2022-2023学年湖南省怀化市麻阳县三校高二（上）期末英语试卷

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项。

• 1．New Year's celebrations take many forms，but most cultures have one thing in common—have a good time after a long，hard year.For much of the globe this involves drinking with friends until the sun comes up，singing together.But others have rather more curious habits，often filled with superstition （迷信）.
     In Denmark，people stand on chairs and jump off together as the clock strikes midnight，really leaping into the new year.The Danes also throw plates at their friends' homes during the night-the more pieces you find outside your door in the morning the more popular you are said to be.
     In Finland，say tour guides，people pour melted （熔化的） lead into cold water to predict the year ahead from the shape the metal forms.If the shape represents a ship it is said to predict travel，if it's a ball，good luck.
     The Dutch build massive bonfires with their Christmas trees and cat sugary donuts—one of many cultures to consume round New Year's foods traditionally believed to represent good fortune.
     Spaniards，in turn，cat a dozen grapes before the strike of midnight，each fruit representing a month that will either be sweet or sour.
     In the Philippines，people wear polka dots （带圆点的服装） for good luck，while in some countries of South America people put on brightly coloured underwear to attract fortune—red for love and yellow for financial success.
     Despite regional and cultural differences，for most the New Year's festivities are a chance to let off steam before the annual cycle starts all over again. "This is a holiday that is about celebration and letting go，" explained George Washington University sociologist Amitai Etzioni.
  
  （1）In which country is the festival related to metal？

  
  A．Denmark.
  B．Spain.
  C．Finland.
  D．The Netherlands.
  （2）What can we learn about New Year's celebrations from the text？

  
  A．The Danes throw grapes at their friends' homes during the night.
  B．Spaniards eat many donuts before the strike of midnight.
  C．The Dutch build massive walls with their Christmas trees.
  D．Some people in South America wear red underwear for love.
  （3）What does the underlined phrase "let off steam" in the last paragraph mean？

  
  A．Get married.
  B．Get relaxed.
  C．Make money.
  D．Make friends.
  组卷：5引用：4难度：0.5

  解析

• 2．The American Academy of Pediatrics has warned about the potential negative effects of social media on young kids and teens.But the same risks may be true for adults.A review study suggests addiction symptoms （症状），such as failure to pay attention to personal life and escapism，appear to be present in some people who use Facebook excessively （过度）.
     A study also shows when people stop using the Internet，they also go through small but measurable physical effects.Rather than improving health，as frequent interactions（互动） with offline social networks do，the findings show that interacting with Facebook may predict the opposite result for young adults—it may undermine it.
     In fact，another study found that social media use is linked to greater feelings of social isolation （隔离），mentally and physically.We fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to others as we check our Facebook pages.The study looked at how we make comparisons with others' posts，in "upward" or "downward" directions—that is，feeling that we are either worse or better off than our friends.It turned out that both types of comparisons made people feel worse，which is surprising，since in real life，only upward comparisons make people feel bad.But in the social network world，it seems that any kind of comparison is linked to depressive symptoms.
     All of this is not to say that there is no benefit of social media—obviously it keeps us connected across great distances，and helps us find people we had lost touch with years ago.But visiting social networks when you have some time to kill is very likely a bad idea.If you are feeling brave，try taking a little break，and see how it goes.And if you are going to keep "using" it，then at least try to use it reasonably.
  
  （1）What might researchers think about "using Facebook excessively"？

  
  A．It's problem behavior.
  B．It's costly and time-consuming.
  C．It's sometimes a solution to social isolation.
  D．It's leading people to become imaginative.
  （2）What does the underlined word "undermine" in paragraph 2 probably mean？

  
  A．Present.
  B．Destroy.
  C．Check.
  D．Ensure.
  （3）What's the finding of the study mentioned in paragraph 3？

  
  A．Social media are being given too much importance.
  B．Young Facebook users feel more isolated than their elders.
  C．All kinds of comparisons on social media upset people.
  D．Downward comparisons link closer to depression than upward ones.
  （4）What is the main idea of the text？

  
  A．Social media affect people's mental health.
  B．Comparing ourselves with others may lead to depression.
  C．Social networks have more advantages than disadvantages.
  D．Nowadays people tend to turn to the Internet for satisfaction.
  组卷：2引用：3难度：0.5

  解析

• 3．Festivals are celebrated all around the world.They have a wide range of origins，such as the seasons of the year，religions，famous figures，and important events.Every festival has its different customs and unique charms.However，no matter how different they may seem，all over the world，the spirit of sharing joy，gratitude，love，or peace is common in all festivals.
     Of all the traditional festivals，the harvest festival can be found in almost every culture.This important agricultural festival takes place after all the crops have been gathered in.People celebrate to show that they are grateful for the year's supply of food.In ancient Egypt，the harvest festival was celebrated during the springtime — the Egyptian harvest season.It featured a parade and a great feast with music，dancing，and sports.Today，in some European countries，people decorate churches and town halls with flowers and fruit，and get together to celebrate over a meal.During the Mid-Autumn Festival in China，families gather to admire the shining moon and enjoy delicious moon cakes.
     Customs play a significant role in festivals，but sometimes they can change over time.With the development of modern society and the spread of new ideas，some traditions may fade away and others may be established.One example is the typical Chinese Spring Festival custom of lighting firecrackers to drive away the evil spirits and celebrate the new year.Nowadays，many big cities have given up this custom in order to avoid air pollution.Another example is Halloween，which slowly became an exciting festival for children，in spite of its religious origins.
     Festivals are becoming more and more commercial，with businesses taking advantage of the celebrations.Online shopping websites and social media apps have made it much easier for the public to spend more on gifts for their loved ones.Some believe festivals should not be commercialized，while others believe the increase in spending is good for the economy and public happiness.
     Festivals are an important part of society.They reflect people's wishes，beliefs，faiths，and attitudes towards life.They are occasions that allow us to relax and enjoy life，and forget about our work for a little while.They help us understand where we came from，who we are，and what to appreciate.And if you study festivals carefully，you may be surprised to find that different cultures actually have a lot in common after all.
  
  （1）Why do people in different cultures celebrate the harvest festival？

  
  A．It's tradition in their religion.
  B．It's a only custom in their culture.
  C．It's a way to express their appreciation and cheers.
  D．It's a chance for people to enjoy themselves together.
  （2）How did some festivals change over time according to the passage？

  
  A．Fireworks can't drive the evil spirits away.
  B．Festivals play an important role in commerce.
  C．People share information faster than before with society developing.
  D．People get gifts easier than before due to the increase of the economy.
  （3）What's the writer's attitude towards the commercialization of festivals？

  
  A．Neutral.
  B．Doubtful.
  C．Supportive.
  D．Disapproving.
  （4）Which statement is NOT true according to the passage？

  
  A．Almost every culture celebrates harvest festival.
  B．Festivals are a reflection of people's outlook on life and values.
  C．Festivals have something in common with each other in different cultures.
  D．The religious origins of Halloween have disappeared.
  组卷：0引用：5难度：0.5

  解析

第一节 写作（满分40分）

• 8．随着时代的发展，春节习俗不断增添新的内容。假如你是李华，你的英国笔友Jack对中国的传统节日很感兴趣，来信想了解中国的春节。请你给他写一封回信介绍春节的习俗和你家今年春节的庆祝活动。
  要点如下：（1）春节的时间；
  （2）春节的习俗；
  （3）你在春节期间的活动。
  注意：（1）词数100左右；
  （2）开头已给出，不计入总词数；
  （3）可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
  参考词汇：农历 Lunar Calendar；春晚 Spring Festival Gala；鞭炮 Firecracker
  Dear Jack，
      Knowing that you are fascinated by our traditional Chinese Spring Festival，I'm writing to tell you something related to it.
  __________
  Yours，
  Li Hua
  组卷：6引用：3难度：0.5

  解析

• 9．阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成-一篇完整的短文。
      I am a proud mother of three children，my last little one being delivered in the middle of this pandemic.She was born in August and her name is Aida.
      Shortly after having Aida，my mother-in-law Ann showed me something she learned from her friend's mother in an art class she attended weekly.She had showed me how to knit（编织） a scarf.She showed me stitches（针） and gave me her half done project.
      I spent a lot of time breastfeeding my sweet little girl，so I had some extra time to do something with my hands throughout the day.I enjoyed making the scarf so I purchased tons of yarn（线）since it was winter.I wanted to make scarves for my three children as Christmas gifts.
      There was a new family that moved in down the street.The only daughter of the family was Jane，a shy girl，aged 14，the same age of my oldest son David.It seemed that she came from a financially disadvantaged family，for she always wore old clothes.Worse sill，in such cold days，she had no more clothes to wear and trembled with cold.
      Due to the pandemic，society was thrown into crisis mode.Schools were closed，food supplies and deliveries were suspended and children were stuck at home.In such discouraging times，however，they became good companions，talking and playing at home or around the houses.
      It was dreadfully cold this winter.Every time David came back from outside，with red face，he always cried，"Mum，it is freezing outside!" Then，he came over to see whether I finished the scarf.I could tell how impatient he was to wear my scarf sooner!I had to speed the project to satisfy his expectation.But David comforted me saying he could wait a few days.What a kind and considerate boy he was!Then my great art project finally was accomplished on the morning ahead of Christmas.
  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。
      I wrapped the scarf around David's neck._________
      Later that day David came back saying Jane also deserved a scarf._________
  组卷：16引用：9难度：0.5

  解析