Tracking down stories in some unfamiliar places even took as much time as the reading and blogging. It was hard to fit it all in around work and many were the nights when I sat bleary-eyed (睡眼惺忪的) into the small hours to make sure I stuck to my target of reading one book every 1.87 days.
Still，one by one, the country names on the list made at the start of the year transformed into vital, exciting places filled with laughter, love, anger, hope and fear. Lands that had once seemed exotic became familiar to me – places I could identify with. At its best, I learned, fiction makes the world real.
66. What help did the writer receive to achieve his goal? A. Some writers sent him their original works.
B. The local bookstore provided books from 200 nations even if it was unlikely. C. Some writers did research work on what books are popular. D. Some people mailed books from their own countries.
67. In order to accomplish his goal, the writer did the following except ______. A. asking for help from all over the world
B. making full use of his leisure time after work C. reading until early next morning
D. appealing to writers to send him new books
68. What does the word \exotic\A. Unrealistic. B. Uncivilized. C. Strange. D. Unimaginable.
69. Which of the following best describe the writer’s experience in the year? A. Original but tiring B. Hard but relaxing C. Busy but fruitful D. Helpful but challenging
(B)
Villa d'Este, Tivoli (Italy) - Official Site Useful Information
Call Center 199766166
Number to dial from all of Italy for pre-sales and reservations for: tickets, guided tours, school groups, instructional visits. Bookings from abroad:
email: villadestetivoli@teleart.org fax: 0039 0412770747
telephone: 0039 0412719036 Visiting Hours:
Opening 8.30 – closed one hour before sunset.
The ticket office closes one hour before the closing of the monument.
The hydraulic organ of the Organ Fountain is active daily, from 10.30 am, every two hours. The Fontana della Civetta functions daily, from 10.00 am, every two hours. Ticket Prices:
(from May 17 to October 20, 2013)
Full ticket (exhibition + villa and gardens, not divisible): � 11. Reduced ticket: � 7.
These prices will be valid during the daytime openings of the Villa until the closure of the exhibition, due on the 20th of October, 2013 (From the 22nd of October, 2013) Full ticket: � 8
Reduced ticket: � 4
These fares may vary in conjunction with exhibitions set inside the Villa.
The right to purchase reduced price tickets belongs to all citizens of the European Union between the ages of 18 and 24 as well as permanent teachers of state schools (upon presentation of identity documents). School Visits:
Reservations are required. The management of Villa d'Este, in the aim of preserving the monument and better distributing the flow of students, has limited the number of students allowed into the Villa to 100 students per hour. Should any school group arrive at the Villa without having made a reservation, it will be admitted to the Villa according to space availability at a particular time and asked to wait until such space becomes available. Right of Reservation cost: � 1,00. Notices:
Certain areas of the villa may be closed for restoration: for information inquire at the ticket office.
Please pay particular attention to the areas marked with signs indicating danger (in Italian: pericolo).
70. How can a visiting Chinese professor of architecture in Rome make a booking? A. By dialing 199766166.
B. By writing an email to villadestetivoli@teleart.org. C. By calling 0039 0412719036. D. By sending a fax to 0039 0412770747.
71. The receptionist at the ticket office may recommend you to see ______ first, if you arrive at 10.25 am.
A. the exhibition inside the villa B. the Organ Fountain C. the gardens D. the Fontana della Civetta
72. Why are reservations essential for school visits? A. Reservations are more economical.
B. Reservations enable as many students as possible to visit the monument.
C. Reservations ensure a pleasant visit for students and a manageable one for the Villa. D. Reservation fees can help preserve the site.
73. Which of following statements is NOT TRUE? A. Villa d'Este is closed at night.
B. Ticket prices are usually higher than usual when there happens to be an exhibition. C. Tourists are not allowed to enter areas marked with signs “pericolo”. D. Visitors can buy reduced tickets as long as they make a reservation.
(C)
来源:Zxxk.Com]
Have you ever seen harmful robots refuse to die, no matter how fiercely people fight back? As is known, it is always the case in some of the scariest science fiction. Now, science fiction has changed into science fact. For the first time, researchers have created a robotic machine that can stand a beating and keep on walking. Developed by scientists from Cornell University and the University of Vermont, the new robot looks like a spider with four legs. Until now, even the most advanced robot was This four-legged robot can teach itself to walk, even changing how it walks after it almost certain to break down when damaged. That’s has suffered damage. because its inside computer simply doesn’t know how to operate the machine after its shape has changed. To get around this problem, the spidery robot’s developers equipped their invention with eight motors and two sensors that read how the machine is tilting(倾斜). The motors and sensors all provide electrical signals to the machine’s software. Using this information, the system follows a new procedure to figure out the machine’s shape at any given moment. The program chooses from among 100,000 possible arrangements of parts. From there, the computer considers a wide variety of possible next steps, and it calculates how best to move the robot forward the longest possible distance, before trying to move again. “The new strategy is a major advance in robotics”, Professor Skehan, a scientist in Cornell University says, “and it’s far from scary”. The technology may someday help researchers create better artificial arms and legs that give new freedom to people who lack them. The new knowledge might also help scientists understand how people and animals figure out their own sense of place in space. “Designing robots that can adapt to changing environments and can compensate(补偿) for damage has been a difficult problem,” says neuroscientist Olaf Sporns of Indiana University in Bloomington. “This work provides a new way toward solving this important problem.”
74. What’s the most important characteristic of the new robot? A. Its shape is like a spider with four legs.
B. It can repair itself and move again after damaged. C. It is operated by its inside computer.
D. It is certain to change the direction when damaged.
75. it can be learnt from the passage that ________. A. animals have no sense of place in space
B. people have difficulty in figuring out how to get to his destination C. scientists don’t understand people’s ability of location
D. scientists want to know where people and animals are going
76. We can infer from the view of Professor Skehan that ________. A. the new technology will help people have a better sense of space B. the new technology will help people grow new arms and legs
C. designing robots can help to be adaptable to the changing of the environment D. the new technology will have some medical benefits
77. The purpose of the author to write this article is to ________. A. introduce a new robot that will not die B. discuss science fiction and new invention C. recommend the latest invention
D. explain the relationship between robot and medicine
Section C
Directions: Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in NO MORE THAN TEN WORDS.
With 26 British prime ministers, 58 Nobel prize winners, over 150 Olympic medals and a \alumni\list that reads like a historical hall of fame, the institutions of Oxford and Cambridge – collectively known as Oxbridge – are seen, by many, as the dream alma mater(母校).
However, as admission season dawns, and the October 15 deadline for Oxbridge inches ever closer, many students may wonder what makes the UK's top two institutions so special. Why does Oxbridge symbolize the academic dream for so many? Do the universities deserve the reputation they hold in the minds of so many teenagers, parents and academics?
There is no doubt that both Oxford and Cambridge have a long standing history of academia. Yet, what is often overlooked is the strong reputation of countless other universities in the UK.
A simple click on Google can tell students that the London School of Economics and Political Sciences, for example, has over 18 Nobel Prize winners and 50 world leaders. University College London attracts students from 150 countries and has exchange and research links with nearly 300 overseas universities. Manchester University has the largest student union of all UK universities and boasts alumni such as Niels Bohr and James Chadwick.
I suddenly realized the Oxbridge effect when I was out in London with friends. I met some new people and was surprised by their reaction when I told them I was going to study at Cambridge. One person even got down on one knee and kissed my hand.
From then on, I told people I was going on a gap year. Although I knew that Oxbridge provides a good education, I had never expected to get such extreme reactions. It was this that made me start to feel uncomfortable about the way that Oxbridge is viewed.
The Cambridge Tab, the university's student newspaper, has argued that what makes Cambridge special is the fact that the students are told that they are unique and a cut above the rest, so they believe it. Ron Weasley never took the Felix Felicis potion that Harry Potter pretended to give him – all he had to do to win the Quidditch match was to believe he was great.
For students applying now, yes, you will receive a world class education at Oxbridge, but you will find the same at numerous other universities throughout the country. Every time you hear about the brilliance of Oxbridge, consider that just because many believe, it does not have to be so.
78. The examples of the London School of Economics and Political Sciences, University College London and Manchester University serve to illustrate the point that
__________________________________in the UK.
79. According to the passage, we can find that people ___________________ the students at the Oxbridge.
80. How did the writer avoid over-reaction from people to her admission into Cambridge? ______________________________________________________________________
81. What is the writer’s suggestion to students applying to universities?
_______________________________________________________________________
第II卷（共47分）
I．Translation
Directions: Translate the following sentences into English, using the word given in the brackets.
1. 这个失败给了我们一个教训:今日事，今日毕。(put)
_____________________________________________________________________________
2. 直到那时他才意识到为了达到目的而违法是得不偿失的。(worth)
______________________________________________________________________ 3. 我们要求学生列出要做的事，以便充分利用时间。(demand)
______________________________________________________________________ 4. 要不了多久，他们就会同意我们出版这本针对年龄为6-12岁孩子的书了。(It) ______________________________________________________________________
5. 无论你的志向是什么，你都要乐于面对各种挑战，否则你做的一切都是徒劳的。(come) ______________________________________________________________________
来源学#科#网Z#X#X#K]II. Writing
Directions: Write an English composition in 120 to 150 words according to the instructions given below.
你校决定开设部分英国中学课程，由英国教师通过网络授课，所有同学均可报名参加。对此请说说你的想法。
你的文章必须包括以下内容： 1. 你是否会报名参加；
2. 你做出该决定的具体理由。
注意：不要写出学校的名字。
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上海市十三校2014届高三12月联考英语试题
