Unit4 Starting out and Understanding ideas
能力提升练
Ⅰ.阅读理解
（2020安镦芜湖高二上期中）
The cost of living in countries like the US Britain，Australia or France has skyrocketed in recent years. However，if you’re willing to leave your country and explore life in other areas，there are many countries boasting an extremely cheap and low cost of living. Check out the following countries when planning your next move.
Ecuador
Ecuador is similar to the United States in many ways，and as a result has become a popular American getaway. They even use the US dollar for their currency. In this country，it's cheaper to eat out every day than cook for yourself on a budget in the Us. You can even buy a building for around $50，000 and hire someone to look after it while you're away.
Mexico
Although the country is known for its poverty ridden streets，there are many wealthier areas that provide various facilities you might need. You can live off a mere $700 to s 800 a month in Mexico and this includes rent for a nice place，facilities food，and any sightseeing.
Argentina
Argentina has been a popular tourist destination for many years. It has great restaurants，rich history and many places to explore. Not to mention，it's not very expensive to live here. a decent sized home can cost around 139，000，which is relatively cheap in relation to homes in the United States.
Vietnam
Vietnam has also become a popular tourist destination in recent years. There are many million-dollar luxury homes by the beach, but you can find a modest flat or a small home for around s 25 000 to $50, 000 if you search in the right areas.
l. How much does it cost to live in Mexico for a year
A. About $12,000.
B. About $7,000.
C. About $8,000.
D. About $8,800.
2. What do Argentina and Vietnam have in common
A. They both have great restaurants.
B. The cost of living in them is both expensive.
C. Tourists enjoy travelling in the two countries.
D. The middle-sized homes cost around$139,000.
3. In which country is the Us dollar used for its currency
A. Ecuador B. Mexico C. Argentina D. Vietnam
B
（2020广东汕头金山中学高二期末）
Volcanic ash from Iceland’s volcano continues to cause disruptions to air travel across Northern Europe. As the nearly universal grounding of aircraft causes problems for 25 countries in Europe，the passengers are starting to run into secondary problems from the four days of being stranded. Additionally，the further effects of economic losses are beginning to pile up.
Already the chaos surrounding the volcanic ash is being compared to the days after 9/11.As the ash plume continues to ground air transport，it is estimated that nearly 17，000 flights a day have been canceled at the cost of nearly 2.7 million a day according to a report filed by the Wall Street Journal In the report，it was said that cost was for a single airline, and that the cost for other lines could be measured in hundreds of millions of dollars.
While the cost on the airline industry is significant，the cost on passengers is more significant Airline cancellations have forced many travelers into hotels and more are looking to their travel insurance plans to cover the costs. The U.K.’s Independent reported that travel insurance plans have a rule that makes claims from travelers invalid. In these policies though travel insurances are purchased as a way to cover additional costs when travel plans are unexpectedly disrupted, the specific event like a volcanic eruption is not mentioned. Then the policy does not cover the event.
However, there is hope, though, as Air France and Dutch airline KLM both report positive test flights of aircraft at different altitudes to ensure the safety of flight. It is not known if these flights will be the beginning or just one-off chance flights. These flights were operated in a window of operations in the ash plume, but due to the erratic nature of the airflow there is no guarantee that this will open up air operations over Europe. At this rate, the nations of Europe will be likely to see a significant impact on their pocketbooks. both in the corporations and the individual households.
4. The underlined word “stranded” in Paragraph 1probably means “_________”.
A. struck
B. controlled
C. stuck
D. disturbed
5. From this passage we can see that _______.
A. the volcanic ash caused more trouble than 9/11 did
B. airlines suffered great losses due to the eruption
C. travelers had to ask for help from the government
D. nearly $2.7 million was lost in all
6. Why are claims about insurance from travelers unacceptable
A. Because volcanic eruption isn’t included in travel
B. Because airlines don't keep their word.
C. Because airlines haven t bought insurance for travelers
D. Because airlines didn’t expect the eruption
7. This passage mainly tells us about ________.
A. the volcanic eruption in Iceland
B. the great trouble for air travels
C. the unfavorable flight condition
D. the cost of European airlines
Ⅱ. 七选五
（2020四川蓉城高二下期中）
To reduce the spread of the pandemic, COVID-19，our honorable PM（首相）has announced nationwide lockdown and in his speech，he required businesses to start working from home. For those who are working from home dealing with this situation can be challenging. 1 .
1.Create a work area
Your first challenge is to pick a corner in the home and create a work-space that is ideal for work from home. Find a place that is away from the fridge and bed, so that there is nothing to tempt you. 2 . Sit on a proper desk and the right work chair to avoid any lingering back problems. You can make a large coffee table as a work desk. Keep the desk neat and tidy. Ensure that you have a background that looks professional in case there is a video call from colleagues.
2. 3
Get your laptop, cell phone diary in the right place. If you are in a noisy home, search for your noise cancellation headphones. Find out who will take care of children as the schools are closed. If your spouse is also on work from home, decide the time slots. Organize the home.
3. Learn technologies
4 . You can make use of Google Hangouts Slack or other video tools for messaging. These tools can help you to communicate with your peers effectively. Certain apps can help you to organize the day. Speak to the It department if you need any help in setting up the office.
4. Ensure that is special and private space
The key to success in work from home is to create a private area. 5 . For these reasons, it is important to set an office in the private area. If a private area is not possible for you, create a room divider using curtains to avoid the distractions from the home. Ensure that your family members respect your privacy especially when you are on audio and video calls.
A. Be organized
B. Ensure proper lighting is there
C. Here's how you can master it
D. Find out the right furniture and ensure it is comfortable
E. It is important to learn technologies for smoother communication
F. Distractions from family members can limit your productivity levels
G. It is important to select that corner of the home where there is proper lighting
1.__________ 2. _________ 3.__________ 4.__________ 5.__________
参考答案：
Ⅰ.阅读理解
A
语篇解读：本文为说明文。主要介绍了一些生活成本非常低的国家：厄瓜多尔、墨西哥、阿根廷和越南。
1.D 推理判断题。根据第三段中 You can live off a mere s700 to 800 a month in Mexico and this includes rent for a nice ace，facilities，food，and any sightseeing.可知，在墨西哥居住一个月仅需要700美元到800美元，则一年需要约700×128，400美元到800×12=9，600美元。分析选项可知只有D选项8，800美元符合价格区间。
2.C 细节理解题。根据倒数第二段中 Argentina has been a popular tourist destination for many years.以及最后一段中Vietnam has also become a popular tourist destination in recent years可知，阿根廷和越南的共同之处是游客喜欢在这两个国家旅行。
3.A 细节理解题。根据第二段中 They even use the us dollar for their currency.可知，厄瓜多尔的货币是美元。
B
语篇解读：本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了冰岛火山喷发的火山灰继续扰乱北欧的航空旅行，导致欧洲25个国家飞机全面停飞，从而给航空公司以及乘客带来了巨大的经济损失。虽然有航空公司采取了试飞，但是按照那个速度，欧洲国家的企业和个人家庭的钱包可能会受到重大影响。
4.C 词义猜测题。根据上文 As the nearly universal grounding of aircraft causes problems for 25 countries in Europe，the passengers are starting to run into secondary problems from the four days of being可知由于飞机几乎全面停飞给欧洲25个国家造成了问题，乘客们滞留了四天，因此画线单词意思为“滞留，被困”。
5.B 细节理解题。根据第二段中 As the ash plume continues to ground air transport，it is estimated that nearly 17，000 flights a day have been canceled at the cost of nearly 2.7 million a day，according to a report filed by the Wall Street Journal.Aj El由于火山喷发，航空公司蒙受了巨大损失。
6.A 细节理解题。根据第三段中 In these policies，though travel insurances are purchased as a way to cover additional costs when travel plans are unexpectedly disrupted，the specific event like a volcanic eruption is not mentioned.可知旅客的保险索赔不被接受是因为火山喷发不包括在索赔项目中。
7.B 主旨大意题。根据文章第一段第一句 Volcanic ash fron Iceland's volcano continues to cause disruptions to air travel across Northern Europe以及文章主要内容为火山喷发导致航空停运，从而给航空公司和乘客带来巨大的经济损失可知，文
章主要告诉我们一次空中旅行的大麻烦。
Ⅱ.七选五
语篇解读：本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了新冠病毒肺炎疫情期间在家办公的方法。
1.C 根据上文 For those who are working from home，dealing with this situation can be challenging.可知对于那些在家办公的人来说，处理这种情况是很有挑战性的，C项（以下是你如何能掌握它的方法）承接上文。该选项又和下文的方法介绍
相呼应
2.D 根据上文 Find a place that is away from the fridge andbed，so that there is nothing to tempt you.可知要找一个远离冰箱和床的地方，这样就不会有诱惑你的东西，D项（找到合适的家具，确保家具舒适）符合语境。且D项中的“家具”又和下文中的“办公桌”呼应。
3.A设空处下的一整段介绍了在家办公期间要保证一切做到井然有序。要安排好办公用具，安排好孩子以及家庭。A项切题。
4.E 根据下文 You can make use of Google Hangouts，Slack or other video tools for messaging.可知你可以使用谷歌视频群聊、Slack或其他视频工具进行消息传递，所以E项（为了更顺畅地交流，学习技术是很重要的）切题。且后句也提及这
些工具可以帮你有效地和同龄人交流。
5.F 由上一句“在家工作成功的关键是创造一个私人空间。”可知，F选项“来自家庭成员的干扰会限制你的工作效率”切题。且下文中的 these reasons又指代F选项中的”Distractions”。
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