四川省成都市金牛区重点中学校2023-2024学年高二上学期12月月考英语试题

The Best Caves in The World

Hang Son Doong, Vietnam

Natural caves don't come much larger than Hang Son Doong, close to the border between Laos and Vietnam. This cave possesses the largest cross-section of any known cave on the planet, a vast area that is difficult to describe. Supposedly, a Boeing 747 could fly through without damaging its wings, but that doesn't really do justice to the vastness of Hang Son Doong. The stalactites （钟乳石） here are pretty massive too, with some reaching up to

80 metres. 

Waitomo Caves, New Zealand

Glowworms （萤火虫） are there, as far as the eye can see. Okay, not literally, but the Waitomo Cave system on New Zealand's North Island is best-known for the fluorescent fauna that light up the walls, giving it the not-particularly-creative but completely acceptable "Glowworm Caves" nickname. They are more accessible than other caves on this list, with rafting and adventure tours available to those looking for something a little more

thrilling. 

Mammoth Cave, the USA

If you have certain expectations from somewhere called "Mammoth Cave", that is entirely understandable. Mammoth Cave in Kentucky is the world's longest known cave system, an incredible 420 miles of underground wonder. That's twice as long as the next longest, by the way, although it isn't unusual for the USA to go all out on

such things. 

Reed Flute （芦笛） Cave, China

Named after the reeds that grow outside, which are used to make flutes, obviously, the Reed Flute Cave's walls are covered with inscriptions from centuries gone by—if evidence was needed that people have been paying attention to this place for a long old time. The inside part of the cave is also lit up by multicoloured lights, giving it

a real otherworldly theme that adds weight to the nickname. 

When Allie and Chloe Knuth decided to both attend the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, the twins from Green Bay were excited to share a campus but also determined to have their own distinct experiences and follow their own academic paths. 

Four years later—as they graduate together this month—the twins say things worked out even better than they could have expected. UW-Eau Claire's campus is small enough that their lives sometimes overlap（重叠）, yet big enough that each of them has had room to stretch and grow as individuals. 

"It means a lot to graduate alongside each other and I wouldn't want it any other way," says Chloe, who will earn her degree in international business and management with certificates in Mandarin Chinese and leadership studies. "Graduating college is a momentous experience and I love that I will be walking with my sister."

Allie, who will graduate with a degree in biology and a certificate in Chinese language, originally planned to go to UW-Madison. However, as college neared, Allie decided to go to UW-Eau Claire as well, a decision Chloe supported. "I didn't want to be without my twin sister," Allie says of her decision. "It means a great deal to be graduating with my sister because she has always been there for me."

They shared some experiences and accomplishments during their college careers. For example, they both completed certificates in Chinese. As Asian Americans, it was important for them to learn more about Chinese language and culture. 

Allie and Chloe also are active in the University Honors Program, a program where they were able to explore interesting topics that fell outside their academic program. "This program is not just something to put on my resume; it had a vast positive influence on my college experience," says Allie. Chloe and Allie contributed a great deal to the Honors program, Dr. Heather Fielding says. They invested time and effort into helping other students, especially new students, to adapt to college and develop a sense of belonging, she says.

Feel exhausted after a party? Rather see one close friend than a group of acquaintances? Enjoy your own company? In our world, that makes you an introvert （内向的人）. However, there's another possible explanation — vertical attachment. If you are closer to your parents and family members than to your peers, you are vertically attached, which means you rely more on family for comfort. 

If you are closer to your peers, then you are peer attached. We live in a peer-oriented world. We believe that having lots of friends means that we are well-adjusted. We put our kids in playgroups and daycare for peer interaction. We expect teenagers to want to hang out with their friends, thinking it is the natural way of things. 

Result? Generations often feel worlds apart. We use different language, dress, and technology apps. Even if multiple generations are invited to the same party, the kids go to the basement playroom while the parents stay upstairs. 

Vertically-attached individuals can feel out of place in this context, demonstrating the traces of introversion. Will they be exhausted after a party with same-aged acquaintances? Absolutely. Would they rather spend time with one close friend? Sure. Do they enjoy alone time? Yes, more than they enjoy time fitting in with peers. 

It's normal that many people need alone time to recharge. However, vertically-attached people often label themselves as introverted. They feel insecure that others have more friends and live richer lives. They claim that their family attachments arise from their loved ones being stuck with them. 

If you feel these insecurities, know that there is nothing wrong with you, and you are not missing out on anything. Your attachment style is just different from the culture where you live. Have confidence in the strength of the relationships you have, whether it is with a mom who feels more like a best friend, or a grandmother with whom you can share anything. They are meaningful, enriching relationships, even if they look different from the cultural norm. 

Today's Brussels sprouts （孢子甘蓝） taste better than you might remember from childhood, and that is because a new variety has replaced the original vegetable. You can thank plant breeders （植物育种家） for the change. Modern breeders, armed with new gene-editing technology, are looking to reproduce Brussels sprouts' reinvention. 

In the late 1990s, scientists discovered specific chemicals which made Brussels sprouts taste bitter. Plant breeders started growing old seeds, previously abandoned due to poor yields （产量）, to look for tastier versions with lower levels of these specific chemicals. Then they crossed these delicious but low-yield plants with high-yield individuals until they found a version that made plenty of tasty sprouts, transforming the vegetable from a bitter pill into a popular dish. 

But other vegetables haven't fared as well. That's because most breeding decisions favor plant traits that matter to vegetable growers, not vegetable eaters. For instance, disease resistance is probably the major focus these days of most breeding programs because that prevents the farmer from growing the crop. The taste of vegetables is ignored. 

People, however, are now becoming interested in prioritizing the taste of vegetables thanks in part to new genetic technology such as the gene-snipping technique CRISPR and DNA sequencing which is cheap enough to use widely. "There's never been a better time to be a fruit breeder or a vegetable breeder because we have more tools and techniques," says Susan Brown, an apple breeder at Cornell University.

Some companies are beginning to use those tools to deal with the challenge of developing tastier vegetables. One company, Pairwise, is fighting the same compounds that troubled Brussels sprouts: glucosinolates. But this time researchers are improving the flavor of salad greens. 

All vegetable growers hope that more flavorful products on store shelves will convince people to consume the recommended allowances （推荐量） of fruits and vegetables — and do so better than decades of nutritional guidance have. "Don't waste your time talking about trying to educate people to eat better," said Harry Klee, a professor who specializes in tomato breeding. "Just give them products that taste better and that they want to eat."

With climate change continuing to worsen, our situation is beginning to feel increasingly serious.  Is it right? Maybe not. 

Techno-optimism is one of the greatest misconceptions when it comes to solutions to ensure our future. It can be defined as a belief that future technologies will solve all of our current problems. This definition reinforces （强化） the idea that there's no reason to panic or change our current energy-intensive lifestyle. All society needs to do

is look to green technology to work its magic.  

One of the best examples of this optimistic misconception is the electric car. Despite being highly regarded as an eco-friendly way to get around, electric cars are not the end for the future of transport. Batteries in electric cars use chemical elements which we could be seeing a shortage of by the mid-century.  Techno-optimism has led many to believe that if everyone just switched to driving electric vehicles, we would be making incredible steps towards sustainability. However, the reality is that the amount of resources and energy needed to produce

enough electric vehicles for everyone is not even remotely sustainable. 

  Investing in public transportation and moving away from individually owned vehicles. Producing fewer cars. Improving recycling practices of old batteries. The solutions we seek should not be rooted in new technology, but be about changing the way our society functions. 

Techno-optimism puts too much emphasis on technology and not enough on what we can do right this minute. Unfortunately, people seem to like the picture that techno-optimism paints.  It is important to understand that the problem begins when we see those technologies as a way to make our current lifestyles eco-friendly. Until we are ready to face the need for a less complex life, we cannot make true progress towards sustainability. 

A. So where should we look for answers instead? 

B. The modern world's simple solution is technology. 

C. Moreover, they are more energy intensive to produce. 

D. Is it a trap that many people have fallen into in recent years? 

E. Unfortunately, this is an incredibly dangerous opinion to hold. 

F. Despite any technology, we as a whole are not living sustainably. 

G. Nevertheless, the truth is, we need a widespread change in our lifestyles. 

When Eugenie George first heard that her friend passed a financial exam, her heart sank. She'd 1  the same test weeks earlier. 

"Envy was eating me up," recalls George. But anyway she 2 her friend. "And I told her I failed and admitted I was 3 ," she says. George knew that being 4 would ease her envy, but she was surprised that it also enabled her to 5 her friend's happiness and experience her own in turn.

Finding 6 in another person's good fortune is what social scientists call freudenfreude, the great joy we feel when someone else succeeds, 7 it doesn't directly involve us. Freudenfreude is like a kind of social 8 , says Catherine Chambliss, a professor of psychology. It makes relationships "closer and more enjoyable."

Too often, we think our friends 9  us most during their hard times: a job 10  , getting divorced. In fact, how friends 11  our joy is even more important for us than how they respond to our 12  . Too often, we think of joy passively. We see it as something that come to us, instead of something we can 13  . While it can be difficult in practice, freudenfreude can lift us up and 14  our day. So celebrating our friends' 15  is a win-win to us all. 

In the 12th century, the Southern Song Dynasty moved its capital to Lin an. Near Lin'an, on the banks of Lake Tai is the city of Suzhou. Given its location near the capital and its  （nature） beauty, Suzhou became a preferred place  （live） . Thus, there were over 300 gardens  （build） here, and more than 60 are still in  （exist）. 

Among these gardens, the Humble Administrator 's Garden （Zhuozheng Yuan） is the largest and the most famous, and water pools take up  third of its area.  （surround） the water pools is a luxuriant （繁茂的） group of flowers, plants, and trees, all  （careful） chosen according to the way their seasonal colors reflect off the sparkling water below. As is typical of Suzhou gardens, this garden  （separate） into different sections, offering various kinds of spaces  diverse shapes and sizes that represent different moods and feelings. 

Since it is such a large garden, with caves, forests, islands, bridges, paths, and all sorts of pavilions and halls, no simple description of the garden will do.  you have to do is walk among the water and plants, enjoy every moment, and find your own treasures depending on your mood that day. 

假定你是红星中学高二年级学生李华。你获悉三星堆博物馆（Sanxingdui Museum）正在招募寒假英文讲解志 愿者，向外国游客介绍古蜀文化（ancient Shu culture）。请你用英文给相关负责人写一封申请信，内容包括：1、说明写信原因；2、介绍自身优势；3、希望能被录用。

注意：1、词数 100 左右；2、开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。3、可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

Dear Sir or Madam, 

Yours sincerely, 

Li Hua

"Wanted: Violin. Can't pay much. Call ..."

I rarely read classified advertisements. So why did I notice that? I laid the paper on my lap and closed my eyes, remembering what had happened many years before, when my family struggled to make a living on our farm. I, too, 

had wanted a violin, but we didn't have the money. 

When my arms grew long enough, how I wanted one! But I knew it was out of the question. It was not a good year. At harvest the crops did not bring as much as we had hoped. Yet even though times were hard, I couldn't wait

any longer to ask, "Daddy, may I have a violin of my own?" Daddy looked sad. That night, and many following nights, I heard him pray in our family devotions, " ...Mary wants her own violin."

One evening we all sat around the table. Daddy wrote a letter to his friend, Mr Finkle, a fine violinist. When Daddy received a letter from Columbus a few weeks later, he announced, "We'll be driving to Columbus."

The day finally arrived. After we got there Mr Finkle, a tall man older than Daddy, opened the door. "Come in!" he and Daddy heartily shook hands, both talking at once. He picked up a case, opened it, lifted out a violin and started to play. The melody surge like waterfalls. Oh, to play like him, I thought. "Carl, I found it in a pawn shop for seven dollars. It's a good violin. Mary should be able to make a beautiful music with it." Then he handed the

violin to me. 

I noticed the tears in Daddy's eyes as I finally comprehended. It was mine! I stroked the violin gently. The wood was a golden brown that seemed to warm in the light. "It's beautiful." I said, barely breathing. I knew Daddy's prayer and mine had been answered. Back home I practised daily, feeling no tiredness.

When I was ready to join the school orchestra（管弦乐队） , I trembled with excitement. Daddy and Mother smiled proudly in the audience at their little girl who held her cherished violin for the world to admire. The years seemed to run more swiftly then. I packed my violin in its case and stepped into the grown-up world. Nurse's training, marriage, working, bringing up four daughters filled my years. Yet none of my children cared about the violin. 

注意：1. 续写字数应为 80 词左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

I put my thoughts to the present and read again the advertisement.