外刊阅读理解测试1-2025届高三英语上学期一轮复习专项

1. Italy Cheers Discovery of Ancient Bronze Statues Archeologists have discovered more than twenty bronze statues from ancient Roman times in Tuscany, Italy over the past few weeks. They said the statues were well protected in thermal baths and are calling the discovery “exceptional.” The statues were found in the town of San Casciano dei Bagni, about 160 kilometers north of Rome. It is a place where archaeologists have explored the ancient ruins of a bathhouse for the past three years. Jacopo Tabolli is a professor at the University for Foreigners in Siena, Italy. He is the lead archaeologist on the project. He told Reuters on Tuesday, “It is a very significant, exceptional finding.” Tabolli said the statues represent Greco-Roman religious figures like Apollo, the god of the sun. He explained that they were used to honor a holy place before they were put into the thermal baths as part of a ceremony during the height of the Roman Empire, “probably around the 1st century AD.” Tabolli said about the ceremony, “You give to the water because you hope that the water gives something back to you.” The hot waters of San Casciano helped to protect the statues, which Tabolli said were, “almost like as on the day they were immersed.” There were 24 large statues and several smaller ones. And they were also covered with nearly 6,000 bronze, silver, and gold coins. Tabolli said that the use of bronze for the statues was unusual. At that time, statues were normally made from terracotta or red clay from the earth. This suggests that the bronze statues were made by a high-level group of people. Italy’s Culture Ministry said the statues come from the 2nd century BC and the 1st century AD. That period was a time of great change in Tuscany as government rule moved from Etruscan to Roman. Many conflicts and cultural exchanges happened during this time. The bathhouse of San Casciano was a safe place for those escaping unrest and war to share culture and language, the ministry said. Gennaro Sangiuliano is Italy’s Culture Minister. He welcomed the finding and said that it would help with tourism. “This is an exceptional discovery which confirms once again that Italy is a country of immense and unique treasures,” Sangiuliano said in a statement. ANSA, the Italian news agency reported that the statues will be cleaned and repaired before returning to San Casciano dei Bagi for a new museum. 1. What event recently sparked excitement in Italy? A. The unveiling of a modern art exhibit B. The discovery of ancient bronze statues C. A famous Italian festival D. The opening of a new museum 1. Where were the ancient bronze statues found? A. In a hidden cave B. Underwater in the sea C. In a historic city D. In a suburban garden 1. How are the ancient bronze statues significant to Italy? A. They are reminders of Italy’s modern history B. They offer insights into ancient artistic techniques C. They represent contemporary Italian culture D. They are related to Italian fashion 1. What is the reaction of historians and archaeologists to the discovery? A. They are indifferent and see no importance B. They are excited and eager to study the statues C. They are skeptical about the authenticity D. They are concerned about their preservation 1. What might be a potential impact of this discovery on tourism in Italy? A. It will likely decrease tourist visits B. It could attract more visitors interested in history C. It has no effect on tourism whatsoever D. It will lead to the closure of local attractions 2. Study: Tonga Volcano Blasted Particles and Water High into Atmosphere New research shows that the Tonga volcano sent large amounts of particles and water vapor into the upper reaches of Earth’s atmosphere. Scientists used satellite equipment to measure the plume created by the Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai undersea volcano. The blast, or eruption, of the volcano happened in January in the South Pacific near the island nation of Tonga. The 10-minute eruption caused a series of large ocean waves, known as a tsunami, to hit areas around the world. The huge plume the volcano created included smoke, gas and water vapor. Researchers at Britain’s University of Oxford studied the size of the plume and examined data showing how high it reached into the sky. They reported in a recent study in the publication Science the volcano produced the highest-ever reported plume. The plume was the first to have broken through to the “mesosphere” level, or layer, of Earth’s atmosphere, the scientists said. The mesosphere is the third-highest layer of Earth’s atmosphere above the stratosphere and the troposphere, which starts at the Earth’s surface. The mesosphere rises to 85 kilometers high. Meteors burn up within this layer. The Oxford scientists said images captured by satellites suggested the volcano’s plume reached 57 kilometers into the sky. They said the previous record holder was Mount Pinatubo, which erupted in 1991. That volcano created a plume recorded as high as 40 kilometers. “It’s the first time we’ve ever recorded a volcanic plume reaching the mesosphere,” said Simon Proud, a scientist at Oxford and Britain’s scientific research center RAL Space. Proud added that the only other volcanic plume that might have reached the mesosphere might have been released in the eruption in 1883 of Krakatau, a small volcanic island in Indonesia. “But we didn’t see that in enough detail to confirm,” he said. The researchers said progress in observational technology helped them reach their findings. The team used a method known as the “parallax effect” to measure the volcano’s plume. The parallax effect describes a difference in the apparent position of an object when it is seen along two different lines of sight. The scientists said they used the parallax effect to examine the images captured from above by satellites. Proud said his team was helped by satellites that recorded images every 10 minutes after the eruption, permitting them to document quick changes in the plume’s movements. “Thirty years ago, when Pinatubo erupted, our satellites were nowhere near as good as they are now,” he said. “They could only scan the earth every 30 minutes. Or maybe even every hour.” In a separate study, NASA researchers reported in August that the Tonga volcano also blasted a huge amount of water vapor into Earth’s atmosphere. The space agency researchers said the vapor reached into the stratosphere, which stretches 50 kilometers high. But the amount of water vapor blasted into the atmosphere would have been enough to fill more than 58,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools. “We’ve never seen anything like it,” said Luis Millán, an atmospheric scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. · Millán examined data from an instrument on NASA’s Aura satellite, which measures atmospheric gases, including water vapor. After the Tonga volcano erupted, NASA scientists started seeing extremely high vapor readings. The NASA study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, estimated the plume injected an amount of vapor equal to about 10 percent of the water that already existed in the stratosphere. That was nearly four times the amount of water vapor scientists estimate the Mount Pinatubo eruption sent into the stratosphere, the researchers said. NASA said the large amount of water vapor could have been enough to temporarily affect Earth’s average temperature. This is because water vapor traps heat. However, the team noted that this effect would disappear over time when the extra water vapor “cycles out” of the stratosphere. This means the presence of the water vapor would not be enough to greatly affect climate change. 1. What recent event is the research discussing? A. A tsunami in Tonga B. An earthquake in Tonga C. An eruption of the Tonga volcano D. A hurricane near Tonga 1. What did the Tonga volcano release into the atmosphere? A. Smoke and ash B. Water vapor and particles C. Carbon dioxide D. Ozone and nitrogen 1. What part of the Earth’s atmosphere was affected by the Tonga volcano’s eruption? A. The stratosphere B. The troposphere C. The mesosphere D. The thermosphere 1. Why is the release of particles and water vapor significant? A. It can affect weather patterns B. It causes global warming C. It improves air quality D. It attracts tourists 1. What can be inferred about the impact of the Tonga volcano eruption? A. It has no impact on the atmosphere B. It might lead to climate changes C. It only affected local areas D. It has increased ocean temperatures 3 Who decides how long a second is? In 1967, researchers from around the world gathered to answer a long-running scientific question— just how long is a second? It might seem obvious at first. A second is the tick of a clock, the swing of a pendulum, the time it takes to count to one. But how precise are those measurements? What is that length based on? And how can we scientifically define this fundamental unit of time? For most of human history, ancient civilizations measured time with unique calendars that tracked the steady march of the night sky. In fact, the second as we know it wasnt introduced until the late 1500s. The Gregorian calendar defined a day as a single revolution of the Earth about its axis. Each day could be divided into 24 hours, each hour into 60 minutes, and each minute into 60 seconds. However, when it was first defined, the second was more of a mathematical idea than a useful unit of time. Measuring days and hours was sufficient for most tasks in pastoral communities. It wasnt until society became interconnected through fast-moving railways that cities needed to agree on exact timekeeping. By the 1950s, numerous global systems required every second to be perfectly accounted for, with as much precision as possible. And what could be more precise than the atomic scale? As early as 1955, researchers began to develop atomic clocks, which relied on the unchanging laws of physics to establish a new foundation for timekeeping. An atom consists of negatively charged electrons orbiting a positively charged nucleus at a consistent frequency. The laws of quantum mechanics keep these electrons in place, but if you expose an atom to an electromagnetic field such as light or radio waves, you can slightly disturb an electrons orientation. And if you briefly tweak an electron at just the right frequency, you can create a vibration that resembles a ticking pendulum. Unlike regular pendulums that quickly lose energy, electrons can tick for centuries. To maintain consistency and make ticks easier to measure, researchers vaporize the atoms, converting them to a less interactive and volatile state. But this process doesnt slow down the atoms remarkably fast ticking. Some atoms can oscillate over nine billion times per second, giving atomic clocks an unparalleled resolution for measuring time. And since every atom of a given elemental isotope is identical, two researchers using the same element and the same electromagnetic wave should produce perfectly consistent clocks. But before timekeeping could go fully atomic, countries had to decide which atom would work best. This was the discussion in 1967, at the Thirteenth General Conference of the International Committee for Weights and Measures. There are 118 elements on the periodic table, each with their own unique properties. For this task, the researchers were looking for several things. The element needed to have long-lived and high frequency electron oscillation for precise, long-term timekeeping. To easily track this oscillation, it also needed to have a reliably measurable quantum spin— meaning the orientation of the axis about which the electron rotates— as well as a simple energy level structure— meaning the active electrons are few and their state is simple to identify. Finally, it needed to be easy to vaporize. The winning atom? Cesium-133. Cesium was already a popular element for atomic clock research, and by 1968, some cesium clocks were even commercially available. All that was left was to determine how many ticks of a cesium atom were in a second. The conference used the most precise astronomical measurement of a second available at the time— beginning with the number of days in a year and dividing down. When compared to the atoms ticking rate, the results formally defined one second as exactly 9,192,631,770 ticks of a cesium-133 atom. Today, atomic clocks are used all over the Earth— and beyond it. From radio signal transmitters to satellites for global positioning systems, these devices have been synchronized to help us maintain a globally consistent time— with precision thats second to none. 1. What was the main purpose of the meeting in 1967? A. To define the length of a day. B. To discuss the use of atomic clocks in global systems. C. To decide how long a second should be. D. To introduce the Gregorian calendar. 1. What made atomic clocks a more precise timekeeping tool than traditional pendulum clocks? A. They are easier to carry around. B. They use the consistent frequency of atoms. C. They are less affected by environmental factors. D. They can measure time in smaller increments. 1. Why was cesium-133 chosen as the standard for measuring time? A. It was the first element to be used in atomic clocks. B. It has a simple energy level structure and a reliably measurable quantum spin. C. It was the easiest element to vaporize. D. It was the most abundant element on Earth. 1. How many oscillations of a cesium-133 atom are in one second according to the 1967 conference? A. 9,192,631,770 B. 9,192,631,000 C. 9,192,600,000 D. 9,193,000,000 1. What role do atomic clocks play in modern society? A. They are used to synchronize global timekeeping systems. B. They are used to measure the length of a day. C. They are used to track the movement of celestial bodies. D. They are used to regulate the speed of railways. 4 The unexpected math behind Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” One of the most remarkable aspects of the human brain is its ability to recognize patterns and describe them. Among the hardest patterns we’ve tried to understand is the concept of turbulent flow in fluid dynamics. The German physicist Werner Heisenberg said, “When I meet God, I’m going to ask him two questions: why relativity and why turbulence? I really believe he will have an answer for the first.” As difficult as turbulence is to understand mathematically, we can use art to depict the way it looks. In June 1889, Vincent van Gogh painted the view just before sunrise from the window of his room at the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, where he’d admitted himself after mutilating his own ear in a psychotic episode. In “The Starry Night,” his circular brushstrokes create a night sky filled with swirling clouds and eddies of stars. Van Gogh and other Impressionists represented light in a different way than their predecessors, seeming to capture its motion, for instance, across sun-dappled waters, or here in star light that twinkles and melts through milky waves of blue night sky. The effect is caused by luminance, the intensity of the light in the colors on the canvas. The more primitive part of our visual cortex, which sees light contrast and motion, but not color, will blend two differently colored areas together if they have the same luminance. But our brains’ primate subdivision will see the contrasting colors without blending. With these two interpretations happening at once, the light in many Impressionist works seems to pulse, flicker and radiate oddly. That’s how this and other Impressionist works use quickly executed prominent brushstrokes to capture something strikingly real about how light moves. Sixty years later, Russian mathematician Andrey Kolmogorov furthered our mathematical understanding of turbulence when he proposed that energy in a turbulent fluid at length R varies in proportion to the 5/3rds power of R. Experimental measurements show Kolmogorov was remarkably close to the way turbulent flow works, although a complete description of turbulence remains one of the unsolved problems in physics. A turbulent flow is self-similar if there is an energy cascade. In other words, big eddies transfer their energy to smaller eddies, which do likewise at other scales. Examples of this include Jupiter’s Great Red Spot, cloud formations and interstellar dust particles. In 2004, using the Hubble Space Telescope, scientists saw the eddies of a distant cloud of dust and gas around a star, and it reminded them of Van Gogh’s “Starry Night.” This motivated scientists from Mexico, Spain and England to study the luminance in Van Gogh’s paintings in detail. They discovered that there is a distinct pattern of turbulent fluid structures close to Kolmogorov’s equation hidden in many of Van Gogh’s paintings. The researchers digitized the paintings, and measured how brightness varies between any two pixels. From the curves measured for pixel separations, they concluded that paintings from Van Gogh’s period of psychotic agitation behave remarkably similar to fluid turbulence. His self-portrait with a pipe, from a calmer period in Van Gogh’s life, showed no sign of this correspondence. And neither did other artists’ work that seemed equally turbulent at first glance, like Munch’s “The Scream.” While it’s too easy to say Van Gogh’s turbulent genius enabled him to depict turbulence, it’s also far too difficult to accurately express the rousing beauty of the fact that in a period of intense suffering, Van Gogh was somehow able to perceive and represent one of the most supremely difficult concepts nature has ever brought before mankind, and to unite his unique mind’s eye with the deepest mysteries of movement, fluid and light. 1. What concept in fluid dynamics is discussed in relation to Van Gogh’s “Starry Night”? A. Relativity B. Turbulence C. Electromagnetism D. Thermodynamics 1. What aspect of the human brain is highlighted in the article? A. Memory B. Pattern recognition C. Emotional response D. Language processing 3. Which mathematician is credited with advancing the understanding of turbulence with a specific equation? A. Albert Einstein B. Werner Heisenberg C. Andrey Kolmogorov D. Isaac Newton 4. How did scientists use technology to analyze Van Gogh’s paintings? A. They recreated the paintings using modern art techniques. B. They digitized the paintings and measured pixel brightness. C. They compared the paintings to photographs of turbulent flows. D. They used a special microscope to examine the paint layers. 5. What was the conclusion of the researchers who studied Van Gogh’s paintings in relation to turbulence? A. Van Gogh’s paintings always matched the patterns of turbulent flow. B. The paintings from Van Gogh’s period of agitation resembled fluid turbulence. C. The paintings were purely artistic and had no scientific basis. D. Other artists’ works showed the same patterns as Van Gogh’s. 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $$ 1，答案和解析： 1. B. 解析：文章提到，意大利新发现的古代青铜雕像引发了兴奋。 1. C. 解析：古代青铜雕像是在历史城市中发现的。 1. B. 解析：这些雕像为理解古代艺术技巧提供了重要见解。 1. B. 解析：历史学家和考古学家对这一发现感到兴奋，并希望进行研究。 1. B. 解析：这一发现可能会吸引更多对历史感兴趣的游客。 2. 答案和解析： 1. C. 解析：研究讨论的是汤加火山的喷发事件。 1. B. 解析：汤加火山向大气中释放了水蒸气和颗粒物。 1. A. 解析：研究表明喷发影响了地球上层的大气层。 1. A. 解析：释放颗粒物和水蒸气会影响天气模式。 1. B. 解析：从火山喷发的影响可以推断它可能导致气候变化。 3. 答案与解析： 1. C解析：1967年会议的主要目的是决定一秒钟应该有多长。 2. B解析：原子钟之所以比传统的摆钟更精确，是因为它们使用了原子的恒定频率。 3. B解析：铯-133被选为测量时间的标准，因为它具有简单的能级结构和可靠测量的量子自旋。 4. A解析：根据1967年的会议，一秒钟内铯-133原子的振荡次数是9,192,631,770次。 5. A解析：在现代社会中，原子钟被用来同步全球的时间记录系统。 4. 答案与解析： 1. B 解析：短文中讨论了流体动力学中的湍流概念与梵高的《星夜》之间的关系。 1. B 解析：文章强调了人类大脑识别模式的能力。 1. C 解析：俄罗斯数学家安德烈·柯尔莫哥洛夫提出了一个特定的方程，推进了我们对湍流的理解。 1. B 解析：科学家使用技术将梵高的画作数字化，并测量像素亮度来分析。 1. B 解析：研究者得出的结论是，梵高在激动时期的画作与流体湍流有着惊人的相似之处。 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $$