湖北省武汉市部分重点中学2023-2024学年高二下学期期末联考英语试卷一、阅读理解Music is universal. Take a moment to think about what music you like as you read our beginners’ guide to the history of music.Middle AgesThe Middle Ages, which ranges from the 6th century to the 16th century, featured medieval (中世纪的) music. During this time, there were two general types of music styles — the monophonic and the polyphonic. The main forms of music included Gregorian chanting and plainchant.Classical PeriodThe music forms and styles of the Classical period, which ranges from 1750 to 1820, are characterized by simpler melodies and forms like the sonatas. During this time, the middle class had more access to music. So composers began to create music that was easier to understand. Most especially, Mozart wrote his first symphony and Beethoven was born during this period.Romantic PeriodHistoriographers define the Romantic music period to be from 1800 to 1900. Music forms of the Romantic period used music to tell a story or express an idea. Various instruments including wind instruments were used. Instruments that were invented or improved during this time included the flute and the saxophone.The 20th CenturyMusic during the 20th century brought about many innovations on how music was performed and appreciated. Artists were more willing to experiment with new music forms and used technology to improve their compositions. The 20th century music has various styles.1.In which period were Mozart’s compositions created?A.Middle Ages.B.Classical period.C.Romantic period.D.The 20th century.2.What can we know about music from the Romantic period?A.This period lasted over 100 years.B.Musicians only used wind instruments.C.Music was related to a story or an idea.D.The music forms were harder to understand. 3.How did artists improve their music during the 20 century?A.By inventing new instruments.B.By practicing new music styles.C.By writing complex compositions.D.By improving traditional music styles.Texan 81-year-old good friends Ellie Hamby and Sandy Hazelip toured the world in 80 days, proving that adventure doesn’t have an age limit.Their first stop was a location that challenges even many experienced travelers: the Antarctic. Getting to the southernmost continent first required crossing the Drake Passage. “For almost two days, we were rocking and rolling, slipping and sliding through the Drake Passage and we were holding onto dear life.” Hamby said. The voyage, however, faded from their mind as they set foot on the ground of the Antarctic, fascinated by the breathtaking beauty of penguins, icebergs and glaciers.Since that first venture, the pair have visited 18 countries across all seven continents. They rode camels in Egypt, met elephants in Bali, danced in Nepal and observed the Northern Lights in Finland. And despite the challenges international travel presented, the good friends said they finished their trip without any argument. Though they’re both independent and stubborn, they respected each other’s feelings. And what they remember the most are the people that they encountered. “We got to know some of the most wonderful, kindest, friendliest people. We just have friends now all over the world that we love dearly.” Hamby said.The two shared a crucial piece of advice for travelers worrying about the language barrier on their own adventure. “You know, people often ask us about it.” said Hamby. “We tell them there's one universal language, and that’s the smile. We found it worked wonders because we were often aware that English was not always spoken and that that could cover all languages.”They also encouraged other older people not to let age hold them back. Aside from some minor changes in plans — like deciding not to ride a motorbike in Bali because of concerns about falling-their age didn’t affect their journey abroad. They said they felt confident that if they were injured during their trip, their children would have been at peace knowing that they were doing what they wanted. And Hazelip described 81 as the perfect age to embark on a trip. “Getting olderdoes give us a little bit of wisdom of making decisions.” she said.4.What might the pair think of their trip to the Antarctic?A.Challenging but worthy.B.Expensive but exciting.C.Interesting but fruitless.D.Unpleasant but impressive.5.What is the highlight of the pair’s adventures for themselves?A.Learning about different cultures.B.Meeting nice people along the way.C.Experiencing many challenging activities.D.Avoiding conflicts despite their stubborn nature.6.What does the underlined word “that” in paragraph 4 refer to?A.English.B.The pair’s advice.C.The smile.D.The language barrier.7.What can we infer about the pair from the last paragraph?A.They once fell off a motorbike in Bali.B.Their family understood and supported them.C.They regretted not exploring the world earlier.D.Their wisdom saved them lots of time on the trip.Swedish Midsommar, also known as Midsummer, is a beloved holiday in Sweden that marks the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. This usually takes place around mid-June in the Northern Hemisphere.With Midsummer being the longest day of the year, it was often considered a magical night to the agricultural society within Sweden. Full of mystery and enchantment (魅力) it’s believed to be a time when plants gained healing powers and were used to predict the future. Today, it is more about celebrating the beginning of summer and the good times ahead.Like all major holidays, Midsummer focuses on sharing food and drinks with loved ones. Traditional Swedish dishes you’ll find on a Midsummer table include herring in all forms served with chives and sour cream, boiled new potatoes with fresh dill, cured salmon, rustic breads, potato dumplings, meatballs, and a dessert involving strawberries.Everyone has their own Midsummer traditions, but many stick to the more traditionaloptions when it comes to celebrating. For a grand Midsummer lunch-party, no celebration would be complete without dancing with flowers in your hair, singing songs, while feasting on a delicious selection of Swedish dishes. Another form of celebrating Midsummer was the raising of a pole which was then danced around. This lovely tradition is still very much a part of Midsummer celebrations with the maypole decorated in garlands of leaves and fresh flowers.At the heart of Swedish Midsummer lies the spirit of togetherness and human connection. Families, friends, and communities gather in joyful union, creating a shared experience that goes beyond individual boundaries. The dances around the maypole, the laughter, and the heartfelt conversations produce a sense of belonging and interdependence. Midsummer reminds us of the fundamental need for social bonds and the fulfillment gained from genuine human interaction. It serves as a reminder that in the complexities of modern life, the simplest connections can bring us deep joy and fulfillment.8.What can we know about Swedish Midsummer?A.It marks the hottest day of the year.B.It celebrates the arrival of summer.C.It is used to predict the near future.D.It is based on a mysterious old tale. 9.What is mainly discussed Midsummer in paragraph 4?A.Its dishes.B.Its origins.C.Its customs.D.Its influences. 10.What is the significance of celebrating Midsummer?A.Learning the value of teamwork.B.Appreciating the warmth of unity.C.Keeping in touch with old friends.D.Passing on the traditional lifestyle.11.In which part of a magazine may you read this passage?A.Culture.B.Wellbeing.C.Event.D.Fashion.Since the start of the industrial revolution, there have been threats that new machines — from mechanized looms (织布机) to microchips would take human jobs.A March report from Goldman Sachs estimated that AI capable of content generation could do a quarter of all the work currently done by humans. Across the European Union and the US, the report further notes, 300 million jobs could be lost to automation.Thankfully, it’s not all bad news. The experts issue their warnings with a relief: there are still things AI isn’t capable of — tasks that involve distinctly human qualities, like emotionalintelligence and outside-the-box thinking.“I think there are generally three categories that will remain unaffected in the coming future.” says Martin Ford, a related author. “The first would be jobs that are genuinely creative: you’re not engaged in repetitive work or just rearranging things, but you’re genuinely coming up with new ideas and building something new.”That doesn’t necessarily mean all jobs that are considered “creative” are safe. In fact, things like graphic design and visual art-related roles may be among the first to go. Basic algorithms can direct a robot to analyze millions of images, allowing AI to rapidly acquire a sense of beauty. “But there’s some security in other kinds of creativity, in science, and medicine and law people whose job is coming up with a new legal strategy or business strategy.” says Ford.“The second category,” he continues, “is jobs that require complicated interpersonal relationships.” He points to nurses, business consultants and investigative journalists. “These are jobs to interact in the kinds of ways that really build relationships.” he says.“The third safe zone is jobs that really require lots of mobility and problem-solving ability in unpredictable environments.” says Ford. Many trade jobs — think electricians, plumbers, engineers and where you need a very deep understanding of people. I think it’ll be a long time before AI has the ability the like — fall under this umbrella. “These are the kinds of jobs where you’re dealing with a new situation all the time.” he adds.In short, seeking roles in dynamic, shifting environments that include unpredictable tasks is a good way to avoid job loss to AI, at least, for a while.12.What has been a historical concern regarding new machines?A.The need for increased human skills.B.The possibility of human losing jobs.C.The fear of increased automation costs.D.The potential for machine malfunctions. 13.What can we know from the March report?A.AI is not capable of content generation.B.AI can imitate distinctly human qualities.C.AI poses no threat to human employment.D.AI has no outside-the-box thinking abilities.14.Which of the following statement will Martin Ford disagree with?A.All creative jobs are not safe from AI.B.Graphic designers tend to be affected.C.Problem-solving jobs will remain unaffected.D.Jobs focusing on repetitive tasks will still have a place.15.What is the author’s attitude towards the potential job loss caused by AI?A.Optimistic.B.Pessimistic.C.Indifferent.D.Uncertain.Organizing your room can help you feel calmer and in control of your life. Going about your day will be much easier if you know exactly where everything is. You will not have to waste time searching for your favorite pairs of jeans. 16 .Take all of your belongings out of their current locations. 17 , but if you really want to organize your room, you will have to start from the beginning. Though you may be surprised by the giant pile of mess you’ve created on your floor, desk or bed, don’t worry. You’ll find the right place for everything soon enough.Organize your belongings. Before you begin to figure out where everything should go, you should get a number of boxes for different purposes. Boxes are best because you can just recycle them when you’re done organizing and won’t have to deal with more things. 18 .Try to get rid of as many items as possible. This is an important step. Though you may want to throw everything in the Keep box, or have put every last extra item in the Store box, this won’t help you get organized. You need to do some searching to figure out what you really need in your room right there where you spend your time. 19 . The less things you have, the easier it will be to organize your bedroom.20 Now that you’ve organized your room, you can begin to get rid of all the things you don’t need, throw away the Rubbish box and give the Donate box to the charity organization. The sooner you get rid of or store the other boxes, the easier it will be to move on with your organization.A.Remember that less really is moreB.Put all the boxes in the right placeC.Here is the first step for you to organize your roomD.This could help you sort out different items in the roomE.This may seem painful and like you’re creating a bigger messF.Make a new plan to throw away these boxes as soon as possibleG.Stick to small pieces of paper with Keep, Store, Donate, and Rubbish二、完形填空Lasse Stolley, a 17-year-old German teen, has been living on trains for over a year and a half. After 21 his parents that he had finished his school 22 to allow him to leave their home, he was already packing. Though worried, his parent eventually 23 to his decision. Then he began a 24 train-hopping adventure.For over a year and a half, Stolley has traveled all over Germany. During the day he 25 in a seat, working as a self-employed programmer, and slept on night trains at night. He has been 26 the whole Germany and has sold most of his 27 in the past year, packing what was left in a 28 . Minimalism and resisting the urge to acquire new things are 29 parts of his lifestyle.Stolley’s laptop and noise-canceling headphones provide some 30 room on the train. The early months of his adventure were 31 , as he had to learn about how everything worked and sometimes had to reschedule 32 . Living on trains allows him to visit almost every part of Germany, from the sea in the north to the Alps for a 33 , as well as some famous and34 cities like Berlin and Munich to take in their past. When not working on his laptop, Stolley35 in first-class carriages and mostly have meals at Deutsche Bahn waiting rooms at train stations around the country.21.A.informing B.convincing C.announcing D.serving 22.A.appointments B.performances C.inspections D.assignments 23.A.sighed B.submitted C.subscribed D.objected 24.A.unique B.lonely C.dangerous D.disappointing 25.A.sank B.rested C.settled D.suspended 26.A.understanding B.exploring C.checking D.remembering 27.A.books B.possessions C.clothes D.games 28.A.room B.computer C.backpack D.station 29.A.typical B.decent C.extra D.essential 30.A.private B.public C.tolerant D.restricted31.A.complicated B.adaptable C.available D.tough 32.A.planes B.jobs C.relations D.trains 33.A.hike B.swim C.break D.jog 34.A.huge B.modern C.historic D.busy 35.A.sets about B.hangs out C.shows off D.blocks out三、语法填空阅读下面短文, 在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。