2024年4月25日发(作者：帖冰冰)
2023-2024
学年江西省宜丰中学创新部高三上学期期中英语考试试卷
Inspired by his mentor Louis Sullivan, an influential figure in the world of modernist architecture,
Frank Lloyd Wright coined the term “organic architecture” around 1908.
Rather than imitating nature or organic elements within the natural world, organic architecture is
more concerned with re-interpretation of nature and harmony between the organic and the built
environment. It ensures that the individual elements within buildings are put together to reflect the
order within nature. Here are four of the most striking examples.
Casa Milà
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Year of completion: 1910
Architect: Antoni Caudi
Considered the greatest master of Catalan Modernism, Antoni Gaudi was devoted to nature and the
Catholic religion. While he originally intended this organic building to have a religious purpose, it is
now an apartment building. True to the organic style, it features honey shapes that seemingly emerge
from the earth.
Learning Hub at Nanyang Technological University (NTU)
Location: Singapore
Year of completion: 2015
Architect: Thomas Heatherwick
Earning the nicknames “dim sum basket building” and “the Hive”, the Learning Hub consists of 12
eight-storey towers arranged around a public atrium (
天井
). The organic nature of the building
extends to its interior with features like gardens that are intended to encourage social interactions
and study among students.
Falling Water
Location: Mill Run, Pennsylvania
Year of completion:1939
Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright
A classic of modernism and organic architecture, Falling Water sits on top of a waterfall. Frank
Lloyd Wright designed it for the Kaufmann family who—though they had originally hoped for a
view of the waterfall-came to love the home.
East Beach Café
Location: Littlehampton, UK
Year of completion: 2007
Architect: Thomas Heatherwick
Located in a seaside area with an industrial history, East Beach Café
resembles a piece of driftwood.
Forty meters long, seven meters wide and five meters high, it initially polarized locals, but has since
been well-received by the whole community. It was the first building for Thomas Heatherwick who
previously was better known as a sculptor.
1. Which building was designed to serve a religious purpose?
A
．
Casa Milà.
C
．
Falling Water.
B
．
Learning Hub at NTU.
D
．
East Beach Cafe.
2. What do we know about the four buildings in the text?
A
．
They are architectural classics of modernism.
B
．
They feature imitations of animals or elements in nature.
C
．
East Beach Café was not welcomed by all the locals initially.
D
．
The designer of Learning Hub at NTU invented’ the concept “organic architecture’’.
3. Which of the following magazines is the text probably taken from?
A
．
National Geographic .
C
．
Organic Gardening .
“Dana, how are you feeling today?” I ask, my eyes clocking her dirty uniform, and the dark circles
under her eyes.
“OK,” Dana mumbles (
嘟囔
).
“Have you eaten today?”
She nods. Another lie.
“Can I get you anything?” But what could I possibly get her? A bedroom of her own? A family with
love?
“No, thanks.”
Her repeated absence from school recently has worn out teachers’ patience. But I don’t want to send
her back to class: What use is it knowing all the square numbers and all the grammatical rules when
she has to work out how to wash, cook and decide between feeding herself or her younger sister?
“A biscuit?” I offer. It works and Dana takes the biscuit I hand het.
I remember the first time I met Dana, the day after she locked herself in the house when her mum
abandoned the family, I remember thinking how young she was to have built such a high wall
around herself and how on earth I could possibly break through. As a social worker, it is my job to
knock down such walls no matter how.
I know it would take more than a biscuit to ease out one of her bricks. But I will try.
B
．
Architectural Digest .
D
．
BBC History
“How are you feeling?” I push slightly, hoping the biscuit might have softened her.
“OK,” she shrugs. I’m about change topics when her eyes rest on my arm.
“How does that feel, Mia?” Dana stares at me. The sleeve of my blouse has rolled up, evidence of
how deep I had put it into the biscuit can. A deep scar along my arm is obvious against my fair skin.
I roll my sleeve back down, “It’s from a fire. It hurt. But everything will be OK when you think it’s
OK.”
Dana pauses and picks up another biscuit. In that instant, I know something has changed in the room
and we might actually be OK.
4. Why is Dana often absent from school?
A
．
Because she locks herself up.
C
．
Because she is struggling with life.
5. What do we know about Mia?
A
．
She tries to reach out to Dana.
C
．
She is a demanding social worker.
6. What does the ending of the text imply?
A
．
Mia gains a better understanding of
Dana.
C
．
Troubled teens require more care and
support.
7. What is a suitable title for the text?
A
．
OK
In our information-driven society, shaping our worldview through the media is similar to forming an
opinion about someone solely based on a picture of their foot. While the media might not
deliberately deceive us, it often fails to provide a comprehensive view of reality.
Consequently, the question arises: Where, then, shall we get our information from if not from the
media? Who can we trust? How about experts- people who devote their working lives to
understanding their chosen slice of the world? However, even experts can fall prey to the allure of
oversimplification, leading to the “single perspective instinct” that hampers (
阻碍
) our ability to
grasp the intricacies (
错综复杂
) of the world.
Simple ideas can be appealing because they offer a sense of understanding and certainty. And it is
easy to take off down a slippery slope, from one attention-grabbing simple idea to a feeling that this
idea beautifully explains, or is the beautiful solution for, lots of other things. The world becomes
simple that way.
B
．
Biscuits C
．
A white lie D
．
A deep scar
B
．
The atmosphere is happy and
harmonious.
D
．
A close bond is forming between Mia
and Dana.
B
．
She is sensitive about her scar.
D
．
She works to improve parent-child
relationship.
B
．
Because school lessons are useless.
D
．
Because she is disliked by her teachers.
Yet, when we embrace a singular cause or solution for all problems, we risk oversimplifying
complex issues. For instance, championing the concept of equality may lead us to view all problems
through the lens of inequality and see resource distribution as the sole panacea. However, such
rigidity prevents us from seeing the multidimensional nature of challenges and hinders true
comprehension of reality. This “single perspective instinct” ultimately clouds our judgment and
restricts our capacity to tackle complex issues effectively. Being always in favor of or always against
any particular idea makes you blind to information that doesn’t fit your perspective. This is usually a
bad approach if you would like to understand reality.
Instead, constantly test your favorite ideas for weaknesses. Be humble about the extent of your
expertise. Be curious about new information that doesn’t fit, and information from other fields. And
rather than talking only to people who agree with you, or collecting examples that fit your ideas,
consult people who contradict you, disagree with you, and put forward different ideas as a great
resource for understanding the world. If this means you don’t have time to form so may opinions, so
what?
Wouldn’t you rather have few opinions that are right than many that are wrong?
8. What does the underlined word “allure” in Para.2 probably mean?
A
．
Temptation. B
．
Tradition. C
．
Convenience. D
．
Consequence.
9. Why are simple ideas appealing according to the passage?
A
．
They meet people’s demand for high efficiency.
B
．
They generate a sense of complete understanding.
C
．
They are raised and supported by multiple experts.
D
．
They reflect the opinions of like-minded individuals.
10. What will the author probably agree with?
A
．
Simplifying matters releases energy for human brains.
B
．
Constant tests on our ideas help make up for our weakness.
C
．
A well-founded opinion counts more than many shallow ones.
D
．
People who disagree with us often have comprehensive views.
11. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?
A
．
Embracing Disagreement: Refusing Overcomplexity
B
．
Simplifying Information: Enhancing Comprehension
C
．
Understanding Differences: Establishing Relationships
D
．
Navigating Complexity: Challenging Oversimplification
Whom should you marry? Where should you live? How should you spend your time? For centuries,
people have relied on their gut instincts (
直觉
) to figure out the answers to these life-changing
questions. Now, though, there is a better way. We are living through a data explosion, as vast
amounts of information about all aspects of human behavior have become more and more
accessible. We can use this big data to help determine the best course to chart.
There has long been overwhelming—and often surprising—evidence that algorithms (
算法
) can be
much better than people at making difficult decisions. Researchers have collected data on various
kinds of choices people make, the information they base those choices on, and how things turn out.
They have found, for example, that a simple data-driven algorithm would have been better than
judges at deciding whether a defendant should stay in prison or be released; better than doctors at
deciding whether a patient should undergo surgery; and better than school principals at deciding
which teachers should be promoted.
The power of data analysis has been proved in the sports and business worlds, too. As made famous
by the book and movie Moneyball, baseball teams found that algorithms were better than scouts (
星
探
) at picking players, and better than managers at picking strategies. In finance, the hedge fund
Renaissance Technologies dramatically defeated competitors by seeking out patterns in stock market
data and using them to inform its investment strategy. Tech firms in Silicon Valley have found that
data from experiments provides better insights into how to design their websites than designers
could.
These are the early days of the data revolution in decision-making. I am not claiming that we can
completely count on algorithms to make our lifestyle choices, though we might get to that point in
the future. I am claiming instead that we can all dramatically improve our decision-making by
consulting evidence mined from thousands or millions of people who faced dilemmas similar to
ours. And we can do that now.
12. What’s the main idea of the passage?
A
．
Big data is a double-edged sword.
B
．
Data revolution will change people’s life.
C
．
Big data is helpful in making important decisions.
D
．
Algorithms behaves better than people in many fields.
13. According to paragraph 2, algorithms might NOT defeat people in_________.
A
．
court rulings
C
．
operative estimation
14. What is the writing purpose of paragraph 3?
A
．
To provide further evidence.
C
．
To encourage the use of big data.
B
．
To show potential applications.
D
．
To explain how to use algorithms.
B
．
job promotions
D
．
teaching practices
15. Which of the following will the author most probably agree with?
A
．
Algorithms offer perfect advice now.
2024年4月25日发(作者：帖冰冰)
2023-2024
学年江西省宜丰中学创新部高三上学期期中英语考试试卷
Inspired by his mentor Louis Sullivan, an influential figure in the world of modernist architecture,
Frank Lloyd Wright coined the term “organic architecture” around 1908.
Rather than imitating nature or organic elements within the natural world, organic architecture is
more concerned with re-interpretation of nature and harmony between the organic and the built
environment. It ensures that the individual elements within buildings are put together to reflect the
order within nature. Here are four of the most striking examples.
Casa Milà
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Year of completion: 1910
Architect: Antoni Caudi
Considered the greatest master of Catalan Modernism, Antoni Gaudi was devoted to nature and the
Catholic religion. While he originally intended this organic building to have a religious purpose, it is
now an apartment building. True to the organic style, it features honey shapes that seemingly emerge
from the earth.
Learning Hub at Nanyang Technological University (NTU)
Location: Singapore
Year of completion: 2015
Architect: Thomas Heatherwick
Earning the nicknames “dim sum basket building” and “the Hive”, the Learning Hub consists of 12
eight-storey towers arranged around a public atrium (
天井
). The organic nature of the building
extends to its interior with features like gardens that are intended to encourage social interactions
and study among students.
Falling Water
Location: Mill Run, Pennsylvania
Year of completion:1939
Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright
A classic of modernism and organic architecture, Falling Water sits on top of a waterfall. Frank
Lloyd Wright designed it for the Kaufmann family who—though they had originally hoped for a
view of the waterfall-came to love the home.
East Beach Café
Location: Littlehampton, UK
Year of completion: 2007
Architect: Thomas Heatherwick
Located in a seaside area with an industrial history, East Beach Café
resembles a piece of driftwood.
Forty meters long, seven meters wide and five meters high, it initially polarized locals, but has since
been well-received by the whole community. It was the first building for Thomas Heatherwick who
previously was better known as a sculptor.
1. Which building was designed to serve a religious purpose?
A
．
Casa Milà.
C
．
Falling Water.
B
．
Learning Hub at NTU.
D
．
East Beach Cafe.
2. What do we know about the four buildings in the text?
A
．
They are architectural classics of modernism.
B
．
They feature imitations of animals or elements in nature.
C
．
East Beach Café was not welcomed by all the locals initially.
D
．
The designer of Learning Hub at NTU invented’ the concept “organic architecture’’.
3. Which of the following magazines is the text probably taken from?
A
．
National Geographic .
C
．
Organic Gardening .
“Dana, how are you feeling today?” I ask, my eyes clocking her dirty uniform, and the dark circles
under her eyes.
“OK,” Dana mumbles (
嘟囔
).
“Have you eaten today?”
She nods. Another lie.
“Can I get you anything?” But what could I possibly get her? A bedroom of her own? A family with
love?
“No, thanks.”
Her repeated absence from school recently has worn out teachers’ patience. But I don’t want to send
her back to class: What use is it knowing all the square numbers and all the grammatical rules when
she has to work out how to wash, cook and decide between feeding herself or her younger sister?
“A biscuit?” I offer. It works and Dana takes the biscuit I hand het.
I remember the first time I met Dana, the day after she locked herself in the house when her mum
abandoned the family, I remember thinking how young she was to have built such a high wall
around herself and how on earth I could possibly break through. As a social worker, it is my job to
knock down such walls no matter how.
I know it would take more than a biscuit to ease out one of her bricks. But I will try.
B
．
Architectural Digest .
D
．
BBC History
“How are you feeling?” I push slightly, hoping the biscuit might have softened her.
“OK,” she shrugs. I’m about change topics when her eyes rest on my arm.
“How does that feel, Mia?” Dana stares at me. The sleeve of my blouse has rolled up, evidence of
how deep I had put it into the biscuit can. A deep scar along my arm is obvious against my fair skin.
I roll my sleeve back down, “It’s from a fire. It hurt. But everything will be OK when you think it’s
OK.”
Dana pauses and picks up another biscuit. In that instant, I know something has changed in the room
and we might actually be OK.
4. Why is Dana often absent from school?
A
．
Because she locks herself up.
C
．
Because she is struggling with life.
5. What do we know about Mia?
A
．
She tries to reach out to Dana.
C
．
She is a demanding social worker.
6. What does the ending of the text imply?
A
．
Mia gains a better understanding of
Dana.
C
．
Troubled teens require more care and
support.
7. What is a suitable title for the text?
A
．
OK
In our information-driven society, shaping our worldview through the media is similar to forming an
opinion about someone solely based on a picture of their foot. While the media might not
deliberately deceive us, it often fails to provide a comprehensive view of reality.
Consequently, the question arises: Where, then, shall we get our information from if not from the
media? Who can we trust? How about experts- people who devote their working lives to
understanding their chosen slice of the world? However, even experts can fall prey to the allure of
oversimplification, leading to the “single perspective instinct” that hampers (
阻碍
) our ability to
grasp the intricacies (
错综复杂
) of the world.
Simple ideas can be appealing because they offer a sense of understanding and certainty. And it is
easy to take off down a slippery slope, from one attention-grabbing simple idea to a feeling that this
idea beautifully explains, or is the beautiful solution for, lots of other things. The world becomes
simple that way.
B
．
Biscuits C
．
A white lie D
．
A deep scar
B
．
The atmosphere is happy and
harmonious.
D
．
A close bond is forming between Mia
and Dana.
B
．
She is sensitive about her scar.
D
．
She works to improve parent-child
relationship.
B
．
Because school lessons are useless.
D
．
Because she is disliked by her teachers.
Yet, when we embrace a singular cause or solution for all problems, we risk oversimplifying
complex issues. For instance, championing the concept of equality may lead us to view all problems
through the lens of inequality and see resource distribution as the sole panacea. However, such
rigidity prevents us from seeing the multidimensional nature of challenges and hinders true
comprehension of reality. This “single perspective instinct” ultimately clouds our judgment and
restricts our capacity to tackle complex issues effectively. Being always in favor of or always against
any particular idea makes you blind to information that doesn’t fit your perspective. This is usually a
bad approach if you would like to understand reality.
Instead, constantly test your favorite ideas for weaknesses. Be humble about the extent of your
expertise. Be curious about new information that doesn’t fit, and information from other fields. And
rather than talking only to people who agree with you, or collecting examples that fit your ideas,
consult people who contradict you, disagree with you, and put forward different ideas as a great
resource for understanding the world. If this means you don’t have time to form so may opinions, so
what?
Wouldn’t you rather have few opinions that are right than many that are wrong?
8. What does the underlined word “allure” in Para.2 probably mean?
A
．
Temptation. B
．
Tradition. C
．
Convenience. D
．
Consequence.
9. Why are simple ideas appealing according to the passage?
A
．
They meet people’s demand for high efficiency.
B
．
They generate a sense of complete understanding.
C
．
They are raised and supported by multiple experts.
D
．
They reflect the opinions of like-minded individuals.
10. What will the author probably agree with?
A
．
Simplifying matters releases energy for human brains.
B
．
Constant tests on our ideas help make up for our weakness.
C
．
A well-founded opinion counts more than many shallow ones.
D
．
People who disagree with us often have comprehensive views.
11. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?
A
．
Embracing Disagreement: Refusing Overcomplexity
B
．
Simplifying Information: Enhancing Comprehension
C
．
Understanding Differences: Establishing Relationships
D
．
Navigating Complexity: Challenging Oversimplification
Whom should you marry? Where should you live? How should you spend your time? For centuries,
people have relied on their gut instincts (
直觉
) to figure out the answers to these life-changing
questions. Now, though, there is a better way. We are living through a data explosion, as vast
amounts of information about all aspects of human behavior have become more and more
accessible. We can use this big data to help determine the best course to chart.
There has long been overwhelming—and often surprising—evidence that algorithms (
算法
) can be
much better than people at making difficult decisions. Researchers have collected data on various
kinds of choices people make, the information they base those choices on, and how things turn out.
They have found, for example, that a simple data-driven algorithm would have been better than
judges at deciding whether a defendant should stay in prison or be released; better than doctors at
deciding whether a patient should undergo surgery; and better than school principals at deciding
which teachers should be promoted.
The power of data analysis has been proved in the sports and business worlds, too. As made famous
by the book and movie Moneyball, baseball teams found that algorithms were better than scouts (
星
探
) at picking players, and better than managers at picking strategies. In finance, the hedge fund
Renaissance Technologies dramatically defeated competitors by seeking out patterns in stock market
data and using them to inform its investment strategy. Tech firms in Silicon Valley have found that
data from experiments provides better insights into how to design their websites than designers
could.
These are the early days of the data revolution in decision-making. I am not claiming that we can
completely count on algorithms to make our lifestyle choices, though we might get to that point in
the future. I am claiming instead that we can all dramatically improve our decision-making by
consulting evidence mined from thousands or millions of people who faced dilemmas similar to
ours. And we can do that now.
12. What’s the main idea of the passage?
A
．
Big data is a double-edged sword.
B
．
Data revolution will change people’s life.
C
．
Big data is helpful in making important decisions.
D
．
Algorithms behaves better than people in many fields.
13. According to paragraph 2, algorithms might NOT defeat people in_________.
A
．
court rulings
C
．
operative estimation
14. What is the writing purpose of paragraph 3?
A
．
To provide further evidence.
C
．
To encourage the use of big data.
B
．
To show potential applications.
D
．
To explain how to use algorithms.
B
．
job promotions
D
．
teaching practices
15. Which of the following will the author most probably agree with?
A
．
Algorithms offer perfect advice now.