2025届上海市嘉定区高三下学期二模英语试题

2024学年高三年级第二次质量调研

英语试卷

Ⅰ. 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.

Race to the Frozen North

On April 6, 1909, six determined men stood at the top of the world, claiming victory over one of Earth’s last great frontiers — the North Pole. Their leader, Robert E. Peary, captured the historic moment in photographs as his team proudly held up their flags. Among them was Matthew Henson, an experienced explorer ___1___ skills had been vital to their success. He held a unique flag, ___2___(sew) together from different pieces of fabric, while four expert Inuit hunters stood by his side. They guided the team through the endless frozen wilderness.

Reaching this ice-covered world was not easy. Many had tried before them, only ___3___ (force) back by terrible conditions. Peary’s success was not just luck — it was careful strategy, perseverance, and the strength of his team. He relied heavily ___4___  Henson, who had journeyed with him through the Arctic before. Henson wasn’t just an explorer; he was a survivalist, trained by the Inuit (因纽特人) in the art of handling the ice.

But no amount of skill ___5___ make overcoming the Arctic any easier. The wind screamed like a wild beast, and the temperature dropped to a freezing minus 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Henson later wrote in his journal, “Freezing of the whole front part of the face is an ordinary occurrence.” Ice formed on their skin, ___6___ (bite) deeper with every burst of wind. Frostbite (冻疮) was a constant threat. Peary himself had lost toes on earlier adventures.

Despite ___7___ they endured, they kept pushing forward. Their food was simple but packed with energy: pemmican, a dense mixture of dried meat, animal fat, and berries. ___8___ it did little to satisfy true hunger, it did keep them alive. Their days were long and exhausting. Yet they refused to stop.

Then, at last, they arrived. The vast, icy emptiness ___9___ (stretch) in every direction. Henson, moving quickly ahead, was the first to mark their achievement. When Peary arrived, they planted their flags, securing their place in history. The impossible ____10____ (conquer).

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. capabilities    B. dismiss    C. examine    D. ignorance E. match    F. misrepresentation    G. passionate    H. point I. plug    J. relieving    K. worrying

The Hackers Who Protect Your Security

Have you ever locked yourself out of your house and had to try to break in? First you get a sense of accomplishment in succeeding. But then comes the ____11____ realization that if you can break into your own place as an amateur, a professional could do it five times faster. So you look for the weak ____12____ in your security and fix it. Well, that’s more or less how the DefCon hackers (黑客) conference works.

Every year, hackers meet in Las Vegas to test their knowledge and ____13____. Mention the word “hacker” and many of us picture a seventeen-year-old student sitting in a bedroom, illegally hacking into the government systems. But that is actually a(n) ____14____ of what most hackers do.

The activities that take place at DefCon have an enormous impact on our daily lives. Here, computer addicts who can’t break the habit or resist the challenge of finding security gaps ____15____ all kinds of systems, from the internet to mobile communications to household door locks. And then they try to hack them. In doing so, they do us all a great service by passing on their findings to industry, which can then ____16____ the security holes.

If you’re among those who ____17____ the DefCon attendees as a bunch of social misfits, then you probably have the same password for 90 percent of your online existence, which is risky. Even if you think you’re being clever by using your grandmother’s birth date backwards as a password, you’re no ____18____ for these people. There is no greater ____19____ to be found online than that of an average Internet user. I’m happy to admit that I’m one of them. I’m also aware that there are other people out there who are trying to get more and more access to our personal data. Sadly, we have few tools to protect ourselves. But there is a group of people who are ____20____  about online freedom and have the means to help us protect our privacy. Many of them can be found at DefCon.

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.

Imagine a world where machines don’t just respond to commands but actually understand how you feel. Your phone senses sadness in your voice and suggests calling a friend; your computer sees you’ re tired and reminds you to rest. Sounds ____21____? Not anymore. Emotion AI — the technology that allows machines to recognize and interpret human emotions — is already here.

For Rana el Kaliouby, this idea was ____22____. Years ago, when she moved from Egypt to the UK, she and her husband kept in touch through text messages. But something was ____23____: No matter how many words they exchanged, he couldn’t see the exhaustion on her face or hear the sadness in her voice. That experience planted a seed in her mind: What if technology could bridge that emotional ____24____? Driven by this vision, she co-founded Affectiva, a company specializing in emotion-detecting AI.

The concept is simple yet powerful. Machines are trained to recognize emotions through facial expressions, tone of voice, and even body language. Affectiva, ____25____, works with marketing firms to analyze how people react to advertisements. Meanwhile, companies like Behavioral Signals focus on voice analysis, using tone and speech patterns to discover emotions in customer service calls. The potential ____26____ are vast, from education to healthcare to driver safety.

But here’s the catch: recognizing an emotion isn’t the same as ____27____ it. A furrowed brow (皱眉) — does it mean anger, deep thought, or just bad lighting? A scowl (怒视) could signal frustration, but it might just as ____28____ indicate concentration. And then there’s ____29____ — what looks like excitement in one part of the world might be mistaken for anxiety in another.

Beyond accuracy, there’s a bigger question: Should AI be _____30_____ to make decisions based on emotions? Some police forces have already experimented with emotion AI to assess whether people appear “suspicious.” Critics argue this is a _____31_____ game, especially since studies show AI can be prejudiced, sometimes interpreting emotions differently based on race or gender. The _____32_____ thing society needs is faulty technology influencing important decisions like hiring, law enforcement, or mental health diagnoses.

_____33_____, the progress is undeniable. Car manufacturers are developing AI systems that monitor drivers’ emotions and _____34_____ if they appear distracted or tired. In classrooms, researchers are exploring ways AI could figure out when students are struggling or disengaged and adjust lessons in real time.

So, where does that leave us? Emotion AI is fascinating, full of promise — but also full of risks. But one thing is certain: the line between human and machine is becoming _____35_____ with each passing day.