安徽省合肥市第一中学2024-2025学年高二上学期期中考试英语试卷一、阅读理解Impressive exhibitions in the US worth traveling for in 2024 Here are several museum exhibitions across the USA that are worth traveling for in 2024.1. Yayoi Kusama: Infinite LoveSFMOMA, San FranciscoOn view: now through September 7For six decades now, Japanese polymath Yayoi Kusama has been exploring the concept of the “infinity room.” These meditations on perception, the universe and existence itself combine bold colors, three-dimensional forms and mirror-generated visual illusions to transport viewers to an inclusive aesthetic world. In the exhibition Yayoi Kusama: Infinite Love, they have landed in Northern California for the first time. Featured works including the brand-new Dreaming of Earth’s Sphericity, I Would Offer My Love (2023) and the famous LOVE IS CALLING (2013) will be on display at SFMOMA through next fall. Be sure to reserve advance tickets the minute they go on sale.2. Matisse and the SeaSt Louis Art Museum, St LouisOn view: February 17-May 12,2024Henri Matisse lived for decades near the Mediterranean, and a number of blues carry through his entire oeuvre (全部作品), largely inspired by the reflection of light of the water. With the artist’s Bathers with Turtle (1907–8) as a museum highlight, the exhibition travels across both Matisse’s works and the world itself, with works by this 20th-century master in various media, depicting the sea as a subject and as a theme.3. Georgia O’ Keeffe: “My New Yorks”Art Institute of Chicago, ChicagoOn view: June 2-September 24,2024This show at the Art Institute of Chicago will explore how Georgia O’ Keeffe - an artist soclosely associated with the Southwest and nature - spent her formative years in the USA’s biggest city. Before she turned her eye to flowers and desert sunsets, Georgia O’ Keeffe captured the distinctive perspectives of New York City, looking up at skyscrapers from street level and down from her 30th-floor apartment.4. Whitney Biennial 2024: Even Better Than the Real ThingWhitney Museum of American Art, New Y ork CityOn view: starting March 20,2024Some leave angry. Others emerge inspired. Yet however you react, it’s hard to forget any Whitney Biennial. Multimedia pieces and political themes are never hard to detect. Organized by Chrissi e Iles and Meg Onli, the lineup at this year’s -Biennial has yet to be announced. But whoever the participants are, their work is sure to make a statement.1.What can we learn from the artist Yayoi Kusama and his works?A.His work Infinite Love has been on display for decades.B.His works feature incorporating varied colors boldly into the works.C.Dreaming of Earth’s Sphericity was inspired by the light of water.D.Four-dimensional forms will transport viewers to the universe.2.Who is most likely to be the target audience for the last exhibition?A.people concerned with current political affairs.B.people having a passion for economy.C.people fond of pursuing old fashion.D.people enthusiastic about different reactions. 3.What do the exhibition 2 and 3 have in common?A.Both artists prefer using city landscape in the works.B.Both exhibitions need to be reserved in advance.C.Both artists’ works focus on themes concerning surroundings.D.Both artists’ works embody political themes.My husband and I fell in love when we would sit and talk in the living room of my old apartment in front of the windows drinking cups of black coffee, sometimes until sunrise. I was so extremely fortunate to have finally found that one special person.However, it was soon after our honeymoon that my husband climbed into the tomb called “the office” and buried himself in piles of paperwork and clients, and I just kept silent for fear ofturning into a complaining wife. It seemed as if overnight an invisible wall had been put up between us. He just lay beside snoring like a hibernating bear unaware of my winter.When our daughter was born, my life was centred on her and I no longer seemed to care that my husband was getting busier and spending less time at home. Somewhere between his work timetable and our home and young daughter, we were losing contact with each other. That invisible wall was now being hardened by the mortar (砂浆) of indifference.Then tragedy struck our lives, when my husband’s younger brother was killed in 2001, together with thousands of other innocent people. He was identified only by the engraving (雕刻) on the inside of his wedding ring. Attending our brother’s memorial service was an eye-opening experience for both of us. For the first time, we saw our own marriage was almost like my in-laws. At the tragic death of the youngest son they could not reach out to comfort one another. It seemed as if somewhere between the oldest son’s first tooth and the youngest son’s graduation they had lost each other.Later one night, my husband told of his fear of dying and I spoke of trying to find myself in the writings of my journal. It seemed as if each of us had been hiding our soul-searching from the other.We are slowly working toward building a bridge - not a wall, so that when we reach out to each other, we do not find a barrier we cannot pass through or retreat from the stranger on the other side.4.what can we learn about the author’s husband From the second paragraph?A.He was fully involved in his work.B.He didn’t show any affection for her.C.He preferred his work to his family D.He got tired of his nagging wife5.What does the underlined word in Paragraph 4 mean?A.The author’s husband’s brothers.B.The author’s husband’s brothers-in-law.C.The author’s husband’s parents.D.The author’s husband’s sisters-in-law. 6.Which of the following best describe the author?A.Dependent and critical.B.Sensitive and sensible.C.Sympathetic and emotional.D.Ambitious and understanding.7.What can we infer from the passage about the couple?A.Attending the memorial service worsened their relationship.B.Their brother’s death set off their reflection on marriage.C.Communication was a most effective means to break the barrier.D.The fear of dying prevented the husband from reaching out.Nobel science prizes are awarded in three areas: physics, chemistry and physiology or medicine. But occasionally some noteworthy discovery comes along that does not really fit into any of them. Similar flexibility, though in an area with far more profound consequences than ethology (行为学), has been demonstrated with regard to this year’s physics prize.Showing a sense of timeliness not always apparent in its deliberations, Sweden’s Royal Academy of Science has stretched the definition of physics to include computer science, and given its recognition to two of the pioneers of the artificial-intelligence (AI) revolution.John Hopfield of Princeton University and Geoffrey Hinton of the University of Toronto both did their crucial work in the early 1980s, at a time when computer hardware was unable to take full advantage of it. Dr Hopfield was responsible for what has become known as the Hopfield network - a type of artificial neural network that behaves like a physical structure called a spin glass, which gave the academy a fa int reason to call the field "physics". Dr Hinton’s contribution was to use an algorithm (算法) known to train neural networks.Artificial neural networks are computer programs based loosely on the way in which real; biological networks of nerve cells are believed to work. In particular, the strengths of the connections between "nodes" (结点) in such networks are plastic. Hopfield networks, in which each node is connected to every other except itself, are particularly good at learning to extract patterns from sparse (稀疏的) or noisy data.Dr Hinton’s algorithm enhances neural networks’ learning ability by letting them work, in effect, in three dimensions. Hopfield networks and their types are, in essence, two-dimensional. Though they actually exist only as simulations in software, they can be thought of as a structure of physical layers of nodes. Dr Hinton adjusted Dr Hopfield’s networks using a branch of maths called statistical mechanics to create what are known as Boltzmann machines. Boltzmann machines can be used to create systems that learn in an unsupervised manner, spotting patterns in data without having to be explicitly taught.It is, then, the activities of these two researchers which have made machine learning reallysing. AI models can now not only learn, but create. Such tools have thus gone from being able to perform highly specific tasks, such as recognizing cancerous cells in pictures of tissue samples or streamlining particle-physics data, to anything from writing essays for lazy undergraduates to running robots.8.Why does the writer mention the three areas of Nobel science prizes?A.To inform readers of the specific information.B.To introduce the flexibility of this years’ Nobel physics prize.C.To share with readers the importance of the Nobel prizes.D.To highlight the critical role physics plays in the world.9.What can be the evidence that the two researcher’s activities can be called “physics”?A.The Hopfield Networks are two-dimensional.B.The nodes in the Hopfield Network connect each other.C.The Hopfield Network functions in a similar way to a spin glass.D.The Hopfield Network can extract patterns using a little data.10.How did Dr Hinton strengthen neural networks’ learning ability?A.He used special physical principles.B.He changed the function of the networks.C.He thought of a structure suitable for the networks.D.He made use of maths to transform their ways of working11.What can be the main idea of the passage?A.AI neural networks can be widely used.B.Two researchers will be awarded the Nobel Physics Prize.C.AI researchers have received the Nobel Prize for Physics.D.Physiology and medicine researchers are common in the Nobel Prize winners.The term parasocial interaction (虚拟社交) was introduced in the 1950s by the social scientists Donald Horton and R. Richard Wohl. It was the early days of home television, and they were seeing people form a close connection with actors who were appearing virtually in their home. Today, the definition is much broader. After all, actors, singers, comedians, athletes, and countless other celebrities are available to us in more ways than ever before. Forming parasocialbonds has never been easier.Psychologists document cases of parasocial relationships that can go much deeper, with severe consequences. Scholars note parasocial bonds range from casual talk about stars to intense emotions, to uncontrollable behavior and fantasies. At the deepest level, the parasocial relationship can be dangerous, such as when a fan loses touch with reality and secretly follows a star. It can also lead to confusion about one’s own identity, particularly in adolescents who are still forming their sense of self, as they may model themselves on the media figures with whom they have parasocial relationships.In 2021, two psychologists from York University, in Canada, found that forming parasocial bonds was strongly related to avoidant attachment. That is, people who tended to push others away in their day-to-day lives were more likely to relate to fictional characters. You can easily see how parasocial relationships could be a replacement when one finds real-life attachment difficult. This could start a feedback cycle, in which avoiding close relationships stimulates parasocial bonding, which in turn leads to reduced interactions with real-life family and friends as the fans spends their time and energy on someone who doesn’t know they exist.My purpose here is not to say that parasocial interactions are always bad for you, or even abnormal. Rather, it is to suggest that heavy parasocial bonding might be a signal that you are crowding out the real people who can give you the love you truly need. One way to address this is to get some more distance from your fictional friends, thus pausing the feedback cycle and giving yourself more space to pursue in-person connection.12.How has parasocial interaction changed according to Paragraph 1?A.It has become more accessible.B.It has affected more celebrities.C.It has lost much of its significance.D.It has turned into a two-way process. 13.What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?A.Reasons behind celebrity following.B.Origins of dangerous relationships.C.Different types of parasocial relationships.D.Potential harm of parasocialrelationships.14.Which of the following can lead to parasocial relationships?A.Socializing with strangers.B.Having strong family support.C.Participating in group activities.D.Struggling with relationships in reality.15.What might the author suggest for those with heavy parasocial relationships?A.Meeting fictional friends in real life.B.Seeking guidance from professionals.C.Hanging out more with real friends.D.Creating more space for being alone.We are overwhelmed by an unprecedented volume of information. 16 if we don’t actively engage with it.In order to stay focused and retain more information, it’s important to be highly engaged with the content. 17 It mostly relies on critical thinking. Active reading transforms passive absorption into an interactive, analytical process. There are many active reading strategies, but here are some of the most immediately useful.Understand the author’s purpose. 18 Take a few minutes to read the introduction or any other material available to become aware of the reason and intent of writing.Adjust your reading rate. Instead of using a constant rate, adapt yourself to the content you’re reading. 19 , and speeding up when it’s information you are already familiar with.Annotate the content. Taking notes is a great way to stay engaged with the content. Use the margins to write ideas that pop into your mind when reading something.Paraphrase. Whenever a new concept seems a bit more complex to grasp, stop reading and try to paraphrase it using your own words. This will force you to assess your level of understanding.Organize the information visually. Map the content into a graphic to better visualize it and make it your own. You can craft a simple mind map, or be creative with collages and other forms of visual thinking.Evaluate the content. Every so often, take a step back and think critically about what you’re reading. 20Consult a reference. Whenever you’ re in doubt, use a dictionary or another external reference to make sure you understand a new concept or an unfamiliar word’s meaning and have all the necessary background information.Summarize the ideas. Once you’ re done reading a book, sit down and write your own summary. Get bonus points if you publish it online to learn in public and get feedback and additional perspectives from other readers.Active reading will help you make the most of the time you spend reading books and blog posts by ensuring you retain more of the relevant content and can apply it in your day-to-day life and work.A.This means slowing down to comprehend better new or more complex information. B.Yet, research suggests that we forget up to 70% of new information within 24 hours.C.It matters for you to assess what you read.D.Active reading basically means reading something with the determination to understand, evaluate, and remember relevant aspects of what you read.E.Is it well structured, are there gaps in the argument, does the author sound biased?F.Is the goal of the author to inform, entertain, or advertise their product or services?G.Our life is packed with varied information.二、完形填空Michael Surrell and his wife had just parked the car when they got a call from their daughter, “The house next door is on fire!” He immediately went to 21 and saw an old woman cried. “The baby is inside!” “The baby” was 8-year-old Tiara Roberts, the woman’s 22 .Though the fire department had been called, Surrell 23 rushed into the burning house. The thick 24 caused him to stumble blindly around and made it impossible to 25 . After a few minutes in the smoke-filled house, he moved outside to 26 his breath.“Where is Tiara?” he asked 27 .“The second floor,” her grandma shouted back.Taking a deep breath, Surrell went in a second time. Because the house had a 28 layout to his, he found the stairs 29 and made it to the second floor.But the darkness was overwhelming. All he could feel was the crackling and popping of burning wood. Then a soft but 30 moan emerged. He crawled toward the sound, feeling around for any 31 of the little girl. Finally, he 32 something. He scooped Tiara into his arms, 33 through the smoke.Fortunately, Surrell managed to help Tiara out; she was 34 from the hospitalafter a few days. However, the fire worsened Surrell’s pulmonary (肺的) condition, which he suffered before, and he feels the effects even two years later. “It’s a small 35 to pay,” he says. “I would do it again without a second thought.”21.A.stimulate B.witness C.investigate D.innovate 22.A.niece B.granddaughter C.cousin D.daughter 23.A.consciously B.passionately C.instantly D.occasionally 24.A.mist B.smoke C.dust D.smog 25.A.escape B.distinguish C.see D.breathe 26.A.hold B.save C.waste D.catch 27.A.randomly B.cautiously C.nervously D.desperately 28.A.opposite B.similar C.different D.striking 29.A.mysteriously B.thrillingly C.threateningly D.effortlessly 30.A.distinct B.loud C.massive D.sharp 31.A.sense B.symbol C.sound D.sign 32.A.touched B.found C.explored D.got 33.A.running B.breaking C.struggling D.going 34.A.rescued B.composed C.suspended D.released 35.A.fee B.bill C.check D.price三、语法填空阅读下面短文,在空白处填入一个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。