16．
　　Even before humans could read or write, they needed to count. First they used their fingers, but when they had to deal with figures over ten, a counting device became (1)      .
　　The earliest known calculating device is probably the abacus. It (2)       back at least 3,000 years ago and the abacus has been used for centuries by merchants, clerks, students and accountants. It is still in (3)       today, particularly in Asia. In fact, the abacus has been around so long that even the smartest historians can't (4)       who invented it. What we do know is that it was used by Egyptians, Persians, Chinese, Greeks, Romans and more.

17．
　　Most people say that the father of the modern computer was the Englishman Charles Babbage. He (1)       two different kinds of computers. The introduction of electricity changed the computer industry. Thomas Edison's experiments led to the inventions of the screen that we use today to look at pictures on our computers. The first printer was invented (2)       of the twentieth century.
　　Even with the use of electricity, computers were still huge machines. In 1947, the first successful transistor (晶体管) was invented and computers became (3)      .
　　In 1952, the first computer that had memory, a (4)      , a keyboard and a printer was developed. It was called EDVAC. Apple Computer, Inc. started to produce computers for ordinary people in 1976.

33．Choose the best answer(根据以下内容, 选择最恰当的答案)
　　We arrived at the hospital to find Dad was very weak, but his smile was the same as ever. It was another attack of pneumonia (肺炎). My husband and I stayed with him for the weekend but had to return to our jobs on Monday. Local relatives would help Dad get home from hospital and look after him. But I was eager to find a way to let him know that we cared too, even when we weren't with him.
　　Then I remembered a family tradition when our children were small. When leaving their grandparents' home after a visit, each child would write a love note to their grandparents. They hid notes in cereal (麦片) box, under a hairbrush or next to the phone. For days, their grandparents would smile as they discovered these reminders (提示) of our love.
　　So as I tidied Dad's kitchen and made up a bed for him downstairs in the living room, I wrote some notes. Some were practical: "Dad, I put the food in the fridge so it wouldn't go bad." Some expressed my love: "Dad, I hope you will sleep well in your new bed." Most notes were downstairs where he would stay for several weeks, but one note I hid upstairs under his pillow (枕头), "Dad, if you have found this note, you must be feeling better. We are so glad!"
　　Just like his medicines made him better physically, these "emotional vitamins" would improve his health, too. Several weeks later, in one of our regular phone calls, I asked Dad how he was going. He said, "Pretty good. I just found your note under my pillow upstairs!"

34．Choose the words or expressions and complete the passage (选择最恰当的单词或词语完成短文).
The History of the Guinness Book of World Records
　　Are you interested in world records?Do you want to know who the oldest person is in the world? Or the largest cake?Or the heaviest newspaper?Well, if you do, you can find all the (1)       from an amazing book:the Guinness Book of World Records (吉尼斯世界纪录大全).
　　The idea for this book started from an argument. Hugh Beaver worked for Guinness (金氏啤酒) Company in Britain. One day he went out for a walk with his friends. When some birds flew across the sky, he said they were the fastest birds in the world. Nobody (2)       him. He made a bet (打赌) with his friends. The next day, he tried to solve the problem by reading some books in a library. To his disappointment, he found out that none of the books had the (3)       he needed. He suffered a heavy loss (损失), but came up with a good idea:If his company could publish such a book with all the world records, he was sure that he could make a lot of money.
　　Everything was (4)       at the beginning. Beaver had great difficulty in collecting the unusual records. But when the first Guinness Book came out in 1995, it sold like hot cakes. (5)      , his book has remained one of the best sellers for many years.
　　Today, the book is published throughout the world. Every year, a new book is published to keep up with the (6)       records. It is one of the most popular books in the world. By now almost everyone agrees that reading the book is not only a lot of fun, but also an eye﹣opener.

35．Read the passage and fill in the blanks with proper words (在短文的空格内填入适当的词, 使其内容通顺, 每空格限填一词, 首字母已给):
　　Long ago, there lived a sculptor (雕刻家) named Pygmalion in ancient Greece. He was a quiet person and when he was not carving statues, he read poetry and stories.
　　One day, Pygmalion was sitting in his garden, thinking about his next work of art. S(1)      , he ran into his room, where he reached for a huge piece of ivory (象牙). He smiled at the beautiful ivory and set to work. He worked carefully and carved the tusk (象的长牙) into the figure of a woman. He worked day and night until e(2)       was perfect.
　　Pygmalion, normally a quiet man, was not silent as he worked. He would speak to his sculpture. When the statue was complete, Pygmalion looked at her. He knew he had made something great and his love for her g(3)       stronger and stronger.
　　One day, just as the sun began to rise, Pygmalion woke up with a sweet smile on his face. He had dreamed that his sculpture came a(4)      , so Pygmalion got out of his bed immediately, eager to share this dream with her. When he touched the sculpture, to his surprise, a gentle smile s(5)       over the sculpture's face and her eyes began to shine. She had become a real human being!
　　"You have given me life," the woman spoke gently to Pygmalion. "Your love was so strong that it brought me life!"
　　Later, in the 1960s, two scientists found that if teachers hoped students would do b(6)      , then these students would really have greater performance. They call this the Pygmalion Effect. It was named a(7)       this Greek myth.

36．Answer the questions.
　　What will the house of the future look like?Could it have gardens on its walls, or a pool with fish for dinner?Architects believe that they are all possibilities. The only thing for sure is that the houses will be as green as possible.
　　The tree house
　　Many architects in the world would like to build a "tree house." Like a leaf, the surface of the house collects sunlight during the day. The energy can be used to heat water, produce electricity, and even create fresh air for the home. The "root" of the house is deep under the ground. It uses the soil (土壤) to control the home's temperature.
　　The Lizard house
　　Like a lizard (蜥蜴), changing colour with the weather is the most important design of a lizard house. When it's in the bright sun, the cover of the house will turn dark to protect it from strong heat. During dark days, it turns white and takes in as much light and heat as possible to produce energy.
　　Meals at home
　　The future of food production (生产) will be one part of the house design. Gardens may appear on the outside walls of the house. People can plant tomatoes, carrots and green tea on them. So every day in the morning, you just need to walk outside and collect your meals.
　　Learning from the past
　　Looking to the future isn't the only way to be green. Sometimes, ancient techniques (技术) can also help cut down energy use. For example, a chimney (烟囱) in the future house can be a useful air﹣conditioner because it is easier for hot air to go out at the chimney.

37．Write at least 60 words on the topic "Changes of my weekend"(以"我周末生活的变化"为题, 写一篇不少于60个词的短文, 标点符号不占格)
随着"双减"政策的落实, 同学们的周末也发生了欣喜的变化, 你们有了更多自主的时间来安排丰富多彩的周末活动, 例如:阅读、运动和外出游玩等．请以"Changes of my weekend" 为题写一篇不少于60字的短文．谈谈你的周末生活较之前有了哪些变化, 这些变化对你的影响, 并给出一些建议和畅想．
(注意:短文中不得出现任何人名、学校及其它相关信息, 否则不予评分．)