Unit 4 Astronomy：the science of the stars
Ⅰ.阅读理解
A
(2020·济南市4月模拟)
Like clockwork，nearly every fourth February includes one extra day. February 29th，otherwise known as Leap Day，isn't exactly a holiday. Instead，it's there to keep your calendar consistent with the earth's rotation(旋转)around the sun.
According to History.com，Roman emperor Julius Caesar is the “father” of leap Year. Until he came along，people had used a 355? day calendar，which was 10. 25 days shorter than the solar year. Roman officials were supposed to add an extra month every now and then to keep the seasons exactly where they should be. But that didn't work out all that well. When special occasions started shifting into different seasons around 45 BCE，Caesar consulted with astronomers and decreed(下令)that the empire should use a 12? month，365?day calendar，which he named after himself.Caesar's Julian calendar included a Leap Day every four years.
Though Leap Day keeps your calendar in line with the earth's rotation around the sun，it causes a different kind of problem for leapsters. When should these February 29th babies celebrate their birthdays during the other three?quarters of their lives Some party on February 28th，while others prefer a two?day celebration that spans the last day of February and the first day of March.
Leap Day can be a nuisance in the legal system. In 2006，a court in Massachusetts was deciding whether criminal John Melo could be released a day early since his 10?year sentence included a Leap Day.In the case，the judge decided that since the man was sentenced to prison for years，not days，Leap Day didn't make a bit of difference.
Though a few timekeepers have pushed for calendars that don't include Leap Day，almost all astronomers and societies agree that Leap Day is the best method to keep the calendar on track.
1．Why was Leap Day created
A．To celebrate special occasions.
B．To honor Emperor Julius Caesar.
C．To keep pace with the solar year.
D．To keep track of all the seasons.
2．What is the problem with the birthday celebration of February 29th babies
A．It is sometimes delayed.
B．It lasts at least two days.
C．It has to be held every other year.
D．It may take place on different dates.
3．What does the underlined word “nuisance” in Paragraph 4 mean
A．Joke. B．Topic.
C．Trouble. D．Mistake.
4．What is the attitude of most astronomers towards Leap Day
A．Critical. B．Supportive.
C．Doubtful. D．Cautious.
B
(2020·山西省重点中学高三联考)
In a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences，researchers studied iron rich rocks found in Australia，Namibia，and California to get a window into the environmental conditions during the ice age.
By examining the chemistry of the iron structure in these rocks，the researchers were able to work out the approximate amount of oxygen in the oceans around 700 million years ago and better understand the effects this would have had on all oxygen dependent life in oceans.
“The evidence suggests that although much of the oceans during the deep freeze would have been impossible to live in due to a lack of oxygen，in areas where the ice sheet begins to float there is a good supply of meltwater(融水)with oxygen.With the ice sheet beginning to melt，the air bubbles in it are released into the water，giving the ocean oxygen.We call this phenomenon a ‘glacial(冰川的) oxygen pump’，” says Maxwell Lechte，a researcher in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at McGill University.
Around 700 million years ago，the Earth experienced the most severe ice age of its history，threatening the survival of most of the planet's life.Previous research has suggested that oxygen dependent life may have been restricted to meltwater on the surface of the ice，but this study provides new evidence of the living environments in oceans.
“The fact that the global freeze occurred before the evolution of complex animals suggests a link between Snowball Earth and animal evolution.These tough conditions could have accounted for their diversifying into more complex forms，” says Lechte，who is also the study's lead author.Lechte also points out that while the findings focus on the availability of oxygen，primitive eukaryotes(真核细胞) would also have needed food to survive the severe conditions of the ice age.The researchers plan to explore how these environments might have kept a food web by looking at today's similar environments that host complex ecosystems.
5．How did the researcher know the life in oceans 700 million years ago
A．By discovering iron rich rocks by chance.
B．By examining the oxygen amount in oceans.
C．By analyzing the found iron rich rocks.
D．By getting a window into more places on Earth.
6．What creates a “glacial oxygen pump” according to Maxwell Lechte
A．Oxygen in meltwater.
B．Ice sheets floating in the oceans.
C．A lack of oxygen in the ocean.
D．A good supply of air above ice sheets.
7．What might the researchers continue to study in the future
A．The present food web.
B．Diverse forms of animals.
C．Evolution of complex animals.
D．Modern ice environments.
8．What is the best title for the text
A．Iron rich Rocks Newly Discovered
B．Life Evidence Found in Melting Ice Sheets
C．Secret of How Animals Survived Ice Age
D．The Importance of Oxygen in the Oceans
Ⅱ.完形填空
(2020·潍坊6月模拟)
Kemira had just jumped in the shower when she heard her mother knocking at the door.Kemira's 30 day old daughter was __1__．The 24 year old new mother burst out of the__2__and began patting her daughter on the back.Ryleigh，the baby，was usually quick to cry.Now she didn't make a__3__．
The three had hardly__4__out of their house when they met Will Kimbro，a school officer，shouting that the baby had stopped breathing.__5__for his help，Kemira handed the baby to Kimbro.He put a hand on her little chest.Ryleigh's heart was__6__beating.
Kimbro__7__ for an ambulance—it was seven minutes out，and the__8__was even further away.Then he began tapping Ryleigh's chest，hoping to make her heart back into__9__．Thanks to the CPR (心肺复苏) class，Kimbro knew the choking baby didn't have a__10__to survive if there was a blockage，and he used one finger to clear her airway.That was the__11__touch：20 seconds later，Ryleigh began to__12__．
While waiting for the ambulance，Kimbro__13__the delicate chest compressions (按压) and regularly clearing her airway.
At the hospital，Ryleigh__14__quickly—thanks to a__15__ school police officer who was in the right place at the right time.
1．A.infected B．injured
C．choking D．missing
2．A.bathroom B．kitchen
C．bedroom D．study
3．A.sound B．face
C．movement D．mark
4．A.caught up B．finished up
C．got it D．made it
5．A.Ready B．Thankful
C．Desperate D．Bound
6．A.naturally B．steadily
C．strongly D．barely
7．A.headed B．longed
C．radioed D．hunted
8．A.station B．museum
C．school D．hospital
9．A.schedule B．practice
C．action D．position
10．A.choice B．chance
C．right D．reason
11．A.dangerous B．foolish
C．gentle D．magic
12．A.laugh B．cry
C．bite D．sleep
13．A.continued B．followed
C．started D．refused
14．A.returned B．recovered
C．changed D．woke
15．A.determined B．generous
C．gifted D．serious
Ⅲ.语法填空
(2021·辽宁省五校协作体高三模拟)
A teahouse is a special house which primarily serves tea and other light refreshments(茶点).Its function varies widely 1.________(depend) on the culture.In China，a teahouse is a place 2.________ people gather to enjoy tea，chat and socialize.It 3.________(consider) as a symbol of Chinese tea culture and people's leisure lives.
Chinese teahouses enjoy a long standing history.They developed from tea 4.________(stand)in the Western Jin Dynasty，took shape in the Tang Dynasty，developed 5.________(gradual) in the Song，Yuan，Ming and Qing Dynasties and became booming in modern times.
In the Song Dynasty，teahouses existed all over cities and villages，6.________ a rate comparable with that of restaurants.The owners preferred to decorate their teahouses with paintings of celebrities and rare and precious plants 7.________(attract) customers.In the Ming and Qing Dynasties，the number of teahouses went beyond that of restaurants，gaining more 8.________(popular) and becoming more famous.Later，the acculturation(文化移入) of western culture forced traditional Chinese teahouses to take on 9.________ new look.After reform and opening up，with the rapid development of the economy and 10.________(evidence) improvement of people's living standards，teahouses flowered in China.
PAGE
9Unit 4 Astronomy：the science of the stars
Ⅰ.阅读理解
A
(2020·济南市4月模拟)
Like clockwork，nearly every fourth February includes one extra day. February 29th，otherwise known as Leap Day，isn't exactly a holiday. Instead，it's there to keep your calendar consistent with the earth's rotation(旋转)around the sun.
According to History.com，Roman emperor Julius Caesar is the “father” of leap Year. Until he came along，people had used a 355? day calendar，which was 10. 25 days shorter than the solar year. Roman officials were supposed to add an extra month every now and then to keep the seasons exactly where they should be. But that didn't work out all that well. When special occasions started shifting into different seasons around 45 BCE，Caesar consulted with astronomers and decreed(下令)that the empire should use a 12? month，365?day calendar，which he named after himself.Caesar's Julian calendar included a Leap Day every four years.
Though Leap Day keeps your calendar in line with the earth's rotation around the sun，it causes a different kind of problem for leapsters. When should these February 29th babies celebrate their birthdays during the other three?quarters of their lives Some party on February 28th，while others prefer a two?day celebration that spans the last day of February and the first day of March.
Leap Day can be a nuisance in the legal system. In 2006，a court in Massachusetts was deciding whether criminal John Melo could be released a day early since his 10?year sentence included a Leap Day.In the case，the judge decided that since the man was sentenced to prison for years，not days，Leap Day didn't make a bit of difference.
Though a few timekeepers have pushed for calendars that don't include Leap Day，almost all astronomers and societies agree that Leap Day is the best method to keep the calendar on track.
语篇解读 文章属于记叙性说明文，介绍了闰日的来历以及所带来的一些生活中的趣事。
1．Why was Leap Day created
A．To celebrate special occasions.
B．To honor Emperor Julius Caesar.
C．To keep pace with the solar year.
D．To keep track of all the seasons.
C [ 考查细节理解。根据第一段中“Instead，it's there to keep your calendar consistent with the earth's rotation(旋转)around the sun”，第二段中“Roman officials were supposed to add an extra month every now and then to keep the seasons exactly where they should be”以及第三段中“Though Leap Day keeps your calendar in line with the earth's rotation around the sun”可知，闰日的产生是为了与太阳历保持一致。]
2．What is the problem with the birthday celebration of February 29th babies
A．It is sometimes delayed.
B．It lasts at least two days.
C．It has to be held every other year.
D．It may take place on different dates.
D [ 考查细节理解。根据第三段中“When should these February 29th babies celebrate their birthdays during the other three?quarters of their lives...the first day of March”可知，在2月29日出生的人，有的是在2月28日庆祝生日，也有一些人会在二月的最后一天和三月的第一天进行一个为期两天的庆祝生日的活动。由此可知，在这一天出生的人可能会在不同的日期庆祝生日。]
3．What does the underlined word “nuisance” in Paragraph 4 mean
A．Joke. B．Topic.
C．Trouble. D．Mistake.
C [ 考查词义猜测。根据下文所列举的例子可知，在法律体系中闰日的出现可能会带来一些麻烦。]
4．What is the attitude of most astronomers towards Leap Day
A．Critical. B．Supportive.
C．Doubtful. D．Cautious.
B [ 考查推理判断。根据最后一段中“almost all astronomers and societies agree that Leap Day is the best method to keep the calendar on track”可知，大多数天文学家是支持闰日的。]
B
(2020·山西省重点中学高三联考)
In a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences，researchers studied iron rich rocks found in Australia，Namibia，and California to get a window into the environmental conditions during the ice age.
By examining the chemistry of the iron structure in these rocks，the researchers were able to work out the approximate amount of oxygen in the oceans around 700 million years ago and better understand the effects this would have had on all oxygen dependent life in oceans.
“The evidence suggests that although much of the oceans during the deep freeze would have been impossible to live in due to a lack of oxygen，in areas where the ice sheet begins to float there is a good supply of meltwater(融水)with oxygen.With the ice sheet beginning to melt，the air bubbles in it are released into the water，giving the ocean oxygen.We call this phenomenon a ‘glacial(冰川的) oxygen pump’，” says Maxwell Lechte，a researcher in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at McGill University.
Around 700 million years ago，the Earth experienced the most severe ice age of its history，threatening the survival of most of the planet's life.Previous research has suggested that oxygen dependent life may have been restricted to meltwater on the surface of the ice，but this study provides new evidence of the living environments in oceans.
“The fact that the global freeze occurred before the evolution of complex animals suggests a link between Snowball Earth and animal evolution.These tough conditions could have accounted for their diversifying into more complex forms，” says Lechte，who is also the study's lead author.Lechte also points out that while the findings focus on the availability of oxygen，primitive eukaryotes(真核细胞) would also have needed food to survive the severe conditions of the ice age.The researchers plan to explore how these environments might have kept a food web by looking at today's similar environments that host complex ecosystems.
语篇解读 本文是一篇说明文。生命是如何在冰河时期存活下来的？这是一个困扰科学家多年的问题，研究人员最近有了新发现。
5．How did the researcher know the life in oceans 700 million years ago
A．By discovering iron rich rocks by chance.
B．By examining the oxygen amount in oceans.
C．By analyzing the found iron rich rocks.
D．By getting a window into more places on Earth.
C [考查细节理解。根据第一段可知，研究人员发现了富含铁的岩石，第二段说明研究人员通过研究岩石中铁结构的化学性质，能计算出大约7亿年前海洋中大概的氧气量，并能了解这对所有依赖氧气的海洋生物产生的影响。由此可知，研究人员研究分析了富含铁的岩石，才了解了7亿年前的海洋生物。故选C。]
6．What creates a “glacial oxygen pump” according to Maxwell Lechte
A．Oxygen in meltwater.
B．Ice sheets floating in the oceans.
C．A lack of oxygen in the ocean.
D．A good supply of air above ice sheets.
A [考查推理判断。根据第三段的“the ice sheet begins to float there is a good supply of meltwater(融水)with oxygen...We call this phenomenon a‘glacial(冰川的)oxygen pump’”可知，“glacial oxygen pump”这种现象是由冰融水中的氧气引起的，故选A。]
7．What might the researchers continue to study in the future
A．The present food web.
B．Diverse forms of animals.
C．Evolution of complex animals.
D．Modern ice environments.
D [考查推理判断。根据尾段最后一句可知，研究人员计划通过研究当今承载着多元生态系统的相似环境来探索这些环境是如何维持食物链的，similar environments指的是与上文提到的severe conditions of the ice age相似的环境，故可推知，研究人员接下来要研究现代的冰环境。]
8．What is the best title for the text
A．Iron rich Rocks Newly Discovered
B．Life Evidence Found in Melting Ice Sheets
C．Secret of How Animals Survived Ice Age
D．The Importance of Oxygen in the Oceans
C [考查标题判断。通读全文可知，本文主要讲述的是研究人员通过分析富含铁的岩石，了解冰河时期的环境条件，知晓在冰河时期生命是如何生存下来的，因此选项C正确。]
Ⅱ.完形填空
(2020·潍坊6月模拟)
Kemira had just jumped in the shower when she heard her mother knocking at the door.Kemira's 30 day old daughter was __1__．The 24 year old new mother burst out of the__2__and began patting her daughter on the back.Ryleigh，the baby，was usually quick to cry.Now she didn't make a__3__．
The three had hardly__4__out of their house when they met Will Kimbro，a school officer，shouting that the baby had stopped breathing.__5__for his help，Kemira handed the baby to Kimbro.He put a hand on her little chest.Ryleigh's heart was__6__beating.
Kimbro__7__ for an ambulance—it was seven minutes out，and the__8__was even further away.Then he began tapping Ryleigh's chest，hoping to make her heart back into__9__．Thanks to the CPR (心肺复苏) class，Kimbro knew the choking baby didn't have a__10__to survive if there was a blockage，and he used one finger to clear her airway.That was the__11__touch：20 seconds later，Ryleigh began to__12__．
While waiting for the ambulance，Kimbro__13__the delicate chest compressions (按压) and regularly clearing her airway.
At the hospital，Ryleigh__14__quickly—thanks to a__15__ school police officer who was in the right place at the right time.
语篇解读 本文是一篇记叙文，主要讲述了校警Will Kimbro成功急救一个窒息婴儿的故事。
1．A.infected B．injured
C．choking D．missing
C [根据下文的“patting her daughter on the back”以及第三段中的“the choking baby”可知，Kemira的女儿呼吸困难。infect“传染，使感染”；choke“窒息，呼吸困难”。]
2．A.bathroom B．kitchen
C．bedroom D．study
A [根据第一段中的“Kemira had just jumped in the shower”可知，Kemira刚刚进入淋浴间，因此当她知道女儿窒息时，她从浴室冲了出来。]
3．A.sound B．face
C．movement D．mark
A [结合空前一句的“the baby，was usually quick to cry”可知，通常轻轻地拍打孩子的后背，孩子会很快地哭出来，但当时Ryleigh没发出声音。sound“声音，响声”；movement“转动，活动”；mark“污点，污迹，记号”。]
4．A.caught up B．finished up
C．got it D．made it
D [此处表示这三个人刚从房子里出来就遇到了Will Kimbro。该句是hardly...when...句型，表示“刚……就……”。make it表示“(尤指在困难情况下)准时到达”。]
5．A.Ready B．Thankful
C．Desperate D．Bound
C [根据语境可知，Kemira极需得到Kimbro的帮助，她把孩子递给了他。desperate for在此处表示“极其需要……”。]
6．A.naturally B．steadily
C．strongly D．barely
D [根据下文的“hoping to make her heart back into ________ ”可以判断，此时婴儿几乎没有心跳了。barely“几乎不”。]
7．A.headed B．longed
C．radioed D．hunted
C [此处表示Kimbro用无线电发出需要救护车的信息。radio在此处作动词，表示“用无线电发送(信息)”，符合语境。head for“朝……走去”；long for“渴望”；hunt for“寻找”。]
8．A.station B．museum
C．school D．hospital
D [婴儿需要急救，应该是去医院，故选D。]
9．A.schedule B．practice
C．action D．position
C [Kimbro开始轻拍婴儿的胸部，希望她的心脏可以恢复功能。action“动作，功能”，back into action表示“恢复功能”，符合语境。]
10．A.choice B．chance
C．right D．reason
B [结合语境和常识可知，如果气道中有堵塞物，这个窒息的婴儿就不可能活下来。chance“机会，可能性”。]
11．A.dangerous B．foolish
C．gentle D．magic
D [根据上文的“he used one finger to clear her airway”以及下文的“20 seconds later，Ryleigh began to ________”可知，Kimbro用手指清理婴儿气道的举动是非常正确和有效的，magic touch表示“有使事情运行良好(使人高兴)的特殊才能”，符合语境。]
12．A.laugh B．cry
C．bite D．sleep
B [根据文章第一段的“the baby，was usually quick to cry.Now she didn't make a ________”及生活常识可知，婴儿恢复正常后开始大哭。]
13．A.continued B．followed
C．started D．refused
A [在等待救护车时，Kimbro继续为婴儿做胸部按压和清理气道。continue“继续，延续”，符合语境。 ]
14．A.returned B．recovered
C．changed D．woke
B [婴儿在医院很快就康复了。recover“恢复，康复”。]
15．A.determined B．generous
C．gifted D．serious
A [根据上文内容可知，Kimbro在合适的时间和地点果断地对婴儿进行了急救，故选A项。determined“果断的，坚定的”。generous“慷慨的”；gifted“有天赋的”；serious“严肃的”。]
Ⅲ.语法填空
(2021·辽宁省五校协作体高三模拟)
A teahouse is a special house which primarily serves tea and other light refreshments(茶点).Its function varies widely 1.________(depend) on the culture.In China，a teahouse is a place 2.________ people gather to enjoy tea，chat and socialize.It 3.________(consider) as a symbol of Chinese tea culture and people's leisure lives.
Chinese teahouses enjoy a long standing history.They developed from tea 4.________(stand)in the Western Jin Dynasty，took shape in the Tang Dynasty，developed 5.________(gradual) in the Song，Yuan，Ming and Qing Dynasties and became booming in modern times.
In the Song Dynasty，teahouses existed all over cities and villages，6.________ a rate comparable with that of restaurants.The owners preferred to decorate their teahouses with paintings of celebrities and rare and precious plants 7.________(attract) customers.In the Ming and Qing Dynasties，the number of teahouses went beyond that of restaurants，gaining more 8.________(popular) and becoming more famous.Later，the acculturation(文化移入) of western culture forced traditional Chinese teahouses to take on 9.________ new look.After reform and opening up，with the rapid development of the economy and 10.________(evidence) improvement of people's living standards，teahouses flowered in China.
语篇解读 本文是一篇说明文。本文主要讲述了中国茶馆的作用及其发展历程。
1．解析： 考查固定搭配。此处表示它的功能根据文化差异很大。此处考查固定搭配depending on“决定于”。
答案： depending
2．解析： 考查定语从句。空处引导定语从句，先行词为a place，并结合句子成分和句意可知，空处在从句中作地点状语，故填where。
答案： where
3．解析： 考查动词的时态和语态。此处表示茶馆被认为是中国茶文化与人民休闲生活的象征。空处与主语It为被动关系，且此处为客观性描述，故用一般现在时的被动语态。
答案： is considered
4．解析： 考查名词的单复数。分析句子成分可知，stand在此用作名词，意为“货摊，售货亭”，且此处表示不止一个货摊，故要用名词复数形式。
答案： stands
5．解析： 考查副词。修饰动词“developed”要用副词，故填 gradually。
答案： gradually
6．解析： 考查介词。此处表示茶馆的分布率可与饭馆相比。at a rate意为“以……率”，为固定搭配。comparable with sth.“可与某物比较”。
答案： at
7．解析： 考查非谓语动词。此处用动词不定式作目的状语，表示该句中的“decorate their teahouses with...plants”的目的，故填to attract。
答案： to attract
8．解析： 考查词性转换。gain意为“获得”，为及物动词，后接名词作宾语，故填popularity。
答案： popularity
9．解析： 考查冠词。此处初次提到“look”(样子)这个词，且new的发音以辅音音素开头，故用a。take on a new look意为“呈现新面貌”。
答案： a
10．解析： 考查形容词。修饰名词improvement要用形容词，故填evident“明显的”。
答案： evident
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