湖南省长沙市明德名校2023-2024学年高二上学期入学考试英语试题

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Special Food Places to Try In Singapore

It's an unpleasant fact that local food places are usually meant to cater to meat-eaters. It can be difficult to find a tasty food place that caters to meat-free diet. Here are some options to show you don't need meat for a satisfactory treat.

Vegan Burg

Vegan Burg has a surprisingly diverse range of plant-based burgers. From Hawaiian Teriyaki to Char-Grilled Satay, the menu promises to tempt even the most hardcore meat lovers. And that's not even getting into the add-ons and sides it offers, such as mushroom fries and barbecue potatoes.

Woods Square Tower, #01-06, Singapore 737737

Genesis Restaurant

This eatery proves that meat-free dishes can be as hearty and flavorful as their meat-based counterparts. Genesis Restaurant is especially known for its juicy dumplings, spring rolls, pork-free noodles and tofu cheesecake.

Havelock Road, #B1-01, Singapore 059763

WellSmoocht Collective

WellSmoocht is a cafe and dessert bar which specializes in plant-based ice cream. Made from brown rice, sugar cane juice and fruits or nut butters, Smoocht's rice cream, as they call it, comes in a wide variety of delicious flavors such as Earl Grey Lavender,Rose Coconut and Gula Melaka.

Sin Ming Centre, #01-03, Singapore 575628

Green Common

This one-stop plant-based eatery and marketplace has a delicious menu of mouth-watering meat-free dishes, from Japanese cuisine like sushi and miso glazed fillet to Western dishes like fishless tacos and pasta, as well as local favourites such as seafood laksa and even buah keluak rice.

HarbourFront Walk, #169-170, Singapore 098585

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The first time I realized that I had a love for sports competitions was during the Field Day in elementary school. Small for my age, and more of a bookworm than a sports enthusiast, I had suffered that special humiliation of being picked last for various gym teams. The Field Day, which focused on individual skills, was different. In the Softball Throw event, I got my first taste of sporting victory. Credit goes to the example of my first coach, my father. He lifted weights every morning at home. He bought us all baseball gloves and hats, and in the warm months, we spent hours playing catch. Come fall, our backyard football games began with passing practice.

Once I got to sixth grade and switched to private school, our entire student body was assigned to either the Red or the White team. Throughout the year, we competed against each other in various games and exercises for points. I eventually became president of The Committee of Games, accelerating (加速) my competitive fever. However, in girls' sports games at my school, I was no star. I also played on the field hockey team and the basketball team. School sports did not bleed into the weekends, as they do today, but at home, playing tennis, skating, skiing and biking were simply normal things we did. During break time, magazines were also quite popular for us teens. These regularly featured articles on physical exercise. Somehow, my college roommate and I took up the habit of completing Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) exercises every day, a practice that continued into my marriage, when we had no spare funds to use to join a gym.

So, though it shocks some of our friends, that early foundation evolved in adulthood into a sports and fitness focus, considered essential even on vacation. I still love reading and the arts, too. As far as I'm concerned, life is the richest with my feet in both worlds.

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Society tells us we should socialise to the fullest, and that those who are surrounded by people are the most successful and the happiest. These days, we're almost always connected, whether in person or through our phone screens and online social networks. But there's something to be said for solitude(独处), "Being alone doesn't necessarily mean being lonely". In fact, spending time by yourself is an essential element of self-care.

Around the globe, different cultures have wide-ranging perspectives on what it means to spend time alone. If you live or have spent time in the United States, you're probably aware that Americans tend to reject solitude. For many younger people, weekends are packed with social activities, ranging from brunch with friends to dinner parties to game nights to drinking at bars and everything in between.

The United States isn't the only place where you'll find a heavy emphasis on social time. Across the Atlantic, the United Kingdom is known for being an extremely extroverted(外向型的)country. A survey of Brits found that more than half had never done and would be unwilling to do activities like going to theme parks or seeing live music alone. Most Brits spend almost twice as much of their leisure time socialising with others as they do being alone.

The home can be a place of rest, relaxation and recharge—that is, if you live by yourself or have the space to be alone in your home. The country in which people are least likely to live alone is India, at about 4 percent of the population. China is also quite fond of multiple-person households, with only about 10 percent of people living by themselves. In more collectivist cultures like these, many aspects of life are related to community. Thus, spending time alone isn't as ingrained(根深蒂固的)as a social convention in places like these, and the good of the group takes priority over the needs of one person.

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In 2019, the world generated 54.6 million tons of e-waste. However, just 17.4 percent of it was formally collected and recycled. Since 2014, the amount of e-waste recycled has grown by 1.8 million tons—a relatively small amount, considering that the amount of e-waste generated increased by 9.2 million tons in the same period. 

Global reserves of some elements, such as platinum, are supposed to be fully used up within 15 years if the proportion of recycled stocks entering production doesn't increase. E-waste and EV batteries are currently recycled through processes called pyrometallurgy (火法冶金术) and hydrometallurgy (湿法冶金术). However, they involve burning temperatures with a high energy demand and deep carbon footprint, and poisonous chemicals which are harmful to the environment. Alternatives are therefore being sought.

A team of scientists from the University of Coventry are extending one such alternative. They have been using non-poisonous bacteria to oxidize and recover the precious metals—a process known as "bioleaching". They have shown that copper is widely recoverable from e-waste, and that all metals present in EV batteries can be recovered by using microbes (微生物). If extended, bioleaching facilities would mean that manufacturers of EV batteries and other electronic goods would be able to recover metals locally, relying less on costly exports to recycling centers abroad.

"At present, a key limitation for e-waste recycling is the lack of certification detailing the types and amounts of metals contained in electronic goods. But with an efficient recycling process appearing, manufacturers have the motivation to use more recycled material in their products, which will change the very design of electronics goods. It's about closing the loop of a product's life cycle," said the leader of the Bioleaching Research Group, Sebastien Farnaud.

Ultimately, bioleaching technology is born out of the idea of creating a truly circular process for the things that we consume. We need to shift from a mindset and economy where we see waste as an end product, to one where there isn't even a start or an end at all.

 阅读下面短文，从短文后的选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

For people who are planning a trip, a visit to a museum might not be the first thing they think of. After all, there are plenty of ways to appreciate the world's civilization, gain exciting experiences and spend quality time with family and friends.

Museums are where people learn something new, at every age! Are you interested in something specific? There, you will find yourself drawn in and inspired! Museums are a fantastic place to learn about a region's history, scientific achievements, major cultural events, and of course, dinosaurs. They also design exhibitions related to visual arts, industrial innovations and anything that inspires an individual to learn about the past and create new paths to the future.

 They will surely be an exciting part of the educational experience with the main purpose to expose children to knowledge of various fields and expand their horizons. To achieve that, museums are working to create meaningful and engaging activities, interactive and knowledge-based.

Museums support tourism. They are tourism promoters in small towns and large cities. Museums aren't a burden on tax revenue(税收) or a separate concern from other city projects. Statistics show that museums support more than 726,000 jobs in America.

Museums shape communities. They have activities and exhibitions through which visitors can learn about local history. Museums are places where a shared heritage is celebrated and a collective identity is formed. They provide an interesting public space where people meet and talk to each other. 

                                 

A. Museums bring out the best qualities in children. B. Museums often deliver kids-centered exhibitions. C. Instead, they generate funding and fuel employment. D. Then, visit a local museum to learn about that subject. E. Even shopping at the gift shop there is an opportunity for connection. F. On the contrary, they consume a small percentage of city funds annually. G. The fact, however, is that museums offer magical benefits in many ways.

 阅读下面短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

One summer night, my friends and I stole into the Jordans' backyard and started harvesting their sweet, juicy raspberries(树莓). We were enjoying every bite of the tasty berries 1 Mr. Jordan came charging outside all of a sudden.

"What are you boys doing out here?" he yelled as my friends ran off 2 all directions. He attempted to catch one or two as they rushed past him, but they were too 3 for the older gentleman to catch. Within seconds, the boys 4 into the dark of the summer night. All except me.

However, speed was never my 5 . I took the tongue-lashing(痛骂) that Mr. Jordan gave me as he marched me down the block to my house, where my mother took over and scolded me 6 . My friends said they could hear every 7  word she spoke from the darkness of our backyard, where they had gathered to 8  their escape and to observe my capture.

They teased me about it for days afterwards, while all I could do was complain about how 9 it was that I was the only one who had to pay the price. After about a week of this, I complained to my father about the inequality of the situation. Dad said, "You took raspberries without 10 , and you get exactly the punishment you deserved."

"But what about the other guys?" I asked. "They didn't get punished at all!"

"That's not my concern nor should it be yours," Dad said. "You can't 11 what happens to others. You can only 12 what happens to you. You made a bad choice that night, and you were punished for it."

13 the duration of the following years, I come to realize there is no guarantee that life will treat us fairly. That's why we can't 14 comparing our lives with the lives of others. Like Dad said, that isn't our 15 .

 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

A comforting cup of tea is an essential part of the day for hundreds of millions of people around the globe. Worldwide, three cups of tea  (consume) for every cup of coffee. To fully appreciate the ancient roots of the  (herb) drink, a visit to the China National Tea Museum might be  order. The institution has a long history.

 (locate) in Hangzhou, the museum occupies a parklike setting. Inside, various halls demonstrate the story of tea, its ceremonies(仪式) and its tools. Records of tea drinking date as far back as the tenth century B.C. in China.  (original) the leaves were baked into a brick, a part of  could be broken off and made into a powder(粉状物). Tea spread into northern China during the Tang Dynasty; by the Song Dynasty it  (acquire) a loose-leaf production as well as the ceremonies that made its consumption  art form.

The art of tea extended to its fancy  (contain), which are on display at the museum. Gracefully rounded kettles date back 5,000 years; tea bowls from the Tang Dynasty have a beautiful simplicity. Today visitors can observe a tea ceremony that might be enough  (change) even the most passionate coffee drinker.

假定你是某国际学校学生李华，你的爱尔兰笔友Kelly对你提到的学校"多元文化日"(Multicultural Day)活动很感兴趣。请回信告知他关于该活动的相关信息。内容包括：1.活动时间;2.活动目的和内容。

注意：1.写作词数应为80左右;2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Dear Kelly,

……

Yours,

Li Hua

 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 found the kitten sitting on the front step of our house. He was black and white and looked quite weak. Where did he come from? I noticed he had no collar around his neck. Who would be so irresponsible?

I went inside and opened a can of fish. After I placed the can in the doorway, the kitten hungrily lapped it up and then walked right inside the house. Later, after jumping onto a bunch of pillows on the couch, he began to groom his hair.

I bet his last owners didn't love him at all! I thought. If someone can't take care of their kitten they deserve to lose him! Our family never owned pets, but I had always wanted one. It's a good thing I found that kitten and took him in. Thank goodness he found me!

The kitten kept meowing quite a lot. And then, it started trying to bite my hand.

"Hey, kitten! I'm not food!" I said. But the kitten tried again to bite my finger. I knew I had to get him some proper cat food. "You stay put, kitten!" I told him. "I'm going to get you food!" Then I grabbed my keys and headed out to the pet store nearest to our house.

On my way to the store, I spotted a sign on the telephone pole:

LOST KITTEN-Black and White, very friendly. If you find him, please call us.

"If you were so worried about your kitten," I thought, "maybe you should have taken better care of him!"

When I walked into the pet store, I found that the place was packed with kids handing out flyers about the same cat to customers inside. In the back of the store, I saw a boy under 10 years old, crying in his wheelchair. "I can't believe I lost my kitten!" he said to his parents.

注意：续写词数应为150左右。

I looked at the flyers on the wall carefully this time — it was definitely the cat I had back at home!

……

The little boy began to cry with laughter.