2024年3月16日发(作者：)

河北省衡水市冀州区第一中学2020-2021学年高二下学期期

中考试英语试卷(wd无答案)

一、阅读理解

(★★★)

1.

SHARK CONSERVATION IN SOUTH AFRICA

Take a two-week trip that you will never forget as a volunteer with sharks on a beautiful stretch of

South Africa

’

s coastline. Head out to sea to witness one of the world

’

s most powerful (and most

misunderstood) creatures on this inspiring project, enjoying watching them from both above and below

water.

The DAY-BY-DAY schedule

Day 1: Arrive in Cape Town on a Sunday. You will be collected from the airport and spend your first

night in a guest house in the city centre.

Day 2: You will be collected bright and early from the guest house and taken down to the project.

The drive takes about 90 minutes. You will receive a welcome and head out to sea to witness your first

sharks!

Day 3+: Most days you will be out on the boat with the sharks, depending on weather. Help out with

the full range of tasks on the boats, and in conservation initiatives on land too.

Last day: On the final day of your project you will be taken back to Cape Town for your onward

travel.

The price is

£

829,including the voluntary work programme with accommodations, airport

transfers, one night in a guest house in Cape Town, breakfasts daily and lunches when on the boats.

Your trip can be extended at a cost of

£

375 per week.

It is an amazing experience! Some volunteers planned to stay for 4 weeks, extended to 6 weeks and

still didn

’

t want to come home. If you

’

d like to chat about this holiday or need help, we

’

re very happy to

help.

Call us at 01273 823 700.

Email us at rosy@.

【题1】When will you really begin your shark watching trip?

A

．

On a Friday.

B

．

On a Saturday.

C

．

On a Sunday.

D

．

On a Monday.

【题2】What will you probably do on the third day if weather permits?

A

．

Sail on the ocean.

B

．

Return to Cape Town.

C

．

Buy some souvenirs.

D

．

Dive with sharks.

【题3】How much will you spend on a three-week shark conservation trip?

A

．

£

375.

B

．

£

750.

C

．

£

829.

D

．

£

1,204.

(★★★)

2. A clever technologist took steamboat inventions and turned them into the first commercial

steamboat service.

Although Robert Fulton did not invent the steamboat, as is commonly believed, he played an

important role in making steamboat travel a reality. He was born in Pennsylvania in 1765. As a young

man, he set out to make his name as a portrait painter. His career took him to Europe and into the orbit

of people with the power to support him politically and financially.

Fulton entered London society after he painted Benjamin Franklin, s portrait. While abroad, Fulton

left the arts for a career in shipbuilding. He was interested in the recently

—

invented steam engine, and

thought it could be used to power ships. Fulton

’

s vision was not original; many others had entered the

field, and the unfortunate inventor John Fitch had built a working steamship already. But like Henry

Ford, Fulton

’

s talent lay not in the invention but in the product

’

s application in the marketplace.

Fulton didn

’

t focus entirely on the steamboat. In 1804, he tested the first submarine successfully,

which he had built for the British Royal Navy. His invention would make him a celebrity upon his

return to the United States two years later. Fulton

’

s partner Robert Livingston obtained an exclusive

license for steamboat services on New York

’

s Hudson River. It was time for Fulton to deliver.

To build an efficient, reliable steamboat, Fulton used a special English steam engine. The ship

’

s

bottom was flat and its stern was square. The steamboat Clermont made its debut (

首次亮相

) on

August 17, 1807, steaming up the river from New York to Albany, and it soon entered commercial

services. The hilly terrain of New York made water transport faster than land transport, and Fulton

’

s

boat

—

formerly known as the

“

North River Steamboat

”—

was a hit. Within five years, Fulton would be

running services on six major rivers plus the Chesapeake Bay, and bring in great profits.

【题1】What can be inferred from Paragraph 3?

A

．

Henry Ford was as unfortunate as John Fitch.

B

．

Fulton left the arts as he couldn

’

t support himself.

C

．

Henry Ford was talented in product application.

D

．

Fulton was the first to create a working steamship.

【题2】When did Fulton become a celebrity in the United States?

A

．

In 1804.

B

．

In 1806.

C

．

In 1807.

D

．

In 1812.

【题3】What is mentioned about Clermont?

A

．

It earned Fault much money.

B

．

It operated for five years.

C

．

It had an American steam engine.

【题4】What’s the best title of the text?

D

．

It was not accepted by people at first.

A

．

Robert Fulton

：

A Great Inventor

B

．

Robert Fulton and his Steamboat

C

．

Steamboats Changing Water Transport

D

．

The History of Commercial Steamboats

(★★★)

3. In Colombia a group, named WebConserva, is carrying out a project in the San Lucas Mountains

with the help of coffee growers.

The San Lucas area is one of the most unexplored places in Colombia, which is home to many

thousands of species of animals and plants. Yet gold mining and coca farming have dealt a blow to its

ecosystem. To limit additional development in the San Lucas area, the group helps coffee growers by

linking them with processors from around the country.

Colombia has more different kinds of living things than any other country except neighboring Brazil.

In 2016, the Colombian government signed a peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of

Colombia ending years of civil war. As a result, more land became accessible for use, with

deforestation(

毁林

) coming along. Government information shows that in 2017, almost 220,000

hectares of forest were destroyed compared to around 124,000 hectares in 2015.

To date, the project includes 10 families who farm 400 hectares of coffee plants, which costs about

$ 77,000 dollars a year. WebConserva hopes that, in time, 200 families will be included. At that level,

20,000 hectares of untouched forest could be protected. In San Lucas, the families promise not to cut

down trees to expand their crops or to hunt wild animals from the forests. In return, they receive $ 250

to $ 300 per 125 kilograms of coffee, an enviable amount there. Arcadio Barajas is among those taking

part. His new coffee plantation(

种植园

) makes a barrier between cattle farms and forests where wild

animals like the jaguar live and hunt. In this way, he doesn't have to kill wild animals to protect his

cattle.

Barajas said that pulling down the forest to plant coca and killing wildlife were against his will.

Now he feels that growing coffee lets him be a steward of the land. "I'm taking care of the environment,

the forest and the animals," he said.

【题1】Why does WebConserva set up the project?

A

．

To help local farmers make money.

B

．

To expand areas of coffee growing.

C

．

To link processors with coffee growers.

D

．

To conserve biodiversity in the Mountains.

【题2】What happened after Colombia’s civil war was over?

A

．

Colombia helped many needy families.

B

．

Colombia lost lots of areas of forests.

C

．

Colombia started to save damaged forests.

D

．

Colombia became more peaceful than Brazil.

【题3】Which is probably a function of Barajas's coffee plantation?

A

．

A method of protecting cattle and wildlife.

B

．

A substitute for hunting of wild animals.

C

．

A barrier between man and wild animals.

D

．

A shelter for cattle against human hunters.

【题4】What does the underlined word "steward" mean in the last paragraph?

A

．

Farmer.

B

．

Master.

C

．

Guardian.

D

．

Explorer.

(★★★)

4. A new device (

设备

) works like a solar panel, except it doesn't harvest energy from the sun to

produce electricity. Instead, it uses energy from the cold night sky.

In the center of this device is a thermoelectric generator (

热电发电机

), which uses the temperature

difference between Earth and outer space to create electricity.

As long as one side of it is cooler than the other, the generator can produce electricity. The cooler

side faces the sky and is attached to an aluminum plate. That plate is sealed under a transparent cover

and surrounded with materials that keep heat out. It stays cooler than the surrounding air by getting rid

of any heat it absorbs as infrared (

红外线的

) radiation. That radiation can zip up through the

transparent cover and on toward outer space.

The bottom of the generator is attached to an exposed aluminum plate, which is warmed by the local

air. At night, the top plate can get several degrees centigrade cooler than the bottom of the generator.

Researchers tested the device one clear December night in Stanford, Calif. The generator produced

up to about 25 milliwatts of power per square meter of the device. That was just enough power to light

a small electric lamp. Further improvements might develop its production to at least 500 milliwatts per

square meter.

"It's a very clever idea," says Yuan Yang, a materials scientist who works at Columbia University in

New York City. "The device still needs improving," he notes. "But this new device may be useful for

backup power," Yang says. "It might also provide a bit of energy to people living in areas that lack

electricity."

"The device could help power remote weather stations or other environmental devices," says

Aaswath Raman, a materials scientist who worked on the device at the University of California, Los

Angeles. What's more, this may be useful in areas that don't see sunlight for months at a time, Raman

adds.

【题1】How is the device designed?

A

．

It includes two aluminum plates with different functions.

B

．

It is equipped with a heat resistant generator in the center.

C

．

Its two aluminum plates are exposed to air to keep heat out.

D

．

Its generator is sealed by a transparent cover to remain cool.

【题2】What is the limitation with the tested device?

A

．

It won't be expanded to be much larger.

B

．

It fails to produce electricity fast enough.

C

．

It is unable to power small electric lamps.

D

．

It produces a limited amount of electricity.

【题3】In paragraph 6, Yuan Yang mainly intends to .

A

．

evaluate the device on a positive basis

B

．

point out the problems with the device

C

．

explain the research work for the device

D

．

comment on Aaswath Raman's prediction

【题4】What can be a suitable title for the text?

A

．

Lamps Are Powered by the Energy From the Cold Night Sky