专题02 阅读理解说明文&议论文（推理+细节考查或推理+主旨+词义考查）（江苏专用）-【好题汇编】备战2024-2025学年高二英语下学期期末真题分类汇编

专题02 阅读理解(说明文&议论文)(江苏专用) (重在考查推理判断+细节理解) 01 (2023-2024学年高二下·南京市鼓楼区·期末统考) C Have you ever forgotten a lunch date and stood up a good friend? This can be embarrassing and might indicate that your memory isn’t as sharp as before. How can we improve our memory? According to Charan Ranganath’s book, Why We Remember, there are many strategies. Taking good care of our physical bodies will improve our brain health generally, and so improve memory, says Ranganath. But we can also use the nature of memory to make certain memories stand out. Events are more memorable when they are novel. So, if we want to draw on a memory later, we can focus more on unexpected things in an experience. For example, going to a new restaurant with your partner will make the experience more memorable than going to one where you often dine. When it comes to learning, we can use special tricks. For example, we can use the phrase “King Philip came over for good spaghetti(意大利面)” to remember biological classification: kingdom(界), phylum(门), class(纲), order(目), family(科), genus(属), species(种). However, memory is not just about recalling. It is subjective and can change over time because our brains reconstruct memories each time we recall them. “Each time we revisit the past in our minds, we bring present information that can invisibly, and even dramatically change our memories,” says Ranganath. Factors like how recently something happened, how much something is repeated, and how we are feeling at the time will change how well we recall a memory. Also, the people around us can affect our memory for an event, by either sharing their own memory or by their expectations of how an event should be remembered. That’s why two people witnessing a street fight may see different things occurring, but eventually come to have similar memories about what happened. Their memories influence each other, more so if they talk it through after the fact. While we can use our memory to remember important lessons from life, we must also be humble. By understanding the way memory works, we can learn to strengthen it for the things we need to know and to avoid some of the pitfalls. 28. Which of the following actions can enhance the memorability of an event? A. Repeating a familiar routine. B. Experiencing something new. C. Engaging in physical activities. D. Focusing on everyday occurrences. 29. Why does the author mention “King Pilip came over for good spaghetti”? A. To highlight the unreliability of our memory. B. To illustrate how easily memories are forgotten. C. To demonstrate a memory aid technique for recalling. D. To help readers remember the order of biological classification. 30. What can we learn about the process of recalling memories from paragraph 6? A. Memories change our feelings when recalled. B. Memories remain permanently fixed over time. C. Memories become more detailed with recalling. D. Memories may change after the event is discussed. 31. What might be the best title for the passage? A. Why do we forget important dates? B. How do we reconstruct memory over time? C. How can we improve and understand our memory? D. Why do we remember certain events more than others? 【答案】28. B 29. C 30. D 31. C 【语篇导读】这是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了提升记忆力的方法，包括体验新事物、利用记忆技巧和理解记忆本质，同时探讨了记忆的主观性和可变性。 28. 细节理解题。根据第三段的“Events are more memorable when they are novel. So, if we want to draw on a memory later, we can focus more on unexpected things in an experience.(事件新颖时更令人难忘。因此，如果我们以后想利用记忆，我们可以更多地关注一次经历中意想不到的事情)”可知，体验新事物可以增强事件的记忆性，故选B。 29. 细节理解题。根据第四段“When it comes to learning, we can use special tricks. For example, we can use the phrase “King Philip came over for good spaghetti(意大利面)” to remember biological classification: kingdom(界), phylum(门), class(纲), order(目), family(科), genus(属), species(种).(说到学习，我们可以使用特殊的技巧。例如，我们可以用“菲利普国王来吃意大利面”这句话来记住生物分类：王国、门、纲、目、科、属、种)”可知，作者提到“King Philip came over for good spaghetti”是为了展示一种记忆辅助技巧，帮助读者记住生物分类的顺序，故选C。 30. 细节理解题。根据第六段的“That’s why two people witnessing a street fight may see different things occurring, but eventually come to have similar memories about what happened. Their memories influence each other, more so if they talk it through after the fact.(这就是为什么两个目睹街头斗殴的人可能会看到不同的事情发生，但最终会对所发生的事情有相似的记忆。他们的记忆会相互影响，如果事后再谈，影响会更大)”可知，当我们讨论一个事件后，我们的记忆可能会受到影响，从而发生改变，故选D。 31. 主旨大意题。根据第一段的“How can we improve our memory? According to Charan Ranganath’s book, Why We Remember, there are many strategies.(我们怎样才能提高记忆力？根据查兰·兰加纳特的书《为什么我们记得》，有很多策略)”以及全文可知，文章主要讲述了如何提高和理解我们的记忆，包括通过体验新事物、使用记忆技巧以及理解记忆的本质来改善记忆。所以C项“我们如何提高和理解我们的记忆力？”适合作本文的标题，故选C。 02 (2023-2024学年高二下·南京市江宁区·期末统考) C(原卷为B篇) Areas around the latitude(纬度)of 42 degrees north on earth are mostly known for their cool and pleasant climate. But there is one exception, which is famous for its incredible heat. This is the “Flaming Mountain” in China’s northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Of course, it is not really “burning”. The mountain is barren and red, with a blackish tint(色调). In summer, ground temperatures can be as high as 70-degrees Celsius. People are tricked by their senses into seeing “flames”. The terrain(地形)is the main reason for the heat of the Flaming Mountain. It is located at the low point of the Turpan Basin which is also the lowest point of the Chinese mainland. The height difference between it and the surrounding mountains is more than 5000 meters, so the hot air in the basin cannot easily go away in different directions. As a result, the Flaming Mountain becomes the hottest place on its latitude. If one goes north from the county seat of Turpan, following what is known as the Road of Grapes for some 20 km, one reaches a deep valley at the foot of the Flaming Mountain. There is no grass on the Flaming Mountain, but this canyon nearby is shaded by grapes. The deep valley is only 8 kilometers long from north to south, but its annual output of grapes can reach more than 10 million kg. Almost every family here grows grapes. After harvest, they are sent to shade houses for drying. The shade houses are built on the slopes of barren mountains, high up and with no shelter, so as to make full use of the hot dry winds in the Turpan Basin. There are many holes in the walls of the shade houses which not only help with ventilation(通风), but also help avoid direct sunlight on grapes. It takes just 40 days for the fresh grapes to be dried by the hot air. 28. The underlined word “barren” in Paragraph 2 most probably means ________. A. high and steep B. bare and poor C. grassy and flourishing D. burning and flaming 29. Why is Flaming Mountain the hottest place on its latitude? A. Because it is in flames. B. Because there is no grass on it. C. Because of its special latitude. D. Because of its special terrain. 30. What do we know about the shade houses? A. Almost every family has a shade house. B. They can house more than 10 million kg grapes. C. They are specially built to dry the fresh grapes. D. The holes in their walls allow wind and sunlight in. 31. The passage is most likely taken from _______. A. a science report B. a tourist brochure C. a public advertisement D. a geographical documentary 【答案】28. B 29. D 30. C 31. D 【语篇导读】这是一篇说明文。主要介绍了中国新疆的火焰山的特殊地理环境和气候条件，以及当地的葡萄种植和晒干过程。 28. 词义猜测题。根据划线单词后的“red, with a blackish tint(色调).”(红色的，带有黑色的色调)可知，这座山是荒芜和贫瘠的，barren在这里应该是指“荒芜的，贫瘠的”，故选B。 29. 推理判断题。根据文章第三段的“The terrain(地形)is the main reason for the heat of the Flaming Mountain. It is located at the low point of the Turpan Basin which is also the lowest point of the Chinese mainland. The height difference between it and the surrounding mountains is more than 5000 meters, so the hot air in the basin cannot easily go away in different directions.”(地形是火焰山炎热的主要原因。它位于吐鲁番盆地的最低点，也是中国大陆的最低点。它与周围山脉的高度差超过5000米，所以盆地中的热空气不能轻易地向不同的方向散去)可推知，火焰山之所以是其纬度上最热的地方，是因为其特殊的地形，故选D。 30. 细节理解题。根据文章最后一段的“It takes just 40 days for the fresh grapes to be dried by the hot air.”(新鲜的葡萄只需要40天就可以被热风晒干)可知，阴凉房是专门用来晒干新鲜葡萄的，故选C。 31. 推理判断题。根据全文内容以及第一段的“Areas around the latitude(纬度)of 42 degrees north on earth are mostly known for their cool and pleasant climate. But there is one exception, which is famous for its incredible heat. This is the “Flaming Mountain” in China’s northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.”(地球上北纬42度附近的地区以气候凉爽宜人而闻名。但有一个例外，它以其惊人的热量而闻名。这是中国西北部新疆维吾尔自治区的“火焰山”)可知，文章主要介绍了火焰山的地理环境和气候条件，以及当地的葡萄种植和晒干过程。所以短文来自一部地理纪录片，故选D。 03 (2023-2024学年高二下·南京市·盐城市六校联合体·期末联考) C Looking up at the sky during early spring, you may see groups of birds moving as they migrate(迁徙)north. But how do these creatures fly in such a cooperative and seemingly effortless fashion? “The answer lies in aerodynamics(空气动力学),” reports a team of scientists from New York University (NYU)in a newly published study. They also found that the impact of aerodynamics depends on the size of the flying group—benefiting small groups and disturbing large ones. To mimic(模仿)the flying patterns of birds in which they line up one directly behind the other, the researchers created mechanized wings. They were 3D-printed from plastic and driven by motors to move in water, which showed how air flows around bird wings and how they interact during flight. For smaller groups, the researchers discovered an effect by which each member gets help from the aerodynamics in holding its position relative to its neighbors. For larger groups, however, these flying interactions cause later members to be thrown out of position, causing a breakdown of the flying patterns due to crashes among members. The researchers then used mathematical modeling to better understand the underlying forces. It indicates that the interactions between neighbors are spring-like forces. However, these “springs” act in only one direction—a lead bird can apply force on its followers, but not the other way around. “The spring-like forces move the members back and forth and then travel down the group and increase in intensity, causing later members to crash together, explains Leif Ristroph, an associate professor at New York University. “This area of research is important since animals are known to take advantage of the flows to save on the energy or to reduce drag or resistance,” explains Leif Ristroph. “Our work may also have applications in transportation—like efficient speeding through air or water—and energy, such as more effectively harvesting power from wind or waves.” 28. What is the major focus of the NYU researchers’ study on birds? A. The migration patterns of birds. B. The flying routes in early spring. C. The benefits of smaller bird grouping. D. The aerodynamic effects on bird groups. 29. How do flying interactions affect smaller groups of birds? A. They lead to a breakdown. B. They disturb the formation. C. They help each member in position. D. They cause crashes among members. 30. Why does the author mention “springs” in paragraph 4? A. To make a contrast. B. To explain a principle. C. To put forward a theory. D. To present new evidence. 31. According to Leif Ristroph, what might be a potential application of this research? A. Relieving public traffic jams. B. Improving harvest of solar energy. C. Changing migration routes of birds. D. Decreasing air resistance of planes. 【答案】28. D 29. C 30. B 31. D 【语篇导读】这是一篇说明文。文章主要说明了研究人员通过对鸟类飞行模式的研究，发现空气动力学的影响取决于飞行群体的规模——对小群体有利，对大群体不利。 28. 细节理解题。根据第二段““The answer lies in aerodynamics(空气动力学),” reports a team of scientists from New York University(NYU)in a newly published study. They also found that the impact of aerodynamics depends on the size of the flying group—benefiting small groups and disturbing large ones.(“答案在于空气动力学，”纽约大学(NYU)的一组科学家在一项新发表的研究中报告说。他们还发现，空气动力学的影响取决于飞行群体的规模——对小群体有利，对大群体不利)”可知，纽约大学研究人员对鸟类的研究重点是对鸟类种群的空气动力学影响，故选D。 29. 推理判断题。根据第三段“For smaller groups, the researchers discovered an effect by which each member gets help from the aerodynamics in holding its position relative to its neighbors.(对于较小的群体，研究人员发现了一种效应，通过这种效应，每个成员都可以从空气动力学中获得帮助，从而保持相对于邻居的位置)”可知，飞行相互作用通过帮助每个成员就位影响较小的鸟类群体，故选C。 30. 推理判断题。根据第四段“The researchers then used mathematical modeling to better understand the underlying forces. It indicates that the interactions between neighbors are spring-like forces. However, these “springs” act in only one direction—a lead bird can apply force on its followers, but not the other way around. “The spring-like forces move the members back and forth and then travel down the group and increase in intensity, causing later members to crash together, explains Leif Ristroph, an associate professor at New York University.(然后，研究人员使用数学模型来更好地理解潜在的力量。这表明相邻分子之间的相互作用是类似弹簧的力。然而，这些“弹簧”只在一个方向上起作用——领头的鸟可以对它的追随者施加力，而不是相反。纽约大学副教授雷夫·里斯特洛夫解释说：“这种类似弹簧的力量使成员前后移动，然后在群体中传播并增加强度，导致后来的成员撞在一起。”)”可知，作者在第4段提到“springs”是为了解释一个原理，故选B。 31. 细节理解题。根据最后一段“Our work may also have applications in transportation—like efficient speeding through air or water—and energy, such as more effectively harvesting power from wind or waves.(我们的工作也可以应用于交通运输，比如在空气或水中的高效加速，以及能源，比如更有效地从风或海浪中收集能量)”可知，根据Leif Ristroph的说法，这项研究的潜在应用是减小飞机的空气阻力，故选D。 04 (2023-2024学年高二下·苏州市·期末统考) C You’d never mistake a goat for a dog, but on an unreasonably warm afternoon, I almost do. I’m on a farm in northern Germany, trying to keep my head due to work stress. Sixty Nigeria goats are taking turns crashing their horns(角)against wooden fences. Then, during the chaos, something remarkable happens. One of the animals raises her head and stares thoughtfully at me, her widely spaced eyes and odd pupils seeking to make contact — and perhaps even connection. It’s a look we see in other humans, in our pets and in our primate(灵长类)relatives, but not in animals raised for food. Or maybe we just haven’t been looking hard enough. That’s a cool idea here at Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology(FBN), one of the world’s leading centers for exploring the minds of goats, pigs and other livestock. Scientists here are exploring the mental and emotional lives of animals we’ve lived with for thousands of years, yet, from a cognitive(认知的)perspective, know almost nothing about. The work is part of an effort to overturn the idea that livestock are dumb and unworthy of scientific attention. Over the past decade, researchers at FBN and elsewhere have shown that pigs show signs of empathy and that goats match dogs in some tests of social intelligence. What shocks some experts is that cows can be potty(便盆)trained, suggesting a self-awareness behind the blank stares and chewing. “There’s a lot to be learned by studying the mental lives of these creatures,” says Christopher, a Johns Hopkins university psychologist. Disregarding livestock, he says, has been a “missed opportunity” by the scientific community. The field faces challenges, however. Farm animals can be huge, many are hard to train, and traditional funders and standard journals have generally rejected such studies. But as scientists push past these obstacles, they are getting insights not only into minds of livestock, but into the evolution of our own cognition. What they learn could even change the way we house and treat these creatures. 28. Why does the author mention Nigeria goats? A. To conserve wild life. B. To conduct researches. C. To relieve work stress. D. To introduce livestock studies. 29. Which of the following has been confirmed by scientists? A. Nigeria goats are mild animals. B. Pigs can relate to others in some cases. C. Goats beat dogs in some intelligence tests. D. Self-awareness exists behind the goats’ blank stares. 30. Why are the farm animal studies ignored? A. Farm animals are stupid. B. These studies lack practical values. C. Few sponsors are willing to fund those studies. D. Farm animals are unworthy of scientific research. 31. What is Christopher’s attitude towards farm animal studies? A. Dismissive. B. Favorable. C. Objective. D. Cautious. 【答案】28. D 29. B 30. C 31. B 【语篇导读】这是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了德国一家研究所对农场动物如山羊的认知和情感生活进行的科学研究，旨在推翻人们对牲畜认知能力低下的观念，并探讨这些研究对理解动物心智及进化认知的意义。 28. 推理判断题。根据第一段的“Sixty Nigeria goats are taking turns crashing their horns(角)against wooden fences. Then, during the chaos, something remarkable happens. One of the animals raises her head and stares thoughtfully at me, her widely spaced eyes and odd pupils seeking to make contact—and perhaps even connection.(60只尼日利亚山羊轮流用角撞击木栅栏。然后，在混乱中，一些不同寻常的事情发生了。其中一只动物抬起头，若有所思地盯着我，她的眼睛间隔很大，奇怪的瞳孔试图建立联系，甚至可能建立联系)”以及第三段的“That’s a cool idea here at Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology(FBN), one of the world’s leading centers for exploring the minds of goats, pigs and other livestock.(这是农场动物生物学研究所的一个很酷的想法，该研究所是世界上探索山羊、猪和其他牲畜思想的领先中心之一)”可推知，作者描述了自己在农场上的经历，并特别提到了山羊的行为，这实际上是为了引入接下来关于家畜(尤其是山羊)认知和情感生活的研究，故选D。 29. 细节理解题。根据第四段的“Over the past decade, researchers at FBN and elsewhere have shown that pigs show signs of empathy and that goats match dogs in some tests of social intelligence.(在过去的十年里，FBN和其他地方的研究人员已经表明，猪表现出同理心的迹象，山羊在一些社会智力测试中与狗相匹配)”可知，科学家已经观察到猪表现出同情心的迹象，能与他人的感受产生共鸣，故选B。 30. 细节理解题。根据第五段的“The field faces challenges, however. Farm animals can be huge, many are hard to train, and traditional funders and standard journals have generally rejected such studies.(然而，该领域面临挑战。农场动物可能很大，许多很难训练，传统的资助者和标准期刊通常拒绝接受此类研究)”可知，由于农场动物体型大、难以训练，以及传统资助者和标准期刊通常拒绝这类研究，导致农场动物研究难以获得资助；由此可知，农场动物研究被忽视的原因是很少有赞助商愿意资助农场的研究，故选C。 31. 推理判断题。根据第五段Christopher的话““There’s a lot to be learned by studying the mental lives of these creatures,” says Christopher, a Johns Hopkins university psychologist. Disregarding livestock, he says, has been a “missed opportunity” by the scientific community.(‘通过研究这些生物的心理生活，我们可以学到很多东西，’约翰霍普金斯大学心理学家克里斯托弗说。他说，忽视牲畜是科学界‘错失的机会’)”可知，Christopher认为研究这些动物的精神生活能学到很多，忽视它们是一个错失的机会。由此推知，他对农场动物研究是支持的，故选B。 05 (2023-2024学年高二下·无锡市·期末统考) C The eyes are more than a window to the soul—they’re also a reflection of a person’s cognitive(认知的)health. Research has been exploring how the eyes may help in diagnosing(诊断)Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms(症状)begin. “Alzheimer’s disease begins in the brain decades before the first symptoms of memory loss,” said Dr. Richard Isaacson, an Alzheimer’s preventive neurologist at the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases. If doctors are able to identify the disease in its earliest stages, people could then make healthy lifestyle choices and control their “risk factors, like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes,” Isaacson said. Then how early can we see signs of cognitive decline? To find it out, a recent study examined donated tissue from the retina(视网膜)and brains of 86 people with different degrees of mental decline. “Our study is the first to provide in-depth analyses of the protein profiles and the molecular, cellular, and structural effects of Alzheimer’s disease in the human retina and how they correspond with changes in the brain and cognitive function,” said senior author Maya Koronyo-Hamaoui, a professor of neurosurgery and biomedical sciences at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. Researchers in the study collected retinal and brain tissue samples over 14 years from 86 human donors with Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive damage—the largest group of retinal samples ever studied, according to the authors. Researchers then compared samples from donors with normal cognitive function to those with mild cognitive damage and those with later-stage Alzheimer’s disease. The study, published in February in the journal Acta Neuropathologica, found significant increases in beta-amyloid, a key marker of Alzheimer’s disease, in people with both Alzheimer’s and early cognitive decline. “These findings may eventually lead to the development of imaging techniques that allow us to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease earlier and more accurately,” Isaacson said, “and monitor its progression by looking through the eyes.” 28. What can eyes help do according to the recent study? A. Convey people’s feelings. B. Show people’s lifestyle choices. C. Indicate people’s physical decline. D. Reflect people’s cognitive function changes. 29. What is paragraph 2 mainly about? A. The reason for the study. B. The process of the study. C. The plan for the study. D. The method of the study. 30. How was the study conducted? A. By conducting a detailed survey about human retina. B. By asking and answering questions about the changes in the brain. C. By making a comparison between samples from different donors. D. By keeping track of participants to collect their data within a decade. 31. What do Isaacson’s words imply in the last paragraph? A. Alzheimer’s disease can be cured by reducing risk factors. B. Scientists have developed imaging techniques to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. C. Alzheimer’s disease begins in the brain years after the first symptoms of memory loss. D. Alzheimer’s disease can be spotted before symptoms start by examining the eyes. 【答案】28. D 29. A 30. C 31. D 【语篇导读】本文是说明文。文章介绍了关于阿尔茨海默病的最新研究进展，特别是如何通过研究眼睛来早期诊断这一疾病。 28. 细节理解题。根据第一段“The eyes are more than a window to the soul—they’re also a reflection of a person’s cognitive(认知的)health. Research has been exploring how the eyes may help in diagnosing(诊断)Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms(症状)begin.(眼睛不仅是心灵的窗口，还能反映一个人的认知健康状况。研究一直在探索眼睛如何在症状出现之前帮助诊断阿尔茨海默病)”可知，根据最近的研究，眼睛能反映人的认知功能变化，故选D项。 29. 主旨大意题。根据第二段““Alzheimer’s disease begins in the brain decades before the first symptoms of memory loss,” said Dr. Richard Isaacson, an Alzheimer’s preventive neurologist at the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases. If doctors are able to identify the disease in its earliest stages, people could then make healthy lifestyle choices and control their “risk factors, like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes,” Isaacson said.(神经退行性疾病研究所的阿尔茨海默病预防神经学家理查德·艾萨克森博士说：“阿尔茨海默病在出现记忆丧失症状之前几十年就开始在大脑中出现了。”艾萨克森说，如果医生能够在早期阶段识别出这种疾病，人们就可以选择健康的生活方式，控制他们的“风险因素，如高血压、高胆固醇和糖尿病”)”可知，本段主要介绍了阿尔茨海默症的研究原因，即在症状出现之前诊断该疾病，帮助人们做出健康的生活方式选择并控制风险因素，故选A项。 30. 推理判断题。根据第四段“Researchers in the study collected retinal and brain tissue samples over 14 years from 86 human donors with Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive damage—the largest group of retinal samples ever studied, according to the authors. Researchers then compared samples from donors with normal cognitive function to those with mild cognitive damage and those with later-stage Alzheimer’s disease.(研究人员在14年的时间里从86名患有阿尔茨海默病和轻度认知损伤的人类捐赠者身上收集了视网膜和脑组织样本——据作者说，这是迄今为止研究过的最大的视网膜样本组。然后，研究人员将正常认知功能捐赠者的样本与轻度认知损伤患者和老年痴呆症晚期患者的样本进行了比较)”可知，研究人员比较了来自不同捐赠者的样本，这些捐赠者分别具有正常的认知功能、轻度认知损伤和晚期阿尔茨海默病。因此，研究是通过比较不同捐赠者的样本来进行的，故选C项。 31. 推理判断题。根据最后一段““These findings may eventually lead to the development of imaging techniques that allow us to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease earlier and more accurately,” Isaacson said, “and monitor its progression by looking through the eyes.”(“这些发现可能最终导致成像技术的发展，使我们能够更早、更准确地诊断阿尔茨海默病，”艾萨克森说，“并通过眼睛观察来监测其进展。”)”可知，艾萨克森的话暗示了通过研究眼睛，我们可以在症状出现之前发现阿尔茨海默病，故选D项。 06 (2023-2024学年高二下·常州市·期末统考) C(原卷为B篇) My name is Howard Tucker. Studies have shown that keeping one’s brain stimulated may prevent many age-related cognitive impairments(认知伤害). I keep my brain stimulated by working, though for those who have retired or plan on retiring, a mentally stimulating hobby might be a suitable alternative. It is critical to know yourself and understand your limits and capabilities, but I firmly believe that retirement is the enemy of longevity(长寿). With people continuing to live longer, it may soon be commonplace to see individuals working into their 80s, 90s and, in some cases, past 100, like me. I now spend my time teaching medical and law students at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and I prioritize staying current with the latest trends in neurology(神经学), my area of specialization. Over the years I’ve had to adapt frequently to the changing technology, which isn’t always easy for someone my age. Many doctors I’ve known simply retired because they did not want to learn how to use computers. But I believe that a desire to continue to learn is a must in one’s later years. While technology has made a huge impact on the practice of medicine, I still urge my medical students to listen to patients, take a thorough patient history and look at the patient while questioning him/her. Then, I would have them look at the imaging studies. I believe I am wiser now, in the sense I am less judgmental and more patient with my medical students who have forgotten how to take a thorough patient history, the most important part of the examination. Of course, I’ve had to make adjustments over the years. Pacing is important. It feels like only yesterday that I would be going on rounds seeing patients in the hospital at 5:00 a. m. Now with my 102nd birthday less than two months away, I find myself sleeping in. But I wake up at 8:30 am, ready to face the day ahead of me. 28. What was Howard Tucker’s job in the past? A. Writer. B. Doctor. C. Teacher. D. Scientist. 29. Why does Howard Tucker give the talk? A. To celebrate his longevity. B. To advocate lifetime learning. C. To explain why he keeps working after retirement. D. To clarify what is the most important in neurology. 30. How does Howard Tucker see technology? A. Adapt to it as it is easy to learn. B. Learn it to avoid retirement. C. Use it to replace old methods. D. Combine it with traditional ways. 31. What causes Howard Tucker to make adjustments over the years? A. His age B. His illness. C. His student. D. His sleep. 【答案】28. B 29. C 30. D 31. A 【语篇导读】这是一篇说明文。文章是退休医生Howard Tucker的演讲，讲述了他为什么退休后还坚持工作的原因。 28. 推理判断题。根据第三段“I now spend my time teaching medical and law students at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and I prioritize staying current with the latest trends in neurology(神经学), my area of specialization.(我现在在克利夫兰的凯斯西储大学教授医学和法律专业的学生，我优先关注神经病学的最新趋势，这是我的专业领域)”以及第四段“Many doctors I’ve known simply retired because they did not want to learn how to use computers.(我认识的许多医生都退休了，因为他们不想学习如何使用电脑)”可知，霍华德·塔克过去的工作是医生，故选B。 29. 细节理解题。根据第二段“I keep my brain stimulated by working, though for those who have retired or plan on retiring, a mentally stimulating hobby might be a suitable alternative. It is critical to know yourself and understand your limits and capabilities, but I firmly believe that retirement is the enemy of longevity(长寿).(我通过工作来刺激我的大脑，尽管对于那些已经退休或计划退休的人来说，一个刺激精神的爱好可能是一个合适的选择。了解自己，了解自己的极限和能力是至关重要的，但我坚信退休是长寿的敌人)”可知，霍华德·塔克要做这个演讲是为了解释他为什么退休后还继续工作，故选C。 30. 细节理解题。根据倒数第三段“While technology has made a huge impact on the practice of medicine, I still urge my medical students to listen to patients, take a thorough patient history and look at the patient while questioning him/her.(虽然科技对医学实践产生了巨大的影响，但我仍然敦促我的医科学生倾听病人的意见，全面了解病人的病史，在询问病人的时候看着他/她)”可知，霍华德·塔克认为科技应该与传统方式相结合，故选D。 31. 细节理解题。根据第四段“Over the years I’ve had to adapt frequently to the changing technology, which isn’t always easy for someone my age.(多年来，我不得不经常适应不断变化的技术，这对我这个年龄的人来说并不容易)”可知，年龄让霍华德·塔克这么多年来不断做出调整，故选A。 07 (2023-2024学年高二下·常州市·期末统考) C(原卷为D篇) Jobs are central to our lives. They enable us to make a living. Productive jobs create wealth and drive development. Full employment ensures not only economic prosperity but also social cohesion and stability. That is why the International Labour Organization(ILO), as one of the UN agencies specialized in employment, promotes decent work as a key to sustainable development and social justice. Globally, the world of work is undergoing great changes unseen in a century. We often hear that many people can’t find jobs, while employers can’t find qualified employees. Ever those who have jobs are worried about the future of their jobs. Such anxiety is not misplaced. The ILO’s World Employment and Social Outlook 202( report shows that all regions are facing major job-skills gaps and mismatches. According to its study, a generation ago the skills you learned in school were sufficient for you to survive in the job market for a while. Now half of the skills you acquired through education and training may start to depreciate(贬值)within 5 years!(Boston Consulting Group, 2023)Skills become outdated much quicker, as technological transformation and the green transition(转型)are quickening. ChatGPT is a case in point. AI has the potential to replace many professional and ever creative jobs. The potential threat is no longer limited to replacing unskilled repetitive jobs by automation. Technologies are fundamentally reshaping workplaces and jobs. The green transition is another driver for growing skill-job mismatch. The automobile industry may continue to boom, but electronic cars require a different set of human skills from fossil fuel-driven cars. Jobs in high carbon emission sectors will gradually disappear, while alternative jobs are greened or created in green sectors. According to an ILO analysis, because of the green transition, there could be around 78 million job losses globally by 2030. However, over 103 million jobs can be created — but only if workers can be systematically reskilled and upskilled.(ILO, 2019) 28. What is the structure of the text? A. Problem and solution. B. Definition and example. C. Significance and action. D. Phenomenon and analysis. 29. How does the author prove his point of view in the third paragraph? A. By using examples. B. By making analysis. C. By using his own data. D. By referring to other researches. 30. The author mentions ChatGPT and electronic cars to show A. why there are job-skills gaps and mismatches B. why we should be careful about technology C. the importance of education and training D. the necessity of reshaping workplaces and jobs 31. What is the author’s attitude towards the green transition? A. Objective. B. Dismissive. C. Doubtful. D. Unclear. 【答案】32. D 33. D 34. A 35. A 【语篇导读】这是一篇说明文。文章主要说明了如今就业市场面临巨大变革的现象，指出这一现象背后的原因是工作技能差距和不匹配。 28. 细节理解题。根据第二段“Globally, the world of work is undergoing great changes unseen in a century. We often hear that many people can’t find jobs, while employers can’t find qualified employees. Ever those who have jobs are worried about the future of their jobs.(在全球范围内，劳动世界正在经历百年未有之大变局。我们经常听到很多人找不到工作，而雇主找不到合格的员工。那些有工作的人都担心他们工作的未来)”主要说明了就业现象；根据第三段“The ILO’s World Employment and Social Outlook 202( report shows that all regions are facing major job-skills gaps and mismatches.(国际劳工组织的《世界就业与社会展望2020》报告显示，所有地区都面临着重大的工作技能差距和不匹配)”分析了这一现象背后的原因。故可知，文章的结构是现象与分析，故选D。 29. 推理判断题。根据第三段“Now half of the skills you acquired through education and training may start to depreciate(贬值)within 5 years!(Boston Consulting Group, 2023)Skills become outdated much quicker, as technological transformation and the green transition(转型)are quickening.(现在，你通过教育和培训获得的一半技能可能会在5年内开始贬值!(波士顿咨询集团，2023)随着技术转型和绿色转型的加快，技能过时的速度要快得多)”可知，作者通过参考其他研究证明他的观点，故选D。 30. 推理判断题。根据倒数第二段“ChatGPT is a case in point. AI has the potential to replace many professional and ever creative jobs. The potential threat is no longer limited to replacing unskilled repetitive jobs by automation. Technologies are fundamentally reshaping workplaces and jobs.(ChatGPT就是一个很好的例子。人工智能有可能取代许多专业和创造性的工作。潜在的威胁不再局限于自动化取代非技术性的重复性工作。技术正在从根本上重塑工作场所和工作)”可知，作者提到了ChatGPT和电子汽车来展示为什么会有工作技能差距和不匹配，故选A。 31. 推理判断题。根据最后一段“The green transition is another driver for growing skill-job mismatch. The automobile industry may continue to boom, but electronic cars require a different set of human skills from fossil fuel-driven cars. Jobs in high carbon emission sectors will gradually disappear, while alternative jobs are greened or created in green sectors. According to an ILO analysis, because of the green transition, there could be around 78 million job losses globally by 2030. However, over 103 million jobs can be created —but only if workers can be systematically reskilled and upskilled.(绿色转型是技能与工作不匹配加剧的另一个驱动因素。汽车工业可能会继续蓬勃发展，但电动汽车需要一套不同于化石燃料驱动汽车的人类技能。高碳排放行业的工作岗位将逐渐消失，而绿色行业的替代工作岗位将被绿化或创造出来。根据国际劳工组织的一项分析，由于绿色转型，到2030年全球可能会失去约7800万个工作岗位。然而，只要能够系统地对工人进行再培训和技能提升，就可以创造1.03亿多个就业岗位)”可知，作者对绿色转型的态度是客观的，故选A。 08 (2023-2024学年高二下·镇江市八校·期末联考) C(原卷为D篇) Plants are vital to human survival, even when there’s no sunlight. But keeping your houseplants alive in window-less rooms or in shadowy corners can be a challenge. Luckily, there are ways to help your plants stay energetic, even when their sunny source of energy is limited. Grow lights provide an easy and accessible energy increase in dim or black spaces. These specialized beams(光线)have different features, colors, and prices. LEDs, for instance, are the cheapest and most energy-efficient option. While most devices stick to a warm white light, plants respond differently to various illuminating colors. Scientist Levine has made two creative experiments. Under gravity, red light worked well for the slim flowering plants Arabidopsis(拟南芥). But in the weightless environment, they stretched into funny shapes until he started adding blue lights. He eventually found a middle ground and put the plants in green light. If electricity is a limiting factor, you can try to reflect light with mirrors. Even brightening up your space with white decorations, like a light-colored tablecloth, will cast a little glow over your plants. While it’s not comparable to using a grow light or the sun, it could offer plants extra power. Some plants, including tomatoes, need more light than those like Arabidopsis; new seedling s need less light than fully-grow n plants. As you choose your seeds and seedlings, research their native ranges to learn how much sunshine they’d naturally get. Plants are finally adaptable. They can stretch their stems toward available light sources or produce extra chlorophyll(叶绿素), which absorbs available cold light. Even though they may not be getting all the light that they would like for optimum(最适宜的)growth, they’ll still grow. With only a little extra help, you and your plants can overcome the darkness. 28. What is the purpose of using grow lights? A. To change the color of the plants. B. To provide an energy boost in dim spaces. C. To create a decorative effect in the room. D. To help plants grow in weightless environments. 29. What did Levine discover about the effect of different light colors in experiments? A. Plants grew best under red lights without gravity. B. Blue lights caused plants to grow funny shapes. C. Green lights were the best choice for plants without gravity. D. Plants preferred warm white lights in all situations. 30. How can you help plants get extra energy without using electricity? A. By putting the metal in the soil. B. By adding more fertilizer to their soil. C. By decorating some reflective objects. D. By pouring some chemical liquid. 31. Who is the passage written for? A. Plant scientists and researchers. B. Indoor decorators and designers. C. Farmers planning to grow crops in low-light conditions. D. Individuals looking to improve their indoor gardening skills. 【答案】28. B 29. C 30. C 31. D 【语篇导读】本文是一篇说明文，介绍了在缺乏阳光的环境中如何帮助植物生长。 28. 细节理解题。根据第二段“Grow lights provide an easy and accessible energy increase in dim or black spaces.(在昏暗或黑暗的空间里，植物生长灯提供了一种容易获得的能量增加)”可知，植物生长灯可以在昏暗的环境中增加能量，故选B项。 29. 细节理解题。根据第三段“But in the weightless environment, they stretched into funny shapes until he started adding blue lights. He eventually found a middle ground and put the plants in green light.(但在失重环境下，它们会伸展成有趣的形状，直到他开始添加蓝光。他最终找到了一个中间地带，把这些植物置于绿光下)”可知，莱文最终发现在失重环境下，绿光对植物的生长效果最佳，故选C项。 30. 细节理解题。根据第四段“Even brightening up your space with white decorations, like a light-colored tablecloth, will cast a little glow over your plants. While it’s not comparable to using a grow light or the sun, it could offer plants extra power.(即使用白色的装饰来照亮你的空间，比如浅色的桌布，也会给你的植物带来一点光芒。虽然它不能与使用生长灯或太阳相比，但它可以为植物提供额外的能量)”可知，在室内装饰一些反光的物品可以使植物获得额外的能量，故选C项。 31. 推理判断题。通读全文，尤其是第一段“Luckily, there are ways to help your plants stay energetic, even when their sunny source of energy is limited.(幸运的是，有一些方法可以帮助你的植物保持活力，即使它们的阳光能量来源有限)”以及文章最后一句“With only a little extra help, you and your plants can overcome the darkness.(只需要一点额外的帮助，你和你的植物就能克服黑暗)”可知，本文主要介绍了在缺乏阳光的环境下如何帮助植物生长，旨在帮助那些想要提高自己的室内园艺种植技能的人，故选D项。 09 (2023-2024学年高二下·泰州市·期末统考) C(原卷为B篇) When it comes to popular symbols of marriage, one cannot look past the wedding ring. The wedding ring serves as a perfect symbol of everlasting love — a ring is a circle and thus has no beginning or end, representing the never-ending union of marriage. Evidence suggests that wedding rings were used in ancient Egypt around 6,000 years ago. However, unlike the metals and jewels used today, they were crafted from materials such as leather or bone. In the centuries that followed, the wedding ring tradition was picked up in the West, where it spread first in ancient Rome and Greece, subsequently throughout Europe during the Middle Ages, and eventually to Eastern culture. Throughout history, the round shape of the ring has continued, and so has the tradition of wearing it on the fourth finger of the left hand. The latter practice originated from an ancient belief that a vein(静脉)ran directly from this finger to the heart. Although this belief has since been considered wrong, the custom has continued. Regarding customs surrounding wedding rings, there was a time when only the bride wore a wedding ring. It wasn’t until the early 20th century that the practice of bridegrooms wearing rings gained popularity. This change was influenced by soldiers going off to war, who wore rings as reminders of their loved ones waiting for them at home. Today, the exchange of wedding rings remains an essential part of the wedding ceremony, symbolizing the commitment and love shared between two individuals who will begin a life together. Wedding rings hold a symbolic significance that ties the two members of a married couple. In an ever-changing world, the wedding ring stands as an ancient tradition that is likely to continue for generations to come, reflecting the timeless and everlasting love celebrated through marriage. 28. What can we know about wedding rings in the text? A. They have their roots in Europe. B. They date back to the Middle Ages. C. They symbolize the owners’ social status. D. The round shape has remained unchanged. 29. Why did people in ancient times wear a wedding ring on the fourth finger of the left hand? A. Because it brought good luck to soldiers going off to war. B. Because they wished to keep their lover in their heart. C. Because a vein runs directly from this finger to the heart. D. Because it represented the never-ending union of marriage. 30. What can be predicted about the future of the wedding ring tradition? A. It will undergo great changes. B. It will gradually fall out of date. C. It will probably last for quite a long time. D. It will only be popular in certain cultures. 31. What is the text mainly about? A. The design of wedding rings. B. The significance of wedding rings. C. The long history of wedding rings. D. The materials used for wedding rings. 【答案】28. D 29. C 30. C 31. B 【语篇导读】本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了结婚戒指的象征意义、悠久而丰富的历史、早期制作材料、传播过程、相关传统等。 28. 细节理解题。根据第三段“Throughout history, the round shape of the ring has continued, and so has the tradition of wearing it on the fourth finger of the left hand.(纵观历史，圆形的戒指一直延续下来，把它戴在左手无名指上的传统也一直延续下来)”可知，结婚戒指是圆形保持不变，故选D。 29. 推理判断题。根据第三段“Throughout history, the round shape of the ring has continued, and so has the tradition of wearing it on the fourth finger of the left hand. The latter practice originated from an ancient belief that a vein(静脉)ran directly from this finger to the heart. Although this belief has since been considered wrong, the custom has continued.(纵观历史，圆形的戒指一直延续下来，把它戴在左手无名指上的传统也一直延续下来。后一种做法源于一种古老的信仰，即静脉直接从这只手指流向心脏。尽管这种信仰后来被认为是错误的，但这种习俗仍在继续)”可知，古代人把结婚戒指戴在左手无名指上是因为静脉直接从这个手指流向心脏，故选C。 30. 细节理解题。根据最后一段“In an ever-changing world, the wedding ring stands as an ancient tradition that is likely to continue for generations to come, reflecting the timeless and everlasting love celebrated through marriage.(在这个瞬息万变的世界里，结婚戒指作为一种古老的传统，很可能会代代相传，反映出通过婚姻庆祝的永恒的爱情)”可知，结婚戒指传统未来可能会持续很长一段时间，故选C。 31. 主旨大意题。根据第一段“When it comes to popular symbols of marriage, one cannot look past the wedding ring. The wedding ring serves as a perfect symbol of everlasting love — a ring is a circle and thus has no beginning or end, representing the never-ending union of marriage.(当谈到流行的婚姻象征时，人们不能忽视结婚戒指。结婚戒指是永恒爱情的完美象征——戒指是一个圆圈，因此没有起点也没有终点，代表着永不结束的婚姻)”结合文章介绍了结婚戒指的象征意义、悠久而丰富的历史、早期制作材料、传播过程、相关传统等。可知，这篇文章的主要内容是结婚戒指的意义，故选B。 10 (2023-2024学年高二下·扬州市·期末统考) C(原卷为B篇) ALooking like something from a sci-fi movie, the SeaOrbiter was designed to tower above the waves as it made its way through some of the most unexplored parts of the world's oceans. It is a breathtaking ship, featuring its underwater platform and advanced science labs. It can host a crew of up to 22 for long-term scientific missions lasting over six months. Its scale when seen on the horizon(地平线)would have been great. While modern ships usually sit flat to the surface and have most of their mass laid out, the SeaOrbiter was to resemble a floating tower, rising to a total height of 51 meres, the height of Nelson's Column in London — with over half below the ocean. Designed not just to move in the seas, but also to explore their depths, six of the SeaOrbiter's twelve decks were to sit below sea level, bringing the undersea kingdom to life and providing uninterrupted underwater observation for the scientists and explorers aboard. Its goal was to pullback the curtain on one of nature's most unexplored habitats. Despite covering 70 per cent of our planet, with only 5 per cent explored and less than 20 per cent mapped, our oceans are still largely a mystery. What's more, humans have explored less than 1 per cent of the deep ocean. In fact, we know less about the ocean floor than we do about the surface of the Moon. Construction of the 1, 000-ton ship had been due to start in 2014, but by May 2015 only the first part of the construction was successfully completed. Construction was made possible by a crowd-funding campaign. 28. What is the unique feature of the SeaOrbiter according to paragraph 1? A. Being specially designed based on a sci-fi film. B. Being shaped exactly like an unexplored tower. C. Possessing underwater platform and advanced science labs. D. Enabling 22 people to carry out long-term scientific tasks. 29. Why does the author mention Nelson's Column? A. To introduce the distant origin of the ship. B. To stress the underwater part of the ship. C. To illustrate the amazing height of the ship. D. To highlight the floating ability of the ship. 30. What do the data in paragraph 4 imply? A. Over 20 per cent of the oceans has been charted. B. There is much for us to explore about the ocean floor. C. Humans have explored only 5 per cent of the deep sea. D. The ocean floor is easier to reach than the surface of the Moon. 31. Why was the SeaOrbiter designed? A. To move in space in a usual way. B. To compete with space exploration. C. To uncover the mysteries of deep seas. D. To complete a crowd-funding campaign. 【答案】28. C 29. C 30. B 31. C 【语篇导读】这是一篇说明文。文章介绍了SeaOrbiter这一独特船只设计，旨在通过其高耸的漂浮塔形态、水下平台和先进科学实验室来探索海洋深处，特别是人类尚未充分探索的区域，从而增进对海洋的了解。 28. 细节理解题。根据文章第一段“It is a breathtaking ship, featuring its underwater platform and advanced science labs.”(这是一艘令人惊叹的船，以水下平台和先进的科学实验室为主要特征)可知，SeaOrbiter的独特特征是它拥有的功能——一个水下平台和先进的科学实验室，故选C。 29. 推理判断题。根据文章第二段“While modern ships usually sit flat to the surface and have most of their mass laid out, the SeaOrbiter was to resemble a floating tower, rising to a total height of 51 meters, the height of Nelson's Column in London—with over half below the ocean.”(现代的船只通常平放在水面上，大部分重量都分布在水面上，而SeaOrbiter则像一座漂浮的塔，总高度达到51米，与伦敦纳尔逊纪念柱的高度相当——其中超过一半位于海面以下)可知，作者提到纳尔逊纪念柱是为了与SeaOrbiter的高度进行比较，从而来说明这艘船的惊人高度，故选C。 30. 推理判断题。根据文章第四段“Despite covering 70 per cent of our planet, with only 5 per cent explored and less than 20 per cent mapped, our oceans are still largely a mystery. What's more, humans have explored less than 1 per cent of the deep ocean. In fact, we know less about the ocean floor than we do about the surface of the Moon.”(尽管海洋覆盖了地球表面的70%，但只有5%被探索过，不到20%被绘制成地图，我们的海洋仍然在很大程度上是一个谜。更重要的是，人类对深海的探索还不到1%。事实上，我们对海底的了解比对月球表面的了解还少) 可知，这一段数据暗示了海洋，特别是其深海部分，仍然有许多未知等待我们去探索，故选B。 31. 细节理解题。根据文章第三段“Its goal was to pullback the curtain on one of nature's most unexplored habitats.”(它的目标是揭开大自然最未被探索的栖息地之一的面纱)可知，SeaOrbiter的设计目的是探索海洋的深处，特别是那些尚未被人类充分探索的区域，故选C。 11 (2023-2024学年高二下·扬州市·期末统考) C Worrying news stories about people with cancer seem never-ending. The physical condition is often cruel. It also has some psychological characteristics that make it fearsome. We are more frightened by threats over which we feel we have no control. More than any other diseases, cancer causes various worries, which helps explain why it has been the most horrible in richer nations with longer lifespans for decades. One overlooked effect of this fear has been the creation of cancerphobia, which George called in 1955. He wrote:“In terms of the total number of people affected, fear of cancer is causing more suffering than cancer itself.” In important ways, our deep fear of it is outdated, a phobia that no longer matches the evidence and causes huge harm. Most people believe a diagnosis(诊断)of cancer means death. Slow but steady progress in the past few decades has made roughly two-thirds of all cancers completely curable. Many people believe cancer screening is beneficial because it is always best to find cancer as early as possible. Screening helps, certainly, but it also harms. There is much evidence that these worries can leave lasting psychological scars. Worse still screening inappropriately finds “overdiagnosed” cancers. They are found early when small and meet the sick criteria of cancer under a microscope, but grow slowly or never cause any symptoms. Some people believe most cancers are caused by environmental carcinogens(致癌物). We now know cancer is primarily caused by naturally occurring mutations(变异)to DNA as we age. Cancers only became common in the early 1900s, as average lifespans in richer nations reached into the 50s. We can’t entirely cure cancer. Nor can we entirely “cure” cancerphobia. But we must work to reduce the harm they both cause to our health and to society in general. Research into fighting cancer has come a long way. The work on our cancerphobia is just beginning. 28. What can be known about cancer in paragraph 1? A. Cancer puts rich people at greater risk. B. Cancer spreads quickly throughout the world. C. Cancer goes beyond the control of humans. D. Cancer threatens people physically and mentally. 29. What does the author think of cancer screening? A. It is a double-edged sword. B. It proves an effective measure. C. It leaves patients with physical scars. D. It sets the standard for early diagnosis. 30. What can be inferred from the last two paragraphs? A. There’s no need to worry too much about cancer. B. The environment has nothing to do with cancer. C. People over fifty are certain to develop cancer. D. Research on cancerphobia has made big progress. 31. What is the author’s purpose of writing the passage? A. To reveal secrets. B. To show sympathy. C. To modernize beliefs. D. To gain recognition. 【答案】28. D 29. A 30. A 31. C 【语篇导读】本文是一篇说明文。主要介绍了癌症恐惧源于其身心威胁，但多数癌症已可治愈，筛查利弊并存，环境并不是主因，人们需要更新认识，减少不必要的恐惧，推动健康和社会福祉。 28. 细节理解题。根据第一段“The physical condition is often cruel. It also has some psychological characteristics that make it fearsome.(身体状况往往很残酷。它也有一些心理特征，使它变得可怕)”可知，癌症在身体和心理上都对人构成威胁，故选D。 29. 细节理解题。根据第四段“Many people believe cancer screening is beneficial because it is always best to find cancer as early as possible. Screening helps, certainly, but it also harms. There is much evidence that these worries can leave lasting psychological scars.(许多人认为癌症筛查是有益的，因为尽早发现癌症总是最好的。筛查当然有帮助，但也有害处。有很多证据表明，这些担忧会留下持久的心理创伤)”可知，作者认为癌症筛查是一把双刃剑，既有帮助也有害处，故选A。 30. 推理判断题。根据倒数第二段“We now know cancer is primarily caused by naturally occurring mutations(变异)to DNA as we age. Cancers only became common in the early 1900s, as average lifespans in richer nations reached into the 50s.(我们现在知道癌症主要是由随着年龄的增长自然发生的DNA突变引起的。癌症在20世纪初才变得普遍，随着富裕国家的平均寿命达到了50多岁)”以及最后一段“We can’t entirely cure cancer. Nor can we entirely “cure” cancerphobia. But we must work to reduce the harm they both cause to our health and to society in general.(我们不能完全治愈癌症。我们也不能完全“治愈”癌症恐惧症。但我们必须努力减少它们对我们的健康和整个社会造成的危害)”可知，虽然我们不能完全消除对癌症的恐惧，但也不必过分担心，因为研究已有很大进展并且很多癌症是可以治愈的，故选A。 31. 推理判断题。根据第一段“Worrying news stories about people with cancer seem never-ending. The physical condition is often cruel. It also has some psychological characteristics that make it fearsome.(关于癌症患者的令人担忧的新闻报道似乎永无止境。身体状况往往很残酷。它也有一些心理特征，使它变得可怕)”、最后一段“We can’t entirely cure cancer. Nor can we entirely “cure” cancerphobia. But we must work to reduce the harm they both cause to our health and to society in general. Research into fighting cancer has come a long way. The work on our cancerphobia is just beginning.(我们不能完全治愈癌症。我们也不能完全“治愈”癌症恐惧症。但我们必须努力减少它们对我们的健康和整个社会造成的危害。对抗癌症的研究已经走过了漫长的道路。治疗癌症恐惧症的工作才刚刚开始)”可知，本文主要介绍了癌症恐惧源于其身心威胁，但多数癌症已可治愈，筛查利弊并存，环境并不是主因，人们需要更新认识，减少不必要的恐惧，推动健康和社会福祉，由此可知，作者写作的目的是更新观念，减轻人们对于癌症的不必要的恐惧，故选C。 12 (2023-2024学年高二下·盐城市·期末统考) C Ecologists and biologists have long recognized that artificial light at night can have negative effects on the health of humans and land wildlife, including sleep patterns, feeding schedules, and reproductive cycles. Much research is showing that marine(海洋的)life is also sensitive to artificial light, including extremely low levels and certain wavelengths. Now, for the first time, scientists have quantified underwater light levels for coastal zones around the world. Researchers have released the first global map books of artificial light in the sea. “These very low light levels that artificial light generates are critically important for biological organisms,” said Tim Smyth, who specializes in marine optics(光学). “But how much of an impact it has on the marine environment hasn’t been studied well.” The research team built a model based on two satellite datasets: one of nighttime light pollution and one of ocean color, which reveals the water’s optical properties. The model projects how nighttime light pollution above the water’s surface will enter and be absorbed underwater. The results show the depths to which marine species could be exposed to light sufficient to cause a biological response. The study gives researchers a guide to where they should focus future studies of the effects of artificial light on marine life. Smyth said the study highlights areas where ecosystems are particularly stressed by artificial light. The scientists found that 1.9 million square kilometers of the ocean experience biologically significant amounts of artificial light pollution to a depth of 1 meter. This represents about 3 percent of the world’s Exclusive Economic Zones(专属经济区), the area extending 370kilometres off a country’s coast. Significant areas of the ocean are seeing light exposures to depths of 10 meters, 20 meters, or more. The depth to which light can go depends not only on the intensity of light above water, Smyth said, but also on the optical properties of the water. For example, in areas with very clear water, light at night can reach depths of more than 40 meters. 28. What is the function of paragraph 1? A. To voice a basic opinion. B. To introduce a further discovery. C. To present a serious problem. D. To explain a natural phenomenon. 29. What have researchers done about artificial light according to paragraph 2? A. They have measured the intensity of light under the water. B. They have investigated the influence of artificial light fully. C. They have evaluated the speed of artificial light underwater. D. They have described sea life’s exact reaction to artificial light. 30. What is one purpose of setting up the model? A. To show the biological response of marine species. B. To understand the real meaning of optical properties. C. To display the principle of artificial light entering water. D. To predict the possible way of water absorbing artificial light. 31. Which of the following might affect the depth of light entering water? A. The quality of water. B. The climate change. C. The movement of light. D. The sea temperature. 【答案】28. B 29. A 30. D 31. A 【语篇导读】本文是说明文。文章详细解释了人造光对海洋生物的影响，包括最新的研究发现和相关数据。 28. 推理判断题。根据第一段“Ecologists and biologists have long recognized that artificial light at night can have negative effects on the health of humans and land wildlife, including sleep patterns, feeding schedules, and reproductive cycles.(生态学家和生物学家早就认识到，夜间的人造光会对人类和陆地野生动物的健康产生负面影响，包括睡眠模式、进食时间表和生殖周期)”可知，本段提到生态学家和生物学家已经认识到夜间人造光对人类和陆地野生动物健康的负面影响，这是为了引出下文关于人造光对海洋生物影响的新发现。因此，本段的作用是介绍进一步的发现，即人造光对海洋生物也有影响，故选B项。 29. 细节理解题。根据第二段“Much research is showing that marine(海洋的)life is also sensitive to artificial light, including extremely low levels and certain wavelengths. Now, for the first time, scientists have quantified underwater light levels for coastal zones around the world. Researchers have released the first global map books of artificial light in the sea.(许多研究表明，海洋生物对人造光也很敏感，包括极低水平和某些波长的光。现在，科学家们第一次量化了世界各地沿海地区的水下光线水平。研究人员发布了首份全球海洋人造光地图册)”可知，科学家们首次量化了世界各地沿海区域的水下光照水平，并发布了第一份全球海洋人造光地图集。因此，研究者们已经测量了水下的光照强度，故选A项。 30. 细节理解题。根据第四段“The research team built a model based on two satellite datasets: one of nighttime light pollution and one of ocean color, which reveals the water’s optical properties. The model projects how nighttime light pollution above the water’s surface will enter and be absorbed underwater. The results show the depths to which marine species could be exposed to light sufficient to cause a biological response.(研究小组基于两个卫星数据集建立了一个模型：一个是夜间光污染数据集，另一个是海洋颜色数据集，它揭示了水的光学特性。该模型预测了水面以上的夜间光污染如何进入并被水下吸收。结果表明，海洋物种暴露在足以引起生物反应的光线下的深度)”可知，该模型旨在预测夜间水面上的光污染如何进入并被水下吸收，因此建立模型的目的是预测水吸收人造光的可能方式，故选D项。 31. 推理判断题。根据最后一段“The depth to which light can go depends not only on the intensity of light above water, Smyth said, but also on the optical properties of the water. For example, in areas with very clear water, light at night can reach depths of more than 40 meters.(史密斯说，光能到达的深度不仅取决于水面上的光强度，还取决于水的光学性质。例如，在水非常清澈的地区，夜间的光线可以达到40米以上的深度)”可推知，水的质量(清澈度)会影响光线进入水的深度，故选A项。 13 (2023-2024学年高二下·江苏省镇江市实验高级中学·期末校考) C(原卷为D篇) What makes a person extra repulsive to a mosquito? It might be the scent of coconut. That was one of the findings of a small study published Wednesday in the journal iScience, which looked at whether different scented soaps made people more or less attractive to mosquitoes. “It’s a simple question with a very complex answer,” said the lead study author, Clement Vinauger, an assistant professor of biochemistry at Virginia Tech. “What really matters is how the chemicals in the soap combine with the chemicals of the individual person.” Everyone has the same chemicals, just in different ratios, some more attractive to mosquitoes than others, said Ali Afify, an assistant professor of biology at Drexel University in Philadelphia, who wasn’t involved with the new study. “Everything you use on your skin can make you more or less attractive to mosquitoes,” Afify added. To see which chemicals could tip the scales in either direction, four volunteers were each asked to wash with four different brands of soap. In each instance, the volunteer washed one forearm and left the other untouched and then wore nylon sleeves on both arms for one hour. They repeated the process with the three other soaps. After the hour was up, the researchers removed the odor- soaked sleeves. They placed each sleeve in a cup and put the cups in a mesh cage full of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The scent in the cup that attracted the most mosquitoes was deemed most attractive. In the end, the team identified four chemicals that were associated with being slightly more attractive to mosquitoes and three that appeared to repel them, but the results were generally weak and variable for all chemical scents tested except one: coconut. “Mosquitoes don’t like coconut-scented products, so our safest bet is to use them,” Vinauger said. “Because odors are complex, a single scent or compound isn’t likely to be merely responsible for how attractive a person is to mosquitoes. Some may play a bigger role, but there won’t be just one that explains attraction,” said Christopher Potter, an associate professor of neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Maryland who studies mosquito olfaction. 28. What is the main factor that determines how attractive a person is to mosquitoes? A. The type of soap they frequently use. B. The amount of carbon dioxide they send out. C. The chemical produced by bacteria on their body. D. The combination of chemicals in their body scent. 29. What is the main purpose of Para 4? A. To explain the working principle. B. To present the actions of the volunteers. C. To introduce the process of the study. D. To make a comparison between different soaps. 30. What have the researchers found about coconut- scented products? A. They can keep mosquitoes away. B. They have no effect on mosquitoes. C. They are more variable than other chemicals. D. They are slightly more attractive to mosquitoes. 31. What is Christopher Potter’s attitude towards the findings published in the journal iScience? A. Supportive B. Objective C. Pessimistic D. Unclear 【答案】28. D 29. C 30. A 31. B 【语篇导读】本文是一篇说明文，主要讲述的是一项关于不同气味肥皂对蚊子吸引力影响的小型研究的结果。 28. 细节理解题。根据第二段“What really matters is how the chemicals in the soap combine with the chemicals of the individual person.(真正重要的是肥皂中的化学物质如何与个人体内的化学物质结合)”可知，决定一个人对蚊子有多大吸引力的主要因素是他们身上化学物质的混合气味，故选D。 29. 推理判断题。根据第四段“To see which chemicals could tip the scales in either direction, four volunteers were each asked to wash with four different brands of soap. In each instance, the volunteer washed one forearm and left the other untouched and then wore nylon sleeves on both arms for one hour. They repeated the process with the three other soaps. After the hour was up, the researchers removed the odor- soaked sleeves. They placed each sleeve in a cup and put the cups in a mesh cage full of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.(为了研究哪种化学物质能使天平朝哪个方向倾斜，四名志愿者分别被要求用四种不同品牌的肥皂洗脸。在每一次实验中，志愿者清洗一只前臂，另一只不动，然后在两只手臂上套上尼龙袖子一个小时。他们用另外三种肥皂重复了这个过程。一小时后，研究人员将气味浸透的袖子取下。他们把每个袖子放在一个杯子里，然后把杯子放在一个装满埃及伊蚊的网笼里)”可知，第四段主要讲的是研究的过程，因此本段主要目的是介绍研究的过程，故选C。 30. 推理判断题。根据倒数第二段“Mosquitoes don’t like coconut-scented products, so our safest bet is to use them(蚊子不喜欢椰子味的产品，所以我们最安全的办法就是使用它们)”可知，研究人员发现椰子香味的产品可以赶走蚊子，故选A。 31. 推理判断题。根据最后一段“Because odors are complex, a single scent or compound isn’t likely to be merely responsible for how attractive a person is to mosquitoes. Some may play a bigger role, but there won’t be just one that explains attraction(因为气味是复杂的，单一的气味或化合物不太可能仅仅决定一个人对蚊子的吸引力。有些可能会发挥更大的作用，但不会只有一种解释了吸引力)”可知，Christopher Potter对发表在iScience杂志上的研究结果持客观态度，故选B。 14 (2023-2024学年高二下·江苏省射阳中学·期末校考) C Concrete has served as the foundation stone of the construction industry for hundreds of years. However, the process of producing concrete is one of the most environmentally unfriendly processes in the world. In the process, not only is carbon dioxide(二氧化碳)released into the air by the energy used to heat the limestone, but the limestone itself also gives out a huge amount of the element. Luckily, a number of start-ups throughout the world are using creative thinking to make the construction industry a whole lot more friendly for the planet. A Canadian company called CarbonCure, has found a way to inject(注入)concrete with carbon dioxide itself. Not only does this trap the carbon dioxide into the concrete, keeping it from running away into the atmosphere, but it also creates a super strong material called calcium carbonate, which reduces the total amount of concrete that needs to be used. California-based Brimstone, is creating carbon-negative concrete by doing away with limestone entirely and instead using silicate rock, a material that does not release carbon dioxide when heated. Instead, the process produces magnesium(镁), which absorbs carbon dioxide, as the basis for their concrete. Additionally, researchers at Australia’s RMIT University have recently released a study showing that adding coffee grounds instead of sand to concrete could make it much stronger, reducing both the amount of sand used, as well as the amount of concrete that would need to be used in the final product. The biggest barrier at this point is convincing members of the industry that the new types of concrete are safe to be used, according to Stacy Smedley, director at a nonprofit focused on decarbonizing construction. Hopefully these new solutions to the environmental problems of concrete will soon be widely adopted. Given the significant part the construction industry has in releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, great improvements can be made when more environmentally-friendly materials are used. 28. What is the environmental issue associated with traditional concrete production? A. The high demand for energy. B. The processing of waste materials. C. The mass release of carbon dioxide. D. The use of non-renewable resources. 29. How does CarbonCure deal with the environmental impact of concrete production? A. By using silicate rock as the basis. B. By putting carbon dioxide into concrete. C. By replacing sand with coffee grounds. D. By absorbing carbon dioxide with magnesium. 30. According to Smedley, what is the major challenge facing these solutions? A. Difficulty in making profits. B. Convincing the public of the convenience. C. Lack of funding for research. D. Removing the industry members’ safety concerns. 31. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text? A. To promote an alternative to concrete. B. To advocate environmental protection. C. To introduce new ways to produce concrete. D. To emphasize the significance of creativity. 【答案】28. C 29. B 30. D 31. C 【语篇导读】本文是一篇说明文。本文介绍了建筑混凝土生产对环境的严重影响，以及一些公司和学者通过创新思维研究出新的建筑材料和生产方法，以减少混凝土生产过程中的二氧化碳排放，并推动建筑行业向更环保的方向转变。 28. 细节理解题。根据第一段中“In the process, not only is carbon dioxide(二氧化碳)released into the air by the energy used to heat the limestone, but the limestone itself also gives out a huge amount of the element.(在这个过程中，不仅二氧化碳被用于加热石灰石的能量释放到空气中，而且石灰石本身也释放出大量的元素)”可知，与传统混凝土生产相关的环境问题是二氧化碳释放到空气中，故选C。 29. 细节理解题。根据第三段中“A Canadian company called Carbon Cure, has found a way to inject concrete with carbon dioxide itself.(一家名为Carbon Cure的加拿大公司已经找到了一种向混凝土中注入二氧化碳的方法)”可知，通过将二氧化碳放入混凝土中，Carbon Cure解决了混凝土生产对环境的影响，故选B。 30. 细节理解题。根据倒数第二段中“The biggest barrier at this point is convincing members of the industry that the new types of concrete are safe to be used, according to Stacy Smedley, director at a nonprofit focused on decarbonizing construction.(一家专注于脱碳建筑的非营利组织的负责人Stacy Smedley表示，目前最大的障碍是让业内人士相信，新型混凝土是可以安全使用的)”可知，根据Smedley的说法，消除行业成员的安全担忧是这些解决方案面临的主要挑战，故选D。 31. 推理判断题。根据第三段中“A Canadian company called CarbonCure, has found a way to inject(注入)concrete with carbon dioxide itself. Not only does this trap the carbon dioxide into the concrete, keeping it from running away into the atmosphere, but it also creates a super strong material called calcium carbonate, which reduces the total amount of concrete that needs to be used.(一家名为CarbonCure的加拿大公司已经找到了一种向混凝土中注入二氧化碳的方法。这不仅可以将二氧化碳困在混凝土中，防止其逃逸到大气中，而且还可以产生一种叫做碳酸钙的超强材料，从而减少需要使用的混凝土总量)”以及最后一段中“Hopefully these new solutions to the environmental problems of concrete will soon be widely adopted.(希望这些解决混凝土环境问题的新方法能很快被广泛采用)”以及通读全文可知，本文介绍了建筑混凝土生产对环境的严重影响，以及一些公司和学者通过创新思维研究出新的建筑材料和生产方法，以减少混凝土生产过程中的二氧化碳排放，并推动建筑行业向更环保的方向转变。故文章的目的是介绍生产混凝土的新方法，故选C。 (重在考查推理判断+主旨大意+词义猜测) 01 (2023-2024学年高二下·南京市鼓楼区·期末统考) D The conventional language of career success moves in only one direction: up. If you really succeed, you reach the top. But there is another type of career path. Sideways moves without a promotion or a pay rise, can be a benefit to employees and organizations alike. A study carried out by Donald Sull of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his co-authors in 2021 found that the availability of lateral(横向的)career opportunities has a marked impact on keeping employees. When they decided whether to stay in the company or not, chances to move sideways were two and a half times more important than pay. Another paper, by Xin Jin of the University of South Florida and Michael Waldman of Cormell University, concluded that lateral moves did not just benefit organizations: employees who experienced them were more likely to be promoted and to enjoy higher wage growth later in their careers than employees who did not. You can move up by first moving sideways. The crab-like(螃蟹般的)career has other things going for it. One is that it is a good way to learn new things. As hiring processes increasingly emphasize skills, employers are likely to put comparatively less emphasis on CVs and comparatively more weight on what you know. Messrs Jin and Waldman reason that the upper ranks of companies tend to be people whose capabilities are broad, not deep; that may explain why lateral moves are good for promotion prospects. Along with skills come contacts. Transferring between teams usually means building a bigger internal network. Opening the door to more lateral moves is partly a practical matter. Some bigger employers have “internal talent marketplaces” in which employees can find and apply for jobs elsewhere in the company; smaller firms have fewer such opportunities to offer. Embracing sideways movement also requires the right attitude. Lots of managers like to keep talent to themselves, at the expense of workers and firms. And moving sideways still has less cachet(声望)than moving upwards. Most people find it not so easy to accept. 32. How does the author develop paragraph 2? A. By telling personal stories. B. By providing research findings. C. By comparing different career paths. D. By making remarks on scientific reports. 33. What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 3 mean? A. Lateral moves involve gaining new skills. B. Lateral moves are mainly for networking purposes. C. Transferring between teams leads to a larger network. D. Contacts are more important than skills in lateral moves. 34. What do many managers think of lateral career moves? A. They are a way to keep talent within the company. B. They are seen as a threat to the manager’s own positions. C. They could potentially lead to talent loss within the team. D. They could contribute to the company's growth in the long run. 35. Who may embrace lateral moves? A. Bosses who value short-term profits. B. Employees who are eager for more skills. C. Managers who appreciate long-term stability. D. Job hunters who are interested in smaller firms. 【答案】32. B 33. C 34. C 35. B 【语篇导读】这是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了职场中横向调动问题，说明了这一做法的影响和好处。 32. 推理判断题。根据第二段“A study carried out by Donald Sull of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his co-authors in 2021 found that the availability of lateral(横向的)career opportunities has a marked impact on keeping employees. When they decided whether to stay in the company or not, chances to move sideways were two and a half times more important than pay. Another paper, by Xin Jin of the University of South Florida and Michael Waldman of Cormell University, concluded that lateral moves did not just benefit organizations: employees who experienced them were more likely to be promoted and to enjoy higher wage growth later in their careers than employees who did not. You can move up by first moving sideways.(麻省理工学院的唐纳德·苏尔及其合著者在2021年进行的一项研究发现，横向职业机会的可用性对留住员工有显著影响。当他们决定是否留在公司时，跳槽的机会比薪水重要2.5倍。南佛罗里达大学的金欣和康奈尔大学的迈克尔•沃尔德曼的另一篇论文得出结论，横向调动不仅对组织有利：经历过横向调动的员工比没有经历过横向调动的员工更有可能获得晋升，并且在以后的职业生涯中享有更高的工资增长。你可以先横向移动来向上移动)”可推知，作者通过提供研究结果展开第二段，故选B。 33. 句意猜测题。根据划线句后文“Transferring between teams usually means building a bigger internal network.(团队之间的调动通常意味着建立一个更大的内部网络)”可知，团队之间的转移导致更大的网络。故划线句意思是“团队之间的转移导致更大的网络”，故选C。 34. 细节理解题。根据最后一段“Lots of managers like to keep talent to themselves, at the expense of workers and firms.(许多管理者喜欢把人才留给自己，而牺牲员工和公司的利益)”可知，许多经理是认为横向职业调动可能会导致团队内部的人才流失，故选C。 35. 细节理解题。根据第三段“One is that it is a good way to learn new things. As hiring processes increasingly emphasize skills, employers are likely to put comparatively less emphasis on CVs and comparatively more weight on what you know. Messrs Jin and Waldman reason that the upper ranks of companies tend to be people whose capabilities are broad, not deep; that may explain why lateral moves are good for promotion prospects. Along with skills come contacts.(一是它是学习新事物的好方法。随着招聘过程越来越强调技能，雇主可能会相对不那么重视简历，而更看重你的知识。金和沃尔德曼的理由是，公司的高层往往是那些能力广而不深的人；这或许可以解释为什么横向调动有利于晋升。除了技能之外，还有人际关系)”可知，渴望获得更多技能的员工会接受横向调动，故选B。 02 (2023-2024学年高二下·南京市江宁区·期末统考) D Are your keys not in the spot you thought you left them? Can’t recall the title of a book? I’ve had those moments. Such instances of “brain freeze” remind us that we should do everything in our power to keep our brains sharp. A new study finds Tai Chi can help slow cognitive(认知的)decline and protect against dementia(痴呆). The study included about 300 older adults, in their mid-70s on average, who had all reported that their memory was not as good as it used to be. As part of the study, all the participants took a 10-minute test called the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. A normal score is 26-30. A person who scores between 18 and 25 is considered to have mild impairment(损害), which means they don’t have dementia but they’re not as sharp as they used to be and may need to work harder to maintain everyday activities. Once their score drops under 18, people experience quite a bit of impairment from memory loss and cognitive decline. The average score of participants at the start of the study was 25. The study found that people who practiced a simplified form of Tai Chi twice a week for about six months improved their score by 1.5 points, meaning that they’re going to get three extra years before they hit that decline into dementia. Researchers also tested a stricter type of Tai Chi, called Cognitively Enhanced Tai Chi, where they provided extra challenges. For example, participants were asked to spell a word, backward and forward, as they moved through a series of Tai Chi moves. The people who practice this type of cognitively enhanced Tai Chi improved their scores by about 3 points, meaning they are given six extra years of cognitive function. The theory on why Tai Chi is effective is that it combines the memorization of the movements, known as forms, almost like composing dancing moves. 32. Why are two questions raised in the first paragraph? A. To present the author’s doubts. B. To expect answers from readers. C. To analyze the causes of forgetfulness. D. To introduce the main topic of the text. 33. What is the third paragraph mainly about? A. Cognitive assessment methods. B. The process of running the test. C. Cognitive measurement criteria. D. The test results of the participants. 34. What do we know about the “Cognitively Enhanced Tai Chi” ? A. It was more helpful. B. It was much easier. C. It took more time. D. It included less moves. 35. Why does Tai Chi have a positive impact? A. It helps deal with challenges. B. It involves mind-body movements. C. It puts off cognitive decline by three years. D. It improves the participants’ academic level. 【答案】32. D 33. C 34. A 35. B 【语篇导读】这是一篇说明文。文章讲述练太极拳有助于减缓认知衰退和预防痴呆。 32. 推理判断题。根据第一段“Such instances of “brain freeze” remind us that we should do everything in our power to keep our brains sharp.(这些“大脑冻结”的例子提醒我们，我们应该尽我们所能保持我们的大脑敏锐)”和第二段的“A new study finds Tai Chi can help slow cognitive(认知的)decline and protect against dementia(痴呆).(一项新研究发现太极拳有助于减缓认知衰退和预防痴呆)”可推知，文章开头的两个问题是为了引出“练太极拳有助于减缓认知衰退和预防痴呆”这个主题，故选D项。 33. 主旨大意题。根据第三段“As part of the study, all the participants took a 10-minute test called the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. A normal score is 26-30. A person who scores between 18 and 25 is considered to have mild impairment(损害), which means they don’t have dementia but they’re not as sharp as they used to be and may need to work harder to maintain everyday activities. Once their score drops under 18, people experience quite a bit of impairment from memory loss and cognitive decline.(作为研究的一部分，所有参与者都参加了一个名为蒙特利尔认知评估的10分钟测试。正常的分数是26-30。得分在18到25分之间的人被认为有轻度损伤，这意味着他们没有痴呆症，但他们不像以前那么敏锐，可能需要更加努力地来维持日常活动，一旦他们的得分降至18分以下，人们经历相当多的记忆丧失和认知能力下降的损害)”可知，本段主要内容是认知测量标准，故选C项。 34. 细节理解题。根据倒数第二段“The people who practice this type of cognitively enhanced Tai Chi improved their scores by about 3 points, meaning they are given six extra years of cognitive function.(练习这种增强认知能力的太极拳的人得分提高了约3分，这意味着他们的认知功能多了6年)”可知，“认知增强太极拳”更有帮助，故选A项。 35. 推理判断题。根据最后一段“The theory on why Tai Chi is effective is that it combines the memorization of the movements, known as forms, almost like composing dancing moves.(为什么太极拳有效的理论是，它结合了动作的记忆，几乎像编排舞蹈动作)”可知，太极之所以起到积极作用是因为它涉及身心运动，故选B项。 03 (2023-2024学年高二下·南京市·盐城市六校联合体·期末联考) D A colleague recently sent me an article, Cutting back on waste is possible — if you can afford it, to read. It argued that reducing waste-food related, in particular — is an expensive effort and a near impossibility for anyone working low-wage jobs with little extra time. The conclusion ? Zero waste is something only suitable for people who can afford, not for those who are struggling to get by. However, I take issue with the idea that zero waste must be all or nothing. I think this is an unfortunate mentality that prevents valuable progress toward reducing one’s food-related waste. When we get too hung up on the idea of so-called zero waste and of being like the zero waste superstar Bea Johnson who can fit years of trash in a single jar, we start missing the broader point. The goal, after all, is to make smarter shopping decisions and establish practices that are sustainable(可持续的)for us, with our own unique resources and living situations. I live in a small rural town with no fancy zero-waste stores. My husband and I both work full-time. I am uninterested in spending my free time doing DIY projects and driving from store to store in search of perfect packaging. Instead, I just do the best I can. When I first read about Bea Johnson’s multi-stop grocery shopping routine, I tried to copy it. That lasted a few weeks before I gave up. Unlike her, I still had babies to look after, and I did not live in San Francisco where stores are closer together than in rural Ontario, Instead, I’ve resigned myself to the supermarket being the main supply of food and trying to work with it. Now, when I enter the supermarket on a once-weekly basis, I view all packaging through a critical eye. I make constant comparisons between how one brand packages its food to another. That is the main factor in deciding what to buy, though I also consider the unit price, the origin and the ingredients. 32. What is the idea of the article recommended by the author’s colleague? A. Most people can afford zero waste. B. Food-related waste is unavoidable. C. Cutting down on waste costs much. D. The poor care little about food waste. 33. How does the author understand the concept of zero waste? A. It is related to recycling our resources. B. It prevents people from reducing waste. C. It means fitting your trash in a single jar. D. It encourages reasonable green practices. 34. Why did the author fail to follow Bea Johnson? A. Her living situations differed from hers. B. She hardly knew about food packaging. C. She didn’t receive her husband’s support. D. Her love for shopping was deeply rooted. 35. What’s the best title of the text? A. Live in a Small Town for a Zero-waste Life B. Forget Zero Waste and Be Better Shoppers C. Take Advantage of Local Zero-waste Shops D. Stop Wasting and Build a Greener Society 【答案】32. C 33. D 34. A 35. B 【语篇导读】本文是一篇议论文。作者的同事向她推荐一篇文章，文章阐述的大致观点是“零垃圾”是需要付出高额代价的。而作者认为我们应该忘记“零垃圾”这个概念，只要量力而行地践行绿色消费理念就可以避免一定的浪费。 32. 推理判断题。根据第一段“It argued that reducing waste—food-related，in particular—is an expensive effort and a near impossibility for anyone working low-wage jobs with little extra time.”(尤其是减少与食品相关的浪费是一项昂贵的工作，对于任何一个在几乎没有额外时间的情况下从事低薪工作的人来说，这几乎是不可能的)及“Zero waste is something only suitable for people who can afford, not for those who are struggling to make a living.”(零浪费只适用于有能力负担的人，而不适用于那些努力谋生的人)可知，作者的同事推荐的那本书里提到的观点是减少废物的代价很大，故选C项。 33. 推理判断题。根据第二段“The goal, after all, is to make smarter shopping decisions and establish practices that are sustainable(可持续的)for us, with our own unique resources and living situations.(毕竟，我们的目标是根据自己独特的资源和生活环境，做出更明智的购物决定，并建立起对我们来说是可持续的做法)”可推断，在作者看来，“零垃圾”概念鼓励合理的绿色行为，故选D项。 34. 推理判断题。根据第四段“That lasted a few weeks before I gave up. Unlike her, I still had babies to look after, and I did not live in San Francisco where stores are closer together than in rural Ontario.(在我放弃之前，这持续了几个星期。不像她，我还有孩子照看，我也没有住在旧金山，那里的商店比安大略省的乡下更近)”可知，作者没能成功效仿Bea Johnson的“零垃圾”生活方式是因为作者的生活状况和Bea Johnson的生活状况不同，故选A项。 35. 主旨大意题。通读全文可知，本文主要阐述作者对“零垃圾”这个概念的理解，作者认为我们不应该被“零垃圾”这个概念捆绑，而应该根据自己的实际情况践行绿色消费理念，从而减少废物产生。因此，Forget Zero Waste and Be Better Shoppers(忘记零浪费，做更好的购物者)最适合作文章标题，故选B项。 04 (2023-2024学年高二下·苏州市·期末统考) D Mobile phones are set to be prohibited in schools across England as part of the government’s plan to minimize disturbance and improve behavior in classrooms. New mobile phones in schools guidance issued today backs headteachers in prohibiting the use of mobile phones throughout the school day, including at break times. Many schools around the country are already prohibiting mobile phone use with great results. This guidance will ensure there is a uniform approach across all schools. By the age of 12, 97% of children have their own mobile phone, according to Ofcom. Too much time spent on mobile phones in schools can lead to online bullying, distraction and classroom disturbance which, in turn, can lead to lost learning time. Last year, UNESCO called for smartphones to be banned from schools as evidence showed it was linked to reduced educational performance and that too much screen time had a negative impact on children’s well-being. Schools will be supported to prohibit mobile phone use with different approaches including banning phones from the school, handing in phones on arrival at school, and keeping phones securely locked away at school. The guidance will respond to concerns from parents about mobile phones, with the latest data from Parent Kind’s National Parent Survey, revealing that 44% of parents are concerned about the amount of time their children spend on electronic devices, rising to 50% of parents of secondary school children. “We are making long-term decisions to ensure all pupils have world class education. This guidance builds on that work which has delivered 89% of schools rated good or outstanding by Ofsted, up from just 68% in 2010. Our plan is working with school standards rising across the board. England has leveled up the international rankings for academic attainment through our multimillion-pound Maths and English program. We are now one of the top performing countries in the Western world for Maths and reading. The government will continue to build on this progress by delivering crucial reforms including by creating the Advanced British Standard.” Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said. 32. What does the underline word “uniform” in paragraph 2 probably mean? A. Consistent. B. Critical. C. Contradictory. D. Conventional. 33. Which of the following approach is NOT backed by the new guidance? A. Introducing phone lockers in the school. B. Disabling the Internet access in the school. C. Requiring students to hand in phones on campus. D. Restricting students from taking phones to school. 34. Which adjective can best describe the new guidance? A. Well-grounded. B. Cost-effective. C. Energy-consuming. D. Ground-breaking. 35. What is mainly talked about in the text? A. Mobile phones use meets with opposition in British schools. B. A new guidance of mobile phones in schools has come into effect. C. British education has made great achievements in the past few years. D. The British government rises to the challenges posed by parents actively. 【答案】32. A 33. B 34. A 35. B 【语篇导读】本文是一篇新闻报道(重在说明)，主要介绍的是英国各地的许多学校已经禁止使用手机，并取得了很大的成效。 32. 词义猜测题。根据划线单词前的“Many schools around the country are already prohibiting mobile phone use with great results.(全国各地的许多学校已经禁止使用手机，并取得了很大的成效)”可知，全国各地的许多学校已经禁止使用手机，且取得很大成效，结合划线单词中的“This guidance will ensure”和“approach across all schools”可知，此处表示该指导方针确保所有学校使用“统一的”方法，所以划线单词的意思与A项Consistent.“统一的”意义相近，故选A项。 33. 细节理解题。根据第五段中的“Schools will be supported to prohibit mobile phone use with different approaches including banning phones from the school, handing in phones on arrival at school, and keeping phones securely locked away at school.(学校将通过禁止手机进入学校、在到达学校时上交手机、将手机安全地锁在学校等不同的方法来禁止使用手机)”可知，新指导要求学生禁止带手机进学校、到校上交手机以及将手机安全地锁在学校，并未提到禁止在学校上网，故选B项。 34. 推理判断题。根据尾段中的“We are making long-term decisions to ensure all pupils have world class education. This guidance builds on that work which has delivered 89% of schools rated good or outstanding by Ofsted, up from just 68% in 2010.(我们正在做出长期决定，以确保所有学生都能接受世界一流的教育。这项指导是建立在这项工作的基础上的，这项工作使被教育标准局评为优秀的学校从2010年的68%上升到89%)”可知，这项指导是建立在这项工作的基础上的，这项工作使被教育标准局评为优秀的学校从2010年的68%上升到89%，由此可知，这项新指导是有充分理由的，故选A项。 35. 主旨大意题。根据首段中的“Mobile phones are set to be prohibited in schools across England as part of the government’s plan to minimize disturbance and improve behavior in classrooms. New mobile phones in schools guidance issued today backs headteachers in prohibiting the use of mobile phones throughout the school day, including at break times.(作为英国政府减少干扰和改善课堂行为计划的一部分，英国各地的学校将禁止使用手机。今天发布的学校新手机指导意见支持校长禁止在学校全天使用手机，包括在休息时间)”以及下文介绍的制定该项指导的原因以及取得的成效可知，本文主要介绍的是一项关于在学校使用手机的新规定已经生效，故选B项。 05 (2023-2024学年高二下·无锡市·期末统考) D If you happen to be in Hollywood and see a car go by with no driver at the wheel, don’t be alarmed. After more than a year of testing, around 50 driverless robotaxis are debuting(首次亮相)to the public across Los Angeles on Thursday. The autonomous vehicles are run by Waymo, which is owned by Google’s parent company Alphabet. Waymo started giving driverless rides to passengers in San Francisco last year and also operates them in Phoenix. In the coming weeks, Waymo will change to a paid service. The Southern California debut comes as controversy and mistakes have troubled self-driving cars in San Francisco. Both Waymo and its competitor Cruise, which is owned by GM, have been blamed for running red lights, blocking public buses and getting in the way of emergency responders. Cruise was involved in an incident that left a pedestrian(行人)severely injured in October — causing the company to stop operations and lose its operating permit in the state. It hasn’t necessarily been a smooth ride for Waymo in Los Angeles. In the run-up to its debut in the city, there have been complaints by Los Angeles’s mayor Karen Bass and protests by local residents. “Autonomous vehicles like the ones that Waymo wants to launch in our communities, have been causing chaos wherever they go.” Yvonne Wheeler, president of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor said. “It’s clear that this technology is not ready to be introduced into our roads and our cities.” However, both Cruise and Waymo say their vehicles are safer than human drivers and that they’ve had relatively few incidents. “Once an unimaginable future, autonomous driving is now a real-world way of getting around for tens of thousands of people each week,” said Tekedra Mawakana, co-CEO of Waymo. He also mentioned that Waymo is already setting its sights on its next robotaxi debut. It says it plans to start offering rides in Austin, Texas, later this year. 32. What is the function of paragraph 1? A. To introduce a topic. B. To explain a phenomenon. C. To share an experience. D. To state an opinion. 33. What does the underlined word “controversy” in paragraph 3 mean? A. Praise. B. Alternative. C. Priority. D. Argument. 34. What’s Yvonne Wheeler’s attitude towards autonomous vehicles run by Waymo? A. Negative. B. Favorable. C. Unconcerned. D. Uncertain. 35. What is the best title of this text? A. Waymo’s robotaxi service set to expand into Los Angeles B. Cruise and Waymo made the Hollywood imagination come true C. Waymo’s robotaxi service removed public concern across Los Angeles D. Cruise and Waymo ensured the safety of robotaxi despite controversy 【答案】32. A 33. D 34. A 35. A 【语篇导读】本文是一篇新闻报道(重在说明)。主要报道了关于Waymo无人驾驶出租车服务在洛杉矶首次亮相及其未来扩展计划的最新消息。 32. 推理判断题。根据第一段“If you happen to be in Hollywood and see a car go by with no driver at the wheel, don’t be alarmed. After more than a year of testing, around 50 driverless robotaxis are debuting(首次亮相)to the public across Los Angeles on Thursday.(如果你碰巧在好莱坞看到一辆没有司机的车开过，不要惊慌。经过一年多的测试，大约50辆无人驾驶机器人出租车将于周四在洛杉矶向公众首次亮相)”可知，本段的功能是引出主题，介绍无人驾驶汽车的首次亮相，故选A项。 33. 词义猜测题。根据后文“Both Waymo and its competitor Cruise, which is owned by GM, have been blamed for running red lights, blocking public buses and getting in the way of emergency responders.(Waymo和它的竞争对手、通用汽车旗下的Cruise都因闯红灯、阻塞公交车和妨碍紧急救援人员而受到指责)”可知，无人驾驶出租车引起了各种问题，所以造成了争议和错误，推知controversy意为“争议”，和D项意思相近，故选D项。 34. 推理判断题。根据倒数第二段“‘Autonomous vehicles like the ones that Waymo wants to launch in our communities, have been causing chaos wherever they go.’Yvonne Wheeler, president of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor said. “It’s clear that this technology is not ready to be introduced into our roads and our cities.”(“像Waymo想要在我们社区推出的自动驾驶汽车，无论走到哪里，都会造成混乱。”洛杉矶县劳工联合会主席伊冯·惠勒说。“很明显，这项技术还没有准备好应用到我们的道路和城市中。”)”可知，Yvonne Wheeler表示这项技术还没有准备好应用到我们的道路和城市中，所以是消极的态度，故选A项。 35. 主旨大意题。根据第一段“If you happen to be in Hollywood and see a car go by with no driver at the wheel, don’t be alarmed. After more than a year of testing, around 50 driverless robotaxis are debuting(首次亮相)to the public across Los Angeles on Thursday.(如果你碰巧在好莱坞看到一辆没有司机的车开过，不要惊慌。经过一年多的测试，大约50辆无人驾驶机器人出租车将于周四在洛杉矶向公众首次亮相)”以及纵观全文可知，本文主要介绍了关于Waymo无人驾驶出租车服务在洛杉矶首次亮相，所以A项“Waymo’s robotaxi service set to expand into Los Angeles(Waymo的自动驾驶出租车服务将扩展到洛杉矶)”是本文最好的标题，故选A项。 06 (2023-2024学年高二下·常州市·期末统考) C I recently ran into a woman I knew from work years ago. She had performed random acts of kindness but sometimes sounded too shallow. Now here she was again. “Hi, ”she said, smiling. “How are you? ”Like a fool, I rushed to tell her everything I had been doing. The woman interrupted me. “That’s great. I’m so happy to hear you’ve finally sorted your life out.” And off she went, leaving me speechless. I tossed and turned that night, thinking about what she had meant. She didn’t know anything about my life, so why had she said that? I finally recognised psychologist Adam Grant’s idea about frenemies — those “supposed friends who sometimes help you and sometimes hurt you.” Not for nothing did Grant write: “The most toxic relationships aren’t the purely negative ones. They’re the ones that are a mix of positive and negative.” Avoiding these connections whenever possible is probably a good idea, but how do we distinguish frenemies from other friends? Human behaviorist Vanessa Van Edwards has identified three different types of frenemy. The first is the easiest to detect — the jealous(嫉妒的)frenemy. “On the surface, they want you to succeed but they will gossip about you behind your back and are jealous of your accomplishments and successes,” Vanessa says. The second type of frenemy is what she calls the undermining(暗中破坏的)frenemy. You think they’re on your side and then they start making indirect, unkind comments in front of the boss. The undermining frenemy operates outside the office, too. For example, you tell a friend that you want to lose weight. Are they going to cheer you on or invite you to a bad brunch and bring you a cupcake? The third type is the hardest to detect, labelled by Van Edwards as the unsure frenemy. She believes that this type of connection has become increasingly common thanks to social media. “Particularly when you have a lot of interactions online with wider social groups, it can be really difficult to know where a person fits in your life. We like each other’s posts online with each other. But I’m not sure I like you,” Van Ed-wards explains. 32. Why did the author rush to tell the woman everything? A. They are close friends. B. She needed the woman’s help. C. The woman was good at comforting friends. D. She misjudged the woman’s behavior and purpose 33. What does the underlined word “toxic” in the 30 paragraph most probably mean? A. Privileged. B. Poisonous. C. Superior. D. Innocent 34. What type is it if a friend keeps inviting and paying for you to play computer games when he knows you want to start studying hard? A. The purely negative type. B. The jealous type C. The undermining type. D. The unsure type 35. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text? A. How to Justify Frenemies B. Why So Many Frenemies? C. Be Careful of Frenemies! D. The Meaning of Frenemy 【答案】32. D 33. B 34. C 35. C 【语篇导读】本文是一篇说明文。文章通过个人经历引出主题，即识别和处理“假朋友”的关系，并引用了心理学家和人类行为学家的专业观点来分类和解释不同类型的“假朋友”。 32. 推理判断题。由文章第一段“I recently ran into a woman I knew from work years ago. She had performed random acts of kindness but sometimes sounded too shallow. Now here she was again. “Hi, ”she said, smiling. “How are you? ”Like a fool, I rushed to tell her everything I had been doing.(最近我遇到了一个多年前工作时认识的女人。她偶尔会做一些善举，但有时听起来太肤浅。现在她又来了。“嗨，”她微笑着说。“你好吗？”我像个傻瓜一样，冲过去告诉她我所做的一切)”和第二段“The woman interrupted me. “That’s great. I’m so happy to hear you’ve finally sorted your life out. ”And off she went, leaving me speechless. I tossed and turned that night, thinking about what she had meant. She didn’t know anything about my life, so why had she said that?(那个女人打断了我的话。“太好了。我很高兴听到你终于把你的生活安排好了。”她走了，留下我一个人说不出话来。那天晚上我辗转反侧，思考着她的意思。她对我的生活一无所知，为什么要那么说呢？)”可知，作者一时冲动，误以为这位女士真的对自己目前的生活感兴趣，所以急于分享自己的近况，作者错误地判断了那位女士的行为和目的，故选D。 33. 词义猜测题。由第三段中的“I finally recognised psychologist Adam Grant’s idea about frenemies — those “supposed friends who sometimes help you and sometimes hurt you.”(我终于认同了心理学家亚当·格兰特关于亦敌亦友的观点——那些“有时帮助你，有时伤害你的假想朋友”)”和“relationships aren’t the purely negative ones. They’re the ones that are a mix of positive and negative.(并不是那些纯粹消极的关系。他们是积极和消极的混合体)”可知，“假朋友”对你时好时坏，这种关系是有害的，最有害的关系并不是那些纯粹消极的关系。toxic在此处最有可能的意思是“有害的，不友善的”。A. Privileged享有特权的；B. Poisonous有毒的，极端讨厌(或不友善)的；C. Superior优越的；D. Innocent无辜的，故选B。 34. 推理判断题。根据倒数第二段中“The second type of frenemy is what she calls the undermining(暗中破坏的)frenemy. You think they’re on your side and then they start making indirect, unkind comments in front of the boss. The undermining frenemy operates outside the office, too. For example, you tell a friend that you want to lose weight. Are they going to cheer you on or invite you to a bad brunch and bring you a cupcake?(第二种类型的友敌是她所说的暗中破坏的假朋友。你以为他们站在你这边，然后他们开始在老板面前间接地说一些不友好的话。这种暗中破坏的亦敌亦友的行为也在办公室之外发生。例如，你告诉一个朋友你想减肥。他们是会为你加油，还是会邀请你去吃一顿糟糕的早午餐，然后给你带个小蛋糕？)”可知，这种人表面上支持你，实际上却做出不利于你的行为。因此，如果一个朋友在知道你想开始努力学习时，还不断邀请并为你支付玩电脑游戏的费用，这属于暗中破坏的类型，故选C。 35. 主旨大意题。通读全文，尤其是由文章第三段中“I finally recognised psychologist Adam Grant’s idea about frenemies—those “supposed friends who sometimes help you and sometimes hurt you.” Not for nothing did Grant write: “The most toxic relationships aren’t the purely negative ones. They’re the ones that are a mix of positive and negative.”(我终于认同了心理学家亚当·格兰特关于亦敌亦友的观点——那些“有时帮助你，有时伤害你的假想朋友”。格兰特写道：“最有害的关系并不是那些纯粹消极的关系。他们是积极和消极的混合体。”)”可知，整篇文章通过作者的个人经历引入了frenemy“假朋友”的概念，并引用心理学家和人类行为学家的观点分析了三种不同类型的frenemy，提醒读者警惕这类友敌关系。因此，最适合的标题是“Be Careful of Frenemies!(小心假朋友！)”，故选C。 07 (2023-2024学年高二下·镇江市八校·期末联考) D(原卷为C篇) Fast food chains have tried for years to appeal to customers who care about their health. They have added lighter food to their menus, such as salads and yogurt. Of course, the lighter food goes with the usual burgers, fried chicken and shakes. Menus have changed over the past three decades. According to a recent study, fast food menus are less healthy than they were 30 years ago. The study suggests the problem is getting worse. The fat, salt content and size of fast food meals are the problem. They are often the reason for the rising obesity(肥胖)rate among adults in the United States. The researchers found that the average main dish weighed more in 2016 than in 1986. It also had more calories and more sodium(钠). One expert said, “The restaurants have not done enough. The big picture is that there have been some positive changes, but they are small. Overall, the changes have gotten worse.” The average fast food dessert had more calories in 2016. It also weighed more than the average fast food dessert thirty years earlier. Restaurants are counting on bigger sundaes and cookies to increase the amount spent on each order. For example, McDonald’s recently introduced “donut sticks” dusted with sugar. Six sticks have 280 calories. But you can also order 12 sticks for less than the cost of two single orders. The researchers found that, over the 30 years, there were more calories in items like chips, soup, and French fries. Sodium content rose even though portion(一份)size did not grow much. When consumed together as a single meal, the study found that the average main dish and side order account for nearly 40 percent of a 2000-calory daily diet. 32. Why do fast food chains provide lighter food? A. To match the fast food. B. To reduce the cost of each meal. C. To attract more customers. D. To improve the health of customers. 33. Why are more American adults getting fat? A. They have little time to exercise regularly. B. They take in more calories from fast food. C. They eat much more dessert after every meal. D. They eat fast food more frequently than before. 34. What is the example of “donut sticks” for in paragraph 3? A. Showing the way of restaurants’ making cookies. B. Presenting the popularity of restaurants’ new food. C. Stressing the increase in restaurants’ food varieties. D. Explaining the intention of restaurants’ adding dessert. 35. Which one could be the best title of the text? A. Fast Food Is Still Killing Us B. Don’t Eat Any Fast Food Now C. Try to Eat More Lighter Food D. People Are Becoming Fatter and Fatter 【答案】32. C 33. B 34. D 35. A 【语篇导读】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要探讨了快餐连锁店在努力吸引关注健康的客户方面的做法和效果。它详细描述了快餐菜单在过去三十年的变化，并通过研究数据说明了快餐食品在健康方面的趋势是越来越不健康的。 32. 细节理解题。根据文章第一段“Fast food chains have tried for years to appeal to customers who care about their health. They have added lighter food to their menus, such as salads and yogurt.(快餐连锁店多年来一直试图吸引那些关心自己健康的顾客。他们在菜单上增加了清淡的食物，比如沙拉和酸奶)” 可知，快餐连锁店多年来一直在努力吸引关注健康的客户，因此他们在菜单上增加了更健康的食物，如沙拉和酸奶。这表明他们提供轻食是为了吸引更多的客户，尤其是那些关心健康的客户，故选C。 33. 细节理解题。根据文章第二段“The fat, salt content and size of fast food meals are the problem. They are often the reason for the rising obesity(肥胖)rate among adults in the United States.(快餐的脂肪、盐含量和份量都是问题所在。它们通常是美国成年人肥胖率上升的原因)”可知，快餐食品中的脂肪、盐分和份量是导致美国成年人肥胖率上升的原因。这意味着他们通过快餐摄入了更多的卡路里，故选B。 34. 推理判断题。根据文章第三段“Restaurants are counting on bigger sundaes and cookies to increase the amount spent on each order. For example, McDonald’s recently introduced “donut sticks” dusted with sugar. Six sticks have 280 calories. But you can also order 12 sticks for less than the cost of two single orders.(餐馆正指望更大的圣代和饼干来增加每笔订单的花费。例如，麦当劳最近推出了撒上糖的“donut sticks”。6根巧克力棒含有280卡路里。但你也可以以低于两单订单的价格订购12支)”可知，快餐店通过提供更大份的冰淇淋圣代和饼干来增加每笔订单的金额。麦当劳最近推出的“donut sticks”就是一个例子，用来解释快餐店通过增加甜点的份量和种类来吸引顾客并增加销售额的意图，故选D。 35. 主旨大意题。根据文章第二段“Menus have changed over the past three decades. According to a recent study, fast food menus are less healthy than they were 30 years ago. The study suggests the problem is getting worse.(在过去的三十年里，菜单发生了变化。根据最近的一项研究，快餐菜单不如30年前健康。研究表明，这个问题正在变得越来越严重)”以及全文内容可知，本文主要讨论了快餐连锁店为了吸引关注健康的客户而在菜单上增加更健康的轻食选项，但整体而言，快餐食品在健康方面仍然存在很多问题，如脂肪、盐分和份量的增加，这导致了美国成年人肥胖率的上升。因此，最能够概括文章主旨的标题应该是强调快餐食品对健康的不良影响。选项A“Fast Food Is Still Killing Us(快餐仍然在杀死我们)”既突出了快餐的问题，也吸引了读者的注意力，符合文章的主旨，故选A。 08 (2023-2024学年高二下·南通市·期末统考) D(原卷为C篇) Children as young as two years old went out of their way to help dogs get toys and tasty treats that were placed beyond their reach, despite never having met the animals before, scientists found. The work suggests that toddlers could not only understand the dogs’ desires, but were willing and able to help them out, even though the chances of the dogs returning the favour were small. The researchers recruited 97 toddlers aged between 20 and 47 months and watched them interact with three child-friendly dogs at the University of Michigan’s child lab. In the experiments, researchers dropped toys or snacks just beyond the dog’s reach, on the toddler’s side of a fence that separated the two. Writing in the journal Human-Animal Interactions, the scientists describe how toddlers were twice as likely to hand over unreachable toys and treats when dogs displayed curiosity towards them. The children helped in half of all instances when dogs wanted the objects, but only in a quarter of cases when the animals showed no interest. “It’s been known for a long time that toddlers will go out of their way to help struggling humans, even strangers,” said Prof Henry Wellman, a senior author on the study at the University of Michigan. But it was unclear whether humans developed such altruism(利他主义)only towards other people, who might help back, and not other species. The study shows “it applies to other animals too”, Wellman said, “like dogs they will never see again”. Friendly behaviour towards other species, even in children who are still learning to walk and talk, may have helped humans thrive(兴旺)around the world, the researchers say. Apparently altruistic acts, such as leaving food out for animals, could have underpinned practices that led to the domestication of species from dogs and cats to cows, pigs, sheep and horses. “Animal domestication was really advantageous to human survival. It really enabled us to live and thrive, there’s a huge benefit,” said Wellman. “Why we came to domesticate animals is a big mystery(谜), and this is one piece of evidence that might help us to understand that mystery.” Future studies are needed to examine other psychological components of instrumental helping, including what emotions underlie a child’s motivation to help dogs, how culture shapes these motivations, and how these processes change as a child grows older. 32. What did the research finding mainly reveal about children? A. Their playing games with dogs. B. Their helping behaviour towards dogs. C. Their sharing favourite treats with dogs. D. Their effective communication with dogs. 33. Children are more likely to provide dogs with out-of-reach items when ________. A. dogs ignored them B. their favour would be returned C. dogs showed an interest in them D. the items were on the toddler’s side 34. What does the underlined word “underpinned” in paragraph 6 mean? A. Delayed. B. Strengthened. C. Assessed. D. Corrected. 35. What is the last paragraph of the text mainly about? A. The significance of the research. B. The application of the research. C. Expectations for further research. D. New perspectives of scientists. 【答案】32. B 33. C 34. B 35. C 【语篇导读】本文是说明文。描述了一项关于儿童对狗帮助行为的研究，包括研究目的、方法、结果和结论，以及对未来研究的展望。 32. 推理判断题。根据第一段“Children as young as two years old went out of their way to help dogs get toys and tasty treats that were placed beyond their reach, despite never having met the animals before, scientists found.(科学家们发现，尽管以前从未见过狗狗，但年仅两岁的孩子们还是会不遗余力地帮助它们拿到放在它们够不着的玩具和美味的食物)”可知，研究结果主要揭示了关于儿童对狗的帮助行为，故选B项。 33. 细节理解题。根据第四段“Writing in the journal Human-Animal Interactions, the scientists describe how toddlers were twice as likely to hand over unreachable toys and treats when dogs displayed curiosity towards them. The children helped in half of all instances when dogs wanted the objects, but only in a quarter of cases when the animals showed no interest.(科学家们在《人类与动物的互动》杂志上写道，当狗对幼儿表现出好奇心时，幼儿交出遥不可及的玩具和零食的可能性是平时的两倍。当狗狗想要这些东西时，孩子们在一半的情况下会帮忙，但当狗狗没有兴趣时，孩子们只在四分之一的情况下帮忙)”可知，当狗对孩子们表现出兴趣时，孩子们更有可能给狗提供它们够不着的东西，故选C项。 34. 词义猜测题。根据划线所在句子“Apparently altruistic acts, such as leaving food out for animals, could have underpinned practices that led to the domestication of species from dogs and cats to cows, pigs, sheep and horses.(明显的利他行为，比如为动物留下食物，可能已经underpinned了导致物种驯化的做法，从狗和猫到牛、猪、羊和马)”推知，此处应是“加强了导致物种驯化的做法”符合语境，所以underpinned应是“加强”之意，和B项意思相近，故选B项$$ 专题02 阅读理解(说明文&议论文)(江苏专用) (重在考查推理判断+细节理解) 01 (2023-2024学年高二下·南京市鼓楼区·期末统考) C Have you ever forgotten a lunch date and stood up a good friend? This can be embarrassing and might indicate that your memory isn’t as sharp as before. How can we improve our memory? According to Charan Ranganath’s book, Why We Remember, there are many strategies. Taking good care of our physical bodies will improve our brain health generally, and so improve memory, says Ranganath. But we can also use the nature of memory to make certain memories stand out. Events are more memorable when they are novel. So, if we want to draw on a memory later, we can focus more on unexpected things in an experience. For example, going to a new restaurant with your partner will make the experience more memorable than going to one where you often dine. When it comes to learning, we can use special tricks. For example, we can use the phrase “King Philip came over for good spaghetti(意大利面)” to remember biological classification: kingdom(界), phylum(门), class(纲), order(目), family(科), genus(属), species(种). However, memory is not just about recalling. It is subjective and can change over time because our brains reconstruct memories each time we recall them. “Each time we revisit the past in our minds, we bring present information that can invisibly, and even dramatically change our memories,” says Ranganath. Factors like how recently something happened, how much something is repeated, and how we are feeling at the time will change how well we recall a memory. Also, the people around us can affect our memory for an event, by either sharing their own memory or by their expectations of how an event should be remembered. That’s why two people witnessing a street fight may see different things occurring, but eventually come to have similar memories about what happened. Their memories influence each other, more so if they talk it through after the fact. While we can use our memory to remember important lessons from life, we must also be humble. By understanding the way memory works, we can learn to strengthen it for the things we need to know and to avoid some of the pitfalls. 28. Which of the following actions can enhance the memorability of an event? A. Repeating a familiar routine. B. Experiencing something new. C. Engaging in physical activities. D. Focusing on everyday occurrences. 29. Why does the author mention “King Pilip came over for good spaghetti”? A. To highlight the unreliability of our memory. B. To illustrate how easily memories are forgotten. C. To demonstrate a memory aid technique for recalling. D. To help readers remember the order of biological classification. 30. What can we learn about the process of recalling memories from paragraph 6? A. Memories change our feelings when recalled. B. Memories remain permanently fixed over time. C. Memories become more detailed with recalling. D. Memories may change after the event is discussed. 31. What might be the best title for the passage? A. Why do we forget important dates? B. How do we reconstruct memory over time? C. How can we improve and understand our memory? D. Why do we remember certain events more than others? 02 (2023-2024学年高二下·南京市江宁区·期末统考) C(原卷为B篇) Areas around the latitude(纬度)of 42 degrees north on earth are mostly known for their cool and pleasant climate. But there is one exception, which is famous for its incredible heat. This is the “Flaming Mountain” in China’s northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Of course, it is not really “burning”. The mountain is barren and red, with a blackish tint(色调). In summer, ground temperatures can be as high as 70-degrees Celsius. People are tricked by their senses into seeing “flames”. The terrain(地形)is the main reason for the heat of the Flaming Mountain. It is located at the low point of the Turpan Basin which is also the lowest point of the Chinese mainland. The height difference between it and the surrounding mountains is more than 5000 meters, so the hot air in the basin cannot easily go away in different directions. As a result, the Flaming Mountain becomes the hottest place on its latitude. If one goes north from the county seat of Turpan, following what is known as the Road of Grapes for some 20 km, one reaches a deep valley at the foot of the Flaming Mountain. There is no grass on the Flaming Mountain, but this canyon nearby is shaded by grapes. The deep valley is only 8 kilometers long from north to south, but its annual output of grapes can reach more than 10 million kg. Almost every family here grows grapes. After harvest, they are sent to shade houses for drying. The shade houses are built on the slopes of barren mountains, high up and with no shelter, so as to make full use of the hot dry winds in the Turpan Basin. There are many holes in the walls of the shade houses which not only help with ventilation(通风), but also help avoid direct sunlight on grapes. It takes just 40 days for the fresh grapes to be dried by the hot air. 28. The underlined word “barren” in Paragraph 2 most probably means ________. A. high and steep B. bare and poor C. grassy and flourishing D. burning and flaming 29. Why is Flaming Mountain the hottest place on its latitude? A. Because it is in flames. B. Because there is no grass on it. C. Because of its special latitude. D. Because of its special terrain. 30. What do we know about the shade houses? A. Almost every family has a shade house. B. They can house more than 10 million kg grapes. C. They are specially built to dry the fresh grapes. D. The holes in their walls allow wind and sunlight in. 31. The passage is most likely taken from _______. A. a science report B. a tourist brochure C. a public advertisement D. a geographical documentary 03 (2023-2024学年高二下·南京市·盐城市六校联合体·期末联考) C Looking up at the sky during early spring, you may see groups of birds moving as they migrate(迁徙)north. But how do these creatures fly in such a cooperative and seemingly effortless fashion? “The answer lies in aerodynamics(空气动力学),” reports a team of scientists from New York University (NYU)in a newly published study. They also found that the impact of aerodynamics depends on the size of the flying group—benefiting small groups and disturbing large ones. To mimic(模仿)the flying patterns of birds in which they line up one directly behind the other, the researchers created mechanized wings. They were 3D-printed from plastic and driven by motors to move in water, which showed how air flows around bird wings and how they interact during flight. For smaller groups, the researchers discovered an effect by which each member gets help from the aerodynamics in holding its position relative to its neighbors. For larger groups, however, these flying interactions cause later members to be thrown out of position, causing a breakdown of the flying patterns due to crashes among members. The researchers then used mathematical modeling to better understand the underlying forces. It indicates that the interactions between neighbors are spring-like forces. However, these “springs” act in only one direction—a lead bird can apply force on its followers, but not the other way around. “The spring-like forces move the members back and forth and then travel down the group and increase in intensity, causing later members to crash together, explains Leif Ristroph, an associate professor at New York University. “This area of research is important since animals are known to take advantage of the flows to save on the energy or to reduce drag or resistance,” explains Leif Ristroph. “Our work may also have applications in transportation—like efficient speeding through air or water—and energy, such as more effectively harvesting power from wind or waves.” 28. What is the major focus of the NYU researchers’ study on birds? A. The migration patterns of birds. B. The flying routes in early spring. C. The benefits of smaller bird grouping. D. The aerodynamic effects on bird groups. 29. How do flying interactions affect smaller groups of birds? A. They lead to a breakdown. B. They disturb the formation. C. They help each member in position. D. They cause crashes among members. 30. Why does the author mention “springs” in paragraph 4? A. To make a contrast. B. To explain a principle. C. To put forward a theory. D. To present new evidence. 31. According to Leif Ristroph, what might be a potential application of this research? A. Relieving public traffic jams. B. Improving harvest of solar energy. C. Changing migration routes of birds. D. Decreasing air resistance of planes. 04 (2023-2024学年高二下·苏州市·期末统考) C You’d never mistake a goat for a dog, but on an unreasonably warm afternoon, I almost do. I’m on a farm in northern Germany, trying to keep my head due to work stress. Sixty Nigeria goats are taking turns crashing their horns(角)against wooden fences. Then, during the chaos, something remarkable happens. One of the animals raises her head and stares thoughtfully at me, her widely spaced eyes and odd pupils seeking to make contact — and perhaps even connection. It’s a look we see in other humans, in our pets and in our primate(灵长类)relatives, but not in animals raised for food. Or maybe we just haven’t been looking hard enough. That’s a cool idea here at Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology(FBN), one of the world’s leading centers for exploring the minds of goats, pigs and other livestock. Scientists here are exploring the mental and emotional lives of animals we’ve lived with for thousands of years, yet, from a cognitive(认知的)perspective, know almost nothing about. The work is part of an effort to overturn the idea that livestock are dumb and unworthy of scientific attention. Over the past decade, researchers at FBN and elsewhere have shown that pigs show signs of empathy and that goats match dogs in some tests of social intelligence. What shocks some experts is that cows can be potty(便盆)trained, suggesting a self-awareness behind the blank stares and chewing. “There’s a lot to be learned by studying the mental lives of these creatures,” says Christopher, a Johns Hopkins university psychologist. Disregarding livestock, he says, has been a “missed opportunity” by the scientific community. The field faces challenges, however. Farm animals can be huge, many are hard to train, and traditional funders and standard journals have generally rejected such studies. But as scientists push past these obstacles, they are getting insights not only into minds of livestock, but into the evolution of our own cognition. What they learn could even change the way we house and treat these creatures. 28. Why does the author mention Nigeria goats? A. To conserve wild life. B. To conduct researches. C. To relieve work stress. D. To introduce livestock studies. 29. Which of the following has been confirmed by scientists? A. Nigeria goats are mild animals. B. Pigs can relate to others in some cases. C. Goats beat dogs in some intelligence tests. D. Self-awareness exists behind the goats’ blank stares. 30. Why are the farm animal studies ignored? A. Farm animals are stupid. B. These studies lack practical values. C. Few sponsors are willing to fund those studies. D. Farm animals are unworthy of scientific research. 31. What is Christopher’s attitude towards farm animal studies? A. Dismissive. B. Favorable. C. Objective. D. Cautious. 05 (2023-2024学年高二下·无锡市·期末统考) C The eyes are more than a window to the soul—they’re also a reflection of a person’s cognitive(认知的)health. Research has been exploring how the eyes may help in diagnosing(诊断)Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms(症状)begin. “Alzheimer’s disease begins in the brain decades before the first symptoms of memory loss,” said Dr. Richard Isaacson, an Alzheimer’s preventive neurologist at the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases. If doctors are able to identify the disease in its earliest stages, people could then make healthy lifestyle choices and control their “risk factors, like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes,” Isaacson said. Then how early can we see signs of cognitive decline? To find it out, a recent study examined donated tissue from the retina(视网膜)and brains of 86 people with different degrees of mental decline. “Our study is the first to provide in-depth analyses of the protein profiles and the molecular, cellular, and structural effects of Alzheimer’s disease in the human retina and how they correspond with changes in the brain and cognitive function,” said senior author Maya Koronyo-Hamaoui, a professor of neurosurgery and biomedical sciences at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. Researchers in the study collected retinal and brain tissue samples over 14 years from 86 human donors with Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive damage—the largest group of retinal samples ever studied, according to the authors. Researchers then compared samples from donors with normal cognitive function to those with mild cognitive damage and those with later-stage Alzheimer’s disease. The study, published in February in the journal Acta Neuropathologica, found significant increases in beta-amyloid, a key marker of Alzheimer’s disease, in people with both Alzheimer’s and early cognitive decline. “These findings may eventually lead to the development of imaging techniques that allow us to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease earlier and more accurately,” Isaacson said, “and monitor its progression by looking through the eyes.” 28. What can eyes help do according to the recent study? A. Convey people’s feelings. B. Show people’s lifestyle choices. C. Indicate people’s physical decline. D. Reflect people’s cognitive function changes. 29. What is paragraph 2 mainly about? A. The reason for the study. B. The process of the study. C. The plan for the study. D. The method of the study. 30. How was the study conducted? A. By conducting a detailed survey about human retina. B. By asking and answering questions about the changes in the brain. C. By making a comparison between samples from different donors. D. By keeping track of participants to collect their data within a decade. 31. What do Isaacson’s words imply in the last paragraph? A. Alzheimer’s disease can be cured by reducing risk factors. B. Scientists have developed imaging techniques to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. C. Alzheimer’s disease begins in the brain years after the first symptoms of memory loss. D. Alzheimer’s disease can be spotted before symptoms start by examining the eyes. 06 (2023-2024学年高二下·常州市·期末统考) C(原卷为B篇) My name is Howard Tucker. Studies have shown that keeping one’s brain stimulated may prevent many age-related cognitive impairments(认知伤害). I keep my brain stimulated by working, though for those who have retired or plan on retiring, a mentally stimulating hobby might be a suitable alternative. It is critical to know yourself and understand your limits and capabilities, but I firmly believe that retirement is the enemy of longevity(长寿). With people continuing to live longer, it may soon be commonplace to see individuals working into their 80s, 90s and, in some cases, past 100, like me. I now spend my time teaching medical and law students at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and I prioritize staying current with the latest trends in neurology(神经学), my area of specialization. Over the years I’ve had to adapt frequently to the changing technology, which isn’t always easy for someone my age. Many doctors I’ve known simply retired because they did not want to learn how to use computers. But I believe that a desire to continue to learn is a must in one’s later years. While technology has made a huge impact on the practice of medicine, I still urge my medical students to listen to patients, take a thorough patient history and look at the patient while questioning him/her. Then, I would have them look at the imaging studies. I believe I am wiser now, in the sense I am less judgmental and more patient with my medical students who have forgotten how to take a thorough patient history, the most important part of the examination. Of course, I’ve had to make adjustments over the years. Pacing is important. It feels like only yesterday that I would be going on rounds seeing patients in the hospital at 5:00 a. m. Now with my 102nd birthday less than two months away, I find myself sleeping in. But I wake up at 8:30 am, ready to face the day ahead of me. 28. What was Howard Tucker’s job in the past? A. Writer. B. Doctor. C. Teacher. D. Scientist. 29. Why does Howard Tucker give the talk? A. To celebrate his longevity. B. To advocate lifetime learning. C. To explain why he keeps working after retirement. D. To clarify what is the most important in neurology. 30. How does Howard Tucker see technology? A. Adapt to it as it is easy to learn. B. Learn it to avoid retirement. C. Use it to replace old methods. D. Combine it with traditional ways. 31. What causes Howard Tucker to make adjustments over the years? A. His age B. His illness. C. His student. D. His sleep. 07 (2023-2024学年高二下·常州市·期末统考) C(原卷为D篇) Jobs are central to our lives. They enable us to make a living. Productive jobs create wealth and drive development. Full employment ensures not only economic prosperity but also social cohesion and stability. That is why the International Labour Organization(ILO), as one of the UN agencies specialized in employment, promotes decent work as a key to sustainable development and social justice. Globally, the world of work is undergoing great changes unseen in a century. We often hear that many people can’t find jobs, while employers can’t find qualified employees. Ever those who have jobs are worried about the future of their jobs. Such anxiety is not misplaced. The ILO’s World Employment and Social Outlook 202( report shows that all regions are facing major job-skills gaps and mismatches. According to its study, a generation ago the skills you learned in school were sufficient for you to survive in the job market for a while. Now half of the skills you acquired through education and training may start to depreciate(贬值)within 5 years!(Boston Consulting Group, 2023)Skills become outdated much quicker, as technological transformation and the green transition(转型)are quickening. ChatGPT is a case in point. AI has the potential to replace many professional and ever creative jobs. The potential threat is no longer limited to replacing unskilled repetitive jobs by automation. Technologies are fundamentally reshaping workplaces and jobs. The green transition is another driver for growing skill-job mismatch. The automobile industry may continue to boom, but electronic cars require a different set of human skills from fossil fuel-driven cars. Jobs in high carbon emission sectors will gradually disappear, while alternative jobs are greened or created in green sectors. According to an ILO analysis, because of the green transition, there could be around 78 million job losses globally by 2030. However, over 103 million jobs can be created — but only if workers can be systematically reskilled and upskilled.(ILO, 2019) 28. What is the structure of the text? A. Problem and solution. B. Definition and example. C. Significance and action. D. Phenomenon and analysis. 29. How does the author prove his point of view in the third paragraph? A. By using examples. B. By making analysis. C. By using his own data. D. By referring to other researches. 30. The author mentions ChatGPT and electronic cars to show A. why there are job-skills gaps and mismatches B. why we should be careful about technology C. the importance of education and training D. the necessity of reshaping workplaces and jobs 31. What is the author’s attitude towards the green transition? A. Objective. B. Dismissive. C. Doubtful. D. Unclear. 08 (2023-2024学年高二下·镇江市八校·期末联考) C(原卷为D篇) Plants are vital to human survival, even when there’s no sunlight. But keeping your houseplants alive in window-less rooms or in shadowy corners can be a challenge. Luckily, there are ways to help your plants stay energetic, even when their sunny source of energy is limited. Grow lights provide an easy and accessible energy increase in dim or black spaces. These specialized beams(光线)have different features, colors, and prices. LEDs, for instance, are the cheapest and most energy-efficient option. While most devices stick to a warm white light, plants respond differently to various illuminating colors. Scientist Levine has made two creative experiments. Under gravity, red light worked well for the slim flowering plants Arabidopsis(拟南芥). But in the weightless environment, they stretched into funny shapes until he started adding blue lights. He eventually found a middle ground and put the plants in green light. If electricity is a limiting factor, you can try to reflect light with mirrors. Even brightening up your space with white decorations, like a light-colored tablecloth, will cast a little glow over your plants. While it’s not comparable to using a grow light or the sun, it could offer plants extra power. Some plants, including tomatoes, need more light than those like Arabidopsis; new seedling s need less light than fully-grow n plants. As you choose your seeds and seedlings, research their native ranges to learn how much sunshine they’d naturally get. Plants are finally adaptable. They can stretch their stems toward available light sources or produce extra chlorophyll(叶绿素), which absorbs available cold light. Even though they may not be getting all the light that they would like for optimum(最适宜的)growth, they’ll still grow. With only a little extra help, you and your plants can overcome the darkness. 28. What is the purpose of using grow lights? A. To change the color of the plants. B. To provide an energy boost in dim spaces. C. To create a decorative effect in the room. D. To help plants grow in weightless environments. 29. What did Levine discover about the effect of different light colors in experiments? A. Plants grew best under red lights without gravity. B. Blue lights caused plants to grow funny shapes. C. Green lights were the best choice for plants without gravity. D. Plants preferred warm white lights in all situations. 30. How can you help plants get extra energy without using electricity? A. By putting the metal in the soil. B. By adding more fertilizer to their soil. C. By decorating some reflective objects. D. By pouring some chemical liquid. 31. Who is the passage written for? A. Plant scientists and researchers. B. Indoor decorators and designers. C. Farmers planning to grow crops in low-light conditions. D. Individuals looking to improve their indoor gardening skills. 09 (2023-2024学年高二下·泰州市·期末统考) C(原卷为B篇) When it comes to popular symbols of marriage, one cannot look past the wedding ring. The wedding ring serves as a perfect symbol of everlasting love — a ring is a circle and thus has no beginning or end, representing the never-ending union of marriage. Evidence suggests that wedding rings were used in ancient Egypt around 6,000 years ago. However, unlike the metals and jewels used today, they were crafted from materials such as leather or bone. In the centuries that followed, the wedding ring tradition was picked up in the West, where it spread first in ancient Rome and Greece, subsequently throughout Europe during the Middle Ages, and eventually to Eastern culture. Throughout history, the round shape of the ring has continued, and so has the tradition of wearing it on the fourth finger of the left hand. The latter practice originated from an ancient belief that a vein(静脉)ran directly from this finger to the heart. Although this belief has since been considered wrong, the custom has continued. Regarding customs surrounding wedding rings, there was a time when only the bride wore a wedding ring. It wasn’t until the early 20th century that the practice of bridegrooms wearing rings gained popularity. This change was influenced by soldiers going off to war, who wore rings as reminders of their loved ones waiting for them at home. Today, the exchange of wedding rings remains an essential part of the wedding ceremony, symbolizing the commitment and love shared between two individuals who will begin a life together. Wedding rings hold a symbolic significance that ties the two members of a married couple. In an ever-changing world, the wedding ring stands as an ancient tradition that is likely to continue for generations to come, reflecting the timeless and everlasting love celebrated through marriage. 28. What can we know about wedding rings in the text? A. They have their roots in Europe. B. They date back to the Middle Ages. C. They symbolize the owners’ social status. D. The round shape has remained unchanged. 29. Why did people in ancient times wear a wedding ring on the fourth finger of the left hand? A. Because it brought good luck to soldiers going off to war. B. Because they wished to keep their lover in their heart. C. Because a vein runs directly from this finger to the heart. D. Because it represented the never-ending union of marriage. 30. What can be predicted about the future of the wedding ring tradition? A. It will undergo great changes. B. It will gradually fall out of date. C. It will probably last for quite a long time. D. It will only be popular in certain cultures. 31. What is the text mainly about? A. The design of wedding rings. B. The significance of wedding rings. C. The long history of wedding rings. D. The materials used for wedding rings. 10 (2023-2024学年高二下·扬州市·期末统考) C(原卷为B篇) ALooking like something from a sci-fi movie, the SeaOrbiter was designed to tower above the waves as it made its way through some of the most unexplored parts of the world's oceans. It is a breathtaking ship, featuring its underwater platform and advanced science labs. It can host a crew of up to 22 for long-term scientific missions lasting over six months. Its scale when seen on the horizon(地平线)would have been great. While modern ships usually sit flat to the surface and have most of their mass laid out, the SeaOrbiter was to resemble a floating tower, rising to a total height of 51 meres, the height of Nelson's Column in London — with over half below the ocean. Designed not just to move in the seas, but also to explore their depths, six of the SeaOrbiter's twelve decks were to sit below sea level, bringing the undersea kingdom to life and providing uninterrupted underwater observation for the scientists and explorers aboard. Its goal was to pullback the curtain on one of nature's most unexplored habitats. Despite covering 70 per cent of our planet, with only 5 per cent explored and less than 20 per cent mapped, our oceans are still largely a mystery. What's more, humans have explored less than 1 per cent of the deep ocean. In fact, we know less about the ocean floor than we do about the surface of the Moon. Construction of the 1, 000-ton ship had been due to start in 2014, but by May 2015 only the first part of the construction was successfully completed. Construction was made possible by a crowd-funding campaign. 28. What is the unique feature of the SeaOrbiter according to paragraph 1? A. Being specially designed based on a sci-fi film. B. Being shaped exactly like an unexplored tower. C. Possessing underwater platform and advanced science labs. D. Enabling 22 people to carry out long-term scientific tasks. 29. Why does the author mention Nelson's Column? A. To introduce the distant origin of the ship. B. To stress the underwater part of the ship. C. To illustrate the amazing height of the ship. D. To highlight the floating ability of the ship. 30. What do the data in paragraph 4 imply? A. Over 20 per cent of the oceans has been charted. B. There is much for us to explore about the ocean floor. C. Humans have explored only 5 per cent of the deep sea. D. The ocean floor is easier to reach than the surface of the Moon. 31. Why was the SeaOrbiter designed? A. To move in space in a usual way. B. To compete with space exploration. C. To uncover the mysteries of deep seas. D. To complete a crowd-funding campaign. 11 (2023-2024学年高二下·扬州市·期末统考) C Worrying news stories about people with cancer seem never-ending. The physical condition is often cruel. It also has some psychological characteristics that make it fearsome. We are more frightened by threats over which we feel we have no control. More than any other diseases, cancer causes various worries, which helps explain why it has been the most horrible in richer nations with longer lifespans for decades. One overlooked effect of this fear has been the creation of cancerphobia, which George called in 1955. He wrote:“In terms of the total number of people affected, fear of cancer is causing more suffering than cancer itself.” In important ways, our deep fear of it is outdated, a phobia that no longer matches the evidence and causes huge harm. Most people believe a diagnosis(诊断)of cancer means death. Slow but steady progress in the past few decades has made roughly two-thirds of all cancers completely curable. Many people believe cancer screening is beneficial because it is always best to find cancer as early as possible. Screening helps, certainly, but it also harms. There is much evidence that these worries can leave lasting psychological scars. Worse still screening inappropriately finds “overdiagnosed” cancers. They are found early when small and meet the sick criteria of cancer under a microscope, but grow slowly or never cause any symptoms. Some people believe most cancers are caused by environmental carcinogens(致癌物). We now know cancer is primarily caused by naturally occurring mutations(变异)to DNA as we age. Cancers only became common in the early 1900s, as average lifespans in richer nations reached into the 50s. We can’t entirely cure cancer. Nor can we entirely “cure” cancerphobia. But we must work to reduce the harm they both cause to our health and to society in general. Research into fighting cancer has come a long way. The work on our cancerphobia is just beginning. 28. What can be known about cancer in paragraph 1? A. Cancer puts rich people at greater risk. B. Cancer spreads quickly throughout the world. C. Cancer goes beyond the control of humans. D. Cancer threatens people physically and mentally. 29. What does the author think of cancer screening? A. It is a double-edged sword. B. It proves an effective measure. C. It leaves patients with physical scars. D. It sets the standard for early diagnosis. 30. What can be inferred from the last two paragraphs? A. There’s no need to worry too much about cancer. B. The environment has nothing to do with cancer. C. People over fifty are certain to develop cancer. D. Research on cancerphobia has made big progress. 31. What is the author’s purpose of writing the passage? A. To reveal secrets. B. To show sympathy. C. To modernize beliefs. D. To gain recognition. 12 (2023-2024学年高二下·盐城市·期末统考) C Ecologists and biologists have long recognized that artificial light at night can have negative effects on the health of humans and land wildlife, including sleep patterns, feeding schedules, and reproductive cycles. Much research is showing that marine(海洋的)life is also sensitive to artificial light, including extremely low levels and certain wavelengths. Now, for the first time, scientists have quantified underwater light levels for coastal zones around the world. Researchers have released the first global map books of artificial light in the sea. “These very low light levels that artificial light generates are critically important for biological organisms,” said Tim Smyth, who specializes in marine optics(光学). “But how much of an impact it has on the marine environment hasn’t been studied well.” The research team built a model based on two satellite datasets: one of nighttime light pollution and one of ocean color, which reveals the water’s optical properties. The model projects how nighttime light pollution above the water’s surface will enter and be absorbed underwater. The results show the depths to which marine species could be exposed to light sufficient to cause a biological response. The study gives researchers a guide to where they should focus future studies of the effects of artificial light on marine life. Smyth said the study highlights areas where ecosystems are particularly stressed by artificial light. The scientists found that 1.9 million square kilometers of the ocean experience biologically significant amounts of artificial light pollution to a depth of 1 meter. This represents about 3 percent of the world’s Exclusive Economic Zones(专属经济区), the area extending 370kilometres off a country’s coast. Significant areas of the ocean are seeing light exposures to depths of 10 meters, 20 meters, or more. The depth to which light can go depends not only on the intensity of light above water, Smyth said, but also on the optical properties of the water. For example, in areas with very clear water, light at night can reach depths of more than 40 meters. 28. What is the function of paragraph 1? A. To voice a basic opinion. B. To introduce a further discovery. C. To present a serious problem. D. To explain a natural phenomenon. 29. What have researchers done about artificial light according to paragraph 2? A. They have measured the intensity of light under the water. B. They have investigated the influence of artificial light fully. C. They have evaluated the speed of artificial light underwater. D. They have described sea life’s exact reaction to artificial light. 30. What is one purpose of setting up the model? A. To show the biological response of marine species. B. To understand the real meaning of optical properties. C. To display the principle of artificial light entering water. D. To predict the possible way of water absorbing artificial light. 31. Which of the following might affect the depth of light entering water? A. The quality of water. B. The climate change. C. The movement of light. D. The sea temperature. 13 (2023-2024学年高二下·江苏省镇江市实验高级中学·期末校考) C(原卷为D篇) What makes a person extra repulsive to a mosquito? It might be the scent of coconut. That was one of the findings of a small study published Wednesday in the journal iScience, which looked at whether different scented soaps made people more or less attractive to mosquitoes. “It’s a simple question with a very complex answer,” said the lead study author, Clement Vinauger, an assistant professor of biochemistry at Virginia Tech. “What really matters is how the chemicals in the soap combine with the chemicals of the individual person.” Everyone has the same chemicals, just in different ratios, some more attractive to mosquitoes than others, said Ali Afify, an assistant professor of biology at Drexel University in Philadelphia, who wasn’t involved with the new study. “Everything you use on your skin can make you more or less attractive to mosquitoes,” Afify added. To see which chemicals could tip the scales in either direction, four volunteers were each asked to wash with four different brands of soap. In each instance, the volunteer washed one forearm and left the other untouched and then wore nylon sleeves on both arms for one hour. They repeated the process with the three other soaps. After the hour was up, the researchers removed the odor- soaked sleeves. They placed each sleeve in a cup and put the cups in a mesh cage full of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The scent in the cup that attracted the most mosquitoes was deemed most attractive. In the end, the team identified four chemicals that were associated with being slightly more attractive to mosquitoes and three that appeared to repel them, but the results were generally weak and variable for all chemical scents tested except one: coconut. “Mosquitoes don’t like coconut-scented products, so our safest bet is to use them,” Vinauger said. “Because odors are complex, a single scent or compound isn’t likely to be merely responsible for how attractive a person is to mosquitoes. Some may play a bigger role, but there won’t be just one that explains attraction,” said Christopher Potter, an associate professor of neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Maryland who studies mosquito olfaction. 28. What is the main factor that determines how attractive a person is to mosquitoes? A. The type of soap they frequently use. B. The amount of carbon dioxide they send out. C. The chemical produced by bacteria on their body. D. The combination of chemicals in their body scent. 29. What is the main purpose of Para 4? A. To explain the working principle. B. To present the actions of the volunteers. C. To introduce the process of the study. D. To make a comparison between different soaps. 30. What have the researchers found about coconut- scented products? A. They can keep mosquitoes away. B. They have no effect on mosquitoes. C. They are more variable than other chemicals. D. They are slightly more attractive to mosquitoes. 31. What is Christopher Potter’s attitude towards the findings published in the journal iScience? A. Supportive B. Objective C. Pessimistic D. Unclear 14 (2023-2024学年高二下·江苏省射阳中学·期末校考) C Concrete has served as the foundation stone of the construction industry for hundreds of years. However, the process of producing concrete is one of the most environmentally unfriendly processes in the world. In the process, not only is carbon dioxide(二氧化碳)released into the air by the energy used to heat the limestone, but the limestone itself also gives out a huge amount of the element. Luckily, a number of start-ups throughout the world are using creative thinking to make the construction industry a whole lot more friendly for the planet. A Canadian company called CarbonCure, has found a way to inject(注入)concrete with carbon dioxide itself. Not only does this trap the carbon dioxide into the concrete, keeping it from running away into the atmosphere, but it also creates a super strong material called calcium carbonate, which reduces the total amount of concrete that needs to be used. California-based Brimstone, is creating carbon-negative concrete by doing away with limestone entirely and instead using silicate rock, a material that does not release carbon dioxide when heated. Instead, the process produces magnesium(镁), which absorbs carbon dioxide, as the basis for their concrete. Additionally, researchers at Australia’s RMIT University have recently released a study showing that adding coffee grounds instead of sand to concrete could make it much stronger, reducing both the amount of sand used, as well as the amount of concrete that would need to be used in the final product. The biggest barrier at this point is convincing members of the industry that the new types of concrete are safe to be used, according to Stacy Smedley, director at a nonprofit focused on decarbonizing construction. Hopefully these new solutions to the environmental problems of concrete will soon be widely adopted. Given the significant part the construction industry has in releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, great improvements can be made when more environmentally-friendly materials are used. 28. What is the environmental issue associated with traditional concrete production? A. The high demand for energy. B. The processing of waste materials. C. The mass release of carbon dioxide. D. The use of non-renewable resources. 29. How does CarbonCure deal with the environmental impact of concrete production? A. By using silicate rock as the basis. B. By putting carbon dioxide into concrete. C. By replacing sand with coffee grounds. D. By absorbing carbon dioxide with magnesium. 30. According to Smedley, what is the major challenge facing these solutions? A. Difficulty in making profits. B. Convincing the public of the convenience. C. Lack of funding for research. D. Removing the industry members’ safety concerns. 31. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text? A. To promote an alternative to concrete. B. To advocate environmental protection. C. To introduce new ways to produce concrete. D. To emphasize the significance of creativity. (重在考查推理判断+主旨大意+词义猜测) 01 (2023-2024学年高二下·南京市鼓楼区·期末统考) D The conventional language of career success moves in only one direction: up. If you really succeed, you reach the top. But there is another type of career path. Sideways moves without a promotion or a pay rise, can be a benefit to employees and organizations alike. A study carried out by Donald Sull of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his co-authors in 2021 found that the availability of lateral(横向的)career opportunities has a marked impact on keeping employees. When they decided whether to stay in the company or not, chances to move sideways were two and a half times more important than pay. Another paper, by Xin Jin of the University of South Florida and Michael Waldman of Cormell University, concluded that lateral moves did not just benefit organizations: employees who experienced them were more likely to be promoted and to enjoy higher wage growth later in their careers than employees who did not. You can move up by first moving sideways. The crab-like(螃蟹般的)career has other things going for it. One is that it is a good way to learn new things. As hiring processes increasingly emphasize skills, employers are likely to put comparatively less emphasis on CVs and comparatively more weight on what you know. Messrs Jin and Waldman reason that the upper ranks of companies tend to be people whose capabilities are broad, not deep; that may explain why lateral moves are good for promotion prospects. Along with skills come contacts. Transferring between teams usually means building a bigger internal network. Opening the door to more lateral moves is partly a practical matter. Some bigger employers have “internal talent marketplaces” in which employees can find and apply for jobs elsewhere in the company; smaller firms have fewer such opportunities to offer. Embracing sideways movement also requires the right attitude. Lots of managers like to keep talent to themselves, at the expense of workers and firms. And moving sideways still has less cachet(声望)than moving upwards. Most people find it not so easy to accept. 32. How does the author develop paragraph 2? A. By telling personal stories. B. By providing research findings. C. By comparing different career paths. D. By making remarks on scientific reports. 33. What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 3 mean? A. Lateral moves involve gaining new skills. B. Lateral moves are mainly for networking purposes. C. Transferring between teams leads to a larger network. D. Contacts are more important than skills in lateral moves. 34. What do many managers think of lateral career moves? A. They are a way to keep talent within the company. B. They are seen as a threat to the manager’s own positions. C. They could potentially lead to talent loss within the team. D. They could contribute to the company's growth in the long run. 35. Who may embrace lateral moves? A. Bosses who value short-term profits. B. Employees who are eager for more skills. C. Managers who appreciate long-term stability. D. Job hunters who are interested in smaller firms. 02 (2023-2024学年高二下·南京市江宁区·期末统考) D Are your keys not in the spot you thought you left them? Can’t recall the title of a book? I’ve had those moments. Such instances of “brain freeze” remind us that we should do everything in our power to keep our brains sharp. A new study finds Tai Chi can help slow cognitive(认知的)decline and protect against dementia(痴呆). The study included about 300 older adults, in their mid-70s on average, who had all reported that their memory was not as good as it used to be. As part of the study, all the participants took a 10-minute test called the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. A normal score is 26-30. A person who scores between 18 and 25 is considered to have mild impairment(损害), which means they don’t have dementia but they’re not as sharp as they used to be and may need to work harder to maintain everyday activities. Once their score drops under 18, people experience quite a bit of impairment from memory loss and cognitive decline. The average score of participants at the start of the study was 25. The study found that people who practiced a simplified form of Tai Chi twice a week for about six months improved their score by 1.5 points, meaning that they’re going to get three extra years before they hit that decline into dementia. Researchers also tested a stricter type of Tai Chi, called Cognitively Enhanced Tai Chi, where they provided extra challenges. For example, participants were asked to spell a word, backward and forward, as they moved through a series of Tai Chi moves. The people who practice this type of cognitively enhanced Tai Chi improved their scores by about 3 points, meaning they are given six extra years of cognitive function. The theory on why Tai Chi is effective is that it combines the memorization of the movements, known as forms, almost like composing dancing moves. 32. Why are two questions raised in the first paragraph? A. To present the author’s doubts. B. To expect answers from readers. C. To analyze the causes of forgetfulness. D. To introduce the main topic of the text. 33. What is the third paragraph mainly about? A. Cognitive assessment methods. B. The process of running the test. C. Cognitive measurement criteria. D. The test results of the participants. 34. What do we know about the “Cognitively Enhanced Tai Chi” ? A. It was more helpful. B. It was much easier. C. It took more time. D. It included less moves. 35. Why does Tai Chi have a positive impact? A. It helps deal with challenges. B. It involves mind-body movements. C. It puts off cognitive decline by three years. D. It improves the participants’ academic level. 03 (2023-2024学年高二下·南京市·盐城市六校联合体·期末联考) D A colleague recently sent me an article, Cutting back on waste is possible — if you can afford it, to read. It argued that reducing waste-food related, in particular — is an expensive effort and a near impossibility for anyone working low-wage jobs with little extra time. The conclusion ? Zero waste is something only suitable for people who can afford, not for those who are struggling to get by. However, I take issue with the idea that zero waste must be all or nothing. I think this is an unfortunate mentality that prevents valuable progress toward reducing one’s food-related waste. When we get too hung up on the idea of so-called zero waste and of being like the zero waste superstar Bea Johnson who can fit years of trash in a single jar, we start missing the broader point. The goal, after all, is to make smarter shopping decisions and establish practices that are sustainable(可持续的)for us, with our own unique resources and living situations. I live in a small rural town with no fancy zero-waste stores. My husband and I both work full-time. I am uninterested in spending my free time doing DIY projects and driving from store to store in search of perfect packaging. Instead, I just do the best I can. When I first read about Bea Johnson’s multi-stop grocery shopping routine, I tried to copy it. That lasted a few weeks before I gave up. Unlike her, I still had babies to look after, and I did not live in San Francisco where stores are closer together than in rural Ontario, Instead, I’ve resigned myself to the supermarket being the main supply of food and trying to work with it. Now, when I enter the supermarket on a once-weekly basis, I view all packaging through a critical eye. I make constant comparisons between how one brand packages its food to another. That is the main factor in deciding what to buy, though I also consider the unit price, the origin and the ingredients. 32. What is the idea of the article recommended by the author’s colleague? A. Most people can afford zero waste. B. Food-related waste is unavoidable. C. Cutting down on waste costs much. D. The poor care little about food waste. 33. How does the author understand the concept of zero waste? A. It is related to recycling our resources. B. It prevents people from reducing waste. C. It means fitting your trash in a single jar. D. It encourages reasonable green practices. 34. Why did the author fail to follow Bea Johnson? A. Her living situations differed from hers. B. She hardly knew about food packaging. C. She didn’t receive her husband’s support. D. Her love for shopping was deeply rooted. 35. What’s the best title of the text? A. Live in a Small Town for a Zero-waste Life B. Forget Zero Waste and Be Better Shoppers C. Take Advantage of Local Zero-waste Shops D. Stop Wasting and Build a Greener Society 04 (2023-2024学年高二下·苏州市·期末统考) D Mobile phones are set to be prohibited in schools across England as part of the government’s plan to minimize disturbance and improve behavior in classrooms. New mobile phones in schools guidance issued today backs headteachers in prohibiting the use of mobile phones throughout the school day, including at break times. Many schools around the country are already prohibiting mobile phone use with great results. This guidance will ensure there is a uniform approach across all schools. By the age of 12, 97% of children have their own mobile phone, according to Ofcom. Too much time spent on mobile phones in schools can lead to online bullying, distraction and classroom disturbance which, in turn, can lead to lost learning time. Last year, UNESCO called for smartphones to be banned from schools as evidence showed it was linked to reduced educational performance and that too much screen time had a negative impact on children’s well-being. Schools will be supported to prohibit mobile phone use with different approaches including banning phones from the school, handing in phones on arrival at school, and keeping phones securely locked away at school. The guidance will respond to concerns from parents about mobile phones, with the latest data from Parent Kind’s National Parent Survey, revealing that 44% of parents are concerned about the amount of time their children spend on electronic devices, rising to 50% of parents of secondary school children. “We are making long-term decisions to ensure all pupils have world class education. This guidance builds on that work which has delivered 89% of schools rated good or outstanding by Ofsted, up from just 68% in 2010. Our plan is working with school standards rising across the board. England has leveled up the international rankings for academic attainment through our multimillion-pound Maths and English program. We are now one of the top performing countries in the Western world for Maths and reading. The government will continue to build on this progress by delivering crucial reforms including by creating the Advanced British Standard.” Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said. 32. What does the underline word “uniform” in paragraph 2 probably mean? A. Consistent. B. Critical. C. Contradictory. D. Conventional. 33. Which of the following approach is NOT backed by the new guidance? A. Introducing phone lockers in the school. B. Disabling the Internet access in the school. C. Requiring students to hand in phones on campus. D. Restricting students from taking phones to school. 34. Which adjective can best describe the new guidance? A. Well-grounded. B. Cost-effective. C. Energy-consuming. D. Ground-breaking. 35. What is mainly talked about in the text? A. Mobile phones use meets with opposition in British schools. B. A new guidance of mobile phones in schools has come into effect. C. British education has made great achievements in the past few years. D. The British government rises to the challenges posed by parents actively. 05 (2023-2024学年高二下·无锡市·期末统考) D If you happen to be in Hollywood and see a car go by with no driver at the wheel, don’t be alarmed. After more than a year of testing, around 50 driverless robotaxis are debuting(首次亮相)to the public across Los Angeles on Thursday. The autonomous vehicles are run by Waymo, which is owned by Google’s parent company Alphabet. Waymo started giving driverless rides to passengers in San Francisco last year and also operates them in Phoenix. In the coming weeks, Waymo will change to a paid service. The Southern California debut comes as controversy and mistakes have troubled self-driving cars in San Francisco. Both Waymo and its competitor Cruise, which is owned by GM, have been blamed for running red lights, blocking public buses and getting in the way of emergency responders. Cruise was involved in an incident that left a pedestrian(行人)severely injured in October — causing the company to stop operations and lose its operating permit in the state. It hasn’t necessarily been a smooth ride for Waymo in Los Angeles. In the run-up to its debut in the city, there have been complaints by Los Angeles’s mayor Karen Bass and protests by local residents. “Autonomous vehicles like the ones that Waymo wants to launch in our communities, have been causing chaos wherever they go.” Yvonne Wheeler, president of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor said. “It’s clear that this technology is not ready to be introduced into our roads and our cities.” However, both Cruise and Waymo say their vehicles are safer than human drivers and that they’ve had relatively few incidents. “Once an unimaginable future, autonomous driving is now a real-world way of getting around for tens of thousands of people each week,” said Tekedra Mawakana, co-CEO of Waymo. He also mentioned that Waymo is already setting its sights on its next robotaxi debut. It says it plans to start offering rides in Austin, Texas, later this year. 32. What is the function of paragraph 1? A. To introduce a topic. B. To explain a phenomenon. C. To share an experience. D. To state an opinion. 33. What does the underlined word “controversy” in paragraph 3 mean? A. Praise. B. Alternative. C. Priority. D. Argument. 34. What’s Yvonne Wheeler’s attitude towards autonomous vehicles run by Waymo? A. Negative. B. Favorable. C. Unconcerned. D. Uncertain. 35. What is the best title of this text? A. Waymo’s robotaxi service set to expand into Los Angeles B. Cruise and Waymo made the Hollywood imagination come true C. Waymo’s robotaxi service removed public concern across Los Angeles D. Cruise and Waymo ensured the safety of robotaxi despite controversy 06 (2023-2024学年高二下·常州市·期末统考) C I recently ran into a woman I knew from work years ago. She had performed random acts of kindness but sometimes sounded too shallow. Now here she was again. “Hi, ”she said, smiling. “How are you? ”Like a fool, I rushed to tell her everything I had been doing. The woman interrupted me. “That’s great. I’m so happy to hear you’ve finally sorted your life out.” And off she went, leaving me speechless. I tossed and turned that night, thinking about what she had meant. She didn’t know anything about my life, so why had she said that? I finally recognised psychologist Adam Grant’s idea about frenemies — those “supposed friends who sometimes help you and sometimes hurt you.” Not for nothing did Grant write: “The most toxic relationships aren’t the purely negative ones. They’re the ones that are a mix of positive and negative.” Avoiding these connections whenever possible is probably a good idea, but how do we distinguish frenemies from other friends? Human behaviorist Vanessa Van Edwards has identified three different types of frenemy. The first is the easiest to detect — the jealous(嫉妒的)frenemy. “On the surface, they want you to succeed but they will gossip about you behind your back and are jealous of your accomplishments and successes,” Vanessa says. The second type of frenemy is what she calls the undermining(暗中破坏的)frenemy. You think they’re on your side and then they start making indirect, unkind comments in front of the boss. The undermining frenemy operates outside the office, too. For example, you tell a friend that you want to lose weight. Are they going to cheer you on or invite you to a bad brunch and bring you a cupcake? The third type is the hardest to detect, labelled by Van Edwards as the unsure frenemy. She believes that this type of connection has become increasingly common thanks to social media. “Particularly when you have a lot of interactions online with wider social groups, it can be really difficult to know where a person fits in your life. We like each other’s posts online with each other. But I’m not sure I like you,” Van Ed-wards explains. 32. Why did the author rush to tell the woman everything? A. They are close friends. B. She needed the woman’s help. C. The woman was good at comforting friends. D. She misjudged the woman’s behavior and purpose 33. What does the underlined word “toxic” in the 30 paragraph most probably mean? A. Privileged. B. Poisonous. C. Superior. D. Innocent 34. What type is it if a friend keeps inviting and paying for you to play computer games when he knows you want to start studying hard? A. The purely negative type. B. The jealous type C. The undermining type. D. The unsure type 35. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text? A. How to Justify Frenemies B. Why So Many Frenemies? C. Be Careful of Frenemies! D. The Meaning of Frenemy 07 (2023-2024学年高二下·镇江市八校·期末联考) D(原卷为C篇) Fast food chains have tried for years to appeal to customers who care about their health. They have added lighter food to their menus, such as salads and yogurt. Of course, the lighter food goes with the usual burgers, fried chicken and shakes. Menus have changed over the past three decades. According to a recent study, fast food menus are less healthy than they were 30 years ago. The study suggests the problem is getting worse. The fat, salt content and size of fast food meals are the problem. They are often the reason for the rising obesity(肥胖)rate among adults in the United States. The researchers found that the average main dish weighed more in 2016 than in 1986. It also had more calories and more sodium(钠). One expert said, “The restaurants have not done enough. The big picture is that there have been some positive changes, but they are small. Overall, the changes have gotten worse.” The average fast food dessert had more calories in 2016. It also weighed more than the average fast food dessert thirty years earlier. Restaurants are counting on bigger sundaes and cookies to increase the amount spent on each order. For example, McDonald’s recently introduced “donut sticks” dusted with sugar. Six sticks have 280 calories. But you can also order 12 sticks for less than the cost of two single orders. The researchers found that, over the 30 years, there were more calories in items like chips, soup, and French fries. Sodium content rose even though portion(一份)size did not grow much. When consumed together as a single meal, the study found that the average main dish and side order account for nearly 40 percent of a 2000-calory daily diet. 32. Why do fast food chains provide lighter food? A. To match the fast food. B. To reduce the cost of each meal. C. To attract more customers. D. To improve the health of customers. 33. Why are more American adults getting fat? A. They have little time to exercise regularly. B. They take in more calories from fast food. C. They eat much more dessert after every meal. D. They eat fast food more frequently than before. 34. What is the example of “donut sticks” for in paragraph 3? A. Showing the way of restaurants’ making cookies. B. Presenting the popularity of restaurants’ new food. C. Stressing the increase in restaurants’ food varieties. D. Explaining the intention of restaurants’ adding dessert. 35. Which one could be the best title of the text? A. Fast Food Is Still Killing Us B. Don’t Eat Any Fast Food Now C. Try to Eat More Lighter Food D. People Are Becoming Fatter and Fatter 08 (2023-2024学年高二下·南通市·期末统考) D(原卷为C篇) Children as young as two years old went out of their way to help dogs get toys and tasty treats that were placed beyond their reach, despite never having met the animals before, scientists found. The work suggests that toddlers could not only understand the dogs’ desires, but were willing and able to help them out, even though the chances of the dogs returning the favour were small. The researchers recruited 97 toddlers aged between 20 and 47 months and watched them interact with three child-friendly dogs at the University of Michigan’s child lab. In the experiments, researchers dropped toys or snacks just beyond the dog’s reach, on the toddler’s side of a fence that separated the two. Writing in the journal Human-Animal Interactions, the scientists describe how toddlers were twice as likely to hand over unreachable toys and treats when dogs displayed curiosity towards them. The children helped in half of all instances when dogs wanted the objects, but only in a quarter of cases when the animals showed no interest. “It’s been known for a long time that toddlers will go out of their way to help struggling humans, even strangers,” said Prof Henry Wellman, a senior author on the study at the University of Michigan. But it was unclear whether humans developed such altruism(利他主义)only towards other people, who might help back, and not other species. The study shows “it applies to other animals too”, Wellman said, “like dogs they will never see again”. Friendly behaviour towards other species, even in children who are still learning to walk and talk, may have helped humans thrive(兴旺)around the world, the researchers say. Apparently altruistic acts, such as leaving food out for animals, could have underpinned practices that led to the domestication of species from dogs and cats to cows, pigs, sheep and horses. “Animal domestication was really advantageous to human survival. It really enabled us to live and thrive, there’s a huge benefit,” said Wellman. “Why we came to domesticate animals is a big mystery(谜), and this is one piece of evidence that might help us to understand that mystery.” Future studies are needed to examine other psychological components of instrumental helping, including what emotions underlie a child’s motivation to help dogs, how culture shapes these motivations, and how these processes change as a child grows older. 32. What did the research finding mainly reveal about children? A. Their playing games with dogs. B. Their helping behaviour towards dogs. C. Their sharing favourite treats with dogs. D. Their effective communication with dogs. 33. Children are more likely to provide dogs with out-of-reach items when ________. A. dogs ignored them B. their favour would be returned C. dogs showed an interest in them D. the items were on the toddler’s side 34. What does the underlined word “underpinned” in paragraph 6 mean? A. Delayed. B. Strengthened. C. Assessed. D. Corrected. 35. What is the last paragraph of the text mainly about? A. The significance of the research. B. The application of the research. C. Expectations for further research. D. New perspectives of scientists. 09 (2023-2024学年高二下·南通市·期末统考) D Without ready access to a time machine, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT)have built an AI-powered chatbot that simulates(模拟)a user’s older self and dishes out observations and wisdom. It has the potential to significantly impact how people make decisions today with their future wellbeing in mind. To interact with the chatbot, users are first asked to answer a series of questions about themselves, their friends and family, the past experiences that shaped them, and the ideal life they envision for the future. They then upload a portrait image, which the program digitally ages to produce a likeness of the user aged 60. Next, the program feeds information from the user’s answers into a large language model that generates rich synthetic(合成)memories for the simulated older self. This ensures that when the chatbot responds to questions, it draws on a relevant backstory. The final part of the system is the chatbot itself, powered by OpenAI’s GPT3.5, which introduces itself as a potential older version of the user that is able to talk about its life experiences. Users are told the “future self” is not a prediction but rather a potential future self. They are encouraged to explore different futures by changing their answers to the questionnaire. Pataranutaporn, who works on the Future You project at MIT’s Media Lab, has had several conversations with his “future self”, but said the most profound(深远的)was when the chatbot reminded him that his parents would not be around for ever, so he should spend time with them while he could. “The session gave me a perspective that is still impactful to me to this day,” he said. “From a practical standpoint, the effectiveness will likely depend on how well it can simulate meaningful and relevant conversations,” he added. “If users perceive the chatbot as genuine and insightful, it could significantly influence their behaviour. However, if the interactions feel shallow, the impact might be limited.” 32. What can the “future self” chatbot help its users do? A. Improve their welfare. B. Inspire wise life choices. C. Polish their future selves. D. Get access to a time machine. 33. What is crucial to the production of an older version of the users? A. Their portrait image. B. Their memory ability. C. The information provided. D. The language model employed. 34. What does the underlined word “session” in paragraph 6 refer to? A. Pataranutaporn’s work at MIT’s Media Lab. B. The good old days of Pataranutaporn’s parents. C. The precious time Pataranutaporm spent with his parents. D. Pataranutaporn’s most profound talk with his "future self". 35. How does Pataranutaporn comment on the effectiveness of the chatbot? A. It depends. B. It doesn’t last long. C. It will be carefully checked. D. It will be disastrous. 10 (2023-2024学年高二下·泰州市·期末统考) C At the Port of Los Angeles, a long gray ship is doing its part to fight against climate change. On the ship, which belongs to Captura, a Los Angeles-based company, is a system of pipes, pumps, and containers that pumps seawater and removes CO₂, which can be used to make plastics and fuels or buried. Then the treated seawater is returned to the ocean, where it absorbs more CO₂ from the atmosphere, in an effort to battle the rise of the greenhouse gas. Capturing(捕获)CO₂ from the ocean should be easier and cheaper than a seemingly more direct approach: capturing it directly from the air. Direct air capture, which relies on fans to sweep air past chemicals that can absorb CO₂, currently costs between $600 to $1000 per ton of CO₂ removed, largely because atmospheric CO₂ only makes up less than 0.05% of the air by volume. Earth’s oceans, in contrast, hold the gas at a concentration nearly 150 times higher, and absorb roughly 30% of all emitted(排放)CO₂ each year. Besides, ocean capture is developing faster than other ocean CO₂ removal approaches. That’s partly because the systems can usually be attached to desalination(脱盐)plants, wastewater treatment equipment, and other large water-processing systems. However, one challenge for the approach is determining exactly how much CO₂ the treated water absorbs and at what rate. Still, the absorption rates will vary based on where the water is released and how easily it mixes with surrounding water. That makes site selection a really important part of this process. Even if the technology takes off, it will have to be promoted widely to make a difference in offsetting global emissions. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, by 2050 engineered carbon removal efforts will need to remove some 5 billion tons of CO₂ every year to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5°C. At present, the ocean capture companies are removing only thousands of tons. 32. What does Paragraph 1 mainly talk about? A. The re use of removed CO₂. B. The basic information about Captura. C. The working process of ocean capture. D. An unusual phenomenon in Los Angeles. 33. Why does ocean capture cost less than direct air capture? A. Because the system is used more widely. B. Because the ocean absorbs CO₂ more directly. C. Because capturing CO₂ from the ocean is faster. D. Because the concentration of CO₂ in seawater is higher. 34. What does the underlined word “offsetting” in Paragraph 5 mean? A. Sending out. B. Canceling out. C. Figuring out. D. Giving out. 35. What does the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change want to convey? A. The ocean capture companies still have a long way to go. B. The ocean capture companies have removed enough CO₂. C. More CO₂ will be emitted into the atmosphere in the future. D. Limiting the global temperature increase to 1.5℃is the final goal. 11 (2023-2024学年高二下·扬州市·期末统考) D Making the world safer for butterflies can be as easy as doing a bit of nothing. Ecologist Richard Fox suggests a surprising yet effective way to protect butterflies: allowing some part of one’s yard unmanaged. This a bit “wild” grassland can significantly boost butterfly populations. The key, Richard Fox explains, lies in providing safe space for caterpillars(毛毛虫), who often fall victim to lawn mowers(割草机). This approach emphasizes the importance of resisting the urge to tidy up everything, allowing nature to take its course. Richard Fox and his colleague analyzed data from their organization’s Great Butterfly Survey to investigate the impact of unmowed yards on butterfly populations. They found that in yards surrounded by other houses, long grass could increase butterfly abundance by up to 18 percent. In yards surrounded entirely by farms, the increase could be as high as 93 percent. This suggests that even if individual yards don’t see huge increases, the total area of safe space could add up if a lot of yards went a little wild. The practice of leaving yards unmowed would not only help butterflies but could also be more beneficial for moths. Their caterpillars are more likely to feed on grass than butterfly larvae(幼虫), making unmanaged yards a perfect habitat for them. Moths, which are more numerous than butterflies and tend to fly at night, are a “key cog in the ecosystem, ”Richard Fox says. “They’re supporting and maintaining food chains for many of our garden birds and many small mammals like bats. ” Whether for butterflies or moths, the study highlights an underappreciated diet. “So often gardeners think about plants and nectar(花蜜)when planting butterfly gardens, ” said Matthew Shepherd. “That’s great, but it’s not supporting all the life stages of insects. Often nectar is a grownup food. What caterpillars need is baby food. ” 32. What does Richard Fox suggest to protect butterflies? A. Planting colorful flowers. B. Leaving part of yards wild. C. Keeping yards neat and tidy. D. Creating all-native grasslands. 33. Unmanaged yards can benefit butterfly populations most when they are ________. A. located within some farms B. surrounded by houses C. filled with wild animals D. maintained regularly 34. What does the underlined word “cog” in paragraph 3 possibly mean? A. Sign. B. Tool. C. Part. D. Rate. 35. Which of the following may Matthew Shepherd agree with? A. Gardeners should pay more attention to grownup insects. B. There are sufficient plants for different insects in gardens. C. More flowers are needed to attract more butterflies. D. Baby insects are supposed to be well fed in gardens. 12 (2023-2024学年高二下·宿迁市·期末统考) D(原卷为C篇) The pollutants in our skies aren't just a health risk; they also cause ugly stains on buildings and other structures. To solve this, chemists have been working for years on a special type of paint that can not only clean pollutants on its surface but may also get rid of those from the air. When an artificial UV(紫外线)source shines on the paint, the nanoparticles(纳米颗粒)in the paint react with pollutants to make them break down, theoretically removing them from the nearby air and preventing a discoloring formation, which will definitely make its colour less attractive. In a recent study, researchers developed a new paint that they claim works using UV rays from ordinary sunlight, making its self-cleaning properties easier to activate. The unstable chemicals, produced in chemical reactions, attack pollutants that come in contact with the paint, changing them into less harmful substances such as carbon dioxide and water. The research team added other elements to the nanoparticles’ structure, which reduced the amount of energy needed to spark the reaction and let it work via ordinary sunlight. In lab tests, these modified nanoparticles removed up to 96 percent of tested pollutants added to the paint's surface. “It is better to be able to use solar light to activate, as the paint can work by itself,” says Antonio, a chemist at the Technical University of Madrid. But a real-world setting would probably reduce its effectiveness, he adds. “Under laboratory conditions, it is a very small scale, and everything is very well controlled such as temperature, humidity, or the concentration of pollutants, but you will never get those results at a real scale.” The study authors stress that this work is just an initial step in their research. “ I think it's a very fundamental study,”says Rupprechter. Future research will confirm how effectively pollutants are neutralized(中和)from the air itself. “We don't claim that we can remove all pollutants from air,” he says, “but overall, it looks promising.” 32. What is an advantage of the special type of paint? A. Absorbing sunlight. B. Removing pollutants. C. Enhancing ecosystem. D. Decorating buildings. 33. Which word can best explain the underlined word “discoloring” in paragraph 2? A. Changing. B. Producing. C. Fading. D. Destroying. 34. Which statement will Antonio probably agree with? A. All pollutants on the surface can be removed. B. More energy was used to activate chemical reactions. C. Artificial UV is superior to sunlight in the experiment. D. The new paint's effectiveness may fall short in real world. 35. What is Rupprechter's attitude towards the research? A. Approving. B. Unfavourable. C. Doubtful. D. Objective. 13 (2023-2024学年高二下·宿迁市·期末统考) D Made of thin cotton and sewed together in only 20 minutes, an experimental pair of gloves isn’t particularly fashionable or useful for keeping anyone’s hands warm. Instead, they use sensors woven into its fabric to serve an entirely different purpose: teaching piano. In a study, Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate student Yiyue Luo and her colleagues created these “smart gloves” using advanced technology, which incorporates physical sensations such as vibration(震动)or force to help with learning activities. Researchers used the gloves to record one pianist’s hand movements while playing a song. They then relayed those movements to a student through fingertip vibrations, helping the learner build muscle memory and perform the piece with greater precision. “Hand-based movements like piano playing are normally really subjective and difficult to record and transfer,” Luo says. “But with these gloves we are actually able to track a piano teacher’s touch experience and share it with another person to improve their tactile learning process.” Using a computerized embroidery(刺绣)machine, the team wove small wires linked to a pressure-sensing material in the gloves to detect hand motions. When a piano teacher wearing the gloves repeatedly performed a tune, a machine-learning algorithm processed their movement on the keys and translated it into instructional vibrations. Students wearing their own gloves then attempted to play the same tune, with the fingertip vibrations guiding them through proper movements. By the trials’ end, students who had practiced with the gloves could play more accurately than those who had not. Playing piano or video games is often just for fun, but Rice University mechanical engineer O’Malley adds that with an improved algorithm, coded to identify and capture finer hand movements, the new glove technology could someday help to teach crucial practices such as surgeries. “Instructional haptics remove a step in the learning process that auditory and visual learning can’t.” she says. “When vibration is actually felt directly at the point of action, we can act and learn quicker and with that, there’s so much potential.” 32. What is presented in paragraph 2? A. Learning activities. B. Statistical methods. C. Theoretical models. D. Working principles. 33. What do we know about the experimental pair of gloves? A. Gloves are used to help perform surgeries. B. Wires are employed to guide hand movements. C. Gloves accelerate the students’ precision slightly. D. Smart technology is applied to process the movements. 34. What is the last paragraph intended to do? A. Introduce a global trend. B. Raise a reasonable doubt. C. Make some further predictions. D. Add some background information. 35. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text? A. “Smart Gloves” Make Teaching Easier. B. Crucial Practices are Taught by “Smart Gloves”. C. “Smart Gloves” Teach Piano Playing through Touch. D. Learners can Act and Learn Quicker via “Smart Gloves”. 14 (2023-2024学年高二下·淮安市·期末统考) D(原卷为C篇) A plant-based diet seems to be the best option for human health. A team led by medical doctor Angelo Capodici of the University of Bologna in Italy has found that humans eating vegetarian(素食的)diets tend to have measurably better health outcomes in several areas. This does not mean that you should immediately excise meat from your diet, since the diet needs of individuals can vary significantly. What it does suggest is that making dietary changes might be a much more powerful tool for improving health outcomes, if it can be done safely. Since diet is easy to change, Capodici and his colleagues(同事)wanted to take a closer look at the impact of plant-based eating on the risk of these diseases. They studied the data collected from 48 reviews between January 2000 and June 2023, and found that vegetarian diets were associated with better health status on a number of risk factors for both cardiovascular disease(CVD)and cancer. Overall, these plant-based diets were associated with better cholesterol(胆固醇)levels and blood sugar control, a lower risk of both cancer and heart disease compared to those of plant-and-meat eaters. The team noted, though, that vegetarian pregnant(怀孕的)women did not show a significantly lower risk of high blood pressure. They were also careful not to draw conclusions about plant-based foods being the only cause of these health improvements. It’s also worth noting that plant-based diets can result in vitamin and mineral shortage; and, of course, many different health conditions, such as allergies(过敏)require a careful, tailored approach to food. Because of these, the researchers caution against the large-scale adoption of plant-based diets. Rather, they say more targeted and more specific research should be conducted, in order to narrow down why these diets are positively correlated with better health. 32. What is the finding of the new research? A. Vegetarians are likely to have a healthier body. B. Individual dietary needs do not affect health outcomes. C. Humans should eat more vegetables to enjoy a longer life. D. Plant-based diets have become more popular in recent years. 33. What does the underlined word “excise” in paragraph 2 mean? A. Remove. B. Obtain. C. Distinguish. D. Steal. 34. How did the team conduct the research? A. By giving reasons. B. By analysing data. C. By listing examples. D. By making comparisons. 35. What can we learn from the last paragraph? A. Plant-based diets are an invitation to allergies among people. B. Plant-based diets can make up for vitamin and mineral shortage. C. Further researches should be focused on how to improve health. D. Individual health needs should be considered before diet changes. 15 (2023-2024学年高二下·淮安市·期末统考) D Some people prefer paperbacks because they’re easy to borrow and share. Others will go for e-readers. But which is the more environmentally sustainable option? Whether it’s better to read books in print or on a device is complicated, because of the complex interaction of the resources involved across the entire lifecycle of a published work: how books and devices are shipped, what energy they use to run, if they can be recycled. On the one side, traditional print publishing comes with a high carbon footprint. According to 2023 data, 32 million trees are cut down each year to make paper for books. Then there’s the energy-intensive processes of printing and shipping—to say nothing of the many books that are destroyed because they remain unsold. Although it’s standard practice in the industry, publishers don’t want to destroy books. So instead, many are donating unsold copies, switching to on-demand printing. Publishers are also rethinking book design, since certain fonts(字体)can be more climate-friendly by using less ink and less paper. On the other hand, digital reading seems to have a considerable eco-advantage over print because it is paperless, so it saves trees and shipping. Moreover, tech companies that make e-readers such as Amazon offer recycling programs for old devices. But digital devices also come with a substantial carbon footprint, especially at the manufacturing stage. Their cases are made with plastics and the minerals in their batteries require resource-heavy mining. Figuring out whether to take a digital device or a paperback to the beach ultimately depends on how much you read.“ If you buy an e-reader and you read loads and loads of books on it, then it’s the lowest carbon thing to do,” said Mike Berners-Lee, the author of The Carbon Footprint of Everything. “But if I buy it, read a couple of books, and decide that I prefer paperback books, then it’s the worst of all worlds.” Yet Berners-Lee said that reading is still, relatively speaking, a pretty sustainable activity—regardless of whether you read using an e-reader, phone or old-fashioned paperback. 32. Why is it hard to tell if print or digital books are more eco-friendly? A. The whole processes for both involve many resources. B. The option depends on the reader’s personal preferences. C. Recycling programs are not equally effective for both types. D. The environmental impact of reading habits is often overlooked. 33. What are book publishers doing to reduce the environmental impact? A. Cutting down fewer trees. B. Destroying the unsold books. C. Employing eco-friendly practices. D. Focusing on the sales of digital books. 34. According to Berners-Lee, an e-reader is more sustainable than paperbacks when ________. A. an e-reader is shared by many people B. you charge it using renewable energy C. an e-reader is recycled after being used D. you read a high volume of books digitally 35. Which is the most suitable title for the text? A. Print books vs. e-readers: which is your favorite? B. Paper books vs. e-readers: which is better for the climate? C. Choose digital reading, for it reduces more carbon footprint D. Keep the balance of convenience and sustainability in reading 16 (2023-2024学年高二下·盐城市·期末统考) D A proposal by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service(USFWS)to kill more than 470,000 barred owls(横斑林鸮)to protect the spotted owl(西点林鸮)has conservationists and animal welfare advocates debating the moral issue of killing one species to protect another. The proposal gained attention recently after dozens of wildlife protection and animal welfare organizations signed a letter opposing the plan. They urged Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to scrap what it calls a thoughtless plan. But the USFWS says if no action is taken to control the barred owl population, the northern spotted owl will face extinction. The proposed action will also help prevent declines in the California spotted owls, another species facing competition from barred owls. Wayne Pacelle, president of the Center for a Human Economy, has called the plan “unworkable”. He says it’s doubtful that the government’s plan can be successfully carried out. However, Cameron Barrows, a retired researcher at the Center for Conservation Biology at the University of California-Riverside, says that without a barred owl management strategy, spotted owls will disappear. Conservation experts who support the proposal say it’s a difficult but necessary plan to help solve a problem that humans helped create. In 1990, the northern spotted owl was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act after environmentalists fought to protect the bird’s habitat from the logging industry. The threatened label also means the Fish and Wildlife Service is legally required to protect the northern spotted owl. But around the same time, the barred owl, originally native to the Eastern U. S., emerged as another threat as it moved west, encroaching(蚕食)on spotted owl territory. Human-driven habitat destruction forced the barred owls to expand across the country, said Claire Catania, the executive director of Birds Connect Seattle. Their move west has since crowded their smaller, less aggressive(好斗的)cousins out, the spotted owl, according to Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The spotted owl’s habitat—old-growth forests—has become “very patchy(零散的)” due to tree cutting and is accessible to the more adaptable barred owl, says Barrows, the UC Riverside conservation researcher. 32. What does the underlined word “scrap” in paragraph 2 mean? A. Submit. B. Select. C. Abandon. D. Assess. 33. What is Cameron Barrows’s attitude to the proposal in paragraph 3? A. Favorable. B. Unclear. C. Doubtful. D. Critical. 34. According to Catania, why did barred owls move west? A. Their habitats became patchy because of pollution. B. Their habitats were destroyed due to human activities. C. They had a preference for the territory of spotted owls. D. They were facing great competition from spotted owls. 35. What is the main idea of the text? A. Shooting 470,000 barred owls was agreed on. B. Barred owls pose a serious threat to spotted owls. C. A proposal to kill owls to save owls starts a debate. D. Importance should be attached to saving spotted owls. 17 (2023-2024学年高二下·连云港市·期末统考) D(原卷为C篇) Packaging designers often combine a variety of elements — text, illustration, color — in complex designs meant to attract consumers’ attention. In many cases, according to a new series of studies, they'd get better results from a simpler approach. In the first study, the researchers worked with data from the U. S. supermarket chain Kroger. They gathered all product images across four consumable categories — shampoo, deodorant, crackers, and cereal — along with each product’s name, brand, retail(零售)price, and weight. Independent research assistants rated the images on complexity of design. Mapping the ratings against each product's price per ounce showed that the simpler the package was, the higher the product's unit price — suggesting that people are willing to pay more when items are presented simply. In the following experiments, the researchers created simple and complex packages for trail mix and showed one or the other to each of 362 university students. The students indicated the highest amount they would pay for the snack, reported whether they thought it contained few or many ingredients and how pure they believed it to be, and rated the package on attractiveness and simplicity. Those who saw the simple design were willing to pay more, even though they were less likely than people who saw the complex design to award high marks on attractiveness. The simple design got higher scores on purity, and participants believed the product contained fewer ingredients. Repeating the experiment with a different item — hand lotion(护手霜)— got similar results. “Simplifying packaging design may be an efficient way to convey product information independent of text,” the researchers write. Additional experiments showed that the boost from a simple design was less pronounced when the product's ingredients were highlighted on the package; consumers then had no need to guess purity. 32. How did the researchers carry out the first study? A. By talking to the staff from a supermarket. B. By recording opinions from local customers. C. By rating complexity of designs and improving them. D. By analyzing product images and related information. 33. The researchers repeated the experiment with hand lotion to find out ________. A. how to create simple packages B. how to get high marks on purity C. whether people preferred simpler designs D. why complex designs were more attractive 34. Which of the following may the researchers agree with? A. Categories of products should be highlighted. B. Managers should make package designs simpler. C. Sales of products should rely more on packaging. D. Researchers should focus on less pronounced facts. 35. What is a suitable title for the text? A. Less is more B. Quality over quantity C. The simpler, the healthier D. The more complex, the more expensive 18 (2023-2024学年高二下·连云港市·期末统考) D Imagine being able to chat with an artificial intelligence(AI)about anything. What if you could discuss last night's game, get relationship advice, or have a deep debate with the virtual assistant on your kitchen counter? Large language models — AIs capable of this level of communication — are advancing quickly enough to make this our new reality. But can we trust what artificial agents say? There are many reasons to embrace conversational AI. The potential uses in health, education, research, and commercial spaces are mind-boggling. Virtual characters can't replace human contact, but mental health research suggests that having something to talk to, whether real or not, can help people. But the biggest problem is that we trust them more than we should. There's a large body of research in human-robot interaction which shows that people will respond to social gestures, reveal personal information, and are even willing to shift their beliefs or behaviour for an artificial agent. This kind of social trust makes us vulnerable(脆弱的)to emotional persuasion and requires careful design, as well as rules, to ensure that these systems aren't used against people. A chatbot may, for instance, instruct your child to touch a live electrical plug with a coin, which has happened. The newest language models are trained on vast amounts of text found on the internet, including harmful and misleading content. As it becomes more difficult to expect a language model's responses, there's more risk of unintended consequences. For example, if people ask their home assistant how to deal with a medical emergency, the wrong kinds of answers can be harmful. We need to ask who creates and owns large language models, and whom this harms or benefits. Personal information that people reveal in conversation can be used for and against them. We need to ensure that this technology is designed and used responsibly. After all, humanity deserves protection, too. 32. What does the underlined word “mind-boggling” mean? A. Worthwhile. B. Reliable. C. Incredible. D. Impossible. 33. What is the biggest problem with human-robot interaction? A. People may be hurt emotionally. B. People may lack normal social life. C. People may spend too much time online. D. People may become too dependent on AI. 34. What is paragraph 4 mainly about? A. Latest applications and training of AI. B. Potential risks and misuse cases of AI. C. Challenges of predicting AI's responses. D. Dangers of relying on AI for emergencies. 35. What is the author’s attitude towards chatting with AI? A. Cautious. B. Supportive. C. Indifferent. D. Doubtful. 19 (2023-2024学年高二下·江苏省镇江市实验高级中学·期末校考) C Imagine you’re out for an evening walk in a foreign city, looking to find a restaurant for dinner. If you’re like most people, you will look for the busiest restaurant with the most diners because its popularity is bound to reflect on the quality of food and service.But is this true? In tourist areas, early diners have no meaningful clues as to which restaurant to choose, so they may have picked their evening eatery on a whim(一时兴起). Following passers- by may have misinterpreted their restaurant choice as a well- informed decision and blindly followed their example. This could have resulted in a snow- balling effect, whereby ever-increasing numbers of customers were attracted to the restaurant in question, creating a false impression of approval. Therefore, following the example of others could have led to a suboptimal(次优的)dinner choice in an overcrowded restaurant. Blindly copying other people’s thoughts or choices or simply going with the crowd is often referred to as “herd behavior(从众行为).” It is a frequent occurrence among humans as well as many other animals. Herding can appear to make a lot of sense. Average judgments of large groups of people often outperform individual choices. Furthermore, following the crowd appears to offer protection and comfort—after all, there’s “safety in numbers”—while helping to maintain a favorable fame. Finally, following the herd reduces the effort needed to make a personal or unique decision; it is therefore an easy option. Herd behaviors, while common and easy to explain, hold significant dangers. Contrary to the so-called “wisdom of crowds”, which emerges when the judgments of individual group members are independently collected to produce an average opinion, herd behaviors typically rely on so-called “information cascades”, where people take on others’ beliefs or copy their choices without critically evaluating the underlying reasons. This frequently leads to the imitation of irrational or simply stupid behaviors. As a result, herding can have many undesirable outcomes, including negative influences on consumer choices, like in the restaurant example above. It appears there is no quick and easy fix to resist the lure(诱惑)of herd behavior. Instead, long-term attitude changes may be necessary, which could involve individuals adopting more critical approaches towards their peers’ opinion, and questioning others’ behaviors as opposed to blindly following them. 32. How is Paragraph 2 mainly developed? A. By giving example. B. By presenting fact. C. By analyzing the cause and effect. D. By making comparison. 33. What is one reason why people tend to follow the crowd? A. It leads to average judgments. B. It brings a sense of security. C. It challenges a favorable reputation. D. It allows for better decision- making. 34. What does the underlined “information cascades” mean in Para 5? A. Adopting others’ beliefs or choices without evaluation. B. Critical evaluation of underlying reasons for choices. C. Average judgments formed by large groups of people. D. Independent collection of individual opinions and judgements. 35. What is the text mainly about? A. Following the herd can greatly benefit us in various aspects. B. It is no easy task for people to resist the lure of herd behavior. C. It is unnecessary to think critically rather than follow the herd blindly. D. The busiest restaurant is not necessarily the best one in tourist areas. 20 (2023-2024学年高二下·江苏省射阳中学·期末校考) D Writing out the same word again and again may bring back bad memories for some, but handwriting can boost connectivity across brain regions, some of which are involved in learning and memory, a new study shows. In the study, psychologists Audrey and Ruud, both at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, stuck electrodes(电极)on the participants’ heads. They asked the participants to type out or hand write with a digital pen words that appeared on a computer screen. Sensors in a cap recorded electrical brain activity. Then the psychologists looked for when two brain areas are active with the same frequency of electrical waves at the same time. This result can reveal the connectivity among different regions across the brain. With handwriting, the researchers saw increased activity, specifically in low frequency bands, not only in the expected motor areas but also in others associated with learning. These low frequency bands have previously been shown to support memory processes. When the team compared the two tasks, they realized that handwriting —but not typing—increased the connectivity across parietal(顶叶)brain regions, which are involved in sensory and motor processing, and central regions, many of which are involved in memory. “Even when the movements are very similar, the activation seems much, much higher in handwriting,” Audrey says. “It shows that there’s more involvement of these brain regions when you’re handwriting, which might give you some specific advantages.” These findings suggest that there are distinct processes of brain activation happening while a person types or writes. This boost of stimulation of handwriting facilitates learning because these particular waves between these areas are involved in memory formation and encoding(编码). And although handwriting may help with learning processes, typing is often easier, faster and more practical. “Students and teachers alike should therefore consider the task at hand to decide to hand write or type,” Audrey says. Despite the need for more studies to determine the best learning strategy, experts say that handwriting shouldn’t be left behind in the digital age. “Schools need to bring in more writing into curriculum design,” Ruud says. 32. What did Audrey and Ruud mainly do in their research? A. They tested the function of electrodes. B. They analyzed the brain structure. C. They monitored the brain activities. D. They recorded the writing speed. 33. Why can handwriting improve learning more than typing? A. It involves more specific brain activation. B. It promotes better muscle memory. C. It allows for more innovative thinking. D. It encourages better concentration. 34. What’s the author’s attitude toward typing? A. Favorable. B. Objective. C. Doubtful. D. Unclear. 35. What might be the best title for the text? A. Taking Notes by Hand is Becoming Uncommon in Class B. Using Keyboard is Recommended Due to Its Convenience C. Widespread Brain Connectivity is Crucial to Human Learning D. Handwriting Boosts Brain Connections More Than Typing Does / 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $$