Unit 5 Period 2 Understanding ideas-【步步高】2023-2024学年高二英语选择性必修第四册（外研版2019）

The Sixth Extinction Extinctions, where entire species1 are wiped out2, are not unusual3 in our Earth’s history. In fact, over 90 percent of all species that ever lived are now extinct. In the last 500 million years, there have been five times when life on Earth has almost ended. These include the third mass4 extinction, known as the “Great Dying”， which killed 90% to 96% of all species. And the fifth event, which occurred 66 million years ago, caused the death of the dinosaurs. The reasons for extinctions are varied5. According to scientists, they include volcanic eruptions, asteroids6 hitting the Earth from space, changes in sea levels, the decrease7 of the oxygen content of the sea and global warming. Many scientists say we are now entering the Earth’s sixth mass extinction. This time, human activity will be to blame8. Although it is not unusual for species to die out naturally, the rate at which this is now happening is cause for concern. A 2015 study by scientists who were based at Brown University and Duke University in the US, looked at how quickly species die out due to natural causes, that is, the “background extinction rate”. They found that human activity is causing species to die out 1,000 times faster than normal. There is a long list of reasons why so many species are dying out: air and water pollution, forests being destroyed，factory farming and overfishing. It is clear that human activity has negatively affected all other species on Earth, including animals and plants.(节选自北师大版新教材选择性必修第一册 Unit 3) 词汇积累 1．species /'spiːʃiːz/ n．物种，种 2．wipe out彻底毁灭 3．unusual /ʌn'juːʒuəl/ adj.异常的；不平常的 4．mass /mæs/ adj.大量的 5．varied /'veərid/ adj.各种各样的，形形色色的 6．asteroid /'æstərɔɪd/ n．小行星 7．decrease /dɪ'kriːs/ vi.& vt.减少n.减少；减少的量 8．blame /bleɪm/ vt.责怪，指责 Period 2　Understanding ideas—Reading comprehension Ⅰ.匹配单词 1．expansion　　 A．the scientific study of the universe as a whole and of objects that exist naturally in space，such as the stars 2．bury B．to leave a place，thing，or person，usually forever 3．astronomy C．the increase of something in size，number，or importance 4．abandon D．to decide that something or someone is not important and not worth considering 5．dismiss E．a sudden decline in power，number or importance 6．downfall F．put or hide sth in the ground 答案　1.C　2.F　3.A　4.B　5.D　6.E Ⅱ.选词填空 1．Several publishers rejected her book，but that made her all the more determined. 2．On top of this，several other enormous benefits are being offered. 3．There is no doubt that their invention is a combination of science and technology. 4．His expenses do not correspond to his income，leaving him in debt. 5.Abandoned for centuries，the castle has fallen into ruin. Step 1　速读——整体理解文意 Ⅰ.明文章大意 What’s the main idea of the passage? A．William Gadoury’s new discovery about the Maya civilisation. B．A true writing system that the Maya people had created. C．Some possible reasons why the Maya civilisation fell down. D．How the Maya civilisation was formed. 答案　C Ⅱ.悉层次结构 Match the main idea with right paragraph(s)． Para.1　　 A．Why Maya civilisation collapsed. Para.2 B．A Canadian boy believed he had spotted an unknown Maya city buried deep in the jungle. Para.3 C．We should learn from the downfall of the Maya civilisation. Paras.4－5 D．What caused the Maya to abandon their cities. Para.6 E．Maya civilisation has been surrounded by mystery. 答案　Para.1 B　 Para.2 E　 Para.3 D　 Paras.4－5 A　 Para.6 C Step 2　细读——逐段获取细节 Ⅰ.Read Para.1 carefully and do the following exercises. 1．What is the author’s purpose in starting the passage with the story about William Gadoury? A．To introduce Maya civilisation. B．To amuse the readers. C．To emphasize the importance of Maya civilisation. D．To inform us of the location of the Maya city. 答案　A 2．What do we know about Gadoury from the first paragraph? A．He got support from the scholars. B．He drew many ancient star charts. C．He found the positions of 117 stars. D．He was fascinated by Maya civilisation. 答案　D Ⅱ.Read Para.2 carefully and do the following exercises. 1．What is most extraordinary about these complex structures? A．Who built them. B．Why people built them. C．When people built them. D．How people built them without machinery. 答案　D 2．What was the most amazing and unique achievement of the Maya at that time? A．The use of metal tools. B．Their understanding of mathematics. C．A true writing system. D．Palaces and temples. 答案　C Ⅲ.Read Para.3 carefully and do the following exercises. 1．When did Maya civilisation reach its highest level? A．Before 700 BC. B．By 700 AD. C．In the early 16th century. D．At around 900 AD. 答案　B 2．What can we infer from paragraph 3? A．The Maya made their achievements with the modern technology. B．Europeans defeated Maya people and the civilisation declined. C．The Maya cities had almost disappeared before the early 16th century. D．Maya cities were left to be taken back by the jungle for only one generation. 答案　C Ⅳ.Read Paras.4 and 5 carefully and do the following exercises. 1．How does the author start paragraph 4? A．By listing examples. B．By asking questions. C．By making a comparison. D．By analysing causes. 答案　B 2．What played an important role in the decline of the Maya according to some research? A．Conflicts between cities. B．The European settlers. C．The spread of diseases. D．The people themselves. 答案　D 3．What made the Maya people reduce their ability to deal with natural disasters? A．The growth of the Maya population. B．Not following the laws of nature to change the landscape. C．Conflicts between foreign nationalities and local people. D．More and more natural disasters struck Maya. 答案　B Ⅴ.Read Para.6 carefully and do the following exercise. What does the author mean by saying “Its once-great cities fell into ruin，leaving various mysteries for later people to solve.”？ 答案　Why Maya civilisation collapsed remains to be studied further. Ⅵ.Read the whole passage and do the following exercises. 1．What type of text is this passage? A．Narration. B．Argumentation. C．Exposition. D．A news report. 答案　C 2．What can’t we know from the passage? A．Maya civilisation made a difference to our modern society. B．Both human causes and natural causes led to the decline of Maya civilisation. C．People still can’t solve the mystery of Maya civilisation. D．By 700 AD，the Maya civilisation was at its peak. 答案　A Step 3　读后——讨论深度理解 1．What lessons can you learn from the collapse of Maya civilisation？(Critical thinking) 2．What can we do to help protect modern civilisations？(Creative thinking) Step 4　总结——课文语法填空 Maya civilisation has been a mystery since it was rediscovered in the 19th century.The Maya built many splendid structures，among 1.which the step pyramids are 2.the most famous.What puzzles people is how they built these structures with 3.their(they) own hands.To people’s 4.amazement(amaze)，they applied their understanding of mathematics and astronomy to the Maya calendar，which was accurate to within 30 seconds per year.They also developed a real 5.writing(write) system.It was so complicated that no one has been able to interpret it 6.completely(complete) so far. Why Maya civilisation collapsed remains a mystery.Some research seems 7.to indicate(indicate) that the people themselves were to blame for the downfall，while others also suggest that 8.natural(nature) disasters may have led to the decline of it.Whatever the reasons，Maya civilisation left various 9.mysteries(mystery) for later people to solve.Meanwhile，the rise and fall of the civilisation must leave us thinking about our own past，present 10.and future. Step 5　解读——长句难句分析 1．Based on this，he believed he had spotted an unknown Maya city buried deep in the jungle. [句式分析]　此句为复合句。句中Based on this为过去分词短语作状语；he had spotted an unknown Maya city为宾语从句；buried deep in the jungle为过去分词短语作定语，修饰an unknown Maya city。 [自主翻译]　据此，他相信自己发现了一座隐藏于丛林深处的未知玛雅城市的位置。 2．Many scientists believe that these droughts were the main reason why Maya civilisation began to collapse at different rates in different places. [句式分析]　此句为复合句。句中that引导宾语从句；why引导定语从句，修饰先行词the main reason。 [自主翻译]　许多科学家认为，这些旱灾是玛雅文明在不同地方以不同速度衰落的主要原因。 Ⅰ.阅读理解 A Known as the “Orlando of China”，the Chimelong Ocean Kingdom is the world’s largest ocean-themed fairyland.The following are four theme areas and some necessary information. Ocean Avenue Behind the giant Manta Ray sculpture，Ocean Avenue is a giant LED screen showing various animals in the deep sea world，and it is lined with shops for visitors to buy souvenirs. Ocean Wonders The Whale Shark Aquarium is here.You can also watch a colorful sea world with thousands of rare fishes，especially the whale shark and manta rays.Besides，you can have an amazing adventure of the deep ocean. Hengqin Ocean Most of the large-scale performances are held in and around the Hengqin Ocean.Visitors can enjoy the Musical Fountain，Chimelong Ocean Parade，Ocean Resistance... Walrus(海象) Hill Visitors can see cute walruses and a lot of marine birds in the Sea Bird Paradise.Children can also enjoy a mysterious castle adventure with their parents in the Sand Castle.In addition，Mountain Dew Sailing and Jungle Roller Coasters are also must-try adventures in Walrus Hill. Food and drinks：Among seven theme restaurants，the Undersea Restaurant is the must-try one.The underwater restaurant is linked to the Whale Shark Aquarium，where visitors can enjoy delicious food while viewing rare marine animals through the glass viewing screen. Tickets： Ticket Type Regular Weekends，Public holidays，July & August Adult 1-day ￥395 ￥450 2-day ￥595 ￥675 Child (aged between 3－11) 1-day ￥280 ￥315 2-day ￥415 ￥475 1-day ￥280 ￥315 A child aged below 3 can enter for free when accompanied by an adult. 语篇解读　本文是一篇应用文。文章主要介绍了世界上最大的海洋主题乐园——长隆海洋王国的四个主题区域和入园须知的一些信息。 1．What can we learn about Ocean Wonders? A．You can buy souvenirs there. B．It is in the center of the kingdom. C．You can have a castle adventure there. D．It’s near to the Undersea Restaurant. 答案　D 解析　推理判断题。根据Ocean Wonders部分中的“The Whale Shark Aquarium is here.”以及Food and drinks部分中的“...the Undersea Restaurant is the must-try one.The underwater restaurant is linked to the Whale Shark Aquarium”可知，鲸鲨水族馆在“海洋奇观”主题区域中，而海底餐厅与鲸鲨水族馆相连，从而推知，“海洋奇观”离海底餐厅很近。故选D。 2．Which would be the best choice if you plan to watch wonderful performances? A．Ocean Avenue. B．Ocean Wonders. C．Hengqin Ocean. D．Walrus Hill. 答案　C 解析　细节理解题。根据Hengqin Ocean部分的内容可知，如果打算观看精彩的表演，横琴海是最好的选择。故选C。 3．How much should a couple with a 5-year-old boy pay for a two-day trip in July? A．￥1,350. B．￥1,605. C．￥1,825. D．￥2,055. 答案　C 解析　数字计算题。根据文末表格中的信息可知，一对夫妇和一个5岁的男孩在7月的两日游应该花费675×2＋475＝1 825元。故选C。 B Located in the tropical rainforest of the Petén Basin in northern Guatemala，Tikal was one of the largest cities of the ancient Maya civilization during its Classic Period，which ran from approximately 200 CE to 900 CE.Although Tikal reached its height during the Classic Period，some of the architecture at the site dates back to the fourth century BCE.Unfortunately，for unknown reasons，the Mayans abandoned the city around 900 CE.Due to the growth of the jungle，archaeologists did not rediscover it until 1848.The part of the city now excavated(发掘) is quite impressive.Approximately 3,000 sites have been uncovered and nearly 10,000 still need to be uncovered. At the center is the Great Plaza.In time，other structures were built surrounding the Plaza.These include the North Acropolis and the Central Acropolis.The North Acropolis holds seventy slabs of stone，called stelae，which stand in a double row with altars(祭坛) set in front of them.Some are carved with images of rulers and hieroglyphs(象形文字)．The Central Acropolis includes 700 feet of long buildings with many rooms，often called palaces.There are six pyramids，with the tallest one standing 65 meters high. In addition to the unique architectural works，Tikal is well known for the carved inscriptions(碑文) and exceptional ceramics(陶器) found there.The Mayans engineered reservoir and culvert(排水渠) systems to help with the storage and usage of water.Another innovation used by the Mayans were sacbes，which were raised causeways paved with lime-based cement，connecting Tikal’s ceremonial nodes. Scientists are not sure whether war，disease，famine or some other reason caused the Mayans to leave Tikal.However，they left a part of themselves behind in the ruins.The city and surrounding area is now a protected national park，and visitors are welcome to explore the ruins.Much can be learned through seeing，touching and exploring this ancient city once inhabited by the Mayans. 4．What can we learn about Tikal? A．It was ruined due to war. B．It has been fully excavated. C．It reached its height in the fourth century BCE. D．It is a historic site of the ancient Maya civilization. 答案　D 解析　细节理解题。根据第一段中的“Tikal was one of the largest cities of the ancient Maya civilization”可知，蒂卡尔古城是古玛雅文明的遗址。故选D。 5．What does the underlined word “them” in paragraph 2 refer to? A．Altars. B．Stelae. C．Palaces. D．Temples. 答案　B 解析　代词指代题。根据画线词前的“The North Acropolis holds seventy slabs of stone，called stelae，which stand in a double row”可知，在北卫城坐落着七十座石碑，这些石碑排成两列，它们中间设有祭坛，因此them指代stelae。故选B。 6．What is paragraph 3 mainly about? A．How Tikal was built. B．The history of Tikal. C．The cultural objects unearthed at Tikal. D．Why Tikal was abandoned by the Mayans. 答案　C 解析　段落大意题。根据第三段首句可知，这一段主要讲述了在蒂卡尔古城发现的古玛雅文明的建筑、器皿等文物。故选C。 7．What’s the current situation of Tikal? A．It is left unprotected. B．It is a national park now. C．It is not open to the public now. D．It is not allowed to be touched by visitors. 答案　B 解析　细节理解题。根据最后一段中的“The city and surrounding area is now a protected national park”可知，这座古城目前是一个国家公园。故选B。 C An extremely enthusiastic truth seeker who runs the YouTube channel Bright Insight claims to have found the mysterious city of Atlantis and insists that its true location has been hiding in plain sight for thousands of years. In a video，YouTube blogger Jimmy Bright argues that the Richat Structure，a geologic dome(同心圆结构) in northwest Sahara also referred to as the Eye of the Sahara，is the most likely location of Atlantis. He mentioned measurements from the famous Dialogues of Plato，which gave birth to the mystery.The Greek philosopher claimed that Atlantis was a long-gone kingdom，which stretched into Europe as far as Italy and into Africa as far as Egypt thousands of years ago.The giant island was said to be wiped off the face of the planet by a natural disaster“in a single day and night of misfortune”． At first sight，this has nothing to do with the land-based Richat Structure，but Jimmy claims that the so-called Younger Dryas theory could be a possible explanation.According to it，a massive change in global temperatures caused unexpected climate change and sea level to rise. In what can be viewed as another proof to the Sahara theory，the diameter(直径) of the Richat Structure’s outer circle is 23.5 km according to Google Map’s measurements，which matches those mentioned by Plato—127 stadia，which is roughly 23.5 km in today’s terms. Another thing that helps solve the mystery is a theory that the Eye of the Sahara closely matches the description from Plato’s dialogues.The ancient philosopher wrote that the main city of Atlantis consisted of circles of water and land，which，Jimmy said，looks very similar to the circular form of the Richat Structure. Although the majority of researchers believe that Plato’s story was nothing but a moral story used to describe a failed idea of seeking power and searching for fortune，it has raised quite a few theories.Since the Middle Ages，explorers have been pointing fingers at different places around the world，including the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea，with the most amazing theories linking the location of Atlantis to the Antarctic and the North Sea. 语篇解读　本文为说明文。Jimmy Bright声称他发现了神秘的亚特兰蒂斯城的真实位置，文章介绍了他的发现及依据。 8．What does Jimmy Bright claim to have discovered? A．The most likely location of Atlantis. B．The formation of the Richat Structure. C．The measurements in the Dialogues of Plato. D．The reasons behind the Younger Dryas theory. 答案　A 解析　细节理解题。根据第一段中的“...claims to have found the mysterious city of Atlantis...”可知，吉米·布莱特声称发现了亚特兰蒂斯最有可能的位置。故选A。 9．How did Jimmy Bright do research into the location of Atlantis and arrive at a conclusion? A．By studying the history of ancient Egypt. B．By analyzing the research into Plato’s life story. C．By explaining the Younger Dryas theory in a scientific way. D．By comparing the Richat Structure with the famous Dialogues of Plato. 答案　D 解析　细节理解题。根据第五段及第六段内容可知，吉米·布莱特将理查特结构的测量数据及构成与著名的《柏拉图对话录》中的记录进行了对比，从而得出的结论。故选D。 10．What’s the purpose of mentioning the Younger Dryas theory in paragraph 4? A．To stress the importance of the Richat Structure. B．To present the influence it had on Atlantis. C．To prove that Jimmy Bright might be correct. D．To show Jimmy Bright’s opinion is unique. 答案　C 解析　推理判断题。根据第四段中的“but Jimmy claims that the so-called Younger Dryas theory could be a possible explanation”可推知，提到新仙女木理论是为了证明吉米·布莱特也许是正确的。故选C。 11．What can be learned from the article? A．The Eye of the Sahara is a mystery mentioned in the Dialogues of Plato. B．The Richat Structure is where the mysterious city of Atlantis used to lie. C．The Younger Dryas may have caused the disappearance of Atlantis overnight. D．Plato’s story is meant to inspire explorers to locate the exact position of Atlantis. 答案　C 解析　推理判断题。根据第三段末句和第四段内容可知，据说亚特兰蒂斯岛在“一天一夜之间”被一场自然灾害从地球表面抹去，而新仙女木事件是一场全球气温的大规模变化导致了意想不到的气候变化和海平面上升。 因此推断新仙女木事件可能导致亚特兰蒂斯在一夜之间消失了。故选C。 Ⅱ.七选五 When Did the First Stars Shine Our universe is home to countless galaxies(星系)，with each galaxy hosting hundreds of billions of stars.Each one is a ball of energies powered by the nuclear explosion of elements in their hearts. 1 But when did the first stars shine? Billions of years ago，there was a time before stars or before lights，called the Dark Ages.There used to be not enough material of high densities(密度) to cause nuclear explosion.Without nuclear explosion，there were no stars. 2 What ended the Dark Ages was the birth of the first stars，thought to be the Cosmic(宇宙) Dawn.And this marked the age of light in our universe.Stars began shining and galaxies started forming. Those first stars burned fiercely and died quickly.None of them survived to the present day. 3 They shone so brightly that their light may still be visible today after traveling billions of light years. Recently，a team of astronomers used 70 hours of observing time to take pictures of six extremely distant galaxies. 4 They also calculated that the Cosmic Dawn started to burn between 250 and 350 million years after the Big Bang.That means it took a long time for the initial gas out of the Big Bang to cool and form the first generation of stars. Hopefully，upcoming missions will be able to directly observe those galaxies in greater detail.And some star mysteries will be disclosed. 5 How long did it take for the first stars to live and die? How did the stars transform the cosmic to give us the universe that we know today? A．Nevertheless，they left their mark. B．Accordingly，there was no visible light either. C．Each one also poured out light into the empty universe. D．It was much darker than it is today with only a little light. E．For example，when did the Cosmic Dawn exactly take place? F．Based on their observations，they were able to estimate the age of the galaxies. G．They’re so far away that we can’t capture them even with powerful telescopes. 1．答案　C 解析　根据下一句“But when did the first stars shine？”可知，C项“每一颗星星都把光注入了空荡荡的宇宙”切题，引出下文的问题，且与前一句的句式一致，选项中的“light”对应下一句中的“shine”。故选C项。 2．答案　B 解析　上文提到了黑暗时代没有核爆炸，也就没有星星，因此，B项“相应地，那时也没有可见的光”切题，与上文构成递进关系，该选项中的“no visible light”与上文中的“before lights”相呼应。故选B项。 3．答案　A 解析　上文提到第一批恒星猛烈燃烧，很快就消失了，没有幸存至今，而下文则说到它们发出的光至今可见，由此推知A项“然而，他们留下了自己的印记”切题，承上启下，且该选项中的“left their mark”对应下文中的“still be visible today”。故选A项。 4．答案　F 解析　根据上一句可推知，下文可能提到这些天文学家的观测结果，因此，F项“基于他们的观测，他们可以推测这些星系的年代”切题，该选项中的“observations”对应上文中的“observing”。故选F项。 5．答案　E 解析　根据上一句“And some star mysteries will be disclosed.”可知，E选项承接上文，阐述了第一个可能被解决的问题：宇宙黎明究竟是什么时候发生的，且与下文的两个问题构成时间上的先后顺序。故选E项。 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $$