第一次月考复习之阅读理解说明文15篇（江苏专用）-2026-2027学年高一英语必修第一册（译林版）

**基本信息** 聚焦说明文阅读理解专项突破，精选15篇主题多样的文本，覆盖细节理解、推理判断等核心题型，系统训练语言能力与思维品质。 **专项设计** |模块|题量/典例|题型特征|知识逻辑| |----|-----------|----------|----------| |综合训练|15篇（如社会现象、科学研究等）|涵盖细节理解、推理判断、主旨大意、词义猜测|主题涉及社会、科学、文化等，逻辑链从现象/研究到分析/应用，贴合高频考点|

第一次月考复习之阅读理解说明文15篇 （江苏专用） 篇目 文章主题 Passage 1 研究表明给孩子体验类礼物而非玩具，能够提升孩子智力、加固亲子关系，倡导多创造美好回忆，而非单纯购置玩具礼物。 Passage 2 介绍英国人投喂庭院鸟类的发展历程，投喂对鸟类行为、进化带来的利弊，以及投喂鸟类拉近人类与大自然联系的价值。 Passage 3 介绍英国年轻人 “归巢居住” 的社会现象，分析年轻人回家居住的经济原因，同时点明父母为此承受的经济与生活代价。 Passage 4 杜克大学研究：提醒孩子自身拥有多重身份，能够锻炼孩子解决问题的能力，培养更加灵活、开放的思维。 Passage 5 针对高中新生，讲解如何适应高中校园生活，介绍新生训练营、学业压力、课外活动，对比初中与高中的不同。 Passage 6 借助奥运会射箭选手心率数据，探究心理压力和运动员赛场发挥之间的关系，并提出未来有待进一步研究的方向。 Passage 7 科学家研究象鼻的运动原理，从中获取灵感，助力仿生 “软” 机械臂以及新型 3D 打印材料的研发。 Passage 8 介绍失眠病症，通过瑞典实验说明加重金属链毯缓解失眠、焦虑的效果，解释作用原理，同时指出仍需更多研究佐证。 Passage 9 科普聊天机器人，讲解它依托的自然语言处理技术、学习运行机制，以及聊天机器人在客服、家庭助手方面的广泛应用。 Passage 10 加拿大研究：课后参与课外活动、控制屏幕使用时长，有利于青少年维持良好的心理健康。 Passage 11 批判 “The More Bubble”（多多益善泡沫），分析其形成原因与弊端，推崇极简的本质主义生活方式，优先关注生命中重要的事物。 Passage 12 对新疆小河遗址出土的古老奶酪开展基因分析，还原青铜时代小河人的文化交流、奶酪制作与传播相关历史信息。 Passage 13 介绍心理学概念 “选择失察”，通过人脸选择实验说明人们有时察觉不到自己的选择被调换，建议做决策时多加审慎思考。 Passage 14 介绍社区自治花园，阐述它在改善居民身心健康、社交方面的好处与低成本优势，同时也客观说明项目运行遇到的现实难题。 Passage 15 探究人类的主观认知（友好度、能力）如何影响动物保护倾向，同时说明生态价值、栖息地保护在物种保护当中的关键作用。 Passage 1 Children are excited to find brightly wrapped (包装的) presents under the tree on Christmas morning. They can’t wait to open the wrapping and get the toys that were on their wish lists, such as toy cars. But after the excitement wears off, those toys are usually left to the corner of the toy box and the kids are searching for something else to do. But it doesn’t have to be that way. A study from the University of Toronto found that giving your child experiences as a gift, instead of toys, improves your child’s intelligence and makes parent-child bonds stronger. “Often the focus is only on whether someone likes a gift rather than focusing on a fundamental purpose of gift giving. Knowing that will foster (培养) relationships between the giver and the receiver,” said lead researcher Cindy Chan. Chan suggested that when you are buying a holiday gift or birthday gift, you should buy something that kids can experience with you. This can be movie or concert tickets, a CD from a performance you already saw to keep the memory alive. For example, for kids, a trip to a museum, going ice-skating or a book that the family can read together over and over again are valuable gifts. It is found that giving your kids too many toys can be counterproductive (适得其反) and make kids at a loss. The best way to make kids happy is to spend time together. So, if you want happy and intelligent kids, spending time with them and making memories are the best gifts you can give them. That’s not to say that there shouldn’t be any toys but change the focus from getting things to making lasting memories. 1．How do children usually deal with toys after the excitement disappears? A．They give them to their friends B．They put them aside. C．They add them to the wish lists. D．They throw them into the rubbish bin. 2．What should people focus on when buying gifts according to Cindy Chan? A．The purpose of giving gifts. B．The advantage of giving toys. C．The excitement caused by toys. D．The gift receiver’s hobby. 3．What did Cindy Chan advise parents to do in Paragraph 3? A．Give kids well-wrapped presents. B．Do something together with kids. C．Buy kids as many toys as possible D．Encourage kids to do sports in school. 4．What is the best title for the text? A．The pleasure of giving and receiving B．A lesson from kids at Christmas C．Valuable gifts: popular among kids D．Move over, toys and make room for memories 【答案】1．B 2．A 3．B 4．D 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要讲述了研究表明给孩子体验类礼物而非玩具能提升智力、增进亲子关系，建议多花时间陪伴孩子。 1．细节理解题。根据第一段中“But after the excitement wears off, those toys are usually left to the corner of the toy box and the kids are searching for something else to do.(但是当兴奋感消失之后，那些玩具通常就会被放在玩具盒的角落，孩子们则会寻找其他的事情来做)”可知，当兴奋感消失之后，孩子们通常会把玩具放在一边。故选B。 2．细节理解题。根据第二段中““Often the focus is only on whether someone likes a gift rather than focusing on a fundamental purpose of gift giving. Knowing that will foster (培养) relationships between the giver and the receiver,” said lead researcher Cindy Chan.(首席研究员Cindy Chan说道：“通常人们只关注别人是否喜欢礼物，而不是关注送礼物的根本目的。知道这一点将会促进赠送者和接受者之间的关系。”)”可知，根据Cindy Chan的说法，人们在购买礼物时应该关注送礼物的根本目的。故选A。 3．细节理解题。根据第三段中“Chan suggested that when you are buying a holiday gift or birthday gift, you should buy something that kids can experience with you.(Chan建议，当你在购买节日礼物或生日礼物时，你应该买一些孩子可以和你一起体验的东西)”可知，Cindy Chan在第3段中建议家长和孩子一起做一些事情。故选B。 4．主旨大意题。选D。 Passage 2 When I was a child, I often saw my Grandma throwing bread that was no longer fresh to birds. Not surprisingly, this attracted few birds. Later on, we discovered bird food at the local store. Feeding garden birds in the UK has come a long way since then. Today, the birds can enjoy many kinds of food: from plant seeds to sunflower hearts and from cakes to meat balls. All this comes at a huge cost of about £200m a year. Sometimes, I wonder if we might be feeding our garden birds better than our kids. But maybe it’s worth it. Our generosity is having an important effect on the behavior and even evolution of these birds. Take the goldfinch for example. In the 1960s, this was a rare bird. Today, goldfinches can be seen in many gardens. Other new visitors include the spotted woodpecker, which has left its usual woodland for food on bird tables. Evolution is meant to progress slowly: over thousands of years. Yet during the past few decades, the beaks (鸟嘴；喙) of many kinds of birds have become longer because birds with longer beaks can get more food, and then are more likely to live on. Actually, the British habit of feeding garden birds goes back much further. During the sixth century, St Serf of Fife fed a robin in his garden; during the winter of 1890, workers in London were seen giving their lunches to songbirds. The real change took place in the 1980s, when a few farsighted businessmen realized that encouraging the British to be more generous to garden birds can help them make money. Therefore, various kinds of bird food and modern bird feeders were produced. As a result, the number of species using garden feeding stations increased very quickly, from about 10 to over 100. Then, in 2005, Springwatch came, which turned our love of garden birds into an entertainment show. Is bird feeding completely good for birds? Not everyone thinks so. Studies by the Zoological Society of London have shown that by bringing together many birds, bird feeders may help the spread of disease. In Australia, some bird experts believe — probably wrongly — that bird feeding creates a “dependence culture”. But we shouldn’t forget one major benefit of feeding garden birds — it connects millions of people to the natural world. This is especially important for people who seldom reach the wider countryside. As I write this, there comes some noise outside my window: several birds were singing and flying around in my garden. It’s a sight I could only imagine years ago, when feeding garden birds just meant throwing hard bread to them. 1．What does the author mean by saying the underlined part in Paragraph 1? A．We spend quite a lot of money on the food of garden birds. B．Feeding garden birds is a huge waste of money. C．We should care more for our kids rather than garden birds. D．Feeding garden birds can bring more joy than feeding kids. 2．Which is the reason behind the fact that many birds’ beaks become longer? A．These birds have given up traditional woodland. B．Food for these birds becomes richer and better. C．These birds grow faster than ever before. D．Longer beaks mean more chances of survival (生存). 3．What do some bird experts in Australia think of bird feeding? A．It is completely good for birds. B．It may help the spread of disease. C．It may affect birds’ ability to find food by themselves. D．It connects more and more people to the natural world. 4．How does the author feel when he hears bird noise outside his window? A．Pleased. B．Annoyed (烦恼的) C．Surprised. D．Bored. 【答案】1．A 2．D 3．C 4．A 【导语】这是一篇说明文。围绕英国人喂养花园鸟类的相关情况展开，介绍了喂养鸟类的发展、对鸟类的影响以及人们对喂养鸟类的不同看法等内容。 1．推理判断题。根据第一段“All this comes at a huge cost of about £200m a year. Sometimes, I wonder if we might be feeding our garden birds better than our kids. (所有这些每年要花费大约2亿英镑的巨额成本。有时，我在想，我们给花园里的鸟喂食可能比给我们的孩子吃得更好)”可推知，作者说这句话是想表达我们在花园鸟类的食物上花了相当多的钱。故选A项。 2．细节理解题。根据第二段“Yet during the past few decades, the beaks (鸟嘴；喙) of many kinds of birds have become longer because birds with longer beaks can get more food, and then are more likely to live on. (然而在过去的几十年里，许多种类的鸟的喙变得更长了，因为喙更长的鸟能得到更多的食物，然后更有可能存活下去)”可知，许多鸟的喙变长是因为长喙意味着更多的生存机会。故选D项。 3．推理判断题。根据第四段“In Australia, some bird experts believe — probably wrongly — that bird feeding creates a “dependence culture”. (在澳大利亚，一些鸟类专家认为，可能是错误地认为，喂养鸟类形成了一种“依赖文化”)”可知，这种“依赖文化”指的就是鸟类可能会变得依赖人类提供的食物，从而影响它们自主觅食的能力。故选C项。 4．推理判断题。根据最后一段“ it connects millions of people to the natural world. This is especially important for people who seldom reach the wider countryside. As I write this, there comes some noise outside my window: several birds were singing and flying around in my garden. It’s a sight I could only imagine years ago, when feeding garden birds just meant throwing hard bread to them. (它将数百万人与自然世界联系起来。这对那些很少到郊外的人来说尤其重要。当我写这篇文章的时候，窗外传来了一些声响：几只鸟在我的花园里唱歌、飞来飞去。这是多年前我只能想象的景象，那时给花园里的鸟喂食只是意味着给它们扔硬面包)”可推知，这种今昔对比以及眼前生机勃勃的景象，让作者感到愉悦和满足。故选A项。 Passage 3 “There’s no place like home.” This English saying has much truth in it: the best place to be is surrounded by our treasured possessions (所有物) and our loved ones and with a roof over our head. And for many young adults, it’s the only affordable place to stay: somewhere where they can receive first-class service from Mum and Dad. But this comes at a price! In some countries, it’s quite traditional for people in their late teens and early 20s to live at home with their parents, but in other places, flying the nest to start their own independent life is very desirable. But there’s been a growing trend, in the UK at least, for young people to return home to live — or not to leave home at all. A survey found that 18% of adult children in the UK said they were moving back home because of debt, compared with 8% last year. More young people had lost their jobs, and others couldn’t afford their rent compared with the previous year. So, it’s easy to see why they’re increasingly becoming home birds. The BBC’s Lucy Hooker explains that many returning adult children enjoy home comforts. But for the“hoteliers”, that’s Mum and Dad, the survey found the average cost to them has gone up sharply, and that they are sacrificing (牺牲) luxuries and holidays to look after their “big kids”. Emma Craig from Money supermarket says “They’re trying to look after their children more. If your child comes home and you see them struggling financially (经济上), you feel more awkward (令人尴尬的) asking them for rent or to contribute.” With parents spending around £1,886 on takeaway food, buying new furniture and upgrading their Wi-Fi for the benefit of their offspring, it’s easy for the returning children to put their feet up and make themselves at home. That’s before they learn a home truth — that one day it might be their own kids who’ll be checking into the hotel of Mum and Dad! 1．Which proverb might present the young British’s living conditions? A．A lazy youth, an awful age. B．Two heads are better than one C．East or west, home is best. D．Nothing comes wrong to a hungry man. 2．Which might be the reason for the increase of home birds? A．The popularity of living independently. B．Looking after their old parents. C．The increase of unemployment rate. D．Their parents’ financial offer. 3．What’s Emma Craig’s attitude towards home birds? A．Doubtful. B．Uncertain. C．Negative D．Understandable. 4．What is the last paragraph mainly about? A．Returning to live with parents comes at a price. B．Parents are willing to receive their returning children. C．Flying the net is becoming popular at present. D．Home birds take it for granted to live with their parents. 【答案】1．C 2．C 3．D 4．A 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要讲述了英国年轻人因经济原因回归家庭居住的现象及相关影响。 1．推理判断题。根据第一段中““There’s no place like home.” This English saying has much truth in it: the best place to be is surrounded by our treasured possessions (所有物) and our loved ones and with a roof over our head. And for many young adults, it’s the only affordable place to stay: somewhere where they can receive first-class service from Mum and Dad. But this comes at a price!(“没有比家更好的地方了。” 这句英语谚语蕴含着深刻的道理：最好的地方，就是身边有珍爱的物品、挚爱的亲人，头顶有遮风挡雨的屋顶。对许多年轻人来说，家还是唯一住得起的地方 —— 在这里，他们能享受到父母提供的 “一流服务”。但这份便利，是要付出代价的！)”及第二段“In some countries, it’s quite traditional for people in their late teens and early 20s to live at home with their parents, but in other places, flying the nest to start their own independent life is very desirable. But there’s been a growing trend, in the UK at least, for young people to return home to live — or not to leave home at all.(在一些国家，十八九岁、二十出头的年轻人和父母同住是很传统的做法；但在另一些地方，“离巢” 开启独立生活才是大家向往的选择。不过，至少在英国，一种趋势正愈发明显：年轻人纷纷回家同住，或是干脆从未离开过家。)”可知，对于英国年轻人，没有比家更好的地方，“East or west, home is best.(无论东方西方，家是最好的地方)”能体现他们的生活状况。故选C。 2．细节理解题。根据第三段“A survey found that 18% of adult children in the UK said they were moving back home because of debt, compared with 8% last year. Mere young people had lost their jobs, and others couldn’t afford their rent compared with the previous year.(一项调查发现，英国18%的成年子女表示，他们因债务问题而搬回家住，而去年这一比例为8%。与前一年相比，更多的年轻人失去了工作，还有其他人付不起房租。)”可知，失业率上升可能是“归巢族”数量增加的原因。故选C。 3．推理判断题。根据第四段中“Emma Craig from Money supermarket says “They’ re trying to look after their children more. If your child comes home and you see them struggling financially (经济上), you feel more awkward (令人尴尬的) asking them for rent or to contribute.”(来自Money supermarket的Emma Craig说：“他们更想照顾自己的孩子。如果你的孩子回家，你看到他们经济上很困难，你会觉得更尴尬，向他们要房租或让他们出钱。”)”可知，Emma Craig认为父母更想照顾自己的孩子，当孩子经济困难时，父母会觉得尴尬而不好意思向他们要房租或让他们出钱，由此可推知，Emma Craig对“归巢族”现象是持理解态度的。故选D。 4．主旨大意题。根据最后一段“With parents spending around £1,886 on takeaway food, buying new furniture and upgrading their Wi-Fi for the benefit of their offspring, it’s easy for the returning children to put their feet-up and make themselves at home. That’s before they learn a home truth— that one day it might be their own kids who’ ll be checking into the hotel of Mum and Dad!(父母为了孩子的利益，花费约1886英镑购买外卖食品、购买新家具和升级Wi-Fi，回家居住的孩子们很容易就能放松下来，把这里当成自己的家。在他们明白一个家庭真相之前——总有一天，他们的孩子也会住进爸爸妈妈的酒店!)”可知，该段主要说明年轻人“归巢 并非无代价，父母需为此付出成本，且这种情况可能代代延续，即“归巢”是有代价的。故选A。 Passage 4 A child plays many roles, such as friend, neighbor, son or daughter. Simply reminding children of that fact can lead to better problem-solving and more flexible (灵活的) thinking, finds a new research from Duke University. “This is some of the first research on reminding kids about their many roles said lead author Sarah Gaither, a professor at Duke. “Such reminders improve their problem-solving skills and how flexibly they see their social worlds.” In one experiment, Gaither and her workmates looked at 196 children, aged 6 and 7. All were native English speakers. The first group of children was reminded of their various identities, such as son, daughter, reader or helper. A second group of children was reminded of their many physical features. The rest of the children were reminded of other children’s many roles, not their own. All the children solved many tasks. The first group of children showed stronger problem-solving and creative thinking skills. For example, when shown pictures of a bear looking at a honey-filled beehive (蜂巢) high up in a tree, these children had more creative ideas for how the bear might get the honey, such as turning over a bowl as a seat. The second group of children also showed more flexible thinking about social groupings. When asked to group different photos of faces, they suggested many ways to do so. For example, they identified smiling faces VS unsmiling ones, and old VS young faces. The other children mainly grouped people’s faces by race and gender. “We often only think about ourselves in connection with one important group at a time,” said Christopher Marlowe, a schoolmaster in Durham, North Carolina. “When we remind kids that they have various identities, they think more and remember that there are many other groups. They are more open-minded.” 1．Who is Sarah Gaither? A．A reader. B．An educator C．A reporter D．A schoolmaster. 2．What can we learn from the experiment? A．The research was intended for people of all ages. B．The first group was reminded of various identities. C．Children in the second group are the most creative. D．All tasks were solved by the other children. 3．Why are photos of a bear talked about in Paragraph 4? A．To remind children of childhood. B．To make children more creative. C．To show the result of the research. D．To inform children of wildlife protection. 4．What’s Christopher’s attitude to the new research? A．Negative. B．Unclear. C．Doubtful. D．Positive. 【答案】1．B 2．B 3．C 4．D 【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章说明了一个新的研究的成果：当孩子玩耍时，简单地提醒孩子他们的角色，孩子们会思考更多，可以带来更好的问题解决和更灵活的思考。 1．细节理解题。根据第二段第一句“This is some of the first research on reminding kids about their many roles said lead author Sarah Gaither, a professor at Duke. (该研究的主要作者、杜克大学教授萨拉・盖瑟表示，这是首批针对提醒孩子他们拥有多重角色的研究之一)”可知，Sarah Gaither是杜克大学的一个教授。故选B。 2．细节理解题。根据第三段中“The first group of children was reminded of their various identities, such as son, daughter, reader or helper.(第一组的孩子被提醒他们的各种身份，如儿子，女儿，读者或帮手。)”可知，实验中第一组的孩子被提醒他们自己的身份。故选B。 3．推理判断题。根据第四段中“The first group of children showed stronger problem-solving and creative thinking skills.(第一组孩子表现出更强的解决问题和创造性思维能力。)”及“ For example, when shown pictures of a bear looking at a honey-filled beehive (蜂巢) high up in a tree, these children had more creative ideas for how the bear might get the honey, such as turning over a bowl as a seat.(例如，当给这些孩子展示一幅画面，即一只熊正盯着高挂在树上的一个装满蜂蜜的蜂巢时，他们对于这只熊如何获取蜂蜜有了更多富有创意的想法，比如可以将一个碗翻转过来当作座位使用。)”可知，通过举例一只熊看着树上一个装满蜂蜜的蜂巢的照片，是为了说明实验中第一组孩子所表现出的能力，即这个能力是在实验中的到的结果。故选C。 4．推理判断题。根据最后一段“When we remind kids that they have various identities, they think more and remember that there are many other groups. They are more open-minded.(当我们提醒孩子们，他们有不同的身份时，他们思考得更多并且记得还有很多其他群体。他们思想更开放。)”可知，当孩子们被提醒自己的身份时，他们会思考的更多。所以可推知，对于这个新的研究的结果Christopher是肯定的。故选D。 Passage 5 You may not know a lot of people when you start high school. Maybe your friends from middle school are going to a different high school. Even if you know other freshmen (新生), you still feel nervous that you don’t know any upperclassmen. How are you going to make friends among this sea of unknown faces? Most high schools hold a freshman orientation (新生训练营) before school actually starts. It is helpful not only because you learn your way around the building and get to meet some of your teachers, but you can also get to meet fellow freshmen. That way, when you show up on your first day of school, you may already recognize a few familiar faces. When you talk to people at orientation, you’ll probably find that a lot of them are feeling just like you are. They’re all new to the school and don’t know what to expect. Talking about a common concern with your classmates can help you develop friendships. The work in high school is something freshmen are probably anxious about. The work in high school builds on what you learned in middle school, giving you a more advanced knowledge of many subjects. So you may find you have more work to do or that it’s a bit more challenging. If you ever find your work too difficult, teachers can give you extra help. High school also has more after-school activities than middle school did, such as clubs, music and theater groups and sports teams. This is a good time to explore your interests and try new things. Middle school taught you the basics of academic knowledge, time management, and social skills while providing you with a little extra support and guidance. High school gives you the chance to learn how to be more independent and responsible. 1．According to the passage, when they come to the school on the first day freshmen usually feel ________. A．proud B．nervous C．excited D．afraid 2．What are freshmen probably worried about? A．The learning task. B．The training in the freshman orientation. C．The ability to make friends. D．The relationship with teachers. 3．After-school activities mainly help students ________. A．build up healthy bodies B．develop friendships C．develop their interests D．improve their learning ability 4．The last paragraph is mainly about ________. A．what you’ll learn in high school B．what you learned in middle school C．the difference between middle school and high school D．the importance of being more independent and responsible 【答案】1．B 2．A 3．C 4．C 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章向高一新生介绍了高中生活及如何适应高中生活。 1．细节理解题。根据第一段中的“Even if you know other freshmen (新生), you still feel nervous that you don’t know any upperclassmen (高年级的学生).(即使你认识其他新生，你仍然会因为不认识高年级的学生而感到紧张。)”可知，新生第一天来到学校时通常感到紧张。故选B。 2．细节理解题。根据第四段中的“The work in high school is something freshmen are probably anxious about.(高中的功课可能是新生们最焦虑的事情)”可知，高中的学习任务可能是新生们感到焦虑的事情。故选A。 3．细节理解题。根据倒数第二段“High school also has more after-school activities than middle school did, such as clubs, music and theater groups and sports teams. This is a good time to explore your interests and try new things.(高中也比初中有更多的课外活动，比如俱乐部、音乐和戏剧团体以及运动队。这是探索你的兴趣和尝试新事物的好时机)”可知，课外活动主要是帮助学生培养兴趣。故选C。 4．主旨大意题。根据最后一段“Middle school taught you the basics of academic knowledge, time management, and social skills while providing you with a little extra support and guidance. High school gives you the chance to learn how to be more independent and responsible.(初中教给你基本的学术知识、时间管理和社交技巧，同时为你提供一点额外的支持和指导。高中给了你学习如何变得更加独立和负责任的机会)”可知，最后一段主要是介绍初中和高中的区别。故选C。 Passage 6 How much stress is good for an athlete? No one knows. The reason is that to avoid influencing their performance, top athletes are rarely willing to carry even the tiniest monitoring devices (监测设备) when in competition. And when they are not in competition, such measurements would be meaningless. However, two behavioral economists, Lu Yunfeng and Zhong Songfa, think they have found a way around this — at least for athletes whose sports do not require them to move a lot. When watching the 2020 Olympic Games on television, Dr Lu noticed that in the archery (射箭) contests, competitors’ heart rates were shown to viewers as they shot. The heart rate is well known as an indicator (指标) of mental stress, so he saw this as an opportunity to study the relationship between stress and performance. To this end, he worked with Dr Zhong, who has a long history of working on stress and behavior. When they dug into the matter, 122 of the 128 archers in the games agreed to have their heart rates measured. The trick was that, since competitors were stationary, their heart rates could be monitored remotely by a technique called photoplethysmography. As they report in a paper in Psychological Science, heart rates of archers differed greatly during the competition. A few hearts pumped (跳动) at just over one beat per second while one competitor’s raced along at more than three. The average was 138 beats per minute. The average rate for an archer who hit ten-ring for a score of ten was 134.2 beats per minute. It was 135.7 for nine-ring and 137.9 for eight-ring. These findings support the idea that the performance of even some of the world’s best athletes drops off as they experience increased stress. Whether that is limited to those who need a steady (稳定的) aim to win, or also works for athletes who have to run around as they compete, remains to be seen. 1．What does the author want to tell us in the first paragraph? A．Athletes usually suffer from a lot of stress. B．It’s important to monitor athletes’ pre-competition training. C．Monitoring devices are widely used in sports competitions. D．It’s hard to figure out if stress influences athletes’ performance. 2．What inspired Dr Lu to start his research? A．His strong interest in archery. B．His desire to test a new technique. C．The archery contests he saw on TV. D．A meeting he had with a behavioral economist. 3．What did the researchers find out about the archers in the games? A．The archers with higher heart rates had lower scores. B．The archers with the highest stress levels performed the best. C．The heart rates of all archers were similar during the competition. D．The heart rate of the archers changed little over the course of the competition. 4．What might the researchers focus on in the future? A．What the best stress levels for athletes of different sports are. B．How mental stress influences athletes’ training routines and recovery. C．Why some athletes are more easily influenced by stress during competition. D．How stress influences athletes’ performance in sports with lots of movement. 【答案】1．D 2．C 3．A 4．D 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了两位行为经济学家利用2020年奥运会射箭比赛直播中心率数据，研究运动员心理压力与表现的关系。 1．主旨大意题。根据第一段“How much stress is good for an athlete? No one knows. The reason is that to avoid influencing their performance, top athletes are rarely willing to carry even the tiniest monitoring devices (监测设备) when in competition. And when they are not in competition, such measurements would be meaningless. (多大的压力对运动员有利？没人知道。原因是，为了避免影响他们的表现，顶尖运动员在比赛中很少愿意携带哪怕是最小的监测设备。而当他们不参加比赛时，这样的测量就毫无意义了。)”可知，本段主要讲述了很难确定压力是否会影响运动员的表现。故选D项。 2．细节理解题。根据第二段“When watching the 2020 Olympic Games on television, Dr Lu noticed that in the archery (射箭) contests, competitors’ heart rates were shown to viewers as they shot. The heart rate is well known as an indicator (指标) of mental stress, so he saw this as an opportunity to study the relationship between stress and performance. (当在电视上观看2020年奥运会时，陆博士注意到在射箭比赛中，选手在射箭时的心率会显示给观众看。心率是众所周知的心理压力指标，因此他认为这是一个研究压力与表现之间关系的机会。)”可知，是陆博士在电视上看到的射箭比赛启发他开始这项研究的。故选C项。 3．细节理解题。根据第四段“As they report in a paper in Psychological Science, heart rates of archers differed greatly during the competition. A few hearts pumped (跳动) at just over one beat per second while one competitor’s raced along at more than three. The average was 138 beats per minute. The average rate for an archer who hit ten-ring for a score of ten was 134.2 beats per minute. It was 135.7 for nine-ring and 137.9 for eight-ring. (正如他们在《心理科学》杂志上发表的一篇论文中所报告的那样，射箭运动员在比赛期间的心率差异很大。有些心脏每秒跳动略多于一次，而一名选手的心率则超过每秒三次。平均每分钟138次。一个射中十环得十分的运动员的平均心率是每分钟134.2次。九环的平均心率是135.7，八环的平均心率是137.9。)”可知，心率高的选手得分较低，A选项“The archers with higher heart rates had lower scores. (心率较高的射箭运动员得分较低。)”符合题意。故选A项。 4．推理判断题。根据最后一段“Whether that is limited to those who need a steady (稳定的) aim to win, or also works for athletes who have to run around as they compete, remains to be seen. (这是否仅限于那些需要稳定目标才能获胜的人，或者是否也适用于那些在比赛中必须四处奔跑的运动员，还有待观察。)”可知，研究人员未来可能会关注压力如何影响运动员在大量运动的运动中的表现。故选D项。 Passage 7 Elephants are the largest land animals on Earth, and understanding them better could lead to big scientific discoveries in science. Both flexible and sturdy, elephant trunks (象鼻) can hold a single leaf but can also carry a nearly 600-pound object. Scientists think that they are an amazing inspiration for the next generation of bio-inspired robots. By analyzing elephants’ trunks, researchers found elephants have a set of simple movements that they can use freely to manage objects of different shapes and sizes. For example, elephants use suction (吸力) to pick up lightweight objects. However, to pick up heavier things, they use suction to secure the position of the objects and trunk covering to hold and lift things. “It’s not the whole trunk that is lengthening (变长) or shortening — it’s different parts, depending on what the elephant is doing,” said Milinkovitch, professor at the University of Geneva, Switzerland. Researchers used advanced cameras to create a 3D model of a trunk, allowing them to better understand the structure of an elephant’s muscle groups, skin and tissues. The study findings will be used to help design a new “soft” robotic arm. “The findings are great, but now the effort is focused on translating this biological information into some engineering requirements,” Milinkovitch said. “We need to find out some basic principles (原理) that can make the robot’s behavior simple enough to be effective and adaptable to changes.” The project also leads to improvements in material science, as researchers have developed a new material similar to the useful features of elephant skin that can be 3D printed for robotic models. The new materials may be marketed for a wide range of uses. 1．What does the underlined word “sturdy” in paragraph 1 probably mean? A．Straight. B．Smooth. C．Strong. D．Sharp. 2．How does an elephant control different objects? A．By sucking them with all the strength. B．By securing the position of these objects at first. C．By stretching its trunk based on the size of objects. D．By connecting suction with trunk movements flexibly. 3．Why do researchers translate the biological information? A．To test the safety of the robotic arm. B．To improve the behavior of the robot. C．To change the appearance of the robot. D．To study the structure of muscle tissues. 4．Which could be the best title for the text? A．Elephant Trunks: The Facts of Movement in Robotics B．Elephant Trunks: The Inspiration for “Soft” Robotic Arms C．“Soft” Robotic Arms: A New Idea in 3D-printed Robots D．“Soft” Robotic Arms: A Major Achievement in Material Science 【答案】1．C 2．D 3．B 4．B 【导语】本文介绍科学家通过研究大象鼻子，发现其灵活控制不同物体(如用吸力抓轻物，结合吸力与包裹抓重物)的原理。此研究启发设计“软”机械臂，并开发类似象皮的3D打印材料，推动机器人学与材料学发展。 1．词句猜测题。根据文章第一段中的“Both flexible and sturdy, elephant trunks (象鼻) can hold a single leaf but can also carry a nearly 600-pound object.(大象的鼻子既灵活又……，它能够托起一片叶子，也能搬运近 600 磅重的物体。)”可知，象鼻可以拿起一片叶子，也能提起近600磅的物体。结合前后的对比，“sturdy”在此处应表示与“flexible(灵活的)”相对应的、形容象鼻强壮、有力的特性。选项中C项“Strong(强壮的)”与其意思相近。故选C。 2．细节理解题。根据文章第二段中的“For example, elephants use suction (吸力) to pick up lightweight objects. However, to pick up heavier things, they use suction to secure the position of the objects and trunk covering to hold and lift things.(例如，大象利用吸力来抓取轻质物体。然而，要抓取较重的物体时，它们会利用吸力来固定物体的位置，并用鼻子上的覆盖物来抓取和抬起物体。)”可知，大象通过灵活结合吸力与象鼻的动作来控制不同物体。D选项“By connecting suction with trunk movements flexibly(通过灵活地结合吸力与象鼻动作)”准确概括了这一方式。故选D。 3．细节理解题。根据文章第三段中的“The study findings will be used to help design a new ‘soft’ robotic arm.(该研究的成果将被用于协助设计一款新型的“柔软”机器人手臂。)”以及“The findings are great, but now the effort is focused on translating this biological information into some engineering requirements.( 这些发现非常出色，但目前的重点在于将这些生物学信息转化为一些工程方面的要求。)”可知，研究的生物学发现将被用于设计新的“软”机械臂，而当前的重点是将这些生物信息转化为工程要求，目的是使机器人的行为足够简单有效并适应变化。转化生物学信息是为了改进机器人的行为。B选项“To improve the behavior of the robot(为了改进机器人的行为)”符合题意。故选B。 4．主旨大意题。根据第一段“Scientists think that they are an amazing inspiration for the next generation of bio-inspired robots.( 科学家们认为，它们对于下一代仿生机器人的发展具有极大的启发意义。)”以及通读全文可知，文章主要介绍了科学家通过研究大象鼻子，发现其灵活控制物体的原理，并将其应用于设计“软”机械臂，同时开发类似象皮的3D打印材料。全文围绕象鼻作为“软”机械臂的灵感来源展开。B选项“Elephant Trunks: The Inspiration for “Soft” Robotic Arms(象鼻：“软”机械臂的灵感来源)”最能概括文章核心内容，适合用作标题。故选B。 Passage 8 Insomnia is a sleep disorder that affects about 10% of adults in the United States. It is characterized by difficulty with falling asleep, or waking up too early, at least three times per week for a period of three months or more. If you happen to struggle with insomnia, you can try a weighted metal chain blanket (加重金属链毯), one that might sound a little strange but effective. A team of researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden conducted a study to determine whether a weighted metal chain blanket could improve insomnia symptoms (症状) compared to a light plastic chain blanket. Subjects were randomly (随机地) given either a weighted metal chain blanket or a light plastic chain blanket, which were the same shape and size. Those who were provided with a weighted metal chain blanket first tried on an 8-kilogram blanket. If this was too heavy, a 6-kilogram blanket was then provided. Over a four-week period, their sleep was judged using surveys and a wrist-based device called an actigraph (体动记录仪). They found participants who used the weighted metal chain blanket reported that their insomnia symptoms dropped significantly, while those who had used the light plastic chain blanket did not experience such obvious improvements. Furthermore, anxiety symptoms decreased much more for those who used the weighted metal chain blanket than those who used the light plastic chain blanket. The principle behind these blankets is that the pressure of the weight provides some value of treatment. It's almost like a baby's wrapping blanket that calms it as it sleeps. Weighted blankets can calm your nerves. Pressure from the blanket may contribute to nervous system responses that lower your heart rate and breathing when you're anxious. This can help you calm down and sleep. The pressure could also cause your brain to release a chemical called serotonin, which helps your mind and body calm down. “While these findings are promising, more research is needed to support the effectiveness,” says the lead researcher. 1．How does the author introduce the topic? A．By describing symptoms. B．By raising a question. C．By analyzing causes. D．By giving an example. 2．What does paragraph 2 focus on concerning the research? A．Its background. B．Its findings. C．Its process. D．Its potential. 3．Why can a weighted metal chain blanket promise a better sleep? A．Its pressure calms people down. B．Its material reduces people’s anxiety. C．It monitors people’s heart rate. D．It gives off comforting chemicals. 4．Which word best describes the author’s attitude to the research? A．Doubtful. B．Unclear. C．Supportive. D．Objective. 【答案】1．A 2．C 3．A 4．D 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了失眠这一睡眠障碍，通过瑞典卡罗林斯卡研究所的研究，探讨了加重金属链毯对改善失眠和焦虑症状的效果，并解释了其背后的作用原理，同时指出还需更多研究支持该效果。 1．推理判断题。根据第一段中的“Insomnia is a sleep disorder that affects about 10% of adults in the United States. It is characterized by difficulty with falling asleep, or waking up too early, at least three times per week for a period of three months or more.(失眠是一种睡眠障碍，影响着美国约10%的成年人。其特征是入睡困难或过早醒来，每周至少三次，持续三个月或更长时间)”可推知，作者通过“描述失眠的症状”引入主题，随后才提到改善失眠的加重金属链毯。故选A项。 2．主旨大意题。根据第二段“A team of researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden conducted a study to determine whether a weighted metal chain blanket could improve insomnia symptoms (症状) compared to a light plastic chain blanket. Subjects were randomly (随机地) given either a weighted metal chain blanket or a light plastic chain blanket, which were the same shape and size. Those who were provided with a weighted metal chain blanket first tried on an 8-kilogram blanket. If this was too heavy, a 6-kilogram blanket was then provided. Over a four-week period, their sleep was judged using surveys and a wrist-based device called an actigraph (体动记录仪).(瑞典卡罗林斯卡研究所的一组研究人员开展了一项研究，旨在对比加重金属链毯与轻质塑料链毯，判断前者是否能改善失眠症状。研究人员将两种毯子（形状和尺寸完全相同）随机分配给受试者，受试者要么拿到加重金属链毯，要么拿到轻质塑料链毯。拿到加重金属链毯的受试者，会先试用8公斤的毯子；如果觉得太重，之后会换成6公斤的毯子。在为期四周的时间里，研究人员通过问卷调查和一款名为“体动记录仪”的腕戴式设备，对受试者的睡眠情况进行评估)”可知，第二段聚焦“研究的过程”故选C项。 3．细节理解题。根据第四段中的“Weighted blankets can calm your nerves. Pressure from the blanket may contribute to nervous system responses that lower your heart rate and breathing when you're anxious. This can help you calm down and sleep.(加重毯能让你平静下来。当你焦虑时，毯子的压力可能会触发神经系统反应，降低心率和呼吸频率。这能帮助你平静下来并入睡)”可知，加重金属链毯能改善睡眠是因为其压力让人平静。故选A项。 4．推理判断题。通读全文可知，介绍了失眠这一睡眠障碍，通过瑞典卡罗林斯卡研究所的研究，探讨了加重金属链毯对改善失眠和焦虑症状的效果，并解释了其背后的作用原理，同时指出还需更多研究支持该效果。既不夸大效果，也不否定价值，态度保持“客观”。故选D项。 Passage 9 Even if you haven’t held a conversation with Siri or Alexa, you’ve likely come across a chatbot online. They often appear in a chat window that pops up(自动弹出) with a friendly greeting: Thank you for visiting our site. How can I help you today? Depending on the site, the chatbot is programmed to respond accordingly and even ask follow-up questions. Chatbots communicate through speech or text. Both depend on artificial intelligence technologies like machine learning and natural language processing(NLP), which is a branch of artificial intelligence that teaches machines to read, analyze and interpret human language. This technology gives chatbots a baseline for understanding language structure and meaning. NLP, in essence, allows the computer to understand what you are asking and how to properly respond. With developments in deep learning and reinforcement learning, chatbots can understand more complexities in language and improve the dynamic nature of conversation between human and machine. Basically, a chatbot tries to match what you’ve asked to a purpose that it understands. The more a chatbot communicates with you, the more it understands and the more it learns to communicate like you and others with similar questions. Your positive responses reinforce its answers, and then it uses those answers again. From customer service chatbots online to personal assistants in our homes, chatbots have started to enter our lives. In almost every industry, companies are using chatbots to help customers easily get around their websites, answer simple questions and direct people to the relevant points of contact. Personal assistants like Siri and Alexa are designed to respond to a wide range of situations and questions, from current weather and news updates to personal calendars, music selections and random questions. 1．Why does the author mention Siri and Alexa in Paragraph 1? A．To explain how a chatbot works. B．To compare different chatbots. C．To show where to find a chatbot. D．To give examples of chatbots. 2．What is the basis of chatbots? A．Language study. B．Data transmission. C．Natural language processing. D．Social interaction. 3．What does the underlined word “reinforce” in paragraph 3 mean? A．Inspire. B．Strengthen. C．Organize. D．Match. 4．What is the last paragraph mainly about? A．The future of chatbots. B．The author’s attitude. C．The applications of chatbots. D．The effects of chatbots. 【答案】1．D 2．C 3．B 4．C 【导语】本文是一篇说明文，介绍了聊天机器人（Chatbot）的常见形态、技术支撑（人工智能、自然语言处理等）以及其在客户服务、家庭个人助理等领域的实际应用，展现了聊天机器人如何逐步融入人们的生活。 1．推理判断题。根据第一段中的“Even if you haven’t held a conversation with Siri or Alexa, you’ve likely come across a chatbot online. They often appear in a chat window that pops up (自动弹出) with a friendly greeting (即使你没和Siri或Alexa聊过天，也可能在网上遇到过聊天机器人。它们常出现在自动弹出的聊天窗口中，伴随着友好的问候)”可知，作者提及Siri和Alexa是为了“举聊天机器人的例子”，让读者对聊天机器人有更具体的认知。故选D项。 2．细节理解题。根据第二段中的“ Both depend on artificial intelligence technologies like machine learning and natural language processing.(NLP), which is a branch of artificial intelligence that teaches machines to read, analyze and interpret human language. This technology gives chatbots a baseline for understanding language structure and meaning. NLP, in essence, allows the computer to understand what you are asking and how to properly respond.(两者都依赖于机器学习和自然语言处理等人工智能技术。自然语言处理是人工智能的一个分支，它教机器阅读、分析和解释人类语言。这项技术为聊天机器人提供了理解语言结构和含义的基线。自然语言处理本质上允许计算机理解你的问题以及如何正确回应)”可知，聊天机器人的基础是“自然语言处理（NLP）”。故选C项。 3．词义猜测题。根据第三段中的“The more a chatbot communicates with you, the more it understands and the more it learns to communicate like you and others with similar questions. Your positive responses reinforce its answers, and then it uses those answers again (聊天机器人与你交流得越多，理解就越深入，也越能学会像你和其他有类似问题的人一样交流。你的积极回应会“reinforce”它的答案，之后它会再次使用这些答案)”可知，“积极回应”会让聊天机器人更倾向于强化使用相关答案，由此可推测“reinforce”意为“加强、强化”，与B项“Strengthen”含义一致。故选B项。 4．主旨大意题。根据最后一段中的“From customer service chatbots online to personal assistants in our homes, chatbots have started to enter our lives. In almost every industry, companies are using chatbots to help customers easily get around their websites, answer simple questions and direct people to the relevant points of contact. Personal assistants like Siri and Alexa are designed to respond to a wide range of situations and questions, from current weather and news updates to personal calendars, music selections and random questions. (从线上的客服聊天机器人，到家中的个人助理，聊天机器人已开始融入我们的生活。几乎每个行业的企业都在使用聊天机器人：帮助客户顺畅浏览官网、解答简单问题，以及引导人们联系相关对接人。像 Siri 和 Alexa 这样的个人助理，则能应对各类场景与问题 —— 从实时天气、新闻更新，到个人日程查询、音乐选择，甚至是各种随机提问)”可知，该段主要介绍“聊天机器人的应用场景”。故选C项。 Passage 10 Teenagers who spend more time on after-school activities and less than two hours of screen time after school are more mentally healthy, according to a study published in the journal Preventive Medicine. The study used information collected from more than 28,000 seventh-grade Canadian students between 2014 and 2018. The students first answered questions about their usage of screen time after school, including how much time they spent watching TV or something else. Then, students reported how many days they had taken part in after-school activities such as sports or arts programmes. After that, researchers asked students to describe their state of mind. For example, when given a statement such as “I start most days thinking that I will have a good day”, they could choose to what level they agreed with it on a scale (等级). Researchers said in the study some of the results were expected. Students with no after-school activities usually had high levels of screen time, for example. And they expected girls would score higher on negative indicators (消极指标)of mental health, as earlier research had found that they tended to have higher levels of anxiety compared to boys. What was noteworthy, researchers say, is that even among students who took part in after-school activities, 46% still went beyond the recommended screen time of two hours. At the same time, 67% of students who didn’t take part in after-school activities also had more than two hours of screen time. Together, this suggests high screen time among teenagers generally. “The findings suggest that after-school activities are valuable for the happy growing of teenagers,” the study said. “While past studies have proved the importance of after-school activities for social and academic development, the present study shows their importance for good mental health results.” 1．Which of the following came last when students took part in the new study? A．Talking about their lifestyles. B．Introducing their after-school activities. C．Reporting their mental states on a scale. D．Answering questions about screen time use. 2．What do the researchers find about teenage girls? A．They often have higher levels of satisfaction. B．Few of them take part in after-school activities. C．Anxiety has become a serious problem among them. D．Too much screen time may be more harmful to them. 3．What does the author want to show by using the numbers in paragraph 4? A．Earlier findings about screen time are wrong. B．High screen time is common among teenagers. C．No after-school activities mean no screen time. D．Screens attract teenagers more than after-school activities do. 4．Why are after-school activities so important according to the new study? A．They are good for teenagers’ physical health. B．They help to improve teenagers’ mental health. C．They encourage teenagers’ social development. D．They allow teenagers to become better learners. 【答案】1．C 2．D 3．B 4．B 【导语】本文是说明文。文章主要讲述一项研究结果：放学后花更多的时间在课外活动上并且看电子屏幕的时间少于2个小时的学生的心理更加健康。 1．细节理解题。根据第二段中“After that, researchers asked students to describe their state of mind. For example, when given a statement such as “I start most days thinking that I will have a good day”, they could choose to what level they agreed with it on a scale.(之后，研究人员让学生描述自己的心理状态。例如，当看到 “我开始新的一天时，大多会觉得这会是愉快的一天”这类表述时，学生可以在一个等级量表上选择自己对该表述的认同程度)”可知，学生们用量表报告他们的精神状态是最后一步。故选C。 2．细节理解题。根据第三段中“Students with no after-school activities usually had high levels of screen time, for example. And they expected girls would score higher on negative indicators of mental health. as earlier research had found that they tended to have higher levels of anxiety compared to boys.(比如，没有课后活动的学生们经常会有更长的时间面对屏幕。并且他们预料到女孩子们在心理健康的消极指标上得分更高，正如以前的研究发现的那样，相对比男孩来说，她们趋向于更加的焦虑)”可知，长时间面对屏幕对女孩子们的心理健康有更大的影响。故选D。 3．推理判断题。根据第四段中“Together, this suggests high screen time among teenagers generally.(总之，这表明长时间面对屏幕在青少年之间是很常见的)”可知，在第四段作者用那些数字是为了表明长时间面对电子屏幕的情况在青少年之间是很常见的。故选B。 4．细节理解题。根据最后一段中“While past studies have proved the importance of after-school activities for social and academic development, the present study shows their importance for good mental health results.(尽管以前的研究已经证明课后活动对社会和学术发展的重要性，而现在的研究强调了它们对于好的心理健康结果的重要性)”可知，新的研究表明，课后活动对提高青少年的心理健康很重要。故选B。 Passage 11 We have a problem, and the strange thing is that we not only know about it, but also celebrate it. Just today, someone boasted to me that she was so busy she’s averaged four hours of sleep a night for the last two weeks. She wasn’t complaining but showing off the fact. She is not alone. Why are rational people so irrational in their behavior? The answer is that we’re in the midst of a bubble. I call it “The More Bubble”. The nature of bubbles is that something is overvalued until — eventually — the bubble bursts, and we’re left wondering why we were so irrational in the first place. The thing we’re overvaluing now is the opinion of doing it all, having it all, achieving it all. This bubble is being enabled by a combination of three powerful trends: smart phones, social media, and extreme consumerism. The result is not just information overload, but opinion overload. We are more aware than at any time in history of what everyone else is doing and, therefore, what we should be doing. In the process, we have been sold a bill of goods: that success means being supermen and superwomen who can get it all done. Of course, we boasted about being busy — it’s code for being successful and important. And our answer to the problem of more is always more. We need more technology to help us create more technologies. We need to move our workload to free up our own time to do yet even more. Luckily, there is a solution to asking for more: asking for less, but better. A growing number of people are making this change. I call these people Essentialists. These people are designing their lives around what is essential and removing everything else. These people arrange to have actual weekends (during which they are not working). They create technology-free zones in their homes. They trade time on Facebook for calling those few friends who really matter to them. Instead of running to different meetings, they put space on their plans to get important work done. So we have two choices: We can be among the last people caught up in “The More Bubble,” or we can join the growing community of Essentialists and get more of what matters in our one precious life. 1．Why did the woman say she only slept for four hours a night for two weeks? A．The woman took pride in doing so. B．The woman was asking for suggestions. C．The woman knew few people were like her. D．The woman was unsatisfied with her lifestyle. 2．What does Paragraph 4 mainly talk about concerning ‘The More Bubble’? A．Its advantages. B．Its cause and result. C．The solutions to it. D．The value of it. 3．What are Essentialists are likely to do according to the article? A．They give up certain things for what matters in life. B．They are eager to become successful and important. C．They are tired of information and opinions. D．They prefer to change frequently. 4．What’s the author’s attitude towards "The More Bubble"? A．Supportive. B．Undecided. C．Disapproval. D．Doubt. 【答案】1．A 2．B 3．A 4．C 【导语】本文是说明文。主要介绍了所谓的“泡沫文化”，分析了“The More Bubble”（更多泡沫）的本质，出现的原因及后果。 1．细节理解题。根据第一段“Just today, someone boasted to me that she was so busy she’s averaged four hours of sleep a night for the last two weeks. She wasn’t complaining; she was proud of the fact.(就在今天，有人向我吹嘘说，她太忙了，过去两周她平均每晚只睡四个小时。她不是在抱怨；她为这件事感到骄傲。)”可知，这位女士为自己所做的感到骄傲。故选A项。 2．主旨大意题。根据第四段内容“This bubble is being enabled by a combination of three powerful trends: smart phones, social media, and extreme consumerism. The result is not just information overload, but opinion overload. We are more aware than at any time in history of what everyone else is doing and, therefore, what we should be doing. In the process, we have been sold a bill of goods: that success means being supermen and superwomen who can get it all done. Of course, we boasted about being busy — it’s code for being successful and important.(这种泡沫是由智能手机、社交媒体和极端消费主义这三种强大趋势共同促成的。其结果不仅是信息过载，更是舆论超载。我们比历史上任何时候都更清楚其他人正在做什么，因此也更清楚自己应该做什么。在这个过程中，我们被灌输了一种观念：成功意味着成为无所不能的超人和超女，把所有事情都搞定。当然，我们还以忙碌为荣——这是成功和重要的代名词。)”可知，本段讲述了更多泡沫的起因和结果。故选B。 3．推理判断题。根据倒数第二段内容“These people are designing their lives around what is essential and removing everything else. These people arrange to have actual weekends (during which they are not working). They create technology-free zones in their homes. They trade time on Facebook with calling those few friends who really matter to them. Instead of running to different meetings, they put space on their plans to get important work done.(这些人围绕着生活中的必需品来规划自己的人生，摒弃其他一切。他们安排好真正的周末（在周末不工作）。他们在家中设立无科技区域。他们用与真正重要朋友的通话来取代在脸书上耗费的时间。他们不再赶着去参加各种会议，而是留出时间来完成重要的工作。)”可知，这些人知道生活中什么是重要的，他们会为了重要的东西而放弃某些东西。故选A。 4．推理判断题。文中作者使用了一些带有感情色彩的词汇，如第一段中的“boasted (自夸) to me”、第二段的“Why are rational (理性的) people so irrational in their behavior”中的 irrational（不合理的，荒谬的; 无理性的）、第三段的“overvalued（过高估计的）”等可看出作者是disapproval（不赞同，反对）“更多泡沫”的，故选 C。 Passage 12 For more than 3,500 years, the remains of the Xiaohe people lay undisturbed in Xinjiang until they were unearthed in 1979. Among the treasures dug up was the oldest preserved cheese in the world, spotted around the remains’ neck. Now a team of researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences reports the first genetic (基因的) analysis of the cheese. Their results give us a vivid account of a rich Bronze Age culture that exchanged animals with other neighbouring peoples and may have helped spread cheese around East Asia, reflecting their cross-cultural communication. Just why they were buried with the stuff, though, remains imperfectly understood. During their analysis, the team identified the DNA from a goat whose milk went into the cheeses, before comparing it with 185 previously sequenced goat genes. The genetic profile of the Xiaohe goat was similar to that of goats belonging to ancient Eurasian Steppe people, meaning the Xiaohe may have learned cheese-making from them. All the Xiaohe cheeses would have been produced by drying kefir, a milk-based drink made with bacteria (细菌) such as Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens. The team, therefore, sequenced the DNA of that one bacterium and compared it with 15 modern varieties in order to identify its place within that species’ family tree. Their analysis showed that it belonged to a subspecies that could have spread with kefir-making customs from Xinjiang to regions including Tibet. The team suspect that the cheese was an attractive alternative to raw milk. But it is possible that it was the kefir drink, rather than the cheese, that was the main attraction, says Paul Kindstedt, a cheese chemist and historian who was not involved in the research. It holds about 1% alcohol by volume. People in Mongolia today use kefir to make milk-based alcohol; the Xiaohe may have done so too. “Ancient-cheese DNA analysis-of which this may be the first example-could reveal secrets about numerous other cultures. There are dairy remains on 7,000-year-old European pots, for example, and cheese may also have been used in ancient Egyptian burial practices,” says Dr Kindstedt. 1．What can be inferred about the Xiaohe people in paragraph 2? A．They preferred an undisturbed life. B．They interacted with other cultures. C．They conducted odd burial practices. D．They exchanged animals for cheese. 2．Why was the DNA of Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens studied? A．To track the cheese-making origin. B．To clarify the cheese-making steps. C．To figure out its structure. D．To dig into its superiority. 3．What is Paul Kindstedt’s opinion on the cheese? A．It came from Mongolians’ finding. B．It may be a substitute of raw milk. C．Its appeal was possibly-from kefir. D．Its attraction was affected by milk. 4．How does the author emphasize ancient-cheese DNA analysis’ significance? A．By explaining a concept. B．By giving a definition. C．By providing statistics. D．By quoting an expert. 【答案】1．B 2．A 3．C 4．D 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。主要介绍新疆小河人遗址出土的世界最古老奶酪，以及科研团队对其的基因分析，揭示小河人的文化交流及奶酪制作相关信息。 1．推理判断题。根据第二段中的“Their results give us a vivid account of a rich Bronze Age culture that exchanged animals with other neighbouring peoples and may have helped spread cheese around East Asia, reflecting their cross-cultural communication. (他们的研究结果生动展现了一种丰富的青铜时代文化，这种文化与周边其他民族交换动物，可能还助力了奶酪在东亚的传播，这体现了他们的跨文化交流。)”可知，小河人曾与周边民族交换动物、传播奶酪制作技术，由此可推断他们与其他文化有互动。故选B项。 2．推理判断题。根据第四段中的“The team, therefore, sequenced the DNA of that one bacterium and compared it with 15 modern varieties in order to identify its place within that species’ family tree. Their analysis showed that it belonged to a subspecies that could have spread with kefir-making customs from Xinjiang to regions including Tibet. (因此，该团队对这种细菌的DNA进行了测序，并将其与15种现代品种进行比较，以确定它在该物种谱系中的位置。他们的分析表明，这种细菌属于一个亚种，可能随着开菲尔制作习俗从新疆传播到包括西藏在内的地区。)”可知，研究该细菌DNA是为了追踪其传播路径，进而追溯奶酪制作技术的起源。故选A项。 3．细节理解题。根据第五段中的“But it is possible that it was the kefir drink, rather than the cheese, that was the main attraction, says Paul Kindstedt, a cheese chemist and historian who was not involved in the research. (但未参与该研究的奶酪化学家兼历史学家保罗·金德施泰特表示，真正有吸引力的可能是开菲尔饮品，而非奶酪。)”可知，保罗·金德施泰特认为奶酪的吸引力可能来自开菲尔饮品。故选C项。 4．推理判断题。根据最后一段中的““Ancient-cheese DNA analysis-of which this may be the first example-could reveal secrets about numerous other cultures. There are dairy remains on 7,000-year-old European pots, for example, and cheese may also have been used in ancient Egyptian burial practices,” says Dr Kindstedt. (金德施泰特博士说：“古老奶酪的DNA分析——这可能是首个此类案例——能揭示众多其他文化的秘密。例如，在有7000年历史的欧洲陶罐上有乳制品遗迹，而且奶酪可能也用于古埃及的埋葬仪式中。”)”可知，作者通过引用专家金德施泰特博士的观点，强调古老奶酪DNA分析的重要意义。故选D项。 Passage 13 The concept of choice blindness suggests that people are not always aware of their choices and preferences. It is a part of a cognitive (认知的) phenomenon known as the introspection illusion (内省错觉). Essentially, people incorrectly believe that they fully understand the roots of their emotions and thoughts, yet believe that other people’s introspections are largely unreliable. In a pioneering study on the concept of choice blindness, researchers examined how people often overlook differences between their intentions and outcomes. The study involved having participants look at images of two different female faces for between two to five seconds. The participants then rated which face they found the most attractive. The researchers then changed the photo that the participants thought they had chosen to that of an entirely different woman, and the participants were asked to describe why they found the woman attractive. Surprisingly, only 13% of the participants noticed the switch. In fact, many went on to describe the reasons why they found the face attractive, even though it was not the woman that they had chosen at all. So why do so many people fail to notice these switches? Are we less aware of our preferences than we think we are? Interest in the choice at hand is one factor that might play a role. When an issue is more important to us, we might be likely to notice mismatches between what we choose and what we actually get. Additionally, the similarity of choices can have an effect — we may be less likely to notice small differences when presented with a choice we did not make. The ability to recognize faces plays a major role in our everyday lives. While this kind of mistake may not always be significant, there are times when it can be life-changing. So next time you’re making a decision, perhaps it will help to take an extra beat to fully understand and process your choice as you make it. You may be less susceptible to mistaking that choice for something else in the future. 1．What may happen to people when choice blindness occurs? A．They may easily trust others. B．They can make better decisions. C．They fully understand themselves. D．They may not get the desired result. 2．What were the participants asked to do? A．Make changes to their choices. B．Distinguish between two images. C．Make an explanation of their choices. D．Describe feelings about female faces. 3．Why do people fail to notice changes to their choices? A．They lack interest in the choice at hand. B．They are unaware of their preferences. C．They lay more emphasis on similarities. D．They are presented with more choices. 4．What does the author intend to do in the last paragraph? A．To prove a point. B．To make a suggestion. C．To explain a rule. D．To confirm a prediction. 【答案】1．D 2．C 3．A 4．B 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了“选择失察”的概念，提及相关人脸选择实验及未察觉调换的原因，最后建议做决策时多思考以减少失误。 1．推理判断题。根据文章第一段“The concept of choice blindness suggests that people are not always aware of their choices and preferences(选择失察的概念表明人们并不总是意识到自己的选择和偏好)”以及第三段“many went on to describe the reasons why they found the face attractive, even though it was not the woman that they had chosen at all(许多人继续描述他们觉得这张脸有吸引力的原因，尽管这根本不是他们选择的那个女性)”可知，当选择失察发生时，许多人继续描述他们觉得这张脸有吸引力的原因，尽管这根本不是他们选择的那个女性。由此推知，当选择失察发生时，人们可能无法获得他们原本想要的结果。故选D项。 2．细节理解题。根据文章第二段“the participants were asked to describe why they found the woman attractive(参与者被要求描述为什么他们觉得这个女性有吸引力)”可知，参与者被要求解释他们选择的原因。故选C项。 3．推理判断题。根据文章第四段“Interest in the choice at hand is one factor that might play a role. When an issue is more important to us, we might be likely to notice mismatches between what we choose and what we actually get (选项本身能否引起我们的兴趣是一个可能起作用的因素。当某个问题对我们而言更为重要时，我们就更容易注意到自己所做的选择与实际所得之间的不匹配之处)”推知，文中明确指出对当前选择的兴趣是影响因素之一，并进一步解释 “当事情更重要（即兴趣更强）时，更容易发现偏差”—— 反向推导可知：若对当前选择缺乏兴趣，就难以察觉选择被篡改。故选A项。 4．推理判断题。根据文章最后一段“So next time you’re making a decision, perhaps it will help to take an extra beat to fully understand and process your choice as you make it(所以下次你做决定时，或许多花一点时间充分理解和处理你的选择会有所帮助)”推知，作者在最后一段提出建议，希望人们在决策时更加谨慎。故选B项。 Passage 14 Urban green spaces have long been tied to better public health, but shrinking municipal budgets often leave parks overgrown and underused. A groundbreaking study published in Urban Health Journal points to an unexpected remedy gaining traction across North America: community-run gardens. These grassroots projects, where residents collectively tend plots of land, are proving to be both cost-effective and socially transformative. Researchers tracked 27 community gardens in Toronto over three years, documenting measurable benefits. Nearby households reported 31% fewer cases of anxiety compared to neighborhoods without such gardens, while local children showed 24% higher levels of physical activity — likely due to regular outdoor play among the plots. The gardens, typically filled with tomato vines, sunflower patches, and communal tool sheds, also fostered stronger social bonds: 78% of participants cited “making new friends” as a key benefit, reducing feelings of isolation in densely populated areas. These initiatives thrive on minimal funding. Most start with grants under 2,000, relying on donated soil, recycled wooden planters, and volunteer labor. The Toronto Green Space Alliance, which oversees 15 of these sites, notes that maintenance costs average just 300 annually per garden — far cheaper than the $12,000 yearly upkeep for a small city park. Yet success isn’t universal. In Vancouver, two gardens saw declining participation after initial enthusiasm, with plots abandoned due to disputes over water usage and crop ownership. Despite these setbacks, the Alliance plans to fund 12 new gardens in Montreal next year, emphasizing better conflict-resolution training for organizers. “Cities don’t need million-dollar projects to build healthier communities,” says lead researcher Dr. Elena Márquez. “Sometimes a trowel and a packet of seeds are enough. ” 1．What is a key finding of the study on community gardens? A．They reduce maintenance costs for city parks. B．They improve mental health in local residents. C．They require significant initial investments. D．They mainly benefit elderly residents. 2．The phrase “gaining traction” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ________. A．losing popularity B．causing concern C．becoming widespread D．remaining unchanged 3．Why does the author mention Vancouver’s gardens? A．To highlight the importance of funding. B．To show not all projects are successful. C．To compare different garden designs. D．To criticize poor management. 4．What is the main purpose of the text? A．To argue for more government funding for parks. B．To explain how community gardens are organized. C．To discuss the benefits and challenges of community gardens. D．To compare urban and rural gardening practices. 【答案】1．B 2．C 3．B 4．C 【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章介绍社区花园作为城市绿色空间的低成本替代方案，如何通过居民集体管理带来公共健康益处（如减少焦虑、增加儿童体力活动和促进社交联系），但同时也面临一些挑战（如参与度下降和纠纷问题），并强调了其成本效益和潜在的社会变革作用。 1．细节理解题。根据第二段“Nearby households reported 31% fewer cases of anxiety compared to neighborhoods without such gardens, while local children showed 24% higher levels of physical activity — likely due to regular outdoor play among the plots. The gardens, typically filled with tomato vines, sunflower patches, and communal tool sheds, also fostered stronger social bonds: 78% of participants cited “making new friends” as a key benefit, reducing feelings of isolation in densely populated areas.(与没有此类花园的社区相比，附近居民报告称焦虑症的发病率降低了31%。同时，当地儿童的体育活动水平提高了24%——这很可能是因为这些区域内的花园提供了定期的户外活动空间。这些花园通常种满了番茄藤、向日葵地和公共工具棚，它们还促进了更紧密的社会联系：78%的参与者认为“结交新朋友”是主要的益处之一，这有助于缓解人口密集地区的孤独感)”可知，关于社区花园的研究，其主要发现是它们能改善当地居民的心理健康状况。故选B。 2．词句猜测题。根据第一段“A groundbreaking study published in Urban Health Journal points to an unexpected remedy gaining traction across North America: community-run gardens.(发表在《城市健康杂志》上的一项突破性研究指出，一种意想不到的补救措施在北美各地gaining traction：社区运营的花园)”可知，社区花园作为解决方案在北美推广，说明变得普及了，故划线词意思是“逐渐普及”。故选C。 3．推理判断题。根据倒数第二段“Yet success isn’t universal. In Vancouver, two gardens saw declining participation after initial enthusiasm, with plots abandoned due to disputes over water usage and crop ownership. Despite these setbacks, the Alliance plans to fund 12 new gardens in Montreal next year, emphasizing better conflict-resolution training for organizers.(然而，成功并非是普遍存在的。在温哥华，有两个花园在初期受到热烈欢迎后，参与度却出现了下降，部分地块甚至因用水和作物所有权方面的纠纷而被废弃。尽管遭遇了这些挫折，该联盟仍计划明年在蒙特利尔资助建设12个新的花园，并强调要为组织者提供更完善的冲突解决培训)”可知，作者提及温哥华的花园是为了表明并非所有项目都能取得成功。故选B。 4．推理判断题。根据第一段“A groundbreaking study published in Urban Health Journal points to an unexpected remedy gaining traction across North America: community-run gardens. These grassroots projects, where residents collectively tend plots of land, are proving to be both cost-effective and socially transformative.(发表在《城市健康杂志》上的一项突破性研究指出，一种意想不到的补救措施在北美各地越来越受欢迎：社区运营的花园。这些由居民集体照料土地的草根项目，正被证明既经济划算，又能带来社会变革)”结合文章介绍社区花园作为城市绿色空间的低成本替代方案，如何通过居民集体管理带来公共健康益处（如减少焦虑、增加儿童体力活动和促进社交联系），但同时也面临一些挑战（如参与度下降和纠纷问题），并强调了其成本效益和潜在的社会变革作用，可知这篇文章的主要目的是讨论社区花园的益处与挑战。故选C。 Passage 15 Save the gorilla (大猩猩)! Protect tigers! Help the giant kangaroo rats! You’ve probably heard the first two slogans but maybe not the last one. We’re often interested in supporting the protection of animals like gorillas and tigers but less concerned for creatures like rats. Are our stereotypes (刻板印象) affecting which animals we choose to protect? Researchers have studied how people view animals based on two qualities: “warmth” (how friendly we think they are) and “competence” (how capable they seem). Animals we see as companions, such as dogs and monkeys, score high in both warmth and competence. This makes us eager to protect them. Predators (捕食者) like tigers and bears are seen as competent but not very warm. While some people admire these animals, others may fear or hunt them. Animals viewed as prey (猎物), like cows and rabbits, often receive less attention, but people are prepared to actively harm those considered pests, such as rats and mice. However, this might not be the full story. National Geographic Magazine asked their readers which animals were the most important to save. Four of the top five fit the companion or predator types-elephants, tigers, whales and polar bears. But the most popular animal to save was the bee. It seems that apart from concerns around warmth and competence, people are aware how species can affect the wider ecosystem and value bees as pollinators (传粉者). At present, 27,000 species are becoming extinct every year. How do zoos and protection projects decide which animals to support? One factor is the importance of an animal to the wider ecosystem, but this can lead to some difficult choices. It’s reported that in Australia, koalas are much less important to the ecosystem than some lesser-known animals such as woylies. However, they also suggest a solution to this issue. To conserve cute animals, such as koalas, it’s important to protect their entire habitat-and this can save a wide variety of species. It could be that many animals can be sheltered by koalas’ cuteness. 1．What’s the focus of the research? A．How human views affect animal protection efforts. B．What qualities different types of animal species have. C．How human activities influence wildlife populations. D．What characteristics affect public interest in species. 2．What do we know from paragraph 2? A．Companions are more capable than others. B．Predators are always feared and hunted. C．Animals seen as friendly are more protected. D．Pests are generally well-liked by people. 3．Why are bees an important species to save? A．They are popular pets among humans. B．They rank high in warmth and competence. C．They are the largest pollinators in ecosystems. D．They support species variety through pollination. 4．What’s the purpose of mentioning koalas in the last paragraph? A．To highlight the popularity of certain cute animals. B．To offer suggestions on effective koalas protection. C．To stress the difficulty of making conservation decisions. D．To inform readers of the importance of habitat protection. 【答案】1．A 2．C 3．D 4．D 【导语】本文是一篇说明文。主要介绍的是人类对不同动物的观点会影响动物保护工作，以及生态系统中各物种的重要性。 1．细节理解题。根据首段中的“Are our stereotypes (刻板印象) affecting which animals we choose to protect?(我们的刻板印象是否影响了我们选择保护哪些动物？)”以及第二段中的“Researchers have studied how people view animals based on two qualities: “warmth” (how friendly we think they are) and “competence” (how capable they seem). Animals we see as companions, such as dogs and monkeys, score high in both warmth and competence. This makes us eager to protect them. (研究人员研究了人们基于两个特质来如何看待动物：“温暖”（我们认为它们有多友好）和“能力”（它们看起来有多能干）。像狗和猴子这样的伴侣动物在温暖和能力上都得分很高，这使我们热切地想要保护它们。)”可知，第一段通过提问的方式引出下文讲述的研究，第二段介绍的是人们对不同类型动物的态度影响是否保护这些动物，由此可知，研究关注的是人类的观点如何影响动物保护工作。故选A项。 2．细节理解题。根据第二段中的“Animals we see as companions, such as dogs and monkeys, score high in both warmth and competence. This makes us eager to protect them.(我们视为同伴的动物，如狗和猴子，在温暖和能力方面得分都很高，这使我们热切地想要保护它们。)”可知，被视为友好的动物更可能得到人们的保护。故选C项。 3．推理判断题。根据第三段中的“But the most popular animal to save was the bee. It seems that apart from concerns around warmth and competence, people are aware how species can affect the wider ecosystem and value bees as pollinators (传粉者).(但是，最受欢迎的保护动物是蜜蜂。看来，除了对温暖和能力的关注外，人们还意识到物种如何影响更广泛的生态系统，并重视蜜蜂作为传粉者的角色。)”可知，人们认识到某些物种对更大生态系统的重要性，由此可知，蜜蜂是重要的需要保护的物种的原因是它们通过授粉支持物种多样性。故选D项。 4．推理判断题。根据尾段中的“To conserve cute animals, such as koalas, it’s important to protect their entire habitat-and this can save a wide variety of species. It could be that many animals can be sheltered by koalas’ cuteness.(为了保护像考拉这样的可爱动物，保护它们的整个栖息地至关重要——这可以拯救多种多样的物种。可能许多动物因为考拉的可爱而得到庇护。)”可知，为了保护动物的栖息地有助于保护该物种，所以，这样做可以保护更多的物种，由此可知，文章提到考拉是为了告知读者保护栖息地的重要性。故选D项。 试卷第1页，共3页 试卷第1页，共3页 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $ 第一次月考复习之阅读理解说明文15篇 （江苏专用） 篇目 文章主题 Passage 1 研究表明给孩子体验类礼物而非玩具，能够提升孩子智力、加固亲子关系，倡导多创造美好回忆，而非单纯购置玩具礼物。 Passage 2 介绍英国人投喂庭院鸟类的发展历程，投喂对鸟类行为、进化带来的利弊，以及投喂鸟类拉近人类与大自然联系的价值。 Passage 3 介绍英国年轻人 “归巢居住” 的社会现象，分析年轻人回家居住的经济原因，同时点明父母为此承受的经济与生活代价。 Passage 4 杜克大学研究：提醒孩子自身拥有多重身份，能够锻炼孩子解决问题的能力，培养更加灵活、开放的思维。 Passage 5 针对高中新生，讲解如何适应高中校园生活，介绍新生训练营、学业压力、课外活动，对比初中与高中的不同。 Passage 6 借助奥运会射箭选手心率数据，探究心理压力和运动员赛场发挥之间的关系，并提出未来有待进一步研究的方向。 Passage 7 科学家研究象鼻的运动原理，从中获取灵感，助力仿生 “软” 机械臂以及新型 3D 打印材料的研发。 Passage 8 介绍失眠病症，通过瑞典实验说明加重金属链毯缓解失眠、焦虑的效果，解释作用原理，同时指出仍需更多研究佐证。 Passage 9 科普聊天机器人，讲解它依托的自然语言处理技术、学习运行机制，以及聊天机器人在客服、家庭助手方面的广泛应用。 Passage 10 加拿大研究：课后参与课外活动、控制屏幕使用时长，有利于青少年维持良好的心理健康。 Passage 11 批判 “The More Bubble”（多多益善泡沫），分析其形成原因与弊端，推崇极简的本质主义生活方式，优先关注生命中重要的事物。 Passage 12 对新疆小河遗址出土的古老奶酪开展基因分析，还原青铜时代小河人的文化交流、奶酪制作与传播相关历史信息。 Passage 13 介绍心理学概念 “选择失察”，通过人脸选择实验说明人们有时察觉不到自己的选择被调换，建议做决策时多加审慎思考。 Passage 14 介绍社区自治花园，阐述它在改善居民身心健康、社交方面的好处与低成本优势，同时也客观说明项目运行遇到的现实难题。 Passage 15 探究人类的主观认知（友好度、能力）如何影响动物保护倾向，同时说明生态价值、栖息地保护在物种保护当中的关键作用。 Passage 1 Children are excited to find brightly wrapped (包装的) presents under the tree on Christmas morning. They can’t wait to open the wrapping and get the toys that were on their wish lists, such as toy cars. But after the excitement wears off, those toys are usually left to the corner of the toy box and the kids are searching for something else to do. But it doesn’t have to be that way. A study from the University of Toronto found that giving your child experiences as a gift, instead of toys, improves your child’s intelligence and makes parent-child bonds stronger. “Often the focus is only on whether someone likes a gift rather than focusing on a fundamental purpose of gift giving. Knowing that will foster (培养) relationships between the giver and the receiver,” said lead researcher Cindy Chan. Chan suggested that when you are buying a holiday gift or birthday gift, you should buy something that kids can experience with you. This can be movie or concert tickets, a CD from a performance you already saw to keep the memory alive. For example, for kids, a trip to a museum, going ice-skating or a book that the family can read together over and over again are valuable gifts. It is found that giving your kids too many toys can be counterproductive (适得其反) and make kids at a loss. The best way to make kids happy is to spend time together. So, if you want happy and intelligent kids, spending time with them and making memories are the best gifts you can give them. That’s not to say that there shouldn’t be any toys but change the focus from getting things to making lasting memories. 1．How do children usually deal with toys after the excitement disappears? A．They give them to their friends B．They put them aside. C．They add them to the wish lists. D．They throw them into the rubbish bin. 2．What should people focus on when buying gifts according to Cindy Chan? A．The purpose of giving gifts. B．The advantage of giving toys. C．The excitement caused by toys. D．The gift receiver’s hobby. 3．What did Cindy Chan advise parents to do in Paragraph 3? A．Give kids well-wrapped presents. B．Do something together with kids. C．Buy kids as many toys as possible D．Encourage kids to do sports in school. 4．What is the best title for the text? A．The pleasure of giving and receiving B．A lesson from kids at Christmas C．Valuable gifts: popular among kids D．Move over, toys and make room for memories Passage 2 When I was a child, I often saw my Grandma throwing bread that was no longer fresh to birds. Not surprisingly, this attracted few birds. Later on, we discovered bird food at the local store. Feeding garden birds in the UK has come a long way since then. Today, the birds can enjoy many kinds of food: from plant seeds to sunflower hearts and from cakes to meat balls. All this comes at a huge cost of about £200m a year. Sometimes, I wonder if we might be feeding our garden birds better than our kids. But maybe it’s worth it. Our generosity is having an important effect on the behavior and even evolution of these birds. Take the goldfinch for example. In the 1960s, this was a rare bird. Today, goldfinches can be seen in many gardens. Other new visitors include the spotted woodpecker, which has left its usual woodland for food on bird tables. Evolution is meant to progress slowly: over thousands of years. Yet during the past few decades, the beaks (鸟嘴；喙) of many kinds of birds have become longer because birds with longer beaks can get more food, and then are more likely to live on. Actually, the British habit of feeding garden birds goes back much further. During the sixth century, St Serf of Fife fed a robin in his garden; during the winter of 1890, workers in London were seen giving their lunches to songbirds. The real change took place in the 1980s, when a few farsighted businessmen realized that encouraging the British to be more generous to garden birds can help them make money. Therefore, various kinds of bird food and modern bird feeders were produced. As a result, the number of species using garden feeding stations increased very quickly, from about 10 to over 100. Then, in 2005, Springwatch came, which turned our love of garden birds into an entertainment show. Is bird feeding completely good for birds? Not everyone thinks so. Studies by the Zoological Society of London have shown that by bringing together many birds, bird feeders may help the spread of disease. In Australia, some bird experts believe — probably wrongly — that bird feeding creates a “dependence culture”. But we shouldn’t forget one major benefit of feeding garden birds — it connects millions of people to the natural world. This is especially important for people who seldom reach the wider countryside. As I write this, there comes some noise outside my window: several birds were singing and flying around in my garden. It’s a sight I could only imagine years ago, when feeding garden birds just meant throwing hard bread to them. 1．What does the author mean by saying the underlined part in Paragraph 1? A．We spend quite a lot of money on the food of garden birds. B．Feeding garden birds is a huge waste of money. C．We should care more for our kids rather than garden birds. D．Feeding garden birds can bring more joy than feeding kids. 2．Which is the reason behind the fact that many birds’ beaks become longer? A．These birds have given up traditional woodland. B．Food for these birds becomes richer and better. C．These birds grow faster than ever before. D．Longer beaks mean more chances of survival (生存). 3．What do some bird experts in Australia think of bird feeding? A．It is completely good for birds. B．It may help the spread of disease. C．It may affect birds’ ability to find food by themselves. D．It connects more and more people to the natural world. 4．How does the author feel when he hears bird noise outside his window? A．Pleased. B．Annoyed (烦恼的) C．Surprised. D．Bored. Passage 3 “There’s no place like home.” This English saying has much truth in it: the best place to be is surrounded by our treasured possessions (所有物) and our loved ones and with a roof over our head. And for many young adults, it’s the only affordable place to stay: somewhere where they can receive first-class service from Mum and Dad. But this comes at a price! In some countries, it’s quite traditional for people in their late teens and early 20s to live at home with their parents, but in other places, flying the nest to start their own independent life is very desirable. But there’s been a growing trend, in the UK at least, for young people to return home to live — or not to leave home at all. A survey found that 18% of adult children in the UK said they were moving back home because of debt, compared with 8% last year. More young people had lost their jobs, and others couldn’t afford their rent compared with the previous year. So, it’s easy to see why they’re increasingly becoming home birds. The BBC’s Lucy Hooker explains that many returning adult children enjoy home comforts. But for the“hoteliers”, that’s Mum and Dad, the survey found the average cost to them has gone up sharply, and that they are sacrificing (牺牲) luxuries and holidays to look after their “big kids”. Emma Craig from Money supermarket says “They’re trying to look after their children more. If your child comes home and you see them struggling financially (经济上), you feel more awkward (令人尴尬的) asking them for rent or to contribute.” With parents spending around £1,886 on takeaway food, buying new furniture and upgrading their Wi-Fi for the benefit of their offspring, it’s easy for the returning children to put their feet up and make themselves at home. That’s before they learn a home truth — that one day it might be their own kids who’ll be checking into the hotel of Mum and Dad! 1．Which proverb might present the young British’s living conditions? A．A lazy youth, an awful age. B．Two heads are better than one C．East or west, home is best. D．Nothing comes wrong to a hungry man. 2．Which might be the reason for the increase of home birds? A．The popularity of living independently. B．Looking after their old parents. C．The increase of unemployment rate. D．Their parents’ financial offer. 3．What’s Emma Craig’s attitude towards home birds? A．Doubtful. B．Uncertain. C．Negative D．Understandable. 4．What is the last paragraph mainly about? A．Returning to live with parents comes at a price. B．Parents are willing to receive their returning children. C．Flying the net is becoming popular at present. D．Home birds take it for granted to live with their parents. Passage 4 A child plays many roles, such as friend, neighbor, son or daughter. Simply reminding children of that fact can lead to better problem-solving and more flexible (灵活的) thinking, finds a new research from Duke University. “This is some of the first research on reminding kids about their many roles said lead author Sarah Gaither, a professor at Duke. “Such reminders improve their problem-solving skills and how flexibly they see their social worlds.” In one experiment, Gaither and her workmates looked at 196 children, aged 6 and 7. All were native English speakers. The first group of children was reminded of their various identities, such as son, daughter, reader or helper. A second group of children was reminded of their many physical features. The rest of the children were reminded of other children’s many roles, not their own. All the children solved many tasks. The first group of children showed stronger problem-solving and creative thinking skills. For example, when shown pictures of a bear looking at a honey-filled beehive (蜂巢) high up in a tree, these children had more creative ideas for how the bear might get the honey, such as turning over a bowl as a seat. The second group of children also showed more flexible thinking about social groupings. When asked to group different photos of faces, they suggested many ways to do so. For example, they identified smiling faces VS unsmiling ones, and old VS young faces. The other children mainly grouped people’s faces by race and gender. “We often only think about ourselves in connection with one important group at a time,” said Christopher Marlowe, a schoolmaster in Durham, North Carolina. “When we remind kids that they have various identities, they think more and remember that there are many other groups. They are more open-minded.” 1．Who is Sarah Gaither? A．A reader. B．An educator C．A reporter D．A schoolmaster. 2．What can we learn from the experiment? A．The research was intended for people of all ages. B．The first group was reminded of various identities. C．Children in the second group are the most creative. D．All tasks were solved by the other children. 3．Why are photos of a bear talked about in Paragraph 4? A．To remind children of childhood. B．To make children more creative. C．To show the result of the research. D．To inform children of wildlife protection. 4．What’s Christopher’s attitude to the new research? A．Negative. B．Unclear. C．Doubtful. D．Positive. Passage 5 You may not know a lot of people when you start high school. Maybe your friends from middle school are going to a different high school. Even if you know other freshmen (新生), you still feel nervous that you don’t know any upperclassmen. How are you going to make friends among this sea of unknown faces? Most high schools hold a freshman orientation (新生训练营) before school actually starts. It is helpful not only because you learn your way around the building and get to meet some of your teachers, but you can also get to meet fellow freshmen. That way, when you show up on your first day of school, you may already recognize a few familiar faces. When you talk to people at orientation, you’ll probably find that a lot of them are feeling just like you are. They’re all new to the school and don’t know what to expect. Talking about a common concern with your classmates can help you develop friendships. The work in high school is something freshmen are probably anxious about. The work in high school builds on what you learned in middle school, giving you a more advanced knowledge of many subjects. So you may find you have more work to do or that it’s a bit more challenging. If you ever find your work too difficult, teachers can give you extra help. High school also has more after-school activities than middle school did, such as clubs, music and theater groups and sports teams. This is a good time to explore your interests and try new things. Middle school taught you the basics of academic knowledge, time management, and social skills while providing you with a little extra support and guidance. High school gives you the chance to learn how to be more independent and responsible. 1．According to the passage, when they come to the school on the first day freshmen usually feel ________. A．proud B．nervous C．excited D．afraid 2．What are freshmen probably worried about? A．The learning task. B．The training in the freshman orientation. C．The ability to make friends. D．The relationship with teachers. 3．After-school activities mainly help students ________. A．build up healthy bodies B．develop friendships C．develop their interests D．improve their learning ability 4．The last paragraph is mainly about ________. A．what you’ll learn in high school B．what you learned in middle school C．the difference between middle school and high school D．the importance of being more independent and responsible Passage 6 How much stress is good for an athlete? No one knows. The reason is that to avoid influencing their performance, top athletes are rarely willing to carry even the tiniest monitoring devices (监测设备) when in competition. And when they are not in competition, such measurements would be meaningless. However, two behavioral economists, Lu Yunfeng and Zhong Songfa, think they have found a way around this — at least for athletes whose sports do not require them to move a lot. When watching the 2020 Olympic Games on television, Dr Lu noticed that in the archery (射箭) contests, competitors’ heart rates were shown to viewers as they shot. The heart rate is well known as an indicator (指标) of mental stress, so he saw this as an opportunity to study the relationship between stress and performance. To this end, he worked with Dr Zhong, who has a long history of working on stress and behavior. When they dug into the matter, 122 of the 128 archers in the games agreed to have their heart rates measured. The trick was that, since competitors were stationary, their heart rates could be monitored remotely by a technique called photoplethysmography. As they report in a paper in Psychological Science, heart rates of archers differed greatly during the competition. A few hearts pumped (跳动) at just over one beat per second while one competitor’s raced along at more than three. The average was 138 beats per minute. The average rate for an archer who hit ten-ring for a score of ten was 134.2 beats per minute. It was 135.7 for nine-ring and 137.9 for eight-ring. These findings support the idea that the performance of even some of the world’s best athletes drops off as they experience increased stress. Whether that is limited to those who need a steady (稳定的) aim to win, or also works for athletes who have to run around as they compete, remains to be seen. 1．What does the author want to tell us in the first paragraph? A．Athletes usually suffer from a lot of stress. B．It’s important to monitor athletes’ pre-competition training. C．Monitoring devices are widely used in sports competitions. D．It’s hard to figure out if stress influences athletes’ performance. 2．What inspired Dr Lu to start his research? A．His strong interest in archery. B．His desire to test a new technique. C．The archery contests he saw on TV. D．A meeting he had with a behavioral economist. 3．What did the researchers find out about the archers in the games? A．The archers with higher heart rates had lower scores. B．The archers with the highest stress levels performed the best. C．The heart rates of all archers were similar during the competition. D．The heart rate of the archers changed little over the course of the competition. 4．What might the researchers focus on in the future? A．What the best stress levels for athletes of different sports are. B．How mental stress influences athletes’ training routines and recovery. C．Why some athletes are more easily influenced by stress during competition. D．How stress influences athletes’ performance in sports with lots of movement. Passage 7 Elephants are the largest land animals on Earth, and understanding them better could lead to big scientific discoveries in science. Both flexible and sturdy, elephant trunks (象鼻) can hold a single leaf but can also carry a nearly 600-pound object. Scientists think that they are an amazing inspiration for the next generation of bio-inspired robots. By analyzing elephants’ trunks, researchers found elephants have a set of simple movements that they can use freely to manage objects of different shapes and sizes. For example, elephants use suction (吸力) to pick up lightweight objects. However, to pick up heavier things, they use suction to secure the position of the objects and trunk covering to hold and lift things. “It’s not the whole trunk that is lengthening (变长) or shortening — it’s different parts, depending on what the elephant is doing,” said Milinkovitch, professor at the University of Geneva, Switzerland. Researchers used advanced cameras to create a 3D model of a trunk, allowing them to better understand the structure of an elephant’s muscle groups, skin and tissues. The study findings will be used to help design a new “soft” robotic arm. “The findings are great, but now the effort is focused on translating this biological information into some engineering requirements,” Milinkovitch said. “We need to find out some basic principles (原理) that can make the robot’s behavior simple enough to be effective and adaptable to changes.” The project also leads to improvements in material science, as researchers have developed a new material similar to the useful features of elephant skin that can be 3D printed for robotic models. The new materials may be marketed for a wide range of uses. 1．What does the underlined word “sturdy” in paragraph 1 probably mean? A．Straight. B．Smooth. C．Strong. D．Sharp. 2．How does an elephant control different objects? A．By sucking them with all the strength. B．By securing the position of these objects at first. C．By stretching its trunk based on the size of objects. D．By connecting suction with trunk movements flexibly. 3．Why do researchers translate the biological information? A．To test the safety of the robotic arm. B．To improve the behavior of the robot. C．To change the appearance of the robot. D．To study the structure of muscle tissues. 4．Which could be the best title for the text? A．Elephant Trunks: The Facts of Movement in Robotics B．Elephant Trunks: The Inspiration for “Soft” Robotic Arms C．“Soft” Robotic Arms: A New Idea in 3D-printed Robots D．“Soft” Robotic Arms: A Major Achievement in Material Science Passage 8 Insomnia is a sleep disorder that affects about 10% of adults in the United States. It is characterized by difficulty with falling asleep, or waking up too early, at least three times per week for a period of three months or more. If you happen to struggle with insomnia, you can try a weighted metal chain blanket (加重金属链毯), one that might sound a little strange but effective. A team of researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden conducted a study to determine whether a weighted metal chain blanket could improve insomnia symptoms (症状) compared to a light plastic chain blanket. Subjects were randomly (随机地) given either a weighted metal chain blanket or a light plastic chain blanket, which were the same shape and size. Those who were provided with a weighted metal chain blanket first tried on an 8-kilogram blanket. If this was too heavy, a 6-kilogram blanket was then provided. Over a four-week period, their sleep was judged using surveys and a wrist-based device called an actigraph (体动记录仪). They found participants who used the weighted metal chain blanket reported that their insomnia symptoms dropped significantly, while those who had used the light plastic chain blanket did not experience such obvious improvements. Furthermore, anxiety symptoms decreased much more for those who used the weighted metal chain blanket than those who used the light plastic chain blanket. The principle behind these blankets is that the pressure of the weight provides some value of treatment. It's almost like a baby's wrapping blanket that calms it as it sleeps. Weighted blankets can calm your nerves. Pressure from the blanket may contribute to nervous system responses that lower your heart rate and breathing when you're anxious. This can help you calm down and sleep. The pressure could also cause your brain to release a chemical called serotonin, which helps your mind and body calm down. “While these findings are promising, more research is needed to support the effectiveness,” says the lead researcher. 1．How does the author introduce the topic? A．By describing symptoms. B．By raising a question. C．By analyzing causes. D．By giving an example. 2．What does paragraph 2 focus on concerning the research? A．Its background. B．Its findings. C．Its process. D．Its potential. 3．Why can a weighted metal chain blanket promise a better sleep? A．Its pressure calms people down. B．Its material reduces people’s anxiety. C．It monitors people’s heart rate. D．It gives off comforting chemicals. 4．Which word best describes the author’s attitude to the research? A．Doubtful. B．Unclear. C．Supportive. D．Objective. Passage 9 Even if you haven’t held a conversation with Siri or Alexa, you’ve likely come across a chatbot online. They often appear in a chat window that pops up(自动弹出) with a friendly greeting: Thank you for visiting our site. How can I help you today? Depending on the site, the chatbot is programmed to respond accordingly and even ask follow-up questions. Chatbots communicate through speech or text. Both depend on artificial intelligence technologies like machine learning and natural language processing(NLP), which is a branch of artificial intelligence that teaches machines to read, analyze and interpret human language. This technology gives chatbots a baseline for understanding language structure and meaning. NLP, in essence, allows the computer to understand what you are asking and how to properly respond. With developments in deep learning and reinforcement learning, chatbots can understand more complexities in language and improve the dynamic nature of conversation between human and machine. Basically, a chatbot tries to match what you’ve asked to a purpose that it understands. The more a chatbot communicates with you, the more it understands and the more it learns to communicate like you and others with similar questions. Your positive responses reinforce its answers, and then it uses those answers again. From customer service chatbots online to personal assistants in our homes, chatbots have started to enter our lives. In almost every industry, companies are using chatbots to help customers easily get around their websites, answer simple questions and direct people to the relevant points of contact. Personal assistants like Siri and Alexa are designed to respond to a wide range of situations and questions, from current weather and news updates to personal calendars, music selections and random questions. 1．Why does the author mention Siri and Alexa in Paragraph 1? A．To explain how a chatbot works. B．To compare different chatbots. C．To show where to find a chatbot. D．To give examples of chatbots. 2．What is the basis of chatbots? A．Language study. B．Data transmission. C．Natural language processing. D．Social interaction. 3．What does the underlined word “reinforce” in paragraph 3 mean? A．Inspire. B．Strengthen. C．Organize. D．Match. 4．What is the last paragraph mainly about? A．The future of chatbots. B．The author’s attitude. C．The applications of chatbots. D．The effects of chatbots. Passage 10 Teenagers who spend more time on after-school activities and less than two hours of screen time after school are more mentally healthy, according to a study published in the journal Preventive Medicine. The study used information collected from more than 28,000 seventh-grade Canadian students between 2014 and 2018. The students first answered questions about their usage of screen time after school, including how much time they spent watching TV or something else. Then, students reported how many days they had taken part in after-school activities such as sports or arts programmes. After that, researchers asked students to describe their state of mind. For example, when given a statement such as “I start most days thinking that I will have a good day”, they could choose to what level they agreed with it on a scale (等级). Researchers said in the study some of the results were expected. Students with no after-school activities usually had high levels of screen time, for example. And they expected girls would score higher on negative indicators (消极指标)of mental health, as earlier research had found that they tended to have higher levels of anxiety compared to boys. What was noteworthy, researchers say, is that even among students who took part in after-school activities, 46% still went beyond the recommended screen time of two hours. At the same time, 67% of students who didn’t take part in after-school activities also had more than two hours of screen time. Together, this suggests high screen time among teenagers generally. “The findings suggest that after-school activities are valuable for the happy growing of teenagers,” the study said. “While past studies have proved the importance of after-school activities for social and academic development, the present study shows their importance for good mental health results.” 1．Which of the following came last when students took part in the new study? A．Talking about their lifestyles. B．Introducing their after-school activities. C．Reporting their mental states on a scale. D．Answering questions about screen time use. 2．What do the researchers find about teenage girls? A．They often have higher levels of satisfaction. B．Few of them take part in after-school activities. C．Anxiety has become a serious problem among them. D．Too much screen time may be more harmful to them. 3．What does the author want to show by using the numbers in paragraph 4? A．Earlier findings about screen time are wrong. B．High screen time is common among teenagers. C．No after-school activities mean no screen time. D．Screens attract teenagers more than after-school activities do. 4．Why are after-school activities so important according to the new study? A．They are good for teenagers’ physical health. B．They help to improve teenagers’ mental health. C．They encourage teenagers’ social development. D．They allow teenagers to become better learners. Passage 11 We have a problem, and the strange thing is that we not only know about it, but also celebrate it. Just today, someone boasted to me that she was so busy she’s averaged four hours of sleep a night for the last two weeks. She wasn’t complaining but showing off the fact. She is not alone. Why are rational people so irrational in their behavior? The answer is that we’re in the midst of a bubble. I call it “The More Bubble”. The nature of bubbles is that something is overvalued until — eventually — the bubble bursts, and we’re left wondering why we were so irrational in the first place. The thing we’re overvaluing now is the opinion of doing it all, having it all, achieving it all. This bubble is being enabled by a combination of three powerful trends: smart phones, social media, and extreme consumerism. The result is not just information overload, but opinion overload. We are more aware than at any time in history of what everyone else is doing and, therefore, what we should be doing. In the process, we have been sold a bill of goods: that success means being supermen and superwomen who can get it all done. Of course, we boasted about being busy — it’s code for being successful and important. And our answer to the problem of more is always more. We need more technology to help us create more technologies. We need to move our workload to free up our own time to do yet even more. Luckily, there is a solution to asking for more: asking for less, but better. A growing number of people are making this change. I call these people Essentialists. These people are designing their lives around what is essential and removing everything else. These people arrange to have actual weekends (during which they are not working). They create technology-free zones in their homes. They trade time on Facebook for calling those few friends who really matter to them. Instead of running to different meetings, they put space on their plans to get important work done. So we have two choices: We can be among the last people caught up in “The More Bubble,” or we can join the growing community of Essentialists and get more of what matters in our one precious life. 1．Why did the woman say she only slept for four hours a night for two weeks? A．The woman took pride in doing so. B．The woman was asking for suggestions. C．The woman knew few people were like her. D．The woman was unsatisfied with her lifestyle. 2．What does Paragraph 4 mainly talk about concerning ‘The More Bubble’? A．Its advantages. B．Its cause and result. C．The solutions to it. D．The value of it. 3．What are Essentialists are likely to do according to the article? A．They give up certain things for what matters in life. B．They are eager to become successful and important. C．They are tired of information and opinions. D．They prefer to change frequently. 4．What’s the author’s attitude towards "The More Bubble"? A．Supportive. B．Undecided. C．Disapproval. D．Doubt. Passage 12 For more than 3,500 years, the remains of the Xiaohe people lay undisturbed in Xinjiang until they were unearthed in 1979. Among the treasures dug up was the oldest preserved cheese in the world, spotted around the remains’ neck. Now a team of researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences reports the first genetic (基因的) analysis of the cheese. Their results give us a vivid account of a rich Bronze Age culture that exchanged animals with other neighbouring peoples and may have helped spread cheese around East Asia, reflecting their cross-cultural communication. Just why they were buried with the stuff, though, remains imperfectly understood. During their analysis, the team identified the DNA from a goat whose milk went into the cheeses, before comparing it with 185 previously sequenced goat genes. The genetic profile of the Xiaohe goat was similar to that of goats belonging to ancient Eurasian Steppe people, meaning the Xiaohe may have learned cheese-making from them. All the Xiaohe cheeses would have been produced by drying kefir, a milk-based drink made with bacteria (细菌) such as Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens. The team, therefore, sequenced the DNA of that one bacterium and compared it with 15 modern varieties in order to identify its place within that species’ family tree. Their analysis showed that it belonged to a subspecies that could have spread with kefir-making customs from Xinjiang to regions including Tibet. The team suspect that the cheese was an attractive alternative to raw milk. But it is possible that it was the kefir drink, rather than the cheese, that was the main attraction, says Paul Kindstedt, a cheese chemist and historian who was not involved in the research. It holds about 1% alcohol by volume. People in Mongolia today use kefir to make milk-based alcohol; the Xiaohe may have done so too. “Ancient-cheese DNA analysis-of which this may be the first example-could reveal secrets about numerous other cultures. There are dairy remains on 7,000-year-old European pots, for example, and cheese may also have been used in ancient Egyptian burial practices,” says Dr Kindstedt. 1．What can be inferred about the Xiaohe people in paragraph 2? A．They preferred an undisturbed life. B．They interacted with other cultures. C．They conducted odd burial practices. D．They exchanged animals for cheese. 2．Why was the DNA of Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens studied? A．To track the cheese-making origin. B．To clarify the cheese-making steps. C．To figure out its structure. D．To dig into its superiority. 3．What is Paul Kindstedt’s opinion on the cheese? A．It came from Mongolians’ finding. B．It may be a substitute of raw milk. C．Its appeal was possibly-from kefir. D．Its attraction was affected by milk. 4．How does the author emphasize ancient-cheese DNA analysis’ significance? A．By explaining a concept. B．By giving a definition. C．By providing statistics. D．By quoting an expert. Passage 13 The concept of choice blindness suggests that people are not always aware of their choices and preferences. It is a part of a cognitive (认知的) phenomenon known as the introspection illusion (内省错觉). Essentially, people incorrectly believe that they fully understand the roots of their emotions and thoughts, yet believe that other people’s introspections are largely unreliable. In a pioneering study on the concept of choice blindness, researchers examined how people often overlook differences between their intentions and outcomes. The study involved having participants look at images of two different female faces for between two to five seconds. The participants then rated which face they found the most attractive. The researchers then changed the photo that the participants thought they had chosen to that of an entirely different woman, and the participants were asked to describe why they found the woman attractive. Surprisingly, only 13% of the participants noticed the switch. In fact, many went on to describe the reasons why they found the face attractive, even though it was not the woman that they had chosen at all. So why do so many people fail to notice these switches? Are we less aware of our preferences than we think we are? Interest in the choice at hand is one factor that might play a role. When an issue is more important to us, we might be likely to notice mismatches between what we choose and what we actually get. Additionally, the similarity of choices can have an effect — we may be less likely to notice small differences when presented with a choice we did not make. The ability to recognize faces plays a major role in our everyday lives. While this kind of mistake may not always be significant, there are times when it can be life-changing. So next time you’re making a decision, perhaps it will help to take an extra beat to fully understand and process your choice as you make it. You may be less susceptible to mistaking that choice for something else in the future. 1．What may happen to people when choice blindness occurs? A．They may easily trust others. B．They can make better decisions. C．They fully understand themselves. D．They may not get the desired result. 2．What were the participants asked to do? A．Make changes to their choices. B．Distinguish between two images. C．Make an explanation of their choices. D．Describe feelings about female faces. 3．Why do people fail to notice changes to their choices? A．They lack interest in the choice at hand. B．They are unaware of their preferences. C．They lay more emphasis on similarities. D．They are presented with more choices. 4．What does the author intend to do in the last paragraph? A．To prove a point. B．To make a suggestion. C．To explain a rule. D．To confirm a prediction. Passage 14 Urban green spaces have long been tied to better public health, but shrinking municipal budgets often leave parks overgrown and underused. A groundbreaking study published in Urban Health Journal points to an unexpected remedy gaining traction across North America: community-run gardens. These grassroots projects, where residents collectively tend plots of land, are proving to be both cost-effective and socially transformative. Researchers tracked 27 community gardens in Toronto over three years, documenting measurable benefits. Nearby households reported 31% fewer cases of anxiety compared to neighborhoods without such gardens, while local children showed 24% higher levels of physical activity — likely due to regular outdoor play among the plots. The gardens, typically filled with tomato vines, sunflower patches, and communal tool sheds, also fostered stronger social bonds: 78% of participants cited “making new friends” as a key benefit, reducing feelings of isolation in densely populated areas. These initiatives thrive on minimal funding. Most start with grants under 2,000, relying on donated soil, recycled wooden planters, and volunteer labor. The Toronto Green Space Alliance, which oversees 15 of these sites, notes that maintenance costs average just 300 annually per garden — far cheaper than the $12,000 yearly upkeep for a small city park. Yet success isn’t universal. In Vancouver, two gardens saw declining participation after initial enthusiasm, with plots abandoned due to disputes over water usage and crop ownership. Despite these setbacks, the Alliance plans to fund 12 new gardens in Montreal next year, emphasizing better conflict-resolution training for organizers. “Cities don’t need million-dollar projects to build healthier communities,” says lead researcher Dr. Elena Márquez. “Sometimes a trowel and a packet of seeds are enough. ” 1．What is a key finding of the study on community gardens? A．They reduce maintenance costs for city parks. B．They improve mental health in local residents. C．They require significant initial investments. D．They mainly benefit elderly residents. 2．The phrase “gaining traction” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ________. A．losing popularity B．causing concern C．becoming widespread D．remaining unchanged 3．Why does the author mention Vancouver’s gardens? A．To highlight the importance of funding. B．To show not all projects are successful. C．To compare different garden designs. D．To criticize poor management. 4．What is the main purpose of the text? A．To argue for more government funding for parks. B．To explain how community gardens are organized. C．To discuss the benefits and challenges of community gardens. D．To compare urban and rural gardening practices. Passage 15 Save the gorilla (大猩猩)! Protect tigers! Help the giant kangaroo rats! You’ve probably heard the first two slogans but maybe not the last one. We’re often interested in supporting the protection of animals like gorillas and tigers but less concerned for creatures like rats. Are our stereotypes (刻板印象) affecting which animals we choose to protect? Researchers have studied how people view animals based on two qualities: “warmth” (how friendly we think they are) and “competence” (how capable they seem). Animals we see as companions, such as dogs and monkeys, score high in both warmth and competence. This makes us eager to protect them. Predators (捕食者) like tigers and bears are seen as competent but not very warm. While some people admire these animals, others may fear or hunt them. Animals viewed as prey (猎物), like cows and rabbits, often receive less attention, but people are prepared to actively harm those considered pests, such as rats and mice. However, this might not be the full story. National Geographic Magazine asked their readers which animals were the most important to save. Four of the top five fit the companion or predator types-elephants, tigers, whales and polar bears. But the most popular animal to save was the bee. It seems that apart from concerns around warmth and competence, people are aware how species can affect the wider ecosystem and value bees as pollinators (传粉者). At present, 27,000 species are becoming extinct every year. How do zoos and protection projects decide which animals to support? One factor is the importance of an animal to the wider ecosystem, but this can lead to some difficult choices. It’s reported that in Australia, koalas are much less important to the ecosystem than some lesser-known animals such as woylies. However, they also suggest a solution to this issue. To conserve cute animals, such as koalas, it’s important to protect their entire habitat-and this can save a wide variety of species. It could be that many animals can be sheltered by koalas’ cuteness. 1．What’s the focus of the research? A．How human views affect animal protection efforts. B．What qualities different types of animal species have. C．How human activities influence wildlife populations. D．What characteristics affect public interest in species. 2．What do we know from paragraph 2? A．Companions are more capable than others. B．Predators are always feared and hunted. C．Animals seen as friendly are more protected. D．Pests are generally well-liked by people. 3．Why are bees an important species to save? A．They are popular pets among humans. B．They rank high in warmth and competence. C．They are the largest pollinators in ecosystems. D．They support species variety through pollination. 4．What’s the purpose of mentioning koalas in the last paragraph? A．To highlight the popularity of certain cute animals. B．To offer suggestions on effective koalas protection. C．To stress the difficulty of making conservation decisions. D．To inform readers of the importance of habitat protection. 试卷第1页，共3页 试卷第1页，共3页 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $