2021年珠海市北大希望之星实验学校高三英语月考试卷及参考答案

2021年珠海市北大希望之星实验学校高三英语月考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

A

It's just before l pm and hungry guests are starting to emerge out onto the wooden floor at the back of the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge in Zimbabwe. A few have already settled in for lunch, drinking beer and enjoying their sandwiches and salads in the sunshine. It's a normal setting until you look up. Overhead, the sky is filled with several hundred vultures (秃鹭).

They too have arrived for their midday snack. Every day the team at this hotel places last night's leftover meat out for the vultures to eat. They call it the "Vulture Restaurant" and it's a vital part of protecting these birds, who have become some of the most endangered species in Africa.

In Zimbabwe, where illegal hunting of elephants and rhinos is a major issue, poisoning poses a significant threat to the birds. "In recent years hunters have realized they can use poison to kill animals. It's effective because it's silent and therefore doesn't attract much attention.when the vultures eat the bodies of the dead animals they die too," says Roger Parry, Wildlife Manager at the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust.

The Vulture Restaurant initiative is part feeding programme, part education programme. By attracting the birds to the Vulture Restaurant every day the team can ensure they're regularly getting a safe meal, and while the birds are there they can educate tourists from all over the world about these creatures.

“Lunch” is served by Moses Garira. He has the unenviable task of wandering out into the middle of the clearing with a box full of meat, dropping the contents onto the ground and running for his life as the vultures fly downward suddenly for their food. No one, surely, would volunteer for this role, but Garira rather enjoys it. Back in the safety of the viewing seats, he tells the onlookers about the importance of vultures. "They're hugely important in terms of their role of cleaning up the bodies of dead animals," says Garira. "Notably, they're safely able to digest bacteria like anthrax. Without vultures, there'd be a lot more disease in the world."

1. What's the biggest threat vultures facing in Zimbabwe?

A. Overhunting.

B. Unsafe food.

C. Loss of habitat.

D. A bird disease.

2. What would others think of Garira's job?

A. Scary.

B. Relaxing.

C. Well-paid.

D. Time-consuming

3. What do Garira's words mean?

A. Birds are human's best friends.

B. People know little about vultures.

C. Vultures are environmentally favorable.

D. Vultures are in urgentneed of protection.

B

When you say the word donkey, whatthings come to your mind? A few people might say they’re cute, but the majority think they’re stubborn, dumb and all-round less capable than their horse s.

However, this wasn’t the case for a recently unearthed ancient Chinese noblewoman who was unexpectedly found buried with her donkeys. Published in the journal Antiquity in March, Chinese archaeologists (考古学家) first discovered the tomb in Xi’an, Shaanxi, in 2012. The team examined the remains and identified the body as Cui Shi, a Tang Dynasty high-born lady who died in 878 AD.

Speaking to Science Magazine in 2012, the study’s co-author, Fiona Marshall, said the finding caused confusion as “donkeys … are not associated with high-status people”.

However, following years of further research, the team discovered artworks and artifacts that showed a sport known as “Lvju”. This was similar to modern-day polo (马球)and was popular among noble (高贵的) women at the time. They preferred to use donkeys instead of full-sized horses for safety reasons, due to their smaller size and slower speed.

Speaking to CNN, Marshall later said, “Historical documents also showed that ladies of the late Tang court loved to play donkey polo.”

At that time in Chinese history, animals were often placed in tombs so that they could be used for a specific purpose in the afterlife. The study determined that Cui Shi likely requested that her beloved donkeys be buried with her, so that she could continue her favorite sport after death. In total, three donkeys were found inside her tomb with riding gear (装备), including stirrups (马镫). “This context provides evidence that the donkeys in her tomb were for polo, not transport,” lead author Hu Songmei of the Shaanxi Academy of Archaeology told Science