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必修第二册 UNIT 5 HUMANS AND NATURE(一)
Ⅰ.阅读理解
A(★)
The cotton harvest is about to get underway in the Texas High Plains，the nation’s top
cotton-producing region.But Barry Evans，like many others，has already walked away from more
than 2,000 acres of his bone-dry fields.
“It just didn’t come up.We hardly had anything，” said Evans，a third-generation cotton
grower.“Although cotton varieties grown in this part of Texas are particularly developed and
continuously improved to survive dry conditions，we still have to have a little bit of help from
Mother Nature since much of the cotton grown in the region is rainfed.”
Extreme heat and a dearth of rainfall have severely damaged much of this year’s cotton
harvest in the US，which produces about 35% of the world’s crop.The US Department of
Agriculture(DOA) forecast that more than 40% of what US farmers planted in the spring would be
abandoned because of drought.Nowhere is more apparent than the flat，dry stretch of the Texas
High Plains，which normally receives around 46 to 51cm of rain per year，but saw less than 7cm
of rain from August through the summer.
The region’s overall recovery from economic losses could take a few years.It is particularly
true for factories that are dependent on cotton-processing.Todd Straley owns a cotton factory in the
region.It normally processes around 100,000 bags of cotton each harvest.This year ， he is
expecting to process 12,000.As a result，he has no need to run the factory 24 hours a day as he
normally would for the three months after the harvest.
“Farmers have abandoned crops at such high levels that I just need around 18 full-time and
seasonal workers this year，compared to 50 in years，while many factories just went out of
business，” Straley said.“The losses this year will amount to $1 million for me.But profits from
a strong harvest last year would help me to survive a little bit longer.”
1．What did Barry Evans mean in paragraph 2?
A．Better cotton varieties had to be developed.
B．Mother Nature could be defeated by technology.
C．Human beings should live in harmony with nature.
D．Cotton crops in the region were dependent on nature.
2．What can we say about the Texas High Plains?
A．It suffered extreme heat waves and drought.
B．It produces about 35% of the world’s cotton.
C．It is unsuitable to plant drought-resistant cotton.D．The farms are irrigated with underground water.
3．What are the last two paragraphs mainly about?
A．The cotton farmers’ losses. B．The drought’s consequences.
C．Todd Straley’s difficulties. D．The profits of cotton-processing.
4．Where is the text most probably taken from?
A．An interview. B．A disaster assessment.
C．A DOA forecast. D．An agricultural report.
B(★)
(2024·福建厦门双十中学期中)
Earthquake forecasting is one of the most ancient skills known to mankind.From ancient
Greece to the present day ， countless scientists have tried to develop tools to predict
earthquakes.Their attempts usually focused on searching for reliable evidence of coming quakes.
However，there are many reasons why predicting quakes is so hard.“We don’t understand
some basic physics of earthquakes，” said Egill，a research professor at the California Institute
of Technology.Scientists have also attempted to create mathematical models of movement，but
precisely predicting would require great mapping and analysis of the Earth’s crust.Other
challenges include a lack of data on the early warning signs，given that these warning signs are not
yet entirely understood.Actually，real earthquake prediction is very similar to the diagnosis of
potential human illnesses based on observing and analyzing each patient’s signs and
symptoms.As it turns out，quake prediction is extremely difficult.
Many sources show that earthquake forecasting was recognized science in ancient
Greece.Ancient Greeks lived very close to nature and were able to detect unusual phenomena and
forecast earthquakes.The first known forecast was made by Pherecydes of Syros about 2,500 years
ago：he made it as he scooped water from a well and noticed that usually very clean water had
suddenly become muddy.Indeed，an earthquake occurred two days later，making Pherecydes
famous.Nowadays，seismic and remote-sensing methods are considered to have the greatest
potential in terms of solving the earthquake prediction problem.
Currently ， Terra Seismic can identify a forthcoming earthquake with a high level of
confidence.Generally，Terra Seismic does not predict a quake if the earthquake’s epicenter is
located beyond a depth of 40km.Fortunately，such quakes are almost always harmless，since
quake’s energy reduces before reaching the Earth’s surface.“Scientists have tried every
possible method to try to predict earthquakes，” Bruneau said.“Nobody has been able to crack
it and make a believable prediction.”
5．What do we know about earthquake forecasting?
A．Scientists have been passionate about accurately predicting earthquakes.
B．As long as enough data is collected，earthquakes can be predicted.
C．Mathematical models of motion can simulate and predict earthquakes.D．Scientists have not yet fully studied the structure of earthquakes.
6．How did Pherecydes successfully predict that earthquake?
A．By seismic and remote-sensing methods.
B．By observing unusual natural phenomena.
C．By living in seismic zones throughout the year.
D．By looking into data on the early warning signs.
7．What was Bruneau’s opinion about the current methods of earthquake prediction?
A．He strongly believed the Terra Seismic can solve the difficult problem.
B．He was sure that humans could accurately predict earthquakes in the future.
C．He considered it harmless to humans for an earthquake deeper than 40km.
D．He thought that scientists had no reliable method to predict earthquakes.
8．What is the text mainly about?
A．Why do humans predict earthquakes.
B．How to protect oneself during an earthquake.
C．What methods can be used to forecast earthquakes.
D．When to achieve accurate earthquake forecasting.
C
(2024·福建福州检测)
Feeling a hug from each other via the Internet may be a possibility in the near future.A
research team led by City University of Hong Kong recently developed a wireless，soft e-skin that
can both detect and deliver the sense of touch，and form a touch network allowing one-to-
multiuser interaction.It offers great potential for improving the distance touch communication.
While there are numerous devices in the market to simulate(模拟) the sense of touch in the
virtual world，they provide only touch sensing or touch response.The uniqueness of the novel e-
skin is that it can perform self-sensing and touch reproducing functions on the same interface.
The e-skin is a 7cm×10cm,4.2mm-thick device containing 16 flexible actuators(驱动器)，a
microcontroller unit，a Bluetooth module，and other electronics on a flexible circuit board.The
actuator serves as the core part of the e-skin.Once the actuator is pressed and released by a force，a
current is produced to provide electrical signals that are turned into digital signals by a converter(转
换器) and then sent to another e-skin via Bluetooth.When the signals are received，a current is
caused to reproduce the touch response on the receiver’s e-skin through mechanical vibration(振
动)．The process can be reversed to deliver vibrations from the receiver’s e-skin to the
corresponding actuator of the sender’s.
The e-skin can communicate with Bluetooth devices and send data through the Internet with
smartphones and computers to perform long-distance touch，and to form a touch Internet of
Things(IoT) system ， where one-to-one and one-to-multiple touch delivery could be
realized.Friends and family in different places could use it to “feel” each other.This form oftouch overcomes the limitations of space and greatly reduces the sense of distance in human
communication.
Next ， the research team will focus on practical applications for people with visual
disability，who could wear the e-skin to gain remote directional guidance and read Braille
messages.
9．What is the unique feature of the e-skin?
A．It provides hugs for users.
B．It builds a social network.
C．It provides touch sensing and copying.
D．It monitors the process of self-sensing.
10．What does the underlined word “reversed” in paragraph 3 mean?
A．Started. B．Disturbed. C．Completed. D．Exchanged.
11．What can we learn about e-skin?
A．It strengthens bonds across distance. B．Its converter vibrates when working.
C．It sends electrical signals to receivers. D．Its system delivers touch with phones.
12．What would be the best title of the text?
A．A Signal-sending Application B．An Invention for the Disabled
C．A Device for Virtual Interaction D．A Long-distance Communication
Ⅱ.七选五
You may feel your backbreaking and low-paid part-time summer job isn’t worth your effort.
1 Here are some you can enjoy.
When landing a job，you’ll put yourself into unfamiliar territory and learn how to survive
and develop there. 2 Whether it’s learning a new skill or dealing with a tough boss，you
must rely on yourself for solutions，through which you can build up your self-belief.
Hanging around all summer is a great way to relax，but it won’t contribute to your time
management skill. 3 This skill helps you decide what should be accomplished in a day and
learn how to handle those things to make it happen，which involves prioritizing，planning and
judging how much you can realistically finish.The best way to develop this skill is through
practice.With loads of free time，you’ll likely not have to flex your time-management muscles.
4 Take it easy.Most people change their minds many times before settling on their long-
term career.Getting out into the workforce as a waiter at a cafe may not help you see what it’ll
be like as a doctor but you’ll figure out whether you like to work with people or whether you can
work efficiently under pressure.A summer job helps zero in on your likes and dislikes to evaluate
your strengths and resolve your weaknesses.
Chances are that your social circle is comprised of people in your age group.However，in a
job，you’ll work with diverse groups of people，from whom you’ll learn varying viewpoints
and experiences. 5A．Working will，though.
B．But such jobs uplift willpower.
C．Not sure of your future profession?
D．Does a summer job help with college?
E．Actually，its added bonuses go beyond your wallet.
F．There’re various confidence-boosting challenges to overcome.
G．You can develop friendships and increase your visibility as well.
