2023年北京市高三英语二模试题分项选编：阅读理解（含答案）

2023年北京市高三英语二模试题分项选编：阅读理解
一、阅读理解
(2023·北京市市辖区·模拟题)
A
General LRC rules
We have a number of simple rules to help you use the Language Resource Centre （LRC）.Please cooperate and enjoy your visit with us.
● No eating or drinking
● No copying of audio cassettes
● You can use the LRC cither on your own during self - access times or you may use it with your teacher as part of a lesson.
● If you use it as a self-access student，you must scan your borrower barcode （issued by the library staff） when entering and leaving.The LRC is for use by Language Centre students only.
● All bags must be put in the bag-rack.
Please work quietly.This is a library and many students are studying for exams.
Photocopying
We have a photocopier available.Please ask the library staff to help you.The cost is 20 c for one A4 sheet.
Borrowing from the LRC
Language Centre students are permitted to borrow materials from the library.Other schools' students must use the facilities at their own schools.
Full-time students：Give your photo — ID card to the librarian and you will get an LRC number.Part-time students：You will need to bring your ﹩50.00 deposit receipt from the cashier.When your course finishes，bring your library card back and your deposit will be refunded in cash.
Loans
Language students can borrow up to 4 items （of which no more than 2 can be kits） at one time.Kits are bags containing book（s） plus cassette（s）.
All teacher trainee students may borrow up to 3 items：
● Test materials 1 week
● Listening kits 1 week
● Most other books 2 weeks
Books marked REF in red are reference books and cannot be taken out of the library.Books marked REF in green may be removed by staff only.
Most items can be renewed once.Test materials cannot be renewed.
1. What can we learn from the passage？ ______
A. You can borrow and copy audio cassettes from the LRC.
B. The LRC can only be used by students studying for exams.
C. Students and teachers can photocopy materials at the LRC for free
D. Teachers are allowed to use the LRC when giving lessons to students.
2. According to the passage，part -time students at the Language Center ______ .
A. can borrow at least four items at one time
B. should renew the test materials once a week
C. should pay a deposit before borrowing materials
D. can take books marked REF in red out of the library
3. What is the purpose of this passage？ ______
A. To explain how to use the LRC.
B. To recommend resources for language learning.
C. To present the different functions of school facilities.
D. To introduce how to borrow reference books from the LRC.
(2023·北京市市辖区·模拟题)
B
Virtual reality is rapidly changing the way education is being imparted in some of the leading schools worldwide.The transfer of knowledge is no longer restricted to pen and paper，blackboard and chalk，and PowerPoint presentations.It has taken a turn towards experience-based learning in its truest form.This is so because，with virtual reality，the observers are transported into a whole new world which has been designed to provide visual and touchable stimuli to them，allowing more knowledge to be kept in mind.
In recent years，the concept of virtual reality-based language learning is starting to come into focus.In order to be fluent in any given language，or have a sound grasp of it，you have to be immersed in an environment where it is the primary medium of communication.Think of it like this.If you are learning Spanish in the Netherlands，you won't have adequate exposure to the language，but if you choose to learn Spanish in Spain，or any other Spanish – speaking country，you are far more likely to succeed，because you will have countless avenues to practice your language skills in a real world setting.
This leads us to an important point — most people who are learning a foreign language are nor exposed to favorable linguistic conditions like the ones mentioned earlier.Virtual reality is seeking to bridge this gap by exposing the subject to a virtual environment where their chosen language is the main mode of communication.
Since the arrival of user-friendly virtual reality gear，some applications have been designed.House of Languages is one of them.It is already available on the Gear VR.It involves an animated raccoon that is looking for you to find certain objects in a virtual environment，whose names would be in the language that you are learning.Often you will hear the name，or the name will appear as a thought - bubble over the raccoon's head.Then you will have to look through the environment to find the object in question.There are several environments in this VR experience，each with its own set of animated objects.
Virtual reality is definitely showing increasing promise in the educational sector and the day isn't far away when it will become one of the major media in education.What about you？Would you learn a new language in virtual reality？
4. Why does the author mention learning Spanish in the Netherlands in Paragraph 2？ ______
A. To state that traveling is helpful for language learning.
B. To stress the importance of the language learning environment.
C. To show that some virtual reality applications are available for language learning.
D. To inform us of the favorable learning environment for Spanish in the Netherlands.
5. How does the author develop the passage？ ______
A. By giving examples and using quotation.
B. By stating the definition and showing facts.
C. By presenting an opinion and listing figures.
D. By analyzing the problem and providing a solution.
6. What is the author's attitude towards the use of virtual reality in education？ ______
A. Negative. B. Positive. C. Doubtful. D. Neutral.
(2023·北京市市辖区·模拟题)
C
Plants need sunlight for photosynthesis （光合作用），the process of absorbing energy from light to create their own food from carbon dioxide and water.That's why plants grow and thrive in the warmer months when there is more daylight and are dormant in the colder months.
But this process isn't particularly efficient and only one percent of the energy contained in sunlight actually ends up in the plant，according to a news release from the University of California，Riverside.Now scientists at the university have found a way to bypass the need for natural photosynthesis and to create food by using artificial photosynthesis.This allows plants to grow in complete darkness. "With our approach we sought to identify a new way of producing food that could break through the limits normally imposed by biological photosynthesis，" corresponding author Robert Jinkerson，a UCR assistant professor of chemical and environmental engineering said in the news release.
The researchers devoted to artificial photosynthesis used a two-step electrocatalytic （电催化） process to convent CO2，water，and electricity into acetate （醋酸盐）— the main ingredient of vinegar — that the plant organisms consumed to grow.The researchers adjusted the electrolyzer，a device that uses electricity to support the growth of food producing organisms.to come up with the highest levels of acetate ever produced by this method.
The new artificial photosynthesis method could be up to 18 times more efficient than sunlight.Experiments showed that a large range of food producing organisms could be grown using this acetate. "We were able to grow food producing organisms without any contributions from biological photosynthesis，" said Elizabeth Hann，a doctoral candidate in the Jinkerson lab and co-lead author of the study. "This technology is a more efficient method of turning solar energy into food，as compared to food production that relics on biological photosynthesis，" she said.
By eliminating the need for sunlight，he potential of this method to increase food supply in regions with less - than ideal growing conditions is almost endless，according to New Atlas.
Food will be able to be grown almost anywhere，including in space and on other planets. "Imagine someday giant vessels growing tomato plants in the dark and on Mars — how much easier would that be for future Martians？" co-author Martha Orozco-Cárdenas，director of the UCR Plant Transformation Research Center said.
While this may be years off，the potential to grow food using artificial photosynthesis has great value in feeding a hungry place where the population is growing and arable land shrinking.This new method increases the efficiency of food production using less land and minimizes the environmental impact on the planet.
7. What does the underlined word "dormant" in Paragraph 1 most probably mean？ ______
A. Fresh. B. Resting. C. Healthy. D. Normal.
8. What is Paragraph 3 mainly about？ ______
A. The process of artificial photosynthesis.
B. The contribution of natural photosynthesis.
C. The efficiency of sunlight on plant organisms.
D. The wide range of applications of artificial photosynthesis.
9. According to Martha Orozco-Cárdenas，artificial photosynthesis is ______ .
A. accurate B. dangerous C. promising D. impractical
10. What can we learn from the passage？ ______
A. Biological photosynthesis can help produce higher quality food.
B. Biological photosynthesis is more efficient in turning solar energy into food.
C. Using artificial photosynthesis may decrease the efficiency of food production.
D. Using artificial photosynthesis to grow food can reduce environmental influence.
(2023·北京市市辖区·模拟题)
D
Have you ever seen a kid in class who wouldn't volunteer to read or answer a question？I was that type of student.Talking in class was a struggle for me because the fear of saying the wrong thing was always on my mind.
There were constant announcements about students in our class winning writing awards.It was a dream for me.I have always felt unsure of myself when writing.Semicolons confused me and I used too many commas.I had no idea how to cite anything.During my freshman year，the teacher would pick the best essay in our class to be read out loud，but mine was never chosen.I found it really hard to write an essay.
One teacher Mr.Wilson，who taught me the next semester，changed everything.He was in his fifties and had a reputation for having a particular teaching style.He connected writing and reading to football，but somehow it made sense.What really made him special to me was that every class he would pick someone to read their writing out loud to the class.
In one of his lessons，he said： "I will not always pick the essay that I think has the best grammar or use of vocabulary.I will pick the one that I think has the most character." This part was confusing tome because how can writing have character？He went on to explain： "I want to read something that I can tell the writer feel a lot while writing it.I want to feel the emotions you were going through as you wrote it."
A few weeks later，for the first time，my essay was chosen to be read to my classmates.I can't even remember what it was about，but I remember how nervous I was to see his reaction，mixed with pride at the fact that he felt like my work was worth sharing.He gave me his comments at the end of it，but I was too nervous to remember them.After class，he told me he was excited to read more of my work.
He made me feel special in the way he led the class，and I got over my fear of sharing my work in class.He made me believe in my writing abilities and gave me the confidence to continue writing.
11. Talking in class used to be difficult for the author because ______ .
A. he had never won any awards for speaking
B. he didn't know how to answer questions
C. he had no idea how to cite anything
D. he was afraid of making mistakes
12. According to the author，what made Mr.Wilson different from other teachers？ ______
A. His style of teaching. B. His love for students.
C. His interest in writing. D. His passion for football.
13. From the passage，we can know that ______ .
A. Mr.Wilson preferred essays with good use of vocabulary
B. the author remembered Mr.Wilson's comments very well
C. Mr.Wilson thought the author's passage was full of emotions
D. the author believed that his essay was worth sharing in the class
14. Which of the following words can best describe Mr.Wilson？ ______
A. Kind and ambitious. B. Honest and confident.
C. Creative and inspiring. D. Reliable and generous.
(2023·北京市市辖区·模拟题)
E
Besides the theory of evolution，Charles Darwin was also responsible for the theory of emotion，the most important principle of which was that the mind consists of two competing forces，the rational（理性的）and the emotional.He believed emotions played a part in the lives of non-human animals，but in humans emotions were a very small remaining part whose usefulness had been largely replaced by the evolution of reason.
This theory dominated his field for more than a century，but it was dead wrong.We now know that，on the contrary，emotions enhance our process of reasoning and aid our decision-making.In fact，we can't make decisions，or even think，without being influenced by our emotions.
Consider a pioneering 2020 study in which researchers analyzed the work of 118 professional traders at four investment banks.Some were highly successful，but many were not.The researchers' goal was to understand what differentiated the two groups.Their conclusion？The traders had different attitudes toward emotions.
The relatively less successful traders for the most part denied that emotions had an effect on their decision-making.The most successful traders，in contrast，had a different attitude.They showed a great willingness to reflect on their emotion-driven behaviour.They recognised that emotion and good decision-making were linked.Accepting that emotions were necessary for high performance，they tended to reflect critically about the role of emotion.Though the successful traders accepted the positive and essential role emotions played，they understood that when emotions become too intense it is useful to know how to tone them down.The issue for them was not how to avoid emotion，but how to harness it.
If emotions aid rational reasoning，how does that work？Perhaps the most important discovery regarding the role of emotion is that even when you believe you are exercising cold，logical reason，you aren't.People aren't usually aware of it，but the very framework of their thought process is highly influenced by what they're feeling at the time.As the Caltech neuroscientist Ralph Adolph s puts it："Each emotion is a functional state of the mind that puts your brain in a particular mode of operation that adjusts your goals，directs your attention，and modifies（调整） the weights you assign to various factors as you do mental calculations."
The new view of emotion may not correspond to the way Darwin saw it，but it does support one of the basic conclusions of his theory of evolution：humans are not as different from non-human animals as people believed.Want to fare better？Value and regulate your emotion.
15. Based on the study，successful traders would ______ .
A. reveal their hidden emotions
B. owe their success to emotions
C. review decisions depending on emotions
D. examine their actions influenced by emotions
16. What does the underlined word"harness"in Paragraph 4 most probably mean？ ______
A. Control and use. B. Analyse and release.
C. Face and adapt to. D. Understand and accept.
17. According to Paragraph 5，which of the following is the best example of Ralph Adolphs' words？ ______
A. Confidence may expose one to more chances.
B. Depression will consume one's energy.
C. Anger may lead one to risk-seeking.
D. Optimism will affect one's health.
18. What is mainly discussed in the passage？ ______
A. The contributing factors to emotions.
B. The workable strategies of emotions.
C. The working principle of emotions.
D. The constructive role of emotions.
(2023·北京市市辖区·模拟题)
F
Run by Society for Science，Regeneron Science Talent Search is a premier science and math competition for high-school seniors.One of the winners of this year is 17-year-old Ethan Wong，who tries to improve existing technology.His focus：airplanes.
Nearly all planes have a tail.The tail keeps the plane's nose from suddenly changing direction during a turn.The structure adds stability but weighs the plane down.Tailless-designed airplane wings could serve the same function as the tail，as well as cutting the environmental cost of air travel.But there's a catch.Those wings must twist（弯曲） in a very precise way that makes them hard to produce.
Ethan became fascinated by this kind of airplane design when he saw a video of NASA's Prandtl-D aircraft gliding gracefully through the air without a tail."I just thought that was really cool，"says Ethan.He wondered if he could find a simpler way to achieve the same tailless flight.
"Essentially what I did was just trial and error，"Ethan says.Using a computer model of an airplane wing，he adjusted the angle of twist along the wing until it could achieve tailless flight.Usually，such a wing requires a continuous distribution of wing twist.But he could achieve a similar effect with wings that had just a few sections of twist."It's super easy to make，"Ethan says.
In his garage，Ethan built model airplanes using rubber materials and packing tape totes this design."Seeing the plane in the air was pretty cool，"Ethan says."It just flew really，really well."
Lighter，more efficient planes could open the door to other air travel innovations."It's been a long-term goal of mine to build a solar plane that can fly through the day powered by solar panels on its wings，"Ethan says."It is absolutely possible for a really efficient plane."
To other teens who have big engineering ideas to explore，Ethan always says，"Don't ever give up."Even when some machinery feels impossible to understand，it help store member that the world's greatest inventors are only human，too."Also，just make sure you love whatever you do，"Ethan adds."That'll make pursuing everything a lot easier."
19. What is one advantage of the tailless airplane？ ______
A. It makes aircraft design easier. B. It is environmentally friendly.
C. It reduces production costs. D. It promotes flight stability.
20. What drew Ethan's attention to the tailless airplane design？ ______
A. The breakthrough in aircraft materials.
B. The flight of an aircraft in a video.
C. The prize for original design.
D. The desire for innovation.
21. In Ethan's opinion，what help inventors realize their dreams？ ______
A. Ambition and efficiency. B. Enthusiasm and responsibility.
C. Passion and determination. D. Confidence and independence.
(2023·北京市市辖区·模拟题)
G
Pacific Science Center fieldtrips have gone virtual!Bring the fun and excitement of a PacSci fieldtrip to your students while engaging them with enriching content designed to enhance your curriculum（课程）and arouse their curiosity.PacSci's educators join your classroom live from our Curiosity Studio，and lead students through live sessions featuring some of your favorite STEAM activities.Each program is 40 minutes long.We may be able to accommodate shorter or longer programs to fit your needs!
AVAILABLE PROGRAMS
Piece of Mind
Cost：﹩300
Maximum Number of Participants：40
Best for Grades：6-10
Description：Be inspired by the power of the brain as students learn how it controls memory，movement，and sight.Discover how the brain functions through live activities and fun puzzles，and see a real human brain sample!
Stick the Landing
Cost：﹩500 （includes 3 sessions）
Maximum Number of Participants：30
Best for Grades：9-12
Description：Over the course of 3 sessions，use the steps of the engineering design process to build a model of a Mar slander.Dive into past and future missions to Mars and carefully consider the criteria and restrictions for real Mars missions.Learn how engineers are just one of the many careers that contribute to complex solar system missions.
Night Sky Tonight
Cost Varies by Group Size
1-99 participants：﹩250
100-199 participants：﹩350
200+participants：﹩550
Maximum Number of Participants：Unlimited
Best for Grades：3-12
Description：Become a true backyard astronomer.Learn how living on a giant spinning ball changes what can be seen each night.Discover how to find stars，and even how the sky can be used to find directions!
Ecosystem Investigators Cost：﹩200
Maximum Number of Participants：50
Best for Grades：3-8
Description：Work as a team to create a virtual ecosystem model revealing how living and non-living parts connect and interact in an aquatic（水生的） environment.Using new knowledge about ecosystem interactions，become a wetland scientist and explore the relationship between organisms in a real pond sample.For more details，please check out our Program Requirements.
22. What can we learn about Pacific Science Center fieldtrips？ ______
A. Each program is for one certain grade.
B. The expense for each program varies.
C. The length for each program is unchangeable.
D. Every program has a max number of participants.
23. Cooperation is needed in the program ______ .
A. Piece of Mind B. Stick the Landing
C. Nigh tSky Tonight D. Ecosystem Investigators
24. The passage is intended for ______ .
A. tour guides B. research scientists
C. school teachers D. program designers
(2023·北京市市辖区·模拟题)
H
September 2022 was apparently the month artificial intelligence essay anxiety boiled over in academia，after a user of an AI writing service claimed to be getting straight A's with essays"written"using artificial intelligence.Most professors expressed concern.One wrote，"Grading something an AI wrote is an incredibly depressing waste of my life."
As all this online depression was playing out，I asked my students，who were mostly majors in writing，to submit a 2，000-word proposal about a local issue.I asked them to rely on the AI as much as possible.After reviewing their 22 AI essays，I can tell you confidently that the technology just isn't there.My students used free accessible text generators online and put in a lot of effort.But，if I had believed these were genuine student essays，the very best would have earned somewhere around a C or C-minus.Many of the essays had obvious red flags for AI generation：outdated facts，quotes from prior university presidents presented as current presidents，fictional professors and named student organizations that don't exist.At the same time，the students reported that using AI required far more time than simply writing their essays the old-fashioned way would have.
There has been a fair amount written about the supposed impressiveness of AI-generated text.There are even several high-profile AI-written articles，essays or even scientific papers or screenplays that showcase this impressiveness.In many of these cases，the"authors"have access to higher-quality language models than most students are currently able to use.But，more importantly，the published examples are generally the polished form of professional writers and editors.In contrast，many of my students' AI-generated essays showed the common problems of student writing—uncertainty about the appropriate writing style，issues with organization and transitions，and inconsistent paragraphing.Obviously，producing a quality essay with AI requires having high writing skill and revising skill to produce appropriate outputs.
My experimental so tells me that a good assignment sheet is the best defense against AI essays.If your assignment is"Describe the reasons for the U.S.Civil War"，you are more likely to get AI or downloaded essay submissions.My assignment was a challenge because it asked students to address local issues of concern.There are just not enough relevant examples in the data the AI text generators are drawing from.
It has been just over five years since computer scientists declared，"We should stop training radiologists（放射科医生） now.Deep learning is going to do better than radiologists."Well，we're still training radiologists，and there's no indication that deep learning is going to replace human doctors anytime soon.In much the same way，I strongly suspect full-on robot writing will always and forever be"just around the corner".
25. What can we learn about the students in the experiment？ ______
A. Their writing efficiency was affected.
B. Their essays were better structured.
C. They preferred AI-written essays.
D. They overcame AI's weaknesses.
26. What does the author imply in Paragraph 3？ ______
A. Online text generators are far from reliable.
B. Genuine student essays deserve higher marks.
C. Students need to have better mastery of technology.
D. Revising applications decide the quality of AI essays.
(2023·北京市市辖区·模拟题)
I
Become a Competent Medical Writer in 4 Weeks!
Hurry!This offer ends soon!Claim your spot TODAY!
Three years ago，I started a family and have experienced，financial stress since then.I could pay my bills alright，but that was all I could do.I couldn't even afford a.family holiday.
Fortunately，I discovered medical writing.I learned that it was about wring scientific documents.And I felt I had the necessary skills to start medical wring as a side hustle（副业） By the end of the year；I had my first contract as a freelance medical writer.I felt really secure financially and career-wise.
Today，we've observed more medical writers are wanted.So，in collaboration with some colleagues，we've prepared the most important lessons to help you become a competent medical writer：（By Alex）
The Complete Medical Writing Training
This online course is perfect for people with a life science degree.Here's the full course outline.
Week 1 The scientific writing process Introduction to medical writing：Learn about medical writing and decide your path The writing process：How to write the scientific document in four simple steps Researching to write：Find reliable sources easily to inform your medical writing and identify brilliant ideas from the literature
Week 2 Writing effectively
Outlining to write：The simplest strategy to structure any document perfectly for easier writing and better flow
Referencing：Learn when to cite and how to use common referencing styles and automate your referencing using online tools
Week 3 Other essentials
Scientific research：Update yourself on various clinical research approaches，designs and methods for better medical writing output
Essential biostatistics：How to use common statistical terms from the medical literature correctly in your writing
Week 4 Writing assignments
There are 8 marked writing assignments with feedback to help you improve your writing.
27. Why did Alex start medical writing？ ______
A. To improve medical skills.
B. To have more leisure time.
C. To get out of financial trouble.
D. To prepare for the writing training.
28. What will people learn by attending the courses？ ______
A. The ways of evaluating the assignments.
B. The steps of writing a scientific document.
C. The skills in using online writing correction tools.
D. The strategies for structuring medical knowledge.
29. What's the main purpose of the passage？ ______
A. To attract people to the training course.
B. To share the content of the writing course.
C. To introduce the benefits of medical writing.
D. To emphasize the importance of medical writing.
(2023·北京市市辖区·模拟题)
J
Newspapers，advertisements，and labels surround us everywhere，turning our environment into a mass of texts to be read or ignored.As the quantity of information we receive continually increases and as information spreading is shifting from page to screen，it may be time to ask how changes in our way of reading may affect our mental life.For how we receive information bears vitally on the ways we experience and interpret reality.
What is most obvious in the evolution of reading is the gradual displacement of the vertical（垂直的） by the horizontal- a shift from intensive to extensive reading.In our culture，access is not a problem，but proliferation（激增） is.And the reading act is necessarily different than it was in its earliest days.Awed by the availability of texts，the reader tends to move across surfaces without allowing the words to resonate（共鸣） inwardly.
Interestingly，this shift from vertical to horizontal parallels the overall societal shift from bounded lifetimes spent in single locales to lives lived in wider geographical areas amid streams of data.This larger access was once regarded as worldliness- one traveled，knew the life of cities，the ways of diverse people.It has now become the birthright of anyone who owns a television set.
How do we square the advantages and disadvantages of horizontal and vertical awareness？The villagers，who know everything about their surroundings，are blessedly unaware of events in distant lands.The media.obsessed urbanites，by contrast，never lose their awareness of what happens in different parts of the world.
We may ask，which people are happier？The villagers may have found more sense in things owing both to the limited range of their concern and the depth of their information.But restricted conditions and habit also suggest boredom and limitation.The lack of a larger perspective（视角） leads to suspiciousness and cautious conservatism，but for the same reason，the constant availability of data and macro-perspectives has its own decreasing returns.When everything is happening everywhere，it gets harder to care about anything.
How do we assign value？Where do we find the fixed context that allows us to create a narrative of sense about our lives？Ideally，I suppose，one would have the best of both worlds- the purposeful fixity of the local，as well as the availability of enhancing views：a natural ecology of information and context.
30. What can we learn about the first two paragraphs？ ______
A. Readers today tend to ignore deep engagement with texts.
B. It's difficult to shift from vertical to horizontal reading.
C. Where and how we read texts shapes our mental life.
D. People are tired of information proliferation.
31. According to the passage，villagers ______ .
A. have a deeper understanding of their surroundings
B. show no interest in what happens in the world
C. are less bored than media-obsessed urbanites
D. cannot adapt to changing situations
32. What can we learn from the passage？ ______
A. Vertical awareness allows us to care about others.
B. Changes in our reading habits lead to the societal shift.
C. It's wise to keep a balance between a local and a global view.
D. Horizontal reading affects our mindset more than vertical reading.
(2023·北京市市辖区·模拟题)
K
Coastal cities worldwide are squeezed by two opposing forces：urban sprawl（扩张） and the rising sea.This struggle is intensely visible in the flatlands where expanding neighborthoods routinely flood and saltwater flooding damages the river mouths that protect communities from the worst of our climate crisis.
Massive resources are being put into environmental restoration projects，and development is subject to many layers of approvals.Yet in 2022 the commissioners of a coastal city voted to expand a legal boundary that contains sprawl to allow a 400-acre warehouse project.They are failing to see the value of this land in the greater ecosystem.
Wetlands，coastal plains and forests do cheaply （or even for free） what seawalls and pumps do at a cost of billions of dollars.They are vital infrastructure（基础设施） that makes us more resilient against climate change，and the cost of destroying them or weakening their ability to function must be factored into the decisions we make to build and grow.
To do so，the economic incentives to develop any natural landscape should be weighed against the protective economic value that land already provides.Economists call this an "avoided damage" valuation.Local planning boards might consider the value of a sand dune or swamp in flood protection versus the expense of replacing it with a seawall and water pump system.Maintaining and restoring natural infrastructure to support healthy functioning saves money，time and lives.
The concept of "natural capital"，or the idea that ecosystem services should be valued in a similar manner as any form of wealth，dates back to the 1970s.Markets have always valued wood as a commodity（商品），for example，but not the services that came along with producing it，such as soil maintenance，carbon storage，and nutrient cycling.We didn't need a market for resources that industrialists saw as abundant（丰富的） and endlessly renewable.This exploitative（开发资源的） assumption turned out to be very wrong.Failing to measure the benefits of ecosystem services in policy and management decisions is a major reason many of those ecosystems disappeared.
It also seems crass to place a dollar amount on ecosystems that we'd rather view as priceless，existing for their own sake and valuable to humans in ways that are beyond capitalism.This preciousness is ethically sound.But developers have long confused pricelessness with worthlessness，allowing them to profit without paying for the consequences of destroying the environment.
Economic value is never the only reason nature is worth preserving；it is simply a powerful，underused tool to help us make decisions about how to live more sustainably in a climate changed world.If policy makers considered natural infrastructure in the language of economics，they might recognize just how deeply we rely on it.
33. What are the first two paragraphs mainly about？ ______
A. The consequences of the saltwater flooding.
B. The cause of the urban sprawl and the rising sea.
C. An approval to an environmental restoration project.
D. The problem caused by the expansion of coastal cities.
34. What can we learn from the passage？ ______
A. The idea of natural capital can enhance the profit of commodity.
B. The economic growth boosts the protection of natural landscape.
C. The abundance of resources is not the reason for devaluing them.
D. The exploitation of nature reflects the "avoided damage" valuation.
35. What does the underlined word "crass" in Paragraph 6 probably mean？ ______
A. Inadvisable. B. Beneficial. C. Relevant. D. Unrealistic.
36. What is the purpose of the passage？ ______
A. To appeal for stricter control over city scale.
B. To propose the use of nature as infrastructure.
C. To stress the importance of ecosystem services.
D. To promote public awareness of nature protection.
(2023·北京市市辖区·模拟题)
L
When I was little，my dad would let me sit beside him on the porch while he painted.He would tell me how the cow by itself is just a cow，and the meadow by itself is just grass and flowers，and the sun peeking through the trees is just a beam of light，but put them all together and you've got magic.
I understood what he was saying，but I've never felt what he was saying until one day when I was up in the sycamore tree to rescue a kite stuck in the branches.
It was a long way up，but I thought I'd give it a shot.I started climbing.Then I looked down.And suddenly I got dizzy and weak.I was miles off the ground!But the kite was still beyond my reach.I caught my breath and forced myself to concentrate on the kite as I climbed up.
When I had the kite free，I needed a minute to rest.That's when the fear of being up so high began to lift，and in its place came the most amazing feeling that I was flying.Just soaring above the earth，sailing among the clouds.
Then I began to notice how wonderful the breeze smelled.It seemed like sunshine and wild grass and rain!I couldn't stop breathing it in，filling my lungs again and again with the sweetest smell I'd ever known.
I never got over the view.I kept thinking of what it felt like to be up so high in that tree.I wanted to see it，to feel it，again.And again.
It wasn't long before I wasn't afraid of being up so high and found the spot that became my spot.I could sit there for hours，just looking out at the world.Sunsets were amazing.Some days they'd be purple and pink，some days they'd be a blazing orange，setting fire to clouds across the horizon.
It was on a day like that when my father's notion（观念） moved from my head to my heart.The view from my sycamore was more than rooftops and clouds and wind and colors combined.
And I started marveling（惊奇） at how I was feeling both humble and majestic.How was that possible？How could I be so full of peace and full of wonder？
It was magic.
37. Why did the author climb up the sycamore tree？ ______
A. To play in the tree. B. To get a trapped kite.
C. To prove her courage. D. To practice climbing skills.
38. The author's climbing experience was ______ .
A. unusual but painful B. competitive and imaginative
C. adventurous but rewarding D. well-planned and interesting
39. Why did the author like being up high in the tree？ ______
A. Because the tree had the sweetest smell.
B. Because it could help her to concentrate.
C. Because her father encouraged her to do so.
D. Because she could enjoy more than good views.
40. What message does the author want to convey？ ______
A. Practice makes perfect.
B. Positive action leads to happiness.
C. Beautiful things don't ask for attention.
D. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
(2023·北京市市辖区·模拟题)
M
Have you ever been indecisive in the decision of what color car you like Last November, a magazine with great influence revealed its annual list of the Best Inventions, which are changing how we live, work, play, and think about what's possible. One of these inventions was the "color changing car".
At the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show, a famous car company showcased a concept car that can change colors. The surface coating of this car features e-ink that is most well-known from the displays of e-readers. It contains many millions of micro-capsules, each of which contains negatively charged white pigments(颜料) and positively charged black pigments. Depending on the chosen setting, stimulation by means of an electrical field causes either the white or the black pigments to collect at the surface of the micro-capsule, giving the car body the desired shade.
The color chosen for a car is an expression of the driver's personalities. It offers a completely new way of changing the vehicle's appearance in line with the driver's preferences, the environmental conditions or even functional requirements.
A variable exterior color can contribute to energy saving and wellness in the interior. This is done by taking into account the different abilities of light and dark colors when it comes to reflecting sunlight and the associated absorption of thermal energy. Heating of the vehicle as a result of strong sunlight and high outside temperatures can be reduced by changing the exterior to a light color. In cooler weather, a dark outer skin will help the vehicle to absorb noticeably more warmth from the sun. This would reduce the amount of energy the vehicle electrical system needs, lowering the fuel or electricity consumption. In the interior, the technology could, for example, prevent the dashboard from heating up too much. In electric cars, changing the color with the weather would thus increase the range of the car. Considering the recent push for electric vehicles, this color changing technology could be a game-changer.
"Digital experiences won't just be limited to displays in the future. There will be more and more connection between the real and virtual. With this concept car, we are bringing the car body to life," says Frank Weber, a member of the board of this company.
41. The concept car can change colors mainly because of ______.
A. the reflection of sunlight
B. the stability of electrical field
C. the area of white and black e-ink
D. the gathering of charged pigments
42. As for the color changing car, which would the author agree with
A. It will be put into mass production in the near future.
B. It can change colors automatically according to weather.
C. It can show personalities and improve car performance.
D. It will save energy by transforming heat into electrical energy.
43. Which would be the best title for the passage
A. Car Design: New Challenges.
B. The Development of Car Exterior.
C. Magical E-ink in Car Design.
D. New Invention of Cars: Tailored Exterior.
(2023·北京市市辖区·模拟题)
N
Do you know forests are one of our planet's greatest carbon sinks This means that they absorb an enormous amount of carbon released into the atmosphere, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change and the earth's rising temperature.
The poplar tree, standing tall and regal, is known for its fast-growing nature and its gray, white, or black bark. A biotechnology firm in San Francisco, CA, genetically modified poplar trees. According to a four-month study conducted in their greenhouse, the engineered trees grew 53% larger than their normal counterparts and stored 27% more CO2. In February 2023, the company also planted modified poplar trees in southern Georgia. This marks the first time in the United States that engineered trees have been planted outside of a controlled lab setting!
All plants experience photosynthesis(光合作用), where sunlight, water, and CO2 are transformed into glucose and oxygen. However, almost all trees release a poisonous substance in the process. To remove this substance, trees must use up newly-produced energy in another step known as photorespiration(光呼吸作用), which does not produce any energy and releases CO2 back into the atmosphere. To prevent plants from wasting their energy, the biotechnology firm engineered their poplar trees with genes found in green algae. First tested in tobacco plants, the foreign genes change the poisonous substance produced by trees into sugars, so that more energy can be used for removing carbon and tree growth.
Researchers from the company are planting their poplar trees on private land that has been previously disturbed, such as abandoned coal mines in Pennsylvania. The modified trees will be planted between natives like sweet gum and bald cypress to boost biodiversity and maintain soil fertility(肥沃).
Plant biologist Norberto Martinez from the University of Illinois suggests the engineered poplar trees may not thrive outdoors or will require more water and fertilizer to maintain their fast growth. Many sustainable forestry organizations have also banned engineered trees from being planted in forests. The Global Justice Ecology Project argued that these trees could interfere with efforts to protect and regenerate forests.
Though there may be opposing opinions regarding genetically modified poplar trees, one thing is for sure：they hold the potential to lower greenhouse gases in our environment at a faster rate. This company's attempt is certainly an innovative approach to the ongoing climate crisis.
44. What is Paragraph 3 mainly about
A. The necessity to absorb CO2.
B. The basic idea behind engineered trees.
C. The effect of photosynthesis on plants.
D. The importance of energy transformation.
45. What does the underlined phrase "interfere with" in Paragraph 5 probably mean
A. Save. B. Measure. C. Interrupt. D. Strengthen.
46. What can we infer about the engineered poplar trees
A. Their first planting state was Pennsylvania.
B. Their potential to absorb CO2 outweighs concerns.
C. They can release more oxygen than normal poplar trees.
D. They will grow better if planted away from normal plants.
47. The main purpose of the passage is to ______.
A. inform and argue B. analyse and advise
C. argue and discuss D. examine and assess
(2023·北京市市辖区·模拟题)
O
Ever wonder what happens to spacecraft after they get launched to space Well, that is where my job as an instrument operations engineer comes in. My job consists of planning, generating, and operating scientific instruments in-flight. I am grateful for having worked on missions at Saturn, the Moon, and our own planet Earth.
When I was a high-schooler, I was unsure of what college I wanted to attend, or what major I wanted to choose. After receiving an email from a college called Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), I decided to apply to a summer program they were offering with the encouragement of my mom. After participating in that program, I knew that MIT was the right university for me. The passionate students and boundless opportunities developed a feeling of belonging in me that led me to apply and eventually get accepted.
The most exciting and fulfilling part of being an engineer is that I am able to work on projects that benefit humanity. When people think of the space industry, they picture the outer reaches of our solar system. What they may not imagine is the great body of work being done to study our own home—Earth. I am thankful to have a career that allows me to commit myself to that responsibility.
The highlight of my career has been witnessing the end of the Cassini mission to Saturn. Some of the people on the team had been working on the mission for longer than I had been alive, but they still treated me as one of their own. I was given the opportunity to operate the cameras that would catch breathtaking images of the planet. And when the Cassini spacecraft had run out of fuel, I quickly learned that it was not just the end of the mission, but the end of a team. The night we watched with bittersweet longing as its signal faded to nothing is something that I will always keep in my memories. And while Cassini will be remembered for its historic contributions, what I will remember it for is the team it brought together.
My friends often ask why a girl could achieve all these. I always grew up a big fan of fiction. I read the Harry Potter books and loved anything fantasy. I realized that a common theme of hero stories is that the hero must always make a choice to start their adventure. If you don't pick up the sword in your own story because you are afraid of what may happen next, you risk not having a story at all.
48. Why did the author apply to MIT
A. The majors in MIT interested her.
B. Her mother urged her to go to MIT.
C. She set this goal as a high-schooler.
D. A summer program made her love MIT.
49. What does the author think about her occupation
A. It's easy to predict what she does.
B. It's hard for a girl to have such a career.
C. She is annoyed by being misunderstood.
D. She is proud to work for human well-being.
50. What does the author value most in the Cassini mission
A. Its historic contributions.
B. The team it brought together.
C. Breathtaking images of the planet.
D. The opportunity to operate the cameras.
51. What can we learn from the story
A. Practice makes perfect. B. No way is impossible to courage.
C. Well begun is half done. D. Time lost cannot be won again.
(2023·北京市市辖区·模拟题)
P
Every event here features a noted scientist who discusses a different cosmic(宇宙的) topic. They will be presented with a livestream to our Science World official website and questions can be asked in the website chat.
Black Holes
7:30 PM-8:30 PM, May 19, 2023
Description: Most galaxies(星系) have a supermassive black hole at their center. These black holes help determine how galaxies will develop over time. Join Dr. Ansel Netscher for an outline of black holes. You can also explore how supermassive black holes may decide the development of galaxies.
The Webb Imagery
8:00 PM-9:30 PM, May 28, 2023
Description: The amazing visions have attracted the world. But there's a long and involved process by which scientists' black-and-white observational data is transformed into dynamic color imagery for the public. Join image specialist Ralph Wilson as he discusses the art and science of translating infrared light.
Hunt for Distant Worlds
7:00 PM-8:00 PM, June 3, 2023
Description: Since the discovery of the first planet orbiting a Sun-like star in 1995, more than 4, 000 exoplanets have been found. These widespread planet systems confirm that our solar system is just one of many in our Milky Way galaxy. The discovery of such systems has provided interesting insights, challenging our views about how planet systems form and develop. Join Dr. Amanda Garcia as she describes the scientific hunt for these distant worlds.
Mars and Beyond
10:00 AM-11:30 AM, June 4, 2023
Description: Will we ever reach Mars？And what will it take to travel to other stars？Dr. Camille Lopez will meet these questions with a speech of what we can expect in the next 30 years. It's based on what is practical and reasonable when we consider the biological, economic, and philosophical concerns that connect with the engineering challenges of space habitation and exploration.
52. Interested in the development of planet or star system, you can choose ______.
①Black Holes
②The Webb Imagery
③Hunt for Distant Worlds
④Mars and Beyond
A. ①④ B. ②④ C. ①③ D. ②③
53. What will you learn from Mars and Beyond
A. Prospect of space travel.
B. Application of art to science.
C. The origin and future of Mars.
D. Detailed plan of space habitation.
54. What is the main purpose of the passage
A. To publicize online public lectures.
B. To compare events of studying science.
C. To stress the importance of space exploration.
D. To expand people's knowledge about universe.
(2023·北京市市辖区·模拟题)
Q
If you're interested in pushing yourself academically while experiencing college life. our Summer Programs for Pre-College students (SPP) can be ideal for you. In the programs, you will be able to make friends with fellow students, engage in social activities around the city and on campus, and experience pre-college summer study at one of the world's top teaching and research universities.
Our long-running summer term pre-college offerings include a choice of one-, two-, three-, and six-week programs that prepare you for success in college. With five exciting and challenging pre-college summer programs to choose from, you can earn college credit, discover a new subject area, perform cutting-edge research in university labs, or immerse yourself in hands-on learning.
Academic life
SPP invites you to join other highly motivated teens from 87 countries in our summer programs for high school students-and take the leap into college life and academics, which enables you to take on new academic challenges, explore a variety of interests and consider possible majors.
You can take college courses alongside undergraduates either on campus or online. And you can also earn up to eight college credits by conducting in-depth STEM research with individual instructors or as part of a group project. Or, you can immerse yourself in a variety of stimulating noncredit seminars that blend lectures with experiential learning, discussions, and projects.
Campus/Residence life
Embracing college life is an exciting experience. Whether you live on campus or commute, you'll get to know the ins and outs of college and city life. If you live on campus, you will stay in the residence hall, sharing a room and participating in dorm activities.
There are typically two students per room and safety is our highest priority：residence halls have live-in university stall and 24-hour security. Resident program assistants provide guidance, coordinate and lead social activities, ranging from group activities that include comedy shows to field trips.
Your hard work will be combined with social events and fun activities- and you'll still have time for your own adventures on campus! Email the SPP office at sppoffice@mail.edu.
55. SPP aims to ______.
A. help college students to achieve academic success
B. provide admission guidelines for pre-collge students
C. get high school students well-prepared for college life
D. encourage students to participate in hands-on learning
56. What are students supposed to do to earn the required credits
A. Carry out STEM research. B. Attend various seminars.
C. Finish the courses online. D. Join in experiential learning.
57. According to the passage, students living on campus ______.
A. can organize social activities
B. will have access to a single room
C. are provided with good security
D. are advised to direct comedy shows
(2023·北京市市辖区·模拟题)
R
Superhuman artificial intelligence is already among us.Well，sort of.When it comes to playing games like chess and Go，or solving difficult scientific challenges like predicting protein structures，computers are well ahead of us.But we have one superpower they aren't close to mastering：mind reading.
Humans have a mysterious ability to reason the goals，desires and beliefs of others，a crucial skill that means we can anticipate other people's actions and the consequences of our own.Reading minds comes so easily to us，though，that we often don't think to spell out what we want.If AIs are to become truly useful in everyday life—to cooperate effectively with us or to understand that a child might run into the road after a bouncing ball—we have to give them this gift that evolution has given us to read other people's minds.
Psychologists refer to the ability to infer another's mental state as theory of mind.In humans，this capacity starts to develop at a very young age.How to reproduce the capability in machines is far from clear，though.One of the main challenges is context.For instance，if someone asks whether you are going for a run and you reply "it's raining"，they can quickly conclude that the answer is no.But this requires huge amounts of background knowledge about running，weather and human preferences.
Moreover，whether humans or AI，the theory of mind is supposed to emerge naturally from one's own learning process.Building prior knowledge into AI makes it reliant on our imperfect understanding of theory of mind.In addition，AI may be capable of developing approaches we could never imagine.There can be many forms of theory of mind that we don't know about simply because we live in a human body that has certain types of senses and a certain ability to think.
Yet we might still want AI to have a more human-like form of theory of mind.Humans can clearly explain their goals and desires to each other using common language and ideas.While letting AI form the theory of mind in their learning process is likely to lead to developing more powerful AI，plainly building in shared ways to represent knowledge may be crucial for humans to trust and communicate with AI.
It is important to remember，though，that the pursuit of machines with theory of mind is about more than just building more useful robots.It is also a stepping stone on the path towards a deeper goal for AI and robotics research：building truly self-aware machines.Whether we will ever get there remains to be seen.But along the way thinking about other people and other agents，we are on the path to learning to think about ourselves.
58. According to the passage，which of the following contexts can AI understand well？ ______
A. When you are asked to eat spicy food for dinner and you reply "a sore throat".
B. When a teacher asks for a boy's homework and he answers "my dog ate it".
C. When a mom tells her kid some food is good for health and the kid eats it.
D. When kids see their mom after hurting themselves and they cry louder.
59. The author believes that ______ .
A. humans' theory of mind is far from perfect
B. humans limit AI's theory of mind to an extent
C. we should reject human-like forms of abilities for AI
D. shared forms of theory of mind result in more powerful AI
60. As for AIs，what does the author value most？ ______
A. Reliability. B. Practicability.
C. Reasoning capability. D. Communication ability.
61. Which would be the best title for the passage？ ______
A. AI with Its Own Theory of Mind Is Expected
B. AI with Theory of Mind Will Reshape Our Future
C. AI's Theory of Mind Is a Blessing or Suffering to Humans
D. Theory of Mind Bridges the Gap Between Humans and AI
(2023·北京市市辖区·模拟题)
S
Researchers from a U.K.plant research institute have found a way to provide plants with an antibody-based defense for a specific threat，potentially speeding the creation of crops resistant to any kind of emerging virus，or bacterium （细菌）.The strategy is to inoculate a protein from the plant pathogen （病原体） to be targeted to a camel or other camel relatives，purify the unusually small antibodies the camels produce，and engineer the corresponding gene section for them into a plant's own immune gene.
Farmers lose many billions of dollars to plant diseases each year，and emerging pathogens pose new threats to food security in the developing world.Plants have evolved their own immune system，kick-started by cell receptors that recognize general pathogen features，such as a bacterial cell wall，as well as intracellular receptors for molecules （分子） produced by specific pathogens.If a plant cell detects these molecules，it may trigger its own death to save the rest of the plant.But plant pathogens often evolve and escape from those receptors.
A long-standing dream in plant biotechnology is to create designer disease resistance genes that could be produced as fast as pathogens emerge.One approach is to edit the gene for a plant immune receptor，changing the protein's shape to recognize a particular pathogenic molecule.
Instead，Sophien Kamoun，a molecular biologist at the Sainsbury Laboratory，and his colleagues used an animal immune system to help make the receptor adjustments.During an infection with a new pathogen，animals produce billions of slightly different antibodies，ultimately selecting and mass-producing those that best target the virus.
Camelids，which include camels，are workhorses for antibody design because their immune systems create unusually small versions，called nano-bodies.As a proof of principle of the new plant defense strategy，Kamoun's group turned to two standard camelid nano-bodies that recognize two different molecules，including one called green fluorescent protein （GFP），to detect test viruses，in this case a potato virus，engineered to make the fluorescent proteins.They investigated how well plants with the nano-body-enhanced receptors detected the changed potato viruses.It was found that the plants increased an active immune response and experienced almost no viral reproduction.
"The exciting part about this technology is that we have the potential of made-to-order resistance genes and keeping up with a pathogen，" Kamoun says. "This technology is a potential game changer，" says Jeff Dangl，a plant researcher at the University of North Carolina.Ksenia Krasileva，a scientist at the University of California，Berkeley，says the mixture of nano-bodies with plant immune receptors opens up a vast body of biomedical knowledge for plant scientists. "We can now dig into all of that research and translate it to save crops."
62. What does the underlined word "inoculate" in Paragraph 1 probably mean？ ______
A. Compare. B. Restore. C. Introduce. D. Label.
63. What is the main purpose of Paragraph 2？ ______
A. To illustrate the function of cells in saving the plant.
B. To explain how to strengthen plant receptors effectively.
C. To demonstrate the solutions to farmers' annual heavy losses.
D. To reveal why plants fail to handle constantly-updated diseases.
64. What can we learn from the passage？ ______
A. Editing plant receptors is to match the shape of pathogens.
B. Nano-bodies can help plants catch up with pathogen changes.
C. Plants select the best antibodies from animals to fight viruses.
D. Plants with nano-bodies respond actively in massive virus copying.
65. According to the passage，scientists will ______ .
A. apply the outcome in the real world
B. prove the findings of resistance genes
C. identify similar means to fight diseases
D. seek more support for the new strategy
(2023·北京市市辖区·模拟题)
T
Columbia Engineering's Summer High School Academic Program for Engineers （SHAPE） is a selective pre-college program for high school students and recent graduates.SHAPE is tailored for students with a gift for STEM：science，technology，engineering，and mathematics.Each 3-week session offers college-level，project-based courses in engineering taught by celebrated professors at the university.
SHAPE gives students a more realistic picture of what it means to be an engineer，and its professional development components help students develop the skills they need to get there.
Courses
SHAPE features creative problem-solving courses and exposes students to innovative engineering techniques and knowledge presented by professors.Please note that SHAPE does not provide college credit.
Students gain access to the famous MakerSpace and state-of-the-art research laboratories after completing the safety training and will only do so under close guidance.
SHAPE also provides students with workshops to explore career fields，professional development，and guidance on sharpening one's college application from admissions officers.Students in the program will be visiting companies and organizations that show the classroom content in practice.
Application
Students are selected based on the following criteria：
1：Strong academic record
2：Personal statement to demonstrate excitement and interest in STEM through engagement in challenging courses，activities，projects，etc.
3：Enthusiastic letter of recommendation submitted by a math or science teacher
4：Creative responses to two required questions and one of the three optional questions
We encourage all students to apply by the priority deadline of June 15，2023，so there is no application fee.After the priority deadline，a＄50 application fee is required.
SHAPE is dedicated to supporting students and their families in need of financial assistance.We offer a limited number of need-based scholarships，which cover the full cost of SHAPE.To be considered for a need-based scholarship，families will need to provide a recent pay receipt and complete a Family Income and Expense Worksheet.
Email：shape@columbia.edu for more information.
66. What can we learn about SHAPE？ ______
A. It suits students talented in STEM.
B. It shows the procedure of learning STEM.
C. It serves as the start of students' college life.
D. It gives students chances to work with engineers.
67. In SHAPE，students can ______ .
A. be free to explore the MakerSpace
B. earn college credit for future study
C. put school knowledge into practice
D. be equipped with skills for engineering
68. To secure a place in SHAPE，students need to ______ .
A. show their family financial state
B. answer all the given questions
C. pay application fees before deadline
D. prove their learning capability
(2023·北京市市辖区·模拟题)
U
I lost my leg to cancer at 30.My first trip out of the house as a one-legged woman would be to see a sick friend in hospital with my mom.
As I made my way through the hospital，I was prepared for looks of curiosity，sympathy，and even shock.But one thing shook me to a depth I had never experienced before.Two kids were playing in the hallway.As I passed by on my crutches （拐杖），they looked up at me，and suddenly，the little boy pointed at me. "Look at that lady!" It seemed that he was shouting loud enough for the entire hospital to hear. "She only has one leg!Doesn't that look funny？"
Both of the kids burst into laughter.Heads turned，and I felt the blood rush to my face.I put my head down and rushed out as fast as I dared on my crutches.I held my tears back until the car door closed.As I fell into the seats，I cried， "How could they think this is funny？"
My mom tried her best to comfort me， "Honey，they are just kids.They don't know any better." They were just kids，but that did not excuse their rude behavior.I felt a wave of belief flood through me.I knew what I had to do. "Well，someone has to teach them!" I said.And I knew that someone would be me.
When I was well enough，I started to visit elementary schools and talk to children about being different.I was teaching children to be respectful of people who are different，and teaching them people come in all shapes，colors and sizes and we are each special and unique.
Speaking to children was just the beginning for me.I became an inspirational speaker and author and learned that being grateful for all the remaining parts of me was the only way to start and end my day.I shared my story in my book called I Am Choosing to Smile.I do，indeed，choose to smile.Waking up every morning，I look down at my one foot and say with all sincerity， "Good morning，five toes.I'm very glad to see you!"
69. What shocked the author in the hospital？ ______
A. The curious look a boy had. B. The words a boy shouted out.
C. The game the boys were playing. D. The sympathy the boys expressed.
70. How did the experience in the hospital change the author？ ______
A. She found the purpose of her life.
B. She began to realize her difference.
C. She understood kids' characteristics.
D. She learned the importance of respect.
71. Which of the following words can best describe the author？ ______
A. Patient. B. Brave. C. Intelligent. D. Caring.
二、阅读七选五
(2023·北京市市辖区·模拟题)You probably already know what self-regulation is，even if you a