Unit 4 Making the news
Ⅰ.阅读理解
A
(2020·滨州市名校联合第三次质量检测)
Although social media allow us to become more connected to other people than at any time in history，a new study suggests that many Americans feel lonelier than ever before，which is weakening the nation's mental and physical health.
The study conducted by the health insurer Cigna，found widespread loneliness，with nearly half of Americans reporting they feel alone，or left out at least some of the time.The nation's 75 million millennials( ages 23—37 ) and Generation Z adults( ages 18—22) are lonelier than older generations.Besides，54% of people surveyed said they feel no one knows them well，and four in 10 reported they “lack companionship”，their “relationships aren't meaningful” and they “are isolated(孤立的) from others”．
Douglas Nemecek，MD，Cigna's chief medical officer for Behavioral Health，said the findings of the study suggest that the problem has become common，equaling the risks caused by tobacco and the nation's ever expanding waistline.“Loneliness has the same influence on health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day，while obesity(肥胖) less than 10 cigarettes a day，” he said in releasing the report.
Nemecek's comments tallied_with those of other leading public health specialists，including former Surgeon General Vivek H．Murthy，MD，who said loneliness should be targeted in public health campaigns like those designed to fight against smoking and obesity.“During my years caring for patients，the worst disease I saw was not heart disease or diabetes；it was loneliness，” Murthy said in a recent cover story in the Harvard Business Review.
The new report，produced in Cigna's partnership with the polling company Ipsos，is based on an online survey of more than 20，000 US adults using the well regarded UCLA Loneliness Scale to see how widespread loneliness is in America.
1．What does the study conducted by Cigna find
A．Older Americans feel much lonelier.
B．Social media do people more harm than good.
C．People become more connected to each other.
D．Social media increase levels of Americans' loneliness.
2．Which opinion might Douglas Nemecek support
A．Loneliness is not so harmful as smoking.
B．Loneliness is taken seriously by the public.
C．Loneliness is more dangerous than obesity.
D．Loneliness is targeted in public health campaigns.
3．What does the underlined phrase “tallied with” mean in Paragraph 4
A．Agreed with. B．Varied with.
C．Contradicted. D．Inspired.
4．What is the purpose of the text
A．To discuss health problems.
B．To present findings of a recent study.
C．To warn people about social media use.
D．To show threats to Americans' health.
B
(2020·山西省六校高三第一次阶段测试)
More than half of working Africans have jobs in agriculture，but inadequate tools and a lack of investment have left the continent's mostly small farms struggling to feed a growing population.Now，a wave of technological solutions is aiming to help.
Esther Usman，from Kaduna State，Northwest Nigeria，has been growing corn since she was 17，when she dropped out of school to support her family after her father's death.Two decades on，she was struggling.She often lay awake at night worrying about how to feed and educate her children.At times，money ran so low that she was forced to sell her crop for a bit.
“If my farm was affected by pests，I could only afford to buy a small amount of pesticide，which was usually not effective.And corn in storage is often lost to moisture(潮气) and pests，which is a big problem，” says Usman，now 38.
In 2017，Usman joined Babban Gona，a social enterprise that acts as a farmers' partner and offers farmers credit，training and other support.It was launched in 2012 with 102 farmers，and now works with 20，000.Field officers employed by Babban Gona photograph its farmers' fields.An app reviews the photos，evaluating the germination(发芽) rate and seeing if the soil needs nutrients based on leaf colors.The field officers step in to warn farmers of any problems they find and advise on possible solutions.Some farmers have increased their yields(产量) by 50 percent.
Once the corn is harvested，Babban Gona stores it in sealed containers and aims to sell it at the right time to maximize the farmers' profits.The payments Usman receives from Babban Gona allow her to invest in a cow，to buy new clothes for her family，and to build a house.
5．What can Usman be described in her early life
A．Active but unskilled.
B．Responsible and wise.
C．Hardworking but penniless.
D．Pained and unambitious.
6．What was the challenge for Usman after harvesting corn
A．Selling it.
B．Reserving it.
C．Killing pests on the farm.
D．Feeding and educating her children.
7．How do the field officers work in Babban Gona
A．They evaluate the photos of crops.
B．They lend money to needy farmers.
C．They send photos taken by farmers to an app.
D．They serve as a bridge between farmers and it.
8．What does the text mainly talk about
A．Technology helps African farmers live better.
B．A company supports African farmers.
C．Farming in Africa is faced with a difficult situation.
D．African farmers invent smart farming.
Ⅱ.完形填空
(2020·日照市重点中学高三5月联考)
My adviser interviewed me over the phone.He__1__my undergraduate record and thought I had a graduate degree.Therefore，I was__2__to the Ph.D.program.He welcomed me into his lab even after knowing the__3__．
I began to get into a running start.I__4__myself into reading every paper found and testing scientific questions.But four years later，I felt lost because I__5__passed my qualifying exam.Then a friend asked me to volunteer as a barman at a gala (盛会).I was __6__at first，having never worked behind a bar，__7__ I said yes in the end.I spent an evening__8__cutting fruit and doing other unskilled tasks.I was tired but also felt unbelievable—surprising how much__9__I had.
Later，I realized the reason why I enjoyed this experience so much was that the__10__of this job were exactly what I was __11__from my Ph.D.program.It was only physically tiring，for the tasks I did were__12__．At that point，I had not had a pause in __13__as hard as I could for four years，and I was completely __14__of the toll (损害) it was taking on my spirit.Since then，I've tried to give my mind more__15__．
1．A.disbelieved B．rejected
C．misread D．mixed
2．A.introduced B．admitted
C．accompanied D．compensated
3．A.criterion B．gap
C．weakness D．error
4．A.argued B．tricked
C．threw D．frightened
5．A.merely B．surprisingly
C．easily D．barely
6．A.optimistic B．thrilled
C．confused D．hesitant
7．A.but B．so
C．and D．or
8．A.going about B．looking through
C．bursting in D．carrying on
9. A．joy B．experience
C．skill D．comfort
10．A.designs B．chances
C．varieties D．demands
11．A.missing B．suffering
C．learning D．avoiding
12．A.boring B．meaningful
C．simple D．vague
13．A.hitting B．thinking
C．winning D．complaining
14．A.nervous B．ashamed
C．proud D．unaware
15．A.practices B．motivations
C．breaks D．reasons
Ⅲ.语法填空
(2020·昆明市高三“三诊一模”摸底诊断测试)
David Katz was upset by all the plastic going into the ocean.To help solve the problem，he had a 1.________(create)idea—to treat plastic like money.Mr.Katz calls his idea the “Plastic Bank”．The goal of the Plastic Bank is to use plastic to help people solve the problems 2.________(gradual).The Plastic Bank adds a value to plastic waste by paying people to recycle it.
The program began in 2015 in Haiti，a poor island nation with many 3.________(problem) of waste plastic.The Plastic Bank has 30 “markets” in Haiti.At the Plastic Bank markets，people can exchange the plastic they've collected for 4.________ they need.The Plastic Bank markets sell lots of things that local people need.The stores also allow plastic collectors to use the money they earn to pay 5.________ health care or school.
To make sure that the plastic 6.________(recycle)，the Plastic Bank works with partners，who agree 7.________(use)the plastic that is collected.When customers buy these products，which are labeled “Social Plastic”，they know that they are both helping people in other parts of the world 8.________ keeping plastic out of the ocean.So far，the Plastic Bank 9.________(keep) about 7 million pounds of plastic out of the ocean.It makes a great 10.________(contribute)to the ocean.
PAGE
9Unit 4 Making the news
Ⅰ.阅读理解
A
(2020·滨州市名校联合第三次质量检测)
Although social media allow us to become more connected to other people than at any time in history，a new study suggests that many Americans feel lonelier than ever before，which is weakening the nation's mental and physical health.
The study conducted by the health insurer Cigna，found widespread loneliness，with nearly half of Americans reporting they feel alone，or left out at least some of the time.The nation's 75 million millennials( ages 23—37 ) and Generation Z adults( ages 18—22) are lonelier than older generations.Besides，54% of people surveyed said they feel no one knows them well，and four in 10 reported they “lack companionship”，their “relationships aren't meaningful” and they “are isolated(孤立的) from others”．
Douglas Nemecek，MD，Cigna's chief medical officer for Behavioral Health，said the findings of the study suggest that the problem has become common，equaling the risks caused by tobacco and the nation's ever expanding waistline.“Loneliness has the same influence on health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day，while obesity(肥胖) less than 10 cigarettes a day，” he said in releasing the report.
Nemecek's comments tallied_with those of other leading public health specialists，including former Surgeon General Vivek H．Murthy，MD，who said loneliness should be targeted in public health campaigns like those designed to fight against smoking and obesity.“During my years caring for patients，the worst disease I saw was not heart disease or diabetes；it was loneliness，” Murthy said in a recent cover story in the Harvard Business Review.
The new report，produced in Cigna's partnership with the polling company Ipsos，is based on an online survey of more than 20，000 US adults using the well regarded UCLA Loneliness Scale to see how widespread loneliness is in America.
语篇解读 本文是说明文，主题语境是“人与社会”。文章介绍了一项研究的结果：尽管社交媒体让我们比历史上任何时候都更能与他人建立起联系，但许多美国人感到比以往任何时候都更加孤独。
1．What does the study conducted by Cigna find
A．Older Americans feel much lonelier.
B．Social media do people more harm than good.
C．People become more connected to each other.
D．Social media increase levels of Americans' loneliness.
D [考查细节理解。根据第一段中的“a new study suggests that many Americans feel lonelier than ever before”可知，新的研究发现社交媒体让美国人变得更加孤独。]
2．Which opinion might Douglas Nemecek support
A．Loneliness is not so harmful as smoking.
B．Loneliness is taken seriously by the public.
C．Loneliness is more dangerous than obesity.
D．Loneliness is targeted in public health campaigns.
C [考查推理判断。根据第三段中的“Loneliness has the same influence on health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day，while obesity(肥胖)less than 10 cigarettes a day”可知，孤独对健康的影响相当于每天吸15支烟的影响，而肥胖对健康的影响相当于每天吸不到10支烟的影响。由此可推知，孤独比肥胖更危险。]
3．What does the underlined phrase “tallied with” mean in Paragraph 4
A．Agreed with. B．Varied with.
C．Contradicted. D．Inspired.
A [考查词义猜测。根据上文提到的Nemecek的言论和下文中的“those of other leading public health specialists...loneliness should be targeted in public health campaigns like those designed to fight against smoking and obesity”“the worst disease I saw was not heart disease or diabetes；it was loneliness”可知，此处表示Nemecek的言论与其他一些健康专家的言论是一致的，故选A。]
4．What is the purpose of the text
A．To discuss health problems.
B．To present findings of a recent study.
C．To warn people about social media use.
D．To show threats to Americans' health.
B [考查写作目的。根据文章内容尤其是文章首尾两段的呼应可知，本文主要介绍了一项新研究的结果：尽管社交媒体使得人们更易与他人产生联系，但许多美国人却感到比以往任何时候都孤独。故选B。]
B
(2020·山西省六校高三第一次阶段测试)
More than half of working Africans have jobs in agriculture，but inadequate tools and a lack of investment have left the continent's mostly small farms struggling to feed a growing population.Now，a wave of technological solutions is aiming to help.
Esther Usman，from Kaduna State，Northwest Nigeria，has been growing corn since she was 17，when she dropped out of school to support her family after her father's death.Two decades on，she was struggling.She often lay awake at night worrying about how to feed and educate her children.At times，money ran so low that she was forced to sell her crop for a bit.
“If my farm was affected by pests，I could only afford to buy a small amount of pesticide，which was usually not effective.And corn in storage is often lost to moisture(潮气) and pests，which is a big problem，” says Usman，now 38.
In 2017，Usman joined Babban Gona，a social enterprise that acts as a farmers' partner and offers farmers credit，training and other support.It was launched in 2012 with 102 farmers，and now works with 20，000.Field officers employed by Babban Gona photograph its farmers' fields.An app reviews the photos，evaluating the germination(发芽) rate and seeing if the soil needs nutrients based on leaf colors.The field officers step in to warn farmers of any problems they find and advise on possible solutions.Some farmers have increased their yields(产量) by 50 percent.
Once the corn is harvested，Babban Gona stores it in sealed containers and aims to sell it at the right time to maximize the farmers' profits.The payments Usman receives from Babban Gona allow her to invest in a cow，to buy new clothes for her family，and to build a house.
语篇解读 文章以Esther Usman为例介绍了非洲农民在科技的帮助下生活状况得以改善的情况。
5．What can Usman be described in her early life
A．Active but unskilled.
B．Responsible and wise.
C．Hardworking but penniless.
D．Pained and unambitious.
C [考查推理判断。根据第二段内容可推断，Usman在早年间虽然努力工作但过着贫穷的生活。]
6．What was the challenge for Usman after harvesting corn
A．Selling it.
B．Reserving it.
C．Killing pests on the farm.
D．Feeding and educating her children.
B [考查细节理解。根据第三段中的“And corn in storage is often lost to moisture(潮气) and pests，which is a big problem”可知，Usman说储藏中的玉米经常会因为潮气和害虫而坏掉，因此对她来说收完玉米后的储存是个问题，即储存玉米是一个挑战。故答案为B。]
7．How do the field officers work in Babban Gona
A．They evaluate the photos of crops.
B．They lend money to needy farmers.
C．They send photos taken by farmers to an app.
D．They serve as a bridge between farmers and it.
D [考查推理判断。根据第四段中对field officers的工作内容的介绍“Field officers employed by Babban Gona photograph its farmers' fields...The field officers step in to warn farmers of any problems they find and advise on possible solutions”可知，Babban Gona雇用的田地工作人员对农民的田地进行拍照，一个应用程序审核这些照片并评估这些照片中的农作物，而后田地工作人员告诉农民他们发现的任何问题，并就可能的解决方案提出建议。由此可推知，田地工作人员充当了农民和这个公司之间的桥梁。]
8．What does the text mainly talk about
A．Technology helps African farmers live better.
B．A company supports African farmers.
C．Farming in Africa is faced with a difficult situation.
D．African farmers invent smart farming.
A [考查主旨大意。本文以Esther Usman为例介绍了科技帮助非洲农民改善生活状况，故答案为A。]
Ⅱ.完形填空
(2020·日照市重点中学高三5月联考)
My adviser interviewed me over the phone.He__1__my undergraduate record and thought I had a graduate degree.Therefore，I was__2__to the Ph.D.program.He welcomed me into his lab even after knowing the__3__．
I began to get into a running start.I__4__myself into reading every paper found and testing scientific questions.But four years later，I felt lost because I__5__passed my qualifying exam.Then a friend asked me to volunteer as a barman at a gala (盛会).I was __6__at first，having never worked behind a bar，__7__ I said yes in the end.I spent an evening__8__cutting fruit and doing other unskilled tasks.I was tired but also felt unbelievable—surprising how much__9__I had.
Later，I realized the reason why I enjoyed this experience so much was that the__10__of this job were exactly what I was __11__from my Ph.D.program.It was only physically tiring，for the tasks I did were__12__．At that point，I had not had a pause in __13__as hard as I could for four years，and I was completely __14__of the toll (损害) it was taking on my spirit.Since then，I've tried to give my mind more__15__．
语篇解读 本文是记叙文，主题语境是“人与自我”。作者偶然加入了博士课程，因此努力提高自己，证明自己，甚至没有好好休息，后来作者认识到大脑休息也很重要。
1．A.disbelieved B．rejected
C．misread D．mixed
C [根据空后的“my undergraduate record and thought I had a graduate degree”可知，他误读(misread)了作者的学士学位，以为作者有硕士学位。disbelieve“不相信，怀疑”；reject“拒绝”；mix“混合”。]
2．A.introduced B．admitted
C．accompanied D．compensated
B [根据下文中的“He welcomed me into his lab”可知，作者被准许加入(admitted)博士课程了。introduce“介绍，引进”；accompany“陪同，陪伴”；compensate“补偿”。]
3．A.criterion B．gap
C．weakness D．error
D [根据上文可知，他误读了作者的学士学位，且把作者加进了博士课程，故此处表示即使发现了错误(error)，他还是欢迎作者到他的实验室。criterion“标准”；gap“差距”；weakness“弱点”。]
4．A.argued B．tricked
C．threw D．frightened
C [作者投身于阅读自己能找到的每一篇论文。argue oneself into“说服自己(做某事)”；trick oneself into“骗自己(做某事)”；throw oneself into“投身于，热衷于”；frighten oneself into“把自己吓得(做某事)”。]
5．A.merely B．surprisingly
C．easily D．barely
D [根据空前的“But four years later，I felt lost because”可知，此处表示虽然作者那么努力，但是他的资格考试勉强(barely)才及格。merely“仅仅”；surprisingly“惊人地”；easily“轻松地”。]
6．A.optimistic B．thrilled
C．confused D．hesitant
D [根据下文中的“having never worked behind a bar”可知，作者从来没有在吧台工作过。由此可知，此处表示作者一开始是犹豫的(hesitant)。optimistic“乐观的”；thrilled“兴奋的”；confused“迷惑的”。]
7．A.but B．so
C．and D．or
A [作者一开始是犹豫的，而下文提到作者最后答应了，由此可知，空处前后构成转折关系，故用but。]
8．A.going about B．looking through
C．bursting in D．carrying on
A [根据空后提到的工作内容和下文的“tired”可知，此处表示作者一整个晚上都在忙着切水果和做其他不需要特殊技能的活儿。go about“忙于”。 ]
9. A．joy B．experience
C．skill D．comfort
A [根据下文的“why I enjoyed...so much”可知，作者感到难以置信——惊叹于自己从中感到的乐趣。]
10．A.designs B．chances
C．varieties D．demands
D [作者意识到这是因为这份工作的要求(demands)正是他在博士课程中所错过(missing)的。design“设计”；chance“机会”；variety“品种”。]
11．A.missing B．suffering
C．learning D．avoiding
A [参见上题解析。]
12．A.boring B．meaningful
C．simple D．vague
C [根据上文中的“cutting fruit and doing other unskilled tasks”可知，此处表示作者做的工作很简单(simple)。boring“无聊的，令人厌烦的”；meaningful“有意义的”；vague“模糊的，含糊的”。]
13．A.hitting B．thinking
C．winning D．complaining
B [作者四年来都尽可能不休息，一直努力思考(thinking)。]
14．A.nervous B．ashamed
C．proud D．unaware
D [作者完全没有意识到它带给自己精神上的损害。be nervous of“害怕”；be ashamed of“为……感到羞愧”；be proud of“为……感到自豪”；be unaware of“没有意识到”。]
15．A.practices B．motivations
C．breaks D．reasons
C [根据作者的这次经历和“I had not had a pause”可知，此处表示，从那以后，作者试着让他的大脑有更多的休息(breaks)。]
Ⅲ.语法填空
(2020·昆明市高三“三诊一模”摸底诊断测试)
David Katz was upset by all the plastic going into the ocean.To help solve the problem，he had a 1.________(create)idea—to treat plastic like money.Mr.Katz calls his idea the “Plastic Bank”．The goal of the Plastic Bank is to use plastic to help people solve the problems 2.________(gradual).The Plastic Bank adds a value to plastic waste by paying people to recycle it.
The program began in 2015 in Haiti，a poor island nation with many 3.________(problem) of waste plastic.The Plastic Bank has 30 “markets” in Haiti.At the Plastic Bank markets，people can exchange the plastic they've collected for 4.________ they need.The Plastic Bank markets sell lots of things that local people need.The stores also allow plastic collectors to use the money they earn to pay 5.________ health care or school.
To make sure that the plastic 6.________(recycle)，the Plastic Bank works with partners，who agree 7.________(use)the plastic that is collected.When customers buy these products，which are labeled “Social Plastic”，they know that they are both helping people in other parts of the world 8.________ keeping plastic out of the ocean.So far，the Plastic Bank 9.________(keep) about 7 million pounds of plastic out of the ocean.It makes a great 10.________(contribute)to the ocean.
语篇解读 David Katz对被扔进海洋的塑料感到烦恼，为了帮助解决这个问题，他想出了一个创造性的想法——塑料银行，即像对待钱一样对待塑料。
1．解析： 考查形容词。分析句子结构可知，空处修饰名词idea，应用形容词形式，所以填creative。
答案： creative
2．解析： 考查词性转换。分析句子结构可知，空处修饰动词solve，应用副词形式，在句子中作状语，所以填gradually。
答案： gradually
3．解析： 考查名词的单复数。problem为可数名词，空处被many修饰，故此处应用名词复数，所以填problems。
答案： problems
4．解析： 考查宾语从句的连接词。分析句子结构可知，空处引导宾语从句，在从句中作need的宾语，表示“……的事物”，所以填what。
答案： what
5．解析： 考查介词。pay for sth.“为……付款”是固定用法，所以填介词for。
答案： for
6．解析： 考查动词的时态、语态和主谓一致。此处为客观描述，应用一般现在时；分析句子成分可知，空处为句子的谓语，与句子主语the plastic构成被动关系，故用被动结构，即be＋done，又主语为单数形式，所以填is recycled。
答案： is recycled
7．解析： 考查固定用法。agree to do sth.“同意做某事”是固定用法，故填to use。
答案： to use
8．解析： 考查连词。根据该句中的“both”可知，此处考查both...and...“不仅……而且……”固定搭配，故用连词and。
答案： and
9．解析： 考查动词的时态和主谓一致。根据该句中的时间状语So far 可知，空处应用现在完成时形式，即have/has＋done，另句子的主语the Plastic Bank是单数形式，所以填has kept。
答案： has kept
10．解析： 考查名词。分析句子结构可知，空处作动词make的宾语，被冠词a和形容词great修饰，应用名词单数形式，所以填contribution。
答案： contribution
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