辽宁省营口高中等重点协作校2024届高考考前提分英语仿真卷含解析

辽宁省营口高中等重点协作校2024届高考考前提分英语仿真卷注意事项：1．答题前，考生先将自己的姓名、准考证号填写清楚，将条形码准确粘贴在考生信息条形码粘贴区。2．选择题必须使用2B铅笔填涂；非选择题必须使用0．5毫米黑色字迹的签字笔书写，字体工整、笔迹清楚。3．请按照题号顺序在各题目的答题区域内作答，超出答题区域书写的答案无效；在草稿纸、试题卷上答题无效。4．保持卡面清洁，不要折叠，不要弄破、弄皱，不准使用涂改液、修正带、刮纸刀。第一部分（共20小题，每小题1.5分，满分30分）1．—That'sthethirdtimeyou'vedonethat!—Yeah,_____?A．whatofitB．what’sonC．whataboutD．whatfor2．—Canyoutellmesomethingabout_________science.—OK._NobelPrizeinChemistryisusuallyawardedtoAmericans.A．the;The B．/;The C．a;/ D．the;/3．Thegovernmenthastakensomemeasurestosolvetheshortageofelectricity,butitwillbesometime_________thesituationimproves.A．since B．whenC．unless D．before4．Thesteamboatwasfullyfurnishedwithlifepreservers.Thepassengersmightbesaved__________accidents.A．inspiteof B．insteadofC．incaseof D．inplaceof5．Havingpicturestocolorwillkeepchildren______forhours.A．amused B．amusingC．amuse D．toamuse6．HasJohneverbrokenhispromise?No.Forexample,hesaidhewouldshowmearoundhisschool,and.A．sowouldheB．sodidheC．sohewouldD．sohedid7．—Whatdidshewanttoknow,Tom?—ShewonderedwecouldcompletetheexperimentA．whenwasitthatB．itwaswhenthatC．itwaswhenD．whenitwasthat8．Bobmadeapromisetothemanager________theworkwouldallbefinishedontime.A．that B．whatC．which D．whether9．I'mcallingtoenquireabouttheposition__________inyesterday'sChinaDaily.A．advertised B．tobeadvertised C．advertising D．havingadvertised10．TherewillbeanendlesspowerofyouthsupportingtheChinesenation’srejuvenation_______theyoungergenerationofthecountryhasideals,pursuitsandshoulders.A．asfaras B．solongasC．evenif D．asif11．Roberthadacomfortablechildhood,______upinapleasanthousewithaviewofthesea.A．grew B．growingC．grown D．togrow12．Itisobvioustothestudents_____________theyshouldgetwellpreparedfortheirfuture.A．as B．thatC．which D．whether13．Oneshouldaccomplishtasks____________insteadofalwaystuningtoothersforhelp.A．independently B．activelyC．skillfully D．voluntarily14．Contrarytopopularbelief,takingawalkimmediatelyaftermealsdoesn’t_______dogoodtoourhealth.A．necessarily B．specially C．directly D．constantly15．Yourletterwillgetattention!Theyknowyou’reexpectingtheanswer.A．careful B．common C．instant D．general16．Takingonlinereadingintoconsideration,wecanchallengetheassumption____readingforpleasurecontinuestodecrease.A．whether B．that C．where D．when17．Don’ttakeitseriously，Alice．Iwasn’tmaking_____funofyou—it’snothingbut_____joke．A．/;the B．the;theC．the;a D．/;a18．Itwasonlyafterafamilyrelatedconversation______________Ifoundoutshewasactuallymydistantcousin.A．when B．thatC．which D．who19．—Idroppedbyat6:00pmyesterdaybutfailedtoseeyouatyourhouse.—I________inagymatthattime.A．wasexercisingB．amexercisingC．haveexercisedD．hadexercised20．Nobodyknowswhytheboycantellwhat’swrittenonthepaperinanotherroomwithoutlookingatit.Itreally_______explanation.A．prevents B．challenges C．interrupts D．confuses第二部分阅读理解（满分40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。21．（6分）Whentheweather’shot,doyouenjoyaglassofBrad’sDrinkwhilewatchingyourTVmadebyTokyoTelecommunicationsEngineering,andsurfingthewebusingasearchenginecalledBackRub?No?NeitherdoI.That’sbecauseallthesecompanieshavechangedtheirnames.Brad’sDrinkisnowPepsi.ThemouthfulthatwasTokyoTelecommunicationsEngineeringhasbecome,simply,Sony.AndBackRubisnowknownasGoogle.ThoughImustadmit,theideaofabackmassagedoessoundgoodrightnow!Jokingaside,choosingtherightnameforyourstart-upisaseriousmatter.ThinkofthecaseofasmallCanadiancompanycalledResearchinMotion,whoin1998hadjustdevelopedahigh-techmobilephonethatcouldsendemails.TheyweretornbetweennameslikeMegaMailandProMail.ThentheysoughtthehelpofconsultingfirmLexicon,whospecializeinbrandnames.Theyhadotherideas.Theybrainstormedwordsconnectedtoenjoymentandfreshness.Someonesaid.Lexicon’sbossaddedtwocapitalletters,andthereyouhaveit:BlackBerrywasborn.Sincethenithassoldover33millionhandsetstocustomersaroundtheworld.WouldithavesoldaswellifitwascalledMegaMail?Whoknows?Recently,BlackBerrysaleshavebeenovertakenbyAndroidphonesandApple’siPhone.Lexicon’sfounderDavidPlacekisabigfanofsimplebrandnameslikethoseApplechooses:theiPhone.Theyl0okahouseholdwordandbyputtingoneletterinfontofit,itendsupbeinggamechanging.So,forallyouentrepreneurs(企业家)outthere,makesureyouallowtimetodevelopacatchyandmemorablename.Thinkaboutwhatmakesyourcompanydifferent.What’syourUSP(独特的销售主张)?Maybeyoucanreflectthatinyourname.Whataboutyou?Whatwouldyoucallacompanyifyouhadone?1、WhichofthefollowingistheoriginalnameofBlackBerry?A．Brad’sDrink.B．TokyoTelecommunicationsEngineering.C．BackRub.D．MegaMailandProMail.2、WhatisLexicon?A．Aconsultingcompany.B．Ahandsetcompany.C．Adrinkcompany.D．Atelecommunicationcompany.3、WhatisLexicongoodat?A．Givingpropernamestopersons.B．Givingpropernamestoabrand.C．MakingAndroidphones.D．Makingitscompanydifferent.4、Whatwouldbethebesttitleforthispassage?A．TheArtofDesigningB．Apple’siPhoneC．TheArtofNamingD．ResearchinMotion22．（8分）Astudyshowedthattheexperienceschildrenhaveintheirfirstfewyearsareimportant.Theseexperiencesaffectthedevelopmentofthebrain.Whenchildrenreceivemoreattention,theyoftenhavehigherIQs.Babiesreceiveinformationwhentheysee,hearandfeelthings,whichmakesconnectionsbetweendifferentpartsofthebrain.Thereareahundredtrillion(万亿)connectionsinthebrainofathree-year-oldchild.ResearcherJuditGervaintestedhowgoodnewbornsareatdistinguishingdifferentsoundpatterns.Herresearchersproducedimagesofthebrainsofbabiesastheyhearddifferentsoundpatterns.Forexample,oneorderwasmu-ba-ba.Thisisthepattern"A-B-B".Anotherorderwasmu-ba-ge.Thisisthepattern“A-B-C”.Theimagesshowedthatthepartofthebrainresponsibleforspeechwasmoreactiveduringthe"A-B-B"pattern.Thisshowsthatbabiescantellthedifferencebetweendifferentpatterns.Theyalsoweresensitivetowhereitoccurredintheorder.Gervainisexcitedbythesefindingsbecausetheorderofsoundsisthebuildingblockofwordsandgrammar."Positioniskeytolanguage,"shesays."Ifsomethingisatthebeginningorattheend,itmakesabigdifference:'Johncaughtthebear.'isverydifferentfrom'ThebearcaughtJohn.'”ResearchersledbyscientistPatriciaKuhlhavefoundthatlanguagedeliveredbytelevisions,audiobooks,theInternet,orsmartphones－nomatterhoweducational－doesn’tappeartobeenoughforchildren’sbraindevelopment.Theycarriedoutastudyofnine-month-oldAmericanbabies.Theyexpectedthefirstgroupwho’dwatchedvideosinChinesetoshowthesamekindoflearningasthesecondgroupwhowerebroughtface-to-facewiththesamesounds.Insteadtheyfoundahugedifference.ThebabiesinthesecondgroupwereabletodistinguishbetweensimilarChinesesoundsaswellasnativelisteners.Buttheotherbabies—regardlessofwhethertheyhadwatchedthevideoorlistenedtotheaudio—learnednothing.1、Whatmakesconnectionsinababy’sbrain?A．HavingahigherIQ. B．ExperiencingnewinformationC．Thebaby’earlyage D．Theconnectionwithotherbabies2、WhatdidJuditGervainandherteamfindintheexperiment?A．Babiesidentifydifferentsoundpatterns.B．Wordorderisrelevanttomeaning.C．Babiescanwellunderstanddifferentwords.D．Acertainbrainregionprocesseslanguage.3、WhatdoestheunderlinedsentencemeaninParagraph3?A．Grammarisimportantinlearninglanguages.B．Differentordershavedifferentmeanings.C．Differentlanguageshavedifferentgrammar.D．Wordshavedifferentsounds.4、WhatisthemainconclusionfromthestudyledbyPatriciaKuhl?A．Babiesshouldn’twatchalotoftelevision.B．Listeningtodifferentlanguagesdevelopsbabies’brainC．Foreignlanguageshelpbabies’braindevelopD．Socialcommunicationimprovesbabies’braindevelopment.23．（8分）Thehumanbeingsseemtobefacingacrisis（危机）．AfterourbestGoplayersweredefeatedonebyonebytheartificialintelligence（AI）AlphaGo，welostourprideofbeingatthetopoftheintelligencechain．AndinOctober，whenSaudiArabiagavecitizenshiptoarobotnamedSophia，anotherprivilegeofbeinghumanwastakenaway．ItlookslikeeverythingthatseparateshumansandAIisatriskfightnow．Butwekeephopingthatinsteadof"everything"，there'sstillsomethingleftinusthatmakesusirreplaceable．ToHaoJingfang，winnerofthe2016HugoAwardforBestNovelette，that"something"isourconsciousness．"AlphaGoisintelligentinacertainway，butnotintelligentenoughtoasktheimportantquestions--DoIlikeplayingGo？DoIwanttoplayGotoday？WhydoIhavetoplayGowhenyoutellmeto？"sheoncesaid．Inotherwords，computerprogramsdon'thaveachoicetosay"no"．Theyprobablydon'tevenknowwhata"choice"is--alltheyeverdoiscalculate．AndtoHeHuaihong，aphilosophy（哲学）professoratPekingUniversity，imaginationandcreativityarealsowhatmakeusspecial．"Amachinecouldn'thavecomeupwiththetheoryofgravityjustbecauseitwashitbyafallingapple"，hesaid．"It'shumanimaginationthatconnectswhatseemtobecompletelyrandomandirrelevantconcepts，somethingthatamachine--whichworksbyfixedrulesonly--can'tdo，atleastfornow．"ThisiswhyBBCreporterViktorMayer-Schonbergersuggestedthatinsteadoffocusingonhowcomputershaveovershadowedusoncalculatingabilitiesthanhumans，weshouldprobably"considerourqualityatadifferentendofthespectrum（光谱）：creativity，originality（原创性），evenplainillogicalcraziness，insteadofhard-nosed（顽固的）logic"，hewrote．Somaybeinthefuture，asartificialintelligencebecomesevenmoreintelligent，humansandA1willlearntouseeachother'stalentsforgood．IfAIcanhandletheboringtaskslikecalculatinganddrivingforus，we'llhavemoretimetocreate，think，andbebusywith"beinghuman"．1、WhatcanwelearnaboutAlphaGo，accordingtoHaoJingfang？______A．Itwillbetaughttosaynointhefuture．B．Itwillbemoreintelligentthanhumansoneday．C．Ithasdifficultyansweringpersonalquestions．D．Itisunabletothinkindependentlyashumansdo．2、WhatdoesHeHuaihongbelieveisuniquetohumans？______A．Intelligence．B．Originality．C．Theabilitytomakerules．D．Theabilitytomakechoices．3、Whatdoestheunderlinedword"overshadowed"inparagraph5probablymean？______A．CompetedwithB．TakencontrolofC．BeenmoresuccessfulthanD．Influenced4、WhatcouldbethefutureofAIaccordingtotheauthor？______A．Itwillbeusedtohelphumans，ratherthancompetewithus．B．Itmaydevelopcreativitybesidesbetterlogicalthinking．C．Itmightbeverydangeroustohumansindifferentfields．D．Itwillbeappliedtoprovidedrivingserviceforhumans．24．（8分）AbooksellerinChongqinghasbeenleavingnovelsontrainsandatstationstoinspiremorecommuters(上下班往返的人)toread,afterseeingBritishactressEmmaWatsontakepartinasimilarprojectinLondon.AuthorandbookstoreownerJiangLin,29,randomlyplaced40worksalongthecity’slight-railsystemonSunday.Whoeverfindsabookcanreaditinpublicortakeithome,buttheyareencouragedtoleaveitagainonpublictransportationoncetheyhavefinishedwithit.Jiangsaid,“Iconsideredtheneedsofcommuters,"hesaid."Ihopestrangerscanfeelcomfortedbythebooksandfeelconnectedwithotherreaders."All40bookswerechosenfromJiang’sstore,Razor’sEdgeBookClub,whichheopenedinthesummer,andincludedfictionandnonfiction,withtopicsrangingfromartandsocialsciencestophilosophyandhistoryJiang’sBooksontheChongqingLightRailprojectfollowsthesamemodelasBooksontheUnderground,whichwasstartedin2012andsees“bookfairies”leaveworksonLondonTubetrainsandatstations.Readersareencouragedtosharetheirviewsonthebooks.ItwasrevealedonNov.1thatWatson,whoisbest-knownfortheHarryPottermovieseries,isabookfairy.“AfterIreadthenewsaboutherleavingbooksontheLondonTube,IwassoinspiredthatIimmediatelydecidedtodosomethingovertheweekend,”Jiangsaid.However,hisdecisionwassospontaneousthathehadnotimetomakethestickersthatareusuallyplacedoneachbooktoidentifythemaspartoftheproject.Instead,heputanoteontheflypagetointroducetheconcept.Tohissurprise,oneofhisfriendswasamongthosewhofoundhisbooksandpostedapictureonWeChatMoments,asocialmediafunctionontheinstant-messagingapp.Jiangsaidmorethan20peoplehavesincecomeonboardandarenowworkingonamoredetailedthantospreadtheloveofreading.Althoughincreasingnumbersofpeoplereadondigitaldevices,bookshavenottotallygoneoutoffashion.JiangmentionedthattheyneededthesupportfromChonqingLightRailCo.toensurethebookstostaythereandalsohopedtheprojectcouldbewelcomedacrossthecountry.1、JiangLinleftbooksontrainsoratstationsinorderto______.A．raisemoneyforpoorreadersB．openanewbookstoreC．helpsellmorebooksD．advocatereadingbooks2、Jianggotinspiredtostarttheprojectby_________.A．HarryPorterB．WechatmomentsC．EmmaWatsonD．Razor’sEdgeBookClub3、Theunderlinedword“spontaneous”isclosestinmeaningto__________.A．unplannedB．unwiseC．firmD．thoughtful4、Jiang’sattitudetowardsthefutureoftheprojectcanbebestdescribedas___________.A．positiveB．doubtfulC．reservedD．worried25．（10分）ComeandspeakaweekwithusatGreenandGoldCampontheSacramentoCampus!Daysarefilledwithscavengerhunts,riverwalks,theChallengeCenter,wateractivities,artsandcrafts,gamesandmore!YouradventurebeginsatSacramentoState.AwesomeActivities:OrienteeringScavengerhuntRopescourseArtsandcraftsCookingoutdoorsCampusmuseumsFuninthesunRiverwalkFunandeducationalgamesLeavenotraceprinciplesSwimmingCampsDatesandDetailsWeek1:6/1/2017-6/5/2017Week2:6/7/2017-6/11/2017Week2:6/12/2017-6/16/2017Week4:6/19/2017-6/23/2017Week3:6/26/2017-6/30/2017Week6:7/10/2017-7/14/2017Howmuchdoesthiscampcost?Thiscampisonly$290foranentireweekofmemoriesandfriendshipsthatwilllastalifetime.Aminimumdepositof50%perchild,percampisrequiredforallregistrations(non-refundable).Fullpaymentisdue14dayspriortocampstart.Whendoesthecampbegin/end?Drop-offforGreenandGoldCampbeginseachmorningat8:00am.Campactivitiesbeginat8:30eachdayandendat5:00pm.Allchildrenmustbepickedupnolaterthan5:00pm.Latepick-upswillresultina$10fee.WhatdoesmychildneedtobringtothecampPeakAdventureswillprovideamorningandafternoonsnack,butyourchildneedstobringhis/herownbagluncheveryday.Wealsodowateractivities,sobesuretoincludeaswimsuitandatoweleachdaysotheycanparticipate.Wesuggestpackingthefollowingitemseachday:T-shirtShortsSweatshirtTennisshoesTowelSunscreenDaypackWaterbottleLunchSunglassesHat/VisorLipSwim-suitWatershoesCampmusthaveaminimumofsixcampersfortheprogramtorun.Noguarantees.Youwillreceiveafullrefundforanycancelledcamps.CALLUSAT916-278-6321FORMOREINFORMATIONANDTORESERVEYOURYOUTHCAMPSPOTTODAY.1、Whatwilllearnatthecamp?A．Holdingyourfootprints. B．Huntingforsmallanimals.C．Adventuringintheforest. D．Playinggamesintheriver.2、Ifyouarelatetofetchyourkidtwiceaweek,youhavetopay________.A．$155 B．$310 C．$145 D．$3003、Whatmustyoubringtojointhecamp?A．AT-shirtandasweatshirt.B．Tennisshoesandwatershoes.C．Aswimsuitandatowel.D．Sunscreenandsunglasses.第三部分语言知识运用（共两节）第一节（每小题1.5分，满分30分）阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项．26．（30分）BorninAmerica,IspokeEnglish,notChinese,thelanguageofmyancestors.WhenIwasthree,myparentsflashedcardswithChinese

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atmyface,butIpushedthem2

.MymombelievedIwouldlearn3

Iwasready.Butthe4

nevercame.OnaChineseNewYear’sEve,myunclespoketomeinChinese,butallIcoulddowas5

athim,confused,scratchingmyhead.“Stillcan’tspeakChinese?”He6

me,“Youcan’tevenbuyafishinChinatown.”“Hey,thisisAmerica,notChina.I’llgetsome7

withorwithoutChinese.”Irepliedandturnedtomymomfor8

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“Remembertoaskforfreshfish,XinXianYu,”shesaid,handingovera$20bill.I

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thewords,runningdownstairsintothestreetsofChinatown.Ifoundthefish

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surroundedinaseaofcustomers.“I’dliketobuysomefreshfish,”Ishouldtothefishman.Buthe11

myEnglishwordsandturnedtoservethenextcustomer.Thelaughofthepeoplebehindincreased

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theirimpatience.Withevery

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,thebreathofthedragons(龙)onmybackgrewstronger—mybloodboiling—

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metocryout.“XianShengYu,please.”“VeryXianSheng,”Irepeated.Thecrowderuptedintolaughter.Myfaceturned15

andIranbackhome

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,exceptforthe$20billIheldtightlyinmypocket.ShouldIlaughorcry?They’reChinese.Ishouldfeelrightat17

.Instead,Iwasthejoke,adisgrace(丢脸)tothelanguage.Sometimes,Ilaughatmyfish18

,but,intheend,thejokeison

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.Everylaughisaculture20

;everylaughismyheritage(传统)fadingaway.1、A．custom B．games C．characters D．language2、A．ahead B．around C．along D．aside3、A．when B．before C．unless D．until4、A．success B．study C．time D．attempt5、A．aiming B．joking C．nodding D．staring6、A．caredabout B．laughedat C．arguedwith D．askedafter7、A．rightnow B．fromnow C．attimes D．intime8、A．decision B．permission C．information D．preparation9、A．repeated B．reviewed C．spelled D．kept10、A．farm B．stand C．pond D．market11、A．guessed B．forget C．doubted D．ignored12、A．by B．as C．with D．from13、A．second B．effort C．desire D．movement14、A．forcing B．allowing C．persuading D．leading15、A．bright B．blank C．pale D．red16、A．open-mouthed B．tongue-tied C．empty-handed D．broken-hearted17、A．service B．home C．risk D．root18、A．trade B．deed C．challenge D．incident19、A．it B．us C．me D．them20、A．thrown B．lost C．divided D．reflected第二节（每小题1.5分，满分15分）阅读下面材料，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。27．（15分）PASSYOURLOVEONWaitingfortheairplanetotakeoff,Iwashappytogetaseatbymyself.Justthen,1．airhostessapproachedmeandasked,“Wouldyoumind2．(change)yourseat?Acouplewouldliketosittogether.”Theonlypossiblewasnexttoagirlwithherarmsincasts,ablack-and-blueface,andasad3．(express).“NowayamIgoingtositthere,”Ithought4．(immediate).Butasoftvoicespoke,“Sheneedshelp.”Finally,Idecidedtomovetothatseat.ThegirlwasnamedKathy.She5．(hurt)inacaraccidentandnowwasonherwayfortreatment.Whenthesnackandjuicearrived,itdidnottakemelongtorealize6．Kathywouldnotbeabletofeedherself.Iconsideredoffering7．(feed)herbuthesitated,asitseemedtooimpolitetoofferaservicetoastranger.ButthenIrealizedthatKathy’sneedwasmoreimportantthanmydiscomfort.Ihelpedhereat,andthoughtshewas8．(comfort)toaccept,shedidasIexpected.Webecamecloserandcloserinashortperiodoftime.Bytheendofthefive-hourtrip,myhearthadwarmed,andthetimewasreallybetterspentthanifIhadjustsatbymyself.Lovesometimesflowsbeyondhumanbordersand9．(remove)thefearsthatkeepusseparate.Whenweoffertoserveanother,wegrowtoliveinalargerand10．rewardingworld.第四部分写作（共两节）第一节短文改错（满分10分）28．（10分）假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在其下面写出该加的词。删除：把多余的词用斜线(＼)划掉。修改：在错的词下画一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。注意：1、每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；2、只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。Hello,everyone!I’mhonoredtosharewithyoumyopinionon“smile”、Hardalthoughlifeas,Iwanttosmilewheneverandwhereverpossible、First,IwouldliketosmileatmyparentsforgivingmelifeandprovidingwhichIneedtobringmeup、Beside,Iwouldliketosay“thankyou”tomyteacherswithasmileaswellas、Withtheirhelp,Ihavemadegreatprogresses、Thenmysmileshouldgotome、OnlyinthiswayIgainmoreconfidenceinsmilemydifficultiesawayandliveabetterlife、Intheword,let’sgreeteverydaywithasmile、That’sall、Thankyou!第二节书面表达（满分25分）29．（25分）Directions:WriteanEnglishcompositionin120—150wordsaccordingtotheinstructionsgivenbelowinChinese.当你走进教室，发现黑板上画着一幅形象丑陋的漫画，旁边还写着你的名字。你当时是愤怒谴责还是一笑了之？请你写一篇短文，内容包括:•根据你的想象简述漫画的内容及见此漫画的心情；•你当时是选择上述哪一种解决方式并比较说明你选择这种解决方式的理由。______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

参考答案第一部分（共20小题，每小题1.5分，满分30分）1、A2、B3、D4、C5、A6、D7、D8、A9、A10、B11、B12、B13、A14、A15、C16、B17、D18、B19、A20、B第二部分阅读理解（满分40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。21、1、D2、A3、B4、C22、1、B2、A3、B4、D23、1、D2、B3、C4、A24、IhadjustmovedtoSanAntonio,Texas.Iworkedforthetourbusservicetakingtouristsonashorttourofthecity’shistoricplacesandwouldendupattheAlamo.IwasdrivingbackfrommylasttouronacoolFebruarydayonmywaybackfromtheSanFemandoCatholicchurchwithnooneonmybuswhenIsawamandressedinrags,thinkingthispersonmustbeanactororsomethingwalkingaround.Istoppedandaskedhim,“Needaride?”Withoutsayinganythinghejustwalkedonbroadandsatdowninseatbehindme.“Whereareyouheading?”Iaskedhim.Helookedupintothemirroratmeandreplied.“I’vegottogettothefort(要塞)andreporttoColonel(上校)TravisthattheMexicansarehere!”Ilaughedtomyselfthinkingthatthismanwasaseriousactor.“I’mguessingyoumeantheAlamo?”Isaidbacktohim.Ilookedupandsawhewasn’tsmilingnorlaughing.Allthroughouttheridehewasstaringinamazementatallthetoweringskyscrapersandthebuildingsalongthestreet.“Irememberwhenthistownwasnothingmorethanalittletradingvillage!”Hefinallysaidtome.“Sowhat’syourname?”Iaskedhim.“DanielCloud,yours?”“DavidZime.”IrepliedasIturnedthecornerofthestreetandlaideyesupontheAlamo.Ipulleduptothesidewalkandopenedthedoor.Cloudgotoutofhisseatandcameuptome.“Thanksfortheride.”Hesaidextendinghishand.Itookhispalmanditwasfreezingcoldlikehejuststeppedoutofthefreezer.“Notaproblem,Mr.Cloud,anddon’tworryaboutthefee.It’sonthehouse.”HenoddedhisheadingratitudelikeallusTexansdoandwalkedaway.Itwasn’tuntilthenthatInoticedthathewassoaked(浸；泡)totheboneindrippingwaterandwehadnotasingledropofraininamonthormore.Ijustshookmyheadandclosedthedoorbehindhim.WhenIturnedaround.DiscoveredamazinglyhowfastCloudhadgoneaway!Afewdayslater