湖北省部分学校高二上学期期中英语试题精选汇编：阅读理解专题

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湖北省部分学校
2020-2021年高二上学期期中英语试题精选汇编
阅读理解专题
湖北随州市第一中学2020-2021学年高二上学期期中考试英语试题
第二部分 阅读理解 （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，从每题所给的四个选项（A 、B 、C 和 D ）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
As the leaves start to change color and the autumn air turns fresh, sometimes nothing is more appealing than the attraction of a good book. Here are our four top picks for the best books.
The Most Fun We Ever Had
By Claire Lombardo
Doubleday
David and Marilyn have been married forever. Four kids and decades later, they're still as in love as the day they met. Lombardo paints an extraordinary picture of a family in what could well be one of the best novels published this year.
The Shadow King
By Maaza Mengiste
W. W. Norton & Company
A historical novel that takes place in the 1930s Ethiopia, The Shadow King focuses on the female soldiers who take up arms in World War II . In beautiful prose （叙述）, Mengiste shines a light on those whose lives are not often noticed.
Someone We Know
By Shari Lapena
Pamela Dorman Books
A quiet suburban town is shaken by a series of break-ins and a body that turns up in the trunk of a car in this latest psychological thriller by the author of The Couple Next Door. How are the crimes related? And what does the invader know?
The Only Plane in the Sky ： An Oral History of 9 /11
By Garrett M. Graff
Avid Reader Press
Journalist Graff puts together an oral history of 9/11 from the perspective of nearly everyone involved. Every single line is breathtaking and heartbreaking, weaving together the story of previously-unimaginable and tragic events that changed history.
1. Which of the following published the book about the army?
A. Doubleday. B. W. W. Norton & Company.
C. Pamela Dorman Books. D. Avid Reader Press.
2. Which author is good at writing suspense stories?
A. Claire Lombardo. B. Maaza Mengiste.
C. Shari Lapena. D. Garrett M. Graff.
3. Which of the following is TRUE about The Only Plane in the Sky ： An Oral History of 9/11?
A. It's about some true stories in 9/11.
B. It's about some female soldiers in World War Ⅱ.
C. It's about a journalist's experience in 9/11.
D. It's about a single tragic event in 9/11.
【答案】1. B 2. C 3. A
【解析】
本文是说明文。文章主要介绍了四本选择率最高、最好的书：《我们有史以来最有趣的事》、 《影子国王》、 《我们了解的一些人》 、《天空中唯一的 飞机：911的口述历史》。
【1题详解】
细节理解题。根据第二本书的介绍“A historical novel that takes place in the 1930s Ethiopia, The Shadow King focuses on the female soldiers who take up arms in World War II.(一部发生在20世纪30年代埃塞俄比亚的历史小说，《影子国王》专注于二战中拿起武器的女士兵)”和W. W. Norton & Company可知，W. W. Norton & Company出版了关于军队的书。故选B。
【2题详解】
细节理解题。根据Someone We Know部分“By Shari Lapena”以及第三本书的介绍“A quiet suburban town is shaken by a series of break-ins and a body that turns up in the trunk of a car in this latest psychological thriller by the author of The Couple Next Door. How are the crimes related? And what does the invader know?(一个安静的郊区小镇被一系列的闯入事件和一具尸体震撼了，这是《隔壁一对夫妇》的作者的最新心理惊悚片。这些罪行有什么联系？入侵者知道什么？)”可知Shari Lapena擅长写惊悚故事。故选C。
【3题详解】
细节理解题。根据最后一段的“Journalist Graff puts together an oral history of 9/11 from the perspective of nearly everyone involved. Every single line is breathtaking and heartbreaking, weaving together the story of previously-unimaginable and tragic events that changed history.(记者格拉夫从几乎所有参与的人的角度整理了一段911的口述历史，每一句台词都是令人叹为观止和心碎的，把以前难以想象的故事和改变历史的事件交织在一起)”可知，The Only Plane in the Sky ： An Oral History of 9/11这本书是关于911事件中的真实故事集。故选A。
B
Aunt Fannie was Blueberry Jam Woman. Of course she wasn’t really my aunt, and out of fear, I never called that to her face. The name always made my father chuckle (轻笑) and my mother look sternly (严厉地) at both of us—at me for being disrespectful, and at my father for encouraging my bad behavior. I enjoyed both reactions, so I looked for every opportunity to work for the name into conversation.
As a young woman, my mother had worked in the kitchen of a large Victorian farm house owned by Fannie Cratty. Fannie was the last of the Cratty line; she had never married, and had no living heirs(继承人). My father once told me that it was because she was too mean to share her family wealth or pass it on. Aunt Fannie was noted for her jam, and for never sharing the recipe with another living soul. Even though my mother knew it by heart, as long as Aunt Fannie was alive, she never made the jam without Miss Cratty in our kitchen to direct the process and preserve the secret.
One year, after I had been particularly helpful with the jam-making process. Aunt Fannie gave me a quarter and then made me promise I would never spend it. “Hold onto this quarter,” she said, “and some day you will be rich. I still have my first very quarter.” It had obviously worked for her, so I put that 1938 quarter in a small box,put it in my dresser drawer, and waited to become rich.
I now have the blueberry-jam recipe and the quarter from Aunt Fannie. Neither has significantly contributed to my wealth, but I keep them to remind myself to hold onto the valuable things in life. Money can make you feel rich for a while, but it is your relationships, and your memories of time spent with friends and family, that truly leave you wealthy. And that is a fortune that anyone can build.
4. Where did the “fear” mentioned in the first paragraph come from?
A That year’s blueberry harvest had been poor.
B. Aunt Fannie was too old to keep making jam.
C. The author’s mother couldn’t help Aunt Fannie harvest the blueberries.
D. The author knew it was impolite to call Aunt Fannie Blueberry Jam Woman.
5. From the second paragraph we learn that ________.
A. Aunt Fannie had no children B. Aunt Fannie was willing to share her recipe
C. the author often helped Aunt Fannie make jam D. the author’s mother always made the jam alone
6. What did the author’s mother feel towards Aunt Fannie?
A. Disgusted. B. Surprised. C. Affectionate. D. Disappointed.
7. What does the author try to tell us?
A. To make new friends easily. B. Not to put a price on generosity.
C. Not to think of kindness as a burden. D. To treasure the time spent with family and friends.
【答案】4. D 5. A 6. C 7. D
【解析】
这是一篇记叙文。作者通过讲述Fannie姨妈和她的蓝莓酱配方，向我们说明金钱只可以暂时让人感觉富有，唯有和他人的关系以及和朋友、家人们一起度过的美好时光才会让我们变得真正富有。
【4题详解】
推理判断题。根据第一段中“Aunt Fannie was Blueberry Jam Woman. Of course she wasn’t really my aunt, and out of fear, I never called that to her face. The name always made my father chuckle (轻笑) and my mother look sternly (严厉地) at both of us—at me for being disrespectful, and at my father for encouraging my bad behavior.”可知Fannie姨妈是“蓝莓果酱女士”。当然，她并不真是我的姨妈，出于恐惧，我从来没有当着她的面这么叫过。这个名字总是让父亲咯咯地笑，母亲则严厉地看着我们俩——看着我，是因为我不尊重别人；看着父亲，是因为他纵容我的坏行为。由此可推知，第一段提到作者出于“恐惧”，是因为作者知道称呼Fannie阿姨“蓝莓果酱女士”是不礼貌的。故选D。
【5题详解】
细节理解题。根据第二段中“she had never married, and had no living heirs(继承人).”可知她从未结过婚，也没有继承人。由此可知，Fannie姨妈没有孩子。故选A。
【6题详解】
推理判断题。根据第一段中“The name always made my father chuckle (轻笑) and my mother look sternly (严厉地) at both of us—at me for being disrespectful, and at my father for encouraging my bad behavior.(这个名字总是让父亲咯咯地笑，母亲则严厉地看着我们俩——看着我，是因为我不尊重别人；看着父亲，是因为他纵容我的坏行为)”以及第二段中“Even though my mother knew it by heart, as long as Aunt Fannie was alive, she never made the jam without Miss Cratty in our kitchen to direct the process and preserve the secret.(尽管我母亲早已熟记于心，但只要Fannie姨妈还活着，没有Cratty小姐在我们厨房指导制作过程，她从来不会做这种果酱，并且保守秘密)”由此可推知，作者的妈妈不允许丈夫和作者不礼貌地称呼Fannie姨妈“蓝莓果酱女士”，以及虽然已经知道果酱的做法，还是要在Fannie姨妈在场的时候才制作这种果酱，可推知作者的母亲对Fannie姨妈很有感情。故选C。
【7题详解】
推理判断题。根据最后一段中“Neither has significantly contributed to my wealth, but I keep them to remind myself to hold onto the valuable things in life. Money can make you feel rich for a while, but it is your relationships, and your memories of time spent with friends and family, that truly leave you wealthy. And that is a fortune that anyone can build.”可知，它们都没有给我带来财富，但我保留它们是为了提醒自己要珍惜生活中有价值的东西。金钱能让你暂时感到富有，但真正让你富有的是你的人际关系，以及你与朋友和家人共度的时光的记忆。这是任何人都可以创造的财富。由此可推知，作者想告诉我们要珍惜与家人和朋友在一起的时间。故选D。
C
Time and how we experience it have always puzzled us. Physicists have created fascinating theories, but their time is measured by a pendulum (钟摆) and is not psychological time, which leaps with little regard to the clock or calendar. As someone who understood the distinction observed, ''When you sit with a nice girl for two hours it seems like a minute, but when you sit on a hot stove, a minute seems like two hours. ''
Psychologists have long noticed that larger units of time, such as months and years, fly on swifter wings as we age. They also note that the more time is structured with schedules and appointments, the more rapidly it seems to pass. For example, a day at the office flies compared with a day at the beach.
Expectation and familiarity also make time seem to flow more rapidly. Almost all of us have had the experience of driving somewhere we've never been before. Surrounded by unfamiliar scenery, with no real idea of when we’ll arrive, we experience the trip as lasing a long time. But the return trip, although exactly as long, seems to take far less time. The novelty of the outward journey has become routine.
When days become as identical as beads (小珠子)on a string, they mix together, and even months become a single day. To counter this, try to find ways to interrupt the structure of your day-- to stop time, so to speak.
Learning something new is one of the ways to slow the passage of time. One of the reasons the days of our youth seems to be full and long is that these are the days of learning and discovery. For many of us, learning ends when we leave school, but this doesn't have to be.
8. What is the underlined sentence in paragraph 1 used to show?
A. Psychological time is quite puzzling.
B Time should not be measured by a pendulum.
C. Physical time is different from psychological time
D. Physical theory has nothing to do with the true sense of time
9. Why do units of time fly faster as we grow older?
A. Our sense of time changes.
B. We spend less time at the beach
C. More time is structured and scheduled
D. Time is structured with too many appointments.
10. What does ''Novelty'' in paragraph 3 probably mean?
A. excitement B. unfamiliarity C. imagination D. amusement
11. What is the purpose of the passage?
A. To give various explanations about time
B. To describe how we experience time physically
C. To show the differences of two kinds of time
D. To explain why time flies and how to slow it down
【答案】8. C 9. C 10. B 11. D
【解析】
本文是一篇说明文。文章主要讲的是同样的事情，同样的时间，但是心理层面的时间和物理概念的时间是有差别的。文章解释了时间为什么过的很快，以及怎样让它变慢。
【8题详解】
推理判断题。根据划线句子的上一句Physicists have created fascinating theories, but their time is measured by a pendulum and is not psychological time, which leaps with little regard to the clock or calendar(物理学家创造了有趣的理论，但他们的时间是通过钟摆衡量的，而不是心理时间，心理时间和钟表或日历没有关系。)可推测，划线句子是为了说明物理概念的时间和心理的时间是有区别的。C. Physical time is different from psychological time(物理时间和心理时间是有区别的)符合以上说法，故选C项。
【9题详解】
细节理解题。根据第二段的They also note that the more time is structured with schedules and appointments, the more rapidly it seems to pass．(他们还指出，日程表和约会安排的越多，时间似乎过得就越快。)可知，因为单位时间是被规划好的，所以越是细致规划的时间，看上去就过的越快。C. More time is structured and scheduled(更过的时间被规划和安排)符合以上说法，故选C项。
【10题详解】
词义猜测题。根据第三段的Surrounded by unfamiliar scenery, with no real idea of when we’ll arrive, we experience the trip as lasting a long time. The novelty of the outward journey has become routine.(周围是不熟悉的环境，不知道我们何时到达，我们经历的旅行似乎持续了很长时间。外面世界的novelty已经成了家常便饭。)根据句意可知，因为对周边环境的不熟悉才觉得时间过得慢，而这种情况成为我们生活的一种常规了。由此猜测，划线部分的意思是“不熟悉”。B. unfamiliarity(不熟悉)符合以上说法，故选B项。
【11题详解】
推理判断题。根据文章的主要内容，尤其最后一段的Learning something new is one of the ways to slow the passage of time. One of the reasons the days of our youth seems so full and long is that these are the days of learning and discovery. For many of us, learning ends when we leave school, but this doesn’t have to be. (学习新的东西是减缓时间流逝的方法之一。我们的青春岁月之所以充实而漫长，其中一个原因就是这些是学习和发现的日子。对于我们很多人来说，离开学校就是学习的结束，但这不一定非得这样。)可知，作者写篇文章的是为了陈述为什么时间过的很快，以及怎样让时间变慢。D. To explain why time flies and how to slow it down(为了解释为什么时间流逝的快，以及如何让它变慢)符合以上推测，故选D项。
D
Do you still remember the scene in the famous movie Titanic, directed by Cameron, where Jack was frozen to death in the icy cold water so that Rose could survive on the floating door alone? It broke many people’s heart.
Two decades later, people are still asking the question, “wasn’t there enough room on the door for both of them?”
Cameron once responded by saying it wasn’t a question of room, but buoyancy—if both of them had tried to stay on the raft, he argued, the whole thing would sink.
But several guys from “Mythbusters”, an Australian-American science entertainment television program, decided to test the theory themselves. They discovered that if Rose had took off her life jacket to the bottom of the raft, there would have been enough buoyancy to keep both of them afloat.
When they presented their findings to Cameron, the director insisted that Jack couldn’t be saved.
“The answer is very simple,” Cameron said. “Because it says on page 147 of the script that Jack dies. To Cameron, it was an artistic choice to have the beloved character of millions, Jack drown into the cold sea. Jack had to die because Cameron thought it would be best if we did.
“It was an artistic choice, the thing was just big enough to hold her, and not big enough to hold him,” Cameron said. “I think it’s all kind of silly, really, that we’re having this discussion 20 years later. But it does show that the film was effective in making Jack so endearing to the audience that it hurts them to see him die. The film is about death and separation; he had to die.”
Since Jack was doomed to die, Cameron said, it could have happened in a variety of different ways. It’s not about the door not being big enough: that’s just a practical method for his death. “Whether it was that, or whether a chimney fell on him, he was going down,” Cameron said. “It’s called art: things happen for artistic reasons, not for physics reasons.”
12. What do we know about the character Jack according to the text?
A. He intended to kill himself. B. He sacrificed himself to save Rose.
C. He didn’t have money to buy ticket. D. He lacked basic knowledge of physics.
13. According to Cameron, why did the audience argue about Jack’s death for 20 years?
A. They are fragile people. B. They don’t like the movie.
C. They love the character Jack. D. They are crazy about physics.
14. Why was a chimney mentioned in the last paragraph?
A. To introduce the structure of the ship. B. To show the original plan of the movie.
C. To present the missing part of the movie. D. To explain the unchangeable fate of Jack.
15. What is best title of the text?
A. Jack in Titanic Must Die. B. Big Enough for Both.
C. Cameron is Wrong. D. Jack could Survive.
【答案】12. B 13. C 14. D 15. A
【解析】
这是一篇说明文。文章主要说明了电影《泰坦尼克号》中Jack因为救Rose而死，但是二十年后人们仍在纠结Jack是否真的非死不可的问题，甚至有人专门进行了试验并把结果提交给电影导演卡梅隆。对此，卡梅隆的看法是杰克非死不可，并给出了理由。
【12题详解】
细节理解题。根据第一段中“Do you still remember the scene in the famous movie Titanic, directed by Cameron, where Jack was frozen to death in the icy cold water so that Rose could survive on the floating door alone?”可知你还记得卡梅隆执导的著名电影《泰坦尼克号》中Jack被冻死在冰冷的水中，而Rose独自靠漂浮的门生存下来的场景吗？由此可知，Jack这个角色为了救Rose而牺牲了自己。故选B。
【13题详解】
细节理解题。根据倒数第二段中“But it does show that the film was effective in making Jack so endearing to the audience that it hurts them to see him die.”可知但它确实表明，这部电影有效地把Jack塑造得如此受观众喜爱，以至于看到他死去会让他们感到心痛。由此可知，根据卡梅隆的说法，观众们为Jack的死争论了20年是因为他们喜欢Jack这个角色。故选C。
【14题详解】
推理判断题。根据最后一段中“Since Jack was doomed to die, Cameron said, it could have happened in a variety of different ways. It’s not about the door not being big enough: that’s just a practical method for his death. ‘Whether it was that, or whether a chimney fell on him, he was going down,’ Cameron said.”可知卡梅隆说，既然Jack注定要死，那就有可能以各种不同的方式死去。这不是门不够大的问题：那只是他的一种死亡方式。“不管是这样，还是烟囱掉在他身上，他都要死，”卡梅隆说。由此可推知，最后一段提到烟囱是为了解释Jack无法改变的命运。故选D。
【15题详解】
主旨大意题。根据第五段“When they presented their findings to Cameron, the director insisted that Jack couldn’t be saved.(当他们把调查结果提交给卡梅隆时，导演坚持认为Jack必须死)”结合文章主要说明了电影《泰坦尼克号》中Jack因为救Rose而死，但是二十年后人们仍在纠结Jack是否真的非死不可的问题，甚至有人专门进行了试验并把结果提交给电影导演卡梅隆。对此，卡梅隆的看法是杰克非死不可，并给出了理由。由此可知，A选项“泰坦尼克号上的Jack必须死”最符合文章标题。故选A。
湖北省利川市第五中学2020-2021学年高二上学期期中考试英语试题
第二部分 阅读理解（共两节，满分40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，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
Sydney Trains is one of the most economical, reliable and convenient ways to travel throughout Sydney and its surrounds.
Our network, the NSW Trains Intercity, covers suburban Sydney and extends to the Hunter, Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Southern Highlands and South Coast regions.
The network is made up of several colour-coded lines. Trains from different lines can share the same platform, so check display screen and listen to announcements.
Ticket prices are generally based on the distance traveled. You can visit Transportnsw. Info for details.
Getting to the City
In Sydney, if you’re near a train station, you’re on your way to the city. Every rail line leads directly or indirectly to the City Circle. It’s the loop around the central business district of Sydney. Most City stations are underground, so look out for the sign on street level.
Automatic ticket gates
Large stations have automatic gates for entry to, and exit from, the station. If you have an Opal card or a ticket which has a magnetic stripe(磁条) you must use the automatic gates. You may use the wide gate for wheelchair, pram or luggage access. Station staff will assist you.
Night Ride buses
Most trains do not operate between midnight and 4:00a.m. For your convenience a special Night Ride bus service is available between these hours on most Sydney suburban lines.
Track work
In order for the tracks to the maintained, we sometimes have to replace train with buses, particularly at weekends. Please check the track work section for the latest service changes on your line.
21. How do travelers get more information about ticket prices?
A. They can go to the City Circle. B. They can visit a website.
C. They can check display screen. D. They can listen to announcements.
22. What service is offered to travelers in need at most big stations?
A. A free Opal card. B. Earlier entry to the station.
C. Help from station workers. D. A ticket with a magnetic stripe.
23. Which is the best convenient time to travel by Sydney Trains?
A. At midnight. B. On Sunday afternoon.
C. Between midnight and 4:00a.m. D. At 6:00p.m. on Wednesday.

B

When I was a boy there were no smart phones, computers were something you saw on STAR TREK, and our television only got one channel clearly. Still, I was never bored. The fields, hills, and woodlands around my home were the perfect playgrounds whose adventures were only limited by my imagination. I can remember once hiking to a nearby lake and slowly walking around it. At the backside of it I was amazed to find an old, one lane, dirt road that I had never seen before. I immediately set out to travel it. It was full of muddy tire tracks and deep woods bordered it on both sides, but exploring it still seemed like a fine adventure.
I walked on and on for what seemed like hours. I am sure my guardian angel was whispering in my ear to turn around and head back home but I was stubborn and even a bit stupid, so I walked on. The dirt road gave way to a gravel one and then a paved one, yet there was still neither a car nor a house in sight. My legs were getting tired. I noticed that the sun was starting to go down and I grew scared. I didn’t want to end up trapped on this road in the dark of night, but I was sure it would be dark before I could make my way back to the lake again.
I continued to walk on with the something growing inside of me. My heart was pounding and my legs were aching. I was almost in tears when I turned one last curve and saw something in the distance. It was a house that I recognized. My heart leapt up! I jumped up and down and laughed out loud. I knew the way home! It was still over a mile away but my legs felt like feathers and I hurried back to my house in no time. I walked in with a big smile on my face just in time for dinner. Then I ended my adventure with a good night’s sleep.
I often thought of that experience recently. Actually, in our life, all roads, no matter how they twist and turn, can lead us home again. They can lead us to our homes here on Earth. They can lead us to our homes in our hearts. May you always walk your path with love. May you always help your fellow travelers along the way. And may your roads always lead you Home again.
24. Why did the author hardly feel bored when he was young?
A. He could watch TV all day. B. He could have fun in nature.
C. He had many friends to play with. D. He used to explore the old dirt road.
25. What does the underlined word “something” in Paragraph 3 probably refer to?
A. Doubt. B. Hope. C. Fear. D. Courage.
26. How did the author feel when he was exploring the dirt road?
A. He was contradictory in mind.
B. He was unconscious of danger ahead.
C. He was worried to be trapped in the woods.
D. He was afraid of being scolded by his parents.
27. What may be the best title for the passage?
A. Every Effort Is Worthwhile B. All Roads Lead Home
C. Be Determined in Your Life D. Be Brave to Explore
C
Parents who want their kids to succeed more than anything are now being sold a high-tech solution. Class 120 is $199-a-year smartphone app that tracks teenagers and alerts parents if the kid isn’t in his or her scheduled class.
Is it a good idea for parents to track whether their young adults are in class? In short: No. This is a terrible idea.
One of the fundamental purposes of a college is learning to be an independent person. That means learning how to do what needs to be done, whether one particularly feels like doing it or not.
It’s easy to see why parents are keen on tracking their kids. A student is admitted to college by a process that focuses mainly on grades and scores. Monitoring grades and scores is easy. The parents may think that:
“Our child is succeeding. We are good parents. We are happy.” But grades and scores can’t tell everything.
They don’t take into account whether their kids have the strength of self-discipline (自律) and the skill needed to care for himself or herself.
Monitoring the development of character is much harder for parents. Character growth happens through encountering (遇到) and learning to deal with disappointments and failure. You never know which problem will be the point for growth.
However, letting kids fail can be really difficult for anxious parents. They believe that success means being perfect and never failing. The truth is that kids need to learn to fail.
College is an ideal place to practice adults’ responsibility and independence. Students need to make their own decisions about whether to get out of bed and go to work in the morning.
Maybe your child hasn’t learned this lesson by now, but he or she has to learn it sometime. An alarm clock’s job is to wake you up, but it does not provide a reason.
28. What’s author’s attitude toward tracking teenagers?
A. Supportive. B. Opposed. C. Indifferent. D. Disappointed.
29. According to the author, what’s the most important thing should a college student learn in school?
A. Avoiding failure. B. Keeping healthy.
C. Professional knowledge. D. Living independently.
30. What’s the author’s opinion on failure?
A. Failure means that a kid is not good enough.
B. Failure may be the key part of kid’s development.
C. Everyone should manage to avoid failure at any time.
D. Failure will bring many negative influences to children.
31. What does the underlined sentence mean in the last paragraph?
A. An alarm clock is necessary for a kid.
B. A kid should buy a talking alarm clock.
C. A kid should get up early for learning without any reason.
D. A kid should always maintain a sense of responsibility and independence.
D
There are two types of people in the world. Although they have equal degree of health and wealth and other comforts of life, one becomes happy and the other becomes unhappy. This arises from the different ways in which they consider things, persons, events and the resulting effects upon their minds.
People who are to be happy fix their attention on the convenience of things: the pleasant parts of conversation, the well-prepared dishes, the goodness of the wine and the fine weather. They enjoy all the cheerful things. Those who are to be unhappy think and speak only of the opposite things. Therefore, they are continually dissatisfied. By their remarks, they sour the pleasure of society, hurt many people, and make themselves disagreeable everywhere. If this turn of mind was founded in nature, such unhappy persons would be the more to be pitied. The intention of criticizing and being disliked is perhaps taken up by imitation. It grows into a habit, unknown to its possessors. The habit may be strong, but it may be cured when those who have it realize its bad effects on their interests and tastes. I hope this little warning may be of service to them, and help them change this habit.
Although in fact it is chiefly an act of the imagination, it has serious results in life since it brings on deep sorrow and bad luck. Those people hurt many others; nobody loves them, and no one treats them with more than the most common politeness and respect. This frequently puts them in bad temper and draws them into arguments. If they aim at getting some advantages in social position or fortune, nobody wishes them success. Nor will anyone start a step or speak a word to favor their hopes. If they bring on themselves public objections, no one will defend or excuse them, and many will join to criticize their wrongdoings. These should change this bad habit and be pleased with what is pleasing, without worrying needlessly about themselves and others. If they do not, it will be good for others to avoid any contact with them. Otherwise, it can be disagreeable and sometimes very inconvenient, especially when one becomes mixed up in their quarrels.
32.What does the underlined phrase “sour the pleasure of society” most probably mean?
A.Making others unhappy.
B.Enjoying the pleasure of life.
C.Tending to please others openly.
D.Having a good taste with social life.
33.What can we conclude from the text?
A.We should pity all such unhappy people.
B.People can get rid of the habit of unhappiness.
C.Such unhappy people are dangerous to social life.
D.Unhappy people cannot understand happy persons.
34.If such unhappy persons insist on keeping the habit, the author suggests people should
A.show no respect and politeness to them.
B.prevent any communication with them.
C.persuade them to recognize the bad effects.
D.quarrel with them until they realize the mistakes.
35.What is the purpose of the text？
A.To describe two types of people in the world: happy and unhappy.
B.To laugh at unhappy people and let us avoid such kind of people.
C.To suggest unhappy people remove the habits of unhappiness.
D.To suggest people should fix their attention on happy things.
【答案】 21-23 BCD 24-27 BCAB 28-31 BDBD 32-35 ABBC

湖北省武汉钢都中学2020-2021学年高二上学期期中英语试题
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
Personal Robot
Make your parents and teachers happy！
Are you having problems finishing your homework on time? Do you avoid tidying your room until your mum shouts at you? You don't need to worry if you buy a Mr. Helping Hand personal robot. Mr. H can be programmed to organize your homework. Your own personal robot will follow you around, putting away books and objects that you have left on the floor or bed.
Mr. H also has these features(特点)：weighs only 500 grams; includes long-lasting batteries; comes
with a 5-year guarantee; remembers simple instructions.
Originally sold for $499 NOW ONLY $299 （BUY NOW)

WATCH CONTROL
This is a watch that James Bond would be proud to wear! This is NOT a watch for ordinary people!
Your electronic PENGO WATCH CONTROL
► acts as a remote control for TVs and videos.
► gives you a daily weather forecast.
reminds you when to hand in your homework.
► sets off a silent warning alarm when parents or teachers are near.
Besides, your PENGO WATCH CONTROL will always tell you the time accurately!
Originally sold for $199 NOW ONLY $99
For further information, click here.
1. With help from a Mr. H you can ．
A．stop using batteries B．finish your homework on time C．remember your teachers' instructions D．get your room tidied on your way home
22．A PENGO WATCH CONTROL can help you to ．
A. repair your TV B. organize your homework
C. be a James Bond D. know what the weather is like 23．Where would you be most likely to find the two texts?
A. On a notice board. B. In a company brochure.
C. On a teenage website. D. In a college newspaper.
B
A schoolgirl saved her father's life by kicking him in the chest after he suffered a serious allergic( 过敏的) reaction which stopped his heart.
Izzy, nine, restarted father Colm's heart by stamping (踩) on his chest after he fell down at home and stopped breathing. Izzy's mother, Debbie, immediately called 999 but Izzy knew doctors would never
arrive in time to save her father, so decided to use CPR. However, she quickly discovered her arms weren't strong enough, so she stamped on her father's chest instead.
Debbie then took over with some more conventional chest compressions(按压) until the ambulance
arrived.
Izzy, who has been given a bravery award by her school, said, “I just kicked him really hard. My mum taught me CPR but I knew I wasn't strong enough to use hands. I was quite scared. The doctor said I might as well be a doctor or a nurse. My mum said that Dad was going to hospital with a big footprint on his chest.”
“She's a little star, ” said Debbie. “I was really upset but Izzy just took over. I just can't believe what she did. I really think all children should be taught first aid. Izzy did CPR then the doctor turned up. Colm had to have more treatment on the way to the hospital and we've got to see an expert.”
Truck driver Colm, 35, suffered a mystery allergic reaction on Saturday and was taken to hospital, but was sent home only for it to happen again the next day. The second attack was so serious that his airway swelled, preventing him from breathing, his blood pressure dropped suddenly, and his heart stopped for a moment.
He has now made a full recovery from his suffering.
24. Izzy kicked her father in the chest ．
A. to express her helplessness B. to practise CPR on him
C. to keep him awake D. to restart his heart
25. What's the right order of the events?
①Izzy kicked Colm. ②Debbie called 999. ③Izzy learned CPR. ④Colm's heart stopped.
A．③①②④ B．④②③① C．③④②① D．④③①②
26. What does Paragraph 6 mainly talk about?
A. What Colm suffered. B. Colm's present condition.
C. What caused Colm's allergy. D. Symptoms of Colm's allergic reaction.
27. Why does the author write the news?
A. To describe a serious accident. B. To prove the importance of CPR.
C. To report a 9-year-old girl's brave act. D. To call people's attention to allergic reaction.
C
It was once common to regard Britain as a society with class distinction. Each class had unique characteristics.
In recent years, many writers have begun to speak the 'decline of class' and 'classless society' in Britain. And in modern day consumer society everyone is considered to be middle class.
But pronouncing the death of class is too early. A recent wide-ranging society of public opinion found 90 percent of people still placing themselves in particular class; 73 percent agreed that class was still a vital part of British society; and 52 percent thought there were still sharp class differences. Thus, class may not be culturally and politically obvious, yet it remains an important part of British society. Britain seems to have a love of stratification.
One unchanging aspect of a British person's class position is accent. The words a person speaks tell her or his class. A study of British accents during 1970s found that a voice sounding like a BBC newsreader was viewed as the most attractive voice. Most people said this accent sounded 'educated' and 'soft'. The accents placed at the bottom in this study, on the other hand, were regional （ 地区的） city
accents. These accents were seen as 'common' and 'ugly'. However, a similar study of British accents in
the US turned these results upside down and placed some regional accents as the most attractive and BBC English as the least. This suggests that British attitudes towards accent have deep roots and are based on class prejudice.
In recent years, however, young upper middle-class people in London, have begun to adopt some regional accents, in order to hide their class origins. This is an indication of class becoming unnoticed. However, the 1995 pop song 'Common People' puts forward the view that though a middle-class person may 'want to live like common people' they can never appreciate the reality of a working-class life.
28. A recent study of public opinion shows that in modern Britain .
A. it is time to end class distinction B. most people belong to middle class
C. it is easy to recognize a person’s class D. people regard themselves socially different
29. The word stratification in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to .
A. variety B. division C. authority D. qualification
30. British attitudes towards accent .
A. have a long tradition B. are based on regional status
C. are shared by the Americans D. have changed in recent years 31.What is the main idea of the passage?
A. The middle class is expanding B. A person’s accent reflects his class
C. Class is a key part of British society D. Each class has unique characteristics.
D
For most city people, the elevator is an unremarkable machine that inspires none of the enthusiasm or interest that Americans afford trains, jets, and even bicycles. Dr Christopher Wilk is a member of a small group of elevator experts who consider this a misunderstanding. Without the elevator, they point out, there could be no downtown skyscrapers or tall buildings, and city life as we know it would be impossible. In that sense, they argue, the elevator's role in American history has been no less significant than that of cars. In fact, according to Wilk, the car and the elevator have been locked in a “secret war” for over a century, with cars making it possible for people to spread horizontally(水平地), and elevators pushing them towards life in close groups of towering vertical(垂直的) columns.
If we tend to ignore the significance of elevators, it might be because riding in them tends to be such a brief, boring, and even awkward experience—one that can involve unexpectedly meeting people with whom we have nothing in common, and an unpleasant awareness of the fact that we're hanging from a cable in a long passage.
In a new book, Lifted, German journalist and cultural studies professor Andreas Bernard directed all his attention to this experience, studying the origins of elevator and its relationship to humankind and finding that riding in an elevator has never been a totally comfortable experience. “After 150 years, we are still not used to it ， ” Bernard said. “We still have not exactly learnt to cope with the mixture of
closeness and displeasure.” That mixture, according to Bernard, sets the elevator ride apart from just
about every other situation we find ourselves in as we go about our lives.
Today, as the world's urban population explodes, and cities become more crowded, taller, and more crowded, America's total number of elevators—900 ， 000 at last count, according to Elevator World magazine's “2012 Vertical Transportation Industry”—are a force that's becoming more important than ever. And for the people who really, really love them, it seems like high time that we looked seriously at just what kind of force they are.
32. What does the underlined word “this” in Paragraph 1 refer to?
A. The general view of elevators. B. The particular interests of experts.
C. The desire for a remarkable machine. D. The enthusiasm for transport vehicles.
33. The author's purpose in mentioning cars is ．
A. to contrast their functions with elevators B. to emphasize the importance of elevators
C. to reveal their secret war against elevators D. to explain people's preference for elevators
34. According to Prof Bernard, what has made the elevator ride different from other life experiences?
A. Vertical direction. B. Lack of excitement.
C. Little physical space. D. Uncomfortable conditions.
35. The author urges readers to consider ．
A. the exact number of elevator lovers B. the serious future situation of elevators
C. the role of elevators in city development D. the relationship between cars and elevators
【答案】21-23 BDC 24-27 DCAC 28-31 DBAC 32-35 ABCC

湖北省通城二中2020-2021学年高二上学期期中考试英语试题
第二部分 阅读理解 （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和D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
A
Stepinac has become one of the first high schools in the country to drop all textbooks and replace them with a “digital library”. When students started classes on Monday, they were zipping to an app on their laptops and had instant access to all 40 texts in the Stepinac curriculum (课程).
Dennis Lauro, director of an information center which provides technical support to public schools in New York, said neither he nor his colleagues were aware of a similar digital effort in a public school setting. “This is the wave of the future.” Lauro said. “I’m not surprised that a private school would beat the public schools to it. They have the ability to just do it. There is so much politics involved in public schools, when it comes to a move like that, needing approval from boards and committees.”
For Tom Collins, Stepinac’s president, the commitment to digital source material was not so difficult a decision. In the past, students’ families had to spend up to $ 700 a year on textbooks. This year — after the one-time purchase of a laptop — families only need to pay $ 150. Using the digital library is almost as easy as opening a new book. A student can instantly lap into a digital book and open a map of Egypt or a speech by President John F. Kennedy. A teacher can show a page from a digital book on a whiteboard at the front of the class or send students a link to a particular math problem with notes added in.
The first few weeks may bring some challenges. Stepinac officials expect some parental discomfort over dropping concrete books. They recognize there may be technical faults at first. And they will have to encourage students to leave space-eating photos and music off their laptops — and to keep their laptops charged.
21. What is going on in Stepinac?
A. It’s building a new library. B. It’s reforming its textbooks.
C. It’s changing its management pattern D. It’s updating its digital resources.
22. By saying the underlined sentence, Lauro believes _______ .
A. private schools have their advantages B. the effort is to cause instant changes
C. it’s a trend for schools to go digital D. public schools face great challenges
23. Who may worry about the move in Stepinac?
A. Officials B. Technicians.
C. Parents. D. Teachers.

B
When an editor called to ask if I could photograph a story about fireflies in Mexico. I didn't check my schedule before I said yes. I'd seen these insects light up the forests in Tlaxcala once before, and I jumped at the chance to go back.
While studying, I began exploring Mexico, crossing the country several times by bus. Now I work as a photojournalist in Mexico and along the border, documenting desperate situations that face everyday Mexicans. Though necessary and important, news stories don't reflect the Mexico that I fell for and that is home to so many people I love. A task focused on the country's natural beauty was a welcome reprieve for me.
I had three nights to film the magical scene in the forest. According to our guides, visitors are usually not allowed to photograph the fireflies because the presence of artificial light from electronics can affect their habits. As I started shooting, I adjusted my exposures constantly to account for the fading light. In order to get the composition that I wanted, I placed my tripod (三脚架)on a steep, rocky path and had to steady it during the long exposures. Normally this wouldn't be a big deal, but the fireflies were very interested in the camera and, by extension, in me. I stood completely still while they were all over me-my arms, my hair, my face. From what I observed, peak(高峰时期的)firefly presence lasts for only about 20 minutes each night, so I had time for just a few tries.
On the last night everything came together. The weather cooperated. I had improved my method for focusing and composing photos in the dark with quick flashes from a powerful flashlight- and I'd grown accustomed to insects on my face.
I was rewarded with the image you see here. Each dot of light is one of several bursts that a firefly makes as it travels within a 30- second exposure. You can track the insects' paths: Some make small circles, like those in the bottom center of the frame, while others move steadily in one direction or another.
24. How did the author feel about the editor's request?
A. Nervous B. Confused C. Regretful D. Delighted
25. Which of the following can best replace the underlined word "reprieve" in paragraph 2?
A. Return B. Relief C. Trend D. Victory
26. What did the author intend to do during the first two nights?
A. Learn about the local travel rules. B. Research the habit of the fireflies.
C. Find the suitable spot and time to take photos. D. Communicate constantly with the guides.
27. What is the author's purpose in writing the text?
A. To tell findings about fireflies. B. To record a travelling experience.
C. To share the story behind a photo. D. To show the author's working conditions.

C
Doing business nowadays without a cellphone? Living a very private life? I can’t imagine it anymore.
Journalist Chris Stokel-Walker explained it very well: For the average working person, there’s no greater feeling than powering down your computer and kissing goodbye to your work emails for the day. If we’re lucky enough to disconnect from the job on evenings and weekends, we’re overjoyed to leave work emails and the stress that comes with it in the office.
But experts say we’re increasingly failing to do so, instead bringing the burden home with us and dealing with emails during our free time. Unsurprisingly, this routine has some serious consequences.
Working abnormal or long hours has long been linked with depression(抑郁症), anxiety and even heart disease. In addition, the importance of weekend recovery has also been linked with weekly job performance and personal initiative(主动性). And further research showed psychological detachment(脱离) during off-work time reduced emotional exhaustion caused by high job demands and helped people stay engaged.
So, if we know all this, it begs the question: Why are we still letting work bother our precious weekend? According to Cary Cooper, professor of Organizational School, the recent trend even spills into the way we access our work communications and projects.
Today, says Cooper, work emails are just a tap of a smartphone away. “You don’t carry your laptop around when you’re out to dinner, but you do carry your mobile phone,” he says. “The smartphone does not make up for what is lost.” So delete your work email account from your inbox(收件箱), and leave the worries until Monday.
28. What did Chris Stokel-Walker try to stress?
A. The development of office work. B. The importance of working hard.
C. The pleasure of completing work. D. The power of modern technology.
29. What does the underlined part “this routine” in Paragraph 3 refer to?
A. Using a cellphone. B. Leaving work emails behind
C. Failing to work long hours. D. Working in personal time..
30. What does Cary Cooper think of working extra hours?
A. It isn’t boring. B. It isn’t worth.
C. It isn’t interesting. D. It isn’t common.
31. What would be the best title for the text?
A. Should we ban weekend work emails? B. Can we live without a cellphone?
C. What should we do on weekends? D. Who should be blamed for work overload?
D
Girl with a Pearl Earring has been part of the Mauritshuis' collection in the Hague since 1902 and is still on display at the museum. Rumours(谣言)have surrounded Johannes Vermeer's work ever since it was rediscovered in the late 19th century, and this painting still continues to generate interest, debate and imagination.
Although Vermeer was among the most successful artists working in Delft during the 17th century, he was almost completely forgotten after his death in 1675. Even during his lifetime, Vermeer's influence was mainly limited to Delft where he earned a reasonable living as a painter and art dealer. What's more, Vermeer's name is rarely mentioned in historical records and he left behind barely any other documents about his career or personal history.
Very little is known about Girl with a Pearl Earring. However, art historians have decided several important facts about the painting. Recent research suggests that the black, negative space behind Vermeer's model was originally painted dark green.
Much like other artists of his time, Vermeer enjoyed painting figures dressed in Middle Eastern clothes. As his model is dressed in a turban(女用头巾), many art historians argue that the Vermeer's painting shouldn't De considered as a portrait(肖像画)at all. Instead, most scholars agree that Girl with a Pearl Earring belongs to a kind of painting called Tronie that began in the Low Countries around Vermeer's time. This type of artwork often portrays(描绘) characters rather than actual people. It portrays a certain type of character; in this case a girl in fanciful cress, wearing an oriental turban and an improbably large pearl in her ear.
It is interesting to note that the painting was known as Girl with Turban or simply Young Girl for most of its existence and only received its current name less than a century ago. While it is impossible to identify Vermeer's model, due to a complete lack of evidence, he may have asked one of his seven daughters to sit for the painting.
32. What do we learn about Johannes Vermeer when he was alive?
A. He lived a very hard life B. He wasn't a gifted artist
C. He wasn't much known out of his city D. He liked writing about himself
33. What made some scholars regard Girl with a Pearl Earring as a work of Tronic?
A. The girl's unusual dressing B. The girl's special expression.
C. The model's unclear gesture. D. The model's background painting
34. What can we know about the painting from the last paragraph?
A. Its name is still controversial B. It was severely damaged a century ago.
C. It was inspired by a daughter of the artist D. Its model remains mysterious
35. What would be the best title for the text?
A. Life experiences of Johannes Vermeer
B. The story behind Girl with a Pearl Earring
C. The model of Girl with a Pearl Earring
D. Characteristics of Johannes Vermeer's painting
【答案】
21-25BCCDB 26-30CCCDB 31-35ACADB
湖北省宜昌市人文艺术高中2020-2021学年高二上学期期中考试英语试卷
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
In many fields youngsters are changing the world. Listed below are several influential young people.
Muzoon Almellehan, 19
Millions of children live in refuge camps (难民营)，where few pave access to school. Almellehan experienced these conditions firsthand after fleeing Syria. Fighting to change that, she travels the world to tell people about the significance of education Almellehan, UNICEF’s(United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund) youngest-ever goodwill ambassador now, plans to return to her homeland Syria finally.
Auli’i Cravalho,17
The Hawaii native voiced the heroine in Disney’s hit movie Moana. Now Auli’i is taking on a new role. She’ll star on NBC’s Rise, a drama about a high school theater department’ that lifts the spirits of a struggling steel town in Pennsylvania. Based on a true story, the show has strengthened her belief that young people can bring about real change.
Moziah Bridges, 16
At 9, Moziah launched, his own handmade bow-tie business from his grandmother’s kitchen table. Now Mo’s Bows is worth about $1.5 million. More recently, Moziah signed a licensing deal with the NBA that lets him sell bow ties featuring team logos. But Moziah has even grander ambitions. He plans to expand globally. He credits his success to his natural sense of style.
Mikaila Ulmer, 13
Mikaila used to hate bees. She was stung (蜇) twice. But after learning honeybees are critical to the ecosystem and dying out, she developed a fascination with them. She was determined to help. Using her great-grandmother’s recipe, Mikaila made a mixture, sweetened with local honey. She sold it at community business fairs, donating 10% of her profits to honeybee-advocate groups. Mikaila also runs a nonprofit group called the Healthy Hive Foundation, whose goal is to raise awareness about the hardship of the honeybee.
21．What did Auli’i Cravalho learn from the drama Rise?
A．Young people indeed have the ability to make a difference.
B．She has the ability to take up acting as her lifelong profession.
C．High school theater department can help the steel town.
D．She can voice any kind of NBC drama in the future.
22．Mikaila began to do business with the purpose of _______.
A．making money to help people in need
B．rescuing the endangered but beneficial honeybees
C．putting her great-grandmother’s recipe to good use
D．developing a traditional technique for producing honey
23．What do the four young people have in common?
A．They are commercially successful.
B．They’ve gained wide recognition now.
C．They’re leading a wealthy and full life.
D．They have no interest in academic subjects.
B
Since 2013, Torobo, a robotic arm designed to test the limits of artificial intelligence. has had one ambition—to be admitted to the University of Tokyo. However, it has repeatedly failed. This year was no exception.
In early November Torobo took an exam to prepare for an all-important standardized test. While Torobo’s total score of 525 out of 950 was 14 points higher than in 2015，its standard score of 57.1% was slightly lower, because human students did better in the 2016 test.
Though the score，which is higher than the national average, is enough to get the robot admitted to many other famous Japanese universities, it falls short of the minimum required for the University of Tokyo.
A closer analysis of the results showed that Torobo's newly programmed ability to solve complex physics problems helped increase its year-over-year physics score from 46. 5% to 59%. The robot also dug deep into its database of information from textbooks and websites to obtain  an impressive 66.3% in world history. The average 60% scores acquired in the two math sections, were not too shabby either.
But，while Torobo is able to handle knowledge-based questions and ones involving complex mathematical calculations, it has a hard time thinking independently. As a result, the robot is unable to fully understand multiple sentences and phrases to arrive at the logical conclusions required in the English language tests. This weakness was reflected in the weak oral and writing scores, which came in at 36.2% and 50.5% , respectively.
Fortunately, after four grueling years, the robot's creators have decided to free Torobo from its annual test-taking suffering, the research team will instead focus on improving the robot’s ability to pick out specific answers from massive sets of data—a skill that led to its excellent history scores. They believe the expertise(专业技术）will  help Torobo succeed as an industrial robot.
24.What is the disadvantage of Torobo?
A. It has much difficulty searching for facts.
B. It doesn't own language skills.
C. It has weak independent thinking ability.
D. It couldn’t get through the exams.
25.What does the underlined word “grueling” in the last paragraph probably mean?
A. happy    B. tiring    C. successful    D. independent
26.What did the exam results show?
A. Torobo's score didn’t reach the national average.
B. Torobo's programmed ability improved its math score.
C. Torobo was admitted to a university.
D. Torobo did well in the history exam.
27.What is the text mainly about?"
A. Subjects a robot are good at.
B. A robot's performances in exams.
C. Majors that are suitable for a robot.
D. A robot's ways to deal with exams.

C
Just a few years out of law school, I decided that I wanted to write fictions. The only thing I had ever published before was a law-review article. I had made great efforts to write when I came home at night after work, but I was too tired. I decided to quit my job.
I began my new life on a February morning. I sat down at my kitchen table at 7:30 am and made a resolution. Every day I would write until lunchtime. Then I would lie down on the floor for 20 minutes to rest my mind. After that, I would return to work for a few more hours.
In my first year, I sold two stories. Then I wrote a novel, but I thought it wasn’t good enough, so I ended up putting it in a drawer. My second novel, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, was published to glowing reviews and received the National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction.
My success sounds like a familiar story, but actually it was far from sudden. I quit my job, and for every story I published in those years, I had at least 30 rejections. The novel that I put away in the drawer took my four years. My breakthrough came in 2006, 18 years after I first sat down to write at my kitchen table.
Sometimes genius is just the thing that comes out after 20 years of working at your kitchen. Also, doing something truly creative requires the energy of youth. Orson Welles made his masterpiece, Citizen Kan, at 25. T. S. Eliot wrote The Love Song of
J. Afred Prufrock at 23.
28.When did the author decide to devote himself to writing fictions?
A. When he was tired from his work.
B. Straight after graduation from law school.
C. On being informed his law-review article came out.
D. When his hobby was disturbed by his work.
29.We can infer from the second paragraph that the author       .
A. led a wealthy life
B. arranged his life reasonably
C. was too diligent to relax himself
D. remained single
30.What does the author mainly intend to tell us in this passage?
A. Failure is the mother of success.
B. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
C. It is never too old to learn.
D. It is the first step that costs troublesome.
31.Why did the author give the example of Orson Welles and T. S. Eliot?
A. To make a comparison between them and himself.
B. To show creativity needs energy and efforts.
C. To persuade the readers of their great talents.
D. To recommend their two masterpieces.

D
I am astonished at the way God knows when to send a special gift of encouragement at just the right time! It might be in a dream, a lost letter, a memory, or something found that we'd forgotten about.
    My grandmother was from a town in Michigan. And summer after summer I enjoyed staying with my grandparents as a young child. She was always using her hands for something exciting. She would make sandwiches and we'd have tea parties, plant flowers and carefully tend them. She loved knitting sweaters as well as making beautiful quilts　for her grandchildren. I remember the small thimble ( 顶 针 ) she would place on her finger while doing her needlework.
    A few years ago, when Grandma left this earth for her new residence in Heaven, I bid farewell to my loving grandmother. How quickly our lives can change! We had just had tea together a couple of months earlier, on her 91st birthday. I missed her very much, but I noticed it mostly on my birthdays, because there was no card from Grandma. She'd never forgotten my birthday!
    On one particular birthday when I was feeling a little low, something happened and made me feel as if she was sharing that special day with me. I was arranging some colorful pillows that she had made, and suddenly I felt something inside one pillow; it was small and hard. I moved the object to a seam (缝) that I carefully opened, and, to my delight, out came a tiny silver thimble!
    How happy I was to find something that had been a part of her! Not realizing it had fallen off her finger, I pictured her sewing it into that little pillow that I just happened to fluff (抖松), to place on my bedspread (床罩) that day. I carefully laid the thimble alongside the others I’d collected over the years. What a precious memory of a very special lady who, somehow, I knew, was laughing in delight at sewing her thimble into my pillow. I heated the kettle and made some tea, using my best china, as Grandma always did, and then enjoyed my tea and Grandma's thimble. What a wonderful birthday that was!
32. In the author's memory, what would her grandmother do?
A . She would make sandwiches and hamburgers for her family.
B . She would wear a thimble for needlework every day.
C . She would make beautiful quilts for money.
D . She would look after the flowers in the garden.
33. What does the underlined word "it" in Paragraph 3 refer to?
A . The modern world's fast-changing life.
B . The fact that the grandmother had passed away.
C . The author's missing her grandmother.
D . The love the author got from her grandmother.
34. How did the author feel when she found the thimble?
A . Surprised. B . Regretful. C . Guilty. D . Lonely.
35. Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?
A . Grandma's Thimble
B . Grandma's Life Story
C . The Joy of Finding Something Lost
D.The Importance of Putting Things Away
【答案】
21-23 ABB 24-27 CBDB 28-31 DBAB 32-35 DCAA