福建省莆田第一中学2023-2024学年高二下学期期中考试英语试题

福建省莆田第一中学2023-2024学年高二下学期期中考试英语
试题
一、阅读理解
Chocolate is delicious, we all know that. But it isn’t just for eating, as these chocolate works of art clearly show.
Chocolate couch
In 2009, chocolate company Galaxy used 250kg of their own chocolate to make a chocolate couch. The couch was part of their “Irresistible Reads” campaign, which was designed to arouse interest in books. It was put on display in Victoria Embankment Gardens in London. Photos were taken of British TV actress Emilia Fox sitting on the couch reading a book.
Chocolate mailbox
In 2011, seven artists from New York built a chocolate mailbox decorated with white truffle hearts to celebrate Valentine’s Day. The mailbox was on display on Fifth Avenue. People could post their love letters there, and the post office would stamp and mail them for free during the three weeks leading up to February 14.
Chocolate wall
A wall of chocolate at a railway station in Utrecht, the Netherlands became many food lovers’ new place to mark in 2019. The whole wall was made of chocolate, making it very fun, good-looking, and of course, delicious. Viewers were encouraged to touch, smell and taste it, interpreting the artwork in their own ways.
Chocolate shoes
One of London’s greatest chocolates, Phil Neal once created a collection of high-heeled shoes made of chocolate. Neal used top-quality Venezuelan chocolate, filled the shoes with gauche and strawberries, and decorated them with 22-carat gold. The shoes were on sale at London’s luxury chocolate shop Theobroma Cacao.
1．Why was the chocolate couch made?
A．To display a product.B．To promote reading.
C．To celebrate an occasion.D．To recommend gardening.
2．On which day could a letter be posted free via the chocolate mailbox?.
A．January 29.B．January 5.C．February 18.D．February 25. 3．Which of the following was for sale?
A．The chocolate couch.B．The chocolate mailbox.
C．The chocolate wall.D．The chocolate shoes.
When Param Jaggi was five years old, he had a passion to take things apart to see what was inside. He started with toys and even broke a computer, which made his parents not too pleased. As he got older, he shifted from breaking things to building things, which greatly comforted his parents. In middle school, he started working on projects in his kitchen laboratory, and his first project was making biofuels.
Although Jaggi’s parents initially thought his experiments were just a boyhood fancy, he remained determined to make a difference to the environment. Eventually, his parents came around and started supporting his dreams. Jaggi’s interest continued as he grew up, but he focused more on solving real problems, especially those related to the environment.
At 17, Jaggi went beyond his school projects and co-founded Ecoviate, a company that uses technology to solve everyday energy and environmental problems. He planned to transform people’s idea that going green is expensive, by making available a series of affordable products that are easy to use. Through Ecoviate, he designed products that could contribute to a greener future. One of his notable inventions was the “CO2ube”, a device that could reduce carbon emissions, and it’s available to many people at low prices.
Young Jaggi, now a third-grade college student studying engineering and economics, has become a famous eco-innovator and his company is developing promisingly. However, Jaggi’s vision to save the environment goes beyond creating products. He plans to launch an online platform through Ecoviate, which will encourage young students interested in science and technology to get actively involved in innovation and invention. Students can submit a science project online, and talk about the help that they need to make the project a reality.
4．What can we learn about Jaggi?
A．He dreamed to be an engineer.B．He was curious by nature.
C．He always annoyed his parents.D．He was addicted to playing toys.
5．Which of the following can best replace the underlined part “came around” in Paragraph 2?
A．Walked around.B．Paid a visit.
C．Changed their minds.D．Become conscious.
6．What drove Jaggi to develop affordable and user-friendly products?
A．His love for greener devices.B．His pursuit of academic career.
C．His hope to boost green industry.D．His desire to make a difference.
7．Why does Jaggie plan to launch an online platform?
A．To empower young inventors.B．To promote smart products.
C．To provide eco-themed courses.D．To offer environmentalists funds.
A new study led by researchers at the Yale School of Public Health finds air pollution may negatively impact standardized test scores. Using data from the North Carolina Education Research Data Center, the researchers tracked 2.8 million public school students in North Carolina from 2001 to 2018 and measured their exposure to PM2.5 found in polluted air. While previous research has shown negative effects on academic performance, it has relied on relatively small or less representative samples. “The biggest strength of this study is that we tracked every student in North Carolina in those years, for the whole time period that they were in the public schools,” said Emma Zang, coauthor of the study.
The study also finds that test scores of ethnic minorities and girls are disproportionately (不成比例地) impacted by PM2.5 levels. “Females and ethnic minorities face sexism and racism,” said Zang. “There are a lot of policies that are not friendly towards them. So, when they’re exposed to the same level of air pollution, they don’t have the resources to lessen the negative influences.” More privileged populations, however, might have more resources that allow them to live in a better environment, such as in houses with air purifiers.
“The level of PM2.5 pollution in the US is relatively low, but students living in areas below the current air quality standard of annual PM2.5 concentration are still negatively impacted by air pollution when it comes to their test scores,” said Zang. “We should aim to strengthen the annual PM2.5 standard to better protect our children.”
Air pollution is known to contribute to disease and death, and it also negatively affects students’ academic performance even at low levels of pollution. The subsequent studies, the
researchers said, would involve looking at whether the findings hold true in different areas, and also the reasons behind the ethnic and sexual differences.
8．What’s the greatest advantage of the study?
A．Tracking each student for 18 years.B．Collecting more comprehensive data.
C．Measuring students’ PM2.5 exposure precisely.D．Building links between air
pollution and test scores.
9．According to Zang, ethnic minorities and girls ________.
A．benefit from current policies on PM2.5 pollution
B．have the lowest test scores due to their identities
C．lack resources to reduce the impact of air pollution
D．suffer from educational inequalities owing to their background
10．What’s Zang doing in paragraph 3?
A．Offering a suggestion.B．Raising a doubt.
C．Making a comparison.D．Giving a prediction.
11．What might be the focus of the follow-up studies?
A．Applicability of the findings to other regions.B．Ways to address racial and sexual
differences.
C．Long-term impacts of air pollution on children.D．Establishment of PM2.5 standard fit for children.
Today, poetry and science are often considered to be mutually exclusive(互相排斥)career paths. But that wasn’t always the case. The mathematician Ada Lovelace and the physicist James Clerk Maxwell were both accomplished poets. The poet John Keats was a licensed surgeon. Combining the two practices fell out of favor in the 1800s. But translating research into lyrics, haiku, and other poetic forms is resurging(再现)among scientists as they look for alternative ways to inspire others with their findings.
“Poetry is a great tool for questioning the world,” says Sam Illingworth, a poet and a geoscientist who works at the University of Western Australia. Through workshops and a new science-poetry journal, called Consilience, Illingworth is helping scientists to translate their latest results into poems that can attract appreciation from those outside of their immediate scientific
field.
Stephany Mazon, a scientist from the University of Helsinki in Finland, joined one of Illingworth’s workshops. In the workshop, she was grouped with other scientists and tasked with writing a haiku, a 17-syllable-long poem, which spotlighted water, a fluid that featured in all of the group members’ research projects. “It was a lot of fun, and surprisingly easy to write the poem,” Mazon says. She plans to continue writing. “We do a disservice(伤害)to ourselves to think that scientists can’t be artistic and that art can’t be used to communicate scientific ideas,” Mazon says.
That viewpoint is echoed by Illingworth, who thinks science communication initiatives are too often dominated by public lectures with their hands-off PowerPoint slides. “Actually, when science communication involves writing and sharing poems, it invites a two-way dialogue between experts and nonexperts,” he says. Scientist-poet Manjula Silva, an educator at Imperial College London, agrees. Poetry provides a way to translate complex scientific concepts into a language that everyone can understand, Silva says.
Scientists and poets are both trying to understand the world and communicate that understanding with others. The distinction between scientists and poets is less than people might think. We’re all just people with hopefully really interesting things to say and to share. 12．What is the purpose of mentioning the celebrities in paragraph 1?
A．To display they were talented.
B．To confirm they were out of favor.
C．To encourage different career paths.
D．To show poetry and science can be combined.
13．What are Illingworth’s workshops aimed to do?
A．Promote a new science-poetry journal.
B．Inspire outsiders to pursue their careers in science.
C．Encourage science communication through poems.
D．Get scientists to exchange ideas about the latest research.
14．What does Illingworth think of the dominant ways of science communication?
A．Conventional.B．Effective.C．Innovative.D．Complex. 15．Which of the following is the best title for the text?
A．Scientists Take on Poetry
B．Scientists and Poets Think Alike
C．Poetry: A Great Tool to Question the World
D．Science Communication: A Two-way Dialogue
Perhaps you’ve stopped doing what you want because you’re afraid of what others think of you. You feel that you must do what they expect and that you must meet their expectations, otherwise you’ll lose their approval. 16 Then, you’ll be able to do what you want freely.
Think about yourself, about what you really like and are interested in. You must lead your life independently.17 However, you might feel afraid to do it because you’ ve always done everything to gain the approval of others. You need to get out of that zone, move to new places, and explore your full potential.
By surrounding yourself with people who think like you, you’ll realize that you don’t feel judged. Then, you’ll start doing what you really want. 18 Your new friends will integrate into your life and you’ll also keep your genuine friends. On the other hand, those who are always ready to see the negative and question what you’ re trying to do will drift away.
To overcome your fear of what others think and of their non-approval, you should start talking about your plans, For instance, you might want to tell a handful of friends about your wishes and dreams. 19 You’ll feel confident in yourself and you’ll be able to go on your new path without any fear.
It’s unavoidable that not everything will be plain sailing, and you’ll find obstacles along your way. 20 People in your environment often don’t understand what you do no matter how much you explain it, so ignore them.
A．There is no need to think about what you want.
B．You don’t have to change your circle of friends.
C．Your life belongs to you, as well as your actions.
D．By talking to them, you’ll be able to organize your plans and ideas.
E．If this is the case, it’s time to start working on your self-esteem (自尊).
F．You must do what you want without being affected by what others think.
G．However, you must trust in yourself and seek the necessary strength to move forward.
二、完形填空
At a family picnic for employees of the company where my father worked, they held a contest for children. I was 13, full of enthusiasm, so I 21 myself into it.
The host gave each child a cloth handkerchief and told us the winner would be the one who cast it the 22 . The first throwers, took mighty wind-ups (挥臂投掷), but when the cloth left their hands, it 23 and landed on the ground a few inches in front of them. The crowd roared with 24 . Not until then did I realize it was not meant to 25 any real skill, but simply for laughs. However, it stimulated my 26 for thinking outside the box.
It 27 me to see the kids throwing harder when the handkerchief always caught the air and died. It was obvious that using the same 28 would not work. Suppose I tied a 29 inside the handkerchief? When they inspected it, I’d be 30 . So I began tying the handkerchief around itself to make it small and 31 packed together to keep it from unfolding. When I approached the line, people were already laughing, 32 a big strong-looking boy like me casting it just a few inches.
I took a long wind-up, and the balled handkerchief 33 off maybe 60 feet away. The laughing 34 in collective shock. I had not broken the rules. What I learned from this contest was that, in order to live creatively, you have to 35 the less-used parts of your brain, and not accept stereotypes (刻板印象), slogans and unquestioned ideas. 21．A．admitted B．trapped C．threw D．talked 22．A．strongest B．farthest C．highest D．biggest 23．A．escaped B．wrinkled C．opened D．crushed 24．A．laughter B．applause C．pain D．anger 25．A．learn B．preserve C．improve D．demonstrate 26．A．responsibility B．passion C．demand D．recreation 27．A．delighted B．frightened C．amused D．annoyed 28．A．technique B．cloth C．rule D．disposal 29．A．cue B．rock C．leaf D．shoe 30．A．fined B．envied C．disqualified D．banned 31．A．loosely B．randomly C．delicately D．firmly
32．A．expecting B．enjoying C．tolerating D．confirming 33．A．skipped B．jumped C．ranked D．rocketed 34．A．died B．roared C．continued D．weakened 35．A．give off B．tap into C．turn down D．go over
三、语法填空
阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Trends popular among the youth such as “China chic” and the growing influence of young consumers have driven the development of hanfu industry in recent years. Among the various
36 (style), the horse face skirt has emerged as the most popular item.
37 (combine) classical elegance with modern simplicity, the horse face skirt is said to perfectly suit the contemporary culture and lifestyle of young people, making 38 a fashion icon (标志). This trend has gained popularity in Luoyang city, Central China’s Henan province, 39 numerous performers recently showcased these beautiful skirts in their acts, with many visitors alike 40 (dress) in the elegant horse face skirts. In Caoxian county of Shandong province, one of the country’s hanfu production and sales centers, the sales 41 the horse face skirts during last Spring Festival holiday 42 (increase) dozens of times compared to usual volumes. Actually, the skirt has become a very popular 43 (choose) for gifts.
The current popularity of hanfu in the country is believed 44 (indicate) more than a fashion trend; it 45 (represent) a deeper connection to Chinese tradition and cultural identity.
四、书信写作
46．上周六，你校组织高二年段同学到木兰陂公园进行研学活动（field trip），了解家乡的环保状况。

请你为校学生英文报写一篇短文，介绍具体情况。

要点如下：
1. 活动的目的；
2. 活动的过程；
3. 你的感受。

注意：
1. 写作词数应为80左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

A Field Trip to Mulanbei Park
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五、书面表达
47．阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

Kevin woke to the blaring beep of his alarm clock. “Can’t wait for that camping trip,” Kevin thought, filled with excitement. As he was leaving home, his dad grabbed him by the hand and said, “Before you go, just tell me the directions on where you and your friends are going to stay.”
“But dad!” Kevin complained.
“No buts!” Kevin’s dad added.
“Fine.” Kevin told him the directions and left.
The three friends, Kevin, Jay and Nathan, had been planning this adventure for weeks, packing their stuff-tents, snacks, and a map-preparing for a 3-day outdoor exploration. Excitement ran through Kevin as they departed for their campsite. “This trip is going to be awesome, ” Nathan excitedly yelled as they set off. But little did they know that nature had a surprise in store for them.
The first day at the campsite was going great, setting up tents, collecting firewood, and sharing stories. “Man, we nailed these tents, ” Kevin said. “I know it was easy really,” Nathan replied. The friends were happy.
Yet towards night, as the dark clouds gathered overhead, the atmosphere shifted, and a
sudden storm erupted with unforgiving anger. Rain poured down from the heavens like a relentless waterfall, transforming the peaceful campsite into a muddy battleground. Worse still, a huge tree was uprooted and crashed down with a deafening crack on their only means of escape - their car. Kevin’s eyes widened in horror as he spotted the damaged wreckage beneath the fallen giant. “Our car!” he screamed over the howling wind, his voice a mix of disbelief and despair. “We’re stuck here,” he declared, his words barely audible against the backdrop of thunder and raindrops. They realized that their plans had been violently spoiled by forces beyond their control. The once quiet campsite now stood as a deserted battlefield, the fallen tree serving as a painful reminder of the unpredictable nature of the world around them.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Paragraph 1: The next day, they found themselves facing the immediate problem of finding water.
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Paragraph 2: On the third night, a distant engine sound broke the terrible stillness.
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