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考点 33 阅读理解说明文（重难题型）
说明文是对事物或事理进行客观说明的一种文体，它以说明为主要表达方式，通过解说事物或阐明事
理，达到教人以知识的目的，在结构上往往采用总分、递进等方式按一定的顺序（如时间、空间、从现象
到本质）进行说明。说明文的特点是客观、简练、语言准确、明了，文章很少表达作者的感情倾向。阅读
说明文的重点在于读懂它说明的事物或事理，了解事物的性质、构造、成因、功能等，了解事理的含意、
特点等。最近五年，说明文的出现变化不大，一直很稳定，选材通常是各学科的前沿问题；高科技领域的
科研成果；人们比较关心的社会问题；人文方面的经典。由于阅读理解题的设置采用渐进式，即由简到难
的方式，因此说明文是高考试卷中阅读理解题中相对比较难的，通常后置。阅读理解试题的中要考点之一
是考查学生对词汇和句式的掌握。说明文的词汇和句式的运用较别的体裁的文章难度更大。词汇运用灵活，
同一词的不同词性的用法交替出现，未列入考纲的生词较多，通常达到了4-5%。不过考生可以通过说明文
的语言特点来帮助理解语篇，例如，下定义、解释、举例、同义词、反义词、上下义词以及标点符号（如
破折号、冒号都有表示解释和说明）等。
命题方式
考向一 细节理解题
说明文中考查的细节理解题大致与记叙文相似。命题区域都有其共同点：⑴在列举处命题，如用
first(1y)、second(1y)、third(1y)finally、not only„but also、then、in addition等表示顺承关系的词语列举出事
实。试题要求考生从列举出的内容中选出符合题干要求的答案项。⑵在例证处命题，句中常用由as、such
as、for example、for instance等引导的短语或句子作为例证，这些例句或比喻就成为命题者设问的焦点。
⑶在转折对比处命题，一般通过however、but、yet、in fact等词语来引导。对比用unlike、until、not so mu
ch…as等词语引导，命题者常对用来对比的双方属性进行考查。⑷在比较处命题，无端的比较、相反的比
较、偷换对象的比较，经常出现在干扰项中，考生要标记并且关注到原文中的比较，才能顺利地排除干扰。
⑸在复杂句中命题，包括同位词、插入语、定语、从句、不定式等，命题者主要考查考生对句子之间的指
代关系和语法关系。
细节类问题一般都能在原文中找到出处，只要仔细就可以在文中找到答案。但正确的选择项不可能与阅
读材料的原文完全相同，而是用不同的语句成句型表达相同的意思。
考向二 语意猜测题说明文为了把自然规律，事物的性质等介绍清楚或把事理阐述明白，因此学术性强的生词较多，所以
常进行生词词义判断题的考查。命题方式多以 the underlined part … in paragraph…refers to…或
what does the underlined word mean?或what is the meaning of the underlined word?为设问
方式。解题时考生应认真阅读原文，分析其对某些科学原理是如何定义、如何解释的，并以此为突破口抽
象概括出生词词义。也可以通过上下文来猜测某个陌生词语的语意。或者找出某个词语在文章中的同义词。
要注意破折号、同位语从句、定语从句、插入语等具有解释、说明作用的语言成分。说明文在阐述说明对
象时易发生动作变换、人称转变的现象，这类题目常以it，they，them 等代词为命题点，因此考生要根
据上下文语境，认真阅读原文，分析动作转换背景，弄清动作不同执行者，以便准确判断代词的其实际指
代对象。
考向三 主旨大意题
说明文常用文章大意判断题考查考生对通篇文意的理解。即对文章的主题或中心意思的概括和
归纳。主要考查考生对文章的整体理解能力。命题形式常以 this passage mainly talks about ____.
what is the main idea of the passage? 为设问方式。
答题时首先阅读题干，掌握问题的类型，了解试题题干以及各个选项所包含的信息，然后有针对性地
对文章进行扫读，对有关信息进行快速定位，再将相关信息进行整合、甄别、分析、对比，有根有据地排
除干扰项，选出正确答案。
考向四 判断推理题
这种试题常以(1)the passage is intended to...(2) the author suggests that...(3) the story implies
that…(4) which point of view may the author agree to?(5) from the passage we can conclude that...(6)
the purpose of the passage is to...为设问方式。这种题型的答案在原文中不是直接就能找到的，它要求考
生进行合理的推断。如因果关系，文中的某些用词、语气也往往具有隐含意义，考生要将这种含义读出来。
说明文常出现图示判断题，这种试题可以事物之间正确的依赖关系为命题点，要求考生判断其正确的流程
顺序相互关系等。考生一定要认真阅读原文，并对照原文介绍的情况，弄清图示的差异，根据题干需要最
终做出正确判断。如：动物介绍性说明文常出现动物能力判断题，考查考生对特定动物所具有能力的判断。
解题时考生应认真阅读原文对动物形态活动能力的判断，了解动物的生存环境和是否会使用工具，是否善
于爬行、飞翔和游泳等。 观点态度题也是判断推理题考查的内容之一。说明文的对象为客观事
实,但设题以议论的表达方式抒发对该说明对象的想法。如对某种新发明的赞赏,或对某个事物的批判。这
类题目常见的题干表达方式有what was the author’s attitude towards ...? 等。高考阅读理解中，说明文为主要体裁之一。高考阅读理解题的设问主要围绕以下四方面：细节事实题、
主旨大意题、推理判断题、猜测词义题。其中，说明文主要以细节事实、主旨大意和猜测词义三方面问题
为主。
一、词义猜测类题型
阅读理解题中常要求学生猜测某些单词或短语的意思。历年英语高考题中均有此类题目，有的文章尽
管没有专门设题，但由于文章中常常出现生词，因此，词义的猜测还是贯穿在文章的阅读理解之中。解这
类题目一般是通过上下文去理解或根据构词法去猜测。判断一个单词的意思不但离不开句子，而且还需要
把句子放在上下文中，根据上下文提供的线索加以猜测。运用构词法,语境等推测关键词义，可以根据以
下几种方法猜测：
（一）内在逻辑关系
根据内在逻辑关系推测词义是指运用语言知识分析和判断相关信息之间存在的逻辑关系，然后根据逻
辑关系推断生词词义。
1.通过同义词和反义词的关系猜词
通过同义词猜词，一是要看由and或or连接的同义词词组，如happy and gay，即使我们不认识gay这
个词，也可以知道它是愉快的意思.这是高三册第八单元阅读第五段的句子：
The word ＂secure＂ in paragraph 5 line is closest in meaning to_________.
A. freefromanxiety B. anxious C. nervous D. happy
根据上下文和同义词，可以选出答案A。
二是看在进一步解释的过程中使用的同义词，如 Man has known something about the planets
Venus，Mars，and Jupiter with the help of spaceships. 此句中的Venus（金星）,Mars（火星）,Jupiter（木
星）均为生词，但只要知道planets就可猜出这几个词都属于＂行星＂这一义域.通过反义词猜词，一是看
表转折关系的连词或副词，如but，while，however等；二是看与not搭配的或表示否定意义的词语，如：
He is so homely，not at all as handsome as his brother.根据not at all...handsome我们不难推测出homely
的意思，即不英俊,不漂亮的意思。
2.根据因果关系猜测词义
通过因果关系猜词，首先是找出生词与上下文之间的逻辑关系，然后才能猜词。有时文章借助关联词
（如because，as，since，for，so，thus，as a result，of course，therefore等等）表示前因后果。例如：You shouldn’t have blamed him for that，for it wasn’t his fault.通过for引出的句子所表示的原因
（那不是他的错），可猜出blame的词义是＂责备＂。
3.通过定义或释义关系来推测词义
例如：But sometimes，no rain falls for a long，long time. Then there is a dry period，or drought.
从drought所在句子的上文我们得知很久不下雨，于是便有一段干旱的时期，即drought，由此可见
drought意思为＂久旱＂，＂旱灾＂。而a dry period和drought是同义语。这种同义或释义关系常由is，
or，that is，in other words，be called或破折号等来表示。
4.通过句法功能来推测词义
例如：Bananas，oranges，pineapples，coconuts and some other kind of fruit grow in warm areas.假
如pineapples和coconuts是生词，我们可以从这两个词在句中所处的位置来判断它们大致的意思。从句中
不难看出pineapples，coconuts和bananas，oranges是同类关系，同属fruit类，因此它们是两样水果，准确
地说，是菠萝和椰子。
5.通过描述猜词
描述即作者为帮助读者更感性地了解某人或某物而对该人或该物作出的外在相貌或内在特征的描写。
例如 The penguin is a kind of sea bird living in the South Pole. It is fat and walks in a funny way.
Although it cannot fly，it can swim in the icy water to catch the fish.从例句的描述中可以得知penguin
是一种生活在南极的鸟类.后面更详尽地描述了该鸟类的生活习性。
（二）外部相关因素
外部相关因素是指篇章（句子或段落）以外的其他知识，有时仅靠分析篇章内在逻辑关系无法猜出词
义。这时，就需要运用生活经验和普通常识确定词义。例如：The snakes lithered through the grass.根据有
关蛇的生活习性的知识，我们可以推断出slither词义为＂爬行＂。
（三）构词法
在阅读文章时，我们总会遇上一些新词汇，有时很难根据上下文来推断其词意，而它们对文章的理解
又有着举足轻重的作用，此时，如掌握了一些常用的词根,前缀,后缀,合成等构词法知识，这些问题便不难
解决了。
1.根据前缀猜测词义
例如：He fell into a ditch and lay there，semi-conscious，for a few minutes.根据词根conscious（清
醒的，有意识的），结合前缀semi（半，部分的，不完全的），我们便可猜出semiconscious词义＂半清醒
的，半昏迷的。＂I’m illiterate about such things.词根lit-erate意为＂有文化修养的，通晓的＂，前缀il
表示否定，因此illiterate指＂一窍不通，不知道的＂。2.根据后缀猜测词义
例如：Insecticide is applied where it is needed.后缀cide表示＂杀者，杀灭剂＂，结合大家熟悉的词
根insect（昆虫），不难猜出insecticide意为＂杀虫剂＂。Then the vapor may change into droplets.后缀
let表示＂小的＂，词根drop指＂滴，滴状物＂。将两个意思结合起来，便可推断出droplet词义＂小滴，
微滴＂。
3.根据复合词的各部分猜测词义
例如：Growing economic problems were high-lighted by a slowdown in oil output. Hightlight或许是
一个生词，但是分析该词结构后，就能推测出其含义。它是由high（高的，强的）和light（光线）两部分
组成，合在一起便是＂以强光照射，使突出＂的意思。Bullfight is very popular in Spain. Bull（公牛）和
fight（打，搏斗）结合在一起，指一种在西班牙颇为流行的体育运动—斗牛。
二、主旨大意类题型
主旨大意类题型主要测试学生对文章全面理解和概括的能力，提问的内容可能是全文的大意，也可能
是某段的段落大意，一般不易在文中直接找到答案。怎样把握主旨大意题呢？通常有以下几种方法：
（一）阅读文章的标题或副标题
文章的标题是一篇文章的题眼，通过阅读标题或副标题可以迅速把握文章的主旨大意。
（二）寻找文章的主题句
分析篇章结构，找出文章主题。在许多情况下，尤其在阅读说明文和议论文时，根据其篇章特点我们
可以通过仔细阅读短文的第一句或第二句,即文章的主题句来归纳出文章的主题.若短文由若干段组成，除
仔细阅读第一段的首句外，还须仔细阅读每一段的第一句，即段落中心.通常文章的中心思想包含在文章的
首句，有时也在文章的末句，其他句子都是用来说明和阐述主题句。因此，在确定文章的中心思想时，要
求学生重视阅读文章的首句和末句。但也有一些文章，中心思想常常贯穿在全文中，因此要求学生综观全
文，对段落的内容要融会贯通，对文章透彻理解后归纳总结。主题句的特点是：1.相对于其他句子，它表
达的意思比较概括；2.主题句一般结构简单；3.段落中其他句子必定是用来解释,支撑或发展主题句所表达
的思想的。
总之，为提高阅读理解能力，在阅读时应抓中心思想,作者意图及关键词语，运用联想、比较、归纳、
推测等方法，得出最佳结论，选择最佳答案，不能主观臆测，把自己的观点强加进去，与文章的观点混为
一谈。经过长时间有计划,有目的的系统训练，使学生加快阅读速度，提高阅读的正确性，使两者有机地统
一起来，以提高学生阅读英语和运用英语进行交际的能力，为继续学习和运用英语切实打好基础.阅读是一
种综合性很强的语言实际活动。我们只有进行大量的课内外阅读，掌握一定的阅读技巧，正确运用阅读方
法，才能有效地提高阅读理解能力。Passage 1
（2022·青海海东·一模）There are people living in almost every corner of our crowded planet. From the tops
of mountains to deep underground, we’ve always been able to find habitable places to make a home. But with space
at apremium (稀少), we’ve started to look even deeper for somewhere to live.
Throughout history, people have been fascinated by the idea of living underwater. More recently, the effects of
human activity on the land have led some to look to the oceans for natural resources. Oceanographers and architects
have looked at designing vessels, labs and underwater habitats to enable people to live and work in a underwater
world. But, while dreams of an underwater city have remained a fantasy, how close are we to making our home on
the seabed a reality?
The pioneer of undersea living was Ian Koblick. He claimed technology already existed to create underwater
colonies supporting up to a hundred people. He even opened La Chalupa, once the largest and most advanced
underwater habitat and research facility in the world.
A more recent and ambitious design for an underwater city is Ocean Spiral. Designed by the Japanese Shimizu
Corporation, it’s-a huge transparent globe attached to the seabed. It’s got a tower running through it to the surface,
providing space for homes, offices and even an amusement park for five thousand residents.
Of course, there are engineering challenges in constructing an oceanic metropolis. And living underwater
would have major effects on the human body, especially as there is an increase in atmospheric pressure, which
could lead to the bends. So, maybe it’s too soon to be packing our bags and setting up a new life three thousand
metres under the sea!
1．Why are people looking forward to living underwater?
A．Space on land is in short supply. B．Living underwater is very easy.
C．The world underwater is fantastic. D．They are tired of living on land.
2．What’s the author’s attitude towards living underwater?
A．Indifferent. B．Critical. C．Negative. D．Objective.
3．What can we infer from the passage?
A．Living underwater does harm to the human body.B．Ocean Spiral can contain five thousand residents.
C．People can look forward to the future of underwater life.
D．We can pack our bags and set up a new life underwater.
4．Where is this text most likely from?
A．A journal of history. B．A science website.
C．An international newspaper. D．A travel guidebook.
Passage 2
（2022·青海海东·一模）The latest video of a group of robots dancing to the song “Do You Love Me” has-
been popular on the Internet and received more than 23 million views during its first week.
The performance shows two Boston Dynamics (an American technology company) humanoid robots called
Atlas, doing several dance moves—such as the twist, the mashed potato and others.
Speaking to The Associated Press, Boston Dynamics founder and chairman Marc Raibert admits the video is
fun to watch. But he said the real success behind the experiment was the valuable lessons the project taught his
team.
“It turned out that we needed to improve the robots in the middle of development,” Raibert said. He said that
step was necessary for the robots to be strong enough and have enough energy to do the whole performance without
stopping. “So that was a real benefit to the design,” he added.
The difficulty of teaching robots to dance also pushed Boston Dynamics engineers to develop better notion-
programming tools. These tools helped the robots do several things (balance, bounce and perform dance moves
without breaks).
Some social media users who watched the video commented that the robots’ dancing was so similar to a
human that they could not believe their eyes. Some praised the robots’ moves and the technology, Dowering them.
Others suggested that what they were seeing was probably computer-generated imagery(图像), or CGI.
But Raibert said it was all real, the result of long and hard work, and fueled by a strong desire to Program a
robot that could dance to the beat. “We wanted it to do human dancing and. when a human dances, the music has a
beat and their whole body moves to it—their hands, their body, and their head.”
Raibert added: “It looked like the robot was having fun and really moved with the music. And I think that had
a lot to do with the result of the production.”
5．What has the success of dancing robots brought to Raibert’s team?
A．The large profit. B．The experts’ attention.C．The precious experience. D．The larger market.
6．How does the author introduce dancing robots?
A．By making some comparisons. B．By listing some figures.
C．By describing the performances. D．By designing some powerful parts.
7．Which of the following can best describe Raibert’s team?
A．The early bird catches the worm.
B．Don’t judge a book by its cover.
C．Lost years are worse than lost dollars.
D．Nothing is impossible if you put your heart into it.
8．What do Raibert’s words imply in the last paragraph?
A．The team has gained many awards.
B．The team has a long way to go.
C．The dancing robots are popular with people.
D．The dancing robots have replaced the actors.
Passage 3
（2022·山东·济南市历城第二中学模拟预测）The sunk cost effect is the ongoing investment of time,
money and effort that an individual makes in any attempt, even if rationally the results appear unpromising. When
any individual has already made an investment of time, money or effort, it becomes difficult to withdraw from the
task. An error of judgement occurs when we fail to cut our losses—the sunk cost.
The simplest method of beating this error of judgement is to simply stop investing when it’s not producing
results. As the age-old proverb goes, ‘Why cry over split milk?’ But we still can’t seem to do it ! Why?
People perceive the same amount of losses and gains in a different light. This means that the same amount of
losses will hurt more than an equal amount of gain. For example, if a business is going through heavy losses, one
must decide to either shut it down or continue. Shutting it down is a definite loss of money, time and effort. People
become risk-seeking when they are facing a definite loss. They will pump more money as a gamble to achieve a
positive outcome. If there is a positive outcome and the business starts making a profit, this has given them a higher
utility( 效用) than simply making profits from the beginning. They managed to rise up from a heavy loss, thereby
giving higher satisfaction about the decision to continue investing.
We, however, will not choose to honor sunk costs on every occasion. This is especially true in the case of
insurance. Let’s say that you have taken home insurance and probably never used it. You are not going to burn yourhouse down just so you can utilize your house insurance.
9．What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 2 probably refer to?
A．Crying over split milk. B．Stopping investing.
C．Refusing judgement. D．Keeping finishing the task.
10．Which of the following situations may lead to sunk cost?
A．Going on investing when your sales are increasing.
B．Breaking up with those who aren’t interested in you.
C．Continuing eating ordered food even if it tastes bad.
D．Keeping on working out when you’re a little thinner.
11．What might be the main cause of sunk effect?
A．Fear of loss and expectation for better. B．Spirit of adventure and unwise decision.
C．Endless desire and ambition. D．Positive attitude and behavior.
12．Why is “house insurance” mentioned in the last paragraph?
A．To describe. B．To persuade. C．To argue. D．To explain.
【2022年高考真题】
1. 【2022新高考1卷C篇】
The elderly residents (居民) in care homes in London are being given hens to look after to stop them feeling
lonely.
The project was dreamed up by a local charity (慈善组织) to reduce loneliness and improve elderly people’s
wellbeing, It is also being used to help patients suffering dementia, a serious illness of the mind. Staff in care homes
have reported a reduction in the use of medicine where hens are in use.
Among those taking part in the project is 80-year-old Ruth Xavier. She said: “I used to keep hens when I was
younger and had to prepare their breakfast each morning before I went to school. ”
“I like the project a lot. I am down there in my wheelchair in the morning letting the hens out and down there
again at night to see they’ve gone to bed.”
“It’s good to have a different focus. People have been bringing their children in to see the hens and residents
come and sit outside to watch them. I’m enjoying the creative activities, and it feels great to have done something
useful.”There are now 700 elderly people looking after hens in 20 care homes in the North East, and the charity has
been given financial support to roll it out countrywide.
Wendy Wilson, extra care manager at 60 Penfold Street, one of the first to embark on the project, said:
“Residents really welcome the idea of the project and the creative sessions. We are looking forward to the benefits
and fun the project can bring to people here.”
Lynn Lewis, director of Notting Hill Pathways, said: “We are happy to be taking part in the project. It will
really help connect our residents through a shared interest and creative activities.”
28. What is the purpose of the project?
A. To ensure harmony in care homes. B. To provide part-time jobs for the aged.
C. To raise money for medical research. D. To promote the elderly people’s welfare.
29. How has the project affected Ruth Xavier?
A. She has learned new life skills. B. She has gained a sense of achievement.
C. She has recovered her memory. D. She has developed a strong personality.
30. What do the underlined words “embark on” mean in paragraph 7?
A. Improve. B. Oppose. C. Begin. D. Evaluate.
31. What can we learn about the project from the last two paragraphs?
A. It is well received. B. It needs to be more creative.
C. It is highly profitable. D. It takes ages to see the results.
2.【2022新高考1卷D篇】
Human speech contains more than 2,000 different sounds, from the common “m” and “a” to the rare clicks of
some southern African languages. But why are certain sounds more common than others? A ground-breaking, five-
year study shows that diet-related changes in human bite led to new speech sounds that are now found in half the
world’s languages.
More than 30 years ago, the scholar Charles Hockett noted that speech sounds called labiodentals, such as “f”
and “v”, were more common in the languages of societies that ate softer foods. Now a team of researchers led by
Damián Blasi at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, has found how and why this trend arose.
They discovered that the upper and lower front teeth of ancient human adults were aligned (对齐), making it
hard to produce labiodentals, which are formed by touching the lower lip to the upper teeth. Later, our jaws
changed to an overbite structure (结构), making it easier to produce such sounds.
The team showed that this change in bite was connected with the development of agriculture in the Neolithicperiod. Food became easier to chew at this point. The jawbone didn’t have to do as much work and so didn’t grow
to be so large.
Analyses of a language database also confirmed that there was a global change in the sound of world
languages after the Neolithic age, with the use of “f” and “v” increasing remarkably during the last few thousand
years. These sounds are still not found in the languages of many hunter-gatherer people today.
This research overturns the popular view that all human speech sounds were present when human beings
evolved around 300,000 years ago. ”The set of speech sounds we use has not necessarily remained stable since the
appearance of human beings, but rather the huge variety of speech sounds that we find today is the product of a
complex interplay of things like biological change and cultural evolution,“ said Steven Moran, a member of the
research team.
32. Which aspect of the human speech sound does Damián Blasi’s research focus on?
A. Its variety. B. Its distribution. C. Its quantity. D. Its development.
33. Why was it difficult for ancient human adults to produce labiodentals?
A. They had fewer upper teeth than lower teeth.
B. They could not open and close their lips easily.
C. Their jaws were not conveniently structured.
D. Their lower front teeth were not large enough.
34. What is paragraph 5 mainly about?
A. Supporting evidence for the research results.
B. Potential application of the research findings.
C. A further explanation of the research methods.
D. A reasonable doubt about the research process.
35. What does Steven Moran say about the set of human speech sounds?
A. It is key to effective communication. B. It contributes much to cultural diversity.
C. It is a complex and dynamic system. D. It drives the evolution of human beings.
3.【2022年全国甲卷B篇】
Goffin’s cockatoos, a kind of small parrot native to Australasia, have been shown to have similar shape-recognition
abilities to a human two-year-old. Though not known to use tools in the wild, the birds have proved skilful at tool
use while kept in the cage. In a recent experiment, cockatoos were presented with a box with a nut inside it. The
clear front of the box had a “keyhole” in a geometric shape, and the birds were given five differently shaped “keys”
to choose from. Inserting the correct “key” would let out the nut.In humans, babies can put a round shape in a round hole from around one year of age, but it will be another
year before they are able to do the same with less symmetrical (对称的) shapes. This ability to recognize that a
shape will need to be turned in a specific direction before it will fit is called an “allocentric frame of reference”. In
the experiment, Goffin’s cockatoos were able to select the right tool for the job, in most cases, by visual recognition
alone. Where trial-and-error was used, the cockatoos did better than monkeys in similar tests. This indicates that
Goffin’s cockatoos do indeed possess an allocentric frame of reference when moving objects in space, similar to
two-year-old babies.
The next step, according to the researchers, is to try and work out whether the cockatoos rely entirely on visual
clues (线索), or also use a sense of touch in making their shape selections.
24. How did the cockatoos get the nut from the box in the experiment?
A. By following instructions. B. By using a tool.
C. By turning the box around. D. By removing the lid.
25. Which task can human one-year-olds most likely complete according to the text?
A. Using a key to unlock a door. B. Telling parrots from other birds.
C. Putting a ball into a round hole. D. Grouping toys of different shapes.
26. What does the follow-up test aim to find out about the cockatoos?
A. How far they are able to see. B. How they track moving objects.
C. Whether they are smarter than monkeys. D. Whether they use a sense of touch in the test.
27. Which can be a suitable title for the text?
A. Cockatoos: Quick Error Checkers B. Cockatoos: Independent Learners
C. Cockatoos: Clever Signal-Readers D. Cockatoos: Skilful Shape-Sorters
5.【2022全国乙卷C篇】
Can a small group of drones (无人机) guarantee the safety and reliability of railways and, at the same time,
help railway operators save billions of euros each year? That is the very likely future of applying today’s “eyes in
the sky” technology to making sure that the millions of kilometres of rail tracks and infrastructure (基础设施)
worldwide are safe for trains on a 24/7 basis.
Drones are already being used to examine high-tension electrical lines. They could do precisely the same thing
to inspect railway lines and other vital aspects of rail infrastructure such as the correct position of railway tracks
and switching points. The more regularly they can be inspected, the more railway safety, reliability and on-time
performance will be improved. Costs would be cut and operations would be more efficient (高效) across the board.
That includes huge savings in maintenance costs and better protection of railway personnel safety. It iscalculated that European railways alone spend approximately 20 billion euros a year on maintenance, including
sending maintenance staff, often at night, to inspect and repair the rail infrastructure. That can be dangerous work
that could be avoided with drones assisting the crews’ efforts.
By using the latest technologies, drones could also start providing higher-value services for railways, detecting
faults in the rail or switches, before they can cause any safety problems. To perform these tasks, drones for rail
don’t need to be flying overhead. Engineers are now working on a new concept: the rail drones of the future. They
will be moving on the track ahead of the train, and programmed to run autonomously. Very small drones with
advanced sensors and AI and travelling ahead of the train could guide it like a co-pilot. With their ability to see
ahead, they could signal any problem, so that fast-moving trains would be able to react in time.
28. What makes the application of drones to rail lines possible?
A. The use of drones in checking on power lines. B. Drones’ ability to work at high altitudes.
C. The reduction of cost in designing drones. D. Drones’ reliable performance in remote areas.
29. What does “maintenance” underlined in paragraph 3 refer to?
A. Personnel safety. B. Assistance from drones.
C. Inspection and repair. D. Construction of infrastructure.
30. What function is expected of the rail drones?
A. To provide early warning. B. To make trains run automatically.
.
C To earn profits for the crews. D. To accelerate transportation.
31. Which is the most suitable title for the text?
A. What Faults Can Be Detected with Drones
B. How Production of Drones Can Be Expanded
C. What Difficulty Drone Development Will Face
D. How Drones Will Change the Future of Railways
6.【2022年全国甲卷D篇】
The Government’s sugar tax on soft drinks has brought in half as much money as Ministers first predicted it
would generate, the first official data on the policy has shown.
First announced in April, 2016, the tax which applies to soft drinks containing more than 5g of sugar per
100ml, was introduced to help reduce childhood obesity (肥胖). It is believed that today’s children and teenagers
are consuming three times the recommended level of sugar, putting them at a higher risk of the disease.
Initially the sugar tax was expected to make £520m a year for the Treasury. However, data of the first six
months showed it would make less than half this amount. At present it is expected to generate £240m for the yearending in April 2019, which will go to school sports.
It comes after more than half of soft drinks sold in shops have had their sugar levels cut by manufacturers (制
造商) so they can avoid paying the tax. Drinks now contain 45 million fewer kilos of sugar as a result of
manufacturers’ efforts to avoid the charge, according to Treasury figures. Since April drinks companies have been
forced to pay between 18p and 24p for every litre of sugary drink they produce or import, depending on the sugar
content.
,
However some high sugar brands, like Classic Coca Cola, have accepted the sugar tax and are refusing to
change for fear of upsetting consumers. Fruit juices, milk-based drinks and most alcoholic drinks are free of the tax,
as are small companies manufacturing fewer than 1m litres per year.
Today’s figures, according to one government official, show the positive influence the sugar tax is having by
raising millions of pounds for sports facilities (设施) and healthier eating in schools. Helping the next generation to
have a healthy and active childhood is of great importance, and the industry is playing its part.
32. Why was the sugar tax introduced?
.
A To collect money for schools. B. To improve the quality of drinks.
C. To protect children’s health. D. To encourage research in education.
33. How did some drinks companies respond to the sugar tax?
A. They turned to overseas markets. B. They raised the prices of their products.
C. They cut down on their production. D. They reduced their products’ sugar content.
34. From which of the following is the sugar tax collected?
A. Most alcoholic drinks. B. Milk-based drinks. C. Fruit juices. D. Classic Coke.
35. What can be inferred about the adoption of the sugar tax policy?
A. It is a short-sighted decision. B. It is a success story.
C. It benefits manufacturers. D. It upsets customers.
7.【2022年新高考2卷C篇】
Over the last seven years, most states have banned texting by drivers, and public service campaigns have tried
a wide range of methods to persuade people to put down their phones when they are behind the wheel.
Yet the problem, by just about any measure, appears to be getting worse. Americans are still texting while
driving, as well as using social networks and taking photos. Road accidents, which had fallen for years, are now
rising sharply.
That is partly because people are driving more, but Mark Rosekind, the chief of the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration, said distracted（分心）driving was "only increasing, unfortunately. ""Big change requires big ideas. " he said in a speech last month, referring broadly to the need to improve road
safety. So to try to change a distinctly modern behavior, lawmakers and public health experts are reaching back to
an old approach: They want to treat distracted driving like drunk driving.
An idea from lawmakers in New York is to give police officers a new device called the Textalyzer. It would
work like this: An officer arriving at the scene of a crash could ask for the phones of the drivers and use the
Textalyzer to check in the operating system for recent activity. The technology could determine whether a driver
had just texted, emailed or done anything else that is not allowed under New York's hands-free driving laws.
"We need something on the books that can change people's behavior,” said Félix W. Ortiz, who pushed for
the state's 2001 ban on hand-held devices by drivers. If the Textalyzer bill becomes law, he said, "people are going
to be more afraid to put their hands on the cell phone. "
8. Which of the following best describes the ban on drivers' texting in the US?
A. Ineffective. B. Unnecessary.
C. Inconsistent. D. Unfair.
9. What can the Textalyzer help a police officer find out?
A. Where a driver came from. B. Whether a driver used their phone.
C. How fast a driver was going. D. When a driver arrived at the scene.
10. What does the underlined word "something" in the last paragraph refer to?
A. Advice. B. Data. C. Tests. D. Laws.
11. What is a suitable title for the text?
A. To Drive or Not to Drive? Think Before You Start
B. Texting and Driving? Watch Out for the Textalyzer
C. New York Banning Hand-Held Devices by Drivers.
D. The Next Generation Cell Phone: The Textalyzer.
8.【2022年新高考2卷D篇】
As we age, even if we’re healthy, the heart just isn’t as efficient in processing oxygen as it used to be. In most
people the first signs show up in their 50s or early 60s. And among people who don’t exercise, the changes can start
even sooner.
“Think of a rubber band. In the beginning, it is flexible, but put it in a drawer for 20 years and it will become
dry and easily broken,” says Dr. Ben Levine, a heart specialist at the University of Texas. That’s what happens to
the heart. Fortunately for those in midlife, Levine is finding that even if you haven’t been an enthusiastic exerciser,
getting in shape now may help improve your aging heart.Levine and his research team selected volunteers aged between 45 and 64 who did not exercise much but were
otherwise healthy. Participants were randomly divided into two groups. The first group participated in a program of
nonaerobic (无氧) exercise—balance training and weight training—three times a week. The second group did high-
intensity aerobic exercise under the guidance of a trainer for four or more days a week. After two years, the second
group saw remarkable improvements in heart health.
“We took these 50-year-old hearts and turned the clock back to 30-or 35-year-old hearts,” says Levine. “And
the reason they got so much stronger and fitter was that their hearts could now fill a lot better and pump (泵送) a lot
more blood during exercise. ” But the hearts of those who participated in less intense exercise didn’t change, he
says.
“The sweet spot in life to start exercising, if you haven’t already, is in late middle age when the heart still has
flexibility,” Levine says. “We put healthy 70-year-olds through a yearlong exercise training program, and nothing
happened to them at all. ”
Dr. Nieca Goldberg, a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association, says Levine’s findings are a great
start. But the study was small and needs to be repeated with far larger groups of people to determine exactly which
aspects of an exercise routine make the biggest difference.
12. What does Levine want to explain by mentioning the rubber band?
A. The right way of exercising. B. The causes of a heart attack.
C. The difficulty of keeping fit. D. The aging process of the heart.
13. In which aspect were the two groups different in terms of research design?
A. Diet plan. B. Professional background.
C. Exercise type. D. Previous physical condition.
14. What does Levine’s research find?
A. Middle-aged hearts get younger with aerobic exercise.
B. High-intensity exercise is more suitable for the young.
C. It is never too late for people to start taking exercise.
D. The more exercise we do, the stronger our hearts get.
15. What does Dr. Nieca Goldberg suggest?
A. Making use of the findings. B. Interviewing the study participants.
C. Conducting further research. D. Clarifying the purpose of the study.
【2021年高考真题】1.【2021新高考1卷 C篇】
When the explorers first set foot upon the continent of North America, the skies and lands were alive
with an astonishing variety of wildlife. Native Americans have taken care of these precious natural
resourses wisely. Unfortunately, it took the explorers and the settlers who followed only a few decades
to decimate a large part of these resources. Millions of waterfowl（水禽）were killed at the hands of
market hunters and a handful of overly ambitious sportsmen. Millions of acres of wetlands were dried to
feed and house the ever-increasing populations, greatly reducing waterfowl habitat（栖息地）.
In 1934, with the passage of the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act (Act), an increasingly concerned
nation took firm action to stop the destruction of migratory（迁徙的）waterfowl and the wetlands so vital
to their survival. Under this Act, all waterfowl hunters 16 years of age and over must annually purchase
and carry a Federal Duck Stamp. The very first Federal Duck Stamp was designed by J.N. "Ding" Darling,
a political cartoonist from Des Moines, lowa, who at that time was appointed by President Franklin
Roosevelt as Director of the Bureau of Biological Survey. Hunters willingly pay the stamp price to ensure
the survival of our natural resources.
About 98 cents of every duck stamp dollar goes directly into the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund to
purchase wetlands and wildlife habitat for inclusion into the National Wildlife Refuge System—a fact that
ensures this land will be protected and available for all generations to come. Since 1934, better than half a
billion dollars has gone into that Fund to purchase more than 5 million acres of habitat. Little wonder the
Federal Duck Stamp Program has been called one of the most successful conservation programs ever
initiated.
1.What was a cause of the waterfowl population decline in North America?
A.Loss of wetlands. B.Popularity of water sports.
C.Pollution of rivers. D.Arrival of other wild animals.
2.What does the underlined word "decimate" mean in the first paragraph?
A.Acquire. B.Export. C.Destroy. D.Distribute.
3.What is a direct result of the Act passed in 1934?
A.The stamp price has gone down.
B.The migratory birds have flown away.
C.The hunters have stopped hunting.
D.The government has collected money.
4.Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?A.The Federal Duck Stamp Story
B.The National Wildlife Refuge System
C.The Benefits of Saving Waterfowl
D.The History of Migratory Bird Hunting
3.【2021全国甲卷 B篇】
Port Lympne Reserve, which runs a breeding（繁育） programme, has welcomed the arrival of a
rare black rhino calf （犀牛幼崽）. When the tiny creature arrived on January 31. she became the 40th
black rhino to be born at the reserve. And officials at Port Lympne were delighted with the new arrival,
especially as black rhinos are known for being difficult to breed in captivity（圈养）.
Paul Beer, head of rhino section at Port Lympne, said: "Obviously we're all absolutely delighted to
welcome another calf to our black rhino family. She's healthy, strong and already eager to play and explore.
Her mother, Solio, is a first-time mum and she is doing a fantastic job. It's still a little too cold for them to
go out into the open, but as soon as the weather warms up, I have no doubt that the little one will be out and
about exploring and playing every day."
The adorable female calf is the second black rhino born this year at the reserve, but it is too early to
tell if the calves will make good candidates to be returned to protected areas of the wild. The first rhino to
be born at Port Lympne arrived on January 5 to first-time mother Kisima and weighed about 32kg. His
mother, grandmother and great grandmother were all born at the reserve and still live there.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, the global black rhino population has dropped as low as 5500,
giving the rhinos a "critically endangered" status.
1.Which of the following best describes the breeding programme?
A.Costly. B.Controversial. C.Ambitious. D.Successful.
2.What does Paul Beer say about the new-born rhino?
A.She loves staying with her mother.
B.She dislikes outdoor activities.
C.She is in good condition.
D.She is sensitive to heat.
3.What similar experience do Solio and Kisima have?
A.They had their first born in January.
B.They enjoyed exploring new places.C.They lived with their grandmothers.
D.They were brought to the reserve young.
4.What can be inferred about Port Lympne Reserve?
A.The rhino section will be open to the public.
B.It aims to control the number of the animals.
C.It will continue to work with the World Wildlife Fund.
D.Some of its rhinos may be sent to the protected wild areas.
5.【2021全国乙卷 C篇】
You've heard that plastic is polluting the ocean—between 4.8 and 12.7 million tonnes enter ocean
ecosystems every year. But does one plastic straw or cup really make a difference? Artist Benjamin Von
Wong wants you to know that it does. He builds massive sculptures out of plastic garbage, forcing viewers
to re-examine their relationship to single-use plastic products.
At the beginning of the year, the artist built a piece called "Strawpocalypse, " a pair of 10-foot-tall
plastic waves, frozen mid-crash. Made of 168, 000 plastic straws collected from several volunteer beach
cleanups, the sculpture made its first appearance at the Estella Place shopping center in Ho Chi Minh City,
Vietnam.
Just 9% of global plastic waste is recycled. Plastic straws are by no means the biggest source（来源）
of plastic pollution, but they've recently come under fire because most people don't need them to drink with
and, because of their small size and weight, they cannot be recycled. Every straw that's part of Von Wong's
artwork likely came from a drink that someone used for only a few minutes. Once the drink is gone, the
straw will take centuries to disappear.
In a piece from 2018, Von Wong wanted to illustrate（说明） a specific statistic: Every 60 seconds,
a truckload's worth of plastic enters the ocean. For this work, titled "Truckload of Plastic, " Von Wong and
a group of volunteers collected more than 10, 000 pieces of plastic, which were then tied together to look
like they'd been dumped（倾倒） from a truck all at once.
Von Wong hopes that his work will also help pressure big companies to reduce their plastic footprint.
1.What are Von Wong's artworks intended for?
A.Beautifying the city he lives in.
B.Introducing eco-friendly products.
C.Drawing public attention to plastic waste.D.Reducing garbage on the beach.
2.Why does the author discuss plastic straws in paragraph 3?
A.To show the difficulty of their recycling.
B.To explain why they are useful.
C.To voice his views on modern art.
D.To find a substitute for them.
3.What effect would "Truckload of Plastic" have on viewers?
A.Calming. B.Disturbing.
C.Refreshing. D.Challenging.
4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A.Artists' Opinions on Plastic Safety
B.Media Interest in Contemporary Art
C.Responsibility Demanded of Big Companies
D.Ocean Plastics Transformed into Sculptures
6.【2021全国乙卷 D篇】
During an interview for one of my books, my interviewer said something I still think about often.
Annoyed by the level of distraction（干扰）in his open office, he said, "That's why I have a membership
at the coworking space across the street—so I can focus." His comment struck me as strange. After all,
coworking spaces also typically use an open office layout（布局）. But I recently came across a study that
shows why his approach works.
The researchers examined various levels of noise on participants as they completed tests of creative
thinking. They were randomly divided into four groups and exposed to various noise levels in the
background, from total silence to 50 decibels（分贝）, 70 decibels, and 85 decibels. The differences
between most of the groups were statistically insignificant; however, the participants in the 70 decibels
group—those exposed to a level of noise similar to background chatter in a coffee shop—significantly
outperformed the other groups. Since the effects were small, this may suggest that our creative thinking
does not differ that much in response to total silence and 85 decibels of background noise.
But since the results at 70 decibels were significant, the study also suggests that the right level of
background noise—not too loud and not total silence—may actually improve one's creative thinking
ability. The right level of background noise may interrupt our normal patterns of thinking just enough toallow our imaginations to wander, without making it impossible to focus. This kind of "distracted focus"
appears to be the best state for working on creative tasks.
So why do so many of us hate our open offices? The problem may be that, in our offices, we can't stop
ourselves from getting drawn into others' conversations while we're trying to focus. Indeed, the researchers
found that face-to-face interactions and conversations affect the creative process, and yet a coworking
space or a coffee shop provides a certain level of noise while also providing freedom from interruptions.
1.Why does the interviewer prefer a coworking space?
A.It helps him concentrate.
B.It blocks out background noise.
C.It has a pleasant atmosphere.
D.It encourages face-to-face interactions.
2.Which level of background noise may promote creative thinking ability?
A.Total silence. B.50 decibels.
C.70 decibels. D.85 decibels.
3.What makes an open office unwelcome to many people?
A.Personal privacy unprotected.
B.Limited working space.
C.Restrictions on group discussion.
D.Constant interruptions.
4.What can we infer about the author from the text?
A.He's a news reporter.
B.He's an office manager.
C.He's a professional designer.
D.He's a published writer.
7.【2021.6 浙江卷 C篇】
If you ever get the impression that your dog can "tell" whether you look content or annoyed, you may
be onto something. Dogs may indeed be able to distinguish between happy and angry human faces,
according to a new study.Researchers trained a group of 11 dogs to distinguish between images（图像） of the same person
making either a happy or an angry face. During the training stage, each dog was shown only the upper half
or the lower half of the person's face. The researchers then tested the dogs' ability to distinguish between
human facial expressions by showing them the other half of the person's face or images totally different
from the ones used in training. The researchers found that the dogs were able to pick the angry or happy
face by touching a picture of it with their noses more often than one would expect by random chance.
The study showed the animals had figured out how to apply what they learned about human faces
during training to new faces in the testing stage. "We can rule out that the dogs simply distinguish hetween
the pictures bused on a simple cue, such as the sight of teeth, " said study anthor Corsin Muller. "Instead,
our results suggest that the surcessful dogs realized that a smiling mouth means the same thing as smiling
eyes, and the same rule applies to an angry mouth having the same meaning as angry eyes."
"With our study, we think we can now confidently conclude that at least some dogs can distinguish
human facial expressions," Muller told Live Science.
At this point, it is not clear why dogs seem to be equipped with the ability to recognize different facial
expressions in humans."To us, the most likely explanation appears to be that the basis lies in their living
with humans, which gives them a lot of exposure to human facial expressions, ” and this exposure has
provided them with many chances to learn to distinguish between them, Muller said.
1.The new study focused on whether dogs can .
A.distinguish shapes
B.make sense of human faces
C.feel happy or angry
D.communicate with each other
2.What can we learn about the study from paragraph 2?
A.Researchers tested the dogs in random order.
B.Diverse methods were adopted during training.
C.Pictures used in the two stages were different.
D.The dogs were photographed before the test.
3.What is the last paragraph mainly about?
A.A suggestion for future studies.
B.A possible reason for the study findings.C.A major limitation of the study.
D.An explanation of the research method.
【2020年高考真题】
1. 【2020·全国卷I，C】
Race walking shares many fitness benefits with running, research shows, while most likely contributing to
fewer injuries. It does, however, have its own problem.
Race walkers are conditioned athletes. The longest track and field event at the Summer Olympics is the 50-
kilometer race walk, which is about five miles longer than the marathon. But the sport’s rules require that a race
walker’s knees stay straight through most of the leg swing and one foot remain in contact (接触) with the ground at
all times. It’s this strange form that makes race walking such an attractive activity, however, says Jaclyn Norberg,
an assistant professor of exercise science at Salem State University in Salem, Mass.
Like running, race walking is physically demanding, she says, According to most calculations, race walkers
moving at a pace of six miles per hour would burn about 800 calories(卡路里) per hour, which is approximately
twice as many as they would burn walking, although fewer than running, which would probably burn about 1,000
or more calories per hour.
However, race walking does not pound the body as much as running does, Dr. Norberg says. According to her
research, runners hit the ground with as much as four times their body weight per step, while race walkers, who do
not leave the ground, create only about 1.4 times their body weight with each step.
As a result, she says, some of the injuries associated with running, such as runner’s knee, are uncommon
among race walkers. But the sport’s strange form does place considerable stress on the ankles and hips, so people
with a history of such injuries might want to be cautious in adopting the sport. In fact, anyone wishing to try race
walking should probably first consult a coach or experienced racer to learn proper technique, she says. It takes
some practice.
1. Why are race walkers conditioned athletes?
A. They must run long distances.
B. They are qualified for the marathon.
C. They have to follow special rules.
D. They are good at swinging their legs.
2. What advantage does race walking have over running?
A. It’s more popular at the Olympics.B. It’s less challenging physically.
C. It’s more effective in body building.
D. It’s less likely to cause knee injuries.
3. What is Dr. Norberg’s suggestion for someone trying race walking?
A. Getting experts’ opinions.
B. Having a medical checkup.
C. Hiring an experienced coach.
D. Doing regular exercises.
4. Which word best describes the author’s attitude to race walking?
A. Skeptical. B. Objective.
C. Tolerant. D. Conservative.
2. 【2020·全国卷I，D】
The connection between people and plants has long been the subject of scientific research. Recent studies have
found positive effects. A study conducted in Youngstown，Ohio，for example, discovered that greener areas of the
city experienced less crime. In another，employees were shown to be 15% more productive when their workplaces
were decorated with houseplants.
The engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT)have taken it a step further changing the
actual composition of plants in order to get them to perform diverse，even unusual functions. These include plants
that have sensors printed onto their leaves to show when they’re short of water and a plant that can detect harmful
chemicals in groundwater. ＂We’re thinking about how we can engineer plants to replace functions of the things
that we use every day,＂explained Michael Strano, a professor of chemical engineering at MIT.
One of his latest projects has been to make plants glow(发光)in experiments using some common vegetables.
Strano’s team found that they could create a faint light for three-and-a-half hours. The light，about one-thousandth
of the amount needed to read by，is just a start. The technology, Strano said, could one day be used to light the
rooms or even to turn trees into self-powered street lamps.
In the future，the team hopes to develop a version of the technology that can be sprayed onto plant leaves in a
one-off treatment that would last the plant’s lifetime. The engineers are also trying to develop an on and off＂
switch＂where the glow would fade when exposed to daylight.
Lighting accounts for about 7% of the total electricity consumed in the US. Since lighting is often far removed
from the power source(电源)-such as the distance from a power plant to street lamps on a remote highway-a lot ofenergy is lost during transmission(传输).Glowing plants could reduce this distance and therefore help save energy.
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?
A. A new study of different plants.
B. A big fall in crime rates.
C. Employees from various workplaces.
D. Benefits from green plants.
2. What is the function of the sensors printed on plant leaves by MIT engineer?
A. To detect plants’ lack of water
B. To change compositions of plants
C. To make the life of plants longer.
D. To test chemicals in plants.
3. What can we expect of the glowing plants in the future?
A. They will speed up energy production.
B. They may transmit electricity to the home.
C. They might help reduce energy consumption.
D. They could take the place of power plants.
4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A. Can we grow more glowing plants?
B. How do we live with glowing plants?
C. Could glowing plants replace lamps?
D. How are glowing plants made pollution-free?
4. 【2020·全国卷II，B】
Some parents will buy any high-tech toy if they think it will help their child, but researchers said puzzles
help children with math-related skills.
Psychologist Susan Levine, an expert on mathematics development in young children the University of
Chicago, found children who play with puzzles between ages 2 and 4 later develop better spatial skills. Puzzle play
was found to be a significant predictor of cognition(认知) after controlling for differences in parents’ income,
education and the amount of parent talk, Levine said.
The researchers analyzed video recordings of 53 child-parent pairs during everyday activities at home and
found children who play with puzzles between 26 and 46 months of age have better spatial skills when assessed at
54 months of age.“The children who played with puzzles performed better than those who did not, on tasks that assessed their
ability to rotate(旋转)and translate shapes,” Levine said in a statement.
The parents were asked to interact with their children as they normally would, and about half of children in the
study played with puzzles at one time. Higher-income parents tended to have children play with puzzles more
frequently, and both boys and girls who played with puzzles had better spatial skills. However, boys tended to play
with more complex puzzles than girls, and the parents of boys provided more spatial language and were more
active during puzzle play than parents of girls.
The findings were published in the journal Developmental Science.
1. In which aspect do children benefit from puzzle play?
A. Building confidence. B. Developing spatial skills.
C. Learning self-control. D. Gaining high-tech knowledge.
2. What did Levine take into consideration when designing her experiment？
A. Parents’ age. B. Children’s imagination.
C. Parents’ education. D. Child-parent relationship.
3. How do boy differ from girls in puzzle play?
A. They play with puzzles more often.
B. They tend to talk less during the game.
C. They prefer to use more spatial language.
D. They are likely to play with tougher puzzles.
4. What is the text mainly about?
A. A mathematical method. B. A scientific study.
C. A woman psychologist D. A teaching program.
5. 【2020·全国卷III，D】
We are the products of evolution, and not just evolution that occurred billions of years ago. As scientists look
deeper into our genes(基因), they are finding examples of human evolution in just the past few thousand years.
People in Ethiopian highlands have adapted to living at high altitudes. Cattle -raising people in East Africa and
northern Europe have gained a mutation (突变) that helps them digest milk as adults.
On Thursday in an article published in Cell, a team of researchers reported a new kind of adaptation — not
to air or to food, but to the ocean. A group of sea-dwelling people in Southeast Asia have evolved into better divers.
The Bajau, as these people are known, number in the hundreds of thousands in Indonesia, Malaysia and thePhilippines. They have traditionally lived on houseboats; in recent times, they’ve also built houses on stilts (支柱)
in coastal waters. “They are simply a stranger to the land,” said Redney C. Jubilado, a University of Hawaii
researcher who studies the Bajau.
Dr. Jubilado first met the Bajau while growing up on Samal Island in the Philippines. They made a living as
divers, spearfishing or harvesting shellfish. “We were so amazed that they could stay underwater much longer than
us local islanders,” Dr. Jubilado said. “I could see them actually walking under the sea.”
In2015, Melissa Ilardo, then a graduate student in genetics at the University of Copenhagen, heard about the
Bajau. She wondered if centuries of diving could have led to the evolution of physical characteristics that made the
task easier for them. “it seemed like the perfect chance for natural selection to act on a population,” said Dr. Ilardo.
She also said there were likely a number of other genes that help the Bajau dive.
32. What does the author want to tell us by the examples in paragraph 1?
A. Environmental adaptation of cattle raisers. B. New knowledge of human evolution.
C. Recent findings of human origin. D. Significance of food selection.
33. Where do the Bajau build their houses?
A. In valleys. B. Near rivers. C. On the beach. D. Off the coast.
34. Why was the young Jubilado astonished at the Bajau?
A. They could walk on stilts all day. B. They had a superb way of fishing.
C. They could stay long underwater. D. They lived on both land and water.
35. What can be a suitable title for the text?
A. Bodies Remodeled for a Life at Sea B. Highlanders’ Survival Skills
C. Basic Methods of Genetic Research D. The World’s Best Divers
6. 【2020·山东卷，D】
According to a recent study in the Journal of Consumer Research, both the size and consumption habits
of our eating companions can influence our food intake. And contrary to existing research that says you should
avoid eating with heavier people who order large portions(份), it's the beanpoles with big appetites you really need
to avoid.
To test the effect of social influence on eating habits, the researchers conducted two experiments. In the first,
95 undergraduate women were individually invited into a lab to ostensibly(表面上)participate in a study about
movie viewership. Before the film began, each woman was asked to help herself to a snack. An actor hired by the
researchers grabbed her food first. In her natural state, the actor weighed 105 pounds. But in half the cases she worea specially designed fat suit which increased her weight to 180 pounds.
Both the fat and thin versions of the actor took a large amount of food. The participants followed suit, taking
more food than they normally would have. However, they took significantly more when the actor was thin.
For the second test, in one case the thin actor took two pieces of candy from the snack bowls. In the other case,
she took 30 pieces. The results were similar to the first test: the participants followed suit but took significantly
more candy when the thin actor took 30 pieces.
The tests show that the social environment is extremely influential when we're making decisions. If this fellow
participant is going to eat more, so will I. Call it the “I’ll have what she's having” effect. However, we'll adjust the
influence. If an overweight person is having a large portion, I'll hold back a bit because I see the results of his
eating habits. But if a thin person eats a lot, I'll follow suit. If he can eat much and keep slim, why can't I?
12. What is the recent study mainly about?
A. Food safety. B. Movie viewership.
C. Consumer demand. D. Eating behavior.
13. What does the underlined word “beanpoles” in paragraph 1 refer to?
A. Big eaters. B. Overweight persons.
C. Picky eaters. D. Tall thin persons.
14. Why did the researchers hire the actor?
A. To see how she would affect the participants.
B. To test if the participants could recognize her.
C. To find out what she would do in the two tests.
D. To study why she could keep her weight down.
15. On what basis do we “adjust the influence” according to the last paragraph?
A. How hungry we are. B. How slim we want to be.
C. How we perceive others. D. How we feel about the food.
【2019年高考真题】
As data and identity theft becomes more and more common, the market is growing for biometric(生物测
量)technologies—like fingerprint scans—to keep others out of private e-spaces. At present, these technologies are
still expensive, though.
Researchers from Georgia Tech say that they have come up with a low-cost device(装置)that gets around this
problem: a smart keyboard. This smart keyboard precisely measures the cadence(节奏)with which one types and
the pressure fingers apply to each key. The keyboard could offer a strong layer of security by analyzing things likethe force of a user's typing and the time between key presses. These patterns are unique to each person. Thus, the
keyboard can determine people's identities, and by extension, whether they should be given access to the computer
it's connected to—regardless of whether someone gets the password right.
It also doesn't require a new type of technology that people aren't already familiar with. Everybody uses a
keyboard and everybody types differently.
In a study describing the technology, the researchers had 100 volunteers type the word “touch”four times
using the smart keyboard. Data collected from the device could be used to recognize different participants based on
how they typed, with very low error rates. The researchers say that the keyboard should be pretty straightforward to
commercialize and is mostly made of inexpensive, plastic-like parts. The team hopes to make it to market in the
near future.
28. Why do the researchers develop the smart keyboard?
A. To reduce pressure on keys. B. To improve accuracy in typing
C. To replace the password system. D. To cut the cost of e-space protection.
29. What makes the invention of the smart keyboard possible？
A. Computers are much easier to operate.
B. Fingerprint scanning techniques develop fast.
C. Typing patterns vary from person to person.
D. Data security measures are guaranteed.
30. What do the researchers expect of the smart keyboard？all 1o soisgitieoco oll.
A. It'll be environment-friendly. B. It'll reach consumers soon.
C. It'll be made of plastics. D. It'll help speed up typing.
31. Where is this text most likely from?
A. A diary. B. A guidebook C. A novel. D. A magazine.
3. 【2019·全国卷II，D】
Bacteria are an annoying problem for astronauts. The microorganisms(微生物) from our bodies grow
uncontrollably on surfaces of the International Space Station, so astronauts spend hours cleaning them up each
week. How is NASA overcoming this very tiny big problem? It’s turning to a bunch of high school kids. But not
just any kids. It depending on NASA HUNCH high school class, like the one science teachers Gene Gordon and
Donna Himmelberg lead at Fairport High School in Fairport, New York.
HUNCH is designed to connect high school classrooms with NASA engineers. For the past two years,
Gordon’s students have been studying ways to kill bacteria in zero gravity, and they think they’re close to asolution(解决方案). “We don’t give the students any breaks. They have to do it just like NASA engineers,” says
Florence Gold, a project manager.
“There are no tests,” Gordon says. “There is no graded homework. There almost are no grades, other
than‘Are you working towards your goal?’ Basically, it’s ‘I’ve got to produce this product and then, at the
end of year, present it to NASA.’ Engineers come and really do an in-person review, and…it’s not a very nice
thing at time. It’s a hard business review of your product.”
Gordon says the HUNCH program has an impact(影响) on college admissions and practical life skills. “These
kids are so absorbed in their studies that I just sit back. I don’t teach.” And that annoying bacteria? Gordon says his
students are emailing daily with NASA engineers about the problem, readying a workable solution to test in space.
32. What do we know about the bacteria in the International Space Station?
A. They are hard to get rid of. B. They lead to air pollution.
C. They appear different forms. D. They damage the instruments.
33. What is the purpose of the HUNCH program?
A. To strengthen teacher-student relationships. B. To sharpen students’ communication skills.
C. To allow students to experience zero gravity. D. To link space technology with school education
34. What do the NASA engineers do for the students in the program?
A. Check their product. B. Guide project designs
C. Adjust work schedules. D. Grade their homework.
35. What is the best title for the text?
A. NASA: The Home of Astronauts.
B. Space: The Final Homework Frontier.
C. Nature: An Outdoor Classroom.
D. HUNCH:A College Admission Reform.
4. 【2019·全国卷III，C】
,
Before the 1830s most newspapers were sold through annual subscriptions in America, usually $8 to $10 a
year. Today $8 or $10 seems a small amount of money, but at that time these amounts were forbidding to most
citizens. Accordingly, newspapers were read almost only by rich people in politics or the trades. In addition, most
newspapers had little in them that would appeal to a mass audience. They were dull and visually forbidding. But the
revolution that was taking place in the 1830s would change all that.
The trend, then, was toward the "penny paper"-a term referring to papers made widely available to the public.It meant any inexpensive newspaper; perhaps more importantly it meant newspapers that could be bought in single
copies on the street.
This development did not take place overnight. It had been possible(but not easy)to buy single copies of
newspapers before 1830,but this usually meant the reader had to go down to the printer's office to purchase a copy.
Street sales were almost unknown. However, within a few years, street sales of newspapers would be commonplace
in eastern cities. At first the price of single copies was seldom a penny-usually two or three cents was charged-and
some of the older well-known papers charged five or six cents. But the phrase "penny paper " caught the public's
fancy, and soon there would be papers that did indeed sell for only a penny.
This new trend of newspapers for "the man on the street" did not begin well. Some of the early ventures(企
业)were immediate failures. Publishers already in business, people who were owners of successful papers, had little
desire to change the tradition. It took a few youthful and daring businessmen to get the ball rolling.
28. Which of the following best describes newspapers in America before the 1830s?
A. Academic. B. Unattractive. C. Inexpensive. D. Confidential.
29. What did street sales mean to newspapers?
A. They would be priced higher. B. They would disappear from cities.
C. They could have more readers. D. They could regain public trust.
30. Who were the newspapers of the new trend targeted at?
A. Local politicians. B. Common people.
C. Young publishers. D. Rich businessmen.
31. What can we say about the birth of the penny paper?
A. It was a difficult process. B. It was a temporary success.
C. It was a robbery of the poor. D. It was a disaster for printers.
5. 【2019·全国卷III，D】
Monkeys seem to have a way with numbers.
A team of researchers trained three Rhesus monkeys to associate 26 clearly different symbols consisting of
numbers and selective letters with 0-25 drops of water or juice as a reward. The researchers then tested how the
monkeys combined—or added—the symbols to get the reward.
Here's how Harvard Medical School scientist Margaret Livingstone, who led the team, described the
experiment: In their cages the monkeys were provided with touch screens. On one part of the screen, a symbol
would appear, and on the other side two symbols inside a circle were shown. For example, the number 7 would
flash on one side of the screen and the other end would have 9 and 8. If the monkeys touched the left side of thescreen they would be rewarded with seven drops of water or juice; if they went for the circle, they would be
rewarded with the sum of the numbers—17 in this example.
After running hundreds of tests, the researchers noted that the monkeys would go for the higher values more
than half the time, indicating that they were performing a calculation, not just memorizing the value of each
combination.
When the team examined the results of the experiment more closely, they noticed that the monkeys tended to
underestimate(低估)a sum compared with a single symbol when the two were close in value—sometimes choosing,
for example, a 13 over the sum of 8 and 6. The underestimation was systematic: When adding two numbers, the
monkeys always paid attention to the larger of the two, and then added only a fraction(小部分)of the smaller
number to it.
"This indicates that there is a certain way quantity is represented in their brains, "Dr. Livingstone says. “But
in this experiment what they're doing is paying more attention to the big number than the little one.”
32. What did the researchers do to the monkeys before testing them?
A. They fed them. B. They named them.
C. They trained them. D. They measured them.
33. How did the monkeys get their reward in the experiment?
A. By drawing a circle. B. By touching a screen.
C. By watching videos. D. By mixing two drinks.
34. What did Livingstone's team find about the monkeys?
A. They could perform basic addition. B. They could understand simple words.
C. They could memorize numbers easily. D. They could hold their attention for long.
35. In which section of a newspaper may this text appear?
A. Entertainment. B. Health. C. Education. D. Science.
6. 【2019·北京卷，D】
By the end of the century，if not sooner，the world's oceans will be bluer and greener thanks to a warming
climate，according to a new study.
At the heart of the phenomenon lie tiny marine microorganisms(海洋微生物)called phytoplankton. Because
of the way light reflects off the organisms，these phytoplankton create colourful patterns at the ocean surface.
Ocean colour varies from green to blue，depending on the type and concentration of phytoplankton. Climate
change will fuel the growth of phytoplankton in some areas，while reducing it in other spots，leading to changesin the ocean's appearance.
Phytoplankton live at the ocean surface，where they pull carbon dioxide(二氧化碳)into the ocean while
giving off oxygen. When these organisms die，they bury carbon in the deep ocean，an important process that
helps to regulate the global climate. But phytoplankton are vulnerable to the ocean's warming trend. Warming
changes key characteristics of the ocean and can affect phytoplankton growth，since they need not only sunlight
and carbon dioxide to grow，but also nutrients.
Stephanie Dutkiewicz，a scientist in MIT's Center for Global Change Science，built a climate model that
projects changes to the oceans throughout the century. In a world that warms up by 3℃，it found that multiple
changes to the colour of the oceans would occur. The model projects that currently blue areas with little
phytoplankton could become even bluer. But in some waters，such as those of the Arctic，a warming will make
conditions riper for phytoplankton，and these areas will turn greener. “Not only are the quantities of phytoplankton
in the ocean changing. ”she said，“but the type of phytoplankton is changing. ”
42. What are the first two paragraphs mainly about?
A. The various patterns at the ocean surface.
B. The cause of the changes in ocean colour.
C. The way light reflects off marine organisms.
D. The efforts to fuel the growth of phytoplankton.
43. What does the underlined word“vulnerable”in Paragraph 3 probably mean?
A. Sensitive. B. Beneficial C. Significant D. Unnoticeable
44. What can we learn from the passage?
A. Phytoplankton play a declining role in the marine ecosystem.
B. Dutkiewicz's model aims to project phytoplankton changes
C. Phytoplankton have been used to control global climate
D. Oceans with more phytoplankton may appear greener.
45. What is the main purpose of the passage？
A. To assess the consequences of ocean colour changes
B. To analyse the composition of the ocean food chain
C. To explain the effects of climate change on oceans
D. To introduce a new method to study phytoplankton
7. 【2019·天津卷，C】
How does an ecosystem（生态系统）work？What makes the populations of different species the way theyare？Why are there so many flies and so few wolves？To find an answer，scientists have built mathematical
models of food webs，noting who eats whom and how much each one eats.
With such models，scientists have found out some key principles operating in food webs. Most food webs，
for instance，consist of many weak links rather than a few strong ones. When a predator（掠食动物）always eats
huge numbers of a single prey（猎物），the two species are strongly linked；when a predator lives on various
species，they are weakly linked. Food webs may be dominated by many weak links because that arrangement is
more stable over the long term. If a predator can eat several species，it can survive the extinction（灭绝）of one
of them. And if a predator can move on to another species that is easier to find when a prey species becomes rare，
the switch allows the original prey to recover. The weak links may thus keep species from driving one another to
extinction.
Mathematical models have also revealed that food webs may be unstable，where small changes of top
predators can lead to big effects throughout entire ecosystems. In the 1960s，scientists proposed that predators at
the top of a food web had a surprising amount of control over the size of populations of other species---including
species they did not directly attack.
And unplanned human activities have proved the idea of top-down control by top predators to be true. In the
ocean，we fished for top predators such as cod on an industrial scale，while on land，we killed off large predators
such as wolves. These actions have greatly affected the ecological balance.
Scientists have built an early-warning system based on mathematical models. Ideally，the system would tell
us when to adapt human activities that are pushing an ecosystem toward a breakdown or would even allow us to
pull an ecosystem back from the borderline. Prevention is key，scientists says because once ecosystems pass their
tipping point（临界点），it is remarkably difficult for them to return.
46. What have scientists discovered with the help of mathematical models of food webs？
A. The living habits of species in food webs.
B. The rules governing food webs of the ecosystems.
C. The approaches to studying the species in the ecosystems.
D. The differences between weak and strong links in food webs.
47. A strong link is found between two species when a predator______
A. has a wide food choice
B. can easily find new prey
C. sticks to one prey speciesD. can quickly move to another place
48. What will happen if the populations of top predators in a food web greatly decline？
A. The prey species they directly attack will die out.
B. The species they indirectly attack will turn into top predators.
C. The living environment of other species will remain unchanged.
D. The populations of other species will experience unexpected changes.
49. What conclusion can be drawn from the examples in Paragraph 4？
A. Uncontrolled human activities greatly upset ecosystems.
B. Rapid economic development threatens animal habitats.
C. Species of commercial value dominate other species.
D. Industrial activities help keep food webs stable.
50. How does an early-warning system help us maintain the ecological balance？
A. By getting illegal practices under control.
B. By stopping us from killing large predators.
C. By bringing the broken-down ecosystems back to normal.
D. By signaling the urgent need for taking preventive action.
8. 【2019·江苏卷，B】
In the 1960s，while studying the volcanic history of Yellowstone National Park，Bob Christiansen became
puzzled about something that，oddly，had not troubled anyone before:he couldn't find the park's volcano. It had
been known for a long time that Yellowstone was volcanic in nature — that's what accounted for all its hot springs
and other steamy features. But Christiansen couldn't find the Yellowstone volcano anywhere.
Most of us，when we talk about volcanoes，think of the classic cone(圆锥体)shapes of a Fuji or
Kilimanjaro，which are created when erupting magma(岩浆)piles up. These can form remarkably quickly. In
1943，a Mexican farmer was surprised to see smoke rising from a small part of his land. In one week he was the
confused owner of a cone five hundred feet high. Within two years it had topped out at almost fourteen hundred
feet and was more than half a mile across. Altogether there are some ten thousand of these volcanoes on Earth，all
but a few hundred of them extinct. There is，however，a second les known type of volcano that doesn't involve
mountain building. These are volcanoes so explosive that they burst open in a single big crack，leaving behind a
vast hole，the caldera. Yellowstone obviously was of this second type，but Christiansen couldn't find the caldera
anywhere.
Just at this time NASA decided to test some new high-altitude cameras by taking photographs of Yellowstone.A thoughtful official passed on some of the copies to the park authorities on the assumption that they might make a
nice blow-up for one of the visitors' centers. As soon as Christiansen saw the photos，he realized why he had failed
to spot the caldera; almost the whole park-2.2 million acres—was caldera. The explosion had left a hole more than
forty miles across—much too huge to be seen from anywhere at ground level. At some time in the past Yellowstone
must have blown up with a violence far beyond the scale of anything known to humans.
58. What puzzled Christiansen when he was studying Yellowstone？
A. Its complicated geographical features.
B. Its ever-lasting influence on tourism.
C. The mysterious history of the park.
D. The exact location of the volcano.
59. What does the second-paragraph mainly talk about？
A. The shapes of volcanoes.
B. The impacts of volcanoes.
C. The activities of volcanoes.
D. The heights of volcanoes.
60. What does the underlined word "blow-up" in the last paragraph most probably mean？
A. Hot-air balloon. B. Digital camera.
C. Big photograph. D. Bird's view.
9. 【2019·浙江卷，C】
California has lost half its big trees since the 1930s, according to a study to be published Tuesday and climate
change seems to be a major factor(因素).
The number of trees larger than two feet across has declined by 50 percent on more than 46, 000 square miles
of California forests, the new study finds. No area was spared or unaffected, from the foggy northern coast to the
Sierra Nevada Mountains to the San Gabriels above Los Angeles. In the Sierra high country, the number of big
trees has fallen by more than 55 percent; in parts of southern California the decline was nearly 75 percent.
Many factors contributed to the decline, said Patrick Mclntyre, an ecologist who was the lead author of the
study. Woodcutters targeted big trees. Housing development pushed into the woods. Aggressive wildfire control has
left California forests crowded with small trees that compete with big trees for resources(资源).
But in comparing a study of California forests done in the 1920s and 1930s with another one between 2001
and 2010, Mclntyre and his colleagues documented a widespread death of big trees that was evident even in
wildlands protected from woodcutting or development.The loss of big trees was greatest in areas where trees had suffered the greatest water shortage. The researchers
figured out water stress with a computer model that calculated how much water trees were getting in comparison
with how much they needed, taking into account such things as rainfall, air temperature, dampness of soil, and the
timing of snowmelt(融雪).
Since the 1930s, Mclntyre said, the biggest factors driving up water stress in the state have been rising
temperatures, which cause trees to lose more water to the air, and earlier snowmelt, which reduces the water supply
available to trees during the dry season.
27. What is the second paragraph mainly about?
A. The seriousness of big-tree loss in California.
B. The increasing variety of California big trees.
C. The distribution of big trees in California forests.
D. The influence of farming on big trees in California.
28. Which of the following is well-intentioned but may be bad for big trees?
A. Ecological studies of forests.
B. Banning woodcutting.
C. Limiting housing development.
D. Fire control measures.
29. What is a major cause of the water shortage according to Mclntyre?
A. Inadequate snowmelt. B. A longer dry season.
C. A warmer climate. D. Dampness of the air.
30. What can be a suitable title for the text?
A. California's Forests: Where Have All the Big Trees Gone?
B. Cutting of Big Trees to Be Prohibited in California Soon
C. Why Are the Big Trees Important to California Forests?
D. Patrick Mclntyre: Grow More Big Trees in California
