齐齐哈尔2025学年度第二学期期末教学质量检测高一英语

1、Do you think climbing is _____ to our health?

A.beneficial B.invaluable C.advisable D.worthy

2、I can’t say which one is best—— it’s________personal taste.

A.a lack of B.a means of C.a manner of D.a matter of

3、John was made ___ the truck for a week as a punishment.

A.to wash B.washing C.wash D.to be washing

4、We had lots of good applicants for the job, but one _________ from the rest.

A.made out B.stood out C.picked out D.figured out

5、He went out of the room with few clothes on, only rather cold.

A．to feel

B．feel

C．feeling

D．felt

6、The Summer Palace, which we visited last summer, is one of Beijing's main tourist _____.

A.attractions B.dominations C.motivations D.conditions

7、I wish to thank, _____________, all the people who have made this exhibition possible.

A. in particular B. in peace

C. in case D. in place

8、1 wish I could do something _______ the kindness I have received from him.

A.in search of B.in preparation for

C.in spite of D.in return for

9、It’s the test system，________ the teachers，that is to blame for the heavy burden of middle school students.

A．other than B．or rather

C．rather than D．more than

10、_____ she was sick, I was expected to take his place greatly surprised me, for I didn’t have much work experience.

A.That if B.That C.If that D.If

11、Jim is absent from the party. That is ________ he was badly injured in the football game.

A.because B.why C.how D.when

12、He has decided to settle ____in France because he is fond of the romantic country.

A. temporary B. temporarily

C. permanent D. permanently

13、Your parents seem very much opposed ________ abroad. What will you do about it?

A.your going B.you to go C.to your going D.your to go

14、Much to the couple's comfort，their income is now double ________ it was five years ago.

A.that B.if C.which D.what

15、There were no tickets________for Friday's performance.

A．preferable

B．considerable

C．possible

D．available

16、Only when he told me________what trouble he was in.

A．did I realize B．I realized

C．do I realize   D．I realize

17、The government   the diplomatic note from Japan for its unclear attitude to the trade between two countries.

A.denied B.refused C.rejected D.objected

18、Some parents might find learning at home to be ________ beyond additional bonding with their children

A.beneficial B.stainless C.relevant D.terminal

19、Which of the following sentences is correct?

A.We urge effective measures taken immediately.

B.What a tiny spot I was this enormous world!

C.That’s quite difficult as I don’t speak much of the local English dialect yet.

D.There was a newly made platform for Jenny and me to sleep.

20、In some parts of London, missing a bus means _______ for another hour.

A. waiting   B. being waited

C. to wait     D. to be waiting

21、--- Tom has a good memory.

---So he does. He can remember every______ in great detail.

A. incident B. accident

C. affair D. event

22、The dictionary is being printed and it will soon______.

A．turn out

B．come out

C．start out

D．go out

23、His success doesn't ____________ his cleverness, and working hard ____________ his progress.

A. result in; leads to B. result from; lies in

C. lead to; lies in D. lie in; leads to

24、 The education program ________combining brain work with manual labor is being widely spread throughout the country.

A．to aim at      B．aims at

C．having aimed at  D．aimed at

25、Professor Smith is very kind. You can turn to him for help as long as he is_________.

A.active B.confused C.available D.busy

26、Dolphins are universally regarded as some of the cleverest creatures in the world. In captivity ( 圈养), they can be trained to complete complex tasks such as jumping through hoops and somersaulting through the air.

But their intelligence doesn’t stop there. In a recent study of cetaceans (鲸目动物)--a group of animals that includes dolphins and whales--researchers created a list of intelligent behaviors observed in 90 different cetacean species, reported the Guardian. For example, the smartest cetaceans hunt in groups, share knowledge through mimicry (模仿) and even care for each other's children. Some even consider their behavior to be human-like.

“There is the saying that ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ seems to be true for both whales and humans,”

Michael Muthukrishna of the London School of Economics, co-author of the study, told the Guardian.

However, cetaceans don’t just use their brain power for survival. The study suggests that dolphins might even gossip. That's because some species greet each other with specific whistles, just as humans greet each other by name, the Guardian reported. Sometimes, a group of dolphins whistles the “name” of a dolphin that isn't there. Could they be speaking about their “friend” behind its back?

For the researchers, dolphin small talk is a big deal. As they found that the most social cetaceans also have the largest brains, they argue that cetacean intelligence developed to meet the demands of complex social groups.

Known as the “cultural brain hypothesis (假设),” it had only been used to explain the intelligence of humans and other primates (灵长目动物). The new study aimed to find a common pathway for the evolution of intelligence among biologically different species.

“It is interesting to think that whale and human brains are different in their structure but have brought us to the same patterns in behavior, ” Luke Rendell, a biologist at the University of St Andrews, told the Guardian.

Indeed, we still have a lot to learn about our intelligent ocean-dwelling neighbors. “We don’ t have to look at other planets to look for aliens,” Muthukrishna told the Guardian, “because we know that underwater there are these amazing species with so many parallels to us in their complex behaviors.”

【1】The recent study was intended to ______.

A．learn more about intelligent creatures of the sea

B．explain the intelligence of humans and cetaceans

C．create a list of intelligent behaviors of different cetacean species

D．see whether the intelligence of different species evolved in the same way

【2】The implied   meaning of the underlined part in Paragraph 3 is that ______.

A．villagers have the responsibility   to raise any child in the village

B．like human beings, whales even help raise each other’s babies

C．cetaceans have social behaviors very similar to human beings

D．it is not easy for one villager to take care of his or her own child

【3】It can be inferred from the passage that ______.

A．it is unnecessary to look for aliens and do research into them

B．some cetaceans have the same intelligence as human beings

C．both dolphins and whales greet each other with specific whistles

D．both dolphins and whales have a lot in common with humans in behaviors

【4】What is the best title for this passage?

A．Aliens living underwater

B．A study of intelligent dolphins

C．Intelligent creatures of the sea

D．Reasons for the intelligence of sea creatures

27、My brother, Michael and I are crazy about houses. On Aug 1, 2016, I was driving through the Northern Neck of Virginia with him. We had found an abandoned Italianate farmhouse with weeds up to our waist. When admiring the property my brother rolled up the unlocked garage   door. “Holy smokes!” There sat this Mercedes. Seeing the number 6.9 on its back, I immediately recognized this to be a rare and unique find.

The car’s door was unlocked and in the glovebox, I found insurance papers. It turned out that the owner was a dead country doctor.It took me a year to find his widow’s(寡妇的) address, in Richmond. Twice I made the two-hour drive just to knock on her door, striking out both times. On the third try her neighbor was outside and I was able to get the widow’s phone number.

I logged approximately 25 voice mails,and still nothing.It was, I thought, just bad luck. I called one last time and heard a voice: “Hello?” From that point on, we struck up a friendship.

In July 2018, two years after finding the car, I was ready to buy it from her. We met in the middle — somewhere around what a new Toyota might cost. Still,the night before, I called my brother and said, “I am getting cold feet.” What was I doing buying an old Mercedes? He said, “You are buying that great car. And I promise you, the friendship you will make as a result will make this car worth every penny.” And he was right.

【1】Why did the author go to the Northern Neck?

A．To visit his brother.

B．To check the house.

C．To buy the unique car.

D．To enjoy the beautiful sights.

【2】What can we infer from the second and third paragraphs?

A．The author had trouble finding the car owner.

B．The car was the doctor’s only possession.

C．The widow was unwilling to sell the car.

D．The car was in bad conditions.

【3】What does the underlined sentence in the last paragraph mean?

A．He was shocked by the price.

B．He was hesitating to make the decision.

C．He cared about money more than the car.

D．The weather that day was quite cold.

【4】What did Michael think of buying the car?

A．It was a waste of money.

B．It would cost a great deal.

C．Buying the car brought good friendship.

D．His brother made a good bargain buying it.

28、Fear may be felt in the heart as well as in the head, according to a study that has found a link between the cycles of a beating heart and the chance of someone feeling fear.

Tests on healthy volunteers found that they were more likely to feel a sense of fear at the moment when their hearts are contracting(收缩) and pumping blood around their bodies, compared with the point when the heartbeat is relaxed. Scientists say the results suggest that the heart is able to influence how the brain responds to a fearful event, depending on which point it is at in its regular cycle of contraction and relaxation.

Sarah Garfinkel at the Brighton and Sussex Medical School said: “Our Study shows for the first time that the way in which we deal with fear is different depending on when we see fearful pictures in relation to our heart.”

The study tested 20 healthy volunteers on their reactions to fear as they were shown pictures of fearful faces. Dr Garfinkel said, “The study showed that fearful faces are better noticed when the heart is pumping than when it is relaxed. Thus our hearts can also affect what we see and what we don’t see一and guide whether we see fear.”

To further understand this relationship, the scientists also used a brain scanner(扫描仪) to show how the brain influences the way the heart changes a person’s feeling of fear.

“We have found an important mechanism by which the heart and brain ‘speak’ to each other to change our feelings and reduce fear,” Dr Garfinkel said.

“We hope that by increasing our understanding about how fear is dealt with and ways that it could be reduced, we may be able to develop more successful treatments for anxiety disorders, and also for those who may be suffering from serious stress disorder.”

【1】What is the finding of the study?

A.One’s heart affects how he feels fear.

B.Fear is a result of one’s relaxed heartbeat.

C.Fear has something to do with one’s health.

D.One’s fast heartbeats are likely to cause fear.

【2】The study was carried out by analyzing .

A.volunteers’ heartbeats when they saw terrible pictures

B.the time volunteers saw fearful pictures and their health conditions

C.volunteers’ reactions to horrible pictures and data from their brain scans

D.different pictures shown to volunteers and their heart—brain communication

【3】Which of the following is closest in meaning to “mechanism” in Paragraph 6?

A.Order. B.System.

C.Machine. D.Treatment.

【4】This study may contribute to   .

A.treating anxiety and stress better.

B.explaining the cycle of fear and anxiety

C.finding the key to the heart-brain communication

D.understanding different fears in our hearts and heads

29、   I was never very neat, while my roommate Kate was extremely organized. Each of her objects had its place, but mine always hid somewhere. She even labeled (贴标签) everything. I always looked for everything. Over time, Kate got neater and I got messier. She would push my dirty clothing over, and I would lay my books on her tidy desk. We both got tired of each other.

War broke out one evening. Kate came into the room. Soon, I heard her screaming, “Take your shoes away! Why under my bed!” Deafened, I saw my shoes flying at me. I jumped to my feet and started yelling. She yelled back louder.

The room was filled with anger. We could not have stayed together for a single minute but for a phone call. Kate answered it. From her end of the conversation, I could tell right away her grandma was seriously ill. When she hung up, she quickly crawled under her covers, sobbing. Obviously, that was something she should not go through phone. All of a sudden, a warm feeling of sympathy rose up in my heart.

Slowly, I collected the pencils, took back the books, made my bed, cleaned the socks and swept the floor, even on her side. I got so into my work that I even didn’t notice Kate had sat up. She was watching, her tears dried and her expression one of disbelief. Then, she reached out her hands to grasp mine. I looked up into her eyes. She smiled at me, “Thanks.”

Kate and I stayed roommates for the rest of the year. We didn’t always agree, but we learned the key to living together: giving in, cleaning up and holding on.

【1】How is Paragraph 1 mainly developed?

A.By analyzing causes.

B.By describing a process.

C.By showing differences.

D.By following time order.

【2】What made Kate angry one evening?

A.She couldn’t find her books.

B.She heard the author shouting loud.

C.She got the news that her grandma was ill.

D.She saw the author’s shoes beneath her bed.

【3】The author tidied up the room most probably because _______.

A.she wanted to show her care

B.she was asked by Kate to do so

C.she was scared by Kate’s anger

D.she hated herself for being so messy

【4】What might be the best title for the story?

A.My Friend Kate

B.Hard Work Pays Off

C.How to Be Organized

D.Learning to Be Roommates

30、I was born legally blind. Of all the stories of my early childhood, the one about a _______ is my mother’s favorite.

I was only two when the _______ occurred. We had just arrived home from a trip. Mom lifted me out of the car and _______ to speak to the driver. I took advantage of my brief _______ to dash across the lawn(草坪) — and hit a large maple tree! I was running so fast that I bounced off the trunk and landed on my backside. Mom _______ me to start crying, but I just sat there for a minute. Then I _______ myself up and kept right on going.

Mom loves to use this story as an _______. It reminds her that children don’t enter life _______ to take risks or unwilling to _______ again when they fall down. She never wanted me to lose that toughness as I grew older. When I ________ my major life decisions, I was still that little girl tearing full-speed across the lawn. I studied abroad and later moved away from my parents’ home to look for a ________. Through years of ________, I have become a respected teacher in a school serving high-need students.

We are almost certain to get ________ at some point during the process of achieving our goal. When that happens, don’t sit in the grass and ________. Just get up and keep on going. It will all be worth it ________.

【1】

A．trip

B．race

C．tree

D．driver

【2】

A．incident

B．change

C．illness

D．problem

【3】

A．feared

B．refused

C．forgot

D．turned

【4】

A．delay

B．absence

C．freedom

D．rest

【5】

A．promised.

B．encouraged

C．allowed

D．expected

【6】

A．woke

B．picked

C．warmed

D．gave

【7】

A．answer

B．example

C．excuse

D．order

【8】

A．afraid

B．ashamed

C．able

D．anxious

【9】

A．ask

B．share

C．learn

D．try

【10】

A．regretted

B．reviewed

C．made

D．explained

【11】

A．job

B．friend

C．fortune

D．house

【12】

A．memories

B．efforts

C．research

D．experience

【13】

A．mixed up

B．fed up

C．knocked down

D．settled down

【14】

A．play

B．relax

C．dream

D．cry

【15】

A．all at once

B．in the end

C．in either case

D．as a result

31、   How many licks （舔）does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop （棒棒糖）？

The first time I heard this in the Tootsie Pop advertisement, I was five years old. I immediately started _______ and counting. After about two hundred licks or so. I stopped. The _______ of the chewy center had proven to be too great, and I _______ my way through the hard shell （外壳）to the very center. Besides, I _______ knew it took three licks to get to the center― that’s how many licks it took the owl （猫头鹰）in the advertisement to get to the center, so that, to me, it was the _______ answer.

In high school I held to the Tootsie Pop _______ . To me, the answer was still always three licks.

In my freshman year. I joined the Model United Nations _______ in my school. The Chair position had _______ the center of the Tootsie Pop and my _______ had become various other students. The first so-called was Eric who had luckily _______ the prestigious （有威望的）Chair position. So, I decided, _______ Eric reached the center in only one lick, that's how many licks it should take me. I went to the tryouts with a view to obtaining the position but _______.

At the end of my sophomore （崗二）year, a new owl named Iris had _______ achieved the chair position after trying twice. I began working hard again. But then again, I did not make a _______ of it.

Now, slightly frustrated after _______ two setbacks, I found a new owl. Evan. It had taken him three licks to get to the "center： Three was all I could _______ . It was widely known that senior year was the _______ year to become Chair. I thought about _______ the program. but on second thoughts. I decided to continue.

Eleven years later, I visited the official Tootsie Pop website to find the real answer to the question that had _______ me my entire high school life. I finally understood. However many licks it takes to get to the center of the Tootsie Pop depends on however many licks I _______ to take—not how many the other owls take.

【1】A.dreaming B.admiring C.licking D.chewing

【2】A.appeal B.appearance C.power D.discovery

【3】A.fought B.followed C.made D.bit

【4】A.seldom B.never C.already D.nearly

【5】A.brief B.right C.random D.temporary

【6】A.advertisement B.plan C.philosophy D.custom

【7】A.program B.conference C.title D.activity

【8】A.become B.changed C.determined D.explored

【9】A.shell B.hope C.owl D.companion

【10】A.noticed B.shifted C.improved D.landed

【11】A.unless B.if C.before D.until

【12】A.failed B.quit C.survived D.struggled

【13】A.yet B.even C.still D.also

【14】A.promise B.success C.point D.joke

【15】A.interacting with B.frightening away C.going through D.working out

【16】A.afford B.buy C.admit D.expect

【17】A.middle B.gap C.last D.initial

【18】A.winning B.criticizing C.quitting D.arranging

【19】A.motivated B.troubled C.attracted D.instructed

【20】A.learn B.offer C.refuse D.choose

32、   I made a promise to myself on the way to the vacation beach cottage. For two weeks I would try to be a_____________husband and father._______loving. No ifs, ands or buts.

I______the idea as I listened to a talk on my car radio. The speaker was reading a passage about husbands being_______of their wives. Then he went on to say, "Love is an act of will. A person can choose to love." To myself; I had to admit that I had been a(n)_________husband .Well, for two weeks that would__________. And it did. Right from the moment I kissed Evelyn at the door and said, "That new yellow sweater looks great on you."

"Oh, Tom, you noticed," she said, surprised but________. Maybe a little confused

After the long_______, I wanted to sit and read. Evelyn suggested a walk on the beach I started to______________, but then I thought, "Evelyn's been alone here with the kids all week and now she wants to________________with me."  We walked on the beach while the children ________their kites.

So it went. Two weeks of not ________the Wall Street firm where I am a manager; a visit to the shell museum though I usually hate museums. Relaxed and happy, that's how the whole vacation passed. I made a new promise to keep on remembering to________love.

There was one thing that went wrong with my______, however. Evelyn and I still_______about it today. On the last night at our cottage, preparing for bed, Evelyn stared at me sadly.

"What's the matter?" I asked her.

"Tom," she said in a voice filled with_______. "do you know something I don't?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well... that______I had several weeks ago... our doctor... did he tell you something about me? Tom, you've been so good to me... am dying?"

It took a moment for it all to_________. Then I laughed aloud.

"No, honey," I said,________her in my arms, "You're not dying; I'm just starting to_________."

【1】A.responsible B.caring C.generous D.loving

【2】A.Totally B.Even C.Still D.Somehow

【3】A.got along with B.made up with C.came up with D.fitted in with

【4】A.ashamed B.independent C.proud D.thoughtful

【5】A.selfish B.enthusiastic C.fortunate D.useless

【6】A.change B.last C.recover D.disappear

【7】A.embarrassed B.delighted C.scared D.curious

【8】A.walk B.flight C.reflection D.drive

【9】A.accept B.refuse C.suffer D.challenge

【10】A.read B.chat C.stay D.live

【11】A.adjusted B.desired C.flew D.dragged

【12】A.calling B.joining C.visiting D.leaving

【13】A.value B.save C.choose D.respect

【14】A.vacation B.life C.family D.experiment

【15】A.talk B.laugh C.think D.worry

【16】A.sadness B.hope C.pity D.confusion

【17】A.deal B.argument C.incident D.checkup

【18】A.get about B.get across C.get away D.get through

【19】A.pushing B.taking C.holding D.catching

【20】A.love B.die C.live D.understand

33、Though completely blind, Jasen Bracy, a 15-year-old quarterback is unstoppable when he’s on the football field. The young star grew up enjoying the sport every time football season came around and knew that football was his _________.

Jasen has been _________ since he was a young child. All he can tell is when it’s morning or night time. However, Jasen never felt _________ to follow his dream that one day he would be on TV or on the football field himself. When Jasen _________ 13, his parents gave him a phone, which he used to call every football _________ in he area and asked if they would give him a try without his parents _________. “All of a sudden, one day we get a call from coach David Nichols saying, ‘Hey, I got a (an) _________ from your son asking if he can come to play football for us, but did he say he was blind?’” “Jasen’s father said. But _________ the many other teams who rejected Jasen, Nichols was ready to give him a _________.

Jasen shocked Nichols and his team, immediately __________ the uniform and mastering __________ needed to play football without seeing the field, players or ball. In the games, the opposing team doesn’t even __________ Jasen is blind.

Football isn’t the only thing Jasen can do. He is good at __________ sports, including swimming, golf and wresting. His dreams are boundless, and nothing seems out of __________ to him. But his heart __________ in football and his focus is on reaching the National Football League.

【1】

A．passion

B．possession

C．privilege

D．principle

【2】

A．deaf

B．lame

C．blind

D．sick

【3】

A．satisfied

B．thrilled

C．anxious

D．hesitant

【4】

A．turned

B．counted

C．grew

D．remained

【5】

A．class

B．team

C．store

D．brand

【6】

A．knowing

B．understanding

C．supporting

D．believing

【7】

A．e-mail

B．text

C．call

D．letter

【8】

A．as

B．despite

C．except

D．unlike

【9】

A．chance

B．choice

C．reason

D．reply

【10】

A．setting aside

B．putting on

C．taking over

D．sorting out

【11】

A．regulations

B．routines

C．techniques

D．disciplines

【12】

A．demonstrate

B．realize

C．recommend

D．approach

【13】

A．elegant

B．virtual

C．primitive

D．numerous

【14】

A．reach

B．control

C．practice

D．favour

【15】

A．hands

B．gives

C．lies

D．results

34、Directions: Read the following passage. Fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word. For the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

My daughter

(A story told by a father, a famous actor)

My wife and I only had the one child. We had Amy.

I see her as my best friend. I think she’d always come to me first if she had a problem. We have the same sense of humor, and share interests. 【1】 I don’t mind animals, she’s completely fascinated with them, and she has always had dogs, cats, horses, and goldfish in her life.

We were 【2】 (close) when she was about four, which I think is a lovely age for a child. They know the parents best, and don’t have outside contacts. She must have grown up suddenly when she went to school, because I remember her growing away from her family slightly. Any father who has a teenager daughter comes across an extraordinary collection of people, and there seemed to be an endless stream of strange young men 【3】 (come) through our house. By the time I learned their names they 【4】 (go) away and I had to start learning a new lot.

I wanted more than anything else for her to be happy in 【5】 she was doing, and I was prepared to pull strings to help her on her way. When she left a good school she decided she wanted to become an actress so I got her into drama school. It wasn’t to her liking so she joined a theatre group and began doing bits and pieces in films. She was doing well, but then gave it up. She probably found it boring. Then she took up social work, and finally went to work 【6】a designer and he became her husband. And that’s really the story of her life. She must be happy with him—they’re always together.

We have such similar tastes in books and music 【7】 I used to take her to see an opera, which is my big passion. However, I don’t think she likes it very much. She doesn’t come with me anymore.

I don’t think she’s a big television watcher. She knows when I’m on the television, and she 【8】 watch, but I don’t know. It’s not the kind of thing she tells me.

We’re very grateful for Amy. She’s a good daughter as daughters go. We’re looking forward to being grandparents.

35、课文填空

The Sundance Film Festival 【1】 boycotts all Hollywood films, and we don’t foresee ever including them. The initial idea for our festival was 【2】 back in l978. when it was known as the Utah/US Film Festival. However, it was not well known until 1981. It was then that Robert Redford became its 【3】 and changed the focus to independent films, often made on very modest 【4】 It was given its new name-the Sundance Film Festival-in 1991. Redford has acted in and directed many big Hollywood films, but wanted to 【5】 the public to films made outside of the Hollywood system

36、

Rapidly advancing technology and its impact on education has been a subject of debate. How can schools equip students with the skills they need to succeed in a challenging job market?

Since technology is driving these changes, there is a theory that governments should keep focusing on STEM subjects. These are often referred to as “hard skills,” which are 【1】 in primary school and right through to university level. In the meantime, ‘soft skills’ are being 【2】.

This is a mistake. Much evidence suggests that soft skills are far more 【3】 to graduates in the long term. Research from Harvard University on the global job market has shown that STEM- related careers grew strongly between 1989 and 2000 but have slowed down since. In contrast, jobs in the creative industries----the sector probably most 【4】 with the need for soft skills---are growing rapidly. Soft skills are, in fact, increasingly in demand in the workplace: Google cites creativity, leadership 【5】 and communication skills as top requirements for both potential and current employees.

So why are soft skills so highly 【6】 for?

With the rapid evolution of technology, a focus on hard skills leaves students 【7】 to change, as these often have a short shelf life. According to research by World Economic Forum, more than one in four adults reports a mismatch between their skills and those needed for their job role. If soft skills are taught well, these skills should enable students to adapt to change more easily and progress further in their 【8】 career.

Of course, technical skills are important. But without the curriculum placing equal--- if not greater --- 【9】 on soft skills, our education systems are missing a huge trick. Hard skills may help a student get a job in a particular industry, but soft skills will help them disrupt it, achieving a wider 【10】 in their chosen field.

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

Why Cold weather Causes So many Flight Cancellation?

Each year, about 60,000 flights get canceled because of bad winter weather, which costs airlines and airports an estimated $3 billion. But it’s not the freezing cold temperatures that cause problems for planes. After all, 【1】 jets fly 10 kilometers up, where temperatures hover around -50 degrees Celsius.

In fact, planes 【2】 in cold weather, since cold air is denser and leads to better thrust. Clearly, the real problem isn’t what’s going on up there. It’s what’s happening on the ground.

When a 【3】 polar vortex (极地涡旋) struck the Midwestern US in January 2019, temperatures dropped to -40 degrees Celsius and airline canceled 3,000 flights nationwide. In these situations, when temperatures start 【4】, everything slows down. Cargo doors can freeze up, along with the nozzles that pump fuel into planes, which delays the 【5】 process.

Even the plane itself can freeze over. Just a quarter-inch - thick layer of ice on a plane can disrupt the way air flows over its wings.

Les Westbrooks: The number one reason, I would say, that the reason flights get delayed in cold weather is going to be because there’s some kind of frozen precipitation, from frost to snow to a sheet of ice, adhering to the aircraft, adhering to the wings of the aircraft 【6】.

That’s Les Westbrooks, a retired airline pilot and an associate professor of aeronautical science at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He says that 【7】, these planes are “de-iced” - but this also delays takeoff. The crew can spray the plane with a special hot water/ glycol mixture. It can take around 40 minutes to de-ice large passenger airplanes, so planes often have to wait “their turn” for the de-icing station, which, of course, can trigger more delays.

And ice on the runway, of course, creates another set of 【8】. In 2014, a plane at JFK skidded off an icy runway and into a mound of snow, leading to an hours-long shutdown at the airport. And even though crews can remove ice from the runway, scraping it off the pavement can lead to potholes (坑洞) and other 【9】, which makes takeoffs and landings more dangerous. And of course, snow and freezing rain on the ground can affect visibility to the point where officials have to decide it’s not safe to fly at all.

But if ice and snow aren’t the problem in these extremely cold temperatures, it’s usually another factor: people.

Les Westbrooks: The airplane flies at high altitudes, -60 degrees. It’s made to do that. Humans are not made to be outside in -60 degrees weather. And so the human factor becomes a big, big factor, when it becomes extremely cold.

Baggage handlers, aircraft fuelers, and mechanics all have to stay warm. Some airports, like O’Hare in Chicago, set up heated shelters for their employees. Of course, with everyone taking breaks to warm up, not as much gets done, which leads to even more delays and cancellations. Passengers start missing their 【10】 flights, and that, along with passengers who can’t make it to the airport due to bad road conditions, leads to half-empty planes.

In fact, many airlines might preemptively cancel flights before bad weather even hits. So, in the end, you can still blame cold weather for cancelling your flight.

38、假设你是育才中学学生会主席(chairman of the Students’ Union)李华。你校将举办一次英语演讲比赛（speech contest），希望附近大学的外籍教师Smith 女生来做评委(judge)。请你给她写一封信。

英语演讲比赛的主题：人与自然

时间：6月10日下午2：---5：

地点：501教室

参赛选手：8名

联系人：李华（电话44876655）

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39、假定你是李华，你的英国好友Jim计划去非洲做志愿者，但是他的父母以安全为由反对，他发来邮件讲述此事。请你给他回复邮件，内容包括：

1．你对该计划的看法；2．你的建议。

注意：1. 词数100左右；

2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

40、阅读下面短文，根据其内容写一篇60词左右的内容概要。

We often think how fast we learn something is a function of how smart we are. If your brain is absorbing material quickly, you are intelligent; if not, your IQ is worryingly low. But science shows small changes of the format（格式）you use to read — like those between audiobooks（有声读物）and physical books — can make a huge difference to how fast we learn.

Audiobooks have plenty of advantages. You can enjoy them anywhere, even when you are in the car or taking a walk. Less fluent readers often find them more convenient and absorbing. But according to the latest research, if your goal isn’t to pass the time in traffic or in the gym, but instead to learn something difficult, you should certainly choose a physical book. A 2010 study found that those who read a story from a book remembered details and the order of events better than those who listened to it and therefore performed much better on a quiz after.

Why can physical books help us understand learning materials better? Two factors are likely at play. First, most of us read more slowly than we listen, and when you’re trying to absorb new information, being slower tends to be better. Second, physical books offer visual clues that help our brains organize and understand new information. Things like chapter breaks, subheadings, and lists aid us in making sense of the material and understanding how it fits together. You lose all that when you go the audio route.

So the bottom line is simple: If you want to get some light reading during a trip or a workout, obviously pick audio. However, if you want to make it as easy as possible to learn something hard, be aware of audio’s limitations and seriously consider choosing good old-fashioned reading instead. You might be surprised how fast you follow the material.

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

Americans are proud of their variety and individuality, yet they love and respect few things more than a uniform, whether it is the uniform of a lift operator or the uniform of a five-star general. Why are uniforms so popular in the United States?

Among the arguments for uniforms, one of the first is that in the eyes of most people they look more professional than civilian clothes. People have become conditioned to expect higher quality from a man who wears a uniform. The television repairman who wears a uniform is likely to inspire more trust than one who appears in civilian clothes. Faith in the skill of a garage mechanic is increased by a uniform. What easier way is there for a nurse, a policeman, a hairdresser, or a waiter to lose professional identity than to step out of uniform?

Uniforms also have many practical good points. They are often more comfortable and more lasing than civilian clothes.

Primary fact among the argument against uniforms is their lack of variety and the loss of individuality experienced by people who must wear them. Though there are many types of uniforms, the wearer of any particular type is generally stuck with it, without change, until retirement. When people look alike, they are likely to think, speak, and act similarly on the job at least.

Uniforms also give rise to some practical problems. Though they are long-lasting, often their initial expense is greater than the cost of civilian clothes. Some uniforms are also expensive to maintain, requiring professional dry cleaning rather than the home laundering possible with many types of civilian clothes.