新疆喀什十四校2023-2024学年高二上学期期末考试英语试题

POETRY CHALLENGE

    Write a poem about how courage, determination, and strength have helped you face challenges in your life.

Prizes

    3 Grand Prizes: Trip to Washington, D.C. for each of three winners, a parent and one other person of the winner's choice. Trip includes round-trip air tickets, hotel stay for two nights, and tours of the National Air and Space Museum and the office of National Geographic World.

    6 First Prizes: The book Sky Pioneer:A Photobiography of Amelia Earhart signed by author Corinne Szabo and pilot Linda Finch.

    50 Honorable Mentions:Judges will choose up to 50 honorable mention winners, who will each receive a T-shirt in memory of Earhart's final flight.

Rules

    Follow all rules carefully to prevent disqualification.

    ■Write a poem using 100 words or fewer. Your poem can be any format, any number of lines.

    ■Write by hand or type on a single sheet of paper. You may use both the front and back of the paper.

    ■On the same sheet of paper, write or type your name, address, telephone number, and birth date.

    ■Mail your entry to us by October 31 this year.

During the winter break, I found my dad's old CD player in a drawer that I had never seen before. It reminded me of the three CDs I recently bought from Mostly Books, a second - hand media store on South Street. I knew I could put the player to good use with them.

However, I was a naughty kid who broke closet doors and shelves, so my dad was often unwilling to let me borrow his things. I couldn't decide whether to ask my dad about using the player. "Can you help me with your old CD player? I want to play some CDs , "I finally asked him after walking into his home office that day. Despite my worries, my dad said yes.

Growing up, I felt that my dad disagreed with nearly everything I did. I was frightened to take his advice because listening to him felt like going against my own ideas.

That day I looked at his office wall and saw a painting and he told me he bought it in the 1990s for a couple thousand dollars. Imagining him buying the artwork challenged my idea of him being too frugal (节俭的) and boring (没有情调的) to spend so much money on art.

This new side of my dad encouraged me to finally take the time to look for our similarities. I discovered how similar we really are while fixing the CD player with my dad, which helped me see him as someone I could relate to, instead of someone to avoid. Watching my dad prepare his old CD player for use was my first step toward understanding him. I observed several of his characters that I recognized in myself, like persistence, patience and calmness. Seeing these characters in my dad showed me how similar we are , which lowered the defenses (防御) I built against him, allowing our relationship to heal (愈合).

Futurologists predict that life will probably be very apparently different in 2050 in al the fields of activity, from entertainment to technology.

First of all, it seems that TV channels will have disappeared by 2050. Instead, people will choose a programme from a "menu" and a computer will send the programme directly to the television. Today, we can use the World Wide Web to read newspaper stories and see pictures on a computer thousands of kilometers away. By 2050, music, films, programs, newspapers and books will come to us by computer. We will also be able to see, smell and touch the things that we see on television.

In transport, cars will run on new, clean "gas" and they will go very fast. Cars will have computers to control the speed of the car and there won't be any accidents. Today, many cars have computers that tell drivers exactly where they are. By 2050, the computer will control the car and drive it to where you want to go. Space planes will fly all over the world and people will fly from Los Angeles to Tokyo in just two hours.

In technology, robots will have replaced people in factories. Many factories already use robots. Big companies prefer robots—they do not ask for pay rises or go on strike, and they work 24 hours a day. By 2050, we will see robots

everywhere—in factories, schools, offices, hospitals, shops and homes.

Last but not least, medicine technology will have conquered many diseases. By 2050, we will be able to help blind and deaf people see again and hear again. Scientists will be able to produce clones of people and decide how they look, how they behave and how much intelligence they have.

Sending a thumbs-up (竖起拇指) can be seen as passive aggressive, according to Gen Z (those born between 1995 and 2009) who say they feel attacked whenever it is used. Whether the chat is informal, between friends or at work the symbol appears to have a very different, ‘rude' meaning for the younger generation.

A 24-year-old on Reddit summed up the Gen Z. argument, saying it is best ‘never used in any situation' as it is ‘hurtful". "No one of my age in the office does it, but the Gen X (those born between 1966 and 1980) people always do it. Take me a bit to adjust and get it out of my head that it means they're mad at me," he added. Other young people agreed it is bad form, especially at work where it can make the team appear unfriendly and not easygoing.

"My last workplace had a WhatsApp chat for our team to send information to each other on, and most of the people on there just replied with a thumbs up. I don't know why but it seemed a little bit hostile to me," one woman said. One Reddit user also said the thumbs up actually means that "I've read your message and have nothing to add and I hope and pray… all the people in this group chat have nothing to say on it too."

Older workers appear confused by the reaction, saying they use the thumbs up in work-related chats to show "I agree" or "I understood and will follow."

Part of the issue is that young people tend to use the thumbs-up in jokes. Barry Kennedy, 24, he said he only used it to communicate with older people like his parents or older colleagues. A survey of 2,000 people conducted by Perspectus Global showed that a majority of people between the ages of 16 and 29 believe that you are "officially old"if you use thumbs-up or heart emoji.

Question: Recently I heard the news that about 5,000 people die in fires a year, and 80 percent of these deaths occur in house fires. Fires kill more people per year in the United States than all the other natural disasters.  Could you help me?

Answer: Don't worry. In fact, most fires can be avoidable and easily prevented. Here are some tips for preventing a fire in your own home.

◆Dispose of all cigarette butts (烟头). Never leave them out where babies or children can reach them.  Keep ashtrays clean and safe by promptly disposing of the ash.

◆Avoid smoking in bed. In case you fall asleep on the couch while watching television, do not smoke while lying on the couch.

◆Keep all lighters safely out of reach of babies and children.

◆Do not overload electrical circuits, and check electrical appliances regularly for loose connections or damaged cords.

◆ These would include the kitchen, near the furnace and fireplace, and the garage. Examine the extinguishers (灭火器) yearly for pressure and expiration date (有效期).

◆Install smoke detectors. Make sure that there is a detector on every level of the house. Also, make sure that there is a smoke detector near every bedroom. 

◆Install a rope ladder or fire escape in selected windows upstairs. Make sure that al family members know how to use the ladder.

◆Come up with an emergency escape plan. 

A. However, I don't know how to prevent house fires.

B. Have a designated meeting area outside the home.

C. Have fire extinguishers in high-risk areas of your home.

D. Keep candles where they will not be accidentally knocked over.

E. Discuss it with the family and have everyone practice using the escape routes.

F. If you smoke, get into the habit of properly disposing of your butts immediately.

G. Check your smoke detectors monthly and replace the batteries at least once a year

Sometimes simple words can arouse great sentiments (情感). If a(n) 1 tells you "I'm so proud of you," you can bet it will 2 your heart. Or in the 3 of Jensen Weiss, millions of them.

In a video his mom Christina Weiss posted to TikTok late last year and then 4 recently, the 2-year-old tells his mom he's "so proud" of her. Why?

"You cleaned my room. You're so 5 ," he says. The original video was 6 more than 6 million times.

Weiss told Fox News Digital she had cleaned her son's room while he was out 7 with his dad. "I heard him run into his room and say ‘woooOoooow' and then heard his little feet running to find me and I knew it was going to be 8 !"

She said she reposted it at the request of her followers in late March "to 9 joy whenever and wherever we can."

Weiss said she's had many 10 in her life, including mental health issues. Her recovery journey has 11 influenced the way she raises her kids.

"I 12 in an intensive recovery program that many of my bad choices were 13 my lack of self-love and the tough environment I grew up in," the Moorefield, West Virginia mom told Fox News Digital. "I hope to raise children who love themselves more than anything and won't ever let 14 factors change how they feel about themselves."

Weiss added, "I hope they always know they are loved, they are enough, and they will always be amazing humans to their 15 , no matter what."

A Lifelong Journey, a TV series (adapt) from the writer Liang Xiaosheng's novel has been a huge hit on TV and online. Some famous actors, such as Lei Jiayin, Song Jia, and Yin Tao, join in the show, which (focus) on the ups and downs of Zhou's family over five decades. It is set in the 1970s so it's not (surprise) that the family has to deal with lots of social changes. The show explores themes of family, friendship and romance. Many viewers describe the show a time machine reflecting how we get here.

Painting a picture of ordinary Chinese people living in the changing times, the novel won the writer Liang, the 10th Mao Dun Literary Award, one of China's top literary (award). Millions of people have been touched by the family's story, makes readers find out what lies deep in their hearts.

Translating such a series of stories to the small screen had been challenge for scriptwriter Wang Hailing. " (frank) speaking, it is very difficult," Wang said. "The lives of the three siblings (兄弟姊妹) are telling the story of a small family. But when we consider the bigger picture, the country (it) is made up of millions of such small families." According to Cheng Wu, producer of A Lifelong Journey, a deep sense of responsibility inspired him (produce) the best adaptation of the work.

注意：1. 词数80左右。信的格式已给出，不计入总词数；2. 可适当发挥以使行文连贯。

参考词汇：

声望：reputation    资格qualification

Dear Sir,

……

Looking forward to your reply. Best wishes.

Yours,

Li Hua

Linda was very excited, "Dad. I am going back home for Thanksgiving. Can you pick me up after school tomorrow?"

"No problem."

It's been over three months since Linda moved to board at school. She missed her mom and dad so much that she couldn't even wait to pack and leave for home.

The class was over at 3 and all the after-class activities were cancelled. The minute the bell rang, all cheered and disappeared from the classroom immediately. So did Linda. Within 20 minutes, she made it to the school gate and waited there. Linda heard people hilariously (情不自禁地) talking about plans for the coming holiday. What's awaiting her?

Linda waved them goodbye as her classmates left one by one. Crowds became scarce when Linda got anxious. Her phone was dead and she forgot to charge it. Dad had never been late! She had to borrow a phone to make a call before she was the only one left.

"Hi, dad? What's holding you up?"

"I am sorry, Honey! The car broke down halfway and it was more serious than it seemed. Will you wait up for me there?"

"OK, but when can you come?"

"I am not sure. You shall find yourself a place to stay as it is so cold outside. I will be there as soon as I can."

"Where could I go?" Linda wondered. She needed a drink and what's more important, to charge her phone. There was a fast food restaurant nearby, only 10 minutes' walk. Yet, not until she walked a few yards did she realize she had to drag such a big and heavy suitcase. What's worse, the severe cold numbed her hands. It was getting dark and Linda became worried. But she didn't stop.

注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Suddenly, a car pulled over in front of her. 

……

On Thanksgiving Day, Linda decided to do something to show her gratitude to the driver again.