2019-2020学年江苏省扬州中学高二上学期12月月考试题 英语 Word版

2019-2020学年江苏省扬州中学高二上学期12月月考试题 英语 Word版

江苏省扬州中学2019-2020学年十二月质量检测 ‎ 高二英语试题 2019.12‎ 本试卷分第Ⅰ卷(选择题)和第Ⅱ卷(非选择题)两部分。满分150分，考试时间120分钟。‎ 第一部分 听力（共两节，满分30分）‎ 第一节 (共5小题；每小题1.5分，满分7.5分)‎ 听下面5段对话。每段对话后有一个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听完每段对话后，你都有10秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。每段对话仅读一遍。‎ ‎1. What will the weather be like according to the radio?‎ A. Sunny. B. Rainy. C. Windy.‎ ‎2. Who will pay the bill?‎ A. The boss. B. Tom. C. The woman. ‎ ‎3. How did the woman feel?‎ A. Nervous. B. Excited. C. Upset. ‎ ‎4. What can we learn about the man?‎ A. He did well in spelling.‎ B. He couldn’t spell the words.‎ C. He was satisfied with the result. ‎ ‎5. How much should the man pay for his room?‎ A.150 pounds. B.110 pounds. C.100 pounds.‎ 第二节 (共15小题；每小题1.5分，满分22.5分)‎ 听下面5段对话或独白。每段对话或独白后有几个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听每段对话或独白前，你将有时间阅读各个小题，每小题5秒钟；听完后，各小题将给出5秒钟的做答时间。每段对话或独白读两遍。‎ 听第6段材料, 回答第6和第7两个小题。‎ ‎6. What time was the plane originally scheduled to leave?‎ A. At 3:00. B. At 4:00. C. At 5:00.‎ ‎7. Why is the woman worried?‎ A. The weather is bad. ‎ B. The report is not finished. ‎ C. An appointment will be delayed.‎ 听第7段材料，回答第8和第9两个小题。‎ ‎8. What happened to the man? ‎ A. He broke a machine. ‎ B. The machine owed him 25 cents.‎ C. The machine owner refused to help him.‎ ‎9. What does the woman suggest the man do? ‎ A. Call the police.‎ B. Rock the machine.‎ C. Call the number on the machine. ‎ 听第8段材料，回答第10至第12题。‎ ‎10. How is Ted’s homework this time?‎ A. Very poor. B. Well done. C. So-so.‎ ‎11. Where is Ted going now?‎ A. The gym. B. The library. C. The bookstore.‎ ‎12. What does Ted think of his teacher?‎ A. Polite. B. Generous. C. Helpful.‎ 听第9段材料，回答第13至第16题。‎ ‎13. What are the speakers mainly talking about?‎ A. What abilities to possess.‎ B. Which professor to follow.‎ C. What job to do in the future. ‎ ‎14. What subject does the man probably prefer?‎ A. History. B. Politics. C. Art.‎ ‎15. What do the woman’s parents expect her to be?‎ A. A restaurant manager. B. A politician. C. A teacher.‎ ‎16. What is the woman good at doing?‎ A. Dealing with people. B. Working with kids. C. Painting pictures. ‎ 听第10段材料，回答第17至第20题。‎ ‎17. What is to be hosted on Wednesday evening?‎ A. A bake sale. B. A parent book club. C. An event to honor an artist.‎ ‎18. When does the book fair end?‎ A. On Thursday. B. On Wednesday. C. On Monday.‎ ‎19. Where will the money from the bake sale go?‎ A. A computer lab. B. The sports teams. C. The art department.‎ ‎20. What happens to the computer lab?‎ A. It will be repaired. B. It will be closed forever. C. It will be put up for sale.‎ 第二部分 阅读理解 (共三节，满分40分)‎ 第一节：阅读理解（共10小题；每小题2.5分，满分25分）‎ 请认真阅读下列短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。‎ A Pretty much anyone can book a trip, but not everyone can plan an ultimate adventure that’s affordable, accommodating, and fun for everyone in your group. At Tripslnsider.com, we aim to provide you with the best insider secrets in the travel business and a state-of-the-art travel comparison tool to make planning easier than ever.‎ Here are some insider tips that we’d like to share with you.‎ Join an Airline Loyalty Program Even if you don’t think you travel often enough to make an airline loyalty program worth it, join one. This is your best chance of getting a flight upgrade (升级), even if you stay at a low point level.‎ Get the Weekly Car Rental Rate It’s a bit puzzling that car rental companies charge more for driving less, but the weekly rate is often cheaper than driving just four days. You may be able to get the weekly rate for just five days, so keep the car a bit longer if you can.‎ Ask the Crew about Free Souvenirs ‎ Lots of free stuff is lying around cruise ships, such as T-shirts, crossword puzzles, and postcards. Make friends with the crew members and nicely ask what kind of freebies may be available for souvenirs. Just don’t forget to tip!‎ Ask for a Corner Room When you check in at a hotel, ask if there’s a corner room available. These are usually larger and quieter for the same price as ones in the middle of the hall. Upgrades are most often offered at the end of the day when hotels have a better sense of their occupancy.‎ We hope that you found the tips on this page helpful and can put them to use on your next vacation. Whether you plan to fly, drive, or cruise, become an expert trip planner by using our travel comparison tool for all your transportation and hotel needs. Please visit us again and sign up for our newsletter (简报) to keep getting the best deals and money-saving tips.‎ ‎21. Which of the following statements is true?‎ A. If you join an airline loyalty program, you will surely get a flight upgrade.‎ B. In different locations, rooms of the same price may vary in size and surroundings.‎ C. You will have to pay more for car rental as your driving time increases.‎ D. Make friends with crew members and you can take away all the souvenirs aboard.‎ ‎22. Why is it more likely to be upgraded in a hotel at the end of the day?‎ A. Because people usually check out.‎ B. Because there are more rooms available.‎ C. Because hotels make it a rule to offer upgrades at that time.‎ D. Because hotels know better about the number of rooms used.‎ B Landscapes are not only the setting for history; they are also a major source of our sense of history and identity. Read them right, and historical landscapes can be more informative than any other kind of source. This is even more the case with sacred landscapes, which were reflection of our ancestors’ beliefs about their relation to the universe and can still today seem to hold a spiritual influence. ‎ Over the years, I’ve had the good fortune to have spent time in many historical landscapes, hoping to picture something of the spirits of the people who shaped them over the centuries. I still remember years ago walking along the Inca sacred lines around Cusco, Peru. In this ancient landscape, old sites that once belonged to Incan royals had become torn Spanish mansions. Or many years ago, before the Gulf Wars, I took a journey through south Iraq, the heart land of ‎ civilization, where the desert is still crossed by dried-up riverbeds of the Euphrates and canals that once sustained the world’s first cities. ‎ Britain also has its own magical ancient landscapes. From the Mesolithic to the Bronze and Iron Ages, rich layers of the past are still present in the landscape surrounding Stonehenge, even as traffic rushes down the A303. It is the A303 that is the problem. As the main road to the south west from the home counties, the road runs right past Stonehenge. One of humanity’s most famous monuments, Stonehenge is an archaeological landscape without parallel in Europe, and perhaps the world. The first circle at Stonehenge was made 5,000 years ago, and the great stone circle itself in around 2,500 BC—the age of the pyramids! And the mysteries of this amazing monument and the complex prehistoric societies that produced it are by no means exhausted, as new discoveries continue to show. ‎ This unique landscape is currently at the centre of a projected plan by Highways England, which aims to relieve congestion on the A303 by creating a four-lane road with a 1.8-mile tunnel, and an expressway interchange 1.5 miles to the west. While the National Trust and English Heritage have offered qualified support for the plan, UNESCO has expressed its opposition. Meanwhile, the Stonehenge Alliance, a group of archaeologists and environmental campaigners, says the plan is based on inadequate and obsolete information. In the end, the argument is about the totality of an ancient landscape, and that includes the ancient astronomical alignment that was purposefully chosen by our ancestors, and that will, in my view, be wrecked by the expressway interchange. Time perhaps for a rethink in the name of future generations?‎ ‎23. What can historical landscapes offer us?‎ A. Details of ancient lifestyle. B. Sacred writings C. Rich historical information D. Breathtaking sights.‎ ‎24. What did the author want to explore when touring historical landscapes?‎ A. Different architecture. B. His sense of belonging. ‎ C. The rise of ancient cities D. The spirits of ancestors.‎ ‎25. Which of the following is True about Stonehenge?‎ A. The landscape surrounding Stonehenge has rich layers of the present. ‎ B. New discoveries have solved the mysteries of the monument.‎ C. The ancient monument must have been the heart land of civilization.‎ D. The first stone circle has a longer history than the pyramids.‎ ‎26. What is the author’s attitude towards the projected plan by Highways England?‎ A. He is for it because it will benefit the future generations.‎ B. He keeps neutral but believes a better solution could be adopted.‎ C. It should be stopped because it will destroy the totality of the monument.‎ D. It is rather practical especially with qualified support from the government.‎ C As Connie took the plates away, I noticed a stack of newspapers that had obviously been read before I got there.‎ ‎"You bother keeping up with the news?" I asked. "Yes," Morrie said. "Do you think that's strange? Do you think because I'm dying, I shouldn't care what happens in this world?"‎ Maybe.‎ He sighed. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I shouldn't care. After all, I won't be around to see how it all turns out.”‎ ‎"But it's hard to explain, Mitch. Now that I'm suffering, I feel closer to people who suffer than I ever did before. The other night, on TV, I saw people in Bosnia running across the street, getting fired upon, killed, innocent victims . . . and I just started to cry. I feel their anguish as if it were my own. I don't know any of these people. But how can I put this? I'm almost . . . drawn to them."‎ His eyes got moist, and I tried to change the subject, but he dabbed his face and waved me off.‎ ‎"I cry all the time now," he said. "Never mind."‎ Amazing, I thought. I worked in the news business. I covered stories where people died. I interviewed grieving family members. I even attended the funerals. I never cried. Morrie, for the suffering of people half a world away, was weeping. Is this what comes at the end, I wondered? Maybe death is the great equalizer, the one big thing that can finally make strangers shed a tear for one another.‎ Morrie honked loudly into the tissue. "This is okay with you, isn't it? Men crying?"‎ ‎"Sure, " I said, too quickly.‎ He grinned. "Ah, Mitch, I'm gonna loosen you up. One day, I'm gonna show you it's okay to cry."‎ ‎"Yeah, yeah, " I said. "Yeah, yeah," he said.‎ We laughed because he used to say the same thing nearly twenty years earlier. Mostly on Tuesdays. In fact, Tuesday had always been our day together. Most of my courses with Morrie were on Tuesdays, he had office hours on Tuesdays, and when I wrote my senior thesis which was pretty much Morrie's suggestion, right from the start-it was on Tuesdays that we sat together, by his desk, or in the cafeteria, or on the steps of Pearlman Hall, going over the work.‎ So it seemed only fitting that we were back together on a Tuesday, here in the house with the Japanese maple out front. As I readied to go, I mentioned this to Morrie.‎ ‎"We're Tuesday people," he said. "Tuesday people, " I repeated.‎ Morrie smiled.‎ ‎"Mitch, you asked about caring for people I don't even know. But can I tell you the thing I'm learning most with this disease?"‎ ‎"What's that? "‎ ‎"The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in."‎ His voice dropped to a whisper. "Let it come in. We think we don't deserve love, we think if we let it in we'll become too soft. But a wise man named Levine said it right. He said, `Love is the only rational act.' "‎ He repeated it carefully, pausing for effect. " ‘Love is the only rational act.’"‎ I nodded, and he exhaled weakly. I leaned over to give him a hug. And then, although it is not ‎ really like me, I kissed him on the cheek. I felt his weakened hands on my arms, the thin stubble of his whiskers brushing my face.‎ ‎"So you'll come back next Tuesday?" he whispered.‎ ‎27. What kind of person do you think Morrie is?‎ A. Kind and sensitive B. Sensitive and energetic C. Committed and stubborn D. Depressed and stubborn ‎28. What relationship do you suppose Morrie and Mitch share?‎ A. Neighbors B. Colleagues C. Father and son. D. Teacher and student ‎29. Which of the following details shows that Mitch has been influenced by Morrie?‎ A. I learned over to give him a hug B. I felt his weakened hands C. I kissed him on the cheek D. Sure, I said, too quickly ‎ ‎30. What does the underlined phrase “loosen you up” mean?‎ A. let you go B. make you relaxed ‎ C. lose control of you D. allow you to be free 第二节：七选五 (共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分)‎ 根据短文内容，从短文后的七个选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。‎ ‎ Every animal sleeps, but the reason for this has remained foggy. When lab rats are not allowed to sleep, they die within a month. 31 ‎ ‎ One idea is that sleep helps us strengthen new memories. 32 We know that, while awake, fresh memories are recorded by reinforcing (加强)connections between brain cells, but the memory processes that take place while we sleep have been unclear.‎ Support is growing for a theory that sleep evolved so that connections between neurons(神经元) in the brain can be weakened overnight, making room for fresh memories to form the next day. 33 ‎ Now we have the most direct evidence yet that he is right. 34 The synapses in the mice taken at the end of a period of sleep were 18 per cent smaller than those taken before sleep, showing that the connections between neurons weaken while sleeping.‎ If Tononi’s theory is right, it would explain why, when we miss a night’s sleep, we find it harder the next day to concentrate and learn new information—our brains may have smaller room for new experiences.‎ Their research also suggests how we may build lasting memories over time even though the synapses become thinner. The team discovered that some synapses seem to be protected and stayed the same size. 35 “You keep what matters,” Tononi says.‎ A. Similarly, when people go for a few days without sleeping, they get sick.‎ B. It’s as if the brain is preserving its most important memories.‎ C. We should also try to sleep well the night before.‎ D. “Sleep is the price we pay for learning,” says Giulio Tononi, who developed the idea.‎ E. That’s why students do better in tests if they get a chance to sleep after learning.‎ F. The processes take place to stop our brains becoming loaded with memories.‎ G. Tononi’s team measured the size of these connections, or synapses, in the brains of 12 mice.‎ 第三节：《黑布林》阅读 (共5小题；每小题1分，满分5分)‎ 根据《黑布林》小说内容，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。‎ ‎36. What is Gatsby’s real name and where is he from?‎ A. Floyd Jay Geisinger from Nevada B. Jaime Garcia from New York C. James Gatz from Nevada D. James Gatz from North Dakota ‎37. Which of these details is true about Gatsby’s past?‎ A. He received a degree from Oxford.‎ B. He is the son of wealthy people from the Midwest.‎ C. He fought in the war.‎ D. He once hit and kill a person.‎ ‎38. Which of the things is not symbolized by the green light?‎ A. Optimism B. American dream C. nature D. money ‎39. What does the tattoo on Bruno’s forearm mean?‎ A. To be optimistic B. Seize the day ‎ C. Live and learn D. Honest is the best police ‎40. What does Bruno use to record the entire meeting?‎ A. Earphones B. Mobile phone C. Sunglasses D. Coconut 第三部分 语言知识运用（共四节，满分50分）‎ 第一节：完形填空（共20题；每题1.5分，满分30分）‎ 请认真阅读下面短文，从各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。‎ We used to live about a quarter mile from a train crossing. Our dog, Lenny, had a very annoying habit: he howled whenever a train whistled for the crossing, due to his very 41 hearing. Outside or in the house, he howled and howled 42 the train went by. When the wind was 43 , he would even howl for the crossings farther down the 44 . We learned to 45 the noise, mainly because we loved our pet so much.‎ Early one morning while we were eating breakfast, we heard a long very high sound of a train’s 46 efforts followed by a terrible crash. We 47 out and discovered a twisted car jammed on the cowcatcher (排障器) of the massive locomotive (火车头). Unfortunately, the driver of the car had died 48 .‎ Back in the house, we called the local rescue workers. But we all immediately said to each other, “Lenny didn’t howl. The whistle could not have blown!”‎ At the 49 , my brother recognized what was left of the car 50 that of his friend’s father and knew the sad news would now have to be 51 to the family. When the rescue team arrived, my brother told them, “The engineer couldn’t have blown the 52 because our dog did not howl. And he always does!”‎ The story of Lenny’s howling 53 rapidly around our small town as everyone 54 in the sorrow of the wife and family. Left without the 55 , the family of nine was in a difficult situation. One of the county’s best-known lawyers 56 to pursue a claim against the, by now, infamous Soo Line Cooperation for the sake of the widow and children. The lawyer hired an investigator and recording technician, who, for days, at all hours, visited our home listening for oncoming trains and 57 recording Lenny’s howl. Lenny never 58 to respond with his howl to the sharp sound of an approaching train.‎ The taped evidence, 59 in court, along with the testimony (证词) of my family members, convinced the judge and jury. The settlement 60 to the family secured their home and future. County court records give evidence of the success of a “dog’s day in court!”‎ ‎41. A. sensitive B. public C. accurate D. adequate ‎42. A. unless B. until C. before D. although ‎43. A. bitter B. right C. small D. sharp ‎44. A. car B. train C. house D. track ‎45. A. keep up with B. give in to C. put up with D. live up to ‎461. A. speeding B. approaching C. operating D. braking ‎47. A. headed B. marched C. dashed D. started ‎48. A. peacefully B. naturally C. eventually D. instantly ‎49. A. agency B. corner C. scene D. entrance ‎50. A. as B. for C. like D. by ‎51. A. confirmed B. conveyed C. declared D. leaked ‎52. A. sign B. whistle C. howl D. wind ‎53. A. spread B. disappeared C. flowed D. delivered ‎54. A. suffered B. abandoned C. shared D. struggled ‎55. A. assistant B. master C. breadwinner D. host ‎56. A. happened B. decided C. refused D. demanded ‎57. A. vividly B. occasionally C. secretly D. faithfully ‎58. A. failed B. bothered C. rejected D. managed ‎59. A. negotiated B. exposed C. accumulated D. presented ‎60. A. donated B. awarded C. allocated D. distributed 第二节：词汇辨析（共5小题；每小题1分，满分5分）‎ 阅读下面各题，从题中所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。‎ ‎61. I would prefer a quiet evening at home as opposed to spending my time ________many people.‎ A. in the company of B. in addition to C. on account of D. under the umbrella of 62. His suggestion that we should put up a hospital in the town is _______ to be considered.‎ A. worth B. worthwhile C. worthy D. deserved ‎63. He looked into her eyes and his voice ________ a more serious tone.‎ A. took off B. took on C. took in D. took up ‎64. —These little kids have learned perfect table manners, haven’t they?‎ ‎—Yes. They are accustomed _________ at meals.‎ A. not to talk B. to not talk C. not to talking D. to not talking ‎65. The carpets decorated with beautiful traditional patterns can often _______a high price on the international market.‎ A. obtain B. possess C. acquire D. fetch 第三节：动词填空（共5小题；每小题1分，满分5分）‎ 阅读下面各题，在空白处填入括号中动词的正确形式。‎ ‎66. _______ (remind) several times, he made the mistake again, annoying his teammates a lot.‎ ‎67. ________(greet) with applause from the audience made him relaxed immediately.‎ ‎68. But for the fact that the restaurant doesn’t open on Sunday, we ________(entertain) our friends outside yesterday.‎ ‎69. The professor is said to talk about the geography of his country, but I’d rather he ________ (focus) more on its culture.‎ ‎70. It is high time that we _________(rebuild) the old teaching building.‎ 第四节：语法填空（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分）‎ 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。‎ The University of Birmingham, UK, announces that it will accept the Gaokao exam for high-flying Chinese students (71) ______ (wish) to join its undergraduate courses in 2020. High school students (72) ______complete the National Higher Education Entrance Examination, or Gaokao, with top grades can apply for direct entry into Birmingham degree programs (73)______ first completing a foundation year.‎ Gaokao, which (74) ______ (hold) across China in early June, is (75) ______ (increase) accepted by universities in Australia, the USA, Canada and mainland Europe. Birmingham will only be considering high quality students who achieve a minimum 80% Gaokao score and meet additional academic and English language (76) ______ (require).‎ Professor Jon Frampton, Director of the University of Birmingham's China Institute said, “I am (77)______(delight) that the University is now accepting the Gaokao. This gives the (78) ______ (bright) and best Chinese students (79) ______ opportunity to move straight into the first year of our undergraduate programs and experience the benefits of studying at a (80) ______ (globe) Top 100 university.‎ 第四部分 书面表达（共两节，满分30分）‎ 第一节：应用文写作（满分10分）‎ 假定你是李华，与留学生朋友Bob约好一起去书店，但 因故不能赴约。请给他写封邮件，内容包括：‎ ‎1、表示歉意；‎ ‎2、说明原因；‎ ‎3、另约时间。‎ 注意：‎ ‎1.词数80词左右；‎ ‎2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。‎ Dear Bob,‎ ‎___________________________________________________________________________‎ ‎___________________________________________________________________________‎ ‎___________________________________________________________________________‎ ‎___________________________________________________________________________‎ ‎___________________________________________________________________________‎ ‎___________________________________________________________________________‎ ‎___________________________________________________________________________‎ 第二节：概要写作（满分20分）‎ 阅读下面短文，根据其内容写一篇60词左右的内容概要。‎ Bees are important to the production of food we eat. Bees make honey, but they also pollinate (授粉)large areas of crops, such as straw berries, apples and onions. About a third of the food we eat is a result of pollination of the bees. Unfortunately, bees have been disappearing at an alarming rate.‎ In 2010, bee keepers started reporting about something called Colony Collapse Disaster (CCD).The main sign of CCD is the loss of adult honey bees from a hive(蜂巢). In October of 2010, some beekeepers reported that they had lost between 30 and 90 percent of their hives.‎ There were many theories for the disappearance of the bees. But the most convincing one has to do with pesticides and lifestyles of bees today. Nowadays, beekeepers get most of their income not from producing honey but from renting bees to pollinate plants. This means that the life of the typical bee now consists of travelling all around the country to pollinate crops as the seasons change. That means a lot of traveling on trucks, which is very stressful to bees. It is not unusual for up to 30% of the hive to die during transport due to stress. In addition, bees that spend most of their time locked up on trucks are not exposed to what they usually live on. Instead, they live on a sweet liquid from corn, usually polluted with pesticides.‎ The exact reason for the disappearance of bees is not sure, but losing bees is very costly to the ‎ economy. The bee pollination services are worth over $8 billion a year. With no bees, pollination will have to be done by hand, which would have effects on the quality of food and increased food priced. We hear a lot about big environmental disasters almost every day. But one of the biggest may just be the less of that tiny flying insect.‎ ‎___________________________________________________________________________‎ ‎___________________________________________________________________________‎ ‎___________________________________________________________________________‎ ‎___________________________________________________________________________‎ ‎___________________________________________________________________________‎ ‎___________________________________________________________________________‎ ‎2019-2020学年十二月月考高二英语试卷参考答案 第一部分 ‎1-5 BAABC 6-10 ACBCB 11-15 ACCCA 16-20 BCABA 第二部分 第一节 A 篇BD B篇CDDC C篇ADCB ‎ 第二节 七选五 AEDGB 第三节 黑布林阅读 DCCBC 第三部分 第一节 ABBDC DCDCA BBACC BDADB 第二节 ACBDD 第三节 66. Having been reminded 67. Being greeted 78. would have entertained ‎79. focused 70. rebuilt/should rebuild 第四节 71. wishing 72. who 73. without 74. is held 75. increasingly ‎ ‎76. requirements 77. delighted 78. brightest 79. an 80. global 第四部分 ‎ P1:‎ Dear Bob,‎ I’m sorry to tell you that I cannot go to the bookstore with you this Friday. I have just found that I have to attend an important class meeting that afternoon. I hope the change will not cause you too ‎ much trouble.‎ Shall we go on Saturday morning? We can set out early so that we’ll have more time to read and select books. If it’s convenient for you, let’s meet at 8:30 outside the school gate. If not, let me know what time suits you best. I should be available any time after school next week.‎ Yours,‎ Li Hua P2:‎ Bees, playing a significant part in producing our food, are now suffering a sharp decline in number. And reports of the loss started in 2010, for which the most persuasive theory lies in the stressful lifestyle of being transported to pollinate plants and feeding on polluted corns. Sadly, the loss of such tiny creatures will be disastrous to our economy. (60 words)‎