江苏省徐州市沛县2024届高三上学期英语期初模拟测试（一）

The Right Electric Bike For You

The bicycle fever is back, but this time it has gone electric. According to NPD Group which tracks the bicycle industry, electric bike sales have more than doubled since 2019. And their popularity is still on the rise. Confirm your need and pick the electric bike that's best for you.

The incident took place, believe it or not, on the playground. I was something of a football player, but I had never been a good player, far less a great one. I played for the mere physical joy that I got out of the game, but I played with a will, and put my whole heart into the game. The result was that, though I had plenty of energy and enthusiasm, I was never picked for my college team.

Let me confess frankly that this was only because there was another player in the same position who happened to be much better than me. I considered myself the better sportsman, but he was certainly the greater player. So I never grumbled or complained. I was content to wait and bide my time.

And at last my patience was rewarded. It was for me a very special day. Our team had shot up into the final and was meeting its rival(竞争对手). Our star­player sent word at the last moment that he was ill and he could not take the field. Imagine the astonishment in the college camp! The thought was that the game was as good as lost, and so also, I confess, did I for this player was our trump card(王牌): That is what everybody always said. However, something had to be done, and that something had to be myself! The captain called me up almost apologetically for having failed to recognize my greatness before, and—there I was, on the playground, greeted by the cheers of my friends, and a few jeers from those who had little faith in my prowess.

I can tell you that I played like a demon(魔鬼). I was here, there and everywhere—now leading the attack, now falling back to help the defense. It was indeed a thrilling moment in my life. For a time, I was the center of all attention, the object of universal applause, and "the observed of all observers". And, believe it or not, it was I who put in the winning goal. It marked the top of a glorious day. Even now I look back on the episode with unmixed pleasure and satisfaction.

Cities are difficult to navigate (导航) at the best of times, but for people with disabilities they can be like courses with hurdles and bring inconvenience to disabled people.

A UK national travel survey found that adults with mobility difficulties took 39% fewer trips than those with no disability in 2017. Yet that could change as devices and cities grow smarter. Assistive tech is playing a big role in the transformation. The global value of the industry is expected to increase from $14 billion in 2015 to $30.8 billion in 2024, according to Zion Market Research.

One of the things that could transform lives is a smart walking stick designed by engineers from Young Guru Academy (YGA) in Turkey. The WeWalk stick has a sensor that detects hurdles above chest level and uses vibrations (振动) to warn the user. It can be paired with a smartphone to help navigation, and is connected with a voice assistant and Google Maps.

Ceylan, who has been blind since birth, says that connecting the stick to the Internet of Things and smart city solutions makes it user-friendly. "As a blind person, when I am at the Metro station I don't know which is my exit ... I don't know which bus is approaching ... which stores are around me. That kind of information can be provided with the WeWalk," he says.

"The smart walking stick is really an exciting initiative that will make a huge difference to some people," says Anna Lawson, the director of the Center for Disability Studies at Leeds University in the United Kingdom. "But they are very expensive ... they're not going to be available to the vast majority of disabled people," she added.

Bryan Matthews, a lecturer at the Institute for Transport Studies at the University of Leeds, shares the concerns about cost. He says there should also be a focus on inclusive design, and anything that helps people navigate their environment is positive.

Avoid the supermarket shelves piled with cheese, cupcakes and pies. That is the message of an analysis that found these items are the worst when looking at both nutritional and environmental impacts of thousands of food and drink products sold in the UK and Ireland. So far, most studies have focused on the environmental impact of goods such as beef or beans, rather than tofu and other products that shoppers often buy. Where research has focused on such products, it has usually been for a small number of them.

In a bid to bridge the gap, Micheal Clark at the University of Oxford and his colleagues analyzed more than 57,000 food and drink products sold in the UK and Ireland. The team took the ingredients (成分) data from eight retailers (零售商), including major supermarkets Tesco and Sainsbury's. However, precise figures on how much of each ingredient is in each product were only available for around a tenth of them. To estimate the rest, Clark and his colleagues trained an algorithm (算法) on the known products and used it to predict the composition of the unknown ones. Finally, the team linked all the ingredients to an existing database of environmental impacts, including emissions (排放), land use and water stress.

The results may come as no surprise: meat, fish and cheese products had highest environmental impact while fruit, vegetables, bread and sugary drink products had the lowest burden. Clark admits that none of this is exciting, given what we already knew from past research. "What is important is that you can start getting these impact estimates for products that people are purchasing, which then has a lot of effects," he says.

One of those is eco-lables, which can help consumers to make greener choices. However, retailers have struggled in the past with the challenge of the large number of food. Clark is thinking about how to eventually turn the data into an app that could be used either by shoppers or by retailers wanting to reduce their environmental impact. "We've made that information available in a way that means people can start making informed decisions," he says.

For the holiday gathering, you may be wondering how you're going to pull it off. Before we go into the specifics, a few words of general advice: You don't have to throw the party your parents did.

We talked to a party-planning expert, Miller. Here's her advice on how to host a stress-free holiday gathering without losing your mind.

The best way to avoid being exhausted is to be prepared. Many seasoned hosts set their tables several days in advance. "Always pretend your event is a few days before." Miller says. She recommends cleaning the house, rounding up an extra dining chair and buying drinks a few days in advance.

Pick a serving setup. 

Before you choose your menu, determine your serving style. If you've got the space for it, a family-style meal — where people sit around a table and food is passed on big plates — can cut down on the need for complicated decorations. "Food can be part of the design, so you're not going crazy with flowers or anything," she says.

Embrace a mixed menu. 

The pandemic has made takeout an option not only for family dinners, but also for entertaining, because many restaurants now offer specific holiday dinner dishes to take home. "You can do a party with literally no cooking," Ramos says. "I like to live in the in-between, but it's up to you." Time- and stress-savers include relying on make-ahead dishes.

A. This is your show.

B. Dress the house in your own style.

C. Be prepared with a carefully worked-out plan.

D. You can get great food from so many local places.

E. Throw a party that isn't on the holiday itself.

F. Buffets are good if you don't have a large dining table.

G. There is always work you have to do at the last minute.

I never imagined that an interstate trip could be so exciting.

But when your world has become smaller since the pandemic hit two-and-a-bit years ago, and then slowly 1 , the most ordinary experience gives new 2  to life. And so it was with me when I was 3  given the chance to take my first flight in more than two years.

I'd forgotten how it felt to be among the people coming and going. I got to the airport two hours before boarding. Time for the bar and, of course, 4 .

That group of young Arab women laughing and posing for photographs by the expansive windows, aircraft in the 5  , lighting up the place with their happiness.

The man in the corner drinking alone. Just another one of the 70,000 or so stories that would pass through the airport 6 .

I've never been a calm flyer. But when the plane took off I was 7 , in that moment of weightlessness as the wheels 8 Earth, leaning towards the window to watch everything below becoming smaller and smaller.

Is it possible that the denial of so much during the pandemic lockdown had added new 9 to what was the ordinary? I think so. The plane ride, the hotel stay, and the social occasion all now gave me a sense of 10 that might have previously only aroused in me nothing more than a certain nonchalance(若无其事)or even 11 .

Last June, just ahead of the long Sydney lockdown, a friend 12 a birthday party. That experience for me would continue happily through some of the13 months of the lockdown that would follow.14 the repeated fear that the pandemic holds over us, the memory of that celebration still keeps its bright, warm light in my mind. That's what happens when everything old is new again, when 15 is rediscovered as a virtue.

Aiming to inspire the people of various countries to learn Chinese, the video series The Imagination of Art was released on Oct. 24.

The project, (joint) produced by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation and Central Academy of Fine Arts, selects multiple art pieces created by four artists: Wu Jian'an, Kang Lei, Lu Zhengyuan and Zhang Fan.

Under the theme of "Chinese language plus arts", the series (comprise) of two parts the first part of which contains four episodes, each (feature) one artist. The second part will sec education experts guide Chinese learning from their (work).

In the first episode, Wu, one director of Fine Arts Experimental Art School at the academy(share) his creation procedure of The Heaven of Nine Levels,hand-carved piece inspired by Shan Hai Jing. The second introduces The Garden of Forking Paths, artist Kang's painting,title is inspired from Jorge Borges' novel. The work demonstrates Kang's reflectiontime, as she paints different sceneries and objects in different places and at different times worldwide (record) her feelings and experiences.

The other two episodes are respectively about Lu's work Solid Liquid and Zhang's work Tianxin, both of which have a (power) effect on people learning Chinese.

注意：1.写作词数应为80词左右；2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Dear schoolmates, 

Volunteering is playing a crucial role in students' overall development. With the approach of winter vacation, it's high time that we took up volunteering.

……

Yours Sincerely,

Li Hua

"Where's the rest of my paper?" thundered an angry Papa Bear storming into the living room. It didn't take him long to find Brother Bear and the sports section.

"I just borrowed it." said Brother. Papa snatched it up and plumped down in his easy chair. Brother wandered into the kitchen looking for sympathy from Mama Bear. "Gee," he said, "what's eating him?" "Your father looks forward to his evening paper," Mama said, "and he has a perfect right to be annoyed when half of it is missing — and furthermore, thank you not to refer to your father as him!"

She stomped out of the kitchen. 

"Why not? He's a him, isn't he? Gosh," said Brother, "what's eating her?"

What was "eating" Mama was Sister Bear. Sister had been on the phone with Lizy Bruin for almost an hour.

"But Mama!" she protested when she was told to say good-bye.

"Don't But Mama' me!" said Mama Bear. "This is not your private phone. You've had all day to talk to Lizy at school and you'll have all day to talk to her tomorrow. So hang up that phone now!"

Sister did as she was told. 

"Phew!" breathed Brother as he fell into the seat beside Cousin Fred on the school bus.

"Tough morning?" asked Fred.

"You better believe it!" said Sister, taking the seat Lizzy had saved for her.

The four compared notes on the way to school. The children agreed that while there was no doubt that their parents loved them, they were a little difficult to get along with sometimes. They nagged (唠叨); they said no a lot; and they never wanted kids to have any fun.

"Hey," said Brother as they got off the bus, "what are we going to do for the Parents Night Talent Show?" "Don't know," said Lizzy. "Let's think about it"

When the four searched their brains, Brother snapped his fingers and said, "I've got it! Remember what we were talking about just now?" "Sure," said Fred. "We were saying how grownups can be a big pain."

Paragraph one:

"Well," said Brother, "let's put on a play about that, and call it..."

Paragraph two:

Despite the difficulties in the preparation, especially costumes, their big day came finally.