2025届高三英语二轮复习：外刊阅读改编语法填空第7期（含解析）

外刊阅读原创改编语法填空 第7期
智力流失：你的阅读能力比得上十岁小孩吗？
Do you often feel that the world is getting less intelligent Data (1) ______ (release) on December 10th by the OECD, a club mainly consisting of rich countries, indicates that it might not be just your imagination. Roughly every ten years, this organization asks adults in dozens of places to take tests on (2) ______ (numerate) and literacy. The questions it sets are not abstract brainteasers or simple spelling tests. Instead, they (3) ______ (aim) to imitate the problems that people aged 16 - 65 face in daily life.
The latest tests were carried out in 31 wealthy countries, and the results are quite (4) ______ (unnerve). It shows that one fifth of adults perform no better in maths and reading than what could be expected of a primary-school child. The trend is even more discouraging. In maths, average scores have risen in a few places over the past ten years, (5) ______ in many others they have fallen. In literacy, more countries have witnessed a decline in scores (6) ______ an increase, despite adults having higher educational qualifications than before.
Demographic change can explain part of it. New immigrants usually struggle with a new language, and the native-born have ageing brains. But even after taking this into (7) ______ (consider), the trends remain negative, especially in literacy. Some people guess that Netflix, video games and social media are (8) ______ (sap) people's acuity. It's also possible that education and training systems have not worked well. All in all, it's a problem that (9) ______ (need) our attention and efforts to improve the situation. Let's hope that we can find good ways to turn the situation (10) ______ in the future.
答案：
released （考查非谓语动词，“Data” 与 “release” 是被动关系，用过去分词作后置定语）
numeracy （考查词性转换，此处需要名词与 “literacy” 并列）
aim （考查动词时态，根据上下文语境用一般现在时，主语是 “they”，用原形）
unnerving （考查词性转换，“be + 形容词” 结构，此处用形容词作表语）
but （考查连词，根据前后句意表示转折关系，用 “but”）
than （考查比较级，“more...than...” 是固定搭配，表示 “比…… 更多”）
consideration （考查词性转换，“take...into consideration” 是固定短语，意为 “考虑到……”）
sapping （考查动词时态，根据 “are” 可知此处用现在进行时，动词用现在分词形式）
needs （考查动词时态和主谓一致，主语是 “it”，且描述一般情况，用一般现在时第三人称单数形式）
around （考查固定短语，“turn...around” 表示 “扭转…… 局面”）
The results of some tests are rather disappointing, which (1) ______ (deserve) more attention. Basic numeracy and literacy seem to be unpopular topics nowadays. Instead, students of education would rather (2) ______ (debate) on teaching fashionable “soft skills”. Technological changes haven't reduced the demand for people with good skills in numbers or words. Adults performing poorly in the OECD’s tests usually earn much less than those (3) ______ do well.
What's more, they are in worse health and less (4) ______ (satisfy) with life. In many countries, the ability gap among adults is widening. So, what can be done Improving lessons for children is the (5) ______ (sure) way to create more capable adults. For example, in England, adults’ ranking in the OECD has gone up as the youngest ones are scoring better. While in America, states are (6) ______ (junk) old tests, causing grades to inflate.
The second task is to improve systems for educating adults. These systems offer second chances to (7) ______ (drop) out students and help migrants integrate. However, politicians give them limited budgets because they (8) ______ (underestimate) the difficulty of the task. People with the weakest skills have less time and money for self-improvement and are (9) ______ likely to attend classes. In a word, we should take measures to change these (10) ______ (trend).
答案：
deserve（考查动词时态，主语是 “which” 指代前面的 “results”，是复数，且描述一般情况，用一般现在时原形）
debate（考查固定搭配，“would rather do sth.” 表示 “宁愿做某事”，用动词原形）
who（考查定语从句关系词，先行词是 “those” 指代人，在从句中作主语，用 “who”）
satisfied（考查词性转换，“be satisfied with” 是固定短语，用形容词作表语）
surest（考查形容词最高级，根据前面的 “the” 以及语境表示 “最可靠的”，用最高级形式）
junking（考查动词时态，根据 “are” 可知此处用现在进行时，动词用现在分词形式）
dropped（考查非谓语动词，“dropped out” 是过去分词作定语，修饰 “students”，表完成和被动）
underestimate（考查动词时态，主语是 “they”，描述一般情况，用一般现在时原形）
less（考查比较级，根据语境表示 “更不可能”，用 “less” 构成比较级）
trends（考查名词复数，根据 “these” 可知用名词复数形式）
In many places, there is (1) ______ mania for universities. This has affected the (2) ______ (fund) and focus of other lessons for people aged 18 and above. As a result, degrees are losing their (3) ______ (meaning). The OECD has discovered that even some university graduates’ scores in numeracy and literacy are so low that they might (4) ______ (embarrass) a child. Besides, old people who want to go back to class without taking long and (5) ______ (expense) university courses often find good alternatives are (6) ______ (lack).
It's really necessary to (7) ______ (accelerate) efforts to solve these problems. We should make sure that all kinds of courses can get proper support. And we also need to create more (8) ______ (alternate) for the oldies. Only in this way can we improve the overall educational situation and make the degrees more (9) ______ (value). Let's hope that we can see positive changes in the near (10) ______.
答案：
a
funding（考查词性转换，此处需要名词作宾语，“funding” 表示 “资金”）
meaning（考查词性转换，形容词性物主代词 “their” 后接名词，用 “meaning”）
embarrass（考查动词原形，“might” 是情态动词，后接动词原形）
expensive（考查词性转换，此处与 “long” 并列，修饰 “university courses”，用形容词）
lacking（考查词性转换，“be lacking” 表示 “缺乏的”，用形容词形式）
accelerate（考查动词原形，“It's + adj. + to do sth.” 结构中，用动词原形）
alternatives（考查名词复数，根据 “more” 可知用名词复数形式）
valuable（考查词性转换，“make sth. + adj.” 结构，用形容词作宾语补足语）
future（考查固定短语，“in the near future” 表示 “在不久的将来”）