专题22 科普类说明文阅读理解
(2010﹒安徽﹒阅读理解B)
Have you ever wondered?
1.
Why do airplanes take longer to fly west than east?
It can take five hours to go west-east from New York(NY) to London bur seven hours to travel east-west
from London to NY. The reason for the difference is an atmospheric phenomenon known as the jet( 喷射)
stream. The jet stream is a very high altitude wind which always blows from the west to the east across the
Atlantic. The planes moving at a constant air speed thus go faster in the west-east direction when they are
moving with the wind than in the opposite direction.
2.
What would happen if the gravity on Earth was suddenly turned off?
Supposing we could magically turn off gravity. Would buildings and other structures( 建筑物) float
away? What happened would depend on how strongly the things were attached to the Earth. The Earth
is moving at quite a speed, moving at over a thousand miles per hours. If you turn something around
your head on a string（细绳）, it goes around in a circle until you let go of the string. Then it flies off in
a straight line. ‘Switching off’ gravity would be like letting go of the string. Things not attached to the
Earth would fly off in a straight line. People in buildings would suddenly shoot upwards at a great speed
until they hit the ceiling. Most things outside would fly off into space.
60.What information can we get from the first passage?
A.It is jet stream that affects how fast airplanes fly
B.Planes go slower when they are moving with the wind
C.It takes more time to fly from NY to London than from London to NY
D.The yet stream always blows from the east to the west across the Atlantic
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61.The word”shoot”underline in the 2nd passage probably means “ ”
A.send for B.move quickly C.come out D.grrow quickly
62.It can be inferred that without gravity .
A.buildings and other structures would float away
B.trees and buildings would not easily fly off
C.something around your head would not fly away
D.everything outside buildings would fly off into space
63.Where can we most probably read in the text
A.In a reseach paper B.In a short story
C.In a travel magazine D.In a student’s book
(2010﹒江苏﹒阅读理解D)
Imagine，one day，getting out of bed in Beijing and being at your office in Shanghai in only a couple of
hours，and then，after a full day of work，going back home to Beijing and having dinner there．
Sounds unusual，doesn't it? But it's not that unrealistic，with the development of China’s high—speed
railway system ．And that’s not a11 ．China has an even greater high—speed railway plan—to connect the
country with Southeast Asia，and eventually Eastern Europe．
China is negotiating to extend its own high·-speed railway network to up to 17 countries in 1 0 to 15
years，eventually reaching London and Singapore．
China has proposed three such projects ．The first would possibly connect Kunming with Singapore via
Vietnam and Malaysia ．Another could start in Urumqi and go through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan ，and
possibly to Germany．The third would start in the northeast and go north through Russia and then into Western
Europe．
If China’s plan for the high-speed railway goes forward，people could zip over from London to Beiling in
under two days．
The new system would still follow China’s high—speed railway standard．And the trains would be able to
go 346 kilometers an hour，almost as fast as some airplanes．
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China’s bullet train(高速客车)，the one connecting Wuhan to Guangzhou，already has the World’s fastest
average speed．It covers 1,069 kilometers in about three hours．
Of course，there are some technical challenges to overcome．There are so many issues that need to be
settled，such as safety，rail gauge(轨距)，maintenance of railway tracks．So，it’s important to pay attention
to every detail．
But the key issue is really money ．China is already spending hundreds of billions of yuan on domestic
railway expansion．
China prefers that the other countries pay in natural resources rather than with capital investment ．
Resources from those countries could stream into China to sustain development．
It’11 be a win-win project. For other countries ，the railway network will definitely create more
opportunities for business ，tourism and so on ，not to mention the better communication among those
countnes．
For China，such a project would not only connect it with the rest of Asia and bring some much-needed
resources，but would also help develop China’s far west．We foresee that in the coming decades，millions of
people will migrate to the western regions，where the land is empty and resources unused．With high-speed
trains，people will set up factories and business centers in the west once and for a11．And they’11 trade with
Central Asian and Eastern European countries．
67．China’s new high-speed railway plan will be a win-win project because ．
A．China will get much-needed resources and develop its western regions
B．China and the countries involved will benefit from the project in various ways
C．China will develop its railway system and communication with other countries
D． the foreign countries involved will develop their railway transportation，business and tourism
68．According to the passage，the greatest challenge to the new high-speed railway plan is ．
A．technical issues
B．safety of the systemC．financial problems
D．maintenance of railway tracks
69．Which of the following words best describes the author’s attitude towards China’s high-speed railway plan?
A．Critical． B．Reserved． C．Doubtful D. Positive．
70．Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?
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A．New Railway Standards
B．Big Railway Dreams
C．High—speed Bullet Trains
D．International Railway Network
(2010﹒全国卷Ⅰ﹒阅读理解C)
Along the river banks of the Amazon and the Orinoco there lives a bird that swims before it can fly, flies like a fat
chicken, eats green leaves, has the stomach of a cow and has claws( 爪)on its wings when young .They build
their homes about 4.6m above the river ,an important feature(特征)for the safety of the young. It is called the
hoatzin.
In appearance，the birds of both sexes look very much alike with brown on the back and cream and red on
the underside .The head is small, with a large set of feathers on the top, bright red eyes, and blue skin. Its
nearest relatives are the common birds, cuckoos. Its most striking feature ,though, is only found in the young.
Baby hoatzins have a claw on the leading edge of each wing and another at the end of each wing tip .Using
these four claws ,together with the beak( 喙),they can climb about in the bushes, looking very much like
primitive birds must have done. When the young hoatzins have learned to fly ,they lose their claws.
During the drier months between December and March hoatzins fly about the forest in groups of 20 to 30 birds,
but in April, when the rainy season begins, they collect together in smaller living units of two to seven birds for
producing purposes.
63．What is the text mainly about?
A．Hoatzins in dry and rainy seasons.
B．The relatives and enemies of hoatzins.
C．Primitive birds and hoatzins of the Amazon.
D．The appearance and living habits of hoatzins.
64．Young hoatzins are different from their parents in that ．
A．they look like young cuckoos
B．they have claws on the wings
C．they eat a lot like a cow
D．they live on river banks
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65．What can we infer about primitive birds from the text?
A．They had claws to help them climb.
B．They could fly long distances.
C．They had four wings like hoatzins.
D．They had a head with long feathers on the top.
66．Why do hoatzins collect together in smaller groups when the rainy season comes?
A．To find more food.
B．To protect themselves better.
C．To keep themselves warm.
D．To produce their young.
(2010﹒湖南﹒阅读理解C)
People from East Asia tend to have more difficulty than those from Europe in distinguishing facial
expressions — and a new report published online in Current Biology explains why.
Rachael Jack, University of Glasgow researcher, said that rather than scanning evenly(均匀的) across a face
as Westerners do, Easterners fix their attention on the eyes.
"We show that Easterners and Westerners look at different face features to read facial expressions," Jack
said. "Westerners look at the eyes and the mouth in equal measure, whereas Easterners favor the eyes and
neglect (忽略) the mouth."
According to Jack and her colleagues, the discovery shows that human communication of emotion is more
complex than previously believed. As a result, facial expressions that had been considered universally
recognizable cannot be used to reliably convey emotion in cross-cultural situations.
The researchers studied cultural differences in the recognition of facial expressions by recording the eye
movements of 13 Western Caucasian and 13 East Asian people while they observed pictures of. expressive
faces and put them into categories: happy, sad, surprised, fearful, disgusted, angry, or neutral. They compared
how accurately participants read those facial expressions using their particular eye movement strategies.
It turned out that Easterners focused much greater attention on the eyes and made significantly more errors
than did Westerners. "The cultural difference in eye movements that they show is probably a reflection of
cultural difference in facial expressions," Jack said. "Our data suggest that whereas Westerners use the whole
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face to convey emotion, Easterners use the eyes more and mouth less."
In short, the data show that facial expressions are not universal signals of human emotion. From here on,
examining how cultural factors have diversified these basic social skills will help our understanding of human
emotion. Otherwise, when it comes to communicating emotions across cultures, Easterners and Westerners will
find themselves lost in translation.
66. The discovery shows that Westerners
.
A. pay equal attention to the eyes and the mouth
B. consider facial expressions universally reliable
C. observe the eyes and the mouth in different ways
D. have more difficulty in recognizing facial expressions
67. What were the people asked to do in the study?
A. To make a face at each other.
B. To get their faces impressive.
C. To classify some face pictures.
D. To observe the researchers' faces.
68. What does the underlined word "they" in Paragraph 6 refer to?
A. The participants in the study.
B. The researchers of the study.
C. The errors made during the study.
D. The data collected from the study.
69. In comparison with Westerners, Easterners are likely to
.
A. do translation more successfully
B. study the mouth more frequently
C. examine the eyes more attentively
D. read facial expressions more correctly
70. What can be the best title for the passage?
A. The Eye as the Window to the Soul
B. Cultural Differences in Reading Emotions
C. Effective Methods to Develop Social Skills
D. How to Increase Cross-cultural Understanding
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(2010﹒江西﹒阅读理解D)
Modern inventions have speeded up people’s loves amazingly. Motor-cars cover a hundred
miles in little more than an hour, aircraft cross the world inside a day, while computers
operate at lightning speed. Indeed, this love of speed seems never-ending. Every year
motor-cars are produced which go even faster and each new computer boats (吹嘘) of saving
precious seconds in handling tasks.
All this saves time, but at a price. When we lose or gain half a day in speeding across the
world in an airplane, our bodies tell us so. We get the uncomfortable feeling known as
jet-lag; our bodies feel that they have been left behind on another time zone. Again,
spending too long at computers results in painful wrists and fingers. Mobile phones also
have their dangers, according to some scientist; too much use may transmit harmful
radiation into our brains, a consequence we do not like to think about.
However, what do we do with the time we have saved? Certainly not relax, or so it seems. We
are so accustomed constant activity that we find it difficult to sit and do nothing or even
just one thing at a time. Perhaps the days are long gone when we might listen quietly to a
story on the radio, letting imagination take us into another world.
There was a time when some people’s lives were devoted simply to the cultivation of the
land or the care of cattle. No multi-tasking there; their lives went on at a much gentler
pace, and in a familiar pattern. There is much that we might envy about a way of life like
this. Yet before we do so, we must think of the hard tasks our ancestor faced: they farmed
with bare hands, often lived close to hunger, and had to fashion tools from wood and stone.
Modern machinery has freed people from that primitive existence.
68. The new products become more and more time-saving because .
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A. our love of speed seems never-ending
B. time is limited.
C. the prices are increasingly high.
D. the manufactures boast a lot.
69. What does “the days” in Paragraph 3 refer to ?
A. Imaginary life B. Simple life in the past.
C. Times of inventions D. Time for constant activity.
70. What is the author’s attitude towards the modern technology?
A. Critical B. Objective. C. Optimistic. D. Negative.
71. What does the passage mainly discuss?
A. The present and past times.
B. Machinery and human beings.
C. Imaginations and inventions.
D. Modern technology and its influence.
(2010﹒辽宁﹒阅读理解C)
Too much TV-watching can harm children’s ability to learn and even reduce their chances of
getting a college degree, new studies suggest in the latest effort to examine the effects of television
on children.
One of the studies looked at nearly 400 northern California third-graders. Those with TVs in their
bedrooms scored about eight points lower on math and language arts tests than children without
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bedroom TVs.
A second study ,looking at nearly 1000 grown-ups in New Zealand, found lower education levels
among 26-year –olds who had watched lots of TV during childhood. But the results don’t prove that
TV is the cause and don't ride out that already poorly motivated youngsters (年轻人）may watch
lots of TV.
Their study measured the TV habits of 26-year-olds between ages5 and 15. These with college
degrees had watch an average of less than two hours of TV per week night during childhood,
compared with an average of more than 2 1/2 hours for those who had no education beyond high
school.
In the California study, children with TVs in their rooms but no computer at home scored the
lowest while those with no bedroom TV but who had home computers scored the highest.
While this study does not prove that bedroom TV sets caused the lower scores, it adds to
accumulating findings that children shouldn't have TVs in their bedrooms
64. According to the California study, the low-scoring group might _________.
A. have watched a lot of TV
B. not be interested ted in math
C. be unable to go to college
D. have had computers in their bedrooms
65. What is the researchers' understanding of the New Zealand study results?
A. Poorly motivated 26-year-olds watch more TV.
B. Habits of TV watching reduce learning interest.
C. TV watching leads to lower education levels of the 15-year-olds.
D. The connection between TV and education levels is difficult to explain
66. What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?
A. More time should be spent on computers.
B. Children should be forbidden from watching TV.
C. 'IV sets shouldn't be allowed in children's bedrooms,
D. Further studies on high-achieving students should be done
67. What would be the best title for this text?
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A. Computers or Television
B. Effects of Television on Children
C. Studies on TV and College Education
D. Television and Children's Learning Habits
(2010﹒山东﹒阅读理解D)
Batteries can power anything from small sensors to large systems. While scientists are finding
ways to make them smaller but even more powerful, problems can arise when these batteries are
much larger and heavier than the devices themselves. University of Missouri(MU) researchers are
developing a nuclear energy source that is smaller, lighter and more efficient.
“To provide enough power, we need certain methods with high energy density(密度)”，said
Jae Kwon, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at MU. “The radioisotope(放
射性同位素) battery can provide power density that is much higher than chemical batteries.”
Kwon and his research team have been working on building a small nuclear battery, presently
the size and thickness of a penny, intended to power various micro / nanoelectromechanreal
systems (M/NEMS). Although nuclear batteries can cause concerns, Kwon said they are safe.
“People hear the word ‘nuclear’ and think of something very dangerous,” he said, “However,
nuclear power sources have already been safely powering a variety of devices, such as pace-
makers, space satellites and underwater systems.”
His new idea is not only in the battery’s size, but also in its semiconductor(半导体). Kwon’s
battery uses a liquid semiconductor rather than a solid semiconductor.
“The key part of using a radioactive battery is that when you harvest the energy, part of the
radiation energy can damage the lattice structure(晶体结构) of the solid semiconductor,” Kwon
said, “By using a liquid semiconductor, we believe we can minimize that problem.”
Together with J. David Robertson, chemistry professor and associate director of the MU
Research Reactor, Kwon is working to build and test the battery. In the future, they hope to
increase the battery’s power, shrink its size and try with various other materials. Kwon said that
battery could be thinner than the thickness of human hair.
71. Which of the following is true of Jae Kwon?
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A. He teaches chemistry at MU.
B. He developed a chemical battery.
C. He is working on a nuclear energy source.
D. He made a breakthrough in computer engineering.
72. Jae Kwon gave examples in Paragraph 4_________.
A. to show chemical batteries are widely applied.
B. to introduce nuclear batteries can be safely used.
C. to describe a nuclear-powered system.
D. to introduce various energy sources.
73. Liquid semiconductor is used to _________.
A. get rid of the radioactive waste
B. test the power of nuclear batteries.
C. decrease the size of nuclear batteries
D. reduce the damage to lattice structure.
74. According to Jae Kwon, his nuclear battery _______.
A. uses a solid semiconductor
B. will soon replace the present ones.
C. could be extremely thin
D. has passed the final test.
75. The text is most probably a ________.
A. science news report B. book review
C. newspaper ad D. science fiction story
(2010﹒上海﹒阅读理解C)
The 2012 London Olympics had enough problems to worry about. But one more has just been
added - a communications blackout caused by solar storms.
After a period of calm within the Sun, scientists have detected the signs of a flesh
cycle of sunspots that could peak in 2012, just in time for the arrival of the Olympic
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torch in London.
Now scientists believe that this peak could result in vast solar explosions that could
throw billions of tons of charged matter towards the Earth, causing strong solar storms
that could jam the telecommunications satellites and interact links sending five Olympic
broadcast from London.
"The Sun's activity has a strong influence on the Earth. The Olympics could be in the
middle of the next solar maximum which could affect the functions of communications
satellites," said Professor Richard Harrison, head of space physics at the Rutherford
Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire.
At the peak of the cycle, violent outbursts called coronal mass ejections (日冕物质抛
射) occur in the Sun's atmosphere, throwing out great quantities of electrically-charged
matter. " A coronal mass ejection can carry a billion tons of solar material into space at
over a million kilometres per hour. Such events can expose astronauts to a deadly
amount, can disable satellites, cause power failures on Earth and disturb communications,"
Professor Harrison added. The risk is greatest during a solar maximum when there is the
greatest number of sunspots.
Next week in America, NASA is scheduled to launch a satellite for monitoring solar
activity called the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), which will take images of the Sun
that are 10 times clearer than the most advanced televisions available.
The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory helped to make the high-tech cameras that will
capture images of the solar flares (太阳耀斑) and explosions as they occur.
Professor Richard Hold away, the lab's director, said that the SDO should be able to
provide early warning of a solar flare or explosion big enough to affect satellite
communications on Earth "If we have advance warning, we'll be able to reduce the damage.
What you don't want is things switching off for a week with no idea of what's caused the
problem," he said.
72. The phrase "communications blackout" in paragraph 1 most probably refers to during
the 2012 Olympics.
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A. the extinguishing of the Olympic torch
B. the collapse of broadcasting systems
C. the transportation breakdown in London
D. the destruction of weather satellites
73. What can be inferred about the solar activity described in the passage?
A. The most fatal matter from the corona falls onto Earth.
B. The solar storm peak occurs in the middle of each cycle.
C. It takes several seconds for the charged matter to reach Earth.
D. The number of sunspots declines after coronal mass ejections.
74. According to the passage, NASA will launch a satellite to _________.
A. take images of the solar system B. provide early warning of thunderstorms
C. keep track of solar activities D. improve the communications on Earth
75. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?
A. Solar Storms: An Invisible Killer
B. Solar Storms: Earth Environment in Danger
C. Solar Storms: Threatening the Human Race
D. Solar Storms: Human Activities to Be Troubled
(2010﹒浙江﹒阅读理解C)
The term “multitasking” originally referred to a computer’s ability to carry out several tasks at
one time. For many people, multitasking has become a way of life and even a key to success. In
fact, some excellent mental aerobic exercises (大脑训练) involve engaging the brain in two or more
challenging activities at a time. Although checking e-mail while talking on a phone and reading the
newspaper may be second nature for some people, many times multitasking can make us less
productive, rather than more. And studies show that too much multitasking can lead to increased
stress, anxiety and memory loss.
In order to multitask, the brain uses an area known as the prefrontal cortex (前额叶脑皮层).
Brian scans of volunteers performing multiple tasks together show that as they shift from task to
task, this front part of the brain actually takes a moment of rest between tasks. You may have
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experienced a prefrontal cortex “moment of rest” yourself if you’ve ever dialed (拨电话) a phone
number and suddenly forgotten who you dialed when the line is answered. What probably
occurred is that between the dialing and the answering, your mind shifted to anther thought or
task, and then took that “ moment” to come back. Research has also shown that for many
volunteers, job efficiency (效率) declines while multitasking, as compared to when they perform
only one task at a time.
Multitasking is easiest when at least one of the tasks is habitual, or requires little thought.
Most people don’t find it difficult to eat and read the newspaper at the same time. However,
when two or more attention-requiring tasks are attempted at one time, people sometimes make
mistakes.
We often don’t remember things as well when we’re trying to manage several details at the
same time. Without mental focus, we may not pay enough attention to new information coming in,
so it never makes it into our memory stores. That is one of the main reasons we forget people’s
names---even sometimes right after they have introduced themselves. Multitasking can also affect
our relationships. If someone checks their e-mail while on the phone with a friend, they may come off as
absent-minded or disinterested. It can also cause that person to miss or overlook key information
being passed on to them.
49. Why are some mental aerobic exercises designed to engage people in multitasking?
A. To make them more productive. B. To reduce their stress and anxiety.
C. To develop their communication skills. D. To help them perform daily tasks more easily.
50. According to Paragraph 2, why may a person suddenly forget who has called?
A. He may leave his prefrontal cortex temporarily damaged.
B. He is probably interrupted by another task.
C. He is probably not very familiar with the person he has called.
D. He may need a rest between dialing and speaking.
51. People tend to make mistake when ____.
A. they perform several challenging tasks at a time.
B. new messages are processed one after another
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C. their relationships with others are affected
D. the tasks require little thought
52. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Multitasking has become a way of life.
B. Multitasking often leads to efficiency decline.
C. Multitasking exercises need to be improved.
D. Multitasking enables people to remember things better.
(2011﹒陕西﹒阅读理解D)
Ever since they were first put on the market in the early 1990s, gentically mondified (GM, 转基因) foods
have been increasingly developed and marketed in many countries in the word,mainly on the basis of their
promise to end the worldwide food crisis. But can GM technology solve world hunger problems? Even if it would
,is it the best solutiorr?
Despite what it promiises,GM technology actually has not increased the production potential of any corp. In
fact
Studies show that the most crown GM croo.
GM soybeans, has suffered reduced productivity. For instance, a report than analysed nearly two decades of
research on mojor GM food crops shows that GM engineering has failed to significantly increase US crop
production.
Something else, however, has been on the rise, While GM seeds are expensive, GM companics tell farmers
that they will make good profits by saving money on pesticides（杀虫剂）. On the contrary, US government
data show that GM crops in the US have produced an overall increase in pesticide use compared to traditional
crops. “ The promise was that you could use less chemicals and boost production. But nether is true,” said Bill
Christison, President of the US National Farm Coalition.
At the same time, the authors of the book World Hunger: Twelve Myths argue that there actually is more
than enough food in the world and that the hunger crisis is not caused by production, but by problems in food
distribution and politics. These indeed deserve our efforts and money. Meanwhile, the rise in food prices results
from the increased use of crops for fuel rather than food, according to a 2008 World Bank report.
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As a matter of fact ,scientists see better ways to feed the world. Another World Bank report concluded that
GM crops have little to offer to the challenges of worldwide poverty and hunger, because better ways out are
available, among which “green” farming is supposed to be the first choice.
57.The author develops the second paragraph mainly .
A. by classification B. by comparison
C. by example D. by process
58. What does the underlined word “boost ” in the third paragraph probably mean?
A. Control. B. Evaluate C. Obtain. D. Increase.
59. GM companies promise farmers that they will benefit from ______________.
A. practicing “green” farming B. use of less chemicals
C. fair distribution of their crops D. using more crops for fuel
60. Which of the following best describes the attitude of the author towards GM technology?
A. Optimistic B. Defensive C. Disapproving D. Casual
(2011﹒湖南﹒阅读理解C)
A recent study of ancient and modern elephants has come up with the unexpected conclusion that the
African elephant is divided into two distinct (不同的) species
The discovery was made by researchers at York and Harvard universities when they were examining the genetic
relationship between the ancient woolly mammoth and mastodon to modern elephants—the Asian elephant,
African forest elephant and African savanna elephant
Once they obtained DNA sequences (序列) from two fossils (化石)，mammoths and mastodons the team
compared them with DNA from modern elephants. They found to their amazement that modern forest and
savanna elephants are as distinct from each other as Asian elephants and mammoths.
The scientists used detailed genetic analysis to prove that the African savanna elephants and the African
forest elephants have been distinct species for several million years. The div
e rg
e nce
of the two species took
place around the time of the divergence of Asian elephants and woolly mammoths. This result amazed all the
scientists.
There has long been debate in the scientific community that the two might be separate species but this is
the most convincing scientific evidence so far that they are indeed different species.
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Previously, many naturalists believed that African savanna elephants and African forest elephants were two
populations of the same species despite the elephants’ significant size differences. The savanna elephant has an
average shoulder height of 3.5metres while the forest elephant has an average shoulder height of 2.5metres.
The savanna elephant weighs between six and seven tons, roughly double the weight of the forest elephant. But
the fact that they look so different does not necessarily mean they are different species. However, the proof lay
in the analysis of the DNA.
Alfred Roca, assistant professor in the department of Animal Sciences at the University of Minois, said,
“We now have to treat the forest and savanna elephants as two different units for conservation purpose. Since
1950 all African elephants have been conserved as one species. Now that we know the forest and
savanna elephants are two very distinct animals, the forest elephant should become a bigger priority (优先)for
conservation purpose .”
66. One of the fossils studied by the researchers is that of ________.
A. the Asian elephant B. the forest elephant
C. the savanna elephant D. the mastodon elephant
67. The underlined word “divergence” in paragraph 4means “________”
A. evolution B. exhibition C. separation D. examination
68. The researcher’s conclusion was based on a study of the African elephant’s ____________
A. DNA B. height C. weight D. population
69. What were Alfred Roca’s words mainly about?
A. The conversation of African elephants.
B. The purpose of studying African elephants
C. The way to divide African elephants into two units
D. The reason for the distinction of African elephants
70. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
A. Naturalist’s Belief about Elephants. B. Amazing Experiment about Elephants
C. An Unexpected Finding about Elephants D. A Long scientific Debate about Elephants
(2011﹒江西﹒阅读理解D)
Why should mankind explore space? Why should money, time and effort be spent exploring and
researching something with so few apparent benefits? Why should resources be spent on space rather than on
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conditions and people on Earth? These are questions that, understandably, are very often asked.
Perhaps the best answer lies in our genetic makeup(基因构成) as human beings. What drove our ancestors to
move from the trees into the plains, and on into all possible areas and environments? The wider the spread of a
species, the better its chance of survival. Perhaps the best reason for exploring space is this genetic tendency to
expand wherever possible.
Nearly every successful civilization has explored, because by doing so, any dangers in surrounding areas
can be identified and prepared for. Without knowledge, we may be completely destroyed by the danger. With
knowledge, we can lessen its effects.
Exploration also allows minerals and other potential ( 潜在的) resources to be found. Even if we have no
immediate need of them, they will perhaps be useful later. Resources may be more than physical possessions.
Knowledge or techniques have been acquired through exploration. The techniques may have medical
applications which can improve the length or quality of our lives. We have already benefited from other spin-offs
including improvements in earthquake prediction, in satellites for weather forecasting and in communications
systems. Even non-stick pans and mirrored sunglasses are by-products (副产品) of technological developments
in the space, the chance to save ourselves might not exist.
While many resources are spent on what seems a small return, the exploration of space allows creative,
brave and intelligent members of our species to focus on what may serve to save us. While space may hold many
wonders and explanations of how the universe was formed or how it works, it also holds dangers. The danger
exists, but knowledge can help human being to survive. Without the ability to reach out across space, the chance
to save ourselves might not exist.
While Earth is the only planet known to support life, surely the adaptive ability of humans would allow us to
live on other planets. It is true that the lifestyle would be different, but human life and cultures have adapted in
the past and surely could in the future.
71. Why does the author mention the questions in Paragraph1?
A. To express his doubts.
B. To compare different ideas.
C. To introduce points for discussion.
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D. To describe the conditions on Earth.
72. What is the reason for exploring space based on Paragraph2?
A. Humans are nature-born to do so.
B. Humans have the tendency to fight.
C. Humans may find new sources of food.
D. Humans don’t like to stay in the same place.
73. The underlined word“spin-offs” in Paragraph 4 probably refers to______.
A. survival chances
B. potential resources
C. unexpected benefits
D. physical possessions
74. What makes it possible for humans to live on other planets?
A. O ur genetic makeup.
B. Resources on the earth..
C. The adaptive ability of humans.
D. By-products in space exploration.
75. Which of the statements can best sum un the passage?
A. Space exploration has created many wonders.
B. Space exploration provided the best value for money.
C. Space exploration may help us avoid potential problems on Earth.
(2011﹒江苏﹒阅读理解A)
We know the famous ones—the Thomas Edisons and the Alexander Graham Bells —but what
about the less famous inventors? What about the people who invented the traffic light and the
windshield wiper(雨刮器)？Shouldn’t we know who they are?
Joan Mclean think so. In fact, Mclean, a professor of physics at Mountain University in Range,
feels so strongly about this matter that she’s developed a course on the topic. In addition to learning
“who”invented”what”, however, Mclean also likes her students to learn the answers to the”why” and
”how” questions. According to Mclean,”When students learn the answers to these questions, they are
better prepared to recognize opportunities for inventing and more motivated to give inventing a try.”
So,just what is the story behind the windshield wiper? Well,Mary Anderson came up with the
idea in 1902 after a visit to Mew York City.The day was cold and stormy, but Anderson still wanted
to see the sights ,so she jumped aboard a streetcar. Noticing that the driver was struggling to see
through the snow covering the winshield,she found hersefe wondering why there couldn’t be a buolt-in
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devic for cleaing the window. Still wondering about this when she returned home to Birmingham,
Alabama, Anderson started drafting out solutions. One of her ideas, a lever(操作杆)on the inside of a
vehicle that would contral an arm on the outside, became the first windshield wiper.
Today we benefit from countless inventions and innovations，It’s hard to imagine driving without
Garrett A.Morgan’s traffic light. It’s equally impossible to picture a world without Katherine J.Blodgett’s
innovation that makes glass invisible, Can you picture life without clear windows and eyeglasses?
56.By mentionong “traffic light”and “windshield wiper”,the author indicates that countless
inventions are .
A.beneficial,because their inventors are famous
B. beneficial,though their inventors are less famous
C.not useful, because their inventors are less famous
D. not useful, though their inventors are famous
57.Professor Joan McLean’s course aims to_____.
A. add colour and variety to students’ campus life
B. inform students of the windshield wiper’s invention
C. carry out the requirements by Mountain University
D. pre[are students to try theie own invention
58．Tommy Lee’s invention of the unbreakable umbrella was _________.
A. not eventually accepted by the umbrella producer
B. inspired by the story behind the windshield wiper
C. due to his dream of being caught in a rainstorm
D. not related to Professor Joan McLean’s lectures
59. Which 0f the following can best serve as the title of this passage?
A How to Help Students to Sell Their Inventions to Producers?
B How to Design a Built-in Dervice for Cleaning the Window?
C Shouldn’t We Know Who Inventd the Windshield Wiper?
D Shouldn’t We Develop Invention Courses in Universities?
(2011﹒江苏﹒阅读理解C)
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According to the US government, wind farms off the Pacific coast could produce 900 gig watts of
electricity every year.Unfortunately,the water there is far too deep for even the tallest windmills(see
picture)to touch bottom. An experiment under way off the coast of Norway,however,could help put
them anywhere.
The project, called Hywind,is the world’s first large-scale deepwater wind turbine(涡轮发电机).
Although it uses a fairly standard 152-ton,2.3-megawatt
turbine,Hywind represents totally new technology. The turbine will be fixed 213 feet above the water
on a floating spar(see picture),a technology Hywind’s creator,the Norwegian company StatoilHydro,has
developed recently. The steel spar, which is filled with stones and goes 328 feet below the sea surface,
will be tied to the ocean floor by three cable(缆索)；these will keep the spar stable and prevent the
turbine from moving up and down in the waves.Hywind’s stability(稳定性)in the cold and rough sea
would prove that even the deepest corners of the ocean are suitable for wind power. If all goes
according to plan, the turbine will start producing electricity six miles off the coast of southwestern
Norway as early as September.
To produce electricity on a large scale, a commercial wind farm will have to use bigger turbines
than Hywind does, but it’s difficult enough to balance such a large turbine so high on a floating spar
in the middle of the ocean. To make that turbine heavier, the whole spar’s to design a new kind of
wind turbine, one whose gearbox(变速箱) sits at sea level rather than behind the blades (see picture )
Hywind is a test run, but the benefits for perfecting floating wind-farm technology could be
extremely large. Out at sea, the wind is often stronger and steadier than close to shore, where all
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existing offshore windmills are planted. Deep-sea farms are invisible from land, which helps overcome
the windmill-as-eyesore objection. If the technology catches on, it will open up vast areas of the
planet’s surface to one of the best low-carbon power sources available.
63. The Hywind project uses totally new technology to ensure the stability of _______.
A. the cables which tie the spar to the ocean floor
B. the spar which is floating in deep-sea water
C. the blades driven by strong and steady sea wind
D. the stones filled in the spar below the sea surface
64. To balance a bigger turbine high on a flatting spar, a new type of turbine is to be designed
with its gearbox sitting ____________.
A. on the sea floor B. on the spar top
C. at sea level D. behind the blades
65. Wide applications of deepwater wind power technology can ____________.
A. solve the technical problems of deepwater windmills
B. make financial profits by producing more turbines
C. settle the arguments about environmental problems
D. explore low-carbon power resources available at sea
(2011﹒湖北﹒阅读理解B)
Howling is a behavior commonly observed among a wolf nark. An animals, wolves work together to hunt
and rely on howling was an important means of communication each other. There are different explants of a
wolf’s howl and it appears that there may be more to discover.
One theory is that wolves howl to bend better together. It’s almost as if howling together helps the pack
stay together. Perhaps something similar to people feeling a sense of involvement with each other when singing
a song together . But this theory may be wrong, explains Fred H. Harington, a professor who studies wolf
behavior.
Indeed, there have been tines when wolves have been seen one moment howling in a exhorts, and the
next, quarreling anions each other. It appears that usually the lowest-tanking menthes of the pack may actually
be “punished” for Joining in the churs at times. So is howling a way to strcagthen a social boad or
just a way to reconfirm status among its members? ——Why do welves howl for sure?
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What is cleat, however, is that howling is often used among packmates to locate each other.
Hunting grounds are distant and it happens that woloves may separate from one another at times.
When this happens, howling appcars to be an ercellent means of gathering.
Howling, interestingly, is a contagious behaviour. When one wolf starts to howl, very likely
others will follow. This is often seen to occat in the morning, as if wolves were doing some sotr of
“roll rall”where wolves all howl togeter to howl, very likely others will follow. This is often seen to
occar in the morning, as if wolves were doing w some sotr of “roll call”where wolves all howl
together to repotr their pteence.
55.What the por similarity between wolves’ how humaes ting in chorus?
A.The act of calling each other.
B.the sense of accomplishment.
C.The act of hunting for something.
D.The sense of belonging to a group.
56.Why does Harrington think the“secial boad”theory may be wrong?
A.Wolves separate from each other after howling.
B.Wolves tend to protect their hunting grounds.
C.Wolves sometimes have quarrels after howling together.
D.Wolves of low rank are encouraged to join in the chorus.
57.Reseatchers are sure that wolves often howl to______.
A.show their ranks
B.
C.repotr the missing ones
D.express their lonelingess
58.“Howling… is a contagious behaviour”(in the last paragraph)means_______.
A.howling is a signal for hunting
B.howling is a way of communication
C.howling aften occurs in the morning
D.howling spreads from one to another
(2011﹒广东﹒阅读理解B)
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Can dogs and cats live in perfect harmony in the same home? People who are thinking about adopting a
dog as a friend for their cats are worried that they will fight. A recent research has found a new recipe of
success. According to the study, if the cat is adopted before the dog, and if they are introduced when still young
(less than 6 months for cats, a year for dogs), it is highly probable that the two pets will get along swimmingly.
Two-thirds of the homes interviewed reported a positive relationship between their cat and dog.
However, it wasn’t all sweetness and light. There was a reported coldness between the cat and dog in 25%
of the homes, while aggression and fighting were observed in 10% of the homes. One reason for this is probably
that some of their body signals were just opposite. For example, when a cat turns its head away it signals
aggression, while a dog doing the same signals submission.
In homes with cats and dogs living peacefully, researchers observed a surprising behaviour. They are
learning how to talk each other’s language. It is a surprise that cats can learn how to talk ‘dog’, and dogs can
learn how to talk ‘Cat’.
What’s interesting is that both cats and dogs have appeared to develop their intelligence. They
can learn to read each other’s body signals, suggesting that the two may have more in common than
was preciously suspected. Once familiar with each other’s presence and body language, cats and dogs
can play together, greet each other nose to nose, and enjoy sleeping together in the sofa. They can
easily share the same water bowl and in some cases groom(梳理) each other.
The significance of this research on cats and dogs may go beyond pets----to people who don’t get
along, including neighbors, colleagues at work, and even world superpowers. If cats and dogs can learn
to get along, surely people have a good chance.
31. The underlined word swimmingly in paragraph1 is closest in meaning to______.
A. early B.sweetly C.quickly D. smoothly
32. Some cats and dogs may fight when_________.
A. they are cold to each other
B. they look away from each other
C. they misunderstand each other’s signals
D. they are introduced at an early age
33. What is found surprising about cats and dogs?
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A. They eat and sleep together
B. They observe each other’s behaviors
C. They learn to speak each other’s language
D. They know something from each other’s voice
34. It is suggested in paragraph 4 that cats and dogs_______.
A. have common interests
B. are less different than was thought
C. have a common body langage
D. are less intelligent than was expected
35. What can we human beings learn from cats and dogs?
A. We should learn to live in harmony
B. We should knows more about animals
C. We should live in peace with animals
D. We should learn more body languages
(2011﹒浙江﹒阅读理解A)
One evening in February 2007 . a student named Paula Ceely brought her car to a stop on a remote in Wales . She
got out to open a metal gate that blocked her path . That's when she heard the whistle sounded by the driver of a
train.Her Renault Clio parked across a railway line. Second later,she watched the train drag her car almost a
kilometre down the railway tracks.
Ceely's near miss made the news because she blamed it on her GPS device(导航仪).She had never driven
the route before .It was dark and raining heavily . Ceely was relying on her GPS. But it made no mention of the
crossing ."I put my complete trust in the device and it led me right into the path of a speeding train ,"she told
the BBC.
W ho is to blame here ? Rick Stevenson ,who tells Ceely's story in his book When Machines Fail US, finger
at the limitations of technology. We put our faith in digital devices, he says,
but our digital helpers are too often not up to the job. They are filled with small problems. And it’s not just
GPS devices: Stevenson takes us on a tour of digital disasters involving everything from mobile phones to
wireless key boards.
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The problem with his argument in the book is that it’s not clear why he only focuses digital technology,while
there may be a number of other possible causes. A map-maker might have left the crossing off a paper map.
Maybe we should blame Ceely for not paying attention. perhaps the railway authorities are at fault for poor
signaling system. Or maybe someone has studied the relative dangers and worked out that there really is
something specific wrong with the CPS equipment. But Stevenson doesn’t say.
It’s a problem that runs through the book. In a section on cars, Stevenson gives an accout of the advanced
techniques that criminals use to defeat computer-based locking systems for cars. He offers two independent sets
of figures on car theft; both show a small rise in some parts of the country. He says that once once again not all
new locks have proved reliable. Perhaps, but maybe it’s also due to the shortage of policemen on the streets. Or
changing social circumstances. Or some combination of these factors .
The game between humans and their smart devices is complex. It is shaped by economics and psychology
and the cultures we live in. Somewhere in the mix of those forces there may be way a wiser use of technology.
If there is such a way, it should involve more than just an awareness of the shortcomings of our machines.
After all, we have lived with them for thousands of years. They have probably been fooling us for just as long .
41 .What did Paula Ceely think was the cause of her accident?
A. She was not familiar with the road.
B. It was dark and raining heavily then.
C. The railway works failed to give the signal.
D. Her GPS device didn’t tell her about the crossing
42.The phrase” near miss” (paragraph 2 ) can best be replaced by _______.
A. close bit B. heavy loss C.narrow escape D. big mistake
43.Which of the following would Rick Stevenson most probably agree with?
A. Modern technology is what we can’t live without.
B. Digital technology often falls short of out expectation.
C. Digital devices are more reliable than they used to be.
D. GPS error is not the only cause for Celery’s accident.
44.In the writer’s opinion, Stevenson’s argument is________.
A. one-sided B. reasonable C.puzzling D.well-based
45.What is the real concern of the writer of this article?
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A.The major causes of traffic accidents and car thefts.
B.The relationship between humans and technology
C. The shortcomings of digital devices we use.
D. The human unawareness of technical problems.
(2011﹒上海﹒阅读理解C)
Human remains of ancient settlements will be reburied and lost to science under a law that
threatens research into the history of humans in Britain, a group of leading archaeologists(考古学家)
says. I a letter addressed to the justice secretary, Ken Clarke, 40 archaeologists write of their “deep
and widespread concern” about the issue. It centers on the law introduced by the Ministry of Justice
in 2008 which requires all human remains unearthed in England and Wales to be reburied within two
years, regardless of their age. The decision means scientists have too little time to study bones and
other human remains of national and cultural significance.
“Your current requirement that all archaeologically unearthed human remains should be reburied,
whether after a standard period of two years or further special extension, is contrary to basic
principles of archaeological and scientific research and of museum practice,” they write.
The law applies to any pieces of bone uncovered at around 400 dig sites, including the remains
of 60 or so bodies found at Stonehenge in 2008 that date back to 3,000 BC. Archaeologists have
been granted a temporary extension to give them more time, but eventually the bones will have to
be returned to the ground.
The arrangements may result in the waste of future discoveries at sites such as Happisburgh in
Norfolk, where digging is continuing after the discovery of stone tools made by early humans 950,000
years ago. If human remains were found at Happisburgh, they would be the oldest in northern Europe
and the first indication of what this species was. Under the current practice of the law those remains
would have to be reburied and effectively destroyed.
Before 2008, guidelines allowed for the proper preservation and study of bones of sufficient age
and historical interest, while the Burial Act 1857 applied to more recent remains. The Ministry of
Justice assured archaeologists two years ago that the law was temporary, but has so far failed to
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revise it.
Mike Parker Pearson, an archaeologist at Sheffield University, said: “Archaeologists have been
extremely patient because we wee led to believe the ministry was sorting out this problem, but we
feel that we cannot wait any longer.”
The ministry has no guidelines on where or how remains should be reburied, or on what records
should be kept.
72. According to the passage, scientists are unhappy with the law mainly because _________.
A. it is only a temporary measure on the human remains
B. it is unreasonable and thus destructive to scientific research
C. it was introduced by the government without their knowledge
D. it is vague about where and how to rebury human remains
73. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A. Temporary extension of two years will guarantee scientists enough time.
B. Human remains of the oldest species wee dug out at Happisburgh.
C. Human remains will have to be reburied despite the extension of time.
D. Scientists have been warned that the law can hardly be changed.
74. What can be inferred about the British law governing human remains?
A. The Ministry of Justice did not intend it to protect human remains.
B. The Burial Act 1857 only applied to remains uncovered before 1857.
C. The law on human remains hasn’t changed in recent decades.
D. The Ministry of Justice has not done enough about the law.
75. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?
A. New discoveries should be reburied, the government demands.
B. Research time should be extended, scientists require.
C. Law on human remains needs thorough discussion, authorities say.
D. Law could bury ancient secrets for ever, archaeologists warn.
(2011﹒上海﹒阅读理解B)
Humpback whales
Blowhole dorsal fin
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Quick Facts
Size: 14m-18m in length;
30-50 tons in weight
Living: Open ocean and
shallow coastline
waters
Environment: From warm
tropical(热带的) waters,
where they breed, to
cold
polar waters, where
they eat
Diet: Shellfish, plants and
fish of small size
Hunting: Sometimes in groups,
in
which
several
whales form a circle
under
the
water,
blowing bubbles that
form a “ net” around
a school of fish. The
fish are then forced up
to the surface in a
concentrated mass.
Current state; endangered;
it
is estimated that
there
are about 5000-7500
humpback whales
worldwide
Pectoral fin
Humpback whales are sometimes called performers of
the ocean. This is because they can make impressive
movements when they dive. The name “humpback”, which
is the common name for this whale, refers to the typical
curve shape the whale’s back forms as it dives.
Sometimes the humpback will dive with a fantastic
movement known as a breach. During breaching the whale
uses its powerful tail flukes to lift nearly two-thirds of its
body out of the water in a giant leap. A breach might also
include a sideways twist with fins stretched out like wings,
as the whale reaches the height of the breach.
A humpback whale breathes air at the surface of the
Water through two blowholes which are located near the top
of the head. It blows a double stream of water that can rise
up to 4 meters above the water.
The humpback has a small dorsal fin located towards
the tail flukes about two-thirds of the way down its back.
other distinguishing features include large pectoral fins,
which may be up to a third of the body length, and unique
black and white spots on the underside of the tail flukes.
These markings are like fingerprints: no two are the same.
Humpback whales live in large groups. They
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tail
flukes
communicate with each other through complex “songs”.
69. According to Quick Facts, a humpback whale _____.
A. cannot survive in waters near the shore
B. doesn’t live in the same waters all the time
C. lives mainly on underwater plants
D. prefers t work alone when hunting food
70. To make a breach, a humpback whale must _____
A. use its tail flukes to leap out of the water B. twist its body sideways t jump high
C. blow two streams of water
D. communicate with a group of humpbacks
71. From the passage we can learn that a humpback whale ________.
A. has its unique markings on its tail flukes B. has black and white fingerprints
C. gets its name from the way it hunts
D. is a great performer due to its songs
(2011﹒全国Ⅱ﹒阅读理解B)
For those who study the development of intelligence（智力）in the animal world, self-awareness
is an important measurement. An animal that is aware（意识）of itself has a high
level of intelligence.
Awareness can be tested by studying whether the animal recognizes itself in the mirror, that is, its own
reflected image（反射出的影像）．Many animals fail this exercise bitterly, paying very little attention to
the reflected image. Only humans, and some intelligent animals like apes and dolphins, have been shown to
recognize that the image in the mirror is of themselves.
Now another animal has joined the club. In the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
researchers report that an Asian elephant has passed the mirror self-reflection test. "We thought that elephants
were the next important animal," said Diana Reiss of the Wildlife Conservation Society, an author of the
study with Joshua M. Plotnik and Fans B．M. de Waal of Emory University. With their large brains, Reiss
said, elephants "seemed like cousins to apes and
dolphins."
The researchers tested Happy, Maxine and Patty, three elephants at the Bronx Zoo. They put
an 8-foot-square mirror on a wall of the animals' play area (out of the sight of zoo visitors) and recorded what
happened with cameras, including one built in the mirror.
The elephants used their long noses to find what was behind it, and to examine parts of their bodies.
Of the three, Happy then passed the test, in which a clear mark was painted on one side of her face. She
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could tell the mark was there by looking in the mirror, and she used the mirror to touch the mark with her long
nose.
Diana Reiss said, "We knew elephants were intelligent, but now we can talk about their intelligence in a
better way."
45. What can mirror tests tell us about animals?
A. Whether they have large brains.
B ．Whether they have self-awareness.
C. Whether they enjoy outdoor exercises.
D. Whether they enjoy playing with mirrors.
46. Why does the author mention apes and dolphins in the text?
A. They are most familiar to readers.
B ．They are big favorites with zoo visitors.
C. They are included in the study by Reiss.
D. They are already known to be intelligent.
47. What made Happy different from Maxine and Patty?
A. She used her nose to search behind the mirror.
B. She recognized her own image in the mirror.
C. She painted a mark on her own face.
D. She found the hidden camera.
(2011﹒四川﹒阅读理解C)
The pound new Library of Birmingham（LoB）will be the most visible sign of the way the city is
accepting the digitalization（数字化）of everyday life.
Set to open in 2013, the £188m LoB is already beginning to tale shape next to the Birmingham
Repertory Theatre, with which it will share some equipment.
As digital media（媒介）is important to its
idea
. the project is already providing chances for some
of the many small new local companies working at the new technologies.
Brian Gambles, the LoB project director, says it is about giving people the right tools for
learning,“The aim is to mix the physical with the digital. Providing 24-hour services which can be
used through, many different ways. It is important to enable us to reach more people, more
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effectively.”
The digital library will, he says, be as important as the physical one, allowing the distant use of
the services, making sure that it is never closed to the public.
Even before the LoB is complete, the public has been able to go online to visit the Virtual（虚拟
的）LoB, designed by Baden, the Birmingham virtual worlds specialists. Not only have the public been
able to learn about LoB, but the virtual one has also enabled those working on the LoB to
understand the building and how it will work before it even opens.
Two other small Birmingham-based digital companies are working on the LoB projects. Substrat, a digital
design company, is developing what it calls an example of an “enlarged reality” project. It is about the use
of an exciting smart phone, an important part of the which is the early stages of development is an online
library of figures of the city being built up by a content company in Cahoots, in which users with the
encouraged to add to and comment on the material.
Gambles says: “Technology will enable us to make the library’s and services open to citizens as sever
before.”
49.The underline part “its idea” in Paragraph 3 refers to the idea of____
A. the equipment B. the project
C. the digital media D. the physical library
50.While visiting the Virtual LoB, the public can_____
A. get a general idea of the LoB
B. meet more world-famous experts
C. learn how to put up a library building
D. understand how the specialists work on the project
51.Which of the following is true of the LoB when it opens?
a. It offers better learning tools
b. It reaches users in different ways
c. It provides users with smart phone
d. It allows users to enrich its material
e. It gives non-stop physical and digital services
A. a, b, d B. a, c ,e C. b, c, d D. b, d, e
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52.This ext more from .
A. a put book B. a library guide
C. a handbook D. newspaper report
(2011﹒福建﹒阅读理解E)
The internet will open up new vistas (前景),creat the global village- -you can make new friends all around
the world. That,at least, is what it promised us. The difficulty is that
It did not take the human mind into account. The reality is that we cannot keep relationship than a limited
number of people. No matter how hard the internet tries to put
You in communication, its best efforts will be defeated by your mind.
The problem is twofold（双重的）. First, there is a limit on the number of people we can hole in mind and
have a meaningful relationship with. That number is about 150 and is set by the size of our brain. Second, the
quality of your relationships depends on the amount of time you invest （投入） in then. We invest a lot in a
small number of people and then distribute what’s left among as many others as we can. The problem is that if
we invest little time in a person, our engagement with that person will decline （减弱）until eventually it dies
into “someone I once knew”.
This is not, of course, to say that the internet doesn’t serve a socially valuable function. Of course it does.
But the question is not that it allows you to increase the size of your social circle to include the rest of the world,
but that you can keep your relationships with your existing friends going even though you have to more to the
other side of the world.
In one sense, that’s a good thing. But it also has a disadvantage. If you continue to invest in your old friends
even though you can no longer see then, then certainly you aren’t using your time to make new friends where
you now live. And I suspect that probably isn’t the best use of your time. Meaningful relationships are about
being able to communicate with each other, face to face. The internet will slow down the rate with which
relationships end, but it won’t stop that happening eventually.
72. What is stressed in the first paragraph?
A. The present situation of the internet.
B. The difficulty in communication on the internet.
C. The socially valuable function of the internet.
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D. The role of the human mind in the internet communication.
73. The underlined word “engagement” in the second paragraph probably means “____”.
A. appointment B. connection C. interview D. agreement
74. According to the passenger, the author holds the view that____.
A. the internet fails to play so valuable a role in communication as it promised
B. the internet determines the quality of social relationships
C. the internet greatly increases the size of social circles
D. the internet communication is no less effective than the
face-to-face talk
75. What is the author’s attitude towards the use of the internet to strengthen relationships?
A. He is uncertain about it. B. He is hopeful of it.
C. He approves of it. D. He doubts it.
(2012﹒重庆﹒阅读理解C)
There is no better way to enjoy Scottish traditions than going fishing and tasting a little bit of whisky(威
士忌) at a quiet place like the Inverlochy Castle. When Queen Victoria visited the castle in 1873 she wrote in her
diary, “I never saw a lovelier spot. ” And she didn't even go fishing.
Scotland is not easily defined. In certain moments, this quiet land of lakes and grasses and mountains
changes before your very eyes. When evening gently sweeps the hillside into orange light, the rivers, teeming with
fish, can turn into streams of gold. As you settle down with just a fishing pole and a basket on the bank of River
Orchy, near the Inverlochy Castle, any frustration(烦恼) will float away as gently as the circling water. It's just
you and purple, pink, white flowers，seeking a perfect harmony. If you are a new comer to fishing, learning the
basics from a fishing guide may leave you with a lifetime's fun. For many, fishing is more than a sport; it is an art.
Scotland offers interesting places where you can rest after a long day's fishing. Set against a wild mountain
and hidden behind woodland, the beautiful Inverlochy Castle Hotel below the Nevis is a perfect place to see the
beauty of Scotland's mountains. Ben Nevis is the highest of all British mountains, and reaching its 1343metre top
is a challenge. But it's not just what goes up that matters; what comes down is unique. More than 900 metres high,
on the mountain's north face, lies an allimportant source of pure water. Its name comes from the Gaelic language
“usquebaugh ” or “water of life”； and it is the single most important ingredient(原料) in Scotland's best known
drink：whisky.
64. The story of Queen Victoria is to show that ________.
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A. the Queen is rich in tour experience
B. the Castle is a good place to go in Scotland
C. tasting whisky is better than going fishing
D. 1873 is a special year for the Queen
65. How is Paragraph 2 mainly developed?
A. By giving descriptions.
B. By following time order.
C. By analyzing causes.
D. By making comparisons.
66. What is Ben Nevis special for?
A. The Inverlochy Castle Hotel.
B. The beauty of its surroundings.
C. The water from the mountain.
D. The challenge up to its top.
67. What is the main purpose of the passage?
A. To introduce Scottish traditions to tourists.
B. To show the attractions of Scotland to readers.
C. To explore geographical characteristics of Scotland.
D. To describe the pleasures of life in Scotland.
(2012﹒重庆﹒阅读理解D)
To take the apple as a forbidden fruit is the most unlikely story the Christians(基督教徒) have ever
cooked up. For them, the forbidden fruit from Eden is evil (邪恶的). So when Columbus brought the tomato back
from South America, a land mistakenly considered to be Eden, everyone jumped to the obvious conclusion.
Wrongly taken as the apple of Eden, the tomato was shut out of the door of Europeans.
What made it particularly terrifying was its similarity to the mandrake，a plant that was thought to have
come from Hell (地狱). What earned the plant its awful reputation was its roots which looked like a driedup
human body occupied by evil spirits. Though the tomato and the mandrake were quite different except that both
had bright red or yellow fruit, the general population considered them one and the same, too terrible to touch.
Cautious Europeans long ignored the tomato, and until the early 1700s
most_of_the_Western_people_continued_to_drag_their_feet. In the 1880s, the daughter of a wellknown plant
expert wrote that the most interesting part of an afternoon tea at her father's house had been the “introduction of
this wonderful new fruit—or is it a vegetable ？” As late as the twentieth century some writers still classed
tomatoes with mandrakes as an “evil fruit”.
But in the end tomatoes carried the day.The hero of the tomato was an American named Robert Johnson,
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and when he was publicly going to eat the tomato in 1820，people journeyed for hundreds of miles to watch him
drop dead. “What are you afraid of ？” he shouted. “I'll show you fools that these things are good to
eat！”Then he bit into the tomato.Some people fainted. But he survived and, according to a local story，set up a
tomatocanning factory.
68. The tomato was shut out of the door of early Europeans mainly because ________.
A. it made Christians evil
B. it was the apple of Eden
C. it came from a forbidden land
D. it was religiously unacceptable
69. What can we infer from the underlined part in Paragraph 3?
A. The process of ignoring the tomato slowed down.
B. There was little progress in the study of the tomato.
C. The tomato was still refused in most western countries.
D. Most western people continued to get rid of the tomato.
70. What is the main reason for Robert Johnson to eat the tomato publicly?
A. To make himself a hero.
B. To remove people's fear of the tomato.
C. To speed up the popularity of the tomato.
D. To persuade people to buy products from his factory.
71. What is the main purpose of the passage?
A. To challenge people's fixed concepts of the tomato.
B. To give an explanation to people's dislike of the tomato.
C. To present the change of people's attitudes to the tomato.
D. To show the process of freeing the tomato from religious influence.
(2012﹒浙江﹒阅读理解A)
Easter(复活节)is still a great day for worship, candy in baskets and running around the yard finding eggs, but
every year it gets quite a bit worse for bunnies.
And no, not because the kids like to pull their ears. The culprit is climate change, and some researchers
found that rising temperatures are having harmful effects on at least five species of rabbit in the US.
Take the Lower Keys Marsh rabbit, for instance. An endangered species that lives in the Lower Florida Keys,
this species of cottontail is a great swimmer—it lives on the islands ！—but it is already severely affected by
development and now by rising sea levels. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, an ocean level rise of
only 0.6 meters will send these guys jumping to higher ground and a 0.9meter rise would wipe out their habitat(栖
息地)completely.
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The snowshoe hare, on the other hand, has a color issue. Most of these rabbits change their fur color from
white in the wintertime to brown in the summer, each designed to give them better cover from predators(捕食者).
As the number of days with snow decreases all across the country, however, more and more bunnies are being left
in white fur during brown dirt days of both fall and spring, making them an easier mark for predators. Researchers
know that the color change is controlled by the number of hours of sunlight, but whether the rabbit will be able to
adapt quick enough to survive is a big question. The National Wildlife Federation has reported that hunters have
noticed their numbers are already markedly down.
American pikas or rock rabbits, a relative of rabbits and hares, might be the first of these species to go extinct
due to climate change. About 78 inches long, pikas live high in the cool, damp mountains west of the Rocky
Mountains. As global temperatures rise, they would naturally migrate(迁移) to higher ground—but they already
occupy the mountaintops. They can't go any higher. The National Wildlife Federation reports that they might not
be able to stand the new temperatures as their habitat heats up.
The volcano rabbit has the same problem. These rabbits live on the slopes of volcanoes in Mexico, and recent
studies have shown that the lower range of their habitat has already shifted upward about 700 meters, but there are
not suitable plants for them to move higher, so they are stuck in the middle. Scientists are concerned about their
populations.
Native to the US, pygmy rabbits weigh less than 1 pound and live in the American West. They are believed
to be the smallest rabbits in the world. Their habitats have been destroyed by development. Several populations,
such as the Columbia Basin pygmy, almost went extinct and were saved by zoo breeding programs. Pygmy
rabbits also rely on winter cover by digging tunnels through the snow to escape predators, but lesser snowfall is
leaving them exposed.
All of this gives new meaning to dressing up in a giant bunny costume this Easter.
41．The writer mentions Easter at the beginning of the passage in order to ________.
A．show the importance of Easter Day
B．introduce the issue about bunnies
C．remind people of Easter traditions
D．discuss the relationship between Easter and bunnies
42．The word “culprit”(Paragraph 2)is closest in meaning to ________.
A．criminal B．judge
C．victim D．producer
43 ．According to the passage, some rabbits can now be easily discovered by predators because they
________.
A．are exposed to more skillful hunters
B．have moved to habitats with fewer plants
C．haven't adapted themselves to climate change
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D．can't change their fur color into white in the fall and the spring
44．The problem faced by volcano rabbits and rock rabbits is that ________.
A．both are affected by less snow
B．both are affected by rising sea levels
C．neither can find enough food
D．neither can migrate to higher places
45．Which best describes the writer's tone in the passage?
A．Approving. B．Concerned.
C．Enthusiastic. D．Doubtful.
(2012﹒山东﹒阅读理解A)
The Pacific island nation of Nauru used to be a beautiful place. Now it is an ecological disaster area.
Nauru's heartbreaking story could have one good consequence—other countries might learn from its mistakes.
For thousands of years, Polynesian people lived on the remote island of Nauru, far from western
civilization. The first European to arrive was John Fearn in 1798. He was the British captain of the Hunter, a
whaling ship. He called the island Pleasant Island.
However, because it was very remote, Nauru had little communication with Europeans at first. Then
whaling ships and other traders began to visit, bringing guns and alcohol. These elements destroyed the social
balance of the twelve family groups on the island. A tenyear civil war started, which reduced the population from
1,400 to 900.
Nauru's real troubles began in 1899 when a British mining company discovered phosphate(磷酸盐) on
the island. In fact, it found that the island of Nauru was nearly all phosphate, which is a very important fertilizer
for farming. The company began mining the phosphate.
A phosphate mine is not a hole in the ground; it is a stripmine. When a company stripmines, it removes
the top layer of soil. Then it takes away the material it wants. Stripmining totally destroys the land. Gradually, the
lovely island of Nauru started to look like the moon.
In 1968, Nauru became one of the richest countries in the world. Every year the government received
millions and millions of dollars for its phosphate.
Unfortunately, the leaders invested the money unwisely and lost millions of dollars. In addition, they
used millions more dollars for personal expenses. Soon people realized that they had a terrible problem—their
phosphate was running out. Ninety percent of their island was destroyed and they had nothing. By 2000, Nauru
was almost financially ruined. Experts say that it would take approximately $433,600,000 and more than 20 years
to repair the island. This will probably never happen.
56. What might be the author's purpose in writing the text?
A. To seek help for Nauru's problems.
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B. To give a warning to other countries.
C. To show the importance of money.
D. To tell a heartbreaking story of a war.
57. What was Nauru like before the Europeans came?
A. Rich and powerful.
B. Modern and open.
C. Peaceful and attractive.
D. Greedy and aggressive.
58. The ecological disaster in Nauru resulted from
________.
A. soil pollution
B. phosphate overmining
C. farming activity
D. whale hunting
59. Which of the following was a cause of Nauru's financial problem?
A. Its leaders misused the money.
B. It spent too much repairing the island.
C. Its phosphate mining cost much money.
D. It lost millions of dollars in the civil war.
60. What can we learn about Nauru from the last paragraph?
A. The ecological damage is difficult to repair.
B. The leaders will take the experts' words seriously.
C. The island was abandoned by the Nauruans.
D. The phosphate mines were destroyed.
(2012﹒北京﹒阅读理解D)
Wilderness
“In wilderness (荒野) is the preservation of the world.” This is a famous saying from a writer regarded as
one of the fathers of environmentalism. The frequency with which it is borrowed mirrors a heated debate on
environmental protection: whether to place wilderness at the heart of what is to be preserved.
As John Sauven of Greenpeace UK points out, there is a strong appeal in images of the wild, the untouched;
more than anything else, they speak of the nature that many people value most dearly. The urge to leave the
subject of such images untouched is strong, and the danger exploitation(开发)brings to such landscapes(景观)is
real. Some of these wildernesses also perform functions that humans need—the rainforests, for example, store
carbon in vast quantities. To Mr. Sauven, these “ecosystem services” far outweigh the gains from exploitation.
Lee Lane, a visiting fellow at the Hudson Institute, takes the opposing view. He acknowledges that
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wildernesses do provide useful services, such as water conservation. But that is not, he argues, a reason to avoid
all human presence, or indeed commercial and industrial exploitation. There are ever more people on the Earth,
and they reasonably and rightfully want to have better lives, rather than merely struggle for survival. While the
ways of using resources have improved, there is still a growing need for raw materials, and some wildernesses
contain them in abundance. If they can be tapped without reducing the services those wildernesses provide, the
argument goes, there is no further reason not to do so. Being untouched is not, in itself, a characteristic worth
valuing above all others.
I look forward to seeing these views taken further, and to their being challenged by the other participants.
One challenge that suggests itself to me is that both cases need to take on the question of spiritual value a little
more directly. And there is a practical question as to whether wildernesses can be exploited without harm.
This is a topic that calls for not only free expression of feelings, but also the guidance of reason. What
position wilderness should enjoy in the preservation of the world obviously deserves much more serious thinking.
67．John Sauven holds that ________.
A．many people value nature too much
B．exploitation of wildernesses is harmful
C．wildernesses provide humans with necessities
D．the urge to develop the ecosystem services is strong
68．What is the main idea of Para.3?
A．The exploitation is necessary for the poor people.
B．Wildernesses cannot guarantee better use of raw materials.
C．Useful services of wildernesses are not the reason for no exploitation.
D．All the characteristics concerning the exploitation should be treated equally.
69．What is the author's attitude towards this debate?
A．Objective. B．Disapproving.
C．Sceptical. D．Optimistic.
70．Which of the following shows the structure of the passage?
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CP：Central Point P：Point Sp：Subpoint(次要点)
C：Conclusion
(2012﹒长沙市雅礼中学第四次月考)
A funny thing happened on the way to the communications revolution: we stopped talking to one another.
I was walking in the park with a friend recently, and his cell phone rang, interrupting our conversation.There
we were, walking and talking on a beautiful sunny day and…I became invisible, absent from the conversation.
The telephone used to connect you to the absent.Now it makes people sitting next to you feel absent.Why is
it that the more connected we get, the more disconnected I feel? Every advance in communications technology is a
tragedy to the closeness of human interaction.With email and instant messaging over the Internet, we can now
communicate without seeing or talking to one another.With voice mail, you can conduct entire conversations
without ever reaching anyone.If my mom has a question, I just leave the answer on her machine.
As almost every contact we can imagine between human beings gets automated, the alienation(疏远) index
goes up. You can't even call a person to get the phone number of another person anymore.Directory assistance is
almost always fully automated.
I am not against modern technology.I own a cell phone, an ATM card, a voicemail system, and an email
account.Giving them up isn't wise, they're a great help to us.It's some of their possible consequences that make me
feel uneasy.
More and more, I find myself hiding behind email to do a job meant for conversation, or being relieved that
voice mail picked up because I didn' t really have time to talk.The industry devoted to helping me keep in touch is
making me lonelier, or at least facilitating my antisocial instincts.
So I've put myself on technology restriction: no instant messaging with people who live near me, no cell
phoning in the presence of friends, no letting the voice mail pick up when I'm at home.
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16．Which of the following would be the best title of the passage?
A.The Advance of Communications Technology
B.The Consequences of Modern Technology
C.The Story of the Communications Revolution
D.The Automation of Modern Communications
17．The sentence “Now it makes people sitting next to you feel absent” means that _________.
A．the people sitting beside you have to go away to receive phone call
B．you can hardly get in touch with the people sitting beside you
C．modern technology makes it hard for people to have a facetoface talk
D．people can now go to work without going to the office
18．The writer feels that the use of modern communications is _________.
A．satisfying B．encouraging
C．disappointing D．embarrassing
19．The passage implies that ________.
A．modern technology is bridging people
B．modern technology is separating people
C．modern technology is developing too fast
D．modern technology is interrupting our communication
20．What does the underlined word “facilitating” mean?
A．加深 B．限制
C．帮助 D．装备
(2013﹒重庆·阅读理解C)
Almost every machine with moving parts has wheels, yet no one knows exactly when the first wheel was
invented or what it was used for. We do know, however, that they existed over 5,500 years ago in ancient Asia.
The oldest known transport wheel was discovered in 2002 in Slovenia. It is over 5,100 years old. Evidence
suggests that wheels for transport didn't become popular for a while, though. This could be because animals did
a perfectly good job of carrying farming tools and humans around.
But it could also be because of a difficult situation. While wheels need to roll on smooth surfaces, roads with
smooth surfaces weren't going to be constructed until there was plenty of demand for them. Eventually, road
surfaces did become smoother, but this difficult situation appeared again a few centuries later. There had been
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no important changes in wheel and vehicle design before the arrival of modem road design.
In the mid-1700s, a Frenchman came up with a new design of road—a base layer (层) of large stones covered
with a thin layer of smaller stones. A Scotsman improved on this design in the 1820s and a strong, lasting road
surface became a reality. At around the same lime, metal hubs (the central part of a wheel) came into being,
followed by the pneumatic tyre(充气轮胎) in 1846. Alloy wheels were invented in 1967, sixty years after the
appearance of tarmacked roads (柏油路). As wheel design took off, vehicles got faster and faster.
64. What might explain why transport wheels didn't become popular for some time?
A. Few knew how to use transport wheels.
B. Humans carried farming tools just as well.
C. Animals were a good means of transport.
D. The existence of transport wheels was not known.
65. What do we know about road design from the passage?
A. It was easier than wheel design.
B. It improved after big changes in vehicle design.
C. It was promoted by fast-moving vehicles.
D. It provided conditions for wheel design to develop.
66. How is the last paragraph mainly developed?
A. By giving examples.
B. By making comparisons.
C. By following time order.
D. By making classifications.
67. What is the passage mainly about?
A. The beginning of road design.
B. The development of transport wheels.
C. The history of public transport.
D. His invention of fast-moving vehicles.
(2013﹒浙江·阅读理解B)
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Below is a selection from a popular science book.
If blood is red, why are veins (静脉) blue?
Actually, veins are not blue at all. They are more of a clear, yellowish colour. Although blood looks
red when it's outside the body, when it's sitting in a vein near the surface of the skin, it's more of a
dark reddish purple colour. At the right depth, these blood-filled veins reflect less red light than
the surrounding skin, making them look blue by comparison.
Which works harder, your heart or your brain?
That kind of depends on whether you are busy thinking or busy exercising. Your heart
works up to three times harder during exercise, and shifts enough blood over a lifetime
to fill a supertanker. But, in the long run, your brain probably tips it, because even when
you’re sitting still your brain is using twice as much energy as your heart, and it takes four to five
tunes as much blood to feed it.
Why do teeth fall out, and why don't they grow back in grown-ups?
Baby (or "milk") teeth do not last long; they fall out to make room for bigger, stronger
adult teeth later on. Adult teeth fall out when they become damaged, decayed and
infected by bacteria. Once this second set of teeth has grown in, you're done. When
they're gone, they’re gone. This is because nature figures you're set for life, and what
controls regrowth of your teeth switches off.
Do old people shrink as they age?
Yes and do. Many people do get shorter as they age. But, when they do, it isn't
because they're shrinking all over. They simply lose height as their spine(脊柱) becomes
shorter and more curved due to disuse and the effects, of gravity (重力). Many (but not
all) men and women do lose height as they get older. Men lose an average of 3-4 cm in
height as they age, while women may lose 5 cm or more. If you live to be 200 years
old, would you keep shrinking till you were, like 60 cm tall, like a little boy again? No,
because old people don't really shrink! It is not that they are growing backwards 一 their
legs, arms and backbones getting shorter. When they do get shorter, it's because the
spine has shortened a little. Or, more often, become more bait and curved.
Why does spinning make you dizzy (眩晕的)?
Because your brain gets confused between what you're seeing and what you're feeling. The
brain senses that you’re spinning using special gravity-and-motion-sensing organs in your inner
ear, which work together with your eyes to keep your vision and balance stable. But when you
suddenly stop spinning the system goes out of control, and your brain thinks you're moving
while you're Dot!
Where do feelings and emotions come from?
Mostly from an ancient part of the brain called the limbic system. All mammals have this brain
area — from mice to dogs, cats, and humans. So all mammals feel basic emotions like fear, pain
and pleasure. But since human feelings also involve other, newer bits of the brain, we feel
more complex emotions than any other animal on the planet.
If exercise wears you out, how can it be good for you?
Because our bodies adapt to everything we do to them. And as far as your body is
concerned, it’s "use it, or lost it”! It's not that exercise makes you healthy; it's more that a lack of
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exercise leaves your body weak and easily affected by disease.
46. What is the colour of blood in a vein near the surface of the skin?
A. Blue.
B. Light yellow.
C. Red.
D. Dark reddish purple.
47. Why do some old people look a little shrunken as they age?
A. Because their spine is in active use.
B. Because they are more easily affected by gravity.
C. Because they keep growing backwards.
D. Because their spine becomes more bent.
48. Which of the following statements about our brain is true?
A. In the long run, our brain probably works harder than our heart.
B. When our brain senses the spinning, we will fell dizzy.
C. The brains of the other mammals are as complex as those of humans.
D. Our feelings and emotions come from the most developed area in our brain.
49. What is the main purpose of the selection?
A. To give advice on how to stay healthy.
B. To provide information about our body.
C. To challenge new findings in medical research.
D. To report the latest discoveries in medical science.
(2013﹒天津·阅读理解B)
Us, night's meteor ( 流星) shower left many people in the community dissatisfied and demanding answers.
According to Gabe Rothschild. Emerald Valley's mayor, people gathered in the suburbs of the city, carrying heavy
telescopes, expecting to watch the brightly burning meteors passing through the sky What they found instead
was a sky so brightened by the city's lights that it darkened the light of the meteors passing overhead.
"My family was so frustrated." admitted town resident Daune Cosby.” We wanted to make this an unforgettable
family outing, but it turned out to be a huge disappointment.”
Astronomers—scientists who study stars and planets—have been complaining about this problem for decade,
They say that light pollution prevents from seeing objects in the sky that they could see quite easily in the past.
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They call on people and the government to take measures to fight against it.
There is yet a population besides professional and amateur star observers that suffers even more from light
pollution. This population consist of birds, bats, frogs, snakes, etc. For example, outdoor lighting severely affects
migrating( 迁徙的) birds. According to the International Dark-Sky Association, “100 million birds a year
throughout North America die in crashes with lighted buildings and towers.”
Countless more animal casualties( 伤亡) result from the use of artificial lighting. Clearly, people enjoy the
benefits of lighting their evenings, but some scientists think it can be harmful to humans, too. They worry that
exposure to light while sleeping can increase a person's chances of getting cancer.
Emerald Valley is only one community that is becoming aware of the negative effects of light pollution. For
years. Flagstaff, Arizona, has enforced lighting regulations in its city in order to assist astronomers at the Lowell
Observatory. Similar efforts have been made worldwide, and a movement is underway to remind us to turn off
lights when we are not using them, so that other creatures can share the night.
41. It happened last night that ______.
A. the city's lights affected the meteor watching
B. the meteors flew past before being noticed
C. the city light show attracted many people
D. the meteor watching ended up a social outing
42. What do the astronomers complain about?
A. Meteor showers occur less often than before.
B. Their observation equipment is in poor repair.
C. Light pollution has remained unsolved for years.
D. Their eyesight is failing due to artificial lighting
43. What is the author concerned about according to Paragraph 4?
A. Birds may take other migration paths.
B. Animals' living habits may change suddenly.
C. Varieties of animals will become sharply reduced.
D. Animals' survival is threatened by outdoor lighting.
44. Lighting regulations in Flagstaff. Arizona are put into effect to
A. lessen the chance of getting cancer
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B. create an ideal observation condition
C. ensure citizens a good sleep at night
D. enable all creatures to live in harmony
45. What message does the author most want to give us?
A. Saving wildlife is saving ourselves.
B. Great efforts should be made to save energy.
C. Human activities should be environmentally friendly.
D. New equipment should be introduced for space study.
(2013﹒四川·阅读理解E)
Fear may be felt in the heart as well as in the head, according to a study that has found a link
between the cycles of a beating heart and the chance of someone feeling fear.
Tests on healthy volunteers found that they were more likely to feel a sense of fear at the moment
when their hearts are contracting(收缩) and pumping blood around their bodies, compared with the
point when the heartbeat is relaxed. Scientists say the results suggest that the heart is able to
influence how the brain responds to the fearful event, depending on which point it is at in its regular
cycle of contraction and relaxation.
Sarah Garfinkel at the Brington and Sussex Medical School said: “Our study shows for the first time
that the way in which we deal with fear is different depending on when we see fearful pictures in
relation to our heart.”
The study tested 20 healthy volunteers on their reactions to fear as they were shown pictures of
fearful faces. Dr Garfinkel said, “The study showed fearful faces are better noticed when the heart is
pumping than when it is relaxed. Thus our hearts can also affect what we see and what we don’t
see—and guide whether we see fear.”
To further understand this relationship, the scientists also used a brain scanner(扫描仪) to show how
the brain influences the way the heart changes a person’s feeling of fear.
“We have found an important mechanism by which the heart and the brain ‘speak’ to each other
to change our feelings and reduce fear,” Dr Garfinkel said.
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“We hope that by increasing our understanding about how fear is death with and ways that it
could be reduced, we may be able to develop more successful treatments for anxiety disorders, and
also for those who may be suffering from serious stress disorder.”
47. What is the finding of the study?
A. One’s heart affects how he feels fear.
B. Fear is a result of one’s relaxed heartbeat.
C. Fear has something to do with one’s health.
D. One’s fast heartbeats are likely to cause fear.
48. The study was carried out by analyzing _________.
A. volunteers’ heartbeats when they saw terrible pictures.
B. the time volunteers saw fearful pictures and their health conditions.
C. volunteers’ reactions to horrible pictures and data from their brain scans.
D. different pictures shown to volunteers and their heart-brain communication.
49. Which of the following is closet in meaning to “mechanism” in Paragraph 6?
A. Order. B. System. C. Machine. D. Treatment.
50. This study may contribute to ________.
A. treating anxiety and stress better.
B. explaining the cycle of fear and anxiety.
C. finding the key to the heart-brain communication.
D. understanding different fears in our hearts and heads.
(2013﹒上海·阅读理解C)
A team of engineers at Harvard University has been inspired by Nature to create the first robotic fly. The
mechanical fly has become a platform for a series of new high-tech systems. Designed to do what a fly does
naturally, the tiny machine is the size of a fat housefly. Its mini wings allow it to stay in the air and perform
controlled flight tasks.
“It’s extremely important for us to think about this as a whole system and not just the sum of a
bunch of individual components(元件), ”said Robert Wood, the Harvard engineering professor who has
been working on the robotic fly project for over a decade. A few years ago, his team got the go-
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ahead to start piecing together the components. “The added difficulty with a project like this is that
actually none of those components are off the shelf and so we have to develop them all on our
own,” he said.
They engineered a series of systems to start and drive the robotic fly. “The seemingly simple system
which just moves the wings has a number of interdependencies on the individual components, each of
which individually has to perform well, but then has to be matched well to everything it’s connected
to,” said Wood. The flight device was built into a set of power, computation, sensing and control
systems. Wood says the success of the project proves that the flying robot with these tiny
components can be built and manufactured.
While this first robotic flyer is linked to a small, off-board power source, the goal is eventually to
equip it with a built-in power source, so that it might someday perform data-gathering work at rescue
sites, in farmers’ fields or on the battlefield. “Basically it should be able to take off, land and fly
around,” he said.
Wood says the design offers a new way to study flight mechanics and control at insect-scale. Yet, the
power, sensing and computation technologies on board could have much broader applications. “You
can start thinking about using them to answer open scientific questions, you know, to study biology in
ways that would be difficult with the animals, but using these robots instead,” he said. “So there are
a lot of technologies and open interesting scientific questions that are really what drives us on a day-
to-day basis.”
72. The difficulty the team of engineers met with while making the robotic fly was that ________.
A. they had no model in their mind
B. they did not have sufficient time
C. they had no ready-made components
D. they could no assemble the components
73. It can be inferred from paragraphs 3 and 4 that the robotic fly_________.
A. consists of a flight device and a control system
B. can just fly in limited areas at the present time
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C. can collect information from many sources
D. has been put into wide application
74. Which of the following can be learned from the passage?
A. The robotic flyer is designed to learn about insects.
B. Animals are not allowed in biological experiments.
C. There used to be few ways to study how insects fly.
D. Wood’s design can replace animals in some experiments.
75. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?
A. Father of Robotic Fly
B. Inspiration from Engineering Science
C. Robotic Fly Imitates Real Life Insect
D. Harvard Breaks Through in Insect Study
(2013﹒山东·阅读理解C)
You can’t always predict a heavy rain or remember your umbrella. But designer Mikhail Belvacv doesn’t think
that forgetting to check the weather forecast before heading out should result in you getting wet. That’s why he
created lampbrella, a lamp post with its own rain sensing umbrella.
The designer says he come up with the idea after watching people get wet on streets in Russia. “once, I was
driving on a central Saint Petersburg street ad saw the street lamps lighting up people trying to hide from the
rain. I thought it would be appropriate to have a canopy(伞蓬)built into a street lamp.” he said.
The lampbrella is a standard-looking street lamp fitted with an umbrella canopy. It has a built-in electric motor
which can open or close the umbrella on demand. Sensors( 传感器)then ensure that the umbrella offers
pedestrians shelter whenever it starts raining.
In addition to the rain sensor, there’s also a 360°motion sensor on the biberglass street lamp which detects
whether anyone’s using the lampbrella. After three minutes of not being used the canopy is closed.
According to the designer, the lampbrella would move at a relatively low speed, so as not to cause harm to the
pedestrians. Besides, it would be grounded to protect from possible lighting strike. Each lampbrella would offer
enough shelter for several people. Being installed at 2 meters off the ground, it would only be a danger for the
tallest of pedestrians.
While there are no plans to take lampbrella into production, Belyacv says he recently introduced his creation
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one Moscow Department, and insists this creation could be installed on my street where a lot of people walk but
there are no canopies to provide shelter.
66. For what purpose did Belyacv create the lampbrella?
A. To predict a heavy rain
B. To check the weather forecast
C. To protect people from the rain
D. To remind people to take an umbrella
67. What do we know from Belyacv’s worlds in Paragraph2?
A. His creation was inspired by an experience
B. it rains a lot in the city of Saint Petersburg
C. Street lamps are protected by canopies
D. He enjoyed taking walks in the rain
68. Which of the following show how the lampbrella works?
A. motor→canopy→sensors B. Sensors→motor→canopy
C. motor→sensors→canopy D. canopy→motor→sensors
69. What does paragraph 5 mainly tell us about the lampbrella?
A. Its moving speed
B. Its appearance
C. Its installation
D. Its safety
70. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A. The designer will open a company to promote his product
B. The lampbrella could be put into immediate production
C. The designer is confident that his creation is practical
D. The lampbrella would be put on show in Moscow
(2013﹒辽宁·阅读理解C)
Mere is an astonishing and significant fact: Mental work alone can’t make us tired. It sounds absurd. But a few
years ago, scientists tried to find out how long the human brain could labor without reaching a stage of fatigue
(疲劳).To the amazement of these scientists, they discovered that blood passing through the brain, when it is
active，shows no fatigue at all! If we took a drop of blood from a day laborer, we would find it full of fatigue
toxins (毒素）and fatigue products. But if we took blood from the brain of an Albert Einstein, it would show no
fatigue toxins at the end of the day.
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So far as the brain is concerned, it can work as well and swiftly at the end of eight or even twelve hours of effort
as at the beginning. The brain is totally tireless. So what makes us tired?
Some scientists declare that most of our fatigue comes from our mental and emotional (情感的）attitudes. One
of England’s most outstanding scientists, J. A. Hadfield，says, “The greater part of the fatigue from which we
suffer is of mental origin. In fact, fatigue of purely physical origin is rare.” Dr. Brill, a famous American scientist,
goes even further. He declares, “One hundred percent of the fatigue of a sitting worker in good health is due to
emotional problems.”
What kinds of emotions make sitting workers tired? Joy? Satisfaction? No! A feeling of being bored ， anger,
anxiety, tenseness, worry, a feeling of not being appreciated - those are the emotions that tire sitting workers.
Hard work by itself seldom causes fatigue. We get tired because our emotions produce nervousness in the body.
64. What surprised the scientists a few years ago?
Fatigue toxins could hardly be found in a laborer’s blood.
Albert Einstein didn’t feel worn out after a day’s work.
The brain could work for many hours without fatigue.
A mental worker’s blood was filled with fatigue toxins.
65. According to the author, which of the following can make sitting workers tired?
Challenging mental work.
Unpleasant emotions.
Endless tasks.
Physical labor.
66. What's the author’s attitude towards the scientists’ ideas?
He agrees with them.
He doubts them.
He argues against them.
He hesitates to accept them.
67. We can infer from the passage that in order to stay energetic, sitting workers need to
_____ .
have some good food
enjoy their work
exercise regularly
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discover fatigue toxins
(2013﹒江西·阅读理解C)
Many people think that listening is a passive business. It is just the opposite. Listening well is an active
exercise of our attention and hard work. It is because they do not realize this, or because they are not willing to
do the work, that most people do not listen well.
Listening well also requires total concentration upon someone else. An essential part of listening well is the
rule known as ‘bracketing’. Bracketing includes the temporary giving up or setting aside of your own prejudices
and desires, to experience as far as possible someone else’s world from the inside, stepping into his or her
shoes. Moreover, since listening well involves bracketing, it also involves a temporary acceptance of the other
person. Sensing this acceptance, the speaker will seem quite willing to open up the inner part of his or her mind
to the listener. True communication is under way and the energy required for listening well is so great that it can
be accomplished only by the will to extend oneself for mutual growth.
Most of the time we lack this energy. Even though we may feel in our business dealings or social
relationships that we are listening well, what we are usually doing is listening selectively. Often we have a
prepared list in mind and wonder, as we listen, how we can achieve certain desired results to get the
conversation over as quickly as possible or redirected in ways more satisfactory to us. Many of us are far
more interested in talking than in listening, or we simply refuse to listen to what we don’t want to hear.
It wasn’t until toward the end of my doctor career that I have found the knowledge that one is being truly
listened to is frequently therapeutic(有疗效的) In about a quarter of the patients I saw, surprising improvement
was shown during the first few months of psychotherapy(心理疗法), before any of the roots of problems had
been uncovered or explained. There are several reasons for this phenomenon, but chief among them, I believe,
was the patient’s sense that he or she was being truly listened to, often for the first time in years, and for some,
perhaps for the first time ever.
66. The phrase “stepping into his or her shoes” in paragraph 2 probably means _______.
A. preparing a topic list first
B. focusing on one’s own mind
C. directing the talk to the desired results
D. experiencing the speaker’s inside world
67. What is mainly discussed in Paragraph 2 ?
A. How to listen well.
B. What to listen to.
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C. Benefits of listening.
D. Problems in listening
68. According to the author , in communication people tend to ________.
A. listen actively
B. listen purposefully
C. set aside their prejudices
D. open up their inner mind
69. According to the author , the patients improved mainly because _______.
A. they were taken good care of.
B. they knew they were truly listened to.
C. they had partners to talk to.
D. they knew the roots of problems.
70. What type of writing the article likely to be ?
A. Science fiction
B. A news report.
C. A medical report.
D. Popular science
(2013﹒江苏·阅读理解C)
If a diver surfaces too quickly, he may suffer the bends. Nitrogen (氮) dissolved (溶解) in his blood is suddenly
liberated by the reduction of pressure. The consequence, if the bubbles (气泡) accumulate in a joint, is sharp
pain and a bent body—thus the name. If the bubbles form in his lungs or his brain, the consequence can be
death.
Other air-breathing animals also suffer this decompression (减压) sickness if they surface too fast: whales, for
example. And so, long ago, did ichthyosaurs. That these ancient sea animals got the bends can be seen from
their bones. If bubbles of nitrogen form inside the bone they can cut off its blood supply. This kills the cells in the
bone, and consequently weakens it, sometimes to the point of collapse. Fossil (化石) bones that have caved
in on themselves are thus a sign that the animal once had the bends.
Bruce Rothschild of the University of Kansas knew all this when he began a study of ichthyosaur bones to find
out how widespread the problem was in the past. What he particularly wanted to investigate was how
ichthyosaurs adapted to the problem of decompression over the 150 million years. To this end, he and his
colleagues traveled the world’s natural-history museums, looking at hundreds of ichthyosaurs from the Triassic
period and from the later Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.
When he started, he assumed that signs of the bends would be rarer in younger fossils, reflecting their gradual
evolution of measures to deal with decompression. Instead, he was astonished to discover the opposite. More
than 15% of Jurassic and Cretaceous ichthyosaurs had suffered the bends before they died, but not a single
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Triassic specimen (标本) showed evidence of that sort of injury.
If ichthyosaurs did evolve an anti-decompression means, they clearly did so quickly—and, most strangely, they
lost it afterwards. But that is not what Dr Rothschild thinks happened. He suspects it was evolution in other
animals that caused the change.
Whales that suffer the bends often do so because they have surfaced to escape a predator (捕食动物)
such as a large shark. One of the features of Jurassic oceans was an abundance of large sharks and crocodiles,
both of which were fond of ichthyosaur lunches. Triassic oceans, by contrast, were mercifully shark- and
crocodile-free. In the Triassic, then, ichthyosaurs were top of the food chain. In the Jurassic and Cretaceous,
they were prey (猎物) as well as predator—and often had to make a speedy exit as a result.
61. Which of the following is a typical symptom of the bends?
A. A twisted body.
B. A gradual decrease in blood supply.
C. A sudden release of nitrogen in blood.
D. A drop in blood pressure.
62. The purpose of Rothschild’s study is to see ______.
A. how often ichthyosaurs caught the bends
B. how ichthyosaurs adapted to decompression
C. why ichthyosaurs bent their bodies
D. when ichthyosaurs broke their bones
63. Rothschild’s finding stated in Paragraph 4 ______.
A. confirmed his assumption B. speeded up his research process
C. disagreed with his assumption D. changed his research objectives
64. Rothschild might have concluded that ichthyosaurs ______.
A. failed to evolve an anti-decompression means
B. gradually developed measures against the bends
C. died out because of large sharks and crocodiles
D. evolved an anti-decompression means but soon lost it
(2013﹒湖北·阅读理解D)
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The technology is great. Without it we wouldn’t have been able to put a man on the moon, explore the
ocean’s depths or eat microwave sausages. Computers have revolutionized our lives and they have the power to
educate and pass on knowledge. But sometimes this power can create more problems than it solves.
Every doctor has had to try their best to calm down patients who’ve come into their surgery waving an
Internet print-out, convinced that they have some rare incurable disease, say, throat cancer. The truth is usually
far more ordinary, though: they don’t have throat cancer, and it’s just that their throats are swollen. Being a
graduate of the Internet “school” of medicine does not guarantee accurate self-health-checks.
One day Mrs. Almond came to my hospital after feeling faint at work. While I took her blood sample and
tried to find out what was wrong, she said calmly, “I know what’s wrong; I’ve got throat cancer. I know there’s
nothing you doctors can do about it and I’ve just got to wait until the day comes.”
As a matter of routine I ordered a chest X-ray. I looked at it and the blood results an hour later. Something
wasn’t right. “Did your local doctor do an X-ray?” I asked. “Oh, I haven’t been to the doctor for years,”
she replied. “I read about it on a website and the symptoms fitted, so I knew that’s what I had.”
However, some of her symptoms, like the severe cough and weight loss, didn’t fit with it—but she’d just
ignored this.
I looked at the X-ray again, and more tests confirmed it wasn’t the cancer but tuberculosis ( 肺结核)—
something that most certainly did need treating, and could be deadly. She was lucky we caught it when we did.
Mrs. Almond went pale when I explained she would have to be on treatment for the next six months to
ensure that she was fully recovered. It was certainly a lesson for her. “I’m so embarrassed,” she said, shaking
her head, as I explained that all the people she had come into close contact with would have to be found out and
tested. She listed up to about 20, and then I went to my office to type up my notes. Unexpectedly, the computer
was not working, so I had to wait until someone from the IT department came to fix it. Typical. Maybe I should
have a microwave sausage while I waited?
63. Mrs. Almond talked about her illness calmly because ______.
A. she thought she knew it well
B. she had purchased medicine online
C. she graduated from a medical school
D. she had been treated by local doctors
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64. It was lucky for Mrs. Almond ______.
A. to have contacted many friends
B. to have recovered in a short time
C. to have her assumption confirmed
D. to have her disease identified in time
65. Mrs. Almond said “I’m so embarrassed” (Para. 7) because ______.
A. she had distrusted her close friends
B. she had caused unnecessary trouble
C. she had to refuse the doctor’s advice
D. she had to tell the truth to the doctor
66. By mentioning the breakdown of the computer, the author probably wants to prove ______.
A. it’s a must to take a break at work
B. it’s vital to believe in IT professionals
C. it’s unwise to simply rely on technology
D. it’s a danger to work long hours on computers
(2013﹒福建·阅读理解B)
Your glasses may someday replace your smartphone, and some New Yorkers are ready for the switch. Some in
the city can't wait to try them on and use the maps and GPS that the futuristic eyewear is likely to include.
" I'd use it if I were hanging out with friends at 3 a. m. and going to the bar and wanted to see what was open,"
said Walter Choo, 40, of Fort Greene.
The smartphone-like glasses will likely come out this year and cost between $250 and $600, the Times said,
possibly including a variation of augmented(增强的) reality, a technology already available on smartphones and
tablets (平板电脑) that overlays information onto the screen about one's surroundings. So, for example, if you
were walking down a street, indicators would pop up showing you the nearest coffee shop or directions could be
plotted out and come into view right on the sidewalk in front of you.
" As far as a mainstream consumer product, this just isn't something anybody needs," said Sam Biddle, who
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writes for Gizmodo.com. " We're accustomed to having one thing in our pocket to do all these things," he added,
"and the average consumer isn't gonna be able to afford another device (装置) that's hundreds and hundreds of
dollars. "
9to5Google publisher Seth Weintraub, who has been reporting on the smartphone-like glasses since late last
year, said he is confident that this type of wearable device will eventually be as common as smartphones.
"It's just like smartphones 10 years ago," Weintraub said. "A few people started getting emails on their phones,
and people thought that was crazy. Same kind of thing. We see people bending their heads to look at their
smartphones, and it's unnatural," he said. " There's gonna be improvements to that, and this a step there. "
(2013﹒北京·阅读理解D)
Multitasking
People who multitask all the time may be the worst at doing two things at once, a new research suggests. The
findings, based on performances and self-evaluation by about 275 college students, indicate that many people
multitask not out of a desire to increase productivity, but because they are easily distracted ( 分心) and can’t
focus on one activity. And “those people turn out to be the worst at handling different things,” said David
Sanbonmatsu, a psychologist at the University of Utah.
Sanbonmatsu and his colleagues gave the students a set of tests and asked them to report how often they
multitasked, how good they thought they were at it, and how sensation-seeking (寻求刺激) or imperative (冲动)
they were. They then evaluated the participants’ multitasking ability with a tricky mental task that required the
students to do simple mathematical calculations while remembering a set of letters.
Not surprisingly, the scientists said, most people thought they were better than average at multitasking, and
those who thought they were better at it were more likely to report using a cellphone while driving or viewing
multiple kinds of media at once. But those who frequently deal with many things at the same time were found to
perform the worst at the actual multitasking test. They also were more likely to admit to sensation-seeking and
impulsive behavior, which connects with how easily people get bored and distracted.
“People multitask not because it’s going to lead to greater productivity, but because they’re distractible, and
they get sucked into things that are not as important.” Sanbonmatsu said.
Adam Gazzaley, a researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, who was not a member of the
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research group, said one limitation of the study was that it couldn’t find out whether people who start out less
focused
toward multitasking or whether people’s recognizing and understanding abilities change as a result of
multitasking.
The findings do suggest, however, why the sensation-seeker who multitask the most may enjoy risky distracted
driving. “People who are multitasking are generally less sensitive to risky situations.” said Paul Atchley, another
researcher not in the group. “This may partly explain why people go in for these situations even though they’re
dangerous.”
67. The research led by Sanbonmatsu indicates that people who multitask ______.
A. seek high productivity constantly
B. prefer handling different things when getting bored
C. are more focused when doing many things at a time
D. have the poorest results in doing various things at the same time
68. When Sanbonmatsu and his colleagues conducted their research, they ______.
A. assessed the multitasking ability of the students
B. evaluated the academic achievements of the students
C. analyzed the effects of the participants’ tricky mental tasks
D. measured the changes of the students’ understanding ability
69. According to Sanbonmatsu, people multitask because of their ______.
A. limited power in calculation
B. interests in doing things differently
C. inability to concentrate on one task
D. impulsive desire to try new things
70. From the last paragraph, we can learn that multitaskers usually ______.
A. drive very skillfully
B. go in for different tasks
C. fail to react quickly to potential dangers
D. refuse to explain the reasons for their behavior
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(2014﹒北京·阅读理解C)
Choosing the right resolution(决定)
Millions of Americans began 2014 with the same resolution they started 2013 with, a goal of
losing weight. However，setting weight lose as a goal is a mistake.
To reach our goal of losing weight—the output, we need to control what we eat—the input(输入). That is,
we tend to care about the output but not to control the input.This is a bad way to construct goals. The alternative is
to focus your resolution on the input. Instead of resolving to lose weight, try an actionable resolution: “I'll stop
having dessert for lunch，” or “I'll walk every day for 20 minutes.”Creating a goal that focuses on a well
specified input will likely be more effective than concentrating on the outcome.
Recently a new science behind incentives( 激励), including in education, has been discussed. For
example, researcher Roland Fryer wanted to see what works best in motivating children to do better in
school. In some cases, he gave students incentives based on input, like reading certain books, while in others,
the incentives were based on output, like results on exams. His main finding was that incentives increased
achievement when based on input but had no effect when based on output. Fryer's conclusion was that the
incentives for inputs might be more effective because students do not know how to do better on an exam, aside
from general rules like “study harder”. Reading certain books, on the other hand, is a wellset task over which
they have much more control.
As long as you have direct control over your goal, you have a much higher chance of success. And it's
easier to start again if you fail, because you know exactly what you need to do.
If you want to cut down on your spending, a good goal would be making morning coffee at home
instead of going to a cafe, for example. This is a wellspecified actionbased goal for which you can measure your
success easily. Spending less money isn't a goal because it's too general . Similarly, if you want to spend more
time with your family, don't stop with this general wish. Think about an actionable habit that you could adopt and
stick to, like a family movie night every Wednesday.
In the long run, these new goals could become a habit.
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63. The writer thinks that setting weight loss as a goal is a mistake because ________．
A. it is hard to achieve for most Americans
B. it is focused too much on the result
C. it is dependent on too many things
D. it is based on actionable decisions
64. In Roland Fryer's research, some students did better than the others because ________．
A. they obeyed all the general rules
B. they paid more attention to exams
C. they were motivated by their classmates
D. they were rewarded for reading some books
65. According to the writer, which of the following statements is a good goal?
A. “I'll give up dessert.”
B. “I'll study harder.”
C. “I'll cut down my expenses.”
D. “I'll spend more time with my family.”
66. The writer strongly believes that we should ________．
A. develop good habits and focus on the outcome
B. be optimistic about final goals and stick to them
C. pick specific actions that can be turned into good habits
D. set ambitious goals that can balance the input and output
(2014﹒广东·阅读理解D)
Scientists today are making greater effort to study ocean currents(洋流). Most do it using satellites and
other hightech equipment. However, ocean expert Curtis Ebbesmeyer does it in a special way—by studying
movements of random floating garbage. A scientist with many years' experience, he started this type of research in
the early 1990s when he heard about hundreds of athletic shoes washing up on the shores of the northwest coast of
the United States. There were so many shoes that people were setting up swap_meets to try and match left and
right shoes to sell or wear.
Ebbesmeyer found out in his researches that the shoes—about 60，000 in total—fell into the ocean in a
shipping accident. He phoned the shoe company and asked if they wanted the shoes back. As expected, the
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company told him that they didn't. Ebbesmeyer realized this could be a great experiment. If he learned when and
where the shoes went into the water and tracked where they landed, he could learn a lot about the patterns of
ocean currents.
The Pacific Northwest is one of the world's best areas for beachcombing(海滩搜寻) because winds
and currents join here, and as a result, there is a group of serious beachcombers in the area. Ebbesmeyer got to
know a lot of them and asked for their help in collecting information about where the shoes landed. In a year he
collected reliable information on
1，600 shoes. With this data, he and a colleague were able to test and improve a computer programme
designed to model ocean currents, and publish the findings of their study.
As the result of his work, Ebbesmeyer has become known as the scientist to call with questions about any
unusual objects found floating in the ocean. He has even started an association of beachcombers and ocean
experts, with 500 subscribers from West Africa to New Zealand. They have recorded all lost objects
ranging from potatoes to golf gloves.
41. The underlined phrase “swap meets” in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to “________”．
A. fitting rooms
B. trading fairs
C. business talks
D. group meetings
42. Ebbesmeyer phoned the shoe company to find out ________．
A. what caused the shipping accident
B. when and where the shoes went missing
C. whether it was all right to use their shoes
D. how much they lost in the shipping accident
43. How did Ebbesmeyer prove his assumption?
A. By collecting information from beachcombers.
B. By studying the shoes found by beachcombers.
C. By searching the web for ocean currents models.
D. By researching ocean currents data in the library.
44. Ebbesmeyer is most famous for ________．
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A. travelling widely the coastal cities of the world
B. making records for any lost objects on the sea
C. running a global currents research association
D. phoning about any doubtful objects on the sea
45. What is the purpose of the author in writing this passage?
A. To call people's attention to ocean pollution.
B. To warn people of shipping safety in the ocean.
C. To explain a unique way of studying ocean currents.
D. To give tips on how to search for lost objects on the beach.
(2014﹒湖北·阅读理解C)
Working with a group of baboons(狒狒) in the Namibian desert, Dr Alecia Carter of the Department of
Zoology, Cambridge University set baboons learning tasks involving a novel food and a familiar food hidden in a
box. Some baboons were given the chance to watch another baboon who already knew how to solve the task,
while others had to learn for themselves. To work out how brave or anxious the baboons were, Dr Carter
presented them either with a novel food or a threat in the form of a model of a poisonous snake.
She found that personality had a major impact on learning. The braver baboons learnt, but the shy ones did
not learn the task although they watched the baboon perform the task of finding the novel food just as long as the
brave ones did. In effect, despite being made aware of what to do, they were still too shy to do what the
experienced baboon did.
The same held true for anxious baboons compared with calm ones. The anxious individuals learnt
the task by observing others while those who were relaxed did not, even though they spent more time
watching.
This mismatch between collecting social information and using it shows that personality plays a key
role in social learning in animals, something that has previously been ignored in studies on how animals learn
to do things. The findings are significant because they suggest that animals may perform poorly in cognitive(认知
的) tasks not because they aren't clever enough to solve them, but because they are too shy or nervous to use the
social information.
The findings may impact how we understand the formation of culture in societies through social learning.
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If some individuals are unable to get information from others because they don't associate with the knowledgeable
individuals, or they are too shy to use the information once they have it, information may not travel between all
group members, preventing the formation of a culture based on social learning.
59. What is the first paragraph mainly about?
A. The design of Dr Carter's research.
B. The results of Dr Carter's research.
C. The purpose of Dr Carter's research.
D. The significance of Dr Carter's research.
60. According to the research, which baboons are more likely to complete a new learning task?
A. Those that have more experience.
B. Those that can avoid potential risks.
C. Those that like to work independently.
D. Those that feel anxious about learning.
61. Which best illustrates the “mismatch” mentioned in Paragraph 4?
A. Some baboons are intelligent but slow in learning.
B. Some baboons are shy but active in social activities.
C. Some baboons observe others but don't follow them.
D. Some baboons perform new tasks but don't concentrate.
62. Dr Carter's findings indicate that our culture might be formed through ________．
A. storing information
B. learning from each other
C. understanding different people
D. travelling between social groups
(2014﹒江苏·阅读理解C)
Most damagingly, anger weakens a person's ability to think clearly and keep control over his behaviour. The
angry person loses objectivity in evaluating the emotional significance of the person or situation that arouses his
anger.
Not everyone experiences anger in the same way; what angers one person may amuse another. The
specific expression of anger also differs from person to person based on biological and cultural forces. In
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contemporary culture, physical expressions of anger are generally considered too socially harmful to be tolerated.
We no longer regard duels(决斗) as an appropriate expression of anger resulting from one person's awareness of
insulting behaviour on the part of another.
Anger can be identified in the brain, where the electrical activity changes. Under most conditions
EEG(脑电图) measures of electrical activity show balanced activity between the right and left prefrontal(额叶前
部) areas. Behaviourally this corresponds to the general evenhanded disposition(意向) that most of us possess
most of the time. But when we are angry the EEG of the right and left prefrontal areas aren't balanced and, as a
result of this, we're likely to react. And our behavioural response to anger is different from our response to
other emotions, whether positive or negative.
Most positive emotions are associated with approach behaviour: we move closer to people we like. Most
negative emotions, in contrast, are associated with avoidance behaviour: we move away from people and things
that we dislike or that make us anxious. But anger is an exception to this pattern. The angrier we are, the more
likely we are to move towards the object of our anger. This corresponds to what psychologists refer to as offensive
anger: the angry person moves closer in order to influence and control the person or situation causing his anger.
This approachandconfront behaviour is accompanied by a leftward prefrontal asymmetry( 不对称) of EEG
activity. Interestingly, this asymmetry lessens if the angry person can experience empathy(同感) towards the
individual who is bringing forth the angry response. In defensive anger, in contrast, the EEG asymmetry is
directed to the right and the angry person feels helpless in the face of the angerinspiring situation.
61．The “duels” example in Paragraph 2 proves that the expression of anger ________．
A．usually has a biological basis
B．varies among people
C．is socially and culturally shaped
D．influences one's thinking and evaluation
62．What changes can be found in an angry brain?
A．Balanced electrical activity can be spotted.
B．Unbalanced patterns are found in prefrontal areas.
C．Electrical activity corresponds to one's behaviour.
D．Electrical activity agrees with one's disposition.
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63．Which of the following is typical of offensive anger?
A．Approaching the source of anger.
B．Trying to control what is disliked.
C．Moving away from what is disliked.
D．Feeling helpless in the face of anger.
64．What is the key message of the last paragraph?
A．How anger differs from other emotions.
B．How anger relates to other emotions.
C．Behavioural responses to anger.
D．Behavioural patterns of anger.
(2014﹒辽宁·阅读理解A)
A new study shows students who write notes by hand during lectures perform better on exams than
those who use laptops(笔记本电脑)．
Students are increasingly using laptops for notetaking because of speed and legibility(清晰度)．But
the research has found laptop users are less able to remember and apply the concepts they have been taught.
Researchers performed experiments that aimed to find out whether using a laptop increased the
tendency to make notes “mindlessly” by taking down word for word what the professors said.
In the first experiment，students were given either a laptop or pen and paper.They listened to the same
lectures and were told to use their usual notetaking skills.Thirty minutes after the talk，they were examined on
their ability to remember facts and on how well they understood concepts.
The researchers found that laptop users took twice as many notes as those who wrote by
hand.However ，the typists performed worse at remembering and applying the concepts.Both groups scored
similarly when it came to memorizing facts.
The researchers' report said，“While more notes are beneficial，if the notes are taken mindlessly，as is
more likely the case on a laptop，the benefit disappears.”
In another experiment aimed at testing longterm memory，students took notes as before but were tested a
week after the lecture.This time ，the students who wrote notes by hand performed significantly better on the
exam.
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These two experiments suggest that handwritten notes are not only better for immediate learning and
understanding，but that they also lead to superior revision in the future.
21．More and more students favour laptops for notetaking because they can ________.
A．write more notes B．digest concepts better
C．get higher scores D．understand lectures better
22．While taking notes，laptop users tend to be ________.
A．skilful B．mindless
C．thoughtful D．tireless
23．The author of the passage aims to ________.
A．examine the importance of longterm memory
B．stress the benefit of taking notes by hand
C．explain the process of taking notes
D．promote the use of laptops
24．The passage is likely to appear in ________.
A．a newspaper advertisement
B．a computer textbook
C．a science magazine
D．a finance report
(2014﹒辽宁·阅读理解C)
Would it surprise you to learn that，like animals，trees communicate with each other and pass on their
wealth to the next generation?
UBC Professor Simard explains how trees are much more complex than most of us ever
imagined.Although Charles Darwin thought that trees are competing for survival of the fittest，Simard
shows just how wrong he was.In fact ，the_opposite_is_true ：trees survive through their cooperation and
support，passing around necessary nutrition “depending on who needs it”．
Nitrogen(氮) and carbon are shared through miles of underground fungi(真菌) networks，making sure that
all trees in the forest ecological system give and receive just the right amount to keep them all healthy.This hidden
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system works in a very similar way to the networks of neurons(神经元) in our brains，and when one tree is
destroyed，it affects all.
Simard talks about “ mother trees” ，usually the largest and oldest plants on which all other trees
depend.She explains how dying trees pass on the wealth to the next generation，transporting important minerals
to young trees so they may continue to grow.When humans cut down “mother trees” with no awareness of these
highly complex “tree societies” or the networks on which they feed，we are reducing the chances of survival for
the entire forest.
“We didn't take any notice of it，” Simard says sadly.“Dying trees move nutrition into the young
trees before dying ，but we never give them chance.” If we could put across the message to the forestry
industry，we could make a huge difference towards our environmental protection efforts for the future.
29．The underlined sentence “the opposite is true” in Paragraph 2 probably means that trees ________.
A．compete for survival
B．protect their own wealth
C．depend on each other
D．provide support for dying trees
30．“Mother trees” are extremely important because they ________.
A．look the largest in size in the forest
B．pass on nutrition to young trees
C．seem more likely to be cut down by humans
D．know more about the complex “tree societies”
31．The underlined word “it” in the last paragraph refers to ________.
A．how “tree societies” work
B．how trees grow old
C．how forestry industry develops
D．how young trees survive
32．What would be the best title for the passage?
A．Old trees communicate like humans
B．Young trees are in need of protection
C．Trees are more awesome than you think
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D．Trees contribute to our society
(2014﹒山东·阅读理解D)
How fit are your teeth? Are you lazy about brushing them? Never fear: an inventor is on the case. An
electric toothbrush senses how long and how well you brush, and it lets you track your performance on your
phone.
The Kolibree toothbrush was exhibited at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas
this week. It senses how it is moved and can send the information to an Android phone or iPhone via
a Bluetooth wireless connection.
The toothbrush will be able to teach you to brush right (don't forget the insides of the teeth！) and
make sure you're brushing long enough. “It's kind of like having a dentist actually watch your brushing on a day
today basis，” says Thomas Serval, the French inventor.
The toothbrush will also be able to talk to other applications on your phone, so developers could, for
instance, create a game controlled by your toothbrush. You could score points for beating monsters among your
teeth. “We try to make it smart but also fun，” Serval says.
Serval says he was inspired by his experience as a father. He would come home from work and
ask his kids if they had brushed their teeth. They said “yes”， but Serval would find their toothbrush
heads dry. He decided he needed a brush that really told him how well his children brushed.
The company says the Kolibree will go on sale this summer, for $99 to $199, developing on features.
The US is the first target market.
Serval says that one day, it'll be possible to replace the brush on the handle with a brushing unit that also
has a camera. The camera can even examine holes in your teeth while you brush.
56．Which is one of the features of the Kolibree toothbrush?
A．It can sense how users brush their teeth.
B．It can track users' school performance.
C．It can detect users' fear of seeing a dentist.
D．It can help users find their phones.
57．What can we learn from Serval's words in Paragraph 3?
A．You will find it enjoyable to see a dentist.
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B．You should see your dentist on a daytoday basis.
C．You can brush with the Kolibree as if guided by a dentist.
D．You'd like a dentist to watch you brush your teeth every day.
58．Which of the following might make the Kolibree toothbrush fun?
A．It can be used to update mobile phones.
B．It can be used to play mobile phone games.
C．It can send messages to other users.
D．It can talk to its developers.
59．What is Paragraph 5 mainly about?
A．How Serval found out his kids lied to him.
B．Why Serval thought brushing teeth was necessary.
C．How Serval taught his kids to brush their teeth.
D．What inspired Serval to invent the toothbrush.
60．What can we infer about Serval's children?
A．They were unwilling to brush their teeth.
B．They often failed to clean their toothbrushes.
C．They preferred to use a toothbrush with a dry head.
D．They liked brushing their teeth after Serval came home.
61．What can we learn about the future development of the Kolibree?
A．The brush handle will be removed.
B．A mobile phone will be built into it.
C．It will be used to fill holes in teeth.
D．It will be able to check users' teeth.
(2014﹒陕西·阅读理解C)
Why do Americans struggle with watching their weight, while the French, who consume rich food,
continue to stay thin? Now a research by Cornell University suggests how life style and decisions about eating
may affect weight. Researchers conclude that the French tend to stop eating when they feel full. However,
Americans tend to stop when their plate is empty or their favourite TV show is over.
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According to Dr Joseph Mercola, a health expert, the French see eating as an important part of their life
style. They enjoy food and therefore spend a fairly long time at the table, while Americans see eating as
something to be squeezed between the other daily activities. Mercola believes Americans lose the ability to sense
when they are actually full. So they keep eating long after the French would have stopped. In addition, he points
out that Americans drive to huge supermarkets to buy canned and frozen foods for the week. The French, instead,
tend to shop daily, walking to small shops and farmers' markets where they have a choice of fresh fruits,
vegetables, and eggs as well as highquality meats for each meal.
After a visit to the United States, Mireille Guiliano, author of French Women Don't Get Fat, decided to
write about the importance of knowing when to stop rather than suggesting how to avoid food. Today she
continues to stay slim and rarely goes to the gym.
In spite of all these differences, evidence shows that recent life style changes may be affecting French eating
habits. Today the rate of obesity—or extreme overweight—among adults is only 6%. However, as American
fast food gains acceptance and the young reject older traditions, the obesity rate among French children has
reached 17%—and is growing.
53. In what way are the French different from Americans according to Dr Joseph Mercola?
A. They go shopping at supermarkets more frequently.
B. They squeeze eating between the other daily activities.
C. They regard eating as a key part of their life style.
D. They usually eat too much canned and frozen food.
54. This text is mainly the relationship between ________．
A. Americans and the French
B. life style and obesity
C. children and adults
D. fast food and overweight
55. The text is mainly developed ________．
A. by contrast B. by space
C. by process D. by classification
56. Where does this text probably come from?
A. A TV interview. B. A food advertisement.
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C. A health report. D. A book review.
(2014﹒四川·阅读理解E)
Women are friendly. But men are more competitive. Why? Researchers have found it's all down to the
hormone oxytocin(荷尔蒙催生素). Although known as the love hormone, it affects the sexes differently.
“Women tend to be social in their behaviour. They often share with others. But men lend to be
competitive. They are trying to improve their social status，” said Professor Ryan.
Generally, people believe that the hormone oxytocin is let out in our body in various social situations and
our body creates a large amount of it during positive social interactions (互动) such as falling in love or giving
birth.
But in a previous experiment Professor Ryan found that the hormone is also let out in our body during
negative social interactions such as envy.
Further researches showed that in men the hormone oxytocin improves the ability to recognize
competitive relationships, but in women it raises the ability to recognize friendship.
Professor Ryan's recent experiment used 62 men and women aged 20 to 37.
Half of the participants(参与者) received oxytocin. The other half received placebo(安慰剂)．
After a week, the two groups switched with participants. They went through the same procedure with the
other material.
Following each treatment, they were shown some video pictures with different social interactions. Then
they were asked to analyze the relationships by answering some questions. The questions were about telling
friendship from competition. And their answers should be based on gestures, body language and facial
expressions.
The results indicated that, after treatment with oxytocin, men's ability to correctly recognize competitive
relationships improved, but in women it was the ability to correctly recognize friendship that got better.
Professor Ryan thus concluded, “Our experiment proves that the hormone oxytocin can raise people's
abilities to better distinguish different social interactions. And the behaviour differences between men and women
are caused by biological factors(因素) that are mainly hormonal.”
47. What causes men and women to behave differently according to the text?
A. Placebo. B. Oxytocin.
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C. The gesture. D. The social status.
48. What can we learn from Professor Ryan's previous experiment?
A. Oxytocin affects our behaviour in a different way.
B. Our body lets out oxytocin when we are deep in love.
C. Our body produces oxytocin when we feel unhappy about others' success.
D. Oxytocin improves our abilities to understand people's behaviour differences.
49. Why did Professor Ryan conduct the recent experiment?
A. To test the effect of oxytocin on the ability to recognize social interactions.
B. To know the differences between friendship and competition.
C. To know people's different abilities to answer questions.
D. To test people's understanding of body language.
50. The author develops the text by ________．
A. explaining people's behaviours
B. describing his own experiences
C. distinguishing sexual differences
D. discussing research experiments
(2014﹒天津·阅读理解B)
A worldfamous Canadian author, Margaret Atwood, has created the world's first longdistance signing
device(装置), the LongPen.
After many tiring booksigning tours from city to city, Atwood thought there must be a better way to do
them. She hired some technical experts and started her own company in 2004. Together they designed the
LongPen. Here's how it works: the author writes a personal message and signature on a computer tablet(手写板)
using a special pen. On the receiving end, in another city, a robotic arm fitted with a regular pen signs the book.
The author and fan can talk with each other via webcams(网络摄像机) and computer screens.
Work on the LongPen began in Atwood's basement(地下室). At first, they had no idea it would be as
hard as it turned out to be. The device went through several versions, including one that actually had smoke
coming out of it. The inventing finally completed, test runs were made in Ottawa, and the LongPen was officially
launched at the 2006 London Book Fair. From here, Atwood conducted two transatlantic book signings of her
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latest book for fans in Toronto and New York City.
The LongPen produces a unique signature each time because it copies the movement of the author in
real time. It has several other potential applications. It could increase credit card security and allow
people to sign contracts from another province. The video exchange between signer and receiver can be
recorded on DVD for proof when legal documents are used.
“It's really fun，” said the owner of a bookstore, who was present for one of the test runs. “Obviously
you can't shake hands with the author, but there are chances for a connection that you don't get from a regular
book signing.”
The response to the invention hasn't been all favourable. Atwood has received criticism from authors
who think she's trying to end book tours. But she said, “It will be possible to go to places that you never
got sent to before because the publishers couldn't afford it.”
41. Why did Atwood decide to invent the LongPen?
A. To set up her own company.
B. To win herself greater popularity.
C. To write her books in a new way.
D. To make book signings less tiring.
42. How does the LongPen work?
A. It copies the author's signature and prints it on a book.
B. It signs a book while receiving the author's signature.
C. The webcam sends the author's signature to another city.
D. The fan uses it to copy the author's signature himself.
43. What do we know about the invention of the LongPen?
A. It has been completed but not put into use.
B. The basement caught fire by accident.
C. Some versions failed before its test run.
D. The designers were wellprepared for the difficulty.
44. How could the LongPen be used in the future?
A. To draft legal documents.
B. To improve credit card security.
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C. To keep a record of the author's ideas.
D. To allow author and fan to exchange videos.
45. What could be inferred from Paragraphs 5 and 6?
A. Atwood doesn't mean to end book tours.
B. Critics think the LongPen is of little use.
C. Bookstore owners don't support the LongPen.
D. Publishers dislike the LongPen for its high cost.
(2014﹒浙江·阅读理解C)
Last summer，two nineteenthcentury cottages were rescued from remote farm fields in Montana ，to be
moved to an Art Deco building in San Francisco.The houses were made of wood.These cottages once housed
early settlers as they worked the dry Montana soil；now they hold Twitter engineers.
The cottages could be an example of the industry's odd love affair with “low technology”， a
concept associated with the natural world，and with oldschool craftsmanship(手艺) that exists long before the
Internet era.Low technology is not virtual(虚拟的)—so，to take advantage of it，Internet companies have had to
get creative.The rescued wood cottages，fitted by hand in the late eighteenhundreds，are an obvious example，
but Twitter's designs lie on the extreme end.Other companies are using a broader interpretation( 阐释) of low
technology that focuses on nature.
Amazon is building three glassspheres filled with trees，so that employees can “work and socialize in a
more natural，parklike setting”．At Google's office，an entire floor is carpeted in grace.Facebook's second
Menlo Park camping will have a rooftop park with a walking trail.
Olle Lundberg ，the founder of Lundberg Design ，has worked with many tech companies over the
years.“We have lost the connection to the maker in our lives，and our tech engineers are the ones who feel most
impoverished(贫乏的)，because they're surrounded by the digital world，”he says.“They're looking for a way
to regain their individual identity，and we've found that introducing real crafts is one way to do that.”
This craftbased theory is rooted in history.William Morris，the English artist and writer，turned back to
preindustrial arts in the eighteensixties ，just after the Industrial Revolution.The Arts and Crafts movement
defined itself against machines.“Without creative human occupation ，people became disconnected from
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life，” Morris said.
Research has shown that natural environments can restore(恢复) our mental capacities.In Japan，patients
are encouraged to “forestbathe”， taking walks through woods to lower their blood pressure.
These health benefits apply to the workplace as well.Rachel Kaplan，a professor of environmental
psychology，has spent years researching the restorative effects of natural environments.Her research found that
workers with access to nature at the office—even simple views of trees and flowers—felt their jobs were less
stressful and more satisfying.If lowtech offices can potentially nourish the brains and improve the mental health of
employees then，fine，bring on the cottages.
50．The writer mentions the two nineteenthcentury cottages to show that ________.
A．Twitter is having a hard time
B．old cottages are in need of protection
C．early settlers once suffered from a dry climate in Montana
D．Internet companies have rediscovered the benefits of low technology
51．Low technology is regarded as something that ________.
A．is related to nature
B．is out of date today
C．consumes too much energy
D．exists in the virtual world
52．The main idea of Paragraph 5 is that human beings ________.
A．have destroyed many preindustrial arts
B．have a tradition of valuing arts and crafts
C．can become intelligent by learning history
D．can regain their individual identity by using machines
53．The writer's attitude to “low technology” can best be described as ________.
A．positive B．defensive
C．cautious D．doubtful
54．What might be the best title for the passage?
A．Past glories, future dreams
B．The virtual world，the real challenge
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C．Hightech companies, lowtech offices
D．The more craftsmanship，the less creativity
(2014﹒重庆·阅读理解C)
The idea of being able to walk on water has long interested humans greatly. Sadly, biological facts
prevent us ever accomplishing such a thing without artificial aid—we simply weigh too much，and all our mass
pushes down through our relatively small feet, resulting in a lot of pressure that makes us sink.
However, several types of animals can walk on water. One of the most interesting is the common basilisk
Basilicus basilicus, a lizard (蜥蜴) native to Central and South America. It can run across water for a distance
of several metres, avoiding getting wet by rapidly hitting the water's surface with its feet. The lizard will
take as many as 20 steps per second to keep moving forward. For humans to do this, we'd need huge feet that we
could bring up to our ears in order to create adequate “hitting”．
But fortunately there is an alternative: cornflour. By adding enough of this common thickening agent to
water (and it does take a lot), you can create a “nonNewtonian” liquid that doesn't behave like normal water.
Now, if the surface of the water is hit hard enough, particles(粒子) in the water group together for a moment to
make the surface hard. Move quickly enough and put enough force into each step, and you really can walk across
the surface of an adequately thick liquid of cornflour.
Fun though all this may sound, it's still rather messy and better read about in theory than carried out in
practice. If you must do it, then keep the water wings handy in case you start to sink—and take a shower
afterwards!
44. Walking on water hasn't become a reality mainly because humans ________．
A. are not interested in it
B. have biological limitations
C. have not invented proper tools
D. are afraid to make an attempt
45. What do we know about Basilicus basilicus from the passage?
A. It is light enough to walk on water.
B. Its huge feet enable it to stay above water.
C. It can run across water at a certain speed.
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D. Its unique skin keeps it from getting wet in water.
46. What is the function of the cornflour according to the passage?
A. To create a thick liquid.
B. To turn the water into solid.
C. To help the liquid behave normally.
D. To enable the water to move rapidly.
47. What is the author's attitude towards the idea of humans' walking on water?
A. It is risky but beneficial.
B. It is interesting and worth trying.
C. It is crazy and cannot become a reality.
D. It is impractical though theoretically possible.
(2015﹒湖北﹒阅读理解D)
The oddness of life in space never quite goes away. Here are some examples.
First consider something as simple as sleep. Its position presents its own challenges. The main
question is whether you want your arms inside or outside the sleeping bag. If you leave your arms
out, they float free in zero gravity, often giving a sleeping astronaut the look of a funny balled （芭
蕾）dancer. “I’m an inside guy,” Mike Hopkins says, who returned from a six-month tour on the
International Space Station. “I like to be wrapped up.”
On the station, the ordinary becomes strange. The exercise bike for the American astronauts
has no handlebars. It also has no seat. With no gravity, it’s just as easy to pedal violently. You can
watch a movie while you pedal by floating a microcomputer anywhere you want. But station
residents have to be careful about staying in one place too long. Without gravity to help circulate
air, the carbon dioxide you exhale (呼气) has a tendency to form an invisible （隐形的）cloud
around you head. You can end up with what astronauts call a carbon-dioxide headache.
Leroy Chiao, 54, an American retired astronaut after four flights, describes what happens even
before you float out of your seat,”Your inner ear thinks your’re falling . Meanwhile your eyes are
telling you you’re standing straight. That can be annoying—that’s why some people feel sick.”
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Within a couple days —truly terrible days for some —astronauts’ brains learn to ignore the panicky
signals from the inner ear, and space sickness disappears.
Space travel can be so delightful but at the same time invisibly dangerous. For instance,
astronauts lose bone mass. That’s why exercise is considered so vital that National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA) puts it right on the workday schedule. The focus on fitness is as
much about science and the future as it is about keeping any individual astronauts return home, and,
more importantly, how to maintain strength and fitness for the two and a half years or more that it
would take to make a round-trip to Mars.
63.What is the major challenge to astronauts when they sleep in space?
A. Deciding on a proper sleep position
B. Choosing a comfortable sleeping bag
C. Seeking a way to fall asleep quickly
D. Finding a right time to go to sleep.
64.The astronauts will suffer from a carbon-dioxide headache when _____.
A. the y circle around on their bikes
B. they use microcomputers without a stop
C. they exercise in one place for a long time
D. they watch a movie while pedaling
65.Some astronauts feel sick on the station during the first few days because _____.
A. their senses stop working
B. they have to stand up straight
C. they float out of their seats unexpectedly
D. whether they are able to go back to the station
66.One of the NASA’s major concerns about astronauts is _____.
A. how much exercise they do on the station
B. how they can remain healthy for long in space
C. whether they can recover after returning home
D. whether they are able to go back to the station
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(2015﹒北京﹒阅读理解C)
Life in the Clear
Transparent animals let light pass through their bodies the same way light passes through a
window. These animals typically live between the surface of the ocean and a depth of about 3,300
feet—as far as most light can reach. Most of them are extremely delicate and can be damaged by a
simple touch. Sonke Johnsen, a scientist in biology, says, “These animals live through their life
alone. They never touch anything unless they’re eating it, or unless something is eating them.”
And they are as clear as glass. How does an animal become see-through? It’s trickier than you
might think.
The objects around you are visible because they interact with light. Light typically travels in a
straight line. But some materials slow and scatter(散射) light, bouncing it away from its original
path. Others absorb light, stopping it dead in its tracks. Both scattering and absorption make an
object look different from other objects around it, so you can see it easily.
But a transparent object doesn’t absorb or scatter light, at least not very much, Light can pass
through it without bending or stopping. That means a transparent object doesn’t look very different
from the surrounding air or water. You don’t see it ----you see the things behind it.
To become transparent, an animal needs to keep its body from absorbing or scattering light.
Living materials can stop light because they contain pigments(色素) that absorb specific colors of
light. But a transparent animal doesn’t have pigments, so its tissues won’t absorb light. According
to Johnsen, avoiding absorption is actually easy. The real challenge is preventing light from
scattering.
Animals are built of many different materials----skin, fat, and more----and light moves through each
at a different speed. Every time light moves into a material with a new speed, it bends and scatters.
Transparent animals use different tricks to fight scattering. Some animals are simply very small or
extremely flat. Without much tissue to scatter light, it is easier to be see—through. Others build a
large, clear mass of non-living jelly-lie(果冻状的)material and spread themselves over it .
Larger transparent animals have the biggest challenge, because they have to make all the different
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tissues in their bodies slow down light exactly as much as water does. They need to look uniform.
But how they’re doing it is still unknown. One thing is clear for these larger animals, staying
transparent is an active process. When they die, they turn a non-transparent milky white.
63. According to Paragraph 1, transparent animals_______.
A. stay in groups B. can be easily damaged
C. appear only in deep ocean D. are beautiful creatures
64. The underlined word “dead” in Paragraph 3 means__________.
A. silently B. gradually
C. regularly D. completely
65. One way for an animal to become transparent is to ________.
A. change the direction of light travel
B. gather materials to scatter light.
C. avoid the absorption of light
D. grow bigger to stop light.
66. The last paragraph tells us that larger transparent animals________.
A. move more slowly in deep water
B. stay see-through even after death
C. produce more tissues for their survival
D. take effective action to reduce light spreading
(2015﹒江苏﹒阅读理解B)
In the United States alone, over 100 million cell-phones are thrown away each year. Cell-
phones are part of a growing mountain of electronic waste like computers and personal digital
assistants. The electronic waste stream is increasing three times faster than traditional garbage as a
whole.
Electronic devices contain valuable metals such as gold and silver. A Swiss study reported that
while the weight of electronic goods represented by precious metals was relatively small in
comparison to total waste, the concentration (含量) of gold and other precious metals was higher in
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So-called e-waste than in naturally occurring minerals.
Electronic wastes also contain many poisonous metals. Even when the machines are recycled
and the harmful metals removed, the recycling process often is carried out in poor countries, in
practically uncontrolled ways which allow many poisonous substances to escape into the
environment.
Creating products out of raw materials creates much more waste material, up to 100 times
more, than the material contained in the finished products. Consider again the cell-phone, and
imagine the mines that produced those metals, the factories needed to make the box and
packaging(包装) it came in. Many wastes produced in the producing process are harmful as well.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notes that most waste is dangerous in that “the
production, distribution, and use of products — as well as management of the resulting waste — all
result in greenhouse gas release.” Individuals can reduce their contribution by creating less waste at
the start — for instance, buying reusable products and recycling.
In many countries the concept of extended producer responsibility is being considered or has
been put in place as an incentive (动机) for reducing waste. If producers are required to take back
packaging they use to sell their products, would they reduce the packaging in the first place?
Governments’ incentive to require producers to take responsibility for the packaging they
produce is usually based on money. Why, they ask, should cities or towns be responsible for paying
to deal with the bubble wrap (气泡垫) that encased your television?
From the governments’ point of view, a primary goal of laws requiring extended producer
responsibility is to transfer both the costs and the physical responsibility of waste management from
the government and tax-payers back to the producers.
58.By mentioning the Swiss study, the author intends to tell us that _________ .
A. the weight of e-goods is rather small
B. E-waste deserves to be made good use of
C. natural minerals contain more precious metals
D. the percentage of precious metals is heavy in e-waste
59.The responsibility of e-waste treatment should be extended _________ .
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A. from producers to governments
B. from governments to producers
C. from individuals to distributors
D. from distributors to governments
60. What does the passage mainly talk about?
A. The increase in e-waste.
B. The creation of e-waste.
C. The seriousness of e-waste.
D. The management of e-waste.
(2015﹒江苏﹒阅读理解C)
Suppose you become a leader in an organization. It’s very likely that you’ll want to have
volunteers to help with the organization’s activities. To do so, it should help to understand why
people undertake volunteer work and what keeps their interest in the work.
Let’s begin with the question of why people volunteer. Researchers have identified several
factors that motivate people to get involved. For example, people volunteer to express personal
values related to unselfishness, to expand their range of experiences, and to strengthen social
relationships. If volunteer positions do not meet these needs, people may not wish to participate. To
select volunteers, you may need to understand the motivations of the people you wish to attract.
People also volunteer because they are required to do so. To increase levels of community
service, some schools have launched compulsory volunteer programs. Unfortunately, these
programs can shift people’s wish of participation from an internal factor (e.g., “I volunteer because
it’s important to me”) to an external factor (e.g., “I volunteer because I’m required to do so”). When
that happens, people become less likely to volunteer in the future. People must be sensitive to this
possibility when they make volunteer activities a must.
Once people begin to volunteer, what leads them to remain in their positions over time? To
answer this question, researchers have conducted follow-up studies in which they track volunteers
over time. For instance, one study followed 238 volunteers in Florida over a year. One of the most
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important factors that influenced their satisfaction as volunteers was the amount of suffering they
experienced in their volunteer positions. Although this result may not surprise you, it leads to
important practical advice. The researchers note that attention should be given to “training methods
that would prepare volunteers for troublesome situations or provide them with strategies for coping
with the problem they do experience”.
Another study of 302 volunteers at hospitals in Chicago focused on individual differences in
the degree to which people view “volunteer” as an important social role. It was assumed that those
people for whom the role of volunteer was most part of their personal identity would also be most
likely to continue volunteer work. Participants indicated the degree to which the social role
mattered by responding to statements such as “Volunteering in Hospital is an important part of who
I am.” Consistent with the researchers’ expectations, they found a positive correlation ( 正相关)
between the strength of role identity and the length of time people continued to volunteer. These
results, once again, lead to concrete advice: “Once an individual begins volunteering, continued
efforts might focus on developing a volunteer role identity. Items like T-shirts that allow volunteers
to be recognized publicly for their contributions can help strengthen role identity”.
61.People volunteer mainly out of ______ .
A. academic requirements B. social expectations
C. financial rewards D. internal needs
62.What can we learn from the Florida study?
A. Follow-up studies should last for one year. B. Volunteers should get mentally prepared.
C. Strategy training is a must in research. D. Volunteers are provided with concrete advice.
63.What is most likely to motivate volunteers to continue their work?
A. Individual differences in role identity. B. Publicly identifiable volunteer T-shirts.
C. Role identity as a volunteer. D. Practical advice from researchers.
64.What is the best title of the passage?
A. How to Get People to Volunteer B. How to Study Volunteer Behaviors
C. How to Keep Volunteers’ Interest D. How to Organize Volunteer Activities
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(2015﹒广东﹒阅读理解C)
Daniel Anderson, a famous psychologist, believes it’s important to distinguish television’s
influences on children from those of the family. We tend to blame TV, he says, for problems it
doesn’t really cause, overlooking our own roles in shaping children’s minds.
One traditional belief about television is that it reduces a child’s ability to think and to
understand the world. While watching TV, children do not merely absorb words and images (影像).
Instead, they learn both explicit and hidden meanings from what they see. Actually, children learn
early the psychology of characters in TV shows. Furthermore, as many teachers agree, children
understand far more when parents watch TV with them, explaining new words and ideas. Yet, most
parents use an educational program as a chance to park their kids in front of the set and do
something in another room.
Another argument against television is that it replaces reading as a form of entertainment. But
according to Anderson, the amount of time spent watching television is not related to reading
ability. TV doesn’t take the place of reading for most children; it takes the place of similar sorts of
recreation, such as listening to the radio and playing sports. Things like parents’ educational
background have a stronger influence on a child’s reading. “A child’s reading ability is best
predicted by how much a parent reads.” Anderson says.
Traditional wisdom also has it that heavy television-watching lowers IQ ( 智商) scores and
affects school performance. But here, too, Anderson notes that no studies have proved it. In fact,
research suggests that it’s the other way around. “If you’re smart young, you’ll watch less TV when
you’re older,” Anderson says. Yet, people of lower IQ tend to be lifelong television viewers.
For years researchers have attempted to show that television is dangerous to children. However,
by showing that television promotes none of the dangerous effects as conventionally believed,
Anderson suggests that television cannot be condemned without considering other influences.
36. By watching TV, children learn _________.
A. images through words
B. more than explicit meanings
C. more about images than words
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D. little about people’s psychology
37. An educational program is best watched by a child _________.
A. on his own
B. with other kids
C. with his parents
D. with his teachers
38. Which of the following is most related to children’s reading ability?
A. Radio-listening
B. Television-watching
C. Parents’ reading list
D. Parents’ educational background
39. Anderson believed that _________.
A. the more a child watches TV, the smarter he is
B. the younger a child is, the more he watches TV
C. the smarter a child is, the less likely he gets addicted to TV
D. the less a child watches TV, the better he performs at school
40. What is the main purpose of the passage?
A. To advise on the educational use of TV.
B. To describe TV’s harmful effects on children.
C. To explain traditional views on TV influences.
D. To present Anderson’s unconventional ideas.
(2015﹒陕西﹒阅读理解C)
The production of coffee beans is a huge, profitable business, but, unfortunately, full-sun
production is taking over the industry and bringing about a lot of damage. The change in how coffee
is grown from shade-grown production to full-sun production endangers the very existence of,
certain animals and birds, and even disturbs the world’s ecological balance.
On a local level, the damage of the forest required by full-sun fields affects the area’s birds and
animals. The shade of the forest trees provides a home for birds and other special(物种) that depend
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on the trees’ flowers and fruits. Full-sun coffee growers destroy this forest home. As a result, many
special are quickly dying out.
On a more global level, the destruction of the rainforest for full-sun coffee fields also
threatens(威胁)human life. Medical research often makes use of the forests' plant and animal life,
and the destruction of such species could prevent researchers from finding cures for certain
diseases. In addition, new coffee-growing techniques are poisoning the water locally, and
eventually the world's groundwater.
Both locally and globally, the continued spread of full-sun coffee plantations (种植园)could
mean the destruction of the rainforest ecology. The loss of shade trees is already causing a slight
change in the world's climate, and studies show that loss of oxygen-giving trees also leads to air
pollution and global warming. Moreover, the new growing techniques are contributing to acidic(酸
性的) soil conditions.
It is obvious that the way much coffee is grown affects many aspects many aspects of life,
from the local environment to the global ecology. But consumers do have a choice. They can
purchase shade-grown coffee whenever possible, although at a higher cost. The future health of the
planet and mankind is surely worth more than an inexpensive cup of coffee.
54. What can we learn about full-sun coffee production from Paragraph 4?
A. It limits the spread of new growing techniques.
B. It leads to air pollution and global warming.
C. It slows down the loss of shade trees.
D. It improves local soil conditions.
55. The purpose of the text is to .
A. entertain B. advertise C. instruct D. persuade
56. Where does this text probably come from ?
A. An agricultural magazine.
B. A medical journal.
C. An engineering textbook.
D. A tourist guide.
57.Which of the following shows the structure of the whole text?
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(2015﹒四川﹒阅读理解D)
Their cheery song brightens many a winter's day. But robins are in danger of wearing
themselves out by singing too much. Robins are singing all night 一as well as during the day,
British-based researchers say.
David Dominoni, of Glasgow University, said that light from street lamps, takeaway signs and
homes is affecting the birds' biological clocks, leading to them being wide awake when they should
be asleep.
Dr Dominoni, who is putting cameras inside nesting boxes to track sleeping patterns, said lack of
sleep could put the birds’ health at risk. His study shows that when robins are exposed to light at
night in the lab, it leads to some genes being active at the wrong time of day. And the more birds
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are exposed to light, the more active they are at night.
He told people at a conference, "There have been a couple of studies suggesting they are
increasing their song output at night and during the day they are still singing. Singing is a costly
behaviour and it takes energy. So by increasing their song output, there might be some costs of
energy."
And it is not just robins that are being kept awake by artificial light. Blackbirds and seagulls are
also being more nocturnal. Dr Dominoni said, "In Glasgow where I live, gulls are a serious
problem. I have people coming to me saying `You are the bird expert. Can you help us kill these
gulls?'.During the breeding(繁殖)season, between April and June, they are very active at night and
very noisy and people can't sleep."
Although Dr Dominoni has only studied light pollution, other research concluded that robins
living in noisy cities have started to sing at night to make themselves heard over loud noise.
However, some birds thrive(兴旺)in noisy environments. A study from California Polytechnic
University found more hummingbirds in areas with heavy industrial machinery. It is thought that
they are capitalising on their predators(天敌)fleeing to quieter areas.
42.According to Dr Dominoni's study, what cause robins to sing so much?
A. The breeding season.
B. The light in modern life
C. The dangerous environment.
D. The noise from heavy machinery.
43.What is the researchers' concern over the increase of birds' song output?
A. The environment might be polluted.
B. The birds' health might be damaged.
C. The industry cost might be increased.
D. The people's hearing might be affected.
44.What does the underlined word "nocturnal" in Paragraph 5 mean?
A. Active at night.
B. Inactive at night.
C. Active during the day.
D. Inactive during the day.
45.Why do some birds thrive in noisy environments?
A. Because there are fewer dangers.
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B. Because there is more food to eat.
C. Because there is less light pollution
D. Because there are more places to take shelter.
(2015﹒四川﹒阅读理解E)
No one is sure how the ancient Egyptians built the pyramids near Cairo. But a new study
suggests they used a little rock‘n’roll. Long-ago builders could have attached wooden pole s to the
stones and rolled then across the sand, the scientists say.
“Technically, I think what they’re proposing is possible,” physicist Daniel Bonn said.
People have long puzzled over how the Egyptians moved such huge rocks. And there’s no
obvious answer. On average, each of the two million big stones weighed about as much as a large
pickup truck. The Egyptians somehow moved the stone blocks to the pyramid site from about one
kilometer away.
The most popular view is that Egyptian workers slid the blocks along smooth paths. Many
scientists suspect workers first would have put the blocks on sleds(滑板). Then they would have
dragged them along paths. To make the work easier, workers may have lubricated the paths either
with wet clay or with the fat from cattle. Bonn has now tested this idea by building small sleds and
dragging heavy objects over sand.
Evidence from the sand supports this idea. Researchers found small amounts of fat, as well as a
large amount of stone and the remains of paths.
However, physicist Joseph West thinks there might have been a simpler way , who led the new
study . West said , “I was inspired while watching a television program showing how sleds might
have helped with pyramid construction . I thought , ‘Why don’t they just try rolling the things?’“A
square could be turned into a rough sort of wheel by attaching wooden poles to its sides , he realized
. That , he notes , should make a block of stone” a lot easier to roll than a square”.
So he tried it.
He and his students tied some poles to each of four sides of a 30-kilogram stone block. That
action turned the block into somewhat a wheel. Then they placed the block on the ground.
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They wrapped one end of a rope around the block and pulled. The researchers found they
could easily roll the block along different kinds of paths. They calculated that rolling the block
required about as much force as moving it along a slippery(滑的)path.
West hasn’t tested his idea on larger blocks, but he thinks rolling has clear advantages over
sliding. At least, workers wouldn’t have needed to carry cattle fat or water to smooth the paths.
46.It’s widely believed that the stone blocks were moved to the pyramid site by ______.
A. rolling them on roads
B. pushing them over the sand
C. sliding them on smooth paths
D. dragging them on some poles
47.The underlined part “lubricated the paths” in Paragraph 4 means____.
A. made the path wet
B. made the path hard
C. made the path wide
D. made the path slippery
48.What does the underlined word “it”in Paragraph 7 refer to?
A. Rolling the blocks with poles attached.
B. Rolling the blocks on wooden wheels.
C. Rolling poles to move the blocks.
D. Rolling the blocks with fat.
49.Why is rolling better than sliding according to West ?
A. Because more force is needed for sliding.
B. Because rolling work can be done by fewer cattle.
C. Because sliding on smooth road is more dangerous.
D. Because less preparation on path is needed for rolling.
50.What is the text mainly about ?
A. An experiment on ways of moving blocks to the pyramid site.
B. An application of the method of moving blocks to the pyramid site.
C. An argument about different methods of moving blocks to the pyramid site.
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D. An introduction to a possible new way of moving blocks to the pyramid site.
(2015﹒天津﹒阅读理解B)
Whether in the home or the workplace, social robots are going to become a lot more common
in the next few years. Social robots are about to bring technology to the everyday world in a more
humanized way, said Cynthia Breazeal, chief scientist at the robot company Jibo.
While household robots today do the normal housework, social robots will be much more like
companions than mere tools. For example, these robots will be able to distinguish when someone is
happy or sad. This allows them to respond more appropriately to the user.
The Jibo robot, arranged to ship later this year, is designed to be a personalized assistant. You
can talk to the robot, ask it questions, and make requests for it to perform different tasks. The robot
doesn’t just deliver general answers to questions; it responds based on what it learns about each
individual in the household. It can do things such as reminding an elderly family member to take
medicine or taking family photos.
Social robots are not just finding their way into the home. They have potential applications in
everything from education to health care and are already finding their way into some of these
spaces.
Fellow Robots is one company bringing social robots to the market. The company’s “Oshbot”
robot is built to assist customers in a store, which can help the customers find items and help guide
them to the product’s location in the store. It can also speak different languages and make
recommendations for different items based on what the customer is shopping for.
The more interaction the robot has with humans, the more it learns. But Oshbot, like other
social robots, is not intended to replace workers, but to work alongside other employees. “We have
technologies to train social robots to do things not for us, but with us,” said Breazeal.
41. How are social robots different from household robots?
A. They can control their emotions.
B. They are more like humans.
C. They do the normal housework.
D. They respond to users more slowly.
42. What can a Jibo robot do according to Paragraph 3?
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A. Communicate with you and perform operations.
B. Answer your questions and make requests.
C. Take your family pictures and deliver milk.
D. Obey your orders and remind you to take pills.
43. What can Oshbot work as?
A. A language teacher.
B. A tour guide.
C. A shop assistant.
D. A private nurse.
44. We can learn from the last paragraph that social robots will ______.
A. train employees
B. be our workmates
C. improve technologies
D. take the place of workers
45. What does the passage mainly present?
A. A new design idea of household robots.
B. Marketing strategies for social robots.
C. Information on household robots.
D. An introduction to social robots.
(2015﹒浙江﹒阅读理解C)
If humans were truly at home under the light of the moon and stars，we would go in darkness
happily，the midnight world as visible to us as it is to the vast number of nocturnal(夜间活动的)
species on this planet. Instead，we are diurnal creatures, with eyes adapted to living in the sun’s
light. This is a basic evolutionary fact, even though most of us don’t think of ourselves as diurnal
beings. Yet it’s the only way to explain what we’ve done to the night: We’ve engineered it to
receive us by filling itwith light.
The benefits of this kind of engineering come with consequences 一 called light pollution 一
whose effects scientists are only now beginning to study. Light pollution is largely the result of bad
lighting design，which allows artificial light to shine outward and upward into the sky.III-designed
lighting washes out the darkness of night and completely changes the light levels 一 and light
rhythms — to which many forms of life, including, ourselves, have adapted. Wherever human light
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spills into the natural world, some aspect or life is affected .
In most cities the sky looks as though it has been emptied of stars, leaving behind a vacant
haze(霾) that mirrors our fear of the dark. We’ve grown so used to this orange haze that the original
glory of an unlit nigh, - dark enough for the planet Venus to throw shadow on Earth, is wholly
beyond our experience, beyond memory almost.
We’ve lit up the night as if it were an unoccupied country, when nothing could be further form
the truth. Among mammals alone, the number of nocturnal species is astonishing, Light is a
powerful biological force, and on many species it acts as a magnet(磁铁). The effect is so powerful
that scientists speak of songbirds and seabirds being“captured”by searchlights on land or by the
light from gas flares on marine oil platforms. Migrating at night, birds tend to collide with brightly
lit tall buildings.
Frogs living near brightly lit highways suffer nocturnal light levels that are as much as a million
times righter than normal, throwing nearly every aspect of their behavior out of joint including most
other creatures ,we do need darkness .Darkness is as essential to our biological welfare, to our
internal clockwork, as light itself.
Living in a glare of our making,we have cut ourselves off from our evolutionary and cultural
heritage—the light of the stars and the rhythms of day and night .In a very real sense light pollution
causes us to lose sight of our true place in the universe, to forget the scale of our being, which is
best measured against the dimensions of a deep night with the Milky Way—the edge of our galaxy
arching overhead.
50. According to the passage, human being .
A. prefer to live in the darkness
B. are used to living in the day light
C. were curious about the midnight world
D. had to stay at home with the light of the moon
51. What does “it”(Paragraph 1) most probably refer to?
A. The night.
B. The moon
C. The sky
D. The planet
52. The writer mentions birds and frogs to .
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A. provide examples of animal protection
B. show how light pollution affects animals
C. compare the living habits of both species
D. explain why the number of certain species has declined
53. It is implied in the last paragraph that .
A. light pollution dose harm to the eyesight of animals
B. light pollution has destroyed some of the world heritages
C. human beings cannot go to the outer space
D. human beings should reflect on their position in the universe
54. What might be the best title for the passage?
A. The Magic light.
B. The Orange Haze.
C. The Disappearing Night.
D. The Rhythms of Nature.
(2015﹒安徽﹒阅读理解C)
As Internet users become more dependent on the Internet to store information, are people remember
less? If you know your computer will save information, why store it in your own personal memory,
your brain? Experts are wondering if the Internet is changing what we remember and how.
In a recent study, Professor Betsy Sparrow conducted some experiments. She and her research team
wanted to know the Internet is changing memory. In the first experiment, they gave people 40
unimportant facts to type into a computer. The first group of people understood thatthe computer
would save the information. The second group understood that the computer would not save it.
Later, the second group remembered the information better. People in the first group knew they
could find the information again, so they did not try to remember it.
In another experiment, the researchers gave people facts to remember, and told them where to find
the information on the Internet. The information was in a specific computer folder ( 文件夹).
Surprisingly, people later remember the folder location (位置) better than the facts. When people
use the Internet, they do not remember the information. Rather, they remember how to find it. This
is called "transactive memory (交互记忆)".
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According to Sparrow, we are not becoming people with poor memories as a result of the Internet.
Instead, computer users are developing stronger transactive memories; that is, people are learning
how to organize huge quantities of information so that they are able to access it at a later date. This
doesn't mean we are becoming either more or less intelligent, but there is no doubt that the way we
use memory is changing.
64. The passage begins with two questions to ______.
A. introduce the main topic
B. show the author's altitude
C. describe how to use the Interne.
D. explain how to store information
65. What can we learn about the first experiment?
A. Sparrow's team typed the information into a computer.
B. The two groups remembered the information equally well.
C. The first group did not try to remember the formation.
D. The second group did not understand the information.
66. In transactive memory, people ______.
A. keep the information in mind
B. change the quantity of information
C. organize information like a computer D. remember how to find the information
67. What is the effect of the Internet according to Sparrow's research?
A. Weare using memory differently.
B. We arebecoming more intelligent.
C. We have poorer memories than before.
D. We need a better way to access information.
(2015﹒湖南﹒阅读理解B)
In its early history, Chicago had floods frequently, especially in the spring, making the streets so
muddy that people, horses, and carts got stuck. An old joke that was popular at the time went
something like this: A man is stuck up to his waist in a muddy Chicago street. Asked if he needs
help, he replies, "No, thanks. I've got a good horse under me."
The city planner decided to build an underground drainage (排水) system, but there simply
wasn't enough difference between the height of the ground level and the water level. The only two
options were to lower the Chicago River or raise the city.
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An engineer named Ellis Chesbrough convinced me the city that it had no choice but to build
the pipes above ground and then cover them with dirt. This raised the level of the city's streets by as
much as 12 feet.
This of course created a new problem: dirt practically buried the first floors of every building in
Chicago. Building owners were faced with a choice: either change the first floors of their buildings
into basements, and the second stories into main floors, or hoist the entire buildings to meet the new
street level. Small wood-frame buildings could be lifted fairly easily. But what about large, heavy
structures like Tremont Hotel, which was a six-story brick building?
That's where George Pullman came in. He had developed some house-moving skills
successfully. To lift a big structure like the Tremont Hotel, Pullman would place thousands of
jackscrews (螺旋千斤顶) beneath the building's foundation. One man was assigned to operate each
section of roughly 10 jackscrews. At Pullman's signal each man turned his jackscrew the same
amount at the same time, thereby raising the building slowly and evenly. Astonishingly, the
Tremont Hotel stay open during the entire operation, and many of its guests didn't even notice
anything was happening. Some people like to say that every problem has a solution. But in
Chicago's early history, every engineering solution seemed to create a new problem. Now that
Chicago's waste water was draining efficiently into the Chicago River, the city's next step was to
clean the polluted river.
61.The author mentions the joke to show ______.
A. horses were fairly useful in Chicago
B. Chicago's streets were extremely muddy
C. Chicago was very dangerous in the spring
D. the Chicago people were particularly humorous
62.The city planners were convinced by Ellis Chesbrough to_______.
A. get rid of the street dirt
B. lower the Chicago River
C. fight against heavy floods
D. build the pipes above ground
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63.The underlined word "hoist" in Paragraph 4 means "_______".
A. change
B. lift
C. repair
D. decorate
64.What can we conclude about the moving operation of the Tremont Hotel?
A. It went on smoothly as intended.
B. It interrupted the business of the hotel.
C. It involved Pullman turning ten jackscrews.
D. It separated the building from its foundation.
65.The passage is mainly about the early Chicago's ______.
A. popular life styles and their influences
B. environmental disasters and their causes
C. engineering problems and their solutions
D. successful businessmen and their achievements
(2015﹒新课标全国II﹒阅读理解B)
Your house may have an effect on your figure. Experts say the way you design your home
could play a role in whether you pack on the pounds or keep them off. you can make your
environment work for you instead of against you. Here are some ways to turn your home into part
of your diet plan.
Open the curtains and turn up the lights. Dark environments are more likely to encourage
overeating, for people are often less self-conscious(难为情) when they’re in poorly lit places – and
so more likely to eat lots of food. If your home doesn’t have enough window light, get more lamps
and flood the place with brightness.
Mind the colors. Research suggests warm colors fuel our appetites. In one study, people who
ate meals in a blue room consumed 33 percent less than those in a yellow or red room. Warm colors
like yellow make food appear more appetizing, while cold colors make us less hungry. So when it’s
time to repaint, go blue.
Don’t forget the clock – or the radio. People who eat slowly tend to consume about 70 fewer
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calories(卡路里) per meal than those who rush through their meals. Begin keeping track of the
time, and try to make dinner last at 30 minutes. And while you’re at it, actually sit down to eat. If
you need some help slowing down, turning on relaxing music. It makes you less likely to rush
through a meal.
Downsize the dishes. Big serving bowls and plants can easily makes us fat. We eat about 22
percent more when using a 12-inch plate instead of a 10-inch plate. When we choose a large spoon
over a smaller one, total intake(摄入) jumps by 14 percent. And we’ll pour about 30 percent more
liquid into a short, wide glass than a tall, skinny glass.
25. The text is especially helpful for those who care about ____.
A. their home comforts
B.
their body shape
C.
house buying
D. healthy diets
26. A home environment in blue can help people ____.
A. digest food better
B.
reduce food intake
C.
burn more calories
D. regain their appetites
27. What are people advised to do at mealtimes?
A. Eat quickly.
B.
Play fast music
C.
Use smaller spoons
D. Turn down the lights
28.What can be a suitable title for the text?
A. Is Your House Making You Fat?
B.
Ways of Serving Dinner
C.
Effects of Self-Consciousness
D. Is Your Home Environment Relaxing?
(2015﹒新课标全国I﹒阅读理解D)
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Conflict is on the menu tonight at the café La Chope. This evening, as on every Thursday
night, psychologist Maud Lehanne is leading two of France’s favorite pastimes, coffee drinking and
the “talking cure”. Here they are learning to get in touch with their true feelings. It isn’t always
easy. They customers - some thirty Parisians who pay just under $2 (plus drinks) per session - care
quick to intellectualize (高谈阔论)，slow to open up and connect. “You are forbidden to say ‘one
feels,’ or ‘people think’,” Lehane told them. “Say ‘I think,’ ‘Think me’.”
A café society where no intellectualizing is allowed? It couldn’t seem more un-French. But
Lehanne’s psychology café is about more than knowing oneself: It’s trying to help the city’s
troubled neighborhood cafes. Over the years, Parisian cafes have fallen victim to changes in the
French lifestyle - longer working hours, a fast food boom and a younger generation’s desire to
spend more time at home. Dozens of new theme cafes appear to change the situation. Cafes focused
around psychology, history, and engineering are catching on, filling tables well into the evening.
The city’s psychology cafes, which offer great comfort, are among the most popular places.
Middle-aged homemakers, retirees, and the unemployed come to such cafes to talk about love,
anger, and dreams with a psychologist. And they come to Lehanne’s group just to learn to say what
they feel. “There’s a strong need in Paris for communication,” says Maurice Frisch, a cafe La
Chope regular who works as a religious instructor in a nearby church. “People have few real
friends. And they need to open up.” Lehanne says she’d like to see psychology cafes all over
France. “If people had normal lives, these cafes wouldn’t exist”, she says, “If life weren’t a battle,
people wouldn’t need a special place just to speak.” But them, it wouldn’t be France.
32.What are people encouraged to do at the cafe La Chope?
A. Learn a new subject
B. Keep in touch with friends.
C. Show off their knowledge.
D. Express their true feelings.
33. How are cafes affected by French lifestyle changes?
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A. They are less frequently visited.
B. They stay open for longer hours.
C. They have bigger night crowds.
D. They start to serve fast food.
34. What are theme cafes expected to do?
A. Create more jobs.
B. Supply better drinks.
C. Save the cafe business.
D. Serve the neighborhood.
35. Why are psychology cafes becoming popular in Paris?
A. They bring people true friendship.
B. They give people spiritual support.
C. They help people realize their dreams.
D. They offer a platform for business links.
(2016﹒全国新课标III﹒阅读理解D)
Bad news sells. If it bleeds, it leads. No news is good news, and good news is no news. Those are the classic rules
for the evening broadcasts and the morning papers.But now that information is being spread and monitored(监控)
in different ways, researchers are discovering new rules. By tracking people’s e-mails and online posts, scientists
have found that good news can spread faster and farther than disasters and sob stories.
“The ‘if it bleeds’ rule works for mass media,” says Jonah Berger, a scholar at the University of Pennsylvania.
“They want your eyeballs and don’t care how you’re feeling. But when you share a story with your friends, you
care a lot more how they react. You don’t want them to think of you as a Debbie Downer.”
Researchers analyzing word-of-mouth communication—e-mails, Web posts and reviews, face-to-face
conversations—found that it tended to be more positive than negative(消极的), but that didn’t necessarily mean
people preferred positive news. Was positive news shared more often simply because people experienced more
good things than bad things? To test for that possibility, Dr. Berger looked at how people spread a particular set of
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news stories: thousands of articles on The New York Times’ website. He and a Penn colleague analyzed the “most
e-mailed” list for six months. One of his first findings was that articles in the science section were much more
likely to make the list than non-science articles. He found that science amazed Times’ readers and made them
want to share this positive feeling with others.
Readers also tended to share articles that were exciting or funny, or that inspired negative feelings like anger or
anxiety, but not articles that left them merely sad. They needed to be aroused(激发) one way or the other, and they
preferred good news to bad. The more positive an article, the more likely it was to be shared, as Dr. Berger
explains in his new book, “Contagious: Why Things Catch On.”
12 .What do the classic rules mentioned in the text apply to?
A. News reports. B. Research papers.
C.Private e-mails. D. Daily conversations．
13.What can we infer about people like Debbie Downer?
A. They’re socially inactive.
B. They’re good at telling stories.
C. They’re inconsiderate of others.
D. They’re careful with their words.
14.Which tended to be the most e-mailed according to Dr. Berger’s research?
A . Sports new. B. Science articles.
C. Personal accounts. D. Financial reviews.
15 .What can be a suitable title for the text?
A. Sad Stories Travel Far and Wide
B .Online News Attracts More People
C. Reading Habits Change with the Times
D. Good News Beats Bad on Social Networks
(2016﹒浙江﹒阅读理解C)
A scientist working at her lab bench and a six-old baby playing with his food might seem to have little in
common.After all,the scientist is engaged in serious research to uncover the very nature of the physical
world,and the baby is,well, just playing…right?Perhaps,but some developmental psychologists have argued that
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this “play” is more like a scientific investigation than one might think.
Take a closer look at the baby playing at the table. Each time the bowl of rice is pushed over the table edge,
it
falls in the ground---and, in the process, it belongs out important evidence about how physical objects interact ;
bowls of rice do not flood in mid-sit, but require support to remain stable. It is likely that babies are not born
knowing the basic fact of the universe; nor are they ever clearly taught it. Instead, babies may form an
understanding of object support through repeated experiments and then build on this knowledge to learn even
more about how objects interact. Though their ranges and tools differ, the baby’s investigation and the
scientist’s experiment appear to share the same aim(to learn about the natural world ), overall approach
(gathering direct evidence from the world), and logic (are my observations what I expected?).
Some psychologists suggest that young children learn about more than just the physical world in this way---that
they investigate human psychology and the rules of language using similar means. For example, it may only be
through repeated experiments, evidence gathering, and finally overturning a theory, that a baby will come to
accept the idea that other people can have different views and desires from what he or she has. for example,
unlike the child , Mommy actually doesn’t like Dove chocolate.
Viewing childhood development as a scientific investigation throws on how children learn ,but it also offers an
inspiring look at science and scientists. Why do young children and scientists seem to be so much alike?
Psychologists have suggested that science as an effort ---the desire to explore, explain, and understand our
world---is simply something that comes from our babyhood. Perhaps evolution provided human babies with
curiosity and a natural drive to explain their worlds, and adult scientists simply make use of the same drive that
served them as children. The same cognitive systems that make young children feel good about feel good about
figuring something out may have been adopted by adult scientists. As some psychologists put it, ”It is not that
children are little scientists but that scientists are big children.”
50. According to some developmental psychologists,
A. a baby’s play is nothing more than a game.
B. scientific research into babies; games is possible
C. the nature of babies’ play has been thoroughly investigated
D. a baby’s play is somehow similar to a scientist’s experiment
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51.We learn from Paragraph 2 that
A. scientists and babies seem to observe the world differently
B. scientists and babies often interact with each other
C. babies are born with the knowledge of object support
D. babies seem to collect evidence just as scientists do
52. Children may learn the rules of language by
A. exploring the physical world B. investigating human psychology
C. repeating their own experiments D. observing their parents’ behaviors
53. What is themain idea of the last paragraph?
A. The world may be more clearly explained through children’s play.
B. Studying babies’ play may lead to a better understanding of science.
C. Children may have greater ability to figure out things than scientists.
D. One’s drive for scientific research may become stronger as he grows.
54. What is the author’s tone when he discusses the connection between scientists’ research and babies’ play?
A. Convincing. B. Confused. C. Confidence. D. Cautious.
(2017﹒全国新课标Ⅰ﹒阅读理解D)
A build-it-yourself solar still（蒸馏器） is one of the best ways to obtain drinking
water in areas where the liquid is not readily available. Developed by two doctors in the
U.S. Department of Agriculture, it’s an excellent water collector. Unfortunately, you must
carry the necessary equipment with you, since it’s all but impossible to find natural
substitutes. The only components required, though, are a 5＇5＇ sheet of clear or slightly
milky plastic, six feet of plastic tube, and a container— perhaps just a drinking cup —
to catch the water. These pieces can be folded into a neat little pack and fastened on your
belt.
To construct a working still, use a sharp stick or rock to dig a hole four feet across
and three feet deep. Try to make the hole in a damp area to increase the water catcher’s
productivity. Place your cup in the deepest part of the hole. Then lay the tube in place so
that one end rests all the way in the cup and the rest of the line runs up — and out —
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the side of the hole.
Next, cover the hole with the plastic sheet, securing the edges of the plastic with dirt
and weighting the sheet’s center down with a rock. The plastic should now form a cone(圆锥
体) with 45-degree-angled sides. The low point of the sheet must be centered directly over,
and no more than three inches above, the cup.
The solar still works by creating a greenhouse under the plastic. Ground water
evaporates (蒸发) and collects on the sheet until small drops of water form, run down the
material and fall off into the cup. When the container is full, you can suck the
refreshment out through the tube, and won’t have to break down the still every time you
need a drink.
32. What do we know about the solar still equipment from the first paragraph?
A. It’s delicate.
B. It’s expensive.
C. It’s complex.
D. It’s portable.
33. What does the underlined phrase “the water catcher” in paragraph 2 refer to?
A. The tube.
B. The still.
C. The hole.
D. The cup.
34. What’s the last step of constructing a working solar still?
A. Dig a hole of a certain size.
B. Put the cup in place.
C. Weight the sheet’s center down.
D. Cover the hole with the plastic
sheet.
35. When a solar still works, drops of water come into the cup form .
A. the plastic tube
B. outside the hole
C. the open air
D. beneath the sheet
(2017﹒全国新课标Ⅱ﹒阅读理解C)
Terrafugia Inc .said Monday that its new flying car has completed its first
flight,bringing the company closer to its goal of selling the flying car within the next
year. The vehicle-named the Transition – has two seats wheels and wings that fold up so it
can be driven like a car.The Transition,which flew at 1,400 feet for eight minutes last
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month, can reach around 70 miles per hour on the road and 115 in the flies using a 23-
gallon tank of gas and bums 5 gallons per hour in the air. On the ground, it gets 35 miles
per gallon.
Around 100 people have already put down a $10,000 deposit to get a Transition when
they go on sale, and those numbers will likely rise after Terrafugia introduces the
Transition to the public later this week at the New York Auto Show. But don’t expect it
to show up in too many driveways. It’s expected to cost $279,000.And it won’t help if
you’re stuck in traffic. The car needs a runway.
Inventors have been trying to make flying cars since the 1930s, according to Robert
Mann, an airline industry expert. But Mann thinks Terrafugia has come closer than anyone to
making the flying car a reality. The govemment has already permitted xkthe company to use
special materials to make it easier for the vehicle to fly. The Transition is now going
through crash tests to make sure it meets federal safety siandards.
Mann said Terrafugia was helped by the Federal Aviation Administration’s decision five
years ago to create a separate set of standards for light sport aircraft, which are lower
than those for pilots of larger planes. Terrafugia says an owner would need to pass a test
and
complete 20 hours of flying time to be able to fly the Transition,a requiremen
t pilots would find relatively easy to meet.
28. What is the first paragraph mainly about?
A. The basic data of the Transition. B. The advantages of flying cars.
C. The potential market for flying cars. C. The designers of the Transition.
29. Why is the Transition unlikely to show up in too many driveways?
A. It causers traffic jams. B. It is difficult to operate.
C. It is very expensive. D. It bums too much fuel.
30. What is the government’s attitude to the development of the flying car?
A. Cautious B. Favorable.
C. Ambiguous. D. Disapproving.
31. What is the best title for the text?
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A. Flying Car at Auto Show B. The Transition’s Fist Flight
C.Pilots’Dream Coming True D. Flying Car Closer to Reality
(2017﹒全国新课标Ⅱ﹒阅读理解D)
When a leafy plant is under attack ，it doesn’t sit quietly. Back in 1983,two
scientists, Jack Schultz and Ian Baldwin, reported that young maple trees getting bitten by
insects send out a particular smell that neighboring plants can get. These chemicals come
from the injured parts of the plant and seem to be an alarm. What the plants pump through
the air is a mixture of chemicals known as volatile organic compounds, VOCs for short.
Scientists have found that all kinds of plants give out VOCs when being attacked .It’s
a plant’s way of crying out. But is anyone listening? Apparently. Because we can watch the
neighbours react.
Some plants pump out smelly chemicals to keep insects away. But others do double
duty .They pump out perfumes designed to attract different insects who are natural enemies
to the attackers.Once they arrive,the tables are turned .The attacker who are natural
enemies to the attackers . Once they arrive,the tables are turned.The attacker who was
lunching now becomes lunch.
In study after study,it appears that these chemical conversations help the neighbors .The
damage is usually more serious on the first plant,but the neighbors ,relatively
speaking ,stay safer because they heard the alarm and knew what to do.
Does this mean that plants talk to each other? Scientists don’t know. Maybe t
he first plant just made a cry of pain or was sending a message to its own
branches, and so, in effect, was talking to itself. Perhaps the neighbors just
happened to “overhear” the cry. So information was exchanged, but it wasn’t
a true, intentional back and forth.
Charles Darwin, over 150 years ago, imagined a world far busier, noisier an
d more intimate(亲密的) than the world we can see and hear. Our senses are we
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ak. There’s a whole lot going on.
32. What does a plant do when it is under attack?
A. It makes noises. B. It gets help from other plants.
C. It stands quietly D. It sends out certain chemicals.
33. What does the author mean by “the tables are turned” in paragraph 3?
A. The attackers get attacked.
B. The insects gather under the table.
C. The plants get ready to fight back.
D. The perfumes attract natural enemies.
34.Scientists find from their studies that plants can .
A.predict natural disasters B.protect themselves against insects
C.talk to one another intentionally D.help their neighbors when necessary
35.what can we infer from the last paragraph?
A.The word is changing faster than ever.
B.People have stronger senses than before
C.The world is more complex than it seems
D.People in Darwin’s time were imaginative.
(2017﹒全国新课标Ⅲ﹒阅读理解D)
The Intelligent Transport team at Newcastle University have turned an electric car into a
mobile laboratory named “DriveLAB” in order to understand the challenges faced by older
drivers and to discover where the key stress points are.
Research shows that giving up driving is one of the key reasons for a fall in health and
well-being among older people, leading to them becoming more isolated(隔绝) and inactive.
Led by Professor Phil Blythe, the Newcastle team are developing in-vehicle technologies
for older drivers which they hope could help them to continue driving into later life.
These include custom-made navigation(导航) tools, night vision systems and intelligent
speed adaptations. Phil Blythe explains: “For many older people, particularly those living
alone or in the country, driving is important for preserving their independence, giving
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them the freedom to get out and about without having to rely on others.”
“But we all have to accept that as we get older our reactions slow down and this often
results in people avoiding any potentially challenging driving conditions and losing
confidence in their driving skills. The result is that people stop driving before they
really need to.”
Dr Amy Guo, the leading researcher on the older driver study, explains, “The DriveLAB
is helping us to understand what the key points and difficulties are for older drivers and
how we might use technology to address these problems.
“For example, most of us would expect older drivers always go slower than everyone
else but surprisingly, we found that in 30mph zones they struggled to keep at a constant
speed and so were more likely to break the speed limit and be at risk of getting fined.
We’re looking at the benefits of systems which control their speed as a way of preventing
that.
“We hope that our work will help with technological solutions(解决方案) to ensure that
older drivers stay safer behind the wheel.”
32.What is the purpose of the Drivel AB?
A.To explore newmeans of transport.
B.To design new types of cars.
C.To find out older driver`s problems.
D.To teach people traffic rules.
33.Why is driving important for older people according to Phil Blythe?
A.It keeps them independent.
B.It helps them save time.
C.It builds up their strength.
D.It cures their mental illnesses.
34.What do researchers hope to do for older drivers?
A.Improve their driving skills.
B.Develop driver-assist technologles.
C.Provide tips on repairing their cars.
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D.Organize regular physical checkups.
35.What is the best title for the text?
A.A new Model Electric Car
B.A Solution to Traffic Problem
C.Driving Service for elders
D.Keeping Older Drivers on the Road
(2017﹒北京﹒阅读理解D)
Hollywood’s theory that machines with evil( 邪恶) minds will drive armies of killer
robots is just silly. The real problem relates to the possibility that artificial
intelligence(AI) may become extremely good at achieving something other than what we really
want. In 1960 a well-known mathematician Norbert Wiener, who founded the field of
cybernetics（控制论）, put it this way: “If we use, to achieve our purposes, a mechanical
agency with whose operation we cannot effectively interfere(干预), we had better be quite
sure that the purpose put into the machine is the purpose which we really desire.”
A machine with a specific purpose has another quality, one that we usually associate
with living things: a wish to preserve its own existence. For the machine, this quality is
not in-born, nor is it something introduced by humans; it is a logical consequence of the
simple fact that the machine cannot achieve its original purpose if it is dead. So if we
send out a robot with the single instruction of fetching coffee, it will have a strong
desire to secure success by disabling its own off switch or even killing anyone who might
interfere with its task. If we are not careful, then, we could face a kind of global chess
match against very determined, super intelligent machines whose objectives conflict with
our own, with the real world as the chessboard.
The possibility of entering into and losing such a match should concentrate the minds of
computer scientists. Some researchers argue that we can seal the machines inside a kind of
firewall, using them to answer difficult questions but never allowing them to affect the
real world. Unfortunately, that plan seems unlikely to work: we have yet to invent a
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firewall that is secure against ordinary humans, let alone super intelligent machines.
Solving the safety problem well enough to move forward in AI seems to be possible but
not easy. There are probably decades in which to plan for the arrival of super intelligent
machines. But the problem should not be dismissed out of hand, as it has been by some AI
researchers. Some argue that humans and machines can coexist as long as they work in teams
—yet that is not possible unless machines share the goals of humans. Others say we can
just “switch them off” as if super intelligent machines are too stupid to think of that
possibility. Still others think that super intelligent AI will never happen. On September
11, 1933, famous physicist Ernest Rutherford stated, with confidence, “Anyone who expects
a source of power in the transformation of these atoms is talking moonshine.” However, on
September 12, 1933, physicist Leo Szilard invented the neutron-induced(中子诱导) nuclear
chain reaction.
67. Paragraph 1 mainly tells us that artificial intelligence may .
A. run out of human control
B. satisfy human’s real desires
C. command armies of killer robots
D. work faster than a mathematician
68. Machines with specific purposes are associated with living things partly because they
might be able to .
A. prevent themselves from being destroyed
B achieve their original goals independently
C. do anything successfully with given orders
D. beat humans in international chess matches
69. According to some researchers, we can use firewalls to .
A. help super intelligent machines work better
B. be secure against evil human beings
C. keep machines from being harmed
D. avoid robots’ affecting the world
70. What does the author think of the safety problem of super intelligent machines?
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A. It will disappear with the development of AI.
B. It will get worse with human interference.
C. It will be solved but with difficulty.
D. It will stay for a decade.
(2017﹒天津﹒阅读理解C)
This month, Germany’s transport minister, Alexander Dobrindt, proposed the first set
of rules for autonomous vehicles(自主驾驶车辆). They would define the driver’s role in
such cars and govern how such cars perform in crashes where lives might be lost.
The proposal attempts to deal with what some call the “death valley” of autonomous
vehicles: the grey area between semi-autonomous and fully driverless cars that could delay
the driverless future.
Dobrindt wants three things: that a car always chooses property( 财产) damage over
personal injury; that it never distinguishes between humans based on age or race; and that
if a human removes his or her hands from the driving wheel — to check email, say — the
car’s maker is responsible if there is a crash.
“The change to the road traffic law will permit fully automatic driving,” says
Dobrindt. It will put fully driverless cars on an equal legal footing to human drivers, he
says.
Who is responsible for the operation of such vehicles is not clear among car makers,
consumers and lawyers. “The liability(法律责任) issue is the biggest one of them all,”
says Natasha Merat at the University of Leeds, UK.
An assumption behind UK insurance for driverless cars, introduces earlier this year,
insists that a human “ be watchful and monitoring the road” at every moment.
But that is not what many people have in mind when thinking of driverless cars. “When
you say ‘driverless cars’, people expect driverless cars.”Merat says. “You know — no
driver.”
Because of the confusion, Merat thinks some car makers will wait until vehicles can be
fully automated without operation.
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Driverless cars may end up being a form of public transport rather than vehicles you
own, says Ryan Calo at Stanford University, California. That is happening in the UK and
Singapore, where government-provided driverless vehicles are being launched.
That would go down poorly in the US, however. “The idea that the government would take
over driverless cars and treat them as a public good would get absolutely nowhere here,”
says Calo.
46. What does the phrase “death valley” in Paragraph 2 refer to?
A. A place where cars often break down.
B. A case where passing a law is impossible.
C. An area where no driving is permitted.
D. A situation where drivers’ role is not clear.
47. The proposal put forward by Dobrindt aims to __________.
A. stop people from breaking traffic rules
B. help promote fully automatic driving
C. protect drivers of all ages and races
D. prevent serious property damage
48. What do consumers think of the operation of driverless cars?
A. It should get the attention of insurance companies.
B. It should be the main concern of law makers.
C. It should not cause deadly traffic accidents.
D. It should involve no human responsibility.
49. Driverless vehicles in public transport see no bright future in __________.
A. Singapore
B. the UK
C. the US
D. Germany
50. What could be the best title for passage?
A. Autonomous Driving: Whose Liability?
B. Fully Automatic Cars: A New Breakthrough
C. Autonomous Vehicles: Driver Removed
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D. Driverless Cars: Root of Road Accidents
(2017﹒江苏﹒阅读理解B)
Before birth, babies can tell the difference between loud sounds and voices. They can
even distinguish their mother’s voice from that of a female stranger. But when it comes to
embryonic learning( 胎教), birds could rule the roost. As recently reported in The Auk:
Ornithological Adrances, some mother birds may teach their young to sing even before they
hatch( 孵化). New-born chicks can then imitate their mom’s call within a few days of
entering the world.
This educational method was first observed in 2012 by Sonia Kieindorfer,a biologist at
Flinders University in South Australia, and her colleagues. Femake Australian superb fairy
wrens were found to repeat one sound over and over again while hatching their errs, when
the errs were hatched, the baby birds made the similar chirp to their mothers—around that
served as their regular “feed me!” call.
To find out if the special quality was more widespread in birds, the researchers sought
the red-backed fairy wren, another species of Australian songbird. First they collected
sound data from 67 nests in four sites in Queensland before and after hatching. Then they
identified begging calls by analyzing the order and number of notes. A computer analysis
blindly compared calls produced by mothers and chicks, ranking them by similarity.
It turns out that baby red-backed fairy wrens also emerge chirping like their moms. And
the more frequently mothers had called to their errs, the more similar were the babies’
begging calls. In addition, the team set up a separate experiment that suggested that the
baby birds that most closely imitated their mom’s voice were rewarded with the most food.
This observation hints that effective embryonic learning could signal neurological(神经
系统的) strengths of children to parents. An evolutionary inference can then be drawn.” As
a parent, do you invest in quality children, or do you invest in children that are in
need?” Kleindorfer asks.” Our results suggest that they might be going for quality.”
58.The underlined phrase in Paragraph 1 means“ ”.
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A. be the worst B. be the best
C. be the as bad D. be just as
good
59.What are Kleindorfer’s findings based on?
A. Similarities between the calls moms and chicks.
B. The observation of fairy
wrens across Australia.
C. The data collected from Queensland’s locals.
D. Controlled experiments on
wrens and other birds.
60.Embryonic learning helps mother birds to identify the baby birds which .
A. can receive quality signals
B. are in need of training
C. fit the environment better
D. make the loudest call
(2017﹒江苏﹒阅读理解C)
A new commodity brings about a highly profitable, fast-growing industry, urging
antitrust(反垄断)regulators to step in to check those who control its flow. A century ago,
the resource in question was oil. Now similar concerns are being raised by the giants(巨头)
that deal in data, the oil of the digital age. The most valuable firms are Google, Amazon,
Facebook and Microsoft. All look unstoppable.
Such situations have led to calls for the tech giants to be broken up. But size alone
is not a crime. The giants’ success has benefited consumers. Few want to live without
search engines or a quick delivery, Far from charging consumers high prices, many of these
services are free (users pay, in effect, by handing over yet more data). And the appearance
of new-born giants suggests that newcomers can make waves, too.
But there is cause for concern. The internet has made data abundant, all-present and
far more valuable, changing the nature of data and competition. Google initially used the
data collected from users to target advertising better. But recently it has discovered that
data can be turned into new services: translation and visual recognition, to be sold to
other companies. Internet companies’ control of data gives them enormous power. So they
have a “God’s eye view” of activities in their own markets and beyond.
This nature of data makes the antitrust measures of the past less useful. Breaking up
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firms like Google into five small ones would not stop remaking themselves: in time, one of
them would become great again. A rethink is required—and as a new approach starts to
become apparent, two ideas stand out.
The first is that antitrust authorities need to move form the industrial age into the
21st century. When considering a merger( 兼并), for example, they have traditionally used
size to determine when to step in. They now need to take into account the extent of firms’
data assets(资产) when assessing the impact of deals. The purchase price could also be a
signal that an established company is buying a new-born threat. When this takes place,
especially when a new-born company has no revenue to speak of, the regulators should raise
red flags.
The second principle is to loosen the control that providers of on-line ser
vices have over data and give more to those who supply them.Companies could be
forced to consumers what information they hold and how much money they make fr
om it. Governments could order the sharing of certain kinds of data,
with users’ consent.
Restarting antitrust for the information age will not be easy But if govern
ments don’t wants a data economy by a few giants, they must act soon.
61.Why is there a call to break up giants?
A. They have controlled the data market.
B. They collect enormous private
data.
C. They no longer provide free services.
D. They dismissed some new-born
giants.
62.What does the technological innovation in Paragraph 3 indicate?
A. Data giants’ technology is very expensive.
B. Google’s idea is popular
among data firms
C. Data can strengthen giants’ controlling position.
D. Data can be turned into
new services or products
63.By paying attention to firms’ data assets, antitrust regulators could .
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A. kill a new threat
B. avoid the size trap
C. favour bigger firms
D. charge higher prices
64.What is the purpose of loosening the giants’ control of data?
A. Big companies could relieve data security pressure.
B. Governments could relieve their financial pressure.
C. Consumers could better protect their privacy.
D. Small companies could get more opportunities.
(2018﹒全国新课标Ⅰ﹒阅读理解D)
We may think we're a culture that gets rid of our worn technology at the first sight of something shiny and
new, but a new study shows that we keep using our old devices(装置) well after they go out of style. That’s bad
news for the environment — and our wallets — as these outdated devices consume much more energy than the
newer ones that do the same things.
To figure out how much power these devices are using, Callie Babbitt and her colleagues at the Rochester
Institute of Technology in New York tracked the environmental costs for each product throughout its life — from
when its minerals are mined to when we stop using the device. This method provided a readout for how home
energy use has evolved since the early 1990s. Devices were grouped by generation — Desktop computers, basic
mobile phones, and box-set TVs defined 1992. Digital cameras arrived on the scene in 1997. And MP3 players,
smart phones, and LCD TVs entered homes in 2002, before tablets and e-readers showed up in 2007.
As we accumulated more devices, however, we didn't throw out our old ones. "The living-room television is
replaced and gets planted in the kids' room, and suddenly one day, you have a TV in every room of the house,"
said one researcher. The average number of electronic devices rose from four per household in 1992 to 13 in
2007. We're not just keeping these old devices — we continue to use them. According to the analysis of Babbitt's
team, old desktop monitors and box TVs with cathode ray tubes are the worst devices with their energy
consumption and contribution to greenhouse gas emissions（排放）more than doubling during the 1992 to
2007 window.
So what's the solution（解决方案）? The team's data only went up to 2007, but the researchers also
explored what would happen if consumers replaced old products with new electronics that serve more than one
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function, such as a tablet for word processing and TV viewing. They found that more on-demand entertainment
viewing on tablets instead of TVs and desktop computers could cut energy consumption by 44%.
32. What does the author think of new devices?
A. They are environment-friendly. B. They are no better than the old.
C. They cost more to use at home. D. They go out of style quickly.
33. Why did Babbitt's team conduct the research?
A. To reduce the cost of minerals.
B. To test the life cycle of a product.
C. To update consumers on new technology.
D. To find out electricity consumption of the devices.
34. Which of the following uses the least energy?
A. The box-set TV.
B. The tablet.
C. The LCD TV.
D. The desktop computer.
35. What does the text suggest people do about old electronic devices?
A. Stop using them.
B. Take them apart.
C. Upgrade them.
D. Recycle them.
(2018﹒全国新课标Ⅲ﹒阅读理解C)
While famous foreign architects are invited to lead the designs of landmark buildings in China such as the
new CCTV tower and the National Center for the Performing Arts, many excellent Chinese architects are making
great efforts to take the center stage.
Their efforts have been proven fruitful. Wang Shu, a 49-year-old Chinese architect, won the 2012 Pritzker
Architecture Prize — which is often referred to as the Nobel Prize in architecture — on February 28. He is the
first Chinese citizen to win this award.
Wang serves as head of the Architecture Department at the China Academy of Art (CAA). His office is
located at the Xiangshan campus(校园) of the university in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. Many buildings on the
campus are his original creations.
The style of the campus is quite different from that of most Chinese universities. Many visitors were
amazed by the complex architectural space and abundant building types. The curves(曲线) of the buildings
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perfectly match the rise and fall of hills, forming a unique view.
Wang collected more than 7 million abandoned bricks of different ages. He asked the workers to use
traditional techniques to make the bricks into walls, roofs and corridors. This creation attracted a lot of attention
thanks to its mixture of modern and traditional Chinese elements(元素).
Wang’s works show a deep understanding of modern architecture and a good knowledge of traditions.
Through such a balance, he had created a new type of Chinese architecture, said Tadao Ando, the winner of the
1995 Pritzker Prize.
Wang believes traditions should not be sealed in glass boxes at museums. "That is only evidence that
traditions once existed," he said.
"Many Chinese people have a misunderstanding of traditions. They think tradition means old things from
the past. In fact, tradition also refers to the things that have been developing and that are still being created, "
he said.
"Today, many Chinese people are learning Western styles and theories rather than focusing on Chinese
traditions. Many people tend to talk about traditions without knowing what they really are, " said Wang.
The study of traditions should be combined with practice. Otherwise, the recreation of traditions would be
artificial and empty, he said.
28. Wang’s winning of the prize means that Chinese architects are ___________.
A. following the latest world trend
B. getting international recognition
C. working harder than ever before
D. relying on foreign architects
29. What impressed visitors to the CAA Xiangshan campus most?
A. Its hilly environment.
B. Its large size.
C. Its unique style.
D. Its diverse functions.
30. What made Wang’s architectural design a success?
A. The mixture of different shapes.
B. The balance of East and West.
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C. The use of popular techniques.
D. The harmony of old and new.
31. What should we do about Chinese traditions according to Wang?
A. Spread them to the world. B. Preserve them at museums.
C. Teach them in universities. D. Recreate them in practice.
(2018﹒浙江﹒阅读理解B)
Steven Stein likes to follow garbage trucks. His strange habit makes sense when you consider that he’s an
environmental scientist who studies how to reduce litter, including things that fall off garbage trucks as they
drive down the road. What is even more interesting is that one of Stein's jobs is defending an industry behind
the plastic shopping bags.
Americans use more than 100 billion thin film plastic bags every year. So many end up in tree branches or
along highways that a growing number of cities do not allow them at checkouts(收银台) . The bags are
prohibited in some 90 cities in California, including Los Angeles. Eyeing these headwinds, plastic-bag makers are
hiring scientists like Stein to make the case that their products are not as bad for the planet as most people
assume.
Among the bag makers' argument: many cities with bans still allow shoppers to purchase paper bags, which
are easily recycled but require more energy to produce and transport. And while plastic bags may be ugly to look
at, they represent a small percentage of all garbage on the ground today
The industry has also taken aim at the product that has appeared as its replacement: reusable shopping bags.
The stronger a reusable bag is, the longer its life and the more plastic-bag use it cancels out. However, longer-
lasting reusable bags often require more energy to make. One study found that a cotton bag must be used at
least 131 times to be better for the planet than plastic.
Environmentalists don't dispute（质疑） these points. They hope paper bags will be banned someday too
and want shoppers to use the same reusable bags for years.
24. What has Steven Stein been hired to do?
A. Help increase grocery sales.
B. Recycle the waste material.
C. Stop things falling off trucks.
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D. Argue for the use of plastic bags.
25. What does the word “headwinds”in paragraph 2 refer to?
A. Bans on plastic bags.
B. Effects of city development.
C. Headaches caused by garbage.
D. Plastic bags hung in trees.
26. What is a disadvantage of reusable bags according to plastic-bag makers?
A. They are quite expensive.
B. Replacing them can be difficult.
C. They are less strong than plastic bags.
D. Producing them requires more energy.
27. What is the best title for the text?
A. Plastic, Paper or Neither
B. Industry, Pollution and Environment
C. Recycle or Throw Away
D. Garbage Collection and Waste Control
(2018﹒天津﹒阅读理解C)
There’s a new frontier in 3D printing that’s beginning to come into focus: food. Recent development has
made possible machines that print, cook, and serve foods on a mass scale. And the industry isn’t stopping there.
Food production
With a 3D printer, a cook can print complicated chocolate sculptures and beautiful pieces for decoration on
a wedding cake. Not everybody can do that — it takes years of experience, but a printer makes it easy. A
restaurant in Spain uses a Foodini to “re-create forms and pieces” of food that are “exactly the same,” freeing
cooks to complete other tasks. In another restaurant, all of the dishes and desserts it serves are 3D-
printed,rather than farm to table.
Sustainability(可持续性）
The global population is expected to grow to 9.6 billion by 2050, and some analysts estimate that food
production will need to be raised by 50 percent to maintain current levels. Sustainability is becoming a necessity.
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3D food printing could probably contribute to the solution. Some experts believe printers could use hydrocolloids
(水解胶体) from plentiful renewables like algae(藻类) and grass to replace the familiar ingredients(烹饪原料).
3D printing can reduce fuel use and emissions. Grocery stores of the future might stock "food" that lasts years
on end, freeing up shelf space and reducing transportation and storage requirements.
Nutrition
Future 3D food printers could make processed food healthier. Hod Lipson, a professor at Columbia
University, said, “Food printing could allow consumers to print food with customized nutritional content, like
vitamins. So instead of eating a piece of yesterday’s bread from the supermarket, you’d eat something baked
just for you on demand.”
Challenges
Despite recent advancements in 3D food printing, the industry has many challenges to overcome. Currently,
most ingredients must be changed to a paste(糊状物) before a printer can use them, and the printing process is
quite time-consuming, because ingredients interact with each other in very complex ways. On top of that, most
of the 3D food printers now are restricted to dry ingredients, because meat and milk products may easily go bad.
Some experts are skeptical about 3D food printers, believing they are better suited for fast food restaurants than
homes and high-end restaurants.
46. What benefit does 3D printing bring to food production?
A. It helps cooks to create new dishes.
B. It saves time and effort in cooking.
C. It improves the cooking conditions.
D. It contributes to restaurant decorations.
47. What can we learn about 3D food printing from Paragraphs 3?
A. It solves food shortages easily.
B. It quickens the transportation of food.
C. It needs no space for the storage of food.
D. It uses renewable materials as sources of food.
48. According to Paragraph 4, 3D-printed food ________.
A. is more available to consumers
B. can meet individual nutritional needs
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C. is more tasty than food in supermarkets
D. can keep all the nutrition in raw materials
49. What is the main factor that prevents 3D food printing from spreading widely?
A. The printing process is complicated.
B. 3D food printers are too expensive.
C. Food materials have to be dry.
D. Some experts doubt 3D food printing.
50. What could be the best title of the passage?
A. 3D Food Printing: Delicious New Technology
B. A New Way to Improve 3D Food Printing
C. The Challenges for 3D Food Production
D. 3D Food Printing: From Farm to Table
(2018﹒北京﹒阅读理解C)
Plastic-Eating Worms
Humans produce more than 300 million tons of plastic every year. Almost half of that winds up in
landfills(垃圾填埋场), and up to 12 million tons pollute the oceans. So far there is no effective way to get rid of
it, but a new study suggests an answer may lie in the stomachs of some hungry worms.
Researchers in Spain and England recently found that the worms of the greater wax moth can break down
polyethylene, which accounts for 40% of plastics. The team left 100 wax worms on a commercial polyethylene
shopping bag for 12 hours, and the worms consumed and broke down about 92 milligrams, or almost 3% of it.
To confirm that the worms’ chewing alone was not responsible for the polyethylene breakdown, the researchers
made some worms into paste(糊状物) and applied it to plastic films. 14 hours later the films had lost 13% of
their mass — apparently broken down by enzymes ( 酶) from the worms’ stomachs. Their findings were
published in Current Biology in 2017.
Federica Bertocchini, co-author of the study, says the worms’ ability to break down their everyday food —
beeswax — also allows them to break down plastic. ＂Wax is a complex mixture, but the basic bond in
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polyethylene, the carbon-carbon bond, is there as well, ＂she explains, ＂The wax worm evolved a method or
system to break this bond. ＂
Jennifer DeBruyn, a microbiologist at the University of Tennessee, who was not involved in the study, says it
is not surprising that such worms can break down polyethylene. But compared with previous studies, she finds
the speed of breaking down in this one exciting. The next step, DeBruyn says, will be to identify the cause of the
breakdown. Is it an enzyme produced by the worm itself or by its gut microbes(肠道微生物)?
Bertocchini agrees and hopes her team’s findings might one day help employ the enzyme to break down
plastics in landfills. But she expects using the chemical in some kind of industrial process — not simply ＂millions
of worms thrown on top of the plastic.＂
43. What can we learn about the worms in the study?
A. They take plastics as their everyday food.
B. They are newly evolved creatures.
C. They can consume plastics.
D. They wind up in landfills.
44. According to Jennifer DeBruyn, the next step of the study is to .
A. identify other means of the breakdown
B. find out the source of the enzyme
C. confirm the research findings
D. increase the breakdown speed
45. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that the chemical might .
A. help to raise worms
B. help make plastic bags
C. be used to clean the oceans
D. be produced in factories in future
46. What is the main purpose of the passage?
A. To explain a study method on worms.
B. To introduce the diet of a special worm.
C. To present a way to break down plastics.
D. To propose new means to keep eco-balance.
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(2019﹒全国新课标Ⅰ﹒阅读理解C)
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 like
the 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.
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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.
(2019﹒全国新课标Ⅱ﹒阅读理解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 a
solution(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?
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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.
(2019﹒全国新课标Ⅲ﹒阅读理解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 the
screen 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.”
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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.
(2019﹒北京﹒阅读理解C)
The problem of robocalls has gotten so bad that many people now refuse to pick up calls from numbers they
don't know. By next year，half of the calls we receive will be scams(欺诈).We are finally waking up to the
severity of the problem by supporting and developing a group of tools，apps and approaches intended to prevent
scammers from getting through. Unfortunately，it's too little，too late. By the time these “solutions"(解决方
案)become widely available，scammers will have moved onto cleverer means. In the near future，it's not just
going to be the number you see on your screen that will be in doubt. Soon you will also question whether the
voice you're hearing is actually real.
That's because there are a number of powerful voice manipulation ( 处理 ) and automation technologies that
are about to become widely available for anyone to use .At this year's I/O Conference ,a company showed a new
voice technology able to produce such a convincing human –sounding voice that it was able to speak to a
receptionist and book a reservation without detection.
These developments are likely to make our current problems with robocalls much worse. The reason that
robocalls are a headache has less to do with amount than precision A decade of data breaches(数据侵入)of
personal information has led to a situation where scammers can easily learn your mother 's name ，and far more.
Armed with this knowledge. they're able to carry out individually targeted campaigns to cheat people. This
means. for example，that a scammer could call you from what looks to be a familiar number and talk to you
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using a voice that sounds exactly like your bank teller 's，ricking you into "confirming " your address，mother's
name，and card number. Scammers follow money，so companies will be the worst hit. A lot of business is still
done over the phone，and much of it is based on trust and existing relationships. Voice manipulation technologies
may weaken that gradually.
We need to deal with the insecure nature of our telecom networks. Phone carriers and consumers need to
work together to find ways of determining and communicating what is real. That might mean either developing a
uniform way to mark videos and images, showing when and who they were made by. or abandoning phone calls
altogether and moving towards data-based communications—using apps like Face Time or WhatsApp, which can
be tied to your identity.
Credibility is hard to earn but easy to lose, and the problem is only going to harder from here on out.
38. How does the author feel about the solutions to problem of robecalls?
A. Panicked.
B. Confused.
C. Embarrassed.
D. Disappointed.
39. taking advantage of the new technologies，scammer can______.
A. aim at victims precisely
B. damage databases easily
C. start campaigns rapidly
D. spread information widely
40. What does the passage imply?
A. Honesty is the best policy.
B. Technologies can be double-edited.
C. There are more solutions than problems.
D. Credibility holds the key to development.
41. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A. Where the Problem of Robocalls Is Rooted
B. Who Is to Blame for the Problem of Roboealls
C. Why Robocalls Are About to Get More Dangerous
D. How Robocalls Are Affecting the World of Technology
(2019﹒北京﹒阅读理解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.
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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 changes
in 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？
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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
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