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10731500110617001181100011214100杭州市西湖区学军中学2024-2025学年高一上开学考
英语试卷
第一部分：完形填空（共 40 小题；每小题 1.5 分，计分 60 分）
阅读下面短文，从短文后所给的四个选项中（A、B、C 和 D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题纸上将该选项涂黑。
A
Do you know insurance(保险)? Buying insurance is a ____1____ by which people can protect themselves ____2____ large losses. Protection against fire is one kind of insurance. Large numbers of people pay ____3____ sums of money to an insurance company. Although thousands of people have paid for fire insurance, only ____4____ will lose their homes by fire. The insurance company will pay for these homes out of the sums of money it has ____5____ .
The first modern fire insurance company was ____6____ in London, England, in 1666. A great fire had just ____7____ most of the city and people wanted protection against ____8____ losses. The first company ____9____ rapidly. Soon other companies were founded in other areas.
Benjamin Franklin helped form the first fire insurance company in America in 1752. He also _____10_____ a new kind of insurance for _____11_____ . The new insurance would offer protection against the loss of crops _____12_____ storms.
In 1795, Benjamin Franklin helped start _____13_____ new insurance company in America. This company, _____14_____ offered life insurance, collected some money _____15_____ from many different men. _____16_____ a man died, his family was given a large sum of money. Today this company is _____17_____ in business.
Over the years, people have _____18_____ from many new kinds of insurance when they have suffered from _____19_____ accidents as car and plane crashes. _____20_____ , almost everyone has some kind of insurance.
1. A. way B. firm C. consideration D. means
2. A. from B. off C. with D. beyond
3. A. small B. huge C. much D. little
4. A. many B. quite a few C. few D. a few
5. A. stole B. collected C. lent D. brought
6. A. built B. found C. formed D. organized
7. A. destroyed B. hurt C. harmed D. wounded
8. A. farther B. further C. wider D. longer
9. A. made B. raised C. grew D. turned
10. A. suggested B. determined C. asked D. demanded
11. A. farmers B. workers C. waiters D. doctors
12. A. with B. by C. from D. for
13. A. other B. certain C. another D. some
14. A. where B. which C. whom D. that
15. A. commonly B. usually C. regularly D. ordinarily
16. A. If B. Although C. Unless D. Because
17. A. always B. still C. hardly D. seldom
18. A. paid B. offered C. bought D. benefited
19. A. many B. so C. such D. that
20. A. Today B. Generally C. Lately D. Tomorrow
B
I was sure that I was to be killed. I became terribly nervous. I reached in my pockets to see if there were any cigarettes, which had ____21____ their search. I found ____22____and because of my shaking hands, I could ____23____ get it to my lips. But I had no matches, they had taken those. I looked ____24____ the bars at my jailer(看守). He did not make eye contact with me. I ____25____ out to him “Have you got a light?” He looked at me, shrugged and came over to light my cigarette. ____26____ he came close and lit the match, his eyes accidentally locked with mine. At that moment, I ____27____. I don’t know why I did that. Perhaps it was ____28____, perhaps it was because, when you get very close, one to another, it is very ____29____ not to smile. In that instant, it was _______30_______ a spark jumped across the gap between our two hearts, our two human souls. I know he didn’t want to, but my smile leaped through the bars and generated smile on his lips, too. He lit my cigarette but _______31_______, looking at me directly in the eyes and continuing to smile.
I _______32_______ smiling at him, now aware of him as a(n) _______33_______ and not just a jailer. And his looking at me seemed to have a new _______34_______ too. “Do you have kids?” he asked. “Yes, here, here.” I took out my wallet and nervously fumbled for the _______35_______ of my family. He, too, took out the pictures of his family and began to talk about his plans and hopes for them. My eyes were filled with tears. I said that I feared that I’d never see my family again, never have the chance to see them grow up. Tears came to his eyes, too. _______36_______ without another word, he _______37_______ my cell (牢房) and silently led me out. Out of the jail, quietly and by back routes, out of the town. There, at the edge of town, he released me. And without another word, he turned back toward the town.
“My life was ______38______ by a smile.” Yes, the smile—the unaffected, unplanned, _______39_______ connection between people. I really believe that if that part of you and that part of me could _______40_______ each other, we wouldn't be enemies. We couldn't have hate or envy or fear.
21. A. lost B. given C. escaped D. reached
22.A. them B. it C. that D. one
23. A. barely B. quickly C. possibly D. likely
24. A. on B. through C. at D. up
25. A. whispered B. explained C. called D. repeated
26. A. As B. Before C. After D. Until
27. A. cried B. shook C. refused D. smiled
28. A. anger B. nervousness C. bitterness D. sympathy
29. A. easy B. hard C. glad D. embarrassed
30. A. when B. as well as C. as though D. as long as
31. A. went away B. dropped out C. stayed far D. stayed near
32. A. kept B. stopped C. began D. forgot
33. A. stranger B. enemy C. opponent D. person
34. A. idea B. suggestion C. impression D. solution
35. A. cigarettes B. bags C. pictures D. wallet
36. A. Intentionally B. Unconsciously C. Unwillingly D. Suddenly
37. A. unfolded B. unlocked C. uncontrolled D. undefended
38. A. misled B. destroyed C. saved D. ignored
39. A. surprising B. natural C. different D. frequent
40. A. like B. expect C. notice D. recognize
第二部分：阅读理解（共 16 小题；每小题 2.5 分，计分 40 分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的 A、B、C 和 D 四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
Over the years, a lot of people have talked about New York City, including some famous people in all walks of life. Here are some of their ideas about the Big Apple.
Andrew WK, musician: I just want to be around people who are completely strange to me. Every person who walks by is, like, the most intense person you’ve ever seen! And you wonder: why did they have to come here and make it here?
Patricia Field, designer: We live in a cultural Garden of Eden. You walk down the street and in one block you hear five languages, you have visuals and sounds of all these cultures. It’s educational and inspiring to live in and experience NYC--that’s what keeps me here.
Norman Reedus, actor: There’s a kind of openness in New York and New Yorkers in general that I’m really fond of. It’s one of those places where you’re out and about amongst people all day. I’m not complaining about Los Angeles or anything—I do not hate LA; but you know, you’re in a car so much in LA. Here everyone is saying hi to you.
Raul, soccer player: You have the best shows in the world here, no? And they love it. The last one I saw with my wife and kids was Matilda. It was very nice for the kids. And we saw Mamma Mia! This is a classic. You know, with five kids, you don’t have a lot of time. But we have to see more shows. We are crazy fans.
41. Who prefers New York City to Los Angeles?
A. The soccer player. B. The actor.
C. The musician. D. The designer.
42. What is the reason for Patricia Field’s living in New York City?
A. To meet the people who are completely strange to her.
B. Because there is a kind of openness in New York and New Yorkers.
C. In order to look for some famous people.
D. For the inspiring and educational experience.
43. What keeps Raul in New York City?
A. The crazy fans. B. The cultural Garden of Eden.
C. The shows. D. The friendly atmosphere.
44. What can we infer about the famous people mentioned in the text?
A. They are well-educated. B. They are creative.
C. They like NYC. D. They will leave NYC soon.
B
Boris, a foreign student at Communication University of China, often shares his experiences of Chinese culture on his vlog(视频博客).
In one video, for example, Boris shared how he had learned the Chinese word dongxi. He translated each part separately into “east west”. And he introduced one theory (说法)about how dongxi came to mean “things”. He told people that all marketplaces in ancient Chinese cities were set up along a single road that ran from east to west. So when you would say qu mai dongxi, you’d be saying, “I’m going to buy things.”
Some other videos show his reading Chinese poem and performing kung fu in Chinese traditional costume, which are quite welcome among his 40, 000 followers.
“Many of my followers are learning Chinese,” Boris said. “But sadly, they know little about Chinese culture and the country.”
Like many foreigners, Boris once believed that all Chinese could perform kung fu, flying onto roofs and walking over walls. He thought the country was not that developed. But after he got a scholarship(奖学金)to study in China in 2019, his view changed. “China has entered a new period, but many people’s impressions of China are still stuck in the 1970s,” Boris said. “That’s why I started to shoot vlogs to share Chinese culture in 2019.”
Until now, Boris has posted more than 40 Chinese culture vlogs online, but making these vlogs is not easy. Take reading the poem Second Farewell to Cambridge by Xu Zhimo as an example
“I can understand and read every word in the poem” Boris said. “But to touch readers, I need to use proper feelings while reading.” So he needed to look for much background information and make his feelings suit each part of the poem.
Though shooting these vlogs takes lots of time the young man feels proud that his vlogs have inspired many people. Boris said that he wanted to continue bridging the differences between two cultures. “This goal may not be achieved easily, but I will spare no efforts to do my part.”
45. Through the vlogs, Boris mainly wants to ________.
A. teach foreigners Chinese B. introduce a Chinese university
C. sell Chinese products D. share his experiences in China
46. Boris learned the Chinese word dongxi by ________.
A. translating it as a whole B. knowing its cultural background
C. making up some sentences D. comparing it with similar words
47. What inspired Boris to shoot vlogs?
A. His hunger for new technology. B. His wish to show the real China.
C. His interest in Chinese culture. D. His dream to be a big vlogger.
48. The passage is probably written to ________.
A. say yes to Boris’s actions B. build bridges by making vlogs
C. call for more help D. achieve a common goal C
C
Video conferencing has been around for more than 20 years. Until the COVID-19 pandemic, though, you would find that many people needing to attend a meeting remotely would be calling from a real conference room full of their teammates. Today, we’re routinely holding video conferences that are 100% virtual. And this is creating a problem that technology can’t fix.
The problem is us, specifically the fact that we haven’t evolved socially to the point where we can bear much separation. So much of our well-being and work productivity is decided on how close we are physically. The removal of that for any period of time can be severely damaging. One surprising victim of social distancing is laughter.
Normally people laugh about 18 times per day. And 97% of that time we’re laughing with others — we are 30 times more likely to laugh with others than to laugh alone. Think about it: how often when you and your friends laugh at something that is actually funny? Research shows that 80% of what people laugh at is really not that funny.
So why do people laugh? They laugh in order to laugh with others. Just as everyone starts yawning when just one person yawns, most people can’t help but laugh when those around them do. This is why TV comedy shows often use prerecorded laugh tracks.
Laughing in response to other people’s laughing is not just a behavioral phenomenon. When we laugh, our body produces two key chemicals: endorphin which helps relieve pain and sets off feelings of pleasure, and dopamine which can improve learning, motivation and attention. In fact, studies show that people can stand 15% more pain simply by laughing for a few minutes beforehand. Laughter is also associated with higher motivation and productivity at work.
In today’s home-alone, virtual-team world, this is exactly what you as a team leader should be doing: for your team members to stay healthy and productive, you need to get them to laugh more and stress less.
49. What is the problem mentioned in the first two paragraphs?
A. A distant relationship. B. Unexpected social evolution.
C. Decreased laughter. D. Removed social distance.
50. What can be inferred from the article?
A. Laughing alone is normal. B. Laughing is for fun.
C. Laughing starts with yawning. D. Laughing comes more in groups.
51. What is Paragraph 5 mainly about?
A. The motivation behind laughter. B. The chemicals regarding laughter.
C. The mechanism of laughter. D. The significance of laughter.
52. What would the author most probably discuss next?
A. How to boost laughter. B. How to better a team.
C. How to reduce stress. D. How to increase productivity.
D
As a young boy, I sometimes traveled the country roads with my dad. He was a rural mail carrier, and on Saturdays he would ask me to go with him. Driving through the countryside was always an adventure: There were animals to see, people to visit, and chocolate cookies if you knew where to stop, and Dad did.
In the spring, Dad delivered boxes full of baby chickens, and when I was a boy it was such fun to stick your fingers through one of the holes of the boxes and let the baby birds peck on your fingers.
On Dad’s final day of work, it took him well into the evening to complete his rounds because at least one member from each family was waiting at their mailbox to thank him for his friendship and his years of service. “Two hundred and nineteen mailboxes on my route,” he used to say, “and a story at every one.” One lady had no mailbox, so Dad took the mail in to her every day because she was nearly blind. Once inside, he read her mail and helped her pay her bills.
Mailboxes were sometimes used for things other than mail. One note left in a mailbox read, “Nat, take these eggs to Marian; she’s baking a cake and doesn’t have any eggs.” Mailboxes might be buried in the snow, or broken, or lying on the ground, but the mail was always delivered. On cold days Dad might find one of his customers waiting for him with a cup of hot chocolate. A young girl wrote letters but had no stamps, so she left a few buttons on the envelope in the mailbox: Dad paid for the stamps. One businessman used to leave large amounts of cash in his mailbox for Dad to take to the bank. Once, the amount came to $ 32, 000.
A dozen years ago, when I traveled back to my hometown on the sad occasion of Dad’s death, the mailboxes along the way reminded me of some of his stories. I thought I knew them all, but that wasn’t the ease.
As I drove home, I noticed two lamp poles, one on each side of the street. When my dad was around, those poles supported wooden boxes about four feet off the ground. One box was painted green, and the other was red, and each had a long narrow hole at the top with whit e lettering: SANTA CLAUS, NORTH POLE. For years children had dropped letters to Santa through those holes.
I made a turn at the comer and drove past the post office and across the railroad tracks to our house. Mom and I were sitting at the kitchen table when I heard footsteps. There, at the door, stood Frank Townsend, Dad’s postmaster and great friend for many years. So we all sat down at the table and began to tell stories.
At one point Frank looked at me with tears in his eyes. “What are we going to do about the letters this Christmas?” he asked.
“The letters?”
“I guess you never knew.”
“Knew what?”
“Remember. when you were a kid and you used to put your letters to Santa in those green and red boxes on Main Street? It was your dad who answered all those letters every year. It was your dad who answered all those letters every year.”
I just sat there with tears in my eyes. It wasn’t hard for me to imagine Dad sitting at the old oak table in our basement reading those letters and answering each one. I have since spoken with several of the people who received Christmas letters during their childhood, and they told me how amazed they were that Santa h ad known so much about their homes and families.
For me, just knowing that story about my father was the gift of a lifetime.
53. It can be inferred from the passage that the writer regarded his travels with Dad as ________.
A. great chances to help other people B. happy occasions to play with baby chickens
C. exciting experiences with a lot of fun D. good opportunities to enjoy chocolate cookies
54. The writer provides the detail about the businessman to show that ________.
A. Dad had a strong sense of duty B. Dad was an honest and reliable man
C. Dad had a strong sense of honor D. Dad was a kind and generous man
55. The method the writer uses to develop Paragraph 4 is ________.
A. offering analyses B. providing explanations
C. giving examples D. making comparisons
56. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A. The Mail B. Christmas Letters C. Special Mailboxes D. Memorable Travels
10464800115824001148080012319000杭州市西湖区学军中学2024-2025学年高一上开学考
英语试卷
第一部分：完形填空（共 40 小题；每小题 1.5 分，计分 60 分）
阅读下面短文，从短文后所给的四个选项中（A、B、C 和 D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题纸上将该选项涂黑。
A
Do you know insurance(保险)? Buying insurance is a ____1____ by which people can protect themselves ____2____ large losses. Protection against fire is one kind of insurance. Large numbers of people pay ____3____ sums of money to an insurance company. Although thousands of people have paid for fire insurance, only ____4____ will lose their homes by fire. The insurance company will pay for these homes out of the sums of money it has ____5____ .
The first modern fire insurance company was ____6____ in London, England, in 1666. A great fire had just ____7____ most of the city and people wanted protection against ____8____ losses. The first company ____9____ rapidly. Soon other companies were founded in other areas.
Benjamin Franklin helped form the first fire insurance company in America in 1752. He also _____10_____ a new kind of insurance for _____11_____ . The new insurance would offer protection against the loss of crops _____12_____ storms.
In 1795, Benjamin Franklin helped start _____13_____ new insurance company in America. This company, _____14_____ offered life insurance, collected some money _____15_____ from many different men. _____16_____ a man died, his family was given a large sum of money. Today this company is _____17_____ in business.
Over the years, people have _____18_____ from many new kinds of insurance when they have suffered from _____19_____ accidents as car and plane crashes. _____20_____ , almost everyone has some kind of insurance.
1. A. way B. firm C. consideration D. means
2. A. from B. off C. with D. beyond
3. A. small B. huge C. much D. little
4. A. many B. quite a few C. few D. a few
5. A. stole B. collected C. lent D. brought
6. A. built B. found C. formed D. organized
7. A. destroyed B. hurt C. harmed D. wounded
8. A. farther B. further C. wider D. longer
9. A. made B. raised C. grew D. turned
10. A. suggested B. determined C. asked D. demanded
11. A. farmers B. workers C. waiters D. doctors
12. A. with B. by C. from D. for
13. A. other B. certain C. another D. some
14. A. where B. which C. whom D. that
15. A. commonly B. usually C. regularly D. ordinarily
16. A. If B. Although C. Unless D. Because
17. A. always B. still C. hardly D. seldom
18. A. paid B. offered C. bought D. benefited
19. A. many B. so C. such D. that
20. A. Today B. Generally C. Lately D. Tomorrow
【答案】1. D 2. A 3. A 4. D 5. B 6. C 7. A 8. B 9. C 10. A 11. A 12. B 13. C 14. B 15. C 16. A 17. B 18. D 19. C 20. A
B
I was sure that I was to be killed. I became terribly nervous. I reached in my pockets to see if there were any cigarettes which had ____21____ their search. I found ____22____and because of my shaking hands, I could ____23____ get it to my lips. But I had no matches, they had taken those. I looked ____24____ the bars at my jailer(看守). He did not make eye contact with me. I ____25____ out to him “Have you got a light?” He looked at me, shrugged and came over to light my cigarette. ____26____ he came close and lit the match, his eyes accidentally locked with mine. At that moment, I ____27____. I don’t know why I did that. Perhaps it was ____28____, perhaps it was because, when you get very close, one to another, it is very ____29____ not to smile. In that instant, it was _______30_______ a spark jumped across the gap between our two hearts, our two human souls. I know he didn’t want to, but my smile leaped through the bars and generated smile on his lips, too. He lit my cigarette but _______31_______, looking at me directly in the eyes and continuing to smile.
I _______32_______ smiling at him, now aware of him as a(n) _______33_______ and not just a jailer. And his looking at me seemed to have a new _______34_______ too. “Do you have kids?” he asked. “Yes, here, here.” I took out my wallet and nervously fumbled for the _______35_______ of my family. He, too, took out the pictures of his family and began to talk about his plans and hopes for them. My eyes were filled with tears. I said that I feared that I’d never see my family again, never have the chance to see them grow up. Tears came to his eyes, too. _______36_______ without another word, he _______37_______ my cell (牢房) and silently led me out. Out of the jail, quietly and by back routes, out of the town. There, at the edge of town, he released me. And without another word, he turned back toward the town.
“My life was ______38______ by a smile.” Yes, the smile—the unaffected, unplanned, _______39_______ connection between people. I really believe that if that part of you and that part of me could _______40_______ each other, we wouldn't be enemies. We couldn't have hate or envy or fear.
21. A. lost B. given C. escaped D. reached
22. A. them B. it C. that D. one
23. A. barely B. quickly C. possibly D. likely
24. A. on B. through C. at D. up
25. A. whispered B. explained C. called D. repeated
26. A. As B. Before C. After D. Until
27. A. cried B. shook C. refused D. smiled
28. A. anger B. nervousness C. bitterness D. sympathy
29. A. easy B. hard C. glad D. embarrassed
30. A. when B. as well as C. as though D. as long as
31. A. went away B. dropped out C. stayed far D. stayed near
32. A. kept B. stopped C. began D. forgot
33. A. stranger B. enemy C. opponent D. person
34. A. idea B. suggestion C. impression D. solution
35. A. cigarettes B. bags C. pictures D. wallet
36. A. Intentionally B. Unconsciously C. Unwillingly D. Suddenly
37. A. unfolded B. unlocked C. uncontrolled D. undefended
38. A. misled B. destroyed C. saved D. ignored
39. A. surprising B. natural C. different D. frequent
40. A. like B. expect C. notice D. recognize
【答案】21. C 22. D 23. A 24. B 25. C 26. A 27. D 28. B 29. B 30. C 31. D 32. A 33. D 34. A 35. C 36. D 37. B 38. C 39. B 40. D
第二部分：阅读理解（共 16 小题；每小题 2.5 分，计分 40 分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的 A、B、C 和 D 四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
Over the years, a lot of people have talked about New York City, including some famous people in all walks of life. Here are some of their ideas about the Big Apple.
Andrew WK, musician: I just want to be around people who are completely strange to me. Every person who walks by is, like, the most intense person you’ve ever seen! And you wonder: why did they have to come here and make it here?
Patricia Field, designer: We live in a cultural Garden of Eden. You walk down the street and in one block you hear five languages, you have visuals and sounds of all these cultures. It’s educational and inspiring to live in and experience NYC--that’s what keeps me here.
Norman Reedus, actor: There’s a kind of openness in New York and New Yorkers in general that I’m really fond of. It’s one of those places where you’re out and about amongst people all day. I’m not complaining about Los Angeles or anything—I do not hate LA; but you know, you’re in a car so much in LA. Here everyone is saying hi to you.
Raul, soccer player: You have the best shows in the world here, no? And they love it. The last one I saw with my wife and kids was Matilda. It was very nice for the kids. And we saw Mamma Mia! This is a classic. You know, with five kids, you don’t have a lot of time. But we have to see more shows. We are crazy fans.
41. Who prefers New York City to Los Angeles?
A. The soccer player. B. The actor.
C. The musician. D. The designer.
42. What is the reason for Patricia Field’s living in New York City?
A. To meet the people who are completely strange to her.
B. Because there is a kind of openness in New York and New Yorkers.
C. In order to look for some famous people.
D. For the inspiring and educational experience.
43. What keeps Raul in New York City?
A. The crazy fans. B. The cultural Garden of Eden.
C. The shows. D. The friendly atmosphere.
44. What can we infer about the famous people mentioned in the text?
A. They are well-educated. B. They are creative.
C. They like NYC. D. They will leave NYC soon.
【答案】41. B 42. D 43. C 44. C
B
Boris, a foreign student at Communication University of China, often shares his experiences of Chinese culture on his vlog(视频博客).
In one video, for example, Boris shared how he had learned the Chinese word dongxi. He translated each part separately into “east west”. And he introduced one theory (说法)about how dongxi came to mean “things”. He told people that all marketplaces in ancient Chinese cities were set up along a single road that ran from east to west. So when you would say qu mai dongxi, you’d be saying, “I’m going to buy things.”
Some other videos show his reading Chinese poem and performing kung fu in Chinese traditional costume, which are quite welcome among his 40, 000 followers.
“Many of my followers are learning Chinese,” Boris said. “But sadly, they know little about Chinese culture and the country.”
Like many foreigners, Boris once believed that all Chinese could perform kung fu, flying onto roofs and walking over walls. He thought the country was not that developed. But after he got a scholarship(奖学金)to study in China in 2019, his view changed. “China has entered a new period, but many people’s impressions of China are still stuck in the 1970s,” Boris said. “That’s why I started to shoot vlogs to share Chinese culture in 2019.”
Until now, Boris has posted more than 40 Chinese culture vlogs online, but making these vlogs is not easy. Take reading the poem Second Farewell to Cambridge by Xu Zhimo as an example
“I can understand and read every word in the poem” Boris said. “But to touch readers, I need to use proper feelings while reading.” So he needed to look for much background information and make his feelings suit each part of the poem.
Though shooting these vlogs takes lots of time, the young man feels proud that his vlogs have inspired many people. Boris said that he wanted to continue bridging the differences between two cultures. “This goal may not be achieved easily, but I will spare no efforts to do my part.”
45. Through the vlogs, Boris mainly wants to ________.
A. teach foreigners Chinese B. introduce a Chinese university
C. sell Chinese products D. share his experiences in China
46. Boris learned the Chinese word dongxi by ________.
A. translating it as a whole B. knowing its cultural background
C. making up some sentences D. comparing it with similar words
47. What inspired Boris to shoot vlogs?
A. His hunger for new technology. B. His wish to show the real China.
C. His interest in Chinese culture. D. His dream to be a big vlogger.
48. The passage is probably written to ________.
A. say yes to Boris’s actions B. build bridges by making vlogs
C. call for more help D. achieve a common goal C
【答案】45. D 46. B 47. B 48. A
C
Video conferencing has been around for more than 20 years. Until the COVID-19 pandemic, though, you would find that many people needing to attend a meeting remotely would be calling from a real conference room full of their teammates. Today, we’re routinely holding video conferences that are 100% virtual. And this is creating a problem that technology can’t fix.
The problem is us, specifically the fact that we haven’t evolved socially to the point where we can bear much separation. So much of our well-being and work productivity is decided on how close we are physically. The removal of that for any period of time can be severely damaging. One surprising victim of social distancing is laughter.
Normally people laugh about 18 times per day. And 97% of that time we’re laughing with others — we are 30 times more likely to laugh with others than to laugh alone. Think about it: how often when you and your friends laugh at something that is actually funny? Research shows that 80% of what people laugh at is really not that funny.
So why do people laugh? They laugh in order to laugh with others. Just as everyone starts yawning when just one person yawns, most people can’t help but laugh when those around them do. This is why TV comedy shows often use prerecorded laugh tracks.
Laughing in response to other people’s laughing is not just a behavioral phenomenon. When we laugh, our body produces two key chemicals: endorphin which helps relieve pain and sets off feelings of pleasure, and dopamine which can improve learning, motivation and attention. In fact, studies show that people can stand 15% more pain simply by laughing for a few minutes beforehand. Laughter is also associated with higher motivation and productivity at work.
In today’s home-alone, virtual-team world, this is exactly what you as a team leader should be doing: for your team members to stay healthy and productive, you need to get them to laugh more and stress less.
49. What is the problem mentioned in the first two paragraphs?
A. A distant relationship. B. Unexpected social evolution.
C. Decreased laughter. D. Removed social distance.
50. What can be inferred from the article?
A. Laughing alone is normal. B. Laughing is for fun.
C. Laughing starts with yawning. D. Laughing comes more in groups.
51. What is Paragraph 5 mainly about?
A. The motivation behind laughter. B. The chemicals regarding laughter.
C. The mechanism of laughter. D. The significance of laughter.
52. What would the author most probably discuss next?
A. How to boost laughter. B. How to better a team.
C. How to reduce stress. D. How to increase productivity.
【答案】49. C 50. D 51. D 52. A
D
As a young boy, I sometimes traveled the country roads with my dad. He was a rural mail carrier, and on Saturdays he would ask me to go with him. Driving through the countryside was always an adventure: There were animals to see, people to visit, and chocolate cookies if you knew where to stop, and Dad did.
In the spring, Dad delivered boxes full of baby chickens, and when I was a boy it was such fun to stick your fingers through one of the holes of the boxes and let the baby birds peck on your fingers.
On Dad’s final day of work, it took him well into the evening to complete his rounds because at least one member from each family was waiting at their mailbox to thank him for his friendship and his years of service. “Two hundred and nineteen mailboxes on my route,” he used to say, “and a story at every one.” One lady had no mailbox, so Dad took the mail in to her every day because she was nearly blind. Once inside, he read her mail and helped her pay her bills.
Mailboxes were sometimes used for things other than mail. One note left in a mailbox read, “Nat, take these eggs to Marian; she’s baking a cake and doesn’t have any eggs.” Mailboxes might be buried in the snow, or broken, or lying on the ground, but the mail was always delivered. On cold days Dad might find one of his customers waiting for him with a cup of hot chocolate. A young girl wrote letters but had no stamps, so she left a few buttons on the envelope in the mailbox: Dad paid for the stamps. One businessman used to leave large amounts of cash in his mailbox for Dad to take to the bank. Once, the amount came to $ 32, 000.
A dozen years ago, when I traveled back to my hometown on the sad occasion of Dad’s death, the mailboxes along the way reminded me of some of his stories. I thought I knew them all, but that wasn’t the ease.
As I drove home, I noticed two lamp poles, one on each side of the street. When my dad was around, those poles supported wooden boxes about four feet off the ground. One box was painted green, and the other was red, and each had a long narrow hole at the top with whit e lettering: SANTA CLAUS, NORTH POLE. For years children had dropped letters to Santa through those holes.
I made a turn at the comer and drove past the post office and across the railroad tracks to our house. Mom and I were sitting at the kitchen table when I heard footsteps. There, at the door, stood Frank Townsend, Dad’s postmaster and great friend for many years. So we all sat down at the table and began to tell stories.
At one point Frank looked at me with tears in his eyes. “What are we going to do about the letters this Christmas?” he asked.
“The letters?”
“I guess you never knew.”
“Knew what?”
“Remember. when you were a kid and you used to put your letters to Santa in those green and red boxes on Main Street? It was your dad who answered all those letters every year. It was your dad who answered all those letters every year.”
I just sat there with tears in my eyes. It wasn’t hard for me to imagine Dad sitting at the old oak table in our basement reading those letters and answering each one. I have since spoken with several of the people who received Christmas letters during their childhood, and they told me how amazed they were that Santa h ad known so much about their homes and families.
For me, just knowing that story about my father was the gift of a lifetime.
53. It can be inferred from the passage that the writer regarded his travels with Dad as ________.
A. great chances to help other people B. happy occasions to play with baby chickens
C. exciting experiences with a lot of fun D. good opportunities to enjoy chocolate cookies
54. The writer provides the detail about the businessman to show that ________.
A. Dad had a strong sense of duty B. Dad was an honest and reliable man
C. Dad had a strong sense of honor D. Dad was a kind and generous man
55. The method the writer uses to develop Paragraph 4 is ________.
A. offering analyses B. providing explanations
C. giving examples D. making comparisons
56. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A. The Mail B. Christmas Letters C. Special Mailboxes D. Memorable Travels
【答案】53. C 54. B 55. C 56. A

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