夜雨聆风浙江省强基联盟2025-2026学年高二下学期5月阶段检测英语试题
D
Spend some time on social media, and you will come across many short videos of dogs “singing” along to their favourite tunes. But can a dog show any real musicality?
That’s the question psychologist Aniruddh Patel and his colleagues attempted to answer with an ear-catching new study, which shows that some dogs really are detecting pitch (音高) and adjusting their vocals (歌声) accordingly.
The researchers were inspired by wolves’ howling behavior. Observations suggest each wolf in a pack hits a different tone, creating an unharmonious chorus that scares away their natural enemies. “Wolf theorists had theorised that wolves actually knew what they were doing and changing their pitch,” says Patel.
To test this experimentally in an easy and possible way, the team turned to house pets. They asked dog owners to record their dogs’ harmonies to preferred tracks — first in the original key, then changed the key of the music three semitones above and below — to see how they responded to pitch changes.
The team focused on two ancient breeds (品种), Samoyeds and Shiba Inus, which are thought to be closer to their wolf ancestors. Each dog had to produce at least 30 howls per version for statistical reliability.
All four Samoyeds showed sensitivity to pitch, adapting their vocalisations to the new key, though never matching it exactly. “They’re trying to have some relationship to what they’re hearing; they’re not just releasing some automatic, inflexible response,” says Patel. The two Shiba Inus, however, appeared tone-deaf. “There’s possibly genetic variation within ancient breeds,” Patel suggests.
The findings might offer insights into the origins of human music. Some theorists argue singing evolved from the precise muscle control used in speech, which allowed humans to reproduce complex sounds. But since dogs can adjust their pitch without learning other sounds first, language probably wasn’t needed for humans to develop music.
32. What writing technique is used by saying “ear-catching” in Paragraph 2?
A. Comparison.
B. Definition.
C. Illustration.
D. Wordplay.
33. Why did the researchers change the key of the music in the experiment?
A. To distract dogs’ attention.
B. To study dogs’ genetic variation.
C. To test dogs’ response to pitch differences.
D. To select a right dog species for the study.
34. What did the experiment find out?
A. All the chosen dogs were sensitive to pitch.
B. Shiba Inus had an inborn talent to adapt to pitch.
C. Samoyeds responded to pitch faster than Shiba Inus.
D. Samoyeds and Shiba Inus reacted to pitch changes differently.
35. What is the purpose of the last paragraph?
A. To inspire further studies.
B. To summarize the experiment.
C. To arouse readers’ passion for the topic.
D. To show the study’s broader significance.
32. D 33. C 34. D 35. D
浙江省宁波市余姚中学2025学年第二学期期中考试高二英语学科试题
C
Beneath the Pacific lies the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), where tens of billions of polymetallic nodules (多金属结核) are packed with cobalt (钴). Seabed-mining companies promote them as “a battery in a rock” and “the easiest way to solve climate change.” They claim that those nodules can provide metals for 4.8 billion electric vehicles.
Yet this promise threatens a biological treasure. Marine (海洋的) biologists reveal the CCZ shelters over 5,000 unique species in the darkness. The extensive mining of cobalt may lead to the loss of biodiversity. A company claimed to have found a solution to minimize the damage to the ecology and has already trialed a 25-ton collector robot designed to harvest these nodules. However, a 2023 study shows it can cause permanent destruction in the area.
Commercial mining is not yet permitted in international waters. The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is still determining how, and under what conditions, mining should be allowed. After 28 years of debate, its 168 member states still lack formal agreement. While companies advocate using nodule-collecting robots, 437 scientists from 44 countries demand an immediate stop.ISA studies confirm that just 10% mining of the CCZ may wipe out 50% of its species.
Nor is it certain that cobalt mining will even be all that important in car-battery technology. Many battery companies are trying to recycle cobalt from spent batteries. In March, several major European carmakers jointly stated that they would not buy any metals produced from deep-sea mining before the environmental risks are “completely understood”. Meanwhile, several Chinese electric vehicle producers have already made the switch, recycling up to 95% of metals from used batteries. “Why rush to mine the ocean for metals becoming outdated?” said battery expert Gavin Harper.
On June 8, 21 marine scientists from 8 universities finished a six-week research in the CCZ and packed up seafloor samples to take back to their labs for further analysis. “An assessment of the mining’s impact will take years of research,” says Andrew from Edinburgh. “I’m trying to get the best environmental data. And then it’s up to society to make the decision to go ahead.”
28. Why are the nodules called “a battery in a rock”?
A. They contain valuable metals.
B. They have recharging qualities.
C. They own battery-like structures.
D. They generate renewable power.
29. What can be inferred about the ISA?
A. It prioritizes economic interests.
B. It is guarded about seabed mining.
C. It opposes commercial operations.
D. It requires more technical support.
30. What does the author want to illustrate in Paragraph 4?
A. Deep-sea mining meets demands.
B. Carmakers reuse battery materials.
C. Battery recycling needs promoting.
D. Seabed mining for cobalt can wait.
31. What can be a suitable title for the text?
A. Marine Mining, a Green Solution
B. Cobalt, the Future of Batteries
C. Ocean Metals, an Ocean Risk?
D. CCZ, the Treasure Unknown?
28. A 29. B 30. D 31. C
