Unit 2　Working the land

　　(60分鐘81分)

　　Part A

　　一、閱讀理解(共8小題;每小題2分,滿分16分)

　　A

　　It has happened to all of us.You want to talk about an object,but you forgot the name of it.Or you never knew the name at all.Maybe you are not even sure there is a word for it.

　　For example,that thing,that you need to fix your bicycle.Or perhaps it is something you need for your computer.Or that part on your motorcycle that never,ever seems to work.

　　What are these things?

　　They are called “doohickeys”.A doohickey is a word you use when you do not know or you have forgotten the real name of an object.

　　The Macmillan Dictionary defines doohickey as “something such as a small object or tool that you cannot remember the name”.The American Heritage Dictionary says it is “something,especially a small device or part,whose name is unknown or forgotten”.

　　Language experts say the word first started being used in the United States in the early 1900s.But other experts say they have seen examples of words like that in writings from the middle 1800s.

　　The Merriam-Webster Dictionary for Learners of American English gives this example of how native speakers might use doohickey:“I need one of those doohickeys,you know,with the long handle.”

　　Merriam-Webster adds that doohickey may be a combination of two other words:“doodad” and “hickey”.Strange as it may be,both of the two words mean the same as doohickey.The dictionary lists a lot of strange words as synonyms for doohickey.The most common are whatchamacallit,whatnot and whatsit.

　　You will probably never see these words in official documents or newspaper reports.But you might hear them in informal American English,when people are talking to each other.

　　“Hey,what does this doohickey do,anyway?”

　　“Dude,bring me that thingamajig,willya?”

　　“Janine,can you get me one of those whatchamacallits?”

　　Most Americans will know what you are talking about if you use one of those words.Just point at the object,use one of these words,and they will bring it to you.

　　1.When people need a doohickey,it means they need something .?

　　A.which can be used to repair a bicycle

　　B.which can be used to fix a computer

　　C.whose name is forgotten

　　D.whose handle is very long

　　2.The words similar to doohickey were most likely to be seen in .?

　　A.1800 B.1850 C.1900 D.1950

　　3.You are sure to find the word whatchamacallit in .?

　　A.the Macmillan Dictionary

　　B.the American Heritage Dictionary

　　C.an official document or a newspaper report

　　D.the Merriam-Webster Dictionary for Learners of American English

　　4.The above passage is mainly about .?

　　A.a special word

　　B.American English dictionaries

　　C.the development of American English

　　D.the way to learn and use American English

　　【文章大意】本文為說明文,主要介紹了doohickey一詞的來源、意思、同義詞以及運用。

　　1.C　細節理解題。根據第四段第二句“A doohickey is a word you use when you do not know or you have forgotten the real name of an object.”可知,當你不知道或者忘記某個東西的名稱時,你可以用doohickey來代替它。故選C項。

　　2.B　細節理解題。根據第六段第二句“But other experts say they have seen examples of words like that in writings from the middle 1800s.”可知,與“doohickey”類似的詞最有可能出現在1850年。故選B項。

　　3.D　細節理解題。根據第七段內容以及第八段最后兩句可知,在《韋氏詞典》 中肯定能找到whatchamacallit一詞。故選D項。

　　4.A　主旨大意題。縱觀全文可知,本文主要介紹了doohickey一詞的來源、意思、同義詞以及運用,故選A項。

　　B

　　Food festivals around the world

　　Stilton Cheese Rolling

　　May Day is a traditional day for celebrations,but the 2,000 English villagers of Stilton must be the only people in the world who include cheese rolling in their annual plans.Teams of four,dressed in a variety of strange and funny clothes,roll a complete cheese along a 50-metre course.On the way,they must not kick or throw their cheeses,or go into their competitors’ lane(賽道).Competition is fierce and the chief prize is a complete Stilton cheese weighing about four kilos(disappointingly,but understandably the cheeses used in the race are wooden ones).All the competitors are served with beer or port wine,the traditional accompaniment for Stilton cheese.

　　Fiery Foods Festival—The hottest festival on earth

　　Every year more than 10,000 people head for the city of Albuquerque,New Mexico.They come from as far away as Australia,the Caribbean and China,but they all share a common addiction—food that is not just spicy(辛辣),but hot enough to make your mouth burn,your head spin and your eyes water.Their destination is the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival which is held over a period of three days every March.You might like to try a chocolate-covered habanero pepper—officially the hottest pepper in the world—or any one of the thousands of products that are on show.But one thing’s for sure—if you don’t like the feeling of a burning tongue,this festival isn’t for you!

　　La Tomatina—The world’s biggest food fight

　　On the last Wednesday of every August,the Spanish town of Bu?ol hosts La Tomatina—the world’s largest food fight.A week-long celebration leads up to an exciting tomato battle as the high-light of the week’s events.The early morning sees the arrival of large trucks with tomatoes—official fight-starters get things going by casting tomatoes at the crowd.

　　The battle lasts little more than half an hour,in which time around 50,000 kilograms of tomatoes have been thrown at anyone or anything that moves,runs,or fights back.Then everyone heads down to the river to make friends again—and for a much-needed wash!

　　(2024·福建高考)

　　1.In the Stilton cheese rolling competition,competitors on each team must .?

　　A.wear various formal clothes

　　B.roll a wooden cheese in their own lane

　　C.kick or throw their cheese

　　D.use a real cheese weighing about four kilos

　　2.Where is the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival held?

　　A.In New Mexico. B.In the Caribbean.

　　C.In Australia. D.In China.

　　3.The celebration of La Tomatina lasts .?

　　A.three days B.seven days

　　C.less than three days D.more than seven days

　　4.What can we infer according to the passage?

　　A.The chief prize for the Stilton cheese rolling competition is beer or port wine.

　　B.More than 10,000 Chinese take part in the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival.

　　C.Thousands of spicy foods are on show in the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival.

　　D.An exciting tomato battle takes place at the beginning of La Tomatina.

　　【文章大意】本文為說明文,主要給我們介紹了世界上幾種與食物有關的有趣節日。

　　1.B　細節理解題。根據Stilton Cheese Rolling部分的“they must not kick...go into their competitors’ lane”和“the cheeses used in the race are wooden ones”可判斷,參賽隊員在他們自己的賽道上滾動一個木制的奶酪。故選B項。

　　2.A　細節理解題。根據Fiery Foods Festival部分的第一句“Every year more than 10,000 people head for the city of Albuquerque,New Mexico.”可知答案是A項。

　　3.B　細節理解題。根據La Tomatina部分的“A week-long celebration...”可知西紅柿節的慶祝持續七天,答案選B項。

　　4.C　推理判斷題。根據Fiery Foods Festival部分的“...or any one of the thousands of products that are on show.”可知C項正確。

　　二、語法填空(共10小題;每小題1.5分,滿分15分)

　　As my friend was passing the elephants,he suddenly stopped.He 1.(confuse) by the fact that these huge animals were being held by nothing 2. a small rope.The rope was tied to their front legs.No chains,no cages.It was obvious 3. the elephants could break away from the ropes at any time.But for some reason,they did not.?

　　My friend saw a 4.(train) nearby and asked why these elephants just stood there and made no attempt 5.(get) away.?

　　“Well,” he said,“when they are very young and much 6.(small),we use the same size rope to tie them.At that age,it’s enough to hold them.As they grow up,they are used to 7.(believe) that they cannot break away.They believe the rope can still hold them,8. they never try to break free.”?

　　My friend was amazed.These animals could at any time break free from their bonds,but because they believed they couldn’t,they were stuck right where they were.

　　9. the elephants,how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something,simply because we failed at it once before?How many of us are being held back by outdated beliefs that no longer serve us?How many of us have avoided 10.(try) something new because of a false belief??

　　1.was confused。be confused by為固定搭配,意為“被……迷惑,被……弄糊涂”。根據上下文可知用一般過去時。

　　2.but。此處意為“這些巨大的動物僅僅用一根小細繩拴著”。nothing but為固定搭配,意為“僅僅,只不過”。

　　3.that。此處用that引導主語從句,It是形式主語,真正的主語是后面的從句。

　　4.trainer。空前有不定冠詞a,故此處應填動詞train的名詞形式trainer,意為“馴獸師”。

　　5.to get。make no attempt to do sth.為固定用法,意為“不試圖做某事,不打算做某事”。

　　6.smaller。much用來修飾形容詞的比較級,故填smaller。

　　7.believing。be used to doing sth.為固定搭配,意為“習慣于做某事”。

　　8.so。空前和空后的句子構成因果關系,故填so。

　　9.Like。此處意為“正如大象一樣”,故填連詞Like。

　　10.trying。avoid doing sth.為固定用法,意為“避免做某事”。

　　Part B

　　一、完形填空(共20小題;每小題1.5分,滿分30分)

　　Since finishing my studies at Harvard and Oxford,I’ve watched one friend after another land high-ranking,high-paying Wall Street jobs.As executives(高級管理人員)with banks,consulting firms,established law firms,and major corporations,many are now 　1　 on their way to impressive careers.By society’s 　2　,they seem to have it made.?

　　On the surface,these people seem to be very lucky in life.As they left student life behind,many had a 　3　 drink at their cheap but friendly local bar,shook hands with longtime roommates,and 　4　 out of small apartments into high buildings.They made reservations at restaurants where the cost of a bottle of wine 　5　 a college year’s monthly rent.They replaced their beloved old cars with expensive new sports cars.?

　　The thing is,a number of them have 　6　 that despite their success,they aren’t happy.Some 　7　 of unfriendly coworkers and feel sad for eight-hour workweeks devoted to tasks they 　8　.Some do not respect the companies they work for and talk of feeling tired and 　9　.However,instead of devoting themselves to their work,they find themselves working to support the 　10　 to which they have so quickly become 　11　.?

　　People often speak of trying a more satisfying path,and 　12　 in the end the idea of leaving their jobs to work for something they 　13　 or finding a position that would give them more time with their families almost always leads them to the same conclusion:it’s 　14　.They have loans,bills,a mortgage(抵押貸款) to 　15　,retirement to save for.They recognize there’s something 　16　 in their lives,but it’s 　17　 to step off the track.?

　　In a society that tends to 　18　 everything in terms of dollars and cents,we learn from a young age to consider the costs of our 　19　 in financial terms.But what about the personal and social costs 　20　 in pursuing money over meaning?These are exactly the kinds of costs many of us tend to ignore—and the very ones we need to consider most.?

　　(2024·浙江高考)

　　1.A.much B.never

　　C.seldom D.well

　　2.A.policies B.standards

　　C.experiments D.regulations

　　3.A.last B.least

　　C.second D.best

　　4.A.cycled B.moved

　　C.slid D.looked

　　5.A.shared B.paid

　　C.equaled D.collected

　　6.A.advertised B.witnessed

　　C.admitted D.demanded

　　7.A.complain B.dream

　　C.hear D.approve

　　8.A.distribute B.hate

　　C.applaud D.neglect

　　9.A.calm B.guilty

　　C.warm D.empty

　　10.A.family B.government

　　C.lifestyle D.project

　　11.A.accustomed B.appointed

　　C.unique D.available

　　12.A.yet B.also

　　C.instead D.rather

　　13.A.let out B.turn in

　　C.give up D.believe in

　　14.A.fundamental B.practical

　　C.impossible D.unforgettable

　　15.A.take off B.drop off

　　C.put off D.pay off

　　16.A.missing B.inspiring

　　C.sinking D.shining

　　17.A.harmful B.hard

　　C.useful D.normal

　　18.A.measure B.suffer

　　C.digest D.deliver

　　19.A.disasters B.motivations

　　C.campaigns D.decisions

　　20.A.assessed B.involved

　　C.covered D.reduced

　　【文章大意】在當今物欲橫流的社會,有些看似成功的人其實并不開心,因為他們忽視了人生的真正意義。

　　1.D　作為銀行、顧問公司、法律事務所以及大型公司的高級管理人員,他們在自己的職業生涯上已做得很好(well)。

　　2.B　以社會的標準(standards)來看,他們算是成功人士。

　　3.A　根據后文的“shook hands with...high buildings”可知,該處指他們告別學生時期的生活,去便宜的小酒吧喝最后一次酒,和同學道別,搬到高層的小公寓中去住。

　　4.B　move out of...into...指“從……搬到……”。

　　5.C　他們會到飯店去,那里一瓶酒的消費相當于(equaled)大學里一個月的房租。

　　6.C　但是事實上他們中的許多人承認(admitted)盡管自己很成功,但是并不幸福。

　　7.A　一些人會抱怨(complain)毫不友善的同事,也會因自己并不喜歡(hate)的任務卻投入了8小時工作時間而悲傷。complain of為固定搭配意為“抱怨”。

　　8.B　根據“feel sad for”可推測很多工作他們并不喜歡。

　　9.D　一些人并不尊重自己所在的公司,說自己感到疲憊、空虛(empty)。

　　10.C　然而他們不是全身心投入到工作中,他們發現自己工作是為了支撐自己已迅速習慣的那種生活方式(lifestyle)。

　　11.A　be accustomed to“習慣于”。A項意為“習慣的”;B項意為“約定的”;C項意為“獨特的”;D項意為“可利用的”。

　　12.A　此處應用yet表示轉折關系。

　　13.D　根據下文的“loans,bills,a mortgage”可知,那些想找到能為自己的信仰而工作或者有更多時間陪伴自己家人的職位的人,最終發現那是不可能的(impossible)。

　　14.C　見上題解析。A項意為“基本的”;B項意為“實際的”;C項意為“不可能的”;D項意為“難忘的”。

　　15.D　貸款是需要償還的。A項意為“脫下”;B項意為“減少”;C項意為“推遲”;D項意為“還清”。

　　16.A　他們意識到自己的生活里缺失(missing)了一些東西,但是卻很難(hard)改變自己的軌跡。

　　17.B　見上題解析。

　　18.A　在一個以金錢衡量(measure)一切的社會中,我們從小就學會從金錢角度考慮我們所做的決定要付出的代價。

　　19.D　見上題解析。A項意為“災難”;B項意為“動機”;C項意為“活動”;D項意為“決定”。