专题03 说明文通关练
说明文解题策略
名校优选专项通关练
【解题策略】
说明文是一种以说明为主要表达方式的文章体裁。该文体通过对实体事物科学的解说，对客观事物做出说明或对抽象事物进行阐述，使人们对事物的形态、构造、性质、种类、成因、功能、关系或对事理的概念、特点、来源、演变、异同等有科学的认识，从而获得有关知识，增长知识和技能。说明文是高考英语阅读理解题中的重点内容之一。
文体特点与阅读策略
从内容特点看，说明文从内容上主要围绕下列主题而展开，科普知识类、动植物特性类、自然现象类、新产品、新工艺介绍类、风土人情类。文中解释性、定义性、说明性句子较多，长难句较多。实验、研究型文章一般会以实验的过程、进展为线索，多用描述法、问题与对策法等方法，通过列数据、做对比等来说明新的科学研究发现及其产生的影响。介绍说明型文章通常是介绍一种新产品、新技术，更多运用描述法从功能、用途、材料和市场前景等方面进行介绍。
从语言特点看：说明文中专业术语较多，抽象程度高，解题难度大，容易拉开考生分数档次。阅读理解主要考查考生对词汇和句式的掌握和运用情况。说明文由于句式复杂等特点，相对于其他体裁的文章来说难度更大。
从结构特点看：客观、简练，文章很少表达作者的情感倾向。说明文通常采用以下结构形式：
总分式: 总——分式和分——总式结构，以及完整的“总——分——总”结构。
递进式: 事理说明文常用这种结构形式，通常由浅入深、由表及里、由现象到本质，逐层递进，一层一层地剖析事理。
并列式：文章各部分的内容没有主次轻重之分。
对照式：通过两个事物的比较和对照说明其异同。
从命题形式看：常见的有细节理解题、推理判断题、主旨大意题、观点态度题等题型。
阅读策略
明确说明对象：阅读事物说明文，首先从整体入手，把握文章的说明对象是什么;阅读事理说明文，首先弄清文章说明了什么事理。可以通过把握段落主题句来明确说明对象。
把握文章结构：说明文主题鲜明、脉络清晰，行文结构模式较为固定。弄清文本结构有助于把握文章主旨和阅读重点。作者在谋篇布局上常使用以下说明方法:描述法(包括举例子、下定义、列数据等)、因果法、问题与对策法。
阅读做标记：在阅读的时候可给段落标上序号，给重要的句子和关键词汇做上记号，尤其是各段中心句。逐段概括要点，理清说明顺序。重视首尾句的作用，重视概念句或解说性语句的作用。
审清题干：把握试题中有效的信息，确认命题的角度、阅读范围和答题方式。
定位阅读：大部分的说明文答案基本上都能直接和间接从选段中找到依据。回答问题时要注意原文利用和自我加工相结合。
关注句间衔接：句子间的逻辑关系和衔接手段不外乎列举、原因、结果、让步、对照、补充、目的、条件等。
表示列举的词:for example, for instance;表罗列的词:first，second, third， to begin with，to conclude;
表转折的词: however, but, whereas;
表示原因的词: because, since，as;
表示结果的词:so，therefore, thus, consequently, as a result;
表示对照的词:on the contrary, by contrast, in comparison;
表示目的的词: so that， in order that等。
标志词就像指路牌一样，指明作者思路发展的方向和思路之间的逻辑联系。标志词前后的信息往往都是命题和答题的主要线索或依据，因此，识别标志词对考生更快、更好地理解文章具有举足轻重的作用。
【名校优选专项通关练】
1.（2024上·河北沧州·高三泊头一中联考）
Think of your most prized possession. Now, imagine you decide you must sell this item. How much is it worth to you How much would you charge for it And would anyone else want to buy it at that price
Let’s consider the real-world example of a yard sale. Before your neighbors come to look at your things, you must first decide on the prices for them. For you, each item has a story, and some items may even evoke strong emotions.
Let’s say you’re selling a pair of special edition sports shoes that you took care of and really enjoyed wearing on special occasions. With these sweet memories in mind, you put a price tag of $130 on the shoes. However, a customer offers $50 for them. You think, “How could they not see how special and valuable these are ”
In financial transactions like this, sellers often believe their own items are worth more than what buyers are willing to pay. This occurs because buyers do not have the seller’s experiences with and emotional attachment to the items. Buyers want a good deal, and they’re not willing to pay what the seller is asking for.
This negotiation process can even feel a little painful for the seller—over losing something and the buyer not valuing it as much. Economists suggest this dynamic occurs through the endowment effect (禀赋效应)—people’s tendency to value things they own more highly than they would if they did not own them. The endowment effect can take hold anytime we feel a sense of ownership over a product, and it can happen quickly.
As the saying goes, “Emotions gel the best of us.” There is nothing wrong with being proud of owning things and treasuring your experiences with them. But when you consider selling a prized possession, think about whether you’re fully ready to part with il. The past is the past, though. Removing your emotional attachment to material possessions can help you make more accurate assessments of how much your items are truly worth.
1．What does the underlined word “evoke” in paragraph 2 probably mean
A．Advocate. B．Cause. C．Identify. D．Control.
2．What makes you put a price tag of $130 on your shoes according to paragraph3
A．Your fondness for the shoes. B．Your ignorance of the market.
C．The high quality of the shoes. D．The special function of the shoes.
3．Which can best illustrate the result of endowment effect
A．One likes collecting old things.
B．One tends to buy expensive goods.
C．One offers a lower price when shopping.
D．One charges a higher-than-usual price for something.
4．What’s the purpose of the last paragraph
A．To make a suggestion. B．To introduce a theory.
C．To analyze a phenomenon. D．To provide some evidence.
【答案】1．B 2．A 3．D 4．A
【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了“禀赋效应”的现象，并建议消除对物质财富的情感依恋，更准确地评估物品的价值。
1．词句猜测题。根据上文“For you, each item has a story(对你来说，每件物品都有一个故事)”和下文的emotions可知，此处是指一些物品可能会“唤起”一些情感，所以推知划线词是“引起、唤起”的意思。故选B项。
2．细节理解题。根据文章第三段“Let’s say you’re selling a pair of special edition sports shoes that you took care of and really enjoyed wearing on special occasions. With these sweet memories in mind, you put a price tag of $130 on the shoes.(假设你正在销售一双特别版的运动鞋，你很喜欢在特殊场合穿它。带着这些甜蜜的回忆，你给这双鞋标上了130美元的价格。)”可知，你对这双鞋的喜爱让你给这双鞋贴上了130美元的价格标签。故选A项。
3．推理判断题。根据文章倒数第二段“Economists suggest this dynamic occurs through the endowment effect (禀赋效应)—people’s tendency to value things they own more highly than they would if they did not own them.(经济学家认为，这种动态是通过禀赋效应发生的——人们倾向于认为自己拥有的东西比自己没有拥有的东西更有价值。)”可知，一个人对某物收取比平常更高的价格，最能说明禀赋效应的结果。故选D项。
4．推理判断题。根据文章最后一段“The past is the past, though. Removing your emotional attachment to material possessions can help you make more accurate assessments of how much your items are truly worth.(不过，过去的就让它过去吧。消除对物质财富的情感依恋可以帮助你更准确地评估你的物品到底值多少钱。)”可知，最后一段的目的是提出建议。故选A项。
2.（2023·黑龙江·高三哈尔滨市第一中学校校考）
Organic food is very popular. It is also expensive. Some organic food costs twice as much as non-organic food, but new parents and pet owners are willing to pay up to 200% more for organic food. However, there are people who think it is a waste of money.
There is one main difference between organic and non-organic food. Organic farms do not use agricultural chemicals, such as pesticides. In many countries organic foods have special labels. These guarantee that the products are natural.
Some people think organic means locally grown. Originally this was true. Over time organic farming became more difficult. The demand for organic food grew larger than the supply. Small companies had to sell out to large companies. There weren't enough organic ingredients, such as grain and cattle. This made it difficult for many organic companies to stay in business. Today, many large companies have an organic line of products.
Is organic food more nutritious This is part of the debate. Many farmers and consumers believe it is. They think agricultural chemicals cause health problems such as cancer. Many health professionals disagree. Few studies prove that organic foods prevent health problems. Health specialists worry more about bacteria, such as E.coli and salmonella. These can get into contact with organic and non- organic food. Doctors recommend washing produce very carefully. Handling meat carefully is important too.
Most people agree that naturally grown food tastes better. Is tastier food worth the extra money This is a matter of opinion. Whether it is healthier or not may require more research. However, organic consumers argue it is better to be safe than sorry.
5．What is probably the major concern of organic food consumers
A．Price. B．Safety.
C．Freshness. D．Variety.
6．What is the doctors’ suggestion
A．Grow your own food. B．Reduce the use of pesticides.
C．Make sure the food is clean. D．Buy large companies’ products.
7．Which of the following do most people agree on organic food
A．It tastes better. B．It is easier to grow.
C．It contains more fat. D．It is more nutritious.
8．Where does this text probably come from
A．A recipe book. B．A chemistry paper.
C．A medical report. D．A health magazine.
【答案】5．B 6．C 7．A 8．D
【分析】这是一篇说明文。文章主要说明了如今有机食品很受欢迎，将有机食品和非有机食品进行了对比，并且就有机食品的种植、营养价值和味道等情况进行了说明。
5．推理判断题。根据第二段中Organic farms do not use agricultural chemicals, such as pesticides. In many countries organic foods have special labels. These guarantee that the products are natural.可知有机农场不使用农药等农药。在许多国家，有机食品都有特殊的标签。这些保证了产品是天然的。以及最后一段中However, organic consumers argue it is better to be safe than sorry.可知然而，有机食品消费者认为，安全总比后悔好。由此可推知，有机食品消费者最关心的可能是安全。故选B。
6．细节理解题。根据倒数第二段中Doctors recommend washing produce very carefully. Handling meat carefully is important too.可知医生建议仔细清洗农产品。小心处理肉类也很重要。由此可知，医生的建议是确保食物干净。故选C。
7．细节理解题。根据最后一段中Most people agree that naturally grown food tastes better.可知大多数人同意自然生长的食物味道更好。由此可知，大多数人同意有机食品味道更好。故选A。
8．推理判断题。根据文章主要说明了如今有机食品很受欢迎，将有机食品和非有机食品进行了对比，并且就有机食品的种植、营养价值和味道等情况进行了说明。这属于饮食健康类文章，可推知，这篇文章可能来自健康杂志。故选D。
3.（2023·辽宁·高三辽宁实验中学校联考）
In the summer of 2019, Tomas Quinones was undertaking a seven-day “bikepacking” trip, covering some remote desert in Southern Oregon, US. His trip had been marked with the usual minor troubles. But there had also been those moments of unexpected kindness from strangers.
On the last day of his trip, he was riding down a dusty track when he came upon a man lying unconscious on the desert floor. Quinones tried to give him some water with little success. Luckily, he called the emergency rescue team and an ambulance arrived within an hour. “I never had a doubt about what I would do,” he said. Quinones, who’d received some gestures of help over the course of his trip, paid it forward.
The odds are, if you’ve spent any time in the wild, you’ll have experienced these gestures of kindness from strangers or given them yourself too even if they were nothing so dramatic as the aid given by Quinones.
So what is it about being outside in nature that makes people want to help others The first explanation is that in the wild, there may not be any other help. According to the “bystander effect”, the more people who are in the presence of someone needing help, the less likely any of those people are to actually provide it.
But another idea is that there is something about nature itself that seems to promote “prosocial” attitudes. As a recent study suggests, exposure to nature can promote feelings of transcendence-a sense of connection to other people, to the world around us and to the universe.
When we take adventure into the wild, we are easy to get hurt. And that makes us look at the world differently. So, in the wild, where we lose our normal possessions, surroundings and identities, we seem more willing to go the extra mile for someone. It’s in nature that we can learn new things about humanity.
9．What can we know about Tomas Quinones’ trip in 2019
A．He passed on the kindness he’d received. B．He was saved by a fellow traveler.
C．He got tost for some time in the desert D．He came across unexpected dangers.
10．Why does the author write about Tomas Quinones’ story
A．To suggest the unstoppable power of nature. B．To highlight the risks of traveling alone.
C．To introduce a common phenomenon. D．To question connections between people.
11．What might happen if many people were present when somebody needed help, according to the “bystander effect”
A．They might offer help immediately. B．They might be unwilling to help.
C．They might encourage others to help. D．They might blame the person in need.
12．Why are we more likely to help strangers when in the wild, according to the text
A．Exposure to nature boosts our confidence.
B．We are more clear-headed in natural environments.
C．Fear promotes our desire for connection with nature.
D．Feeling small in the wild makes us tend to act big.
【答案】9．A 10．C 11．B 12．D
【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章主要讲述了Tomas Quinones进行了一次为期七天的“骑自行车”旅行。在旅行中，他遇到了一些困难，同时也收到了一些人的帮助。在他旅行的最后一天，他遇到了一个昏迷的人，帮助他叫了救护车。一项研究表明，在野外，人们更愿意为一些人付出更多的努力，去帮助他们。
9．细节理解题。根据第二段“Quinones, who’d received some gestures of help over the course of his trip, paid it forward.(Quinones在旅途中得到了一些帮助，他把这些帮助传递了出去。)”可知，Tomas Quinones把他所受到的好意转达给别人。故选A。
10．推理判断题。通读全文，尤其是第二段“Quinones, who’d received some gestures of help over the course of his trip, paid it forward.(奎诺内斯在旅途中得到了一些帮助，他把这些帮助传递了出去。)”和倒数第二段“As a recent study suggests, exposure to nature can promote feelings of transcendence-a sense of connection to other people, to the world around us and to the universe.(最近的一项研究表明，接触大自然可以促进超然感——一种与他人、与我们周围的世界以及与宇宙的联系感。)”可知，本文主要讲述了Tomas Quinones进行了一次为期七天的“骑自行车”旅行。在旅行中，他遇到了一些困难，同时也收到了一些人的帮助。在他旅行的最后一天，他遇到了一个昏迷的人，帮助他叫了救护车。一项研究表明，在野外，人们更愿意为一些人付出更多的努力，去帮助他们，因此本文的目的是介绍一种普遍现象。故选C。
11．推理判断题。根据倒数第三段“According to the “bystander effect”, the more people who are in the presence of someone needing help, the less likely any of those people are to actually provide it.(根据“旁观者效应”，需要帮助的人越多，这些人提供帮助的可能性就越小。)”可知，根据“旁观者效应”，如果有人需要帮助时很多人都在场，他们可能不愿意帮忙。故选B。
12．推理判断题。根据最后一段“So, in the wild, where we lose our normal possessions, surroundings and identities, we seem more willing to go the extra mile for someone. It’s in nature that we can learn new things about humanity.(因此，在野外，我们失去了正常的财产、环境和身份，我们似乎更愿意为某人付出额外的努力。在大自然中，我们可以学到关于人性的新东西。)”可知，我们在野外更有可能帮助陌生人是因为在野外感到渺小会让我们倾向于表现得更大。故选D。
4.（2023·江苏·高三无锡市第一中学校考）
Zoologists studied the nervous systems of insects to investigate principles of biological brain computation and possible effects on machine learning and artificial intelligence. Specifically, they analysed how insects learn to associate sensory information in their environment with a food reward, and how they can recall this information later in order to solve complex tasks such as the search for food.
Living organisms show remarkable abilities in coping with problems posed by complex and dynamic environments. They are able to generalize their experiences in order to rapidly adapt their behaviour when the environment changes. The zoologists investigated how the nervous system of the fruit fly controls its behaviour when searching for food.
Using a computer model, they simulated and analysed the computations in the fruit fly’s nervous system in response to scents (气味) coming from the food source. They initially trained their model of the fly brain in exactly the same way as insects are trained in experiments. They presented a specific scent in the simulation together with a reward and a second scent without a reward.
“The model rapidly learns a strong representation of the rewarded scent after just a few scent presentations and is then able to find the source of this scent in a complex environment,” said computer scientist Dr Hannes Rapp, who created the model.
The model created is thus capable to generalize from its memory and to apply what it has learned previously in a completely new and complex environment, while learning required only a very small database of training samples.
The results suggest that the transformation of sensory information into memories in the brain can inspire future machine learning and artificial intelligence applications to solving complex tasks.
13．What is the ultimate aim of the research
A．To investigate principles of biological brain computation.
B．To solve problems in simulated complex environments.
C．To analyse how insects search for food in complex environment.
D．To promote machine learning and AI applications.
14．How did zoologists mainly carry out their research
A．By observing fruit flies. B．By performing lab experiments.
C．By using a computer model. D．By carrying out field research.
15．What is mainly discussed about the study in paragraphs 3-5
A．Its findings. B．Its process. C．Its importance. D．Its application.
16．What does the result of this study imply
A．Artificial intelligence is applied to the study of insect brain.
B．Food reward is connected with information transformation.
C．Sensory information can be applied to solving complex tasks.
D．Studying living organisms can make a difference to AI research.
【答案】13．D 14．C 15．B 16．C
【分析】这是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍动物学家通过研究证明感官信息可以促进机器学习和人工智能在解决复杂问题中的作用。
13．推理判断题。根据第一段的“Zoologists studied the nervous systems of insects to investigate principles of biological brain computation and possible effects on machine learning and artificial intelligence.（动物学家研究昆虫的神经系统，其目的是研究生物大脑计算的原理，以及对机器学习和人工智能可能产生的影响）”和最后一段的“The results suggest that the transformation of sensory information into memories in the brain can inspire future machine learning and artificial intelligence applications to solving complex tasks.（研究结果表明，将感官信息转化为大脑中的记忆可以激发未来机器学习和人工智能在解决复杂任务中的应用）”推知，该研究的最终目的是促进机器学习和人工智能的应用。故选D。
14．细节理解题。根据第三段的“Using a computer model, they simulated and analysed the computations in the fruit fly’s nervous system in response to scents (气味) coming from the food source. （利用一个计算机模型，他们模拟并分析了果蝇神经系统对来自食物来源的气味的反应）”可知，动物学家通过使用一个计算机模型来进行研究。故选C。
15．主旨大意题。根据第三段的“They initially trained their model of the fly brain in exactly the same way as insects are trained in experiments. They presented a specific scent in the simulation together with a reward and a second scent without a reward.（他们最初训练果蝇大脑模型的方式与在实验中训练昆虫的方式完全相同。他们在模拟实验中展示了一种特定的气味和一种奖励，以及一种没有奖励的气味）”，第四段的“The model rapidly learns a strong representation of the rewarded scent after just a few scent presentations and is then able to find the source of this scent in a complex environment（这个模型只需展示几次气味，就能迅速学会对受奖励气味的强烈表达，然后就能在复杂的环境中找到这种气味的来源）”和第五段的“The model created is thus capable to generalize from its memory and to apply what it has learned previously in a completely new and complex environment（因此，所创建的模型能够从其记忆中进行概括，并在一个全新复杂的环境中应用之前所学到的知识）”可知，3-5段主要介绍了实验的过程，包括实验初、实验中和实验得到的结果。故选B。
16．推理判断题。根据最后一段的“The results suggest that the transformation of sensory information into memories in the brain can inspire future machine learning and artificial intelligence applications to solving complex tasks.（研究结果表明，将感官信息转化为大脑中的记忆可以激发未来机器学习和人工智能在解决复杂任务中的应用）”推知，感官信息可以用来解决复杂的任务。故选C。
5.（2024上·江苏·高三徐州市第七中学阶段练习）
In the animal kingdom, mimics (模仿) are not rare. Stick insects pretend to be twigs. Hawk moth caterpillars resemble poisonous snakes. The examples, though, are visual. Auditory mimicry is rarer. Danilo Russo of the University of Naples Federico II thinks he has found a novel case of it, as he describes in Current Biology. Some bats, he believes, mimic angry bees in order to scare away owls that might otherwise eat them.
Dr. Russo first noticed bat buzzing a few years ago. The noise struck him as similar to the sound of some bees. He wondered whether bat buzzing was a form of mimicry which helped to scare off would-be predators.
To test this idea, he and his colleagues first recorded the buzzing that captured bats made. Then, with protective clothing, they began the more dangerous task of recording the buzzing made by different puter analysis revealed that bees’ and bats’ buzzing were, indeed, similar.
Then the researchers recruited several owls. They put the owls, one at a time, in an enclosure with branches for them to stay on, and two boxes with holes in them. They placed a loudspeaker alongside one of the boxes and, after the birds had settled in, broadcast through it five seconds of uninterrupted bat buzzing and a similar amount of insect buzzing three times in a row for each noise. As a control, they broadcast in like manner several non-buzzing sounds made by bats.
During the broadcasts and for five minutes thereafter, they videoed the owls. After analysis, the results were unequivocal. When they heard both the bat buzzing and the bee buzzing, the owls moved as far from the speakers as they could. In contrast, when the non-buzzing bat sounds were played, they crept closer.
Dr. Russo believes this is the first reported case of a mammal using auditory mimicry to scare away a predator. They strongly suspect, however, that it is not unique. Anecdotes suggest several birds also make buzzing noises when their nests are disturbed. And with the result of the experiment, he therefore predicts that auditory mimicry is far more widespread than currently realized.
17．What was Dr. Russo’s assumption of the study
A．Only some bats have the capacity of auditory mimicry.
B．The buzzing of bats is similar to the sound of some bees.
C．Auditory mimicry is rather common in the animal kingdom.
D．Bats imitate the voice of angry bees to frighten away enemies.
18．How did Dr. Russo test his idea
A．By collecting computer data.
B．By consulting experts in this field.
C．By referring to other scholars’ analysis.
D．By conducting series of scientific experiments.
19．What does the underlined word “unequivocal” in paragraph 5 possibly mean
A．Disappointing. B．Controversial. C．Definite. D．Uncertain.
20．What is a suitable title for the text
A．Animal Mimicry: Buzz off
B．Bats: No More Victim to Owls
C．A Self-protection Behavior among Animals
D．A New Trick to Scare Away Owls
【答案】17．D 18．D 19．C 20．A
【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章介绍了一项研究，研究发现一些动物会模仿其他动物的声音，吓跑潜在的敌人。
17．细节理解题。根据第二段“Dr. Russo first noticed bat buzzing a few years ago. The noise struck him as similar to the sound of some bees. He wondered whether bat buzzing was a form of mimicry which helped to scare off would-be predators. (Russo 博士几年前第一次注意到蝙蝠的嗡嗡声。他听到的声音好像是蜜蜂的叫声。他想知道蝙蝠的嗡嗡声是否是一种模仿形式，有助于吓跑潜在的捕食者。)”可知，Russo博士对这项研究的假设是蝙蝠模仿愤怒的蜜蜂的声音来吓跑敌人。故选D项。
18．推理判断题。根据第三段“To test this idea, he and his colleagues first recorded the buzzing that captured bats made. Then, with protective clothing, they began the more dangerous task of recording the buzzing made by different puter analysis revealed that bees’ and bats’ buzzing were, indeed, similar. (为了验证这个想法，他和他的同事首先记录了捕获蝙蝠时发出的嗡嗡声。然后，穿上防护服，他们开始了更危险的任务： 记录不同蜜蜂发出的嗡嗡声。计算机分析显示，蜜蜂和蝙蝠的嗡嗡声确实相似。)”以及第四段和第五段内容可知，Russo是通过进行一系列的科学实验验证他的想法的。故选D项。
19．词句猜测题。根据第五段中划线词句后文“When they heard both the bat buzzing and the bee buzzing, the owls moved as far from the speakers as they could. In contrast, when the non-buzzing bat sounds were played, they crept closer. (当他们同时听到蝙蝠和蜜蜂的嗡嗡声时，猫头鹰们尽可能地远离扬声器。相比之下，当播放没有嗡嗡声的蝙蝠声时，它们会慢慢靠近。)”等内容可知，实验的结果肯定了Russo的假设。从而推知划线词句“After analysis, the results were unequivocal. (经过分析，结果是unequivocal。)”其中划线词汇意思是“肯定的”。故选C项。
20．主旨大意题。通读全文，根据第一段中“Some bats, he believes, mimic angry bees in order to scare away owls that might otherwise eat them. (他认为，有些蝙蝠会模仿愤怒的蜜蜂，以吓跑可能会吃掉它们的猫头鹰。)”以及最后一段中“And with the result of the experiment, he therefore predicts that auditory mimicry is far more widespread than currently realized. (根据实验结果，他因此预测听觉模仿比目前认识到的要广泛得多。)”可知，本文主要介绍了一项研究，研究发现一些动物会模仿其他动物的声音，吓跑潜在的敌人。A项“动物模仿：（敌人）滚开”符合主题，故选A项。
6.（2023·福建厦门·高三厦门一中校考阶段练习）
Bees are important to agriculture. But useful as they are, bees do not receive the same care and concern over their emotional well-being as other agricultural animals.
Ecologist Buchmann’s recent book, which collects the work of bee scholars as they work to explain what goes on in their brains, suggests bees can learn, think and even likely feel, much like animals. Buchmann’s work also suggests bees should hold a special place in our ethical scheme (道德体系). For Buchmann and some other scientists, what they have learned about bees changes their research strategies to be more ethical, on par with (相当于) the standards set for animals such as mice and monkeys.
Experiments, the outcomes of which are addressed in the book, illustrate the secret life of bees. Lars Chittka, a University College of London professor, did an experiment 16 years ago where he hid a robotic spider in flowers. The spider would grab a careless bee that came too close and then release it after giving it a scare. Chittka observed how the released bees learned to look for the spider and to avoid it. Some would be too scared to approach even unoccupied flowers.
Other studies proved that bee brains saw rushes in chemicals that could bring happiness when they were presented with sucrose (sugar). These happy bees then found more food than their unrewarded bees. By contrast, stress from poor handling lowered the levels of these happy chemicals.
“Many of my colleagues do experiments where bees have some devices placed into various body parts without considering their feelings,” Chittka says. “The current care free situation that researchers live in with no legal framework needs to be re-evaluated.” There are few laws regarding bee welfare. Buchmann thinks the “unhappiness” of bees might be a contributing factor to the decreasing numbers of bees.
Bees are critical to feeding the world and to plant survival. But the bees need care too. The first step in safeguarding the precious bees is to learn more about them and their lives. “These unique minds, regardless of how much they may differ from ours, have as much justification to exist as we do,” says Chittka.
21．What can we learn about Buchmann’s new book
A．It focuses on the ethical scheme. B．It records some research on bees.
C．It teaches people how to protect bees. D．It introduces some famous scientists.
22．Which statement can be used to describe the bees in Chittka’s experiment
A．Once bitten, twice shy. B．Practice makes perfect.
C．Never offer to teach fish to swim. D．Kill two birds with one stone.
23．What conclusion can we draw from the studies
A．Bees are well-received. B．Bees are precious.
C．Bees can have emotions. D．Bees can handle stress well.
24．What might be Chittka’s advice
A．New devices should be placed in bees.
B．People shouldn’t experiment with bees in the lab.
C．New rules should be made for the benefit of bees.
D．The function of bees should be re-evaluated.
【答案】21．B 22．A 23．C 24．C
【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了一项新的研究发现，蜜蜂可以学习，思考，并表现出类乐观、沮丧、和恐惧等复杂情绪；研究人员认为，蜜蜂也需要照顾，和人类一样有存在的理由。
21．细节理解题。根据第二段第一句“Ecologist Buchmann’s recent book, which collects the work of bee scholars as they work to explain what goes on in their brains, suggests bees can learn, think and even likely feel, much like animals. (生态学家Buchmann最近的一本书收集了蜜蜂学者的研究成果，他们致力于解释蜜蜂的大脑中发生的事情，书中指出蜜蜂可以学习、思考，甚至可能有感觉，就像动物一样。)”可知，生态学家Buchmann的新书记录了蜜蜂学者针对蜜蜂的一些研究；由此可知，Buchmann的新书记录了一些关于蜜蜂的研究。故选B。
22．推理判断题。根据第三段中的“Lars Chittka, a University College of London professor, did an experiment 16 years ago where he hid a robotic spider in flowers. The spider would grab a careless bee that came too close and then release it after giving it a scare. Chittka observed how the released bees learned to look for the spider and to avoid it. Some would be too scared to approach even unoccupied flowers.(伦敦大学学院教授Lars Chittka在16年前做了一个实验，他把一只机械蜘蛛藏在花里。蜘蛛会抓住一只不小心靠近的蜜蜂，然后在惊吓它之后释放它。奇特卡观察了被释放的蜜蜂是如何学会寻找蜘蛛并避开它的。有些蜜蜂甚至不敢接近没有被占领的花朵。)”可知，在Lars Chittka的实验中当蜜蜂被藏在花里的机械蜘蛛抓住再释放后，这些蜜蜂就会对蜘蛛产生恐惧心理，学会寻找蜘蛛并避开它，有些蜜蜂甚至不敢接近没有被占领的花朵；由此可知，A选项“Once bitten, twice shy.(一朝被蛇咬，十年怕井绳)”可以用来描述Chittka的实验中的蜜蜂。故选A。
23．推理判断题。根据第三段中的“Lars Chittka, a University College of London professor, did an experiment 16 years ago where he hid a robotic spider in flowers. The spider would grab a careless bee that came too close and then release it after giving it a scare. Chittka observed how the released bees learned to look for the spider and to avoid it. Some would be too scared to approach even unoccupied flowers.(伦敦大学学院教授Lars Chittka在16年前做了一个实验，他把一只机械蜘蛛藏在花里。蜘蛛会抓住一只不小心靠近的蜜蜂，然后在惊吓它之后释放它。奇特卡观察了被释放的蜜蜂是如何学会寻找蜘蛛并避开它的。有些蜜蜂甚至不敢接近没有被占领的花朵。)”以及第四段“Other studies proved that bee brains saw rushes in chemicals that could bring happiness when they were presented with sucrose (sugar). These happy bees then found more food than their unrewarded bees. By contrast, stress from poor handling lowered the levels of these happy chemicals.(其他研究证明，当蜜蜂被奖励蔗糖时，它们大脑中能带来快乐的化学物质的激增。这些快乐的蜜蜂比那些没有得到奖励的蜜蜂找到了更多的食物。相比之下，处理不当造成的压力会降低这些快乐化学物质的水平。)”可知，这些研究表明蜜蜂对可能给自己带来危险的东西会产生恐惧，得到糖时会感到快乐，并能找到更多食物，面对压力会也会感到不快乐；由此可知，这些研究表明蜜蜂是有情绪的，如恐惧、快乐、能感受到压力等。故选C。
24．推理判断题。根据倒数第二段中“‘Many of my colleagues do experiments where bees have some devices placed into various body parts without considering their feelings,’ Chittka says. ‘The current care free situation that researchers live in with no legal framework needs to be re-evaluated.’ (‘我的许多同事都在做实验，把一些装置放在蜜蜂的不同身体部位，而不考虑它们的感受’Chittka说：‘目前研究人员生活在没有法律框架的情况下无忧无虑生活的这种情况需要重新评估。’)”以及最后一段中的“Bees are critical to feeding the world and to plant survival. But the bees need care too. The first step in safeguarding the precious bees is to learn more about them and their lives. “These unique minds, regardless of how much they may differ from ours, have as much justification to exist as we do,” says Chittka.(蜜蜂对养活世界和植物的生存至关重要。但是蜜蜂也需要照顾。保护珍贵蜜蜂的第一步是更多地了解它们和它们的生活。Chittka说：‘这些独特的大脑，不管它们与我们的大脑有多大的不同，都和我们一样有存在的理由。’)”可知，Chittka认为，蜜蜂和人类一样有存在的理由，研究人员可以不顾蜜蜂的感受在它们不同身体部位植入一些装置而不受法律约束的这一现状应该要重新评估；由此可知，Chittka可能会建议制定新的法规来保护蜜蜂的权益。故选C。
7.（2023·福建三明·高三三明一中校考）
Biodegradable(可降解的) food packaging is designed to detect to what degree the food has gone bad by changing its color. Best-before labels are often poor predictors of when food becomes dangerous to eat, which can lead to waste and food poisoning, says Benedetto Marelli at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. So he and his colleagues tried to create the package that can react to changes in food.
They made four films(膜) similar to plastic package, each consisting of two layers. One layer was made from a protein extracted from silkworm silk, while the other was made of one of four so-called covalent organic frameworks (COFs). These materials contain carbon and hydrogen, as well as atoms like oxygen or nitrogen, all arranged in a network that allows air and water to go through easily.
After checking the films were non-toxic and strong, the researchers tried to compost(堆肥处理) them. For the best performing film, 50 percent of it degraded after being placed in soil for 30 days, which is comparable to existing biodegradable plastics.
The material also changed colour when immersed in water with different pH values, due to the COF layer’s interaction with the liquid. Because the pH of food increases as it spoils, the researchers tried to use a piece of the film as a colour-changing label attached to a packet of raw chicken. The label started off orange but turned yellow and got 17 percent lighter after 20 hours at 30℃, indicating that the meat had begun to spoil. The researchers also loaded the COF layer with a chemical. After 15 days, so ya beans packaged in the film and left in high heat and humidity went bad, but only a third as much as beans wrapped in traditional plastic.
“For a successful market entry, the material will need to be affordable and easy to produce. The standard for competing with plastic production is very high.” says Marelli.
25．Why did Marelli decide to create the package
A．To improve the biodegradability of food.
B．To compete with plastic for market share.
C．To make a breakthrough in biotechnology.
D．To tackle food waste and enhance food safety.
26．What does Paragraph 2 mainly talk about
A．The functions of films. B．The categories of films.
C．The application of films. D．The composition of films.
27．What is the feature of the film
A．It prevents food from spoiling. B．It shows sensitivity to chemicals.
C．It has incomparable biodegradability. D．It is unaffected by unfavorable conditions.
28．What is Marelli’s attitude towards the prospect of the film
A．Realistic. B．Hopeless. C．Optimistic. D．Indifferent.
【答案】25．D 26．D 27．B 28．A
【导语】本文为一篇说明文。文章介绍了麻省理工学的贝内代托·马瑞利和同事们试图创造一种能对食物变化做出反应的包装。
25．细节理解题。根据文章第一段“Best-before labels are often poor predictors of when food becomes dangerous to eat, which can lead to waste and food poisoning, says Benedetto Marelli at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. So he and his colleagues tried to create the package that can react to changes in food. (麻省理工学院的贝内代托·马瑞利说，“最佳食用前”标签往往不能很好地预测食物何时会变得危险，这会导致浪费和食物中毒。因此，他和他的同事们试图创造一种能对食物变化做出反应的包装。)”可知，他们创造这种包装的目的是为了处理食物浪费和提高食品安全。故选D。
26．主旨大意题。根据文章第二段“One layer was made from a protein extracted from silkworm silk, while the other was made of one of four so-called covalent organic frameworks (COFs). These materials contain carbon and hydrogen, as well as atoms like oxygen or nitrogen, all arranged in a network that allows air and water to go through easily. (其中一层是由从蚕丝中提取的蛋白质制成的，而另一层是由四种所谓的共价有机框架(COFs)中的一种制成的。这些材料含有碳和氢，以及氧原子或氮原子，它们排列成一个网络，让空气和水很容易通过。)”可知，本段主要介绍膜的组成。故选D。
27．推理判断题。根据文章第四段“The material also changed colour when immersed in water with different pH values, due to the COF layer’s interaction with the liquid. Because the pH of food increases as it spoils, the researchers tried to use a piece of the film as a colour-changing label attached to a packet of raw chicken. (由于COF层与液体的相互作用，当浸入不同pH值的水中时，材料也会改变颜色。由于食物变质后pH值会增加，研究人员尝试用一片薄膜作为变色标签贴在一包生鸡肉上。)”当与液体相互作用，加入不同pH值的水，材料颜色会发生变化，可推知它对化学物质的敏感。故选B。
28．推理判断题。根据文章最后一段“‘For a successful market entry, the material will need to be affordable and easy to produce. The standard for competing with plastic production is very high.’ says Marelli. (“为了成功进入市场，这种材料需要价格合理且易于生产。与塑料产品竞争的标准非常高。马瑞利说。)”根据马瑞利说的话，可推知，他对这种包装膜的前景的态度是现实的。故选A。
8.（2023·河南·高三河南省实验中学校考）
Distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic has made both physical and social connections a touch more difficult to maintain. For Stanford University student Millie Salvato, being apart from her friend on the opposite coast has proved challenging. Sometimes a text or video call is not enough, and people in Salvato’s situation often long for a way to send a comforting hug from afar. In a new study detailed in IEEE Transactions on Haptics, she and her colleagues demonstrated a wearable sleeve that can simulate (模拟) human touch and convey social messages sent electronically.
Salvato and her team measured how 37 participants expressed social messages in different situations. In each test, one person wore a pressure-sensing device on an arm, and another touched it to respond to six different scenes: attention seeking, gratitude, happiness, calming, love and sadness. After collecting 661 touch movements, Salvato and her colleagues mapped the location and pressure of each. Next, they used a machine-learning algorithm (算法) to select the movements that were most reliable part of each response. Finally, they programmed a wearable sleeve to simulate these movements using eight built-in disks that vibrate when electronically signaled. “The instant it received signals, I could feel the touch and identify its intended meaning.” One participant reported.
Even with no training, the participants correctly matched the simulated touches to the six scenes 45 percent of the time. For comparison, a previous study found participants could match scenes for touches from real human hands 55 percent of the time.
Gerling, a touch researcher at Harvard who was not involved in the study, said the invention was really surprising. But the study was small and needs to cover far larger groups of people to determine exactly which are the most desirable responses. Besides, he believes the sleeve surely will enjoy great popularity once launched on the market.
29．What were participants asked to do during the study
A．Pick up reliable responses. B．Model on electronic touches.
C．Respond to different situations. D．Mark out programmed movements.
30．Why did Salvato and her team invent the wearable sleeve
A．To keep track of the COVID-19 pandemic.
B．To imitate human touch and express social messages sent electronically .
C．To enjoy great popularity once launched on the market.
D．To stress the significance of physical and social connections .
31．What does Gerling suggest according to the last paragraph
A．Covering more scenes. B．Launching on the market.
C．Conducting further research. D．Interviewing the participants.
32．Which of the following is a suitable title for the text
A．Electronic Sleeves Helping Feel Virtual Touch
B．New Technology Improving Social Connections
C．New Sensing Device Increasing Physical Touches
D．Electronic Sleeves Responding to Different Situations
【答案】29．C 30．B 31．C 32．A
【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了斯坦福大学的学生Millie Salvato研究出了一种可穿戴的袖子，它可以模拟人类的触摸并通过电子方式传递社交信息。
29．细节理解题。根据第二段“In each test, one person wore a pressure-sensing device on an arm, and another touched it to respond to six different scenes: attention seeking, gratitude, happiness, calming, love and sadness. (在每次测试中，一个人在手臂上佩戴压力感应装置，另一个人触摸它以应对六个不同的场景：寻求关注、感激、幸福、平静、爱和悲伤)”可知，在研究中，参与者要求对不同的情境做出回应。故选C。
30．推理判断题。根据第一段“Distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic has made both physical and social connections a touch more difficult to maintain. For Stanford University student Millie Salvato, being apart from her friend on the opposite coast has proved challenging. Sometimes a text or video call is not enough, and people in Salvato’s situation often long for a way to send a comforting hug from afar.(在新冠期间，保持社交距离使得身体上和社会上的联系更难以维持。对于斯坦福大学的学生Millie Salvato来说，与远在大洋彼岸的朋友分开是一种挑战。有时候一个短信或者视频通话远远不够，跟Salvato相同处境的人经常渴望一种能从远方送一个安慰的拥抱的方式)”可知，她和她的同事发明了一种可穿戴的袖子是因为想要模仿人类接触并能以电子方式发送社交信息。故选B。
31．推理判断题。根据最后一段“Gerling, a touch researcher at Harvard who was not involved in the study, said the invention was really surprising. But the study was small and needs to cover far larger groups of people to determine exactly which are the most desirable responses. (哈佛大学的一名没有参与这项研究的触摸研究人员Gerling说，这项发明真的很令人惊讶。但这项研究规模较小，需要覆盖更大的人群，以确定哪些是最理想的反应)”可知，Gerling建议做更深入的研究。故选C。
32．主旨大意题。根据第一段“In a new study detailed in IEEE Transactions on Haptics, she and her colleagues demonstrated a wearable sleeve that can simulate (模拟) human touch and convey social messages sent electronically (《IEEE触觉论汇刊》中详细介绍了一项新研究，她和她的同事展示了一种可穿戴的袖子，它可以模拟人的触摸并通过电子方式传递社交信息)”以及第二段““The instant it received signals, I could feel the touch and identify its intended meaning.”One participant reported. (一位参与者报告说：“它一收到信号，我就能感觉到那种触摸，并识别出它的意图”)”可知，本文主要讲的是电子套袖有助于感受虚拟触感。所以，用A项“Electronic Sleeves Helping Feel Virtual Touch”作为本文标题，与文章主题相符合。故选A。
9.（2024·河南信阳·高三信阳高中校考阶段练习）
For teenagers, is a sense of comfort more commonly found in sports or arts And how might this relate to their reported depressive symptoms A new research published by the American Psychological Association suggests that teenagers participating in after-school art activities like music, drama, and painting are more likely to report depressive symptoms than their non-participating peers.
“This is not to say that depression is a necessary condition for either a teen or an adult to become an artist, nor are we showing that participating in the arts leads to mental illness,” said lead author Laura N. Young. MA．of Boston College. “However, previous research has revealed higher rates of mental illness symptoms in adult artists. We were interested in whether this association is present earlier in development.”
Interestingly, teens who engaged exclusively in sports and didn’t involve themselves in any other extracurricular activities were reported the least depressive symptoms. The researchers found no significant difference in depressive symptoms between teens involved in the arts who also did sports and those who didn’t, suggesting that arts participation, rather than a lack of sports participation, was associated with depression.
The researchers used data from the U. S. Survey of Youth collected from 2, 482 students 15 to 16 years old. The survey asked teens about their frequency of participation in arts or sports activities after school, and their experience of various moods or problems related to depression.
One theory the researchers proposed for the seeming link between the arts and mental illness symptoms is that people attracted to the arts might possess certain cognitive (认知的) qualities, such as absorbing a higher level of information from their surroundings. This could lead to general unhappiness and depression, yet also enhance creativity and artistic expression. The authors suggested that personality qualities linked to depression, like introversion (内向), might guide teens towards more individual activities like the arts.
“When positive behaviors such as being involved in the arts are associated with symptoms of mental illness, it’s essential that we understand why,” said Young. “Further research can address the question of whether possible psychological shortcomings can be transformed into benefits through the practice of the arts.”
33．What can we learn from the research findings
A．Art activities directly lead to teen mental illness.
B．Art participation can be related to teen depression.
C．Sports are likely to increase depression rates in teens.
D．Being depressed is necessary to become an artist later.
34．Which has the closest meaning with the underlined word “exclusively” in Paragraph 3
A．only B．rarely C．regularly D．diversely
35．What is Paragraph 5 of the text mainly about
A．The overall framework of the research project
B．The direct cause of the observed phenomenon.
C．The theoretical basis of the possible connection.
D．The methods applied in conducting the research.
36．According to Young, what should follow-up researches focus on
A．How to reduce depressive symptoms through sports.
B．How to identify the positive impacts of the association.
C．How to prove the link between creativity and depression.
D．How to turn potential mental weaknesses into strengths.
【答案】33．B 34．A 35．C 36．D
【导语】这是一篇说明文。美国心理协会发表的一项新研究表明，参加课外艺术活动(如音乐、戏剧和绘画)的青少年比不参加的同龄人更容易出现抑郁症状。文章对此进行了介绍。
33．细节理解题。根据第一段第三句“A new research published by the American Psychological Association suggests that teenagers participating in after-school art activities like music, drama, and painting are more likely to report depressive symptoms than their non-participating peers.(美国心理协会发表的一项新研究表明，参加课外艺术活动(如音乐、戏剧和绘画)的青少年比不参加的同龄人更容易出现抑郁症状。)”可知，研究发现艺术参与可能与青少年抑郁有关。故选B。
34．词句猜测题。根据第三段第一句中的“and didn’t involve themselves in any other extracurricular activities(没有参加任何其它课外活动)”可知，此处是指只参与体育活动，所以exclusively意为“仅仅，只”。故选A。
35．主旨大意题。根据第五段第一句“One theory the researchers proposed for the seeming link between the arts and mental illness symptoms is that people attracted to the arts might possess certain cognitive (认知的) qualities, such as absorbing a higher level of information from their surroundings.(对于艺术与精神疾病症状之间的表面联系，研究人员提出的一种理论是，被艺术吸引的人可能具有某种认知能力，比如从周围环境中吸收更高水平的信息。)”和最后一句“The authors suggested that personality qualities linked to depression, like introversion (内向), might guide teens towards more individual activities like the arts.(作者认为，与抑郁有关的性格特质，比如内向，可能会引导青少年进行更多的个人活动，比如艺术。)”可知，第五段主要是讲可能联系的理论基础。故选C。
36．细节理解题。根据最后一段最后一句“Further research can address the question of whether possible psychological shortcomings can be transformed into benefits through the practice of the arts.(进一步的研究可以解决这样一个问题：是否可能的心理缺陷可以通过艺术实践转化为好处。)”可知，后续研究应该关注如何将潜在的心理弱点转化为优势。故选D。
10.（2024·浙江杭州·学军中学校考模拟预测）
The Christmas Pig, J.K. Rowling’s first children’s novel since Harry Potter I, is a feel-good book, full of surprises, which will delight adults and children alike, not only for the original story, but also for the imaginative scenery, characters and objects that interact with the main characters.
It tells the story of Jack and the love he feels for Dur Pig, a stuffed toy pig who has been with him since he was a toddler. After losing him on Christmas Eve, Jack will embark on a great adventure to save Dur Pig with the help of the Christmas Pig, a brand-new replacement for Dur Pig.
J.K. Rowling shows again, with this book, why she is considered one of the greatest storytellers of her time. She distinguishes herself again in world building, and younger and older readers will be surprised, chapter after chapter, by the original ideas that she introduces in this world that Jack and his friend visit. The world Rowling creates is not complex but it does not underestimate children: it is a world with clear logistics that the protagonists (主人翁) must follow, carefully crafted to serve the story and not its readers.
Those long time readers of J.K. Rowling’s works will find familiar passages and themes that they may want to connect to the Harry Potter books. It is hard to tell if those references are there on purpose, but there may be some satisfaction in thinking that Rowling must have noticed and enjoyed them privately while she was writing them.
Parents around the world may have a difficult time every night, once a chapter is finished and their children must go to sleep. The Christmas Pig will keep readers turning pages with a great and imaginative story, filled with cliffhangers at the end of most chapters that will leave kids asking for more. If some reviewers said that The Ickabog lacked Harry Potter’s magic, they can rest assured that The Christmas Pig has all the magic that J.K. Rowling can provide, and that’s more than enough.
37．Why is J.K. Rowling rated as one of the best storytellers of her time
A．Her capacity in building characters. B．Her ability to design complicated plots.
C．Her tendency to write to children’s taste. D．Her creativity in world building.
38．What does the underlined word “cliffhangers” probably mean in Paragraph 5
A．Imagination. B．Suspense. C．Magic. D．Challenge.
39．What can we infer from paragraph 4 and paragraph 5
A．She intentionally included references to her previous works.
B．Parents have difficulty falling asleep after finishing a chapter.
C．Some reviewers found The Ickabog full of magic.
D．The Christmas Pig is a good illustration of J.K. Rowling’s magic.
40．What is the author’s attitude towards J.K. Rowling’s book “The Christmas Pig”
A．Critical. B．Objective. C．Enthusiastic. D．Indifferent.
【答案】37．D 38．B 39．D 40．C
【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了J.K.罗琳的小说《圣诞猪》，介绍了故事大概内容以及特点。
37．细节理解题。根据第三段“She distinguishes herself again in world building, and younger and older readers will be surprised, chapter after chapter, by the original ideas that she introduces in this world that Jack and his friend visit.(她在构建世界的过程中再次脱颖而出，无论老少，都会被她在杰克和他的朋友造访的这个世界中引入的原创思想一章又一章地感到惊讶)”可知，J.K.罗琳被认为是她那个时代最会讲故事的人之一是因为她在构建世界方面的创造力。故选D。
38．词句猜测题。根据划线词上文“The Christmas Pig will keep readers turning pages with a great and imaginative story, filled with”以及后文“at the end of most chapters that will leave kids asking for more”可知，《圣诞猪》的故事让读者不断翻页，让孩子们想要更多，说明在大多数章节的结尾都充满了悬念，让人想要继续读下去。故划线词意思是“悬念”。故选B。
39．推理判断题。根据最后一段“If some reviewers said that The Ickabog lacked Harry Potter’s magic, they can rest assured that The Christmas Pig has all the magic that J.K. Rowling can provide, and that’s more than enough.(如果有些评论者说《The Ickabog》缺乏哈利波特的魔法，他们可以放心，《圣诞猪》拥有J.K.罗琳所能提供的所有魔法，这已经足够了)”可推知，圣诞猪是J.K.罗琳魔法的一个很好的例证。故选D。
40．推理判断题。根据第一段“The Christmas Pig, J.K. Rowling’s first children’s novel since Harry Potter I, is a feel-good book, full of surprises, which will delight adults and children alike, not only for the original story, but also for the imaginative scenery, characters and objects that interact with the main characters.(《圣诞猪》是J.K.罗琳自《哈利波特1》以来的第一部儿童小说，是一本让人感觉良好的书，充满了惊喜，不仅因为原著故事，而且因为与主角互动的富有想象力的场景、人物和物体，都会让成年人和孩子们都感到高兴)”可推知，作者对J.K.罗琳的小说《圣诞猪》充满热情。故选C。专题03 说明文通关练
说明文解题策略
名校优选专项通关练
【解题策略】
说明文是一种以说明为主要表达方式的文章体裁。该文体通过对实体事物科学的解说，对客观事物做出说明或对抽象事物进行阐述，使人们对事物的形态、构造、性质、种类、成因、功能、关系或对事理的概念、特点、来源、演变、异同等有科学的认识，从而获得有关知识，增长知识和技能。说明文是高考英语阅读理解题中的重点内容之一。
文体特点与阅读策略
从内容特点看：说明文从内容上主要围绕下列主题而展开，科普知识类、动植物特性类、自然现象类、新产品、新工艺介绍类、风土人情类。文中解释性、定义性、说明性句子较多，长难句较多。实验、研究型文章一般会以实验的过程、进展为线索，多用描述法、问题与对策法等方法，通过列数据、做对比等来说明新的科学研究发现及其产生的影响。介绍说明型文章通常是介绍一种新产品、新技术，更多运用描述法从功能、用途、材料和市场前景等方面进行介绍。
从语言特点看：说明文中专业术语较多，抽象程度高，解题难度大，容易拉开考生分数档次。阅读理解主要考查考生对词汇和句式的掌握和运用情况。说明文由于句式复杂等特点，相对于其他体裁的文章来说难度更大。
从结构特点看：客观、简练，文章很少表达作者的情感倾向。说明文通常采用以下结构形式：
总分式: 总——分式和分——总式结构，以及完整的“总——分——总”结构。
递进式: 事理说明文常用这种结构形式，通常由浅入深、由表及里、由现象到本质，逐层递进，一层一层地剖析事理。
并列式：文章各部分的内容没有主次轻重之分。
对照式：通过两个事物的比较和对照说明其异同。
从命题形式看，常见的有细节理解题、推理判断题、主旨大意题、观点态度题等题型。
阅读策略
明确说明对象：阅读事物说明文，首先从整体入手，把握文章的说明对象是什么;阅读事理说明文，首先弄清文章说明了什么事理。可以通过把握段落主题句来明确说明对象。
把握文章结构：说明文主题鲜明、脉络清晰，行文结构模式较为固定。弄清文本结构有助于把握文章主旨和阅读重点。作者在谋篇布局上常使用以下说明方法:描述法(包括举例子、下定义、列数据等)、因果法、问题与对策法。
阅读做标记：在阅读的时候可给段落标上序号，给重要的句子和关键词汇做上记号，尤其是各段中心句。逐段概括要点，理清说明顺序。重视首尾句的作用，重视概念句或解说性语句的作用。
审清题干：把握试题中有效的信息，确认命题的角度、阅读范围和答题方式。
定位阅读：大部分的说明文答案基本上都能直接和间接从选段中找到依据。回答问题时要注意原文利用和自我加工相结合。
关注句间衔接：句子间的逻辑关系和衔接手段不外乎列举、原因、结果、让步、对照、补充、目的、条件等。
表示列举的词:for example, for instance;表罗列的词:first，second, third， to begin with，to conclude;
表转折的词: however, but, whereas;
表示原因的词: because, since，as;
表示结果的词:so，therefore, thus, consequently, as a result;
表示对照的词:on the contrary, by contrast, in comparison;
表示目的的词: so that， in order that等。
标志词就像指路牌一样，指明作者思路发展的方向和思路之间的逻辑联系。标志词前后的信息往往都是命题和答题的主要线索或依据，因此，识别标志词对考生更快、更好地理解文章具有举足轻重的作用。
【名校优选专项通关练】
1.（2024上·河北沧州·高三泊头一中联考）
Think of your most prized possession. Now, imagine you decide you must sell this item. How much is it worth to you How much would you charge for it And would anyone else want to buy it at that price
Let’s consider the real-world example of a yard sale. Before your neighbors come to look at your things, you must first decide on the prices for them. For you, each item has a story, and some items may even evoke strong emotions.
Let’s say you’re selling a pair of special edition sports shoes that you took care of and really enjoyed wearing on special occasions. With these sweet memories in mind, you put a price tag of $130 on the shoes. However, a customer offers $50 for them. You think, “How could they not see how special and valuable these are ”
In financial transactions like this, sellers often believe their own items are worth more than what buyers are willing to pay. This occurs because buyers do not have the seller’s experiences with and emotional attachment to the items. Buyers want a good deal, and they’re not willing to pay what the seller is asking for.
This negotiation process can even feel a little painful for the seller—over losing something and the buyer not valuing it as much. Economists suggest this dynamic occurs through the endowment effect (禀赋效应)—people’s tendency to value things they own more highly than they would if they did not own them. The endowment effect can take hold anytime we feel a sense of ownership over a product, and it can happen quickly.
As the saying goes, “Emotions gel the best of us.” There is nothing wrong with being proud of owning things and treasuring your experiences with them. But when you consider selling a prized possession, think about whether you’re fully ready to part with il. The past is the past, though. Removing your emotional attachment to material possessions can help you make more accurate assessments of how much your items are truly worth.
1．What does the underlined word “evoke” in paragraph 2 probably mean
A．Advocate. B．Cause. C．Identify. D．Control.
2．What makes you put a price tag of $130 on your shoes according to paragraph3
A．Your fondness for the shoes. B．Your ignorance of the market.
C．The high quality of the shoes. D．The special function of the shoes.
3．Which can best illustrate the result of endowment effect
A．One likes collecting old things.
B．One tends to buy expensive goods.
C．One offers a lower price when shopping.
D．One charges a higher-than-usual price for something.
4．What’s the purpose of the last paragraph
A．To make a suggestion. B．To introduce a theory.
C．To analyze a phenomenon. D．To provide some evidence.
2.（2023·黑龙江·高三哈尔滨市第一中学校校考）
Organic food is very popular. It is also expensive. Some organic food costs twice as much as non-organic food, but new parents and pet owners are willing to pay up to 200% more for organic food. However, there are people who think it is a waste of money.
There is one main difference between organic and non-organic food. Organic farms do not use agricultural chemicals, such as pesticides. In many countries organic foods have special labels. These guarantee that the products are natural.
Some people think organic means locally grown. Originally this was true. Over time organic farming became more difficult. The demand for organic food grew larger than the supply. Small companies had to sell out to large companies. There weren't enough organic ingredients, such as grain and cattle. This made it difficult for many organic companies to stay in business. Today, many large companies have an organic line of products.
Is organic food more nutritious This is part of the debate. Many farmers and consumers believe it is. They think agricultural chemicals cause health problems such as cancer. Many health professionals disagree. Few studies prove that organic foods prevent health problems. Health specialists worry more about bacteria, such as E.coli and salmonella. These can get into contact with organic and non- organic food. Doctors recommend washing produce very carefully. Handling meat carefully is important too.
Most people agree that naturally grown food tastes better. Is tastier food worth the extra money This is a matter of opinion. Whether it is healthier or not may require more research. However, organic consumers argue it is better to be safe than sorry.
5．What is probably the major concern of organic food consumers
A．Price. B．Safety.
C．Freshness. D．Variety.
6．What is the doctors’ suggestion
A．Grow your own food. B．Reduce the use of pesticides.
C．Make sure the food is clean. D．Buy large companies’ products.
7．Which of the following do most people agree on organic food
A．It tastes better. B．It is easier to grow.
C．It contains more fat. D．It is more nutritious.
8．Where does this text probably come from
A．A recipe book. B．A chemistry paper.
C．A medical report. D．A health magazine.
3.（2023·辽宁·高三辽宁实验中学校联考）
In the summer of 2019, Tomas Quinones was undertaking a seven-day “bikepacking” trip, covering some remote desert in Southern Oregon, US. His trip had been marked with the usual minor troubles. But there had also been those moments of unexpected kindness from strangers.
On the last day of his trip, he was riding down a dusty track when he came upon a man lying unconscious on the desert floor. Quinones tried to give him some water with little success. Luckily, he called the emergency rescue team and an ambulance arrived within an hour. “I never had a doubt about what I would do,” he said. Quinones, who’d received some gestures of help over the course of his trip, paid it forward.
The odds are, if you’ve spent any time in the wild, you’ll have experienced these gestures of kindness from strangers or given them yourself too even if they were nothing so dramatic as the aid given by Quinones.
So what is it about being outside in nature that makes people want to help others The first explanation is that in the wild, there may not be any other help. According to the “bystander effect”, the more people who are in the presence of someone needing help, the less likely any of those people are to actually provide it.
But another idea is that there is something about nature itself that seems to promote “prosocial” attitudes. As a recent study suggests, exposure to nature can promote feelings of transcendence-a sense of connection to other people, to the world around us and to the universe.
When we take adventure into the wild, we are easy to get hurt. And that makes us look at the world differently. So, in the wild, where we lose our normal possessions, surroundings and identities, we seem more willing to go the extra mile for someone. It’s in nature that we can learn new things about humanity.
9．What can we know about Tomas Quinones’ trip in 2019
A．He passed on the kindness he’d received. B．He was saved by a fellow traveler.
C．He got tost for some time in the desert D．He came across unexpected dangers.
10．Why does the author write about Tomas Quinones’ story
A．To suggest the unstoppable power of nature. B．To highlight the risks of traveling alone.
C．To introduce a common phenomenon. D．To question connections between people.
11．What might happen if many people were present when somebody needed help, according to the “bystander effect”
A．They might offer help immediately. B．They might be unwilling to help.
C．They might encourage others to help. D．They might blame the person in need.
12．Why are we more likely to help strangers when in the wild, according to the text
A．Exposure to nature boosts our confidence.
B．We are more clear-headed in natural environments.
C．Fear promotes our desire for connection with nature.
D．Feeling small in the wild makes us tend to act big.
4.（2023·江苏·高三无锡市第一中学校考）
Zoologists studied the nervous systems of insects to investigate principles of biological brain computation and possible effects on machine learning and artificial intelligence. Specifically, they analysed how insects learn to associate sensory information in their environment with a food reward, and how they can recall this information later in order to solve complex tasks such as the search for food.
Living organisms show remarkable abilities in coping with problems posed by complex and dynamic environments. They are able to generalize their experiences in order to rapidly adapt their behaviour when the environment changes. The zoologists investigated how the nervous system of the fruit fly controls its behaviour when searching for food.
Using a computer model, they simulated and analysed the computations in the fruit fly’s nervous system in response to scents (气味) coming from the food source. They initially trained their model of the fly brain in exactly the same way as insects are trained in experiments. They presented a specific scent in the simulation together with a reward and a second scent without a reward.
“The model rapidly learns a strong representation of the rewarded scent after just a few scent presentations and is then able to find the source of this scent in a complex environment,” said computer scientist Dr Hannes Rapp, who created the model.
The model created is thus capable to generalize from its memory and to apply what it has learned previously in a completely new and complex environment, while learning required only a very small database of training samples.
The results suggest that the transformation of sensory information into memories in the brain can inspire future machine learning and artificial intelligence applications to solving complex tasks.
13．What is the ultimate aim of the research
A．To investigate principles of biological brain computation.
B．To solve problems in simulated complex environments.
C．To analyse how insects search for food in complex environment.
D．To promote machine learning and AI applications.
14．How did zoologists mainly carry out their research
A．By observing fruit flies. B．By performing lab experiments.
C．By using a computer model. D．By carrying out field research.
15．What is mainly discussed about the study in paragraphs 3-5
A．Its findings. B．Its process. C．Its importance. D．Its application.
16．What does the result of this study imply
A．Artificial intelligence is applied to the study of insect brain.
B．Food reward is connected with information transformation.
C．Sensory information can be applied to solving complex tasks.
D．Studying living organisms can make a difference to AI research.
5.（2024上·江苏·高三徐州市第七中学阶段练习）
In the animal kingdom, mimics (模仿) are not rare. Stick insects pretend to be twigs. Hawk moth caterpillars resemble poisonous snakes. The examples, though, are visual. Auditory mimicry is rarer. Danilo Russo of the University of Naples Federico II thinks he has found a novel case of it, as he describes in Current Biology. Some bats, he believes, mimic angry bees in order to scare away owls that might otherwise eat them.
Dr. Russo first noticed bat buzzing a few years ago. The noise struck him as similar to the sound of some bees. He wondered whether bat buzzing was a form of mimicry which helped to scare off would-be predators.
To test this idea, he and his colleagues first recorded the buzzing that captured bats made. Then, with protective clothing, they began the more dangerous task of recording the buzzing made by different puter analysis revealed that bees’ and bats’ buzzing were, indeed, similar.
Then the researchers recruited several owls. They put the owls, one at a time, in an enclosure with branches for them to stay on, and two boxes with holes in them. They placed a loudspeaker alongside one of the boxes and, after the birds had settled in, broadcast through it five seconds of uninterrupted bat buzzing and a similar amount of insect buzzing three times in a row for each noise. As a control, they broadcast in like manner several non-buzzing sounds made by bats.
During the broadcasts and for five minutes thereafter, they videoed the owls. After analysis, the results were unequivocal. When they heard both the bat buzzing and the bee buzzing, the owls moved as far from the speakers as they could. In contrast, when the non-buzzing bat sounds were played, they crept closer.
Dr. Russo believes this is the first reported case of a mammal using auditory mimicry to scare away a predator. They strongly suspect, however, that it is not unique. Anecdotes suggest several birds also make buzzing noises when their nests are disturbed. And with the result of the experiment, he therefore predicts that auditory mimicry is far more widespread than currently realized.
17．What was Dr. Russo’s assumption of the study
A．Only some bats have the capacity of auditory mimicry.
B．The buzzing of bats is similar to the sound of some bees.
C．Auditory mimicry is rather common in the animal kingdom.
D．Bats imitate the voice of angry bees to frighten away enemies.
18．How did Dr. Russo test his idea
A．By collecting computer data.
B．By consulting experts in this field.
C．By referring to other scholars’ analysis.
D．By conducting series of scientific experiments.
19．What does the underlined word “unequivocal” in paragraph 5 possibly mean
A．Disappointing. B．Controversial. C．Definite. D．Uncertain.
20．What is a suitable title for the text
A．Animal Mimicry: Buzz off
B．Bats: No More Victim to Owls
C．A Self-protection Behavior among Animals
D．A New Trick to Scare Away Owls
6.（2023·福建厦门·高三厦门一中校考阶段练习）
Bees are important to agriculture. But useful as they are, bees do not receive the same care and concern over their emotional well-being as other agricultural animals.
Ecologist Buchmann’s recent book, which collects the work of bee scholars as they work to explain what goes on in their brains, suggests bees can learn, think and even likely feel, much like animals. Buchmann’s work also suggests bees should hold a special place in our ethical scheme (道德体系). For Buchmann and some other scientists, what they have learned about bees changes their research strategies to be more ethical, on par with (相当于) the standards set for animals such as mice and monkeys.
Experiments, the outcomes of which are addressed in the book, illustrate the secret life of bees. Lars Chittka, a University College of London professor, did an experiment 16 years ago where he hid a robotic spider in flowers. The spider would grab a careless bee that came too close and then release it after giving it a scare. Chittka observed how the released bees learned to look for the spider and to avoid it. Some would be too scared to approach even unoccupied flowers.
Other studies proved that bee brains saw rushes in chemicals that could bring happiness when they were presented with sucrose (sugar). These happy bees then found more food than their unrewarded bees. By contrast, stress from poor handling lowered the levels of these happy chemicals.
“Many of my colleagues do experiments where bees have some devices placed into various body parts without considering their feelings,” Chittka says. “The current care free situation that researchers live in with no legal framework needs to be re-evaluated.” There are few laws regarding bee welfare. Buchmann thinks the “unhappiness” of bees might be a contributing factor to the decreasing numbers of bees.
Bees are critical to feeding the world and to plant survival. But the bees need care too. The first step in safeguarding the precious bees is to learn more about them and their lives. “These unique minds, regardless of how much they may differ from ours, have as much justification to exist as we do,” says Chittka.
21．What can we learn about Buchmann’s new book
A．It focuses on the ethical scheme. B．It records some research on bees.
C．It teaches people how to protect bees. D．It introduces some famous scientists.
22．Which statement can be used to describe the bees in Chittka’s experiment
A．Once bitten, twice shy. B．Practice makes perfect.
C．Never offer to teach fish to swim. D．Kill two birds with one stone.
23．What conclusion can we draw from the studies
A．Bees are well-received. B．Bees are precious.
C．Bees can have emotions. D．Bees can handle stress well.
24．What might be Chittka’s advice
A．New devices should be placed in bees.
B．People shouldn’t experiment with bees in the lab.
C．New rules should be made for the benefit of bees.
D．The function of bees should be re-evaluated.
7.（2023·福建三明·高三三明一中校考）
Biodegradable(可降解的) food packaging is designed to detect to what degree the food has gone bad by changing its color. Best-before labels are often poor predictors of when food becomes dangerous to eat, which can lead to waste and food poisoning, says Benedetto Marelli at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. So he and his colleagues tried to create the package that can react to changes in food.
They made four films(膜) similar to plastic package, each consisting of two layers. One layer was made from a protein extracted from silkworm silk, while the other was made of one of four so-called covalent organic frameworks (COFs). These materials contain carbon and hydrogen, as well as atoms like oxygen or nitrogen, all arranged in a network that allows air and water to go through easily.
After checking the films were non-toxic and strong, the researchers tried to compost(堆肥处理) them. For the best performing film, 50 percent of it degraded after being placed in soil for 30 days, which is comparable to existing biodegradable plastics.
The material also changed colour when immersed in water with different pH values, due to the COF layer’s interaction with the liquid. Because the pH of food increases as it spoils, the researchers tried to use a piece of the film as a colour-changing label attached to a packet of raw chicken. The label started off orange but turned yellow and got 17 percent lighter after 20 hours at 30℃, indicating that the meat had begun to spoil. The researchers also loaded the COF layer with a chemical. After 15 days, so ya beans packaged in the film and left in high heat and humidity went bad, but only a third as much as beans wrapped in traditional plastic.
“For a successful market entry, the material will need to be affordable and easy to produce. The standard for competing with plastic production is very high.” says Marelli.
25．Why did Marelli decide to create the package
A．To improve the biodegradability of food.
B．To compete with plastic for market share.
C．To make a breakthrough in biotechnology.
D．To tackle food waste and enhance food safety.
26．What does Paragraph 2 mainly talk about
A．The functions of films. B．The categories of films.
C．The application of films. D．The composition of films.
27．What is the feature of the film
A．It prevents food from spoiling. B．It shows sensitivity to chemicals.
C．It has incomparable biodegradability. D．It is unaffected by unfavorable conditions.
28．What is Marelli’s attitude towards the prospect of the film
A．Realistic. B．Hopeless. C．Optimistic. D．Indifferent.
8.（2023·河南·高三河南省实验中学校考）
Distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic has made both physical and social connections a touch more difficult to maintain. For Stanford University student Millie Salvato, being apart from her friend on the opposite coast has proved challenging. Sometimes a text or video call is not enough, and people in Salvato’s situation often long for a way to send a comforting hug from afar. In a new study detailed in IEEE Transactions on Haptics, she and her colleagues demonstrated a wearable sleeve that can simulate (模拟) human touch and convey social messages sent electronically.
Salvato and her team measured how 37 participants expressed social messages in different situations. In each test, one person wore a pressure-sensing device on an arm, and another touched it to respond to six different scenes: attention seeking, gratitude, happiness, calming, love and sadness. After collecting 661 touch movements, Salvato and her colleagues mapped the location and pressure of each. Next, they used a machine-learning algorithm (算法) to select the movements that were most reliable part of each response. Finally, they programmed a wearable sleeve to simulate these movements using eight built-in disks that vibrate when electronically signaled. “The instant it received signals, I could feel the touch and identify its intended meaning.” One participant reported.
Even with no training, the participants correctly matched the simulated touches to the six scenes 45 percent of the time. For comparison, a previous study found participants could match scenes for touches from real human hands 55 percent of the time.
Gerling, a touch researcher at Harvard who was not involved in the study, said the invention was really surprising. But the study was small and needs to cover far larger groups of people to determine exactly which are the most desirable responses. Besides, he believes the sleeve surely will enjoy great popularity once launched on the market.
29．What were participants asked to do during the study
A．Pick up reliable responses. B．Model on electronic touches.
C．Respond to different situations. D．Mark out programmed movements.
30．Why did Salvato and her team invent the wearable sleeve
A．To keep track of the COVID-19 pandemic.
B．To imitate human touch and express social messages sent electronically .
C．To enjoy great popularity once launched on the market.
D．To stress the significance of physical and social connections .
31．What does Gerling suggest according to the last paragraph
A．Covering more scenes. B．Launching on the market.
C．Conducting further research. D．Interviewing the participants.
32．Which of the following is a suitable title for the text
A．Electronic Sleeves Helping Feel Virtual Touch
B．New Technology Improving Social Connections
C．New Sensing Device Increasing Physical Touches
D．Electronic Sleeves Responding to Different Situations
9.（2024·河南信阳·高三信阳高中校考阶段练习）
For teenagers, is a sense of comfort more commonly found in sports or arts And how might this relate to their reported depressive symptoms A new research published by the American Psychological Association suggests that teenagers participating in after-school art activities like music, drama, and painting are more likely to report depressive symptoms than their non-participating peers.
“This is not to say that depression is a necessary condition for either a teen or an adult to become an artist, nor are we showing that participating in the arts leads to mental illness,” said lead author Laura N. Young. MA．of Boston College. “However, previous research has revealed higher rates of mental illness symptoms in adult artists. We were interested in whether this association is present earlier in development.”
Interestingly, teens who engaged exclusively in sports and didn’t involve themselves in any other extracurricular activities were reported the least depressive symptoms. The researchers found no significant difference in depressive symptoms between teens involved in the arts who also did sports and those who didn’t, suggesting that arts participation, rather than a lack of sports participation, was associated with depression.
The researchers used data from the U. S. Survey of Youth collected from 2, 482 students 15 to 16 years old. The survey asked teens about their frequency of participation in arts or sports activities after school, and their experience of various moods or problems related to depression.
One theory the researchers proposed for the seeming link between the arts and mental illness symptoms is that people attracted to the arts might possess certain cognitive (认知的) qualities, such as absorbing a higher level of information from their surroundings. This could lead to general unhappiness and depression, yet also enhance creativity and artistic expression. The authors suggested that personality qualities linked to depression, like introversion (内向), might guide teens towards more individual activities like the arts.
“When positive behaviors such as being involved in the arts are associated with symptoms of mental illness, it’s essential that we understand why,” said Young. “Further research can address the question of whether possible psychological shortcomings can be transformed into benefits through the practice of the arts.”
33．What can we learn from the research findings
A．Art activities directly lead to teen mental illness.
B．Art participation can be related to teen depression.
C．Sports are likely to increase depression rates in teens.
D．Being depressed is necessary to become an artist later.
34．Which has the closest meaning with the underlined word “exclusively” in Paragraph 3
A．only B．rarely C．regularly D．diversely
35．What is Paragraph 5 of the text mainly about
A．The overall framework of the research project
B．The direct cause of the observed phenomenon.
C．The theoretical basis of the possible connection.
D．The methods applied in conducting the research.
36．According to Young, what should follow-up researches focus on
A．How to reduce depressive symptoms through sports.
B．How to identify the positive impacts of the association.
C．How to prove the link between creativity and depression.
D．How to turn potential mental weaknesses into strengths.
10.（2024·浙江杭州·学军中学校考模拟预测）
The Christmas Pig, J.K. Rowling’s first children’s novel since Harry Potter I, is a feel-good book, full of surprises, which will delight adults and children alike, not only for the original story, but also for the imaginative scenery, characters and objects that interact with the main characters.
It tells the story of Jack and the love he feels for Dur Pig, a stuffed toy pig who has been with him since he was a toddler. After losing him on Christmas Eve, Jack will embark on a great adventure to save Dur Pig with the help of the Christmas Pig, a brand-new replacement for Dur Pig.
J.K. Rowling shows again, with this book, why she is considered one of the greatest storytellers of her time. She distinguishes herself again in world building, and younger and older readers will be surprised, chapter after chapter, by the original ideas that she introduces in this world that Jack and his friend visit. The world Rowling creates is not complex but it does not underestimate children: it is a world with clear logistics that the protagonists (主人翁) must follow, carefully crafted to serve the story and not its readers.
Those long time readers of J.K. Rowling’s works will find familiar passages and themes that they may want to connect to the Harry Potter books. It is hard to tell if those references are there on purpose, but there may be some satisfaction in thinking that Rowling must have noticed and enjoyed them privately while she was writing them.
Parents around the world may have a difficult time every night, once a chapter is finished and their children must go to sleep. The Christmas Pig will keep readers turning pages with a great and imaginative story, filled with cliffhangers at the end of most chapters that will leave kids asking for more. If some reviewers said that The Ickabog lacked Harry Potter’s magic, they can rest assured that The Christmas Pig has all the magic that J.K. Rowling can provide, and that’s more than enough.
37．Why is J.K. Rowling rated as one of the best storytellers of her time
A．Her capacity in building characters. B．Her ability to design complicated plots.
C．Her tendency to write to children’s taste. D．Her creativity in world building.
38．What does the underlined word “cliffhangers” probably mean in Paragraph 5
A．Imagination. B．Suspense. C．Magic. D．Challenge.
39．What can we infer from paragraph 4 and paragraph 5
A．She intentionally included references to her previous works.
B．Parents have difficulty falling asleep after finishing a chapter.
C．Some reviewers found The Ickabog full of magic.
D．The Christmas Pig is a good illustration of J.K. Rowling’s magic.
40．What is the author’s attitude towards J.K. Rowling’s book “The Christmas Pig”
A．Critical. B．Objective. C．Enthusiastic. D．Indifferent.
