2024届甘肃省靖远县第一中学高三下学期模拟预测英语试题(含解析)

2024年高考名师预测
英语
一、阅读
A
Texan 81-year-old good friends Ellie Hamby and Sandy Hazelip toured the world in 80 days, proving that adventure doesn’t have an age limit.
Their first stop was a location challenging even many experienced travelers: the Antarctic. Getting to the southernmost continent first required crossing the Drake Passage, the waters between the southern tip of South America and the Antarctic’s South Shetland Islands. “For almost two days, we were rocking and rolling, slipping and sliding through the Drake Passage and we were holding on for dear life,” Hamby said. The voyage, however, faded from their mind as they set foot on the ground of the Antarctic, fascinated by the breathtaking beauty of penguins, icebergs and glaciers.
Since that first venture, the pair have visited 18 countries across all seven continents. And despite the challenges international travel presented, the good friends said they had finished their trip without any argument. Though they’re both independent and stubborn, they respect each other’s feelings. And what they remember the most are the people that they met. “We met some of the most wonderful, kindest, friendliest people. We just have friends now all over the world that we love dearly,” Hamby said.
The two shared a crucial piece of advice for travelers worrying about the language barrier on their own adventures. “You know, people often ask us about it,” said Hamby. “We tell them there’s one universal language, and that’s the smile. We found it worked wonders because we were often aware that English was not always spoken and that the smile could cover all languages.”
They also encouraged other older people not to let age hold them back. Aside from some minor changes in plans, their age didn’t affect their itinerary (旅程) abroad. They said they felt confident that if they were injured during their trip, their children would have been at peace knowing that they were doing what they absolutely wanted. And Hazelip described 81 as the perfect age to embark on a trip. “Getting older does give us a little bit of wisdom of making decisions,” she said.
（ ）1．What might the pair think of their trip to the Antaretic
A．Brief but exciting. B．Tough but worthwhile.
C．Interesting but fruitless. D．Unpleasant but memorable.
（ ）2．What is the highlight of the pair’s adventures for themselves
A．Meeting nice people along the way.
B．Experiencing many challenging activities.
C．Learning about different cultures from travelers.
D．Avoiding conflicts despite their stubborn nature.
（ ）3．What helped the pair communicate with people during the adventure
A．English. B．The smile. C．Crucial advice. D．Universal gestures.
4．What can we infer about the pair from the last paragraph
A．They fell down when riding a bike in Bali.
B．They regretted not exploring the world earlier.
C．Their children understood and supported them.
D．Their wisdom saved them lots of time during their trip.
B
On March 7, 1907, the English statistician Francis Galton published a paper which illustrated what has come to be known as the “wisdom of crowds” effect. The experiment of estimation he conducted showed that in some cases, the average of a large number of independent estimates could be quite accurate.
This effect capitalizes on the fact that when people make errors, those errors aren’t always the same. Some people will tend to overestimate, and some to underestimate. When enough of these errors are averaged together, they cancel each other out, resulting in a more accurate estimate. If people are similar and tend to make the same errors, then their errors won’t cancel each other out. In more technical terms, the wisdom of crowds requires that people’s estimates be independent. If for whatever reasons, people’s errors become correlated or dependent, the accuracy of the estimate will go down.
But a new study led by Joaquin Navajas offered an interesting twist (转折) on this classic phenomenon. The key finding of the study was that when crowds were further divided into smaller groups that were allowed to have a discussion, the averages from these groups were more accurate than those from an equal number of independent individuals. For instance, the average obtained from the estimate s of four discussion groups of five was significantly more accurate than the average obtained from 20 independent individuals.
In a follow-up study with 100 university students, the researchers tried to get a better sense of what the group members actually did in their discussion. Did they tend to go with those most confident about their estimates Did they follow those least willing to change their minds This happened some of the time, but it wasn’t the dominant response. Most frequently, the groups reported that they “shared arguments and reasoned together”. Somehow, these arguments and reasoning resulted in a global reduction in error.
Although the studies led by Navajas have limitations and many questions remain, the potential implications for group discussion and decision-making are enormous.
（ ）5．What is paragraph 2 of the text mainly about
A．The methods of estimation. B．The underlying logic of the effect.
C．The causes of people’s errors. D．The design of Galton’s experiment.
（ ）6．Navajas’ study found that the average accuracy could increase even if ______.
A．the crowds were relatively small B．there were occasional underestimates
C．individuals did not communicate D．estimates were not fully independent
（ ）7．What did the follow-up study focus on
A．The size of the groups. B．The dominant members.
C．The discussion process. D．The individual estimates.
（ ）8．What is the author’s attitude toward Navajas’ studies
A．Unclear. B．Dismissive. C．Doubtful. D．Approving.
C
Language gives us the power to describe countless actions, properties and relations that compose our experiences, real or imagined. As for how languages were created, scientists found iconicity might play a key role.
People can’t bridge language gap and understand each other without iconicity. When playing a game of charades (猜字谜), we act out our meaning, using our hands and bodies to describe the sizes and shapes of objects. The key to this process of forming new symbols is the use of iconicity. Not limited to gesturing, iconicity appears in our visual communication too. Traffic signs, food packaging, map…wherever there are people communicating, you will find iconicity.
According to our research, iconicity might also exist in our voices. We organized a con test in which we invited contestants to record a set of sounds to express different meanings. The winner of the contest was determined by how well listeners could guess the intended meanings of the sounds based on a set of written options. Critically, the sounds that contestants submitted couldn’t include actual words or onomatopocias (拟声词).
Listeners were remarkably good at interpreting the meanings of the sounds. Yet, all of the contestants and listeners were speakers of English. Thus, it was possible that listeners’ success relied on some cultural knowledge that they shared with the speakers. Did the listeners also understand the speakers from completely different cultural backgrounds
Later, an Intermet survey translated into 25 different languages was carried out. Participants listened to each sound from the English speakers and guessed the meaning by choosing from six written words. Guessing accuracy for the different groups ranged from 74 percent for English speakers to 34 percent for Portuguese speakers. It is far from perfect, but well above the chance rate of eight percent expected by us.
Taken together, these studies show that our capacity for iconic communication has played a critical role. Without this special talent, language would likely never have gotten off the ground.
（ ）9．Which of the following can explain “iconicity”
A．A skill in foreign language learning.
B．The process of acting out our meanings.
C．The connection between form and meaning.
D．A barrier between different language speakers.
（ ）10．What can we know about the contest
A．It required sounds containing meanings. B．Its winners were creative in recordings.
C．It aimed to prove iconicity in words. D．Its entries were familiar to listeners.
（ ）11．What can be inferred from paragraph 4
A．English pronunciations differ. B．The research has a limitation.
C．The cultural gap is narrowing. D．Listening skills vary in cultures.
（ ）12．What is the significance of the research
A．Clarifying the influence of sounds. B．Proving the necessity of exchanges.
C．Uncovering the origin of languages. D．Identifying the function of gestures.
D
When consuming information, we try to acquire more signals and less noise, We fecl like the more information we consume the more signals we receive. While this is probably true on an absolute basis, Nassim Taleb argues in the book Antifragile that it is not true on a relative basis. As you consume more data and the ratio (比率) of noise to signals increases, you know less about what’s going on and you are likely to cause more unintentional trouble.
The supply of information to which we are exposed under modernity is transforming humans from a calm person to a ncurotic (神经质的) one. For the purpose of our discussion, the first person only reacts to real information, and the second largely to noise. The difference between the two will show us the difference between noise and signals. Noise is what you are supposed to ignore; signals are what you need to heed.
In science, noise is a generalization beyond the actual sound to describe random information that is totally useless for any purpose, and that you need to clean up to make sense of what you are listening to. You can use and take advantage of noise and randomness, but noise and randomness can also use and take advantage of you, particularly with the data you get on the Internet or through other media. The more frequently you look at data, the more noise you are likely to get, and the higher the noise-to-signal ratio is.
Say you look at information on a yearly basis—the changes you see will all be large ones. The ratio of signals to noise is about one to one—this means that about half the changes are real improvements or degradations, and the other half come from randomness. But if you look at the very same data on a daily basis, the composition would change to 95 percent noise and 5 percent signals, and the changes you see daily will certainly be small.
（ ）13．What opinion does Nassim Taleb probably hold
A．It’s hard to know the real truth.
B．The noise-to-signal ratio is changing.
C．The information explosion can be harmful.
D．More information brings more signals.
（ ）14．What does the underlined word “heed” probably mean in paragraph 2
A．Notice. B．Analyse. C．Solve. D．Describe.
（ ）15．What does paragraph 3 mainly talk about
A．Causes and harms of more noise.
B．The meaning and impact of noise.
C．The relationship between noise and signals.
D．Advantages and disadvantages of noise.
（ ）16．How should we handle information according to the author
A．Check it frequently. B．Make use of online data.
C．Look at key changes. D．Focus on all changes in it.
二、七选五
Can We Stop Food Longing Through Imaginary Eating
Are you fighting an urge to reach for chocolate Then, let it melt in your mind, not in your mouth. According to the recent research, imagining eating a specific food reduces your interest in that food, so you eat less of it.
This reaction to repeated exposure to food—being less interested in something because you’ve experienced it too much—is cailed habituation. 17
The research is the first to show that habituation can occur through the power of the mind.
“If you just think about the food itself—how it tastes and smells—that will increase your appetite,” saidCarey Morewedge, a well-known psychologist. “It might be better to force yourself to repeatedly think about chewing and swallowing the food in order to reduce your longing. 18 Visualizing yourself eating chocolate wouldn’t prevent you from eating lots of cheese,” he added.
Morewedge conducted an interesting experiment. 51 subjects were divided into three groups.
One group was asked to imagine putting 30 coins into a laundry machine and then eating three chocolates. 19 Another group was asked to imagine putting three coins into a laundry machine and then eating 30 chocolates. Lastly, a control group imagined just putting 33 coins into the machine—with no chocolates. 20 When they said they had finished, these were taken away and weighed. The results showed the group that had imagined eating 30 chocolates each ate fewer of the chocolates than the other groups.
21 Physical signals—that full stomach feeling—are only part of what tells us we’ve finished a meal. The research suggests that psychological effects, such as habituation, also influence how much a person eats. It may lead to new behavioral techniques for people looking to eat more healthily, or have control over other habits.
A．What’s more, this only works with the specific food you’ve imagined.
B．People were advised to try different methods to perform the experiment.
C．For example, a tenth bite is desired less than the first bite, according to the study.
D．All of them then ate freely from bowls containing the same amount of chocolate each.
E．It meant those who repeatedly imagined eating would concern about some specific food.
F．This requires the same motor skills as eating small chocolates from a packet, the study says.
G．This study is part of the research looking into what makes us eat more than we actually need.
三、语法填空
Chinese speakers tend to use “spear and shield” 22 (describe) anything that’s contradictory. Actually, now the Chinese phrase for “contradiction” 23 (call) Mao Dun or “sp ear and shield”.
Nearly 2, 000 years ago, there was a man living in the State of Chu. One day, he went to a market to sell spears and shields—two most common 24 (weapon) at that time. When a small crowd gathered around the seller to look at his goods, the man 25 (decide) to advertise his shields first. He said, “Please look at my shields. They are certainly the 26 (strong) ones you can ever find in the world.”
Then some of the potential buyers came closer to have a careful examination of the shields, 27 they couldn’t see anything special about them. The seller then moved on to brag about his spears. “Now please have a good look at my spears. They are the sharpest weapons 28 have ever been produced. So, no matter how firm a shield is, my spears will pierce (刺穿) through it 29 (easy).”After listening to the seller’s pitch, a man stepped forward and said, “You just told us that your shields are the strongest in the world and then you claim your spears are the sharpest. How about 30 (use) your spears on your shields ” The seller was unable to respond.
So today, instead of saying “you are contradicting yourself”, Chinese will say “you are attacking your shield 31 your own spear”.
四、写作
A
第一节（满分15分）
假定你是某国际学校学生李华，你的爱尔兰笔友Kelly对你提到的学校“多元文化日”（Multicultural Day）活动很感兴趣。请回信告知他关于该活动的相关信息。内容包括：
1．活动时间；
2．活动目的和内容。
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 Kelly,
Yours,
Li Hua
B
第一节（满分15分）
假定你是李华，学校学生会主席。你校学生会正在向全体学生征集以“中国科学家精神”（The Spirit of Chinese Scientists）为主题的短视频。请你用英文拟一则征稿启事，内容包括：
1．活动目的；
2．作品要求；
3．投稿方式及截止时间。
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。
Contributions Wanted
C
第一节（满分15分）
假定你是李华，英语课上，老师要求大家分组讨论使用电子设备阅读的现象。请你作为小组代表，写一篇短文，内容包括：
1．优点与缺点；
2．合理建议。
注意：
1．写作词数应为80左右；
2．题目和首句已为你写好，不计入总词数。
Make Better Use of Digital Reading
Nowadays, digital reading is becoming increasingly popular.
D
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。
“Look!” I said to my husband, Roger, pointing to the branches. “The doves (鸽子) have built a nest!”
On a chilly April day, we watched with horror as a hawk dived down and took one of the doves. By the next morning the other parent was gone too. Roger climbed up a ladder to take a look into the nest. Was it possible the hawk had spared the young Yes, there sat a newly hatched baby dove! We brought him inside and set up the nesting bax with the heat lamps we had used for raising chickens. Then we rushed to the pet shop to buy the formula (配方奶) which needed to look like the mother’s milk. But even with our care and prayers, we knew that the dove’s chances were slim. We were especially worried that our little bird, whom we’d named Hawkeye, hardly cooed (咕咕地叫) at all. That had to be a bad sign.
But to our surprise, Hawkeye not only survived but also thrived. Within a month, he was able to stand on the edge of a bowl and eat out of a baby spoon. And before we knew it, he was eating the seeds we gave him. Having the opportunity to nurture this new life brought me a greater measure of peace with each passing day.
As Hawkeye grew, we noticed that unlike all the other doves in our yard, he had a double breast with a line dividing it. When I did some research on the doves, I found out that females don’t often coo.
“We got it all wrong,” I told Roger. “Hawkeye is a girl!”
We realized that we’d have to teach her to fly. First, we urged her to fly from a finger to the bottom rung (梯子的横档) of a six-foot ladder, and in no time she was moving quickly to the top. She lit out (逃走，溜掉)for the kitchen whenever she heard the click of the spoon on her bowl. By mid-June she’d gained full confidence in her wings.
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。
At that time, we knew it was time to set our Hawkeye free.
But one May morning, Hawkeye and the other dove landed on the rooftop.
E
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。
Ally curled (蜷曲) herself up in his father’s favorite chair “Nothing will ever be the same again.” she whispered, staring at the small American flag on his desk. It was the flag which Chief Rusell had given to her after her father’s death on duty last summer. When he hugged her and told her how proud the Police Department was of her dad’s work for them, his tears had warmed Ally’s cheeks; her own tears were still frozen inside her heart.
Ally looked at her father’s picture on the bookcase. It was one of her favorite shots. Dad was sitting in the middle of a stream, wet through but grinning proudly. “I miss you, Dad,” she said softly. By this time last year she had already taken dozens of pictures. Ever since she could remember, she and Dad had been a team, searching the woods behind the house each weekend for a glimpse of the special wood warbler (林中莺).
Ally reached for the first photo album she and Dad had put together. On the cover a tiny orange bird with blue-gray wings and sharp black eyes peered out of the photo her father had clipped from a local newspaper. Ally smiled, remembering the excited look on his face when he first showed her the pretty bird. “Ally, I be t if we search really hard, we’ll see this little bird together some day.”
They’d never spotted the warbler, but her father had an amazing way of making each outing seem special. Staying with Dad, Ally felt comfortable, “If only I could get that good feeling back,” she thought, sighing. Staring at the bird, suddenly, she knew exactly what she had to do. Grabbing the little flag, she placed her camera around her neck and hurried outside. Ally stuck the flag among the flowers in the garden. “Please let me see the warbler,” she murmured to herself and then set off into the woods.
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。
Familiar smells of the earth rose up to greet her.
Determined to start out again the next morning, she was about to head home when a ringing birdsong floated down to her.
F
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。
When I was seven years old, my family moved from Mexico to America. In Mexico, I was a cheerful girl who loved making people laugh with my jokes and inventing fun games to play with my friends. However, when I arrived in America, I found it hard to fit in, and I became quieter.
We lived in a small house with a modest yard where we grew vegetables—my responsibility. While I took pride in watching them grow, there were times when I dreamed of having a beautiful garden like my schoolmate Luella’s, with its delicate tulips (郁金香). Although Luella lived in the same neighborhood as me, we barely knew each other.
It was after a tornado that Luella and I finally became close friends.
The tornado struck on a Sunday afternoon. The gentle breeze transformed into a strong wind, and thick gray clouds filled the sky. Gradually, the tornado took shape, starting as a thin rope and growing into a large black funnel (漏斗). My entire family gathered in the bathroom, seeking shelter from the storm. Terrified, I sat close to my mom, knees in my chest. After the storm had passed, our worries and fears were replaced by relief that we were unharmed and that our house had remained undamaged.
As I stepped outside, I witnessed the extent of the damage the tornado had caused to our neighborhood. Across the street, a tall tree had fallen, crushing Luella’s garden in front of her yellow house. We hurried over to check on it. Fortunately, her family seemed to be away at the time, and no one was injured. However, her once-beautiful garden was in ruins, with the fallen tree destroying the tulips and debris (碎片) spread everywhere. I could only imagine how heartbroken they must feel seeing this.
Then my mom’s usual words rang in my ear, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” and my family started to think about how we could help.
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。
Just at that moment, Luella’s family returned to their home.
Even after the debris was cleared, I could still sense Luella’s upset for her lost garden.
G
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。
It was a quiet and peaceful afternoon. Connie, already home from school, was sitting comfortably in a chair at the kitchen table, doing her homework. Baby Sister was in the living room, building a castle with her bricks and singing softly to herself.
Suddenly they heard a familiar and unwelcome sound: “La-la-la-la-la-la.”
Connie remarked that trouble was coming, and she was right. A moment later the back door flew open and banged against the kitchen wall. As 8-year-old Benjy ran into the dining room, he inquired about everyone’s whereabouts, accidentally crashing the door against the wall with such force that a small vase dropped to the floor and broke into-pieces.
“Benjy, you naughty boy!” cried Connie. “Whatever will Mom say ”
“Hi, Con. What are you doing here You don’t want to read anymore, do you ” said Benjy excitedly. “Let’s play something. Look what I found today.”
As Benjy emptied his pockets, sticks, rocks, and candies dropped on the floor and rolled in every direction. However, Connie refused to play. She mentioned that she needed to learn the poetry for a test. To Connie’s shock, Benjy suddenly knocked her book out of her hand and ordered her to play with him first.
Connie was annoyed and jumped out of her chair. “Why did you do that ” she cried. “Why can’t you leave people alone ”
“Oh, stuck-up (趾高气扬的), are you ” teased Benjy, pulling Connie’s hair and kicking her book across the room. Unfortunately it hit Baby Sister’s castle and brought it crashing down in ruins.
“Boo-hoo-hoo!” cried Baby Sister. “You’ve broken my castle, and I wanted Mamma to see it. Boo-hoo-hoo!” She picked up a block and cast it as hard as she could at Benjy’s head. He ducked (躲避), and it missed him, striking a picture and breaking the glass.
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。
At this moment the back door opened again and their mother walked in.
Benjy thought a lot about Mom’s advice and decided to make a change.
H
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。
Lani Williams and her mother, Sincerity, have lived in the historic town of Lahaina on the Hawaiian island of Maui for most of their lives.
Last week, as wildfires began to destroy their beloved town, both the mother and daughter jumped in their car to escape.
Embers (灰烬) were already falling down on them. So Lani got her mom into the car. But then the traffic already stood still. Then she saw another fire beside them on a whole house. Lani thought they were going to die in the car.
Lani and her mom determined the only way out of the fire’s path was to get out of their car and climb over a nearby seawall, into the ocean water.
That escape route, though, proved too difficult as Sincerity has trouble walking and uses a walker for assistance.
As Lani and Sincerity was thinking what to do, a man, a complete stranger, came to their aid.
The man, later identified as Benny Reinicke, told Sincerity to lean on his back so that he could carry her over the seawall and into the water.
He said, “Auntie, put your weight on me. I got you there.”
Reinicke carried Sincerity on his back over the seawall, and then stayed with Sincerity and her daughter in the ocean water for over eight hours as they waited for the fires to die out.
“I just kept thinking to myself, like, this is a young guy that could have just left. He could have swum around to safety, leaving us behind,” Lani said. “But he didn’t. He stayed with us the whole entire time and made sure that all of us were safe.”
After they made it out of the ocean to safety, Lani and Sincerity lost touch with Reinicke.
When everything came to normal, Sincerity told her daughter that they should find Reinicke and say thank you to him. Lani tried her neighborhood for some information about Reinicke but she found nothing.
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。
So Lani decided to turn to the social media.
Lani told Reinicke that she and her mother would arrange a face-to-face meeting with him.
I
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。
Aubrey, a mom of three, was breastfeeding her 10-month-old daughter in her Maui home last week when alarms started going off and she saw her entire neighborhood was covered in black smoke.
Aubrey and her husband Alex rushed out of the home and into their car, escaping with their 10-month-old daughter as well as their 6-year-old twin daughters. They didn’t take any necessities. In fact, they had never thought the wildfires would ever get to where they lived. After all, they were very far.
While Aubrey and her family eventually made it to safety, a relative’s home, they later learned their own home was burned to the ground.
They were left with no possessions, so Alex had to go to the neighborhood surrounding his relative’s home searching for supplies for his baby daughter Blue. He went door-to-door, asking if anyone had a baby and if there was a bottle or a diaper (尿布) and some extra milk.
One neighbor just had a baby so he gave Alex two bottles. And some neighbors gave Alex two diapers and some gave her three. Alex later said. “They were holding onto their own diapers too, which I understand.”
The disaster turned into a crisis for countless parents like Aubrey and Alex, who had to escape quickly and now needed basic supplies to keep their children alive and safe.
The wildfires claimed the lives of over 100 people, while many more remained missing. Official s on Maui warned that their supplies were running out.
Aubrey and Alex decided to travel to another island, Oahu, where they could stay in the home of Alex’s brother’s. There, they had more access to supplies like diapers and milk. Then they managed to contact with volunteers and left in a lifeboat for Oahu. Thinking those helpless people, they cried in pain.
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。
Now on Maui, situations were becoming worse.
Together with other volunteers, Alex and his brother collected large quantities of supplies on Oahu.
【参考答案】
一、阅读
A
【导语】本文是记叙文。来自得克萨斯州的两位81岁的好友Ellie Hamby和Sandy Hazelip周游世界八十天。
1．B【解析】作出判断推理。根据第二段的“‘For almost two days, we were rocking and rolling, slipping and sliding through the Drake Passage and we were holding on for dear life.’ Hamby said. The voyage, however, faded from their mind as they set foot on the ground of the Antarctic, fascinated by the breathtaking beauty of penguins, icebergs and glaciers. （Hamby说：‘在差不多两天的时间里，我们在德雷克海峡里摇晃着，打滑着，我们拼命地坚持着。’然而，当他们踏上南极的土地，被企鹅、冰山和冰川的惊人美景所吸引时，这次航行就从他们的脑海中淡去了。）”可知，Ellie Hamby和Sandy Hazelip前往南极洲的旅程非常艰辛，但见到南极洲的风光后她们又觉得很值得。故选B项。
2．A【解析】理解具体信息。根据第三段中的“And what they remember the most are the people that they met. ‘We met some of the most wonderful, kindest , friendliest people. We just have friends now all over the world that we love dearly,’ Hamby said. （他们记得最深刻的是他们遇到的人。‘我们遇到了一些最优秀、最善良、最友好的人。我们现在在世界各地都有我们深爱的朋友。’）”可知，这两个人旅行的亮点是沿途遇到一些善良的人。故选A项。
3．B【解析】作出判断推理。根据第四段中的“We tell them there’s one universal language, and that’s the smile. We found it worked wonders because we were often aware that English was not always spoken and that the smile could cover all languages. （我们告诉他们世界上有一种通用语言，那就是微笑。我们发现这很有效，因为我们经常意识到英语并不总是被说的，而微笑可以涵盖所有的语言。）”可知，Hamby推荐通用语言“微笑”，因此推断“微笑”有助于她们与人的交流。故选B项。
4．C【解析】作出判断推理。根据最后一段中的“They said they felt confident that if they were injured during their trip, their children would have been at peace knowing that they were doing what they absolutely wanted. （他们说，他们有信心，如果他们在旅行中受伤，他们的孩子会知道他们在做他们绝对想做的事情。）”可推断，Ellie Hamby和Sandy Hazelip的孩子们是理解并支持她们的。故选C项。
B
【导语】本文是说明文。没有人是一座孤岛，文章陈述了“群体智慧”效应。实验表明，在某些情况下大量独立估计的平均值可能是相当准确的。
5．B【解析】理解主旨要义。根据第二段内容“This effect capitalizes on the fact that when people make errors, those errors aren’t always the same. Some people will tend to overestimate, and come to underestimate. When enough of these errors are averaged together, they cancel each other out, resulting in a more accurate estimate. If people are similar and tend to make the same errors, then their errors won’t cancel each other out. In more technical terms, the wisdom of crowds requires that people’s estimates be independent. If for whatever reasons, people’s errors become correlated or dependent, the accuracy of the estimate will go down. （这种效应利用了这样一个事实，即当人们犯错误时，这些错误并不总是相同的。有些人常常会高估，或者低估。当这些误差中有足够多的误差被平均在一起时，它们会相互抵消，从而产生更准确的估计。如果相似的人倾向于犯同样的错误，那么他们的错误不会相互抵消。从更专业的角度来说，群众的智慧要求人们的估计是独立的。如果由于任何原因，人们的错误变得相关或依赖，估计的准确性就会下降。）”可知，本段阐述了人们所犯的错误不总是相同的，各不相同的误差平均在一起，相互抵消就会产生更准确的估计，讨论了独立估计的平均如何由于误差的消除而导致更准确的预测。因此本段主要解释了“群体智慧”效应这一现象的基本逻辑。故选B项。
6．D【解析】理解具体信息。根据第二段的“In more technical terms, the wisdom of crowds requires that people’s estimates be independent. （从更专业的角度来说, 群众的智慧要求人们的估计是独立的。）”和第三段的“The key finding of the study was that when crowds were further divided into smaller groups that were allowed to have a discussion, the averages from these groups were more accurate than those from an equal number of independent individuals. For instance, the average obtained from the estimates of four discussion groups of five was significantly more accurate than the average obtained from 20 independent individuals. （这项研究的关键发现是，当人群被进一步划分为允许进行讨论的小组时，这些小组的平均值比同等数量的独立个体的平均值更准确。例如，从四个五人讨论组的估计中获得的平均值明显比从20个独立个体获得的平均值更准确。）”可知，人们在没有独立的情况下，分成更小群体，平均值是更准确的，说明即使在估计数字并非完全独立的情况下，准确率提高也是可以做到的。故选D项。
7．C【解析】作出判断推理。根据第四段的“In a follow-up study with 100 university students, the researchers tried to get a better sense of what the group members actually did in their discussion. Did they tend to go with those most confident about their estimates Did they follow those least willing to change their minds （在一项针对100名大学生的后续研究中，研究人员试图更好地了解小组成员在讨论中的实际行为。他们是否倾向于选择那些对自己的估计最有信心的人 他们追随那些最不愿意改变主意的人吗？）”可知，在后续研究中，研究人员试图更好地了解小组成员在讨论中实际做了什么。结合两个问题，因此可知后续研究的重点是小组内的讨论过程。故选C项。
8．D【解析】作出判断推理。根据最后一段内容“Although the studies led by Navajas have limitations and many questions remain, the potential implications for group discussion and decision-making are enormous. （尽管 Navajas领导的研究有局限性，仍存在许多问题，但对小组讨论和决策的潜在影响是巨大的。）”可知，作者认为虽然Navajas领导的研究有局限性也存在许多问题，但对小组讨论和决策的潜在影响巨大。因此推断作者对于 Navajas的研究表示一定的赞许和支持。故选D项。
C
【导语】本文是说明文。文章主要解释了语言的起源与象似性有关，解释了象似性的概念以及研究开展的情况。
9．C【解析】根据“The key to this process of forming new symbols is the use of iconicity.”形成新符号的关键过程是使用象似性，即形式和意之间的联系。“iconicity”可以解释为形式和意义之间的联系。故选C项。
10．A【解析】根据“The winner of the contest was determined by how well listeners could guess the intended meanings of the sounds based on a set of written options.”比赛的胜者是根据听众能够根据一组书面选项猜测声音的含义来决定的。关于比赛的信息表明，它需要声音包含意义。故选A项。
11．B【解析】文章提到“Yet, all of the contestants and listeners were speakers of English.”这句话指出所有的参赛者和听众都是英语使用者。这暗示了研究可能有一个局限性，即没有考虑到不同语言背景的人。故选B项。
12．C【解析】文章中“Taken together, these studies show that our capacity for iconic communication has played a critical role.”这些研究表明，我们进行象似性交流的能力发挥了关键作用。研究的重要性在于揭示了语言的起源。故选C项。
D
【导语】本文是议论文。现代化让我们得以接触到大量的信息，但过量的信息不一定是有益的。那么我们该如何应对信息爆炸？如何在海量的信息“噪声”中识别出“信号”呢？
13．C【解析】根据第一段中的“We feel like the more information we consume the more signals we receive”和“Nassim Taleb argues…you know less about what’s going on and you are likely to cause more unintentional trouble”可知，Nassim Taleb认为接触到过多的信息反而会使人们更不知道发生了什么，也可能引发更多无意识的麻烦。故选C项。
14．A【解析】根据第二段中的“For the purpose of our discussion, the first person only reacts to real information, and the second largely to noise. The difference between the two will show us the difference between noise and signals. Noise is what you are supposed to ignore”可知，本段提到这两种人的不同会向我们展示信息“噪声”和“信号”的区别，信息“噪声”是我们应该忽视的，因此与之相对的“信号”应是需要我们留意或关注的信息。故选A项。
15．B【解析】根据第三段内容可知，本段第一句“In science, noise is a generalization beyond the actual sound to describe random information that is totally useless for any purpose, and that you need to clean up to make sense of what you are listening to”主要介绍了噪声在科学中的定义，后面的内容讲述了它会干扰信息处理，频繁查看数据会增加噪声和降低信噪比。故选B项。
16．C【解析】根据最后一段中作者假设的两种情况“Say you look at information on a yearly basis…the changes you see daily will certainly be small”可知，假设每年查看一次数据，你看到的变化都会是大变化，信噪比大约是1：1。如果每天查看一次同样的数据，信噪比就会变为5：95，你每天看到的变化都会是小变化。由此可推知，作者的建议是在应对大量信息（想从中获取真正的有价值的信息）时，应该关注数据的大变化（重要变化），忽略一些细微的变化（不重要的变化）。故选C项。
二、七选五
【导语】本篇介绍了一个关于“通过反复想象自己吃某一事物的过程”来“抑制自己对该食物的食欲”的实验，反映出影响我们吃的比身体需要的更多的原因的一部分。
17．C【解析】根据前一句“being less interested in something because you’ve experienced it too much”可知，文章想介绍的是关于通过不断想象自己吃某样东西来让自己减少对某样食物的渴望的研究。下文才开始具体介绍这个研究，因此这一空应该还是和“habituation”有关。故选C项。
18．A【解析】根据下一句“Visualizing yourself eating chocolate wouldn’t prevent you from eating lots of cheese”可知前一句想表达的是这么做只能让你对特定的一种食物没有兴趣，而对其他食物都无效。故选A项。
19．F【解析】根据下文介绍第二组的想象内容可知这一句还是关于第一组实验者，因此只有F的内容可以与之对应。故选F项。
20．D【解析】根据下文When they said they had finished可以推断该空大概讲的是受试者被要求吃巧克力，因此选择D最合适。故选D项。
21．G【解析】最后一段对这个研究进行了总结，根据下文分析的告诉我们已经吃够了的身体信号可知，这个研究是关于“什么让我们吃的比我们实际上需要的更多”的因素的一部分。故选G项。
三、语法填空
【导语】本文是说明文。本文简要讲述了中文里的“自相矛盾”这一成语典故。
22．to describe【解析】考查非谓语动词。句意：中国人喜欢用“矛和盾”来形容任何矛盾的东西。此处为固定搭配：use sth. to do sth.意为“用某物做某事”。故填to describe。
23．is called【解析】考查动词时态和语态。句意：实际上，现在汉语中的“矛盾”一词被称为“矛盾”或“矛盾”，call作本句位于，和主语Chinese phrase之间是被动关系，描述客观事实，用一般现在时，主语为第三人称单数。故填is called。
24．weapons【解析】考查名词。句意：一天。他去市场卖矛和盾——这是当时最常见的两种武器。空前是形容词，所以空处应填名词，根据two可知，用复数形式。故填weapons。
25．decided【解析】考查动词时态。句意：当一小群人围着卖主看他的商品时，卖主决定先为他的盾牌做广告。本句是when引导的时间状语从句，decide作主句的谓语，描述的是已发生的事，用一般过去时。故填decided。
26．strongest【解析】考查形容词。句意：它们肯定是你能找到的世界上最强壮的。空后是代词，代指前文提到的盾牌，所以空处应填形容词作定语，本句下文的“you can ever find in the word”暗示此处用形容词的最高级形式。故填strongest。
27．but【解析】考查连词。句意：然后，一些潜在的买家走近仔细地检查了盾牌，但他们看不出盾牌有什么特别之处。前后两个分句之间存在转折关系，因此用并列连词but。故填but。
28．that【解析】考查定语从句。句意：它们是有史以来最锋利的武器。分析句子结构可知，空处引导定语从句，先行词是weapons，在从句中作主语，又因先行词前有最高级修饰时，只能用that引导。故填that。
29．easily【解析】考查副词。句意。所以，无论多么坚固的盾牌，我的矛都能轻易地刺穿它，空处修饰空前的动词pierce，用副词修饰。故填easily。
30．using【解析】考查非谓语动词。句意：把你们的矛用在你们的盾上会是怎么样？about是介词，后接动名词作宾语。故填using。
31．with【解析】考查介词。句意：所以今天，中国人不会说“你在自相矛盾”，而是会说“你在用自己的矛攻击自己的盾”。“attack your shield with your own spear”表示“用你自己的矛攻击你的盾”。with意为“用”，符合语境。故填with。
四、写作
A
参考范文（一）
Dear Kelly,
How have you been these days in Ireland Knowing you are interested in Multicultural Day in our school, I’m delighted to share with you some information.
The Day started five years ago and annually it takes place on 22 October. As for the aim of the event, it is expected to promote understanding among students from different cultures and establish their responsibility to bridging the culture gap. Various activities are held on the day, ranging from watching foreign movies to a singing party to Culture Salon. The Day has been a hit on campus.
Hope this brief introduction has given you a general idea of the Multicultural Day. How does your school carry out Multicultural Day activity Eagerly looking forward to your early reply!
Yours,
Li Hua
参考范文（二）
Dear Kelly,
Learning that you are interested in Multicultural Day that took place in our school last Friday, I’m willing to share with you some of the shining moments.
The Day started five years ago and annually it takes place on 22 October. Meant to help students better understand and learn to tolerate different cultures, various activities are organized the highlight of which was the theme lecture delivered by a cross-culture scholar, deepening our insight into the cultural diversity. Also worthy of note was the live performance displaying distinctive qualities of each culture.
The event was really a cultural feast and eye-opener. To learn more, come to next year’s Multicultural Day here!
Yours,
Li Hua
B
Contributions Wanted
Aiming to carry forward the spirit of Chinese scientists and demonstrate the power of moral examples, the Student Union is collecting short videos with the theme of “The Spirit of Chinese Scientists”.
The video is supposed to be original, positive and to the point, including scientists’ major experiences, achievements and the spirit they show on the road to success. As a consequence, if you admire a scientist for the above-mentioned aspects, feel free to submit your excellent work to student-union@ before May 20th. What deserves your special attention is that your work should be limited to 3 minutes.
Your active participation is highly anticipated!
The Student Union
C
Make Better Use of Digital Reading
Nowadays, digital reading is becoming increasingly popular. It offers several advantages and drawbacks.
On one hand, digital reading provides great convenience, allowing us to carry an entire library with us. Additionally, it enhances the experience with interactive elements such as videos. However, potential distractions from other apps on the device can be a drawback. Furthermore, some argue that the lack of physical books takes away the sensory experience and emotional connection with reading.
In my opinion, we should develop digital discipline and strike a balance by occasionally incorporating traditional books into our reading. By enjoying the benefits and minimizing the drawbacks, we can fully enjoy digital reading.
D
At that time, we knew it was time to set our Hawkeye free. We took her outside, but she only flew about the yard, even when we left her and went back inside. My heart broke as she watched us through the window. Finally, after several minutes, she flew to the tree and then took off into the sky. I often stared out the back window, hoping to catch just a glimpse of her. “If I could only see her one more time,” I told Roger, “I’d know everything would be okay.” I had nearly given up hope.
But one May morning, Hawkeye and the other dove landed on the rooftop. The smaller one bore Hawkeye’s distinctive chest markings. She had not only returned, but she’d also brought her mate with her! They built a nest on the very same branch where Hawkeye had been born. Several weeks later we watched Hawkeye feed her own two babies. And every time she flew into the sky, I felt my own heart fly with her—light and filled with grace.
E
Familiar smells of the earth rose up to greet her. Some things never change, Ally thought. Quickening her pace, she hurried to the rock by the stream where she and her father used to go. She sat on it, with her face toward the sun. Overhead the sky was filled with birds busily diving to gather dried grass to place in their nests. Their sweet songs echoed throughout the woods. Ally felt content for the first time in a long while. She could almost hear her father’s laughter in the gentle breeze as she listened for the sweet song of the special bird. All too soon, the sun disappeared and she was disappointed.
Determined to start out again the next morning, she was about to head home when a ringing birdsong floated down to her. It was prettier than any she had heard before. An excited feeling bubbled up inside Ally as she searched the sky. A flash of orange dashed down and rested on a nearby branch. For a moment Ally couldn’t believe her eyes, but it was true. The tiny wood warbler just sat there, looking around as if it were waiting for something. Ally blinked back tears, “Thanks, Dad,” she whispered slowly lifting her camera and taking careful aim. “Things will be different without you. I’ll always miss our times together but I feel better now.”
F
Just at that moment, Luella’s family returned to their home. Empathy surged within me as I saw their shock and disbelief. Approaching Luella, I tightly held her hands and said, “I’m so sorry for your loss, but thankfully you’re all right.” She weakly nodded, still puzzled by the devastating scene. My family volunteered to help clean up the mess, cutting down the branches and removing the fallen trees. To uplift Luella’s spirits and bring her comfort, I tried my best to cheer her up while tidying the garden with her, during which my own joyful personality seemed to revive a bit.
Even after the debris was cleared, I could still sense Luella’s upset for her lost garden. My heart went out io her, knowing her devotion to those tulips she had nurtured. Determined to restore the beauty that once thrived, I suggested that we rebuild the garden, which Luella delightedly embraced. With each bulb carefully planted and watered, the new tulip seedlings once again filled the garden, which symbolized the sprouting of a new friendship between us, as well as the turning that I finally got embraced by this new environment. My mom was right: it’s more blessed to give than to receive because when you give, you may receive something unexpected in return.
G
At this moment the back door opened again and their mother walked in. She was shocked. Learning about what had happened, Mom thought it was time to talk with Benjy. “You must behave yourself,” Mom said with a kind voice. “You are so wild and naughty that no one wants to be around you.”Benjy felt ashamed, explaining he just wanted to play with them, but they appeared not to like him. Mom came up with an idea. She suggested Benjy think of something nice to say and do, and try to make them happy instead of upsetting them. Then Benjy were lost in thought.
Benjy thought a lot about Mom’s ad vice and decided to make a change. The next day when he arrived home from school, he tiptoed across the room and surprised Connie and Baby Sister by putting some candies under their noses and apologized. Too shocked to know what to say, the girls sat there with their mouths open. From that day on, Benjy would either plan pleasant surprises for his sisters or tell jokes to amuse them. Soon, instead of his sisters unhappily saying, “Oh dear, Benjy’s coming!” they began to say cheerfully, “Hurrah! Benjy will soon be home!”
H
So Lani decided to turn to the social media. She posted the story about how Reinicke had helped her and her mother survive the fire. Three days later, a netizen from Big Island of Hawaii responded that Reinicke was his neighbor, who worked for a car sales company. Lani managed to get Reinicke’s telephone number. Lani contacted Reinicke without delay. It turned out that on the day of the fire, Reinicke was in Maui on business. When he saw Lani and her mother were in trouble, he chose to lend them a hand.
Lani told Reinicke that she and her mother would arrange a face-to-face meeting with him. A week later the three people gathered. “I wouldn’t have made it without you,” Sincerity said to Reinicke as they hugged. Reinicke said he had no hesitation when it came to helping save them. “There’s no way morally I could just walk past that and just save myself. It’s the rule in my head,” he responded. Seeing Lani’s next post about their meeting with Reinicke, netizens sang high praise for Reinicke.
I
Now on Maui, situations were becoming worse. Many more houses were burnt down, leaving countless people homeless. People lacked drinking water, food and clothes. Some began to fall ill and what’s worse, it was hard for them to get access to medicine, which was more challenging for parents with children. They were in great need of help. The government were taking action. But urgent need for food, medicine and shelter was still hard to be achieved. So more and more volunteers were joining.
Together with other volunteers, Alex and his brother collected large quantities of supplies on Oahu. Considering those helpless parents with children, Alex mainly collected baby supplies , including milk and diapers. His brother and other volunteers collected lots of tents, clothes and medicine. They arranged boats to deliver the necessities to Maui as quickly as possible. Many doctors and nurses on Oahu volunteered to head for Maui to offer timely medical assistance. Thanks to the efforts from those dedicated people, people in need on Maui were getting out of trouble.