西安市中学2020届高三英语上学期期中考试卷附答案解析
西安市中学2020届高三上学期11月第二次月考英语试卷第一部分听力（共两节，满分30分）第一节（共5小题；每小题1.5分，满分7.5分）听下面5段对话，每段对话后有一个小题。
从题中所给的A，B，C三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。
听完每段对话后，你都有10秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。
每段对话仅读一遍。
1.When will the woman visit her mom?A.On Monday.B.On Tuesday.C.On Wednesday.2.What will the man bring the woman?A.Coffee.B.Green tea.C.Water.3.What are the speakers discussing?A.Getting mom a gift.B.Cooking food.C.Growing flowers.4.Who will the man call?A.His wife.B.His boss.C.A taxi driver.5.What does the man mean?A.He doesn’t like the jacket in this color.B.He didn’t have clothes in this color before.C.He expects a jacket showing his great figure.第二节（共15小题；每小题1.5分，满分22.5分）听下面5段对话或独白。
每段对话或独白后有几个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。
听每段对话或独白前，你将有时间阅读各个小题，每小题5秒钟；听完后，各小题将给出5秒钟的作答时间。
每段对话或独白读两遍。
听下面一段对话，回答第6和第7两个小题。
6.What’s the woman related to Paul?A.His driver.B.His colleague.C.His wife.7.How does Paul go to work today?A.By car.B.By bus.C.By motorcycle.听下面一段对话，回答第8和第9两个小题。
8.What will the man do with the tomatoes?A.Eat them for his dinner.B.Give some to his neighbor.C.Plant them in his yard.9.What does the man think of the tomatoes?A.They are tasty.B.They look ugly.C.They are large.听下面一段对话，回答第10至第12三个小题。
10.What will Steve do later today?A.Meet the woman.B.Watch a television show.C.Have dinner with his parents.11.How is the weather today?A.Rainy.B.Cloudy.C.Sunny.12.At what time does the concert begin?A.11:30am.B.12:30pm.C.1:00pm.听下面一段对话，回答第13至第16四个小题。
13.What is the man going to do?A.Take a driver’s license.B.Learn to ride bikes.C.Take a vacation.14.What does the woman advise the man to rent?A.A car.B.A motorbike.C.A racing bike.15.How long does the man want to rent the vehicle?A.Half a day.B.A whole day.C.Two days.16.When will the man probably come to rent the vehicle?A.Tomorrow morning.B.Tomorrow afternoon.C.The day after tomorrow.听下面一段独白，回答第17至第20四个小题。
17.Whom is the passage mainly written for?A.Teachers.B.Students.C.Parents.18.What can we learn from the passage?A.Teachers should make their classes serious.B.A good class should associate fun with learning.C.Only smart children can learn from the games.19.What can people do if they are dissatisfied with the material?A.Give the material to Shelley Ann Vernon.B.Get half of their money back and keep the material.C.Take their money back without returning the material.20.What is the purpose of this passage?A.To discuss ways to learn English.B.To recommend games to kids.C.To put an advertisement.第二部分阅读理解（共两节，满分40分）第一节（共15题，每小题2分，满分30分）阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
AWhizzfizzing FestivalOne of the“Home Counties”to the north and west of London,Buckinghamshire is known for the rolling Chiltern Hills,its pretty villages,and the much-loved children's author Roald Dahl.The writer who penned Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,The Witches,Matilda and The Big Friendly Giant is the inspiration for the Whizzfizzing Festival–which will transform the market-town of Aylesbury into all kinds of music,colour and fun on Saturday,1July.Formerly known as The Roald Dahl Festival,this year’s event will celebrate a broad range of children’s films and bring to life some of its best-loved characters–from Alice in Wonderland and the Gruffalo to The Big Friendly Giant and Harry Potter.The fun and festivities start at11a.m.with a colourful children’s parade.More than 650local school children and teachers,many in fancy dress,will march through the town carrying giant carnival puppets,with thousands of audiences lining the streets to watch.The parade will be followed with a range of child-friendly activities and workshops held in venues across the town.Don’t be late for the Mad Hatters Tea Party in the Bucks County Museum,catch a splendid screening of a Roald Dahl movie in the Old Court House,and watch leading children’s authors, including Julian Clary,give readings in the Market Square.CBeebies’children’s chef Katy Ashworth will once again be cooking up a storm with her interactive Concoction Kitchen,located outside Hale Leys Shopping Centre.Little chefs will have lots of opportunities to get involved with preparing,cooking–and best of all,tasting –Katy’s fabulous recipes.With hands-on arts and crafts workshops,storytelling sessions,live music,a fancy dress competition,street theatre and more,there is something for everyone.For more information,visit:https:///aylesbury-whizzfizzing-festival-inspired-roald-dahl21.Who is Whizzfizzing Festival intended for?A.Children's authors.B.Parents.C.Publishers.D.Children.22.Which film was made from Roald Dahl’s work?A.Gruffalo.B.Harry Potter.C.The Big Friendly Giant.D.Alice in Wonderland.23.Which of the following best describes Whizzfizzing Festival?A.Varied.B.Global.C.Old-fashioned.D.Ordinary.24.What type of writing is this text?A.An exhibition guide.B.An art show review.C.An announcement.D.An official report.BChina and India are leaders in improving global(全球的)tree cover,a new study based on NASA research showed.They took a31.8%part together of the total global new leaf area between2000and2017. China played a major role,adding25%to this increase,and India added6.8%,followed by Canada and Russia.The study in the Nature Sustainability journal shows that more than 5.5million square kilometers of green leaf area was added globally.Since2000,there has been a five-percent increase in global green cover,it said.“The greening over the last twenty years shows an increase in leaf area on plants and trees which is as large as the area of the entire Amazon rainforest,"Chi Chen,a Boston University researcher and lead of the study told Nature rge plantation activities to protect forests in China contributed nearly42%to the country's green cover,and agriculture added another32%.In India,82%of the increase in leaf area was because of agriculture.“China and India take up one-third of the greening,but hold only nine percent of the planet's land area covered in green plants,"Chi Chen told NASA Earth Observatory.“That is a surprising finding,considering the land degradation(退化)in countries with large populations.”Boston University's research team first detected an increase in global green cover in the 1990s but were unsure about what contributed to the increase.Finally,with the help of NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites research,they managed to find out the increase in leaf cover from different areas and places.25.Which country increased the largest part of the new leaf area?A.IndiaB.ChinaC.CanadaD.Russia26.For what purpose did the author mention the Amazon rainforest?A.To show how great the achievement was.B.To show the importance of rainforest.C.To explain what difficulties we have now.D.To explain the reason for increasing forests.27.According to paragraph four,the following statements are true EXCEPT_______.A.China and India have large populations and land degradation problemB.about9%of the planet’s greening is in China and IndiaC.China and India are leading in the global green cover increaseD.the leaf cover area in China and India is still limited if viewed globallyC(The New York Times,Oct.7)The2019Nobel Prize in physiology(生理学)or medicine was jointly awarded to three scientists—William G.Kaelin Jr.,Peter J.Ratcliffe and Gregg L. Semenza—for their work on how cells sense and adapt to oxygen availability.The Nobel Assemblyannounced the prize at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm on Monday.Their work established the genetic mechanisms(机制)that allow cells to respond to changes in oxygen levels.The findings have implications(启示)for treating a variety of diseases.Why did they win?“Oxygen is the lifeblood of living organisms(生物体),”said Dr.George Daley,dean of Harvard Medical School.“Without oxygen,cells can’t survive.”But too much or too little oxygen can be deadly.The three researchers tried to answer this question:How do cells regulate their responses?The investigators uncovered detailed genetic responses to changing oxygen levels that allow cells in the bodies of humans and other animals to sense and respond to fluctuations(波动), increasing and decreasing how much oxygen they receive.Why is the work important?The discoveries reveal the cellular mechanisms that control such things as adaptation to high altitudes and how cancer cells manage to hijack(攫取)oxygen.Randall Johnson,a member of the Nobel Assembly,described the work as a“textbook discovery”and said it would be something students would start learning at the most basic levels of biology education.“This is a basic aspect of how a cell works,and I think from that standpoint alone it’s a very exciting thing.”Johnson said.The research also has implications for treating various diseases in which oxygen is in short supply—including anemia,heart attacks and strokes—as well as for treatment of cancers that are fed by and seek out oxygen.28.This research has won the Nobel Prize mainly because____________.A.there was no research of this kind in the pastB.oxygen is the lifeblood of living thingsC.it has uncovered how cells sense and respond to changes in oxygen levelsD.various diseases will be cured with the help of the findings of the research29.We can learn from the passage that_____________.A.The Nobel Prize was awarded to a physiologist on Monday in Sweden.B.Cancer cells manage to hijack oxygen and need oxygen to develop.C.The more oxygen there is in blood,the healthier a living body will be.D.The genetic mechanisms have been found that allow oxygen to adapt to cells.30.Which of the following can best explain the underlined word in the text?ed for textbooksB.powerful and authoritativeC.typical as a perfect exampleD.basic and clear31.In which part of The New York Times can you find this article?A.EntertainmentB.CultureC.TechnologyD.ScienceDHi,I’m Neil Harbisso.I come from a place where the sky is always grey,where flowersare always grey,and where television is still in black and white.I actually come from a world where color doesn’t exist.I was born with achromatopsia.I was born completely color-blind.So I’ve never seen color,and don’t know what it looks like.But since the age of21,I can hear color thanks to a magic electronic eye called“eyeborg”: a color sensor between my eyes connected to a chip(芯片)installed at the back of my head that transforms color frequencies into sound frequencies that I hear through my bone.I’ve had the electronic eye permanently attached to my head and I’ve been listening to colors nonstop since2004.So I find it completely normal now to hear colors all the time.Since I started to hear color,my life has changed significantly.Art galleries have become concert halls.I can hear a Picasso.And supermarkets have become like night clubs.I love how they sound.My sense of beauty has changed.Someone might look very beautiful but sound terrible,and someone might sound very harmonious but look awful.So I find it really exciting to create sound portraits(画像)of people.Instead of drawing the shape of someone’s face I write down the different notes I hear when I look at them,and then I send them an mp3of their face.Each face sounds different.I can even give face concerts now,concerts where I play the audience’s faces.The good thing about doing this is that if the concert doesn’t sound good,it’s their fault.I also found out that things I thought were colorless are not colorless at all.Cities are not grey.Lisbon is yellow turquoise(宝石绿);London is very golden red…and humans are not black and white.Human skins range from light shades of orange to very dark shades of orange. We are all orange.If we extend our senses,we will consequently extend our knowledge.32.We can infer from the article that people with achromatopsia____________.A.suffer from blindnessB.have a good sense of colorsC.are not able to see colorsD.like to go to concert halls and supermarkets33.What does the author mean by saying“Art galleries have become concert halls”?A.Art galleries have been changed into various sounds.B.Works at the art galleries are created by great musicians.C.Art galleries are filled with noisy people.D.The author now likes art galleries as much as concert halls.34.Which of the following statements is NOT correct?A.Neil developed a rare disease in his childhood.B.The eyeborg produces sounds based on shades of colors.C.Neil will use the eyeborg for the rest of his life.D.In Neil’s mind,all people are orange.35.What is the best title for the passage?A.Eyeborg–a real life saver.B.I listen to color.C.Sense the world.D.Art galleries turned into concert halls.第二节（共5小题，每小题2分，满分10分）根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。
2019-2020学年陕西省西安中学高三英语期中试题及答案解析
2019-2020学年陕西省西安中学高三英语期中试题及答案解析第一部分阅读（共两节，满分40分）第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30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AEach year, theLas Vegasconsumer electronics show, or CES, presents the latest developments in many areas of technology. The newest products are designed to make our lives easier, fun and more productive.A car with legsOne of this year’s presentations was by South Korean carmaker Hyun-dai. The company introduced a small model of a “ walking car,” which is called Elevate. It has four movable legs that can raise the main part of the vehicle high off the ground. The electric-powered vehicle is designed to be used in search-and-rescue operations during emergencies or natural disasters.Changeable people moverGermany's Mercedes presented an experimental self-driving vehicle that it claims can revolutionize transportation for people and goods. The company says the vehicle, called Vision Urbanetic, will be able lo easily change bodies depending on its desired use. Mercedes says as a ride-sharing vehicle , the futuristic-looking car can seat 12 people.Fully electric HarleyAmerican manufacturer Harley-Davidson showed off its first fully electric motorcycle, called LiveWire. The company says the bike will be able to go 177 kilometers between charges. It can reach 96 kilometers per hour in under3.5 seconds. Although Harley is known for building powerful bikes with huge, loud motors, the LiveWire will be unusually quiet.Personal robotsOne of the new robots, called Temi, is really just a computer tablet on wheels. It is designed to be a personal electronic assistant. It moves around the home and performs commands when spoken to. It can link users to friends through voice or video, connect to video or place orders for food or goods.1. Which do you probably use to search for the injured in an earthquake?A. Elevate.B. Vision Urbanetic.C. LiveWire.D. Temi.2. What is the first fully electric motorcycle produced by Harley-Davidson?A. ElevateB. Hyun-daiC. LiveWire .D. Temi .3. Why are the four products designed?A. To ease traffic jam.B. To help us socialize.C. To improve our life.D. To protect the environment.BWhat acts of kindness will make us the happiest, and who tends to benefit the most? A newly-published review of decades of kindness research provides some answers.In this paper, researchers analyzed the results from 126 research articles looking at almost 200, 000 participants from around the world. The studies they chose measured well-being in various ways, including both mental and physical health. Some were experiments, where people did a kindness practice to observe its effects, while others just surveyed people about how kind and happy they were.As expected, people who were kind tended to have higher well-being. Lead researcher Bryant Hui wasastoundedthat the relationship wasn't stronger than it was, but he was still encouraged by the results.One thing Hui and his colleagues found was that people who performed random, informal acts of kindness, like bringing a meal to a sad friend, tended to be happier than people who performed more formal acts of kindness, like volunteering in a soup kitchen.The researchers also found that people who were kind tended to be higher in "eudaimonic happiness"(a sense of meaning and purpose in life) more than "hedonic happiness"(a sense of pleasure and comfort). Perhaps this makes sense, given that being kind takes effort, which reduces comfort but could make people feel better about themselves and their abilities, which would provide a sense of meaning.Being kind came with greater eudaimonic happiness for women than for men, too. According to Hui, this could be because, in many cultures, women are expected to be kinder than men; so, they may have more to gain from it. And younger participants experienced more happiness when they were kind than older participants, perhaps for developmental reasons, he says.Hui isn't sure why acting kind might have these different effects on different groups, but he points to theories put forth by researcher Elizabeth Midlarsky: Being kind may make us feel better about ourselves as a person or about the meaning of our lives, help us forget our own troubles and stresses, or help us be more socially-connected with others.4. What does the data in the second paragraph intend to show?A. The recent paper is worthy of being read.B. The recent paper gives convincing results.C. Kindness is always a hot topic of research.D. Kindness is closely linked to one's well-being.5. What does the underlined word "astounded" in paragraph 3 mean?A. Afraid.B. Certain.C. Excited.D. Surprised.6. Which of the following acts of kindness can make one feel happier according to paragraph 4?A. Volunteering in a hospital.B. Cleaning a community.C. Returning a lost item to its owner.D. Collecting donations for the poor.7. What do the researchers find from the paper?A. Being kind has different effects on different groups.B. Eudaimonic happiness makes people feel comfort.C. The younger experienced more happiness than the older.D. Female participants are kinder than male ones.CConcrete is the world's most consumed material after water. Because it already surrounds us in the built environment, researchers have been exploring the idea of using concrete to store electricity—turning buildings into giant batteries. The idea has been gaining ground as we have come to increasingly rely on renewable energy from the wind and sun: rechargeable batteries are necessary when the breeze dies down or darkness falls.Experimental concrete batteries have only managed to hold a small part of what a traditional battery does. But one team now reports in Buildings that it has developed a rechargeable original model that could represent a more than 900 percent increase in stored charge, compared with earlier attempts.A live-in concrete battery might sound unlikely. Still, "you can make a battery out of a potato," notes Aimee Byrne. In a future where sustainability is key, she likes the idea of buildings that avoid waste by providing shelter and powering electronics.Although the new design stores more than 10 times as much power as earlier attempts, it still has a long way to go: 200 square meters of it "can provide about 8 percent of the daily electricity consumption" of a typical U.S. home, Zhang says.This is not enough to compete with today's rechargeable devices. "We're getting milliamps (毫安) out of concrete batteries—we're not getting amps (安培), "Byrne says." We're getting hours as opposed to days of charge." But she adds that" concrete batteries are completely in their childhood, compared to other battery designs." The earliest batteries were simple andbulky. Researchers experimented with new materials and designs for more than a century to develop today's small devices. Byrne suggests concrete-based energy storage could undergo a similar evolution. "The whole idea is that we're looking far into the future," she says. "We're playing thelong game with it."8. What can we learn about the concrete batteries?A. They become increasingly renewable.B. They are the most consumed batteries.C. They are being developed by researchers.D. They will replace energy from the wind and sun.9. Why does Byrne mention a battery out of a potato?A. To show it is easy to build concrete batteries.B. To argue it is possible to develop concrete batteries.C. To make her statement more interesting.D. To call on people to protect the environment.10. What does the underlined word "bulky" in Paragraph 5 mean?A. HeavyB. CheapC. EfficientD. Small.11. What doesByrne think of concrete batteries?A. They beat today's rechargeable devices.B. They are simple and bulky.C. They have a doubtful future.D. They have a long way to go.DMasks that helped save lives during the Covid-19 pandemic（疫情）are proving a deadly risk for wildlife, with birds and sea creatures trapped in many facial coverings in animal habitats.Single-use masks have been found on the ground, waterways and beaches worldwide since countries required（heir use in public places to slow the pandemic's spread. Worn once, the thin protective materials can take hundreds of years to break down. "Face masks aren't going away any time soon-but when we throw them away, these items can harm the environment and the animals who share our planet," Ashley from anima! rights group PETA said.Monkeys have been found playing with used masks in the hills outsideMalaysia's capitalKuala Lumpur. And in an incident inBritain, a seagull was saved inChelmsfordafter its legs got caught in an abandoned mask for a week.However, the biggest influence is in the water. More than 1.5 billion masks made their way into the world's oceans last year, accounting for around 6200 extra tons of ocean plastic pollution, according to environmental group OceansAsia. “Masks and gloves are particularlyproblematicfor sea creatures," says George Leonard, chief scientist from NGO. "When those plastics break down in the environment, they form smaller and smaller particles （颗粒）.Those particles then enter the food chain and influence the entire ecosystem,“ he added.Campaigners have urged people to deal with masks properly after using them. OceansAsia has also called on governments to increase punishment for littering and encourage the use of washable masks.12. What bring（s）a great danger to wildlife now?A. Waste masks.B. Covid-19.C. Polluted water.D. Damaged habitats.13. What does the underlined word “problematic”in paragraph 4 mean?A. Important.B. Attractive.C. Common.D. Troubling.14. What can we infer from the text?A. Monkeys learned to wear masks from humans.B. Plastics are less harmful after becoming particles.C. Used masks have a worse effect on sea creatures.D. Waste masks arc the main ocean plastic pollution.15. How should we solve the problem from the last paragraph?A. Keep masks after they' re used.B. Call on governments to stop littering.C. Punish those who wear single-use masks.D. Put used masks in the recycling box.第二节（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）阅读下面短文，从短文后的选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
2020届陕西省西安中学高三上学期期中考试英语试题及答案
绝密★启用前陕西省西安中学2020届高三年级上学期期中质量检测英语试题第一部分听力（共两节，满分30分）第一节（共5小题；每小题1.5分，满分7.5分）听下面5段对话，每段对话后有一个小题。
从题中所给的A，B，C三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。
听完每段对话后，你都有10秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。
每段对话仅读一遍。
1. When will the woman visit her mom?A. On Monday.B. On Tuesday.C. On Wednesday.2. What will the man bring the woman?A. Coffee.B. Green tea.C. Water.3. What are the speakers discussing?A. Getting mom a gift.B. Cooking food.C. Growing flowers.4. Who will the man call?A. His wife.B. His boss.C. A taxi driver.5. What does the man mean?A. He doesn’t like the jacket in this color.B. He didn’t have clothes in this color before.C. He expects a jacket showing his great figure.第二节（共15小题；每小题1.5分，满分22.5分）听下面5段对话或独白。
每段对话或独白后有几个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C 三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。
听每段对话或独白前，你将有时间阅读各个小题，每小题5秒钟；听完后，各小题将给出5秒钟的作答时间。
每段对话或独白读两遍。
听下面一段对话，回答第6和第7两个小题。
6. What’s the woman related to Paul?A. His driver.B. His colleague.C. His wife.7. How does Paul go to work today?A. By car.B. By bus.C. By motorcycle.听下面一段对话，回答第8和第9两个小题。
2019-2020学年陕西省西安中学高三英语上学期期中考试试题及答案
2019-2020学年陕西省西安中学高三英语上学期期中考试试题及答案第一部分阅读（共两节，满分40分）第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30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AOn the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China (CPC), red tourism has gained popularity among tourists who flood in to visit historic sites with a modern revolutionary heritage.JinggangshanThis is one of the most crucial and splendid chapters of history of establishing Red China as well as a unique and wonderful ecosystem, which is covered with rich forest, rugged peaks and several memorials to the Red Army. The best time to visit is between April and October, with the most temperature timing April and May when the large azaleas (杜鹃花) bloom.Open: 8:00-17:00 (Feb. 16-Nov. 15). 8:00-16:30 (Nov. 16-Feb. 15)XibaipoIt is an old revolutionary base where the leadership of the Communist Party of China was stationed, drawing up the blueprint for a new country. A memorial hall was built to honor the memory of this site. The lake and the hill here add brilliance and beauty to each other and form pleasant scenery.Open: Tuesdays to Sundays 9:30-17:00 (Xibaipo Memorial Hall)The Nanhu Revolutionary Memorial HallA new exhibition is held with updated display approaches, including phantom imaging (全息影像) and oil painting, which are used to improve visitors' experiences. The exhibition shows four stages of the CPC from its establishment to its achievements.Open: Tuesdays to Sundays 8:30-18:00 (closed on Mondays)Former Site of the Editorial Department ofNew YouthNew Youthstarted the New Culture Movement and spread the influence of the May Fourth Movement. The site was briefly based in Beijing but moved back to Shanghai in 1920 and also served as the office for the Communist Party of China Central Committee in the 1920s.Open: Thursdays to Tuesdays 9:00 - 11:30, 13:30 - 16:30 (closed on Wednesdays)1. Where would visitors learn more about the history of the Red Army?A. Jinggangshan.B. Xibaipo.C. The Nanhu Revolutionary Memorial Hall.D. Former Site of the Editorial Department ofNew Youth.2. What do we know about the Nanhu Revolutionary Memorial Hall?A. It focuses on Chinese achievements in art.B. It mainly advertises the coming anniversary.C. It applies modernized methods to the exhibition.D. It briefly introduces the rise and fall of Nanhu.3. When can tourists visit Former Site of the Editorial Department ofNew Youth?A. At 1:00 p.m. on Mondays.B. At 9:00 a.m. on Wednesdays.C. At 2:00 p.m. on Fridays.D. At 5:00 p.m on Sundays.BIn Colombia a group, named WebConserva, is carrying out a project in the San Lucas Mountains with the help of coffee growers.The San Lucas area is one of the most unexplored places in Colombia, which is home to many thousands of species of animals and plants. Yet gold mining and coca farming have dealt a blow to its ecosystem. To limit additional development in the San Lucas area, the group helps coffee growers by linking them with processors from around the country.Colombia has more different kinds of living things than any other country except neighboring Brazil. In 2016, the Colombian government signed a peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia ending years of civil war. As a result, more land became accessible for use, with deforestation(毁林) coming along. Government information shows that in 2017, almost 220,000 hectares of forest were destroyed compared to around 124,000 hectares in 2015.To date, the project includes 10 families who farm 400 hectares of coffee plants, which costs about $77,000 dollars a year. WebConserva hopes that, in time, 200 families will be included. At that level, 20,000 hectares of untouched forest could be protected. In San Lucas, the families promise not to cut down trees to expand their crops or to hunt wild animals from the forests. In return, they receive $ 250 to $ 300 per 125 kilograms of coffee, an enviable amount there. Arcadio Barajas is among those taking part. His new coffee plantation(种植园) makes a barrier between cattle farms and forests where wild animals like the jaguar live and hunt. In this way, he doesn't have to kill wild animals to protect his cattle.Barajas said that pulling down the forest to plant coca and killing wildlife were against his will. Now he feels that growing coffee lets him be astewardof the land. "I'm taking care of the environment, the forest and the animals," he said.4. Why does WebConserva set up the project?A. To help local farmers make money.B. To expand areas of coffee growing.C. To link processors with coffee growers.D. To conserve biodiversity in the Mountains.5. What happened after Colombia’s civil war was over?A. Colombia helped many needy families.B. Colombia lost lots of areas of forests.C. Colombia started to save damaged forests.D. Colombia became more peaceful than Brazil.6. Which is probably a function of Barajas's coffee plantation?A. A method of protecting cattle and wildlife.B. A substitute for hunting of wild animals.C. A barrier between man and wild animals.D. A shelter for cattle against human hunters.7. What does the underlined word "steward" mean in the last paragraph?A. Farmer.B. Master.C. Guardian.D. Explorer.CBritish sculptor Jason Taylor has made it his mission to use his talent to conserve our ecosystems by creating underwater museums. Over the years, the environmentalist has put over 850 massive artworks underwater worldwide. On February 1, 2021, Taylor launched his latest work — The Underwater Museum of Cannes.―The main goal was to bring attention to the fact that our oceans need our help,‖ Taylor told Dezeen. ―Ocean ecology has been destroyed by human activity in the Mediterranean over the past few decades, and it is not obvious what is taking place when observing the sea from afar.‖The Underwater Museum of Cannes contains 6 sculptures featuring local residents of various ages. They range from Maurice, an 80-year-old fisherman, to Anouk, a 9-year-old student. Towering over 6-feet-tall andweighing 10 tons, the faces are sectioned into two parts, with the outer part like a mask. The mask indicates that the world’s oceans appear powerful and unbeatable from the surface but house an ecosystem that is extremely fragile to careless human activities.Though the waters surrounding the sculptures now appear a pristine blue, the seabed was filled with old boat engines, pipes, and other human-made trash when the project began about four years ago. Besides removing the trash, Taylor also restored the area’s sea grass. Just one square meter of the sea grass can generate up to 10 liters of oxygen daily. The sea grass also helps prevent coastal erosion and provides habitats for many ocean creatures.―The idea of creating an underwater museum was to draw more people underwater and develop a sense of care and protection,‖ Taylor told Dezeen. ―If we threw unwanted waste near a forest, there would be a public outcry. But this is happening every day in our surrounding waters and it largely goes unnoticed.8. Why does the outer part ofthe sculptures look like a mask?A. To popularize the features of the locals.B. To remind people to protect themselves.C. To reflect people’s protection of the ocean.D. To stress the sensitiveness of the ecosystem.9. What’s paragraph 4 mainly about?A. How the project was started.B. How the sea grass was restored.C. What recovery effort the project made.D. Why the surroundings were improved.10. What can we infer from what Jason Taylor said in the last paragraph?A. The situation of the ocean is easily ignored.B. The destruction caused to the ocean is noticeable.C. Forests play a more important role in ecosystems.D. People have zero tolerance to damage done to nature.11. What might be the best title for the text?A. The Underwater Museum, a long way to go.B. The Underwater Museum, a big difference to the sea.C. The Underwater Museum, an appeal to conserve ecosystems.D. The Underwater Museum, a masterpiece of Jason Taylor.DBrian Hamilton's life changed in a prison when he went there with his friend, Reverend Robert J. Harris, who often went to local prisons to do ministry work. During the visit,Hamiltonstarted talking to one of the prisoners and asked what he was going to do when he got out. “He said he was going to get a job,”Hamiltonrecalls. “I thought to myself, wow, that’s going to be difficult with a criminal background.”The conversation madeHamiltonconsider how to help those who came out from prison. Finally in 2008, 16 years after that initial conversation,Hamiltoncreated Inmates to Entrepreneurs, a nonprofit organization that helps people with criminal backgrounds start their own small businesses.At the time,Hamiltonwas building his own company, a software technology company for the banking industry. As his company grew, so didHamilton’s time devoted to giving lessons to prisoners. He averaged three to four courses a month at prisons throughoutNorth Carolina.Eventually,Hamiltondecided to shift his focus to his true passion. In May 2019, he sold his company and focused on helping those who were imprisoned. His online courses will be set next year. “By March 1, 2022, anyone will be able to access the courses, either to become a certificated instructor or to access it for themselves as a prisoner or part of the general population,”Hamiltonexplained. In addition, he visits middle schools and presents the course to at-risk students as a preventative measure against crime.The free course is funded by the recently established Brian Hamilton Foundation, which offers assistance to military members as they return to civilian life and provides loans o small businesses. “Starting up a business isn't for everyone, but if we make opportunities available, and let people know that other people care about them, it makes a difference.”Hamiltonsaid.12. Why did Brian Hamilton went to a prison?A. He accompanied his friend.B. He took lessons in the prison.C. He wanted to get a job in the prison.D. He had a friend who was in prison.13. What can be inferred about Inmates to Entrepreneurs?A. It often assists military members.B It provides loans to small businesses.C. Its course has been largely broadened.D. It is an organization intended for business men.14. According to the author, which of the following best describesHamilton?A. He is a man who always changes his mind.B. He has a sense of social responsibility.C. He is good at running a big company.D. He makes money by giving lessons.15. What is the main idea of the text?A. A man made a fruitless visit to the prison.B. A man sold his business to teach prisoners.C. A man realized his dream of being a teacher.D. A man successfully created two organizations.第二节（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）阅读下面短文，从短文后的选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
2020届西安高级中学高三英语期中考试试卷及参考答案
2020届西安高级中学高三英语期中考试试卷及参考答案第一部分阅读（共两节，满分40分）第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30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AThe question of whether our government should promote science and technology or the liberal arts in higher education isn’t an either / or one, although the current emphasis on preparing young Americans for STEM (science, technology, engineering, maths)-related fields can make it seem that way.The latest congressional report acknowledges the critical importance of technical training, but also insists that the study of the humanities and social sciences must remain central elements of America’s educational system at all levels. Both areas are the key to producing citizens who can participate effectively in our democratic society, become innovative leaders, and benefit from the spiritual enrichment that the reflection on the great ideas of mankind over time provides.Parents and students who have invested heavily in higher education worry about graduates’ job prospects as technological advances and changes in domestic and global markets transform professions in ways that reduce wages and cut jobs. Under these circumstances, it’s natural to look for what may appear to be the most “practical” way out of the problem; “major in a subject designed to get you a job” seems the obvious answer to some, though this ignores the fact that many disciplines in the humanities characterized as “soft” often, in fact, lead to employment and success in the long run. Indeed, according to surveys, employers have expressed a preference for students who have received a broadly-based education that has taught them to write well, think critically, research creatively, and communicate easily.Moreover, students should be prepared not just for their first job, but for their 4th and 5th jobs, as there’s little reason to doubt that people entering the workforce today will be called upon to play many different roles over the course of their careers. The ones who will do the best in this new environment will be those whose educations have prepared them to be flexible. The ability to take advantage of every available tool and insight—picked up from science, arts, and technology—to solve the problems of the future, and seize the opportunities, will be helpful to them and the nation.1. What does the latest congressional report suggest?A. STEM-related subjects help students find jobs in the information society.B. The humanities and STEM subjects should be given equal importance.C. The liberal arts in higher education help enrich students’ spiritual life.D. Higher education should be adjusted to the practical needs of society.2. What is the main concern of students when they choose a major?A. Their interest in relevant subjects.B. The academic value of the courses.C. The quality of education to receive.D. Their chances of getting a good job.3. What does the author say about the so called “soft” subjects?A. They benefit students in their future life.B. They broaden students’ range of interests.C. They just improve students’ communication skills.D. They are essential to students’ healthy growth.BA teenager in Georgia will no longer have to walk 7 miles to work after school thanks to one woman’s act of kindness.Jayden Sutton, a high school senior, went on foot each day from school to his job at a restaurant and then back home. Sutton was determined to work and make enough money to eventually buy his own vehicle.Sutton said he’d leave school at 3:30 pm, then walk miles to his job at the restaurant. After his work, which usually lasted six to eight hours, he walked home, sometimes not arriving back until almost midnight.That all changed when Myers saw him walking down the road in the rain in December. “The young man was insistently in a rush walking to work, saying ‘I can’t be late,’” Myers said. “He begged me to give him a ride. I told him I could take him as far as I was going. I began to create small talk along the way. It wasrevealedto me that his name was Jayden, 12th grader, worked 40 hours a week, walked 5 miles to work immediately after school, got off at 10:30 pm at night and walked back home another 5 miles if co-workers didn’t offer a ride.”After dropping Sutton off, Myers said his heart and determination filled her with tears. “He was smiling in good spirits and that’s a child worth blessing,” she told Fox News. So, Myers shared Sutton’s story on the GoFundMe page, which raised more than $ 9, 000 from 186 donors.She surprised Sutton with a new car after she managed to convince the general manager to drop the price of the vehicle to meet the budget.4. Why did Sutton work so hard in his spare time?A. To gain working experience.B. To pay for his education.C. To own a car.D. To support his family.5. What difficulty did Sutton have in his work at the restaurant?A. He worked longer than other workers.B. His work was too tiring.C. His job was much less paid.D. He had to walk to work.6. What does the underlined word “revealed” in paragraph 4 mean?A. Known.B. Attached.C. Believed.D. Limited.7. What do we know about the money donated online?A. It could buy more than a new car.B. It was not enough to buy a new car.C. It was given to Myers to buy herself a new car.D It mainly came from a car sales manager.CMany of us in China enjoy adding chilies (辣椒) toour food, but did you know that this spicy vegetable could also be dangerous? A 34-year-oldUSman recently ended up in hospital after eating a Carolina Reaper—the spiciest chili in the world. After taking just a single bite of one, the man suffered from serious headaches in the following few days, reported BBC News.In fact, reports of stomachache and headache caused by eating spicy food are not something unusual. But if chilies are harmful, why is it that human beings are the only animals to eat this vegetable? According to the website Huanqiu, about 600 million Chinese people—almost half of the national population—are chili eaters. So what makes people love chilies so much? The human body reacts to the burning feeling that comes from eating chilies by releasing natural chemicals that “produce a sense of happiness” , noted BBC News.And the benefits go even further than just personal enjoyment. A survey conducted by the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences found that the death rate of those who eat spicy food once or twice a week is 10 percent lower than those who eat it less than once a week. The number decreased to 14 percent for those who eat spicy food six to seven times a week. And another study done by theUniversityofVermontcame to a similar conclusion. “The data encourages people to eat more spicy food to improve health and reduce death risk at an early age,” Liu Qi, a nutritionist at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, told BBC News.Chilies have anti-cancer quality and the ability to increase our metabolism (新陈代谢). So, don't worry if you love spicy food. It seems that chilies are actually good for us—except for the Carolina Reaper, perhaps.8. The example of a 34-year-old American is mentioned in Paragraph 1 to prove ________.A. chiliescan be beneficialB. chilies are popular inAmericaC. chilies can be dangerousD. serious headaches can be dangerous9. Eating chilies gives people a sense of happiness by_______.A. decreasing death rateB. releasing natural chemicalsC. curing serious headachesD. providing enough nutrition10. Which of the following statement is TRUE?A. Human are the only animals to eat chilies.B. Stomachache and headaches caused by chilies is something unusual.C. The more chilies you eat, the healthier you are.D. Chilies have anti-cancer quality but it can't increase our metabolism.11. The writer wrote the passage to ________.A. warn people of the dangers of chiliesB. ask people to eat Carolina ReaperC. encourage people to eat more chiliesD. tell people the benefits of chiliesDThereare two days that set you on your path in life: the day you’re born, and the day you realize why you were born.Growing up south of Chicago in Harvey, Illinois, most people just had their heads down trying to make it from point A to point B. I was the same way, just going with the flow. I played basketball in high school because I was good at it and because other people thought I should until I discovered my talent.I give up basketball and started doing speeches. It wasn’t a popular decision but my grandfather told me to do what made me happy. I fell in love with comedy and performing. And when I discovered the passion, I realized why I was born.I knew I had something to offer —I knew that not only am I powerful, but I can make a difference.I realized a long time ago that my dream is not to be famous or rich. My talent is to entertain. But it’s more than that. I have the chance to reach people, to brighten days, to bring laughter and positive energy into lives and inspire. And I am grateful forit.Acting putting myself out there and having doors closed on me time and time again has taught me a lot about myself. I have learned to trust what I have to offer the world over momentary doubt. I’ve learned to put my faith over my feelings. And I've grown a tough skin. More importantly, I have learned there is a long way towards our goals and that when we put our talents and passion to work, we determine our value.Like a lot of places across the country, there’s poverty, crime, violence and unemployment in Harvey. And growing up there, a lot of people have tragically low expectations for life. But I know that with the rightopportunity and with help along the way, everyone can find their passion and go after it. My life is proof.12. What was the author born to do according to the text?A. Be a basketball player.B. Act and perform.C. Make speeches.D. Teach people.13. What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 5 refer to?A. Chance.B. Energy.C. Days.D. Laughter.14. What is the author’s purpose of writing this text?A. To help others find their talents.B. To prove his decision was right.C. To inspire people to follow their dreams.D. To encourage people to set a goal.15. What can be the best tile for the text?A. Success Lies in Hard Work.B. How to Achieve the Dream Is Important.C. The Two Important Days in Life.D. The Day I Realized What I Was Born to Do.第二节（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）阅读下面短文，从短文后的选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
2019-2020学年陕西省西安中学高三英语上学期期中试题及答案
2019-2020学年陕西省西安中学高三英语上学期期中试题及答案第一部分阅读（共两节，满分40分）第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30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AThe last thing Caitlin Hipp would have expected as she prepared to turn 28 years old was to be living at homewith her parents. But through working as a part-time skating instructor and restaurant server, she isn't able to earn enough to live anywhere other than home.To some degree, multigenerational households have always been a part of American life. However, the number of young adults who have been moving back in with their parents — or never leaving home in the first place — has been growing steadily.UBS Financial Services released a report that even suggests one reason for the growing number of young adultsstill living at home could be that their family doesn't want them to leave.The report shows that 74 percent of millennials (千禧一代)get some kind of financial support from their parents after college. It finds that millennials have redefined the ties that connect parents and children. Millennials see their parents as peers,friends and instructors. Nearly three quarters talked with their parents more than once a week during college. In return, their parents happily provide financial support well into adulthood, helping fund everything for them.Stuart Hoffman, chief economist for the PNC Financial Services Group in theUS, said the number of young adults striking out on their own fell during the Great Recession. Although job growth for millennials since 2014 has improved, that doesn't necessarily mean that millennials are starting to fly the nest. He said, “They may like living at home and being able to save money.“ There's no doubt it has held back household formation and purchases of things people spend money on related to household formation and perhaps related to child-raising," Hoffman explained. "But they are probably traveling more and eating out more if they don't have a house expense or marriage. I don't know if it represents a change in moral values. But it's much more common for adult children to live in their parents’ homes because it's becoming part of the culture.1. What can we learn from the UBS Financial Services' report?A. Millennials are on good terms with their parents.B. Millennials are financially independent after college.C. Parents are unwilling to give their young adults allowance.D. Parents want their kids to stay with them forever.2. What does Hoffman think of young adults' living at home?A. It increases the consumption of household products.B. It may continue despite job growth.C. It is a sign of shift in moral values.D. It is new in American culture.3. What is the author's purpose of writing this passage?A. To introduce millennials' living habits.B. To stress the importance of financial independence.C. To explain why American young adults still live at home.D. To inform people of a social trend in theUS.BChimps use loud calls and gestures to make their feelings known but until now, the exact meaning for individual movements has remained a mystery. Now researchers believe they have translated the key gestures used in the chimp community and identified their intentions for the first time.From 4,351 gestures, experts were able to identify 66 that are used for 19 specific message meanings, including showing a foot to tell a child they can climb on their back. The researchers were able to narrow down these 66 gestures to 36 that are used intentionally to achieve 15 purposes. The translations were made by Dr Catherine Hobaiter and her colleagues at St Andrews University in Scotland.Dr Hobaiter used behavior sampling and filmed all recorded cases of gestural communication. Other gestures include stomping their feet to ask another chimp to stop what they are doing, and slapping objects together to ask another to follow them. Of the 19 meanings,17 encouraged interactions to start, or to develop, such as “move closer,” and “change play”. Some of the gestures were found to have more than one meaning. and only 10 of the 66 gestures were used for only a single meaning.Researchers collected a total of 471 video clips from two social groups of chimps at a shelter near Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. As well as identifying what the gesture means, they also discovered the technique needed to increase the chances of success.“Human children use gestures to communicate before they produce their first words, and their earliest gestures typically appear around 10 months of age,” explained the researchers. “In great apes, there is goodevidence that language-trained individuals are capable of acquiring and understanding signals, but this is far less clear in their natural communication. ”4. Chimps slap the objects to____________.A. tell others to stop what they are doingB. ask others chimps to join themC. gather other chimps to move closerD. encourage interactions to start5. What did researchers find after studying 471 video clips?A. Chimps trained in language are good at understanding signals.B. Two social groups of chimps live at a shelter near Kinshasa.C. Language-trained individuals do well in natural communication.D. Chimps’earliest gestures appear around 10 months of age.6. How is the last paragraph developed?A. By analyzing causes.B. By examining differences.C By making comparisons. D. By following time order.7. What can be a suitable title for the text?A A New Research on Chimps B. Human Children and ChimpsC. Getting the Chimps Trained for LanguageD. Translating the Sign Language of ChimpsCChildren's average daily time spent watching television or using mobile device increased from 53 minutes at age 12 months to more than 150 minutes at 3 years, according toan analysis by researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). By age 8, children were more likely to log the highest amount of screen time if they had been in home-based children or were born to first-time mothers.“Our results indicate that screen habits begin early, ”said Edwina Yeung, an investigator in National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).“This finding suggests that interventions(干涉) to reduce screen time could have a better chance of success if introduced early.”In the research, mothers of 4, 000 children responded to questions on their kids' media habits when they were 12, 18, 24, 30, and 36 months of age.TheAmericanAcademyof Pediatrics recommends avoiding digital media exposure for children under 18 months of age, introducing children 18 to 24 months of age to screen media slowly, and limiting screen time to an hour a day for children from 2 to 5 years of age. In the current study, researchers found that 87% of the children had screen time exceeding (超过) these recommendations. However, while screen time increased throughouttoddlerhood, by age 7 and 8, screen time fell to under 1.5 hours per day. The researchers believe this decrease relates to time consumed by school-related activities.The study authors classified the children into two groups based on how much their average daily screen time increased from age 1 to age 3. The first group, 73% of the total had the lowest increase, from an average of nearly 51 minutes a day to nearly an hour and 47 minutes a day. The second group, 27% of the total, had the highest increase, from nearly 37 minutes of screen time a day to about 4 hours a day. Higher levels of parental education were associated with lower odds of inclusion in the second group.8. Who use mobile device longest according to the NIH's analysis?A. 10-year-old born to first-time mothers.B. 3-year-old children in low income families.C. 8-year-old children in home-based childcare.D. 1-year-old children with parents poorly educated.9. What does the research suggest according to Edwina?A. Parents should stop their children using media.B. Parents should limit the use of digital media themselves.C. Parents should reduce their children's screen time earlier.D. Parents should avoid their children using digital media at infancy (婴儿期).10. Why does children's screen time fall when they age 7 and 8?A. They are studying at school.B. They can control themselves.C. They are tired of using them.D. They are forbidden to use them.11. Which of the following may be the best title?A. Keep Away from MediaB. Screen Habits Begin EarlyC. Urgency of Parental EducationD. Harm of Home-based ChildcareDWhen I was trying to find a place where to spend my December holidays, I met by chance some cheap flights to Iceland. After checking just a few winter pictures of Iceland, I realized that the country, known as the land of fire and ice, during the cold months of the year could offer me experiences I had never had before.For sure you can’t miss the chance to go to Iceland in winter if your traveling wish list includes at least one of the crazy experiences Iceland can offer. Iceland in the North Atlantic Ocean is a paradise (乐园) for all those who want to see the northern lights, experience cold weather conditions and put themselves in geothermal (地热的)baths while the snow is falling on their head.The best way to move around Iceland is with a rental car. Distances are huge and public transport in winter is not really common out of the major towns. As we wanted to be even more convenient we decided to rent a small camper (野营车). Sleeping and cooking in a camper saved us a lot of driving, money and gave us the chance tobe always in the right place at the right time.There were also no locals and in many cases no tourist facilities (设备). For us, as we slept in a camper, it was easier. But for tourists traveling by normal cars it is necessary to check the opening times ofhotels and restaurants as many of them run just from June to September.It is amazing to experience how the weather is changing in Iceland. However, Icelanders prefer to stay inside their houses. They have even no time to complain about the weather in December. All they care about is Christmas. They love to decorate their houses, sing Christmas songs and eat typical Christmas food.12. Why is Iceland famous as the land of fire and ice?A. Because tourists would like to play with fire on the ice.B. Because it is too dry to easily cause fire to happen.C. Because it is hot inside a house and cold outside.D. Because there exist hot springs and freezing ice.13. What did the author think of the rented camper?A. It was not only practical but also economical.B. It was convenient but cost them more money.C. It provided the best chance to see the new country.D. It was much faster than other public transport.14. What does the last paragraph imply?A. The Icelanders prefer to live with their family.B. The joy of Christmas drives the freezing weather away.C. December is the coldest month of the year.D. The Icelanders are always positive and stay outside.15. What does this passage most probably come from?A. A textbookB. A scientific reportC. A travel magazineD. A news report第二节（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）阅读下面短文，从短文后的选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
2020届陕西省西安中学高三英语上学期期中试卷及答案解析
2020届陕西省西安中学高三英语上学期期中试卷及答案解析第一部分阅读（共两节，满分40分）第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30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AMembership CardFighting Fit is a members-only club. When you first join, we give you a computerized card. It has your name, photo and membership number on.Please have your card with you every time you use the club. The card is for your use only, and there is a small charge to provide a new one if you lose it. Members are permitted to bring guests to use the facilities at the club.A visiting guest fee is charged for each guest.Fitness ProgramsYour Fitness Program includes a meeting with one of our skilled instructors. This will happen two or three weeks after you have joined. The instructor looks at your health, your current needs and the way you live, and organizes a program suitable for you.GymnasiumOur gymnasiums are the most modem in the area and have high quality exercise equipment. For safety reasons, you must wear sportswear and trainers while exercising, and please remember to take a small towel too. It is one of our rules that you wipe the equipment after use.There is no limit to how long you spend in the gymnasiums, but we ask you to respect other members by only spending 20 minutes on each piece of equipment. There are experienced staff helping you in the gymnasiums at any time.Locker RoomsWe have large male and female locker rooms. Please ensure that your property is kept in your locker at all times. Any belongings which are found in a locker overnight will be removed and taken to Lost Property.CafeThe Cafe offers free tea, coffee and soft drinks.Suggestion BoxMembers' suggestions are always welcome, and the suggestion box and forms can be found at reception. We try to respond within two days.1.What does the Fighting Fit Health Club provide for its members?A.A personalized program on their first visit.B.A second membership card for free.C.Help from the staff all the time.D.Certain kinds of clothes and towels.2.At the Fighting Fit Health Club, you can_.A.share your membership cardB.have free drinks in the CafeC.leave personal items in the locker for 24 hoursD.spend as long as you like on all equipment3.Where is the information most probably from?A.A news report.B.A notice board.C.A guide book.D.A reference book.BIf you easily make mistakes when in a hurry, a new study from Michigan State University—the largest of its kind to date-found that meditation (冥想) could help you improve the situation.The research tested how open monitoring meditation (OMM)—or, meditationthat focuses awareness on feelings or thoughts as they unfold in one’s mind and body—alteredbrain activity in a way that suggested increased error recognition.“People’s interest in meditation is outpacing what science can prove in terms of effects and benefits.” said Jeff Lin, MSU psychology doctoral candidate and study co-author. “But it’s amazing to me that we were able to see how one session of a guided meditation could produce changes to brain activity in non-meditators.”“Some forms of meditation have you focus on a single object, commonly your breath, but open monitoring meditation is a bit different,” Lin said, “It has you tune inward and pay attention to everything going on in your mind and body. The goal is to sit quietly and pay close attention to where the mind travels without getting too caught up in the scenery.”Lin and his MSU co-authors—William Eckerle, Ling Peng and Jason Moser—hired more than 200 participants to test how open monitoring meditation affected how people detect and respond toerrors.The participants, who had never meditated before, were taken through a 20-minute open monitoring meditation exercise while the researchers measured brain activity through electroencephalography (脑电图), or EEG. Then, they completed a computerized distraction (分心) test.“The EEG can measure brain activity at the millisecond level, so we got precise measures of brain activityright after mistakes compared to correct responses,” Lin said. “A certain neural signal occurs about half a second after an error called the error positivity, which is linked to conscious error recognition. We found that the strength of this signal is increased in the meditators to controls.”“These findings show what just 20 minutes of open monitoring meditation can do to improve the brain’s ability to detect and pay attention to mistakes,” Moser said.4. What does the underlined word “altered” in paragraph 2 probably mean?A. Changed.B. Prevented.C. Started.D. Recorded.5. Why is open monitoring meditation different?A. It is just aimed at a single object.B. It clears your mind of everything.C. It gets too caught up in the scenery.D. It focuses on where the mind travels.6. What did the researchers do for the studyA. They hired people who had meditated before.B. They measured the participants’ brain activity.C. They reminded the participants to avoid errors.D. They had non-meditators design a distraction test.7. What is the best title for the text?A. Turn to OMM to Avoid Acting in a HurryB. You’re Able to Recognize Errors ConsciouslyC. Meditators’ Brain Proves Much More ActiveD. OMM Can Help You Make Fewer MistakesCThe race skywards began inAmerica. In the late1800s, industrialization had driven urban populations and land prices up, making tall buildings increasingly cost-effective, according to Carol Willis, director of theSkyscraperMuseuminNew York, “The very first tall buildings were office buildings that concentrated a work force, piled one on top of the other in order to make business very efficient, ”she says.Like all major changes in architecture, the trend wasunderpinnedby engineering. The development of steel framework, which could be used instead of load-bearing stones, made it easier and cheaper to build tall. The coming of the elevator, meanwhile, made living on higher floors far more convenient.Though similar in shape, today's skyscrapers (摩天大楼) look little like those built in the first half of the 20thcentury. This is mostly thanks to architecture's next major technological shift：the curtain wall.Postwar developments in manufacturing meant that huge panes of glass could be produced quickly and uniformly, and glass windows soon became the front of choice for high-rises. As well as allowing for greater floor space and more natural light, glass exteriors (外部) help. buildings resist greater windloads.There are now 191 completed skyscrapers that are at least 300 meters tall. But that doesn't mean our cities will grow taller indefinitely. While each additional story adds sellable floor space, construction costs also rise. All buildings reach a point where adding an extra floor will cost more money than it brings.“Every city wants to have this landmark that gives that sense of distinct culture, ”but it also needs places for people to live and work in urban settings“without the city sprawling (无序扩张), ”explains Hong Kong architect Simon Chan.The next big challenge facing architects goes beyond height：At a time when buildings and their construction account for more than a third of the world's energy consumption and contribute about 40% of greenhouse gas emissions(排放), there are new costs to consider.Whether it's employing more energy-efficient materials, encouraging natural air or using buildings themselves to generate solar or wind energy, reducing carbon emissions is the new frontier for many skyscraper architects.8. What does the underlined word“underpinned” in paragraph 2 probably mean?A. Created.B. Prepared.C. Suggested.D. Supported.9. What made living on higher floors much more convenient?A. The development of steel framework.B. Load-bearing stones.C. The use of the elevator.D. The curtain wall.10. What can we know from paragraph 5?A. Our cities will grow taller definitely.B. All skyscrapers are at least 300 meters tall.C. Construction cost rises as the stories increase.D. The profit for builders will be greater as the building becomes higher.11. What's the next big challenge facing architects?A. How to build the greenest building.B. How to build the strongest building.C. How to build the tallest building in the world.D. How to build the most comfortable building.DMy school appeared on the news last week because we had made an important change in our local area. Ourclass had planted a large garden in what was once only a vacant lot. It was a lot of work but it was all worth it. I got blisters(水泡) from digging, and we all got insect bites, too.I learned a lot about gardening and collaboration(合作), and then I learned about the media. Our teacher telephoned the TV station and informed them of what we had accomplished. She spoke with the producer. The producer checked with the directors, but they said there were plenty of stories similar to ours. They wanted to know what was special about our particular garden, since many schools plant them.The teacher explained that, after going on the Internet to learn about the prairie(大草原), we had made a prairie garden. We had gone to a prairie and gotten seeds from the plants, and then we planted them. We did not water the garden, but we did weed it. We decided to let nature water it with rain, since that was how prairies grew in the past. We sent a picture of the garden to the news station. In the picture, the grass was so high that it stood taller than the fourth grade students.As a result, the producer sent a reporter to our school. He interviewed the headmaster and asked him many questions about the garden. After that, they interviewed us, and we explained to them what we had learned through this project.That night, we watched the news, and there we were. The news reporter told our story. It was only two minutes long, but it was us. We were famous. All that work, all those blisters, it was worth it. We knewthatwhen we saw the garden every day, but now we knew that the whole city thought so, too.12. What seemed to be the TV directors’ initial reaction to the garden?A. They were excited.B. They were surprised.C. They were worried.D. They were uninterested.13. What is special about the garden?A. Weeds were allowed to spread naturally.B. The grass grew faster than common grass.C. The seeds came from the plants of a prairie.D. Underground water was used for the plants.14. What does the underlined word “that” refer to in the last paragraph?A. We got blisters on our hands.B. Our hard work was worthwhile.C. The garden would be famous.D. The project would be finished.15. How did the author feel about the project?A. Annoyed.B. Curious.C. Proud.D. Regretful.第二节（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）阅读下面短文，从短文后的选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
2020-2021学年陕西省西安中学高三英语上学期期中考试试卷及答案
2020-2021学年陕西省西安中学高三英语上学期期中考试试卷及答案第一部分阅读（共两节，满分40分）第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30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ASevenhugs HugOneDo you want to improve the quality of your sleep? Sevenhugs has created HugOne that tracks different sleep patterns to help families consistently rest better. There are dozens of devices and tools devoted to monitoring the sleep. But, HugOne is the world’s first family smart home sleep system, which integrates a calculation rule for sleep patterns of children and adults.HugOne is a well-designed product, full of a sense of science and technology. It connects to a number of smaller sensors called “minihugs”, which are placed on the edge of each bed. They monitor the sleep patterns and other data coming from the person sleeping in that bed. The data arethen sent to an app on the smartphone.● The benefits of HugOne include:* Having a smart alarm clock on the app as HugOne learns your sleep cycle and automatically sets and sounds to when the best moment in your sleep cycle is identified.* Monitoring temperature and humidity in your bedroom as well as indoor air quality for the main living space.* Linking with smart lamps and thermostats, allowing users to fall asleep with sunset light and preferred nighttime temperatures, and wake up to sunrise light and preferred daytime temperatures.* Ensuring safety from electronic transmissions when you sleep-when the minihug senses a presence in bed, it shuts off its electronic transmissions and starts recording sleep data and sending them to the app.● The following are selected from customers’ comments:I prefer HugOne, since it’s convenient to use. I simply place the minihug in the corner of my bed under the sheet and it goes to work monitoring my sleep cycle. It’s really good.—Robert Compton● HugOne available for purchase includes:I think HugOne is a humanized product. It’s shareable, and I’ve connected eight minihugs to the HugOne base in my house. All my family members think highly of it.—Chris HanawaltHugOne will provide maximum protection for your sleep. If you want to get more detailed information, please call the sellers at 1-800-576-1899 or .Style: Sleep Tracking System＋2 Sleep SensorsColour: Blue＋Rose1. How does HugOne effectively work?A. It controls sleep patterns automatically.B. It creates smart systems for a better sleep.C. It collects sleep data through the minihugs.D. It makes a calculation of the data sensors need.2. According to the passage, HugOne can ______.A. adjust temperature, humidity and air quality in bedroomsB. update the sleep cycles by aid of an alarm clock on the appC. record sleep data when there are electronic transmissions in bedD. help users fall asleep and wake up naturally with preferred temperatures3. The passage is made more believable by ______.A. providing statisticsB. drawing a comparisonC. giving a demonstrationD. using recommendationsBAmerica---that glorious symbol of multiculturalism, the great melting pot---qualifies as part of the developed world, right? Not quite, if we consider the state of second language learning in schools across the country. According to a 2018 study, Europe often tops the U.S. in foreign language education in school. 92% of European students are learning a foreign language in school. In America it’s only 20%. In more than 20 European countries, studying a foreign language for at least one year is compulsory. In comparison, only 10 states and D.C. require learning a foreign language for graduation.I went to a public school in Pennsylvania that ranked onNewsweek’s list of America’s top high schools in 2015. Foreign language learning was not a graduation requirement. A common response to such stories and statistics is: So what? Why should Americans care about learning another language when English has recently seemed to dominate as the official language of the world?The world is globalizing faster than we can imagine. More than half of the world’s population speaks more than one language. It is also increasingly becoming the need for success in this globalizing world. Having the abilityto speak a second language opens up the possibility of travelling and immersing yourself in another part of the world. This means people can feel other cultures, and traditions in places you were previously kept away because you could not communicate in the language.The teaching of foreign languages can be instrumental in bringing about peace and unity in the country we live in. Learning a second language can be an efficient vehicle to help to bridge communities. To speak another language means having access to a universe of different experiences and world views of another community of people.4. Why does the writer mention Europe?A. America makes studying a foreign language compulsory.B. America is the glorious symbol of multiculturalism.C. America isn’t really qualified as the developed world.D. America doesn’t focus on foreign language education5. What is American’s attitude towards education of foreign languages?A. Less concerned.B. More worried.C. Quite doubtful.D. Very supportive.6. What can visiting people do if they can speak the language where they visit?A. Make the world globalizing.B. Achieve success in business.C. Experience people’s real life there.D. Keep away their own culture.7. What is the main idea of the last paragraph?A. Using a second language can bring harmony.B. Communities of people enjoy the great views.C. Speaking another language is reallynecessary.D. Learning a second language can be difficult.CWe have most friends at the age of 26 afterhaving spent the first quarter of our lives building up our friendship circle, new research has claimed.The research into friendship shows that our social circle peaks at 26 years and 7 months, at which we typically have five close friends. Women are most popular at 25 years and 10 months, with men hitting the highest friendship point a little later at 27 years and 3 months.The research, by Forever Friends, shows that about a third of adults meet their closest friends while at school,with about a fifth saying they meet them at work.Social networks such as Facebook and Twitter now also play a major role in building new friendship. The research points out that 25 to 34-year-olds make 22 friends via Facebook, compared to 18 to 24-year-olds who make 12, and 35 to 44-year-olds who make just four.Forever Friends' relationship coach Sam Owen says, “It is no coincidence that over a third of us meet our best friends at school. It is a key time in our lives when friendship is growing through sharing notes, giving gifts, seeing each other regularly and laughing a lot. As adults we can often forget how powerful these small things are and how the little things can make a difference."Later in life we find ourselves losing friends. Over half of us lose friendship through moving, while 36% say that over time they grow apart from close pals. Having children also causes 19% todrift away fromchildhood friends.With growing pressure being put on friendship these days, it's important to make time for our friendship.8. How many friends can a 20-year-old college student make via Facebook?A. 22.B. 18.C. 12.D. 4.9. In Paragraph 5, the author is trying to tell the readers ________.A. how important making friends isB. school time is an important period to develop friendshipC. how much has been done to keep friendshipD. that friendship is not easy to keep10. The underlined phrase "drift away from" in Paragraph 6 means ________.A. make sense ofB. make up withC. feel sorry forD. lose touch with11. This passage is mostprobably taken from ________.A. a newspaperB. an advertisementC. a textbookD. Facebook or TwitterDIt is essential that students have a category of school-related activities they can participate in. These activities can range from activities during normal school hours to after-school activities. No matter the time, these activities should be available to every student, and at Victory Pioneers International Schools (V.P.I.S) it is encouraged thatevery student participate in at least one activity, educational and recreational.One of the primary reasons school activities are important at V.P.I.S. is because it gives students the exercise they might not normally receive. Most popularly, these types of activities include major sports such as football, basketball, baseball, tennis, track and field and soccer but also might include gymnasium games and other games.Activities during V.P.I.S. also make a good impression on colleges if students are planning to pursue more education. Colleges look for students who do not just go to school and go home after school. These activities range from participating in clubs and sports to volunteering after school at a recreation center or having a part-time job. If a college sees you maintained good grades while participating in these activities, it will be impressed.V.P.I.S. activities also allow students to be creative. Gifted-and-talented activities allow gifted students to participate in what they otherwise would never have experienced in the classroom. They are a great way to allow students to be creative. Additionally, participating in clubs such as drama that appeal to students’ interest also allows them to expand their knowledge and be creative.Students also can have their interests expanded by participating in activities. These activities could consist of anything, such as joining the Future Business Leaders, the school’s debate team and the chess team, to name a few. By participating in these activities, a student might realize he is interested in something he never knew he was interested in before.12. What can we learn about activities at V.P.I.S.?A. Not every student has access to them.B. Students are required to take part in them after school.C. They give students exercise that might not be got in other schools.D. Educational activities are more popular with the students.13. What benefits can the students get from the activities?A. They can get extra grades when applying for colleges.B. They will become more gifted and talented .C. They may expand their knowledge in drama.D. They may better know their own interests.14. Which of the following is a suitable title for the passage?A. The Benefits of V.P.I.S. ActivitiesB. School-related Activities at V.P.I.S.C. Colleges Need Creative StudentsD. Activities Make You Creative15. Where is the passage probably from?A. A scientific magazine.B. A college application guideline.C. A club introduction.D. The website of V.P.I.S.第二节（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）阅读下面短文，从短文后的选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
2020年陕西省西安中学高三英语上学期期中试卷及答案
2020年陕西省西安中学高三英语上学期期中试卷及答案第一部分阅读（共两节，满分40分）第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30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AThis is a list of places to spend the 2020 Olympics if you aren't going to Japan.AustraliaThe fact that the summer Olympics fall during Australia's winter season is worth keeping in mind for two reasons: it makes traveling there cheaper, and it's still not too cold. As far as the Olympics are concerned, there will be no shortage of opportunities to watch the Games in between your various explorations of the country and its limitless activities.ThailandThailand is a breathtaking place 10 spend some time during any summer, and provides a perfect setting for Olympie viewing: You can go scuba diving one morning before watching sports all afternoon, or simply duck out for world-famous street food in between events. But Thai sports fans may also be taking extra interest in the Olympics these days.United StatesThe U.S. is likely to be as interested in the Olympics as any other nation, given is collection of athletes who will be taking center stage. You can rest assured it won't be difficult to watch the Games no matter where you're visiting specifically. This leaves you with all sorts of fun options. You can visit a luxury ski resort town like Aspen, which turns into a gorgeous hiking destination in the summer.Great BritainNot unlike the U, s. Britain will make for a fun place to spend the 2020 Olympics because there's a great deal of national interest in a number of different sports, and the local athletes are expected to be competitive. Summer can also be a good time to be in Britain in general," with ly mild temperatures allowing for full exploration of the country. That means you can stay in the beautiful Lake District if you like, hiking or kayaking when you're not watching the Games.1.What is special about Australia as a destination in an Olympic summer?A.Its season.B.Its activities.C.Its sports.D.Its scenery,2.Which country can you go to if you are a street food lover?A.Australia.B.Thailand.C.United States.D.Great Britain.3.What do the U. S. and Britain have in common as fun places to spend the 2020 Olympics?A.They both have a pleasant temperature.B.They are both interested in the Games.CThey both own lots of sports centers. D.They are both English-speaking countries.BFor years, life went something like this: We’d grow up in one place, head off to college, and then find a city to get a job and live there for a few years. The final goal was to find somewhere to settle down, buy a house, start a family, and begin the whole cycle all over again. But now some people are increasingly choosing to move from city to city throughout their entire lives, sometimes as frequently as every month.Just ask Alex Chatzieleftheriou, who has had a front-row seat watching this evolution unfold. Six years ago, he launched a startup called Blueground that rents out beautifully designed, fully furnished apartments for a month at a time, at rates that are cheaper than hotels. And it aims to make each one feel unique and comfortable,rather than standardized, like what you might find in a traditional hotel.Today, the company has 3,000 properties(房地产) in six U.S. cities, along with Dubai, Istanbul, London, Paris, and Chatzieleftheriou’s native Athens, and a staff of 400. With the helpof the Series B round of funding, the company landed $ 50 million, plus its previous total of $ 28 million, to continue its rapid expansion. It hopes to have 50,000 properties in 50 cities over the next three years.Chatzieleftheriou first came up with the idea for Blueground while he was working as a management consultant for McKinsey. “The accommodation of choice for consultants is the hotel,” he says. “I had to spend five years in hotel rooms, living in 12 different cities. I loved seeing the world, but I didn’t love feeling like I didn’t have a home.” And what’s more, hotels aren’t a particularly cost-effective solution for companies either. In Chatzieleftheriou’s case, McKinsey sometimes paid $ 10,000 or more for him to stay in a major city for a month.4. What does the author intend to tell in the first paragraph?A. A new lifestyle is appearing.B. Life is just like a circle for people.C. Most people are used to an easy life.D. People live in different places in life.5. What is the goal of Blueground?A. To compete with hotels.B. To create standardized hotels.C. To make renters feel at home.D. To rent out long-term apartments.6. What do we know about Blueground?A. It got a total investment of $ 78 million.B. Its business is anything but satisfying.C. It expanded to every corner of the world.D. It has 50,000 properties in 50 cities.7. What does the last paragraph focus on?A. High costs of hotels.B. Chatzieleftheriou’s former work.C Strengths of Blueground.D. The inspiration for Blueground.CScientists say baby sharks are at risk of being born smaller and without the energy they need to survive because of warming oceans from climate change.Scientists studied epaulette sharks, which live off Australia and New Guinea. They found that warmer conditions sped up the sharks’ growing process. That meant the sharks were born earlier and very tired. The findings could be used in the study of other sharks, including those that give birth to live young.The scientists studied 27 sharks. Some were raised in average summer water temperatures, about 27 degrees Celsius. Others were raised in higher temperatures around 29 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius. They found that the sharks raised in the warmest temperatures weighed much less than those raised in average temperatures. They also showed reduced energy levels.Epaulette sharks can grow to a length of about one meter. Their name comes from large spots on their bodies that look like decorations on some military clothing.One study this year found that worldwide numbers of oceanie sharks and rays dropped more than 70 percent between 1970 and 2018. Overfishing is a main concern, while climate change and pollution also threaten shark.Carolyn Wheeler is a doctoral student at the University of Massachusetts Boston and with the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University in Australia. She was the lead author of the epauletteshark study. She said that while all the sharks survived, those raised in warmer temperatures were not strong enough to survive for long in the wild.She added that if the sharks are born smaller than usual “they are probably going to have to start looking for food sooner—and they’re going to have less time to adjust to their surroundings.” The study should serve as a warning to ocean governing agencies that careful management is needed to prevent the loss of more sharks.8. In what aspect do the warmer conditions affect the baby sharks?A. Their food.B. Their body weight.C. Their living habits.D. Their moving route.9. How did the scientists carry out their study?A. By studying former data.B. By tracking sharks in the wild.C. By collecting information about climate change.D. By comparing sharks in waters of different temperatures10. What does paragraph 5 mainly talk about?A. The origin of sharks’ names.B. The sharks’ appearance.C. The threats to sharks’ survival.D. The sharks’ living environment.11. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?A. Scientists Raise Sharks to Deal with ProblemsB. Global Warming Has Reduced Shark PopulationsC. Baby Sharks Struggle to Survive in Warming OceansD. Scientists Are Struggling to Save Sharks from ExtinctionDGetting drunk on ice cream used to be the stuff of dreams, but thanks to Will Rogers, inventor and owner of WDS Dessert Stations in Hinkley, Illinois, it has become a delicious reality. The Below Zero icecream machine uses a unique technique to freeze alcohol, which allows you to turn beers, cocktails and even spirits (烈酒) into delicious soft —serve ice cream.Rogers was trying to create a highly — caffeinated espresso ice cream flavor when he realized hecould use the same technique with alcoholic beverages. He started experimenting with various gums and stabilizers commonly used in the ice cream industry and eventually patented something called the NEA gel. It’s this magical concoction (调制品) that allows the alcohol to freeze to a near solid inside the Below Zero ice cream machine.Even though Below Zero changes the texture (质地) of beer, cocktails and even spirits, essentially turning them into soft —serve ice cream, it does not affect the alcohol contentat all. The ABV (酒精度) remains exactly the same, which means you can get drunk on ice — cream just as you would on the same concoctions in liquid form.Will Rogers claims that it takes around 30 minutes for beer to go from liquid to ice cream form, but higher alcohol content drinks take longer. Essentially, the higher the alcohol level, the longer the wait.The American inventor plans to sell Below Zero ice cream machines to bars and breweries wanting to surprise their patrons. Metro reports that machines will sell for about 6,000.12. What’s the name of the machine which can change beer and spirits into ice cream?A. Will RogersB. WDS Dessert StationsC. HinkleyD. Below Zero13. What makes alcohol to freeze to a near solid inside the machine?A. gums.B. stabilizers.C. NEA gel.D. ABV.14. What can we know from the passage?A. The machine can change all liquids into ice cream.B. It takes 20 minutes for beer to change into ice cream.C. The higher the alcohol level, the shorter the wait will be.D. The machine changes the texture of beer, cocktails and even spirits.15. What can we infer from the passage?A. The machine affects the alcohol content.B. You can get drunk if you have ice—creams made from spirits.C. The American inventor doesn’t want to sell themagical machine.D. Bars and breweries will not become potential buyers of the machine.第二节（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）阅读下面短文，从短文后的选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
2020-2021学年陕西省西安中学高三英语期中考试试卷及答案解析
2020-2021学年陕西省西安中学高三英语期中考试试卷及答案解析第一部分阅读（共两节，满分40分）第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30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AI truly thought thatI might die that day. Had I not seen three bears and a few wolves over the last couple of days near the road, I might have just lain down and called it quits. What in the world was I thinking, dragging my bike up to Yellowstone and thinking I could ride from West Yellowstone to Old Faithful in the snow? No less!I had planned this trip for more than two months, and I wasn't about to give up so easily. The first few miles were beautiful. Ten miles in, I started sucking wind. Fifteen miles and my legs felt like they were made of lead. By twenty miles, my lungs were burning and felt like there was nothing left in the tank. That was when I turned around and saw my husband and three children cheering me on in the van behind me. I knew I couldn't quit because I tell my children all the time that just because something is hard doesn't mean that you stop doing it. I had to live what I'd been preaching(说教). That thought got me up that mountain and to the end of the ride.The importance of that ride was apparent after only a week. My eight-year-old daughter Emalee wanted to ride in a twelve-mile charity ride. That day was cold as well. She was the youngest rider. About four miles into the ride, she started feeling cold. The chill(寒冷)was making her muscles cramp a little and she began to struggle. By six miles, she had tears running down her face. It broke my heart to see her suffering like that.I told herthat she didn't have to finish. She said that she wouldn't quit. I told her how I had wanted to quit the week before, but perseverance had gotten me to the end and I knew she could do it, too.The look on her face as she pulled into the finish was priceless. She threw her arms around me and said, “You didn't quit, Mommy, so neither did I.”1. What motivated the author to finish her ride?A. Her family's encouragement.B. Her own instruction for children.C. The beautiful scenery and weather.D. The careful and thorough preparation.2. By describing the conditions Emalee met, the author wanted to________.A. show her guilt for her daughterB. prove that riding is a tough taskC. persuade her daughter to give upD. indicate she was proud of Emalee3. What does the author want to tell us according to the story?A. Never say die.B. Do nothing by halves.C. Children are what the mothers are.D. Every mother's child is handsome.BI have a memory of being about five years old, picking up a beautiful grilled(烧烤的）cheese sandwich made for me by my hard —working mother and turning it over to see that theother side was burned. Suddenly what I thought was the perfect sandwich was not so perfect. Mom had tried to hide that fact from me. There was no question; I ate it anyway without complaining. However, that moment has stuck in my mind for many years. Now, at the age of 43 as a mother of two children and as a biology professor where I am routinely the "academic mother" of hundreds of students every year,I find that I believe inThe Grilled Cheese Principle.Here is what I mean Making a grilled cheese sandwich is easy right? But when I think of how many burned grilled cheese sandwiches I have eaten, or I have made myself, I realize that most of the grilled cheese sandwiches I have known have had at least one burned side. The thing is that although it is a ly easy thing to make, I can also easily lose focus, and before long the sandwich is burned. For my mother, the first side was usually perfect and the second side got burned due to her being distracted. For me,I have tended to burn the first side,but then I more carefully monitor the second side.Either way,the grilled cheese sandwich suffers because it has not been given the attention it deservesSo, I have learned that even the simplest task deserves my full attention. When I am multi-tasking, I am doing none of the tasks well. And when I allow myself to be distracted, I am not in the present moment — not paying attention to the small details of living or enjoying the processSo now, I believe the best way to make a perfect grilled cheese sandwich is to make only one at a time and give it my full attention.4. How did the writer react to the sandwich with burned side?A. She ate it with some complaintsB. She showed no interest.C. She thought it was still perfectD. She was deeply impressed with it5. What doesThe Grilled Cheese Principlemean?A. Even simple things deserve full attentionB. Losing focus makes the sandwich burnedC. Self-made sandwiches are always burnedD. we should make only one sandwich at a time6. Which of the following can we infer from the passage?A. Everything cannot be done well without full attentionB. Moms always like to lie to kids when they have done something wrongC. We can lose focus more easily when we do easy things.D. Multi-tasking can be an obstacle to the achievement of tasks.7. What does the writer mainly want to tell us?A. Nothing is perfectB. Learn to appreciate the burned sandwichesC. Devote yourself to one thing at a time.D. Never do multi-tasksCMark Bertram, 46, lost the tips of two fingers at work in 2018 when his hand became trapped in a fan belt. “It's life-changing but it's not life-ending,” he says. “Doing work is harder now. Everything is just a little different.”After two surgeries and occupational therapy, Bertram decided to make light of his condition by asking Eric Catalano, a tattoo (纹身) artist, to create fingernail tattoos. The idea made everyone in the studio laugh—until they saw the final result. “The mood changed,” Catalano recalls from his Eternal Ink Tattoo Studio. “Everything turned from funny to wow.”When Catalano posted a photo of the tattoos, a pair of fingernails that looked so real that no one could believe their eyes, he had no idea the image would eventually be viewed by millions of people around the world.The viral photo pushed Catalano, 40, further into the world of paramedical (辅助医疗的) tattooing. Now people with life-altering scars come from as far away as Ireland to visit his shop. They enter Eternal Ink looking for the artistic healing they saw online. Using flesh-toned (肉色的) inks and a needle, Catalano transforms his clients' view of themselves.Leslie Pollan, 32, a dog breeder in Oxford, was bitten on the face by a puppy in 2014. She underwentcountless surgeries to correct a scar on her lip.“Plastic surgery gave me no hope,” she says. “So I looked for other options.” She ultimately traveled six hours to meet with Catalano. He hid Pollan's lip scar, giving her back a piece of her confidence.“ You don't understand until you've been through it,” Pollan says. “It made me have a different look on life.”Catalano performs up to eight reconstructive tattoos. While he charges $100 per regular tattoo, he doesn't charge for paramedical tattoos. “Financially, it doesn't make sense,” Catalano says. “But every time I see that emotion from my customers, I'm 100 percent sure this is something that I can't stop doing.”8. What best describes people's attitude when first hearing of fingernail tattoos?A. Indifferent.B. Ridiculous.C. Confident.D. Surprised.9. What did Catalano do to help Leslie Pollan?A. He drew an artistic puppy.B. He inked scars on her face.C. He created a lip tattoo.D. He performed plastic surgeries on her.10. What can we infer from the passage?A. Cosmetic surgery is of no use.B. Tattoos earn Mark Bertram a good fame.C. Catalano is a kind and generous person.D. Fingernail tattoos are popular around the world.11. What could be the best title for the text?A. A Life-changing EventB. Miracle TattoosC. An Amazing ArtistD. A Promising BusinessDA Chinese space mining company has designed a robot that can capture waste material left behind by spacecraft in outer space with a big net.The state-run Xinhua news agency recently reported that the robot launched on the government's Long March 6 rocket along with several satellites. The robot will also investigate deep space to observe small objects in the universe. The 30-kilogram robot, called NEO-01 , was developed by Origin Space. Pounded in 2019 and based in the southern Chinese tech hub(技术中心)Shenzhen, Origin Space has been devoted to exploring and usingspace resources, according to the company. The company says the robot will lead the way for future technologies capable of mining on asteroids(小行星).The world's first asteroid mining company, Planetary Resources, was established in 2009. Since then, more than 12 businesses around the world have entered the industry, including 3D Systems of the United States and Japan's Astroscale. Astroscale's technology uses magnets (磁铁)to gather up space waste. But a report on the Origin Space website says NEO-01 will use a net to capture waste and then bum it. Thousands of satellites have been launched worldwide. As they are used too long, many end up as waste and put other operating satellites at risk.Su Meng is the founder of Origin Space. He said the company plans to launch many space telescopes and more spacecraft to begin the first for-profit mining of asteroids by 2045. Su added that NEO-01 will serve as a prototype (雏形)of future space mining robots, which can use rich mineral resources on asteroids to support the development of the space industry.The Xinhua news agency reported that China was increasing efforts to land a spacecraft on a near-Earth asteroid to collectmaterials. China is also speeding up a plan to build a defense system against near-Earth asteroids. The country aims to follow Russia and the United States in becoming a major space power by 2030.12. Which of the following can correctly describe NEO-01?A. It weighs 60 kilograms.B. It was created by Planetary Resources.C. It will be burnt after finishing its mission.D. It is mainly used to catch space waste.13. What can be inferred from the text?A. China will be the most powerful in space by 2030.B. Origin Space will open more mines on asteroids.C. It is those useless satellites that make space waste.D. The robot will look into deep space for more waste.14. What does Su Meng think of NEO-01 ?A. It is promising and rewarding.B. It has benefited the space industry.C. It's a long way to produce it.D. It'll help make money for the company.15. What can be the best title for the text?A. NEO-01 , A Smart Robot Used in SpaceB. A Chinese Robot Can Catch Space WasteC. A New Robot Makes China a SpacePowerD. NEO-01 , the Pioneer of Future Space Robots第二节（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）阅读下面短文，从短文后的选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
2020年西安高级中学高三英语上学期期中试题及答案
2020年西安高级中学高三英语上学期期中试题及答案第一部分阅读（共两节，满分40分）第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30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AConsumer Electronics Show (CES) is a global stage where the world’s next-generation inventions are introduced towards the marketplace, and lots of companies are participating. Here are several of the amazing inventions that were introduced at the showin 2020.August Wi-Fi Smart LockIt's an intelligent door lock to protect your home, and it works on Wi-Fi. The lock doesn’t require any additional hardware to attach to it and can be used with the existing door lock. The owner can remotely access the door from anywhere to lock or unlock and can provide guest keys to family or friends. It keeps statistics and records of your door’s “lock”, “unlock”, and who have visited.Motion PillowIt’s a pillow developed for anyone who has a snoring (打鼾) problem. The solution box detects, records, and analyses the sleeping person’s snoring patterns. By changing the internal airbag’s pressure, it fixes the position of the sleeping person’s neck and head gently to improve his breathing. Three layers of noise-reducing material minimize the user’s sleeping disturbance.Ao AirIt’s a high-tech face-covering wearable air purifier with no tight seal on the mouth and nose. The purifier pulls air inside through a filtration (过滤) process and uses fans to createa clean area in front of the device. It’s designed in such a way that it can clean more than 98 % of PM2.5 through filtration.Transparent HoodThe company Continental showed off this revolutionary invention at CES 2020 that got the Best Vehicle Intelligence and Transportation Award. It’s a technology that gives the driver the ability to see barriers and blind spots from the driving seat. Four cameras take surrounding pictures so that the driver can see the real-time blind spots and prevent even parking damage too.1.Who is the text mainly intended for?A.The general public.B.The science lovers.C.The electronic companies.D.The college students.2.Which of the following descriptions of Motion pillow is correct?A.It’s intended for all those who can’t sleep well.B.It can help sleepers breathe smoothly.C.It can remove the noise around to help people sleep.D.Its pressure is changed by sleepers themselves.3.What can we infer from the text?A.August Wi-Fi Smart Lock helps improve the safety of homes.B.Ao Air produces fresh air for its users.C.Motion Pillow reduces material to minimize sleeping disturbance.D.Transparent Hood helps make driving safer and easier.BKids ages 6 to13 inCape Town,South Africa, really do dig learning at school! With the help of the Earthchild Project, which is offered in schools in two townships, students make worm(蠕虫) farms. The worms break down food waste and make the soil richer. Kids grow seedlings(幼苗) in containers and learn about the importance of good nutrition.The school program also offers yoga(瑜伽). Teachers find that the exercises help students focus better. The students enjoy Earthchild activities. “The children gets so excited”, says teacher Vuyelwa Rola.“The society we are in has a lot of noise. When students are taking part in the Earthchild Project, they feel calm.”Director Janna Kretzmar came up with the idea for the project in 2005. She read about schools inIndiathat involved kids in yoga and learning outside the classroom. She developed the Earthchild Project to offer similar activities inCape Townschools.“We hope the Earthchild Project can help students find solutions to all the challenges they are facing in the world today,” Kretzmar said. “The best place to create change is with the youth, through education.”The Earthchild Project combines schoolwork with hiking, gardening, healthy living, and yoga. “We need more than just math and science to become happy, healthy, inspired, and active citizens of our communities,” says Kretzmar. In some communities inCape Town, children live in poverty. They must walk long distances to get clean drinking water. Life is hard. But according to the Earthchild Project’s Carly Appleby, the project works to give hope to every child. “Students who have hope,” she says, “aim for bigger goals”.4. What do students benefit from yoga?A. It helps them calm down.B. It helps them concentrate.C. They can learn some living skills.D. They can learn about the importance of nutrition.5. What are students’ attitude towards the Earthchild Project?A. Uncaring.B. Doubtful.C. Supportive.D. Negative.6. What do you know about the Earthchild Project?A. It was founded in 2005.B. It only offers outside activities.C. The idea came up by Vuyelwa Rola.D. It is aimed at helping students find solutions to challenges.7. What’s the best title of the passage?A. Hard Life inSouth Africa.B. Students’ school life inCape Town.C. Hope from Earthchild Project inCape Town.D. The differences between traditional lessons and Earthchild Project.CMy first week working in a restaurant, one of the servers said something that stuck with me: Everyone should work in a restaurant for at least a year. At the time, I didn't get it, but I took the advice to heart and worked in restaurants on and off for the next eight years. Before realizing it, I mastered many important skills, one of which is communication skill.When I was little, I was so shy that I used to hide behind my mom whenever someone spoke to me. And when I first started in restaurants, I had two personalities: Restaurant Lizzy and Home Lizzy. It was easier to pretend to be a different person while at work, since it was so different from who I actually was. But gradually, the skills I learned working in restaurants helped Home Lizzy come out of her shell in the real world.When you work in a restaurant, you don't have the luxury of hiding behind your parents to avoid talking to people. I'm still 110% an introvert, but restaurant work helped me communicate. Working in a restaurant not only helped me speak clearly, deliberately and directly but also taught me how to talk about almost everything. Some guests don't want their servers to interact too much with them, and that's fine. But some sit at the bar simply to chat with you. You learn how to judge your guests' level of interest in communicating with you, and how to exit aconversation at the appropriate time.My restaurant work is something that I'm most proud of and I know I wouldn't be the person I am today without those eight years of experience. If you're still on the fence about working in a restaurant for that long, start with one year. I doubt that you'll look back.8. What did the writer think of the server's words?A. Impressive.B. Ridiculous.C. Amusing.D. Logical.9. What do we infer from Paragraph 2?A. The writer tried different jobs.B. The writer became more sociable.C. The writer used an invented name.D. The writer had a hard time at work.10. Which of the following best describes the writer's restaurant work?A. Boring.B. Relaxing.C. Worthwhile.D. Unchallenging.11. What message does the writer try to convey in this passage?A. A strong-willed soul can reach his goal.B. Things are difficult before they are easy.C. Communication skills advance your career.D. Restaurantwork helps to achieve a better self.DOne weekend I went toBuffaloto talk at a writers' conference organized by a group of women writers. The women were serious about their writing skills, and the articles they had written were solid and useful. They asked me to take part in a radio talk show earlier in the week to publicize the conference-they would be with the host in the studio and I would be on a telephone linking from my apartment inNew York.The appointed evening arrived, and my phone rang, and the host came on and greeted me. He said he had three lovely ladies in the studio with him and he was eager to find out what we all thought of the present state of literature and what advice we had for all his listeners who were members of the literati and had literary ambitions themselves.This hearty introduction dropped like a stone among us, and none of the three lovely ladies said anything, which I thought was the proper response.The silence lengthened, and finally I said, “I think we should stop mentioning the words literature and literary and literati. We're here to talk about the skills of writing.” Iknew that the host had been given information about what kind of writers we were and what we wanted to discuss. But he had no other preparation. "Tell me what insights do you have about the literary experience inAmericatoday?” Silence also greeted this question.He didn’t know what to do with that, and he began to mention the names of authors like Ernest Hemingway and Saul Bellow and William Styron, whom we surely regarded as literary giants. We said those writers didn't happen to be our models, and we mentioned people like Lewis Thomas and Joan Didion and Gary Wills, whom he hadn't heard of. We explained that these were writers we admired. “But don't you want to write anything literary?” our host said We were speechless.It was one of the all-time upset radio talk shows.12. What do we know about the talk show?A. It was organized by women writers.B. It was publicized at the conference.C. The author went toBuffaloto take part in it.D. The author participated in it inNew York.13. What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 2 mean?A. The introduction struck us heavily with a stone.B. The introduction received embarrassing response.C. The introduction increased the listeners' interest.D. The introduction carried the host's praise for us.14. What was the author's reaction when the host mentioned the three great literary- giants?A. Excited.B. Inspired.C. Uninterested.D. Satisfied.15. Who may be the author's model?A. Joan Didion.B. Ernest Hemingway.C. Saul Bellow.D. William Styron.第二节（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）阅读下面短文，从短文后的选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。