英语周报高考2023-2024book2units2-3

英语周报高考2023-2024book2units2-3

It is widely known that any English conversation begins with The Weather. Such a fixation with the weather finds expression in Dr.Johnson’s famous comment that “When two English meet, their first talk is of weather.” Though Johnson’s observation is as accurate now as it was over two hundred years ago, most commentators fail to come up with a convincing explanation for this English weather-speak.

Bill Bryson, for ezample, concludes that,as the English weather is not at all exciting,the obsession with it can hardly be understood. He argues that”To an outsider,the most striking thing about the English weather is that there is not very much of it.” Simply, the reason is that the unusual and unpredictable weather is almost unknown in the British Isles.

Jeremy Paxman, however, disagrees with Bryson, arguing that the English weather is by nature attractive. Bryson is wrong, he says,because the English preference for the weather has nothing to do with the natural phenomena.”The interest is less in the phenomena themselves, but in uncertainty.” According to him, the weather in England is very changeable and uncertain and it attracts the English as well as the outsider.

Bryson and Paxman stand for common misconceptions about the weather-speak among the English. Both commentators, somehow, are missing the point. The English weather conversation is not really about the weather at all. English weather-speak is a system of signs ,which is developed to help the speakers overcome the natural reserve and actually talk to each other. Everyone knows conversations starting with weather-speak are not requests for weather data. Rather, they are routine greetings,conversation starters or the blank”fillers”, In other words, English weather-speak is a means of social bonding.

1.The author mentions Dr.Johnson’s comment to show that________.

A.most commentators agree with Dr.Johnson

B.Dr.Johnson is famous for his weather observation

C.the comment was accurate two hundred years ago

D.English conversations usually start with the weather

2.What doe s the underlined word”obsession” most probably refer to?

A.A social trend.   B.An emotional state.

C.A historical concept.   D.An unknown phenomenon.

3.According to the passage,Jeremy Paxman believes that________.

A.Bill Bryson has little knowledge of the weather

B.there is nothing special about the English weather

C.the English weather attracts people to the British Isles

D.English people talk about the weather for its unccrtainty

4.What is the author’s main purpose of writing the passage?

A.To explain what English weather-speak is about.

B.To analyse misconceptions about the English weather.

C.To find fault with both Bill Bryson and Jeremy Paxman.

D.To convince people that the English weather is changeable.

英语周报高考2023-2024book2units2-3试题答案

1.D

2.B

3.D

4.A

【解析】

试题分析: 本文是一篇关于文化习俗的文章。众所周知，英国人见面打招呼都是喜欢谈论天气。为什么英国人喜欢以天气为谈论话题呢？在本文中作者深层分析了其文化根源。这种日常问候的方式即是一种社会纽带。

1.推理判断题。文章首段提出It is widely known that any English conversation begins with The Weather.（众所周知，任何英语交流都是以天气开头。）紧接着就以Dr.Johnson的话来举例说明，由此判断作者提到Dr.Johnson 的话是为了说明英国人这种社会习俗，故选D。

2.猜测词义。根据第二段中Bill Bryson, for example, concludes that, as the English weather is not at all exciting（例如，Bill Bryson认为由于英国的天气一点都不会让人兴奋）, 和the obsession with it can hardly be understood……很难让人理解,判断obsession是与前面内容相反的意思，故答案选B。

3.推理判断题。根据第三段“The interest is less in the phenomena themselves, but in uncertainty.” According to him, the weather in England is very changeable and uncertain and it attracts the English as well as the outsider.可知Jeremy Paxman的观点是：英国人喜欢谈论天气的原因是由于英国天气的多变和不确定性。故选C。

4..主旨大意题。本文从英国人见面打招呼以谈论天气引入中心，分析了为什么英国人喜欢以天气为谈论话题，然后介绍了两个常见的错误观点，继而深层分析了其文化根源，故选A。

考点：考查社会文化类短文阅读

Our first winter in Canada was the happiest we have ever experienced. We were living in the countryside then and had just arrived from Hong Kong that autumn.

One evening in mid December snow began to fall. When we looked out of the window and saw that it was snowing, we all cheered. It was the first snow we had ever seen and we were excited. We could hardly wait for the snow to stop so that we could go out to play. Next morning when we woke up, it was still snowing. We switched on the radio and learned that more than ten inches of snow had fallen during the night and that since the roads were blocked（堵塞） there would be no school that day. We jumped up and down for joy and begged mother to let us go outside to play in the snow. She said we could go out after breakfast if we dressed ourselves warmly and promised to come back as soon as we felt cold.

When we went out, the snow had almost stopped. The roads, paths, gardens, and playing grounds were all hidden under a white blanket of soft snow. It was the most beautiful sight we had ever seen. Just then, we saw some neighbors’ children coming out to play. We ran over to join them. Together we built a snowman and a snow house. After that, we took turns sliding down a hill on a large piece of card-board. We were having so much fun when supper time came. Mother almost had to force us to go in and eat.

1.When did the children come to Canada?

A. Spring. B. Summer. C. Autumn. D. Winter.

2.The children all cheered when they saw the snow because _____.

A. they knew they would have no school the next day

B. it was the first time they had seen snow

C. they knew that winter had come

D. they liked cold weather

3.The children didn’t have to go school because______

A. their teacher were sure that children liked snow

B. they wanted to play on the snow field

C. heavy snow blocked the roads

D. their mother allowed them to play outside

4.When the children asked their mother to let them go out to play she ____.

A. immediately allowed them to go out

B. refused to let them go outside

C. told them to switch on the radio

D. told them to wait until after breakfast

5.The writer and his brothers and sisters built ____.

A. a snowman and a cardboard house of their own

B. a snowman and a snow house for themselves to live in

C. a snowman and a snow house with their neighbors’ children

D. a white blanket on the roads

英语周报高考2023-2024book2units2-3试题答案

1.C

2.B

3.C

4.D

5.C

【解析】

试题分析：文章介绍了作者第一次看到雪的激动心情。在雪地里和家人、邻居的小朋友一起堆雪人、造雪屋子、滑雪。真的是一种快乐的体验。

1….had just arrived from Hong Kong that autumn. 可知，孩子们是在秋天到的加拿大。所以选C。

2.细节理解题。根据It was the first snow we had ever seen and we were excited. 可知，孩子们看到雪都很兴奋，因为那是他们第一次看到雪。所以选B。

3.细节理解题。根据since the roads were blocked（堵塞） there would be no school that day.可知，孩子们不上学是因为大雪堵塞了道路。所以选C。

4.细节理解题。根据She said we could go out after breakfast可知，妈妈说吃过我们早饭后可以到外面去玩雪。所以选D。

5.细节理解题。根据Together we built a snowman and a snow house可知，作者和他的兄弟姐妹以及邻居们一起堆了雪人还盖了雪房子。所以选C。

考点：故事类短文阅读。

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