外研版（2019）必修 第一册Unit 2 Exploring English 话题阅读练习（含解析）

Unit 2 Exploring English 话题阅读专练
注：文中划线句子可摘抄背诵
一、阅读理解
A
Learning to speak English well may be the best thing you can do to improve your life. That’s right. If you can
communicate in English, you can:
Contact people from all over the world. Talk about your ideas and opinions on Internet discussion groups.
Send emails to interesting people. Learn about their life and culture.
Travel more easily. Communicate with people wherever you go--English is spoken in more than 100 countries. Ask directions, have a conversation, or ask for help. Who knows, maybe English will save your life
someday.
Push your career forward. If you want a good job in business, technology, or science, get out of that armchair
and start learning English now !(If you already have a good job, start learning before you lose it!)
Knowing English will let you:
Put“ excellent knowledge of English” on your CV(履历). Get your dream job and earn more money.
Gain technical knowledge. English is the language of technology, especially high technology like computer
science, genetics, and medicine. If you re going to read about technology, you’ll probably have to do it
Learn computer science. Read technical articles without difficulty or write your own articles!
Be a world-class （世界级的）businessman (or woman). It’s simple. International business is done in English. And all business today is international. So if you want to play, you have to know English to contact other business
people, go to conferences, read international business newspapers and magazines, etc.
Become a better scientist. Contact scientists from other countries, go to international conferences, and visit
academic centers abroad. Learn about new scientific discoveries by reading papers, books, and magazines.
Use your computer more effectively. Most computer applications are in English, so you will understand them
better-and become a better employee.
1 ．According to the passage, knowing English will let you .
A ．travel in your country more easily B ．gain technical knowledge
C ．contact people all over your country D ．watch television net works
2 ．Sending emails to interesting people is a way to .
A ．learn knowledge B ．work better
C ．become a better scientist D ．contact people
3 ．A world-class business person may .
A ．write his/her own articles
B ．read international business newspapers
C ．talk about his/her ideas and opinions
D ．read about technology
B
A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms（习语）, though my teacher emphasized the importance
again and again. But soon, the importance of English idioms was shown in an amusing experience.
One day, I happened to meet an Englishman on the road, and soon we began to talk. As I was talking about how I was studying English, the foreigner seemed to be astonished, gently shaking his head, shrugging his shoulders, saying, “You don’t say! ” “You don’t say! ” I was puzzled. I thought, “Perhaps this is not an appropriate topic. Well, I’d better change the topic. ” So I said to him, “Well, shall we talk about the Great Wall By the way, have you ever been there ”“Certainly, everyone back home will laugh at me if I leave China without seeing it. It is magnificent. ” He was deep in thought（陷入沉思） when I began to talk like a tourist guide, “The Great Wall is one of the wonders in the world. We are very proud of it. ” Soon I was interrupted again by his order, “You don’t say! ” I couldn’t help asking（禁不住问）. I said, “Didn’t you say you don’t say ” Hearing this, the Englishman laughed. He explained, “ ‘You don’t say’ actually means ‘Really ’. It is an expression of surprise. Perhaps you haven’t learned that English idiom. ” Only then did I realize I had made a fool of myself.（直到那时我才意识
到我出洋相了） Since then, I have been more careful with idiomatic expressions.
4 ．A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms because .
A ．English idioms were too difficult to master
B ．I had no interest in English learning
C ．my teacher didn’t emphasize the importance
D ．I cared little about the teacher’s instruction
5 ．When I first heard “You don’t say! ”I thought .
A ．the Englishman was only interested in the Great Wall
B ．the Englishman was not interested in my English studies
C ．I had talked too much
D ．I had to stop talking at once
6 ．The underlined word “amusing” means “ ”.
A ．terrible B ．important
C ．interesting D ．lucky
7 ．Which of the following is TRUE
A ．The Englishman was leaving China without seeing the Great Wall.
B ．The Englishman wanted to see the Great Wall after I talked about it.
C ．The Englishman wanted me to act as his guide.
D ．The Englishman visited the Great Wall and thought it worth visiting.
C.
Swimming and English Learning
Can you swim Do you like swimming Yes Well, how can you learn to swim I think the best way is to go into the water and learn. I'm afraid you'll never learn to swim just by reading books about swimming or looking at
others swimming. It's the same with the English study. We must practice, practice and practice.
Listening and speaking are very important for beginners. The children in English - speaking countries first listen to others. Then they try to imitate and speak. We can listen to English programs on radio. You may just
understand a few words. It doesn't matter. Just be relaxed, and try to catch every word.
Somebody may be a good listener. But he dare not speak. He's afraid of making mistakes. You know we sometimes make mistakes when we speak Chinese. Don't be afraid. We must be brave. If you really want to learn English well, you must try to speak with everyone so long as he knows English. Whether you know him or not is not important. When there's nobody to talk with, you can talk to yourself in English. It's interesting and also a good
way to practice your spoken English. Remember, the more you speak, the fewer mistakes you'll make.
Reading and writing are more important for senior school students. First we must choose the books we're
interested in. A lot of reading will improve your language sense. This is the most important.
Keep writing English diaries. We can also write English articles. You may even post them to English
magazines. Don't be afraid of failure. Failure is the mother of success.
Easier said than done（说起来容易做起来难）. Well, let's do more practice from now on. I'm sure you'll
learn English well in this way.
8 ．We should learn English by .
A ．listening and speaking B ．reading and writing
C ．A and B D ．swimming
9 ．What will you do with mistakes when you speak
A ．Don't make mistakes. B ．Study hard.
C ．Try not to speak English D ．Don't be afraid.
10 ．We can listen to English , according to the passage.
A ．by train B ．on the radio
C ．every minute D ．now and then
11 ．Why does the author compare Swimming with English learning
A ．The author likes swimming.
B ．The author prefers English learning to swimming.
C ．English learning way is similar to swimming.
D ．Swimming is easier than English learning
D
The English language is changing, and you are responsible! Whether we consider changes in grammar,
spelling, pronunciation, or the very vocabulary of the language, you have played your part and continue to do so.
When we first learned basic grammar and spelling, perhaps in elementary school, we might have gotten the impression that these things were sacred. The rules that apply to such things might have been presented as
unchanging and unchangeable. While this way might be helpful for teaching children, it is far from accurate.
The English language, like many others, is a living, growing, ever-evolving thing. Like it or not, you are involved in this change. These changes take many forms. Grammar and spelling have changed greatly over the years and centuries, with the spelling differences in different countries today a reflection of this. While the language of a thousand years ago might be called English, most of us would hardly recognize it today as the same
language.
The first involves changes in the pronunciation of words. Many are familiar with the differences between the British and American ways of pronouncing certain words. In addition to these differences, the pronunciation of
many words has changed over the years because of how you have decided to pronounce them. For example,
consider the word "err." The traditional pronunciation of this word rhymes with the word "her." Older dictionaries show this to be the primary or only pronunciation. However, in recent years, more and more people have been pronouncing it so that it sounds like "air." Another change in the language involves the addition and removal of words. The makers of dictionaries decide which words deserve to be officially adopted as part of the English language. Through the centuries, many words have come from other languages. In fact, English has probably done this more than any other language in the world, which is why spelling and pronunciation rules for English have so
many exceptions.
Of course, many slang words have been just short-lived fashions that have died out quickly. Others, though, have been adopted by mainstream society and become respectable, as have many technical terms. So then remember, the next time you repeat the newest expression to hit the street, or make up your own words, you may be
contributing to the future of the English language.
12 ．When we begin to learn English, we think .
A ．it is interesting to pick up a new language B ．English rules are wrongly presented in fact
C ．grammar and spelling rules are unchangeable D ．only adults have the ability to affect a language
13 ．From paragraph 3 we can know that .
A ．we can change the English language
B ．many languages are changing over years
C ．English has changed little in the past 1,000 years
D ．there were main changes in grammar and pronunciation
14 ．Why is the pronunciation of words changing
A ．people speak in different waysB ．people have adopted foreign words
C ．it has been affected by American English D ．makers of dictionaries often change them
15 ．Which of the following is the best title for the passage
A ．Foreign words involved in English. B ．The British speaks differently from Americans.
C ．English language is changing over years. D ．You can change the English language.
二、完形填空
William Thomson
William Thomson was born on 26 June, 1824 in Belfast. He was taught by his father, a professor of
mathematics. In 1832, the family moved to Glasgow where Thomson attended university at the age of 10, then
studied at Cambridge and Paris Universities. In 1846 he became professor of natural philosophy in Glasgow, a post
he 16. for more than 50 years.
In Glasgow, Thomson 17. the first physics laboratory in Britain. He was a pioneer in many different 18 , particularly electromagnetism (电磁学) and thermodynamics (热力学). 19. Faraday(法拉 第), he was responsible for the introduction of the 20. of an electromagnetic field where Thomson developed the work of the 21. of the subject, Nicolas Carnot and James Joule. One of the most 22. results of
his work was his idea of an absolute zero of temperature — the scale based on this is named 23. him.
Throughout his work Thomson’s main goal was the practical use of science. He achieved 24. through his work on submarine telegraphy, a major practical problem of the day. He was 25 as a scientific adviser in the laying of the Atlantic telegraph cables in 1857-1858 and 1865-1866,for which he was knighted in 1866. His 26. in marine issues also inspired him to develop a mariners’ compass and 27. a tide machine and depth-measuring equipment. He invented many electrical instruments and his house
in Glasgow was the first to be 28. by electric light.
Thomson was raised to the noblemen with the 29. of Baron Kelvin of Largs in 1892. The Kelvin was a small river that flowed near Glasgow University and he was president of the royal Society from 1890 to
1895. He died on 17 December, 1907, in Ayrshire, Scotland and was 30. in Westminster Abbey.
16 ．A ．sought B ．confirmed C ．admired D ．held
17 ．A ．took up B ．broke up C ．set up D ．blew up
18 ．A ．Fields B ．countries C ．labs D ．colleges
19 ．A ．In spite of B ．Except for C ．Together with D ．Regardless of
20 ．A ．command B ．condition C ．contract D ．concept
21 ．A ．learners B ．pioneers C ．competitors D ．leaders
22 ．A ．important B ．obvious C ．fortunate D ．positive
23 ．A ．for B ．with C ．after D ．on
24 ．A ．wealth B ．fame C ．contribution D ．enthusiasm
25 ．A ．considered B ．attracted C ．employed D ．accused
26 ．A ．hobby B ．desire C ．success D ．interest
27 ．A ．operate B ．invent C ．control D ．produce
28 ．A ．lit B ．built C ．decorated D ．equipped
29 ．A ．title B ．name C ．honor D ．award
30 ．A ．preserved B ．respected C ．admitted D ．buried
参考答案：
1 ．B 2 ．D 3 ．B
【分析】本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了学会说一口流利的英语的好处。
1 ．细节理解题。根据文章第七段“Gain technical knowledge.” （获得技术知识。）可知， 懂英语会让你获得技
术知识。故选 B 项。
2 ．细节理解题。根据文章第二段“Contact people from all over the world. Talk about your ideas and opinions on Internet discussion groups. Send emails to interesting people. Learn about their life and culture.”（联系来自世界 各地的人。在网上讨论组讨论你的想法和意见。给有趣的人发电子邮件。了解他们的生活和文化。） 可知，
给有趣的人发电子邮件是一种联系别人的方式。故选 D 项。
3．推理判断题。根据文章倒数第三段“And all business today is international. So if you want to play, you have to know English to contact other business people, go to conferences, read international business newspapers and magazines, etc.” （今天所有的生意都是国际性的。所以如果你想参与， 你必须会英语， 才能联系其他商务人 士， 参加会议， 阅读国际商务报纸和杂志等。）可推断， 一个世界级的商人可能会阅读国际商务报纸。故选
B 项。
4 ．D 5 ．B 6 ．C 7 ．D
【分析】本文是一篇记叙文。作者讲述了因自己不懂英语习语的含义而闹出的笑话。
4 ．细节理解题。根据第一段第句“ …I paid no attention to English idioms, though my teacher emphasized the importance again and again.(尽管老师一再强调英语习语的重要性，但我对英语习语却毫不在意)”可知当初作 者没把老师的话当回事。因此 D I cared little about the teacher’s instruction(我不在乎老师的教导)”符合题意。
故选 D 项。
5．推理判断题。根据第二段第二句以及“I thought, “Perhaps this is not an appropriate topic. Well, I’dbetter change the topic. ”(我想，“也许这不是一个合适的话题。好吧， 我最好换个话题”)”可判断出作者以为这位英国朋友 对谈论学英语的话题不感兴趣。因此， 当我第一次听到“You don’t say!”时， 我认为 B 项“the Englishman was
not interested in my English studies(那个英国人对我的英语学习不感兴趣)”符合题意。故选 B 项。
6．词义猜测题。根据下文中的“Hearing this, the Englishman laughed.(听到这话， 英国人笑了)” 以及“Only then
did I realize I had made a fool of myself(那时我才意识到自己出丑了).”可推知，划线词所在句的句意为“但很快， 英语习语的重要性在一次有趣的经历中显现出来” ，即划线词 amusing 意为“ 搞笑( 有趣)” ，因此，C 项
“interesting(有趣的)”符合题意。故选 C 项。
7 ．细节理解题。根据作者和英国友人的对话“ “Well, shall we talk about the Great Wall By the way, have you ever been there ”“Certainly, everyone back home will laugh at me if I leave China without seeing it. It is magnificent. ” (“那么，我们谈谈长城好吗？顺便问一下，你去过那里吗？“ 当然，如果我没看到长城就离开 中国，国内的每个人都会嘲笑我。它是宏伟的。”)”可知，英国人参观了长城，认为长城值得一游。因此， 以下 D 项“The Englishman visited the Great Wall and thought it worth visiting. (英国人参观了长城， 认为它值得
一游)” 是正确的。故选 D 项。
8 ．C 9 ．D 10 ．B 11 ．C
【分析】本文是一篇说明文，主要讲述了如何学好英语的问题，并对如何学好英语提出了具体的建议。
8 ．细节理解题。根据第二段的“Listening and speaking are very important for beginners.(听和说对初学者来说 是非常重要的)”和第四段的的“Reading and writing are more important for senior school students.(阅读和写作对
高中生来说更重要)”可知，英语学习中，听说读写四个方面都是十分重要的。故选 C 项。
9 ．细节理解题。根据第三段的“Somebody may be a good listener. But he dare not speak. He’s afraid of making mistakes. You know we sometimes make mistakes when we speak Chinese. Don’t be afraid. We must be brave.( 有人可能是个好听众。但他不敢说话。他害怕犯错误。你知道，当我们说中文时，我们有时会犯错
误。 别害怕。 我们必须勇敢。 )”可知当我们面对错误的时候，不要害怕，故选 D 项。
10．细节理解题。根据第二段的“We can listen to English programs on radio. ”可知我们可以通过收音机听英语
节目，故选 B 项。
11．推理判断题。根据第一段的“I think the best way is to go into the water and learn. I'm afraid you'll never learn to swim just by reading books about swimming or looking at others swimming. It's the same with the English study. We must practice, practice and practice.( 我认为最好的方法是进入水中学习。 恐怕你永远不会通过阅读关于 游泳的书或看别人游泳来学会游泳。 英语学习也是一样的。 我们必须练习、练习和练习)”可推断， 作者把
游泳与英语学习作比较，是因为英语学习方式与游泳相似。故选 C。
12 ．C 13 ．B 14 ．A 15 ．D
【分析】这是一篇说明文。文章主要说明了英语在发生变化，每个人都参与其中。指出英语和其他许多语
言一样，是一种活的、成长的、不断进化的语言。不管你喜不喜欢，你都参与了这个变化。同时分析了英
语发生变化的原因。
12 ．细节理解题 。根据第一段 中 “When we first learned basic grammar and spelling, perhaps in elementary school, we might have gotten the impression that these things were sacred. The rules that apply to such things might have been presented as unchanging and unchangeable.”可知当我们第一次学习基本的语法和拼写时， 也许 是在小学，我们可能会有这样的印象，这些东西是神圣的。适用于这些事情的规则可能被描述为不变的和
不可改变的。由此可知，当我们开始学习英语时，我们认为语法和拼写规则是不可改变的。故选 C。
13 ．细节理解题。根据第三段中“The English language, like many others, is a living, growing, ever-evolving thing. Like it or not, you are involved in this change. These changes take many forms. Grammar and spelling have changed greatly over the years and centuries, with the spelling differences in different countries today a reflection of this.”可知英语和其他许多语言一样，是一种活的、成长的、不断进化的语言。不管你喜不喜欢，你都参 与了这个变化。这些变化有多种形式。几个世纪以来，语法和拼写发生了巨大的变化，今天不同国家的拼
写差异反映了这一点。由此可知，许多语言多年来都在变化。故选 B。
14．细节理解题。根据第四段中“In addition to these differences, the pronunciation of many words has changed over the years because of how you have decided to pronounce them.”可知除了这些差异之外， 许多单词的发音多年来 也因为你决定如何发音而发生了变化。由此可知，单词的发音会发生变化，是因为人们说话的方式不同。
故选 A。
15．主旨大意题。根据第一段中“The English language is changing, and you are responsible!”可知英语正在发生 改变，你也有责任！结合文章主要说明了英语正在发生改变，且每个人都参与其中。指出英语和其他许多 语言一样，是一种活的、成长的、不断进化的语言。不管你喜不喜欢，你都参与了这个变化。同时分析了
英语发生变化的原因。由此可知， D 选项“你可以改变英语”最符合文章标题。故选 D。
16 ．D 17 ．C 18 ．A 19 ．C 20 ．D 21 ．B 22 ．A 23 ．C 24 ．B 25 ．C
26 ．D 27 ．B 28 ．A 29 ．A 30 ．D
【导语】本文是一篇记叙文。文章介绍了威廉 · 汤姆森的生平，并重点讲述了他在科学和实际应用方面所取
得的成就。
16 ．考查动词词义辨析。句意：1846 年，他成为格拉斯哥的自然哲学教授，并担任了 50 多年。 A. sought 寻
找；B. confirmed 确认；C. admired 钦佩；D. held 担任。从空格前面的“professor of natural philosophy in
Glasgow”及“a post”可知，此处表示他担任这个职位长达 50 多年。故选 D 项。
17 ．考查动词短语辨析。句意：在格拉斯哥，汤姆森建立了英国第一个物理实验室。A. took up 开始从事； B. broke up 打碎；C. set up 建立；D. blew up 爆炸。由空后的“the first physics laboratory”可知，此处表示汤
姆森在英国建立了第一个物理实验室。故选 C 项。
18 ．考查名词词义辨析。句意：他是许多领域的先驱，尤其是电磁学和热力学。 A. fields 领域；B. countries 国家；C. labs 实验室；D. colleges 学院。后面提到的“particularly electromagnetism and thermodynamics”是两
个不同的领域。故选 A 项。
19 ．考查介词短语辨析。句意：他和法拉第一起引入了电磁场的概念，在那里汤姆森发展了这一课题的先 驱尼古拉斯 · 卡诺和詹姆斯 ·焦耳的工作。 A. In spite of 尽管；B. Except for 除了；C. Together with 和……一起； D. Regardless of 不管。根据下文“Faraday, he was responsible for the introduction of the concept”可知，此处表
示和法拉第一起，他负责引入了电磁场这个概念。故选 C 项。
20 ．考查名词词义辨析。句意：同上。 A. command 命令；B. condition 条件；C. contract 合同；D. concept 概
念。根据后文的“an electromagnetic field”可知，他和法拉第一起引入了电磁场的概念。故选 D。
21 ．考查名词词义辨析。句意：他和法拉第一起引入了电磁场的概念，在那里汤姆森发展了这一课题的先 驱尼古拉斯 · 卡诺和詹姆斯 ·焦耳的工作。A. learners 学习者；B. pioneers 先驱；C. competitors 竞争者；D. leaders 领导者。根据上文的“developed the work of”和下文的 “the subject”及其后的两个人名可知， 此处指的是汤姆
森发展了这两位先驱者在这一学科的成就。故选 B 项。
22 ．考查形容词词义辨析。句意：他工作中最重要的成果之一就是他的绝对零度概念——基于这个概念的 温度计就是以他的名字命名的。 A. important 重要的；B. obvious 明显的；C. fortunate 幸运的；D. positive 积 极的。结合下文的“his idea of an absolute zero of temperature-the scale based on this is named 8 him.”可知，
此处表示汤姆森所提出的重要的想法。故选 A 项。
23 ．考查介词词义辨析。句意：他工作中最重要的成果之一就是他的绝对零度概念——基于这个概念的温 度计就是以他的名字命名的。 A. for 为了；B. with 和……一起；C. after 在……后面；D. on 在……上面。此
处是固定词组 name after，表示“ 以 ……命名” 。故选 C 项。
24 ．考查名词词义辨析。句意：他通过研究当时的一个重大实际问题——海底电报而成名。A. wealth 财富； B. fame 名誉；C. contribution 贡献；D. enthusiasm 热情。根据下文“He was 10 as a scientific adviser in the laying of the Atlantic telegraph cables in 1857-1858 and 1865-1866, for which he was knighted in 1866.”可知，他 由于在大西洋电缆铺设工作上的成就被授以爵位，故此处指他通过自己在海底电报方面的工作而成名。故
选 B 项。
25 ．考查动词词义辨析。句意：他曾在 1857-1858 年和 1865-1866 年铺设大西洋电报电缆时担任科学顾问， 并于 1866 年获封爵士。A. considered 考虑；B. attracted 吸引；C. employed 聘用；D. accused 控告。从空后 的“as a scientific adviser in the laying of the Atlantic telegraph cables”可知，他被聘作科学顾问来指导铺设电缆。
故选 C 项。
26 ．考查名词词义辨析。句意：他对海洋问题的兴趣也激发了他开发水手罗盘、发明潮汐机和深度测量设 备。 A. hobby 爱好；B. desire 欲望；C. success 成功；D. interest 兴趣。根据语境并结合后面的“in marine issues also inspired him to develop a mariners' compass”可知，此处是指他对海洋问题的兴趣激励他开发了船用罗盘。
故选 D 项。
27 ．考查动词词义辨析。句意：他对海洋问题的兴趣也激发了他开发水手罗盘、发明潮汐机和深度测量设 备。 A. operate 操作；B. invent 发明；C. control 控制；D. produce 生产。结合前面的 develop 和后面的“a tide machine and depth- measuring equipment”可知，他发明了潮汐机和深度测量设备，下文的“He invented many
electrical instruments”也是提示。故选 B 项。
28 ．考查动词词义辨析。句意：他发明了许多电子仪器， 他在格拉斯哥的房子是第一个被电灯照亮的。 A. lit 照亮；B. built 建造；C. decorated 装饰；D. equipped 装备。后面的“by electric light”表示他家是第一家使用电
灯照明的家庭。故选 A 项。
29 ．考查名词词义辨析。句意：汤姆逊于 1892 年被提拔为贵族，被封为拉格斯的开尔文男爵。 A. title 头衔； B. name 名字；C. honor 荣誉；D. award 奖励。结合空前的“was raised to the noblemen”和后面的“Baron Kelvin
of Largs in1892”可知，在 1892 年他晋升成为贵族，拥有开尔文勋爵的称号。故选 A 项。
30．考查动词词义辨析。句意：1907 年 12 月 17 日，他死于苏格兰的埃尔郡， 葬于威斯敏斯特教堂。A. preserved 保存；B. respected 尊敬；C. admitted 允许；D. buried 埋葬。空处与前面的“He died on17 December, 1907”呼
应，此处指他死后被埋葬在威斯敏斯特教堂里面。故选 D 项。