高二第一学期英语期末考试试题.doc

高二第一学期英语期末考试试题

第一卷（共两大题，满分90分）

一、完型填空 （共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
He was driving home one cold evening on a country road when he saw an old lady, stranded on the side of the road. He stopped to do her a　41　. “I’m here to help you, madam. Why don’t you wait in the car where it is warm, Madam? It won’t take me long. ” He said, “　42　, my name is Joe. ”
She had a flat tire. Joe crawled under the car and changed the tire. But he got dirty and his hands hurt. She couldn’t thank him　43　and asked him how much she　44　him. He told her that if she really wanted to　45　him back, the next time she saw someone in　46　of help, she could give that person the　47　he needed, and Joe added, “And think of me” .
She drove off with gratefulness. A few miles　48　the road the lady saw a small　49　. She went in. The waitress who was nearly eight months pregnant, 　50　her with a sweet smile. The old lady　51　how someone like her who seemed so poor could be so genuinely happy and how she could　52　her enthusiasm in her work in such inconvenient conditions. Then Joe’s words　53　her. After the lady finished her meal, the waitress went to get her　54　from a hundred-dollar bill. 　55　, the lady stepped right out the door.
When the waitress came back, she noticed a note on the table, 　56　 “I’m helping you because someone once helped me. If you really want to pay me back, here is　57　you can do—Do not let the chain of love　58　with you. ”
The waitress went home that night with the　59　tip and what the lady had written. With the baby　60　next month, she and her husband needed money. She knew how worried her husband was and as he lay sleeping next to her, she whispered, “Everything’s going to be all right. I love you, Joe. ”
1. A. surprise B. hand C. sympathy D. favor
2. A. Just in case B. As you wish C. For one thing D. By the way
3. A. enough B. right C. straight D. extra
4. A. charged B. provided C. owed D. offered
5. A. pay B. bring C. put D. hold
6. A. honor B. favor C. need D. possession
7. A. guidance B. Assistance C. acquaintance D. consequence
8. A. down B. off C. beside D. beyond
9. A. bank B. grocery C. gas station D. restaurant
10. A. introduced B. greeted C. identified D. spotted
11. A. thought B. minded C. wondered D. questioned
12. A. taste B. measure C. remain D. keep
13. A. struck B. moved C. caught D. reminded
14. A. tip B. change C. order D. service
15. A. Moreover B. Otherwise C. However D. So
16. A. writing B. showing C. going D. reading
17. A. how B. which C. what D. whether
18. A. combine B. end C. disagree D. deal
19. A. honest B. generous C. modest D. graceful
20. A. due B. ready C. born D. likely

二、阅读理解 （共10小题；每小题5分，满分50分）

A
Heroes of Our Time
A good heart
Dikembe Mutombo grew up in Africa among great poverty and disease. He came to Georgetown University on a scholarship（奖学金） to study medicine — but Coach (教练) John Thompson got a look at Dikembe and had a different idea. Dikembe became a star in the NBA, and a citizen of the United States. But he never forgot the land of his birth, or the duty to share his fortune with others. He built a new hospital in his old hometown in the Congo. A friend has said of this good-hearted man “Mutombo believes that God has given him this chance to do great things.”
Success and kindness
After her daughter was born, Julie Aigner-Clark searched for ways to share her love of music and art with her child. So she borrowed some equipment, and began filming children’s videos (录像) in her own house. The Baby Einstein Company was born, and in just five years her business grew to more than $20 million in sales. And she is using her success to help others — producing child safety videos with John Walsh of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Julie says of her new program “I believe it’s the most important thing that I have ever done. I believe that children have the right to live in a world that is safe.”
Bravery and courage
A few weeks ago, Wesley Autrey was waiting at a Harlem subway station with his two little girls when he saw a man fall into the path of a train. With seconds to act, Wesley jumped onto the tracks, pulled the man into the space between the rails (铁轨), and held him as the train passed right above their heads. He insists he’s not a hero. He says “We have got to show each other some love.”
21．What was Mutombo praised for?
A. Being a star in the NBA.
B. Being a student of medicine.
C. His work in the church.
D. His willingness to help the needy.
22．What did the Baby Einstein Company do at its beginning?
A. Produce safety equipment for children.
B. Make videos to help protect children.
C. Sell children’s music and artwork.
D. Look for missing and exploited children.
23．Why was Wesley Autrey praised as a hero?
A. He helped a man get across the rails.
B. He stopped a man from destroying the rails.
C. He protected two little girls from getting hurt.
D. He saved a person without considering his own safety.

B
In the future your automobile will run on water instead of gas! You will be able to buy a supercomputer that fits in your pocket! You might even drive a flying car!
Not all past predictions have been proven wrong. A few of them have been surprisingly accurate. Some great thinkers predicted the arrival of the credit card, the fax machine and even the internet years before they happened. But for each prediction that has come true, some others have missed by a mile. Many of these predictions didn’t consider how people would want to use the technology, or if people really needed it in their lives or not. Let’s look at some predictions from the not-too-distant past.
Robot Helpers
Where’s the robot in my kitchen? Nowhere, of course. And he’s probably not coming anytime soon. Robots do exist today, but mostly in factories and other working environments.Back in the 1950s, however, people said that by now personal robots would be in most people’s homes.So why hasn’t it happened? Maybe because robots are still too expensive and clumsy. And probably the idea of robots cooking our dinners and washing our clothes is just too strange. At home we seem to be doing fine without them.
Telephones of tomorrow
In 1964 an American company introduced the video telephone. They said by the year 2000 most people would have a video phone in their homes. But of course the idea hasn’t caught on yet. Why? The technology worked fine, but it overlooked something obvious people desire for privacy. Would you want to have a video phone conversation with someone after you just stepped out of the shower? Probably not--it could be uncomfortable! Just because technology doesn’t always mean people will want to use it.
And finally, how about that crazy prediction of the flying car? It’s not so crazy any more! But a flying car remains one of the most wonderful technology ideas to catch our imagination. Keep watching the news or perhaps the sky outside your window to see what the future will bring.
24．.The passage mainly deals with______.
A. predictions that can catch our imagination
B. predictions that haven’t come true
C. new technology can benefit our life
D. predictions that have come true
25．According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. Technology doesn’t always mean people will want to use it.
B. Predictions don’t need to consider people’s practical use of the technology.
C. Not all the high-tech things people thought we’d be using by now are widely used
D. High-tech things are not always convenient to people’s life.
26．Robot Helpers haven’t been used in most people’s homes because______.
A. using the kind of robots at home is simply a waste of time and money
B. the kind of robots hasn’t been developed yet
C. people find it difficult to control the kind of robots
D. the kind of robots won’t bring people practical use
27．How does the writer find the flying car?
A. It is too difficult to imagine.
B. It is too crazy an idea to realize.
C. It is likely to appear in the future.
D. It has been the focus of the news.

C
When it comes to problem solving, many of us have heard of the skills of the crow (乌鸦) in Aesop’s Fables (《伊索寓言》).
In the story, a thirsty crow comes across a bottle of water, but the water level (水平面) is out of its reach. The bird then drops small stones into it until the water level rises enough for the bird to drink.
“Oh, it’s just a fable,” you may think. After all, it’s hard to imagine birds knowing about “problem solving”.
But new research has found that crows’ brains may sometimes be better than those of 6-year-old children.
In a recent experiment, US scientist Corina Logan and her team caught six crows to test them. There were two tubes (试管) of water, one wide and the other narrow (窄的). Each crow was given four stones, enough to help them get the water in the narrow tube, but not the wide one.
Surprisingly, the crows dropped all or most of the stones into the narrower tube and got the food reward! They had found out the cause-and-effect relationship. Using such brains, crows are making their lives easier. For example, some crows in cities have learned to use road traffic for breaking nuts, National Geographic News reported.
But how are their wits (智力) compared to humans’? Logan’s team did another experiment, this time on both crows and children.
Here, the crows and children had to choose between two sets of tubes.
With the red set, when they dropped a stone into a wide tube, the water level raised in a connected narrow tube that contained food.
The blue set of tubes, however, had no connection between them. So dropping a stone in the wide tube did not cause the water level to rise in the narrow tube.
Children aged 7 to 10 were able to learn the rule. Children aged 4 to 6, however, failed.
Five of the six crows failed the test. But Kitty, a 6-month-old crow, passed it. She put all or most of the stones into the red tube.
So, could a bird be more clever than a kindergartner? Don’t be too quick to say no.
28. Why is Aesop’s Fables mentioned in the beginning of the article?
A. To introduce the idea that crows are smart.
B. To show that fables about crows are wrong.
C. To explain why crows can solve problems.
D. To prove that crows can be better than babies at problem solving.
29. What have Logan’s team found out from their recent experiments?
A. Crows prefer to get their food reward from wider tubes.
B. Crows are able to understand or learn cause and effect relationships.
C. Crows can easily recognize the tubes with a food reward inside.
D. Some crows even make use of road traffic to help them break nuts.
30 What can we learn from the experiment on crows and children?
A. Five of the six crows threw stones into the red tube.
B. Children aged 6 did better than children aged 4.
C. One crow passed the test while the younger children didn’t.
D. Some crows proved to be more clever than children aged 10.

第二卷（共三大题，满分40分）

一、任务型阅读（共10小题；每小题2分，满分20分）
This year, according to the 2013 World Happiness Report, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Sweden have been ranked as the five happiest countries in the world. So why are these countries so happy? Well, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OEDC), the Netherlands was ranked as one of the best countries for jobs. Nearly 75% of residents have jobs to do, but they rarely work very long hours, which gives them more time at home to spend with their families. 94% of residents claim if they were ever in trouble, they would be confident in knowing they can turn to someone close to them for help at any time. In this country, colleges and universities are free, and young adults are given the opportunity to pick a career they’re passionate about.
People of Switzerland value good work ethics（道德规范）and pride themselves on their ability to save money and spend wisely. Of all the OECD countries Switzerland has the highest employment rate of 79% for people aged 18 to 65 and the average income per household is around $30,000. Citizens of Switzerland claim they tend to have happier thoughts and experiences over negative ones on a daily basis and feel entirely satisfied with their way of life.
In Denmark, the government tries to ensure its residents are happy and healthy. If you lose your job, the government is there to support you for up to four years, covering up to 90% of your expense. In a nation of over five million people, healthcare is free. Its citizens go to college for free and are offered financial aid every month, even if they live at home with their parents. A third of Denmark’s residents ride their bikes to get around, making it one of the most environmentally conscious nations.
Of all the nations measured, people in Sweden are among the healthiest. This might have something to do with their incredible air and water quality. Residents in Sweden enjoy around five weeks of paid vacation from work each year and understand the importance of spending time with their families. With the free education system, young people are given the chance to decide their future and pursue the career they want.
In Norway, people can attend college for free. People of Norway claim they can trust almost anyone and are continually happy with their life choices. The employment rate in Norway is around 75% with a gross（粗略的）pay of $44,000 for full-time employees. If a mother chooses to stay home with her pre-school aged child, she’ll receive a monthly stipend (津贴) from the government to help support her. Norwegians care much about one another and often treat tourists and visitors in a very warm manner, making them feel at home. Freedom of expression is highly valued in this country and they strive to treat everyone fairly.
Five Happiest Countries
Paragraph outlines
Supporting details
The Netherlands
l Most citizens have jobs and their (31) ______________ working time allows them to spend time with their families.
l Nearly all its citizens are (32) ___________
l Young adults can have (33) ______________ to free education and find their jobs easily.
Switzerland
l People feel (34) ______________ that they can save money and spend wisely.
l Its high employment rate ensures every family has a high income.
l People are quite pleased with their (35) _
Denmark
l (36) ______________ people will get much financial aid from the government..
l People can enjoy free healthcare and college education.
l There is strong environmental (37) ______________ among people.
Sweden
l People are (38) ______________ because here air and water a