甘肃省静宁县第一中学2020┄2021学年高二下学期第二次月考试题英语

2020-2021学年甘肃省静宁县第一中学高三英语月考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ALost cities that have been foundThe White CityIn 2015, a team of explorers to Honduras in search of"the Lost City of the Monke God"led to the discovery of the White City. They found the ruins in the Mosquitia region of the Central American country which is known for poisonous snakes, vicious jaguars and deadly insects. It is believed that local people hid here when the Spanish conquerors(征服者) occupied their homeland in the16th century.Canopus and HeracleionModern researchers were teased by the ancient writings about the Egyptian cities Canopus and Heracleion-where Queen Cleopatra often visited. But the cities weren’t found until 1992, when a search in Alexandria waters found that the two cities had been flooded for centuries. Artifacts(史前器物) showedthat the cities once highly developed as a trade network, which helped researchers piece together more about the last queen of Egypt. Machu PicchuA Yale professor discovered "the Lost City in the Clouds"in 1911. A combination of palaces, plazas, temples and homes, Machu Picchu displays the Inca Empire at the height of its rule. The city, which was abandoned in the 16th century for unknown reasons,was hidden by the local people from the Spanish conquerors for centuries keeping it so well preserved.TroyThe ancient city of Troy in homer's The Iliad was considered a fictional setting for his characters to run wild. But in 1871, explorations in northwestern Turkey exposed nine ancient cities layered (层叠) on top of each other, the earliest dating back to about5,000 years before. It was later determined that the sixth or seventh layer contained the lost city of Troy and that it was actually destroyed by an earthquake, not a wooden horse.1.Why did people hide in the White City in the 16th century?A.To survive the warB.To search for a lost city.C.To protect their country.D.To avoid dangerous animals2.Which of the following was related to a royal family member?A.The White CityB.Canopus and HeracleionC.Machu PicchuD.Troy3.What can we learn about Troy?A.It was built by Homer.B.It consisted of nine citiesC.It had a history of 5,000 yearsD.It was ruined by a natural disaster.BThe outbreak of the novel corona virus pneumonia (NCP) has disrupted the lives and work of nearly every Chinese person. However, a new trend has been on the rise: many have turned themselves into livestreaming users orfollowers.According to Questmobile, a professional big data intelligence services provider in China, the audience for Douyin, Kuaishou and other livestreaming platforms surged to 574 million during the Spring Festival holiday, up 35 percent from 2019.Confined at home, away from their friends and loved ones, people turn to livestreaming to reach out to the world. For them livestreaming can help them share their lives and interest with a global audience, which will give them the sense of being “in the moment”. Even as viewers, they can also engage immediately with livestreamers by commenting and making suggestions.“When I comment on the livestreaming videos, I’m not simply an audience member, but also an active part of the program. That gives me a sense of engagement,” an Internet user named Wang Hao told People’s Daily.Livestreaming is not only for fun, but also a new tool for many businesses. Affected by the pandemic, many businesses had to stop their sales in physical stores. To meet their business goals and survive during these trying times, many chose to livestream to revive their businesses.Joyoung, a leading maker of small kitchen appliances, is a good example. The company not only added a number of broadcasts each day to advertise their products, but also shared the menus that were beneficial to health. “The responses to our livestreaming shows have been well beyond expectations,” Kang Li, who overseesthe company’s livestreaming unit, told China daily. “It’s a natural opportunity to truly bond with our followers.”Like it or not, livestreaming is likely to go mainstream in China for both entertainment and business.4. What is the purpose of writing the second paragraph?A. To introduce some popular livestreaming platforms in China.B. To report data on the development of livestreaming in 2019.C. To show that Chinese people spend too much time on livestreaming apps.D. To prove that livestreaming are becoming increasingly popular in China.5. What does Wang Hao think of commenting on livestreaming?A. It is boring to make comments.B. It is the only way to share viewers’ lives.C. It makes people feel involved in the stream.D. It helps livestreamers improve themselves.6. What do paragraphs 5&6 mainly talk about?A. Livestreaming replaced physical stores in many areas.B. Many businesses turned to livestreaming platform for marketing.C. Livestreaming platforms faced challenges during the pandemic.D. Livestreaming platforms made changes to their services.7. How does the author feel about thefuture of livestreaming？A. Positive.B. Uncertain.C. Disappointed.D. Confused.CKenyan mother Beth Mwende heard her sleeping child cry out, but did not worry after the three-year-old quickly quietened down. The next morning, however, she found her daughter, Mercy, nearly unconscious with two bite marks in the neck. “I didn’t know that it was a snake,” Mwende said.Although snakebites are common in her hometown, antivenom medication is difficult to get. Mwende lives about 160 kilometers east of Nairobi, Kenya’s capital. So she took her daughter to a traditional healer. He placed stones over the bites. Mercy died within hours. She was one of about 700 Kenyans killed by snakebites each year, notes a report in the scientific publicationToxicon.The Kenya Snakebite Research and Intervention Center (KSRIC) is working to change that. The KSRIC hopes to have East Africa’s first antivenom medication on the market within five years. It estimates the cost will be about 30percent of an imported product, which often sells for about US $ 30.More than 70, 000 people are bitten in East Africa each year. Climate change and deforestation are worsening the problem as snakes get pushed out of natural surroundings into populated areas.Nearly 100 snakes live at the research center in a forest near Nairobi. Researchers take venom from snakes and study it before injecting small amounts into other animals, such as sheep. The animals then create antibodies that can be made into antivenom.“Up to now, no one has made any kind of antivenom in Kenya,’’ said Geoffrey Maranga Kepha, a senior snake handler.Two effective antivenoms are available in Kenya, from India and Mexico, the center says.The center is teaching communities that using antivenom immediately after receiving a snakebite can save lives, said head researcher George Adinoh.“After seeing how people died in Kenya from snakebites I decided to devote my life to coming up with a rescue measure that will help or prevent people from dying from snakebites,” snake handler Kepha added.8. How does the author introduce the topic of the text?A. By telling a story.B. By listing figures.C. By referririg to documents.D. By making a comparison.9. Why did Mwende take her daughter to a traditional healer?A. She couldn’t afford any modern treatment.B. She lived where antivenom medication is not available.C. The traditional way is very effective to treat snakebites.D. She believed a traditional healer could cure her daughter.10. What is causing more snakebites to happen in East Africa?A. Lack of antivenom medication.B. Environmental damage and climate change.C. People’s low awareness of the danger of snakes.D. People’s pursuit of traditional cures for snakebites.11. What do we know about antivenom in Kenya from the text?A. Itis taken from antibodies of sheep.B. There is only one effective antivenom available.C. KSRIC is trying to develop a local antivenom now.D. People refuse to use antivenom after being bitten by snakes.DLast summer, I spent four months working in France, where the company I was working for put me up in a house that didn’t have Wi-Fi. I wasn’t looking forward to it.I soon discovered, however, that living in a house without Wi-Fi was easier than I expected.Contact between my friends and family was significantly reduced to the odd text message here and there. I couldn’t enjoy my usual web browsing on BBC iPlayer, social media sites, keeping up to date with the news, or even wanting to know the opening hours of shops in the new area I was in.I didn’t, however, spend a full four months without connecting to a Wi-Fi network. It was only a five minute walk to the reception where I could connect for free and spend as much time online as I wanted to at my own leisure. It made me think , though , how unnecessary it can be , how unnecessarily we rely on it—how we perhaps rely on it too much. As a person, I was more sociable. I spent more time with my housemates instead of hiding behind a computer screen. I did other things that I wouldn’t necessarily have done if I could have browsed the web at my leisure. I read more, I cooked meals for my friends, and I even tidied up more often. Dare I say it; I learned how to live without Wi-Fi. Dare I say it; I found it was easier than I had imagined.12. What was the writer’s first feeling when finding her house had no Wi-Fi?A. Unexpected.B. Angry.C. Shocked.D. Depressed.13. How did the writer keep in touch with her friends and family without Wi-Fi?A. By writing regularly.B. By text message.C. By video calls.D. By telegram.14. What was the writer’s life like without Wi-Fi?A. Dull.B. Lonely.C. Active.D. Relaxing.15. What can be a suitable title for the text?A. A life without Wi-FiB. Different views on the InternetC. The disadvantages of Wi-FiD. How to use the Internet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。

甘肃省静宁县第一中学2019—2020学年高一英语下学期期中（第二次月考）试题考试时间:120分钟第一部分阅读理解（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，从每题所给的四个选项（A, B，C和D）中,选出最佳选项。

AMusic festivals in EuropeVisiting a festival abroad can be a great reason to travel and a way to experience different cultures。

These days there is such a number of choices that it’s possible to spend the whole summer watching live music in exciting places。

Of course，it’s also a chance to meet people from across the world.Melt! Festival，GermanyThis festival takes place on the site of an open air museum for industrial machinery. There’s also a lake which can be used for swimming when it’s hot. This year's line-up has over 120 different bands (乐队）. Around 90％of the people attending the festival areGerman providing a perfect chance to practise speaking the language。

Exit Festival，SerbiaSet on the banks of the Danube in an old fortress （城堡）, the festival began as a way to show people’s dissatisfaction with the government。

甘肃省兰州第一中学2022-2023学年高二下学期3月月考英语试卷学校：___________姓名：___________班级：___________考号：___________一、阅读理解You probably know who Marie Curie was, but you may not have heard of Rachel Carson. Of the famous ladies listed below, who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?Jane Addams (1860-1935)Anyone who has ever been helped by a social worker has Jane Addams to thank. Addams helped the poor and worked for peace. She encouraged a sense of community(社区) by creating shelters and promoting education and services for people in need. In 1931, Addams became the first American women to win the Nobel Peace Prize.Rachel Carson (1907-1964)If it weren’t for Rachel Carson, the environmental movement might not exit today. Her popular 1962 book Silent Spring raised awareness of the dangers of pollution and the harmful effects of chemicals on humans and on the world’s lakes and oceans.Sandra Day O’Connor(1930-present)When Sandra Day O’Connor finished third in her class at Standford La w School in 1952, she could not find work at a law firm because she was a woman. She became an Arizona State Senator(参议员) and in 1981, the first woman to join the US Supreme Court(高等法院). O’Connor gave the deciding vote in many important cases during her 24 years on the top court.Rosa Parks (1913-2005)On December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks would not give up her seat to a white passenger. Her simple act landed Parks in prison, b ut it also set off the Montgomery bus boycott. (抵制行动) It lasted for more than a year, and kicked off the civil-rights movements.“the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.” said Parks.1、What is Jane Addams famous for in history?A.Her social workB.Her teaching skillsC.Her efforts to win a prizeD.Her background2、What was the reason for O’Connor’s being refused by the law firm?A.Her lack of the training in law.B.Her little work experience in courtC.An unfair treatment to the womenD.the poor financial conditions3、Who made a great contribution to the civil rights movement in the US?A.Jane AddamsB.Rachel CarsonC.Sandra Day O'ConnorD.Rosa ParksPassenger pigeons(旅鸽) once flew over much of the United States in unbelievable numbers. Written accounts from the 18th and 19th centuries described flocks(群) so large that they darkened the sky for hours.It was calculated that when its population reached its highest point, there were more than 3 billion passenger pigeons—a number equal to 24 to 40 percent of the total bird population in the United States, making it perhaps the most abundant bird in the world. Even as late as 1870 when their numbers had already become smaller, a flock believed to be 1 mile wide and 320 miles (about 515 kilometers) long was seen near Cincinnati.Sadly, the abundance of passenger pigeons may have been their undoing. Where the birds were most abundant, people believed there was an ever-lasting supply and killed them by the thousands. Commercial hunters attracted them to small clearings with grain, until pigeons had settled to feed, then threw large nets over them, taking hundreds at a time. The birds were shipped to large cities and sold in restaurants.By the closing decades of the 19th century, the hardwood forests where passenger pigeons nested had been damaged by Americans’ need for wood, which scattered(驱散) the flocks and forced the birds to go farther north, where cold temperatures and spring storms contributed to their decline. Soon the great flocks were gone, never to be seen again.In 1897, the state of Michigan passed a law prohibiting the killing of passenger pigeons but by then, no sizable flocks had been seen in the state for 10 years. The last confirmed wild pigeon in the United States was shot by a boy in Pike County, Ohio, in 1900. For a time, a few birds survived under human care. The last of them, known affectionately as Martha, died at the Cincinnati Zoological Garden on September 1,1914.4、In the 18th and early 19th centuries, passenger pigeons _______.A.were the biggest bird in the worldB.lived mainly in the south of AmericaC.did great harm to the natural environmentD.were the largest population in the US5、The underlined word “undoing” probably refers to the pigeons’ _______.A.escapeB.ruinC.liberationD.evolution6、What was the main reason for people to kill passenger pigeons?A.To seek pleasure.B.To save other birds.C.To make money.D.To protect crops.7、What can we infer about the law passed in Michigan?A.It was ignored by the public.B.It was declared too late.C.It was unfair.D.It was strict.Some parents will buy any high-tech toy if they think it will help their child, but researchers said puzzles help children with math-related skills.Psychologist Susan Levine, an expert on mathematics development in young children the University of Chicago, found children who play with puzzles between ages 2 and 4 later develop better spatial skills. Puzzle play was found to be a significant predictor of cognition(认知) after controlling for differences in parents’ income, education a nd the amount of parent talk, Levine said.The researchers analyzed video recordings of 53 child-parent pairs during everyday activities at home and found children who play with puzzles between 26 and 46 months of age have better spatial skills when assessed at 54 months of age.“The children who played with puzzles performed better than those who did not, on tasks that assessed their ability to rotate(旋转) and translate shapes,” Levine said in a statement.The parents were asked to interact with their children as they normally would, and about half of children in the study played with puzzles at one time. Higher-income parents tended to have children play with puzzles more frequently, and both boys and girls who played with puzzles had better spatial skills. However, boys tended to play with more complex puzzles than girls, and the parents of boys provided more spatial language and were more active during puzzle play than parents of girls.The findings were published in the journal Developmental Science.8、In which aspect do children benefit from puzzle play?A. Building confidence.B. Developing spatial skills.C. Learning self-control.D. Gaining high-tech knowledge.9、What did Levine take into consideration when designing her experiment？A. Parents’ age.B. Children’s imagination.C. Parents’ education.D. Child-parent relationship.10、How do boy differ from girls in puzzle play?A. They play with puzzles more often.B. They tend to talk less during the game.C. They prefer to use more spatial language.D. They are likely to play with tougher puzzles.11、What is the text mainly about?A. A mathematical method.B. A scientific study.C. A woman psychologist.D. A teaching program.When milk arrived on the doorstepWhen I was a boy growing up in New Jersey in the 1960s, we had a milkman delivering milk to our doorstep. His name was Mr. Basille. He wore a white cap and drove a white truck. As a 5-year-old boy, I couldn’t take my eyes off the coin changer fixed to his belt. He noticed this one day during a delivery and gave me a quarter out of his coin changer.Of course, he delivered more than milk. There was cheese, eggs and so on. If we needed to change our order, my mother would pen a note –“Please add a bottle of buttermilk next delivery”—and place it in the box along with the empty bottles. And then, the buttermilk would magically(魔术般) appear.All of this was about more than convenience. There existed a close relationship between families and their milkmen. Mr. Basille even had a key to our house, for those times when it was so cold outside that we p ut the box indoors, so that the milk wouldn’t freeze. And I remember Mr. Basille from time to time taking a break at our kitchen table, having a cup of tea and telling stories about his delivery.There is sadly no home milk delivery today. Big companies allowed the production of cheaper milk, thus making it difficult for milkmen to compete(竞争). Besides, milk is for sale everywhere, and it may just not have been practical to have a delivery service.Recently, an old milk box in the countryside I saw brought back my childhood memories. I took it home and planted it on the back porch(门廊). Every so often my son’s friends will ask what it is. So I start telling stories of my boyhood, and of the milkman who brought us friendship along with his milk.12、Mr. Basille gave the boy a quarter out of his coin changer _____.A.to show his magical powerB.to pay for the deliveryC.to satisfy his curiosityD.to please his mother13、What can be inferred from the fact that the milkman had the key to the boy’s house?A.He wanted to have tea there.B.He was a respectable person.C.He was treated as a family member.D.He was fully trusted by the family.14、Why does home milk delivery no longer exist?A.Nobody wants to be a milkman now.B.It has been driven out of the market.C.Its service is getting poor.D.It is forbidden by law.15、Why did the author bring back home an old milk box?A.He missed the good old days.B.He wanted to tell interesting stories.C.He needed it for his milk bottles.D.He planted flowers in it.二、七选五16、Tips for Cooking on a Tight ScheduleFrom my experience, there are three main reasons why people don’t cook more often: ability, money, and time. ①_____ Money is a topic I'll save for another day. So today I want to give you some wisdom about how to make the most of the time you spend in the kitchen. Here are three tips for great cooking on a tight schedule:1.Think ahead. The moments when I think cooking is a pain are when I'm already hungry and there’s nothing ready to eat. So think ahead of the coming week. When will you have time to cook? Do you have the right materials already? ②_____2.Make your time worth it. When you do find time to cook a meal, make the most of it and save yourself time later on. Are you making one loaf of bread? ③_____ It takes around the same amount of time to make more of something. So save yourself the effort for a future meal.3.④_____This may surprise you, but one of the best tools for making cooking worth your time is experimentation. It gives you the chance to hit upon new ideas and recipes that can work well with your appetite and schedule. The more you learn and the more you try, the more ability you have to take control of your food and your schedule.Hopefully that gives you a good start. ⑤_____ And don’t let a busy schedule discourage you from making some great changes in the way you eat and live!A.Try new things.B.Ability is easily improved.C.Make three or four instead.D.Understand your food better.E.Cooking is a burden for many people.F.Let cooking and living simply be a joy rather than a burden.G.A little time planning ahead can save a lot of work later on.三、完形填空（15空）Many Chinese people used to 1 each other with “Have you had your meal?” to show their friendliness. Recently, a new greeting has become 2 in many Chinese cities, namely“Have you 3 weight?”Chen Xin, a manager of a media company in Lanzhou, has 4 his friends after successfully getting 5 . “Following instructions from my nutrit ionist, I went on a 6 and lost 10kg,” Chen said with a 7 smile.In recent years, food-delivery services have been growing fast and entering every corner of Chinese cities. Also, Chinese people can 8 buy foods from all over the world. But people are paying more and more attention to their 9 . More people are becoming 10 with various terms, such as “low calories”, “sugar cut­off” and “light food”.“I used to eat a lot of unhealthy food, which brought me much 11 , ” Chen said. “Now my health indicators(指标) are becoming 12 , and I can feel that my body is in good 13 again.”Chen is not alone. Many Chinese are troubled with “diseases of richness”, including obesity and high blood pressure, as the quality of life has greatly 14 over the past decades. Most people need to worry about if they have a healthy diet, 15 if they have enough food.17、A. ask B. question C. tell D. greet18、A. important B. necessary C. popular D. usual19、A. cut B. lost C. caught D. gained20、A. surprised B. excited C. frightened D. scared21、A. fatter B. fitter C. slimmer D. stronger22、A. diet B. walk C. sport D. food23、A. relaxed B. confused C. interested D. satisfied24、A. hardly B. simply C. easily D. quickly25、A. mind B. body C. wealth D. health26、A. similar B. familiar C. strange D. curious27、A. trap B. mistake C. trouble D. difficulty28、A. formal B. normal C. high D. low29、A. shape B. level C. situation D. condition30、A. processed B. improved C. changed D. enlarged31、A. rather than B. or rather C. other than D. or other四、语法填空32、 The Chinese government recently finalized a plan to set up a Giant Panda National Park (GPNP). ①_____(cover) an area about three times ②_____ size of YellowstoneNational Park, the GPNP will be one of the first national parks in the country. The plan will extend protection to a significant number of areas that ③_____(be) previously unprotected, bringing many of the existing protected areas for giant pandas under one authority④_____(increase) effectiveness and reduce inconsistencies in management.After a three-year pilot period, the GPNP will be officially set up next year. The GPNP ⑤_____(design) to reflect the guiding principle of "protecting the authenticity and integrity(完整性) of natural ecosystems, preserving biological diversity, protecting ecological buffer zones, ⑥_____ leaving behind precious natural assets(资产) for future generations". The GPNP's main goal is to improve connectivity between separate ⑦_____(population) and homes of giant pandas, and ⑧_____(eventual) achieve a desired level of population in the wild.Giant pandas also serve ⑨_____ an umbrella species(物种), bringing protection to a host of plants and animals in the southwestern and northwestern parts of China. The GPNP is intended to provide stronger protection for all the species ⑩_____ live within the Giant Panda Range and significantly improve the health of the ecosystem in the area.五、书面表达33、假设你是李华，你的新西兰朋友David听说中国的中小学生正在减轻学生负担，来信询问有关情况。

甘肃省静宁县第一中学2021-2022高二英语上学期第二次考试试题本试卷分第Ⅰ卷（选择题）和第Ⅱ卷（非选择题）两部分。

共120分。

第Ⅰ卷第一部分阅读理解（共15小题：每小题2分，满分30分）阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

ABasketball Statistician Help WantedThe Athletic Department is looking for students to help assist staff during the Fall 202X, Winter 202X-17 and Spring 2021 semesters. Students in this position will be keeping live statistics during basketball games. Students must meet all of the following requirements:●Good computer skills●Available evenings and weekends●Knowing basketball rules and statisticsStudents interested in working for the Athletic Department should contact the Athletic Coordinator at their respective(各自的) campuses.●TP/SS Athletic Coordinator, Michael Simone,240-567-1308●Rockville Athletic Coordinator, Jorge Zuniga,240-567-7589●Springfield Athletic coordinator, Gary Miller,240-567-2273●Germantown Athletic Coordinator, GavriChavan, 240-567-6915A .In May 202X B. In May 2021C. In September 202XD. In September20212.Who is more likely to get job?A. Sam, English major ,member of the college basketball teamB. Judy, IT staff with night classes, children’s basketball team coachC. Ted, computer major, basketball fan, free on evenings and weekendsD. Molly, part-time programmer, high school basketball player ,new mother3.Whom should you contact if you want to apply for the job in Rockville?A. Michael.B. Jorge.C. Gauri.D. Gary.BIt was Mother’s Day morning last y ear and I was doing my shopping at our local supermarket with my five-year-old son, Tenyson. As we were leaving, we found that only minutes earlier an elderly woman had fallen over at the entrance and had hit her head on the concrete. Her husband was with her, but there was blood everywhere and the woman was embarrassed and clearly in shock.Walking towards the scene, Tenyson became very upset about what had happened to the couple. He said to me, “Mum, it’s not much fun falling over in front of everyone.”At the front of the supermarket a charity(慈善) group had set up a stand selling cooked sausages and flowers to raise funds. Tenyson suggested that we should buy the lady a flower. “It will make her feel better,” he said. I was amazed that he’d come up with such a sweet idea. So we went over to the flower seller and asked her if we could buy a flower for the lady to cheer her up. “Just take it,” she replied. “I can’t take your money for such a wonderful gesture.”By now paramedics（救援人员）had arrived, and were attending the injured woman. As we walked up to her, my son became intimidated by all the blood and medical equipment. He said he was just too scared to go up to her.Instead I gave the flower to the woman’s husband and told him, “ My son was very upset for your wife and wanted to giv e her this flower to make her feel better.”At that, t he old man started crying and said, “Thank you so much, you have a wonderful son. Happy Mother’s Day to you.”The man then bent down and gave his wife the flower, telling her who it was from. Though badly hurt and shaken, the old lady looked up at Tenyson with love in her eyes and gave him a little smile.4. What does the author intend to tell us?A. One can never be too careful.B. Actions speak louder than words.C. Love begins with a little smile.D. A small act of kindness brings a great joy.5. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?A. The elderly woman was knocked down by Tenyson.B. Tenyson’s idea of buying a flower gained his mother’s suppo rt.C. Tenyson’s care for the elderly woman puzzled the flower seller.D. The elderly woman was moved to tears by Tenyson’s gesture.6. The underlined word “intimidated” in the fourth paragraph probably means “___________”.A. astonishedB. struckC. frightenedD. excited7. What would be the best title for the passage?A. Flower PowerB. Mother’s DayC. An Accidental InjuryD. An Embarrassing MomentCMore students than ever before are taking a gap-year (间隔年)before going to univers ity. It used to be called the “year off” between school and university. The gap-year phenomenon originated (起源) with the months left over to Oxbridge applicants between entrance exams in November and the start of the next academic year.This year, 25,310 students who have accepted places in higher education institutions have put off their entry until n ext year, according to statistics on university entrance provided by University and College Admissions Service(UCAS).That is a record 14.7% increase in the number of students taking a gap year. Tony Higgins from UCAS said that the statistics are go od news for everyone in higher education. “Students who take a well-planned year out are more likely to be satisfied with, and complete, their chosen course. Students who take a gap year are often more mature and responsible,” he said.But not everyone is happy. Owain James, the president of the National Union of Students(NUS), argued that the increase is evidence of student had ship –young people are being fo rced into earning money before finishing their education. “New students are now aware that they are likely to leave university up to ￡15,000 in debt. It is not surprising that more and more students are taking a gap year to earn money to support their study for the degree.NUS statistics show that over 40% of students are forced to work during term time and the figure increases to 90% during vacation periods,” he said.8. What do we learn about the gap year from the text?A. It is flexible in length.B. It is a time for relaxation.C. It is increasingly popular.D. It is required by universities.9. According to Tony Higgins,students taking a gap year______.A. are better prepared for college studiesB. know a lot more about their fut ure jobsC. are more likely to leave university in debtD. have a better chance to enter top universities10. How does Owain James feel about the gap-year phenomenon?A. He's puzzled.B. He's worried.C. He's surprised.D. He's annoyed.11. What would most students do on their vacation according to NUS statistics?A. Attend additional courses.B. Make plans for the new term.C. Earn money for their education.D. Prepare for their graduate studies.DFrom the first use of the rocket to carry satellites into space to the s etting up of space stations, human beings have achieved many successes. But there are still numerous tasks in front of us and we should not stop trying to progress.The international space station is an important step we should take in space exploration. It is not only helpful but also necessary. It provides a proper space environment for many experiments that we have wanted to do for a long time. It is also a base for observing the earth and the universe. It could also be an important base for later travel to the moon and Mars. In a word, if we want to explore space more, the first thing we should do is to set up a space station.As the space station costs a lot of money, it is hard for one country alone to establish one. The US seems to be the only country that has the ability to build a space station alone, and it has tried to do so, but not very successful. So it aggregated many other countries to work on it together. Though it is still extremely expensive, it is much cheaper than doing it alone. It is really a job that needs everyone’s effort and will benefit everyone.But even so, the funds needed are still a big problem. As for the US, it seems that it has too many things to spend its money on. Although it is the richest country in the world, it has much debt every year. It has to try to find a balance in all these issues.12．What is the author’s attitude towards building and developing the international space station？A．Supportive. B．Doubtful. C．Worried.D．Reserved.13．From Paragraph 2 we can learn that ______________.A．the necessity of building the international space station is not realized now B．many experiments have been done in the international space stationC．the international space station is necessary for people to explore space further D．people have travelled to Mars from the international space station 14．Which of the following is NOT a reason for countries’ cooperation in building the international space station？A．It will benefit every participating country. B．No country is able to build it alone.C．It needs everyone’s effort.D．It requires a lot of money. 15．All the following aspects about building the international space station are mentioned EXCEPT ____A．difficulties B．cost C．importance D．waste 第二部分英语知识运用（共三节，满分55分）第一节完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。