2012学年第二学期徐汇区学习能力诊断卷
高三年级英语学科
（考试时间120分钟，满分150分） 2013.4
第一卷
听力（略）
II. Grammar and Vocabulary
Section A
Directions: Beneath each of the following sentences there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one answer that best completes the sentence.
25. Your generous donation can make a huge difference ______ the life of those living below the poverty line.
A. from B. on C. to D. of
26. I thought the journey would be simple, but ______ could be further from the truth.
A. anything B. something C. nothing D. any thing
27. Well known for their amazing strength, ants can lift ______.
A. heavier than 50 times their own weight
B. 50 times heavy as their own weight
C. 50 times heavy than their own weight
D. 50 times their own weight
28. Though he ______ many times, he still had no idea of this complicated concept.
A. had told B. have been told
C. had been told D. has told
29. The Guinness World Records recognized 30-year-old Jessica Cox the first person without arms ______ an airplane.
A. flying B. flew C. having flown D. to fly
30. During my journey, I started thinking about how difficult it ______ to travel before cars, trains and planes made our lives so much easier.
A. needn’t have been B. shouldn’t have been
C. must have been D. should have been
31. Such great progress ______ in English so far that his friends can hardly believe that.
A. has Jack made B. Jack has made
C. does Jack make D. Jack makes
32. Lost in Thailand made people laugh and ______ them without big, expensive effects.
A. entertains B. entertained C. was entertaining D. had entertained
33. ______ there is nothing wrong with fast food, our health is more important than our desire to finish eating as quickly as possible.
A. Once B. While C. As D. Since
34. ______ of the current news, whether it is domestic or overseas, is his daily routine.
A. Being informed B. Informed
C. Informing D. Having been informed
35. The sight or even thought of snakes may give you a horrible feeling, but there are a few exceptions ______ prove snakes are not always associated with horror.
A. which B. where C. to which D. what
36. Quantities of precious jewelry, ______ buried deep in the earth, amazed all the people present.
A. was found B. were found C. to be found D. found
37. Around 2000 years ago, many merchants travelled along ______ became known as the Silk Road.
A. where B. what C. that D. which
38. It was while Chaplin was travelling with a group of other performers in the USA ______ he was given a chance to be in a film.
A. where B. when C. that D. which
39. There were only ten minutes ______ when they hurried to the departure gate at the airport.
A. remained B. remaining C. to remain D. being remained
40. Beijing and Shanghai have released their plans to gradually allow students to take college entrance exams ______ their parents work as migrant workers.
A. where B. when C. in which D. that
Section B
Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.
A. revolutionized B. tricky C. available D. destinations E. competitive
F. territory G. standard H. processed I. appealing J. delivery
Everyone who knows Olivia Griffiths is impressed by her unique sense of style. Whenever she walks into a room, heads turn. Her friends wonder how she managed to get the new Mulberry handbag that no one had thought was 41 in Australia yet.
The truth is that Olivia has never left Australia. But with a few clicks of her computer mouse, she can travel to shopping 42 around the world. Online shopping has 43 the consumer experience. With the help of an increasing number of online shops overseas, shoppers can now pick up interesting goods from all over the world.
The biggest advantage of shopping on foreign websites is the wide range of choices available. For example, Chinese shoppers are often disappointed when Gap products are not available locally. But now it’s possible to order these products straight from the US with a credit card and a small 44 fee. Other benefits of online shopping include 45 prices. When items are bought online from other countries, they’re often tax-free.
However, when you buy things from a foreign website, things can get 46 too. So make sure you pay extra attention to protecting your rights.
Sometimes it can be difficult to handle foreign websites because of the unfamiliar language. For example, the term “shipped in 1-5 working days” can be confusing for Chinese shoppers, as it doesn’t clarify whether this is the time in which the product will arrive or the time it takes for it to be 47 .
The method of shipping can also determine whether you get your product at all. Unless you choose express or priority shipping, which only takes a few days to deliver but is more expensive, most 48 international shipping doesn’t offer a tracking option ― which means once your products are shipped outside of the country there’s no way of finding out where they are.
The best consumers are the most sensible ones. If you’re interested in expanding your shopping 49 to foreign websites, make sure you do your research beforehand to avoid your money and products being lost on the way.
III. Reading Comprehension
Section A
Directions: 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.
Starting around 1348, the plague(瘟疫) hit the continents of Europe and Asia. As a result, it killed an 50 forty million people. This disease has come to be known as the Black Death. Its victims suffered a horribly painful death 51 by fever and dying, blackened flesh.
Although they are not certain, many historians agree that the Black Death probably originated in China and spread through trade 52 , carried by fleas (跳蚤)found on rats. Rats are very common in cities, so these areas were hit the hardest. The disease passed to humans when the fleas would jump from the rats to a human host.
Every social group suffered from the Black Death---it was not a discriminating (有识别力的)disease. But those who lived in rural settings were sometimes 53 , as were the wealthy, who had less 54 with outsiders and could afford to move to more remote areas in an 55 to spare themselves.
The Black Death had many long-term 56 . Certain areas of Europe were nearly 57 after it, including some of its prosperous cities. For example, Bremen, Germany, lost almost 7,000 of its 12,000 inhabitants; Florence, Italy, lost 40,000 of its nearly 90,000; and Paris lost more than 50,000 of its 180,000. Major cities had to create mass graveyards where the dead could be buried. European population only began to 58 again in the last decades of the 15th century.
The Black Death also brought about 59 changes. As large numbers of peasants died, there was a shortage of labor. Peasants had 60 spent generations working for the same family, but after the plague hit, they began to take advantage of the labor 61 . Workers 62 many times their usual pay for work and would sometimes move to a new lord or noble who offered 63 incentives (刺激;鼓励) and working conditions. In this way, the Black Death caused the landowning aristocracy (贵族) to lose much of their power and social 64 .
50. A. enormous B. evaluated C. estimated D. expected
51. A. characterized B. reported C. specialized D. caused
52. A. stations B. goods C. routine D. route
53. A. infected B. spread C. spared D. included
54. A. contact B. similarities C. exchange D. trade
55. A. attraction B. attempt C. effect D. advantage
56. A. consequences B. harms C. effect D. correction
57. A. bare B. populated C. deserted D. developed
58. A. decline B. recover C. motivate D. grow
59. A. economic B. racial C. global D. political
60. A. barely B. usually C. stubbornly D. previously
61. A. boom B. growth C. shortages D. drain
62. A. won B. charged C. offered D. sped
63. A. higher B. better C. similar D. changing
64. A. post B. dream C. system D. position
Section B
Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.
(A)
The butterfly, which is competitive swimming’s newest stroke(划水), was developed in the mid-1930s, but it wasn’t allowed in the Olympics until 1956. The story of the butterfly is a good illustration of how coaches and swimmers are constantly searching for ways to improve stroke efficiency.
During the 1920s, the Japanese Olympic coaches used underwater photography to research stroke mechanics, and their efforts paid off when Japanese competitors won five of the six men’s swimming gold medals at the 1932 Games in Los Angeles.
It was a wake-up call to the rest of the swimming world, and one of the top US coaches – David Armbruster at the University of Iowa – began doing his own filming.
Armbruster was seeking to make the breaststroke faster. He knew that the action of bringing their arms forward underwater slowed breaststrokes down, so he came up with a method of bringing the arms forward over the water. The revised stroke (he kept the breaststroke kick) brought great improvements in speed.
The following year, Jack Sieg, an Iowa swimmer, developed a technique involving swimming on his side and beating his legs in unison（一致） similar to a fish tail. As Armbruster later explained in the book Weissmuller to Spitz: The History and Background of the Olympic Games: “Sieg tried the same action while swimming face down. Sieg synchronized his leg action with the butterfly arm action using two leg beats to each arm pull.” But the kick was ruled illegal because the legs moved in the vertical (垂直的) plane.
Within a few years, nearly every breaststroker was using this overarm butterfly action without the kick. The pure butterfly wasn’t legalized for some two decades, but at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne ‘the fly’ became an official event.
65. The best title of the article is _____.
A. Why did the coaches and swimmers improve stroke efficiency?
B. How did the butterfly come into being?
C. How did the Japanese wake up the swimming world?
D. When did ‘the fly’ become an official event?
66. The Japanese coaches use underwater photography in order to ______.
A. wake up the swimming world
B. be paid more money
C. know how to be a mechanic.
D. improve stroke efficiency.
67. Before the pure butterfly was officially recognized, ______ years or so had passed .
A. 15 B. 20 C. 30 D. 35
68. According to the passage, which statement is NOT true?
A. The Japanese coaches improved butterfly stroke.
B. David Armbruster used filming to study stroke mechanics.
C. Sieg came up with the idea of beating legs like a fish tail.
D. The butterfly was added to the Olympics in 1956.
(B)
Singapore National Eye Centre
“I could have lost my vision.
SNEC restored my sight.”
A macular hole, a hole at the most crucial part of the retina brought Bonny Huang who is from Hong Kong to the Singapore National Eye Centre for treatment. The retina is the light sensing nerve tissue at the back of the eye. In no time the potentially blinding condition was treated and his vision is now restored.
“In April 2008, I noticed straight lines started to become distorted, and white patch appeared in the centre of my vision. I went to the Singapore National Eye Centre immediately. The ophthalmologist, a medical doctor who specializes in eye care and surgery, found a central macular hole in my left eye.”
The treatment of this condition involves delicate judgment dependent on the experience of the doctor. The success of the recovery, however, relies largely on the face-down posture by the patient.
“The Ophthalmologist explained to me the operational procedures, and taught me how to comply with the post-surgery face-down posture. The best part is that when I forgot some of the key points he told me, he showed no sign of resentment but instead comforted me not to worry before he went through the points again. I underwent an operation which lasted for only one hour, and maintained a face-down posture for three weeks. The result was very successful.”
“I once consulted my Ophthalmologist during his lunch time, and he attended to me without finishing his lunch. His understanding and concern shown towards his patients can be scarcely found in other medical centres. I am very pleased to have received timely treatment in Singapore National Eye Centre where the doctors care about their patients.”
Singapore National Eye Centre
50 senior and experienced eye surgeons, total staff strength of 460
Ultra-modern facility with state-of-the-art technology and equipment
Quality assurance programme backed by 100% clinical audit of outcomes
High impact research teams leading to latest treatment strategies
Multi-expert approach to treatment of complex eye conditions
250,000 outpatient visits, 14,000 major eye surgeries, 13,000 laser procedures annually
Singapore National Eye Centre
11 Third Hospital Avenue, Singapore 168751, International Patient Service 24-hour Hotline: 65-6100- 9393
E-mail: ips@snec.com.sg or visit www.snec.com.sg
69. According to this passage, the Eye Centre is ______.
A. a charity organization helping people solve their eye problems
B. an institute focusing on eye-treatment research
C. a hospital specializing in eye-problem treatment and research
D. an international institute treating people’s diseases
70. Mr. Huang’s case in the advertisement is intended to ______.
A. give people advice on how to find good doctors to treat eye diseases
B. assure people of high quality of SNEC
C. explain the consequences of neglecting eye problems
D. tell foreigners they are welcome to SNEC
71. Which of the following statements is TRUE of SNEC?
A. Patients outside Singapore should call SNEC on work days.
B. Latest treatment strategies result from multi-expert approach to treatment of eye diseases.
C. High impact research teams are invited to deal with complex conditions.
D. Nearly 11precent of the staff of SNEC are senior and experienced ophthalmologists.
(C)
For most thinkers since the Greek philosophers, it was self-evident that there is something called human nature, something that constitutes the essence of man. There were various views about what constitutes it, but there was agreement that such an essence exists—that is to say, that there is something by virtue of which man is man. Thus man was defined as a rational(理性的) being, as a social animal, an animal that can make tools, or a symbol-making animal.
More recently, this traditional view has begun to be questioned. One reason for this change was the increasing emphasis given to the historical approach to man. An examination of the history of humanity suggested that man in our time is so different from man in previous times that it seemed unrealistic to assume that men in every age have had in common something that can be called “human nature.” The historical approach was strengthened, particularly in the United States, by studies in the field of cultural anthropology (人类学). The study of primitive peoples has discovered such a diversity of customs, values, feelings, and thoughts that many anthropologists arrived at the concept that man is born as a blank sheet of paper on which each culture writes its text. Another factor contributing to the tendency to deny the assumption of a fixed human nature was that the concept has so often been abused as a shield(盾牌) behind which the most inhuman acts are committed. In the name of human nature, for example, Aristotle and most thinkers up to the eighteenth century defended slavery. Or in order to prove the rationality and necessity of the capitalist form of society, scholars have tried to make a case for acquisitiveness, competitiveness, and selfishness as natural human characters. Popularly, one refers cynically（愤世嫉俗地） to “human nature” in accepting the inevitability of such undesirable human behavior as greed, murder, cheating and lying.
Another reason for disbelief about the concept of human nature probably lies in the influence of evolutionary thinking. Once man came to be seen as developing in the process of evolution, the idea of a substance which is contained in his essence seemed untenable. Yet I believe it is precisely from an evolutionary standpoint that we can expect new insight into the problem of the nature of man.
72. Most philosophers believed that human nature ________.
A. is the quality distinguishing man from other animals
B. consists of competitiveness and selfishness
C. is something partly innate and partly acquired
D. consists of rationality and undesirable behavior
73. The traditional view of “human nature” was strongly challenged by ________.
A. the emergence of the evolutionary theory
B. the historical approach to man
C. new insight into human behavior
D. the philosophical analysis of slavery
74. According to the passage, anthropologists believe that human beings ________.
A. have some characters in common
B. are born with diverse cultures
C. are born without a fixed nature
D. change their characters as they grow up
75. The author mentioned Aristotle, a great ancient thinker, in order to ________.
A. emphasize that he contributed a lot to defining the concept of “human nature”
B. show that the concept of “human nature” was used to justify social evils
C. prove that he had a profound influence on the concept of “human nature”
D. support the idea that some human characters are inherited.
Section C
Directions: Read the following text and choose the most suitable heading from A-F for each paragraph. There is one extra heading which you do not need.
