1、中山市 2012 年高中英語讀寫能力競賽高三試題中山市 2012 年高中英語讀寫能力競賽高三競賽試題第一部分閱讀（共兩節(jié)滿分70分）第一節(jié) 閱讀理解，共30小題，每小題2分滿分60分，閱讀下列六篇短文從每題所給的 A、B、C和D項中選出最佳選項并在答 題卡上將該項涂黑。Passage 1The Chinese American Citizens Alliance has announced that LakeridgeHigh School junior Vivian Chen has won first place in its 2012 nationalessay contest and

2、Chen s essay earned her a $1,000 scholarship. .Each year on the first Saturday in March, thousands of high school students across the nation participate in the Alliance s national essaycontest, which is intended to cultivate creative thinking and selfexpression and encourage an awareness of current

3、local and world events.You don t know what the topic is in advance. It s a timedimpromptu essay, II said Chen.When I arrived at the testlocation I was given a packet and had to write the essay in twohours. I was a little nervous. IIHelen Ying, a spokeswoman for CACA, said what the students are going

4、 to write is a highly kept secret until it is presented the day of the competition. Students handwrite their essays into bound books, which are collected at the end of the two-hour period for judging. Each of theorganization s 18 regions selects its top winners; from these top entries, the national

5、winner is selected.This year s essay topic was the following: Electronic media such as Facebook, Twitter and texting have now become mainstream ways of meeting friends and connecting with peers. Discuss whether you use Facebook, or text or Twitter extensively, or know other people your age who do so

6、 on a regular basis. In addition, share your thoughts on how these technological innovations have affected your relationship with members of the older generation, particularly with more traditional and conservative Chinese/Asian-American parents. Expand your thoughts by commenting on what effects th

7、ese media have on parental supervision and guidance, and your relationship with others your own age. II I felt really comfortable about writing about the topic.II saidChen. She explained that she regularly uses social media to communicate with her grandparents in China. I wasn t expecting to win, so

8、 it was just a fun exercise for me. I was really surprised that I won.IIAbout the national essay contest, which of the following statements is NOT true ?It is organized by the Chinese American Citizens AllianceIt is held on the first Saturday in March every yearIts purpose is to develop Chinese stud

9、ents writing skills and creative thinkingIt encourages students to pay more attention to the current affairsWhat does the underlined partimpromptu II in Paragrph 3probably means?高三英語讀寫競賽試題 第 1 頁（共 10 頁）A. Important. B. In a regular time. C. Untitled. D. Unprepared.What can be inferred from the passa

10、ge?Vivian was rewarded $1,000.Judges usually spend 2 hours judging and selecting the final winner.Vivian Chen knew she would win this contest.Vivian Chen was once one of the top winners of the 18 regions.Which of the following is NOT required to write in this year s essay?The use of electronic media

11、 in their daily life.The effects of electronic media on the ways of parental guidance.The effects of electronic media on relationship between the old and the young.The effects of electronic media on the lifestyles of people.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?Vivian Chen won top

12、 prize in the national essay contest in 2012.The Alliance s national essay contest.National essay contest and its topic of the year 2012.Vivian Chen won a $1,000 scholarship.Passage 2Recently, I often think of an experience, a small but unforgettable experience. It was one night when I was driving m

13、y car down a two-lane highway at a high speed of about 60 miles an hour. Another car approached from the opposite direction at about the same speed. As we passed each other, I caught the other driver s eye for only a second. Iwondered whether he might be thinking, as I was, how dependent we were on

14、each other at that moment. I was relying on him not to fall asleep, not to be put off by a phone conversation, not to cross over into my lane and bring my life to a sudden end. Though we had never spoken a word to each other, he relied on me in just the same way.Multiplied a million times over, I be

15、lieve that is the way the world works. At some level, we all rely on one another. Sometimes that dependence requires us simply not to do something like crossing over the double yellow line. And sometimes it requires us to act cooperatively, with friends or even with strangers.As technology shrinks o

16、ur world, the need for cooperative action among nations is increasing. In 2003, doctors in five nations were quickly organized to identify the SARS virus, which saved thousands of lives. The threat of international terrorismhas shown itself to be a similar problem, one requiring coordinated action b

17、y police and intelligence forces across the world. We must recognize that our fates are not ours alone to control.In my own life, I ve put great stock in pe rsonal responsibility.But, as the years have passed, Ive also come to believe thatthere are moments when one must rely upon the good faith and

18、judgment of others. So, while each of us faces the case of driving alone down a dark road, what we must learn is that the approaching light may not be a threat, but a shared moment of trust.6(The author considers very important.A(driving alone on a dark road B(independence of peopleC(cooperation to

19、identify SARS virus D(shared trust and cooperation7(The author said that they depended on each other in the same way because .A(the approaching car was very dangerousB(they both drove their car at a terrific speed第2頁（共10頁）s careless drivingC(he might be killed out of the otherD(it was dark and the h

20、ighway road was a two-lane road8(From the second paragraph, we know the author drew the important lesson from .A(only one experienceB(many similar experiencesC(a driver on a dark roadD(many friends and strangers9(The need for cooperation increases because .A(peoples fates can t be controlled by them

21、selvesB(the SARS virus spread quicklyC(terrorism can happen everywhereD(the world is smaller than before10(We can infer from the last paragraph that the author has .A(believed inone s own personal responsibilityB(counted upon himself alone in everythingC(had no trust in others good faith and judgmen

22、tD(had a change on his viewpoint of lifePassage 3Scientists claim that children who have low levels of self-control at three are more likely to have health and money problems and a criminal record by the age of 32, regardless of background and IQ.Researchers from Britain, the U.S. and New Zealand an

23、alyzed data from two large studies in which children completed a range of physical tests and interviews to assess genetic and environmental factors that can shape their lives.They found that children with low self-control were more likely to have health problems in later life including high blood pr

24、essure, being overweight, breathing problems. They were also more likely to be dependent on things such as tobacco, alcohol and drugs, more likely to be single parents, have difficulty managing money and have criminal records.childII Our study shows, for the first time, that willpower as a really do

25、es influence your chances of a healthy and wealthy adulthood.The researchers firstly looked at data from around 1,000 children born in New Zealand between April 1972 and March 1973.The participants self -control was assessed by teachers, parents, observers and the children themselves and included th

26、ings like having fear of failure, lacking persistence in reaching goals, being overactive and acting before thinking.Dr Moffitts team then found that when the participants reached their early 30s, this impulsivity（沖動 ） and relativeinability to think about the long-term gave them more problems with f

27、inances, including savings, owning a home and credit card debt.The children with lower self-control scores also scored highest for things like weight problems, having high cholesterol and high blood pressure.To support the findings, the researchers ran the same analysis on data from 500 pairs of twi

28、ns in Britain.They found that the brother or sister with lower self-control scores at age five was more likely to start smoking, do badly at school and engage in anti-social behaviour at age 12.Dr Avshalom Capsi, who worked with Dr Moffitt on the study, said: This shows that self-control is importan

29、t by itself,apart from all other factors that brothers or sisters share, such astheir parents and home life. II高三英語讀寫競賽試題 第 3 頁（共 10 頁）Which of the following statements about the findings is right?Children with a low IQ and good background are more likely to have low levels of self-controlChildren w

30、ho have health and money problems are more likely to have good backgroundChildren with low self-control at three are more likely to commita crime in their early 30sChildren who have low levels of self-control at three will havehealth and money problems by the age of 32 12. According to the passage,

31、children with low self-control were more likely to have the following problems in their later lifeEXCEPT.having health problems such as high blood pressure, being overweightgetting divorced before they have a babyhaving problems with finances including savings, credit card debtbeing addicted to smok

32、ing, drinking and taking drugsHow many children were studied by the researchers in all?A. 1,000. B. 2,000. C. 1,500. D. 500.From paragraph six, we can know that children with low selfcontrol may A. lack big goals B. think and act activelyC. have more failure D. fear to failIn which section of a news

33、paper does the passage probably appear?A. Entertainment. B. Family Education.C. Science Research. D. Current Affairs.Passage 4Brad and Sue have three lovely but naughty boys. One day, Sue lefthome to visit her mother. Expecting a whole day to relax, Brad wasthinking whether to read the newspaper or

34、watch his favorite TV talkshow on his first day off in months. This will be like a walk in thepark, II he d told his wife. I 11100k after the kids, and you can govisit your mom. IIThings started we11, but just after eight o c1ock, hi s three 1itt1egood kids II Mike, Randy, and Alex came down thestai

35、rs in their night clothes and shoutedbreakfast, daddy. II Whenfood had not appeared within thirty seconds, Randy began using his spoon on Alex s head as if it were a drum. Alex started toshout loudly intime to the beat（ 節(jié)拍 ）. Mike chanted Where s my toast, where s my toast I in the background. Brad

36、realized his newspaper would have to wait for a few seconds.Life became worse after breakfast. Mike wore Randy s underwear onhis head. Randy locked himself in the bathroom,while Alex shouted again because he was going to wet his pants.Nobody could find clean socks, although they were before their ve

37、ry eyes.Someone named Not Me II had spilled a whole glass of orange juice intothe basket of clean clothes. Brad knewthe talk show had already started.By ten o clock, things were out of control. Alex was wondering why the fish in the jar refused his bread and butter. Mike was trying to show off his t

38、alent by decorating the kitchen wall with his colour pencils. Randy, thankfully, appeared to be reading quietly in the family room， but closer examination showed that he was eating apple jam straight from the bottle with his hands. Brad realized that the talk show was over and reading would be impos

39、sible.At exactly 11:17, Brad called the daycare centre （ 日托所 ）. I suddenly have to go into work and my wife s away. Can Ibring the boys over in a few minutes? II The answer was obviously yes II because Brad was smiling.When his wife left home, Brad expected to .go out for a walk in the parkwatch TV

40、talk show with his childrenenjoy his first day off work高三英語讀寫競賽試題 第 4 頁（共 10 頁）read the newspaper to his childrenNobody could find clean socks because one of the three kids had dirtied the socksthe boys were lazy to pick up the clean socks before their eyesone of the three kids had hidden their sock

41、sthey couldn t recognize the socks of their ownWhich of the following did Randy do?A. Drawing on the wall. B. Eating apple jam.C. Feeding the fish. D. Reading in a room.Why did Brad ask the daycare centre for help?Because he wanted to clean up his house.Because he suddenly had to go to his office.Be

42、cause he found it hard to manage his boys home.Because he had to take his wife back.This text is developed .A. by space B. by comparisonC. by process D. by timePassage 5Hero is an inspiring word. Everybody worships heroes and even wants to be a hero himself. But what is a hero? I mean, what is a tru

43、e hero?Despite the great differences in cultures, heroes around the world generally share a number of characteristics that instruct and inspire people.A hero does something worth talking about. A hero has a story of adventure to tell and a community who will listen. But a hero goes beyond mere fame.

44、Heroes serve principles and society larger than themselves. A hero should be willing to help others, and determined to change the world into a better place. He should be thoughtful to the people around. And when disadvantaged groups are treated unfair, he will have enough courage to speak for them.

45、In other words, a hero should care for the society.The hero lives a life worthy of imitation. Those who imitate a genuine hero experience life with new depth, enthusiasm, and meaning. A sure test for would-be heroes is what or whom do they serve? What are they willing to live and die for? If the ans

46、wer or evidence suggests they serve only their own fame, they may be famous persons but notheroes. Madonna and Michael Jackson are famous, but who would claim that their fans find life more meaningful?Heroes are catalysts （ 催化劑 ） for change. They have a vision from the mountaintop. They have the ski

47、ll and the charm to move ordinary people. They create new possibilities. Without Gandhi, India might still be part of the British Empire. Without Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr., we might still have segregated （ 隔離的 ） buses, restaurants, and parks. It may bepossible for great change to occur

48、without leaders with powerful personalities, but the pace of change would be slow, the visionuncertain.Although heroes may come from different cultures, they .generally possess certain inspiring characteristicsprobably share some weaknesses of ordinary people高三英語讀寫競賽試題 第 5頁（共 10 頁）are often influenc

49、ed by previous generationsall unknowingly attract a large number of fansAccording to Paragraph3 and Paragraph 4, which of the following statements could the author NOT agree to?A hero is usually famous.A hero must be a lover of adventure.A hero should be one who is more willing to serve others more

50、than himself.A hero should not only be thoughtful but also brave.Madonna and Michael Jackson are not considered heroes becausethey are popular only among certain groups of peopletheir performances do not improve their fans morallytheir primary concern is their own financial intereststhey are not cle

51、ar about the principles they should followGandhi and Martin Luther King are typical examples of outstanding leaders who .are good at demonstrating their charming characterscan bring changes to society in their timesare capable of meeting all challenges and hardshipscan provide an answer to the probl

52、ems of their peopleThe author concludes that historical changes would be delayed without leaders with inspiring personal qualitiesnot happen without heroes making the necessary sacrificestake place if there were heroes to lead the peopleproduce leaders with attractive personalitiesPassage 6A new stu

53、dy shows that stress affects how the brain thinks about the advantages and disadvantages, causing it to focus on pleasure and ignore the possible negative consequences of a decision.The research suggests that stress may change the way people make choices in predictable ways.Stress affects how people

54、 learn, II says Professor Mara Mather. People learn better about positive than negative outcomesunder stress. IIFor example, two recent studies looked at how people learned to connect images（ 影像 ） with either rewards or punishments.In one experiment, some of the participants were first stressed by h

55、aving to give a speech and do difficult math problems in front of an audience; in the other, some were stressed by having to keep their hands in ice water. In both cases, the stressed participants remembered the rewarded material more accurately and the punished material less accurately than those w

56、ho hadn tgone through the stress.This phenomenon is likely not surprising to anyone who has tried to resist eating cookies or smoking a cigarette while under stress- atthose moments, only the pleasure associated with such activities comes to mind. But the findings further suggest that stress may bri

57、ng about a double effect. Not only are rewarding experiences remembered better, but negative consequences are also easily recalled.The research also found that stress appears to affect decisionmaking differently in men and women. While both men and women tend to focus on rewards and less on conseque

58、nces under stress, their responses to risk turn out to be different.Men who had been stressed by the cold-water task tended to take more risks in the experiment while women responded in the opposite way. In stressful situations in which risk-taking can pay off big, men may tend to do better, when ca

59、ution weighsmore, however, women will win.This tendency to slow down and become more cautious when decisions are risky might also help explain why women are高三英語讀寫競賽試題 第 6 頁（共 10 頁）less likely to become addicted than men: they may more often avoid making the risky choices that eventually harden into

60、addiction.We can learn from the passage that people under pressure tend tokeep rewards better in their memoryrecall consequences more effortlesslymake risky decisions more frequentlylearn a subject more effectivelyAbout the two experiments mentioned in the passage, which of the following is NOT true