2027届新高考模拟卷阅读理解之科技类说明文专练（三）

2026-2027学年最新高考模拟卷阅读理解之科技类 说明文专练（三） (1) （26-27高三上·湖北武汉·阶段检测） Insect-size drones are too small to carry around complex navigation systems. To help tiny autonomous fliers find their way home, researchers are taking their clues from honeybees with the Bee-Nav, described today in Nature. A honeybee leaving the hive first takes a short learning flight to memorize nearby landmarks, explains the study’s lead author Guido de Croon. As a bee flies away, “it keeps track of the direction and speed of its movement,” de Croon says, in a process called path integration. Because path integration tends to gather tiny measurement errors over time, the insect relies on the memorized landmarks to correct its course as it gets back home. De Croon and his colleagues copied this workflow. A drone performs a learning flight, capturing scenery with a camera. It trains a neural (神经的) network to map images to homes, creating a safe zone. Using path integration, it returns, if within the zone, the network guides it home. The Bee-Nav does this using a computer the size of a credit card that runs neural nets with between 3.4 and 42.3 kilobytes (千字节) of memory — thousands of times less than conventional mapping setups use. “What I find especially exciting is how little computation is needed. This is the kind of approach that makes serious outdoor arrangements possible.” says Sarah Bergbreiter, a mechanical engineer. De Croon’s team is still working out a few challenges for the platform. “Platforms running Bee-Nav will also need local barrier avoidance and planning capability if the environment is crowded or dynamic,” says Sean Humbert, a mechanical engineer at the University of Colorado Boulder, who was not involved in the study. But even now, de Croon says, the Bee-Nav can make autonomous, outdoor drones smaller and more power-efficient. “We could easily put it on a 50-gram, even 30-gram drone,” de Croon claims. Scaling autonomous drones further down to the size of actual bees, he notes, would require solving other fundamental problems like contracting batteries. “But we hope when these problems are solved in the long term, we will have the intelligence ready to match that,” de Croon says. 1. What is the purpose of the research on Bee-Nav? A. To copy bees’ daily flight workflow. B. To adjust the overall size of micro drones. C. To facilitate the navigation of tiny drones. D. To improve drones’ load-carrying performance. 2. Why does the author describe the bee’s navigation before introducing Bee-Nav? A. To show how bees learn to fly around their hive. B. To prove tiny drones have trouble with navigation. C. To show that bees are more intelligent than drones. D. To explain the biological inspiration behind the Bee-Nav. 3. What is Sarah Bergbreiter’s attitude towards Bee-Nav? A. Doubtful. B. Favorable. C. Uncaring. D. Interested. 4. What can we infer from the last paragraph? A. Drones as small as real bees are already widely used outdoors. B. The navigation technology for tiny drones still needs further tests. C. Bee-Nav is designed specifically for 30-gram to 50-gram drones. D. It is tough to make batteries smaller for bee-sized drones currently. 【答案】1. C 2. D 3. B 4. D 【难度】0.65 【导语】本文介绍了科研团队受蜜蜂导航机制启发，开发出了适用于昆虫级微型无人机的低功耗导航系统Bee-Nav，该系统大幅降低了导航所需的计算量，为微型无人机户外自主飞行提供了可能，同时也指出目前该技术仍存在需要进一步突破的方向。 【详解】1. 细节理解题。根据第一段“Insect-size drones are too small to carry around complex navigation systems. To help tiny autonomous fliers find their way home, researchers are taking their clues from honeybees with the Bee-Nav, described today in Nature. (昆虫大小的无人机体积太小，无法携带复杂的导航系统。为了帮助微型自主飞行器找到回家的路，研究人员从蜜蜂身上获得线索，研发了Bee-Nav，这在《自然》期刊上有所描述。)”可知，研究Bee-Nav的目的是帮助微型无人机解决导航问题，为微型无人机的导航提供便利。 2. 推理判断题。根据第二段“A honeybee leaving the hive first takes a short learning flight to memorize nearby landmarks, explains the study’s lead author Guido de Croon. As a bee flies away, “it keeps track of the direction and speed of its movement,” de Croon says, in a process called path integration. Because path integration tends to gather tiny measurement errors over time, the insect relies on the memorized landmarks to correct its course as it gets back home. (该研究的主要作者Guido de Croon解释说，一只离开蜂巢的蜜蜂首先会进行短暂的学习飞行，以记住附近的地标。de Croon说，当蜜蜂飞走时，“它会跟踪自己运动的方向和速度”，这一过程称为路径积分。因为随着时间的推移，路径积分往往会积累微小的测量误差，所以昆虫在回家时依靠记忆中的地标来纠正其路线。)”可知，第二段介绍蜜蜂依靠路径积分结合记忆地标校正路线的导航机制，再根据第三段中“De Croon and his colleagues copied this workflow. (de Croon和他的同事复刻了这一工作流程。)”可推知，作者在介绍Bee-Nav前描述蜜蜂的导航方式，是为了解释Bee-Nav的生物学灵感来源。 3. 推理判断题。根据第四段Sarah Bergbreiter的话“What I find especially exciting is how little computation is needed. This is the kind of approach that makes serious outdoor arrangements possible. (让我特别兴奋的是它只需要极少的计算量。这种方法让大规模户外部署成为了可能。)”可知，Sarah对Bee-Nav持支持赞赏的态度。 4. 推理判断题。根据最后一段中“Scaling autonomous drones further down to the size of actual bees, he notes, would require solving other fundamental problems like contracting batteries. (他指出，要将自主无人机进一步缩小到真实蜜蜂的大小，还需要解决电池小型化这类基础问题。)”可推知，目前给蜜蜂大小的无人机制造体积足够小的电池还是一件很困难的事。 (2) （26-27高三上·湖北武汉·阶段检测） Artificial intelligence (AI) researchers have long dreamed of tools to supercharge science-asking novel questions, designing and running experiments. Recently, large language models (LLMs) have made discoveries that some AI developers claim have inched us closer to that future. But how do you test whether an AI model can truly do science? For answers, researchers turn to benchmarks (基准): standardized sets of questions or tasks that help measure an AI’s efficiency and reliability and compare it against other models. But the complexity of science makes assessing their aptitude especially challenging. As Hao Peng, a computer scientist at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, puts it: “Models have all this knowledge. Do they know how to use it?” Dozens of new science-focused benchmarks have emerged over the past year to answer that question, but scientists have yet to settle on a single best approach. One of the most popular, published in Nature, is Humanity’s Last Exam (HLE). It uses 2500 questions drawn from “the frontier of human knowledge” to put LLMs through their paces. One, for example, asks how many types of sensory receptors the human skin contains. “We wanted a diverse dataset that only experts who have been working on a field for a long time can answer,” says Long Phan, a research engineer with the HLE’s developer. Since the HLE first appeared as a preprint in January 2025, the benchmark has become an important proving ground for LLMs and HLE scores are now a common talking point for AI companies seeking to highlight the capabilities of their products. At the HLE’s launch, the leading developer OpenAI’s AI model won the best score at a mere 8.3%. Earlier this month, Google claimed that its latest reasoning model for science, called Gemini 3 Deep Think, had achieved a new record HLE score of 48.4%. But some scientists argue that many of the HLE’s questions test for little-known or even useless knowledge, rather than an ability to do meaningful research. A Nature editorial accompanying the HLE’s publication also raised this issue: “We think that more scientists should be asking: What would it take to develop an AI benchmark that truly measures expert-level thinking?” 5. What does the underlined word “aptitude” in paragraph 2 mean? A. Knowledge. B. Performance. C. Intelligence. D. Progress. 6. What does Long Phan stress about HLE? A. Its topic diversity. B. Experts’ involvement in it. C. The expertise of its dataset. D. Its data-backed popularity. 7. What is paragraph 4 mainly about? A. HLE’s role as a key AI test. B. Companies’ use of HLE. C. HLE scores of leading AI models. D. The process of HLE’s launch. 8. By sharing its view, the Nature editorial aimed to ________. A. back the current testing B. express concern over HLE C. propose a workable solution D. predict future AI benchmarks 【答案】5. B 6. C 7. A 8. B 【难度】0.69 【导语】本文是一篇议论文。文章围绕如何检验一个人工智能模型是否真的能够进行科学研究展开，其中人类终极考试（HLE）作为核心AI测试平台备受关注，文章介绍了它的设计定位和作用；最后文章指出，一些科学家和《自然》社论对HLE提出质疑，引发了学界对“如何开发真正能测量专家级科研思维的AI基准”的思考。 【详解】5. 词句猜测题。根据划线词前文“For answers, researchers turn to benchmarks (基准): standardized sets of questions or tasks that help measure an AI’s efficiency and reliability and compare it against other models.(为寻找答案，研究人员转向了基准测试：一系列标准化的问题或任务，用于衡量人工智能的效率和可靠性，并将其与其他模型进行比较)”和后文“As Hao Peng, a computer scientist at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, puts it: “Models have all this knowledge. Do they know how to use it?”(正如伊利诺伊大学厄巴纳-香槟分校的计算机科学家Hao Peng所说：“模型拥有所有这些知识。但它们是否知道如何运用这些知识呢？”)”可知，前文提出核心问题：如何测试AI是否真的能开展科学研究，后文补充“模型已经拥有大量知识，问题是它们会不会运用知识”，所以此处指科学的复杂性让评估AI的性能格外困难，aptitude意为“性能”，与performance意思相近，故选B。 6. 细节理解题。根据第三段中““We wanted a diverse dataset that only experts who have been working on a field for a long time can answer,” says Long Phan, a research engineer with the HLE’s developer.(“我们希望获得一个内容多样、只有长期深耕某一领域的专家才能解答的数据集，”HLE的开发者之一Long Phan说道)”可知，他强调HLE的数据集只有深耕领域的资深专家才能作答，核心是突出数据集的专业性，故选C。 7. 主旨大意题。根据第四段“Since the HLE first appeared as a preprint in January 2025, the benchmark has become an important proving ground for LLMs and HLE scores are now a common talking point for AI companies seeking to highlight the capabilities of their products. At the HLE’s launch, the leading developer OpenAI’s AI model won the best score at a mere 8.3%. Earlier this month, Google claimed that its latest reasoning model for science, called Gemini 3 Deep Think, had achieved a new record HLE score of 48. 4%.(自2025年1月HLE以预印本形式首次亮相以来，该基准测试已成为大型语言模型的重要验证平台，而HLE的得分如今已成为AI公司展示其产品能力时的常见话题。在HLE的发布仪式上，领先的开发者OpenAI的模型以仅 8.3%的得分赢得了最佳成绩。本月早些时候，谷歌宣称其最新的科学推理模型——名为“Geminis 3 深度思考”的模型，已取得了新的HLE成绩记录——48.4%)”可知，本段主要介绍HLE问世后已经成为大语言模型的重要试验场，HLE分数是AI公司展示产品能力的通用依据，后文的OpenAI、Google分数例子都是细节支撑。因此本段主要介绍HLE作为核心AI测试平台的作用，故选A。 8. 推理判断题。根据最后一段“But some scientists argue that many of the HLE’s questions test for little-known or even useless knowledge, rather than an ability to do meaningful research. A Nature editorial accompanying the HLE’s publication also raised this issue: “We think that more scientists should be asking: What would it take to develop an AI benchmark that truly measures expert-level thinking?”(但一些科学家认为，HLE的许多问题所测试的更多是鲜为人知甚至毫无用处的知识，而非进行有意义研究的能力。与HLE发布相关的《自然》杂志的一篇社论也提出了这一问题：“我们认为，更多的科学家应该思考：要开发一个真正能衡量专家思维水平的AI基准，需要具备哪些条件？”)”可知，科学家批评HLE多考察偏门无用知识，而非真正的研究能力，《自然》社论也认同这个问题，呼吁学界思考“如何开发真正能测量专家级思维的AI基准”，因此社论的目的是对HLE现存的问题表达担忧，故选B。 (3) （26-27高三上·湖北随州·阶段检测） As people pay increasing attention to personal health, non-invasive home-testing devices have become one of the fastest-growing fields in modern technology. A newly-developed portable breath detector has drawn wide public interest recently among researchers and ordinary families. Unlike traditional medical equipment which is huge and costly, the small detector can be held in one hand. It works by analyzing tiny chemical molecules contained in human breath. Within one minute, it can send basic health-related data to a connected smartphone. Users no longer need to wait for long hours in hospital halls for routine checks. For people living in remote areas, such a device may greatly improve their access to early health warnings. Scientists warn that the new tool is not designed to replace professional hospital examinations. It only provides reference information rather than final medical conclusions. Even so, it brings fresh possibilities for community health management. Local health-care stations are considering introducing the product for regular home visits. Still, the promising invention has to cross several barriers before widely entering the market. Firstly, its accuracy can be influenced by food, drinks or recent exercise. Secondly, the present model is relatively expensive for most families. Researchers are now adjusting materials and production procedures. Their goal is to slash costs without lowering performance, so that more citizens can afford this convenient piece of equipment in the near future. Besides, strict official tests are required before it gets permission for mass sale. If these problems are properly solved, the portable breath detector may change people’s daily health-check habits. Home health monitoring, once far-fetched, could gradually become part of ordinary life. 9. What is one advantage of the new breath-detecting device? A. It can offer final medical treatment. B. It finishes basic detection quickly. C. It can cure certain breathing diseases. D. It works without connecting to phones. 10. What can we infer from the text? A. The detector has already been sold nationwide. B. Food taken just-before may affect its test result. C. Remote-area hospitals will be replaced by the device. D. Official tests for the product have already been completed. 11. The underlined word “slash” in Paragraph 4 most probably means ________. A. cut down B. add up C. figure out D. take over 12. What is the main idea of the passage? A. New ways to prevent respiratory diseases B. Modern technology and hospital reform C. Advantages and limits of a portable breath detector D. Scientific discoveries in human breath research 【答案】9. B 10. B 11. A 12. C 【难度】0.87 【导语】主要介绍一款便携式呼吸检测仪，阐述它的优点、局限，以及推向市场前需要攻克的难题。 【详解】9. 细节理解题。根据第二段中的“Within one minute, it can send basic health-related data to a connected smartphone.(在一分钟之内，它可以把和健康相关的基础数据发送到相连的智能手机上。)”可知，这款新设备能快速完成基础检测。 10. 推理判断题。根据第四段中的“Firstly, its accuracy can be influenced by food, drinks or recent exercise.(首先，它的准确度会受到食物、饮品或是近期运动的影响。)”可知，检测前食用的食物可能会影响检测结果。 11. 词句猜测题。根据第四段中的“Their goal is to slash costs without lowering performance, so that more citizens can afford this convenient piece of equipment in the near future.(他们的目标是在不降低性能的前提下slash成本，以便在不久的将来更多人能够买得起这款便捷设备。)”可知，要让更多人买得起，就要削减成本，因此slash意为“削减”，和cut down同义。 12. 主旨大意题。通读全文，文章第一、二段介绍了新型便携式呼吸检测仪的工作原理及其带来的便利（优点）；第三、四段则指出了该设备的局限性和面临的障碍（如不能替代专业医院检查、准确性易受外界因素影响、目前价格较高等），因此，全文主要围绕“便携式呼吸检测仪的优点和局限性”展开。 (4) （26-27高三上·湖北襄阳·阶段检测） Red wine was once regarded as a benefit for health that could protect the heart and even extend life expectancy. But while scientists have denied this claim, they believe that at least one red wine component called resveratrol may hold genuine health benefits. A trial launched this week will assess whether a low amount of the chemical could help keep bowel cancer (肠癌) at bay. The study, one of the largest to date testing drugs for cancer prevention, will register patients who are at risk of the disease. “With the Colo-Prevent trial, we are conducting a unique experiment to see how drugs could stop bowel polyps (肠息肉) from growing,” said Prof Karen Brown, the trial’s lead investigator. “This trial could have big consequences for how we prevent bowel cancer in people who are most likely to develop the disease as they get older.” The trial builds on more than a decade of work by Brown’s lab, which previously found that purified resveratrol can slow tumour (肿瘤) growth in mice and can reach the bowel undigested. The trial is registering people aged between 50 and 73 who have been found to have bowel polyps. Some will have their polyps removed and be given either a drug named aspirin by itself or a combination of aspirin and another drug named metformin daily for three years, for the main trial. Others will take purified resveratrol for one year as part of a sub-study. All patients will then be given an examination to determine if the polyps have started growing again. If the trial is successful, any of the treatments tested could be offered to potential patients to reduce the risk of bowel polyps forming, and with that reduce the risk of bowel cancer in the future. “This trial opens the door to a new era of cancer research, where cancer becomes much more preventable through cutting-edge science,” said Dr Iain Foulkes at Cancer Research UK. “The insights gained from the trial will change how we think about cancer prevention and give more people the chance of longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer.” 13. What is the trial aimed at? A. Exploring bowel cancer origins. B. Confirming red wine’s health benefits. C. Lessening a specific drug’s side effects. D. Assessing resveratrol’s cancer-preventive effects. 14. Why is the previous work by Brown’s lab mentioned? A. To highlight the trial’s complexity. B. To compare different research methods. C. To offer supportive evidence for the trial. D. To determine the key factors affecting the trial. 15. What do we know about the participants? A. They’re under 70 years of age. B. They’ll take medicine as required. C. They suffer from bowel cancer. D. They’ll have bowel polyp removal. 16. What does Foulkes think of the trial? A. It is overly ambitious. B. It is truly pioneering. C. It poses significant risks. D. It needs further insights. 【答案】13. D 14. C 15. B 16. B 【难度】0.83 【导语】本文介绍了一项针对白藜芦醇的肠癌预防临床试验，该试验在前期实验室研究基础上展开，招募肠息肉高风险人群，验证白藜芦醇等物质抑制肠息肉生长、降低肠癌发病风险的效果，被认为是癌症预防领域极具开创性的探索。 【详解】13. 细节理解题。根据第二段“A trial launched this week will assess whether a low amount of the chemical could help keep bowel cancer at bay.(本周启动的一项试验将评估少量这种化学物质是否能帮助预防肠癌。)”可知，该试验旨在评估白藜芦醇预防癌症的效果。 14. 推理判断题。根据第四段“The trial builds on more than a decade of work by Brown’s lab, which previously found that purified resveratrol can slow tumour growth in mice and can reach the bowel undigested.(这项试验建立在Brown实验室十余年的研究成果之上，该实验室此前发现，提纯后的白藜芦醇可以减缓小鼠体内的肿瘤生长，并且能以未被消化的状态直达肠道。)”可知，作者提到Brown实验室之前在小鼠身上的研究发现，是为了说明当前人体试验的科学依据和前期基础，即为该试验提供支持性证据。 15. 细节理解题。根据第五段“The trial is registering people aged between 50 and 73 who have been found to have bowel polyps. Some will have their polyps removed and be given either a drug named aspirin by itself or a combination of aspirin and another drug named metformin daily for three years, for the main trial. Others will take purified resveratrol for one year as part of a sub-study.(这项试验正在招募年龄在50至73岁、经检查确诊患有肠息肉的受试者。在主试验阶段，部分受试者会先切除息肉，之后连续三年每日服用单一阿司匹林药物，或是阿司匹林联合另一种名为二甲双胍的药物；其余受试者则会作为子研究的参与者，连续一年服用白藜芦醇提纯制剂。)”可知，参与者将被分配服用阿司匹林、二甲双胍或纯化的白藜芦醇，即他们都会按试验要求服用相应的药物。 16. 推理判断题。根据最后一段““This trial opens the door to a new era of cancer research, where cancer becomes much more preventable through cutting-edge science,” said Dr Iain Foulkes at Cancer Research UK.(英国癌症研究中心的伊恩·福尔克斯博士表示：“这项试验开启了癌症研究的全新时代，借助前沿科学，癌症将能实现更高程度的可预防性。”)”可知，他高度赞扬该试验，认为它在癌症预防领域具有真正的开创性（pioneering）。 (5) （26-27高三上·湖北襄阳·阶段检测） Many people are used to switching tasks frequently: checking mobile messages while reading documents, answering sudden work requests in the middle of study, or replying to social chats when concentrating on thinking. You may think you are being productive, but chances are you are hurting your brain more than helping it. Modern cognitive (认知的) psychology research suggests that constant interruption decreases thinking efficiency more than most people imagine. Researchers carried out a controlled experiment for office staff. One group worked without intentional interruption, while the other group received scheduled message reminders every 15 minutes. Statistics showed that the interrupted group’s work error rate rose by 42%, and their sense of mental exhaustion increased obviously even with the same working hours. Psychologists explained that the human prefrontal cortex (前额叶) cannot process two sets of complex logical information at the same time. So-called multitasking is actually rapid forced switching between tasks. Every interruption will make the brain lose the built-up logical context, and it takes an average of 23 minutes for focused thinking to fully recover. Frequent task switches consume massive cognitive energy on state adjustment, leaving insufficient mental resources for core reasoning and memory sorting. This phenomenon is particularly concerning in the modern workplace, where employees are often expected to handle emails, messages, and meetings at the same time. One of the reasons why this is problematic is that fragmented (碎片化的) work reduces not only individual productivity but also the depth of thinking required for creative problem-solving. In other words, multitasking may create the impression of busyness while reducing the quality of our output. This cognitive law applies to student learning and workplace management alike. Setting fixed concentrated working periods, turning off non-essential message reminders, and gathering minor chores for unified processing can effectively avoid unnecessary interruption. Understanding this psychological feature helps people get rid of fragmented distraction and rebuild efficient long-time focused thinking ability. 17. What finding do modern cognitive psychology studies come to? A. Productivity declines during difficult tasks. B. It is well accepted to switch tasks frequently. C. The thinking efficiency varies with task types. D. People underestimate the harm of interruption. 18. Why is true multitasking impossible for humans? A. Mental resources are used up in cognition. B. Brains are not naturally structured this way. C. Interruptions delay logical thinking process. D. Task-switching cuts people’s working hours. 19. What measure does the text suggest against fragmented distraction? A. Raise people’s problem-solving ability. B. Deal with emails whenever they arrive. C. Schedule specific deep work time blocks. D. Finish the less important at one’s free time. 20. What can be a suitable title for the text? A. Why Constant Task Switching Tires Your Brain B. How Students Can Improve Learning Efficiency C. The Advantages of Long-time Focused Thinking D. New Findings on Human Brain Memory System 【答案】17. D 18. B 19. C 20. A 【难度】0.76 【导语】本文从人们频繁切换任务的现象切入，指出现代认知心理学研究表明持续干扰对思维效率的伤害超乎想象，并通过实验数据与大脑运行机制说明所谓“多任务”实为被迫的快速切换，最后建议设定固定专注时段、关闭无关提醒等，以重建深度专注能力。 【详解】17. 细节理解题。根据第一段“Modern cognitive psychology research suggests that constant interruption decreases thinking efficiency more than most people imagine（现代认知心理学研究表明，持续的中断对思维效率的削弱比大多数人所想象的更大）”可知，人们低估了干扰的害处。 18. 细节理解题。根据第二段“Psychologists explained that the human prefrontal cortex cannot process two sets of complex logical information at the same time. So-called multitasking is actually rapid forced switching between tasks（心理学家解释说，人类前额叶无法同时处理两套复杂的逻辑信息。所谓多任务实际上是任务间的快速强制切换）”可知，真正的多任务之所以不可能，是因为大脑本身不具备这样的构造。 19. 细节理解题。根据第四段“Setting fixed concentrated working periods, turning off non-essential message reminders, and gathering minor chores for unified processing can effectively avoid unnecessary interruption（设定固定的专注工作时间段、关闭非必要的消息提醒、集中处理琐事，可以有效避免不必要的干扰）”可知，文中建议安排专门的深度工作时段。 20. 主旨大意题。全文围绕“频繁切换任务、持续干扰会损害大脑思维效率”这一主题展开，先指出现象与危害，再解释机制，最后给出建议。A项“Why Constant Task Switching Tires Your Brain（为何频繁切换任务会让大脑疲惫）”准确概括了文章主旨。 (6) （26-27高三上·湖北孝感·开学考试） Astronomers have found tentative but strong evidence of a planet passing in front of a star outside the Milky Way galaxy, pointing to a major new discovery in space exploration. If proven true, this newly found object in the Whirlpool Galaxy may become the first planet ever detected outside our galaxy, greatly broadening the range of known planetary systems in the universe. Generally, an exoplanet refers to a planet outside our solar system that moves around stars within the Milky Way. Before this discovery, all confirmed exoplanets were located within 3,000 light-years of Earth. In comparison, this new candidate planet is about 28 million light-years away, a distance far greater than that of any previously found exoplanet, which breaks the traditional limits of planetary research. The research stands out for its new observation method. “We are trying to open up a whole new area for finding other worlds by searching for planet candidates at X-ray wavelengths, a strategy that makes it possible to discover them in other galaxies,” Rosanne Di Stefano, who led the study, said in a statement. Even so, scientists admit that it is extremely hard to finally confirm the existence of this distant planet. “Unfortunately, to confirm that, we’re seeing a planet we would likely have to wait decades to see another transit (凌日),” co-author astrophysicist Nia Imara said in a statement. “And because of the uncertainties about how long it takes to orbit, we wouldn’t know exactly when to look, thus making accurate confirmation very difficult.” Apart from observation difficulties, the possible planet also carries special scientific meaning. Scientists believe that if the planet exists, it must have survived a huge star explosion that formed a nearby black hole. Even though it has survived such a violent event, the planet still faces hidden dangers in the future. Its partner star may explode one day and send powerful radiation, which will seriously threaten the planet’s safety. To improve this research, astronomers will examine large amounts of data collected by advanced space telescopes. They hope to find more planet candidates in distant galaxies. At the same time, they will continue to study star activities within the Milky Way, aiming to discover special planets in extreme space environments. 21. What can be inferred about the new extragalactic planet candidate? A. It orbits a star identical to the sun in our solar system. B. Its existence has been confirmed by repeated observations. C. It is far more distant than that of all previously found exoplanets. D. It belongs to the ready-known planetary systems in the Milky Way. 22. Why is it hard to confirm the candidate planet’s existence according to Nia Imara? A. The absence of predictable transit timing. B. The instability of its surrounding black hole. C. Its extreme distance blocking cosmic signals. D. The failure of advanced observational equipment. 23. Which of the following best reflects the researchers’ attitude toward the new finding? A. confident and convinced B. cautious and objective C. doubtful and negative D. skeptical and indifferent 24. What is the best title for the text? A. The first confirmed planet discovered in the Whirlpool Galaxy B. X-ray-based efforts to hunt for extragalactic planet candidates C. A potential planet beyond our galaxy draws scientists’ attention D. Challenges facing the research on far-away objects in the universe 【答案】21. C 22. A 23. B 24. C 【难度】0.5 【导语】本文介绍了天文学家发现银河系外一颗候选行星的初步有力证据，介绍它距离远超以往系外行星、借助X射线观测，同时确认它的存在难度很大，科学家会继续搜集数据开展研究。 【详解】21. 推理判断题。根据第二段“In comparison, this new candidate planet is about 28 million light-years away, a distance far greater than that of any previously found exoplanet (相比之下，这颗新的候选行星距离地球约2800万光年，远比此前发现的任何一颗系外行星都要遥远)”可知，这颗新候选行星比之前发现的所有系外行星遥远得多。 22. 细节理解题。根据第四段“And because of the uncertainties about how long it takes to orbit, we wouldn’t know exactly when to look, thus making accurate confirmation very difficult. (而且由于无法确定它的公转周期，我们无法准确知晓何时进行观测，这就使得精准确认其存在变得十分困难)”可知，无法预测凌日发生的时间，也就是缺少可预测的凌日时间，造成确认困难。 23. 推理判断题。根据第一段“Astronomers have found tentative but strong evidence (天文学家已经找到了初步但有力的证据)”以及第三段“Even so, scientists admit that it is extremely hard to finally confirm the existence of this distant planet. (即便如此，科学家承认，要最终证实这颗遥远行星的存在极其困难)”可知，科学家手里有证据，但又承认很难最终证实，态度谨慎客观。 24. 主旨大意题。根据第一段“Astronomers have found tentative but strong evidence of a planet passing in front of a star outside the Milky Way galaxy, pointing to a major new discovery in space exploration. (天文学家已经找到了初步但有力的证据，证明有一颗行星从银河系外的一颗恒星前方经过，这标志着太空探索领域一项重大新发现)”以及通读全文可知，文章主要介绍银河系外这颗候选行星的特点、观测难点、科学意义以及后续研究计划，核心是介绍这颗河外候选行星的相关研究，“A potential planet beyond our galaxy draws scientists’ attention (一颗银河系之外的潜在行星吸引科学家关注)”最适合作为文章标题。 (7) （26-27高三上·湖北荆门·阶段检测） The ability to detect a nearby presence without seeing or touching it may sound fantastical — but it’s a real ability that some creatures have. A family of African fish known as Mormyrids are weakly electric, and have special organs that can locate a nearby target, even when it’s hiding in the mud. Scientists have now developed an artificial sensor system modelled on the ability of these fish. “We developed a new strategy for 3D motion positioning by electronic skin, bio-inspired by ‘electric fish’,” says Dr. Xinge Yu, an associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the City University of Hong Kong. The team described their e-skin sensor in a paper published on November 14 in Nature. The artificial sensor is multi-layered. One layer acts as a transmitter (发射器), which will generate an electric field once activated, and another layer acts as a receiver to detect both the direction and the distance to an object. A separate controller creates the driving signal to activate the transmitter. When an object comes within range, the electric field around the sensor is disrupted (扰乱), which in turn can be detected by the receiver. This data is then processed by a microcontroller unit, which computes the position of the target object and sends that information to a smartphone or other devices. A special biogel (生物凝胶) is used in the sensor, which has the ability to transmit and receive electric signals from a pattern of microchannels on the surface. The end result is a sensor that is thin, soft and flexible, making it cosy to adapt to irregular surfaces, such as the human body. In contrast to the traditional sensor system that needs a large number of sensors to achieve spatial positioning, the new system can locate an object precisely in 3D space using just a few sensors. This significantly reduces the power consumption of data collection, transmission, and processing. The researchers hope that this sensor could one day open up a new range of wearable technologies, including sensors for human-machine interaction and thin, flexible e-skin. 25. The first paragraph aims to show __________. A. the special ability of African fish B. the inspiration for a new invention C. the big challenge of locating objects D. the reason for developing a sensor 26. What is the correct order of the system’s working procedures? a. The transmitter creates an electric field. b. A unit computes the position of the target. c. The controller sends the activating signal. d. The receiver detects the change of electric signals. e. The electric field is disrupted by an approaching object. A. c-a-e-d-b. B. c-a-d-e-b. C. a-c-e-d-b. D. a-e-c-d-b. 27. What is an advantage of the new sensor system? A. Its sensitivity to different stimulations. B. Its adaptation to environmental changes. C. Its efficiency in achieving 3D positioning. D. Its speed in data collection and processing. 28. What is the best title for the text? A. Machine Detective “Wears” Flexible E-skin B. Bio-inspired Sensor “Feels” Without Touching C. E-Skin Sensor: The Future of Machine Learning D. Electric Fields: The Frontier of Object Detection 【答案】25. B 26. A 27. C 28. B 【难度】0.4 【导语】这是一篇说明文。本文介绍了一种仿生传感器，灵感来自一种鱼类，无需触摸即可感知物体的位置。 【详解】25. 推理判断题。根据第一段中“A family of African fish known as Mormyrids are weakly electric, and have special organs that can locate a nearby target, even when it’s hiding in the mud. Scientists have now developed an artificial sensor system modelled on the ability of these fish. (一种被称为电鱼的非洲鱼类是弱电性的，有特殊的器官可以定位附近的目标，即使它躲在泥里。科学家们现在已经开发出一种以这些鱼的能力为模型的人工传感器系统)”可知，第一段主要介绍了一种鱼类，有特殊的器官可以定位附近的目标，受此启发，科学家们开发出一种以这些鱼的能力为模型的人工传感器系统，由此可知，第一段旨在介绍一个新发明的灵感。故选B项。 26. 细节理解题。根据第三段内容“The artificial sensor is multi-layered. One layer acts as a transmitter (发射器), which will generate an electric field once activated, and another layer acts as a receiver to detect both the direction and the distance to an object. A separate controller creates the driving signal to activate the transmitter. When an object comes within range, the electric field around the sensor is disrupted (扰乱), which in turn can be detected by the receiver. This data is then processed by a microcontroller unit, which computes the position of the target object and sends that information to a smartphone or other devices. (人工传感器是多层的。一层充当发射器，一旦激活就会产生电场，另一层充当接收器，检测物体的方向和距离。一个单独的控制器产生驱动信号来激活发射器。当物体进入范围内时，传感器周围的电场会被扰乱，这反过来又可以被接收器检测到。然后，微控制器单元处理这些数据，计算目标物体的位置，并将该信息发送到智能手机或其他设备)”可知，工作过程是控制器发送激活信号，发射器产生电场，电场被接近的物体扰乱，接收器检测电信号的变化，一个微控制器单元计算目标的位置，结合选项可知，系统工作程序的正确顺序是“c-a-e-d-b”。故选A项。 27. 细节理解题。根据倒数第二段中“In contrast to the traditional sensor system that needs a large number of sensors to achieve spatial positioning, the new system can locate an object precisely in 3D space using just a few sensors. This significantly reduces the power consumption of data collection, transmission, and processing. (与需要大量传感器来实现空间定位的传统传感器系统相比，新系统可以使用几个传感器在3D空间中精确定位物体。这大大降低了数据收集、传输和处理的功耗)”可知，新传感器系统在实现3D定位方面的效率更高，大大降低了数据收集、传输和处理的功耗，由此可知，新传感器系统的优点是它在实现3D定位方面的效率更高。故选C项。 28. 主旨大意题。通读全文，结合第一段中“A family of African fish known as Mormyrids are weakly electric, and have special organs that can locate a nearby target, even when it’s hiding in the mud. Scientists have now developed an artificial sensor system modelled on the ability of these fish. (一种被称为电鱼的非洲鱼类是弱电性的，有特殊的器官可以定位附近的目标，即使它躲在泥里。科学家们现在已经开发出一种以这些鱼的能力为模型的人工传感器系统)”可知，文章主要介绍了受生物启发开发的一种新型传感器，该传感器能够通过电场感知物体而无需接触，具备灵活、高效的特点。B选项“Bio-inspired Sensor “Feels” Without Touching(受生物启发的传感器“无需接触即可感知”)”准确概括了文章的核心内容。故选B项。 (8) （26-27高三上·湖北武汉·阶段检测） A tiny piece of lab-grown wood could be a big step towards reducing the number of trees cut down.“As far as we know, our early prototype (原型) is the first piece of interconnected wood-like tissue ever produced from cell culture,” says Tom Clement at start-up New Dawn Bio. What the firm calls “cultured wood” is a wood-based version of lab-grown meat. The first piece of material was made using stem cells from Arabidopsis thaliana, a small plant commonly used in lab studies. The piece, which Clement says is dark brown, is only about an eighth of the size of a postage stamp. The goal, however, is to use stem cells from various tree species and produce larger pieces of wood, such as an entire tabletop. The company aims to produce wood more efficiently with lower environmental impact.Clement says the approach involves two main stages. First, plant stem cells are put in sugar water, enabling them to grow fast. Then, they are exposed to chemical or genetic cues to make them differentiate into fibre cells filled with cellulose — the primary component of plant cell walls — or vessel cells, which help transport water and minerals through the tissue. Together,these are the main structural components of wood. Once these cells become strong and bond with each other, they are combined to form any shape. Eventually, the researchers aim to replicate (复制) wood from rare species threatened by illegal logging. Clement says cultured wood could displace harmful logging through relatively small-scale production. Lab-grown wood will be expensive, but it can still compete with costly rare wood. This isn’t the first attempt at cultured wood. Researchers previously tried to print wood-like material, but were never able to produce material with the same mechanical properties as actual wood, says Fernando Velásquez-García at MIT. “The million-dollar question is whether the cells connect. Are they just sitting together or are they shaking hands?” Clement declined to share how the cells connect or the mechanical properties of the resulting wood. Without more details, it is impossible to judge whether the start-up has done so, Fernando says. 29. What do we know about the lab-grown wood produced by New Dawn Bio? A. It has replaced natural wood products. B. It is considered an early breakthrough. C. It is already large enough for tabletops. D. It comes from a rarely studied lab plant. 30. What is formed in the second stage of making cultured wood? A. Rare wood tissue. B. Water and minerals. C. Fast-growing stem cells. D. Fibre cells and vessel cells. 31. What is Paragraph 4 mainly about? A. The prospects of rare wood products. B. The growing threat of illegal logging. C. The potential value of cultured wood. D. The disadvantages of lab-grown wood. 32. Why does Fernando call cell connection “the million-dollar question”? A. It makes rare tree species even rarer. B. It affects how much the research costs. C. It changes the properties of actual wood. D. It determines how wood-like the material is. 【答案】29. B 30. D 31. C 32. D 【难度】0.66 【导语】文章主要介绍了初创公司New Dawn Bio培育实验室木材的研究进展、制作过程及其潜在价值。 【详解】29. 细节理解题。根据第一段中““As far as we know, our early prototype (原型) is the first piece of interconnected wood-like tissue ever produced from cell culture,” says Tom Clement at start-up New Dawn Bio. (初创公司New Dawn Bio的Tom Clement说：“据我们所知，我们的早期原型是有史以来第一块由细胞培养产生的相互连接的木质组织。”)”可知，这种实验室培育的木材是有史以来第一块由细胞培养产生的相互连接的木质组织，所以是一项早期突破。 30. 细节理解题。根据第三段中“First, plant stem cells are put in sugar water, enabling them to grow fast. Then, they are exposed to chemical or genetic cues to make them differentiate into fibre cells filled with cellulose — the primary component of plant cell walls — or vessel cells, which help transport water and minerals through the tissue. (首先，将植物干细胞放入糖水中，使其快速生长。然后，他们让细胞暴露于化学或遗传信号，促使其分化成充满纤维素的纤维细胞 (纤维素是植物细胞壁的主要成分)或导管细胞 (导管细胞有助于水分和矿物质在组织中的运输))”可知，第二阶段形成的是纤维细胞和导管细胞。 31. 主旨大意题。根据第四段中“Eventually, the researchers aim to replicate (复制) wood from rare species threatened by illegal logging. Clement says cultured wood could displace harmful logging through relatively small-scale production. Lab-grown wood will be expensive, but it can still compete with costly rare wood.(最终，研究人员的目标是从受非法采伐威胁的稀有物种中复制木材。Clement说，通过相对小规模的生产，人工培育的木材可以取代有害的伐木。实验室种植的木材将很昂贵，但它仍然可以与昂贵的稀有木材竞争)”可知，第四段主要讲的是实验室培育木材的潜在价值。 32. 推理判断题。根据最后一段中“Researchers previously tried to print wood-like material, but were never able to produce material with the same mechanical properties as actual wood... “The million-dollar question is whether the cells connect. Are they just sitting together or are they shaking hands?” (研究人员此前曾尝试打印类木材材料，但从未能生产出具有与实际木材相同机械性能的材料……“价值百万美元的问题是细胞是否连接。它们只是挤在一起，还是在握手?”)”可推知，Fernando称细胞连接为“价值百万美元的问题”，是因为它决定了材料在多大程度上像真正的木材。 (9) （26-27高三上·湖北襄阳·开学考试） Rain sounds melt our stress and put us to sleep, but for rice plants, the pitter-patter of raindrops is more like a morning alarm. As water falls onto soil or water, the vibrations (震动) are far stronger underground than on the surface. New research suggests plants take advantage of this wake-up call. Published in Scientific Reports, the latest research proves rain sounds can make rice seeds germinate (萌芽) faster than usual. This provides the first direct confirmation that plants can sense surrounding sound signals and make active responses. Previous studies have suggested plants may possess the ability to think, see and hear. However, there’s no fact-based evidence for the direct cause-and-effect link between environmental changes and plants’ real-time responses. This new study successfully fills the gap. “The seeds can sense sound in ways that can help them survive,” said Nicholas Makris, author of the study. In their experiment, the researchers wanted to make sure the seeds were responding to the sound of rain and not to its water. Given that rice is usually grown in water, they chose to focus on rice seeds. They put 8,000 rice seeds in shallow water. One group was kept in total quietness, while the other was exposed to light, moderate and heavy raindrops to copy natural rainfall. The results showed that the latter group germinated 30 to 40 percent faster than those in silence. In plants, cellular structures called statoliths are responsible for external sensing. They shift and settle at the bottom of plant cells, helping the organisms detect changes in their position and stability and tell germinating seeds in which direction to grow their roots. Makris and his team theorized rain sounds underwater might produce large enough vibrations to move the statoliths and possibly stimulate germination in rice seeds. The team hopes to further investigate whether other environmental cues, such as wind, could be sensed by plants in similar ways. 33. How does the author introduce the topic in paragraph 1? A. By giving a definition. B. By describing two daily scenes. C. By comparing two effects. D. By interpreting a natural phenomenon. 34. What do the underlined words “the gap” in paragraph 3 refer to? A. Absence of solid proof. B. Unproven plant survival ability. C. Indefinite outer signals. D. Shortage of key research steps. 35. Why did researchers use rice seeds kept in water? A. To monitor water quality. B. To rule out water’s impact. C. To suit their growing habits. D. To observe them conveniently. 36. What does paragraph 5 focus on? A. How raindrops awake seeds. B. What controls plant root systems. C. How plants adjust cell structures. D. Why plants adapt to surroundings. 【答案】33. C 34. A 35. B 36. A 【难度】0.65 【导语】主要介绍新研究证实雨声震动可加速水稻种子发芽，并解释其内在作用原理。 【详解】33. 推理判断题。根据第一段“Rain sounds melt our stress and put us to sleep, but for rice plants, the pitter-patter of raindrops is more like a morning alarm.(雨声缓解我们的压力并助我们入眠，但对水稻植株而言，雨滴的滴答声更像是起床铃)”可知，作者通过对比雨声对人类和水稻植物产生的两种不同效果来引入主题。 34. 词义猜测题。根据第三段“Previous studies have suggested plants may possess the ability to think, see and hear. However, there’s no fact-based evidence for the direct cause-and-effect link between environmental changes and plants’ real-time responses. This new study successfully fills the gap.(先前的研究表明植物可能具备思考、看和听的能力。然而，对于环境变化与植物实时反应之间的直接因果关系，并没有基于事实的证据。这项新研究成功填补了这一空白。）可知，“the gap”指的是缺乏确凿证据。 35. 细节理解题。根据第四段“In their experiment, the researchers wanted to make sure the seeds were responding to the sound of rain and not to its water. Given that rice is usually grown in water, they chose to focus on rice seeds.(在他们的实验中，研究人员想确保种子是对雨声做出反应，而不是对水做出反应。鉴于水稻通常生长在水中，他们选择聚焦于水稻种子)”可知，研究人员使用置于水中的水稻种子是为了排除水的影响。 36. 主旨大意题。根据第五段“In plants, cellular structures called statoliths are responsible for external sensing. They shift and settle at the bottom of plant cells, helping the organisms detect changes in their position and stability and tell germinating seeds in which direction to grow their roots. Makris and his team theorized rain sounds underwater might produce large enough vibrations to move the statoliths and possibly stimulate germination in rice seeds.(在植物中，一种叫做平衡石的细胞结构负责外部感知。它们在植物细胞底部移动并沉淀，帮助生物体检测其位置和稳定性的变化，并告诉正在发芽的种子其根该朝哪个方向生长。马克里斯和他的团队提出理论，水下的雨声可能会产生足够大的振动来移动平衡石，并有可能刺激水稻种子发芽)”可知，该段主要聚焦于雨滴如何唤醒种子。 (10) （26-27高三上·湖北十堰·开学考试） A Chinese research team has developed the world’s first blood-based diagnostic kit (诊断试剂盒) that can tell whether lung nodules (肺结节) are harmless or cancerous, including very small nodules that are often difficult to assess using existing methods. Researchers say the breakthrough could significantly improve early detection of lung cancer. Lung cancer is the deadliest cancer in China, largely because many cases are discovered at an advanced stage. Early symptoms are often mild or absent, delaying diagnosis and treatment. Low-dose CT scans are widely used to screen people at high risk, such as smokers or those with a family history of lung cancer. However, CT scans can only detect nodules and cannot determine whether they are life-threatening. Patients must undergo repeated follow-up scans, and studies show that fewer than 30 percent are able to comply with long-term monitoring. Using techniques from synthetic biology and artificial intelligence, researchers analyzed complex blood samples and screened more than 400 proteins linked to early stage lung cancer. From these, they identified 13 biomarkers that are most useful for diagnosis. Eight of the biomarker combinations are newly discovered and perform significantly better than existing clinical standards in China and overseas, according to the team. Results showed the kit detected more than 65 percent of early-stage lung cancer cases, with accuracy significantly higher than traditional diagnostic methods. For small nodules that are often difficult to assess using low-dose CT scans alone, the test increased diagnostic accuracy to more than 85 percent. The blood test costs about 1,000 yuan ($144) and requires only 2 milliliters of blood. Researchers say this makes testing easier for elderly or physically weakened patients, while also reducing follow-up costs. “This marks a major step forward in early lung cancer diagnosis in China, shifting screening from relying on imaging alone to detecting molecular signals in the blood,” Hu said. He added that the team hopes to expand use of the test to community clinics and health screening centers, greatly increasing early detection rates countrywide. 37. What is the key function of the new diagnostic kit? A. To improve the imaging effect of CT scans. B. To reduce the risk of lung cancer surgeries. C. To cut the cost of lung cancer follow-up checks. D. To identify the nature of lung nodules accurately. 38. What does the underlined phrase “comply with” in Paragraph 3 mean? A. Stick to. B. Give up. C. Put off. D. Apply for. 39. What does Paragraph 4 mainly talk about? A. The application of the market. B. The process of the research. C. The standard of the diagnosis. D. The clinical effect of the kit. 40. What can we infer from the kit’s clinical trial results? A. It has replaced traditional diagnostic methods. B. It performs best for advanced lung cancer cases. C. It works better for small hard-to-assess nodules. D. It detects all early lung cancers with full accuracy. 【答案】37. D 38. A 39. B 40. C 【难度】0.85 【导语】本文为一篇说明文，介绍了一支中国研究团队研发出的世界上首款基于血液的诊断试剂盒，该试剂盒能够判断肺部结节性质，包括使用现有办法难以评估的极小结节。 【详解】37. 细节理解题。根据文章第一段“A Chinese research team has developed the world’s first blood-based diagnostic kit that can tell whether lung nodules are harmless or cancerous, including very small nodules that are often difficult to assess using existing methods.(一支中国研究团队研发出了世界上首款基于血液的诊断试剂盒，该试剂盒能够判断肺部结节是无害的还是恶性的，包括那些使用现有方法难以评估的极小结节)”可知，新型诊断试剂盒能准确地确定肺部结节的性质是良性还是恶性。故选D。 38. 词义猜测题。根据划线词上文“Patients must undergo repeated follow-up scans (患者必须接受反复的后续扫描检查)”及“that fewer than 30 percent are able to (只有不到30%的人能够做到)”及后文“long-term monitoring (长期监测)”可知，由于检测步骤繁琐，时间冗长，因此只有不到30%的人能够坚持做到长期监测，划线词与stick to“坚持”意思相近。故选A。 39. 主旨大意题。根据文章第四段“Using techniques from synthetic biology and artificial intelligence, researchers analyzed complex blood samples and screened more than 400 proteins linked to early stage lung cancer. From these, they identified 13 biomarkers that are most useful for diagnosis.(通过运用合成生物学和人工智能领域的技术，研究人员对复杂的血液样本进行了分析，并筛选出了与早期肺癌相关的超过400种蛋白质。通过这些研究，他们最终确定了13种对诊断最为有用的生物标志物)”可知，文章第四段介绍了这项研究的过程。故选B。 40. 推理判断题。根据文章倒数第二段“Results showed the kit detected more than 65 percent of early-stage lung cancer cases, with accuracy significantly higher than traditional diagnostic methods. For small nodules that are often difficult to assess using low-dose CT scans alone, the test increased diagnostic accuracy to more than 85 percent.(结果表明，该试剂盒能够检测出超过 65%的早期肺癌病例，其准确率显著高于传统的诊断方法。对于那些仅通过低剂量CT扫描难以评估的小结节，该测试将诊断准确率提高到了85%以上)”可知，试剂盒的临床试验表明对于那些难以评估的小型结节，这种方法效果更佳。故选C。 (11) （26-27高三上·湖北武汉·开学考试） Over the past few years, areas in East Asia, North America and northern Europe have been colder than normal during some periods of winter. This has left many debating whether Earth is experiencing global warming or not, but scientists have shown that Earth’s warming trends are responsible. When people in the Northern Hemisphere hear North Pole or Arctic region, they automatically think of the hemisphere’s northernmost area, the home of extremely cold weather during late fall and winter. During this time, very little, if any, sunlight reaches the Arctic’s stratosphere, one layer of Earth’s atmosphere that exists six to 20 kilometers above Earth’s surface. To balance the temperature difference with that of the warm equatorial region, an area of low pressure called the polar vortex forms and flows in a complete circle around the pole. This occurs inside the stratosphere (平流层) about 10 kilometers above the Earth’s surface. While this belt of strong winds is usually stable and able to keep the cold air contained, it can be destroyed by loss of sea ice, due to global warming. This results in surface temperatures changing, changes which make them less stable. If this happens, the polar vortex may shift, slipping off the North Pole and moving south, or it can separate into two or three rings that form in multiple places far south of the pole. This stretching or distortion of the polar vortex also makes influences on the path of the polar jet stream, which is responsible for Earth’s weather. This jet stream, along with three other primary jet streams in different parts of the world, is located in the troposphere (对流层), the atmospheric layer just below the stratosphere. The polar jet stream’s air currents blow from 177 kilometers an hour to over 400 kilometers an hour and from west to east between 50 degrees and 60 degrees latitude — think from France to Norway. The differences in cold polar air and warm mid-latitude air form the polar jet stream, and its movement prolongs periods of cold or warm weather in different regions. Large temperature differences between the Arctic and mid-latitudes cause the polar jet stream to be strong and move straight, keeping the cold in the north. Because the Arctic is warming at a fast pace, the temperature difference between it and mid-latitudes is decreasing, making the polar jet stream slower and weaker. That, in turn, makes the stream more likely to bend north and south. When it bends far enough, the barrier between Arctic and mid-latitude air can dive down to Mexico, taking Arctic temperatures along for the ride. Although heat and cold are considered opposites, in the case of climate, the former can cause the latter. 41. What causes the polar vortex to form? A. Sea ice loss in the Arctic. B. The polar jet stream’s bending. C. Strong winds inside the troposphere. D. Temperature differences with the equator. 42. Why do some winters get colder globally? A. Arctic warming weakens jet stream. B. The polar vortex becomes stronger. C. Less sunlight reaches Arctic. D. The Arctic loses its cold air. 43. The word “prolong” (para 5) is closest in meaning to ________. A. control B. regulate C. extend D. shorten 44. What is the main focus of the passage? A. The Relationship between Warming Earth and Colder Winters. B. The Potential Reasons for Earth Becoming Warmer and Warmer. C. The Strange Phenomenon of Warming Trends with Colder Weather. D. The Temperature Differences between the Arctic and Mid-latitude Areas. 【答案】41. D 42. A 43. C 44. A 【难度】0.76 【导语】文章主要解释了全球变暖如何导致北极涡旋不稳定，进而影响极地急流，最终使某些地区冬季变冷的现象，揭示了地球变暖与寒冷冬季之间的关系。 【详解】41. 细节理解题。根据第二段“To balance the temperature difference with that of the warm equatorial region, an area of low pressure called the polar vortex forms and flows in a complete circle around the pole. (为了平衡与温暖赤道地区的温度差异，一个称为极地涡旋的低压区形成并围绕北极做圆周运动。)”可知，极地涡旋的形成是为了平衡与赤道的温度差异。 42. 推理判断题。根据第六段“Because the Arctic is warming at a fast pace, the temperature difference between it and mid-latitudes is decreasing, making the polar jet stream slower and weaker. That, in turn, makes the stream more likely to bend north and south. When it bends far enough, the barrier between Arctic and mid-latitude air can dive down to Mexico, taking Arctic temperatures along for the ride. (由于北极正快速变暖，北极与中纬度地区之间的温差正在缩小，致使极地急流变缓、变弱。这进而使得急流更容易南北弯曲。当它弯曲幅度足够大时，分隔北极气流与中纬度气流的屏障便可以向南延伸至墨西哥，随之带去北极的低温。)”可知，北极变暖削弱了急流，导致寒冷空气南下，某些地区冬季变冷。 43. 词句猜测题。根据第五段“The differences in cold polar air and warm mid-latitude air form the polar jet stream, and its movement prolongs periods of cold or warm weather in different regions. (寒冷的极地空气与温暖的中纬度空气之间的差异形成了极地急流，其运动prolongs不同地区的寒冷或温暖天气时期。)”可知，急流的运动使寒冷或温暖天气持续更长时间。prolong意为“延长，使持续”，与extend意思相近。 44. 主旨大意题。根据第一段“Over the past few years, areas in East Asia, North America and northern Europe have been colder than normal during some periods of winter. This has left many debating whether Earth is experiencing global warming or not, but scientists have shown that Earth’s warming trends are responsible. (在过去几年中，东亚、北美和北欧的一些地区在冬季某些时段比正常情况更冷。这让许多人争论地球是否在经历全球变暖，但科学家已经证明地球的变暖趋势是原因所在。)”以及全文对全球变暖如何导致寒冷冬季的解释可知，本文的核心是地球变暖与更冷冬季之间的关系。 (12) （2026·湖北武汉·模拟预测） Fifteen decades ago, Francis Galton first came up with the term “nature versus nurture”, and this debate over the factors shaping human identity has long been a central topic in human sciences. Do our genes determine our life paths, as hereditarians (遗传论者) argue? Or are we born as empty paper, shaped merely by the experiences we have in our families and the wider world? Today, however, a new branch of science is ready to overturn the debate. Through this new perspective, nature and nurture are hardly separable at all — genes and the environment do not act independently, but instead interact closely and even shape one another in tangible ways. Genes do not shape our identities merely on their own within our bodies; instead, they function partly by molding the environments we choose or create. A striking finding of this research is that our environment is, in part, shaped by the genes of the people around us. Initial research suggests that your partner’s genes influence your likelihood of depression almost a third as much as your own genes do. A few students with a genetic trend for smoking in a high school seemed to cause smoking rates to skyrocket across the entire grade — even among students who have no direct contact with these students — like a gene-driven wildfire spreading through social networks. Genes alone aren’t enough to determine these outcomes and neither is environment. Nature and nurture both shape each other, with nature influencing the way we experience nurture and nurture influencing the way our nature expresses itself. The more opportunities and information the environment provides — the more varied environments become — the bigger the role that genetic variation plays in distinguishing us into different groups. Nature and nurture aren’t separate forces — they’re a Möbius strip (莫比乌斯环), endlessly circling back on each other. This interdependence means their interaction is fluid and reciprocal, a core insight of sociogenomics that bridges genetic and social science. 45. Why did the author mention the “nature versus nurture” debate in paragraph 1? A. To emphasize the dominant role of family experiences. B. To introduce a long-standing core topic in human sciences. C. To highlight the weakness of early hereditarians’ arguments. D. To lay a contrastive foundation for a new scientific perspective. 46. What can be inferred from the example of students? A. Smoking behavior spreads mainly through direct persuasion. B. Genetic tendencies can indirectly change group behavior. C. School rules fail to control students’ genetic instincts. D. Only smokers’ friends adopt the same genetic risks. 47. What happens when environments become more diverse according to paragraph 3? A. People rely less on their genetic traits. B. Genetic differences play a smaller role. C. Genetic differences become more influential. D. Nurture becomes more important than nature. 48. What does the author mean by comparing nature and nurture to a “Möbius strip”? A. They depend entirely on physical conditions. B. They have a one-way influence on each other. C. They form a complex, continuous cycle of impact. D. They are two separate parts of human development. 【答案】45. D 46. B 47. C 48. C 【难度】0.75 【导语】这是一篇说明文。本文介绍 “先天与后天” 之争，指出二者并非独立，而是紧密互动、相互塑造，环境越多样基因差异影响越大，二者如莫比乌斯环般相互依存。 【详解】45. 推理判断题。根据第一段“Today, however, a new branch of science is ready to overturn the debate. Through this new perspective, nature and nurture are hardly separable at all — genes and the environment do not act independently, but instead interact closely and even shape one another in tangible ways.(然而，如今有一门新的学科即将彻底改变这场争论。从这个新的视角来看，先天因素和后天培养几乎完全不可分割——基因和环境并非独立运作，而是相互密切作用，并以切实的方式影响彼此)”可知，提及“先天因素与后天因素”的争论是为一种新的科学观点奠定对比性的基础。故选D。 46. 推理判断题。根据第二段“A few students with a genetic trend for smoking in a high school seemed to cause smoking rates to skyrocket across the entire grade — even among students who have no direct contact with these students — like a gene-driven wildfire spreading through social networks.(一所高中的少数学生具有吸烟的遗传倾向，这似乎导致整个年级的吸烟率大幅上升——甚至在那些与这些学生没有直接接触的学生中也是如此——就像一种由基因驱动的“野火”在社交网络中蔓延开来)”可知，遗传倾向能够间接地影响群体行为。故选B。 47. 细节理解题。根据第三段“The more opportunities and information the environment provides — the more varied environments become — the bigger the role that genetic variation plays in distinguishing us into different groups.(环境所提供的机会和信息越多——环境的多样性也就越强——那么基因变异在将我们区分为不同群体方面所起的作用也就越大)”可知，当环境变得更加多样化时，遗传差异的影响愈发显著。故选C。 48. 推理判断题。根据最后一段“Nature and nurture aren’t separate forces — they’re a Möbius strip (莫比乌斯环), endlessly circling back on each other. This interdependence means their interaction is fluid and reciprocal, a core insight of sociogenomics that bridges genetic and social science.(先天因素与后天培养并非相互独立的力量——它们就像一个莫比乌斯环，彼此不断相互环绕。这种相互依存的关系意味着它们之间的相互作用是灵活且相互关联的，这是社会基因组学的核心见解，它将遗传学和社会科学联系了起来)”可知，作者将先天因素和后天培养比作“莫比乌斯环”意在表达它们形成了一个复杂的、连续的相互影响的循环。故选C。 (13) （2026·湖北黄冈·模拟预测） Biologist Beth Shapiro believes that it is quite unlikely we will see a dodo (a flightless bird) walking the earth again anytime soon. “When people consider the idea of bringing back extinct animals, they often think about cloning,” Shapiro stated. Cloning is the method that produced Dolly the sheep in 1996 and another species in 2020. It involves creating a genetic copy of an animal by taking DNA from a living adult cell and placing it into a specially prepared egg cell. Adult cells contain all the necessary DNA to develop into a living creature. The egg cells then use this DNA to form different types of cells — such as skin, organs, blood, and bones — that the animal needs. However, there are no usable cells from the dodo available today. Shapiro explained that scientists would have to start with the DNA of a closely related species and change it to make it look like that of the dodo. For instance, mammoths (a type of elephant), which are also extinct, lack any living cells. But since they are closely related to modern Asian elephants, researchers are attempting to bring mammoths back by creating a hybrid (杂交生物体). This involves adding some mammoth genes into the DNA of an elephant egg cell. Still, Shapiro notes that there could be many genetic differences between Asian elephants and mammoths. In the case of the dodo, its nearest living relative is the Nicobar pigeon, a smaller and more colorful bird that can fly. While mammoths and Asian elephants are quite similar, it has been over 20 million years since the dodo and the Nicobar pigeon shared a common ancestor. This indicates that the genetic differences between these two bird species are significant, making it challenging to create a successful hybrid in the laboratory, Shapiro emphasized. Even if scientists manage to bring back dodos, the island where they once lived has undergone substantial changes. The loss of forests, the introduction of harmful species, and human activities would make it very difficult to reintroduce dodos without considerable help. 49. What is the main point the author aims to convey in paragraph 2? A. The procedure involved in cloning. B. Progress made in cloning techniques. C. The challenges associated with cloning. D. Different types of famous cloned animals. 50. What similarity between mammoths and dodos can be concluded from Shapiro’s words? A. Both lack close living relatives. B. They possess a similar type of DNA. C. No animals’ genes closely match theirs. D. Their living cells are difficult to preserve. 51. What is suggested in the last paragraph? A. The habitat of dodos has been harmed. B. There are plans to create an island for dodos. C. There is public support for bringing back dodos. D. Severe climate changes led to the extinction of dodos. 52. What can be a suitable title for the text? A. How can we protect dodo-like species? B. Is it possible to bring dodos back to life? C. What motivates scientists to clone dodos? D. Should the impact of cloning be expanded? 【答案】49. A 50. C 51. A 52. B 【难度】0.65 【导语】本文以克隆技术为切入点，从基因差异、现存细胞、栖息地环境等方面分析，说明短期内复活渡渡鸟存在诸多难题。 【详解】49. 主旨大意题。根据第二段“It involves creating a genetic copy of an animal by taking DNA from a living adult cell and placing it into a specially prepared egg cell.(克隆涉及通过从活的成年细胞中提取DNA并将其放入专门制备的卵细胞中来创建动物的基因拷贝。)”以及后文对细胞发育过程的介绍可知，第二段主要讲解克隆技术的操作流程。 50. 推理判断题。根据第三段“However, there are no usable cells from the dodo available today. Shapiro explained that scientists would have to start with the DNA of a closely related species and change it to make it look like that of the dodo.(如今已经没有可用的渡渡鸟细胞。夏皮罗解释说，科学家只能选取近缘物种的DNA并进行改造，来模拟渡渡鸟的基因。)”和“But since they are closely related to modern Asian elephants, researchers are attempting to bring mammoths back by creating a hybrid.(猛犸象与现代亚洲象亲缘相近，研究人员尝试通过杂交的方式复活猛犸象。)” 可知，渡渡鸟和猛犸象都没有基因高度匹配的现存动物，只能依靠改造近缘物种基因开展研究。 51. 推理判断题。根据最后一段“Even if scientists manage to bring back dodos, the island where they once lived has undergone substantial changes. The loss of forests, the introduction of harmful species, and human activities would make it very difficult to reintroduce dodos without considerable help.(即使科学家设法带回渡渡鸟，它们曾经居住的岛屿也发生了巨大的变化。森林的丧失、有害物种的引入和人类活动将使在没有大量帮助的情况下很难重新引入渡渡鸟。)”可知，渡渡鸟的栖息地已经遭到了破坏。 52. 主旨大意题。根据第一段“Biologist Beth Shapiro believes that it is quite unlikely we will see a dodo (a flightless bird) walking the earth again anytime soon.(生物学家贝丝・夏皮罗认为，我们在短期内不太可能再次见到渡渡鸟重现地球。)”结合全文内容可知，文章围绕能否复活渡渡鸟展开分析，探讨其中的技术与环境难题。所以B项“Is it possible to bring dodos back to life?(渡渡鸟有可能复活吗？)”符合文意。 (14) （2026·湖北十堰·三模） In the digital age, the art of writing by hand has slowly been reduced to mere entertainment. However, recent research suggests that this physical act is crucial to brain health and development, offering multiple cognitive (认知的) benefits. It is time we reconsidered the potential benefits it may bring to our mental capacities. According to numerous studies, writing by hand stimulates more complex and diverse brain connections that are essential for encoding new information and forming memories. A recent investigation, for instance, found that brain connectivity patterns were far more complicated and widespread for participants who wrote by hand than for those who typed. Therefore, it is clear that handwriting has a distinct and significant impact on brain health. Handwriting is not only good for our brain health — it also has clear, practical advantages. Research has shown that students who take handwritten notes score significantly higher on quizzes, demonstrating improved learning. This finding extends beyond the classroom as well. People who recorded information on paper calendars displayed more brain activity and recalled information faster than those who used smartphones. The act of handwriting, consequently, could be a valuable tool for students preparing for exams and adults managing daily tasks. Despite its clear benefits, handwriting has been in decline. However, 25 states in the US have reintroduced it into school curricula. This represents a step in the right direction, as previous research has also indicated that handwriting is essential for children’s brain development. For example, illiterate children who wrote by hand showed brain activity in the circuit used for learning to read, further strengthening the link between handwriting and cognitive development. Clearly, handwriting is a valuable activity with the potential to enhance our brain health, learning, memory, and problem-solving skills. As we continue to navigate the digital age, it is important not to overlook the value of this seemingly simple activity. So, the next time you reach for your keyboard,remember the benefits of picking up a pen instead. 53. What is the common view of handwriting in today’s digital era? A. It is no longer as popular as it used to be. B. It should be taught together with typing. C. It is now valued equally with digital tools. D. It remains an essential skill for daily life. 54. What does Paragraph 3 mainly focus on regarding handwriting? A. Its role in improving brain connectivity. B. Its advantages in learning and memory tasks. C. Its effect on helping students score higher. D. Its value in adult daily management skills. 55. Why is previous research mentioned in Paragraph 4? A. To add further evidence. B. To make a comparison. C. To show different opinions. D. To present a professional viewpoint. 56. What is the main purpose of the passage? A. To compare handwriting with typing. B. To promote handwriting as an art form. C. To introduce a new digital writing tool. D. To emphasize handwriting’s cognitive value. 【答案】53. A 54. B 55. A 56. D 【难度】0.67 【导语】文章主要讲述在数字时代手写逐渐沦为消遣，多项研究证明手写能促进大脑神经连接、提升学习与记忆能力，对儿童大脑发育至关重要，呼吁人们不要忽视手写对认知发展的重要价值。 【详解】53. 细节理解题。根据原文第一段“In the digital age, the art of writing by hand has slowly been reduced to mere entertainment.(在数字时代，手写这门技艺已经慢慢沦为单纯的消遣。)”可知，当下大众普遍认为手写早已不如从前流行。 54. 主旨大意题。根据原文第三段“Handwriting is not only good for our brain health — it also has clear, practical advantages. Research has shown that students who take handwritten notes score significantly higher on quizzes, demonstrating improved learning. This finding extends beyond the classroom as well. People who recorded information on paper calendars displayed more brain activity and recalled information faster than those who used smartphones.(手写不仅有益大脑健康，还有显著的实用优势。研究显示手写记笔记的学生测验分数更高，学习效果更好。这一结论也适用于课堂之外：用纸历记录信息的人大脑活跃度更高，信息提取速度快于使用手机的人。)”可知，本段主要介绍手写在学习、记忆类事务中的各类优势。 55. 推理判断题。根据原文第四段“However, 25 states in the US have reintroduced it into school curricula. This represents a step in the right direction, as previous research has also indicated that handwriting is essential for children’s brain development.(美国25个州重新将手写纳入校园课程，这是正确的举措，此前的研究也表明手写对儿童大脑发育不可或缺。)”可知，文中提及过往研究是为了给“推广手写课程”补充更多佐证依据。 56. 推理判断题。根据原文第一段“However, recent research suggests that this physical act is crucial to brain health and development, offering multiple cognitive benefits.(然而近期研究表明，手写这一行为对大脑健康与发育至关重要，具备多重认知益处。)”以及全文围绕手写对大脑、学习、记忆等认知层面的好处展开论述可知，文章写作目的是强调手写具备的认知价值。 (15) （2026·湖北襄阳·模拟预测） Why do life’s challenges make some people stronger and others weaker? The answer may lie in how our minds and genes interact. A new research project is now investigating the cognitive and genetic mechanisms that cause some people to flourish and others to struggle. Until now, research into cognitive biases and genetics has been entirely separate, so bringing them together in this research is really exciting. Previous research clearly tells us that certain sets of genes may lead people to develop anxiety or depression when they experience negative life events. But the new research finds that, in certain situations, those genes can also be a real benefit to people when they’re in supportive environments. If a child with so-called risky genes is in a good school and has much support, he or she can really flourish. We’re beginning to realize that we shouldn’t call them risky genes, but sensitivity genes. This means that some people at risk of mental health problems could, in the right conditions, be really happy. The other side of the research looks at cognitive biases. People always say: “Why is the media full of negative news stories?” This negativity can result in a society where people feel very anxious all the time. All of our brains are naturally tuned into negativity for evolutionary reasons - it’s more important to spot a predator (捕食者) than food-but this is especially true for anxious or depressed people. They are even more sensitive to the effects of negative information, making it more likely that they will adopt a pessimistic habit of mind. Crucially, these same people who are more affected by negativity are also more likely to be responsive to positive situations and, potentially, to psychological interventions. Right now, the researchers are on a five-year project and only halfway through. One of the exciting things is the possibility of developing much more personalized treatment options for psychological disorders. Once we know this, we will be in a better position to tailor treatments for individuals, rather than applying the one-size-fits-all approach used now. 57. What’s the focus of the new research? A. Attitudes to different life choices. B. The influence of negative experiences. C. Responsive mechanisms to challenges. D. The relationship between environment and genes. 58. How do the researchers arrive at the realization about “risky genes”? A. By clarifying an assumption. B. By comparing different situations. C. By adjusting research procedures. D. By analyzing effects of different genes. 59. What makes people sensitive to negativity according to paragraph 3? A. Pressure from modern life. B. Built-in survival mode. C. Exposure to negative reports. D. Drive for food resources. 60. Who might benefit more from the research? A. People with genetic disorders. B. People having high-risk lifestyles. C. People with mental health condition. D. People unwilling to accept challenges. 【答案】57. C 58. B 59. B 60. C 【难度】0.85 【导语】主要介绍一项新研究探究心理与基因机制，解释逆境让人强弱有别的原因，并有望实现心理疾病个性化治疗。 【详解】57. 细节理解题。根据第一段中的“A new research project is now investigating the cognitive and genetic mechanisms that cause some people to flourish and others to struggle.(一项新的研究项目正在探究认知和遗传机制，解释为何有人面对困境能成长、有人却陷入挣扎。)”可知，这项新研究聚焦人面对挑战时的反应机制。 58. 推理判断题。根据第二段中的“Previous research clearly tells us that certain sets of genes may lead people to develop anxiety or depression when they experience negative life events. But the new research finds that, in certain situations, those genes can also be a real benefit to people when they’re in supportive environments. (以往的研究明确表明，当人们遭遇生活中的负面事件时，某些基因组合可能会使人患上焦虑症或抑郁症。但这项新研究发现，在特定环境下，身处充满关怀支持的氛围中时，这些基因也能给人带来实实在在的益处。)”可知，研究人员通过对比不同环境下基因的不同影响，得出关于 “风险基因” 这一结论。 59. 细节理解题。根据第三段中的“All of our brains are naturally tuned into negativity for evolutionary reasons — it’s more important to spot a predator (捕食者) than food-but this is especially true for anxious or depressed people. (出于进化层面的原因，所有人的大脑天生就会对负面情绪更为敏感——发现捕食者远比寻找食物更为重要，而这一点在焦虑或抑郁人群身上体现得尤为明显。)”可知，对负面信息敏感源于与生俱来的生存本能模式。 60. 推理判断题。根据第四段中的“One of the exciting things is the possibility of developing much more personalized treatment options for psychological disorders.(这项研究有望为心理疾病研发更具个性化的治疗方案。)”可知，有心理健康问题的人群将从该研究中获益更多。 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 $ 2026-2027学年最新高考模拟卷阅读理解之科技类 说明文专练（三） (1) （26-27高三上·湖北武汉·阶段检测） Insect-size drones are too small to carry around complex navigation systems. To help tiny autonomous fliers find their way home, researchers are taking their clues from honeybees with the Bee-Nav, described today in Nature. A honeybee leaving the hive first takes a short learning flight to memorize nearby landmarks, explains the study’s lead author Guido de Croon. As a bee flies away, “it keeps track of the direction and speed of its movement,” de Croon says, in a process called path integration. Because path integration tends to gather tiny measurement errors over time, the insect relies on the memorized landmarks to correct its course as it gets back home. De Croon and his colleagues copied this workflow. A drone performs a learning flight, capturing scenery with a camera. It trains a neural (神经的) network to map images to homes, creating a safe zone. Using path integration, it returns, if within the zone, the network guides it home. The Bee-Nav does this using a computer the size of a credit card that runs neural nets with between 3.4 and 42.3 kilobytes (千字节) of memory — thousands of times less than conventional mapping setups use. “What I find especially exciting is how little computation is needed. This is the kind of approach that makes serious outdoor arrangements possible.” says Sarah Bergbreiter, a mechanical engineer. De Croon’s team is still working out a few challenges for the platform. “Platforms running Bee-Nav will also need local barrier avoidance and planning capability if the environment is crowded or dynamic,” says Sean Humbert, a mechanical engineer at the University of Colorado Boulder, who was not involved in the study. But even now, de Croon says, the Bee-Nav can make autonomous, outdoor drones smaller and more power-efficient. “We could easily put it on a 50-gram, even 30-gram drone,” de Croon claims. Scaling autonomous drones further down to the size of actual bees, he notes, would require solving other fundamental problems like contracting batteries. “But we hope when these problems are solved in the long term, we will have the intelligence ready to match that,” de Croon says. 1. What is the purpose of the research on Bee-Nav? A. To copy bees’ daily flight workflow. B. To adjust the overall size of micro drones. C. To facilitate the navigation of tiny drones. D. To improve drones’ load-carrying performance. 2. Why does the author describe the bee’s navigation before introducing Bee-Nav? A. To show how bees learn to fly around their hive. B. To prove tiny drones have trouble with navigation. C. To show that bees are more intelligent than drones. D. To explain the biological inspiration behind the Bee-Nav. 3. What is Sarah Bergbreiter’s attitude towards Bee-Nav? A. Doubtful. B. Favorable. C. Uncaring. D. Interested. 4. What can we infer from the last paragraph? A. Drones as small as real bees are already widely used outdoors. B. The navigation technology for tiny drones still needs further tests. C. Bee-Nav is designed specifically for 30-gram to 50-gram drones. D. It is tough to make batteries smaller for bee-sized drones currently. (2) （26-27高三上·湖北武汉·阶段检测） Artificial intelligence (AI) researchers have long dreamed of tools to supercharge science-asking novel questions, designing and running experiments. Recently, large language models (LLMs) have made discoveries that some AI developers claim have inched us closer to that future. But how do you test whether an AI model can truly do science? For answers, researchers turn to benchmarks (基准): standardized sets of questions or tasks that help measure an AI’s efficiency and reliability and compare it against other models. But the complexity of science makes assessing their aptitude especially challenging. As Hao Peng, a computer scientist at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, puts it: “Models have all this knowledge. Do they know how to use it?” Dozens of new science-focused benchmarks have emerged over the past year to answer that question, but scientists have yet to settle on a single best approach. One of the most popular, published in Nature, is Humanity’s Last Exam (HLE). It uses 2500 questions drawn from “the frontier of human knowledge” to put LLMs through their paces. One, for example, asks how many types of sensory receptors the human skin contains. “We wanted a diverse dataset that only experts who have been working on a field for a long time can answer,” says Long Phan, a research engineer with the HLE’s developer. Since the HLE first appeared as a preprint in January 2025, the benchmark has become an important proving ground for LLMs and HLE scores are now a common talking point for AI companies seeking to highlight the capabilities of their products. At the HLE’s launch, the leading developer OpenAI’s AI model won the best score at a mere 8.3%. Earlier this month, Google claimed that its latest reasoning model for science, called Gemini 3 Deep Think, had achieved a new record HLE score of 48.4%. But some scientists argue that many of the HLE’s questions test for little-known or even useless knowledge, rather than an ability to do meaningful research. A Nature editorial accompanying the HLE’s publication also raised this issue: “We think that more scientists should be asking: What would it take to develop an AI benchmark that truly measures expert-level thinking?” 5. What does the underlined word “aptitude” in paragraph 2 mean? A. Knowledge. B. Performance. C. Intelligence. D. Progress. 6. What does Long Phan stress about HLE? A. Its topic diversity. B. Experts’ involvement in it. C. The expertise of its dataset. D. Its data-backed popularity. 7. What is paragraph 4 mainly about? A. HLE’s role as a key AI test. B. Companies’ use of HLE. C. HLE scores of leading AI models. D. The process of HLE’s launch. 8. By sharing its view, the Nature editorial aimed to ________. A. back the current testing B. express concern over HLE C. propose a workable solution D. predict future AI benchmarks (3) （26-27高三上·湖北随州·阶段检测） As people pay increasing attention to personal health, non-invasive home-testing devices have become one of the fastest-growing fields in modern technology. A newly-developed portable breath detector has drawn wide public interest recently among researchers and ordinary families. Unlike traditional medical equipment which is huge and costly, the small detector can be held in one hand. It works by analyzing tiny chemical molecules contained in human breath. Within one minute, it can send basic health-related data to a connected smartphone. Users no longer need to wait for long hours in hospital halls for routine checks. For people living in remote areas, such a device may greatly improve their access to early health warnings. Scientists warn that the new tool is not designed to replace professional hospital examinations. It only provides reference information rather than final medical conclusions. Even so, it brings fresh possibilities for community health management. Local health-care stations are considering introducing the product for regular home visits. Still, the promising invention has to cross several barriers before widely entering the market. Firstly, its accuracy can be influenced by food, drinks or recent exercise. Secondly, the present model is relatively expensive for most families. Researchers are now adjusting materials and production procedures. Their goal is to slash costs without lowering performance, so that more citizens can afford this convenient piece of equipment in the near future. Besides, strict official tests are required before it gets permission for mass sale. If these problems are properly solved, the portable breath detector may change people’s daily health-check habits. Home health monitoring, once far-fetched, could gradually become part of ordinary life. 9. What is one advantage of the new breath-detecting device? A. It can offer final medical treatment. B. It finishes basic detection quickly. C. It can cure certain breathing diseases. D. It works without connecting to phones. 10. What can we infer from the text? A. The detector has already been sold nationwide. B. Food taken just-before may affect its test result. C. Remote-area hospitals will be replaced by the device. D. Official tests for the product have already been completed. 11. The underlined word “slash” in Paragraph 4 most probably means ________. A. cut down B. add up C. figure out D. take over 12. What is the main idea of the passage? A. New ways to prevent respiratory diseases B. Modern technology and hospital reform C. Advantages and limits of a portable breath detector D. Scientific discoveries in human breath research (4) （26-27高三上·湖北襄阳·阶段检测） Red wine was once regarded as a benefit for health that could protect the heart and even extend life expectancy. But while scientists have denied this claim, they believe that at least one red wine component called resveratrol may hold genuine health benefits. A trial launched this week will assess whether a low amount of the chemical could help keep bowel cancer (肠癌) at bay. The study, one of the largest to date testing drugs for cancer prevention, will register patients who are at risk of the disease. “With the Colo-Prevent trial, we are conducting a unique experiment to see how drugs could stop bowel polyps (肠息肉) from growing,” said Prof Karen Brown, the trial’s lead investigator. “This trial could have big consequences for how we prevent bowel cancer in people who are most likely to develop the disease as they get older.” The trial builds on more than a decade of work by Brown’s lab, which previously found that purified resveratrol can slow tumour (肿瘤) growth in mice and can reach the bowel undigested. The trial is registering people aged between 50 and 73 who have been found to have bowel polyps. Some will have their polyps removed and be given either a drug named aspirin by itself or a combination of aspirin and another drug named metformin daily for three years, for the main trial. Others will take purified resveratrol for one year as part of a sub-study. All patients will then be given an examination to determine if the polyps have started growing again. If the trial is successful, any of the treatments tested could be offered to potential patients to reduce the risk of bowel polyps forming, and with that reduce the risk of bowel cancer in the future. “This trial opens the door to a new era of cancer research, where cancer becomes much more preventable through cutting-edge science,” said Dr Iain Foulkes at Cancer Research UK. “The insights gained from the trial will change how we think about cancer prevention and give more people the chance of longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer.” 13. What is the trial aimed at? A. Exploring bowel cancer origins. B. Confirming red wine’s health benefits. C. Lessening a specific drug’s side effects. D. Assessing resveratrol’s cancer-preventive effects. 14. Why is the previous work by Brown’s lab mentioned? A. To highlight the trial’s complexity. B. To compare different research methods. C. To offer supportive evidence for the trial. D. To determine the key factors affecting the trial. 15. What do we know about the participants? A. They’re under 70 years of age. B. They’ll take medicine as required. C. They suffer from bowel cancer. D. They’ll have bowel polyp removal. 16. What does Foulkes think of the trial? A. It is overly ambitious. B. It is truly pioneering. C. It poses significant risks. D. It needs further insights. (5) （26-27高三上·湖北襄阳·阶段检测） Many people are used to switching tasks frequently: checking mobile messages while reading documents, answering sudden work requests in the middle of study, or replying to social chats when concentrating on thinking. You may think you are being productive, but chances are you are hurting your brain more than helping it. Modern cognitive (认知的) psychology research suggests that constant interruption decreases thinking efficiency more than most people imagine. Researchers carried out a controlled experiment for office staff. One group worked without intentional interruption, while the other group received scheduled message reminders every 15 minutes. Statistics showed that the interrupted group’s work error rate rose by 42%, and their sense of mental exhaustion increased obviously even with the same working hours. Psychologists explained that the human prefrontal cortex (前额叶) cannot process two sets of complex logical information at the same time. So-called multitasking is actually rapid forced switching between tasks. Every interruption will make the brain lose the built-up logical context, and it takes an average of 23 minutes for focused thinking to fully recover. Frequent task switches consume massive cognitive energy on state adjustment, leaving insufficient mental resources for core reasoning and memory sorting. This phenomenon is particularly concerning in the modern workplace, where employees are often expected to handle emails, messages, and meetings at the same time. One of the reasons why this is problematic is that fragmented (碎片化的) work reduces not only individual productivity but also the depth of thinking required for creative problem-solving. In other words, multitasking may create the impression of busyness while reducing the quality of our output. This cognitive law applies to student learning and workplace management alike. Setting fixed concentrated working periods, turning off non-essential message reminders, and gathering minor chores for unified processing can effectively avoid unnecessary interruption. Understanding this psychological feature helps people get rid of fragmented distraction and rebuild efficient long-time focused thinking ability. 17. What finding do modern cognitive psychology studies come to? A. Productivity declines during difficult tasks. B. It is well accepted to switch tasks frequently. C. The thinking efficiency varies with task types. D. People underestimate the harm of interruption. 18. Why is true multitasking impossible for humans? A. Mental resources are used up in cognition. B. Brains are not naturally structured this way. C. Interruptions delay logical thinking process. D. Task-switching cuts people’s working hours. 19. What measure does the text suggest against fragmented distraction? A. Raise people’s problem-solving ability. B. Deal with emails whenever they arrive. C. Schedule specific deep work time blocks. D. Finish the less important at one’s free time. 20. What can be a suitable title for the text? A. Why Constant Task Switching Tires Your Brain B. How Students Can Improve Learning Efficiency C. The Advantages of Long-time Focused Thinking D. New Findings on Human Brain Memory System (6) （26-27高三上·湖北孝感·开学考试） Astronomers have found tentative but strong evidence of a planet passing in front of a star outside the Milky Way galaxy, pointing to a major new discovery in space exploration. If proven true, this newly found object in the Whirlpool Galaxy may become the first planet ever detected outside our galaxy, greatly broadening the range of known planetary systems in the universe. Generally, an exoplanet refers to a planet outside our solar system that moves around stars within the Milky Way. Before this discovery, all confirmed exoplanets were located within 3,000 light-years of Earth. In comparison, this new candidate planet is about 28 million light-years away, a distance far greater than that of any previously found exoplanet, which breaks the traditional limits of planetary research. The research stands out for its new observation method. “We are trying to open up a whole new area for finding other worlds by searching for planet candidates at X-ray wavelengths, a strategy that makes it possible to discover them in other galaxies,” Rosanne Di Stefano, who led the study, said in a statement. Even so, scientists admit that it is extremely hard to finally confirm the existence of this distant planet. “Unfortunately, to confirm that, we’re seeing a planet we would likely have to wait decades to see another transit (凌日),” co-author astrophysicist Nia Imara said in a statement. “And because of the uncertainties about how long it takes to orbit, we wouldn’t know exactly when to look, thus making accurate confirmation very difficult.” Apart from observation difficulties, the possible planet also carries special scientific meaning. Scientists believe that if the planet exists, it must have survived a huge star explosion that formed a nearby black hole. Even though it has survived such a violent event, the planet still faces hidden dangers in the future. Its partner star may explode one day and send powerful radiation, which will seriously threaten the planet’s safety. To improve this research, astronomers will examine large amounts of data collected by advanced space telescopes. They hope to find more planet candidates in distant galaxies. At the same time, they will continue to study star activities within the Milky Way, aiming to discover special planets in extreme space environments. 21. What can be inferred about the new extragalactic planet candidate? A. It orbits a star identical to the sun in our solar system. B. Its existence has been confirmed by repeated observations. C. It is far more distant than that of all previously found exoplanets. D. It belongs to the ready-known planetary systems in the Milky Way. 22. Why is it hard to confirm the candidate planet’s existence according to Nia Imara? A. The absence of predictable transit timing. B. The instability of its surrounding black hole. C. Its extreme distance blocking cosmic signals. D. The failure of advanced observational equipment. 23. Which of the following best reflects the researchers’ attitude toward the new finding? A. confident and convinced B. cautious and objective C. doubtful and negative D. skeptical and indifferent 24. What is the best title for the text? A. The first confirmed planet discovered in the Whirlpool Galaxy B. X-ray-based efforts to hunt for extragalactic planet candidates C. A potential planet beyond our galaxy draws scientists’ attention D. Challenges facing the research on far-away objects in the universe (7) （26-27高三上·湖北荆门·阶段检测） The ability to detect a nearby presence without seeing or touching it may sound fantastical — but it’s a real ability that some creatures have. A family of African fish known as Mormyrids are weakly electric, and have special organs that can locate a nearby target, even when it’s hiding in the mud. Scientists have now developed an artificial sensor system modelled on the ability of these fish. “We developed a new strategy for 3D motion positioning by electronic skin, bio-inspired by ‘electric fish’,” says Dr. Xinge Yu, an associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the City University of Hong Kong. The team described their e-skin sensor in a paper published on November 14 in Nature. The artificial sensor is multi-layered. One layer acts as a transmitter (发射器), which will generate an electric field once activated, and another layer acts as a receiver to detect both the direction and the distance to an object. A separate controller creates the driving signal to activate the transmitter. When an object comes within range, the electric field around the sensor is disrupted (扰乱), which in turn can be detected by the receiver. This data is then processed by a microcontroller unit, which computes the position of the target object and sends that information to a smartphone or other devices. A special biogel (生物凝胶) is used in the sensor, which has the ability to transmit and receive electric signals from a pattern of microchannels on the surface. The end result is a sensor that is thin, soft and flexible, making it cosy to adapt to irregular surfaces, such as the human body. In contrast to the traditional sensor system that needs a large number of sensors to achieve spatial positioning, the new system can locate an object precisely in 3D space using just a few sensors. This significantly reduces the power consumption of data collection, transmission, and processing. The researchers hope that this sensor could one day open up a new range of wearable technologies, including sensors for human-machine interaction and thin, flexible e-skin. 25. The first paragraph aims to show __________. A. the special ability of African fish B. the inspiration for a new invention C. the big challenge of locating objects D. the reason for developing a sensor 26. What is the correct order of the system’s working procedures? a. The transmitter creates an electric field. b. A unit computes the position of the target. c. The controller sends the activating signal. d. The receiver detects the change of electric signals. e. The electric field is disrupted by an approaching object. A. c-a-e-d-b. B. c-a-d-e-b. C. a-c-e-d-b. D. a-e-c-d-b. 27. What is an advantage of the new sensor system? A. Its sensitivity to different stimulations. B. Its adaptation to environmental changes. C. Its efficiency in achieving 3D positioning. D. Its speed in data collection and processing. 28. What is the best title for the text? A. Machine Detective “Wears” Flexible E-skin B. Bio-inspired Sensor “Feels” Without Touching C. E-Skin Sensor: The Future of Machine Learning D. Electric Fields: The Frontier of Object Detection (8) （26-27高三上·湖北武汉·阶段检测） A tiny piece of lab-grown wood could be a big step towards reducing the number of trees cut down.“As far as we know, our early prototype (原型) is the first piece of interconnected wood-like tissue ever produced from cell culture,” says Tom Clement at start-up New Dawn Bio. What the firm calls “cultured wood” is a wood-based version of lab-grown meat. The first piece of material was made using stem cells from Arabidopsis thaliana, a small plant commonly used in lab studies. The piece, which Clement says is dark brown, is only about an eighth of the size of a postage stamp. The goal, however, is to use stem cells from various tree species and produce larger pieces of wood, such as an entire tabletop. The company aims to produce wood more efficiently with lower environmental impact.Clement says the approach involves two main stages. First, plant stem cells are put in sugar water, enabling them to grow fast. Then, they are exposed to chemical or genetic cues to make them differentiate into fibre cells filled with cellulose — the primary component of plant cell walls — or vessel cells, which help transport water and minerals through the tissue. Together,these are the main structural components of wood. Once these cells become strong and bond with each other, they are combined to form any shape. Eventually, the researchers aim to replicate (复制) wood from rare species threatened by illegal logging. Clement says cultured wood could displace harmful logging through relatively small-scale production. Lab-grown wood will be expensive, but it can still compete with costly rare wood. This isn’t the first attempt at cultured wood. Researchers previously tried to print wood-like material, but were never able to produce material with the same mechanical properties as actual wood, says Fernando Velásquez-García at MIT. “The million-dollar question is whether the cells connect. Are they just sitting together or are they shaking hands?” Clement declined to share how the cells connect or the mechanical properties of the resulting wood. Without more details, it is impossible to judge whether the start-up has done so, Fernando says. 29. What do we know about the lab-grown wood produced by New Dawn Bio? A. It has replaced natural wood products. B. It is considered an early breakthrough. C. It is already large enough for tabletops. D. It comes from a rarely studied lab plant. 30. What is formed in the second stage of making cultured wood? A. Rare wood tissue. B. Water and minerals. C. Fast-growing stem cells. D. Fibre cells and vessel cells. 31. What is Paragraph 4 mainly about? A. The prospects of rare wood products. B. The growing threat of illegal logging. C. The potential value of cultured wood. D. The disadvantages of lab-grown wood. 32. Why does Fernando call cell connection “the million-dollar question”? A. It makes rare tree species even rarer. B. It affects how much the research costs. C. It changes the properties of actual wood. D. It determines how wood-like the material is. (9) （26-27高三上·湖北襄阳·开学考试） Rain sounds melt our stress and put us to sleep, but for rice plants, the pitter-patter of raindrops is more like a morning alarm. As water falls onto soil or water, the vibrations (震动) are far stronger underground than on the surface. New research suggests plants take advantage of this wake-up call. Published in Scientific Reports, the latest research proves rain sounds can make rice seeds germinate (萌芽) faster than usual. This provides the first direct confirmation that plants can sense surrounding sound signals and make active responses. Previous studies have suggested plants may possess the ability to think, see and hear. However, there’s no fact-based evidence for the direct cause-and-effect link between environmental changes and plants’ real-time responses. This new study successfully fills the gap. “The seeds can sense sound in ways that can help them survive,” said Nicholas Makris, author of the study. In their experiment, the researchers wanted to make sure the seeds were responding to the sound of rain and not to its water. Given that rice is usually grown in water, they chose to focus on rice seeds. They put 8,000 rice seeds in shallow water. One group was kept in total quietness, while the other was exposed to light, moderate and heavy raindrops to copy natural rainfall. The results showed that the latter group germinated 30 to 40 percent faster than those in silence. In plants, cellular structures called statoliths are responsible for external sensing. They shift and settle at the bottom of plant cells, helping the organisms detect changes in their position and stability and tell germinating seeds in which direction to grow their roots. Makris and his team theorized rain sounds underwater might produce large enough vibrations to move the statoliths and possibly stimulate germination in rice seeds. The team hopes to further investigate whether other environmental cues, such as wind, could be sensed by plants in similar ways. 33. How does the author introduce the topic in paragraph 1? A. By giving a definition. B. By describing two daily scenes. C. By comparing two effects. D. By interpreting a natural phenomenon. 34. What do the underlined words “the gap” in paragraph 3 refer to? A. Absence of solid proof. B. Unproven plant survival ability. C. Indefinite outer signals. D. Shortage of key research steps. 35. Why did researchers use rice seeds kept in water? A. To monitor water quality. B. To rule out water’s impact. C. To suit their growing habits. D. To observe them conveniently. 36. What does paragraph 5 focus on? A. How raindrops awake seeds. B. What controls plant root systems. C. How plants adjust cell structures. D. Why plants adapt to surroundings. (10) （26-27高三上·湖北十堰·开学考试） A Chinese research team has developed the world’s first blood-based diagnostic kit (诊断试剂盒) that can tell whether lung nodules (肺结节) are harmless or cancerous, including very small nodules that are often difficult to assess using existing methods. Researchers say the breakthrough could significantly improve early detection of lung cancer. Lung cancer is the deadliest cancer in China, largely because many cases are discovered at an advanced stage. Early symptoms are often mild or absent, delaying diagnosis and treatment. Low-dose CT scans are widely used to screen people at high risk, such as smokers or those with a family history of lung cancer. However, CT scans can only detect nodules and cannot determine whether they are life-threatening. Patients must undergo repeated follow-up scans, and studies show that fewer than 30 percent are able to comply with long-term monitoring. Using techniques from synthetic biology and artificial intelligence, researchers analyzed complex blood samples and screened more than 400 proteins linked to early stage lung cancer. From these, they identified 13 biomarkers that are most useful for diagnosis. Eight of the biomarker combinations are newly discovered and perform significantly better than existing clinical standards in China and overseas, according to the team. Results showed the kit detected more than 65 percent of early-stage lung cancer cases, with accuracy significantly higher than traditional diagnostic methods. For small nodules that are often difficult to assess using low-dose CT scans alone, the test increased diagnostic accuracy to more than 85 percent. The blood test costs about 1,000 yuan ($144) and requires only 2 milliliters of blood. Researchers say this makes testing easier for elderly or physically weakened patients, while also reducing follow-up costs. “This marks a major step forward in early lung cancer diagnosis in China, shifting screening from relying on imaging alone to detecting molecular signals in the blood,” Hu said. He added that the team hopes to expand use of the test to community clinics and health screening centers, greatly increasing early detection rates countrywide. 37. What is the key function of the new diagnostic kit? A. To improve the imaging effect of CT scans. B. To reduce the risk of lung cancer surgeries. C. To cut the cost of lung cancer follow-up checks. D. To identify the nature of lung nodules accurately. 38. What does the underlined phrase “comply with” in Paragraph 3 mean? A. Stick to. B. Give up. C. Put off. D. Apply for. 39. What does Paragraph 4 mainly talk about? A. The application of the market. B. The process of the research. C. The standard of the diagnosis. D. The clinical effect of the kit. 40. What can we infer from the kit’s clinical trial results? A. It has replaced traditional diagnostic methods. B. It performs best for advanced lung cancer cases. C. It works better for small hard-to-assess nodules. D. It detects all early lung cancers with full accuracy. (11) （26-27高三上·湖北武汉·开学考试） Over the past few years, areas in East Asia, North America and northern Europe have been colder than normal during some periods of winter. This has left many debating whether Earth is experiencing global warming or not, but scientists have shown that Earth’s warming trends are responsible. When people in the Northern Hemisphere hear North Pole or Arctic region, they automatically think of the hemisphere’s northernmost area, the home of extremely cold weather during late fall and winter. During this time, very little, if any, sunlight reaches the Arctic’s stratosphere, one layer of Earth’s atmosphere that exists six to 20 kilometers above Earth’s surface. To balance the temperature difference with that of the warm equatorial region, an area of low pressure called the polar vortex forms and flows in a complete circle around the pole. This occurs inside the stratosphere (平流层) about 10 kilometers above the Earth’s surface. While this belt of strong winds is usually stable and able to keep the cold air contained, it can be destroyed by loss of sea ice, due to global warming. This results in surface temperatures changing, changes which make them less stable. If this happens, the polar vortex may shift, slipping off the North Pole and moving south, or it can separate into two or three rings that form in multiple places far south of the pole. This stretching or distortion of the polar vortex also makes influences on the path of the polar jet stream, which is responsible for Earth’s weather. This jet stream, along with three other primary jet streams in different parts of the world, is located in the troposphere (对流层), the atmospheric layer just below the stratosphere. The polar jet stream’s air currents blow from 177 kilometers an hour to over 400 kilometers an hour and from west to east between 50 degrees and 60 degrees latitude — think from France to Norway. The differences in cold polar air and warm mid-latitude air form the polar jet stream, and its movement prolongs periods of cold or warm weather in different regions. Large temperature differences between the Arctic and mid-latitudes cause the polar jet stream to be strong and move straight, keeping the cold in the north. Because the Arctic is warming at a fast pace, the temperature difference between it and mid-latitudes is decreasing, making the polar jet stream slower and weaker. That, in turn, makes the stream more likely to bend north and south. When it bends far enough, the barrier between Arctic and mid-latitude air can dive down to Mexico, taking Arctic temperatures along for the ride. Although heat and cold are considered opposites, in the case of climate, the former can cause the latter. 41. What causes the polar vortex to form? A. Sea ice loss in the Arctic. B. The polar jet stream’s bending. C. Strong winds inside the troposphere. D. Temperature differences with the equator. 42. Why do some winters get colder globally? A. Arctic warming weakens jet stream. B. The polar vortex becomes stronger. C. Less sunlight reaches Arctic. D. The Arctic loses its cold air. 43. The word “prolong” (para 5) is closest in meaning to ________. A. control B. regulate C. extend D. shorten 44. What is the main focus of the passage? A. The Relationship between Warming Earth and Colder Winters. B. The Potential Reasons for Earth Becoming Warmer and Warmer. C. The Strange Phenomenon of Warming Trends with Colder Weather. D. The Temperature Differences between the Arctic and Mid-latitude Areas. (12) （2026·湖北武汉·模拟预测） Fifteen decades ago, Francis Galton first came up with the term “nature versus nurture”, and this debate over the factors shaping human identity has long been a central topic in human sciences. Do our genes determine our life paths, as hereditarians (遗传论者) argue? Or are we born as empty paper, shaped merely by the experiences we have in our families and the wider world? Today, however, a new branch of science is ready to overturn the debate. Through this new perspective, nature and nurture are hardly separable at all — genes and the environment do not act independently, but instead interact closely and even shape one another in tangible ways. Genes do not shape our identities merely on their own within our bodies; instead, they function partly by molding the environments we choose or create. A striking finding of this research is that our environment is, in part, shaped by the genes of the people around us. Initial research suggests that your partner’s genes influence your likelihood of depression almost a third as much as your own genes do. A few students with a genetic trend for smoking in a high school seemed to cause smoking rates to skyrocket across the entire grade — even among students who have no direct contact with these students — like a gene-driven wildfire spreading through social networks. Genes alone aren’t enough to determine these outcomes and neither is environment. Nature and nurture both shape each other, with nature influencing the way we experience nurture and nurture influencing the way our nature expresses itself. The more opportunities and information the environment provides — the more varied environments become — the bigger the role that genetic variation plays in distinguishing us into different groups. Nature and nurture aren’t separate forces — they’re a Möbius strip (莫比乌斯环), endlessly circling back on each other. This interdependence means their interaction is fluid and reciprocal, a core insight of sociogenomics that bridges genetic and social science. 45. Why did the author mention the “nature versus nurture” debate in paragraph 1? A. To emphasize the dominant role of family experiences. B. To introduce a long-standing core topic in human sciences. C. To highlight the weakness of early hereditarians’ arguments. D. To lay a contrastive foundation for a new scientific perspective. 46. What can be inferred from the example of students? A. Smoking behavior spreads mainly through direct persuasion. B. Genetic tendencies can indirectly change group behavior. C. School rules fail to control students’ genetic instincts. D. Only smokers’ friends adopt the same genetic risks. 47. What happens when environments become more diverse according to paragraph 3? A. People rely less on their genetic traits. B. Genetic differences play a smaller role. C. Genetic differences become more influential. D. Nurture becomes more important than nature. 48. What does the author mean by comparing nature and nurture to a “Möbius strip”? A. They depend entirely on physical conditions. B. They have a one-way influence on each other. C. They form a complex, continuous cycle of impact. D. They are two separate parts of human development. (13) （2026·湖北黄冈·模拟预测） Biologist Beth Shapiro believes that it is quite unlikely we will see a dodo (a flightless bird) walking the earth again anytime soon. “When people consider the idea of bringing back extinct animals, they often think about cloning,” Shapiro stated. Cloning is the method that produced Dolly the sheep in 1996 and another species in 2020. It involves creating a genetic copy of an animal by taking DNA from a living adult cell and placing it into a specially prepared egg cell. Adult cells contain all the necessary DNA to develop into a living creature. The egg cells then use this DNA to form different types of cells — such as skin, organs, blood, and bones — that the animal needs. However, there are no usable cells from the dodo available today. Shapiro explained that scientists would have to start with the DNA of a closely related species and change it to make it look like that of the dodo. For instance, mammoths (a type of elephant), which are also extinct, lack any living cells. But since they are closely related to modern Asian elephants, researchers are attempting to bring mammoths back by creating a hybrid (杂交生物体). This involves adding some mammoth genes into the DNA of an elephant egg cell. Still, Shapiro notes that there could be many genetic differences between Asian elephants and mammoths. In the case of the dodo, its nearest living relative is the Nicobar pigeon, a smaller and more colorful bird that can fly. While mammoths and Asian elephants are quite similar, it has been over 20 million years since the dodo and the Nicobar pigeon shared a common ancestor. This indicates that the genetic differences between these two bird species are significant, making it challenging to create a successful hybrid in the laboratory, Shapiro emphasized. Even if scientists manage to bring back dodos, the island where they once lived has undergone substantial changes. The loss of forests, the introduction of harmful species, and human activities would make it very difficult to reintroduce dodos without considerable help. 49. What is the main point the author aims to convey in paragraph 2? A. The procedure involved in cloning. B. Progress made in cloning techniques. C. The challenges associated with cloning. D. Different types of famous cloned animals. 50. What similarity between mammoths and dodos can be concluded from Shapiro’s words? A. Both lack close living relatives. B. They possess a similar type of DNA. C. No animals’ genes closely match theirs. D. Their living cells are difficult to preserve. 51. What is suggested in the last paragraph? A. The habitat of dodos has been harmed. B. There are plans to create an island for dodos. C. There is public support for bringing back dodos. D. Severe climate changes led to the extinction of dodos. 52. What can be a suitable title for the text? A. How can we protect dodo-like species? B. Is it possible to bring dodos back to life? C. What motivates scientists to clone dodos? D. Should the impact of cloning be expanded? (14) （2026·湖北十堰·三模） In the digital age, the art of writing by hand has slowly been reduced to mere entertainment. However, recent research suggests that this physical act is crucial to brain health and development, offering multiple cognitive (认知的) benefits. It is time we reconsidered the potential benefits it may bring to our mental capacities. According to numerous studies, writing by hand stimulates more complex and diverse brain connections that are essential for encoding new information and forming memories. A recent investigation, for instance, found that brain connectivity patterns were far more complicated and widespread for participants who wrote by hand than for those who typed. Therefore, it is clear that handwriting has a distinct and significant impact on brain health. Handwriting is not only good for our brain health — it also has clear, practical advantages. Research has shown that students who take handwritten notes score significantly higher on quizzes, demonstrating improved learning. This finding extends beyond the classroom as well. People who recorded information on paper calendars displayed more brain activity and recalled information faster than those who used smartphones. The act of handwriting, consequently, could be a valuable tool for students preparing for exams and adults managing daily tasks. Despite its clear benefits, handwriting has been in decline. However, 25 states in the US have reintroduced it into school curricula. This represents a step in the right direction, as previous research has also indicated that handwriting is essential for children’s brain development. For example, illiterate children who wrote by hand showed brain activity in the circuit used for learning to read, further strengthening the link between handwriting and cognitive development. Clearly, handwriting is a valuable activity with the potential to enhance our brain health, learning, memory, and problem-solving skills. As we continue to navigate the digital age, it is important not to overlook the value of this seemingly simple activity. So, the next time you reach for your keyboard,remember the benefits of picking up a pen instead. 53. What is the common view of handwriting in today’s digital era? A. It is no longer as popular as it used to be. B. It should be taught together with typing. C. It is now valued equally with digital tools. D. It remains an essential skill for daily life. 54. What does Paragraph 3 mainly focus on regarding handwriting? A. Its role in improving brain connectivity. B. Its advantages in learning and memory tasks. C. Its effect on helping students score higher. D. Its value in adult daily management skills. 55. Why is previous research mentioned in Paragraph 4? A. To add further evidence. B. To make a comparison. C. To show different opinions. D. To present a professional viewpoint. 56. What is the main purpose of the passage? A. To compare handwriting with typing. B. To promote handwriting as an art form. C. To introduce a new digital writing tool. D. To emphasize handwriting’s cognitive value. (15) （2026·湖北襄阳·模拟预测） Why do life’s challenges make some people stronger and others weaker? The answer may lie in how our minds and genes interact. A new research project is now investigating the cognitive and genetic mechanisms that cause some people to flourish and others to struggle. Until now, research into cognitive biases and genetics has been entirely separate, so bringing them together in this research is really exciting. Previous research clearly tells us that certain sets of genes may lead people to develop anxiety or depression when they experience negative life events. But the new research finds that, in certain situations, those genes can also be a real benefit to people when they’re in supportive environments. If a child with so-called risky genes is in a good school and has much support, he or she can really flourish. We’re beginning to realize that we shouldn’t call them risky genes, but sensitivity genes. This means that some people at risk of mental health problems could, in the right conditions, be really happy. The other side of the research looks at cognitive biases. People always say: “Why is the media full of negative news stories?” This negativity can result in a society where people feel very anxious all the time. All of our brains are naturally tuned into negativity for evolutionary reasons - it’s more important to spot a predator (捕食者) than food-but this is especially true for anxious or depressed people. They are even more sensitive to the effects of negative information, making it more likely that they will adopt a pessimistic habit of mind. Crucially, these same people who are more affected by negativity are also more likely to be responsive to positive situations and, potentially, to psychological interventions. Right now, the researchers are on a five-year project and only halfway through. One of the exciting things is the possibility of developing much more personalized treatment options for psychological disorders. Once we know this, we will be in a better position to tailor treatments for individuals, rather than applying the one-size-fits-all approach used now. 57. What’s the focus of the new research? A. Attitudes to different life choices. B. The influence of negative experiences. C. Responsive mechanisms to challenges. D. The relationship between environment and genes. 58. How do the researchers arrive at the realization about “risky genes”? A. By clarifying an assumption. B. By comparing different situations. C. By adjusting research procedures. D. By analyzing effects of different genes. 59. What makes people sensitive to negativity according to paragraph 3? A. Pressure from modern life. B. Built-in survival mode. C. Exposure to negative reports. D. Drive for food resources. 60. Who might benefit more from the research? A. People with genetic disorders. B. People having high-risk lifestyles. C. People with mental health condition. D. 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