上海市2020-2021年高二下学期期中英语试题

. Grammar and VocabularySection ADirections: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper from of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.A Movie review: The Wandering earthIn the near future, the sun is dying, leaving the freezing planet on the edge of destruction. 21 is left of humanity is huddled in underground cities created with an eye-catching combination of steam-punk (蒸汽朋克), brutalist (野兽派的), and futurist influences by the production designer. The United Earth? Government, 22 is never seen and represented only by a French voice, has decided the only solution is to propel the planet to another galaxy 4.2 light years away. 23 depends on 10,000 giant rocket thrusters being kept alight for the 2,500-year journey. Liu Peiqiang, a widowed astronaut played with appropriate solemnity by “Wolf Warrior” series superstar Wu Jing, is sent to a space station and tasked with navigating Earths path through the solar system, leaving behind young so Liu Qi and father-in-law Han Ziang. Seventeen years later, Lius still in orbit, while Liu Qi (Qu Chuxiao) has become an angry young man and self-proclaimed genius who blames his mothers early death 24 his absent father. On the very day when his dad is due to finish stint and return home, Liu Qi and adopted teenage sister Duoduo sneak away to see the frozen surface for the first time. As they 25 (take) in the spectacular sights of ice-covered Beijing, a major rocket thruster malfunction sends Earth into the sights of ice-covered Beijing, a major rocket thruster malfunction sends Earth into the gravitational pull of Jupiter. 26 a miracle occurs in the next 37 hours, it will be Goodbye Earth.The Wandering Earth Chinese commercial cinema reaches a significant landmark with its first-ever sci-fi megahit. Director Frant Gwos adaptation of the 2000 novella by Liu Cixin is no genre classic, but its furious pace, spectacular visuals, and fanciful plot deliver decent escapist entertainment. After accumulating an astronomical $640 million- plus domestically-plus a tidy $5 million on limited North American screens-since Feb. 5, this display of capability from Chinas commercial film sector was snapped up by Netflix for future release on the streaming giants platform. A hyperactive mixture of doomsday films ranging from 50s classic. “When Worlds Collide” to Micheal Bays bombastic “Armageddon” and, 27 (notably), Ishiro Hondas 1962 Japanese space opera “Gorath”, “The Wandering Earth” is perhaps most striking for its lack of nationalism and propaganda (宣传). Soft diplomacy, at most, is the order of the day. Politicians, bureaucrats (官僚), and army commanders are nowhere 28 (see). Theres barely a Chinese flag in sight, nor any chest- beating about Chinese ingenuity and leadership. Instead, a Chinese flag in sight, nor any chest-beating about Chinese ingenuity and leadership. Instead, what is presented is a traditional tale of nations and people 29 (pull) together to save the planet, with heavy does of guilt, sacrifice, and redemption from the human characters. With global conflict and division so prevalent today, its no wonder than these messages of hope and unity 30 strike an emotional chord in many viewers, create positive word-of-mouth, and make the film much more accessible for international audiences. VocabularyDirections: Complete the following passages by using the words in the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.(A)A. maximizeB. adaptationC. bendableD. respectivelyAB. combinationAC. availableAD. discourageBC. neatlyBD. foundationCD. faultyABC. transformTablets are really useful devices, but their big screens always make them a burden to carry around without a bag. Wouldnt it be great if there were a phone with the powers of a tablet that could be folded up and fit 31 into the hand?Now something like a tablet-shaped but fold-able phone is about to become 32 . In February, South Korean electronics company Samsung and Chinas Huawei both unveiled fold-able phones Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate X 33 . Mobile phone use has entered the “fold-able future”, The Verge noted.The technology could change our lives in significant ways. These devices, due to their 34 screens, give us the larger screens we want. Meanwhile, they still fit easily into the pocket. As USA Today noted, theyre “the 35 of a small tablets and smart-phone, all in a single device”.The technology could 36 other devices too. For example, we could make TVs that stick to walls like posters, or fold up easily to hide away in drawers. In crowded modem cities, they will help us to 37 available space.In a keynote address, Samsungs senior vice president of mobile product marketing, Justin Denison, called the fold-able screen “the 38 for the smart-phone of tomorrow.” “Its a balank canvas for us to do something beautiful together,” he said.So is there nothing to stand in the way of the fold-able future?According to tech news website Android authority, the necessary displays were difficult to produce. In 2012, nine out of every to OLED screens produced were 39 . Today, that 10 percent rate has been improved to between 50 and 90 percent. However, at present these fold-able devices are expensive. For example, the price of Huawei Mate X is 17,500 RMB. Thats a price that may 40 the majority of people.But if the fold-able device isnt going to change the world overnight, there is no doubt that it is coming.Patrick Moor-head, an industry analyst told The Verge, “Few are debating if fold-able or roll-able mobile displays are the future of smart-phones; the only question is when and by whom.”(B)A. typicallyB. sufferC. connectingD. commercialAB imperfectionsAC. particularlyAD. refuelingBC. issuesBD. excelCD. plungingABC. nastyWhy Cold weather Causes So many Flight Cancellation?Each year, about 60,000 flights get canceled because of bad winter weather, which costs airlines and airports an estimated $3 billion. But its not the freezing cold temperatures that cause problems for planes. After all, 41 jets fly 10 kilometers up, where temperatures hover around -50 degrees Celsius.In fact, planes 42 in cold weather, since cold air is denser and leads to better thrust. Clearly, the real problem isnt whats going on up there. Its whats happening on the ground.When a 43 polar vortex (极地涡旋) struck the Midwestern US in January 2019, temperatures dropped to -40 degrees Celsius and airline canceled 3,000 flights nationwide. In these situations, when temperatures start 44 , everything slows down. Cargo doors can freeze up, along with the nozzles that pump fuel into planes, which delays the 45 process.Even the plane itself can freeze over. Just a quarter-inch - thick layer of ice on a plane can disrupt the way air flows over its wings.Les Westbrooks: The number one reason, I would say, that the reason flights get delayed in cold weather is going to be because theres some kind of frozen precipitation, from frost to snow to a sheet of ice, adhering to the aircraft, adhering to the wings of the aircraft 46 .Thats Les Westbrooks, a retired airline pilot and an associate professor of aeronautical science at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He says that 47 , these planes are “de-iced” - but this also delays takeoff. The crew can spray the plane with a special hot water/ glycol mixture. It can take around 40 minutes to de-ice large passenger airplanes, so planes often have to wait “their turn” for the de-icing station, which, of course, can trigger more delays.And ice on the runway, of course, creates another set of 48 . In 2014, a plane at JFK skidded off an icy runway and into a mound of snow, leading to an hours-long shutdown at the airport. And even though crews can remove ice from the runway, scraping it off the pavement can lead to potholes (坑洞) and other 49 , which makes takeoffs and landings more dangerous. And of course, snow and freezing rain on the ground can affect visibility to the point where officials have to decide its not safe to fly at all.But if ice and snow arent the problem in these extremely cold temperatures, its usually another factor: people.Les Westbrooks: The airplane flies at high altitudes, -60 degrees. Its made to do that. Humans are not made to be outside in -60 degrees weather. And so the human factor becomes a big, big factor, when it becomes extremely cold.Baggage handlers, aircraft fuelers, and mechanics all have to stay warm. Some airports, like OHare in Chicago, set up heated shelters for their employees. Of course, with everyone taking breaks to warm up, not as much gets done, which leads to even more delays and cancellations. Passengers start missing their 50 flights, and that, along with passengers who cant make it to the airport due to bad road conditions, leads to half-empty planes.In fact, many airlines might preemptively cancel flights before bad weather even hits. So, in the end, you can still blame cold weather for cancelling your flight. ClozeDirections: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.Working on holidays has always presented something of a class divide. From the 1870s through the 1920s, middle-and-upper-class Americans often lived with “the help”mostly women of color whose job was to cook and clean and care for others, day and night. While shows like Dowton Abbey seek to give 51 to servants, they also sanitize (粉饰) what was a cruel, back-breaking existence. It was common for a housemaids day to begin well before the family rose and extend until after they 52 for the evening. They did so seven days a week: working more than 80 hours a week - more than the 65 hours most factory workers worked at the time. While we often imagine that these women were young and single, Evelyn Nakano Gleens research on such care providers has shown that over 30% of them were married many with children. As they worked very hard for families not 53 , they left their children, parents, siblings and husbands behind. Thanksgiving or Christmas was no doubt one of the hardest times of the year, and their own families felt their 54 .The labor movement was 55 to changing this sorry state of affairs. Unions raised wages, lowered hours, instituted worker protections, guaranteed a minimum wage and 56 holidays off for workers. Those who did have to work on national holidays were guaranteed overtime pay. When unions were strong, such benefits even 57 to non-unionized workers.But as unions have 58 , part-time work has increased. And this has meant lower wages and greater 59 . Working at $11 an hour for 25 hours a week means making 14,300 a year. For most retail workers, thats one of the better jobs that are available. And 60 , its a job without health insurance, or a retirement plan, with constant scheduling changes that make it hard to take additional 61 . Most of these workers wish they could work more, but employers would rather hire other part-timers. So when the boss says, “Can you work Thanksgiving?” workers have no real choice but to be 62 .Today, working on holidays carries no guarantee of extra pay, and not working can mean losing ones job. Some workers are 63 ; Walmart employees have planned over 1,000 Black Friday strikes because of unchanging wages and health care premiums (保险费) that will soon triple. Americans have a choice of helping these workers regain the 64 , or walking past them in order to shop more. And that is the irony to the trend of stores opening on Thanksgiving. On the same day that we give thanks for all we have, why must we also rush out to buy more? Observers might say, “Its just the logic of the market!” But the logic of the market is not some mystical process. It is the result of the 65 that we make.51. A. riseB. powerC. lifeD. pleasure52. A. retiredB. retreatedC. relaxedD. rebelled53. A. in their favorB. of their ownC. to their pleasureD. at their convenience54. A. exhaustionB. disappointmentC. reluctanceD. absence55. A. centralB. subjectC. sensitiveD. beneficial56. A. providedB. securedC. organizedD. arranged57. A. stuckB. occurredC. appealedD. extended58. A. roseB. declinedC. survivedD. defended59. A. uncertaintyB. devotionC. troubleD. influence60. A. thereforeB. alsoC. insteadD. still61. A. businessB. suggestionC. employmentD. welfare62. A. sincereB. determinedC. offensiveD. willing63. A. taking overB. fighting backC. giving upD. looking forward64. A. protectionB. identitiesC. salariesD. promotions65. A. effortsB. contributionsC. decisionsD. achievements. Reading ComprehensionSection ADirections: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.(A) We made a choiceWill you support it today? Our journalism now reaches record numbers around the world and more than a million people have supported our reporting. We continue to face financial challenges but, unlike many news organisation, we havent put up a pay-wall. We want our journalism to remain accessible to all, regardless of where they live or what they can afford.This is The Guardians model for open, independent journalism: free for those who cant afford it, supported by those who can. Readers support powers our work, safeguarding our essential editorial independence. This means the responsibility of protecting independent journalism is shared, enabling us all to feel empowered to bring about real change in the world. Your support gives Guardian journalists the time, space and freedom to report with tenacity and rigour, to shed light where others wont. It emboldens us to challenge authority and question the status quo. And by keeping all of our journalism free and open to all, we can foster inclusivity; diversity, make space for debate, inspire conversation-so more people have access to accurate information with integrity at its heart.Guardian journalism is rooted in facts with a progressive perspective on the world. We are editorially independent, meaning we set our own agenda. Our Journalism is free from commercial bias and not influenced by billionaire owners, politicians or shareholders. No one steers our opinion. At a time when there are so few sources of information you can really trust, this is vital as it enables us to give a voice to those less heard, challenge the powerful and hold them to account. Your support means we can keep investigating and exploring the critical issues of our time.Our model allows people to support us in a way that works for them. Every time a reader like you makes a contribution to The Guardian, no matter how big or small, it goes directly into funding our journalism. But we need to build on this support for the years ahead.Support The Guardian from as little as SI- and it only takes a minute. Thank you.66. The following descriptions of The Guardian are true EXCEPT _.A. Some readers may find it difficult to afford it if The Guardian puts up a paywall.B. It strives to ensure journalism independence, tree from financial or political influence.C. It intends to give a voice to those disadvantaged and challenge the powerful.D. It tries its best to be editorially dependent, taking shareholders opinions into account.67. Which of the following might The Guardian do in the daily operation?A. It requires those who can afford it to pay for the subscription and spares those who cant.B. It helps protect the legal rights of certain victim by challenging someone in authority.C. It stops looking into something if all the other media have made the same conclusion.D. It receives some donation and then uses it to finance the journalists further education.68. The underlined word “inclusivity” may mean that The Guardians reports _.A. show no discrimination against anybody or anythingB. cover something that it considers quite worthy of concernC. focus a lot on whether some information is accurate enoughD involve an appeal for support from readers all over the world(B) The Railroad BuildersThe Central Pacific Railroad is the first transcontinental railroad in North America, honored by BBC as one of the seven miracles after Industrial Revolution. It had made a great contribution to the USs economy but it couldnt be completed without Chinese labors hard work. In order to build the railroad, a lot of workers were imported from China. They had to bear the brunt of the build the railroad, a lot of workers were imported from China. They had to bear the brunt of the work, deal with the dreadful environment and endure with littler pay. What challenges did they meet? And how did they cope with them?Join us in the railroad builders to find the answers!The first Transcontinental Railroad (known originally as the “Pacific Railroad” and later as the “Overland Route”) was a railroad line built in the United States of America between 1863 and 1869. By linking with the existing railway network of the Eastern United States, the road thus connected the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United States by rail for the first time. It was one of the crowning achievements in the crossing of plains and high mountains westward by the Union Pacific and eastward by the Central Pacific.Watch EpisodesPart 1The first transcontinental railroad at the time