江苏省如皋市2021届高三英语上学期期末考试试题.DOC

1、江苏省如皋市2021届高三英语上学期期末考试试题本试卷分选择题和非选择题两部分。满分150分，考试用时120分钟。第一部分听力(共两节，满分30分)第一节(共5小题；每小题1.5分，满分7.5分)听下面5段对话。每段对话后有一个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听完每段对话后，你都有10秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。每段对话仅读一遍。()1. When will the taxi arrive？A. Right now. B. In 10 minutes. C. In half an hour.()2. Where does the conve

2、rsation take place？A. In a caf. B. In the library. C. In the computer room.()3. Why does Mr. Porter need help？A. He got hurt. B. He is too old. C. He had a cold.()4. What do we know about the speakers？A. They are on the way home. B. They are going to book a hotel. C. They are traveling somewhere.()5

3、. What are the speakers mainly talking about？A. Toms work. B. Toms health. C. Toms fashion.第二节(共15小题；每小题1.5分，满分22.5分)听下面5段对话或独白。每段对话或独白后有几个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项。听每段对话或独白前，你将有时间阅读各个小题，每小题5秒钟； 听完后，各小题将给出5秒钟的作答时间。每段对话或独白读两遍。听第6段材料，回答第6、7题。()6. What does the man think of the womans new clothes？A. Th

4、ey are too expensive. B. They are a great deal. C. They could look better.()7. What did the woman buy yesterday？A. A hat. B. Some shorts. C. Some shoes.听第7段材料，回答第8、9题。()8. What is wrong with the womans computer？A. The screen is broken. B. The keyboard is no longer reliable.C. The screen isnt as brig

5、ht as it used to be.()9. What does the man offer to do for the woman？A. Lend her a computer. B. Buy her a new computer. C. Repair her computer.听第8段材料，回答第10至12题。()10. What is the probable relationship between the speakers？A. Teacher and student. B. Parent and child. C. Friends.()11. What does the man

6、 think of working for his uncle？A. It is beneficial. B. It is interesting. C. It is of no importance.()12. What does the woman tell the man to do with his decision？A. Practice more. B. Talk to his family later.C. Imagine how each choice feels.听第9段材料，回答第13至16题。()13. What is the woman？A. A novelist. B

7、. A publisher. C. An editor.()14. What kind of book is the woman working on？A. A biography. B. A mystery novel. C. Science fiction.()15. Where does the emperor in the book come from？A. Asia. B. Europe. C. North America.()16. How long has the woman been working on the book？A. Around one month. B. Abo

8、ut four months. C. At least eight months.听第10段材料，回答第17至20题。()17. What happened to boats and ships in the Bermuda Triangle？A. They disappeared. B. They crashed into each other.C. They caught fire without reason.()18. Who mentioned the Bermuda Triangle for the first time？A. A popular writer. B. A famo

9、us explorer. C. A wellknown reporter.()19. When did the Bermuda Triangle become a wellknown story？A. In the 15th century. B. In the 17th century. C. In the 20th century.()20. What does the speaker say about the Bermuda Triangle？A. All of the reports on it are not true. B. It is a dangerous area in t

10、he ocean.C. It is completely safe now.第二部分阅读理解(共两节，满分50分)第一节(共15小题；每小题2.5分，满分37.5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。ADebbie Parker Solo Recent Work at Latrobe ArtspaceTalented and awardwinning artist Debbie Parker is excited to be one of the first artists to exhibit in the ALL NEW Latrobe Artspace

11、in October！This exhibition features paintings inspired by Debbies leisurely walks in Mount CootTha National Park. Each painting offers a different way of looking at a familiar Australian landscape.Debbie never gets tired of developing new ideas from the pictures she takes of the local area and the r

12、esult is a collection of expressive paintings celebrating the unique Australian landscape and local birds and flowers.With over 25 years of experience as an artist， Debbie developed her expressionist style in the early 1990s. Since then， she has competed and exhibited around Australia. She has also

13、completed workshops with wellknown artists in Queensland. Her work has been recognized in national and local competitions.Usually， Debbie would have been exhibiting in competitions around Australia throughout this year but COVID19 has set new challenges for artists.However， Debbie is looking ahead a

14、nd cant wait to meet you at her latest exhibition！ She will be onsite from 6th to 11th October 2020：Tuesday to Saturday 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday 10 am to 3 pm at the ALL NEW Latrobe Artspace， 134 Latrobe Terrace， Paddington Queensland 4064.As we spend more time in our homes， consider buying a unique

15、， affordable piece of art. Debbies unique drawing skills are sure to remain a talking point in your home for many years to come！Got a question？ Email Debbie on debbie parker or contact 040351 1268 to learn more about her artwork.()21. The exhibits are about .A. Australian landscape B. the relaxed li

16、fe of localsC. unique Australian animals D. familiar items for daily use()22. What do we know about Debbie Parker？A. She has won some international prizes.B. She holds a private exhibition each year.C. She earns national awards through her work.D. She has run workshops in Queensland herself.()23. Wh

17、ich of the following should visitors know about the exhibition？A. The exhibition lasts 7 hours each day.B. They can meet some other artists there.C. The exhibition takes place in Queensland.D. Debbie and other artists artworks are for sale.BAbout 12 years ago， I was living in New York City and pursu

18、ing an MFA in creative writing. For years Id been experiencing trouble with a binocular vision disorder(双眼皮视力障碍)， but in New York my symptoms worsened. I became unable to read or write. I tried vision therapy， an overhead projector， a special pair of prism glassesall failed.Eventually， I discovered

19、a computer program for the visually impaired. As I typed， my words were read aloud by one of those automated voices. With my screen turned black， I relied on audio feedback to know what I had written. Facing the blank page is terrible， but facing the black page worse. The dark screen is a sinkhole t

20、hat swallows creative hope. Sentences disappear into it like an astronaut into a black hole.I managed to complete my MFA degree， but it took me years to adapt to my new reality. Writing had always been a visual process for me. The greatest difficulty seemed to be the automated voice at the center of

21、 my writing process. It was like a parrot placed on my shoulder， and I wanted nothing more than to hit it away. I worried that its droning intonation(嗡嗡的声调) might change me as a writer. If a pianist was forced to practice on an untuned piano， would it damage his ear over time？ As I sat at my desk， m

22、y face and neck would itch. Of course， I could have quit writing. But it honestly never happened to me and Im glad it didnt.Last year， after I told my story on the radio， I was contacted by VocaliD， a Massachusettsbased company. They offered to design a voice modeled on my own. I was not sure whethe

23、r it would be helpful but sent the recordings they requested. The first time I heard the voice they created， I felt the hair on the back of my neck rise. It was so close to my own that the two were nearly indistinguishable. Ive only just begun using this new voice. Already my brain is registering th

24、e computers speech as my own monologue. My hope is that this will restore a sense of self to my writing process， allowing me easier access to that inner space where the imagination can take over， and the real work can begin.()24. What happened to the author in New York？A. He gave up his dream of wri

25、ting. B. He failed to finish his MFA degree.C. He was faced with worsening disease. D. He helped the visually impaired a lot.()25. Why did the author say the dark screen was like a black hole？A. It destroyed all his inspiration. B. It took away his worries and nerves.C. It pushed him to use paper to

26、 write. D. It reminded him of his interest in astronomy.()26. The author used “a parrot placed on my shoulder” in Paragraph 3 to describe .A. the unpleasant automated voice B. the longtime writing processC. the noise of his computer D. the untuned piano()27. How did the author feel when VocaliD got

27、in touch with him？A. Upset. B. Concerned. C. Grateful. D. Doubtful.CAcross the world language and history are closely connected. Languages are borrowed and changed， and as society changes， new words or phrases are created to show the current cultural understanding. Some phrases and words simply deve

28、lop accepted usage， their origins forgotten.One such phrase grandfathered in has become common， meaning that someone is free from following new rules or regulations. While it often makes us think of the image of a grayhaired， older gentleman who gets out of trouble， the intention behind the term aro

29、se from something bad. Today the term is widely used， most notably in real estate and health insurance.But when the term was first coined in the 1890s， it referred to only one thing： voting rights.After the 15th Amendment(修正案) was carried by the US Constitution in 1870 banning taking away peoples ri

30、ght to vote on account of race， color or previous condition of servitude(奴役)，some southern states did not readily accept the ruling. Instead， they carefully made amendments at the state level that avoided the federal law to try to keep African Americans from accessing polling stations. Since the bas

31、is of race could no longer be used， the state amendments introduced poll taxes as well as literacy tests. These limits were powerful； close to 30 percent of all votingage males couldnt read or write， most of whom were poor black men. But those taxes and tests would also affect poor unlearned white v

32、oters. Thus， a grandfather clause was added to allow an unlearned man to vote as long as he or his lineal ancestor(i.e.， grandfather) had been a registered voter before 1867 three years before the passage of the 15th Amendment. The clauses no doubt influenced the vote along racial lines， but party l

33、ines were at play too. At the time， most African Americans were Republicans(the party of Abraham Lincoln) and most whites were Democrats. The influence served to keep power in the hands of the Democrats.The phrase “grandfathered in” is of course still widely used today without the meaning of taking

34、away ones voting rights. But even as culture develops， whether were aware of it or not， language has the power to hold our history.()28. In which condition is someone considered to be “grandfathered in”？A. When he looks like an old man. B. When he disagrees with new rules.C. When he is not limited b

35、y new rules. D. When he succeeds in making big money.()29. What was some southern states purpose in making state amendments？A. To stop black people from voting. B. To make black people work for them.C. To save face before the northern states. D. To reduce the number of polling stations.()30. Why was

36、 the grandfather clause added to the state amendments？A. To cut poll taxes for poor white men.B. To make sure uneducated whites could vote.C. To allow more white men to be educated.D. To free old white men from taking literacy tests.()31. What does Paragraph 5 focus on？A. The fights caused by the cl

37、auses. B. The composition of the two parties.C. The effects the clauses brought about. D. The protest African Americans staged.DBoredom has， surprisingly， become quite interesting to academics lately. In early May， Londons Boring Conference celebrated seven years of delighting in dullness. At this e

38、vent， people flocked to talks about weather， traffic jams， and vendingmachine sounds， among other sleepinducing topics. What， exactly， is everyone studying？ One widely accepted psychological definition of boredom is “the unpleasant experience of wanting， but being unable， to engage in satisfying act

39、ivities”. But how can you measure a persons boredom level and compare it with someone elses？In 1986， psychologists introduced the Boredom Proneness Scale， designed to measure an individuals overall tendency to feel bored. By contrast， the Multidimensional State Boredom scale， developed in 2008， meas

40、ures a persons feelings of boredom in a given situation.Boredom has been linked to behavior issues including inattentive driving， mindless snacking， excessive drinking， and addictive gambling. In fact， many of us would choose pain over boredom.One team of psychologists discovered that twothirds of m

41、en and a quarter of women would rather have electric shocks than sit alone with their thought for 15 minutes. Researching this phenomenon， another team asked volunteers to watch boring， sad， or neutral films， during which they could have electric shocks. The bored volunteers shocked themselves more

42、and harder than the sad or neutral one did.But boredom isnt all bad. By encouraging selfreflection and daydreaming， it can encourage activity. An early study gave participants abundant time to complete problemsolving and wordassociation exercises. Once all the obvious answers were exhausted， partici

43、pants gave more and more inventive answers to fight boredom. A British study took these findings one step further， asking subjects to complete a creative challenge(coming up with a list of alternative uses for a household item). One group of subjects did a boring activity first， while the others wen

44、t straight to the creative task. Those whose boredom pumps had been prepared were more productive.In our alwaysconnected world， boredom may be a hardtodefine state， but it is a fertile one. Watch paint dry or water boil， or at least put away your smartphone for a while， and you might unlock your nex

45、t big idea.()32. When are people likely to experience boredom， according to an accepted psychological definition？A. When they cant do what they want.B. When they experience unpleasant things.C. When they are engaged in some routines.D. When they dont enjoy what they are studying.()33. What does the

46、author say boredom can lead to？A. Great determination. B. Mental health.C. Huge pain. D. Harmful conduct.()34. What is the findings of one team of psychologists in their experiment？A. Volunteers prefer watching a boring movie to sitting alone deliberating.B. Many volunteers are unable to resist bore

47、dom longer than fifteen minutes.C. Male volunteers are more immune to the effects of boredom than females.D. Many volunteers choose to hurt themselves rather than endure boredom.()35. What does the author suggest one do when faced with a challenging problem？A. Unlock ones smartphone. B. Stop worryin

48、g and think big.C. Spare some time to be bored. D. Look around oneself for inspiration.第二节(共5小题； 每小题2.5分，满分12.5 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。选项中有两项为多余选项。In 1982， when just 22 California condors(秃鹫) were left in the world， scientists caught the remaining population to breed the birds. 36Chris Paris

49、h， director of conservation at the Peregrine Fund， a partner in the official rescue program， said， “We have put a lot of efforts into thisa lot of dollars and a lot of years of research behind the present success. 37”Researchers began studying the birds in the 1940s. By the 1980s， experts began the

50、slow process of catching， breeding and reintroducing the birds back into the wild. The population has since grown to more than 500. 38Experts have found that the leading cause by far is lead poisoning. The birds often eat dead animals shot and left behind by hunters， and they sometimes eat lead ammu

51、nition(弹药) while picking at the meat.It was the research that made the California government order that hunters shouldnt use lead ammunition when shooting any wildlife anywhere in the state. 39 Nearly 9 in 10 hunters have either used nonlead ammunition or agreed to pull the remains of shot animals a

52、way. For Parish， its programs like that that must be developed. 40“Its not the bird thats worth it，” he said. “Its successfully showing the problem and solutions and acting on those solutions. Thats what were going to need. Were going to need to have confidence in society that we can do it again. Th

53、e California condor is far from the last species that will need to be saved.”A. The population was small.B. But the birds remain in danger of dying out.C. Parish pointed to a pilot program in Northern Arizona.D. Our final goal is a population that is able to continue by itself.E. They are now found

54、mainly in California， Arizona and southern Utah.F. The fight for the California condor is bigger than just the one species.G. Nearly forty years later， 1，000 California condor chicks had been born.第三部分语言知识运用(共两节， 满分30分)第一节(共15小题； 每小题1分， 满分15分)阅读下面短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。I was waiting fo

55、r a rickshaw(人力车) to go to a nearby place， but none of them were ready to come. Just when I was about to leave， a rickshaw came and quickly agreed to41 me to my destination. Thats when our42 began， mostly oneway.I started by 43 in Hindi， “Why do rickshaw fellows say no every time？”His 44 reaction wa

56、s in English， “Madam， these guys dont value time. Neither do they 45 to help commuters.” While he was talking， back of my mind I was wondering how is this old man who is just a rickshaw driver talking so46in English.When I was just thinking about it， he again started conversing with me and all that

57、he said really 47 me.“By profession， I was a teacher in a Govt. School for many years. During those days， I 48a lot as I belonged to a very poor family， but that did not stop me from growing. I49 managed to complete my studies. Today I am 50 and I am riding a day to keep myself going and to remain 5

58、1. The rest of the time I teach kids and young students. My major 52 was to teach them how important 53is， to help others and to do good causes and all this will 54 only by education.”His words motivated me a lot. In any circumstance education counts in our life. Money may come and go， but knowledge

59、 will 55 in our mind.()41. A. drop B. accompany C. invite D. lead()42. A. celebration B. coincidence C. interaction D. intention()43. A. responding B. inquiring C. arguing D. explaining()44. A. initial B. shocked C. mixed D. instant()45. A. refuse B. want C. pretend D. forget()46. A. quickly B. casu

60、ally C. angrily D. fluently()47. A. calmed B. attracted C. struck D. helped()48. A. struggled B. gained C. benefited D. hesitated()49. A. anywhere B. anyway C. somehow D. somewhat()50. A. concerned B. mature C. accomplished D. retired()51. A. fit B. alert C. slim D. stable()52. A. problem B. focus C

61、. change D. condition()53. A. friendship B. understanding C. happiness D. education()54. A. come B. grow C. finish D. break()55. A. stick B. leave C. appear D. crowd第二节(共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分)阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。Removing foreign objects from ears and noses costs England almost 3m a year， a

62、study suggests. Children were responsible for 56 vast majority of cases95% of objects from noses and 85% ears. Every year， an average of 1，218 nose and 2，479 ear removals 57(occur) between 2010 and 2019. According to statistics， children aged one to four were the most likely to need help from doctor

63、s for a foreign object in their nose 58 five to nine year olds came to the hospital with something in their ear the most. Jewelry items accounted for up to 40% of cases in both the ears and noses of children. Paper and plastic toys were the items 59(come) next. Cotton buds and pencils were also foun

64、d in ears.According to the study， the accidents of foreign objects in children is generally attributed to 60(curious). Children have an impulse 61(explore) their noses and ears. This results in the accidental entry 62 foreign objects. Any ear， nose or throat surgeon has many 63(believe) stories abou

65、t wonderful objects 64(detect) in the noses and ears of children and adults. In all cases， prevention is better than cure. This is why many toys contain 65(warn) about small parts. Recognizing problems early and seeking medical attention is important.第四部分写作(共两节； 满分40分)第一节应用文写作(满分15分)假如你是李华，正参加 “每周读一

66、本好书，写一篇书评” 活动。请根据所给提示用英语写一篇书评。书名卖火柴的小女孩The Little Match Girl作者安徒生Andersen故事简介大年夜的晚上，卖火柴的小女孩五次擦燃了火柴，在火光中看到不同的幻象，最后在幻象中微笑着冻死在街头。感受注意： 1. 词数100左右；2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。_第二节读后续写(满分25分)阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。Billys grandmother lived with him. His parents loved and respected her a lot and took great c

67、are of her.Billy also loved his granny but due to her old age she had become a little cranky(古怪的)， so Billy used to get annoyed with her. Though his parents always advised him to be more patient with his granny， he was rude to her sometimes.Granny was an intelligent lady. She knew a lot of quotation

68、s. Her favorite quotation was “If you believe in yourself， nothing is impossible.”Granny loved Billy a lot and wanted him to become a successful person. Therefore， she often taught him the meanings of famous quotations. Though Billy didnt pay much attention to his grandmas teachings， he still learnt

69、 a lot from her.One day Granny was trying to explain the meaning of her favorite quotation to Billy.She said to Billy， “Nothing is impossible to achieve.”To this Billy rudely said， “This cant be true， granny. If nothing is impossible， go and fetch the sun！”Saying this， Billy left granny alone and we

70、nt to his friends house. Granny was hurt and felt embarrassed.Days later Sports Day at Billys school was coming soon. He was taking part in a race and was very excited about it. His granny kept on teaching him the importance of strong determination and hard work， but he hardly paid attention to her.

71、When the big day arrived， Billy was feeling very excited. His father drove him to the school and joined the crowd to encourage him. After other classes had taken part in their races， it was the turn of Billys class. Billy entered the grounds with his group and waved to his father.His sports teacher

72、shouted， “Racers get ready！” Billy took up position and stood at the starting line with the other racers.Though Billy was a fast runner， due to overconfidence he hadnt practiced well and now at the eleventh hour， he was feeling extremely anxious.注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；2. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好。Paragraph 1：

73、“Go！” announced his sports teacher. _Paragraph 2：With the words of his granny in his mind， he began to run as fast as he could. _20202021学年高三年级模拟考试卷(如皋)英语参考答案及听力材料听力15BBACB610ABBAC1115ACCAA1620CABCB阅读理解2123ACC2427CAAD2831CABC3235ADDC3640GDBCF完形填空4145ACBDB4650DCACD5155ABDAA语法填空56. the57. occurred58.

74、while/and59. coming60. curiosity61. to explore62. of63. unbelievable64. detected65. warnings 应用文写作One possible version：The Little Match Girl is a short story by Andersen. On a Christmas Eve， a little girl was selling matches dressed in rags. Striking the matches five times， she saw beautiful visions

75、. But as the matches burnt out， her visions disappeared. At last， the little match girl was discovered dead in the cold corner wearing a soft and sweet smile.This story， though sad， is excellent that transcends time itself. It brings me back to the time spent with my grandmother reading to me. Plus

76、compared to the coldness of the society in the book， I feel blessed to live in a country of love， where people help each other when disasters strike， like the outbreak of COVID19.读后续写One possible version：Paragraph 1：“Go！” announced his sports teacher. Billy was leading as the race began. The crowd w

77、as madly cheering. Billys father was also very excited. Billy successfully managed to cover half the distance but due to a lack of practice， he began to feel tired and was about to give up. Just then the magical words of his granny echoed in his ears， “If you believe in yourself， nothing is impossib

78、le.”Paragraph 2：With the words of his granny in his mind， he began to run as fast as he could. Finally he won the race！ That day he realized the importance of his grannys teachings. When he came back home， he handed his gold medal to his granny and hugged her. Granny kissed his forehead and congratu

79、lated him. “Granny！ Your words inspired me to win the race. I had almost given up but then I heard your voice and with new energy and courage， I managed to win the race！” he said as his granny smiled at him.听力材料Text 1M： Did you call a taxi？ You have to order them in advance. The last time I tried to

80、 get one， it took 30 minutes.W： I just did. It will pick us up in 10 minutes. So， hurry up and get ready！Text 2W： I need to find a good place to read. I thought the library would be better than a caf， but its too noisy here. M： Try the computer room. There are some comfortable chairs， and no one tal

81、ks because theyre working on projects. Text 3M： Old Mr. Porter next door fell on the last step of the stair yesterday. You should go over and ask if we can get his groceries every week.W： Ill call after I pack up this soup for him. It will help him get better.Text 4W： I forgot my toothpaste at home.

82、 Can we find a store on the way to the hotel？M： Why not just use the toothpaste that the hotel provides？W： Theirs always have bad flavor and it makes me feel unclean. I just use a certain brand.Text 5 W： Tom has been feeling down lately because his hair has started to become thinner.M： I know. I saw

83、 him yesterday and he couldnt stop trying to style it during the dinner.W： I think he just needs to relax.Text 6W： What do you think of my new clothes？ Everything was on sale at the store yesterday， so I got a great deal. M： You look really good. Did you pay a lot for them？W： They were about $300 in

84、 total. It was worth it.M： Thats way too much money for just a top and some shorts. Did the hat and shoes add to that price as well？W： No. I bought the hat and shoes a long time ago.M： I never spend that much on clothes. My most expensive piece of clothing is a jacket that I got on sale.Text 7 W： My

85、 laptop is causing trouble for me， Mark. I think I need a new one.M： Are you still using that Microsoft Surface？ Im surprised it has lasted for three years！ At least you didnt buy an Apple. So， have you finally broken the screen？W： No. I dont drop it anymore. I always use it on a table.M： Well， is t

86、he screen losing its brightness？ I heard that could be a problem with those thin computers.W： No. The keyboard doesnt work half of the time. I think its a software problem， but I dont know how to fix it. I cant take it to be repaired for free， either.M： You can use my laptop. I hardly touch it， and

87、the keyboard doesnt come apart from the screen like yours does. Besides， IBM makes better computers， in my experience.Text 8M： Hey， Laura. What do you think I should do over summer holiday？ I have so many choices. I could work for my uncle， make a study tour to improve my Spanish， or practice the gu

88、itar for hours a day.W： I heard you playing the other day. You do need more practice. But how do you feel about each of those？M： I dont know. They all have their good points and bad points. The work is boring， but helping family and gaining work experience are important. The study tour would take me

89、 to places I havent been. Maybe Ill figure out if I want to study abroad later. As for guitar， well， you said it all already.W： When I have many choices， I usually imagine what would happen if I said yes to each one. Start with one， and really imagine how you would feel if you did that. Then take a

90、few deep breaths， and repeat that for the other choices.M： OK， Ill try that right after I play the guitar tonight.Text 9 M： What have you been so busy with lately， Maria？ I never see you anymore.W： My publisher just gave me a huge assignment. I have to have this new novel finished by the end of this

91、 month.M： I didnt know you were a writer. What kind of book are you writing？W： I dont technically write it. I just review the written material and make changes to it so there arent any errors. M： I see. That sounds like it takes a long time.W： Sometimes. This one is hard because it is nonfiction. It

92、 is the life story of an eastern emperor that lived hundreds of years ago. The factchecking is what takes up all the time.M： I can imagine.W： Not only that， but there are different histories about the man from Europe and North America. It isnt easy to figure out what is true， and what is just someon

93、es opinion.M： How long has it already taken you？W： I can usually finish books like these in four months， but this one has taken me twice as long. There is a lot of information in it， and it is a very important work， so I want to do a good job.M： Well， let me know when you are done. Id love to read i

94、t.Text 10There are plenty of mysteries of this planet. One of them that have been explained， however， is the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle. The Bermuda Triangle is an area between three points in the Atlantic Ocean that create a triangle. It has been said that throughout history， many ships and bo

95、ats have gone missing there， never to be found again. It was first mentioned by a famous explorer in the 1400s， who said he saw a “great ball of fire” in the ocean. It was again referred to by the famous writer Shakespeare in the 1600s， in one of his books. But it didnt become a popular story until

96、1918， when an American ship disappeared in the area with 300 men on board. So why have there been all these reports of missing planes and ships？ Luckily， today we know the real answer. First， the area is wellknown for stormy waters and bad weather. Second， many inexperienced sailors have gotten lost

97、 because of poor sailing equipment and the lack of fuel. And finally， accidents are common in the sea. In fact， there are just as many accidents in other parts of the ocean as there are in the Bermuda Triangle. So， if you are planning to take a boat ride through the area， just make sure to be safe！