2024-2025学年山西省大同市高三上学期开学英语试题（含答案，无听力原文及音频））

2024-2025学年山西省大同市高三上学期开学英语试题
考生注意：
1. 本试卷分选择题和非选择题两部分。满分150分，考试时间120分钟。
2. 答题前，考生务必用直径0. 5毫米黑色墨水签字笔将密封线内项目填写清楚。
3. 考生作答时，请将答案答在答题卡上。选择题每小题选出答案后，用2B铅笔把答题卡上对应题目的答案标号涂黑；非选择题请用直径0. 5毫米黑色墨水签字笔在答题卡上各题的答题区域内作答，超出答题区域书写的答案无效，在试题卷、草稿纸上作答无效。
4. 本卷命题范围：高考范围。
第一部分 听力（共两节，满分30分）
第一节（共5小题；每小题1. 5分，满分7. 5分）
听下面5段对话。每段对话后有一个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项。听完每段对话后，你都有10秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。每段对话仅读一遍。
1. What is the man doing
A. Making coffee. B. Drinking water. C. Washing cups.
2. How long has the man been studying
A. For 11 hours. B. For 12 hours. C. For 13 hours.
3. What will the woman probably do next
A. Call her mother again. B. Go to her mother's home. C. Send her mother to hospital.
4. What is the probable relationship between the speakers
A. Sales clerk and customer. B. Co-workers. C. Husband and wife.
5. What have been sold out
A. Chips. B. Chocolates. C. Nuts.
第二节（共15小题；每小题1. 5分，满分22. 5分）
听下面5段对话或独白。每段对话或独白后有几个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项。听每段对话或独白前，你将有时间阅读各个小题，每小题5秒钟；听完后，各小题将给出5秒钟的作答时间。每段对话或独白读两遍。
听第6段材料，回答第6、7题。
6. When did the man finish his project
A This morning. B. In the afternoon. C. The day before yesterday.
7. What does the woman mean
A. She will finish it soon. B. She can chat now. C: She does not need help now.
听第7段材料，回答第8至10题。
8. What does the man want to drink today
A. Milk. B. Yellow tea. C. Coffee.
9. Which does the man usually order
A. Brown bread. B. Black bread. C. White bread.
10. What is free today
A. The bacon. B. The egg. C. The toast.
听第8段材料，回答第11至13题。
11. Who did the speakers see
A. A famous singer. B. An important politician. C. A rich businesswoman.
12. What does the man say about the city
A. The living cost is low. B. Hiking is not convenient. C. The labor is cheap.
13. Where does the conversation take place
A At a parking lot. B. At a restaurant. C. At a club.
听第9段材料，回答第14至16题。
14. Why does the man refuse to eat at the university cafeteria
A. It's less fun. B. It's too expensive. C. It's not healthy.
15. What does the woman suggest the man do
A. Find a part-time job. B. Focus on study. C. Cook for himself.
16. What does the man probably want to be in the future
A. A teacher. B. A banker. C. A doctor.
听第10段材料，回答第17至20题。
17. How long will Mr. White's talk last
A. About 15 minutes. B. About 30 minutes. C. About 60 minutes.
18 Who will talk about the courses
A. The director. B. The student adviser. C. The principal.
19. Where will the listeners meet at 11 o'clock
A. In the Main Hall. B. At the language lab. C. At classroom 521.
20. What is the talk mainly about
A. Services offered to students. B. Language test requirements. C. A schedule for the next day.
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
The countries of Central Asia are home to countless sites justly famous for their natural beauty and unique history.
Medeu, Kazakhstan
On any trip to Central Asia, you’ll likely find yourself in Almaty, the biggest city in Kazakhstan and a major crossroad for regional flights. Visitors can take advantage of the city’s museums or go skating at Medeu, a famous outdoor ice skating field outside the city. Tickets vary in price; but adults (24 and up) can enter for $5 and rent skates for $3.
Tash Rabat, Kyrgyzstan
Once a church, Tash Rabat was later changed into a caravanserai, or inn, on the Silk Road. The official caretakers, who live nearby, will unlock the gate to allow visitors to wander through the well-preserved 600-year-old stone buildings. After the exploration, consider staying at one of the nearby yurt camps. Before bed, be sure to look up: the high sea level makes the starry night extra beautiful. Expect to pay about $2 to enter Tash Rabat, plus around $12 for a night at a yurt camp.
The Pamir Highway, Tajikistan
The Pamir Highway is the long stretch of road that runs between Osh, Kyrgyzstan, and Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Set aside about a-week for the journey to make time for striking lakes and the grand snow-capped Hindu Kush mountains.
The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, Turkistan
Arriving in Almaty, board a train (13-17 hours) to Turkistan to explore the Mausoleum. Dating to the late 14th century, it's believed to be the earliest example of the Timurid architectural style that defined the Silk Road.
1. What can we know about Almaty
A. It has few museums. B. It is located in Kyrgyzstan.
C. It is a famous outdoor ice skating field. D. It has one of the busiest regional airports.
2. How much should a visitor pay for the yurt camp per night
A. About $2. B. About $5. C. About $12. D. About $14.
3. Which is the oldest Timurid building
A. Medeu. B. The Mausoleum.
C. Tash Rabat. D. The Pamir Highway.
B
Visitors will be able to get close to — and even touch — 100 life-size sculptures of Indian elephants which are beginning a cross-country journey that aims to raise awareness about conservation. The real-life elephants of the sculptures are personally known to The Coexistence Collective — the community of around 200 artists in southern India who made them.
The sculptures can be seen in Newport, Rhode Island through early September. From there they will head to New York City, Miami, the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana and finally Los Angeles.
The organization is planning to sell the elephants off to raise funds for 22 conservation organizations around the country as the tour progresses. Organizers said 30 sculptures had already been sold off, with prices ranging from $8, 000 for a baby elephant to $22, 000 for an adult. In Newport, the profit will go to Save the Bay, which works to remove foreign grasses from local wetlands in order to restore the habitats for the birds there.
The enormous life-like sculptures are made out of lantana-a tough foreign grass that’s been encroaching upon the elephants’ natural forest habitat, pushing the animals onto tea and coffee farms where their coexistence with humans has become a genuine challenge.
“Lantana has displaced animals across huge areas in India, because it takes over from herbs and bushes that are food for animals,” said Tarsh Thekaekara, a wildlife conservationist specializing in human-elephant relations. “40 to 50% of many Indian parks are taken over by it.”
Tarsh Thekaekara also hopes that visitors will learn more about how important it is for animals and humans to negotiate shared space, as more places become uninhabitable for both owing to direct human destruction and the impacts of human-caused climate change.
4. What can we learn about the exhibition
A. Its first stop will be in New York City. B. It includes 100 real elephants from India
C. The sculptures will be sold at the same price D. All the exhibits are based on identified elephants.
5. The underlined phrase “encroaching upon” in paragraph 4 can be understood as ________.
A. restoring B. damaging C. dividing D. restricting
6. What is Tarsh Thekaekara mainly worried about according to paragraph 5
A. Public parks in India. B. Impacts of climate change.
C. A harmful foreign grass. D. Human-elephant coexistence.
7. Where is the text most probably taken from
A. A news report. B. A guidebook to an exhibition
C. An advertisement. D. An introduction to an organization
C
For the technically minded, GPT-4o is a significant change. Before it, the primary way of interacting with ChatGPT was to type text-based questions and wait for text-based responses. Although a voice assistant was available, it was painfully slow and unnatural. I have tried, in recent months, to get ChatGPT to help me learn German. But the delays between me asking questions and ChatGPT's response, often in incomprehensible and unaccented American English, made it next to useless.
By contrast, the live-streamed demonstration published earlier this week, showed that the new AI model could analyze code, translate languages between two speakers or guide users through a basic math problem written down on a piece of paper, all seemingly in real time. It even laughed in response to a joke. According to its maker, OpenAI, this is the new normal: an AI model that can reason across audio, vision and text in real time. It appears to be another significant step towards turning science fiction into science fact.
That's great news for OpenAI, a company already valued at more than $80 billion. It's also good news for others in the AI industry who are trying to apply it into every aspect of our lives.
But it's less good for ordinary users. The ease to use helps us forget its original name, dating back to 1956: artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence is certainly artificial. It's not yet intelligent — and arguably never will be even if the smooth interactivity that OpenAI has laboured hard to enable does well to paper over the cracks of the underlying technology.
When ChatGPT first made its appearance in November 2022, those who had been following the technology for decades pointed out that Al in its current form was little more than pattern-matching technology.
So try ChatGPT by all means, and play about with its voice and video interactions. But bear in mind its limitations, and that this thing isn't intelligent, but it certainly is artificial, no matter how much it pretends not to be.
8. What does the author think of the AI models before GPT-4o
A. Dangerous. B. Intelligent. C. Convenient. D. Unhelpful.
9. What is the second paragraph mainly about
A. The new trend of AI models. B. GPT-4o’s improved functions.
C. GPT-4o’s possible applications. D. Doubts about the new AI model.
10. When did the term “artificial intelligence” come into existence
A. In the 1950s. B. In the 1960s. C. In the 2000s. D. In the 2020s.
11. What does the author imply in the last paragraph
A. AI will be smarter than humans. B. We should stay away from ChatGPT.
C. We shouldn’t be too optimistic about AI. D. ChatGPT will be more intelligent in the future.
D
The idea that birth order influences a child's personality might be as old as people themselves Many modern scientists still refuse to break up with the popular theory. Frank Sulloway is one of them. In the 1990s and 2000s, he claimed that he found a tendency for conservative research among famous firstborn scientists while more radical (激进的) research, such as the theory of evolution and relativity, was more common among famous scientists born later in their families. He also found similar differences among military and political leaders.
But more recent studies throw cold water on the theory. Rodica Damian, a professor of psychology at the University of Houston, conducted one of the largest such studies in 2015, using data from over 440, 000 US high school students. After controlling for socioeconomic status, sex and age, the study showed that the association between birth order and personality was as close to zero. Another 2015 study confirmed Damian's findings. After analyzing three nationally representative samples from the US, the UK and Germany, the researchers wrote “We consistently found no birth-order effects on personality.”
However, both teams did find evidence for one quality that would please the firstborns. The studies each showed that they were slightly more likely to have higher verbal intelligence.
“This doesn't necessarily mean that firstborns are smarter or learn more easily” Damian wrote. “More likely, it's because firstborns spend more time around adults in their early childhood.”
Then why does the birth order theory still appeal to the public as well as some researchers
“Part of the reason may have to do with our own experiences that will always appear to support it,” Damian explained. “Firstborns usually seem to be more responsible because they are more developmentally mature.”
Indeed, the science of personality development is anything but settled. Modern research using twin studies suggests that personality formation is about 40 percent due to DNA. The rest may be a matter of a complex combination of environment and cultural practices that help shape the personality with which we're born.
12. Which statement might Frank Sulloway agree with according to the text
A. Young scientists are more creative
B. Firstborns are more likely to take risks.
C. The theory of relativity was once considered radical.
D. We shouldn't trust radical military and political leaders
13. What did the two 2015 studies find
A. Firstborns had much higher verbal intelligence
B. Birth order hardly had a lasting effect on personality.
C. Birth order affected children's emotional intelligence.
D. Firstborns enjoyed spending more time around adults.
14. What can be inferred from paragraph 4
A. Firstborns are cleverer and can learn much faster.
B. Firstborns are more talkative than the younger ones
C. Firstborns are usually more responsible and successful.
D. Firstborn babies usually get more attention from the family
15. According to the twin studies personality is _________.
A. influenced by a series of factors B. usually decided by the environment
C. decisively shaped by cultural practices D. mainly determined by the biological factor
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。
There’s no shortage of tricks for improving mental health. But many of them are not yet well understood. Here are some of the tried-and-true things that you can turn to.
___16___
Surely it is not surprising that getting outside is first on this list. There’s strong evidence that it really can help reduce stress and improve mood. For example, researchers have found that looking at complex patterns found in flowers, mountains, ocean waves and other elements of nature can lead to more a-waves in your brain that are associated with relaxation. ___17___ . For instance, you can open a window to let in fresh air or use nature-inspired scents (气味).
Tidy up your space
Getting organized won’t help with serious depression. ___18___ . In addition, it can also enhance your productivity at the office and greatly improve the quality of your life if you can learn how to declutter and become organized.
Plan a trip
Taking a vacation is not a new idea when it comes to boosting your mental health. But what if you don’t have the means or the time ___19___. Research shows that anticipating a trip can increase a person’s happiness.
Go for a bike ride
Of course, any kind of exercise is good for your mental health. But researchers say that bike riding is one of the best physical activities you can do to feel better. ___20___ .
A. Spend more time in nature
B. Put these tips into practice immediately
C. But it can make a difference for your mental health
D. Maybe it’s time to start planning a trip to one of the hot spots
E. Well, it turns out that even just planning a vacation can help a lot
F. If you’re unable to get outdoors, there are still helpful things you can do
G. Those who just cycle once a week report much higher levels of mental well-being
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。
After William Geil’s historic journey along the Great Wall (1908) and the publication of his book on the subject (1909), many books ___21___ the Great Wall followed. Most of them were in Chinese, while just a handful appeared in English. But the latter (后者) were mainly historical accounts, written by foreign researchers with little field experience of the extensive ___22___ . 70 years later, I became the first foreigner to follow in William Geil’s ___23___ .
My years-long ___24___ led to a storehouse of material and knowledge that I have used to ___25___ The Great Wall Explained, which has become a textbook for journalists, filmmakers, students and those planning ___26___ along the Great Wall for more than just a day or so.
I knew that it’s easy to write a complex book that readers could not ___27___ , so I tried my best to prioritise accessibility, specifically in order to ___28___ students — in China and around the world — for they are the key to creating a better ___29___ for the Great Wall. I don’t think it will be in ___30___ hands until generations of university students have ___31___ its diversity as a subject for a semester-length period.
The book is an explanation of the geography, history, appearance and function of the walls ___32___ in various dynasties. After a brief introduction, I then explain the Great Wall through the ___33___ chapters: Conflict, Construction, Architecture, Operation, Personages, Views and Conservation. ___34___ illustrated with photos that help to explain, the book also ___35___ many self-drawn maps and self-designed charts.
21. A. applying to B. reminding of C. focusing on D. responding to
22. A. ruins B. deserts C. mountains D. farms
23. A. books B. shadows C. notes D. footsteps
24. A. absence B. effort C. education D. war
25. A. write B. teach C. miss D. sell
26. A. lectures B. movies C. trips D. interviews
27. A. afford B. understand C. borrow D. buy
28. A. ignore B. forget C. see D. interest
29. A. plan B. design C. story D. future
30. A. weak B. rough C. safe D. big
31. A. accepted B. studied C. regarded D. served
32. A. built B. restored C. discovered D. damaged
33. A. complex B. following C. new D. confusing
34. A. Barely B. Casually C. Richly D. Similarly
35. A. investigates B. impacts C. defends D. includes
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。
Maybe our hope of one day ___36___ (live) on Mars-like planets lies in a kind of desert moss (苔藓), Syntrichia caninervis, ___37___ can adapt to extreme stress conditions.
A group of Chinese scientists ___38___ (experiment) with the moss in Mars-like conditions and found that it was able to survive in such environment. “Looking to the future, we expect that this promising moss could be brought to Mars or Moon to further test the ___39___ (possible) of growth in outer space,” ___40___ researchers wrote in an article published in the journal The Innovation.
“This paper is exciting because it ___41___ (show) that the desert moss can survive short exposures to some of the ___42___ (stress) that are likely to be found on Mars, including high levels of radiation, extremely low temperatures and very low oxygen levels,” said moss expert Stuart McDaniel, who was not involved in the study. “ ___43___ particular, the desert moss could play an important role in long-term space travels. Although it is not eatable, it may ___44___ (efficient) turn CO2 and water into oxygen and food that humans need ___45___ (survive).”
第四部分 写作（共两节，满分40分）
第一节（满分15分）
46. 假定你是李华，近日参加了学校组织的创意手工作品（handicraft）展并获得了一等奖，外籍笔友David对你的作品很感兴趣，请你给他回一封电子邮件。内容包括：
1. 作品介绍；
2. 你的感受。
注意：1. 写作词数应为80个左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
第二节（满分25分）
47. 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。
He was the prettiest homeless dog we had ever seen at the shelter. We immediately fell in love with him and decided to give him a permanent home. Our ten-year-old daughter. Margie, named him Onyx because of his thick, shiny black hair. When we adopted him, Onyx was only ten weeks old and we had no idea that this amazing little baby dog would end up being our hero.
As he grew older, Onyx became more and more involved in our family activities. He particularly loved swimming with us on hot summer days. He would float in the river in his own rubber tube（橡皮圈）. Sometimes, he would stand on the top of the tube with a big smile and show off his perfect balance. Otherwise, he would rest his front legs over the edge of the rubber tube and keep his eyes shut as he floated until he had enough of the warm sun on his thick, black coat.
One day, Margie announced she was going to swim in the pond in front of our house. But it happened that no one in the family was free to go swimming with her that day. The unwritten rule in my family, regardless of swimming ability, was to have a companion in the water. I was not a good swimmer, so I said to Margie, “Take Onyx with you.”
Having heard his name, Onyx jumped to his feet and was ready for action. Margie signaled him to follow and they rushed to the water together. However, I still felt uneasy at the moment.
I went to the doorway and watched them reach the pond. They rested on the shore for a few minutes before diving into the water and started swimming side by side. Suddenly I heard Margie calling out, “Help! My leg hurts!”
注意：1. 续写词数应为150个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Seeing my daughter struggling in the water, I dashed to the pond.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
After they were sale on the shore, I hugged Onyx and my daughter tightly.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2024-2025学年山西省大同市高三上学期开学英语试题
答案版
考生注意：
1. 本试卷分选择题和非选择题两部分。满分150分，考试时间120分钟。
2. 答题前，考生务必用直径0. 5毫米黑色墨水签字笔将密封线内项目填写清楚。
3. 考生作答时，请将答案答在答题卡上。选择题每小题选出答案后，用2B铅笔把答题卡上对应题目的答案标号涂黑；非选择题请用直径0. 5毫米黑色墨水签字笔在答题卡上各题的答题区域内作答，超出答题区域书写的答案无效，在试题卷、草稿纸上作答无效。
4. 本卷命题范围：高考范围。
第一部分 听力（共两节，满分30分）
第一节（共5小题；每小题1. 5分，满分7. 5分）
听下面5段对话。每段对话后有一个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项。听完每段对话后，你都有10秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。每段对话仅读一遍。
1 What is the man doing
A. Making coffee. B. Drinking water. C. Washing cups.
2. How long has the man been studying
A. For 11 hours. B. For 12 hours. C. For 13 hours.
3. What will the woman probably do next
A. Call her mother again. B. Go to her mother's home. C. Send her mother to hospital.
4. What is the probable relationship between the speakers
A. Sales clerk and customer. B. Co-workers. C. Husband and wife.
5. What have been sold out
A. Chips. B. Chocolates. C. Nuts.
第二节（共15小题；每小题1. 5分，满分22. 5分）
听下面5段对话或独白。每段对话或独白后有几个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项。听每段对话或独白前，你将有时间阅读各个小题，每小题5秒钟；听完后，各小题将给出5秒钟的作答时间。每段对话或独白读两遍。
听第6段材料，回答第6、7题。
6. When did the man finish his project
A. This morning. B. In the afternoon. C. The day before yesterday.
7. What does the woman mean
A. She will finish it soon. B. She can chat now. C: She does not need help now.
听第7段材料，回答第8至10题。
8. What does the man want to drink today
A. Milk. B. Yellow tea. C. Coffee.
9. Which does the man usually order
A. Brown bread. B. Black bread. C. White bread.
10. What is free today
A. The bacon. B. The egg. C. The toast.
听第8段材料，回答第11至13题。
11. Who did the speakers see
A. A famous singer. B. An important politician. C. A rich businesswoman.
12 What does the man say about the city
A. The living cost is low. B. Hiking is not convenient. C. The labor is cheap.
13. Where does the conversation take place
A. At a parking lot. B. At a restaurant. C. At a club.
听第9段材料，回答第14至16题。
14. Why does the man refuse to eat at the university cafeteria
A. It's less fun. B. It's too expensive. C. It's not healthy.
15. What does the woman suggest the man do
A. Find a part-time job. B. Focus on study. C. Cook for himself.
16. What does the man probably want to be in the future
A. A teacher. B. A banker. C. A doctor.
听第10段材料，回答第17至20题。
17. How long will Mr. White's talk last
A. About 15 minutes. B. About 30 minutes. C. About 60 minutes.
18. Who will talk about the courses
A. The director. B. The student adviser. C. The principal.
19. Where will the listeners meet at 11 o'clock
A. In the Main Hall. B. At the language lab. C. At classroom 521.
20. What is the talk mainly about
A. Services offered to students. B. Language test requirements. C. A schedule for the next day.
听力答案略
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
The countries of Central Asia are home to countless sites justly famous for their natural beauty and unique history.
Medeu, Kazakhstan
On any trip to Central Asia, you’ll likely find yourself in Almaty, the biggest city in Kazakhstan and a major crossroad for regional flights. Visitors can take advantage of the city’s museums or go skating at Medeu, a famous outdoor ice skating field outside the city. Tickets vary in price; but adults (24 and up) can enter for $5 and rent skates for $3.
Tash Rabat, Kyrgyzstan
Once a church, Tash Rabat was later changed into a caravanserai, or inn, on the Silk Road. The official caretakers, who live nearby, will unlock the gate to allow visitors to wander through the well-preserved 600-year-old stone buildings. After the exploration, consider staying at one of the nearby yurt camps. Before bed, be sure to look up: the high sea level makes the starry night extra beautiful. Expect to pay about $2 to enter Tash Rabat, plus around $12 for a night at a yurt camp.
The Pamir Highway, Tajikistan
The Pamir Highway is the long stretch of road that runs between Osh, Kyrgyzstan, and Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Set aside about a-week for the journey to make time for striking lakes and the grand snow-capped Hindu Kush mountains.
The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, Turkistan
Arriving in Almaty, board a train (13-17 hours) to Turkistan to explore the Mausoleum. Dating to the late 14th century, it's believed to be the earliest example of the Timurid architectural style that defined the Silk Road.
1. What can we know about Almaty
A. It has few museums. B. It is located in Kyrgyzstan.
C. It is a famous outdoor ice skating field. D. It has one of the busiest regional airports.
2. How much should a visitor pay for the yurt camp per night
A. About $2. B. About $5. C. About $12. D. About $14.
3. Which is the oldest Timurid building
A. Medeu. B. The Mausoleum.
C. Tash Rabat. D. The Pamir Highway.
【答案】1. D 2. C 3. B
B
Visitors will be able to get close to — and even touch — 100 life-size sculptures of Indian elephants which are beginning a cross-country journey that aims to raise awareness about conservation. The real-life elephants of the sculptures are personally known to The Coexistence Collective — the community of around 200 artists in southern India who made them.
The sculptures can be seen in Newport, Rhode Island through early September. From there they will head to New York City, Miami, the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana and finally Los Angeles.
The organization is planning to sell the elephants off to raise funds for 22 conservation organizations around the country as the tour progresses. Organizers said 30 sculptures had already been sold off, with prices ranging from $8, 000 for a baby elephant to $22, 000 for an adult. In Newport, the profit will go to Save the Bay, which works to remove foreign grasses from local wetlands in order to restore the habitats for the birds there.
The enormous life-like sculptures are made out of lantana-a tough foreign grass that’s been encroaching upon the elephants’ natural forest habitat, pushing the animals onto tea and coffee farms where their coexistence with humans has become a genuine challenge.
“Lantana has displaced animals across huge areas in India, because it takes over from herbs and bushes that are food for animals,” said Tarsh Thekaekara, a wildlife conservationist specializing in human-elephant relations. “40 to 50% of many Indian parks are taken over by it.”
Tarsh Thekaekara also hopes that visitors will learn more about how important it is for animals and humans to negotiate shared space, as more places become uninhabitable for both owing to direct human destruction and the impacts of human-caused climate change.
4. What can we learn about the exhibition
A. Its first stop will be in New York City. B. It includes 100 real elephants from India
C. The sculptures will be sold at the same price D. All the exhibits are based on identified elephants.
5. The underlined phrase “encroaching upon” in paragraph 4 can be understood as ________.
A. restoring B. damaging C. dividing D. restricting
6. What is Tarsh Thekaekara mainly worried about according to paragraph 5
A. Public parks in India. B. Impacts of climate change.
C. A harmful foreign grass. D. Human-elephant coexistence.
7. Where is the text most probably taken from
A. A news report. B. A guidebook to an exhibition
C. An advertisement. D. An introduction to an organization
【答案】4. D 5. B 6. C 7. A
C
For the technically minded, GPT-4o is a significant change. Before it, the primary way of interacting with ChatGPT was to type text-based questions and wait for text-based responses. Although a voice assistant was available, it was painfully slow and unnatural. I have tried, in recent months, to get ChatGPT to help me learn German. But the delays between me asking questions and ChatGPT's response, often in incomprehensible and unaccented American English, made it next to useless.
By contrast, the live-streamed demonstration published earlier this week, showed that the new AI model could analyze code, translate languages between two speakers or guide users through a basic math problem written down on a piece of paper, all seemingly in real time. It even laughed in response to a joke. According to its maker, OpenAI, this is the new normal: an AI model that can reason across audio, vision and text in real time. It appears to be another significant step towards turning science fiction into science fact.
That's great news for OpenAI, a company already valued at more than $80 billion. It's also good news for others in the AI industry who are trying to apply it into every aspect of our lives.
But it's less good for ordinary users. The ease to use helps us forget its original name, dating back to 1956: artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence is certainly artificial. It's not yet intelligent — and arguably never will be even if the smooth interactivity that OpenAI has laboured hard to enable does well to paper over the cracks of the underlying technology.
When ChatGPT first made its appearance in November 2022, those who had been following the technology for decades pointed out that Al in its current form was little more than pattern-matching technology.
So try ChatGPT by all means, and play about with its voice and video interactions. But bear in mind its limitations, and that this thing isn't intelligent, but it certainly is artificial, no matter how much it pretends not to be.
8. What does the author think of the AI models before GPT-4o
A. Dangerous. B. Intelligent. C. Convenient. D. Unhelpful.
9. What is the second paragraph mainly about
A. The new trend of AI models. B. GPT-4o’s improved functions.
C. GPT-4o’s possible applications. D. Doubts about the new AI model.
10. When did the term “artificial intelligence” come into existence
A. In the 1950s. B. In the 1960s. C. In the 2000s. D. In the 2020s.
11. What does the author imply in the last paragraph
A. AI will be smarter than humans. B. We should stay away from ChatGPT.
C. We shouldn’t be too optimistic about AI. D. ChatGPT will be more intelligent in the future.
【答案】8. D 9. B 10. A 11. C
D
The idea that birth order influences a child's personality might be as old as people themselves Many modern scientists still refuse to break up with the popular theory. Frank Sulloway is one of them. In the 1990s and 2000s, he claimed that he found a tendency for conservative research among famous firstborn scientists while more radical (激进的) research, such as the theory of evolution and relativity, was more common among famous scientists born later in their families. He also found similar differences among military and political leaders.
But more recent studies throw cold water on the theory. Rodica Damian, a professor of psychology at the University of Houston, conducted one of the largest such studies in 2015, using data from over 440, 000 US high school students. After controlling for socioeconomic status, sex and age, the study showed that the association between birth order and personality was as close to zero. Another 2015 study confirmed Damian's findings. After analyzing three nationally representative samples from the US, the UK and Germany, the researchers wrote “We consistently found no birth-order effects on personality.”
However, both teams did find evidence for one quality that would please the firstborns. The studies each showed that they were slightly more likely to have higher verbal intelligence.
“This doesn't necessarily mean that firstborns are smarter or learn more easily,” Damian wrote. “More likely, it's because firstborns spend more time around adults in their early childhood.”
Then why does the birth order theory still appeal to the public as well as some researchers
“Part of the reason may have to do with our own experiences that will always appear to support it,” Damian explained. “Firstborns usually seem to be more responsible because they are more developmentally mature.”
Indeed, the science of personality development is anything but settled. Modern research using twin studies suggests that personality formation is about 40 percent due to DNA. The rest may be a matter of a complex combination of environment and cultural practices that help shape the personality with which we're born.
12. Which statement might Frank Sulloway agree with according to the text
A. Young scientists are more creative
B. Firstborns are more likely to take risks.
C. The theory of relativity was once considered radical.
D. We shouldn't trust radical military and political leaders
13. What did the two 2015 studies find
A. Firstborns had much higher verbal intelligence
B. Birth order hardly had a lasting effect on personality.
C. Birth order affected children's emotional intelligence.
D. Firstborns enjoyed spending more time around adults.
14. What can be inferred from paragraph 4
A. Firstborns are cleverer and can learn much faster.
B. Firstborns are more talkative than the younger ones
C. Firstborns are usually more responsible and successful.
D. Firstborn babies usually get more attention from the family
15. According to the twin studies, personality is _________.
A. influenced by a series of factors B. usually decided by the environment
C. decisively shaped by cultural practices D. mainly determined by the biological factor
【答案】12. A 13. A 14. D 15. A
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。
There’s no shortage of tricks for improving mental health. But many of them are not yet well understood. Here are some of the tried-and-true things that you can turn to.
___16___
Surely it is not surprising that getting outside is first on this list. There’s strong evidence that it really can help reduce stress and improve mood. For example, researchers have found that looking at complex patterns found in flowers, mountains, ocean waves and other elements of nature can lead to more a-waves in your brain that are associated with relaxation. ___17___ . For instance, you can open a window to let in fresh air or use nature-inspired scents (气味).
Tidy up your space
Getting organized won’t help with serious depression. ___18___ . In addition, it can also enhance your productivity at the office and greatly improve the quality of your life if you can learn how to declutter and become organized.
Plan a trip
Taking a vacation is not a new idea when it comes to boosting your mental health. But what if you don’t have the means or the time ___19___. Research shows that anticipating a trip can increase a person’s happiness.
Go for a bike ride
Of course, any kind of exercise is good for your mental health. But researchers say that bike riding is one of the best physical activities you can do to feel better. ___20___ .
A. Spend more time in nature
B. Put these tips into practice immediately
C. But it can make a difference for your mental health
D. Maybe it’s time to start planning a trip to one of the hot spots
E. Well, it turns out that even just planning a vacation can help a lot
F. If you’re unable to get outdoors, there are still helpful things you can do
G. Those who just cycle once a week report much higher levels of mental well-being
【答案】16. A 17. F 18. C 19. E 20. G
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。
After William Geil’s historic journey along the Great Wall (1908) and the publication of his book on the subject (1909), many books ___21___ the Great Wall followed. Most of them were in Chinese, while just a handful appeared in English. But the latter (后者) were mainly historical accounts, written by foreign researchers with little field experience of the extensive ___22___ . 70 years later, I became the first foreigner to follow in William Geil’s ___23___ .
My years-long ___24___ led to a storehouse of material and knowledge that I have used to ___25___ The Great Wall Explained, which has become a textbook for journalists, filmmakers, students and those planning ___26___ along the Great Wall for more than just a day or so.
I knew that it’s easy to write a complex book that readers could not ___27___ , so I tried my best to prioritise accessibility, specifically in order to ___28___ students — in China and around the world — for they are the key to creating a better ___29___ for the Great Wall. I don’t think it will be in ___30___ hands until generations of university students have ___31___ its diversity as a subject for a semester-length period.
The book is an explanation of the geography, history, appearance and function of the walls ___32___ in various dynasties. After a brief introduction, I then explain the Great Wall through the ___33___ chapters: Conflict, Construction, Architecture, Operation, Personages, Views and Conservation. ___34___ illustrated with photos that help to explain, the book also ___35___ many self-drawn maps and self-designed charts.
21. A. applying to B. reminding of C. focusing on D. responding to
22. A. ruins B. deserts C. mountains D. farms
23. A. books B. shadows C. notes D. footsteps
24. A. absence B. effort C. education D. war
25. A. write B. teach C. miss D. sell
26. A. lectures B. movies C. trips D. interviews
27. A. afford B. understand C. borrow D. buy
28. A. ignore B. forget C. see D. interest
29. A. plan B. design C. story D. future
30. A. weak B. rough C. safe D. big
31. A. accepted B. studied C. regarded D. served
32. A. built B. restored C. discovered D. damaged
33. A. complex B. following C. new D. confusing
34. A. Barely B. Casually C. Richly D. Similarly
35. A. investigates B. impacts C. defends D. includes
【答案】21. C 22. A 23. D 24. B 25. A 26. C 27. B 28. D 29. D 30. C 31. B 32. A 33. B 34. C 35. D
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。
Maybe our hope of one day ___36___ (live) on Mars-like planets lies in a kind of desert moss (苔藓), Syntrichia caninervis, ___37___ can adapt to extreme stress conditions.
A group of Chinese scientists ___38___ (experiment) with the moss in Mars-like conditions and found that it was able to survive in such environment. “Looking to the future, we expect that this promising moss could be brought to Mars or Moon to further test the ___39___ (possible) of growth in outer space,” ___40___ researchers wrote in an article published in the journal The Innovation.
“This paper is exciting because it ___41___ (show) that the desert moss can survive short exposures to some of the ___42___ (stress) that are likely to be found on Mars, including high levels of radiation, extremely low temperatures and very low oxygen levels,” said moss expert Stuart McDaniel, who was not involved in the study. “ ___43___ particular, the desert moss could play an important role in long-term space travels. Although it is not eatable, it may ___44___ (efficient) turn CO2 and water into oxygen and food that humans need ___45___ (survive).”
【答案】36. living
37. which 38. experimented
39. possibility
40. the 41. shows
42. stresses
43. In 44. efficiently
45. to survive
第四部分 写作（共两节，满分40分）
第一节（满分15分）
46. 假定你是李华，近日参加了学校组织的创意手工作品（handicraft）展并获得了一等奖，外籍笔友David对你的作品很感兴趣，请你给他回一封电子邮件。内容包括：
1. 作品介绍；
2. 你的感受。
注意：1. 写作词数应为80个左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
【答案】Dear David,
Delighted to know you are interested in the exhibition of creative handmade works held in our school last week, I am writing to share it with you.
All works were made by us students, which were created from waste and used materials. I made a shopping bag from a pair of worn-out jeans, spending countless minutes designing, decorating and perfecting it. My works has received lots of likes.
I find it enjoyable and meaningful to make handmade works from recyclables. And I’ve developed my innovative ability as well.
Yours,
Li Hua
第二节（满分25分）
47. 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。
He was the prettiest homeless dog we had ever seen at the shelter. We immediately fell in love with him and decided to give him a permanent home. Our ten-year-old daughter. Margie, named him Onyx because of his thick, shiny black hair. When we adopted him, Onyx was only ten weeks old and we had no idea that this amazing little baby dog would end up being our hero.
As he grew older, Onyx became more and more involved in our family activities. He particularly loved swimming with us on hot summer days. He would float in the river in his own rubber tube（橡皮圈）. Sometimes, he would stand on the top of the tube with a big smile and show off his perfect balance. Otherwise, he would rest his front legs over the edge of the rubber tube and keep his eyes shut as he floated until he had enough of the warm sun on his thick, black coat.
One day, Margie announced she was going to swim in the pond in front of our house. But it happened that no one in the family was free to go swimming with her that day. The unwritten rule in my family, regardless of swimming ability, was to have a companion in the water. I was not a good swimmer, so I said to Margie, “Take Onyx with you.”
Having heard his name, Onyx jumped to his feet and was ready for action. Margie signaled him to follow and they rushed to the water together. However, I still felt uneasy at the moment.
I went to the doorway and watched them reach the pond. They rested on the shore for a few minutes before diving into the water and started swimming side by side. Suddenly I heard Margie calling out, “Help! My leg hurts!”
注意：1. 续写词数应为150个左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Seeing my daughter struggling in the water, I dashed to the pond.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
After they were sale on the shore, I hugged Onyx and my daughter tightly.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
【答案】 My heart skipped a beat as panic surged through me. But I was not a good swimmer, so I dared not go into the water to save Margie, just stoping on the bank anxiously. Just then, Onyx, sensing Margie's danger, immediately swam closer to her, barking and nudging her leg gently with her nose. With remarkable agility, Onyx supported Margie, allowing her to rest her weight on the dog while she massaged her cramped leg.
Onyx's quick thinking and unwavering loyalty had saved Margie from a potentially dangerous situation. With tears of gratitude in my eyes, I hugged Onyx tightly again and again, realizing that she truly was our hero in every sense of the word. Onyx raised his head and wagged his tail, apparently feeling honored for her bravery. From then on, Every time Magi went swimming, she took Onyx with her. We were certainly relieved to have Onyx by her side.