Unit 6 Nurturing nature 单元练习-2025-2026学年高中英语外研版选择性必修第一册

Unit 6　Nurturing nature Ⅰ.阅读理解 A Camel’s survival in the desert is a marvel of nature that MIT engineer Jeffrey Grossman looked to for inspiration.He noted that camels rely on both their sweat and fur to thrive in hot conditions.Without the fur,camels would sweat too much and quickly use up their water,a vital resource in the desert.This natural adaptation is crucial for their endurance against the hot sun and dry climate. Grossman pondered replicating the camel’s cooling mechanism using two types of materials.His findings are published in the journal Joule,where he introduces a novel technology.This tech could potentially keep food and medical supplies chilled without extra energy consumption,offering a sustainable solution to a common problem. The base of this innovative system is hydrogel,a material that can hold a lot of water and cools as water evaporates(蒸发) from its surface.For the top layer,Grossman selected aerogel,a material that is mostly air and known as the lightest solid on Earth.This layer mimics the camel’s fur by slowing down the evaporation,ensuring the cooling effect lasts longer.The aerogel’s unique properties also protect the hydrogel from external heat sources,further enhancing the insulation. Grossman was aware that the top layer needed to be both insulating and having holes to allow water to evaporate.If the layer was too thin,it wouldn’t effectively insulate the hydrogel;if too thick,the water in the hydrogel couldn’t evaporate,reducing the system’s cooling efficiency.By controlling evaporation,each water drop can have a longer cooling effect,making the system highly efficient. In the experiment,Grossman’s team set a heat sensor under the layered materials in a room kept at 30℃.They monitored how the temperature changed over time under the hydrogel as water evaporated.The results were impressive:when compared to a single layer of exposed hydrogel,the dual-layer system significantly extended the cooling duration by 400 percent. Northwestern University engineer Park praised the innovation,noting that while hydrogel and aerogel are not new,their combined use in this manner is.Like Grossman,Park is hopeful that this technology could be applied to insulate surfaces such as windows effectively.Moreover,the potential applications are vast,from improving refrigeration in remote areas to creating more efficient cooling systems for buildings,this camel-inspired invention could revolutionise the way we manage temperature and conserve energy. 1.Which aspect of the camel inspired the new technology? A.Its heat-proof fur. B.Its water-resistant ability. C.Its low-energy consumption. D.Its endurance against the sun. 2.What is good about the bottom layer of Grossman’s innovation? A.It’s extremely thin. B.It’s a porous structure. C.It takes in water easily. D.It reduces water evaporation. 3.What can be inferred from the fifth paragraph? A.Grossman’s innovation is powerful. B.Ways of cooling technology meet challenges. C.A single layer of exposed hydrogel works better. D.The heat sensor plays a big part in the cooling duration. 4.What does Park say about Grossman’s work? A.It could be further improved in many ways. B.It has benefited from two types of new materials. C.It has contributed a lot to window production. D.It has creatively put two common materials together. 【语境猜词】 ①marvel　　　　_______________________ ②insulation _______________________ ③refrigeration _______________________ ④effectively _______________________ B Italian cuisine may be one of the most recognised and loved in the world—often imagined as a collection of ancient recipes and local traditions preserved by skillful grandmothers over centuries.But now,a food historian is exposing common myths and false stories,arguing that the Italian cuisine as we know it is barely a few decades old. Grandi claims in his latest book,Italian Cuisine Doesn’t Exist,the idea that many beloved recipes and products such as cheeses or cured meats have hundreds of years of history is pure fantasy.Most dishes have a shorter history than most people imagine. Migration is what made Italian cuisine what it is today.In the 19th and 20th centuries,millions of people left Italy,a poverty-stricken country with limited dietary options,emigrating to South America,North America and European countries.The Italians who landed on New York’s Ellis Island left hunger and misery behind.And it was in the “new world”,Grandi argues,that Italian immigrants found the wealth and ingredients to create the recipes that eventually popularised Italian food worldwide. However,many Italians are not familiar with this history.They might imagine that their beloved recipes were born in Italy,passed down,unchanged,from generation to generation and eventually exported abroad by Italian migrants. Pizza is the most famous example of this.Born as a cheap street food in Naples,in the 19th century it was synonymous with poverty and dirt.It was in America,says Grandi,that pizza became “red”.While fresh tomatoes were among the original toppings,Italian immigrants to the US popularised pizza prepared with tomato sauce,a product that industrialisation made easy to access and store.And it was in the US that pizzerias really started to take off.Scholars call this process “the pizza effect”:when a product leaves its place of origin,gets profoundly transformed and then returns to its place of origin to be fully embraced in a completely different form.  5.What does Grandi challenge in his book? A.The role of Italian chefs. B.The history of Italian cuisine. C.The recipe for cured meats. D.The process of cheese production. 6.How did Italian immigrants contribute to the spread of Italian cuisine? A.By running Italian restaurants worldwide. B.By promoting food industrialisation in Italy. C.By creating new recipes with local ingredients. D.By preserving ancient recipes through generations. 7.What does the underlined phrase “was synonymous with” in the last paragraph mean? A.Equaled.　　　　 　B.Removed. C.Caused. D.Exposed. 8.Which of the following can be a suitable title for the text? A.The Migration of Italian Cuisine B.The Origin of the Pizza Effect C.The Secret of Traditional Recipes D.The Truths Behind Italian Cuisine 【语境猜词】 ①cuisine　　　　　　_______________________ ②poverty-stricken _______________________ ③industrialisation _______________________ Ⅱ.完形填空 As cicadas(蝉) emerge in parts of the United States in 2024,Josh Wicker,a biology enthusiast from South Carolina,is advocating for a different approach to these insects:　9　 them,which is not an American dietary habit.Wicker sees cicadas as a culinary(烹饪的) 　10　 rather than an annoyance.Inspired by other 　11　 worldwide that include insects in their diets,Wicker decided to host an insect-themed dinner party to challenge American 　12　.  Wicker’s love for nature led him to 　13　 the idea of adding cicadas to his diet.He was motivated by the global 　14　 of eating cicadas.He 　15　 on social media to find interested diners,and the response was so 　16　 that he had to stop 　17　 attendees due to the great interest.  For dinner,Wicker 　18　 a menu filled with insect delicacies,presented as hors d’oeuvres(开胃菜).The menu included innovative dishes such as pigs in a blanket with cicada heads and bacon-wrapped cicadas.  The 　19　 from his friends were a mix of curiosity and fear.While some were eager to try the 　20　 dishes,others were more 　21　.Wicker’s experiment not only provided a unique dining experience but also offered a new view on the 　22　 between humans and the natural world.It encourages people to 　23　 their comfort zones of food and consider insects as a sustainable and nutritious food source.  9.A.charting B.consuming C.ignoring D.protecting 10.A.accident B.business C.entertainment D.opportunity 11.A.suggestions B.issues C.alarms D.cultures 12.A.ideas B.strategies C.dreams D.promises 13.A.explain B.abandon C.explore D.reform 14.A.order B.market C.level D.practice 15.A.reached out B.showed off C.profited off D.led out 16.A.enthusiastic B.careful C.special D.clear 17.A.naming B.mentioning C.accepting D.applauding 18.A.evaluated B.created C.recognised D.claimed 19.A.reactions B.inspirations C.resources D.comparisons 20.A.appetising B.typical C.strange D.disappointing 21.A.excited B.hesitant C.confused D.confident 22.A.difference B.conflict C.separation D.relationship 23.A.look up to B.step out of C.make use of D.give way to 【语境猜词】 ①attendee　　　　_______________________ ②nutritious _______________________ ③annoyance _______________________ Ⅲ.语法填空 In the dining hall of Shenzhen University,students eagerly line up for a unique delicacy:rich bowls of black-bone chicken soup.This flavourful dish traces its roots to an 24.　　　　　　(innovation) AI farming project in Chishui,Guizhou,a region where black-bone chicken farming 25.　　　　　　　　(be) a valued tradition for over 300 years.Despite its long history,the practice has faced 26.　　　　　　(challenge),including disease,predator attacks,and high labour demands.  27.　　　　　　　　(address) these issues,Shenzhen University students partnered with the local government to develop an Al-based system.28.　　　　　(adopt) cameras and micro-devices,this smart technology tracks each chicken’s movements.When a chicken’s steps fall below 1,000,the system warns farmers to check 29.　　　　　　 signs of illness.It also detects wild animals,helping to reduce losses from predator attacks.  After just six months,production 30.　　　　　　　　　(boost) by 30%,with over 60,000 chickens added.In appreciation,Chishui farmers gifted hundreds of chickens to the university,31.　　　　　 the students turned into “AI chicken soup” for the university community,allowing everyone to enjoy the fruits of this technological achievement.  Reflecting on the project,Shenzhen University Vice President Zhang Xiaohong highlighted the 32.(integrate) of academia,industry,research,and innovation.“Through this partnership,our students have developed practical skills,gained hands-on experience,33.　　　　　　 grown into AI professionals ready to make a meaningful impact.”  【语境猜词】 ①innovative　　　　_______________________ ②address(熟义:n.地址) 生义(文义):v. _______________________ ③adopt(熟义:v.收养) 生义(文义):v. _______________________ 参考答案 Ⅰ. 1.A 2.C 3.A　 4.D　 【语境猜词】 ①令人惊叹的事物　②隔热;绝缘　③制冷　④有效地 5.B 6.C 7.A　 8.D 【语境猜词】 1 菜系　②极度贫困的　③工业化 Ⅱ. 9.B　 10.D　 11.D　 12.A　 13.C　 14.D　 15.A 16.A 17.C　 18.B　 19.A　 20.C　 21.B　 22.D　 23.B 【语境猜词】 1 参与者;出席者　②有营养的　③令人厌烦的事物 Ⅲ. 24.innovative 25.has been 26.challenges 27.To address 28.Adopting 29.for 30.was boosted　 31.which　 32.integration　 33.and　 【语境猜词】 1 创新的　②解决　③采用;运用 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $