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专题 19 阅读理解（议论文）
刷大题、提能力
1.（2023年福建省泉州第五中学高考模拟试题）
Technology seems to discourage slow reading. Reading on screens tires eyes easily. So online writing is more
skimmable than print. The neuroscientist Mary Walt argued this “new norm” of skim reading is producing “an
invisible, dramatic transformation” in how readers process words. And brains now favor rapid absorption of
information, rather than skills developed by deeper reading, like critical analysis.
We shouldn’t overplay this danger. All readers skim. Skimming is the skill we acquire as we learn to read more
skillfully. And fears about declining attention spans have proved to be false alarms. “Some critics worry about
attention span and see very short stories as signs of cultural decline, ” The American author Selvin wrote. “But
nobody ever said poems were evidence of short attention spans. ”
Yet the Internet has certainly changed the way we read. First, it means there’s more to read, because more
people than ever are writing. And digital writing means rapid release and response. Once published, online articles
start forming a comment string underneath. Such mode of writing and reading can be interactive and fun, but is
probably lacking in profound reflection.
Perhaps we should slow down. Reading is constantly promoted as a source of personal achievement. But this
advocacy emphasizes “enthusiastic” or “eager” reading — neither suggest slow absorption. To a slow reader, a
piece of writing can only be fully understood by immersing oneself in their slow comprehension of words. The
slow reader is like a swimmer who stops counting the number of pool laps he’s done and just enjoys how his body
feels and moves in water.
The human need for this kind of deep reading is too determined for any new technology to destroy. We often
assume technological change can’t be stopped, so older media are kicked out by newer, more virtual forms. In
practice, older technologies can coexist with new ones. The Kindle hasn’t killed off printed books any more than
cars killed off bicycles. We still want to enjoy slowly-formed ideas and carefully-chosen words. Even in a fast-
moving age, there is time for slow reading.
1．What is the author’s attitude towards Selvin’s opinion?
A．Favorable. B．Critical. C．Doubtful. D．Objective.2．Which statement would the author probably agree with?
A．Advocacy of passionate reading helps promote slow reading.
B．Digital writing and reading tends to ignore careful reflection.
C．We should be aware of the impact skimming has on the brain.
D．The number of Internet readers declines due to technology.
3．Why is “swimmer” mentioned in paragraph 4?
A．To demonstrate how to immerse oneself in thought.
B．To stress swimming differs from reading.
C．To show slow reading is better than fast reading.
D．To illustrate what slow reading is like.
4．Which would be the best title for the passage?
A．Slow Reading is Here to Stay
B．Technology Prevents Slow Reading
C．Reflections on Deep Reading
D．The Wonder of Deep Reading
2.（2023年湖南省郴州市九校联盟高三试题）
It’s unlikely that you come home from a trip and stand on top of your bed still wearing your street shoes. For
some travellers, putting their suitcase on their bed is just as disgusting (令人反感的). The wheels of our luggage
paced the same soiled path as our shoes, rolling through airport bathrooms, sidewalks and public transportation.
While it might sound terrible to put a worldly bag on your bed, is it actually harmful to your health? According
to Phyllis Kozarsky, an expert travel health consultant, most public health professionals don’t consider luggage a
major transmitter (传播者) of disease.
“We have not identified outbreaks related to dirty luggage,” Kozarsky says. Travellers may benefit from
cleaning their luggage if they suspect that their hotel rooms are overrun with bedbugs. “Then they certainly would
benefit by cleaning it after they returned home,” Kozarsky says.
Even if your luggage touching your bed won’t hurt you, you might still be disgusted. After all, travel is an
experience full of bacteria. “You have people... carrying all types of different bacteria. Some of them are sick, and
you now have them populating these public travel places,” says Colleen Costello, CEO of Vital Vio, a company that
makes antibacterial LED lights. Your fellow travellers have to touch all the same things you have to touch, from the
TSA checkpoint to the airplane, the train ticketing machine to the handrail in your train car.
For peace of mind, Costello recommends giving your bag a quick disinfection or storing it on a luggage shelf.Of course, you could go beyond disinfecting your luggage wheels and clean thoroughly the rest of your travel
experience — the airplane tray table, hotel room door and remote control.
But Kozarsky doesn’t guarantee that lifestyle. “It’s hard to keep up with every doorhandle, every railing,”
Kozarsky says. “You can become a little neurotic (神经质的) that way.”
5．What’s the function of the first paragraph?
A．To predict the conclusion. B．To present the argument.
C．To introduce the topic. D．To describe the phenomenon.
6．What does Kozarsky convey by explaining the luggage-cleaning case?
A．Luggage touching your bed won’t hurt you. B．Luggage spreads disease through your bed.
C．It’s a must to clean your luggage after travelling. D．Travellers should be careful of on-way dangers.
7．How does Costello support his opinion?
A．By giving examples. B．By stating facts.
C．By making comparisons. D．By listing figures.
8．What does Kozarsky think of Costello’s suggestion?
A．It has gone too far. B．It’s absolutely worthless.
C．It sounds somewhat reasonable. D．It’s worth taking into consideration.
3.（安徽省池州市贵池区池州市第一中学2023年高三试题）
Who is a genius? This question has greatly interested humankind for centuries.
Let’s state clearly: Einstein was a genius. His face is almost the international symbol for genius. But we want
to go beyond one man and explore the nature of genius itself. Why is it that some people are so much more
intelligent or creative than the rest of us? And who are they?
In the sciences and arts, those praised as geniuses were most often white men, of European origin. Perhaps this
is not a surprise. It’s said that history is written by the victors, and those victors set the standards for admission to
the genius club. When contributions were made by geniuses outside the club—women, or people of a different
color or belief — they were unacknowledged and rejected by others.
A study recently published by Science found that as young as age six, girls are less likely than boys to say that
members of their gender (性别) are “really, really smart.” Even worse, the study found that girls act on that belief.
Around age six they start to avoid activities said to be for children who are “really, really smart.” Can our planet
afford to have any great thinkers become discouraged and give up? It doesn’t take a genius to know the answer:
absolutely not.
Here’s the good news. In a wired world with constant global communication, we’re all positioned to seeflashes of genius wherever they appear. And the more we look, the more we will see that social factors (因素) like
gender, race, and class do not determine the appearance of genius. As a writer says, future geniuses come from
those with “intelligence, creativity, perseverance (毅力), and simple good fortune, who are able to change the
world.”
9．What’s the author’s attitude towards victors’ standards for joining the genius club?
A．Positive. B．Objective.
C．Skeptical. D．Unclear.
10．What can we infer about girls from the study in Science?
A．They think themselves smart.
B．They look up to great thinkers.
C．They see gender differences earlier than boys.
D．They are likely to be influenced by social beliefs.
11．Why are more geniuses known to the public?
A．Because of improved global communication.
B．Because of less discrimination against women.
C．Because of acceptance of victors’ concepts.
D．Because of changes in people’s social positions.
12．What is the best title for the text?
A．Geniuses Think Alike B．Genius and the Future World
C．Genius and Intelligence D．Genius May Belong to Different Categories
4.（2023年河南省南阳高三模拟卷）
Marilu Arce loves her job, but for a time she considered leaving. The traffic-plagued commute from her home
to her office, nearly two hours each way, meant her daughters couldn’t enroll in after school activities because she
couldn’t get home in time to take them.
Then her employer adopted a policy permitting her to work from home two days a week, and “I feel like it
changed my life,” she said. Her stress level has dropped. Her daughters are thrilled. She likes her job more. That’s
the type of reaction Arce’s boss likes to hear as the company measures the success of the work-from-home policy
which was instituted three years ago in hopes of improving employee retention. So far, it seems to be working:
turnover was less than five percent last year—its lowest ever.
Flexible work policies top employee wish lists when they look for a job, and employers increasingly have been
offering them. Studies have shown working remotely increases employee engagement, but in moderation becausethere is still value in the relationships nurtured when colleagues are face to face. The key, advocates of flexible
work policies say, is to match the environment with the type of work that needs to be done.
The flexibility hasn’t hurt productivity, which is up 50 percent. There is “something lost” when colleagues
don’t gather at the water cooler, but it’s outweighed by the retention and happiness gains, he said. As jobs that
require physical work decline, thanks to technological advances, life superficially appears to get better. Consumers
benefit in the form of cheaper prices. Labor-saving appliances all make things easier and suggest that even more
and better benefits are on the horizon. But is something lost?
Talk long enough to the most accomplished academics, they will brag about a long-ago college summer job
waiting tables or repairing hiking trails. They might praise the installer who redid their kitchen. There seems to be a
human instinct to want to do physical work. The proliferation of hard-work reality-television programming reflects
this apparent need. Indeed, the more we have become immobile and urbanized, the more we tune in to watch reality
television’s truckers, loggers, farmers, drillers and rail engineers. In a society that supposedly despises menial jobs,
the television ratings for such programmes suggest that lots of Americans enjoy watching people of action, who
work with their hands.
Physical work, in its eleventh hour within a rapidly changing Western culture, still intrigues us in part because
it remains the foundation for 21st century complexity. Before any of us can teach, write or speculate, we must first
have food, shelter and safety. And for a bit longer, that will require some people to cut grapes and nail two-by-sixes.
No apps or 3D printers exist to produce brown rice. Physical labour also promotes human versatility: Those who do
not do it, or who do not know how to do it, become divorced from—and, at the same time, dependent on—
labourers. Lawyers, accountants and journalists living in houses with yards and driving cars to work thus count on a
supporting infrastructure of electricians, landscapers and mechanics. In that context, physical labour can provide
independence, at least in a limited sense of not being entirely reliant on a host of hired workers.
13．The author mentions the example of Arce to show that________.
A．she dislikes the present job for the long commuting time
B．she is having trouble balancing work and school life
C．people usually don’t work hard outside office
D．employers are facing the problem of staff drain
14．The practice of flexible working time is based on the belief that________.
A．it helps to increase job satisfaction for the employees
B．it improves harmonious relationship among colleaguesC．the decline in physical work gives employees more mobility
D．employees are entitled to request it according to their work
15．What is the possible reason for the popularity of hard-work reality-television programmes?
A．They entertain those employees burned out with overwork.
B．People can learn some basic labour skills from these programmes.
C．There’s an ongoing need for physical labour skills that technology doesn’t possess.
D．They offer instructive information for both employers and employees.
16．Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
A．The Emergence of Alternative Work Arrangements
B．The Rise of Automation, the Decline in Need for Labour
C．Time to Rethink in the Face of the Evolution of Work
D．New Challenges for Today’s Employers and Academics
5.（重庆市四区2023年高三模拟试题）
Any image taken from space confirms that we live on an ocean planet. How strange that we call our planet
“Earth,” derived from a Germanic word meaning “the ground,” when more than 70 percent of its surface is covered
by ocean.
We need more people to see the sea. Right now, less than 3 percent of the ocean is considered highly protected.
Experts urge that at least 30 percent be protected to safeguard marine(海洋的) ecosystems, which in turn will help
protect our health and well-being. The ocean supplies more than half our oxygen, absorbs carbon dioxide, regulates
our climate, and supports much of the world’s economy. We need it a lot more than it needs us.
Take Florida, for example, one of the United States’ recreational hot spots. It’s bordered by the Florida Reef
Tract, North America’s only living coral barrier reef and the third largest in the world. Home to more than 500
species of fish, the reef is also essential to the Sunshine State’s economy, generating an estimated $1.1 billion
annually in tourism. The reef buffers(保护) the coastline, too, since health y coral reefs absorb 97 percent of a
wave’s energy. Three-quarters of Florida’s 22 million people live along the coast, and the Florida Reef Tract
provides more than $650 million in combined economic activity and flood protection.
A November 2022 study from the University of Miami has found that 70 percent of Florida’s coral reefs are
experiencing a net loss of reef habitat. Directly facing these concerns is what I mean by seeing the sea—the good,
the bad, the important. Knowledge is power, and we can use it to inform our choices, from traveling more
mindfully, to examining how we run our businesses, to voting. “No one can do everything, but everyone can dosomething,” Sylvia Earle, oceanographer and National Geographic Explorer at Large, is fond of saying.
The ocean is a remarkable teacher, and it’s never too late to start learning.
17．What does the sea do for our human?
A．The sea changes our climate.
B．The sea controls carbon dioxide for us.
C．The sea produces all the oxygen we need.
D．The sea provides economical benefits for us.
18．What does the writer suggest?
A．Travelling more, learning more.
B．Running our business creatively.
C．Raising awareness of conservation.
D．Doing some voting before actions.
19．Where is the passage probably from?
A．A scientific fiction. B．A news report.
C．A travel journal. D．A natural magazine.
20．What is a suitable title for the text?
A．To Hug the Ocean Tightly.
B．To Learn the Ocean Devotedly.
C．To Clean the Ocean Carefully.
D．To Love the Ocean Permanently.
6.（2023年四川省高三高考专家联测卷试题）
The cloning technology has aroused heated discussions among people. Some of them speak highly of the
technology by claiming that it offers a way for human beings to conquer their own genetic defects. Others consider
it an ogre (食人恶魔) who will destroy us all in the end.
FOR
◆ Cloning is important for women who are single to have a child, using cloning instead of artificial
insemination (授精). Cloning could also provide a copy of a child for a couple whose child died.
◆ Another goal of cloning is to produce livestock (家畜) with ideal characters for agriculture and industry and
to be able to manufacture biological products such as proteins for humans.
◆ Cloning could be used in various ways to benefit the lives of humans.
◆ It may provide a way for completely sterile individuals to reproduce! It may provide a way for homosexualcouples to reproduce themselves, and it will probably provide a valuable basic research and possibly spin off
technologies related to reproduction and development.
◆ Cloning would also mean that organs could be cloned, so it would be a source of perfect organs for
transplant. This surely would be immensely beneficial to millions of unfortunate people who are expected to lose
their lives due to failure of a single organ or more organs.
AGAINST
◆ Cloning would intervene in the normal cycle of life. There would be a large number of identical (相同的)
genes, which minimizes (使减少到最低限度) the chances of mutation (变异), and, in turn, evolution—the
fundamental reason why living things naturally adapt to the ever-changing environment.
◆ With genetic engineering and human cloning it is possible to use these in the arsenal (兵工厂) of ethnic
cleansing (清洗) creating inequality in our society, which would be the beginning of many wars.
◆ Another argument against cloning is that it would be available only to the wealthy and therefore would
increase social inequality.
◆ If the technology were to be so, scientists could transfer human genes into animals’ and vice versa, which
would heighten the danger of developing zoonoses, diseases that are transmitted from animals to humans. It could
create a worldwide catastrophe that no one would be able to stop.
◆ Genetic engineering will cause unseen disasters spiraling our world into chaotic darkness.
◆ Cloning dead loved ones will not bring them back; they may look like them, but they will have a different
personality.
21．If a single lady wants a baby but she does not accept artificial insemination, she might ________.
A．think about cloning technology to copy one
B．be against having a child from cloning technology
C．produce livestock with ideal characters
D．speak little of the cloning technology
22．The purpose of the writer writing the passage is to ________.
A．encourage us to support the ideas of FOR
B．advise us to accept the ideas of AGAINST
C．tell us to understand the ideas of FOR and AGAINST correctly
D．introduce us to remember the ideas of FOR and AGAINST
23．What’s the author’s attitude towards cloning?
A．Favorable. B．Objective. C．Critical. D．Doubtful.24．What would be the best title for the passage?
A．How many advantages are there? B．How many disadvantages are there?
C．Which side is wrong? D．Which side are you with?
7.（2023年广东省汕头市金山中学高考三模英语试题）
We’ve all been there. It has been a long day, there is nothing in the fridge, cooking seems arduous and the
solution is obvious: takeaway. It’s easy for takeaways to become a regular habit. At some point, you have to
wonder: even if you don’t look different in the mirror, is it doing you any harm?
There is some evidence that too many takeaways is linked to weight gain, but the relationship isn’t clear. A
2022 study found a connection between eating takeaway-style food in the 24 hours before taking the survey and
increased BMI in participants, although the researchers were careful to point out that they didn’t know whether
frequently eating takeaways made people overweight, or whether overweight people frequently eat takeaways.
There is, however, evidence that simply living near(or walking past)a takeaway outlet or two can have an impact on
body weight, with exposure to outlets near the workplace, most likely to tempt people.
But why? Well, takeaway food tends to be high in fat and salt - ingredients that are relatively cheap and taste
good, making you more likely to reorder. There is also some evidence that junk food can be addictive, as the
combination of salt, fat and sugar makes it hard to stop eating.
There is also the nutritional quality of the ingredients themselves. “Most takeaways contain highly processed
ingredients and additives, nutrient-poor carbohydrates and plenty of deep-fried foods cooked in oil repeatedly
heated to high temperatures, says Pearson.
So, what is the message? If you must place that order, consider the options:
The worst offenders on any menu are likely to be fried foods, or anything covered in high-sugar sauces. If you
order Chinese food, go for steamed dumplings, grilled fish or soup. If you are going for Indian food, go heavy on
the side dishes, like bean and potato curries, which are often more flavourful and healthy.
Finally, try to cut your consumption: consider switching your daily routes, hide the menus, and delete the apps
on your phone.
25．What does the underlined word ‘arduous’ in Paragraph 1 probably mean?
A．Attractive B．Troublesome
C．Confusing D．Dull
26．What are researchers still unclear about?
A．The cause and effect relationship of takeaways and being overweightB．Whether there is any connection between takeaways and being overweight
C．Which ingredients in takeaway food are the most addictive
D．Whether takeaways near the workplace are more likely to attract people
27．Which takeaway choice would the writer consider least harmful?
A．Hamburgers and fries B．Indian main courses
C．Fried noodles D．Steamed dumplings
28．Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A．Takeaways make you fat
B．Are takeaways harmful?
C．How to choose the best takeaway
D．How to avoid takeaways
8.（2023年辽宁省锦州市渤海大学附属中学高三试题）
What’s more important in determining life success-book smarts or street smarts? This question gets at the heart
of an important debate contrasting the relative importance of cognitive(认知的)intelligence (CI) and emotional
intelligence (EI).
Cognitive intelligence is still recognized as an important element of success, particularly when it comes to
academic achievements. People with high cognitive intelligence typically do well in school, often earn more
money, and tend to be healthier in general.
But today experts recognize that cognitive intelligence is not the only determining factor of life success.
Instead, it is part of a complex range of influences-one that includes emotional intelligence. Many companies now
provide emotional intelligence training and use emotional intelligence tests as part of the hiring process. Research
has found that individuals with strong leadership potential also tend to be more emotionally intelligent, suggesting
that high emotional intelligence is an important equality for business leaders and managers. According to a survey
of hiring managers, almost 75% of the responders suggested that they valued an employee’s emotional intelligence
more than his cognitive intelligence.
Now that emotional intelligence is so important, can it be taught or strengthened? According to one meta-
analysis that looked at the results of social and emotional learning programmes, the answer to that question is
definitely yes. Strategies for teaching emotional intelligence include character education, modeling positive
behaviours, encouraging people to think about how others are feeling, and finding ways to be more empathetic(感
同身受的)towards others.All in all, life success is a result of many factors. Both cognitive intelligence and emotional intelligence play
roles in overall success, as well as health, wellness, and happiness. Rather than focusing on which factors have a
prior influence, the greatest benefit may lie in learning to improve skills in multiple areas. In addition to
strengthening cognitive abilities, such as memory and mental focus, you can also acquire and improve social and
emotional skills.
29．What can we know about people with book smarts?
A．They can debate with other people.
B．They can deal with various situations.
C．They can be outstanding in academic research.
D．They can be good at gaining real life experience.
30．Why does the author mention the data in Paragraph 3?
A．To indicate the strictness of the hiring process.
B．To prove the importance of emotional intelligence.
C．To explain the result of emotional intelligence tests.
D．To show the influence of cognitive intelligence on success.
31．What can be learned concerning emotional intelligence?
A．Evaluating how others feel. B．One’s extreme behaviours
C．One’s academic performance. D．Controlling others’ emotions.
32．Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?
A．Does book smarts matter? B．Is CI or El more important?
C．What counts most in life? D．Mental health or physical health?
9.（2023年天津市南开中学高三阶段性试卷）
No business would welcome being compared to gambling. Yet that is what is happening to makers of video
games. For years parents have complained that their children are “addicted” to their video games and smartphones.
Today, however, even more doctors are using the term. On January 1 this year, “gaming disorder” — in which
games are played uncontrollably, despite causing harm — gained recognition from the World Health Organization
(WHO).
Are games really addictive? Psychologists have different opinions. Those who don’t think so say that this is
just another moral panic. Similar warnings have been given about television, rock’n’roll, jazz, comic books, novels
and even crossword puzzles, but it turns out that they are not as harmful as expected.
However, supporters argue that game developers have the motivation and the means to design their products tomake them extremely attractive. For one thing, the business- model has changed: In the old days, games were
bought once and for all. But these days, games are free and money is earned from purchases of in-game goods,
which ties playtime directly to revenue (收益). For another, game-makers combine psychological theory and data,
which helps them maximize the playtime. Smartphones and modern video game machines use their permanent
Internet connections to send gameplay data back to developers. In this way products are constantly adjusted to
encourage players’ spending. The biggest spenders are known as “whales”, a term that originated in casinos (赌场).
The gaming industry should realize that, in the real world, it has a problem, and that problem is growing. Now
that gaming addiction comes with an official WHO recognition, diagnoses will become more common. Anyway,
being put together with gambling in the public mind, fairly or not, will not do the industry any good.
33．What do we know from Paragraph 1?
A．It is not suitable to compare video games to gambling.
B．Parents complain about their children’s addiction to gambling.
C．Gaming addiction was officially recognized as a disease.
D．More doctors are against the use of the term “addicted”.
34．What does the underlined words “moral panic” in Paragraph 2 mean?
A．Unexpected addiction caused by science and technology.
B．Wrong judgment on how harmful something is.
C．Trouble caused by someone’s immoral behavior.
D．An astonishing claim of the unexpected panic.
35．What do games developers do to make games attractive?
A．They don’t charge players for in-game goods.
B．They keep players’ video game machines updated.
C．They reward big spenders with a unique title.
D．They adjust products based on received data.
36．In the last paragraph, the author aims to _______.
A．offer a suggestion
B．make a prediction
C．give a warning
D．put forward a solution
37．What is the best title for the text?
A．Addiction: A Warning to the Gaming IndustryB．Addiction: Not a Blame on Games
C．Games: A New Kind of Gambling
D．Games: The Cause of Mental Disorder
10.（2023年哈尔滨师范大学附属中学高三试题）
Even though people have been disabled playing sports like rugby and football, extreme sports take the whole
ordeal (磨难) to the next level. Sports like downhill cycling are very dangerous because one would be going
downhill, over rocky or dirt zones, through forests, even at potentially deadly speeds. A slip-up could be your
downfall.
Nobody who gets into extreme sports goes with the desire to do harm to themselves. With that, athletes train
for years and years before they attempt anything extreme. To most people, extreme sports are extreme simply
because they take more skill than what an average person has. An athlete with skill and training makes an extreme
thing become a daily routine, which does not wipe out the danger, but greatly reduces it.
Even when there is a lot of skill involved, things might not go the athlete’s way, not at all. Luck and
circumstances have a lot to do with how things develop, whether above 8, 000 meters or in a wood, going downhill.
In some places, crossing the street is an extreme sport, considering how wild traffic can get.
Some view parkour, the sports of running, jumping and climbing under, around and through buildings, as an
extreme sport, while it is more of a life philosophy, where the athlete does not have to do anything remotely
dangerous. Free soloing, which means climbing a rock or ice face without safety gear, is absolutely deadly, where
one slip means almost certain death, depending on the height, of course. Skateboarding is relatively safe, but if you
constantly find ridiculous places to practice on, like the fence of a bridge, then things can get very complicated. The
extreme part depends on the athlete.
To summarize, yes, extreme sports are dangerous, but the danger depends on the athlete, their choice of sport,
direction in which they take it, as well as the circumstances. Some things are out of our control, while others we can
influence through exercise and healthier risk choices.
38．What does Paragraph 2 mainly talk about regarding extreme sports?
A．Extreme sports differ from one another.
B．Skill matters a lot in maintaining safety.
C．Athletes’ luck is a key factor that influences safety.
D．Extreme sports are more dangerous than regular sports.
39．Why are several extreme sports listed in Paragraph 4?A．To explain danger depends on the athlete.
B．To show free soloing is the most dangerous.
C．To compare which one involves the most skill.
D．To demonstrate how to choose an extreme sport.
40．What is the author’s attitude towards the danger of extreme sports?
A．Objective. B．Doubtful.
C．Intolerant. D．Unconcerned.
41．Which of the following is the best title of the text?
A．Do Extreme Sports Test Your Courage?
B．Why Should Extreme Sports Be Banned?
C．Are Extreme Sports Really That Dangerous?
D．Why Do We Take to Extreme Sports So Much?
11.（2023年北京市第四中学高三保温测试试卷）
The term “labor shortage” was Googled more in May. Headline after headline has cited wage rises and
bonuses that seem to make it a job hunter’s market.
The concept sounds simple —American companies must be struggling to find the employees they need. Yet
some labor economists would argue the picture isn’t complete. Employers are unable to find the workers they want
at the wages they’re willing to pay. Failing to appreciate this distinction could lead to policy errors down the road.
The laws of supply and demand should make spotting labor shortages relatively straightforward. When there
aren’t enough workers, employers pay more to get them and wages go up.
Yet quickening wage growth isn’t the only mark of a shortage. The sign is seeing this trend alongside stalling
(停滞) job growth. Just look at what’s been happening in the leisure and hotel industry, among the most bruised by
the COVID-19 shutdown. After jobs almost disappeared during the pandemic, we’re starting to see a rebound: In
May, the industry created 292, 000 jobs, far outpacing other corners of the economy. Meanwhile, average weekly
earnings have been rising faster. In other words, the market is working to resolve a shortage: When employers lift
wages, they’re able to attract the employees they need. Yet, the industry wages are only just meeting pre-COVID
levels; they are not too high.
To assess a shortage accurately, though, you need to look beyond industries to specific locations and
occupations. The taxicab queuing model was used to address the debate about a shortage of workers in engineering.
Employers and job openings can be thought of as taxis, while workers are a line of waiting passengers. Dependingon your location, there may be a long line of taxis (say, at the airport), or on the contrary a long line of passengers
(at a hotel). Demand for chemistry engineers in Texas, for example, is different from chemistry engineers in
Massachusetts.
The bottom line is that, in the market, shortages are not universal. Simultaneous shortages and surpluses can
come to the force across the economy at any given point, which is why broad-brush policies can be
counterproductive.
42．What does May’s rebound jobs in the leisure and hotel industry tell us?
A．The leisure and hotel industry is doing a very successful business.
B．Rapid wage growth connects with stalling employment growth.
C．The economy recovered quickly after the COVID-19.
D．Employees are eager to work after the COVID-19.
43．Why does the author mention “The taxicab queuing model” in paragraph 5?
A．To explain an opinion. B．To clarify a concept.
C．To present a fact. D．To make a prediction.
44．Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?
A．Job market is expected to be stronger
B．Take wisdom to assess labor shortages
C．Competitors are eager to keep talent
D．Let the market fix labor shortages
12.（2023年天津市耀华中学高三年级第二次模拟考试英语试题）
Machines work well at a constant speed—and the faster the better. They are designed and built for it. Whether
they are spinning cotton or dealing with numbers, regular, repetitive actions are what they excel at.
Increasingly, our world is being designed by machines, for machines. We adapt to machines and hold
ourselves to their standards: People are judged by the speed with which they respond, not the quality of their
response. Such ideas are being woven into our culture. “Always on” becomes something to boast of, or aspire to.
Most of us are busy most of the time, if not with work then with family, domestic tasks or our social networks
—real and virtual. When I ask people how they are doing, they almost always answer “busy”. Ticking things off
the “to do” list becomes a means of defining ourselves.
A few years ago, I became very interested in what it means to pause. I started to notice where pauses show up
in my own work and life. For example, I realized that when I was writing, a short walk was a more effective way to
break a creative block than concentrating harder.I realized that a pause is not nothing. It acts as a kind of switch or opening. As Helene Simonsen, a classical
musician, says, “Whatever you are doing, if you want something else to happen, you need to pause.” It is not a
fixed unit of time. It might be taking a moment before you enter a room, but it could also be a “screen-free
Saturday”, a “Think Week” every two years (which works for Bill Gates) or a year-long vacation. However fast you
are moving, there is always the chance to pause—to rest, reflect or refresh of course, but also to appreciate, get
perspective, connect to others, or have new ideas.
There is more to life than getting things done. Time, as we experience it, varies wildly. A minute eating ice-
cream is not the same as a minute doing push-ups. Even time itself isn’t a uniform raw material—as the physics of
Einstein shows. Try to let go of the idea that time is linear (直线型), regular and objective, and think of it in the
same way we experience it. Instead of setting work and life against each other, use pauses to leaven (为增色) your
experience. Pause is like yeast (酵母): you don’t need much, but it is a vital ingredient.
I want to give pauses more visibility, importance and status. My hope is that each of us can use pauses, great
and small, to avoid sliding into a mode where we act like poorly performing machines.
45．What can we learn from the first two paragraphs?
A．The widespread use of machines has destroyed our life.
B．People have become quite obsessed with response speed.
C．People always get pleasure from competing with machines.
D．It’s difficult for people to adapt to a highly mechanized life.
46．The underlined phrase “Ticking things off the ‘to do’ list” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ________.
A．learning to slow down
B．concentrating on one thing
C．selecting what we should do
D．getting things done one by one
47．According to the author, how does taking a pause benefit us in a busy life?
A．It makes your life dynamic and delightful.
B．It improves our working efficiency greatly.
C．It helps develop interpersonal connections.
D．It enables people to do what they want to do.
48．Which of the following statements best sums up the author’s understanding of time?
A．Time can never get returned.
B．Time exists in the form of lines.C．Time is precious that we all need to cherish.
D．Time is what everyone experiences uniquely.
49．What message does the author want to convey about “pauses” at the end of the passage?
A．They are useless if taken for short periods of time.
B．They are for those who have too much spare time.
C．They play a vital role in our well-being and creativity.
D．They bring harm to our ability to perform efficiently.
13.（2023届山东省烟台市高三二模英语试题）
“I know when to go out, and when to stay in.”, English rock star David Bowie once confidently sang in his hit
single. When it comes to consuming food, the decisiveness claimed by the singer-songwriter is hard to achieve. I
disagree with the statement and argue it’s better to eat out than to order home delivery.
To begin with, when setting foot in a restaurant, we’re immediately greeted not only by a server ready to seat
us, but by a flood of physical feelings—the eyes take in the internal decoration of the place, the nose breathes in the
pleasant smell of expertly plated food and the ears pick up on competing sounds of customer chatter and attractive
in-store music. To eat out is to experience an atmosphere unique to each restaurant. Something as special as that
simply can’t be reproduced by ordering home delivery. Eating out is, without doubt, the more exciting and thus
better choice.
Eating out becomes even more appealing when staying home proves too painful. Whether it is because we
need a temporary fight from our family or that we simply want to spend some quality time outside with loved ones,
going out for a meal can be a break from the hard labour of domestic living.
We could take it as an opportunity for self-care—to treat ourselves by dressing up, arriving in style at a fancy
restaurant and ordering a slightly more luxurious meal to refresh our weary soul. Ordering home delivery would
only contribute to feelings of being penned in while; eating out is an escape for the trapped individual. Food
delivery app users reason it’s a trouble and less convenient to dress up and eat out.
However, it’s worth noting we may not always get our food in the most satisfactory condition when opting for
home delivery. There’s a risk of receiving food orders with missing items or even entirely wrong orders that can’t
be sent back. What we sacrifice for convenience might just wind up being inconvenient. Consequently, it makes
more sense to eat out rather than risk disappointment by ordering home delivery.
50．What does the author mainly talk about?
A．Dining options. B．Cuisine culture.C．Consumption level. D．Food categories.
51．What advantage of eating out is highlighted in paragraph 2?
A．Quality service. B．Comfort and convenience.
C．Sensory enjoyment. D．A reasonable mix of nutrition.
52．What does the author think of ordering home delivery?
A．It’s quite pricey. B．It may let consumers down.
C．It may cause food waste. D．It’s not environmental-friendly.
53．How is the text developed?
A．By providing examples. B．By following space order.
C．By making comparisons. D．By analyzing mental processes.
14.（2023年山东省淄博市高三试题）
There is no universally accepted age that is considered old among or within societies. Often disagreements
exist as to what age a society may consider old and what members in that society of that age and older may
consider old. Moreover, biologists are not in agreement about the existence of an internal biological cause foraging.
In general the social status of an age group is related to its effective influence in its society, which is associated
with that group’s function in productivity. In agricultural societies the elderly have a status of respectability. Their
life experiences and knowledge are regarded as valuable, especially in preliterate (尚无文字的) societies where
knowledge is orally transmitted. The range of activities in these societies allows the elderly to continue to be
productive members of their communities.
In industrialized nations, although in certain fields old age is still considered significant, particularly in the
political field, older people are increasingly being forced into retirement before their productive years are over,
causing problems in their psychological adaptations to old age. Retirement is not regarded unfavorably in all
instances, but its economic limitations tend to further remove older people from the range of influence and raise
problems in the extended use of leisure time and housing. As a consequence, financial preparation for retirement
has become an increased concern for individuals and society.
Familial relationships tend to be the focus of the elderly’s attention. However, the tendency for young people
in industrialized countries to be highly mobile has forced older people to decide whether to move to keep up with
their families or to remain in neighborhoods which also change, altering their familiar patterns of activity. Although
most older people do live within an hour from their closest child, industrialized societies are faced with
formulating programs to accommodate increasing numbers of older people who function independently of theirfamilies. Adult education programs are beginning to close the generation gap; however, as each successive
generation reaches old age, bringing with it its particular tendencies and preferences, new problems arise requiring
new social accommodations.
54．What counts for the elderly in agricultural societies?
A．Their status of respectability. B．Their value in productivity.
C．Their rich knowledge in education. D．Their extraordinary ability to work.
55．What can we learn about the elderly’s retirement from Paragraph 3?
A．It has faded the elderly worries.
B．It means the end of productive ability.
C．It is considered beneficial in all distances.
D．It influences the elderly psychologically and financially.
56．What does the underlined word “formulating” in Paragraph 4 mean?
A．Planning. B．Changing.
C．Extending. D．Canceling.
57．Where is this text probably taken from?
A．A personal journal. B．A science research.
C．A social issue review. D．A community brochure.
15.（2023年山东省实验中学高三二模英语试题）
Danone Portugal introduced a new yogurt named Juntos. For every pack of yogurt that a person bought, he
would donate yogurt to a family in need. Danone had done its research. Increasingly, people say they want to buy
from brands that give them a sense of purpose. Surely a yogurt that helped the needy would be appealing. But
Juntos was a failure. Despite sinking millions into a marketing campaign, Danone pulled Juntos from the market
only months after it was launched. Now the same product is simply marketed as a tasty yogurt.
What happened? To find the reason behind Juntos’ failure, Lawrence Williams and his colleagues did an
experiment where they showed people some products and asked these people to pick one option. They reminded
some to focus on the “purposeful and valuable” aspect while others were told to “enjoy themselves” and focus on
“delight and pleasure.” They found that participants who prioritized meaning preferred the less expensive product
when compared with people who put pleasure in the first place.
So why were meaning-seekers cheaping out? Lawrence Williams asked participants to explain their decision-
making to find out. He learned that meaning-oriented people were not thinking about how the product they mightbuy could bring meaning to their lives. Instead, they were occupied with what else they could do with their money.
I am all for people making wise and strategic financial choices. But cheap products can create many problems.
Inexpensive options often do not last as long as the higher-end ones. As a result, we shop more often, which is
ultimately worse for our wallets. Plus, that spending pattern can do a greater damage to the environment. Thanks in
part to fast fashion, people buy 60 percent more clothing today than they did 15 years ago. The fashion industry
alone emits more greenhouse gases than international flights and maritime (海洋的) shipping combined.
So before you dive into your wallet for some deals, try not to fix only on what you are spending or saving.
Think carefully about what you are buying, too.
58．What is the main reason for the failure of Juntos?
A．It ignored marketing strategies. B．It priced itself relatively high.
C．It lacked a particularly good taste. D．It focused on delight and pleasure.
59．What can be inferred about meaning seekers?
A．They frequent high-end stores. B．They think products extend their lives.
C．They hesitate to make decisions. D．They make more purchases with money.
60．How is Paragraph 4 mainly developed?
A．By giving some examples. B．By listing numbers and data.
C．By explaining reasons. D．By making some comparisons.
61．Which is the most suitable title for the text?
A．Innovation: a Product’s Life B．To Buy or not to Buy
C．Meaning seekers or Quality-pursuers D．Fast Fashion: a Hit to Your Wallet
