2024高三英语二轮复习科普文阅读理解专项训练

2024高三二轮——阅读理解（科普文） 第1篇 （2024福建漳州市二模C）“The opposite of play isn’t work; it’s depression,” says play researcher Stuart Brown. “The adult-play shortage is becoming a public health crisis.” Play may appear insignificant, but recent studies indicate it may be as essential as the need for sleep. Playfulness helps some young animals learn to master their bodies and their environments — and once they do, most stop playing as adults. “Adult play promotes qualities that we humans could use more of,” says Jeff Harry, a play consultant. Unfortunately, social standards restrain (抑制) our urge to let loose. “Being a playful adult is really disapproved in our society,” he says. “You don’t want people to think that you’re childish.” “It hasn’t always been this way,” says Peter Gray, a play researcher at Boston University. When Gray reviewed descriptions of the last remaining hunter-gatherer tribes, he noticed that they were often described as “good-humored” and “joyful”. “What we would call work — hunting and gathering — was fun,” he says. “Generally speaking, we like to do the things that are necessary for our survival. Humans took one giant step away from fun when we started planting crops. Then we invented factories and lost sight of play entirely,” Gray adds. We may be able to reverse this situation, says Harry. As we fully make the transition to a knowledge-based economy, work and play are beginning to merge (合并) again. Some of today’s most successful companies, such as Google and Apple, were started by people tinkering (小修补) in their garages. “Play is all about looking at a tough world with creativity and optimism,” Brown says. He goes so far as to declare that “adult play is necessary for our survival as a species”. The next time I’m caught playing, I know exactly what I’ll say, “I am not wasting time, or acting immature. I’m playing for the benefit of all humanity. You’re welcome.” 1. Why does Stuart Brown consider adult play essential? A. It promotes creativity. B. It