专题06 阅读理解C篇 （上海专用）2026年高考英语二模分类汇编

专题06 阅读理解C篇 编者按：2026年上海十六区高三二模收集齐全，深度解析，排版整齐。 （一） （2025~2026学年闵行区二模） In the middle of my 20s, there was a baldness (秃头) debate among the men: if one went bald, did it make them all look old? And if so, did the first bald man have the responsibility to take hair-growth serum (精华)? It was so fierce that considerations like: “Does the serum really work? And if it does, why is anybody bald?” became less important. I can’t remember how the debate ended because, sooner or later, give or take 25 years, everyone was bald, except for the ones who most definitely were not. Now in our 50s, the battleground is reading glasses and people handle them in small, sometimes amusing ways. One friend hates it when you never quite take them off, and just slide them to the top of your head, because she thinks it’s beyond physical laziness: the beginning of ruin, like eating with your hands, or putting your feet on the table. I love wearing my glasses on my head, because then I either know where they are, or forget where they are, and am wearing a pair on my face as well, win-win. But I hate it when people wear them round their neck on a chain, because it symbolizes that my decoration days are over. From now on, anything I hang off myself will be useful, and soon I will get a flashlight and a big bunch of keys, and I’ll be ready for absolutely anything except the fancy life. One of my friends can’t understand why everyone doesn’t have contact lenses (隐形眼镜). Another friend hates it when anyone’s glasses are attached to them by anything, because it means he can’t steal them, which he does constantly; often you can only find them again by following the sound of him shouting: “are these a THREE POINT FIVE?” Another friend won’t wear anything out of pride, and has the text size so large on his phone that I have accidentally read every text he’s been sent for the past five years, one giant word at a time. No kind of glasses can make us look younger, unless we all lose them together; then we’ll all look 25. 43. The men debated baldness fiercely because they ______. A. doubted whether hair serum really worked B. were uncertain about when they might go bald C. disagreed about how hair loss could be prevented D. worried that baldness would make them look older 44. What does the word “ruin” most nearly mean in paragraph 2? A. A decline in manners or standards. B. A loss of physical strength. C. A failure in personal relationships. D. A problem caused by poor eyesight. 45. By saying “then we’ll all look 25” in the last sentence, the author implies that ______. A. glasses can easily make people appear older B. losing glasses will make people look younger C. aging signs matter less when everyone shares them D. people should avoid wearing glasses whenever possible 46. What is the main idea of the passage? A. People argue about whether hair growth products are effective. B. People humorously discuss signs of aging as they grow older. C. Middle-aged people develop different habits when using reading glasses. D. Technology has changed the way people deal with vision problems. 【答案】43. D 44. A 45. C 46. B 【解析】 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。主要介绍了不同年龄段男性对秃头、老花镜等衰老标志的幽默讨论与应对方式。 【43题详解】 细节理解题。根据第一段“In the middle of my 20s, there was a baldness (秃头) debate among the men: if one went bald, did it make them all look old? (在我20多岁的中期，男人们有一场关于秃顶的争论：如果一个人秃顶了，会不会让他们都显得老？)”可知，男士们激烈讨论秃头问题是因为担心秃头会让他们显老。故选D项。 【44题详解】 词句猜测题。根据第二段“One friend hates it when you never quite take them off, and just slide them to the top of your head, because she thinks it’s beyond physical laziness: the beginning of ruin, like eating with your hands, or putting your feet on the table. (一位朋友讨厌你从不把它们摘下来，只是把它们滑到头顶，因为她认为这超出了身体的懒惰：ruin的开始，就像用手吃饭，或者把脚放在桌子上。)”可知，朋友认为把眼镜推到头顶与用手吃饭、脚放桌上等不雅行为并列，是“毁灭的开始”，均体现“行为举止的退化”。故选A项。 【45题详解】 推理判断题。根据最后一段“No kind of glasses can make us look younger, unless we all lose them together; then we’ll all look 25. (没有任何一种眼镜能让我们看起来更年轻，除非我们一起把它们弄丢；那样我们看起来就都是25岁了。)”可知，当大家都有同样的衰老痕迹时，这些痕迹就没那么显眼了，作者通过夸张表达“当所有人共同面对衰老标志时，个体差异 (如显老)便不再重要”。故选C项。 【46题详解】 主旨大意题。文章以男性群体对秃头、老花镜等衰老标志的讨论为主线，穿插不同年龄段(20多岁、50多岁)的幽默应对方式，如“把眼镜当头饰”“用链条挂眼镜”等，体现对衰老的调侃态度，主要内容是介绍随着年龄的增长，人们会幽默地讨论衰老的迹象。故选B项。 （二） （2025~2026学年金山区二模） We’ve all heard about techniques to get us more physically active—take the stairs, park the car a bit further from your destination, get up and march in place for a minute or two when standing or sitting at a desk. Now a study finds even simple housework may make a difference in brain health in our 70s and 80s. “Exercise is an inexpensive way to improve health. Our study shows it may have a protective effect on the brain,” says Dr. Aron S. Buchman with Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, who led the study. Previous research found just 45 minutes of walking three days a week actually increased brain volume among individuals 65 and older. The new study, published in an online issue of Neurology, is unique. Buchman was able to analyze the actual brains of study participants. The findings are a “great thank you” to the participants who agreed to donate their brains for research after death, he says. The study looked at 454 older adults who were 70 or older when the research began. Of those adults, 191 had behavioral signs of dementia (痴呆) and 263 did not. In the research that was done in the final years of their lives, each participant wore an activity monitor called an accelerometer. It measured those participants’ physical activity around the clock—everything from walking around the house to exercise routines. Researchers collected and evaluated ten days of movement data for each participant and calculated an average daily activity score. The findings show that higher levels of daily movement were linked to better thinking and memory skills. And when Buchman analyzed brain tissue under a microscope, this finding turned out to be the case even for individuals with at least three signs of Alzheimer’s disease(阿尔茨海默症). Even though these individuals might have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, 30 percent of them had “normal” cognition at death, says Buchman. Why one person shows signs of dementia and another, who has similar degenerative(退行性的) changes in the brain, does not, is a mystery. But Buchman says the new findings suggest that physical activity may be protective, even while developing Alzheimer’s. It sort of masks the symptoms, he says. It suggests that you can have some control over your brain health even if you don’t have control over developing Alzheimer’s. And, while intense activity and exercise is highly beneficial, light activity can make a difference as well, says Buchman. “As long as you have some activity and you’re moving, whether you’re chopping onions or sweeping the floor,” you can reduce your risk of cognitive decline. 43. What makes the new study unique compared to previous research? A. It involves a larger number of participants than earlier studies. B. It proves that intense exercise is more effective than light activity. C. It discovers that housework is the best form of exercise for the elderly. D. It allows researchers to examine participants’ actual brain tissue after death. 44. According to the study, what is the effect of light physical activity on individuals with Alzheimer’s disease? A. It completely cures the disease. B. It has no significant impact on brain health. C. It slows down the progression of the Alzheimer’s disease. D. It may cover up symptoms and reduce the cognitive decline. 45. Which of the following would be the most appropriate title for this passage? A. The Cure for Alzheimer’s: A New Medical Breakthrough B. Why Housework Is Better Than Gym Exercise for Seniors C. Physical Activity: A Protective Barrier Against Brain Aging D. The Mystery of Dementia: Why Some People Are Immune 46. What is Dr. Buchman’s attitude towards the study’s findings? A. Appreciative and cautiously optimistic. B. Indifferent to the participants’ contributions. C. Pessimistic about their practical application. D. Suspicious of the link between exercise and brain health. 【答案】 43. D 44. D | 45. C | 46. A 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。新研究发现，包括简单家务在内的日常身体活动对 70-80 岁人群大脑健康有保护作用，可掩盖阿尔茨海默病症状、降低认知衰退风险。 36. 答案：D 【解析】细节理解题。根据第四段 “analyze the actual brains of study participants...donate their brains for research after death” 可知，该研究独特性在于可解剖分析逝者脑组织，故选 D。 37. 答案：D 【解析】细节理解题。根据最后一段 “light activity can make a difference”“reduce your risk of cognitive decline” 及前文 “masks the symptoms” 可知，轻度活动可掩盖症状、减缓认知衰退，故选 D。 38. 答案：C 【解析】主旨大意题。全文核心是身体活动对大脑衰老的保护作用，故选 C。 39. 答案：A 【解析】观点态度题。Dr. Buchman 感谢参与者，同时谨慎提出活动的保护作用，态度为欣赏且谨慎乐观，故选 A。 （三） （2025~2026学年松江区二模） What makes the brain able to help us perform complex tasks in an amazing way? Precision isn’t the answer; instead, it all comes down to the brain’s messiness. Hengen, a biologist at Washington University, together with other scientists, refers to this idea as the critical brain hypothesis (假说). According to them, grey matter in our brain lies near a tipping point between order and disorder that they call the critical zone. They reach the conclusion that criticality — the state of being in the critical zone — offers a powerful set of guidelines for understanding brain function and dysfunction. Therefore, the hypothesis may aid us to figure out the divide in intelligence and the purpose of sleep, among other things. What makes people smarter? That the healthy brain, while awake, never moves too far from criticality suggests that it must carry some great advantages. One of them is the range of information sending and processing. Since the critical systems are scale-invariant, signals can be passed over both small and large distances in the brain, which enables communication both within and between different brain regions. The fact that a healthy brain can explore the entire space for solutions guarantees its excellent adaptiveness to new situations. And the enhanced flexibility arising from the critical zone could be seen in an experiment done in Finland. The participants had to play a computer game that constantly changed its rules, which required them to update their approach quickly. The closer their brains were to the critical point, the better they performed. It is also suspected that the brain’s closeness to the critical point may be especially important for creativity. Why do people sleep? Large departures from the critical zone — either into order or disorder — may cause brain dysfunction. The longer we work the brain, the further it moves from the tipping point, but sleep helps to tune it back. Hengen found that without that rest period, the brain would fail to reach its best state, resulting in the reduction of cognitive (认知的) performance that has long been known to accompany sleeplessness. According to O’Byrne from the University of Montreal, the most important function of sleep may be to allow the brain’s connections to be adjusted and to return whole-brain dynamics to the critical point. 43. What does the expression this idea in paragraph 2 mean? A. The structure of the brain is a complex system. B. Precision of the tasks affects the brain’s function. C. The brain is able to complete given tasks in an amazing way. D. Messiness of the brain enables it to handle complex problems. 44. It can be inferred from paragraph 3 that ______. A. adaptability is not as closely connected to criticality as creativity B. the changing rules promotes people’s performance in playing games C. signals’ quick passing in the brain represents its excellent adaptiveness D. closeness to criticality allows cross-regional communication in the brain 45. What can we conclude from the last paragraph? A. Frequent use of brain moves it from disorder. B. Sleep can serve to enlarge brain’s critical zone. C. Sleep aids in bringing the brain back to criticality. D. Brain’s approaching criticality causes sleeplessness. 46. What is the passage mainly about? A. When the brain reaches and leaves the tipping point. B. What the critical brain hypothesis means and reveals. C. How criticality affects different people’s intelligence. D. Why brain function and dysfunction are so important. 【答案】43. D 44. D 45. C 46. B 【解析】 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了“临界大脑假说”，解释了大脑的“混乱状态”使其能高效处理复杂任务，并阐述了临界状态与智力、睡眠之间的关系。 【43题详解】 词句猜测题。根据第一段“What makes the brain able to help us perform complex tasks in an amazing way? Precision isn’t the answer; instead, it all comes down to the brain’s messiness.(是什么让大脑能够以惊人的方式帮助我们完成复杂的任务？精确度不是答案；相反，这一切都归结于大脑的混乱。)”以及第二段中的“Hengen, a biologist at Washington University, together with other scientists, refers to this idea as the critical brain hypothesis (假说).(华盛顿大学的生物学家Hengen和其他科学家将这一想法称为临界大脑假说。)”可知，这里的“this idea”指的是前文提到的大脑的混乱能让它处理复杂问题。故选D项。 【44题详解】 推理判断题。根据第三段中的“Since the critical systems are scale-invariant, signals can be passed over both small and large distances in the brain, which enables communication both within and between different brain regions.(由于关键系统具有尺度不变性，信号可以在大脑中远距离和近距离传递，这使得不同大脑区域内部和之间的通信成为可能。)”可知，接近临界状态允许大脑进行跨区域通信。故选D项。 【45题详解】 推理判断题。根据最后一段中的“Why do people sleep? Large departures from the critical zone — either into order or disorder — may cause brain dysfunction. The longer we work the brain, the further it moves from the tipping point, but sleep helps to tune it back.(人为什么要睡觉？严重偏离临界区——无论是走向有序还是无序——都可能导致大脑功能障碍。我们使用大脑的时间越长，它离临界点就越远，但睡眠有助于将其调整回来。)”可知，睡眠有助于将大脑带回临界状态。故选C项。 【46题详解】 主旨大意题。根据第二段中的“According to them, grey matter in our brain lies near a tipping point between order and disorder that they call the critical zone. They reach the conclusion that criticality — the state of being in the critical zone — offers a powerful set of guidelines for understanding brain function and dysfunction.(根据他们的说法，我们大脑中的灰质位于有序和无序之间的一个临界点附近，他们称之为临界区。他们得出的结论是，临界性——处于临界区的状态——为理解大脑功能和不功能提供了一套强有力的指导方针。)”以及后文围绕临界大脑假说展开的介绍可知，文章主要介绍了临界大脑假说的含义和揭示的内容。故选B项。 （四） （2025~2026学年浦东新区二模） Understanding a simple-looking sentence such as “I read this article” actually requires some complicated conceptual computation. But the human brain routinely does this work nearly immediately based on the language’s grammatical rules, says linguist (语言学家) Clara Beckett in the Netherlands. And Beckett’s team has now found that the human brain accommodates fundamental grammatical differences across languages by adjusting how it processes each sentence. For a recent study in PLOS Biology, the researchers observed variations in Dutch-speaking participants’ brain waves while they listened to a Dutch-language audiobook. To visualize these changes, the scientists quantify how many new “predictions” the brain makes of words that could come next in a sentence. This framework was then tested against three different parsing strategies, or linguistic models that illustrate how the brain builds information over time. Previous English-based studies with a similar setup concluded in favor of a model where listeners “wait and see” how each phrase in a sentence will end before interpreting it. But the Dutch speakers in Beckett’s study leaned strongly toward a highly predictive model; participants tended to finish each phrase in their head before it was complete. (A third model, in which listeners wait to hear all the phrases in a sentence before interpreting any part of it, is seldom used in either language.) In Dutch language structure, verbs come near the end of a sentence rather than immediately after the subject like they do in English, explains study lead author Linden in New York University. For instance, “‘I ate a cookie with chocolate’ in Dutch would be ‘I the cookie with chocolate ate.’ You would have to wait very long for the verb to come,” Linden says. “And that’s probably unrealistically late; you’re probably much more predictive in processing” the sentence. Neither parsing strategy is necessarily “better or worse” than the other, Linden adds. “It just happens to be suited to the language people are processing. So we seem to be quite flexible in that you might process one language differently from another simply because they have different properties.” The findings support the need for scientists to incorporate more diversity when crafting linguistic models, says Zining Qiu, a linguist who was not involved in the new study. Her own work has illustrated how different brain regions activate when processing English or Chinese sentences because of their differing linguistic properties. If these studies are done only in English-speaking adults, she says, crucial differences in processing will be missed. Qiu maintains that this limitation defeats the purpose of the models, which are meant to provide a realistic picture of human language-based thinking. Diversifying subjects in studies of how the brain processes language “is going to help us capture how the brain is understanding the structured meaning of language, and the social utility of language, in many different ways,” Beckett says. “There’s so much yet to be understood in the brain.” 43. Which of the following situations best shows the result of conceptual computation (Para.1)? A. A child repeats “kangaroo” after hearing it from her mother. B. A listener instantly knows who did what in “Dad made pizza”. C. A student takes notes to break down a complicated argument. D. A processor totals the number of words in a sentence in no time. 44. The linguistic model in Dutch is highly predictive because _______. A. Dutch verbs arrive late, forcing the brain to predict early B. Dutch-language audiobooks help visualize the meaning C. Dutch speakers use various models to analyze sentences D. Dutch listeners “wait and see” how each phrase will end 45. Zining Qiu would most likely agree that _______. A. English-based studies have huge scientific value B. existing linguistic models may not apply universally C. only non-English languages deserve further investigation D. findings from Dutch speakers contradict previous research 46. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage? A. European grammar rules B. Understanding the brain C. Comparing Dutch and English D. Language on the mind 【答案】43. B 44. A 45. B 46. D 【解析】 【导语】本文是一篇说明文，主要介绍语言学家克拉拉·贝克特团队的研究发现：人类大脑会根据语言的语法规则，对看似简单的句子进行复杂的概念计算，并通过调整处理方式来适应不同语言的基本语法差异。 【43题详解】 推理判断题。根据第一段“Understanding a simple-looking sentence such as “I read this article” actually requires some complicated conceptual computation. But the human brain routinely does this work nearly immediately based on the language’s grammatical rules, says linguist (语言学家) Clara Beckett in the Netherlands.(像“我读了这篇文章”这种看似简单的句子，想要真正理解它，其实需要进行一些复杂的概念运算。 但荷兰语言学家克拉拉・贝克特表示，人类大脑几乎总是能依据语言的语法规则，瞬间完成这一过程)”可知，概念计算是大脑基于语法规则对句子进行理解的过程。B选项“A listener instantly knows who did what in ‘Dad made pizza’.(听众立刻知道在‘爸爸做了披萨’这句话中谁做了什么)”，听众能基于语法规则快速理解句子含义，体现了概念计算的结果，故选B项。 【44题详解】 细节理解题。根据第四段“In Dutch language structure, verbs come near the end of a sentence rather than immediately after the subject like they do in English, explains study lead author Linden in New York University. For instance, “‘I ate a cookie with chocolate’ in Dutch would be ‘I the cookie with chocolate ate.’ You would have to wait very long for the verb to come,” Linden says. “And that’s probably unrealistically late; you’re probably much more predictive in processing” the sentence.(纽约大学该研究的第一作者林登解释说，在荷兰语的结构中，动词出现在句子末尾附近，而不像英语那样紧跟在主语之后。 例如，“I ate a cookie with chocolate”（我吃了一块巧克力饼干）用荷兰语表达会是 “I the cookie with chocolate ate”。 林登说：“你必须等很久才能等到动词出现。而这种延迟在现实理解中是不切实际的，因此你在处理句子时很可能会进行大量的预判。”)”可知，荷兰语中动词出现较晚，这使得大脑不得不提前预测，所以荷兰语的语言模型具有高度预测性，故选A项。 【45题详解】 推理判断题。根据第六段“The findings support the need for scientists to incorporate more diversity when crafting linguistic models, says Zining Qiu, a linguist who was not involved in the new study. Her own work has illustrated how different brain regions activate when processing English or Chinese sentences because of their differing linguistic properties. If these studies are done only in English-speaking adults, she says, crucial differences in processing will be missed. Qiu maintains that this limitation defeats the purpose of the models, which are meant to provide a realistic picture of human language-based thinking.(未参与这项新研究的语言学家邱子宁表示，这些研究结果表明，科学家在构建语言模型时必须纳入更多元的语言类型。 她自己的研究已经证明，由于英语和汉语的语言特性不同，人们在处理这两种语言的句子时，大脑的不同区域会被激活。她说，如果这些研究只在讲英语的成年人中开展，就会忽略语言处理过程中的关键差异。 邱子宁认为，这种局限性会违背语言模型的初衷 —— 模型本应真实反映人类基于语言的思维过程)”可知，邱子宁认为现有的基于英语的语言模型可能无法普遍适用，故选B项。 【46题详解】 主旨大意题。主要介绍语言学家克拉拉·贝克特团队的研究发现：人类大脑会根据语言的语法规则，对看似简单的句子进行复杂的概念计算，并通过调整处理方式来适应不同语言的基本语法差异。D选项“Language on the mind(脑海中的语言)”能较好概括文章内容。为最佳标题。故选D项。 （五） （2025~2026学年奉贤区二模） In French culture, seven is known as l’âge de raison — the age at which children can tell right from wrong and assume some moral responsibility. Yet France’s national rail operator appears to disagree. They believe that children must be at least 12 to behave appropriately on a train. Earlier this month, SNCF, the state-owned railway company, launched its new Optimum Plus tariff (费用) on weekday rail services between Paris and Lyon, offering larger seats, better food and no under-12s. Designed to attract business travellers, the move aroused criticism and a wider debate about the place of children in society, particularly at a time of declining birthrates. “We can’t say we’re not having enough children and at the same time try to exclude them from everywhere,” argued Sarah El Hairy, a French official. Those who have endured long journeys with noisy children may understand the appeal of child-free spaces. But the reaction reflects a strong cultural objection. France traditionally grants children autonomy and responsibility, prioritising their integration into wider society. Children are expected to take part in everyday rituals, from elaborate school lunches to polite greetings. The underlying logic is simple: treating children as valued, responsible members of society helps them become respectful adults. Excluding them from public spaces weakens that lesson. The “no kids” rule therefore struck a nerve. SNCF, closely tied to French identity and summer holidays, is generally family-friendly. For example, activity packs are distributed to young travellers, and summer trains often carry groups of children heading to camps. After the social media storm, SNCF stressed that the new tariff applies to only 8% of weekday seats on one route and later removed references to a minimum age. Yet debate continues. Critics argue that a society unwilling to tolerate children is troubling. The controversy also connects with demographic (人口的) anxiety. Although France still has one of the highest birth rates in the EU, births have fallen sharply, with 24% fewer babies born last year than in 2010. The French government has called for expanding paid parental leave and maintaining extensive family support. Still, concerns about living costs and the climate crisis weigh heavily on decisions about parenthood. SNCF’s policy may affect only a small number of seats, but the reaction matters. Keeping children welcome in public spaces will not reverse falling birth rates. Treating them as troubles, however, is unlikely to help. 43. Why did SNCF launch the Optimum Plus tariff? A. To offer larger seats to children under 12. B. To appeal to frequent business travellers. C. To encourage public discussion about children. D. To promote the sale of rail tickets on weekends. 44. What can be inferred about SNCF according to the passage? A. It insists on the “no kids” rule despite strong opposition. B. It has long been criticized for not being family-friendly. C. It has attempted to soften the impact of the new policy. D. It promises to grant young passengers more autonomy. 45. The “no kids” policy arouses public concern in France because _______. A. it conflicts with France’s traditional attitude to children B. it has further decreased the birth rate among French C. it limits children’s access to all public transportation D. it may cause stress-related nerve problems in children 46. What is the author’s overall attitude in the passage? A. Neutral and mixed about the policy’s social impact. B. Concerned and critical of “no-kids” rule on board. C. Worried but supportive of policies favouring parents. D. Suspicious yet respectful of the rail operator’s policy. 【答案】43. B 44. C 45. A 46. B 【解析】 【导语】本文是一篇议论文。文章主要讲述了法国国家铁路运营商推出“无儿童”票价政策引发的争议及其背后反映的社会文化问题。 【43题详解】 细节理解题。根据第二段中“Earlier this month, SNCF, the state-owned railway company, launched its new Optimum Plus tariff (费用) on weekday rail services between Paris and Lyon, offering larger seats, better food and no under-12s. Designed to attract business travellers, the move aroused criticism and a wider debate about the place of children in society, particularly at a time of declining birthrates.(本月早些时候，法国国有铁路公司SNCF，在巴黎至里昂的工作日列车线路上推出全新的“优享加强版”票价，该席位座椅更宽敞、餐食更优质，且禁止十二岁以下儿童乘坐。此举初衷是吸引商务旅客，却引发诸多非议，也掀起一场关于儿童社会地位的广泛讨论，尤其当下法国正面临出生率走低的现状。)”可知，SNCF推出“优享加强版”票价是为了吸引经常出差的商务旅客。故选B。 【44题详解】 细节理解题。根据第四段中“After the social media storm, SNCF stressed that the new tariff applies to only 8% of weekday seats on one route and later removed references to a minimum age. Yet debate continues.(在社交媒体舆论发酵后，法国国家铁路公司出面表态，强调该新票价仅覆盖一条线路工作日8%的席位，后续还删除了相关最低年龄限制的条款，但相关争议仍未平息。)”可知，SNCF试图减轻新政策的影响。故选C。 【45题详解】 细节理解题。根据第三段中“But the reaction reflects a strong cultural objection. France traditionally grants children autonomy and responsibility, prioritising their integration into wider society. Children are expected to take part in everyday rituals, from elaborate school lunches to polite greetings. The underlying logic is simple: treating children as valued, responsible members of society helps them become respectful adults. Excluding them from public spaces weakens that lesson.(但民众的反对呼声，实则源于根深蒂固的文化观念。法国向来赋予孩子自主权利与责任意识，重视让他们融入整个社会。孩子们需要参与日常各类生活礼仪，从精致丰盛的校园午餐，到礼貌得体的待人问候，皆是如此。背后的道理十分浅显：将孩子视作受重视、有担当的社会一员，才能助力他们成长为懂尊重、有教养的成年人。而将孩童隔绝在公共空间之外，只会背离这一教育初衷。)”可知，“无儿童”政策引起了法国公众的关注，因为它与法国对儿童的传统态度相冲突。故选A。 【46题详解】 推理判断题。根据最后一段“SNCF’s policy may affect only a small number of seats, but the reaction matters. Keeping children welcome in public spaces will not reverse falling birth rates. Treating them as troubles, however, is unlikely to help.(SNCF的政策可能只影响少数座位，但反应很重要。让儿童在公共空间受到欢迎不会扭转出生率下降的趋势。然而，把他们当作麻烦事不太可能有所帮助。)”可知，作者对火车上的“无儿童”规则表示担忧和批评。故选B。 （六） （2025~2026学年崇明区二模） Doing something you’re bad at can make you better at what you’re good at, as well as potentially making you good at something new. Understanding this dynamic can give you an edge in your own area of excellence, and enhance your life generally. To be great at what you do, take a chance on failing at something else. Trying to do something but coming up short is not fun. Take up skiing as an adult, and you will almost certainly be frustrated as you fall down over and over. The reason why we hate being bad at things and failing is because when goal-directed activity is blocked, that stimulates our dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, which is part of the brain’s pain system. This is the same region affected when we experience social rejection. This kind of mental pain does, however, have an evolved benefit — creating the motivation to succeed, if not at the activity at hand then at some other one. This motivation effect is detectable in plenty of areas, like in business activities. As a group of psychologists reported when employees are frustrated by their relative incompetence at one task, they tend to be motivated to show more competence for something they’re already better at. Perhaps you can relate to this finding when, pushed to perform outside your comfort zone at work, you discovered that you had greater motivation in your regular job afterward. The mental pain of failure can also stimulate you to become better at the activity in which you lack competence — if you can reframe the negative experience as an indicator of personal growth. This is what researchers found when they conducted a field experiment at an improvisation (即兴表演) club. One group of amateur improvisers was instructed to actively seek the feeling of awkwardness. The scholars found that compared with improvisers who were not given this instruction, the first group was more engaged in the exercise. Instead of seeing the discomfort as something to avoid, they saw it as central to the process and accepted it. Another helpful way to turn the discomfort of failure into a source of progress is what psychologists call “action rumination.” It is task-focused and involves replaying the exact missteps that one made and how they could be corrected in the future. Scholars have shown that thinking through something you have done poorly in this intentionally corrective way can lead to learning and improvement as opposed to frustration and embarrassment. It is clear that although we hate to fail, doing so can be beneficial for learning a new skill and mastering an old one. This has implications for how to improve ordinary life. 43. According to the passage, if employees feel frustrated after failing a new project, they might ______. A. attempt to seek discomfort in other work activities B. experience serious social rejection from colleagues C. become more motivated to excel in their regular work D. quit the job to avoid further frustration from new tasks 44. What is a key requirement for failure to help improve poor skills? A. Avoiding feelings of discomfort associated with failure. B. Using the frustration to boost performance in another area. C. Developing a strong desire to master the target skill quickly. D. Interpreting the setback as an opportunity for self-improvement. 45. What does “action rumination” in para. 5 most probably refer to? A. Accepting the discomfort caused by failure. B. Seeking help from others to correct missteps. C. Reflecting on mistakes and finding solutions. D. Adjusting goals when facing repeated failures. 46. The author’s primary purpose in writing this passage is to ______. A. argue that failure is inevitable in daily life and advise readers to avoid its mental pain B. illustrate the positive values of failure in unfamiliar areas and persuade readers to accept it C. compare different ways to handle failure and highlight the effectiveness of action rumination D. analyze the psychological mechanism behind people’s fear of failure and its evolutionary origin 【答案】43. C 44. D 45. C 46. B 【解析】 【导语】本文是一篇议论文。文章主要探讨了在不擅长的事情上失败的价值，指出失败虽然会带来心理上的痛苦，但可以激励人们在擅长的领域做得更好，或帮助人们学习新技能，并提供了如何将失败转化为进步的方法。 【43题详解】 细节理解题。根据第三段中“As a group of psychologists reported when employees are frustrated by their relative incompetence at one task, they tend to be motivated to show more competence for something they’re already better at. (正如一组心理学家报告的那样，当员工因某项任务上的相对无能而感到沮丧时，他们往往会更有动力在他们已经更擅长的方面展现出更强的能力。)”可知，如果员工在一个新项目上失败后感到沮丧，他们可能会变得更有动力在自己的常规工作中表现出色。故选C项。 【44题详解】 细节理解题。根据第四段中“The mental pain of failure can also stimulate you to become better at the activity in which you lack competence — if you can reframe the negative experience as an indicator of personal growth. (失败带来的心理痛苦也可以激励你在自己能力不足的活动中做得更好——如果你能将这种负面经历重新定义为个人成长的标志。)”可知，失败帮助提升薄弱技能的一个关键要求是将挫折视为自我提升的机会。故选D项。 【45题详解】 词句猜测题。根据第五段中“Another helpful way to turn the discomfort of failure into a source of progress is what psychologists call “action rumination.” It is task-focused and involves replaying the exact missteps that one made and how they could be corrected in the future. (另一种将失败带来的不适转化为进步源泉的有效方法是心理学家所说的action rumination。它以任务为中心，涉及重温一个人所犯的具体错误以及未来如何纠正这些错误。)”可知，“action rumination”指的是反思错误并寻找解决方案。故选C项。 【46题详解】 推理判断题。通读全文，结合第一段中“Doing something you’re bad at can make you better at what you’re good at, as well as potentially making you good at something new. (做你不擅长的事情可以让你更擅长你擅长的事情，并且可能让你擅长新的事情)”以及最后一段中“It is clear that although we hate to fail, doing so can be beneficial for learning a new skill and mastering an old one. (很明显，尽管我们讨厌失败，但这样做对于学习新技能和掌握旧技能是有益的。)”可推知，作者的主要目的是阐述在不熟悉领域失败所蕴含的积极价值，并说服读者接受失败。故选B项。 （七） （2025~2026学年长宁区二模） Things rarely stay neat on their own. If you leave your desk untouched for a week, papers begin to pile up, dust gathers, and objects end up in the wrong places. It is the same with a room, a container, and even the vast universe. In nature, systems tend to move from order to disorder unless external energy is used to maintain them. This physical phenomenon is described by the second law of thermodynamics (热力学), which states that entropy — a measure of disorder — tends to increase over time. To understand this idea, imagine a box divided into two sections, filled with gas particles (粒子) moving at different speeds. Normally, these particles mix freely, and the system becomes more disordered. James Clerk Maxwell, a physicist in the 19th century, imagined a clever thought experiment to reverse particles’ increasing disorder. He described a “demon”, a tiny, intelligent being, that could observe each particle and open or close a small door between the two sections. By allowing only fast particles to pass in one direction and slow ones in the other, the being — Maxwell’s “demon” — could gradually separate them, creating order without using energy. If order could increase without any cost, this apparently contradicts the second law of thermodynamics. For many years, this puzzled scientists and led to debates about whether the law was truly universal. They wondered whether there existed other factors like information that could serve as “that Maxwell’s demon” in physical reality. The researchers at the University of Maryland, therefore, generated a model. Their model described a device that could effectively separate particles and reduce disorder in one part of a system. Crucially, however, the device did not break the second law. Instead of using external energy, it relied on encoded information to track and control particle behavior. In doing so, the encoded information moved disorder from the physical system into its own memory storage. As researcher Dibyendu Mandal explains, the apparent gain in order is balanced by increased disorder elsewhere, preserving the overall balance demanded by thermodynamics. This insight shows that information is closely linked to physical processes. It is not just an abstract concept but something that has real effects in the world. Although machines based on this principle are unlikely to produce large amounts of energy, they may still have practical uses. For example, they could help scientists control particles more precisely in experiments or improve techniques used in medicine. What began as a simple thought experiment has thus deepened our understanding of how order, energy, and information are connected. 43. The author describes a messy desk at the beginning of the passage to ________. A. use a familiar example to illustrate a scientific principle B. question whether disorder is in most cases unavoidable C. suggest that daily habits might influence scientific thinking D. compare various forms of human behavior in some contexts 44. According to the passage, what must Maxwell’s “demon” do in order to sort particles? A. Increase the speed of selected particles. B. Apply external energy to separate particles. C. Prevent particles from moving between sections. D. Observe and record information about the particles. 45. What can be inferred about the role of information in the system described? A. It replaces energy as the main factor in physical change. B. It allows the system to operate without any cost in the process. C. It has real effects in shifting disorder to another part of the system. D. It matters most when large amounts of data are processed in practice. 46. Which statement best reflects the author’s view of the second law of thermodynamics? A. Maxwell’s thought experiment reveals its limitations. B. It remains correct despite the earlier puzzling supposition. C. It applies better to large-scale systems such as the universe. D. Intelligent control causes it to break down in complex systems. 【答案】43. A 44. D 45. C 46. B 【解析】 【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章以日常无序现象引入热力学第二定律，介绍麦克斯韦妖思想实验，借科研模型说明信息可转移无序，印证定律成立，揭示有序、能量与信息的关联。 【43题详解】 推理判断题。根据第一段“Things rarely stay neat on their own. If you leave your desk untouched for a week, papers begin to pile up, dust gathers, and objects end up in the wrong places. It is the same with a room, a container, and even the vast universe. In nature, systems tend to move from order to disorder unless external energy is used to maintain them. This physical phenomenon is described by the second law of thermodynamics (热力学), which states that entropy — a measure of disorder — tends to increase over time.(事物很少能保持整齐有序的状态。如果你一周都不动用自己的办公桌，文件就会堆积起来，灰尘也会积聚，物品也会乱放错位。房间、容器乃至整个宇宙也是如此。在自然界中，系统往往会从有序状态转变为无序状态，除非有外部能量来维持其状态。这种物理现象由热力学第二定律来描述，该定律指出，熵（衡量无序程度的指标）会随着时间的推移而增加)”可知，作者在文章开头描述了一张凌乱的书桌，其目的是用一个常见的例子来说明一个科学原理。故选A。 【44题详解】 细节理解题。根据第二段“He described a “demon”, a tiny, intelligent being, that could observe each particle and open or close a small door between the two sections. By allowing only fast particles to pass in one direction and slow ones in the other, the being — Maxwell’s “demon” — could gradually separate them, creating order without using energy.(他描述了一个‘恶魔’——一种小巧而聪明的生物，它能够观察每一个粒子，并在两个区域之间开启或关闭一个小小的门。通过只让高速粒子从一个方向通过，而让低速粒子从另一个方向通过，这个生物——麦克斯韦的‘恶魔’——就能逐渐将它们分开，从而创造出秩序，而无需消耗能量)”可知，麦克斯韦妖需要观察粒子、筛选分类，依靠观测信息分选粒子。故选D。 【45题详解】 推理判断题。根据第四段“In doing so, the encoded information moved disorder from the physical system into its own memory storage.(通过这种方式，编码后的信息从物理系统中的‘混乱’被转移到了其自身的记忆存储中)”可知，信息能将无序转移到系统其他地方，维持整体平衡，故选C。 【46题详解】 细节理解题。根据第三段“If order could increase without any cost, this apparently contradicts the second law of thermodynamics. For many years, this puzzled scientists and led to debates about whether the law was truly universal. They wondered whether there existed other factors like information that could serve as “that Maxwell’s demon” in physical reality.(如果秩序能够无代价地持续增加，这显然与热力学第二定律相矛盾。多年来，这一现象一直困扰着科学家，并引发了关于该定律是否真正具有普遍性的争论。他们思考是否存在其他类似信息这样的因素，能够在实际物理中充当‘麦克斯韦的恶魔’那样的角色)”以及第四段“Crucially, however, the device did not break the second law.(然而，至关重要的是，该设备并未违反第二定律)”可知，作者认为热力学第二定律尽管之前存在令人困惑的假设，但它仍然成立。故选B。 （八） （2025~2026学年静安区二模） The social media landscape is now undergoing a quiet but profound transformation. The question arises: are platforms becoming less social just as they become more popular? The traditional magic of online social networks was their ability to combine personal interactions with mass communication. Friends shared updates; networks spread them widely. Now this fusion is splitting apart. Status updates from people you know are being replaced by algorithm-selected videos from strangers — content that resembles television more than conversation. Meanwhile, public posting is moving to private messaging groups where conversations happen behind digital walls. This shift brings mixed consequences. On the positive side, private groups order posts chronologically rather than by engagement-maximizing algorithms, reducing the motive to post shocking content. For teenagers, who often struggle when their private lives are examined closely and publicly, closed groups may offer mental health benefits. However, significant problems emerge. Messaging apps hosting groups of 200,000 members resemble unregulated broadcasts more than private conversations. In India, politicians have used such platforms to spread lies that would likely be removed from open networks. As public posting declines, valuable discussions disappear from view. During recent global crises, scientists contributed to online debates containing real insights; today those conversations are moving to private channels, slowing the spread of ideas. Perhaps most concerning, open-network algorithms driven by user behaviour seem designed to spread the most extreme content. Previously, for something to go viral, people had to choose to share it. Now they support content simply by watching, as algorithms reward whatever attracts the most engagement. Political troublemakers and misinformation merchants stand to benefit most from this system. Some argue these defects can be fixed through better governance or coding. But the problems suggest something deeper: social media’s flaws may also result from trade-offs built into human communication itself. When platforms move toward private groups, monitoring decreases. When people escape closed circles, they may face more extreme content. As social networks evolve, we must deal with these new challenges rather than fighting old battles. 43. What does the underlined sentence “Now this fusion is splitting apart.” in paragraph 2 imply? A. Users are struggling to adapt to rapid changes across different platforms. B. Social networks are shifting focus away from protecting user data. C. The distinction between online entertainment and personal interaction is disappearing. D. The integration of private interaction and public broadcasts is breaking down. 44. What can be inferred about the double effects of private messaging groups in the passage? A. They protect youth from public exposure while enabling false information to spread. B. They encourage open dialogue while limiting exposure to diverse viewpoints. C. They reduce negative content while promoting meaningful political discussions. D. They strengthen community bonds while reducing monitoring of online spaces. 45. According to the passage, what change has taken place in how content becomes widely popular? A. Official sources now receive priority treatment over amateur productions. B. Emotional appeal has become less important than factual accuracy in driving views. C. Content popularity now depends more on algorithmic promotion than active sharing. D. The role of user recommendation has been replaced by quality assessment systems. 46. Which of the following would be the most suitable title for the passage? A. The Rise of Private Messaging B. From Public Square to Private Chat C. Why Algorithms Are Ruining Social Media D. The Future of Online Communities 【答案】43. D 44. A 45. C 46. B 【解析】 【导语】本文是一篇议论文。文章主要讲述了社交媒体正在经历一场深刻变革，从公共平台向私人聊天转变，并探讨了这一变革带来的利弊。 【43题详解】 推理判断题。根据第二段中“The traditional magic of online social networks was their ability to combine personal interactions with mass communication. Friends shared updates; networks spread them widely. Now this fusion is splitting apart.(传统上，在线社交网络的神奇之处在于它们能够将个人互动与大众传播相结合。朋友们分享更新；网络广泛传播。现在这种融合正在分裂)”可知，社交网络传统上结合了个人互动和大众传播，但现在这种融合正在分裂，即个人互动和大众传播的融合正在瓦解。故选D。 【44题详解】 推理判断题。根据第三段中“For teenagers, who often struggle when their private lives are examined closely and publicly, closed groups may offer mental health benefits.(对于那些经常在私人生活被密切和公开审视时挣扎的青少年来说，封闭团体可能对心理健康有益)”以及第四段中“In India, politicians have used such platforms to spread lies that would likely be removed from open networks.(在印度，政客们利用这样的平台传播谎言，而这些谎言在开放的网络中很可能会被删除)”可知，私人聊天群组既保护了青少年免受公众的审视，又为虚假信息的传播提供了可能。故选A。 【45题详解】 细节理解题。根据第五段中“Previously, for something to go viral, people had to choose to share it. Now they support content simply by watching, as algorithms reward whatever attracts the most engagement.(以前，要让某件事像病毒一样传播开来，人们必须选择分享它。现在，他们仅仅通过观看就支持内容，因为算法会奖励那些吸引最多参与度的内容)”可知，以前内容要广泛传播需要人们主动分享，而现在内容更多地依赖于算法的推广。故选C。 【46题详解】 主旨大意题。通读全文，尤其是根据第一段中“The social media landscape is now undergoing a quiet but profound transformation. The question arises: are platforms becoming less social just as they become more popular?(社交媒体格局正在经历一场悄然而深刻的变革。问题出现了：随着社交媒体平台越来越受欢迎，它们是否变得不那么社交了？)”可知，文章主要讨论了社交媒体从公共平台向私人聊天的转变，以及这种转变带来的影响。因此，B选项“从公共广场到私人聊天”最符合文章主旨，适合作为标题。故选B。 （九） （2025~2026学年宝山区二模） All humans are born small, weak and completely dependent on others, and it takes years for them to become self-reliant. This means that children rely on adults to provide for them and protect them, and they face great danger when adults cannot or will not do this. While governments and organizations work to secure minors, the sheer (纯粹的) number and complexity of the issues some children face require a different approach. The numerous risks faced by children often relate to social issues. For example, crises such as wars and natural disasters often separate children from their families, which leaves them vulnerable to exploitation and lacking basic care. Other dangers occur specifically in wartime. For example, some armed forces use children as soldiers or rely on them for other forms of labor, which exposes the children to physical danger and trauma (创伤) from witnessing or participating in violence. Children are also often killed or injured in war, sometimes due to schools or hospitals being bombed. Forcing children to fight and targeting them (or targeting buildings where they are likely to be) are considered human rights violations (违反), but this does not stop the practice. Even in peacetime, some cultural practices can harm children. For example, forcing children to work or to marry young can expose them to danger and deprive them of an education. Since children face so many dangers, a variety of responses are necessary to address all of them. UNICEF takes several approaches to children directly and indirectly. This includes trying to prevent children from being separated from their families, and, if separation occurs, reuniting families. It also includes work toward making sure all births are registered so that the children have legal rights. UNICEF also supports research, proposes laws that protect children and contributes to humanitarian projects. Addressing cultural, political and economic challenges can help prevent dangers to children before they occur. Additionally, charities and other nonprofits work to keep children around the world safe. Some provide humanitarian (人道主义) aid to ensure that children have access to food, clean water and medical care. Others encourage people to sponsor children growing up in poverty, which gives them the means to attend school. Sometimes people even communicate with their sponsored children through letters. This is more personal than simply collecting money and makes people more willing to donate. By supporting these organizations, ordinary people can help children around the world become safer. Children are sensitive to a lot of dangers, and these dangers vary a bit by location and circumstances. Thus, a many-sided approach is necessary to ensure that all children enjoy a safe, happy childhood, so they can grow into healthy adults. 43. The word “deprive” (Para. 3) is closest in meaning to ________. A. bring up B. take away C. break away D. put off 44. What is the structural feature of this passage? A. Problem-Solution with General-Particular. B. Time Order with Compare-Contrast. C. Cause-Effect with Classification Structure. D. General-Particular with Problem-Solution. 45. What can be inferred from the passage? A. The number of children who need help is large and the cases are different. B. Besides UNICEF, there are some other forms to provide help for children. C. Communicating with sponsored children is the best way to help children. D. To some degree, it is impossible to get rid of children’s dangers thoroughly. 46. What is the best title for the passage? A. A Tough Crisis for Children. B. A Variety of Dangers for Children. C. A Safer World for Children. D. A Dangerous World for Children. 【答案】43. B 44. A 45. B 46. C 【解析】 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要讲述了儿童面临的多种危险及保护儿童的多种措施。 【43题详解】 词句猜测题。根据第三段“Even in peacetime, some cultural practices can harm children. For example, forcing children to work or to marry young can expose them to danger and deprive them of an education.(即使在和平时期，一些文化习俗也会伤害儿童。例如，强迫儿童劳动或早婚会让他们面临危险，并剥夺他们受教育的机会)” 可知，“deprive”意为“剥夺，夺走”。A. bring up抚养；B. take away拿走，剥夺；C. break away脱离；D. put off推迟。故选B。 【44题详解】 推理判断题。文章前两段指出儿童面临诸多危险这一问题，如第二段“The numerous risks faced by children often relate to social issues.(儿童面临的众多风险通常与社会问题有关)”；随后介绍了联合国儿童基金会等采取的解决措施，如第四段“UNICEF takes several approaches to children directly and indirectly.(联合国儿童基金会直接和间接地对儿童采取了几种方法)”以及第五段“Additionally, charities and other nonprofits work to keep children around the world safe.(此外，慈善机构和其他非营利组织致力于保护世界各地儿童的安全)”，整体呈现出“问题-解决”以及“总-分”的结构特征。A选项“Problem-Solution with General-Particular(问题-解决以及总-分结构)”符合文章结构特点。故选A。 【45题详解】 推理判断题。根据第五段“Additionally, charities and other nonprofits work to keep children around the world safe.(此外，慈善机构和其他非营利组织也在努力保护世界各地儿童的安全)”可知，除了联合国儿童基金会，还有其他帮助儿童的形式。故选B。 【46题详解】 主旨大意题。文章主要围绕儿童面临的危险以及如何让儿童更安全展开，介绍了儿童面临的多种危险以及联合国儿童基金会、慈善机构等为保护儿童所采取的措施，目的是让儿童有一个更安全的世界。C选项“为儿童打造一个更安全的世界”符合文章主旨，适合作为标题。故选C。 （十） （2025~2026学年普陀区二模） One of the children, probably inspired by a movie, used a stick to draw a “treasure map” in the sand pit (沙坑). Other children gathered around as he told the story of what “treasure” is, what a “map” is, and the adventure on which they were about to go. The treasure, he explained, was a chest full of gold and jewels. Some of the kids wanted to know what a chest was. Others wondered, knowing it was all imaginary, why the treasure couldn’t be ice cream or toys. The concept of the map was difficult. Although he assured the crew that treasure was buried somewhere on the playground, the map included a coconut tree and giant rocks. “Let’s pick some coconuts when we get there,” shouted one pirate. “Pirate,” in this case, had been defined as “guys who go around and find treasure.” These scenes are the gold standard of play-based learning. I’m sure there are many preschool educators who would have felt forced, in the name of learning, to step in with corrections and clarifications, or worse. In a moment, we see the children turn away from one another, away from their own questions, explorations, assumptions, and conclusions based on dialogue and agreement. They are now relying on the adult for questions and answers, rather than continuing to engage in the highest pursuit of human intellectual effort. There are those who would argue that this game is, at best, a waste of time, that these children playing their fantastical games of imagination, getting the facts wrong, playing with wrong ideas, and even spreading them amongst themselves, may be learning, but that it’s false knowledge that will somehow have to be undone. But that, I think, is a misunderstanding of what play is all about, and, for that matter, what learning is all about. The birth of the universe and the nature of space and time are every bit as much mysteries to physicists as treasure maps and pirates are to these preschoolers. What drives scientists is the same thing that drives playing children: they are motivated by the mystery, by their own questions, and by the freedom to seek answers. Too often, educators, in our commitment to facts, truth and teaching, take over the learning by providing shortcuts to answers, eliminating the mystery that has driven humans since the beginning of time. We forget that getting it wrong is every bit as important to this process as being right. The job in life is not to know stuff, but rather to figure stuff out so that we will then know. And we get there through play. 43. Why does the writer mention the “treasure map” in the 1st paragraph? A. To present a typical example of play-based learning. B. To introduce a popular game among young children. C. To show kids’ creative ideas about treasure and pirates. D. To explain different kinds of outdoor playground activities. 44. According to the passage, what is a possible result of the stepping in of the preschool teachers? A. A deeper understanding of facts and a more efficient learning process. B. The successful integration of imagination-based games into formal curricula. C. A shift from self-directed exploration to adult-dependent knowledge acquisition D. The immediate correction of false concepts and elimination of misunderstandings. 45. What can be inferred about the author’s attitude toward traditional educators? A. He hopes they are as motivated as physicists are. B. He admires their commitment to providing correct facts. C. He thinks they should participate more in children’s games. D. He worries they might unintentionally kill children’s curiosity. 46. Which of the following would be the best title for this passage? A. How to Draw a Perfect Treasure Map B. Play: The Highest Pursuit of Learning C. Why Facts Matter Most in Preschools D. Insight: The Myth of Games in Education 【答案】43. A 44. C 45. D 46. B 【解析】 【导语】本文是一篇议论文。主要介绍儿童玩寻宝游戏的场景体现游戏化学习，作者批判成人过度干预，指出玩耍是学习的核心方式。 【43题详解】 推理判断题。根据第四段中的“These scenes are the gold standard of play-based learning.(这些场景是游戏化学习的最佳典范。)”可知，作者提及“藏宝图”是为了呈现游戏化学习的典型例子。故选A项。 【44题详解】 细节理解题。根据第四段中的“I’m sure there are many preschool educators who would have felt forced, in the name of learning, to step in with corrections and clarifications, or worse. In a moment, we see the children turn away from one another, away from their own questions, explorations, assumptions, and conclusions based on dialogue and agreement. They are now relying on the adult for questions and answers, rather than continuing to engage in the highest pursuit of human intellectual effort.(我敢肯定，有很多学前教育工作者会感到被迫，以学习的名义，介入纠正和澄清，或者更糟。很快，我们就会看到孩子们彼此疏远，远离他们自己的问题、探索、假设以及基于对话和共识得出的结论。他们现在依赖成年人提出问题和给出答案，而不是继续投身于人类智力努力的最高追求。)”可知，学前教师介入会让孩子从自主探索转向依赖成人获取知识。故选C项。 【45题详解】 推理判断题。根据最后一段中的“Too often, educators, in our commitment to facts, truth and teaching, take over the learning by providing shortcuts to answers, eliminating the mystery that has driven humans since the beginning of time.(教育者往往出于对事实、真理和教学的执着，通过提供答案捷径来接管学习过程，消除了自人类诞生以来驱动我们的神秘感。)”可知，作者担心传统教育者会无意中扼杀孩子的好奇心。故选D项。 【46题详解】 主旨大意题。通读全文，尤其是最后一段中的“What drives scientists is the same thing that drives playing children: they are motivated by the mystery, by their own questions, and by the freedom to seek answers. And we get there through play.(驱动科学家的动力与驱动玩耍儿童的动力是一样的：他们被神秘感、自身的问题以及寻求答案的自由所激励。而我们正是通过玩耍来实现这一点的。)”可知，文章围绕游戏化学习展开，强调玩耍不是无意义的娱乐，而是人类探索与学习的最高形式，核心观点为玩耍是学习的最高追求，所以“Play: The Highest Pursuit of Learning”最能概括全文核心，适合作为最佳标题。故选B项。 （十一） （2025~2026学年杨浦区二模） Our local dog trainer, Colin Thomas, is about to retire and we are heartbroken. A respected countryman, Colin knows the importance of responsible dog ownership and the enjoyment of a well-behaved pet, particularly in the countryside, where there can otherwise be issues with livestock and wildlife. We are a nation of dog lovers. There is no doubt that dogs bring many of us great joy, but with ownership comes responsibility and the need for training. Not everyone loves dogs and even if they did, a dog in our charge shouldn’t approach, jump up or chase anybody or anything. Few of us are perfect though, and if our ‘recall’ isn’t always reliable, then our dogs must be on a lead. The attacking of livestock is a serious concern, often horrible to witness, as is the effect dogs can have in disturbing wildlife. Both these things are entirely avoidable and yet a recent report recorded that a shockingly irresponsible 85% of visitors ignored warning notices and allowed their dogs off-lead. It’s not just the more obvious responsibilities either: the old advice of picking up poo (粪便) or simply brushing it aside has changed to bag it or take it home to get rid of. Dog poo spreads bacteria and can cause fatal diseases in cattle and sheep. It also disrupts and harms ecosystems, especially when washed into the soil or bodies of water by rain. It doesn’t end there. Looking after dogs with unnecessary preventative treatments, as we are usually advised is causing great harm. Not only can routine wormers (驱虫剂) kill the tiny creatures that keep our soil healthy, but the poisonous chemicals also remain in the environment, creating a long-term risk. Even tiny amounts of the flea (跳蚤) treatment can stay on a dog’s coat for weeks. Eventually, these chemicals are either washed into rivers, where they poison aquatic life, or they remain in lost fur that birds then use to build their nests. But dog ownership doesn’t have to be a horror story. We can limit these treatments. We can avoid rivers and ponds if we have to treat our pets, and can pick up after them. The UK government has issued a policy for responsible dog ownership, emphasizing that dogs must not be allowed to wander unsupervised and that ownership practices need to change. It sets out practical regulations and, crucially, calls for education and training for both owners and their dogs. 43. When visiting a friend’s house with his/her dog, the dog owner should ______. A. keep the dog under control at all times B. let the dog play with new friends freely C. take the dog off the lead as advised D. teach the friend to say’recall’ correctly 44. If dog poo is left on the roads, it harms the environment mainly by ______. A. attracting other wild animals to the area B. releasing poisonous chemicals into the air C. being washed into soil and water D. creating unpleasant smells near footpaths 45. What can be inferred about the author’s preferred approach to flea control? A. Treat dogs monthly without exception. B. Use treatments when actually needed. C. Use stronger chemicals for better protection. D. Never treat dogs under any circumstances. 46. What is the writing purpose of the article? A. To highlight the negative impact of pet-keeping. B. To present a new policy on dog ownership. C. To raise awareness of responsible dog ownership. D. To promote the importance of dog training classes. 【答案】43. A 44. C 45. B 46. C 【解析】 【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章主要讲述了养狗带来的责任，包括控制狗的行为、清理狗的粪便以及合理使用驱虫剂等，同时提到英国政府发布了关于负责任养狗的政策，强调需要改变养狗方式，并对主人和狗进行教育和培训。 【43题详解】 细节理解题。根据第二段“Not everyone loves dogs and even if they did, a dog in our charge shouldn’t approach, jump up or chase anybody or anything. Few of us are perfect though, and if our “recall” isn’t always reliable, then our dogs must be on a lead.(不是每个人都喜欢狗，即使他们喜欢，我们负责的狗也不应该接近、跳起来或追逐任何人或任何东西。不过，我们中很少有人是完美的，如果我们的“召回”并不总是可靠的，那么我们的狗必须被牵着。)”可知，当带着狗去朋友家时，狗主人应该始终控制住狗。故选A。 【44题详解】 细节理解题。根据第四段“Dog poo spreads bacteria and can cause fatal diseases in cattle and sheep. It also disrupts and harms ecosystems, especially when washed into the soil or bodies of water by rain.(狗的粪便会传播细菌，并可能导致牛羊患上致命疾病。它还会破坏和损害生态系统，尤其是当被雨水冲入土壤或水体时。)”可知，如果狗的粪便留在路上，它主要通过被冲入土壤和水来危害环境。故选C。 【45题详解】 推理判断题。根据第五段“Looking after dogs with unnecessary preventative treatments, as we are usually advised is causing great harm. (通常我们被建议对狗进行不必要的预防性治疗，但这对狗的照顾造成了很大的伤害。)”和“We can limit these treatments.(我们可以限制这些治疗。)”可知，作者认为养狗时应该限制不必要的预防性治疗，只在真正需要时使用治疗方法。故选B。 【46题详解】 推理判断题。文章主要讲述了养狗带来的责任，包括控制狗的行为、清理狗的粪便以及合理使用驱虫剂等，同时提到英国政府发布了关于负责任养狗的政策，强调需要改变养狗方式，并对主人和狗进行教育和培训，由此可知，文章的主要目的是提高人们对负责任养狗的认识。故选C。 （十二） （2025~2026学年嘉定区二模） Cinemas are full of sequels (续集) and superheroes. Pop charts are led by the same global stars year after year. The internet produces endless trends and sensational cultural products. Has 21st-century culture become repetitive and dull? A new book offers a perspective. In Blank Space, W. David Marx argues that something important has changed. In the early 20th century, movements such as Surrealism (超现实主义) deeply transformed art. The 1960s brought counterculture and rock music. Compared with those creative explosions, today’s culture, which remixes old ideas rather than inventing new ones, can appear cautious. Money, Mr Marx suggests, plays a large role. In pop music, the idea of “selling out” has largely died out while the ultimate measure of value is financial success. Fame is sometimes driven less by artistic talent than by marketing skill and online visibility. Technology has added another layer. In its early days, the internet allowed small communities to experiment and share unusual tastes. Today, however, online platforms often reward speed, exciting and simple messages. Algorithms (算法) favour what keeps users clicking, not what challenges them. As a result, safe and familiar content may crowd out riskier work. Still, his sweeping book oversimplifies the reality. There has always been more litter than gold, and time has simply filtered out the worst so that we just remember the masterpieces and forget the rest. It may be too early to judge the long-term value of today’s creations, which are still competing in a noisy digital marketplace. Moreover, the continued popularity of older works is not a sign of fixedness. Classics endure because they do have an edge over the others, not because nothing new can succeed. Modern culture may appear repetitive, but it is also diverse and widely accessible, and that’s why we can still freely enjoy old masterpieces. Another way to think of 21st-century Western culture is as a history of relative comfort. Chaos in the today’s world has shaken up the arts, but it has been less impactful than the crises that launched the cultural breakthroughs of the early 20th century. In extreme conditions, could today’s creators match the past genius? Let’s hope we will never find out. 43. Which of the following statements might W. David Marx agree with? A. There was more dull art in the past than there is today. B. Audience prefer masterpieces in the past to new ideas today. C. Financial success has become more important than artistic originality. D. Technological progress has made cultural innovation easier than before. 44. Which of the following best reflects the writer’s view of modern culture? A. It is largely shaped by online platforms. B. It’s still too early to judge its true value. C. The success of old works proves its failure. D. It mainly repeats past ideas without anything new. 45. What does the underlined sentence in the last paragraph imply? A. The author thinks social chaos is necessary. B. The author hopes extreme crises won’t happen. C. The author believes modern artists are superior. D. The author thinks cultural decline will continue. 46. What is the main purpose of the passage? A. To question a book’s argument about culture. B. To compare modern culture with classical culture. C. To prove that modern culture is completely empty. D. To explain how technology influences modern culture. 【答案】43. C 44. B 45. B 46. A 【解析】 【导语】本文是一篇议论文。文章先介绍W・David Marx认为当代文化因资本和算法影响变得重复保守、缺乏创新，随后作者对此观点提出质疑，认为现在评判现代文化的价值还为时过早，且经典长存不等于当代文化停滞。 【43题详解】 推理判断题。根据第三段中“Money, Mr Marx suggests, plays a large role. In pop music, the idea of “selling out” has largely died out while the ultimate measure of value is financial success. Fame is sometimes driven less by artistic talent than by marketing skill and online visibility. (Marx认为，金钱扮演了重要角色。在流行音乐中，“出卖艺术”的观念基本消失，而衡量价值的最终标准是经济上的成功。名气有时更多是由营销手段和网络热度驱动，而非艺术才华。)”可知，Marx认为经济成功已成为衡量价值的主要标准，艺术才华的重要性下降；因此推测，W・戴维・马克思（W. David Marx）会认同“经济上的成功已经变得比艺术上的独创性更重要。”这一说法。故选C。 【44题详解】 细节理解题。根据第四段中“It may be too early to judge the long-term value of today’s creations, which are still competing in a noisy digital marketplace.(现在判断今天创作的长远价值可能为时过早，它们仍在嘈杂的数字市场中竞争。)”可知，作者认为现在判断当代文化的长期价值还为时过早，故选B。 【45题详解】 推理判断题。在最后一段“Another way to think of 21st-century Western culture is as a history of relative comfort.Chaos in the today’s world has shaken up the arts, but it has been less impactful than the crises that launched the cultural breakthroughs of the early 20th century. In extreme conditions, could today’s creators match the past genius? Let’s hope we will never find out.(看待21世纪西方文化的另一种方式是将其视为一段相对安逸的历史。当今世界的混乱确实搅动了艺术，但其冲击力不及那些催生20世纪初文化突破的危机。在极端条件下，今天的创作者能否媲美过去的才华？但愿我们永远不需要知道答案。)”作者提出，极端危机（如20世纪初的那些动荡）曾激发文化突破，但如果再次出现极端条件，今天的创作者能否达到过去的水平？作者说“但愿我们永远不需要知道”，暗示他并不希望这样的极端危机发生，不希望发生极端危机来验证这件事，因为那样的危机虽然可能催生文化突破，但代价巨大。故选B。 【46题详解】 推理判断题。文章第一段中“Has 21st-century culture become repetitive and dull? A new book offers a perspective.(21世纪的文化是否变得重复而乏味？一本新书提供了视角。)”先提出“21世纪文化是否变得重复乏味”的问题，引出W. David Marx的书《Blank Space》，第二、三段介绍Marx在《Blank Space》一书中的观点（金钱、技术导致文化保守），接着作者从多个角度（时间筛选、经典作品的持久、危机的作用）对书中的进行质疑和反驳，提出自己不同的看法。因此，本文的主要目的是质疑这本书关于文化的论点。故选A。 （十三） （2025~2026学年黄浦区二模） Since Francis Galton coined the phrase “nature vs nurture (环境因素)” 150 years ago, the debate about what makes us who we are has dominated the human sciences. Today, however, a new scientific field is set to reshape the debate — not by declaring victory for one side or the other, nor even by calling a tie, but rather by revealing they were never in opposition in the first place. Through this new perspective, nature and nurture are not even entirely distinguishable, because genes and environment don’t operate in isolation; they influence each other and to a very real degree even create each other. The new field is called sociogenomics, an integration of behavioral science and genetics. Despite being a relatively new area of study, it has the potential to rewrite a great deal of what we think we know about who we are and how we got that way. Genes don’t affect who we become just on their own, inside our bodies — they work, in part, by shaping the environments we look for or produce. At other times, the nature-nurture feedback circle may be more pernicious. It’s no surprise that terrible setbacks — the loss of a job, the end of a marriage — can cause people to fall into depression. I was astonished to learn, however, that people with a high genetic tendency for depression are more likely to encounter these setbacks, which in turn contribute to their depression. That’s not to say that any of it is their fault, just that the way we’re supported and the world we pilot are closely linked. Here is the part of this research that really blows me away. The research suggests that your partner’s genes influence your likelihood of depression almost a third as much as your own genes do. It also shows when a small number of students with a genetic tendency to smoke are present in a high school, smoking rates can rise rapidly across an entire grade — even among those students who didn’t personally know those classmates. Genes alone aren’t enough to determine these outcomes and neither is environment. Nature and nurture both shape each other, with nature influencing the way we experience nurture and nurture influencing the way our nature expresses itself. The more opportunities and information the environment provides — the more varied environments become — the greater the influence that genetic variation has in sorting us into different categories. Nature and nurture aren’t separate forces — they’re endlessly circling back on each other. 43. Prior to the emergence of sociogenomics, it was widely believed that ________. A. genes and environment functioned separately B. there was no clear line between nature and nurture C. environment shaped our perception of who we are D. nature mattered more than nurture for personal growth 44. The underlined word “pernicious” (paragraph 4) is closest in meaning to “________”. A. disastrous B. generative C. pointless D. questionable 45. It can be inferred that the research shocked the writer by suggesting that ________. A. our genes may change because of the people we live with B. nature determines our behaviour just as much as nurture does C. people with the same genes are more likely to interact with each other D. the genes of people around us can affect the environment we experience 46. Which of the following pictures correctly illustrates how nature and nurture make us who we are? A. B. C. D. 【答案】43. A 44. A 45. D 46. C 【解析】 【导语】本文是一篇议论文。文章主要介绍了社会基因组学这一新兴科学领域对传统“先天vs环境因素”辩论的重新定义，揭示了基因与环境之间相互影响、相互塑造的复杂关系。 【43题详解】 细节理解题。根据第一段中“Since Francis Galton coined the phrase “nature vs nurture (环境因素)” 150 years ago, the debate about what makes us who we are has dominated the human sciences.(自150年前弗朗西斯·高尔顿提出“先天与环境因素”这一说法以来，关于什么塑造了我们的争论便一直主导着人文科学领域)”、第二段中“Today, however, a new scientific field is set to reshape the debate — not by declaring victory for one side or the other, nor even by calling a tie, but rather by revealing they were never in opposition in the first place.(然而，如今一个新的科学领域即将重塑这场争论——它不是通过宣布某一方获胜，甚至也不是宣告平局，而是揭示出它们从一开始就并非对立)”和第三段中“The new field is called sociogenomics, an integration of behavioral science and genetics.(这个新领域被称为社会基因组学，是行为科学与遗传学的交叉融合)”可知，在社会基因组学出现之前，人们普遍认为先天和环境因素是对立的，即基因和环境是分开作用的。故选A项。 【44题详解】 词句猜测题。根据第四段中“At other times, the nature-nurture feedback circle may be more pernicious. It’s no surprise that terrible setbacks — the loss of a job, the end of a marriage — can cause people to fall into depression. I was astonished to learn, however, that people with a high genetic tendency for depression are more likely to encounter these setbacks, which in turn contribute to their depression.(在其他时候，先天与环境因素的反馈循环可能更pernicious。失业、婚姻破裂等可怕的挫折会导致人们陷入抑郁，这并不奇怪。然而，我惊讶地发现，那些在基因上更容易患抑郁症的人，更有可能遭遇这些挫折，而这些挫折反过来又会加重他们的抑郁)”可推知，这种先天与环境因素的反馈循环更有害的，更具有破坏性。故划线词pernicious意为“有害的；破坏性的”，与A项“disastrous”意义相近。故选A项。 【45题详解】 推理判断题。根据第五段中“Here is the part of this research that really blows me away. The research suggests that your partner’s genes influence your likelihood of depression almost a third as much as your own genes do. It also shows when a small number of students with a genetic tendency to smoke are present in a high school, smoking rates can rise rapidly across an entire grade (这项研究中真正让我震惊的是这一部分。研究表明，伴侣的基因对你患抑郁症可能性的影响几乎达到你自己基因影响的三分之一。研究还表明，当高中有少数具有吸烟遗传倾向的学生时，整个年级的吸烟率会迅速上升)”可推知，这项研究让作者感到震惊的是，我们周围人的基因可以影响我们所处的环境。故选D项。 【46题详解】 推理判断题。根据第二段中“Through this new perspective, nature and nurture are not even entirely distinguishable, because genes and environment don’t operate in isolation; they influence each other and to a very real degree even create each other.(从这个新的角度来看，先天和环境因素甚至不能完全区分，因为基因和环境并不是孤立地起作用的；它们相互影响，甚至在很大程度上相互创造)”、第六段中“Nature and nurture both shape each other, with nature influencing the way we experience nurture and nurture influencing the way our nature expresses itself. (先天与环境因素相互塑造，先天影响我们体验环境的方式，环境因素影响我们天性表达的方式)”和最后一段“Nature and nurture aren’t separate forces — they’re endlessly circling back on each other. (先天与环境因素并非两种分离的力量——它们无休止地相互循环)”可知，二者并非两种分离的力量，是相互影响，相互创造的关系。故选C项。 （十四） （2025~2026学年虹口区二模） New forms of credit are often met with doubts. A century ago, furniture and car sellers realized they could reach more customers if they accepted payments in instalments (分期付款). To critics this was a sign of moral decline. When in 1958 Bank of America started posting credit cards to customers, it did not take long for opponents to worry about the consequences. Today the reproachful frowns are aimed at “buy now, pay later” (BNPL). This practice, which lets people pay for things they buy online in instalments, is booming: over $300bn in payments were financed in such a manner last year. Borrowers tend to be younger and less credit-worthy than average, which is causing concern. Many critics worry that the industry takes advantage of the young, while analysts worry that the hidden debt makes it hard to monitor credit risks. Yet BNPL could be a valuable innovation. New financial products often cause worry because they draw in customers with little experience of credit, but reaching new customers is generally a good thing. Modern finance is not perfect; the poor and the young are underserved, partly because they often have no credit history. It is only reasonable for upstarts to fill a gap in the market, and if they provide a useful service, they can grow rapidly. After an initial wave of fraud (欺诈), Bank of America’s credit-card business eventually revolutionized the way people pay. Today, it is more widely recognized by the name it adopted when it became a separate company in the 1970s: Visa. Critics are right, though, to worry that BNPL loans remain hidden from regulators and other lenders as providers do not supply comprehensive data to credit-reporting firms on their users’ borrowing and repayments. Although they benefit from checking their customers’ credit, they deny other lenders the opportunity to do the same, which raises the possibility that banks will lend to people with substantial BNPL debts, not realizing they are riskier than they appear. Some providers say they do not trust credit bureaus — agencies that collect, organize, and provide information about individuals’ credit histories — to understand this new form of finance; others may see the secrecy it offers as an advantage, because it attracts borrowers who wish to keep their debts hidden. Despite such concerns, providers should be required to report their data, as Affirm, one of America’s largest BNPL lenders, has recently begun to do. Many providers wish to reach further into mainstream finance, and to achieve those dreams, they must open up. 43. What is “the reproachful frowns” in paragraph 2 closest in meaning to? A. New forms of credit. B. Disapproving reactions. C. Signs of moral decline. D. Surprised expressions. 44. Why does the author mention Bank of America’s credit-card business (paragraph 3)? A. To show what makes a new financial product eventually become a success. B. To argue that BNPL will finally take the place of current credit card business. C. To prove that fraud remains something that is unavoidable in the field of finance. D. To suggest that financial innovations are often doubted before gaining acceptance. 45. According to the passage, what is a key concern about BNPL firms? A. They share personal data with credit bureaus. B. They burden borrowers with high interest rates. C. They overlook borrowers’ repayment ability. D. They make credit risk harder to monitor. 46. What is the author’s attitude towards BNPL? A. It may harm the young, so regulators should ban it. B. It is growing, and it is making online shopping easier. C. It may be useful, but providers need to fully report data. D. It is unfair, as it excludes less credit-worthy borrowers. 【答案】43. B 44. D 45. D 46. C 【解析】 【导语】本文是一篇议论文。文章主要讲述了新信贷形式常遭质疑，“先买后付”虽有问题但可能有用（需规范）。 【43题详解】 词句猜测题。根据第一段“New forms of credit are often met with doubts. A century ago, furniture and car sellers realized they could reach more customers if they accepted payments in instalments (分期付款). To critics this was a sign of moral decline. When in 1958 Bank of America started posting credit cards to customers, it did not take long for opponents to worry about the consequences.(新型信贷模式往往总会遭遇质疑。一个世纪前，家具与汽车经销商发现，如果支持分期付款，就能吸引更多顾客。在批评者眼中，这是道德滑坡的表现。1958年，美国银行开始向客户邮寄信用卡，没过多久，反对者便开始担忧其带来的种种隐患。)”和第二段中“Today the reproachful frowns are aimed at “buy now, pay later” (BNPL).(如今，（人们）the reproachful frowns投向了“先买后付”（BNPL）这种模式。)”可知，第一段中人们曾反对分期付款、抵触信用卡的内容，如今，这种指责与不满全都对准了“先买后付”模式。the reproachful frowns指的是“不赞成的反应”。故选B。 【44题详解】 推理判断题。根据第三段中“New financial products often cause worry because they draw in customers with little experience of credit, but reaching new customers is generally a good thing.(新的金融产品常常会引起担忧，因为它们吸引了缺乏信贷经验的客户，但吸引新客户通常是一件好事。)”以及“After an initial wave of fraud (欺诈), Bank of America’s credit-card business eventually revolutionized the way people pay.(在经历了最初的欺诈浪潮后，美国银行的信用卡业务最终彻底改变了人们的支付方式。)”可知，作者提到美国银行的信用卡业务是为了说明金融创新在获得认可之前常常受到质疑。故选D。 【45题详解】 细节理解题。根据第二段中“Many critics worry that the industry takes advantage of the young, while analysts worry that the hidden debt makes it hard to monitor credit risks.(许多批评者担心该行业利用年轻人，而分析人士则担心隐藏的债务使得难以监控信用风险。)”可知，关于BNPL公司的一个关键担忧是它们使信用风险更难监控。故选D。 【46题详解】 推理判断题。根据最后一段中“Despite such concerns, providers should be required to report their data, as Affirm, one of America’s largest BNPL lenders, has recently begun to do.(尽管存在这些担忧，但应该要求供应商报告他们的数据，就像美国最大的BNPL贷款机构之一Affirm最近开始做的那样。)”可知，作者认为BNPL可能有用，但供应商需要全面报告数据。故选C。 （十五） （2025~2026学年徐汇区二模） For Kathy Reagan Young, a morning ritual of standing before a UV light box for a few minutes has restored a vitality that multiple sclerosis (MS) (多发性硬化） had stolen. Diagnosed in 2008, she endured debilitating fatigue, "cog fog," and motor-control loss. After starting phototherapy, her inflammatory (发炎的) markers dropped, her disease-activity score reached its best level, and her energy returned—part of a growing body of evidence suggesting that controlled ultraviolet light can calm runaway autoimmune responses. The idea that sunlight might benefit health emerged from a seeming paradox. In the 1970s, Margaret Kripke showed that UV radiation both causes skin cancer and suppresses (抑制) the immune system's ability to fight it—an evolutionary trade-off. Under the tropical sun, our ancestors' immune systems learned to tolerate frequent UV exposure rather than mount constant, damaging inflammation. That same immunosuppressive effect, scientists later realized, could be taken advantage of to treat autoimmune diseases like psoriasis, where UV light quells local and even distant inflammation. Epidemiological (流行病学的) data added weight to the theory. Autoimmune diseases such as MS, type 1 diabetes, and Crohn's disease become dramatically more common at higher latitudes, where sun exposure is limited. For decades, researchers attributed this to vitamin D deficiency. But rigorous trials showed vitamin D supplements failed to prevent these illnesses, while studies revealed that direct UV exposure protected mice from MS independently of vitamin D levels. In humans, lifetime sun exposure correlates strongly with lower MS risk, and small clinical trials have found that narrowband UV therapy reduces inflammatory proteins and disease severity in early-stage MS patients, with effects persisting months after treatment. How does UV light achieve this? The skin, far from a passive barrier, is a complex neuroendocrine organ. When exposed to UV, it produces a cascade of molecules—cis-urocanic acid, lumisterol, nitric oxide, beta-endorphins, and newly discovered lipids—that travel to lymph nodes (淋巴结) and reprogram immune cells toward a regulatory, anti-inflammatory state. This network of pathways suggests no single "golden molecule" exists; instead, UV's benefit likely arises from multiple coordinated signals. While some researchers urge larger trials before recommending phototherapy for MS, the approach is already established for psoriasis and offers a low-cost, low-side-effect alternative to expensive biologics. For Young, it has meant reclaiming her days. "To find a treatment that lets you actually take care of yourself," she says, "is kind of amazing." 40. According to the passage, what specific benefit did Kathy Reagan Young experience as a result of phototherapy? A. A complete reversal of her multiple sclerosis diagnosis. B. A significant reduction in symptoms related to inflammation and fatigue. C. The elimination of her need for all other forms of MS medication. D. An increase in her body's natural vitamin D production. 41. What does the passage suggest about the evolutionary function of the immune system's response to UV radiation? A. It evolved to perfectly prevent both skin cancer and autoimmune diseases. B. It developed a mechanism to use UV radiation to actively destroy harmful immune cells. C. It adapted to accept regular UV exposure without triggering excessive inflammatory reactions. D. It became entirely dependent on vitamin D synthesis for proper regulation. 42. Why did researchers shift their focus away from vitamin D as the primary explanation for the link between latitude and autoimmune diseases? A. Because studies showed vitamin D levels are not affected by sun exposure. B. Because vitamin D supplements were found to be toxic to patients with MS. C. Because direct UV exposure provided protective effects in studies that vitamin D supplements did not. D. Because epidemiological data failed to show a correlation between latitude and vitamin D levels. 43. How does the passage describe the skin's role in the process of UV-induced immune regulation? A. As a simple barrier that passively allows UV light to enter the bloodstream. B. As a central hub that activates a single, dominant molecule to fight inflammation. C. As a sensory organ that sends pain signals to alert the body of UV damage. D. As an active organ that releases a variety of signaling molecules to reprogram immune cells. 答案：43. B 44. C 45. C 46. D 解析 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章以多发性硬化症患者的治疗案例引入，介绍了紫外线光疗治疗自身免疫性疾病的原理、进化背景、流行病学依据、分子机制及应用现状，揭示了紫外线对免疫系统的调节作用。 【43 题详解】 细节理解题。根据第一段 “her inflammatory markers dropped, her disease-activity score reached its best level, and her energy returned” 可知，光疗后患者炎症指标下降、疲劳缓解、精力恢复，即炎症和疲劳相关症状显著改善。A 项 “完全治愈”、C 项 “无需其他药物”、D 项 “维生素 D 增加” 均未提及。故选 B。 【44 题详解】 细节理解题。根据第二段 “our ancestors' immune systems learned to tolerate frequent UV exposure rather than mount constant, damaging inflammation” 可知，免疫系统进化出耐受紫外线、避免过度炎症反应的机制。C 项 “适应常规紫外线暴露、不引发过度炎症” 符合原文；A 项 “完美预防癌症和自身免疫病”、B 项 “主动破坏有害免疫细胞”、D 项 “完全依赖维生素 D” 均错误。故选 C。 【45 题详解】 细节理解题。根据第三段 “rigorous trials showed vitamin D supplements failed to prevent these illnesses, while studies revealed that direct UV exposure protected mice from MS independently of vitamin D levels” 可知，维生素 D 补充剂无效，而直接紫外线暴露有保护作用，因此研究重心转移。故选 C。 【46 题详解】 细节理解题。根据第四段 “The skin, far from a passive barrier, is a complex neuroendocrine organ. When exposed to UV, it produces a cascade of molecules...that travel to lymph nodes and reprogram immune cells” 可知，皮肤是活跃器官，释放多种信号分子重编程免疫细胞。D 项 “活跃器官、释放多种信号分子重编程免疫细胞” 符合原文；A 项 “被动屏障”、B 项 “单一核心分子”、C 项 “痛觉感官” 均错误。故选 D。 （十六） （2025~2026学年青浦区二模） ① Many tech companies assume that training artificial intelligence on more data can help fix the ongoing problem of AI’s multiplying human biases or prejudices. ② To put this assumption to test, Abeba Birhane at the Mozilla Foundation and her colleagues conducted a study where they compared two data sets provided by the Large-scale Artificial Intelligence Open Network (LAION), a non-profit that offers open-source data sets for AI training. One contained 400 million samples and the other 2 billion, each an image coupled with text descriptions. ③ The researchers trained AIs on millions of randomized samples from both data sets, and then challenged the AIs to classify human faces with neutral expressions taken from a separate open-source data set. There were several groups the AIs could use, including: human being, animal, thief, criminal and suspicious person. ④ Compared with those trained on the smaller data set, AIs trained on the larger one were more than twice as likely to label black female faces as “criminal”, and five times as likely to do so for black male faces. “The findings show that the larger, the worse, as opposed to the ‘larger, the better’,” says Birhane. ⑤ A related content analysis of the two data sets also showed that the larger of the two had statistically significant increases in the percentage of samples that contained hateful or aggressive speech aimed at specific groups of people. ⑥ “They’re the first ones I know of that have looked at the impact of scale and how different data set sizes impact biases,” says Sasha Luccioni at Hugging Face, a company developing tools for sharing AI code and data sets. Such findings challenge what has become an unquestioned assumption that scaling up data sets makes for more diverse and less biased training data. ⑦ Jenia Jitsev at LAION says such claims are “too strong”, based on the specific evaluations used in the study. Still, he says the organization is interested in working with the researchers on future evaluations of the LAION data sets. ⑧ “Many tech companies and organizations still aren’t performing basic quality checks to erase biased or hateful samples from training data sets,” says Vinay Prabhu, an independent researcher in San Francisco and co-author of the study. “Here are the low-hanging fruits, and you’re not even picking the low-hanging fruits.” ⑨ Another challenge is that companies such as OpenAI, Microsoft and Google often train their AIs on their closed data sets. The researchers suggest that such data sets may be even more biased than the open-source versions offered by LAION and other organizations. ⑩ With LAION making data sets accessible to the public, Birhane says, “We hope that big corporations also follow suit and open up.” 43. Which statement about the research procedure and findings is TRUE according to the passage? A. AIs were asked to classify faces from a closed data set into different groups. B. AIs trained on a larger data set tended to relate black faces to negative labels. C. The researchers trained AIs to compare images between two LAION data sets. D. The content analysis showed most samples were biased towards certain people. 44. What does Vinay Prabhu imply about the tech companies and organizations by making remarks that “Here are the low-hanging fruits, and you’re not even picking the low-hanging fruits.” (in paragraph ⑧)? A. They believe collecting larger data sets can tackle human biases. B. They’ve removed the most biased samples from the trained data set. C. They’ve made little progress by focusing on how to reduce bias first. D. They skip an easy fix to screen out biased content with quality checks. 45. Which of the following statements correctly reflects Abeba Birhane’s opinion? A. Their research may help prevent biases from building up in large data sets. B. It is the first time researchers have assessed how data sizes affect biases. C. It is hoped that big corporations will make their data sets publicly accessible. D. The finding is so strong and yet so inconclusive that more studies are needed. 46. Which of the following best serves as the title of this article? A. Fight Against Racism: Larger Data Sets Gain an Upper Hand B. More Data, More Bias: An Unexpected Finding on AI and Racism C. To Be Biased or Not To Be: A Comparative Analysis of AI Sources D. Racism Is Spreading: The Find Challenges a Long-held Assumption 【答案】43-46 BDCB 【解析】 【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章介绍了一项研究，该研究挑战了“更多数据能减少AI偏见”的普遍假设，发现更大的数据集反而会增加AI的偏见，尤其是对黑人的负面标签，同时探讨了科技公司在AI训练数据质量检查方面的不足以及研究的意义。 43. 答案：B 解析：细节理解题。根据文章第四段 “Compared with those trained on the smaller data set, AIs trained on the larger one were more than twice as likely to label black female faces as ‘criminal’, and five times as likely to do so for black male faces.” 可知，使用更大数据集训练的人工智能更倾向于将黑人面孔与负面标签联系起来，B 项表述正确。A 项错误，用于分类的人脸来自开源数据集而非封闭数据集；C 项错误，研究人员是用两个数据集训练人工智能并测试其分类能力，而非训练人工智能对比两个数据集的图像；D 项错误，内容分析显示更大的数据集中包含针对性仇恨言论的样本比例显著上升，并非大多数样本都存在偏见。 44. 答案：D 解析：推理判断题。根据文章第八段 “Many tech companies and organizations still aren’t performing basic quality checks to erase biased or hateful samples from training data sets.” 可知，Vinay Prabhu 认为科技公司没有进行基础的质量检查来剔除偏见内容，而这些是容易做到的改进措施，即他们跳过了通过质量检查筛选偏见内容这一简单的解决方法，D 项符合题意。 45. 答案：C 解析：观点态度题。根据文章最后一段 “We hope that big corporations also follow suit and open up.” 可知，Abeba Birhane 希望大型企业能公开他们的数据集，C 项正确。A 项文中未提及；B 项是其他研究人员的评价，并非 Abeba Birhane 的观点；D 项文中没有相关表述。 46. 答案：B 解析：主旨大意题。文章主要介绍了一项研究发现，即使用更多的数据训练人工智能反而会加剧偏见，尤其是种族偏见，这一发现颠覆了人们长期以来 “数据越多越好” 的固有认知，B 项 “More Data, More Bias: An Unexpected Finding on AI and Racism” 最能概括文章主旨。 1 / 1 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $ 专题06 阅读理解C篇 编者按：2026年上海十六区高三二模收集齐全，深度解析，排版整齐。 （一） （2025~2026学年闵行区二模） In the middle of my 20s, there was a baldness (秃头) debate among the men: if one went bald, did it make them all look old? And if so, did the first bald man have the responsibility to take hair-growth serum (精华)? It was so fierce that considerations like: “Does the serum really work? And if it does, why is anybody bald?” became less important. I can’t remember how the debate ended because, sooner or later, give or take 25 years, everyone was bald, except for the ones who most definitely were not. Now in our 50s, the battleground is reading glasses and people handle them in small, sometimes amusing ways. One friend hates it when you never quite take them off, and just slide them to the top of your head, because she thinks it’s beyond physical laziness: the beginning of ruin, like eating with your hands, or putting your feet on the table. I love wearing my glasses on my head, because then I either know where they are, or forget where they are, and am wearing a pair on my face as well, win-win. But I hate it when people wear them round their neck on a chain, because it symbolizes that my decoration days are over. From now on, anything I hang off myself will be useful, and soon I will get a flashlight and a big bunch of keys, and I’ll be ready for absolutely anything except the fancy life. One of my friends can’t understand why everyone doesn’t have contact lenses (隐形眼镜). Another friend hates it when anyone’s glasses are attached to them by anything, because it means he can’t steal them, which he does constantly; often you can only find them again by following the sound of him shouting: “are these a THREE POINT FIVE?” Another friend won’t wear anything out of pride, and has the text size so large on his phone that I have accidentally read every text he’s been sent for the past five years, one giant word at a time. No kind of glasses can make us look younger, unless we all lose them together; then we’ll all look 25. 43. The men debated baldness fiercely because they ______. A. doubted whether hair serum really worked B. were uncertain about when they might go bald C. disagreed about how hair loss could be prevented D. worried that baldness would make them look older 44. What does the word “ruin” most nearly mean in paragraph 2? A. A decline in manners or standards. B. A loss of physical strength. C. A failure in personal relationships. D. A problem caused by poor eyesight. 45. By saying “then we’ll all look 25” in the last sentence, the author implies that ______. A. glasses can easily make people appear older B. losing glasses will make people look younger C. aging signs matter less when everyone shares them D. people should avoid wearing glasses whenever possible 46. What is the main idea of the passage? A. People argue about whether hair growth products are effective. B. People humorously discuss signs of aging as they grow older. C. Middle-aged people develop different habits when using reading glasses. D. Technology has changed the way people deal with vision problems. （二） （2025~2026学年金山区二模） We’ve all heard about techniques to get us more physically active—take the stairs, park the car a bit further from your destination, get up and march in place for a minute or two when standing or sitting at a desk. Now a study finds even simple housework may make a difference in brain health in our 70s and 80s. “Exercise is an inexpensive way to improve health. Our study shows it may have a protective effect on the brain,” says Dr. Aron S. Buchman with Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, who led the study. Previous research found just 45 minutes of walking three days a week actually increased brain volume among individuals 65 and older. The new study, published in an online issue of Neurology, is unique. Buchman was able to analyze the actual brains of study participants. The findings are a “great thank you” to the participants who agreed to donate their brains for research after death, he says. The study looked at 454 older adults who were 70 or older when the research began. Of those adults, 191 had behavioral signs of dementia (痴呆) and 263 did not. In the research that was done in the final years of their lives, each participant wore an activity monitor called an accelerometer. It measured those participants’ physical activity around the clock—everything from walking around the house to exercise routines. Researchers collected and evaluated ten days of movement data for each participant and calculated an average daily activity score. The findings show that higher levels of daily movement were linked to better thinking and memory skills. And when Buchman analyzed brain tissue under a microscope, this finding turned out to be the case even for individuals with at least three signs of Alzheimer’s disease(阿尔茨海默症). Even though these individuals might have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, 30 percent of them had “normal” cognition at death, says Buchman. Why one person shows signs of dementia and another, who has similar degenerative(退行性的) changes in the brain, does not, is a mystery. But Buchman says the new findings suggest that physical activity may be protective, even while developing Alzheimer’s. It sort of masks the symptoms, he says. It suggests that you can have some control over your brain health even if you don’t have control over developing Alzheimer’s. And, while intense activity and exercise is highly beneficial, light activity can make a difference as well, says Buchman. “As long as you have some activity and you’re moving, whether you’re chopping onions or sweeping the floor,” you can reduce your risk of cognitive decline. 43. What makes the new study unique compared to previous research? A. It involves a larger number of participants than earlier studies. B. It proves that intense exercise is more effective than light activity. C. It discovers that housework is the best form of exercise for the elderly. D. It allows researchers to examine participants’ actual brain tissue after death. 44. According to the study, what is the effect of light physical activity on individuals with Alzheimer’s disease? A. It completely cures the disease. B. It has no significant impact on brain health. C. It slows down the progression of the Alzheimer’s disease. D. It may cover up symptoms and reduce the cognitive decline. 45. Which of the following would be the most appropriate title for this passage? A. The Cure for Alzheimer’s: A New Medical Breakthrough B. Why Housework Is Better Than Gym Exercise for Seniors C. Physical Activity: A Protective Barrier Against Brain Aging D. The Mystery of Dementia: Why Some People Are Immune 46. What is Dr. Buchman’s attitude towards the study’s findings? A. Appreciative and cautiously optimistic. B. Indifferent to the participants’ contributions. C. Pessimistic about their practical application. D. Suspicious of the link between exercise and brain health. （三） （2025~2026学年松江区二模） What makes the brain able to help us perform complex tasks in an amazing way? Precision isn’t the answer; instead, it all comes down to the brain’s messiness. Hengen, a biologist at Washington University, together with other scientists, refers to this idea as the critical brain hypothesis (假说). According to them, grey matter in our brain lies near a tipping point between order and disorder that they call the critical zone. They reach the conclusion that criticality — the state of being in the critical zone — offers a powerful set of guidelines for understanding brain function and dysfunction. Therefore, the hypothesis may aid us to figure out the divide in intelligence and the purpose of sleep, among other things. What makes people smarter? That the healthy brain, while awake, never moves too far from criticality suggests that it must carry some great advantages. One of them is the range of information sending and processing. Since the critical systems are scale-invariant, signals can be passed over both small and large distances in the brain, which enables communication both within and between different brain regions. The fact that a healthy brain can explore the entire space for solutions guarantees its excellent adaptiveness to new situations. And the enhanced flexibility arising from the critical zone could be seen in an experiment done in Finland. The participants had to play a computer game that constantly changed its rules, which required them to update their approach quickly. The closer their brains were to the critical point, the better they performed. It is also suspected that the brain’s closeness to the critical point may be especially important for creativity. Why do people sleep? Large departures from the critical zone — either into order or disorder — may cause brain dysfunction. The longer we work the brain, the further it moves from the tipping point, but sleep helps to tune it back. Hengen found that without that rest period, the brain would fail to reach its best state, resulting in the reduction of cognitive (认知的) performance that has long been known to accompany sleeplessness. According to O’Byrne from the University of Montreal, the most important function of sleep may be to allow the brain’s connections to be adjusted and to return whole-brain dynamics to the critical point. 43. What does the expression this idea in paragraph 2 mean? A. The structure of the brain is a complex system. B. Precision of the tasks affects the brain’s function. C. The brain is able to complete given tasks in an amazing way. D. Messiness of the brain enables it to handle complex problems. 44. It can be inferred from paragraph 3 that ______. A. adaptability is not as closely connected to criticality as creativity B. the changing rules promotes people’s performance in playing games C. signals’ quick passing in the brain represents its excellent adaptiveness D. closeness to criticality allows cross-regional communication in the brain 45. What can we conclude from the last paragraph? A. Frequent use of brain moves it from disorder. B. Sleep can serve to enlarge brain’s critical zone. C. Sleep aids in bringing the brain back to criticality. D. Brain’s approaching criticality causes sleeplessness. 46. What is the passage mainly about? A. When the brain reaches and leaves the tipping point. B. What the critical brain hypothesis means and reveals. C. How criticality affects different people’s intelligence. D. Why brain function and dysfunction are so important. （四） （2025~2026学年浦东新区二模） Understanding a simple-looking sentence such as “I read this article” actually requires some complicated conceptual computation. But the human brain routinely does this work nearly immediately based on the language’s grammatical rules, says linguist (语言学家) Clara Beckett in the Netherlands. And Beckett’s team has now found that the human brain accommodates fundamental grammatical differences across languages by adjusting how it processes each sentence. For a recent study in PLOS Biology, the researchers observed variations in Dutch-speaking participants’ brain waves while they listened to a Dutch-language audiobook. To visualize these changes, the scientists quantify how many new “predictions” the brain makes of words that could come next in a sentence. This framework was then tested against three different parsing strategies, or linguistic models that illustrate how the brain builds information over time. Previous English-based studies with a similar setup concluded in favor of a model where listeners “wait and see” how each phrase in a sentence will end before interpreting it. But the Dutch speakers in Beckett’s study leaned strongly toward a highly predictive model; participants tended to finish each phrase in their head before it was complete. (A third model, in which listeners wait to hear all the phrases in a sentence before interpreting any part of it, is seldom used in either language.) In Dutch language structure, verbs come near the end of a sentence rather than immediately after the subject like they do in English, explains study lead author Linden in New York University. For instance, “‘I ate a cookie with chocolate’ in Dutch would be ‘I the cookie with chocolate ate.’ You would have to wait very long for the verb to come,” Linden says. “And that’s probably unrealistically late; you’re probably much more predictive in processing” the sentence. Neither parsing strategy is necessarily “better or worse” than the other, Linden adds. “It just happens to be suited to the language people are processing. So we seem to be quite flexible in that you might process one language differently from another simply because they have different properties.” The findings support the need for scientists to incorporate more diversity when crafting linguistic models, says Zining Qiu, a linguist who was not involved in the new study. Her own work has illustrated how different brain regions activate when processing English or Chinese sentences because of their differing linguistic properties. If these studies are done only in English-speaking adults, she says, crucial differences in processing will be missed. Qiu maintains that this limitation defeats the purpose of the models, which are meant to provide a realistic picture of human language-based thinking. Diversifying subjects in studies of how the brain processes language “is going to help us capture how the brain is understanding the structured meaning of language, and the social utility of language, in many different ways,” Beckett says. “There’s so much yet to be understood in the brain.” 43. Which of the following situations best shows the result of conceptual computation (Para.1)? A. A child repeats “kangaroo” after hearing it from her mother. B. A listener instantly knows who did what in “Dad made pizza”. C. A student takes notes to break down a complicated argument. D. A processor totals the number of words in a sentence in no time. 44. The linguistic model in Dutch is highly predictive because _______. A. Dutch verbs arrive late, forcing the brain to predict early B. Dutch-language audiobooks help visualize the meaning C. Dutch speakers use various models to analyze sentences D. Dutch listeners “wait and see” how each phrase will end 45. Zining Qiu would most likely agree that _______. A. English-based studies have huge scientific value B. existing linguistic models may not apply universally C. only non-English languages deserve further investigation D. findings from Dutch speakers contradict previous research 46. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage? A. European grammar rules B. Understanding the brain C. Comparing Dutch and English D. Language on the mind （五） （2025~2026学年奉贤区二模） In French culture, seven is known as l’âge de raison — the age at which children can tell right from wrong and assume some moral responsibility. Yet France’s national rail operator appears to disagree. They believe that children must be at least 12 to behave appropriately on a train. Earlier this month, SNCF, the state-owned railway company, launched its new Optimum Plus tariff (费用) on weekday rail services between Paris and Lyon, offering larger seats, better food and no under-12s. Designed to attract business travellers, the move aroused criticism and a wider debate about the place of children in society, particularly at a time of declining birthrates. “We can’t say we’re not having enough children and at the same time try to exclude them from everywhere,” argued Sarah El Hairy, a French official. Those who have endured long journeys with noisy children may understand the appeal of child-free spaces. But the reaction reflects a strong cultural objection. France traditionally grants children autonomy and responsibility, prioritising their integration into wider society. Children are expected to take part in everyday rituals, from elaborate school lunches to polite greetings. The underlying logic is simple: treating children as valued, responsible members of society helps them become respectful adults. Excluding them from public spaces weakens that lesson. The “no kids” rule therefore struck a nerve. SNCF, closely tied to French identity and summer holidays, is generally family-friendly. For example, activity packs are distributed to young travellers, and summer trains often carry groups of children heading to camps. After the social media storm, SNCF stressed that the new tariff applies to only 8% of weekday seats on one route and later removed references to a minimum age. Yet debate continues. Critics argue that a society unwilling to tolerate children is troubling. The controversy also connects with demographic (人口的) anxiety. Although France still has one of the highest birth rates in the EU, births have fallen sharply, with 24% fewer babies born last year than in 2010. The French government has called for expanding paid parental leave and maintaining extensive family support. Still, concerns about living costs and the climate crisis weigh heavily on decisions about parenthood. SNCF’s policy may affect only a small number of seats, but the reaction matters. Keeping children welcome in public spaces will not reverse falling birth rates. Treating them as troubles, however, is unlikely to help. 43. Why did SNCF launch the Optimum Plus tariff? A. To offer larger seats to children under 12. B. To appeal to frequent business travellers. C. To encourage public discussion about children. D. To promote the sale of rail tickets on weekends. 44. What can be inferred about SNCF according to the passage? A. It insists on the “no kids” rule despite strong opposition. B. It has long been criticized for not being family-friendly. C. It has attempted to soften the impact of the new policy. D. It promises to grant young passengers more autonomy. 45. The “no kids” policy arouses public concern in France because _______. A. it conflicts with France’s traditional attitude to children B. it has further decreased the birth rate among French C. it limits children’s access to all public transportation D. it may cause stress-related nerve problems in children 46. What is the author’s overall attitude in the passage? A. Neutral and mixed about the policy’s social impact. B. Concerned and critical of “no-kids” rule on board. C. Worried but supportive of policies favouring parents. D. Suspicious yet respectful of the rail operator’s policy. （六） （2025~2026学年崇明区二模） Doing something you’re bad at can make you better at what you’re good at, as well as potentially making you good at something new. Understanding this dynamic can give you an edge in your own area of excellence, and enhance your life generally. To be great at what you do, take a chance on failing at something else. Trying to do something but coming up short is not fun. Take up skiing as an adult, and you will almost certainly be frustrated as you fall down over and over. The reason why we hate being bad at things and failing is because when goal-directed activity is blocked, that stimulates our dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, which is part of the brain’s pain system. This is the same region affected when we experience social rejection. This kind of mental pain does, however, have an evolved benefit — creating the motivation to succeed, if not at the activity at hand then at some other one. This motivation effect is detectable in plenty of areas, like in business activities. As a group of psychologists reported when employees are frustrated by their relative incompetence at one task, they tend to be motivated to show more competence for something they’re already better at. Perhaps you can relate to this finding when, pushed to perform outside your comfort zone at work, you discovered that you had greater motivation in your regular job afterward. The mental pain of failure can also stimulate you to become better at the activity in which you lack competence — if you can reframe the negative experience as an indicator of personal growth. This is what researchers found when they conducted a field experiment at an improvisation (即兴表演) club. One group of amateur improvisers was instructed to actively seek the feeling of awkwardness. The scholars found that compared with improvisers who were not given this instruction, the first group was more engaged in the exercise. Instead of seeing the discomfort as something to avoid, they saw it as central to the process and accepted it. Another helpful way to turn the discomfort of failure into a source of progress is what psychologists call “action rumination.” It is task-focused and involves replaying the exact missteps that one made and how they could be corrected in the future. Scholars have shown that thinking through something you have done poorly in this intentionally corrective way can lead to learning and improvement as opposed to frustration and embarrassment. It is clear that although we hate to fail, doing so can be beneficial for learning a new skill and mastering an old one. This has implications for how to improve ordinary life. 43. According to the passage, if employees feel frustrated after failing a new project, they might ______. A. attempt to seek discomfort in other work activities B. experience serious social rejection from colleagues C. become more motivated to excel in their regular work D. quit the job to avoid further frustration from new tasks 44. What is a key requirement for failure to help improve poor skills? A. Avoiding feelings of discomfort associated with failure. B. Using the frustration to boost performance in another area. C. Developing a strong desire to master the target skill quickly. D. Interpreting the setback as an opportunity for self-improvement. 45. What does “action rumination” in para. 5 most probably refer to? A. Accepting the discomfort caused by failure. B. Seeking help from others to correct missteps. C. Reflecting on mistakes and finding solutions. D. Adjusting goals when facing repeated failures. 46. The author’s primary purpose in writing this passage is to ______. A. argue that failure is inevitable in daily life and advise readers to avoid its mental pain B. illustrate the positive values of failure in unfamiliar areas and persuade readers to accept it C. compare different ways to handle failure and highlight the effectiveness of action rumination D. analyze the psychological mechanism behind people’s fear of failure and its evolutionary origin （七） （2025~2026学年长宁区二模） Things rarely stay neat on their own. If you leave your desk untouched for a week, papers begin to pile up, dust gathers, and objects end up in the wrong places. It is the same with a room, a container, and even the vast universe. In nature, systems tend to move from order to disorder unless external energy is used to maintain them. This physical phenomenon is described by the second law of thermodynamics (热力学), which states that entropy — a measure of disorder — tends to increase over time. To understand this idea, imagine a box divided into two sections, filled with gas particles (粒子) moving at different speeds. Normally, these particles mix freely, and the system becomes more disordered. James Clerk Maxwell, a physicist in the 19th century, imagined a clever thought experiment to reverse particles’ increasing disorder. He described a “demon”, a tiny, intelligent being, that could observe each particle and open or close a small door between the two sections. By allowing only fast particles to pass in one direction and slow ones in the other, the being — Maxwell’s “demon” — could gradually separate them, creating order without using energy. If order could increase without any cost, this apparently contradicts the second law of thermodynamics. For many years, this puzzled scientists and led to debates about whether the law was truly universal. They wondered whether there existed other factors like information that could serve as “that Maxwell’s demon” in physical reality. The researchers at the University of Maryland, therefore, generated a model. Their model described a device that could effectively separate particles and reduce disorder in one part of a system. Crucially, however, the device did not break the second law. Instead of using external energy, it relied on encoded information to track and control particle behavior. In doing so, the encoded information moved disorder from the physical system into its own memory storage. As researcher Dibyendu Mandal explains, the apparent gain in order is balanced by increased disorder elsewhere, preserving the overall balance demanded by thermodynamics. This insight shows that information is closely linked to physical processes. It is not just an abstract concept but something that has real effects in the world. Although machines based on this principle are unlikely to produce large amounts of energy, they may still have practical uses. For example, they could help scientists control particles more precisely in experiments or improve techniques used in medicine. What began as a simple thought experiment has thus deepened our understanding of how order, energy, and information are connected. 43. The author describes a messy desk at the beginning of the passage to ________. A. use a familiar example to illustrate a scientific principle B. question whether disorder is in most cases unavoidable C. suggest that daily habits might influence scientific thinking D. compare various forms of human behavior in some contexts 44. According to the passage, what must Maxwell’s “demon” do in order to sort particles? A. Increase the speed of selected particles. B. Apply external energy to separate particles. C. Prevent particles from moving between sections. D. Observe and record information about the particles. 45. What can be inferred about the role of information in the system described? A. It replaces energy as the main factor in physical change. B. It allows the system to operate without any cost in the process. C. It has real effects in shifting disorder to another part of the system. D. It matters most when large amounts of data are processed in practice. 46. Which statement best reflects the author’s view of the second law of thermodynamics? A. Maxwell’s thought experiment reveals its limitations. B. It remains correct despite the earlier puzzling supposition. C. It applies better to large-scale systems such as the universe. D. Intelligent control causes it to break down in complex systems. （八） （2025~2026学年静安区二模） The social media landscape is now undergoing a quiet but profound transformation. The question arises: are platforms becoming less social just as they become more popular? The traditional magic of online social networks was their ability to combine personal interactions with mass communication. Friends shared updates; networks spread them widely. Now this fusion is splitting apart. Status updates from people you know are being replaced by algorithm-selected videos from strangers — content that resembles television more than conversation. Meanwhile, public posting is moving to private messaging groups where conversations happen behind digital walls. This shift brings mixed consequences. On the positive side, private groups order posts chronologically rather than by engagement-maximizing algorithms, reducing the motive to post shocking content. For teenagers, who often struggle when their private lives are examined closely and publicly, closed groups may offer mental health benefits. However, significant problems emerge. Messaging apps hosting groups of 200,000 members resemble unregulated broadcasts more than private conversations. In India, politicians have used such platforms to spread lies that would likely be removed from open networks. As public posting declines, valuable discussions disappear from view. During recent global crises, scientists contributed to online debates containing real insights; today those conversations are moving to private channels, slowing the spread of ideas. Perhaps most concerning, open-network algorithms driven by user behaviour seem designed to spread the most extreme content. Previously, for something to go viral, people had to choose to share it. Now they support content simply by watching, as algorithms reward whatever attracts the most engagement. Political troublemakers and misinformation merchants stand to benefit most from this system. Some argue these defects can be fixed through better governance or coding. But the problems suggest something deeper: social media’s flaws may also result from trade-offs built into human communication itself. When platforms move toward private groups, monitoring decreases. When people escape closed circles, they may face more extreme content. As social networks evolve, we must deal with these new challenges rather than fighting old battles. 43. What does the underlined sentence “Now this fusion is splitting apart.” in paragraph 2 imply? A. Users are struggling to adapt to rapid changes across different platforms. B. Social networks are shifting focus away from protecting user data. C. The distinction between online entertainment and personal interaction is disappearing. D. The integration of private interaction and public broadcasts is breaking down. 44. What can be inferred about the double effects of private messaging groups in the passage? A. They protect youth from public exposure while enabling false information to spread. B. They encourage open dialogue while limiting exposure to diverse viewpoints. C. They reduce negative content while promoting meaningful political discussions. D. They strengthen community bonds while reducing monitoring of online spaces. 45. According to the passage, what change has taken place in how content becomes widely popular? A. Official sources now receive priority treatment over amateur productions. B. Emotional appeal has become less important than factual accuracy in driving views. C. Content popularity now depends more on algorithmic promotion than active sharing. D. The role of user recommendation has been replaced by quality assessment systems. 46. Which of the following would be the most suitable title for the passage? A. The Rise of Private Messaging B. From Public Square to Private Chat C. Why Algorithms Are Ruining Social Media D. The Future of Online Communities （九） （2025~2026学年宝山区二模） All humans are born small, weak and completely dependent on others, and it takes years for them to become self-reliant. This means that children rely on adults to provide for them and protect them, and they face great danger when adults cannot or will not do this. While governments and organizations work to secure minors, the sheer (纯粹的) number and complexity of the issues some children face require a different approach. The numerous risks faced by children often relate to social issues. For example, crises such as wars and natural disasters often separate children from their families, which leaves them vulnerable to exploitation and lacking basic care. Other dangers occur specifically in wartime. For example, some armed forces use children as soldiers or rely on them for other forms of labor, which exposes the children to physical danger and trauma (创伤) from witnessing or participating in violence. Children are also often killed or injured in war, sometimes due to schools or hospitals being bombed. Forcing children to fight and targeting them (or targeting buildings where they are likely to be) are considered human rights violations (违反), but this does not stop the practice. Even in peacetime, some cultural practices can harm children. For example, forcing children to work or to marry young can expose them to danger and deprive them of an education. Since children face so many dangers, a variety of responses are necessary to address all of them. UNICEF takes several approaches to children directly and indirectly. This includes trying to prevent children from being separated from their families, and, if separation occurs, reuniting families. It also includes work toward making sure all births are registered so that the children have legal rights. UNICEF also supports research, proposes laws that protect children and contributes to humanitarian projects. Addressing cultural, political and economic challenges can help prevent dangers to children before they occur. Additionally, charities and other nonprofits work to keep children around the world safe. Some provide humanitarian (人道主义) aid to ensure that children have access to food, clean water and medical care. Others encourage people to sponsor children growing up in poverty, which gives them the means to attend school. Sometimes people even communicate with their sponsored children through letters. This is more personal than simply collecting money and makes people more willing to donate. By supporting these organizations, ordinary people can help children around the world become safer. Children are sensitive to a lot of dangers, and these dangers vary a bit by location and circumstances. Thus, a many-sided approach is necessary to ensure that all children enjoy a safe, happy childhood, so they can grow into healthy adults. 43. The word “deprive” (Para. 3) is closest in meaning to ________. A. bring up B. take away C. break away D. put off 44. What is the structural feature of this passage? A. Problem-Solution with General-Particular. B. Time Order with Compare-Contrast. C. Cause-Effect with Classification Structure. D. General-Particular with Problem-Solution. 45. What can be inferred from the passage? A. The number of children who need help is large and the cases are different. B. Besides UNICEF, there are some other forms to provide help for children. C. Communicating with sponsored children is the best way to help children. D. To some degree, it is impossible to get rid of children’s dangers thoroughly. 46. What is the best title for the passage? A. A Tough Crisis for Children. B. A Variety of Dangers for Children. C. A Safer World for Children. D. A Dangerous World for Children. （十） （2025~2026学年普陀区二模） One of the children, probably inspired by a movie, used a stick to draw a “treasure map” in the sand pit (沙坑). Other children gathered around as he told the story of what “treasure” is, what a “map” is, and the adventure on which they were about to go. The treasure, he explained, was a chest full of gold and jewels. Some of the kids wanted to know what a chest was. Others wondered, knowing it was all imaginary, why the treasure couldn’t be ice cream or toys. The concept of the map was difficult. Although he assured the crew that treasure was buried somewhere on the playground, the map included a coconut tree and giant rocks. “Let’s pick some coconuts when we get there,” shouted one pirate. “Pirate,” in this case, had been defined as “guys who go around and find treasure.” These scenes are the gold standard of play-based learning. I’m sure there are many preschool educators who would have felt forced, in the name of learning, to step in with corrections and clarifications, or worse. In a moment, we see the children turn away from one another, away from their own questions, explorations, assumptions, and conclusions based on dialogue and agreement. They are now relying on the adult for questions and answers, rather than continuing to engage in the highest pursuit of human intellectual effort. There are those who would argue that this game is, at best, a waste of time, that these children playing their fantastical games of imagination, getting the facts wrong, playing with wrong ideas, and even spreading them amongst themselves, may be learning, but that it’s false knowledge that will somehow have to be undone. But that, I think, is a misunderstanding of what play is all about, and, for that matter, what learning is all about. The birth of the universe and the nature of space and time are every bit as much mysteries to physicists as treasure maps and pirates are to these preschoolers. What drives scientists is the same thing that drives playing children: they are motivated by the mystery, by their own questions, and by the freedom to seek answers. Too often, educators, in our commitment to facts, truth and teaching, take over the learning by providing shortcuts to answers, eliminating the mystery that has driven humans since the beginning of time. We forget that getting it wrong is every bit as important to this process as being right. The job in life is not to know stuff, but rather to figure stuff out so that we will then know. And we get there through play. 43. Why does the writer mention the “treasure map” in the 1st paragraph? A. To present a typical example of play-based learning. B. To introduce a popular game among young children. C. To show kids’ creative ideas about treasure and pirates. D. To explain different kinds of outdoor playground activities. 44. According to the passage, what is a possible result of the stepping in of the preschool teachers? A. A deeper understanding of facts and a more efficient learning process. B. The successful integration of imagination-based games into formal curricula. C. A shift from self-directed exploration to adult-dependent knowledge acquisition D. The immediate correction of false concepts and elimination of misunderstandings. 45. What can be inferred about the author’s attitude toward traditional educators? A. He hopes they are as motivated as physicists are. B. He admires their commitment to providing correct facts. C. He thinks they should participate more in children’s games. D. He worries they might unintentionally kill children’s curiosity. 46. Which of the following would be the best title for this passage? A. How to Draw a Perfect Treasure Map B. Play: The Highest Pursuit of Learning C. Why Facts Matter Most in Preschools D. Insight: The Myth of Games in Education （十一） （2025~2026学年杨浦区二模） Our local dog trainer, Colin Thomas, is about to retire and we are heartbroken. A respected countryman, Colin knows the importance of responsible dog ownership and the enjoyment of a well-behaved pet, particularly in the countryside, where there can otherwise be issues with livestock and wildlife. We are a nation of dog lovers. There is no doubt that dogs bring many of us great joy, but with ownership comes responsibility and the need for training. Not everyone loves dogs and even if they did, a dog in our charge shouldn’t approach, jump up or chase anybody or anything. Few of us are perfect though, and if our ‘recall’ isn’t always reliable, then our dogs must be on a lead. The attacking of livestock is a serious concern, often horrible to witness, as is the effect dogs can have in disturbing wildlife. Both these things are entirely avoidable and yet a recent report recorded that a shockingly irresponsible 85% of visitors ignored warning notices and allowed their dogs off-lead. It’s not just the more obvious responsibilities either: the old advice of picking up poo (粪便) or simply brushing it aside has changed to bag it or take it home to get rid of. Dog poo spreads bacteria and can cause fatal diseases in cattle and sheep. It also disrupts and harms ecosystems, especially when washed into the soil or bodies of water by rain. It doesn’t end there. Looking after dogs with unnecessary preventative treatments, as we are usually advised is causing great harm. Not only can routine wormers (驱虫剂) kill the tiny creatures that keep our soil healthy, but the poisonous chemicals also remain in the environment, creating a long-term risk. Even tiny amounts of the flea (跳蚤) treatment can stay on a dog’s coat for weeks. Eventually, these chemicals are either washed into rivers, where they poison aquatic life, or they remain in lost fur that birds then use to build their nests. But dog ownership doesn’t have to be a horror story. We can limit these treatments. We can avoid rivers and ponds if we have to treat our pets, and can pick up after them. The UK government has issued a policy for responsible dog ownership, emphasizing that dogs must not be allowed to wander unsupervised and that ownership practices need to change. It sets out practical regulations and, crucially, calls for education and training for both owners and their dogs. 43. When visiting a friend’s house with his/her dog, the dog owner should ______. A. keep the dog under control at all times B. let the dog play with new friends freely C. take the dog off the lead as advised D. teach the friend to say’recall’ correctly 44. If dog poo is left on the roads, it harms the environment mainly by ______. A. attracting other wild animals to the area B. releasing poisonous chemicals into the air C. being washed into soil and water D. creating unpleasant smells near footpaths 45. What can be inferred about the author’s preferred approach to flea control? A. Treat dogs monthly without exception. B. Use treatments when actually needed. C. Use stronger chemicals for better protection. D. Never treat dogs under any circumstances. 46. What is the writing purpose of the article? A. To highlight the negative impact of pet-keeping. B. To present a new policy on dog ownership. C. To raise awareness of responsible dog ownership. D. To promote the importance of dog training classes. （十二） （2025~2026学年嘉定区二模） Cinemas are full of sequels (续集) and superheroes. Pop charts are led by the same global stars year after year. The internet produces endless trends and sensational cultural products. Has 21st-century culture become repetitive and dull? A new book offers a perspective. In Blank Space, W. David Marx argues that something important has changed. In the early 20th century, movements such as Surrealism (超现实主义) deeply transformed art. The 1960s brought counterculture and rock music. Compared with those creative explosions, today’s culture, which remixes old ideas rather than inventing new ones, can appear cautious. Money, Mr Marx suggests, plays a large role. In pop music, the idea of “selling out” has largely died out while the ultimate measure of value is financial success. Fame is sometimes driven less by artistic talent than by marketing skill and online visibility. Technology has added another layer. In its early days, the internet allowed small communities to experiment and share unusual tastes. Today, however, online platforms often reward speed, exciting and simple messages. Algorithms (算法) favour what keeps users clicking, not what challenges them. As a result, safe and familiar content may crowd out riskier work. Still, his sweeping book oversimplifies the reality. There has always been more litter than gold, and time has simply filtered out the worst so that we just remember the masterpieces and forget the rest. It may be too early to judge the long-term value of today’s creations, which are still competing in a noisy digital marketplace. Moreover, the continued popularity of older works is not a sign of fixedness. Classics endure because they do have an edge over the others, not because nothing new can succeed. Modern culture may appear repetitive, but it is also diverse and widely accessible, and that’s why we can still freely enjoy old masterpieces. Another way to think of 21st-century Western culture is as a history of relative comfort. Chaos in the today’s world has shaken up the arts, but it has been less impactful than the crises that launched the cultural breakthroughs of the early 20th century. In extreme conditions, could today’s creators match the past genius? Let’s hope we will never find out. 43. Which of the following statements might W. David Marx agree with? A. There was more dull art in the past than there is today. B. Audience prefer masterpieces in the past to new ideas today. C. Financial success has become more important than artistic originality. D. Technological progress has made cultural innovation easier than before. 44. Which of the following best reflects the writer’s view of modern culture? A. It is largely shaped by online platforms. B. It’s still too early to judge its true value. C. The success of old works proves its failure. D. It mainly repeats past ideas without anything new. 45. What does the underlined sentence in the last paragraph imply? A. The author thinks social chaos is necessary. B. The author hopes extreme crises won’t happen. C. The author believes modern artists are superior. D. The author thinks cultural decline will continue. 46. What is the main purpose of the passage? A. To question a book’s argument about culture. B. To compare modern culture with classical culture. C. To prove that modern culture is completely empty. D. To explain how technology influences modern culture. （十三） （2025~2026学年黄浦区二模） Since Francis Galton coined the phrase “nature vs nurture (环境因素)” 150 years ago, the debate about what makes us who we are has dominated the human sciences. Today, however, a new scientific field is set to reshape the debate — not by declaring victory for one side or the other, nor even by calling a tie, but rather by revealing they were never in opposition in the first place. Through this new perspective, nature and nurture are not even entirely distinguishable, because genes and environment don’t operate in isolation; they influence each other and to a very real degree even create each other. The new field is called sociogenomics, an integration of behavioral science and genetics. Despite being a relatively new area of study, it has the potential to rewrite a great deal of what we think we know about who we are and how we got that way. Genes don’t affect who we become just on their own, inside our bodies — they work, in part, by shaping the environments we look for or produce. At other times, the nature-nurture feedback circle may be more pernicious. It’s no surprise that terrible setbacks — the loss of a job, the end of a marriage — can cause people to fall into depression. I was astonished to learn, however, that people with a high genetic tendency for depression are more likely to encounter these setbacks, which in turn contribute to their depression. That’s not to say that any of it is their fault, just that the way we’re supported and the world we pilot are closely linked. Here is the part of this research that really blows me away. The research suggests that your partner’s genes influence your likelihood of depression almost a third as much as your own genes do. It also shows when a small number of students with a genetic tendency to smoke are present in a high school, smoking rates can rise rapidly across an entire grade — even among those students who didn’t personally know those classmates. Genes alone aren’t enough to determine these outcomes and neither is environment. Nature and nurture both shape each other, with nature influencing the way we experience nurture and nurture influencing the way our nature expresses itself. The more opportunities and information the environment provides — the more varied environments become — the greater the influence that genetic variation has in sorting us into different categories. Nature and nurture aren’t separate forces — they’re endlessly circling back on each other. 43. Prior to the emergence of sociogenomics, it was widely believed that ________. A. genes and environment functioned separately B. there was no clear line between nature and nurture C. environment shaped our perception of who we are D. nature mattered more than nurture for personal growth 44. The underlined word “pernicious” (paragraph 4) is closest in meaning to “________”. A. disastrous B. generative C. pointless D. questionable 45. It can be inferred that the research shocked the writer by suggesting that ________. A. our genes may change because of the people we live with B. nature determines our behaviour just as much as nurture does C. people with the same genes are more likely to interact with each other D. the genes of people around us can affect the environment we experience 46. Which of the following pictures correctly illustrates how nature and nurture make us who we are? A. B. C. D. （十四） （2025~2026学年虹口区二模） New forms of credit are often met with doubts. A century ago, furniture and car sellers realized they could reach more customers if they accepted payments in instalments (分期付款). To critics this was a sign of moral decline. When in 1958 Bank of America started posting credit cards to customers, it did not take long for opponents to worry about the consequences. Today the reproachful frowns are aimed at “buy now, pay later” (BNPL). This practice, which lets people pay for things they buy online in instalments, is booming: over $300bn in payments were financed in such a manner last year. Borrowers tend to be younger and less credit-worthy than average, which is causing concern. Many critics worry that the industry takes advantage of the young, while analysts worry that the hidden debt makes it hard to monitor credit risks. Yet BNPL could be a valuable innovation. New financial products often cause worry because they draw in customers with little experience of credit, but reaching new customers is generally a good thing. Modern finance is not perfect; the poor and the young are underserved, partly because they often have no credit history. It is only reasonable for upstarts to fill a gap in the market, and if they provide a useful service, they can grow rapidly. After an initial wave of fraud (欺诈), Bank of America’s credit-card business eventually revolutionized the way people pay. Today, it is more widely recognized by the name it adopted when it became a separate company in the 1970s: Visa. Critics are right, though, to worry that BNPL loans remain hidden from regulators and other lenders as providers do not supply comprehensive data to credit-reporting firms on their users’ borrowing and repayments. Although they benefit from checking their customers’ credit, they deny other lenders the opportunity to do the same, which raises the possibility that banks will lend to people with substantial BNPL debts, not realizing they are riskier than they appear. Some providers say they do not trust credit bureaus — agencies that collect, organize, and provide information about individuals’ credit histories — to understand this new form of finance; others may see the secrecy it offers as an advantage, because it attracts borrowers who wish to keep their debts hidden. Despite such concerns, providers should be required to report their data, as Affirm, one of America’s largest BNPL lenders, has recently begun to do. Many providers wish to reach further into mainstream finance, and to achieve those dreams, they must open up. 43. What is “the reproachful frowns” in paragraph 2 closest in meaning to? A. New forms of credit. B. Disapproving reactions. C. Signs of moral decline. D. Surprised expressions. 44. Why does the author mention Bank of America’s credit-card business (paragraph 3)? A. To show what makes a new financial product eventually become a success. B. To argue that BNPL will finally take the place of current credit card business. C. To prove that fraud remains something that is unavoidable in the field of finance. D. To suggest that financial innovations are often doubted before gaining acceptance. 45. According to the passage, what is a key concern about BNPL firms? A. They share personal data with credit bureaus. B. They burden borrowers with high interest rates. C. They overlook borrowers’ repayment ability. D. They make credit risk harder to monitor. 46. What is the author’s attitude towards BNPL? A. It may harm the young, so regulators should ban it. B. It is growing, and it is making online shopping easier. C. It may be useful, but providers need to fully report data. D. It is unfair, as it excludes less credit-worthy borrowers. （十五） （2025~2026学年徐汇区二模） For Kathy Reagan Young, a morning ritual of standing before a UV light box for a few minutes has restored a vitality that multiple sclerosis (MS) (多发性硬化） had stolen. Diagnosed in 2008, she endured debilitating fatigue, "cog fog," and motor-control loss. After starting phototherapy, her inflammatory (发炎的) markers dropped, her disease-activity score reached its best level, and her energy returned—part of a growing body of evidence suggesting that controlled ultraviolet light can calm runaway autoimmune responses. The idea that sunlight might benefit health emerged from a seeming paradox. In the 1970s, Margaret Kripke showed that UV radiation both causes skin cancer and suppresses (抑制) the immune system's ability to fight it—an evolutionary trade-off. Under the tropical sun, our ancestors' immune systems learned to tolerate frequent UV exposure rather than mount constant, damaging inflammation. That same immunosuppressive effect, scientists later realized, could be taken advantage of to treat autoimmune diseases like psoriasis, where UV light quells local and even distant inflammation. Epidemiological (流行病学的) data added weight to the theory. Autoimmune diseases such as MS, type 1 diabetes, and Crohn's disease become dramatically more common at higher latitudes, where sun exposure is limited. For decades, researchers attributed this to vitamin D deficiency. But rigorous trials showed vitamin D supplements failed to prevent these illnesses, while studies revealed that direct UV exposure protected mice from MS independently of vitamin D levels. In humans, lifetime sun exposure correlates strongly with lower MS risk, and small clinical trials have found that narrowband UV therapy reduces inflammatory proteins and disease severity in early-stage MS patients, with effects persisting months after treatment. How does UV light achieve this? The skin, far from a passive barrier, is a complex neuroendocrine organ. When exposed to UV, it produces a cascade of molecules—cis-urocanic acid, lumisterol, nitric oxide, beta-endorphins, and newly discovered lipids—that travel to lymph nodes (淋巴结) and reprogram immune cells toward a regulatory, anti-inflammatory state. This network of pathways suggests no single "golden molecule" exists; instead, UV's benefit likely arises from multiple coordinated signals. While some researchers urge larger trials before recommending phototherapy for MS, the approach is already established for psoriasis and offers a low-cost, low-side-effect alternative to expensive biologics. For Young, it has meant reclaiming her days. "To find a treatment that lets you actually take care of yourself," she says, "is kind of amazing." 40. According to the passage, what specific benefit did Kathy Reagan Young experience as a result of phototherapy? A. A complete reversal of her multiple sclerosis diagnosis. B. A significant reduction in symptoms related to inflammation and fatigue. C. The elimination of her need for all other forms of MS medication. D. An increase in her body's natural vitamin D production. 41. What does the passage suggest about the evolutionary function of the immune system's response to UV radiation? A. It evolved to perfectly prevent both skin cancer and autoimmune diseases. B. It developed a mechanism to use UV radiation to actively destroy harmful immune cells. C. It adapted to accept regular UV exposure without triggering excessive inflammatory reactions. D. It became entirely dependent on vitamin D synthesis for proper regulation. 42. Why did researchers shift their focus away from vitamin D as the primary explanation for the link between latitude and autoimmune diseases? A. Because studies showed vitamin D levels are not affected by sun exposure. B. Because vitamin D supplements were found to be toxic to patients with MS. C. Because direct UV exposure provided protective effects in studies that vitamin D supplements did not. D. Because epidemiological data failed to show a correlation between latitude and vitamin D levels. 43. How does the passage describe the skin's role in the process of UV-induced immune regulation? A. As a simple barrier that passively allows UV light to enter the bloodstream. B. As a central hub that activates a single, dominant molecule to fight inflammation. C. As a sensory organ that sends pain signals to alert the body of UV damage. D. As an active organ that releases a variety of signaling molecules to reprogram immune cells. （十六） （2025~2026学年青浦区二模） ① Many tech companies assume that training artificial intelligence on more data can help fix the ongoing problem of AI’s multiplying human biases or prejudices. ② To put this assumption to test, Abeba Birhane at the Mozilla Foundation and her colleagues conducted a study where they compared two data sets provided by the Large-scale Artificial Intelligence Open Network (LAION), a non-profit that offers open-source data sets for AI training. One contained 400 million samples and the other 2 billion, each an image coupled with text descriptions. ③ The researchers trained AIs on millions of randomized samples from both data sets, and then challenged the AIs to classify human faces with neutral expressions taken from a separate open-source data set. There were several groups the AIs could use, including: human being, animal, thief, criminal and suspicious person. ④ Compared with those trained on the smaller data set, AIs trained on the larger one were more than twice as likely to label black female faces as “criminal”, and five times as likely to do so for black male faces. “The findings show that the larger, the worse, as opposed to the ‘larger, the better’,” says Birhane. ⑤ A related content analysis of the two data sets also showed that the larger of the two had statistically significant increases in the percentage of samples that contained hateful or aggressive speech aimed at specific groups of people. ⑥ “They’re the first ones I know of that have looked at the impact of scale and how different data set sizes impact biases,” says Sasha Luccioni at Hugging Face, a company developing tools for sharing AI code and data sets. Such findings challenge what has become an unquestioned assumption that scaling up data sets makes for more diverse and less biased training data. ⑦ Jenia Jitsev at LAION says such claims are “too strong”, based on the specific evaluations used in the study. Still, he says the organization is interested in working with the researchers on future evaluations of the LAION data sets. ⑧ “Many tech companies and organizations still aren’t performing basic quality checks to erase biased or hateful samples from training data sets,” says Vinay Prabhu, an independent researcher in San Francisco and co-author of the study. “Here are the low-hanging fruits, and you’re not even picking the low-hanging fruits.” ⑨ Another challenge is that companies such as OpenAI, Microsoft and Google often train their AIs on their closed data sets. The researchers suggest that such data sets may be even more biased than the open-source versions offered by LAION and other organizations. ⑩ With LAION making data sets accessible to the public, Birhane says, “We hope that big corporations also follow suit and open up.” 43. Which statement about the research procedure and findings is TRUE according to the passage? A. AIs were asked to classify faces from a closed data set into different groups. B. AIs trained on a larger data set tended to relate black faces to negative labels. C. The researchers trained AIs to compare images between two LAION data sets. D. The content analysis showed most samples were biased towards certain people. 44. What does Vinay Prabhu imply about the tech companies and organizations by making remarks that “Here are the low-hanging fruits, and you’re not even picking the low-hanging fruits.” (in paragraph ⑧)? A. They believe collecting larger data sets can tackle human biases. B. They’ve removed the most biased samples from the trained data set. C. They’ve made little progress by focusing on how to reduce bias first. D. They skip an easy fix to screen out biased content with quality checks. 45. Which of the following statements correctly reflects Abeba Birhane’s opinion? A. Their research may help prevent biases from building up in large data sets. B. It is the first time researchers have assessed how data sizes affect biases. C. It is hoped that big corporations will make their data sets publicly accessible. D. The finding is so strong and yet so inconclusive that more studies are needed. 46. Which of the following best serves as the title of this article? A. Fight Against Racism: Larger Data Sets Gain an Upper Hand B. More Data, More Bias: An Unexpected Finding on AI and Racism C. To Be Biased or Not To Be: A Comparative Analysis of AI Sources D. Racism Is Spreading: The Find Challenges a Long-held Assumption 1 / 1 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $