中考英语专题复习之外刊英语阅读理解每日一练（一）(含答案)

外刊阅读理解每日一练（一）
Day 1
A tough flu season (P2)
‘Tripledemic’ pushes the US government to roll out new measures
“三重疫情”来势汹汹，美国政府推出应对新举措
This year’s flu season may be especially devastating (破坏性极强的) for people in the US as the country is now undergoing what many are calling a “tripledemic”. It’s a combined assault (组合式攻击) of three viruses at once – COVID-19, the flu, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV, 呼吸道合胞病毒).
People in the US may be especially vulnerable (易受攻击的) to this newest wave of illness. As Forbes put it, “children and adults are back out in crowds, with no masks, no distancing (保持社交距离) in the past three years.”
As of Dec 20, nearly 27 million people in the US had already had the flu. There are up to 250,000 flu-related hospitalizations (住院治疗) and between 7,000 and 20,000 reported deaths. These numbers don’t include illnesses related to COVID-19 and RSV. Only 15.5 percent of adults in the US are reported to have gotten the latest booster shot (加强针) to protect against the Omicron variant (变种), according to US News & World Report. The RSV virus is also worrying people. Although it usually infects children at a young age, it is now infecting adults in the US as well.
To fight against this “tripledemic”, a variety of measures are being taken. The most recent flu vaccine (疫苗) available in the US protects against four different strains (株) of the flu. A high-dose (剂量) version is made available for high-risk populations such as the elderly. The US government has also promised to take action, setting out a “Winter Preparedness Plan” to combat a new rise in COVID-19 cases. It has pushed to make free community testing available at over 15,000 sites. Families can also order four free at-home COVID-19 tests to be mailed directly.
Choose the answer:
1. Why is this year’s flu season especially serious in the US
A. Because there is a new virus called “tripledemic”.
B. Because all Americans have respiratory problems due to COVID-19.
C. Because there are different kinds of viruses coming together.
D. Because new viruses are always much stronger than those before.
2. Which of the following about the situation is correct
A. The RSV virus only infects children now.
B. Only 15.5 percent of US people have gotten shots for COVID-19.
C. Most US adults have gotten the latest booster shot against Omicron.
D. About 250,000 hospitalizations in the US result from the flu.
3. What has the Biden administration done to fight against the flu
a. Set up community testing sites.
b. Created a vaccine against four strains.
c. Allowed each family to order four free at-home COVID-19 tests.
d. Offered free treatment for the elderly.
A. abc B. bcd C. abd D. acd
Day 2
Showing big love (P4-5)
A miniature artist remakes old houses from people’s memories
手作留住乡愁 —— 微缩模型还原记忆中的老屋
The stone walls, the courtyard (院子), clothes hung on a clothesline ... at first sight, you may think they’re real. But in fact, you’ve fallen down a rabbit hole of miniatures (微观模型) of Chinese rural (农村的) houses in the 1990s made by a miniature artist.
Feng Jiangtao, 32, has made more than 40 miniatures for people from around the country to reproduce (再现) the old houses that carry their memories.
In April 2021, Feng made a miniature of an old shop in his hometown — Yongzhou, Hunan province. It showed black tiles (瓦片) and gray walls, a small TV playing cartoons and a bulb (灯泡) giving out a warm, bright glow (光) .
He then posted a video of this miniature online and it went viral (走红). People from around the country contacted (联系) him, asking him to make models of their old houses using photos they provided.
Making miniatures is not easy. It usually takes Feng about 10 days to finish a miniature. He makes them in the ratio of 1:30 to the home’s real size. To better remake the old house, he uses real building materials, such as cement (水泥), wood, and soil and then focuses on how to make it look old.
Some parts are more complicated (复杂的), such as making tiles. Since there are no such small-sized tiles, he needs to cut them out of black cardboard or make small models with tile powder.
Every miniature model has a story behind it. One of his customers, a post-90s girl, once asked him to reproduce an old house in her hometown Jiangxi. She used to live there with her parents. She wanted to give the model to her mother to keep the memory of her deceased (过世的) father.
“It is the old house that is miniaturized; however, it enlarges (放大) the warm family affection (亲情) and love and treasures (珍藏) the good old days that are gone forever,” Feng told China Daily.
did you know
Miniature models can be used for different purposes (用途) in many fields.
● Hobby:
Many people take it as a hobby to build miniature models. Some models are built just for static (静态的) display, but some can work and move, such as trains that roll on small tracks, and airplanes and rockets that fly.
● Architecture:
Architecture firms usually ask model makers to make models of projects to sell their designs (设计) to builders.
● Military:
In the armed forces, miniatures of airplanes, helicopters or tanks have been made. The models are used to train gunners to recognize targets (识别目标). Sometimes models have been made to show places under attack or where war would take place.
● Film production:
The use of miniature models in film allows filmmakers to produce otherwise impossible shots of everything from flying cars to sinking (下沉的) ships. For example, in the film Titanic, a 1:20 scale (按比例缩小的) miniature of the Titanic was used for most of the shots that captured the ship at sail (航行).
● Mental health therapy:
The fun of making miniature models improves mental health, too. According to Forces News, a modeling club has been set up at Catterick in North Yorkshire, UK. It is to helps war veterans (老兵) with their anxiety (焦虑). Many have found sitting quietly and making model planes and trains helped them feel better.
Choose the answer:
1. What do we know about the miniatures made by Feng Jiangtao
A. Many of them are of famous buildings in cities.
B. The first miniature was made abroad.
C. They are mainly of people.
D. They can help people remember their times from the past.
2. How did Feng Jiangtao become famous
A. He shot many videos about old houses.
B. He made models for an animation.
C. His video about a model of a shop went viral.
D. He helped many people make models of their old houses.
3. What are Paragraphs 5 and 6 mainly about
A. The normal size of a miniature.
B. The complicated parts of a miniature.
C. What materials Feng uses.
D. How Feng makes his models.
4. Why did the post-90s girl ask Feng to make a miniature
A. So that she could ask her mother to live with her.
B. To give it to her mother as a birthday gift.
C. To keep the memory of her father.
D. To help her mother build a house.
5. How can we describe Feng’s works
A. Large and beautiful.
B. Small and easy to make.
C. Modern and expensive.
D. Warm and memorable.
Day 3
Opening the hearts of autistic children through music (P5)
Students create a musical game app to help children with autism
高校学生用科技和创意疗愈“星星的孩子”
Autistic (自闭症的) children are also known as “children of the stars”. They may have difficulties communicating with other people, but music – as a kind of artistic language – can open their hearts. By combining (结合) music with mobile technology, three students from Shanghai Jiao Tong University have tried to help them with an app called Starrypia.
Tan Yilan, Zhang Junwei and Cai Yu spent five months building their AR-gamified (AR游戏化的) music therapy (疗法) app for children with autism. Children use the app to scan (扫描) things around them and they get clips (片段) of music as well as cartoon images. Then they rearrange (重组) the clips to create songs, which would be recorded in their music diary.
“This is actually a kind of music therapy, through which autistic children can better express themselves. The process also trains their abilities of cognition (认知), listening (听音) and concentration (专注),” said Tan. With AR interaction (互动), the app encourages children to scan and identify dolls, animals and plants. They even designed (设计) different levels, guiding users from their surroundings to nature.
According to the app’s developers, traditional music therapy is usually taken in hospitals. Autistic children sit in front of computers learning some music courses. But Starrypia makes the process more like a game, reducing children’s resistance (抵触). Besides, it can be used anytime and anywhere, making the therapy lighter and easier.
Starrypia will soon be launched (发布) on the APP Store. The developers are also preparing to sell the music works created by autistic children in the digital form of NFT (非同质化代币), and return the income to their families. When they tested the app on autistic children, they got good responses (反馈), not only in professional terms but also on the children’s faces. “I saw their smiles as they played with Starrypia, making everything worth it,” said Tan.
Answer the questions:
1. What is Starrypia
______________________________________________________________________
2. What is Paragraph 3 mainly about
______________________________________________________________________
3. What might children feel like they are doing in the process of using Starrypia
______________________________________________________________________
4. Who will get the income from selling the autistic children’s music works
______________________________________________________________________
5. Please translate the following sentence:
When they tested the app on autistic children, they got good responses, not only in professional terms but also on the children’s faces.
______________________________________________________________________
Day 4
Keep your nose warm (P6)
Scientists find out why we get sick more easily in winter
为什么冬天更容易感冒？科学家发现跟鼻子的免疫力有关
It’s getting colder outside, and you know what that means – it’s time for flu season. Why do people get more colds, flu and now COVID-19 when it’s chilly (寒冷的) outside
In a new study, scientists have found the answer. It turns out that the cold air itself damages (破坏) the immune response (免疫反应) in our noses.
The nose is an important part of our body’s immune system. When a virus (病毒) goes into the nose, the nose detects (发现) it, and the cells (细胞) there begin to create billions of simple copies (复制品) of themselves called extracellular vesicles (EVs).
“EVs can’t divide like cells can, but they are like little mini versions of cells that can kill the viruses,” Benjamin Bleier, the author of the study from Harvard Medical School, told CBS News. “They are like little arms that grab on to the viruses as you breathe them in.” Then, the viruses sticking (黏住) to EVs will be expelled (排出) from our body in the form of snot (鼻涕).
However, when cold weather hits, the nose’s “superpower” becomes less powerful. The study found that when the temperature inside the nose drops by 5 C, nearly 50 percent of the billions of EVs will be taken out of the fight. Cold air makes people catch viruses more easily because “you’ve lost half of your immunity”, said Bleier.
This is why we should wear masks in winter. “Wearing masks can not only protect us from viruses, but it’s also like wearing a sweater on our nose,” Bleier said. The warmer you keep your nose, the better it works to fight against viruses.
In the future, Bleier expects to see the development of nasal medications (鼻腔用药) that build upon this new finding. Scientists may find a way to “fool the nose into thinking it has just seen a virus”, Bleier said.

SOURCE: OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
PHOTO FROM VCG; GRAPHIC BY LI PING
Other defenders of your body
· Lymph nodes (淋巴结): They produce antibodies (抗体) to kill germs (病菌) or abnormal (异常的) cells.
· Mucous membranes (黏膜): They are in the nose, mouth, stomach, intestine (肠) and other places. They contain cells that can kill germs.
· Bone marrow (骨髓): All immune system cells start out here. White blood cells come from here into our body to fight against germs.
· Tonsils (扁桃体): They are in the back of the throat. They filter (过滤) out germs that cause infection (感染).
· Thymus (胸腺): New white blood cells grow up here.
· Spleen (脾脏): It removes abnormal cells from the body.
· Skin: It keeps germs from entering the body.
How fever begins
When you catch a cold or flu, you may have a fever (发烧). This is because your body tries to kill the viruses. Most viruses can’t live in a hot environment. So what happens during the process
Stage 0: About 36.5 C
Pain in the throat and a runny nose
The immune system is trying to fight against the virus now. But viruses grow fast – thousands of them quickly spread through the body.
Stage 1: About 38 C
Feeling hot and cold at the same time
The immune system cannot defend itself alone. The heat-regulating center in the brain starts to increase body temperature.
Stage 2: About the peak
Fast heartbeats and breaths
Your body temperature stays at a high level, and the spread of the virus slows down. Your body creates antibodies which stop the virus from infecting new cells.
Stage 3: Path to recovery
Cooling down and sweating
After the virus is controlled, the heat-regulating system will bring down the body temperature. The heat will be released through sweat and urine (尿液). So you need to drink plenty of water.
Choose the answer:
1. Why do people get more colds when it’s chilly outside
A. Because the immune response in noses disappears in cold air.
B. Because there are more viruses in the cold air.
C. Because cold air damages the immune system in the nose.
D. Because cold air creates more copies of EVs.
2. How can EVs kill the viruses
A. They stop people from breathing in viruses.
B. They help get viruses out of the body with snot.
C. They divide like cells and fight the viruses.
D. They make viruses smaller and weaker.
3. How many EVs will you lose when the temperature inside the nose drops by 5 C
A. Five percent of the EVs in your nose.
B. 50 billion EVs.
C. Half of the EVs in your nose.
D. All of the EVs in your nose.
4. What do we know about future nasal medications
A. They play a role just like a mask.
B. They can keep the nose warm.
C. They will kill viruses directly.
D. They may be able to fool the nose.
Day 5
Cloze
One place that is really important in my life is my grandmother’s house. She lives in a small village in the south. I go to 1 my grandmother every summer. I can get away from the 2 and relax.
The village is just a group of white houses on a hillside (山坡) with only a few small shops. So it’s really 3 .
One reason why I like the village is that it’s a beautiful place. My grandmother has a lovely 4 and we can sit under the trees, drinking sweet tea and chatting. It’s so pleasant. But the main reason why this place is so 5 to me is my grandmother herself. She is so kind to me, and wonderful to talk to. Also, she’s a great 6 and the meals she prepares are simple, 7 so fresh and tasty. And she’s always giving me snacks during the day, so I always 8 home, feeling calm and refreshed (恢复精神的) ... and fat!
I really love visiting my grandmother for the holidays. I admit (承认) that I probably couldn’t 9 somewhere like that all the time. It would be hard to live in a small village where everybody knows each other. I’d rather live in a busy, exciting place. But I think this small village is the best place for me to take a 10 and stay with my grandmother.
( )1. A. find B. visit C. leave D. watch
( )2. A. city B. village C. country D. farm
( )3. A. busy B. peaceful C. modern D. large
( )4. A. room B. office C. kitchen D. garden
( )5. A. strange B. usual C. funny D. important
( )6.A. nurse B. teacher C. cook D. dancer
( )7. A. if B. or C. but D. as
( )8. A. return B. turn C. reach D. arrive
( )9.A. live B. wait C. find D. paint
( )10. A. risk B. break C. step D. choice
参考答案：
Day 1: CDA
Day 2: DCDCD
Day 3: 1. It is a music therapy app for autistic children.
2. How Starrypia helps children with autism.
3. They might feel that they are playing a game.
4. The families of the autistic children.
5. 他们在自闭症儿童中测试这款应用程序时得到了很好的反馈，这不仅体现在专业方面，也表现在孩子们的脸上。
Day 4: CBCD
Day 5: 1-5 BABDD 6-10 CCAAB