山西省太原市2021届高三上学期期中质量监测英语试题(word版有答案)

2021届太原市文华中学高三英语上学期期中试卷及参考答案第一部分阅读（共两节，满分40分）第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项AThough online ordering is popular in the UK today，hands­on experience still attracts many buyers' attention.Oxford StreetLondon is a shoppers' paradise，and most visitors head for Oxford Street.Halfway along is Selfridges，one of the world's first department stores where the architecture and window dressing impress you even before you go in.There are at least four other major stores on this street，plus Europe's largest music shop.In December the atmosphere is especially festive because of the Christmaslights which are always lighted by a politician，a great sportsman，or a super star.Kensington High StreetA fashionable area for shopping is Kensington High Street.One of its department stores even has a roof garden—good for relaxing between purchases.There's also an organic food superstore.Borough MarketYou can't visit London without going to a supermarketOne of the oldest and best for food is probably Borough Market on the south bank of the Thames.Get off the underground at London Bridge and wander among fresh fish stalls，bakeries，and fruit and vegetable sellers.You can also buy specialities to take away，like cheeses，pork pies，mustard and chutney.More places for bargainsPortobello Road Market on a Saturday is your best choice for jewelry or collector's items.It's a shortwalk from the underground station at Notting Hill Gate and you never know what you will find.For clothes，Camden Market is the place.It gets a little crowded at the weekends，though.Convent Garden Market offers great experience for the simple pleasure of looking at jewelry and gifts.1.Oxford Street becomes special in December for ________.A.the wonderful window dressingB.the Europe's largest music shopC.the lights lighted by a famous personD.many bargains to choose from2.To enjoy food，you can goto ________.A.Camden MarketB.Borough MarketC.Kensington High StreetD.Portobello Road Market3.Where is this passage probably taken from?AA science book. B.A traveler's journal.C.A news report.D.A trip guide.BAfter years of releasing e-readers that compete directly with Amazon’s Kindle, Rakuten Kobo’s latest device offers something totally different: theability to draw and write directly on the screen.With a large 10.3-inch E-ink display, the Kobo Elipsa looks more like an electronic clipboard than the standard paperpack-sized e-reader. Although the ability to write on the screen is no big deal — especially given its high price tag of $ 600 — the overall package is impressively functional.In terms of reading, the Elipsa packs just about everything you’d expect in a Kobo. You can purchase and download books from the store, read web articles you’ve saved online via Pocket, and connect to your local library to borrow e-books and magazines. It’s known that Kindle basically requires you to buy books from Amazon. Unlike Kindles, Kobos are pretty open with the formats they support; you can connect the Elipsa to a computer and transfer over any PDF books you have bought or downloaded from stores like Booktopia or Google Books.You can fill your virtual notepads with notes using brush and pen types, and export them as PDFs or images to a PC. There’s also an “advanced” notebook that can turn your writing into typed and editable text for exporting to Microsoft Word format. You can also write directly onto documents themselves, with all your word circling and underlining saved as you go to review later. This is especially handy when it comes to PDFs, as changes you make are synced（同步）automatically when you have Wi-Fi, so you can move between your Elipsa, PC and phone and keep your notes.With all that said, we can see it really appealing to e-reader fans who also tend to do a lot of work on paper. If you ever print things out to mark them up, fill notepads with writing or drawing that you later have to transcribe or scan, or just wish you could write all over your library books, this could be the device for you.4. Which of the following best describes the Elipsa?A. Automatic.B. Traditional.C. Useful.D. Standard.5. How is a Kobo different from a Kindle in reading?A. A Kindle has a larger screen.B. A Kindle can support more formats.C. A Kobo supports books from various sources.D. A Kobo should be connected to local libraries.6. What does paragraph 4 mainly tell us about Kobos?A Their function in syncing. B. Their function in typing.C. Their function in writing.D. Their function in reading.7. In which section of a newspaper can the text probably be found?A. Education.B. Technology.C. Lifestyle.D. Business.CA team of engineers atHarvardUniversity in trying to create the first robotic fly. Designed to do what a fly does naturally, the tiny is the size of a fat housefly. Its mini wings allow it to stay in the air and perform controlled flight tasks."The added difficulty with a project like this is that actually none of its components is off the shelf and so we have to develop them all on our own’ said Robert Wood, a Harvard engineering professor.They engineered a series of systems to start and drive the robotic fly. “The seemingly simple system which just moves the wings hasa number of interdependencies (相互依赖）on the individual components, each of which individually has to perform well, but then has to be matched well to everything it d connected to,” said Wood.While this first robotic flyer is linked to a small, off-board power source, the goal is eventually to equip it with a built-in power source, so that it might someday perform data-gathering work at rescue sites，in farmers’ fields or on the battlefield. "Basically it should be able to take off, land and fly around，” he said.Wood says the design offers a new way to study flight mechanics and control at insect-scale. Yet, the power, sensing and computation technologies on board could have much broader applications.“You can start thinking about using them to answer open scientific questions, you know, to study biology in ways that would be difficult with the animal，but using these robots instead” he said. "So there are a lot of technologies and open interesting scientific questions that are really what drives us on a day-to-day basis.”8. What is the typical characteristic of the robotic fly?A. It's automatic.B.It's very small.C. It's controllable.D. It's quite powerful.9. We can infer from the passage that the robotic flyer can____ .A. act as a spy planeB. help do farm workC.fly at a very high speedD. answer many scientific questions10. What is Wood's idea about the robotic fly according to the last paragraph?A. It is highly questionable.B. It has wide practical applications.C. It gives scientists interest in flying machines.D. It points to a new direction in studying biology.11. What can be the best title for the passage?A. Harvand's Study in the Field of Insects.B. A Breakthrough in Engineering ScienceC. An Interesting Invention一Robotic FlyD. Robotic Fly一a Copy of Real Life InsectDWe all use different ways to remember ideas, facts and things we need to store. Remembering is an extremely important part of our learning experience. Information process, storage and recall encourage purposeful learning.But the brain doesn’t store everything we want or need for future use. It makes choices and tends to remember information that forms a memorable pattern. Things you learned recently can be particularly difficult to remember because they haven’t taken root in your mind.“Forgetting allows us to remember what is really important to our survival. We forget much of what we read, watch, and think directly every day.” writes John Medina in his book, Brain Rules.How do you avoid losing 90%of what you’ve learned? An inspiring writer and speaker Zig Ziglar once said: “Repetition is the mother of learning, the father of action, which makes it the architect of accomplishment.”Repetition has been a remembering skill for ages. When you hear or read something once，you don’t really learn it-at least not well enough to store the new information for long. The right kind of repetition can do wonders for your memory. People learn or remember better by repeating things or getting exposed to information many times. Othersrepeat particular steps or processes deliberately a number of times or even years to become better at certain skills.Daniel Coyle explains in his book, The Little Book of Talent:“...closing the book and writing a summary, even short ones, forces you to figure out the key points, process and organize those ideas so they make sense, and write them on the page. When you pick it back up weeks later, reread all of your notes or highlights to strengthen the ideas even further.”People learn by repeating things. Better learning is a repetition process. Every time we repetitively access something we already know, we increase the memory’s stored value.12. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?A. The brain tends to store 90% of the things we learn.B. The fresher the information isthe easier to remember.C. Thinking is more important than remembering in study.D. The brain tends to choose and keep what it thinks important.13. How does the writer prove his opinion?A.By giving examples.B. By listing numbers.C. By borrowing words of experts.D. By providing scientific finding.14. What does Daniel Coyle want to say in his book?A. You can’t pay too much attention to repetition.B. Summarizing is a very effective learning tool.C. Forgetting forces human brain to make choices.D. Regular repetition helps to form good habits.15. Which do you think is the best title of the passage?A. How the Brain WorksB. Reading for MoreC. Fighting Against ForgettingD. Repeat to Remember第二节（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）阅读下面短文，从短文后的选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

2021年太原市外国语学校高三英语上学期期中试题及答案第一部分阅读（共两节，满分40分）第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项AMany workers have had no choice but to adapt to working from home in recent months since offices shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic (新冠疫情). And the noisy situation and endless housework may result in a terrible emotion. A new option is waiting foryou. That is WFH: work from a hotel.Hotel FigueroA special program titled Work Perks aims to reposition some of 94-year-old Hotel Figuero’s 268 rooms as day-use offices.According to Managing Director Connie Wang, the set-up launched in June and is a great opportunity to get out of their houses with high-speed Wi-Fi, unlimited printing privileges and free parking. The 350-square-foot rooms sell for $ 129 per day, with an option to extend to an overnight stay for an additional $ 20.The WytheA boutique hotel in Brooklyn. The hotel recently announced a partnership with co-working office space company Industrious through which it is recycling 13 second-story guest rooms to serve as offices for up to four people.Each of the rooms has a small outdoor platform, and dogs are welcome. Pricing starts at $ 200 and goes up to $ 275, depending on how many people use the space.The SawyerThe Sawyer, in Sacramento, California, is offering pool cabanas (更衣室) for use as outdoor offices, complete with fast Wi-Fi, free parking and catered lunch for $ 150 per day.HotelsByDayYannis Moati founded HotelsByDay back in 2015. That company has grown to include more than 1,500 hotels, and has seen a significant increase in the number of inquiries for day-use bookings lately.Moati said the current situation will force hotels to upgrade themselves to stay alive, and he predicted that offering rooms for day-use only is one of the directions they will go.1.How much should one pay for a 24-hour stay in Hotel Figuero?A.$ 129.B.$ 149.C.$ 150.D.$ 200.2.Which hotel allows pets in?A.The Wythe.B.The Sawyer.C.HotelsByDay.D.Hotel Figuero.3.What do we know about Yannis Moati?A.He started a program titledWork Perks.B.He has upgraded at least 1,500 rooms.C.He usually predicts everything correctly.D.He is optimistic about the WFH trend.BI was at the hardware store the other day and overheard a woman tell Ed., the manager, that fall was her favorite time of year. Ed., because he liked to keep his customers happy, agreed that fall was a wonderful season, but I could tell he was lying.I was going through my mind recently, trying to find sweet memories of fall. I failed. I met my wife in the summer and married her two summers later. My sons were born in the winter and summer, my granddaughter in the winter. I’ve been fried twice in my life, both in fall. One October, a truck carrying tofu ran a red light and hit me, destroying my favorite car, combining the three things I most hate - trucks, tofu and October.I'm not saying fall is without its attractions. The leavesare beautiful. But fall's vacillation (立场摇摆)is troubling, its effort (努力)to please everyone, its continuous search for the middle ground to be all things to all people. Say what you will about summer and winter, at least they have the courage to keep their opinions strong, even if they kill us with extreme heat or cold.I recently read a story of a man coming out of a three-month coma (昏迷). It started in early fall and ended just as winter came. I hope if I were ever in a coma I would be just as lucky as the man.Upon my awakening, one of my families who stood around my bed would ask. "Don't you remember anything from the past three months?""Not the first thing," I would happily report.If I ever have enough money. I'm going to buy a second home inAustralia, so that when fall starts here, I can move there for three months, just when spring is starting.4. What did Ed think of the customers words according to the author?A. Ed understood them and supported the customer completely.B. Ed might hold a different opinion on the topic.C. Ed believed the customer wasn't telling the truth.D. Ed thought they stood for most peoples' opinion.5. What can we infer from Paragraph 2?A.The author has a big and loving family.B. The author is having a hard time at work.C. It is important to follow the rules of the road.D. Nothing good has happened to the author in fall.6. Why does the author say the man in Paragraph 4 was lucky?A. Because he slept fall away.B. Because he ho sweet memories of fall.C. Because hedreamed of fill many times.D. Because he was met by his family when waking up.7. Which of the following does the author most want to do?A. Drivetracks.B. Eat tofu dishes.C. Watch leaves falling in fall.D. Move toAustraliain October.CAlthough computer technology is often necessary today, using a pen or pencil activates more areas of your brain than a keyboard does. You can potentially remember more by handwriting, according to a new study.The potential benefits of handwriting for memory have been debated for some time. The new study set out to answer one question: How does handwriting compare to using a keyboard when it comes to remembering new information?In all,24 participants took part. Researchers asked each of them to write with a pen and then each was also asked to type on a keyboard. While performing these tasks, each volunteer wore a cap that held electrodes next to their head. It looked somewhat like a hair net fitted with 256 sensors. Those sensors recorded the participants' brainwaves. The electrodes noted which parts of the brain turned on during each task. And they showed that writing turned on memory areas in the brain while typing didn't.Audrey van der Meer, the new study's leader, says this suggests that when we write by hand, we remember better. “This is because writing involves complex movements that activate more areas of the brain. The increased brain activity gives the brain more ‘hooks’ to hang your memories on,” she explains. Van der Meer also points out that writing by hand is related to visual notetaking. “Rather than typing blindly, the visual notetaker has to thinkabout what is important to write down. Then, key words can be interlinked by boxes, arrows and small drawings,” she adds.This study does not recommend banning digital devices. In fact, its authors point out, computers and other devices with keyboards have become necessary in modern society. Keyboarding can especially benefit those with certain special needs (such as if they have trouble using their hands) and typing beats writing when it comes to speed, they add.8. Why were participants asked to wear caps in the study?A. To record their brainwavesB. To inform them of their tasksC. To allow them to focus on writingD. To protect their heads like hair nets9. What does Audrey van der Meer try to explain?A. Why handwriting is more complex than typingB. Why the brain works when it comes to learningC. Why handwriting helps remember informationD. Why key words are helpful to visual notetaking10. What is the study's authors' view on typing?A. It relieves people's handsB. It remains vital and helpfulC. It is not worth recommendingD. It is more challenging than writing11. Which of the following can be a suitable title for the text?A. How Can You Remember New Information?B. Handwriting Benefits Health in the LongRunC. Should Typing Take the Place of Handwriting?D. Handwriting Is Better for Memory Than TypingDWhen a fire broke out in my home in the middle of the night, I knew I'd do anything I could to save my family. The medicine that I take for my rheumatoid arthritis causes me to wake up inthe middle of the night with a dry mouth. January 15, 2016, was no different. I, Indiana, US, awoke at 2:30am needing water.I was walking back upstairs from the kitchen when I heard my bulldog , Rock. Whatever Rock was doing down there, it made enough noise for me to go to him. By the time I made it to the bottom of the stairs, he was running up, and he never came up the stairs, no matter what. I think that was his way of telling me, "We've got to go back up. "When I got to the top of the stairs, I turned around and saw a light on, but I didn't remember leaving one on. I walked downstairs again, and that's when I saw fire. I immediately shouted to my wife to wake up and get our three kids. I grabbed a knife and cut out the plastic that covered the window to the porch roof. I then pried openthe window and kicked out the screen. I started screaming for help. But help never came. I got everybody out on the roof and threw a blanket out there so we wouldn't slip off. It was cold, January cold. Then I started screaming for help. But help never came.Now, I'm scared of heights and have physical issues, what with my rheumatoid arthritis, but I couldn't let my family burn up. So I jumped off the roof. I didn't scoot to the edge; I just jumped and got the wind knocked out of me when I landed. I found our ladder, placed it against the house, and climbed back up to the roof. I wrapped my arms around my daughter and carried my nine - month - old with my teeth, by his little sleeper. Then I climbed down the ladder. Once on the ground, I had my little girl hold her brother, and I went back up to the roof to get my other daughter. Then I went back up again and got my wife. I tried to get my dog, but he just disappeared in the black smoke. I never saw him alive again,I'm no hero. I'm just an ordinary person who'd help anybody. This happened to be the time when I helped my own family. I live to protect my family. Just likeRock—he lived to protect us.12. What made the author wake up at 2:30am?A. My dog's barkingB. The medicine's effectC. A burning fireD. A noise downstairs13. How did Rock tell the author the danger downstairs?A. He turned on a light downstairs.B. He ran to the author's room upstairs.C. He kept barking and running up to stairs.D. He made some noise at the bottom of the stairs.14. What did the author do after his family all stood on the roof?A. He placed a blanket to keep warm.B. He started screaming for help.C. He jumped off the roof.D. He broke open the window and kicked out the screen15. Which ofthe following best describe the author?A. Courageous and responsibleB. Caring and selfishC. Loyal and braveD. Strong and considerate第二节（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）阅读下面短文，从短文后的选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

2021年太原市综合高级中学高三英语上学期期中试题及答案第一部分阅读（共两节，满分40分）第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项AOlder adults who sleep six hours or fewer a night may have elevated risk for dementia(痴呆症) and other cognitive (认知的) issues, a new study finds.Researchers at Stanford University measured seniors' (ages 65 to 85) dementia risk and cognitive abilities, finding higher risk in those patients who regularly slept six or fewer hours compared to those who slept seven or eight hours. Those seniors who slept nine or more hours also had lower cognitive functions and other health issues, but the researchers didn't find the same high dementia risk in this group.The findings demonstrate how important it is for adults to maintain a healthy sleep cycle, especially as they get older.As adults age, it's common for their sleep patterns to change or becomedisrupted— leading to longer, shorter, or more irregular sleep. This disruption may be linked to Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia, impacting seniors' ability to remember information, problem-solve, and go through everyday behaviors. Sleep disruption can also be caused by or heighten depression, cardiovascular disease（冠心病）, and other conditions.A recommended sleep time for seniors is seven to eight hours, the researchers said. Six or fewer hours corresponded to short sleep, while nine or more hours corresponded to long sleep.The Stanford researchers measured levels of beta amyloid, a protein in the brain that is typically found in high levels when a patient develops Alzheimer's. In addition, the researchers used several tests for memory, attention, spatial skills, and executive function to identify patients' cognitive abilities. Those patients sleeping for six hours or fewer a night were more likely to develop dementia, the researchers found. The low-sleep patients had higher levels of beta amyloid.The Stanford researchers found that patients with lower sleep also performed worse on memory tests, while those with higher sleep (more hours) performed worse on executive function tests，which measure the brain's ability to switch between different tasks.―The main takeaway is that it is important to maintain healthy sleep late in life, Winer told CNN.1. What does the underlined word “disrupted” in paragraph 4 mean?A. difficultB. disorderedC. dissolvedD. different2. According to the findings, which of the following is NOT related to the disrupted sleep?A. It is more likely to cause old people to have bad memories over issues.B. It may contribute to dementia, cardiovascular disease and other illnesses.C. Some daily behaviors perhaps differ from those whose sleeping is normal.D It tends to bring all the old people to undergo brain scans and cognitive tests.3. What can we infer from the study?A. A proper sleep time for seniors is seven to eight hours.B. Low and high sleep patients were both poor at memory tests.C. Executive function test is applied to measure the capacity of brain.D. Keeping a healthy sleep for older adults late in life is crucial.BScientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (麻省理工学院) have turned spider webs into music——creating an strange soundtrack that could help them better understand how the spiders output their complex creations and even how they communicate.The MIT team worked with Berlin-based artist Tomas Saraceno to take 2D (two-dimensional) laser (激光) scans of a spider web, which were linked together and made into a mathematical model that could recreate the web in 3Din VR (virtual reality). They also worked with MIT’s music department to create the virtual instrument.“Even though the web looks really random (随机)，there actually are a lot of inside structures and you can visualize (可视化) them and you can look at them, but it’s really hard to grasp for the human imagination or human brain to understand all these structural details,” said MIT engineering professor Markus Buehler, who presented the work on Monday at a virtual meeting of the American Chemical Society.Listening to the music while moving through the VR spider web lets you see and hear these structural changes and gives a better idea of how spiders see the world, he told CNN. “Spiders use vibrations (振动) as a way to locate themselves, to communicate with other spiders and so the idea of thinking really like a spider would experience the world was something that was very important to us as spider material scientists,” Buehler said.Spiders are able to build their webs without shelves or supports, so having a better idea of how they work could lead to the development of advanced new 3D printing techniques. “The reason why I did that is I wanted to be able to get information really from the spider world, which is very weird and mysterious,” Buehler explained. In addition to the scientific value, Buehler said the webs are musically interesting and that you can hear the soundsthe spider creates during construction. “It’s unusual and eerie and scary, but finally beautiful.” he described.4. What have MIT scientists done according to the passage?A. They have translated spider webs into sounds.B. They have made a mathematical model to produce webs.C. They have created a soundtrack to catch spiders.D. They have known how spiders communicate.5. What can we know about spider webs from paragraph 3?A. Their structures are beautiful and clear.B. Professor Markus Buehler knows them well.C. The American Chemical Society presents the result.D. They are complex for people to figure it out.6. In which field will the study be helpful?A. virtual realityB. printingC. paintingD. film-making7. What is the main idea of the passage?A. It tells us that the music created by spiders is scary.B. It shows how the researchers carry out the experiment.C. It presents a new and creative way to study spiders.D. It explains why scientists did the experiment.CAccording to statistics published by the BPI (Buying Power Index) a couple of months ago, digital streaming (流媒体) now accounts for 80 percent of the music consumption in the UK. Despite the incredible growth of online streaming platforms like iTunes, Apple Music and Tidal over the past 15 years, a more traditional medium has also seen a return of interest and sales in the music industry. In 2020, almost one in five of all albums purchased in the UK is vinyl (黑胶唱片), and it has once again become the most popular physical musical medium.With digital streaming so easy and convenient, why are so many peopledrawn to traditional records? Some experts claim that vinyl is a physical medium for experiencing music, something tangible (有形的) to hold and own. For most people, having something tangible and interacting with it gives depth to the experience of music. Listening to an album and touching it the way the artist intended can make them feel more connected to the music and the artist. Records are physical products that can be not only displayed but also gifted, shared, tradedand passed down through generations.Sound quality is another hot topic. A lot of music lovers feel that the analogue sound (模拟声音) vinyl offers is superior to modern digital audio, particularly with regards to the compressed formats streaming platforms use. There’s a common belief that old-school analogue audio has a warmer, fuller sound than digitised music. For vinyl followers, the very defect traditional recorders often have, such as the familiar crackle (劈啪作响) when the record starts, bring the music to life in a different way.There’s aritualisticaspect to vinyl that a lot of people are drawn to, too. The act of putting a record on—carefully removing the record from the sleeve, placing it on the record player and gently dropping the needle on the right groove (凹槽)—is a more assiduous (一丝不苟的), mindful way of engaging with music. When you’re listening to vinyl, you can’t tap abutton and go about your day while the streaming service provides hours of music. You need to stay close to the record player to move the needle and flip the record over.It’s clear that the vinyl interest is well underway, and vinyl records are truly making a comeback. In an increasingly digital society, there’s something to be said for analogue experiences. Perhaps one of the great things about being alive in the 21st century is our ability to have the best of both worlds—the timeless appeal of physical records alongside the easy access to vast music libraries that streaming offers.8. What are the statistics published by the BPI used to show?A. An increase in music consumption.B. The recovery of music industry.C. A comeback of a physical medium.D. The acceptance of online streaming.9. According to some experts, why does vinyl interest many people?A. It attracts people by its realistic feel.B. It offers simple access to different music.C. It shares a new way to enjoy music.D. It provides people with perfect sound effect.10. The underlined word “ritualistic” in Para.4 means something ______.A. Overlooked by society.B. Updated very frequently.C. Performed as part of a ceremony.D. Kept for a long time without changing.11. How does the writer feel about the future development of music medium?A. Traditional records will get underway.B. The analogue experiences may matter more.C. Vinyl sales will boom with technological advance.D. There should be a good mix of old and new.DMy mother is a teacher. I often asked her, “ Why do you teach? What keeps you teaching?” The answer was always the same. “There is always that one child, that one moment that is worth it.”Now, I am a teacher, too. But different from my mother, I teach students challenging activities outdoors. And when my mother asked me the similar questions, my answer was, “It’s that one child, that one special moment.”One of those moments happened recently. I was working with a group of girls in a four-week programme. Everything went on well through the “Team” events and we were moving on to a“High” one called the Wire Walk.In the Wire Walk, each girl had to climb up the pegs in a tree to a wire, 8 meters high, and then walk across it. Of course, everything was safe for sure.When it was Susie's turn, it seemed that she didn't really want to. I asked Susie if she was ready. She answered softly, “I suppose.”Now, Susie was at the foot of the tree. She started to make the long reach. Then I found Susie was becoming nervous with every step. I realized she would not go much further.Susie was halfway up. Then she stopped and held the tree tight, looking very afraid. Her eyes were closed. With her face against the tree, she cried, “I can't.”The other girls sat in silence. I talked quietly to Susie, trying to relax her. I talked for a long time till I ran out of words.“I will still be your friend no matter what, Susie!” Mary broke the silence.To my surprise, Susie lifted her head and looked up to the wire. Then she turned to look down at Mary and smiled. Mary smiled back.Finally, Susie made it all the way across that wire. When she returned to the ground, the first hug she looked for was from Mary. We all cheered. Moments like this keep me doing what I do.12. Why did Susie stop halfway up to the wire?A. It was too high for her to reach.B. She was too afraid to move on.C. Something was wrong with it.D. The teacher asked her to do it.13. Why did Mary break the silence?A. To try again herself.B. To relax the writer.C. To encourage Susie.D. To draw Susie's attention.14. What can we learn from the story of Susie?A. Helping others is helping ourselves.B. A word of encouragement matters a lot.C. Outdoor activities bring peoplecloser than ever.D. A good method plays an important role in teaching.15. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?A. The Wire WalkB. That One MomentC. Fear and CourageD. The Young Hearts第二节（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）阅读下面短文，从短文后的选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

2021年太原市综合高级中学高三英语上学期期中试卷及答案第一部分阅读（共两节，满分40分）第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项AStepping Out Into NatureThe classic road trip is more popular than ever. Here are several places to hit the open road.Colo-road TripsThe Colorado Tourism Office has made it easy for road-trippers to explore the state’s 24 Scenic & Historic Byways.A new microsite includes-an interactive map that enables travelers to explore options by region, interest or season. Travelers seeking inspiration can also access insider tips and side-trip suggestions for historic attractions, active adventures and highlight cultural opportunities.TheBeartooth Highway.Visitors of this extraordinary byway experience the grand sights ofMontana,WyomingandYellowstonePark. The windy 68-mile stretch introduces road explorers to one of the most diverse ecosystems accessible by auto. Breathtakingly beautiful, this All-American Road showcases wide, high alpine plateaus（高原）, painted with ice blue lakes, forested valleys, waterfalls and wildlife.SewardHighway,AlaskaThe road that connectsAnchorageto Seward is 127-mile treasure of natural beauty, wildlife and stories of adventure. The drive begins at the base of theChugach Mountains, hugs the scenic shores of Turnagain Arm and winds through gold mining towns, national forests and fishing villages. Expect waterfalls, glaciers, eagles and some good bear stories.The Lighthouse Trail,MaineTravel the 375 miles betweenKitteryandCalais,Maine, visiting lighthouses along the way. Hear tales of shipwrecks（海难）and of the difficult and lonely life led by those who kept the lights burning brightly. If possible, visit theMaineLighthouseMuseum. where artifacts and hands-on exhibits for children provide an appealing break.1.What makes Colo-road Tips special?A.Good bear stories.B.A scenic beach.C.Hands-on exhibits.D.An interactive map.2.Where can you explore state of gold miners?A.Colorado.B.Montana.C.Alaska.D.Maine3.Which place is suitable for a family with children?A.Colo-road Trips.B.TheBeartooth Highway.C.Seward Highway.D.The Lighthouse Trail.BIf you've ever had a dog, you know just howdeep a connection you can develop with “man's best friend”. But a dog's life is much shorter than humans, about 12 to 15 years long, which means every dog owner has to go through the heart­breaking moment when their loving pet passes away.Why not make a clone of that dog then? This is the solution offered by a South Korean company, Sooam Biotech Research Foundation. The company has already successfully cloned at least 400 dogs, mostly for US customers, ever since it pioneered the technique in 2005. Now, Sooam Biotech has introduced its business toUKdog owners as well, offering them dogs that look just like their lost ones.To clone a dog, researchers first need to take a skin cell from a living dog or one that has just died. Meanwhile,another dog is selected to supply an egg. Researchers then replace the DNA in the egg with that from the skin cell and implant the egg into the womb (子宫) of a female dog. The egg grows into a puppy over the following two months. The whole process takes less than a day, but it comes at a shockingly high price — around ￡63,000.But if you can't afford it now, you can also save the cell in a laboratory andaccess it at a later date.However, magical as cloning might sound, there is no guarantee that the cloned dog will be a perfect copy of the original one. Just like identical twins of humans, they share the exactly same DNA but there will still be small differences between them. “The spots on a Dalmatian (斑点狗) clone will be different, for example” Insung Hwang, head of Sooam Biotech, told The Guardian.Dog owners will also have to accept the fact that personality is not “cloneable”. Apart from genes, personality is also determined by upbringing and environment, which are both random elements that cloning technologies simply cannot overcome, Professor Tom Kirkwood atNewcastle University,UK, told The Telegraph.Perhaps bringing our dogs back by cloning is not the best way to remember them after all.Kirkwood, a dog owner himself, pointed out, “An important aspect of our relationship with them is coming to terms with the pain of letting go.”4. What service does Sooam Biotech Research Foundation offer?A. Making copies of pet dogs.B. Giving pet dogs identical twinsC. Helping dogs give birth to more puppies.D.Helping dog owners love their dogs more.5. Which order is correct in the dog cloning process?a. An egg is taken from another dog.b. A skin cell is taken from the pet dog.c. The egg grows into a puppy in two months.d. The egg is placed in the womb of a female dog.e. The DNA in the egg is replaced by the DNA from the skin cell.A.a→d→b→e→c.B. a→e→b→d→cC. b→a→d→e→c.D. b→a→e→d→c.6. What can we learn about dog cloning from the passage?A. It has not been put into practice until recently.B. It is very popular among US andUKpet owners.C. It might not give the owners an exactlysame dog.D. It is very expensive and usually takes half a year to complete.7. What doesKirkwoodthink of dog cloning?A. He disagrees with it.B. He supports it.C. He is curious about it.D. He thinks it unbelievable.CHappiness is not a warm phone, according to a new study exploring the link between young life satisfaction and screen time. The study was led by professor of psychology Jean M. Twenge at San Diego State University (SDSU).To research this link, Twenge, along with colleagues Gabrielle Martin at SDSU and W. Keith Campbell at the University of Georgia, dealt with data from the Monitoring the Future (MtF) study, a nationally representative survey of more than a million U. S. 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-graders. The survey asked students questions about how often they spent time on their Phones, tablets and computers, as well as questions about their face-to-face social interactions and their overall happiness.On average found that teens who spent more time in front of screen devices — playing computer games, using social media, texting and video chatting — were less happy than those who invested more time in non-screen activities like sports, reading newspapers and magazines, and face-to-face social interactions."The key to digital media use and happiness is limited use," Twenge said. "Aim to spend no more than two hours a day on digital media, and try to increase the amount of time you spend seeing friends face-to-face and exercising — two activities reliably linked to greater happiness."Looking at historical trends from the same age groups since the 1990s, it's easy to find that the increase of screen devices over time happened at the same time as a general drop-off in reported happiness inU. S.teens. Specifically, young peopled life satisfaction and happiness declined sharply after 2012. That's the year when the percentage of Americans who owned a smartphone rose above 50 percent. By far the largest change in teens' lives between 2012 and 2016 was the increase in the amount of time they spent on digital media, and the following decline in in-person social activities and sleep.8. Which method did Twenge's team use for the study?A. Calculating students' happiness.B. Asking students certain questions.C. Analyzing data from a survey.D. Doing experiments on screen time.9. How does the author develop the finding of the study in paragraph 3?A. By making a comparison.B. By giving an example.C. By making an argument.D. By introducing a concept.10. What is the purpose of the last paragraph?A To draw a conclusion from the study.B. To offer some advice to the readers.C. To prove social activities' importance.D. To support the researchers' finding.11. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?A. Quitting Phones Equals HappinessB. Screen Time Should Be BannedC. Teens' Lives Have Changed SharplyD. Screen-addicted Teens Are UnhappierDAfter a year at sea, 16-year-old Laura Dekker can finally say, “Missionaccomplished!” Last month, she finished a daring trip around the world aboard her 38-foot boat, Guppy. Dekker, who is from theNetherlands, traveled more than 30,000 miles all by herself. She is the youngest person ever to sail around the globe alone.Dekker had wanted to lake on this challenge when she was even younger. She first tried to set sail at the age of 13, but a court in theNetherlandsstopped her. They said that she was too young to make such a risky trip by herself. But Dekker insisted she had the navigation skills and patience of an adult sailor.She finally took off on January 20, 2011. During her trip, Dekker battled loneliness, storms, and worries about pirates. But she also got to surf, scuba dive, and started a new hobby: playing the flute. Although Dekker didn’t spend all of her time at sea—she stopped at ports along the way—she did spend her 16lh birthday on the open ocean. To celebrate, she ate doughnuts for breakfast.But Dekker didn’t sail into the record books. Guinness World Records and the World Sailing Speed Record Council no longer recognize records for “youngest” sailors. They dropped the category in 2009 to discourage children fromattempting such dangerous feats (壮举). But that didn’t stop Dekker，who was born on a yacht during a seven-year world voyage undertaken by her parents.Dekker doesn’t mind that she won’t hold an official record. She says it was a personal goal, and she is happy she achieved it.“I am not disappointed at all that Guinness World Record won’t recognize my attempt.” Dekker wrote on her website. “I did not start on my trip to achieve any record…I did it just for myself.”12. Dekker wasn’t allowed to sail at the age of 13 because .A. people were concerned about her safetyB.she didn’t learn any sailing skills wellC. she had to continue her study at schoolD. she didn’t have enough patience for long trips13. What does the underlined word “accomplished” in Paragraph 1 mean?A. Failed.B. Completed.C. Continued.D. Started.14. In 2009 records for youngest sailors were canceled in order to .A. set a higher sailing standard for teen sailorsB. stop children entering Guinness World RecordsC. encourage parents to sail with their childrenD. prevent children making dangerous attempts15. What could be the best title for this passage?A. A New Guinness World Record in SailingB. A New Sailing Standard for Teen SailorsC. A Teen Girl Sailing Alone Aroundthe WorldD. The Youngest Sailor in Guinness World Records第二节（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）阅读下面短文，从短文后的选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

2021届太原外国语学校高三英语上学期期中考试试卷及参考答案第一部分阅读（共两节，满分40分）第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项AAs a nation, we are getting bigger and eating more. But there are effective ways to control your appetite and eat only as much as you need.Keep away from low-nutrition snacksThat means ice cream, sweets, chips biscuits, cakes and any other salty orsugary snacks you eat between meals. Although we have a tendency to eat them, you can learn to live without these unhealthy-and-fattening-additions to your diet. Try to make it a habit to eat them only when offered at social events or as a special treat.Leave half an hour between main course and dessertHaving a break between courses gives your brain time to receive the fullness signal and make you more likely to refuse the sweet stuff. And, in fact, as soon as you feel the first signals of fullness, remove your plate from the table. That will tell your brain that food time is over.Make yours a small helpingPut an end to super-sized portions. You won’t be missing out—today’s small was the medium or large of a few decade ago. Select or serve yourself a modest portion and eat it slowly enjoying the flavors. Before you know it, small will feel just right. What’s more, ordering the smaller size leads to wearing the smaller size.Distract yourselfWhen you find yourself hunting down food, even though you’re even hungry, do something else for 20 minutes. Drink a large glass of water as thirst is often confused with a desire for food. Choose something that engages your brain as well as your hands, such as writing a letter or listening to a song. You could also go for a short walk or do something that you enjoy. If you think you really are hungry, set an alarm for 20 minutes’ time and if you still want to eat when it rings, fine. If not, the urge will have passed.1. Which way suits you better if you tend to order a large portion of food?A. Distract yourself.B. Make yours a small helping.C. Keep away from low-nutrition snacks.D. Leave half an hour between main course and dessert.2. Why should you have a break between main course and dessert?A. To give people time to chat.B. To have a good appetite for sweet stuff.C. To reduce appetite for dessert.D. To give the host time to remove your plate.3. When you find yourself pursuing for food, what should you do?A. Eat some biscuits.B. Eat some sugary snacks.C. Have some soft drinks.D. Listen to a lovely melody.BYellowstoneNational ParkbecameAmerica's first national park in 1872. The National Park Service was formed 44 years later in 1916.Yellowstone, which is mostly in the state of Wyoming, is considered an example of the success of the National Park System.Humans have been present in Yellowstone for more than 11,000 years.Yellowstone contains beautiful mountains, deep canyons(峡谷), lakes and rivers.The nameYellowstonecomes from the river running through the area. At first known as Rock Yellow River, it became known as theYellowstoneRiver.Yellowstoneis host to many different species of plants. However, the park is most distinctive because of what lies underneath it. It sits on top of an ancient super volcano, known as The Yellowstone Caldera. The caldera is 48 by 72 kilometers. And it remains an active volcano.It is believed that the last time the volcano erupted was one half million years ago. The area has had three major eruptions in the last three million years.Experts say it may erupt again in another 1,000 to 10,000 years. But each year, there are thousands of earthquakes atYellowstone. Most are too small to be felt by people visiting the park.Yellowstoneis filled with the beauty of many hot water springs. hot water and gasses are trapped under the earth. they rush to the surface in the form of hot water and steam.Old Faithful is The most famous one .Iterupts about every hour or hour and a half. The eruption can last from one and a half minutes up to 5 minutes. The amount of hot water it expels（排出）in that time can be as much as 31,000 liters or more.In addition to its beauty and wonder, Yellowstone is an animal sanctuary（保护区）. It is home to the largest group of wild animals in theUnited States. As you travel through the park, you can sometimes see them in their natural habitat and hear their calls .4. What wasYellowstonenamed after?A. RockYellow RiverB. The amazing mountains.C. The stones with yellow color1D. The first discovery inwyoming.5. What makesYellowstonequite unique?A. The scenery is beautiful.B. There are a lot of explorers.C. It’s home to many plants.D. Its location is very special.6. What does the underlined word“It”in Paragraph 5 refer to?A. The earth.B. Yellowstone.C.Old Faithful.D. TheYellowstoneCaldera.7. What can we infer from the text?A. The Yellowstone Caldera has been dead for years.B. Yellowstone is a shelter for the protected wildlife.C. Big earthquakes happen frequently atYellowstone.D.YellowstoneNational Parkhas attracted visitors for centuries.COne Sunday morning, my family and I went to a popular restaurant for breakfast. As soon as we walked into Restaurant Happy Meal, a young waitress showed us to a table.We ordered our food and soon after, our food came. Just as we were about to begin our meal, we heard someone shouting for the boss.“What is this? A dead fly in my food!’’ a man with a deep scar (疤) acrosshis face shouted angrily. He strongly hit his fist on the table and swept the plates and cups off it.Thesecame crashing to the floor, breaking into pieces. His companion, a huge man with a tattoo on his arm, stared angrily at the boss who stood nervously in front of the two gangsters (歹徒).The boss apologized repeatedly to the angry customers and tried to calm them down by offering to replace their food. He even told them that they could have their meal for free.The commotion(混乱) affected the business of the restaurant. Fearing that aquarrel would happen, many customers quickly paid for their meals and left the restaurant hurriedly. Some of them had not even finished their breakfast.My father told us to eat our food quickly and not to look at the two angry men. We obeyed him and finished our food within minutes. That was probably the quietest and fastest breakfast my family ever had.Although my father warned us not to look at the two unruly (任性的) customers, I could not help stealing a glance at them.I saw that the boss had managed to calm the two angry customers. Fresh food and drinks were brought to their table. They sat down again and continued their breakfast. Meanwhile the waitress who had shown us to our table earlier swept up the broken china.8. What does the underlined word “These” refer to?A. Tables.B. Cups and plates.C. Two angry customers.D. Dead fly and the food.9. What can we know about the owner from paragraph 4?A. He was sorry for what had happened.B. He was angry with the two customers.C. He was pardoned by the two customers.D. He was disappointed that the men caused problems here.10. What can we infer about the writer and his family?A. They might often talk while they ate.B. They ordered a lot of food each time they ate out.C. They often ate silently and that day was no exception.D. They usually did not like to be disturbed while they ate.11. What did the writer think of the boss?A. Foolish.B. Active.C. Hardworking.D. Wise.DOn World Oceans Day, which falls on June 8, the US National Geographic Society announced it would recognize the Southern Ocean in Antarctica, bringing the global total to five.Unlike the Arctic, Atlantic, Indian and PacificOceans—which are defined by the continents that bound them—the Southern Ocean is instead characterized by the Antarctic Circumpolar Current（南极洋流）. According to the National Geographic, the Southern Ocean includes most of the waters surrounding Antarcticaout to 60 degrees south latitude（纬度）."Encircled by the powerfully swift ACC, it is the only ocean to touch three others and to completely embrace a continent rather than being embraced by them," Sylvia Earle, a marine biologist and oceanographer, told the Daily Mail.Those familiar with the Southern Ocean know it's unlike any other. "Anyone who has been there will struggle to explain what's so charming about it, but they'll all agree that the glaciers are bluer, the air colder, the mountains more awful and the landscapes morecaptivatingthan anywhere else you can go," Seth Sykora-Bodie, a marine scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told National Geographic.National Geographic hopes their revised maps will bring public awareness to the region, thereby encouraging Southern Ocean conservation—but its significance is beyond that."We think it's really important from an educational standpoint, as well as from a map-labeling standpoint, to bring attention to the Southern Ocean as a fifth ocean," Alex Tait, National Geographic Society geographer, told The Post. "So when students learn about parts of the ocean world, they learn it's an interconnected ocean, and they learn there are these regions called oceans that are really important, and there's a distinct one in the icy waters around Antarctica."12. Why is the Southern Ocean different from other oceans?A. It has never been explored before.B. It surrounds the Antarctic all around.C. It is enclosed by the fast-flowing ACC.D. It has ecologically distinct environment.13. What does the underlined word "captivating" in paragraph 4 probably mean?A. Strange.B. Unusual.C. Attractive.D. Informal.14. What does the National Geographic think of the Southern Ocean?A. It will be instructive for students.B. It will promote tourism development.C. It will encourage public to treasure water.D. It will draw scientists to study in the Antarctic.15. What is the best title for the text?A. World Oceans DayB. Revised Antarctic MapsC. Adding a New OceanD. New Discovery under the Sea第二节（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）阅读下面短文，从短文后的选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

2021届太原市外国语学校高三英语上学期期中试题及答案第一部分阅读（共两节，满分40分）第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项AOne day when I was 5, my mother blamed me for not finishing my rice and I got angry. I wanted to play outside and not to be made to finish eating my old rice. When angrily opening the screen door (纱门) with my foot, I kicked back about a 12-inch part of the lower left hand corner of the new screen door. But I had no regret, for I was happy to be playing in the backyard with my toys.Today, I know if my child had done what I did, I would have blamed my child, and told him about how expensive this new screen door was, and I would have delivered a spanking (打屁股) for it. However, my parents never said a word. They left the corner of the screen door pushed out, creating an opening, in the defense against unwanted insects.For years, every time I saw that corner of the screen, it would constantly make me think about my mistake. For years, I knew that everyone in my family would see that hole and remember who did it. For years, every time I saw a fly buzzing (嗡嗡) in the kitchen, I would wonder if it came in through the hole that I had created with my angry foot. Iwould wonder if my family members were thinking the same thing, silently blaming me every time a flying insect entered our home, making life more terrible for us all. My parents taught me a valuable lesson, one that a spanking or stern (严厉的) words perhapscould not deliver. Their silent punishment for what I had done delivered a hundred stern messages to me. Above all, it has helped me become a more patient person and not burst out so easily.1. When the author damaged the door, his parents _______.A. gave him a spankingB. left the door unrepairedC. told him how expensive it wasD. blamed him for what he had done2. The experience may cause the author _______.A. not to go against his parents’ willB. to have a better control of himselfC. not to make mistakes in the futureD. to hide his anger away from others3. What is the main idea of this text?A. Parents is the best way to solve problems.B. Parents are the best teachers of their children.C. Adults should ignore their children’s bad behavior.D. Silent punishment may have a better effect on educating people.BBob, a Burroughs junior high school football player, always had his mom cheering him on. He didn’t play exciting positions. He played as a linebacker(中后卫球员). Sadly, he often found himself at the bottom of the piles, where everyone would jump onto each other at the end of every play. Bob's mom realized it was hard for her son to hear her cheering. She hadto find a solution, but couldn't find one.Then one day the coach from the school team asked him if he wanted to join the team. Bob wasecstatic, because he was only a ninth grader. His mom was also excited, since she loved football and especially loved watching her son play. She kept considering a way for him to hear her. A cowbell! That was it. Now from the bottom of the piles Bob would hear his mom shaking her cowbell crazily, knowing she was there for him.Bob's team finally made it to the state championship game. What exciting time to play at Busch Stadium under the lights! This experience made Bob appreciate all the years that his mom had sacrificed everything to get him to practice every day, to wash his uniforms, and to never miss a game. He had to do something.On the night of the state championship game, the loudspeakers introduced Bob, and as he walked onto the field his mom shook the cowbell, hard. However, it didn’t sound right. She looked its inside, and found a note saying,”Thank you, Mom.” Bob had left her a note expressing his appreciation for always being with him, filling her heart with warmth.Finally Burroughs claimed the title of State Champion. While others were cheering and admiring the state championship cup, Bob' s mom clutched(紧握) her cowbell happily.Years later, Bob’s mom died. While digging through her belongings, he found the cowbell with the note. Bob took it to his mom's funeral and rang it, whispering, "Thank you, Mom.”4. What does the underlined word "ecstatic” mean in Paragraph 2?A. CuriousB. DisappointedC. AnxiousD. Delighted5. Why did Bob's mom want to get a cowbell?A. To amuse her cow.B. To teach her cowC. To attract his attention.D. To make him hear her6. What can be learned from Paragraph 3?A. Bob's mom devoted much time to himB. Bob was the best player in his teamC. Bob owed his success to his coachD. Bob's mom was a football player at college7. Why didn’t the cowbell sound as usual that night?A. The mother was very weak.B. Bob had put a note inside the bell.C. The weather became terrible suddenlyD. The bell had been broken deliberates.CImaginary friends in childhood refer to the invisible beings that a child gives a personality to and plays with for over three months.Crabbycrab（蟹）appeared on a holiday in Norway by running out of my four-year-old son Fisher's ear after a night of tears from an earache. Like other childhood imaginary friends, Crabby should be a sign thatFisher's mind is growing and developing positively. Indeed, research shows that imaginary friends can help develop children's social skills.Research has shown that the positive effects of having imaginary friends as a child continue into adulthood. Adolescents who remember their imaginary playmates have been found to use more activecoping（应对）styles, such as seeking advice from loved ones rather than bottle things up inside. Even adolescents with behavioral problems who had imaginary friends as children have been found to have better coping skills through the teenage years.Scientists thinkthis could be because these teens have been able to adjust themselves to the social world with imagination rather than choose to be involved in relationships with more difficult classmates. It could also be because the imaginary friends help to reduce these adolescents,loneliness.These teens are also more likely to seek out social connections -they tend to turn to others for advice. Current research by Tori Watson is taking this evidence and looking at how adolescents who have imaginary friends as children deal withbullying（欺凌）at school. It is found that teens who remember their imaginary friends are better at dealing with bullying.While we know a lot about childhood imaginary friends such as Crabby Crab and the positive effects they can have, there is still a lot to learn about imaginary friends.8. What is Crabby crab?A. It is a crab Fisher caught inNorway.B. It is Fisher's imaginary friend.C. It is a toy Fisher like much.D. It is a cause of earache.9. Why do children with imaginary friends have better coping skills?A. Imaginary friends help improve their adjustment.B. Having imaginary friends makes them smarter.C. They have rich imagination.D. They are no longer alone.10. What will a child with imaginary friends probably do if he is bullied?A. Escape from the bully.B. Fight with the bully bravely.C. Keep silent about being bullied.D. Ask a parent or a teacher for help.11. What is the author's attitude towards the effect of imaginary friends?A. Concerned.B. Doubtful.C. Optimistic.D. Indifferent.DIn order to help discover spoilage and reduce food waste for supermarkets and consumers, researchers have developed new low-cost, smart phone-linked, eco-friendly spoilage sensors for meat and fish packaging.One in threeUKconsumers throw away food just because it reaches the use-by date, but 60% of the £12.5 billion-worth of food we throw away each year is safe to eat.The researchers, whose findings were published in ACS Sensors, say the sensors could also eventually replace the use-by date—a widely used indicator of being fresh and eatable.The sensors cost two US cents each to make. Known as “paper-based electrical gas sensors (PEGS)”, they detect spoilage gases like ammonia (a poisonous gas with a strong unpleasant smell) in meat and fish products. The information provided by the electronic nose is received by a smart phone, and then you can know whether the food is fresh and safe to eat.The Imperial College London researchers who developed PEGS made the sensors by printing carbon electrodes onto a special type of paper. The materials are eco-friendly and harmless, so they don’t damage theenvironment and are safe to use in food packaging. The sensors, combined with a tiny electronic system, then inform nearby mobile devices, which identify and understand the data about spoilage gases.Lead author Dr Firat Guder of Imperial’s Department of Bioengineering, said, “Although they’re designed to keep us safe, use-by dates can lead to eatable food being thrown away. They don’t always reflect its actual freshness. In fact, people often get sick from food-borne diseases due to poor storage, even when an item is within its use-by date.”“These sensors are cheap enough so we hope to see supermarkets using them within three years. Our goal is to use PEGS in food packaging to reduce unnecessary food waste.”The authors hope that PEGS could have applications beyond food processing, like sensing chemicals in agriculture, air quality, and detecting disease markers in breath like those involved in kidney disease.12. What is the function of PEGS according to the text?A. To improve the taste of foods.B. To improve the service of stores.C. To help supermarkets store foods.D. To help people test food freshness.13. What role does the smartphone play while PEGS are functioning?A. It acts as an electronic nose.B. It reads the data collected by PEGS.C. It helps print the gas sensors onto paper.D. It discovers the spoilage gases from foods.14. What does Dr. Firat Guder say about use-by dates?A. They are not completely reliable.B. They can help reduce food waste.C. They are based on scientific research.D. They are not accepted by the consumers.15. What does the author mainly talk about in the text?A. The process of researching spoilage sensors.B. A new technology in packaging to reduce food waste.C. The application of spoilage sensors beyond food processing.D. The influence of use-by dates on supermarkets and consumers.第二节（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）阅读下面短文，从短文后的选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

2021届太原市综合高级中学高三英语上学期期中考试试卷及参考答案第一部分阅读（共两节，满分40分）第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项AThree Things to Do Before You Are 18Are you bored with your daily life? Here are some things you should try before you are 18.★Learn to swimSeriously, this is so important that it can save your life. If you can’t swim well, you won’t be able to dowater sports like waterskiing, surfing and diving. Even taking a boat trip will be dangerous for you. Make sure you do it.★Try at least one kind of team sportsBeing a good team player is an important skill in life. You can’t just think of yourself, but have to work well with other people. Other advantages of team sports like basketball, football and baseball are that they keep you fit and healthy, and they are also great fun. Teams usually have a good social life too—you’ll go to lots of parties and make many friends.★Collect somethingOne of the best hobbies for under-18s is collecting things. You could collect kinds of stamps, or you could collect things that make you remember what you have done, like cinema tickets for films you have seen or letters from friends. The best way to collect is to have a special album to put your collection in and to write what each thing means to you. That way you won’t forget.1. The most important reason for learning to swim is that ________.A. you might feel wellB. it can make you healthyC. you might easily do lots of thingsD. it can save your life2. The writer tells us that one of the best hobbies is to ________ .A. collect somethingB. do some water sportsC. send letters to your friendsD. play basketball with your friends23. The passage is mainly about ________before you are 18.A. good habits to keepB. skills to haveC. things to doD. sports to playBFor years, Zach Ault, a father of three, enjoyed being physically active. He was even training for a half-marathon. But in 2017, he took time off to recover from an infection. After recovering, he tried to continue his runs but could not complete them. He was not able to spend time with his children. He had to cut back his job. Even sleeping as much as 16 hours a day made no difference in his condition.“His body had literally hijacked him and it wasn't going to allow him to push through, ” said Anne Ault, his wife. After months of testing, doctors announced their result-chronic fatigue syndrome, a disease that makes an individual feel extremely tired.This fatigue lasts more than six months and becomes worse after any kind of physical exertion (费力活动). Patients may have difficulty standing upright. They also may have trouble thinking, often described as a “brain fog”. There are no approvedtreatments, or even tests to help with diagnosis. There is no way to predict who will recover and who will have a severe case that lasts for years.Now the doctors at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are conducting a unique study to learn more about the condition. Zach Ault is one of the subjects in the study. When Ault rides an exercise bicycle, scientists measure how his leg muscles use oxygen. Afterward, doctors fit a special cap on Ault's head to measure electrical activity in his brain. They then send him to spend the night in an air-tight room where air has been removed with pipe for additional study. Scientists measure oxygen and carbon dioxide levels to tell how much energy Ault is using, minute by minute. “We're figuring out how his body adjusts to an exercise load, or a stress load.”“It's hard not knowing if or when I'm going to recover, ” he said. But Ault says the study did help him learn about the disease. And it gave him ideas about how to save up his energy.4. What was Zach Ault's life like before 2017?A. He was fond of exercising.B. He won several half-marathons.C. He spent much time lying in bed.D. He was busy looking after his children.5. How did the infection affect Zach Ault?A. He lost his job.B. He was unable to sleep.C. He became too weak to do sports.D. He was tired of running a half-marathon.6. What can we learn about chronic fatigue syndrome?A. It usually lasts no more than months.B. It is likely to cause thinking disorders.C. Patients with it need to stay in bed all day long.D. Patients with it should avoid any kind of exercise.7. What does Zach Ault think of the study?A. It helped him cure his illness.B. It helped him recover and stay fit.C. It taught him how to enjoy cycling.D. It brought him new ideas about fighting diseases.CThe Great Barrier Reef's outlook remains “very poor” despite coral (珊瑚) recovery over the past year, Australian government scientistssaid Monday, just days before a UNESCO ruling on the site's world heritage (遗产) status.The United Nations cultural agency recommended last month that the world's largest reef (珊瑚礁) system be placed on its endangered list because of damage to the corals largely caused by climate change.The Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) said the corals were now in a “recovery window” after a decade of harmful heat stress and cyclones (旋风). But such opportunities were becoming rarer due to the influence ofclimate change, the government agency, which has monitored the reef for 35 years, said in its annual report released today. “The increasing emergence of climate-related extreme weather events and starfish outbreaks is causing more severe and frequent pressures, giving the reef fewer opportunities like this to recover,”CEO Paul Hardisty said. The scientists surveyed 127 reef sites in 2021 and found hard coral cover had increased at 69 of the 81 locations surveyed in the past two years.Separate scientific research released last October found the 2, 300-kilometre (1, 400 miles) system had lost half its corals since 1995, with a series of ocean heatwaves causing mass coral death.Britta Schaffelke, research program director at AIMS, said the latest findings provided a slight hope that the reef still has the power of recovering. But she added that its future is still very poor because of the dangers of climate change and other factors that are affecting the reef.UNESCO has urged Australia to take urgent climate action but the government has long resisted calls to commit to net zero emissions (排放) by 2050. The government has said it hopes to meet the target “as soon as possible” without harming its economy, insisting dealing with climate change requires a global effort. The reef was worth about US $4. 8 billion a year in tourism for the Australian economy and there are fears that an “in danger” listing could weaken its tourist appeal.8. What is the major cause of the damage to the corals?A. The climate change.B. Lack of money.C. Over development.D. Too many tourists.9. What is mainly talked about in Paragraph 3?A. The result of the survey.B. The efforts AIMS has made.C. The slight chance of the recovery.D. The terrible situation of the climate.10. What is Britta Schaffelke's attitude towards the future of the reef?A. Unclear.B. Positive.C Intolerant. D. Anxious.11. What can we infer from the last paragraph?A. Australia wants to put the reef on the endangered list.B. The Australian government has ignored UNESCO's demand.C. Australia hopes to keep a balance between emission target and its economy.D. The Australian government refuses to take its share of responsibility of climate change.DHave you ever been sad because of failure? Please remember, for quite often achieving what you set out to do is not the most important thing.A boy decided to dig a deep hole behind his house. As he was working, a couple of older boys stopped by to watch. “What are you doing?” asked one of the visitors. “I want to dig a hole all the way through the earth!” the boy answered excitedly. The older boys began to laugh, telling him that digging a hole all the way through the earth was impossible. After a while, the boy picked up a jar. He showed it to the visitors. It was full of all kinds of stones and insects. Then he said calmly and confidently, “Maybe I can’t finish digging all the way through the earth, but look at what I’ve found during this period!”Theboy’s goal was far too difficult, but it did cause him to go on. And that is what a goal is for－to cause us to move in the direction we have chosen, in other words, to cause us to keep working!Not every goal will be fully achieved. Not every job will endup with a success. Not every dream will come true. But when you fall short of your aim, maybe you can say, “Yes, but look at what I’ve found along the way! There are so many wonderful things having come into my life because I tried to do something!” It is in the digging that life is lived. It is the unexpected joy on the journey that really makes sense.12. The older boys laughed at the boy because he was thought to be______.A. braveB. impoliteC. foolishD. warm-hearted13. Why did the boy show the jar to the older boys?A. To drive them away.B. To show what he had found in digging.C. To show how beautiful the jar was.D. To attract them to join him in the work.14. What can be learnt from the fourth paragraph of the text?A. No dream can come true.B. All work will end successfully.C. Goals shouldn’t be set too high.D. Goals will make us work harder.15. The best title for the text should be______.A. A Boy Dug a HoleB. Joy in the JourneyC. No Pain, No GainsD. Failure Is the Mother of Success第二节（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）阅读下面短文，从短文后的选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

2021年太原市第三中学高三英语期中试卷及参考答案第一部分阅读（共两节，满分40分）第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项ACome and enjoy Vivaldi's TheFour Seasonsperformed by live musicians!Tickets△Zone A Sating (Excellent Visibility, $75)△Zone B Seating (Great Visibility, $60)△Zone C Seating (Good Visibility, $45)△Zone D Seating (Restricted Visibility, 30)Zone A and Zone B audiences will get the chance to take pictures with the performers on the stage after the show.Highlights* A beautiful venue bathed in candlelight.*Classical music performance by the Angel Strings quartet*A safe and socially-distanced event, ensuring you are comfortable and at ease.General Info*Dates and times: Various dates, at 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm (select during purchase).*How long: 65 minutes. Doors open 45 minutes before the start time. We recommend you arrive at least 30 minutes before the start of the event, as late entry is not permitted.*Where: Events on Oxlade*Age requirement: Must be 8 years old or older to attend. Anyone under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult.*Please note: The 6:30 pm seating will take place during daylight hours outdoors, and the space will not be that dark. In the case of rain, the event will be moved to the indoor area of the venue.DescriptionWhether you're looking for a beautifully unique classical music performance or a romantic candlelit experience, this performance is for you. You don't need to know all things about Vivaldi to enjoy the evening; simply sit back and admire the wonderful atmosphere and the pieces you'll hear.Join our musicians for an evening under the stars, and prepare to be taken into the clouds with Vivaldi' s most treasured masterpieces!1.What can someone with a $45 ticket do?A.Perform on the stage.B.Enjoy good visibility.C.Select a seat in Zone B.D.Take photos with the musicians.2.What should potential audiences keep in mind?A.Arrive at the venue on time.B.Learn about Vivaldi in advance.C.The performance lasts 45 minutes.D.The event will be canceled if it rains.3.What do we know about the 8:30 p.m. performance?A.It welcomes children under the age of 8.B.Its performers differ on different dates.C.Its stage will be decorated with candles.D.It will be shown in the indoor area of the venue.BYou’ve heard that plastic is polluting the oceans — between 4.8 and 12.7 million tonnes enter ocean ecosystems every year. But does one plastic straw or cup really make a difference? Artist Benjamin Von Wong wants you to know that it does. He builds massive sculptures out of plastic garbage, forcing viewers to re-examine their relationship to single-use plastic products.At the beginning of the year, the artist built a piece called “Strawpocalypse,” a pair of 10-foot-tall plastic waves, frozen mid-crash. Made of 168,000 plastic straws collected from several volunteer beach cleanups, the sculpture made its first appearance at the Estella Place shopping center in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.Just 9% of global plastic waste is recycled. Plastic straws are by no means the biggest source（来源）of plastic pollution, but they’ve recently come under fire because most people don’t need them to drink with and, because of their small size and weight, they cannot be recycled. Every straw that’s part ofVon Wong’s artwork likely came from a drink that someone used for only a few minutes. Once the drink is gone, the straw will take centuries to disappear.In a piece from 2018, Von Wong wanted to illustrate（说明）a specific statistic: Every 60 seconds, a truckload’s worth of plastic enters the ocean. For this work, titled “Truckload of Plastic,” Von Wong and a group of volunteers collected more than 10,000 pieces of plastic, which were then tied together to look like they’d been dumped（倾倒）from a truck all atonce.Von Wong hopes that his work will also help pressure big companies to reduce their plastic footprint.4. What are Von Wong’s artworks intended for?A. Beautifying the city he lives in.B. Introducing eco-friendly products.C. Drawing public attention to plastic waste.D. Reducing garbage on the beach.5. Why does the author discuss plastic straws in paragraph 3?A. To show the difficulty of their recycling.B. To explain why they are useful.C. To voice his views on modern art.D. To find a substitute for them.6. What effect would “Truckload of Plastic” have on viewers?A. Calming.B. Disturbing.C. Refreshing.D. Challenging.7. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?A. Artists’ Opinions on Plastic SafetyB. Media Interest in Contemporary ArtC. Responsibility Demanded of Big CompaniesD. Ocean Plastics Transformed into SculpturesCAge has never been a problem for 16-year-old Thessalonika Arzu-Embry. After all, she’s already got her master’s degree.The North Chicago-area teen started homeschooling at the age of 4. She began having an influence on others soon after. When she was 6 years old, she was an inspirational speaker at an organization called Tabitha House Community Service, which is for people who were forced to leave their homes because of earthquake, flood and other natural disasters.At the age of 11, she graduated from high school and then earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2013. She completed those classes online as she was traveling for church events and leadership meetings.She doesn’t stop there, though. The teen plans to focus on aviation psychology (航空心理学) for her further study, a decision inspired by her father who is a pilot. She grew up around airplanes and took fights all the time. Her goal is to use it to help pilots deal with problems that could have deadly results once the plane takes off — a topic that has been in the news lately. For her, it’s a mix of two of her interests.In her free time, Thessalonika enjoys playing tennis, swimming and being active in her youth group at church. She also has three self-published books, which are on her site. Jump the Education Barrier is written to help students finish college, and in the future aims to help business owners with trends. Her third book The Genius Race is designed to help people to be talents in various areas of life.8. Which of the following is TRUE about Thessalonika?A. When she was 6 years old, she started homeschooling.B. She gained her master’s degree at the age of 11.C. She majored in science and technology.D. In 2013 she got her bachelor’s degree through completing courses online.9. What is her next plan according to the passage?A. Major in aviation psychology.B. Deliver inspiring speeches for church events and leadership meetings.C. Be active in her youth group at church.D. Write another book to help people to be talents.10. Why does she write the book Jump the Education Barrier?A. It aims to help people to be geniuses.B. It is intended to give students a hand to complete college.C. It is designed to arouse people’s awareness of psychology.D. The author hope to share her own experience with others.11. Which ofthe following can be the best title for the text?A. The Story of ThessalonikaB. To be a talentC. Three Published BooksD. HomeschoolingDClara Daly was seated on an Alaska Airlines flight from Boston to Los Angeles when a flight attendant asked an urgent(紧急的) question over the loudspeaker: “Does anyone on board know American Body Language?” She knew she needed to help.Clara, 15 at the time, pressed the call button. The flight attendant came by and explained the situation. “We have a passenger on the plane who’s blind and deaf,” she said. The passenger seemed to want something, but he was traveling alone and the flight attendants couldn’t understand what he needed, according to PEOPLE magazine.Clara had been studying ASL for the past year to help with her dyslexia (阅读障碍) and knew she’d be able tospell on the man’s palm(手掌) by finger. So she unbuckled her seat belt, walked toward the front of the plane, and knelt by the aisle seat of Tim Cook, then 64. Gently taking his hand, she wrote, “How are you? Are you OK?” Cook asked for some water. When it arrived, Clara returned to her seat. She came by again a bit later because he wanted to know the time. On her third visit, she stopped and stayed for a while.“He didn’t need anything. He was lonely and wanted to talk,” Clara said. So for the next hour, that was what they did. She talked about her family and her plans for the future (she wants to be a politician). Cook told Clara how he had gradually become blind over time and shared stories of his days as a traveling salesman. Even though he couldn’t see her, she “looked attentively at his face with such kindness”, a passenger reported.“Clara was amazing,” a flight attendant told Alaska Airlines in a blog interview. “You could tell Cook was very excited to have someone he could speak to, and she was such a warm-hearted girl.” Cook’s reaction: “Best trip I’ve ever had.”Looking for ways to offer help? Start with this random(随时的) act of kindness that can change someone’s life right now.12. The flight attendant asked an urgent question because ________.A. the passenger was traveling aloneB. the plane was in a dangerous situationC. the passenger asked for something suddenlyD. none of the flight attendants could communicate with the passenger13. Why did Clara talk about her plans for the future?A. Because the flight attendant asked her to do so.B. Because she needed topics to go on talking with Cook.C. Because Cook hoped to understand teenagers better.D. Because she wanted to show her dream for the future.14. Which of the following words can best describe Clara?A. Kind and caring.B. Warm-hearted and brave.C. careful and calm.D. opened-minded and confident.15. The passage is mainly written to ________.A. tell a touching story of an amazing girlB. show the great importance of American Body LanguageC. encourage readers to give a hand kindly and randomlyD. show how kind the flight attendant was to help Cook第二节（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）阅读下面短文，从短文后的选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

2021年太原市外国语学校高三英语上学期期中考试试题及答案第一部分阅读（共两节，满分40分）第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项ABritain's brilliant bridges have aided trade and brought communities together and are always the most exciting part of the journey. These must-see bridges are now tourist attractions in their own right.Clifton Suspension Bridge, BristolDescribed byits legendary engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel as “my first love, my darling”, in was originally designed for horse-drawn traffic. Now, more than four million vehicles a year cross the 1,352ft-Jong toll (收费) bridge over the Avon Gorge. The £ l toll for every journey pays for its repair. The history of the bridge, dating back to 1864, is kept alive through a programme of tours, events and exhibitions.Infinity Bridge, Stockton-On-TeesA pedestrian and cycle footbridge across the River Tees, its working title was the North Shore Footbridge, before it was given its grander name when opened in 2009. It is particularly spectacular (壮观) at night. The arches of the bridge are also lit white and, on calm nights, their reflection in the water appears as an infinity symbol, thereby inspiring the name which was chosen by the public.Tower Bridge, LondonAn engineering wonder built from thousands of tons of Cornish granite, Portland stone and steel, it took construction workers eight years to complete. More than 120 years old, it's a popular tourist attraction, as well as a functional bridge. Visitors can take in the views over the capital and experience seeing London life through the Glass Floor.Iron Bridge, ShropshireOpened in 1781, this is the first arch bridge in the world to be made out of cast iron. Recognised as one of the great symbols of the industrial revolution, it transformed the cart of bridge building and was a crucial factor in the development of the iron trade in Shropshire.1.Which bridge has the longest history?A.Clifton Suspension Bridge.B.Infinity Bridge.C.Tower Bridge.D.Iron Bridge.2.What can we know about Infinity Bridge?A.People can just walk on it.B.The public give it two names.C.It's well worth visiting at night.D.It's arch is the biggest on the earth.3.What do Clifton Suspension Bridge and Tower Bridge have in common?A.They are both over 120 years old.B.Visitors should pay for passing them.C.They have the same original design.D.Visitors can have a good view of London on them.BHowdo you turn “dumb” headphones into smart ones? Rutgers engineers have invented a cheap and easy way by transforming headphones into sensors that can be plugged into (插入) smartphones, identify their users monitor their heart rates and perform other services.Their invention, called HeadFi, is based on a small plug-in headphone adapter that turns a regular headphone into a sensing device (装置). Unlike smart headphones, regular headphones lack sensors. HeadFi would allow users to avoid having to buy a new pairof smart headphones with sensors to enjoy sensing features.“HeadFi could turn hundreds of millions of existing, regular headphones worldwide into intelligent ones with a simple upgrade (升级),” said Xiaoran Fan, a HeadFi primary inventor.A Rutgers-led paper on the invention, which results in "earable intelligence", will be formally published in October at MobiCom 2021, the top international conference on mobile computing and mobile and wireless networking. Headphones are among the most popular wearable devices worldwide and they continue to become; more intelligent as new functions appear, such as touch-based gesture control, the paper notes. Such functions usually rely on aiding sensors, such as accelerometers, gyroscopes and microphones that are availableon many smart headphones.HeadFi turns the two drivers already inside all headphones into a versatile (多功能的) sensor, and it works by connecting headphones to a pairing device, such as a smartphone. It doesn't require adding aiding sensors and avoids changes to headphone hardware or the need to customize headphones, both of which may increase their weight and size. By plugging into HeadFi, a converted headphone can perform sensing tasks and play music at the same time.The engineers conducted experiments with 53 volunteers using 54 pairs of headphones with prices ranging from $2. 99 to $15 ,000. HeadFi can achieve 97. 2 percent to 99. 5 percent accuracy on user identification, 96.8 percent to 99. 2 percent on heart rate monitoring and 97. 7 percent to 99. 3 percent on gesture recognition.4. What does Xiaoran Fan think of HeadFi?A. Secure to operate.B. Simple to use.C. Easy to substitute.D. Convenient to store.5. What can we know about HeadFi according to the text?A. It can't work with headphones alone.B. It actually functions as a versatile sensor.C. It makes headphones larger and heavier than usual.D. It doesn't work when headphones are playing music.6. The figures are listed in the last paragraph mainly to show_________.A. the various functions of HeadFiB. the wide popularity of headphonesC. the great complexity of headphonesD. the excellent performance of HeadFi7. What can be the best title for the text?A. How to Use Headphones AppropriatelyB. Headphones Can Be Upgraded InstantlyC. How to Make Regular Headphones IntelligentD. New Uses Have Been Found in HeadphonesCHappiness is not a warm phone, according to anew study exploring the link between young life satisfaction and screen time. The study was led by professor of psychology Jean M. Twenge at San Diego State University (SDSU).To research this link, Twenge, along with colleagues Gabrielle Martin at SDSU and W. Keith Campbell at the University of Georgia, dealt with data from the Monitoring the Future (MtF) study, a nationally representative survey of more than a million U. S. 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-graders. The survey asked students questions about how often they spent time on their Phones, tablets and computers, as well as questions about their face-to-face social interactions and their overall happiness.On average found that teens who spent more time in front of screen devices — playing computer games, using social media, texting and video chatting — were less happy than those who invested more time in non-screen activities like sports, reading newspapers and magazines, and face-to-face social interactions."The key to digital media use and happiness is limited use," Twenge said. "Aim to spend no more than two hours a day on digital media, and try to increase the amount of time you spend seeing friends face-to-face and exercising — two activities reliably linked to greater happiness."Looking at historical trends from the same age groups since the 1990s, it's easy to find that the increase ofscreen devices over time happened at the same time as a general drop-off in reported happiness inU. S.teens. Specifically, young peopled life satisfaction and happiness declined sharply after 2012. That's the year when the percentage of Americans who owned a smartphone rose above 50 percent. By far the largest change in teens' lives between 2012 and 2016 was the increase in the amount of time they spent on digital media, and the following decline in in-person social activities and sleep.8. Which method did Twenge's team use for the study?A. Calculating students' happiness.B. Asking students certain questions.C. Analyzing data from a survey.D. Doing experiments on screen time.9. How does the author develop the finding of the study in paragraph 3?A. By making a comparison.B. By giving an example.C. By making an argument.D. By introducing a concept.10. What is the purpose of the last paragraph?A. To draw a conclusion from the study.B. To offer some advice to the readers.C. To prove social activities' importance.D. To support the researchers' finding.11. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?A. Quitting Phones Equals HappinessB. Screen Time Should Be BannedC. Teens' Lives Have Changed SharplyD. Screen-addicted Teens Are UnhappierDIt was five years ago that something unforgettable happened. My wife and I celebrated our 40thwedding anniversary that year. It was a lovely event hosted by our sons for us. My wonderful friends from the past surprised us with gifts and congratulations. Our gift to each other was a driving trip out west. We drove fromOntariointoAlberta, then southward intoGlacierNational ParkinMontana, and continuedtoYellowstoneNational Park.It was a cold spring day, and theBeartooth Highwayhad opened for the season just days before. Alongside the road, there was still a great amount of snow there. The scenery was so impressive that we made lots of stops to record memories with my camera. At the highest point of the highway, I stopped at a lookout to catch the amazing views, with my wife in the centre of my camera lens.There were not many cars on the road. Sometimes, cars with energetic young tourists passed by. And then we heard a motorcycle in the distance. The driver of the motorcycle, who wore dirty clothes, parked behind our cars. As he approached us, his only words were, “Give me your camera and get over there with your wife.” I must admit I felt nervous that we might be robbed where we just created some beautiful memories. Surprisingly, he just took a picture of us, handed back my camera and rode off before we could express our gratitude. The photo he took is one of the most valuable and prized of our trip.I learned my lesson somewhere I least expected it. We should never judge a man by his appearance. If the motorcycle driver reads this story and remembers the situation, we would like to say “Thank you” to him.12. According to the passage, what do we know about the trip?A. It was taken by train to the west.B. It was a suggestion from their friends.C. It was in the late autumn five years ago.D. It was a gift for their wedding anniversary.13. Why was the author nervous when the motorcycle driver offered to take a picture?A. He could have lost the camera.B. His wife might not be satisfied with the view there.C. The motorcycle driver would borrow the camera.D. The motorcycle driver might not be good at the taking pictures.14. Which of the following best describes the driver of the motorcycle?A. Kind and straightforward.B. Rich and generous.C. Creative and capable.D. Careful and admirable.15. Which of the following can be concluded from the passage?A. No pains, no gains.B. Seeing is believing.C. Don’t judge a book by its cover.D. The longest journey begins with the first step.第二节（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）阅读下面短文，从短文后的选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

2021年太原外国语学校高三英语上学期期中考试试卷及答案第一部分阅读（共两节，满分40分）第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项ALocated in the beautiful Sichuan Basin, Chongqing is a magical 8D city. The natural history and cultural scenery of the area provide children with learning opportunities because they can enjoy the many wonders of this area.Fengjie Tiankeng Ground JointTiankeng Diqiao Scenic Area is located in the southern mountainous area of Fengjie County. The Tiankeng pit is 666 meters deep and is currently the deepest tiankeng in the world. The scenic spot is divided into ten areas including Xiaozhai Tiankeng, Tianjingxia Ground, Labyrinth River, and Longqiao River. There are many and weird karst cave shafts, and countless legends haunt them.Youyang Peach GardenYouyang Taohuayuan Scenic Area is a national forest park, a national 5A-level scenic spot, and a national outdoor sports training base. Located in the hinterland of Wuling Mountain. The Fuxi Cave in the scenic spot is about 3,000 meters long, with winding corridors, deep underground rivers, and color1 ful stalactites. The landscape is beautiful.Jinyun Mountain National Nature ReserveJinyun Mountain is located in Beibei District of Chongqing City, about 45 kilometers away from the Central District of Chongqing City. The nine peaks of Jinyun Mountain stand upright and rise from the ground. The ancient trees on the mountain are towering, the green bamboos form the forest, the environment is quiet, and the scenery is beautiful, so it is called "Little Emei". Among them, Yujian Peak is the highest, 1050 meters above sea level; Lion Peak is the most precipitous and spectacular, and the other peaks are also unique.Chongqing People's SquareChongqing's Great Hall of the People, one of the landmarks of Chongqing, gives people the deepest impression than its magnificent appearance resembling the Temple of Heaven. It also uses the traditional method of central axis symmetry, with colonnade-style double wings and a tower ending, plus a large green glazed roof, large red pillars, white railings, double-eave bucket arches, and painted carved beams.1.How deep is the Tiankeng Ground Joint?A.666mB.3,000mC.45kmD.1050m2.Which of the following rocks can you see in Youyang Peach Garden?A.LimestoneB.StalactiteC.MarbleD.Quartzite3.Which attraction is closest to downtown Chongqing?A.Fengjie Tiankeng Ground JointB.Jinyun Mountain National Nature ReserveC.Chongqing People's SquareD.Youyang Peach GardenBJIANLI, Hubei Province, June 2 (Xinhua) — A cruise ship carrying more than 450 people sank in the Yangtze River overnight, which could be China’s worst sinking disaster in decades. As of 6 p.m. Tuesday, 14 peoplehad been rescued from the capsized vessel, with five others confirmed dead. The rest are still missing, although rescuers said there could be more survivors. Strong winds and heavy rain are hampering rescue efforts.The Eastern Star sank in only 15 meters of water “within one or two minutes” of being caught in freak weather in Jianli, according to the ship’s captain and chief engineer who survived the incident. The ship left the eastern Chinese city ofNanjingon May 28 bound forChongqingMunicipality.The ship was carrying 403 passengers, five tour guides, and 46 crew, rather than the previously reported 47. Most passengers were tourists fromShanghaiand its neighboringprovinceofJiangsu, aged between 3 and 83, with most in their 60s and 70s.The 76.5-meter-long and 11-meter-wide vessel has been in service for nearly 20 years and can carry up to 534 people. It is owned by Chongqing Dongfang Shipping. Waterway officials said they have no record of the company being involved in any previous sinking incidents.According to weather forecast, most of the Yangtze basin will be subject to downpours over the next 10 days, with heavy rain expected in the area where the search is underway.Police, waterway authorities and fire departments have sent more than 150 boats and over 4,000 personnel to the scene. The Chinese Navy has sent diving forces to search for the missing. The team is composed of soldiers from the navy’s fleets in the North Sea, East China Sea, andSouth China Sea, as well as students of the Naval University of Engineering. In addition, five helicopters were dispatched fromBeijingandHubei’s provincial capital ofWuhanon Tuesday morning, along with an IL-76 transport plane.4. We can infer from the text that ________.A. the incident was very suddenB. the weather benefited the rescueC. the ship had bad safety recordsD. the ship’s captain was drowned5. Which of the following statements is TRUE about the Eastern Star?A. It was overloaded.B. It’s been launched recently.C. It had 454 people on board.D. Its owner met similar incidents.6. What’s the main idea of the last paragraph?A. How people came to the rescue.B. Why the rescue was quite difficult.C. What the rescue force consisted of.D. How the rescue operation went on.7. The author’s purpose of writing the text is most likely to ________.A. informB. explainC. describeD. entertainCOver the years, NASA has successfully sent several rovers (飞行器) to Mars. While the science laboratories continue to provide important information on the Red Planet, they keep the space exploration rovers staying closeto the original landing place.To get a more comprehensive (详尽的) view of Mars, the US Space Agency plans to make a small test helicopter with the Mars 2020 Rover, which will be sent off in July 2020.The football-sized “marscopter” weighs about four pounds.It can fly at about ten times the speed of helicopters on Earth. The light weight and fast speed are important for the helicopter to be able to fly in the thin Mars atmosphere, which is about just one percent of that of Earth. “To make it fly in that thin Mars atmosphere, we had to make everything ready, and make it as light as possible while being as strong and powerful as it can possibly be. “Mimi Aung, Mars helicopter project manager, said in a meeting.Upon landing on the Red Planet, the Mars 2020 Rover will find a proper location to send of the helicopter. The helicopter will start with a short climb, no higher than 10 feet, and hover (盘旋) for just 30 seconds before landing back on the Mars surface. If all goes well, five more flights of longer distances, for 90 seconds each, will beconducted over the next 30 days. The short journeys will be recorded by a small camera and sent back to the scientists on Earth.If the plan goes on well, the first helicopter to fly in another world, will open up a whole new way to explore Mars. The Mars helicopter's first flight will be a great invention. For those of us whose research is about flight, that would be a wonderful, historic moment.8. To fly in thin Mars atmosphere，we should make the helicopter_______.A. strong and heavyB. heavy and fastC. light and fastD. strong and slow9. How many times will the helicopter fly?A. Three timesB. Four timesC. Five timesD. Six times10. What can we learn from the last paragraph?A. It’s interesting to fly in another world.B. I' s important to fly in another world.C. The plan to fly the helicopter goes on well.D. The helicopters first flight is successful.11. What may be the best title for the passage?A. To send a helicopter to Mars in 2020B. To send a rover to Mars in 2020C. To live in the thin Mars atmosphereD. To send back records to scientistsDWhen almost everyone has a mobile phone, why are more than half of Australian homes still paying for a landline（座机）?These days you’d be hard pressed to find anyone in Australia over the age of 15 who doesn’t own a mobile phone. In fact plenty of younger kids have one in their pocket. Practically everyone can make and receive calls anywhere, anytime.Still, 55 percent of Australians have a landline phone at home and only just over a quarter（29%）rely only on their smartphones according to a survey（调查）. Of those Australians who still have a landline, a thirdconcedethat it’s not really necessary and they’re keeping it as a security blanket — 19 percent say they never use it while a further13 percent keep it in case of emergencies. I think my home falls into that category.More than half of Australian homes are still choosing to stick with their home phone. Age is naturally a factor （因素）— only 58 percent of Generation Ys still use landlinesnow and then, compared to 84 percent of BabyBoomers who’ve perhaps had the same home number for 50 years. Age isn’t the only factor; I’d say it’s also to do with the makeup of your household.Generation Xers with young families, like my wife and I, can still find it convenient to have a home phone rather than providing a mobile phone for every family member. That said, to be honest the only people who ever ring our home phone are our Baby Boomers parents, to the point where we play a game and guess who iscalling before we pick up the phone（using Caller ID would take the fun out of it）.How attached are you to your landline? How long until they go the way of gas street lamps and morning milk deliveries?12. What does paragraph 2 mainly tell us about mobilephones?A. Their target users.B. Their wide popularity.C. Their major functions.D. Their complex design.13. What does the underlined word “concede” in paragraph 3 mean?A. Admit.B. Argue.C. Remember.D. Remark.14. What can we say about Baby Boomers?A. They like smartphone games.B. They enjoy guessing callers’ identity.C. They keep using landline phones.D. They are attached to their family.15. What can be inferred about the landline from the last paragraph?A. It remains a family necessity.B. Itwill fall out of use some day.C. It may increase daily expenses.D. It is as important as the gas light.第二节（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）阅读下面短文，从短文后的选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。