2016—2017学年度高三第四次月考英语试题第一部分：阅读理解（共两节，满分40分）第一节（共15小题，每小题2分，满分30分）阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。

AWith the development of modern society, human beings are increasingly invading wild animals’habitat as well as the wild plants’. N early a third of the world’s cacti (仙人掌 ) are facing the threat of extinction, according to a shocking global assessment of the effects.Cacti are an important provider of food and water to desert wildlife ranging from wolves and deer to tortoises, bats a nd birds, and these fauna spread the plants’seeds in return.But the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s first worldwide health check of the plants says that they are coming under huge pressure from human activities such as land use changes, commercial and residential developments and shrimp farming. But the paper said the driver of cacti species extinction was the “uncontrolled collection of live plants and private decorating collections, and annual agriculture.”The findings were described as “disturbing”by Inger Anderson, the IUCN’s director-general. “They confirm that the scale of the illegal wildlife trade, including the trade in plants is much greater than we had previously thought, and that wildlife illegal trade concerns many more species than the elephants which tend to receive global attention.”Cacti are almost always delicious but unlike most others, they store water in their stems alone, enabling them to survive extreme draughts. The plants can be as small as one centimeter in diameter and grow above 19 meters in height. Well over half of the species are used by humans for display decoration, food or medicine. Almost 1,500 types of cacti were surveyed by the IUCN specialists over a five-year period, mostly in America.Dealing with the illegal trade is a hard task as they can be hidden in suitcases oreve n socks. While countries such as Peru have made progress in blocking the illegal trade, the IUCN is calling for more strictly carrying out the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) in the “hotspots” of Uruguay,Brazil and Chile. Mexico has made advances but still has work to do, according to Goettsch.1. What does the third paragraph mainly tell us?A. What causes cacti species extinctionB. What gives people pressureC. Wh at IUCN has foundD. What farmers have planted2. In Inger Anderson’s opinion, ________.Á. the findings of the IUCN are not disturbingB. the illegal plant trade is less serious than we had thoughtC. cacti have received much global attentionD. the illegal plant trade threatens lots of wildlife3. Why is it hard to fight against cacti trade?A. Because cacti can be made into socks.B. Because cacti are easy to carry secretly.C. Because many countries carry out Cites strictly.D. Because some countries made advances to trade cacti.BGeniuses amaze us, impress us and make us all a little jealous. How do they differ from the average people? Scientists are working hard to figure out that answer. Turn in to the National Geographic Channel to find out about the discoveries that they are making in the series My Brilliant Brain.When Marc Yu was only two years old, he began to play the piano. After a year, he started learning pieces by Beethoven. Now he’s a world-famous concert pianist at age eight. He learns newer and more difficult pieces with ease and can identify any note he hears. He seems to be specially designed for music. In Born Genius, National Geographic looks at the science behind child prodigies (神童) to explain why some children seem to be born without limits.Genius didn’t come naturally to Tommy Mc-Hugh. It came only after he nearly died from bleeding in his brain. After recovering, Mc-Hugh’s head was filled with new thoughts andpictures. So he began to express them in the form of poetry and art. Now he’s a seemingly unstoppable creative machine. Sufferers of autism (自闭症) and brain injury have shown that great mental ability can sometimes come from damage or disease. Accidental Genius explores this puzzling relationship.Can normal people be trained to be geniuses? Susan Polger has shown no signs of extraordinary intelligence. Yet, during her childhood, she studied thousands of chess patterns and learned to recognize them immediately. As a result, she was able to beat skilled adult players by age 10 and can now play up to five games at the same time without even seeing the boards. Make Me a Genius examines what it takes to turn an ordinary brain into that of a genius.If becoming a genius were eas y, we’d all be one. Yet, there’s much more to super intelligence than simply being born lucky. Learn more about amazing brains this month on National Geographic’s My Brilliant Brain.4. The author takes Marc Yu as an example to show that a child prodigy is ________.A. a child who learns something easilyB. a child who is eager to learn new thingsC. a pianist who practices an instrument a lo tD. a student who works hard to do well in school5. From the passage, we know that ________.A. more and more scientists are studying the brainB. geniuses mostly are born with great witsC. there is no such person as a true geniusD. there are many factors in being a genius6. The author develops the passage mainly by ________.A. providing typical examplesB. following the natural time orderC. presenting a cause and analyzing its effectsD. comparing opinions from different scientists7. My Brilliant Brain is most probably from ________.A. a websiteB. a TV channelC. a magazineD. a newspaperCMelbourne, AustraliaMelbourne is a hot-spot travel destination, and it’s easy to see why with its beautiful beaches and busy city life.Why it’s a great choice: Australia as a whole is considered a safe destination for international travel, and because of that, many solo travelers go there. As an English-speaking country, you won’t be faced with any language barriers. Melbourne is easy to get around because you can walk or bike practically anywhere!ThailandThailand is great for solo travelers—perhaps because it is one of the Buddhist mindsets, which promote equality among the sexes.Why it’s a great choice: Thailand is known for its friendly atmosphere, and as a travel hot-spot, there are plenty of chances to meet other like-minded travelers. Well known for being very cheap, especially in the north. A good choice if you want to get away on a budget. Thailand has a lot to offer, from the party-central Bangkok to beautiful beaches and tropical jungle.Hong Kong, ChinaHong Kong is a great place to relax for solo travelers as it is full of “Zen moments,” such as beautiful gardens and Tai Chi classes.Why it’s a great choice: Hong Kong is regarded as one of the safest cities in the world. If you’re not well-traveled, or perhaps a bit tired of things like language barriers, Hong Kong is a great place to start, as it mixes both Eastern and Western at the same time. Bali, IndonesiaBali is a spiritual place with yoga, spas, healthy food and beaches. The combination of friendly people and splendidly visual culture has made Bali Indonesia number one tourist attraction.Why it’s so great: You won’t be the only solo traveler in Bali. Everyone is known for being extremely friendly and you’re sure to meet some amazing characters along the way. As a Hindu island, Bali is the perfect place for a relaxing and spiritual retreat （静修）. The Sacred Monkey Forest in Ubud is fantastic—if you like monkeys, anyway.8. What do the fo ur places have in common according to the text?A. They’re cheap to travel around.B. They’re great for solo travelers.C. They offer good spas and yoga.D. There’re no language barriers.9. Where can you enjoy both convenient transport and beautiful beaches?A. Melbourne, Australia.B. Thailand.C. Hong Kong, China.D. Bali, Indonesia.10. What has made Bali Indonesia No.1 tourist attraction?A. Yoga, spas, healthy food and beaches.B. Friendly people and splendidly visual culture.C. Meeting some amazing characters along the way.D. Fantastic monkeys in the Sacred Monkey Forest.11. What type of writing is this text?A. A travel journal.B. A business report.C. A travel guide.D. A press advertisement.DHank Viscardi was born without legs. He had not legs but stumps(残肢) that could he fitted with a kind of special boots, People stared at him with cruel interest. Children laughed at him and called him ‘Ape Man’ (猿人) because his arms practically dragged on the ground.Hank went to school like other boys. His grades were good and he needed only eight years to finish his schooling instead of th e usual twelve. After graduating from school, he worked his way through college. He swept floors, waited on table, or worked in one of the college offices. During all this busy life, he had been moving around on his stumps. But one day the doctor told him even the stumps were not going to last much longer. He would soon have to use a wheel chair.Hank felt himself got cold all over. However, the doctor said there was a chance that he could be fitted with artificial legs. Finally a leg maker was found and the day came when Hank stood up before the mirror, For the first time he saw himself as he has always wanted to be a full five feet eight inches tall. By this time he was already 26 years old.Hank had to learn to use his new legs. Again and again he marched the length of theroom , and marched ba ck again. There were times when he fell down on the floor, but he pulled himself up and went back to the endless marching. He went out on the street. H e climbed stairs and learned to dance. He built a boat and learned to sail it.When World War II came , he talked the Red Cross into giving him a job. He took the regular training. he marched and drilled along with the other soldiers. Few knew that he was legless. This was the true story of Hank Viscardi, a man without legs.12. Children laughed at Hank and called him ‘Ape Man’ because ______.A. he kept away from themB. he didn’t talk to themC. his arms touche d the ground when he movedD. he couldn’t use his arms13. It can be inferred from the story that five feet eight inches tall is ______.A. an average height for a fully grown personB. too tall for an average personC. too short for an average personD. none of the above14. The senten ce “he talked the Red Cross into giving him a job” implies that the Red Cross _____.A. was only glad to give him a jobB. gave him a job because he was a good soldierC. was not willing to give him a job at firstD. gave him a job after he talked to someone whom he knew in the organization15. When Hank marched and drilled along with the other soldiers, he ______.A. did some of the things the other soldiers didB. did most of the things the other soldiers didC. did everything the other soldiers didD. took some special training第二节（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。