阶段仿真检测 (三) Unit 3 Protecting ourselves
(时间：100分钟 满分：120分)
第一部分 阅读(共两节，满分50分)
第一节(共15小题；每小题2.5分，满分37.5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。
A
A sandstorm refers to a high amount of wind occurring in sandy areas, usually in deserts, where the wind speed is able to lift the top layer of sand from the ground, and push it in every direction. The sand involved in the sandstorm can reach heights of about 3.05m－15.24m.
It is very dangerous to experience a sandstorm. Sand can get into the nose, eyes, mouth and lungs. If you happen to be caught in a sandstorm, you must protect yourself by wearing masks, scarves and so on.
If you’re driving when such a storm approaches, it’s advised that you pull off the road, since it’s difficult to continue driving. This is also important since vehicles can fail in during sandstorms and you could end up stuck on the road.
Most sandstorms occur in spring, and during the daytime. Many of the areas around the Persian Gulf and the Sahara Desert are associated with the most serious storms. Since it’s a natural phenomenon, it can’t be entirely controlled. In areas that are natural desert regions, you can’t always prevent a sandstorm. There’s much evidence that the planet Mars has dust storms, and clearly, no human intervention (介入) is responsible for such. Though_it_can_move_whole_sand_dunes_and_destroy_crops,_a_sandstorm_is_not_without_benefit.
1．If you’re driving in a sandstorm, you’d better ________.
A．stop your car in the middle of the road
B．continue to make your way
C．stop and ask for help
D．stop your car on the side of the road
2．The underlined sentence shows that, anyway, sandstorms are ________.
A．useful B．useless
C．harmful D．powerful
3．According to the writer, a sandstorm ________.
A．is the result of human activities
B．can be prevented
C．can’t completely disappear on the earth
D．can’t be forecast
B
A shirt, tie and blazer may not be my favorite, but if I were given the choice, I wouldn’t throw away the idea of school uniform. Wearing a uniform is a badge of pride, creates an identity for a school and is an important part of being a school student.
My school is one of many that seem to be shifting to a more formal uniform — this September I will be wearing a shirt and blazer instead of my old jumper and polo shirt. A number of students have complained about the change, but some people believe that a school uniform can improve learning by reducing distraction, sharpening focus on schoolwork and making the classroom a more serious environment, allowing students to perform better academically. Perhaps most importantly, a uniform means students don’t have to worry about peer pressure when it comes to their clothes. When everyone is dressed the same, worrying about what you look like isn’t so important. There is no competition about being dressed in the latest trend, which would put a great deal of financial pressure on students and parents. Potential bullies have one less target for their insults; it’s hard to make fun of what someone is wearing when you’re dressed exactly the same.
In America, where a majority of schools do not have a uniform, roughly 160,000 children miss school every day due to fear of attack or intimidation by other students. This might not be directly linked to what they’re wearing, but having a uniform can be a safety net for many students who might otherwise suffer from bullying. A uniform gives the impression that rules are strict, perhaps helping maintain a sense of order at school.
My uniform might not be what I would wear in my own time, but it gives me a sense of belonging, takes away the pressure of what to wear and stops the bullies. School uniform isn’t fashionable, but that’s exactly why I think it should be here to stay.
4．Why does the writer mention American children without uniforms in the passage
A．To show pity for American kids.
B．To raise the government’s attention.
C．To prove the benefits of school uniform.
D．To inform readers of American kids’ uniforms.
5．What is the writer’s attitude towards school uniforms
A．Disapproving. B．Confused.
C．Suspicious. D．Favorable.
6．Which is the advantage of wearing school uniforms for school kids
A．It sharpens concentration on outdoor tasks.
B．It removes the teachers’ financial pressure.
C．It satisfies students’ dressing tastes and favorites.
D．It helps students maintain a sense of order at school.
7．What is the best title for the passage
A．My Cool School Uniform
B．The Point of School Uniform
C．The Idea of Dressing Properly
D．The Way of Guarding Kids’ Safety
C
Plants cannot run or hide, so they need other strategies to avoid being eaten. Some curl up their leaves, others produce chemicals to make themselves taste bad if they sense animals drooling on them, chewing them up or laying eggs on them — all signals of an attack. New research now shows some flora can feel a plant eating animal well before it launches an attack, letting a plant prepare a preemptive (先发制人的) defense that even works against other pest species.
When ecologist John Orrock of the University of Wisconsin Madison sprayed snail slime — a liquid the animals release as they slide along — onto soil, nearby tomato plants appeared to notice. They increased their levels of an enzyme (酶), which is known to prevent plant eating animals. “None of the plants were ever actually attacked，” Orrock says. “We just gave them cues that suggested an attack was coming, and that was enough to cause big changes in their chemistry.”
Initially Orrock found this defense worked against snails; in the latest study, his team measured the slimy warning’s impact on another potential threat. The investigators found that hungry caterpillars (毛虫), which usually eat tomato leaves greedily, had no appetite for them after the plants were exposed to snail slime and activated their chemical resistance. This nonspecific defense may be a strategy that benefits the plants by further improving their overall possibilities of survival, says Orrock, who reported the results with his colleagues in March in Oecologia.
The finding that a snail’s approach can cause a plant response that affects a different animal made Richard Karban curious, a plant communications expert, who was not involved in the study. “It is significant that the plants are responding before being damaged and that these cues are having such far ranging effects，” Karban says. The research was comprehensive, he adds, but he wonders how the tomato plants felt chemicals in snail slime that never actually touched them.
“That’s the million dollar question，” Orrock says. He hopes future research will make out the mechanisms that enable plants to sense these relatively distant cues.
8．John Orrock sprayed a liquid onto soil near tomato plants to ________.
A．make them grow better
B．give them a warning
C．keep plant eating animals away
D．inform plant eating animals of danger
9．Why is the example of “caterpillars” mentioned in Paragraph 3
A．To introduce another animal.
B．To confirm the result of the study.
C．To appeal to people to protect animals.
D．To analyze different resistance chemicals.
10．What does Richard Karban really want to know
A．How tomato plants become aware of danger.
B．What the chemicals in the snail slime are.
C．Whether the research is of practical value.
D．What the finding of the research is.
11．What can be a suitable title for the text
A．Watchful Plants B．Greedy Animals
C．A Snail’s Approach D．A Defense Attack
D
An online supermarket company — Ocado in the UK, has recently displayed a robotic hand that can pick fruits and vegetables!
When an embryo is in the womb (子宫), the very first sense it develops is touch. The sense of touch is also the one that lasts longest — as we get older and our vision and hearing begin to weaken, touch still remains. Humans use their touch to protect themselves, to create emotional relationships with other people and to experience pleasure. Can you imagine life without it
The sense of touch comes from a network of nerve endings (神经末梢) and special touch receptors on the surface of the skin. While there are different kinds of touch receptors, they help us judge pressure, texture and vibrations. They are located in our fingertips, palms, soles of our feet, face, lips and tongue.
When we touch something, the mechanoreceptors feel the touch and through a network of nerves send signals to the brain. This informs the brain about the location of the touch, the amount of force used, and the speed at which it was used.
Several different techniques have been tried in the past few years to create such a robotic hand — using three fingers. But this latest design by SoMa copies the human hand. It is made up of flexible materials which grasp the thing based on its size and shape. Then air pressure is used to control the movement of the robotic fingers to pick objects safely and without causing damage.
The next step would be for the robot to judge how ripe the fruits and vegetables are, and apply pressure accordingly. Members of the research team are currently working on adding computerized vision to the robots, so that they can see what they are grasping.
Does all this mean robots can replace people According to Ocado, they help improve productivity by removing some of the repetitive tasks done by humans.
12．What is focused on in the second paragraph
A．The origin of touch.
B．The importance of touch.
C．The development of touch.
D．The process of transporting touch.
13．What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 4 refer to
A．The brain. B．The touch.
C．The nerve. D．The signal.
14．What is the typical feature of the latest robots
A．They can see what they’re taking hold of.
B．They can take the place of people in work places.
C．They can tell whether the fruits and vegetables are ripe.
D．They can hold things according to their outer features.
15．What can be a suitable title for the text
A．A Sense of Touch for Robots
B．A Robotic Hand for Classifying Fruits
C．A Robotic Hand with a Gentle Touch
D．A Robot Made of Flexible Materials
第二节(共5小题；每小题2.5分，满分12.5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。选项中有两项为多余选项。
How to protect your ears
You and your friends are leaving a concert on a Friday night. When you get outside, your ears are ringing. You have to shout to be heard. __16__ So no harm done ... right
Not quite. Temporary buzzing may be easy to ignore, but repeated exposure to loud noise will eventually cause serious — and irreversible (不能治愈的) — hearing loss. A new study conducted by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston shows that one in five people between the ages of 12 and 19 are experiencing slight hearing loss, and one in 20 have mild hearing loss. __17__ But the good news is that there are plenty of ways you can protect your ears from further damage — and still listen to the music you love.
Ask around.Put your earbuds in or your headphones on, and then ask a friend next to you whether or not he or she can hear what you’re listening to. __18__ Turn it down.
Buy noise canceling headphones.A pair of earbuds or headphones that fits comfortably will limit outside noise so that you can hear your music better at lower volume.
Take breaks. __19__ So when listening to music, take your headphones off for 15 or 20 minutes and let your ears enjoy the quiet.
__20__ You can buy a cheap pair at any drugstore as an easy way to lower volume at concerts — or while playing or practicing your own music — without changing the quality of the sound.
A．Use earplugs.
B．Keep the volume below 70 percent.
C．If the answer is yes, your music is too loud.
D．But by morning, your hearing is totally back to normal.
E．Like every other part of your body, your ears need rest.
F．Unfortunately, there’s no way to get back hearing you’ve already lost.
G．The exposure to noise is louder and longer than in any previous generation.
第二部分 语言运用(共两节，满分30分)
第一节(共15小题；每小题1分，满分15分)
阅读下面短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
I would say that I have been relatively depressed for the past 6 months.It is__21__ considering that I should have started a new job and __22__a breakup.
There have been difficult times and I have dried __23__off my phone screen over the past months and I was even feeling suicidal (自杀的) in the early days of the __24__.Honestly it isn’t the end of the__25___.Yes, it’s only the end of a long relationship.
I have my ___26__ to thank for keeping me well.He is the light of my life and never ___27__me.He loves generously and___28__.Like a good___29__ member, he takes care of me and I take care of him.
It is good to have a living one in your life, someone that needs me and that I need.That is really important.Once I had a long __30__with him.He looked at me lovingly and seemed to really __31__ what I said.
His meow (猫叫声) makes me smile. I am __32___to him.He never __33__ to seek me out and get some snuggling(依偎)．I am__34__from a computer screen, a TV screen and a phone.I am looking __35___at him and it is saving me.
21．A.interesting B．important
C．astonishing D．obvious
22．A.suffered from B．gone through
C．thought about D．made up
23．A.tears B．dust
C．soup D．sweat
24．A.life B．year
C．promotion D．breakup
25．A.world B．pain
C．success D．future
26．A.cat B．dog
C．father D．teacher
27．A.praises B．bites
C．disappoints D．cheats
28．A.privately B．automatically
C．mentally D．honestly
29．A.team B．club
C．class D．family
30．A.wait B．journey
C．stay D．conversation
31．A.expect B．understand
C．encourage D．honor
32．A.grateful B．hopeful
C．regretful D．respectful
33．A.fails B．intends
C．pretends D．troubles
34．A.taken in B．taken away
C．brought up D．brought back
35．A.attentively B．nervously
C．curiously D．faithfully
第二节(共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分)
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。
Chinese high speed railways are a very __36__ (comfort) way to travel. They are clean, quiet and efficient. China has led other developing countries and even some developed ones in this field since the first high speed train __37__ (come) into use in 2008.
The stations are __38__ (main) built outside the town center, but local transport has been lengthened __39__ (connect) the high speed network. The facilities on the train are new and the staff are well trained. Even the second class __40__ (chair) provide plenty of space. The passages are so wide __41__ you can move without disturbing anyone. You can use your mobile phone, access __42__ Internet or work on your laptop. There is also a restaurant car, though the kinds of food __43__ (be) limited. The toilets are large, clean and user friendly too. The train almost doesn’t rock. Even when the train brakes, you can hardly feel it shake.
What’s more, with a faster check in, the high speed trains are also __44__ (little) affected by weather than planes. Seldom are __45__ delayed or cancelled for weather condition. Therefore, they have become the first choice for many passengers.
第三部分 写作(共两节，满分40分)
第一节(满分15分)
假定你是李华，你校英语戏剧社正在招募新成员，请根据以下提示，给负责人Mr Smith写一封电子邮件，申请加入。内容包括：
1．申请理由；
2．个人优势；
3．表达愿望。
注意：1.词数80左右；
2．可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
第二节(满分25分)
阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。续写的词数应为150左右。
One day Kavya and I were playing with the racket ball and the ball went into Takku’s house. Though we were scared, we went to his house and asked him if he could give us our ball.
He said, “No.” We felt helpless. Suddenly, I had an idea. There was a water tank behind Takku’s house. I looked at it and said to Kavya, “Kavya, look at this. We can climb the water tank and jump over the gate.” Kavya agreed, but we were both wearing skirts. We couldn’t climb. “It doesn’t matter. We can see tomorrow. Don’t forget to wear trousers，” said Kavya. I said bye to her and went back home.
The next day I went to Kavya’s house early. We were both wearing trousers. “Best of luck，” said Kavya’s brother Vijay. He knew everything. He said, “Shout loudly if you need me.” We went to the water tank. “Who will climb first？” asked Kavya. “You，” I said. She agreed. She climbed down into Takku’s house. I followed her and then we were looking under a bed for the ball when we heard a noise. It was Vijay. “Mother is calling you, ” he whispered. We hurried and took out the lost ball. But along with the ball was a gold bar! We quickly took both the ball and the gold bar and climbed up the water tank again.
When we reached Kavya’s house, the TV was on. It was news time. I couldn’t believe my ears when it said that 20 gold bars were stolen from a gold shop. They showed a picture of the gold bars and it was exactly like the one we had found. We all knew it because there was a look of surprise on everyone’s face. We quickly told the story to Kavya’s mother.
Paragraph 1：
When we told it to Kavya’s mother, she felt shocked.
Paragraph 2：
When we arrived home,
阶段仿真检测 (三) Unit 3 Protecting ourselves
(时间：100分钟 满分：120分)
第一部分 阅读(共两节，满分50分)
第一节(共15小题；每小题2.5分，满分37.5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。
A
A sandstorm refers to a high amount of wind occurring in sandy areas, usually in deserts, where the wind speed is able to lift the top layer of sand from the ground, and push it in every direction. The sand involved in the sandstorm can reach heights of about 3.05m－15.24m.
It is very dangerous to experience a sandstorm. Sand can get into the nose, eyes, mouth and lungs. If you happen to be caught in a sandstorm, you must protect yourself by wearing masks, scarves and so on.
If you’re driving when such a storm approaches, it’s advised that you pull off the road, since it’s difficult to continue driving. This is also important since vehicles can fail in during sandstorms and you could end up stuck on the road.
Most sandstorms occur in spring, and during the daytime. Many of the areas around the Persian Gulf and the Sahara Desert are associated with the most serious storms. Since it’s a natural phenomenon, it can’t be entirely controlled. In areas that are natural desert regions, you can’t always prevent a sandstorm. There’s much evidence that the planet Mars has dust storms, and clearly, no human intervention (介入) is responsible for such. Though_it_can_move_whole_sand_dunes_and_destroy_crops,_a_sandstorm_is_not_without_benefit.
语篇解读：本文介绍了沙尘暴常发生的时间、地点和基本状况以及如何在沙尘暴中自我保护的一些建议。
1．If you’re driving in a sandstorm, you’d better ________.
A．stop your car in the middle of the road
B．continue to make your way
C．stop and ask for help
D．stop your car on the side of the road
解析：选D 细节理解题。根据第三段第一句中的“If you’re driving when such a storm approaches, it’s advised that you pull off the road ...”可知，如果你开车时遇到沙尘暴，你最好把车停在路边，pull off the road“把车停在路边”。故选D项。
2．The underlined sentence shows that, anyway, sandstorms are ________.
A．useful B．useless
C．harmful D．powerful
解析：选A 推理判断题。画线句表明，虽然沙尘暴能移动沙丘并毁坏农作物，但它不是毫无益处的。注意“a sandstorm is not without benefit”表示“不无裨益”，是双重否定表示肯定意义。故选A项。
3．According to the writer, a sandstorm ________.
A．is the result of human activities
B．can be prevented
C．can’t completely disappear on the earth
D．can’t be forecast
解析：选C 推理判断题。根据最后一段可知，作者认为沙尘暴是一种自然现象，不能完全被控制，也就不会完全消失，并且它也不是人为的后果。由此可知选C项。
B
A shirt, tie and blazer may not be my favorite, but if I were given the choice, I wouldn’t throw away the idea of school uniform. Wearing a uniform is a badge of pride, creates an identity for a school and is an important part of being a school student.
My school is one of many that seem to be shifting to a more formal uniform — this September I will be wearing a shirt and blazer instead of my old jumper and polo shirt. A number of students have complained about the change, but some people believe that a school uniform can improve learning by reducing distraction, sharpening focus on schoolwork and making the classroom a more serious environment, allowing students to perform better academically. Perhaps most importantly, a uniform means students don’t have to worry about peer pressure when it comes to their clothes. When everyone is dressed the same, worrying about what you look like isn’t so important. There is no competition about being dressed in the latest trend, which would put a great deal of financial pressure on students and parents. Potential bullies have one less target for their insults; it’s hard to make fun of what someone is wearing when you’re dressed exactly the same.
In America, where a majority of schools do not have a uniform, roughly 160,000 children miss school every day due to fear of attack or intimidation by other students. This might not be directly linked to what they’re wearing, but having a uniform can be a safety net for many students who might otherwise suffer from bullying. A uniform gives the impression that rules are strict, perhaps helping maintain a sense of order at school.
My uniform might not be what I would wear in my own time, but it gives me a sense of belonging, takes away the pressure of what to wear and stops the bullies. School uniform isn’t fashionable, but that’s exactly why I think it should be here to stay.
语篇解读：本文是一篇议论文。在学校“我”选择穿校服，因为校服是学校的标志，学生统一穿校服能使教室成为严肃的场所，让学生更加专注于学习；此外，穿校服还能减少校园欺凌事件的发生。
4．Why does the writer mention American children without uniforms in the passage
A．To show pity for American kids.
B．To raise the government’s attention.
C．To prove the benefits of school uniform.
D．To inform readers of American kids’ uniforms.
解析：选C 推理判断题。根据第三段的内容大意可知，对于许多可能遭受欺凌的学生来说，校服是一种保护措施，而且也帮助维持了学校的秩序。据此可推知，作者在此提及美国儿童没有穿统一的校服旨在说明校服的好处，故C项正确。
5．What is the writer’s attitude towards school uniforms
A．Disapproving. B．Confused.
C．Suspicious. D．Favorable.
解析：选D 观点态度题。根据尾段中的“it gives me a sense of belonging, takes away the pressure of what to wear and stops the bullies. School uniform isn’t fashionable, but that’s exactly why I think it should be here to stay”可推知，作者对校服持赞同的态度，故D项正确。
6．Which is the advantage of wearing school uniforms for school kids
A．It sharpens concentration on outdoor tasks.
B．It removes the teachers’ financial pressure.
C．It satisfies students’ dressing tastes and favorites.
D．It helps students maintain a sense of order at school.
解析：选D 细节理解题。根据第三段最后一句“A uniform gives the impression that rules are strict, perhaps helping maintain a sense of order at school”可知，校服也会给人留下规章制度严格的印象，有助于维持学校的秩序，故D项正确。
7．What is the best title for the passage
A．My Cool School Uniform
B．The Point of School Uniform
C．The Idea of Dressing Properly
D．The Way of Guarding Kids’ Safety
解析：选B 标题归纳题。通读全文可知，作者在文章中讲述了穿校服的诸多好处，力荐学生应该穿校服上学。故B“对校服的看法”能概括文章主旨，最适合作本文的标题。
C
Plants cannot run or hide, so they need other strategies to avoid being eaten. Some curl up their leaves, others produce chemicals to make themselves taste bad if they sense animals drooling on them, chewing them up or laying eggs on them — all signals of an attack. New research now shows some flora can feel a plant eating animal well before it launches an attack, letting a plant prepare a preemptive (先发制人的) defense that even works against other pest species.
When ecologist John Orrock of the University of Wisconsin Madison sprayed snail slime — a liquid the animals release as they slide along — onto soil, nearby tomato plants appeared to notice. They increased their levels of an enzyme (酶), which is known to prevent plant eating animals. “None of the plants were ever actually attacked，” Orrock says. “We just gave them cues that suggested an attack was coming, and that was enough to cause big changes in their chemistry.”
Initially Orrock found this defense worked against snails; in the latest study, his team measured the slimy warning’s impact on another potential threat. The investigators found that hungry caterpillars (毛虫), which usually eat tomato leaves greedily, had no appetite for them after the plants were exposed to snail slime and activated their chemical resistance. This nonspecific defense may be a strategy that benefits the plants by further improving their overall possibilities of survival, says Orrock, who reported the results with his colleagues in March in Oecologia.
The finding that a snail’s approach can cause a plant response that affects a different animal made Richard Karban curious, a plant communications expert, who was not involved in the study. “It is significant that the plants are responding before being damaged and that these cues are having such far ranging effects，” Karban says. The research was comprehensive, he adds, but he wonders how the tomato plants felt chemicals in snail slime that never actually touched them.
“That’s the million dollar question，” Orrock says. He hopes future research will make out the mechanisms that enable plants to sense these relatively distant cues.
语篇解读：本文主要介绍了一项新的科学研究。研究表明植物会对外在威胁相当警觉，会自动作出反应进行自我保护。
8．John Orrock sprayed a liquid onto soil near tomato plants to ________.
A．make them grow better
B．give them a warning
C．keep plant eating animals away
D．inform plant eating animals of danger
解析：选B 推理判断题。根据第二段最后一句可推知，John Orrock在西红柿植株附近的泥土上喷洒液体的目的是给予植物一种警告，让它们能够产生自我保护性反应，且其与第三段第一句中的“his team measured the slimy warning’s impact on another potential threat”呼应，故选B。
9．Why is the example of “caterpillars” mentioned in Paragraph 3
A．To introduce another animal.
B．To confirm the result of the study.
C．To appeal to people to protect animals.
D．To analyze different resistance chemicals.
解析：选B 推理判断题。根据第三段第一句“Initially Orrock found this defense worked against snails; in the latest study, his team measured the slimy warning’s impact on another potential threat”可推知，文章中提到毛虫的例子是为了验证研究的结果，故选B。
10．What does Richard Karban really want to know
A．How tomato plants become aware of danger.
B．What the chemicals in the snail slime are.
C．Whether the research is of practical value.
D．What the finding of the research is.
解析：选A 推理判断题。根据第四段最后一句“The research was comprehensive, he adds, but he wonders how the tomato plants felt chemicals in snail slime that never actually touched them”，并结合对最后一段的整体理解可推知，Richard Karban实际上想了解的是西红柿植株是如何意识到危险的，故选A。
11．What can be a suitable title for the text
A．Watchful Plants B．Greedy Animals
C．A Snail’s Approach D．A Defense Attack
解析：选A 标题归纳题。根据文章中的关键词plant，并结合对全文的整体理解可推知，本文主要讲述的是有关植物的科学研究，研究发现植物有对外在威胁或攻击的自我保护性反应，故选A。
D
An online supermarket company — Ocado in the UK, has recently displayed a robotic hand that can pick fruits and vegetables!
When an embryo is in the womb (子宫), the very first sense it develops is touch. The sense of touch is also the one that lasts longest — as we get older and our vision and hearing begin to weaken, touch still remains. Humans use their touch to protect themselves, to create emotional relationships with other people and to experience pleasure. Can you imagine life without it
The sense of touch comes from a network of nerve endings (神经末梢) and special touch receptors on the surface of the skin. While there are different kinds of touch receptors, they help us judge pressure, texture and vibrations. They are located in our fingertips, palms, soles of our feet, face, lips and tongue.
When we touch something, the mechanoreceptors feel the touch and through a network of nerves send signals to the brain. This informs the brain about the location of the touch, the amount of force used, and the speed at which it was used.
Several different techniques have been tried in the past few years to create such a robotic hand — using three fingers. But this latest design by SoMa copies the human hand. It is made up of flexible materials which grasp the thing based on its size and shape. Then air pressure is used to control the movement of the robotic fingers to pick objects safely and without causing damage.
The next step would be for the robot to judge how ripe the fruits and vegetables are, and apply pressure accordingly. Members of the research team are currently working on adding computerized vision to the robots, so that they can see what they are grasping.
Does all this mean robots can replace people According to Ocado, they help improve productivity by removing some of the repetitive tasks done by humans.
语篇解读：本文是一篇科普说明文。英国在线超市Ocado最近展示了一只可以采摘水果和蔬菜的机械手，它由有柔韧性的材料构成，并能依据物体的大小和形状来进行摘取。
12．What is focused on in the second paragraph
A．The origin of touch.
B．The importance of touch.
C．The development of touch.
D．The process of transporting touch.
解析：选B 段落大意题。通读第二段可知，该段第一、二句说明了触觉是人体最先发育、持续时间最长的感觉；根据第二段第三句“Humans use their touch to protect themselves, to create emotional relationships with other people and to experience pleasure”可知，人们用触觉来保护自己，创造和他人的情感联系；据此可推知，该段主要介绍了触觉的重要性，故B项正确。
13．What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 4 refer to
A．The brain. B．The touch.
C．The nerve. D．The signal.
解析：选B 代词指代题。根据第四段第二句“This informs the brain about the location of the touch, the amount of force used, and the speed at which it was used”可知，这告知大脑所要触摸的位置、使用的力度以及使用的速度；结合第四段内容可知，该段主要介绍触觉发生的原理；据此可推知，画线词代指该句中的“touch”，故B项正确。
14．What is the typical feature of the latest robots
A．They can see what they’re taking hold of.
B．They can take the place of people in work places.
C．They can tell whether the fruits and vegetables are ripe.
D．They can hold things according to their outer features.
解析：选D 细节理解题。根据第五段第三、四句的内容尤其是“grasp the thing based on its size and shape” “pick objects safely and without causing damage”可知，最新的机器人的特点是能根据水果和蔬菜的外部特征去进行摘取，故D项正确。
15．What can be a suitable title for the text
A．A Sense of Touch for Robots
B．A Robotic Hand for Classifying Fruits
C．A Robotic Hand with a Gentle Touch
D．A Robot Made of Flexible Materials
解析：选C 标题归纳题。通读全文可知，文章第一段点明全文主题；结合全文内容可知，文章主要介绍了一种能用适当的力度采摘水果、蔬菜的机械手，故C项最适合作本文标题。
第二节(共5小题；每小题2.5分，满分12.5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。选项中有两项为多余选项。
How to protect your ears
You and your friends are leaving a concert on a Friday night. When you get outside, your ears are ringing. You have to shout to be heard. __16__ So no harm done ... right
Not quite. Temporary buzzing may be easy to ignore, but repeated exposure to loud noise will eventually cause serious — and irreversible (不能治愈的) — hearing loss. A new study conducted by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston shows that one in five people between the ages of 12 and 19 are experiencing slight hearing loss, and one in 20 have mild hearing loss. __17__ But the good news is that there are plenty of ways you can protect your ears from further damage — and still listen to the music you love.
Ask around.Put your earbuds in or your headphones on, and then ask a friend next to you whether or not he or she can hear what you’re listening to. __18__ Turn it down.
Buy noise canceling headphones.A pair of earbuds or headphones that fits comfortably will limit outside noise so that you can hear your music better at lower volume.
Take breaks. __19__ So when listening to music, take your headphones off for 15 or 20 minutes and let your ears enjoy the quiet.
__20__ You can buy a cheap pair at any drugstore as an easy way to lower volume at concerts — or while playing or practicing your own music — without changing the quality of the sound.
A．Use earplugs.
B．Keep the volume below 70 percent.
C．If the answer is yes, your music is too loud.
D．But by morning, your hearing is totally back to normal.
E．Like every other part of your body, your ears need rest.
F．Unfortunately, there’s no way to get back hearing you’ve already lost.
G．The exposure to noise is louder and longer than in any previous generation.
语篇解读：本文是一篇说明文，主要介绍了几种保护耳朵的方法，包括询问身边的人音乐的音量、购买噪音消除耳机、定时休息和使用耳塞。
16．选D 根据上文可知，某个周五晚上的音乐会让你耳鸣；结合空处后一句“So no harm done ... right？”可知，耳朵似乎并没有受到伤害；据此可推知，空处应表示转折，故D项“但是到了早上，你的听力完全恢复正常”符合语境。
17．选F 根据空处后一句可知，但好消息是，有很多方法可以保护你的耳朵免受进一步的伤害，同时还能继续听你喜欢的音乐。据此可推知，空处与此句为转折关系，故F项“不幸的是，你已经丧失的听力无法恢复”符合语境，衔接上下文。
18．选C 空处上文是说当你戴上耳塞或耳机时，问一下你身边的朋友是否能听见你听的东西，再结合空后一句“Turn it down”可知，C项“如果答案是肯定的，你的音乐太大声了”符合语境。
19．选E 根据该段小标题Take breaks并结合空处后一句可知，该段主要建议让耳朵定时休息，故E项与此处匹配。
20．选A 根据文章的结构以及空处所在的位置可知，空处为该段的小标题；根据该段的内容可知，你可以在任何一家药店买到一副便宜的耳塞，可以用于降低音乐会的音量。据此可知，该段主要建议准备一副耳塞，故A项正确。
第二部分 语言运用(共两节，满分30分)
第一节(共15小题；每小题1分，满分15分)
阅读下面短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
I would say that I have been relatively depressed for the past 6 months.It is__21__ considering that I should have started a new job and __22__a breakup.
There have been difficult times and I have dried __23__off my phone screen over the past months and I was even feeling suicidal (自杀的) in the early days of the __24__.Honestly it isn’t the end of the__25___.Yes, it’s only the end of a long relationship.
I have my ___26__ to thank for keeping me well.He is the light of my life and never ___27__me.He loves generously and___28__.Like a good___29__ member, he takes care of me and I take care of him.
It is good to have a living one in your life, someone that needs me and that I need.That is really important.Once I had a long __30__with him.He looked at me lovingly and seemed to really __31__ what I said.
His meow (猫叫声) makes me smile. I am __32___to him.He never __33__ to seek me out and get some snuggling(依偎)．I am__34__from a computer screen, a TV screen and a phone.I am looking __35___at him and it is saving me.
语篇解读：过去的一段时间“我”遭受了不少挫折和打击，在“我”处于生活低谷的时候，“我”养的猫给“我”带来了希望和快乐。
21．A.interesting B．important
C．astonishing D．obvious
解析：选C 这里的“should have started”表惊奇、意外，所以只有C能表达这种情感，即“一想到自己竟然能开始一份新工作，熬过这次感情挫折，真令人感到惊奇”。
22．A.suffered from B．gone through
C．thought about D．made up
解析：选B 参见上题解析。go through “度过，经历”。
23．A.tears B．dust
C．soup D．sweat
解析：选A dry tears“擦干眼泪”，与前面的“difficult times”对应。
24．A.life B．year
C．promotion D．breakup
解析：选D breakup本意是“崩溃”，在这里表示“(与朋关系破裂的)挫折”，文章首段有提示。
25．A.world B．pain
C．success D．future
解析：选A 这不是世界的末日，只是一段关系的结束而已。
26．A.cat B．dog
C．father D．teacher
解析：选A 最后一段的meow有提示，文章主要讲作者的猫陪伴主人渡过难关的故事。
27．A.praises B．bites
C．disappoints D．cheats
解析：选C 它是“我”生活的希望，从不会让“我”“失望”。
28．A.privately B．automatically
C．mentally D．honestly
解析：选D 与空前的“generously”构成并列，它一直毫不吝啬地、忠诚地爱着“我”，就像家庭成员一样，我们互相照顾着。
29．A.team B．club
C．class D．family
解析：选D 参见上题解析。
30．A.wait B．journey
C．stay D．conversation
解析：选D 第31题空后的“what I said”给出了提示，这里应是“进行对话”。
31．A.expect B．understand
C．encourage D．honor
解析：选B “我”与“它”对话，它就像能听懂“我”说的话，亲切地看着“我”。
32．A.grateful B．hopeful
C．regretful D．respectful
解析：选A 一直以来，“我”对“它”心存感激。第三段第一句和文章最后一句都给出了提示。
33．A.fails B．intends
C．pretends D．troubles
解析：选A 猫从来都不会找不到“我”，fail to do sth.“未能做成某事”。
34．A.taken in B．taken away
C．brought up D．brought back
解析：选B “我”常常被猫从电脑、电视或者手机上“拉走”，即因为猫，作者放弃了上网、看电视或者玩手机。
35．A.attentively B．nervously
C．curiously D．faithfully
解析：选A “我”将注意力都集中猫身上，而这恰恰拯救了“我”。
第二节(共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分)
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。
Chinese high speed railways are a very __36__ (comfort) way to travel. They are clean, quiet and efficient. China has led other developing countries and even some developed ones in this field since the first high speed train __37__ (come) into use in 2008.
The stations are __38__ (main) built outside the town center, but local transport has been lengthened __39__ (connect) the high speed network. The facilities on the train are new and the staff are well trained. Even the second class __40__ (chair) provide plenty of space. The passages are so wide __41__ you can move without disturbing anyone. You can use your mobile phone, access __42__ Internet or work on your laptop. There is also a restaurant car, though the kinds of food __43__ (be) limited. The toilets are large, clean and user friendly too. The train almost doesn’t rock. Even when the train brakes, you can hardly feel it shake.
What’s more, with a faster check in, the high speed trains are also __44__ (little) affected by weather than planes. Seldom are __45__ delayed or cancelled for weather condition. Therefore, they have become the first choice for many passengers.
语篇解读：本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了中国先进的交通工具——高铁。
36．comfortable 考查形容词。修饰名词一般用形容词，所以用形容词comfortable修饰名词“way”，在句子中作定语。
37．came 考查动词的时态。主句的时态为现在完成时，根据该句中的“since”和时间状语“in 2008”可知，从句用一般过去时。
38．mainly 考查副词。修饰动词一般用副词，故用副词mainly修饰动词built，在句子中作状语。
39．to connect 考查非谓语动词。根据语境并分析句子结构可知，此处是不定式作目的状语，故填to connect。
40．chairs 考查名词的复数。chair是可数名词，根据其后的谓语动词provide和语境可知，此处表示复数概念，故填chairs。
41．that 考查连词。根据该句中的“so”，并结合语境可知，此处考查固定用法so ... that ...，意为“如此……以至于……”，引导结果状语从句，故填that。
42．the 考查冠词。此处表示“访问网络”，Internet常和定冠词the连用。
43．are 考查动词的时态和主谓一致。此处为一般性描述，应用一般现在时；分析句子结构可知，本句是一个被动句，主语the kinds of food为复数，故填are。
44．less 考查副词的比较级。根据句中的“faster”和“than”可知，此处含有比较的含义，故填副词的比较级less，修饰动词affected，在句子中作状语。
45．they 考查代词。否定副词“Seldom”置于句首，引起部分倒装，系动词are位于主语之前，空处指代上文提到的“the high speed trains”，是复数形式，故用they。
第三部分 写作(共两节，满分40分)
第一节(满分15分)
假定你是李华，你校英语戏剧社正在招募新成员，请根据以下提示，给负责人Mr Smith写一封电子邮件，申请加入。内容包括：
1．申请理由；
2．个人优势；
3．表达愿望。
注意：1.词数80左右；
2．可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
参考范文：
Dear Mr Smith，
I’m writing to apply to be a member of our school English drama club.I have confidence that I am a suitable candidate.
Firstly, I am enthusiastic about dramas, especially about English dramas and started playing in junior high school.Secondly, I have taken part in several drama plays and performed well.Finally, I’m fluent in English and won the first place in the English speech contest held in our city last year.
I would appreciate it if you could reply to me at your earliest convenience.
Yours，
Li Hua
第二节(满分25分)
阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。续写的词数应为150左右。
One day Kavya and I were playing with the racket ball and the ball went into Takku’s house. Though we were scared, we went to his house and asked him if he could give us our ball.
He said, “No.” We felt helpless. Suddenly, I had an idea. There was a water tank behind Takku’s house. I looked at it and said to Kavya, “Kavya, look at this. We can climb the water tank and jump over the gate.” Kavya agreed, but we were both wearing skirts. We couldn’t climb. “It doesn’t matter. We can see tomorrow. Don’t forget to wear trousers，” said Kavya. I said bye to her and went back home.
The next day I went to Kavya’s house early. We were both wearing trousers. “Best of luck，” said Kavya’s brother Vijay. He knew everything. He said, “Shout loudly if you need me.” We went to the water tank. “Who will climb first？” asked Kavya. “You，” I said. She agreed. She climbed down into Takku’s house. I followed her and then we were looking under a bed for the ball when we heard a noise. It was Vijay. “Mother is calling you, ” he whispered. We hurried and took out the lost ball. But along with the ball was a gold bar! We quickly took both the ball and the gold bar and climbed up the water tank again.
When we reached Kavya’s house, the TV was on. It was news time. I couldn’t believe my ears when it said that 20 gold bars were stolen from a gold shop. They showed a picture of the gold bars and it was exactly like the one we had found. We all knew it because there was a look of surprise on everyone’s face. We quickly told the story to Kavya’s mother.
Paragraph 1：
When we told it to Kavya’s mother, she felt shocked.
Paragraph 2：
When we arrived home,
参考范文：
Paragraph 1：
When we told it to Kavya’s mother, she felt shocked. She was thinking whether to call the police or not. If Takku did harm to her family, what would they do In the end, she decided to call the police. After the police came, they followed us to Takku’s house. After a while, the police found more gold bars under a bed. As a result, they caught Takku. And the police came, saying to us, “Thank you for helping catch the thief. Here are some gifts for all of you.”
Paragraph 2：
When we arrived home, we couldn’t wait to open the gifts. To our surprise, there was an investigative book and a pen for Kavya, an investigative book for Kavya’s brother Vijay, and an investigative book and a ball for me. The next day, when we went to school, our classmates were all waiting for us at the school gate. They hugged us together firmly and treated us as heroes.
