专题05 阅读理解之说明文15篇（浙江专用）（高考典例+热点话题练习）-2026届高考英语总复习

专题05 阅读理解之说明文15篇 (浙江专用) 【题型知识点细目表】 题号 难度 知识点 1 适中 科学技术 ,说明文 2 适中 科学技术 ,说明文 3 适中 公园,科普知识 ,说明文 4 适中 说明文,动物,科普知识 5 适中 说明文,动物,科普知识 6 适中 家人和亲人 ,疾病 ,说明文 7 适中 说明文,学习,语意转化,逻辑推理 8 适中 个人保健,科普知识 ,说明文 9 适中 医疗 ,人工智能,说明文 10 适中 社会问题与社会现象,科普知识 ,说明文,语意转化,逻辑推理 11 适中 社会问题与社会现象,个人保健,说明文 12 适中 社会问题与社会现象,个人保健,说明文 13 适中 社会问题与社会现象,方法/策略,说明文,语意转化,逻辑推理 14 适中 个人保健,科普知识 ,说明文 15 适中 家人和亲人 ,家庭生活 ,说明文 【高考典例】 Passage 1 On September 7, 1991, the costliest hailstorm (雹暴) in Canadian history hit Calgary’s southern suburbs. As a result, since 1996 a group of insurance companies have spent about $2 million per year on the Alberta Hail Suppression Project. Airplanes seed threatening storm cells with a chemical to make small ice crystals (冰晶) fall as rain before they can grow into dangerous hailstones. But farmers in east-central Alberta — downwind (下风处)  of the hail project flights — worry that precious moisture (水分) is being stolen from their thirsty land by the cloud seeding. Norman Stienwand, who farms in that area has been addressing public meetings on this issue for years. “Basically, the provincial government is letting the insurance companies protect the Calgary-Edmonton urban area from hail,” Mr Stienwand says, “but they’re increasing drought risk as far east as Saskatchewan.” The Alberta hail project is managed by Terry Krauss, a cloud physicist who works for Weather Modification Inc. of Fargo, North Dakota. “We affect only a very small percentage of the total moisture in the air, so we cannot be causing drought,” Dr. Krauss says. “In fact, we may be helping increase the moisture downwind by creating wetter ground.” One doubter about the safety of cloud seeding is Chuck Doswell, a research scientist who just retired from the University of Oklahoma. “In 1999, I personally saw significant tornadoes (龙卷风) form from a seeded storm cell in Kansas,” Dr. Doswell says. “Does cloud seeding create killer storms or reduce moisture downwind? No one really knows, of course, but the seeding goes on.” Given the degree of doubt, Mr. Stienwand suggests, “It would be wise to stop cloud seeding.” In practice, doubt has had the opposite effect. Due to the lack of scientific proof concerning their impacts, no one has succeeded in winning a lawsuit (官司) against cloud-seeding companies. Therefore, private climate engineering can continue in relative legal safety. 1．What does the project aim to do? A．Conserve moisture in the soil. B．Prevent the formation of hailstones. C．Forecast disastrous hailstorms. D．Investigate chemical use in farming. 2．Who are opposed to the project? A．Farmers in east-central Alberta. B．Managers of insurance companies. C．Provincial government officials. D．Residents of Calgary and Edmonton. 3．Why does Dr. Doswell mention the tornadoes he saw in 1999? A．To compare different kinds of seeding methods. B．To illustrate the development of big hailstorms. C．To indicate a possible danger of cloud seeding. D．To show the link between storms and moisture. 4．What can we infer from the last paragraph? A．Scientific studies have proved Stienwand right. B．Private climate engineering is illegal in Canada. C．The doubt about cloud seeding has disappeared. D．Cloud-seeding companies will continue to exist. Passage 2 As new technologies take on increasingly humanlike qualities, there’s been a push to make them genderless. “People are stereotyping (形成刻板印象) their gendered objects in very traditional ways,” says Ashley Martin, a Stanford associate professor of organizational behavior. Removing gender from the picture altogether seems like a simple way to fix this. Yet as Martin has found in her work, gender is one of the fundamental ways people form connections with objects, particularly those designed with human characteristics. In her study, Martin asked participants to rate their attachment to male, female, and genderless versions of a digital voice assistant and a self-driving car known as “Miuu.” It was found that gender increased users’ feelings of attachment to these devices and their interest in purchasing them. For example, participants said they would be less likely to buy a genderless voice assistant than versions with male or female voices. While gendering a product may be good marketing, it may also strengthen outdated or harmful ideas about power and identity. The stereotypes commonly associated with men, such as competitiveness and dominance, are more valued than those associated with women. These qualities, in turn, are mapped onto products that have been assigned a gender. Martin’s study also found that creating a genderless object was difficult. For instance, if an object’s name was meant to sound genderless, like Miuu, participants would still assign a gender to it — they would assume Miuu was a “he” or “she.”   Martin sees a silver lining, however: She believes that anthropomorphism (拟人化) “provides an opportunity to change stereotypes.” When women are put into positions of leadership like running companies, it reduces negative stereotypes about women. Similarly, anthropomorphized products could be created to take on stereotype-inconsistent roles — a male robot that assists with nursing or a female robot that helps do calculations, for instance. 1．What is the purpose of making new technologies genderless? A．To reduce stereotypes. B．To meet public demand. C．To cut production costs. D．To encourage competition. 2．What were the participants probably asked to do in the study? A．Design a product. B．Respond to a survey. C．Work as assistants. D．Take a language test. 3．Why is it difficult to create genderless objects? A．They cannot be mass-produced. B．Naming them is a challenging task. C．People assume they are unreliable. D．Gender is rooted in people’s mind. 4．What does the last paragraph mainly talk about? A．The quality of genderless products. B．The upside of gendering a product. C．The meaning of anthropomorphism. D．The stereotypes of men and women. Passage 3 A novel design approach to gardening has been gaining in popularity worldwide. Referred to as matrix planting, this approach aims for nature to do a lot more of the heavy lifting in the garden, and even some of the designing. Eschewing fertilizers (化肥) and power tools, it’s based on an elegantly simple principle: to garden more like nature does. The concept was born when German city planners sought to plant large areas of parkland after World War II in a reproducible way that would need minimal maintenance. Planners created planting mixes that could be used modularly (模块化). In a matrix garden, plants with similar cultural needs are grouped so that they will grow together above and below ground, forming a cooperative ecosystem that conserves water and discourages weeds. Dutch plantsman and designer Piet Oudolf’s gardens popularized this style, adding artistic flavors to the planting mixes while playing with color and form, including four-season interest and serving the needs of wildlife. Beautiful year-round, they invite you to enjoy the smallest detail, from the sound of grasses in the gentle wind to the sculpture of odd-looking seed heads. It takes a lot of thought to look this natural. While matrix gardens appear wild, they are carefully planned, with cultural needs the first consideration. Led by the concept of “right plant, right place,” they match plants that enjoy the same soil, sun and weather conditions, and arrange them according to their patterns of growth. The benefits are substantial for both gardener and planet. With human inputs dramatically reduced, the garden’s ecology can develop well. Established matrix gardens should not need the life support we give most gardens: fertilizer, dividing, regular watering. Compared to traditional garden plots, they increase carbon absorption, reduce stormwater runoff and boost habitat and biodiversity significantly. 1．What does the underlined word “Eschewing” in the first paragraph mean? A．Running out of. B．Keeping away from. C．Putting up with. D．Taking advantage of. 2．Why was the idea of matrix planting introduced? A．To control weeds in large gardens. B．To bring in foreign species of plants. C．To conserve soil and water resources. D．To develop low-maintenance parkland. 3．Which of the following best describes Piet Oudolf’s gardens? A．Traditional. B．Odd-looking. C．Tasteful. D．Well-protected. 4．Which of the following can be a suitable title for the text? A．The future of gardening is WILD． B．Nature treats all lives as EQUALS. C．Matrix gardens need more CARE. D．Old garden plots work WONDERS. Passage 4 【热点话题练习】 Our daily lives are deeply shaped by conscious experience, ranging from the pleasure of sunlight to the pain of injury. This raises a fundamental question: why did living beings evolve this ability? Experts describe consciousness as having three distinct forms. The first is basic arousal, which appeared earliest in evolution. Its primary function is to alert the body to life-threatening situations. For example, pain signals damage and triggers survival responses like fleeing to keep the organism alive. The second evolutionary development is general alertness. This form allows individuals to focus on one important signal while ignoring others. This ability helps humans learn about new connections, such as identifying complex causes and effects. The third form is self-consciousness. It allows individuals to think about themselves, remember the past, and anticipate the future. This advanced ability builds a mental self-image and guides decisions, which is essential for social integration. Interestingly, recent research suggests birds also possess forms of conscious perception. Studies show they have subjective experiences rather than just automatic reactions. For instance, pigeons interpret unclear images differently, much like humans do. Research on crows shows that their brain nerve signals reflect their internal experience. These findings highlight that birds have strong similarities to mammals in sensory consciousness. Although bird brains differ structurally from mammals’, they support conscious processing. The bird brain contains a specific structure equivalent to the prefrontal cortex (前额叶皮层). This part is highly connected and allows the brain to process information flexibly. The overall brain connections share many similarities with mammals. Therefore, birds meet many criteria of established theories regarding consciousness. Furthermore, experiments indicate that birds show signs of self-perception. While some bird species pass the classic mirror test, others show situational self-consciousness by distinguishing their reflection from a real companion. Taken together, these research findings suggest consciousness is an ancient and widespread feature. It demonstrates that conscious processing can occur without a cerebral cortex (大脑皮层) and different brain structures can achieve similar functional outcomes. 1．What is the primary function of basic arousal? A．To aid survival in dangerous situations. B．To support social integration with others. C．To learn complex scientific connections. D．To process information from the environment. 2．What does the study on crows suggest about bird consciousness? A．They react automatically to physical stimuli. B．They can only recognize themselves in mirrors. C．They possess internal experiences like humans. D．They have a brain structure identical to mammals. 3．How do bird brains support conscious processing? A．By relying on the cerebral cortex like humans. B．By using a different structure for similar functions. C．By having a much larger prefrontal cortex. D．By processing information without any connections. 4．What conclusion can be drawn from the findings on birds? A．Consciousness is a unique human feature. B．Evolution has not changed brain structures much. C．Consciousness is ancient and widespread in nature. D．Different structures cannot achieve the same function. Passage 5 A new analysis by researchers suggests that humans have evolved much faster than any other ape on the planet. The study reveals that humans developed large brains and flat faces at a surprisingly rapid pace when compared to other closely related species. These findings, published in a science journal, indicate that such physical features likely offered strong evolutionary advantages, allowing humans to adapt and succeed quickly. To investigate these differences, the research team created detailed digital 3D models of skulls from various primates. They examined seven “great ape” species, including humans, gorillas, and chimpanzees, as well as nine “lesser ape” species, like gibbons. Although lesser apes separated from a common ancestor millions of years ago, their skulls have remained strikingly similar. In contrast, great apes, especially humans, show far greater variety in their skull shapes. Most great apes are characterized by large, forward-projecting faces and relatively small brains. Humans, however, possess distinctly rounder heads and much flatter faces. By treating the slow evolution of lesser apes as a standard, the researchers found that the human skull changed roughly twice as much as expected. This implies that powerful forces were accelerating human evolution beyond normal speeds. Interestingly, the researchers warn against attributing this speed entirely to intelligence. While a complex brain is important, social pressures likely contributed as well. For example, gorillas show the second-fastest rate of skull evolution, despite having smaller brains. Their changes seem driven by social selection, as larger bony crests (头骨嵴) on their heads are associated with higher social status among groups. This suggests that similar social factors may have played a role in human evolution. The need for social success, combined with cognitive benefits, likely pushed the human skull to change at an amazing rate. These adaptations were so crucial for human life that they developed faster than in any other ape group, proving that our evolution was uniquely intense. 1．Why did researchers treat lesser apes as a control in the study? A．To compare their brain sizes. B．To measure their social status. C．To set a standard for variation. D．To study their 3D digital models. 2．What can be inferred about human evolution from the text? A．It was slower than that of gorillas. B．It focused on the size of the face only. C．It was mainly caused by diet changes. D．It resulted from multiple driving forces. 3．What factor mainly contributed to gorillas’ fast skull evolution? A．Their increasing brain size. B．Their need for social status. C．Their unique body structure. D．Their diet and living habits. 4．How does the author develop the text? A．By listing research data. B．By comparing different species. C．By questioning a previous theory. D．By following the timeline of apes. Passage 6 In popular culture, fathers are often portrayed as calm and unemotional figures. However, reality is quite different. Fathers also suffer from depression, sometimes severely. According to new research from Rutgers Health, if a father’s depression goes undiagnosed or unaddressed, it can have lasting negative effects on their children’s social and behavioral development. Published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, the study led by Kristine Schmitz examined the link between fathers’ mental health and their children’s growth. The researchers found that children exposed to their fathers’ depression when entering kindergarten were far more likely to have teacher-reported behavioral difficulties and poor social skills at age 9. This suggests that adversities faced at this important milestone may lead to poorer engagement and behaviors in grade school that can get worse later on. To reach these conclusions, the team analyzed data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study. The study checked fathers for depressive symptoms when their children were 5 years old. Four years later, when the children were 9, researchers analyzed teacher reports on their behavior. By controlling for factors like family background and maternal depression, the researchers identified a clear link. Children of depressed fathers were significantly more likely to show restlessness, defiance, and anger, as well as lower self-esteem. Schmitz pointed out reasons connecting this link. Depression can lead to difficulties in parenting and less emotional support for the child. It can also cause family conflict or other stress. Schmitz emphasizes that children’s doctors need to talk to fathers and develop father-focused interventions (treatments intended to improve a situation) to support the whole family. Despite the concerning link between paternal depression and challenging child behaviors, there is hope. Early identification and helping fathers with depression can improve the well-being of both fathers and children. As Schmitz suggests, parents can model that when we struggle, we reach out and get help — a lesson children will carry for a lifetime. 1．What trend did the researchers observe regarding children’s development? A．Children depressed at age 5 performed better later. B．Teachers overestimated children’s social skills. C．Family background had no impact on the results. D．Fathers’ depression is linked to later behavioral problems. 2．How does paternal depression affect the home environment according to Schmitz? A．It solves family conflicts effectively. B．It reduces emotional support for the child. C．It strengthens the relationship between parents. D．It increases children’s chances of entering school. 3．What can be inferred about Schmitz’s view on paternal depression? A．It usually disappears after children turn five. B．It cannot be cured by medical interventions. C．It is often overlooked by medical professionals. D．It is insignificant compared to maternal depression. 4．What does Schmitz’s comment about “modeling” suggest? A．Parents should be perfect in front of children. B．Vulnerability and seeking help are valuable. C．Children should learn to solve problems alone. D．Depression is a lifelong disability. Passage 7 A new study in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields reveals how students’ perceptions of effort influence their success. Researchers distinguished between “criterion effort” — simply believing one studies hard — and “comparative effort” — believing one must work harder than peers. The results show that comparative effort can be damaging. When students feel they must work harder than others, they often interpret this as a sign of lacking natural talent. This hurts their “science self-concept” — the belief that they can succeed in science. After analyzing data from 690 chemistry students, researchers found that both male and female students generally viewed extra effort as a signal of lower ability, which weakens their confidence. In contrast, criterion effort is beneficial. Students who believe they work hard, without comparing themselves to others, tend to have a better self-concept. This pattern is particularly strong for women. Women may realize they need to work hard to overcome stereotypes (fixed ideas) that women are weak in science. Consequently, women who simply perceive themselves as working hard tend to perform better and feel more confident about their scientific abilities. However, men respond differently. Their confidence is more influenced by their past actual achievements than by their perception of effort. The study also revealed a feedback loop between effort and grades. Believing in one’s hard work was linked to higher test scores, while comparing with others usually led to lower performance. This finding highlights the importance of early positive experiences for students to understand the link between effort and success. Early STEM classes are famously difficult and often screen out students who feel they cannot succeed. Researchers suggest that students should focus on their own work and progress rather than comparing themselves to peers. Understanding that effort is necessary for success, not a sign of failure, can help talented students remain in the science field. 1．Why is comparative effort harmful to students’ science self-concept? A．It leads to poor grades in exams. B．It implies a lack of natural ability. C．It distracts attention from learning. D．It ignores the actual difficulty of the subject. 2．How does the perception of hard work affect female students? A．They become less confident than men. B．They tend to question their own talent. C．They generally view it as a positive sign. D．They are more influenced by past achievements. 3．What can be inferred about the relationship between effort and achievement? A．High scores always result from hard work. B．Early success can encourage further hard work. C．Men benefit more from effort than women do. D．Comparative effort guarantees better performance. 4．What are researchers advising STEM students to do? A．Avoid difficult introductory courses. B．Realize effort is a sign of failure. C．Focus on their own individual effort. D．Believe in their talent regardless of gender. Passage 8 Your eyes could reveal how fast you’re aging, scientists say. According to new research from McMaster University and the Population Health Research Institute, the tiny blood vessels within the eyes may offer powerful clues about a person’s risk of heart disease and how quickly their body is aging. Published in the journal Science Advances, the study suggests that simple retinal (视网膜) eye scans could eventually serve as a non-invasive (不需要侵入身体的) tool to evaluate both heart health and biological aging. This could one day help doctors detect problems before symptoms appear and guide preventive care. The eyes provide a unique window to view the body’s circulatory (循环) system. “Changes in the eye’s blood vessels often mirror changes happening throughout the body’s small vessels,” explains Marie Pigeyre, the study’s lead author. By connecting retinal scans, genetics, and blood biomarkers (标志物), researchers uncovered molecular pathways that help explain how aging affects the blood vessel system. This connection allows scientists to gain a deeper understanding of the aging process than ever before. To explore these relationships, scientists analyzed eye images, genetic profiles, and blood samples from over 74,000 participants in four large studies. Their analysis found that people with simpler and less branched eye vessels were more likely to have heart disease. Compared to those with more complex vessels, these individuals also showed signs of accelerated aging, including increased inflammation (炎症) and a reduced lifespan. A deeper look at blood markers and genetic data revealed biological mechanisms that may drive these changes. Researchers identified several key proteins linked to inflammation and blood vessel aging, opening new avenues for drug development. These findings point to potential drug targets for slowing blood vessel aging, reducing the burden of heart diseases, and ultimately improving lifespan. Currently, assessing aging-related conditions like heart disease, stroke, and dementia usually requires multiple, complex tests. Researchers hope that eye imaging could one day simplify this process, offering a fast and accessible measure of aging and heart risks. However, they note that for now, such scans are just one part of a broader clinical picture that still requires comprehensive testing. While promising, the current technology is not advanced enough to replace existing medical methods. 1．What is the potential future benefit of simple eye scans? A．To replace all complex medical tests immediately. B．To cure heart disease and inflammation completely. C．To evaluate heart health and biological aging early. D．To increase the number of blood vessel branches. 2．Why are eyes considered valuable for studying the body’s circulation? A．Because they age faster than other organs in humans. B．Because they are the only place to find genetic biomarkers. C．Because they contain the largest blood vessels in the body. D．Because vessel changes in eyes reflect those in the whole body. 3．What can be inferred about people with simpler and less branched eye vessels? A．They are less likely to suffer from heart attacks. B．They usually have a longer lifespan than others. C．They show signs of slower biological aging. D．They tend to have higher levels of inflammation. 4．What is the author’s attitude towards the current eye scanning technology? A．It is a perfect replacement for existing medical methods. B．It is the only tool needed to assess aging risks. C．It is a helpful but currently limited part of checkups. D．It is too complex to be used in daily clinical practice. Passage 9 For decades, pathology (病理学) has been the essential foundation of cancer diagnosis. A pathologist (a doctor who studies diseases) examines a very thin slice of human tissue under a microscope. To these trained specialists, the colorful image of pink swirls and purple dots is like a graded test without a student’s name attached to it. It contains vital information about the disease, but offers no clues about the patient’s identity, race, or background. Ideally, this medical evaluation should be completely objective. However, this assumption does not fully apply to artificial intelligence (AI). A recent study reveals that AI models designed to diagnose cancer can actually infer demographic (population) details directly from the tissue slides. This unexpected ability creates bias, causing the systems to perform differently for various groups. For instance, the models were less accurate in distinguishing lung cancer types in African American patients and males. They also showed reduced accuracy when identifying breast cancer subtypes in younger patients. These errors appeared in a significant portion of diagnostic tasks. The team pinpointed three key reasons for these biases. First, training data are often uneven because samples are easier to obtain from some groups than others. Second, differences in disease incidence (how often a disease happens) exist; some cancers are more common in specific populations, making the AI overly specialized for them. Third, AI models are powerful enough to detect subtle molecular (tiny biological) differences across groups. They use these signals as shortcuts to classify cancer, which leads to failure when those signals are less common in other populations. To address the problem, the team created a framework called FAIR-Path. Based on a method known as contrastive learning, it modifies the AI training process. This approach helps the AI focus on critical distinctions between cancer types while reducing attention to irrelevant personal characteristics like age or race. It adjusts how the system interprets what it sees, forcing it to prioritize disease features over demographic clues. The results are highly significant. When applied, FAIR-Path reduced diagnostic disparities by nearly 90 percent. This success suggests that improving fairness does not require major changes to existing systems. Instead, with careful design and routine evaluation for bias, we can develop medical AI tools that provide fast, accurate, and fair diagnoses for every patient, ensuring reliable health care for all society. 1．How do human pathologists differ from AI models in evaluating tissue samples? A．Humans ignore the disease signs to focus on patient identity. B．Humans are less accurate than AI in distinguishing cancer types. C．AI models rely entirely on the patient’s self-reported information. D．AI models can detect hidden demographic details from images. 2．Why do AI models struggle to diagnose certain cancers in specific populations? A．They fail to detect any molecular differences in the tissue. B．They are not trained with enough data from any group. C．They cannot identify the visual signs of the disease itself. D．They rely on shortcuts linked to demographic-specific signals. 3．How does the FAIR-Path framework function to reduce bias? A．By guiding the AI to focus on key disease features only. B．By replacing the existing AI systems with new ones entirely. C．By removing all personal information from the medical records. D．By balancing the number of samples from all demographic groups. 4．What does the author imply about the future of medical AI in the last paragraph? A．Fair AI systems are impossible without massive changes. B．AI will eventually replace human experts in pathology labs. C．Careful design can lead to fairer and more reliable AI tools. D．The bias in medical AI has been completely solved forever. Passage 10 People are constantly absorbing information from their surroundings, including visual details and background sounds. Over time, the human brain learns to connect these environmental cues with what usually happens next. This process is known as associative learning (联想学习). Simply put, it means learning through repeated links between signals and results. In everyday life, this kind of learning assists people significantly in making faster and often better decisions. For instance, a familiar sign, sound, or setting can act as a signal, indicating whether a choice is likely to lead to a reward or a negative outcome. However, this helpful system does not function the same way for everyone. For people suffering from compulsive (强迫性的) disorders, addictions, or anxiety, these learned associations can become overly powerful. Instead of serving as useful guides, cues may start to control decision making. Individuals may feel a strong pull toward certain sights or sounds, or feel driven to avoid them, even when doing so leads to poor results. This behavior is described as maladaptive (适应不良的) decision making, referring to choices that continue to cause harm or disadvantage despite repeated bad consequences. To better understand how this happens, Giuseppe di Pellegrino from the University of Bologna led a study. The research examined how people learn from cues and how this learning can sometimes go wrong. As described in their paper, the researchers found that people differ widely in the degree to which they rely on environmental cues. Some individuals depend heavily on surroundings to guide choices, while others rely on them much less. The study also revealed an important problem for those who are highly cue-driven. When familiar cues start to signal riskier or less favorable outcomes, these individuals often struggle to adjust. They may have difficulty updating their beliefs about what those cues mean. In practical terms, this means the brain keeps responding as if nothing has changed, even when the situation clearly has. As a result, harmful decision making can persist over time. Instead of adapting to new information, people may repeat the same risky choices again and again. According to the researchers, these findings suggest that some people have stronger cue sensitivity than others, combined with a reduced ability to revise what they have learned. This combination helps explain why certain decision patterns are so hard to break. The research team plans to continue studying this in patient populations to better understand the harmful patterns that characterize addictions and anxiety. 1．What is associative learning defined as in the text? A．A method to ignore surroundings. B．A process to control decision making. C．Learning by linking signals with results. D．A way to avoid negative outcomes completely. 2．What problem do people with compulsive disorders face? A．They adapt quickly to new situations. B．They struggle to connect cues with results. C．They ignore negative outcomes completely. D．They are dominated by learned associations. 3．Why do cue-driven people often fail to adapt to changes? A．Their brains ignore familiar signals. B．They are too sensitive to rewards. C．They cannot update old beliefs easily. D．They dislike relying on surroundings. 4．What do the findings help to explain according to the text? A．Why associative learning varies. B．Why bad habits are difficult to change. C．How visual cues affect the brain. D．How addiction damages decision making. Passage 11 A recent large study investigated how the pattern of daily walking affects long-term health, focusing particularly on adults who are generally not very active. Interestingly, the research suggests that regardless of the total number of steps taken, one long walk may be better than many short ones. Published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the findings highlight that longer, uninterrupted walking sessions are linked to lower risks of death and cardiovascular (心血管的) disease compared to scattered short walks. To reach these conclusions, researchers analyzed data from 33,560 UK adults who averaged fewer than 8,000 steps daily. Participants were grouped into four categories based on their typical walking duration: less than 5 minutes, 5 to 10 minutes, 10 to 15 minutes, and 15 minutes or longer. The results showed that 43% of participants mostly walked in sessions shorter than 5 minutes, while only 8% regularly walked for at least 15 minutes. Over a follow-up period of 9.5 years, the study recorded clear health outcomes. The longer participants walked at a time, the lower their risk of all-cause mortality (死亡率) became. Compared to those who mostly took short walks under 5 minutes, people who regularly walked in sessions of 15 minutes or more faced a much lower risk of death. This indicates that taking longer walks provides a stronger protective effect against early death. The benefits were even more significant for heart health. Those who primarily took short walks under 5 minutes accumulated the highest risk of cardiovascular disease. In contrast, the group walking in sessions of 15 minutes or longer had the lowest risk. The evidence suggests that continuous walking is specifically beneficial for heart health compared to interrupted walking. These findings have important implications for those who take fewer than 5,000 steps a day, or those who are sedentary (久坐的). Experts suggest that for less active individuals, focusing on longer, more intentional walking sessions, rather than just increasing total steps, could be a highly effective method to improve health outcomes. 1．What is the main finding of the study mentioned in the text? A．Total steps determine health completely. B．Short walks are beneficial for the heart. C．Inactive people need 8,000 steps daily. D．Longer walking sessions lower health risks. 2．How does walking duration influence health risks according to the text? A．It requires more walking time daily. B．It reduces the chance of early death. C．It has no clear effect on the results. D．It increases the chance of heart problems. 3．Who is the study mainly targeting according to the text? A．Highly active professional athletes. B．Young people who like jogging. C．Those who do not move much. D．Patients with heart diseases. 4．What are inactive people advised to do to improve health? A．Increase their total steps to 8,000. B．Combine short walks into longer ones. C．Avoid walking for cardiovascular health. D．Walk continuously for 9.5 years. Passage 12 According to a recent study by the University of Michigan, using substances to aid sleep has become a common habit among young adults aged 19 to 30. The data shows that nearly 22% of Americans in this group have used medical analgesics (止痛剂) or alcohol to help themselves fall asleep. Medical analgesics are used much more frequently than alcohol for this specific purpose. While many young people turn to these methods hoping for a quick fix to their tiredness, researchers are raising serious alarms about the potential consequences. Experts warn that relying on drugs for sleep can backfire significantly. Megan Patrick, a research professor involved in the study, points out that these substances may interfere with the ability to stay asleep and reduce the overall quality of rest. Long-term use is particularly dangerous. Instead of curing insomnia (失眠), it may lead to worse sleep problems. Regular use can cause the body to develop “tolerance,” meaning a person needs to consume more of the substance to get the same effect. This pattern creates a vicious (凶险的) cycle of increasing use and worsening health. Furthermore, the study highlights notable differences in usage based on gender and race. Women are almost twice as likely as men to use medical analgesics to help them sleep. Additionally, Black young adults are three times more likely than white young adults to use alcohol as a sleep aid. These findings suggest that specific groups may be at higher risk and need targeted attention to prevent the development of a substance use disorder. There is also a dangerous misconception among young adults. Many believe that using medical analgesics or alcohol is helpful for sleep problems. However, evidence suggests that this belief is false. Doing so can actually make sleep problems even worse over time. Since high-quality sleep is critical for mental health and mood regulation, relying on harmful substances can severely damage a young person’s well-being. Finally, because sleep problems and substance use often happen together, health care providers should be alert. Doctors are advised to screen for both issues and offer coordinated support when necessary. Young adults who are trying to manage sleep problems should talk to their doctors instead of self-medicating. They need to understand the potential risks and seek professional help to find safer treatments that do not involve dangerous substances. 1．Why does the author mention “tolerance” in Paragraph 2? A．To explain a side effect. B．To introduce a new drug. C．To prove the benefit of analgesics. D．To compare alcohol with drugs. 2．What can be inferred from Paragraph 3? A．Men are less likely to use drugs. B．White adults prefer alcohol most. C．Gender affects choice of sleep aids. D．Women suffer more from sleeplessness. 3．What is a common misunderstanding among young adults? A．Sleep problems are rare to see. B．Doctors ignore their health issues. C．Substances improve sleep quality. D．Analgesics are good for mental health. 4．What is the text mainly about? A．A survey on sleep aids. B．The harm of alcohol use. C．Ways to cure insomnia. D．Mental health of youth. Passage 13 In work and in life, we are constantly taught that acting early ensures success. Yet after years of studying originals, I have found that the advantages of acting quickly are often outweighed by the downsides. It’s true the early bird gets the worm, but we can’t forget the early worm gets caught. Recently, researcher Jihae Shin tested an unconventional idea: procrastination (拖延) might boost originality.Shin asked participants to propose business for a college empty lot left by a convenience store. When they started the task immediately, they tended to propose conventional ideas-like another convenience store. When Shin randomly assigned some participants to delay the task to play computer games, they generated more novel ideas,like a tutoring center or a storage facility. Further experiments showed neither playing games nor taking a break boosted creativity. Shin concluded that when you procrastinate a task, you buy yourself time for divergent (发散的)thinking rather than“seizing and freezing” on one particular strategy. Procrastination may be the enemy of productivity, but it can be a resource for creativity. Ancient civilizations recognized this long before the Industrial Revolution’s efficiency fever. In ancient Egypt, there were two different verbs for procrastination: one meant laziness; the other meant waiting for the right time. In a classic study, marketing researcher Peter Golder analyzed hundreds of brands, comparing pioneering companies to slower settlers entering after pioneers created markets. The result was striking: pioneers failed at six times the rate of settlers. Settlers are often labelled as copycats, but this stereotype misses the mark. Instead of meeting the existing demand, they wait until they’re ready to introduce something new. They’re often slow to enter because they’re working on revolutionary products, services, or technologies within the category. In home video-game handles, the pioneer was Magnavox Odyssey in 1972, which mostly featured basic sports games. A settler, Nintendo, acquired the Odyssey’s distribution rights for Japan in 1975, and then blew Magnavox out of the water in the following decade by creating an original Nintendo Entertainment System. It transformed gaming with a user-friendly controller, advanced characters, and interactive role-playing. 1．Which of the following best shows Shin’s finding? A．He who hesitates is lost. B．More speed, less effect. C．Strike while the iron is hot. D．No pains, no gains. 2．What’s the purpose of Paragraph 3? A．To support a viewpoint. B．To correct a misconception. C．To introduce a practice. D．To promote a phenomenon. 3．What plays a key role in settlers’ success based on Golder’s findings? A．Doing effective marketing. B．Mastering strategic timing. C．Employing high technology. D．Breaking existing rules. 4．Which of the following books is the text most likely selected from? A．Seize the Day: The Early Bird Principle! B．The War of Innovation: Pioneers VS. Settlers. C．Unlocking Originality: Please Wait a Moment. D．The Secret to Success: Delaying or Not Delaying? Passage 14 A new study has found that breathing does more than just move air in and out of your lungs — it could even be used to identify who you are. Scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science discovered that each person has a distinct breathing pattern, known as a nasal (鼻的) breathing “fingerprint”, a unique pattern that reveals clues about a person’s physical and mental health. Notably, brain scientist Timna Soroka shared, “We were able to identify differences between less depressed and non-depressed individuals.” The researchers originally set out to better understand how our sense of smell works. In humans, the brain processes smell during inhalation (吸入), and this close connection between the brain and breathing led the team to wonder: could our breathing patterns reflect the way our brains are wired — and be unique to each of us? To explore this question, they developed a lightweight, wearable device that tracks nasal airflow continuously for 24 hours. The study, published in the journal Current Biology, tested 100 healthy young adults as they went about their regular routines — running, studying, resting, and more. The results showed breathing patterns can identify individuals with 96.8 percent accuracy. “I thought it would be really hard to identify someone because everyone is doing different things,” said Soroka. “But it turns out their breathing patterns were remarkably distinct!” Beyond individual identification, the study also found clear links between breathing patterns and body mass index (BMI), sleep-wake cycles, and mental health traits such as anxiety and depression. For example, people who scored higher on anxiety tests tended to have shorter inhalation periods. Importantly, the researchers noted that they only know there is an association between breathing and mood, but they don’t know the cause-and-effect direction — whether feeling anxious changes breathing, or a certain breathing pattern causes anxiety. If the latter is true, changing how we breathe could potentially improve mood. However, the current device has drawbacks: it uses soft tubes under the nose that can be uncomfortable to wear and may slip during sleep, and it doesn’t track mouth breathing. The team is working on improving the device and further exploring the breathing-mood connection to unlock more practical applications. 1．Why is breathing “fingerprint” mentioned? A．To explain how the brain processes smell. B．To introduce a newly-invented tracking device. C．To show a link between breathing and depression. D．To stress the uniqueness of personal breathing pattern. 2．What does the underlined word mean? A．Connected. B．Powered. C．Controlled. D．Trained. 3．What can we infer about the relationship between breathing and mood? A．Changes in breath cure anxiety. B．Anxiety always causes abnormal breathing. C．Their exact relationship remains unclear. D．Breathing is responsible for negative mood. 4．What is the main finding of this research? A．Our fingerprints tell a lot about our health. B．Breathing patterns link to identity and health. C．A groundbreaking device reveals mental health. D．Anxiety levels link to shorter inhalation periods. Passage 15 Yvette Henry was in her kitchen fixing up dinner. So were all four of her kids. Then she remembered a TikTok video about “living room kids” and “bedroom kids,” and realized she and her husband had built a home dynamic where their children felt emotionally safe in shared spaces. A living room kid refers to a child who spends much of their home time in shared spaces such as the living room, kitchen or dining room. A bedroom kid refers to a child who spends most of their free time in the privacy of their bedroom. If you’re a parent, pay attention to your children’s needs and what rooms they prefer. There’s nothing wrong with either. Parents should feel proud knowing that living room kids feel comfortable and safe when congregating with family, said Whitney, associate clinical director of the Kids Mental Health Foundation. This sense of safety often stems from the enjoyment of shared activities, conversations, and simply being around one another. “Indeed, safety plays a crucial role,” she said. If there’s a lot of family conflict, a child might spend more time in their room to avoid that stressor. Children also tend to spend more time in their rooms as they enter their preteen and teenage years, said Dr. Thomas, a child psychiatrist at Hackensack Meridian Health in New Jersey. “A teenager will want to be more independent and feel responsible for themselves, and having a space for themselves in their room allows them to take control,” he said. It’s not necessarily a bad thing for children to spend more time in their bedroom, but he said parents should be cautious if an ordinarily “living room kid” suddenly starts isolating (孤立) in their room. This could be a sign that there’s something wrong. “Rather than viewing it as ‘living room’ vs ‘bedroom kids,’ the best way to view it is as a house and make sure that kids feel safe no matter where they are,” Thomas said. 1．Why is Yvette Henry’s story mentioned in the first paragraph? A．To present a parenting concept. B．To criticize a common family problem. C．To introduce a popular social media platform. D．To highlight the importance of family harmony. 2．What does the underlined word “congregating” in paragraph 3 mean? A．Resting. B．Gathering. C．Helping. D．Sharing. 3．According to Dr. Thomas, what is a driver for teenagers to become “bedroom kids”? A．The influence of teenage peers. B．The desire to avoid family conflicts. C．The need for a sense of independence. D．The lack of safety in shared family spaces. 4．What can be inferred from the last paragraph? A．Bedroom kids feel more isolated. B．Living room kids are mentally healthier. C．The essence of parenting is learning to let go. D．Observing changes matters more than labeling. 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $ 专题05 阅读理解之说明文15篇 (浙江专用) 【题型知识点细目表】 题号 难度 知识点 1 适中 科学技术 ,说明文 2 适中 科学技术 ,说明文 3 适中 公园,科普知识 ,说明文 4 适中 说明文,动物,科普知识 5 适中 说明文,动物,科普知识 6 适中 家人和亲人 ,疾病 ,说明文 7 适中 说明文,学习,语意转化,逻辑推理 8 适中 个人保健,科普知识 ,说明文 9 适中 医疗 ,人工智能,说明文 10 适中 社会问题与社会现象,科普知识 ,说明文,语意转化,逻辑推理 11 适中 社会问题与社会现象,个人保健,说明文 12 适中 社会问题与社会现象,个人保健,说明文 13 适中 社会问题与社会现象,方法/策略,说明文,语意转化,逻辑推理 14 适中 个人保健,科普知识 ,说明文 15 适中 家人和亲人 ,家庭生活 ,说明文 【高考典例】 Passage 1 On September 7, 1991, the costliest hailstorm (雹暴) in Canadian history hit Calgary’s southern suburbs. As a result, since 1996 a group of insurance companies have spent about $2 million per year on the Alberta Hail Suppression Project. Airplanes seed threatening storm cells with a chemical to make small ice crystals (冰晶) fall as rain before they can grow into dangerous hailstones. But farmers in east-central Alberta — downwind (下风处)  of the hail project flights — worry that precious moisture (水分) is being stolen from their thirsty land by the cloud seeding. Norman Stienwand, who farms in that area has been addressing public meetings on this issue for years. “Basically, the provincial government is letting the insurance companies protect the Calgary-Edmonton urban area from hail,” Mr Stienwand says, “but they’re increasing drought risk as far east as Saskatchewan.” The Alberta hail project is managed by Terry Krauss, a cloud physicist who works for Weather Modification Inc. of Fargo, North Dakota. “We affect only a very small percentage of the total moisture in the air, so we cannot be causing drought,” Dr. Krauss says. “In fact, we may be helping increase the moisture downwind by creating wetter ground.” One doubter about the safety of cloud seeding is Chuck Doswell, a research scientist who just retired from the University of Oklahoma. “In 1999, I personally saw significant tornadoes (龙卷风) form from a seeded storm cell in Kansas,” Dr. Doswell says. “Does cloud seeding create killer storms or reduce moisture downwind? No one really knows, of course, but the seeding goes on.” Given the degree of doubt, Mr. Stienwand suggests, “It would be wise to stop cloud seeding.” In practice, doubt has had the opposite effect. Due to the lack of scientific proof concerning their impacts, no one has succeeded in winning a lawsuit (官司) against cloud-seeding companies. Therefore, private climate engineering can continue in relative legal safety. 1．What does the project aim to do? A．Conserve moisture in the soil. B．Prevent the formation of hailstones. C．Forecast disastrous hailstorms. D．Investigate chemical use in farming. 2．Who are opposed to the project? A．Farmers in east-central Alberta. B．Managers of insurance companies. C．Provincial government officials. D．Residents of Calgary and Edmonton. 3．Why does Dr. Doswell mention the tornadoes he saw in 1999? A．To compare different kinds of seeding methods. B．To illustrate the development of big hailstorms. C．To indicate a possible danger of cloud seeding. D．To show the link between storms and moisture. 4．What can we infer from the last paragraph? A．Scientific studies have proved Stienwand right. B．Private climate engineering is illegal in Canada. C．The doubt about cloud seeding has disappeared. D．Cloud-seeding companies will continue to exist. 【答案】1．B 2．A 3．C 4．D 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了加拿大艾伯塔省的冰雹抑制项目，该项目引发农民担忧，各方对此看法不一。 1．细节理解题。根据第一段中“As a result, since 1996 a group of insurance companies have spent about $2 million per year on the Alberta Hail Suppression Project. Airplanes seed threatening storm cells with a chemical to make small ice crystals (冰晶) fall as rain before they can grow into dangerous hailstones. (因此，自1996年以来，一组保险公司每年在艾伯塔省冰雹抑制项目上花费约200万美元。飞机向有威胁的风暴云团播撒一种化学物质，使小冰晶在长成危险的冰雹之前以雨的形式落下)”可知，该项目的目的是防止冰雹的形成。故选B项。 2．推理判断题。根据第一段中“But farmers in east central Alberta — downwind (下风处)  of the hail project flights — worry that precious moisture (水分) is being stolen from their thirsty land by the cloud seeding. (但位于冰雹项目飞行路线下风处的艾伯塔省中东部的农民担心，人工降雨正在从他们干旱的土地上夺走宝贵的水分)”可知，艾伯塔省中东部的农民担心这一项目会从他们干旱的土地上夺走宝贵的水分，所以他们会反对该项目。故选A项。 3．推理判断题。根据第四段中“‘In 1999, I personally saw significant tornadoes (龙卷风) form from a seeded storm cell in Kansas,’ Dr.Doswell says. ‘Does cloud seeding create killer storms or reduce moisture downwind? No one really knows, of course, but the seeding goes on.’ (多斯韦尔博士说：‘1999年，我亲眼目睹了堪萨斯州一个播撒了云种的风暴云团形成了巨大的龙卷风。人工降雨会引发致命风暴或减少下风处的水分吗？当然，没有人真正知道，但播撒仍在继续。’)”可知，多斯韦尔博士提到他1999年看到的龙卷风是为了指出人工降雨可能存在的危险，会引发致命风暴。故选C项。 4．推理判断题。根据最后一段中“Due to the lack of scientific proof concerning their impacts, no one has succeeded in winning a lawsuit (官司) against cloud seeding companies. Therefore, private climate engineering can continue in relative legal safety. (由于缺乏关于其影响的科学证据，没有人成功打赢过针对人工降雨公司的官司。因此，私人气候工程可以在相对合法安全的情况下继续进行)”可知，针对人工降雨公司的官司没有胜算，所以它将继续存在。故选D项。 Passage 2 As new technologies take on increasingly humanlike qualities, there’s been a push to make them genderless. “People are stereotyping (形成刻板印象) their gendered objects in very traditional ways,” says Ashley Martin, a Stanford associate professor of organizational behavior. Removing gender from the picture altogether seems like a simple way to fix this. Yet as Martin has found in her work, gender is one of the fundamental ways people form connections with objects, particularly those designed with human characteristics. In her study, Martin asked participants to rate their attachment to male, female, and genderless versions of a digital voice assistant and a self-driving car known as “Miuu.” It was found that gender increased users’ feelings of attachment to these devices and their interest in purchasing them. For example, participants said they would be less likely to buy a genderless voice assistant than versions with male or female voices. While gendering a product may be good marketing, it may also strengthen outdated or harmful ideas about power and identity. The stereotypes commonly associated with men, such as competitiveness and dominance, are more valued than those associated with women. These qualities, in turn, are mapped onto products that have been assigned a gender. Martin’s study also found that creating a genderless object was difficult. For instance, if an object’s name was meant to sound genderless, like Miuu, participants would still assign a gender to it — they would assume Miuu was a “he” or “she.”   Martin sees a silver lining, however: She believes that anthropomorphism (拟人化) “provides an opportunity to change stereotypes.” When women are put into positions of leadership like running companies, it reduces negative stereotypes about women. Similarly, anthropomorphized products could be created to take on stereotype-inconsistent roles — a male robot that assists with nursing or a female robot that helps do calculations, for instance. 1．What is the purpose of making new technologies genderless? A．To reduce stereotypes. B．To meet public demand. C．To cut production costs. D．To encourage competition. 2．What were the participants probably asked to do in the study? A．Design a product. B．Respond to a survey. C．Work as assistants. D．Take a language test. 3．Why is it difficult to create genderless objects? A．They cannot be mass-produced. B．Naming them is a challenging task. C．People assume they are unreliable. D．Gender is rooted in people’s mind. 4．What does the last paragraph mainly talk about? A．The quality of genderless products. B．The upside of gendering a product. C．The meaning of anthropomorphism. D．The stereotypes of men and women. 【答案】1．A 2．B 3．D 4．B 【导语】本文为说明文。文章讲述了新技术呈现人类特质时人们试图使其去性别化，但性别是人们与物体建立联系的基本方式，且创造无性别物体很难，拟人化或能改变刻板印象。 1．细节理解题。根据第一段中“‘People are stereotyping (形成刻板印象) their gendered objects in very traditional ways,’ says Ashley Martin, a Stanford associate professor of organizational behavior. Removing gender from the picture altogether seems like a simple way to fix this. (斯坦福大学组织行为学副教授阿什利·马丁说：“人们以非常传统的方式对有性别的物品形成刻板印象。”完全去除物品的性别似乎是解决这个问题的简单方法)”可知，人们对有性别的物品存在刻板印象，让新技术无性别化的目的是减少这种刻板印象。故选A项。 2．细节理解题。根据第二段中“In her study, Martin asked participants to rate their attachment to male, female, and genderless versions of a digital voice assistant and a self driving car known as ‘Miuu.’ (在她的研究中，马丁让参与者对数字语音助手和名为‘Miuu’的自动驾驶汽车的男性、女性和无性别版本的喜爱程度进行评分)”可知，参与者被要求对不同版本的产品进行评价，这类似于对调查做出回应。故选B项。 3．细节理解题。根据第四段中“Martin’s study also found that creating a genderless object was difficult. For instance, if an object’s name was meant to sound genderless, like Miuu, participants would still assign a gender to it — they would assume Miuu was a ‘he’ or ‘she.’ (马丁的研究还发现，创造无性别对象很困难。例如，如果一个物品的名字听起来是无性别化的，比如Miuu，参与者仍然会给它赋予一个性别——他们会认为Miuu是‘他’或‘她’)”可知，因为性别观念根深蒂固在人们的脑海中，所以即使物品本身试图设计成无性别，人们还是会赋予其性别，这导致创造无性别对象很困难。故选D项。 4．主旨大意题。根据最后一段中“Martin sees a silver lining, however: She believes that anthropomorphism (拟人化) ‘provides an opportunity to change stereotypes.’ (然而，马丁看到了一线希望：她认为拟人化‘提供了改变刻板印象的机会’)”以及后文所举的例子可知，最后一段主要讲了赋予产品性别有积极的一面，即可以通过拟人化改变刻板印象。故选B项。 Passage 3 A novel design approach to gardening has been gaining in popularity worldwide. Referred to as matrix planting, this approach aims for nature to do a lot more of the heavy lifting in the garden, and even some of the designing. Eschewing fertilizers (化肥) and power tools, it’s based on an elegantly simple principle: to garden more like nature does. The concept was born when German city planners sought to plant large areas of parkland after World War II in a reproducible way that would need minimal maintenance. Planners created planting mixes that could be used modularly (模块化). In a matrix garden, plants with similar cultural needs are grouped so that they will grow together above and below ground, forming a cooperative ecosystem that conserves water and discourages weeds. Dutch plantsman and designer Piet Oudolf’s gardens popularized this style, adding artistic flavors to the planting mixes while playing with color and form, including four-season interest and serving the needs of wildlife. Beautiful year-round, they invite you to enjoy the smallest detail, from the sound of grasses in the gentle wind to the sculpture of odd-looking seed heads. It takes a lot of thought to look this natural. While matrix gardens appear wild, they are carefully planned, with cultural needs the first consideration. Led by the concept of “right plant, right place,” they match plants that enjoy the same soil, sun and weather conditions, and arrange them according to their patterns of growth. The benefits are substantial for both gardener and planet. With human inputs dramatically reduced, the garden’s ecology can develop well. Established matrix gardens should not need the life support we give most gardens: fertilizer, dividing, regular watering. Compared to traditional garden plots, they increase carbon absorption, reduce stormwater runoff and boost habitat and biodiversity significantly. 1．What does the underlined word “Eschewing” in the first paragraph mean? A．Running out of. B．Keeping away from. C．Putting up with. D．Taking advantage of. 2．Why was the idea of matrix planting introduced? A．To control weeds in large gardens. B．To bring in foreign species of plants. C．To conserve soil and water resources. D．To develop low-maintenance parkland. 3．Which of the following best describes Piet Oudolf’s gardens? A．Traditional. B．Odd-looking. C．Tasteful. D．Well-protected. 4．Which of the following can be a suitable title for the text? A．The future of gardening is WILD． B．Nature treats all lives as EQUALS. C．Matrix gardens need more CARE. D．Old garden plots work WONDERS. 【答案】1．B 2．D 3．C 4．A 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了一种新型园艺设计方法——矩阵种植。 1．词句猜测题。根据上文“Referred to as matrix planting, this approach aims for nature to do a lot more of the heavy lifting in the garden, and even some of the designing.(这种被称为矩阵种植的方法旨在让大自然在花园中承担更多繁重的工作，甚至承担一些设计工作)”可知，矩阵种植是让大自然自身承接更多的工作；结合常识和划线词所在句“Eschewing fertilizers (化肥) and power tools, it’s based on an elegantly simple principle: to garden more like nature does.(Eschewing化肥和电动工具，它基于一个极其简单的原则：更像大自然那样进行园艺种植)”中“to garden more like nature does”可推知，要像大自然那样进行园艺种植，让大自然自身承接更多的工作，就不需要使用化肥和电动工具。所以划线词“Eschewing”的意思是“避开、远离”，与“Keeping away from.”同义。故选B项。 2．细节理解题。根据第二段中“The concept was born when German city planners sought to plant large areas of parkland after World War II in a reproducible way that would need minimal maintenance.(这个概念诞生于二战后，当时德国城市规划者试图以一种可复制且需要最少维护的方式种植大片公园绿地)”可知，引入矩阵种植的想法是为了开发低维护成本的公园绿地。故选D项。 3．推理判断题。根据第三段中“Dutch plantsman and designer Piet Oudolf’s gardens popularized this style, adding artistic flavors to the planting mixes while playing with color and form, including four season interest and serving the needs of wildlife.(荷兰植物学家兼设计师Piet Oudolf的花园推广了这种风格，在种植组合中增添了艺术气息，同时玩转色彩和形态，四季都有看点，还满足了野生动物的需求)”可知，Piet Oudolf的花园有艺术气息，很有品味。故选C项。 4．主旨大意题。通读全文，根据第一段中“Referred to as matrix planting, this approach aims for nature to do a lot more of the heavy lifting in the garden, and even some of the designing. Eschewing fertilizers (化肥) and power tools, it’s based on an elegantly simple principle: to garden more like nature does.(这种被称为矩阵种植的方法旨在让大自然在花园中承担更多繁重的工作，甚至承担一些设计工作。它避开化肥和电动工具，基于一个极其简单的原则：更像大自然那样进行园艺种植)”和最后一段中“With human inputs dramatically reduced, the garden’s ecology can develop well. Established matrix gardens should not need the life support we give most gardens: fertilizer, dividing, regular watering. Compared to traditional garden plots, they increase carbon absorption, reduce stormwater runoff and boost habitat and biodiversity significantly.(随着人类投入的大幅减少，花园的生态系统可以良好发展。成熟的矩阵花园不需要我们给予大多数花园的维持手段：化肥、分株、定期浇水。与传统花园地块相比，它们增加了碳吸收，减少了雨水径流，并显著改善了栖息地和生物多样性)”可知，文章主要介绍了矩阵种植这种新型园艺设计方法，它让花园更接近自然、野生的状态，未来园艺可能会朝着这种更自然、野生的方向发展。故A项“The future of gardening is WILD(园艺的未来是自然的)”能概括文章主旨，适合做文章标题。故选A项。 Passage 4 【热点话题练习】 Our daily lives are deeply shaped by conscious experience, ranging from the pleasure of sunlight to the pain of injury. This raises a fundamental question: why did living beings evolve this ability? Experts describe consciousness as having three distinct forms. The first is basic arousal, which appeared earliest in evolution. Its primary function is to alert the body to life-threatening situations. For example, pain signals damage and triggers survival responses like fleeing to keep the organism alive. The second evolutionary development is general alertness. This form allows individuals to focus on one important signal while ignoring others. This ability helps humans learn about new connections, such as identifying complex causes and effects. The third form is self-consciousness. It allows individuals to think about themselves, remember the past, and anticipate the future. This advanced ability builds a mental self-image and guides decisions, which is essential for social integration. Interestingly, recent research suggests birds also possess forms of conscious perception. Studies show they have subjective experiences rather than just automatic reactions. For instance, pigeons interpret unclear images differently, much like humans do. Research on crows shows that their brain nerve signals reflect their internal experience. These findings highlight that birds have strong similarities to mammals in sensory consciousness. Although bird brains differ structurally from mammals’, they support conscious processing. The bird brain contains a specific structure equivalent to the prefrontal cortex (前额叶皮层). This part is highly connected and allows the brain to process information flexibly. The overall brain connections share many similarities with mammals. Therefore, birds meet many criteria of established theories regarding consciousness. Furthermore, experiments indicate that birds show signs of self-perception. While some bird species pass the classic mirror test, others show situational self-consciousness by distinguishing their reflection from a real companion. Taken together, these research findings suggest consciousness is an ancient and widespread feature. It demonstrates that conscious processing can occur without a cerebral cortex (大脑皮层) and different brain structures can achieve similar functional outcomes. 1．What is the primary function of basic arousal? A．To aid survival in dangerous situations. B．To support social integration with others. C．To learn complex scientific connections. D．To process information from the environment. 2．What does the study on crows suggest about bird consciousness? A．They react automatically to physical stimuli. B．They can only recognize themselves in mirrors. C．They possess internal experiences like humans. D．They have a brain structure identical to mammals. 3．How do bird brains support conscious processing? A．By relying on the cerebral cortex like humans. B．By using a different structure for similar functions. C．By having a much larger prefrontal cortex. D．By processing information without any connections. 4．What conclusion can be drawn from the findings on birds? A．Consciousness is a unique human feature. B．Evolution has not changed brain structures much. C．Consciousness is ancient and widespread in nature. D．Different structures cannot achieve the same function. 【答案】1．A 2．C 3．B 4．C 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章探讨了意识演化的三种形式，并以鸟类为例，通过科学研究论证了意识是古老且广泛存在于自然界中的特征，不同的脑结构可以实现相似的功能。 1．细节理解题。根据第1段中“The first is basic arousal, which appeared earliest in evolution. Its primary function is to alert the body to life-threatening situations. For example, pain signals damage and triggers survival responses like fleeing to keep the organism alive.(第一种是基本唤醒，在进化中最早出现。它的主要功能是提醒身体注意危及生命的状况。例如，疼痛信号提示损伤，并触发诸如逃跑等生存反应以保持生物体存活。)”可知，基本唤醒的主要功能是在危险情境中帮助生存。故选A。 2．细节理解题。根据第3段中“Research on crows shows that their brain nerve signals reflect their internal experience. These findings highlight that birds have strong similarities to mammals in sensory consciousness.(对乌鸦的研究表明，它们的脑神经信号反映了其内在的体验。这些发现凸显了鸟类在感官意识方面与哺乳动物有很强的相似性。)”可知，针对乌鸦的研究表明鸟类和人类一样拥有内在的体验。故选C。 3．细节理解题。根据第4段中“The bird brain contains a specific structure equivalent to the prefrontal cortex. This part is highly connected and allows the brain to process information flexibly.(鸟类大脑包含一个与前额叶皮层相当的特定结构。这部分是高度连接的，可以让大脑灵活地处理信息。)”以及第5段总结的“It demonstrates that conscious processing can occur without a cerebral cortex and different brain structures can achieve similar functional outcomes.(这表明没有大脑皮层也可以发生意识处理，不同的脑结构可以实现相似的功能结果。)”可知，鸟类大脑通过使用不同的结构(相当于前额叶皮层的结构)来实现与哺乳动物相似的意识处理功能。故选B。 4．推理判断题。根据第5段中“Taken together, these research findings suggest consciousness is an ancient and widespread feature.(综合来看，这些研究发现表明意识是一种古老且广泛存在的特征。)”可知，从关于鸟类的研究发现中可以得出意识在自然界中是古老且广泛存在的这一结论。故选C。 Passage 5 A new analysis by researchers suggests that humans have evolved much faster than any other ape on the planet. The study reveals that humans developed large brains and flat faces at a surprisingly rapid pace when compared to other closely related species. These findings, published in a science journal, indicate that such physical features likely offered strong evolutionary advantages, allowing humans to adapt and succeed quickly. To investigate these differences, the research team created detailed digital 3D models of skulls from various primates. They examined seven “great ape” species, including humans, gorillas, and chimpanzees, as well as nine “lesser ape” species, like gibbons. Although lesser apes separated from a common ancestor millions of years ago, their skulls have remained strikingly similar. In contrast, great apes, especially humans, show far greater variety in their skull shapes. Most great apes are characterized by large, forward-projecting faces and relatively small brains. Humans, however, possess distinctly rounder heads and much flatter faces. By treating the slow evolution of lesser apes as a standard, the researchers found that the human skull changed roughly twice as much as expected. This implies that powerful forces were accelerating human evolution beyond normal speeds. Interestingly, the researchers warn against attributing this speed entirely to intelligence. While a complex brain is important, social pressures likely contributed as well. For example, gorillas show the second-fastest rate of skull evolution, despite having smaller brains. Their changes seem driven by social selection, as larger bony crests (头骨嵴) on their heads are associated with higher social status among groups. This suggests that similar social factors may have played a role in human evolution. The need for social success, combined with cognitive benefits, likely pushed the human skull to change at an amazing rate. These adaptations were so crucial for human life that they developed faster than in any other ape group, proving that our evolution was uniquely intense. 1．Why did researchers treat lesser apes as a control in the study? A．To compare their brain sizes. B．To measure their social status. C．To set a standard for variation. D．To study their 3D digital models. 2．What can be inferred about human evolution from the text? A．It was slower than that of gorillas. B．It focused on the size of the face only. C．It was mainly caused by diet changes. D．It resulted from multiple driving forces. 3．What factor mainly contributed to gorillas’ fast skull evolution? A．Their increasing brain size. B．Their need for social status. C．Their unique body structure. D．Their diet and living habits. 4．How does the author develop the text? A．By listing research data. B．By comparing different species. C．By questioning a previous theory. D．By following the timeline of apes. 【答案】1．C 2．D 3．B 4．B 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了一项关于类人猿头骨的研究。研究发现，与其他猿类相比，人类进化出大脑大和面部扁平的速度快得惊人。研究人员通过建立数字化三维模型对比了大型猿类和小型猿类的头骨变化，指出人类的头骨进化速度是预期的两倍。文章最后分析了这一现象的原因，认为除了认知优势外，社会压力也是推动人类及大猩猩快速进化的重要因素。 1．细节理解题。 根据文章第三段中的“By treating the slow evolution of lesser apes as a standard, the researchers found that the human skull changed roughly twice as much as expected. (研究人员将小型猿类缓慢的进化作为一个标准，发现人类头骨的变化大约是预期的两倍。)”可知，研究人员将小型猿类作为对照组，是为了将其作为一个衡量变异的标准，从而对比出人类进化的快速。故选C。 2．推理判断题。 根据文章第四段中的“While a complex brain is important, social pressures likely contributed as well. (虽然复杂的大脑很重要，但社会压力可能也有贡献。)”以及最后一段提到的“The need for social success, combined with cognitive benefits(对社会成功的需求结合认知益处)”可以推断出，人类的进化是由多种因素共同推动的，包括智力因素和社会因素。故选D。 3．细节理解题。 根据文章第四段中的“gorillas show the second-fastest rate of skull evolution... Their changes seem driven by social selection, as larger bony crests on their heads are associated with higher social status among groups. (大猩猩的头骨进化速度排第二……它们的变化似乎是由社会选择驱动的，因为它们头顶上较大的骨嵴与群体中较高的社会地位有关。)”可知，对社会地位的需求是大猩猩头骨快速进化的主要因素。故选B。 4．推理判断题。 根据文章第二段中的“To investigate these differences, the research team created detailed digital 3D models of skulls from various primates. They examined seven ‘great ape’ species, including humans, gorillas, and chimpanzees, as well as nine ‘lesser ape’ species, like gibbons. (为探究这些差异，研究团队为多种灵长类动物的头骨制作了详尽的数字化三维模型。他们研究了包括人类、大猩猩、黑猩猩在内的7种‘大猿’物种，以及长臂猿等9种‘小猿’物种。)”并通读全文可知，文章为了突出人类进化的快速，将人类与大型猿类（如大猩猩、黑猩猩）以及小型猿类（如长臂猿）进行了多次对比；同时，在分析进化原因时，也将人类与大猩猩的情况进行了对比。因此，文章是通过对比不同物种来展开的。故选B。 Passage 6 In popular culture, fathers are often portrayed as calm and unemotional figures. However, reality is quite different. Fathers also suffer from depression, sometimes severely. According to new research from Rutgers Health, if a father’s depression goes undiagnosed or unaddressed, it can have lasting negative effects on their children’s social and behavioral development. Published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, the study led by Kristine Schmitz examined the link between fathers’ mental health and their children’s growth. The researchers found that children exposed to their fathers’ depression when entering kindergarten were far more likely to have teacher-reported behavioral difficulties and poor social skills at age 9. This suggests that adversities faced at this important milestone may lead to poorer engagement and behaviors in grade school that can get worse later on. To reach these conclusions, the team analyzed data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study. The study checked fathers for depressive symptoms when their children were 5 years old. Four years later, when the children were 9, researchers analyzed teacher reports on their behavior. By controlling for factors like family background and maternal depression, the researchers identified a clear link. Children of depressed fathers were significantly more likely to show restlessness, defiance, and anger, as well as lower self-esteem. Schmitz pointed out reasons connecting this link. Depression can lead to difficulties in parenting and less emotional support for the child. It can also cause family conflict or other stress. Schmitz emphasizes that children’s doctors need to talk to fathers and develop father-focused interventions (treatments intended to improve a situation) to support the whole family. Despite the concerning link between paternal depression and challenging child behaviors, there is hope. Early identification and helping fathers with depression can improve the well-being of both fathers and children. As Schmitz suggests, parents can model that when we struggle, we reach out and get help — a lesson children will carry for a lifetime. 1．What trend did the researchers observe regarding children’s development? A．Children depressed at age 5 performed better later. B．Teachers overestimated children’s social skills. C．Family background had no impact on the results. D．Fathers’ depression is linked to later behavioral problems. 2．How does paternal depression affect the home environment according to Schmitz? A．It solves family conflicts effectively. B．It reduces emotional support for the child. C．It strengthens the relationship between parents. D．It increases children’s chances of entering school. 3．What can be inferred about Schmitz’s view on paternal depression? A．It usually disappears after children turn five. B．It cannot be cured by medical interventions. C．It is often overlooked by medical professionals. D．It is insignificant compared to maternal depression. 4．What does Schmitz’s comment about “modeling” suggest? A．Parents should be perfect in front of children. B．Vulnerability and seeking help are valuable. C．Children should learn to solve problems alone. D．Depression is a lifelong disability. 【答案】1．D 2．B 3．C 4．B 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了一项新研究，指出父亲未得到诊断或处理的抑郁症会对其子女的社交和行为发展产生持久的负面影响，并分析了原因，同时强调早期干预和寻求帮助的重要性。 1．细节理解题。根据第二段中“The researchers found that children exposed to their fathers’ depression when entering kindergarten were far more likely to have teacher-reported behavioral difficulties and poor social skills at age 9.(研究人员发现，在进入幼儿园时接触过父亲抑郁的孩子，到9岁时出现老师报告的行为困难和社交技能差的可能性要大得多。)”可知，研究观察到的趋势是：父亲的抑郁与孩子后期的行为问题相关。故选D。 2．细节理解题。根据第四段中“Schmitz pointed out reasons connecting this link. Depression can lead to difficulties in parenting and less emotional support for the child.(Schmitz指出了与此关联的原因。抑郁可能导致养育困难，并减少对孩子的情感支持。)”可知，根据Schmitz的观点，父亲的抑郁对家庭环境的影响是会减少对孩子的情感支持。故选B。 3．推理判断题。根据第四段中“Schmitz emphasizes that children’s doctors need to talk to fathers and develop father-focused interventions (treatments intended to improve a situation) to support the whole family(Schmitz强调，儿童医生需要与父亲们交谈，并制定针对父亲的干预措施（旨在改善状况的治疗）来支持整个家庭)”可知，Schmitz认为儿童医生需与父亲沟通并制定针对父亲的干预措施，由此推断，父亲的抑郁问题在医疗实践中常常被忽视，因此需要特别关注和干预。故选C。 4．推理判断题。根据最后一段中“As Schmitz suggests, parents can model that when we struggle, we reach out and get help — a lesson children will carry for a lifetime.(正如Schmitz所建议的，父母可以树立这样的榜样：当我们挣扎时，我们主动寻求并获得帮助——这是孩子将受用终生的一课。)”可知，Schmitz关于“树立榜样”的评论意在说明，展现脆弱和主动寻求帮助是一种有价值的行为，可以给孩子传递积极的生活态度。故选B。 Passage 7 A new study in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields reveals how students’ perceptions of effort influence their success. Researchers distinguished between “criterion effort” — simply believing one studies hard — and “comparative effort” — believing one must work harder than peers. The results show that comparative effort can be damaging. When students feel they must work harder than others, they often interpret this as a sign of lacking natural talent. This hurts their “science self-concept” — the belief that they can succeed in science. After analyzing data from 690 chemistry students, researchers found that both male and female students generally viewed extra effort as a signal of lower ability, which weakens their confidence. In contrast, criterion effort is beneficial. Students who believe they work hard, without comparing themselves to others, tend to have a better self-concept. This pattern is particularly strong for women. Women may realize they need to work hard to overcome stereotypes (fixed ideas) that women are weak in science. Consequently, women who simply perceive themselves as working hard tend to perform better and feel more confident about their scientific abilities. However, men respond differently. Their confidence is more influenced by their past actual achievements than by their perception of effort. The study also revealed a feedback loop between effort and grades. Believing in one’s hard work was linked to higher test scores, while comparing with others usually led to lower performance. This finding highlights the importance of early positive experiences for students to understand the link between effort and success. Early STEM classes are famously difficult and often screen out students who feel they cannot succeed. Researchers suggest that students should focus on their own work and progress rather than comparing themselves to peers. Understanding that effort is necessary for success, not a sign of failure, can help talented students remain in the science field. 1．Why is comparative effort harmful to students’ science self-concept? A．It leads to poor grades in exams. B．It implies a lack of natural ability. C．It distracts attention from learning. D．It ignores the actual difficulty of the subject. 2．How does the perception of hard work affect female students? A．They become less confident than men. B．They tend to question their own talent. C．They generally view it as a positive sign. D．They are more influenced by past achievements. 3．What can be inferred about the relationship between effort and achievement? A．High scores always result from hard work. B．Early success can encourage further hard work. C．Men benefit more from effort than women do. D．Comparative effort guarantees better performance. 4．What are researchers advising STEM students to do? A．Avoid difficult introductory courses. B．Realize effort is a sign of failure. C．Focus on their own individual effort. D．Believe in their talent regardless of gender. 【答案】1．B 2．C 3．B 4．C 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要讲述了一项新研究揭示学生对努力的认知影响其在STEM领域的成功，给出相关建议。 1．细节理解题。根据第二段中“When students feel they must work harder than others, they often interpret this as a sign of lacking natural talent. This hurts their “science self-concept” — the belief that they can succeed in science.(当学生觉得他们必须比其他人更努力时，他们常常将此解读为缺乏天赋的信号。这损害了他们的“科学自我概念”——即相信自己能在科学领域取得成功的信念)”可知，比较性努力对学生科学自我概念的危害在于它暗示了缺乏天赋。故选B。 2．细节理解题。根据第三段中“Women may realize they need to work hard to overcome stereotypes (fixed ideas) that women are weak in science. Consequently, women who simply perceive themselves as working hard tend to perform better and feel more confident about their scientific abilities.(女性可能意识到她们需要努力工作来克服女性在科学方面薄弱的刻板印象（固定观念）。因此，那些仅仅认为自己努力工作的女性往往表现更好，对自己的科学能力更有信心)”可知，女性学生通常将努力视为积极的信号。故选C。 3．推理判断题。根据第四段中“This finding highlights the importance of early positive experiences for students to understand the link between effort and success.(这一发现强调了早期积极经历对于学生理解努力与成功之间联系的重要性)”可知，早期成功可以鼓励学生进一步努力，即早期的成功体验能让学生明白努力和成功的关系，从而鼓励他们继续努力。故选B。 4．细节理解题。根据最后一段中“Researchers suggest that students should focus on their own work and progress rather than comparing themselves to peers.(研究人员建议学生应该关注自己的工作和进步，而不是与同龄人进行比较)”可知，研究人员建议STEM学生专注于自己的努力。故选C。 Passage 8 Your eyes could reveal how fast you’re aging, scientists say. According to new research from McMaster University and the Population Health Research Institute, the tiny blood vessels within the eyes may offer powerful clues about a person’s risk of heart disease and how quickly their body is aging. Published in the journal Science Advances, the study suggests that simple retinal (视网膜) eye scans could eventually serve as a non-invasive (不需要侵入身体的) tool to evaluate both heart health and biological aging. This could one day help doctors detect problems before symptoms appear and guide preventive care. The eyes provide a unique window to view the body’s circulatory (循环) system. “Changes in the eye’s blood vessels often mirror changes happening throughout the body’s small vessels,” explains Marie Pigeyre, the study’s lead author. By connecting retinal scans, genetics, and blood biomarkers (标志物), researchers uncovered molecular pathways that help explain how aging affects the blood vessel system. This connection allows scientists to gain a deeper understanding of the aging process than ever before. To explore these relationships, scientists analyzed eye images, genetic profiles, and blood samples from over 74,000 participants in four large studies. Their analysis found that people with simpler and less branched eye vessels were more likely to have heart disease. Compared to those with more complex vessels, these individuals also showed signs of accelerated aging, including increased inflammation (炎症) and a reduced lifespan. A deeper look at blood markers and genetic data revealed biological mechanisms that may drive these changes. Researchers identified several key proteins linked to inflammation and blood vessel aging, opening new avenues for drug development. These findings point to potential drug targets for slowing blood vessel aging, reducing the burden of heart diseases, and ultimately improving lifespan. Currently, assessing aging-related conditions like heart disease, stroke, and dementia usually requires multiple, complex tests. Researchers hope that eye imaging could one day simplify this process, offering a fast and accessible measure of aging and heart risks. However, they note that for now, such scans are just one part of a broader clinical picture that still requires comprehensive testing. While promising, the current technology is not advanced enough to replace existing medical methods. 1．What is the potential future benefit of simple eye scans? A．To replace all complex medical tests immediately. B．To cure heart disease and inflammation completely. C．To evaluate heart health and biological aging early. D．To increase the number of blood vessel branches. 2．Why are eyes considered valuable for studying the body’s circulation? A．Because they age faster than other organs in humans. B．Because they are the only place to find genetic biomarkers. C．Because they contain the largest blood vessels in the body. D．Because vessel changes in eyes reflect those in the whole body. 3．What can be inferred about people with simpler and less branched eye vessels? A．They are less likely to suffer from heart attacks. B．They usually have a longer lifespan than others. C．They show signs of slower biological aging. D．They tend to have higher levels of inflammation. 4．What is the author’s attitude towards the current eye scanning technology? A．It is a perfect replacement for existing medical methods. B．It is the only tool needed to assess aging risks. C．It is a helpful but currently limited part of checkups. D．It is too complex to be used in daily clinical practice. 【答案】1．C 2．D 3．D 4．C 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要讲述了科学家称眼睛能揭示衰老速度，视网膜扫描或可成为评估心脏健康和生物衰老的非侵入性工具 。 1．细节理解题。根据第一段中“Published in the journal Science Advances, the study suggests that simple retinal (视网膜) eye scans could eventually serve as a non-invasive (不需要侵入身体的) tool to evaluate both heart health and biological aging.(这项发表在《科学进展》杂志上的研究表明，简单的视网膜扫描最终可能成为一种非侵入性工具，用于评估心脏健康和生物衰老)”可知，简单眼部扫描的潜在未来益处是能早期评估心脏健康和生物衰老。故选C。 2．细节理解题。根据第二段中“The eyes provide a unique window to view the body’s circulatory (循环) system. “Changes in the eye’s blood vessels often mirror changes happening throughout the body’s small vessels,” explains Marie Pigeyre, the study’s lead author.(眼睛为观察身体的循环系统提供了一个独特的窗口。该研究的主要作者Marie Pigeyre解释说：“眼睛血管的变化往往反映了全身小血管的变化。”)”可知，眼睛被认为对研究身体循环很有价值是因为眼睛血管的变化反映了全身血管的变化。故选D。 3．推理判断题。根据第三段中“Their analysis found that people with simpler and less branched eye vessels were more likely to have heart disease. Compared to those with more complex vessels, these individuals also showed signs of accelerated aging, including increased inflammation (炎症) and a reduced lifespan.(他们的分析发现，眼睛血管更简单、分支更少的人更有可能患心脏病。与血管更复杂的人相比，这些人还表现出加速衰老的迹象，包括炎症增加和寿命缩短)”可知，眼睛血管更简单、分支更少的人往往炎症水平更高。故选D。 4．推理判断题。根据最后一段中“However, they note that for now, such scans are just one part of a broader clinical picture that still requires comprehensive testing. While promising, the current technology is not advanced enough to replace existing medical methods.(然而，他们指出，就目前而言，这种扫描只是更广泛临床情况的一部分，仍需要全面检测。虽然有前景，但目前的技术还不够先进，无法取代现有的医疗方法)”可知，作者对目前眼部扫描技术的态度是它是有帮助的，但目前只是检查的一部分，存在局限性。故选C。 Passage 9 For decades, pathology (病理学) has been the essential foundation of cancer diagnosis. A pathologist (a doctor who studies diseases) examines a very thin slice of human tissue under a microscope. To these trained specialists, the colorful image of pink swirls and purple dots is like a graded test without a student’s name attached to it. It contains vital information about the disease, but offers no clues about the patient’s identity, race, or background. Ideally, this medical evaluation should be completely objective. However, this assumption does not fully apply to artificial intelligence (AI). A recent study reveals that AI models designed to diagnose cancer can actually infer demographic (population) details directly from the tissue slides. This unexpected ability creates bias, causing the systems to perform differently for various groups. For instance, the models were less accurate in distinguishing lung cancer types in African American patients and males. They also showed reduced accuracy when identifying breast cancer subtypes in younger patients. These errors appeared in a significant portion of diagnostic tasks. The team pinpointed three key reasons for these biases. First, training data are often uneven because samples are easier to obtain from some groups than others. Second, differences in disease incidence (how often a disease happens) exist; some cancers are more common in specific populations, making the AI overly specialized for them. Third, AI models are powerful enough to detect subtle molecular (tiny biological) differences across groups. They use these signals as shortcuts to classify cancer, which leads to failure when those signals are less common in other populations. To address the problem, the team created a framework called FAIR-Path. Based on a method known as contrastive learning, it modifies the AI training process. This approach helps the AI focus on critical distinctions between cancer types while reducing attention to irrelevant personal characteristics like age or race. It adjusts how the system interprets what it sees, forcing it to prioritize disease features over demographic clues. The results are highly significant. When applied, FAIR-Path reduced diagnostic disparities by nearly 90 percent. This success suggests that improving fairness does not require major changes to existing systems. Instead, with careful design and routine evaluation for bias, we can develop medical AI tools that provide fast, accurate, and fair diagnoses for every patient, ensuring reliable health care for all society. 1．How do human pathologists differ from AI models in evaluating tissue samples? A．Humans ignore the disease signs to focus on patient identity. B．Humans are less accurate than AI in distinguishing cancer types. C．AI models rely entirely on the patient’s self-reported information. D．AI models can detect hidden demographic details from images. 2．Why do AI models struggle to diagnose certain cancers in specific populations? A．They fail to detect any molecular differences in the tissue. B．They are not trained with enough data from any group. C．They cannot identify the visual signs of the disease itself. D．They rely on shortcuts linked to demographic-specific signals. 3．How does the FAIR-Path framework function to reduce bias? A．By guiding the AI to focus on key disease features only. B．By replacing the existing AI systems with new ones entirely. C．By removing all personal information from the medical records. D．By balancing the number of samples from all demographic groups. 4．What does the author imply about the future of medical AI in the last paragraph? A．Fair AI systems are impossible without massive changes. B．AI will eventually replace human experts in pathology labs. C．Careful design can lead to fairer and more reliable AI tools. D．The bias in medical AI has been completely solved forever. 【答案】1．D 2．D 3．A 4．C 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要讲述了研究发现人工智能诊断癌症模型存在偏见，FAIR-Path框架可有效减少这种偏见，让医疗AI更公平可靠 。 1．细节理解题。根据第一段中“It contains vital information about the disease, but offers no clues about the patient’s identity, race, or background.(它包含关于疾病的重要信息，但没有提供关于患者身份、种族或背景的线索)”和第二段中“A recent study reveals that AI models designed to diagnose cancer can actually infer demographic (population) details directly from the tissue slides.(最近的一项研究揭示，设计用于诊断癌症的人工智能模型实际上可以直接从组织切片中推断出人口统计细节)”可知，人工智能模型能够从图像中检测出隐藏的人口统计细节，这是人类病理学家在评估组织样本时与人工智能模型的不同之处。故选D。 2．细节理解题。根据第三段中“Third, AI models are powerful enough to detect subtle molecular (tiny biological) differences across groups. They use these signals as shortcuts to classify cancer, which leads to failure when those signals are less common in other populations.(第三，人工智能模型足够强大，能够检测到不同群体之间细微的分子（微小生物）差异。它们将这些信号作为对癌症进行分类的捷径，当这些信号在其他人群中不太常见时，就会导致失败)”可知，人工智能模型在诊断特定人群的某些癌症时遇到困难，是因为它们依赖于与特定人群信号相关的捷径。故选D。 3．细节理解题。根据第四段中“This approach helps the AI focus on critical distinctions between cancer types while reducing attention to irrelevant personal characteristics like age or race. It adjusts how the system interprets what it sees, forcing it to prioritize disease features over demographic clues.(这种方法帮助人工智能关注癌症类型之间的关键区别，同时减少对年龄或种族等无关个人特征的关注。它调整了系统对其所看到内容的解释方式，迫使它优先考虑疾病特征而非人口统计线索)”可知，FAIR-Path框架通过引导人工智能只关注关键的疾病特征来减少偏见。故选A。 4．推理判断题。根据最后一段中“Instead, with careful design and routine evaluation for bias, we can develop medical AI tools that provide fast, accurate, and fair diagnoses for every patient, ensuring reliable health care for all society.(相反，通过精心设计和对偏见的常规评估，我们可以开发出为每个患者提供快速、准确和公平诊断的医疗人工智能工具，确保为全社会提供可靠的医疗保健)”可知，作者暗示精心设计可以带来更公平、更可靠的医疗人工智能工具。故选C。 Passage 10 People are constantly absorbing information from their surroundings, including visual details and background sounds. Over time, the human brain learns to connect these environmental cues with what usually happens next. This process is known as associative learning (联想学习). Simply put, it means learning through repeated links between signals and results. In everyday life, this kind of learning assists people significantly in making faster and often better decisions. For instance, a familiar sign, sound, or setting can act as a signal, indicating whether a choice is likely to lead to a reward or a negative outcome. However, this helpful system does not function the same way for everyone. For people suffering from compulsive (强迫性的) disorders, addictions, or anxiety, these learned associations can become overly powerful. Instead of serving as useful guides, cues may start to control decision making. Individuals may feel a strong pull toward certain sights or sounds, or feel driven to avoid them, even when doing so leads to poor results. This behavior is described as maladaptive (适应不良的) decision making, referring to choices that continue to cause harm or disadvantage despite repeated bad consequences. To better understand how this happens, Giuseppe di Pellegrino from the University of Bologna led a study. The research examined how people learn from cues and how this learning can sometimes go wrong. As described in their paper, the researchers found that people differ widely in the degree to which they rely on environmental cues. Some individuals depend heavily on surroundings to guide choices, while others rely on them much less. The study also revealed an important problem for those who are highly cue-driven. When familiar cues start to signal riskier or less favorable outcomes, these individuals often struggle to adjust. They may have difficulty updating their beliefs about what those cues mean. In practical terms, this means the brain keeps responding as if nothing has changed, even when the situation clearly has. As a result, harmful decision making can persist over time. Instead of adapting to new information, people may repeat the same risky choices again and again. According to the researchers, these findings suggest that some people have stronger cue sensitivity than others, combined with a reduced ability to revise what they have learned. This combination helps explain why certain decision patterns are so hard to break. The research team plans to continue studying this in patient populations to better understand the harmful patterns that characterize addictions and anxiety. 1．What is associative learning defined as in the text? A．A method to ignore surroundings. B．A process to control decision making. C．Learning by linking signals with results. D．A way to avoid negative outcomes completely. 2．What problem do people with compulsive disorders face? A．They adapt quickly to new situations. B．They struggle to connect cues with results. C．They ignore negative outcomes completely. D．They are dominated by learned associations. 3．Why do cue-driven people often fail to adapt to changes? A．Their brains ignore familiar signals. B．They are too sensitive to rewards. C．They cannot update old beliefs easily. D．They dislike relying on surroundings. 4．What do the findings help to explain according to the text? A．Why associative learning varies. B．Why bad habits are difficult to change. C．How visual cues affect the brain. D．How addiction damages decision making. 【答案】1．C 2．D 3．C 4．B 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要讲述了联想学习对人们有帮助，但强迫性障碍人群受其负面影响大，研究解释了相关决策模式难改的原因 。 1．细节理解题。根据第一段中“This process is known as associative learning (联想学习). Simply put, it means learning through repeated links between signals and results.(这个过程被称为联想学习。简单地说，它意味着通过信号和结果之间的反复联系来学习)”可知，联想学习被定义为通过将信号与结果联系起来进行学习。故选C。 2．细节理解题。根据第二段中“For people suffering from compulsive (强迫性的) disorders, addictions, or anxiety, these learned associations can become overly powerful. Instead of serving as useful guides, cues may start to control decision making.(对于患有强迫症、成瘾或焦虑症的人来说，这些习得的联想会变得过于强大。提示不再作为有用的指导，而是开始控制决策)”可知，患有强迫症的人面临的问题是他们被习得的联想所支配。故选D。 3．细节理解题。根据第四段中“The study also revealed an important problem for those who are highly cue-driven. When familiar cues start to signal riskier or less favorable outcomes, these individuals often struggle to adjust. They may have difficulty updating their beliefs about what those cues mean.(这项研究还揭示了一个对那些高度受提示驱动的人的重要问题。当熟悉的提示开始预示风险更高或不太有利的结果时，这些人往往很难做出调整。他们可能很难更新自己对这些提示含义的看法)”可知，受提示驱动的人常常不能适应变化是因为他们不能轻易更新旧的观念。故选C。 4．推理判断题。根据最后一段中“According to the researchers, these findings suggest that some people have stronger cue sensitivity than others, combined with a reduced ability to revise what they have learned. This combination helps explain why certain decision patterns are so hard to break.(根据研究人员的说法，这些发现表明，有些人比其他人对提示更敏感，同时他们修正所学知识的能力也降低了。这种组合有助于解释为什么某些决策模式如此难以打破)”可知，这些发现有助于解释为什么坏习惯很难改变。故选B。 Passage 11 A recent large study investigated how the pattern of daily walking affects long-term health, focusing particularly on adults who are generally not very active. Interestingly, the research suggests that regardless of the total number of steps taken, one long walk may be better than many short ones. Published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the findings highlight that longer, uninterrupted walking sessions are linked to lower risks of death and cardiovascular (心血管的) disease compared to scattered short walks. To reach these conclusions, researchers analyzed data from 33,560 UK adults who averaged fewer than 8,000 steps daily. Participants were grouped into four categories based on their typical walking duration: less than 5 minutes, 5 to 10 minutes, 10 to 15 minutes, and 15 minutes or longer. The results showed that 43% of participants mostly walked in sessions shorter than 5 minutes, while only 8% regularly walked for at least 15 minutes. Over a follow-up period of 9.5 years, the study recorded clear health outcomes. The longer participants walked at a time, the lower their risk of all-cause mortality (死亡率) became. Compared to those who mostly took short walks under 5 minutes, people who regularly walked in sessions of 15 minutes or more faced a much lower risk of death. This indicates that taking longer walks provides a stronger protective effect against early death. The benefits were even more significant for heart health. Those who primarily took short walks under 5 minutes accumulated the highest risk of cardiovascular disease. In contrast, the group walking in sessions of 15 minutes or longer had the lowest risk. The evidence suggests that continuous walking is specifically beneficial for heart health compared to interrupted walking. These findings have important implications for those who take fewer than 5,000 steps a day, or those who are sedentary (久坐的). Experts suggest that for less active individuals, focusing on longer, more intentional walking sessions, rather than just increasing total steps, could be a highly effective method to improve health outcomes. 1．What is the main finding of the study mentioned in the text? A．Total steps determine health completely. B．Short walks are beneficial for the heart. C．Inactive people need 8,000 steps daily. D．Longer walking sessions lower health risks. 2．How does walking duration influence health risks according to the text? A．It requires more walking time daily. B．It reduces the chance of early death. C．It has no clear effect on the results. D．It increases the chance of heart problems. 3．Who is the study mainly targeting according to the text? A．Highly active professional athletes. B．Young people who like jogging. C．Those who do not move much. D．Patients with heart diseases. 4．What are inactive people advised to do to improve health? A．Increase their total steps to 8,000. B．Combine short walks into longer ones. C．Avoid walking for cardiovascular health. D．Walk continuously for 9.5 years. 【答案】1．D 2．B 3．C 4．B 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍一项研究发现：不间断的长距离步行比零散短步行更能降低死亡和心血管疾病风险。 1．细节理解题。根据第一段中“Interestingly, the research suggests that regardless of the total number of steps taken, one long walk may be better than many short ones. Published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the findings highlight that longer, uninterrupted walking sessions are linked to lower risks of death and cardiovascular (心血管的)  disease compared to scattered short walks.(有趣的是，研究表明，不管总步数多少，一次长距离步行可能比多次短步行更好。这项发表在《内科学年鉴》上的研究结果强调，与零散的短步行相比，时间更长、不间断的步行与更低的死亡风险和心血管疾病风险相关)”可知，该研究的主要发现是长时间步行能降低健康风险。故选D。 2．细节理解题。根据第三段中“The longer participants walked at a time, the lower their risk of all-cause mortality (死亡率) became. (参与者一次步行的时间越长，全因死亡风险就越低)”可知，步行时长会降低早逝的可能性。故选B。 3．细节理解题。根据第一段中“A recent large study investigated how the pattern of daily walking affects long-term health, focusing particularly on adults who are generally not very active.(最近一项大型研究调查了日常步行模式对长期健康的影响，特别关注那些通常不太活跃的成年人)”可知，这项研究主要针对不怎么运动的人群。故选C。 4．细节理解题。根据最后一段中“Experts suggest that for less active individuals, focusing on longer, more intentional walking sessions, rather than just increasing total steps, could be a highly effective method to improve health outcomes.(专家建议，对于不太活跃的人来说，专注于更长时间、更有意识的步行，而不仅仅是增加总步数，可能是改善健康状况的一种非常有效的方法)”可知，不活跃人群应把短步行整合成长步行。故选B。 Passage 12 According to a recent study by the University of Michigan, using substances to aid sleep has become a common habit among young adults aged 19 to 30. The data shows that nearly 22% of Americans in this group have used medical analgesics (止痛剂) or alcohol to help themselves fall asleep. Medical analgesics are used much more frequently than alcohol for this specific purpose. While many young people turn to these methods hoping for a quick fix to their tiredness, researchers are raising serious alarms about the potential consequences. Experts warn that relying on drugs for sleep can backfire significantly. Megan Patrick, a research professor involved in the study, points out that these substances may interfere with the ability to stay asleep and reduce the overall quality of rest. Long-term use is particularly dangerous. Instead of curing insomnia (失眠), it may lead to worse sleep problems. Regular use can cause the body to develop “tolerance,” meaning a person needs to consume more of the substance to get the same effect. This pattern creates a vicious (凶险的) cycle of increasing use and worsening health. Furthermore, the study highlights notable differences in usage based on gender and race. Women are almost twice as likely as men to use medical analgesics to help them sleep. Additionally, Black young adults are three times more likely than white young adults to use alcohol as a sleep aid. These findings suggest that specific groups may be at higher risk and need targeted attention to prevent the development of a substance use disorder. There is also a dangerous misconception among young adults. Many believe that using medical analgesics or alcohol is helpful for sleep problems. However, evidence suggests that this belief is false. Doing so can actually make sleep problems even worse over time. Since high-quality sleep is critical for mental health and mood regulation, relying on harmful substances can severely damage a young person’s well-being. Finally, because sleep problems and substance use often happen together, health care providers should be alert. Doctors are advised to screen for both issues and offer coordinated support when necessary. Young adults who are trying to manage sleep problems should talk to their doctors instead of self-medicating. They need to understand the potential risks and seek professional help to find safer treatments that do not involve dangerous substances. 1．Why does the author mention “tolerance” in Paragraph 2? A．To explain a side effect. B．To introduce a new drug. C．To prove the benefit of analgesics. D．To compare alcohol with drugs. 2．What can be inferred from Paragraph 3? A．Men are less likely to use drugs. B．White adults prefer alcohol most. C．Gender affects choice of sleep aids. D．Women suffer more from sleeplessness. 3．What is a common misunderstanding among young adults? A．Sleep problems are rare to see. B．Doctors ignore their health issues. C．Substances improve sleep quality. D．Analgesics are good for mental health. 4．What is the text mainly about? A．A survey on sleep aids. B．The harm of alcohol use. C．Ways to cure insomnia. D．Mental health of youth. 【答案】1．A 2．C 3．C 4．A 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要讲述了密歇根大学一项研究表明年轻成年人用药物或酒精助眠，存在诸多危害及误解等情况 。 1．推理判断题。根据第二段中“Regular use can cause the body to develop ‘tolerance,’ meaning a person needs to consume more of the substance to get the same effect. This pattern creates a vicious (凶险的) cycle of increasing use and worsening health.(经常使用会导致身体产生“耐受性”，这意味着一个人需要摄入更多的物质才能获得同样的效果。这种模式形成了一个使用量增加和健康恶化的恶性循环)”可知，作者提到“tolerance”是为了解释长期使用助眠物质带来的副作用。故选A。 2．推理判断题。根据第三段中“Women are almost twice as likely as men to use medical analgesics to help them sleep. Additionally, Black young adults are three times more likely than white young adults to use alcohol as a sleep aid.(女性使用医用止痛药帮助睡眠的可能性几乎是男性的两倍。此外，黑人年轻人使用酒精作为助眠剂的可能性是白人年轻人的三倍)”可知，性别会影响助眠方式的选择。故选C。 3．细节理解题。根据第四段中“Many believe that using medical analgesics or alcohol is helpful for sleep problems. However, evidence suggests that this belief is false. Doing so can actually make sleep problems even worse over time.(许多人认为使用医用止痛药或酒精有助于解决睡眠问题。然而，有证据表明这种想法是错误的。这样做实际上会使睡眠问题随着时间的推移变得更糟)”可知，年轻人常见的误解是认为药物或酒精能改善睡眠质量。故选C。 4．主旨大意题。根据第一段中“According to a recent study by the University of Michigan, using substances to aid sleep has become a common habit among young adults aged 19 to 30.(根据密歇根大学最近的一项研究，使用物质助眠已成为19至30岁年轻人中的常见习惯)”以及全文内容可知，文章主要围绕一项关于年轻人使用助眠物质的调查展开，介绍了使用情况、危害、误解等方面。A项“关于助眠剂的调查”最能概括全文内容。故选A。 Passage 13 In work and in life, we are constantly taught that acting early ensures success. Yet after years of studying originals, I have found that the advantages of acting quickly are often outweighed by the downsides. It’s true the early bird gets the worm, but we can’t forget the early worm gets caught. Recently, researcher Jihae Shin tested an unconventional idea: procrastination (拖延) might boost originality.Shin asked participants to propose business for a college empty lot left by a convenience store. When they started the task immediately, they tended to propose conventional ideas-like another convenience store. When Shin randomly assigned some participants to delay the task to play computer games, they generated more novel ideas,like a tutoring center or a storage facility. Further experiments showed neither playing games nor taking a break boosted creativity. Shin concluded that when you procrastinate a task, you buy yourself time for divergent (发散的)thinking rather than“seizing and freezing” on one particular strategy. Procrastination may be the enemy of productivity, but it can be a resource for creativity. Ancient civilizations recognized this long before the Industrial Revolution’s efficiency fever. In ancient Egypt, there were two different verbs for procrastination: one meant laziness; the other meant waiting for the right time. In a classic study, marketing researcher Peter Golder analyzed hundreds of brands, comparing pioneering companies to slower settlers entering after pioneers created markets. The result was striking: pioneers failed at six times the rate of settlers. Settlers are often labelled as copycats, but this stereotype misses the mark. Instead of meeting the existing demand, they wait until they’re ready to introduce something new. They’re often slow to enter because they’re working on revolutionary products, services, or technologies within the category. In home video-game handles, the pioneer was Magnavox Odyssey in 1972, which mostly featured basic sports games. A settler, Nintendo, acquired the Odyssey’s distribution rights for Japan in 1975, and then blew Magnavox out of the water in the following decade by creating an original Nintendo Entertainment System. It transformed gaming with a user-friendly controller, advanced characters, and interactive role-playing. 1．Which of the following best shows Shin’s finding? A．He who hesitates is lost. B．More speed, less effect. C．Strike while the iron is hot. D．No pains, no gains. 2．What’s the purpose of Paragraph 3? A．To support a viewpoint. B．To correct a misconception. C．To introduce a practice. D．To promote a phenomenon. 3．What plays a key role in settlers’ success based on Golder’s findings? A．Doing effective marketing. B．Mastering strategic timing. C．Employing high technology. D．Breaking existing rules. 4．Which of the following books is the text most likely selected from? A．Seize the Day: The Early Bird Principle! B．The War of Innovation: Pioneers VS. Settlers. C．Unlocking Originality: Please Wait a Moment. D．The Secret to Success: Delaying or Not Delaying? 【答案】1．B 2．A 3．B 4．C 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章指出，与快速行动相比，拖延可能更有利于原创性。研究显示，拖延能为发散性思维提供时间。 1．推理判断题。根据文章第二段中的“When they started the task immediately, they tended to propose conventional ideas-like another convenience store. When Shin randomly assigned some participants to delay the task to play computer games, they generated more novel ideas, like a tutoring center or a storage facility. Further experiments showed neither playing games nor taking a break boosted creativity. Shin concluded that when you procrastinate a task, you buy yourself time for divergent thinking rather than ‘seizing and freezing’ on one particular strategy.(当他们立即开始任务时，他们倾向于提出传统的想法，比如再开一家便利店。当Shin随机分配一些参与者推迟任务去玩电脑游戏时，他们产生了更多新颖的想法，比如辅导中心或存储设施。进一步的实验表明，玩游戏或休息都不能提高创造力。Shin总结说，当你拖延一项任务时，你为自己赢得了进行发散性思维的时间，而不是‘抓住并固定’在某一个特定的策略上。)”可知，Shin的研究发现，拖延任务可以为发散性思维赢得时间，从而产生更多新颖的想法，而不是急于行动导致效果不佳。因此，选项B“More speed, less effect.(欲速则不达)”最能体现Shin的发现。故选B项。 2．推理判断题。根据文章第三段中的“Procrastination may be the enemy of productivity, but it can be a resource for creativity. Ancient civilizations recognized this long before the Industrial Revolution’s efficiency fever. In ancient Egypt, there were two different verbs for procrastination: one meant laziness; the other meant waiting for the right time.(拖延可能是生产力的敌人，但它也可以成为创造力的资源。早在工业革命的效率热潮之前，古代文明就已经认识到了这一点。在古埃及，拖延有两个不同的动词：一个表示懒惰；另一个表示等待合适的时机。)”可知，本段通过引用古埃及对拖延的不同理解，来支持拖延可以是创造力的资源这一观点，与第二段中Shin的研究发现相呼应。因此，本段的目的是支持一个观点，即拖延可以是创造力的资源。故选A项。 3．细节理解题。根据文章第四段“In a classic study, marketing researcher Peter Golder analyzed hundreds of brands, comparing pioneering companies to slower settlers entering after pioneers created markets. The result was striking: pioneers failed at six times the rate of settlers.(在一项经典研究中，市场研究人员Peter Golder分析了数百个品牌，比较了先驱公司和先驱公司创造市场后进入的较慢的定居者。结果令人震惊：先驱者的失败率是定居者的六倍。)”以及第五段中“Instead of meeting the existing demand, they wait until they’re ready to introduce something new.(他们不是满足现有的需求，而是等到准备好推出新东西的时候。)”可知，根据Golder的研究发现，定居者之所以成功，关键在于他们掌握了战略时机，即等待合适的时机推出新产品或服务，而不是急于满足现有需求。因此，选项B“Mastering strategic timing.(掌握战略时机)”是定居者成功的关键因素。故选B项。 4．推理判断题。通读全文可知，文章主要讨论了拖延对创造力的积极作用，以及先驱者和定居者在市场进入时机上的不同策略。文章通过Shin的研究和Golder的研究发现，强调了拖延在激发创造力和掌握战略时机方面的重要性。因此，文章最可能选自一本关于如何激发创造力的书籍，选项C“Unlocking Originality: Please Wait a Moment.( 释放创意：请稍等片刻。)”与文章主题相符。故选C项。 Passage 14 A new study has found that breathing does more than just move air in and out of your lungs — it could even be used to identify who you are. Scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science discovered that each person has a distinct breathing pattern, known as a nasal (鼻的) breathing “fingerprint”, a unique pattern that reveals clues about a person’s physical and mental health. Notably, brain scientist Timna Soroka shared, “We were able to identify differences between less depressed and non-depressed individuals.” The researchers originally set out to better understand how our sense of smell works. In humans, the brain processes smell during inhalation (吸入), and this close connection between the brain and breathing led the team to wonder: could our breathing patterns reflect the way our brains are wired — and be unique to each of us? To explore this question, they developed a lightweight, wearable device that tracks nasal airflow continuously for 24 hours. The study, published in the journal Current Biology, tested 100 healthy young adults as they went about their regular routines — running, studying, resting, and more. The results showed breathing patterns can identify individuals with 96.8 percent accuracy. “I thought it would be really hard to identify someone because everyone is doing different things,” said Soroka. “But it turns out their breathing patterns were remarkably distinct!” Beyond individual identification, the study also found clear links between breathing patterns and body mass index (BMI), sleep-wake cycles, and mental health traits such as anxiety and depression. For example, people who scored higher on anxiety tests tended to have shorter inhalation periods. Importantly, the researchers noted that they only know there is an association between breathing and mood, but they don’t know the cause-and-effect direction — whether feeling anxious changes breathing, or a certain breathing pattern causes anxiety. If the latter is true, changing how we breathe could potentially improve mood. However, the current device has drawbacks: it uses soft tubes under the nose that can be uncomfortable to wear and may slip during sleep, and it doesn’t track mouth breathing. The team is working on improving the device and further exploring the breathing-mood connection to unlock more practical applications. 1．Why is breathing “fingerprint” mentioned? A．To explain how the brain processes smell. B．To introduce a newly-invented tracking device. C．To show a link between breathing and depression. D．To stress the uniqueness of personal breathing pattern. 2．What does the underlined word mean? A．Connected. B．Powered. C．Controlled. D．Trained. 3．What can we infer about the relationship between breathing and mood? A．Changes in breath cure anxiety. B．Anxiety always causes abnormal breathing. C．Their exact relationship remains unclear. D．Breathing is responsible for negative mood. 4．What is the main finding of this research? A．Our fingerprints tell a lot about our health. B．Breathing patterns link to identity and health. C．A groundbreaking device reveals mental health. D．Anxiety levels link to shorter inhalation periods. 【答案】1．D 2．A 3．C 4．B 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。主要介绍一项新研究发现呼吸模式具有独特性，可用于身份识别，且与身心健康指标存在关联。 1．推理判断题。根据第一段中的“Scientists at Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science discovered that each person has a distinct breathing pattern, known as a nasal (鼻的) breathing “fingerprint”, a unique pattern that reveals clues about a person’s physical and mental health. (以色列魏茨曼科学研究所的科学家发现，每个人都有独特的呼吸模式，被称为鼻呼吸“指纹”，这种独特的模式能揭示出一个人身心健康的相关线索。)”可知，提到呼吸“指纹”是为了强调个人呼吸模式的独特性。故选D项。 2．词句猜测题。根据第二段中的“In humans, the brain processes smell during inhalation (吸入), and this close connection between the brain and breathing led the team to wonder: could our breathing patterns reflect the way our brains are wired—and be unique to each of us? (人类的大脑在吸气过程中处理气味信息，大脑与呼吸之间的这种紧密联系让研究团队产生了一个疑问：我们的呼吸模式是否能反映出大脑的连接方式——并且每个人的模式都是独一无二的呢？)”可知，此处“wired”指的是大脑内部的神经连接方式，与“Connected”意思相近。故选A项。 3．推理判断题。根据第四段中的“Importantly, the researchers noted that they only know there is an association between breathing and mood, but they don’t know the cause-and-effect direction — whether feeling anxious changes breathing, or a certain breathing pattern causes anxiety. (重要的是，研究人员指出，他们只知道呼吸和情绪之间存在关联，但并不知道两者之间的因果关系——究竟是焦虑情绪改变了呼吸，还是某种呼吸模式引发了焦虑。)”可知，呼吸和情绪之间的确切关系目前仍不明确。故选C项。 4．细节理解题。根据第一段中的“A new study has found that breathing does more than just move air in and out of your lungs — it could even be used to identify who you are.(一项新研究发现，呼吸的作用绝不仅仅是让空气在肺部进出 —— 它甚至还能用来识别个人身份。)”以及第四段中的“Beyond individual identification, the study also found clear links between breathing patterns and body mass index (BMI), sleep-wake cycles, and mental health traits such as anxiety and depression. (除了用于身份识别外，该研究还发现呼吸模式与身体质量指数、睡眠-觉醒周期以及焦虑、抑郁等心理健康特征之间存在明显关联。)”可知，这项研究的主要发现是呼吸模式与身份识别和健康状况都存在关联。故选B项。 Passage 15 Yvette Henry was in her kitchen fixing up dinner. So were all four of her kids. Then she remembered a TikTok video about “living room kids” and “bedroom kids,” and realized she and her husband had built a home dynamic where their children felt emotionally safe in shared spaces. A living room kid refers to a child who spends much of their home time in shared spaces such as the living room, kitchen or dining room. A bedroom kid refers to a child who spends most of their free time in the privacy of their bedroom. If you’re a parent, pay attention to your children’s needs and what rooms they prefer. There’s nothing wrong with either. Parents should feel proud knowing that living room kids feel comfortable and safe when congregating with family, said Whitney, associate clinical director of the Kids Mental Health Foundation. This sense of safety often stems from the enjoyment of shared activities, conversations, and simply being around one another. “Indeed, safety plays a crucial role,” she said. If there’s a lot of family conflict, a child might spend more time in their room to avoid that stressor. Children also tend to spend more time in their rooms as they enter their preteen and teenage years, said Dr. Thomas, a child psychiatrist at Hackensack Meridian Health in New Jersey. “A teenager will want to be more independent and feel responsible for themselves, and having a space for themselves in their room allows them to take control,” he said. It’s not necessarily a bad thing for children to spend more time in their bedroom, but he said parents should be cautious if an ordinarily “living room kid” suddenly starts isolating (孤立) in their room. This could be a sign that there’s something wrong. “Rather than viewing it as ‘living room’ vs ‘bedroom kids,’ the best way to view it is as a house and make sure that kids feel safe no matter where they are,” Thomas said. 1．Why is Yvette Henry’s story mentioned in the first paragraph? A．To present a parenting concept. B．To criticize a common family problem. C．To introduce a popular social media platform. D．To highlight the importance of family harmony. 2．What does the underlined word “congregating” in paragraph 3 mean? A．Resting. B．Gathering. C．Helping. D．Sharing. 3．According to Dr. Thomas, what is a driver for teenagers to become “bedroom kids”? A．The influence of teenage peers. B．The desire to avoid family conflicts. C．The need for a sense of independence. D．The lack of safety in shared family spaces. 4．What can be inferred from the last paragraph? A．Bedroom kids feel more isolated. B．Living room kids are mentally healthier. C．The essence of parenting is learning to let go. D．Observing changes matters more than labeling. 【答案】1．A 2．B 3．C 4．D 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章通过Yvette Henry的例子，介绍了“客厅孩子”和“卧室孩子”的概念，并引用专家观点分析了儿童不同空间偏好形成的原因及家长应如何正确看待，强调家庭各处安全感对儿童的重要性，建议关注孩子行为变化而非简单标签化。 1．推理判断题。根据第一段中“Yvette Henry was in her kitchen fixing up dinner. So were all four of her kids. Then she remembered a TikTok video about “living room kids” and “bedroom kids,” and realized she and her husband had built a home dynamic where their children felt emotionally safe in shared spaces. (Yvette Henry当时正在厨房准备晚餐，她的四个孩子也都在厨房帮忙。这时，她想起了一个关于“客厅孩子”（指常待在客厅等共享空间的孩子）和“卧室孩子”（指常待在自己卧室的孩子）的TikTok视频，随即意识到，她和丈夫营造了一种家庭氛围，让孩子们在共享空间里能感受到情感上的安全。)”以及第二段中“A living room kid refers to a child who spends much of their home time in shared spaces such as the living room, kitchen or dining room. A bedroom kid refers to a child who spends most of their free time in the privacy of their bedroom. (“客厅孩子”指的是那些在家时大部分时间都待在客厅、厨房或餐厅等共享空间里的孩子。“卧室孩子”则是指那些大部分空闲时间都在自己卧室这个私密空间里度过的孩子。)”可知，第一段通过讲述了Yvette Henry一家的情况，提出了“客厅孩子”和“卧室孩子”两个概念；接着文章围绕“客厅孩子”和“卧室孩子”展开讨论，介绍了这两种不同的家庭动态。由此可推断，第一段提到Yvette Henry的故事是为了呈现一种育儿观念，即关注孩子在家庭共享空间和私人空间中的不同表现和需求。故选A项。 2．词句猜测题。根据第二段中“A living room kid refers to a child who spends much of their home time in shared spaces such as the living room, kitchen or dining room. (“客厅孩子”指的是那些大部分时间都待在诸如客厅、厨房或餐厅这类公共区域的孩子。)”以及第三段中的“Parents should feel proud knowing that living room kids feel comfortable and safe when congregating with family (父母们应该感到自豪，因为客厅里的孩子们在与家人……时感到自在和安全。)”以及后文“This sense of safety often stems from the enjoyment of shared activities, conversations, and simply being around one another. (这种安全感通常来自于共享活动、对话以及仅仅是在彼此身边的乐趣。)”可知，“客厅孩子”大部分时间都待在诸如客厅这类的公共区域的孩子，在客厅中他们会与父母举行共享和对话等聚集的活动由此带来自在和安全，因此在这类孩子是在客厅和家人聚集在一起时会感到舒适和安全，congregating在此处意为“聚集”。B选项“Gathering. (聚集，聚会)”与划线词意思相近。故选B项。 3．细节理解题。根据第四段中的“A teenager will want to be more independent and feel responsible for themselves, and having a space for themselves in their room allows them to take control (青少年会渴望更加独立，并希望对自己负责。在自己的房间里拥有一个属于自己的空间，能让他们掌控自己的生活。)”可知，Thomas博士认为，青少年成为“卧室孩子”的驱动力是对独立感的需求。故选C项。 4．推理判断题。根据最后一段中的“It’s not necessarily a bad thing for children to spend more time in their bedroom, but he said parents should be cautious if an ordinarily “living room kid” suddenly starts isolating (孤立) in their room. This could be a sign that there’s something wrong. “Rather than viewing it as ‘living room’ vs ‘bedroom kids,’ the best way to view it is as a house and make sure that kids feel safe no matter where they are,” Thomas said. ( 孩子花更多时间待在卧室里未必是件坏事，但他说，如果原本常待在客厅等共享空间的“客厅孩子”突然开始独自待在房间里、与外界隔绝，家长就得提高警惕了。这可能是出了问题的信号。Thomas说：“与其将孩子区分为‘客厅孩子’和‘卧室孩子’，不如把整个家看作一个整体，确保孩子无论身处家中何处，都能感到安全。”)”可知，如果一个通常喜欢在客厅的孩子突然开始孤立在房间里即当孩子发生了变化，父母应该谨慎，这可能是孩子出问题的信号。Thomas建议，与其将孩子分为“客厅孩子”和“卧室孩子”，不如将整个家视为一个整体，确保孩子无论在哪里都感到安全。由此可推断，观察孩子的变化比给他们贴标签更重要。故选D项。 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $