Unit5 Revealing Nature阅读完形训练- 2024-2025学年高二英语专项提高训练必刷好题（外研版2019选择性必修第一册)

Unit5 Revealing Nature阅读完形训练 - 2024-2025学年高二英语专项提高训练必刷好题 （外研版2019选择性必修第一册） 一、阅读理解 Passage1. The Atbai Desert, a part of the Sahara Desert, is one of the driest places on Earth, with a sandy and barren landscape that averages zero millimeters of rainfall each year. So, archaeologists were surprised when they recently discovered rock art showing boats and cattle in an area that is 60 miles away from the closest body of water. “It was surprising to find cattle carved on desert rock walls as they require plenty of water and wide-open grassland, and would not survive in the dry and barren environment of the Sahara today,” said Julien Cooper, an archaeologist from Macquarie University. “The discovery of boat images in the rock art this distant from the Nile or Red Sea was also surprising.” Archaeologists believe the discovery of ancient rock art in the Sahara Desert provides clear. evidence that this harsh landscape was once a far more hospitable grassland, supporting the theory of a once “Green Sahara” around 3,000 B．C．E. During this period, the area was a grassy plain with lakes and rivers, sustaining a variety of wildlife and human activities such as cattle herding. However, changes in African monsoon (季风) patterns transformed the Sahara into the barren desert we know today. Now, only hardy animals like camels and goats can survive there. The rock art’s detailed carvings suggest that the creators spent plenty of time in the area, further indicating that the region was once supportive of human life. The transition from a “Green Sahara” to a barren desert changed not only the physical landscape but also the cultural and social structures of the time. As the climate grew drier, many residents were forced to migrate closer to the Nile, contributing to the formation of early urban states and culture in Egypt and Nubia. The discovery offers valuable insight into the changes that have occurred in the Sahara over thousands of years. It highlights the importance of studying ancient artifacts to better understand the history of our planet and the impact of climate change on human civilization. 1．Why were archaeologists surprised about the rock art? A．It was carved on desert rock walls. B．It was found close to a body of water. C．It has been well preserved in the Sahara Desert. D．It displays a different view from the current one. 2．What did the ancient rock art indicate? A．The Sahara Desert used to be a stretch of grassland. B．Cattle could survive in the desert before 3,000 B．C．E. C． The African monsoon had brought much rainfall to Sahara. D．Human activities posed a big threat to Sahara’s wild animals. 3．What resulted from the transition from a “Green Sahara” to a barren desert? A．It forced many residents to leave the Nile. B．It made the region isolated from other states. C．It facilitated trade links between Egypt and Nubia. D．It greatly affected local culture and social patterns. 4．Which of the following is the best title for the text? A．The Origin of the Atbai Desert B．The Discovery of Ancient Rock Art C．The Role of the Sahara’s Rock Carvings D．The Significance of Protecting Ancient Artifacts Passage2. Antarctica (南极洲) is the coldest place on Earth. It’s also the driest. With annual rainfall close to zero, Antarctica is technically a desert. Covering about 14 million square kilometers around the South Pole, it is the fifth largest continent in the world. A high mountain range, the Trans- Antarctic range, runs from east to west, cutting the continent in two. There are volcanoes too, but they are not very active. Antarctica holds 90% of the world’s ice, and most of its fresh water (70%) is in a frozen state, of course.98% of the surface is covered permanently in the ice cap. On average it is two kilometers thick, but in some places it reaches a depth of five kilometers. Strong winds driven by gravity blow from the pole to the coastline, while other winds blow round the coast. It is difficult to imagine a more inhospitable (不宜居的) place. Yet Antarctica is full of wildlife, which has adapted to its extreme conditions. There are different types of penguins, flying birds, seals, and whales. But the long Antarctic winter night, which lasts for 182 days( the longest period of continuous darkness on earth), as well as the extreme cold and lack of rainfall, means that few types of plants can survive there. Only two types of flowering plants are found, while there are no trees on the large continent. The rest of the plants are made up of mosses, algae and lichen. Some forms of algae have adapted to grow on ice. Most of the ice has been there for thousands of years. As a result, it has become a window on the past, and can give researchers lots of useful information. Gases and minerals, in the’ form of volcanic dust trapped in the ice, can tell us a lot about what the world’s climate was like in past ages. Antarctic rocks are also very important for research. Most of them are meteorites (陨石) from outer space. One rock, known as the “Alien” rock, may contain evidence of extra- terrestrial (外星人) life. Antarctica was the last continent to be discovered. But more than two thousand years ago Greek geographers believed that there was a large land mass in the south which balanced the land in the north. They called it Anti- Arktikos, or Antarctica: the opposite of Arctic (北极). When Europeans discovered the continent of America in 15 century, the great age of exploration began. However, progress to the South Pole was slow. Not until the late 18h century did the British explorer James Cook cross the Antarctic Circle, but he never saw land. Then in1895, a Norwegian called Carstens Borchgrevink became the first man to set foot on the Antarctic mainland. The race to the pole had begun. It was finally reached on 11- December,1911 by the Norwegian Roald Amundsen. 1．What does the author mainly want to tell us in Paragraph 2? A．All Antarctic plants grow on ice. B．Animals can’t survive the Antarctic polar night. C．Antarctica has a great variety of plants. D．Despite the extreme conditions in Antarctica, many plants and animals live there. 2．What does the author intend to show with the example of the“ Alien(外星人)” rock? A．There are aliens in Antarctica. B．Meteorites all contain evidence of alien existence. C．There’s a lot to study in Antarctica. D．Rocks are rare in Antarctica. 3．What could we learn from the last paragraph? A．The Greek geographers found the Antarctica. B．James Cook was the first explorer who reached the South Pole. C．A Norwegian reached the South Pole first. D．Humans first set foot on the Antarctic mainland in 1911. 4．What makes the best title for the passage? A．A Race to the South Pole B．Antarctica: the Last Continent C．The wildlife of Antarctica D．Antarctica: A desert Passage3. Fishing grounds supply many people with food. But the nets used by them may trap other things: endangered animals such as turtles; dangerous ones, such as Humboldt squid (美洲大赤鱿); and ones that are both endangered and dangerous, such as several types of sharks. Jesse Senko, a biologist at Arizona State University, has been investigating the idea of fitting LEDS to nets to avoid other unwanted by-catch (误捕的鱼) without discouraging target animals from entangling themselves. And it seems to work. While sharks are better known for their good sense of smell, many have good vision, too. And, though referred to as “fish”, they are actually less closely related to the bony fish than turtles are, so their visual systems might easily be as different. It thus seemed worthwhile checking to see whether the trick that worked with turtles would work with sharks. Dr. Senko and his colleagues therefore set up an experiment in the Gulf of Ulloa, in Mexico, in which they cooperated with fishermen to set over 10,000 metres of nets that had had battery-powered green LEDS attached to them. In half of the nets these lights were lit. The other half were left unlit, as controls. The fishers’ target s were Californian halibut (大比目鱼) and large groupers. Dr. Senko was interested both in what else got caught and whether the lights decreased catches of the target species. On the latter point, they did not. On the former, the lit nets caught 95% fewer kilograms of sharks. In particular, several threatened species turned up less often in the lit nets. The advantage from the point of view of fishermen was that they needed to spend a lot less time clearing these by- catches from their nets. And, importantly, the LEDS concerned are cheap and easy to fit. There are also plans to make them solar powered, for easy recharging. Here, then, is a conservation idea from which everyone wins. 1．Which of the following has the closest meaning to the underlined word “entangling”? A．hurting. B．trapping. C．defending. D．adapting. 2．What does the author intend to show in paragraph 3? A．Preparations made for the experiment. B．His concern for the safety of sharks. C．The theoretical basis for the experiment. D．The differences between sharks and turtles. 3．What can we learn from the results of the experiment done by Dr. Senko? A．Sharks were nowhere to be seen in the lit nets. B．The green lights decreased catches of the target species. C．Nets fitted with LEDs are within the reach of most fishermen. D．The lit nets drove off unwanted by-catches effectively. 4．What can be the best title for the passage? A．The Widespread Use of Green LEDS B．Efforts Made in Ocean Conservation C．A Green Light for Saving sharks D．Fishing Without Harming Target Species Passage4. When a young sawfly, a bee- like insect, is threatened by its attackers like ants, it emits a mixture of unpleasant smells to defend itself. These emissions can seriously annoy a potential enemy. Scientists wanting to study these smelly compounds — to understand which aspects of them discourage attackers and why — face great challenges. Jean-Luc Boevé, a zoologist who studies insects, from the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, is an amateur musician and composer. He decided to try a different way — the sound approach. “To be honest, I considered this project so unpractical myself that I set it aside,” he said. It was months before Boevé and his partner, Rudi Giot, finally made a resolution to get started on it. They chose 16 sawfly species’ emissions to translate into sounds. First, they figured out which molecules (分子) were present in each smelly compound and in what amounts. Then they assigned various characteristics of those molecules matching properties of sound. For example, smaller molecules like a kind of acid found in vinegar, a sour- tasting liquid, evaporate (挥发) quickly, so Boevé and Giot assigned them sounds with higher pitch (音高). Larger molecules were given lower- pitched sounds. In all, the scientists created individual audio descriptions for 20 molecules. Then they combined the sounds of each molecule present in a sawfly's smell to construct the insect’s soundtrack. If a molecule was of higher proportion in an emission, they assigned it a higher volume. In such a case, the smaller a molecule is, the higher its pitch will be; and the higher the proportion of a molecule is, the higher its volume will be. To examine people’s reactions to the soundtracks, they played the audio descriptions through speakers to about 50 study participants. Then the scientists measured how far people backed up to get to a “comfortable position” away from the noise. Most of the study volunteers told the researchers that the high pitch, as well as the high volume, was what made them withdraw. “Ants and volunteers moved away from a chemical and its matching soundtrack respectively,” the researchers wrote. Boevé said he hoped the process would give other zoologists a new way to offer clues about which molecules fight off enemies most. 1．What did Boevé do according to paragraph 2? A．He spent several months on music training. B．He put forward a novel idea with his partner. C．He resolved the greatest challenge in the research. D．He determined to begin a new method after hesitation. 2．What do we know about the process of the sound translation? A．Larger molecules were assigned sounds with higher pitch. B．The smelly compounds can be translated into 20 soundtracks. C．The lower volume indicates the lower proportion of a molecule. D．The higher proportion of molecules has to match lower- pitched sounds. 3．What is the finding from the test? A．There are efficient ways to transfer smells into soundtracks. B．The soundtracks are more than what humans are likely to bear. C．The ants dislike the sounds as much as humans hate the smells. D．Humans’ reactions to the sounds resemble ants’ responses to the smells. 4．Which is the most suitable title for the text? A．From Smells to Soundtracks B．A New Perspective on Molecules C．An Innovative Way of Studying Ants D．Researches on Sawfly’s Effect on Humans Passage5. Wild chimpanzees are recognized for eating a wide variety of plant matter, which complicates researchers’ ability to determine whether they actively look for medicinal plants to heal themselves or simply consume plants that happen to have medicinal properties. At the Budongo Central Forest Reserve in Uganda, University of Oxford researchers studied the behaviors and health of 51 wild chimpanzees from two habituated groups. They noted a male chimpanzee with a hand injury searching for and eating fern leaves, which might have eased pain and swelling. Additionally, they observed another ill chimpanzee consuming parts of a cat-thorn tree. The team also tested the plant species in the reserve, which they suspected were being consumed by the chimpanzees to self-medicate, for anti-inflammatory (抗炎) and antibacterial (抗菌) characteristics. The species included plants not part of the chimpanzees’ normal diet, but being consumed for their healing characteristics. The authors found 88% of the plant species had antibacterial characteristics, arresting the growth of bacteria, while 33% of them had anti- inflammatory characteristics. Deadwood from a tree in the Dogbane family showed the strongest antibacterial activity and also had anti-inflammatory characteristics, suggesting it could be used to treat wounds, they said. Roots from the East African mahogany tree and leaves from fem were found to exhibit potential anti-inflammatory effects. The results suggested that chimpanzees looked for and ate specific plants for their medicinal effects, and the study was one of the first to document evidence of this kind, the authors said. Team member Fabien Schultz hopes that the findings might lead to promising candidates for human medicines. “What if human lives can be saved by following the ways of our animal relatives?” he says. 1．Why is it challenging to determine if chimpanzees intentionally seek out medicinal plants? A．Medicinal plants are rare in the forest. B．Chimpanzees consume a wide variety of plant matter. C．Chimpanzees hide themselves when they are sick or injured. D．Researchers can hardly observe chimpanzees in the thick forest. 2．Which of the following might have the most powerful antibacterial effects? A．Dogbane trees. B．Leaves of ferns. C．Cat-thorn trees. D．East African mahogany tree roots. 3．What potential benefit does Fabien Schultz hope to achieve from the findings? A．Identifying new human medicines. B．Developing new animal care techniques. C．Improving chimpanzee health in the wild. D．Discovering new food sources for humans. 4．What is the best title for the text? A．The Diet of Wild Chimpanzees B．The Medicinal Characteristics of Plants C．The Dietary Habits of Wild Chimpanzees D．Chimpanzees Using Plants for Self-Medication Passage6. Scientists have figured out how to make large amounts of oil from duckweed (浮萍). Processing such plant oils into biodiesel (生物柴油) for transportation and heating could be a big part of a more sustainable future. Researchers genetically engineered duckweed plants to produce seven times more oil per acre than soybeans — currently the most commonly used biofuel-producing plant. Unlike fossilfuels, which form underground over hundreds of millions of years, biofuels can be released faster than they are used. Fuels made from new and used vegetable oils and animal fat can have a lower carbon footprint than fossil fuels do, but there has been a recent backlash against them. This is partly because so many crops now go into energy production rather than food: biofuels take up more than 100 million acres of the world’s agricultural land. Duckweed, common on every continent but Antarctica, is among the world’s most productive plants per acre and the researchers suggest it could be a game-changing renewable energy source for three key reasons. First, it grows readily in water, so it wouldn’t compete with food crops for prime agricultural land. Second, duckweed can thrive in agricultural pollution from farms like pig and chicken farms, potentially cleaning up some of the chemicals such farms release into the water. Third, engineered green plants typically spend a lot of energy on oil production and thus stop growing. But the researchers added to duckweed an oil-producing gene that would be inactive at first, and work only when the plant had finished growing. The process worked quite well. If it replicates in other species, this can solve the issue of how we can make more oil in more plants without negatively affecting growth. To scale production up to industrial levels, scientists will need to design and produce large-scale vessels (导管) for growing engineered plants and extracting oil — a challenge, the study’s lead author John Shanklin, a biochemist at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Labaratory, says, because duckweed is a nonmainstream crop without much existing infrastructure. 1．What does plant oils outperform fossil fuels? A．Productivity. B．Availability. C．Sustainability D．Producing areas. 2．What is the closest meaning of the underlined word “backlash” in paragraph 2? A．Opposition. B．Dissatisfaction. C．Defense. D．Approval. 3．Which will the researchers disagree on why the duckweed is an ideal biofuel source? A．It is water-grown. B．It is energy-cost friendly. C．It is possible to degrade waste. D．It is distributed throughout the world. 4．What might be the researchers’ next effort? A．To engineer other plants. B．To achieve mass production. C．To reduce bad impacts on growth. D．To apply the plant to the energy industry 二、完形填空 Passage1. When I was a little boy, I lived in my grandma’s old house. It was 1 by four huge vegetable gardens, and around the house were planted so many 2 . On the back porch, Grandma had dozens of potted (盆栽的) plants hanging on hooks (挂钩). She 3 them, and talked to them. With a little water and a lot of 4 she kept them alive, green, and growing even during the coldest, darkest months. As a little boy, I was confused by all the effort she 5 them. I understood the vegetable gardens for they helped to 6 the family all winter long. I 7 understood the flowers around the house as they were pretty and smelled so sweet in the summer months. The reason why she 8 to those potted plants with so much effort, however, made me feel 9 a lot. They didn’t give us any food and they 10 had any flowers on them. They remained an unknown to my mind as a(n) 11 . Now as I’ve grown older, I am beginning to 12 why my grandma had those potted plants. It is the same reason why I have so many pictures of sunrises and forests 13 in my home. They remind me of the dark cold winter months 14 of bare trees and yellow grass when light, love and growth still exist. But my greatest 15 of light and love was Grandma herself, who was light to my soul even in my darkest times. 1．A．threatened B．torn C．surrounded D．destroyed 2．A．flowers B．potatoes C．tomatoes D．carrots 3．A．discovered B．sold C．watered D．forgot 4．A．honesty B．love C．strength D．courage 5．A．put into B．looked into C．ran into D．turned into 6．A．identify B．manage C．defend D．feed 7．A．rather B．even C．still D．never 8．A．led B．referred C．tended D．pointed 9．A．disappointed B．worried C．awkward D．puzzled 10．A．casually B．hardly C．entirely D．secretly 11．A．child B．doctor C．parent D．artist 12．A．question B．concern C．challenge D．understand 13．A．taking B．hanging C．expanding D．spotting 14．A．free B．worthy C．full D．aware 15．A．achievement B．doubt C．lie D．reminder Passage2. There are purple clothes, purple handbags, purple bicycles, purple furniture, even purple computers! So purple is one of the most 1 colors today. But in the past, purple was a very expensive and unusual color. Let’s take a look at the rich 2 of the color purple. Some scientists believe that the first plants to appear on Earth over 500 million years ago 3 looked purple, not green. Plants today are green because 4 use green chlorophyll (叶绿素) to produce energy. 5 these early plants probably used something called retinal, which is a dark purple color. During the time of the Roman Empire (37 BC-476 AD), it was very 6 to make purple dye (染料). The dye came from sea snails (海螺). But 10,000 dead sea snails 7 you just one gram of purple dye... as well as a very bad smell! This 8 purple dye was called Tyrian purple, and it was the preferred 9 of emperors. In 16th century England, purple was 10 for the kings family members. Queen Elizabeth I’s clothes were purple, but ordinary people were not allowed to 11 the color. In 1856, William Perkin, an 18-year-old 12 student, noticed something strange while doing an experiment. The chemicals he used to clean his instruments 13 with the chemicals he used in his experiment and produced a bright purple color. This 14 led Perkin to start a company using this chemical mixture to make purple dye. The dye was much 15 than sea snail dye. Thanks to Perkin, now anyone can afford to wear purple clothes. 1．A．peaceful B．popular C．exciting D．serious 2．A．history B．style C．research D．product 3．A．gradually B．especially C．exactly D．probably 4．A．others B．they C．we D．some 5．A．And B．So C．But D．Until 6．A．dangerous B．common C．difficult D．strange 7．A．got B．passed C．wasted D．cost 8．A．basic B．harmful C．special D．perfect 9．A．color B．smell C．plant D．animal 10．A．even B．never C．seldom D．only 11．A．wear B．sell C．change D．make 12．A．Geography B．Science C．Art D．Maths 13．A．compared B．mixed C．collected D．kept 14．A．survey B．suggestion C．discovery D．exam 15．A．healthier B．thicker C．cheaper D．darker ( 1 )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 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $$ Unit5 Revealing Nature阅读完形训练 - 2024-2025学年高二英语专项提高训练必刷好题 （外研版2019选择性必修第一册） 一、阅读理解 Passage1. The Atbai Desert, a part of the Sahara Desert, is one of the driest places on Earth, with a sandy and barren landscape that averages zero millimeters of rainfall each year. So, archaeologists were surprised when they recently discovered rock art showing boats and cattle in an area that is 60 miles away from the closest body of water. “It was surprising to find cattle carved on desert rock walls as they require plenty of water and wide-open grassland, and would not survive in the dry and barren environment of the Sahara today,” said Julien Cooper, an archaeologist from Macquarie University. “The discovery of boat images in the rock art this distant from the Nile or Red Sea was also surprising.” Archaeologists believe the discovery of ancient rock art in the Sahara Desert provides clear. evidence that this harsh landscape was once a far more hospitable grassland, supporting the theory of a once “Green Sahara” around 3,000 B．C．E. During this period, the area was a grassy plain with lakes and rivers, sustaining a variety of wildlife and human activities such as cattle herding. However, changes in African monsoon (季风) patterns transformed the Sahara into the barren desert we know today. Now, only hardy animals like camels and goats can survive there. The rock art’s detailed carvings suggest that the creators spent plenty of time in the area, further indicating that the region was once supportive of human life. The transition from a “Green Sahara” to a barren desert changed not only the physical landscape but also the cultural and social structures of the time. As the climate grew drier, many residents were forced to migrate closer to the Nile, contributing to the formation of early urban states and culture in Egypt and Nubia. The discovery offers valuable insight into the changes that have occurred in the Sahara over thousands of years. It highlights the importance of studying ancient artifacts to better understand the history of our planet and the impact of climate change on human civilization. 1．Why were archaeologists surprised about the rock art? A．It was carved on desert rock walls. B．It was found close to a body of water. C．It has been well preserved in the Sahara Desert. D．It displays a different view from the current one. 2．What did the ancient rock art indicate? A．The Sahara Desert used to be a stretch of grassland. B．Cattle could survive in the desert before 3,000 B．C．E. C． The African monsoon had brought much rainfall to Sahara. D．Human activities posed a big threat to Sahara’s wild animals. 3．What resulted from the transition from a “Green Sahara” to a barren desert? A．It forced many residents to leave the Nile. B．It made the region isolated from other states. C．It facilitated trade links between Egypt and Nubia. D．It greatly affected local culture and social patterns. 4．Which of the following is the best title for the text? A．The Origin of the Atbai Desert B．The Discovery of Ancient Rock Art C．The Role of the Sahara’s Rock Carvings D．The Significance of Protecting Ancient Artifacts 【答案】1．D 2．A 3．D 4．B 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了考古学家在撒哈拉沙漠发现了古代岩石艺术，这表明撒哈拉沙漠曾经是一片草原。 1．推理判断题。根据第一段中的“So, archaeologists were surprised when they recently discovered rock art showing boats and cattle in an area that is 60 miles away from the closest body of water.(因此，考古学家最近在距离最近的水域60英里的地方发现了展示船只和牛的岩石艺术，这让他们感到惊讶)”可知，考古学家最近发现了展示船只和牛的岩石艺术，结合上文“The Atbai Desert, a part of the Sahara Desert, is one of the driest places on Earth, with a sandy and barren landscape that averages zero millimeters of rainfall each year.(阿拜沙漠是撒哈拉沙漠的一部分，是地球上最干燥的地方之一，沙质贫瘠，年平均降雨量为零毫米)”可知，阿拜沙漠是地球上最干燥的地方之一，年平均降雨量为零毫米。由此推知，考古学家对岩石艺术感到惊讶是因为它展示了与当前不同的景观。故选D项。 2．细节理解题。根据第三段中的“Archaeologists believe the discovery of ancient rock art in the Sahara Desert provides clear. evidence that this harsh landscape was once a far more hospitable grassland, supporting the theory of a once “Green Sahara” around 3,000 B.C.E.(考古学家认为，在撒哈拉沙漠发现的古代岩石艺术提供了清晰的线索。这些证据表明，这片贫瘠的土地曾经是一片更加适宜居住的草原，支持了公元前3000年左右曾经存在“绿色撒哈拉”的理论)”可知，古老的岩石艺术表明了撒哈拉沙漠曾经是一片草原。故选A项。 3．细节理解题。根据第四段中的“As the climate grew drier, many residents were forced to migrate closer to the Nile, contributing to the formation of early urban states and culture in Egypt and Nubia.(随着气候变得越来越干燥，许多居民被迫迁移到离尼罗河更近的地方，这为埃及和努比亚早期城市国家和文化的形成做出了贡献)”可知，从“绿色撒哈拉”到贫瘠沙漠的转变极大地影响了当地的文化和社会模式。故选D项。 4．主旨大意题。根据首段“The Atbai Desert, a part of the Sahara Desert, is one of the driest places on Earth, with a sandy and barren landscape that averages zero millimeters of rainfall each year. So, archaeologists were surprised when they recently discovered rock art showing boats and cattle in an area that is 60 miles away from the closest body of water.(阿拜沙漠是撒哈拉沙漠的一部分，是地球上最干燥的地方之一，沙质贫瘠，年平均降雨量为零毫米。因此，考古学家最近在距离最近的水域60英里的地方发现了展示船只和牛的岩石艺术，这让他们感到惊讶)”以及下文介绍的对这一发现的看法和分析可知，本文主要介绍的是考古学家在撒哈拉沙漠发现的古代岩石艺术，表明这曾经是一片草原。由此可知，“古代岩石艺术的发现”可以概括本文的主题，适合作本文最佳标题。故选B项。 Passage2. Antarctica (南极洲) is the coldest place on Earth. It’s also the driest. With annual rainfall close to zero, Antarctica is technically a desert. Covering about 14 million square kilometers around the South Pole, it is the fifth largest continent in the world. A high mountain range, the Trans- Antarctic range, runs from east to west, cutting the continent in two. There are volcanoes too, but they are not very active. Antarctica holds 90% of the world’s ice, and most of its fresh water (70%) is in a frozen state, of course.98% of the surface is covered permanently in the ice cap. On average it is two kilometers thick, but in some places it reaches a depth of five kilometers. Strong winds driven by gravity blow from the pole to the coastline, while other winds blow round the coast. It is difficult to imagine a more inhospitable (不宜居的) place. Yet Antarctica is full of wildlife, which has adapted to its extreme conditions. There are different types of penguins, flying birds, seals, and whales. But the long Antarctic winter night, which lasts for 182 days( the longest period of continuous darkness on earth), as well as the extreme cold and lack of rainfall, means that few types of plants can survive there. Only two types of flowering plants are found, while there are no trees on the large continent. The rest of the plants are made up of mosses, algae and lichen. Some forms of algae have adapted to grow on ice. Most of the ice has been there for thousands of years. As a result, it has become a window on the past, and can give researchers lots of useful information. Gases and minerals, in the’ form of volcanic dust trapped in the ice, can tell us a lot about what the world’s climate was like in past ages. Antarctic rocks are also very important for research. Most of them are meteorites (陨石) from outer space. One rock, known as the “Alien” rock, may contain evidence of extra- terrestrial (外星人) life. Antarctica was the last continent to be discovered. But more than two thousand years ago Greek geographers believed that there was a large land mass in the south which balanced the land in the north. They called it Anti- Arktikos, or Antarctica: the opposite of Arctic (北极). When Europeans discovered the continent of America in 15 century, the great age of exploration began. However, progress to the South Pole was slow. Not until the late 18h century did the British explorer James Cook cross the Antarctic Circle, but he never saw land. Then in1895, a Norwegian called Carstens Borchgrevink became the first man to set foot on the Antarctic mainland. The race to the pole had begun. It was finally reached on 11- December,1911 by the Norwegian Roald Amundsen. 1．What does the author mainly want to tell us in Paragraph 2? A．All Antarctic plants grow on ice. B．Animals can’t survive the Antarctic polar night. C．Antarctica has a great variety of plants. D．Despite the extreme conditions in Antarctica, many plants and animals live there. 2．What does the author intend to show with the example of the“ Alien(外星人)” rock? A．There are aliens in Antarctica. B．Meteorites all contain evidence of alien existence. C．There’s a lot to study in Antarctica. D．Rocks are rare in Antarctica. 3．What could we learn from the last paragraph? A．The Greek geographers found the Antarctica. B．James Cook was the first explorer who reached the South Pole. C．A Norwegian reached the South Pole first. D．Humans first set foot on the Antarctic mainland in 1911. 4．What makes the best title for the passage? A．A Race to the South Pole B．Antarctica: the Last Continent C．The wildlife of Antarctica D．Antarctica: A desert 【答案】1．D 2．C 3．C 4．B 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了南极洲的地理特征、气候、野生动植物以及科学研究价值等方面的信息。 1．主旨大意题。根据第二段“Yet Antarctica is full of wildlife, which has adapted to its extreme conditions. There are different types of penguins, flying birds, seals, and whales. But the long Antarctic winter night, which lasts for 182 days (the longest period of continuous darkness on earth) , as well as the extreme cold and lack of rainfall, means that few types of plants can survive there. Only two types of flowering plants are found, while there are no trees on the large continent. The rest of the plants are made up of mosses, algae and lichen. Some forms of algae have adapted to grow on ice.(然而，南极洲到处都是野生动物，它们已经适应了这里的极端环境。有不同种类的企鹅、飞鸟、海豹和鲸鱼。但南极漫长的冬夜长达182天(地球上最长的连续黑暗时期)，加上极端寒冷和缺乏降雨，意味着很少有植物能在那里生存。只有两种开花植物被发现，而在这个大大陆上没有树木。其余的植物由苔藓、藻类和地衣组成。有些种类的藻类已经适应了在冰上生长)”可知，本段主要讲述了尽管南极洲条件极端，但许多动植物都生活在那里。故选D项。 2．推理判断题。根据第三段“Most of the ice has been there for thousands of years. As a result, it has become a window on the past, and can give researchers lots of useful information. Gases and minerals, in the form of volcanic dust trapped in the ice, can tell us a lot about what the world’s climate was like in past ages. Antarctic rocks are also very important for research. Most of them are meteorites (陨石) from outer space. One rock, known as the “Alien” rock, may contain evidence of extra-terrestrial (外星人) life.(大部分冰已经存在了数千年。因此，它已经成为一个过去的窗口，可以给研究人员提供许多有用的信息。气体和矿物质，以火山灰的形式被困在冰中，可以告诉我们很多关于过去世界气候的信息。南极岩石对研究也很重要。其中大部分是来自外太空的陨石。其中一块岩石，被称为“外星”岩石，可能包含外星生命的证据)”可知，作者想用“外星”岩石的例子说明南极洲有很多值得研究的地方。故选C项。 3．细节理解题。根据最后一段的句子“Not until the late 18h century did the British explorer James Cook cross the Antarctic Circle, but he never saw land. Then in 1895, a Norwegian called Carstens Borchgrevink became the first man to set foot on the Antarctic mainland. The race to the pole had begun. It was finally reached on 11th December, 1911 by the Norwegian Roald Amundsen.(直到18世纪末，英国探险家詹姆斯·库克才穿越南极圈，但他从未见过陆地。1895年，一位名叫卡斯滕斯·波格雷文克的挪威人成为第一个踏上南极大陆的人。到极点的竞赛开始了。1911年12月11日，挪威人罗尔德·阿蒙森终于到达了这里)”可知，挪威人首先到达南极。故选C项。 4．主旨大意题。根据第一段“Antarctica (南极洲) is the coldest place on Earth. It’s also the driest. With annual rainfall close to zero, Antarctica is technically a desert. Covering about 14 million square kilometers around the South Pole, it is the fifth largest continent in the world. A high mountain range, the Trans-Antarctic range, runs from east to west, cutting the continent in two. There are volcanoes too, but they are not very active. Antarctica holds 90% of the world’s ice, and most of its fresh water (70%) is in a frozen state, of course. 98% of the surface is covered permanently in the ice cap. On average it is two kilometers thick, but in some places it reaches a depth of five kilometers. Strong winds driven by gravity blow from the pole to the coastline, while other winds blow round the coast. It is difficult to imagine a more inhospitable (不宜居的) place.(南极洲是地球上最冷的地方。它也是最干燥的。由于年降雨量接近于零，严格来说，南极洲是一片沙漠。它环绕南极，面积约1400万平方公里，是世界上第五大大陆。横贯南极的山脉从东向西延伸，将大陆一分为二。那里也有火山，但不是很活跃。南极洲拥有世界上90%的冰，当然，它的大部分淡水(70%)都处于冻结状态。98%的表面永久地被冰盖覆盖着。冰盖的平均厚度为两公里，但在某些地方，冰盖的深度达到五公里。由重力驱动的强风从极点吹向海岸线，而其他风则绕着海岸吹。很难想象还有比这里更荒凉的地方了)”以及纵观全文可知，本文主要讲述了南极洲的地理特征、气候、野生动植物、科学研究价值以及其被发现的过程等方面的信息。由此可知，用B项“Antarctica: the Last Continent(南极洲：最后的大陆)”作为本文的标题，与主题相符合。故选B项。 Passage3. Fishing grounds supply many people with food. But the nets used by them may trap other things: endangered animals such as turtles; dangerous ones, such as Humboldt squid (美洲大赤鱿); and ones that are both endangered and dangerous, such as several types of sharks. Jesse Senko, a biologist at Arizona State University, has been investigating the idea of fitting LEDS to nets to avoid other unwanted by-catch (误捕的鱼) without discouraging target animals from entangling themselves. And it seems to work. While sharks are better known for their good sense of smell, many have good vision, too. And, though referred to as “fish”, they are actually less closely related to the bony fish than turtles are, so their visual systems might easily be as different. It thus seemed worthwhile checking to see whether the trick that worked with turtles would work with sharks. Dr. Senko and his colleagues therefore set up an experiment in the Gulf of Ulloa, in Mexico, in which they cooperated with fishermen to set over 10,000 meters of nets that had had battery-powered green LEDS attached to them. In half of the nets these lights were lit. The other half were left unlit, as controls. The fishers’ target s were Californian halibut (大比目鱼) and large groupers. Dr. Senko was interested both in what else got caught and whether the lights decreased catches of the target species. On the latter point, they did not. On the former, the lit nets caught 95% fewer kilograms of sharks. In particular, several threatened species turned up less often in the lit nets. The advantage from the point of view of fishermen was that they needed to spend a lot less time clearing these by- catches from their nets. And, importantly, the LEDS concerned are cheap and easy to fit. There are also plans to make them solar powered, for easy recharging. Here, then, is a conservation idea from which everyone wins. 1．Which of the following has the closest meaning to the underlined word “entangling”? A．hurting. B．trapping. C．defending. D．adapting. 2．What does the author intend to show in paragraph 3? A．Preparations made for the experiment. B．His concern for the safety of sharks. C．The theoretical basis for the experiment. D．The differences between sharks and turtles. 3．What can we learn from the results of the experiment done by Dr. Senko? A．Sharks were nowhere to be seen in the lit nets. B．The green lights decreased catches of the target species. C．Nets fitted with LEDs are within the reach of most fishermen. D．The lit nets drove off unwanted by-catches effectively. 4．What can be the best title for the passage? A．The Widespread Use of Green LEDS B．Efforts Made in Ocean Conservation C．A Green Light for Saving sharks D．Fishing Without Harming Target Species 【答案】1．B 2．C 3．D 4．C 【导语】这是一篇说明文。主要介绍了亚利桑那州立大学(Arizona State University)的生物学家杰西·森科(Jesse Senko)一直在研究将LEDS安装在渔网上的想法，以避免其他不必要的副渔获物，同时又不会阻止目标动物缠住自己。这似乎是有效的。 1．词句猜测题。根据第一段“But the nets used by them may trap other things: endangered animals such as turtles; dangerous ones, such as Humboldt squid (美洲大赤鱿); and ones that are both endangered and dangerous, such as several types of sharks.”（但他们使用的网可能会困住其他东西：海龟等濒危动物；危险的，如美洲大赤鱿；以及濒危和危险的，例如几种鲨鱼。）和第二段划线单词句中“Jesse Senko, a biologist at Arizona State University, has been investigating the idea of fitting LEDS to nets to avoid other unwanted by-catch without discouraging target animals from entangling themselves.”（亚利桑那州立大学的生物学家Jesse Senko一直在研究将LEDS安装在渔网上的想法，以避免其他不必要的副渔获物，无需阻止目标动物entangling自己）由此可知，此处为渔网不会让目标动物缠住自己。故可猜测划线单词entangling为“使……缠住，使……卷入”，结合选项B项trapping“困住，诱捕”意思相近。故选B项。 2．推理判断题。根据第三段“While sharks are better known for their good sense of smell, many have good vision, too. And, though referred to as “fish”, they are actually less closely related to the bony fish than turtles are, so their visual systems might easily be as different. It thus seemed worthwhile checking to see whether the trick that worked with turtles would work with sharks.”（虽然鲨鱼以其良好的嗅觉而闻名，但许多鲨鱼也有良好的视力。而且，虽然它们被称为“鱼”，但实际上它们与硬骨鱼的关系并不像海龟那么密切，所以它们的视觉系统可能很容易不同。因此，似乎有必要检验一下对海龟有效的技巧是否也适用于鲨鱼。）可推知，作者想在第三段表明实验的理论基础。故选C项。 3．推理判断题。根据倒数第二段“On the latter point, they did not. On the former, the lit nets caught 95% fewer kilograms of sharks. In particular, several threatened species turned up less often in the lit nets.”（在后一点上，他们没有意见。在前者，点亮的渔网捕获的鲨鱼重量减少了95%。特别是，一些受威胁的物种在点亮的网中出现的频率更低。）可推知，我们能从Senko博士的实验结果中了解到点亮的渔网有效地驱赶了不需要的副渔获物。故选D项。 4．主旨大意题。根据文章大意以及第二段“Jesse Senko, a biologist at Arizona State University, has been investigating the idea of fitting LEDS to nets to avoid other unwanted by-catch (误捕的鱼) without discouraging target animals from entangling themselves. And it seems to work.”（亚利桑那州立大学(Arizona State University)的生物学家杰西·森科(Jesse Senko)一直在研究将LEDS安装在渔网上的想法，以避免其他不必要的副渔获物，同时又不会阻止目标动物缠住自己。这似乎是有效的。）可知，文章主要讲的是亚利桑那州立大学(Arizona State University)的生物学家杰西·森科(Jesse Senko)一直在研究将LEDS安装在渔网上的想法，以避免其他不必要的副渔获物，同时又不会阻止目标动物缠住自己。故文章最好的标题是“为拯救鲨鱼开绿灯”。故选C项。 Passage4. When a young sawfly, a bee- like insect, is threatened by its attackers like ants, it emits a mixture of unpleasant smells to defend itself. These emissions can seriously annoy a potential enemy. Scientists wanting to study these smelly compounds — to understand which aspects of them discourage attackers and why — face great challenges. Jean-Luc Boevé, a zoologist who studies insects, from the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, is an amateur musician and composer. He decided to try a different way — the sound approach. “To be honest, I considered this project so unpractical myself that I set it aside,” he said. It was months before Boevé and his partner, Rudi Giot, finally made a resolution to get started on it. They chose 16 sawfly species’ emissions to translate into sounds. First, they figured out which molecules (分子) were present in each smelly compound and in what amounts. Then they assigned various characteristics of those molecules matching properties of sound. For example, smaller molecules like a kind of acid found in vinegar, a sour- tasting liquid, evaporate (挥发) quickly, so Boevé and Giot assigned them sounds with higher pitch (音高). Larger molecules were given lower- pitched sounds. In all, the scientists created individual audio descriptions for 20 molecules. Then they combined the sounds of each molecule present in a sawfly's smell to construct the insect’s soundtrack. If a molecule was of higher proportion in an emission, they assigned it a higher volume. In such a case, the smaller a molecule is, the higher its pitch will be; and the higher the proportion of a molecule is, the higher its volume will be. To examine people’s reactions to the soundtracks, they played the audio descriptions through speakers to about 50 study participants. Then the scientists measured how far people backed up to get to a “comfortable position” away from the noise. Most of the study volunteers told the researchers that the high pitch, as well as the high volume, was what made them withdraw. “Ants and volunteers moved away from a chemical and its matching soundtrack respectively,” the researchers wrote. Boevé said he hoped the process would give other zoologists a new way to offer clues about which molecules fight off enemies most. 1．What did Boevé do according to paragraph 2? A．He spent several months on music training. B．He put forward a novel idea with his partner. C．He resolved the greatest challenge in the research. D．He determined to begin a new method after hesitation. 2．What do we know about the process of the sound translation? A．Larger molecules were assigned sounds with higher pitch. B．The smelly compounds can be translated into 20 soundtracks. C．The lower volume indicates the lower proportion of a molecule. D．The higher proportion of molecules has to match lower- pitched sounds. 3．What is the finding from the test? A．There are efficient ways to transfer smells into soundtracks. B．The soundtracks are more than what humans are likely to bear. C．The ants dislike the sounds as much as humans hate the smells. D．Humans’ reactions to the sounds resemble ants’ responses to the smells. 4．Which is the most suitable title for the text? A．From Smells to Soundtracks B．A New Perspective on Molecules C．An Innovative Way of Studying Ants D．Researches on Sawfly’s Effect on Humans 【答案】1．D 2．C 3．D 4．A 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了科学家如何通过声音方法来研究锯锹甲虫释放的难闻化合物，并探索这些化合物如何阻止攻击者。 1．细节理解题。根据文章第二段“Jean-Luc Boevé, a zoologist who studies insects, from the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, is an amateur musician and composer. He decided to try a different way—— the sound approach.“ To be honest, I considered this project so unpractical myself that I set it aside,” he said. It was months before Boevé and his partner, Rudi Giot, finally made a resolution to get started on it.(来自比利时皇家自然科学研究所的昆虫学家Jean-Luc Boevé是一位业余音乐家和作曲家。他决定尝试一种不同的方法——声音方法。“说实话，我自己都认为这个项目太不切实际了，所以我把它搁置了一边。”他说。过了几个月，Boevé和他的搭档Rudi Giot才最终下定决心开始这项工作)”可知，Boevé在犹豫之后决定开始一种新的方法。故选D。 2．推理判断题。根据文章第三段“Then they combined the sounds of each molecule present in a sawfly's smell to construct the insect’s soundtrack. If a molecule was of higher proportion in an emission, they assigned it a higher volume. In such a case, the smaller a molecule is, the higher its pitch will be; and the higher the proportion of a molecule is, the higher its volume will be.(然后，他们结合锯锹甲虫气味中每种分子的声音，构建了昆虫的声轨。如果一个分子在释放物中的比例较高，他们就给它分配更大的音量。在这种情况下，分子越小，其音高就越高；分子比例越高，其音量就越高)”可知，如果一个分子在释放物中的比例较高，就给它分配更大的音量，反之，较低的音量则表示分子的比例较低。故选C。 3．推理判断题。根据文章第四段“Most of the study volunteers told the researchers that the high pitch, as well as the high volume, was what made them withdraw.“ Ants and volunteers moved away from a chemical and its matching soundtrack respectively,” the researchers wrote.(大多数研究志愿者告诉研究人员，高音高以及大音量是他们后退的原因。“蚂蚁和志愿者分别远离了一种化学物质及其匹配的声轨。”研究人员写道)”可知，人类和蚂蚁对这些声音的反应与对气味的反应相似。故选D。 4．主旨大意题。根据文章第二段“Jean-Luc Boevé, a zoologist who studies insects, from the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, is an amateur musician and composer. He decided to try a different way—— the sound approach.“ To be honest, I considered this project so unpractical myself that I set it aside,” he said. It was months before Boevé and his partner, Rudi Giot, finally made a resolution to get started on it.(来自比利时皇家自然科学研究所的昆虫学家Jean-Luc Boevé是一位业余音乐家和作曲家。他决定尝试一种不同的方法——声音方法。“说实话，我自己都认为这个项目太不切实际了，所以我把它搁置了一边。”他说。过了几个月，Boevé和他的搭档Rudi Giot才最终下定决心开始这项工作)”以及全文内容可知，文章主要讲述了科学家们将锯锹甲虫释放的难闻化合物转换成声轨，并研究蚂蚁对这些声音的反应。选项A“From Smells to Soundtracks(从气味到声轨)” 准确地概括了文章的主要内容，即介绍一种将气味转换成声音进行研究的新方法。故选A。 Passage5. Wild chimpanzees are recognized for eating a wide variety of plant matter, which complicates researchers’ ability to determine whether they actively look for medicinal plants to heal themselves or simply consume plants that happen to have medicinal properties. At the Budongo Central Forest Reserve in Uganda, University of Oxford researchers studied the behaviors and health of 51 wild chimpanzees from two habituated groups. They noted a male chimpanzee with a hand injury searching for and eating fern leaves, which might have eased pain and swelling. Additionally, they observed another ill chimpanzee consuming parts of a cat-thorn tree. The team also tested the plant species in the reserve, which they suspected were being consumed by the chimpanzees to self-medicate, for anti-inflammatory (抗炎) and antibacterial (抗菌) characteristics. The species included plants not part of the chimpanzees’ normal diet, but being consumed for their healing characteristics. The authors found 88% of the plant species had antibacterial characteristics, arresting the growth of bacteria, while 33% of them had anti- inflammatory characteristics. Deadwood from a tree in the Dogbane family showed the strongest antibacterial activity and also had anti-inflammatory characteristics, suggesting it could be used to treat wounds, they said. Roots from the East African mahogany tree and leaves from fem were found to exhibit potential anti-inflammatory effects. The results suggested that chimpanzees looked for and ate specific plants for their medicinal effects, and the study was one of the first to document evidence of this kind, the authors said. Team member Fabien Schultz hopes that the findings might lead to promising candidates for human medicines. “What if human lives can be saved by following the ways of our animal relatives?” he says. 1．Why is it challenging to determine if chimpanzees intentionally seek out medicinal plants? A．Medicinal plants are rare in the forest. B．Chimpanzees consume a wide variety of plant matter. C．Chimpanzees hide themselves when they are sick or injured. D．Researchers can hardly observe chimpanzees in the thick forest. 2．Which of the following might have the most powerful antibacterial effects? A．Dogbane trees. B．Leaves of ferns. C．Cat-thorn trees. D．East African mahogany tree roots. 3．What potential benefit does Fabien Schultz hope to achieve from the findings? A．Identifying new human medicines. B．Developing new animal care techniques. C．Improving chimpanzee health in the wild. D．Discovering new food sources for humans. 4．What is the best title for the text? A．The Diet of Wild Chimpanzees B．The Medicinal Characteristics of Plants C．The Dietary Habits of Wild Chimpanzees D．Chimpanzees Using Plants for Self-Medication 【答案】1．B 2．A 3．A 4．D 【导语】本文是一篇说明文，主要介绍了研究人员发现，野生黑猩猩可以利用药用植物来给自己治疗。 1．细节理解题。根据第一段“Wild chimpanzees are recognized for eating a wide variety of plant matter, which complicates researchers’ ability to determine whether they actively look for medicinal plants to heal themselves or simply consume plants that happen to have medicinal properties.(野生黑猩猩以吃各种各样的植物而闻名，这使得研究人员很难确定它们是主动寻找药用植物来治愈自己，还是只是食用碰巧有药用价值的植物)”可知，确定黑猩猩是否有意寻找药用植物具有挑战性，这是因为黑猩猩吃的植物种类广泛。故选B。 2．细节理解题。根据第四段中的“Deadwood from a tree in the Dogbane family showed the strongest antibacterial activity and also had anti- inflammatory characteristics, suggesting it could be used to treat wounds, they said. (他们说，来自Dogbane家族的枯木显示出最强的抗菌活性，也具有抗炎特性，这表明它可以用来治疗伤口)”可知，夹竹桃科枯木具有最强的抗菌特性。故选A。 3．细节理解题。根据最后一段中的“Team member Fabien Schultz hopes that the findings might lead to promising candidates for human medicines.(团队成员Fabien Schultz希望这一发现可能会为人类药物带来有希望的候选药物)”可知，Fabien Schultz希望从这些发现中获得的潜在好处是确定新的人类药物。故选A。 4．主旨大意题。通读全文，尤其是第四段中的“The results suggested that chimpanzees looked for and ate specific plants for their medicinal effects, and the study was one of the first to document evidence of this kind, the authors said.(作者说，研究结果表明，黑猩猩寻找并食用特定的植物是为了它们的药用效果，而这项研究是首次记录这类证据的研究之一)”可知，本文主要介绍了研究发现野生黑猩猩可以利用药用植物来给自己治疗，由此可知，D项“Chimpanzees Using Plants for Self-Medication (黑猩猩用植物自我治疗)”最适合作为文章标题。故选D。 Passage6. Scientists have figured out how to make large amounts of oil from duckweed (浮萍). Processing such plant oils into biodiesel (生物柴油) for transportation and heating could be a big part of a more sustainable future. Researchers genetically engineered duckweed plants to produce seven times more oil per acre than soybeans — currently the most commonly used biofuel-producing plant. Unlike fossilfuels, which form underground over hundreds of millions of years, biofuels can be released faster than they are used. Fuels made from new and used vegetable oils and animal fat can have a lower carbon footprint than fossil fuels do, but there has been a recent backlash against them. This is partly because so many crops now go into energy production rather than food: biofuels take up more than 100 million acres of the world’s agricultural land. Duckweed, common on every continent but Antarctica, is among the world’s most productive plants per acre and the researchers suggest it could be a game-changing renewable energy source for three key reasons. First, it grows readily in water, so it wouldn’t compete with food crops for prime agricultural land. Second, duckweed can thrive in agricultural pollution from farms like pig and chicken farms, potentially cleaning up some of the chemicals such farms release into the water. Third, engineered green plants typically spend a lot of energy on oil production and thus stop growing. But the researchers added to duckweed an oil-producing gene that would be inactive at first, and work only when the plant had finished growing. The process worked quite well. If it replicates in other species, this can solve the issue of how we can make more oil in more plants without negatively affecting growth. To scale production up to industrial levels, scientists will need to design and produce large-scale vessels (导管) for growing engineered plants and extracting oil — a challenge, the study’s lead author John Shanklin, a biochemist at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Labaratory, says, because duckweed is a nonmainstream crop without much existing infrastructure. 1．What does plant oils outperform fossil fuels? A．Productivity. B．Availability. C．Sustainability D．Producing areas. 2．What is the closest meaning of the underlined word “backlash” in paragraph 2? A．Opposition. B．Dissatisfaction. C．Defense. D．Approval. 3．Which will the researchers disagree on why the duckweed is an ideal biofuel source? A．It is water-grown. B．It is energy-cost friendly. C．It is possible to degrade waste. D．It is distributed throughout the world. 4．What might be the researchers’ next effort? A．To engineer other plants. B．To achieve mass production. C．To reduce bad impacts on growth. D．To apply the plant to the energy industry 【答案】1．C 2．A 3．D 4．B 【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章主要说明了科学家们已经找到了从浮萍中制造大量油的方法，介绍了这种方法的特点以及引起的争议。 1．细节理解题。根据第一段“Processing such plant oils into biodiesel (生物柴油) for transportation and heating could be a big part of a more sustainable future.(将这些植物油加工成生物柴油，用于运输和供暖，可能是一个更可持续的未来的重要组成部分)”可知，植物油比化石燃料有助于可持续发展。故选C。 2．词句猜测题。根据划线词上文“but there has been a recent(但是最近……)”以及后文“This is partly because so many crops now go into energy production rather than food: biofuels take up more than 100 million acres of the world’s agricultural land.(部分原因是现在有太多的农作物被用于能源生产而不是粮食生产：生物燃料占用了世界上超过1亿英亩的农业用地)”以及but表示转折，说明最近出现了对它们的强烈反对。故划线词意思是“反对”。故选A。 3．推理判断题。根据第一段“Processing such plant oils into biodiesel (生物柴油) for transportation and heating could be a big part of a more sustainable future.(将这些植物油加工成生物柴油，用于运输和供暖，可能是一个更可持续的未来的重要组成部分)”以及第三段“Duckweed, common on every continent but Antarctica, is among the world’s most productive plants per acre and the researchers suggest it could be a game-changing renewable energy source for three key reasons. First, it grows readily in water, so it wouldn’t compete with food crops for prime agricultural land. Second, duckweed can thrive in agricultural pollution from farms like pig and chicken farms, potentially cleaning up some of the chemicals such farms release into the water. (浮萍在除南极洲以外的每个大陆都很常见，是世界上每英亩产量最高的植物之一。研究人员认为，它可能是一种改变游戏规则的可再生能源，原因有三个。首先，它很容易在水中生长，所以它不会与粮食作物争夺优质农业用地。其次，浮萍可以在养猪场和养鸡场等农场的农业污染中茁壮成长，可能会清理这些农场释放到水中的一些化学物质)”可知，浮萍分布世界各地方面不是研究人员关于它存在分歧。故选D。 4．推理判断题。根据最后一段“To scale production up to industrial levels, scientists will need to design and produce large-scale vessels (导管) for growing engineered plants and extracting oil — a challenge, the study’s lead author John Shanklin, a biochemist at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Labaratory, says, because duckweed is a nonmainstream crop without much existing infrastructure.(为了将生产规模扩大到工业水平，科学家们将需要设计和制造大型容器来种植工程植物和提取石油——这是一个挑战，该研究的主要作者、美国能源部布鲁克海文国家实验室的生物化学家约翰·尚克林说，因为浮子是一种非主流作物，没有多少现有的基础设施)”可推知，研究人员的下一步工作可能是实现批量生产。故选B。 二、完形填空 Passage1. When I was a little boy, I lived in my grandma’s old house. It was 1 by four huge vegetable gardens, and around the house were planted so many 2 . On the back porch, Grandma had dozens of potted (盆栽的) plants hanging on hooks (挂钩). She 3 them, and talked to them. With a little water and a lot of 4 she kept them alive, green, and growing even during the coldest, darkest months. As a little boy, I was confused by all the effort she 5 them. I understood the vegetable gardens for they helped to 6 the family all winter long. I 7 understood the flowers around the house as they were pretty and smelled so sweet in the summer months. The reason why she 8 to those potted plants with so much effort, however, made me feel 9 a lot. They didn’t give us any food and they 10 had any flowers on them. They remained an unknown to my mind as a(n) 11 . Now as I’ve grown older, I am beginning to 12 why my grandma had those potted plants. It is the same reason why I have so many pictures of sunrises and forests 13 in my home. They remind me of the dark cold winter months 14 of bare trees and yellow grass when light, love and growth still exist. But my greatest 15 of light and love was Grandma herself, who was light to my soul even in my darkest times. 1．A．threatened B．torn C．surrounded D．destroyed 2．A．flowers B．potatoes C．tomatoes D．carrots 3．A．discovered B．sold C．watered D．forgot 4．A．honesty B．love C．strength D．courage 5．A．put into B．looked into C．ran into D．turned into 6．A．identify B．manage C．defend D．feed 7．A．rather B．even C．still D．never 8．A．led B．referred C．tended D．pointed 9．A．disappointed B．worried C．awkward D．puzzled 10．A．casually B．hardly C．entirely D．secretly 11．A．child B．doctor C．parent D．artist 12．A．question B．concern C．challenge D．understand 13．A．taking B．hanging C．expanding D．spotting 14．A．free B．worthy C．full D．aware 15．A．achievement B．doubt C．lie D．reminder 【答案】1．C 2．A 3．C 4．B 5．A 6．D 7．B 8．C 9．D 10．B 11．A 12．D 13．B 14．C 15．D 【导语】这是一篇记叙文。文章主要讲述了作者小时候不理解奶奶为什么喜欢盆栽，随着年龄的增长，作者明白了盆栽是爱和光明的象征。最能让作者想起光明和爱的是奶奶本人，即使在作者最黑暗的时候，她也是作者灵魂中的光明。 1．考查动词词义辨析。句意：它被四个巨大的菜园包围着，房子周围种着许多花。 A. threatened威胁；B. torn撕碎；C. surrounded包围；D. destroyed破坏。根据下文“by four huge vegetable gardens”可知，房子被四个巨大的菜园包围着。故选C项。 2．考查名词词义辨析。句意：它被四个巨大的菜园包围着，房子周围种着许多花。 A. flowers花朵；B. potatoes土豆；C. tomatoes西红柿；D. carrots胡萝卜。根据下文“flowers around the house”可知，房子周围种着许多花。故选A项。 3．考查动词词义辨析。句意：她给它们浇水，和它们说话。A. discovered发现；B. sold卖；C. watered浇水；D. forgot忘记。根据下文“With a little water”可知，奶奶给植物浇水。故选C项。 4．考查名词词义辨析。句意：她用少量的水和大量的爱使它们保持生机、绿色，即使在最寒冷、最黑暗的月份也能生长。A. honesty诚实；B. love爱；C. strength力气；D. courage勇气。根据下文“light and love”可知，她用少量的水和大量的爱使植物保持生机。故选B项。 5．考查动词短语词义辨析。句意：当我还是个小男孩的时候，我对她付出的努力感到困惑。A. put into投入；B. looked into调查；C. ran into遇到；D. turned into转变成。根据上文“She  ____3____  them, and talked to them. With a little water and a lot of  ____4____  she kept them alive, green, and growing even during the coldest, darkest months.”可知，作者对她付出的努力感到困惑。故选A项。 6．考查动词词义辨析。句意：我了解菜园的情况，因为菜园在整个冬天都能养活一家人。A. identify确定；B. manage管理；C. defend保卫；D. feed喂养。根据上文“vegetable gardens”以及常识可知，菜园在整个冬天都能养活一家人。故选D项。 7．考查副词词义辨析。句意：我甚至理解房子周围的花，因为它们在夏天的几个月里很漂亮，闻起来很香。A. rather相当；B. even甚至；C. still仍然；D. never决不。根据句意可知，与上文为递进关系。故选B项。 8．考查动词词义辨析。句意：然而，她如此用心地照料那些盆栽的原因却让我感到很困惑。A. led引导；B. referred提及；C. tended照料；D. pointed指向。根据上文“She  ____3____  them, and talked to them.”可知，奶奶悉心照料盆栽。故选C项。 9．考查形容词词义辨析。句意：然而，她如此用心地照料那些盆栽的原因却让我感到很困惑。A. disappointed失望的；B. worried担忧的；C. awkward尴尬的；D. puzzled困惑的。根据上文“confused”可知，作者很困惑。故选D项。 10．考查副词词义辨析。句意：他们没有给我们任何食物，他们几乎不开花。A. casually随意地；B. hardly几乎不；C. entirely整个地；D. secretly秘密地。根据上文“They didn’t give us any food”可知，他们几乎不开花。故选B项。 11．考查名词词义辨析。句意：作为一个孩子，它们在我的脑海中一直是未知的。A. child孩子；B. doctor医生；C. parent父母； D. artist艺术家。根据上文“As a little boy”可知，作者是一个孩子。故选A项。 12．考查动词词义辨析。句意：现在，随着年龄的增长，我开始明白为什么奶奶会养那些盆栽。A. question盘问；B. concern关心；C. challenge挑战；D. understand理解。上文“As a little boy, I was confused”提到作者小时候感到困惑，结合“Now as I’ve grown older”可知，随着年龄的增长，作者开始明白为什么奶奶会养那些盆栽。故选D项。 13．考查动词词义辨析。句意：这也是为什么我家里挂了那么多日出和森林的照片的原因。A. taking拿；B. hanging悬挂；C. expanding膨胀；D. spotting发现。根据上文“hanging on hooks (挂钩)”可知，作者家里挂了那么多日出和森林的照片。故选B项。 14．考查形容词词义辨析。句意：它们让我想起那个黑暗寒冷的冬天，到处是光秃秃的树和黄草，那时光、爱和生长仍然存在。 A. free自由的；B. worthy值得的；C. full满满的；D. aware有意识的。根据上文“the dark cold winter months”可知，到处是光秃秃的树和黄草。故选C项。 15．考查名词词义辨析。句意：但最能让我想起光明和爱的是奶奶本人，即使在我最黑暗的时候，她也是我灵魂中的光明。A. achievement成就；B.  doubt怀疑；C. lie谎言；D. reminder提醒物。根据上文“They remind me of the dark cold winter months”可知，最能让作者想起光明和爱的是奶奶本人。故选D项。 Passage2. There are purple clothes, purple handbags, purple bicycles, purple furniture, even purple computers! So purple is one of the most 1 colors today. But in the past, purple was a very expensive and unusual color. Let’s take a look at the rich 2 of the color purple. Some scientists believe that the first plants to appear on Earth over 500 million years ago 3 looked purple, not green. Plants today are green because 4 use green chlorophyll (叶绿素) to produce energy. 5 these early plants probably used something called retinal, which is a dark purple color. During the time of the Roman Empire (37 BC-476 AD), it was very 6 to make purple dye (染料). The dye came from sea snails (海螺). But 10,000 dead sea snails 7 you just one gram of purple dye... as well as a very bad smell! This 8 purple dye was called Tyrian purple, and it was the preferred 9 of emperors. In 16th century England, purple was 10 for the kings family members. Queen Elizabeth I’s clothes were purple, but ordinary people were not allowed to 11 the color. In 1856, William Perkin, an 18-year-old 12 student, noticed something strange while doing an experiment. The chemicals he used to clean his instruments 13 with the chemicals he used in his experiment and produced a bright purple color. This 14 led Perkin to start a company using this chemical mixture to make purple dye. The dye was much 15 than sea snail dye. Thanks to Perkin, now anyone can afford to wear purple clothes. 1．A．peaceful B．popular C．exciting D．serious 2．A．history B．style C．research D．product 3．A．gradually B．especially C．exactly D．probably 4．A．others B．they C．we D．some 5．A．And B．So C．But D．Until 6．A．dangerous B．common C．difficult D．strange 7．A．got B．passed C．wasted D．cost 8．A．basic B．harmful C．special D．perfect 9．A．color B．smell C．plant D．animal 10．A．even B．never C．seldom D．only 11．A．wear B．sell C．change D．make 12．A．Geography B．Science C．Art D．Maths 13．A．compared B．mixed C．collected D．kept 14．A．survey B．suggestion C．discovery D．exam 15．A．healthier B．thicker C．cheaper D．darker 【答案】1．B 2．A 3．D 4．B 5．C 6．C 7．A 8．C 9．A 10．D 11．A 12．B 13．B 14．C 15．C 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了紫色作为一种颜色的发展历程，从远古时期植物可能的颜色，到古罗马时期紫色染料的昂贵与稀有，再到16世纪英国紫色成为王室专有色，最后提及1856年威廉·珀金的偶然发现使得紫色染料变得普及和便宜。 1．考查形容词词义辨析。句意：所以紫色是当今最流行的颜色之一。A. peaceful和平的；B. popular流行的；C. exciting令人兴奋的；D. serious严重的。根据上文“There are purple clothes, purple handbags, purple bicycles, purple furniture, even purple computers!”可知，上文列举了紫色的各种物品，说明紫色是当今最流行的颜色之一。故选B项。 2．考查名词词义辨析。句意：让我们来看看紫色丰富的历史。A. history历史；B. style风格；C. research研究；D. product产品。根据下文“During the time of the Roman Empire (37 BC-476 AD), it was very 6 to make purple dye (染料)”、“In 16th century England, purple was 10 for the kings family members.”、“In 1856, William Perkin, an 18-year-old 12 student, noticed something strange while doing an experiment. The chemicals he used to clean his instruments 13 with the chemicals he used in his experiment and produced a bright purple color.”可知，接下来的段落讲述了紫色在不同历史时期的情况，因此这里是说要探索紫色的历史。故选A项。 3．考查副词词义辨析。句意：一些科学家认为，5亿多年前首次出现在地球上的植物可能是紫色的，而不是绿色的。A. gradually逐渐地；B. especially特别；C. exactly精确地；D. probably可能。根据上文“Some scientists believe that the first plants to appear on Earth over 500 million years ago”可知，此处是科学家的一种推测，表示可能性，并没有确切的证据表明第一棵植物是紫色的。故选D项。 4．考查代词词义辨析。句意：今天的植物是绿色的，因为它们使用绿色叶绿素来产生能量。A. others其他人或物；B. they它们；C. we我们；D. some一些。根据下文的“use green chlorophyll (叶绿素) to produce energy”可知，此处指代前文的Plants，应用they。故选B项。 5．考查连词词义辨析。句意：但这些早期的植物可能使用了一种叫做视黄醛的东西，它是一种深紫色。A. And和；B. So因此；C. But但是；D. Until直到。根据上文“Plants today are green because 4 use green chlorophyll (叶绿素) to produce energy.”和下文“these early plants probably used something called retinal, which is a dark purple color”可知，上文提到现代植物因叶绿素而呈绿色，下文提到早期植物可能因使用视黄醛而呈紫色，前后是转折关系，用but连接。故选C项。 6．考查形容词词义辨析。句意：在罗马帝国时期（公元前37年-公元476年），制造紫色染料非常困难。A. dangerous危险的；B. common常见的；C. difficult困难的；D. strange奇怪的。根据下文“The dye came from sea snails (海螺). But 10,000 dead sea snails 7 you just one gram of purple dye... as well as a very bad smell!”可知，制作紫色需要大量海螺，且过程伴随恶臭可知，制造紫色染料很困难。故选C项。 7．考查动词词义辨析。句意：但10,000只死海螺只能得到1克紫色染料，还会产生非常难闻的气味！A. got获得；B. passed通过；C. wasted浪费；D. cost花费。根据上文“But 10,000 dead sea snails”和下文“you just one gram of purple dye”可知，这里指制作成本，即需要10,000只海螺才能得到1克染料。故选A项。 8．考查形容词词义辨析。句意：这种特殊的紫色染料被称为泰紫，是皇帝偏爱的颜色。A. basic基本的；B. harmful有害的；C. special特殊的；D. perfect完美的。根据上文“But 10,000 dead sea snails 7 you just one gram of purple dye”可知，泰紫因其来源和昂贵，是特殊的紫色染料。故选C项。 9．考查名词词义辨析。句意：这种特殊的紫色染料被称为泰紫，是皇帝偏爱的颜色。A. color颜色；B. smell气味；C. plant植物；D. animal动物。根据上文“it was the preferred”可知，泰紫是一种颜色，是皇帝喜欢的颜色选择。故选A项。 10．考查副词词义辨析。句意：在16世纪的英格兰，紫色仅供王室成员使用。A. even甚至；B. never从不；C. seldom很少；D. only仅仅，只。根据下文“Queen Elizabeth I’s clothes were purple, but ordinary people were not allowed to 11 the color”可知，16世纪的英国，紫色只为国王的家庭成员使用。故选D项。 11．考查动词词义辨析。句意：伊丽莎白一世女王的衣服是紫色的，但普通人不允许穿紫色衣服。A. wear穿；B. sell卖；C. change改变；D. make制作。根据上文“Queen Elizabeth I’s clothes were purple, but ordinary people were not allowed to”可知，普通人不允许穿紫色衣服。故选A项。 12．考查名词词义辨析。句意：1856年，18岁的科学系学生威廉·珀金在做实验时注意到一件奇怪的事情。A. Geography地理；B. Science科学；C. Art艺术；D. Maths数学。根据下文“noticed something strange while doing an experiment”可知，他是科学系的学生。故选B项。 13．考查动词词义辨析。句意：他用来清洗仪器的化学物质与他在实验中使用的化学物质混合在一起，产生了鲜亮的紫色。A. compared比较；B. mixed混合；C. collected收集；D. kept保持。根据上文“he chemicals he used to clean his instruments”和下文“with the chemicals he used in his experiment and produced a bright purple color”可知，这里描述的是化学反应，即两种化学物质混合，产生了紫色。故选B项。 14．考查名词词义辨析。句意：这一发现促使珀金成立了一家公司，使用这种化学混合物制造紫色染料。A. survey调查；B. suggestion建议；C. discovery发现；D. exam考试。根据上文的“produced a bright purple color”可知，这里的this指代上文的意外得到紫色染料的事情，是一个发现。故选C项。 15．考查形容词词义辨析。句意：这种染料比海螺染料便宜得多。A. healthier更健康的；B. thicker更厚的；C. cheaper更便宜的；D. darker更暗的。根据下文“Thanks to Perkin, now anyone can afford to wear purple clothes.”可知，这种新方法生产的紫色染料更便宜，现在任何人都能买得起紫色的衣服了。故选C项。 ( 1 )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 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $$