陕西省西安重点中学2022届高三下学期2月第二次模拟考试英语试题（音频暂未更新）

Natural. High quality. Unique.

That's Almased.

When I was 6, my elder brother brought me to the local BMX(自行车越野) track to ride in a kid's race for the first time. The hill out of the starting gate looked so scary and steep that I backed off. My parents took me back for another try the next week. I fell almost immediately but still managed to win the second place. I've loved racing ever since.

I turned pro at 15, which isn't possible now: You have to be 17 to compete professionally around the time I went pro. BMX became an Olympic sport and I decided to pursue it after high school. I'm the youngest woman with a professional title in the United States.

BMX isn't judged on tricks or how you handle barriers, but it's an extreme sport. It's like horse racing mixed with riding a roller coaster. It starts with a huge burst of speed—I go 40 mph by the time. I'm two and a half seconds out of the gate. Then I try to come out in front of seven competitors at the end of the track, which includes 40-foot jumps. I keep chasing the high that comes from prestart nervousness, big jumps, and that feeling of crossing the finish line first.

Strength and balance are key in competition, so I work out at least five days a week to prepare. I do tons of resistance and agility(灵活) training, both on and off the bike. I also do mental drills with a sports psychologist to make sure I'm focused and confident going into competition. If I make a mistake on the course, I have to move on. Everyone is out to beat me; I need to concentrate on winning so my competitors can't capitalize on an error and pass me!

I was so proud to win a silver medal at the Olympics in Rio, but I felt I was capable of gold, so that will push me to do better. I'm continually working to reach my potential in the sport. Until I feel completely satisfied, I'll keep coming back.

On a break from his studies in the MIT Media Lab, Anirudh Sharma traveled home to Mumbai, India. While there, he noticed that throughout the day his T-shirts were gradually gathering something that looked like dirt. "I realized this was air pollution, or sooty (像煤一样) particulate matter (PM), made of black particles released from exhaust (尾气) of vehicles," Sharma says. "This is a major health issue." Soot consists of tiny black particles, about 2.5 micrometers or smaller, made of carbon produced by incomplete burning of fossil fuels.

Back at MIT, Sharma set out to help solve this air-pollution issue. After years of research, Sharma's startup Graviky Labs has developed technology that attaches to exhaust systems of diesel generators (柴油发电机) to collect particulate matter. Scientists at Graviky then turn it into ink, called Air-Ink, for artists around the world. So far, the startup has collected I.6 billion micrograms of particulate matter. More than 200 gallons of Air-Ink have been harvested for a growing community of more than 1,000 artists, from Bangalore to Boston, Shanghai, and London.

Posted all over Graviky Lab's Facebook page today are photos of art made from the Air-Ink and paint, including street wall paintings, body art and clothing prints. At first, there was still no specific application for the ink. Then the startup decided to find new ways to further spread its mission. It chose to do so through art. "Art helps us raise awareness about where the ink and paint comes from. Air pollution knows no borders. Our ink sends a message that pollution is one of the resources in our world that's the hardest to collect and use. But it can be done," Sharma says.

The new radio programme from self-help expert Glennon Doyle unexpectedly disturbed me. In a session of We Can Do Hard Things, she focuses on boundaries and their importance to our mental happiness. I heartily agree with her, because saying a polite but firm "no" is one of the basics for a happy life. I was, however, interested when she raised the idea that perhaps, as well as learning when to confirm our boundaries, we also need to stretch them. When does a boundary become a cage that locks us away?

Isn't it always the case that just as you think you've got an area of life nailed; somebody comes along to show you that that's not the case? As I listened, I started to see boundaries that might cause more problems than they were solving.

There was the work boundary that said that unless a project fell exactly into my topics, I wouldn't take it—which meant that I turned down work that was otherwise interesting and rewarding.

There was the boundary that said I wasn't to buy anything until I'd reached my savings goal—which resulted in me having to restart my laptop 20 times a day.

And then there was a boundary around relationships that set out exactly how I should be treated and what I wanted in them. Helpful to some extent, it blocked me from allowing someone to express their love for me, even if it wasn't quite what I had predicted.

Had I been doing boundaries wrong all the time? Did I need to figure them all out again? I've spent the past few weeks looking at the boundaries I've secretly put in place, and I've let myself lower some that have been my protection over the years. Then I've come to the conclusion that, when it comes to boundaries, I'm a beginner again, and that's fine. In fact, being back at the beginning is a blessing because it means there are still lessons to be learned and adventures to be had and that is something for which I can only be grateful.

Shannan Hearne's oldest dream was to own a ranch(牧场). In February 2020, her dream finally came true when she opened the gates of Sun and Moon Ranch. Then, just a month later, the county slid into COVID-19 lockdown.

With large areas of grasslands and plenty of sunshine and fresh air, there was no safer way for frightened neighbors to get out of the house.  Sure, you can sign up for riding lessons or board your horse. But you can also drop by to play with the chickens, goats, and dogs, or join the younger ranchers playing on the big pile of freshly dug dirt. Hearne now saw the ranch as something more than a business－it would be a place the community could call home.

Many of them came not just for free cookouts, but for the chance to find peace of mind. "I had a vision for the space able to help cure those in need," says Hearne. One of those people, now 15, was born without fingers on one hand. His grandmother brought him to Sun and Moon for riding lessons. Learning to control a horse with one hand helped him better manage his disability, and he grew closer to his grandmother over their shared love of horses. " And I believe this is especially true for children or anyone who struggles with any sort of psychological issues," Hearne says.

Another boy became selectively silent because of his autism (自闭症).  Taking the reins (缰绳), literally, helped him do so in his daily life too. "I could see how the empowerment of riding was helping him feel once again in control of the world around him," says Hearne.

A. The ranch, Hearne realized, should be for everybody.

B. As the pandemic deepened, locals began to gather there.

C. Soon Hearne's dream began to grow into something bigger.

D. Locals desired to put up a tent there when they felt won out.

E. Lesson by lesson, Hearne watched him slowly come out of his own world.

F. He went from not answering questions to literally talking our ears off.

G. There is something empowering about controlling a thousand-pound animal.

When I was a child my father taught me five words that I've used all my life—in my acting career, as a mother, in my business activities. If I 1 that I was afraid of the dark, or if I seemed worried about meeting new people, Dad would say, "Stand porter to your 2."

A porter is a gatekeeper, who stands at a door 3 people in or out. Dad would get me to 4 myself stopping destructive things—such as fear—at the door, 5 saying "Come in" to faith, love and self-assurance.

As a(n) 6, before I went on camera, I'd make sure anxiety stayed out and confidence in my ability came in. As a mother, when I was 7 about my children, I would try not to let worry in but would 8 my mind with trust in them.

Of course, there were always times I'd 9 those words.

In 1972 my husband, Fillmore Crank, and I opened the doors to our own 10 in North Hollywood. This was a new business venture for us, and it was a lot more 11 and complicated than we had 12.

We were on call 24 hours a day. Something was always going 13. Electricity went on the blink, food wasn't delivered, employees called in sick. Once, a flu epidemic 14 left us with no maids. Fillmore gave me a 15: scrub floors or do the laundry. For 10 days I folded enough king-size sheets to 16 the whole state of California.

Then there was the 17 crisis. The price of gasoline doubled, and tourism in California 18. How could we fill our beds? What if we kept losing money? What if we failed? Fear and worry were sneaking in. But I caught them just 19. I stood porter.

I stood in the door of my mind and sent fear packing.

These days at the hotel, whenever fear tries to 20, I just smile and point to the sign that reads No Vacancy.

The home crowd erupted when China's Eileen Gu won the Women's Freeski Big Air gold in Beijing.

Gu jumped into the top position with her third run, (score) 94.50. Her total score was 188.25 in the event's debut at the Winter Olympics.

The 18-year-old, who also (go) by her Chinese name, Gu Ailing, is a freestyle skier, model and grade-A student with  American father and a Chinese mother. She grew up in the United States. It was there  she grew to love skiing. By 2018, she was representing the US in the world cup for the sport.

Then, she decided to switch from representing the US representing China. The decision met with shock and (confuse) from her growing fan base but Gu was (determine), sharing her reasoning on Instagram at the time.

"This was an (incredible) tough decision for me to make...Through skiing, I hope to unite people, promote common understanding, create communication and forge friendships between(nation). If I can help to inspire one young girl (break) a boundary, my wishes will have come true."

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。

I went to watch the ballet The Peony Pavilion last Sunday's evening. Because I think ballet was more or less the same everywhere, I was total unprepared for its unique beauty. I was absorb the moment when the curtain rose. The performance borrowed a lot from Chinese dance and music, but the Eastern influence on the ballet was clear. The production was full with colors and romantic symbols, and challenged my senses in many way. So much did I enjoy that it changed my opinion about ballet. I can't wait to going again!

1）词数100左右；
2）可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3）题目自拟。