2024年上海高考英语模拟试卷及答案

（一）

I. Listening Comprehension 25%

Section A 10%

Directions:In Section A, you will hear ten short conversations between two speakers. At the end of each conversation, a question will be asked about what was said. The conversations and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a conversation and the question about it, read the four possible answers on your paper, and decide which one is the best answer to the question you have heard.

1. A. A shop assistant.      B. A dentist.      C. A clown.      D. A bank clerk.

2. A. The exam score.                   B. The world news.

 C. A soccer match.                    D. A basketball team.

3. A. She likes the performance very much.    

B. She thinks the piano performance awful.    

C. She enjoys the performance but thinks the ticket price is too high.    

D. She thinks the piano performance is not too bad.

4. A. Living expenses are too high for her in the city.             

B. She wants to buy a new flat very much.

 C. She is considering renting a room in the city.               

D. She can afford a new flat now.

5. A. She totally agrees to the man’s suggestion.                     

B. She wants to enjoy the sunshine with the man.

 C. She prefers to stay indoors.                     

D. She thinks summer is the best season in a year.

6. A. He was too nervous during the interview.

 B. He was too relaxed during the interview.

 C. He did a good job in the interview.

 D. He wanted the job very much.

7. A. Take a bus.    B. Take a taxi.     C. Walk.          D. Take a train.

8. A. In a hotel.      B. In an office.     C. In a theater.     D. In a bar.

9. A. He is unapproachable.             B. He is very busy.

 C. He lacks patience.                D. He always keeps people waiting.

10. A. A physics exam.                 B. An experiment.

  C. A physical check.                D. A physics lesson.

Section B 15%

Directions:In Section B, you will hear two short passages and one longer conversation, and you will be asked several questions on each of the passages and the conversation. The passages and the conversation will be read twice, but the questions will be spoken only once. When you hear a question, read the four possible answers on your paper and decide which one would be the best answer to the question you have heard.

Questions 11 through 13 are based on the following passage.

11. A. In 1971.      B. In 1998.      C. In 1999.      D. In 1940.

12. A. Because of its price.             B. Because of its environment.   

 C. Because of its coffee quality.      D. Because of its food safety.

13. A. The stores are bigger.

  B. The stores have more seating space.

  C. The stores offer localized food.

  D. The stores have lower prices compared with other markets.

Questions 14 through 16 are based on the following passage.

14. A. There are mysterious stories behind his works.

  B. There are many misunderstandings about him.

  C. His works have no match worldwide.

  D. His personal history is little known.

15. A. He had a miserable childhood.

  B. He failed to go beyond grammar school.

  C. He was a member of the town council.

  D. He once worked in a well-known acting company.

16. A. Because writers of his time had no means to protect their works.

  B. Because possible sources of clues about him were lost in a fire.

  C. Because his works were adapted beyond recognition.

  D. Because people of his time had little interest in him.

Questions 17 through 20 are based on the following conversation.

17. A. It is more difficult to learn than English.

  B. It is used by more people than English.

  C. It will be as commonly used as English.

  D. It will eventually become a world language.    

18. A. Its borrowed words from many languages

  B. Its popularity with the common people.

  C. The influence of the British Empire.

  D. The effect of the Industrial Revolution.

19. A. It includes a lot of words from other languages.

  B. It has a growing number of newly coined words.

  C. It can be easily picked up by overseas travelers.

  D. It is the largest among all languages in the world.

20. A. English grammar is as complicated as Latin’s.

  B. French was the official language when the French ruled England.

  C. French was spoken by the common people when the French ruled England.

  D. English grammar is very difficult to learn.

II. Grammar and Vocabulary 20%

Section A 10%

Directions:Read the following passage. Fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word. For the other blanks, fill in each blank with one proper word. Make sure that your answers are grammatically correct.

Of the many factors that contribute to poor performance on standardized tests like the SAT, nerves and exhaustion, surprisingly, (21) ______ not rank very high. In fact, according to a new paper published inJournal of Experimental Psychology, a little anxiety – not to mention fatigue – might actually be a very good thing.

The study was conducted by psychology professors Phillip Ackerman and Ruth Kanfer. They recruited 239 college freshmen, each (22) ______ (agree) to take three different versions of the SAT reasoning test (23) ______ (give) on three consecutive Saturday mornings. The tests would take three-and-a-half hours, four-and-a-half hours and five-and-a-half-hours, and would be administered (24) ______ a random order to each of the students. (25) ______ (boost) the stress level in the students – who had already taken the SAT in the past and gotten into college – Ackerman and Kanfer offered a cash bonus to any volunteers who (26) ______ (beat) their high-school score.

(27) ______ the test began on each of the three Saturdays, the students filled out a questionnaire that asked them about their fatigue level, mood and confidence. They completed the questionnaire again at a break in the middle of the test and once more at the end. Together, all of these provided a sort of fever chart of the students’ energy and anxiety during the experience.

When the researchers scored the results, it came as no surprise that volunteers’ fatigue and stress rose steadily (28) ______ the test got longer. (29) ______ was unexpected was their corresponding performance: as the length of the test increased, so (30) ______ the students’ scores. The average score on the three-and-a-half-hour test was 1209 out of 1600. On the four-and-a-half-hour version it was 1222; on the five-and-a-half-hour test it was 1237.

Section B 10%

Directions:Complete the following passages by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

The Danger of Sharenting

For the vast majority of people, checking social media involves a mix of expectation and curiosity. The app feeds on a collective ____31____ that we are missing out on something, whether it’s a fabulous party, a pop-up sale, or the mere concept of vacation. But the same concept doesn’t quite ____32____ to parents sharing pictures of their young children online. There certainly may be an element of proud boasting: “Admire my little son’s taste in jazz,” etc. But these carefully chosen photos often do little more than help parents escape from a harsh day _____33_____. The isolation of parenthood delivers one to strange places, and you need your tribe. Sharing images on social media makes the experience ____34____, connecting one to a larger world.

In his new bookWhy We Should Think Before We Talk About Our Kids Online, Leah Plunkett, a Harvard psychology professor, argues that “sharenting” happens when an adult transmits private details about a child via digital channels. It ____35_____ a child’s entry into “digital life.” Studiesestimatethat by 2030 nearly two-thirds of identity-fraud cases affecting today’s children will have been caused by sharenting.

For Plunkett, there are a couple of reasons to be concerned about sharenting. On a philosophical level, sharenting exposes children to the larger digital world without their permission, ____36_____ them of a kind of privacy. This feeds into Plunkett’s second, much broader concern. The _____37_____ problem with sharenting is the same with many adult-world privacy issues: the bargain we have made in exchange for these services is that we surrender our data and choose not to imagine the worst-case scenarios. Could things that parents post about children produce real-world ____38_____, in terms of bullying, professional reputation, or future prospects? Today, long before children take their first step, their digital data already travels to “thousands, likely tens of thousands, of human and machine users.” How long will it be until someone ___39_____ the power to predict who a child will become as an adult based on these data points?

Plunkett’s concerns made parents reconsider their choices. In the end, Plunkett’s advice is to “make more mindful choices” about digital lives though parenthood is often so ____40____ vague that mindfulness seems impossible. 

III. Reading Comprehension 45%

Section A 15%

Directions:For each blank in the following passages there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.

(A)

You can actually catch a good mood or a bad mood from your friends, according to a recent study in the journalRoyal Society Open Science. But that shouldn’t stop you from ___41___ with pals who are down in the dumps, say the study authors: ___42___, the effect isn’t large enough to push you into depression.

The new study adds to a growing body of research suggesting that happiness and sadness—as well as lifestyle and behavioral factors like smoking, drinking, obesity, fitness habits and even the ability to concentrate—can ___43___ across social networks, both online and in real life. But while many ___44___ studies have only looked at friendship data at one point in time, this is one of the few that measured social and mood changes over time.

The new research involved groups of junior-high and high-school students who took part in ___45___ screenings（筛查） and answered questions about their best friends, many of whom were also enrolled in the study. In total, 2,194 students were included in the ___46___, which used a mathematical model to look for connections among friend networks.

Overall, kids whose friends suffered from bad moods were more ___47___ to report bad moods themselves—and they were less likely to have improved when they were screened again six months to a year later. When people had more happy friends, ___48___, their moods were more likely to improve over time.

Some symptoms related to depression—like helplessness, tiredness and loss of interest—also seemed to follow this ___49___, which scientists call “social contagion.” But this isn’t something that people need to ___50___, says lead author Robert Eyre, a doctoral student at the University of Warwick. Rather, it’s likely just a “___51___ empathetic response that we’re all familiar with, and something we recognize by common sense,” he says. In other words, when a friend is going through a rough patch, it makes sense that you’ll feel some of their ___52___, and it’s certainly not a reason to stay away.

The study also found that having friends who were clinically depressed did not ___53___ participants’ risk of becoming depressed themselves. “Your friends do not put you at risk of illness,” says Eyre, “so a good course of action is simply to ___54___ them.” To boost both of your moods, he suggests doing things together that you both ___55___—and taking other friends along to further spread those good feelings, too.”

41. A. keeping up   B. making off  C. hanging out   D. getting away

42. A. Thankfully   B. Particularly  C. Approximately  D. Totally

43. A. increase   B. generate  C. delay    D. spread

44. A. growing   B. previous  C. real    D. large-scale

45. A. depression   B. anxiety  C. anger    D. friendship

46. A. assessment   B. examination C. analysis   D. exercise

47. A. willing   B. reluctant  C. able    D. likely

48. A. otherwise   B. hence   C. however   D. besides

49. A. prediction   B. pattern   C. report    D. improvement

50. A. worry about  B. look for  C. rely on    D. put forward

51. A. social    B. normal   C. rough    D. certain

52. A. symptoms   B. responses  C. recognition   D. pain

53. A. eliminate   B. conceal  C. increase   D. sugarcoat

54. A. enlighten   B. consult  C. empower   D. support

55. A. enjoy    B. understand  C. advise    D. permit

Section B 22%

Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have justread.

(A)

For most city people, the elevator is an unremarkable machine that inspires none of the enthusiasm or interest that Americans afford trains, jets，and even bicycles. Dr. Christopher Wilk is a member of a small group of elevator experts who considerthisa misunderstanding. Without the elevator, they point out, there could be no downtown skyscrapers or tall buildings, and city life as we know it would be impossible. In that sense, they argue, the elevator’s role in American history has been no less significant than that of cars. In fact, according to Wilk,the car and the elevator have been locked in a “secret war” for over a century, with cars making it possible for people to spread horizontally (水平地), and elevators pushing them toward life in close groups of towering vertical (垂直的)columns.

If we tend to ignore the significance of elevators, it might be because riding in them tends to be such a brief, boring, and even awkward experience--one that can involve unexpectedly meeting people with whom we have nothing in common, and an unpleasant awareness of the fact that we’re hanging from a cable in a long passage.

In a new book,Lifted, German journalist and cultural studies professor Andreas Bernard directed all his attention to this experience, studying the origins of elevator and its relationship to humankind and finding that riding in an elevator has never been a totally comfortable experience. “After 150 years, we are still not used to it,” Bernard said. “We still have not exactly learned to cope with the mixture of closeness and displeasure.” That mixture, according to Bernard, sets the elevator ride apart from just about every other situation we find ourselves in as we go about our lives.

Today，as the world’s urban population explodes, and cities become more denser, taller, and more crowded, America’s total number of elevators—900,000 at last count, according toElevator Worldmagazine’s “2012 Vertical Transportation Industry”--are a force that’s becoming more important than ever. And for the people who really, really love them, it seems like high time that we looked seriously at just what kind of force they are.

56. What does the underlined word “this” in Paragraph 1 refer to?

A. The general view of elevators.

B. The particular interests of experts.

C. The desire for a remarkable machine.

D. The enthusiasm for transport vehicles.

57. The author’s purpose in mentioning cars is ______

 A. to contrast their functions with elevators’

 B. to emphasize the importance of elevators

 C. to reveal their secret war against elevators

 D. to explain people’s preference for elevators

58. According to Prof. Bernard, what has made the elevator ride different from other life experiences?

A. Vertical direction              B. Lack of excitement.

C. Little physical space.           D. Uncomfortable conditions.

59. The author urges readers to consider______.

 A. the exact number of elevator lovers

 B. the serious future situation of elevators

 C. the role of elevators in city development

 D. the relationship between cars and elevators

(B)

We have designed all our bank cards to make your life easier.

How to use your NatWest Servicecard

As a Switch card, it lets you pay for all sorts of goods and services, wherever you see the Switch logo. The money comes straight out of your account, so you can spend as much as you like as long as you have enough money or an agreed overdraft to cover it. It is also a cheque guarantee for up to the amount shown on the card. And it gives you free access to your money from over 31,000 cash machines across the U.K.

How to use your NatWest Cashcard

You can use your Cashcard as a Solo card to pay for goods and services wherever you see the Solo logo. It can also give you access to your account and your cash from over 31,000 cash machines nationwide. You can spend or withdraw what you have in your account, or as much as your agreed overdraft limit.

Using your card abroad

You can also use your Servicecard and Cashcard when you're abroad. You can withdraw at cash machines and pay for goods and services wherever you see the Cirrus or Maestro logo displayed.

We take a charge of 2.25% of each cash withdrawal you make (up to £4) and a charge of 75 pence every time you use Maestro to pay for goods or services. We also apply a foreign-exchange transaction fee of 2.65%.

How to use your Nat West Credit Card

With your credit card you can do the following:

*Pay for goods and services and enjoy up to 56 days interest-free days.

*Pay in over 24 million shops worldwide that display the Mastercard or Visa logos.

*Collect one AIR MILE for every £20 of spending that appears on your statement (对账单).

(This does not include foreign currency or traveler's cheques bought, interest and other charges.)

60. If you carry the Servicecard or the Cashcard, _____.

A. you can use it to guarantee things as you wish    

B. you can draw your money from cash machines conveniently

C. you can spend as much money as you like without a limit

D. you have to pay some extra money when you pay for domestic services.

61. If you withdraw £200 from a cash machine abroad you will be charged ______.

A. £4       B. £4.5       C. £5.25       D. £2.25

62. Which of the following is TRUE about using your NatWest Credit Card?

A. You have to pay off the debt with interest within 56 days.    

B. You will be charged some interest beyond two months.

C. You can use the card in any shop across the world.             

D. You will gain one air mile if you spend £20 on traveler’s cheques.

(C)

In the spring of 1878, Vincent van Gogh turned 25. As he looked back over his short life, the Dutchman found little to celebrate among the endeavors of his faltering career. By conventional, middle-class standards, he was a failure. After a couple of dead-end teaching jobs in England, as well as a short, forgettable spell working in a bookshop in Dordrecht, he moved to Amsterdam to become a minister of religion, following in his father’s footsteps. At the end of 1878, he set off for the depressed coalmining district of the Borinage to the west of the city of Mons in Belgium, determined to establish himself as apreacher(牧师) to the working class.

There, he lived in a humble hut, gave away much of his money, and changed his smart clothes into the practical work-wear of the “Borins.” Unfortunately, he was not a gifted speaker, so his meetings were sparsely attended. His inability to connect with the local coalminers was compounded by a practical, linguistic difficulty: he couldn’t make head or tail of their quick-fire regional dialect known as “Walloon French,” while they were mystified by his own attempts at French, which to their ears sounded overly formal. In July 1879, only half a year after he had arrived in the region, he received another setback: the authorities terminated his trial religious appointment.

Yet it was at this rock-bottom moment that van Gogh, now 26, started to draw. “I often feel homesick for the country of paintings,” he wrote to his brother Theo in the summer of 1880. He felt sympathy for the working-class miners. For the first time in his life, middle-class van Gogh was friends with poor, working-class people. The people were poor and illiterate, and their work was hard and dangerous. Yet for van Gogh, there was some kind of bigger truth in their simple way of life. After he became an artist, he chose to find his subject matter there. Like artists that he admired, such as Jean-Francois Millet, he wanted to portray the life of working-class people, and he remained interested in doing so certainly for the first half of his career. Really, it stayed important to him forever. In addition to this general concern for everyday reality and the rural poor, particular themes that van Gogh encountered in the Borinage would later feature prominently in his art. As he once put it in a letter: “It was in the Borinage that I began to work from nature for the first time.”

Few works from van Gogh’s Borinage period survived, because the artist burned most of them. As he revealed in a letter to a friend, he felt they were too clumsy or related to an uncertain time when he was still developing his own style and artistic voice.

63. What happened to Vincent van Gogh in 1878?

  A. He learned a lot from different jobs.

  B. He felt dissatisfied with his career.

  C. He was a member of the working class.

  D. He became the apprentice of his father.

64. Why did van Gogh have difficulty communicating with the local miners?

  A. The miners didn’t appreciate his dressing style.

  B. Their French wasn’t agreeable in each other’s ear.

  C. His French pronunciation wasn’t standard.

  D. He had trouble in making a speech.

65. What can we infer from the passage?

  A. Van Gogh interacted with working-class people all through his life even though he was born middle-class.

  B. Van Gogh and Jean-Francois Millet both found inspiration from the rural people in the Borinage.

  C. Van Gogh’s paintings in the Borinage mirrored the life of working-class people.

  D. Van Gogh ruined many of his works in the Borinage because his artistic voice was unheard then.

66. What is the proper title of the passage?

  A. The Subject of van Gogh’s Works.

  B. The Turning Point of Van Gogh’s Life.

  C. The Way van Gogh Viewed His Art.

  D. The Working Class and Van Gogh’s success.

Section C 8%

Directions: Complete the following passage by using the sentences given below. Each sentence can be used only once. Note that there are two more sentences than you need.

Guns have a special place in American culture, and though not everyone agrees on whether or not they are a good thing, there is no mistaking that they will be part of the cultural landscape for some time. To answer the question, no, not everyone has a gun._____67_____. Americans use guns for one of two uses: either for sport, where they can use them on firing ranges or for hunting in approved areas, or for self-protection. The latter is where most people begin to take sides, either arguing for the removal of guns from society or allowing more people to have them. There are organizations and community groups for both sides and both sides have strong feelings.

Legally, there are restrictions on gun owners._____68_____. Only certain kinds of weapons can be purchased by the public, and that excludes automatic weapon and military grade weaponry Gun owners must transport their weapon in a safe way, unloaded and in most cases, out of sight. Special—concealed carry permits from the police station must be obtained for people who want to wear weapon, and most people are rejected for this kind of permit. ______69______. Criminals steal guns or buy them illegally to commit crimes, and the news is terrible stories of what happened next. Occasionally a child will get a hold of legal weapon and accidentally hurt themselves or others.

It is important to remember, however, that the news stories that make the United States seem like a dangerous place are deceiving; guns are not everywhere or constant.______70_____. After all. America is a safe place to live.

IV. SummaryWriting 10%

Directions:Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.

Shyness

If you suffer from shyness, you are not alone, for shyness is a universal phenomenon. It is not surprising that social scientists are learning more about its causes.

The first environmental cause of shyness many be a child’s home and family life. Today’s children are growing up in smaller and smaller families, with fewer and fewer relatives living nearby. Growing up in homes in which both parents work full time, children may not have the socializing experience of frequent visits by neighbours and friends. Because of their lack of social skills, they may begin to feel socially inhibited, or shy, when they start school.

A second environmental cause of shyness in an individual may be one’s culture. In a large study conducted in Japan, 57 percent of participants rated themselves as shy. Researchers Henderson and Zimbardo say, “One expectation is that in Japan an individual performance success is credited externally to parents, teachers, and others, while failure is entirely blamed on the person.” Therefore Japanese learn not take risks in public and rely instead on group-shared decisions.

Technology may also play a role. In the United States, the number of young people who report being shy has risen from 40 percent to 50 percent in recent years .Due to our huge advances in technology, watching television, playing video games, and surfing the Web have replaced recreational activities that involve social interaction for many young people. Adults, too, are becoming more isolated as a result of technology. Face-to-face interactions with bank clerks, gas station attendants, and shop assistants are no longer necessary because people can use machines to do their banking, fill their gas tanks, and order goods. In short, they become shy.

It appears that most people have experienced shyness at some time in their lives. Therefore, if you are shy, you have lots of company.

V. Translation 15%

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

72. 你是否介意代替我去开会吗？（substitute）

73. 为了让妈妈睡个好觉，小王把水槽和橱柜擦得干干净净的。（in order）

74. 春暖花开的四月，是领略这个江南小镇美景的最佳时机。（when）

75. 面对网店的挑战，这家百年老店多措并举，化危为机，最终再创辉煌。（turn）

VI. Guided Writing 25%

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

假设你是明启中学的学生王磊，你的好友李宏今年暑期将赴英国参加为期两个月的海外交流活动。如果选择主办方安排的住宿，他需要额外支付较高的费用。但他也可以通过为当地养老院提供每月三十小时的义工服务，获得在养老院免费住宿的机会。李宏通过邮件向你征求意见。写一封回信，内容须包括：

1. 你对此事的明确的态度；
2. 你的理由。

答案

Listening

1-10  CCBAC  ACCBC

11-13  CBD   14-16 DCB  17-20 BCAB

Grammar

21. may        22. agreeing  

23. given       24. in       

25. To boost     26. (would) beat 

27. Before       28. as   

29. What     30. did

Vocabulary

31—40 FCHED  BGKIA

Cloze

41-55 CADBA  CDCBA  BDCDA

Reading

56-59 ABCC   60-62 BAB 63-66 BBCB 

67-70 D A F C

Summary：(高考原题)

   Shyness is common and it has environmental causes, including home and family life, culture and technology. Firstly, with smaller families and working parents, children lack social interactions. Secondly, blaming failure on individuals causes people in some culture to be shy in public. Finally, with the development of technology, people have fewer opportunities to socialize in person.

Translation （高考原题）

72. Do/Would you mind substituting for me to attend the meeting?

73. Xiao Wang cleaned the sink and cupboard thoroughly in order that his mother could have a good sleep.

74. April, when warm spring comes and flowers blossom, is the best time to appreciate the beautiful scenery of the southern town.

75. Faced with/Facing the challenges from online shops, this century-old / time-honored/ this shop with a history of almost 100 years took many measures to turn the crisis into opportunities, and eventually achieved another remarkable success.

Guided Writing

考生原作1

I’m glad to hear that you have access to participating in an overseas communication activity in Britain which will last two months. I suggest that you should choose working as a volunteer thirty hours every month for the local community aging, hospital to gain a chance to stay in it for free. My reasons are as follows.

Not only can you enhance your social experiences, but also you can reduce your costs. Contrary to the accommodation arranged by the host, you can save a lot of money. Undoubtedly, the cost must have been high if you choose it. Staying in the aging hospital, the contrast couldn’t be greater. On the one hand, only by working as a volunteer can you gain a free stay. It sounds great! Your arrival will add colors to the atmosphere there. On the other hand, during our spare time, we will also spend time helping others in that our society teaches us to be a warm-heated person. Your arrival will also reduce the burdens there. As an old saying goes, “ We can gain both things at the same time.” So why not choose it?

I hope that you will take my advise. Best wishes that you will have a good time there. It is a golden chance that you will gain in summer vocation. In short, enjoy yourself.

考生原作2

It is said that you will go abroad to England for a two-month overseas communication activity in this summer vocation. I hear that you are hesitating whether to spend higher price choosing arranged dormitory or to spend 30 hours every month serving the old to get a free living.

In my opinion, I think you should choose the first one. If you choose the second option, you will use too much time to do service instead of studying the local culture. Although communication with the old can get a lot of lively experience and avoid many mistakes in life, your most important responsibility is to learn how overseas students study and what they will learn. Arranged room can save you time and have more chances to live with peers who may have the same interest with you. By this, you can make a lot of young friends and if you are in trouble in future, they may give you some suggestions and a helping hand.

I wish that you would take my advice and I’m waiting to hear from you.

听力文本：

Section A

Directions:In section A, you will hear ten short conversations between two speakers. At the end of each conversation, a question will be asked about what was said. The conversations and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a conversation and the question about it, read the four possible answers on your paper, and decide which one is the best answer to the question you have heard.

1. W: How do you feel about your new job?

M: I feel it an honor to work in a circus and brings laughter to kids.

Q: What is the man?

2. M: The two teams were so close even to the last minute in the first half of the game.

W: Yes, it is unbelievable that they had five penalty kicks in the second half of the game.

Q: What are they talking about?

3. M: The piano concert sounds terrible.

W: I wish I could ask for my money back.

Q: What does the woman think of the concert? 

4. W: Rita, are you getting a new flat in the city?

M: Are you kidding me? I can hardly afford to rent a room, let alone buy a new flat.

Q: What does the woman mean?  

5. M: Why don’t we go outside to enjoy sunshine? What about going for a ride to the beach？

W: I don’t feel like it. Summer is for being lazy.

Q: What does the woman mean?  

6. W: I heard Ben has been to the interview today. How did it go?

M: Well, if he had just relaxed, he would have done fine.

Q: What can we learn about Ben?  

7. W: Excuse me, can you tell me how to get to the train station? I heard that it’s in this direction.

M: Yes, it is. You can either take a bus or taxi heading south, but it is not too far. If I were you,   I’d prefer to walk.

Q: What does the man suggest the woman do? 

8. W: How long is the interval? I am very thirsty.

M: You have twenty minutes to grab a drink somewhere.

 Q: Where does the conversation most probably take place?  

9. W: Have you approached Mr. Bond about this particular problem?

M: I have tried, but it seems he just has no time for me?

Q: What can we learn about Mr. Bond?   

10. M: Did you get your result from the lab?

W: Yes, my blood pressure is a little high, but other than that everything is normal.

Q: What are the speakers talking about?    

Section B

Directions:In Section B, you will hear several longer conversation(s) and short passage(s), and you will be asked several questions on each of the conversation(s) and the passage(s). The conversation(s) and the passage(s) will be read twice, but the questions will be spoken only once. When you hear a question, read the four possible answers on your paper and decide which one would be the best answer to the question you have heard.

Questions 11 through 13 are based on the following passage.

The desire for caffeine is what attracts crowds and makes coffee such a huge business. More than forty years of perseverance makes Starbucks a pretty solid company in the world. Why is Starbucks so successful? Obviously, it’s not because of the price. It’s not the cheapest place to get a cup of coffee, but the environment of Starbucks makes it a top location. Its stores across the world look pretty similar, so you know exactly what to expect when you walk inside a Starbucks. This makes it a familiar place for tourists or people on business trips to get something familiar.

Starbucks opened its first store in Seattle in 1971. It entered the Taiwan market in 1998 and the Chinese mainland in 1999. The beginning was difficult. China has a culture of tea drinking that dates back to 3,000 years ago. With this fact in mind, Starbucks came up with a strategy to conquer the Chinese market.

Here are some key elements of Starbucks’ success in China:

The stores are bigger and with more seating space. In China, people don’t just go to coffee shops to buy a cup of coffee; they prefer to sit back and chat with friends and family. Some Chinese even have business meetings with their clients there. Besides, Starbucks stores in China offer a localized menu, which includes local Chinese teas and treats like mooncakes. Starbucks in China is up to 20% more expensive than other markets. This is to target the upper class of the Chinese population. Furthermore, the food sold at Starbucks is labeled with the country where it was imported from to address Chinese consumers’ concerns about food safety.

Questions:

11. When did Starbucks enter the Chinese mainland?

12. Why is Starbucks successful across the world?

13. Which of the following is not part of Starbucks’ strategy in China?

Questions 14 through 16 are based on the following passage.

Most people are familiar with the works of William Shakespeare, one of the greatest English writers of the 16th and 17th centuries. Yet how many know Shakespeare the person, the man behind the works?

After centuries of research, scholars are still trying to discover Shakespeare’s personal history. It is not easily found in his writings. Authors of the time could not protect their works. An acting company, for example, could change a play if they wanted to. Nowadays, writers have copyrights that protect their work.

Many myths arose about Shakespeare. Some said he had no formal education. Others believe that he began his career by tending the horses of wealthy men. All of these myths are interesting, but are they true? Probably not. Shakespeare’s father was a respected member of the town council. He sent young William to grammar school. Most people at that time did not continue beyond grammar school; so, Shakespeare did have, at least, an average education.

Some parts of Shakespeare’s life will always remain unknown. The Great London Fire of l666 burned many important documents that could have been a source of clues. We will always be left with many questions and few facts.

Questions:

14. What does the speaker say about William Shakespeare?

15. What do we learn about Shakespeare’s father?

16. Why does the speaker say parts of Shakespeare’s life will remain a mystery?

Questions 17 through 20 are based on the following conversation.

W: Professor Lee, why do you think English has become the language of the world?

M: Well, for one thing, it’s very commonly used. The only language that is used by more people isChinese.

W: Why is English spoken by so many people?

M: It’s spoken in many countries of the world because of the British Empire. And now of course isthe influence of America as well.

W: Many students find English a difficult language to learn.

M: Oh, all languages are difficult to learn. But English does have two greatest advantages.

W: What are they?

M: Well, first of all, it has a very international vocabulary. It has many German, Dutch, French, Spanish and Italian words in it. So speakers of those languages will find many familiar words inEnglish. In fact, English has words from many other languages as well.

W: Why is that?

M: Well, that’s partly because English speakers have travelled a lot, they bring back words with them.So English really does have an international vocabulary.

W: And what is the other advantage of English?

M: It’s that English grammar is really quite easy. For example, it doesn’t have dozens of differentendings for its nouns, adjectives and verbs, not like Latin, Russian and German for example.

W: Why is that?

M: Well, the reason is quite interesting actually. It’s because of the French. When the French ruled England, French was the official language, and only the common people spoke English. Theytried to make their language as simple as possible. So they made the grammar easier.

Questions:

17. What does the man say about Chinese？

18. What made English a widely used language？

19. What is said to be special about English vocabulary？

20. Which of the following statements is true?

（二）

Ⅰ．Listening Comprehension

Section A

Directions:In Section A, you will hear ten short conversations between two speakers. At the end of each conversation, a question will be asked about what was said. The conversations and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a conversation and the question about it, read the four possible answers on your paper, and decide which one is the best answer to the question you have heard.

1．A．At 8:00. B．At 8:15. C．At 8:30. D．At 8:45.

2．A．A professor. B．A coach. C．An engineer. D．A nurse.

3．A．In a restaurant. B．In a hairdresser’s. C．At a cinema. D．At a tailor’s.

4．A．Ways to visit a university. B．Two student tour guides.

C．A tour of Fudan University. D．The campus of Fudan University.

5．A．They did not make it there finally.

B．They were not well received there.

C．They experienced something unpleasant on the way.

D．They had a wonderful time before they arrived there.

6．A．Excited. B．Interested. C．Confused. D．Annoyed.

7．A．Practice the presentation in front of him. B．Watch how he makes a presentation.

C．Reduce the time spent in practicing. D．Find out who her audience will be.

8．A．She is always absent-minded. B．She forgot to tell the man about it.

C．She is unclear about Sophie’s plan. D．She slipped in the neighboring town.

9．A．Because it took him much time to go to work.

B．Because he had to save money for his journey.

C．Because the job arranged many business journeys.

D．Because he considered it unlucky to have that job.

10．A．Buy a new printer with less noise. B．Ask the man to borrow a printer.

C．Read a book on how to fix the printer. D．Get someone to repair the printer.

Section B

Directions:In Section B, you will hear two passages and one longer conversation. After each passage or conversation, you will be asked several questions. The passages and the conversation will be read twice, but the questions will be spoken only once. When you hear a question, read the four possible answers on your paper, and decide which one is the best answer to the question you have heard.

Questions 11 through 13 are based on the following passage.

11．A．How encores came into existence. B．How bands perform encores properly.

C．Why audiences used to need encores. D．Why encores are part of a performance.

12．A．The 17th century. B．The 18th century. C．The 19th century. D．The 20th century.

13．A．French people were more interested in encores than others.

B．Bands usually prepare more than two encores for each show.

C．Recording technology boosted audiences’ needs for encores.

D．Musicians can get recharged during the break before encores.

Questions 14 through 16 are based on the following passage.

14．A．Because of the rule for the class. B．Because of the course materials.

C．Because the speaker changed his topics. D．Because the speaker disliked technology.

15．A．The students do not assess the speaker’s class fairly.

B．The students are satisfied with the class environment.

C．The speaker did not favor leaving technology at the door.

D．The speaker were worried about students’ evaluation on him.

16．A．It will stop students getting on well together.

B．It may help students better understand themes.

C．It will improve teaching effect by giving students more help.

D．It may distract students from digging deep within themselves.

Questions 17 through 20 are based on the following conversation.

17．A．Doctor and patient.  B．Salesman and customer.

C．Teacher and student.  D．Employer and employee.

18．A．Fishing industry. B．Statistics. C．Computer modeling. D．Note-taking.

19．A．She is good at making model computers. B．She has decided on the title of the essay.

C．She is uninterested in coping with statistics. D．She has always been weak at note-taking.

20．A．Learn to take notes immediately. B．Find out possible strategies alone.

C．Read for more useful information. D．Work on her weaknesses by herself.

Ⅱ．Grammar and Vocabulary

Section A

Directions:After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

Remote Work Slows Senior Housing Market Recovery

With the rise of remote work, the market for senior housing has met with problems in its recovery. Only a few old people choose to live in senior-living communities （21）______the growing senior population and the cancelation of COVID-19 restrictions once making family visits difficult.（22）______ this trend suggests is that people’s shift to remote work contributes to the slow rebound of the senior housing market. That is, remote work is keeping many older Americans from moving into senior-living communities once warmly （23）______（welcome）.

When more adults began working remotely during thepandemic（流行病）, they were able to check in on aging parents easily —they （24）______ take care of their parents’ issues on short notice.

 Experts have been analyzing the phenomenon in different ways. Some found that the greater flexibility to care for parents （25）______（mean） people’s delay in sending aged parents to expensive senior-housing accommodations. Therefore, markets with high levels of people working from home usually have lower senior-housing occupancy rates. Others said remote work might have some effect but also pointed to different factors. For instance, many seniors think that their family wallets are getting thinner, making some of them reluctant （26）______（send） to senior-living communities.

The age at which people enter senior housing is also increasing, （27）______serves as another sign that shows people are choosing to delay transitioning. The rising cost of senior living weighs heavily on that decision. The CPI （consumer-price index） for nursing homes and adult day services rose 4.5% last May compared with （28）______in May, 2022.

Still, many senior-housing operators are optimistic. When （29）______（illustrate） their point, they showed an increase in the number of people turning 80 years old over the following years and the actual wealth they have collected. Moreover, they find remote work arrangements are decreasing in some parts of the country, （30）______ employees there have seen their lowered productivity while working from home.

Section B

Directions:After reading the passage below, fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

Brain Signals for Lasting Pain

Brain signals that reveal how much pain a person is in have been discovered by scientists who say the work is a step towards new treatments for people living with lasting pain.

It is the first time researchers have decoded the brain activity 31  patients’ lasting pain. That has raised the hope that brain stimulation treatment already used for Parkinson’s and major depression can help those running out of any other 32 . “We’ve learned that lasting pain can be tracked and predicted in the real world,” said Prasad Shirvalkar, lead researcher on the project at the University of California.

Lasting pain affects nearly 28 million adults in the UK alone, and the causes are 33 . ranging from cancer to back problems. That being the case, lasting pain has 34  a rise in taking powerful painkillers. But no medical treatments work well for the condition, 35  experts to call for a complete rethink in how health services handle patients with lasting pain.

 For the latest study, Shirvalkar and his colleagues 36  implanted electrodes（电极） into four patients with lasting pain hard to deal with after the loss of legs. The devices 37  the patients to record activity and collect data in two brain regions— the ACC and the OFC—at the press of one button on a remote handset. Several times a day, the volunteers were asked to complete short surveys on the 38  of pain, meaning how strong the pain was, and then record their brain activity. These scientists, armed with the survey responses and brain recordings, found they could use computers to predict a person’s pain based on the electrical signals in their OFC. “We found very different brain activity 39  severe pain and have developed an objective biomarker for that kind of pain,” said Shirvalkar. The finding may explain, at least in part, why 40  painkillers are less effective for lasting pain. “The hope is that we can use the information to develop personalized brain stimulation treatment for the most severe forms of pain.”

Ⅲ．Reading Comprehension

Section A

Directions:For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.

The way of recording things has never ceased to develop. In the 1980s, as sales of video recorders went up, old 8mm home movies were gradually replaced by VHS （video home system）tapes. Later, video tapes of family holidays lost their appeal and the use of DVDs 41 . Those, too, have had their day. Even those holding their childhood memories in digital files on their laptops now know these files face the risk of 42 .

Digitising historical documents brings huge benefits—files can be 43  and distributed, reducing the risk of their entire loss through physical damage caused by fire or flooding. And developing digital versions reduces 44  on the original items. The International Dunhuang Project, 45 , has digitised items likemanuscripts（手稿） from the Mogao caves in China, enabling scholars from around the world to access records easily without touching the real items.

But the news that the Ministry of Justice of the UK is proposing to scan the 110 million people’s wills it holds and then destroy a handful of 46  after 25 years has shocked historians. The ministry cites this as a way of providing easier access for researchers. But that only justifies digitisation, not the 47  of the paper copies. The officials note the change will be economically efficient （saving around £4.5m a year） while keeping all the essential information.

Scholars 48 . Most significantly, physical records can themselves carry important information — the kind of ink or paper used may be part of the history that historians are 49 . and error s are often made in scanning. Besides, digital copies are arguably more 50  than the material items, just in different ways. The attack from the Internet on the British Library last October has prevented scholars from 51  digitised materials it holds: imagine if researchers could not return to the originals. Some even think digitised information can easily be lost within decades no matter what 52  are put in place.

The government says that it will save the original wills of “famous people for historic record”, such as that of Princess Diana’s. However, assuming that we know who will 53  to future generations is extraordinarily proud. Mary Seacole, a pioneering nurse who now appears on the national school course in the UK, was largely 54  for almost a century.

The digitisation of old documents is a valuable, even essential measure. But to destroy the originals once they have been scanned, is not a matter of great 55 , but of huge damage.

41．A．paused B．boomed C．recovered D．disappeared

42．A．getting outdated B．coming into style C．being fined D．making an error

43．A．deleted B．named C．copied D．altered

44．A．fight or flight B．life or death C．wear and tear D．awe and wonder

45．A．unfortunately B．additionally C．in summary D．for example

46．A．the originals B．the essentials C．the visualised D．the digitised

47．A．preservation B．classification C．publication D．destruction

48．A．applaud B．disagree C．discriminate D．withdraw

49．A．revising B．abandoning C．uncovering D．enduring

50．A．meaningful B．favourable C．resistant D．delicate

51．A．inventing B．adjusting C．accessing D．damaging

52．A．outcomes B．safeguards C．deadlines D．byproducts

53．A．matter B．respond C．lose D．live

54．A．spared B．discussed C．forgotten D．protected

55．A．sacrifice B．courage C．efficiency D．admiration

Section B

Directions:Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.

（A）

Charles Robert Darwin was born on 12 February 1809 in Shropshire, England. Darwin’s childhood passion was science, and his interest in chemistry, however, was clear; he was even nicknamed ‘Gas’ by his classmates.

In 1825, his father sent him to study medicine at Edinburgh University, where he learned how to classify plants. Darwin became passionate about natural history and this became his focus while he studied at Cambridge. Darwin went on a voyage together with Robert Fitzroy, the captain of HMS Beagle, to South America to facilitate British trade in Patagonia. The journey was life-changing. Darwin spent much of the trip on land collecting samples of plants, animals and rocks, which helped him to develop an understanding of the processes that shape the Earth’s surface. Darwin’s analysis of the plants and animals that he gathered led him to express doubts on former explanations about how species formed and evolved over time.

Darwin’s work convinced him that natural selection was key to understanding the development of the natural world. The theory of natural selection says that individuals of a species are more likely to survive when theyinherit（经遗传获得） characteristics best suited for that specific environment. These features then become more widespread and can lead eventually to the development of a new species. With natural selection, Darwin argued how a wide variety of life forms developed over time from a single common ancestor.

Darwin married his cousin, Emma Wedgwood, in 1839. When Darwin’s eldest daughter, Annie, died from a sudden illness in 1851, he lost his belief in God. His tenth and final child, Charles Waring Darwin, was born in 1856．Significantly for Darwin, this baby was disabled, altering how Darwin thought about the human species. Darwin had previously thought that species remained adapted until the environment changed; he now believed that every new variation was imperfect and that a struggle to survive was what drove species to adapt.

Though rejected at the beginning, Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection is nowadays well accepted by the scientific community as the best evidence-based explanation for the diversity and complexity of life on Earth. The Natural History Museum’s library alone has 478 editions of hisOn the Origin of Speciesin 38 languages.

56．What made Darwin reconsider the origin and development of species?

A．Examining plants and animals collected.

B．His desire for a voyage to different continents.

C．Classifying samples in a journey to South America.

D．His passion for natural history at Edinburgh University.

57．We can learn from paragraphs 1 to 3 that Darwin ______.

A．used natural selection to develop new species

B．enjoyed being called nicknames related to science

C．learned some knowledge about plants when studying medicine

D．argued with others over the diversity of life forms for a long period

58．Which of the following changed Darwin’s view on the human species?

A．That he had ten children in all. B．His youngest son’s being disabled.

C．That he lost his eldest daughter. D．His marriage with Emma Wedgwood.

59．This passage is mainly about ______.

A．Darwin’s passion for medical science B．Darwin’s theory and experiments

C．Charles Darwin’s changing interest D．Charles Darwin’s life and work

（B）

Welcome toMuir Woods! This rare ancient forest is a kingdom of coast redwoods, many over 600 years old.

How to get here?

People using personal vehicles must have reservations before arriving at the park. （Details atwww.gomuirwoods.com.）

Muir Woods National Monument is open daily, 8 a. m. to sunset. Stop by Visitor Center to gettrails（路线） and program information, and to take in exhibits.

What’s your path?

Enjoy a walk on the paved Redwood Creek Trail （also called Main Trail）. Choose short, medium, or longloops（环线）. Other trails go deep into Muir Woods and Mount Tamalpais State Park.（Refer to the map of Muir Woods on the right for details.）

Ready to explore more?

Muir Woods is part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which includes Marin Headlands, Alcatraz, the Presidio, and Ocean Beach. Download the app atwww.nps.gov/goga.

Stay safe and protect your park.

Wi-Fi and cell service are not available. ·Watch for poisonous plants and falling branches. ·Do not feed or disturb animals. ·Fishing is prohibited in the park. ·Do not mark or remove trees, flowers, or other natural features. ·Go to the park website for more safety tips and regulations.

Accessibility

We make a great effort to make facilities, services, and programs accessible to all. For information, go to Visitor Center, ask a ranger, call, or check our website.

More Information

Muir Woods National Monumentwww.nps.gov/muwoMill Valley, CA 94941-2696

60．Muir Woods will probably attract ______.

①redwood lovers ②hunting lovers ③fishing lovers ④hiking lovers

A．①② B．③④ C．①④ D．②③

61．What can be learned from the passage?

A．Muir woods is surrounded by highland and ocean beaches.

B．Visitors can read electronic maps using Wi-Fi in Muir Woods.

C．Visitors are advised to call Visitor Center for safety tips and regulations.

D．Reservations should be made if visitors drive private cars to Muir Woods.

62．According to the map of Muir Woods, ______.

A．Bridge 4 is the farthest from the parking lots of all bridges

B．Mill Valley is located on the southwest side of Muir Beach

C．Bootjack Trail can lead one to Visitor Center from Bridge 3

D．food and gifts can be bought on various sites in Muir Woods

（C）

Precognitive dreams are dreams that seemingly predict the future which cannot be inferred from actually available information. Former US President Abraham Lincoln once revealed the frightening dream to his law partner and friend Ward Hill Lamon, “…Then I heard people weep… ‘Who is dead in the White House?’ I demanded. ‘The President,’ ‘he was killed!’…” The killing did happen later.

Christopher French, Professor in the Department of Psychology at Goldsmiths, stated the most likely explanation for such a phenomenon wascoincidence（巧合）. “In addition to pure coincidences we must also consider the unreliability of memory”, he added. Asked what criteria would have to be met for him to accept that precognitive dreams were a reality, he said, “The primary problem with tests of the claim is that the subjects are unable to tell when the event（s）they’ve dreamed about will happen.”

However, some claimed to make such tests practicable. Professor Caroline Watt at the University of Edinburgh, has conducted studies into precognitive dreaming. She stated that knowing future through dreams challenged the basic assumption of science — causality （relationship of cause and effect）.

Dick Bierman, a retired physicist and psychologist, who has worked at the Universities of Amsterdam, Utrecht and Groningen, has put forward a theory that may explain precognitive dreams. It is based on the fact that when scientists use certain mathematical descriptions to talk about things likeelectromagnetism（电磁学）, these descriptions favour the belief that time only moves in one direction. However, in practice the wave that is running backwards in time does exist. This concept is called the time symmetry, meaning that the laws of physics look the same when time runs forward or backward. But he believes that time symmetry breaks down due to external conditions. “The key of the theory is that it assumes that there is a special context that restores the broken time-symmetry, if the waves running backwards are ‘absorbed’ by a consistentmulti-particle（多粒子） system. The brain under a dream state may be such a system where broken time-symmetry is partially restored. This is still not a full explanation for precognitive dreams but it shows where physics might be adjusted to accommodate the phenomenon,” he explains.

Although Bierman’s explanation is still based on guesses and has not accepted by mainstream science, Watt does think it is worth considering. For now, believing that it’s possible to predict future with dreams remains an act of faith. Yet, it’s possible that one day we’ll wake up to a true understanding of this fascinating phenomenon.

63．According to French, what makes it difficult to test precognitive dreams?

A．Unavailability of people’s dreams.

B．That coincidences happen a lot in reality.

C．That criteria for dream reliability are not trustworthy.

D．People’s inability to tell when dreamt events will happen.

64．Believers in precognitive dreams may question the truth of ______.

A．the assumption of causality B．the time symmetry

C．memories of ordinary people D．modern scientific tests

65．We can infer from the passage that ______.

A．Lincoln was warned of the killing by his friend

B．Watt carried out several experiments on causality

C．researches on electromagnetism are based on the time symmetry

D．time’s moving in two directions may justify precognitive dreams

66．Which might be the best title of the passage?

A．Should Dreams Be Assessed?

B．Can Dreams Predict the Future?

C．How Can Physics Be Changed to Explain Dreams?

D．Why Should Scientists Study Precognitive Dreams?

Section C

Directions:Read the following passage. Fill in each blank with a proper sentence given in the box. Each sentence can only be used once. Note that there are two sentences more than you need.

Addiction to Labeling

Maybe you’ve noticed it in the comments section of popular social media posts about anxiety. depression or things alike, with a number of people claiming to pick these labels for themselves.

These days, labeling is everywhere. （67） ______ However, the negative part is that it’s easy for someone to identify with the characteristics without truly recognizing the context in which these characteristics would require diagnosis, according to Charlotte Armitage, a registered integrative psychotherapist and psychologist.

If you have done your research and genuinely feel that you have some form of mental health concern, then finally having a name for your behaviors can be great. But the risk is that many people will seek labels and intervention for any behavior, pattern or emotion that is outside of the permanent happy group that society has set as the norm. “（68） ______ Then the saying ‘a little bit of knowledge is dangerous’ springs to my mind,” Armitage adds.

（69） ______“Children are still developing and evolving, and many childhood behavioral features may seem like those of a disorder when there’re other potential explanations for that behavior,” Armitage notes. Ideally, a diagnosis for a child should be carried out by a qualified mental health professional. So it is with an adult.

Nevertheless, the most important thing to bear in mind is that diagnosis doesn’t mean to indicate that you are broken or less capable.（70） ______ And if you go deeper, it can alert you to the fact that you are not alone, and that many people experience life in the same way as you do.

Ⅳ．Summary Writing

Directions:Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point（s） of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.

71．

Why Willing to Wait?

First it was the fried chicken. Then a variety of fancy milkshakes. No matter what time it is or how bad the streets smell, there are plenty of people waiting in line for hours to get their hands on the food that everyone’s talking about. If you are not the type of person crazy for trendy foods, you probably wonder why someone would like to wait in a long line just to get a taste of a popular cream tea. There is a bit of psychology behind the craze of waiting before getting one’s chopsticks on a trendy food.

People are born curiosity hunters, especially for fresh ideas, according to some experts. At the sight of a long waiting line, they just can’t help having a try. And when the trendy foods are novel in looks and favors, even innovative in their sales environment, the desire for them is upgraded. All those stimulate people to investigate more—to deal with their curiosity.

In addition, having access to something that is sought out but hard to possess equips people with a feeling that improves their self-definitions. When someone is envied due to something he gained with efforts, his self-worth gets enhanced. Although it is yet to be determined whether the number of likes he receives on the photos of foods he’s posted online is connected with the level of envy from on-lookers, that feeling automatically becomes stronger.

Even more, “mob psychology” comes into play: when many people are doing something—waiting in line for the sought-after milkshakes, for instance —others are eager to be part of the group and share such a type of social familiarity, kind of like the natural pursuit of a sense of belonging. Tasting the same wait-worthy food has something in common.

Ⅴ．Translation

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

72．大多数中国人喜欢在生日的时候吃碗面。（tend）

___________________________________________________________________________________________

73．这家软件公司会从技术上保护设计师的创意。（perspective）

___________________________________________________________________________________________

74．她原以为没多少人会来体育馆看比赛，结果看台上座无虚席。（it）

___________________________________________________________________________________________

75．这位摄影师觉得去热门景点拍照没意思，他已计划好要去沙漠找灵感。（instead）

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Ⅵ．Guided Writing

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

76．你是新华中学的高三学生张敏。临近毕业，同学间正在互留赠言。假设李华是你的同班好友，请给他/她写一封邮件，你需要在邮件中：

1）写明你给他/她的临别赠言；

2）结合李华的高中生活经历，谈谈你送他/她该赠言的理由。

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

答案

Ⅰ．Listening Comprehension

Section A

Directions:In Section A, you will hear ten short conversations between two speakers. At the end of each conversation, a question will be asked about what was said. The conversations and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a conversation and the question about it, read the four possible answers on your paper, and decide which one is the best answer to the question you have heard.

1．W: What time does the bus leave?

M: Not until 8:30, but I want to get to the station 15 minutes earlier in order to get a good seat.

Q: When will the man’s bus probably leave?

2．M: It seems like I’m running a fever.

W: Don’t worry. I’ll give you a blood test first.

Q: What is most probably the woman’s job?

3．W: Good afternoon, sir. Take a seat, please.

M: Thank you. I want a haircut and a shave, please.

Q: Where does the conversation most probably take place?

4．M: I heard you made a trip to Fudan University last Sunday.

W: Yes, we arrived at 9 a. m. and then two senior students showed us around the campus. We were deeply impressed.

Q: What are the speakers mainly talking about?

5．W: Hi! Welcome back. Have you had a good time?

M: Well, we did when we eventually got there.

Q: What does the man imply?

6．M: Which basketball team are you going to support?

W: You are not going to talk about basketball again, are you? That’s it.

Q: How does the woman feel about discussing basketball?

7．W: I have to give my oral presentation in class tomorrow, and I am so nervous.

M: Maybe you just need some practice. Why don’t you use me as your audience?

Q: What does the man suggest the woman do?

8．M: Why don’t you tell me Sophie is coming to town?

W: I’m sorry. It completely slipped my mind.

Q: What does the woman mean?

9．W: Then why did you decide to quit your former job?

M: That’s because of the journey. It took me about two hours to get to work. And you are lucky—your firm is within walking distance.

Q: Why did the man want to change his job?

10．M: That noise from the printer sounds quite strange. Why not have it fixed?

W: You are right. Perhaps I’ve put it off too long.

Q: What will the woman most probably do?

Section B

Directions: In Section B, you will hear two passages and one longer conversation. After each passage or conversation, you will be asked several questions. The passages and the conversation will be read twice, but the questions will be spoken only once. When you hear a question, read the four possible answers on your paper, and decide which one is the best answer to the question you have heard.

Questions 11 through 13 are based on the following passage.

If you’ve attended a concert, you might wonder why the band performed an encore, an added short performance at the end of a show. There are actually various reasons.

First, there is a historical reason. The encore has its roots in the 19th-century performances, where audiences would repeat the word ‘encore’, a French word for ‘again’, so as to hear a section of the performance again. Since recording technology was not to be invented until 1877, live performance was the only way to listen to music. Therefore, talented musicians would always receive ‘encore’ requests throughout a performance. As recorded music later well developed in the 20th century, encores became reserved for the very end of a live show. Nowadays, most professional bands and musicians will feature at least one encore.

And encores can give the band a break. As we know, live performance is very physically-demanding. Often, an encore simply serves as an excuse for the musicians to have a quick break once they’re almost near the end of their set. During the brief break between the main set and the encore, musicians will usually have a drink or use the bathroom. While the short break is usually only a couple of minutes, it’s just enough time for musicians to re charge to continue the performance.

（Now listen again please.）

Questions:

11．What is the speaker mainly talking about?

12．Which century can encores be traced back to?

13．What can we learn from the passage?

Questions 14 through 16 are based on the following passage.

Like many other people, I love my smartphone, which keeps me connected with the larger world. I also love my laptop, because it holds all of my writing and thoughts. However, there are times when I need to move away from these devices and truly communicate with others.

I teach a course calledHistory Matters. My goals for the class include a full discussion of historical themes and ideas. In order that my students can thoroughly study the materials and exchange their ideas in the classroom, I have a rule — no laptops, tablets, phones, etc. When the students first learned the rule, some of them were not happy.

Most students think that my reasons for this rule include unpleasant experiences with students misusing technology. There’s a bit of truth to that. Some students think that I am anti-technology. There’s no truth in that. The real reason why I ask students to leave technology at the door is that there are very few places in which we can have deep conversations and truly engage in complex ideas. Interruptions by technology often break concentration and allow for too much dependence on outside information. I want my students to dig deep within themselves.

I’ve been teaching my class this way for many years and the evaluations from students reflect their satisfaction with the environment I create. Students realize that with deep conversation and challenge, they learn at a level that helps them keep the course materials beyond the classroom.

（Now listen again please.）

Questions:

14．Why were some of the speaker’s students unhappy?

15．What can be learned from this passage?

16．What can we infer about the use of technology in classrooms?

Questions 17 through 20 are based on the following conversation.

M: Hi, Amanda. Come into the office and sit down here.

W: Thank you, Dr. Lee.

M: So how is your essay planning going?

W: Well, Dr. Lee, I’m still having a lot of trouble deciding on a title.

M: What we’ll do is to take down some points that might help you with your decision. First of all, you have chosen your general topic area, haven’t you?

W: Yes, it’s the fishing industry.

M: Oh, yes. Now, what aspects of the course are you good at?

W: Well, I think I’m coping well with statistics, and I’m never bored with them.

M: Good. Anything else?

W: I also found computer modeling fascinating.

M: That’s great. Do you think these might be areas you could bring into your essay?

W: Yeah, if possible. But I am afraid I don’t have sufficient background information.

M: I see. Well, do you take notes?

W: I am very weak at note-taking — other teachers have always been making such a comment.

M: I think you really need to work on these weaknesses before you go any further.

W: May I ask for your suggestion?

M: I can go through the possible strategies in note-taking with you. But you’d better read these books first to gather valuable information.

（Now listen again please.）

Questions:

17．What is the possible relationship between the two speakers?

18．What is the topic area of the woman’s essay?

19．What can be learned about the woman?

20．What does the man finally suggest the woman do?

1-5 CDBCC   6-10 DABAD   11-13 DCD   14-16ABD   17-20 CADC

21．despite   22．What   23．welcomed   24．could   25．meant   26．to be sent

27．which  28．that   29．illustrating   30．because/since/as

31-35 JFKDG 36-40IBEAH

41-45 BACCD 46-50 ADBCD 51-55CBACC

56-59 ACBD 60-62 CDA 63-66 DADB 67-70 BEAF

71．Many people are keen on lining up for popular foods for some psychological reasons. First, people have the tendency to satisfy their curiosity, especially for something new. Additionally, people find themselves more valued when owning something hard to get. Last, people naturally want to be part of a community.（49 words）

72．Most Chinese people tend to （1.5） eat a bowl of noodles on their birthdays.（1.5）

73．The software company will protect designers’ creativity/creative（2）

from a technical perspective / from a perspective of technology.（1）

74．She （had） supposed that not many people would come to the stadium to watch the game,（2）but it turned out that all the seats on the stand（s） were occupied.（2）

75．The photographer finds it meaningless/ boring to shoot / take pictures in popular tourist destinations,（2.5）

 and instead he has planned to look for inspiration / inspiring ideas/ things that can inspire him in the desert.（2.5）

76．略

（三）

I. Listening Comprehension

Section A

Directions:In Section A, you will hear ten short conversations between two speakers. At the end of each conversation, a question will be asked about what was said. The conversations and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a conversation and the question about it, read the four possible answers on your paper, and decide which one is the best answer to the question you have heard.

1. A. Colleagues.        B. Mother and son.

C. Employer and employee.     D. Husband and wife.

2. A. The effects of the flood.     B. The fight against the flood.

C. The cause of the flood.     D. The ten floods of the year.

3. A. They were both busy doing their own work.

B. They waited for each other at different places.

C. They went to the street corner at different times.

D. The man went to the concert but the woman didn’t.

4. A. At Mary Johnson’s.      B. At a painter’s studio.

C. In an exhibition hall.      D. Outside an art gallery.

5. A. He saw the big tower on TV.    B. He has visited the TV tower once.

C. He has visited the TV tower twice.  D. He will visit the TV tower in June.

6. A. She is not interested in the article.   B. She has given the man too much trouble.

C. She likes to have a copy of the article.  D. She has difficulty reading the article.

7. A. The man’s house is very dirty.   B. The man has to get rid of the old furniture.

C. The furniture is covered with lots of dust. D. The furniture the man bought is inexpensive.

8. A. New students are usually unfair.    B. The teacher lacks teaching experience.

C. She doesn’t agree with the man.   D. The man had better talk with the students.

9. A. He has found a very good job.   B. He doesn’t feel at ease in the firm.

C. He has been considered as a fool.   D. He doesn’t get on with the others.

10. A. A plane ticket.       B. A shopping experience.

C. An imaginary situation.     D. A vacation by the sea.

Section B

Directions:In Section B, you will hear two short passages and one longer conversation, and you will be asked several questions on each of the passages and the conversation. The passages and the conversation will be read twice, but the questions will be spoken only once. When you hear a question, read the four possible answers on your paper and decide which one would be the best answer to the question you have heard.

Questions 11 through 13 are based on the following passage.

11. A. The film is made up of world classics.

B. Mamma Mia has moved from the stage to the screen.

C. Mamma Mia tells Sufi’s search for her mother.

D. The story of Mamma Mia has a lot to do with the band.

12.A. In Sweden.      B. In Shanghai.

C. In London.      D. In America.

13. A. The mature cast.

B. The story with ABBA music.

C. The European Song Contest 1984 champion.

D. The Chinese version of Mamma of 2011.

Questions 14 through 16 are based on the following passage.

14.A. Leisure activities.     B. Popular TV stars.

C. Outdoor sports.     D. Family time.

15. A. Driving.       B. Gardening.

C. Eating out.      D. Surfing.

16. A. Going to the bars.     B. Playing online games.

C. Watching TV.      D. Reading novels.

Questions 17 through 20 are based on the following conversation.

17. A. At a travel agency.     B. At a local restaurant.

C. At a hotel reception.    D. At an Australian airport.

18.A. Free wine is offered.    B. The price is reasonable.

C. She carries a lot of luggage.   D. She travels with her family.

19.A. One week.      B. Two weeks.

C. Four nights.      D. Five nights.

20. A. She can come back for Christmas. 

B. She can drink the best wine of Australia.

C. She can choose the activities she likes.

D. She can book a holiday anywhere.

II. Grammar and vocabulary 

Section A

Directions:After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

What If You’re Not Good at English?

Researchers whose first language is not English can spend around twice as long reading an English scientific journal article as native speakers. For a PhD student, that can mean (21) ______ (spend) up to 19 additional working days per year just reading papers.

These statistics, (22) ______ (publish) today in PLOS Biology, might not be shocking, researchers say, but it’s important to measure the effects of language barriers on the careers of academics (23) ______ are not fluent in English. “It is the first step for the scientific community (24) ______ (make) more efforts to solve this problem”, says Tatsuya Amano, a biodiversity researcher at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, and a co-author of the study.

The team found that among scientists who had published only one paper in English, scientists from countries (25) ______ English is generally poor spent 29.8 percent more time writing papers than native English speakers; (26) ______ from countries with moderate Englishproficiency(能力) spent 50.6% more time. Similarly, the researchers found that people from countries with low English proficiency spent an average of 90.8 percent more time reading scientific articles (27) _______ native English speakers.

At conferences, even those who overcome obstacles face difficulties in presenting their work in English. Germana Barata, a researcher who (28) ______ (specialize) in science communication at the State University of Campinas in Brazil, says that despite being fluent in English, she still feels uncomfortable at times. “We (29) ______ (give) the same amount of time to present, but all that we can say in 10 minutes is different from (30) ______ a native speaker can say,” she points out.

Section B

Directions:Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A New Era of Creative Partnerships

In a new paper in a Nature Human Behavior special issue on AI, researcher Janet Rafner from Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies and Center for Hybrid Intelligence at Aarhus University and Prof. Jacob Sherson, director of the Center for Hybrid Intelligence, together with international partners, discuss research and societal (31) ______ of creativity and AI.

The team of researchers argue that we should direct our attention to understanding and developing co-creativity, the interaction between humans and machines towards what is (32) ______ a human-centered AI and hybrid intelligence. In this way we will be able to developinterfaces(界面) that at the same time ensure both high degrees of automatization through AI and human control and hereby supporting a relationship that best (33) ______ each other.

Rafner comments: To date, most studies on human-AI co-creativity come from the field of human-computer (34) ______ and focus on the abilities of the AI, and the interaction design and dynamics.

While these (35) ______ are key for understanding the dynamics between humans andalgorithms(算法) and human attitudes towards the co-creative process and product, there is an urgent need to enrich these applications with the insights about creativity (36) ______ over the past decades in the psychological sciences.

“Right now, we need to move the conversation away from questions like Can AI be creative? One reason for this is that (37) ______ creativity is not set in stone. When investigating human only, machine only, and human-AI co-creativity, we need to consider the type and level of creativity under (38) ______, from everyday creative activities that are perhaps more suitable to machine automatization to contributions that may require higher-level human intervention; (39) ______, it is much more meaningful to consider some questions like, what are the similarities and differences in human cognition, behavior, motivation andself-efficacy(自我效能) between human-AI co-creativity and human creativity?”explains Rafner.

We, (40) ______, don’t know enough about co-creativity between humans and machines, because the line between humans and artificial intelligence isn’t always clear. Looking ahead, researchers should balance predictive accuracy with theoretical understanding, towards the goal of developing intelligent systems to both measure and enhance human creativity.

III. Reading Comprehension

Section A

Directions:For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.

Many of the world’s islands were previously unexplored places, but over time, people have come to these places with far-reaching effects, including deforestation, over-hunting and the introduction of invasive species. (41) ______, most of the bird species disappeared.

While the death of many birds since the 1500s has been (42) ______, our knowledge of the fate of species before this relies onfossils(化石), and these records are limited because birds’ lightweight bones are (43) ______ over time. This conceals the true (44) ______ of global extinctions.

Researchers now believe 1,430 bird species — almost 12 per cent — have died out over modern human history since around 130,000 years ago, with the vast majority of them becoming extinct directly or indirectly (45) ______ human activity.

The study, led by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) and published in Nature Communications, used statistical modelling to (46) ______ the undiscovered bird extinctions.

Lead author Dr Rob Cooke, an ecological modeler at UKCEH, says:“Our study demonstrates there has been a far higher (47) ______ impact on diversity than previously recognized. Humans quickly destroyed bird populations through habitat loss, over-exploitation, and the introduction of rats, pigs, and dogs, which attacked the birds’ nests, and (48) ______ with birds for food. We show that many species became extinct before written records and left no (49) ______, lost from history.”

Dr Søren Faurby of the University of Gothenburg, a co-author of the study, adds: “These historic extinctions have had a major impact on the current biodiversity crisis. The world may not only have lost many fascinating birds but also their varied (50) ______ roles, which are likely to have included key functions such aspollination(授粉). This will have had knock-on effects on ecosystems, so, (51) ______ bird extinctions, we will have lost a lot of plants and animals that (52) ______ these species for survival.”

Observations and fossils show 640 bird species have been driven extinct — 90 per cent of these on islands (53) ______ by people. These (54) ______ from theiconic(标志性的) Dodo of Mauritius to the Great Auk of the North Atlantic to the lesser-known Saint Helena Giant Hoopoe. But the researchers estimate there have been further 790 unknown extinctions, meaning a total of 1,430 lost species — leaving just under 11,000 today. Therefore, from the perspective of protecting species (55) ______, the protection of birds is an urgent issue for mankind.

41. A. To some extent  B. On average  C. As a result  D. In short

42. A. confirmed   B. recorded   C. concealed   D. discussed

43. A. distracted   B. disposed   C. dismissed   D. disintegrated

44. A. extent    B. context   C. outcome   D. influence

45. A. due to    B. other than   C. instead of   D. in spite of

46. A. declare   B. illustrate   C. estimate   D. emphasize

47. A. climate   B. human   C. environmental  D. natural

48. A. connected   B. coped   C. lived    D. competed

49. A. trace    B. route    C. change   D. proposal

50. A. interactive   B. ecological  C. productive  D. social

51. A. in terms of   B. because of  C. except for   D. in addition to

52. A. depend on   B. interact with    C. fight against    D. stay away

53. A. inhabited   B. removed   C. developed  D. killed

54. A. result    B. range    C. suffer    D. date

55. A. origin    B. project   C. growth   D. diversity

Section B

Directions:Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.

(A)

In bringing up children, every parent watches eagerly the child’s acquisition of each new skill— the first spoken words, the first independent steps, or the beginning of reading and writing. It is often tempting to hurry the child beyond his natural learning rate, but this can set up dangerous feelings of failure and states of worry in the child. This might happen at any stage. A baby might be forced to use a toilet too early, a young child might be encouraged to learn to read before he knows the meaning of the words he reads. On the other hand, though, if a child is left alone too much, or without any learning opportunities, he loses his natural enthusiasm for life and his desire to find out new things for himself.

Parents vary greatly in their degree of strictness towards their children. Some may be especially strict in money matters. Others are severe over times of coming home at night or punctuality for meals. In general, parents’ demands and social values are as important as children’s own well-being. Therefore, parents also need to constantly observe the world and explore the unknown so as to give the children good personalized education in their growth.

As regards the development of moral standards in the growing child, consistency is very important in parental teaching. To ban a thing one day and excuse it the next is no foundation for morality. Also, parents should realize that “example is better thanprecept(训诫)”. If they are not sincere and do not practice what they say, their children may grow confused, and emotionally insecure when they grow old enough to think for themselves, and realize they have been to some extent fooled.

A sudden awareness of a marked difference between their parents’ principles and their morals can be a dangerous disappointment. Parents must pay more attention to their own behavior and language, passing on the right values and cognition to their children. In this way, children can grow up healthily on the right track.

56. What do parents usually do when their children are growing up?

A. Speed up their children’s learning.

B. Watch their children learn new skills.

C. Put their children into a state of isolation.

D. Make their children live on their own.

57. What’s right about parents’ being strict with their children?

A. Parents should not expect too much of them.

B. Parents should encourage them to read faster than others.

C. Parents should create as many learning opportunities as possible.

D. Parents should find a balance between being strict and leaving them alone.

58. The second paragraph mainly tells us that ______.

A. parents should be strict with their children

B. parents need to be strict with themselves

C. different parents treat their children differently

D. parents set strict limits on their children’s spending

59. In moral matters, parents should ______.

A. keep in line in words and deeds

B. demand that their children listen to them

C. know the difference between adults and children

D. consistently ensure the security of their children

(B)

         Preschooler or grade-schooler? Start saving early

It’s never too early to start saving for college. One way to get a jump is to use college savings plans likethe 529 or Coverdell to start a pool of money to draw from later. You can open an account while your student is a child. And with an account like a 529, the money can be invested to grow tax-free, as long as it’s used for qualified education expenses.

         Early high school? Time to check those expectations

Setting realistic expectations with your high schooler is an important part of the college readiness timeline. In fact, you can start talking about college and the future when your student is in junior high. Even if you have college savings to help pay for college—or most of your savings—speaking with your student about expectations is important.

         High school junior? Apply for scholarships and financial aid

The time to start applying for scholarships is during your student’s junior year of high school. Sports, music, performance, and clubs can enhance an application along with grades. It can help create a general essay that can be adjusted for each scholarship. Put together a résumé that includes activities, jobs, and accomplishments. Don’t forget to fill out a CSS profile with the college board. Some schools and other organizations use the CSS profile for outstanding scholarship applications.

         Federal financial aid

In order to qualify for federal financial aid, includinggrants(助学金) and student loans, it’s important to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Your student should fill out their first FAFSA in October of their senior year of high school. The FAFSA should be updated and submitted every subsequent year in October to keep the information up to date and to receive ongoing federal financial aid.

         Other opportunities to hold back the costs … or add to them

When planning ahead for college, it’s also important to consider other opportunities and expect the unexpected. Some additional opportunities to consider while your high schooler is a junior or senior include:

Study abroad. If there’s a chance for your student to take a semester or year abroad, that can be a good experience, but it might also require extra paperwork and additional costs.

Additional education. Some schools might offer additional certifications on top of regular degree coursework. A special certification might require a summer semester that might not be included in the traditional financial aid award.

Longer time in school. Not every student will finish in the traditional four-year time frame. Changing majors, double majors, andextracurricular(课外的) activities can extend your student’s time in school.

…

60. What does the underlined part in Para.1 refer to?

A. College savings plan.     B. Scholarship application method.

C. Education savings account.    D. Educational certification agency.

61. What do you need to do first if you want to get federal financial aid?

A. To update your materials.    B. To apply for scholarships.

C. To contact the government.    D. To fill out the free application.

62. What does the author want to tell the readers to do?

A. To plan a brand-new college life.

B. To think ahead about the cost of college.

C. To work to make money as early as possible.

D. To think about the significance of major choices.  

(C)

The emergence of black holes undoubtedly marks the beginning of a revolution. Black holes have many peculiar properties, such as the alteration of space and time, the radiation of gravitational waves and so on. Scientists are still trying to study the properties and evolution of black holes in order to better understand the origin and evolution of the universe.

Recently, a team of astronomers may have found a solo-wandering black hole using a strange trick of gravity calledmicrolensing(微透镜效应), but the results still have to be confirmed.

Sometimes it’s tough being an astronomer. Nature likes to hide the most interesting things from easy observation. Take, for example, black holes. Except for the strangequantum(量子) phenomenon of Hawking radiation, black holes are completely black. They don’t emit a single bit of radiation – they only absorb, hence their name.

To date, the only way astronomers have been able to spot black holes is through their influence on their environments. For example, if an orbiting star gets a little too close, the black hole can absorb the gas from that star, causing it to heat up as it falls. We can watch as stars dance around the giant black hole at the center of the Milky Way.

Even the famed pictures of the black holes in the center of the Milky Way and the M87galaxy(星系) aren’t photographs of the black holes themselves. Instead, they are radio images of everything around them.

But surely not all black holes have other light-emitting objects around them to help us find them. To find these wanderers, astronomers have tried their luck with microlensing. We know that heavy objects can bend the path of light around them. This is a prediction ofEinstein’s general theory of relativity, and the slight bending of starlight around our own sun was one of the first successful tests of the theory.

Microlensing is pretty much what the name suggests. When astronomers get extremely lucky, a wandering black hole and pass between us and a random distant star. The light from that star bends around the black hole because of its gravity, and from our point of view, the star will appear to temporarily flare in brightness.

And when I say “extremely lucky” I mean it. Despite trying this technique for over a decade, it is only now that astronomers have found a candidate black hole through microlensing. Two teams used the same data, a microlensing event recorded from both the OGLE (Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment) telescope in Chile and the MOA (Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics) telescope in New Zealand. One team found that the mass was somewhere around seven times the mass of the sun – definitely black hole territory. But the other team estimated a much smaller mass, around 2-4 times the mass of the Sun. If the true mass of the object is at the lower end of thatspectrum(光谱), then the wanderer is probably not a black hole.

63. Why does the author say it is hard to be an astronomer?

A. Einstein’s theory is hard to understand.

B. Many things in nature are not easy to observe.

C. Understanding the evolution of the universe is not easy.

D. Whether the black hole has been found remains to be seen.

64. What is the example in Para. 4 trying to prove?

A. Stars’ wandering in black holes.

B. Black holes’ absorbing the star’s gas.

C. The relationship between stars’ heating and black holes.

D. Finding black holes by observing environmental changes.

65. What does the author tell us about the discovery of black holes?

A. People can often find black holes with glowing objects.

B. Research groups can work together to find black holes.

C. Glowing objects around black holes help us find them sometimes.

D. Understanding the properties of black holes helps find them.

66. What conclusion can we draw from the last paragraph?

A. To persevere in the end is to win.

B. Facts speak louder than words.

C. Failure is the mother of success.

D. Things are not always what they seem.

Section C

Directions:Read the passage carefully. Fill in each blank with a proper sentence given in the box. Each sentence can be used only once. Note that there are two more sentences than you need.

HanwengongShrine

Now we come to Hanwengong Shrine, which is beside Hangjiang river and west of Bijia mountain. (67) __________ In the square in front of the hall, an ancient book-shaped stone is carved with two famous sayings of Han Yu on it, meaning hard work is the precondition for success, and deep thought is the guarantee of success.

In the year of A.D. 819, for some political reason, Han Yu wasexiled(流放) to Chaozhou, a backland at that time. But he was not depressed by this, and he helped local people to develop education, agriculture, irrigation and release slaves. (68) ____________

The shrine was built against the mountain and divided into two parts, the front part and the back part. Now we play a small game: count the stone steps, and later I’ll tell you a secret. How many steps are there? Yes, 51 steps! Why? (69) ___________ The first time Han Yu came to Chaozhou, he was impressed by the beautiful scenery and hospitality of local people. You see that old tree? People say the more flowers in the tree, the more well-educated students are. But in Qing Dynasty, this magic tree, planted by Han Yu himself, died, so people planted this tree instead.

(70) __________ Here is one: when Han Yu was living in Chaozhou, there was a very fierce and cruel crocodile in the Hanjiang river, which was a big social harm. One day, Han Yu drafted a statement against the crocodile and made it public by the river. Incredibly, from the next day on, the crocodile was gone. Later, the statue, made of a portrait of Han Yu, was built and his words were lefton the monument to mark his achievements.

IV. Summary Writing

Directions:Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.

71.                                                       How to Stay on Task

“In many activities, it is difficult to maintain a high level of focus over time. Our research asks why this is the case,” said Matthew K. Robison, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Arlington. Although humans generally perform fine in situations that require sustained attention, they are often distracted, which can lead to inattention. Common distractions can be anything from thinking about a new romantic interest to reacting to a car honking. Most inattention has minor consequences like forgetting to forward an email or pick up an item at the grocery store. However, other inattention can lead to serious consequences, such as a train operator not reacting to an incident, a surgeon forgetting a step in an operation or an individual forgetting to turn off an oven.

 “Sustaining attention can be easier said than done, as attentionfluctuates(波动) across short and long intervals,” Robison said. One of the most common approaches to studying inattention has been to examine response time to a variety of tasks. For this study, Robison and colleagues employed more than 100 participants to complete reaction time tasks for about 25 minutes. In a standard control condition, participants were simply told to respond as quickly as possible on each trial. “In this condition, reaction times systematically increased across time, consistent with the idea that task focus was decreasing,” Robison said. “However, when we gave them specific goals to pursue and made those goals harder over time, they did not show that effect.”

The drop in concentration goes some way to explaining why we remember or forget the moment and why some people remember better than others. Robison and colleagues at the University of Oregon have also published a new study on maintaining attention. The results provide evidence that a simple and easily implementable change in behavior — setting specific goals for oneself — can significantly improve our ability to maintain task focus over time. “Setting a specific goal will increase sustained attention and reduce inattention,” said Robison based on his studies.

V. Translation

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

72. 这个摄影师坚持每天用一张照片记录生活。(document)

73. 上海是一座迷人的城市，因此市民和游客昵称上海为“魔都”。(nickname)

74. 人们常常抱怨飞机餐难吃，主要是因为在飞机上人们的味觉和嗅觉都会暂时失灵。(complain)

75. 这部电影充满正能量，它用一个女孩的成长经历激励人们在人生道路上不断挑战自我，努力成为更好的自己。（which）

VI. Guided Writing

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

76. 假设你是明启中学高三学生张磊，你的英国朋友Michael来信说他打算今年暑期来中国度假，你想邀请他去你的家乡游览。请你给他回信，内容需包括：

1）你最想带他去的几个地方，以及参与的活动；

2）你所提建议的理由。

参考答案

I. Listening Comprehension

Section A

1-5 B A B D B     6-10 C D C A C 

Section B

11-13 B C A  14-16  A C B    17-20 A D B C

II. Grammar and Vocabulary

Section A

21. spending  22. published   23. who/that  24. to make   25. where

26. those  27. than   28. specializes/is specialized    29. are given  30. what

Section B

31-35 D B A C E 36-40 G K F H J

III. Reading Comprehension

Section A

41-45 C B D A A    46-50 C B D A B  51-55 D A A B D

Section B

56-59 B D C A  60-62 C D B  63-66 B D C D

Section C

67-70 D E A B

IV. Summary for reference

Research shows that setting a specific goal increases sustained attention. It is hard to maintain a high level of concentration in many activities. People are often distracted, resulting in poor concentration, with minor or serious consequences. Attention fluctuates between short and long intervals, and the shorter the reaction time is, the greater the concentration will be. (56 words)

V. Translation

72. The photographer insists on documenting his life with a photo every day.

73. Shanghai is a charming city, so citizens and touristsnicknameShanghai as “Modu”.

74. People often complain about airline food, mainly because people’s sense of taste and smell will be temporarily lost on the plane.

75.This film is full of positive energy, which uses a girl’s experience of growing up to inspire people to challenge themselves in life and try to be a better version of themselves.