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专题突破卷 07 阅读理解之说明文
最新高考真题
1.（2024年新高考I卷D篇阅读理解）In the race to document the species on Earth before they go extinct,
researchers and citizen scientists have collected billions of records. Today, most records of biodiversity are often
in the form of photos, videos, and other digital records. Though they are useful for detecting shifts in the number
and variety of species in an area, a new Stanford study has found that this type of record is not perfect.
“With the rise of technology it is easy for people to make observations of different species with the aid of a
mobile application,” said Barnabas Daru, who is lead author of the study and assistant professor of biology in the
Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences. “These observations now outnumber the primary data that comes
from physical specimens (标本), and since we are increasingly using observational data to investigate how species
are responding to global change, I wanted to know: Are they usable?”
Using a global dataset of 1.9 billion records of plants, insects, birds, and animals, Daru and his team tested
how well these data represent actual global biodiversity patterns.
“We were particularly interested in exploring the aspects of sampling that tend to bias (使有偏差) data, like
the greater likelihood of a citizen scientist to take a picture of a flowering plant instead of the grass right next to
it,” said Daru.
Their study revealed that the large number of observation-only records did not lead to better global coverage.
Moreover, these data are biased and favor certain regions, time periods, and species. This makes sense because the
people who get observational biodiversity data on mobile devices are often citizen scientists recording their
encounters with species in areas nearby. These data are also biased toward certain species with attractive or eye-
catching features.
What can we do with the imperfect datasets of biodiversity?
“Quite a lot,” Daru explained. “Biodiversity apps can use our study results to inform users of oversampled
areas and lead them to places — and even species — that are not well-sampled. To improve the quality of
observational data, biodiversity apps can also encourage users to have an expert confirm the identification of their
uploaded image.”
32. What do we know about the records of species collected now?
A. They are becoming outdated. B. They are mostly in electronic form.
C. They are limited in number. D. They are used for public exhibition.
33. What does Daru’s study focus on?
A. Threatened species. B. Physical specimens.C. Observational data. D. Mobile applications.
34. What has led to the biases according to the study?
A. Mistakes in data analysis. B. Poor quality of uploaded pictures.
C. Improper way of sampling. D. Unreliable data collection devices.
35. What is Daru’s suggestion for biodiversity apps?
A. Review data from certain areas. B. Hire experts to check the records.
C. Confirm the identity of the users. D. Give guidance to citizen scientists.
2.（2024年新高考II卷C篇阅读理解）We all know fresh is best when it comes to food. However, most
produce at the store went through weeks of travel and covered hundreds of miles before reaching the table. While
farmer’s markets are a solid choice to reduce the journey, Babylon Micro-Farm (BMF) shortens it even more.
BMF is an indoor garden system. It can be set up for a family. Additionally, it could serve a larger audience
such as a hospital, restaurant or school. The innovative design requires little effort to achieve a reliable weekly
supply of fresh greens.
Specifically, it’s a farm that relies on new technology. By connecting through the Cloud, BMF is remotely
monitored. Also, there is a convenient app that provides growing data in real time. Because the system is
automated, it significantly reduces the amount of water needed to grow plants. Rather than watering rows of soil,
the system provides just the right amount to each plant. After harvest, users simply replace the plants with a new
pre-seeded pod (容器) to get the next growth cycle started.
Moreover, having a system in the same building where it’s eaten means zero emissions (排放) from
transporting plants from soil to salad. In addition, there’s no need for pesticides and other chemicals that pollute
traditional farms and the surrounding environment.
BMF employees live out sustainability in their everyday lives. About half of them walk or bike to work.
Inside the office, they encourage recycling and waste reduction by limiting garbage cans and avoiding single-use
plastic. “We are passionate about reducing waste, carbon and chemicals in our environment,” said a BMF
employee.
8. What can be learned about BMF from paragraph 1?
A. It guarantees the variety of food. B. It requires day-to-day care.
C. It cuts the farm-to-table distance. D. It relies on farmer’s markets.
9. What information does the convenient app offer?
答案第2页，共2页A. Real-time weather changes. B. Current condition of the plants.
C. Chemical pollutants in the soil. D. Availability of pre-seeded pods.
10. What can be concluded about BMF employees?
A. They have a great passion for sports.
B. They are devoted to community service.
C. They are fond of sharing daily experiences.
.
D They have a strong environmental awareness.
11. What does the text mainly talk about?
A. BMF’s major strengths. B. BMF’s general management.
C. BMF’s global influence. D. BMF’s technical standards.
3.（2024年新高考II卷D篇阅读理解）Given the astonishing potential of AI to transform our lives, we all
need to take action to deal with our AI-powered future, and this is where AI by Design: A Plan for Living with
Artificial Intelligence comes in. This absorbing new book by Catriona Campbell is a practical roadmap
addressing the challenges posed by the forthcoming AI revolution (变革).
In the wrong hands, such a book could prove as complicated to process as the computer code (代码) that
powers AI but, thankfully, Campbell has more than two decades’ professional experience translating the heady
into the understandable. She writes from the practical angle of a business person rather than as an academic,
making for a guide which is highly accessible and informative and which, by the close, will make you feel almost
as smart as AI.
As we soon come to learn from AI by Design, AI is already super-smart and will become more capable,
moving from the current generation of “narrow-AI” to Artificial General Intelligence. From there, Campbell says,
will come Artificial Dominant Intelligence. This is why Campbell has set out to raise awareness of AI and its
future now-several decades before these developments are expected to take place. She says it is essential that we
keep control of artificial intelligence, or risk being sidelined and perhaps even worse.
Campbell’s point is to wake up those responsible for AI-the technology companies and world leaders-so they
are on the same page as all the experts currently developing it. She explains we are at a “tipping point” in history
and must act now to prevent an extinction-level event for humanity. We need to consider how we want our future
with Al to pan out. Such structured thinking, followed by global regulation, will enable us to achieve greatness
rather than our downfall.
AI will affect us all, and if you only read one book on the subject, this is it.
12. What does the phrase “In the wrong hands” in paragraph 2 probably mean?
A. If read by someone poorly educated. B. If reviewed by someone ill-intentioned.C. If written by someone less competent. D. If translated by someone unacademic.
13. What is a feature of AI by Design according to the text?
A. It is packed with complex codes. B. It adopts a down-to-earth writing style.
C. It provides step-by-step instructions. D. It is intended for AI professionals.
14. What does Campbell urge people to do regarding AI development?
A. Observe existing regulations on it.
B. Reconsider expert opinions about it.
C. Make joint efforts to keep it under control.
D. Learn from prior experience to slow it down.
15. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?
A. To recommend a book on AI. B. To give a brief account of AI history.
C. To clarify the definition of AI. D. To honor an outstanding AI expert.
2024 年高考模拟真题
（2024·新疆乌鲁木齐·三模）Double rainbows are one thing, but a double aurora (极光)? They can
happen, though some kinds are rare. One particular red-and-green aurora is especially confusing. Now, images
taken by amateur astronomers may help reveal its secrets.
Citizen scientists living in Canada and Finland used cameras to document an unusual combination of
auroras in the night sky. Physicists have studied those images to learn what may have caused the unusual light
show.
Alan Dyer was outside his home in Strathmore, Canada, when the dancing Northern Lights caught his
attention. He grabbed his camera and started filming. "I knew I had something interesting," says Dyer. At first
glance, the double aurora looks like a floating slice of watermelon. The green aurora is well-understood. The
fruity looking red st rip is more mysterious. Scientists have known about these red auroras for decades. But there's
no agreement on how they form. One idea is that Earth's magnetic field can heat up certain areas of the
atmosphere. That heat could knock particles (粒子) around, like in proton (质子) rain.
Researchers had seen these two types of auroras occur together before. But it was always mysterious, says
Toshi Nishimura, a space physicist at Boston University. After looking at satellite observations along with the
images taken by Dyer and others, Nishimura and his team concluded how the two phenomena might be related.
The key is the thin rays in the red aurora. They mark the paths of electrons falling through the Earth's magnetic
field. That means electron rain appears to cause the red aurora, just as proton rain causes the green one. Both get
答案第4页，共2页powered by the solar wind. But the electrons carry less energy than the protons, so they make for a more reddish
color.
Electron rain might not be the only way to produce the stable red auroras, though. The results show that
what's going on is more complicated than researchers had thought. The auroras Dyer saw could be danger zones
for radio communication and GPS systems, says Nishimura.
The citizen scientists who took the photos were a critical part of the new findings, Nishimura says.
1．Where is the text probably taken from?
A．A news report on astronomic discoveries.
B．A blog about sky phenomena.
C．A review of aurora research.
D．A brochure of aurora tours.
2．What can be inferred about red auroras?
A．They are fully understood by scientists.
B．They were first spotted by Alan Dyer.
C．They are related to Earth's magnetic field.
D．They are generated from proton rain.
3．What may affect the color of the aurora?
A．The path it travels along. B．The energy particles carry.
C．The wavelength of rays. D．The source of solar wind.
4．What does the author indicate by mentioning Alan Dyer's example?
A．Photography drives scientific research.
B．The double aurora is a threat to GPS system.
C．Satellite observations lead to aurora discoveries.
D．Citizen scientists help explain the double aurora.
（2024·湖北襄阳·三模）Medicine is not exclusively a human invention. Many other animals, from
insects to birds to nonhuman primates, have been known to self-medicate with plants and minerals for infections
and other conditions.
Behavioral ecologist Helen Morrogh-Bernard of the Borneo Nature Foundation has spent decades studying
the island’s orangutans (猩猩) and says she has now found evidence they use plants in a previously unseen
medicinal way.
During more than 20, 000 hours of formal observation, Morrogh-Bernard and her colleagues watched 10orangutans occasionally chew a particular plant (which is not part of their normal diet) into a foamy lather (泡沫)
and then rub it into their fur. The apes spent up to 45 minutes at a time massaging the mixture onto their upper
arms or legs. The researchers believe this behavior is the first known example of a nonhuman animal using a
topical painkiller.
Local people use the same plant Dracaena cantleyi, an unremarkable-looking plant with stalked leaves-to
treat aches and pains. Morrogh-Bernard’s co-authors studied its chemistry. They added extracts (提出物) from the
plant to human cells that had been grown in a dish and had been artificially stimulated to produce cytokines, an
immune system response that causes inflammation ( 炎症) and discomfort. The plant extract reduced the
production of several types of cytokines, the scientists reported the finding in a study published last November in
Scientific Reports.
The results suggest that orangutans use the plant to reduce inflammation and treat pam. Such findings could
help identify plants and chemicals that might be useful for human medications.
In creatures such as insects, the ability to self-medicate is almost certainly innate: woolly bear caterpillars
infected with flies seek out and eat plant substances that are poisonous to the flies. But more complex animals
may learn such tricks after an initial discovery by one member of their group.
For example, an orangutan may have rubbed the plant on its skin to try to treat parasites and realized that it
also had a pleasant pain-killing effect. That behavior may then have been passed on to other orangutans. Because
this type of-self-medication is seen only in south-central Borneo, Morrogh-Bernard says, it was probably learned
locally.
5．What do we know about Dracaena cantleyi?
A．It can serve as a pain killer. B．It is orangutans normal diet.
C．It is a plant with a foamy lather. D．L can function as building materials.
6．How did Morrogh-Bernard’s team prove the plant’s healing properties?
A．By studying the plant’s chemistry. B．By observing apes eating the plant.
C．By extracting cytokines from the plant. D．By watching local people using the plant.
7．What is the significance of the findings?
A．Botanists can better understand plants.
B．Scientists can find a new way to study apes.
C．Doctors may have the power to cure more diseases.
D．Drug companies may find new materials for medicine.
答案第6页，共2页8．What can we learn according to the passage?
A．Medicine is a human unique invention. B．Plant extracts are the best to treat-pain.
C．Humans and animals have a lot in common. D．Insects have the natural ability to self medication.
（2024·江西上饶·二模）Digital reading appears to be destroying habits of “deep reading”. Amazing
numbers of people with year of schooling are in effect illiterate (不识字的). Admittedly, some people have been
complaining about new media since 1492, but today’s complaints have an evidential basis, Ljubljana Reading
Manifesto says, “The digital area may lead to more reading than ever in history, but it also offers many attractions
to read in a shallow and scattered (碎片化的) manner — or even not to read at all. This increasingly endangers
higher-level reading.”
Digital literacy has changed reading. When you read a book on paper, you can be entirely inside the
experience, absorbing hundreds of pages to capture the world’s complexity. Online, says Maryanne Wolf of
UCLA, we are “skimming, scanning, scrolling”. The medium is the message: doing deep reading on your phone is
as hard as playing tennis with your phone. Recently, a bright 11-year-old told me I was wasting time on books: he
absorbed more information faster from Wikipedia. He had a point. But digital readers also absorb more
misinformation. And they seldom, absorb nuanced (微妙的) ideas.
In the white paper that underlies the Ljubljana Reading Manifesto, experts catalogue the passive parts of
digital reading: “Recent studies of various kinds indicate a decline of... critical and conscious reading, slow
reading, non-strategic reading and long-form reading.” In the 2021 international PISA survey, 49 percent of
students agreed that “I read only if I have to”, 13 percentage points higher than in 2000.
As professors from Northwestern University foresaw in 2005, we are returning to the days when only an
elite (精英的) “reading class” consumes long texts — despite more people spending longer in education and book
sales remaining robust.
People who lose higher-level reading skills also lose thinking skills. That’s horrible, because “higher-level
reading” has been essential to civilization. It enabled the Enlightenment, and an international rise in sympathy for
people who aren’t like us.
9．What is the advantage of the digital reading?
A．It makes more people start to read widely.
B．It makes more people begin to think deeper.
C．It helps the young to make use of the Internet.
D．It helps people take advantage of their spare time.
10．What is Maryanne Wolf’s attitude towards digital reading?A．Supportive. B．Opposed. C．Objective. D．Unconcerned.
11．What can be inferred about the teens now according to paragraph 3?
A．Teens should change the critical and conscious reading.
B．Nearly half of the teens never read at all.
C．They don’t believe what the experts indicate.
D．The trend of reading books is increasingly declining.
12．Which statement is fit for the underlined word in paragraph 4?
A．More and more books are purchased.
B．It’s unnecessary for people to buy books.
C．More and more people like to visit the bookstores.
D．The sales of books keep still for a really long time.
（2024·新疆乌鲁木齐·三模）Orienteering (定向越野) involves running, jogging or walking, and using a
map and compass to move between places. It’s a great way to have fun outdoors with friends and family. The aim
is to move between points, called controls, in a certain order in the quickest time. Events are usually held in parks,
fields or forests but they can also happen in towns and cities and even school playgrounds. People can take part
either as individuals or as a team.
Beginners’ events will have easier controls to find and cover less distance — perhaps a mile or two. For
experienced orienteers, the length of the course could be much longer and take in hills and rough ground.
Orienteers are given a “control description sheet” to help them find each point. This sheet has details of
features to look for, like paths and rivers, and a code that must match the code at each control. You will either
mark your sheet at each control or check in with an electronic card.
When you start orienteering, you will learn map-reading skills. A helpful tip is to keep your thumb on the
spot that shows your location on the map. Keep it the right way round: the features in front of you on the ground
should be in front of you on the map.
Orienteering maps can have five or six colors. Black areas show human features, like buildings; brown
shows the contour (轮廓) lines (height of the land); and blue shows water, such as lakes and rivers. White and
green together show woodlands; yellow areas represent grass and open areas. On orienteering maps, a course
consists of a triangle, circles, a double circle and sometimes connecting lines. The triangle is the start, the double
circle is the finish, and all the circles in between are checkpoints.
答案第8页，共2页As you run between points by what you hope is the quickest route, you can take in the scenery around you
and have a great time choosing your path and trying to finish in a fast time.
13．What can we learn about orienteering at the beginning of the text?
A．Its route is random. B．Its result is distance-based.
C．It groups orienteers by age. D．It integrates various skills.
14．Which aspect of orienteering does paragraph 3 mainly focus on?
A．Tricks of saving time. B．The use of control description sheet.
C．Methods of checking in. D．The importance of codes.
15．Why do orienteers keep their thumb on their location on the map?
A．To track progress. B．To mark the finish point.
C．To maintain direction. D．To highlight checkpoints.
16．What do the colors on an orienteering map represent?
A．Geographical features. B．Difficulty levels.
C．Routes for competition. D．Stages of the orienteering race.
（2024·陕西宝鸡·三模）European wildcats could be reintroduced to England more than 200 years after
they became extinct in the country. The project has been announced by UK wildlife charity Wildwood Trust.
European wildcats are one of the UK’s rarest mammals. The only wild population, numbering fewer than
300 individuals, lives in the Scottish Highlands but they are on the verge of extinction, partly because they have
bred with local feral cats (wild-living domestic cats).
Supporters hope to save the species in the UK by reintroducing them to England and Wales, where they
died out around 200 years ago because of hunting and loss of habitat. To bring back the species, Wildwood Trust
is planning to build 10 new breeding facilities on two sites in Kent and Devon. Kittens bred in captivity but away
from humans will then be released into the wild. The University of Exeter is researching places where the animals
could be reintroduced.
European wildcats are around the same size as a large domestic cat, but at up to eight kilograms they are
slightly adult heavier. They have a tabby-like pattern with thick black stripes on their bodies and a bushy tail and
like to live in forests but near open grassland. They’re also famously shy and keep their distance from humans.
Laura Gardner, director of conservation at Wildwood Trust, told The Times newspaper that people should not be
worried by the thought of wildcats returning to the wild. “We’re not talking about wolves,” she said.
Wildwood Trust says that its project can benefit both the wildcats and the habitats where they live. They are
one of the few native predators left in the UK, so a healthy population of wildcats could help to control thenumbers of animals they prey on, such as rabbits and rodents. By competing for the same food as foxes, they will
also help to reduce fox numbers and restore a balance to nature.
17．What is the aim of the project?
A．To save wildcats from dying out. B．To ensure wildcats’good habitats.
C．To raise money to protect wildcats. D．To build some new breeding facilities.
18．What does the author indicate by mentioning Laura Gardner in paragraph 4?
A．Wildcats are very shy animals. B．Wildcats are not as fierce as wolves.
C．European wildcats are unique animals. D．Wildcats cannot pose a threat for humans.
19．What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A．Wildcats will threaten the number of other animals.
B．Wildcats and its habitats will be well protected.
C．Wildcats can contribute to ecological balance.
D．Wildcats are one of the few predators left in the UK.
20．What is the best title of the text?
A．Wildwood Trust Announcing a Plan.
B．Rare Wildcats Making a Comeback.
C．Reintroducing Wildcats Benefiting Us.
D．Wildcats Disappearing From the World.
（2024·陕西宝鸡·三模）A shadowy figure sits alone in a room, his face dimly lit by a computer screen.
With a grin, he types in a series of computer commands, and in the blink of an eye, someone’s bank account is
drained to zero.
In today’s digital age, cyberattacks like this happen thousands of times per day. Hackers can steal money,
information, or completely take control of a machine from anywhere in the world. However, not all hackers are
villains.
Some hackers, called white hat or ethical hackers, are individuals who make the most of their hacking skills
to identify security vulnerabilities (漏洞) in hardware, software and networks. Their job is crucial in preventing
cyberattacks and safeguarding sensitive information. The term “white hat” originated from old cowboy movies,
where heroes wore white hats and villains wore black ones. Like the heroes in cowboy movies, white hats seek to
stop the bad guys and save the day.
答案第10页，共2页White hat hackers only seek vulnerabilities legally, often working on open-source software or with
authorized access to systems. Once these weak spots are identified, companies or individuals can take steps to
prevent serious breaches and losses. White hat hackers use a variety of different techniques to keep the internet
safe. Penetration testing, for example, allows them to mimic cyberattacks and uncover system weaknesses.
Security scanning tools allow white hats to identify holes in a network’s security systems. Simulating denial-of-
service attacks (DoS attacks) helps companies prepare for attacks against their websites.
Many of the world’s top white hat hackers began their journeys on the wrong side of the law. A prime
example is Kevin Mitnick. This notorious hacker once held the title of “most wanted hacker” in the U. S. due to
his cybercriminal activities in 1995. However, after being arrested and spending five years in jail, his life took a
remarkable turn. Mitnick decided to use his hacking skills for ethical purposes, eventually establishing his own
cybersecurity consulting company.
If you aspire to be a white hat hacker, start by building a strong foundation in computer and network
fundamentals. Good luck, computer cowboy!
21．What does the underlined word “villains” in Paragraph 2 mean?
A．evil-doers. B．heroes. C．attackers. D．victims.
22．What can we learn about white hat hackers?
A．They wear white hats in cowboy movies.
B．They do everything to safeguard people’s information.
C．They legally use their professional skills to help people.
D．They find vulnerabilities for personal gain without doing harm.
23．People skilled in computer and network can’t be top white hat hackers unless ______.
A．they obey the law
B．they identify security weak points
C．they take measures to stop serious losses
D．they build their own cybersecurity consulting companies
24．What is the purpose of the text?
A．To teach us how to stay secure online.
B．To tell us how to be top white hackers.
C．To warn us of the dangers of cyberattacks.
D．To introduce defenders of the digital world.
（2024·四川达州·二模）With the ocean covering more than 70% of the Earth’s surface, the NationalOceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said scientists and researchers had depended on sonar (声呐)
technologies to understand and map the sea floor which had charted only about 10% of the world’s ocean. For the
ocean and coastal waters in the US, the number is just around 35%.
We know less about our planet’s ocean than what we know about the far side of the moon or the surface of
Mars. Part of the reason for the lack of observation is the challenge of powering an underwater camera.
Researchers have used ships to recharge cameras or observed with a camera tied to a ship to solve the issue, which
is expensive and unsuitable for long-term observations.
Recently, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have taken a major step to iron
out this problem by developing a battery-free, wireless underwater camera that could harvest energy underwater
on its own for long periods.
To keep power consumption as low as possible, the researchers used off-the-shelf, ultra-low-power imaging
sensors. The device takes color photos, even in dark underwater environments, and sends image data wirelessly
through the water.
The camera is powered by sound. It changes mechanical energy from sound waves traveling through water
into electrical energy that powers its imaging and communications equipment. After getting and encoding image
data, the camera also uses sound waves to send the data to a receiver that reconstructs the image. Those sound
waves could come from any source, like a passing ship or marine life. As it doesn’t need a power source, the
camera could run for weeks on end before getting it back, enabling scientists to search remote parts of the ocean
for new species.
Now that researchers have demonstrated a working prototype (原型), they plan to enhance the device so it
is practical in real-world settings. For future application, these cameras may be used to take images of ocean
pollution and create more accurate models to monitor climate change to better understand how climate change
impacts the underwater world, and advance various undersea scientific fields.
25．What do the data in paragraph 1 mainly show?
A．Undersea exploration is poor in the US.
B．Much of the planet’s ocean remains unexplored.
C．The mapping of the sea floor is time-consuming.
D．Technology development matters a lot to sea observation.
26．What limits the researchers’ undersea exploration according to the text?
A．The complexity of the sea environment.
答案第12页，共2页B．The concern about potential sea pollution.
C．The shortage of investment in ocean exploration.
D．The inability to effectively power underwater cameras.
27．What does the underlined phrase “iron out” in paragraph 3 probably mean?
A．Overcome. B．Face.
C．Analyze. D．Illustrate.
28．Which of the following can best describe the MIT underwater camera?
A．Secure and stable. B．Expensive but effective.
C．Impractical but advanced. D．Self-sufficient and energy-saving.
（2024·山东泰安·二模）When Spanish meets English, new dialects emerge, giving us real-time insight
into language evolution, linguists say.
For instance, “Vamos de punches punches punches”, Yamilet Munoz texted her friends in Austin, Texas. It
means “let’s go and party”, but it’s not a phrase you’ll find in any dictionary. It’s a remix of Spanish and English
words seasoned with an in-joke about punching the air as you dance.
“Our language has always been a very big indicator of our cultural pride,” says Munoz, whose parents
migrated from Mexico to San Antonio, Texas, in the 1990s. Around 66% of the city's population identify as
Hispanic or Latino/Latina. For Munoz and her friends there is pride in speaking Spanish, but also in mixing the
languages into the hybrid known as Spanglish.
The evolution of Spanglish has been documented for decades, with each generation adding its unique twist.
Now a growing body of research, as well as the experiences of bilingual(双语的) speakers like Munoz, shows just
how deeply English and Spanish are influencing each other in the United States, resulting in hybrid dialects like
Spanglish, but also, transforming the underlying languages.
For the past decade, Carter and his colleagues have studied language change in Miami, a city where some
72% identify as Latino or Hispanic and which is strongly shaped by historical migration from Cuba. Their
research documents the emergence of a distinct “Miami English” dialect as a result of that Spanish-language
heritage.
The Spanish influence has also shown up in ways people may not immediately notice, such as sounds like
the “oo” in “boot” being pronounced in a more Spanish-style way in Miami, more like the Spanish “u” vowel,
according to separate research by Carter, Lydda Lopez Valdez at the University of Miami and Nandi Sims at Ohio
State University.
“This is the work of language change, this is the work of dialect formation, this is how it happens. Ithappens in things that are really noticeable, like the phrase ‘get down from the car’, but it also happens in really
slight ways,” he says.
29．Why is an example introduced in Paragraph 2?
A．To illustrate the language innovation.
B．To explain the advantage of Spanish.
C．To highlight the mix of Spanish and English.
D．To prove the enrichment of English vocabulary.
30．What can be inferred from Munoz and her friends?
A．Spanish and English are interrelating.
B．Mixing two languages is complicated.
C．Languages dominate cultural development.
D．Bilingualists tend to observe their own culture.
31．What does Carter intend to convey?
A．Dialects evolve flexibly and frequently.
B．Spanish possesses more sounds than English.
C．Phrases are changing more slowly than before.
D．Language change is progressive and dynamic.
32．Which of the following is the best title for the text?
A．How Researchers are Studying Languages.
B．How Modem English is Changing Globally.
C．How a Generation is Reinventing Spanglish.
D．How Spanglish is Influencing American Culture
（2024·山东泰安·二模）A new form of real estate is popping up along the beaches of South Africa, which
are just big enough to fit a family of African penguins. Their unique selling point: a safe and cool place for
penguins to breed (繁殖).
Historically, the penguins dug holes in layers of guano (鸟粪), but in the 19th century, traders started
selling guano as fertilizer, leaving the penguins and their eggs increasingly exposed to predators (捕食者) and the
burning sun. This has caused African penguin populations to decrease. That’s why conservationists have come to
the rescue with the African Penguin Nest Project (APNP), which aims to employ artificial nests to provide
答案第14页，共2页penguin parents a safe and shaded place to raise their chicks.
While guano trade petered out by the late 1800s, recreating the layers that accumulated over thousands of
years isn’t an option, because seabird populations have declined so much over time and it would take around 600
years to produce one usable guano layer. Hence, the project decided to build artificial nests. At first glance, they
look fairly simple--a domed structure made from two molded shells of fabric coated in ceramic slurry (陶瓷浆
料),with a small entrance measuring about 20 centimeters wide.
Getting the right temperature and dampness inside the nest was the toughest and most crucial part. The two-
layer design and ventilation holes (通风孔) create an air conditioning effect, while the white paint reflects the sun,
helping to maintain an interior temperature of less than 35 degrees Celsius.
The project started to use the nests in late 2018.“Within a matter of minutes, penguins were running into
them,” says Graham, coordinator of APNP. “That tells you how desperate they are for any opportunity to find a
safe place to nest. However, population recovery relies on more than merely giving African penguins a safe place
to breed. It’s not simply a case of ‘we give them a nest, the species are saved ‘. There has to be more.”
33．What do we know about artificial nests?
A．They function better than natural nests.
B．They are designed and built scientifically.
C．They are unique attractions of South Africa.
D．They are equipped with mini air-conditioners.
34．What is the goal of APNP?
A．To raise money to preserve penguins.
B．To promote the sale of artificial nests.
C．To help penguins fight against diseases.
D．To provide habitable shelters for penguins.
35．What does the underlined phrase “petered out” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?
A．turned up B．dried out C．faded away D．fell apart
36．Which of the following statements might Graham agree with?
A．Penguins breed more chicks in safer places.
B．Various conservation efforts need be combined.
C．Artificial nests have achieved the desired effect.
D．Artificial nests should be applied to other species.
（2024·湖北武汉·三模）Scientists have found a way to decode (解码) a stream of words in the brainusing MRI scans and artificial intelligence. The system reconstructs the main point of what a person hears or
imagines, rather than trying to copy each word, a team reports.“It’s getting at the ideas behind the words, the
meaning, says Alexander Huth, an author of the study.”
Previous efforts to decode language have relied on sensors placed directly on the surface of the brain. The
sensors detect signals in areas involved in expressing words. But the Texas team’s approach is an attempt to
“decode more freeform thought,” says Marcel Just, a professor of psychology at Carnegie Mellon University.
The new study came about as part of an effort to understand how the brain processes language. Researchers
had three people spend up to 16 hours each in a functional MRI scanner which detects signs of activity across the
brain. Participants wore headphones that streamed audio from the Internet. Those streams of words produced
activity all over the brain, not just in areas associated with speech and language. After participants listened to
hours of stories in the scanner, the MRI data was sent to a computer. It learned to match specific patterns of brain
activity with certain streams of words. Then came a paraphrased version of what a participant heard.
The MRI approach is currently slower and less accurate than an experimental communication system being
developed for paralyzed people, where people get a sheet of electrical sensors implanted directly on the surface of
the brain. With an MRI-based system, no one has to get surgery.
But future versions of MRI scans could raise moral questions. “What if you can read out the word that
somebody is just thinking in their head? That’s potentially a harmful thing.” Huth says. This technology can’t
really read minds uncontrollably, though. It only works when a participant is actively cooperating with scientists.
Still, systems that decode language could someday support people who are unable to speak because of a brain
injury or disease. They are also assisting scientists in understanding how the brain processes words and thoughts.
37．What is special about the Texas team’s study?
A．Brain can be reconstructed. B．Expression can be perfected.
C．Meanings can be comprehended. D．Sensor signals can be improved.
38．What is paragraph 3 mainly about?
A．The process of an experiment. B．Patterns of brain activity.
C．Steps of word matching. D．The way of speech decoding.
39．What can be implied about MRI scans from the last paragraph?
A．They are a double-edged sword. B．They are potentially harmful to life.
C．They are helpful to treat brain disease. D．They are well worth researching.
40．Which can be a suitable title for the text?
答案第16页，共2页A．A Decoder That Can Read Your Mind B．MRI Scanner: Raise a moral question
C．MRI Scanner: Still a Long Way to Go D．A Decoder That Can Convey Meaning
