广东梅州市梅江区梅县东山中学2026届高三下学期开学考试英语试卷

广东梅县东山中学2026届高三下学期开学考试

英语试卷

本试卷共4页，47题，全卷满分120分，考试用时120分钟。

★祝考试顺利★

第一部分阅读（共两节，满分50分）

第一节（共15小题；每小题2. 5分，满分37. 5分）

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项。

A

Many countries are considering reducing speed limits on motorways and in urban areas. Fuel savings and reductions in CO2 emissions are just two of the reasons for doing so.

Fuel consumption decreases the slower you drive, because the moving car has to overcome fewer physical forces such as air resistance and rolling friction (摩擦) between tyres and road. Air resistance increases with the square of the speed. This means that a car experiences 28% more air resistance at a speed of 130km/h than at 110km/h.

Slower speed is not the only way to reduce the CO2 emissions from your car. There are three automotive tips to help the climate else.

STREAMLINE THE CAR

1. Unevenness (不均匀) increases the air resistance of your car, and so its CO2 emissions. Four open windows increase fuel consumption by up to 27%.

GET UP THE GEARS (齿轮) QUICKLY

2. Petrol and diesel (柴油) cars should always be driven in the highest possible gear: the engine then has as few revolutions as possible. Fuel consumption between two gears can vary by up to 20%.

MAINTAIN TYRE PRESSURE

3. Car tyres at the recommended pressure ensure ideal driving. If the tyre pressure drops to 75% pressure, fuel consumption increases by 2%. If it drops by half, the increase is as much as 10%.

Here’s the breakdown of fuel consumption impact of driving habits and vehicle adjustments from the Federation of Danish Motorists (FDM).

1. Why does driving at a lower speed help cut fuel use?

A. It weakens the physical forces the car must fight against.

B. It changes the way air resistance affects the car.

C. It lightens the weight of the moving vehicle.

D. It makes the engine work at a higher speed.

2. What will happen if a car’s windows are wide open while driving?

A. It’ll lower the car’s air resistance.

B. It’ll reduce the car’s CO₂ emissions.

C. It’ll lead to a sharp rise in fuel use.

D. It’ll make the car run more smoothly.

3. What is the fuel-saving effect of reducing speed from 130km/h to 110km/h according to FDM data?

A. 10%. B. 16%. C. Up to 20%. D. Nearly 28%.

B

In March 2022, the Endurance — the lost vessel of the famed polar explorer Ernest Shackleton — was found in Antarctica, 107 years after it sank. The news made headlines around the world, not only for the incredible achievement of the search team, but because the discovery marked the final chapter in a legendary story of extraordinary courage and perseverance.

On August 4,1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton, along with a skilled crew of 27, set sail on the Endurance toward the

South Pole, hoping to make the first land crossing over Antarctica. From Plymouth,UK, the team arrived in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and on November 5 reached South Georgia Island, the last settlement of civilization enroute to Antarctica. There, the real challenge began. Two days after leaving South Georgia in December, the Endurance encountered floating ice, and was soon completely trapped in pack ice.

The worthy vessel held up for nine months, drifting down south slowly and then pushed northward by the ice. Gradually, the pressure from the ice buckled the planks. Freezing water rushed in and exacerbated the situation. On October 27,1915, Shackleton ordered his crew to abandon the ship, pitching tents on the ice a mile and a half away. Weeks later, they watched the Endurance sink beneath the Weddell Sea.

The next five months, the crew camped out on the pack ice as it drifted north, surviving on penguins, seals, and seaweed. Finally, the ice broke up enough for them to escape in lifeboats. For seven days, they sailed more than a hundred miles to the uninhabited Elephant Island. But the crew couldn’t survive long there. So, Shackleton made a dangerous attempt to get help: With five crew members, he sailed 800 miles over 16 days across freezing, stormy seas to South Georgia Island. Then the group hiked for 36 hours across the island to reach a whaling station.

Help was almost at hand, but ice and bad weather hindered their return. On August 30,1916, Shackleton finally got back to Elephant Island with a ship big enough to rescue the rest of his men. All the members of the expedition team survived, but the Endurance remained lost under the sea until its discovery in 2022.

4. What is this passage mainly about?

A. A renowned Antarctic explorer. B. The extreme weather in Antarctica.

C. A challenging voyage to Antarctica. D. The amazing discovery of a sunken ship.

5. Which of the following idioms is closest in meaning to “exacerbated the situation” in the third paragraph?

A. Broke the ice. B. Cost an arm and a leg.

C. Missed the boat. D. Added fuel to the fire.

6. According to the passage,which of the following is true about Shackleton and his Antarctic expedition?

A. His journey lasted more than two years.

B. He was the first man to cross over the Antarctic.

C. His team camped out on Elephant Island for five months.

D. He sent five crew members on a lifeboat to get help from a whaling station.

7. Which of the following shows the correct route of the Endurance after leaving South Georgia?