考前押题03 阅读理解说明文常考话题（期中专项训练）高二英语上学期上海通用

专题03 阅读理解说明文常考话题 话题1 科技与未来生活 话题4 职业与行业发展 话题2 环境与可持续发展 话题5 生物技术与健康干预 话题3 认知与行为研究 话题6 社会现象与公共议题 1 / 2 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 话题1 科技与未来生活 聚焦人工智能、太空探索、自动驾驶等前沿科技对人类生活的影响与挑战。 P1: AI文化污染 探讨AI生成内容对文化生态的冲击，呼吁立法监管（如“清洁互联网法案”）。 P2: 太空种植实验 NASA在太空成功种植生菜，为未来深空探索（如火星任务）提供食物保障。 P3: 自动驾驶卡车“Pod” 瑞典Einride公司测试无人驾驶货运车，采用远程监控模式，规避公共道路法规限制。 Passage 1 【来源】上海市建平中学2024-2025学年高二上学期11月期中英语试题 Increasingly, AI-generated outputs drift across our feeds and searches. Far beyond our screens, the entire culture is becoming affected. A recent study examining scientists’ peer reviews revealed that the word “meticulous(严谨的)” was used 34 times more often than in the previous year. The phrasing, one of the favorite buzzwords of modern large language models like ChatGPT, indicates that many researchers are handing their work over to AI. This reflects a much bigger problem. Any viral post on social media now almost certainly includes AI-generated replies, all to attract follows. Then there is the growing use of AI to scale the creation of cheap synthetic videos for children on YouTube. The narratives make no sense, and characters appear and disappear randomly. As a neuroscientist, this worries me. Isn’t it possible that human culture contains within it cognitive nutrients— things like cohesive narrations and character continuity— that developing brains need? But what happens when a toddler is consuming mostly AI-generated content? It’s worth looking to a historical analogy(类比) for our current situation: the environmental movement. For just as companies and individuals were driven to pollute by economic incentives, so, too, is AI’s cultural pollution driven by a rational decision to fill the internet’s appetite for content as cheaply as possible. However, there has been undeniable progress keeping our cities mostly free of smog. How? Garrett Hardin, a biologist and ecologist, emphasized in 1968 that pollution was an over exploitation of shared resources driven by people acting in their own interest, and that “we are locked into a system of ‘fouling(污染) our own nest,’ so long as we behave only as independent, rational, free enterprisers.” He summed up the problem as a “tragedy of the commons(公共用地).” This acknowledgement was crucial to the environmental movement, which relied on government regulation to do what companies alone could or would not do. Once again, we find ourselves enacting a tragedy of the commons: short-term economic self- interest encourages using cheap AI content to maximize clicks and views, which in turn pollutes our culture. And so far, major AI companies are refusing to help identify AI’s creation- which they could do by adding statistical patterns hidden in word use or in the pixels of images. To deal with this corporate refusal to act we need the equivalent of a Clean Air Act: a Clean Internet Act. A simple solution would be to legislatively force advanced watermarking in AI- generated outputs. Just as the 20th century required extensive interventions to protect the shared environment, the 21st century must protect a different, but equally critical, common resource: our shared human culture. 1．Why does the author express concern? A．AI-generated content is difficult to detect. B．Young children are overly exposed to online content. C．Our culture is affected by low-quality AI-generated content. D．Technological issues, similar to environmental problems, are serious. 2．Which of the following examples best illustrates a “tragedy of the commons”？ A．Fishermen overfishing to earn as much as possible. B．Netizens uploading an excessive number of videos online. C．Students using AI to generate answers for exam questions. D．Governments failing to establish partnership with companies. 3．According to the author, the issue discussed can be resolved by ________. A．controlling the volume of AI-generated content B．regulating AI outputs to make them more identifiable C．urging tech companies to improve the quality of AI generation D．encouraging people to treat culture as seriously as they treat environmental issues 4．Which of the following serves as the most suitable title for the passage? A．A tragedy of the commons: the importance of regulation B．AI outputs are overwhelming: potential risks of AI technology C．Navigating the digital age: why AI should be used with caution D．Addressing AI-generated garbage: endangered culture needs legislation Passage 2 【来源】上海市嘉定区2024-2025学年高二上学期期中英语 “That’s great,” said NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren, after he ate a piece of red lettuce that was grown in a special box. “Tastes good,” agreed the U. S. astronaut Scott Kelly, who is spending one year at the research station. “Kind of like arugula,” Scott added, then used small bottles to spread extra virgin olive oil and vinegar on his leaf, much as one might spread mustard on a hot dog. NASA says that if space explorers can grow their own food while they are away from the earth, they would be more likely to survive the deep space exploration, which can last months or even years. With no way to resupply a spacecraft making a long journey to and from Mars, the ability to grow food during the trip will be key to survive. “For us, having the ability to grow our own food is a big step in that direction, he said. Ray Wheeler, NASA’s lead scientist for advanced life support activities at Kennedy Space Center in Florida also said fresh foods such as tomatoes, blueberries and red lettuce could have a positive impact on people’s moods and also could provide some protection against radiation in space. The red romaine lettuce was grown in a special plant-growing box called a Veggie unit that was built by Orbital Technologies Corporation in Madison, Wisconsin, and was flown to space aboard the Space-X Dragon cargo ship. The seeds are contained in rooting pillows, which come complete with soil and fertilizer.Since water cannot be poured in space, a special irrigation system delivers moisture to the plant pillows from below. The seeds were ”activated“ by Scott on July 8 and grew for 33 days. On Monday, Lindgren used tongs to harvest the lettuce from its growing box, before attaching the leaves carefully to a tray. He cleaned them and handed them, in a food-safe bag, to Scott and Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui. They saved a couple of leaves for Russian cosmonauts Mikhail Kornienko and Gennady Padalka, who were outside the station doing a spacewalk. A previous crop of lettuce was grown in space last year but was not eaten by astronauts. Instead, it underwent - and passed food safety tests back on earth. 1．How did Scott do with the space-grown lettuce? A．He cooked it in a special box. B．He ate it with a kind of arugula. C．He put some mustard on it. D．He put the virgin olive oil on it. 2．The underlined words “that direction” in the second paragraph may refer to _________. A．the journey to and from Mars B．the way to grow food C．the building of research station D．the ability to fly in space 3．What Ray Wheeler said means _________. A．the lettuce is a great step enabling human travel to Mars B．humans are not able to arrive at Mars without the lettuce C．tomatoes are obviously better than the blueberries in size D．radiation would be reduced if people don’t eat some lettuce 4．What is the main idea of the passage? A．The significance of growing food in space for deep space exploration. B．The challenges of resupplying a spacecraft during long space journeys to and from Mars. C．The process of growing red romaine lettuce in a special plant-growing box in space. D．The importance of food safely tests for crops grown in space. Passage 3 【来源】上海市延安中学2024-2025学年高二上学期10月月考英语试卷 Thanks to Top Gear, a British television show for motoring enthusiasts that is now a global brand, a former WWII airfield called Dunsfold has become one of the best-known testing tracks in the world. On October 15, however, instead of booming to the roar of supercars driven by the show’s racing driver, it witnessed the sight of what appeared to be the cableless trailer of an articled lorry (铰接式卡车) running almost silently around the course at over 80kph. The Pod, as this vehicle is known, was made by Einride, Swedish firm founded in 2016 by Robert Falck, an engineer who used to work for Volvo. Mr. Falck thinks that the technology of vehicle autonomy, long experimental, has now evolved sufficiently for driverless goods vehicles to begin earning their livings properly. Some Pods are already in trials for real jobs: running between warehouses, dragging logs from forests and delivering goods for Lidl, a supermarket group. Pods use the same technology of cameras, radar, lidar (the optical equivalent of radar) and satellite-positioning as other competitors in the field, but they differ from those others in the way their maker tries to deal with the regulatory concerns which prevent fully autonomous vehicles from being let loose on public roads. Einride’s approach, at least at the moment, is to avoid these by avoiding the roads in question. Instead, the Pod’s first version operates on designated routes within the limits of enclosed, private areas such as ports and industrial parks. Here, Pods act like bigger and smarter versions of the delivery robots which already run around some factories—though by having the ability to carry 16 tons and with room on board for 15 industrial pallets’ worth of goods, they are indeed quite a lot bigger. The second difference from most other attempts at vehicle autonomy is Einride’s approach to the word autonomy.” Some makers take the idea literally, and aim to keep humans out of the decision-making process entirely. Others, often prompted by traffic regulations, arrange things so that a normally passive human occupant can take the controls if necessary. Pods represent a third way. They always have a human to keep an eye on what is happening and to take over the driving for a difficult operation or if something goes wrong. But this human operates remotely. Having the driver sitting back at headquarters rather than in the vehicle itself is departure from convention, but not a huge one. Aerial drones are usually controlled in this way. The dramatic step is that Mr. Falck believes you do not need a remote driver for each Pod. Einride already uses one person to control two Pods, but plans eventually for a single driver to look after ten. 1．What purpose does the first paragraph mainly serve? A．To inform readers about a popular racing show. B．To explain the significance of the Dunsfold track. C．To introduce a much-sought-after global brand. D．To offer a glimpse of the main subject of the passage. 2．Pods differ from other autonomous vehicles mainly in that ________. A．they can be used in many different real job settings B．they use advanced satellite-positioning technology C．their maker is not seeking to put them on public roads D．they are actually meant to be smart and big delivery robots 3．What can be inferred from the passage? A．The carrying capacity of Pods has yet to be fully exploited. B．Each Pod needs a remote driver to take over its driving. C．Low-performance self-driving vehicles have a human standby. D．No remote driver will be needed in the future for each Pod. 4．What does the passage mainly talk about? A．A British TV show advertises a newly-developed self-driving vehicle. B．A new lorry being tested approaches autonomous driving differently. C．A remote handler plays a crucial role in future autonomous driving. D．A driverless lorry is being tested on a famous track. 话题2 环境与可持续发展 关注气候变化、碳排放、绿色基础设施与生态保护议题。 P1: “本地食物”真的更环保吗？ 研究指出运输仅占食品碳排放的一小部分，进口当季食物可能比冷藏本地食物更环保。 P2: 社区花园的多元价值 城市社区花园不仅提供安全食材，还美化环境、促进邻里关系、降低犯罪率。 P3: “海绵公园”应对城市内涝 曼彻斯特雨水花园通过自然方式管理暴雨径流，减轻老旧排水系统压力。 Passage 1 【来源】上海市徐汇区2023-2024学年高二上学期1月统测英语试题 Recently, campaigners have encouraged us to buy local food. This reduces “food miles” that is, the distance food travels to get from the producer to the retailer. They reason that the higher the food miles, the more carbon emissions. Buying local food, therefore, has a lower carbon footprint and is more environmentally friendly. However, the real story is not as simple as that. If our aim is to reduce carbon emissions (排放), we must look at the whole farming process, not just transportation. According to a recent study, only 11% of carbon emissions in the food production process result from transportation, and only 4% originated from the final delivery of the product from the producer to the retailer. Other processes contribute much more. In fact, imported food often has a lower carbon footprint than locally grown food. Take apples, for example. In autumn, when apples are harvested, the best option for a British resident is to buy British apples. However, the apples we buy in winter or spring have been kept refrigerated for months, and this uses up a lot of energy. In spring, therefore, it is more energy-efficient to import them from New Zealand, where they are in season. Heating also uses a lot of energy, which is why growing tomatoes in heated greenhouses in the UK is less environmentally friendly than importing them from Spain, where the crop grows well in the local climate. We must also take into account the type of transport. Transporting food by air creates about 50 times more emissions than shipping it. However, only a small proportion of goods are flown to the consumer country, and these are usually high value items which we cannot produce locally, such as seafood and out-of-season berries. Even then, these foods may not have a higher carbon footprint than locally grown food. For example, beans flown in from Kenya are grown in sunny fields using manual labor and natural fertilizers, unlike in Britain, where we use oil-based fertilizers and machinery. Therefore, the total carbon footprint is still lower. It’s also worth remembering that a product’s journey does not end at the supermarket. The distance consumers travel to buy their food, and the kind of transport they use will also add to its carbon footprint. So driving a long way to shop for food will negate any environmental benefits of buying locally grown produce. Recently, some supermarkets have been trying to raise awareness of food miles by labelling foods with stickers that show it has been imported by air. But ultimately, the message this gives is too simple. Lots of different factors contribute to a food’s carbon footprint besides the distance it has travelled. And even if we only buy local food which is currently in season, there are ethical (道德的) implications. What’s more, our diets would be more limited. 1．The author uses numbers in the second paragraph to suggest that ________. A．most high value items cannot be produced locally B．buying local food has a lower carbon footprint C．imported food contributes more to environmental damage D．transportation only plays a small part in carbon emissions 2．Which of the following is the writer most likely to support? A．Importing apples to Britain from New Zealand in spring. B．Labelling food with stickers that show it is imported. C．Transporting imported food to consumer countries by air. D．Making a long journey to buy locally produced food. 3．The underlined word negate is closest in meaning to ________. A．extend B．increase C．deny D．calculate 4．The passage is mainly about ________. A．the importance and benefits of buying locally produced food B．the reasons why buying local food does not reduce carbon emissions C．the reasons why many countries have to import food from overseas D．the environmental problems caused by food transportation Passage 2 【来源】上海市浦东新区上海师范大学附属中学2024-2025学年高二上学期11月期中英语试题 One way people are responding to food safety concerns is by growing their own food. However, not everyone lives on property with enough space for a private plot. One solution is community gardens, which have become popular worldwide, numbering 18,000 in North America alone. In addition to providing low-cost, delicious food, these public spaces offer cities a range of other benefits. Community gardens are located in a town or city and tended by local residents. Often, the land is on a vacant lot owned by the city. The site is divided into manageable plots, which may be tended by individuals or by the garden’s members collectively. Since the land is usually publicly owned, the cost for gardeners to lease it is minimal. In fact, New York City, which is home to more than 750 community gardens tended by more than 20,000 members, charges people just $1 a year to lease a plot. Other costs involve soil, tools, seeds, fencing, and so on. However, because they’re shared by many people, individual gardeners pay very little. A community garden can quickly pay off, in terms of delicious fruits and vegetables, in addition to beautiful flowers. Excess produce can be sold for a profit at farmers markets. But a garden’s benefits don’t stop there. They also beautify cities, foster strong relationships among residents, and lower an area’s crime rate. Award-winning spaces like London’s Culpeper Community Garden even attract tourists. Beautiful and affordable, community gardens are often described as oases in crowded cities. 1．Community gardens are designed for those who ________. A．are concerned about food safety B．live in a house with a private plot C．can’t afford to buy organic food D．don’t have their own property 2．New York City ________. A．is owned by 20,000 individual gardeners B．charges residents a lot to lease tools and fencing C．contains more than 750 community gardens D．is tended by professional gardeners and local residents 3．What’s the benefit of community gardens? A．People can enjoy safe and delicious vegetables and animal meat. B．Residents are more familiar and related with each other. C．The neighborhood is becoming safer but of lower taste. D．People can make some profits from the visiting tourists. Passage 3 【来源】上海市延安中学2024-2025学年高二上学期10月月考英语试卷 It was raining when I visited Manchester, fittingly, one might say, given its popular image. Fittingly, also because I was standing in West Gortorn Community Park, which includes a lovely rain garden. A rain garden is a sunken area filled with water-loving plants where rain is channeled and left to soak away slowly, rather than bouncing off the roads and pavements then hitting the grids all at once, swamping (淹没) the already overburdened sewerage system. The rain garden is one of a number of features in the park designed to manage storm water and help prevent flooding in an area that is prone to it. Not that you are immediately aware that these are rainwater management features, which gave it its nickname of the “sponge park”. All you really see is a beautiful green space, an oasis of calm in the city. Manchester City Council commissioned this award-winning park as part of a 10-year plan to regenerate the area. It is also one of the U.K.’s first research and demonstration project for assessing how Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) can help combat climate change, and is being closely monitored by scientists at Manchester University. None of its design concepts are difficult. You take the hard, flat surfaces of the urban environment and do your best to get rid of them. Soften them, roughen them, make them porous (多孔的；透水的). Scoop out sections and fill them with water-loving plants. Then, channeled the rainwater into them and let the vegetation soak it up. Finally, that water is released slowly back into the atmosphere via transpiration (蒸腾作用) in the leaves. Given that the natural world has been doing this for years, it makes sense that these methods are called Nature-Based Solutions. Green Infrastructure is another term; SuDS another, which stands for Sustainable Drainage Systems. Whatever you want to call it, NBS tick a lot of boxes. They take some stress off our antiquated sewerage system; their trees and plants store carbon, helping to mitigate climate change; and they create valuable wildlife habitat. They also provide the green lungs that are so important for our physical and mental well-being. NBS is a wonderful and simple idea. Where there is water, there is life. Slowing the flow not only deals with the problem, it creates nature. If there is water around, you can create fantastic wetland habitats - and we have lost 90-95 percent of our wetlands in this country. Recreating them would be a massive boon for biodiversity. 1．What is the primary function of the rain garden in West Gorton Community Park? A．To provide a place for people to enjoy the popular image of rain. B．To manage storm water and prevent flooding in the park. C．To serve as a demonstration of urban gardening sewerage system. D．To increase the aesthetic appeal of the lovely park. 2．The rain garden in West Gorton Community Park is designed to address a specific problem that is worsened by which of the following factors? A．The popularity of Manchester as a tourist destination, leading to increased traffic and pavement usage. B．The abundance of water-loving plants naturally occurring in the area, requiring additional drainage solutions. C．The city’s existing sewerage system, which is already overburdened and prone to flooding during heavy rainfall. D．The implementation of the 10-year regeneration plan by Manchester City Council, causing disruption to drainage patterns. 3．What does the underlined phrase “tick a lot of boxes” imply? A．NBS is a controversial concept with many different names. B．NBS is a simple idea that is easy to understand and name. C．NBS is a solution that is only effective in certain situations. D．NBS is a versatile solution that can be applied in various contexts. 话题3 认知与行为研究 聚焦青少年成长中的心理机制、行为特征与社会适应。 P1: 青少年为何“又叛逆又善良”？ 研究发现青少年的亲社会行为与叛逆行为同步发展，背后机制是“奖励敏感性”。 P2: 怀旧情绪可缓解疼痛 实验显示怀旧刺激（如童年照片）能激活丘脑，降低疼痛感知，但效果因人而异。 P3: 失败与成功的关系研究 失败是成功的必要前提，但并非所有失败都能促成成功 Passage 1 【来源】上海市上海中学2024-2025学年高二上学期12月考英语试题 Teenagers are paradoxical (自相矛盾的). That’s a mild and detached way of saying something that parents often express with considerably stronger language. But the paradox is scientific as well as personal. In adolescence, helpless and dependent children who have relied on grown-ups for just about everything become independent people who can take care of themselves and help each other. At the same time, once cheerful and compliant children become rebellious teenage risk-takers. A new study published in the journal Child Development, by Eveline Crone of the University of Leiden and colleagues, suggests that the positive and negative sides of teenagers go hand in hand. The study is part of a new wave of thinking about adolescence. For a long time, scientists and policy makers concentrated on the idea that teenagers were a problem that needed to be solved. The new work emphasizes that adolescence is a time of opportunity as well as risk. The researchers studied “prosocial” and rebellious traits in more than 200 children and young adults, ranging from 11 to 28 years old. The participants filled out questionnaires about how often they did things that were altruistic and positive, like sacrificing their own interests to help a friend, or rebellious and negative, like getting drunk or staying out late. Other studies have shown that rebellious behavior increases as you become a teenager and then fades away as you grow older. But the new study shows that, interestingly, the same pattern holds for prosocial behavior. Teenagers were more likely than younger children or adults to report that they did things like unselfishly helping a friend. Most significantly, there was a positive correlation between prosociality and rebelliousness. The teenagers who were more rebellious were also more likely to help others. The good and bad sides of adolescence seem to develop together. Is there some common factor that underlies these apparently contradictory developments? One idea is that teenage behavior is related to what researchers call “reward sensitivity.” Decision-making always involves balancing rewards and risks, benefits and costs. “Reward sensitivity” measures how much reward it takes to outweigh risk. Teenagers are particularly sensitive to social rewards—winning the game, impressing a new friend, getting that boy to notice you. Reward sensitivity, like prosocial behavior and risk-taking, seems to go up in adolescence and then down again as we age. Somehow, when you hit 30, the chance that something exciting and new will happen at that party just doesn’t seem to outweigh the effort of getting up off the couch. 1．According to Co’s study, __________. A．it’s further proved that teenagers are a problem to be solved B．adolescence is a period when opportunity and risk co-exist C．prosocial behavior is understated because of the explicit rebellious traits D．all traits need to be balanced in terms of rewards and risks 2．The underlined word in Para 1 is closest in meaning to __________. A．fun-loving B．obedient C．paradoxical D．cautious 3．It can be inferred from the passage that teenagers __________. A．overstress their influence on others B．care a lot about social recognition C．become anxious about their future D．endeavor to live a joyful life 4．The text is generally intended to __________. A．explain why teenagers demonstrate opposite personality traits B．publicize new findings concerning teenager’s rebellious behavior C．illustrate the trade-off between prosociality and rebelliousness among teenagers D．explain by theory of “reward Sensitivity” why risk-taking declines as people age Passage 2 【来源】上海市位育中学2024-2025学年高二上学期期中英语试卷 Nostalgia — that sentimental feeling of longing for the past — can reduce pain perception, according to new research published in the journal Neuroscience. Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences asked study participants to rate their level of pain from heat stimulation while looking at pictures that were nostalgic — describing old cartoons or childhood games — compared with more modern pictures. Researchers found that observing pictures that triggered childhood memories was linked to participants reporting weaker feelings of pain. By managing their discomfort, rather than eliminating or reducing the (unpleasant) stimuli, people can use nostalgia to reframe their painful experiences. Nostalgia is a predominantly positive emotion that people easily perceive in their lives. For instance, people can feel happy and peaceful when browsing their pictures grouped with family or friends. Previous studies have also demonstrated the psychological and emotional benefits of nostalgia. One study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology showed that nostalgia — triggered by a writing task— decreased the perception of pain intensity among people suffering from chronic pain. Further research found that people had an increased pain tolerance following thoughts of nostalgia, according to Cathy Cox, an associate professor of psychology at Texas Christian University. During this process of nostalgia-induced pain relief, the thalamus plays a crucial role. The thalamus, often described as the relay station of the brain, is responsible for passing along sensory information and motor signals to the cerebral cortex (大脑皮层). The new study showed that the thalamus integrates that ‘nostalgia information’ and triggers a pain response that is more controlled. Viewing nostalgic photos also decreased activity in two pain-related areas of the brain. And it’s not just old photos that can lead to positive responses due to nostalgia — music, movies or certain stories can also trigger these. So can odors, such as perfume, or the taste of certain foods, such as candy from childhood or cookies that remind someone of home. All these nostalgia triggers could prove to be useful in the future for providing cheap, easily accessible pain management tools to people. But Cox cautioned that using nostalgia for pain relief might not be a blanket solution for everyone. Previous studies highlight that nostalgia is a personal emotional experience that varies in terms of frequency and intensity. What nostalgia is is this feeling of connectedness with other people. So people who are more likely to prefer distance over close relationships don’t get the same benefits of nostalgia. As with other positive psychology interventions, such as practicing mindfulness or gratitude, the impacts can depend on the person. The researchers also have plans to use different age groups in future research and to look into the impacts of more personal nostalgic cues rather than general nostalgia ones such as old music and movies. 1．According to this passage, which of the following choices may help relieve the pain? A．Vincent van Gogh’s oil painting ‘Sunflowers’. B．Your great-grandfather’s antique collection. C．A photo of your mother holding you in her arms. D．Mc Donald’s hamburger bought by your neighbor. 2．Which of the following statements about nostalgia is TRUE? A．Nostalgia-induced pain relief can be triggered by anything from the past. B．Nostalgia stimulates the thalamus to trigger contained responses to pain. C．Nostalgia has already been proved to be a cheap way to manage pain. D．Nostalgia is a feeling of connectedness with others that everyone has. 3．What can be inferred from the passage? A．Previous studies show writing or thinking of the word ‘nostalgia’ can also relieve pain. B．Thalamus can transmit the nostalgia information and decrease the cerebral cortex activity. C．Nostalgia triggers are cheap and accessible so they will be widely used in the future. D．The pain-relieving effect of nostalgia varies from person to person and needs further study. 4．Which of the following might be the best title of this passage? A．Nostalgia, the best remedy for everyone B．Nostalgia, one possible way to relieve pain C．Nostalgia, a feeling of longing for the past D．Nostalgia, a process related to the thalamus Passage 3 【来源】上海南洋模范中学2024-2025学年高二上学期期中考试英语试题 The Secret of Success The recipe for succeeding in any given field is hardly a mystery: good ideas, hard work, discipline, imagination, perseverance and maybe a little luck. Oh, and let’s not forget failure, which Dashun Wang and his colleagues at Northwestern University call “the essential prerequisite (先决条件) for success” in a new paper. But not every failure leads to success, he adds. And what eventually separates the winners from the losers, the research shows, certainly is not persistence. One of the more interesting findings in the paper, published last October in Nature, is that the people who eventually succeeded and the people who eventually failed tried basically the same number of times to achieve their goals. It turns out that trying again and again only works if you learn from your previous failures. The idea is to work smart, not hard. You have to figure out what worked and what didn’t, and then focus on what needs to be improved instead of struggling around and changing everything,” says Wang. “The people who failed didn’t necessarily work less than those who succeeded. They could actually have worked more: it’s just that they made more unnecessary changes.” As they explored “the mechanisms governing the dynamics of failure”, Wang’s team identified what they describe as previously unknown statistical signatures that separate successful groups from unsuccessful groups, making it possible to predict their final outcomes. One such key indicator is the time between consecutive (连续的) failed attempts, which should decrease steadily. In other words, the faster you fail, the better your chances of success, and the more time between attempts, the more likely you are to fail again. “If someone has applied for a grant and they are three failures in,” Wang says, “if we just look at the timing between the failures, we will be able to predict whether they will eventually succeed or not.” Working with such large-scale data, Wang and his colleagues were able to identify a critical point that was common to each of the hundreds of thousands of undertakings they had analyzed, a fork in the road where one path leads to a development region and one leads to a stagnation region. Wang points out that the existence of the tipping point cuts against the traditional explanations for failure or success, such as luck or a person’s work habits. “What we’ re showing here is that even in the absence of such differences, you can still have very different outcomes.” he says. What matters is how people fail, how they respond to failure and where those failures lead. 1．It can be learned from Paragraph 2 that________. A．winners are more persistent than losers B．failure is not important for success at all C．more trying doesn’t necessarily result in success D．winners and losers differ in how many times they tried 2．Wang and his colleagues believe that________. A．no one can obtain success without failure B．failure can sometimes help predict success C．the performance pattern is difficult to identify D．the critical point had been discovered by chance 3．The underlined phrase “a stagnation region” in Paragraph 6 refers to a region________. A．without progress B．beyond recognition C．unknown to outsiders D．in its elementary stage 4．What is the conclusion of Wang’s research? A．Winners try less than losers. but gain more. B．Perseverance is the utmost secret to success. C．Working smart could turn failures into future successes. D．Luck and work habits hardly make any difference to the result. 话题4 职业与行业发展 P1: 《女子篮球的历史与发展》：追溯女子篮球起源于 1892 年史密斯学院，讲述 Senda Berenson 为适应女性体质修改规则（如场地分三区、每队 9 人、限制运球次数等），介绍 1896 年斯坦福与加州大学伯克利分校的首场校际女子篮球赛，提及 1976 年女子篮球成为奥运会正式项目、1953 年首届女子篮球世界杯举办，以及美国、苏联（俄罗斯）、巴西、澳大利亚在世界杯中的夺冠情况。 P2: 《奥斯卡金像奖（Academy Awards）的相关事实》：介绍奥斯卡金像奖的起源（1927 年 AMPAS 成立，1929 年首次颁奖），说明奖杯材质（镀金青铜，官方价值 1 美元，获奖者出售前需先以 1 美元价格 offer 给学院），讲述 “Oscar” 名称的由来（1930 年代 AMPAS 图书管理员认为奖杯像其叔叔 Oscar，1939 年官方定名），强调奥斯卡作为电影界卓越象征的地位。 Passage 1 【来源】上海交通大学附属中学嘉定分校等四校联考2024-2025学年高二上学期期中考试英语试题 Women’s basketball began in the winter of 1892 at Smith College. Senda Berenson, an instructor at Smith, taught basketball to her students, hoping the activity would improve their physical health. Basketball’s early supporters were affiliated with YMCAs (The Young Men’s Christian Association) and colleges throughout the United States, and the game quickly spread throughout the country. However, Berenson was taking risks simply in teaching the game to women. She worried a little about the women suffering from “nervous fatigue” if games were too strenuous for them. And, in order to keep it “acceptable” for women to play at all, she taught modified rules. These included a court divided into three areas and nine players per team. Three players were assigned to each area (guard, center, forward) and could not cross the line into another area. The ball was moved from section to section by passing or dribbling. Players were limited to three dribbles and could hold the ball for three seconds. No snatching or batting the ball away from a player was allowed. A center jump was required after each score. Peach baskets and the soccer ball were the equipment. Variations of Berenson’s rules spread across the country via YMCAs and colleges. The first intercollegiate women’s basketball game was played between teams from Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley, in 1896. The popularity of women’s basketball grew steadily around the world for decades. By the 1970s the sport had attracted the notice the International Olympic Committee, which added women’s basketball as an official sport of the Olympic Games in 1976. The Women’s World Cup was created by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). It began in 1953, held in Chile, three years after the first men’s World Championship. For most of its early history, it was not held in the same year as the men’s championship. After the 1983 event, FIBA changed the scheduling so that the women’s tournament would be held in even-numbered non-Olympic years, a change that had come to the men’s tournament in 1970. Only four nations have won titles in the history of the Women’s World Cup. The United States has won the title nine times, including six of the last eight. The Soviet Union won six titles, including five in a row from 1959 to 1975. The only other countries to win have been Brazil in 1994 and Australia in 2006. 1．The underlined words “strenuous” in paragraph 2 properly means___________. A．interesting B．tough C．comfortable D．strange 2．Why were the rules for women’s basketball originally different from those of men’s basketball? A．To make the game shorter. B．To make the game easier. C．To make the game more challenging. D．To make the game more interesting. 3．According to the passage, which country has never won the FIBA women’s basketball championship? A．The United States. B．Russia. C．Brazil. D．Austria. 4．What is the main idea of the passage? A．Women’s basketball is more challenging than men’s basketball. B．Women basketball player aren’t as good as male basketball players. C．America is the strongest country for women’ basketball so far. D．Women’s basketball is a serious sport with a long history. Passage 2 【来源】上海市徐汇区2023-2024学年高二上学期1月统测英语试题 The Academy Awards Oscar presentation for excellence in the film industry has a long and rich history. In 1927, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) was formed by 36 of the film industry’s most prominent individuals, choosing film actor Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. as its first president. In 1929, AMPAS presented the first Academy Award. The first Academy Awards, which took place at a private dinner for about 270 people, were presented in 1929 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Los Angeles, U. S. state of California. A gold trophy, a 34-centimeter-tall statuette (小雕像), is awarded to the winners. Most people think that the statuette, which weighs nearly four kilograms, must be made of solid gold. If only this were true. It is gold-plated, but the great majority of an Oscar statuette is only bronze. While it may be priceless to the winners, the Academy officially sets its value at a mere US $1. The statuettes are technically property of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. As a result, before an Oscar winner can sell his trophy, he must first offer to sell it to the Academy for one dollar. This rule is to discourage winners from selling the awards for financial gain. Oscar is not a particularly common man’s name, so where does the moniker come from? Legend has it that in the 1930s, the Academy’s first librarian and later its executive director, Margaret Herrick, was heard to say that the statuette resembled her Uncle Oscar. The name stuck, and in 1939 the Academy officially adopted Oscar to represent the common name of the award. Its official name, however, is the “Academy Award of Merit.” Whatever one wishes to call it, the Oscar is one of the world’s most recognizable trademarks. Cinema has come a long way since the first prototypes of movie cameras were developed near the end of the 19th century. Movies have since become one of the most popular forms of entertainment worldwide. The Oscars have come to represent excellence in cinema. 1．The passage is mainly about ________. A．the history of the film industry. B．facts about the Academy Award of Merit. C．how to estimate the value of an Oscar statuette. D．the founder of the Academy Awards ceremony. 2．What does the word “moniker” in the fourth paragraph refer to? A．The composition of an Oscar statuette. B．The biography of a man named Oscar. C．The popularity of the Academy Awards ceremony. D．The informal name for the Academy Award of Merit. 3．Which of the following is NOT discussed in the passage? A．Where the ceremony is held. B．The origin of the name Oscar. C．The monetary value of an Oscar. D．How many Oscars are awarded annually. 4．According to the passage, we can learn that ________. A．Oscar is actually a real person’s name. B．The entire Oscar statuette is made of bronze. C．The winners are prohibited from selling the statuette. D．Movies have become less popular as a form of entertainment. Passage 3 【来源】上海市第三女子中学2024-2025学年高二上学期期中考试英语试题 “Two centuries ago, Lewis and Clark left St. Louis to explore the new lands acquired in the Louisiana Purchase,” George W. Bush said, announcing his desire for a program to send men and women to Mars. “They made that journey in the spirit of discovery. America has ventured forth into space for the same reasons.” Yet there are vital differences between Lewis and Clark’s expedition and a Mars mission. First, they were headed to a place where hundreds of thousands of people were already living. Second, they were certain to discover places and things of immediate value to the new nation. Third, their venture cost next to nothing by today’s standards. A Mars mission may be the single most expensive non-wartime undertaking in U. S. history. Appealing as the thought of travel to Mars is, it does not mean the journey makes sense, even considering the human calling to explore. And Mars as a destination for people makes absolutely no sense with current technology. Present systems for getting from Earth’s surface to low-Earth orbit are so fantastically expensive that merely launching the 1,000 tons or so of spacecraft and equipment a Mars mission would require could be accomplished only by cutting health-care benefits, education spending, or other important programs – or by raising taxes. Absent some remarkable discovery, astronauts, geologists, and biologists once on Mars could do little more than analyze rocks and stare into the sky of another world. Yet rocks can be analyzed by automated probes without risk to human life, and at a tiny fraction of the cost of sending people. It is interesting to note that when President Bush unveiled his proposal, he listed these recent major achievements of space exploration pictures of evidence of water on Mars, discovery of more than 100 planets outside our solar system, and study of the soil of Mars. All these accomplishments came from automated probes or automated space telescopes. Bush’s proposal, which calls for reprogramming some of NASA’s present budget into the Mars effort, might actually lead to a reduction in such unmanned science — the one aspect of space exploration that’s working really well. Rather than spend hundreds of billions of dollars to send people to Mars using current technology, why not take a decade or two or however much time is required researching new launch systems and advanced propulsion(推进力)? If new launch systems could put weight into orbit affordably, and advanced propulsion could speed up that long, slow transit to Mars, the dream of stepping onto the red planet might become reality. Mars will still be there when the technology is ready. 1．What do Lewis and Clark’s expedition and a Mars mission have in common? A．Instant value. B．Human inhabitance. C．Venture cost. D．Exploring spirit. 2．Bush’s proposal is challenged for the following reasons EXCEPT that ______. A．its expenditure is too huge for the government to afford. B．great achievements have already been made in Mars exploration in America. C．American people’s health care will be affected a lot if it is implemented. D．unmanned Mars exploration sounds more practical and economical for the moment. 3．Which can be concluded from the passage? A．Using the current technology to explore Mars is challenging but realistic. B．A Mars mission is considered as unpractical mainly because of the high cost. C．Bush’s proposal is based on three recent great achievements of space exploration. D．Great efforts should be put in the development of manned Mars mission. 4．What is the main idea of the passage? A．Someday people may go to Mars but not until it makes some technological sense. B．A Mars mission is so costly that it may lead to an economic disaster in America. C．Risky as it is, a Mars mission helps to retain America’s position as a technological leader. D．A Mars mission is unnecessary since the scientists once there won’t make great discoveries. 话题5 生物技术与健康干预 探讨人类如何通过技术手段干预自身健康与能力边界。 P1: “生物黑客”兴起 普通人通过DIY生物学、基因编辑、间歇性禁食等方式“升级”身体，但伴随法律与健康风险。 P2: 瓶装空气成商品 空气污染催生“瓶装空气”市场，反映环境危机下的消费异化与治理失效。 Passage 1 【来源】上海市吴淞中学2024-2025学年高二上学期期中试卷英语试题 The concept of “biohacking” has been gaining popularity in recent years. It refers to the practice of using DIY biology and technology to improve one’s physical and mental health, as well as overall well-being. Biohackers, as they are called, often experiment with various techniques and tools to better their bodies and minds. One of the most popular biohacking practices is the use of nootropics, also known as “brain boosters.” These are substances that are believed to enhance cognitive functions such as memory, focus, and creativity. Nootropics can range from natural supplements and Omega-3 fatty acids to synthetic compounds. Another common biohacking technique is the practice of intermittent fasting, which involves cycling’ between periods of eating and fasting, usually in a pattern of 16/8 (16 hours of fasting and 8 hours of eating) or 5/2 (five days of normal eating and two days of fasting). Intermittent fasting is believed to promote weight loss, and even extend lifespan. Biohackers also experiment with various forms of physical enhancement. This can include anything from using biofeedback devices to monitor and regulate physiological processes, to undergoing extreme physical transformations such as implants and body modifications. Some biohackers even go as far as to use gene editing technologies like CRISPR to modify their DNA for enhanced physical traits. However, biohacking is not without its risks. The use of unregulated supplements and drugs can lead to unpredictable side effects, and some biohacking practices may even be illegal. Furthermore, the long-term effects of many biohacking techniques are still unknown, making it difficult to assess their safety and effectiveness. Despite these risks, the biohacking movement continues to grow in popularity. Many people are drawn to the idea of taking control of their own health and well-being through DIY biology and technology. As the movement evolves, it will be important for researchers and regulators to monitor its impact on human health and society. 1．What does the term “biohacking” refer to? A．Using technology to improve physical appearance. B．Using DIY biology and technology to improve health and well-being. C．Experimenting with dangerous drugs and supplements. D．Undergoing extreme physical transformations for aesthetic reasons. 2．Which of the following is a popular biohacking practice? A．Using biofeedback devices to monitor sleep patterns. B．Taking nootropics to enhance cognitive functions. C．Undergoing gene editing for aesthetic purposes. D．Practicing intermittent fasting to gain muscle mass. 3．What are the potential risks associated with biohacking? A．Mild side effects and short-term health issues. B．Immediate side effects and potential illegality. C．Illegal practices and insecurity. D．Long-term health issues and unknown effects. 4．What is the author’s attitude towards the biohacking movement? A．Neutral. B．Opposed. C．Supportive. D．Critical. Passage 2 【来源】上海市浦东新区华东师范大学第二附属中学2024-2025学年高二上学期12月月考英语试题 For companies who bottle pure mountain air, like one in Canada, dropping air quality is a business opportunity. For the rest of us, it’s a killer. While billions of people live in a fog of harmful airborne particles each day, the business of Vitality Air, which sells bottled Canadian mountain air, is booming. “Our Chinese website keeps crashing. We are getting orders from all over the country, not just the wealthier cities,” said Harrison Wang, China representative for Vitality Air. “When the air is bad, we see increase in sales.” While the company has sold 12,000 bottles of air from Canada’s national parks to Chinese people sick of the pollution that chokes many of the country’s cities, plenty of other nations are increasingly asking for clean air. The past week has also identified the cause for this smoggy malaise (难以捉摸的问题). The torching of fossil fuels has grown so quickly that the world is heading to atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide beyond 400 parts per million — a level unseen in human history. Particles and chemicals released from power plants and vehicles are killing us as the CO₂ dissolves the Great Barrier Reef and helps rob Alaska of a winter. Indeed, if humans vanished tomorrow, our great contributions will not be non-hovering hover boards, but our pollution. Recent research concludes that on vast geological timescales, humans will leave behind just a layer of plastic and a blanket of planet-warming greenhouse gases. Cities, where most pollution dwells, are perhaps ahead of national governments in realizing the crisis we all now face. In the US, the Clean Air Act has lifted the smog from many large American metropolises and have banded with other urban areas from around the world to do more to tackle climate change. Paris has placed a monthly ban upon cars along the Champs-Elysee, while Santiago in Chile last year temporarily banned 40% of its 1.7m vehicles. But with more people dying from air pollution each year than malaria and HIV, it’s clear that far more needs to be done to clean up our cities, stem the flow of plastic into the environment and help rapidly growing economies exploit the sun and the wind, rather than coal, for their energy needs. Otherwise we will run out of places to bottle clean air from. 1．Which of the following statement about Vitality Air is TRUE? A．It sells bottled pure mountain air only to wealthy cities in China. B．The Canadian company profits by transporting national parks’ air to Chinese people. C．It is a technology company whose website keeps crashing. D．Its products cause serious environmental problems. 2．What is the root of the world’s air pollution problem? A．The atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide. B．The excessive burning of fossil fuels. C．The dissolving Great Barrier Reef. D．The trillions of tiny pieces plastic. 3．What can be inferred from the passage? A．Plenty of other nations were not able to buy clean bottled air from Vitality Air. B．Innovative technologies would be the consequence if humans disappeared on the earth. C．The warm winter in Alaska is caused by the burning of fossil fuels. D．National governments are working on the smoggy problem through a joint effort. 4．Which of the following is the best title? A．Bottled air: far from a silver bullet to air pollution B．Dropping air quality: the killer hunting all of us C．A global dilemma: pollution has both upsides and downsides D．An emergent call: we are running out of clean bottled air Passage 3 【来源】上海市七宝中学2024-2025学年高二上学期期中考试试卷 A new study, which found that eating ultra- processed (超加工的) food (like fish fingers, fizzy drinks and ready meals) could increase the risk of death, made for alarming headlines. The Sun told us that “just for portions of processed food a day could kill you”, while The Telegraph said that ultra-processed foods “could increase the risk of early death by 60 percent”. As is often the case, the research is well-designed and alarming. What’s more, the news coverage is not exactly false. The problem is that the numbers driving the headlines are hard to interpret, and seem more frightening than they are. Let’s unpack what the evidence means in this case. Spanish researchers followed roughly 20,000 students over 14 years, using questionnaires to estimate how many portions of ultra-processed food they were eating every day. They found that those who ate the most ultra-processed foods had a 62 percent increased risk of death from any cause, compared with those who ate the least. If we assume the conclusions are accurate, then a 62 percent increased risk of death sounds pretty shocking. But what does it mean? Let’s imagine two friends — Wanda and Winona. They’re both around 50, the same weight, do the same amount of exercise, have same family histories of disease, but not the same habits or lifestyle. Wanda is keen on instant noodles, fish fingers and fizzy drinks, while Winona prefers steamed vegetables and whole meal bread. Each one faces an annual risk of death, whose technical name is their “hazard”. The key statistic reported in the Spanish study was a hazard ratio (率) of 1.62. This means that, for two people like Wanda and Winona who are similar apart from their different diets, the one with the risk factor — Wanda — has a 62 percent increased annual risk of death over the follow- up period (around 14 years in the Spanish study). It’s tempting to interpret this as meaning that Wanda’s life is going to be 62 percent shorter than Winona’s, but that’s not what’s going on. Crucially, the risk of dying in any one year for the average person is pretty low, so a 62 percent annual increase in risk of death may not be alarming as it sounds. In the UK, for example, the average annual risk of death for 50-year-old women is around 0.2 percent, which means you might expect 2 in every 1,000 women like Winona to die each year. A 62 percent increase on that number gives around a 0.3 percent annual risk of death, which would be 3 in every 1,000 women like Wanda. The difference in 1,000, sounds a lot less alarming than the 62 percent which made the headlines. 1．What does the writer imply about the increased risk of death covered in the news? A．It reflects people’s ignorance of what makes a healthy diet. B．The interpretation of it needs to be weighed objectively. C．It is a conclusion drawn from a poorly designed study. D．The understanding of it varies from country to country. 2．What did the Spanish researchers do in their study? A．They divided the students into two groups. B．They collected the data by means of interviews. C．They followed the subjects for more than a decade. D．They made up two friends named Wanda and Winona. 3．According to the writer, why is it that the 62 percent annual increase in risk of death may not be that alarming? A．The chance of dying in a year for the average person is relatively minimal. B．It is based on the data that the Spanish researchers collected 14 years ago. C．The relevant study has failed to take other factors into consideration. D．People in the UK are becoming more and more health-conscious. 4．What can be concluded from the passage? A．The news coverage ought to be as objective as possible. B．There needs to be more evidence for the increase in risk of death. C．The harm done by ultra-processed food is not as serious as reported. D．There should be regulations on the production of ultra-processed food. 话题6 社会现象与公共议题 剖析现代社会中的文化趋势、伦理争议与政策困境;解读人类行为背后的普遍规律。 P1: “三明治一代”照护危机 中年人同时抚养子女与照顾老人，社会对照护劳动的忽视亟需制度性改革。 P2: 人类为何将物品拟人化？ 孤独感或认知需求驱使人们赋予手机、汽车等物体“人格”，影响消费行为与情感依附。 P3: 眼神交流的力量 眼神接触能聚焦注意力、干扰工作记忆、塑造他人印象，但过度凝视会引发不适。 Passage 1 【来源】上海市上海中学2024-2025学年高二上学期期中考试英语试题 This unfolding health crisis has implications for the government, the NHS and society at large, but perhaps the people most affected are those dealing with aging parents and young children or teenagers — the “sandwich generation”. The term was first popularized by US sociologists Dorothy Miller and Elaine Brody in 1981. Miller wrote of “adult children” who were exposed to “a unique set of unshared stresses in which giving of resources and service far outweighs receiving them.” The declining health of older generations has coincided with more parental demands such as the spread of attention-rich “gentle parenting”, the rise in anxiety and depression among teenagers, and the delayed departures from the family home of children in their 20s. David Goodhart, the head of demography(人口统计学) , immigration and integration at the conservative thinktank Policy Exchange, has just written a book entitled Care Dilemma: Caring Enough in the Age of Sex Equality. His thesis is that family obligations have been disproportionately borne by women, but that greater equality has led to a shortage of care, and an ever-increasing and more costly role for the state. He argues that the solution is not “to push back against equality but to raise the status of care, a realm that has traditionally been female”. Goodhart accepts that total equality has yet to arrive, though he points out that the share of domestic labor has shifted from 70: 30 25 years ago to 60: 40 today. But he maintains that his argument is really about reordering of society’s priorities to liberate women and men to play more active and beneficial roles as carers. The whole issue of care is one that within the family context is filled with guilt and shame, which by their nature are private and often well-guarded emotions. Rare is the parent who isn’t severely tested by the job of rearing children, but the large majority are in it for the long run. Perhaps the one point that all interested parties can agree upon is that all forms of care — for young and elderly people — have been neglected by us as a society, pushed to the margins or back into private settings, where all the accompanying pain and frustration have been left to grow. Whether or not one agrees with Goodhart’s social perspective, it’s hard to dispute that our attitudes and practices relating to care are due for a radical change. We have to rethink the needs and dignity of people at all stages of life, to humanize these most human of situations. No one should be the meat in a demographic sandwich that is long past its sell-by date. 1．Which of the following is NOT a stressor for the “sandwich generation”? A．The rising trend of “gentle parenting” that demands great attention B．The burden of caring for both children and aging parents C．The low availability of mental health resources for teenagers D．The delayed independence of young adults living at home 2．According to Goodhart, the solution to the care dilemma is _________. A．to recognize and improve the value of caregiving roles B．to return to traditional roles for men and women in caregiving C．to provide more government funding for caregiving services D．to promote total equality between genders in terms of caring 3．It can be learned from paragraph 5 that _________. A．society has placed a high priority on supporting family caregivers B．guilt and shame involved in caregiving are well guarded in society C．most parents do not experience much difficulty when raising children D．the neglect of care has resulted in negative emotions within the family 4．The underlined sentence in the last paragraph implies that _________. A．the sandwich generation should give up caregiving because the need for it has expired B．the current system of care is old-fashioned and in need of a radical reform C．caregiving responsibilities should be shifted from the sandwich generation to society D．the demographic challenges of caring for family members are out of date Passage 2 【来源】上海市徐汇区2023-2024学年高二上学期1月统测英语试题 The number of devices you can talk to is multiplying — first it was your phone, then your car, and now you can boss around your appliances. Children are likely to grow up thinking everything is alive, or at least interactive. But even without chatty gadgets, research suggests that under certain circumstances, people personify everyday products. Sometimes we see things as human because we’re lonely. In one experiment, people who reported feeling isolated were more likely than others to attribute free will and consciousness to various gadgets. In turn, feeling related to objects can reduce loneliness. When college students were reminded of a time they’d been excluded socially, they made it up by exaggerating (夸大) their number of Facebook friends - unless they were first given tasks that caused them to interact with their phone as if it had human qualities. The phone apparently stood in for real friends. At other times, we personify products in an effort to understand them. One study found that three in four respondents cursed (骂) at their computer- and the more their computer gave them problems, the more likely they were to report that it had “its own beliefs and desires.” When we personify products, they become harder to cast off. After being asked to evaluate their car’s personality, people were less likely to say they intended to replace it soon. So how do people assign traits to an object? In part, we rely on looks. On humans, wide faces are associated with dominance. Similarly, people rated cars, clocks, and watches with wide faces as more dominant-looking than narrow-faced ones, and preferred them. An analysis of car sales in Germany found that cars with grilles (散热器面罩) that were upturned like smiles and headlights that were like narrowed eyes sold best. Personifying products and brands can backfire, however. When a coffee maker was personified in an ad (“I am Aroma” versus just “Aroma”), men — but not women — felt betrayed by increases in its price. Now that speech-enabled coffee makers are on the market, maybe the machines can sweet-talk their way back into men’s hearts. 1．People are most likely to personify things when they ________. A．spend too much time chatting online B．lack real life friends and feel isolated C．enjoy bossing around in real life D．become extremely angry with a device 2．Which of the following can probably replace the phrase cast off? A．Be fond of. B．Take hold of. C．Get rid of. D．Make use of. 3．Which of the following can be learned from the passage? A．Cars with wide faces sell better because they are considered friendlier. B．Speech-enabled coffee makers attract more male customers. C．Nice-looking products are more likely to be personified. D．People personify everyday products for different reasons. Passage 3 【来源】上海市吴淞中学2024-2025学年高二上学期10月月考英语试卷 The Power of Eye Contact You’ve probably had the experience. You’re crossing a crowded room when you lock gazes with another person. It’s almost like a scene out of a movie — the rest of the world fades to grey while you are looking at each other. Of course, eye contact is not always so exciting. It’s a natural part of most casual conversations, after all. But it is nearly always important. We make assumptions about people’s personalities based on how much they meet our eyes when we are talking to them. And when we pass strangers in the street, we can be left feeling rejected if they don’t make eye contact with us. This much we already know from our everyday experiences. Psychologists, however, have revealed much more about the power of eye contact. For instance, a finding is that gazing eyes grab and hold our attention, making us less aware of what else is going on around us (that “fading to grey” that I mentioned earlier). Similar research has found that meeting the direct gaze of another also interferes with our working memory. You may have experienced these effects, whenever you try to break eye contact with another person so as to better concentrate on what you are saying or thinking about. Research also shows that eye contact shapes our perception of the other person who meets our gaze. For instance, we generally consider people who make more eye contact to be more sincere,and become more inclined to believe what they say. Of course, too much eye contact can also make us uncomfortable. In one study conducted at a science museum, psychologists concluded that the preferred length of eye contact was three seconds long, and no one preferred gazes that lasted longer than nine seconds. 1．According to the article, the “fading to grey” moment in the first paragraph occurs because ________. A．the lights in the room began to dim suddenly B．your attention is held by another person’s gaze C．it’s needed to create a romantic atmosphere D．you are attracted by other people in the room 2．What does paragraph 2 mainly talk about? A．The roles that eye contact plays in our daily lives. B．The importance of making eye contact in conversations. C．Why eye contact is not exciting in our everyday experiences. D．The way we deal with strangers in the street. 3．According to the article, the effects of eye contact include that ________. ① it distracts our attention when we are thinking or talking ② it improves our ability to solve difficult problems ③ it influences our impression of the other person A．①② B．①③ C．②③ D．①②③ 4．According to the article, which of the following statements is TRUE? A．We should avoid making eye contact with strangers in public places. B．Eye contact is the most effective way to learn about someone’s personality. C．The most suitable length of eye contact is three to nine seconds. D．Looking away is a strategy for people to better focus on their ideas. Passage 4 【来源】上海市同济大学第二附属中学2024-2025学年高二上学期期中英语试卷 When was the last time you listened to someone? Really listened, without thinking about what you wanted to say next, glancing down at your phone or jumping in to offer your opinion? And when was the last time someone really listened to you? Was so attentive to what you were saying and whose response was so accurate that you felt truly understood? We are encouraged to listen to our inner voices, but rarely are we encouraged to listen carefully and purposefully to other people. In writing a book about listening, I asked people from Brooklyn to Beijing what it meant to be a good listener. The typical response was a blank stare. People had no trouble, however, telling me what it meant to be a bad listener, complaining about actions such as interrupting, looking at a phone, and responding in a self-centered way. The sad truth is that people have more experience being cut off, ignored and misunderstood than heard to their satisfaction. Of course, technology plays a role. Social media provides a virtual megaphone, along with the means to filter out opposing views. People find phone calls intrusive and ignore voice mail, preferring text or wordless emoji. If people are listening to anything, it’s likely through headphones or earbuds, where they feel safe inside their own sound bubbles. This is all fueling what public health officials describe as an epidemic of loneliness in the United States. But tech is not the only contributor. High schools and colleges have debate teams and courses in rhetoric (修辞) and persuasion, but rarely, if ever, offer classes or extracurricular activities that teach careful listening. The cacophony of modern life also stops us from listening. The music playing in restaurants can make it difficult, if not impossible, for diners to clearly hear one another. Offices with an open design ensure every keyboard click, telephone call and coughing make for constant noise. Traffic noise on city streets exceeds the volume of normal conversation by as much as 30 decibels, and can even cause hearing loss. So how can we reclaim the lost art of listening? Actually, listening goes beyond simply hearing what people say. It also involves paying attention to how they say it and what they do while they are saying it, in what context, and how what they say identify with you. It’s not about merely holding your peace while someone else holds forth. Quite the opposite. A lot of listening has to do with how you respond — the degree to which you facilitate the clear expression of another person’s thoughts and, in the process, form your own. 1．In Paragraph 1 what is the most likely reason the author uses a series of questions? A．To create a feeling of worry and tension for the reader. B．To encourage the reader to engage thoughtfully with the topic. C．To suggest there are opposing views about what defines good listening. D．To show that much remains unknown about the role listening plays. 2．Which phrase from Paragraph 4 provides the best context for understanding the meaning of the underlined word “cacophony”? A．“music playing” B．“an open design” C．“constant noise” D．“normal conversation” 3．What can we infer from the last two paragraphs? A．People tend to be reluctant to say what they really mean. B．People often express themselves in more ways than they realize. C．People become more comfortable when they are among close friends. D．People are more likely to speak openly with others who agree with them. 4．Which of the following might be the best title of the passage? A．Talk Less. Listen More. Here’s How. B．The Lost Art of Speaking C．Don’t Turn a Deaf Ear to Yourself ! D．A Good Listener or A Bad One? $专题03 阅读理解说明文常考话题 话题1 科技与未来生活 话题4 职业与行业发展 话题2 环境与可持续发展 话题5 生物技术与健康干预 话题3 认知与行为研究 话题6 社会现象与公共议题 1 / 2 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 话题1 科技与未来生活 聚焦人工智能、太空探索、自动驾驶等前沿科技对人类生活的影响与挑战。 P1: AI文化污染 探讨AI生成内容对文化生态的冲击，呼吁立法监管（如“清洁互联网法案”）。 P2: 太空种植实验 NASA在太空成功种植生菜，为未来深空探索（如火星任务）提供食物保障。 P3: 自动驾驶卡车“Pod” 瑞典Einride公司测试无人驾驶货运车，采用远程监控模式，规避公共道路法规限制。 Passage 1 【来源】上海市建平中学2024-2025学年高二上学期11月期中英语试题 Increasingly, AI-generated outputs drift across our feeds and searches. Far beyond our screens, the entire culture is becoming affected. A recent study examining scientists’ peer reviews revealed that the word “meticulous(严谨的)” was used 34 times more often than in the previous year. The phrasing, one of the favorite buzzwords of modern large language models like ChatGPT, indicates that many researchers are handing their work over to AI. This reflects a much bigger problem. Any viral post on social media now almost certainly includes AI-generated replies, all to attract follows. Then there is the growing use of AI to scale the creation of cheap synthetic videos for children on YouTube. The narratives make no sense, and characters appear and disappear randomly. As a neuroscientist, this worries me. Isn’t it possible that human culture contains within it cognitive nutrients— things like cohesive narrations and character continuity— that developing brains need? But what happens when a toddler is consuming mostly AI-generated content? It’s worth looking to a historical analogy(类比) for our current situation: the environmental movement. For just as companies and individuals were driven to pollute by economic incentives, so, too, is AI’s cultural pollution driven by a rational decision to fill the internet’s appetite for content as cheaply as possible. However, there has been undeniable progress keeping our cities mostly free of smog. How? Garrett Hardin, a biologist and ecologist, emphasized in 1968 that pollution was an over exploitation of shared resources driven by people acting in their own interest, and that “we are locked into a system of ‘fouling(污染) our own nest,’ so long as we behave only as independent, rational, free enterprisers.” He summed up the problem as a “tragedy of the commons(公共用地).” This acknowledgement was crucial to the environmental movement, which relied on government regulation to do what companies alone could or would not do. Once again, we find ourselves enacting a tragedy of the commons: short-term economic self- interest encourages using cheap AI content to maximize clicks and views, which in turn pollutes our culture. And so far, major AI companies are refusing to help identify AI’s creation- which they could do by adding statistical patterns hidden in word use or in the pixels of images. To deal with this corporate refusal to act we need the equivalent of a Clean Air Act: a Clean Internet Act. A simple solution would be to legislatively force advanced watermarking in AI- generated outputs. Just as the 20th century required extensive interventions to protect the shared environment, the 21st century must protect a different, but equally critical, common resource: our shared human culture. 1．Why does the author express concern? A．AI-generated content is difficult to detect. B．Young children are overly exposed to online content. C．Our culture is affected by low-quality AI-generated content. D．Technological issues, similar to environmental problems, are serious. 2．Which of the following examples best illustrates a “tragedy of the commons”？ A．Fishermen overfishing to earn as much as possible. B．Netizens uploading an excessive number of videos online. C．Students using AI to generate answers for exam questions. D．Governments failing to establish partnership with companies. 3．According to the author, the issue discussed can be resolved by ________. A．controlling the volume of AI-generated content B．regulating AI outputs to make them more identifiable C．urging tech companies to improve the quality of AI generation D．encouraging people to treat culture as seriously as they treat environmental issues 4．Which of the following serves as the most suitable title for the passage? A．A tragedy of the commons: the importance of regulation B．AI outputs are overwhelming: potential risks of AI technology C．Navigating the digital age: why AI should be used with caution D．Addressing AI-generated garbage: endangered culture needs legislation 【答案】1．C 2．A 3．B 4．D 【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章讲述了我们整个文化都受到人工智能的负面影响，需要通过立法规范人工智能输出来解决濒危文化的问题。 1．细节理解题。根据第一段中“Far beyond our screens, the entire culture is becoming affected.(在我们的屏幕之外，整个文化都受到了影响。)”和第三段中“Any viral post on social media now almost certainly includes AI-generated replies, all to attract follows. Then there is the growing use of AI to scale the creation of cheap synthetic videos for children on YouTube. The narratives make no sense, and characters appear and disappear randomly.(现在，社交媒体上的任何病毒式帖子几乎肯定都包括人工智能生成的回复，所有这些都是为了吸引粉丝。然后是越来越多地使用人工智能在YouTube上为儿童制作廉价的合成视频。故事毫无意义，人物随意出现和消失。)”可知，我们的文化受到低质量人工智能生成内容的影响，因此作者表示担心。故选C项。 2．推理判断题。根据第五段中“Garrett Hardin, a biologist and ecologist, emphasized in 1968 that pollution was an over exploitation of shared resources driven by people acting in their own interest, and that “we are locked into a system of ‘fouling(污染) our own nest,’ so long as we behave only as independent, rational, free enterprisers.” He summed up the problem as a “tragedy of the commons(公共用地).”(生物学家和生态学家Garrett Hardin在1968年强调，污染是人们为了自己的利益而过度开发共享资源，而且“只要我们只是作为独立、理性、自由的企业家行事，我们就会被困在一个‘污染我们自己的巢穴’的系统中”。他把这个问题总结为‘公共用地’。)”可知，渔民过度捕捞以尽可能多地赚钱，最能说明“公共用地”。故选A项。 3．细节理解题。根据最后一段中“To deal with this corporate refusal to act we need the equivalent of a Clean Air Act: a Clean Internet Act. A simple solution would be to legislatively force advanced watermarking in AI- generated outputs.(为了解决这种企业拒绝采取行动的问题，我们需要一个类似于《清洁空气法》的法案：《清洁互联网法》。一个简单的解决方案是在立法上强制在人工智能生成的输出中使用高级水印。)”可知，作者认为，所讨论的问题可以通过立法来规范人工智能输出，使其更具可识别性来解决。故选B项。 4．主旨大意题。根据第一段中“Far beyond our screens, the entire culture is becoming affected.(在我们的屏幕之外，整个文化都受到了影响。)”和最后一段中“To deal with this corporate refusal to act we need the equivalent of a Clean Air Act: a Clean Internet Act. A simple solution would be to legislatively force advanced watermarking in AI- generated outputs.(为了解决这种企业拒绝采取行动的问题，我们需要一个类似于《清洁空气法》的法案：《清洁互联网法》。一个简单的解决方案是在立法上强制在人工智能生成的输出中使用高级水印。)”可知，本篇文章主要讲述了我们整个文化都受到人工智能的负面影响，需要立法来解决这个问题，D项“解决人工智能产生的垃圾：濒危文化需要立法”可概括本文大意，为最佳标题。故选D项。 Passage 2 【来源】上海市嘉定区2024-2025学年高二上学期期中英语 “That’s great,” said NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren, after he ate a piece of red lettuce that was grown in a special box. “Tastes good,” agreed the U. S. astronaut Scott Kelly, who is spending one year at the research station. “Kind of like arugula,” Scott added, then used small bottles to spread extra virgin olive oil and vinegar on his leaf, much as one might spread mustard on a hot dog. NASA says that if space explorers can grow their own food while they are away from the earth, they would be more likely to survive the deep space exploration, which can last months or even years. With no way to resupply a spacecraft making a long journey to and from Mars, the ability to grow food during the trip will be key to survive. “For us, having the ability to grow our own food is a big step in that direction, he said. Ray Wheeler, NASA’s lead scientist for advanced life support activities at Kennedy Space Center in Florida also said fresh foods such as tomatoes, blueberries and red lettuce could have a positive impact on people’s moods and also could provide some protection against radiation in space. The red romaine lettuce was grown in a special plant-growing box called a Veggie unit that was built by Orbital Technologies Corporation in Madison, Wisconsin, and was flown to space aboard the Space-X Dragon cargo ship. The seeds are contained in rooting pillows, which come complete with soil and fertilizer.Since water cannot be poured in space, a special irrigation system delivers moisture to the plant pillows from below. The seeds were ”activated“ by Scott on July 8 and grew for 33 days. On Monday, Lindgren used tongs to harvest the lettuce from its growing box, before attaching the leaves carefully to a tray. He cleaned them and handed them, in a food-safe bag, to Scott and Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui. They saved a couple of leaves for Russian cosmonauts Mikhail Kornienko and Gennady Padalka, who were outside the station doing a spacewalk. A previous crop of lettuce was grown in space last year but was not eaten by astronauts. Instead, it underwent - and passed food safety tests back on earth. 1．How did Scott do with the space-grown lettuce? A．He cooked it in a special box. B．He ate it with a kind of arugula. C．He put some mustard on it. D．He put the virgin olive oil on it. 2．The underlined words “that direction” in the second paragraph may refer to _________. A．the journey to and from Mars B．the way to grow food C．the building of research station D．the ability to fly in space 3．What Ray Wheeler said means _________. A．the lettuce is a great step enabling human travel to Mars B．humans are not able to arrive at Mars without the lettuce C．tomatoes are obviously better than the blueberries in size D．radiation would be reduced if people don’t eat some lettuce 4．What is the main idea of the passage? A．The significance of growing food in space for deep space exploration. B．The challenges of resupplying a spacecraft during long space journeys to and from Mars. C．The process of growing red romaine lettuce in a special plant-growing box in space. D．The importance of food safely tests for crops grown in space. 【答案】1．D 2．A 3．A 4．A 【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章主要说明了太空中种植出了莴苣，这是太空旅程的重要一步。 1．细节理解题。根据第一段““Kind of like arugula,” Scott added, then used small bottles to spread extra virgin olive oil and vinegar on his leaf, much as one might spread mustard on a hot dog.(“有点像芝麻菜，”斯科特补充说，然后用小瓶把特级初榨橄榄油和醋涂在他的叶子上，就像人们在热狗上涂芥末一样)”可知，斯科特在把初榨橄榄油涂在太空种植的莴苣上面。故选D。 2．词句猜测题。根据第二段“NASA says that if space explorers can grow their own food while they are away from the earth, they would be more likely to survive the deep space exploration, which can last months or even years. With no way to resupply a spacecraft making a long journey to and from Mars, the ability to grow food during the trip will be key to survive.(美国国家航空航天局表示，如果太空探险者能够在远离地球的时候自己种植食物，他们将更有可能在持续数月甚至数年的深空探索中生存下来。由于没有办法为往返火星的长途旅行的航天器提供补给，在旅途中种植食物的能力将是生存的关键)”可知，有能力种植自己的食物是往返火星的旅程的重要一步。故划线词指的是“往返火星的旅程”。故选A。 3．推理判断题。根据第三段“Ray Wheeler, NASA’s lead scientist for advanced life support activities at Kennedy Space Center in Florida also said fresh foods such as tomatoes, blueberries and red lettuce could have a positive impact on people’s moods and also could provide some protection against radiation in space.(美国宇航局在佛罗里达州肯尼迪航天中心负责高级生命支持活动的首席科学家雷·惠勒还说，西红柿、蓝莓和红生菜等新鲜食物对人的情绪有积极影响，还能在一定程度上防止太空辐射)”可知，雷·惠勒的话意味着莴苣是人类前往火星的重要一步。故选A。 4．主旨大意题。根据第一段““That’s great,” said NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren, after he ate a piece of red lettuce that was grown in a special box. “Tastes good,” agreed the U. S. astronaut Scott Kelly, who is spending one year at the research station. “Kind of like arugula,” Scott added, then used small bottles to spread extra virgin olive oil and vinegar on his leaf, much as one might spread mustard on a hot dog. (“太棒了，”美国宇航局宇航员谢尔·林格伦吃了一片种在一个特殊盒子里的红生菜后说。“味道很好，”在研究站待了一年的美国宇航员斯科特·凯利表示赞同。“有点像芝麻菜，”斯科特补充说，然后用小瓶把特级初榨橄榄油和醋涂在他的叶子上，就像人们在热狗上涂芥末一样)”结合文章主要说明了太空中种植出了莴苣，这是太空旅程的重要一步。可知，这篇文章的主旨是在太空中种植食物对深空探索的意义。故选A。 Passage 3 【来源】上海市延安中学2024-2025学年高二上学期10月月考英语试卷 Thanks to Top Gear, a British television show for motoring enthusiasts that is now a global brand, a former WWII airfield called Dunsfold has become one of the best-known testing tracks in the world. On October 15, however, instead of booming to the roar of supercars driven by the show’s racing driver, it witnessed the sight of what appeared to be the cableless trailer of an articled lorry (铰接式卡车) running almost silently around the course at over 80kph. The Pod, as this vehicle is known, was made by Einride, Swedish firm founded in 2016 by Robert Falck, an engineer who used to work for Volvo. Mr. Falck thinks that the technology of vehicle autonomy, long experimental, has now evolved sufficiently for driverless goods vehicles to begin earning their livings properly. Some Pods are already in trials for real jobs: running between warehouses, dragging logs from forests and delivering goods for Lidl, a supermarket group. Pods use the same technology of cameras, radar, lidar (the optical equivalent of radar) and satellite-positioning as other competitors in the field, but they differ from those others in the way their maker tries to deal with the regulatory concerns which prevent fully autonomous vehicles from being let loose on public roads. Einride’s approach, at least at the moment, is to avoid these by avoiding the roads in question. Instead, the Pod’s first version operates on designated routes within the limits of enclosed, private areas such as ports and industrial parks. Here, Pods act like bigger and smarter versions of the delivery robots which already run around some factories—though by having the ability to carry 16 tons and with room on board for 15 industrial pallets’ worth of goods, they are indeed quite a lot bigger. The second difference from most other attempts at vehicle autonomy is Einride’s approach to the word autonomy.” Some makers take the idea literally, and aim to keep humans out of the decision-making process entirely. Others, often prompted by traffic regulations, arrange things so that a normally passive human occupant can take the controls if necessary. Pods represent a third way. They always have a human to keep an eye on what is happening and to take over the driving for a difficult operation or if something goes wrong. But this human operates remotely. Having the driver sitting back at headquarters rather than in the vehicle itself is departure from convention, but not a huge one. Aerial drones are usually controlled in this way. The dramatic step is that Mr. Falck believes you do not need a remote driver for each Pod. Einride already uses one person to control two Pods, but plans eventually for a single driver to look after ten. 1．What purpose does the first paragraph mainly serve? A．To inform readers about a popular racing show. B．To explain the significance of the Dunsfold track. C．To introduce a much-sought-after global brand. D．To offer a glimpse of the main subject of the passage. 2．Pods differ from other autonomous vehicles mainly in that ________. A．they can be used in many different real job settings B．they use advanced satellite-positioning technology C．their maker is not seeking to put them on public roads D．they are actually meant to be smart and big delivery robots 3．What can be inferred from the passage? A．The carrying capacity of Pods has yet to be fully exploited. B．Each Pod needs a remote driver to take over its driving. C．Low-performance self-driving vehicles have a human standby. D．No remote driver will be needed in the future for each Pod. 4．What does the passage mainly talk about? A．A British TV show advertises a newly-developed self-driving vehicle. B．A new lorry being tested approaches autonomous driving differently. C．A remote handler plays a crucial role in future autonomous driving. D．A driverless lorry is being tested on a famous track. 【答案】1．D 2．C 3．A 4．B 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了由瑞典公司Einride制造的自动驾驶运输工具“Pod”及其相关的技术、应用前景和与传统驾驶方式的区别。 1．推理判断题。根据文章第一段“Thanks to Top Gear, a British television show for motoring enthusiasts that is now a global brand, a former WWII airfield called Dunsfold has become one of the best-known testing tracks in the world. On October 15, however, instead of booming to the roar of supercars driven by the show’s racing driver, it witnessed the sight of what appeared to be the cableless trailer of an articled lorry (铰接式卡车) running almost silently around the course at over 80kph.(多亏了《Top Gear》这一面向汽车爱好者的英国电视节目（现已成为全球品牌），名为邓斯福德的前二战机场已成为世界上最著名的测试赛道之一。然而，10月15日，赛道上并没有传来该节目赛车手驾驶的超级跑车轰鸣声，而是见证了一个看似没有线缆的铰接式卡车拖车在赛道上以超过80公里/小时的速度几乎无声地行驶。)”可知，第一段提到了《Top Gear》这一电视节目、邓斯福德这一曾经的二战机场，以及它现在成为了世界上最著名的测试赛道之一。然而，这些信息的核心并不是为了详细介绍《Top Gear》或邓斯福德赛道本身，而是为了引出文章的主题——与自动驾驶相关的内容，因为后文提到了自动驾驶的Pod在邓斯福德赛道上进行测试。故选D。 2．细节理解题。根据文章第三段“Einride’s approach, at least at the moment, is to avoid these by avoiding the roads in question. Instead, the Pod’s first version operates on designated routes within the limits of enclosed, private areas such as ports and industrial parks.(至少在目前，Einride的方法是避免使用有问题的道路。相反，Pod的第一版在封闭私人区域（如港口和工业园区）内的指定路线上运行。)”可知，Pods的制造商目前并不打算将它们投放到公共道路上，而是选择在封闭、私人的区域内运行。因此，Pods与其他自动驾驶车辆的主要区别在于它们的制造商并不寻求将它们投放到公共道路上。故选C。 3．推理判断题。根据文章第三段“Here, Pods act like bigger and smarter versions of the delivery robots which already run around some factories—though by having the ability to carry 16 tons and with room on board for 15 industrial pallets’ worth of goods, they are indeed quite a lot bigger.(在这里，Pod就像一些工厂中已经运行的配送机器人的更大、更智能的版本——尽管它们能够承载16吨货物，并且车上有空间容纳15个工业托盘的货物，因此它们确实要大得多。)”可推测，Pod运载能力尚未得到充分利用。故选A。 4．主旨大意题。根据文章第二段“The Pod, as this vehicle is known, was made by Einride, Swedish firm founded in 2016 by Robert Falck, an engineer who used to work for Volvo. Mr. Falck thinks that the technology of vehicle autonomy, long experimental, has now evolved sufficiently for driverless goods vehicles to begin earning their livings properly. Some Pods are already in trials for real jobs: running between warehouses, dragging logs from forests and delivering goods for Lidl, a supermarket group.(这辆被称为“Pod”的车辆由瑞典公司Einride制造，该公司由曾在沃尔沃工作的工程师罗伯特·法尔克于2016年创立。法尔克先生认为，车辆自主驾驶技术经过长期试验，如今已发展到足以让无人驾驶货车开始真正盈利的程度。一些Pod已经在实际工作中进行了试验：在仓库之间穿梭，从森林中拖运木材，以及为超市集团Lidl配送货物。)”以及全文内容可知，文章介绍了一种名为Pod的新型自动驾驶运输工具，它与其他自动驾驶车辆的主要区别在于其制造商并不打算将其投放到公共道路上，而是在封闭、私人的区域内运行，如港口和工业园区。这反映了Pod在实现自动驾驶方面采取了不同的方式。所以短文主要介绍的是一种以不同的方式实现自动驾驶的正在测试的新型卡车。故选B。 话题2 环境与可持续发展 关注气候变化、碳排放、绿色基础设施与生态保护议题。 P1: “本地食物”真的更环保吗？ 研究指出运输仅占食品碳排放的一小部分，进口当季食物可能比冷藏本地食物更环保。 P2: 社区花园的多元价值 城市社区花园不仅提供安全食材，还美化环境、促进邻里关系、降低犯罪率。 P3: “海绵公园”应对城市内涝 曼彻斯特雨水花园通过自然方式管理暴雨径流，减轻老旧排水系统压力。 Passage 1 【来源】上海市徐汇区2023-2024学年高二上学期1月统测英语试题 Recently, campaigners have encouraged us to buy local food. This reduces “food miles” that is, the distance food travels to get from the producer to the retailer. They reason that the higher the food miles, the more carbon emissions. Buying local food, therefore, has a lower carbon footprint and is more environmentally friendly. However, the real story is not as simple as that. If our aim is to reduce carbon emissions (排放), we must look at the whole farming process, not just transportation. According to a recent study, only 11% of carbon emissions in the food production process result from transportation, and only 4% originated from the final delivery of the product from the producer to the retailer. Other processes contribute much more. In fact, imported food often has a lower carbon footprint than locally grown food. Take apples, for example. In autumn, when apples are harvested, the best option for a British resident is to buy British apples. However, the apples we buy in winter or spring have been kept refrigerated for months, and this uses up a lot of energy. In spring, therefore, it is more energy-efficient to import them from New Zealand, where they are in season. Heating also uses a lot of energy, which is why growing tomatoes in heated greenhouses in the UK is less environmentally friendly than importing them from Spain, where the crop grows well in the local climate. We must also take into account the type of transport. Transporting food by air creates about 50 times more emissions than shipping it. However, only a small proportion of goods are flown to the consumer country, and these are usually high value items which we cannot produce locally, such as seafood and out-of-season berries. Even then, these foods may not have a higher carbon footprint than locally grown food. For example, beans flown in from Kenya are grown in sunny fields using manual labor and natural fertilizers, unlike in Britain, where we use oil-based fertilizers and machinery. Therefore, the total carbon footprint is still lower. It’s also worth remembering that a product’s journey does not end at the supermarket. The distance consumers travel to buy their food, and the kind of transport they use will also add to its carbon footprint. So driving a long way to shop for food will negate any environmental benefits of buying locally grown produce. Recently, some supermarkets have been trying to raise awareness of food miles by labelling foods with stickers that show it has been imported by air. But ultimately, the message this gives is too simple. Lots of different factors contribute to a food’s carbon footprint besides the distance it has travelled. And even if we only buy local food which is currently in season, there are ethical (道德的) implications. What’s more, our diets would be more limited. 1．The author uses numbers in the second paragraph to suggest that ________. A．most high value items cannot be produced locally B．buying local food has a lower carbon footprint C．imported food contributes more to environmental damage D．transportation only plays a small part in carbon emissions 2．Which of the following is the writer most likely to support? A．Importing apples to Britain from New Zealand in spring. B．Labelling food with stickers that show it is imported. C．Transporting imported food to consumer countries by air. D．Making a long journey to buy locally produced food. 3．The underlined word negate is closest in meaning to ________. A．extend B．increase C．deny D．calculate 4．The passage is mainly about ________. A．the importance and benefits of buying locally produced food B．the reasons why buying local food does not reduce carbon emissions C．the reasons why many countries have to import food from overseas D．the environmental problems caused by food transportation 【答案】1．D 2．A 3．C 4．B 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要讲述了购买本地食品并不一定能够减少碳排放的观点。文章指出，进口食品往往比本地食品有更低的碳足迹，因为有些进口食品是在其生产国当季生长的，避免了冷藏和加热等高能耗过程。此外，文章还提到运输方式、消费者购买食品的距离和所使用的交通工具等因素也会影响食品的碳足迹。 1．推理判断题。根据第二段中“According to a recent study, only 11% of carbon emissions in the food production process result from transportation, and only 1% originated from the final delivery of the product from the producer to the retailer. Other processes contribute much more. (根据最近的一项研究，在食品生产过程中，只有11%的碳排放来自运输，只有1%来自产品从生产商到零售商的最终交付。其他过程的贡献更大)”可知，作者用这些数字来表明，在食品生产的碳排放中，运输所占的比例很小，其他过程的碳排放更多。因此，选项D“transportation only plays a small part in carbon emissions(运输在碳排放中只占很小的一部分)”符合题意。故选D。 2．推理判断题。根据第三段中“In fact, imported food often has a lower carbon footprint than locally grown food. Take apples, for example. In autumn, when apples are harvested, the best option for a British resident is to buy British apples. However, the apples we buy in winter or spring have been kept refrigerated for months, and this uses up a lot of energy. In spring, therefore, it is more energy-efficient to import them from New Zealand, where they are in season.(实际上，进口食品往往比本地生产的食品具有更低的碳足迹。以苹果为例，在秋季苹果收获时，对英国居民来说最好的选择是购买英国本地的苹果。然而，我们在冬季或春季购买的苹果已经被冷藏了好几个月，这消耗了大量的能源。因此，在春季从新西兰进口这些苹果更为节能，因为那里正值苹果的产季)”可知，作者支持从新西兰进口苹果到英国。因此，选项A“Importing apples to Britain from New Zealand in spring.(春天从新西兰向英国进口苹果)”是作者可能支持的。故选A。 3．词句猜测题。根据画线词前“It’s also worth remembering that a product’s journey does not end at the supermarket. The distance consumers travel to buy their food, and the kind of transport they use will also add to its carbon footprint. (同样值得记住的是，产品的旅程不会在超市结束。消费者购买食物的路程，以及他们使用的运输方式也会增加其碳足迹)”以及“ So driving a long way to shop for food will negate any environmental benefits of buying locally grown produce.( 因此，长途开车去买食物会negate购买当地生长产品带来的任何环境效益)”可知，消费者购买食物的路程中开长途车去买食物会增加碳足迹，从而抵消购买当地生长产品带来的环境效益。画线词“negate”与C选项“deny(否认，否定)”最接近，表示“抵消购买当地生长产品带来的环境效益”。故选C。 4．主旨大意题。根据第二段中“However, the real story is not as simple as that. If our aim is to reduce carbon emissions (排放), we must look at the whole farming process, not just transportation.(然而，事实并非如此简单。如果我们的目标是减少碳排放，我们必须关注整个农业生产过程，而不仅仅是运输)”以及通读全文可知，文章提到购买当地食品可以减少“食品里程”和碳排放，但通过数据和例子指出，购买当地食品并不总是能减少碳排放，因为需要考虑整个农业生产过程和运输方式等多种因素。因此，文章主要讨论的是为什么购买当地食品并不总是能减少碳排放。选项B“the reasons why buying local food does not reduce carbon emissions(购买本地食品不能减少碳排放的原因)”符合题意。故选B。 Passage 2 【来源】上海市浦东新区上海师范大学附属中学2024-2025学年高二上学期11月期中英语试题 One way people are responding to food safety concerns is by growing their own food. However, not everyone lives on property with enough space for a private plot. One solution is community gardens, which have become popular worldwide, numbering 18,000 in North America alone. In addition to providing low-cost, delicious food, these public spaces offer cities a range of other benefits. Community gardens are located in a town or city and tended by local residents. Often, the land is on a vacant lot owned by the city. The site is divided into manageable plots, which may be tended by individuals or by the garden’s members collectively. Since the land is usually publicly owned, the cost for gardeners to lease it is minimal. In fact, New York City, which is home to more than 750 community gardens tended by more than 20,000 members, charges people just $1 a year to lease a plot. Other costs involve soil, tools, seeds, fencing, and so on. However, because they’re shared by many people, individual gardeners pay very little. A community garden can quickly pay off, in terms of delicious fruits and vegetables, in addition to beautiful flowers. Excess produce can be sold for a profit at farmers markets. But a garden’s benefits don’t stop there. They also beautify cities, foster strong relationships among residents, and lower an area’s crime rate. Award-winning spaces like London’s Culpeper Community Garden even attract tourists. Beautiful and affordable, community gardens are often described as oases in crowded cities. 1．Community gardens are designed for those who ________. A．are concerned about food safety B．live in a house with a private plot C．can’t afford to buy organic food D．don’t have their own property 2．New York City ________. A．is owned by 20,000 individual gardeners B．charges residents a lot to lease tools and fencing C．contains more than 750 community gardens D．is tended by professional gardeners and local residents 3．What’s the benefit of community gardens? A．People can enjoy safe and delicious vegetables and animal meat. B．Residents are more familiar and related with each other. C．The neighborhood is becoming safer but of lower taste. D．People can make some profits from the visiting tourists. 【答案】1．A 2．C 3．B 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了社区花园作为一种解决城市居民食品安全问题的方式，不仅提供低成本、美味的食物，还为城市带来美化环境、促进社区关系和降低犯罪率等额外好处。 1．细节理解题。根据第一段中“One way people are responding to food safety concerns is by growing their own food. However, not everyone lives on property with enough space for a private plot. One solution is community gardens, which have become popular worldwide, numbering 18,000 in North America alone. (人们应对食品安全问题的一种方式是自己种植食物。然而，并不是每个人都住在有足够空间的土地上。一种解决方案是社区花园，这种花园在全世界都很流行，仅在北美就有1.8万个)”可知，社区花园是为那些关心食品安全的人设计的。故选A项。 2．细节理解题。根据第二段中“In fact, New York City, which is home to more than 750 community gardens tended by more than 20,000 members, charges people just $1 a year to lease a plot. (事实上，纽约市有超过750个社区花园，有超过2万名成员在打理，而租一块地每年只收取1美元)”可知，纽约市有750多个社区花园。故选C项。 3．细节理解题。根据第三段中“But a garden’s benefits don’t stop there. They also beautify cities, foster strong relationships among residents, and lower an area’s crime rate. (但花园的好处不止于此。它们还美化了城市，促进了居民之间的牢固关系，降低了一个地区的犯罪率)”可知，社区花园的一个好处是居民之间更熟悉，彼此相联。故选B项。 Passage 3 【来源】上海市延安中学2024-2025学年高二上学期10月月考英语试卷 It was raining when I visited Manchester, fittingly, one might say, given its popular image. Fittingly, also because I was standing in West Gortorn Community Park, which includes a lovely rain garden. A rain garden is a sunken area filled with water-loving plants where rain is channeled and left to soak away slowly, rather than bouncing off the roads and pavements then hitting the grids all at once, swamping (淹没) the already overburdened sewerage system. The rain garden is one of a number of features in the park designed to manage storm water and help prevent flooding in an area that is prone to it. Not that you are immediately aware that these are rainwater management features, which gave it its nickname of the “sponge park”. All you really see is a beautiful green space, an oasis of calm in the city. Manchester City Council commissioned this award-winning park as part of a 10-year plan to regenerate the area. It is also one of the U.K.’s first research and demonstration project for assessing how Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) can help combat climate change, and is being closely monitored by scientists at Manchester University. None of its design concepts are difficult. You take the hard, flat surfaces of the urban environment and do your best to get rid of them. Soften them, roughen them, make them porous (多孔的；透水的). Scoop out sections and fill them with water-loving plants. Then, channeled the rainwater into them and let the vegetation soak it up. Finally, that water is released slowly back into the atmosphere via transpiration (蒸腾作用) in the leaves. Given that the natural world has been doing this for years, it makes sense that these methods are called Nature-Based Solutions. Green Infrastructure is another term; SuDS another, which stands for Sustainable Drainage Systems. Whatever you want to call it, NBS tick a lot of boxes. They take some stress off our antiquated sewerage system; their trees and plants store carbon, helping to mitigate climate change; and they create valuable wildlife habitat. They also provide the green lungs that are so important for our physical and mental well-being. NBS is a wonderful and simple idea. Where there is water, there is life. Slowing the flow not only deals with the problem, it creates nature. If there is water around, you can create fantastic wetland habitats - and we have lost 90-95 percent of our wetlands in this country. Recreating them would be a massive boon for biodiversity. 1．What is the primary function of the rain garden in West Gorton Community Park? A．To provide a place for people to enjoy the popular image of rain. B．To manage storm water and prevent flooding in the park. C．To serve as a demonstration of urban gardening sewerage system. D．To increase the aesthetic appeal of the lovely park. 2．The rain garden in West Gorton Community Park is designed to address a specific problem that is worsened by which of the following factors? A．The popularity of Manchester as a tourist destination, leading to increased traffic and pavement usage. B．The abundance of water-loving plants naturally occurring in the area, requiring additional drainage solutions. C．The city’s existing sewerage system, which is already overburdened and prone to flooding during heavy rainfall. D．The implementation of the 10-year regeneration plan by Manchester City Council, causing disruption to drainage patterns. 3．What does the underlined phrase “tick a lot of boxes” imply? A．NBS is a controversial concept with many different names. B．NBS is a simple idea that is easy to understand and name. C．NBS is a solution that is only effective in certain situations. D．NBS is a versatile solution that can be applied in various contexts. 【答案】1．B 2．C 3．D 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了曼彻斯特的西戈顿社区公园的雨水花园，主要包括其功能、建造背景、设计理念以及多重效益。 1．细节理解题。根据第三段中“The rain garden is one of a number of features in the park designed to manage storm water and help prevent flooding in an area that is prone to it. (雨水花园是公园众多特色之一，旨在管理雨水，并帮助防止容易发生洪水的地区发生洪水。)”可知，西戈顿社区公园雨水花园的主要功能是管理雨水，防止公园洪水泛滥。故选B项。 2．推理判断题。根据第二段“A rain garden is a sunken area filled with water-loving plants where rain is channeled and left to soak away slowly, rather than bouncing off the roads and pavements then hitting the grids all at once, swamping (淹没) the already overburdened sewerage system. (雨水花园是一个下陷的区域，里面种满了喜水植物，雨水在这里被引导，慢慢地吸收，而不是从道路和人行道上反弹，然后一下子打到栅栏上，淹没已经不堪重负的污水处理系统。)”和第三段中“The rain garden is one of a number of features in the park designed to manage storm water and help prevent flooding in an area that is prone to it. (雨水花园是公园众多特色之一，旨在管理雨水，并帮助防止容易发生洪水的地区发生洪水。)”可推知，城市现有的污水处理系统已经超负荷，在大雨期间容易发生洪水，给城市带来了问题，西戈顿社区公园雨水花园便是为了解决这个问题而设计的。故选C项。 3．词句猜测题。画线部分的下文“They take some stress off our antiquated sewerage system; their trees and plants store carbon, helping to mitigate climate change; and they create valuable wildlife habitat. They also provide the green lungs that are so important for our physical and mental well-being. (它们减轻了我们陈旧的污水处理系统的压力；它们的树木和植物储存碳，有助于减缓气候变化；它们还创造了宝贵的野生动物栖息地。它们还提供了对我们的身心健康非常重要的绿肺。)”列出了NBS（基于自然的解决方案）的多个好处，这表明NBS是一个适用于各种环境的通用解决方案。故选D项。 话题3 认知与行为研究 聚焦青少年成长中的心理机制、行为特征与社会适应。 P1: 青少年为何“又叛逆又善良”？ 研究发现青少年的亲社会行为与叛逆行为同步发展，背后机制是“奖励敏感性”。 P2: 怀旧情绪可缓解疼痛 实验显示怀旧刺激（如童年照片）能激活丘脑，降低疼痛感知，但效果因人而异。 P3: 失败与成功的关系研究 失败是成功的必要前提，但并非所有失败都能促成成功 Passage 1 【来源】上海市上海中学2024-2025学年高二上学期12月考英语试题 Teenagers are paradoxical (自相矛盾的). That’s a mild and detached way of saying something that parents often express with considerably stronger language. But the paradox is scientific as well as personal. In adolescence, helpless and dependent children who have relied on grown-ups for just about everything become independent people who can take care of themselves and help each other. At the same time, once cheerful and compliant children become rebellious teenage risk-takers. A new study published in the journal Child Development, by Eveline Crone of the University of Leiden and colleagues, suggests that the positive and negative sides of teenagers go hand in hand. The study is part of a new wave of thinking about adolescence. For a long time, scientists and policy makers concentrated on the idea that teenagers were a problem that needed to be solved. The new work emphasizes that adolescence is a time of opportunity as well as risk. The researchers studied “prosocial” and rebellious traits in more than 200 children and young adults, ranging from 11 to 28 years old. The participants filled out questionnaires about how often they did things that were altruistic and positive, like sacrificing their own interests to help a friend, or rebellious and negative, like getting drunk or staying out late. Other studies have shown that rebellious behavior increases as you become a teenager and then fades away as you grow older. But the new study shows that, interestingly, the same pattern holds for prosocial behavior. Teenagers were more likely than younger children or adults to report that they did things like unselfishly helping a friend. Most significantly, there was a positive correlation between prosociality and rebelliousness. The teenagers who were more rebellious were also more likely to help others. The good and bad sides of adolescence seem to develop together. Is there some common factor that underlies these apparently contradictory developments? One idea is that teenage behavior is related to what researchers call “reward sensitivity.” Decision-making always involves balancing rewards and risks, benefits and costs. “Reward sensitivity” measures how much reward it takes to outweigh risk. Teenagers are particularly sensitive to social rewards—winning the game, impressing a new friend, getting that boy to notice you. Reward sensitivity, like prosocial behavior and risk-taking, seems to go up in adolescence and then down again as we age. Somehow, when you hit 30, the chance that something exciting and new will happen at that party just doesn’t seem to outweigh the effort of getting up off the couch. 1．According to Co’s study, __________. A．it’s further proved that teenagers are a problem to be solved B．adolescence is a period when opportunity and risk co-exist C．prosocial behavior is understated because of the explicit rebellious traits D．all traits need to be balanced in terms of rewards and risks 2．The underlined word in Para 1 is closest in meaning to __________. A．fun-loving B．obedient C．paradoxical D．cautious 3．It can be inferred from the passage that teenagers __________. A．overstress their influence on others B．care a lot about social recognition C．become anxious about their future D．endeavor to live a joyful life 4．The text is generally intended to __________. A．explain why teenagers demonstrate opposite personality traits B．publicize new findings concerning teenager’s rebellious behavior C．illustrate the trade-off between prosociality and rebelliousness among teenagers D．explain by theory of “reward Sensitivity” why risk-taking declines as people age 【答案】1．B 2．B 3．B 4．A 【导语】这是一篇说明文，主要讨论了青少年行为的自相矛盾性，并通过研究揭示了其背后的科学原因。 1．细节理解题。根据第二段“The new work emphasizes that adolescence is a time of opportunity as well as risk.(这项新研究强调，青春期是一个充满机遇和风险的时期。)”可知，根据Co的研究，青春期是机遇与风险并存的时期。故选B。 2．词句猜测题。根据第一段划线词句前文“In adolescence, helpless and dependent children who have relied on grown-ups for just about everything become independent people who can take care of themselves and help each other.(在青春期，无助和依赖成年人的孩子几乎在所有事情上都依赖成年人，成为能够照顾自己和互相帮助的独立的人。)”和及后文“become rebellious teenage risk-takers(成为叛逆的青少年冒险者)”可知，孩子在青春期发生很大变化。划线词所在句子表示“与此同时，曾经快乐和顺从的孩子变成了叛逆的青少年冒险者。”，划线词compliant的意思是“顺从的”，和obedient意思相近。故选B。 3．推理判断题。根据最后一段“Teenagers are particularly sensitive to social rewards — winning the game, impressing a new friend, getting that boy to notice you.(青少年对社会奖励特别敏感——赢得游戏，给新朋友留下深刻印象，让那个男孩注意到你。)”可知，从文章中可以推断青少年非常关心社会认可。故选B。 4．推理判断题。通读全文，尤其是第一段“Teenagers are paradoxical (自相矛盾的).(青少年是自相矛盾的。)”和倒数第二段“Is there some common factor that underlies these apparently contradictory developments? One idea is that teenage behavior is related to what researchers call “reward sensitivity.” Decision-making always involves balancing rewards and risks, benefits and costs.(这些明显矛盾的发展背后是否存在一些共同因素？一种观点认为，青少年的行为与研究人员所说的“奖励敏感性”有关。决策总是涉及到平衡回报和风险，利益和成本。)”可知，本文主要讲的是青少年行为的自相矛盾性，并通过研究揭示了其背后的科学原因，因此本文旨在解释为什么青少年表现出相反的性格特征。故选A。 Passage 2 【来源】上海市位育中学2024-2025学年高二上学期期中英语试卷 Nostalgia — that sentimental feeling of longing for the past — can reduce pain perception, according to new research published in the journal Neuroscience. Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences asked study participants to rate their level of pain from heat stimulation while looking at pictures that were nostalgic — describing old cartoons or childhood games — compared with more modern pictures. Researchers found that observing pictures that triggered childhood memories was linked to participants reporting weaker feelings of pain. By managing their discomfort, rather than eliminating or reducing the (unpleasant) stimuli, people can use nostalgia to reframe their painful experiences. Nostalgia is a predominantly positive emotion that people easily perceive in their lives. For instance, people can feel happy and peaceful when browsing their pictures grouped with family or friends. Previous studies have also demonstrated the psychological and emotional benefits of nostalgia. One study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology showed that nostalgia — triggered by a writing task— decreased the perception of pain intensity among people suffering from chronic pain. Further research found that people had an increased pain tolerance following thoughts of nostalgia, according to Cathy Cox, an associate professor of psychology at Texas Christian University. During this process of nostalgia-induced pain relief, the thalamus plays a crucial role. The thalamus, often described as the relay station of the brain, is responsible for passing along sensory information and motor signals to the cerebral cortex (大脑皮层). The new study showed that the thalamus integrates that ‘nostalgia information’ and triggers a pain response that is more controlled. Viewing nostalgic photos also decreased activity in two pain-related areas of the brain. And it’s not just old photos that can lead to positive responses due to nostalgia — music, movies or certain stories can also trigger these. So can odors, such as perfume, or the taste of certain foods, such as candy from childhood or cookies that remind someone of home. All these nostalgia triggers could prove to be useful in the future for providing cheap, easily accessible pain management tools to people. But Cox cautioned that using nostalgia for pain relief might not be a blanket solution for everyone. Previous studies highlight that nostalgia is a personal emotional experience that varies in terms of frequency and intensity. What nostalgia is is this feeling of connectedness with other people. So people who are more likely to prefer distance over close relationships don’t get the same benefits of nostalgia. As with other positive psychology interventions, such as practicing mindfulness or gratitude, the impacts can depend on the person. The researchers also have plans to use different age groups in future research and to look into the impacts of more personal nostalgic cues rather than general nostalgia ones such as old music and movies. 1．According to this passage, which of the following choices may help relieve the pain? A．Vincent van Gogh’s oil painting ‘Sunflowers’. B．Your great-grandfather’s antique collection. C．A photo of your mother holding you in her arms. D．Mc Donald’s hamburger bought by your neighbor. 2．Which of the following statements about nostalgia is TRUE? A．Nostalgia-induced pain relief can be triggered by anything from the past. B．Nostalgia stimulates the thalamus to trigger contained responses to pain. C．Nostalgia has already been proved to be a cheap way to manage pain. D．Nostalgia is a feeling of connectedness with others that everyone has. 3．What can be inferred from the passage? A．Previous studies show writing or thinking of the word ‘nostalgia’ can also relieve pain. B．Thalamus can transmit the nostalgia information and decrease the cerebral cortex activity. C．Nostalgia triggers are cheap and accessible so they will be widely used in the future. D．The pain-relieving effect of nostalgia varies from person to person and needs further study. 4．Which of the following might be the best title of this passage? A．Nostalgia, the best remedy for everyone B．Nostalgia, one possible way to relieve pain C．Nostalgia, a feeling of longing for the past D．Nostalgia, a process related to the thalamus 【答案】1．C 2．B 3．D 4．B 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了一项关于怀旧心理的研究，包括其研究过程、研究结果、研究评价以及后续研究方向。文章旨在引导学生提升心理韧性．促进学生身心健康发展。 1．细节理解题。根据第二段“Researchers found that observing pictures that triggered childhood memories was linked to participants reporting weaker feelings of pain.(研究人员发现，观察引发童年回忆的图片与参与者报告较弱的疼痛感有关)”可知，怀旧的触发物，如童年照片，可以减轻疼痛感。由此可知，“母亲抱着你的照片”符合怀旧的定义。故选C。 2．细节理解题。根据第四段“The new study showed that the thalamus integrates that ‘nostalgia information’ and triggers a pain response that is more controlled. Viewing nostalgic photos also decreased activity in two pain-related areas of the brain.(新的研究显示，丘脑将这些“怀旧信息”整合后，会引发一种更可控的疼痛反应。查看怀旧照片减少了大脑两个与疼痛相关区域的活动”可知，怀旧通过刺激丘脑来触发对疼痛的控制反应。故选B。 3．推理判断题。根据倒数第二段“But Cox cautioned that using nostalgia for pain relief might not be a blanket solution for everyone. Previous studies highlight that nostalgia is a personal emotional experience that varies in terms of frequency and intensity. What nostalgia is is this feeling of connectedness with other people. So people who are more likely to prefer distance over close relationships don’t get the same benefits of nostalgia. As with other positive psychology interventions, such as practicing mindfulness or gratitude, the impacts can depend on the person.(但考克斯提醒说，用怀旧来缓解疼痛可能不是对每个人都适用的解决方案。以往的研究强调，怀旧是一种个人情感体验，其频率和强度各不相同。怀旧是一种与他人联系的感觉。因此，比起亲密关系，那些更喜欢距离的人并没有从怀旧中得到同样的好处。与其他积极心理学干预一样，比如练习正念或感恩，其影响可能取决于个人)”及最后一段“The researchers also have plans to use different age groups in future research and to look into the impacts of more personal nostalgic cues rather than general nostalgia ones such as old music and movies.(研究人员还计划在未来的研究中使用不同的年龄组，并研究更多个人怀旧线索的影响，而不是像老音乐和电影这样的一般怀旧线索)”可推知，怀旧的疼痛缓解效果因人而异，并且需要进一步研究。故选D项。 4．主旨大意题。根据第一段“Nostalgia — that sentimental feeling of longing for the past — can reduce pain perception, according to new research published in the journal Neuroscience.(根据发表在《神经科学》杂志上的一项新研究，怀旧——一种对过去的渴望——可以减少对疼痛的感知)”可知，短文介绍了怀旧是缓解痛苦的一种可能方式。由此可知，“怀旧，是缓解痛苦的一种可能方式”适合作本文最佳标题。故选B项。 Passage 3 【来源】上海南洋模范中学2024-2025学年高二上学期期中考试英语试题 The Secret of Success The recipe for succeeding in any given field is hardly a mystery: good ideas, hard work, discipline, imagination, perseverance and maybe a little luck. Oh, and let’s not forget failure, which Dashun Wang and his colleagues at Northwestern University call “the essential prerequisite (先决条件) for success” in a new paper. But not every failure leads to success, he adds. And what eventually separates the winners from the losers, the research shows, certainly is not persistence. One of the more interesting findings in the paper, published last October in Nature, is that the people who eventually succeeded and the people who eventually failed tried basically the same number of times to achieve their goals. It turns out that trying again and again only works if you learn from your previous failures. The idea is to work smart, not hard. You have to figure out what worked and what didn’t, and then focus on what needs to be improved instead of struggling around and changing everything,” says Wang. “The people who failed didn’t necessarily work less than those who succeeded. They could actually have worked more: it’s just that they made more unnecessary changes.” As they explored “the mechanisms governing the dynamics of failure”, Wang’s team identified what they describe as previously unknown statistical signatures that separate successful groups from unsuccessful groups, making it possible to predict their final outcomes. One such key indicator is the time between consecutive (连续的) failed attempts, which should decrease steadily. In other words, the faster you fail, the better your chances of success, and the more time between attempts, the more likely you are to fail again. “If someone has applied for a grant and they are three failures in,” Wang says, “if we just look at the timing between the failures, we will be able to predict whether they will eventually succeed or not.” Working with such large-scale data, Wang and his colleagues were able to identify a critical point that was common to each of the hundreds of thousands of undertakings they had analyzed, a fork in the road where one path leads to a development region and one leads to a stagnation region. Wang points out that the existence of the tipping point cuts against the traditional explanations for failure or success, such as luck or a person’s work habits. “What we’ re showing here is that even in the absence of such differences, you can still have very different outcomes.” he says. What matters is how people fail, how they respond to failure and where those failures lead. 1．It can be learned from Paragraph 2 that________. A．winners are more persistent than losers B．failure is not important for success at all C．more trying doesn’t necessarily result in success D．winners and losers differ in how many times they tried 2．Wang and his colleagues believe that________. A．no one can obtain success without failure B．failure can sometimes help predict success C．the performance pattern is difficult to identify D．the critical point had been discovered by chance 3．The underlined phrase “a stagnation region” in Paragraph 6 refers to a region________. A．without progress B．beyond recognition C．unknown to outsiders D．in its elementary stage 4．What is the conclusion of Wang’s research? A．Winners try less than losers. but gain more. B．Perseverance is the utmost secret to success. C．Working smart could turn failures into future successes. D．Luck and work habits hardly make any difference to the result. 【答案】1．C 2．B 3．A 4．C 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章分析了成功的秘密。 1．推理判断题。根据第二段“But not every failure leads to success, he adds. And what eventually separates the winners from the losers, the research shows, certainly is not persistence. One of the more interesting findings in the paper, published last October in Nature, is that the people who eventually succeeded and the people who eventually failed tried basically the same number of times to achieve their goals. (但他补充说，并不是每一次失败都会导致成功。研究显示，最终区分赢家和输家的，当然不是坚持不懈。去年10月发表在《自然》杂志上的一篇论文中有一个更有趣的发现，那就是最终成功的人和最终失败的人为实现目标所尝试的次数基本相同。)”可知，更多的尝试不一定会带来成功。故选C。 2．推理判断题。根据第五段中“In other words, the faster you fail, the better your chances of success, and the more time between attempts, the more likely you are to fail again. “If someone has applied for a grant and they are three failures in,” Wang says, “if we just look at the timing between the failures, we will be able to predict whether they will eventually succeed or not.” (换句话说，失败的速度越快，成功的机会就越大，两次尝试之间的间隔时间越长，再次失败的可能性就越大。“如果有人申请了一项资助，但他们失败了三次，”王说，“如果我们只看两次失败之间的时间间隔，我们就能预测他们最终是否会成功。”)”可知，从两次失败的时间间隔可以帮助预测最终是否能成功，即失败有时可以帮助预测成功。故选B。 3．词句猜测题。根据倒数第二段“Working with such large-scale data, Wang and his colleagues were able to identify a critical point that was common to each of the hundreds of thousands of undertakings they had analyzed, a fork in the road where one path leads to a development region and one leads to a stagnation region. (利用如此大规模的数据，王和他的同事们能够在他们分析的数十万个企业中找到一个共同的临界点，这是一个岔路口，一条路通向发展区域，一条路通向a stagnation region。)”可知，这个临界点导致两个不同的结果，即一个是“development region (发展区域)”，那么与之相对的可以推断出是“停滞区域，非发展区”。a stagnation region的含义为“停滞区域，非发展区”。A. without progress没有进展；B. beyond recognition认不出来；C. unknown to outsiders外人不知道；D. in its elementary stage处于初级阶段。故选A。 4．推理判断题。根据第二段“It turns out that trying again and again only works if you learn from your previous failures. The idea is to work smart, not hard. “You have to figure out what worked and what didn’t, and then focus on what needs to be improved instead of struggling around and changing everything,” says Wang. “The people who failed didn’t necessarily work less than those who succeeded. They could actually have worked more: it’s just that they made more unnecessary changes.”（事实证明，只有从以前的失败中吸取教训，一次又一次的尝试才会成功。关键是要聪明地工作，而不是努力工作。“你必须弄清楚什么有效，什么无效，然后专注于需要改进的地方，而不是挣扎着改变一切，”王说。“失败者并不一定比成功者工作得少。他们其实可以做得更多:只是他们做了更多不必要的改变。”）”以及最后一段中““What we’ re showing here is that even in the absence of such differences, you can still have very different outcomes.” he says. What matters is how people fail, how they respond to failure and where those failures lead. (他说：“我们在这里展示的是，即使没有这些差异，你仍然可以得到非常不同的结果。”重要的是人们如何失败，他们如何应对失败，以及这些失败会导致什么。)”可知，王的研究结果表明并不是每一次失败都会导致成功，真正导致成功的是弄清楚人们如何失败，他们如何应对失败，以及这些失败会导致什么，然后进行改变，即聪明地工作可以把失败变成未来的成功。故选C。 话题4 职业与行业发展 P1: 《女子篮球的历史与发展》：追溯女子篮球起源于 1892 年史密斯学院，讲述 Senda Berenson 为适应女性体质修改规则（如场地分三区、每队 9 人、限制运球次数等），介绍 1896 年斯坦福与加州大学伯克利分校的首场校际女子篮球赛，提及 1976 年女子篮球成为奥运会正式项目、1953 年首届女子篮球世界杯举办，以及美国、苏联（俄罗斯）、巴西、澳大利亚在世界杯中的夺冠情况。 P2: 《奥斯卡金像奖（Academy Awards）的相关事实》：介绍奥斯卡金像奖的起源（1927 年 AMPAS 成立，1929 年首次颁奖），说明奖杯材质（镀金青铜，官方价值 1 美元，获奖者出售前需先以 1 美元价格 offer 给学院），讲述 “Oscar” 名称的由来（1930 年代 AMPAS 图书管理员认为奖杯像其叔叔 Oscar，1939 年官方定名），强调奥斯卡作为电影界卓越象征的地位。 Passage 1 【来源】上海交通大学附属中学嘉定分校等四校联考2024-2025学年高二上学期期中考试英语试题 Women’s basketball began in the winter of 1892 at Smith College. Senda Berenson, an instructor at Smith, taught basketball to her students, hoping the activity would improve their physical health. Basketball’s early supporters were affiliated with YMCAs (The Young Men’s Christian Association) and colleges throughout the United States, and the game quickly spread throughout the country. However, Berenson was taking risks simply in teaching the game to women. She worried a little about the women suffering from “nervous fatigue” if games were too strenuous for them. And, in order to keep it “acceptable” for women to play at all, she taught modified rules. These included a court divided into three areas and nine players per team. Three players were assigned to each area (guard, center, forward) and could not cross the line into another area. The ball was moved from section to section by passing or dribbling. Players were limited to three dribbles and could hold the ball for three seconds. No snatching or batting the ball away from a player was allowed. A center jump was required after each score. Peach baskets and the soccer ball were the equipment. Variations of Berenson’s rules spread across the country via YMCAs and colleges. The first intercollegiate women’s basketball game was played between teams from Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley, in 1896. The popularity of women’s basketball grew steadily around the world for decades. By the 1970s the sport had attracted the notice the International Olympic Committee, which added women’s basketball as an official sport of the Olympic Games in 1976. The Women’s World Cup was created by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). It began in 1953, held in Chile, three years after the first men’s World Championship. For most of its early history, it was not held in the same year as the men’s championship. After the 1983 event, FIBA changed the scheduling so that the women’s tournament would be held in even-numbered non-Olympic years, a change that had come to the men’s tournament in 1970. Only four nations have won titles in the history of the Women’s World Cup. The United States has won the title nine times, including six of the last eight. The Soviet Union won six titles, including five in a row from 1959 to 1975. The only other countries to win have been Brazil in 1994 and Australia in 2006. 1．The underlined words “strenuous” in paragraph 2 properly means___________. A．interesting B．tough C．comfortable D．strange 2．Why were the rules for women’s basketball originally different from those of men’s basketball? A．To make the game shorter. B．To make the game easier. C．To make the game more challenging. D．To make the game more interesting. 3．According to the passage, which country has never won the FIBA women’s basketball championship? A．The United States. B．Russia. C．Brazil. D．Austria. 4．What is the main idea of the passage? A．Women’s basketball is more challenging than men’s basketball. B．Women basketball player aren’t as good as male basketball players. C．America is the strongest country for women’ basketball so far. D．Women’s basketball is a serious sport with a long history. 【答案】1．B 2．B 3．D 4．D 【导语】本文是一篇说明文，主要讲的是女子篮球作为一项运动的历史发展和国际影响力。 1．词句猜测题。根据第二段“Berenson was taking risks simply in teaching the game to women(贝伦森在向女性教授这项运动时是在冒险)”和“the women suffering from “nervous fatigue”(女性患上“神经疲劳”)”可知，划线单词所在句子表示“她有点担心，如果游戏对女性来说过于剧烈，她们会患上“神经疲劳””，因此划线词的意思是“费力的”，和tough意思相近。故选B。 2．推理判断题。根据第二段“She worried a little about the women suffering from “nervous fatigue” if games were too strenuous for them. And, in order to keep it “acceptable” for women to play at all, she taught modified rules.(她有点担心，如果游戏对女性来说过于剧烈，她们会患上“神经疲劳”。而且，为了让女性能够“接受”这项运动，她教授了修改后的规则。)”可知，女子篮球的规则最初与男子篮球的规则不同是为了让这项运动更简单。故选B。 3．细节理解题。根据最后一段“The United States has won the title nine times, including six of the last eight. The Soviet Union won six titles, including five in a row from 1959 to 1975. The only other countries to win have been Brazil in 1994 and Australia in 2006.(美国赢得了9次冠军，包括最近8次中的6次。苏联赢得了六次冠军，其中包括1959年至1975年的连续五次。其他赢得世界杯的国家只有1994年的巴西和2006年的澳大利亚。)”可知，奥地利从未获得过国际篮联女子篮球冠军。故选D。 4．主旨大意题。通读全文，尤其是第一段“Women’s basketball began in the winter of 1892 at Smith College. Senda Berenson, an instructor at Smith, taught basketball to her students, hoping the activity would improve their physical health. Basketball’s early supporters were affiliated with YMCAs (The Young Men’s Christian Association) and colleges throughout the United States, and the game quickly spread throughout the country.(女子篮球运动于1892年冬天在史密斯学院开始。Senda Berenson是史密斯中学的一名教练，她教学生打篮球，希望这项活动能改善他们的身体健康。篮球的早期支持者隶属于The Young Men’s Christian Association和美国各地的大学，这项运动很快传遍了全国。)”可知，本文主要讲的是女子篮球作为一项运动的历史发展和国际影响力，因此本文主旨是D选项“Women’s basketball is a serious sport with a long history.(女子篮球是一项历史悠久的严肃运动。)”。故选D。 Passage 2 【来源】上海市徐汇区2023-2024学年高二上学期1月统测英语试题 The Academy Awards Oscar presentation for excellence in the film industry has a long and rich history. In 1927, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) was formed by 36 of the film industry’s most prominent individuals, choosing film actor Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. as its first president. In 1929, AMPAS presented the first Academy Award. The first Academy Awards, which took place at a private dinner for about 270 people, were presented in 1929 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Los Angeles, U. S. state of California. A gold trophy, a 34-centimeter-tall statuette (小雕像), is awarded to the winners. Most people think that the statuette, which weighs nearly four kilograms, must be made of solid gold. If only this were true. It is gold-plated, but the great majority of an Oscar statuette is only bronze. While it may be priceless to the winners, the Academy officially sets its value at a mere US $1. The statuettes are technically property of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. As a result, before an Oscar winner can sell his trophy, he must first offer to sell it to the Academy for one dollar. This rule is to discourage winners from selling the awards for financial gain. Oscar is not a particularly common man’s name, so where does the moniker come from? Legend has it that in the 1930s, the Academy’s first librarian and later its executive director, Margaret Herrick, was heard to say that the statuette resembled her Uncle Oscar. The name stuck, and in 1939 the Academy officially adopted Oscar to represent the common name of the award. Its official name, however, is the “Academy Award of Merit.” Whatever one wishes to call it, the Oscar is one of the world’s most recognizable trademarks. Cinema has come a long way since the first prototypes of movie cameras were developed near the end of the 19th century. Movies have since become one of the most popular forms of entertainment worldwide. The Oscars have come to represent excellence in cinema. 1．The passage is mainly about ________. A．the history of the film industry. B．facts about the Academy Award of Merit. C．how to estimate the value of an Oscar statuette. D．the founder of the Academy Awards ceremony. 2．What does the word “moniker” in the fourth paragraph refer to? A．The composition of an Oscar statuette. B．The biography of a man named Oscar. C．The popularity of the Academy Awards ceremony. D．The informal name for the Academy Award of Merit. 3．Which of the following is NOT discussed in the passage? A．Where the ceremony is held. B．The origin of the name Oscar. C．The monetary value of an Oscar. D．How many Oscars are awarded annually. 4．According to the passage, we can learn that ________. A．Oscar is actually a real person’s name. B．The entire Oscar statuette is made of bronze. C．The winners are prohibited from selling the statuette. D．Movies have become less popular as a form of entertainment. 【答案】1．B 2．D 3．D 4．C 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了奥斯卡金像奖的起源、奥斯卡奖杯、Oscar名字的由来以及这一奖项的重要意义等。 1．主旨大意题。通读全文以及根据第一段“The Academy Awards Oscar presentation for excellence in the film industry has a long and rich history.(奥斯卡颁奖典礼在电影行业的卓越表现有着悠久而丰富的历史)”可知，本文介绍了奥斯卡金像奖的起源、奥斯卡奖杯、Oscar名字的由来以及这一奖项的重要意义等。故选B项。 2．词句猜测题。根据划线词的上文“Oscar is not a particularly common man’s name(Oscar并不是一个特别普通的人的名字)”以及接着的问题“那么这个moniker是怎么来的呢？”可知，此处问是Oscar这个名字的由来，划线词moniker与上文的name意义相近。故选D项。 3．细节理解题。第二段的句子“The first Academy Awards, which took place at a private dinner for about 270 people, were presented in 1929 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Los Angeles, U. S. state of California.(第一届奥斯卡颁奖典礼于1929年在美国加利福尼亚州洛杉矶的好莱坞罗斯福酒店举行，当时有270人参加了一次私人晚宴。)”提到了奥斯卡金像奖颁奖的地点。第四段的句子“Oscar is not a particularly common man’s name, so where does the moniker come from? Legend has it that in the 1930s, the Academy’s first librarian and later its executive director, Margaret Herrick, was heard to say that the statuette resembled her Uncle Oscar. The name stuck, and in 1939 the Academy officially adopted Oscar to represent the common name of the award.( Oscar并不是一个特别普通的男人的名字，那么这个绰号是从哪里来的呢？传说，在20世纪30年代，学院的第一位图书管理员，后来的执行董事玛格丽特·赫里克听说小金人像她的Oscar叔叔。这个名字沿用了下来，1939年学院正式采用Oscar作为该奖的通用名称。)”提到了Oscar这个名字的由来。第三段的句子“While it may be priceless to the winners, the Academy officially sets its value at a mere US $1.(虽然它对获奖者来说可能是无价之宝，但学院官方设定的价值仅为1美元。)”提到了奥斯卡奖杯的金钱价值。但文章没有提到每年颁发多少个奥斯卡奖？故选D项。 4．推理判断题。根据第三段的句子“The statuettes are technically property of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. As a result, before an Oscar winner can sell his trophy, he must first offer to sell it to the Academy for one dollar.(严格来说，这些小金人属于美国电影艺术与科学学院。因此，在奥斯卡奖得主出售奖杯之前，他必须首先以一美元的价格将奖杯卖给学院。)”可知，获奖者不得出售小金人。故选C项。 Passage 3 【来源】上海市第三女子中学2024-2025学年高二上学期期中考试英语试题 “Two centuries ago, Lewis and Clark left St. Louis to explore the new lands acquired in the Louisiana Purchase,” George W. Bush said, announcing his desire for a program to send men and women to Mars. “They made that journey in the spirit of discovery. America has ventured forth into space for the same reasons.” Yet there are vital differences between Lewis and Clark’s expedition and a Mars mission. First, they were headed to a place where hundreds of thousands of people were already living. Second, they were certain to discover places and things of immediate value to the new nation. Third, their venture cost next to nothing by today’s standards. A Mars mission may be the single most expensive non-wartime undertaking in U. S. history. Appealing as the thought of travel to Mars is, it does not mean the journey makes sense, even considering the human calling to explore. And Mars as a destination for people makes absolutely no sense with current technology. Present systems for getting from Earth’s surface to low-Earth orbit are so fantastically expensive that merely launching the 1,000 tons or so of spacecraft and equipment a Mars mission would require could be accomplished only by cutting health-care benefits, education spending, or other important programs – or by raising taxes. Absent some remarkable discovery, astronauts, geologists, and biologists once on Mars could do little more than analyze rocks and stare into the sky of another world. Yet rocks can be analyzed by automated probes without risk to human life, and at a tiny fraction of the cost of sending people. It is interesting to note that when President Bush unveiled his proposal, he listed these recent major achievements of space exploration pictures of evidence of water on Mars, discovery of more than 100 planets outside our solar system, and study of the soil of Mars. All these accomplishments came from automated probes or automated space telescopes. Bush’s proposal, which calls for reprogramming some of NASA’s present budget into the Mars effort, might actually lead to a reduction in such unmanned science — the one aspect of space exploration that’s working really well. Rather than spend hundreds of billions of dollars to send people to Mars using current technology, why not take a decade or two or however much time is required researching new launch systems and advanced propulsion(推进力)? If new launch systems could put weight into orbit affordably, and advanced propulsion could speed up that long, slow transit to Mars, the dream of stepping onto the red planet might become reality. Mars will still be there when the technology is ready. 1．What do Lewis and Clark’s expedition and a Mars mission have in common? A．Instant value. B．Human inhabitance. C．Venture cost. D．Exploring spirit. 2．Bush’s proposal is challenged for the following reasons EXCEPT that ______. A．its expenditure is too huge for the government to afford. B．great achievements have already been made in Mars exploration in America. C．American people’s health care will be affected a lot if it is implemented. D．unmanned Mars exploration sounds more practical and economical for the moment. 3．Which can be concluded from the passage? A．Using the current technology to explore Mars is challenging but realistic. B．A Mars mission is considered as unpractical mainly because of the high cost. C．Bush’s proposal is based on three recent great achievements of space exploration. D．Great efforts should be put in the development of manned Mars mission. 4．What is the main idea of the passage? A．Someday people may go to Mars but not until it makes some technological sense. B．A Mars mission is so costly that it may lead to an economic disaster in America. C．Risky as it is, a Mars mission helps to retain America’s position as a technological leader. D．A Mars mission is unnecessary since the scientists once there won’t make great discoveries. 【答案】1．D 2．B 3．C 4．A 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章讲述的是美国关于火星探索的进程，在未来的某一天，人类将去往火星。 1．推理判断题。由文章第一段“‘Two centuries ago, Lewis and Clark left St. Louis to explore the new lands acquired in the Louisiana Purchase,’ George W. Bush said, announcing his desire for a program to send men and women to Mars. ‘They made that journey in the spirit of discovery. America has ventured forth into space for the same reasons.’(两个世纪前，路易斯和克拉克离开圣路易斯，去探索路易斯安那购地获得的新土地，乔治·布什说，并宣布了他希望实施一个将男性和女性送往火星的计划。他们带着探索的精神踏上了这段旅程。美国出于同样的原因冒险进入太空。)”可知，路易斯和克拉克的探险与火星任务都体现了探索的精神。故选D项。 2．细节理解题。根据第四段中的“Present systems for getting from Earth’s surface to low-Earth orbit are so fantastically expensive that merely launching the 1,000 tons or so of spacecraft and equipment a Mars mission would require could be accomplished only by cutting health-care benefits, education spending, or other important programs—or by raising taxes.(目前从地球表面到近地轨道的系统是如此昂贵，以至于仅仅发射火星任务所需的1000吨左右的航天器和设备就只能通过削减医疗福利、教育支出或其他重要项目——或通过提高税收来实现。)”可知，对于布什总统的提议，如果实施，美国人民的福祉将受到很大损害。同时它也是费用高昂的，导致美国政府不得不提高税收来实现，紧靠政府是负担不起的。同时根据倒数第二段中“Bush’s proposal, which calls for reprogramming some of NASA’s present budget into the Mars effort, might actually lead to a reduction in such unmanned science — the one aspect of space exploration that’s working really well.(布什的提案呼吁将NASA现有的预算重新规划到火星计划中，这实际上可能会导致这种无人驾驶科学的减少——这是太空探索中非常有效的一个方面。)”可知，布什的提案也变相减少了无人驾驶科学的预算，因此A,C,D三个选项都可以作为反对布什的提案的理由。根据倒数第二段中“he listed these recent major achievements of space exploration: pictures of evidence of water on Mars, discovery of more than 100 planets outside our solar system, and study of the soil of Mars.(他列举了最近太空探索的主要成就：火星上有水的证据的照片，太阳系外100多个行星的发现，以及对火星土壤的研究。)”可知，布什的提案是在美国在火星探测方面已经取得了巨大的成就的基础上提出来的，由此不会作为反对布什的提案的理由。故选B。 3．推理判断题。根据倒数第二段中“It is interesting to note that when President Bush unveiled (公开) his proposal, he listed these recent major achievements of space exploration: pictures of evidence of water on Mars, discovery of more than 100 planets outside our solar system, and study of the soil of Mars.(有趣的是，当布什总统公布他的提议时，他列出了最近太空探索的主要成就：火星上有水的证据的照片，太阳系外100多个行星的发现，以及对火星土壤的研究。)”可知，布什的提议是基于最近太空探索的三项伟大成就而提出来的。故选C。 4．主旨大意题。根据最后一段中“If new launch systems could put weight into orbit affordably, and advanced propulsion could speed up that long, slow transit (运输) to Mars, the dream of stepping onto the red planet might become reality. Mars will still be there when the technology is ready.(如果新的发射系统能够以合理的价格将重量送入轨道，并且先进的推进系统能够加快去往火星的漫长而缓慢的旅程，那么踏上这颗红色星球的梦想可能会成为现实。当技术成熟时，火星仍然会在那里。)”以及通读全文，文章介绍了美国关于火星探索的进程，同时也指出在未来的某一天只有当技术有一定的发展，梦想才能成为现实即人类才能登上火星。故选A。 话题5 生物技术与健康干预 探讨人类如何通过技术手段干预自身健康与能力边界。 P1: “生物黑客”兴起 普通人通过DIY生物学、基因编辑、间歇性禁食等方式“升级”身体，但伴随法律与健康风险。 P2: 瓶装空气成商品 空气污染催生“瓶装空气”市场，反映环境危机下的消费异化与治理失效。 Passage 1 【来源】上海市吴淞中学2024-2025学年高二上学期期中试卷英语试题 The concept of “biohacking” has been gaining popularity in recent years. It refers to the practice of using DIY biology and technology to improve one’s physical and mental health, as well as overall well-being. Biohackers, as they are called, often experiment with various techniques and tools to better their bodies and minds. One of the most popular biohacking practices is the use of nootropics, also known as “brain boosters.” These are substances that are believed to enhance cognitive functions such as memory, focus, and creativity. Nootropics can range from natural supplements and Omega-3 fatty acids to synthetic compounds. Another common biohacking technique is the practice of intermittent fasting, which involves cycling’ between periods of eating and fasting, usually in a pattern of 16/8 (16 hours of fasting and 8 hours of eating) or 5/2 (five days of normal eating and two days of fasting). Intermittent fasting is believed to promote weight loss, and even extend lifespan. Biohackers also experiment with various forms of physical enhancement. This can include anything from using biofeedback devices to monitor and regulate physiological processes, to undergoing extreme physical transformations such as implants and body modifications. Some biohackers even go as far as to use gene editing technologies like CRISPR to modify their DNA for enhanced physical traits. However, biohacking is not without its risks. The use of unregulated supplements and drugs can lead to unpredictable side effects, and some biohacking practices may even be illegal. Furthermore, the long-term effects of many biohacking techniques are still unknown, making it difficult to assess their safety and effectiveness. Despite these risks, the biohacking movement continues to grow in popularity. Many people are drawn to the idea of taking control of their own health and well-being through DIY biology and technology. As the movement evolves, it will be important for researchers and regulators to monitor its impact on human health and society. 1．What does the term “biohacking” refer to? A．Using technology to improve physical appearance. B．Using DIY biology and technology to improve health and well-being. C．Experimenting with dangerous drugs and supplements. D．Undergoing extreme physical transformations for aesthetic reasons. 2．Which of the following is a popular biohacking practice? A．Using biofeedback devices to monitor sleep patterns. B．Taking nootropics to enhance cognitive functions. C．Undergoing gene editing for aesthetic purposes. D．Practicing intermittent fasting to gain muscle mass. 3．What are the potential risks associated with biohacking? A．Mild side effects and short-term health issues. B．Immediate side effects and potential illegality. C．Illegal practices and insecurity. D．Long-term health issues and unknown effects. 4．What is the author’s attitude towards the biohacking movement? A．Neutral. B．Opposed. C．Supportive. D．Critical. 【答案】1．B 2．B 3．C 4．D 【导语】本文为一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了“生物黑客”这一概念，并列举了生物黑客的各种具体行为以及这些行为存在的潜在的风险。 1．细节理解题。根据文章第一段“The concept of “biohacking” has been gaining popularity in recent years. It refers to the practice of using DIY biology and technology to improve one’s physical and mental health, as well as overall well-being.(近几年，‘生物黑客’”的概念越来越受欢迎。它指的是使用DIY生物学和技术来改善一个人的身心健康以及整体的幸福感的做法)”可知，生物黑客指的是利用DIY生物学和技术来改善健康和幸福感的做法。故选B。 2．细节理解题。根据文章第二段“One of the most popular biohacking practices is the use of nootropics, also known as “brain boosters.” These are substances that are believed to enhance cognitive functions such as memory, focus, and creativity.(最流行的生物黑客实践之一是使用益智药，也被称为‘大脑助推器’。这些物质被认为可以提高认知功能，如增强记忆力、注意力和创造力)”可知，使用益智药来增强认知功能是一种流行的生物黑客实践。故选B。 3．推理判断题。根据文章第五段“However, biohacking is not without its risks. The use of unregulated supplements and drugs can lead to unpredictable side effects, and some biohacking practices may even be illegal. Furthermore, the long-term effects of many biohacking techniques are still unknown, making it difficult to assess their safety and effectiveness.(但是，生物黑客不是没有风险的。使用未监管的补充剂和药物可能导致不可预测的副作用，一些生物黑客行为甚至可能是非法的。此外，许多生物黑客的长期影响仍然未知，因此难以评估其安全性和有效性)”可知，生物黑客潜在的风险在于它不可预测的副作用，可能是不安全的，且一些生物黑客行为还可能是非法的。由此推知，与生物黑客相关的潜在风险是非法行为和不安全性。故选C。 4．推理判断题。根据最后一段最后一句“As the movement evolves, it will be important for researchers and regulators to monitor its impact on human health and society.(随着这场运动的演变，研究人员和监管机构监测其对人类健康和社会的影响将是很重要的)”以及文中所使用的词“unknown, unpredictable side effects, illegal”可推知，作者对生物黑客运动的态度是批判的。故选D。 Passage 2 【来源】上海市浦东新区华东师范大学第二附属中学2024-2025学年高二上学期12月月考英语试题 For companies who bottle pure mountain air, like one in Canada, dropping air quality is a business opportunity. For the rest of us, it’s a killer. While billions of people live in a fog of harmful airborne particles each day, the business of Vitality Air, which sells bottled Canadian mountain air, is booming. “Our Chinese website keeps crashing. We are getting orders from all over the country, not just the wealthier cities,” said Harrison Wang, China representative for Vitality Air. “When the air is bad, we see increase in sales.” While the company has sold 12,000 bottles of air from Canada’s national parks to Chinese people sick of the pollution that chokes many of the country’s cities, plenty of other nations are increasingly asking for clean air. The past week has also identified the cause for this smoggy malaise (难以捉摸的问题). The torching of fossil fuels has grown so quickly that the world is heading to atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide beyond 400 parts per million — a level unseen in human history. Particles and chemicals released from power plants and vehicles are killing us as the CO₂ dissolves the Great Barrier Reef and helps rob Alaska of a winter. Indeed, if humans vanished tomorrow, our great contributions will not be non-hovering hover boards, but our pollution. Recent research concludes that on vast geological timescales, humans will leave behind just a layer of plastic and a blanket of planet-warming greenhouse gases. Cities, where most pollution dwells, are perhaps ahead of national governments in realizing the crisis we all now face. In the US, the Clean Air Act has lifted the smog from many large American metropolises and have banded with other urban areas from around the world to do more to tackle climate change. Paris has placed a monthly ban upon cars along the Champs-Elysee, while Santiago in Chile last year temporarily banned 40% of its 1.7m vehicles. But with more people dying from air pollution each year than malaria and HIV, it’s clear that far more needs to be done to clean up our cities, stem the flow of plastic into the environment and help rapidly growing economies exploit the sun and the wind, rather than coal, for their energy needs. Otherwise we will run out of places to bottle clean air from. 1．Which of the following statement about Vitality Air is TRUE? A．It sells bottled pure mountain air only to wealthy cities in China. B．The Canadian company profits by transporting national parks’ air to Chinese people. C．It is a technology company whose website keeps crashing. D．Its products cause serious environmental problems. 2．What is the root of the world’s air pollution problem? A．The atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide. B．The excessive burning of fossil fuels. C．The dissolving Great Barrier Reef. D．The trillions of tiny pieces plastic. 3．What can be inferred from the passage? A．Plenty of other nations were not able to buy clean bottled air from Vitality Air. B．Innovative technologies would be the consequence if humans disappeared on the earth. C．The warm winter in Alaska is caused by the burning of fossil fuels. D．National governments are working on the smoggy problem through a joint effort. 4．Which of the following is the best title? A．Bottled air: far from a silver bullet to air pollution B．Dropping air quality: the killer hunting all of us C．A global dilemma: pollution has both upsides and downsides D．An emergent call: we are running out of clean bottled air 【答案】1．B 2．B 3．C 4．A 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要讲述了空气污染加剧对健康的威胁以及由此带来的瓶装空气市场的兴起。 1．细节理解题。根据第二段“While the company has sold 12,000 bottles of air from Canada’s national parks to Chinese people sick of the pollution that chokes many of the country’s cities, plenty of other nations are increasingly asking for clean air.(尽管这家公司已经向厌倦了城市污染的中国民众出售了12,000瓶来自加拿大国家公园的空气，越来越多的其他国家也在请求获取清洁空气。)”可知，加拿大公司通过将国家公园的空气运往中国以牟利。故选B。 2．细节理解题。根据第三段“The torching of fossil fuels has grown so quickly that the world is heading to atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide beyond 400 parts per million — a level unseen in human history.(化石燃料的燃烧增长如此之快，以至于全球正在接近超出每百万体积400份的二氧化碳浓度水平——这是人类历史上未曾见过的水平。)”可知，化石燃料的过度燃烧导致了空气污染问题，故选B。 3．推理判断题。根据第三段“Particles and chemicals released from power plants and vehicles are killing us as the CO₂ dissolves the Great Barrier Reef and helps rob Alaska of a winter.(化石燃料的燃烧增长如此之快，以至于全球正在接近超出每百万体积400份的二氧化碳浓度水平——这是人类历史上未曾见过的水平。)”可知，燃烧化石燃料导致阿拉斯加的冬季变暖，故选C。 4．主旨大意题。根据最后一段“But with more people dying from air pollution each year than malaria and HIV, it’s clear that far more needs to be done to clean up our cities, stem the flow of plastic into the environment and help rapidly growing economies exploit the sun and the wind, rather than coal, for their energy needs.(但是，每年因空气污染而死亡的人数超过了疟疾和艾滋病死者的总和，因此显然我们需要采取更多措施来清洁城市环境，遏制塑料进入环境的流动，并帮助快速发展的经济体利用太阳能和风能，而不是依赖煤炭来获取能源。)”可知，文中主要讨论空气质量问题及Vitality Air销售瓶装空气的现象，其中提及瓶装空气并不是解决空气污染的灵丹妙药，A“瓶装空气：远离空气污染的灵丹妙药”符合主题，适合做标题。故选A。 Passage 3 【来源】上海市七宝中学2024-2025学年高二上学期期中考试试卷 A new study, which found that eating ultra- processed (超加工的) food (like fish fingers, fizzy drinks and ready meals) could increase the risk of death, made for alarming headlines. The Sun told us that “just for portions of processed food a day could kill you”, while The Telegraph said that ultra-processed foods “could increase the risk of early death by 60 percent”. As is often the case, the research is well-designed and alarming. What’s more, the news coverage is not exactly false. The problem is that the numbers driving the headlines are hard to interpret, and seem more frightening than they are. Let’s unpack what the evidence means in this case. Spanish researchers followed roughly 20,000 students over 14 years, using questionnaires to estimate how many portions of ultra-processed food they were eating every day. They found that those who ate the most ultra-processed foods had a 62 percent increased risk of death from any cause, compared with those who ate the least. If we assume the conclusions are accurate, then a 62 percent increased risk of death sounds pretty shocking. But what does it mean? Let’s imagine two friends — Wanda and Winona. They’re both around 50, the same weight, do the same amount of exercise, have same family histories of disease, but not the same habits or lifestyle. Wanda is keen on instant noodles, fish fingers and fizzy drinks, while Winona prefers steamed vegetables and whole meal bread. Each one faces an annual risk of death, whose technical name is their “hazard”. The key statistic reported in the Spanish study was a hazard ratio (率) of 1.62. This means that, for two people like Wanda and Winona who are similar apart from their different diets, the one with the risk factor — Wanda — has a 62 percent increased annual risk of death over the follow- up period (around 14 years in the Spanish study). It’s tempting to interpret this as meaning that Wanda’s life is going to be 62 percent shorter than Winona’s, but that’s not what’s going on. Crucially, the risk of dying in any one year for the average person is pretty low, so a 62 percent annual increase in risk of death may not be alarming as it sounds. In the UK, for example, the average annual risk of death for 50-year-old women is around 0.2 percent, which means you might expect 2 in every 1,000 women like Winona to die each year. A 62 percent increase on that number gives around a 0.3 percent annual risk of death, which would be 3 in every 1,000 women like Wanda. The difference in 1,000, sounds a lot less alarming than the 62 percent which made the headlines. 1．What does the writer imply about the increased risk of death covered in the news? A．It reflects people’s ignorance of what makes a healthy diet. B．The interpretation of it needs to be weighed objectively. C．It is a conclusion drawn from a poorly designed study. D．The understanding of it varies from country to country. 2．What did the Spanish researchers do in their study? A．They divided the students into two groups. B．They collected the data by means of interviews. C．They followed the subjects for more than a decade. D．They made up two friends named Wanda and Winona. 3．According to the writer, why is it that the 62 percent annual increase in risk of death may not be that alarming? A．The chance of dying in a year for the average person is relatively minimal. B．It is based on the data that the Spanish researchers collected 14 years ago. C．The relevant study has failed to take other factors into consideration. D．People in the UK are becoming more and more health-conscious. 4．What can be concluded from the passage? A．The news coverage ought to be as objective as possible. B．There needs to be more evidence for the increase in risk of death. C．The harm done by ultra-processed food is not as serious as reported. D．There should be regulations on the production of ultra-processed food. 【答案】1．B 2．C 3．A 4．C 【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章讲述了新研究发现食用超加工食品可能增加死亡风险，但报道中的数字容易引发误解。研究指出，与食用最少超加工食品的人相比，食用最多的人死亡风险增加62%。 然而，这并不意味着寿命会缩短62%，因为普通人每年的死亡风险本身就很低。因此，尽管这一数字听起来吓人，但实际上影响可能并不那么显著。 1．推理判断题。根据文章第二段“The problem is that the numbers driving the headlines are hard to interpret, and seem more frightening than they are.(问题是，驱动新闻标题的数字很难解释，而且看起来比实际情况更可怕。)”可知，新闻报道中的死亡风险增加需要客观权衡，因为数字很难解释，而且看起来比实际情况更可怕。因此，作者暗示了对新闻中提到的死亡风险增加的解读需要客观权衡。故选B。 2．细节理解题。根据文章第三段“Spanish researchers followed roughly 20,000 students over 14 years, using questionnaires to estimate how many portions of ultra-processed food they were eating every day.(西班牙研究人员对大约20000名学生进行了长达14年的跟踪调查，使用问卷来估算他们每天吃多少份超加工食品。)”可知，他们在研究中跟踪研究对象超过十年。故选C。 3．细节理解题。根据文章最后一段“Crucially, the risk of dying in any one year for the average person is pretty low, so a 62 percent annual increase in risk of death may not be alarming as it sounds.(关键的是，普通人每年死亡的风险相当低，因此，死亡风险每年增加62%可能并不像听起来那么令人担忧。)”可知，作者认为62%的年度死亡风险增加可能并不那么令人担忧的原因是普通人每年死亡的机会相对较小。故选A。 4．推理判断题。根据文章最后一段“It’s tempting to interpret this as meaning that Wanda’s life is going to be 62 percent shorter than Winona’s, but that’s not what’s going on. Crucially, the risk of dying in any one year for the average person is pretty low, so a 62 percent annual increase in risk of death may not be alarming as it sounds.(Wanda的寿命将比维诺娜短62%是很有诱惑力的，但事实并非如此。关键在于，对于普通人来说，任何一年的死亡风险都相当低，因此，死亡风险每年增加62%听起来可能很吓人，但实际上可能并不那么令人担忧。)”可知，尽管新闻报道声称超加工食品会增加死亡风险，但实际上这种风险增加可能并不如报道中所说的那么严重。因此，可以得出结论，超加工食品的危害并不像报道中所说的那么严重。故选C。 话题6 社会现象与公共议题 剖析现代社会中的文化趋势、伦理争议与政策困境;解读人类行为背后的普遍规律。 P1: “三明治一代”照护危机 中年人同时抚养子女与照顾老人，社会对照护劳动的忽视亟需制度性改革。 P2: 人类为何将物品拟人化？ 孤独感或认知需求驱使人们赋予手机、汽车等物体“人格”，影响消费行为与情感依附。 P3: 眼神交流的力量 眼神接触能聚焦注意力、干扰工作记忆、塑造他人印象，但过度凝视会引发不适。 Passage 1 【来源】上海市上海中学2024-2025学年高二上学期期中考试英语试题 This unfolding health crisis has implications for the government, the NHS and society at large, but perhaps the people most affected are those dealing with aging parents and young children or teenagers — the “sandwich generation”. The term was first popularized by US sociologists Dorothy Miller and Elaine Brody in 1981. Miller wrote of “adult children” who were exposed to “a unique set of unshared stresses in which giving of resources and service far outweighs receiving them.” The declining health of older generations has coincided with more parental demands such as the spread of attention-rich “gentle parenting”, the rise in anxiety and depression among teenagers, and the delayed departures from the family home of children in their 20s. David Goodhart, the head of demography(人口统计学) , immigration and integration at the conservative thinktank Policy Exchange, has just written a book entitled Care Dilemma: Caring Enough in the Age of Sex Equality. His thesis is that family obligations have been disproportionately borne by women, but that greater equality has led to a shortage of care, and an ever-increasing and more costly role for the state. He argues that the solution is not “to push back against equality but to raise the status of care, a realm that has traditionally been female”. Goodhart accepts that total equality has yet to arrive, though he points out that the share of domestic labor has shifted from 70: 30 25 years ago to 60: 40 today. But he maintains that his argument is really about reordering of society’s priorities to liberate women and men to play more active and beneficial roles as carers. The whole issue of care is one that within the family context is filled with guilt and shame, which by their nature are private and often well-guarded emotions. Rare is the parent who isn’t severely tested by the job of rearing children, but the large majority are in it for the long run. Perhaps the one point that all interested parties can agree upon is that all forms of care — for young and elderly people — have been neglected by us as a society, pushed to the margins or back into private settings, where all the accompanying pain and frustration have been left to grow. Whether or not one agrees with Goodhart’s social perspective, it’s hard to dispute that our attitudes and practices relating to care are due for a radical change. We have to rethink the needs and dignity of people at all stages of life, to humanize these most human of situations. No one should be the meat in a demographic sandwich that is long past its sell-by date. 1．Which of the following is NOT a stressor for the “sandwich generation”? A．The rising trend of “gentle parenting” that demands great attention B．The burden of caring for both children and aging parents C．The low availability of mental health resources for teenagers D．The delayed independence of young adults living at home 2．According to Goodhart, the solution to the care dilemma is _________. A．to recognize and improve the value of caregiving roles B．to return to traditional roles for men and women in caregiving C．to provide more government funding for caregiving services D．to promote total equality between genders in terms of caring 3．It can be learned from paragraph 5 that _________. A．society has placed a high priority on supporting family caregivers B．guilt and shame involved in caregiving are well guarded in society C．most parents do not experience much difficulty when raising children D．the neglect of care has resulted in negative emotions within the family 4．The underlined sentence in the last paragraph implies that _________. A．the sandwich generation should give up caregiving because the need for it has expired B．the current system of care is old-fashioned and in need of a radical reform C．caregiving responsibilities should be shifted from the sandwich generation to society D．the demographic challenges of caring for family members are out of date 【答案】1．C 2．A 3．D 4．B 【导语】本文是一篇说明文，主要讲述了“三明治一代”面临着巨大的看护压力，并提出我们有必要改变对看护的看法以及做法。 1．细节理解题。根据第一段中的“This unfolding health crisis has implications for the government, the NHS and society at large, but perhaps the people most affected are those dealing with aging parents and young children or teenagers — the “sandwich generation”.(这场正在发生的健康危机对政府、英国国家医疗服务体系和整个社会都有影响，但也许受影响最大的人是那些与年迈父母、幼儿或青少年打交道的人——“三明治一代”。)”和第二段“The declining health of older generations has coincided with more parental demands such as the spread of attention-rich “gentle parenting”, the rise in anxiety and depression among teenagers, and the delayed departures from the family home of children in their 20s.(老一辈人健康状况的下降与更多的父母需求同时发生，例如注意力丰富的“温和育儿”的传播，青少年焦虑和抑郁的增加，以及二十多岁的孩子延迟离开家庭。)”可知，“三明治一代”需要照顾老人和孩子，他们遭受着压力，他们面对的压力有：注意力丰富的“温和育儿”的传播，青少年焦虑和抑郁的增加，以及二十多岁的孩子延迟离开家庭，选项A、B、D均符合题意。故选C。 2．细节理解题。根据第三段中的“He argues that the solution is not “to push back against equality but to raise the status of care, a realm that has traditionally been female”.(他认为，解决方案不是“反对平等，而是提高看护的地位，这是一个传统上属于女性的领域”。)”可知，Goodhart认为解决看护困境的方法是提高看护的地位，即承认并提高看护角色的价值。故选A。 3．推理判断题。根据第五段中的“Perhaps the one point that all interested parties can agree upon is that all forms of care — for young and elderly people — have been neglected by us as a society, pushed to the margins or back into private settings, where all the accompanying pain and frustration have been left to grow.(也许所有有关方都能同意的一点是，我们作为一个社会忽视了对年轻人和老年人的各种形式的看护，将其推到边缘或回到私人环境中，所有随之而来的痛苦和沮丧都在那里滋长。)”可推测出，社会对看护年轻人和老年人的忽视，使得看护的工作被推给家庭内部去处理，这导致了痛苦、沮丧这些负面情绪。故选D。 4．词句猜测题。根据最后一段中的“Whether or not one agrees with Goodhart’s social perspective, it’s hard to dispute that our attitudes and practices relating to care are due for a radical change. We have to rethink the needs and dignity of people at all stages of life, to humanize these most human of situations.(无论人们是否同意Goodhart的社会观点，我们对看护的态度和做法都应该发生根本性的变化，这一点毋庸置疑。我们必须重新思考人们在生命各个阶段的需求和尊严，使这些最人性化的情况人性化。)”可知，作者认为我们对看护的态度和做法有必要进行彻底改变，让看护变得更具人性化，由此可推测出，“No one should be the meat in a demographic sandwich that is long past its sell-by date.”讲述了没有人应该成为早已过了保质期的人口统计学三明治中的肉，在这里意在说明目前的看护体系过时了，需要进行彻底变革。故选B。 Passage 2 【来源】上海市徐汇区2023-2024学年高二上学期1月统测英语试题 The number of devices you can talk to is multiplying — first it was your phone, then your car, and now you can boss around your appliances. Children are likely to grow up thinking everything is alive, or at least interactive. But even without chatty gadgets, research suggests that under certain circumstances, people personify everyday products. Sometimes we see things as human because we’re lonely. In one experiment, people who reported feeling isolated were more likely than others to attribute free will and consciousness to various gadgets. In turn, feeling related to objects can reduce loneliness. When college students were reminded of a time they’d been excluded socially, they made it up by exaggerating (夸大) their number of Facebook friends - unless they were first given tasks that caused them to interact with their phone as if it had human qualities. The phone apparently stood in for real friends. At other times, we personify products in an effort to understand them. One study found that three in four respondents cursed (骂) at their computer- and the more their computer gave them problems, the more likely they were to report that it had “its own beliefs and desires.” When we personify products, they become harder to cast off. After being asked to evaluate their car’s personality, people were less likely to say they intended to replace it soon. So how do people assign traits to an object? In part, we rely on looks. On humans, wide faces are associated with dominance. Similarly, people rated cars, clocks, and watches with wide faces as more dominant-looking than narrow-faced ones, and preferred them. An analysis of car sales in Germany found that cars with grilles (散热器面罩) that were upturned like smiles and headlights that were like narrowed eyes sold best. Personifying products and brands can backfire, however. When a coffee maker was personified in an ad (“I am Aroma” versus just “Aroma”), men — but not women — felt betrayed by increases in its price. Now that speech-enabled coffee makers are on the market, maybe the machines can sweet-talk their way back into men’s hearts. 1．People are most likely to personify things when they ________. A．spend too much time chatting online B．lack real life friends and feel isolated C．enjoy bossing around in real life D．become extremely angry with a device 2．Which of the following can probably replace the phrase cast off? A．Be fond of. B．Take hold of. C．Get rid of. D．Make use of. 3．Which of the following can be learned from the passage? A．Cars with wide faces sell better because they are considered friendlier. B．Speech-enabled coffee makers attract more male customers. C．Nice-looking products are more likely to be personified. D．People personify everyday products for different reasons. 【答案】1．B 2．C 3．D 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要讲的是人们倾向于将日常物品拟人化的现象、原因、影响以及可能产生的反效果。 1．细节理解题。 根据第一段“But even without chatty gadgets, research suggests that under certain circumstances, people personify everyday products.(但研究表明，即使没有会说话的小玩意，在某些情况下，人们也会把日常用品人格化)”和第二段的句子“Sometimes we see things as human because we’re lonely. In one experiment, people who reported feeling isolated were more likely than others to attribute free will and consciousness to various gadgets. In turn, feeling related to objects can reduce loneliness.(有时候我们以人性的眼光看待事物，因为我们很孤独。在一项实验中，报告感觉被孤立的人比其他人更有可能将自由意志和意识归因于各种小工具。反过来，与物体相关的感觉可以减少孤独感)”可知，当人们缺乏现实生活中的朋友并感到孤立时，他们最有可能将事物拟人化。故选B。 2．词句猜测题。划线词上文“After being asked to evaluate their car’s personality, people were less likely to say they intended to replace it soon.(在被要求评估他们的汽车的个性后，人们不太可能说他们打算很快更换它)”可知，划线词所在句子表示“当我们将产品拟人化时，它们就变得更难被丢弃”。由此可知，划线短语cast off意为“抛弃，摆脱”，和get rid of意思相近。故选C。 3．细节理解题。根据第二段“Sometimes we see things as human because we’re lonely.(有时候我们以人性的眼光看待事物，因为我们很孤独)”和第三段“At other times, we personify products in an effort to understand them.(在其他时候，我们将产品拟人化以努力理解它们)”可知，人们出于不同的原因将日常用品拟人化。故选D。 Passage 3 【来源】上海市吴淞中学2024-2025学年高二上学期10月月考英语试卷 The Power of Eye Contact You’ve probably had the experience. You’re crossing a crowded room when you lock gazes with another person. It’s almost like a scene out of a movie — the rest of the world fades to grey while you are looking at each other. Of course, eye contact is not always so exciting. It’s a natural part of most casual conversations, after all. But it is nearly always important. We make assumptions about people’s personalities based on how much they meet our eyes when we are talking to them. And when we pass strangers in the street, we can be left feeling rejected if they don’t make eye contact with us. This much we already know from our everyday experiences. Psychologists, however, have revealed much more about the power of eye contact. For instance, a finding is that gazing eyes grab and hold our attention, making us less aware of what else is going on around us (that “fading to grey” that I mentioned earlier). Similar research has found that meeting the direct gaze of another also interferes with our working memory. You may have experienced these effects, whenever you try to break eye contact with another person so as to better concentrate on what you are saying or thinking about. Research also shows that eye contact shapes our perception of the other person who meets our gaze. For instance, we generally consider people who make more eye contact to be more sincere,and become more inclined to believe what they say. Of course, too much eye contact can also make us uncomfortable. In one study conducted at a science museum, psychologists concluded that the preferred length of eye contact was three seconds long, and no one preferred gazes that lasted longer than nine seconds. 1．According to the article, the “fading to grey” moment in the first paragraph occurs because ________. A．the lights in the room began to dim suddenly B．your attention is held by another person’s gaze C．it’s needed to create a romantic atmosphere D．you are attracted by other people in the room 2．What does paragraph 2 mainly talk about? A．The roles that eye contact plays in our daily lives. B．The importance of making eye contact in conversations. C．Why eye contact is not exciting in our everyday experiences. D．The way we deal with strangers in the street. 3．According to the article, the effects of eye contact include that ________. ① it distracts our attention when we are thinking or talking ② it improves our ability to solve difficult problems ③ it influences our impression of the other person A．①② B．①③ C．②③ D．①②③ 4．According to the article, which of the following statements is TRUE? A．We should avoid making eye contact with strangers in public places. B．Eye contact is the most effective way to learn about someone’s personality. C．The most suitable length of eye contact is three to nine seconds. D．Looking away is a strategy for people to better focus on their ideas. 【答案】1．B 2．A 3．B 4．D 【导语】这是一篇说明文。短文介绍了眼神交流的力量。 1．推理判断题。根据第一段“You’ve probably had the experience. You’re crossing a crowded room when you lock gazes with another person. It’s almost like a scene out of a movie — the rest of the world fades to grey while you are looking at each other.(你可能有过这样的经历。当你穿过一个拥挤的房间时，你和另一个人凝视着。这几乎就像电影里的一个场景——当你看着对方的时候，世界的其他部分都变成了灰色)”可知，第一段出现的“变灰”时刻是因为你的注意力被另一个人的凝视所吸引。故选B项。 2．主旨大意题。根据第二段“Of course, eye contact is not always so exciting. It’s a natural part of most casual conversations, after all. But it is nearly always important. We make assumptions about people’s personalities based on how much they meet our eyes when we are talking to them. And when we pass strangers in the street, we can be left feeling rejected if they don’t make eye contact with us.( 当然，目光接触并不总是那么令人兴奋。毕竟，这是大多数休闲对话中很自然的一部分。但它几乎总是重要的。当我们与人交谈时，我们会根据对方与我们眼神接触的次数来猜测对方的性格。当我们在街上与陌生人擦肩而过时，如果他们不与我们进行眼神交流，我们会感到被拒绝)”可知，第二段主要讲眼神交流在我们日常生活中扮演的角色。故选A项。 3．细节理解题。根据第三段“For instance, a finding is that gazing eyes grab and hold our attention, making us less aware of what else is going on around us (that “fading to grey” that I mentioned earlier).(例如，一项发现是，凝视的眼睛抓住并保持了我们的注意力，使我们不太了解周围发生的事情（我之前提到的“逐渐变灰”）”和第五段“For instance, we generally consider people who make more eye contact to be more sincere, and become more inclined to believe what they say. (例如，我们通常认为眼神交流更多的人更真诚，更倾向于相信他们说的话)”可知，根据文章，眼神交流的影响包括①当我们思考或说话时，它会分散我们的注意力③它会影响我们对他人的印象。故选B项。 4．细节理解题。根据第四段“You may have experienced these effects, whenever you try to break eye contact with another person so as to better concentrate on what you are saying or thinking about.(你可能经历过这些影响，每当你试图打破与他人的目光接触，你能更好地集中精力在你所说或所想的事情上)”可知，转移视线是一种策略，可以让人们更好地专注于自己的想法，D项正确。故选D项。 Passage 4 【来源】上海市同济大学第二附属中学2024-2025学年高二上学期期中英语试卷 When was the last time you listened to someone? Really listened, without thinking about what you wanted to say next, glancing down at your phone or jumping in to offer your opinion? And when was the last time someone really listened to you? Was so attentive to what you were saying and whose response was so accurate that you felt truly understood? We are encouraged to listen to our inner voices, but rarely are we encouraged to listen carefully and purposefully to other people. In writing a book about listening, I asked people from Brooklyn to Beijing what it meant to be a good listener. The typical response was a blank stare. People had no trouble, however, telling me what it meant to be a bad listener, complaining about actions such as interrupting, looking at a phone, and responding in a self-centered way. The sad truth is that people have more experience being cut off, ignored and misunderstood than heard to their satisfaction. Of course, technology plays a role. Social media provides a virtual megaphone, along with the means to filter out opposing views. People find phone calls intrusive and ignore voice mail, preferring text or wordless emoji. If people are listening to anything, it’s likely through headphones or earbuds, where they feel safe inside their own sound bubbles. This is all fueling what public health officials describe as an epidemic of loneliness in the United States. But tech is not the only contributor. High schools and colleges have debate teams and courses in rhetoric (修辞) and persuasion, but rarely, if ever, offer classes or extracurricular activities that teach careful listening. The cacophony of modern life also stops us from listening. The music playing in restaurants can make it difficult, if not impossible, for diners to clearly hear one another. Offices with an open design ensure every keyboard click, telephone call and coughing make for constant noise. Traffic noise on city streets exceeds the volume of normal conversation by as much as 30 decibels, and can even cause hearing loss. So how can we reclaim the lost art of listening? Actually, listening goes beyond simply hearing what people say. It also involves paying attention to how they say it and what they do while they are saying it, in what context, and how what they say identify with you. It’s not about merely holding your peace while someone else holds forth. Quite the opposite. A lot $