湖南省长沙市长郡中学2023-2024学年高二下学期期中考试英语试题（含答案）

长郡中学2023-2024学年高二下学期期中考试
英 语
时量：120分钟 满分：150分
第一部分 听力（共两节，满分30分）略
第二部分 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
From December 1st, 2023 to November 30th, 2024, visitors can stay in China for up to 15 days without a visa. Below are several easy steps for planning a first China tour.
Decide How Many Days to Stay
We suggest you take at least a week for your first trip to see the highlights in the top three cities: Beijing (3–4 days), Xi’an (2 days), and Shanghai (1–2 days).
To discover more of China, like charming Guilin and lovely Chengdu pandas, you would need a few more days.
Consider When to Travel to China
Things to do in Beijing, Xi’an, and Shanghai are seldom affected by the seasons.
Spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October) are generally the most comfortable and recommended times for a China tour. They are neither too hot nor too cold, but fall is generally drier and warmer than spring.
A more ideal travel time for you could be March and early April or September when there are smaller crowds, favorable prices, and still good weather.
China is a good summer holiday destination too.
Consider Your Budget
The biggest cost could be international airfares. The cost of airfares from the US or Europe to China varies a lot depending on when you fly and which airline you use, from around US$1,200 to US$3,000 for an economy round trip.
The biggest price difference between the off and peak seasons is in the price of hotels and airfares. Prices in peak seasons can go up by 50 to 100%.
For a private tour, the average cost per day is about US$220–350 per person, including flights/trains within China, 4- or 5-star hotels, lunches, attractions, guides, and private transport.
We Believe Private and Tailor-Made Tours Are Best
With our private tours, you would have much more personal choice in how your tour goes. You could have more hand-picked and interactive experiences, like visiting a local family with your own local guide.
With private guiding and transport, we would make full use of your time. You could focus on the sightseeing you want to do, skipping what’s not of interest and the long queues in the most crowded attractions.
21. If you have a tour in China in winter, which places are suitable for you
A. Beijing and Guilin. B. Xi’an and Chengdu.
C. Shanghai and Chengdu. D. Beijing and Xi’an.
22. What can we know from the text
A. A visa is needed for a 12-day tour.
B. The highest expense is the accommodation fee.
C. Travelling in March can save tourists money.
D. Prices in peak seasons usually go up by 150%.
23. Which of the following is NOT the reason why a tailor-made tour is recommended
A. You have more choices about your route.
B. Your time will be maximized.
C. You are likely to interact with locals in person.
D. You will spend less on the tour.
B
Three years into my postdoc(博士后), I started to wonder whether I needed a new career plan. After applying for more than two dozen teaching jobs, I hadn’t landed a single interview.
I had once considered going to art school but had put that idea to the side when I decided to pursue chemistry as an undergraduate. In the years that followed, I kept up my interest in art by taking painting classes at night. My family was bursting with mathematicians, computer programmers, and engineers, so it felt natural to have my daily life center around science.
But in the spring after my failed job search, that started to change after a friend excitedly showed me proofs of a review article. She was astonished by what the journal’s scientific illustrator had done with her fundamental sketches(速写). “That would be such a fun job.” I thought.
I decided to test out a new career direction by volunteering to create similar illustrations for my institute’s newsletters. I spent my nights and weekends reading scientific papers and thinking about how to illustrate the results. It was a fun task. I felt I was perhaps on the right path. But could I make a full-time career
Searching online, I tracked down people who had that kind of job. I found many had training through scientific illustration master’s degree programs. After living on graduate student and postdoctoral salaries for years, I didn’t have enough money saved up for the programs, so I decided to get a certificate in digital design.
I now work as a visual designer at a biomedical research institute where I spend my days working with research to communicate their work visually. I love the fact that I get to combine my scientific and artistic sides.
24. Why did the author attend classes at night
A. To please her family. B. To pass her undergraduate tests.
C. To pursue her hobby. D. To complete optional courses in art.
25. What effect did the proofs have on the author
A. They shook her belief in science.
B. They tested out what she learned in class.
C. They gave her inspiration for her scientific paper.
D. They motivated her to find a new career direction.
26. What prevented the author seeking a scientific illustration master’s degree
A. Her busy schedule. B. Her financial difficulties.
C. Her new interest in digital design. D. Her lack of confidence.
27. How does the author feel about her current job
A. Pressured. B. Desperate. C. Curious. D. Satisfied.
C
Administrators of the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, Gansu province, are striving to harmonize tourists’ exploration of the site with the need to safeguard murals and artifacts, through innovative measures such as digital presentations.
Sandstorms, rainfall and tourist visits constitute the most severe threats to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, said Wang Xiaowei, director of the Dunhuang Grottoes Monitoring Center at the Dunhuang Academy.
Since the Mogao Caves opened to the public in 1979, the number of visitors has been growing at an average annual rate of around 20 percent, reaching 2.15 million in 2019 before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, the site is expected to receive a record 3 million visitors.
“If you enter the caves during the peak tourism months of July, August and September, you’ll find it hard to breathe,” Wang said. The carbon dioxide and moisture exhaled by visitors accumulate inside the caves and cause damage to the murals, Wang said.
To preserve the caves, the duration of visits is limited and sometimes stopped during rain or dust storms. To try and ensure visitors aren’t disappointed when restrictions are in place, the center provides a digital exhibition, he said.
Currently, the center is being expanded to cater for an additional 3,000 visitors on top of the existing capacity of 6,000.
The Dunhuang Academy began digitally recording and storing images of murals and painted sculptures over 30 years ago. The digitization project has successfully covered over 200 caves, with a dedicated team of 110 experts currently undertaking the work.
The Mogao Caves are immovable, and transporting them is impossible, according to Su Bomin, head of the Dunhuang Academy. And he added, “However, with digitization, we can perfectly replicate Dunhuang art and showcase it worldwide, introducing Eastern culture to the world.”
In 2016, the Digital Dunhuang repository went live, sharing high-definition images and panoramic tours of the most exquisite 30 caves globally. Currently, visitors from 78 countries have accessed the repository, totaling over 16.8 million visits.
Su said Dunhuang can provide diverse cultural exchanges through its cultural relics. “By digitizing these relics, we enable people worldwide to understand Dunhuang’s culture, thereby gaining a deeper appreciation for China’s historical commitment to diverse cultural exchanges — that is, an ethos of inclusivity, mutual learning and a shared future,” he said.
28. Which of the following is NOT the reason for providing a digital exhibition
A. The factors related to COVID-19 put the caves in grave danger.
B. The increasing number of tourists visiting Dunhuang might harm the caves.
C. The authority is aimed to balance tourism and relics conservation.
D. The duration of visits is limited and sometimes stopped during rain or dust storms.
29. What does the underlined word “replicate” probably mean
A. Copy. B. Safeguard. C. Access. D. Transport.
30. What does Su Bomin think of digitization
A. It records and stores images of murals and painted sculptures.
B. It shares high definition and panoramic tours of the most exquisite caves.
C. It allows for an international exchange of cultures through the relics.
D. It enables people to appreciate the lasting beauty of the murals.
31. What can be the best title for the text
A. The Significance of the Mural Paintings
B. The Restoration in Mogao Caves
C. The Innovation on Mogao Caves’ Preservation
D. The Dunhuang Spirit in Chinese Culture
D
The road to Mars is long and fraught with peril. One challenge is getting humans to the red planet; another is ensuring that once they’ve arrived, they’ll be able to manage life there.
To prepare astronauts for an extended stay on Mars, NASA’s latest simulated mission, CHAPEA — Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog — will isolate four people inside a mock-Mars base in Texas for 378 days — roughly the time a manned mission to Mars would spend on the surface.
Once inside they will adopt a pre-planned schedule taking part in simulated activities and science work, eating like astronauts, and dealing with maintenance and equipment failures, while undergoing strenuous psychological and physiological testing.
The first simulation will begin in June, and will be followed by two more, each with a different crew in identical conditions, with the last simulation starting in 2026.
“We’ve built a high-accuracy Mars surface mission scenario,” says Scott M. Smith, co-investigator for CHAPEA. The participants will experience a 22-minute delay in external communications, as astronauts would on Mars. Ambient noise will be played through speakers around the base, ensuring no outside sounds can be heard by participants.
Aiming for accuracy has resulted in a habitat that could be feasibly built on Mars, Smith adds. The base, called “Mars Dune Alpha”, is a custom design by Bjarke Ingels Group and 3D-printing company ICON, and resides inside a hangar at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Printed in a month from ICON’s concrete formula dubbed “Lavacrete”, on Mars, the idea is to build using Martian soil.
“NASA has evaluated a tremendous number of options for off-world habitat construction — repurposed rockets and landers, inflatables, assembled buildings, etc.,” explains ICON CEO Jason Ballard. “They’ve come to believe what we believe: that when you evaluate it from a financial, safety and flexibility standpoint, robotic construction using local materials is far and away the best option.”
32. What’s the purpose of NASA’s latest simulated mission
A. To get astronauts to Mars.
B. To isolate four people inside a base in Mars.
C. To help astronauts to do experiments in Mars.
D. To prepare astronauts for managing life in Mars.
33. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage
A. The last simulation will end in 2026.
B. Each stimulation has a different crew in the same conditions.
C. The participants can hear outside sounds.
D. The participants will do things different from those that astronauts do.
34. What’s Smith’s attitude to the simulated mission
A. Indifferent. B. Pessimistic. C. Optimistic. D. Skeptical.
35. What is the most commonly used technique in the text
A. Making comparison. B. Giving examples.
C. Analyzing causes and effects. D. Listing figures.
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。
Tablescapes(桌面景观) are creatively designed table arrangements or decorations for the center of a table, which show or highlight a specific object or collection. Usually, it’s dinner tables that are transformed into tablescapes. 36
Tablescaping allows people to express their creativity by adding a personal touch. This is often achieved through the use of valuable collections or specialized themes. 37 Themes can be based upon a particular event, season, hobby, or collection. Finding a suitable theme for tablescape displays depends on personal preference as well as the style of its surroundings.
38 Each item within a tablescape relates to other elements around it. While the objects in tablescapes do not necessarily have to match perfectly, they should stay in harmony with each other or make each other more attractive.
When it comes to organizing the selected objects for tablescapes, the easiest method is to think in terms of levels. 39 The other relatively unimportant ones include the spaces both above and below the table. Including similar or repeated items in all of these levels will help pull everything together.
When the appropriate tablescape design is carried out, the surrounding area should fit in. The highlighted table arrangement should stand out in a pleasing manner rather than looking like a mess. Not all tablescapes will hold the same appeal, as everyone’s view can be different. 40 It’ll create a comfortable appearance regardless of someone else’s personal taste.
A. But items like bookshelves can also make it. B. The most important level is the tabletop itself. C. Tablescapes normally have three different levels. D. That’s why balance and harmony are so important. E. Once a theme is chosen, collect proper related items. F. Themes are especially important when designing tablescapes. G. However, maintaining a balance within the tablescape theme is necessary.
第三部分 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。
A little girl was enjoying the beautiful garden in her home. Her father had a good collection of rare and prized plants, which he 41 with great care.
The girl was 42 by a plant full of delicate flowers. She approached it and admired its striking beauty. Suddenly she 43 that the plant was in a pile of filth(污秽). She could not tolerate the 44 of dirt with such fantastic flowers.
She worked out a plan to clean the plant. She 45 the plant with all her might from the dirt and washed its 46 in running tap waler till all traces of dirt were washed away. She then placed the plant on a clean stone and went away, proud that she had done a great 47 .
Later her father came to the garden and spotted the uprooted plant, which had lain 48 in the baking sun. His little daughter ran over to 49 her achievement. “I have cleaned it, Daddy,” she reported 50 .
The father showed her how her treatment had nearly killed the plant and told her that the filthy soil was the best 51 to grow that plant. Hearing that, the girl felt guilty that the plant had suffered by her cleaning.
A great gardener mixes the 52 soil for each plant. 53 , God provides each of us with the best 54 required for optimum(最佳的) spiritual growth. But it may appear to be 55 and we may even complain to God about our difficulty.
41. A. weeded out B. brought up C. attended to D. fed on
42. A. collected B. attracted C. attacked D. shocked
43. A. recalled B. observed C. recognized D. concluded
44. A. formation B. presentation C. presence D. composition
45. A. held B. picked C. pulled D. dragged
46. A. flowers B. branches C. leaves D. roots
47. A. deed B. deal C. operation D. project
48. A. burning B. bathing C. breathing D. dying
49. A. confirm B. exhibit C. evaluate D. celebrate
50. A. thoughtlessly B. distantly C. patiently D. innocently
51. A. reserve B. medicine C. medium D. venue
52. A. right B. same C. dirty D. loose
53. A. Moreover B. Likewise C. Rather D. Nevertheless
54. A. environment B. mode C. neighbourhood D. opportunity
55. A. unpleasant B. disorganized C. immoral D. invisible
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。
Ⅰ
Tourism is the lifeblood of the communities that call popular holiday destinations their homes. It allows service industries 56 (grow) consistently. These industries, in turn, give jobs to the local population, 57 welfare depends on tourism. However, booming business is not always a bed of roses. More nature-centred tourist attractions, where man and nature live in harmony, can be greatly impacted or even destroyed by the flood of tourists. As resources are used 58 (rapidly) than they can be sustained, wildlife habitats are likely to suffer.
Ⅱ
Today, the USS Arizona lies 59 it sank: in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Its location is marked with a memorial shaped like a bridge, which crosses the ship’s sunken remains. Each year, more than two million people visit the memorial. They come to see the shadow of the ship at the bottom of Pearl Harbor, to learn about the attack, to show respect for those who had lost their lives in the attack 60 to pray for world peace. Although about eight decades has passed, the attack on Pearl Harbor, one of the darkest episodes in American history, will never 61 (forget).
Ⅲ
Between 1405 and 1433, on behalf of the Ming Dynasty, Zheng He made a total of seven voyages. 62 (load) with china, silk, tea and other treasures as gifts for foreign rulers, the fleet led by Zheng He paid friendly visits to more than 30 countries and regions. Zheng He’s seven voyages had a far-reaching impact 63 China and its neighbours. Zhen He’s efforts helped develop and strengthen harmonious relations with these countries and regions, 64 (expose) foreign people to Chinese culture, and allowing the Chinese to better understand overseas lands. Zheng He’s accomplishments are now widely acknowledged, and he is remembered as one of China’s most 65 (influence) explorers.
第四部分 写作（共两节，满分40分）
第一节（满分15分）
66. 假定你是李华，你的英国朋友Jim在给你的邮件中提到他对中国文学很感兴趣，并请你向他推荐一部优秀的中国文学作品。请你给他回信，内容包括;
1. 书名和作者；
2. 书的主要内容；
3. 你的推荐理由。
注意:
1. 写作词数应为80左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Dear Jim,
Knowing that you are interested in Chinese literature,
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。
Two things changed my life: my mother and a white plastic bike basket. I have thought long and hard about it and it’s true. I would have been a different person if my mom hadn’t turned a silly bicycle accessory(配饰) into a life lesson I carry with me today.
My mother and father were united in their way of raising children, but it mostly fell to my mother to actually carry it out. Managing the family budget must have been a very hard task, but she made it look effortless. If we complained about not having what another kid did, we’d hear something like, “I don’t care what so-and-so got for his birthday, you are not getting a TV in your room/a car for your birthday/a lavish sweet 16 party.” We had to earn
our allowance by doing chores around the house. I can still remember how long it took to polish the legs of our coffee table. My brothers can no doubt remember hours spent cleaning the house. Like the two little girls growing up at the White House, we made our own beds. We had to keep track of our belongings, and if something was lost, it was not replaced.
It was summer and, one day, my mother drove me to the bike shop to get a tire fixed — and there it was in the window. White, shiny, plastic and decorated with flowers, the basket winked at me and I knew — I knew — I had to have it.
“It’s beautiful,” my mother said when I pointed it out to her, “What a neat basket.”
I tried to hold off at first, and I played it cool for a short while. But then I guess I couldn’t pretend to ignore it any longer: “Mom, please can I please, please get it I’ll do extra chores for as long as you say. I’ll do anything, but I need that basket. I love that basket.”
I was desperate.
“You know,” she said, gently rubbing my back while we both stared at what I believed was the coolest thing ever. “If you save up you could buy this yourself.”
“By the time I make enough it’ll be gone!”
“Maybe Roger here could hold it for you,” she smiled at Roger, the bike guy.
“Mom. Someone else will buy it.”
“There might be another way,” she said.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
My mother bought the beautiful basket but hid it, and I was determined to make enough money.
However, the unthinkable happened — a neighborhood girl appeared with the exact same basket.
2023-2024-2长郡中学高二下期中考试
（参考答案）
第一部分 听力 略
第二部分 阅读
第一节 短文理解
21—23 DCD 24—27 CDBD
28—31 AACC 32—35 DBCA
第二节 七选五
36—40 AFEBG
第三部分 语言运用
第一节 完形填空
41—45 CBBCC 46—50 DADBD
51—55 CABAA
第二节 语法填空
56. to grow 57. whose
58. more rapidly 59. where
60. and 61. be forgotten
62. Loaded 63. on
64. exposing 65. influential
第四部分 写作
第一节
Dear Jim,
Knowing that you are interested in Chinese literature, I am excited to recommend a famous Chinese novel, “To Live” by Yu Hua. This book tells the life story of Fugui, a man who experiences numerous hardships, including family loss and poverty, in the 20th century in China. Despite the struggles, the story conveys a powerful message of resilience and hope.
I suggest this book because it beautifully illustrates the strength of the human spirit in the face of adversity. The vivid descriptions and emotional depth in “To Live” will give you a deeper understanding of Chinese culture and history.
I hope you find “To Live” as moving and inspiring as I did.
Yours,
Li Hua
第二节
My mother bought the beautiful basket but hid it, and I was determined to make enough money. Every day after school, I took on more chores than I had ever done before. I mowed lawns, walked dogs for neighbors, and even helped my dad with some of his paperwork. Each task brought me a little closer to my goal, and I kept a meticulous record of every penny I earned. It was tough and tiring, but thinking about how I would soon have enough to buy the basket kept me motivated. My mom watched my efforts, occasionally giving me advice on saving and managing my earnings. It was a lesson in patience and perseverance.
However, the unthinkable happened — a neighborhood girl appeared with the exact same basket. My heart sank when I saw it hanging on the front of her bicycle. The disappointment was sharp and deep. I felt all my efforts had been for nothing. When I told my mom about it, she gave me a soft smile and asked me to follow her to the garage. There, hidden behind some old paint cans, was another shiny, white plastic bike basket decorated with flowers. “I bought it the day we went to the shop,” she revealed. “I wanted to teach you the value of hard work and saving. But I also couldn’t stand to see you disappointed if it had been sold to someone else.” Seeing the basket, now truly earned, filled me with a sense of pride and accomplishment. My mother’s lesson was clear: work hard for what you want, but know that sometimes, a little faith and trust in the journey can bring unexpected rewards.