格致中学二〇一六学年度高三年级第二学期模拟考试

II. Grammar and Vocabulary Section A

Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passages coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

The twenty-four horses dash around a racetrack. The thunder of their hooves (蹄) rings in the riders’ ears, nearly 21 (drown) out the cheering of the crowd. After three or four minutes of suspense, one horse crosses the finish line first, winning the Melbourne Cup and earning a place in history.

The horses that compete in the Melbourne Cup—one of the world’s most famous horseraces—were fated to race. 22 (breed) for speed, these horses are the few 23 were singled out as having potential to become champions.

Preparing a racehorse to compete requires a team. A horse’s owner manages the team and decides which races to enter. A trainer determines the racehorse’s diet and exercise. Regular exercise makes a horse 24 ( likely) to be injured, but overtraining tires the horse. A groomer (动物美容师) cares for the racehorse and reports any problems he discovers to the trainer. And of course, no horserace could 25 (run) without a rider. These riders train for long hours and travel constantly from one race to another. They need to make a strategy, adapt 26 to changing conditions and communicate with their horse to guide it to victory.

Australia’s most famous horserace, the Melbourne Cup, is 3,200 meters of pure excitement. Each year 300 or 400 horses are nominated (提名), but only 24 can run. The competitors are chosen in terms of a number of factors, but winners of certain races qualify automatically.

Each racehorse receives a handicap—a certain weight it must carry to give each horse an equal chance of winning —two months before the race. Originally, horses that seemed likely to win were assigned larger handicaps. But the rules have changed, reducing the handicap for previous winners.

The first Melbourne Cup in 1861 drew a crowd of 4,000 spectators and the race’s popularity 27 (grow) ever since. Held on the first Tuesday of November, the cup has become a four-day festival with fine food and entertainment. The Melbourne Cup began during a gold rush 28 a form of entertainment for the rich. Today it still attracts society’s upper class with the implication 29 whoever comes is a man of distinction. They come dressed in their finest to enjoy the event in comfort.

30 noble and distinct the horserace looks, it’s all about the race—the effort of horses and riders, the suspense and the thrill of victory.

Section B Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need. A. disturbing B. accustomed G. vaguely H . bettering C. deposits I . flexible D. prospects J . dramatically E. inherited K .industry F. overcome For more than three centuries, the American colonies and later, the United States have been a place for many “have-nots” to make the “American Dream” come true for themselves and to become “haves.” And the optimism that people have, knowing that this miracle will always happen has grown out of some key elements in the history of the nation, a nation that has differed 31 from every other country in the world. The economic 32 of the nation are also very much tied to these success stories. Three characteristics have contributed to such attainments.

First, the United States had natural resources undreamed of in other parts of the world. For farmers and ranchers there was land, often to be had cheaply or even for free. There were endless forests to supply lumber and rich 33 of coal, oil, silver, copper and gold. Besides, critical to the development of these resources was a population of both native-born Americans and immigrants who were connected by their common work ethic. This ethic held that 34 and thrift should be rewarded with ---- as Benjamin Franklin says ---- “a State of Affluence (富足) and some Degree of Reputation in the World.” These Americans believed in self improvement as well as in the nobility of all kinds of work. They also, if somewhat 35 , often linked material success with spiritual movement. Next, by and large, America was characterized

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by a 36 class structure. In contrast to England and other European countries with their history of aristocrats (贵族), this country was filled by numerous communities in which family connections or 37 money counted for little.

However, the pursuit of American Dream sometimes also sometimes proved to be a source of tension and strain. At the beginning of the 20th century, writers like Jack London and F. Scott Fitzgerald depicted a lot of “have-not” characters whose fate is not a matter of free will. They are 38 by forces beyond their control. Often, in their works, children or young people are victimized by poverty that prevents them from 39 themselves. Convinced that a person’s destiny is the result of his or her heredity interacting with the environment, they employ many 40 details to explore the oppressive world in which their characters are trapped. Analyzing characters’ assumptions and values continued to illuminate the American experience. III. Reading Comprehension Section A

Organized volunteering and work experience has long been a vital companion to university degree courses. Usually it is left to __41__ to judge the potential from a list of extracurricular adventures on a graduate’s resume, but now the university of Bristol has set up an award to formalize the achievements of students who __42__ time to activities outside their courses. Bristol PLuS aims to boost students in an increasingly competitive job market by helping them acquire work and life skills alongside __43__ qualifications.

“Our students are a pretty active bunch, but we found that they didn’t __44__ appreciate the value of what they did outside the lecture hall,” says Jeff Goodman, director of careers and employability at the university. “Employers are much more __45__ than they used to be. They used to look for __46__ employees and saw it as part of their job to extract the value of an applicant’s skills. Now they want students to be able to explain why those skills are __47__ to the job.”

Students who __48__ the award will be expected to complete 50 hours of work experience or voluntary work, attend four workshops on employ-ability skills, take part in an intensive skills-related activity and, crucially, write a summary of the skills they have gained. __49__ efforts will gain an Outstanding Achievement Award. Those who __50__ best on the sports field can take the Sporting PLuS Award which fosters employer-friendly sports accomplishments.

The experience does not have to be __51__ organized. “We’re not just interested in easily identifiable skills,” says Goodman. “__52__, one student took the lead in dealing with a difficult landlord and so __53__ negotiation skills. We try to make the experience relevant to individual lives.”

Goodman hopes the scheme will __54__ active students to fill in any gaps in their experience and encourage their less-active peers to __55__ activities outside their academic area of work.

41. A. advisors B. specialists C. critics D. employers 42. A. spend B. devote C. consume D. stimulate 43. A. artistic B. technical C. academic D. interactive 44. A. dominantly B. earnestly C. necessarily D. gracefully 45. A. generous B. considerate C. enlightening D. demanding 46. A. origin B. initial C. popularity D. potential 47. A. relevant B. responsive C. reluctant D. respective 48. A. apply for B. make up C. sign up for D. look over 49. A. Occasional B. Exceptional C. Informative D. Relative 50. A. perform B. convey C. circulate D. formulate 51. A. roughly B. randomly C. formally D. fortunately 52. A. For instance B. In essence C. In contrast D. Of course 53. A. demonstrated B. determined C. operated D. involved 54. A. make B. enforce C. enable D. promote 55. A. act in B. make out C. turn up D. take up

Section B

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A

If you're a male and you're reading this, congratulations: you're a survivor. According to statistics, you are more than twice as likely to die of skin cancer as a woman, and nine times more likely to die of AIDS. Assuming you make it to the end of your natural term, about 78 years for men in Australia, you'll die on average five years before a woman.

There are many reasons for this— typically, men take more risks than women and are more likely to drink and smoke— but perhaps more importantly, men don't go to the doctor.

\disease tend to strike.\

Gullotta says a healthy man should visit the doctor every year or two. For those over 45, it should be at least once a year.

Two months ago Gullotta saw a 50-year-old man who had delayed doing anything about his smoker's cough for a year.

\and treatment may not have cured him, but it would have prolonged his life.\

According to a recent survey, 95% of women aged between 15 and early 40s see a doctor once a year, compared to 70% of men in the same age group.

\course and they think, ‘Geez, if it could happen to him, …’ \

Then there's the ostrich approach. \Dr. Ross Cartmill.

\men get their cars serviced more regularly than they service their bodies,\most diseases that commonly affect men could be addressed by preventive check-ups.

Regular check-ups for men would inevitably place strain on the public purse, Cartmill says. \prevention is cheaper in the long run than having to treat the diseases. Besides, the ultimate cost is far greater: it is called premature death.\

56. Why does the author congratulate his male readers at the beginning of the passage？

A. They are more likely to survive serious diseases today. B. Their average life span has been considerably extended. C. They have lived long enough to read this article. D. They are sure to enjoy a longer and happier life. 57. Which of the following best completes the underlined sentence \？ A. it could happen to me, too B. I should avoid playing golf C. I should consider myself lucky D. it would be a big misfortune 58. What does Dr. Ross Cartmill mean by “the ostrich approach”？(Line 1, Para.9))

A. A casual attitude towards one’s health conditions. B. A new therapy for certain psychological problems. C. Refusal to get medical treatment for fear of the pain involved. D. Unwillingness to find out about one’s disease because of fear. 59. What does Cartmill say about regular check-ups for men？

A. They may increase public expenses. B. They will save money in the long run.

C. They may cause psychological strains on men. D. They will enable men to live as long as women. B

Read the reviews posted on a Web site and answer the following questions. Sammy: George has outdone himself once again. This man is a genius! I’m disgusted with some of the reviews I’ve read. This album has a jazzy feel which is a delight to the ears— every track is a winner in its own unique way. Tony: What can I say? I read a terrible review in the Los Angeles Times, which said this wasn’t up to George’s usual standards, and I didn’t believe a word of it. I’m sorry to say that they were right! Although I enjoyed most of the tracks, this is definitely George’s weakest 3

album so far. This boy is definitely never gonna dance again if he keeps on like this! Angela: Bought the new GM album yesterday and have to say I’m very disappointed. I’ve been a fan for a long time and that won’t change, but I’m taking this CD back to the store right now. Please, return to form next time, George! Ben: Like a lot of people, I wasn’t sure what to expect with this new album, but, unlike a lot of people, I love it! I don’t understand why people complain it’s not like his earlier stuff. Why would we want it to be? Surely we want to see some development each time. Some of these tracks are just fantastic. Go, George! Apparently GM’s not produced anything for six years and this is what he comes up with. I was expecting something more mature, but this is heavy in the extreme. Lighten up, George, and skip the jazzy stuff. I’m impressed with the variety. Every track is different, but the album hangs together as a whole. I wish there were more vocals, but otherwise this is one satisfied customer. Sean: Dora 60. What are the reviews about?

A. A new star. B. A newspaper. C. A new song. D. A new album. 61. ________ give a “like” in this posts.

A. Sammy and Tony B. Angela and Sean C. Sammy and Dora D. Tony and Sean 62. What can be learned from Ben’s post?

A. He doesn’t like George’s new stuff. B. He didn’t expect George to change.

C. George has kept to his old style. D. George has disappointed some of his fans. C

Educators are seriously concerned about the high rate of dropouts (辍学生) among the doctor of philosophy candidates and the consequent loss of talent to a nation in need of PhDs. Some have placed the dropout loss as high as 50 percent. The extent of the loss was, however, largely a matter of expert guessing. Last week a well-rounded study was published. It was based on 22,000 questionnaires sent to former graduate students who were enrolled in 24 universities and it seemed to show many past fears to be groundless.

The dropout rate was found to be 31 percent and in most cases the dropouts, while not completing the PhD requirement, went on to productive work. They are not only doing well financially, but, according to the report, are not far below the income levels of those who went on to complete their doctorates (博士学位).

Discussing the study last week, Dr. Tucker said the project was initiated “because of the concern frequently expressed by graduate faculties and administrators that some of the individuals who dropped out of PhD programs were capable of completing the requirement for the degree. The decrease in the number of graduate students at the PhD level is also thought to be a waste of precious faculty time and a drain on university resources already being used to capacity. Some people expressed the opinion that the shortage of highly trained specialists and college teachers could be reduced by persuading the dropouts to return to graduate schools to complete the PhD.”

“The results of our research,” Dr. Tucker concluded, “did not support their opinion”

Nearly 75 percent of the dropouts said there was no academic reason for their decision, but those who mentioned academic reason cited failure to pass the qualifying examination, uncompleted research and failure to pass language exams. Among the single most important personal reasons identified by dropouts for non-completion of their PhD program, lack of finances was marked by 19percent.

As an indication of how well the dropouts were doing, a chart showed 2% in humanities were receiving $20,000 and more annually while none of the PhDs with the background reached this figure. The PhDs shone in the $7,500 to $15,000 bracket with 78% at that level against 50% for the dropouts. This may also be an indication of the fact that top salaries in the academic fields, where PhDs tend to rise to the highest salaries, are still lagging（落后） behind other fields.

As to the possibility of getting dropouts back on campus, the outlook was disappointing. The main condition which would have to prevail for at least 25% of the dropouts who might consider returning to graduate school would be to guarantee

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