2024年高考英语三轮冲刺训练：阅读理解说明文
技能专区：冲刺备考名师提醒，洞悉高考命题规律，提供高效提分干货
一、阅读理解说明文细节理解题注意落实“定位原文”和“同义替换”技巧。
二、数据计算题注重“原文定位”和“细节理解”，弄清来龙去脉再计算。
三、重视说明文“倒三角形”结构，特别是首段和段首的独特引领作用。
四、标题概括题重视三性：概括性、简洁性和新颖性；同时联系首段和关键词。
五、说明文长难句较多增加了理解的难度，落实“括号法”，（从句）（非谓语）
（介词短语）（名词短语）。
六、规范训练目标：做标记，留痕迹；零失误；限时6分钟/每篇。
模拟专区：做好题才有好成绩！练技能，补漏洞，提分数，强信心
（2024·广东韶关·二模）Would a person born blind, who has learned to distinguish objects by touch, be able to recognize them purely by sight if he regained the ability to see The question, known as Molyneux’s problem, is about whether the human mind has a built-in concept of shapes that is so inborn that a blind person could immediately recognize an object with restored vision. Alternatively, the concepts of shapes are not inborn but have to be learned by exploring an object through sight, touch and other senses.
After their attempt to test it in blind children failed, Lars Chittka of Queen Mary University of London and his team carried out another experiment on bumblebees. To test whether bumblebees can form an internal representation of objects, they first trained the insects to distinguish globes from cubes using a sugar reward. The bees were first trained in the light, where they could see but not touch the objects. Then they were tested in the dark, where they could touch but not see the items. The researchers found that the insects spent more time in contact with the shape they had been trained to associate with the sugar reward, even though they had to rely on touch rather than sight to distinguish the objects.
The researchers also did the opposite test with untrained bumblebees, first teaching them with rewards in the dark and then testing them in the light. Again, the bees were able to recognize the shape associated with the sugar
reward, though they had to rely on sight rather than touch in the test. In short, bees have solved Molyneux’s problem because the fact suggests that they can picture object features and access them through sight or touch.
However, some experts express their warning s against the result. Jonathan Birch, a philosopher of science, cautions that the bees may have had prior experience associating visual and tactile (触觉) information about straight edges and curved surfaces in their nests.
1．What is Molyneux’s problem about
A．Whether mankind’s sense of touch outweighs sight.
B．Whether mankind’s idea of shape is inborn or learned.
C．Whether blind people can identify the shape of an item.
D．Whether the blind can regain their sense of touch after recovery.
2．How did Lors Chittka and his colleagues try to figure out Molyneux’s problem
A．By experimentation on blind children.
B．By conducting controlled experiments.
C．By rewarding bumblebees with sugar.
D．By observing bumblebees in their nests.
3．What is Jonathan Birch’s attitude towards the conclusion of the bee experiments
A．Skeptical. B．Supportive.
C．Dismissive. D．Ambiguous.
4．Which of the following can be the best title of the passage
A．Scientists Found Senses Matter
B．Visual-Tactile Puzzle Has Been Solved
C．Experiments Will Help the Blind Regain Sight
D．Bumblebees May Help Solve Molyneux’s Problem
【答案】1．B 2．B 3．A 4．D
【导语】本文是说明文。这篇文章探讨了Molyneux问题，即一个天生失明但通过触摸学会区分物体的人在恢复视力后是否能够通过视觉来识别物体。
1．细节理解题。根据第一段“The question, known as Molyneux’s problem, is about whether the human mind has a built-in concept of shapes that is so inborn that a blind person could immediately recognize an object with restored vision. Alternatively, the concepts of shapes are not inborn but have to be learned by exploring an object through sight, touch and other senses.(这个问题被称为Molyneux的问题，是关于人类大脑是否有一种内在的形状概念，这种概念是天生的，以至于盲人可以在恢复视力的情况下立即认出物体。另外，形状
的概念不是天生的，而是必须通过视觉、触觉和其他感官探索物体来学习的)”可知，Molyneux问题的内容是人类的形状观念是天生的还是后天习得的。故选B项。
2．推理判断题。根据第二段“After their attempt to test it in blind children failed, Lars Chittka of Queen Mary University of London and his team carried out another experiment on bumblebees. To test whether bumblebees can form an internal representation of objects, they first trained the insects to distinguish globes from cubes using a sugar reward. The bees were first trained in the light, where they could see but not touch the objects. Then they were tested in the dark, where they could touch but not see the items. The researchers found that the insects spent more time in contact with the shape they had been trained to associate with the sugar reward, even though they had to rely on touch rather than sight to distinguish the objects.(在他们试图在失明儿童身上进行测试失败后，伦敦玛丽女王大学的Lars Chittka和他的团队在大黄蜂身上进行了另一项实验。为了测试大黄蜂是否能形成对物体的内部表征，他们首先用糖奖励来训练大黄蜂区分球形和立方体。蜜蜂首先在光线下训练，在那里它们可以看到但不能触摸物体。然后他们在黑暗中进行测试，在那里他们可以触摸但看不到物品。研究人员发现，这些昆虫花了更多的时间来接触它们被训练成与糖奖励相关联的形状，尽管它们必须依靠触觉而不是视觉来区分物体)”可知，Lors Chittka和他的同事是通过控制实验来研究Molyneux问题。故选B项。
3．推理判断题。根据最后一段“However, some experts express their warning s against the result. Jonathan Birch, a philosopher of science, cautions that the bees may have had prior experience associating visual and tactile (触觉) information about straight edges and curved surfaces in their nests.(然而，一些专家对这一结果提出了警告。科学哲学家乔纳森 伯奇(Jonathan Birch)警告说，蜜蜂可能已经有了将巢中的直边和曲面的视觉和触觉信息联系起来的经验)”可知，Jonathan Birch认为蜜蜂可能已经有了将巢中的直边和曲面的视觉和触觉信息联系起来的经验，所以是持怀疑的态度。故选A项。
4．主旨大意题。根据第一段“The question, known as Molyneux’s problem, is about whether the human mind has a built-in concept of shapes that is so inborn that a blind person could immediately recognize an object with restored vision. Alternatively, the concepts of shapes are not inborn but have to be learned by exploring an object through sight, touch and other senses.(这个问题被称为Molyneux的问题，是关于人类大脑是否有一种内在的形状概念，这种概念是天生的，以至于盲人可以在恢复视力的情况下立即认出物体。另外，形状的概念不是天生的，而是必须通过视觉、触觉和其他感官探索物体来学习的)”以及纵观全文可知，本文主要讲述了Molyneux问题，并通过大黄蜂来进行实验研究，所以D项“Bumblebees May Help Solve Molyneux’s Problem(大黄蜂可能帮助Molyneux解决问题)”是本文最好的标题。故选D项。
（2024·广东梅州·二模）New findings suggest that when it-comes to learning, the snake may be quite a bit like humans. David Holtzman, a scientist at the University of Rochester, has found that snakes have a much greater
capacity for learning than earlier studies had indicated.
Holtzman’s study challenged 24 snakes to escape from a black plastic container the size of a child’s pool. Cards mounted on the container’s walls and tape on its floor provided the snakes with visual and touchable signals to find their goal: holes in the container’s bottom that offer a dark, comfortable spot to hide.
Simply falling into a hole isn’t the only proof that the snakes are learning something, though. “Speed to find that goal is one of the measures which shows they’re learning,” Holtzman says. “On average, they take over 700 seconds to find the correct hole on the first day of training, and then go down to about 400 seconds by the fourth day of training. Some are actually very fast and find it in less than 30 seconds.”
Studies dating back to the 1950s interpreted snakes’ awkwardness with mazes(迷宫)as a poor reflection on their intelligence. “Early attempts to study snake intelligence were problematic because the studies used mazes as testing arenas(场地)-as though snakes might be expected to run through mazes in the same way mice run through mazes,” says Peter Kareiva, a professor of zoology. “Snakes do not encounter anything like mazes in nature, and they do not learn how to run mazes in laboratory conditions.”
Holtzman also found a few age-based differences in the signals the snakes use. Young snakes appear to be more adaptable and resourceful, using a variety of clues to find their way to the exit.But their elders seem to rely much more heavily on visual clues. “Actually, one of the amazing findings from our studies is that snakes do use vision in locating places,” says Holtzman. “They don’t just rely on the chemical clues picked up by sticking their tongues out, as many snake biologists assume.”
5．What is the function of the cards and tape
A．To direct the snakes to the exits.
B．To protect the snakes from bright lights.
C．To cover the holes at the container’s bottom.
D．To make the container a comfortable spot to stay.
6．What do the data in paragraph 3 show about the snakes according to Holtzman
A．They are skillful escapers. B．They are good learners.
C．They communicate with each other. D．They adapt to environments quickly.
7．What was the problem with early attempts to study snake intelligence
A．They chose the wrong testing arenas.
B．They failed to do tests in laboratory conditions.
C．They referred to studies dating back to the 1950s.
D．They compared snakes with a different kind of animal.
8．What astonishes Holtzman about snakes
A．They rely on sight to find their way.
B．They leave chemical clues everywhere.
C．The young beat their elders in many ways.
D．Their tongues are unable to recognize chemical clues.
【答案】5．A 6．B 7．A 8．A
【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章介绍了科学家大卫·霍尔兹曼发现，蛇的学习能力比之前的研究表明的要大得多。
5．细节理解题。根据第二段“Cards mounted on the container’s walls and tape on its floor provided the snakes with visual and touchable signals to find their goal: holes in the container’s bottom that offer a dark, comfortable spot to hide.(容器墙壁上的卡片和地板上的胶带为蛇提供了视觉和可触摸的信号，以找到它们的目标：容器底部的洞，提供了一个黑暗、舒适的藏身之处)”可知，给蛇找到出口提供的指导性信息，这些东西可以指引蛇找到出口。故选A项。
6．推理判断题。根据第三段“‘Speed to find that goal is one of the measures which shows they’re learning,’ Holtzman says. ‘On average, they take over 700 seconds to find the correct hole on the first day of training, and then go down to about 400 seconds by the fourth day of training. Some are actually very fast and find it in less than 30 seconds.’(‘找到目标的速度是显示它们正在学习的指标之一，’霍尔茨曼说。‘在训练的第一天，它们平均需要700多秒才能找到正确的洞，然后在训练的第四天减少到400秒左右。有些甚至非常快，不到30秒就找到了’)”可知，第三段数据主要表明蛇是有学习能力的。故选B项。
7．细节理解题。根据第四段“Early attempts to study snake intelligence were problematic because the studies used mazes as testing arenas(场地)-as though snakes might be expected to run through mazes in the same way mice run through mazes(早期研究蛇智力的尝试是有问题的，因为研究用迷宫作为测试场所——好像蛇可能会像老鼠一样穿过迷宫一样)”可知，早期研究蛇的智力的尝试是选择的测验场地不对。故选A项。
8．细节理解题。根据最后一段“‘Actually, one of the amazing findings from our studies is that snakes do use vision in locating places,’ says Holtzman. ‘They don’t just rely on the chemical clues picked up by sticking their tongues out, as many snake biologists assume.’(‘实际上，我们研究的一个惊人发现是，蛇确实利用视觉来定位位置，’霍尔茨曼说。‘它们不像许多蛇生物学家认为的那样，仅仅依靠伸出舌头获取的化学线索’)”可知，令霍尔茨曼感到惊讶的是蛇是靠视觉确定位置的。故选A项。
（2024·广东梅州·二模）At first look, the playground at the Children’s Guild-Transformation Academy in
Baltimore, Maryland, looks like any other. It has swings, slides, and places for children to climb and crawl. But the playground is not just a place for fun. It is also a place where students can learn, grow and gain independence. Everything — from the kind of surface it sits on, to the color of its sitting areas, to the placement of the surrounding fence — is specifically designed for kids with autism (自闭症).
Mark Rapaport is the managing director of autism services at the Transformation Academy. He said the school accepts students aged 5 to 21 with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and are lower-functioning.
Rapaport said the goal of Transformation Academy is to make the students as independent as possible in an effort to help them prepare for adult life. The school aims to provide help with developing communication and social skills, as well as practical abilities like cleaning or cooking.
The playground designed by Maryland company Sparks@Play, using structures manufactured by Landscape Structures, Inc. took a month to develop, said Dan Hack. He works for Sparks@Play and helped lead the playground’s design. Hack said he and others spent weeks getting to know the students and understanding their needs before any building was started. The design process involved physical therapists, occupational therapists, and other specialists. The huge $500,000 project was funded with support from the state of Maryland and the nonprofit Orokawa Foundation.
Parts of the playground that seem small are very important for children with autism and other disabilities. The surrounding fence extends into a wooded area to make it seem more open. And the ground under the play areas is made of soft, but solid materials to support students using wheelchairs or crutches. The benches on the outside of the playground look simple from far away, but are “one of our most inclusive sensory” elements, Hack said. They have many different colors that bring about feelings of calm and curiosity. They are also made with smooth material that can be felt and moved. The academy’s Rapaport said if a child starts to feel uneasy, they can sit down and feel the bench, which can help them relax.
9．Why is the playground in Baltimore designed with special materials
A．To make it superior to other playgrounds. B．To better serve children with autism.
C．To improve the quality of the playground. D．To make it easier for kids to climb and crawl.
10．What can we learn from the playground project
A．It took a month to complete the project. B．The design process is simple and easy.
C．The result of the project is uncertain. D．It’s a money-consuming project.
11．What is the last paragraph mainly about
A．The scale and the structure of the playground.
B．Ways for kids to free from the stress and relax themselves.
C．The underlying logic and reasonable factors of the playground.
D．The advantages of the playground for autism and disabled kids.
12．Which best describes the playground in Baltimore
A．Advanced. B．Environmental-friendly. C．Functional. D．Convenient.
【答案】9．B 10．D 11．C 12．C
【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章主要讲述了马里兰州巴尔的摩市专门为患有自闭症和其他残障的学生设计了一家游乐场，旨在帮助他们学习、成长和获得独立性，使他们能够更好地融入社会并提高生活质量。
9．细节理解题。根据第一段中“Everything — from the kind of surface it sits on, to the color of its sitting areas, to the placement of the surrounding fence — is specifically designed for kids with autism (自闭症).(一切东西——从它提供的表面座位种类，到它的座位区域的颜色，到周围围栏的位置——都是专门为自闭症儿童设计的)”和最后一段中“And the ground under the play areas is made of soft, but solid materials to support students using wheelchairs or crutches.(游乐区下面的地面是由柔软但坚固的材料制成的，以支持使用轮椅或拐杖的学生)”和“They are also made with smooth material that can be felt and moved. The academy’s Rapaport said if a child starts to feel uneasy, they can sit down and feel the bench, which can help them relax.(它们也是用光滑的材料制成的，可以触摸和移动。该学院的Rapaport说，如果孩子开始感到不安，他们可以坐下来摸摸长凳，这可以帮助他们放松)”可知，巴尔的摩的游乐场要用特殊材料来设计是为了更好地服务自闭症儿童。故选B。
10．细节理解题。根据第四段的“The huge $500,000 project was funded with support from the state of Maryland and the nonprofit Orokawa Foundation.(这个耗资50万美元的庞大项目得到了马里兰州和非营利组织小川基金会的支持)”可知，这个操场项目耗资巨大。故选D。
11．主旨大意题。根据最后一段“Parts of the playground that seem small are very important for children with autism and other disabilities. The surrounding fence extends into a wooded area to make it seem more open. And the ground under the play areas is made of soft, but solid materials to support students using wheelchairs or crutches. The benches on the outside of the playground look simple from far away, but are ‘one of our most inclusive sensory’ elements, Hack said. They have many different colors that bring about feelings of calm and curiosity. They are also made with smooth material that can be felt and moved. The academy’s Rapaport said if a child starts to feel uneasy, they can sit down and feel the bench, which can help them relax.(操场上看起来很小的部分对患有自闭症和其他残疾的孩子来说非常重要。周围的栅栏延伸到一个树木繁茂的区域，使它看起来更开放。游乐区下面的地面是由柔软但坚固的材料制成的，以支持使用轮椅或拐杖的学生。Hack说，
操场外面的长椅从远处看很简单，但却是‘我们最具包容性的感官元素之一’。它们有许多不同的颜色，给人带来平静和好奇的感觉。它们也是用光滑的材料制成的，可以触摸和移动。该学院的拉帕波特说，如果孩子开始感到不安，他们可以坐下来摸摸长凳，这可以帮助他们放松)”可知，最后一段主要讲的是游乐场的设计理念以及包含为自闭症患者带来舒适感觉的因素，即设计游乐场的潜在逻辑和合理因素。故选C。
12．推理判断题。根据第四段中“Hack said he and others spent weeks getting to know the students and understanding their needs before any building was started. The design process involved physical therapists, occupational therapists, and other specialists.(Hack说，他和其他人花了几个星期的时间来了解学生，了解他们的需求，然后才开始建造任何建筑。设计过程涉及物理治疗师、职业治疗师和其他专家)”以及最后一段中“And the ground under the play areas is made of soft, but solid materials to support students using wheelchairs or crutches.(游乐区下面的地面是由柔软但坚固的材料制成的，以支持使用轮椅或拐杖的学生)”和“They have many different colors that bring about feelings of calm and curiosity. They are also made with smooth material that can be felt and moved.(它们有许多不同的颜色，给人带来平静和好奇的感觉。它们也是用光滑的材料制成的，可以触摸和移动)”可知，巴尔的摩的操场在建造之前充分了解学生的需求，按照他们的需求而建，故它是有着实用功能的。故选C。
（2024·广东佛山·二模）Initial conversations can have a huge impact on how relationships develop over time. People are often stuck in the impressions they think they might have made the minute they finish speaking with someone for the first time: “Did they like me or were they just being polite ” “Were they deep in thought or deeply bored ”
To find out whether these worries are necessary, we have conducted nearly 10 years of research. In our studies, participants in the UK talked with someone they had never met before. Afterward, they were asked how much they liked their conversation partner and how much they believed that their conversation partner liked them. This allowed us to compare how much people believed they were liked to how much they were actually liked.
Time and time again, we found that people left their conversations with negative feelings about the impression they made. That is, people systematically underestimate how much their conversation partners like them and enjoy their company — a false belief we call the “liking gap”.
This bias (偏见) may seem like something that would occur only in initial interactions, but its effects extend far beyond a first impression. Surprisingly, the liking gap can constantly affect a variety of relationships, including interactions with coworkers, long after the initial conversations have taken place. Having a larger liking gap is associated with being less willing to ask workmates for help, less willing to provide workmates with open and honest feedback, and less willing to work on another project together.
There are numerous strategies to minimize your biased feelings. One place to start is shifting your focus of
attention. Try to direct your attention to your conversation partner, be genuinely curious about them, ask them more questions, and really listen to their answers. The more you’re zeroed in on the other person, and the less you’re focused on yourself, the better your conversation will be and the less your mind will turn to all the things you think you didn’t do well.
13．Why did the author carry out 10 years of research
A．To dismiss national concerns. B．To check out a potential bias.
C．To enhance human communication. D．To develop harmonious relationships.
14．What is one effect of people’s liking gap
A．Fewer chances of new projects. B．Underestimation of their ability.
C．Bad relationships with people around. D．Low willingness to interact with others.
15．What does the author intend to do in the last paragraph
A．Restate opinions. B．Deliver warnings. C．Give suggestions. D．Make a summary.
16．Which might be the best title for the text
A．Liking Gap May Influence Work Performances
B．First Impressions Rely On Initial Conversations
C．People Probably Like You More Than You Think
D．How People Like You Matters Less Than You Assume
【答案】13．B 14．D 15．C 16．C
【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章主要说明了什么是“好感认知差距”以及这种心态对人们社交关系的影响。
13．细节理解题。根据第一段“Initial conversations can have a huge impact on how relationships develop over time. People are often stuck in the impressions they think they might have made the minute they finish speaking with someone for the first time: “Did they like me or were they just being polite ” “Were they deep in thought or deeply bored ”(最初的对话会对关系的发展产生巨大的影响。人们常常会陷入自己第一次和别人说话时留下的印象中：“他们是喜欢我还是只是出于礼貌？”“他们是在沉思还是很无聊？”)”以及第二段“To find out whether these worries are necessary, we have conducted nearly 10 years of research.(为了弄清楚这些担忧是否有必要，我们进行了近10年的研究)”可知，作者进行10年的研究是为了找出潜在的偏见。故选B。
14．细节理解题。根据倒数第二段“Having a larger liking gap is associated with being less willing to ask workmates for help, less willing to provide workmates with open and honest feedback, and less willing to
work on another project together.(好感认知差距越大，就越不愿意向同事寻求帮助，越不愿意向同事提供公开和诚实的反馈，越不愿意一起完成另一个项目)”可知，好感认知差距的一个影响是与他人互动的意愿低。故选D。
15．推理判断题。根据最后一段“There are numerous strategies to minimize your biased feelings. One place to start is shifting your focus of attention. Try to direct your attention to your conversation partner, be genuinely curious about them, ask them more questions, and really listen to their answers. The more you’re zeroed in on the other person, and the less you’re focused on yourself, the better your conversation will be and the less your mind will turn to all the things you think you didn’t do well.(有很多策略可以减少你的偏见。可以从转移你的注意力开始。试着把你的注意力转移到你的谈话对象身上，真诚地对他们感到好奇，问他们更多的问题，并认真倾听他们的回答。你越关注对方，越少关注自己，你们的对话就会越好，你也就越不会去想那些你认为自己做得不好的事情)”可知，作者在最后一段想给出建议。故选C。
16．主旨大意题。根据第三段“Time and time again, we found that people left their conversations with negative feelings about the impression they made. That is, people systematically underestimate how much their conversation partners like them and enjoy their company — a false belief we call the “liking gap”.(我们一次又一次地发现，人们在结束谈话时对自己留下的印象感到消极。也就是说，人们系统性地低估了交谈对象对自己的喜爱程度和对陪伴的享受程度——这种错误的信念我们称之为“好感认知差距”)”结合文章主要说明了什么是“好感认知差距”以及这种心态对人们社交关系的影响。可知，C选项“人们可能比你想象的更喜欢你”最符合文章标题。故选C。
（2024·广东湛江·二模）Researchers have developed a robotic sensor that combines artificial intelligence techniques to read Braille (盲文) at speeds roughly double that of most human readers. The research team, from the University of Cambridge, used machine learning algorithms (算法) to teach a robotic sensor to quickly slide over lines of Braille text.
The robotic sensor the researchers used has a camera in its “fingertip”, and reads by using a combination of the information from the camera and the sensors. “This is a hard problem for roboticists as there’s a lot of image processing that needs to be done to remove motion blur (模糊), which is time and energy-consuming,” said Parth Potdar from Cambridge’s Department of Engineering.
“There are existing robotic Braille readers, but they only read one letter at a time, which is not how humans read, ” said Potdar. “Existing robotic Braille readers work in a static way: They touch one letter pattern, read it, pull up from the surface, move over, lower onto the next letter pattern, and so on. We want something that’s more realistic and far more efficient. ”
The team developed machine learning algorithms so the robotic reader would be able to “deblur” the images
before the sensor attempted to recognise the letters. They trained the algorithms on a set of sharp images of Braille with fake blur applied. After the algorithms had learned to deblur the letters, they used a computer vision model to detect and classify each character.
Once the algorithms were incorporated, the researchers tested their render by sliding it quickly along rows of Braille characters. The robotic Braille render could read 315 words per minute with 87% accuracy, which is twice as fast and about as accurate as n human Braille reader.
“Braille reading speed is a great way to measure the dynamic performance of tactile(能触知的)sensing systems, so our findings could be applicable beyond Braille, for applications like detecting surface textures or slippage in robotic manipulation,” said Potdar.
In the future, the researchers are hoping to scale the technology to the size of a humanoid hand.
17．What is difficult for roboticists to deal with in the reading process
A．Ridding of motion blur. B．Teaching a robot to learn.
C．Processing robotic sensors. D．Fixing a camera on the fingertip.
18．What does the underlined word “static” in paragraph 3 mean
A．Still. B．Fast. C．Clever. D．Lazy.
19．What did Potdar want to express in paragraph 6
A．The good performance of the robot sensor.
B．The promising future of their research results.
C．The factors in making the tactile sensing systems.
D．The way to ensure the accuracy of the technology.
20．Which can be the best title for the text
A．Technology to be scaled to the size of a humanoid hand
B．Robots trained to read Braille at twice the speed of humans
C．A great way to measure the performance of sensing systems
D．Machine learning algorithms expected to change Braille writing
【答案】17．A 18．A 19．B 20．B
【导语】本文是一篇说明文。剑桥大学的研究团队开发了一种机器人传感器，该传感器结合了人工智能技术，能以近似人类读者两倍的速度读取盲文。
17．推理判断题。根据第二段最后一句““This is a hard problem for roboticists as there’s a lot of image
processing that needs to be done to remove motion blur (模糊), which is time and energy-consuming,” said Parth Potdar from Cambridge’s Department of Engineering. (剑桥大学工程系的Parth Potdar说：“这对机器人专家来说是一个难题，因为需要进行大量的图像处理来消除运动模糊，这既耗时又耗能。”)”可知，机器人专家在阅读过程中很难消除运动模糊。故选A。
18．词义猜测题。根据第三段中的““There are existing robotic Braille readers, but they only read one letter at a time, which is not how humans read, ” said Potdar. (Potdar说：“现有的机器盲文阅读器，但它们一次只能读一个字母，这不是人类的阅读方式。”)”以及划线词后冒号后的内容“They touch one letter pattern, read it, pull up from the surface, move over, lower onto the next letter pattern, and so on. (它们触摸一个字母图案，阅读它，从表面向上拉，移动到下一个字母模式，等等。)”可知，现有的机器人盲文阅读器是以静态的方式工作的。A. Still. 静止的；B. Fast. 快速的；C. Clever. 聪明的；D. Lazy. 懒惰的。故选A。
19．推理判断题。根据倒数第二段内容““Braille reading speed is a great way to measure the dynamic performance of tactile(能触知的)sensing systems, so our findings could be applicable beyond Braille, for applications like detecting surface textures or slippage in robotic manipulation,” said Potdar. (Potdar说：“盲文阅读速度是衡量触觉传感系统动态性能的一个很好的方法，因此我们的发现可能适用于盲文之外的应用，如检测表面纹理或机器人操作中的滑动。”)”可知，他们的研究结果可以应用到其它方面。由此可推断，该研究结果是有前景的。故选B。
20．主旨大意题。根据第一段内容“Researchers have developed a robotic sensor that combines artificial intelligence techniques to read Braille(盲文)at speeds roughly double that of most human readers. The research team, from the University of Cambridge, used machine learning algorithms(算法)to teach a robotic sensor to quickly slide over lines of Braille text. (研究人员开发了一种机器人传感器，该传感器结合了人工智能技术，以大约两倍于大多数人类读者的速度读取盲文。来自剑桥大学的研究团队使用机器学习算法教机器人传感器在盲文文本线上快速滑动。)”可知，本文主要介绍了剑桥大学研究团队开发的机器人传感器，该传感器结合了人工智能技术，能以近似人类读者两倍的速度读取盲文。B项“Robots trained to read Braille at twice the speed of humans (机器人被训练以两倍于人类的速度阅读盲文)”最能概括本文主旨，故选B。
（2024·湖南·二模）In today’s digital era, social media users are increasingly coming across fake news online. This leads to the pressing issue: What causes people to fall for misinformation on the Internet
According to researchers at the Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology, users can easily fall into an echo chamber (回声室)—a sort of virtual space where users consume only one-sided news, eventually distrusting any opposing views. “We all tend to agree with the group opinion. Hence, people naturally get together with others who hold the same opinion,” said Dongwon Lee, one of the researchers. “But if you’re not cautious, there is a high risk of falling into an echo chamber.”
To prevent this phenomenon, the researchers have crafted a novel tool, a game named ChamberBreaker, to help players resist echo chambers and reduce the rate of fake news spread. The fundamental approach employed by ChamberBreaker centers around a decision-making procedure that mirrors the creation of echo chambers. In ChamberBreaker, a player is tasked with trying to have community members fall into an echo chamber. To begin, the player is randomly assigned a situation that focuses on a health, political or environmental issue, and is presented with six pieces of news on that topic. Then, the player selects news that could cause the other members to fall into an echo chamber while at the same time maintaining their trust. If successful, the community members will fall into an echo chamber and the player will witness the resulting negative effects on the community.
After developing ChamberBreaker, researchers tested it with over 800 subjects to see if it raised awareness of echo chambers and changed news consumption behaviors. The researchers found that those who played ChamberBreaker were significantly more likely to state their intention to observe online information from more diverse perspectives and showed an increased awareness of the echo chamber phenomenon.
Ultimately, the researchers hope that their methodology can excite a greater interest in the scientific and scholarly study related to information consumption. The application of tools like ChamberBreaker, which focuses on fostering analytical reasoning, may lead us towards a more informed online community.
21．What can be learned about an online echo chamber
A．It encourages well-judged views.
B．It gathers like-minded individuals.
C．It functions as a virtual reality platform.
D．It serves as a tool for identifying fake information.
22．What is ChamberBreaker’s core method against echo chambers
A．Assignment of situations. B．Trust-building exercises.
C．News selection strategy. D．Community impact assessment.
23．Which of the following can show ChamberBreaker’s effectiveness
A．The results of scientific testing.
B．The theoretical framework of the game.
C．The description of the game procedures.
D．The common challenges faced during gameplay.
24．What is the likely long-term effect of playing ChamberBreaker
A．Reducing news inquiry. B．Encouraging passive reading.
C．Strengthening prejudiced views. D．Enhancing critical thinking.
【答案】21．B 22．C 23．A 24．D
【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章探讨了在数字时代，社交媒体用户为什么容易陷入假新闻的陷阱，以及如何通过一款名为ChamberBreaker的游戏工具来识别和抵制网络上的回声室效应。
21．细节理解题。根据第二段中“‘We all tend to agree with the group opinion. Hence, people naturally get together with others who hold the same opinion,’ said Dongwon Lee, one of the researchers. (‘我们都倾向于认同群体观点。因此，人们自然会与持相同观点的人聚在一起，’研究人员之一 Dongwon Lee说。)”可知，在线回声室会聚集持有相同观点的个体。故选B项。
22．细节理解题。根据第三段中“The fundamental approach employed by ChamberBreaker centers around a decision-making procedure that mirrors the creation of echo chambers. In ChamberBreaker, a player is tasked with trying to have community members fall into an echo chamber. To begin, the player is randomly assigned a situation that focuses on a health, political or environmental issue, and is presented with six pieces of news on that topic. Then, the player selects news that could cause the other members to fall into an echo chamber while at the same time maintaining their trust. (ChamberBreaker采用的基本方法围绕着反映回声室创建的决策程序。在ChamberBreaker中，一名玩家的任务是试图让社区成员落入回音室。首先，玩家被随机分配一个关注健康、政治或环境问题的情况，并收到六条关于该主题的新闻。然后，玩家选择可能导致其他成员落入回音室的新闻，同时保持他们的信任。)”可知，ChamberBreaker对付回声室的核心方法是新闻选择策略。故选C项。
23．细节理解题。根据第四段“After developing ChamberBreaker, researchers tested it with over 800 subjects to see if it raised awareness of echo chambers and changed news consumption behaviors. The researchers found that those who played ChamberBreaker were significantly more likely to state their intention to observe online information from more diverse perspectives and showed an increased awareness of the echo chamber phenomenon. (在开发出ChamberBreaker之后，研究人员对800多名受试者进行了测试，看看它是否提高了人们对回声室的认识，并改变了新闻消费行为。研究人员发现，玩ChamberBreaker的人更有可能从更多不同的角度观察网络信息，并且对回音室现象的意识也更强。)”可知，科学测试的结果可以显示ChamberBreaker的有效性。故选A项。
24．推理判断题。根据最后一段“Ultimately, the researchers hope that their methodology can excite a greater interest in the scientific and scholarly study related to information consumption. The application of tools like ChamberBreaker, which focuses on fostering analytical reasoning, may lead us towards a more informed online community. (最终，研究人员希望他们的方法能够激发人们对与信息消费相关的科学和学术研究的更
大兴趣。像ChamberBreaker这样专注于培养分析推理能力的工具的应用，可能会引导我们走向一个信息更灵通的在线社区。)”可知，这意味着玩Chamber Breaker的长期效应可能是增强批判性思维。故选D项。
（2024·湖南·二模）The California sea otter (海獭), once hunted to the edge of extinction, has staged a thrilling comeback in the last century. Now, scientists have discovered that the otters’ success story has led to something just as remarkable: the restoration of their declining coastal marsh (沼泽) habitat.
Elkhorn Slough, a coastal marsh within Monterey Bay, had been experiencing severe damage. The root cause was a growing population of shore crabs, which fed heavily on the marsh plants, weakening the structural integrity of the habitat. Coastal marshes like these are not only natural defenses against storm waves but also serve as important carbon storage areas and water-cleaning systems.
The conservation-driven comeback of the sea otter has been crucial. California’s coastlines were once alive with sea otters. Sadly, they were nearly wiped out at the hands of fur traders. In the 1980s, conservation efforts aided these otters in re-occupying large areas of their former range. Now, Elkhorn Slough has the highest concentration of sea otters in California, with a population of about 100. By naturally feasting on crabs, the otters have helped a significant regrowth of plant life. Brent Hughes, a scientist working alongside Angelini, led a three-year study. Their findings were clear: in areas with sea otters, crab numbers fell markedly. This led to a resurgence in plant growth, which in turn stabilized the soil and lowered the rate of soil washing away.
As the sea otter population continues to restore, their positive impact on coastal ecosystems is likely to increase. It not only showcases the sea otter as a central species—a species that has a significant effect on its natural environment—but also highlights the essential nature of top predators (捕食者) in preserving ecological harmony. “My honest reaction was—this could become a classic in the literature,” says scientist Lekelia Jenkins. She reveals marsh restoration also helps people by reducing flooding. “Suddenly, sea otters go from just cute things we like to something that can protect our livelihoods and our properties.”
25．What change did the disappearance of sea otters bring about
A．Fewer predatory crabs. B．More coastal plant life.
C．Better water-cleaning effect. D．Worse coastal ecological balance.
26．What does the underlined word “resurgence” in paragraph 3 mean
A．Barrier. B．Advancement. C．Expansion. D．Revival.
27．What is the author’s purpose in quoting Lekelia Jenkins
A．To highlight the importance of coastal marshes.
B．To introduce a new research study on sea otters.
C．To demonstrate the practical benefits of sea otters.
D．To emphasize the need for increased conservation efforts.
28．What message is conveyed from sea otters’ impact
A．The necessity for controlled hunting.
B．The interconnectedness of the ecosystem.
C．The drawbacks of wildlife reintroduction.
D．The need for human intervention in nature.
【答案】25．D 26．D 27．C 28．B
【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章通过介绍海獭的恢复历程及其对沿海沼泽生态系统的积极影响，强调了顶级捕食者在维持生态平衡中的重要作用。
25．细节理解题。根据第二段中“Elkhorn Slough, a coastal marsh within Monterey Bay, had been experiencing severe damage. The root cause was a growing population of shore crabs, which fed heavily on the marsh plants, weakening the structural integrity of the habitat.(埃尔克霍恩沼泽是蒙特利湾的一个沿海沼泽，已经遭受了严重的破坏。根本原因是岸边蟹的数量不断增加，它们以沼泽植物为食，削弱了栖息地的结构完整性。)”可知，海獭的消失导致了沿海生态平衡的恶化。故选D项。
26．词句猜测题。划线词句前文“By naturally feasting on crabs, the otters have helped a significant regrowth of plant life.(通过以螃蟹为食，水獭帮助了植物的再生。)”说明水獭通过以螃蟹为食，可以帮助植物的再生，从而推知划线词句“Their findings were clear: in areas with sea otters, crab numbers fell markedly. This led to a resurgence in plant growth, which in turn stabilized the soil and lowered the rate of soil washing away.(他们的发现很明确：在有海獭的地区，螃蟹的数量明显下降。这导致了植物生长的resurgence，反过来又稳定了土壤，降低了土壤被冲走的速度。)”其中划线词应为“复苏”的意思，与D项同义。故选D项。
27．推理判断题。根据最后一段中“‘My honest reaction was — this could become a classic in the literature,’ says scientist Lekelia Jenkins. She reveals marsh restoration also helps people by reducing flooding. ‘Suddenly, sea otters go from just cute things we like to something that can protect our livelihoods and our properties.’(科学家Lekelia Jenkins 说：‘我的真实反应是，这可能会成为文学经典。’她透露，沼泽恢复也通过减少洪水来帮助人们。‘突然之间，海獭从我们喜欢的可爱动物变成了可以保护我们生计和财产的动物。’)”可知，作者引用Lekelia Jenkins的话是为了展示海獭对人类的实际益处，如减少洪水灾害等。故选C项。
28．推理判断题。根据最后一段中“As the sea otter population continues to restore, their positive impact on coastal ecosystems is likely to increase. It not only showcases the sea otter as a central species—a species that has a significant effect on its natural environment — but also highlights the essential nature of top predators
(捕食者) in preserving ecological harmony.(随着海獭数量的持续恢复，它们对沿海生态系统的积极影响可能会增加。它不仅展示了海獭作为一个关键物种——一个对自然环境有重大影响的物种——而且突出了顶级捕食者在维护生态和谐方面的本质)”可知，文章通过展示海獭对沿海生态系统的积极影响，传达了生态系统之间相互联系的信息。故选B项。
（2024·湖北·二模）It was long theorized that people make decisions based on integrated global calculations that occur within the frontal cortex(额叶皮层) of the brain, which is considered the seat of higher-order thinking. However, Yale researchers have found that three distinct brain circuits from the frontal cortex connecting to different brain regions are involved in making good decisions, bad ones, and determining which of those past choices to store in memory.
The study of decision-making in rats may help scientists find the roots of flawed decision-making common to mental health disorders such as addiction, the authors say. They used-a new tool to manipulate(操纵) brain circuits in rats while they were making choices between actions that led to them receiving rewards or no rewards. If the rats made the right decision, one that ended in a reward, one of the brain circuits was activated, but another was activated if the rats made the wrong choice and received no reward. The third circuit stored past experiences and decisions to help the rats with future choices.
Stephanie Groman, lead author of the research says, “A comparison would be deciding on a restaurant for dinner. For instance, without the ‘good choice’ circuit you may not return to the restaurant with good food and without the ‘bad choice’ circuit you might not avoid the restaurant with bad food. The third ‘memory’ circuit is crucial in making decisions such as whether to return to the restaurant after receiving one bad meal after several good ones.”
Changes in these circuits may help explain a typical feature of addiction—why people continue to make harmful choices even after repeated negative experiences. The Yale researchers previously showed that some of the same brain calculations were disrupted(扰乱)in animals that had taken methamphetamine. “Because we used a test that is similar to those used in studies of human decision making, our findings have direct relevance to humans and could aid in the search for novel treatments for substance abuse in humans,” Groman said.
29．How was Yale’s research different from the previous theory
A．It defined the function of different brain regions.
B．It identified specific circuits involved in decision-making.
C．It focused on the connection between choices and memories.
D．It highlighted the role of the frontal cortex in higher-order thinking.
30．What can be inferred from Stephanie Groman’s words
A．Memories are related to all the three circuits.
B．People base their decisions on personal preferences.
C．The three circuits are all of vital importance in making decisions.
D．The circuit related to rewards is the foundation of deciding wisely.
31．What does the last paragraph mainly focus on
A．The limitations of the present study. B．A description of the research method.
C．A possible reason for the study findings. D．The potential application of the conclusion.
32．What might be the best title for the text
A．How people get addicted and cured
B．How making decisions influences our brain
C．How our brain develops when facing choices
D．How the brain helps us make good decisions and bad ones
【答案】29．B 30．C 31．D 32．D
【导语】本文是一篇说明文。主要介绍了大脑中的三个回路如何帮助我们做出好或坏的决定。
29．细节理解题。根据第一段中“However, Yale researchers have found that three distinct brain circuits from the frontal cortex connecting to different brain regions are involved in making good decisions, bad ones, and determining which of those past choices to store in memory.
(然而，耶鲁大学的研究人员发现，从额叶皮层连接到不同大脑区域的三个不同的大脑回路参与了做出好的决定和坏的决定，以及决定将哪些过去的选择存储在记忆中。)”可知，耶鲁大学的研究与之前不同在于它确定了参与决策的特定回路。故选择B项。
30．推理判断题。根据第三段中“A comparison would be deciding on a restaurant for dinner. For instance, without the ‘good choice’ circuit you may not return to the restaurant with good food and without the ‘bad choice’ circuit you might not avoid the restaurant with bad food. The third ‘memory’ circuit is crucial in making decisions such as whether to return to the restaurant after receiving one bad meal after several good ones. (一个比较是决定在一家餐厅用餐。例如，如果没有“好的选择”循环，可能不会的回到食物好吃餐厅；如果没有“坏的选择”回路，你可能无法避开带食物不好的餐厅。第三个“记忆”回路在做出决定时至关重要，比如在吃了几顿好饭之后，是否要回到餐厅。)”可知这三个回路对于我们作出决定都有着至关重要的影响，故选择C项。
31．主旨大意题。根据最后一段中“Because we used a test that is similar to those used in studies of human
decision making, our findings have direct relevance to humans and could aid in the search for novel treatments for substance abuse in humans(因为我们使用的测试与人类决策研究中使用的测试相似，我们的发现与人类有直接相关性，有助于寻找治疗人类药物滥用的新方法)”可知本段主要讲述的是研究结论的潜在应用。故选择D项。
32．主旨大意题。根据第一段中“Yale researchers have found that three distinct brain circuits from the frontal cortex connecting to different brain regions are involved in making good decisions, bad ones, and determining which of those past choices to store in memory.( 耶鲁大学的研究人员发现，从额叶皮层连接到不同大脑区域的三个不同的大脑回路参与了做出好的决定和坏的决定，以及决定将过去的哪些选择存储在记忆中)”可知本文主要讲述的是大脑如何帮助我们作出好或坏的决定，故选择D项。
（2024·湖北·二模）In the late 1990s, two psychology researchers, were talking about how the female scientists in their lab responded differently to stress than the men did. The men would disappear into their offices; the women would bring cookies to lab meetings and bond over coffee. Forget fight-or-flight, they joked. The women were tending and befriending.
The joke stuck in the mind of one of the women, researcher Laura Cousino Klein. Psychology research has suggested that stress leads to aggression, but that wasn’t her experience. Women were more likely to want to talk with someone about their stress, spend time with their loved ones, or channel their stress into caring for others. She wondered if it was possible that science had gotten stress wrong.
Klein dug deeper into the science, and she made the surprising discovery that 90 percent of the published research on stress was conducted on males. So Klein studied the social side of stress, especially in women. Looking at both animal and human research, she found evidence that stress can increase caring, cooperation, and compassion (同情).
While the tend-and-befriend theory began as an investigation into the female response to stress, it quickly expanded to include men. In times of stress, both men and women have been shown to become more trusting, generous, and willing to protect others.
The tend-and-befriend theory doesn’t say that stress always leads to caring—stress can indeed make us angry and defensive. It simply says that stress can make people more caring. And when we care for others, it activates systems of our brain that produce feelings of hope and courage.
I wrote my book The Upside of Stress with that purpose in mind: to help you discover your own strength and compassion. Seeing the upside of stress is not about deciding whether stress is either good or bad. It’s about how choosing to see the good in stress can help you meet the challenges in your life. Tending and befriending is one of the best ways to do this, and to transform your own stress into a catalyst(催化剂) for courage and connection.
33．What does the joke in paragraph I show
A．Male scientists are smarter than female scientists.
B．Female scientists are friendlier than male scientists.
C．Men tend to seek a temporary escape from pressure.
D．Women care for each other when they are under stress.
34．Why did Laura keep the joke in her mind
A．It didn’t fit with her life experience.
B．It had the same topic as her new book.
C．It went against previous psychology research.
D．It indicated the inequalities between women and men.
35．What do we know about the tend-and-befriend theory
A．It is applicable to both men and women. B．It suggests stress always leads to caring.
C．It proves the fight-or-flight response wrong. D．It shows men are more defensive than women.
36．What does the author’s book aim to do
A．Provide evidence for her research.
B．Explain the fight-or-flight response.
C．Make suggestions on how to respond to stress positively.
D．Demonstrate women’s and men’s different responses to stress.
【答案】33．D 34．C 35．A 36．C
【导语】本文是说明文。女性在面临压力时会互相关心，这种“照顾与友善”理论同样适用于男性。
33．推理判断题。根据第一段中“The men would disappear into their offices; the women would bring cookies to lab meetings and bond over coffee. Forget fight-or-flight, they joked. The women were tending and befriending.(这些人会消失在他们的办公室里。女人们会带着饼干参加实验室会议，并通过咖啡增进感情。她们开玩笑说，忘记战斗或逃跑吧。妇女们在照顾和友善。)”可推知，第一段中的笑话说明了女性在面临压力时会互相关心。故选D。
34．细节理解题。根据第二段“The joke stuck in the mind of one of the women, researcher Laura Cousino Klein. Psychology research has suggested that stress leads to aggression, but that wasn’t her experience..(这个笑话深深地印在了其中一位女性研究员劳拉·库西诺·克莱因 (Laura Cousino Klein) 的脑海中。心理学研究表明压力会导致攻击性，但她的经历并非如此。)”可知，劳拉把这个笑话记在了心里是因为它与之前的心理
学研究很不同，它违背了之前的心理学研究。故选C。
35．细节理解题。根据第四段“While the tend-and-befriend theory began as an investigation into the female response to stress, it quickly expanded to include men. In times of stress, both men and women have been shown to become more trusting, generous, and willing to protect others.(虽然“照顾与交友”理论最初是为了研究女性对压力的反应，但它很快就扩展到包括男性。在压力时期，男性和女性都会变得更加信任、慷慨并愿意保护他人。)”可知，“照顾与友善”理论适用于男性和女性。故选A。
36．推理判断题。根据最后一段中“I wrote my book The Upside of Stress with that purpose in mind: to help you discover your own strength and compassion. Seeing the upside of stress is not about deciding whether stress is either good or bad. It’s about how choosing to see the good in stress can help you meet the challenges in your life. Tending and befriending is one of the best ways to do this, and to transform your own stress into a catalyst( 催化剂 ) for courage and connection.(我写《压力的好处》一书就是为了这个目的：帮助你发现自己的力量和同情心。看到压力的好处并不是要决定压力是好还是坏。这是关于如何选择在压力中看到好处可以帮助您应对生活中的挑战。照顾和交友是最好的方法之一，并将你自己的压力转化为勇气和联系的催化剂。)”可推知，作者写这本书的目的是就如何积极应对压力提出建议。故选C。
（2024·山东·三模）Jorg Muller, an ecologist at the University of Würzburg, with his colleagues, proposes a way to measure the biodiversity—listen to the jungle by AI, in a paper published in Nature Communications.
The rainforests are very important and always alive with the sounds of animals, which is useful to ecologists. When it comes to measuring the biodiversity of a piece of land, listening out for animal caller is more effective than uncovering the bushes looking for tracks and paw prints. The latter analysis method is time-consuming, and it requires an expert pair of ears. Muller’s idea was to apply the principle of smartphone apps which can identify the sounds of birds, bats and mammals to conservation work.
The researchers took recordings from across 43 sites in the rainforests. Some sites were relatively primitive, old-growth forests. Others were areas that had just been cleared for pasture(牧场) recently. And some other original forests had been cleared but then abandoned, allowing themselves to regrow. The various calls were identified by an expert,and then used to construct a list of the species present. As expected, the longer the land had been free from agricultural activity, the greater biodiversity it hosted. Then it was the computer’s turn. “We found that the AI tools could identify the sounds as well as the experts,” says Dr. Muller.
Of course, not everything in a rainforest makes a noise. Dr. Muller and his colleagues used light traps to catch night-flying insects, and DNA analysis to identify them. They found that the diversity of noisy animals was a reliable representative for the diversity of the quieter ones, too.
Besides measuring the biodiversity, the results are also expected to be applied to outside ecology departments.
Under pressure from their customers, firms like L’Oreal, a make-up company, and Shell, an oil firm, have been spending money on forest restoration projects around the world. Dr. Muller hopes that an automated approach to checking on the results could help monitor such efforts, and give a standard way to measure whether they are working as well as their sponsors say.
37．Why does Muller propose to measure biodiversity with AI
A．To make a new conservation principle.
B．To seek away fit for hot environments.
C．To work more efficiently than manpower
D．To study the rainforests more specifically.
38．How was the identification work of AI tools on the 43 sites
A．It agreed with the work from experts..
B．It identified different types of raintarests.
C．It recorded more sounds in the abandoned forests.
D．It was used to restore the biodiversity for pasture.
39．What does the author indicate in paragraph 4
A．DNA analysis is skeptical in the research.
B．Quiet animals are as diverse as noisy ones.
C．A rainforest is always full of various noises.
D．AI technology is used to catch the insects.
40．What can be inferred from the last paragraph
A．The research focuses on biodiversity only.
B．L’Oreal and Shell develop monitoring apps.
C．The research will assist in forest restoration.
D．AI’s help will attract some sponsors’investment.
【答案】37．C 38．A 39．B 40．C
【导语】这是一篇说明文。主要介绍了一种可以测量热带雨林中生物多样性的人工智能工具。作者认为这种人工智能工具比较高效，并且有望被应用于森林恢复工程。
37．细节理解题。根据第二段中“When it comes to measuring the biodiversity of a piece of land, listening out for animal caller is more effective than uncovering the bushes looking for tracks and paw prints. The latter
analysis method is time-consuming, and it requires an expert pair of ears.”（在测量一块土地的生物多样性时，倾听动物的叫声比揭开灌木丛寻找足迹和爪印更有效。后一种分析方法耗时长，需要一双专家的耳朵。）可知，穆勒提出用人工智能来衡量生物多样性是因为比人力更有效率地工作。故选C项。
38．细节理解题。根据第三段中““We found that the AI tools could identify the sounds as well as the experts,” says Dr. Muller.”（“我们发现人工智能工具可以像专家一样识别声音，”穆勒博士说。）可知，人工智能工具可以像专家一样辨认出不同物种的声音。故选A项。
39．推理判断题。根据第四段中“They found that the diversity of noisy animals was a reliable representative for the diversity of the quieter ones, too.”（他们发现，嘈杂动物的多样性也是安静动物多样性的可靠代表。）可推知，作者在第4段指出安静的动物和嘈杂的动物一样具有多样性。故选B项。
40．推理判断题。根据最后一段中“Dr. Muller hopes that an automated approach to checking on the results could help monitor such efforts, and give a standard way to measure whether they are working as well as their sponsors say.”（穆勒博士希望一种自动检查结果的方法可以帮助监督这些努力，并提供一种标准方法来衡量它们是否像赞助商所说的那样有效。）可知，从最后一段可以推断出这项研究将有助于森林恢复。故选C项。
（2024·山东·三模）When we’re on the treadmill (跑步机), we’re more likely to bethinking about whether we’re going to make it another mile than’what’s in our workout clothing. But our favorite sports ch ab are likely to be made from synthetic (合成的) fabrics, all of which are essentially plastic often created with harmful chemical additives. Now, a study conducted by the University of Birmingham shows the chemical additives from our workout clothing are available to be absorbed through our skin.
Previously, researchers have tended to focus on our exposure to plastic through diet,but the new study raises awareness that humans can be expesed to plastic chemicals through our skin, too. And because harmful chemicals accumulate lowly and stick around in our bodies, repeared and multi-source exposure can result in having high concentrations of chemicals inside us, potentially contributing to health effects.
The Birmingham study focused on a class of compounds (化合物) called brominated flame retardants (BFRs), which are used to prevent burning in a wide range of consumer products including fabrics, and are linked to adverse health effects such as hormonal disorders and mental problems.
It’s known that sweat contains oil. Researchers found the oil has a chemical nature that encourages the chemicals in plastic to dissolve and spread.“In short, oil substances in our sweat help the bad chemicals to come out of the microplastic fibers and become available for human absorption,”says Dr. Abdallah of the Urnversity of Birmingham. An easy way to avoid exposure to these chemicals is to wear clothing made of sustainably produced textiles, which dont contain the bad chemicals associated with plastic materials. Check fabric labels for items that are
mostly organic cotton, he mp or merino wool. Visit brand websites to see if they make an effort to list their suppliers, and where their products come from, including their dye houses and mills. Abdallah says he minimizes synthetic fabrics in his home, meanwhile wearing natural fibers like cotton. “Why be exposed to these chemicals even at low levels ”he says.“Why not avoid the risks ”
41．What is found in the study by the Birmingham University
A．Sports clothes are fit for treadmill exercise.
B．Plastic produces harmful chemical additives.
C．Gym clothes may release poisonous chemicals.
D．People are exposed to chemicals through plastic.
42．What does the underlined word“adverse in paragraph 3 probably mean
A．Unknown. B．Harmful. C．Similar. D．Beneficial.
43．What role does the oil in sweat play in the absorption of chemicals
A．It frees bad chemicals out of clothes.
B．It produces bad chemicals with plastic.
C．It prevents harmful chemicals spreading.
D．It keeps chemicals in the fibers of clothes.
44．What does the author suggest about our workout clothing
A．Choosing famous brands. B．Contacting the suppliers.
C．Visiting the chemical plants. D．Wearing pure cotton clothes.
【答案】41．C 42．B 43．A 44．D
【导语】这是一篇说明文。主要介绍了一项研究发现，健身服中有害的化学添加剂可以通过皮肤被人体吸收，从而对人体构成伤害。
41．细节理解题。根据第一段中“But our favorite sports ch ab are likely to be made from synthetic (合成的) fabrics, all of which are essentially plastic often created with harmful chemical additives. Now, a study conducted by the University of Birmingham shows the chemical additives from our workout clothing are available to be absorbed through our skin.”（但我们最喜欢的运动服很可能是由合成纤维制成的，这些合成纤维本质上都是塑料，通常含有有害的化学添加剂。现在，伯明翰大学进行的一项研究表明，我们运动服中的化学添加剂可以通过我们的皮肤吸收。）可知，伯明翰大学的研究发现了运动服可能释放有毒化学物质。故选C项。
42．词义猜测题。根据划线单词句中“…such as hormonal disorders and mental problems.”（荷尔蒙失调和精神问题）由此可知，此处为与荷尔蒙失调和精神问题等不利健康影响有关。故可猜测划线单词adverse为“不利的”意思，结合选项B项Harmful“有害的，不利的”意思一致。故选B项。
43．细节理解题。根据第四段中““In short, oil substances in our sweat help the bad chemicals to come out of the microplastic fibers and become available for human absorption”（简而言之，我们汗液中的油脂物质有助于有害化学物质从微塑料纤维中释放出来，供人体吸收。）可知，汗液中的油脂对化学物质的吸收的作用是它可以释放衣服中的有害化学物质。故选A项。
44．推理判断题。根据最后一段中“An easy way to avoid exposure ta these chemicals is to wear clothing made of sustainably produced textiles, which don’t contain the bad chemicals associated with plastic materials.”（避免接触这些化学物质的一个简单方法是穿着由可持续生产的纺织品制成的衣服，这些纺织品不含与塑料材料相关的有害化学物质。）以及“Abdallah says he minimizes synthetic fabrics in his home, meanwhile wearing natural fibers like cotton.”（Abdallah说，他尽量减少在家里使用合成纤维，同时穿棉质等天然纤维的衣服。）可推知，作者对建议选择纯棉等天然纤维材料的衣物。故选D项。
（2024·浙江杭州·二模）Any schoolchild knows that a whale breathes through its blowhole. Fewer know that a blowhole is a nostril (鼻孔) slightly changed by evolution into a form more useful for a mammal that spends its life at sea. And only a dedicated expert would know that while toothed whales, such as sperm whales, have one hole, baleen (鲸须) whales, such as humpback and Rice whales, have two.
Even among the baleen whales, the placing of those nostrils differs. In some species they are close together. In others, they are much further apart. In a paper published in Biology Letters Conor Ryan, a marine biologist at the Scottish Association for Marine Science, suggests why that might be. Having two nostrils, he argues, helps whales smell in stereo (立体空间).
Many types of baleen whales eat tiny animals known as zooplankton (浮游动物), which they catch by filtering (过滤) them from seawater using the sheets of fibrous baleen that have replaced teeth in their mouths. But to eat something you first have to find it. Toothed whales do not hunt by scent. In fact, the olfactory bulb—the part of the brain that processes smell—is absent in such creatures. But baleen whales still have olfactory bulbs, which suggests smell remains important. And scent can indeed give zooplankton away. Zooplankton like to eat other tiny creatures called phytoplankton (浮游植物). When these are under attack, they release a special gas called dimethyl sulphide, which in turn attracts baleen whales.
Most animals have stereoscopic senses. Having two eyes, for instance, allows an animal to compare the images from each in order to perceive depth. Having two ears lets them locate the direction from which a sound is coming. Dr Ryan theorized that paired blowholes might bring baleen whales the same sorts of benefits.
The farther apart the sensory organs are, the more information can be extracted by the animal that bears them. The researchers used drones to photograph the nostrils of 143 whales belonging to 14 different species. Sure enough, baleen whales that often eat zooplankton, such as the North Atlantic right whale, have nostrils that are farther apart than do those, such as humpback whales, that eat zooplankton occasionally. Besides allowing them to breathe, it seems that some whales use their blowholes to determine in which direction dinner lies.
45．What do we know about whales’ nostrils according to the first two paragraphs
A．They are adapted ones. B．They are developed merely for smell.
C．They are not easy to detect. D．They are fixed universally in numbers.
46．What plays a role when baleen whales hunt zooplankton
A．The teeth that baleen whales have.
B．The smell that phytoplankton send.
C．The sound waves that zooplankton create.
D．The chemical signals that zooplankton give off.
47．How is the concept of stereoscopic senses explained in paragraph 4
A．By quoting a theory. B．By using examples.
C．By making contrast. D．By making inferences.
48．What is the position of nostrils related to according to the last paragraph
A．The sense of smell. B．The possibility to attract food.
C．The ability to locate food. D．The ability to communicate.
【答案】45．A 46．B 47．B 48．C
【导语】本文是一篇说明文，主要介绍的是关于须鲸的鼻孔的相关知识。
45．细节理解题。根据第一段“Fewer know that a blowhole is a nostril (鼻孔) slightly changed by evolution into a form more useful for a mammal that spends its life at sea.(很少有人知道，呼吸孔是一种经过轻微进化的鼻孔，对于在海洋中生活的哺乳动物来说，它的形式更有用)”可知，根据前两段，鲸鱼的鼻孔是调整过的，故选A。
46．推理判断题。根据第三段“When these are under attack, they release a special gas called2024年高考英语三轮冲刺训练：阅读理解说明文
技能专区：冲刺备考名师提醒，洞悉高考命题规律，提供高效提分干货
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二、数据计算题注重“原文定位”和“细节理解”，弄清来龙去脉再计算。
三、重视说明文“倒三角形”结构，特别是首段和段首的独特引领作用。
四、标题概括题重视三性：概括性、简洁性和新颖性；同时联系首段和关键词。
五、说明文长难句较多增加了理解的难度，落实“括号法”，（从句）（非谓语）
（介词短语）（名词短语）。
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（2024·广东韶关·二模）Would a person born blind, who has learned to distinguish objects by touch, be able to recognize them purely by sight if he regained the ability to see The question, known as Molyneux’s problem, is about whether the human mind has a built-in concept of shapes that is so inborn that a blind person could immediately recognize an object with restored vision. Alternatively, the concepts of shapes are not inborn but have to be learned by exploring an object through sight, touch and other senses.
After their attempt to test it in blind children failed, Lars Chittka of Queen Mary University of London and his team carried out another experiment on bumblebees. To test whether bumblebees can form an internal representation of objects, they first trained the insects to distinguish globes from cubes using a sugar reward. The bees were first trained in the light, where they could see but not touch the objects. Then they were tested in the dark, where they could touch but not see the items. The researchers found that the insects spent more time in contact with the shape they had been trained to associate with the sugar reward, even though they had to rely on touch rather than sight to distinguish the objects.
The researchers also did the opposite test with untrained bumblebees, first teaching them with rewards in the dark and then testing them in the light. Again, the bees were able to recognize the shape associated with the sugar
reward, though they had to rely on sight rather than touch in the test. In short, bees have solved Molyneux’s problem because the fact suggests that they can picture object features and access them through sight or touch.
However, some experts express their warning s against the result. Jonathan Birch, a philosopher of science, cautions that the bees may have had prior experience associating visual and tactile (触觉) information about straight edges and curved surfaces in their nests.
1．What is Molyneux’s problem about
A．Whether mankind’s sense of touch outweighs sight.
B．Whether mankind’s idea of shape is inborn or learned.
C．Whether blind people can identify the shape of an item.
D．Whether the blind can regain their sense of touch after recovery.
2．How did Lors Chittka and his colleagues try to figure out Molyneux’s problem
A．By experimentation on blind children.
B．By conducting controlled experiments.
C．By rewarding bumblebees with sugar.
D．By observing bumblebees in their nests.
3．What is Jonathan Birch’s attitude towards the conclusion of the bee experiments
A．Skeptical. B．Supportive.
C．Dismissive. D．Ambiguous.
4．Which of the following can be the best title of the passage
A．Scientists Found Senses Matter
B．Visual-Tactile Puzzle Has Been Solved
C．Experiments Will Help the Blind Regain Sight
D．Bumblebees May Help Solve Molyneux’s Problem
（2024·广东梅州·二模）New findings suggest that when it-comes to learning, the snake may be quite a bit like humans. David Holtzman, a scientist at the University of Rochester, has found that snakes have a much greater capacity for learning than earlier studies had indicated.
Holtzman’s study challenged 24 snakes to escape from a black plastic container the size of a child’s pool. Cards mounted on the container’s walls and tape on its floor provided the snakes with visual and touchable signals to find their goal: holes in the container’s bottom that offer a dark, comfortable spot to hide.
Simply falling into a hole isn’t the only proof that the snakes are learning something, though. “Speed to find that goal is one of the measures which shows they’re learning,” Holtzman says. “On average, they take over 700
seconds to find the correct hole on the first day of training, and then go down to about 400 seconds by the fourth day of training. Some are actually very fast and find it in less than 30 seconds.”
Studies dating back to the 1950s interpreted snakes’ awkwardness with mazes(迷宫)as a poor reflection on their intelligence. “Early attempts to study snake intelligence were problematic because the studies used mazes as testing arenas(场地)-as though snakes might be expected to run through mazes in the same way mice run through mazes,” says Peter Kareiva, a professor of zoology. “Snakes do not encounter anything like mazes in nature, and they do not learn how to run mazes in laboratory conditions.”
Holtzman also found a few age-based differences in the signals the snakes use. Young snakes appear to be more adaptable and resourceful, using a variety of clues to find their way to the exit.But their elders seem to rely much more heavily on visual clues. “Actually, one of the amazing findings from our studies is that snakes do use vision in locating places,” says Holtzman. “They don’t just rely on the chemical clues picked up by sticking their tongues out, as many snake biologists assume.”
5．What is the function of the cards and tape
A．To direct the snakes to the exits.
B．To protect the snakes from bright lights.
C．To cover the holes at the container’s bottom.
D．To make the container a comfortable spot to stay.
6．What do the data in paragraph 3 show about the snakes according to Holtzman
A．They are skillful escapers. B．They are good learners.
C．They communicate with each other. D．They adapt to environments quickly.
7．What was the problem with early attempts to study snake intelligence
A．They chose the wrong testing arenas.
B．They failed to do tests in laboratory conditions.
C．They referred to studies dating back to the 1950s.
D．They compared snakes with a different kind of animal.
8．What astonishes Holtzman about snakes
A．They rely on sight to find their way.
B．They leave chemical clues everywhere.
C．The young beat their elders in many ways.
D．Their tongues are unable to recognize chemical clues.
（2024·广东梅州·二模）At first look, the playground at the Children’s Guild-Transformation Academy in Baltimore, Maryland, looks like any other. It has swings, slides, and places for children to climb and crawl. But the playground is not just a place for fun. It is also a place where students can learn, grow and gain independence. Everything — from the kind of surface it sits on, to the color of its sitting areas, to the placement of the surrounding fence — is specifically designed for kids with autism (自闭症).
Mark Rapaport is the managing director of autism services at the Transformation Academy. He said the school accepts students aged 5 to 21 with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and are lower-functioning.
Rapaport said the goal of Transformation Academy is to make the students as independent as possible in an effort to help them prepare for adult life. The school aims to provide help with developing communication and social skills, as well as practical abilities like cleaning or cooking.
The playground designed by Maryland company Sparks@Play, using structures manufactured by Landscape Structures, Inc. took a month to develop, said Dan Hack. He works for Sparks@Play and helped lead the playground’s design. Hack said he and others spent weeks getting to know the students and understanding their needs before any building was started. The design process involved physical therapists, occupational therapists, and other specialists. The huge $500,000 project was funded with support from the state of Maryland and the nonprofit Orokawa Foundation.
Parts of the playground that seem small are very important for children with autism and other disabilities. The surrounding fence extends into a wooded area to make it seem more open. And the ground under the play areas is made of soft, but solid materials to support students using wheelchairs or crutches. The benches on the outside of the playground look simple from far away, but are “one of our most inclusive sensory” elements, Hack said. They have many different colors that bring about feelings of calm and curiosity. They are also made with smooth material that can be felt and moved. The academy’s Rapaport said if a child starts to feel uneasy, they can sit down and feel the bench, which can help them relax.
9．Why is the playground in Baltimore designed with special materials
A．To make it superior to other playgrounds. B．To better serve children with autism.
C．To improve the quality of the playground. D．To make it easier for kids to climb and crawl.
10．What can we learn from the playground project
A．It took a month to complete the project. B．The design process is simple and easy.
C．The result of the project is uncertain. D．It’s a money-consuming project.
11．What is the last paragraph mainly about
A．The scale and the structure of the playground.
B．Ways for kids to free from the stress and relax themselves.
C．The underlying logic and reasonable factors of the playground.
D．The advantages of the playground for autism and disabled kids.
12．Which best describes the playground in Baltimore
A．Advanced. B．Environmental-friendly. C．Functional. D．Convenient.
（2024·广东佛山·二模）Initial conversations can have a huge impact on how relationships develop over time. People are often stuck in the impressions they think they might have made the minute they finish speaking with someone for the first time: “Did they like me or were they just being polite ” “Were they deep in thought or deeply bored ”
To find out whether these worries are necessary, we have conducted nearly 10 years of research. In our studies, participants in the UK talked with someone they had never met before. Afterward, they were asked how much they liked their conversation partner and how much they believed that their conversation partner liked them. This allowed us to compare how much people believed they were liked to how much they were actually liked.
Time and time again, we found that people left their conversations with negative feelings about the impression they made. That is, people systematically underestimate how much their conversation partners like them and enjoy their company — a false belief we call the “liking gap”.
This bias (偏见) may seem like something that would occur only in initial interactions, but its effects extend far beyond a first impression. Surprisingly, the liking gap can constantly affect a variety of relationships, including interactions with coworkers, long after the initial conversations have taken place. Having a larger liking gap is associated with being less willing to ask workmates for help, less willing to provide workmates with open and honest feedback, and less willing to work on another project together.
There are numerous strategies to minimize your biased feelings. One place to start is shifting your focus of attention. Try to direct your attention to your conversation partner, be genuinely curious about them, ask them more questions, and really listen to their answers. The more you’re zeroed in on the other person, and the less you’re focused on yourself, the better your conversation will be and the less your mind will turn to all the things you think you didn’t do well.
13．Why did the author carry out 10 years of research
A．To dismiss national concerns. B．To check out a potential bias.
C．To enhance human communication. D．To develop harmonious relationships.
14．What is one effect of people’s liking gap
A．Fewer chances of new projects. B．Underestimation of their ability.
C．Bad relationships with people around. D．Low willingness to interact with others.
15．What does the author intend to do in the last paragraph
A．Restate opinions. B．Deliver warnings. C．Give suggestions. D．Make a summary.
16．Which might be the best title for the text
A．Liking Gap May Influence Work Performances
B．First Impressions Rely On Initial Conversations
C．People Probably Like You More Than You Think
D．How People Like You Matters Less Than You Assume
（2024·广东湛江·二模）Researchers have developed a robotic sensor that combines artificial intelligence techniques to read Braille (盲文) at speeds roughly double that of most human readers. The research team, from the University of Cambridge, used machine learning algorithms (算法) to teach a robotic sensor to quickly slide over lines of Braille text.
The robotic sensor the researchers used has a camera in its “fingertip”, and reads by using a combination of the information from the camera and the sensors. “This is a hard problem for roboticists as there’s a lot of image processing that needs to be done to remove motion blur (模糊), which is time and energy-consuming,” said Parth Potdar from Cambridge’s Department of Engineering.
“There are existing robotic Braille readers, but they only read one letter at a time, which is not how humans read, ” said Potdar. “Existing robotic Braille readers work in a static way: They touch one letter pattern, read it, pull up from the surface, move over, lower onto the next letter pattern, and so on. We want something that’s more realistic and far more efficient. ”
The team developed machine learning algorithms so the robotic reader would be able to “deblur” the images before the sensor attempted to recognise the letters. They trained the algorithms on a set of sharp images of Braille with fake blur applied. After the algorithms had learned to deblur the letters, they used a computer vision model to detect and classify each character.
Once the algorithms were incorporated, the researchers tested their render by sliding it quickly along rows of Braille characters. The robotic Braille render could read 315 words per minute with 87% accuracy, which is twice as fast and about as accurate as n human Braille reader.
“Braille reading speed is a great way to measure the dynamic performance of tactile(能触知的)sensing systems,
so our findings could be applicable beyond Braille, for applications like detecting surface textures or slippage in robotic manipulation,” said Potdar.
In the future, the researchers are hoping to scale the technology to the size of a humanoid hand.
17．What is difficult for roboticists to deal with in the reading process
A．Ridding of motion blur. B．Teaching a robot to learn.
C．Processing robotic sensors. D．Fixing a camera on the fingertip.
18．What does the underlined word “static” in paragraph 3 mean
A．Still. B．Fast. C．Clever. D．Lazy.
19．What did Potdar want to express in paragraph 6
A．The good performance of the robot sensor.
B．The promising future of their research results.
C．The factors in making the tactile sensing systems.
D．The way to ensure the accuracy of the technology.
20．Which can be the best title for the text
A．Technology to be scaled to the size of a humanoid hand
B．Robots trained to read Braille at twice the speed of humans
C．A great way to measure the performance of sensing systems
D．Machine learning algorithms expected to change Braille writing
（2024·湖南·二模）In today’s digital era, social media users are increasingly coming across fake news online. This leads to the pressing issue: What causes people to fall for misinformation on the Internet
According to researchers at the Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology, users can easily fall into an echo chamber (回声室)—a sort of virtual space where users consume only one-sided news, eventually distrusting any opposing views. “We all tend to agree with the group opinion. Hence, people naturally get together with others who hold the same opinion,” said Dongwon Lee, one of the researchers. “But if you’re not cautious, there is a high risk of falling into an echo chamber.”
To prevent this phenomenon, the researchers have crafted a novel tool, a game named ChamberBreaker, to help players resist echo chambers and reduce the rate of fake news spread. The fundamental approach employed by ChamberBreaker centers around a decision-making procedure that mirrors the creation of echo chambers. In ChamberBreaker, a player is tasked with trying to have community members fall into an echo chamber. To begin, the player is randomly assigned a situation that focuses on a health, political or environmental issue, and is presented
with six pieces of news on that topic. Then, the player selects news that could cause the other members to fall into an echo chamber while at the same time maintaining their trust. If successful, the community members will fall into an echo chamber and the player will witness the resulting negative effects on the community.
After developing ChamberBreaker, researchers tested it with over 800 subjects to see if it raised awareness of echo chambers and changed news consumption behaviors. The researchers found that those who played ChamberBreaker were significantly more likely to state their intention to observe online information from more diverse perspectives and showed an increased awareness of the echo chamber phenomenon.
Ultimately, the researchers hope that their methodology can excite a greater interest in the scientific and scholarly study related to information consumption. The application of tools like ChamberBreaker, which focuses on fostering analytical reasoning, may lead us towards a more informed online community.
21．What can be learned about an online echo chamber
A．It encourages well-judged views.
B．It gathers like-minded individuals.
C．It functions as a virtual reality platform.
D．It serves as a tool for identifying fake information.
22．What is ChamberBreaker’s core method against echo chambers
A．Assignment of situations. B．Trust-building exercises.
C．News selection strategy. D．Community impact assessment.
23．Which of the following can show ChamberBreaker’s effectiveness
A．The results of scientific testing.
B．The theoretical framework of the game.
C．The description of the game procedures.
D．The common challenges faced during gameplay.
24．What is the likely long-term effect of playing ChamberBreaker
A．Reducing news inquiry. B．Encouraging passive reading.
C．Strengthening prejudiced views. D．Enhancing critical thinking.
（2024·湖南·二模）The California sea otter (海獭), once hunted to the edge of extinction, has staged a thrilling comeback in the last century. Now, scientists have discovered that the otters’ success story has led to something just as remarkable: the restoration of their declining coastal marsh (沼泽) habitat.
Elkhorn Slough, a coastal marsh within Monterey Bay, had been experiencing severe damage. The root cause
was a growing population of shore crabs, which fed heavily on the marsh plants, weakening the structural integrity of the habitat. Coastal marshes like these are not only natural defenses against storm waves but also serve as important carbon storage areas and water-cleaning systems.
The conservation-driven comeback of the sea otter has been crucial. California’s coastlines were once alive with sea otters. Sadly, they were nearly wiped out at the hands of fur traders. In the 1980s, conservation efforts aided these otters in re-occupying large areas of their former range. Now, Elkhorn Slough has the highest concentration of sea otters in California, with a population of about 100. By naturally feasting on crabs, the otters have helped a significant regrowth of plant life. Brent Hughes, a scientist working alongside Angelini, led a three-year study. Their findings were clear: in areas with sea otters, crab numbers fell markedly. This led to a resurgence in plant growth, which in turn stabilized the soil and lowered the rate of soil washing away.
As the sea otter population continues to restore, their positive impact on coastal ecosystems is likely to increase. It not only showcases the sea otter as a central species—a species that has a significant effect on its natural environment—but also highlights the essential nature of top predators (捕食者) in preserving ecological harmony. “My honest reaction was—this could become a classic in the literature,” says scientist Lekelia Jenkins. She reveals marsh restoration also helps people by reducing flooding. “Suddenly, sea otters go from just cute things we like to something that can protect our livelihoods and our properties.”
25．What change did the disappearance of sea otters bring about
A．Fewer predatory crabs. B．More coastal plant life.
C．Better water-cleaning effect. D．Worse coastal ecological balance.
26．What does the underlined word “resurgence” in paragraph 3 mean
A．Barrier. B．Advancement. C．Expansion. D．Revival.
27．What is the author’s purpose in quoting Lekelia Jenkins
A．To highlight the importance of coastal marshes.
B．To introduce a new research study on sea otters.
C．To demonstrate the practical benefits of sea otters.
D．To emphasize the need for increased conservation efforts.
28．What message is conveyed from sea otters’ impact
A．The necessity for controlled hunting.
B．The interconnectedness of the ecosystem.
C．The drawbacks of wildlife reintroduction.
D．The need for human intervention in nature.
（2024·湖北·二模）It was long theorized that people make decisions based on integrated global calculations that occur within the frontal cortex(额叶皮层) of the brain, which is considered the seat of higher-order thinking. However, Yale researchers have found that three distinct brain circuits from the frontal cortex connecting to different brain regions are involved in making good decisions, bad ones, and determining which of those past choices to store in memory.
The study of decision-making in rats may help scientists find the roots of flawed decision-making common to mental health disorders such as addiction, the authors say. They used-a new tool to manipulate(操纵) brain circuits in rats while they were making choices between actions that led to them receiving rewards or no rewards. If the rats made the right decision, one that ended in a reward, one of the brain circuits was activated, but another was activated if the rats made the wrong choice and received no reward. The third circuit stored past experiences and decisions to help the rats with future choices.
Stephanie Groman, lead author of the research says, “A comparison would be deciding on a restaurant for dinner. For instance, without the ‘good choice’ circuit you may not return to the restaurant with good food and without the ‘bad choice’ circuit you might not avoid the restaurant with bad food. The third ‘memory’ circuit is crucial in making decisions such as whether to return to the restaurant after receiving one bad meal after several good ones.”
Changes in these circuits may help explain a typical feature of addiction—why people continue to make harmful choices even after repeated negative experiences. The Yale researchers previously showed that some of the same brain calculations were disrupted(扰乱)in animals that had taken methamphetamine. “Because we used a test that is similar to those used in studies of human decision making, our findings have direct relevance to humans and could aid in the search for novel treatments for substance abuse in humans,” Groman said.
29．How was Yale’s research different from the previous theory
A．It defined the function of different brain regions.
B．It identified specific circuits involved in decision-making.
C．It focused on the connection between choices and memories.
D．It highlighted the role of the frontal cortex in higher-order thinking.
30．What can be inferred from Stephanie Groman’s words
A．Memories are related to all the three circuits.
B．People base their decisions on personal preferences.
C．The three circuits are all of vital importance in making decisions.
D．The circuit related to rewards is the foundation of deciding wisely.
31．What does the last paragraph mainly focus on
A．The limitations of the present study. B．A description of the research method.
C．A possible reason for the study findings. D．The potential application of the conclusion.
32．What might be the best title for the text
A．How people get addicted and cured
B．How making decisions influences our brain
C．How our brain develops when facing choices
D．How the brain helps us make good decisions and bad ones
（2024·湖北·二模）In the late 1990s, two psychology researchers, were talking about how the female scientists in their lab responded differently to stress than the men did. The men would disappear into their offices; the women would bring cookies to lab meetings and bond over coffee. Forget fight-or-flight, they joked. The women were tending and befriending.
The joke stuck in the mind of one of the women, researcher Laura Cousino Klein. Psychology research has suggested that stress leads to aggression, but that wasn’t her experience. Women were more likely to want to talk with someone about their stress, spend time with their loved ones, or channel their stress into caring for others. She wondered if it was possible that science had gotten stress wrong.
Klein dug deeper into the science, and she made the surprising discovery that 90 percent of the published research on stress was conducted on males. So Klein studied the social side of stress, especially in women. Looking at both animal and human research, she found evidence that stress can increase caring, cooperation, and compassion (同情).
While the tend-and-befriend theory began as an investigation into the female response to stress, it quickly expanded to include men. In times of stress, both men and women have been shown to become more trusting, generous, and willing to protect others.
The tend-and-befriend theory doesn’t say that stress always leads to caring—stress can indeed make us angry and defensive. It simply says that stress can make people more caring. And when we care for others, it activates systems of our brain that produce feelings of hope and courage.
I wrote my book The Upside of Stress with that purpose in mind: to help you discover your own strength and compassion. Seeing the upside of stress is not about deciding whether stress is either good or bad. It’s about how choosing to see the good in stress can help you meet the challenges in your life. Tending and befriending is one of
the best ways to do this, and to transform your own stress into a catalyst(催化剂) for courage and connection.
33．What does the joke in paragraph I show
A．Male scientists are smarter than female scientists.
B．Female scientists are friendlier than male scientists.
C．Men tend to seek a temporary escape from pressure.
D．Women care for each other when they are under stress.
34．Why did Laura keep the joke in her mind
A．It didn’t fit with her life experience.
B．It had the same topic as her new book.
C．It went against previous psychology research.
D．It indicated the inequalities between women and men.
35．What do we know about the tend-and-befriend theory
A．It is applicable to both men and women. B．It suggests stress always leads to caring.
C．It proves the fight-or-flight response wrong. D．It shows men are more defensive than women.
36．What does the author’s book aim to do
A．Provide evidence for her research.
B．Explain the fight-or-flight response.
C．Make suggestions on how to respond to stress positively.
D．Demonstrate women’s and men’s different responses to stress.
（2024·山东·三模）Jorg Muller, an ecologist at the University of Würzburg, with his colleagues, proposes a way to measure the biodiversity—listen to the jungle by AI, in a paper published in Nature Communications.
The rainforests are very important and always alive with the sounds of animals, which is useful to ecologists. When it comes to measuring the biodiversity of a piece of land, listening out for animal caller is more effective than uncovering the bushes looking for tracks and paw prints. The latter analysis method is time-consuming, and it requires an expert pair of ears. Muller’s idea was to apply the principle of smartphone apps which can identify the sounds of birds, bats and mammals to conservation work.
The researchers took recordings from across 43 sites in the rainforests. Some sites were relatively primitive, old-growth forests. Others were areas that had just been cleared for pasture(牧场) recently. And some other original forests had been cleared but then abandoned, allowing themselves to regrow. The various calls were identified by an expert,and then used to construct a list of the species present. As expected, the longer the land had been free from
agricultural activity, the greater biodiversity it hosted. Then it was the computer’s turn. “We found that the AI tools could identify the sounds as well as the experts,” says Dr. Muller.
Of course, not everything in a rainforest makes a noise. Dr. Muller and his colleagues used light traps to catch night-flying insects, and DNA analysis to identify them. They found that the diversity of noisy animals was a reliable representative for the diversity of the quieter ones, too.
Besides measuring the biodiversity, the results are also expected to be applied to outside ecology departments. Under pressure from their customers, firms like L’Oreal, a make-up company, and Shell, an oil firm, have been spending money on forest restoration projects around the world. Dr. Muller hopes that an automated approach to checking on the results could help monitor such efforts, and give a standard way to measure whether they are working as well as their sponsors say.
37．Why does Muller propose to measure biodiversity with AI
A．To make a new conservation principle.
B．To seek away fit for hot environments.
C．To work more efficiently than manpower
D．To study the rainforests more specifically.
38．How was the identification work of AI tools on the 43 sites
A．It agreed with the work from experts..
B．It identified different types of raintarests.
C．It recorded more sounds in the abandoned forests.
D．It was used to restore the biodiversity for pasture.
39．What does the author indicate in paragraph 4
A．DNA analysis is skeptical in the research.
B．Quiet animals are as diverse as noisy ones.
C．A rainforest is always full of various noises.
D．AI technology is used to catch the insects.
40．What can be inferred from the last paragraph
A．The research focuses on biodiversity only.
B．L’Oreal and Shell develop monitoring apps.
C．The research will assist in forest restoration.
D．AI’s help will attract some sponsors’investment.
（2024·山东·三模）When we’re on the treadmill (跑步机), we’re more likely to bethinking about whether we’re going to make it another mile than’what’s in our workout clothing. But our favorite sports ch ab are likely to be made from synthetic (合成的) fabrics, all of which are essentially plastic often created with harmful chemical additives. Now, a study conducted by the University of Birmingham shows the chemical additives from our workout clothing are available to be absorbed through our skin.
Previously, researchers have tended to focus on our exposure to plastic through diet,but the new study raises awareness that humans can be expesed to plastic chemicals through our skin, too. And because harmful chemicals accumulate lowly and stick around in our bodies, repeared and multi-source exposure can result in having high concentrations of chemicals inside us, potentially contributing to health effects.
The Birmingham study focused on a class of compounds (化合物) called brominated flame retardants (BFRs), which are used to prevent burning in a wide range of consumer products including fabrics, and are linked to adverse health effects such as hormonal disorders and mental problems.
It’s known that sweat contains oil. Researchers found the oil has a chemical nature that encourages the chemicals in plastic to dissolve and spread.“In short, oil substances in our sweat help the bad chemicals to come out of the microplastic fibers and become available for human absorption,”says Dr. Abdallah of the Urnversity of Birmingham. An easy way to avoid exposure to these chemicals is to wear clothing made of sustainably produced textiles, which dont contain the bad chemicals associated with plastic materials. Check fabric labels for items that are mostly organic cotton, he mp or merino wool. Visit brand websites to see if they make an effort to list their suppliers, and where their products come from, including their dye houses and mills. Abdallah says he minimizes synthetic fabrics in his home, meanwhile wearing natural fibers like cotton. “Why be exposed to these chemicals even at low levels ”he says.“Why not avoid the risks ”
41．What is found in the study by the Birmingham University
A．Sports clothes are fit for treadmill exercise.
B．Plastic produces harmful chemical additives.
C．Gym clothes may release poisonous chemicals.
D．People are exposed to chemicals through plastic.
42．What does the underlined word“adverse in paragraph 3 probably mean
A．Unknown. B．Harmful. C．Similar. D．Beneficial.
43．What role does the oil in sweat play in the absorption of chemicals
A．It frees bad chemicals out of clothes.
B．It produces bad chemicals with plastic.
C．It prevents harmful chemicals spreading.
D．It keeps chemicals in the fibers of clothes.
44．What does the author suggest about our workout clothing
A．Choosing famous brands. B．Contacting the suppliers.
C．Visiting the chemical plants. D．Wearing pure cotton clothes.
（2024·浙江杭州·二模）Any schoolchild knows that a whale breathes through its blowhole. Fewer know that a blowhole is a nostril (鼻孔) slightly changed by evolution into a form more useful for a mammal that spends its life at sea. And only a dedicated expert would know that while toothed whales, such as sperm whales, have one hole, baleen (鲸须) whales, such as humpback and Rice whales, have two.
Even among the baleen whales, the placing of those nostrils differs. In some species they are close together. In others, they are much further apart. In a paper published in Biology Letters Conor Ryan, a marine biologist at the Scottish Association for Marine Science, suggests why that might be. Having two nostrils, he argues, helps whales smell in stereo (立体空间).
Many types of baleen whales eat tiny animals known as zooplankton (浮游动物), which they catch by filtering (过滤) them from seawater using the sheets of fibrous baleen that have replaced teeth in their mouths. But to eat something you first have to find it. Toothed whales do not hunt by scent. In fact, the olfactory bulb—the part of the brain that processes smell—is absent in such creatures. But baleen whales still have olfactory bulbs, which suggests smell remains important. And scent can indeed give zooplankton away. Zooplankton like to eat other tiny creatures called phytoplankton (浮游植物). When these are under attack, they release a special gas called dimethyl sulphide, which in turn attracts baleen whales.
Most animals have stereoscopic senses. Having two eyes, for instance, allows an animal to compare the images from each in order to perceive depth. Having two ears lets them locate the direction from which a sound is coming. Dr Ryan theorized that paired blowholes might bring baleen whales the same sorts of benefits.
The farther apart the sensory organs are, the more information can be extracted by the animal that bears them. The researchers used drones to photograph the nostrils of 143 whales belonging to 14 different species. Sure enough, baleen whales that often eat zooplankton, such as the North Atlantic right whale, have nostrils that are farther apart than do those, such as humpback whales, that eat zooplankton occasionally. Besides allowing them to breathe, it seems that some whales use their blowholes to determine in which direction dinner lies.
45．What do we know about whales’ nostrils according to the first two paragraphs
A．They are adapted ones. B．They are developed merely for smell.
C．They are not easy to detect. D．They are fixed universally in numbers.
46．What plays a role when baleen whales hunt zooplankton
A．The teeth that baleen whales have.
B．The smell that phytoplankton send.
C．The sound waves that zooplankton create.
D．The chemical signals that zooplankton give off.
47．How is the concept of stereoscopic senses explained in paragraph 4
A．By quoting a theory. B．By using examples.
C．By making contrast. D．By making inferences.
48．What is the position of nostrils related to according to the last paragraph
A．The sense of smell. B．The possibility to attract food.
C．The ability to locate food. D．The ability to communicate.
（2024·福建·模拟预测）Urban agriculture, the practice of farming within the restrictions of a city, is becoming increasingly popular and is viewed as a sustainable alternative to big industrial farms. By some estimates, between 20% and 30% of the global urban population engages in some form of urban agriculture. But until recently, its carbon footprint remains understudied.
Using data from 73 low-tech city farms, community gardens and personal plots of land, Newell and his team compared the average carbon emissions of food produced at low-tech urban agriculture sites to those of conventionally grown crops. The team found that because of urban gardens’ relatively low yields, along with the energy used in constructing the planting beds, big-city spuds (马铃薯) were significantly more carbon-intensive than commercially grown ones. This held true even when the researchers factored in emissions from transporting commercially grown produce to often distant grocery stores. That doesn’t mean that growing vegetables in big cities is totally bad, however. “Urban farming is great, ” if imperfect, says Carola Grebitus, a food choice expert. It can be a powerful tool for job creation and education, she says, and a good way to introduce fresh produce to urban “food deserts” where healthy fruits and vegetables are hard to come by. Community gardens can also provide a place to connect with nature, and the added green space can reduce the risks of heat and flooding.
Conscious of these benefits, Newell’s team highlighted several ways to make urban agriculture more sustainable. One option is to be selective about what crops are grown. For instance, tomatoes grown in the soil of open-air urban plots had a lower carbon intensity than tomatoes grown in conventional greenhouses. Another strategy is to rely on existing constructions. Include old structures into a new garden’s design instead of taking down
old buildings. Finally, take the local climate, water quality and soil into account. Growing plants that are ill-suited to an area requires more water, energy and pesticides (杀虫剂), all of which affect the environment.
49．What can we know about urban agriculture from paragraph 1
A．It is thoroughly researched. B．It is welcomed by city people.
C．It is environmentally friendly. D．It is limited to industrial farms.
50．How does the author explain the reason for urban agriculture’s higher carbon intensity
A．By making a comparison. B．By telling a story.
C．By giving a definition. D．By using a quote.
51．According to Carola, what is a benefit of urban agriculture
A．It adds variety to urban people’s diet. B．It provides recreational opportunities.
C．It strengthens the bonds of community. D．It helps to contain drought and flooding.
52．What is recommended to make urban agriculture more sustainable
A．Reconstructing gardens. B．Developing greenhouse crops.
C．Selecting pesticide-free vegetables. D．Growing plants suited to local conditions.
（2024·福建莆田·二模）The year is 1763, and a 7-year-old Mozart is about to set off on a tour around Europe that will jump-start the Mozart legend. Mozart had a trick up his sleeve. When the young Mozart heard a note played-any note-he could immediately identify exactly which note it was. It was an ability now we know as “perfect pitch”, and it seemed to be an example of the mysterious gifts that young geniuses had been born with. But is that really so
Over my years of studying experts in various fields, like Mozart, I have found that there’s no such thing as a predefined ability. Actually, those people all develop their abilities through “deliberate practice”, a purposeful and systematic type of practice that makes it possible for them to do things they otherwise could not. In them, potential is an expandable vessel, shaped by the various things they do throughout their lives.
One of my testimonies came from Ray Allen, a ten-time All-Star in the NBA．Allen’s jump shot was not noticeably better than his teammates’ back in high school; in fact, it was poor. But with hard work and dedication, he transformed his jump shot into one so graceful and natural that people assumed he was born with it.
But it doesn’t mean “Just keep working at it, and you’ll get there”. Heartfelt desire and hard work alone will not lead to improved performance. The right sort of practice carried out over a sufficient period of time will lead to improvement. Nothing else. And this is true whether our goal is to become a concert pianist or just play the piano well enough to amuse ourselves, to be the greatest three-point shooter or just build ourselves up. Deliberate practice
is the gold standard for anyone in any field who wishes to build new skills and abilities.
53．Why is Mozart’s perfect pitch mentioned in paragraph 1
A．To introduce an inborn talent. B．To explain reasons for success,
C．To lead to reflection on gifts. D．To define a brilliant trick.
54．Which is the most important in making an expert according to the writer
A．Affection. B．Experience. C．Training. D．Gifts.
55．What does the underlined word “testimonies” mean in paragraph 3
A．Challenges. B．Proofs. C．Comments. D．Puzzles.
56．Which of the following is the best title for the text
A．Secret of Great Talents B．Bom to Stand Out
C．A Surprising Discovery D．Start When Young
（2024·浙江嘉兴·二模）It’s commonly acknowledged that our lives are ruled by algorithms (算法), but have we really collectively understood how they have transformed our culture and personality
In Filterworld: How algorithms flattened culture, Kyle Chayka argues convincingly that the rise of algorithm-driven feeds, used everywhere online from Instagram to Spotify, has led to a more uniform culture. Our tastes and desires increasingly don’t belong to us, but to algorithms that are designed to keep people engaged at all costs. If the collection of our tastes truly shapes our entire personality, then this loss is more psychologically damaging than it first appears. Aimlessly scrolling (滚屏) through Netflix or TikTok may seem harmless, but over days, months or years, we lose touch with what we like and enjoy.
Taste-making algorithms are inescapable. Chayka shows this by working through all corners of life: what we wear(TikTok), where we eat(Google Maps), music we listen to(Spotify), even who we date or marry(Tinder). This universe of algorithm-driven decisions has society-wide implications: “It extends to influence our physical spaces, our cities, and the routes we move through…flattening them in turn.” No one gets out of the Filterworld untouched.
If you’re lucky enough not to need any sort of algorithm-based system for your work, then you have the option to step back from algorithms for a while. But if your friend suggests a film recommended on X/Twitter or you feel the need to buy those shoes suddenly everyone has started wearing after social media advertisements, what are you to do It all feels fruitless.
This Filterworld may be inescapable, but there is hope. You can start by engaging more with the media you do choose to consume. This could mean reading up about a film you watched or paying artists you like directly. Even the thoughtful act of recommending an album (专辑) to a friend is more rewarding than a random TikTok feed. As
Chayka says, resistance to algorithms “requires an act of willpower, a choice to move through the world in a different way.”
57．What is Kyle Chayka’s opinion on algorithms
A．They improve our tastes. B．They make our culture more alike.
C．They help to identify our personality. D．They contribute to psychological problems.
58．What does the underlined part in paragraph 3 refer to
A．The society with advanced technology. B．The world without social media platforms.
C．The network of algorithm-driven decisions. D．The community free from algorithmic influence.
59．Which of the following is a way to resist the impact of algorithms
A．Limiting the use of social media platforms. B．Making choices based on friends’ suggestions.
C．Getting more involved with the selected media. D．Disconnecting from social media advertisements.
60．What is the best title for the text
A．Algorithms: Cultural Takeover B．The Secret of Algorithms
C．Social Media: Cultural Messenger D．The Rise of Digital Platforms
（2024·浙江台州·二模）When instant cake mixes first appeared in the 1950s, American housewives were doubtful. These mixes, promising easy cake-baking, felt too easy. The manufacturers discovered that requiring the addition of an egg in the baking process was just enough to make the housewives happy with their work. The greater sense of effort gained from a little extra labor is believed to have been essential to the later success of the cake mix.
This reflects the IKEA effect (宜家效应), which is identified by psychologist Michael I. Norton and his colleagues, suggesting we place greater value on things we have worked to create. They conducted four studies in which they asked participants to fold paper cranes and frogs, assemble IKEA boxes, and build sets of Legos. They then asked the builders to bid (出价) for their creations, and compared the prices with bids from people who hadn’t built them. The builders consistently outbid the non-builders.
Interestingly, the IKEA effect works even when people have no opportunity to fully personalize their creations. While most participants’ folding skills left much to be desired, they loved their imperfectly personalized products all the more. Builders valued their wrinkled crane-like creations nearly five times as much as non-builders. Beauty, it seems, is in the eye of the builder.
Today, as cities are suffering from severe housing crises, the IKEA effect can give us insight into the well-being benefits of a self-building approach to housing development. Projects like WikiHouse and the “half-a-house” approach pioneered by Alejandro Aravena’s architecture company Elemental are working to make housing more
affordable and sustainable by making it easier for people to build and personalize their own homes.
“The moment people are involved with their built environment, they have a totally different relationship to it,” WikiHouse co-founder Alastair Parvin explained. “When the roof starts leaking or a door starts creaking, they have the power to fix it themselves.”
61．What brought customers the joy of cake-baking according to paragraph 1
A．A better taste. B．An easy approach.
C．A detailed recipe. D．An additional effort.
62．What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 3 imply
A．Creations are based on skills. B．Extra labor increases perceived value.
C．Beauty is found through contrast. D．Strict management brings good quality.
63．What is Alastair Parvin’s attitude towards public involvement in housing
A．Critical. B．Objective. C．Doubtful. D．Supportive.
64．What’s the purpose of this text
A．To promote a brand. B．To make a proposal.
C．To explain a concept. D．To introduce a study.
（2024·浙江绍兴·二模）To build a prosperous (繁荣的) society, a fundamental understanding of the modern economy as a driving force in today’s world is essential.
What kind of prosperity have we achieved so far The widespread definition of prosperity focuses on economic power and growth as measures of success. Let’s take a look at history. The Second Industrial Revolution enabled mass production and created a sufficient supply of goods. This has greatly increased the importance of money in its role as “a store of value, ” and “a medium of exchange. ”As a result, we have pursued economic power as the only indicator of prosperity, such as GDP. Waves of globalization and technological evolution have promoted overall economic growth, but have allowed the few who are strong to achieve greater power while exploiting the many who are weak. Consequently, inequality has worsened, and disunity has intensified.
The path to a truly prosperous world requires a shift in focus towards the most suitable happiness for all, in addition to economic power. Defining happiness, however, is a complex task. What makes people happy The degree to which the same thing creates happiness differs from person to person. Happiness is subjective and complicated. This is a world of “multiple values” where each of us determines worth as opposed to “one fixed price” based merely on an economic perspective. Individuals shouldn’t be defined by a single identity or role but by
multidimensional nature as well as multiple roles making independent choices and taking actions for their happiness in different aspects.
Businesses must be pioneers in pursuing not only economic growth but also the happiness of all citizens of society. Companies can contribute through the pursuit of social value as well as economic profit. At the heart of this lies “purpose”. A company’s purpose defines the value it brings to society. The true worth of a company should be determined not just by the return s it creates for shareholders but by the value it creates for society as a whole.
65．What is the author’s attitude to the widely accepted standard of prosperity
A．Indifferent. B．Critical. C．Uncertain. D．Approving.
66．What is the side effect of technological evolution
A．The slower economic growth speed.
B．The sharp reduction of job opportunities.
C．The enlarged gap between the rich and the poor.
D．The increasing conflict between different nations.
67．Which statement will the author agree with according to the passage
A．Happiness is changeable and beyond control.
B．Happiness largely depends on economic power.
C．The pursuit of profit determines a company’s true worth.
D．A prosperous world should be measured by multiple values.
68．Who are the main intended readers of the text
A．Social psychologists. B．Enterprise administrators.
C．School educators. D．Technological researchers.
（2024·江苏泰州·模拟预测）When we think about lives filled with meaning, we often focus on people whose grand contributions benefited humanity. Abraham Lincoln,Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela surely felt they had a worthwhile life. But how about us ordinary people,struggling in a typical existence
There is an important element to consider. Think about the first butterfly you stop to admire after a long winter or imagine the scenery at the top of a hill after a fresh hike. Sometimes existence delivers us small moments of beauty. When people are open to appreciating such experiences, these moments may enhance how they view their life. This element is defined as EA (experiential appreciation) by Joshua Hicks, a psychological professor at Texas A &M University.
Recently, he and his research team set out to figure out whether EA was related to a person’s sense of meaning in a series of studies that involved more than 3,000 participants. At an initial test, researchers had participants rate their agreement of different coping strategies to relieve their stress. They found people who managed stress by focusing on their appreciation for life’s beauty also reported experiencing life as highly meaningful.
Researchers then conducted a series of experiments, in which they gave participants specific tasks and, once more, asked them to report how strongly they identified with statements linked to purpose, etc. In one case, participants who watched an awe-inspiring video reported having a greater sense of EA and meaning in life, compared with those who watched more neutral videos. After reflecting on the results collected from the participants, researchers confirmed their original theory.
But applying that insight can be difficult.Our modern, fast-paced, project-oriented lifestyles fill the day with targets and goals. We are on the go, and we attempt to maximize output both at work and at leisure.
This focus on future outcomes makes it all too easy to miss what is happening right now. Yet life happens in the present moment. We should slow down, let life surprise us and embrace the significance in the everyday life.
69．Why are the butterfly and the scenery on a hill mentioned in paragraph 2
A．To introduce a concept.
B．To attract readers’ interest.
C．To demonstrate the beauty of nature.
D．To show the necessity of protecting nature.
70．How did the researchers conduct the study
A．By designing different strategies to reduce stress
B．By studying previous research data.
C．By shooting videos starring the participants.
D．By analyzing the response from the participants.
71．Who tends to find life more meaningful according to the text
A．A person who always gets her life well-organized.
B．A person who often hears motivating speeches.
C．A person who leads a fast-paced life
D．A person who always expects future results.
72．What life philosophy does the author show in the last paragraph
A．No pains, no gains.
B．Those who believe in their ability can do anything.
C．Live your life one day at a time.
D．Being on sea, sail; being on land, settle.
（2024·河北·模拟预测）How much of your monthly grocery list ends up in the garbage A new study reveals the average American spends nearly $1,500 per year on food they’ll never eat.
A recent survey of 2,000 Americans reveals the average shopper wastes $1,493.93 on food per year. That’s almost a fifth of their grocery bill after every shopping trip. One tenth of respondents claim they “never” purchase food they don’t end up eating, while three in 10 say this is something they “always” do.
Half of respondents prefer to head to the grocery store alone, and when they do, half are more likely to stick to their list and 36% are less likely to buy food they don’t want or need.
Keeping the list in mind is important, as 38 percent are more likely to let food be wasted if it wasn’t originally on their shopping list. Seven in 10 add that when they go to the store on an empty stomach, they’re more likely to buy foods they won’t eat. So they don’t do that that way. Some respondents appear to be in a wasteful cycle when it comes to food waste. Nearly half usually buy and end up wasting the same food every month because they think they’ll get around to eating it.
“We can all do better to limit food waste by sticking to grocery lists and, when we get home, prioritizing eating our foods that are perishable, like fruits, vegetables, and dairy products” says Avocado Co-Founder and CMO Mark Abrials in a statement.
Three-quarters feel guilty about throwing away uneaten food because it’s a waste of money — and 48 percent feel the same, due to the harm food waste causes to the environment. “When it comes to food waste, nobody is perfect,” Abrials adds. “But in order to consider our environmental impact, not to mention wasted money, we think it’s essential to be thoughtful about everything we purchase — whether that’s food, mattresses or other goods.”
73．What percentage of food do people buy but never eat
A．About 10%. B．About 20%. C．About 30%. D．About 50%.
74．What is the shopping habit of the majority of respondents
A．Doing shopping alone. B．Avoiding shopping while hungry.
C．Sticking to the shopping list. D．Trying to buy fewer dairy products.
75．Which of the following can replace the underlined part “are perishable” in paragraph 5
A．Go bad easily. B．Are rich in nutrition.
C．Are easy to produce. D．Keep fresh for a long time.
76．What does Abrials want to express in the last paragraph
A．Less doing shopping means less food is wasted.
B．Treasuring food is treasuring the environment.
C．It’s worth spending more money on food safety.
D．Environment protection is as important as food.
（2024·河北·二模）There’re plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables available in local markets. But while those red juicy strawberries look fresh, consumers have no way of knowing how long the fruit can be stored at home. The same goes for distribution centers and supermarkets.
Now, the food technology startup OneThird, located in the Netherlands, is looking to change that with an infrared (红外线) scanner that can accurately predict how long fresh fruits and vegetables will last. The startup is named OneThird because one-third of food is wasted due to spoilage (变质) every year.
The startup’s founders were inspired by a UK company that uses this type of technology in the medical field and decided to see if it was applicable for food. “I looked at the challenges in the food-supply chain and found out that 40 percent of food waste is fresh produce. One of the biggest causes of waste is that nobody knows shelf life.” founder and CEO of OneThird, Marco Snikkers said.
Quality inspections at farms and distribution centers are done manually (手动地). An inspector checks the fruits and vegetables and makes notes about the size and quality. Then the food is sent to consumers without considering travel time or how long the produce will remain usable.
Using the infrared scanner at the distribution center means that inspectors can use the information to approve shipments that will ensure the produce can be distributed on a timely basis. This means that a shipment of rip e tomatoes will not be sent long distances away.
OneThird’s scanner combines the technology of optical scanners, image modeling, and Artificial Intelligence to provide accurate shelf-life predictions.
The startup found that the technology can reduce up to 25 percent produce waste that was caused by spoilage. “Global food waste has an enormous environmental impact; reducing global food waste cuts global greenhouse gas emissions and promotes global food security,” said Jacob Smith, a climate expert from the University of Maine.
77．What problem does OneThird aim to solve
A．The high cost of storing fresh fruits and vegetables.
B．Inefficient quality inspections at distribution centers.
C．Food waste caused by uncertainty about its shelf life.
D．Consumers’ difficulty judging the freshness of produce.
78．What inspired OneThird to come up with the idea of using infrared scanner
A．The use of the device in another field. B．Observation of the food-supply chain.
C．Consumer demands for fresher produce. D．Experts’advice on food waste reduction.
79．What can we learn about the manual quality inspections
A．They are time-consuming and costly.
B．They are not performed at a regular time.
C．The inspectors tend to make wrong judgement.
D．The shipping time is not taken into consideration.
80．What’s Jacob’s attitude to OneThird’s effort
A．Approving. B．Doubtful. C．Tolerant. D．Dismissive.
