2025届安徽省淮南一中等四校重点中学高三下第一次测试英语试题含解析

2025届安徽省淮南一中等四校重点中学高三下第一次测试英语试题注意事项：1．答卷前，考生务必将自己的姓名、准考证号、考场号和座位号填写在试题卷和答题卡上。用2B铅笔将试卷类型（B）填涂在答题卡相应位置上。将条形码粘贴在答题卡右上角"条形码粘贴处"。2．作答选择题时，选出每小题答案后，用2B铅笔把答题卡上对应题目选项的答案信息点涂黑；如需改动，用橡皮擦干净后，再选涂其他答案。答案不能答在试题卷上。3．非选择题必须用黑色字迹的钢笔或签字笔作答，答案必须写在答题卡各题目指定区域内相应位置上；如需改动，先划掉原来的答案，然后再写上新答案；不准使用铅笔和涂改液。不按以上要求作答无效。4．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．—What’stherecentprogressinXiong’anNewArea,firstannouncedtwoyearsago?—It_____increasingattentionfromforeigncompaniesgivenitshugedevelopmentpotential.A．hasbeenattracting B．hadattracted C．wouldbeattracting D．wasattracting2．Decadesago,scientistsbelievedthathowthebraindevelopswhenyouareakid______determinesyourbrainstructurefortherestofyourlife.A．soonerorlater B．moreorless C．toandfrom D．upanddown3．Don’tthrowawaytheoldbooks．Givethemto____needsthem．A．whoever B．anyone C．who D．whomever4．Ourteacherenteredtheclassroom,__________.A．abookinhand B．bookinhandC．bookinhishandD．abookinhands5．JamesSmithandhisgirlfriendwenttoChenyiSquaretocelebratetheNewYear,never_________.A．returned B．toreturnC．returning D．havingreturned6．—Ihavegotaheadache.—Nowonder.You___infrontofthatcomputertoolong.A．work B．areworkingC．havebeenworking D．worked7．Sopopular_____inhisadoptedhometownthathehasbeennamedhonorarycitizenofBeijing.A．StephonMarburyisB．StephonMarburywillbeC．isStephonMarburyD．willStephonMarburybe8．Theboywaswavinghisstickinthestreetandit________missedthechildstandingnearby.A．closely B．narrowly C．nearly D．hardly9．Ithoughtithardtocompletetheprojectthen,butI________mymind.A．willchangeB．wouldchangedC．havechangedD．hadchanged10．Hewasforcedtospendanothernightattheairport____forhisplane.A．waitingB．beingwaitedC．waitedD．tobewaited11．Hissuggestion_______toseethefilmAvatarinterestedeveryoneofus.A．thatwego B．whichweshouldgo C．thatwewouldgo D．weshouldgo12．IowemycurrentsuccesstoDavid,mybestfriendsincechildhood,withoutwhomIhavenoideawhereI________today.A．am B．wasC．wouldhavebeen D．wouldbe13．ThisJanuarywillbeverypreciousforusbywhichtimewe________reviewingSeniorBookI.A．willfinish B．willhavefinishedC．havefinished D．willbefinished14．Wesellalotofproductsoffshoreandtheopportunitytoopenupmarketsinregions________wedon'tcurrentlysellalottoisagreatone.A．where B．thatC．what D．when15．Aheavysandstormisgoingtoenvelopourcity.Itisunwisetohaveyourcar.A．washB．washedC．washingD．towash16．Jane’spalefacesuggestedthatshe______illandherparentssuggestedthatshe______amedicalexam.A．be;shouldhave B．was;haveC．shouldbe;had D．was;had17．—Whataboutwatchingaballetshowthisevening?—Thanksforinvitingme,butballetisn’treally______.A．theappleofmyeye B．myfeetofclayC．mycupoftea D．thesaltoftheearth18．Thegovernmentisto_____thetechnologiestothefullinthestructuraltransformationoftheeconomy.A．adaptB．exposeC．exploitD．attach19．Fathermadeapromise______________Ididwellintheentranceexam,hewouldtakemetoHongKonginthesummervacation.A．ifthat B．ifC．thatif D．that20．Newlyreleaseddatapointtoanincreaseintechnologyuseamongchildrensomeworryischangingtheverynatureofchildhood.A．why B．whichC．who D．where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）Solarenergysystems/powerplantsdonotproduceairpollution,waterpollution,orgreenhousegases.Usingsolarenergycanhaveapositive,indirecteffectontheenvironment,whensolarenergyreplacesorreducestheuseofotherenergysourcesthathavelargereffectsontheenvironment.However,somepoisonousmaterialsandchemicalsareusedtomakethephotovoltaic(光电池的)cellsthatconvertsunlightintoelectricity.Somesolarthermal(保热的)systemsusepotentiallyhazardousliquidstotransferheat.Leaksofthesematerialscouldbeharmfultotheenvironment.U.S.environmentallawsregulatetheuseandsettlementofthesetypesofmaterials.Aswithanytypeofpowerplant,largesolarpowerplantscanaffecttheenvironmentneartheirlocations.Theplacementofthepowerplantmayhavelong-termeffectsonthehabitatsofnativeplantsandanimals.Somesolarpowerplant-smayrequirewaterforcleaningsolarcollectorsandconcentratorsorforcoolingturbinegenerators.Usinglargevolumesofgroundwaterorsurfacewaterinsomedrylocationsmayaffecttheecosystemsthatdependonthesewaterresources.Inaddition,thebeamofconcentratedsunlightasolarpowertowercreatescankillbirdsandinsectsthatflyintothebeam.Theamountofsolarenergythattheearthreceiveseachdayismanytimesgreaterthanthetotalamountofallenergythatpeopleconsumeeachday.However,onthesur~aceoftheearth,solarenergyisavariableandirregularenergysource.Theamountofsunlightandtheintensityofsunlightvariesbytimeofdayandlocation.Weatherandclimateconditionsaffecttheavailabilityofsunlightdailyandonaseasonalbasis.ThetypeandsizeofasoIarenergycollectionandconversionsystemdetermineshowmuchoftheavailablesolarenergywecanconvertintousefulenergy.1、Whichofthefollowingbestexplains"hazardous"underlinedinparagraph2?A．inexpensive B．dangerousC．ineffective D．abnormal2、Whatinfluencecanlargesolarpowerplantshaveonthelocations?A．Pollutingthegroundwater.B．Protectingthehabitatsofplantsandanimals.C．Damagingthelocalnaturalbalance.D．Attractingbirdsandinsectstothearea.3、Whatdoesthelastparagraphmainlytellus?A．Differentareasreceivedifferentamountofsolarenergy.B．Howtoconvertsolarenergyintousefulenergy.C．Therelationshipbetweensolarenergycollectionandthesunlight.D．Somefactorsthatinfluencetheamountofsolarenergycollection.4、Whatdoestheauthorthinkofthesolarenergysystems?A．Theyaretotallyenvironment-friendly.B．Theyhavebothadvantagesanddisadvantages.C．Theyshouldbeforbiddeninthefuture.D．TheyshouIdbeencouragedinquantities.22．（8分）YoungpeopleintheUnitedStatesdonothaveastrongunderstandingoftheworldandtheirplaceinit.TwoUS-basedgroups,theCouncilonForeignRelationsandtheNationalGeographicSociety,conductedanonlinesurveylastyear.TheywantedtoknowwhatyoungpeopleinAmericancollegesknewaboutgeography,U.S.foreignpolicy,recentinternationalevents,andeconomics.Thesurveywasgiventoover1,200Americansbetweentheagesof18and26,allofthempresentlyattending,orhavingpreviouslygraduatedfrom.a2-or4-yearcollegeoruniversity.Theaveragetestscore,outof75totalpossibleanswers,was55percent.Thestudyidentifiesafewimportantproblems.Forexample,only30percentknewthattheonlypartoftheU.S.governmentthatcandeclarewarisCongress.Only60%ofthosetakingthesurveycouldidentifyBrazilonaworldmap.“Partoftheproblem,”arguetheorganizersofthesurvey,“istheInternet.”Theysayitisbecominghardertofindhigh-qualityinformationaboutworldeventsamongallthefakenewsandtrivia(琐事)whichswamp(淹没)theweb.Forty-threepercentofthosequestionedsaidtheyreadaboutthenewsonFacebook.Anotherproblemisthatmostcollegecoursesdonotrequirestudentstolearnaboutinternationalissues.Ifsuchinformationisnotrequired,RichardHaassfromtheCouncilonForeignRelationssaid,thentheUnitedStatescouldhaveleaderslikeGaryJohnson.HewasarecentpresidentialcandidatewhodidnotknowabouttheSyriancityofAleppowhenareporteraskedhimaboutit.Thesurveyresultswerenotallbad.Theyoungpeoplealsodemonstratedagoodunderstandingofclimatechangeandrenewableenergy.Andthemajorityofthemsaidthatinternationalissueswerebecomingmoreimportanttothem.Haasssaysthesefindingssuggesttheneedtofindwaystogetgoodinformationforstudents,bothinschoolandonline.Tohelp,theCouncilonForeignRelationsiscreatinganewprogramcalledCFRCampus,designedtohelpbuildknowledgeaboutglobalissues.1、Whatdoweknowaboutthesurvey?A．Theparticipantswereallrecentuniversitygraduates.B．ItwasanonlinesurveyconductedbytwoUSuniversities.C．Itwasgiventoover1,200Americanpeopleagedfrom18to26.D．ItaimedtofindoutwhattheyoungpeopleknowaboutAmerica.2、What’sonereasontheorganizersofthesurveygiveforyoungpeople’slackofknowledge?A．ThepoorqualityoftheUSuniversitysystem.B．Youngpeople’sunwillingnesstotravelabroad.C．ThesourcesfromwhichtheygeltheirinformationD．Theirlackofinterestinknowingmoreabouttheworld.3、WhattopicdidtheyoungAmericansunderstandbestaccordingtothesurvey?A．Governmentorganizations.B．Geographicinformation.C．Foreignrelations.D．Environmentalmatters.4、Inwhichpartofanewspapercouldwefindthisarticle?A．Economics. B．Education.C．NationalPolitics. D．Entertainment.23．（8分）YoumaythinkthatthestoryofPygmalion(《卖花女》,1913)---inwhichpeoplearejudgedbythewaytheytalk---issomethingthatonlyexistedinthedaysofBritishhighsociety.Butthankstoetiquette(礼仪)expertandauthorWilliamHanson,werealizethatlittlehaschangedduringthepast100years.InaBBCradioprogram,HansonreleasedalistofcommonwordsusedinBritishEnglishthatcouldrevealwhetherapersonis“common”or“fashionable”.Andyetherecomestheinterestingpart:Whilesomeofusmightgothroughlifeusingfancywords,dressinginwaysthatmakeusappearmorewell-offthanwereallyare,therearewealthypeopleintheworldwhotrytohidetheirrichesbecausetheywanttobeseenas“normal”insteadof“showy”.Beatrice,forexample,isaNewYorkerwhoinherited(继承)millionsofdollars.ShetoldTheNewYorkTimesthatshehasahabitofremovingthepricetags(价签)fromherclothessoherhousestaffdon’tseethemandfeeluncomfortable.“Wedon’twantthat‘Wow’.”saidScott,alsoaNewYorker,whohadjustinheritedover$50million.“We’rejustnotthetypeofpeoplewhowearitonoursleeve.”1、WhatdoesWilliamHansonfind?A．Peoplefailedtojudgeothers’manner.B．Peoplejudgeothersbytheirwayoftalking.C．Peopletendtousemorepolitewords.D．Peoplemeetimpolitepersonsfrequently.2、Whatdorichpeopleprefertodo?A．TohidetheirrichesB．Toearnmoremoney.C．Tothinkhighlyoftheirwealth.D．Tojudgeothersbytheirwealth.3、WhydidBeatriceremovethepricetagsonherclothes?A．Toshowoffherfashionsense.B．Tochangepeople’sattitudetorichpeople.C．Topretendtobenormal.D．Toavoidmakingpeoplearoundheruncomfortable.4、Whatdoes“it”inthelastsentencemean?A．Thepricetag.B．Thebrandlabel.C．Theinheritancecontract.D．TheTimesmagazine.24．（8分）Theworld’sinsectsaregoingdownthepathofextinction，threateninga“catastrophiccollapseofnature’secosystems”，accordingtothefirstglobalscientificreview．Morethan40％ofinsectspeciesaredecliningandthirdareendangered，theanalysisfound．Therateofextinctioniseighttimesfasterthanthatofmammals，birdsandreptiles．“Itshouldbeofhugeconcerntoallofus，forinsectsareattheheartofeveryfoodweb．Theypollinate(授粉)thelargemajorityofplantspecies，keepthesoilhealthy，recyclenutrients，controlpests，andmuchmore．Lovethemor1oathethem，wehumanscannotsurvivewithoutinsects，”saidProfDaveGoulsonattheUniversityofSussexintheUK．Theanalysis，publishedinthejournalBiologicalConservation，saysintensive(集约型)agricultureisthemaindriverofthedeclines，particularlytheheavyuseofpesticides．Urbanisationandclimatechangearealsosignificantfactors．“Ifinsectspecieslossescannotbestopped，thiswillhavecatastrophicconsequencesforboththeplanet’secosystemsandforthesurvivalofmankind．Itisveryrapid．In10yearsyouwillhaveaquarterless，in50yearsonlyhalfleftandin100yearsyouwillhavenone，”saidreviewauthorFranciscoSánchez-Bayo，attheUniversityofSydney，Australia．Oneofthebiggestimpactsofinsectlossisonmanybirds，reptiles，amphibiansandfishthateatinsects．“Ifthisfoodsourceistakenaway，alltheseanimalsstarvetodeath，”hesaid．SucheffectshavealreadybeenseeninPuertoRico，wherearecentstudyrevealeda98％fallingroundinsectsover35years．MattShardlow，attheconservationcharityBuglife，said：“Itisthoughtfultoseethisevidencethatshowsthepitifulstateoftheworld’sinsectpopulations．Itisincreasinglyobviousthattheplanet’secologyisbreakingandthereisaneedforastrongandglobalefforttopreventandchangetheseterribletrends．”1、Whyarepeopleworriedabouttheinsectdecline?A．Theyarevitaltoecosystems． B．Theyprovidefoodforpests．C．Theypollinateallplants． D．Theyenrichthesoil．2、Whatisthemaincauseofinsectlosses?A．Moreandmoretrees． B．Restrictionsonpesticides．C．Upgradingagriculture． D．Friendlyenvironment．3、Wherecanyoufindtheexacttimeofinsectlosses?A．Inparagraph1． B．Inparagraph2．C．Inparagraph3． D．Inparagraph4．4、Whatcanbeasuitabletitleforthetext?A．HumanscansurvivethepunishmentofnatureB．Insectdecliningisbreakingnature’secosystemsC．Nature’secosystemsareinfluencedbyhumansD．InsectsandanimalsaredyingoutinPuertoRico25．（10分）OncewhenIwasateenager,myfatherandIwerestandinginlinetobuyticketsforthecircus(马戏表演).Finallytherewasonlyonefamilybetweenusandtheticketcounter.Thisfamilymadeabigimpressiononme.Therewereeightchildren,allprobablyundertheageof12.Youcouldtelltheydidn’thavealotofmoney.Theirclotheswerenotexpensive,buttheywereclean.Thechildrenwerewell-behaved,allofthemstandinginline,two-by-twobehindtheirparents.Thechildrentalkedexcitedlyabouttheclowns,elephantsandotheractstheywouldseethatnight.Onecouldsensetheyhadneverbeentothecircusbefore.Thefatherandmotherseemedhappyastheycouldbe.Theticketsladyaskedhowmanyticketsthefatherwanted,heproudlyanswered,“Pleaseletmebuyeightchildren’sticketsandtwoadults’tickets,soIcantakemyfamilytothecircus.”Theticketladytoldhimtheprice.Thefatherloweredhisheadandasked,“Howmuchdidyousay?”Theticketladyagaintoldhimtheprice.Themandidn’thaveenoughmoney.Howwashesupposedtoturnandtellhiseightkidsthathedidn’thaveenoughmoneytotakethemtothecircus.Seeingwhatwashappening,mydadtooka$20notefromhispocketanddroppedinontheground.(Wewerenotwealthyinanysenseoftheworld!)Myfatherreacheddown,pickedupthebill,tappedthemanontheshoulderandsaid,“Excuseme,sir,thisfelloutofyourpocket.”Themanknewwhatwasgoingon.Helookedstraightintomydad’seyes,tookmydad’shandinbothofhis,pressedtightlyontothebill,andwithhislipquiveringandatearstreamingdownhischeek,hereplied,“Thankyou,thankyou,Sir.Thisreallymeansalottomeandmyfamily.”MyfatherandIwentbacktoourcaranddrovehome.Wedidn’tgotothecircusthatnight,butwecouldgowithout.1、Whywasthepoormanunhappyafterhespokewiththeticketlady?A．Theticketsweretooexpensive.B．Hischildrenwerenoisy.C．Hehadlosthismoney.D．Theticketsweresoldout.2、Itcanbeinferredfromthetextthatthewriter’sfatherdidn’tgivethemoneytothefatherdirectlybecause____A．hewantedtomakethefatherfeelashamedB．hewasnotverywillingtohelpthemanandhisfamilyC．hewantedtopretendtobeverywealthyD．hedidn’twanttohurttheman’sprideandrespect3、Wecanconcludefromthelastsentenceofthestorythat______.A．theyfeltitapitythattheydidn’tgotothecircusB．theydidn’tfeelbadthoughttheydidn’tgotothecircusC．theyfelttheywouldbeblessedfortheirbehaviorD．theyhadnevergonetothecircuseversince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）Onedaymanyyearsago,afriendsurprisedmebyusingSpanish—“Comoestas”—insteadoftheEnglish“Howareyou?”Shetoldme1thatshewaslearningSpanishatUniversityofHawaii.ItwasthefirsttimeIhad2theSeniorCitizenVisitorProgram(SCVP),whichwasfreetothose3.Immediately,IrushedbackhomeandfoundouteverythingabouttheSCVPonline.Thenextday,I4theSCVPofficeatUH.My5coursewastheLife-longStudyforHawaiiSeniorResidents.However,he6me:Ihadtobeatleast60yearsoldto7.Atthatmoment,Ireallyhatedtobeso8!Butnochoice—soIstarted9togetolder.Attheendof2017,aftermy60thbirthday,IcalledtheSCVPofficeagain.Inthespring10of2018,Ibecamethe11studentappearinginthesetwoclasses:BallroomDanceandIntroductiontoInterpretation.NomatterhowoldIwas,oncebothmybodyandspirit12intheclassroom,sittingamongyoungpeople,listeningtoandwritingdownwhatthe13taughtmademeforgetmyage.Ofcourse,Iusedthemto14thatthemovingofthebrainmayget15butit’sstillenoughtolearn16.Second,foragedpeople,returningtoschoolhelpsthemtoseemingly17theirrealage,especiallywhentheygetthesame18asyoungerclassmatesdo.Andthird,weagedpeopleareusefuloneswhohaverich19,includingknowingwhy,whatandhowtokeep201、A．satisfiedlyB．excitedlyC．worriedlyD．astonishedly2、A．readaboutB．enteredforC．heardaboutD．takenup3、A．suitableB．regularC．availableD．ready4、A．thankedB．locatedC．informedD．telephoned5、A．reasonableB．ambitiousC．favoriteD．curious6、A．persuadedB．remindedC．encouragedD．requested7、A．takepartB．goonC．giveupD．breakup8、A．weakB．lazyC．sickD．young9、A．demandingB．strugglingC．waitingD．preparing10、A．vacationB．termC．seasonD．months11、A．strangestB．busiestC．hardestD．oldest12、A．recoveredB．separatedC．settledD．talked13、A．reportersB．professorsC．colleaguesD．translators14、A．proveB．decideC．defendD．repeat15、A．practicalB．calmC．slowD．quick16、A．speciallyB．instantlyC．patientlyD．normally17、A．reduceB．approachC．memorizeD．doubt18、A．respectB．gradesC．attentionD．supports19、A．imaginationB．knowledgeC．fortunesD．experiences20、A．learningB．fightingC．thinkingD．suffering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）Directions:Afterreadingthepassagebelow,fillinblankstomakethepassagecoherentandgrammaticallycorrect.Fortheblankswithagivenword,fillineachblankwiththeproperformofthegivenword;fortheotherblanks,useonewordthatbestfitseachblank.Asisknowntoalltheorganizationandmanagementofwagesandsalariesareverycomplex.1．afirmwantstoadoptanewwageandsalarystructure,itisessentialthatthefirmshoulddecideonamethodofjobevaluationandwaysof2．(measure)theperformanceofitsemployees.Inordertobesuccessful,thatnewpaystructurewillrequireagreementbetweenTradeUnionsandemployers.Beforejobevaluation,alloftherequirementsofeachjob3．(define)inadetailedjobdescription.Eachofthoserequirementsisgivenavalue,usuallyin“points,”4．areaddedtogethertogiveatotalvalueforthejob.Formiddleandhighermanagement,aspecialmethodisused5．(evaluate)managersontheirknowledgeofthejob,theirresponsibilityandtheirabilitytosolveproblems,6．thedifficultyinmeasuringmanagementwork,however,jobgradesformanagersareoftendecidedwithoutreferencetoanevaluationsystem7．(base)onpoints.Inattemptingtodesignapaysystem,thePersonnelDepartmentshouldcomparethevalueofeachjobwiththoseinthejobmarket.Itshouldalsoconsidereconomicfactorssuchasthecostoflivingandthelaborsupply.8．isnecessarythatpaymentforajobshouldvarywithanydifferencesinthewaythatthejobisperformed.Whereitissimpletomeasuretheworkdone,asinworkdonewithhands,monetaryencouragementschemesareoftenchosen.Forindirectworkers,wheremeasurementisdifficult,methodsofadditionalpaymentsareemployed.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。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。增加：在缺词处加一个漏词符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。删除：把多余的间用斜线（\）划掉。修改：在错的词下画一横线，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，多若(从第11处起）不计分。Asasmallchildreninprimaryschool,Ienjoyedsportverymuch.Icouldplayfreely.Moveontohighschoolmarkedabigchangeinthisrespect.Iwasnolongerencouragingtoplaywithfriendsatabreak.Instead,Isatandchatted,orifIparticularwantedtolearnIstudied.Asateenager,IbecamemoreawareaboutwhatotherpeoplethoughtofmeorhowIlooked.SportbecamesomethingIhavetodotostayhealthyandpassmyPEtest.Thefunelementhadtakenawayfromit.Lastyear,Ipracticedyoga,thathashelpedmechangemyattitudetowardssport.第二节书面表达（满分25分）29．（25分）Directions:WriteanEnglishcompositionin100-120wordsaccordingtotheinstructionsgivenbelowinChinese.学校正在策划暑期志愿者活动，你可以根据自己的兴趣爱好在如下活动中选择一项。第一类：社区图书馆管理员；第二类：医院志愿者；第三类：小区垃圾分类宣传员。请在贴吧中回复。你回复的内容必须包含以下内容：1.你选择参加的活动；2.说明你参加该活动的理由。________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

参考答案第一部分（共20小题，每小题1.5分，满分30分）1、A2、B3、A4、B5、B6、C7、C8、B9、C10、A11、A12、D13、B14、B15、B16、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、B2、C3、D4、B22、Youcan’tmakeacallorsendatextonyourmobilephoneintheUStownofGreenBank,WestVirginia.WirelessInternetisoutlawed,asisBluetooth.Asyouapproachthetinytownonatwo-laneroadthatsnakesthroughthemountains,yourmobilephonesignaldropsout,andyourradiostopsworking.Therustedpayphoneonthenorthsideoftownistheonlywayforavisitortoreachtherestoftheworld.It’sapre-modernplacebydesign,lackingofthelatesttechnologiesthatdefinelifetoday.Thereasonforthetown’semptyairwavesisapparentthemomentyouarrive.It’stheRobertC．Byrdtelescope,alsoknownastheGBT,ashinywhite,147-metre-tallsatellitedish.It’sthelargestofitskindintheworldandoneofnineinGreenBank,allofthemgovernmentownedandoperatedbytheNationalRadioAstronomyObservatory(NRAO).Youdon’tlookthroughthesekindsoftelescopes.They’reradiotelescopes,soinsteadoflookingfordistantstars,theylistenforthem.There’salonglineofastronomersallovertheworldwhowanttousethetelescopewhichissosensitivethatitcouldhearasinglesnowflakehittingtheground1,000milesaway.Suchasensitivelisteningtoolneedstotaltechnologicalsilencetooperate,soin1958theUSgovernmentcreatedaNationa