9 2017届上海市黄浦区高三英语二模试卷(作文有范文)

黄浦区2017年高考模拟考

英语试卷

（完卷时间：120分钟满分：140分）

2017年4月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. 2 litres. B. 13 litres. C. 26 litres. D. 52 litres.

2. A. In an English class. B. In a swimming pool. C. On a bus. D. In a sporting goods store.

3. A. By bus. B. By underground. C. By taxi. D. By car.

4. A. Doctor and patient. B. Teacher and student.

C. Employer and Employee.

D. Salesman and customer.

5. A. Have a lesson. B. Take a test. C. See a film. D. Go to bed.

6. A. Difficult. B. Memorable. C. Uninteresting. D. Worthwhile.

7. A. She wants a bottle of juice. B. She’d like some alcohol.

C. The red wine in this bar is perfect.

D. The location of the bar is unknown.

8. A. An excellent résumé. B. An entry form.

C. A job offer.

D. The position of system engineer.

9. A. It’s famous. B. It’s profession al. C. It’s expensive. D. It’s cheating.

10. A. The 26-month-old baby is always busy watching videos.

B. TV and videos may hurt a child’s language development.

C. Nothing can replace parents in kids’ language development.

D. Children usually watch TV too passively to learn something.

Section B

Directions: In Section B, you will hear one longer conversation and two short passages, and you will be asked several questions on each of the conversation and the passages. The conversation and the passages 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 would be the best answer to the question you have heard.

Questions 11 through 13 are based on the following dialogue.

11. A. Encouraging. B. Dishonest. C. Interesting. D. Nervous.

12. A. How to start his own business. B. How to develop a real interest.

C. How to speak to a woman bravely.

D. How to balance his study and work.

13. A. He has too loose a schedule. B. He loves the feeling with students.

C. He is dissatisfied with his current job.

D. He wants to determine his future development.

Questions 14 through 16 are based on the following passage.

14. A. Kids threw litter everywhere. B. The camp director gave rude orders.

C. Some mysterious plastic litter was found.

D. Kids’ joint efforts led to a clean camp.

15. A. By taking pictures of litter he picked up.

B. By sharing photos of the terribly dirty planet.

C. By keeping a record of crowdsourced cleaning-up.

D. By inspiring kids to pick up five pieces of litter every day.

16. A. There is strength in numbers. B. Birds can help to pick up litter.

C. Litter is artistic and approachable.

D. More straws should be used in the café.

Questions 17 through 20 are based on the following passage.

17. A. To enable students to reject violence. B. To help students face struggles more properly.

C. To improve students’ health.

D. To eliminate poverty more effectively.

18. A. How to calm down by talking to experts. B. How to clear their mind throughout the day.

C. How to make their teachers happy.

D. How to respond to situations better.

19. A. More students dropped out last year. B. There is less bad behavior on campus.

C. Students are less responsible for their study.

D. More students are willing to be sent to the office.

20. A. Its effect remains to be seen. B. Everyone can benefit from it.

C. It helps to get rid of poverty to some extent.

D. There is enough evidence to show its significance.

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.

Should Children Ban Their Parents from Social Media?

It might be taken for granted - but no previous generation of children will have had the experience of having their entire childhoods intensively and publicly documented in this way. But the very first people to have had some of their childhood pictures __21__ (post) online are not always happy about their formative years being preserved in digital world.

Parents may not realize it, but by posting photos and videos of their children online, they are creating an identity for their children __22__ might not be welcomed. Lucy is a good example. She said she had asked her dad to de-tag her from “stuff that doesn’t necessarily represent __23__ I am now. That’s not something I’d want to remember every time I log on to Facebook… It isn’t the best memories, which is the way you’d like to reveal __24__ on social media.”

Stories about online privacy are often about children and teenagers being warned of the dangers of publishing too much personal information online. But in this case it’s their parents who are in the spotlight. For some parents, __25__ (safe) option is avoiding social media altogether.

Kasia Kurowska from Newcastle is expecting her first child in June and has agreed with her partner Lee to impose a blanket ban __26__ her children are old enough to make their own decisions about social media. But she has two big concerns about her plan. Firstly, it will be difficult __27__ (impose). “W hen their auntie comes round

and takes a picture, we’re going to have to be like paparazzi police, saying, please don’t put these on Facebook. And secondly, the child might dislike __28__ (not own) an online presence, especially if all of their friends do. But I __29__ (keep) a digital record of them. It just won’t have been shared on a platform __30__ the masses.”

Section B

Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note

III. Reading Comprehension

Section A

Directions: For each blank in the following passages 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.

Being Bigger isn’t Necessarily Considered Better

The firm, which famously started life in 1939, has now declared a new age: that of smaller start-up. By 2014, when Ms Whitman announced HP’s decision to separate its computer and printer business from its corporate hardware and services operations, the company had grown into a clumsy __41__. Its fortunes started to __42__ with a series of expensive and much criticized purchases. By 2012 it had lost its position as the world’s leading supplier of PCs to Lenovo. The dramatic __43__ was aimed at helping the firm adapt to the new age of mobile and online computing, responding to shareholder demands for more aggresive__44__.

“I would go from laser jet printing to our big enterprise services contracts where we were running the back end of IT for many big companies and organizations. These two things are not like each other. So the ability to

focus and engage with customers on a(n) n__45__ set of objectives and business outcomes... I can already see the difference.” Ms Whitmann, who now heads the new spin-off, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) selling servers and services, says the change has already __46__ her performance. “One big change is it__47__ each of the divisions to pursue the strategy that is right for them. __48__ , there is ‘no way’ printer and PC company HP Inc’s decision last year to buy Samsung’s printing business for $1bn would have happened when it was part of the larger firm. So it’s that ability to drive your own program, not __49__ by other businesses that don’t have the same characteristics.” Ms Whitman is so convinced her strategy is working that she’s __50__ HPE further, spinning off both its business services division and its software business into separate companies last year.

Her assumption that bigge r doesn’t always mean better seems __51__. After all, a larger company should find it easier to dominate the market it operates in. But the rapid rise of much smaller start-ups, competing and often overtaking these established powerful companies means the accepted wisdom that _s_52__ equals success is being challenged. __53__ in 2014, eBay carved PayPal, the electronic payments arm it bought in 2001, off from the main online sale business.

Box, a cloud storage company, is another case in point. Founder Aaro n Levie says “Whether Uber, Airbnb, those same lessons __54__, which is if you can build something that’s cheaper, faster and more scalable and delivers a far better customer experience than what the traditional sellers were able to do, then you can be extremely __55__.”to other competitors.

41. A. appearance B. construction C. giant D. possession

42. A. decline B. increase C. stay D. vary

43. A. adventure B. combination C. development D. split

44. A. behavior B. growth C. markets D. policies

45. A. ambitious B. complex C. narrow D. overall

46. A. delivered B. improved C. measured D. standardized

47. A. allows B. employs C. reminds D. threatens

48. A. All in all B. For example C. On the contrary D. What’s more

49. A. held back B. kept on C. looked over D. taken down

50. A. dissolved B. expanded C. operated D. shrunk

51. A. fundamental B. reasonable C. surprising D. widespread

52. A. diligence B. discipline C. profit D. size

53. A. Comparatively B. Generally C. Similarly D. Unexpectedly

54. A. apply B. fail C. hide D. increase

55. A. friendly B. miserable C. motivated D. troublesome

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)

Born in 1823 in Wales, Alfred Russel Wallace was a man of modest means, but he had a passion for nature

and he chose to follow it. He started out collecting insects as a hobby, but eventually his longing for adventure led him to explore the world.

Luckily for Wallace, Victorian Britain was discovering an interest in weird and wonderful insects, so the demand from museums and private collections for these beasts was growing. Wallace was able to make a living doing what he loved: collecting beetles and other insects.

But his first trip of exploring the world ended in disaster. Wallace proceeded to the Amazon in South America. Its giant forests promised a wealth of new species, sure to put him on the scientific map. The trip took 6 weeks and involved every mode of transport in existence at the time. After four years Wallace set off for home, but his boat caught fire in the middle of the Atlantic. Everyone survived, but Wallace had to watch in despair as his samples went up in flames – including live animals he was bringing home that were trying to jump free of the flames. But he did not let it stop him.

In 1854, Wallace set off on another adventure, this time to the Malay Archipelago. Wallace found himself humbled by the new and exciting things he saw. He later recalled: “As I lie listening to these interesting sounds, I think how many besides myself have longed to see with their own eyes the many wonderful and beautiful things which I am daily encountering.”

In 1858, Wallace wrote what became known as the “Ternate essay”: a piece of writing that was to change our understanding of life forever. In his essay, Wallace argued that a species would only turn into another species

if it was struggling for existence. Henry W. Bates was one of many scientists delighted by the idea of evolution

by natural selection. In a letter to Wallace, he wrote: “T he idea is like truth itself, so simple and obvious that those who read and understand it will be struck by its simplicity; and yet it is perfectly original.”

56. __________ finally caused Wallace to explore the world.

A. His strong affection for nature

B. His life-long devotion to beasts

C. His deep love for adventure

D. Increasing demand for insects

57. Which of the following is TRUE about Wallace’s first trip?

A. It took him six weeks to explore the Amazon with all kinds of transportation.

B. He made a scientific study of a fairly limited number of insects.

C. The fire cost him his four years’ collection of animals.

D. His passion cooled after the disaster.

58. Wallace felt _____ on the Malay Archipelago.

A. fearless

B. lucky

C. challenged

D. risky

59. Wallace’s idea on evolution of natural selection __________.

A. made no sense at that time

B. built up a new concept of life

C. was too simple to be true

D. revealed the origin of nature

(B)

Virtual reality

Probably the most exciting tech development of recent times, virtual reality (VR) has arrived, with sufficient options available to the consumer who’s searching for an

extra amount of high-tech fun. The cheapest way to get a high-end VR experience

comes courtesy of Sony. I ts PlayStation VR doesn’t require a tricked-out PC or

expensive phone – it works with the Playstation 4 control board and comes with a few

great games in its library. There is some equipment you can purchase to enhance the experience, but if you’ve already got a PS4 you can enter the world of VR for just $400. Other high-end offerings like the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, as well as mobile options like Samsung’s Gear VR, will get your head in the game.

Wireless headphones

Combining ease of use with the ability to move wild around your home, gym or

workplace, wireless headphones just make sense. And there are plenty of practical

options to suit any budget. The Bose QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones are

definitely worth a test drive, though. The full-size, around-ear Bluetooth headphones

highlight active noise cancellation and double as a headset for making phone calls.

They’ve even earned the Editor’s Choice award at https://www.360docs.net/doc/f817974758.html, and can be purchased for

less than $400 online.

Digital cameras

While your phone is a worthy assistant, there’s no substitute for a real camera when it comes to taking the perfect picture. And these days you can get quality specifications in

a package that’s almost as small as your smartphone. The shiny design of the Fujifilm

X70, $699, makes it the perfect companion, or you could go retro with the Olympus PEN-F ($1,200) that offers old school looks alongside cutting edge technology. Domestically, it’s worth checking out Xiaomi’s mirrorless Yi M1 for a more affordable option. With a high-end 20-megapixel（兆像素）sensor and the ability to host multiple lenses, it’s available from just 2,199 yuan.

60. Sony can provide high-tech fun at the lowest cost because __________.

A. players can play free games online

B. PS4 owners don’t need any other device

C. it gives players adequate experience

D. players have purchased expensive PCs

61. What is Bose QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones’ s elling point promoted in the passage?

A. They have various types to meet users’ need s.

B. Users can reduce noise manually.

C. They work better in the wild.

D. Users can make phone calls with the headphones.

62. If your friend, who favors everything in the styles of the past, plans to make perfect pictures with a new

device, you will most probably recommend __________.

A. A smart phone.

B. Fujifilm X70.

C. Olympus PEN-F.

D. Yi M1.

(C)

Naquela Wright’s life took an unexpected turn when she lost her eyesight as a teenager, but even when her world became dark, the New Jersey resident didn’t want to qu it social media.

Using Facebook was a challenge at first. Diagnosed in 2010 with pseudotumor cerebri, a rare health condition in which pressure increases around the brain and can result in the loss of vision, Wright learned how to use a screen reader to read the site through the touch of the keyboard and sound of a robotic voice. Still, when a friend sends her a photo, Wright often has no clue what the image shows.

Now Facebook is trying to solve this problem by exploiting the power of artificial intelligence to create new tools that not only describe items in a photo but allows users to ask what’s in an image.

“I can have a basic picture in my mind of what’s going on in the picture and now I can comment on my own,” said Wright, who got to try out the new tools that are still being tested. “Of course, it’s different, but it’s

something more than I had.”

An estimated 285 million people are visually disabled globally, according to the World Health Organization, and research conducted by Facebook showed that b lind users have trouble figuring out what’s in a photo because the description isn’t clear or doesn’t exist.

Facebook has made it easier to skim through the content on its website with a screen reader by improving HTML headings, adding alternative text for images, launching keyboard shortcuts, and more. Using artificial intelligence to describe photos is only a part of these ongoing efforts.

With 1.5 billion users, Facebook isn’t the only social media company that wants to improve its website for the visually disabled. Along with Facebook and other major tech firms, Twitter and LinkedIn have their own accessibility teams and belong to an initiative called “Teaching Accessibility”.

Jeff Wieland, Facebook’s head of accessibility engineering, said the group wan ts to educate more engineers, especially early in college, about designing products that are compatible with the disabled and others. “We really don’t want accessibility to be the luxury of a handful of companies,” Wieland said. “We want everything around the world to be built with accessibility in mind.”

63. What tool helps the visually disabled to read Facebook?

A. A screen reader.

B. A special keyboard.

C. A helpful robot.

D. HTML headings.

64. What can be inferred from the passage about the new tool created by Facebook?

A. It adds a lot of shortcuts on the keyboard.

B. It helps users to employ their senses other than sight.

C. It meets no competitors with its advanced technology.

D. It inspires more engineers to explore artificial intelligence.

65. The underlined phrase in the last paragraph “are compatible with” most probably means __________.

A. are unaffordable to

B. bring harm to

C. keep company of

D. well suit

66. Which of the following is the best title for this passage?

A. Screen reader: tool to access social media

B. Ongoing efforts: strength to improve websites

C. Artificial intelligence: power to help the blind

D. Teaching accessibility: initiative to educate engineers

Section C

Directions: Read the following passage. Fill in each blank with a proper sentence given in the box. Each sentence

foolish mistake or practicing a tricky speech ahead of time, you’ll have felt the social restriction against communicating with yourself in words. According to the well-known saying, talking to yourself is the first sign of madness.

__67__ Talking to ourselves, whether out loud or silently in our heads, is a valuable tool for thought. Far from being a sign of foolishness, self-talk allows us to plan what we are going to do, manage our activities, regulate our emotions and even create a narrative of our experience.

Take a trip to any preschool and watch a small child playing with her toys. You are very likely to hear her talking to herself: offering herself directions and giving voice to her frustrations. __68__ We do a lot of it when we are young – perhaps one reason for our shyness about continuing with it as adults.

As children, according to the Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky, we use private speech to regulate our actions in the same way that we use public speech to control the behavior of others. __69__ Psychological experiments have shown that the distancing effect of our words can give us a valuable perspective on our actions. One recent study suggested that self-talk is most effective when we address ourselves in the second person: as “you” rather than “I”.

We internalize the private speech we use as children – but we never entirely put away the out-loud version. __70__ You’re sure to see an athlete or two getting themselves ready for a sharp phrase or scolding themselves after a bad shot.

Both kinds of self-talk seem to bring a range of benefits to our thinking. Those words to the self, spoken silently or aloud, are so much more than lazy talk.

IV．Summary Writing

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.

Moustache（胡子）for Cash

“Movember”, as the annual event is known, sees men in countries including the UK, US and Australia grow out their facial hair while collecting sponsorship money from friends, family and colleagues, with the money going to cancer charities.

The month of no shaving began unofficially in 2003, when a pair of men from Australia persuaded their family to join them in growing a moustache in order to encourage men to get themselves checked for cancer, which is seen as distasteful by some males. A year later, the group decided to set up the Movember Foundation, asking friends and colleagues to offer donations of money to support their efforts, and raised a massive A$54,000 which was shared between a number of health projects. With thanks most likely to social media, Movember soon went global and the foundation now operates worldwide, having raised over ￡440 million since 2004. The effects of the fundraising are wide-reaching, which had made a significant discovery in the treatment of cancer.

The issue of some men being too self-willed to visit their doctor for a checkup, or perhaps being raised in a culture of “tough it out”, has led some males to neglect their health, which may mean it could be too late if something potentially deadly did develop. However, Movember is helping to break down the shame of male health by making it more accessible, meaning that men are more likely to visit their doctors. They found a way to appeal to men in a way that other campaigns just don’t – with a sort of blokey①jokiness.

①blokey: behaving in a way that is supposed to be typical of men , especially men enjoying themselves in a group.

V. Translation

Directions: Translate the following sentences into English, using the words given in the brackets.

72. 永远不要对你孩子的缺点熟视无睹。(blind)

73. 任何情况下，你都不应该恶意评论他人。(Under…)

74. 申请人必须精通英语，否则他无法胜任这个岗位。(command)

75. 除了美味的咖啡和甜品，这间咖啡馆还提供各种书籍，从小说到诗歌，应有尽有，足以让你安静地度

过一个下午。(range)

VI. Guided Writing

Directions: Write an English composition in 120-150 words according to the instructions given below in Chinese.

请简单描绘图片内容，并用你生活中的一个经历来具体说明。你的文章必须包括：

1）对图片的简单描述；

2）对个人经历的具体描写；

3）你当时的感受或想法。

黄浦区2017年高考模拟

英语试卷参考答案

Listening Comprehension:

1-10 BDBCA DBCDC 11-20 ADD DAA BDBA

Grammar and Vocabulary:

21. posted 22. that / which 23. who / what 24. yourself / yourselves

25. the safest 26. until / before 27. to impose 28. not owning

29. will keep 30. for

31-40 JDAGK FBHCE

Reading Comprehension:

41-55 CADBC BABAD CDCAD

56-66 CCBB BDC ABDC 67-70 AFCB

Summary writing (the main points):

1.Men grow moustache for money used for cancer charities in Movember.

2.In 2003, two men started Movember. In 2004, the foundation was set up. Since then it has gone global and

raised lots of money.

3.Its success is due to its way to have men visit their doctors with blokey jokiness.

Translation:

72.Never turn a blind eye to your kid’s shortcoming(s).

73.Under no circumstances should you make ill/evil/bad comments on others.

74.The applicant must have a good command of English / command English well, or he won’t be qualified for

the job.

75.Besides nice coffee and dessert, the café provides all kinds of books, ranging from novels to poetry, so that

you can stay for a whole quiet afternoon.

7+8+5=20

The picture shows a boy with a spread pair of wings, and a couple of parents with a huge pair of scissors, going to operate on their child’s beautiful wings. What we can see in the parents’ eyes is expectation, in sharp contrast with the sadness in the boy’s.

The picture just reminds the similar operation of my own, when I was a kid who had just started primary school. I always enjoyed myself in the nature, which was wide enough to spread my wings and fly to the fun. However, as my ages grew, my parents started to pull the feather off from my wings. Since then, I had no alternative but to be restricted in the room, working hard on the academic subjects by the window instead of setting myself free in the air. I must have argued, cried and shouted, but it was of no use.

At that point, I could just tell that I feel so bounded. I thought I was not doing bad in school so I should earn my time of playing. It didn’t necessarily mean playing games or other things, but the freedom to follow my interest and develop them before it was too late. So I can totally understand the boy in the picture, and wish him a bright future.

黄浦区2017年高考模拟考英语试卷

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.M: Honey, can you believe that we used 26 litres on our car this month?

W: You must be kidding. That’s twice the amount of last month.

Q: How much gasoline did the two speakers use last month?

2.W: Excuse me, but are you looking for a bike?

M: Yes. Now that the weather is warming up, I think I should get some exercise instead of taking a bus all the time.

Q: Where does the conversation most probably take place?

3.M: An exhibition of Picasso’s paintings is being held in the Art Gallery. Do you want to go with me?

W: How can I miss it? But with the bus drivers on strike and taxis so expensive, we have no choice but to take the subway. If only we had a car.

Q: How are they most likely to go to the gallery?

4.W: Listen, you cannot afford another day off. You’v e called in sick five times in the last three months. If this

continues, we may not be able to employ you here.

M: I know, Ms Douglas. But I’m really sick.

Q: What’s the most probable relationship between the two speakers?

5.M: I have to go to class because I will have a test tomorrow, but if I could, I’d go with you to the movie.

W: That’s too bad. I wish that you could come along.

Q: What will the man most probably do next?

6.W: My good friend is actually hosting an international exchange student.

M: I know. There maybe a little bit of a language barrier, but that’s to be expected.

Q: What does the man think of hosting an international student?

7.M: Would you like red wine or something?

W: Oh perfect. What’s the point of drinking juice in the best bar in town anyway?

Q: What does the woman mean?

8.W: I think your résuméis excellent, but I’m afraid we don’t have any vacancies for the position of system

engineer at the moment.

M: Well, you must have some position open somewhere… perhaps something more entry-level?

Q: What does the man want?

9.M: Hi, I just bought a set of English learning software. It is recommended by a famous professor.

W: Oh, come on, I wish it were worth your money.

Q: What does the woman imply about the software?

10.W: Sometimes w hen I’m busy, I let my 26-month-old watch videos. Can this help her language development?

M: It probably won’t hurt, but TV and videos are poor substitutes for parents’ involvement. Watching TV is a passive activity.

Q: What can we learn from the conversation?

Section B

Directions: In Section B, you will hear one longer conversation and two short passages, and you will be asked several questions on each of the conversation and the passages. The conversation and the passages 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 would be the best answer to the question you have heard.

Questions 11 through 13 are based on the following dialogue.

W: I’ve been really impressed with your work here.

M: Thank you! I really love to work as a student doctor here. I have a question for you, but I am a little

nervous to ask you.

W: I want you to feel comfortable being open and honest here, so ask away!

M: So, everyone who works here kind of has something they love to do, right? Something they’re really good at. For example, Andy, he loves movies. And Kelsey, she has her music. Sheila just loves her work so much. And you have this business, which is so cool.

W: So, you don’t have that one thing you love?

M: Well, I think I know what it is…

W: Tell me! That’s great!

M: I want to go back to school. I love learning.

W: That’s a wonderful idea!

M: But I still want to be a student doctor here. Is that OK?

W: Of course, we can make it work.

M: That is such a relief. I was so scared to ask you.

W: It’s really not a big deal. We can work out the schedule. So, do you know what you’re going to study?

M: I’m interested in so many different things. I think starting back at school will help me decide which direction I want to go.

11. Which word may best describe the woman?

12. What does the man worry about?

13. Why does the man want to go back to school?

Questions 14 through 16 are based on the following passage.

This story starts with my two kids. We were hiking in the Oakland woods when my daughter noticed a plastic container of cat litter in a river. She said, “Daddy, t hat doesn’t go there.”

When she said that, it reminded me of one summer camp as a boy. On the morning of the visiting day, our camp director said, “Quick! Everyone pick up five pieces of litter.” You get a couple hundred kids each picking up five pieces, and pretty soon, you’ve got a much cleaner camp. So I thought, why not apply that crowdsourced cleanup model to the entire planet?

Let me show you how it started. I took a picture of a cigarette. Then I took another photo ... and another photo ... and another photo. And I noticed two things: one, litter became artistic and approachable; and two, at the end of a few days, I had 50 photos on my phone and I had picked up each piece, and I realized that I was keeping a record of the positive impact I was having on the planet. That’s 50 less things that you might see, or you might step on, or some bird might eat.

So I started telling people what I was doing, and they started participating. One day, a group of fifth graders picked up 1,247 pieces of litter just on their school yard. And they learned that the most common type of litter were the plastic straw wrappers from their own cafeteria. So these kids went to their principal and asked, “Why are we still buying straws?” And they stopped. And they learned that individually they could each make a difference, but together they created an impact.

14. What happened on the visiting day of one summer camp?

15. How did the speaker start his cleanup model?

16. What did the group of fifth graders learn from their picking-up activity?

Questions 17 through 20 are based on the following passage.

Along with subjects like reading and mathematics, school children at the Robert Coleman Elementary School are learning yoga exercises. The aim is to provide them with better tools to deal with the daily struggles they face.

Principal Thompson brought the program to Coleman in 2010. A few of her students are homeless, while others live in homes with no electricity. Some have little or no food to eat. Others are related to victims of gun violence.

The Mindful Moment Room is a place where students do deep breathing exercises and clear their minds. They come to learn how they can better react to situations, and how to calm themselves. They can also speak with Mindful Moment specialists about what caused their teachers to send them there.

Principal Thompson believes that yoga is responsible for the drop in leaving school at her school. Over the past year, there was no dropping out of school at Coleman, compared to four during the 2013-14 school year. And, students are almost never sent to her office for bad behavior any more.

For the past half century, yoga has been studied as possible treatments for anxiety and depression. As for students, there is some scientific evidence that yoga can help people, but more is needed. However, education expert Patricia Jennings told the New York Times that these practices don’t “eliminate poverty, and it may not work for everybody.”

17. What’s t he purpose of providing the school students with yoga exercises?

18. What can students learn in the Mindful Moment Room?

19. What change have yoga exercises brought to the school?

20. What does the speaker think of yoga?