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必修第二册 UNIT 5 HUMANS AND NATURE(二)
Ⅰ.阅读理解
A(★)
As a shift in the polar vortex(极地涡旋) swept across much of the US，many people in the
country were hit with a sudden snap of cold.Heavy ice and snow coupled with fallen trees caused
the outages in major cities，with companies unable to tell their customers when power will be
restored.
Polar vortices were noticed long ago.But the first known use of the term “polar vortex”
was in a magazine in 1853.Polar vortices are present year-round，but we don’t hear about them
until they cause problems.They maintain freezing temperatures at the North and South Poles by
moving in tight counterclockwise patterns.Polar vortices grow stronger in winter and weaken in
summer.They are kept in place at the poles by another atmospheric current called the jet
stream.However，when the jet streams weaken，the cold winds of the polar vortex are pushed
southwards and it is during this time that people begin to pay attention!
In Texas，roads froze over，causing six traffic deaths，and many schools were shut
down.People are not the only Earthlings to struggle with the cold.Crops and animals are also
freezing.This could have major consequences，especially if herds of cattle die.If snow blocks
cattle，the animals can’t reach basic necessities like food and fresh water.
On a brighter note，some Texas cities were more prepared than others，for instance，
Amarillo ， which is located in North Texas ， so they are more accustomed to colder
temperatures.Amarillo is notable because the city was redesigned to stand up to severe winter
storms.Officials have spread out fire stations to increase coverage of first responders，employed
modified dump trucks for clearing ice，and upgraded civic centers to provide shelter during
storms.Hopefully，other Texas cities will follow the good example set by Amarillo!
1．What does the underlined word “outages” refer to in paragraph 1?
A．Traffic jams. B．Power struggles. C．Power cuts. D．Traffic accidents.
2．What can we learn about polar vortices?
A．They grow stronger in summer. B．They are affected by jet streams.
C．They were first observed in 1853. D．They move in a clockwise direction.
3．What is the last but one paragraph mainly about?
A．The definition of the polar vortex.
B．The characteristics of the polar vortex.
C．The ways to deal with the polar vortex.
D．The serious impact made by the polar vortex.4．Why is Amarillo striking?
A．Because it is located in the north of Texas.
B．Because it has been upgraded and modernized.
C．Because it has been regarded as an example to other cities.
D．Because it has taken effective measures to resist winter storms.
B
A new study analyzing stone tools from southern China provides the earliest evidence of rice
harvesting，dating to as early as 10,000 years ago.The researchers identified two methods of
harvesting rice，which helped start rice domestication.
To harvest rice，some sort of tools would have been needed.“For quite a long time，one of
the puzzles has been that harvesting tools have not been found in southern China from the early
Neolithic period or New Stone Age (10,000－7,000 Before Present)—the time period when we
know rice began to be domesticated，” says lead author Jiajing Wang，an assistant professor of
anthropology at Dartmouth.
“However，when archaeologists(考古学家) were working at several early Neolithic sites in
the Lower Yangtze River Valley，they found a lot of small pieces of stone，which had sharp edges
that could have been used for harvesting plants.”
“Maybe some of those small stone pieces were rice harvesting tools，which is what our
results show.”
In the Lower Yangtze River Valley，the two earliest Neolithic culture groups were the
Shangshan and Kuahuqiao.
The researchers examined 52 flaked( 成 薄 片 的 ) stone tools from the Shangshan and
Hehuashan sites，the latter of which was occupied by Shangshan and Kuahuqiao cultures.
To determine if the stone flakes were used for harvesting rice，the team conducted use-wear
and phytolith residue(植物化石残渣) analyses.
For the use-wear analysis，micro-scratches on the tools’ surfaces were examined under a
microscope.The results showed that 30 flakes have use-wear patterns similar to those produced by
harvesting siliceous(silica-rich) plants，likely including rice.
Through the phytolith residue analysis，the researchers analyzed the microscopic residue left
on the stone flakes known as “phytoliths”(silica skeletons of plants)．They found that 28 of the
tools contained rice phytoliths.
“What’s interesting about rice phytoliths is that rice husk and leaves produce different
kinds of phytolith，which enabled us to determine how the rice was harvested，” says Wang.
The findings from the use-wear and phytolith analyses illustrated that two types of rice
harvesting methods were used—“finger-knife” and “sickle” techniques.Both methods are
still used in southern China today.
5．What is the long-lasting puzzle about southern China?A．It has a history of 10,000 years.
B．It produces many harvesting tools.
C．Rice could hardly grow in that area.
D．Ancient rice harvesting hasn’t been proven there.
6．In what tone do the researchers talk about their findings?
A．Certain. B．Careful. C．Critical. D．Correct.
7．On what basis was the use-wear analysis carried out?
A．How the stones were used. B．Where the stones were found.
C．When the stones were used. D．Whether the tools were used.
8．What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A．Asian countries are promoting harvesting methods.
B．Only two harvesting methods are still used in China.
C．Rice domestication existed in southern China long ago.
D．“Finger-knife” and “sickle” are very advanced techniques.
Ⅱ.完形填空
(2024·山东潍坊联考)
The Language of Flowers
Ding dong！I looked up from the couch.Who in the world could that be？My body was
troubled with illness，so I’d 1 myself away.Friends telephoned，texted，emailed and sent
cards.I didn’t 2 ，thinking that I had nothing to offer anyone in the miserable condition I
was in.
I 3 got up and opened the door to a flower delivery.As I put the flowers on my dining
table，I was struck by its 4 .It was comprised of solitary blossoms of many varieties that
shouldn’t really 5 yet somehow did.The mystery flowers had come in a blue jar，without a
card.
Instead of returning to the couch，I 6 the florist.He told me some of my friends were
behind the 7 ，secretly.“They wanted to get a 8 to you，” he said，“through the
language of flowers.”
The group had followed him and picked very 9 stems after consulting an old book.“I
learned some things，” the florist said，then 10 ：The red carnation(康乃馨) meant “Our
hearts ache for you”．The yellow tulip(郁金香) wanted to see 11 in my smile again.The
pink carnation had a few 12 words to say about never forgetting me.
The more I understood what the flowers were 13 ，the more I started to remember the
woman who might have 14 them before I separated myself from everyone and everything.My
friends knew I was still that woman，with 15 beyond my health.
1．A.hidden B．given C．driven D．broken
2．A.forbid B．accept C．act D．respond3．A.carefully B．unwillingly C．instantly D．cheerfully
4．A.size B．style C．uniqueness D．shape
5．A.go together B．stand out C．mix up D．fade away
6．A.informed B．thanked C．rewarded D．telephoned
7．A.delivery B．program C．mystery D．scene
8．A.companion B．message C．commitment D．gift
9．A.expensive B．rare C．specific D．fresh
10．A.explained B．clarified C．defined D．analyzed
11．A.pain B．fortune C．sympathy D．sunshine
12．A.modest B．tolerant C．formal D．meaningful
13．A.involving B．saying C．smelling D．signing
14．A.advocated B．confirmed C．required D．earned
15．A.ambition B．value C．curiosity D．fantasy
Ⅲ.语法填空
It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you have a lot on your plate.Between work 1.
(responsibility) and personal obligations，life can get stressful.It’s even 2. (bad)
when you forget something important.By creating organized to-do lists，you can prioritize the
things you need to do，keep track of 3. still needs to be completed，and feel
productive and prepared in all areas of your life.
List all of the tasks that you need 4. (accomplish)．These can range from
“finish the presentation for work next week” 5. “find a present for Mom’s
birthday next month”．Then sort your master list into categories.By creating separate lists，you
can 6. (complete) focus your attention and energy on one set of tasks at
7.__________ time.Next，make your list aesthetically-pleasing(赏心悦目的)．This may sound
superficial and 8.__________(necessary)，but it really can help change the way you look at your
to-do list.
Make your to-do lists for the current day only.Keep it simple！This will help you organize
your tasks in order of priority，and you won’t feel overwhelmed while 9. (look)
ahead at tasks for tomorrow，next week，or next month.Be realistic about what can 10.
(finish) in 24 hours.Your daily to-do lists should have less than ten things，and maybe even less
than five.
