1、进才中学 2020 届高三下 3 月英语考试卷II. Grammar and VocabularySection AUniversities Show “ Red Card” to English MajorsAn increasing number of Chinese universities are showing English the “red card” and sending it off the academic playing field. Just last month, five more universities announced that they would no
2、 longer offer English as a major,_1 CET-4 (大学英语四级考试) will still be required for graduation.At first sight, it may appear that these universities are downgrading the importance of learning English. In actual fact, they are responding to the economic reality _ 2_ English majors do not have good job pr
3、ospects after graduation. And the same holds true for graduates in other Arts majors.According to MyCOS, the Beijing-based education research group, English graduates, along with those in history, literature and law, have _ 3_ (low) starting salaries and lowest employment rate. Engineering, economic
4、s and science graduates have better job prospects and make twice as much money, with IT graduates 4 (make) the most.In _5_ 1980s, the Chinese government made the study of English a priority as part of its reform andopening-up policy. English majors were in high demand in business and in government b
5、ecause people with good English-language skills were so rare. Today, about 350 million Chinese have studied, or are studying, English. Ten million of them _ 6_ (consider) functionally bilingual. So, when an employer looks at a graduates rsum , it is assumed that he or she has good English skills.How
6、ever, for those of you who truly love English, you should not be discouraged. The demand for English teachers isstill high at all levels of education, _ 7_ in public schools and in private institutions.Zhang Luis probably familiar to most of you as the elegant young woman _ 8_ (see)standing or sitti
7、ngslightly behind top government officials when they meet leaders from English-speaking countries. Zhang is a translator. In 2015, she made 54 overseas trips accompanying various leaders such as Li Keqiang. Over the years, she has been the official Chinese/English translator _ 9_ major international
8、 conferences.Zhang studied English and law at university. She _10_(plan) to be a teacher, but her skills attracted the attention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs . They offered her a job in the diplomatic service . It is not the career she had planned, but her abilities enabled her to grasp the op
9、portunity.So, if English is really your passion, let Zhang be your model and just choose a university that has not shown it the “red card.”Section BBathroom Reveals Your Repayment AbilityBanks and other lenders typically look at borrowers credit histories, tax forms and other financial information t
10、o determine whether they will get paid back. In China, _ 11_ lenders also look at their bathrooms.As the economy slows, the government wants to nurture a credit culture to get Chinese families spending instead of saving. While the countrys wealth has _12_, the financial system has not kept pace. Som
11、e people have had no_13 to credit card or mortgage, so lenders often have little reliable information about potential borrowers.To fill the gaps, one upstart lender, China Rapid Finance, _14 data analysis with on-the-ground spade work.The companys investigators, in more than 90 cities, check for the
12、 number of toothbrushes or towels to determine how many people are living in a house. They look for dirty dishes in the kitchen. They take photos of a potential borrower at work to confirm employment status.A growing number of companies are trying to crack the credit code in China. The internet gian
13、ts Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu are developing credit _15 systems based on users online transactions and search histories.The World Bank estimated that 79 percent of Chinas population above the age of 15 have bank accounts, while only 10 percent have ever borrowed from the formal financial system. Chi
14、nas banks have a(n) _16consumerslending business. Contrarily, online lenders are_17_ as the pioneers, satisfying China s rising consumer class.Alibabas financial affiliate( 隶属机构), Huabei, makes small loans to online shoppers and vendors on its e-commerce platforms.Peer- to-peer platforms have proved
15、 hugely popular in China, but the industrys reputation has been _18_by scandal, like the collapse of Ezubao.After that, regulators have stepped up their oversight of online lenders, including setting_19on the amountsthat can be borrowed. The regulators tightening grip is “something like a shepherd _
16、20herding his sheep into anincreasingly narrowing pen or chute,” said Mark Natkin, the founder and managing director at Marbridge Consulting, based in Beijing.III. Reading ComprehensionSection APresident Coolidges statement, “The business of America is business,” still points to an important truth t
17、oday-that business institutions have more prestige( 威 望 ) in American society than any other kind of organization, including the government. Why do business institutions _21_ this great prestige?One reason is that Americans _22_ business as being more firmly based on the ideal of _23 thanother insti
18、tutions in society. Since competition is seen as the major _24_ of progress and prosperity by mostAmericans, competitive business institutions are25 . Competition is not only good in itself, it is the means bywhich other basic American _26_ such as individual freedom, equality of opportunity, and ha
19、rd work are protected.Competition _27 the freedom of the individual by ensuring that there is no monopoly( 垄 断 ) of power. Incontrast to one all-powerful government, many businesses compete against each other for _28 _. Theoretically, if onebusiness tries to take unfair advantage of its customers, i
20、t will lose to competing business which treats its customers more fairly. Where many businesses compete for the customers dollars, they cannot afford to _29 them like inferiorsor slaves.A _30_is often made between business, which is competitive, and _31, which is a monopoly.Because business is compe
21、titive, many Americans believe that it is more supportive of freedom than government, even though government leaders are elected by the people and business leaders are not. Many Americans believe, then, that competition is as important, or even more important, than democracy in preserving _32 _.Comp
22、etition in business is also believed to _33 the ideal of equality of opportunity. Competition is seen asan open and fair race where success goes to the swiftest person _34_his or her social class background. Competitive success is commonly seen as the American _35_ to social rank based on family bac
23、kground. Business is therefore viewed as an expression of the idea of equality of opportunity rather than the aristocratic(贵族的) idea35. A. contributionB. solutionC. alternativeD. appealSection BAAmazon has suddenly withdrawn its plans to build a satellite headquarters in New York City, citing growin
24、g opposition of local elected officials in a shifting political climate.The decision marks a stunning reversal just three months after Amazon crowned Long Island City Queens, one of twowinners of a highly public nationwide search in which hundreds of communities vied for the tech groups investment.B
25、y losing Amazon, New York will sacrifice an estimated 25,000 jobs -paying an average annual salary of $150,000 each- as well as a signature victory in a broader effort to transform the financial services capital into a technology hub to rival Silicon Valley.Amazons about-face is a particular setback
26、 for governor Andrew Cuomo, who led the companys recruitment and touted its November decision as the citys biggest-ever economic development win.At the same time, it appeared to confirm the dominance of a progressive wing of the Democratic party, led by the recently elected Queens representative Ale
27、xandria Ocasio-Cortez, who was suspicious of Amazons arrival. Ms, Ocasio-Cortez questioned its opposition to organized labor and whether local citizens would benefit from its jobs.Amazon officials said the decision to abandon New York had been taken recently, and would not discuss what role, if any,
28、 Jeff Bezos , the companys founder, played in the move.“The commitment to building a headquarters required positivecollaborative relationships with state and localofficials who will be supportive over the long term,” Amazon wrote in a blog post. “While polls show that 70 percent of New Yorkers suppo
29、rt our plans and investment, a number of state and local politicians have made it clear that they oppose our presence and will not work with us.”Amazon said it did not intend to reopen the search process for a replacement. Instead , company officials expect to spread the jobs they planned to locate
30、in Queens around existing Amazon facilities in Boston, San Diego, Vancouver and the Bay Area.36. Amazon drew back from setting up a satellite headquarters in that _ _.A. there is a widespread public objection.B. the political climate is favorable to revolution.C. a number of state and local politici
31、ans changed their tunes.D. Long Island lost the fierce competition for the investment.37. The underlined word “about-face” is closest in meaning to_.A. victoryB. reversalC. investmentD. support38. Which of the following is true according to the passage?A. Amazon reoriented itself from a financial ce
32、nter to a technology hub.B. Jeff Bezos was to blame for his mistakes in decision-making.C. Andrew Cuomo had prejudice against Amazons new headquarters plan.D. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez was cautious in response to Amazons plan.39. What is the passage mainly concerned with?A. Amazon relocate its new fac
33、ilities in Queens.B. Amazon drops plans for headquarters in New York City.C. Amazon seeks to cooperate with state and local politicians.D. Amazon is under fire for withdrawing the plan for a facility.BWhen you leave retirement planning too late, it may be difficult to start putting aside adequate fu
34、nds in the years when you have other financial commitments.The Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board conducted a Facebook contest ( last year, collecting stories and anecdotes others have to share on their difficulties in managing their finances, relating to cash flow, housing, healthcare and retiremen
35、t.Thankfully, there is now an easy way to start with the latest CPF Board initiative, Are You Ready(AYR). Launched in 2011, AYR is designed to encourage Singaporeans to kick-start their financial and retirement planning.Through tools, talks and games, AYR provides an informative and interactive way
36、for Singaporeans to understand the importance of retirement planning; and take an active role in working towards it.AYR revolves around 4 checklists built upon 4 key messages:Managing your cash flowA basic step in financial planning, this puts you in a better position to consider other aspects of re
37、tirement planning and adequacy.Buying a house within your means.This theme focuses on helping Singaporeans understand the principles of prudence and affordability in making their most expensive financial commitment.Taking charge of healthcare costsSingaporeans need to plan ahead to be financially an
38、d physically prepared for health uncertainties. Securing your retirementIncreasing life expectancy means putting a financial plan in place as early as possible; to be financially independent inold age.40. The purpose of Are You Ready initiative is to_.A. stimulate the interaction among Singaporeans.
39、B. provide an incentive to contribute more in workC. inspire Singaporeans to jump off in retirement planning.D familiarize Singaporeans with the financial system41. Which of the following might the author most agree with?A. The effort to buy a house made people hold off on buying other items.B. With
40、 people living longer, people have to save more money for retirement.C. Health issue turns out to be the biggest consideration in retirement.D. Retirement requires people withdraw excessive income to maintain flexibility.42. What might be the best title for the passage?A. Are You Ready-Hand-on Appro
41、achesB. Real-life Stories -Pressing Financial BurdensC. A Light for Singaporeans-Early RetirementD. Let It Go-Retirement PlanningCWar is expensive and it is bloody. That is why Americas Department of Defence wants to replace a third of its armed vehicles and weaponry with robots by2015. Such a chang
42、e would save money, as robots can be much cheaper to replace than people. Just as importantly for the generals, it would make waging war less prey to the politics of body bags. Nobody mourns a robot.The US military already routinely uses robotic aero planes known as unmanned aerial vehicles ( UAVs )
43、. In November2001 two missiles fared from a remote-controlled Predator UAV killed Mohammad Atef, al-Qaedas chief of military operations and one of Osama bin Ladens most important associates, as he drove his car near Kabul. But whereas UAVs and their ground-based equivalents, such as the machinegun-t
44、oting Sword robots, are usually controlled by distant human operators, the Pentagon would like to give these robots increasing amounts of autonomy, including the ability to decide when to use lethal force.To achieve this, Ronald Arkin of the Georgia Institute of Technology, in Atlanta, is developing
45、 a set of rules of engagement for battlefield robots to ensure that their use of lethal force follows the rules of ethics. In other words, he is trying to create an artificial conscience. Dr Arkin believes that there is another reason for putting robots into battle, which is that they have the poten
46、tial to act more humanely than people. Stress does not affect a robots judgment in the way it affects a soldiers.His approach is to create what he calls a multidimensional mathematical decision-space of possible behavior actions. Based on inputs ranging from radar data and current position to missio
47、n status and intelligence feeds, the system would divide the set of all possible actions into those that are ethical and those that are not. If, for example, the drone from which the fatal attack on Atef was launched had sensed that his car was overtaking a school bus, it might then have held fire.T
48、here are comparisons to be drawn between Dr Arkins work and the famous Three Laws of Robotics drawn up in the 1950s by Isaac Asimov, a science-fiction writer ,to govern robot behaviour. But whereas Asimovs laws were intended to prevent robots from harming people in any circumstances, Dr Arkins are s
49、upposed to ensure only that they are not unethically killed.This is an admirable goal in theory, but even if ethics can be neatly encoded into software, pitfalls remain. Although acompletely rational robot might be unfazed by the chaos and confusion of the battlefield, it could still make mistakes.
50、Surveillance and intelligence data can be wrong, and conditions and situations on the battlefield can change.43. Americas military force wants to replace people with robots NOT because _ _.A. war cost a lot and it is bloodyB. people show sympathy for a person not a robotC. . the armed vehicles and w
51、eapons are too expensiveD. the general would receive less criticism from the masses44. Which of the following statements is True?A. Atef was killed by two missiles fired from a remote-controlled manned aerial vehicle.B. The department of force already uses UAVs with relatively high autonomy.C. The s
52、tudy done by Dr. Arkin is similar to Three Laws of Robotics.D. In Arkins opinion, a soldiers judgment can be affected but robots wont.45. Whats the main idea of this article?A. Ronald Arkin is developing a set of rules to increase autonomy.B. Ronald Arkin is making efforts to create an artificial co
53、nscience.C. Atef was precisely bombed by a remote-controlled Predator UVA.D. There are comparisons between Dr. Arkins work and Three Laws of Robotics.46. Whats the authors attitude about Arkins approach?A. His approach is an admirable goal and it can be realized.B. Robot would fight without any mist
54、akes in the battlefield.C. Dr. Arkins approach is ethical and faultless.D. Robots are not substitute for people in the battlefield.Section CMany of us have already lost the “race against the machines” - we just dont know it yet. That is the conclusion of new research by the Organization for Economic
55、 Co-operation and Development.Unlike most studies into the impact of automation, this one does not rely on informed guesswork about what machines will be able to do in 20 years time. _47_ They are literacy, numeracy and problem-solving with computers - and compares our performance against the abilit
56、ies of machines. The results are sobering, but rather than a reason to despair,In the survey a group of computer scientists was given the same test and asked which questions computers could answer, using technology that exists but has not necessarily been rolled out yet in the workplace. The conclus
57、ion? Almost a third of workers use these cognitive skills daily in their jobs and yet their competency levels have already been matched by computers. About 44 per cent are still better than the machines. The remaining 25 per cent have jobs that do not use these skills every day.There are two caveats
58、. First, the OECD only asked computer scientists how well they thought machines could do._48_. Second, just because technology exists does not mean it will be deployed quickly in the workplace. It depends on how easily it can be made operational, how much it costs relative to the value it creates, a
59、nd whether companies have the appetite to invest._49 _. Stuart Elliott, the author, concludes that in 10 to 20 years, only workers with very strong literacy andnumeracy skills will be comfortably more proficient than computers. At the minute, only about one in 10 working-age adults in OECD countries
60、 are of this standard.It is true that the education systems in most countries have been raising their game: younger people tend to have better skills than older people (the UK being one notable, and worrying, exception). But even if you take the most skilled generation in the most skilled country -
61、young people in Finland - two-thirds still do not meet these top levels of literacy and numeracy. _50 _.The risks to workers from ever smarter computers are clear, but the opportunities will lie in maximizing the value of their human skills. For some people, such as talented chefs, the battle is alr
62、eady won. Others might need to harness the computers to leverage their human talents.A. And yet, the implication of the study are hard to dismiss.B. on many of these fronts, computers are behind humans, if they are in the race at all.C. Technology does not necessary mean doom to all but the highest
63、skilled.D. Instead it takes three basic and compares our performance against the abilities of machines.E. Apart from astonishing improvement in education, it looks like only a minority of people can win this race.F. The result would be more alarming if machine were actually put to the test.IV. Summa
64、ry WritingWe Girls Can Do Anything-Right , Barbie!Barbie, the 11,5 inch fashion doll from Mattel Toys, Inc., is one of the most popular toys in history. The success and longevity, practically unheard of in the toy industry, makes Barbie one of the hottest American popular items of the twentieth cent
65、ury. The products endurance is due to its inner play value. With imagination, as well as hands, a child can use the doll in many ways; it becomes whatever she wants.Affordability of the fashion has also been a factor in Barbies popularity. The Live Action dolls of 1971, dressed in rock and roll outf
66、its, were among the first in which the appeal could be obtained only by purchasing the doll.Early on, critics alleged that Barbie over-emphasized beauty, fashionable dress, and the acquisition of material things. In 1964 the National stated, “She is a social climber and a tedious self-lover.” Two ye
67、ars later a critic attacked Barbies obsession with fashion in Womens Wear Daily.The company claimed that Barbie was never intended to be a role model for girls. But like all dolls, Barbie replicates the human body and therefore human characteristics are projected onto it. Girls playing with the doll
68、 were unaware that their collections of Barbies dresses were of haute couture(高级时装) in nature, but they recognized similar styles in their mothers closets. Girls also understood low neck dress and skintight pants like Barbie herself, represented the world of grown-ups, a world they were preparing to
69、 enter.The doll is many things to many people. Barbies negative aspects cannot be denied, but she can be a vehicle for growth.V. Translation52. 说到故宫新开的火锅餐厅， 许多网民指责其过度商业化。 （ accuse）53. 在二十世纪五十年代，尽管他对古典音乐心怀热情，但他不得不向现实低头。 (despite)54. 学术造假如此致命，一个小事就可以毁了一个好不容易建立的名声。 （So）55. 一个有远见的领导能让其员工客服软肋，发挥潜能， 齐心协力，
70、从而打造一支高效的团队。 （thus ）Keys 21. athough 22.that/where 23.the lowest 24. making 25. the 26. are considered 27.both 28. seen 29. at 30.had planned31-40 BDJCG AFKHE41-55 DBACB CAABD BCADC56-66 CBDB CBA CDAD67-70 DFAESummary(key points):(1)Barbie is successful and long-lived because of its inner play value
71、 and affordability.(2)Despite criticscomplaint about its overemphasis on beauty, the company replied that Barbie wad never aimed to be a role model for girls.(3)However, Barbies world is a reflection of adult world.(4) Barbie id witness to childrens development.Translation1.Speaking of /talking of /
72、When it comes to the hotpot restaurant opened recently/the newly-build hotpot restaurant in Imperial Palace/Forbidden City, many netizens accuse it of its over-commercialization./ it is accused of its over-commercialization.2.In the 1950s, despite has passion foe classic music, he had to give in to
73、/surrender to reality/compromise with the reality/give way to reality/come to terms with reality.3.So fatal/disastrous/deadly/destructive is academic cheating/misconduct/faking that an incident can ruin a persons reputation which he has made effort to build up/establish/set up/build.4.A leader with vision/of great vision/ a far-sighted leader/a visionary leader enables his employees to overcome/get over the weakness, develop/tap the potential and make joint/combined efforts, thus building an efficient term.
