安徽省安庆市潜山市第二中学2025届高三3月份模拟考试英语试题含解析

安徽省安庆市潜山市第二中学2025届高三3月份模拟考试英语试题考生请注意：1．答题前请将考场、试室号、座位号、考生号、姓名写在试卷密封线内，不得在试卷上作任何标记。2．第一部分选择题每小题选出答案后，需将答案写在试卷指定的括号内，第二部分非选择题答案写在试卷题目指定的位置上。3．考生必须保证答题卡的整洁。考试结束后，请将本试卷和答题卡一并交回。第一部分（共20小题，每小题1.5分，满分30分）1．Playingwiththeirpeers,childrenlearntoandnotdoexactlywhattheywanttodo.A．compromiseB．competeC．contributeD．construct2．Don’tthrowawaytheoldbooks．Givethemto____needsthem．A．whoever B．anyone C．who D．whomever3．Hehadagreatdearietohaveahomeofhisown,______hehadalwayslivedwithhisgrandmother.A．or B．and C．so D．for4．—Thebatteryinmycellphoneisrunninglow.—Ithatlastnightbeforewewenttobed.A．wasnoticing B．havenoticed C．wouldnotice D．hadnoticed5．OwingtoTheChinesePoetryCompetition,publicationsonclassicalChineseliteratureare__________asignificantshareofstoragespaceatthebookstore.A．takingupB．dividingupC．breakingupD．puttingup6．Theimportance______anationaldayandhowitiscelebratedareverydifferentfromcountrytocountry.A．connectedto B．givento C．meaningto D．attachedto7．Nobodycangobackandstartanewbeginning,______anyonecanstartnowandmakeanewending.A．forB．andC．butD．so8．I_________tohelpyoutodohomeworkbutIcouldn'tspareanytime.I________acompositionlastnightandI'llfinishittomorrow.A．wanted；wrote B．hadwanted；waswritingC．hadwanted；wrote D．wanted；havebeenwriting9．Mr.Wilsonisamanofpatienceandkindness,andhisgoodtempernever______him.A．fails B．disappointsC．controls D．worries10．Withalotoftoughproblems,thepilotwasstillcalm,coolandcollectiveunderpressure.A．solve B．solved C．solving D．tosolve11．.Wouldyouhavetoldhimtheanswerhaditbeenpossible?.Iwouldhave,butI_____sobusythen.A．hadbeen B．were C．was D．wouldbe12．Mark______havehurried.Afterdrivingattopspeed,hearrivedhalfanhourearly.A．needn’t B．wouldn’t C．mustn’t D．couldn’t13．Mysistermethiminthestreetyesterdayafternoon,sohe______yourlecture.A．shouldn’thaveattended B．couldn’thaveattendedC．mustn’thaveattended D．needn’thaveattended14．Franklyspeaking,IamnotsurewhetherI________thisintheolddayswiththatkindofequipment,whichlooksquiteoddandridiculous.A．shouldhavedone B．needhavedone C．wouldhavedone D．musthavedone15．—What'swrongwithhim?Heseemedupset.—Hehadtogiveuphisdrawing,notbecausehewanted________thatwaybutbecausehehadtobe.A．thisB．oneC．itD．such16．Taughtinamoreprofessionalway,you_________theswimmingskillmuchbetter.A．mightmaster B．wouldhavemasteredC．canhavemastered D．couldmaster17．Thesilenceofthelibraryissometimesbrokenbyasuddencoughorthesoundofpages________________.A．turning B．turnedC．beingturned D．havingturned18．Inrecentyears,ChineseartshavewontheofalotofpeopleoutsideChina.A．reputationB．enjoymentC．appreciationD．entertainment19．USslangishugely______thankstothemanydifferentethnicgroupsthathavesettledinthecountry.A．delicate B．dynamic C．diverse D．desperate20．AlthoughMailerwasnotaloneinwelcomingthefloweringofcreativity,theauthoritieshatedit,______didmanypassengers.A．which B．as C．that D．so第二部分阅读理解（满分40分）阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。21．（6分）Itisgenerallyacknowledgedthatyoungpeoplefrompoorersocio-economicbackgroundstendtodolesswellintheeducationsystem.Inanattempttohelpthechildrenofpoorfamilies,anationwideprogramcalled“Headstart”wasstartedintheUSin1965.Alotofmoneywaspouredintoit.Ittookchildrenintopre-schoolinstitutionsattheageofthreeandwassupposedtohelpthemsucceedinschool.Buttheresultshavebeendisappointing,becausetheprogrambegantoolate.Manychildrenwhoentereditatthreewerealreadybehindtheirpeersinlanguageandintelligenceandtheparentswerenotinvolvedintheprocess.Attheendofeachday,“Headstart”childrenreturnedtothesamedisadvantagedhomeenvironment.Toimprovetheresults,anotherprogramwasstartedinMissourithatconcentratedonparentsasthechild,sfirstteachers.Thisprogramwasbasedonresearchshowingthatworkingwiththefamilyisthemosteffectivewayofhelpingchildrengetthebestpossiblestartinlife.Thefour-yearstudyincluded380familieswhowereabouttohavetheirfirstchildandrepresenteddifferentsocial-economicstatus,ageandfamilystructure.Theprograminvolvedtrainededucatorsvisitingandworkingwiththeparentorparentsandthechild.Theprogramalsogavetheparentssomeguidance,andusefulskillsonchilddevelopment.Atthree,thechildreninvolvedinthe“Missouri”programwereevaluatedwiththechildrenselectedfromthesamesocio-economicbackgroundandfamilysituations.Theresultswereobvious.Thechildrenintheprogramweremoreadvancedinlanguagedevelopment,problemsolvingandotherintellectualskillsthantheirpeers.Theyperformedequallywellregardlessofsocio-economicbackgroundsorfamilystructure.Theonefactorthatwasfoundtoaffectthechild,sdevelopmentwasthepoorqualityofparent-childinteraction.Thatinteractionwasnotnecessarilybadinpoorerfamilies.The“Missouri”programcomparesquitedistinctlywiththe“Headstart”program.Withoutasimilarfocusonparenteducationandonthevitalimportanceofthefirstthreeyears,someevidenceindicatesthatitwillnotbeenoughtoovercomeeducationalunfairness.1、Whatcausedthefailureofthe“Headstart”program?A．Thelargenumberofpoorfamilies.B．Thedisapprovalfromchildren.C．Thelatestartoftheprogram.D．Thelongperiodoftime.2、Whatdoweknowaboutthe“Missouri”program?A．Itfocusedonthechildren,sfirstschoolteachers.B．Ithelpedthechildrenreturntothesamehome.C．Itmadethechildrenimprovedinmanyaspects.D．Itgavetheparentsadviceontheirdevelopment.3、Accordingtothepassage,whatislikelytoinfluencechildren,sperformance?A．Thenumberoffamilymembers. B．Theparent-childcommunication.C．Theintelligenceoftheirparents. D．Theteacher-studentrelationship.4、Howdoestheauthordevelopthepassage?A．Bylistingfigures. B．Bymakingcomparisons.C．Bygivingexamples. D．Bydrawingconclusions.22．（8分）TheguzhengisatraditionalChinesemusicalinstrument.Itbelongstothezither（齐特琴）familyofstringinstruments.Itistheparentofmanymusicalinstrumentsofsomeothercountries.Theguzhengshouldnotbeconfusedwiththeguqin,anotherancientChinesezitherbutwithoutbridges.Nowtheguzhengiszitherwithmovablebridgesandusually21strings,althoughitcanhavefrom15-25strings.Theguzheng’sstringswereformerlymadeofsilk,thoughmostplayersusedmetalstringsbythe20thcentury.Sincethemid-20thcenturymostperformersusesteelstrings.Theguzhenghasalargeresonantcavity（共振腔）.TheguzhenghasexistedsincetheWarringStatesPeriodandbecameespeciallypopularduringtheQindynasty.Thenumberofstringsontheguzhenghasalwaysfluctuated.Therewereasfewas6toasmanyas23stringsduringtheTangdynasty.TheearliestrecordoftheguzhengbelongedtothehistorianSimaQian.Until1961,thecommonguzhenghad16strings,althoughbythemid-20thcentury18-stringguzhengwerealsoinuse.In1961,XuZhenggao,togetherwithWangXunzhi,introducedthefirst21-stringguzhengaftertwoyearsofresearchanddevelopment.In1960,theyalsoinventedthe“S-shaped”leftstringrest,whichwasquicklyadoptedbyallguzhengmakersandisstillusedtoday.Thiscurveallowsforgreatereaseintuningthestringsand,combinedwithstringsofdifferentthickness,allowsforgreaterresonanceinboththedeeperandthehigherpitch（音调）ranges.The21-stringguzhengisthemostcommonlyusedone,butsometraditionalmusiciansstillusethe16-stringone.1、WecaninferfromParagraph1that________.A．theguzhengisamusicalinstrumentoriginatingfromJapanB．thereisonlyonekindofstringinstrumentinChinaC．therearemanykindsofguzhengintheworldD．manymusicalinstrumentsinothercountriesarerelatedtotheguzheng2、WhichofthefollowingmaterialmayNOThavebeenusedtomakethestringsoftheguzhengprobably?A．SilkB．SteelC．WoodD．Copper3、Theunderlinedword“fluctuated”inparagraph3canbereplacedby“________”.A．jumpedB．changedC．flowedD．waved4、Whichofthefollowingstatementsistrueaccordingtothepassage?A．TheguqingisanancientChinesezitherwithbridges.B．TheguzhengbecameespeviallypopularintheTangDynastyC．Allmusiciansdon’tusethe21-stringguzheng.D．XuZhenggaoinventedthe“S-shaped”leftstringresthimself.23．（8分）AbooksellerinChongqinghasbeenleavingnovelsontrainsandatstationstoinspiremorecommuters(上下班往返的人)toread,afterseeingBritishactressEmmaWatsontakepartinasimilarprojectinLondon.AuthorandbookstoreownerJiangLin,29,randomlyplaced40worksalongthecity’slight-railsystemonSunday.Whoeverfindsabookcanreaditinpublicortakeithome,buttheyareencouragedtoleaveitagainonpublictransportationoncetheyhavefinishedwithit.Jiangsaid,“Iconsideredtheneedsofcommuters,"hesaid."Ihopestrangerscanfeelcomfortedbythebooksandfeelconnectedwithotherreaders."All40bookswerechosenfromJiang’sstore,Razor’sEdgeBookClub,whichheopenedinthesummer,andincludedfictionandnonfiction,withtopicsrangingfromartandsocialsciencestophilosophyandhistoryJiang’sBooksontheChongqingLightRailprojectfollowsthesamemodelasBooksontheUnderground,whichwasstartedin2012andsees“bookfairies”leaveworksonLondonTubetrainsandatstations.Readersareencouragedtosharetheirviewsonthebooks.ItwasrevealedonNov.1thatWatson,whoisbest-knownfortheHarryPottermovieseries,isabookfairy.“AfterIreadthenewsaboutherleavingbooksontheLondonTube,IwassoinspiredthatIimmediatelydecidedtodosomethingovertheweekend,”Jiangsaid.However,hisdecisionwassospontaneousthathehadnotimetomakethestickersthatareusuallyplacedoneachbooktoidentifythemaspartoftheproject.Instead,heputanoteontheflypagetointroducetheconcept.Tohissurprise,oneofhisfriendswasamongthosewhofoundhisbooksandpostedapictureonWeChatMoments,asocialmediafunctionontheinstant-messagingapp.Jiangsaidmorethan20peoplehavesincecomeonboardandarenowworkingonamoredetailedthantospreadtheloveofreading.Althoughincreasingnumbersofpeoplereadondigitaldevices,bookshavenottotallygoneoutoffashion.JiangmentionedthattheyneededthesupportfromChonqingLightRailCo.toensurethebookstostaythereandalsohopedtheprojectcouldbewelcomedacrossthecountry.1、JiangLinleftbooksontrainsoratstationsinorderto______.A．raisemoneyforpoorreadersB．openanewbookstoreC．helpsellmorebooksD．advocatereadingbooks2、Jianggotinspiredtostarttheprojectby_________.A．HarryPorterB．WechatmomentsC．EmmaWatsonD．Razor’sEdgeBookClub3、Theunderlinedword“spontaneous”isclosestinmeaningto__________.A．unplannedB．unwiseC．firmD．thoughtful4、Jiang’sattitudetowardsthefutureoftheprojectcanbebestdescribedas___________.A．positiveB．doubtfulC．reservedD．worried24．（8分）VijayGuptaisknowntoclassicalmusicloversacrosstheUnitedStates.HeservesasfirstviolinistfortheLosAngelesPhilharmonic.Inthatjob,heoftenplaystolargecrowds,includingmanyveryrichpeople.Whenheisnotperforming,heorganizesconcertsforhomelesspeople.'TheyhaveremindedmewhyIbecameamusician,hesaid.Lastweek,GuptawasrecognizedforbeingafounderandtheartisticdirectorofStreetSymphony.Thegrouphasperformedathomelessshelters,jailsandhalfwayhousesforabouteightyears.Guptaisamongthe25winnersofthe2018MacArthurFellowship,commonlyknownasthe“geniusgrant.”Eachwinnerwillreceive$625,000overfiveyearstouseastheywish.Themoneyiscomingfromaprivategroup,theJohnD．andKatherineT.MacArthurFoundation.Itawardsgrants(补助金)topeoplewhoseworkitconsidersexceptionalandthat“inspireshopeinusall.”GuptasaidhegottheideaforStreetSymphonywhileteachingNathanielAyers,atrainedmusicianwhosementalillnessledtohomelessness.The31-year-oldgrantwinnersaidhedoesnotknowyethowhewillspendthemoney.Hehasbeenaperformersinceagesevenandtheawardwillgivehim"spacetobreathe,planandlookahead.”AnotherwinnerisRebeccaSandefur,anassociateprofessorofsociologyandlawintheUniversityofIllinois.TheAssociatedPresssaysherresearchactivelysupportsnewwaystoinvolvepoorcommunitiesintheU.S.justicesystem.47-year-oldSandefurcreatedthefirstnationalmappingofcivillegalaidproviders.Itshowswhichstateshadthefinancialresourcestoprovidesuchaidandwhichdidnot.Shealsofoundthatthecostoflegalservicesisonlyoneofthethingspreventingpoorpeoplefromgettinglawyers.Amongtheothersarefearsaboutunfairnessinthelegalsystem.Sandefurnotedthatalotofattentionhasbeenpaidtoproblemswiththecriminaljusticesystem,butmoreattentionmustbepaidtothecivilsideofthelaw,whichalsoaffectsmillionsofpeople.1、WhydidGuptawintheaward?A．Forhisachievementsinclassicalmusic.B．Forperformingforlargecrowds.C．Fororganizingagroupplayingforthehomeless.D．ForthefriendshipwithNathanielAyers.2、WhatdoweknowaboutMacArthurFellowship?A．Itisfoundedbythegovernment.B．Itoffers$625,000to25winnersin2018.C．Itallowsthewinnerstousethemoneyfreely.D．Itawardspeoplewhomakegreatcontributionstosociety.3、WhatwastheextraordinarythingthatSandefiirdid?A．Shemadeiteasiertogetlegalhelpforthepoor.B．Shemadethelegalsystemfairer.C．Shepaidmoreattentiontothecriminaljusticesystem.D．Sheofferedlegalaidstothepoorfreely.4、Whichcanbethebesttitleforthepassage?A．Grantswinners,inspiringthepoorB．Thecityhomeless,inneedofhelpC．VijayGupta,anextraordinaryviolinistD．MacArthurFoundation,awardingexceptionalwork25．（10分）WheretoDineonaBudgetWithKidsinLondon?Wheretodineonabudgetwithkids?ThesefourLondonrestaurantsareaswelcomingastheyarewallet-friendly.◆BarbicanKitchenattheBarbicanCentreEurope’slargestmulti-artsvenueishometocinemas,atheatre,aconcerthallandgalleriessothereareplentyofwaysforfamiliestoworkupanappetitebeforerefuelingattheBarbicanKitchen.Thisgroundfloorrestaurantservesarangeoflightbites,hotsandwichesandhandmadepizzasandchildrenunder12eatfreewitheveryadultorderingamainmeal.◆StickyFingers,KensingtonStickyFingersinKensingtonisarockn’rollrestaurantthatservesclassicAmericandishes.Thekid’smenu(forunder12s）isjust£7.95forameal,adrinkandadessertandifyouvisitonaMondayyoucantakeadvantageofthe“MondayMadness”promotionforupto50%offallmaincoursesforadults.Don’tleavewithoutexploringtheRollingStonessouvenirsincludinggolddiscs,guitarsandphotosoftheband.◆Jamie’sItalina,VariousLocationsTopBritishchef,JamieOliverknowsathingortwoaboutcateringforchildren.Thereareoften“kidscatfree”promotionsrunningduringschoolholidaysbuttheregularkidsmenuisonly£6.50foramaindish,asaladandadrink.Activitypacksareavailableforkidsandthe2-courselunchdealforgrown-upsisabargainat£11.95.◆VauxhallCityFarmCaféCombineadaywiththeanimalsandlunchwiththefamilyatVauxhallCityFarm,acommunityspacehometohorse,pigs,goatsandcamels,EnjoylunchattheOldDairyCaféwhichservesaffordablesandwiches,soups,salads,cakesanddishesfromaweeklyspecialsmenu.Halfportionsofeverythingareavailableforkidsforaround£2.1、WhatareyouexpectedtodobeforeeatingatBarbicanKitchen?A．Eatlightfood.B．Orderamainmeal.C．Enjoyartandentertainments.D．Developanappetiteforpaintings.2、Whichrestaurantcanattractmusicfans?A．Jamie’sItalian.B．StickyFingers.C．BarbicanKitchen.D．VauxhallCityFarmCafé3、HowarebothJamie’sItalianandVauxhallCityFarmCaféwallet-friendly?A．Theybothofferkidsfreefood.B．Theybothdopromotionsregularly.C．Theybothserveadultsatabargainprice.D．Theybothmakeasmallchangeforkidsmeal.第三部分语言知识运用（共两节）第一节（每小题1.5分，满分30分）阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项．26．（30分）IgotocollegeinPhiladelphia.Goingtocollegesofarawayfrommyhomeisreally1onme,especiallywhenIgetupset.ThechurchshootingthatoccurredinTexasonSundayreally2me.Iwasfeelingdiscouragedaboutthe3thatwelivein,andIfeltsosorryforthe4andtheirfamilies.Thissenseof5stayedwithmeforacoupleofdays.IfeltmoreandmorehomesickasIthoughtaboutthetragedy—itreallymademe6myfamily.Ontopofthisfeelingwasthe7ofupcomingexams.OnTuesday,Ijustcouldnot8myfeelingofsadness.Icalledmymomandshemademefeel9better.Shealwaysseemstohavethe10adviceformeinany11.“Youcan’tputyourhappinessorwellbeinginthe12ofanyoneoranythingoutsideyourself,Amelia,”shetoldme.Shewassohelpfulandso13.Shecalled3moretimesthatdayto14me.Ijustfeltsogratefultohaveapersonwho15mesomuch.Iknowthatnooneelsewilleverlovemeinthewaythat’shedoes.WhenIwasyounger,sheandIhadsuchaterrible16.Iwasfeelingreally17aboutthat.Forme,recognizingthe18thingsinmylifeandfocusingonthepeoplewholovemereallyhelpmegetpastthesadnessIfeel.Somethingsmaybeoutofour19,butappreciatingourlovedonesissomethingthatcanmakea20.1、A．hardB．slowC．softD．strict2、A．movedB．includedC．affectedD．limited3、A．townB．wayC．worldD．corner4、A．killersB．victimsC．actorsD．tourists5、A．sadnessB．prideC．honorD．safety6、A．missB．escapeC．regretD．doubt7、A．joyB．answerC．stressD．measure8、A．achieveB．shakeC．settleD．deliver9、A．finallyB．brieflyC．simplyD．instantly10、A．perfectB．actualC．crazyD．formal11、A．periodB．directionC．styleD．situation12、A．planB．handsC．dreamD．memories13、A．stubbornB．educatedC．selflessD．concerned14、A．informB．persuadeC．remindD．comfort15、A．lookslikeB．caresforC．sendsforD．agreeswith16、A．viewB．raceC．struggleD．treatment17、A．certainB．guiltyC．excitedD．grateful18、A．potentialB．reliableC．positiveD．dangerous19、A．controlB．sightC．dreamD．distance20、A．fortuneB．pointC．programD．difference第二节（每小题1.5分，满分15分）阅读下面材料，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。27．（15分）语法填空MynameisHanJingwhoisnot1．outgoinggirl.ThisismyfirstseniorschooldayandIamso2．(anxiety).IwaswonderingwhetherIcouldmakeagoodfirst3．(impress)andmakeanygood4．(friend).Inmyfirstmathsclass,difficultasitwas,theteacherwashumorousand5．(help)whoeventoldusafunnystory,6．madeuslaughheartily.Intheafternoon,wehadourchemistryclassintheschoollab,7．isnewandthelessonwasgreat.Whataday!Inthemorning,Iwas8．（worry）aboutmynewlife.However,now,Idon’tfeelawkwardor9．（frighten）atall.IfirmlybelieveIcanmakenewfriendsandIamconfidenttomorrowisanothergreatday!Ican’twait10．(explore)moreaboutmynewlife!第四部分写作（共两节）第一节短文改错（满分10分）28．（10分）假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。注意：1、每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；2、只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。NowadaysSenior3studentsaregenerallyfacedwithalotofpressure,thatisrathercommon、Toreduceit,thefollowingsuggestionmayhelp、Firstofall,knowexactlywhatleadtoyourpressure,andthenyoucantakemeasurestodealwithit、Secondly,setupagoalthatisnottoohigh,intheotherwords,don’tputtoomanypressureonyourself、Thirdly,findingawaytorelaxyourselfoccasionally、Forexample,youcanlistenmusic,goswimmingorjustsimplegowalking、Eventually,makefriendswithothers,forexample,yourclassmates,yourteachers,andourparents、Theywillunderstandyouandcometoyourhelpthoughyouarereallyintrouble、Inaword,nevergetyourselfstuckinthepressurefor“impossibleisnothing”、第二节书面表达（满分25分）29．（25分）假设你是新华中学的学生李华，你的美国朋友Tom来信询问你寒假计划，因准备期末考试未能及时回复。请根据以下要点给他回封邮件：1.未及时回信的原因；2.你假期的打算（如做兼职、旅行、做志愿者等）；3.询问他的寒假计划。注意：词数100左右，开头语已为你写好，不计入总词数；可以适当增加细节以使行文连贯。DearTom,Howareyou?I’msorryfornotreplyingtoyourletterintime.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Yours,LiHua

参考答案第一部分（共20小题，每小题1.5分，满分30分）1、A2、A3、D4、D5、A6、D7、C8、B9、A10、D11、C12、A13、B14、C15、C16、B17、C18、C19、C20、B第二部分阅读理解（满分40分）阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。21、1、C2、C3、B4、B22、1、D2、C3、B4、C23、IhadjustmovedtoSanAntonio,Texas.Iworkedforthetourbusservicetakingtouristsonashorttourofthecity’shistoricplacesandwouldendupattheAlamo.IwasdrivingbackfrommylasttouronacoolFebruarydayonmywaybackfromtheSanFemandoCatholicchurchwithnooneonmybuswhenIsawamandressedinrags,thinkingthispersonmustbeanactororsomethingwalkingaround.Istoppedandaskedhim,“Needaride?”Withoutsayinganythinghejustwalkedonbroadandsatdowninseatbehindme.“Whereareyouheading?”Iaskedhim.Helookedupintothemirroratmeandreplied.“I’vegottogettothefort(要塞)andreporttoColonel(上校)TravisthattheMexicansarehere!”Ilaughedtomyselfthinkingthatthismanwasaseriousactor.“I’mguessingyoumeantheAlamo?”Isaidbacktohim.Ilookedupandsawhewasn’tsmilingnorlaughing.Allthroughouttheridehewasstaringinamazementatallthetoweringskyscrapersandthebuildingsalongthestreet.“Irememberwhenthistownwasnothingmorethanalittletradingvillage!”Hefinallysaidtome.“Sowhat’syourname?”Iaskedhim.“DanielCloud,yours?”“DavidZime.”IrepliedasIturnedthecornerofthestreetandlaideyesupontheAlamo.Ipulleduptothesidewalkandopenedthedoor.Cloudgotoutofhisseatandcameuptome.“Thanksfortheride.”Hesaidextendinghishand.Itookhispalmanditwasfreezingcoldlikehejuststeppedoutofthefreezer.“Notaproblem,Mr.Cloud,anddon’tworryaboutthefee.It’sonthehouse.”HenoddedhisheadingratitudelikeallusTexansdoandwalkedaway.Itwasn’tuntilthenthatInoticedthathewassoaked(浸；泡)totheboneindrippingwaterandwehadnotasingled