3题详解】 考查连词。句意：更恼人的是，你的经理宣布会提供三明治，好像你应该对这份善意和体贴心怀感激似的。根据下文“you should be grateful for the kindness and consideration(你应该对这份善意和体贴心怀感激似的)”可知此处表示“好像，似乎”，引导方式状语从句，故填as if/as though。 【4题详解】 考查非谓语动词。句意：相反，它们似乎是由一个六岁小孩做出来的。此处appear后接动词不定式，又因为make与主语they之间是被动关系，且可以表示动词不定式表达的动作在主句谓语动词之前发生，所以可以用不定式的被动式to be made，也可以用不定式的完成被动式to have been made，故填to be made/to have been made。 【5题详解】 考查非谓语动词。句意：你忍不住环顾四周找派对帽和气球。can’t help doing sth是固定用法，意为 “忍不住做某事”，故填looking。 【6题详解】 考查定语从句。句意：三明治午餐的礼仪要求每个人拿的比自己想要的少，以表明他们是懂得分享的团队成员。此处引导定语从句，先行词是team players，指人，在从句中作主语，故填who/that。 【7题详解】 考查介词。句意：人们礼貌地排队等候，然后只拿几样东西。restrict...to... 是固定短语，意为 “把…… 限制在……”，故填to。 【8题详解】 考查形容词比较级。句意：在三明治午餐时吃薯片，声音从来没有比这时更吵的了。根据后面的than 可知要用形容词比较级，noisy的比较级是noisier，故填noisier。 【9题详解】 考查宾语从句。句意：你想知道仅靠唾液的作用一片薯片需要多长时间才能溶解，然后得出结论最好快点把它吃完。此处是包含宾语从句的复合句，根据下文“it takes(花费……)”可知此处问的是 “多长时间”，故填how long。 【10题详解】 考查主谓一致、时态。句意：那片薯片以及你的晋升前景都完了。此处主语是“The crisp as well as your promotion prospects”，as well as连接并列主语时，谓语动词的数要与前面的主语保持一致，The crisp是单数，且此处描述的是一般情况，用一般现在时，故填is。 Section 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. ease B. fitting C. force D. modest E. precisely F. primarily G. robbed H. awesome I. encounter J. starving K. warned The Problem of Totally Epic Language Inflation Stan Carey recently wrote a short blog about language inflation, which ultimately creates devaluation in meaning. Today, popular expressions like epic and brilliant are used to express a more ___11___ meaning than their traditional uses. Brilliant actually means clever, and epic actually means surprising. Such is our desire to elevate words with power and importance, that we use hyperbole (夸张) to draw attention. The same tendency can be seen in numbers as well. Once giving 110% became cliché, people started insisting that they give 210%, 310%, and on and on. To create even more ___12___ behind the phrase, people will also throw in a literally. I literally gave 210%. This is no new trend. My generation destroyed words like awesome and totally. My parents and grandparents ___13___ of meaning words like incredible, wonderful, and fantastic. Irish novelist C. S. Lewis expressed concern over language inflation: “Don’t say infinitely when you mean very; otherwise, you’ll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite.” And this is ___14___ where we find ourselves right now. We have no words ___15___ when we want to say that something truly is awe-inspiring. This can also make it all the more difficult for modern readers to connect with older books. Particularly, it can cheapen our understanding of the Scriptures (圣经). As a child of the 80s, I was never at ___16___calling God awesome, because as far as I knew, it meant something much less great. If my sunglasses are totally awesome, I need some other word for God! Our souls are ___17___ in the current culture. We neglect the spiritual aspects of our own existence more and more. It makes sense that the language would reflect that as well. Caring ___18___ for our physical needs, we run across fewer moments that inspire us with true awe. Those emotions would require a(n) ___19___ with the significant and the time to contemplate (沉思) it. But who’s got the time or the desire for that? We’ll settle for (将就) pretty good experiences and call them totally ___20___. 【答案】11. D 12. C 13. G 14. E 15. B 16. A 17. J 18. F 19. I 20. H 【解析】 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章论述了当今的语言膨胀问题。 【11题详解】 考查形容词。句意：今天，像史诗和辉煌这样的流行表达被用来表达比它们传统用法更谦虚的意思。根据句意和空格后的名词meaning可知，空格处应该填入一个形容词作定语，修饰空格后的名词，且意义为“适度的；谦虚的”，所以，形容词modest填入空格处，符合语境。故选D项。 12题详解】 考查名词。句意：为了在这个短语背后制造更大的力量，人们还会加上一个字面上的。根据句意和空格前的动词create可知，空格处应该填入一个名词作宾语，且意义为“力量”，所以名词force填入空格处，符合语境。故选C项。 【13题详解】 考查动词。句意：我的父母和祖父母剥夺了像不可思议、美妙和奇妙这样的词的含义。空格处应该填入一个动词作谓语，且意义为“剥夺”，所以，动词robbed填入空格处，符合语境。故选G项。 【14题详解】 考查副词。句意：而这正是我们现在的处境。根据句意和空格前的is可知，空格处应该填入一个副词作状语，且意义为“正是；恰好地”，所以，副词precisely填入空格处，符合语境。故选E项。 【15题详解】 考查形容词。句意：当我们想说一些真正令人敬畏的东西时，我们没有合适的词语。根据句意和空格前的名词words可知，空格处应该填入一个形容词作后置定语，修饰前面的名词words，且意义为“适合的；恰当的”，所以形容词fitting填入空格处，符合语境。故选B项。 【16题详解】 考查名词。句意：作为一个80年代的孩子，我从来不会轻易地称上帝为“awesome”，因为据我所知，它的意思远没有那么伟大。根据句意和空格前的at可知，此处考查固定短语at ease“放松，轻松”。故选A项。 【17题详解】 考查动词。句意：在当前的文化中，我们的灵魂正在挨饿。根据句意和空格前的are可知，空格处应该填入一个动词的现在分词形式，构成现在进行时，且意义为“挨饿”，starving填入空格处，符合语境。故选J项。 【18题详解】 考查副词。句意：我们主要关心我们的身体需求，很少遇到让我们真正敬畏的时刻。根据句意和空格前的动词caring可知，空格处应该填入一个副词作状语，修饰动词caring，且意义为“主要地，首要地，根本地”，副词primarily填入空格处，符合语境。故选F项。 【19题详解】 考查名词。句意：这些情感需要与有意义的事物相遇，需要花时间去思考。根据句意和空格前的require a(n)可知，空格处应该填入一个单数名词作宾语，且意义为“相遇”，名词encounter填入空格处，符合语境。故选I项。 【20题详解】 考查形容词。句意：我们会满足于非常好的体验，称它们非常棒。根据句意和空格前的call them可知，空格处应该填入一个形容词作宾语补足语，且意义为“令人敬畏的；非常棒的”，形容词awesome填入空格处，符合语境。故选H项。 III. Reading Comprehension Section A 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 fits the context. Dare to Follow Almost everyone aspires to lead. If there is one thing anyone with a job and a pulse needs to learn, it is how to ___21___. That, at least, is the message from the tsunami of books, courses, videos and podcasts on the topic. Business schools offer all kinds of leadership training. You are told how to lead without actually being a leader. ___22___ in all this is an inconvenient fact. Most people in the workforce are not leaders and pretty much everyone ___23___ someone else. The most useful skill to have in your current job may well be how to be a good follower. That leaders depend on followers might seem blindingly obvious but the way that people lower down the ladder interact with those above them gets much less attention than the ___24___. A corner of the management literature is ___25___ to “followership”, but it remains small, for several reasons. The first is that you don’t need any advice to achieve the position of ___26___; you will never be more of one than on the very first day of your very first job. The second reason is that, although some people have little desire to be in a position of authority, very few aspire to follow. The word itself is associated with ___27___, weakness and complaints. In an experiment conducted by Colette Hoption of Seattle University and her co-authors, people who were randomly assigned to the role of followers felt unhappier and were less willing to do work at the weekends and early in the morning than those given the ___28___ of leaders. The third reason why the art of following gets little attention is that most subordinates (下属) have much less agency than the people ___29___ them. There is often no choice in whom you report to. Leaders, not followers, set the tone: ___30___ bosses are not old-school command-and- control types, they shape how everyone beneath them behaves.· If such things explain why leadership is ___31___, the behaviour of followers is still crucial. Hierarchies (等级制度) can be more fluid（流动的） than they sometimes look: as teams form and dissolve, you may be leading a project one month and ___32___ the next. Things generally go better when people at every level are engaged in their work and prepared to take on responsibility. Proactivity is a big part of being an effective follower. One of the fathers of the field, Robert Kelley, has usefully ___33___ five styles of followership: sheep, yes-people, unfriendly followers, pragmatists, and stars. Which ___34___ of follower people fall into will undoubtedly depend on their boss. But it will also depend on them: on whether they ingratiate (讨好) themselves with their managers or ___35___ them; on whether they see their boss as someone to support or complain about. As the British Army puts it, “To follow effectively… is a choice.” 21. A. start B. lead C. acquire D. convey 22. A. Special B. Abundant C. Missing D. Competent 23. A. counts on B. reports to C. calls for D. alternates with 24. A. reverse B. authority C. agenda D. convention 25. A. blinded B. reduced C. dedicated D. accustomed 26. A. candidate B. consultant C. executive D. follower 27. A. courage B. passivity C. discrimination D. dignity 28. A. leisure B. duty C. label D. payment 29. A. supervising B. surrounding C. defending D. entertaining 30. A. even if B. now that C. given that D. provided that 31. A. under the weather B. in the dark C. in the spotlight D. on cloud nine 32. A. contributing B. dominating C. selecting D. appointing 33. A. hired B. surveyed C. identified D. designed 34. A. campaign B. category C. trap D. business 35. A. defend B. sponsor C. influence D. challenge 【答案】21. B 22. C 23. B 24. A 25. C 26. D 27. B 28. C 29. A 30. A 31. C 32. A 33. C 34. B 35. D 【解析】 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。职场上的大多数人都不是领导者，几乎每个人都要向别人汇报工作，本文主要讲述了追随者形成的原因及类型。 【21题详解】 考查动词词义辨析。句意：如果有工作有激情的人需要学习一件事，那就是如何领导。A. start开始；B. lead引导；C. acquire获得；D. convey传递。根据上文“Almost everyone aspires to lead.(几乎每个人都渴望成为领导者。)”可知，几乎每个人都渴望成为领导者，有工作有激情的人需要学如何领导。故选B。 【22题详解】 考查形容词词义辨析。句意：在这一切中缺失的是一个难以忽视的事实。A. Special特殊的，特别的；B. Abundant大量的，丰富的；C. Missing 找不到的，丢失的；D. Competent能干的，能胜任的。根据上文“Business schools offer all kinds of leadership training. You are told how to lead without actually being a leader.(商学院提供各种各样的领导力培训。你被告知如何领导，而不是真正成为领导者。)”以及后文“Most people in the workforce are not leaders and pretty much everyone ___3___ someone else.(职场上的大多数人都不是领导者，几乎每个人都要向别人汇报工作。)”可知，职场上的大多数人都不是领导者，几乎每个人都要向别人汇报工作是一个难以忽视的事实是这一切中所缺失的。故选C。 【23题详解】 考查动词短语词义辨析。句意：职场上的大多数人都不是领导者，几乎每个人都要向别人汇报工作。A. counts on依靠，指望；B. reports to向……汇报工作；C. calls for要求，需要；D. alternates with与……交替。根据后句“The most useful skill to have in your current job may well be how to be a good follower.(在你目前的工作中，最有用的技能可能是如何成为一个好的追随者。)”以及上句“Most people in the workforce are not leaders(职场上的大多数人都不是领导者)”可知，在工作中，最有用的技能可能是如何成为一个好的追随者，因为几乎每个人都要向别人汇报工作。故选B。 【24题详解】 考查动词词义辨析。句意：领导者对追随者的依赖似乎是显而易见的，但相比于领导者对下属的依赖，下级与上级之间的互动方式受到的关注要少得多。A. reverse逆转，反向；B. authority专家，权威人士；C. agenda待议事项，议事日程；D. convention习俗，惯例。根据上文“That leaders depend on followers might seem blindingly obvious(领导者对追随者的依赖似乎是显而易见的)”以及“but the way that people lower down the ladder interact with those above them(下级与上级之间的互动方式)” but表示转折可知，下级与上级之间的互动方式受到的关注要少得多。故选A。 【25题详解】 考查动词词义辨析。句意：管理文献的一个角落致力于“追随”，但由于一些原因，它仍然很小。A. blinded瞎的；B. reduced减少；C. dedicated专心致志的，献身的；D. accustomed习惯的，适应的。根据上文“Business schools offer all kinds of leadership training. You are told how to lead without actually being a leader.(商学院提供各种各样的领导力培训。你被告知如何领导，而不是真正成为领导者。)”可知，管理文献的一个角落致力于“追随”。故选C。 【26题详解】 考查名词词义辨析。句意：首先，你不需要任何建议来达到追随者的地位。A. candidate候选人，申请者；B. consultant顾问；C. executive行政的，有执行权的；D. follower追随者。根据后句“you will never be more of one than on the very first day of your very first job.(在你的第一份工作的第一天，你将是最优秀的)”可知，在你的第一份工作的第一天，你将是最优秀的，你不需要任何建议来达到追随者的地位。故选D。 【27题详解】 考查名词词义辨析。句意：这个词本身与被动、软弱和抱怨有关。A. courage勇气；B. passivity被动性；C. discrimination歧视，区别对待；D. dignity尊严，自尊。根据上句“The second reason is that, although some people have little desire to be in a position of authority, very few aspire to follow.(第二个原因是，虽然有些人不太渴望成为权威，但很少有人渴望跟随。)”以及空后“weakness and complaints(软弱和抱怨)”可知，这个词本身与被动、软弱和抱怨有关。故选B。 【28题详解】 考查名词词义辨析。句意：被随机分配到“跟随者”角色的人比那些被分配到“领导者”角色的人感觉更不快乐，而且在周末和清晨更不愿意工作。A. leisure 闲暇，业余时间；B. duty责任，义务；C. label标签，标牌；D. payment付款。根据本句“In an experiment conducted by Colette Hoption of Seattle University and her co-authors, people who were randomly assigned to the role of followers felt unhappier(在西雅图大学的Colette Hoption和她的合作者进行的一项实验中，被随机分配到追随者角色的人感觉不快乐)”可知，在实验中，那些被分配到“领导者”角色的人感觉更不快乐。故选C。 【29题详解】 考查动词词义辨析。句意：服从的艺术很少受到关注的第三个原因是，大多数下属的能动性比监督他们的人要小得多。A. supervising监督；B. surrounding围绕，环绕；C. defending 防护；D. entertaining使有兴趣，使快乐。根据本句“The third reason why the art of following gets little attention is that most subordinates（下属） have much less agency(追随的艺术很少受到关注的第三个原因是，大多数下属的能动性要小得多)”可知，大多数下属的能动性比监督他们的人要小得多。故选A。 【30题详解】 考查连词词义辨析。句意：即使老板不是老派的命令和控制型，他们也会影响下属的行为。A. even if即使，尽管；B. now that既然，由于；C. given that考虑到，鉴于；D. provided that如果，只要。根据文本句“bosses are not old-school command-and- control types, they shape how everyone beneath them behaves(老板不是老派的命令和控制型，他们也会影响下属的行为)”可知，上下句之间存在让步关系，故选A。 【31题详解】 考查介词短语词义辨析。句意：如果这些事情解释了为什么领导是备受关注，追随者的行为仍然至关重要。A. under the weather B. in the dark在黑暗中；C. in the spotlight备受关注；D. on cloud nine非常高兴。根据本句“the behaviour of followers is still crucial(追随者的行为仍然至关重要)”可知，为什么领导是备受关注，追随者的行为仍然至关重要。故选C。 【32题详解】 考查动词词义辨析。句意：层级结构可能比它们有时看起来更灵活：随着团队的形成和解散，你可能这个月领导一个项目，下个月为下一个项目做贡献。A. contributing捐赠，捐助；B. dominating支配；C. selecting选择，挑选；D. appointing任命。根据本句“you may be leading a project one month(你可能这个月领导一个项目)”可知，下个月为下一个项目做贡献。故选A。 【33题详解】 考查动词词义辨析。句意：该领域的奠基人之一罗伯特·凯利（Robert Kelley）将追随者分为五种类型：羊群型、唯唯诺诺型、不友好型、实用主义者型和明星型。A. hired雇用；B. surveyed调查，俯视；C. identified认定，鉴定；D. designed设计。根据本句“five styles of followership(五种类型的追随者)”可知，罗伯特·凯利（Robert Kelley）将追随者分为五种类型。故选C。 【34题详解】 考查名词词义辨析。句意：下属属于哪一类无疑将取决于他们的老板。A. campaign活动，运动；B. category种类；C. trap陷阱；D. business商业。根据上文“One of the fathers of the field, Robert Kelley, has usefully ___13___ five styles of followership: sheep, yes-people, unfriendly followers, pragmatists, and stars. (该领域的奠基人之一罗伯特·凯利（Robert Kelley）将追随者分为五种类型：羊群型、唯唯诺诺型、不友好型、实用主义者型和明星型。)”可知，下属属于哪一类无疑将取决于他们的老板。故选B。 【35题详解】 考查名词词义辨析。句意：但这也取决于他们：取决于他们是讨好管理者还是挑战他们；取决于他们是否把老板视为值得支持或抱怨的人。A. defend保卫，防御；B. sponsor赞助；C. influence影响，作用；D. challenge 挑战。根据本句“on whether they ingratiate（讨好） themselves with their managers(取决于他们是讨好管理者)”可知，取决于他们是讨好管理者还是挑战他们。故选D。 Section B Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several 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 A biography of Bill Gates: Dollar Bill “Americans appear to be growing increasingly uneasy about billionaires,” observes Anupreeta Das, a journalist at the New York Times. With his long career and its many ups and downs, Mr. Gates is “the perfect prism (棱镜) through which to project tricky moral questions” in pursuit of a “collective rethink” about American values. In the biography, Ms. Das goes from the founding of Microsoft in 1975 to its stock market flotation (上市)11 years later. By 1995 Mr. Gates was the youngest billionaire and the richest person in America but was facing a new problem: his company was so dominant that it attracted the attention of antitrust regulators. The heroic nerd had come to be seen as a villain (反派). So, Mr. Gates reinvented himself as a philanthropist (慈善家), establishing the world’s largest charitable foundation with his then wife Melinda and promoting among other billionaires the Giving Pledge (a promise to donate most of one’s wealth to charitable causes). So successful was this reinvention that Mr. Gates was the most admired man in the world from 2014 to 2019, according toYouGov polls. But then his scandals (丑闻)led to the collapse of his marriage. At the same time, the power of his foundation began to come under increasing inspection. The foundation pours billions into public-health initiatives, outspending many governments, and thus shapes health policy in many countries — yet it is accountable to nobody but the Gateses. During the covid-19 pandemic, Mr. Gates was also the subject of conspiracy theories (阴谋论) suggesting that he was profiting from vaccines and even injecting tiny microchips into people. The hero had once again become a villain. But Ms. Das’s book is most interesting when it shows how Mr. Gates has influenced other billionaires, such as Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos, how they have followed his example, and how they have not. The book shows Mr. Gates from many angles but provides few insights of him as a person. There is a Gates-shaped hole at the centre of the narrative; Ms. Das was not allowed to interview Mr. Gates. So what does she conclude about billionaires? They are, she suggests, lightning rods.(避雷针)for deeper concerns about inequality and privilege. But she holds back from making a strong argument about Mr. Gates. A book that promises to tackle billionaires’ place in society asks many questions, but also asks readers to make up their own minds. 36. What is the main purpose of Anupreeta Das’s biography of Bill Gates? A. To document the personal life and career success of Bill Gates. B. To celebrate Bill Gates’s achievements in the technology industry. C. To provide a detailed account of the history of Microsoft. D. To explore the moral implications of America values. 37. Why was Bill Gates regarded a villain? ①Microsoft was so dominant as to attract the attention of antitrust regulators. ②He established the world’s largest charitable foundation and reinvented himself as a philanthropist. ③His investment in public-health initiatives exceeded many governments, thus shaping health policy accountable to only the Gateses. ④He was accused of profiting from vaccines and even injecting tiny microchips into people during the covid-19 pandemic. A. ①②④ B. ①③④ C. ②③④ D. ①②③④ 38. Which of the following is most likely to be included in this book? A. A specific description of Ms. Das’ interview with Bill Gates and the transcript of it. B. Bill Gates’ personality, hobbies, and personal anecdotes in his early life at Microsoft. C. The story that Mr. Zuckerberg faced his own crisis, and turned to Mr. Gates for advice. D. Ms. Das’ strong argument about Mr. Gates, such as concerns about inequality and privilege. 39. What is the overall tone of the author towards Bill Gates and other tech billionaires in this book? A. Neutral and informative. B. Admiring and supportive. C. Critical and disapproving. D. Sympathetic and understanding. 【答案】36. D 37. B 38. C 39. A 【解析】 【导语】本文是一篇传记评论文章。文章介绍了《Dollar Bill》这本传记如何描绘比尔·盖茨的职业生涯、他的转变、他面对的挑战以及他如何影响了其他亿万富翁。 【36题详解】 细节理解题。根据第一段中的“With his long career and its many ups and downs, Mr. Gates is ‘the perfect prism (棱镜) through which to project tricky moral questions’ in pursuit of a ‘collective rethink’ about American values.(盖茨先生漫长的职业生涯充满了起起落落，他是‘一个完美的棱镜’，通过这个棱镜可以投射出棘手的道德问题，从而促使人们对美国价值观进行‘集体反思’)”可知，Anupreeta Das写盖茨传记的主要目的是探索美国价值观的道德含义。故选D项。 【37题详解】 细节理解题。根据第二段中的“By 1995 Mr. Gates was the youngest billionaire and the richest person in America but was facing a new problem: his company was so dominant that it attracted the attention of antitrust regulators.(到1995年，盖茨先生成为美国最年轻、最富有的人，但他面临着一个新的问题：他的公司占据了主导地位，引起了反垄断监管机构的注意)”可知①句“Microsoft was so dominant as to attract the attention of antitrust regulators.(微软占据了主导地位，引起了反垄断监管机构的注意)”符合题意；根据第四段中的“The foundation pours billions into public-health initiatives, outspending many governments, and thus shapes health policy in many countries - yet it is accountable to nobody but the Gateses.(该基金会向公共卫生倡议投入数十亿美元，支出超过了许多政府，从而在许多国家形成了健康政策，但它只对盖茨夫妇负责)”可知③句“His investment in public-health initiatives exceeded many governments, thus shaping health policy accountable to only the Gateses.(他在公共卫生方面的投资超过了许多政府，从而形成了只对盖茨夫妇负责的健康政策)”符合题意；根据第四段中的“During the covid-19 pandemic, Mr. Gates was also the subject of conspiracy theories (阴谋论) suggesting that he was profiting from vaccines and even injecting tiny microchips into people.(在新冠肺炎疫情期间，盖茨先生也是阴谋论的主题，这些阴谋论称他从疫苗中获利，甚至向人们注射微小的微芯片)”可知④句“He was accused of profiting from vaccines and even injecting tiny microchips into people during the covid-19 pandemic.(他被指控在新冠肺炎疫情期间从疫苗中获利，甚至向人们注射微小的微芯片)”符合题意。而②句“He established the world’s largest charitable foundation and reinvented himself as a philanthropist.(他建立了世界上最大的慈善基金会，并将自己重塑为慈善家)”是盖茨的正面行为，不符合题意。故选B项。 【38题详解】 推理判断题。根据倒数第二段“But Ms. Das’s book is most interesting when it shows how Mr. Gates has influenced other billionaires, such as Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos, how they have followed his example, and how they have not.(但当达斯女士的书展示了盖茨先生是如何影响其他亿万富翁的，比如马克·扎克伯格和杰夫·贝佐斯，他们是如何效仿他的，以及他们是如何没有效仿他的，这时她的书就最有趣了)”可知，这本书会讲述盖茨对其他亿万富翁的影响，包括扎克伯格。因此，扎克伯格面临自己的危机，向盖茨寻求建议的故事很可能被包括在这本书中。故选C项。 【39题详解】 推理判断题。根据最后一段最后一句“A book that promises to tackle billionaires’ place in society asks many questions, but also asks readers to make up their own minds.(一本承诺要探讨亿万富翁在社会中的地位的书提出了许多问题，但也要求读者自己做出判断)”可知，作者对盖茨和其他科技亿万富翁的态度是中立且信息丰富的。故选A项。 B Hiking Three Great Walks THE LARAPINTA TRAIL Difficulty: Moderate The Larapinta Trail is a 142-mile bushwalk across the Northern Territory’s sunbaked West MacDonnell Ranges, traversing arid outcrops before descending to swimming holes. Starting in Alice Springs/ Mparntwe, it takes nearly three weeks to hike the length of the trail to its glorious sunrise climax at Mount Sonder, but the trail is divided into 12 sections to allow for day walks, overnight treks and multi-day hikes. World Expeditions offers packages ranging from self-guided treks to all-inclusive guided tours with stays at tented eco-camps, fromA$4,000(£2,040) per person. Larapintatrail com au world expeditions.com CAPE TO CAPE WALK Difficulty: Moderate Western Australia’s Margaret River draws surfers and oenophiles thanks to its bountiful breaks and wineries. Weaving between them is the 77-mile Cape to Cape Track, a coastal trail that navigates karri forests and cliffs along the length of Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park. The trail can take up to seven days to complete and is open year-round-plan your visit between June and December for the chance to spot humpback whales during their annual migration. Basic camping is allowed on the trail but a popular option is to stay in Margaret River and catch shuttles from there to the trailheads.capetocapetrack.com.au SCENIC RIM TRAIL Difficulty: Hard Queensland’s four-day, 29-mile Scenic Rim Trail starts with a heart-pumping climb 2,300ft up the Mistake Mountains. From here, you’re met with steep, track that meander through ancient rainforest. Look out for koalas in the treetops and kangaroos bouncing across the path and spend the night camping beneath eucalypts. The challenging topography means independent hiking is best left to experienced navigators. Spicers Scenic Rim Trail offers small group tours with stays in luxury tents and farmhouses, from A$1,750(£900)perperson.parks.desi.qld.govauscenicrimtrail.com 40. Which of the following statement is TRUE? A. You can go camping on all of these three hiking trails. B. You can spot many wild animals when hiking the larapinta trail. C. It is recommended for beginner hikers to choose the scenic rim trail. D. The difficulty, cost, length and related site of each hiking route are mentioned in the passage. 41. John has a budget of A$2,000 and two weeks of vacation time to go on a hiking adventure. He loves sea views, and is also a wine lover. Which trail would be the most suitable for him? A. The larapinta trail. B. Cape to cape walk. C. Scenic rim trail. D. None of them. 42. Where is this article most likely to appear? A. China Daily B. The Economist C. The New Yorker D. National Geographic Traveller 【答案】40. A 41. B 42. D 【解析】 【导语】这是一篇应用文，文章介绍了三条徒步旅游路线。 【40题详解】 细节理解题。根据THE LARAPINTA TRAIL部分中“World Expeditions offers packages ranging from self-guided treks to all-inclusive guided tours with stays at tented eco-camps(世界探险公司提供的套餐从自助徒步旅行到全包的有导游的旅游，其中包括在帐篷生态营地住宿)”、CAPE TO CAPE WALK部分中“Basic camping is allowed on the trail(步道上允许基本露营)”和SCENIC RIM TRAIL部分中“Look out for koalas in the treetops and kangaroos bouncing across the path and spend the night camping beneath eucalypts.(注意树梢上的考拉和在小路上蹦蹦跳跳的袋鼠，在桉树下露营过夜)”可知，在这三条徒步路线上都可以露营，故选A。 【41题详解】 推理判断题。根据CAPE TO CAPE WALK部分中“Western Australia’s Margaret River draws surfers and oenophiles thanks to its bountiful breaks and wineries.(西澳大利亚的Margaret河因其丰富的休息和酿酒厂而吸引着冲浪者和品酒爱好者)”和“The trail can take up to seven days to complete(这条小径可能需要长达七天的时间才能走完)”可知，John的预算是2000澳元，还有两周的假期去远足探险。他喜欢海景，也是一个葡萄酒爱好者，故该条线路最适合他，故选B。 【42题详解】 推理判断题。根据全文内可知，文章介绍了三条徒步路线，推知最有可能出现在《国家地理旅游者》，故选D。 C Increasingly, AI-generated outputs drift across our feeds and searches. Far beyond our screens, the entire culture is becoming affected. A recent study examining scientists’ peer reviews revealed that the word “meticulous(严谨的)” was used 34 times more often than in the previous year. The phrasing, one of the favorite buzzwords of modern large language models like ChatGPT, indicates that many researchers are handing their work over to AI. This reflects a much bigger problem. Any viral post on social media now almost certainly includes AI-generated replies, all to attract follows. Then there is the growing use of AI to scale the creation of cheap synthetic videos for children on YouTube. The narratives make no sense, and characters appear and disappear randomly. As a neuroscientist, this worries me. Isn’t it possible that human culture contains within it cognitive nutrients— things like cohesive narrations and character continuity— that developing brains need? But what happens when a toddler is consuming mostly AI-generated content? It’s worth looking to a historical analogy(类比) for our current situation: the environmental movement. For just as companies and individuals were driven to pollute by economic incentives, so, too, is AI’s cultural pollution driven by a rational decision to fill the internet’s appetite for content as cheaply as possible. However, there has been undeniable progress keeping our cities mostly free of smog. How? Garrett Hardin, a biologist and ecologist, emphasized in 1968 that pollution was an over exploitation of shared resources driven by people acting in their own interest, and that “we are locked into a system of ‘fouling(污染) our own nest,’ so long as we behave only as independent, rational, free enterprisers.” He summed up the problem as a “tragedy of the commons(公共用地).” This acknowledgement was crucial to the environmental movement, which relied on government regulation to do what companies alone could or would not do. Once again, we find ourselves enacting a tragedy of the commons: short-term economic self- interest encourages using cheap AI content to maximize clicks and views, which in turn pollutes our culture. And so far, major AI companies are refusing to help identify AI’s creation- which they could do by adding statistical patterns hidden in word use or in the pixels of images. To deal with this corporate refusal to act we need the equivalent of a Clean Air Act: a Clean Internet Act. A simple solution would be to legislatively force advanced watermarking in AI- generated outputs. Just as the 20th century required extensive interventions to protect the shared environment, the 21st century must protect a different, but equally critical, common resource: our shared human culture. 43. Why does the author express concern? A. AI-generated content is difficult to detect. B. Young children are overly exposed to online content. C. Our culture is affected by low-quality AI-generated content. D. Technological issues, similar to environmental problems, are serious. 44. Which of the following examples best illustrates a “tragedy of the commons”？ A. Fishermen overfishing to earn as much as possible. B. Netizens uploading an excessive number of videos online. C. Students using AI to generate answers for exam questions. D. Governments failing to establish partnership with companies. 45. According to the author, the issue discussed can be resolved by ________. A. controlling the volume of AI-generated content B. regulating AI outputs to make them more identifiable C. urging tech companies to improve the quality of AI generation D. encouraging people to treat culture as seriously as they treat environmental issues 46. Which of the following serves as the most suitable title for the passage? A. A tragedy of the commons: the importance of regulation B. AI outputs are overwhelming: potential risks of AI technology C. Navigating the digital age: why AI should be used with caution D. Addressing AI-generated garbage: endangered culture needs legislation 【答案】43. C 44. A 45. B 46. D 【解析】 【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章讲述了我们整个文化都受到人工智能的负面影响，需要通过立法规范人工智能输出来解决濒危文化的问题。 【43题详解】 细节理解题。根据第一段中“Far beyond our screens, the entire culture is becoming affected.(在我们的屏幕之外，整个文化都受到了影响。)”和第三段中“Any viral post on social media now almost certainly includes AI-generated replies, all to attract follows. Then there is the growing use of AI to scale the creation of cheap synthetic videos for children on YouTube. The narratives make no sense, and characters appear and disappear randomly.(现在，社交媒体上的任何病毒式帖子几乎肯定都包括人工智能生成的回复，所有这些都是为了吸引粉丝。然后是越来越多地使用人工智能在YouTube上为儿童制作廉价的合成视频。故事毫无意义，人物随意出现和消失。)”可知，我们的文化受到低质量人工智能生成内容的影响，因此作者表示担心。故选C项。 【44题详解】 推理判断题。根据第五段中“Garrett Hardin, a biologist and ecologist, emphasized in 1968 that pollution was an over exploitation of shared resources driven by people acting in their own interest, and that “we are locked into a system of ‘fouling(污染) our own nest,’ so long as we behave only as independent, rational, free enterprisers.” He summed up the problem as a “tragedy of the commons(公共用地).”(生物学家和生态学家Garrett Hardin在1968年强调，污染是人们为了自己的利益而过度开发共享资源，而且“只要我们只是作为独立、理性、自由的企业家行事，我们就会被困在一个‘污染我们自己的巢穴’的系统中”。他把这个问题总结为‘公共用地’。)”可知，渔民过度捕捞以尽可能多地赚钱，最能说明“公共用地”。故选A项。 【45题详解】 细节理解题。根据最后一段中“To deal with this corporate refusal to act we need the equivalent of a Clean Air Act: a Clean Internet Act. A simple solution would be to legislatively force advanced watermarking in AI- generated outputs.(为了解决这种企业拒绝采取行动的问题，我们需要一个类似于《清洁空气法》的法案：《清洁互联网法》。一个简单的解决方案是在立法上强制在人工智能生成的输出中使用高级水印。)”可知，作者认为，所讨论的问题可以通过立法来规范人工智能输出，使其更具可识别性来解决。故选B项。 【46题详解】 主旨大意题。根据第一段中“Far beyond our screens, the entire culture is becoming affected.(在我们的屏幕之外，整个文化都受到了影响。)”和最后一段中“To deal with this corporate refusal to act we need the equivalent of a Clean Air Act: a Clean Internet Act. A simple solution would be to legislatively force advanced watermarking in AI- generated outputs.(为了解决这种企业拒绝采取行动的问题，我们需要一个类似于《清洁空气法》的法案：《清洁互联网法》。一个简单的解决方案是在立法上强制在人工智能生成的输出中使用高级水印。)”可知，本篇文章主要讲述了我们整个文化都受到人工智能的负面影响，需要立法来解决这个问题，D项“解决人工智能产生的垃圾：濒危文化需要立法”可概括本文大意，为最佳标题。故选D项。 Section C Directions: Read the passage carefully. 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. The biology of sleep: Forty thousand naps near the sea Sleep is a bit of an evolutionary mystery. A sleeping animal cannot look for food, defend its territory or flee from danger. The fact that sleep is nonetheless common among animals suggests its restorative powers are essential. So does the fact that, if laboratory animals are deprived of it for long enough, they die. Some animals, though, have developed unique ways to balance the need for sleep and the need for staying alert. Dolphins and ducks can sleep with only half their brains at a time, leaving the other half alert. ___47___ Chinstrap penguins (帽带企鹅), it seems, take their sleep in the form of thousands of tiny micro-naps. The researchers captured 14 penguins on King George Island, and their brain activity was tracked remotely through electrodes. While ducks sleep in long stretches, the researchers discovered that the penguins were napping for just a few seconds at a time, hundreds of times an hour. They offer two explanations for the penguins’ sleep patterns. The first is to do with external threats. Penguins often incubate (孵化) their eggs alone while their partners are away foraging for food. Colonies are threatened by brown skuas (棕贼鸥). ___48___ Broken sleep may be an evolutionarily smart way of getting some shut-eye during long egg-guarding watches while still remaining able to react to danger. ___49___ Birds with nests near the edge of the colony ought to be at greater risk than those in the centre. But birds on the edges of the colony seemed to enjoy longer and deeper naps than those near the middle. That leads to the second suggestion, which is to do with the penguins themselves. Penguin colonies are noisy, crowded places, and threats may come from within as well as without. ___50___ Birds in the bustling, crime-ridden centre of the colony may simply find it harder to get any shut-eye than those living in the safer, quieter suburbs. Choosing between those theories will require more research. Both, of course, could prove to be true. A. But that is complicated by another of the researchers’ findings. B. They are predatory birds that will gladly seize unattended eggs. C. Now a paper by Libourel and Lee reports another clever adaptation. D. The birds may readily steal nesting materials from unguarded neighbours, for instance. E. But the fact that the birds are able to incubate eggs under such conditions proves the naps useful. F. Like ducks, chinstrap penguins can sleep with either their whole brain or with just one hemisphere at a time. 【答案】47. C 48. B 49. A 50. D 【解析】 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了企鹅的睡眠方式是成千上万次的小憩，并解释其原因。 【47题详解】 根据上文“Dolphins and ducks can sleep with only half their brains at a time, leaving the other half alert. (海豚和鸭子一次只能用一半的大脑睡觉，而另一半大脑则保持清醒。)”和下文“Chinstrap penguins (帽带企鹅), it seems, take their sleep in the form of thousands of tiny micro-naps. (帽带企鹅的睡眠方式是成千上万次的小憩。)”可知设空处应承上启下，所以C选项“现在，Libourel和Lee的一篇论文报告了另一种聪明的适应方法。”承接上文的睡觉方法，并引出下文帽带企鹅不同的睡眠方式。故选C。 【48题详解】 根据上文“Penguins often incubate (孵化) their eggs alone while their partners are away foraging for food. Colonies are threatened by brown skuas (棕贼鸥). (企鹅经常在伴侣外出觅食时独自孵蛋。殖民地受到棕贼鸥的威胁。)”可推断下文应介绍棕贼鸥怎样威胁企鹅的殖民地的，B选项“它们是掠食性鸟类，会很高兴地抓住无人看管的蛋。”符合题意，并引出下文“Broken sleep may be an evolutionarily smart way of getting some shut-eye during long egg-guarding watches while still remaining able to react to danger. (从进化的角度来看，睡眠中断可能是一种聪明的方式，既能在长时间看守鸡蛋的过程中获得一些睡眠，又能对危险做出反应。) ”说明切的这种睡眠方式的好处。故选B。 【49题详解】 根据下文“Birds with nests near the edge of the colony ought to be at greater risk than those in the centre. But birds on the edges of the colony seemed to enjoy longer and deeper naps than those near the middle. (在群体边缘筑巢的鸟比在中心筑巢的鸟面临更大的风险。但是边缘的鸟似乎比中间的鸟睡得更久、更深。)” 与上文提到的关于外部威胁影响企鹅睡眠模式的观点相矛盾，所以这是另一个发现带来的复杂情况，A 选项 “但研究人员的另一项发现使情况变得复杂了。”符合题意。所以选 A。 【50题详解】 根据上文“Penguin colonies are noisy, crowded places, and threats may come from within as well as without. (企鹅群是嘈杂拥挤的地方，威胁可能来自内部也可能来自外部。) ”和下文“Birds in the bustling, crime-ridden centre of the colony may simply find it harder to get any shut-eye than those living in the safer, quieter suburbs. (在熙熙攘攘、犯罪猖獗的市中心，鸟类可能会比生活在更安全、更安静的郊区更难被闭上眼睛。)”可推知设空处是关于来自内部的威胁，D选项“例如，这些鸟可能很容易从无人看守的邻居那里偷走筑巢材料。”符合语境。故选D。 IV. Summary Writing 51. Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible. The Marketing Success of the Staley Cup Quencher In the world of drinkware, the Stanley Cup Quencher has emerged as a true success story, captivating consumers and dominating the market. This insulated tumbler has become a household name, with its popularity soaring across various demographics. The Stanley Cup Quencher’s success is not just a matter of luck; it is a testament to the power of effective product positioning. The company identified its target market as millennials and Gen Z consumers who value durability, style, and functionality in their drinkware. These consumers lead active lifestyles and are always on the go. Stanley recognized that this demographic was underserved in the drinkware market and saw an opportunity to fill that gap. To appeal to this target market, Stanley developed a unique selling proposition (USP) for the Cup Quencher. The USP focused on the product’s ability to keep drinks hot or cold for hours, its durable construction and its fashionable, modern design. By emphasizing these key features, Stakley positioned the Cup Quencher as the perfect companion for busy, active lifestyles. Stanley also differentiated the Cup Quencher from its competitors by focusing on the product’s versatility. While many insulated tumblers are marketed solely for keeping drinks hot or cold, Stanley positioned the Cup Quencher as a multi-purpose tool that could be used for everything from morning coffee to evening cocktails. This versatility appealed to consumers who value products that can serve multiple functions and adapt to their changing needs throughout the day. Finally, tapping into emotional appeal and lifestyle branding can be a powerful way to connect with your target audience. By associating your product with a particular set of values, aspirations, or experiences, you can create an emotional bond with consumers that goes beyond the product’s tangible benefits. Stanley’s marketing campaigns for the Cup Quencher portrayed it as a lifestyle accessory for adventurous, independent, and stylish consumers, which resonated with their target audience on an emotional level. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 【答案】参考范文： The Stanley Cup (Quencher), a drinkware, has thrived/gone viral through product positioning. The company discovers the group of millennials and Gen Z and targets their selling strategy at them. The cup appeals to them with excellent temperature preservation, durable design, and versatility. Also, through establishing an emotional connection, the cup is marketed as a must-have for active, stylish individuals. 【解析】 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了Stanley的一款保温杯通过精准的产品定位走红，并分析了其营销思路以及具体的营销策略。 【详解】1. 要点摘录 ①In the world of drinkware, the Stanley Cup Quencher has emerged as a true success story, captivating consumers and dominating the market. ②The Stanley Cup Quencher’s success is not just a matter of luck; it is a testament to the power of effective product positioning. ③The company identified its target market as millennials and Gen Z consumers who value durability, style, and functionality in their drinkware. ④To appeal to this target market, Stanley developed a unique selling proposition (USP) for the Cup Quencher. ⑤The USP focused on the product’s ability to keep drinks hot or cold for hours, its durable construction and its fashionable, modern design. ⑥Stanley also differentiated the Cup Quencher from its competitors by focusing on the product’s versatility. ⑦Finally, tapping into emotional appeal and lifestyle branding can be a powerful way to connect with your target audience. ⑧Stanley’s marketing campaigns for the Cup Quencher portrayed it as a lifestyle accessory for adventurous, independent, and stylish consumers, which resonated with their target audience on an emotional level. 2. 缜密构思 将第1、2两个要点进行整合，说明主题现象；将第3、4两个要点进行重组，总体概括其营销思路；将第5、6两个要点进行整合，具体说明第一个营销策略；将第7、8两个要点进行重组，具体说明第二个营销策略。 3. 遣词造句 The Stanley Cup (Quencher), a drinkware, has been in vogue through product positioning. The company discovers the group of millennials and Gen Z and targets their selling tactic at them. The cup appeals to them with remarkable temperature preservation, durable design, and versatility. Also, through establishing an emotional connection, the cup is marketed as a must-have for energetic, stylish individuals. 【点睛】[高分句型1] The Stanley Cup (Quencher), a drinkware, has thrived/gone viral through product positioning. (名词a drinkware作同位语，简洁地点明Stanley Cup的产品属性) [高分句型2] Also, through establishing an emotional connection, the cup is marketed as a must-have for active, stylish individuals. (动名词短语establishing an emotional connection作宾语，简洁地指出营销手段) V. Translation Directions: Translate the following sentences into English, using the words given in the brackets. 52. 你是否认为自然历史博物馆里的恐龙化石百看不厌？ (worth) (汉译英) ________________________________________________________________ 【答案】Do you think (that) the dinosaur fossils in the Museum of Natural History are worth watching several times? 【解析】 【详解】考查宾语从句和固定用法。根据句意，该句使用一般现在时，且为一般疑问句，表示“认为”为think作谓语，表示“你”为you作主语，一般疑问句应为do you think，位于句首单词首字母需大写；表示“自然历史博物馆里的恐龙化石百看不厌”为宾语从句作think的宾语，从句中不缺成分，且句意完整，所以使用连接词that引导宾语从句，且可以省略；表示“恐龙化石”为the dinosaur fossils，表示“自然历史博物馆里”为in the Museum of Natural History，表示“百看不厌”可理解为“值得看数次”应为be worth watching several times，使用一般现在时，主语为名词复数，所以be动词为are。故翻译为Do you think (that) the dinosaur fossils in the Museum of Natural History are worth watching several times? 53. 阔别家乡多年， 他和家人其乐融融地吃着团圆饭，为健康干杯。(toast) (汉译英) ________________________________________________________________ 【答案】Having been away from the hometown for years/ Returning hometown after many years, he is having the reunion dinner with the family members harmoniously, raising a toast to health. 【解析】 【详解】考查时态，非谓语动词和短语。表示“阔别家乡多年”可译为be away from the hometown for years或者return hometown after many years，与主语he是主动关系，用现在分词形式，先于谓语动词的动作，用现在分词的完成时也可以，表示“其乐融融地吃着团圆饭”可译为have the reunion dinner with the family members harmoniously，陈述正在发生的事情，用现在进行时，harmoniously“和谐地”，副词修饰动词作状语，表示“为健康干杯”用raise a toast to health，用现在分词作伴随状语，故译为Having been away from the hometown for years/ Returning hometown after many years, he is having the reunion dinner with the family members harmoniously, raising a toast to health. 54. 隐形营销赢得消费者青睐的原因在于它比传统广告更可信。(favor) (汉译英) ________________________________________________________________ 【答案】The reason why stealth marketing wins the consumers’ favor is that it is more convincing than conventional advertisements./The reason why stealth marketing is favored by consumers is that it is more convincing than conventional advertisements. 【解析】 【详解】考查定语从句、被动语态、表语从句和形容词比较级。分析句子可知，主句的框架为“原因是（在于）……”，可看作主系表结构，句子内容陈述普遍现状，可用一般现在时。主语部分，中心词“原因”译为The reason，定语部分较长，考虑定语从句，reason在从句中作原因状语，应用关系副词why引导，从句内容“隐形营销赢得消费者青睐”考虑到要使用给出的词favor：可以作为名词“喜爱，偏爱”用名词所有格表示为consumers’ favor，此时主语“隐形营销”译为stealth marketing，谓语动词“赢得”译为win，应用单数形式；也可以作为动词“喜爱，偏爱”视为谓语动词，句意调整为“隐形营销被消费者喜爱”，应用被动语态，符合is favored by结构。主句的be动词搭配单数主语The reason，应用is。表语部分，内容“它比传统广告更可信”为完整句子，考虑表语从句，陈述性内容应用that引导，其结构适合使用形容词比较级，其中主语为it，比较对象“传统广告”可译为conventional advertisements，形容词“可信的”译为convincing。故翻译为The reason why stealth marketing wins the consumers’ favor is that it is more convincing than conventional advertisements或The reason why stealth marketing is favored by consumers is that it is more convincing than conventional advertisements。 55. 几位业余科学爱好者发明了会捏糖人（sugar figures）的机器人，以防这一非遗手工艺失传。(in case) (汉译英) ________________________________________________________________ 【答案】Several amateur science enthusiasts have invented a robot that/which can make sugar figures, in case the intangible cultural heritage handicraft may/should be lost. 【解析】 【详解】考查时态、定语从句和固定短语。“几位业余科学爱好者”翻译为“Several amateur science enthusiasts”；因句子表示的是过去发生的动作对现在的影响，谓语动词使用现在完成时。“发明”使用现在完成时态，翻译为“have invented”；“会捏糖人的机器人”中“会……的”可以用定语从句来表达，先行词是“robot”，关系代词用that或 which引导定语从句，翻译为that/which can make sugar figures；“以防”用短语“in case”，其后接从句，“这一非遗手工艺失传”翻译为this intangible cultural heritage handicraft is lost，故整句翻译为Several amateur science enthusiasts have invented a robot that/which can make sugar figures, in case the intangible cultural heritage handicraft may/should be lost.。 Ⅵ. Guided Writing 56. Directions: Write an English composition in 120-150 words according to the instructions given below in Chinese. 你是明启中学高二学生李磊，你所在的学校公益社团打算开展慰问特殊学校孩子的新年活动。目前社团正向全体社员征集对于两个备选方案的意见。你很感兴趣，写了封邮件给社长表达你的看法。 你的邮件须包含以下内容： 1.说明你的选择。 2.通过比较下表中的信息说明你选择的理由。 请你以此为题，写一篇150字左右的英语作文。 内容 方案一 方案二 活动时间 某个周日上午 某个周三下午4S课 活动地点 特殊学校 明启中学 活动参与者 公益社团成员特殊学校学生家长 公益社团成员部分明启中学教师 活动内容 举行小型趣味运动会 参观明启中学和参加学校社团活动 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 【答案】 Dear Chairman,   I am Li Lei, a sophomore in Mingqi High School and a member of our Community Service Club. I am writing to express my preference for the options to visit the special school kids for the New Year activity. I have carefully considered both options and decided to support Plan One.   Firstly, Plan One takes place on a Sunday morning which allows more flexibility for both students and parents to participate without the pressures of weekday commitments. Additionally, holding the event at the special school rather than at our own school will provide a more inclusive environment, making it easier for the special school students to join in. Furthermore, a small-scale fun sports event will encourage interaction between our club members and the children, promoting a sense of community and empathy.  I believe choosing Plan One will best serve our purpose of giving joy and inclusivity.  Best regards, Li Lei   【解析】 【导语】本篇是开放性作文。你所在的学校公益社团打算开展慰问特殊学校孩子的新年活动。目前社团正向全体社员征集对于两个备选方案的意见，要求考生写了封邮件给社长表达你的看法，说明你的选择以及通过比较表中的信息说明你选择的理由。 【详解】1. 词汇积累 表达：express→show 参加：participate→engage in 另外：additionally→furthermore 活动：event→activity 2. 句式拓展 简单句变复合句 原句：Additionally, holding the event at the special school rather than at our own school will provide a more inclusive environment, making it easier for the special school students to join in. 拓展句：Additionally, because holding the event at the special school rather than at our own school provides a more inclusive environment, it will make it easier for the special school students to join in. 【点睛】[高分句型1]Firstly, Plan One takes place on a Sunday morning which allows more flexibility for both students and parents to participate without the pressures of weekday commitments.(which引导的定语从句) [高分句型2]I believe choosing Plan One will best serve our purpose of giving joy and inclusivity.(省略that的宾语从句) 听力 1—5 CCCAD 6—10 CAADB 11—15BCAAC 16—20 BBBAC 第1页/共1页 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $$ 建平中学2024学年第一学期期中教学质量检测 高二英语试卷 说明：（1）本场考试时间为120分钟，总分140分； （2）请认真答卷，并用规范文字书写。 I. Listening Comprehension Section A 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. At 7:15. B. At 7:50. C. At 8:05. D. At 9:00. 2. A. Unconcerned. B. Surprised. C. Doubtful. D. Delighted. 3. A. He is rather disappointed. B. He can’t accept the result. C. He knows his own limitation. D. He doesn’t care about a promotion. 4. A. She wants to get some sleep. B. She is to prepare a presentation. C. She has to attend a chemistry class. D. She is troubled by her sleep problem. 5. A. Get more food and drinks. B. Invite more people. C Frepare for a party. D. Tidy up the place. 6. A. Take a taxi to the zoo. B. Walk to the zoo. C. Cross the street. D. Wait for the bus. 7. A. The woman arrived too early for registration. B. The woman got a wrong class permit. C. The woman misplaced her class permit. D. The woman missed the registration deadline. 8. A. They haven’t agreed on where to live. B. They don’t want to live in a noisy area. C. They both work in the downtown area. D. They hope to save money for the wedding. 9. A. It will clear up in the lake area tomorrow. B. The lake will be clear after the heavy rain. C. The woman is inviting the man to go to the lake. D. The woman might have to change her plan for tomorrow. 10. A. They love Italian food more than anything else. B. They are disappointed at the restaurant’s recent changes. C. They are satisfied with the current chef at the restaurant. D. They are unhappy with the prices of food at the restaurant. Section B Directions: In Section B, you will hear a short passage and a longer conversation, and you will be asked several questions on each of them. The passage and the conversation 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 through 13 are based on the following passage. 11. A. They found it charming. B. They didn’t care about it. C. They were annoyed by it. D. They had mixed feelings about it. 12. A. It wasn’t being properly maintained. B. People didn’t care whatever mess it might be in. C. There were no effective regulations concerning visitors. D. It was poorly designed and constructed in the first place. 13. A How the White House has become what it is today. B. Why more people from home and abroad visit the White House nowadays. C. How the White House has been damaged by tourists throughout history. D. How the White House became the official residence of the U. S President. Questions 14 through 16 are based on the following passage. 14. A. More of them are smoking cigars. B. Teens are becoming more addicted to cigarettes. C. There has been an 11% increase in the number of teen smokers. D Teens are increasingly exploring healthy alternatives to cigarettes 15. A. Most of the teens buy cigars because of peer pressure. B. There are only fruit-flavored cigars available on the market. C. They can be purchased one at a time so they are afforded by the teens. D. They are quite expensive and require the teens to save their allowance. 16. A. The Cigar Association has taken action against flavored cigars. B. There are no special restrictions on the sale of flavored cigars. C: Teens have been taught cigars are less poisonous than cigarettes D. The attempts to stop teens from smoking cigars have been effective. Questions 17 through 20 are based on the following conversation. 17. A. She is interested in attending an American university. B. She is calling to consult for her friend. C. She wants to learn some basic language skills. D. She has to study English for the sake of her job. 18. A. To help people find a hetter job. B. To help people with English learning. C. To help people get enrolled in, a famous university. D. To help people improve communication skills. 19. A. It is a form that helps the students get a student vise. B. It is a certificate that Indicates the student’s English proficiency.- C. It is a certificate that shows the student’s education experiences, D. It is a reference letter that helps the students get into the U. S embassy. 20. A. Applicants need to pay the tuition at the beginning. B. Applicants must confirm their applications in person. C. Applications can be made through the Internet or by mail. D. Applicants can apply to join the program at any time they want. II. Grammar and Vocabulary Section 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. The Hell of the Sandwich Lunch The competition to be the worst two words in the English language is extremely hard-fought. Surprise party. Cruise holiday. Rice pudding. Keen golfer. The list goes on and on. But right up there is “sandwich lunch”. Separately, ___1___ of these words contains lots of beautiful promise. In combination, however, they spell horrible disaster. Most obviously, they signal that your lunch is ruined. You might have been planning to stroll through a park or eat with a friend. Now you will be spending your break working, ___2___(trap) in a meeting room with several of your colleagues. Even more annoyingly, your manager has announced that sandwiches will be provided ___3___ you should be grateful for the kindness and consideration. The actual food choices are not yours. Instead, they appear ___4___ (make) by a six-year-old. The centre piece is a platter of sandwiches cut into triangles. There are paper plates. You can’t help ___5___ (look) around for party hats and balloons. Not that you actually eat much. The etiquette (礼仪) of the sandwich lunch requires everyone to take less than they want, in order to signal that they are team players ___6___ know how to share. People politely wait their turn and then restrict themselves ___7___ a few items. Your own paper plate is fairly typical: two triangles of bread, four salt-and-vinegar crisps (薯片), a limp salad leaf and one plum tomato. It’s about as appetizing as a cup of sand. You pick up the biggest of your four crisps and put it in your mouth just as the boss begins to lay out the agenda for the discussion. Crisps are never ___8___ (noisy) than when eaten at a sandwich lunch. Every bite thunders (响声穿透) through the room; eyes flick your way with each crunch and then back to the speaker. You wonder ___9___ it takes for a crisp to dissolve (溶解) through the action of saliva (唾液) alone, and conclude it is better to get the whole thing over with. Cue a desperate loud burst of chewing and all eyes are now on you. The boss has stopped speaking. One final bite, and a swallow. The crisp as well as your promotion prospects ____10____ (be) dead. Section 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. ease B. fitting C. force D. modest E. precisely F. primarily G. robbed H. awesome I. encounter J. starving K. warned The Problem of Totally Epic Language Inflation Stan Carey recently wrote a short blog about language inflation, which ultimately creates devaluation in meaning. Today, popular expressions like epic and brilliant are used to express a more ___11___ meaning than their traditional uses. Brilliant actually means clever, and epic actually means surprising. Such is our desire to elevate words with power and importance, that we use hyperbole (夸张) to draw attention. The same tendency can be seen in numbers as well. Once giving 110% became cliché, people started insisting that they give 210%, 310%, and on and on. To create even more ___12___ behind the phrase, people will also throw in a literally. I literally gave 210%. This is no new trend. My generation destroyed words like awesome and totally. My parents and grandparents ___13___ of meaning words like incredible, wonderful, and fantastic. Irish novelist C. S. Lewis expressed concern over language inflation: “Don’t say infinitely when you mean very; otherwise, you’ll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite.” And this is ___14___ where we find ourselves right now. We have no words ___15___ when we want to say that something truly is awe-inspiring. This can also make it all the more difficult for modern readers to connect with older books. Particularly, it can cheapen our understanding of the Scriptures (圣经). As a child of the 80s, I was never at ___16___calling God awesome, because as far as I knew, it meant something much less great. If my sunglasses are totally awesome, I need some other word for God! Our souls are ___17___ in the current culture. We neglect the spiritual aspects of our own existence more and more. It makes sense that the language would reflect that as well. Caring ___18___ for our physical needs, we run across fewer moments that inspire us with true awe. Those emotions would require a(n) ___19___ with the significant and the time to contemplate (沉思) it. But who’s got the time or the desire for that? We’ll settle for (将就) pretty good experiences and call them totally ___20___. III. Reading Comprehension Section A 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 fits the context. Dare to Follow Almost everyone aspires to lead. If there is one thing anyone with a job and a pulse needs to learn, it is how to ___21___. That, at least, is the message from the tsunami of books, courses, videos and podcasts on the topic. Business schools offer all kinds of leadership training. You are told how to lead without actually being a leader. ___22___ in all this is an inconvenient fact. Most people in the workforce are not leaders and pretty much everyone ___23___ someone else. The most useful skill to have in your current job may well be how to be a good follower. That leaders depend on followers might seem blindingly obvious, but the way that people lower down the ladder interact with those above them gets much less attention than the ___24___. A corner of the management literature is ___25___ to “followership”, but it remains small, for several reasons. The first is that you don’t need any advice to achieve the position of ___26___; you will never be more of one than on the very first day of your very first job. The second reason is that, although some people have little desire to be in a position of authority, very few aspire to follow. The word itself is associated with ___27___, weakness and complaints. In an experiment conducted by Colette Hoption of Seattle University and her co-authors, people who were randomly assigned to the role of followers felt unhappier and were less willing to do work at the weekends and early in the morning than those given the ___28___ of leaders. The third reason why the art of following gets little attention is that most subordinates (下属) have much less agency than the people ___29___ them. There is often no choice in whom you report to. Leaders, not followers, set the tone: ___30___ bosses are not old-school command-and- control types, they shape how everyone beneath them behaves.· If such things explain why leadership is ___31___, the behaviour of followers is still crucial. Hierarchies (等级制度) can be more fluid（流动的） than they sometimes look: as teams form and dissolve, you may be leading a project one month and ___32___ the next. Things generally go better when people at every level are engaged in their work and prepared to take on responsibility. Proactivity is a big part of being an effective follower. One of the fathers of the field, Robert Kelley, has usefully ___33___ five styles of followership: sheep, yes-people, unfriendly followers, pragmatists, and stars. Which ___34___ of follower people fall into will undoubtedly depend on their boss. But it will also depend on them: on whether they ingratiate (讨好) themselves with their managers or ___35___ them; on whether they see their boss as someone to support or complain about. As the British Army puts it, “To follow effectively… is a choice.” 21. A. start B. lead C. acquire D. convey 22. A. Special B. Abundant C. Missing D. Competent 23. A. counts on B. reports to C. calls for D. alternates with 24. A. reverse B. authority C. agenda D. convention 25. A. blinded B. reduced C. dedicated D. accustomed 26. A. candidate B. consultant C. executive D. follower 27. A. courage B. passivity C. discrimination D. dignity 28. A. leisure B. duty C. label D. payment 29. A. supervising B. surrounding C. defending D. entertaining 30. A. even if B. now that C. given that D. provided that 31. A. under the weather B. in the dark C. in the spotlight D. on cloud nine 32. A. contributing B. dominating C. selecting D. appointing 33. A. hired B. surveyed C. identified D. designed 34. A. campaign B. category C. trap D. business 35. A. defend B. sponsor C. influence D. challenge Section B Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several 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 A biography of Bill Gates: Dollar Bill “Americans appear to be growing increasingly uneasy about billionaires,” observes Anupreeta Das, a journalist at the New York Times. With his long career and its many ups and downs, Mr. Gates is “the perfect prism (棱镜) through which to project tricky moral questions” in pursuit of a “collective rethink” about American values. In the biography, Ms. Das goes from the founding of Microsoft in 1975 to its stock market flotation (上市)11 years later. By 1995 Mr. Gates was the youngest billionaire and the richest person in America but was facing a new problem: his company was so dominant that it attracted the attention of antitrust regulators. The heroic nerd had come to be seen as a villain (反派). So, Mr. Gates reinvented himself as a philanthropist (慈善家), establishing the world’s largest charitable foundation with his then wife Melinda and promoting among other billionaires the Giving Pledge (a promise to donate most of one’s wealth to charitable causes). So successful was this reinvention that Mr. Gates was the most admired man in the world from 2014 to 2019, according toYouGov polls. But then his scandals (丑闻)led to the collapse of his marriage. At the same time, the power of his foundation began to come under increasing inspection. The foundation pours billions into public-health initiatives, outspending many governments, and thus shapes health policy in many countries — yet it is accountable to nobody but the Gateses. During the covid-19 pandemic, Mr. Gates was also the subject of conspiracy theories (阴谋论) suggesting that he was profiting from vaccines and even injecting tiny microchips into people. The hero had once again become a villain. But Ms. Das’s book is most interesting when it shows how Mr. Gates has influenced other billionaires, such as Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos, how they have followed his example, and how they have not. The book shows Mr. Gates from many angles but provides few insights of him as a person. There is a Gates-shaped hole at the centre of the narrative; Ms. Das was not allowed to interview Mr. Gates. So what does she conclude about billionaires? They are, she suggests, lightning rods.(避雷针)for deeper concerns about inequality and privilege. But she holds back from making a strong argument about Mr. Gates. A book that promises to tackle billionaires’ place in society asks many questions, but also asks readers to make up their own minds. 36. What is the main purpose of Anupreeta Das’s biography of Bill Gates? A. To document the personal life and career success of Bill Gates. B. To celebrate Bill Gates’s achievements in the technology industry. C. To provide a detailed account of the history of Microsoft. D. To explore the moral implications of America values. 37. Why was Bill Gates regarded a villain? ①Microsoft was so dominant as to attract the attention of antitrust regulators. ②He established the world’s largest charitable foundation and reinvented himself as a philanthropist. ③His investment in public-health initiatives exceeded many governments, thus shaping health policy accountable to only the Gateses. ④He was accused of profiting from vaccines and even injecting tiny microchips into people during the covid-19 pandemic. A. ①②④ B. ①③④ C. ②③④ D. ①②③④ 38. Which of the following is most likely to be included in this book? A. A specific description of Ms. Das’ interview with Bill Gates and the transcript of it. B. Bill Gates’ personality, hobbies, and personal anecdotes in his early life at Microsoft. C. The story that Mr. Zuckerberg faced his own crisis and turned to Mr. Gates for advice. D. Ms. Das’ strong argument about Mr. Gates, such as concerns about inequality and privilege. 39. What is the overall tone of the author towards Bill Gates and other tech billionaires in this book? A. Neutral and informative. B. Admiring and supportive. C. Critical and disapproving. D. Sympathetic and understanding. B Hiking Three Great Walks THE LARAPINTA TRAIL Difficulty: Moderate The Larapinta Trail is a 142-mile bushwalk across the Northern Territory’s sunbaked West MacDonnell Ranges, traversing arid outcrops before descending to swimming holes. Starting in Alice Springs/ Mparntwe, it takes nearly three weeks to hike the length of the trail to its glorious sunrise climax at Mount Sonder, but the trail is divided into 12 sections to allow for day walks, overnight treks and multi-day hikes. World Expeditions offers packages ranging from self-guided treks to all-inclusive guided tours with stays at tented eco-camps, fromA$4,000(£2,040) per person. Larapintatrail com au world expeditions.com CAPE TO CAPE WALK Difficulty: Moderate Western Australia’s Margaret River draws surfers and oenophiles thanks to its bountiful breaks and wineries. Weaving between them is the 77-mile Cape to Cape Track, a coastal trail that navigates karri forests and cliffs along the length of Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park. The trail can take up to seven days to complete and is open year-round-plan your visit between June and December for the chance to spot humpback whales during their annual migration. Basic camping is allowed on the trail but a popular option is to stay in Margaret River and catch shuttles from there to the trailheads.capetocapetrack.com.au SCENIC RIM TRAIL Difficulty: Hard Queensland’s four-day, 29-mile Scenic Rim Trail starts with a heart-pumping climb 2,300ft up the Mistake Mountains. From here, you’re met with steep, track that meander through ancient rainforest. Look out for koalas in the treetops and kangaroos bouncing across the path and spend the night camping beneath eucalypts. The challenging topography means independent hiking is best left to experienced navigators. Spicers Scenic Rim Trail offers small group tours with stays in luxury tents and farmhouses, from A$1,750(£900)perperson.parks.desi.qld.govauscenicrimtrail.com 40. Which of the following statement is TRUE? A. You can go camping on all of these three hiking trails. B. You can spot many wild animals when hiking the larapinta trail. C. It is recommended for beginner hikers to choose the scenic rim trail. D. The difficulty, cost, length and related site of each hiking route are mentioned in the passage. 41. John has a budget of A$2,000 and two weeks of vacation time to go on a hiking adventure. He loves sea views, and is also a wine lover. Which trail would be the most suitable for him? A. The larapinta trail. B. Cape to cape walk. C. Scenic rim trail. D. None of them. 42. Where is this article most likely to appear? A. China Daily B. The Economist C. The New Yorker D. National Geographic Traveller C Increasingly, AI-generated outputs drift across our feeds and searches. Far beyond our screens, the entire culture is becoming affected. A recent study examining scientists’ peer reviews revealed that the word “meticulous(严谨的)” was used 34 times more often than in the previous year. The phrasing, one of the favorite buzzwords of modern large language models like ChatGPT, indicates that many researchers are handing their work over to AI. This reflects a much bigger problem. Any viral post on social media now almost certainly includes AI-generated replies, all to attract follows. Then there is the growing use of AI to scale the creation of cheap synthetic videos for children on YouTube. The narratives make no sense, and characters appear and disappear randomly. As a neuroscientist, this worries me. Isn’t it possible that human culture contains within it cognitive nutrients— things like cohesive narrations and character continuity— that developing brains need? But what happens when a toddler is consuming mostly AI-generated content? It’s worth looking to a historical analogy(类比) for our current situation: the environmental movement. For just as companies and individuals were driven to pollute by economic incentives, so, too, is AI’s cultural pollution driven by a rational decision to fill the internet’s appetite for content as cheaply as possible. However, there has been undeniable progress keeping our cities mostly free of smog. How? Garrett Hardin, a biologist and ecologist, emphasized in 1968 that pollution was an over exploitation of shared resources driven by people acting in their own interest, and that “we are locked into a system of ‘fouling(污染) our own nest,’ so long as we behave only as independent, rational, free enterprisers.” He summed up the problem as a “tragedy of the commons(公共用地).” This acknowledgement was crucial to the environmental movement, which relied on government regulation to do what companies alone could or would not do. Once again, we find ourselves enacting a tragedy of the commons: short-term economic self- interest encourages using cheap AI content to maximize clicks and views, which in turn pollutes our culture. And so far, major AI companies are refusing to help identify AI’s creation- which they could do by adding statistical patterns hidden in word use or in the pixels of images. To deal with this corporate refusal to act we need the equivalent of a Clean Air Act: a Clean Internet Act. A simple solution would be to legislatively force advanced watermarking in AI- generated outputs. Just as the 20th century required extensive interventions to protect the shared environment, the 21st century must protect a different, but equally critical, common resource: our shared human culture. 43. Why does the author express concern? A. AI-generated content is difficult to detect. B. Young children are overly exposed to online content. C. Our culture is affected by low-quality AI-generated content. D. Technological issues, similar to environmental problems, are serious. 44. Which of the following examples best illustrates a “tragedy of the commons”？ A. Fishermen overfishing to earn as much as possible. B. Netizens uploading an excessive number of videos online. C. Students using AI to generate answers for exam questions. D. Governments failing to establish partnership with companies. 45. According to the author, the issue discussed can be resolved by ________. A. controlling the volume of AI-generated content B. regulating AI outputs to make them more identifiable C. urging tech companies to improve the quality of AI generation D. encouraging people to treat culture as seriously as they treat environmental issues 46. Which of the following serves as the most suitable title for the passage? A. A tragedy of the commons: the importance of regulation B. AI outputs are overwhelming: potential risks of AI technology C. Navigating the digital age: why AI should be used with caution D. Addressing AI-generated garbage: endangered culture needs legislation Section C Directions: Read the passage carefully. 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. The biology of sleep: Forty thousand naps near the sea Sleep is a bit of an evolutionary mystery. A sleeping animal cannot look for food, defend its territory or flee from danger. The fact that sleep is nonetheless common among animals suggests its restorative powers are essential. So does the fact that, if laboratory animals are deprived of it for long enough, they die. Some animals, though, have developed unique ways to balance the need for sleep and the need for staying alert. Dolphins and ducks can sleep with only half their brains at a time, leaving the other half alert. ___47___ Chinstrap penguins (帽带企鹅), it seems, take their sleep in the form of thousands of tiny micro-naps. The researchers captured 14 penguins on King George Island, and their brain activity was tracked remotely through electrodes. While ducks sleep in long stretches, the researchers discovered that the penguins were napping for just a few seconds at a time, hundreds of times an hour. They offer two explanations for the penguins’ sleep patterns. The first is to do with external threats. Penguins often incubate (孵化) their eggs alone while their partners are away foraging for food. Colonies are threatened by brown skuas (棕贼鸥). ___48___ Broken sleep may be an evolutionarily smart way of getting some shut-eye during long egg-guarding watches while still remaining able to react to danger. ___49___ Birds with nests near the edge of the colony ought to be at greater risk than those in the centre. But birds on the edges of the colony seemed to enjoy longer and deeper naps than those near the middle. That leads to the second suggestion, which is to do with the penguins themselves. Penguin colonies are noisy, crowded places, and threats may come from within as well as without. ___50___ Birds in the bustling, crime-ridden centre of the colony may simply find it harder to get any shut-eye than those living in the safer, quieter suburbs. Choosing between those theories will require more research. Both, of course, could prove to be true. A. But that is complicated by another of the researchers’ findings. B. They are predatory birds that will gladly seize unattended eggs. C. Now a paper by Libourel and Lee reports another clever adaptation. D. The birds may readily steal nesting materials from unguarded neighbours for instance. E. But the fact that the birds are able to incubate eggs under such conditions proves the naps useful. F. Like ducks, chinstrap penguins can sleep with either their whole brain or with just one hemisphere at a time. IV. Summary Writing 51. Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible. The Marketing Success of the Staley Cup Quencher In the world of drinkware, the Stanley Cup Quencher has emerged as a true success story, captivating consumers and dominating the market. This insulated tumbler has become a household name, with its popularity soaring across various demographics. The Stanley Cup Quencher’s success is not just a matter of luck; it is a testament to the power of effective product positioning. The company identified its target market as millennials and Gen Z consumers who value durability, style, and functionality in their drinkware. These consumers lead active lifestyles and are always on the go. Stanley recognized that this demographic was underserved in the drinkware market and saw an opportunity to fill that gap. To appeal to this target market, Stanley developed a unique selling proposition (USP) for the Cup Quencher. The USP focused on the product’s ability to keep drinks hot or cold for hours, its durable construction and its fashionable, modern design. By emphasizing these key features, Stakley positioned the Cup Quencher as the perfect companion for busy, active lifestyles. Stanley also differentiated the Cup Quencher from its competitors by focusing on the product’s versatility. While many insulated tumblers are marketed solely for keeping drinks hot or cold, Stanley positioned the Cup Quencher as a multi-purpose tool that could be used for everything from morning coffee to evening cocktails. This versatility appealed to consumers who value products that can serve multiple functions and adapt to their changing needs throughout the day. Finally, tapping into emotional appeal and lifestyle branding can be a powerful way to connect with your target audience. By associating your product with a particular set of values, aspirations, or experiences, you can create an emotional bond with consumers that goes beyond the product’s tangible benefits. Stanley’s marketing campaigns for the Cup Quencher portrayed it as a lifestyle accessory for adventurous, independent, and stylish consumers, which resonated with their target audience on an emotional level. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ V. Translation Directions: Translate the following sentences into English, using the words given in the brackets. 52. 你是否认为自然历史博物馆里的恐龙化石百看不厌？ (worth) (汉译英) ________________________________________________________________ 53. 阔别家乡多年， 他和家人其乐融融地吃着团圆饭，为健康干杯。(toast) (汉译英) ________________________________________________________________ 54. 隐形营销赢得消费者青睐的原因在于它比传统广告更可信。(favor) (汉译英) ________________________________________________________________ 55. 几位业余科学爱好者发明了会捏糖人（sugar figures）的机器人，以防这一非遗手工艺失传。(in case) (汉译英) ________________________________________________________________ Ⅵ. Guided Writing 56. Directions: Write an English composition in 120-150 words according to the instructions given below in Chinese. 你是明启中学高二学生李磊，你所在的学校公益社团打算开展慰问特殊学校孩子的新年活动。目前社团正向全体社员征集对于两个备选方案的意见。你很感兴趣，写了封邮件给社长表达你的看法。 你的邮件须包含以下内容： 1.说明你选择。 2.通过比较下表中的信息说明你选择的理由。 请你以此为题，写一篇150字左右的英语作文。 内容 方案一 方案二 活动时间 某个周日上午 某个周三下午4S课 活动地点 特殊学校 明启中学 活动参与者 公益社团成员特殊学校学生家长 公益社团成员部分明启中学教师 活动内容 举行小型趣味运动会 参观明启中学和参加学校社团活动 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 听力 1—5 CCCAD 6—10 CAADB 11—15BCAAC 16—20 BBBAC 第1页/共1页 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $$