2024届上海市部分区高三下学期二模英语试题汇编：阅读理解（含答案）
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2024届上海市部分区高三下学期二模英语试题汇编
阅读理解
2024届上海市青浦区高三下学期二模英语试题
Section B
Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.
(A)
I was sitting in my high school classroom, nervously tapping my pencil against the desk as I awaited the start of the English exam.
As the clock struck, signaling the beginning of the exam, my heart began to race. I opened the exam booklet and scanned the questions, and I felt a wave of panic over me. The questions seemed foreign, and the topics unfamiliar. In a state of panic, I hurriedly wrote down my answers, hoping that somehow, by some stroke of luck, they would be correct. But as the minutes went by, I realized I couldn’t seem to make sense of the questions before me. As the final bell rang, I handed in my paper with a heavy heart.
In the days that followed, I couldn’t shake the feeling of failure that hung over me like a dark cloud. I replayed the exam over and over in my mind, analyzing every question, every answer, searching for clues as to where I had gone wrong.
But in the depression, a realization began to dawn on me — I had failed, yes, but I had also learned valuable lessons along the way. Armed with this newfound wisdom, I ensured that I would do better next time. I threw myself into my studies with renewed determination, devouring books and practicing past exams with an eagerness I had never known before.
When the time came to retake the exam, I was ready. I approached each question with confidence and clarity, drawing upon the lessons I had learned from my previous missteps.
When the results were announced, I held my breath as I scanned the list of names. And there it was — my name, shining brightly among the list of successful candidates. At that moment, all the hard work, all the late nights and early mornings, were worth it.
And as I look back on that sunny afternoon in the high school classroom, I am grateful for the lessons it taught me, and the person it helped me become.
56. Why did the author panic when he first took the exam
A. He sat with a pounding heart.
B. He found the questions too difficult.
C. He was not familiar with the foreign language.
D. He was in a hurry when answering the questions.
57. What did the author do after he failed in the exam
A. He attended valuable lessons in school.
B. He retook the exam over and over again.
C. He promised to arm himself with eagerness.
D. He determined to engage himself in learning.
58. Which of the following can replace the underlined word “devouring” (paragraph 4)
A. being targeted at B. being obliged for
C. being absorbed in D. being credited to
59. According to the passage, this experience helped the author become _____.
A. cheerful and considerate B. objective and demanding
C. tough and persevering D. proud and tolerant
(B)
Whether you are attracted by landscapes or the after-effects of weather, there are photo opportunities everywhere. The following photography tips from photographers will help you shoot your best shot.
Get to know your subject and their habits
Take time to get to know your local wildlife before shooting, and you might just capture something truly special. Try to shoot from the perspective of the animal you are filming. Resist the urge to just point and click — take the time to observe local wildlife and you will see the rewards in your photos.
Capture details in a close-up
Going in close can bring some fascinating rewards in nature photography. Zooming (聚焦) into plants with frost or picking up water drops on a spider’s web can help show the beauty we might miss in everyday life. If you’re zooming in on one particular subject, such as a bee landing on a flower, you could end up with soft-focus objects in the background to create added interest.
Shoot photos at best time of day
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to timing, and a shadow or lots of natural sunlight can produce great results — it’s just best to avoid extremes. Too much bright light hitting your camera lens (镜头) sensor will result in an overexposed photo with little detail, while a dark sky full of stars might provide too much contrast between the background and the subject you are taking pictures of.
Capture sharp, clear images
Although the delete button can be your best friend, a few things will help you avoid unclear images. Keeping the camera stable is key, whether that’s through a solid pose as you stand ready to shoot or using a support. A self-timer can also be a handy tool for keeping your hands away from dials and settings once you have chosen your shot.
60. Which of the following is the benefit of “zooming in” in shooting
A. It may be an aid to capture the delicate beauty in daily life.
B. It may be helpful to avoid overexposing photos with little detail.
C. It may bring about deleting the background to create added interest.
D. It may contribute to focusing on several particular subjects at a time.
61. What is a photographer recommended to do to shoot satisfactory photos
A. Chase the running rabbit when shooting. B. Follow his instinct when shooting.
C. Shoot in bright daylight at midday. D. Use a stable stand when shooting.
62. You will find the tips above most useful if you want to take photos _____.
A. at a wedding ceremony B. while visiting an art gallery
C. on an excursion to the countryside D. while walking on the street in a city
(C)
At first the question was how quickly people would get back to the office. Then it was whether they would ever return. The last three years has introduced in a major change in white-collar working patterns. The office is not dead but many professionals have settled into a hybrid (混合的) arrangement of some office days and some remote days.
Hybrid working has much to recommend: flexibility for employees, periods of concentration at home, bursts of cooperation in the office. A new paper from Harvard Business School describes an experiment in which workers at BRAC, a non-profit organisation in Britain, were randomly assigned to three groups, each spending different amounts of time working from home. The intermediate (中等的) group, who spent between 23% and 40% of their time in the office, performed best on various performance measures.
But a shift on this large scale is bound to raise tricky issues. In workplaces that have moved to hybrid work, there are still plenty of open questions. One is how to handle the impact of less time in the office for new joiners and younger workers. Research by Emma Harrington of the University of Iowa shows that software engineers receive more feedback on their code when the team sits next to each other in the office, especially new engineers. According to Nicholas Bloom of Stanford University, making new employees spend more time in the office can be a good way of integrating them into company culture and improving their competence. And these younger employees were most likely to quit when everyone was forced to go remote.
A second question concerns how strictly to enforce attendance on days when teams are meant to be in the office. An agreement holds that there should be agreed “anchor days” on which all the people come to work in the office; since the idea is to spend time together, as many people as possible should be there. But one person on the team might have moved somewhere else; someone else might have asked to stay home to let the repairer in. In practice, therefore, hybrid working still often means a mixture of people on screen and people in the office.
Other questions exist. How to define performance measures so managers do not spend time worrying about lazy workers at home Do you require company-wide anchor days or team-level ones The era of hybrid working is only just beginning, so it will take time for answers to emerge. But if there is a message from this first full year of hybrid working, it is that flexibility does not mean a free-for-all.
63. How can in-office work help new employees
A. Giving them more feedback from senior employees.
B. Getting them to catch up with the work schedule.
C. Saving them the cost of staying at home.
D. Helping them feel part of the company.
64. What makes it difficult to enforce attendance on anchor days
A. Young workers prefer working on screen.
B. Engineers object to the idea of anchor days.
C. Office workers can’t take a day off as expected.
D. Employees have various private matters to address.
65. Which of the following statements is the author most likely to agree with
A. It is necessary to grant employees full autonomous rights.
B. Employers should go with the flow because new questions will emerge.
C. Allowing flexibility in work arrangements does not mean having no rules.
D. It is no easy job to arrange either company-wide or team-level anchor days.
What does the passage mainly talk about
A. Hybrid working is outdated after workers’ return.
B. There are some open questions of hybrid working.
C. A shift of working patterns calls for hybrid working.
D. Fixed restrictions should be applied to hybrid working.
2024届上海市金山区高三下学期二模英语试题
Section B
Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.
(A)
There is no known date for when the ancient Greeks or Romans first shared their stories about gods, monsters and heroes. But for the modern myth known as Star Wars, that date is May 25,1977, when the original movie opened in theaters and kicked off a global phenomenon that spanned films, TV shows, novels, comic books, toys, lunchboxes, bed sheets and more. Even today, Star Wars remains an enduring touchstone (检验标准) of pop culture. Critically praised or not, the movies continue to be a big hit.
And just as we know when the mythology began, we also know who invented it: writer-director George Lucas. His inspiration, he told TIME in 1977, was “all the books and films and comics that I liked when I was a child… My main reason for making it was to give young people an honest, wholesome fantasy life, the kind my generation had.”
No one could predict just how much Lucas’ creation would catch on — not even Lucas himself or the film’s star Mark Hamill, who played young hero Luke Skywalker. “I had no idea it would be as successful as it was,” Hamill said in 2017, marking the original film’s 40th anniversary. “I just thought I would be a fan of this even if I weren’t involved.”
Before Lucas created Star Wars, he had an even more ambitious goal — to blow up the ways of Old Hollywood. And he did. Star Wars introduced a new era of moviemaking, one that saw the development of amazing special effects and the tools to achieve them. After this legend, filmmakers felt free to bring their wildest ideas to life in totally realistic ways that left audiences thrilled.
Why did Star Wars become such a powerful force Hamill credits its ability to satisfy the human need for escapism. “People value the idea of going away to some happy place,” he said, “whether it’s Oz or Narnia or Middle Earth or Hogwarts. I think it appeals to children of all ages. It doesn’t matter if you’re 6 or 60. It appeals to the optimistic young idealism that I think every person has, however buried it might be.”
56. What can we learn from the first paragraph
A. People should keep digging into the history of ancient myths.
B. More products associated with Star Wars have been created.
C. Some people’s criticism of Star Wars made it less popular than before.
D. Star Wars is more successful in the business field than in the entertainment field.
57. Why did George Lucas invent Star Wars
A. To break the old rules and traditions of making films.
B. To appeal to the optimistic young men to pursue their dreams.
C. To encourage other filmmakers to bring their wild ideas to life.
D. To offer young people an as good and healthy fantasy life as he had.
58. Star Wars can have such a great influence mainly because ______.
A. it meets people’s pursuit for a place to escape
B. it symbolizes the beginning of the modern myth
C. the special effects offer amazing viewing experience
D. the main actors in this film are very popular among the public
59. This passage is written to _____________.
A. inspire people to be optimistic and ideal
B. introduce the basic information about Star Wars
C. recommend the talented writer-director George Lucas
D. criticize the fact that Star Wars is not as well made as before
(B)
Looking for a career change Check out these unconventional options!
The Waterslide Tester
When the pool where he worked as a lifeguard was closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, Guillaume Pop took jobs at various other pools that were virtually deserted. In one video on the social platform, he pretended to be a “professional waterslide tester”. Unexpectedly, Pop became a social media sensation. He was then hired to “test” slides and other facilities at water parks and swimming pools all over France. “It’s the best job in the world,” declares Pop, whose videos have received 80 million views. “I’m not behind a desk. I’m active and outside in the sun. In fact, all the children tell me they want to be a waterslide tester!”
The Reindeer Herder
Finnish Lapland is home to around 200,000 wild reindeer. Anne Ollila, one of the 4,000 owners of these animals, works in this harsh but beautiful region with her big family. She gave up her job as a sociology researcher in 2010 to devote herself to reindeer herding full time. In summer, Ollila sleeps during the day and walks up to 12 miles a night through marsh and forest, enduring all kinds of insects. In deepest winter there is little daylight. Grasslands are frozen and the reindeer move into the forest for protection. “Life here isn’t easy but it’s how nature works,” says Ollila, “I love the environment, the animals and the freedom. Also, I have a sense of belonging to something bigger than me, to the chain of life through the generations.”
The Zombie Trainer
Stevie Douglas, a 52-year-old Scot, has taught people how to behave like all varieties of the undead. A big fan of horror movies, Douglas noticed the zombies he saw in films were often unconvincing. “Their movement was poor and I thought I could do better.” So, in 2012, he formed ScareScotland to provide zombies for films and events such as horror conventions. A year later they started a zombie training program, which took off when they received a request for 300 zombies for a three-week-long interactive production. “What we do is very specific.” says Douglas. Many people enjoy being frightened, and he’s happy to oblige them.
60. What do the three people introduced in the passage above have in common
A. Their jobs are dangerous, unstable and low-paid.
B. Their jobs are well received throughout the world.
C. They have great passion and pride in what they do.
D. They need professional qualifications to do their job.
61. What does Guillaume Pop like most about his job
A. It has a sense of freedom.
B. It is full of vigor and energy.
C. It is what he has been doing for decades.
D. It satisfies people’s wishes to be frightened.
62. Who is most probably interested in this passage
A. Employees who are considering switching jobs.
B. Students who are applying for ideal universities.
C. Children who are interested in unusual activities.
D. Graduates who are deciding on their essay topics.
(C)
The phrase “coin toss” is a classic equivalent to randomness. But since at least the 18th century, mathematicians have suspected that even fair coins tend to land on one side slightly more often than the other. Proving this tiny bias (偏见), however, would require hundreds of thousands of carefully recorded coin tosses, making laboratory tests a nightmare.
Franti ek Barto , currently a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Amsterdam, became fascinated by this challenge four years ago. He couldn’t round up enough volunteers to investigate it at first. “Nobody was stupid enough to spend a couple of weekends tossing coins,” he says. But after he began his Ph.D. studies, he tried again, recruiting 47 volunteers (many of them friends and fellow students) from six countries. Multiple weekends of coin tossing later, the team had performed 350,757 tosses, breaking the previous record of 40,000.
The tossed coins, according to previous findings, landed with the same side facing upward as before the toss 50.8 percent of the time. The large number of throws allows statisticians to conclude that the nearly one percent bias isn’t a fluke. “We can be quite sure there is a bias in coin tosses after this data set,” Barto says.
The leading theory explaining the subtle advantage comes from a 2007 physics study by statistician Persi Diaconis and his colleagues, whose calculations predicted a same-side bias of 51 percent. From the moment a coin is launched into the air, its entire path in the air — including whether it lands on heads or tails — can be calculated by the laws of mechanics. The researchers determined that coins in the air barely turn around their symmetrical axis (对称轴); instead they tend to move off-center unsteadily, which causes them to spend a little more time in the air with their initial “up” side on top.
For day-to-day decisions, coin tosses are as good as random because a one percent bias isn’t perceptible with just a few coin tosses, says another statistician who wasn’t involved in the new research. Still, the study’s conclusions should eliminate any doubt that still exists regarding the coin toss’s slim bias.
It isn’t difficult to prevent this bias from influencing your coin-toss matches; simply concealing the coin’s starting position before tossing it should do the trick. Alternatively, you can do away with tossing altogether by shaking the coin between your palms. But if your friends are unaware of the tiny bias, you may as well benefit from your slight advantage. After all, 51 percent odds beat a lot.
63. Why was it difficult to prove the tiny bias in coin tosses
A. Because it required a large number of trials and loads of tests.
B. Because few scientists and researchers were interested in this topic.
C. Because scientists lacked the ability and technique to conduct this study.
D. Because previous researches failed many times and scientists lost confidence.
64. The meaning of the underlined word fluke in paragraph 3 most probably refers to something that ____________.
A. happens by accident B. can be planned in advance
C. occurs under specific conditions D. can be gained by practice
65. What can we imply from the last paragraph
A. This one percent bias matters little in real life.
B. We should rely on this one percent bias to help us.
C. Though unnoticeable, we may still take advantage of this bias.
D. Relying on the one percent bias to win a coin-toss match is unfair.
66. What is the best title of this passage
A. Risk-takers Experts recommend coin-toss matches.
B. Luck or Maths Here’re some tips on tossing coins.
C. Coin collectors There’re stories behind each coin.
D. Heads or Tails Research suggests it’s not 50-50.
2024届上海市嘉定区高三二模考试英语试题
Section B（22）
Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B. C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.
（A）
What makes a certain piece of writing great Well, it depends on whom you ask. There are, in my mind, three different readers: casual readers, lit critics, creative writers. They would say the following about Charlotte Bront 's Jane Eyre:
Casual reader: Jane's story is very relatable, especially to women who survived their teenage years. The story's elements of romance, mystery, and coming-of-age make it enjoyable to read.
Literary critic: Jane Eyre pulls inspiration from the Gothic and romantic literary traditions. The atmospheric setting mirrors Jane's inner world and serves as a character itself.
Creative writer: Jane has an appealing character and her pursuit of a fulfilling life is timeless. While Jane's emotions are often verbose （冗长的）， each word still feels necessary in most passages.
All of these responses are reasonable interpretations of the great literary work Jane Eyre. What's the difference between these three The casual reader is primarily interested in the story's relatability and entertainment value; the literary critic, who knows how to read literature like a professor, looks for ways to situate this work in its broader literary context.
The creative writer must do both: the job of the casual reader and the job of the critic. He/she engages with the work on a personal level while also researching what makes a work successful. This is Reading Like a Writer （RLW）, which means being impacted by a piece of literature while investigating how the writer did it. Successful works of writing succeed for different reasons-a distinctive voice, moving storytelling, an empowering message, etc. Writers don't make the achievement randomly: they earn it by crafting every plot point and character, every line break, with care and precision. It's up to you to pay attention to these craft elements, the choices the writer makes and how they contribute to the work as a whole.
Yes, reading like a writer is extra work. But it's necessary work to the writing practice. By observing the strategies writers employ to tell convincing stories or write engaging arguments, you equip yourself with the knowledge to perform these strategies yourself.
56. The author cites three reader responses to Jane Eyre ____.
A. to argue that the novel is poorly written
B. to explain different reading perspectives
C. to prove how detailed literary analysis can be
D. to show the misinterpretation by creative writers
57. According to the passage, which of the following most probably demonstrates RLW
A. Discussing fascinating plots and characters in a novel.
B. Examining the literary sources a Greek classic draws on.
C. Analyzing why a short story is popular and how it is structured.
D. Summarizing the main events of a short story for a class assignment.
58. What does the underlined pronoun "it" refer to
A. Care and precision in writing B. Recognition of works as success
C. Investigation of writing style D. Character analysis through words
59. The author suggests RLW is "necessary work" （para. 7） because readers can ____.
A. write lengthy novels like Jane Eyre B. gain knowledge in employment
C. become professional literary critic D. improve their own writing craft
（B）
Workplace injuries still happen, In a statistical report produced by Safe Work Australia, there were a total of 104, 770 personal injury claims for a work-related incident last year alone. The most typical type is related to repetitive body movements, followed by unexpected falls and contact with moving equipment. Prioritizing health and safety is essential in creating a positive and productive working environment.
60. According to the info chart, workplace injuries may lead to ___.
A. long leave of absence at work B. tax avoidance for companies
C. nationwide salary reduction D. increased mental alertness
61. Which group of percentages best fits the blanks numbered 1, 2 and 3
A. ①17%；②24%；③38% B. ① 26%;43%; ③ 18%
C. ①78%；②23%；③% D. 39%; ②25%；③17%
62. To ensure safety in the workplace, it is suggested that one should ____.
A. make themselves clean before working B. wear safety equipment when necessary
C. stretch arms and legs before lifting objects D. receive proper training on taking breaks
（C）
Imagine this. You need an image of a balloon for a work presentation and turn to an AI text-to- image generator, like Midjourney or DALL-E, to create a suitable image. You enter the prompt （提示词） "red balloon against a blue sky" but the generator returns an image of an egg instead.
What's going on The generator you're using may have been "poisoned". What does this mean Text-to-image generators work by being trained on large datasets that include millions or billions of images. Some of the generators have been trained by indiscriminately scraping online images, many of which may be under copyright. This has led to many copyright infringement （侵害） cases where artists have accused big tech companies of stealing and profiting from their work.
This is also where the idea of "poison" comes in. Researchers who want to empower individual artists have recently created a tool named "Nightshade" to fight back against unauthorised image scraping. The tool works by slightly altering an image's pixels （像素） in a way that confuses the computer vision system but leaves the image unaltered to a human's eyes. If an organization then scrapes one of these images to train a future AI model, its data pool becomes "poisoned". This can result in mistaken learning, which makes the generator return unintended results. As in our earlier example, a balloon might become an egg.
The higher the number of "poisoned" images in the training data, the greater the impact. Because of how generative AI works, the damage from "poisoned" images also affects related prompt keywords. For example, if a "poisoned" image of a Picasso work is used in training data, prompt results for masterpieces from other artists can also be affected.
Possibly, tools like Nightshade can be abused by some users to intentionally upload "poisoned" images in order to confuse AI generators. But the Nightshade's developer hopes the tool will make big tech companies more respectful of copyright. It does challenge a common belief among computer scientists that data found online can be used for any purpose they see fit.
Human rights activists, for example, have been concerned for some time about the indiscriminate use of machine vision in wider society. This concern is particularly serious concerning facial recognition. There is a clear connection between facial recognition cases and data poisoning, as both relate to larger questions around technological governance. It may be better to see data poisoning as an innovative solution to the denial of some fundamental human rights.
63. The underlined word "scraping" （para. 2） is closest in meaning to ____.
A. facilitating B. collecting C. damaging D. polishing
64. According to the passage, adding poisoned data might ____.
A. increase the accuracy of returned information
B. cause users to forget the prompt key words
C. interfere with the training of generative AI
D. discriminate against great masterpieces
65. What can be inferred from the last two paragraphs
A. Data poisoning is somehow justified to direct attention to human rights.
B. Computer scientists has learned to respect the copyright of most artists.
C. Nightshade is being abused by human rights activists to recognize faces.
D. The issue of technological governance has aroused the lawyers' interest.
66. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage
A. Data Poisoning: Government Empowering Citizens to Protect Themselves
B. Data Poisoning: Addressing Facial Recognition Issues Among Artists
C. Data Poisoning: Risks and Rewards of Generative AI Data Training
D. Data Poisoning: Restricting Innovation or Empowering Artists
2024届上海市虹口区高三下学期二模英语试题
Section B
Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.
(A)
I used to think I was a good person. I was caring to my friends, my partner, my family; I gave to charity and I volunteered. But when I started training to become a therapist (治疗师), I began to understand that however much we might like to think of ourselves as good people, we don’t actually know ourselves very well. I learned about how we might, without consciously realizing it, deny the feelings and motivations we consider to be bad, pushing them down into our unconscious and projecting them out on to others, so they become the bad people. I learned that deep in the human mind, alongside love and kindness, run currents of anger, need, greed, envy, destructiveness, superiority—whether we want to acknowledge them or not.
It was 22-year-old Boru who taught me what it really means to be a good grown up. We first spoke two years ago. He was unemployed, living with his parents, watching his friends’ lives progress. A good grown-up, he told me, is “someone who has his ducks in a row”—and that wasn’t him.
I also didn’t feel like the competent, confident grown-up I thought I should be—and neither did most of the adults I knew. I researched statistics about people hitting the traditional landmarks of adulthood later and later, if at all—from buying a home to getting married or starting a family. I recognized what made me feel like a bad grown-up: that I’ll sit with a broken fridge rather than call an engineer to repair it.
Then I saw Boru again. He told me how, over two years, he’d found a job he loves, rented a flat with a friend. He’s now cycling round the world, having adventures that will keep him strong for the rest of his life. So what changed “You start to have those conversations with yourself, and you become more of an honest person. I don’t feel like I’m hiding from anything anymore, because I’m not hiding from myself.”
I think growing up must involve finding your own way to have those conversations. Boru does it on his bike, I do it in psychoanalysis, others I spoke to do it while cooking or playing music. That, for Boru, and for me, is what it means to “have his ducks in a row”.
56. What does the first paragraph imply about understanding ourselves
A. Recognizing our positive traits is enough for growth.
B. Our understanding of our motives and feelings is accurate.
C. True self-awareness means accepting both good and bad sides.
D. Ignoring our negative traits does not affect our self-perception.
57. What critical lesson did the author learn from Boru about being a good grown-up
A. It involves having a clear career path and financial stability.
B. It requires constant self-improvement and education.
C. It means being employed and living independently.
D. It is like a journey of self-discovery and honesty.
58. What does the author identify as a reason for feeling like an inadequate adult
A. Escaping basic responsibilities.
B. Delaying reaching traditional life milestones.
C. Comparing personal achievements to others.
D. Investigating changing patterns of adult life.
59. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage
A. Why Hide Harms
B. How to Be Better Adults
C. Why Growing up Matters
D. How to Have Effective Conversations
(B)
Guided Desert Adventure
Typical desert activities like sandboarding, dune bashing and quad biking
Sandboarding Quad biking
With this tour, you’ll have half a day of adventure activities in the desert.
You’ll start your tour by driving to a scenic spot on the top of a tall sand dune (沙丘) for a chance to take photos of the area. On top of a sand dune, you’ll have the chance to slide down the side by sandboarding. From here, you’ll get ready for hitting some dunes in a four-wheel drive vehicle. Next, you’ll hop on a quad bike and have time to drive around the desert in the open air. Finally, you’ll have a camel ride around a small part of the desert.
What’s included
Pickup and drop-off
20 minutes of sandboarding
35 minutes of dune bashing
25 minutes of quad biking
10-minute camel ride
Water and soft drinks
A drive through a camel farm
Additional information
Requires a high level of physical fitness.
Not suitable for children between 0 and 5.
Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Tours starting after noon include a BBQ dinner with sweets and fruits, which costs an additional US$ 45/person only.
60. What kind of experiences can participants expect from this trip
A. Taking a sand bathing on the top of a sand dune.
B. Exploring the expansive desert freely on a camel ride.
C. An exciting day adventure filled with diverse activities.
D. Capturing the breathtaking desert landscape with a camera.
61. How much does a group of four university students need to pay for taking the 14:00 tour
A. US$ 180. B. US$ 220. C. US$ 265. D. US$ 400.
62. Which of the following is most likely to be a review from a former participant of the tour
A. The show was great! I highly recommend!
B. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed every minute of it.
C. The place is cool, easy to find and get to with metro.
D. Arrive early for tickets to avoid a long queue.
(C)
Pricing is managers’ biggest marketing headache. It’s where they feel the most pressure to perform and the least certain that they are doing a good job. All successful pricing efforts share two qualities: The policy combines well with the company’s overall marketing strategy, and the process is well-organized as a whole.
A company’s pricing policy sends a message to the market—it gives customers an important sense of a company’s philosophy. Consider Saturn Corporation (a wholly owned company of General Motors). Saturn wants to let consumers know that it is friendly and easy to do business with. Part of this concept is conveyed through initiatives such as inviting customers to the factory to see where the cars are made and sponsoring evenings at the dealership that combine a social event with training on car maintenance. But Saturn’s pricing policy sends a strong message as well. Can a friendly, trusting relationship be established with customers if a salesperson uses all the negotiating tricks in the book to try to separate them from that last $100 Of course not. Saturn has a “no hassle, no haggle” policy which removes the possibility of conflicts between dealer and potential customer. Customers have an easier time buying a car knowing that the next person in the door won’t negotiate a better deal.
Of course, there are typically many participants in the pricing process: Accounting provides cost estimates; marketing communicates the pricing strategy; sales provides specific customer input; production sets supply boundaries; and finance establishes the requirements for the entire company’s financial health. Input from diverse sources is necessary. However, problems arise when the philosophy of wide participation is carried over to the price-setting process without strong coordinating mechanisms (协调机制). For example, if the marketing department sets list prices, the salespeople negotiate discounts in the field, the legal department adjusts prices if necessary to prevent breaking the laws or contractual agreements, and the people filling orders negotiate price adjustments for delays in shipment, everybody’s best intentions usually end up bringing about less than the best results. In fact, the company may actually lose money on some orders.
63. Why is it essential for a company’s pricing policy to combine with its overall marketing strategy
A. To maximize possible returns and profits.
B. To maintain consistency in business operations.
C. To eliminate the need for diverse sales inputs.
D. To attract customers to social events and trainings.
64. What does Saturn’s “no hassle, no haggle” policy (paragraph 2) most probably mean
A. Saturn trains its dealers to treat customers sincerely.
B. Saturn offers discounts to some loyal customers.
C. Saturn cars are at least $100 cheaper than other cars.
D. Saturn cars are sold at fixed, non-negotiable prices.
65. What can be inferred from the wide participation in the pricing process
A. Decision making requires gathering comprehensive information.
B. The coordinating mechanism won’t work without a lot of input.
C. Potential customers are easily upset at any stage of the process.
D. The company loses money unless everyone intends for the best.
66. Which of the following is the best title for this passage
A. The art of coordinating pricing processes
B. The best sales negotiation techniques
C. Getting one step closer toward better pricing
D. Maximizing profits through pricing policies
2024届上海市松江区高三下学期模拟考质量监控（二模）英语试卷
Section B
Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.
（A）
Charles Robert Darwin was born on 12 February 1809 in Shropshire, England. Darwin’s childhood passion was science, and his interest in chemistry, however, was clear; he was even nicknamed ‘Gas’ by his classmates.
In 1825, his father sent him to study medicine at Edinburgh University, where he learned how to classify plants. Darwin became passionate about natural history and this became his focus while he studied at Cambridge. Darwin went on a voyage together with Robert Fitzroy, the captain of HMS Beagle, to South America to facilitate British trade in Patagonia. The journey was life-changing. Darwin spent much of the trip on land collecting samples of plants, animals and rocks, which helped him to develop an understanding of the processes that shape the Earth’s surface. Darwin’s analysis of the plants and animals that he gathered led him to express doubts on former explanations about how species formed and evolved over time.
Darwin’s work convinced him that natural selection was key to understanding the development of the natural world. The theory of natural selection says that individuals of a species are more likely to survive when they inherit（经遗传获得） characteristics best suited for that specific environment. These features then become more widespread and can lead eventually to the development of a new species. With natural selection, Darwin argued how a wide variety of life forms developed over time from a single common ancestor.
Darwin married his cousin, Emma Wedgwood, in 1839. When Darwin’s eldest daughter, Annie, died from a sudden illness in 1851, he lost his belief in God. His tenth and final child, Charles Waring Darwin, was born in 1856．Significantly for Darwin, this baby was disabled, altering how Darwin thought about the human species. Darwin had previously thought that species remained adapted until the environment changed; he now believed that every new variation was imperfect and that a struggle to survive was what drove species to adapt.
Though rejected at the beginning, Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection is nowadays well accepted by the scientific community as the best evidence-based explanation for the diversity and complexity of life on Earth. The Natural History Museum’s library alone has 478 editions of his On the Origin of Species in 38 languages.
56．What made Darwin reconsider the origin and development of species
A．Examining plants and animals collected.
B．His desire for a voyage to different continents.
C．Classifying samples in a journey to South America.
D．His passion for natural history at Edinburgh University.
57．We can learn from paragraphs 1 to 3 that Darwin ______.
A．used natural selection to develop new species
B．enjoyed being called nicknames related to science
C．learned some knowledge about plants when studying medicine
D．argued with others over the diversity of life forms for a long period
58．Which of the following changed Darwin’s view on the human species
A．That he had ten children in all. B．His youngest son’s being disabled.
C．That he lost his eldest daughter. D．His marriage with Emma Wedgwood.
59．This passage is mainly about ______.
A．Darwin’s passion for medical science B．Darwin’s theory and experiments
C．Charles Darwin’s changing interest D．Charles Darwin’s life and work
（B）
Welcome to Muir Woods! This rare ancient forest is a kingdom of coast redwoods, many over 600 years old.
How to get here
People using personal vehicles must have reservations before arriving at the park. （Details at www..）
Muir Woods National Monument is open daily, 8 a. m. to sunset. Stop by Visitor Center to get trails （路线） and program information, and to take in exhibits.
What’s your path
Enjoy a walk on the paved Redwood Creek Trail （also called Main Trail）. Choose short, medium, or long loops（环线）. Other trails go deep into Muir Woods and Mount Tamalpais State Park.（Refer to the map of Muir Woods on the right for details.）
Ready to explore more
Muir Woods is part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which includes Marin Headlands, Alcatraz, the Presidio, and Ocean Beach. Download the app at www.nps.gov/goga.
Stay safe and protect your park.
Wi-Fi and cell service are not available. ·Watch for poisonous plants and falling branches. ·Do not feed or disturb animals. ·Fishing is prohibited in the park. ·Do not mark or remove trees, flowers, or other natural features. ·Go to the park website for more safety tips and regulations.
Accessibility
We make a great effort to make facilities, services, and programs accessible to all. For information, go to Visitor Center, ask a ranger, call, or check our website.
More Information
Muir Woods National Monument www.nps.gov/muwo Mill Valley, CA 94941-2696
60．Muir Woods will probably attract ______.
①redwood lovers ②hunting lovers ③fishing lovers ④hiking lovers
A．①② B．③④ C．①④ D．②③
61．What can be learned from the passage
A．Muir woods is surrounded by highland and ocean beaches.
B．Visitors can read electronic maps using Wi-Fi in Muir Woods.
C．Visitors are advised to call Visitor Center for safety tips and regulations.
D．Reservations should be made if visitors drive private cars to Muir Woods.
62．According to the map of Muir Woods, ______.
A．Bridge 4 is the farthest from the parking lots of all bridges
B．Mill Valley is located on the southwest side of Muir Beach
C．Bootjack Trail can lead one to Visitor Center from Bridge 3
D．food and gifts can be bought on various sites in Muir Woods
（C）
Precognitive dreams are dreams that seemingly predict the future which cannot be inferred from actually available information. Former US President Abraham Lincoln once revealed the frightening dream to his law partner and friend Ward Hill Lamon, “…Then I heard people weep… ‘Who is dead in the White House ’ I demanded. ‘The President,’ ‘he was killed!’…” The killing did happen later.
Christopher French, Professor in the Department of Psychology at Goldsmiths, stated the most likely explanation for such a phenomenon was coincidence （巧合）. “In addition to pure coincidences we must also consider the unreliability of memory”, he added. Asked what criteria would have to be met for him to accept that precognitive dreams were a reality, he said, “The primary problem with tests of the claim is that the subjects are unable to tell when the event（s）they’ve dreamed about will happen.”
However, some claimed to make such tests practicable. Professor Caroline Watt at the University of Edinburgh, has conducted studies into precognitive dreaming. She stated that knowing future through dreams challenged the basic assumption of science — causality （relationship of cause and effect）.
Dick Bierman, a retired physicist and psychologist, who has worked at the Universities of Amsterdam, Utrecht and Groningen, has put forward a theory that may explain precognitive dreams. It is based on the fact that when scientists use certain mathematical descriptions to talk about things like electromagnetism（电磁学）, these descriptions favour the belief that time only moves in one direction. However, in practice the wave that is running backwards in time does exist. This concept is called the time symmetry, meaning that the laws of physics look the same when time runs forward or backward. But he believes that time symmetry breaks down due to external conditions. “The key of the theory is that it assumes that there is a special context that restores the broken time-symmetry, if the waves running backwards are ‘absorbed’ by a consistent multi-particle（多粒子） system. The brain under a dream state may be such a system where broken time-symmetry is partially restored. This is still not a full explanation for precognitive dreams but it shows where physics might be adjusted to accommodate the phenomenon,” he explains.
Although Bierman’s explanation is still based on guesses and has not accepted by mainstream science, Watt does think it is worth considering. For now, believing that it’s possible to predict future with dreams remains an act of faith. Yet, it’s possible that one day we’ll wake up to a true understanding of this fascinating phenomenon.
63．According to French, what makes it difficult to test precognitive dreams
A．Unavailability of people’s dreams.
B．That coincidences happen a lot in reality.
C．That criteria for dream reliability are not trustworthy.
D．People’s inability to tell when dreamt events will happen.
64．Believers in precognitive dreams may question the truth of ______.
A．the assumption of causality B．the time symmetry
C．memories of ordinary people D．modern scientific tests
65．We can infer from the passage that ______.
A．Lincoln was warned of the killing by his friend
B．Watt carried out several experiments on causality
C．researches on electromagnetism are based on the time symmetry
D．time’s moving in two directions may justify precognitive dreams
66．Which might be the best title of the passage
A．Should Dreams Be Assessed
B．Can Dreams Predict the Future
C．How Can Physics Be Changed to Explain Dreams
D．Why Should Scientists Study Precognitive Dreams
参考答案
2024届上海市青浦区高三下学期二模英语试题
56-59 BDCC
60-62 ADC
63-66 DDCB
2024届上海市金山区高三下学期二模英语试题
56~66. BDAB CBA AACD
2024届上海市嘉定区高三二模考试英语试题
Reading:56-59 BCBD
60-62 ADB
63-66 BCAD
2024届上海市虹口区高三下学期二模英语试题
56-59: CDAB 60-62: DDB 63-66: BDAC
2024届上海市松江区高三下学期模拟考质量监控（二模）英语试卷
56-59 ACBD 60-62 CDA 63-66 DADB
阅读理解
2024届上海市青浦区高三下学期二模英语试题
Section B
Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.
(A)
I was sitting in my high school classroom, nervously tapping my pencil against the desk as I awaited the start of the English exam.
As the clock struck, signaling the beginning of the exam, my heart began to race. I opened the exam booklet and scanned the questions, and I felt a wave of panic over me. The questions seemed foreign, and the topics unfamiliar. In a state of panic, I hurriedly wrote down my answers, hoping that somehow, by some stroke of luck, they would be correct. But as the minutes went by, I realized I couldn’t seem to make sense of the questions before me. As the final bell rang, I handed in my paper with a heavy heart.
In the days that followed, I couldn’t shake the feeling of failure that hung over me like a dark cloud. I replayed the exam over and over in my mind, analyzing every question, every answer, searching for clues as to where I had gone wrong.
But in the depression, a realization began to dawn on me — I had failed, yes, but I had also learned valuable lessons along the way. Armed with this newfound wisdom, I ensured that I would do better next time. I threw myself into my studies with renewed determination, devouring books and practicing past exams with an eagerness I had never known before.
When the time came to retake the exam, I was ready. I approached each question with confidence and clarity, drawing upon the lessons I had learned from my previous missteps.
When the results were announced, I held my breath as I scanned the list of names. And there it was — my name, shining brightly among the list of successful candidates. At that moment, all the hard work, all the late nights and early mornings, were worth it.
And as I look back on that sunny afternoon in the high school classroom, I am grateful for the lessons it taught me, and the person it helped me become.
56. Why did the author panic when he first took the exam
A. He sat with a pounding heart.
B. He found the questions too difficult.
C. He was not familiar with the foreign language.
D. He was in a hurry when answering the questions.
57. What did the author do after he failed in the exam
A. He attended valuable lessons in school.
B. He retook the exam over and over again.
C. He promised to arm himself with eagerness.
D. He determined to engage himself in learning.
58. Which of the following can replace the underlined word “devouring” (paragraph 4)
A. being targeted at B. being obliged for
C. being absorbed in D. being credited to
59. According to the passage, this experience helped the author become _____.
A. cheerful and considerate B. objective and demanding
C. tough and persevering D. proud and tolerant
(B)
Whether you are attracted by landscapes or the after-effects of weather, there are photo opportunities everywhere. The following photography tips from photographers will help you shoot your best shot.
Get to know your subject and their habits
Take time to get to know your local wildlife before shooting, and you might just capture something truly special. Try to shoot from the perspective of the animal you are filming. Resist the urge to just point and click — take the time to observe local wildlife and you will see the rewards in your photos.
Capture details in a close-up
Going in close can bring some fascinating rewards in nature photography. Zooming (聚焦) into plants with frost or picking up water drops on a spider’s web can help show the beauty we might miss in everyday life. If you’re zooming in on one particular subject, such as a bee landing on a flower, you could end up with soft-focus objects in the background to create added interest.
Shoot photos at best time of day
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to timing, and a shadow or lots of natural sunlight can produce great results — it’s just best to avoid extremes. Too much bright light hitting your camera lens (镜头) sensor will result in an overexposed photo with little detail, while a dark sky full of stars might provide too much contrast between the background and the subject you are taking pictures of.
Capture sharp, clear images
Although the delete button can be your best friend, a few things will help you avoid unclear images. Keeping the camera stable is key, whether that’s through a solid pose as you stand ready to shoot or using a support. A self-timer can also be a handy tool for keeping your hands away from dials and settings once you have chosen your shot.
60. Which of the following is the benefit of “zooming in” in shooting
A. It may be an aid to capture the delicate beauty in daily life.
B. It may be helpful to avoid overexposing photos with little detail.
C. It may bring about deleting the background to create added interest.
D. It may contribute to focusing on several particular subjects at a time.
61. What is a photographer recommended to do to shoot satisfactory photos
A. Chase the running rabbit when shooting. B. Follow his instinct when shooting.
C. Shoot in bright daylight at midday. D. Use a stable stand when shooting.
62. You will find the tips above most useful if you want to take photos _____.
A. at a wedding ceremony B. while visiting an art gallery
C. on an excursion to the countryside D. while walking on the street in a city
(C)
At first the question was how quickly people would get back to the office. Then it was whether they would ever return. The last three years has introduced in a major change in white-collar working patterns. The office is not dead but many professionals have settled into a hybrid (混合的) arrangement of some office days and some remote days.
Hybrid working has much to recommend: flexibility for employees, periods of concentration at home, bursts of cooperation in the office. A new paper from Harvard Business School describes an experiment in which workers at BRAC, a non-profit organisation in Britain, were randomly assigned to three groups, each spending different amounts of time working from home. The intermediate (中等的) group, who spent between 23% and 40% of their time in the office, performed best on various performance measures.
But a shift on this large scale is bound to raise tricky issues. In workplaces that have moved to hybrid work, there are still plenty of open questions. One is how to handle the impact of less time in the office for new joiners and younger workers. Research by Emma Harrington of the University of Iowa shows that software engineers receive more feedback on their code when the team sits next to each other in the office, especially new engineers. According to Nicholas Bloom of Stanford University, making new employees spend more time in the office can be a good way of integrating them into company culture and improving their competence. And these younger employees were most likely to quit when everyone was forced to go remote.
A second question concerns how strictly to enforce attendance on days when teams are meant to be in the office. An agreement holds that there should be agreed “anchor days” on which all the people come to work in the office; since the idea is to spend time together, as many people as possible should be there. But one person on the team might have moved somewhere else; someone else might have asked to stay home to let the repairer in. In practice, therefore, hybrid working still often means a mixture of people on screen and people in the office.
Other questions exist. How to define performance measures so managers do not spend time worrying about lazy workers at home Do you require company-wide anchor days or team-level ones The era of hybrid working is only just beginning, so it will take time for answers to emerge. But if there is a message from this first full year of hybrid working, it is that flexibility does not mean a free-for-all.
63. How can in-office work help new employees
A. Giving them more feedback from senior employees.
B. Getting them to catch up with the work schedule.
C. Saving them the cost of staying at home.
D. Helping them feel part of the company.
64. What makes it difficult to enforce attendance on anchor days
A. Young workers prefer working on screen.
B. Engineers object to the idea of anchor days.
C. Office workers can’t take a day off as expected.
D. Employees have various private matters to address.
65. Which of the following statements is the author most likely to agree with
A. It is necessary to grant employees full autonomous rights.
B. Employers should go with the flow because new questions will emerge.
C. Allowing flexibility in work arrangements does not mean having no rules.
D. It is no easy job to arrange either company-wide or team-level anchor days.
What does the passage mainly talk about
A. Hybrid working is outdated after workers’ return.
B. There are some open questions of hybrid working.
C. A shift of working patterns calls for hybrid working.
D. Fixed restrictions should be applied to hybrid working.
2024届上海市金山区高三下学期二模英语试题
Section B
Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.
(A)
There is no known date for when the ancient Greeks or Romans first shared their stories about gods, monsters and heroes. But for the modern myth known as Star Wars, that date is May 25,1977, when the original movie opened in theaters and kicked off a global phenomenon that spanned films, TV shows, novels, comic books, toys, lunchboxes, bed sheets and more. Even today, Star Wars remains an enduring touchstone (检验标准) of pop culture. Critically praised or not, the movies continue to be a big hit.
And just as we know when the mythology began, we also know who invented it: writer-director George Lucas. His inspiration, he told TIME in 1977, was “all the books and films and comics that I liked when I was a child… My main reason for making it was to give young people an honest, wholesome fantasy life, the kind my generation had.”
No one could predict just how much Lucas’ creation would catch on — not even Lucas himself or the film’s star Mark Hamill, who played young hero Luke Skywalker. “I had no idea it would be as successful as it was,” Hamill said in 2017, marking the original film’s 40th anniversary. “I just thought I would be a fan of this even if I weren’t involved.”
Before Lucas created Star Wars, he had an even more ambitious goal — to blow up the ways of Old Hollywood. And he did. Star Wars introduced a new era of moviemaking, one that saw the development of amazing special effects and the tools to achieve them. After this legend, filmmakers felt free to bring their wildest ideas to life in totally realistic ways that left audiences thrilled.
Why did Star Wars become such a powerful force Hamill credits its ability to satisfy the human need for escapism. “People value the idea of going away to some happy place,” he said, “whether it’s Oz or Narnia or Middle Earth or Hogwarts. I think it appeals to children of all ages. It doesn’t matter if you’re 6 or 60. It appeals to the optimistic young idealism that I think every person has, however buried it might be.”
56. What can we learn from the first paragraph
A. People should keep digging into the history of ancient myths.
B. More products associated with Star Wars have been created.
C. Some people’s criticism of Star Wars made it less popular than before.
D. Star Wars is more successful in the business field than in the entertainment field.
57. Why did George Lucas invent Star Wars
A. To break the old rules and traditions of making films.
B. To appeal to the optimistic young men to pursue their dreams.
C. To encourage other filmmakers to bring their wild ideas to life.
D. To offer young people an as good and healthy fantasy life as he had.
58. Star Wars can have such a great influence mainly because ______.
A. it meets people’s pursuit for a place to escape
B. it symbolizes the beginning of the modern myth
C. the special effects offer amazing viewing experience
D. the main actors in this film are very popular among the public
59. This passage is written to _____________.
A. inspire people to be optimistic and ideal
B. introduce the basic information about Star Wars
C. recommend the talented writer-director George Lucas
D. criticize the fact that Star Wars is not as well made as before
(B)
Looking for a career change Check out these unconventional options!
The Waterslide Tester
When the pool where he worked as a lifeguard was closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, Guillaume Pop took jobs at various other pools that were virtually deserted. In one video on the social platform, he pretended to be a “professional waterslide tester”. Unexpectedly, Pop became a social media sensation. He was then hired to “test” slides and other facilities at water parks and swimming pools all over France. “It’s the best job in the world,” declares Pop, whose videos have received 80 million views. “I’m not behind a desk. I’m active and outside in the sun. In fact, all the children tell me they want to be a waterslide tester!”
The Reindeer Herder
Finnish Lapland is home to around 200,000 wild reindeer. Anne Ollila, one of the 4,000 owners of these animals, works in this harsh but beautiful region with her big family. She gave up her job as a sociology researcher in 2010 to devote herself to reindeer herding full time. In summer, Ollila sleeps during the day and walks up to 12 miles a night through marsh and forest, enduring all kinds of insects. In deepest winter there is little daylight. Grasslands are frozen and the reindeer move into the forest for protection. “Life here isn’t easy but it’s how nature works,” says Ollila, “I love the environment, the animals and the freedom. Also, I have a sense of belonging to something bigger than me, to the chain of life through the generations.”
The Zombie Trainer
Stevie Douglas, a 52-year-old Scot, has taught people how to behave like all varieties of the undead. A big fan of horror movies, Douglas noticed the zombies he saw in films were often unconvincing. “Their movement was poor and I thought I could do better.” So, in 2012, he formed ScareScotland to provide zombies for films and events such as horror conventions. A year later they started a zombie training program, which took off when they received a request for 300 zombies for a three-week-long interactive production. “What we do is very specific.” says Douglas. Many people enjoy being frightened, and he’s happy to oblige them.
60. What do the three people introduced in the passage above have in common
A. Their jobs are dangerous, unstable and low-paid.
B. Their jobs are well received throughout the world.
C. They have great passion and pride in what they do.
D. They need professional qualifications to do their job.
61. What does Guillaume Pop like most about his job
A. It has a sense of freedom.
B. It is full of vigor and energy.
C. It is what he has been doing for decades.
D. It satisfies people’s wishes to be frightened.
62. Who is most probably interested in this passage
A. Employees who are considering switching jobs.
B. Students who are applying for ideal universities.
C. Children who are interested in unusual activities.
D. Graduates who are deciding on their essay topics.
(C)
The phrase “coin toss” is a classic equivalent to randomness. But since at least the 18th century, mathematicians have suspected that even fair coins tend to land on one side slightly more often than the other. Proving this tiny bias (偏见), however, would require hundreds of thousands of carefully recorded coin tosses, making laboratory tests a nightmare.
Franti ek Barto , currently a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Amsterdam, became fascinated by this challenge four years ago. He couldn’t round up enough volunteers to investigate it at first. “Nobody was stupid enough to spend a couple of weekends tossing coins,” he says. But after he began his Ph.D. studies, he tried again, recruiting 47 volunteers (many of them friends and fellow students) from six countries. Multiple weekends of coin tossing later, the team had performed 350,757 tosses, breaking the previous record of 40,000.
The tossed coins, according to previous findings, landed with the same side facing upward as before the toss 50.8 percent of the time. The large number of throws allows statisticians to conclude that the nearly one percent bias isn’t a fluke. “We can be quite sure there is a bias in coin tosses after this data set,” Barto says.
The leading theory explaining the subtle advantage comes from a 2007 physics study by statistician Persi Diaconis and his colleagues, whose calculations predicted a same-side bias of 51 percent. From the moment a coin is launched into the air, its entire path in the air — including whether it lands on heads or tails — can be calculated by the laws of mechanics. The researchers determined that coins in the air barely turn around their symmetrical axis (对称轴); instead they tend to move off-center unsteadily, which causes them to spend a little more time in the air with their initial “up” side on top.
For day-to-day decisions, coin tosses are as good as random because a one percent bias isn’t perceptible with just a few coin tosses, says another statistician who wasn’t involved in the new research. Still, the study’s conclusions should eliminate any doubt that still exists regarding the coin toss’s slim bias.
It isn’t difficult to prevent this bias from influencing your coin-toss matches; simply concealing the coin’s starting position before tossing it should do the trick. Alternatively, you can do away with tossing altogether by shaking the coin between your palms. But if your friends are unaware of the tiny bias, you may as well benefit from your slight advantage. After all, 51 percent odds beat a lot.
63. Why was it difficult to prove the tiny bias in coin tosses
A. Because it required a large number of trials and loads of tests.
B. Because few scientists and researchers were interested in this topic.
C. Because scientists lacked the ability and technique to conduct this study.
D. Because previous researches failed many times and scientists lost confidence.
64. The meaning of the underlined word fluke in paragraph 3 most probably refers to something that ____________.
A. happens by accident B. can be planned in advance
C. occurs under specific conditions D. can be gained by practice
65. What can we imply from the last paragraph
A. This one percent bias matters little in real life.
B. We should rely on this one percent bias to help us.
C. Though unnoticeable, we may still take advantage of this bias.
D. Relying on the one percent bias to win a coin-toss match is unfair.
66. What is the best title of this passage
A. Risk-takers Experts recommend coin-toss matches.
B. Luck or Maths Here’re some tips on tossing coins.
C. Coin collectors There’re stories behind each coin.
D. Heads or Tails Research suggests it’s not 50-50.
2024届上海市嘉定区高三二模考试英语试题
Section B（22）
Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B. C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.
（A）
What makes a certain piece of writing great Well, it depends on whom you ask. There are, in my mind, three different readers: casual readers, lit critics, creative writers. They would say the following about Charlotte Bront 's Jane Eyre:
Casual reader: Jane's story is very relatable, especially to women who survived their teenage years. The story's elements of romance, mystery, and coming-of-age make it enjoyable to read.
Literary critic: Jane Eyre pulls inspiration from the Gothic and romantic literary traditions. The atmospheric setting mirrors Jane's inner world and serves as a character itself.
Creative writer: Jane has an appealing character and her pursuit of a fulfilling life is timeless. While Jane's emotions are often verbose （冗长的）， each word still feels necessary in most passages.
All of these responses are reasonable interpretations of the great literary work Jane Eyre. What's the difference between these three The casual reader is primarily interested in the story's relatability and entertainment value; the literary critic, who knows how to read literature like a professor, looks for ways to situate this work in its broader literary context.
The creative writer must do both: the job of the casual reader and the job of the critic. He/she engages with the work on a personal level while also researching what makes a work successful. This is Reading Like a Writer （RLW）, which means being impacted by a piece of literature while investigating how the writer did it. Successful works of writing succeed for different reasons-a distinctive voice, moving storytelling, an empowering message, etc. Writers don't make the achievement randomly: they earn it by crafting every plot point and character, every line break, with care and precision. It's up to you to pay attention to these craft elements, the choices the writer makes and how they contribute to the work as a whole.
Yes, reading like a writer is extra work. But it's necessary work to the writing practice. By observing the strategies writers employ to tell convincing stories or write engaging arguments, you equip yourself with the knowledge to perform these strategies yourself.
56. The author cites three reader responses to Jane Eyre ____.
A. to argue that the novel is poorly written
B. to explain different reading perspectives
C. to prove how detailed literary analysis can be
D. to show the misinterpretation by creative writers
57. According to the passage, which of the following most probably demonstrates RLW
A. Discussing fascinating plots and characters in a novel.
B. Examining the literary sources a Greek classic draws on.
C. Analyzing why a short story is popular and how it is structured.
D. Summarizing the main events of a short story for a class assignment.
58. What does the underlined pronoun "it" refer to
A. Care and precision in writing B. Recognition of works as success
C. Investigation of writing style D. Character analysis through words
59. The author suggests RLW is "necessary work" （para. 7） because readers can ____.
A. write lengthy novels like Jane Eyre B. gain knowledge in employment
C. become professional literary critic D. improve their own writing craft
（B）
Workplace injuries still happen, In a statistical report produced by Safe Work Australia, there were a total of 104, 770 personal injury claims for a work-related incident last year alone. The most typical type is related to repetitive body movements, followed by unexpected falls and contact with moving equipment. Prioritizing health and safety is essential in creating a positive and productive working environment.
60. According to the info chart, workplace injuries may lead to ___.
A. long leave of absence at work B. tax avoidance for companies
C. nationwide salary reduction D. increased mental alertness
61. Which group of percentages best fits the blanks numbered 1, 2 and 3
A. ①17%；②24%；③38% B. ① 26%;43%; ③ 18%
C. ①78%；②23%；③% D. 39%; ②25%；③17%
62. To ensure safety in the workplace, it is suggested that one should ____.
A. make themselves clean before working B. wear safety equipment when necessary
C. stretch arms and legs before lifting objects D. receive proper training on taking breaks
（C）
Imagine this. You need an image of a balloon for a work presentation and turn to an AI text-to- image generator, like Midjourney or DALL-E, to create a suitable image. You enter the prompt （提示词） "red balloon against a blue sky" but the generator returns an image of an egg instead.
What's going on The generator you're using may have been "poisoned". What does this mean Text-to-image generators work by being trained on large datasets that include millions or billions of images. Some of the generators have been trained by indiscriminately scraping online images, many of which may be under copyright. This has led to many copyright infringement （侵害） cases where artists have accused big tech companies of stealing and profiting from their work.
This is also where the idea of "poison" comes in. Researchers who want to empower individual artists have recently created a tool named "Nightshade" to fight back against unauthorised image scraping. The tool works by slightly altering an image's pixels （像素） in a way that confuses the computer vision system but leaves the image unaltered to a human's eyes. If an organization then scrapes one of these images to train a future AI model, its data pool becomes "poisoned". This can result in mistaken learning, which makes the generator return unintended results. As in our earlier example, a balloon might become an egg.
The higher the number of "poisoned" images in the training data, the greater the impact. Because of how generative AI works, the damage from "poisoned" images also affects related prompt keywords. For example, if a "poisoned" image of a Picasso work is used in training data, prompt results for masterpieces from other artists can also be affected.
Possibly, tools like Nightshade can be abused by some users to intentionally upload "poisoned" images in order to confuse AI generators. But the Nightshade's developer hopes the tool will make big tech companies more respectful of copyright. It does challenge a common belief among computer scientists that data found online can be used for any purpose they see fit.
Human rights activists, for example, have been concerned for some time about the indiscriminate use of machine vision in wider society. This concern is particularly serious concerning facial recognition. There is a clear connection between facial recognition cases and data poisoning, as both relate to larger questions around technological governance. It may be better to see data poisoning as an innovative solution to the denial of some fundamental human rights.
63. The underlined word "scraping" （para. 2） is closest in meaning to ____.
A. facilitating B. collecting C. damaging D. polishing
64. According to the passage, adding poisoned data might ____.
A. increase the accuracy of returned information
B. cause users to forget the prompt key words
C. interfere with the training of generative AI
D. discriminate against great masterpieces
65. What can be inferred from the last two paragraphs
A. Data poisoning is somehow justified to direct attention to human rights.
B. Computer scientists has learned to respect the copyright of most artists.
C. Nightshade is being abused by human rights activists to recognize faces.
D. The issue of technological governance has aroused the lawyers' interest.
66. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage
A. Data Poisoning: Government Empowering Citizens to Protect Themselves
B. Data Poisoning: Addressing Facial Recognition Issues Among Artists
C. Data Poisoning: Risks and Rewards of Generative AI Data Training
D. Data Poisoning: Restricting Innovation or Empowering Artists
2024届上海市虹口区高三下学期二模英语试题
Section B
Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.
(A)
I used to think I was a good person. I was caring to my friends, my partner, my family; I gave to charity and I volunteered. But when I started training to become a therapist (治疗师), I began to understand that however much we might like to think of ourselves as good people, we don’t actually know ourselves very well. I learned about how we might, without consciously realizing it, deny the feelings and motivations we consider to be bad, pushing them down into our unconscious and projecting them out on to others, so they become the bad people. I learned that deep in the human mind, alongside love and kindness, run currents of anger, need, greed, envy, destructiveness, superiority—whether we want to acknowledge them or not.
It was 22-year-old Boru who taught me what it really means to be a good grown up. We first spoke two years ago. He was unemployed, living with his parents, watching his friends’ lives progress. A good grown-up, he told me, is “someone who has his ducks in a row”—and that wasn’t him.
I also didn’t feel like the competent, confident grown-up I thought I should be—and neither did most of the adults I knew. I researched statistics about people hitting the traditional landmarks of adulthood later and later, if at all—from buying a home to getting married or starting a family. I recognized what made me feel like a bad grown-up: that I’ll sit with a broken fridge rather than call an engineer to repair it.
Then I saw Boru again. He told me how, over two years, he’d found a job he loves, rented a flat with a friend. He’s now cycling round the world, having adventures that will keep him strong for the rest of his life. So what changed “You start to have those conversations with yourself, and you become more of an honest person. I don’t feel like I’m hiding from anything anymore, because I’m not hiding from myself.”
I think growing up must involve finding your own way to have those conversations. Boru does it on his bike, I do it in psychoanalysis, others I spoke to do it while cooking or playing music. That, for Boru, and for me, is what it means to “have his ducks in a row”.
56. What does the first paragraph imply about understanding ourselves
A. Recognizing our positive traits is enough for growth.
B. Our understanding of our motives and feelings is accurate.
C. True self-awareness means accepting both good and bad sides.
D. Ignoring our negative traits does not affect our self-perception.
57. What critical lesson did the author learn from Boru about being a good grown-up
A. It involves having a clear career path and financial stability.
B. It requires constant self-improvement and education.
C. It means being employed and living independently.
D. It is like a journey of self-discovery and honesty.
58. What does the author identify as a reason for feeling like an inadequate adult
A. Escaping basic responsibilities.
B. Delaying reaching traditional life milestones.
C. Comparing personal achievements to others.
D. Investigating changing patterns of adult life.
59. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage
A. Why Hide Harms
B. How to Be Better Adults
C. Why Growing up Matters
D. How to Have Effective Conversations
(B)
Guided Desert Adventure
Typical desert activities like sandboarding, dune bashing and quad biking
Sandboarding Quad biking
With this tour, you’ll have half a day of adventure activities in the desert.
You’ll start your tour by driving to a scenic spot on the top of a tall sand dune (沙丘) for a chance to take photos of the area. On top of a sand dune, you’ll have the chance to slide down the side by sandboarding. From here, you’ll get ready for hitting some dunes in a four-wheel drive vehicle. Next, you’ll hop on a quad bike and have time to drive around the desert in the open air. Finally, you’ll have a camel ride around a small part of the desert.
What’s included
Pickup and drop-off
20 minutes of sandboarding
35 minutes of dune bashing
25 minutes of quad biking
10-minute camel ride
Water and soft drinks
A drive through a camel farm
Additional information
Requires a high level of physical fitness.
Not suitable for children between 0 and 5.
Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Tours starting after noon include a BBQ dinner with sweets and fruits, which costs an additional US$ 45/person only.
60. What kind of experiences can participants expect from this trip
A. Taking a sand bathing on the top of a sand dune.
B. Exploring the expansive desert freely on a camel ride.
C. An exciting day adventure filled with diverse activities.
D. Capturing the breathtaking desert landscape with a camera.
61. How much does a group of four university students need to pay for taking the 14:00 tour
A. US$ 180. B. US$ 220. C. US$ 265. D. US$ 400.
62. Which of the following is most likely to be a review from a former participant of the tour
A. The show was great! I highly recommend!
B. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed every minute of it.
C. The place is cool, easy to find and get to with metro.
D. Arrive early for tickets to avoid a long queue.
(C)
Pricing is managers’ biggest marketing headache. It’s where they feel the most pressure to perform and the least certain that they are doing a good job. All successful pricing efforts share two qualities: The policy combines well with the company’s overall marketing strategy, and the process is well-organized as a whole.
A company’s pricing policy sends a message to the market—it gives customers an important sense of a company’s philosophy. Consider Saturn Corporation (a wholly owned company of General Motors). Saturn wants to let consumers know that it is friendly and easy to do business with. Part of this concept is conveyed through initiatives such as inviting customers to the factory to see where the cars are made and sponsoring evenings at the dealership that combine a social event with training on car maintenance. But Saturn’s pricing policy sends a strong message as well. Can a friendly, trusting relationship be established with customers if a salesperson uses all the negotiating tricks in the book to try to separate them from that last $100 Of course not. Saturn has a “no hassle, no haggle” policy which removes the possibility of conflicts between dealer and potential customer. Customers have an easier time buying a car knowing that the next person in the door won’t negotiate a better deal.
Of course, there are typically many participants in the pricing process: Accounting provides cost estimates; marketing communicates the pricing strategy; sales provides specific customer input; production sets supply boundaries; and finance establishes the requirements for the entire company’s financial health. Input from diverse sources is necessary. However, problems arise when the philosophy of wide participation is carried over to the price-setting process without strong coordinating mechanisms (协调机制). For example, if the marketing department sets list prices, the salespeople negotiate discounts in the field, the legal department adjusts prices if necessary to prevent breaking the laws or contractual agreements, and the people filling orders negotiate price adjustments for delays in shipment, everybody’s best intentions usually end up bringing about less than the best results. In fact, the company may actually lose money on some orders.
63. Why is it essential for a company’s pricing policy to combine with its overall marketing strategy
A. To maximize possible returns and profits.
B. To maintain consistency in business operations.
C. To eliminate the need for diverse sales inputs.
D. To attract customers to social events and trainings.
64. What does Saturn’s “no hassle, no haggle” policy (paragraph 2) most probably mean
A. Saturn trains its dealers to treat customers sincerely.
B. Saturn offers discounts to some loyal customers.
C. Saturn cars are at least $100 cheaper than other cars.
D. Saturn cars are sold at fixed, non-negotiable prices.
65. What can be inferred from the wide participation in the pricing process
A. Decision making requires gathering comprehensive information.
B. The coordinating mechanism won’t work without a lot of input.
C. Potential customers are easily upset at any stage of the process.
D. The company loses money unless everyone intends for the best.
66. Which of the following is the best title for this passage
A. The art of coordinating pricing processes
B. The best sales negotiation techniques
C. Getting one step closer toward better pricing
D. Maximizing profits through pricing policies
2024届上海市松江区高三下学期模拟考质量监控（二模）英语试卷
Section B
Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.
（A）
Charles Robert Darwin was born on 12 February 1809 in Shropshire, England. Darwin’s childhood passion was science, and his interest in chemistry, however, was clear; he was even nicknamed ‘Gas’ by his classmates.
In 1825, his father sent him to study medicine at Edinburgh University, where he learned how to classify plants. Darwin became passionate about natural history and this became his focus while he studied at Cambridge. Darwin went on a voyage together with Robert Fitzroy, the captain of HMS Beagle, to South America to facilitate British trade in Patagonia. The journey was life-changing. Darwin spent much of the trip on land collecting samples of plants, animals and rocks, which helped him to develop an understanding of the processes that shape the Earth’s surface. Darwin’s analysis of the plants and animals that he gathered led him to express doubts on former explanations about how species formed and evolved over time.
Darwin’s work convinced him that natural selection was key to understanding the development of the natural world. The theory of natural selection says that individuals of a species are more likely to survive when they inherit（经遗传获得） characteristics best suited for that specific environment. These features then become more widespread and can lead eventually to the development of a new species. With natural selection, Darwin argued how a wide variety of life forms developed over time from a single common ancestor.
Darwin married his cousin, Emma Wedgwood, in 1839. When Darwin’s eldest daughter, Annie, died from a sudden illness in 1851, he lost his belief in God. His tenth and final child, Charles Waring Darwin, was born in 1856．Significantly for Darwin, this baby was disabled, altering how Darwin thought about the human species. Darwin had previously thought that species remained adapted until the environment changed; he now believed that every new variation was imperfect and that a struggle to survive was what drove species to adapt.
Though rejected at the beginning, Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection is nowadays well accepted by the scientific community as the best evidence-based explanation for the diversity and complexity of life on Earth. The Natural History Museum’s library alone has 478 editions of his On the Origin of Species in 38 languages.
56．What made Darwin reconsider the origin and development of species
A．Examining plants and animals collected.
B．His desire for a voyage to different continents.
C．Classifying samples in a journey to South America.
D．His passion for natural history at Edinburgh University.
57．We can learn from paragraphs 1 to 3 that Darwin ______.
A．used natural selection to develop new species
B．enjoyed being called nicknames related to science
C．learned some knowledge about plants when studying medicine
D．argued with others over the diversity of life forms for a long period
58．Which of the following changed Darwin’s view on the human species
A．That he had ten children in all. B．His youngest son’s being disabled.
C．That he lost his eldest daughter. D．His marriage with Emma Wedgwood.
59．This passage is mainly about ______.
A．Darwin’s passion for medical science B．Darwin’s theory and experiments
C．Charles Darwin’s changing interest D．Charles Darwin’s life and work
（B）
Welcome to Muir Woods! This rare ancient forest is a kingdom of coast redwoods, many over 600 years old.
How to get here
People using personal vehicles must have reservations before arriving at the park. （Details at www..）
Muir Woods National Monument is open daily, 8 a. m. to sunset. Stop by Visitor Center to get trails （路线） and program information, and to take in exhibits.
What’s your path
Enjoy a walk on the paved Redwood Creek Trail （also called Main Trail）. Choose short, medium, or long loops（环线）. Other trails go deep into Muir Woods and Mount Tamalpais State Park.（Refer to the map of Muir Woods on the right for details.）
Ready to explore more
Muir Woods is part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which includes Marin Headlands, Alcatraz, the Presidio, and Ocean Beach. Download the app at www.nps.gov/goga.
Stay safe and protect your park.
Wi-Fi and cell service are not available. ·Watch for poisonous plants and falling branches. ·Do not feed or disturb animals. ·Fishing is prohibited in the park. ·Do not mark or remove trees, flowers, or other natural features. ·Go to the park website for more safety tips and regulations.
Accessibility
We make a great effort to make facilities, services, and programs accessible to all. For information, go to Visitor Center, ask a ranger, call, or check our website.
More Information
Muir Woods National Monument www.nps.gov/muwo Mill Valley, CA 94941-2696
60．Muir Woods will probably attract ______.
①redwood lovers ②hunting lovers ③fishing lovers ④hiking lovers
A．①② B．③④ C．①④ D．②③
61．What can be learned from the passage
A．Muir woods is surrounded by highland and ocean beaches.
B．Visitors can read electronic maps using Wi-Fi in Muir Woods.
C．Visitors are advised to call Visitor Center for safety tips and regulations.
D．Reservations should be made if visitors drive private cars to Muir Woods.
62．According to the map of Muir Woods, ______.
A．Bridge 4 is the farthest from the parking lots of all bridges
B．Mill Valley is located on the southwest side of Muir Beach
C．Bootjack Trail can lead one to Visitor Center from Bridge 3
D．food and gifts can be bought on various sites in Muir Woods
（C）
Precognitive dreams are dreams that seemingly predict the future which cannot be inferred from actually available information. Former US President Abraham Lincoln once revealed the frightening dream to his law partner and friend Ward Hill Lamon, “…Then I heard people weep… ‘Who is dead in the White House ’ I demanded. ‘The President,’ ‘he was killed!’…” The killing did happen later.
Christopher French, Professor in the Department of Psychology at Goldsmiths, stated the most likely explanation for such a phenomenon was coincidence （巧合）. “In addition to pure coincidences we must also consider the unreliability of memory”, he added. Asked what criteria would have to be met for him to accept that precognitive dreams were a reality, he said, “The primary problem with tests of the claim is that the subjects are unable to tell when the event（s）they’ve dreamed about will happen.”
However, some claimed to make such tests practicable. Professor Caroline Watt at the University of Edinburgh, has conducted studies into precognitive dreaming. She stated that knowing future through dreams challenged the basic assumption of science — causality （relationship of cause and effect）.
Dick Bierman, a retired physicist and psychologist, who has worked at the Universities of Amsterdam, Utrecht and Groningen, has put forward a theory that may explain precognitive dreams. It is based on the fact that when scientists use certain mathematical descriptions to talk about things like electromagnetism（电磁学）, these descriptions favour the belief that time only moves in one direction. However, in practice the wave that is running backwards in time does exist. This concept is called the time symmetry, meaning that the laws of physics look the same when time runs forward or backward. But he believes that time symmetry breaks down due to external conditions. “The key of the theory is that it assumes that there is a special context that restores the broken time-symmetry, if the waves running backwards are ‘absorbed’ by a consistent multi-particle（多粒子） system. The brain under a dream state may be such a system where broken time-symmetry is partially restored. This is still not a full explanation for precognitive dreams but it shows where physics might be adjusted to accommodate the phenomenon,” he explains.
Although Bierman’s explanation is still based on guesses and has not accepted by mainstream science, Watt does think it is worth considering. For now, believing that it’s possible to predict future with dreams remains an act of faith. Yet, it’s possible that one day we’ll wake up to a true understanding of this fascinating phenomenon.
63．According to French, what makes it difficult to test precognitive dreams
A．Unavailability of people’s dreams.
B．That coincidences happen a lot in reality.
C．That criteria for dream reliability are not trustworthy.
D．People’s inability to tell when dreamt events will happen.
64．Believers in precognitive dreams may question the truth of ______.
A．the assumption of causality B．the time symmetry
C．memories of ordinary people D．modern scientific tests
65．We can infer from the passage that ______.
A．Lincoln was warned of the killing by his friend
B．Watt carried out several experiments on causality
C．researches on electromagnetism are based on the time symmetry
D．time’s moving in two directions may justify precognitive dreams
66．Which might be the best title of the passage
A．Should Dreams Be Assessed
B．Can Dreams Predict the Future
C．How Can Physics Be Changed to Explain Dreams
D．Why Should Scientists Study Precognitive Dreams
参考答案
2024届上海市青浦区高三下学期二模英语试题
56-59 BDCC
60-62 ADC
63-66 DDCB
2024届上海市金山区高三下学期二模英语试题
56~66. BDAB CBA AACD
2024届上海市嘉定区高三二模考试英语试题
Reading:56-59 BCBD
60-62 ADB
63-66 BCAD
2024届上海市虹口区高三下学期二模英语试题
56-59: CDAB 60-62: DDB 63-66: BDAC
2024届上海市松江区高三下学期模拟考质量监控（二模）英语试卷
56-59 ACBD 60-62 CDA 63-66 DADB