湖北省武汉市第二中学、麻城一中高二英语下学期期中试题

武汉二中、麻城一中2014－2015学年度下学期期中联考
高二英语试卷
考试时间：2015年4月29日上午7:40－9:40试卷满分：150分
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。

What will the woman probably do next?
A. Take the man to the bank.
B. Lend the man some money.
C. Ask the man to sign a cheque.
2. What does the woman advise the man to do?
A. Type the address once again.
B. Have the computer repaired.
C. Visit a tennis website for information.
3. Where are the speakers going this evening?
A. To a beach.
B. To a gym.
C. To a cinema.
4. Where does the conversation most probably take place?
A. In a bookstore.
B. In a classroom.
C. In a library.
5. What are the speakers mainly talking about?
A. The Internet.
B. Warm clothes.
C. The weather.
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。

听完每段对话或独白前，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秒钟的做答时间。

每段对话或独白读两遍。

听第6段材料，回答第6至7题。

6. Where did the man stay at the age of 2?
A. In Tokyo.
B. In Munich.
C. In Hawaii.
7. When did the man’s family move to the Middle East?
A. In 1960.
B. In 1965.
C. In 1972.
听第7段材料，回答第8至9题。

8. What is the woman telling to her father?
A. Her plan for her holiday.
B. Her sightseeing experience.
C. Her impression of Greenwich Village.
9. What is the woman going to do on her last night?
A. See the Statue of Liberty.
B. Visit Chinatown.
C. Watch a show.
听第8段材料，回答第10至12题。

10. What can we learn from the conversation?
A. Christmas is coming.
B. The woman once lived in Ohio.
C. The man will visit his grandparents.
11. What does the man’s mother usually do for Christmas Day?
A. She cooks the turkey.
B. She makes apple pies.
C. She prepares the vegetables for salad.
12. Who washes the dishes in the man’s family?
A. His aunts.
B. His uncles.
C. The children.
听第9段材料，回答第13至16题。

13. Where does the conversation probably take place?
A. In a car.
B. At a bus stop.
C. At a car park.
14. What does the woman think of taking a bus?
A. Enjoyable.
B. Convenient.
C. Unbearable.
15. Why did the man stop driving a car into town?
A. It was difficult to park the car.
B. It was expensive to pay the fine for the car.
C. There are too many traffic jams on his way to his company.
16. What is the woman’s opinion?
A. More people should take the bus.
B. The government should take some measures.
C. The bus company should increase the drivers’ pay.
听第10段材料，回答第17至第20 小题。

17. Why did the speaker plan to go to Kuala Lumpur?
A. To work.
B. To travel.
C. To study.
18. What did the speaker do before she left?
A. She sold her apartment.
B. She borrowed some guide books.
C. She got rid of all her heavy clothes.
19. What happened to the speaker in the end?
A. She quit her job and went back to her hometown.
B. The previous offer was cancelled but she got another job.
C. The weather changed and she had to buy clothes for winter.
20. Where is the speaker now?
A. In Madrid.
B. In Bangkok.
C. In Kuala Lumpur.
第二部分阅读理解（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。

A
Thirteen can be a challenging age. Not only did I have to adapt to my changing body, I also had to deal with my parents’ bitter divorce, a new family and the upsetting move from my country
home to a crowded town.
When we moved, my beloved companion, a small brown pony had to be sold. I was heartbroken and terribly lonely. I couldn’t eat or sleep and cried all the time. Finally, realizing how much I missed my pony, my father bought me another horse, Cowboy.
Cowboy was without doubt the ugliest horse in the world. But I didn’t care. I loved him beyond all reasons.
I joined a riding club. When Cowboy and I entered the events where the horse was judged by appearance, we were quickly “shown the gate”. I knew nothing could turn Cowboy into a beauty. My only chance to compete would be in the timed speed events. I chose the jumping race.
For the whole next month we practiced running and jumping for hours in the hot sun and then I would walk Cowboy home, totally exhausted.
All of our hard work didn’t make me feel confident by the time the show came. One girl named Becky rode a big brown horse in the race events. She always won the blue ribbons. I sat at the gate and sweated all out while I watched Becky and her horse charge through the court and finish in first place.
My turn finally came. At the signal, we dashed toward the first fence, jumped over it without trouble and raced on to the next one. Cowboy then flew over the second, third and fourth fences like a bird and I turned him toward the finish line.
No cheers filled the air. The end of our run was met with surprised silence. Cowboy and I had beaten Becky and her fancy horse by two seconds.
I gained much more than a blue ribbon that day. At thirteen, I realized that no matter what the odds, I’d always come out a winner if I wanted something badly enough to work for it. I can be the owner of my fate.
21. Why did the author like Cowboy so much in spite of its ugliness?
A. Because she loved horses more than anything else.
B. Because she was sad and lonely and needed a companion.
C. Because Cowboy had a lot in common with her pony.
D. Because Cowboy was a strong and smart young horse.
22. The audience fell into silence at the end of the run probably because_________.
A. they didn’t like cowboy, for it was too ugly
B. they were unhappy that Becky was beaten in the event
C. they didn’t expect Cowboy would win the eve nt
D. they never saw a horse running as fast as Cowboy
23. After the competition, the author came to realize that _______.
A. she ought to gather the courage to solve all the problems
B. it was time to forget her pony and treat Cowboy better
C. she could be the god of her own fate if she tried hard enough
D. she needed to work harder to win more blue ribbons
24. It can be inferred from the story that _________.
A. all of their hard training was totally in vain
B. Cowboy lost in the event of being judged by appearance
C. a blue ribbon must be the second highest prize
D. both Becky and the author won in the jumping event
B
You are an intelligent and a good talker. You have no problem giving a wonderful report, delivering an excellent speech or participating in a political debate. You strive for meaningful conversations and have no patience for small talk. “The weather is nice, isn’t it?” Really, who cares?
Although seemingly meaningless and informal, small talk is the starting point of all relationships. Romances and friendships begin with small talk. In a more pragmatic light, you can’t avoid it. Getting a job, working with colleagues, winning new business partners –all of these require small talk.
Americans call it the “Gift of Gab”. Want to be successful? You’d better acquire this gift.
An article on the Forbes website lists a few reasons why small talk is so important for one’s career. Not only does small talk make us more likeable; in one’s career, small talk is also a “free option”.
It can lead to a host of outcomes, from a merely pleasant exchange to the signing of a multimillion-dollar business deal, says the article.
In a time when a big part of our lives has moved online, the art of small talk is mysterious. The awkward experience of feeling like a total outsider at a social function, such as a company event or a diner party, is shared by many of us.
“But don’t worry,”says Elizabeth Bernstein, a relationship columnist at The Wall Street Journal, “you can learn to develop your conversational intelligence.”
First of all, remember small talk is not about communicating, it’s about connecting. Bernstein advises focusing on the other person.
Bad small talkers tend to dominate the conversation. They spend too much time on their favorite topic, whether it’s football or how clever their kids are.
They think they are being social because they are talking. But they are talking to somebody, not with someone. Such people often give the impression of being self-centered and inconsiderate. So no wonder they will lose good chances, like a good fortune or a rise in their positions.
25. People usually begin with “The weather is nice, isn’t it?” because _________.
A. they care much about the weather
B. they don’t want to talk more to each other
C. they just want to have small talk
D. the topic of their talk is in relation to weather
26. From the second paragraph we know ________.
A. small talk is the most important thing of all relationships
B. many important things result from small talk
C. no one can succeed without small talk
D. small talk proves much more important than reports or debates
27. The primary art of small talk is ________.
A. bringing in a lot of business chances
B. being informal
C. relaxing atmosphere
D. connecting rather than communicating
C
As a professor I have grown accustomed to the opinion regarding American education. We are repeatedly told that American schools are failing, that colleges are not teaching, and that the students of today are not as good as the students of the past.
There are, of course, problems with the education system. Because of economic inequality
some schools are significantly better than others and the ideas of equality of education and equality of opportunity are cruel jokes. However, the mere fact that there are some serious problems does not mean that all the dire claims are true.
One stock (陈腐的) claim is that America has fallen behind the world in education in terms of performance on various tests. While the fact that America is behind other countries is a point of concern, there are at least three points worth considering here. The first is the above-mentioned economic inequality which will tend to result in poorer performance when taking the average for America. The second is that many countries have put considerable effort into improving their education systems and hence it is worth considering that America’s decline is also due to the improvement of others. The third is the matter of the measures—do they, in fact, present an accurate picture of the situation? I am not claiming that the data is bad. I am merely raising a reasonable concern about how accurate our picture of education is at this time.
Another stock claim is that American students are doing badly on standardized tests. While there is clearly value in assessment, it is reasonable to consider whether or not such tests are a proper and adequate measure of education. It is also worth considering whether the puzzle with these tests is itself causing damage to education. That is, as teachers teach for the test and students learn for the test, it might be the case that what is being taught is not what should be taught and what is being learned is not what should be learned.
28. According to the professor, many people’s attitude towards American colleges is .
A. positive
B. negative
C. approving
D. indifferent
29. What does the underlined word “dire” in the second paragraph mean?
A. Fair or objective.
B. Exact or precise.
C. Long and boring.
D. Extremely serious or terrible.
30. Judging by the text, the claims are centered on .
A. what should be taught in the American classroom
B. fair judgment of American education
C. American students’ performance on tests
D. an accurate picture of American colleges
31. The passage is written mainly to .
A. defend American education
B. show dissatisfaction with American education
C. explain why American students do badly on tests
D. offer advice on American education reform
D
Anger is not wrong. I know this statement seems shocking and challenges the wildly popular “Positive Thinking” movement, which encourages us to "be full of positive energy" and “let go of our anger”. However, the truth is that anger is just an emotion, and emotions are neither right nor wrong. We do not consciously choose them. We do, on the other hand, choose how we express our emotions and there are definitely right and wrong means of expression.
The reason why we're often urged to “keep a lid on” our anger is that few people ever learn proper and positive ways to express anger. Instead, we are taught that “anger is wrong”and “you should keep your anger inside”. But these messages don't change the fact that, for most of us, anger exists.
Many popular "Positive Thinking" programmes assume that success comes from “controlling
our emotions” and that this can be done by simply repeating positive statements. Interestingly, these positive slogans often include a lot of negativity. “Only losers complain! I am a winner!” is one popular saying. The belief that those who disagree with us are losers is actually quite negative and is often used as an excuse for rude language and personal attacks.
When it comes to dealing with negative situations in our daily lives, the ability to reasonably express anger or disagreement is an important skill. But we must use balanced and non-violent methods to express our dissatisfaction. Frustration at unfair policies or treatment can certainly cause anger, but our anger can never be an excuse for abusing family members, damaging schools, attacking doctors or most seriously, engaging in terrorism.
Instead of pretending that anger doesn’t exi st, we should start teaching appropriate means of dealing with anger. When we experience angry feelings in ourselves or others, what we should “let go of” is the silly idea that we can remove anger with just a few sweet words. Instead, we should find reasonable solutions to the causes of those angry feelings. We need to accept anger as a natural emotion but stop using it as an excuse for violent and destructive behavior. Anger isn't wrong, but failure to deal with it appropriately is.
32. What is the write r’s opinion about the “Positive Thinking ” movement?
A. It can help people control their negative feelings.
B. Simply following it’s advice can improve people’s chances of success.
C. It does not offer useful solutions for dealing with anger.
D. Most of the people who participate in such programmes are dishonest.
33. The underlined expression “ keep a lid on” in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to “_______”.
A. freely express
B. always forgive
C. hold back and keep inside
D. completely forget
34. According to the writer, the best way to deal with anger is to ______.
A. ignore the cause and hope that the anger will go away
B. understand the cause of the problem and act appropriately
C. respond to the cause with positive energy and words
D. let the anger out freely until you finally feel relaxed.
35. What information is useful to add to the final paragraph?
A. The names of some good books that talk about anger issues.
B. The viewpoints of people who hold the opposite opinion to the writer.
C. Different studies that provide some evidence supporting the writer’s beliefs.
D. Some examples of how to deal with anger in a positive and beneficial way.
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。

选项中有两项为多余选项。

The Importance of Accessibility Awareness
At a recent Teen Leadership of Jewish Family Services meeting, people with disabilities talked about their lives. 36 However, what amazed me most was the great importance of education about handicap accommodations (残疾人便利设施).
One school-teacher who is blind, and a woman who has used a wheelchair all her life are two important members of the National Group for Disabled Persons, devoted to raising awareness about disabilities. 37 These include handicap parking spots, handrails, and wheelchair ramps.
One big concern is the people who take advantage of aids, such as handicap parking spaces. 38 And the meeting focused on educating the public.
Some handicap spots have extra room next to them, marked with the “No Parking”signs. “As long as I'm not in the spot, I can take the no-parking area next to it,” some people say. However, the woman who uses a wheelchair disagrees to this. The space exists to allow someone in a wheelchair to have room to get in or out of their car. 39
Some walkways have handrails next to them to help those who require extra assistance. Whether it is a blind person seeking guidance or an elderly person seeking support, the rail is there for walking. Sometimes the rail is blocked, by a parked bicycle for instance, and consequently made useless. 40 People who are informed of the rail’s use would be less likely to mistake it for a bike rack.
Meeting some of the people who are affected by the lack of education about accommodations made me see that there is work to be done. If more people were educated about the proper uses of accommodations, there would be fewer challenges for people with physical disabilities.
A. Accommodations will vary according to the needs of the disabled.
B. As with the parking spot, this is more likely a case of lack of education.
C. They educate about all the accommodations for people with disabilities.
D. Improvement must be made so that disabled people can fully participate.
E. If there is a car in that space, the handicap parking spot is no longer useful.
F. So people without disabilities need to be educated about these accommodations.
G. I was amazed to hear about the challenges faced by people with physical disabilities.
第三部分英语知识运用（共两节，满分45分）
第一节完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30）
阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

In the artificial silence of transoceanic fights I often look at those around me and wonder: Who are the tourists and who are the travelers? There is a 41 .
Tourists go to seek a break so that they can have a rest. Travelers go to 42 and learn, and ultimately open their minds and hearts to let 43 ideas rush in.
Travel is not just being someplace. If that were the 44 , then crossing the street would be traveling. No, travel is 45 oneself to the sights, sounds, smells, and the basic facts of another thing. It is taking time to learn 46 that place is so different from the one you came from. Tourists don’t know where they have been and 47 don’t know where they are going.
It is easy to 48 others living on the opposite side of the world based on 49 from reporters who are trying to compress thousands of years of history and culture into a two-minute story. Travelers can take time to 50 by themselves. They have the liberty and leisure to 51 their own opinions.
In a world that seems to be too 52 to travel around, it is the very act of traveling that is needed to end the 53 . It is travel that lets people see that, 54 our skin and native costumes, and despite our diverse languages, we all 55 the same core responses, and it is only minor cultural differences that 56 us, differences that should be celebrated and not 57 .
Today’s technology has shrunk the world, allowing us access to the most 58 places, places that a mere half century ago required days or weeks of 59 travel to reach, places now 60 in the course of a single day’s journey by jet. The more of these places we visit, the more we will
understand. And the more we understand, the more we’ll be able to peacefully coexist.
41. A. problem B. secret C. difference D. definition
42. A. tour B. experience C. participate D. settle
43. A. similar B. positive C. absurd D. different
44. A. case B. truth C. reality D. fact
45. A. devoting B. rewarding C. occupy D. recommend
46. A. how B. when C. why D. whether
47. A. adventurers B. passengers C. guides D. travelers
48. A. judge B. contact C. affect D. assist
49. A. advertisements B. reports C. discussions D. dialogues
50. A. look into B. think over C. write down D. look up
51. A. express B. analyze C. summarize D. form
52. A. peaceful B. dangerous C. diverse D. abundant
53. A. violence B. poverty C. disease D. routine
54. A. on B. with C. under D. for
55. A. accept B. obey C. produce D. share
56. A. annoy B. separate C. contradict D. substitute
57. A. abolished B. appreciated C. reflected D. feared
58. A. remote B. ideal C. awful D. holy
59. A. pleasant B. tough C. distant D. leisure
60. A. accessible B. available C. adequate D. suitable
注意事项：
用0.5毫米黑色笔迹的签字笔将答案写在答题卡上。

写在本试卷上无效。

第二节（共10小题；每小题1.5，满分15）
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（一个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

The co-founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, has launched 61 could be the world's largest ever book club. Zuckerberg announced last week that his New Year's resolution was 62 (read) a book every other week. He then invited his 30 million 63 (follow) to join him in his literary pursuit. He created his own Facebook page called A Year of Books, 64 which he 65 (announce) what his latest read is and ask people to discuss the book with him. He explained the rationale for his initiative in a post, 66 (say): "I'm excited for my reading challenge. I've found reading books very intellectually fulfilling. Books allow you to 67 (full) explore a topic and immerse yourself in a 68 (deep) way than most media today."
Zuckerberg has already selected his first book, 'The End of Power' by Moises Naim. He explained: "It's a book that explores how the world is shifting to give individual people more power that was traditionally only 69 (hold) by large governments, militaries and other organizations. The trend towards giving people more power is one I believe in deeply, and I'm looking forward to reading this book and exploring this in more detail." Zuckerberg takes on a challenge every year 70 a way to broaden his perspectives and learn more about the world, different cultures, beliefs, histories and technologies. A previous task was to learn to speak Mandarin, which he has managed to do.
第四部分写作（共两节，满分35分）
第一节短文改错（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分）
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。

文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。

每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。

修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。

注意：1.每处错误及其修改均限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。

Dear Tom,
How are things going on with you? You cannot imagine how a pleasant surprise it is to have heard from you! In your email you asked about how I spent my winter vacation. Well, my winter vacation lasted about half a month. During the first few days, I went across my lessons and finished the assignments my teachers has set me. But then came the Spring Festival, as you may already know, is one of the most important traditional festivals for us Chinese. During the festival, I had a great fun staying with my family, helping them with the routine housework as well as visit friends and relatives. Meanwhile, I, together with several of my classmates, carried out some voluntary works in our local home for the elderly. The winter vacation had fled by when I realized it. Now my new term has begun, and I am buried in my lessons as usual.
I’d appreciate you if you could tell me how you spent your winter vacation. And hope to hear from you pretty soon.
All the best!
Yours ever,
Li Hua
第二节书面表达（共1题；满分25分）
国际旅游成为当今世界飞速发展的一个产业，然而不幸的是，国际旅游制造的不同文化间的紧张比相互理解要多，请你就这一现象分析原因, 并提出自己的建议。

注意：1. 词数100左右。

2. 参考词汇：紧张tension
武汉二中、麻城一中2014－2015学年度下学期期中联考
高二英语试卷参考答案及听力录音稿
第一部分听力（共20小题，每小题1.5分，满分30分）
1—5 BCBCC 6—10 ABBCA 11—15 ACBCA 16—20 BACBA
第二部分阅读理解（共20小题，每小题2分，满分40分）
第一节21—24 BCCB 25—27 CBD 28—31 BDCA 32—35 CCBD
第二节36—40 GCFEB
第三部分英语知识运用（共25小题，每小题1.5分，满分45分）
第一节41—45 CBDAA 46—50 CDABA 51—55 DBACD 56—60 BDABA
第二节61. what 62. to read 63. followers 64. on 65. will announce
66. saying 67. fully 68. deeper 69. held 70. as
第四部分写作（共两节，满分35分）
第一节短文改错（共10小题，每小题1分，满分10分）
Dear Tom,
How are things going on with you? You cannot imagine how a pleasant surprise it is to
what
have heard from you! In your email you asked about how I spent my winter vacation. Well,
my winter vacation lasted about half a month. During the first few days, I went across my
over
lessons and finished the assignments my teachers has set me. But then came the Spring
had And
Festival∧, as you may already know, is one of the most important traditional festivals for us
which
Chinese. During the festival, I had great fun staying with my family, helping them with
a
the routine housework as well as visit friends and relatives. Meanwhile, I, together with several of
visiting
my classmates, carried out some voluntary works in our local home for the elderly. The winter
work
vacation had fled by when I realized it. Now my new term has begun, and I am buried in my
before
lessons as usual.
I’d appreciate you if you could tell me how you spent your winter vacation. And hope to
it
hear from you pretty soon.
All the best!
Yours ever,
Li Hua
第二节书面表达（满分25分）
A possible sample
Traveling around the world is not only an effective way for people to ease tension in daily life and work, but also is a direct way to explore the wonder of the world and other cultures. Nowadays international tourism has become a rapidly developing industry. However, many people maintain that traveling to other parts of the world creates tension rather than understanding between people from different cultures. I think there are some valid points in this argument.
The difference in language, culture, customs, and lifestyle often results in conflicts between tourists and local residents. People from various cultures often have different attitudes towards the same thing or behavior, thus causing further misunderstanding. Besides, the increase of international tourists will directly lead to the rise of prices, the problem of traffic congestion, and the worsening of environment. So it is not strange for international tourists to sense the obvious hostility from local inhabitants.
Wonderful as it seems to be, the negative aspects of the international tourism cannot be overlooked. Anyone going to another country should be taught to observe local customs and understand the conventional wisdoms of that country. Otherwise a well-intentioned vacation may turn out to be a nightmare.
听力录音稿。