15-16学年度上学期省五校高三期初考试英语试卷

时间：100分钟 满分：150分

第二部分 阅读理解（共两节，满分40分）

第一节（共15小题；每题2分，满分30分）

A

My name is Chelsea Chowderhead. A chowder is a kind of soup. I was laughed at because of my last name as soon as I started school. So when my family moved to South Carolina, I asked my dad if I could change my name. “You shouldn’t change who you are. Let people get to know you first and your name later. When you meet someone new, ask them a good question, something you’re really interested in. Once people start talking about themselves, they don’t judge you.” Two days later I headed to my new school for the first day of class. At lunch, I noticed that there were twin brothers who were talking to each other. I remembered my dad’s advice, so I decided to try. I noticed that their lunchboxes were identical. “What’s it like being a twin?” I asked. They looked surprised. Then one said, “No one has ever asked us that!” “Most of the time it’s good,” the other said. “When you’re a twin you always have someone to talk to and have lunch with.” In no time we were laughing and talking. Then one of the brothers said, “I’m Nicholas, and this is my brother, Nathaniel. What’s your name?” I took a deep breath and said, “I’m Chelsea Chowderhead.” “Chowder? Like the soup?” asked Nathaniel. “Yes,” I replied, looking down. “Hey, cool! Do you want to come over after school and play basketball with us?” Nathaniel asked. I nodded. And that is how I became friends with the twin brothers.21. Why did the writer want to change his name?

A．People made fun of it.

B．He wanted to make more friends.

C．It was hard to remember.

D．He wanted to be cool in the new school.

22. The underlined word “identical” in Paragraph 4 probably means _____________.

A．big B．beautiful C．same D．full

23. When the twin brothers asked his name, the writer felt ________________.

A．surprised B．nervous C．angry D．proud

24. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．At last the writer changed his name.

B．The twins said hello to the writer first.

C．The twins also didn’t like the writer’s name.

D．One can order a chowder in some restaurants.

B

A new study shows students who write notes by hand during lectures perform better on exams than those who use laptops（笔记本电脑）.

Students are increasingly using laptops for note-taking because of speed and legibility (清晰度). But the research has found laptop users are less able to remember and apply the concepts they have been taught.

Researchers performed experiments that aimed to find out whether using a laptop increased the tendency to make notes “mindlessly” by taking down word for word what the professors said.

In the first experiment, students were given either a laptop or pen and paper. They listened to the same lectures and were told to use their usual note-taking skills. Thirty minutes after the talk, they were examined on their ability to remember facts and on how well they understood concepts.

The researchers found that laptop users took twice as many notes as those who wrote by hand. However, the typists performed worse at remembering and applying the concepts. Both groups scored similarly when it came to memorizing facts.

The researchers’ report said, “While more notes are beneficial, if the notes are taken mindlessly, as is more likely the case on a laptop, the benefit disappears.”

In another experiment aimed at testing long-term memory, students took notes as before but were tested a week after the lecture. This time, the students who wrote notes by hand performed significantly better on the exam.

These two experiments suggest that handwritten notes are not only better for immediate learning and understanding, but that they also lead to superior revision in the future.

25. More and more students favor laptops for note-taking because they can_________.

A. understand lectures better B. digest concepts better

C. get higher scores D. write more notes??

26. While taking notes, laptop users tend to be_______.?????????

A. mindless B.?thoughtful C. skillful D. tireless

27. The author of the passage aims to________.

A. stress the benefit of taking notes by hand B. promote the use of laptops

C. explain the process of taking notes D. examine the importance of long-term memory

28. The passage is likely to appear in__________.

A .a computer textbook B. a science magazine??

C. a newspaper advertisement D. a finance report

C

Four Simple Keys to Transform Your Life

The Power of Choice．Every one of us makes countless choices every day．Every choice we make has an impact on our lives．Even insignificant choices can affect what we experience and how we feel．When hunger strikes, we can reach for a healthy, nutritious snack, or we can choose the sugar high of junk food．The more important the decision, the greater its effect．For instance, how do I act towards that person who treated me badly? Do I generally choose to be passive, or do I actively set clear intentions and create what I want in my life? Every choice we make, however big or small, affects us in some way．

How Do You Make Choices? If you are interested in living a richer, fuller life, there is a foundation upon which you can base all of your decisions which can make life better not only for you, but also for those around you．This foundation is to choose based on what's best for all．Imagine a world where every parent, spouse（配偶）, friend, teacher, businessperson, and politician truly did their best to choose what's best for all involved in every decision they made We would certainly live in a more caring, supportive world．

It's the Intention．"But how do I know what is really best?" you might ask．The answer is simple．It doesn't matter．What matters is not the choice you make, but rather the intention behind your choice．What matters is that whatever decision you make, you are clear in your intention of choosing based on what's best for all．If it later turns out that you made what appears to have been a bad choice, there's no need for guilt．Knowing that you did your best to choose with a sincere desire for what's best for all, your conscience stays clear and open．This then allows you to more easily learn from your mistakes, and to live with a clear heart and mind．

What's Best for Me, Too! Choosing what's best does not mean you have to always sacrifice yourself for others．An overly(过度的) exhausted mother can lose her temper easily．Some time off for this mother might seem selfish, yet in the long run, it can help her to be a better mother to her children．So as we move through each day of our lives, let us remember to include ourselves as we do our best to choose what's best for all．

29．Which of the following is FALSE?

A．Whenever hunger strikes, we will reach for a junk snack

B．Every choice, however big or small, has an influence on us．

C．Even small choices affect how we feel．．

D． We make choices every day．

30．How should we make choices?

A．To be interested in a richer, fuller life．

B．To make life better for ourselves．

C． To imagine a world where everyone did their best．

D．To choose based on what's best for all．

31．Why does the author say, "What matters is not the choice you make, but rather the intention behind your choice"?

A．Because the choice you make is not important．

B．Because you may have made a bad choice．

C．Because this allows you to stay clear and improve．

D． Because there is no need for guilt．

32．How to choose what is best for us?

A．We need to devote all our life to others．

B．We need to put away some time for ourselves．

C．We need to sacrifice ourselves for others．

D．We need to be selfless every minute．

D

In October on the east coast of Australia migrating(迁徙)humpback whales(座头鲸)pass very close to the shore. With the help of Max Egan, we went to film them near Byron Bay. It was extremely exciting to spot the little puffs(水柱)of spray on the horizon. When migrating, the whales can be traveling at speeds of about 12km/h and can dive under anywhere between five and forty minutes, but with many years of experience Max usually guided our boat to exactly the right place to provide us with amazing sighting. As the whales break the surface like submarines(潜水艇), the water spills off their broad dark backs and huge tails. Then, with a powerful down stroke, they dive back into the depths of the sea, leaving just a smooth glassy patch of water or “footprint” on the surface to show where they had been.

One day we had traveled up and down the shore and far out to the sea in search of whales, but the horizon was deserted. There was no report of whales in the area so we decided to test out Max's new, highly sensitive hydrophone(水中听音器)and the result was astonishing. As soon as the hydrophone was in the water, we found ourselves listening to the most beautiful voices. What may have seemed like a vast empty ocean was filled with the singing of whales.

It is the males which sing, as they migrate between feeding and breeding(养育)grounds. No one knows for sure what the purpose of these songs is, whether they are love songs to the females or warnings to other males to stay away.

It was thought that each population of humpbacks had its own song which remained regular but recent findings suggest that the whales appreciate a memorable tune(曲调)and quickly adopt any new songs they hear.

33．Which finding about whales is beyond the writer's expectation?

A．The little puffs. B．The songs of whales.

C．The traveling speed of whales. D．The depth of the whale's dive.

34．What do we know about Max?

A．He likes whales very much. B．He is a brave scientist on whales.

C．He is an experienced man in finding whales. D．He is an expert in making hydrophones.

35．The writer's main purpose of looking for whales is______.

A．carrying out research on whales B．studying the be