考前押题03 阅读理解说明文常考话题（期中复习专项训练）高二英语下学期沪外版

考前押题03 阅读理解说明文常考话题 话题1 社会生活 话题4 社会生活 话题2 环境保护 话题5 文学艺术 话题3 身心健康 话题6 研究发现 话题1 社会生活 Passage 1 Hollywood writers scored a major victory last month in their battle over how artificial intelligence can be used in future film and television projects. Experts say the contract guidelines between the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) could offer a model for workers in Hollywood and other industries. The writers’ contract does not outlaw the use of AI tools in the writing process, but it sets up protections to make sure the technology stays in the control of workers, rather than being used by their bosses to replace them. The new rules guard against several occasions that writers had feared, comedian Adam Conover, a member of the WGA negotiating committee, said. One such situation was studios being allowed to generate a full script using AI and then demanding that a human writer complete the writing process. Under the new terms, studios “cannot use AI to write scripts or to edit scripts that have already been written by a writer”, Conover said. The contract also prevents studios from treating AI-generated content as “source material”, like a novel or a play that screenwriters could be assigned to adapt for a lower fee and less credit than an original script. For instance, if the studios were allowed to use Chat GPT to generate a 100,000-word novel and then ask writers to adapt it, “That would be a loophole (漏洞) for them to reduce the wages of screenwriters,” he said. “We’re not allowing that.” If writers adapt output from large language models, it will still be considered an original screenplay, he added. Simon Johnson, an economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who studies technological transformation,called the new terms a “fantastic win for writers” and said it would likely result in “better quality work and a stronger industry for longer”. The union win on AI is also not a loss for the studios, he noted, since they “will get a better product from this arrangement” than they might have otherwise. 1. What does the new contract between WGA and AMPTP say about the use of AI tools? A. They are completely banned from the writing process. B. They can be used but must stay under writers’ control. C. They are encouraged to replace human writers in studios. D. They can be used only for editing finished screenplays. 2. According to the new rules,which of the following practices is disallowed ? A. Using AI to finish or revise a script written by a human writer. B. Asking writers to polish scripts originally written by others. C. Letting writers adapt plays or novels into new screenplays. D. Preventing writers from using AI tools for brainstorming ideas. 3. It can be inferred that the writers view AI technology mainly as ________. A. a tool that can improve efficiency if allowed B. a long-term issue that needs further negotiation C. a necessary evil that would eventually be accepted D. a threat that requires immediate restrictions 4. Why does Simon Johnson think highly of the new rules? A. The entertainment industry is forced to focus on writers’ welfare. B. They ensure greater job stability and fairer treatment for writers. C. The adoption of AI tools saves time and lowers the studios’ cost. D. They secure writers’ rights and support a more sustainable industry. Passage 2 As the Northern Hemisphere ushers in the new season, a contagious (有感染力的) urge to dust off cobwebs and toss out clutter emerges. Spring cleaning, a deep cleanse of one’s home, is a tradition rooted in societies worldwide, with its origin traced back to ancient times. It also holds symbolic significance. Viewed as a fresh start, the tradition symbolizes the transition from the dormant winter season to the vibrant growth of spring. By purging (清除) the home of accumulated debris and organizing its contents, individuals create a cleaner living environment and a sense of mental clarity and freshness. “With each sweep of the broom and polish of the surface, we honor a tradition that transcends time, uniting us with generations past in a shared pursuit of renewal and rejuvenation (恢复活力),” says Danielle Patten, director of creative programs and collections at the Museum of the Home in London. Human behavior is greatly influenced by the cycles of nature. In the colder months, we have less energy to spare for chores such as deep cleaning. We’re not being lazy; limited daylight triggers the hormone melatonin (褪黑素), which makes us sleepy. “Melatonin causes us to feel less inclined to refresh our space. When the seasons start to shift, feelings of sluggishness reduce, and we regain energy and feel inspired to deep clean our living environments,” says author and psychotherapist Eloise Skinner. “When we refresh our environments, we can feel a sense of new beginning, or a renewed sense of drive and ambition.” Studies have also shown that cleaning can be therapeutic, as seen by the new generation of “cleanfluencers” taking social media by storm. Millions of people watch them scour filthy homes and share cleaning hacks. “When we’re cleaning, we often have to be present to the task at hand, and this can bring us into the present moment, causing us to feel more aware, engaged and observant. The repetitive nature can also be soothing,” Skinner says. Before the Chinese New Year, it’s common to cleanse the home of bad luck and misfortune in China. Known as “sweeping the dust,” cleaning makes way for the new year’s good luck and prosperity, says Patten. While the concept of spring cleaning predates modern technology, advancements such as electricity and household appliances have influenced its practice. For example, before electric lights, people relied on fire from burning coal, oil, and wood to light and heat homes, which would leave behind a substantial amount of soot (煤灰). Windows were kept securely closed to prevent a deadly draft from entering. Come spring, it was pragmatic to open the windows to air out stuffy homes, remove grime, and repair any damages that occurred during the winter months. Inventions such as vacuum cleaners, washing machines, and cleaning agents have made the process more efficient and convenient, allowing for deeper and more thorough cleaning of living spaces. 1．What does the word “sluggishness” in paragraph 5 most likely mean? A．Excitement. B．Tiredness. C．Determination. D．Activity. 2．What does the passage imply about the link between cleaning and mental well-being? A．Cleaning rituals are more effective than professional therapy for reducing stress. B．The repetitive nature of cleaning can promote mindfulness and engagement. C．People who deep clean are less likely to experience seasonal affective disorder. D．Social media “cleanfluencers” rely on mental health studies to increase their followers. 3．What can be inferred about the evolution of spring cleaning from the passage? A．The practice became widespread due to advancements in household appliances. B．The invention of electric lights eliminated the need for spring cleaning. C．Modern cleaning techniques have completely replaced traditional customs. D．The symbolic meaning of spring cleaning has diminished over time. 4．What is the author’s primary purpose of writing this passage? A．To encourage readers to adopt spring cleaning habits. B．To provide a historical and cultural perspective on spring cleaning. C．To compare traditional and modern spring cleaning practices. D．To explore how spring cleaning can benefit mental health. Passage 3 To say that the child learns by imitation and that the way to teach is to set a good example seems oversimplified. No child imitates every action he sees. Sometimes, the example the parent wants him to follow is ignored while he takes over contrary patterns from some other example. Therefore, we must turn to a more subtle theory than “Monkey see, monkey do”. Look at it from the child’s point of view. Here he is in a new situation, lacking a ready response. He is seeking a response which will gain certain ends. If he lacks a ready response for the situation, and cannot reason out what to do, he observes a model who seems able to get the right result. The child looks for an authority or expert who can show what to do. There is a second element at work in this situation. The child may be able to achieve his immediate goal only to find that his method brings criticism from people who observe him. When shouting across the house achieves his immediate end of delivering a message, he is told emphatically that such a screaming is unpleasant, that he should walk into the next room and say his say quietly. Thus, the desire to solve any objective situation is overlaid with the desire to solve it properly. One of the early things the child learns is that he gets more affection and approval when his parents like his response. Then other adults award some actions and criticize others. If one is to maintain the support of others and his own self-respect, he must adopt responses his social group approves. In finding trial responses, the learner does not choose models at random. He imitates the person who seems a good person to be like, rather than a person whose social status he wished to avoid. If the pupil wants to be good violinist, he will observe and try to copy the techniques of capable players. Admiration of one quality often leads us to admire a person as a whole, and he becomes an identifying figure. We use some people as models over a wide range of situations, imitating much that they do. We learn that they are dependable and rewarding models because imitating them leads to success. 1．According to the passage, to teach a child to learn something, parents should ________. A．view from the child’s perspective B．simplify each action shown to the child C．follow the theory of imitation D．set a good example for the child to copy 2．Which of the following situation will lead a child to seek for a model? A．The child comes up with a solution to an issue. B．The child is blamed by parents for his/her wrongdoing. C．The child encounters a professional who can get the right result. D．The child is in trouble and cannot figure out an approach. 3．It can be inferred that children usually imitate people ________. A．whose talent and skill are extraordinary B．whose actions are consistent with theirs C．whom they want to be shaped into D．who enjoy a high social status 4．What is the passage mainly about? A．The reason for parenting by imitation. B．The factors determining children’s imitation. C．The significance of learning by imitation. D．The way children choose models. Passage 4 Microplastics (塑料微粒) are found everywhere from the top of mountains to the ocean deep — even inside people. Microplastics are tiny. But they pose a big pollution problem. These tiny bits of trash are 5 millimeters or smaller. Some are made that small. For instance, the tiny beads in some toothpastes and face washes are microplastics. But many microplastics are debris (碎片) from larger plastic pieces that have broken down. Microplastics travel far on winds and ocean currents. They’ve ended up everywhere from mountaintops to Arctic ice. Microplastics are so widespread that many animals end up eating them. Plastic bits have turned up in birds, fish, whales, corals and many other creatures. Microplastics are found inside people, too. Americans are thought to consume some 70,000 microplastic pieces each year. People might take in plastic particles floating through the air. Or they may eat fish or other animals that contain microplastics — or drink water polluted with this trash. Microplastics can then pass from the lungs or get into the bloodstream. This pollution may prevent their growth or cause other harms. Researchers do not yet know the health risks of being exposed to (接触) so much microplastic. But they are worried. Why? Plastics are made of many different chemicals. Some of these are known to bring health risks to people. Engineers are coming up with solutions to the microplastic problem. Some are working on new ways to break down plastics in the environment. Others are devising more environmentally friendly materials to use instead of plastic. But to decrease microplastic pollution to the most extent, we should use less plastic. 1．What does the underlined word “pose” in paragraph 1 mean? A．Prevent. B．Allow. C．Cause. D．Destroy. 2．What is the third paragraph mainly about? A．Whether microplastics do harm to creatures. B．How microplastics can travel to the ocean. C．Why creatures are harmed by microplastics. D．Where microplastics are most easily found. 3．Why are researchers worried about being exposed to microplastics? A．They can travel deep into ocean. B．They are too small for us to see. C．Their impacts on health are still unknown. D．They bring health risks to people. 4．What is the most effective way to fight microplastic pollution? A．Using less plastic. B．Using less chemicals. C．Breaking down plastic. D．Looking for new materials. Passage 5 The clothes we choose to wear serve as an access to our cultural heritage, societal standing, and personal inclinations. Let us embark on a captivating journey through the myriad (迷宫) of clothing across various cultures. In Western realms, a leisure attitude towards attire dominates daily life. Informal ensembles (全套服装) featuring jeans, T-shirts, and sneakers reign supreme, embodying a principal of comfort and ease. The blend of casual and laid-back styles in Western fashion reflects a society that values practicality and self-expression. This approach to clothing allows individuals to effortlessly stay in comfort with personal style, creating a harmonious balance between ease and individuality in their everyday wardrobes. Conversely, traditional attire in Asian emphasizes formality and conservatism. For instance, in Japan, where the ceremonial kimonos dominate special events or festivities, featuring intricate designs and vibrant hues, a rich cultural legacy woven into the fabric. India’s sarees mirror a vibrant mosaic influenced by regional traditions and ceremonial customs. The timeless elegance of sarees draping women in a swath of fabric represents a tapestry of colors and patterns that narrate stories of female individuality hidden under the nationwide cover. In some Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia, women gracefully envelop themselves in abayas, long black robes that enshroud their forms entirely. This strict dress code, steeped in the rules of religious faith and cultural morals, conveys values of female modesty and respect for males. Traditional attire for Middle Eastern men includes garments such as thobes or dishdashas, which are long, loose-fitting robes typically worn with a head covering. These garments are not only practical for the region’s climate but also reflect the wearer’s background, social status, and personal preferences. Across diverse African residences, clothing emerges as a canvas for expressing cultural underpinnings and heritage. The vibrant hues and intricate patterns decorating traditional garments like dashiki s or kaftans resonate with the boundless creativity and diversity inherent in African cultures. In native communities, attire transcends its utilitarian purpose, emerging as a channel to nature and spirituality. At its essence, clothing transcends me re fabric and stitches; it embodies our cultural ethos, traditions, and identities. Delving into the diverse sartorial landscapes across cultures enables us to embrace and celebrate the tapestry of our shared global community in all its richness and diversity. 1．What account for Westerners’ leisure attitude towards dressing? A．respect for authority and formality B．justification of staying different C．pressure from busy daily routines D．emphasis of practicality and personality 2．How do traditional garments like kimonos and sarees reflect the cultural values of Asian countries? A．They reflect traditionalism and hidden individuality B．They reveal the challenge to expression of personality C．They show the denial female charm on a social scale D．They represent the refusal of sticking to formality 3．What’s the difference in dress code for women and men in Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia? A．Women wear long clothes for warmth while men do this to protect against sunshine B．Women wear loose clothes for the sake of comfortableness while men seldom do this C．Women cover themselves to show humility while men do this to show status D．Women envelop themselves to stay elegant while men do this to be handsome 4．Which of the following piece of clothes best represents a typical African one? A． B． C． D． 话题2 环境保护 Passage 1 As explorers of the wild, penguins often wander around. Normally, these ice-cold explorations are pretty short-lived. But one emperor penguin, now named Gus, alone and hungry, recently landed on a beach in Australia, more than 2,000 miles away from its native Antarctica. In the bird world, rare migrations such as these are referred to as vagrancies (流浪), says Casey Youngflesh, an associate professor at Clemson University. Living in the coldest place on Earth, emperor penguins, which can grow up to 45 inches tall and live between 15 and 20 years, typically live in groups with populations that can range from a few hundred to thousands of members. But even large population isn’t a guarantee of survival, and penguins survived due to several unique adaptations. Thick feathers protect penguins from Antarctica’s cold temperatures and high winds, and substantial (大量的) fat stores allow them to survive with little or no food for long periods. These animals are also remarkable swimmers, capable of diving to depths of over 450 meters. These characteristics could certainly have helped this male penguin make the journey to Australia, says Youngflesh. Determining what exactly caused the penguin to end up in Australia is another matter, as some experts suggest that he could have been blown off course by a storm and gotten lost or had some of its other navigational senses disturbed in some way. Despite how infrequently penguins land on Australia, Gus’s case may indicate how quickly the Antarctic environment is changing and how local species are affected. Emperor penguins, for example, depend on stable sea ice to reproduce, but as climate change increasingly causes ice shelves to melt, the species is expected to undergo rapid population decline in the next few decades. Vast environmental changes and less food sources mean that some animals must search farther for food and shelter than they otherwise would. To that end, while this unusual event isn’t currently indication of a larger pattern, experts should take note as animal vagrancy can expand in the future, says Youngflesh. 1．What can we learn about emperor penguins? A．They rarely explore the wild. B．They tend to live in communities. C．They migrate to Australia for food. D．They live longer than other animals. 2．Which feature enabled Gus to survive during the journey? A．Its waterproof feathers. B．Its considerable fat stores. C．Its disturbed navigational senses. D．Its adaptation to animal vagrancy. 3．What can we infer from the last paragraph? A．Animal vagrancies are likely to increase in frequency. B．A large pattern of penguins wandering alone is formed. C．Environmental changes may speed penguins’ extinction. D．Human interference is needed to bring this penguin back. 4．What is the main idea of the text? A．The climate change intensifies in Antarctica B．A penguin successfully survived the elements C．A male penguin ended up on distant Australia D．Animal vagrancy draws attention from experts Passage 2 Zimbabwe is experiencing its worst drought in years, with little rain and bad weather patterns affecting wildlife and attractions across the country and worsening livelihoods. Victoria Falls, which draws about one million tourists per year, has been reduced to a trickle (细流) in parts. While the falls typically slow down during the dry season between September and December, officials say this year has brought an unexpected decline in water levels. The situation is creating more causes for concern that climate change could kill one of the region’s largest tourist attractions. However, despite the present state of the falls, Ilala Lodge — an accommodation provider located minutes away from Victoria Falls — says that even during low water flow periods, Victoria Falls is still “an impressive natural phenomenon”. Officials say this year’s drought season is much drier and hotter than usual. As a result, the country’s national parks, which depend heavily on tourism, and wildlife across the country are suffering. “We’ve seen some pretty bad ones,” David Macfarland of Mwinilunga Safaris says. “When you see animals walking along — elephants, for example — and they just collapse (倒下) on their legs, they don’t even roll over. They just collapse and die — it’s very emotionally moving.” More than 200 elephants have died over the last two months due to a lack of water at the country’s main conservation (保护) zones in Mana Pools and Hwange National Park. Parks and wildlife authority spokesperson Tinashe Farawo says that the operation to move the animals from Savé Valley Conservancy to three other reserves in the north of the country will begin during the rainy season. Furthermore, the country’s population faces a food crisis, with 5.5 million people facing food insecurity. In urban areas, about 2.2 million people are food-insecure and lack access to minimal public services, including health and safe water. 1．What happens in Zimbabwe this year? A．Local tourism is booming. B．More people are being lifted out of poverty. C．Dry weather is causing a series of bad effects. D．Poor rains are leading to the extinction of wildlife. 2．What does Ilala Lodge think of Victoria Falls? A．It is still attractive to tourists. B．It will become a tourist attraction. C．It needs to be protected by people. D．It will disappear due to climate change. 3．What is the main idea of paragraph 3? A．The officials’ attitudes to tourism. B．The reasons for the lack of water. C．The impact of drought on animals. D．The ways to save endangered elephants. 4．Which of the following shows the structure of the whole text? A． B． C． D． Passage 3 The northern bald ibis (北秃鹳) once flew over North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and much of Europe, including southern Germany’s Bavaria. The yummy meat resulted in their disappearance from Europe. A few groups of the birds survived in other places. In 2002, a conservation and research group based in Austria stepped in to help. The number in Central Europe has increased from zero to almost 300 since then. Feitz, one member of the group, said his team found that when released the birds flew in the wrong direction and died in the winter. So they have led the birds for 17 years to places like Tuscany, Italy. Due to climate change, they have had to change the route to a winter home. Now they help the birds fly to Andalusia in southern Spain. To prepare for travel, the foster parent (养父母) humans begin working with the baby birds, when they are just a few days old. The humans want the birds to connect with them so they will trust them along the flying route. Barbara Steininger is one foster mother. She said she acts like “their bird mom.” “We feed them, clean them, clean their nests and see they are healthy,” she said. “But also we interact (互动) with them.” Steininger and the other foster parents then sit on the back of a very small aircraft, waving and cheering for the birds as they fly. Fritz knew his work would be possible because he saw the work of Canadian naturalist Bill Lishman.  Lishman taught Canadian geese to fly alongside his small plane beginning in 1988. He later guided endangered whooping cranes through safe routes. Fritz’s team efforts have worked. The first bird independently migrated back to Bavaria from Tuscany in 2011. The team hopes the Central European population will be more than 350 birds by 2028 and will not need human help to migrate. This year, the route to Spain is longer than last year’s path. The full journey to Spain could take up to 50 days. Fritz hopes the group’s work offers a possibility for helping other threatened migratory species to fly. 1．What caused the ibis to die out in Europe? A．The changes of the climate. B．The destruction of the environment. C．The hunting of humans. D．The loss of their direction sense. 2．Which work is the most important for the foster parent humans? A．Guiding the birds when travelling. B．Making sure the birds are healthy. C．Feeding and cleaning the baby birds. D．Choosing a winter home for the birds. 3．Why is Bill Lishman mentioned in the passage? A．Because he has saved many kinds of endangered birds. B．Because he has managed to lead birds to fly. C．Because he offers supports to Fritz’s group. D．Because he is charge of the birds’ travelling project. 4．What is Fritz’s expectation? A．The way of showing the birds how to fly will be widely used. B．Humans and birds will live together in harmony. C．More possibilities should be found to protect endangered birds. D．There will be more and more birds living in Europe. Passage 4 More than a score of Australian rare mammals have been killed by wild cats. These predators, which arrived with European settlers, still threaten native wildlife — and are too plentiful on the mainland to eliminate, as has been achieved on some small islands which were previously filled with them. But Alexandra Ross of the University of New South Wales thinks she has come up with a different way to deal with the problem. As she writes in a paper in the Journal of Applied Ecology, she is giving feline (猫科的) — awareness lessons to wild animals involved in re-introduction programs, in order to try to make them cat-conscious. Many Australian mammals, though not actually extinct, are restricted to fragments of cat-free habitat. This will, however, put the forced migrants back in the sights of the cats that caused the problem in the first place. Training the migrants while they are in captivity, using stuffed models and the sorts of sounds made by cats, has proved expensive and ineffective. Ms Ross therefore wondered whether putting them in large natural enclosures with a scattering of predators might serve as a form of training camp to prepare them for introduction into their new, cat-ridden homes. She tested this idea on a type of bandicoot (袋狸) that superficially resembles a rabbit. She and her colleagues raised two hundred bandicoots in a huge enclosure that also contained five wild cats. As a control, she raised a nearly identical population in a similar enclosure without the cats. She left the animals to get on with life for two years, which, given that bandicoots breed four times a year and live for around eight years, was a considerable period for them. After some predation (扑食) and probably some learning, she abstracted 21 bandicoots from each enclosure, attached radio transmitters to them and released them into a third enclosure that had ten hungry cats in it. She then monitored what happened next. The outcome was that the training worked. Over the subsequent 40 days, ten of the untrained animals were eaten by cats, but only four of the trained ones. One particular behavioral difference she noticed was that bandicoots brought up in a predator-free environment were much more likely to sleep alone than were those brought up around cats. And when cats are around, sleeping alone is dangerous. How well bandicoots that have undergone this extreme training will survive in the wild remains to be seen. But Ms Ross has at least provided reason for hope. 1．What can be learned from the first paragraph? A．The feline-awareness lessons have proved ineffective. B．There are too many wild cats to be killed in Australia. C．Different ways have been tried to hunt and kill wildlife. D．Native wildlife has been threatened by a growing population of wild cats. 2．The forced migrants in the second paragraph refer to ________. A．Australian mammals restricted to certain areas B．The wild cats tracking down the mammals C．Wild animals involved in the program D．The predators captured by the animal trainers 3．Which of the following is TRUE about the first two enclosures? A．They were both closely monitored. B．They had 200 bandicoots in total. C．They had similar natural environment. D．They both had wild cats in them. 4．What was the finding of Ms Ross’ research project? A．Untrained bandicoots failed to identify cats. B．Training bandicoots prepared them to fight cats. C．Sleeping alone in the wild was dangerous. D．Bandicoots could be trained to avoid predators. Passage 5 According to official government figures, there are more than twice as many kangaroos as people in Australia, and many Australians consider them dangerous. It is reported that kangaroos are involved in more than 80 percent of the 20,000 vehicle-animal accidents each year. In the country’s under-populated region, the common belief is that kangaroo numbers have rocketed to “pandemic (大规模流行的) percentage”. It is believed that killing kangaroos is critical to boosting the economy. Meat, skins and leather from kangaroos have been sold to 56 countries. Global brands such as Nike, Puma and Adidas buy strong, soft “k-leather” to make athletic products. And kangaroo meat is finding its way into more and more grocery stores. Advocates point out that low-fat, high-protein kangaroo meat is more environmentally friendly than greenhouse gas-releasing sheep and cattle. John Kelly, former executive director of the Kangaroo Industry Association of Australia, says, “Harvesting our food from animals adapted to Australia’s environment is extremely wise and sustainable. Many ecologists will tell you that there is no more humane way of producing red meat.” Opponents of the industry call the killing inhumane, unsustainable and unnecessary. Dwayne Bannon-Harrison, a member of the Yuin people of New South Wales, says the idea that kangaroos are destroying the country is laughable. “They’ve been walking in this land a lot longer than people have,” he says. “How could something that’s been here for thousands of years be ‘destroying’ the country? I don’t understand the logic in that.” Can Australians’ disagreement on kangaroos be solved? George Wilson, a professor from Australian National University, says that if kangaroos were privately owned, then graziers (放牧人) would protect the animals, treating them as possessions (财产). They could feed them, lease them, breed them and charge hunters a fee for access. “If you want to protect something,” Wilson says, “you have to give it a value. Animals that are considered dangerous don’t have value.” If kangaroos were more valuable than cattle or sheep, landholders would work with the kangaroo industry on branding, marketing and quality control. The government’s role would be oversight and regulation. 1．What do we know from the article? A．Kangaroos are to blame for most accidents. B．Global brands make small profits on kangaroos. C．Kangaroos are relatively friendly to the environment. D．Over-populated kangaroos are doing great harm to the country’s economy. 2．Why does Dwayne Bannon disagree to kill kangaroos? A．Because it is laughable. B．Because it is destroying the country. C．Because they have existed on Earth longer than man. D．Because they live in harmony with people. 3．Which of the following might be the benefit of privatization (私有化)? A．The popularity of kangaroo hunting. B．The reduction in the number of kangaroos. C．The establishment of more conservation areas. D．The better management of the kangaroo industry. 4．What is the purpose of this passage? A．To argue against the killing of kangaroos. B．To provide a solution to the problem caused by kangaroos. C．To present different opinions on the kangaroo industry. D．To stress the importance of protecting kangaroos. 话题3 身心健康 Passage 1 Parenting tips obtained from hunter-gatherers in Africa may be the key to bringing up more contented children, researchers have suggested. The idea is based on studies of communities such as the Kung of Botswana, where each child is cared for by many adults. Kung children as young as four will help to look after younger ones and “baby-wearing”, in which infants are carried in slings, is considered the common pracice. According to Dr Nikhil Chaudhary, an evolutionary anthropologist at Cambridge University, these practices, known as alloparenting, could lead to less anxiety for children and parents. Dr Annie Swanepoel, a child doctor, believes that there are ways to incorporate them into Western life. In Germany, one scheme has paired an old people’s home with a nursery. The residents help to look after the children, an arrangement parallel to alloparenting. Another measure could be encouraging friendships between children in different school years, to mirror the unsupervised mixed-age playgroups in hunter-gatherer communities. In a paper published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, researchers said that the Western nuclear family was a recent invention which broke with evolutionary history. This sudden shift to an “intensive mothering narrative”, which suggests that mothers should manage childcare alone, was likely to have been harmful. “Such narratives can lead to mothers’ exhaustion and have dangerous consequences,” they wrote. By contrast, in hunter-gatherer societies adults other than the parents can provide almost half of a child’s care. One previous study looked at the Efe people of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It found that infants had an average of 14 alloparents a day by the time they were 18 weeks old, and were passed between caregivers eight times an hour. Chaudhary said that parents now had less childcare support from family and social networks than during most of humans’ evolutionary history, but introducing additional caregivers could reduce stress and depression, which could have a “knock-on” benefit to a child’s wellbeing. An infant born to a hunter-gatherer society could have more than ten caregivers — this contrasts sharply to nursery settings in the UK where regulations call for a ratio of one carer to four children aged two to three. While hunter-gatherer children learnt from observation and imitation in mixed-age playgroups, researchers said that Western “instructive teaching”, where pupils are asked to sit still, may contribute to conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Chaudhary said that Britain should explore the possibility that older siblings helping their parents “might also enhance their own social development.” 1．According to the first two paragraphs, alloparenting refers to the practice of ________. A．having childcare among community members. B．assigning babies to specific adult caregivers. C．teaching parenting skills to older children. D．carrying infants around by their parents. 2．The scheme in Germany is mentioned to illustrate ________. A．an attempt to facilitate intergenerational communication. B．an approach to integrating alloparenting into Western society. C．the conventional parenting style in Western culture. D．the differences between Western and African ways of living. 3．According to Paragraph 4, what impact does the “intensive mothering narrative” have? A．It reduces parenting pressure. B．It enhances family relationships. C．It results in the child-centered family. D．It departs from the course of evolution. 4．According to Paragraph 6, what can we learn about the nurseries in the UK? A．They tend to fall short of official requirements. B．They have difficulty finding good caregivers. C．They ought to improve their carer-to-child ratio. D．They should try to prevent parental depression. 5．Which of the following would be the best title for the text? A．Instructive Teaching: A Plan for Anxious Parents. B．For a Happier Family, Learn from the Hunter-gatherers. C．Mixed-age Playgroup, a Better Choice for Lonely Children. D．Tracing the History of Parenting: from Africa to Europe. Passage 2 Living near bars and fast-food restaurants could be harmful to heart health, according to a new research. These kinds of ready-to-eat food environments typically provide unhealthy foods and drinks, and have been related to cardiovascular diseases, such as heart failure, said Lu Qi, a head researcher at Tulane University in New Orleans. Heart failure is a condition in which the heart can’t get enough blood to meet the body’s needs. This study is likely the first to evaluate (评估) the connection between food environment and heart failure with long-term observation. “Most previous researches on the relation between nutrition (营养) and human health have been focused on food quality, neglecting the impact of food environment,” Qi said. “Our present study highlights the importance of accounting for food environment in nutrition researches.” Researchers evaluated the connection using data from more than 500,000 adults in the United Kingdom. They measured participants’ exposure (接触) to three types of food environments — bars, restaurants and fast-food restaurants. Exposure was determined ‘by proximity (living within 1 kilometer) and density (the number of ready-to-eat food stores within 1 kilometer). The study documented nearly 13,000 heart failure cases during a 12-year follow-up period and the results showed that participants with 10 or more ready-to-eat stores near their homes had a 16% greater risk of heart failure than those with no ready-to-eat food environments. Those closest to the bars(less than 500 meters) had a 14% higher risk than those who lived the farthest away (more than 3,000 meters). The researchers noted the findings suggested that creating healthier food environments and improving physical fitness facilities, along with helping more people receive higher levels of education, could reduce the increased risk of heart failure linked to quick-meal options. Overall, the study stresses the importance of improving food environments to prevent heart failure, and the researchers note that more studies are needed, particularly evaluating nutrition unsafety, to make sure of the applicability of this study’s results. 1. What does the underlined word “neglecting” in paragraph 2 mean? A. Questioning. B. Identifying. C. Considering. D. Ignoring. 2. How did the researchers get their research findings according to paragraph 4? A. By making a comparison. B. By explaining a theory. C. By showing an argument. D. By describing a process. 3. What is presented in paragraph 5? A. Possible causes. B. Solving strategies. C. Research results. D. People’s reactions. 4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text? A. Ways Food Is Cooked Really Count B. Single Food Choices Lead to Nutritional Imbalance C. Ready-to-eat Food Surroundings Could Harm Heart Health D. Fast Food Is Increasingly Entering the Consumption Market Passage 3 We all remember that first cry at the movies. Whether they are tears of joy or sadness, it’s quite astonishing that human emotion can be controlled by moving images on a screen. In fact, it all comes from a plan. But what about those heart- breaking stories... for kids? They seem not to sugarcoat the realities of the world. Actually, many great kids’ movies filled with tragedy (悲剧) are purposefully meant to stir up kids’ strong feelings. According to Aristotle,  tragedy aids us in facing life’s unsolvable issues through sensible (理智的) thinking. Therefore, the existence of tragedy in kids’ movies is to teach kids to handle, to understand and to heal. The hardest lesson for a child is how to deal with loss, especially if it’s sudden. The cartoon classic The Lion King tells the story of Simba, who experiences the loss of his father. Kids see themselves in Simba’s character. He has dreams. He has a desire to grow and be a part of a bigger world. But it is really heartbreaking to see the loss. Why is a film like this so beloved when it makes kids cry? The lesson it teaches is to overcome hardships and to move forward. Hakuna Matata! Yes, the phrase from The Lion King is to teach kids it’s okay to move on from tragic loss and not to let it define you. It’s an important lesson we learned at a very young age. Sadness should not be ignored (忽视). It’s important to feel sad, and that is why these films are so great. In Dumbo, Charlotte’s Web and Bridge to Terabithia, we lose our beloved characters. This quite upsets kids, but it teaches them to accept sadness and makes something new out of it. So, what is the message behind a sad kids’ movie? It’s meant to teach the audience, especially children, to gain their independence and how to free themselves from tragedy. It’s like a cushion (缓冲垫) that separates stories from reality. It helps children deal with sad feelings when they come for real, or at least find relief by saying Hakuna Matata. 1．Why does the author mention “first cry” in paragraph 1? A．To introduce the topic. B．To recommend a movie. C．To support an argument. D．To explain the reason. 2．What does the underlined phrase “Hakuna Matata” in paragraph 3 mean? A．Viewing sadness as a treatment. B．Seeking knowledge to enrich life. C．Challenging oneself with tragic losses. D．Heading forward without being caught. 3．What can we learn from the last paragraph? A．Children can find a way to hide sad feelings. B．Children can learn to ignore sadness in tragedy. C．Sad kids’ movies prepare children for tough times. D．Sad kids’ movies help children to escape from reality. 4．What is the best title for the text? A．Why Are Great Kids’ Movies So Sad? B．What Is the Power of Great Kids’ Movies? C．Life’s Hardest Lesson: How Kids’ Movies Inspire Us? D．Moving Beyond Reality: What Sad Kids’ Movies Teach Us? Passage 4 Scientific studies have shown that kindness has many physical and emotional benefits. A great number of reasons have been reported to support the theory of teaching kindness in schools. Science explains that the good feelings we experience when being kind are produced by endorphins (内啡肽) that make areas of the brain active that are associated with pleasure, social connection and trust. And it’s proven that these feelings of joyfulness can spread from one person to another, encouraging more kind behaviors by both givers and receivers. Studies show that people experience a rush of endorphins that creates a lasting sense of pride, well-being and an enriched sense of belonging when they do a good deed. Even small acts of kindness are reported to promote our sense of well-being, increase energy and give a wonderful feeling of optimism and self-worth. It’s widely recorded in documents that being kind can also cause a release of the hormone oxytocin which has a number of physical and mental health benefits as it can significantly increase a person’s level of happiness and reduce stress. It also plays a significant role in the cardiovascular (心血管的) system, helping protect the heart. As it increases serotonin, which plays an important part in learning, memory, mood, sleep, health and digestion, kindness is a key element that helps children feel good. Having a positive attitude allows them greater attention spans and enables more creative thinking to produce better results at school. Kindness changes the brain by the experience of kindness. Children and adolescents do not learn kindness by only thinking about it and talking about it. Kindness is best learned by feeling it so that they can reproduce it. Kindness is an emotion that students feel and empathy is a strength that they share. 1．What can endorphins bring to people? A．Freedom. B．Curiosity. C．Happiness. D．Confidence. 2．Which of the following is helpful in protecting people’s heart? A．Serotonin. B．Endorphin. C．A sense of pride. D．Hormone oxytocin. 3．What is the best way to learn kindness? A．Sharing it. B．Experiencing it. C．Talking about it. D．Thinking about it. 4．What is the best title for this text? A．Importance of teaching kindness B．Importance of good concentration C．How to improve health and happiness D．The givers and receivers of kindness Passage 5 A peer is a person who is about the same age as you. Peers affect your life, whether you know it or not, just by spending time with you. Peers can have a good effect on one another. Maybe another student in your science class taught you an easy way to remember the planets in solar system. Maybe you got others excited about your new favorite book and now everyone’s reading it. However, sometimes peers affect one another in another way. For example, one kid in school might try to get another to cut class with him, your soccer friend might try to persuade you to be mean to another player and never pass her the ball, or a kid in the neighborhood might want you to steal things with him. Some kids give in to peer pressure because they want to be liked, to fit in, or because they worry that other kids may make fun of them if they don’t go along with the group. Others may go along because they are curious to try something new that others are doing. The idea that “everyone’ s doing it’ may influence some kids to leave their better judgments or their common senses behind. Peer pressure can be extremely strong and hard to get rid of. Experiments have shown how peer pressure can influence someone to change her/ his mind from what she/ he knows for sure is a correct answer to the incorrect answer— just because everyone else gives the incorrect answer! That holds true for people of any age in peer pressure situations. It can be hard to walk away from peer pressure, but it can be done. Paying attention to your own feelings and beliefs about what is right and wrong can help you know the right thing to do. Inner strength and self-confidence can help you stand firm, walk away and resist doing something when you know better. 1．The writer will NOT agree that ________. A．only children change their correct answers under peer pressure. B．Peers will believe in themselves if other peers agree with them. C．peers have effect on each other whether the effect is good or not. D．Peer pressure is very strong and difficult for people to get rid of. 2．The writer intends to ________ by writing the passage. A．encourage people to follow others’ opinions. B．warn people to stay away from their peers. C．tell people it is hard to be away from peer pressure. D．advise people to do the right despite peer pressure. 3．All of the following aspects are concerned in the passage EXCEPT ________. A．The definition of the peer and how it affects life. B．The reason why kids have stronger peer pressure. C．The way peers influence each other in daily life. D．The way peer pressure influences our judgment. 4．What is the passage mainly about? A．Peer pressure has a good effect. B．Peer pressure is hard to resist. C．Children give in to peer pressure. D．Peer pressure always does harm. 话题4 社会生活 Passage 1 Tapping out a message with a finger or two on a smartphone is catching up to the speed of typing on a traditional keyboard. Two-thumbed mobile typists generated an average of about 38 words per minute, according to what researchers describe as the largest experiment to date on mobile typing. That’s still a quarter less than the 51.56 word-per-minute average in physical keyboard users, but the gap isn’t as big as expected, researchers said, adding that they were “amazed” by the results. Mobile typists who use auto-correct are faster than those who use word-prediction tools, according to a study that looked at 37,000 volunteers tested by researchers at Finland’s Aalto University, the University of Cambridge and ETH Zürich. Earlier devices such as the BlackBerry promoted typing on miniature keyboards, too. Now, most smartphone users type on their devices with one or both thumbs. Some also type with a single index finger. As the smartphone has claimed a bigger and bigger portion of our communications, many educators and researchers have posed questions about the longer-term effects the move to typing on a digital keyboard may have — particularly on younger generations. The better-than-expected results surprised researchers, because typing on a smartphone “is a type of motor skill that people learn on their own with no formal training, which is very unlike typing on physical keyboards,” study co-author Antti Oulasvirta said in a news release. In fact, 10-to-19-year-olds type about 10 wpm faster than people in their 40s do, regardless of whether the keyboard was on a smartphone or a computer. The best typists could do more than 80 wpm. The study’s authors predict that the typing gap may close at some point as the population becomes less skilled with physical keyboards and as mobile typing technology improves. Still, there are some trade-offs when it comes to typing on a smartphone. Those participating in the study left more errors uncorrected, something that also resulted in less backspacing. “A possible explanation is the higher interaction cost of correcting mistakes on mobile devices and the limited text editing methods,” according to the researchers. The researchers collected the typing data from thousands of individuals using an online typing test. The test asked participants to transcribe a series of sentences, and recorded their keystrokes, errors, speed and other metrics. It also asked them to self-report their demographic (人口统计学的) data, as well as information about how they type and the sort of keyboard they used to complete the test. Smartphones may have some of the ergonomic (人体工学的) risks associated with their more traditional counterparts, professors say. Smartphone usage can lead to neck, shoulder and grip issues, said Bradley Chase, an associate professor of industrial and systems engineering at the University of San Diego. “The concerns aren’t fewer, just different” than those with traditional keyboards, Chase said. 1. Which of the following is true about the speed of mobile typing? A. It is equivalent to the speed of typing on a keyboard. B. It is much faster than typing on a keyboard. C. It is a little slower than typing on a keyboard. D. It is much faster than researchers can imagine. 2. It can be learned from Paragraph 6 that . A. people have never formally learned how to type on smartphones B. the youth type slower than the middle-aged mainly on a computer C. mobile typing will totally replace physical keyboard typing D. the gap between typing on phone and typing with keyboards may close 3. Which is the possible reason that people tend to leave typing errors uncorrected? A. Heavy workload. B. Erroneous editing methods. C. Higher interaction cost. D. Inconvenient operation method. 4. What can be inferred from the passage about the future of typing? A. Physical keyboards will definitely become obsolete within a few years. B. The speed gap between mobile and physical keyboard typing might disappear. C. Ergonomic risks associated with smartphones are expected to be completely eliminated. D. Auto-correct technology will be replaced by word-prediction tools. Passage 2 The livestreaming and fast delivery industry have attracted so many young people that the industrial sector is short of manpower. “My advice is to encourage more young people to work in the factories and less in the express delivery sector,” Zhang Xinghai, a deputy to the National People’s Congress, China’s top legislature, said during the ongoing NPC annual session. Zhang wants more young people to work in the factories so that China’s manufacturing (制造业) sector continues to flourish. Whatever job young people do is a matter of choice, but the manufacturing sector is facing a labor crunch (短缺) for too many people prefer jobs in other sectors. A survey conducted by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security in the third quarter of 2021 found that of 100 jobs that were facing a manpower crunch, 58 were in the manufacturing sector. By 2025, the shortage in 10 key manufacturing industries could be as high as 30 million. It is time some strong measures were taken to attract people back to the factories. This can be done by raising the salaries of factory workers. According to a survey in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, the annual income of express delivery workers in the city is more than 100,000 yuan ($15,831). In contrast, the average monthly salary of those doing blue-collar jobs in Guangdong in 2020 was just 7,108 yuan, or about 84,000 yuan a year. That gap surely needs to be reduced. Besides, the legal rights and interests of those doing blue-collar jobs need to be better protected. Express delivery workers can decide when they want to work, but factory workers have to work whenever the factory demands. Therefore, the authorities should protect factory workers’ rights to weekends, 8-hour working schedules and paid leave. Also, the promotion and salary growth structure of factory workers must be clearly defined. In a nutshell, to lure young people back to the factories, it is necessary to make blue-collar jobs more attractive. 1. What can we infer from Zhang Xinghai’s words? A. The future of the express delivery sector is hopeless. B. Working in factories in China are attractive to young people. C. Most young people are unwilling to work in the manufacturing sector. D. Working as a delivery man is quite easy for young people. 2. What does Paragraph 4 mainly tell us? A. A lot of jobs in China are facing a labor crunch. B. Employment rate in China will be dramatically increased by 2025. C. There are 10 manufacturing industries facing manpower shortage in total. D. The industrial sector is facing a severe labor shortage. 3. Which is NOT the reason for manpower shortage in factories? A. Flexible working hours. B. Lower incomes. C. Undefined promotion structure. D. Unprotected legal rights. 4. What is the author’s attitude towards the current situation of manufacturing industry? A. Indifferent. B. Concerned. C. Unclear. D. Neutral. Passage 3 States will be able to force more people to pay sales tax when they make online purchases under a Supreme Court decision Thursday that will leave shoppers with lighter wallets but is a big financial win for states. The Supreme Court’s opinion Thursday overruled a pair of decades-old decisions that states said cost them billions of dollars in lost revenue annually. The decisions made it more difficult for states to collect sales tax on certain online purchases. The cases the court overturned said that if a business was shipping a customer’s purchase to a state where the business didn’t have a physical presence such as a warehouse or office, the business didn’t have to collect sales tax for the state. Customers were generally responsible for paying the sales tax to the state themselves if they weren’t charged it, but most didn’t realize they owed it and few paid. Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote that the previous decisions were flawed. “Each year the physical presence rule becomes further removed from economic reality and results in significant revenue losses to the States,” he wrote in an opinion joined by four other justices. Kennedy wrote that the rule “limited States’ ability to seek long-term prosperity and has prevented market participants from competing on an even playing field.” The ruling is a victory for big chains with a presence in many states, since they usually collect sales tax on online purchases already. Now, rivals will be charging sales tax where they hadn’t before. Big chains have been collecting sales tax nationwide because they typically have physical stores in whatever state a purchase is being shipped to. Amazon.com, with its network of warehouses, also collects sales tax in every state that charges it, though third-party sellers who use the site don’t have to. Until now, many sellers that have a physical presence in only a single state or a few states have been able to avoid charging sales taxes when they ship to addresses outside those states. Sellers that use eBay and Etsy, which provide platforms for smaller sellers, also haven’t been collecting sales tax nationwide. Under the ruling Thursday, states can pass laws requiring out-of-state sellers to collect the state’s sales tax from customers and send it to the state. Retail trade groups praised the ruling, saying it levels the playing field for local and online businesses. The losers, said retail analyst Neil Saunders, are online-only retailers, especially smaller ones. Those retailers may face headaches complying with various state sales tax laws. The Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council advocacy group said in a statement, “Small businesses and internet entrepreneurs are not well served at all by this decision.” 1．The Supreme Court decision Thursday will ______. A．better businesses’ relations with states B．put most online businesses in a dilemma C．make more online shoppers pay sales tax D．force some states to cut sales tax 2．It can be learned from paragraphs 2 and 3 that the overruled decisions ______. A．have led to the dominance of e-commerce B．have cost consumers a lot over the years C．were widely criticized by online purchasers D．were considered unfavorable by states 3．According to Justice Anthony Kennedy, the physical presence rule has ______. A．hindered economic development B．brought prosperity to the country C．harmed fair market competition D．boosted growth in states revenue 4．In dealing with the Supreme Court decision Thursday, the author ______. A．gives a factual account of it and discusses its consequences B．describes the long and complicated process of its making C．presents its main points with conflicting views on them D．cites some cases related to it and analyzes their implications Passage 4 Today’s young adults (aged 18 — 34) seem to avoid phone calls altogether, with a quarter admitting they’ve never even answered one. A recent survey shows a clear change in communication styles. Texting plays a leading role, with over 70% of young adults loving it. Voice notes are also very popular, being liked by nearly 40%. It seems linked to a general dislike of unexpected calls; more than half connect them with bad news. Interestingly, this aversion (讨厌) to phone calls isn’t shared by elders. Only 1% of those aged 35 — 54 use more texts than calls. The survey suggests a generational change in communication styles. Phone calls, once a useful tool for connection, are now seemingly dropping in favor of other methods like texting and voice notes. As reported, the young have played a main role in the online messages and text messages. An ordinary explanation for their unwillingness to answer phone calls is the pressure connected with them. More than half of them think there are negative news when receiving unexpected calls. The young generally like planned phone conversations as the primary means of communication. Whatever the case, it’s clear that today, we don’t even imagine communicating without the help of a phone. New technologies, such as social media, would ruin human relationships in the long term. As a matter of fact, this may already be happening. Indeed, we can’t ignore the value of the voice in human relations. Listening to the expression of another person brings us much closer to them. It’s also easier to emotionally connect with others in this way. Text messages are more often misunderstood. When communicating something serious, it’s always better to make a phone call. 1．What causes the change in communication styles? A．The young feel pleasant to answer phone calls. B．All of the young think voice notes are popular. C．Few young people connect them with bad news. D．The young are unwilling to receive unexpected calls. 2．What the function of the numbers listed in paragraph 2? A．To provide evidence. B．To make a comparison. C．To draw a conclusion. D．To explain the reasons. 3．What can we learn about making a phone call from the last paragraph? A．It is easier to respond to. B．It makes us feel far away. C．It brings a closer connection. D．It is more often misunderstood. 4．What is the best title for the text? A．Answer a phone call in no time! B．Put away your phone while talking! C．Can making a phone call be replaced? D．How can we communicate in the future? Passage 5 When students got their textbooks at the beginning of the year at San Mateo High School, they also received the Yondr pouch Youdr (口袋), a locking device for their phones. The phone slides into it and gets locked through a magnetic (磁力的) device. It’s not unlocked again until the final bell rings. The procedure will repeat every day for the rest of the school year. Adam Gelb, the vice-president, ran a pilot project last year with 20 students and decided to do a school-wide, bell to bell program for this school year. The Yondr pouch is a start-up in San Francisco with a mission to create phone-free spaces, something that is the very thought with Gelb. “I really think it’s about being present and engaging in the adult that’s trying to teach you, and your peers that might be in your small group. That’s part of the main philosophy that we're trying to spread,” he said. Brad Friedman, another teacher at the school, said he was becoming concerned with overuse of phones at school. He said he often saw students completely lost on their phones, some not socializing at all with other students. This week, he’s already seeing the difference. “Everyone else was socializing and eating lunch together. That’s what I wasn’t seeing enough of when phone usage is at its worst,” he said. A senior at San Mateo High School Djelani Phillips-Diop said he definitely panicked at first when he heard he had to lock his phone. “I panicked, I guess. Last year when we had phones, I was using it every day,” he said. In case of emergency, every classroom has the unlocking device. Teachers still have access to their own cellphones and desk phones. “We’ve gotten all 1,700 students unlocked with a matter of minutes,” said Gelb. We spoke to four students who, despite their initial panic, agreed that a phone-free school experience has its benefits. 1. What can we learn about the Yondr pouch from paragraph 1? A. It is a device to lock phones. B. It is a bell to unlock phones. C. It is a device to be used for a year. D. It is a phone intended for students. 2. The Youdr pouch is used more in Gelb’s school to ______________________. A. create space to use phones freely B. help the students to be more outgoing C. encourage more mutual communication among students D. help the students to realize the harm of overuse of phones 3. What is Friedman’s attitude to the use of the Yondr pouch ? A. Concerned. B. Favorable. C. Disapproving. D. Doubtful. 4. What can be learned from the passage? A. The students were willing to have their phones locked at first. B. The phone will get unlocked automatically when there is an emergency C. Students prefer eating lunch together with their phones in hand. D. Some students came to realize the benefits of the phone-free program. 话题5 文学艺术 Passage 1 Though many of us may have been away somewhere nice last summer, few would say that we’ve “summered”. “Summer” is clearly a noun — a verbed noun. In our childhood, we all learned the difference between a noun and a verb. With such a clear definition, it was easy to notice the difference. Not so in adulthood, when we are expected to “foot” the bill and “chair” meetings. Chances are that you didn’t feel uncomfortable about those verbed nouns. “The verbing of nouns is as old as the English language,” says Patricia, a former editor at The New York Times Book Review. Experts found that 20% of all English verbs were originally nouns. And it seems to be snowballing. Since 1900, about 40% of new verbs have come from nouns. Even though the conversion (转化) is quite common, plenty of language experts disagree with it. William Strunk Jr. and E.B．White have this to say, “Many nouns lately have been pressed into service as verbs. Not all are bad, but some are in doubt.” The Chicago Manual of Style takes a similar standpoint, advising writers to use verbs with great care. “Sometimes people dislike a new verb because they refuse to accept what is unfamiliar to them,” says Patricia. That’s why we’re comfortable “hosting” a party, but we might feel upset by the thought of “medaling” in sports. So are there any rules for verbing? Benjamin Dreyer, copy chief at Random House, doesn’t offer a rule, but suggests that people think twice about “verbifying” (使动词化) a noun if it’s easily replaced by an already existing popular verb. Make sure it’s descriptive but not silly-sounding, he says. In the end, however, style is subjective (主观的). The easy conversion of nouns to verbs has been part of English grammar for centuries. It is one of the processes that make English “ English”. Not every new word passes into general use, but as for trying to end verbing altogether, forget it. 1．What can we learn about the verbing of nouns? A．It has come into use since a long time ago. B．It has been supported by many language experts. C．It is easily replaced by existing verbs in practice. D．It is more commonly accepted by children than adults. 2．What is language experts’ attitude towards the verbing of nouns? A．Negative. B．Careful. C．Unclear. D．Positive. 3．What can we infer from the last two paragraphs? A．It is impossible to end the verbing of nouns. B．New verbs will stay in the English language forever. C．Most people are against using new verbs from nouns. D．There is an obvious rule for changing verbs to nouns. 4．What can be the best title for the text? A．Are all new verbs from nouns? B．Are there any rules for verbing? C．Are you comfortable about a new verb? D．Are “summering” and “medaling” annoying? Passage 2 If you want to become a fluent English speaker, you should take some advice: there are four skills in learning English. They are listening, speaking, reading and writing. The most important thing you must remember is that if you want to improve your speaking and writing skills, you should first master the skills of reading and listening. Read as much as you can. But your reading must be active. It means that you must think about the meaning of the sentences, the meaning of the unfamiliar words, etc. There is no need for you to pay much attention to grammar or try to understand all the unfamiliar words you encounter, but the fact you see them for the first time and recognize them whenever you see them, for example in other passages or books, is enough. It would be better to prepare yourself a notebook so you can write down the important words or sentences in it. As for listening, there are two choices: besides reading, you can listen every day for about 30 minutes. You can only pay attention to your reading and become skillful at your reading, then you can catch up on your listening. Since you have lots of inputs in your mind, you can easily guess what the speaker is going to say. This never means that you should not practice listening. For listening, you can listen to cartoons or some movies that are specially made for children. Their languages are easy. Or if you are good at listening, you can listen to VOA or BBC programs every day. Again the thing to remember is being active in listening and preferably taking some notes. If you follow these pieces of advice, your speaking and writing will improve automatically, and you can be sure that with a little effort they will become perfect. 1．According to the author, which should you improve first among the four skills? A．Reading and listening. B．Reading and writing. C．Writing and speaking. D．Speaking and listening. 2．To improve your reading, when you read, you should ________. A．look up all the new words in the dictionary B．think about what you are reading actively C．spend more time studying grammar D．copy as many words and sentences as possible 3．What does the underlined word “encounter” in Paragraph 3 mean? A．Meet by accident. B．Wind up. C．Lose on purpose. D．Look for. 4．Which of the following may the author agree with? A．Everyone should listen to VOA or BBC programs every day. B．You needn’t practice listening if you keep in reading every day. C．Being good at reading is helpful in improving your listening. D．You should take notes of whatever you are hearing. Passage 3 The line from Othello — “How poor are they that have not patience!”— may have been in the mind of the Royal Shakespeare Company when it was considering how best to retain the attention of time-poor audiences this season. Yet it chose a different route — an intentional departure from tradition: one play is to be streamlined into an 80-minute production, for those who don’t have the time to sit through the full two-or three-hour version. Tamara Harvey and Daniel Evans, co-artistic directors announcing their first season of RSC programming, said this shortened show — As You Like It, to be performed in the outdoor Holloway Garden Theatre — would be ideal for tourists visiting Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare. But is it really a departure? Even as a lover of the plays in all their messy fullness, I believe there can be a refreshing focus to a short show. Some shortened Shakespeare’s — such as Simon Godwin’s Romeo and Juliet — are every bit as rich as the originals, if done well. Beyond artistic interpretation, the new format offers something practical: accessibility. The RSC’s shortened production reflects a broader vision of making theatre more convenient and varied. Tickets are cheaper, starting at £10, and As You Like It begins at 5 p. m. so visitors can catch an evening train out of Stratford. I have foolishly attempted to return to London after a first night at the RSC, only to find the last train long gone. Shakespeare himself would have approved — ever the businessman, ever the pragmatist (实用主义者), and ever alert to his audiences’ needs. The progressive — and welcome — move here is that Harvey and Evans consider the whole experience of theatregoing, not just the play in isolation. A night at the theatre can be stressful: the rushed early dinner, the endless queue for the toilet, the squeeze into seats built for small-boned Victorians, and the inevitable head blocking your view. To shorten a show is not to lessen its artistry but to make it more humane, to harmonize art with the rhythms of modern life Of course, the play’s the thing, and it is why we go to the theatre. But it’s not the only reason. Some want to enjoy the full three-hour production with not a word removed; others want to have dinner and chat afterwards, or catch the bus home without having to make a mad run for it. Within this landscape, a bite-size Shakespeare has its rightful place. 1. What is the main purpose of shortening As You Like It to an 80-minute version? A. To make the story easier for younger audiences to understand. B. To provide a convenient option for visitors with limited time. C. To experiment with new stage technology and visual effects. D. To replace the original two-or three-hour play temporarily. 2. Why does the writer mention missing the last train to London? A. To criticize the poor public transport in Stafford. B. To show that evening plays are too long for travelers. C. To highlight the need for better planning by theatre visitors. D. To illustrate how the new schedule solves a real inconvenience. 3. What is the main idea of the 4th paragraph? A. The RSC is losing artistic value by shortening plays. B. The directors resolve to simplify Shakespeare’s language. C. The audience prefers watching plays online rather than in theatres. D. The theatre experience should consider audience comfort and modern lifestyles. 4. What is the central message of the article? A. Shorter Shakespeare plays weaken artistic traditions. B. The RSC’s shortened productions balance art and practicality. C. Traditional plays are adapted into other art forms for promotion. D. Modern audiences no longer appreciate Shakespeare’s long plays. Passage 4 Scholars have long debated how and when the Renaissance began. One thing, however, that most scholars agree upon is the significance of this historical period as an evolutionary movement toward individualism in art and thought. Although there is no historical agreement on the exact time order of events leading to the Renaissance, many historians agree that visionaries of the fifteenth century had a sense of belonging to a movement far greater than themselves and so far-reaching as to supersede the artistic and literary forms of the classical era. This phenomenon produced the Renaissance, a period when art, literature, language, and philosophy found new and extraordinary interpretations in the hands of the Humanists. Humanists believed in the importance of the humanities or “human letters”. Eventually, intellectuals of this period became aware of man’s inner potential. The fourteenth century Italian poet Petrarch characterized the early stage of this movement as the New Age. In fact, it was his term, “Rinascita”, which comes from the Latin “renasci”, to be reborn, that eventually led to the term Renaissance that we use today. Petrarch believed that the end of classical antiquity and the beginning of a thousand years of darkness, which he characterized as “the Dark Ages”, came with the destruction of the Roman Empire by invasions in 476 A．D．The awakening from this period was a time of rebirth, which he distinguished as the New Age. Petrarch’s view limited the Rinascita to the comeback of Latin and Greek classics from antiquity based on translations of ancient text. Most significant was his belief that the pagans (异教徒) of antiquity were much inspired by the pursuit of arts and literature in an effort to reach the highest potential of perfection on earth. This belief led to a new sense of individualism and enlightenment that characterized the age of the Renaissance as one that was against the old beliefs that man’s earthly life was merely a function of the social order. From the fourteenth century through the early seventeenth century, this new individualism grew steadily in Western European culture with a motivation fed by man’s desire to define and evaluate the essential values between men of antiquity and the emerging modern man. Not only did artists and writers turn to classical culture for inspiration, they set new goals. They explored the relationship between ancient cultures and their own cultures, and by doing so, they discovered a new vision of human life, of man as a glorious creature capable of developing his mind and body to reach his fullest potential toward perfection. 1．The word “supersede” (in paragraph 1) most probably means ________. A．keep pace with B．make full use of C．give rise to D．take the place of 2．Which of the following shows the correct time order (from far to near) of the three periods? A．the Dark Ages, the Renaissance, the Roman Empire B．the Renaissance, the Roman Empire, the Dark Ages C．the Roman Empire, the Dark Ages, the Renaissance D．the Dark Ages, the Roman Empire, the Renaissance 3．Why is Petrarch mentioned in the passage? A．He coined the term “Renaissance”, which has been in use for over 700 years. B．His belief in personal perfection was the fundamental idea of the Renaissance. C．His prediction of the comeback of Latin and Greek classics inspired many artists. D．He translated ancient texts to Latin and Greek, leading to the start of the Renaissance. 4．What can be concluded about artists and writers during period of the Renaissance? A．They failed to realize their own fullest potential. B．They developed their own cultures from ancient ones. C．They went beyond the classics with a new individualism. D．They did nothing more than recapture the glory of the ancients. Passage 5 There exists a certain human experience that goes beyond cultures and generations— the sudden shake that runs down your spine (脊柱) when a violin reaches its highest note, or when singers’ harmony resolves perfectly. These musical chills, electrifying feelings triggered by emotionally powerful music, sometimes accompanied by visible goosebumps, represent one of the most fascinating blends between art and neurology. Recent advances in brain imaging have transformed our understanding of this phenomenon, revealing it to be a complex neurological event involving multiple brain regions. The process begins with pattern recognition in the auditory cortex (听觉皮层) , which constantly predicts where a musical phrase will lead. When a composer breaks these expectations on purpose—through an unexpected key change, or a delay in resolution— it creates what neuroscientists call “prediction error.” This surprise element triggers the nucleus accumbens (伏隔核) , the brain’s pleasure center associated with reward processing. Within milliseconds, the area releases dopamine, the same neurotransmitter involved in the pleasures of eating chocolate or falling in love. Studies show this neural activity pattern is nearly identical to that seen during other peak emotional experiences. Individual differences in musical chills provide important clues. Only about half the population reports frequent musical chills, and brain scans reveal why. These individuals possess stronger white matter connections between the auditory cortex and two key regions: one processing bodily awareness and the other involved in emotional evaluation. This enhanced neural connection creates the ability to experience more delicate emotional responses to music. The evolutionary origins of this response may come before humanity itself. Charles Darwin first noted that music shares characteristics with animal distress calls and mating songs. The physiological markers of musical chills— including goosebumps and changes in heart rate— mirror ancient fear and excitement responses. Some theorists suggest music developed as an early language that promoted social unity, with chill responses reinforcing group bonding through shared emotional peaks. Modern medicine has begun using this knowledge. Neurologists now use musical chill tests to assess lack of emotional response in depression patients, as reduced chill response connects with an inability to feel pleasure. Music therapists working with Alzheimer’s patients have documented cases where chill-arousing songs temporarily restore access to lost memories, likely through activation of the region relatively spared in early dementia (痴呆症) . The next time you feel that familiar shake during a favorite song, recognize it for what it truly is. In those chilling notes lies evidence of our incredible neural complexity, our ancient evolutionary past, and our enduring capacity for amazing experience. 1. What triggers the “prediction error” in Paragraph 2? A. The release of dopamine from the same neurotransmitter area. B. A composer’s intentional breaking of listeners’ musical expectations. C. The similarity between musical chills and other emotional experiences. D. The auditory cortex’s failure to recognize the familiar musical patterns. 2. What can we know about the evolutionary fact of musical chills? A. They were developed to distinguish between fear and excitement responses. B. They played a role in promoting social connection among early human groups. C. Their origin lay in the same biological mechanism as animal mating behaviors. D. Their physical indicators like goosebumps fade away in the process of evolution. 3. From the case of Alzheimer’s patients, we can infer that _________. A. chill-arousing music is the more effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease B. all dementia patients can fully recover lost memories through musical chills C. emotional distress in depression is caused by weakened musical chill responses D. modern medicine has begun to apply the effect of musical chills to curing diseases 4. What does the author imply in the last paragraph? A. Only music with specific notes can trigger the neural activity of chills. B. The experience of musical chills reflects multiple aspects of human nature. C. Musical chills are the most direct way to study the human brain’s complexity. D. The ability to feel musical chills is unique to humans compared with other species. 话题6 研究发现 Passage 1 Self-confidence is trusting in our abilities or qualities. It’s usually seen as a good thing. But is it possible that we might benefit from a little less confidence in our beliefs? For many years, Dr. Mark Leary, a neuroscientist at Duke University in Durham, N.C. , has studied the role of people’s beliefs in their behavior. He found overconfidence is very common, especially when it comes to what people believe to be true, and can lead us to disastrous decisions. In 1986, NASA believed that the risk of loss for any space flight was roughly 1 in 100,000. It was an overconfident belief and might have led to the explosion of the Challenger. The good news is that there’s a “vaccine (疫苗)” for overconfidence, and that’s what scientists call “intellectual humility”— recognizing that your beliefs could be wrong. A survey of 144 college students to measure their intellectual humility found that students who saw their thinking could be wrong tended to be more curious and more likely to seek out new knowledge. They ended up knowing more at the end of the day. But does it actually help you beyond that? To find out more, Dr. Tenelle Porter at Ball State University conducted a series of studies with high school students. She found that students with intellectual humility were much more likely to test themselves to see whether they really understood the material and seek out potential holes in their understanding. When they got test scores, they’d change their study strategics to improve their performance and master the material for the next test. Students who didn’t see their knowledge could be wrong might instead just sail through their studying and wouldn’t stop to ask themselves if they truly understood what they read, heard, or did. Such students thought they got a subject down pat, but when asked to explain it on a test, they found they didn’t actually understand as much as they had thought. Although it might be good for you, researchers recognize that questioning your beliefs can be truly hard. Still, it’s important to remember that questioning beliefs isn’t always about replacing old ones with new ones. If you find it hard to question a belief, try taking “baby steps.” 1. Why does the author mention the explosion of the Challenger? A. To express his sorrow for the loss. B. To stress the high risk of space flights. C. To show the result of wrong operation. D. To give an example of overconfidence. 2. What do we know about intellectual humility according to Porter’s research? A. It urged students to gain recognition. B. It encouraged students to take exams. C. It helped students to adjust learning methods. D. It motivated students to memorize knowledge. 3. What do the underlined words “got a subject down pat” mean in paragraph 5? A. Fully mastered a subject. B. Put great effort into a subject C. Really enjoyed a subject. D. Benefited a lot from a subject. 4. What will probably be discussed in the following paragraphs? A. Why questioning our belief is hard. B. Why intellectual humility is helpful. C. How to become a confident person. D. How to practice intellectual humility. Passage 2 The largest-ever study of the link between city walkability and high blood pressure has been held up as evidence of the “invisible value of urban design” in improving long-term health outcomes, say researchers. The study of around 430,000 people aged between 38 and 73 and living in 22 UK cities found significant associations between the increased walkability of a neighborhood, lower blood pressure and reduced risk of high blood pressure among its residents. The outcomes remained consistent even after adjustments for socio-demographic (社会人口统计学), lifestyle and changing physical environment factors, though the protective effects were particularly pronounced among participants aged between 50 and 60, women, and those residing in higher density and poor neighborhoods. The paper was published in the International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health this week. With high blood pressure a major risk factor for chronic (慢性的) and particularly heart diseases, researchers at the University of Hong Kong and Oxford University said the findings demonstrated the need to take notice of the health-influencing factor in urban design. “With the increasing pace of urbanization and demographic shifts towards an ageing population, we become more likely to suffer from chronic diseases,” said Dr. Chinmoy Sarkar, an assistant professor at the Healthy High Density Cities Lab of the University of Hong Kong and lead author of the study. “The action taken to improve public health must consider the invisible value of urban planning and design. “We are spending billions of pounds in preventing and curing heart diseases — if we are able to invest in creating healthy cities through small changes in the design of our neighborhoods to make them more activity-friendly and walkable, then probably, we will have significant savings in future healthcare expenses.” To measure a neighborhood’s activity-promoting potential, researchers developed a set of index of walkability containing relevant urban elements, including residential and retail (零售) density, public transport, street-level movement, and distance to attractive destinations. Poorly designed spaces generally reduced walking and physical activity, promoting the lifestyles of long time sitting down and not moving; and were harmful to social interactions, and as such associated with poorer mental and physical health. Because walkability was “based on the underlying design of the city”, said Sarkar, cities could be modified or designed to encourage it. “Such investments in healthy design are likely to bring in long-term gains as they are enduring and common.” 1．By considering “invisible value of urban design”, people can _______. A．reduce the ageing population B．slow down the pace of urbanization C．promote activity-friendly and walkable cities D．invest in preventing and curing heart diseases 2．What can be inferred from the passage? A．A set of index is essential to ensure that urban design promotes walkability. B．Walkable cities can lower blood pressure and the risk of high blood pressure. C．Chronic diseases are becoming common due to people’s neglect of their health. D．Middle-aged women living in poor areas are less likely to benefit from increased walkability. 3．All of the following are the undesirable consequences of poorly-designed neighborhoods EXCEPT _______. A．failing health B．unhealthy lifestyle C．fewer social interactions D．fewer neighborhoods 4．According to Dr. Chinmoy Sarkar, _______. A．cities should encourage the residents to engage in social interactions B．the design of our neighborhoods should meet people’s needs for retail density C．money invested in creating healthy cities is money saved in future healthcare expenses D．chronic diseases will be common because of our lifestyle and the physical environment Passage 3 Running is often tiring and a lot of hard work, but nothing beats the feeling you get after finishing a long workout around the track. But while it’s long been believed that endorphins (内啡肽) —chemicals in the body that cause happiness—are behind the so-called “runner’s high”, a study suggested that there may be more to this phenomenon than we previously knew. According to a recent study published by a group of scientists from several German universities, a group of chemicals called endocannabinoids (内源性大麻素) may actually be responsible for this familiar great feeling. To test this theory, the scientists turned to mice. Both mice and humans release high levels of endorphins and endocannabinoids after exercise. After exercising on running wheels, the mice seemed happy and relaxed and displayed no signs of anxiety. But after being given a drug to block their endorphins, the mice’s behavior didn’t seem to change. However, when their endocannabinoids were blocked with a different drug, their runners’ high symptoms seemed to fade. “The long-held notion of endorphins being responsible for the runner’s high is false. Endorphins are effective pain relievers, but only when it comes to the pain in your body and muscles you feel after working out,” Patrick Lucas Austin wrote on science blog Lifchacker. Similar studies are yet to be carried out on humans, but it’s already known that exercise is a highly effective way to get rid of stress or anxiety. The UK’s National Health Service even prescribes (开药 方) exercise to patients who are suffering from depression. “Being depressed can leave you feeling low in energy, which might put you off being more active. Regular exercise can improve your mood if you have depression, and its especially useful for people with mild to moderate (中等的) depression,” it wrote on its website. It seems like nothing can beat that feeling we get after a good workout, even if we don’t fully understand where it comes from. At least if we’re feeling down, we know that all we have to do is to put on our running shoes. 1. What did scientists from German universities recently discover? A. Working out is a highly effective way to treat depression. B. The runner’s high could be caused by endocannabinoids. C. Endorphins may contribute to one’s high spirits after running. D. The level of endorphins and endocannabinoids could affect one’s mood. 2. Why did the scientists give mice drugs in their experiment? A. To find what reduces the runner’s high symptoms. B. To see the specific symptoms of the runner’s high. C. To identify what is responsible for the runner’s high. D. To test what influences the level of endocannabinoids released. 3. What does the underlined word “notion” mean? A. Effect. B. Goal. C. Opinion. D. Question 4. What can we know about regular workouts according to the UK’s National Health Service? A. They can help ease depression symptoms. B. They are the best way to treat depression. C. They only work for those with serious depression. D. They can help people completely recover from depression. Passage 4 Beauty sleep is a real thing, researches have shown that people who have enough sleep look more attractive (有魅力的) to others. A few bad nights is enough to make a person look“ especially” more ugly, their sleep experiments show. The researchers asked 25 university students to join in their sleep experiment. They were asked to get a good night’s sleep for two nights. A week later, they were asked to sleep for only four hours every night for two nights in a row. The researchers took make-up free (素颜) photos of the volunteers after both the good and the bad sleep. Next, they asked 122 strangers to have a look at the photos and judge them on attractiveness, health, and sleepiness, as well as asking them: “How much would you like to make friends with this person in the picture?” The strangers were good at judging if the person they were looking at was tired, and, if they were sleepy, their attractiveness score was low. The strangers also said they wouldn’t want to socialize with the tired students. The researchers say this is natural for people. An unhealthy-looking face makes people run away. In other words people don’t want to hang around with people who might be ill. Dr. Brewer, an expert at the University of Liverpool said “Judgement of attractiveness is often unconscious, but we all do it, and we are able to judge on even something small like whether someone looks tired or unhealthy. This study is a good reminder of how important sleep is to us.” 1. When did the researchers take make-up free photos? A. After two nights’ good sleep. B. After two nights’ bad sleep. C. Before the experiment. D. After both two nights’ good sleep and two nights’ bad sleep. 2. The researchers asked the strangers to do the following except_______. A. telling who looked healthier B. telling who didn’t have many friends C. telling who missed a lot of sleep D. telling who was attractive 3. What kind of friends did the strangers like to make? A. The people who were tired. B. The people who were sleepy. C. The people who were unhealthy. D. The people who were attractive and energetic. 4. According to the passage, which of the following is the best title? A. Beauty sleep, More attractive. B. More sleep, More Friends. C. Less sleep, Fewer friends. D. No attractiveness, No friends. Passage 5 In the quest for radiant and youthful skin, many people turn to cosmetic products and treatments. However, nature provides us with a bounty of ingredients that can work wonders for our skin without the need for harsh chemicals or invasive procedures. Incorporating food-based ingredients into your skincare routine can be a delicious and effective way to nourish and pamper your skin. Milk is not just a staple in our diets; it also has skincare benefits. Rich in proteins and lipids (油脂), milk helps the skin retain water, keeping it moist and supple, if drunk regularly. However, you can’s add milk into homemade face masks for a hydrating boost, because it might cause skin allergy (过敏) due to the rich nutrition which can’t be absorbed by skin. Olive oil, a Mediterranean staple, is not only great for cooking but also for moisturizing the skin, making the it silky and smooth. While olive oil is an excellent moisturizer, it’s best to use products containing olive oil on the arms and legs rather than the face to avoid clogging pores. Grapes are not only a delicious snack but also a mild source of antioxidants, providing anti-aging protection by combating free radicals (自由基) which can cause damage to the skin. Adding grapes to your diet or skincare routine can help promote a more youthful complexion. Papaya, thanks to its enzyme papain, can help to dissolve pore-blocking debris and slough off dead skin cells, revealing a smoother and brighter complexion. However, individuals with sensitive skin or a papaya allergy should proceed with caution. Strawberries are not just sweet and juicy; they can also help calm redness. The antioxidants in strawberries work to even out skin tone and improve the overall texture of the skin, making it appear more uniform and clear. However, individuals with berry allergies should steer clear of strawberry-based products. Honey helps to lock in moisture and alleviate dry patches, leaving the skin soft and hydrated. However, those with acne-prone skin should use honey-based products sparingly, as they may be too rich and potentially pore-clogging. Therefore, use honey in moderation and choose products with lighter formulas. Tangerines are packed with fruit acids that help exfoliate (去屑) the skin, promoting a smoother and more radiant complexion. Skincare products containing citrus ingredients can help slough off dead skin cells and reveal a fresh layer of skin underneath. Incorporating these food-based ingredients into your skincare routine can provide numerous benefits for your skin, from hydration and exfoliation to antioxidant protection and anti-aging benefits. By harnessing the power of nature’s bounty, you can achieve healthy, glowing skin without the need for harsh chemicals or invasive treatments. So next time you’re in the kitchen, consider reaching for these natural ingredients to nourish and pamper your skin from the inside out. Your skin will thank you for it! 1．To keep skin moist, we can resort to some natural products except __________. A．milk B．olive oil C．honey D．tangerine 2．For an berry-allergic old lady with sensitive skin condition, you’d better recommend __________ to be involved in her diet and daily skincare to help her preserve youth. A．milk B．papaya C．grapes D．strawberries 3．The passage can probably be targeted at ____________________. A．owners of fruit shops who wants to promote sales B．customers in supermarket who are searching for fruits C．women who wants to become beautiful and healthy D．chefs who are particular about food ingredients 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $考前押题03 阅读理解说明文常考话题 话题1 社会生活 话题4 社会生活 话题2 环境保护 话题5 文学艺术 话题3 身心健康 话题6 研究发现 1 / 1 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 话题1 社会生活 Passage 1 Hollywood writers scored a major victory last month in their battle over how artificial intelligence can be used in future film and television projects. Experts say the contract guidelines between the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) could offer a model for workers in Hollywood and other industries. The writers’ contract does not outlaw the use of AI tools in the writing process, but it sets up protections to make sure the technology stays in the control of workers, rather than being used by their bosses to replace them. The new rules guard against several occasions that writers had feared, comedian Adam Conover, a member of the WGA negotiating committee, said. One such situation was studios being allowed to generate a full script using AI and then demanding that a human writer complete the writing process. Under the new terms, studios “cannot use AI to write scripts or to edit scripts that have already been written by a writer”, Conover said. The contract also prevents studios from treating AI-generated content as “source material”, like a novel or a play that screenwriters could be assigned to adapt for a lower fee and less credit than an original script. For instance, if the studios were allowed to use Chat GPT to generate a 100,000-word novel and then ask writers to adapt it, “That would be a loophole (漏洞) for them to reduce the wages of screenwriters,” he said. “We’re not allowing that.” If writers adapt output from large language models, it will still be considered an original screenplay, he added. Simon Johnson, an economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who studies technological transformation,called the new terms a “fantastic win for writers” and said it would likely result in “better quality work and a stronger industry for longer”. The union win on AI is also not a loss for the studios, he noted, since they “will get a better product from this arrangement” than they might have otherwise. 1. What does the new contract between WGA and AMPTP say about the use of AI tools? A. They are completely banned from the writing process. B. They can be used but must stay under writers’ control. C. They are encouraged to replace human writers in studios. D. They can be used only for editing finished screenplays. 2. According to the new rules,which of the following practices is disallowed ? A. Using AI to finish or revise a script written by a human writer. B. Asking writers to polish scripts originally written by others. C. Letting writers adapt plays or novels into new screenplays. D. Preventing writers from using AI tools for brainstorming ideas. 3. It can be inferred that the writers view AI technology mainly as ________. A. a tool that can improve efficiency if allowed B. a long-term issue that needs further negotiation C. a necessary evil that would eventually be accepted D. a threat that requires immediate restrictions 4. Why does Simon Johnson think highly of the new rules? A. The entertainment industry is forced to focus on writers’ welfare. B. They ensure greater job stability and fairer treatment for writers. C. The adoption of AI tools saves time and lowers the studios’ cost. D. They secure writers’ rights and support a more sustainable industry. 【答案】1. B 2. A 3. D 4. D 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。主要介绍了美国编剧工会（WGA）和美国电影电视制片人联盟（AMPTP）之间合同条款的相关内容，包括对人工智能工具使用的规定、新规则禁止的行为以及专家对新规则的评价等。 【1题详解】 细节理解题。根据第二段中“The writers’ contract does not outlaw the use of AI tools in the writing process, but it sets up protections to make sure the technology stays in the control of workers, rather than being used by their bosses to replace them.（编剧合同并没有禁止在写作过程中使用人工智能工具，但它设立了保护措施，以确保这项技术掌握在工人手中，而不是被老板用来取代他们。）”可知，人工智能工具可以被使用，但必须处于编剧的控制之下。故选B项。 【2题详解】 细节理解题。根据第四段中“Under the new terms, studios “cannot use AI to write scripts or to edit scripts that have already been written by a writer”, Conover said.（Conover说，根据新条款，电影公司“不能使用人工智能编写剧本，也不能编辑已经由编剧写好的剧本”。）”可知，根据新规定，使用人工智能完成或修改人类编剧编写的剧本是不被允许的。故选A项。 【3题详解】 推理判断题。根据第二段中“The writers’ contract does not outlaw the use of AI tools in the writing process, but it sets up protections to make sure the technology stays in the control of workers, rather than being used by their bosses to replace them.（编剧合同并没有禁止在写作过程中使用人工智能工具，但它设立了保护措施，以确保这项技术掌握在工人手中，而不是被老板用来取代他们。）”和第三段“The new rules guard against several occasions that writers had feared, comedian Adam Conover, a member of the WGA negotiating committee, said. One such situation was studios being allowed to generate a full script using AI and then demanding that a human writer complete the writing process.（美国编剧工会谈判委员会成员、喜剧演员Adam Conover表示，新规定防止了编剧们担心的几种情况。其中一种情况是，允许制片厂使用人工智能生成完整的剧本，然后要求人类编剧完成写作过程。）”以及第五段“For instance, if the studios were allowed to use Chat GPT to generate a 100,000-word novel and then ask writers to adapt it, “That would be a loophole (漏洞) for them to reduce the wages of screenwriters,” he said. “We’re not allowing that.”（例如，如果允许制片厂使用Chat GPT生成一部10万字的小说，然后要求编剧改编，“这将是他们降低编剧工资的一个漏洞，”他说。“我们不允许这样。”）”可知，编剧们担心人工智能被雇主用来取代自己或压榨劳动价值，因此将其视为需要立即限制的威胁。故选D项。 【4题详解】 细节理解题。根据最后一段“Simon Johnson, an economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who studies technological transformation, called the new terms a “fantastic win for writers” and said it would likely result in “better quality work and a stronger industry for longer”. The union win on AI is also not a loss for the studios, he noted, since they “will get a better product from this arrangement” than they might have otherwise.（麻省理工学院研究技术转型的经济学家Simon Johnson称这些新条款是“编剧的巨大胜利”，并表示这可能会带来“更优质的工作，让行业更强大、更持久”。他指出，工会在人工智能方面的胜利对制片厂来说也不是损失，因为他们“从这个安排中得到的产品”会比其他方式得到的更好。）”可知，Simon Johnson高度评价新规则是因为它们保障了编剧的权利，支持了行业更可持续的发展。故选D项。 Passage 2 As the Northern Hemisphere ushers in the new season, a contagious (有感染力的) urge to dust off cobwebs and toss out clutter emerges. Spring cleaning, a deep cleanse of one’s home, is a tradition rooted in societies worldwide, with its origin traced back to ancient times. It also holds symbolic significance. Viewed as a fresh start, the tradition symbolizes the transition from the dormant winter season to the vibrant growth of spring. By purging (清除) the home of accumulated debris and organizing its contents, individuals create a cleaner living environment and a sense of mental clarity and freshness. “With each sweep of the broom and polish of the surface, we honor a tradition that transcends time, uniting us with generations past in a shared pursuit of renewal and rejuvenation (恢复活力),” says Danielle Patten, director of creative programs and collections at the Museum of the Home in London. Human behavior is greatly influenced by the cycles of nature. In the colder months, we have less energy to spare for chores such as deep cleaning. We’re not being lazy; limited daylight triggers the hormone melatonin (褪黑素), which makes us sleepy. “Melatonin causes us to feel less inclined to refresh our space. When the seasons start to shift, feelings of sluggishness reduce, and we regain energy and feel inspired to deep clean our living environments,” says author and psychotherapist Eloise Skinner. “When we refresh our environments, we can feel a sense of new beginning, or a renewed sense of drive and ambition.” Studies have also shown that cleaning can be therapeutic, as seen by the new generation of “cleanfluencers” taking social media by storm. Millions of people watch them scour filthy homes and share cleaning hacks. “When we’re cleaning, we often have to be present to the task at hand, and this can bring us into the present moment, causing us to feel more aware, engaged and observant. The repetitive nature can also be soothing,” Skinner says. Before the Chinese New Year, it’s common to cleanse the home of bad luck and misfortune in China. Known as “sweeping the dust,” cleaning makes way for the new year’s good luck and prosperity, says Patten. While the concept of spring cleaning predates modern technology, advancements such as electricity and household appliances have influenced its practice. For example, before electric lights, people relied on fire from burning coal, oil, and wood to light and heat homes, which would leave behind a substantial amount of soot (煤灰). Windows were kept securely closed to prevent a deadly draft from entering. Come spring, it was pragmatic to open the windows to air out stuffy homes, remove grime, and repair any damages that occurred during the winter months. Inventions such as vacuum cleaners, washing machines, and cleaning agents have made the process more efficient and convenient, allowing for deeper and more thorough cleaning of living spaces. 1．What does the word “sluggishness” in paragraph 5 most likely mean? A．Excitement. B．Tiredness. C．Determination. D．Activity. 2．What does the passage imply about the link between cleaning and mental well-being? A．Cleaning rituals are more effective than professional therapy for reducing stress. B．The repetitive nature of cleaning can promote mindfulness and engagement. C．People who deep clean are less likely to experience seasonal affective disorder. D．Social media “cleanfluencers” rely on mental health studies to increase their followers. 3．What can be inferred about the evolution of spring cleaning from the passage? A．The practice became widespread due to advancements in household appliances. B．The invention of electric lights eliminated the need for spring cleaning. C．Modern cleaning techniques have completely replaced traditional customs. D．The symbolic meaning of spring cleaning has diminished over time. 4．What is the author’s primary purpose of writing this passage? A．To encourage readers to adopt spring cleaning habits. B．To provide a historical and cultural perspective on spring cleaning. C．To compare traditional and modern spring cleaning practices. D．To explore how spring cleaning can benefit mental health. 【答案】1．B 2．B 3．A 4．B 【导语】这是一篇明文。短文主要从历史、文化以及对人心理影响等方面介绍春季大扫除这一传统习俗，阐述其象征意义，分析人类行为受自然周期影响与春季大扫除的关联，探讨清洁对心理健康的益处，还提及现代科技对春季大扫除方式的影响。 1．词句猜测题。根据第五段“Melatonin causes us to feel less inclined to refresh our space. When the seasons start to shift, feelings of sluggishness reduce, and we regain energy and feel inspired to deep clean our living environments (褪黑素会让我们不太想整理我们的空间。当季节开始变化时，____感会减轻，我们会恢复精力，并受到启发去深度清洁我们的生活环境）”可知，褪黑素使人不想打扫，季节变化，这种感觉减轻后人们才恢复精力打扫，所以“sluggishness”应与精力不足、疲惫有关。故选B项。 2．推理判断题。根据第六段“When we’re cleaning, we often have to be present to the task at hand, and this can bring us into the present moment, causing us to feel more aware, engaged and observant. The repetitive nature can also be soothing (当我们清洁时，我们常常必须专注于手头的任务，这能让我们活在当下，使我们感觉更警觉、投入和善于观察。清洁的重复性也能起到舒缓作用）”可知，清洁的重复性可以促进专注和投入，对心理健康有益。故选B项。 3．推理判断题。根据倒数第二段“While the concept of spring cleaning predates modern technology, advancements such as electricity and household appliances have influenced its practice. (尽管春季大扫除这一概念早于现代科技出现，但诸如电力和家用电器等方面的进步已经对大扫除的具体实施产生了影响。”以及最后一段“Inventions such as vacuum cleaners, washing machines, and cleaning agents have made the process more efficient and convenient, allowing for deeper and more thorough cleaning of living spaces. (吸尘器、洗衣机和清洁剂等发明使这个过程更加高效和方便，能够对生活空间进行更深入、更彻底的清洁。)”可知，家用电器的进步使春季大扫除变得更高效便捷，从而使这一做法更广泛传播。故选A项。 4．推理判断题。文章开篇介绍春季大扫除是全球范围内的传统，可追溯到古代，接着阐述其象征意义，还提到自然周期对人类清洁行为的影响、清洁对心理健康的益处以及现代科技对春季大扫除的影响，从历史和文化等多个角度对春季大扫除进行介绍。所以短文的目的是提供关于春季大扫除的历史和文化视角。故选B项。 Passage 3 To say that the child learns by imitation and that the way to teach is to set a good example seems oversimplified. No child imitates every action he sees. Sometimes, the example the parent wants him to follow is ignored while he takes over contrary patterns from some other example. Therefore, we must turn to a more subtle theory than “Monkey see, monkey do”. Look at it from the child’s point of view. Here he is in a new situation, lacking a ready response. He is seeking a response which will gain certain ends. If he lacks a ready response for the situation, and cannot reason out what to do, he observes a model who seems able to get the right result. The child looks for an authority or expert who can show what to do. There is a second element at work in this situation. The child may be able to achieve his immediate goal only to find that his method brings criticism from people who observe him. When shouting across the house achieves his immediate end of delivering a message, he is told emphatically that such a screaming is unpleasant, that he should walk into the next room and say his say quietly. Thus, the desire to solve any objective situation is overlaid with the desire to solve it properly. One of the early things the child learns is that he gets more affection and approval when his parents like his response. Then other adults award some actions and criticize others. If one is to maintain the support of others and his own self-respect, he must adopt responses his social group approves. In finding trial responses, the learner does not choose models at random. He imitates the person who seems a good person to be like, rather than a person whose social status he wished to avoid. If the pupil wants to be good violinist, he will observe and try to copy the techniques of capable players. Admiration of one quality often leads us to admire a person as a whole, and he becomes an identifying figure. We use some people as models over a wide range of situations, imitating much that they do. We learn that they are dependable and rewarding models because imitating them leads to success. 1．According to the passage, to teach a child to learn something, parents should ________. A．view from the child’s perspective B．simplify each action shown to the child C．follow the theory of imitation D．set a good example for the child to copy 2．Which of the following situation will lead a child to seek for a model? A．The child comes up with a solution to an issue. B．The child is blamed by parents for his/her wrongdoing. C．The child encounters a professional who can get the right result. D．The child is in trouble and cannot figure out an approach. 3．It can be inferred that children usually imitate people ________. A．whose talent and skill are extraordinary B．whose actions are consistent with theirs C．whom they want to be shaped into D．who enjoy a high social status 4．What is the passage mainly about? A．The reason for parenting by imitation. B．The factors determining children’s imitation. C．The significance of learning by imitation. D．The way children choose models. 【答案】1．A 2．D 3．C 4．B 【导语】本文是一篇议论文。主要探讨儿童模仿学习的复杂性，分析儿童寻求模仿对象的场景、选择模仿对象的依据及社会评价对其模仿行为的影响。 1．细节理解题。根据第二段中的“Look at it from the child’s point of view. Here he is in a new situation, lacking a ready response. He is seeking a response which will gain certain ends. If he lacks a ready response for the situation, and cannot reason out what to do, he observes a model who seems able to get the right result. The child looks for an authority or expert who can show what to do.(从孩子的角度来看。他处于一个新的情境中，没有现成的应对方法。他在寻求一种能达到特定目的的应对方式。如果他对这种情境没有现成的应对方法，也无法推理出该做什么，他就会观察一个似乎能得到正确结果的榜样。孩子会寻找一个能指导他该做什么的权威人士或专家。)”可知，要教孩子学习，家长应从孩子的角度出发，理解其在新情境中对榜样的需求，而非单纯设定榜样。故选A项。 2．细节理解题。根据第二段中的“Here he is in a new situation, lacking a ready response. He is seeking a response which will gain certain ends. If he lacks a ready response for the situation, and cannot reason out what to do, he observes a model who seems able to get the right result.(他处于一个新的情境中，没有现成的应对方法。他在寻求一种能达到特定目的的应对方式。如果他对这种情境没有现成的应对方法，也无法推理出该做什么，他就会观察一个似乎能得到正确结果的榜样。)”可知，当孩子陷入困境且无法想出解决方法时，会寻求榜样。故选D项。 3．推理判断题。根据第四段中的“He imitates the person who seems a good person to be like, rather than a person whose social status he wished to avoid. If the pupil wants to be good violinist, he will observe and try to copy the techniques of capable players.(他会模仿那些看起来值得成为的人，而不是那些他希望避免拥有其社会地位的人。如果一个学生想成为一名优秀的小提琴手，他会观察并努力模仿有能力的演奏者的技巧。)”可知，儿童通常模仿那些他们希望成为的人。故选C项。 4．主旨大意题。根据第一段指出“儿童模仿并非简单的‘有样学样’”，第二段分析“儿童在无应对方法时会寻求榜样”，第三段说明“社会评价会影响儿童的模仿行为”，第四、五段阐述“儿童会选择值得成为的人作为模仿对象”，结合全文内容可知，文章围绕“决定儿童模仿行为的多种因素”展开。故选B项。 Passage 4 Microplastics (塑料微粒) are found everywhere from the top of mountains to the ocean deep — even inside people. Microplastics are tiny. But they pose a big pollution problem. These tiny bits of trash are 5 millimeters or smaller. Some are made that small. For instance, the tiny beads in some toothpastes and face washes are microplastics. But many microplastics are debris (碎片) from larger plastic pieces that have broken down. Microplastics travel far on winds and ocean currents. They’ve ended up everywhere from mountaintops to Arctic ice. Microplastics are so widespread that many animals end up eating them. Plastic bits have turned up in birds, fish, whales, corals and many other creatures. Microplastics are found inside people, too. Americans are thought to consume some 70,000 microplastic pieces each year. People might take in plastic particles floating through the air. Or they may eat fish or other animals that contain microplastics — or drink water polluted with this trash. Microplastics can then pass from the lungs or get into the bloodstream. This pollution may prevent their growth or cause other harms. Researchers do not yet know the health risks of being exposed to (接触) so much microplastic. But they are worried. Why? Plastics are made of many different chemicals. Some of these are known to bring health risks to people. Engineers are coming up with solutions to the microplastic problem. Some are working on new ways to break down plastics in the environment. Others are devising more environmentally friendly materials to use instead of plastic. But to decrease microplastic pollution to the most extent, we should use less plastic. 1．What does the underlined word “pose” in paragraph 1 mean? A．Prevent. B．Allow. C．Cause. D．Destroy. 2．What is the third paragraph mainly about? A．Whether microplastics do harm to creatures. B．How microplastics can travel to the ocean. C．Why creatures are harmed by microplastics. D．Where microplastics are most easily found. 3．Why are researchers worried about being exposed to microplastics? A．They can travel deep into ocean. B．They are too small for us to see. C．Their impacts on health are still unknown. D．They bring health risks to people. 4．What is the most effective way to fight microplastic pollution? A．Using less plastic. B．Using less chemicals. C．Breaking down plastic. D．Looking for new materials. 【答案】1．C 2．C 3．D 4.A 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要讲述了塑料微粒的来源、传播途径及其对动植物和人类健康的危害。 1．词义猜测题。根据第一段中“Microplastics (塑料微粒) are found everywhere from the top of mountains to the ocean deep—even inside people. (微塑料随处可见，从山顶到海洋深处——甚至在人体内)”及“a big pollution problem (大的污染问题)”可知，微塑料造成了巨大的污染。由此猜测“pose”在此处表达“造成”的意思，与C选项含义相近，即微塑料带来了很大的污染问题。故选C。 2．主旨大意题。根据第三段中“Microplastics travel far on winds and ocean currents. They’ve ended up everywhere from mountaintops to Arctic ice. (微塑料随着风和洋流飘得很远。从山顶到北极冰面，它们无处不在)”及“This pollution may prevent their growth or cause other harms. (这种污染可能会阻止它们的生长或造成其他危害)”可知，主要描述了微塑料在环境中的传播，导致其被不同生物误食，即为什么生物会受到微塑料的伤害。故选C。 3．细节理解题。根据第四段中“But they are worried. Why? Plastics are made of many different chemicals. Some of these are known to bring health risks to people. (但是他们很担心。为什么？塑料是由许多不同的化学物质制成的。其中一些已知会给人们带来健康风险)”可知，研究人员感到担忧是因为微塑料给人们带来健康风险。故选D。 4．细节理解题。根据最后一段中“But to decrease microplastic pollution to the most extent, we should use less plastic. (但是为了最大程度地减少微塑料污染，我们应该少用塑料)”可知，最有效的减少微塑料污染的方法是减少塑料的使用。故选A。 Passage 5 The clothes we choose to wear serve as an access to our cultural heritage, societal standing, and personal inclinations. Let us embark on a captivating journey through the myriad (迷宫) of clothing across various cultures. In Western realms, a leisure attitude towards attire dominates daily life. Informal ensembles (全套服装) featuring jeans, T-shirts, and sneakers reign supreme, embodying a principal of comfort and ease. The blend of casual and laid-back styles in Western fashion reflects a society that values practicality and self-expression. This approach to clothing allows individuals to effortlessly stay in comfort with personal style, creating a harmonious balance between ease and individuality in their everyday wardrobes. Conversely, traditional attire in Asian emphasizes formality and conservatism. For instance, in Japan, where the ceremonial kimonos dominate special events or festivities, featuring intricate designs and vibrant hues, a rich cultural legacy woven into the fabric. India’s sarees mirror a vibrant mosaic influenced by regional traditions and ceremonial customs. The timeless elegance of sarees draping women in a swath of fabric represents a tapestry of colors and patterns that narrate stories of female individuality hidden under the nationwide cover. In some Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia, women gracefully envelop themselves in abayas, long black robes that enshroud their forms entirely. This strict dress code, steeped in the rules of religious faith and cultural morals, conveys values of female modesty and respect for males. Traditional attire for Middle Eastern men includes garments such as thobes or dishdashas, which are long, loose-fitting robes typically worn with a head covering. These garments are not only practical for the region’s climate but also reflect the wearer’s background, social status, and personal preferences. Across diverse African residences, clothing emerges as a canvas for expressing cultural underpinnings and heritage. The vibrant hues and intricate patterns decorating traditional garments like dashiki s or kaftans resonate with the boundless creativity and diversity inherent in African cultures. In native communities, attire transcends its utilitarian purpose, emerging as a channel to nature and spirituality. At its essence, clothing transcends me re fabric and stitches; it embodies our cultural ethos, traditions, and identities. Delving into the diverse sartorial landscapes across cultures enables us to embrace and celebrate the tapestry of our shared global community in all its richness and diversity. 1．What account for Westerners’ leisure attitude towards dressing? A．respect for authority and formality B．justification of staying different C．pressure from busy daily routines D．emphasis of practicality and personality 2．How do traditional garments like kimonos and sarees reflect the cultural values of Asian countries? A．They reflect traditionalism and hidden individuality B．They reveal the challenge to expression of personality C．They show the denial female charm on a social scale D．They represent the refusal of sticking to formality 3．What’s the difference in dress code for women and men in Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia? A．Women wear long clothes for warmth while men do this to protect against sunshine B．Women wear loose clothes for the sake of comfortableness while men seldom do this C．Women cover themselves to show humility while men do this to show status D．Women envelop themselves to stay elegant while men do this to be handsome 4．Which of the following piece of clothes best represents a typical African one? A． B． C． D． 【答案】1．D 2．A 3．C 4．B 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了不同国家的传统服饰以及其背后所蕴含的文化价值。 1．推理判断题。根据第二段中的“The blend of casual and laid-back styles in Western fashion reflects a society that values practicality and self-expression.(西方时尚中休闲与随意风格的融合，反映了一个重视实用性和自我表达的社会)”可知，西方人对穿着的休闲态度是因为强调实用性和个性。故选D。 2．细节理解题。根据第三段中的“Conversely, traditional attire in Asian emphasizes formality and conservatism...The timeless elegance of sarees draping women in a swath of fabric represents a tapestry of colors and patterns that narrate stories of female individuality hidden under the nationwide cover(相反，亚洲的传统服饰强调正式和保守。……纱丽将女性裹在一大片织物上，这种永恒的优雅代表了一幅色彩和图案的挂毯，讲述了隐藏在全国范围内的女性个性故事。)”可知，像和服和莎丽这样的传统服装反映了亚洲国家的传统主义和隐藏的个性。故选A。 3．推理判断题。根据第四段中的“In some Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia, women gracefully envelop themselves in abayas, long black robes that enshroud their forms entirely. This strict dress code, steeped in the rules of religious faith and cultural morals, conveys values of female modesty and respect for males. Traditional attire for Middle Eastern men includes garments such as thobes or dishdashas, which are long, loose-fitting robes typically worn with a head covering. These garments are not only practical for the region’s climate but also reflect the wearer’s background, social status, and personal preferences(在一些中东国家，如沙特阿拉伯，女性优雅地身着长袍，这种黑色的长袍完全包裹着她们的身体。这种严格的着装规定深受宗教信仰和文化道德的影响，传达了女性的谦逊和对男性的尊重。中东男性的传统服饰包括长袍或迪什达沙，这是一种长而宽松的袍子，通常搭配头巾。这些服装不仅适合该地区的气候，还反映了穿着者的背景、社会地位和个人喜好)”可知，在沙特阿拉伯等中东国家，女性和男性的着装规范的不同之处在于：女性为了表示谦卑而遮盖自己，而男性则是为了显示地位。故选C。 4．推理判断题。根据倒数第二段中的“Across diverse African residences, clothing emerges as a canvas for expressing cultural underpinnings and heritage. The vibrant hues and intricate patterns decorating traditional garments like dashiki s or kaftans resonate with the boundless creativity and diversity inherent in African cultures(在非洲各地的住宅中，服装成为表达文化基础和遗产的画布。装饰传统服装如达西基裙或长袍的鲜艳色彩和复杂图案，与非洲文化中固有的无限创造力和多样性产生共鸣)”可知，非洲的传统服饰色彩鲜艳，图案复杂，因此选项B最能代表典型的非洲服饰。故选B。 话题2 环境保护 Passage 1 As explorers of the wild, penguins often wander around. Normally, these ice-cold explorations are pretty short-lived. But one emperor penguin, now named Gus, alone and hungry, recently landed on a beach in Australia, more than 2,000 miles away from its native Antarctica. In the bird world, rare migrations such as these are referred to as vagrancies (流浪), says Casey Youngflesh, an associate professor at Clemson University. Living in the coldest place on Earth, emperor penguins, which can grow up to 45 inches tall and live between 15 and 20 years, typically live in groups with populations that can range from a few hundred to thousands of members. But even large population isn’t a guarantee of survival, and penguins survived due to several unique adaptations. Thick feathers protect penguins from Antarctica’s cold temperatures and high winds, and substantial (大量的) fat stores allow them to survive with little or no food for long periods. These animals are also remarkable swimmers, capable of diving to depths of over 450 meters. These characteristics could certainly have helped this male penguin make the journey to Australia, says Youngflesh. Determining what exactly caused the penguin to end up in Australia is another matter, as some experts suggest that he could have been blown off course by a storm and gotten lost or had some of its other navigational senses disturbed in some way. Despite how infrequently penguins land on Australia, Gus’s case may indicate how quickly the Antarctic environment is changing and how local species are affected. Emperor penguins, for example, depend on stable sea ice to reproduce, but as climate change increasingly causes ice shelves to melt, the species is expected to undergo rapid population decline in the next few decades. Vast environmental changes and less food sources mean that some animals must search farther for food and shelter than they otherwise would. To that end, while this unusual event isn’t currently indication of a larger pattern, experts should take note as animal vagrancy can expand in the future, says Youngflesh. 1．What can we learn about emperor penguins? A．They rarely explore the wild. B．They tend to live in communities. C．They migrate to Australia for food. D．They live longer than other animals. 2．Which feature enabled Gus to survive during the journey? A．Its waterproof feathers. B．Its considerable fat stores. C．Its disturbed navigational senses. D．Its adaptation to animal vagrancy. 3．What can we infer from the last paragraph? A．Animal vagrancies are likely to increase in frequency. B．A large pattern of penguins wandering alone is formed. C．Environmental changes may speed penguins’ extinction. D．Human interference is needed to bring this penguin back. 4．What is the main idea of the text? A．The climate change intensifies in Antarctica B．A penguin successfully survived the elements C．A male penguin ended up on distant Australia D．Animal vagrancy draws attention from experts 【答案】1．B 2．B 3．A 4．C 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要讲述了一只雄性帝企鹅意外出现在澳大利亚，引发对动物流浪和南极环境变化的关注。 1．细节理解题。由文章第二段中“Living in the coldest place on Earth, emperor penguins, which can grow up to 45 inches tall and live between 15 and 20 years, typically live in groups with populations that can range from a few hundred to thousands of members. (帝企鹅生活在地球上最寒冷的地方，可以长到45英寸高，寿命在15到20年之间，通常生活在几百到几千只的群体中。)”可知，帝企鹅倾向于群居。故选B。 2．细节理解题。由文章第三段中“Thick feathers protect penguins from Antarctica’s cold temperatures and high winds, and substantial (大量的) fat stores allow them to survive with little or no food for long periods. These animals are also remarkable swimmers, capable of diving to depths of over 450 meters. These characteristics could certainly have helped this male penguin make the journey to Australia, says Youngflesh. (厚厚的羽毛保护企鹅免受南极的低温和大风的影响，大量的脂肪储存使它们能够在很少或没有食物的情况下长时间生存。这些动物也是了不起的游泳者，能够潜水到450米深的地方。“这些特征肯定有助于这只雄性企鹅来到澳大利亚，”Youngflesh说。)”可知，使Gus在旅途中存活下来的特征是它体内大量的脂肪储备。故选B。 3．推理判断题。由文章最后一段中“To that end, while this unusual event isn’t currently indication of a larger pattern, experts should take note as animal vagrancy can expand in the future, says Youngflesh. (为此，Youngflesh说，虽然这一不寻常的事件目前还没有表明一个更大的模式，但专家们应该注意到，因为动物流浪在未来可能会扩大。)”可知，动物流浪的频率可能会增加。故选A。 4．主旨大意题。通读全文，尤其是由文章第一段中“As explorers of the wild, penguins often wander around. Normally, these ice-cold explorations are pretty short-lived. But one emperor penguin, now named Gus, alone and hungry, recently landed on a beach in Australia, more than 2,000 miles away from its native Antarctica. (作为野外探险家，企鹅经常四处游荡。通常，这些冰冷的探索是相当短暂的。但最近，一只名叫Gus的帝企鹅独自一只饥饿地降落在澳大利亚的一个海滩上，距离它的家乡南极洲2000多英里。)”可知，文章主要讲述了一只名叫Gus的雄性帝企鹅独自出现在遥远的澳大利亚。故选C。 Passage 2 Zimbabwe is experiencing its worst drought in years, with little rain and bad weather patterns affecting wildlife and attractions across the country and worsening livelihoods. Victoria Falls, which draws about one million tourists per year, has been reduced to a trickle (细流) in parts. While the falls typically slow down during the dry season between September and December, officials say this year has brought an unexpected decline in water levels. The situation is creating more causes for concern that climate change could kill one of the region’s largest tourist attractions. However, despite the present state of the falls, Ilala Lodge — an accommodation provider located minutes away from Victoria Falls — says that even during low water flow periods, Victoria Falls is still “an impressive natural phenomenon”. Officials say this year’s drought season is much drier and hotter than usual. As a result, the country’s national parks, which depend heavily on tourism, and wildlife across the country are suffering. “We’ve seen some pretty bad ones,” David Macfarland of Mwinilunga Safaris says. “When you see animals walking along — elephants, for example — and they just collapse (倒下) on their legs, they don’t even roll over. They just collapse and die — it’s very emotionally moving.” More than 200 elephants have died over the last two months due to a lack of water at the country’s main conservation (保护) zones in Mana Pools and Hwange National Park. Parks and wildlife authority spokesperson Tinashe Farawo says that the operation to move the animals from Savé Valley Conservancy to three other reserves in the north of the country will begin during the rainy season. Furthermore, the country’s population faces a food crisis, with 5.5 million people facing food insecurity. In urban areas, about 2.2 million people are food-insecure and lack access to minimal public services, including health and safe water. 1．What happens in Zimbabwe this year? A．Local tourism is booming. B．More people are being lifted out of poverty. C．Dry weather is causing a series of bad effects. D．Poor rains are leading to the extinction of wildlife. 2．What does Ilala Lodge think of Victoria Falls? A．It is still attractive to tourists. B．It will become a tourist attraction. C．It needs to be protected by people. D．It will disappear due to climate change. 3．What is the main idea of paragraph 3? A．The officials’ attitudes to tourism. B．The reasons for the lack of water. C．The impact of drought on animals. D．The ways to save endangered elephants. 4．Which of the following shows the structure of the whole text? A． B． C． D． 【答案】1．B 2．C 3．B 4.C 【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章主要讲的是津巴布韦正面临的旱灾对旅游景点、野生动物和人们生计的影响。 1．细节理解题。根据文章第一段第一句“Zimbabwe is experiencing its worst drought in years, with little rain and bad weather patterns affecting wildlife and attractions across the country and worsening livelihoods.(津巴布韦正在经历多年来最严重的干旱，降雨少，恶劣的天气模式影响了全国各地的野生动物和景点，并使生计恶化。)”可知津巴布韦干燥的天气造成了一系列的不良影响。故选C项。 2．细节理解题。根据文章第二段第二句“However, despite the present state of the falls, Ill a Lodge — an accommodation provider located minutes away from Victoria Falls — says that even during low water flow periods, Victoria Falls is still “an impressive natural phenomenon”.(然而，距离维多利亚瀑布几分钟路程的住宿供应商Ill a Lodge表示，尽管瀑布目前的状况即使在低流量时期，维多利亚瀑布仍然是“一个令人印象深刻的自然现象”。)”可知在Ilala Lodge看来即使在枯水期维多利亚瀑布依旧是一个令人印象深刻的景观，即依旧对游客有着吸引力。故选A项。 3．主旨大意题。根据文章第三段“Officials say this year’s drought season is much drier and hotter than usual. As a result, the country’s national parks, which depend heavily on tourism, and wildlife across the country are suffering.(官员们表示，今年的干旱季节比往年更干燥、更热。因此，严重依赖旅游业的国家公园和全国各地的野生动物都受到了影响。)”以及后文大象的例子可知第三段主要讲的是极端的干旱对于动物的影响。故选C项。 4．推理判断题。文章第一段“Zimbabwe is experiencing its worst drought in years, with little rain and bad weather patterns affecting wildlife and attractions across the country and worsening livelihoods.(津巴布韦正在经历多年来最严重的干旱，降雨少，恶劣的天气模式影响了全国各地的野生动物和景点，并使生计恶化。)”提出话题——津巴布韦的极度干旱给动物、旅游业以及民生造成了一系列不良影响，为主旨段，文章第二、三及四段主要从旅游业、动物及民生三个方面来说明极度干旱的不良影响，三个段落为并列结构，所以文章为总分结构。故选D项。 Passage 3 The northern bald ibis (北秃鹳) once flew over North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and much of Europe, including southern Germany’s Bavaria. The yummy meat resulted in their disappearance from Europe. A few groups of the birds survived in other places. In 2002, a conservation and research group based in Austria stepped in to help. The number in Central Europe has increased from zero to almost 300 since then. Feitz, one member of the group, said his team found that when released the birds flew in the wrong direction and died in the winter. So they have led the birds for 17 years to places like Tuscany, Italy. Due to climate change, they have had to change the route to a winter home. Now they help the birds fly to Andalusia in southern Spain. To prepare for travel, the foster parent (养父母) humans begin working with the baby birds, when they are just a few days old. The humans want the birds to connect with them so they will trust them along the flying route. Barbara Steininger is one foster mother. She said she acts like “their bird mom.” “We feed them, clean them, clean their nests and see they are healthy,” she said. “But also we interact (互动) with them.” Steininger and the other foster parents then sit on the back of a very small aircraft, waving and cheering for the birds as they fly. Fritz knew his work would be possible because he saw the work of Canadian naturalist Bill Lishman.  Lishman taught Canadian geese to fly alongside his small plane beginning in 1988. He later guided endangered whooping cranes through safe routes. Fritz’s team efforts have worked. The first bird independently migrated back to Bavaria from Tuscany in 2011. The team hopes the Central European population will be more than 350 birds by 2028 and will not need human help to migrate. This year, the route to Spain is longer than last year’s path. The full journey to Spain could take up to 50 days. Fritz hopes the group’s work offers a possibility for helping other threatened migratory species to fly. 1．What caused the ibis to die out in Europe? A．The changes of the climate. B．The destruction of the environment. C．The hunting of humans. D．The loss of their direction sense. 2．Which work is the most important for the foster parent humans? A．Guiding the birds when travelling. B．Making sure the birds are healthy. C．Feeding and cleaning the baby birds. D．Choosing a winter home for the birds. 3．Why is Bill Lishman mentioned in the passage? A．Because he has saved many kinds of endangered birds. B．Because he has managed to lead birds to fly. C．Because he offers supports to Fritz’s group. D．Because he is charge of the birds’ travelling project. 4．What is Fritz’s expectation? A．The way of showing the birds how to fly will be widely used. B．Humans and birds will live together in harmony. C．More possibilities should be found to protect endangered birds. D．There will be more and more birds living in Europe. 【答案】1．C 2．A 3．B 4. A 【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章主要说明了北秃鹳因为人类狩猎导致在欧洲灭绝，2002年，总部设在奥地利的一个保护和研究小组伸出了援手，开始致力于保护这种鸟，并且帮助它们迁徙。 1．推理判断题。根据第一段“The yummy meat resulted in their disappearance from Europe.(美味的肉导致它们从欧洲消失)”可知，北秃鹳在欧洲灭绝的原因是人类狩猎。故选C。 2．推理判断题。根据第三段“To prepare for travel, the foster parent (养父母) humans begin working with the baby birds, when they are just a few days old. The humans want the birds to connect with them so they will trust them along the flying route.(为了准备旅行，当雏鸟只有几天大的时候，养父母就开始照顾它们。人类希望这些鸟与他们联系，这样他们就会在飞行路线上信任它们)”可知，旅行时引导鸟类对养父母人类最重要。故选A。 3．推理判断题。根据倒数第三段“Fritz knew his work would be possible because he saw the work of Canadian naturalist Bill Lishman.  Lishman taught Canadian geese to fly alongside his small plane beginning in 1988. He later guided endangered whooping cranes through safe routes.(弗里茨知道他的工作是可能的，因为他看到了加拿大博物学家比尔·利什曼的工作。利什曼从1988年开始教加拿大鹅在他的小飞机旁边飞行。后来，他引导濒临灭绝的鸣鹤通过安全路线)”可推知，文章中提到了Bill Lishman是因为他成功地引导了鸟类飞翔。故选B。 4．细节理解题。根据最后一段“Fritz hopes the group’s work offers a possibility for helping other threatened migratory species to fly.(弗里茨希望该小组的工作为帮助其他受威胁的迁徙物种飞行提供了可能)”可知，弗里茨的期望是，这种向鸟类展示如何飞行的方法将得到广泛应用。故选A。 Passage 4 More than a score of Australian rare mammals have been killed by wild cats. These predators, which arrived with European settlers, still threaten native wildlife — and are too plentiful on the mainland to eliminate, as has been achieved on some small islands which were previously filled with them. But Alexandra Ross of the University of New South Wales thinks she has come up with a different way to deal with the problem. As she writes in a paper in the Journal of Applied Ecology, she is giving feline (猫科的) — awareness lessons to wild animals involved in re-introduction programs, in order to try to make them cat-conscious. Many Australian mammals, though not actually extinct, are restricted to fragments of cat-free habitat. This will, however, put the forced migrants back in the sights of the cats that caused the problem in the first place. Training the migrants while they are in captivity, using stuffed models and the sorts of sounds made by cats, has proved expensive and ineffective. Ms Ross therefore wondered whether putting them in large natural enclosures with a scattering of predators might serve as a form of training camp to prepare them for introduction into their new, cat-ridden homes. She tested this idea on a type of bandicoot (袋狸) that superficially resembles a rabbit. She and her colleagues raised two hundred bandicoots in a huge enclosure that also contained five wild cats. As a control, she raised a nearly identical population in a similar enclosure without the cats. She left the animals to get on with life for two years, which, given that bandicoots breed four times a year and live for around eight years, was a considerable period for them. After some predation (扑食) and probably some learning, she abstracted 21 bandicoots from each enclosure, attached radio transmitters to them and released them into a third enclosure that had ten hungry cats in it. She then monitored what happened next. The outcome was that the training worked. Over the subsequent 40 days, ten of the untrained animals were eaten by cats, but only four of the trained ones. One particular behavioral difference she noticed was that bandicoots brought up in a predator-free environment were much more likely to sleep alone than were those brought up around cats. And when cats are around, sleeping alone is dangerous. How well bandicoots that have undergone this extreme training will survive in the wild remains to be seen. But Ms Ross has at least provided reason for hope. 1．What can be learned from the first paragraph? A．The feline-awareness lessons have proved ineffective. B．There are too many wild cats to be killed in Australia. C．Different ways have been tried to hunt and kill wildlife. D．Native wildlife has been threatened by a growing population of wild cats. 2．The forced migrants in the second paragraph refer to ________. A．Australian mammals restricted to certain areas B．The wild cats tracking down the mammals C．Wild animals involved in the program D．The predators captured by the animal trainers 3．Which of the following is TRUE about the first two enclosures? A．They were both closely monitored. B．They had 200 bandicoots in total. C．They had similar natural environment. D．They both had wild cats in them. 4．What was the finding of Ms Ross’ research project? A．Untrained bandicoots failed to identify cats. B．Training bandicoots prepared them to fight cats. C．Sleeping alone in the wild was dangerous. D．Bandicoots could be trained to avoid predators. 【答案】1．D 2．A 3．C 4．D 【导语】这是一篇说明文。本文阐述了二十多种澳大利亚哺乳动物已经被野猫灭绝了，并且，野猫还在威胁着当地哺乳动物的生命。新南威尔士大学的Alexandra Ross经过试验发现，哺乳动物可以通过接受训练来躲避捕食者。 1．细节理解题。根据第一段“More than a score of Australian rare mammals have been killed by wild cats. These predators, which arrived with European settlers, still threaten native wildlife — and are too plentiful on the mainland to eliminate, as has been achieved on some small islands which were previously filled with them. (超过20种澳大利亚稀有哺乳动物被野猫杀死。这些随着欧洲殖民者而来的捕食者，仍然威胁着当地的野生动物——而且在大陆上数量太多，无法消灭，就像在一些以前充满了它们的小岛屿上一样)”可知，超过二十种澳大利亚稀有哺乳动物被野猫杀死，并且这些野猫仍然威胁着当地的野生动物，它们数量太多，杀之不尽。故选D项。 2．短语猜测题。根据第二段第一、二句“Many Australian mammals, though not actually extinct, are restricted to fragments of cat-free habitat. This will, however, put the forced migrants back in the sights of the cats that caused the problem in the first place. (许多澳大利亚哺乳动物虽然还没有灭绝，但被限制在没有猫的栖息地内。然而，这将使这些forced migrants 重新回到猫科动物的视线中，这些猫科动物最初造成了这个问题)”可知，forced migrants指的是第一句中所说的一些澳大利亚哺乳动物，它们虽然没有灭绝、但是被限制在没有猫的栖息地；由此可知，划线词forced migrants指的是被限制在无猫地区的澳大利亚哺乳动物。故选A项。 3．细节理解题。根据第三段“She and her colleagues raised two hundred bandicoots in a huge enclosure that also contained five wild cats. As a control, she raised a nearly identical population in a similar enclosure without the cats.(她和她的同事在一个巨大的围栏里养了200只袋狸，里面还有5只野猫。作为对照，她在一个类似的圈地里饲养了几乎相同的种群，但没有猫)”可知，作为对照，第二个围栏和第一个围栏有相似的自然环境，只是里面没有野猫。因此，前两个围栏有相似的自然环境。故选C项。 4．推理判断题。根据第三段“The outcome was that the training worked. Over the subsequent 40days, ten of the untrained animals were eaten by cats, but only four of the trained ones. One particular behavioral difference she noticed was that bandicoots brought up in a predator-free environment were much more likely to sleep alone than were those brought up around cats. And when cats are around, sleeping alone is dangerous.(结果是训练奏效了。在接下来的40天里，10只未经训练的动物被猫吃掉，但只有4只经过训练的动物被猫吃掉。她注意到的一个特别的行为差异是，在没有捕食者的环境中长大的袋狸比在有猫的环境中长大的袋狸更有可能独自睡觉。当有猫在的时候，独自睡觉是很危险的)”可知，实验发现，与没有经过训练的袋狸比起来，训练过的袋狸更有可能躲避被夜猫吃掉，由此可知，袋狸可以被训练避开捕食者。故选D项。 Passage 5 According to official government figures, there are more than twice as many kangaroos as people in Australia, and many Australians consider them dangerous. It is reported that kangaroos are involved in more than 80 percent of the 20,000 vehicle-animal accidents each year. In the country’s under-populated region, the common belief is that kangaroo numbers have rocketed to “pandemic (大规模流行的) percentage”. It is believed that killing kangaroos is critical to boosting the economy. Meat, skins and leather from kangaroos have been sold to 56 countries. Global brands such as Nike, Puma and Adidas buy strong, soft “k-leather” to make athletic products. And kangaroo meat is finding its way into more and more grocery stores. Advocates point out that low-fat, high-protein kangaroo meat is more environmentally friendly than greenhouse gas-releasing sheep and cattle. John Kelly, former executive director of the Kangaroo Industry Association of Australia, says, “Harvesting our food from animals adapted to Australia’s environment is extremely wise and sustainable. Many ecologists will tell you that there is no more humane way of producing red meat.” Opponents of the industry call the killing inhumane, unsustainable and unnecessary. Dwayne Bannon-Harrison, a member of the Yuin people of New South Wales, says the idea that kangaroos are destroying the country is laughable. “They’ve been walking in this land a lot longer than people have,” he says. “How could something that’s been here for thousands of years be ‘destroying’ the country? I don’t understand the logic in that.” Can Australians’ disagreement on kangaroos be solved? George Wilson, a professor from Australian National University, says that if kangaroos were privately owned, then graziers (放牧人) would protect the animals, treating them as possessions (财产). They could feed them, lease them, breed them and charge hunters a fee for access. “If you want to protect something,” Wilson says, “you have to give it a value. Animals that are considered dangerous don’t have value.” If kangaroos were more valuable than cattle or sheep, landholders would work with the kangaroo industry on branding, marketing and quality control. The government’s role would be oversight and regulation. 1．What do we know from the article? A．Kangaroos are to blame for most accidents. B．Global brands make small profits on kangaroos. C．Kangaroos are relatively friendly to the environment. D．Over-populated kangaroos are doing great harm to the country’s economy. 2．Why does Dwayne Bannon disagree to kill kangaroos? A．Because it is laughable. B．Because it is destroying the country. C．Because they have existed on Earth longer than man. D．Because they live in harmony with people. 3．Which of the following might be the benefit of privatization (私有化)? A．The popularity of kangaroo hunting. B．The reduction in the number of kangaroos. C．The establishment of more conservation areas. D．The better management of the kangaroo industry. 4．What is the purpose of this passage? A．To argue against the killing of kangaroos. B．To provide a solution to the problem caused by kangaroos. C．To present different opinions on the kangaroo industry. D．To stress the importance of protecting kangaroos. 【答案】1．C 2．C 3．D 4. B 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。主要就袋鼠在澳大利亚的影响展开讨论，介绍了其经济与生态效益，以及对于袋鼠管理的不同观点。 1．细节理解题。根据第三段“Advocates point out that low-fat, high-protein kangaroo meat is more environmentally friendly than greenhouse gas-releasing sheep and cattle. (支持者指出，低脂、高蛋白袋鼠肉比释放温室气体的绵羊和牛更环保)”可知，袋鼠是比绵羊和牛更环保的动物，即相对而言袋鼠对环境更友好。故选C。 2．细节理解题。根据第四段“Dwayne Bannon-Harrison, a member of the Yuin people of New South Wales, says the idea that kangaroos are destroying the country is laughable. “They’ve been walking in this land a lot longer than people have,” he says. “How could something that’s been here for thousands of years be ‘destroying’ the country? I don’t understand the logic in that.” (新南威尔士州尤因人Dwayne Bannon Harrison表示，袋鼠正在摧毁这个国家的想法是可笑的。他说：“它们在这片土地上行走的时间比人们长得多。”。“在这里存在了数千年的物种怎么会“摧毁”这个国家？我不明白其中的逻辑。”)”可知，Dwayne Bannon认为在这片土地上，袋鼠比人类存在的时间更长，即袋鼠本来就生活在这里，所以Dwayne Bannon不同意杀死袋鼠。故选C。 3．推理判断题。根据最后一段“If kangaroos were more valuable than cattle or sheep, landholders would work with the kangaroo industry on branding, marketing and quality control. The government’s role would be oversight and regulation. (如果袋鼠比牛或羊更有价值，土地所有者将与袋鼠产业合作进行品牌、营销和质量控制。政府的作用将是监督和监管)”可知，私有化之后，土地所有者可以与袋鼠产业在各方面进行合作，同时得到政府的监督和监管，即私有化会使得袋鼠产业得到更好的管理。故选D。 4．推理判断题。根据第一段“According to official government figures, there are more than twice as many kangaroos as people in Australia, and many Australians consider them dangerous. (根据政府官方数据，袋鼠的数量是澳大利亚人的两倍多，许多澳大利亚人认为它们很危险)”。第二段“It is believed that killing kangaroos is critical to boosting the economy.(人们认为，杀死袋鼠对促进经济发展至关重要)”以及最后一段“George Wilson, a professor from Australian National University, says that if kangaroos were privately owned, then graziers (放牧人) would protect the animals, treating them as possessions (财产). They could feed them, lease them, breed them and charge hunters a fee for access.(澳大利亚国立大学教授乔治·威尔逊说，如果袋鼠是私人所有的，那么牧场主就会保护这些动物，把它们当作财产)”可知，文章开头提出问题，袋鼠使得人们面临危机，后文提出不同的解决方法，所以文章的写作目的是为袋鼠造成的问题提供解决方案。故选B。 话题3 身心健康 Passage 1 Parenting tips obtained from hunter-gatherers in Africa may be the key to bringing up more contented children, researchers have suggested. The idea is based on studies of communities such as the Kung of Botswana, where each child is cared for by many adults. Kung children as young as four will help to look after younger ones and “baby-wearing”, in which infants are carried in slings, is considered the common pracice. According to Dr Nikhil Chaudhary, an evolutionary anthropologist at Cambridge University, these practices, known as alloparenting, could lead to less anxiety for children and parents. Dr Annie Swanepoel, a child doctor, believes that there are ways to incorporate them into Western life. In Germany, one scheme has paired an old people’s home with a nursery. The residents help to look after the children, an arrangement parallel to alloparenting. Another measure could be encouraging friendships between children in different school years, to mirror the unsupervised mixed-age playgroups in hunter-gatherer communities. In a paper published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, researchers said that the Western nuclear family was a recent invention which broke with evolutionary history. This sudden shift to an “intensive mothering narrative”, which suggests that mothers should manage childcare alone, was likely to have been harmful. “Such narratives can lead to mothers’ exhaustion and have dangerous consequences,” they wrote. By contrast, in hunter-gatherer societies adults other than the parents can provide almost half of a child’s care. One previous study looked at the Efe people of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It found that infants had an average of 14 alloparents a day by the time they were 18 weeks old, and were passed between caregivers eight times an hour. Chaudhary said that parents now had less childcare support from family and social networks than during most of humans’ evolutionary history, but introducing additional caregivers could reduce stress and depression, which could have a “knock-on” benefit to a child’s wellbeing. An infant born to a hunter-gatherer society could have more than ten caregivers — this contrasts sharply to nursery settings in the UK where regulations call for a ratio of one carer to four children aged two to three. While hunter-gatherer children learnt from observation and imitation in mixed-age playgroups, researchers said that Western “instructive teaching”, where pupils are asked to sit still, may contribute to conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Chaudhary said that Britain should explore the possibility that older siblings helping their parents “might also enhance their own social development.” 1．According to the first two paragraphs, alloparenting refers to the practice of ________. A．having childcare among community members. B．assigning babies to specific adult caregivers. C．teaching parenting skills to older children. D．carrying infants around by their parents. 2．The scheme in Germany is mentioned to illustrate ________. A．an attempt to facilitate intergenerational communication. B．an approach to integrating alloparenting into Western society. C．the conventional parenting style in Western culture. D．the differences between Western and African ways of living. 3．According to Paragraph 4, what impact does the “intensive mothering narrative” have? A．It reduces parenting pressure. B．It enhances family relationships. C．It results in the child-centered family. D．It departs from the course of evolution. 4．According to Paragraph 6, what can we learn about the nurseries in the UK? A．They tend to fall short of official requirements. B．They have difficulty finding good caregivers. C．They ought to improve their carer-to-child ratio. D．They should try to prevent parental depression. 5．Which of the following would be the best title for the text? A．Instructive Teaching: A Plan for Anxious Parents. B．For a Happier Family, Learn from the Hunter-gatherers. C．Mixed-age Playgroup, a Better Choice for Lonely Children. D．Tracing the History of Parenting: from Africa to Europe. 【答案】1．A 2．B 3．D 4．C 5．B 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了研究发现，从非洲狩猎采集者那里获得的育儿技巧可能是培养更满足的孩子的关键，“异亲抚育”做法可减少焦虑，而西方的核心家庭模式是有危害的，西方应借鉴融入这些做法，促进孩子的健康与发展。 1．细节理解题。根据第一段中“The idea is based on studies of communities such as the Kung of Botswana, where each child is cared for by many adults. (这个想法是基于对社区的研究，比如博茨瓦纳的Kung，那里的每个孩子都由许多成年人照顾)”和第二段“According to Dr Nikhil Chaudhary, an evolutionary anthropologist at Cambridge University, these practices, known as alloparenting, could lead to less anxiety for children and parents. (剑桥大学的进化人类学家Nikhil Chaudhary博士表示，这些被称为异亲抚育的做法可以减少孩子和父母的焦虑)”可知，“异亲抚育”指的是社区成员共同照顾孩子的做法。故选A项。 2．推理判断题。根据第三段“Dr Annie Swanepoel, a child doctor, believes that there are ways to incorporate them into Western life. In Germany, one scheme has paired an old people’s home with a nursery. The residents help to look after the children, an arrangement parallel to alloparenting. (儿童医生Annie Swanepoel博士认为，有一些方法可以将它们融入西方生活。在德国，一项计划将养老院与托儿所配对。居民帮助照看孩子，这是一种类似于异亲抚育的安排)”可知，此处先提到有办法将“异亲抚育”做法融入西方生活，然后介绍德国的将养老院和托儿所配对的计划，该计划类似于异亲抚育。由此推知，提到德国的计划是为了说明将“异亲抚育”融入西方社会的一种方法。故选B项。 3．细节理解题。根据第四段中“In a paper published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, researchers said that the Western nuclear family was a recent invention which broke with evolutionary history. This sudden shift to an “intensive mothering narrative”, which suggests that mothers should manage childcare alone, was likely to have been harmful. (在《儿童心理学和精神病学杂志》上发表的一篇论文中，研究人员说，西方的核心家庭是最近的发明，打破了进化史。这种突然转向“密集型育儿叙事”，即母亲应该独自照顾孩子，的做法很可能是有害的)”可知，“密集型育儿叙事”的转变背离了进化历程。故选D项。 4．推理判断题。根据第六段“Chaudhary said that parents now had less childcare support from family and social networks than during most of humans’ evolutionary history, but introducing additional caregivers could reduce stress and depression, which could have a “knock-on” benefit to a child’s wellbeing. An infant born to a hunter-gatherer society could have more than ten caregivers — this contrasts sharply to nursery settings in the UK where regulations call for a ratio of one carer to four children aged two to three. (Chaudhary说，与人类进化史上的大多数时期相比，父母现在从家庭和社会网络中得到的育儿支持更少了，但引入额外的照顾者可以减轻压力和抑郁，这可能对孩子的健康产生“连锁”效益。一个出生在狩猎采集社会的婴儿可能有超过10个照顾者——这与英国托儿所的规定形成鲜明对比，英国规定每4个两到三岁的孩子有1个照顾者)”可知，为当前的育儿模式引入更多的照顾者是有益的，与狩猎采集社会中婴儿照顾者的数量相比，英国托儿所规定的数量相差悬殊。由此可知，这里暗示英国托儿所应该提高照顾者与孩子的比例。故选C项。 5．主旨大意题。通读全文，尤其是第一段中“Parenting tips obtained from hunter-gatherers in Africa may be the key to bringing up more contented children, researchers have suggested. (研究人员表示，从非洲狩猎采集者那里获得的育儿技巧可能是培养出更满足的孩子的关键)”可知，文章开篇提出从非洲狩猎采集者那里获得的育儿建议可能是养育更满足的孩子的关键，接着围绕狩猎采集者的育儿方式，即异亲抚育，以及西方育儿方式的对比展开，建议西方可以从狩猎采集者那里学习育儿经验。因此，B项“为了更幸福的家庭，向狩猎采集者学习”能概括文章主旨，适合作为文章标题。故选B项。 Passage 2 Living near bars and fast-food restaurants could be harmful to heart health, according to a new research. These kinds of ready-to-eat food environments typically provide unhealthy foods and drinks, and have been related to cardiovascular diseases, such as heart failure, said Lu Qi, a head researcher at Tulane University in New Orleans. Heart failure is a condition in which the heart can’t get enough blood to meet the body’s needs. This study is likely the first to evaluate (评估) the connection between food environment and heart failure with long-term observation. “Most previous researches on the relation between nutrition (营养) and human health have been focused on food quality, neglecting the impact of food environment,” Qi said. “Our present study highlights the importance of accounting for food environment in nutrition researches.” Researchers evaluated the connection using data from more than 500,000 adults in the United Kingdom. They measured participants’ exposure (接触) to three types of food environments — bars, restaurants and fast-food restaurants. Exposure was determined ‘by proximity (living within 1 kilometer) and density (the number of ready-to-eat food stores within 1 kilometer). The study documented nearly 13,000 heart failure cases during a 12-year follow-up period and the results showed that participants with 10 or more ready-to-eat stores near their homes had a 16% greater risk of heart failure than those with no ready-to-eat food environments. Those closest to the bars(less than 500 meters) had a 14% higher risk than those who lived the farthest away (more than 3,000 meters). The researchers noted the findings suggested that creating healthier food environments and improving physical fitness facilities, along with helping more people receive higher levels of education, could reduce the increased risk of heart failure linked to quick-meal options. Overall, the study stresses the importance of improving food environments to prevent heart failure, and the researchers note that more studies are needed, particularly evaluating nutrition unsafety, to make sure of the applicability of this study’s results. 1. What does the underlined word “neglecting” in paragraph 2 mean? A. Questioning. B. Identifying. C. Considering. D. Ignoring. 2. How did the researchers get their research findings according to paragraph 4? A. By making a comparison. B. By explaining a theory. C. By showing an argument. D. By describing a process. 3. What is presented in paragraph 5? A. Possible causes. B. Solving strategies. C. Research results. D. People’s reactions. 4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text? A. Ways Food Is Cooked Really Count B. Single Food Choices Lead to Nutritional Imbalance C. Ready-to-eat Food Surroundings Could Harm Heart Health D. Fast Food Is Increasingly Entering the Consumption Market 【答案】1. D 2. A 3. B 4. C 【导语】本文属于说明文。文章介绍了一项关于居住环境与心脏健康关系的科学研究成果，探讨了靠近酒吧和快餐店的生活环境如何可能对心脏健康产生负面影响。 【1题详解】 词句猜测题。 由文章第二段中“Most previous researches on the relation between nutrition (营养) and human health have been focused on food quality (以前关于营养和人类健康关系的大多数研究都集中在食品质量上)”和“the impact of food environment (食物环境的影响)”可知，以前关于营养和人类健康关系的大多数研究都集中在食品质量上，此处应该表示“忽视了食品环境的影响”，neglecting意为“忽视”。A. Questioning提问；B. Identifying识别；C. Considering考虑；D. Ignoring忽略，忽视。故选D。 【2题详解】 推理判断题。 由文章第四段“The study documented nearly 13,000 heart failure cases during a 12-year follow-up period and the results showed that participants with 10 or more ready-to-eat stores near their homes had a 16% greater risk of heart failure than those with no ready-to-eat food environments. Those closest to the bars(less than 500 meters) had a 14% higher risk than those who lived the farthest away (more than 3,000 meters). (这项研究在12年的随访期间记录了近13000例心力衰竭病例，结果显示，在家附近有10家或更多即食食品商店的参与者患心力衰竭的风险比没有即食食品环境的参与者高16%。离酒吧最近（不到500米）的人比住得最远（超过3000米）的人患癌症的风险高14%。)”可知，研究人员通过比较不同参与者与不同类型食物环境的接近程度和密度来得出研究发现，这表明研究方法是通过对比来进行的。故选A。 【3题详解】 主旨大意题。 由文章第五段“The researchers noted the findings suggested that creating healthier food environments and improving physical fitness facilities, along with helping more people receive higher levels of education, could reduce the increased risk of heart failure linked to quick-meal options. (研究人员指出，研究结果表明，创造更健康的饮食环境，改善健身设施，以及帮助更多的人接受更高水平的教育，可以降低与快餐选择相关的心力衰竭风险。)”可知，第五段主要提出了可能的解决策略，包括改善食物环境、提升体育设施条件以及帮助更多人接受更高级别的教育。故选B。 【4题详解】 主旨大意题。 通读全文，尤其是根据文章第一段“Living near bars and fast-food restaurants could be harmful to heart health, according to a new research. These kinds of ready-to-eat food environments typically provide unhealthy foods and drinks, and have been related to cardiovascular diseases, such as heart failure, said Lu Qi, a head researcher at Tulane University in New Orleans. (一项新研究表明，住在酒吧和快餐店附近可能对心脏健康有害。新奥尔良杜兰大学首席研究员陆奇说，这种即食食品环境通常提供不健康的食品和饮料，并与心力衰竭等心血管疾病有关。)”可知，文章主要介绍了居住在酒吧和快餐店附近可能对心脏健康有害的研究发现，强调了食物环境对心血管疾病如心力衰竭的影响。因此，最能概括全文的标题是C项“Ready-to-eat Food Surroundings Could Harm Heart Health (即食食品环境可能损害心脏健康)”。故选C。 Passage 3 We all remember that first cry at the movies. Whether they are tears of joy or sadness, it’s quite astonishing that human emotion can be controlled by moving images on a screen. In fact, it all comes from a plan. But what about those heart- breaking stories... for kids? They seem not to sugarcoat the realities of the world. Actually, many great kids’ movies filled with tragedy (悲剧) are purposefully meant to stir up kids’ strong feelings. According to Aristotle,  tragedy aids us in facing life’s unsolvable issues through sensible (理智的) thinking. Therefore, the existence of tragedy in kids’ movies is to teach kids to handle, to understand and to heal. The hardest lesson for a child is how to deal with loss, especially if it’s sudden. The cartoon classic The Lion King tells the story of Simba, who experiences the loss of his father. Kids see themselves in Simba’s character. He has dreams. He has a desire to grow and be a part of a bigger world. But it is really heartbreaking to see the loss. Why is a film like this so beloved when it makes kids cry? The lesson it teaches is to overcome hardships and to move forward. Hakuna Matata! Yes, the phrase from The Lion King is to teach kids it’s okay to move on from tragic loss and not to let it define you. It’s an important lesson we learned at a very young age. Sadness should not be ignored (忽视). It’s important to feel sad, and that is why these films are so great. In Dumbo, Charlotte’s Web and Bridge to Terabithia, we lose our beloved characters. This quite upsets kids, but it teaches them to accept sadness and makes something new out of it. So, what is the message behind a sad kids’ movie? It’s meant to teach the audience, especially children, to gain their independence and how to free themselves from tragedy. It’s like a cushion (缓冲垫) that separates stories from reality. It helps children deal with sad feelings when they come for real, or at least find relief by saying Hakuna Matata. 1．Why does the author mention “first cry” in paragraph 1? A．To introduce the topic. B．To recommend a movie. C．To support an argument. D．To explain the reason. 2．What does the underlined phrase “Hakuna Matata” in paragraph 3 mean? A．Viewing sadness as a treatment. B．Seeking knowledge to enrich life. C．Challenging oneself with tragic losses. D．Heading forward without being caught. 3．What can we learn from the last paragraph? A．Children can find a way to hide sad feelings. B．Children can learn to ignore sadness in tragedy. C．Sad kids’ movies prepare children for tough times. D．Sad kids’ movies help children to escape from reality. 4．What is the best title for the text? A．Why Are Great Kids’ Movies So Sad? B．What Is the Power of Great Kids’ Movies? C．Life’s Hardest Lesson: How Kids’ Movies Inspire Us? D．Moving Beyond Reality: What Sad Kids’ Movies Teach Us? 【答案】1．A 2．D 3．C 4.A 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章探讨了悲伤的儿童电影如何通过悲剧情节帮助孩子们理解和处理失去等复杂情感，教会他们面对现实中的困难，并从中获得成长和独立。 1．推理判断题。根据第一段中“We all remember that first cry at the movies. Whether they are tears of joy or sadness, it’s quite astonishing that human emotion can be controlled by moving images on a screen. In fact, it all comes from a plan. But what about those heart- breaking stories... for kids? (我们都记得看电影时的第一次哭泣。无论是喜悦的泪水还是悲伤的泪水，令人惊讶的是，人类的情感可以被屏幕上移动的图像所控制。事实上，这一切都源于一个计划。但是那些让孩子们心碎的故事呢)”可知，开头先提到看电影时的第一次哭泣，描述电影引起我们的情感反应，继而引出让孩子们心碎的电影故事，后文围绕悲伤的儿童电影及其背后的原因展开。由此可知，作者提到这个是为了引出文章的话题。故选A项。 2．词句猜测题。根据画线部分的上文“The lesson it teaches is to overcome hardships and to move forward. (它教给我们的是克服困难，继续前进)”和下文“Yes, the phrase from The Lion King is to teach kids it’s okay to move on from tragic loss and not to let it define you. (是的，《狮子王》里的那句话是要告诉孩子们，从悲剧中走出来是可以的，不要让它定义你)”可推知，画线部分Hakuna Matata !意为“向前走而不被困住”。故选D项。 3．推理判断题。根据最后一段中“It’s meant to teach the audience, especially children, to gain their independence and how to free themselves from tragedy. It’s like a cushion (缓冲垫) that separates stories from reality. It helps children deal with sad feelings when they come for real, or at least find relief by saying Hakuna Matata. (它的目的是教会观众，尤其是孩子，获得独立，如何从悲剧中解脱出来。它就像一个缓冲垫，把故事和现实分开。当孩子们真正来到这里时，它可以帮助他们处理悲伤的情绪，或者至少通过说“Hakuna Matata”来找到解脱)”可推知，这些电影让孩子们为艰难的时刻做好准备。故选C项。 4．主旨大意题。通读全文，尤其是第一段中“But what about those heart-breaking stories… for kids? They seem not to sugarcoat the realities of the world. (但是那些让孩子们心碎的故事呢？他们似乎没有粉饰世界的现实)”可知，文章开篇提出了对于儿童电影中那些令人心碎的故事的疑问，然后围绕着儿童电影中存在悲剧元素展开论述，详细解释了许多儿童电影充满悲剧的原因。因此，文章是在探讨出色的儿童电影为何会有悲伤元素，A项“为什么出色的儿童电影如此悲伤”最符合文章主旨，适合作为标题。故选A项。 Passage 4 Scientific studies have shown that kindness has many physical and emotional benefits. A great number of reasons have been reported to support the theory of teaching kindness in schools. Science explains that the good feelings we experience when being kind are produced by endorphins (内啡肽) that make areas of the brain active that are associated with pleasure, social connection and trust. And it’s proven that these feelings of joyfulness can spread from one person to another, encouraging more kind behaviors by both givers and receivers. Studies show that people experience a rush of endorphins that creates a lasting sense of pride, well-being and an enriched sense of belonging when they do a good deed. Even small acts of kindness are reported to promote our sense of well-being, increase energy and give a wonderful feeling of optimism and self-worth. It’s widely recorded in documents that being kind can also cause a release of the hormone oxytocin which has a number of physical and mental health benefits as it can significantly increase a person’s level of happiness and reduce stress. It also plays a significant role in the cardiovascular (心血管的) system, helping protect the heart. As it increases serotonin, which plays an important part in learning, memory, mood, sleep, health and digestion, kindness is a key element that helps children feel good. Having a positive attitude allows them greater attention spans and enables more creative thinking to produce better results at school. Kindness changes the brain by the experience of kindness. Children and adolescents do not learn kindness by only thinking about it and talking about it. Kindness is best learned by feeling it so that they can reproduce it. Kindness is an emotion that students feel and empathy is a strength that they share. 1．What can endorphins bring to people? A．Freedom. B．Curiosity. C．Happiness. D．Confidence. 2．Which of the following is helpful in protecting people’s heart? A．Serotonin. B．Endorphin. C．A sense of pride. D．Hormone oxytocin. 3．What is the best way to learn kindness? A．Sharing it. B．Experiencing it. C．Talking about it. D．Thinking about it. 4．What is the best title for this text? A．Importance of teaching kindness B．Importance of good concentration C．How to improve health and happiness D．The givers and receivers of kindness 【答案】1．C 2．D 3．B 4.A 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了科学研究表明善良对身体和情感有许多好处，并阐述了在学校教授善良的重要性。 1．细节理解题。根据第二段中“Science explains that the good feelings we experience when being kind are produced by endorphins (内啡肽) that make areas of the brain active that are associated with pleasure, social connection and trust.(科学解释说，我们在善良时体验到的良好感觉是由内啡肽产生的，内啡肽使大脑中与快乐、社交联系和信任相关的区域活跃起来)”可知，内啡肽能给人带来快乐。故选C项。 2．细节理解题。根据第四段“It’s widely recorded in documents that being kind can also cause a release of the hormone oxytocin which has a number of physical and mental health benefits as it can significantly increase a person’s level of happiness and reduce stress. It also plays a significant role in the cardiovascular (心血管的) system, helping protect the heart.(文献中广泛记载，善良还能释放催产素激素，这对身心健康有许多好处，因为它能显著提高一个人的幸福感，减轻压力。它还在心血管系统中发挥着重要作用，有助于保护心脏)”可知，催产素激素有助于保护人们的心脏。故选D项。 3．细节理解题。根据最后一段中“Kindness is best learned by feeling it so that they can reproduce it.(善良最好是通过感受它来学会，这样他们就能复制它)”可知，学习善良的最好方法是去体验它。故选B项。 4．主旨大意题。通读全文，结合第一段“Scientific studies have shown that kindness has many physical and emotional benefits. A great number of reasons have been reported to support the theory of teaching kindness in schools.(科学研究表明，善良对身体和情感有许多好处。据报道，有许多理由支持在学校教授善良的理论)”可知，文章指出科学研究表明善良有诸多益处，阐述了善良在身体和情感方面的好处，以及对孩子学习和成长的积极影响，最后强调了在学校教授善良的重要性。整体围绕着教授善良的重要性展开。由此可知，C项“Importance of teaching kindness (教授善良的重要性)”能概括文章主要内容，最适合作文章标题。故选A项。 Passage 5 A peer is a person who is about the same age as you. Peers affect your life, whether you know it or not, just by spending time with you. Peers can have a good effect on one another. Maybe another student in your science class taught you an easy way to remember the planets in solar system. Maybe you got others excited about your new favorite book and now everyone’s reading it. However, sometimes peers affect one another in another way. For example, one kid in school might try to get another to cut class with him, your soccer friend might try to persuade you to be mean to another player and never pass her the ball, or a kid in the neighborhood might want you to steal things with him. Some kids give in to peer pressure because they want to be liked, to fit in, or because they worry that other kids may make fun of them if they don’t go along with the group. Others may go along because they are curious to try something new that others are doing. The idea that “everyone’ s doing it’ may influence some kids to leave their better judgments or their common senses behind. Peer pressure can be extremely strong and hard to get rid of. Experiments have shown how peer pressure can influence someone to change her/ his mind from what she/ he knows for sure is a correct answer to the incorrect answer— just because everyone else gives the incorrect answer! That holds true for people of any age in peer pressure situations. It can be hard to walk away from peer pressure, but it can be done. Paying attention to your own feelings and beliefs about what is right and wrong can help you know the right thing to do. Inner strength and self-confidence can help you stand firm, walk away and resist doing something when you know better. 1．The writer will NOT agree that ________. A．only children change their correct answers under peer pressure. B．Peers will believe in themselves if other peers agree with them. C．peers have effect on each other whether the effect is good or not. D．Peer pressure is very strong and difficult for people to get rid of. 2．The writer intends to ________ by writing the passage. A．encourage people to follow others’ opinions. B．warn people to stay away from their peers. C．tell people it is hard to be away from peer pressure. D．advise people to do the right despite peer pressure. 3．All of the following aspects are concerned in the passage EXCEPT ________. A．The definition of the peer and how it affects life. B．The reason why kids have stronger peer pressure. C．The way peers influence each other in daily life. D．The way peer pressure influences our judgment. 4．What is the passage mainly about? A．Peer pressure has a good effect. B．Peer pressure is hard to resist. C．Children give in to peer pressure. D．Peer pressure always does harm. 【答案】1．A 2．D 3．B 4. B 【导语】本文是说明文。文章主要阐述了同龄人对个体生活的影响，包括积极和消极两方面，并分析了同龄人压力产生的原因、影响以及应对方法。 1．细节理解题。根据倒数第二段“Peer pressure can be extremely strong and hard to get rid of. Experiments have shown how peer pressure can influence someone to change her/ his mind from what she/ he knows for sure is a correct answer to the incorrect answer— just because everyone else gives the incorrect answer! That holds true for people of any age in peer pressure situations.(同伴压力可能极其强烈且难以摆脱。实验已经表明，同伴压力如何影响一个人，使他/她从自己确信的正确答案改为错误的答案——仅仅因为其他人都给出了错误的答案！这在任何年龄段的人面对同伴压力时都同样适用)”可知，作者不同意只有孩子在同辈压力下才会改变正确答案，因为在任何年龄段的人面对同伴压力时都同样适用。故选A项。 2．推理判断题。根据最后一段“It can be hard to walk away from peer pressure, but it can be done. Paying attention to your own feelings and beliefs about what is right and wrong can help you know the right thing to do. Inner strength and self-confidence can help you stand firm, walk away and resist doing something when you know better.(摆脱同伴压力可能很难，但并非不可能。关注自己对于对错的感受和信念，可以帮助你知道正确的做法。内心的力量和自信可以帮助你坚定立场，走开并拒绝做你知道不对的事情)”以及纵观全文可知，作者想通过写这篇文章来建议人们在同辈压力下做正确的事。故选D项。 3．细节理解题。根据第一段“A peer is a person who is about the same age as you. Peers affect your life, whether you know it or not, just by spending time with you.(同龄人是指与你年龄相仿的人。无论你是否意识到，同龄人都会通过与你的相处而影响你的生活)”可知，A项“同伴的定义及其对生活的影响”被提及，根据第二段“Peers can have a good effect on one another.”以及第三段“However, sometimes peers affect one another in another way.(然而，有时候同龄人之间也会以另一种方式相互影响)”可知，C项“同龄人在日常生活中相互影响的方式”被提及，根据倒数第三段“Some kids give in to peer pressure because they want to be liked, to fit in, or because they worry that other kids may make fun of them if they don’t go along with the group. Others may go along because they are curious to try something new that others are doing. The idea that “everyone’ s doing it’ may influence some kids to leave their better judgments or their common senses behind.(一些孩子会屈服于同伴压力，因为他们想要被喜欢，想要融入群体，或者担心如果不随波逐流，其他孩子会嘲笑他们。另一些人可能会因为好奇而尝试别人正在做的新事物。那种“大家都在做”的想法可能会让一些孩子放弃自己的判断力或常识)”可知，D项“同伴压力影响我们判断的方式”被提及，B项“孩子们有更大的同伴压力的原因”文中没有提及。故选B项。 4．主旨大意题。根据第一段“A peer is a person who is about the same age as you. Peers affect your life, whether you know it or not, just by spending time with you.(同龄人是指与你年龄相仿的人。无论你是否意识到，同龄人都会通过与你的相处而影响你的生活)”以及最后一段“It can be hard to walk away from peer pressure, but it can be done.(摆脱同伴压力可能很难，但并非不可能)”以及纵观全文可知，本文主要讲述了同龄人对个体生活的影响，包括积极和消极两方面，所以同辈压力是难以抗拒的。故选B项。 话题4 社会生活 Passage 1 Tapping out a message with a finger or two on a smartphone is catching up to the speed of typing on a traditional keyboard. Two-thumbed mobile typists generated an average of about 38 words per minute, according to what researchers describe as the largest experiment to date on mobile typing. That’s still a quarter less than the 51.56 word-per-minute average in physical keyboard users, but the gap isn’t as big as expected, researchers said, adding that they were “amazed” by the results. Mobile typists who use auto-correct are faster than those who use word-prediction tools, according to a study that looked at 37,000 volunteers tested by researchers at Finland’s Aalto University, the University of Cambridge and ETH Zürich. Earlier devices such as the BlackBerry promoted typing on miniature keyboards, too. Now, most smartphone users type on their devices with one or both thumbs. Some also type with a single index finger. As the smartphone has claimed a bigger and bigger portion of our communications, many educators and researchers have posed questions about the longer-term effects the move to typing on a digital keyboard may have — particularly on younger generations. The better-than-expected results surprised researchers, because typing on a smartphone “is a type of motor skill that people learn on their own with no formal training, which is very unlike typing on physical keyboards,” study co-author Antti Oulasvirta said in a news release. In fact, 10-to-19-year-olds type about 10 wpm faster than people in their 40s do, regardless of whether the keyboard was on a smartphone or a computer. The best typists could do more than 80 wpm. The study’s authors predict that the typing gap may close at some point as the population becomes less skilled with physical keyboards and as mobile typing technology improves. Still, there are some trade-offs when it comes to typing on a smartphone. Those participating in the study left more errors uncorrected, something that also resulted in less backspacing. “A possible explanation is the higher interaction cost of correcting mistakes on mobile devices and the limited text editing methods,” according to the researchers. The researchers collected the typing data from thousands of individuals using an online typing test. The test asked participants to transcribe a series of sentences, and recorded their keystrokes, errors, speed and other metrics. It also asked them to self-report their demographic (人口统计学的) data, as well as information about how they type and the sort of keyboard they used to complete the test. Smartphones may have some of the ergonomic (人体工学的) risks associated with their more traditional counterparts, professors say. Smartphone usage can lead to neck, shoulder and grip issues, said Bradley Chase, an associate professor of industrial and systems engineering at the University of San Diego. “The concerns aren’t fewer, just different” than those with traditional keyboards, Chase said. 1. Which of the following is true about the speed of mobile typing? A. It is equivalent to the speed of typing on a keyboard. B. It is much faster than typing on a keyboard. C. It is a little slower than typing on a keyboard. D. It is much faster than researchers can imagine. 2. It can be learned from Paragraph 6 that . A. people have never formally learned how to type on smartphones B. the youth type slower than the middle-aged mainly on a computer C. mobile typing will totally replace physical keyboard typing D. the gap between typing on phone and typing with keyboards may close 3. Which is the possible reason that people tend to leave typing errors uncorrected? A. Heavy workload. B. Erroneous editing methods. C. Higher interaction cost. D. Inconvenient operation method. 4. What can be inferred from the passage about the future of typing? A. Physical keyboards will definitely become obsolete within a few years. B. The speed gap between mobile and physical keyboard typing might disappear. C. Ergonomic risks associated with smartphones are expected to be completely eliminated. D. Auto-correct technology will be replaced by word-prediction tools. 【答案】1. C 2. D 3. C 4. B 【导语】这是一篇说明文。主要介绍了一项研究表明手机打字速度已接近传统键盘，年轻人速度更快，不过手机打字易留错、有人体工学风险，研究预测两者速度差距未来或缩小。 【1题详解】 细节理解题。根据第二段“Two-thumbed mobile typists generated an average of about 38 words per minute, according to what researchers describe as the largest experiment to date on mobile typing. That’s still a quarter less than the 51.56 word-per-minute average in physical keyboard users, but the gap isn’t as big as expected, researchers said, adding that they were “amazed” by the results.( 据研究人员称，迄今为止规模最大的手机打字实验显示，双拇指手机打字者平均每分钟能打出38个单词。研究人员表示，这仍然比物理键盘用户每分钟51.56个单词的平均水平低四分之一，但差距并不像预期的那么大，并补充说他们对结果感到“惊讶”。)”可知，手机打字的速度比在键盘上打字慢一点。故选C项。 【2题详解】 细节理解题。根据第六段中“The study’s authors predict that the typing gap may close at some point as the population becomes less skilled with physical keyboards and as mobile typing technology improves.( 该研究的作者预测，随着人们对物理键盘的熟练程度越来越低，以及移动打字技术的进步，打字差距可能会在某个时候缩小。)”可知，用手机打字和用键盘打字之间的差距可能会缩小。故选D项。 【3题详解】 细节理解题。根据第七段中““A possible explanation is the higher interaction cost of correcting mistakes on mobile devices and the limited text editing methods,” according to the researchers.( 研究人员表示：“一个可能的解释是，在移动设备上纠正错误的交互成本更高，而且文本编辑方法有限。”)”可知，人们不改正打字错误的可能原因是更高的互动成本。故选C项。 【4题详解】 推理判断题。根据第六段中“The study’s authors predict that the typing gap may close at some point as the population becomes less skilled with physical keyboards and as mobile typing technology improves.( 该研究的作者预测，随着人们对物理键盘的熟练程度越来越低，以及移动打字技术的进步，打字差距可能会在某个时候缩小。)”可知，B选项“两者速度差距可能消失”是对原文“差距可能缩小”的合理推断。故选B项。 Passage 2 The livestreaming and fast delivery industry have attracted so many young people that the industrial sector is short of manpower. “My advice is to encourage more young people to work in the factories and less in the express delivery sector,” Zhang Xinghai, a deputy to the National People’s Congress, China’s top legislature, said during the ongoing NPC annual session. Zhang wants more young people to work in the factories so that China’s manufacturing (制造业) sector continues to flourish. Whatever job young people do is a matter of choice, but the manufacturing sector is facing a labor crunch (短缺) for too many people prefer jobs in other sectors. A survey conducted by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security in the third quarter of 2021 found that of 100 jobs that were facing a manpower crunch, 58 were in the manufacturing sector. By 2025, the shortage in 10 key manufacturing industries could be as high as 30 million. It is time some strong measures were taken to attract people back to the factories. This can be done by raising the salaries of factory workers. According to a survey in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, the annual income of express delivery workers in the city is more than 100,000 yuan ($15,831). In contrast, the average monthly salary of those doing blue-collar jobs in Guangdong in 2020 was just 7,108 yuan, or about 84,000 yuan a year. That gap surely needs to be reduced. Besides, the legal rights and interests of those doing blue-collar jobs need to be better protected. Express delivery workers can decide when they want to work, but factory workers have to work whenever the factory demands. Therefore, the authorities should protect factory workers’ rights to weekends, 8-hour working schedules and paid leave. Also, the promotion and salary growth structure of factory workers must be clearly defined. In a nutshell, to lure young people back to the factories, it is necessary to make blue-collar jobs more attractive. 1. What can we infer from Zhang Xinghai’s words? A. The future of the express delivery sector is hopeless. B. Working in factories in China are attractive to young people. C. Most young people are unwilling to work in the manufacturing sector. D. Working as a delivery man is quite easy for young people. 2. What does Paragraph 4 mainly tell us? A. A lot of jobs in China are facing a labor crunch. B. Employment rate in China will be dramatically increased by 2025. C. There are 10 manufacturing industries facing manpower shortage in total. D. The industrial sector is facing a severe labor shortage. 3. Which is NOT the reason for manpower shortage in factories? A. Flexible working hours. B. Lower incomes. C. Undefined promotion structure. D. Unprotected legal rights. 4. What is the author’s attitude towards the current situation of manufacturing industry? A. Indifferent. B. Concerned. C. Unclear. D. Neutral. 【答案】1. C 2. D 3. A 4. B 【导语】本文是说明文。文章主要讲述中国制造业劳动力短缺的现状和原因，应鼓励年轻人去工厂工作。 【1题详解】 推理判断题。根据第一段“My advice is to encourage more young people to work in the factories and less in the express delivery sector”（我的建议是鼓励更多的年轻人到工厂工作，更少的在快递部门工作）、第二段“Zhang wants more young people to work in the factories so that China’s manufacturing (制造业) sector continues to flourish.”（张星海希望更多的年轻人到工厂工作，这样中国的制造业才能继续繁荣。）和第三段“Whatever job young people do is a matter of choice, but the manufacturing sector is facing a labor crunch (短缺) for too many people prefer jobs in other sectors.”（无论年轻人做什么工作都是一个选择问题，但是制造业正面临着劳动力短缺的问题，因为太多的人更喜欢去其他行业的工作。）可知，制造业正面临着劳动力短缺的问题，而第一段张星海说的话正表明中国年轻人越来越不愿意到工厂里去做制造业工作。故选C。 【2题详解】 主旨大意题。根据第四段“A survey conducted by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security in the third quarter of 2021 found that of 100 jobs that were facing a manpower crunch, 58 were in the manufacturing sector. By 2025, the shortage in 10 key manufacturing industries could be as high as 30 million.”（人力资源和社会保障部在2021年第三季度进行的一项调查发现，在面临人力短缺的100个就业岗位中，有58个来自制造业。到2025年，10个主要制造业的短缺能高达3000万。）可知，这一段主要讲述制造业正在面临严重的劳动力短缺问题。故选D。 【3题详解】 细节理解题。根据第六段“According to a survey in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, the annual income of express delivery workers in the city is more than 100,000 yuan ($15,831). In contrast, the average monthly salary of those doing blue-collar jobs in Guangdong in 2020 was just 7,108 yuan, or about 84,000 yuan a year. That gap surely needs to be reduced.”（根据广东省省会广州市的一项调查，该市快递员的年收入超过10万元人民币(约合15831美元)。相比之下，2020年广东蓝领工人的平均月薪仅为7108元，约合每年8.4万元。这个差距当然需要缩小）、第七段“Besides, the legal rights and interests of those doing blue-collar jobs need to be better protected. ”（此外，从事蓝领工作的人的合法权益需要更好的保护。）和最后一段“Also, the promotion and salary growth structure of factory workers must be clearly defined.”（此外，必须明确工厂工人的晋升和工资增长结构。）可知，工厂里的蓝领工人们工资较低，合法权益没有得到更好的保护，晋升和工资增长结构不明确。这些是年轻人不愿意到工厂工作的原因，所以选项A不是。故选A。 【4题详解】 推理判断题。根据最后一段“In a nutshell, to lure young people back to the factories, it is necessary to make blue-collar jobs more attractive.”（简而言之，为了吸引年轻人回到工厂，有必要使蓝领工作更具吸引力。）可知，作者对目前制造业的现状是很关心的。故选B。 Passage 3 States will be able to force more people to pay sales tax when they make online purchases under a Supreme Court decision Thursday that will leave shoppers with lighter wallets but is a big financial win for states. The Supreme Court’s opinion Thursday overruled a pair of decades-old decisions that states said cost them billions of dollars in lost revenue annually. The decisions made it more difficult for states to collect sales tax on certain online purchases. The cases the court overturned said that if a business was shipping a customer’s purchase to a state where the business didn’t have a physical presence such as a warehouse or office, the business didn’t have to collect sales tax for the state. Customers were generally responsible for paying the sales tax to the state themselves if they weren’t charged it, but most didn’t realize they owed it and few paid. Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote that the previous decisions were flawed. “Each year the physical presence rule becomes further removed from economic reality and results in significant revenue losses to the States,” he wrote in an opinion joined by four other justices. Kennedy wrote that the rule “limited States’ ability to seek long-term prosperity and has prevented market participants from competing on an even playing field.” The ruling is a victory for big chains with a presence in many states, since they usually collect sales tax on online purchases already. Now, rivals will be charging sales tax where they hadn’t before. Big chains have been collecting sales tax nationwide because they typically have physical stores in whatever state a purchase is being shipped to. Amazon.com, with its network of warehouses, also collects sales tax in every state that charges it, though third-party sellers who use the site don’t have to. Until now, many sellers that have a physical presence in only a single state or a few states have been able to avoid charging sales taxes when they ship to addresses outside those states. Sellers that use eBay and Etsy, which provide platforms for smaller sellers, also haven’t been collecting sales tax nationwide. Under the ruling Thursday, states can pass laws requiring out-of-state sellers to collect the state’s sales tax from customers and send it to the state. Retail trade groups praised the ruling, saying it levels the playing field for local and online businesses. The losers, said retail analyst Neil Saunders, are online-only retailers, especially smaller ones. Those retailers may face headaches complying with various state sales tax laws. The Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council advocacy group said in a statement, “Small businesses and internet entrepreneurs are not well served at all by this decision.” 1．The Supreme Court decision Thursday will ______. A．better businesses’ relations with states B．put most online businesses in a dilemma C．make more online shoppers pay sales tax D．force some states to cut sales tax 2．It can be learned from paragraphs 2 and 3 that the overruled decisions ______. A．have led to the dominance of e-commerce B．have cost consumers a lot over the years C．were widely criticized by online purchasers D．were considered unfavorable by states 3．According to Justice Anthony Kennedy, the physical presence rule has ______. A．hindered economic development B．brought prosperity to the country C．harmed fair market competition D．boosted growth in states revenue 4．In dealing with the Supreme Court decision Thursday, the author ______. A．gives a factual account of it and discusses its consequences B．describes the long and complicated process of its making C．presents its main points with conflicting views on them D．cites some cases related to it and analyzes their implications 【答案】1．C 2．D 3．C 4．A 【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了美国最高法院一项允许各州对更多在线购物收取销售税的决定，分析了其背景、影响以及各方反应。 1．细节理解题。根据第一段中的“States will be able to force more people to pay sales tax when they make online purchases under a Supreme Court decision Thursday that will leave shoppers with lighter wallets but is a big financial win for states.(根据最高法院周四的一项裁决，各州将能够强制更多的人在网上购物时缴纳销售税，这将使购物者的钱包更轻，但对各州来说是一个巨大的财政胜利)”可知，最高法院周四的裁决将使更多网购者支付销售税。故选C。 2．推理判断题。根据第二段“The Supreme Court’s opinion Thursday overruled a pair of decades-old decisions that states said cost them billions of dollars in lost revenue annually.(最高法院星期四的意见推翻了两项已有数十年历史的裁决，各州表示，这两项裁决每年造成数十亿美元的收入损失)”以及第三段的“The cases the court overturned said that if a business was shipping a customer’s purchase to a state where the business didn’t have a physical presence such as a warehouse or office, the business didn’t have to collect sales tax for the state. Customers were generally responsible for paying the sales tax to the state themselves if they weren’t charged it, but most didn’t realize they owed it and few paid.(法院推翻的案件称，如果一家企业将客户的购买品运往一个没有实体存在的州，如仓库或办公室，则该企业不必为该州征收销售税。如果没有向客户收取销售税，他们通常有责任自己向州政府支付，但大多数客户没有意识到他们欠了这笔税，很少有人支付)”可知，被推翻的决定导致州政府每年损失数十亿美元的收入，由此可推知，推翻的案件被认为是不利于州政府的。故选D。 3．细节理解题。根据第四段的“Kennedy wrote that the rule “limited States’ ability to seek long-term prosperity and has prevented market participants from competing on an even playing field.”(肯尼迪写道，该规则“限制了各国寻求长期繁荣的能力，并阻止了市场参与者在公平的竞争环境中竞争。”)”可知，肯尼迪认为实体存在规则限制了州寻求长期繁荣的能力，并阻碍了市场参与者在公平竞争环境中的竞争，即妨碍了经济发展。故选C。 4．推理判断题。通读全文可知，文章首先陈述了最高法院的这一裁决及其对消费者和州政府的影响（即更多网购需缴纳销售税，州政府收入增加），然后在后续段落中讨论了该裁决对不同商家群体（如大型连锁店、纯在线零售商、小型企业）的可能影响，由此可推知，在处理最高法院星期四的裁决时，作者对其进行了真实的描述并讨论了其后果。故选A。 Passage 4 Today’s young adults (aged 18 — 34) seem to avoid phone calls altogether, with a quarter admitting they’ve never even answered one. A recent survey shows a clear change in communication styles. Texting plays a leading role, with over 70% of young adults loving it. Voice notes are also very popular, being liked by nearly 40%. It seems linked to a general dislike of unexpected calls; more than half connect them with bad news. Interestingly, this aversion (讨厌) to phone calls isn’t shared by elders. Only 1% of those aged 35 — 54 use more texts than calls. The survey suggests a generational change in communication styles. Phone calls, once a useful tool for connection, are now seemingly dropping in favor of other methods like texting and voice notes. As reported, the young have played a main role in the online messages and text messages. An ordinary explanation for their unwillingness to answer phone calls is the pressure connected with them. More than half of them think there are negative news when receiving unexpected calls. The young generally like planned phone conversations as the primary means of communication. Whatever the case, it’s clear that today, we don’t even imagine communicating without the help of a phone. New technologies, such as social media, would ruin human relationships in the long term. As a matter of fact, this may already be happening. Indeed, we can’t ignore the value of the voice in human relations. Listening to the expression of another person brings us much closer to them. It’s also easier to emotionally connect with others in this way. Text messages are more often misunderstood. When communicating something serious, it’s always better to make a phone call. 1．What causes the change in communication styles? A．The young feel pleasant to answer phone calls. B．All of the young think voice notes are popular. C．Few young people connect them with bad news. D．The young are unwilling to receive unexpected calls. 2．What the function of the numbers listed in paragraph 2? A．To provide evidence. B．To make a comparison. C．To draw a conclusion. D．To explain the reasons. 3．What can we learn about making a phone call from the last paragraph? A．It is easier to respond to. B．It makes us feel far away. C．It brings a closer connection. D．It is more often misunderstood. 4．What is the best title for the text? A．Answer a phone call in no time! B．Put away your phone while talking! C．Can making a phone call be replaced? D．How can we communicate in the future? 【答案】1．D 2．B 3．C 4. C 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要讨论了年轻人对电话通话的回避以及对短信和语音留言的偏好，表明通信方式发生了代际变化，而电话作为联络工具的地位逐渐被其他方式所取代。同时，文章也强调了声音在人际关系中的重要性，指出在严肃沟通中，电话仍然是更好的选择。 1．细节理解题。根据第二段中“It seems linked to a general dislike of unexpected calls; more than half connect them with bad news. (这似乎与人们普遍不喜欢意外的电话有关；超过一半的人将它们与坏消息联系在一起)”可知，年轻人不愿意接听意外的电话是导致通信方式变化的主要原因。故选D项。 2．推理判断题。根据第二段中“Texting plays a leading role, with over 70% of young adults loving it. Voice notes are also very popular, being liked by nearly 40%. (发短信在其中占主导地位，超过70%的年轻人喜欢发短信。语音留言也很受欢迎，有近40%的人喜欢)”和“Interestingly, this aversion (讨厌) to phone calls isn’t shared by elders. Only 1% of those aged 35 — 54 use more texts than calls. (有趣的是，老年人并不反感打电话。在35至54岁的人群中，只有1%的人发短信比打电话多)”可推知，此处的数字用于比较不同年龄段的人在通信方式上的偏好。故选B项。 3．推理判断题。根据最后一段中“Indeed, we can’t ignore the value of the voice in human relations. Listening to the expression of another person brings us much closer to them. It’s also easier to emotionally connect with others in this way. (的确，我们不能忽视声音在人际关系中的价值。倾听他人的表达能让我们更接近他们。以这种方式与他人建立情感联系也更容易)”可知，倾听声音在人际关系中很重要，能更好地维系亲近感，建立情感联系。由此可知，打电话可以带来更紧密的联系。故选C项。 4．主旨大意题。通读全文可知，文章主要讨论了年轻人对电话通话的回避以及对短信和语音留言的偏好，表明通信方式发生了代际变化，而电话作为联络工具的地位逐渐被其他方式所取代。同时，文章也强调了声音在人际关系中的重要性，指出在严肃沟通中，电话仍然是更好的选择。因此，C项“打电话会被取代吗？”涵盖了通信方式的变化和对未来通信方式的思考，契合文章主旨，适合作为文章标题。故选C项。 Passage 5 When students got their textbooks at the beginning of the year at San Mateo High School, they also received the Yondr pouch Youdr (口袋), a locking device for their phones. The phone slides into it and gets locked through a magnetic (磁力的) device. It’s not unlocked again until the final bell rings. The procedure will repeat every day for the rest of the school year. Adam Gelb, the vice-president, ran a pilot project last year with 20 students and decided to do a school-wide, bell to bell program for this school year. The Yondr pouch is a start-up in San Francisco with a mission to create phone-free spaces, something that is the very thought with Gelb. “I really think it’s about being present and engaging in the adult that’s trying to teach you, and your peers that might be in your small group. That’s part of the main philosophy that we're trying to spread,” he said. Brad Friedman, another teacher at the school, said he was becoming concerned with overuse of phones at school. He said he often saw students completely lost on their phones, some not socializing at all with other students. This week, he’s already seeing the difference. “Everyone else was socializing and eating lunch together. That’s what I wasn’t seeing enough of when phone usage is at its worst,” he said. A senior at San Mateo High School Djelani Phillips-Diop said he definitely panicked at first when he heard he had to lock his phone. “I panicked, I guess. Last year when we had phones, I was using it every day,” he said. In case of emergency, every classroom has the unlocking device. Teachers still have access to their own cellphones and desk phones. “We’ve gotten all 1,700 students unlocked with a matter of minutes,” said Gelb. We spoke to four students who, despite their initial panic, agreed that a phone-free school experience has its benefits. 1. What can we learn about the Yondr pouch from paragraph 1? A. It is a device to lock phones. B. It is a bell to unlock phones. C. It is a device to be used for a year. D. It is a phone intended for students. 2. The Youdr pouch is used more in Gelb’s school to ______________________. A. create space to use phones freely B. help the students to be more outgoing C. encourage more mutual communication among students D. help the students to realize the harm of overuse of phones 3. What is Friedman’s attitude to the use of the Yondr pouch ? A. Concerned. B. Favorable. C. Disapproving. D. Doubtful. 4. What can be learned from the passage? A. The students were willing to have their phones locked at first. B. The phone will get unlocked automatically when there is an emergency C. Students prefer eating lunch together with their phones in hand. D. Some students came to realize the benefits of the phone-free program. 【答案】1. A 2. C 3. B 4. D 【分析】本文是一篇说明文，主要介绍了美国加州的San Mateo High School（圣马特奥市中学）在新学期发放课本的同时也发给学生一个用来锁手机的袋子——the Yondr pouch，以此来限制学生在校过度使用手机，逐渐把学生的注意力从一块手机屏幕转移到更有意义的校园活动和社交上来。 【1题详解】 细节理解题。根据第一段“they also received the Yondr pouch, a locking device for their phones.”可知the Yondr pouch是一个用来锁手机的设备，故选A。 【2题详解】 细节理解题。根据第三段引用副校长（这项创新举措的设计者之一）的原话“I really think it’s about being present and engaging in the adult that’s trying to teach you, and your peers that might be in your small group. That’s part of the main philosophy that we're trying to spread”可知，在学校推广the Yondr pouch的目的是让学生不使用手机，专注于参与老师或小组的活动；第五段也提到，没有手机在手，学生们能相互交流，共进午餐，大家愿意参与校园社交了，情况发生了很大的变化，故选C。 【3题详解】 推理判断题。本题要求判断这位同学对校方这项做法的态度，根据第四、五段可知Brad Friedman看到了使用the Yondr pouch前后学生的变化——很多人从沉溺于手机到积极参与社交，校内氛围好了很多，由此推断出他是满意这种变化的，而四个选项中只有favorable（赞成的、赞许的）符合这种“褒”的态度，故选B。 【4题详解】 推理判断题。根据倒数第三段“We spoke to four students who, despite their initial panic, agreed that a phone-free school experience has its benefits.”可推知有一部分学生从最初的恐慌、抵触逐渐转变，最终意识到“无手机校园”的好处，D项中came to realize the benefits很好地表达出了学生态度有前后变化，且内容契合原文，故选D。 话题5 文学艺术 Passage 1 Though many of us may have been away somewhere nice last summer, few would say that we’ve “summered”. “Summer” is clearly a noun — a verbed noun. In our childhood, we all learned the difference between a noun and a verb. With such a clear definition, it was easy to notice the difference. Not so in adulthood, when we are expected to “foot” the bill and “chair” meetings. Chances are that you didn’t feel uncomfortable about those verbed nouns. “The verbing of nouns is as old as the English language,” says Patricia, a former editor at The New York Times Book Review. Experts found that 20% of all English verbs were originally nouns. And it seems to be snowballing. Since 1900, about 40% of new verbs have come from nouns. Even though the conversion (转化) is quite common, plenty of language experts disagree with it. William Strunk Jr. and E.B．White have this to say, “Many nouns lately have been pressed into service as verbs. Not all are bad, but some are in doubt.” The Chicago Manual of Style takes a similar standpoint, advising writers to use verbs with great care. “Sometimes people dislike a new verb because they refuse to accept what is unfamiliar to them,” says Patricia. That’s why we’re comfortable “hosting” a party, but we might feel upset by the thought of “medaling” in sports. So are there any rules for verbing? Benjamin Dreyer, copy chief at Random House, doesn’t offer a rule, but suggests that people think twice about “verbifying” (使动词化) a noun if it’s easily replaced by an already existing popular verb. Make sure it’s descriptive but not silly-sounding, he says. In the end, however, style is subjective (主观的). The easy conversion of nouns to verbs has been part of English grammar for centuries. It is one of the processes that make English “ English”. Not every new word passes into general use, but as for trying to end verbing altogether, forget it. 1．What can we learn about the verbing of nouns? A．It has come into use since a long time ago. B．It has been supported by many language experts. C．It is easily replaced by existing verbs in practice. D．It is more commonly accepted by children than adults. 2．What is language experts’ attitude towards the verbing of nouns? A．Negative. B．Careful. C．Unclear. D．Positive. 3．What can we infer from the last two paragraphs? A．It is impossible to end the verbing of nouns. B．New verbs will stay in the English language forev$