专题08 六选四12篇（上海市高考模拟真题）（第一期）-备战2025年高考英语名校模拟真题速递(上海专用)

专题08 六选四12篇 (上海市高考模拟) 基础语篇巩固练 （24-25高三上·上海金山·阶段练习）Reveal truths about our chaotic galaxy (银河系) Astronomer Bob Benjamin has spent the past 20 years trying to figure out what the Milky Way looks like. The work isn’t easy, because we’re inside the galaxy and can’t see it from the outside, but astronomers have genius approaches, and Benjamin thinks “it’s a knowable thing”. 1 During interviews, Benjamin and other astronomers repeatedly cited the story of the blind men and the elephant: they each touch a different part of the elephant’s body, but miss the whole elephant entirely. When Benjamin began his career, he figured that the galaxy was stable since birth, orderly and elegant. 2 The sea of data comes from a pack of new surveys, most remarkably one by the ESA observatory Gaia, that are collecting shockingly amounts of information. By 2023, Gaia had mapped around 1.8 billion stars. It released its first data in 2016 and has been cooperating with a bunch of other telescopes. Collectively these projects have gathered images and spectra (光谱) for millions of stars. 3 Locations of stars in three dimensions, plus a record of their motions made by repeatedly imaging them over time. The result is a movie of a few billion circling stars that reveals not only the galaxy’s structure but also its surprisingly confusing and violent history. 4 As Benjamin comments, “Oh, my god, it’s real, and it’s a huge mess, indeed different from our original guess.” With the new surveys’ maps, we have revealed some truths about this chaotic galaxy, which is still far from enough. The astronomers will continue to explore the unlimited scale and secrets of this galaxy with their unlimited passion. A．With all these data, astronomers are making the first exact maps of the Milky Way. B．After careful research, they already knew stars in different parts of the galaxy were different ages. C．This picture itself makes sense, but confirming it is complicated and will need huge amounts of data. D．In short, the maps show not the Milky Way in a stable balance, but rather the galaxy’s departure from it. E．Even with all the genius work, piecing together this much of a Milky Way map has been extremely difficult. F．But that picture has gradually changed in recent years as scientists have begun systematically mapping stars wholesale. 【答案】1．E 2．F 3．A 4．D 【导语】这是一篇说明文。主要介绍了揭示我们混乱银河系的真相。 1．根据上文“The work isn’t easy, because we’re inside the galaxy and can’t see it from the outside, but astronomers have genius approaches, and Benjamin thinks “it’s a knowable thing”.( 这项工作并不容易，因为我们在星系内部，从外部看不到它，但天文学家有天才的方法，本杰明认为“这是一种可知的东西”。)”提到天文学家有天才的方法。以及下文“During interviews, Benjamin and other astronomers repeatedly cited the story of the blind men and the elephant: they each touch a different part of the elephant’s body, but miss the whole elephant entirely.( 在采访中，本杰明和其他天文学家反复引用盲人和大象的故事：他们每个人都触摸到了大象身体的不同部分，但却完全忽略了大象的整个身体。)”提到每个人都触摸到了大象身体的不同部分，但却完全忽略了大象的整个身体。结合选项E项Even with all the genius work, piecing together this much of a Milky Way map has been extremely difficult.（即使有了所有这些天才的工作，拼凑出如此多的银河系地图也是极其困难的。）可知，起到上下文的承上启下作用，上下文语意连贯。故选E项。 2．根据上文“When Benjamin began his career, he figured that the galaxy was stable since birth, orderly and elegant. (当本杰明开始他的职业生涯时，他认为银河系自诞生以来是稳定的，有序的，优雅的。)”提到银河系自诞生以来是稳定的，有序的，优雅的。以及下文“The result is a movie of a few billion circling stars that reveals not only the galaxy’s structure but also its surprisingly confusing and violent history.( 其结果是一部包含几十亿颗环绕恒星的电影，它不仅揭示了银河系的结构，还揭示了它令人惊讶的混乱和暴力的历史。)”提到揭示了它令人惊讶的混乱。由此可知，上下文形成转折，结合选项F项But that picture has gradually changed in recent years as scientists have begun systematically mapping stars wholesale.（但近年来，随着科学家们开始系统地大规模绘制恒星地图，这种情况逐渐发生了变化。）可知，承接上文内容，为对上文内容的语义转折，同时呼应下文的内容，符合语境。故选F项。 3．根据上文“By 2023, Gaia had mapped around 1.8 billion stars.  It released its first data in 2016 and has been cooperating with a bunch of other telescopes. Collectively these projects have gathered images and spectra (光谱) for millions of stars.( 到2023年，盖亚已经绘制了大约18亿颗恒星的地图。它在2016年发布了第一批数据，并一直与其他一些望远镜合作。这些项目总共收集了数百万颗恒星的图像和光谱。)”提到已经绘制了大约18亿颗恒星的地图以及在2016年发布了第一批数据。结合选项A项With all these data, astronomers are making the first exact maps of the Milky Way.（有了所有这些数据，天文学家正在绘制第一张银河系的精确地图。）可知，承接上文内容，为对上文内容的语意递进，同时该句中的all these data“这些数据”指的就是“2016年发布了第一批数据”。故选A项。 4．根据上文“The result is a movie of a few billion circling stars that reveals not only the galaxy’s structure but also its surprisingly confusing and violent history.( 其结果是一部包含几十亿颗环绕恒星的电影，它不仅揭示了银河系的结构，还揭示了它令人惊讶的混乱和暴力的历史。)”提到银河系的结构，揭示了它令人惊讶的混乱和暴力的历史。结合选项D项In short, the maps show not the Milky Way in a stable balance, but rather the galaxy’s departure from it.（简而言之，这些地图显示的不是处于稳定平衡状态的银河系，而是星系偏离平衡状态的星系。）可知，承接上文内容，该句是对上文内容的总结，符合语境。故选D项。 （2025·上海长宁·一模）Machine identifies songs from people’s brainwaves Artificial intelligence has learned to identify the songs someone is listening to from their brain readings. Derek Lomas at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands and his colleagues asked 20 people to listen to 12 songs through headphones. 1 Each person’s brainwaves were recorded using an EEG (脑电图) cap that detects electrical activity. The EEG readings from each person were cut into short pieces and used along with the matching music clip to train an AI to spot patterns between the two. 2 But the software struggles if it is trained on EEG data from one person and then attempts to identify a song when someone else listens to it. Accuracy in such tests fell to less than one in every ten attempts. 3 And people tend to focus on different elements of the music during training. Ultimately, however, they aim to identify aspects of EEG responses to music that are common to all humans. 4 “I think it’s really stimulating to think about how the combination of machine learning and high-density (高密度的) data from EEG can be combined to bring insights into moving emotional experiences, but also to figure out what’s going on inside your head,” he says. Music is ultimately “just electrical signals,” he says. “And it’s the same with the EEG.” A．Lomas hopes that this will further our understanding of the brain, as well as boost knowledge of how and why humans consume music. B．The AI was then tested on unseen portions of the data, identifying songs with a precision of 85 per cent. C．The experiment was conducted to determine if AI could replace human musicians. D．This suggests that the AI’s ability to identify songs highly depends on the individual’s brain activity. E．The volunteers did this blindfolded and in a faintly lit room to minimise the effect of their other senses on the results. F．The researchers believe that this is due to each person’s preference towards a song being unique. 【答案】1．E 2．B 3．F 4．A 【导语】这是一篇说明文。本文主要讲述了荷兰代夫特理工大学的研究团队通过脑电图（EEG）数据训练人工智能（AI）识别人们正在听的歌曲的研究。 1．根据上文“Derek Lomas at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands and his colleagues asked 20 people to listen to 12 songs through headphones.(荷兰代尔夫特理工大学的德里克·洛马斯和他的同事们让20个人通过耳机听12首歌)”以及后文“Each person’s brainwaves were recorded using an EEG (脑电图) cap that detects electrical activity.(每个人的脑电波都是用检测电活动的脑电图帽记录下来的)”可知，本句需要填写实验的具体操作方式，故E选项“志愿者被蒙住眼睛，在一个光线微弱的房间里做这个实验，以尽量减少其他感官对结果的影响”符合语境，故选E。 2．根据上文“The EEG readings from each person were cut into short pieces and used along with the matching music clip to train an AI to spot patterns between the two.(每个人的脑电图读数被切成一小段，与匹配的音乐片段一起使用，以训练人工智能识别两者之间的模式)”以及后文“But the software struggles if it is trained on EEG data from one person and then attempts to identify a song when someone else listens to it. Accuracy in such tests fell to less than one in every ten attempts.(但是，如果软件是根据一个人的脑电图数据进行训练，然后试图在其他人听这首歌时识别出这首歌，它就会陷入困境。这种测试的准确率下降到每十次中不到一次)”可知，上文描述使用脑电图数据和音乐片段训练人工智能的过程，后文but表示转折，表示准确率下降，说明前面提到的软件识别歌曲的能力很强，故B选项“然后，人工智能在数据的未可见部分上进行了测试，以85%的精度识别歌曲”符合语境，故选B。 3．根据上一段中“But the software struggles if it is trained on EEG data from one person and then attempts to identify a song when someone else listens to it. Accuracy in such tests fell to less than one in every ten attempts.(但是，如果软件是根据一个人的脑电图数据进行训练，然后试图在其他人听这首歌时识别出这首歌，它就会陷入困境。这种测试的准确率下降到每十次中不到一次)”以及后文“And people tend to focus on different elements of the music during training. Ultimately, however, they aim to identify aspects of EEG responses to music that are common to all humans.(在训练中，人们倾向于关注音乐的不同元素。然而，他们最终的目标是确定脑电图对音乐的反应是所有人类共同的)”可知，上文提到了软件在识别不同人的脑电图数据时存在困难，本句主要对此给出解释，故F选项“研究人员认为，这是因为每个人对歌曲的偏好都是独一无二的”符合语境，故选F。 4．根据后文““I think it’s really stimulating to think about how the combination of machine learning and high-density (高密度的) data from EEG can be combined to bring insights into moving emotional experiences, but also to figure out what’s going on inside your head,” he says.(他说：“我认为，想到机器学习和脑电图的高密度数据如何结合起来，不仅能洞察移动的情感体验，还能弄清楚你的大脑里在想什么，这真的很令人兴奋。”)”可知，本句为洛马斯对这项研究的看法，A选项Lomas对应后文he。故A选项“Lomas希望这将进一步加深我们对大脑的理解，并促进对人类如何以及为什么消费音乐的了解”引出下文，故选A。 （24-25高三上·上海金山·阶段练习）Kids Need Time Why is it that just hours after birth, baby gazelles(羚羊) are literally up and running? They come into the world knowing almost everything their parents know: how to move, eat, avoid hyenas (鬣狗) . That’s because they really don’t need to know much, says psychologist Barbara Sarnecka. 1 But humans? We come out “uncooked,” Sarnecka says. We have an extremely long time when we can’t make it on our own. “It makes us very weak in the early years of life, but on the other hand, we can learn massive amounts of information about complex environments.” 2 That is our evolutionary superpower. It can be affected by cruelty, or starvation, or illness. But it can also be affected by lovely adults with the best of intentions, who have surveyed the world and determined the very best thing for their child to work on, day in and day out. In the adults’ view, that thing is so valuable that the child shouldn’t be allowed to waste his time doing something silly like drawing flowers, or setting things on fire, or learning magic tricks. 3 They look like losers to others and maybe to themselves. This can happen at school, and it can happen during what would have been their free time. Kids need a chance to discover and pursue their own paths. We’ve got to forget our achievement-focused childhood. Because when our kids have enough time and freedom to find their way to creativity, perseverance, and joy, they win. Sarnecka herself dreamed up a very odd pastime as a kid. “I wrote a list of questions and picked up the phone and started randomly calling strangers and interviewing them about whether they had ever played a musical instrument.” 4 Today she’s a professor of cognitive (认知的) sciences at the University of California, Irvine, where she gets paid to ask random strangers questions about their lives. A．Adults are saying that here’s the environment and I’ve already mapped it. B．Evolution can pre-install a nearly complete set of gazelle operating instructions because there’s so little code. C．Evolution couldn’t prepare us for every possible environment, so it prepares us to be curious and ready to learn. D．Imagine yourself as a kid — all the time you are spending being a writer. E．It probably looked like a weird, even rude, hobby to outsiders. F．When kids are stuck doing things that don’t turn them on, they turn off. 【答案】1．B 2．C 3．F 4．E 【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章以小瞪羚出生即能行动，因进化预装几乎完整生存指令，与人类出生 “未成熟”却有长时间学习复杂环境信息的能力作对比，指出人类进化赋予的好奇与学习能力易受残酷环境、疾病及好意成年人的影响，成年人常阻止孩子做他们认为“浪费时间” 的事，导致孩子失去热情像失败者。进而强调孩子需要机会追寻自我道路，应摒弃成就导向的童年观念，给予孩子时间和自由实现创造力等。并以萨内卡小时候奇怪消遣及如今职业为例，侧面说明给予孩子空间发展的意义。 1．根据上文“Why is it that just hours after birth, baby gazelles (羚羊) are literally up and running? They come into the world knowing almost everything their parents know: how to move, eat, avoid hyenas (鬣狗) .( 为什么小瞪羚在出生几小时后就能爬起来跑呢？他们来到这个世界上，几乎知道他们父母所知道的一切：如何移动，如何进食，如何躲避鬣狗。)”以及“That’s because they really don’t need to know much, says psychologist Barbara Sarnecka.( 心理学家芭芭拉·萨内卡说，这是因为他们真的不需要知道太多。)”可知，这里在说小羚羊出生后很快就能跑，是因为它们不需要知道太多，B选项Evolution can pre-install a nearly complete set of gazelle operating instructions because there’s so little code.( 进化可以预先安装一套几乎完整的羚羊操作指令，因为需要的 “代码” 很少。)可知，进一步解释了原因，符合语境。故选B项。 2．根据上文“We have an extremely long time when we can’t make it on our own. “It makes us very weak in the early years of life, but on the other hand, we can learn massive amounts of information about complex environments.”(我们有很长一段时间无法依靠自己的力量。“这让我们在生命的早期非常虚弱，但另一方面，我们可以学到大量关于复杂环境的信息。”)”可知，人类出生后很长时间不能独立生存，但能学习大量关于复杂环境的信息，C选项 Evolution couldn’t prepare us for every possible environment, so it prepares us to be curious and ready to learn.( 进化无法为我们应对每一种可能的环境做好准备，所以它让我们充满好奇心并随时准备学习。)可知，承接上文，说明了人类的这种特点。故选C项。 3．根据下文“They look like losers to others and maybe to themselves. This can happen at school, and it can happen during what would have been their free time.( 他们在别人看来是失败者，也许在他们自己看来也是。这可能发生在学校，也可能发生在他们的空闲时间。)”可知，这里说的是孩子们看起来像失败者的情况，F选项When kids are stuck doing things that don’t turn them on, they turn off.( 当孩子们被困在做那些不能让他们感兴趣的事情时，他们就会失去热情。)可知，解释了为什么会看起来像失败者，符合语境。故选F项。 4．根据上文“Sarnecka herself dreamed up a very odd pastime as a kid. “I wrote a list of questions and picked up the phone and started randomly calling strangers and interviewing them about whether they had ever played a musical instrument.”(萨内卡自己小时候就梦想过一种非常奇怪的消遣方式。“我写了一张问题清单，拿起电话，开始随机给陌生人打电话，询问他们是否演奏过乐器。”)”可知，萨内卡小时候有一个很奇怪的消遣方式，E选项It probably looked like a weird, even rude, hobby to outsiders.( 在别人看来，这可能是一个奇怪甚至无礼的爱好。)可知，承接上文，说明了这种消遣方式在别人眼中的样子。故选E项。 （2025·上海·一模）The complex relationship between music and memory is profound. Music acts as a strong trigger for emotions and memories, transporting individuals back to specific moments in the past. Long-term memory splits into explicit and implicit types. Explicit one involves conscious recall, like academic learning and personal experiences. Implicit memory works automatically, like playing instruments or remembering lyrics. 1 It often lasts a lifetime even without practice. Diseases like Alzheimer’s mainly affect explicit memory systems. 2 This leads to a liking for familiar pieces due to the mere exposure effect. Major record labels use it through frequent airplay to boost record sales. Implicit memory works like classical conditioning, where an event, emotion, and song become linked. Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind” is strongly connected with Princess Diana as he performed it at her funeral. Music-triggered memories often come from important life stages, especially between the ages of 10 and 30, known as the “reminiscence bump.” Music from this time is more likely to be linked with vivid memories compared to other periods. The teenage years and twenties are crucial for forming music preferences. 3 It helps them recall vivid memories from their youth. Despite severe memory loss, people with dementia often remember music well. Research shows self-chosen music can bring back positive memories that might otherwise be hard to recall. Music helps unlock non-musical memories and improves communication among older adults with Alzheimer’s disease, a sort of disease concerning one’s long-term memory. Listening to music from important life events, like weddings or funerals, can bring about deeply nostalgic and emotional experiences. 4 A．It is now widely used to cure lots of severe diseases. B．This emotional connection allows individuals to recall details of their past. C．Music’s ability to reach the minds of Alzheimer’s patients is remarkable. D．Explicit memory fades without active recall, but implicit memory is durable. E．Implicit memory can form through passive listening to background music. F．Remembering things is often hard, but music helps bring back memories linked to a song. 【答案】1．D 2．E 3．F 4．B 【导语】这是一篇说明文。本文主要介绍了音乐与记忆之间复杂而深刻的关系，特别是音乐如何触发情感和记忆，以及不同类型的记忆（明确记忆和隐含记忆）如何与音乐相关联。 1．根据上文“Long-term memory splits into explicit and implicit types. Explicit one involves conscious recall, like academic learning and personal experiences. Implicit memory works automatically, like playing instruments or remembering lyrics.(长期记忆分为明确记忆和隐含记忆两种类型。明确记忆涉及有意识的回忆，如学术学习和个人经历。隐含记忆则是自动的，比如演奏乐器或记住歌词。)”可知，本段主要介绍了明确记忆和隐含记忆这两种记忆，所以接下来应该介绍这两种记忆的特点。选项D“明确记忆如果不主动回忆就会消退，但隐含记忆是持久的”符合语境。故选D。 2．根据下文“This leads to a liking for familiar pieces due to the mere exposure effect. Major record labels use it through frequent airplay to boost record sales.(这导致了对熟悉曲目的喜爱，仅仅因为暴露效应。主要唱片公司通过频繁的电台播放来利用这一点，以提高唱片销量。)”可知，本段主要讲述了一种会导致人们喜欢熟悉曲目的记忆，再结合下文提到的“唱片公司通过频繁的电台播放来利用这一点”，可推测出这种记忆应该是通过被动听背景音乐形成的，选项E“通过被动听背景音乐可以形成隐含记忆”符合语境。下文中的“it”指代的就是选项E中的“implicit memory”。故选E。 3．根据上文“Music from this time is more likely to be linked with vivid memories compared to other periods. The teenage years and twenties are crucial for forming music preferences.(与其他时期相比，这一时期的音乐更有可能与生动的记忆联系在一起。十几岁和二十几岁的时候是形成音乐偏好的关键时期。)”和下文“It helps them recall vivid memories from their youth.(它帮助他们回忆起年轻时的生动记忆。)”可知，本段主要讲述了某一事物有助于人们回忆年轻时的记忆，再结合上文提到的“这一时期的音乐更有可能与生动的记忆联系在一起”，可推测出这个事物指的就是“音乐”，选项F“记忆事情往往很难，但音乐有助于带回与歌曲相关的记忆”符合语境，选项中的“bring back memories linked to a song”与下文的“recall vivid memories from their youth”相呼应。故选F。 4．根据上文“Listening to music from important life events, like weddings or funerals, can bring about deeply nostalgic and emotional experiences.(听来自重要生活事件的音乐，比如婚礼或葬礼，可以带来深深的怀旧和情感体验。)”可知，本段主要讲述了音乐可以带来深深的情感体验，所以接下来应该讲述这种情感体验的作用，选项B“这种情感联系使人们能够回忆起他们过去的细节”符合语境。故选B。 （2024·上海青浦·一模）Urban Green Spaces and Their Impact on Children’s Health A new study found that inner-city kids living in neighborhoods with more green space gained about 13% less weight over a two-year period than kids living in areas with more concrete and fewer trees. 1 The fatness crisis began in the 1980s, and many people credit it to increased portion sizes and inactivity, but that can’t be everything. Fast foods and TVs have been with us for a long time. “Most experts agree that the changes were related to something in the environment,” says social scientist Thomas Glass. 2 The new research isn’t the first to associate greenery with better health, but it does get us closer to identifying what works and why. 3 But green space is good for the mind too. Research by environmental psychologists has shown that it has cognitive benefits for children with attention-deficit disorder (注意力缺乏症). In one study, just reading outside in a green setting improved kids’ symptoms. Exposure to grassy areas has also been linked to less stress and a lower body mass index (指数）among adults. And an analysis of 3,000 Tokyo residents associated walkable green spaces with greater longevity among senior citizens. Glass cautions that most studies don’t necessarily prove a causal link between greenness and health, but they’re nonetheless helping urge action. 4 So, if you live in a suburb or a city with good parks, take advantage of what’s there. Your children in particular will love it and their bodies and minds will be grateful to you. A．That something could be a shrinking of the green. B．Several environmental factors could explain the spread of fatness. C．He emphasizes that further action is needed to prove the association between green space access and childhood fatness. D．In September the U.S. approved the No Child Left Inside Act to encourage public initiatives aimed at exposing kids to the outdoors. E．Such findings tell a powerful story. F．In its purest sense, a green neighborhood simply means more places for kids to play, which is closely related to children’s activity levels. 【答案】1．E 2．A 3．F 4．D 【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章主要说明了城市绿地及其对儿童健康的影响。 1．根据上文“A new study found that inner-city kids living in neighborhoods with more green space gained about 13% less weight over a two-year period than kids living in areas with more concrete and fewer trees.(一项新的研究发现，在两年的时间里，生活在绿地较多社区的市中心儿童的体重增长比生活在混凝土较多、树木较少地区的儿童要少13%左右)”以及后文“The fatness crisis began in the 1180s, and many people credit it to increased portion sizes and inactivity, but that can’t be everything. Fast foods and TVs have been with us for a long time. (肥胖危机始于20世纪80年代，许多人将其归因于食物份量增加和缺乏运动，但这并不是全部。快餐和电视已经伴随我们很长时间了)”可知，后文列举了一些与上文儿童体重猛涨原因，即分析这一发现的现象背后的原因。E选项中Such findings对应上文A new study found。故E选项“这些发现讲述了一个强有力的故事”符合语境，故选E。 2．根据上文““Most experts agree that the changes were related to something in the environment,” says social scientist Thomas Glass.(“大多数专家都认为，这些变化与环境中的某些因素有关，”社会科学家托马斯·格拉斯说)”可知，上文提到专家认为儿童体重增加与环境有关。由此可知，本句是在具体说明与哪些环境因素有关。故A选项“可能是绿色的萎缩”符合语境，故选A。 3．根据后文“But green space is good for the mind too. Research by environmental psychologists has shown that it has cognitive benefits for children with attention-deficit disorder (注意力缺乏症). In one study, just reading outside in a green setting improved kids’ symptoms.(但绿色空间对心灵也有好处。环境心理学家的研究表明，它对患有注意力缺陷障碍的儿童有认知益处。在一项研究中，仅仅在户外绿色环境中阅读就能改善孩子们的症状)”可知，后文提到了绿色空间对心灵的好处，可知本句是在说明绿色空间为肉体活动带来的好处。故F选项“从最纯粹的意义上讲，绿色社区仅仅意味着孩子们有更多的玩耍的地方，这与孩子们的活动水平密切相关”符合语境，故选F。 4．根据上文“Glass cautions that most studies don’t necessarily prove a causal link between greenness and health, but they’re nonetheless helping urge action.(格拉斯警告说，大多数研究不一定证明绿色和健康之间存在因果关系，但它们仍然有助于敦促人们采取行动)”可知，上文提到了研究敦促人们采取行动，本句为本段最后一句，应该具体说明采取了哪些行动。故D选项“9月，美国通过了《不让孩子留在室内法》，鼓励旨在让孩子们接触户外活动的公共倡议”符合语境，故选D。 （2024·上海普陀·一模）Little Miss Mozart An 11-year-old British composer earned comparisons with Mozart after her opera opened in Vienna to enthusiastic applause. Alma Deutscher, who lived in Surrey with her parents, was already world-famous as a violinist and pianist before her first full-length opera made its first performance on the Austrian stage. 1 Cinderella was a composer whom Deutscher described as “a bit like me”. Deutscher said much of the musical inspiration behind Cinderella and other compositions came when her mind was elsewhere. During an interview with NBC’s Today show, she explained that trying to create beautiful melodies on demand often resulted in a blank mind. 2 The opera is two and a half hours long with the musical score running to 237 pages. 3 Deutscher said the prince having to ask whose foot would fit the slipper didn’t make much sense. Lots of people might have the same sized foot, but only one person could have written that melody. Conductor Simon Rattle declared he was “absolutely bowled over” when he first saw her perform, but it was Stephen Fry who first predicted that Deutscher could be this generation’s Mozart, after watching a video of her performing online. 4 She said, “I love Mozart very much. He’s probably my favourite composer, but I don’t really like it when people call me ‘Little Miss Mozart’ because I don’t like being called ‘little’. I’m very big, and secondly, if I just wrote everything Mozart wrote again it would be boring. ” A．However, it is not a comparison that the 11-year-old is particularly keen on. B．Interestingly, it was often during unexpected moments that a beautiful melody suddenly came to her. C．Deutscher’s most ambitious work has enabled the audience to see her talent. D．Instead of the glass slipper of the fairytale, the prince looks for a lost melody he cannot quite remember. E．The work reinvented the Cinderella fairytale to be set in an opera house ruled by a mean stepmother. F．She never got nervous on stage, as she was just happy that people wanted to listen to her music. 【答案】1．E 2．B 3．D 4．A 【导语】这是一篇新闻报道。主要说明了一位11岁的英国作曲家阿尔玛·多伊彻因为其音乐天赋被人称为“小莫扎特”。 1．根据后文“Cinderella was a composer whom Deutscher described as “a bit like me”. Deutscher said much of the musical inspiration behind Cinderella and other compositions came when her mind was elsewhere.(灰姑娘是一位作曲家，多伊彻形容她“有点像我”。多伊彻说，《灰姑娘》和其他作品背后的很多音乐灵感都是在她心不在焉的时候产生的)”可知，本句主要介绍这部作品的信息，结合后文提到了灰姑娘，可知作品与灰姑娘有关。故E选项“这部作品改编了灰姑娘的童话故事，故事发生在一个由刻薄的继母统治的歌剧院里”符合语境，故选E。 2．根据上文“During an interview with NBC’s Today show, she explained that trying to create beautiful melodies on demand often resulted in a blank mind.(在接受美国全国广播公司《今日秀》采访时，她解释说，试图随心所欲地创作优美的旋律往往会导致大脑一片空白)”可知，上文提到她试图随心所欲地创作优美的旋律，本句为本段最后一句，主要说明她是如何创作这些旋律的。故B选项“有趣的是，她经常在意想不到的时刻突然听到优美的旋律”符合语境，故选B。 3．根据上文“The opera is two and a half hours long with the musical score running to 237 pages.(歌剧全长两个半小时，乐谱长达237页)”以及后文“Deutscher said the prince having to ask whose foot would fit the slipper didn’t make much sense. Lots of people might have the same sized foot, but only one person could have written that melody.(多伊彻说，王子不得不问谁的脚适合这只鞋，这没有多大意义。很多人可能都有同样大小的脚，但只有一个人能写出那样的旋律)”可知，后文提到王子询问鞋子的主人没有意义，推测本句是在说明王子真正寻找的事物是旋律。故D选项“王子找的不是童话里的水晶鞋，而是一段他不太记得的旋律”符合语境，故选D。 4．根据上文“Conductor Simon Rattle declared he was “absolutely bowled over” when he first saw her perform, but it was Stephen Fry who first predicted that Deutscher could be this generation’s Mozart, after watching a video of her performing online.(指挥家西蒙·拉特尔宣称，当他第一次看到她的表演时，他“完全被震撼了”，但斯蒂芬·弗莱在网上观看了她的表演视频后，第一个预测道，多伊彻可能成为这一代人的莫扎特)”以及后文“She said, “I love Mozart very much. He’s probably my favourite composer, but I don’t really like it when people call me ‘Little Miss Mozart’ because I don’t like being called ‘little’. I’m very big, and secondly, if I just wrote everything Mozart wrote again it would be boring. ”(她说：“我非常喜欢莫扎特。他可能是我最喜欢的作曲家，但我真的不喜欢别人叫我‘小莫扎特小姐’，因为我不喜欢别人叫我‘小’。我块头很大，其次，如果我把莫扎特写的所有东西都重写一遍，那就太无聊了。”)”可知，本句与上文构成转折，指出这个孩子并不喜欢别人把她和莫扎特进行比较。故A选项“然而，这个11岁的孩子并不是特别喜欢这样的比较”符合语境，故选A。 （2025·上海浦东新·一模）Orangutan treats his wound with a medicinal plant In a new paper, researchers describe how a male orangutan (红毛猩猩) chewed the leaves of a plant used in traditional medicine and applied them to a wound on his cheek. 1 In June 2022, the researchers observed a male Sumatran orangutan, known as Rakus, with a fresh wound on his cheek. 2 He chewed the leaves of a plant and then applied the resulting juices directly onto his facial wound. He repeated this behavior for seven minutes and then, as a last step, fully covered the wound with the chewed leaves. He then continued feeding on the plant for 30 minutes. Over the following days, there were no signs of infection. The wound closed within five days. “What is interesting is that this behavior seems to be intentional and goal-oriented.” says study lead author Isabelle Laumer, a cognitive biologist in Germany. “He precisely applied the plant matter to his wound several times over a prolonged period. 3 ” Self-medication has been documented in multiple wild primate (灵长类) species, but not applying them to recent wounds. There is only one other study of active wound treatment by great apes. Several years ago, researchers reported one population of chimpanzees in Gabon, applied flying insects to their own wounds. However, the researchers could not identify the insects or make any conclusions about the effectiveness of the treatment. 4 Perhaps he accidentally touched a wound while feeding on a plant and experienced its analgesic (镇痛的) effects, causing him to repeat the behavior. It is also possible that Rakus previously learned the behavior from other orangutans, since young orangutans rely on social learning to acquire the skills necessary for adult life. A．Three days later, they saw an interesting chain of events. B．And he selectively treated his wound and not any other body parts. C．Rakus may have observed his mother demonstrating how to treat wounds. D．Laumer and colleagues do not know how or where this behavior originated. E．The findings may provide insights into the evolution of this behavior among humans. F．It’s the first report of suspected wound treatment by a wild animal using a plant with known medicinal properties. 【答案】1．F 2．A 3．B 4．D 【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章主要说明了研究人员发现猩猩会通过药用植物来治疗伤口。 1．根据上文“In a new paper, researchers describe how a male orangutan (红毛猩猩) chewed the leaves of a plant used in traditional medicine and applied them to a wound on his cheek.(在一篇新的论文中，研究人员描述了一只红毛猩猩是如何咀嚼一种传统药材的叶子，并将它们涂在脸颊上的伤口上的)”可知，上文描述了红毛猩猩擦药的场景，本句为本段最后一句，故承接上文，说明这一现象的意义。故F选项“这是首个疑似野生动物使用已知药用植物治疗伤口的报道”符合语境，故选F。 2．根据上文“In June 2022, the researchers observed a male Sumatran orangutan, known as Rakus, with a fresh wound on his cheek.(在2022年6月，研究人员观察到一只名为Rakus的雄性苏门答腊猩猩，他的脸颊上有一个新伤口)”以及后文“He chewed the leaves of a plant and then applied the resulting juices directly onto his facial wound. He repeated this behavior for seven minutes and then, as a last step, fully covered the wound with the chewed leaves. He then continued feeding on the plant for 30 minutes. Over the following days, there were no signs of infection. The wound closed within five days.(他咀嚼一种植物的叶子，然后将产生的汁液直接涂在脸上的伤口上。他重复了这个动作七分钟，然后，作为最后一步，用咀嚼过的叶子完全覆盖伤口。然后他继续吃这棵植物30分钟。在接下来的几天里，没有任何感染的迹象。伤口在五天内愈合了)”可知，上文提到研究人员观察到猩猩脸上有伤口，后文描述了猩猩开始擦药，说明研究人员继续观察这一猩猩的情况。故A选项“三天后，他们看到了一系列有趣的事件”符合语境，故选A。 3．根据上文““What is interesting is that this behavior seems to be intentional and goal-oriented.” says study lead author Isabelle Laumer, a cognitive biologist in Germany. “He precisely applied the plant matter to his wound several times over a prolonged period.(“有趣的是，这种行为似乎是有意的，是有目标的。该研究的主要作者、德国认知生物学家伊莎贝尔·劳默说。“在很长一段时间内，他多次精确地将植物物质涂在伤口上。)”可知，后文提到猩猩的行为是有目标的，说明治疗针对的是伤口这一目标。故B选项“他有选择性地治疗了他的伤口，而不是身体的其他部位”符合语境，故选B。 4．根据后文“Perhaps he accidentally touched a wound while feeding on a plant and experienced its analgesic (镇痛的) effects, causing him to repeat the behavior. It is also possible that Rakus previously learned the behavior from other orangutans, since young orangutans rely on social learning to acquire the skills necessary for adult life.(也许他在吃植物时不小心碰伤了伤口，体验到了植物的止痛效果，导致他重复了这种行为。也有可能Rakus之前从其他猩猩那里学到了这种行为，因为年轻的猩猩依靠社会学习来获得成年生活所必需的技能)”可知，本段主要说明了研究人员就猩猩这一治疗行为的起因进行了猜测。故D选项“Laumer和他的同事们不知道这种行为是如何或从哪里开始的”符合语境，故选D。 （2025·上海闵行·一模）Can a Pill Fight Loneliness? “Have you ever taken a walk in the woods and jumped back because you saw a stick on the ground and thought it was a snake,” asks researcher Stephanie Cacioppo. “The lonely people see snakes all the time.” Cacioppo is talking about a long-term loneliness contradiction: A person’s brain feels that something is wrong and that they should connect with others. 1 Consequently, they focus on the negative signals they think they’re getting, which keeps them from connecting. 2 That’s the focus of a clinical experiment that Cacioppo is overseeing. For a year and a half, 96 lonely but healthy subjects have been taking a certain amount of pregnenolone, a chemical substance associated with memory enhancement and stress reduction. The goal of the research is to see how balancing pregnenolone levels affects the subjects. The pill could help reduce the fear that makes lonely people withdraw and act more calmly in social situations. 3 The idea is that a pill could clear your view, helping you see things clearly instead of feeling afraid of everyone. Then you become more willing to listen to others. While developing a pill to address the brain signals that lead to loneliness holds promise, it should not be seen as the only solution. 4 Building meaningful relationships is just as important as eating right and exercising. A．Could a pill make social situations feel less threatening? B．Social connections are also essential for a healthy lifestyle. C．It’s like driving in the winter when you can’t see clearly. D．Is there a strong connection between memory enhancement and stress reduction? E．At the same time, it can also make them defensive when judging others. F．Unfortunately, the fear will appear repeatedly and influence your perception of things. 【答案】1．E 2．A 3．C 4．B 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章通过提出一个问题——“药物能对抗孤独吗？”来引入主题，然后详细描述了研究者卡Cacioppo关于孤独与药物关系的实验和研究，旨在向读者普及关于孤独和药物作用的相关知识。 1．根据上文“Cacioppo is talking about a long-term loneliness contradiction: A person’s brain feels that something is wrong and that they should connect with others.(Cacioppo谈论的是一个长期的关于孤独的悖论：一个人的大脑会感觉到出了问题，他们应该与他人建立联系。)”可推测，空处应该是和“they should connect with others”相矛盾。选项E“At the same time, it can also make them defensive when judging others.(它也会同时使他们在判断他人时产生防御心理。)”与上文内容相矛盾，指出大脑告诉他们应该和他人建立联系，但同时又会有防御心理。故选E。 2．根据下文“That’s the focus of a clinical experiment that Cacioppo is overseeing. For a year and a half, 96 lonely but healthy subjects have been taking a certain amount of pregnenolone, a chemical substance associated with memory enhancement and stress reduction.(这正是Cacioppo正在监督的一项临床实验的重点。一年半以来，96名孤独但健康的人一直在服用一定量的孕烯醇酮，这是一种与记忆增强和压力减轻有关的化学物质。)”可推测，下文是在描述一个关于药物的临床实验。选项A“Could a pill make social situations feel less threatening?(药物能让社交场合感觉不那么有威胁性吗？)”能够引出下文，提出了药物可能带来的效果，即让社交场合感觉不那么有威胁性。故选A。 3．根据上文“The pill could help reduce the fear that makes lonely people withdraw and act more calmly in social situations.(这种药物可以帮助减少让孤独的人退缩的恐惧，让他们在社交场合表现得更加冷静”)”以及空后“The idea is that a pill could clear your view, helping you see things clearly instead of feeling afraid of everyone.(这种药物的作用是清除你的视野，帮助你清楚地看待事物，而不是害怕每个人。)”可知，此处是在描述药物可能带来的好处，即减少恐惧，帮助孤独的人在社交场合表现得更加冷静。选项C“It’s like driving in the winter when you can’t see clearly.(这就像冬天开车时你看不清楚一样。)”能够与前文形成类比，用冬天开车时视线不清来类比孤独的人在社交场合因为恐惧而看不清事物，进而引出后文提到的药物可以清除视野，帮助人们清楚地看待事物。故选C。 4．根据上文“While developing a pill to address the brain signals that lead to loneliness holds promise, it should not be seen as the only solution.(虽然开发一种针对导致孤独的大脑信号的药物很有前景，但它不应被视为唯一的解决方案。)”以及下文“Building meaningful relationships is just as important as eating right and exercising.(建立有意义的关系和吃得健康、锻炼一样重要。)”可知，此处是在强调除了药物之外，还有其他重要的解决孤独问题的方法，选项B“Social connections are also essential for a healthy lifestyle. (社交联系对于健康的生活方式也很重要)”能够承接前文，进一步强调了社交联系的重要性，与后文提到的建立有意义的关系相呼应。故选B。 （2025·上海宝山·一模）Welcome to the world of online dating! Hundreds of possible matches are only a click away. That makes it a perfect fit for the busy, modern world. Because online dating is flexible, you can decide where and when to look for love. Millions of people use dating apps, but who’s to say that their online profiles are accurate? It’s important to be cautious when building relationships online. 1 Being aware of what you’re doing on dating apps helps you stay safe. When you create a dating profile, you’re usually asked to upload pictures. Use clear, recent photos so as not to confuse others about what you look like. Also, think twice about the pictures you share and what kind of information they’re giving away. This practice applies to the words you write, too. Be careful not to reveal very private details about your personal life. 2 You can do a lot on your end to protect yourself when setting up your dating profile. But what can you do once you start interacting with others? First, understand that online dating is not a substitute for real-life connections. It’s a tool. Before you start chatting with someone, look closely at their profile. Lack of information can be a cause for concern. A profile with only one photo or photos of scenery is a possible red flag. 3 That person is a waste of time. But, let’s say, you find someone you’re interested in. If you choose to meet in person, do so at a busy, public place. Meet at a coffee shop, a restaurant or a mall. Then let a friend know your plans. Finally, trust your instincts. If you feel suspicious, you should end the date. 4 Just remember to make safety a priority! A．Believe it or not, online dating is becoming more and more popular these days. B．After all, dating apps don’t require background checks for those who use them. C．If you feel lonely and bored, don’t hesitate to surf online wherever you are. D．Online dating should be, and often is, a positive experience for many people. E．When you start talking to someone, don’t tolerate inappropriate messages and photos. F．Instead, be strategic and honest about what you publish on your profile. 【答案】1．B 2．F 3．E 4．D 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。主要介绍的是在线约会的注意事项与安全建议。 1．空前“Millions of people use dating apps, but who’s to say that their online profiles are accurate? It’s important to be cautious when building relationships online.(数以百万计的人使用约会软件，但谁能说他们的网上资料是准确的呢？在网上建立人际关系时，保持谨慎是很重要的。)”说明了用网上的约会软件需要谨慎，空格处应该解释为什么要谨慎，B选项“After all, dating apps don’t require background checks for those who use them.(毕竟，约会软件不需要对用户进行背景调查。)”解释了为什么用约会软件需要谨慎，因此承接上文，符合语境。故选B。 2．空前“Be careful not to reveal very private details about your personal life.(小心不要透露你个人生活中非常私密的细节。)”说明了要小心，不要透露非常私密的细节，是有关在软件上公布的个人信息的，空格处也应该和个人信息有关，F选项“Instead, be strategic and honest about what you publish on your profile.(相反，要有策略地诚实地对待你在个人资料上发布的内容。)”说的是要如何对待你在网上的个人资料，因此承接上文。符合语境，故选F。 3．空后“That person is a waste of time.(那个人就是浪费时间。)”说明和那个人约会是浪费时间的，说明那个人有缺点或者做了什么不好的事情，E选项“When you start talking to someone, don’t tolerate inappropriate messages and photos.(当你开始和某人交谈时，不要容忍不恰当的信息和照片。)”说明不要容忍不恰当的信息和照片，也就是说约会的对象可能发了不恰当的信息和照片，引起下文，符合语境。故选E。 4．空后“Just remember to make safety a priority!(只要记住要把安全放在首位！)”说明了把安全放在首位，也就是说只要把安全放在首位，约会软件是一种好的体验，D选项“Online dating should be, and often is, a positive experience for many people.(对许多人来说，网上约会应该是，而且经常是一种积极的体验。)”说明了对很多人来说，网上约会是积极的体验，引起下文，符合语境。故选D。 （2025·上海崇明·一模）Certain Types of Music Could Help You Feel Less Pain, New Study Says There is no doubt that music can calm the soul for some, and it turns out that it could also be a temporary reliever for physical pain. Listening to favorite songs could reduce people’s perception of pain, according to a new study. 1 The small study invited 63 young adults to bring two of their favorite songs, and the only requirement was that they needed to be at least 3 minutes and 20 seconds long. One selection represented their favorite music of all time. The other was the song they would bring with them on a desert island. The researchers also had the young adults pick one of seven songs that the team considered relaxing and were unfamiliar to the study participants. Each person underwent 7-minute blocks where they were instructed to stare at a monitor screen while listening to their favorite music, one of the seven relaxing instrumental songs (each of which lasted for 6 minutes and 40 seconds), or a scrambled (杂乱的) version of both songs and the relaxing song chosen. 2 All the while, the researchers stuck a hot object - similar to the pain of a boiling hot teacup on your skin - to the participants’ left inner forearms. When rating their experiences, people were more likely to report feeling less pain when listening to their favorite songs compared with hearing the unfamiliar relaxing song or silence. The scrambled songs did not reduce pain either. 3 After interviewing the participants about the song they brought and their rating of pain, the researchers found people who listened to bittersweet and moving songs felt less pain than when they listened to songs with calming or cheerful themes. 4 This was associated with lower ratings of unpleasantness produced by the burning pain they felt in the experiment. A．One 7-minute block had people sitting in silence. B．In this case, the brain might be tuning into the music. C．The authors suggested it was evidence of music being more than a distraction from an unpleasant experience. D．And the most effective pain relievers were found to be sad songs detailing bittersweet and emotional experiences. E．Nevertheless, while our bodies still feel the pain, the messages to make our conscious mind perceive the pain may not be relayed. F．People who listened to bittersweet songs also reported more thrills (震颤感) and shivers (哆嗦) on the skin from listening to pleasurable music. 【答案】1．D 2．A 3．C 4．F 【导语】本文是说明文。文章通过一项新研究介绍了听某些类型的音乐（尤其是悲伤的歌曲）可以帮助减轻人们疼痛感的现象。 1．根据前文“Listening to favorite songs could reduce people’s perception of pain, according to a new study. (一项新的研究表明，听喜欢的歌曲可以减少人们对疼痛的感知。)”以及倒数第二段“After interviewing the participants about the song they brought and their rating of pain, the researchers found people who listened to bittersweet and moving songs felt less pain than when they listened to songs with calming or cheerful themes. (在采访了参与者带来的歌曲和他们对疼痛的评价后，研究人员发现，听苦乐参半和感人歌曲的人比听平静或欢快主题的歌曲的人感到的疼痛要少。)”可知，前文提出听喜欢的歌曲可以减少人们对疼痛的感知，后文说听苦乐参半和感人歌曲的人比听平静或欢快主题的歌曲的人感到的疼痛要少，所以空处应是提出相关主题，D项“And the most effective pain relievers were found to be sad songs detailing bittersweet and emotional experiences .(研究发现，最有效的止痛药是描述苦乐参半和情感经历的悲伤歌曲。)”承接上文，提出下文相关主题，符合文意。故选D项。 2．根据前文“Each person underwent 7-minute blocks where they were instructed to stare at a monitor screen while listening to their favorite music, one of the seven relaxing instrumental songs (each of which lasted for 6 minutes and 40 seconds), or a scrambled (杂乱的) version of both songs and the relaxing song chosen. (每个人都有7分钟的时间，在这段时间里，他们被要求一边盯着显示器屏幕，一边听他们最喜欢的音乐，七首放松的器乐歌曲（每首持续6分40秒）中的一首，或者两首歌曲和所选放松歌曲的混合版本。)”可知，应和有7分钟的时间听音乐内容相关，所以A项“One 7-minute block had people sitting in silence. (在一个7分钟的时间段内，人们都安静地坐着。)”是对前文的说明，其中7-minute block为同词复现。故选A项。 3．设空位于段尾，是对前文的总结，根据前文“When rating their experiences, people were more likely to report feeling less pain when listening to their favorite songs compared with hearing the unfamiliar relaxing song or silence. The scrambled songs did not reduce pain either. (在给自己的体验评级时，相比那些听自己不熟悉的舒缓歌曲或没有听歌的人，听自己喜爱的歌曲的人报告的痛感更低。听混合歌曲也不能降低痛感。)”可知，此处是上文实验的结果，所以C项“The authors suggested it was evidence of music being more than a distraction from an unpleasant experience. (研究作者指出，这一证据说明音乐起到的作用不仅仅是分散人们对不愉快体验的注意力。)”是研究作者对结果的推论，符合文意。故选C项。 4．根据后文“This was associated with lower ratings of unpleasantness produced by the burning pain they felt in the experiment. (这与他们在实验中感受到的灼痛所产生的不愉快程度较低有关。)”可知，前文应是提到一个现象，和感受到的灼痛所产生的不愉快程度较低有关，所以F项“People who listened to bittersweet songs also reported more thrills (震颤感) and shivers (哆嗦) on the skin from listening to pleasurable music. (听苦乐参半的歌曲的人也报告说，听愉快的音乐时皮肤上有更多的刺激和颤抖。)”承接上文，引出下文，符合文意。故选F项。 重难语篇拔高练 （24-25高三上·上海静安·期末）The coming of a new year marks a fresh start and motivates many people to break bad habits. Some are easier to shake than others. However, the tendency to procrastinate is among the stickiest. Whether it’s finishing a piece of work, sending an email or going for a run, some tasks can become unconquerable. The easiest way to deal with these tasks is to put them off until later or never at all. It’s procrastination. It is a specific form of delay that is both unnecessary and voluntary. 1 At its heart, procrastination is about avoidance. Rather than the task itself, it’s often the emotions attached to an activity that cause people to pause. Handling the first lines of a college essay may bring up feelings of self-doubt, for example. When you’re faced with a broad question or topic to write about, the lack of clear instructions can produce a fear of not getting it right or of what might happen if you get it wrong. The person procrastinating usually does so despite knowing that the task is important or valuable to them or others, and that putting it off could be risky to them or others. Big projects may bring overpowering feelings which are likely to lead to procrastination. 2 Answering an ordinary email from work, for example, may bring instant discomfort, so the urge to escape such negative emotion defeats one’s duty to complete the daily task. Like any personality character, there are some biological connections. Research suggests that procrastination is linked to impatience on a genetic level. It may be a passed-down property. 3 Environmental factors are just as important in shaping our response to tasks. Someone who doesn’t usually procrastinate can do so if they find themselves in a situation that exhausts their responding abilities, such as the death of a family member. 4 Of course, procrastination can pile on more pressures by leaving a task hanging over a person’s head, thus producing a negative cycle that can damage mental health, lower academic performance and lead to financial trouble. A．But that doesn’t mean you’re stuck and that’s who you are. B．Procrastination becomes an easy and ‘dirty’ way of reaction when your handling resources are maxed out. C．Chances are that you will find yourself supported by procrastination all along. D．It isn’t caused by the person’s need to prioritize other tasks or by an unexpected emergency. E．You will become increasingly frustrated with yourself for not getting the task done. F．However, the threat can also come from something tiny. 【答案】1．D 2．F 3．A 4．B 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章探讨了拖延现象的本质及其影响因素，指出拖延是一种不必要的自愿延迟，通常源于对任务的负面情绪反应，而遗传和环境因素也会影响拖延行为，最终可能导致心理压力和不良后果。 1．前文“It’s procrastination. It is a specific form of delay that is both unnecessary and voluntary. (这是拖延。这是一种既不必要又自愿的特殊延迟形式。)”引入拖延的话题，介绍其性质，后文“At its heart, procrastination is about avoidance. Rather than the task itself, it’s often the emotions attached to an activity that cause people to pause. (拖延的核心是逃避。导致人们暂停的往往不是任务本身，而是与活动相关的情绪。)”指出拖延是由逃避与任务相关的情绪导致的，因此D项“It isn’t caused by the person’s need to prioritize other tasks or by an unexpected emergency. (它不是由人们需要优先处理其他任务或意外的紧急情况引起的。)”符合语境，指出拖延不是由什么原因导致的，承前启后，其中的It指代前文的procrastination。故选D。 2．前文“Big projects may bring overpowering feelings which are likely to lead to procrastination. (大项目可能会带来难以抑制的情绪，这很可能导致拖延。)”提到大项目可能会导致拖延，后文“Answering an ordinary email from work, for example, may bring instant discomfort, so the urge to escape such negative emotion defeats one’s duty to complete the daily task. (例如，回复工作中的普通电子邮件可能会立即带来不适，所以逃避这种负面情绪的冲动会使一个人无法完成日常任务。)”举例具体说明一些日常的小事也会导致拖延，因此F项“However, the threat can also come from something tiny. (然而，威胁也可能来自微小的东西。)”符合语境，指出微小的东西也会造成拖延，与前文构成转折，后文是对其例证。故选F。 3．前文“Research suggests that procrastination is linked to impatience on a genetic level. It may be a passed-down property. (研究表明，拖延症在基因层面上与缺乏耐心有关。这可能是一种遗传属性。)”提到拖延可能是一种遗传下来的内在特性，后文“Environmental factors are just as important in shaping our response to tasks. (环境因素在塑造我们对任务的反应方面同样重要。)”指出外界的环境因素也会影响拖延，因此A项“But that doesn’t mean you’re stuck and that’s who you are. (但这并不意味着你被困住了，这就是你。)”符合语境，表示虽然有遗传因素，但不代表拖延不能改变，与前文构成转折，引出后文。故选A。 4．前文“Environmental factors are just as important in shaping our response to tasks. Someone who doesn’t usually procrastinate can do so if they find themselves in a situation that exhausts their responding abilities, such as the death of a family member. (环境因素在塑造我们对任务的反应方面同样重要。通常不拖延的人在发现自己处于耗尽反应能力的情况下会这样做，比如家庭成员的死亡。)”指出外界的环境因素也会影响拖延，举例说明人的反应能力被耗尽时会拖延，因此B项“Procrastination becomes an easy and ‘dirty’ way of reaction when your handling resources are maxed out. (当你的处理能力达到极限时，拖延就变成了一种简单而“肮脏”的反应方式。)”符合语境，分析了这种情况下拖延出现的原因，承接前文，其中的maxed out和前文的exhausts呼应。故选B。 （24-25高三上·上海杨浦·期末）Disliking Vegetables Can Rub off on Others Scientists have long been interested in why some people like vegetables and why others don’t, when eating greens is good for you. 1 Apparently, watching someone eating vegetables and visibly disliking them could put you off them a bit too. A research team set about investigating how the facial expressions that people make as they eat affect a person watching them. They asked more than 200 women to watch videos of other adults eating raw broccoli. The people in the videos would have different expressions while eating. They would smile, look neutral or look sickened by what they were tasting. The study found that watching people react with strong dislike to the broccoli reduced how much the women liked it. 2 Humans learn which behaviours will benefit them, including eating, by watching the reactions of others. 3 Scientists think that people might avoid food that appears sickening because it could help to protect them from eating something that tastes bad or could be dangerous. Although the research only focused on adults, experts think the results could also apply to children. This means that if children saw their parents, brothers or sisters not enjoying certain foods, including vegetables, they might not want to eat them either. 4 Understanding more about how adults’ behaviour influences children’s enjoyment of food could help to find ways to encourage young people to eat more of the foods that are good for them. A．A previous study found that children between the ages of four and six years old were more likely to eat broccoli if they’d seen video clips of adults enjoying it. B．However, a positive facial expression didn’t make them like broccoli more. C．In fact, the impact of observing others eat extends beyond simply dining manners. D．This is known as social modelling, and it is a strong influence on people’s eating habits. E．A new study has found that other people’s likes and dislikes could play a part. F．This phenomenon, often referred to as social influence, highlights how our eating behaviors are not shaped by the behaviors of those we dine with. 【答案】1．E 2．B 3．D 4．A 【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章主要讲述了科学家的一项新发现：他人对蔬菜的喜好与否会影响我们的喜好。 1．根据上文“Scientists have long been interested in why some people like vegetables and why others don’t, when eating greens is good for you.(长期以来，科学家们一直很感兴趣，为什么有些人喜欢吃蔬菜，而有些人不喜欢，而吃蔬菜对你有好处)”以及后文“Apparently, watching someone eating vegetables and visibly disliking them could put you off them a bit too.(显然，看着别人吃蔬菜，明显不喜欢它们，也会让你对它们有点反感)”可知，前文提到科学家对人们对蔬菜的喜好原因感兴趣，后文说看到别人不喜欢蔬菜自己也可能受影响，故E选项“一项新的研究发现，别人的好恶也有影响”符合语境，故选E。 2．根据上文“A research team set about investigating how the facial expressions that people make as they eat affect a person watching them. They asked more than 200 women to watch videos of other adults eating raw broccoli. The people in the videos would have different expressions while eating. They would smile, look neutral or look sickened by what they were tasting. The study found that watching people react with strong dislike to the broccoli reduced how much the women liked it.(一个研究小组着手调查人们吃饭时的面部表情是如何影响观察他们的人的。他们让200多名女性观看其他成年人吃生西兰花的视频。视频中的人在吃饭时会有不同的表情。他们会微笑，看起来很中性，或者对他们品尝的东西感到恶心。研究发现，观察人们对西兰花的强烈厌恶反应会降低女性对西兰花的喜爱程度)”可知，前文说看到别人强烈不喜欢西兰花会降低观看者对西兰花的喜爱，故此处需要承接上文继续说明研究发现的内容。故B选项“然而，积极的面部表情并没有让她们更喜欢西兰花”符合语境，故选B。 3．根据上文“Humans learn which behaviours will benefit them, including eating, by watching the reactions of others.(人类通过观察他人的反应来学习哪些行为对自己有益，包括吃东西)”以及后文“Scientists think that people might avoid food that appears sickening because it could help to protect them from eating something that tastes bad or could be dangerous.(科学家们认为，人们可能会避免吃那些看起来令人恶心的食物，因为这可以帮助他们避免吃那些味道不好或可能危险的东西)”可知，前文提到人类通过观察他人的反应来学习有益的行为，下文则指出人们可能会避免那些看起来令人作呕的食物，这说明人们通过观察他人的反应来学习饮食习惯，这是一种社会模仿行为，故D选项“这被称为社会模式，它对人们的饮食习惯有很大的影响”符合语境，故选D。 4．根据上文“Although the research only focused on adults, experts think the results could also apply to children. This means that if children saw their parents, brothers or sisters not enjoying certain foods, including vegetables, they might not want to eat them either.(虽然这项研究只针对成年人，但专家认为研究结果也适用于儿童。这意味着，如果孩子们看到他们的父母、兄弟姐妹不喜欢某些食物，包括蔬菜，他们可能也不想吃这些食物)”可知，上文提到如果孩子们看到他们的父母、兄弟姐妹不喜欢某些食物，他们可能也不想吃这些食物，本句继续说明儿童会受到成年人行为的影响，故A选项“之前的一项研究发现，4到6岁的孩子如果看过成年人吃西兰花的视频片段，就更有可能吃西兰花”符合语境，故选A。 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $$ 专题08 六选四12篇 (上海市高考模拟) 基础语篇巩固练 （24-25高三上·上海金山·阶段练习）Reveal truths about our chaotic galaxy (银河系) Astronomer Bob Benjamin has spent the past 20 years trying to figure out what the Milky Way looks like. The work isn’t easy, because we’re inside the galaxy and can’t see it from the outside, but astronomers have genius approaches, and Benjamin thinks “it’s a knowable thing”. 1 During interviews, Benjamin and other astronomers repeatedly cited the story of the blind men and the elephant: they each touch a different part of the elephant’s body, but miss the whole elephant entirely. When Benjamin began his career, he figured that the galaxy was stable since birth, orderly and elegant. 2 The sea of data comes from a pack of new surveys, most remarkably one by the ESA observatory Gaia, that are collecting shockingly amounts of information. By 2023, Gaia had mapped around 1.8 billion stars. It released its first data in 2016 and has been cooperating with a bunch of other telescopes. Collectively these projects have gathered images and spectra (光谱) for millions of stars. 3 Locations of stars in three dimensions, plus a record of their motions made by repeatedly imaging them over time. The result is a movie of a few billion circling stars that reveals not only the galaxy’s structure but also its surprisingly confusing and violent history. 4 As Benjamin comments, “Oh, my god, it’s real, and it’s a huge mess, indeed different from our original guess.” With the new surveys’ maps, we have revealed some truths about this chaotic galaxy, which is still far from enough. The astronomers will continue to explore the unlimited scale and secrets of this galaxy with their unlimited passion. A．With all these data, astronomers are making the first exact maps of the Milky Way. B．After careful research, they already knew stars in different parts of the galaxy were different ages. C．This picture itself makes sense, but confirming it is complicated and will need huge amounts of data. D．In short, the maps show not the Milky Way in a stable balance, but rather the galaxy’s departure from it. E．Even with all the genius work, piecing together this much of a Milky Way map has been extremely difficult. F．But that picture has gradually changed in recent years as scientists have begun systematically mapping stars wholesale. （2025·上海长宁·一模）Machine identifies songs from people’s brainwaves Artificial intelligence has learned to identify the songs someone is listening to from their brain readings. Derek Lomas at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands and his colleagues asked 20 people to listen to 12 songs through headphones. 1 Each person’s brainwaves were recorded using an EEG (脑电图) cap that detects electrical activity. The EEG readings from each person were cut into short pieces and used along with the matching music clip to train an AI to spot patterns between the two. 2 But the software struggles if it is trained on EEG data from one person and then attempts to identify a song when someone else listens to it. Accuracy in such tests fell to less than one in every ten attempts. 3 And people tend to focus on different elements of the music during training. Ultimately, however, they aim to identify aspects of EEG responses to music that are common to all humans. 4 “I think it’s really stimulating to think about how the combination of machine learning and high-density (高密度的) data from EEG can be combined to bring insights into moving emotional experiences, but also to figure out what’s going on inside your head,” he says. Music is ultimately “just electrical signals,” he says. “And it’s the same with the EEG.” A．Lomas hopes that this will further our understanding of the brain, as well as boost knowledge of how and why humans consume music. B．The AI was then tested on unseen portions of the data, identifying songs with a precision of 85 per cent. C．The experiment was conducted to determine if AI could replace human musicians. D．This suggests that the AI’s ability to identify songs highly depends on the individual’s brain activity. E．The volunteers did this blindfolded and in a faintly lit room to minimise the effect of their other senses on the results. F．The researchers believe that this is due to each person’s preference towards a song being unique. （24-25高三上·上海金山·阶段练习）Kids Need Time Why is it that just hours after birth, baby gazelles(羚羊) are literally up and running? They come into the world knowing almost everything their parents know: how to move, eat, avoid hyenas (鬣狗) . That’s because they really don’t need to know much, says psychologist Barbara Sarnecka. 1 But humans? We come out “uncooked,” Sarnecka says. We have an extremely long time when we can’t make it on our own. “It makes us very weak in the early years of life, but on the other hand, we can learn massive amounts of information about complex environments.” 2 That is our evolutionary superpower. It can be affected by cruelty, or starvation, or illness. But it can also be affected by lovely adults with the best of intentions, who have surveyed the world and determined the very best thing for their child to work on, day in and day out. In the adults’ view, that thing is so valuable that the child shouldn’t be allowed to waste his time doing something silly like drawing flowers, or setting things on fire, or learning magic tricks. 3 They look like losers to others and maybe to themselves. This can happen at school, and it can happen during what would have been their free time. Kids need a chance to discover and pursue their own paths. We’ve got to forget our achievement-focused childhood. Because when our kids have enough time and freedom to find their way to creativity, perseverance, and joy, they win. Sarnecka herself dreamed up a very odd pastime as a kid. “I wrote a list of questions and picked up the phone and started randomly calling strangers and interviewing them about whether they had ever played a musical instrument.” 4 Today she’s a professor of cognitive (认知的) sciences at the University of California, Irvine, where she gets paid to ask random strangers questions about their lives. A．Adults are saying that here’s the environment and I’ve already mapped it. B．Evolution can pre-install a nearly complete set of gazelle operating instructions because there’s so little code. C．Evolution couldn’t prepare us for every possible environment, so it prepares us to be curious and ready to learn. D．Imagine yourself as a kid — all the time you are spending being a writer. E．It probably looked like a weird, even rude, hobby to outsiders. F．When kids are stuck doing things that don’t turn them on, they turn off. （2025·上海·一模）The complex relationship between music and memory is profound. Music acts as a strong trigger for emotions and memories, transporting individuals back to specific moments in the past. Long-term memory splits into explicit and implicit types. Explicit one involves conscious recall, like academic learning and personal experiences. Implicit memory works automatically, like playing instruments or remembering lyrics. 1 It often lasts a lifetime even without practice. Diseases like Alzheimer’s mainly affect explicit memory systems. 2 This leads to a liking for familiar pieces due to the mere exposure effect. Major record labels use it through frequent airplay to boost record sales. Implicit memory works like classical conditioning, where an event, emotion, and song become linked. Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind” is strongly connected with Princess Diana as he performed it at her funeral. Music-triggered memories often come from important life stages, especially between the ages of 10 and 30, known as the “reminiscence bump.” Music from this time is more likely to be linked with vivid memories compared to other periods. The teenage years and twenties are crucial for forming music preferences. 3 It helps them recall vivid memories from their youth. Despite severe memory loss, people with dementia often remember music well. Research shows self-chosen music can bring back positive memories that might otherwise be hard to recall. Music helps unlock non-musical memories and improves communication among older adults with Alzheimer’s disease, a sort of disease concerning one’s long-term memory. Listening to music from important life events, like weddings or funerals, can bring about deeply nostalgic and emotional experiences. 4 A．It is now widely used to cure lots of severe diseases. B．This emotional connection allows individuals to recall details of their past. C．Music’s ability to reach the minds of Alzheimer’s patients is remarkable. D．Explicit memory fades without active recall, but implicit memory is durable. E．Implicit memory can form through passive listening to background music. F．Remembering things is often hard, but music helps bring back memories linked to a song. （2024·上海青浦·一模）Urban Green Spaces and Their Impact on Children’s Health A new study found that inner-city kids living in neighborhoods with more green space gained about 13% less weight over a two-year period than kids living in areas with more concrete and fewer trees. 1 The fatness crisis began in the 1980s, and many people credit it to increased portion sizes and inactivity, but that can’t be everything. Fast foods and TVs have been with us for a long time. “Most experts agree that the changes were related to something in the environment,” says social scientist Thomas Glass. 2 The new research isn’t the first to associate greenery with better health, but it does get us closer to identifying what works and why. 3 But green space is good for the mind too. Research by environmental psychologists has shown that it has cognitive benefits for children with attention-deficit disorder (注意力缺乏症). In one study, just reading outside in a green setting improved kids’ symptoms. Exposure to grassy areas has also been linked to less stress and a lower body mass index (指数）among adults. And an analysis of 3,000 Tokyo residents associated walkable green spaces with greater longevity among senior citizens. Glass cautions that most studies don’t necessarily prove a causal link between greenness and health, but they’re nonetheless helping urge action. 4 So, if you live in a suburb or a city with good parks, take advantage of what’s there. Your children in particular will love it and their bodies and minds will be grateful to you. A．That something could be a shrinking of the green. B．Several environmental factors could explain the spread of fatness. C．He emphasizes that further action is needed to prove the association between green space access and childhood fatness. D．In September the U.S. approved the No Child Left Inside Act to encourage public initiatives aimed at exposing kids to the outdoors. E．Such findings tell a powerful story. F．In its purest sense, a green neighborhood simply means more places for kids to play, which is closely related to children’s activity levels. （2024·上海普陀·一模）Little Miss Mozart An 11-year-old British composer earned comparisons with Mozart after her opera opened in Vienna to enthusiastic applause. Alma Deutscher, who lived in Surrey with her parents, was already world-famous as a violinist and pianist before her first full-length opera made its first performance on the Austrian stage. 1 Cinderella was a composer whom Deutscher described as “a bit like me”. Deutscher said much of the musical inspiration behind Cinderella and other compositions came when her mind was elsewhere. During an interview with NBC’s Today show, she explained that trying to create beautiful melodies on demand often resulted in a blank mind. 2 The opera is two and a half hours long with the musical score running to 237 pages. 3 Deutscher said the prince having to ask whose foot would fit the slipper didn’t make much sense. Lots of people might have the same sized foot, but only one person could have written that melody. Conductor Simon Rattle declared he was “absolutely bowled over” when he first saw her perform, but it was Stephen Fry who first predicted that Deutscher could be this generation’s Mozart, after watching a video of her performing online. 4 She said, “I love Mozart very much. He’s probably my favourite composer, but I don’t really like it when people call me ‘Little Miss Mozart’ because I don’t like being called ‘little’. I’m very big, and secondly, if I just wrote everything Mozart wrote again it would be boring. ” A．However, it is not a comparison that the 11-year-old is particularly keen on. B．Interestingly, it was often during unexpected moments that a beautiful melody suddenly came to her. C．Deutscher’s most ambitious work has enabled the audience to see her talent. D．Instead of the glass slipper of the fairytale, the prince looks for a lost melody he cannot quite remember. E．The work reinvented the Cinderella fairytale to be set in an opera house ruled by a mean stepmother. F．She never got nervous on stage, as she was just happy that people wanted to listen to her music. （2025·上海浦东新·一模）Orangutan treats his wound with a medicinal plant In a new paper, researchers describe how a male orangutan (红毛猩猩) chewed the leaves of a plant used in traditional medicine and applied them to a wound on his cheek. 1 In June 2022, the researchers observed a male Sumatran orangutan, known as Rakus, with a fresh wound on his cheek. 2 He chewed the leaves of a plant and then applied the resulting juices directly onto his facial wound. He repeated this behavior for seven minutes and then, as a last step, fully covered the wound with the chewed leaves. He then continued feeding on the plant for 30 minutes. Over the following days, there were no signs of infection. The wound closed within five days. “What is interesting is that this behavior seems to be intentional and goal-oriented.” says study lead author Isabelle Laumer, a cognitive biologist in Germany. “He precisely applied the plant matter to his wound several times over a prolonged period. 3 ” Self-medication has been documented in multiple wild primate (灵长类) species, but not applying them to recent wounds. There is only one other study of active wound treatment by great apes. Several years ago, researchers reported one population of chimpanzees in Gabon, applied flying insects to their own wounds. However, the researchers could not identify the insects or make any conclusions about the effectiveness of the treatment. 4 Perhaps he accidentally touched a wound while feeding on a plant and experienced its analgesic (镇痛的) effects, causing him to repeat the behavior. It is also possible that Rakus previously learned the behavior from other orangutans, since young orangutans rely on social learning to acquire the skills necessary for adult life. A．Three days later, they saw an interesting chain of events. B．And he selectively treated his wound and not any other body parts. C．Rakus may have observed his mother demonstrating how to treat wounds. D．Laumer and colleagues do not know how or where this behavior originated. E．The findings may provide insights into the evolution of this behavior among humans. F．It’s the first report of suspected wound treatment by a wild animal using a plant with known medicinal properties. （2025·上海闵行·一模）Can a Pill Fight Loneliness? “Have you ever taken a walk in the woods and jumped back because you saw a stick on the ground and thought it was a snake,” asks researcher Stephanie Cacioppo. “The lonely people see snakes all the time.” Cacioppo is talking about a long-term loneliness contradiction: A person’s brain feels that something is wrong and that they should connect with others. 1 Consequently, they focus on the negative signals they think they’re getting, which keeps them from connecting. 2 That’s the focus of a clinical experiment that Cacioppo is overseeing. For a year and a half, 96 lonely but healthy subjects have been taking a certain amount of pregnenolone, a chemical substance associated with memory enhancement and stress reduction. The goal of the research is to see how balancing pregnenolone levels affects the subjects. The pill could help reduce the fear that makes lonely people withdraw and act more calmly in social situations. 3 The idea is that a pill could clear your view, helping you see things clearly instead of feeling afraid of everyone. Then you become more willing to listen to others. While developing a pill to address the brain signals that lead to loneliness holds promise, it should not be seen as the only solution. 4 Building meaningful relationships is just as important as eating right and exercising. A．Could a pill make social situations feel less threatening? B．Social connections are also essential for a healthy lifestyle. C．It’s like driving in the winter when you can’t see clearly. D．Is there a strong connection between memory enhancement and stress reduction? E．At the same time, it can also make them defensive when judging others. F．Unfortunately, the fear will appear repeatedly and influence your perception of things. （2025·上海宝山·一模）Welcome to the world of online dating! Hundreds of possible matches are only a click away. That makes it a perfect fit for the busy, modern world. Because online dating is flexible, you can decide where and when to look for love. Millions of people use dating apps, but who’s to say that their online profiles are accurate? It’s important to be cautious when building relationships online. 1 Being aware of what you’re doing on dating apps helps you stay safe. When you create a dating profile, you’re usually asked to upload pictures. Use clear, recent photos so as not to confuse others about what you look like. Also, think twice about the pictures you share and what kind of information they’re giving away. This practice applies to the words you write, too. Be careful not to reveal very private details about your personal life. 2 You can do a lot on your end to protect yourself when setting up your dating profile. But what can you do once you start interacting with others? First, understand that online dating is not a substitute for real-life connections. It’s a tool. Before you start chatting with someone, look closely at their profile. Lack of information can be a cause for concern. A profile with only one photo or photos of scenery is a possible red flag. 3 That person is a waste of time. But, let’s say, you find someone you’re interested in. If you choose to meet in person, do so at a busy, public place. Meet at a coffee shop, a restaurant or a mall. Then let a friend know your plans. Finally, trust your instincts. If you feel suspicious, you should end the date. 4 Just remember to make safety a priority! A．Believe it or not, online dating is becoming more and more popular these days. B．After all, dating apps don’t require background checks for those who use them. C．If you feel lonely and bored, don’t hesitate to surf online wherever you are. D．Online dating should be, and often is, a positive experience for many people. E．When you start talking to someone, don’t tolerate inappropriate messages and photos. F．Instead, be strategic and honest about what you publish on your profile. （2025·上海崇明·一模）Certain Types of Music Could Help You Feel Less Pain, New Study Says There is no doubt that music can calm the soul for some, and it turns out that it could also be a temporary reliever for physical pain. Listening to favorite songs could reduce people’s perception of pain, according to a new study. 1 The small study invited 63 young adults to bring two of their favorite songs, and the only requirement was that they needed to be at least 3 minutes and 20 seconds long. One selection represented their favorite music of all time. The other was the song they would bring with them on a desert island. The researchers also had the young adults pick one of seven songs that the team considered relaxing and were unfamiliar to the study participants. Each person underwent 7-minute blocks where they were instructed to stare at a monitor screen while listening to their favorite music, one of the seven relaxing instrumental songs (each of which lasted for 6 minutes and 40 seconds), or a scrambled (杂乱的) version of both songs and the relaxing song chosen. 2 All the while, the researchers stuck a hot object - similar to the pain of a boiling hot teacup on your skin - to the participants’ left inner forearms. When rating their experiences, people were more likely to report feeling less pain when listening to their favorite songs compared with hearing the unfamiliar relaxing song or silence. The scrambled songs did not reduce pain either. 3 After interviewing the participants about the song they brought and their rating of pain, the researchers found people who listened to bittersweet and moving songs felt less pain than when they listened to songs with calming or cheerful themes. 4 This was associated with lower ratings of unpleasantness produced by the burning pain they felt in the experiment. A．One 7-minute block had people sitting in silence. B．In this case, the brain might be tuning into the music. C．The authors suggested it was evidence of music being more than a distraction from an unpleasant experience. D．And the most effective pain relievers were found to be sad songs detailing bittersweet and emotional experiences. E．Nevertheless, while our bodies still feel the pain, the messages to make our conscious mind perceive the pain may not be relayed. F．People who listened to bittersweet songs also reported more thrills (震颤感) and shivers (哆嗦) on the skin from listening to pleasurable music. 重难语篇拔高练 （24-25高三上·上海静安·期末）The coming of a new year marks a fresh start and motivates many people to break bad habits. Some are easier to shake than others. However, the tendency to procrastinate is among the stickiest. Whether it’s finishing a piece of work, sending an email or going for a run, some tasks can become unconquerable. The easiest way to deal with these tasks is to put them off until later or never at all. It’s procrastination. It is a specific form of delay that is both unnecessary and voluntary. 1 At its heart, procrastination is about avoidance. Rather than the task itself, it’s often the emotions attached to an activity that cause people to pause. Handling the first lines of a college essay may bring up feelings of self-doubt, for example. When you’re faced with a broad question or topic to write about, the lack of clear instructions can produce a fear of not getting it right or of what might happen if you get it wrong. The person procrastinating usually does so despite knowing that the task is important or valuable to them or others, and that putting it off could be risky to them or others. Big projects may bring overpowering feelings which are likely to lead to procrastination. 2 Answering an ordinary email from work, for example, may bring instant discomfort, so the urge to escape such negative emotion defeats one’s duty to complete the daily task. Like any personality character, there are some biological connections. Research suggests that procrastination is linked to impatience on a genetic level. It may be a passed-down property. 3 Environmental factors are just as important in shaping our response to tasks. Someone who doesn’t usually procrastinate can do so if they find themselves in a situation that exhausts their responding abilities, such as the death of a family member. 4 Of course, procrastination can pile on more pressures by leaving a task hanging over a person’s head, thus producing a negative cycle that can damage mental health, lower academic performance and lead to financial trouble. A．But that doesn’t mean you’re stuck and that’s who you are. B．Procrastination becomes an easy and ‘dirty’ way of reaction when your handling resources are maxed out. C．Chances are that you will find yourself supported by procrastination all along. D．It isn’t caused by the person’s need to prioritize other tasks or by an unexpected emergency. E．You will become increasingly frustrated with yourself for not getting the task done. F．However, the threat can also come from something tiny. （24-25高三上·上海杨浦·期末）Disliking Vegetables Can Rub off on Others Scientists have long been interested in why some people like vegetables and why others don’t, when eating greens is good for you. 1 Apparently, watching someone eating vegetables and visibly disliking them could put you off them a bit too. A research team set about investigating how the facial expressions that people make as they eat affect a person watching them. They asked more than 200 women to watch videos of other adults eating raw broccoli. The people in the videos would have different expressions while eating. They would smile, look neutral or look sickened by what they were tasting. The study found that watching people react with strong dislike to the broccoli reduced how much the women liked it. 2 Humans learn which behaviours will benefit them, including eating, by watching the reactions of others. 3 Scientists think that people might avoid food that appears sickening because it could help to protect them from eating something that tastes bad or could be dangerous. Although the research only focused on adults, experts think the results could also apply to children. This means that if children saw their parents, brothers or sisters not enjoying certain foods, including vegetables, they might not want to eat them either. 4 Understanding more about how adults’ behaviour influences children’s enjoyment of food could help to find ways to encourage young people to eat more of the foods that are good for them. A．A previous study found that children between the ages of four and six years old were more likely to eat broccoli if they’d seen video clips of adults enjoying it. B．However, a positive facial expression didn’t make them like broccoli more. C．In fact, the impact of observing others eat extends beyond simply dining manners. D．This is known as social modelling, and it is a strong influence on people’s eating habits. E．A new study has found that other people’s likes and dislikes could play a part. F．This phenomenon, often referred to as social influence, highlights how our eating behaviors are not shaped by the behaviors of those we dine with. 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $$