专题05 阅读理解（说明文）
主题 01 人与自我
Passage 1
（2026·四川广安·二模）Green tea is widely recognized for its proven potential to protect the heart, brain
and metabolism, while sugary bottled and bubble teas may do far more harm than good to human health. This is the
finding of a comprehensive scientific research, recently published by a professional research team from the Chinese
Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
The research links regular tea consumption, especially green tea, to significantly reduced risks of cardiovascular
disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes. Regular drinkers also show slower age-related cognitive decline, better muscle
preservation and lower all-cause death rates. These positive effects are supported by both laboratory tests and long-
term human observation studies. Its health benefits mainly come from natural polyphenols (多酚), especially catechins (
儿茶素). Green tea has been studied exhaustively, while the exact health effects of black, oolong and white tea
remain less explored by the scientific community.
Yet the research also warns of hidden health risks tied to commercial tea products. Highly processed options
like bottled and bubble teas often contain harmful artificial additives, such as added sugars, sweeteners and
preservatives. Heavy long-term tea drinkers may also face low-level risks from pesticide residues or heavy metals in
a small number of tea leaf samples. These risks are often overlooked by most daily tea drinkers.
Overall, the study concludes that freshly brewed tea offers the most reliable and consistent health benefits.
Moderate regular intake of brewed tea may effectively cut risks of common chronic diseases, while processed tea
products should be consumed with proper caution. The authors note further targeted research is needed to clarify
effects across different tea types and consumer groups, to provide scientific guidance for public daily tea drinking
habits.
1．What does the underlined word “exhaustively” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
A．In a wide range.
B．In an overlooked manner.
C．In a brief manner.
D．In a repeated way.
2．How does the author develop the content in the third paragraph?
A．By quoting the research review.
B．By making a comparison.
C．By giving definitions.
D．By providing examples.
3．What is the authors’ attitude towards freshly brewed tea?
A．Objective.
B．Approving.
C．Cautious.
D．Reserved.
4．What is the text mainly about?
A．The unique health benefits of green tea. B．Hidden risks of commercial processed teas.
C．A scientific review on tea and human health.
D．Effects of different teas on human body.
Passage 2
（2026·四川成都·二模）Years ago, as a young business reporter, I interviewed James Patterson, an advertising
executive who ran a fast-food chain account, and yet dreamed of being a novelist instead. I remember thinking: Sure,
you and everybody else. A decade or so later, however, I was surprised to see the adman on TV, holding up his new
book. He has since published more than 100 New York Times best sellers and co-authored books with the likes of
Bill Clinton and Dolly Parton.
Mr. Patterson’s ability to see himself as a writer illustrates a concept known as “possible selves”. It describes
how people envision their futures: what they may become, or want to become, or even fear becoming.
The term, coined in 1986 by the social psychologists Hazel Markus and Paula Nurius, grew out of research on
self-concept and self-perception. While self-concepts — “I am a kind person” or “I am a good parent” — are rooted
in the present, the researchers found that people are also informed by ideas about what they might become and how
they might change.
These possible selves, both positive and negative, are closely related to motivation. A violin student who
envisions life as a professional musician might be motivated to practice. A person whose feared possible self is an
alcoholic may become a non-drinker. In a small study, when young adults were encouraged to envision themselves
as either regular exercisers (hoped-for selves) or inactive (feared selves), both groups exercised more in the weeks
afterward. And researchers have found that constructing positive possible selves can improve well-being and relieve
symptoms of depression by holding out the potential for a better future.
A possible self can take you beyond daydreams, which are often fleeting and not necessarily grounded in
reality. It can take shape “if you build a bridge from your ‘now’ self to the possible self,” Dr. Markus said. But how
do we construct that bridge?
1．Why is James Patterson mentioned in the first paragraph?
A．To tell a story.
B．To inspire the readers.
C．To reveal the topic.
D．To introduce the figure.
2．Which of the following is an example of one’s “possible selves”?
A．I am a diligent student.
B．I want to travel abroad.
C．I could have become a dentist.
D．I worry about being lonely.
3．What can be inferred from paragraph 4?
A．Those who fear failure may end up being a loser.
B．Knowing what can be achieved benefits mental health.
C．A clear ambition guarantees one’s success in the future.
D．A positive possible self is more motivating than a negative one.
4．What might be mentioned in the following paragraph?
A．How to create more possibilities.
B．How to realise one’s potential.
C．How to build spiritual connections.
D．How to cultivate self-awareness.
Passage 3
（2026·四川绵阳·二模）You have probably had the experience of waking up in the middle of the night with
an idea. It was such a good one that you told yourself to remember it the next morning. But, like the memory of your
dreams, it fades fast away. One practical step you can take now is to keep a pencil or pad by your bed. Sometimes,
you can also carry a pocket notebook so that ideas that strike you while waiting for someone or travelling on a train
can be recorded. Later, you can transfer these jottings to your main notebook.
Apart from extending memory, the practice of keeping a notebook of those materials has one fairly obvious
further benefit. The labor of copying them out gives you occasion to reflect deeply on them. As you slowly write,
you have to pay attention to both the exact form and the content of what is being said. The act of writing impresses
the words more deeply on your mind.
There are two important principles in keeping a notebook as a tool for creative thinking. First, write down
ideas in the order they come to you. Give each idea a short title and, if possible, add the date. Do not try to organize
everything too carefully, such as putting notes on cards or arranging them in alphabetical order. The second principle is
to note down whatever impresses you as stimulating, interesting or memorable. At this stage, it does not matter
whether the idea is right or wrong. What matters most is that it interests you. As Shakespeare once said, “No profit
grows where no pleasure is taken.”
In this form, your notebook is a very useful tool for creative thinking on a variety of subjects that concern you,
for this method brings together very diverse materials. When you look through your notebook, you will begin to
notice various groups of links and connections. It is the mixing of these unrelated ideas—bringing together things
that usually do not go together—that makes your notebook a source of new ideas.
1．What does the underlined word “jottings” in paragraph 1 probably mean?
A．Short written notes.
B．Careful long records.
C．Personal daily diaries.
D．Printed study materials.
2．What is a benefit of keeping a notebook?
A．It encourages labor.
B．It shifts attention.
C．It weakens memory.
D．It facilitates thinking.
3．What does the author try to illustrate by mentioning Shakespeare’s words in paragraph 3?
A．The importance of interest.
B．The pleasure of profit.
C．The arrangement of entries.
D．The impression of ideas.
4．How does the notebook help generate new thoughts?
A．By recording one type of subjects.
B．By deleting disordered connections.
C．By organizing notes alphabetically.
D．By linking unrelated ideas together.
主题 02 人与社会
Passage 1
（2026·四川成都·二模）By age 2, most kids know how to play pretend. They turn their bedrooms into
faraway castles and hold make-believe tea parties. The ability to make something out of nothing may seem uniquely
human. Now, for the first time, an experiment hints that an ape ( 猿) living under human care can have an
imagination.
Kanzi is an ape who was raised in a lab and became a star at communicating with humans using graphic
symbols. Scientists wondered whether Kanzi had the capacity to play pretend — that is, act like something is real
while knowing it’s not. They adapted the playbook for studying young children to stage a juice party for Kanzi. They
poured imaginary juice into two cups and then pretended to empty just one. They asked Kanzi which cup he wanted,
and he pointed to the cup still containing pretend juice 68% of the time.
To make sure Kanzi wasn’t confusing real with fake (假的), they also ran a test with actual juice. “Kanzi chose
the real juice over the pretend almost 80% of the time, which suggests that he really can tell the difference between
real juice and imaginary juice,” said Amalia Bastos, a study co-author from the University of St. Andrews in
Scotland.
But not all scientists are convinced that Kanzi is playing pretend as humans do. “There’s a difference between
imagining juice being poured into a cup and maintaining the pretense that it’s real,” said Duke University comparative
psychologist Michael Tomasello. “To be convinced of that, I would need to see Kanzi actually pretend to pour water
into a container himself,” Tomasello wrote in an email.
Many great ape species in the wild are critically endangered, and it’ll take more research to understand what
their minds are capable of. “Kanzi opened this path for a lot of future studies,” Bastos said.
1．What was Kanzi asked to do in the first test?
A．To read a playbook.
B．To choose a certain cup.
C．To pour imaginary juice.
D．To identify graphic symbols.
2．Why did scientists experiment with real juice on Kanzi?
A．To prove Kanzi has emotions.
B．To explore Kanzi’s preference for juice.
C．To confirm Kanzi can tell real from fake.
D．To train Kanzi’s ability to make choices.
3．What does Michael Tomasello probably agree with?
A．Imagination equals pretense.
B．Kanzi represents ape intelligence.
C．Kanzi may not have an imagination.
D．This experiment benefits future studies.
4．What is the best title for the text?
A．Kanzi: A Good Ape Pretender.
B．The Mystery of Ape Imagination Solved.
C．The Mind of a Human-Raised Ape Revealed.
D．A Pretend Juice Party: Ape Imagination Tested.
Passage 2
（2026·四川广安·二模）New technology is enabling patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a
progressive neurodegenerative disease that robs people of muscle control, to operate a wheelchair using only their
eye movements. Developed by a research team led by Professor Long Yunze at Qingdao University, in collaboration
with multiple medical and industrial partners, the system marks the world’s first self-powered eye tracking solution
for ALS patients, with its core breakthrough lying in solving the power supply dilemma that has long restricted the
daily use of traditional eye tracking devices.
Most traditional eye tracking systems depend on external power supplies, which make them bulky, heavy and
unfit for prolonged daily wear. For ALS patients who rely on such devices to maintain independent mobility, heavy
head-mounted equipment, tangled power cables and constant low-battery alerts have long been major barriers to their
daily life. To address this unmet need, the team developed a creative, user-centered solution: harvesting electricity
directly from the wearer’s natural eye movements.
The new system, ultra-light and fully wearable like a pair of ordinary prescription glasses, is designed for long-
time comfortable wear. It adopts a dual-layer structure: a soft contact lens-like PDMS layer attaches gently to the
eyeball, functioning as a mini triboelectric generator that produces steady electrical current through the friction
generated by blinking or subtle eye rotations. The glasses frame is equipped with transparent electrodes that act as
signal transmitters, converting tiny charge changes into real-time commands to steer the wheelchair accurately and
smoothly.
While the technology brings unprecedented hope to ALS patients, it still faces practical hurdles before large-
scale clinical and daily application. Zhang Jun, a core researcher of the team, noted that they are deepening cooperation
with industry partners to accelerate commercialization. If mass production is achieved successfully, this self-powered
system will grant ALS patients greater independence, dignity and control over their lives, all through a simple
blink.
1．What is the main innovation of the new system?
A．It enables ALS independent mobility.
B．It is the first medical eye tracking system.
C．It solves the long-standing power problem.
D．It achieves stable real-time signal transmission.
2．What is the difference between traditional and new systems?
A．Power supply mode.
B．Wearing comfort.
C．Control accuracy.
D．Signal transmission speed.
3．How does the new system produce electricity according to Paragraph 3?
A．By eye movements.
B．By external power supply.
C．By charge changes from signals.
D．By PDMS material in the lens.
4．What can be a suitable title for the text?
A．Time to Replace Eye Systems.
B．The Self-Powered System Aids Patients.
C．Tips for Wearing Eye Systems.
D．Eye System Controls Wheelchairs Well.
Passage 3
（2026·四川成都·二模）At a rehabilitation center in Beijing, a 76-year-old man who once relied on a
caregiver can now walk independently with the help of a robotic exoskeleton that learns his movement patterns. Such
technologies, once considered science fiction, are becoming more common as China responds to the needs of its fast-
aging population.
The eldercare robot industry is expanding quickly. Provinces such as Beijing and Jiangsu have released political
plans encouraging the adoption of intelligent robots in institutions and households. China has also led the creation of
an international technical standard for eldercare robots, setting requirements for design and safety. Moreover, with
over 310 million Chinese aged 60 or above, many seniors need support with mobility, daily activities, or emotional
companionship. Robotics companies report increased inquiries as families search for reliable solutions for aging
relatives.
While eldercare robots are still in the early stages of development compared to industrial robots, some users
are already beginning to enjoy the convenience these technologies provide. Nursing homes in tech-centered cities
like Shenzhen integrate robots that play chess with residents, provide mobility support, and deliver AI-assisted
therapy.
Experts say eldercare robots still face multiple obstacles before they can be deployed on a large scale. On the
consumer side, some seniors remain skeptical. “Robots are too cold and emotionless. I just can’t accept them,” said
Qu Suling, a 66-year-old resident. “If a machine malfunctions, it could hurt me,” she added. Another major hurdle is
access to real-world data needed to improve algorithms and the user experience. To improve algorithms and user
experiences, companies need large volumes of real-world training data, according to Ji Junjie, an algorithm specialist.
“We have limited opportunities to enter seniors’ homes or eldercare facilities,” Ji said. The high prices of many
eldercare robots represent another significant barrier, as they are well beyond the reach of most households.
Experts argue that breakthroughs in core technology, affordability, and data access are essential for eldercare
robots to realize their potential. As China advances AI and robotics, these innovations may significantly support
healthy aging and improve life for millions of older adults.
1．Which major factor contributes to the rapid development of eldercare robots in China?
A．A decline in traditional medical services. B．Policy support and rising demand.
C．Financial investment in eldercare centers.
D．Joint efforts made by many provinces.
2．Which is NOT the barrier to the large-scale application of eldercare robots?
A．Insufficient access to real-life usage.
B．High prices which are unaffordable.
C．Lack of promotion from high-tech firms. D．Distrust and hesitation from the elderly.
3．What can be inferred about the future of eldercare robots?
A．They will replace human caregivers in the short term.
B．Their development will slow down as prices increase.
C．They may be more popular with younger population.
D．They can greatly improve the lives of older adults.
4．Which is a suitable title for the text?
A．High-Technology is Used in Medical Care
B．The Elderly Weigh the Use of Elderly Robots
C．Robotics Elderly Expands with Aging Population
D．An Old Man Benefits from Elderly Robot Industry
Passage4
（2026·四川广元·二模）“Three weeks ago, I woke up from a nap and found some red spots all over my
legs,” begins one such account in a video from Bethany Crystal, who runs a consulting business and lives in New
York. After an exchange with ChatGPT, it urged, “You need immediate evaluation for possible bleeding risk.”
Hundreds of millions of people now consult ChatGPT for wellness advice, according to its maker, OpenAI. In
early January, the company announced the launch of a new platform, ChatGPT Health, which it says offers enhanced
security for sharing medical records and data. It joins other AI tools such as My Doctor Friend in promising to partner
with patients on navigating health care.
Doctors and patients say AI is already having a profound impact on both the way that patients receive
information about their health and practitioners’ ability to diagnose and communicate with their patients. Unlike
doctors, ChatGPT has nearly unlimited time to engage in exhaustive inquiry with patients. Dave deBronkart, a cancer
survivor, says he often hears stories about AI identifying symptoms that differentiate unusual or rare conditions from
more common illnesses.
Recently, sixty-year-old Burt Rosen, who works in marketing for a local Oregon college, told AI he was
experiencing migraines (偏头痛) after sleeping. AI asked him what position he was sleeping in and suggested he use
two pillows instead of one. Pressure can build when lying flat, it explained, and cause migraines. Then, his headaches
disappeared.
However, alongside these promising developments, the list of unanswered questions and potential hazards of
using AI in medicine is long. As a consumer product, ChatGPT Health is not regulated by health privacy laws the
way a medical provider’s systems are in a clinical setting. When it comes to mental health, OpenAI is currently
named in multiple active lawsuits involving charges of psychological harm, including suicide-related claims.
1．What is the main function of ChatGPT Health?
A．Replacing traditional healthcare consultations.
B．Developing new medicines and treatment plans.
C．Training medical students in diagnosis and communication.
D．Providing a secure platform for sharing medical information.
2．Why is Burt Rosen’s example mentioned?
A．To illustrate how AI replaces doctors.
B．To argue AI only works for health issues.
C．To warn patients of seeking help from AI.
D．To show AI’s ability to offer health advice.
3．What does the underlined word “hazards” refer to?
A．Dangers.
B．Solutions.
C．Regulations.
D．Opportunities.
4．What is the author’s attitude towards the use of AI in healthcare?
A．Opposed.
B．Objective.
C．Supportive.
D．Indifferent.
Passage 5
（2026·四川广元·二模）A collection of jawbones, a leg bone, and a handful of vertebrae and teeth were
found in Morocco recently. New research published in Nature dates these fossils (化石) — discovered in a cave
called Grotte à Hominidés — to about 773,000 years ago, during the era of the last common ancestor of modern
humans, Neandertals and Denisovans. “We can say that the shared ancestry between these three species is perhaps in
Grotte à Hominidés,” says study co-author Abderrahim Mohib.
The first jawbone was discovered in 1969, with additional adult and child remains found in later years.
Researchers weren’t able to interpret these fossils until they figured out their age. The key to dating the fossils was a
method called magnetostratigraphy, which depends on the fact that Earth’s magnetic field (磁场) changes direction
every few hundred thousand years. The polarity change can be detected in iron-rich minerals, and there was a shift
773,000 years ago, which allowed the researchers to precisely determine when the sediments (沉积物) surrounding
the fossils were laid down.
As to who these human bones belonged to, tiny features on them point to an in-between species — combining
characteristics of older African Hominin species such as Homo erectus with those found in later African fossils and
Eurasia specimens. This suggests that the Moroccan fossils represent something of an in-between species. They’re
similar in age to a species from Spain called Homo antecessor that had previously been suggested as a possible
common ancestor of modern humans, Neandertals and Denisovans. However, the Grotte à Hominidés fossils are
more of a mix of new and old.
“They display a combination of primitive and more advanced characteristics, indicating human populations
close to this phase of separation,” Mohib says, “They confirm the very old origins of our species’ African roots and
highlight North Africa’s key role in the major stages of human evolution.”
1．What can be inferred from paragraph 1?
A．The three species evolved independently in Morocco.
B．Grotte à Hominidés is the only habitat of ancient humans.
C．The fossils may relate to the three species’ common ancestor.
D．Modern humans came directly from Morocco’s fossil remains.
2．How did researchers determine the age of the fossils?
A．By analyzing the fossils’ chemical composition.
B．By comparing the fossils from different periods.
C．By counting sediment layers surrounding the fossils.
D．By detecting direction changes in Earth’s magnetic field.
3．What do the features of the Moroccan fossils indicate?
A．They are older than Homo antecessor.
B．They belong entirely to Homo erectus.
C．They have mixed ancient and later features.
D．They are just identical to Eurasian specimens.
4．What is the last paragraph mainly about?
A．The exact time of human separation.
B．The explanation of the fossils’ value.
C．North Africa’s role in human evolution. D．The mixed features of the Moroccan fossils.
Passage 6
（2026·四川南充·二模）Bamboo is a highly renewable resource, and its cellulose (纤维素) fibres can be
turned into a hard, easy-to-shape plastic for use in cars and household appliances. This bamboo-based plastic is not
only as strong and long-lasting as common plastics for such uses, but also can be reused and break down easily in
soil.
Plastics made from living things, or bioplastics, are increasingly popular, but they still make up only around
half a percent of global plastic production. This is partly because they are not as strong as oil-based plastics and can’t
be easily used in common factory production processes.
Now, Dawei Zhao at Shenyang University of Chemical Technology in China and his team have developed a
way to produce plastic from bamboo cellulose, which can match or even beat the qualities of many widely used
plastics. “Bamboo’s rapid growth makes it a highly renewable resource, though its current uses are still largely
traditional,” says Zhao.
Zhao’s team first treated the bamboo with certain chemicals and an acid, breaking down the strong chemical
bonds to produce a mixture of smaller cellulose molecules ( 分子). Adding alcohol then made these molecules
rearrange into a strong, solid plastic. Andrew Dove at the University of Birmingham, UK, says the plastic’s toughness
is similar to commonly used engineering plastics. However, its rigidity means its possible uses aren’t the most
widespread. “It’s not going to replace the main plastics used in packaging,” says Dove. “But while it’s aiming at a
smaller group of engineering plastics, it could still help reduce worries about getting enough material for some plastics
we use now. ”
Although it isn’t as cheap as some common plastics, Zhao’s team found that it can be completely recycled
while keeping 90% of its original strength, which can lower production costs, making it more lucrative. They also
reported that it breaks down naturally within 50 days, although similar claims for other so-called biodegradable (可
生物降解的) plastics have not always proven true.
1．What is an advantage of bamboo-based plastic?
A．It is more durable than oil-based plastics.
B．It is recyclable and can break down easily.
C．Its fibres are stable and hold the shape well.
D．Its production requires no chemical treatment.
2．How did Zhao’s team turn bamboo into solid plastic?
A．By rearranging cellulose molecules with alcohol.
B．By mixing bamboo with engineering plastics.
C．By breaking chemical bonds to get larger molecules.
D．By heating bamboo with special chemicals.
3．What can be inferred from Dove’s comment on Zhao’s bamboo plastic?
A．It is too rigid to be used in any packaging products.
B．It is tougher than traditional engineering plastics.
C．It will replace common packaging plastics in the near future.
D．It may serve specific engineering purposes despite its limits.
4．What does “lucrative” in the last paragraph mean?
A．Economically attractive.
B．Structurally strong.
C．Easily recyclable.
D．Highly durable.
Passage 7
（2026·四川凉山·二模）Have you done the MBTI personality test? “Yes, I’m an INTJ,” responded Gu Ailing
in a recent interview with GQ magazine. Gu’s response became a hot topic online and drew people’s attention to the
test.
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a test designed to identify a person’s personality type. The test
result is based on four sets of opposing qualities: Extroversion (外向) vs Introversion, Sensing vs Intuition (直觉),
Thinking vs Feeling, and Judging vs Perceiving (感知). After answering more than 90 questions, test-takers get their
four-letter personality result, including a detailed description. Gu Ailing’s result of INTJ is one of the 16 possible
personality types the test reveals.
Developed by Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers in the US in the 1940s, the test
grew to become the standard for personality tests. Many companies and organizations use it when hiring or evaluating
staff to help them select people for certain roles. And now in China, Internet users are using it as a tool to guide their
lives and relationships.
But how reliable is this test? Well, it isn’t recognized as being scientifically valid, according to The
Guardian. The test was based on the theories of Swiss psychologist Carl Jung. Even Jung warned that his personality
“types” were just rough classifications that he observed. In addition, neither of the test designers was a trained
psychologist.
The Guardian reveals the key problem with the MBTI is that the test is too “black and white”. The results
place people into only one of each of the four categories; for example, someone is either an introvert or an extrovert.
But many people would surely sit somewhere in the middle of these two. Being categorized like this prevents people
from appreciating their complexities and deeper selves.
Tests and tools that help people better understand who they are and how they think are very powerful and can
still help in some aspects of life. As science and technology develop, people can look forward to more accurate tests
that truly embrace how wonderfully complex and ever-changing humans really are.
1．What can we learn about the MBTI test from the text?
A．It was created by a famous Swiss psychologist.
B．It divides personalities into 16 types based on four trait pairs.
C．It has been used in China longer than in Western countries.
D．It mainly focuses on predicting future career success.
2．Why do many companies use the MBTI test when they hire new employees?
A．To reduce the cost of hiring new employees.
B．To assess candidates’ professional skills directly.
C．To match individuals with appropriate job positions.
D．To follow the latest trends in global recruitment.
3．What does the underlined “scientifically valid” mean in paragraph 4?
A．widely discussed B．scientifically supported C．scientifically understoodD．widely acknowledged
4．What is the main purpose of the article?
A．To encourage readers to take the MBTI test immediately.
B．To explain the development of the MBTI test and its limitations.
C．To prove that all personality tests are useless and unreliable.
D．To compare the MBTI test with other psychological tools.
Passage 8
（2026·四川成都·二模）A computer that relies on fungal (真菌的) networks to store information could one
day be an alternative to the current generation of memory devices, according to research published in PLOS One.
Scientists have built working memristors (忆阻器) — circuitry elements that “remember” their past electrical
activity — from the root-like part of a mushroom called the mycelium. The result is a memristor with performance
comparable to that of a silicon-based chip, but it has its own benefits in ways many computer components today do
not.
“Being able to develop microchips that act like real brain cells means you don’t need a lot of power when the
machine isn’t being used,” says lead researcher John LaRocco of Ohio State University. “That can bring a huge
potential advantage.”
Scientists have thought about using mushrooms as computer parts, mostly because fungal networks work in
ways similar to neural systems. They have a similar structure. And they send information using electrical and chemical
signals, just like a brain. But the fact that they aren’t actually brains means some engineering is needed to make them
do what scientists need them to do.
The team grew the mushroom mycelium under controlled conditions. Then they dried the samples in sunlight to
ensure long-term stability. Finally, they connected them to a circuit to test their performance. “We would connect
electrical wires at different points on the mushrooms,” LaRocco says. “Depending on the voltage ( 电压) and
connectivity, we were seeing different performances.”
The researchers achieved a performance of 5,850 Hertz, with an accuracy of 90 percent from their mushroom
memristor - that is, it switches signals at a speed of about 5,850 times per second. The researchers also found that as
the electrical voltage increased, the mushroom’s performance decreased. They were able to fix it by adding more
mushrooms to the circuit.
You’re not going to have a mycelial computer any time soon. Still, the findings do suggest that this is a
promising path for future research. As the researchers note in their paper, “The future of computing could be
fungal.”
1．What can be learned about working memristors built from mycelium?
A．They are shaped like real mushrooms.
B．They need less power when not working.
C．They perform much better than traditional chips.
D．They have become a new way to store information.
2．Why do scientists choose mushrooms as computer components?
A．They have brain-like working networks.
B．They can process information like humans.
C．They grow quickly in controlled conditions.
D．They can work with electrical signals alone.
3．What do the findings on mushroom memristors show?
A．Higher voltage improves accuracy.
B．Connectivity has no influence on results.
C．They remain stable when voltage changes.
D．Network expansion improves their performance.
4．What is the text mainly about?
A．Challenges of creating biological computer chips.
B．Advantages of mushroom-based memory devices.
C．A comparison between fungal and neural networks.
D．A breakthrough in developing bio-computing components.
Passage9
（2026·四川宜宾·二模）A quiet AI revolution is unfolding in China’s countryside. In provinces like Jilin,
Yunnan and Hubei, farmers are turning to AI to save their crops from flooding and disease. China is showing the
world a different roadmap of AI’s path forward.
Free AI services in China fuel mass adoption. DeepSeek’s integration into WeChat caused a traffic surge,
absorbed by Tencent’s Yuanbao, whose DAU (Daily Active Users) jumped 20 times in two months. AI now rapidly
integrates into daily life, reaching vast rural populations at scale.
By making AI tools free and accessible through platforms like WeChat, China has opened the floodgates to
grassroots adoption. Chinese companies have prioritized scale. And that scale is surprising: Nearly 300 million
farmers, representing 20% of the national population, are potential AI users.
In one Hubei village, weeks of heavy rain threatened to destroy rice fields. Consequently, farmers turned to
Yuanbao. The chatbot recommended building embankments and switching to high-ridge planting — the advice arrives
instantly, tailored to specific problems and images uploaded by farmers with little formal education.
AI is inserted into everyday life in China. For Chinese farmers, the benefits are real and immediate. For many,
AI is no longer a futuristic idea but a daily tool. While China’s rural AI surge is impressive, it faces challenges of its
own. AI researchers found that most farmers didn’t know how to pose useful questions to AI chatbots unless prompted
by local officials. Educational gaps remain a barrier: Even when farmers receive answers, they might not understand
the technical terms involved. Without a closed loop of comprehension and action, the benefits of AI can’t be fully
realized.
Researchers also stress that making AI useful for the farmers as well as elders will require more than a stylish
UX and bigger models. It urgently demands simplified responses, voice interfaces and solutions tailored to real-world
conditions.
1．What resulted from DeepSeek’s integration into WeChat?
A．Free AI services in China became available.
B．Tencent’s Yuanbao saw a rapid increase in users.
C．Farmers in Hubei doubled their rice production.
D．The number of WeChat users dropped significantly.
2．What do the underlined words “opened the floodgates to” mean in paragraph 3?
A．Blocked the way of.
B．Tested the limits of.
C．Increased the cost of.
D．Allowed widespread entry of.
3．What will the researchers most probably do next?
A．Develop larger AI models.
B．Expand AI access to more cities.
C．Provide simplified practical instructions.D．Teach farmers to understand technical terms.
4．What is the main idea of the passage?
A．AI companies profit greatly from rural users.
B．AI has solved all farming problems in China.
C．Farmers prefer traditional methods to AI technology.
D．China’s rural AI holds promise but faces challenges.
Passage 10
（2026·四川宜宾·二模）Recently, the list for the 2026 Sloan Research Fellowships was announced in the
United States. Chinese young scientist Cao Yuan has been awarded this well-known honor.
Cao Yuan, born in 1996 in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, graduated from University of Science and Technology
of China in 2014. In 2018, Cao, 22, was named as the most influential scientist of the year by Nature magazine, for
a major discovery of graphene superconductivity angle (石墨烯超导角度).
Nature on March 5 published two major papers by Cao. It was the first time that Nature released two continuous
articles with the same first author. Cao became the youngest Chinese who published an article in Nature. The discovery
was a breakthrough in the area of condensed matter physics and received worldwide attention.
Every year, Nature releases an issue highlighting the “ten people who mattered.” The cover is always a large
number ten. Its design and pattern depend on the major scientific advances of the year. The year of 2018, the cover
referred to Cao’s contributions.
Cao’s passion for science emerged early: as a child, he loved buying electronic components to study circuits.
His talent and diligence impressed his mentors, including Professor Zeng Changgan, who recalled that as an
undergraduate Cao wrote a PRB theory article. He thought Cao was awesome and active. Beyond brilliance, Cao
exemplifies perseverance. According to Nature, “despite a disappointing PhD start that made six months’ work
fruitless due to experimental accidents, he simply rolled up his sleeves and continued working.”
Humble about his achievements, Cao once said, “I just skipped some boring stuff in middle school.” He
advises, “Those who walk every step conscientiously will have a bright future.” This mixture of modesty and
perseverance defines his inspiring journey.
1．What honor did Cao Yuan receive in 2018?
A．The most influential author.
B．The Sloan Research Fellowship.
C．The title of the youngest professor.
D．One of Nature’s 10 people who mattered.
2．What can be inferred about Nature magazine?
A．It only publishes work by young scientists.
B．Its cover signals the year’s key scientific advances.
C．It awards prizes to the most influential researchers.
D．It focuses mainly on Chinese scientific achievements.
3．Which of the following best describes Cao Yuan?
A．Diligent and persevering.
B．Cautious and moody.
C．Indifferent and impatient.
D．Humble and dependent.
4．What message do Cao Yuan’s words in the last paragraph convey?
A．Youth is wasted on the young.
B．Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.
C．The road to success is paved with steady small steps.
D．Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.
Passage 11
（2026·四川德阳·二模）In the early 2000s, Brazilian nutrition researcher Carlos Monteiro noticed a puzzling
trend: while obesity and type 2 diabetes (糖尿病) rates were rising rapidly in Brazil, household purchases of sugar,
salt, and other related ingredients were actually declining. Further investigation revealed the reason: people were
buying less sugar for homemade desserts but consuming more of it in pre-made pastries and breakfast cereals.
Similarly, salt intake was shifting from home cooking to items like frozen pizza, chicken nuggets, and instant
soups.
Monteiro first used the term ultra-processed food (UPF) in a paper in 2009, arguing that people interested in
promoting healthy diets should focus more on the degree, extent and purpose of processing than on nutrient profiles.
This radical idea caught the attention of other researchers, who, over the next decade or so, published dozens of
papers linking UPFs with obesity and a range of other health problems.
Governments soon responded. Starting in 2014, Brazil advised avoiding UPFs, and countries including France
and Belgium followed suit. In the United States, officials have also recently underscored UPFs as a public health
concern and announced plans for further research.
However, the UPF category faces skepticism. Some scientists argue it is too broad and ill-defined, as it classifies
diverse foods like shop-bought yogurt with doughnuts. They question if UPFs’ health risks stem simply from being
high in fat and sugar, and low in fiber and vitamins. Despite ongoing debates, existing evidence offers valuable
guidance for those seeking healthy dietary choices.
1．What is paragraph 1 mainly about?
A．The rising rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes in Brazil.
B．The changing ways of consuming sugar and salt in Brazil.
C．The confusing phenomenon observed by a Brazilian researcher.
D．The popularity of pre-made foods in Brazilian households.
2．What does the underlined word “underscored” in paragraph 3 mean?
A．described
B．emphasized
C．identified
D．admitted
3．What can be inferred about the UPF category?
A．It lacks scientific evidence to support its accuracy.
B．It ignores the nutrient profiles of processed foods.
C．It fails to define fat and sugar in unhealthy foods.
D．It groups different foods without clear boundaries.
4．What is the main purpose of the text?
A．To encourage people to give up ultra-processed foods.
B．To criticize the harm of ultra-processed foods to health.
C．To introduce the origin and impacts of the UPF concept.
D．To compare different countries’ dietary advice on UPFs.
Passage 12
（2026·四川德阳·二模）Humanoid robots have long symbolized the future — machines that walk, talk, and
work alongside us. Companies like Boston Dynamics and Tesla showcase robots running or performing factory tasks.
Yet a fundamental question remains: What are they actually for?
In theory, a human-shaped robot could operate in human spaces using human tools. However, in reality, today’s
humanoids are often slow, unstable, and extremely expensive, with components like high-torque (扭矩) motors and
precision sensors driving up production costs. Behind polished demonstration videos lie countless failed attempts
and teams of engineers adjusting code off-camera.
This gap between promise and reality is a classic challenge in robotics. Real progress has occurred in narrow,
well-defined tasks. Wheeled robots efficiently move shelves in warehouses; in comparison, robotic arms assist
surgeons with unmatched precision in delicate procedures like microsurgery, reducing human error. These machines
succeed because they are designed for specific jobs — not to imitate a person.
Supporters believe advanced artificial intelligence will unlock the potential of humanoids. Current AI excels
at pattern recognition, not physical reasoning. Teaching a robot to “pick up the cup without spilling” requires
understanding weight, balance, and physics — skills humans acquire through a lifetime of embodied experience.
Cost is another barrier. A general-purpose humanoid may cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, while
specialized robotic arms are far cheaper and require less maintenance over time, lowering long-term operational
expenses. For businesses, the practical choice is clear: single-purpose robots get the job done efficiently.
Some researchers argue humanoids hold value not as replacements for humans, but as platforms for studying
movement, learning, and human-robot interaction. This research aim, however, differs greatly from the popular vision
of robots serving drinks or providing elderly care.
Ultimately, the humanoid robot reflects our desire to see ourselves in our creations. Yet if the goal is to build
truly helpful robots, we might need to move beyond the human form — and simply design machines good at their
specific tasks.
1．What does the writer mention as the major limitation of humanoid robots?
A．High cost and poor performance.
B．Inability to operate in human spaces.
C．Difficulty in copying human gestures.
D．Absence of artificial intelligence support.
2．What does teaching a robot to “pick up the cup” require?
A．Advanced pattern recognition skills.
B．Lifetime human experience transfer.
C．Adjustments by engineers off-camera.
D．Understanding of physical properties.
3．What is the author’s attitude toward humanoid robots?
A．Objective and reflective.
B．Critical and reluctant.
C．Optimistic and supportive.
D．Doubtful and disappointed.
4．What can be a suitable title for the text?
A．Humanoid Robots: Future or Present?
B．Humanoid Robots: Progress or Challenge?
C．Humanoid Robots: Evolution or Tradition?
D．Humanoid Robots: Usefulness or Imagination?
Passage 13
（2026·四川内江·二模）In today’s rapidly urbanizing world, cities are transforming into complex digital
ecosystems, and the next big shift is already underway: collaborative sensing (CS). As urban population swells and
underlying facilities come under pressure, the need for intelligent, responsive, and efficient city systems has never
been more urgent. Enter smart cities — urban areas powered by connected technologies — and at the heart of this
transformation lies a powerful concept that is quietly reshaping urban life: collaborative sensing.
CS, sometimes referred to as participatory or crowdsensing, is the process where numerous devices and people
contribute data to collectively monitor, analyze, and improve a city’s operations. From detecting air pollution to
maximizing traffic flow or even predicting natural disasters, CS allows cities to gain a real-time, specific understanding
of what’s happening on the ground. This isn’t just about sensors planted on street lights — it’s about smartphones,
vehicles, wearables, and public facilities working integratedly.
This interconnected approach holds massive potential. Imagine a city where holes are identified by the shaking
of your car, where garbage pickup is improved based on bin fill levels, or where the urban heat island effect is reduced
through collective temperature mapping. These are not future predictions — they’re real projects already unfolding
in global tech-forward cities like Singapore, Barcelona, and Amsterdam.
But this shift isn’t without its questions. Who owns the data? How do we balance monitoring and privacy?
And can smaller or developing cities tap into this wave of innovation?
Looking ahead, the question is no longer if cities will adopt CS — it’s how quickly and how responsibly.
Whether you’ re a policymaker, urban planner, developer, or engaged citizen, now is the time to get involved in
shaping the connected cities of tomorrow and dive deep into how CS is redefining the blueprint for smart cities.
1．What does the underlined word “swells” mean in paragraph 1?
A．Expands.
B．Appears.
C．Removes.
D．Stabilizes.
2．What can be inferred about CS in paragraphs 2-3?
A．It relies mainly on public sensors.
B．Daily devices can be used as its tools.
C．Tech-forward cities gain more from it.
D．Its projects are resisted in advanced cities.
3．Why does the writer raise questions in paragraph 4?
A．To suggest that CS be delayed indefinitely.
B．To prove that privacy outweighs innovation.
C．To imply that CS is inaccessible to poor cities.
D．To show that unresolved issues need attention.
4．Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A．A Fresh Solution for Smarter Cities.
B．Smart Cities in Wealthy Urban Areas.
C．Smartphone-Driven City Management. D．Potential Risks in Urban Data Collection.
主题03 人与自然
Passage 1
（2026·四川雅安·二模）East Africa’s Rift Valley ( 东非大裂谷) provides a unique window into the
evolutionary history of humanity. Its deep lakes and sheltered canyons create conditions that nurtured early humans.
Those geological forces may also push open a door to the future by making it possible to capture and store global-
warming carbon dioxide cheaply from the air.
James Irungu Mwangi, a Kenyan environmentalist, calls the area the “Great Carbon Valley”. He believes the
rift has two key advantages for “direct air capture” (DAC) stations: renewable energy and suitable geology to store
carbon.
In fact, DAC plants need plenty of energy. Electricity drives fans to pass air over chemicals that absorb carbon
dioxide, while more heat is required to make the chemicals release the gas. The Rift Valley is particularly suited to
meet this energy demand due to its unique geological features. With thin Earth’s outer layer and great geothermal (地热
的) potential, Kenya can generate huge geothermal power, and waste steam from geothermal stations can heat DAC
equipment. As most of Kenya’s power is renewable, DAC will not increase global warming.
Capturing CO2 is only part of the process; it must be safely stored. The Rift Valley’s extensive porous basalt,
a volcanic rock, is ideal for this: CO2 dissolved in water is injected into the rock, reacts with basalt to form carbon-
rich minerals, and will not leak back into the atmosphere.
This model is not merely theoretical. A similar combination of geothermal energy and volcanic rock has already
attracted companies elsewhere. Climeworks, a Swiss firm, opened the world’s biggest DAC plant in Iceland in 2021.
It can remove some 4,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year from the atmosphere at a cost of $600 — 800 a tonne.
Kenyan startup Octavia Carbon is building the world’s second-largest DAC plant in the Rift Valley. Its founder
hopes to sequester carbon dioxide much more cheaply, thanks to low-cost renewable energy, geothermal steam and
lower labor costs for skilled workers. Its pilot plant will be completed next year at a cost below $500 per tonne, with a
goal to drop it under $100 in five years, far cheaper than industry forecasts.
1．What does Paragraph 3 imply about DAC plants in the Rift Valley?
A．They will release chemicals.
B．They can operate sustainably.
C．They require more heat to pass air.
D．They generate most of Kenya’s power.
2．Why does the author mention Climeworks?
A．To tell how successful the DAC plant is in Iceland.
B．To show the heat-and-rock model works in practice.
C．To establish the theoretical value of the biggest DAC plant.
D．To prove high costs of carbon removal through DAC plants.
3．What does the underlined word “sequester” most probably mean?
A．Trap.
B．Release.
C．Discover.
D．Consume.
4．What is the best title for the text?
A．Direct Air Capture: A New Technology to Save Energy
B．East Africa’s Rift Valley: A Window to Human Evolution
C．Geothermal Energy: The Best Solution to Global Warming
D．The Great Carbon Valley: A Promising Future for Carbon Removal
Passage 2
（2026·四川宜宾·二模）Dreschel is going for his daily morning walk around Thalangama Wetland, in Sri
Lanka’s capital Colombo. The sun casts a warm glow over flowering pink water lilies ( 睡莲) as a farmer washes
down his water buffalo. A kingfisher hovers (盘旋) nearby.
But this hasn’t always been the case. About 15 years ago, Thalangama’s wetlands were polluted and filled with
rubbish. Dreschel, the country manager at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in Colombo, recalled
a decade ago he began cleaning the lake alone. Surprisingly, passersby stopped to help. Inspired the community
formed the Thalangama Wetland Watch.
Colombo, a Ramsar wetland city, located in a river basin and naturally trending to floods, relies on its wetlands
as natural flood barriers, absorbing 40% of floodwaters. They also sink carbon, purify air, and control temperatures.
Historically central to local life, they now help reduce climate change, pollution, and stress for residents in high-rise
buildings.
It is said that after significant flooding events the government realized wetlands are a significant flood control
mechanism and began to act, launching a revival strategy to restore these critical ecosystems. The metro Colombo
wetland management strategy was introduced in 2016, which aims to include wetlands in urban planning, prevent
further wetland loss, restore the ecosystems and involve the local community in their conservation. Following that,
wetlands were included into urban infrastructure by constructing cycling tracks, jogging paths and recreational areas
around them. Invasive species were almost cleaned and new soil and wetland plants were introduced to attract birds
and other animals.
Green infrastructure projects have reconnected people with Colombo’s wetlands. Communities like Wetland
Watch now maintain them, boosting property values. The Ramsar status temporarily stopped wetland destruction.
But an expert warns that coordinated efforts are essential to resist growing flood risks. He emphasizes that
public education on wetlands is crucial for urban resilience. Another notes a fundamental urgency to protect these
ecosystems. “If we lose our wetlands, Colombo will be unlivable.”
1．What is the author’s purpose in mentioning Dreschel’s morning walk?
A．To recommend a way to protect wetlands.
B．To show Dreschel’s healthy and peaceful life.
C．To present a scene full of life around The wetland.
D．To suggest benefits of morning walks in Sri Lanka.
2．What is the function of the wetland?
A．Releasing the impact of floods.
B．Providing residential areas for people.
C．Preventing climate change and pollution.D．Improving air quality by removing pollutants.
3．What can be inferred about the government’s restoration measures?
A．They removed all invasive species.
B．They integrated wetlands into urban life.
C．They prioritized economy over ecology. D．They relocated communities over wetlands.
4．Which is the most suitable title for the text?
A．How a Walk Saved a Wetland
B．Colombo: A City Built on Wetlands
C．The Future of Sri Lanka’s Waterways
D．Wetlands: From Wasteland to Lifeline
Passage 3
（2026·四川成都·二模）Readers may be familiar with the humorous idea that humans are only the third-
cleverest species on Earth after mice and dolphins. But perhaps Douglas Adams should have included dolphins’
cetacean cousins. In a paper just published in Open Mind, CETI researchers describe a strikingly human-like feature
in whale communication. Sperm whales communicate using a series of clicks researchers call “codas”, which look a
lot like vowels in human languages.
For linguists, vowels are characterized by the free flow of air through a vibrating vocal tract. In contrast,
consonants involve disruptions of the airflow. A vowel’s basic pitch(technically called F0)is determined by the
speaker’s sex and body size. But by moving tongue and lips we shape the sound into higher-pitched “formants”(F1,
F2, F3, etc.). Whether we hear an “ah” or an “ee” depends on the relationship between these formants.
To humans, sperm-whale codas do not sound like pitches at all; the clicks are much too infrequent and irregular.
The clicks become a continuous tone only when they occur 20 to 40 times per second. But when the whales’ silences
were removed in software, the researchers could consider them as pitches nevertheless, and look more closely at their
other qualities.
The next step was taken with the help of artificial intelligence(AI). The researchers used an AI system trained to
learn human language to examine the codas. Gasper Begus, a linguist at the University of California and the study’s
lead author, says that the AI led them to study the pitch patterns of the clicks — ones that work like human vowel
sounds.
Sure enough, the whale codas contained two sound patterns resembling those in the F1 and F2 formants of
human vowels, but at a much lower pitch. Based on this resemblance, the researchers called them the a-coda and i-
coda vowels. They even found that whales could produce diphthongs — two vowels gliding quickly from one to
another, like the ah-ee sound in English words like “ride” and “time”. The whales do all this often in what researchers
call “conversations”.
Exactly what the whales may be saying to each other remains unknown — although working that out is CETI’s
eventual goal. That will require a large body of vocalizations to study, as well as an equally big number of observations
of how the animals behave and interact with each other.
1．Why does the author refer to Douglas Adams’s joke about mice, dolphins and humans?
A．To illustrate a point
B．To give an example
C．To make a comparison
D．To introduce a topic
2．What does the word “disruptions” underlined in paragraph 2 mean?
A．complete stops B．breaks in flow
C．increases in speed
D．extra energy
3．What do we know about sperm whales from the passage?
A．They communicate in quite a similar way to humans.
B．They produce continuous clicks that sound like pitches.
C．They create click patterns resembling human vowels.
D．They could produce diphthongs like “ride” and “time”.
4．What can we infer about the CETI researchers from the last paragraph?
A．They have paid more attention to the whales’ vocalizations than to their behaviors.
B．They have uncovered the nature of the whales’ social behaviors and interactions.
C．They will decode the whales’ calls by observing their behaviors and interactions.
D．They will carry out more research to better understand the whales’ conversations.
Passage 4
（2026·四川凉山·二模）The preservation of the Arctic is necessary for the well-being of people on a global
scale. Unfortunately, the Arctic currently faces many interconnected issues, two of which are climate change and
changes in biological diversity.
The World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) said that the Arctic is heating up at a rate of almost twice the global
average. Greenhouse gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide, methane and water vapor, are likely to blame.
Rising temperatures and the reduction of sea ice pose the most significant danger to Arctic wildlife. Walruses
and polar bears rely on sea ice to rest, hunt, breed and migrate. Without it, they’re threatened with starvation and
declining birth rates, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Warming temperatures also threaten animals
such as reindeer and the migration patterns of fish.
New species are moving in from the south to take advantage of these rising temperatures. The warming Arctic
tundra is bringing in new competitors such as the red fox, which is threatening the native Arctic fox. Red foxes take
over Arctic fox dens and kill them, according to the WWF. Scientists have also said that the killer whale population
is increasing, which may lead to a decrease in the native narwhal population.
Although it remains important for the international community to help the Arctic Circle, Arctic countries must
also play an active role. In the US state of Alaska, an engineer named Dr Leslie Field and her research team at a
nonprofit called Ice 911 (now Arctic Ice Project) have been testing a solution to melting sea ice. To increase the
“albedo effect (反射效应)”, she has been experimenting with spreading silica microbeads (二氧化硅微粒), which
are environmentally friendly, across the sea ice, according to online magazine Grist. So far, each application of the
beads has made the ice thicker and more reflective — a promising potential answer to the Arctic’s sea ice melt.
The WWF recommends a global transition to 100 percent renewable energy through clean energy sources such
as wind, geothermal or solar. Also, instead of supporting oil and gas, Arctic governments need to finance renewable
energy. Protecting the Arctic is the key to protecting the future. The time to act is now.
1．What mainly contributes to the Arctic’s rapid warming according to the text?
A．The migration of new species.
B．The decline of sea ice.
C．The quickly rising temperatures.
D．The greenhouse gas emissions.
2．Which may become strong competitors in the Arctic region now?
A．Walruses.
B．Reindeer.
C．Red foxes.
D．Narwhals.
3．How does the author develop paragraph 5?
A．By giving an example.
B．By listing numbers.
C．By making a comparison.
D．By giving a definition.
4．What is the main idea of this passage?
A．The Arctic ecosystem is facing various threats.
B．Different countries should work together to protect the Arctic.
C．There are some proposed solutions to protecting the Arctic from melting.
D．The WWF has made many recommendations for Arctic protection.
Passage5
（2026·四川成都·二模）The moment Daniel Swain wakes up, he gets whipped about ( 猛烈吹袭) by
hurricane-force winds. “A Category 5, literally overnight, hits Acapulco,” says the 34-year-old climate scientist and
self-described weather enthusiast, who is hit daily by the flood of catastrophic weather headlines: wildfires,
megafloods, haboobs (an intense dust storm) , atmospheric rivers, bomb cyclones. Everyone’s asking: Did climate
change cause these disasters? And, more and more, they want Swain to answer.
Swain is at the same time 1,600 miles away from the hurricane and at the eye of storm. His ability to explain
science to the masses has made him one of the media’s go-to climate experts. He’s a staff research scientist at UCLA’s
Institute of the Environment and Sustainability who spends more than 1,100 hours each year on public-facing climate
and weather communication, explaining whether (often, yes) and how climate change is raising the number and
intensifying the fierceness of weather disasters.
“Climate change is an increasingly big part of what’s driving weather extremes today,” Swain says. “I connect
the dots between the two. There’s a lot of misunderstanding about how a warming climate affects day-to-day variations
in weather, but my goal is to push public perception toward what the science actually says.” So, when reporters call
him, he does his best to call them back.
“Daniel had a very clear vision about how he wanted to contribute to science and the world, using social media
and his website,” says Kareiva, a research professor at UCLA ．“We will not solve climate change without a
movement, and communication and social media are key to that. Most science papers are never even read. What we
do as scientists only matters if it has an impact on the world. We need at least 100 more Daniels.”
As global warming continues to worsen, it’s easy to get pulled into overly dramatic ways of looking at where
the world is going amid catastrophic weather headlines. Daniel Swain helps people know how we can better face
those fears with the use of scientific accuracy, which makes his role incredibly valuable.
1．Why do people want Daniel Swain to answer their disaster-related questions?
A．He makes specialised knowledge accessible.
B．He is widely recognised by the public and the media.
C．He is an expert in environmental sustainability research.
D．He works at the eye of storm with first-hand information.
2．What can we learn from Kareiva’s words?
A．Climate change is widely misunderstood.
B．The public should value scientific work more.
C．Scientists should engage the public like Swain.
D．Social media has a direct impact on climate
change.
3．How can Daniel Swain be described?
A．Helpful and optimistic.
B．Easy-going and humorous.
C．Responsible and serious.
D．Purposeful and knowledgeable.
4．What is the suitable title for the text?
A．The Weather Man: Approaching Fear with Science
B．A Valuable Job: Connecting Science with Social Media
C．An Inspiring Figure: Confronting Climate Change Bravely
D．A Distinctive Scientist: Interpreting Climate from a Unique Perspective
Passage6
（2026·四川绵阳·二模）Think of Christmas, what animals will you have in mind? In the face of climate
change, let’s take a look at how the Christmas-related animals are weathering the warmth.
Reindeer cannot handle the pace and scale of modern warming. It is surprising, given that the species survived
the rapid warming that ended the last Ice Age about 20,000 years ago. Researchers explain that their past adaptations —
spreading into cooler places — are ineffective today. Current warming is global. Their range has reduced, and cool
shelters are rare. Climate models suggest their numbers could shrink by 98% by 2100.
Alarmingly, fewer reindeer could actually make climate change worse. Researchers from Finland and Alaska
found that, in far northern forests, soils release more carbon dioxide rather than storing it. But reindeer can counteract
that effect. If reindeer are grazing (放牧) under the trees, the soil still traps carbon — even when there is no snow.
However, in warmer tropical seas, another “Christmas” creature presents a different story. Christmas tree
worms are colorful marine worms found in tropical coral reefs, known for their distinctive shape that resembles a
Christmas tree. They may serve as guardians to help protect coral reefs by attaching to corals and staying immobile
for the rest of their lives. The adult worms circulate water around the coral, which helps the coral eat. And baby coral
polyps (珊瑚虫) find shelter under the Christmas tree’s branches, where they can hide from predators like the sea
star. Because of this, scientists think we might be able to use Christmas tree worms as a way of learning about the
health of coral.
A 2022 study by students at the University of California Berkeley found a correlation between healthy coral
and higher numbers of Christmas tree worms. It’s possible that, in the future, these worms could become an early
warning signal — showing scientists where corals are under stress from warming seas.
From Santa’s reindeer to the festive sea worms, our changing world is changing life for creatures great and
small. While some of these animals are struggling, a few may be key to helping us adapt to the future.
1．What might happen if the reindeer population grew?
A．Soil would release more nutrients.
B．Other grass-eaters would decline rapidly.
C．Carbon storage in soil might improve.
D．Snow cover would increase significantly.
2．What does the underlined word “counteract” in paragraph 3 probably mean?
A．Find out.
B．Adjust to.
C．Lead to.
D．Cancel out.
3．How do the Christmas tree worms help baby coral polyps?
A．By offering shelter.
B．By providing food.
C．By monitoring their health.
D．By driving away sea stars.
4．What is probably the best title of this passage?
A．Reindeer’s Struggle: A Christmas Tale
B．Tiny Worms: Big Help for Corals
C．Climate Victims: From Reindeer to Corals
D．Loss and Hope: Animals in Climate Dilemma
Passage 7
（2026·四川广安·二模）Countless thousands of city dwellers in Britain and elsewhere have, in the past two
years, become acutely aware of the green spaces in their midst. Indeed, many people only discovered them during
lockdowns, when escaping to the great outdoors was a vital factor in maintaining physical and mental wellbeing.
Many south Londoners who have found solace in nature owe thanks to campaigners who, over the past 40
years and more, have put pressure on local and national bodies to protect precious green space. Although it is hard to
envisage today, until the end of the 18th century extensive oak woodlands stretched for some seven miles across what
is now suburban south London. What remains of them is the nearest ancient woodland to central London.
Ancient woodland, as defined by the government agency Natural England, is land on which the tree cover
has been in continuous existence since 1600; before that date, plantation was rare, so woods that existed in 1600 are
considered to have developed naturally. According to the Woodland Trust, ancient woodland covers just 2.5 per cent
of the land area of England and Wales.
The Ancient Woodland Inventory, set up by the Nature Conservancy Council in 1981 and maintained by
Natural England, says some 7 per cent of ancient woodland that was present in 1930 has been grubbed up for farming
or other uses, and 38 per cent has been replaced with plantations, often of single-species conifers that offer little
diversity of habitat.
The reasons the old North Wood survived for so long when surrounding areas were converted to farmland
was that the steep terrain was unsuitable for arable or pasture, and because it lay on the sparsely populated margins
of several parishes. It was also a valuable economic resource: for at least a millennium, the wood was intensely
cultivated to provide timber, for furniture, tools and shipbuilding and charcoal for London’s blacksmiths, bakeries
and brick and tilekilns.
1．Why did campaigners put pressure on local and national bodies according to the second paragraph?
A．To demand more gyms for public exercise.
B．To protect existing green spaces from destruction.
C．To request open spaces for planting new vegetation.
D．To promote the development of suburban housing.
2．What does the underlined phrase “grubbed up” in Paragraph 4 most likely mean?
A．Use up natural resources.
B．Dig out and remove completely.
C．Take up quickly for development.
D．Preserve carefully for the future.
3．What can be inferred from the passage?
A．British people have long been aware of the importance of green space protection.
B．The ancient woodland nearest to central London is entirely made up of conifers.
C．The replacement of ancient woodland with single-species plantations has harmed habitat diversity.
D．Only 7% of ancient woodland present in 1930 remains today.
4．Why did the old North Wood survive for so long according to the passage?
A．Its steep land was unsuitable for farming or animal grazing.
B．It was located in a densely populated and well-protected area.
C．The government had listed it as a protected area very early.
D．Local residents jointly prevented any external development.
