第08讲 阅读理解提升讲解-【暑假自学课】2024年新高三英语暑假提升精品讲义（译林版2020）

第08讲 阅读理解提升讲解 模块一 思维导图串知识 模块二 基础知识全梳理 模块三 教材习题学解题 模块四 核心考点精准练 模块五 小试牛刀过关测 1.掌握阅读理解这个题型的做题步骤和技巧。 2.学会分析阅读理解的主旨题、细节题、推断题和猜词题。 3.运用做阅读理解的技巧去了解说明文、记叙文、议论文和应用文的考察方向。 （一）阅读理解的四大考察方向： （1）细节理解题（直接细节、间接细节、多段细节） （2）推理判断题（细节推断、写作意图推断、读者对象推断、文章出处推断、观点态度推断、预测下文内容等） （3）词义猜测题（猜测单词、短语和划线的句子代表的含义） （4）主旨大意题（文章整体的主旨、某一个段落的主旨、给文章起一个合适的标题） （二）各种题型的做题技巧： （1）细节理解题 先看题目，了解清楚题意让我们干什么，带着关键词去原文中进行定位，定位时先确定那些带有大写的人名、地名、时间、年代、数字等信息的选项在文章中的位置，然后与选项进行匹配看看是否存在同义句替换的情况。 （2）推理判断题 推断题种类比较多，我们一般是先看选项中是否存在那种太绝对化的词汇，比如说“only/all/must/never”等，这种选项一般可以作为排除项看待，而正确答案一般是表达的意思不是那么绝对，语气上会留下一点余地的选项，比如说“may/might/can/could/probably/possible/something/sometimes”等。 推断作者或者某位专家的观点态度需要我们平时去掌握一些关于支持、喜欢、反对、中立、客观、主观、怀疑等英文词汇。 （3）词义猜测题 一般阅读理解中出现的基本是没有学过的词汇，或者是学过的词汇比较偏的含义，这个时候需要我们在划线单词或者短语附近去寻找有没有解释性的句子或者特殊的标点符号（逗号、冒号、破折号、双引号），这种有可能是对划线单词或者短语含义的间接性解释。 如果猜测是是划线的句子含义，则需要回到原文对所划线的句子进行朗读和上下文的理解，看看选项中是否有出现这个句子的同义句。 （4）主旨大意题 先分析一下文章属于哪种文体，如果是说明文或者新闻报道、议论文这种，一般首段会出现文章的主旨，如果是记叙文或者议论文这种，一般末段会出现主旨。无论是哪种文体，要抓住文章中出现频率比较高的主题词，从而确定文章的主旨大意。 如果是选择最佳标题，则需要简短精悍一点，对读者更有吸引力的那种选项。 教材习题01 A篇最后一段： We offer a competitive salary and benefits package, including health insurance, paid time off, flexible work hours, and opportunities for professional development. We encourage all qualified individuals to apply, regardless of their race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or disability status. 3. What are the benefits offered by ABC Enterprises for employees? A. Health care. B. Retirement plan. C. paid vacation days. D. Paid gym membership. 解题方法 细节理解题。根据最后一段的“We offer a competitive salary and benefits package, including health insurance, paid time off, flexible work hours, and opportunities for professional development. (我们提供有竞争力的薪酬和福利，包括健康保险、带薪休假、灵活的工作时间和职业发展机会)”可知，ABC Enterprises为员工提供有竞争力的薪酬和福利，包括健康保险、带薪休假、灵活的工作时间和职业发展机会。故选C。 【答案】C 教材习题02 B篇第三段和第四段： After consulting decades of astronomical records，she used a lamp, a mirror and a round table to respectively symbolize the Sun, the Moon and the Earth. Many Chinese scholars rejected the idea for it had come from the West, to which Wang simply responded, “What counts is the usefulness, no matter whether it is Chinese or Western.” 5. Which of the following best describe Wang’s personalities? A. She was dependent and curious. B. She was intelligent and open-minded. C. She was determined and narrow-minded. D. She was hard-working and emotional. 解题方法 推理判断题。根据第三段中“After consulting decades of astronomical records, she used a lamp, a mirror and a round table to respectively symbolize the Sun, the Moon and the Earth. By moving the objects around, she was able to show that a lunar eclipse happened when the Moon passed directly behind the Earth and moved into its shadow.”可推知，王贞仪很聪明，根据第四段中“Many Chinese scholars rejected the idea for it had come from the West, to which Wang simply responded, “What counts is the usefulness, no matter whether it is Chinese or Western.””可推知，王贞仪思想开放，故选B。 【答案】B 考点一 应用文 A Looking for a big-leafed houseplant that will make a statement in your room and decorate yourhome? If so, then you’ve come to the right place! Peace Lily Extremely easy to look after this popular, flowering plant is very tolerant and undemanding. It is a beloved houseplant for its large, glossy oval leaves and unusual white spoon-shaped flowers. Typically blooming in the spring, this lovely plant can effectively brighten up a living space. African Mask Plant This indoor plant is a smaller plant with large dark green leaves that are shaped like a heart. Native to tropical (热带的) parts of Africa, it prefers high heat and high humidity. That can be somewhat a tricky task for the average plant owner to achieve in their home, who is likely to have trouble duplicating (复制) these steamy conditions. Snake plant Commonly referred to as mother-in-law’s tongue, it is one of the easiest houseplants to take care of. With tall, twisting sword-shaped leaves that grow upright, it has air-purifying capabilities and can merrily grow in almost dark corners of the house. But the plant is poisonous to dogs and cats, so it’s wise to keep this plant away from them, if your pets are plant chewers. Kentia Palm Caring for the Kentia Palm plant is very straightforward, which can be neglected for weeks at a time. Quite enjoying a bit of shade, it has big leaves that grow from a narrow base and is great for filling a corner without taking up much floor-space. Place it in front of a blank wall, and its archingfronds (大型复叶) will cast beautiful shadows. 1. Which of the following requires an experienced plant owner? A. Peace Lily. B. African Mask Plant. C. Snake plant. D. Kentia Palm. 2. What do we know about the Snake Plant? A. It poses little danger to dogs and cats. B. It is better for purifying air than others. C. It gets its name from a poisonous snake. D. It grows well in shady areas of the house. 3. What feature do the listed household plants share? A. Distinctive leaves. B. Flowering season. C. Growth temperature. D. Striking size. 【答案】1. B 2. D 3. A 【解析】这是一篇应用文。文章主要介绍了几种大叶子的室内植物。 【1题详解】 推理判断题。根据African Mask Plant部分中的“That can be somewhat a tricky task for the average plant owner to achieve in their home, who is likely to have trouble duplicating (复制) these steamy conditions.(这对于一般的植物主人来说是一个棘手的任务，因为它们可能很难复制这些潮湿的环境)”可推知，African Mask Plant需要有经验的主人，故选B。 【2题详解】 细节理解题。根据Snake plant部分中的“With tall, twisting sword-shaped leaves that grow upright, it has air-purifying capabilities and can merrily grow in almost dark corners of the house. (高大的，曲的剑形叶子直立生长，它有空气净化能力，并愉快地生长在房子的几乎黑暗的角落)”可知，Snake Plant在房子的阴凉处生长得很好。故选D。 【3题详解】 细节理解题。根据第一段中“Looking for a big-leafed houseplant that will make a statement in your room and decorate yourhome? (寻找一种大叶子的室内植物，可以在你的房间里发表声明，装饰你的家？)”，Peace Lily部分中的“glossy oval leaves(大而光滑的椭圆形叶子)”，African Mask Plant部分中的“This indoor plant is a smaller plant with large dark green leaves that are shaped like a heart.(这种室内植物是一种较小的植物，大叶子呈心形，呈深绿色)”，Snake plant部分中的“With tall, twisting sword-shaped leaves(长着高大弯曲的剑形叶子)”和Kentia Palm部分中的“it has big leaves...its archingfronds (大型复叶) will cast beautiful shadows.(它有大叶子……它拱形的叶子会投下美丽的影子)”可知，这几种植物的共同点是都是大叶子植物，即有独特的叶子，故选A。 A From painted coffins, statues and models of daily life, to spectacular wall paintings from the tomb-chapel (小教堂) of the high official Nebamun, investigate what tombs and burial goods tell us about the lives of ancient Egyptian people. The tour will explore the preparation of the dead for burial, including mummification (木乃伊化) and the use of magic to help and protect people on their journey to the afterlife. It offers a rare opportunity to enjoy a guided tour in this space. Galleries on this tour: Room 61: Egyptian life and death: the tomb-chapel of Nebamun (The Michael Cohen Gallery) Room 62- 63: Egyptian death and afterlife: mummies (The Roxie Walker Galleries) Room 64: Early Egypt Booking information The tour will begin at 9: 00 and will last for 60 minutes. Please meet at the main entrance on Great Russell Street (WC1B 3DG) at 8: 50 with your email confirmation. This tour is limited to a maximum of 14 places per session. If you would like to bring a group of 10or more people or arrange a special out-of-hours tour, please email traveltradebookings@britishmuseum.org to discuss your options. To ensure a safe and enjoyable visit, face coverings are recommended for the protection of yourself and others. Please be considerate of people and exercise social distancing where you can. 5 Nov 2022-18 Dec 2022 £33 £30 (Members) £30 (special rates for students, jobseekers, disabled visitors) £16. 50 (Ages 5- 15 years) Free for under 5s and disabled visitors’ assistant (no booking required) 1. How much does it cost for a couple with a four-year-old who are not members? A. ￡60. B. 66. C. 82. 5. D. 96. 2. What can visitors do on this tour? A. Uncover secret spells of magic. B. Inspect tombs and burial goods. C. Appreciate wall paintings of daily life. D. Learn about ancient Egyptian practices. 3. If you plan to travel with a group of 30 tourists, what should you do? A. Arrive before 8: 50 am. B. Wear face coverings. C. Meet at the main entrance. D. Inquire about your choices. 【答案】1. B 2. D 3. D 【解析】本文是一篇应用文，主要介绍了关于古埃及人生活的游览观光，包括本次游览要参观的地方、相应的展示内容以及订购信息。 【1题详解】 细节理解题。根据Booking information中“£33”和“Free for under 5s and disabled visitors’ assistant(5岁以下免费，残疾游客助理免费)”可知，如果一对夫妇有一个四岁的孩子，但他们不是会员，要花的钱是£33*2=£66，故选B。 【2题详解】 细节理解题。根据第一段“The tour will explore the preparation of the dead for burial, including mummification (木乃伊化) and the use of magic to help and protect people on their journey to the afterlife.(这趟旅程将探索为死者下葬做准备的过程，包括木乃伊化和使用魔法来帮助和保护人们在通往来世的旅途中。)”可知，这次游览会了解古埃及的习俗。故选D。 【3题详解】 细节理解题。根据Booking information部分的“If you would like to bring a group of 10or more people or arrange a special out-of-hours tour, please email traveltradebookings@britishmuseum.org to discuss your options.(如果您想带一个10人以上的团队，或者安排一个特别的非工作时间参观，请发邮件给traveltradebookings@britishmuseum.org讨论你的选择。)”可知，如果游客团大于10人，需要发邮件询问自己的选择。故选D。 考点二 记叙文 Five-year-old Willard struggled to tell the difference between an M and a W or a 6 and a 9. Unfortunately, his school teacher knew nothing about dyslexia(阅读障碍). She didn’t try to help him. Not surprisingly, Willard didn’t like school. Usually, his mind drifted-to playing outside, to his dog Maxie, or to the ants that lived near his family’s garden shed. Willard was especially curious about those ants. He felt like them-small and insignificant. Thus, one day, noticing that some ants were trying to build a house, he decided to help them and constructed a little building. Then he put sugar inside to encourage the ants to move in. When they did, Willard built more houses. He even built an ant school, with tiny swings, ladders and a merry-go-round. With the passage of time, a love for little things began to grow in his heart. At school, Willard still struggled, but now he knew he could do something special. Maybe he wasn’t a failure after all. When he quit school at age 15 and decided to pursue his dream of becoming one of the best artists in the world, his mother advised him, “The smaller you carve, the bigger your name will become.” So using a powerful microscope, he began to carve grains of sand, bits of fiber, and even specks(小颗粒)of dust. Willard works best at night when there are few disturbances. He calms his body and, holding his breath, he carves between heart beats when blood is not pulsing through his fingertips. He often works for months to complete a sculpture. Then he paints it with bits of acrylics(丙烯画). Willard’s favorite paintbrush is one hair from the back of a dead housefly! His sculptures have made Willard a wealthy man. But he says,“Success isn’t about material things like an expensive watch or a costly ring; it’s about persevering and achieving your dreams.” 4. Why does the author mention Willard’s struggles early on in school? A. To express sympathy for Willard’s misfortune. B. To show the teacher’s ignorance about dyslexia. C. To state why Willard developed interest in little things. D. To describe how Willard felt about insignificant things. 5. What can we infer from his mother’s advice in paragraph 3? A. Best artists center on small carvings. B. It calls for patience to become famous. C. Carving small is a strategy for success. D. Achieving big names makes a difference. 6. How have the tiny sculptures affected Willard? A. He has become a millionaire. B. He has learnt to usemicroscopes well. C. He has recovered from dyslexia. D. He has gained a sense of achievement. 7. What mainly contributes to Willard’s success? A. Enough time and others’ recognition. B. Material pursuit and great enthusiasm. C. Specific goals and great concentration. D. Powerful instruments and proper instructions. 【答案】4. C 5. C 6. D 7. C 【解析】这是一篇记叙文。文章主要讲述了Willard从小患有阅读障碍，上课的时候，思绪经常飘到外面，但是他对小东西很感兴趣，经常雕刻小件东西。他在15岁时辍学，决定追求他的梦想，成为世界上最好的艺术家之一。 【4题详解】 推理判断题。根据第一段中“Five-year-old Willard struggled to tell the difference between an M and a W or a 6 and a 9. Unfortunately, his school teacher knew nothing about dyslexia(阅读障碍). She didn’t try to help him. Not surprisingly, Willard didn’t like school. Usually, his mind drifted-to playing outside, to his dog Maxie, or to the ants that lived near his family’s garden shed.( 五岁的Willard很难分辨出M 和W或6和9之间的区别。不幸的是，他的学校老师对阅读障碍一无所知。她没有试图帮助他。毫不奇怪，威拉德不喜欢学校。通常情况下，他的思绪会飘到外面去玩，去看他的狗马克斯，或者去看住在他家花园小屋附近的蚂蚁。)”可知，Willard学习有困难，他不喜欢学习，思绪总是会飘到外面去玩，由此可推知，作者提到Willard早期在学校有学习困难为了说明为什么Willard会对小东西产生兴趣。故选C。 【5题详解】 推理判断题。根据第三段中“When he quit school at age 15 and decided to pursue his dream of becoming one of the best artists in the world, his mother advised him, “The smaller you carve, the bigger your name will become.”(当他15岁辍学并决定追求成为世界上最好的艺术家之一的梦想时，他的母亲建议他:“你雕刻得越小（越精细），你的名声就会越大。”)”可推知，Willard的母亲认为雕刻细小的东西是一种成功的策略。故选C。 【6题详解】 细节理解题。根据第二段“At school, Willard still struggled, but now he knew he could do something special. Maybe he wasn’t a failure after all.(在学校里，Willard仍然很挣扎，但是现在他知道他可以做一些特别的事情。也许他根本不是个失败者。)”可知，这些小雕塑使得Willard获得了成就感，故选D。 【7题详解】 推理判断题。根据第二段中“At school, Willard still struggled, but now he knew he could do something special.(在学校里，Willard仍然很挣扎，但是现在他知道他可以做一些特别的事情。)”和第三段中“When he quit school at age 15 and decided to pursue his dream of becoming one of the best artists in the world(当他辍学时15岁，他决定追求他的梦想，成为世界上最好的艺术家之一)”可知，Willard目标明确，知道自己想做什么，根据倒数第二段中“Willard works best at night when there are few disturbances. He calms his body and, holding his breath, he carves between heart beats when blood is not pulsing through his fingertips. He often works for months to complete a sculpture. (Willard在夜间干扰少的时候工作得最好。他让身体平静下来，屏住呼吸，工作的时候仿佛指尖的血液都停止了流动，只能听见自己的心跳。他经常工作几个月来完成一个雕塑。)”可知，他注意力很集中，由此可推知，明确的目标和高度的专注是Willard成功的主要因素，故选C。 When Schauna Austin was 20 years old, she lost her husband to a car crash. Unable to raise a baby alone, she made a difficult decision during pregnancy — to place her baby for adoption. She gave birth to a child she named Riley, and held him for 72 hours straight. “It was perfect,” Austin said about holding her new baby. “I knew I would have him for a short time, so I made every minute count of it. I didn’t sleep for three days, until the time came to let him go.” Her Riley became another family’s Steven. Like most closed adoptions, a firewall went up between Austin and Steven’s new parents — no communication whatsoever. But that only lasted about a week. Adoptive mother Jennifer Schoebinger and her husband, Chris Schoebinger, said they had no interest in excluding the birthmother. “You know, you can’t have too many people loving you, right? Why couldn’t he be both of ours?” Chris Schoebinger said. So, year after year, they sent Austin piles of pictures and bound books detailing Steven’s every major and minor milestone. The Schoebingers said they did this so that when Austin and their son were ready, they could pick up right where they left off. The two reunited when Steven was 7 years old. Austin taught him how to fish, and they have kept in contact ever since. Austin felt blessed beyond words, and Steven felt he got the best of both worlds. Steven is now 26, married, and with a baby boy of his own. Much to the delight of Austin, he named the child Riley. “I think the lesson we learned is that sometimes we create barriers where barriers don’t need to be. And when we pull down those barriers, we really find love on the other side,” Chris Schlesinger said. That love on the other side has continued to grow. The families spend Thanksgiving as one and will of course be getting together again in the days ahead. 4. What does the underlined sentence in the second paragraph mean? A. The less people love you, the better. B. Being loved by many people is desirable. C. There are too many people who care about you. D. It’s a burden to be cared about by too many people. 5. What was Austin’s attitude towards reuniting with her son? A. Grateful. B. Tolerant. C. Uneasy. D. Angry. 6. What can we learn about the Schoebingers from the passage? A. They did not give birth to any children. B. They contacted Austin as soon as they took Steven in. C. They believed it better to get the biological mother involved. D. They felt blessed beyond words when Austin taught Steven how to fish. 7. What does the author want to convey most through the passage? A. Biological parents are crucial to a child’s growth. B. People create barriers where barriers don’t need to be. C. Love is found when we pull down unnecessary barriers. D. Adoptive parents and biological parents should raise children together. 【答案】4. B 5. A 6. C 7. C 【解析】这是一篇记叙文。文章主要讲述了Schoebinger夫妇收养了一个孩子，他们没有排斥孩子的生母，让她也参与到孩子的成长中，让孩子获得了更多的爱。 【4题详解】 词句猜测题。根据画线句子上文“Adoptive mother Jennifer Schoebinger and her husband, Chris Schoebinger, said they had no interest in excluding the birthmother.(养母Jennifer Schoebinger和她的丈夫Chris Schoebinger表示，他们没有兴趣排除这位生母)”可知，夫妻二人希望孩子也能感受到生母的爱。由此可知，他们希望更多人给予这个孩子爱，因为受到许多人的喜爱是令人向往的，由此可知，第二段中带下划线的句子想要表达的是“受到许多人的喜爱是令人向往的”。故选B项。 【5题详解】 推理判断题。根据第三段关键句“Austin taught him how to fish, and they have kept in contact ever since. Austin felt blessed beyond words, and Steven felt he got the best of both worlds.(奥斯汀教他如何钓鱼，从那以后他们一直保持联系。奥斯汀感到无法用语言形容的幸福，史蒂文觉得他两全其美)”可知，能够与儿子团聚，奥斯汀感到无法用语言形容的幸福，她很感激Schoebinger夫妇。由此推知，奥斯汀对与儿子团聚是感激的。故选A项。 【6题详解】 推理判断题。根据第二段关键句“Adoptive mother Jennifer Schoebinger and her husband, Chris Schoebinger, said they had no interest in excluding the birthmother.(养母Jennifer Schoebinger和她的丈夫Chris Schoebinger表示，他们没有兴趣排除这位生母)”和第三段关键句“So, year after year, they sent Austin piles of pictures and bound books detailing Steven’s every major and minor milestone.(因此，年复一年，他们给奥斯汀寄来了成堆的图片和装订好的书，详细描述了史蒂文的每一个重大和次要的里程碑)”可知，Schoebinger夫妇想让奥斯汀参与到孩子的成长中，让孩子感受到生母的爱。由此推知，Schoebinger夫妇认为最好让孩子的生母参与到孩子的成长中。故选C项。 【7题详解】 推理判断题。根据倒数第二段关键句““I think the lesson we learned is that sometimes we create barriers where barriers don’t need to be. And when we pull down those barriers, we really find love on the other side,” Chris Schlesinger said.(“我认为我们学到的教训是，有时我们会在不需要设置障碍的地方设置障碍。当我们推倒这些障碍时，我们真的会在另一边找到爱，”Chris Schlesinger说)”可知，作者通过文章内容想要告诉我们，当我们推倒生活中不必要的障碍时，会在另一边找到爱。由此推知，作者想通过文章告诉我们——当我们推倒不必要的障碍时，爱就会被找到。故选C项。 考点三 议论文 If history is “a race between education and catastrophe”, education seemed until recently to be winning. In 1950 only about half of adults globally had any schooling; now at least 85% do. Between 2000 and 2018, the proportion (比例) of school-age children who were not enrolled (使加入) in classes fell from 26% to 17%. But the rapid rise in attendance masked an ugly truth: many pupils were spending years behind desks but learning almost nothing. In 2019 the World Bank started keeping count of the number of children who still cannot read by the time they finish primary school. It found that less than half of ten-year-olds in developing countries could read and understand a simple story. Then the pandemic struck and millions of pupils were locked out of school. It should be noted that globally, the harm that school closures have done to children has vastly outweighed any benefits they may have had for public health. The World Bank says the share of ten-year-olds in middle-and low-income countries who cannot read and understand a simple story has risen from 57% in 2019 to roughly 70%. If they lack such elementary skills, they will struggle to earn a good living. This should be seen for what it is: a global emergency. Nearly every problem that confronts humanity can be alleviated by good schooling. Better-educated people are more likely to work out a cleaner energy source, a cure for malaria or a smarter town plan. If the damage the pandemic has done to education is not reversed (逆转), all these goals will be harder to reach. Politicians talk endlessly about the importance of schooling, but words are cheap and a fit-for-purpose education system is not. Spending has risen modestly in recent decades but fell in many countries during the pandemic. Apart from the money, the education system itself is in urgent need of change: Testing is a mess, leading governments to overestimate levels of literacy. New teachers have been hired but not trained properly. Teachers, who have come through the same education systems they are supposed to be improving, often struggle to teach. The same energy that was once poured into building schools and filling up classrooms should now be used to improve the lessons that take place within them. No more children should stumble (蹒跚而行) through their school days without learning to read or add up. 12. What did the World Bank find out about pupils in 2019? A. They could hardly concentrate in class. B. Many of them had to drop out of school. C. They had difficulty finishing primary school. D. Many of them failed to acquire necessary knowledge. 13. What does the author say about school closures? A. They could well protect children’s health. B. They made matters worse for children. C. They produced unexpected benefits for public health. D. They made it hard for teachers to make a good living. 14. What does the underlined word “alleviated” in Paragraph 3 probably mean? A. reduced B. caused C. described D. strengthened 15. What change needs to be made to the current education system? A. Primary schools should only hire experienced teachers. B. Teachers should be motivated to cooperate with each other. C. A reliable system should be created to test pupils’ knowledge and ability. D. Primary schools should spend more on improving facilities. 【答案】12. D 13. B 14. A 15. C 【解析】本文是一篇议论文，文章主要阐述了新冠疫情对教育的影响，以及针对目前现状应该采取的措施。世界银行的统计结果表明欠发达国家孩童的知识水平较低，没有掌握必要的知识技能，而疫情导致学校关闭加重了这种糟糕的情况。作者认为应该改良教育体系，培训教师，提升教学让更多孩童掌握知识和能力。 【12题详解】 细节理解题。根据第一段最后两句“In 2019 the World Bank started keeping count of the number of children who still cannot read by the time they finish primary school. It found that less than half of ten-year-olds in developing countries could read and understand a simple story.(2019年，世界银行开始统计小学毕业时仍不能阅读的儿童人数。研究发现，发展中国家只有不到一半的10岁儿童能够阅读和理解一个简单的故事。)”可知，世界银行的统计发现发展中国家超过一半的十岁儿童还不能阅读和理解一个简单的故事，即许多学生未能获得必要的知识，缺乏基本的知识能力。故选D。 【13题详解】 推理判断题。根据第二段“Then the pandemic struck and millions of pupils were locked out of school. It should be noted that globally, the harm that school closures have done to children has vastly outweighed any benefits they may have had for public health.(随后新冠疫情爆发，数百万学生被学校拒之门外。应该指出的是，在全球范围内，学校关闭对儿童造成的伤害远远超过了他们对公共健康可能带来的任何好处。) ”以及第一段世界银行的统计结果可知，作者认为疫情导致学校关闭让孩子们的处境变得更糟。故选B。 【14题详解】 词义猜测题。根据第三段中划线词所在句子后面的内容“Better-educated people are more likely to work out a cleaner energy source, a cure for malaria or a smarter town plan. If the damage the pandemic has done to education is not reversed (逆转), all these goals will be harder to reach.(受教育程度较高的人更有可能开发出更清洁的能源、治疗疟疾的方法或更明智的城镇规划。如果大流行对教育造成的损害得不到扭转，所有这些目标都将更难实现。)”可知，受教育程度较高的人更有可能找到解决问题的办法。由此可知，划线词所在句“Nearly every problem that confronts humanity can be alleviated by good schooling.(人类面临的几乎所有问题都可以通过良好的学校教育得到alleviated。)”表达的意思为良好的教育能够缓解人类遇到的几乎所有问题，划线词alleviated与reduce意思相近。故选A。 【15题详解】 细节理解题。根据第四段“Apart from the money, the education system itself is in urgent need of change: Testing is a mess, leading governments to overestimate levels of literacy. New teachers have been hired but not trained properly. Teachers, who have come through the same education systems they are supposed to be improving, often struggle to teach. (除了钱，教育系统本身也迫切需要改变：考试是一团糟，导致政府高估识字水平。雇用了新教师，但没有得到适当的培训。教师来自他们应该改进的相同教育体系，但往往难以教学。)”可知，应该建立一个可靠的系统来测试学生的知识和能力。故选C。 Discoveries in science and technology are thought by “untaught minds” to come in blinding flashes or as the result of dramatic accidents. Sir Alexander Fleming did not, as legend would have it, look at the mold (霉) on a piece of cheese and get the idea for penicillin there and then. He experimented with antibacterial substances for nine years before he made his discovery. Inventions and innovations almost always come out of tough trial and error. Innovation is like soccer; even the best players miss the goal and have their shots blocked much more frequently than they score. The point is that the players who score most are the ones who take most shots at the goal—and so it goes with innovation in any field of activity. The prime difference between innovation and others is one of approach. Everybody gets ideas, but innovators work consciously on theirs, and they follow them through until they prove practicable or otherwise. What ordinary people see as fanciful abstractions, professional innovators see as solid possibilities. “Creative thinking may mean simply the realization that there’s no particular goodness in doing things the way they have always been done.” Wrote Rudolph Flesch, a language authority. This accounts for our reaction to seemingly simple innovations like plastic garbage bags and suitcases on wheels that make life more convenient: “How come nobody thought of that before?” The creative approach begins with the proposal that nothing be as it appears. Innovators will not accept that there is only one way to do anything. Faced with getting from A to B, the average person will automatically set out on the best-known and apparently simplest route. The innovator will search for alternate courses, which may prove easier in the long run and are sure to be more interesting and challenging even if they lead to dead ends. Highly creative individuals really do march to a different drummer. 12. “Untaught mind” in the first paragraph refers to __________. A. an individual who often comes up with new ideas by accident B. a person who has had no education C. a citizen of a society that restricts personal creativity D. a person ignorant of the hard work involved in experimentation 13. According to the author, what differs innovators from non-innovators? A. The way they present their findings. B. The intelligence they possess. C. The way they deal with problems. D. The variety of ideas they have. 14. The phrase “march to a different drummer” (the last line of the passage) suggests that highly creative individuals are ________. A. devoted to the progress of science B. diligent in pursuing their goals C. concerned about the advance of society D. unwilling to follow common ways of doing things 15. The most suitable title for this passage might be ________. A. What Are So Special about Creative Individuals B. The Relation Between Creation and Diligence C. Discoveries and Innovation D. To Be a Creative Expert in the Study of Human Creativity 【答案】12. D 13. C 14. D 15. B 【解析】本文是一篇议论文。主要论证了科学和技术上的发现是来自创新者的努力和坚持的观点。 【12题详解】 词义猜测题。根据首段前四句“Discoveries in science and technology are thought by “untaught minds” to come in blinding flashes or as the result of dramatic accidents. Sir Alexander Fleming did not, as legend would have it, look at the mold (霉) on a piece of cheese and get the idea for penicillin there and then. He experimented with antibacterial substances for nine years before he made his discovery. Inventions and innovations almost always come out of tough trial and error. (科学和技术上的发现往往来自于“ ”的耀眼的闪光或戏剧性事故的结果。亚历山大·弗莱明爵士并没有像传说中那样，看到一块奶酪上的霉菌就立刻想到了青霉素。他对抗菌物质进行了9年的实验才有了这一发现。发明和创新几乎总是来自艰难的试验和错误。)”可知，通过亚历山大·弗莱明发现青霉素的例子可以看出，发明和创新几乎总是来自艰难的试验和错误。所以，科学和技术上的发现往往来自于在实验中不计艰苦的人，所以划线短语“untaught minds”指的是不计艰苦实验的人。故选D。 【13题详解】 推理判断题。根据第二段最后三句“The prime difference between innovation and others is one of approach. Everybody gets ideas, but innovators work consciously on theirs, and they follow them through until they prove practicable or otherwise. What ordinary people see as fanciful abstractions, professional innovators see as solid possibilities. (创新的不同之处主要在于方法。每个人都有想法，但创新者会有意识地在他们的想法上工作，他们会坚持到底，直到证明这些想法是可行的或不可行的。普通人认为是异想天开的抽象概念，专业创新者却认为是实实在在的可能性。)”可知，每个人都有想法，但是创新者会坚持想法，直到证明这些想法是可行的或不可行的，而普通人认为是异想天开的抽象概念。所以创新者和非创新者的区别是，他们对待想法，对待问题的方式不同。故选C。 【14题详解】 词义猜测题。根据末段最后三句“Faced with getting from A to B, the average person will automatically set out on the best-known and apparently simplest route. The innovator will search for alternate courses, which may prove easier in the long run and are sure to be more interesting and challenging even if they lead to dead ends. Highly creative individuals really do march to a different drummer. (面对从A地到B地，一般人会自动选择最知名、最简单的路线。创新者会寻找替代路线，从长远来看，这些路线可能会更容易，而且肯定会更有趣，更有挑战性，即使它们会进入死胡同。极具创造力的人确实会 。)”可知，创新者会选择与众不同的挑战，不会随大流。故选D。 【15题详解】 标题判断题。通读全文，尤其是首段第四句“Inventions and innovations almost always come out of tough trial and error. (发明和创新几乎总是来自艰难的试验和错误。)”以及末段第二句“Innovators will not accept that there is only one way to do anything. (创新者不会接受只有一种方法可以做任何事情。)”可知，本文主要讲述了创新是通过反复试错得来的，也就是创新和勤奋的关系，所以用B项“The Relation Between Creation and Diligence”作为本文的题目，与主题相符合。故选B。 考点四 说明文 In Japan’s northeast Miyagi county, residents can find life partners via a government-sponsored, Artificial Intelligence-driven matchmaking service. Throughout the land, there are public and company-sponsored singles parties and “life design workshops” meant to urge young adults to make a concrete timeline for marriage and family. The city of Tokyo even teaches basic dating skills, such as the art of conversation. Japan has the fastest-aging population of any post-industrial nation on earth. The current total birth rate -- the average number of children that would be born to a woman over her lifetime -- is1.3, well below the “replacement level” of 2.1 kids per woman, which is broadly accepted as the rate needed to ensure a stable population. A periodic survey by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research found close to a fifth of men and about 15% of women expressing disinterest in marriage. Almost a third of men and a fifth of women in their fifties in Japan have never been married. The country’s leadership is convinced that more marriages are the answer, so Japan’s new Children and Families Agency set to launch in April, will offer “marriage support service” in each of Japan’s 47 counties. But many experts say the only way Japan can really save itself is by getting rid of the “male breadwinner, female carer” norms (准则) that continue to support policymaking and corporate management. “Post-industrial countries(like Sweden) that made it possible to balance work and family have not suffered large declines in birth rates,” Harvard sociologist Mary Brinton noted in arecent presentation. Professor Masahiro Yamada, a sociologist at Chuo University, is doubtful whether Japan will escape its existential crisis. “It’s not a problem of matchmaking. It’s an issue of more men with unstable incomes,” he said. “Even among regular workers, relative incomes are falling.” Lower incomes are far more of a discouragement to marriage in East Asia than in the U.S. or Europe, Yamada says, as Asian men put more emphasis on unilaterally(单方面)earning enough to support children. A truly effective policy, he argues, would double or triple investment in families instead of seniors. “Japan is going to sink, right along with its birth rate,” he warned. “And South Korea and China will be right behind us.” 8. What’s the function of AI-driven matchmaking service? A.To offer a platform for seeking life partners. B. To update the country’s basic dating service. C. To sponsor residents to attend singles parties. D. To teach young Japanese how to go on dates. 9. What can we learn from paragraphs 2 and 3? A. Birth rate in Japan is higher than aging rate. B. Japan’s population structure is out of balance. C. Most of the Japanese dislike children or seniors. D. Women are less likely to marry than men in Japan. 10. What does Masahiro Yamada think of the matchmaking service? A. It leads to an increase of income. B. It touches the surface of the issue. C. It saves Japan from the present crisis. D. It departs from Japan’s existing norm. 11. What can be a suitable title for the text? A. Can Japan increase its birth rate? B. Will the service catch on in Japan? C. Will Japanese men’s incomes rise? D. Can Japanese balance work and family? 【答案】8. A 9. B 10. B 11. A 【解析】这是一篇说明文。主要介绍了日本由于老龄化严重及出生率低的问题引进了婚介服务及专家对于日本能否提高出生率的问题的探讨。 【8题详解】 细节理解题。根据第一段第一句“In Japan’s northeast Miyagi county, residents can find life partners via a government-sponsored, Artificial Intelligence-driven matchmaking service.”（在日本东北部的宫城县，居民可以通过政府资助、人工智能驱动的婚介服务找到生活伴侣。）可知，人工智能驱动的婚介服务给人们提供了一个找到生活伴侣的平台。故选A项。 【9题详解】 推理判断题。根据第二段“Japan has the fastest-aging population of any post-industrial nation on earth. The current total birth rate -- the average number of children that would be born to a woman over her lifetime -- is1.3, well below the “replacement level” of 2.1 kids per woman, which is broadly accepted as the rate needed to ensure a stable population.”（日本是世界上人口老龄化速度最快的后工业化国家。目前的总出生率——一名妇女一生中生育的孩子的平均数量——为1.3，远低于每名妇女生育2.1个孩子的“更替水平”，这一水平被广泛接受为确保人口稳定所需的水平。）根据第三段“A periodic survey by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research found close to a fifth of men and about 15% of women expressing disinterest in marriage. Almost a third of men and a fifth of women in their fifties in Japan have never been married.”（美国国家人口与社会安全研究所(National Institute of Population and Social Security Research)的一项定期调查发现，近五分之一的男性和约15%的女性表示对婚姻不感兴趣。在日本，近三分之一的50多岁男性和五分之一的女性从未结过婚。）可知，日本老龄化严重，生育率低，人口结构不平衡。故选B项。 【10题详解】 推理判断题。根据第六段第二句“It’s not a problem of matchmaking. It’s an issue of more men with unstable incomes.”（这不是做媒的问题。这是一个关乎收入不稳定的男性越来越多的问题。）可知，Masahiro Yamada认为人们不想结婚不是因为找不到伴侣，而是因为收入问题，故他认为婚介服务并不能从根本上解决问题。故选B项。 【11题详解】 主旨大意题。根据第一段第一句“In Japan’s northeast Miyagi county, residents can find life partners via a government-sponsored, Artificial Intelligence-driven matchmaking service.”（在日本东北部的宫城县，居民可以通过政府资助、人工智能驱动的婚介服务找到生活伴侣。）说明日本引进婚介服务旨在促使年轻人结婚生子，并结合下文二三段对日本人口情况的介绍，及后文专家对于解决出生率低的问题的探讨可知，本文主要针对日本能否提高出生率的问题进行了讨论。故选A项。 Gracing every continent of the Earth, wetlands are essential to the planet’s health, often compared to its vital organs， acting as arteries (动脉)that carry water and as kidneys(肾脏)that filter(过滤)harmful substances. Wetlands serve as protectors: they form protective barriers against tsunamis and absorb the excess rainfall. During the dry season in dry climates, wetlands release the stored water which helps delay the attack of drought and reduce water shortages. They also store vast quantities of carbon, helping ease climate change. Home to some of the most diverse and rich ecosystems, wetlands support one billion people.40 percent of all plant and animal species live or breed in wetlands. World Wetlands Day is observed each year on 2 February to increase people’s understanding ofthe importance of wetlands and raise awareness of the urgent need to protect the threatened natural treasure. “We are proud to join in this celebration and recognize the unique and valuable ecosystemservices provided by wetlands. We are committed to doing our part to conserve and protect wetlands,and we are calling on all of you to join us in this vital cause,” said UNCCD (The United NationsConvention to Combat Desertification) Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw. To date, nearly 90 percent of the world’s wetlands have been degraded or lost,with 35 percentin the last 5O years alone. That is why on this World Wetlands Day,UNCCD is joining the RamsarConvention on Wetlands and other partners to highlight the examples of countries and communities making strides in wetland restoration. As stressed by the UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw, successful wetland restoration requires a joint effort from governments, civil society and the private sector. Investments in science for technology innovation, infrastructure for effective management and financial mechanisms for project implementation(实施)can turn the tide toward a better futurefor wetlands. 12. Why are wetlands essential to us? A. They help fight against viruses. B. They offer clean drinking water. C. They maintain ecological balance. D. They prevent the natural disasters. 13. How does the author present the current situation of wetlands in paragraph 5? A. By giving examples. B. By listing figures. C. By making comparisons. D. By analyzing causes. 14. What do the underlined words “turn the tide” mean in paragraph 6? A. Follow the trend. B. Break the ice. C. Run the risk. D. Change the game. 15. What is the text mainly about? A. Wetland ecosystem. B. Wetland restoration. C. Wetland exploration. D. Wetland biodiversity. 【答案】12. C 13. B 14. D 15. B 【解析】这是一篇说明文。短文介绍了湿地的重要性以及对湿地的恢复。 【12题详解】 细节理解题。根据第二段“Wetlands serve as protectors: they form protective barriers against tsunamis and absorb the excess rainfall. During the dry season in dry climates, wetlands release the stored water which helps delay the attack of drought and reduce water shortages. They also store vast quantities of carbon, helping ease climate change. Home to some of the most diverse and rich ecosystems, wetlands support one billion people.”（地起到了保护作用:它们形成了抵御海啸的屏障，并吸收了多余的降雨。在干旱气候的旱季，湿地释放储存的水，这有助于推迟干旱的袭击，减少水资源短缺。它们还储存了大量的碳，有助于缓解气候变化。湿地拥有一些最多样化和最丰富的生态系统，养活了10亿人）可知，湿地维持了生态系统的平衡。故选C项。 【13题详解】 推理判断题。根据第五段“To date, nearly 90 percent of the world’s wetlands have been degraded or lost, with 35 percent in the last 5O years alone.”（迄今为止，世界上近90%的湿地已经退化或消失，仅在过去50年里就有35%的湿地退化或消失。）可知，第五段主要是通过列举数字来展示湿地的现状。故选B项。 【14题详解】 词句猜测题。根据最后一段“Investments in science for technology innovation, infrastructure for effective management and financial mechanisms for project implementation(实施)”（投资于科技创新、有效管理的基础设施和项目实施的财政机制）根据“a better future or wetlands”（湿地的美好未来）可知，对科技创新、有效管理的基础设施和项目实施的财政机制的投资可以扭转趋势，使湿地的未来更加美好。所以划线词的意思是“逆转”。故选D项。 【15题详解】 主旨大意题。根据第三段“World Wetlands Day is observed each year on 2 February to increase people’s understanding of the importance of wetlands and raise awareness of the urgent need to protect the threatened natural treasure.”（每年的2月2日是世界湿地日，目的是提高人们对湿地重要性的认识，提高人们对保护这一濒危自然宝藏的迫切需要的认识。）根据第四段“We are committed to doing our part to conserve and protect wetlands, and we are calling on all of you to join us in this vital cause”（我们承诺尽自己的一份力量来养护和保护湿地，我们呼吁你们所有人加入我们这一至关重要的事业）根据最后一段“Investments in science for technology innovation, infrastructure for effective management and financial mechanisms for project implementation(实施)can turn the tide toward a better future for wetlands”（对科技创新、有效管理的基础设施和项目实施的财政机制的投资可以扭转趋势，使湿地的未来更加美好）所以短文主要是关于湿地的恢复。故选B项。 （一） The term “quiet quitting” went viral last year, describing people who stay in their jobs but mentally take a step back for example, working the bare minimum and not making their job the center of their lives. Now in 2023, there is a new workplace trend on the horizon, called “quiet hiring”. Quiet hiring is a strategy used to fill the critical gaps in a company without hiring new employees. One company has a limited amount of talent and needs to make a call about where it’s going to have the best impact. This year it may need to add five more data scientists to its team to meet the strategic goals. As a solution, it may move five employees from another department only for a short time, like data analysts in the human resources and marketing department, into the five open data scientist roles. In this case, the boss is saying, “We’re going to intentionally deprioritize support for HR and marketing for the next six months so that we can increase the productivity of our data science team, and we are saying this sound and clearly. Everyone knows this.” The important distinction with quiet hiring is that a company is openly communicating with employees about its priorities and moving employees to areas that serve those priorities, instead of just loading employees with more work or simply hiring more people. While being assigned to a new role may seem scary, quiet hiring should be beneficial to employees. If you were asked to take on additional responsibilities, it would indicate your value. Meantime you might say, “If it’s not possible to increase my payment, can we make it so that I can work from home five days a week, reducing my commute (通勤) costs? Or, could I work flexible hours, making it easier for me to live the rest of my life?” An individual conversation may be ineffective. If you’re part of a department or team being asked to switch roles, employ that power and approach human resources as a group. 8. What does the strategy of quiet hiring refer to? A. Adding more positions. B. Training new employees. C. Employing new talent secretly. D. Shifting existing staff to new posts. 9. What is the feature of a company’s handling quiet hiring? A. Innovations are highly valued. B. Employees are burdened with overwork. C. Roles of departments are changed regularly. D. Personnel changes are announced beforehand. 10. What suggestion does the author offer to employees? A. Negotiate on extra jobs. B. Take on new roles as a team. C. Shoulder more duties on work. D. Balance between work and life. 11. Which is a suitable title for the text? A. Hiring more or less? B. Quiet quitting or quiet hiring? C. Quiet hiring: A workplace debate D. Quiet hiring: An upcoming tendency 【答案】8. D 9. D 10. A 11. D 【解析】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了一种被称为“安静招聘”新的职场趋势即将到来。 【8题详解】 细节理解题。根据第二段“Quiet hiring is a strategy used to fill the critical gaps in a company without hiring new employees. (“安静招聘”是指在不雇佣新员工的情况下填补公司关键职位空缺的一种策略。)”可知，“安静招聘”策略指的是将现有工作人员调往新岗位。故选D。 【9题详解】 推理判断题。根据第二段“This year it may need to add five more data scientists to its team to meet the strategic goals. As a solution, it may move five employees from another department only for a short time, like data analysts in the human resources and marketing department, into the five open data scientist roles. (今年，该公司可能需要为其团队增加5名数据科学家，以实现战略目标。作为一种解决方案，它可以在短时间内从另一个部门调动5名员工，比如人力资源和营销部门的数据分析师，变成5个开放数据科学家角色。)”和第三段“In this case, the boss is saying, “We’re going to intentionally deprioritize support for HR and marketing for the next six months so that we can increase the productivity of our data science team, and we are saying this sound and clearly. Everyone knows this.”(在这种情况下，老板说，“我们将有意在未来六个月优先支持人力资源和市场营销，这样我们就可以提高数据科学团队的生产力，我们说得很清楚。大家都知道这一点。”)”可推断，公司处理安静招聘的特点是人事变动是事先宣布的。故选D。 【10题详解】 推理判断题。根据最后一段“Meantime you might say, “If it’s not possible to increase my payment, can we make it so that I can work from home five days a week, reducing my commute（通勤）costs? Or, could I work flexible hours, making it easier for me to live the rest of my life?” An individual conversation may be ineffective. If you’re part of a department or team being asked to switch roles, employ that power and approach human resources as a group. (与此同时，你可能会说，“如果不可能增加我的工资，我们能不能让我每周在家工作五天，减少我的通勤成本? 或者，我是否可以弹性工作时间，让我的余生过得更轻松?”单独的对话可能是无效的。如果你所在的部门或团队被要求转换角色，那就充分利用这种权力，以团队的形式与人力资源部门接洽。)”可推断，作者建议员工就额外工作进行谈判。故选A。 【11题详解】 主旨大意题。根据第一段“Now in 2023, there is a new workplace trend on the horizon, called “quiet hiring”.(如今，在2023年，一种新的职场趋势即将出现，被称为“安静招聘”。)”及全文可知，文章主要介绍了一种被称为“安静招聘”新的职场趋势即将到来。所以“Quiet hiring: An upcoming tendency(安静招聘：即将到来的趋势)”作为文章标题最为合适。故选D。 （二） Parenting styles have evolved over the years in response to the rapid social changes. Whether it is tapping technology or applying the best parenting practices, parents nowadays generally invest more time in finding out how best to raise their child. Modern parents have access to the internet and social media for ideal parenting advice and tips. There are also numerous parenting groups for different age groups on social media that parents can join. A parent can post questions from how to manage the constant cries of an infant to how to talk to a moody teenager, and chances are, the parent will be flooded instantly with advice and relevant articles. The availability of resources has helped modern parents to be more involved and supportive of their children’s development, academically, emotionally and socially. Modern parents are also keener to find out about effective parenting methods to raise disciplined and confident children. Meanwhile, one of modern parenting styles, helicopter parenting, arises. When parents become over-involved, over-concerned and over-controlling, they start helping children with what they are capable of on their own, for example, selecting activities and friends for them. Such a parenting style can restrict the children’s ability to handle responsibilities independently. Children might be ill-equipped with life skills such as operating a stove or monitoring their schoolwork. Overprotecting children from failures may also be prevented from developing resilience (韧性) and acquiring skills like problem-solving. On the other hand, parents in the past tended to supervise (监管) less. Children were given more control over how they managed their schoolwork and the friends they chose to play with. They were often expected to shoulder the responsibilities of caring for younger siblings and managing household chores. Living in the preinternet era, parents were less informed about different parenting approaches and personalities. There is no one right way to raise a child and there is no need to doubt about the best parenting style. Each child is unique and should be raised differently by parents who are present, but not hovering (盘旋);who are supportive but not controlling; and who protect but not spoil. 12. What does the author explain by mentioning “an infant” and “a moody teenager” in paragraph 2? A. Devotion to kids. B. Easy access to guidance. C. Effective parenting. D. Tricky parenting problems. 13. What does paragraph 3 mainly talk about concerning modern parenting? A. Its benefits. B. Its influence. C. Its characteristics. D. Its type. 14. What can we learn about parents in the past? A. They had strengths and weaknesses in parenting. B. They were wiser than modern parents in1 parenting. C. They were to blame for child development prospect. D. They contributed to the children’s well-rounded abilities. 15. What is the purpose of writing the article? A. To recommend how to parent wisely. B. To appeal to learn from modern parents. C. To inform how parenting has changed. D. To introduce two parenting strategies. 【答案】12. B 13. D 14. A 15. C 【解析】本文是一篇说明文。主要讲述了随着社会的变化，父母的育儿方式也发生着变化，对比了过去和现代的育儿方式。 【12题详解】 细节理解题。根据文章第二段中“A parent can post questions from how to manage the constant cries of an infant to how to talk to a moody teenager, and chances are, the parent will be flooded instantly with advice and relevant articles.(父母可以发布问题，从如何管理婴儿不断的哭声到如何与喜怒无常的青少年交谈，很有可能，父母会立即被建议和相关文章淹没。)”可知，作者在第2段中提到“婴儿”和“喜怒无常的少年”，是为了解释了现代父母可以通过互联网轻松获得指导。故选B。 【13题详解】 主旨大意题。根据第三段第一句“Meanwhile, one of modern parenting styles, helicopter parenting, arises.(与此同时，现代育儿方式之一，直升机育儿，出现了。)”及下文内容父母过度参与出现的影响，可知本段主要讲述了现代育儿方式之一的直升机育儿。故选D。 【14题详解】 细节理解题。根据第四段“On the other hand, parents in the past tended to supervise (监管)less. Children were given more control over how they managed their schoolwork and the friends they chose to play with. They were often expected to shoulder the responsibilities of caring for younger siblings and managing household chores. Living in the preinternet era, parents were less informed about different parenting approaches and personalities. (另一方面，过去的父母倾向于较少监督。孩子们可以更好地控制他们如何管理他们的功课和他们选择一起玩的朋友。他们经常被期望承担照顾弟弟妹妹和管理家务的责任。生活在前互联网时代，父母对不同的育儿方法和个性知之甚少。)”可知，在过去，父母对孩子的监管少有利于孩子自己管理他们的功课和一起玩耍的朋友，孩子们还要照顾弟弟妹妹和管理家务，但是对不同的育儿方法和个性知道的不多，即过去父母的育儿方式既有优点也有缺点。故选A。 【15题详解】 推理判断题。根据文章第一段中“Parenting styles have evolved over the years in response to the rapid social changes.(多年来，为了应对快速的社会变化，育儿方式一直在演变。)”及最后一段中“There is no one right way to raise a child and there is no need to doubt about the best parenting style.(养育孩子没有一种正确的方法，也没有必要怀疑最好的养育方式。)”以及文章中同时也提到了育儿方式受到现在社会的影响并和过去做了比较，所以，作者写这篇文章的目的是想说明育儿方式是如何变化的，故选C。 （三） A Reader’s Digest has partnered with Rest Less Events to bring you online talks, virtual tours, fitness classes and much more — all to enjoy from the comfort of your own home — join today for FREE! Who are Rest Less Events? Rest Less Events are one of the most popular websites for online events and already loved and trusted by more than 45,000 people. They aim to bring like-minded people together through shared interests and experiences, with an emphasis on general well-being. Altogether, there are over 100 online events each month to try. How does it work? Sign up by means of the online registration form at Rest Less Events. Then you can look through the calendar of upcoming events and see what takes your fancy. Once you register for an event, you will then receive a link on email ready for you to join the live event, but don’t worry if your plans change and you can’t make it, because you will be able to watch the recording later at a more convenient time. Best of all, it’s completely FREE to join. Join Rest Less Events today and you get to enjoy any 4 events every month, for free! If you’re up for more, then you can either select and book additional events on a pay-as-you-go basis, or you can upgrade to Premium (高品质的) membership giving you full free access to all events for only £4.99 per month. If you choose to go for the Premium membership, there’s no contract. You simply upgrade your membership and you can cancel anytime –– no questions asked. 1. What is the main purpose of the passage? A. To teach people new skills. B. To provide people with virtual tours. C. To help people make like-minded friends. D. To appeal to people to participate in the events. 2. What can you do if you miss a live event? A. You can join it another day. B. You can register for it again. C. You can watch the recording. D. You can write an email for a link. 3. How can you enjoy more events? A. By signing up an online contract. B. By joining Rest Less Events today. C. By booking additional events for free. D. By paying to upgrade your membership. 【答案】1. D 2. C 3. D 【解析】本文是一篇应用文，主要介绍的是一个健康资源平台：Rest Less Events。 【1题详解】 推理判断题。根据第一段的“Reader’s Digest has partnered with Rest Less Events to bring you online talks, virtual tours, fitness classes and much more — all to enjoy from the comfort of your own home — join today for FREE!(读者文摘与Rest Less Events合作，为您带来在线会谈，虚拟旅行，健身课程等等——所有这些都可以在您自己的家中享受舒适——今天免费加入！)”可知，本文的目的是呼吁人们参加活动。故选D。 【2题详解】 细节理解题。根据How does it work?部分的“Once you register for an event, you will then receive a link on email ready for you to join the live event, but don’t worry if your plans change and you can’t make it, because you will be able to watch the recording later at a more convenient time.(一旦你注册了一个活动，你就会在电子邮件中收到一个链接，准备好让你加入现场活动，如果你的计划改变了，你不能做到，不要担心，因为你可以在以后更方便的时间观看录音)”可知，如果你错过了现场活动，你可以看录音。故选C。 【3题详解】 细节理解题。根据Best of all, it’s completely FREE to join.部分的“If you’re up for more, then you can either select and book additional events on a pay-as-you-go basis, or you can upgrade to Premium (高品质的) membership giving you full free access to all events for only £4.99 per month.(如果你想要更多的活动，那么你可以选择并预订额外的活动，或者你可以升级为高级会员，每月只需4.99英镑就可以免费参加所有活动)”可知，通过付费升级你的会员资格你才能享受更多的活动，故选D。 （四） So many well-fed cats have achieved fame in today’s world of social media that it is difficult to imagine a time when the funny behavior of cats went largely unrecorded. Fortunately, creative types have long seemed to enjoy their company and some past literary greats were only too happy to put pen to paper in celebration of their favourite cats. Dr Samuel Johnson, is best remembered today for compiling (编纂) the first modern English Dictionary. The entry for cats is hardly flattering: “A domestic animal that catches mice, commonly considered by naturalists the lowest order of the lionlike species.” Yet, Johnson is known to have been devoted to his own pets, particularly Hodge, whom he once famously described as “a very fine cat indeed”. During the Bronte sisters’ childhood, the three famous 19th-century novelists enjoyed the company of a black cat, named Tom. Charlotte included a description of a pet in Jane Eyre, while Emily wrote an essay in French in praise of cats entitled Le Chat. The title character of Anne’s first novel, Agnes Grey, decides her future husband is the man for her when he rescues a cat. Edgar Allan Poe’s story, The Black Cat, is so vivid in its description of animal cruelty that it is difficult to imagine its author as an animal lover. Yet, in real life Allan and his cat Catterina were so obviously devoted to each other that, in 1849, they passed away at the exact same moment even though they were many miles apart. Cats appear in some of the US humorist and novelist’s best-known works such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Twain’s favourite cat was Bambino, whom he taught to switch off the lamp at night and took great delight in having it show off this party trick when visitors came to the house. In the early 1940s, Hemingway moved to Cuba. Boise became the author’s constant companion. Hemingway later featured a cat of the same name in his novel, Islands in the Stream, which shared many characteristics of his real-life cat including a fondness for hunting fruit rats. 4. What is Paragraph 1 mainly about? A. The majority of people recorded their pet cats. B. Some past creative people liked cats and wrote about them. C. Most of the funny behavior of cats was not recorded. D. Modern people like to show off their cats on social media. 5. What does the underlined sentence mean in Paragraph 2? A. The cat in the entry is vividly described. B. The description makes the cat attractive. C. The definition of the cat is objective. D. The entry for the cat is eye-catching. 6. How was the cat described in the story The Black Cat ? A. Devoted. B. Adorable. C. Merciless. D. Reliable. 7. What did the past literary greats mentioned have in common? A. They enjoyed the company of their pet cats. B. They took great delight in showing off their cats. C. They named the cats in their works after their pet cats. D. They achieved fame because of the cats they wrote about. 【答案】4. B 5. C 6. C 7. A 【解析】本文是说明文。主要介绍了英文世界里的文人与他们的宠物猫之间的逸闻趣事，以及这份对猫的喜爱如何被运用迁移到了他们的创作中。 【4题详解】 主旨大意题。根据第一段“So many well-fed cats have achieved fame in today’s world of social media that it is difficult to imagine a time when the funny behavior of cats went largely unrecorded. Fortunately, creative types have long seemed to enjoy their company and some past literary greats were only too happy to put pen to paper in celebration of their favourite cats.(在今天的社交媒体世界里，有这么多喂得很好的猫出名了，很难想象猫的有趣行为在很大程度上没有被记录下来的时代。幸运的是，有创造力的人似乎长期以来都很喜欢猫的陪伴，一些过去的文学大师非常乐意为他们最喜欢的猫动笔庆祝)”可知，本段主要讲述了过去一些有创造力的人喜欢猫，并写关于猫的文章。故选B项。 【5题详解】 词句猜测题。根据划线后文“A domestic animal that catches mice, commonly considered by naturalists the lowest order of the lionlike species.(一种捕捉老鼠的家养动物，博物学家通常认为是类狮子动物中最低阶的一种)”可知，这是对猫的定义，这个描述是客观的，所以划线句子应是和C项“这个描述是客观的”相近。故选C项。 【6题详解】 推理判断题。根据第四段中“Edgar Allan Poe’s story, The Black Cat, is so vivid in its description of animal cruelty that it is difficult to imagine its author as an animal lover.(埃德加·爱伦·坡的小说《黑猫》对虐待动物的描写如此生动，以至于很难想象作者是一个动物爱好)”可知，《黑猫》描述的是虐待动物，所以是无情的。故选C项。 【7题详解】 细节理解题。根据第四段中“Edgar Allan Poe’s story, The Black Cat, is so vivid in its description of animal cruelty that it is difficult to imagine its author as an animal lover.(埃德加·爱伦·坡的小说《黑猫》对虐待动物的描写如此生动，以至于很难想象作者是一个动物爱好者)”，第五段中“Twain’s favourite cat was Bambino, whom he taught to switch off the lamp at night and took great delight in having it show off this party trick when visitors came to the house.(吐温最喜欢的猫是班比诺，他教它在晚上关掉灯，并非常高兴地让它在客人来访时炫耀这个聚会技巧)”以及最后一段“Hemingway later featured a cat of the same name in his novel, Islands in the Stream, which shared many characteristics of his real-life cat including a fondness for hunting fruit rats.(海明威后来在他的小说《溪中的岛屿》中描绘了一只同名的猫，这只猫和他现实生活中的猫有很多相似之处，包括喜欢捕食果鼠)”可知，这些文人的共同特质是：喜欢和宠物猫在一起。故选A项。 （五） A Journey Back in Time with Scholars Classical Provence(13days) Journey through the beautiful countryside of Provence，France，with Prof. Ori Z. Soltes. We will visit some of the best-preserved Roman monuments in the world. Our tour also includes a chance to walk in the footsteps of Van Gogh and Gauguin. Fields of flowers, tile-roofed(瓦屋顶)villages and tasty meals enrich this wonderful experience. Southern Spain(15days) Spain has lovely white towns and the scent(芳香)of oranges，but it is also a treasury of ancient remains including the cities left by the Greeks，Romans and Arabs. As we travel south from Madrid with Prof. Ronald Messier to historic Toledo，Roman Merida and into Andalucia, we explore historical monuments and architecture. China’s Sacred Landscapes(21days) Discover the China of “past ages,” its walled cities，temples and mountain scenery with Prof. Robert Thorp. Highlights(精彩之处)include China’s most sacred peaks at Mount Tai and Hangzbou’s rolling hills，waterways and peaceful temples. We will wander in traditional small towns and end our tour with an exceptional museum in Shanghai. Tunisia(17days) Join Prof. Pedar Foss on our in-depth Tunisian tour. Tour highlights include the Roman city of Dougga，the underground Numidian capital at Bulla Regia, Roman Sbeitla and the remote areas around Tataouine and Matmata，uique for underground cities. Our journey takes us to picturesque Berber villages and lovely beaches. 1. What can visitors see in both Classical Provence and Southern Spain？ A. Historical monuments. B. Fields of flowers. C. Van Gogh’s paintings. D. Greek buildings. 2. Which country is Prof. Thorp most knowledgeable about？ A.France. B. Spain. C. China. D. Tunisia. 3. Which of the following highlight the Tunisian tour？ A. White towns. B. Underground cities. C. Tile-roofed villages. D. Rolling hills. 【答案】1. A 2. C 3. B 【解析】这是一篇应用文。文章主要介绍了四个国家中，那些可以让人们回顾过去的著名景点。 【1题详解】 细节理解题。根据第一部分的We will visit some of the best-preserved Roman monuments in the world. (我们将参观一些世界上保存最完好的罗马建筑遗迹)和第二部分的we explore historical monuments and architecture.(我们探索历史遗迹和建筑)可知，在Classical Provence 和Southern Spain游客们可以参观历史遗迹。A. Historical monuments（历史遗迹）符合以上说法，故选A项。 【2题详解】 推理判断题。根据第三部分的China's Sacred Landscapes (21days)(中华神山 21天)和Discover the China of ''past ages'', its walled cities, temples and mountain scenery with Prof Robert Thorp. Highlights include China's most sacred peaks at Mount Tai and Hangzhou's rolling hills, waterways and peaceful temples (和Robert教授一起发现中国的过去，有墙的城市、寺庙和山景。精彩之处包括中国最神圣的泰山之巅，杭州起伏的群山、运河和宁静的寺庙)可知，去中国的神山之行总共有27天，而且Thorp对中国的名山非常了解。由此推测Thorp在这四个国家里最了解中国。C. China(中国)符合以上说法，故选C项。 【3题详解】 细节理解题。根据第四部分的Tour highlights include the Roman city of Dougga, the underground Mumidian capital at Bulla Regia, Roman Sbeitla and the remote areas around Taraounine and Matmata, unique for underground cities.(突尼斯的旅游亮点包括罗马城市Dougga，地下城市Mumidian,它是Bulla Regia的首府，Roman Sbeitla以及在Taraounine和Matmata附近的区域，它们是独特的地下城市)可知，突尼斯的旅游亮点是地下城市。B. Underground cities(地下城市)符合以上说法，故选B项。 （六） When he moved from South Africa to New York City, Norman Rosenthal noticed he felt more depressed during the cold, short days of the city’s winters than he had in his home country. “It was an illness hiding in plain sight because people said ‘well that’s how everyone feels in winter.’ They didn’t see it as treatable,” says Rosenthal, a doctor at Georgetown Medical School. In 1984, he published the first paper to scientifically name the winter blues: Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also called seasonal depression, was a type of depression brought on by the dark days of winter. Following studies have found that this form of depression varies by geography. And, surprisingly, about 10 percent of patients suffering from SAD have symptoms (症状) in the summertime instead. “It’s fairly accepted that the cause is a short photo-period — the number of hours from dawn to dusk,” says Kelly Rohan, a psychologist at the University of Vermont who specializes in the disorder. “It’s the strongest predictor of when the symptoms begin.” But why, exactly, does less daylight seem to make some people clinically depressed? “That’s the million-dollar question,” says Rohan. One leading theory is that the change in daylight interrupts our bodies’ release of a chemical element, which the brain releases every night to promote sleep. That is to say, there is a natural biological clock in our body controlling when we sleep and wake. Our clocks are reminded by morning light, but as the supply of daylight decreases in winter, the chemical element may be released later and wear off later, the theory suggests. That means, “that alarm clock might be going off in the morning, but the body is still in a state of biological night,” says Rohan. Even given that theory, she says it’s still unclear why the interrupted biological clock can lead to depression, instead of just feeling worn out. For those who think they may be experiencing SAD, experts say a professional diagnosis (诊断) is a vital first step toward treatment. 12. Where is this text probably taken from? A. A story collection. B. A science magazine. C. A health proposal. D. An academic paper. 13. Why did Rosenthal feel more depressed in New York in winter? A. Because he missed his home. B. Because the days there are shorter. C. Because he caught a bad cold. D. Because he had a hidden illness. 14. What does the underlined word “It” refer to in Paragraph 4? A. The cause. B. The disorder. C. The short photo-period. D. The number of hours. 15. What can we learn about SAD from the text? A. SAD patients just feel tired out. B. Everyone suffers from it in winter. C. SAD patients are less likely to be cured. D. It’s probably caused by interrupted biological clock. 【答案】12. B 13. B 14. C 15. D 【解析】这是一篇说明文。文章对季节性情感障碍（SAD）及其可能的形成原因进行了介绍。 【12题详解】 推理判断题。根据第三段“In 1984, he published the first paper to scientifically name the winter blues: Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also called seasonal depression, was a type of depression brought on by the dark days of winter. Following studies have found that this form of depression varies by geography. And, surprisingly, about 10 percent of patients suffering from SAD have symptoms (症状) in the summertime instead.(1984年，他发表了第一篇论文，科学地命名了冬季抑郁症：季节性情感障碍（SAD），也称为季节性抑郁症，是一种由冬季黑暗的日子引起的抑郁症。随后的研究发现，这种形式的抑郁症因地理位置而异。令人惊讶的是，大约10%的SAD患者在夏季出现症状。)”可知，这篇文章有可能来自一本科学杂志。故选B。 【13题详解】 细节理解题。根据第一段“When he moved from South Africa to New York City, Norman Rosenthal noticed he felt more depressed during the cold, short days of the city’s winters than he had in his home country.(当诺曼·罗森塔尔从南非搬到纽约时，他注意到，在这座城市冬季寒冷而短暂的日子里，他比在自己的祖国更感到沮丧。)”和第四段第一句中的“It’s fairly accepted that the cause is a short photo-period — the number of hours from dawn to dusk(人们普遍认为，造成这种现象的原因是短暂的光周期——从黎明到黄昏的几个小时)”可知，罗森塔尔在纽约的冬天会感到更沮丧是因为那里的白天更短。故选B。 【14题详解】 词句猜测题。根据第四段第一句中的“It’s fairly accepted that the cause is a short photo-period — the number of hours from dawn to dusk(人们普遍认为，造成这种现象的原因是短暂的光周期——从黎明到黄昏的几个小时)”可知，此处是指短暂的光周期是症状开始的最有力的预测指标，所以it是指“短暂的光周期”。故选C。 【15题详解】 推理判断题。根据第五段第三句和第四句“One leading theory is that the change in daylight interrupts our bodies’ release of a chemical element, which the brain releases every night to promote sleep. That is to say, there is a natural biological clock in our body controlling when we sleep and wake.(一种主流理论认为，日光的变化会干扰我们身体释放一种化学元素，而大脑每天晚上都会释放这种化学元素来促进睡眠。也就是说，我们的身体里有一个自然的生物钟来控制我们什么时候睡觉，什么时候醒来。)”可知，季节性情感障碍可能是由被干扰的生物钟引起的。故选D。 （七） I must have always known reading was very important because the first memories I have as a child deal with books. There was not one night that I don’t remember mom reading me a storybook by my bedside. I was extremely inspired by the elegant way the words sounded. I always wanted to know what my mom was reading. Hearing mom say, “I can’t believe what’s printed in the newspaper this morning,” made me want to grab it out of her hands and read it myself. I wanted to be like my mom and know all of the things she knew. So I carried around a book, and each night, just to be like her, I would pretend to be reading. This is how everyone learned to read. We would start off with sentences, then paragraphs, and then stories. It seemed an unending journey, but even as a six-year-old girl I realized that knowing how to read could open many doors. When mom said, “The C-A-N-D-Y is hidden on the top shelf,” I knew where the candy was. My progress in reading raised my curiosity, and I wanted to know everything. I often found myself telling my mom to drive more slowly, so that I could read all of the road signs we passed. Most of my reading through primary, middle and high school was factual reading. I read for knowledge, and to make A’s on my tests. Occasionally, I would read a novel that was assigned, but I didn’t enjoy this type of reading. I liked facts, things that are concrete. I thought anything abstract left too much room for argument. Yet, now that I’m growing and the world I once knew as being so simple is becoming more complex, I find myself needing away to escape. By opening a novel, I can leave behind my burdens and enter into a wonderful and mysterious world where I am now a new character. In these worlds I can become anyone. I don’t have to write down what happened or what technique the author was using when he or she wrote this. I just read to relax. We’re taught to read because it’s necessary for much of human understanding. Reading is a vital part of my life. Reading satisfies my desire to keep learning. And I’ve found that the possibilities that lie within books are limitless. 4. Why did the author want to grab the newspaper out of mom’s hands? A. She wanted mom to read the news to her. B. She was anxious to know what had happened. C. She couldn’t wait to tear the newspaper apart. D. She couldn’t help but stop mom from reading. 5. According to Paragraph 3, what did the author’s reading of road signs indicate? A. Her unique way to locate herself. B. Her eagerness to develop her reading ability. C. Her effort to remind mom to obey traffic rules. D. Her growing desire to know the world around her. 6. What was the author’s view on factual reading? A. It would help her update test-taking skills. B. It would allow much room for free thinking. C. It would provide true and objective information. D. It would help shape a realistic and serious attitude to life. 7. What could be the best title for the passage? A. The Magic of Reading B. The Pleasure of Reading C. Growing Up with Reading D. Reading Makes a Full Man 【答案】4. B 5. D 6. C 7. C 【解析】这是一篇记叙文。文章主要讲述了作者在阅读中成长的故事——从小时候通过阅读了解世界和长大后通过阅读远离现实的成长历程。 【4题详解】 细节理解题。根据第二段中“I always wanted to know what my mom was reading. Hearing mom say, ‘I can’t believe what’s printed in the newspaper this morning,’ made me want to grab it out of her hands and read it myself. (我一直想知道我妈妈在读什么。听到妈妈说“我真不敢相信今天早上报纸上印的是什么”，使我想从她手中抢过报纸自己看看)”可知，作者想抢过妈妈读的报纸，是因为作者很想知道发生了什么事，故选B。 【5题详解】 推理判断题。根据第三段中“My progress in reading raised my curiosity, and I wanted to know everything. I often found myself telling my mom to drive more slowly, so that I could read all of the road signs we passed. (我在阅读方面的进步引起了我的好奇心，我想知道一切。我经常告诉我妈妈开慢点，这样我就能看清我们经过的所有路标)”可推知，作者对路标的阅读表明她越来越渴望了解周围的世界。故选D。 【6题详解】 推理判断题。根据第四段中“Most of my reading through primary, middle and high school was factual reading. I read for knowledge, and to make A’s on my test. (我在小学、初中和高中的大部分阅读都是事实阅读。我读书是为了获取知识，为了在考试中得A)”可推知，作者认为事实性阅读能够提供真实的客观信息。故选C。 【7题详解】 主旨大意题。根据第一段“I must have always known reading was very important because the first memories I have as a child deal with books. There was not one night that I don’t remember mom reading me a storybook by my bedside. I was extremely inspired by the elegant way the words sounded. (我一直都知道读书是很重要的，因为我小时候的第一段记忆就是读书。没有一个晚上我不记得妈妈在我床边给我读故事书。词语那优美的发音方式给了我极大的启发)”以及下文内容可知，本文主要介绍了作者在阅读中成长的故事，从小时候通过阅读了解世界和长大后通过阅读远离现实的成长历程。由此可知，故C选项“伴随着阅读成长”最符合文章标题。故选C。 （八） When you were trying to figure out what to buy for the environmentalist on your holiday list, fur probably didn’t cross your mind. But some ecologists and fashion (时装)enthusiasts are trying to bring back the market for fur made from nutria(海狸鼠). Unusual fashion shows in New Orleans and Brooklyn have showcased nutria fur made into clothes in different styles. “It sounds crazy to talk about guilt-free fur-unless you understand that the nutria are destroying vast wetlands every year”, says Cree McCree, project director of Righteous Fur. Scientists in Louisiana were so concerned that they decided to pay hunters $5 a tail. Some of the fur ends up in the fashion shows like the one in Brooklyn last month. Nutria were brought there from Argentina by fur farmers and let go into the wild. “The ecosystem down there can’t handle this non-native species(物种).It’s destroying the environment. It’s them or us.” says Michael Massimi an expert in this field. The fur trade kept nutria in check for decades，but when the market for nutria collapsed in the late 1980s，the cat-sized animals multiplied like crazy. Biologist Edmond Mouton runs the nutria control program for Louisiana. He says it’s not easy to convince people that nutria fur is green, but he has no doubt about it. Hunters bring in more than 300,000 nutria tails a year, so part of Mouton’s job these days is trying to promote fur. Then there’s Righteous Fur and its unusual fashion. Model Paige Morgan says，”To give people a guilt-free option that they can wear without someone throwing paint on them-I think that’s going to be a massive thing, at least here in New York.” Designer Jennifer Anderson admits it took her a while to come around to the opinion that using nutria fur for her creations is morally acceptable. She is trying to come up with a label to attach to nutria fashions to show it is eco-friendly. 8. What is the purpose of the fashion shows in New Orleans and Brooklyn? A. To promote guilt-free fur. B. To expand the fashion market. C. To introduce a new brand. D. To celebrate a winter holiday. 9. Why are scientists concerned about nutria? A. Nutria damage the ecosystem seriously. B. Nutria are an endangered species. C. Nutria hurt local cat-sized animals. D. Nutria are illegally hunted. 10. What does the underlined word “collapsed” in paragraph 5 probably mean? A. Boomed. B. Became mature. C. Remained stable. D. Crashed. 11. What can we infer about wearing fur in New York according to Morgan? A. It’s formal. B. It’s risky. C. It’s harmful. D. It’s traditional. 【答案】8. A 9. A 10. D 11. B 【解析】本文是说明文。介绍了美国新奥良和布鲁克林举办了不同寻常的时装秀。展出海狸鼠制成的皮衣。海狸鼠们每年都在破坏大片的湿地，因此设计师称这是一种环保的举措，科学家们也对海狸鼠损坏生态平衡表示了担忧。 【8题详解】 推理判断题。根据第二段Unusual fashion shows in New Orleans and Brooklyn have showcased nutria fur made into clothes in different styles. “It sounds crazy to talk about guilt-free fur-unless you understand that the nutria are destroying vast wetlands every year,”says Cree McCree, project director of Righteous Fur.得知，美国新奥尔良和布鲁克林举办了不同寻常的时装秀，时装秀上展出海狸鼠皮制成的不同风格的衣服，项目总监Cree McCree说：“除非了解海狸鼠正每年破坏大片湿地，否则谈论无罪感皮衣是很疯狂的事情”，可以判断出由于海狸鼠对生态造成了巨大的破坏，这场海狸鼠皮衣时装秀销售的是无罪恶感皮衣。故选A。 【9题详解】 推理判断题。根据第三段Scientists in Louisiana were so concerned that they decided to pay hunters $5 a tail.得知，科学家们如此担心以至于他们决定按照一条海狸鼠尾巴付给猎人们5美元，可以推断出科学家们担忧海狸鼠们严重破坏生态平衡，。故选A。 【10题详解】 词义猜测题。根据第五段The fur trade kept nutria in check for decades, but when the market for nutria collapsed in the late 1980s,the cat-sized animals multiplied like crazy. 得知，毛皮贸易使海狸鼠受到了几十年的控制，但是当海狸鼠市场在20世纪80年代末崩溃时，这种猫大小的动物数量疯长，根据but判断，这是转折关系，以前由于皮毛交易，海狸鼠处于控制，现在这种海狸鼠之所以能够数量激增，是由于市场不再销售海狸鼠皮毛导致的，可以推断出划线词collapsed 是和D.crashed倒闭的意思最相近。故选D。 【11题详解】 推理判断题。根据第二段Model Paige Morgan says, “To give people a guilt –free option that they can wear without someone throwing paint on them-I think that’s going to be a massive thing, at least in New York. ” 得知，为了给人们一种无罪的选择，人们可以穿皮衣而不被人们泼油漆，我认为在纽约将是一件巨大的事情，根据模特摩根所说得知，在纽约穿皮质衣服是有风险的。故选B。 （九） In a world where nearly 6 million fingerprint records of government employees are stolen in one computer hack(非法侵入), and here millions of people are victims of identity theft every year, the next step in cyber security may well be mapping your brain. Researchers at Binghamton University, State University of New York are working on a biometric(生物特征识别的)system that records how your brain reacts to certain images. With a little more polishing, the scientists’ brainchild could become the way you get into a safe deposit box, your office or past scanners at the airport. It could replace the password for your online banking, your email or your social media accounts. They started their project by measuring the brain waves of 30 subjects. The subjects were fitted with a cap that had 30 electrodes(电极)attached to it, and then shown various images and symbols — celebrity faces, words, pictures of food — on a computer screen in 200-millisecond bursts. The brain’s reaction was recorded. The idea is that every time a person needs to use a “password”, he or she goes through the same procedure, and the results are matched with their first­time reaction. If the “brainprint” is cracked — like what happened with the fingerprint records — then the system is merely reset by running another set of images and collecting a different set of brain waves. “Even if that was stolen, you could just cancel it and record one to something else”, says professor Laszlo. Laszlo and her team have shown that their system can be 100 percent accurate. So one of the more difficult parts of making the system practical already has been overcome. Now, they’re spending much time recording accurate brainprints with as few as three electrodes, which could make recording in the future as easy as wearing a pair of special glasses. They’re also working with cheaper materials and different methods to see if they can bring the cost down. 12. What does the underlined word “brainchild” in Paragraph 2 refer to? A. The brain function. B. The fingerprint record. C. The biometric system. D. The online password. 13. Why were the images and symbols shown to the subjects? A. To create their brainprints. B. To check the brain’s reaction. C. To match brainprints with pictures. D. To connect brain waves to electrodes. 14. What will happen when a brainprint fails? A. A spare one will be ready beforehand. B. A new one will be set again. C. The users’ security will be leaked. D. The fingerprint record will replace it. 15. What are the researchers doing with the program now? A. Making it user-friendly. B. Improving its accuracy. C. Recording more brainprints. D. Increasing the number of electrodes. 【答案】12. C 13. A 14. B 15. A 【解析】本文是一篇科普说明文。网络安全越来越重要，科学家也在研究新的网络安全密码。来自纽约宾汉姆顿大学的研究人员发现了一种脑部扫描系统——脑印。 【12题详解】 词义猜测题。根据上文“Researchers at Binghamton University, State University of New York are working on a biometric（生物特征识别的）system that records how your brain reacts to certain images.”（约州立大学宾汉姆顿大学的研究人员正在研究一种生物识别系统，该系统可以记录大脑对特定图象的反应。）可知，研究人员研究了一种生物识别系统，再根据划线句“With a little more polishing, the scientists’ brainchild could become the way you get into a safe deposit box, your office or past scanners at the airport”（再稍加打磨，这些科学家的brainchild就可以成为你进入保险箱、办公室或机场扫描仪的方式)由此可知，"brainchild"指的是“生物识别系统”，故选C。 【13题详解】 推理判断题。根据第三自然段“The subjects were fitted with a cap that had 30 electrodes（电极）attached to it, and then shown various images and symbols — celebrity faces, words, pictures of food --- on a computer screen in 200-millisecond bursts. The brain’s reaction was recorded.”（受试者戴上一个有30个电极的帽子，然后在电脑屏幕上以20毫秒的速度显示出各种各样的图象和符号--名人的脸、文字、食物的图片，大脑的反应被记录下来。）可知，图像和符号被展示给受试者是为了创造他们的脑印。故选A。 【14题详解】 细节理解题。根据第四自然段“If the "brainprint" is compromised --- like what happened with the fingerprint records --- then the system is merely reset by running another set of images and collecting a different set of brain waves.”（如果“脑印”受损——就像指纹记录那样——那么只需运行另一组图像并收集一组不同的脑电波，就可以重置系统。）可知，当一个脑印失败时，可以重新设置一个新的。故选B。 【15题详解】 推理判断题。根据最后一段“Now, they’re spending much time recording accurate brainprints with as few as three electrodes, which could make recording in the future as easy as wearing a pair of special glasses. They're also working with cheaper materials and different methods to see if they can bring the cost down.”（现在，他们只需要三个电极就可以记录下精确脑印，这使得在未来记录起来就像戴上一副特殊的眼镜一样简单，他们也在使用更便宜的材料和不同的方法，看看是否能降低成本现在。）可知，现在，研究人员正在使这个程序更容易使用，也就是说对用户更友好，故选A。 （十） A The Ragged School Museum In a nutshell In 1877 Dr Thomas Barnardo opened the Copperfield Road Free School, the largest of three ragged schools (charitable institutions that offered the poorest children a free education) in a row of three storehouses in East London. Now an underfunded, independent museum (opened in 1990), a small exhibition offers an insight into how tough life was in east London in the late 1800s, but the highlight is one of the original classrooms where visitors can attend a lesson led by an actor in Victorian costume. The museum is in the second phase of applying far a lottery grant (彩票福利基金), which will allow it to make vital repairs to the largest of the three storehouses, though the aim is to keep the authentic (真正的) atmosphere of the building. Getting there Easiest by car. The train station is a 30-minute walk away and trains are infrequent. A limited bus service from Liskeard drops you 20 minutes away. Parking is free right outside the gates. Opening hours 10am—6pm Monday—Saturday. Last entry: 5:30pm. Outside these times the museum runs a schools programme, with 16,000 school children coming through the doors each year. Value for money? A little pricey, but the ticket is valid for a year. Entry is £18 adult, £ 13 child, family tickets £37. 60 (1+3 children) or £49. 60 (2+3). Verdict (评价) 8/10. Lots of ideas, interactive activities and friendly, knowledgeable staff. This is an authentic slice of East End history that strives (努力) to inspire children through its work. 1. What does the Ragged School Museum offer to visitors? A. An option to keep its buildings in shape. B. A platform to raise money for its major repair. C. An insight into the British theatre in the 1800s. D. A chance to step back in time for a Victorian lesson. 2. How much would a couple with their three children pay for admission? A. £37. 60. B. £49. 60. C. £57. D. £75. 3. What do we know about the Ragged School Museum? A. It charges parking fees. B. It is beneficial to children. C. It is only accessible by car. D. It has varied opening hours. 【答案】1. D 2. B 3. B 【解析】这是一篇应用文。文章是一则广告，介绍了The Ragged School Museum的概况、交通方式、开放时间、票价等。 【1题详解】 细节理解题。根据第一段的“Now an underfunded, independent museum (opened in 1990), a small exhibition offers an insight into how tough life was in east London in the late 1800s, but the highlight is one of the original classrooms where visitors can attend a lesson led by an actor in Victorian costume. (现在是一个资金不足的独立博物馆(1990年开放)，一个小展览让人们了解19世纪末东伦敦的艰苦生活，但最引人注目的是其中一个原始教室，游客可以在那里听一位穿着维多利亚服装的演员讲课)”可知，Ragged School Museum给游客提供了一个感受维多利亚时代课堂的机会。故选D。 【2题详解】 细节理解题。根据Value for money?部分“Entry is £18 adult, £ 13 child, family tickets £37. 60 (1+3 children) or £49. 60 (2+3).(成人票18英镑，儿童票13英镑，家庭票37.60英镑（1大+3小）或者49.60英镑（2大+3小）)”可知，一对夫妻和他们的三个孩子可以购买£49. 60 (2+3)这种家庭票。故选B。 【3题详解】 细节理解题。根据最后一段的“This is an authentic slice of East End history that strives (努力) to inspire children through its work.(这是伦敦东区历史的真实片段，致力于通过其作品激励儿童)”可知，Ragged School Museum对儿童有益。故选B。 （十一） David is a retired teacher. In October 2020, when the House of Commons voted against extending free school meals into the holidays, David started strategising with the school headteacher: “I said: ‘What are we going to do about this?’” At the last minute, the local council stepped in to fund free holiday meals but a seed had been planted, leaving David pondering (沉思) the wider issue of local food poverty. “It was evident there was a need for food support within the area,” says David. David contacted a group of local residents who had expressed an interest, plus two friends who had worked with the UK food bank charity the Trussell Trust—inviting them to join him on a Zoom call to discuss food poverty during the Covid crisis and beyond. “We decided, everybody together, that we could do something,” David says. The group recruited (招募) volunteers and the project took shape. They chose the name “The Sharehouse”, rather than “food bank”, to reflect the fact that the project would meet not only the need for local food support, but also the pressing desire many expressed to do something meaningful at a time of crisis. “It’s like an exchange, rather than a bank,” says David. The nonprofit opened just six weeks after that first call in December 2020. “We had seven people,” says David, but by the following week, they had 40 clients, and it built steadily. Now they support 100-plus families three times a week, and have gone from having 12 volunteers to about 40. It has also worked with local services to offer support on everything from addiction to debt and benefits advice. Welcoming a client for the first time is often one of the hardest moments. “Having to sit with somebody new and let it unfold—it’s very raw.” The Sharehouse has regulars, but other people fall off the radar, leaving David to wonder what has happened. “I wonder where they are now; what they’re doing. It can be emotional.” The Sharehouse serves as a reminder of how effective collective action and community can be. For anyone wanting to volunteer, David’s advice is: “Be led by what inspires you, don’t be frightened and don’t overthink it.” 4. Why did David found the Sharehouse? A. Some of his neighbours are going hungry B. The authorities denied local food poverty C. He wanted to compete with the food bank charity D. Local residents are unwilling to fund free holiday meals. 5. What do we know about the Sharehouse? A. It has made a huge profit. B. It has expanded its ambitions. C. It presses local people to donate. D. It exchanges food with the food bank. 6. What does the underlined part in Paragraph 5 mean? A. Complain. B. Struggle. C. Disappear. D. Proceed. 7. What is David’s advice to potential volunteers? A. Follow your heart. B. Think before you act. C. Provide for a rainy day. D. Do as the Romans do. 【答案】4. B 5. B 6. C 7. A 【解析】这是一篇记叙文。文章讲述了为解决食物短缺问题，退休教师David建立了“Sharehouse”的故事。 【4题详解】 推理判断题。根据第一段中“In October 2020, when the House of Commons voted against extending free school meals into the holidays, David started strategising with the school headteacher: “I said: ‘What are we going to do about this?’” At the last minute, the local council stepped in to fund free holiday meals but a seed had been planted, leaving David pondering (沉思) the wider issue of local food poverty. “It was evident there was a need for food support within the area,” says David.”（2020年10月，当下议院投票反对将免费校餐延长到假期时，大卫开始与学校校长制定战略:“我说：‘我们该怎么办?’”在最后一刻，当地议会介入，为免费假日餐提供资金，但这一计划已经播下了种子，这让大卫开始思考当地食品贫困的更广泛问题。“很明显，该地区需要食物支持，”大卫说。）和第三段中“The group recruited (招募) volunteers and the project look shape. They chose the name “The Sharehouse””（该小组招募了志愿者，项目看起来很有条理。他们选择了“共享屋”这个名字。）可知，当局反对将免费校餐延长到假期，而David发现该地区需要食物支持，可推知，正是由于当局否认当地粮食短缺，使得David决定要建立Sharehouse，来解决粮食短缺的问题。故选B。 【5题详解】 细节理解题。根据第三段中“They chose the name “The Sharehouse”, rather than “food bank”, to reflect the fact that the project would meet not only the need for local food support, but also the pressing desire many expressed to do something meaningful at a time of crisis. ”（他们选择了“共享屋”这个名字，而不是“食物银行”，这反映了这个项目不仅要满足当地对食物支持的需求，而且要满足许多人在危机时期做一些有意义的事情的迫切愿望）可知。这个项目实施的目的不仅仅是解决人们的食物需求，而且满足许多人在危机时期做一些有意义的事情的迫切愿望，即它已经扩大了其设定时候的目标。故选B。 【6题详解】 词句猜测题。根据划线句前半句“The Sharehouse has regulars”（“共享屋”有常客）后半句“leaving David to wonder what has happened. “I wonder where they are now; what they’re doing. ”（让大卫纳闷到底发生了什么事。“我不知道他们现在在哪里；他们在做什么。）可知，除了常客之外，其他人都不知道去哪了，可推知，划线部分此处指“消失”含义，故选C。 【7题详解】 推理判断题。根据最后一段中“For anyone wanting to volunteer, David’s advice is: “Be led by what inspires you, don’t be frightened and don’t overthink it.””（对于任何想做志愿者的人，大卫的建议是：“被激励你的东西所引导，不要害怕，也不要想太多。”）可知，在David看来，做志愿就要跟随自己的内心，故选A。 （十二） The increased use of light-emitting diodes (LED) and other forms of lighting are now brightening the night sky at a dramatic rate. Research has revealed that light pollution is now causing the night sky to brighten at a rate of around 10% a year, an increase that threatens to ruin the sight of all but the most brilliant stars in a generation. A child born where 250 stars are visible at night today would only be able to see about 100 by the time they reach 18. Physicist Christopher Kyba, of the German Centre for Geosciences told the Observer. “A couple of generations ago, people would have regularly encountered this glittering (闪耀) vision of the universe—but what was formerly universal is now extremely rare.” Nevertheless, the introduction of only a modest number of changes to lighting could make a considerable improvement, Kyba argued. These moves would include ensuring outdoor lights are carefully capped, point downwards, have limits placed on their brightness, and are not predominantly blue-white but have red and orange components. The problem is that light pollution is still not perceived by the public to be a threat. As Professor Oscar Corcho, of Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, has put it: “The negative consequences of light pollution are as unknown by the population as those of smoking in the 80s.” Yet action is now urgently needed. Apart from its astronomical impact, light pollution is harming human health. “When reddish light shines on our bodies, it stimulates mechanisms including those that break down high levels of sugar in the blood. Since the introduction of LEDs, that part of the spectrum (光谱) has been removed from artificial light and it is playing a part in the waves of obesity (肥胖) and rises in diabetes cases we see today,” said Prof Fosbury from University College London (UCL), UCL researchers are preparing to install additional infrared (红外线) lamps in hospitals and intensive care units (ICU) to see if they have an effect on the recovery of patients who would otherwise be starved of light from this part of the spectrum. 12. What does the author want to show by citing the child’s example? A. More objects in the universe will disappear. B. Light pollution is blinding our view of the stars. C. People’s perception of the universe is inadequate. D. New forms of lighting have made stars unnecessary. 13. What does Kyba think of the moves to ease light pollution? A. They are practical. B. They are rarely successful. C. They aren’t worth the effort. D. It takes ages to see the result. 14. What is top on the agenda of solving light pollution? A. Controlling population growth. B. Changing people’s perception. C. Exploring the unknown universe. D. Banning smoking in public places. 15. What does the follow-up study aim to find out about infrared lamps? A. Whether they help patients recover. B. Whether they increase obesity risk. C. Whether they leave people starving. D. Whether they raise blood sugar level. 【答案】12. B 13. A 14. B 15. A 【解析】这是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了光污染给环境和人类健康带来的威胁，以及对红外线光的研究发现。 【12题详解】 推理判断题。根据第一段的“Research has revealed that light pollution is now causing the night sky to brighten at a rate of around 10% a year, an increase that threatens to ruin the sight of all but the most brilliant stars in a generation. A child born where 250 stars are visible at night today would only be able to see about 100 by the time they reach 18.(研究表明，光污染正导致夜空以每年10%左右的速度变亮，这一增长可能会在一代人的时间里毁掉除了最明亮的星星以外的所有人的视线。 一个今天晚上能看到250颗星星的孩子，到18岁时只能看到100颗左右)”推知，用孩子的例子是为了说明光污染使我们看不见星星。故选B。 【13题详解】 推理判断题。根据第二段的“Nevertheless, the introduction of only a modest number of changes to lighting could make a considerable improvement, Kyba argued. These moves would include ensuring outdoor lights are carefully capped, point downwards, have limits placed on their brightness, and are not predominantly blue-white but have red and orange components.(然而，Kyba认为，只要对照明进行适度的改变，就能取得相当大的进步。这些措施将包括确保户外灯被小心地盖上盖子，指向下方，对其亮度进行限制，并且不以蓝白色为主，而是有红色和橙色成分)”推知，Kyba减轻光污染的行动很实用。故选A项。 【14题详解】 细节理解题。根据第三段的“The problem is that light pollution is still not perceived by the public to be a threat.(问题是，公众仍然没有意识到光污染是一种威胁)”和“The negative consequences of light pollution are as unknown by the population as those of smoking in the 80s.(人们对光污染的负面影响一无所知，就像80年代人们对吸烟的负面影响一无所知一样)”可知，解决光污染的首要问题是改变人们的看法，让人们意识到光污染是有害的。故选B。 【15题详解】 细节理解题。根据最后一段“UCL researchers are preparing to install additional infrared (红外线) lamps in hospitals and intensive care units (ICU) to see if they have an effect on the recovery of patients who would otherwise be starved of light from this part of the spectrum.(伦敦大学学院的研究人员正准备在医院和重症监护病房(ICU)安装额外的红外线灯，看看它们是否对患者的康复有影响，否则患者将缺乏这部分光谱的光)”可知，后续研究的目的是找出红外线灯是否有助于患者的康复。故选A。 ( 10 )原创精品资源学科网独家享有版权，侵权必究！ 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $$ 第08讲 阅读理解提升讲解 模块一 思维导图串知识 模块二 基础知识全梳理 模块三 教材习题学解题 模块四 核心考点精准练 模块五 小试牛刀过关测 1.掌握阅读理解这个题型的做题步骤和技巧。 2.学会分析阅读理解的主旨题、细节题、推断题和猜词题。 3.运用做阅读理解的技巧去了解说明文、记叙文、议论文和应用文的考察方向。 （一）阅读理解的四大考察方向： （1）细节理解题（直接细节、间接细节、多段细节） （2）推理判断题（细节推断、写作意图推断、读者对象推断、文章出处推断、观点态度推断、预测下文内容等） （3）词义猜测题（猜测单词、短语和划线的句子代表的含义） （4）主旨大意题（文章整体的主旨、某一个段落的主旨、给文章起一个合适的标题） （二）各种题型的做题技巧： （1）细节理解题 先看题目，了解清楚题意让我们干什么，带着关键词去原文中进行定位，定位时先确定那些带有大写的人名、地名、时间、年代、数字等信息的选项在文章中的位置，然后与选项进行匹配看看是否存在同义句替换的情况。 （2）推理判断题 推断题种类比较多，我们一般是先看选项中是否存在那种太绝对化的词汇，比如说“only/all/must/never”等，这种选项一般可以作为排除项看待，而正确答案一般是表达的意思不是那么绝对，语气上会留下一点余地的选项，比如说“may/might/can/could/probably/possible/something/sometimes”等。 推断作者或者某位专家的观点态度需要我们平时去掌握一些关于支持、喜欢、反对、中立、客观、主观、怀疑等英文词汇。 （3）词义猜测题 一般阅读理解中出现的基本是没有学过的词汇，或者是学过的词汇比较偏的含义，这个时候需要我们在划线单词或者短语附近去寻找有没有解释性的句子或者特殊的标点符号（逗号、冒号、破折号、双引号），这种有可能是对划线单词或者短语含义的间接性解释。 如果猜测是是划线的句子含义，则需要回到原文对所划线的句子进行朗读和上下文的理解，看看选项中是否有出现这个句子的同义句。 （4）主旨大意题 先分析一下文章属于哪种文体，如果是说明文或者新闻报道、议论文这种，一般首段会出现文章的主旨，如果是记叙文或者议论文这种，一般末段会出现主旨。无论是哪种文体，要抓住文章中出现频率比较高的主题词，从而确定文章的主旨大意。 如果是选择最佳标题，则需要简短精悍一点，对读者更有吸引力的那种选项。 教材习题01 A篇最后一段： We offer a competitive salary and benefits package, including health insurance, paid time off, flexible work hours, and opportunities for professional development. We encourage all qualified individuals to apply, regardless of their race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or disability status. 3. What are the benefits offered by ABC Enterprises for employees? A. Health care. B. Retirement plan. C. paid vacation days. D. Paid gym membership. 解题方法 细节理解题。根据最后一段的“We offer a competitive salary and benefits package, including health insurance, paid time off, flexible work hours, and opportunities for professional development. (我们提供有竞争力的薪酬和福利，包括健康保险、带薪休假、灵活的工作时间和职业发展机会)”可知，ABC Enterprises为员工提供有竞争力的薪酬和福利，包括健康保险、带薪休假、灵活的工作时间和职业发展机会。故选C。 【答案】 教材习题02 B篇第三段和第四段： After consulting decades of astronomical records，she used a lamp, a mirror and a round table to respectively symbolize the Sun, the Moon and the Earth. Many Chinese scholars rejected the idea for it had come from the West, to which Wang simply responded, “What counts is the usefulness, no matter whether it is Chinese or Western.” 5. Which of the following best describe Wang’s personalities? A. She was dependent and curious. B. She was intelligent and open-minded. C. She was determined and narrow-minded. D. She was hard-working and emotional. 解题方法 推理判断题。根据第三段中“After consulting decades of astronomical records, she used a lamp, a mirror and a round table to respectively symbolize the Sun, the Moon and the Earth. By moving the objects around, she was able to show that a lunar eclipse happened when the Moon passed directly behind the Earth and moved into its shadow.”可推知，王贞仪很聪明，根据第四段中“Many Chinese scholars rejected the idea for it had come from the West, to which Wang simply responded, “What counts is the usefulness, no matter whether it is Chinese or Western.””可推知，王贞仪思想开放，故选B。 【答案】 考点一 应用文 A Looking for a big-leafed houseplant that will make a statement in your room and decorate yourhome? If so, then you’ve come to the right place! Peace Lily Extremely easy to look after this popular, flowering plant is very tolerant and undemanding. It is a beloved houseplant for its large, glossy oval leaves and unusual white spoon-shaped flowers. Typically blooming in the spring, this lovely plant can effectively brighten up a living space. African Mask Plant This indoor plant is a smaller plant with large dark green leaves that are shaped like a heart. Native to tropical (热带的) parts of Africa, it prefers high heat and high humidity. That can be somewhat a tricky task for the average plant owner to achieve in their home, who is likely to have trouble duplicating (复制) these steamy conditions. Snake plant Commonly referred to as mother-in-law’s tongue, it is one of the easiest houseplants to take care of. With tall, twisting sword-shaped leaves that grow upright, it has air-purifying capabilities and can merrily grow in almost dark corners of the house. But the plant is poisonous to dogs and cats, so it’s wise to keep this plant away from them, if your pets are plant chewers. Kentia Palm Caring for the Kentia Palm plant is very straightforward, which can be neglected for weeks at a time. Quite enjoying a bit of shade, it has big leaves that grow from a narrow base and is great for filling a corner without taking up much floor-space. Place it in front of a blank wall, and its archingfronds (大型复叶) will cast beautiful shadows. 1. Which of the following requires an experienced plant owner? A. Peace Lily. B. African Mask Plant. C. Snake plant. D. Kentia Palm. 2. What do we know about the Snake Plant? A. It poses little danger to dogs and cats. B. It is better for purifying air than others. C. It gets its name from a poisonous snake. D. It grows well in shady areas of the house. 3. What feature do the listed household plants share? A. Distinctive leaves. B. Flowering season. C. Growth temperature. D. Striking size. A From painted coffins, statues and models of daily life, to spectacular wall paintings from the tomb-chapel (小教堂) of the high official Nebamun, investigate what tombs and burial goods tell us about the lives of ancient Egyptian people. The tour will explore the preparation of the dead for burial, including mummification (木乃伊化) and the use of magic to help and protect people on their journey to the afterlife. It offers a rare opportunity to enjoy a guided tour in this space. Galleries on this tour: Room 61: Egyptian life and death: the tomb-chapel of Nebamun (The Michael Cohen Gallery) Room 62- 63: Egyptian death and afterlife: mummies (The Roxie Walker Galleries) Room 64: Early Egypt Booking information The tour will begin at 9: 00 and will last for 60 minutes. Please meet at the main entrance on Great Russell Street (WC1B 3DG) at 8: 50 with your email confirmation. This tour is limited to a maximum of 14 places per session. If you would like to bring a group of 10or more people or arrange a special out-of-hours tour, please email traveltradebookings@britishmuseum.org to discuss your options. To ensure a safe and enjoyable visit, face coverings are recommended for the protection of yourself and others. Please be considerate of people and exercise social distancing where you can. 5 Nov 2022-18 Dec 2022 £33 £30 (Members) £30 (special rates for students, jobseekers, disabled visitors) £16. 50 (Ages 5- 15 years) Free for under 5s and disabled visitors’ assistant (no booking required) 1. How much does it cost for a couple with a four-year-old who are not members? A. ￡60. B. 66. C. 82. 5. D. 96. 2. What can visitors do on this tour? A. Uncover secret spells of magic. B. Inspect tombs and burial goods. C. Appreciate wall paintings of daily life. D. Learn about ancient Egyptian practices. 3. If you plan to travel with a group of 30 tourists, what should you do? A. Arrive before 8: 50 am. B. Wear face coverings. C. Meet at the main entrance. D. Inquire about your choices. 考点二 记叙文 Five-year-old Willard struggled to tell the difference between an M and a W or a 6 and a 9. Unfortunately, his school teacher knew nothing about dyslexia(阅读障碍). She didn’t try to help him. Not surprisingly, Willard didn’t like school. Usually, his mind drifted-to playing outside, to his dog Maxie, or to the ants that lived near his family’s garden shed. Willard was especially curious about those ants. He felt like them-small and insignificant. Thus, one day, noticing that some ants were trying to build a house, he decided to help them and constructed a little building. Then he put sugar inside to encourage the ants to move in. When they did, Willard built more houses. He even built an ant school, with tiny swings, ladders and a merry-go-round. With the passage of time, a love for little things began to grow in his heart. At school, Willard still struggled, but now he knew he could do something special. Maybe he wasn’t a failure after all. When he quit school at age 15 and decided to pursue his dream of becoming one of the best artists in the world, his mother advised him, “The smaller you carve, the bigger your name will become.” So using a powerful microscope, he began to carve grains of sand, bits of fiber, and even specks(小颗粒)of dust. Willard works best at night when there are few disturbances. He calms his body and, holding his breath, he carves between heart beats when blood is not pulsing through his fingertips. He often works for months to complete a sculpture. Then he paints it with bits of acrylics(丙烯画). Willard’s favorite paintbrush is one hair from the back of a dead housefly! His sculptures have made Willard a wealthy man. But he says,“Success isn’t about material things like an expensive watch or a costly ring; it’s about persevering and achieving your dreams.” 4. Why does the author mention Willard’s struggles early on in school? A. To express sympathy for Willard’s misfortune. B. To show the teacher’s ignorance about dyslexia. C. To state why Willard developed interest in little things. D. To describe how Willard felt about insignificant things. 5. What can we infer from his mother’s advice in paragraph 3? A. Best artists center on small carvings. B. It calls for patience to become famous. C. Carving small is a strategy for success. D. Achieving big names makes a difference. 6. How have the tiny sculptures affected Willard? A. He has become a millionaire. B. He has learnt to usemicroscopes well. C. He has recovered from dyslexia. D. He has gained a sense of achievement. 7. What mainly contributes to Willard’s success? A. Enough time and others’ recognition. B. Material pursuit and great enthusiasm. C. Specific goals and great concentration. D. Powerful instruments and proper instructions. When Schauna Austin was 20 years old, she lost her husband to a car crash. Unable to raise a baby alone, she made a difficult decision during pregnancy — to place her baby for adoption. She gave birth to a child she named Riley, and held him for 72 hours straight. “It was perfect,” Austin said about holding her new baby. “I knew I would have him for a short time, so I made every minute count of it. I didn’t sleep for three days, until the time came to let him go.” Her Riley became another family’s Steven. Like most closed adoptions, a firewall went up between Austin and Steven’s new parents — no communication whatsoever. But that only lasted about a week. Adoptive mother Jennifer Schoebinger and her husband, Chris Schoebinger, said they had no interest in excluding the birthmother. “You know, you can’t have too many people loving you, right? Why couldn’t he be both of ours?” Chris Schoebinger said. So, year after year, they sent Austin piles of pictures and bound books detailing Steven’s every major and minor milestone. The Schoebingers said they did this so that when Austin and their son were ready, they could pick up right where they left off. The two reunited when Steven was 7 years old. Austin taught him how to fish, and they have kept in contact ever since. Austin felt blessed beyond words, and Steven felt he got the best of both worlds. Steven is now 26, married, and with a baby boy of his own. Much to the delight of Austin, he named the child Riley. “I think the lesson we learned is that sometimes we create barriers where barriers don’t need to be. And when we pull down those barriers, we really find love on the other side,” Chris Schlesinger said. That love on the other side has continued to grow. The families spend Thanksgiving as one and will of course be getting together again in the days ahead. 4. What does the underlined sentence in the second paragraph mean? A. The less people love you, the better. B. Being loved by many people is desirable. C. There are too many people who care about you. D. It’s a burden to be cared about by too many people. 5. What was Austin’s attitude towards reuniting with her son? A. Grateful. B. Tolerant. C. Uneasy. D. Angry. 6. What can we learn about the Schoebingers from the passage? A. They did not give birth to any children. B. They contacted Austin as soon as they took Steven in. C. They believed it better to get the biological mother involved. D. They felt blessed beyond words when Austin taught Steven how to fish. 7. What does the author want to convey most through the passage? A. Biological parents are crucial to a child’s growth. B. People create barriers where barriers don’t need to be. C. Love is found when we pull down unnecessary barriers. D. Adoptive parents and biological parents should raise children together. 考点三 议论文 If history is “a race between education and catastrophe”, education seemed until recently to be winning. In 1950 only about half of adults globally had any schooling; now at least 85% do. Between 2000 and 2018, the proportion (比例) of school-age children who were not enrolled (使加入) in classes fell from 26% to 17%. But the rapid rise in attendance masked an ugly truth: many pupils were spending years behind desks but learning almost nothing. In 2019 the World Bank started keeping count of the number of children who still cannot read by the time they finish primary school. It found that less than half of ten-year-olds in developing countries could read and understand a simple story. Then the pandemic struck and millions of pupils were locked out of school. It should be noted that globally, the harm that school closures have done to children has vastly outweighed any benefits they may have had for public health. The World Bank says the share of ten-year-olds in middle-and low-income countries who cannot read and understand a simple story has risen from 57% in 2019 to roughly 70%. If they lack such elementary skills, they will struggle to earn a good living. This should be seen for what it is: a global emergency. Nearly every problem that confronts humanity can be alleviated by good schooling. Better-educated people are more likely to work out a cleaner energy source, a cure for malaria or a smarter town plan. If the damage the pandemic has done to education is not reversed (逆转), all these goals will be harder to reach. Politicians talk endlessly about the importance of schooling, but words are cheap and a fit-for-purpose education system is not. Spending has risen modestly in recent decades but fell in many countries during the pandemic. Apart from the money, the education system itself is in urgent need of change: Testing is a mess, leading governments to overestimate levels of literacy. New teachers have been hired but not trained properly. Teachers, who have come through the same education systems they are supposed to be improving, often struggle to teach. The same energy that was once poured into building schools and filling up classrooms should now be used to improve the lessons that take place within them. No more children should stumble (蹒跚而行) through their school days without learning to read or add up. 12. What did the World Bank find out about pupils in 2019? A. They could hardly concentrate in class. B. Many of them had to drop out of school. C. They had difficulty finishing primary school. D. Many of them failed to acquire necessary knowledge. 13. What does the author say about school closures? A. They could well protect children’s health. B. They made matters worse for children. C. They produced unexpected benefits for public health. D. They made it hard for teachers to make a good living. 14. What does the underlined word “alleviated” in Paragraph 3 probably mean? A. reduced B. caused C. described D. strengthened 15. What change needs to be made to the current education system? A. Primary schools should only hire experienced teachers. B. Teachers should be motivated to cooperate with each other. C. A reliable system should be created to test pupils’ knowledge and ability. D. Primary schools should spend more on improving facilities. Discoveries in science and technology are thought by “untaught minds” to come in blinding flashes or as the result of dramatic accidents. Sir Alexander Fleming did not, as legend would have it, look at the mold (霉) on a piece of cheese and get the idea for penicillin there and then. He experimented with antibacterial substances for nine years before he made his discovery. Inventions and innovations almost always come out of tough trial and error. Innovation is like soccer; even the best players miss the goal and have their shots blocked much more frequently than they score. The point is that the players who score most are the ones who take most shots at the goal—and so it goes with innovation in any field of activity. The prime difference between innovation and others is one of approach. Everybody gets ideas, but innovators work consciously on theirs, and they follow them through until they prove practicable or otherwise. What ordinary people see as fanciful abstractions, professional innovators see as solid possibilities. “Creative thinking may mean simply the realization that there’s no particular goodness in doing things the way they have always been done.” Wrote Rudolph Flesch, a language authority. This accounts for our reaction to seemingly simple innovations like plastic garbage bags and suitcases on wheels that make life more convenient: “How come nobody thought of that before?” The creative approach begins with the proposal that nothing be as it appears. Innovators will not accept that there is only one way to do anything. Faced with getting from A to B, the average person will automatically set out on the best-known and apparently simplest route. The innovator will search for alternate courses, which may prove easier in the long run and are sure to be more interesting and challenging even if they lead to dead ends. Highly creative individuals really do march to a different drummer. 12. “Untaught mind” in the first paragraph refers to __________. A. an individual who often comes up with new ideas by accident B. a person who has had no education C. a citizen of a society that restricts personal creativity D. a person ignorant of the hard work involved in experimentation 13. According to the author, what differs innovators from non-innovators? A. The way they present their findings. B. The intelligence they possess. C. The way they deal with problems. D. The variety of ideas they have. 14. The phrase “march to a different drummer” (the last line of the passage) suggests that highly creative individuals are ________. A. devoted to the progress of science B. diligent in pursuing their goals C. concerned about the advance of society D. unwilling to follow common ways of doing things 15. The most suitable title for this passage might be ________. A. What Are So Special about Creative Individuals B. The Relation Between Creation and Diligence C. Discoveries and Innovation D. To Be a Creative Expert in the Study of Human Creativity 考点四 说明文 In Japan’s northeast Miyagi county, residents can find life partners via a government-sponsored, Artificial Intelligence-driven matchmaking service. Throughout the land, there are public and company-sponsored singles parties and “life design workshops” meant to urge young adults to make a concrete timeline for marriage and family. The city of Tokyo even teaches basic dating skills, such as the art of conversation. Japan has the fastest-aging population of any post-industrial nation on earth. The current total birth rate -- the average number of children that would be born to a woman over her lifetime -- is1.3, well below the “replacement level” of 2.1 kids per woman, which is broadly accepted as the rate needed to ensure a stable population. A periodic survey by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research found close to a fifth of men and about 15% of women expressing disinterest in marriage. Almost a third of men and a fifth of women in their fifties in Japan have never been married. The country’s leadership is convinced that more marriages are the answer, so Japan’s new Children and Families Agency set to launch in April, will offer “marriage support service” in each of Japan’s 47 counties. But many experts say the only way Japan can really save itself is by getting rid of the “male breadwinner, female carer” norms (准则) that continue to support policymaking and corporate management. “Post-industrial countries(like Sweden) that made it possible to balance work and family have not suffered large declines in birth rates,” Harvard sociologist Mary Brinton noted in arecent presentation. Professor Masahiro Yamada, a sociologist at Chuo University, is doubtful whether Japan will escape its existential crisis. “It’s not a problem of matchmaking. It’s an issue of more men with unstable incomes,” he said. “Even among regular workers, relative incomes are falling.” Lower incomes are far more of a discouragement to marriage in East Asia than in the U.S. or Europe, Yamada says, as Asian men put more emphasis on unilaterally(单方面)earning enough to support children. A truly effective policy, he argues, would double or triple investment in families instead of seniors. “Japan is going to sink, right along with its birth rate,” he warned. “And South Korea and China will be right behind us.” 8. What’s the function of AI-driven matchmaking service? A.To offer a platform for seeking life partners. B. To update the country’s basic dating service. C. To sponsor residents to attend singles parties. D. To teach young Japanese how to go on dates. 9. What can we learn from paragraphs 2 and 3? A. Birth rate in Japan is higher than aging rate. B. Japan’s population structure is out of balance. C. Most of the Japanese dislike children or seniors. D. Women are less likely to marry than men in Japan. 10. What does Masahiro Yamada think of the matchmaking service? A. It leads to an increase of income. B. It touches the surface of the issue. C. It saves Japan from the present crisis. D. It departs from Japan’s existing norm. 11. What can be a suitable title for the text? A. Can Japan increase its birth rate? B. Will the service catch on in Japan? C. Will Japanese men’s incomes rise? D. Can Japanese balance work and family? Gracing every continent of the Earth, wetlands are essential to the planet’s health, often compared to its vital organs， acting as arteries (动脉)that carry water and as kidneys(肾脏)that filter(过滤)harmful substances. Wetlands serve as protectors: they form protective barriers against tsunamis and absorb the excess rainfall. During the dry season in dry climates, wetlands release the stored water which helps delay the attack of drought and reduce water shortages. They also store vast quantities of carbon, helping ease climate change. Home to some of the most diverse and rich ecosystems, wetlands support one billion people.40 percent of all plant and animal species live or breed in wetlands. World Wetlands Day is observed each year on 2 February to increase people’s understanding ofthe importance of wetlands and raise awareness of the urgent need to protect the threatened natural treasure. “We are proud to join in this celebration and recognize the unique and valuable ecosystemservices provided by wetlands. We are committed to doing our part to conserve and protect wetlands,and we are calling on all of you to join us in this vital cause,” said UNCCD (The United NationsConvention to Combat Desertification) Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw. To date, nearly 90 percent of the world’s wetlands have been degraded or lost,with 35 percentin the last 5O years alone. That is why on this World Wetlands Day,UNCCD is joining the RamsarConvention on Wetlands and other partners to highlight the examples of countries and communities making strides in wetland restoration. As stressed by the UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw, successful wetland restoration requires a joint effort from governments, civil society and the private sector. Investments in science for technology innovation, infrastructure for effective management and financial mechanisms for project implementation(实施)can turn the tide toward a better futurefor wetlands. 12. Why are wetlands essential to us? A. They help fight against viruses. B. They offer clean drinking water. C. They maintain ecological balance. D. They prevent the natural disasters. 13. How does the author present the current situation of wetlands in paragraph 5? A. By giving examples. B. By listing figures. C. By making comparisons. D. By analyzing causes. 14. What do the underlined words “turn the tide” mean in paragraph 6? A. Follow the trend. B. Break the ice. C. Run the risk. D. Change the game. 15. What is the text mainly about? A. Wetland ecosystem. B. Wetland restoration. C. Wetland exploration. D. Wetland biodiversity. （一） The term “quiet quitting” went viral last year, describing people who stay in their jobs but mentally take a step back for example, working the bare minimum and not making their job the center of their lives. Now in 2023, there is a new workplace trend on the horizon, called “quiet hiring”. Quiet hiring is a strategy used to fill the critical gaps in a company without hiring new employees. One company has a limited amount of talent and needs to make a call about where it’s going to have the best impact. This year it may need to add five more data scientists to its team to meet the strategic goals. As a solution, it may move five employees from another department only for a short time, like data analysts in the human resources and marketing department, into the five open data scientist roles. In this case, the boss is saying, “We’re going to intentionally deprioritize support for HR and marketing for the next six months so that we can increase the productivity of our data science team, and we are saying this sound and clearly. Everyone knows this.” The important distinction with quiet hiring is that a company is openly communicating with employees about its priorities and moving employees to areas that serve those priorities, instead of just loading employees with more work or simply hiring more people. While being assigned to a new role may seem scary, quiet hiring should be beneficial to employees. If you were asked to take on additional responsibilities, it would indicate your value. Meantime you might say, “If it’s not possible to increase my payment, can we make it so that I can work from home five days a week, reducing my commute (通勤) costs? Or, could I work flexible hours, making it easier for me to live the rest of my life?” An individual conversation may be ineffective. If you’re part of a department or team being asked to switch roles, employ that power and approach human resources as a group. 8. What does the strategy of quiet hiring refer to? A. Adding more positions. B. Training new employees. C. Employing new talent secretly. D. Shifting existing staff to new posts. 9. What is the feature of a company’s handling quiet hiring? A. Innovations are highly valued. B. Employees are burdened with overwork. C. Roles of departments are changed regularly. D. Personnel changes are announced beforehand. 10. What suggestion does the author offer to employees? A. Negotiate on extra jobs. B. Take on new roles as a team. C. Shoulder more duties on work. D. Balance between work and life. 11. Which is a suitable title for the text? A. Hiring more or less? B. Quiet quitting or quiet hiring? C. Quiet hiring: A workplace debate D. Quiet hiring: An upcoming tendency （二） Parenting styles have evolved over the years in response to the rapid social changes. Whether it is tapping technology or applying the best parenting practices, parents nowadays generally invest more time in finding out how best to raise their child. Modern parents have access to the internet and social media for ideal parenting advice and tips. There are also numerous parenting groups for different age groups on social media that parents can join. A parent can post questions from how to manage the constant cries of an infant to how to talk to a moody teenager, and chances are, the parent will be flooded instantly with advice and relevant articles. The availability of resources has helped modern parents to be more involved and supportive of their children’s development, academically, emotionally and socially. Modern parents are also keener to find out about effective parenting methods to raise disciplined and confident children. Meanwhile, one of modern parenting styles, helicopter parenting, arises. When parents become over-involved, over-concerned and over-controlling, they start helping children with what they are capable of on their own, for example, selecting activities and friends for them. Such a parenting style can restrict the children’s ability to handle responsibilities independently. Children might be ill-equipped with life skills such as operating a stove or monitoring their schoolwork. Overprotecting children from failures may also be prevented from developing resilience (韧性) and acquiring skills like problem-solving. On the other hand, parents in the past tended to supervise (监管) less. Children were given more control over how they managed their schoolwork and the friends they chose to play with. They were often expected to shoulder the responsibilities of caring for younger siblings and managing household chores. Living in the preinternet era, parents were less informed about different parenting approaches and personalities. There is no one right way to raise a child and there is no need to doubt about the best parenting style. Each child is unique and should be raised differently by parents who are present, but not hovering (盘旋);who are supportive but not controlling; and who protect but not spoil. 12. What does the author explain by mentioning “an infant” and “a moody teenager” in paragraph 2? A. Devotion to kids. B. Easy access to guidance. C. Effective parenting. D. Tricky parenting problems. 13. What does paragraph 3 mainly talk about concerning modern parenting? A. Its benefits. B. Its influence. C. Its characteristics. D. Its type. 14. What can we learn about parents in the past? A. They had strengths and weaknesses in parenting. B. They were wiser than modern parents in1 parenting. C. They were to blame for child development prospect. D. They contributed to the children’s well-rounded abilities. 15. What is the purpose of writing the article? A. To recommend how to parent wisely. B. To appeal to learn from modern parents. C. To inform how parenting has changed. D. To introduce two parenting strategies. （三） A Reader’s Digest has partnered with Rest Less Events to bring you online talks, virtual tours, fitness classes and much more — all to enjoy from the comfort of your own home — join today for FREE! Who are Rest Less Events? Rest Less Events are one of the most popular websites for online events and already loved and trusted by more than 45,000 people. They aim to bring like-minded people together through shared interests and experiences, with an emphasis on general well-being. Altogether, there are over 100 online events each month to try. How does it work? Sign up by means of the online registration form at Rest Less Events. Then you can look through the calendar of upcoming events and see what takes your fancy. Once you register for an event, you will then receive a link on email ready for you to join the live event, but don’t worry if your plans change and you can’t make it, because you will be able to watch the recording later at a more convenient time. Best of all, it’s completely FREE to join. Join Rest Less Events today and you get to enjoy any 4 events every month, for free! If you’re up for more, then you can either select and book additional events on a pay-as-you-go basis, or you can upgrade to Premium (高品质的) membership giving you full free access to all events for only £4.99 per month. If you choose to go for the Premium membership, there’s no contract. You simply upgrade your membership and you can cancel anytime –– no questions asked. 1. What is the main purpose of the passage? A. To teach people new skills. B. To provide people with virtual tours. C. To help people make like-minded friends. D. To appeal to people to participate in the events. 2. What can you do if you miss a live event? A. You can join it another day. B. You can register for it again. C. You can watch the recording. D. You can write an email for a link. 3. How can you enjoy more events? A. By signing up an online contract. B. By joining Rest Less Events today. C. By booking additional events for free. D. By paying to upgrade your membership. （四） So many well-fed cats have achieved fame in today’s world of social media that it is difficult to imagine a time when the funny behavior of cats went largely unrecorded. Fortunately, creative types have long seemed to enjoy their company and some past literary greats were only too happy to put pen to paper in celebration of their favourite cats. Dr Samuel Johnson, is best remembered today for compiling (编纂) the first modern English Dictionary. The entry for cats is hardly flattering: “A domestic animal that catches mice, commonly considered by naturalists the lowest order of the lionlike species.” Yet, Johnson is known to have been devoted to his own pets, particularly Hodge, whom he once famously described as “a very fine cat indeed”. During the Bronte sisters’ childhood, the three famous 19th-century novelists enjoyed the company of a black cat, named Tom. Charlotte included a description of a pet in Jane Eyre, while Emily wrote an essay in French in praise of cats entitled Le Chat. The title character of Anne’s first novel, Agnes Grey, decides her future husband is the man for her when he rescues a cat. Edgar Allan Poe’s story, The Black Cat, is so vivid in its description of animal cruelty that it is difficult to imagine its author as an animal lover. Yet, in real life Allan and his cat Catterina were so obviously devoted to each other that, in 1849, they passed away at the exact same moment even though they were many miles apart. Cats appear in some of the US humorist and novelist’s best-known works such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Twain’s favourite cat was Bambino, whom he taught to switch off the lamp at night and took great delight in having it show off this party trick when visitors came to the house. In the early 1940s, Hemingway moved to Cuba. Boise became the author’s constant companion. Hemingway later featured a cat of the same name in his novel, Islands in the Stream, which shared many characteristics of his real-life cat including a fondness for hunting fruit rats. 4. What is Paragraph 1 mainly about? A. The majority of people recorded their pet cats. B. Some past creative people liked cats and wrote about them. C. Most of the funny behavior of cats was not recorded. D. Modern people like to show off their cats on social media. 5. What does the underlined sentence mean in Paragraph 2? A. The cat in the entry is vividly described. B. The description makes the cat attractive. C. The definition of the cat is objective. D. The entry for the cat is eye-catching. 6. How was the cat described in the story The Black Cat ? A. Devoted. B. Adorable. C. Merciless. D. Reliable. 7. What did the past literary greats mentioned have in common? A. They enjoyed the company of their pet cats. B. They took great delight in showing off their cats. C. They named the cats in their works after their pet cats. D. They achieved fame because of the cats they wrote about. （五） A Journey Back in Time with Scholars Classical Provence(13days) Journey through the beautiful countryside of Provence，France，with Prof. Ori Z. Soltes. We will visit some of the best-preserved Roman monuments in the world. Our tour also includes a chance to walk in the footsteps of Van Gogh and Gauguin. Fields of flowers, tile-roofed(瓦屋顶)villages and tasty meals enrich this wonderful experience. Southern Spain(15days) Spain has lovely white towns and the scent(芳香)of oranges，but it is also a treasury of ancient remains including the cities left by the Greeks，Romans and Arabs. As we travel south from Madrid with Prof. Ronald Messier to historic Toledo，Roman Merida and into Andalucia, we explore historical monuments and architecture. China’s Sacred Landscapes(21days) Discover the China of “past ages,” its walled cities，temples and mountain scenery with Prof. Robert Thorp. Highlights(精彩之处)include China’s most sacred peaks at Mount Tai and Hangzbou’s rolling hills，waterways and peaceful temples. We will wander in traditional small towns and end our tour with an exceptional museum in Shanghai. Tunisia(17days) Join Prof. Pedar Foss on our in-depth Tunisian tour. Tour highlights include the Roman city of Dougga，the underground Numidian capital at Bulla Regia, Roman Sbeitla and the remote areas around Tataouine and Matmata，uique for underground cities. Our journey takes us to picturesque Berber villages and lovely beaches. 1. What can visitors see in both Classical Provence and Southern Spain？ A. Historical monuments. B. Fields of flowers. C. Van Gogh’s paintings. D. Greek buildings. 2. Which country is Prof. Thorp most knowledgeable about？ A.France. B. Spain. C. China. D. Tunisia. 3. Which of the following highlight the Tunisian tour？ A. White towns. B. Underground cities. C. Tile-roofed villages. D. Rolling hills. （六） When he moved from South Africa to New York City, Norman Rosenthal noticed he felt more depressed during the cold, short days of the city’s winters than he had in his home country. “It was an illness hiding in plain sight because people said ‘well that’s how everyone feels in winter.’ They didn’t see it as treatable,” says Rosenthal, a doctor at Georgetown Medical School. In 1984, he published the first paper to scientifically name the winter blues: Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also called seasonal depression, was a type of depression brought on by the dark days of winter. Following studies have found that this form of depression varies by geography. And, surprisingly, about 10 percent of patients suffering from SAD have symptoms (症状) in the summertime instead. “It’s fairly accepted that the cause is a short photo-period — the number of hours from dawn to dusk,” says Kelly Rohan, a psychologist at the University of Vermont who specializes in the disorder. “It’s the strongest predictor of when the symptoms begin.” But why, exactly, does less daylight seem to make some people clinically depressed? “That’s the million-dollar question,” says Rohan. One leading theory is that the change in daylight interrupts our bodies’ release of a chemical element, which the brain releases every night to promote sleep. That is to say, there is a natural biological clock in our body controlling when we sleep and wake. Our clocks are reminded by morning light, but as the supply of daylight decreases in winter, the chemical element may be released later and wear off later, the theory suggests. That means, “that alarm clock might be going off in the morning, but the body is still in a state of biological night,” says Rohan. Even given that theory, she says it’s still unclear why the interrupted biological clock can lead to depression, instead of just feeling worn out. For those who think they may be experiencing SAD, experts say a professional diagnosis (诊断) is a vital first step toward treatment. 12. Where is this text probably taken from? A. A story collection. B. A science magazine. C. A health proposal. D. An academic paper. 13. Why did Rosenthal feel more depressed in New York in winter? A. Because he missed his home. B. Because the days there are shorter. C. Because he caught a bad cold. D. Because he had a hidden illness. 14. What does the underlined word “It” refer to in Paragraph 4? A. The cause. B. The disorder. C. The short photo-period. D. The number of hours. 15. What can we learn about SAD from the text? A. SAD patients just feel tired out. B. Everyone suffers from it in winter. C. SAD patients are less likely to be cured. D. It’s probably caused by interrupted biological clock. （七） I must have always known reading was very important because the first memories I have as a child deal with books. There was not one night that I don’t remember mom reading me a storybook by my bedside. I was extremely inspired by the elegant way the words sounded. I always wanted to know what my mom was reading. Hearing mom say, “I can’t believe what’s printed in the newspaper this morning,” made me want to grab it out of her hands and read it myself. I wanted to be like my mom and know all of the things she knew. So I carried around a book, and each night, just to be like her, I would pretend to be reading. This is how everyone learned to read. We would start off with sentences, then paragraphs, and then stories. It seemed an unending journey, but even as a six-year-old girl I realized that knowing how to read could open many doors. When mom said, “The C-A-N-D-Y is hidden on the top shelf,” I knew where the candy was. My progress in reading raised my curiosity, and I wanted to know everything. I often found myself telling my mom to drive more slowly, so that I could read all of the road signs we passed. Most of my reading through primary, middle and high school was factual reading. I read for knowledge, and to make A’s on my tests. Occasionally, I would read a novel that was assigned, but I didn’t enjoy this type of reading. I liked facts, things that are concrete. I thought anything abstract left too much room for argument. Yet, now that I’m growing and the world I once knew as being so simple is becoming more complex, I find myself needing away to escape. By opening a novel, I can leave behind my burdens and enter into a wonderful and mysterious world where I am now a new character. In these worlds I can become anyone. I don’t have to write down what happened or what technique the author was using when he or she wrote this. I just read to relax. We’re taught to read because it’s necessary for much of human understanding. Reading is a vital part of my life. Reading satisfies my desire to keep learning. And I’ve found that the possibilities that lie within books are limitless. 4. Why did the author want to grab the newspaper out of mom’s hands? A. She wanted mom to read the news to her. B. She was anxious to know what had happened. C. She couldn’t wait to tear the newspaper apart. D. She couldn’t help but stop mom from reading. 5. According to Paragraph 3, what did the author’s reading of road signs indicate? A. Her unique way to locate herself. B. Her eagerness to develop her reading ability. C. Her effort to remind mom to obey traffic rules. D. Her growing desire to know the world around her. 6. What was the author’s view on factual reading? A. It would help her update test-taking skills. B. It would allow much room for free thinking. C. It would provide true and objective information. D. It would help shape a realistic and serious attitude to life. 7. What could be the best title for the passage? A. The Magic of Reading B. The Pleasure of Reading C. Growing Up with Reading D. Reading Makes a Full Man （八） When you were trying to figure out what to buy for the environmentalist on your holiday list, fur probably didn’t cross your mind. But some ecologists and fashion (时装)enthusiasts are trying to bring back the market for fur made from nutria(海狸鼠). Unusual fashion shows in New Orleans and Brooklyn have showcased nutria fur made into clothes in different styles. “It sounds crazy to talk about guilt-free fur-unless you understand that the nutria are destroying vast wetlands every year”, says Cree McCree, project director of Righteous Fur. Scientists in Louisiana were so concerned that they decided to pay hunters $5 a tail. Some of the fur ends up in the fashion shows like the one in Brooklyn last month. Nutria were brought there from Argentina by fur farmers and let go into the wild. “The ecosystem down there can’t handle this non-native species(物种).It’s destroying the environment. It’s them or us.” says Michael Massimi an expert in this field. The fur trade kept nutria in check for decades，but when the market for nutria collapsed in the late 1980s，the cat-sized animals multiplied like crazy. Biologist Edmond Mouton runs the nutria control program for Louisiana. He says it’s not easy to convince people that nutria fur is green, but he has no doubt about it. Hunters bring in more than 300,000 nutria tails a year, so part of Mouton’s job these days is trying to promote fur. Then there’s Righteous Fur and its unusual fashion. Model Paige Morgan says，”To give people a guilt-free option that they can wear without someone throwing paint on them-I think that’s going to be a massive thing, at least here in New York.” Designer Jennifer Anderson admits it took her a while to come around to the opinion that using nutria fur for her creations is morally acceptable. She is trying to come up with a label to attach to nutria fashions to show it is eco-friendly. 8. What is the purpose of the fashion shows in New Orleans and Brooklyn? A. To promote guilt-free fur. B. To expand the fashion market. C. To introduce a new brand. D. To celebrate a winter holiday. 9. Why are scientists concerned about nutria? A. Nutria damage the ecosystem seriously. B. Nutria are an endangered species. C. Nutria hurt local cat-sized animals. D. Nutria are illegally hunted. 10. What does the underlined word “collapsed” in paragraph 5 probably mean? A. Boomed. B. Became mature. C. Remained stable. D. Crashed. 11. What can we infer about wearing fur in New York according to Morgan? A. It’s formal. B. It’s risky. C. It’s harmful. D. It’s traditional. （九） In a world where nearly 6 million fingerprint records of government employees are stolen in one computer hack(非法侵入), and here millions of people are victims of identity theft every year, the next step in cyber security may well be mapping your brain. Researchers at Binghamton University, State University of New York are working on a biometric(生物特征识别的)system that records how your brain reacts to certain images. With a little more polishing, the scientists’ brainchild could become the way you get into a safe deposit box, your office or past scanners at the airport. It could replace the password for your online banking, your email or your social media accounts. They started their project by measuring the brain waves of 30 subjects. The subjects were fitted with a cap that had 30 electrodes(电极)attached to it, and then shown various images and symbols — celebrity faces, words, pictures of food — on a computer screen in 200-millisecond bursts. The brain’s reaction was recorded. The idea is that every time a person needs to use a “password”, he or she goes through the same procedure, and the results are matched with their first­time reaction. If the “brainprint” is cracked — like what happened with the fingerprint records — then the system is merely reset by running another set of images and collecting a different set of brain waves. “Even if that was stolen, you could just cancel it and record one to something else”, says professor Laszlo. Laszlo and her team have shown that their system can be 100 percent accurate. So one of the more difficult parts of making the system practical already has been overcome. Now, they’re spending much time recording accurate brainprints with as few as three electrodes, which could make recording in the future as easy as wearing a pair of special glasses. They’re also working with cheaper materials and different methods to see if they can bring the cost down. 12. What does the underlined word “brainchild” in Paragraph 2 refer to? A. The brain function. B. The fingerprint record. C. The biometric system. D. The online password. 13. Why were the images and symbols shown to the subjects? A. To create their brainprints. B. To check the brain’s reaction. C. To match brainprints with pictures. D. To connect brain waves to electrodes. 14. What will happen when a brainprint fails? A. A spare one will be ready beforehand. B. A new one will be set again. C. The users’ security will be leaked. D. The fingerprint record will replace it. 15. What are the researchers doing with the program now? A. Making it user-friendly. B. Improving its accuracy. C. Recording more brainprints. D. Increasing the number of electrodes. （十） A The Ragged School Museum In a nutshell In 1877 Dr Thomas Barnardo opened the Copperfield Road Free School, the largest of three ragged schools (charitable institutions that offered the poorest children a free education) in a row of three storehouses in East London. Now an underfunded, independent museum (opened in 1990), a small exhibition offers an insight into how tough life was in east London in the late 1800s, but the highlight is one of the original classrooms where visitors can attend a lesson led by an actor in Victorian costume. The museum is in the second phase of applying far a lottery grant (彩票福利基金), which will allow it to make vital repairs to the largest of the three storehouses, though the aim is to keep the authentic (真正的) atmosphere of the building. Getting there Easiest by car. The train station is a 30-minute walk away and trains are infrequent. A limited bus service from Liskeard drops you 20 minutes away. Parking is free right outside the gates. Opening hours 10am—6pm Monday—Saturday. Last entry: 5:30pm. Outside these times the museum runs a schools programme, with 16,000 school children coming through the doors each year. Value for money? A little pricey, but the ticket is valid for a year. Entry is £18 adult, £ 13 child, family tickets £37. 60 (1+3 children) or £49. 60 (2+3). Verdict (评价) 8/10. Lots of ideas, interactive activities and friendly, knowledgeable staff. This is an authentic slice of East End history that strives (努力) to inspire children through its work. 1. What does the Ragged School Museum offer to visitors? A. An option to keep its buildings in shape. B. A platform to raise money for its major repair. C. An insight into the British theatre in the 1800s. D. A chance to step back in time for a Victorian lesson. 2. How much would a couple with their three children pay for admission? A. £37. 60. B. £49. 60. C. £57. D. £75. 3. What do we know about the Ragged School Museum? A. It charges parking fees. B. It is beneficial to children. C. It is only accessible by car. D. It has varied opening hours. （十一） David is a retired teacher. In October 2020, when the House of Commons voted against extending free school meals into the holidays, David started strategising with the school headteacher: “I said: ‘What are we going to do about this?’” At the last minute, the local council stepped in to fund free holiday meals but a seed had been planted, leaving David pondering (沉思) the wider issue of local food poverty. “It was evident there was a need for food support within the area,” says David. David contacted a group of local residents who had expressed an interest, plus two friends who had worked with the UK food bank charity the Trussell Trust—inviting them to join him on a Zoom call to discuss food poverty during the Covid crisis and beyond. “We decided, everybody together, that we could do something,” David says. The group recruited (招募) volunteers and the project took shape. They chose the name “The Sharehouse”, rather than “food bank”, to reflect the fact that the project would meet not only the need for local food support, but also the pressing desire many expressed to do something meaningful at a time of crisis. “It’s like an exchange, rather than a bank,” says David. The nonprofit opened just six weeks after that first call in December 2020. “We had seven people,” says David, but by the following week, they had 40 clients, and it built steadily. Now they support 100-plus families three times a week, and have gone from having 12 volunteers to about 40. It has also worked with local services to offer support on everything from addiction to debt and benefits advice. Welcoming a client for the first time is often one of the hardest moments. “Having to sit with somebody new and let it unfold—it’s very raw.” The Sharehouse has regulars, but other people fall off the radar, leaving David to wonder what has happened. “I wonder where they are now; what they’re doing. It can be emotional.” The Sharehouse serves as a reminder of how effective collective action and community can be. For anyone wanting to volunteer, David’s advice is: “Be led by what inspires you, don’t be frightened and don’t overthink it.” 4. Why did David found the Sharehouse? A. Some of his neighbours are going hungry B. The authorities denied local food poverty C. He wanted to compete with the food bank charity D. Local residents are unwilling to fund free holiday meals. 5. What do we know about the Sharehouse? A. It has made a huge profit. B. It has expanded its ambitions. C. It presses local people to donate. D. It exchanges food with the food bank. 6. What does the underlined part in Paragraph 5 mean? A. Complain. B. Struggle. C. Disappear. D. Proceed. 7. What is David’s advice to potential volunteers? A. Follow your heart. B. Think before you act. C. Provide for a rainy day. D. Do as the Romans do. （十二） The increased use of light-emitting diodes (LED) and other forms of lighting are now brightening the night sky at a dramatic rate. Research has revealed that light pollution is now causing the night sky to brighten at a rate of around 10% a year, an increase that threatens to ruin the sight of all but the most brilliant stars in a generation. A child born where 250 stars are visible at night today would only be able to see about 100 by the time they reach 18. Physicist Christopher Kyba, of the German Centre for Geosciences told the Observer. “A couple of generations ago, people would have regularly encountered this glittering (闪耀) vision of the universe—but what was formerly universal is now extremely rare.” Nevertheless, the introduction of only a modest number of changes to lighting could make a considerable improvement, Kyba argued. These moves would include ensuring outdoor lights are carefully capped, point downwards, have limits placed on their brightness, and are not predominantly blue-white but have red and orange components. The problem is that light pollution is still not perceived by the public to be a threat. As Professor Oscar Corcho, of Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, has put it: “The negative consequences of light pollution are as unknown by the population as those of smoking in the 80s.” Yet action is now urgently needed. Apart from its astronomical impact, light pollution is harming human health. “When reddish light shines on our bodies, it stimulates mechanisms including those that break down high levels of sugar in the blood. Since the introduction of LEDs, that part of the spectrum (光谱) has been removed from artificial light and it is playing a part in the waves of obesity (肥胖) and rises in diabetes cases we see today,” said Prof Fosbury from University College London (UCL), UCL researchers are preparing to install additional infrared (红外线) lamps in hospitals and intensive care units (ICU) to see if they have an effect on the recovery of patients who would otherwise be starved of light from this part of the spectrum. 12. What does the author want to show by citing the child’s example? A. More objects in the universe will disappear. B. Light pollution is blinding our view of the stars. C. People’s perception of the universe is inadequate. D. New forms of lighting have made stars unnecessary. 13. What does Kyba think of the moves to ease light pollution? A. They are practical. B. They are rarely successful. C. They aren’t worth the effort. D. It takes ages to see the result. 14. What is top on the agenda of solving light pollution? A. Controlling population growth. B. Changing people’s perception. C. Exploring the unknown universe. D. Banning smoking in public places. 15. What does the follow-up study aim to find out about infrared lamps? A. Whether they help patients recover. B. Whether they increase obesity risk. C. Whether they leave people starving. D. Whether they raise blood sugar level. ( 10 )原创精品资源学科网独家享有版权，侵权必究！ 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $$