2024新高考英语高考专题复习--专题三_主旨要义(含答案)

中小学教育资源及组卷应用平台
2024新高考英语高考专题复习
题型一　阅读理解
专题三　主旨要义
五年高考
A组　新高考题组
Passage 1（2023新课标Ⅰ，D）　词数335　
　　On March 7, 1907, the English statistician Francis Galton published a paper which illustrated what has come to be known as the “wisdom of crowds” effect. The experiment of estimation he conducted showed that in some cases, the average of a large number of independent estimates could be quite accurate.
This effect capitalizes on the fact that when people make errors, those errors aren't always the same. Some people will tend to overestimate, and some to underestimate. When enough of these errors are averaged together, they cancel each other out, resulting in a more accurate estimate. If people are similar and tend to make the same errors, then their errors won't cancel each other out. In more technical terms, the wisdom of crowds requires that people's estimates be independent. If, for whatever reasons, people's errors become correlated or dependent, the accuracy of the estimate will go down.
But a new study led by Joaquin Navajas offered an interesting twist(转折) on this classic phenomenon. The key finding of the study was that when crowds were further divided into smaller groups that were allowed to have a discussion, the averages from these groups were more accurate than those from an equal number of independent individuals. For instance, the average obtained from the estimates of four discussion groups of five was significantly more accurate than the average obtained from 20 independent individuals.
In a follow-up study with 100 university students, the researchers tried to get a better sense of what the group members actually did in their discussion. Did they tend to go with those most confident about their estimates Did they follow those least willing to change their minds This happened some of the time, but it wasn't the dominant response. Most frequently, the groups reported that they “shared arguments and reasoned together.” Somehow, these arguments and reasoning resulted in a global reduction in error.
Although the studies led by Navajas have limitations and many questions remain, the potential implications for group discussion and decision-making are enormous.
1. What is paragraph 2 of the text mainly about
A. The methods of estimation.
B. The underlying logic of the effect.
C. The causes of people's errors.
D. The design of Galton's experiment.
2. Navajas' study found that the average accuracy could increase even if 　　　.
A. the crowds were relatively small
B. there were occasional underestimates
C. individuals did not communicate
D. estimates were not fully independent
3. What did the follow-up study focus on
A. The size of the groups.　　　B. The dominant members.
C. The discussion process.　　　D. The individual estimates.
4. What is the author's attitude toward Navajas' studies
A. Unclear.　　　B. Dismissive.　　　C. Doubtful.　　　D. Approving.
答案　
1. B　2. D　3. C　4. D
Passage 2（2023新课标Ⅱ，B）　词数273　
　　Turning soil, pulling weeds, and harvesting cabbage sound like tough work for middle and high school kids. And at first it is, says Abby Jaramillo, who with another teacher started Urban Sprouts, a school garden program at four low-income schools. The program aims to help students develop science skills, environmental awareness, and healthy lifestyles.
Jaramillo's students live in neighborhoods where fresh food and green space are not easy to find and fast food restaurants outnumber grocery stores. “The kids literally come to school with bags of snacks and large bottles of soft drinks,” she says. “They come to us thinking vegetables are awful, dirt is awful, insects are awful.” Though some are initially scared of the insects and turned off by the dirt, most are eager to try something new.
Urban Sprouts' classes, at two middle schools and two high schools, include hands-on experiments such as soil testing, flower-and-seed dissection, tastings of fresh or dried produce, and work in the garden. Several times a year, students cook the vegetables they grow, and they occasionally make salads for their entire schools.
Program evaluations show that kids eat more vegetables as a result of the classes. “We have students who say they went home and talked to their parents and now they're eating differently,”Jaramillo says.
She adds that the program's benefits go beyond nutrition. Some students get so interested in gardening that they bring home seeds to start their own vegetable gardens. Besides, working in the garden seems to have a calming effect on Jaramillo's special education students, many of whom have emotional control issues. “They get outside,” she says, “and they feel successful.”
1. What do we know about Abby Jaramillo
A. She used to be a health worker.
B. She grew up in a low-income family.
C. She owns a fast food restaurant.
D. She is an initiator of Urban Sprouts.
2. What was a problem facing Jaramillo at the start of the program
A. The kids' parents distrusted her.
B. Students had little time for her classes.
C. Some kids disliked garden work.
D. There was no space for school gardens.
3. Which of the following best describes the impact of the program
A. Far-reaching.　　　 B. Predictable.
C. Short-lived.　　　 D. Unidentifiable.
4. What can be a suitable title for the text
A. Rescuing School Gardens　　　 B. Experiencing Country Life
C. Growing Vegetable Lovers　　　 D. Changing Local Landscape
答案　
1. D　2. C　3. A　4. C
Passage 3（2022新高考Ⅰ，D）　词数334　
　　Human speech contains more than 2,000 different sounds, from the common “m” and “a” to the rare clicks of some southern African languages. But why are certain sounds more common than others A ground-breaking, five-year study shows that diet-related changes in human bite led to new speech sounds that are now found in half the world's languages.
More than 30 years ago, the scholar Charles Hockett noted that speech sounds called labiodentals, such as “f”and“v”, were more common in the languages of societies that ate softer foods. Now a team of researchers led by Dami n Blasi at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, has found how and why this trend arose.
They discovered that the upper and lower front teeth of ancient human adults were aligned(对齐), making it hard to produce labiodentals, which are formed by touching the lower lip(嘴唇)to the upper teeth. Later, our jaws changed to an overbite structure, making it easier to produce such sounds.
The team showed that this change in bite was connected with the development of agriculture in the Neolithic period. Food became easier to chew at this point. The jawbone didn't have to do as much work and so didn't grow to be so large.
Analyses of a language database also confirmed that there was a global change in the sound of world languages after the Neolithic age, with the use of “f” and “v” increasing remarkably during the last few thousand years. These sounds are still not found in the languages of many hunter-gatherer people today.
This research overturns the popular view that all human speech sounds were present when human beings evolved(进化) around 300,000 years ago. “The set of speech sounds we use has not necessarily remained stable since the appearance of human beings, but rather the huge variety of speech sounds that we find today is the product of a complex interplay of things like biological change and cultural evolution,” said Steven Moran, a member of the research team.
1. Which aspect of the human speech sound does Dami n Blasi's research focus on
A. Its variety.　　　B. Its distribution.
C. Its quantity.　　　D. Its development.
2. Why was it difficult for ancient human adults to produce labiodentals
A. They had fewer upper teeth than lower teeth.
B. They could not open and close their lips easily.
C. Their jaws were not conveniently structured.
D. Their lower front teeth were not large enough.
3. What is paragraph 5 mainly about
A. Supporting evidence for the research results.
B. Potential application of the research findings.
C. A further explanation of the research methods.
D. A reasonable doubt about the research process.
4. What does Steven Moran say about the set of human speech sounds
A. It is key to effective communication.
B. It contributes much to cultural diversity.
C. It is a complex and dynamic system.
D. It drives the evolution of human beings.
答案　
1. D　2. C　3. A　4. C
Passage 4（2021新高考Ⅰ，C）　词数288　
　　When the explorers first set foot upon the continent of North America, the skies and lands were alive with an astonishing variety of wildlife. Native Americans had taken care of these precious natural resources wisely. Unfortunately, it took the explorers and the settlers who followed only a few decades to decimate a large part of these resources. Millions of waterfowl(水禽) were killed at the hands of market hunters and a handful of overly ambitious sportsmen. Millions of acres of wetlands were dried to feed and house the ever-increasing populations, greatly reducing waterfowl habitat(栖息地).
In 1934,with the passage of the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act (Act), an increasingly concerned nation took firm action to stop the destruction of migratory(迁徙的)waterfowl and the wetlands so vital to their survival. Under this Act, all waterfowl hunters 16 years of age and over must annually purchase and carry a Federal Duck Stamp. The very first Federal Duck Stamp was designed by J.N. “Ding” Darling, a political cartoonist from Des Moines, Iowa, who at that time was appointed by President Franklin Roosevelt as Director of the Bureau of Biological Survey. Hunters willingly pay the stamp price to ensure the survival of our natural resources.
About 98 cents of every duck stamp dollar goes directly into the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund to purchase wetlands and wildlife habitat for inclusion into the National Wildlife Refuge System—a fact that ensures this land will be protected and available for all generations to come. Since 1934, better than half a billion dollars has gone into that Fund to purchase more than 5 million acres of habitat. Little wonder the Federal Duck Stamp Program has been called one of the most successful conservation programs ever initiated.
1. What was a cause of the waterfowl population decline in North America
A. Loss of wetlands.
B. Popularity of water sports.
C. Pollution of rivers.
D. Arrival of other wild animals.
2. What does the underlined word “decimate” mean in the first paragraph
A. Acquire.　　　B. Export.　　　C. Destroy.　　　D. Distribute.
3. What is a direct result of the Act passed in 1934
A. The stamp price has gone down.
B. The migratory birds have flown away.
C. The hunters have stopped hunting.
D. The government has collected money.
4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text
A. The Federal Duck Stamp Story
B. The National Wildlife Refuge System
C. The Benefits of Saving Waterfowl
D. The History of Migratory Bird Hunting
答案　
1. A　2. C　3. D　4. A
Passage 5（2020新高考Ⅰ，B）　词数314　
　　Jennifer Mauer has needed more willpower than the typical college student to pursue her goal of earning a nursing degree. That willpower bore fruit when Jennifer graduated from University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and became the first in her large family to earn a bachelor's degree.
Mauer, of Edgar, Wisconsin, grew up on a farm in a family of 10 children. Her dad worked at a job away from the farm, and her mother ran the farm with the kids. After high school, Jennifer attended a local technical college, working to pay her tuition (学费), because there was no extra money set aside for a college education. After graduation, she worked to help her sisters and brothers pay for their schooling.
Jennifer now is married and has three children of her own. She decided to go back to college to advance her career and to be able to better support her family while doing something she loves:nursing. She chose the UW-Eau Claire program at Ministry Saint Joseph's Hospital in Marshfield because she was able to pursue her four-year degree close to home. She could drive to class and be home in the evening to help with her kids. Jennifer received great support from her family as she worked to earn her degree: Her husband worked two jobs to cover the bills, and her 68-year-old mother helped take care of the children at times.
Through it all, she remained in good academic standing and graduated with honors. Jennifer sacrificed(牺牲) to achieve her goal, giving up many nights with her kids and missing important events to study.“Some nights my heart was breaking to have to pick between my kids and studying for exams or papers,” she says. However, her children have learned an important lesson witnessing their mother earn her degree. Jennifer is a first-generation graduate and an inspiration to her family—and that's pretty powerful.
1. What did Jennifer do after high school
A. She helped her dad with his work.
B. She ran the family farm on her own.
C. She supported herself through college.
D. She taught her sisters and brothers at home.
2. Why did Jennifer choose the program at Ministry Saint Joseph's Hospital in Marshfield
A. To take care of her kids easily.
B. To learn from the best nurses.
C. To save money for her parents.
D. To find a well-paid job there.
3. What did Jennifer sacrifice to achieve her goal
A. Her health.　　　 B. Her time with family.
C. Her reputation.　　　 D. Her chance of promotion.
4. What can we learn from Jennifer's story
A. Time is money.
B. Love breaks down barriers.
C. Hard work pays off.
D. Education is the key to success.
答案　
1. C　2. A　3. B　4. C
Passage 6（2020新高考Ⅰ，C）　词数298　
　　In the mid-1990s, Tom Bissell taught English as a volunteer in Uzbekistan. He left after seven months, physically broken and having lost his mind. A few years later, still attracted to the country, he returned to Uzbekistan to write an article about the disappearance of the Aral Sea.
His visit, however, ended up involving a lot more than that. Hence this book, Chasing the Sea:Lost Among the Ghosts of Empire in Central Asia, which talks about a road trip from Tashkent to Karakalpakstan, where millions of lives have been destroyed by the slow drying up of the sea. It is the story of an American travelling to a strange land, and of the people he meets on his way:Rustam, his translator, a lovely 24-year-old who picked up his colorful English in California, Oleg and Natasha, his hosts in Tashkent, and a string of foreign aid workers.
This is a quick look at life in Uzbekistan, made of friendliness and warmth, but also its darker side of society. In Samarkand, Mr Bissell admires the architectural wonders, while on his way to Bukhara he gets a taste of police methods when suspected of drug dealing. In Ferghana, he attends a mountain funeral (葬礼) followed by a strange drinking party. And in Karakalpakstan, he is saddened by the dust storms, diseases and fishing boats stuck miles from the sea.
Mr Bissell skillfully organizes historical insights and cultural references, making his tale a well-rounded picture of Uzbekistan, seen from Western eyes. His judgment and references are decidedly American, as well as his delicate stomach. As the author explains, this is neither a travel nor a history book, or even a piece of reportage. Whatever it is, the result is a fine and vivid description of the purest of Central Asian traditions.
1. What made Mr Bissell return to Uzbekistan
A. His friends' invitation.　　　B. His interest in the country.
C. His love for teaching.　　　D. His desire to regain health.
2. What does the underlined word “that” in paragraph 2 refer to
A. Developing a serious mental disease.
B. Taking a guided tour in Central Asia.
C. Working as a volunteer in Uzbekistan.
D. Writing an article about the Aral Sea.
3. Which of the following best describes Mr Bissell's road trip in Uzbekistan
A. Romantic.　　　B. Eventful.　　　C. Pleasant.　　　D. Dangerous.
4. What is the purpose of this text
A. To introduce a book.
B. To explain a cultural phenomenon.
C. To remember a writer.
D. To recommend a travel destination.
答案　
1. B　2. D　3. B　4. A
Passage 7（2020新高考Ⅱ，D）　词数307　
　　Rainforests are home to a rich variety of medicinal plants, food, birds and animals. Can you believe that a single bush(灌木丛) in the Amazon may have more species of ants than the whole of Britain! About 480 varieties of trees may be found in just one hectare of rainforest.
Rainforests are the lungs of the planet—storing vast quantities of carbon dioxide and producing a significant amount of the world's oxygen. Rainforests have their own perfect system for ensuring their own survival; the tall trees make a canopy(树冠层) of branches and leaves which protect themselves, smaller plants, and the forest animals from heavy rain, intense dry heat from the sun and strong winds.
Amazingly, the trees grow in such a way that their leaves and branches, although close together, never actually touch those of another tree. Scientists think this is the plants' way to prevent the spread of any tree diseases and make life more difficult for leaf-eating insects like caterpillars. To survive in the forest, animals must climb, jump or fly across the gaps. The ground floor of the forest is not all tangled leaves and bushes, like in films, but is actually fairly clear. It is where dead leaves turn into food for the trees and other forest life.
They are not called rainforests for nothing! Rainforests can generate 75% of their own rain. At least 80 inches of rain a year is normal—and in some areas there may be as much as 430 inches of rain annually. This is real rain—your umbrella may protect you in a shower, but it won't keep you dry if there is a full rainstorm. In just two hours, streams can rise ten to twenty feet. The humidity(湿气) of large rainforests contributes to the formation of rainclouds that may travel to other countries in need of rain.
1. What can we learn about rainforests from the first paragraph
A. They produce oxygen.　　　 B. They cover a vast area.
C. They are well managed.　　　 D. They are rich in wildlife.
2. Which of the following contributes most to the survival of rainforests
A. Heavy rains.　　　 B. Big trees.
C. Small plants.　　　 D. Forest animals.
3. Why do the leaves and branches of different trees avoid touching each other
A. For more sunlight.　　　 B. For more growing space.
C. For self-protection.　　　 D. For the detection of insects.
4. What can be a suitable title for the text
A. Life-Giving Rainforests　　　 B. The Law of the Jungle
C. Animals in the Amazon　　　 D. Weather in Rainforests
答案　
1. D　2. B　3. C　4. A
B组　课标全国卷、地方卷题组
Passage 1（2023全国乙，D）　词数330　
　　If you want to tell the history of the whole world, a history that does not privilege one part of humanity, you cannot do it through texts alone, because only some of the world has ever had texts, while most of the world, for most of the time, has not. Writing is one of humanity's later achievements, and until fairly recently even many literate(有文字的) societies recorded their concerns not only in writing but in things.
Ideally a history would bring together texts and objects, and some chapters of this book are able to do just that, but in many cases we simply can't. The clearest example of this between literate and non-literate history is perhaps the first conflict, at Botany Bay, between Captain Cook's voyage and the Australian Aboriginals. From the English side, we have scientific reports and the captain's record of that terrible day. From the Australian side, we have only a wooden shield(盾) dropped by a man in flight after his first experience of gunshot. If we want to reconstruct what was actually going on that day, the shield must be questioned and interpreted as deeply and strictly as the written reports.
In addition to the problem of miscomprehension from both sides, there are victories accidentally or deliberately twisted, especially when only the victors know how to write. Those who are on the losing side often have only their things to tell their stories. The Caribbean Taino, the Australian Aboriginals, the African people of Benin and the Incas, all of whom appear in this book, can speak to us now of their past achievements most powerfully through the objects they made:a history told through things gives them back a voice. When we consider contact(联系) between literate and non-literate societies such as these, all our first-hand accounts are necessarily twisted, only one half of a dialogue. If we are to find the other half of that conversation, we have to read not just the texts, but the objects.
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about
A. How past events should be presented.
B. What humanity is concerned about.
C. Whether facts speak louder than words.
D. Why written language is reliable.
2. What does the author indicate by mentioning Captain Cook in paragraph 2
A. His report was scientific.
B. He represented the local people.
C. He ruled over Botany Bay.
D. His record was one-sided.
3. What does the underlined word “conversation” in paragraph 3 refer to
A. Problem.　　　B. History.　　　C. Voice.　　　D. Society.
4. Which of the following books is the text most likely selected from
A. How Maps Tell Stories of the World
B. A Short History of Australia
C. A History of the World in 100 Objects
D. How Art Works Tell Stories
答案　
1. A　2. D　3. B　4. C
Passage 2（2022全国甲，B）　词数246　
　　Goffin's cockatoos, a kind of small parrot native to Australasia, have been shown to have similar shape-recognition abilities to a human two-year-old. Though not known to use tools in the wild, the birds have proved skilful at tool use while kept in the cage. In a recent experiment, cockatoos were presented with a box with a nut inside it. The clear front of the box had a “keyhole” in a geometric shape, and the birds were given five differently shaped “keys” to choose from. Inserting the correct “key” would let out the nut.
In humans, babies can put a round shape in a round hole from around one year of age, but it will be another year before they are able to do the same with less symmetrical(对称的) shapes. This ability to recognize that a shape will need to be turned in a specific direction before it will fit is called an “allocentric frame of reference”. In the experiment, Goffin's cockatoos were able to select the right tool for the job, in most cases, by visual recognition alone. Where trial-and-error was used, the cockatoos did better than monkeys in similar tests. This indicates that Goffin's cockatoos do indeed possess an allocentric frame of reference when moving objects in space, similar to two-year-old babies.
The next step, according to the researchers, is to try and work out whether the cockatoos rely entirely on visual clues(线索), or also use a sense of touch in making their shape selections.
1. How did the cockatoos get the nut from the box in the experiment
A. By following instructions.　　　B. By using a tool.
C. By turning the box around.　　　D. By removing the lid.
2. Which task can human one-year-olds most likely complete according to the text
A. Using a key to unlock a door.
B. Telling parrots from other birds.
C. Putting a ball into a round hole.
D. Grouping toys of different shapes.
3. What does the follow-up test aim to find out about the cockatoos
A. How far they are able to see.
B. How they track moving objects.
C. Whether they are smarter than monkeys.
D. Whether they use a sense of touch in the test.
4. Which can be a suitable title for the text
A. Cockatoos:Quick Error Checkers
B. Cockatoos:Independent Learners
C. Cockatoos:Clever Signal-Readers
D. Cockatoos:Skilful Shape-Sorters
答案　
1. B　2. C　3. D　4. D
Passage 3（2022全国甲，D）　词数332　
　　Sometime in the early 1960s, a significant thing happened in Sydney, Australia. The city discovered its harbor. Then, one after another, Sydney discovered lots of things that were just sort of there—broad parks, superb beaches, and a culturally diverse population. But it is the harbor that makes the city.
Andrew Reynolds, a cheerful fellow in his early 30s, pilots Sydney ferryboats for a living. I spent the whole morning shuttling back and forth across the harbor. After our third run Andrew shut down the engine, and we went our separate ways—he for a lunch break, I to explore the city.
“I'll miss these old boats,” he said as we parted.
“How do you mean ” I asked.
“Oh, they're replacing them with catamarans. Catamarans are faster, but they're not so elegant, and they're not fun to pilot. But that's progress, I guess.”
Everywhere in Sydney these days, change and progress are the watchwords(口号), and traditions are increasingly rare. Shirley Fitzgerald, the city's official historian, told me that in its rush to modernity in the 1970s, Sydney swept aside much of its past, including many of its finest buildings. “Sydney is confused about itself,” she said. “We can't seem to make up our minds whether we want a modern city or a traditional one. It's a conflict that we aren't getting any better at resolving(解决).”
On the other hand, being young and old at the same time has its attractions. I considered this when I met a thoughtful young businessman named Anthony. “Many people say that we lack culture in this country,” he told me. “What people forget is that the Italians, when they came to Australia, brought 2000 years of their culture, the Greeks some 3000 years, and the Chinese more still. We've got a foundation built on ancient cultures but with a drive and dynamism of a young country. It's a pretty hard combination to beat.”
He is right, but I can't help wishing they would keep those old ferries.
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about
A. Sydney's striking architecture.
B. The cultural diversity of Sydney.
C. The key to Sydney's development.
D. Sydney's tourist attractions in the 1960s.
2. What can we learn about Andrew Reynolds
A. He goes to work by boat.
B. He looks forward to a new life.
C. He pilots catamarans well.
D. He is attached to the old ferries.
3. What does Shirley Fitzgerald think of Sydney
A. It is losing its traditions.
B. It should speed up its progress.
C. It should expand its population.
D. It is becoming more international.
4. Which statement will the author probably agree with
A. A city can be young and old at the same time.
B. A city built on ancient cultures is more dynamic.
C. Modernity is usually achieved at the cost of elegance.
D. Compromise should be made between the local and the foreign.
答案　
1. C　2. D　3. A　4. A
Passage 4（2020全国Ⅰ，D）　词数318　
　　The connection between people and plants has long been the subject of scientific research. Recent studies have found positive effects. A study conducted in Youngstown, Ohio, for example, discovered that greener areas of the city experienced less crime. In another, employees were shown to be 15% more productive when their workplaces were decorated with houseplants.
The engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT)have taken it a step further—changing the actual composition of plants in order to get them to perform diverse, even unusual functions. These include plants that have sensors printed onto their leaves to show when they're short of water and a plant that can detect harmful chemicals in groundwater. “We're thinking about how we can engineer plants to replace functions of the things that we use every day,”explained Michael Strano, a professor of chemical engineering at MIT.
One of his latest projects has been to make plants glow(发光)in experiments using some common vegetables. Strano's team found that they could create a faint light for three-and-a-half hours. The light, about one-thousandth of the amount needed to read by, is just a start. The technology, Strano said, could one day be used to light the rooms or even to turn trees into self-powered street lamps.
In the future, the team hopes to develop a version of the technology that can be sprayed onto plant leaves in a one-off treatment that would last the plant's lifetime. The engineers are also trying to develop an on and off “switch” where the glow would fade when exposed to daylight.
Lighting accounts for about 7% of the total electricity consumed in the US. Since lighting is often far removed from the power source(电源)—such as the distance from a power plant to street lamps on a remote highway—a lot of energy is lost during transmission(传输). Glowing plants could reduce this distance and therefore help save energy.
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about
A. A new study of different plants.
B. A big fall in crime rates.
C. Employees from various workplaces.
D. Benefits from green plants.
2. What is the function of the sensors printed on plant leaves by MIT engineers
A. To detect plants' lack of water.
B. To change compositions of plants.
C. To make the life of plants longer.
D. To test chemicals in plants.
3. What can we expect of the glowing plants in the future
A. They will speed up energy production.
B. They may transmit electricity to the home.
C. They might help reduce energy consumption.
D. They could take the place of power plants.
4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text
A. Can we grow more glowing plants
B. How do we live with glowing plants
C. Could glowing plants replace lamps
D. How are glowing plants made pollution-free
答案　
1. D　2. A　3. C　4. C
Passage 5（2020全国Ⅱ，B）　词数244　
　　Some parents will buy any high-tech toy if they think it will help their child, but researchers said puzzles help children with math-related skills.
Psychologist Susan Levine, an expert on mathematics development in young children at the University of Chicago, found children who play with puzzles between ages 2 and 4 later develop better spatial skills. Puzzle play was found to be a significant predictor of cognition(认知) after controlling for differences in parents' income, education and the amount of parent talk, Levine said.
The researchers analyzed video recordings of 53 child-parent pairs during everyday activities at home and found children who play with puzzles between 26 and 46 months of age have better spatial skills when assessed at 54 months of age.
“The children who played with puzzles performed better than those who did not, on tasks that assessed their ability to rotate(旋转) and translate shapes,” Levine said in a statement.
The parents were asked to interact with their children as they normally would, and about half of the children in the study played with puzzles at one time. Higher-income parents tended to have children play with puzzles more frequently, and both boys and girls who played with puzzles had better spatial skills. However, boys tended to play with more complex puzzles than girls, and the parents of boys provided more spatial language and were more active during puzzle play than the parents of girls.
The findings were published in the journal Developmental Science.
1. In which aspect do children benefit from puzzle play
A. Building confidence.　　　
B. Developing spatial skills.
C. Learning self-control.　　　
D. Gaining high-tech knowledge.
2. What did Levine take into consideration when designing her experiment
A. Parents' age.　　　 B. Children's imagination.
C. Parents' education.　　　 D. Child-parent relationship.
3. How do boys differ from girls in puzzle play
A. They play with puzzles more often.
B. They tend to talk less during the game.
C. They prefer to use more spatial language.
D. They are likely to play with tougher puzzles.
4. What is the text mainly about
A. A mathematical method.　　　B. A scientific study.
C. A woman psychologist.　　　 D. A teaching program.
答案　
1. B　2. C　3. D　4. B
Passage 6（2020全国Ⅲ，C）　词数317　
　　With the young unable to afford to leave home and the old at risk of isolation(孤独), more families are choosing to live together.
The doorway to peace and quiet, for Nick Bright at least, leads straight to his mother-in-law: she lives on the ground floor, while he lives upstairs with his wife and their two daughters.
Four years ago they all moved into a three-storey Victorian house in Bristol—one of a growing number of multigenerational families in the UK living together under the same roof. They share a front door and a washing machine, but Rita Whitehead has her own kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and living room on the ground floor.
“We floated the idea to my mum of sharing a house,” says Kathryn Whitehead. Rita cuts in:“We spoke more with Nick because I think it's a big thing for Nick to live with his mother-in-law.”
And what does Nick think “From my standpoint, it all seems to work very well. Would I recommend it Yes, I think I would.”
It's hard to tell exactly how many people agree with him, but research indicates that the numbers have been rising for some time. Official reports suggest that the number of households with three generations living together had risen from 325,000 in 2001 to 419,000 in 2013.
Other varieties of multigenerational family are more common. Some people live with their elderly parents; many more adult children are returning to the family home, if they ever left. It is said that about 20% of 25-34-year-olds live with their parents, compared with 16% in 1991. The total number of all multigenerational households in Britain is thought to be about 1.8 million.
Stories like that are more common in parts of the world where multigenerational living is more firmly rooted. In India, particularly outside cities, young women are expected to move in with their husband's family when they get married.
1. Who mainly uses the ground floor in the Victorian house in Bristol
A. Nick.　　　B. Rita.
C. Kathryn.　　　D. The daughters.
2. What is Nick's attitude towards sharing the house with his mother-in-law
A. Positive.　　　B. Carefree.　　　C. Tolerant.　　　D. Unwilling.
3. What is the author's statement about multigenerational family based on
A. Family traditions.　　　B. Financial reports.
C. Published statistics.　　　D. Public opinions.
4. What is the text mainly about
A. Lifestyles in different countries.
B. Conflicts between generations.
C. A housing problem in Britain.
D. A rising trend of living in the UK.
答案　
1. B　2. A　3. C　4. D
Passage 7（2019课标全国Ⅰ，D）　词数340　
　　During the rosy years of elementary school(小学), I enjoyed sharing my dolls and jokes, which allowed me to keep my high social status. I was the queen of the playground. Then came my tweens and teens, and mean girls and cool kids. They rose in the ranks not by being friendly but by smoking cigarettes, breaking rules and playing jokes on others, among whom I soon found myself.
Popularity is a well-explored subject in social psychology. Mitch Prinstein, a professor of clinical psychology sorts the popular into two categories: the likable and the status seekers. The likables' plays-well-with-others qualities strengthen schoolyard friendships, jump-start interpersonal skills and, when tapped early, are employed ever after in life and work. Then there's the kind of popularity that appears in adolescence: status born of power and even dishonorable behavior.
Enviable as the cool kids may have seemed, Dr. Prinstein's studies show unpleasant consequences. Those who were highest in status in high school, as well as those least liked in elementary school, are “most likely to engage(从事)in dangerous and risky behavior.”
In one study, Dr. Prinstein examined the two types of popularity in 235 adolescents, scoring the least liked, the most liked and the highest in status based on student surveys(调查研究). “We found that the least well-liked teens had become more aggressive over time toward their classmates. But so had those who were high in status. It clearly showed that while likability can lead to healthy adjustment, high status has just the opposite effect on us.”
Dr. Prinstein has also found that the qualities that made the neighbors want you on a play date—sharing, kindness, openness—carry over to later years and make you better able to relate and connect with others.
In analyzing his and other research, Dr. Prinstein came to another conclusion:Not only is likability related to positive life outcomes, but it is also responsible for those outcomes, too. “Being liked creates opportunities for learning and for new kinds of life experiences that help somebody gain an advantage,” he said.
1. What sort of girl was the author in her early years of elementary school
A. Unkind.　　　 B. Lonely.
C. Generous.　　　 D. Cool.
2. What is the second paragraph mainly about
A. The classification of the popular.
B. The characteristics of adolescents.
C. The importance of interpersonal skills.
D. The causes of dishonorable behavior.
3. What did Dr. Prinstein's study find about the most liked kids
A. They appeared to be aggressive.
B. They tended to be more adaptable.
C. They enjoyed the highest status.
D. They performed well academically.
4. What is the best title for the text
A. Be Nice—You Won't Finish Last
B. The Higher the Status, the Better
C. Be the Best—You Can Make It
D. More Self-Control, Less Aggressiveness
答案　
1. C　2. A　3. B　4. A
Passage 8（2019课标全国Ⅱ，C）　词数317　
　　Marian Bechtel sits at West Palm Beach's Bar Louie counter by herself, quietly reading her e-book as she waits for her salad. What is she reading None of your business!Lunch is Bechtel's “me” time. And like more Americans, she's not alone.
A new report found 46 percent of meals are eaten alone in America. More than half(53 percent)have breakfast alone and nearly half(46 percent)have lunch by themselves. Only at dinnertime are we eating together anymore, 74 percent, according to statistics from the report.
“I prefer to go out and be out. Alone, but together, you know ” Bechtel said, looking up from her book. Bechtel, who works in downtown West Palm Beach, has lunch with coworkers sometimes, but like many of us, too often works through lunch at her desk. A lunchtime escape allows her to keep a boss from tapping her on the shoulder. She returns to work feeling energized. “Today, I just wanted some time to myself,” she said.
Just two seats over, Andrew Mazoleny, a local videographer, is finishing his lunch at the bar. He likes that he can sit and check his phone in peace or chat up the barkeeper with whom he's on a first-name basis if he wants to have a little interaction(交流). “I reflect on how my day's gone and think about the rest of the week,”he said. “It's a chance for self-reflection. You return to work recharged and with a plan.”
That freedom to choose is one reason more people like to eat alone. There was a time when people may have felt awkward about asking for a table for one, but those days are over. Now, we have our smartphones to keep us company at the table. “It doesn't feel as alone as it may have before all the advances in technology,” said Laurie Demeritt, whose company provided the statistics for the report.
1. What are the statistics in paragraph 2 about
A. Food variety.　　　 B. Eating habits.
C. Table manners.　　　 D. Restaurant service.
2. Why does Bechtel prefer to go out for lunch
A. To meet with her coworkers.
B. To catch up with her work.
C. To have some time on her own.
D. To collect data for her report.
3. What do we know about Mazoleny
A. He makes videos for the bar.
B. He's fond of the food at the bar.
C. He interviews customers at the bar.
D. He's familiar with the barkeeper.
4. What is the text mainly about
A. The trend of having meals alone.
B. The importance of self-reflection.
C. The stress from working overtime.
D. The advantage of wireless technology.
答案　
1. B　2. C　3. D　4. A
Passage 9（2019浙江二考，C）　词数299　
　　California has lost half its big trees since the 1930s, according to a study to be published Tuesday and climate change seems to be a major factor(因素).
The number of trees larger than two feet across has declined by 50 percent on more than 46,000 square miles of California forests, the new study finds. No area was spared or unaffected, from the foggy northern coast to the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the San Gabriels above Los Angeles. In the Sierra high country, the number of big trees has fallen by more than 55 percent; in parts of southern California the decline was nearly 75 percent.
Many factors contributed to the decline, said Patrick McIntyre, an ecologist who was the lead author of the study. Woodcutters targeted big trees. Housing development pushed into the woods. Aggressive wildfire control has left California forests crowded with small trees that compete with big trees for resources(资源).
But in comparing a study of California forests done in the 1920s and 1930s with another one between 2001 and 2010,McIntyre and his colleagues documented a widespread death of big trees that was evident even in wildlands protected from woodcutting or development.
The loss of big trees was greatest in areas where trees had suffered the greatest water shortage. The researchers figured out water stress with a computer model that calculated how much water trees were getting in comparison with how much they needed, taking into account such things as rainfall, air temperature, dampness of soil, and the timing of snowmelt(融雪).
Since the 1930s, McIntyre said, the biggest factors driving up water stress in the state have been rising temperatures, which cause trees to lose more water to the air, and earlier snowmelt, which reduces the water supply available to trees during the dry season.
1. What is the second paragraph mainly about
A. The seriousness of big-tree loss in California.
B. The increasing variety of California big trees.
C. The distribution of big trees in California forests.
D. The influence of farming on big trees in California.
2. Which of the following is well-intentioned but may be bad for big trees
A. Ecological studies of forests.
B. Banning woodcutting.
C. Limiting housing development.
D. Fire control measures.
3. What is a major cause of the water shortage according to McIntyre
A. Inadequate snowmelt.　　　 B. A longer dry season.
C. A warmer climate.　　　 D. Dampness of the air.
4. What can be a suitable title for the text
A. California's Forests: Where Have All the Big Trees Gone
B. Cutting of Big Trees to Be Prohibited in California Soon
C. Why Are the Big Trees Important to California Forests
D. Patrick McIntyre: Grow More Big Trees in California
答案　
1. A　2. D　3. C　4. A
Passage 10（2019北京，C）　词数422　
　　The problem of robocalls has gotten so bad that many people now refuse to pick up calls from numbers they don't know. By next year, half of the calls we receive will be scams(欺诈). We are finally waking up to the severity of the problem by supporting and developing a group of tools, apps and approaches intended to prevent scammers from getting through. Unfortunately, it's too little, too late. By the time these “solutions”(解决方案)become widely available, scammers will have moved onto cleverer means. In the near future, it's not just going to be the number you see on your screen that will be in doubt. Soon you will also question whether the voice you're hearing is actually real.
That's because there are a number of powerful voice manipulation(处理) and automation technologies that are about to become widely available for anyone to use. At this year's I/O Conference, a company showed a new voice technology able to produce such a convincing human-sounding voice that it was able to speak to a receptionist and book a reservation without detection.
These developments are likely to make our current problems with robocalls much worse. The reason that robocalls are a headache has less to do with amount than precision. A decade of data breaches(数据侵入) of personal information has led to a situation where scammers can easily learn your mother's name, and far more. Armed with this knowledge, they're able to carry out individually targeted campaigns to cheat people. This means, for example, that a scammer could call you from what looks to be a familiar number and talk to you using a voice that sounds exactly like your bank teller's, tricking you into “confirming” your address, mother's name, and card number. Scammers follow money, so companies will be the worst hit. A lot of business is still done over the phone, and much of it is based on trust and existing relationships. Voice manipulation technologies may weaken that gradually.
We need to deal with the insecure nature of our telecom networks. Phone carriers and consumers need to work together to find ways of determining and communicating what is real. That might mean either developing a uniform way to mark videos and images, showing when and who they were made by, or abandoning phone calls altogether and moving towards data-based communications—using apps like FaceTime or WhatsApp, which can be tied to your identity.
Credibility is hard to earn but easy to lose, and the problem is only going to get harder from here on out.
1. How does the author feel about the solutions to the problem of robocalls
A. Panicked.　　　 B. Confused.
C. Embarrassed.　　　 D. Disappointed.
2. Taking advantage of the new technologies, scammers can　　　.
A. aim at victims precisely
B. damage databases easily
C. start campaigns rapidly
D. spread information widely
3. What does the passage imply
A. Honesty is the best policy.
B. Technologies can be double-edged.
C. There are more solutions than problems.
D. Credibility holds the key to development.
4. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage
A. Where the Problem of Robocalls Is Rooted
B. Who Is to Blame for the Problem of Robocalls
C. Why Robocalls Are About to Get More Dangerous
D. How Robocalls Are Affecting the World of Technology
答案　
1. D　2. A　3. B　4. C
三年模拟
A组　考点基础题组
Passage 1（2023福建福州高三二检，D）
　　Someday, you may no longer need to brush your teeth by hand. Instead, a group of billions of nanoparticles (纳米粒子) could automatically do all that work for you. It would be especially life-changing for people who find it difficult or impossible to hold and move a toothbrush.
Steager, an engineer at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) in Philadelphia and Hyun Koo, an inventor and dental researcher there, found a way to form the nanoparticles into long, skinny bristles (刷子毛), a lot like the ones on a toothbrush. But these bristles shape-shift to fit whatever surface they encounter.
The tooth-cleaning robot works thanks to two magnets(磁铁). One goes each side of the teeth. The nanoparticles sit in a liquid between the magnets. When the magnets are turned off, the nanoparticles move randomly in the liquid. As soon as one magnet gets turned on, the nanoparticles gather together near its center. When the researchers turn on the other magnet and turn off the first one, the nanoparticles extend outward in long, skinny bristles. When there's a tooth in the way, these bristles can't stretch out as far as they want. So they push against the tooth's surface. If there's a gap between teeth, they push into the gap. Moving the magnets makes the bristles move against and between teeth. All that motion cleans the teeth. As a bonus, the nanoparticles also have strong power to kill viruses.
The new device is just a proof of concept. The researchers still need to turn it into a product that people will want to use. “There's a lot of engineering to get from here to there, but every good idea needs to have a start,” says Steager.
1. What is special about the tooth cleaner
A. It's waterproof.　　　B. It's transformable.
C. It looks like a toothbrush.　　　D. It contains skinny bristles.
2. What is Paragraph 3 mainly about
A. The working principle.　　　
B. The magnets' motion.
C. The virus-killing process.　　　
D. The bristles' formation.
3. How does Steager feel about the future of the device
A. Uncertain.　　　 B. Confident.
C. Concerned.　　　D. Surprised.
4. Which of the following would be the best title
A. A Tooth-Cleaner Fighting Bacteria
B. A Breakthrough in Medicine
C. A Shape-Shifting Robotic Tooth-Cleaner
D. A New Concept for a New Start
答案　
1. B　2. A　3. B　4. C
Passage 2（2023江苏南通海安高三一模，C）
　　How are you feeling today Often when we ask people that question, they reply “not bad” or “could be worse”. But what would make us feel “perfect” Maybe we could live better by being healthier, less stressed and more motivated—but how
Of course there are many ways of improving our mental health, but sometimes there are small and simple solutions to helping improve our well-being. It's something the TV programme Easy Ways to Live Well has been looking at. It suggested several “health hacks” which the programme's presenters tried and gave their “seal of approval”. And maybe they could help us too.
Firstly, to deal with putting on weight and to cut the calories, the programme found sniffing peppermint(薄荷) stops our longing for a snack. Presenter, chef and writer Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall says a scientific theory called “mutual competition” shows that a strong smell can distract our brain from the food we're thinking about.
If your addiction to your smartphone is getting you down, it's suggested that turning your phone screen grey helps you reduce screen time because a black and white screen becomes less attractive to look at. With recent studies showing our phones can make us 26% less productive and increase our stress, it seems like a no-brainer to try this “dim” idea.
Fancy a swim in ice-cold water Well, the TV programme found a daily dip in freezing water gets you used to the stress of doing it and therefore prepares you for other life stresses. And another way to “chill out” is to leave your smartphone at home, immerse yourself in a forest, and breathe in the fresh air. Forest bathing is the perfect tonic for the stresses of urban life.
Other life-improving ideas included things such as singing to reduce pain and walking around more to get away from our sedentary(久坐不动) lives. But whatever way we choose to adopt, it seems any change to our lifestyle can help improve our body and mind.
1. What's the function of a series of questions in the first paragraph
A. To provide more background information.
B. To provoke thinking and bring out the topic.
C. To expect readers can give specific answers.
D. To lead readers to focus on physical health.
2. What's the author's attitude towards the TV programme Easy Ways to Live Well
A. Favorable.　　　 B. Unclear.
C. Negative.　　　 D. Critical.
3. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage
A. The strong smell of peppermint is bound to cut the calories.
B. To remove life stresses, you must have a swim in freezing water.
C. Making the phone screen colorful makes us more focused and efficient.
D. An ice-water swim and forest bathing have the similar effect on stresses.
4. What's the purpose of the passage
A. To tell readers how to be perfect.
B. To introduce a popular TV programme.
C. To offer some ways to better well-being.
D. To get rid of some bad habits in daily life.
答案　
1. B　2. A　3. D　4. C
Passage 3（2023山东菏泽高三上学期期末，C）
　　People do physical exercise as part of their healthy lifestyle to get stronger and healthier.
There are three basic modes of physical exercise: flexibility exercise helps the human body in general or its part in particular to be able to reach farther and bend better; aerobic exercise helps the body work hard for a long time; anaerobic exercise makes the arms and legs stronger.
It has long been known that exercise is not only good for your body, but also for your mind. According to researchers, gymnasts are more likely to be emotionally stable, football players the most outgoing and swimmers the happiest.
The psychological study, which was carried out by experts, also revealed that sports can also offer clues to a person's attitude to charity, reading habits and even their voting intentions. Boxers, for example, are most likely to focus on material possessions in life. Meanwhile, runners tend to be outgoing people who love being the centre of attention. Walkers, a group that includes those who enjoy wandering and cross-country races, are least concerned about other people and like doing things by themselves without interruption from others. Those who play chess are confident when they face challenges and trouble. Those who swim tend to be tidy and charitable. However, according to Mind Lab, 61 percent of adults are fond of helping others regardless of their choice of sports.
The results from this study also show that no matter what kind of person you are, there is the right kind of exercise for you.
1. Which of the following sports belongs to flexibility exercise
A. Running.　　　 B. Swimming.
C. Football.　　　 D. Gymnastics.
2. What can we learn from the text
A. Walkers enjoy loneliness in their lives.
B. Boxers tend to ignore wealth in life.
C. Runners have great power of concentration.
D. Chess players like challenging other people.
3. Why does the author mention Mind Lab in Paragraph 4
A. To make a contrast.　　　
B. To draw a conclusion.
C. To place an emphasis.　　　
D. To give an example.
4. What is the best title for the text
A. How can you choose suitable sports
B. What kind of sports can benefit you most
C. How can sports keep you mentally healthy
D. What does your choice of sports tell about you
答案　
1. D　2. A　3. A　4. D
Passage 4（2023浙江浙南名校联盟高三一模，D）
　　Around the world, rivers seem to be raging. While catastrophic flooding of Pakistan's rivers has left tens of millions without homes, a drought unseen for 500 years has squeezed Europe's major waterways almost dry. There is little disagreement about what's going on: climate change is causing both rainfall and droughts to intensify. The question now is how to manage those climate-changed waterways and, specifically, what role dams should play in mitigating(缓和) the kinds of disasters.
Advocates say water storage dams will become more essential as buffers(缓冲物) against extreme water flows by absorbing water during flooding and releasing it in times of drought. Dams, they say, can help combat climate change by producing renewable hydropower(水力发电) that is cleaner than fossil fuel energy.
However, criticisms have long centered on the negative impact most dams have on biodiversity and river ecosystems. Not only do the vast amounts of concrete used to build large dams leave huge carbon footprints, there is also much evidence that greenhouse gas emissions from dams are often far greater than previously thought. Increasingly a scientific case is also being made that dams actually worsen both floods and droughts.
Now, more dam developers are turning to “run-of-the-river” technology, in which the river's water flows continuously through a hydropower station without a reservoir to store it. Such projects are generally considered more environmentally friendly, but they do not allow for water to be managed according to weather conditions.
Then there are those who say we should stay away from dams, and look for ways using nature-based solutions. Many ecologists say that protecting wetlands, for example, should be a priority, since those ecosystems act as natural sponges(海绵) for floodwaters within a river basin. “We have turned river basins into economic machines that only serve people and not nature, and this creates more problems, like droughts and flooding,” says Herman Wanningen, the founder of the advocacy group Dam Removal Europe. “We have to learn to cooperate with nature and not against it anymore.”
1. Why do critics oppose the construction of dams
A. It may produce opposite effect.
B. It destroys local ecosystems.
C. It needs a large amount of concrete.
D. It gives off harmful gases.
2. What can we say about the “turn-to-river” projects
A. Economical.　　　 B. Inflexible.
C. Fruitless.　　　 D. Popular.
3. What can we infer from the last paragraph
A. Dams have long lost their function as buffers.
B. Protecting wetlands is a once-and-for-all solution.
C. Flooding and droughts can help promote economy.
D. The starting point of our solution should serve nature.
4. What's the best title for the text
A. Building More Dams: A Way Out
B. Disaster Relief: Working with Nature.
C. Dams' Traditional Role: Pros and Cons.
D. Worsening Climate Change: Take Action!
答案　
1. A　2. B　3. D　4. A
Passage 5（2023广东深圳罗湖高三上学期期末，D）
　　Boston wants to be smarter. The city has taken advantage of technologies to become more responsive to its residents' needs. But technology alone is not sufficient to make today's cities liveable. Boston has discovered that it also needs to reach the old-fashioned low-tech community and integrate that technology with city life.
Kris Carter rolled out Boston's smart city program in 2014. It started with an app that residents could download to report locations where sidewalks needed repair. The city sorted out those reports and ranked them in a database, which repair crews used to prioritize their work.
The system worked beautifully, except for one problem: most of the alerts(警报) came from wealthier neighborhoods, where the concentration of smartphone-equipped residents was highest. “The complaints from the app didn't always correlate with the greatest community need for repairs,” explains Carter.
Carter's group has moved away from the model common to many smart city initiatives of letting tech-savvy(精通技术的) residents drive the process. Instead, they run meetings to find out what problems people in different neighborhoods care about solving. When it came to sidewalks, Boston introduced a second method of collecting repair tips, hiring people to get out and walk the city's 1,700 miles of sidewalks to take notes on their condition.
Whether using low-tech or high-tech approaches, says Carter, to stay smart, a city needs to continually reassess its options to spot opportunities to improve residents' lives. Take the sidewalk repair program, walking on the streets was proved a useful, if inefficient way to prioritize repair needs. But last year the group found that walkers' mobile phones could be tracked as they moved along the streets, and that data could be analyzed to identify sidewalk routes which are most often used by neighborhoods.
“Combined with our other sidewalk information, that gave us an even better way to predict where faster repairs would do the most good,” says Carter. “We're really always looking for whatever mix of approaches best solves the problem.”
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about
A. The citizens' life.　　　 B. The city's reputation.
C. The city's management.　　　 D. The benefits of technology.
2. What problem did Kris Carter's team meet when carrying out their program
A. They faced many technical obstacles.
B. They couldn't serve all residents well.
C. They were not supported by residents.
D. They were annoyed by being short-staffed.
3. Which of the following might Kris Carter most agree with
A. Maximizing the benefits of technology.
B. Mixing approaches for solving problems.
C. Giving full play to the power of residents.
D. Letting tech companies be a leading role.
4. What can be a suitable title for the text
A. A smart city: more than just tech
B. A city with intelligent facilities
C. Joint-effort in city construction
D. The modernization of a city
答案　
1. C　2. B　3. B　4. A
Passage 6（2022辽宁名校联盟高三一模，D）
　　Wind power is a powerful tool for reducing carbon emissions (排放) that cause climate change. The turbines (涡轮机), however, can be a threat to birds, which is why experts are looking for ways to limit the danger.
A company in Boulder, Colorado has produced a camera-and-AI-based technology that can recognize eagles and other birds as they approach in enough time to make turbines pause in their flight path. Their tool, called IdentiFlight, can detect 5.62 times more bird flights than human observers alone, and with an accuracy rate of 94 percent. Using high-precision visual sensors, the system calculates a bird's speed and flight track, and if it is in a collision(碰撞) path with a turbine, a signal is sent to shut that turbine down.
Winning an award for its performance in Australia, the tracking system was built in 2018 and was found to cut eagle deaths at the Cattle Hill Wind Farm by more than four-fifths. Each day, signals have shut down their movement an average of 400 times—across the field of 48 turbines—for two to three minutes each time.
Bird lover and director of the National Audubon Society's Clean Energy Initiative, Garry George, admits, “Our own science shows that climate change is by far the biggest threat to birds and the places wildlife needs to survive. IdentiFlight will make it possible to fight the worst effects of climate change and at the same time protect the birds we love in the process.”
1. What contribute to IdentiFlight detecting birds' approaching
A. Cameras and AI.　　　
B. Human observers.
C. Changes to turbines.　　　
D. Birds' flying habits.
2. What happens at a wind farm with IdentiFlight when a bird is to knock into a turbine
A. The turbine is stopped temporarily.
B. The turbine changes the bird's track.
C. The turbine kills the approaching bird.
D. The turbine is out of work permanently.
3. What is Garry George's attitude towards IdentiFlight
A. Ambiguous.　　　 B. Reserved.
C. Approving.　　　 D. Unconcerned.
4. What is the suitable title for the text
A. AI Keeps Track of Birds
B. Powerful Tools Save Nature
C. Climate Change Leads to Bird Deaths
D. AI Helps Wind Turbines Protect Birds
答案　
1. A　2. A　3. C　4. D
Passage 7（2022湖北十一校高三联考二，D）
　The company SpaceX has already launched hundreds of its Starlink satellites, with plans to put as many as 42,000 of them in Earth orbit. Its goal is to provide high-speed Internet to billions of people. Moving toward that kind of access is important, but it comes at a cost. Glittering with reflected sunlight, these first orbiters, sent up in the past year, are brighter than 99 percent of the 5,000 or so other satellites now circling Earth, and obviously there are going to be a lot more. This sudden increase is bad for astronomy: The probability of a Starlink satellite crossing a telescope's field of view and ruining an observation will be quite high near sunset. For that reason, my fellow astronomers have signed a petition(请愿书)calling for governments to protect the night sky from this invasion.
In response to protests, SpaceX has promised to address the visibility problem by, for example, applying experimental coatings—essentially painting the satellites black—but the company's aggressive launch schedule remains unchanged. And the satellites' illuminated(被照亮)surfaces are mostly their solar panels—exactly the part that cannot be painted over.
Unfortunately, at present no regulations govern how bright a single satellite can be, let alone thousands of them together. Even if there are such regulations, one nation's laws cannot hinder(阻碍)another country's launches. Space literally has no borders, and the sky will need to be protected at an international level. As a consequence, we hope that the United Nations will find a way to think outside of the box to save the sky for everyone.
When I was growing up in Montana, it was a game to be the first to find a moving satellite among the host of stars in the night sky. Soon it could be a game to recognize the constellations(星座)behind a swarm of moving points of light.
1. What is the writer's attitude toward SpaceX's launch plans
A. Indifferent.　　　 B. Doubtful.
C. Optimistic. 　　　 D. Disapproving.
2. Why have the author's fellow astronomers signed the petition
A. SpaceX plans to send too many Starlink satellites into space.
B. The Starlink satellites will possibly ruin an observation near sunset.
C. The first orbiters are brighter than most of other satellites circling Earth.
D. SpaceX fails to provide high-speed Internet to people around the world.
3. According to the author, who should shoulder the responsibility to save the sky
A. The United States.　　　
B. The United Nations.　　　
C. The company SpaceX.　　　
D. Just one nation.
4. What can be a suitable title for the text
A. Preserve the Night Sky
B. Ban Starlink Satellites
C. Observe the Stars Attentively
D. Protest Against SpaceX
答案　
1. D　2. B　3. B　4. A
Passage 8（2021江苏南通高三模拟，B）
　　I remember doing the household chores to help my mother when I was nine. I hated changing the vacuum cleaner (真空吸尘器) bag and picking up things the machine did not suck up. Twenty years later, in 1978, with this lifelong dislike of the way the machine worked, I decided to make a bagless one.
Easier said than done, of course. I didn't realize that I would spend the next five years perfecting my design, a process that resulted in 5,127 different prototypes (样机). By the time I made my 15th prototype, my third child was born. By 2,627, my wife and I were really counting our pennies