山西省晋中市平遥县第二中学2023学年高二英语12月月考试题第一部分： 阅读理解（共两节，满分60分）第一节（共15小题；每小题3分，满分45分）阅读短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳答案。A The African elephant, the largest land animal remaining on earth, is of great importance to African ecosystem(生态系统). Unlike other animals, the African elephant is to a great extent the builder of its environment. As a big plant-eater, it largely shapes the forest-and-savanna(大草原)surroundings in which it lives, therefore setting the terms of existence for millions of other animals that live in its habitat(栖息地). It is the elephants great desire for food that makes it a disturber of the environment and an important builder of its habitat. In its continuous search for the 300 pounds of plants it must have every day, it kills small trees and underbushes, and pulls branches off big trees. This results in numerous open spaces in both deep tropical forests and in the woodlands that cover part of the African savannas. In these open spaces are numerous plants in various stages of growth that attract a variety of other plant-eaters.Take the rain forests for example. In their natural state, the spreading branches overhead shut out sunlight and prevent the growth of plants on the forest floor. By pulling down trees and eating plants, elephants make open spaces, allowing new plants to grow on the forest floor. In such situations, the forests become suitable for large hoofed plant-eaters to move around and for small plant-eaters to get their food as well.What worries scientists now is that the African elephant has become an endangered species. If the elephant disappears, scientists say, many other animals will also disappear from vast areas of forest and savanna, greatly changing and worsening the whole ecosystem.1.What is the passage mainly about?A.Disappearance of African elephants.B.Forests and savannas as habitats for African elephants.C.The effect of African elephants search for food.D.The eating habit of African elephants.2.What does the underlined phrase “setting the terms” most probably mean?A.Fixing the time.B.Worsening the state.C.Improving the quality.D.Deciding the conditions.3.What do we know about the open spaces in the passage?A.They result from the destruction of rain forests.B.They provide food mainly for African elephants.C.They are home to many endangered animals.D.They are attractive to plant-eating animals of different kinds.4.The passage is developed mainly by _.A.showing the effect and then explaining the causesB.pointing out similarities and differencesC.describing the changes in space orderD.giving examplesB Walking is so simple and convenient that it couldnt possibly count as exercise, right? Wrong.Study after study shows that regular walking can help you lose weight and reduce your risk of heart disease.The study published inDiabetes Research and Clinical Practiceshows that the blood pressure of the overweight men being tested improved and the amount of body fat greatly decreased.Thats good news, because walking has now become the most popular fitness activity in the United States.Convenient, simple, and gentle on the joints, walking is perhaps the easiest form of exercise to maintain.According to a survey, four out of five women who start a walking program continue to walk, while half of women who attempt other types ofaerobic exercise(有氧运动), such as swimming, drop out during the first few months.Here are some basics for walking exercise.Walk at a pace that makes you breathe heavily, but still able to talk.Your goal, first and foremost, is to walk five days a week, 30 minutes a walk.Do that, and you are getting the base-level amount of exercise that research says should maintain your health andvigor(精力).Walk for as long as you are comfortable the first week, even if it is just to your mailbox and back.Each following week, increase that amount by no more than 10 percent. Start every walk with five minutes of easy-paced walking, about the same pace at which you do shopping, to get your body warmed up.Then, cool down at the end of each walk with another five minutes of easy-paced walking.This allows your heart rate to gradually speed up and slow down.5.The survey mentioned in Paragraph 3 shows that _.A.80% of the women surveyed are walking as a means of exerciseB.50% of the women surveyed want to swim as a means of exerciseC.walking is more easily maintained than other types of aerobic exerciseD.the effect of walking is as good as that of other types of aerobic exercise6.Which of the following statements is TRUE about walking for exercise?A.Walking five days a week, 30 minutes altogether, is the goal.B.Increase at least 10% of the amount of each previous week.C.Each walk should start with the pace of doing shopping.D.Walking as much as you can in the first week is suggested.7.What is the purpose of the easy-paced walking in every walk?A.To help reduce your blood press