专题03 阅读理解(说明文)(二)
高频话题06 人与自然—人与动植物
Passage 1
[2025广东省三校高三下学期2月第一次模拟考试一模]
The woolly mammoth is one of the most iconic animals of the prehistoric era, yet it remains shrouded in mystery. Often depicted as slow, clumsy, and ill-suited to its environment, a new wave of research is challenging these long-held assumptions.
The woolly mammoth, a massive herbivore with long, curved tusks, roamed the icy landscapes of Eurasia and North America during the Ice Age. These colossal creatures stood up to 11 feet tall and weighed as much as 6 tons, making them larger than modern elephants. They subsisted on a diet of grasses, shrubs, and other vegetation, using their tusks to dig through snow and ice to reach food.
Due to the scarcity of well-preserved mammoth remains, scientists have had limited opportunities to study these ancient beasts. However, recent advancements in paleontology and genetics have allowed researchers to piece together a more accurate picture of their lives. By analyzing ancient DNA and fossilized footprints, scientists have discovered that woolly mammoths were far more agile and adaptable than previously thought.
One of the most significant findings is that woolly mammoths had strong, flexible tendons in their legs, which enabled them to move swiftly across the frozen terrain. Fossil evidence also suggests that they lived in complex social groups, similar to modern elephants, and had highly developed survival strategies to endure the harsh Ice Age conditions.
Woolly mammoths went extinct around 4,000 years ago, likely due to a combination of climate change and human hunting. However, their extinction was not due to a lack of intelligence or adaptability. In fact, recent studies indicate that they were highly intelligent animals with strong problem-solving abilities.
The ongoing research into woolly mammoths is part of a broader effort to understand the ecology and behavior of extinct species. “We are on the brink of uncovering the true nature of these magnificent creatures,” said Dr. Elena Ivanova, a leading paleontologist. “The woolly mammoth was not just a relic of the past, but a highly evolved and resilient animal that thrived for thousands of years.”
As scientists continue to unravel the mysteries of the woolly mammoth, we are gaining a deeper appreciation for this ancient giant and its place in the history of our planet.
1. What was the traditional view of the woolly mammoth
A. It was a slow, clumsy, and ill-suited animal to its environment.
B. It was highly intelligent and adaptable.
C. It was smaller than modern elephants.
D. It was a solitary animal with no social structure.
2. How have researchers gained new insights into the woolly mammoth
A. By studying well-preserved mammoth remains found in large quantities.
B. By analyzing ancient DNA and fossilized footprints.
C. By observing the behavior of modern elephants.
D. By using computer simulations to model their behavior.
3. What can be inferred about the woolly mammoth’s extinction from the article
A. It was primarily due to its inability to adapt to changing climates.
B. It was a result of both climate change and human hunting.
C. It was caused by a sudden and catastrophic event.
D. It was mainly due to competition with other prehistoric animals.
4. What does the underlined phrase “on the brink of uncovering” mean in the context of the article
A. Just beginning to understand.
B. Almost completely solved.
C. Facing a major challenge.
D. Reaching a critical point.
【答案】1. A 2. B 3. B 4. A
【语篇解读】本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了史前动物猛犸象，挑战了人们对它的传统看法，讲述了研究新发现，还提及了其灭绝原因及研究意义。
1. 细节理解题。根据第一段中“Often depicted as slow, clumsy, and ill suited to its environment, a new wave of research is challenging these long held assumptions.(猛犸象经常被描绘成行动迟缓、笨拙且不适应环境的动物，而新一轮的研究正在挑战这些长期以来的假设)”可知，传统观点认为猛犸象是行动缓慢、笨拙且不适应环境的动物。故选A项。
2. 细节理解题。根据第三段中“However, recent advancements in paleontology and genetics have allowed researchers to piece together a more accurate picture of their lives. By analyzing ancient DNA and fossilized footprints, scientists have discovered that woolly mammoths were far more agile and adaptable than previously thought.(然而，古生物学和遗传学的最新进展让研究人员能够更准确地拼凑出它们的生活画面。通过分析古代DNA和化石脚印，科学家发现猛犸象比以前认为的要敏捷和适应能力强得多)”可知，研究人员通过分析古代DNA和化石脚印获得了关于猛犸象的新见解。故选B项。
3. 细节理解题。根据第五段中“Woolly mammoths went extinct around 4,000 years ago, likely due to a combination of climate change and human hunting.(猛犸象大约在4000年前灭绝，可能是气候变化和人类狩猎共同作用的结果)”可知，猛犸象的灭绝是气候变化和人类狩猎共同导致的。故选B项。
4. 词句猜测题。根据最后一段中“The ongoing research into woolly mammoths is part of a broader effort to understand the ecology and behavior of extinct species.(正在进行的对长毛猛犸象的研究是了解灭绝物种的生态和行为的更广泛努力的一部分)”和划线词后“...the true nature of these magnificent creatures(……这些伟大生物的真实本性)”可知，对长毛猛犸象的研究正在进行中，所以我们才刚刚开始了解它的真实本性，故划线词“on the brink of uncovering”的意思是“刚开始去了解”，与“Just beginning to understand”意思一致。故选A项。
Passage 2
[2025江西省部分学校高三下学期2月一模考试]
To avoid humans, mountain lions in the Greater Los Angeles area are changing their activity patterns. The big cats living near areas where humans hike, run and cycle are becoming increasingly more nocturnal(夜行的). The findings are detailed in a study published in the journal Biological Conservation.
“People are increasingly enjoying recreating in nature, which is fantastic,” study co-author Ellie Bolas said in a statement. “This flexibility we see in mountain lion activity is what allows us to share these natural areas together.”
Mountain lions are top carnivorous predators(食肉捕食者) that eat a wide variety of meat including deer, wild pigs and rabbits. While mountain lions rarely attack humans, they can still be dangerous to hikers, runners, or cyclists who spend time in their habitats. The mountain lions in the Greater Los Angeles area face numerous challenges — busy roadways where they’re often hit by cars, the threat of wildfires, harmful chemicals and disturbed habitats. Generally, mountain lions prefer to avoid humans altogether. But in an urban area home to more than 18 million people, the natural spots where mountain lions live are also heavily used by recreationists.
“These results are really important in that they show how humans may be affecting wildlife in less obvious ways than killing them with vehicles,” Seth Riley, a study co-author, said in a statement. “The study also continues to drive home the amazing fact that a population of large field predators wanders in one of the largest urban areas in the world. That would not be possible if mountain lions weren’t able to adjust to human activity.”
However, it’s not only up to the mountain lions. People have a role in helping protect themselves, their pets, and mountain lions by being aware of the high time for mountain lion activity. Be careful if you have to drive at night, when mountain lions living in populated areas are more likely to be active.
1. What is Ellie Bolas’ attitude toward people’s recreation in nature
A. Unclear. B. Doubtful. C. Intolerant. D. Supportive.
2. What can we learn about mountain lions in the Greater Los Angeles area from paragraph 3
A. Their habitats are undisturbed. B. They are under threat.
C. They tend to get close to humans. D. Their attacks on humans are common.
3. What do Seth Riley’s words suggest about mountain lions’ adaption
A. It displays their disastrous impact. B. It is a result of human conservation efforts.
C. It is key to their coexistence with humans. D. It has led to the decrease of human activity.
4. What is the author’s advice for humans
A. Enjoy activity in populated areas. B. Train their pets to get active at night.
C. Avoid encounters with mountain lions. D. Drive quickly to pass by mountain lions.
【答案】1. D 2. B 3. C 4. C
【语篇解读】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要讲述了大洛杉矶地区的美洲狮为避开人类改变活动模式，它们面临诸多挑战，研究人员对其相关情况发表了看法，同时也提到了人类应如何避免与它们相遇。
1. 推理判断题。根据第二段““People are increasingly enjoying recreating in nature, which is fantastic,” study co-author Ellie Bolas said in a statement. (该研究的合著者Ellie Bolas在一份声明中说：“人们越来越喜欢在大自然中休闲，这太棒了。”)”可推知Ellie Bolas对人们在大自然中娱乐的态度是支持的，故选D。
2. 细节理解题。根据第三段“The mountain lions in the Greater Los Angeles area face numerous challenges — busy roadways where they’re often hit by cars, the threat of wildfires, harmful chemicals and disturbed habitats. Generally, mountain lions prefer to avoid humans altogether. But in an urban area home to more than 18 million people, the natural spots where mountain lions live are also heavily used by recreationists. (洛杉矶地区的美洲狮面临着许多挑战——繁忙的道路，它们经常被汽车撞到，野火的威胁，有害化学物质和被破坏的栖息地。一般来说，美洲狮更喜欢避开人类。但在一个拥有1800多万人口的城市地区，美洲狮生活的自然景点也被休闲人士大量使用。)”可知说明大洛杉矶地区的美洲狮面临着被车撞、野火威胁、有害化学物质以及栖息地被破坏等诸多挑战，也就是它们受到威胁，故选B。
3. 推理判断题。根据第四段““These results are really important in that they show how humans may be affecting wildlife in less obvious ways than killing them with vehicles,” Seth Riley, a study co-author, said in a statement. “The study also continues to drive home the amazing fact that a population of large field predators wanders in one of the largest urban areas in the world. That would not be possible if mountain lions weren’t able to adjust to human activity.” (该研究的合著者Seth Riley在一份声明中说：“这些结果非常重要，因为它们表明，人类可能以比用车辆杀死野生动物更不明显的方式影响野生动物。”“这项研究还继续揭示了一个惊人的事实，即一群大型野外食肉动物在世界上最大的城市地区之一游荡。如果美洲狮不能适应人类的活动，这是不可能的。”)”可推知如果美洲狮不能适应人类活动，它们就不可能在世界上最大的城市地区之一生存，说明美洲狮的适应能力是它们与人类共存的关键。故选C。
4. 细节理解题。根据最后一段“Be careful if you have to drive at night, when mountain lions living in populated areas are more likely to be active. (如果你必须在晚上开车，要小心，因为生活在人口密集地区的美洲狮更有可能活跃。)”可知作者对人类的建议是避免遇到美洲狮。故选C。
Passage 3
[2025福建省厦门市高中毕业班第一次质量检测]
Wild chimpanzees seem to learn skills from each other and then — much as humans do — improve on those techniques from one generation to the next.
In particular, young females that migrate(迁徙) between groups bring their cultural knowledge with them, and groups can combine new techniques with existing ones to get better at searching for food. Such “cumulative culture” means some chimpanzee communities are becoming more technologically advanced — although very, very slowly. “If chimpanzees have some cultural knowledge that the community they’ re moving into doesn’t have, they may pass it on — just in the same way we pass on the genes(基因),” says Andrew Whiten at the University of St Andrews. “And then that culture builds up.”
Scientists knew chimpanzees used tools and passed on the knowledge, but their lack of significant innovation compared to humans puzzled researchers. Cassandra Gunasekaram at the University of Zurich suspected she might be able to apply genetic analysis to the puzzle. To see if young females bring their skill sets into their new groups, she and her colleagues looked at data previously collected by other research groups at 35 study sites in Africa and included information about what tools, if any, each animal used, as well as their genetic connections over the past 15,000 years. “The genetics give us a kind of time machine into the way culture has been transmitted (传播) across chimpanzees,” says Whiten.
Some chimpanzees used complex tools, for example a drilling stick and a fishing brush for hunting. The researchers found the chimpanzees with the most advanced tool sets were three to five times more likely to share the same DNA as those that used simple tools or no tools at all, even though they might live thousands of kilometres away. And advanced tool use was also more strongly associated with female migration compared with simple or no tool use.
“Our interpretation is that these complex tool sets are really invented by perhaps building on a simpler form from before, and therefore they have to depend on transmission by females from the communities that invented them initially to the other communities,” says Whiten. “It shows that complex tools would rely on social exchanges across groups— which is very surprising and exciting,” says Gunasekaram.
1. Which best describes “cumulative culture” in paragraph 2
A. The immediate adoption of advanced tools for food.
B. The gradual build-up of cultural knowledge over time.
C. The independent invention of tools without prior skills.
D. The preservation of cultural knowledge for generations.
2. How did Gunasekaram’s team conduct their research
A. By observing chimpanzees at 35 study sites.
B. By analyzing existing data on chimpanzees.
C. By comparing chimpanzees in terms of their tool use.
D. By investigating genetic connections of chimpanzees.
3. What led to chimpanzees’ use of complex tools
A. Human influences. B. Food-hunting strategy.
C. Social competition. D. Cross-group interactions.
4. What does the text mainly talk about
A. The learning gaps between chimpanzees and humans.
B. The environmental impact on chimpanzees’ behaviors.
C. The genetic diversity of chimpanzees in the wilderness.
D. The role of female chimpanzees in cultural transmission.
【答案】1. B 2. B 3. D 4. D
【语篇解读】本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了野生黑猩猩如何学习技能并在一代又一代中改进这些技能，特别是年轻雌性在群体间迁徙时带来的文化知识能够提升技能，从而改进觅食技巧。
1. 细节理解题。根据文章第二段“In particular, young females that migrate (迁徙) between groups bring their cultural knowledge with them, and groups can combine new techniques with existing ones to get better at searching for food. Such “cumulative culture” means some chimpanzee communities are becoming more technologically advanced— although very, very slowly.(尤其是迁徙到不同群体的年轻雌性黑猩猩会带着它们的文化知识，群体可以将新的技术与现有的技术结合起来，更好地寻找食物。这种“累积文化”意味着一些黑猩猩群体正在变得更加技术先进——尽管非常非常慢)”可知，“累积文化”是指随着时间的推移逐渐积累文化知识。故选B。
2. 细节理解题。根据文章第三段“she and her colleagues looked at data previously collected by other research groups (她和同事分析了先前其他研究小组收集的数据)”可推知，Gunasekaram团队是通过分析现有的关于黑猩猩的数据进行研究的。故选B。
3. 推理判断题。根据文章最后一段“Our interpretation is that these complex tool sets are really invented by perhaps building on a simpler form from before, and therefore they have to depend on transmission by females from the communities that invented them initially to the other communities (我们的解释是，这些复杂的工具可能是在以前的简单形式的基础上创造出来的，因此它们必须依赖于最初发明它们的社区的女性向其他社区的传播)”可推知，黑猩猩使用复杂工具是因群体间的相互交流所致。故选D。
4. 主旨大意题。根据第一段“Wild chimpanzees seem to learn skills from each other and then— much as humans do— improve on those techniques from one generation to the next. (野生黑猩猩似乎彼此学习技能，然后——就像人类一样——将这些技术从一代代改进下去)”根据文章第二段“In particular, young females that migrate (迁徙) between groups bring their cultural knowledge with them, and groups can combine new techniques with existing ones to get better at searching for food.(特别是，迁徙的年轻雌性带来了文化知识，群体可以将新技术与现有技术结合起来，更好地寻找食物)”并结合全文内容可知，本文主要讲述了雌性黑猩猩在文化传播中的角色。故选D。
Passage 4
[2025安徽省合肥市高三上学期第一次教学质量检测]
It might surprise you to learn that dogs are playing an increasingly important role as conservationists. For centuries, they have been known as man’s best friends. Now, their unique. abilities are being made use of to help protect some of the world’s most threatened species.
Quick and loyal, dogs possess many qualities that make them ideal for fieldwork, but it’s their extraordinary sense of smell that makes them invaluable for conservation work. With around 220 million olfactory receptors(嗅觉受体) compared to just 5 million in humans, dogs can detect scents(气味) and analyze them with astonishing accuracy, devoting 40 times more of their brain to scent analysis than we do.
Thanks to this incredible ability, some dogs are now being trained to save at-risk animals by sniffing(嗅) out their droppings. At the University of Washington’s Conservation Cannes facility,20specially trained dogs have successfully tracked killer whale droppings, which only float briefly on the ocean’s surface. Analyzing these samples enables scientists to monitor the health of killer whale populations, which are under significant stress from food shortages, pollution, and boat traffic.
Beyond tracking animal droppings, conservation dogs are also trained for live animal detection, further showcasing their abilities. They can locate rare species in their natural habitats. Additionally, they are now used to tackle the non-native species that threaten the survival of the local wildlife. Dogs also take on other important roles. For example, at Kenya’s Mombasa port, dogs sniff out illegal wildlife products such as rhino horns and ivory. Across Africa, they work on the frontlines against illegal hunting, serving as a powerful security force enhancer.
While dogs may not be the ultimate solution to every conservation challenge. their incomparable abilities make them invaluable companions in the fight to protect our planet’s biodiversity.
1. Why are the figures mentioned in the second paragraph
A. To highlight the superiority of dogs’ sense of smell.
B. To suggest the amazing accuracy of dogs’ analysis.
C. To recognize the importance of conservation work.
D. To show dogs’ impressive achievements in fieldwork.
2. How do dogs help protect killer whales
A. By tracking their movements.
B. By detecting their droppings.
C. By monitoring their populations.
D. By analyzing the collected samples.
3. What can we learn from the example given in paragraph 4
A. Wildlife products are popular in African countries.
B. Non-native species affect the survival of local wildlife.
C. Dogs are used to detect and prevent illegal wildlife trade.
D. Dogs can accurately locate the natural habitats of rare species.
4. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text
A. To appeal to people to protect biodiversity.
B. To report various environmental challenges.
C. To introduce dogs’ roles in conservation efforts.
D. To prove the conventional claim of dogs’ qualities.
【答案】1. A 2. B 3. C 4. C
【语篇解读】本文是一篇说明文。主要介绍的是狗凭借其卓越的嗅觉能力，在保护濒危物种、打击非法野生动物交易等方面发挥重要作用，成为生态保护中的宝贵助手。
1. 推理判断题。根据第二段中的“With around 220 million olfactory receptors (嗅觉受体) compared to just 5 million in humans, dogs can detect scents (气味) and analyze them with astonishing accuracy, devoting 40 times more of their brain to scent analysis than we do.(狗拥有大约2.2亿个嗅觉受体，而人类仅有500万个，狗能以惊人的准确性检测和分析气味，它们用于气味分析的大脑部分比人类多出40倍。)”可知，本段使用了具体的数字来比较狗和人类的嗅觉受体数量以及大脑用于分析气味的比例，以此突出狗的嗅觉能力远超人类。故选A项。
2. 细节理解题。根据第三段中的“At the University of Washington’s Conservation Canines facility, 20 specially trained dogs have successfully tracked killer whale droppings, which only float briefly on the ocean’s surface. Analyzing these samples enables scientists to monitor the health of killer whale populations, which are under significant stress from food shortages, pollution, and boat traffic. (在华盛顿大学的保护犬设施，20只特别训练的狗已经成功追踪到了虎鲸的粪便，这些粪便仅在海面上短暂漂浮。分析这些样本使科学家能够监测虎鲸种群的健康状况，这些种群正因食物短缺、污染和船只交通而承受着巨大的压力。)”可知，经过特别训练的狗可以追踪到虎鲸的粪便，进而科学家分析这些粪便样本监测虎鲸种群的健康状况，由此可知，通过嗅探虎鲸的粪便帮助保护虎鲸。故选B项。
3. 推理判断题。根据第四段中的“Dogs also take on other important roles. For example, at Kenya’s Mombasa port, dogs sniff out illegal wildlife products such as rhino horns and ivory. Across Africa, they work on the frontlines against illegal hunting, serving as a powerful security force enhancer.(狗还承担着其他重要角色。例如，在肯尼亚的蒙巴萨港，狗嗅探出非法的野生动物产品，如犀牛角和象牙。在整个非洲，它们在打击非法狩猎的第一线工作，充当强大的安保力量增强者。)”可知，狗还承担其他重要的角色，进而在下文中列举了狗嗅探出非法的野生动物产品，由此可知，本段举例说明狗在打击非法野生动物交易方面的作用。故选C项。
4. 推理判断题。根据首段中的“It might surprise you to learn that dogs are playing an increasingly important role as conservationists.(你可能会惊讶地发现，狗作为保护者正发挥着越来越重要的作用。)”以及尾段“While dogs may not be the ultimate solution to every conservation challenge. their incomparable abilities make them invaluable companions in the fight to protect our planet’s biodiversity.(虽然狗可能不是解决每个保护挑战的最终方案，但它们无与伦比的能力使它们成为保护地球生物多样性斗争中不可或缺的伙伴。)”以及作者描述的狗在保护工作中扮演的不同角色，包括追踪动物排泄物、现场活体探测、定位稀有物种、应对威胁本地野生动物生存的非本土物种、以及打击非法狩猎等，由此可知，文章旨在向读者介绍狗在保护生物多样性方面所发挥的重要作用。故选C项。
Passage 5
[2025·浙江杭州·一模]
“Growing fruit trees is a very simple way to stay in love with our world,” says Vivian Keh, playwright and daughter of immigrants, holding a basket of persimmons (柿子) she’s cultivated to feel connected to her Korean ancestors. Keh is just one of the 50 remarkable subjects in naturalist writer Amy Stewart’s The Tree Collectors: Tales of Arboreal Obsession, a collection of portraits of people transformed by their love of trees.
Initially, trees struck Stewart as an odd thing to collect. Intrigued by this community of enthusiasts, she discovered educators, preservationists and visionaries, all drawn to a kind of curation, motivated by reasons diverse as their projects. They plant trees in public and private spaces both modest and expansive, nurturing(培育) their collections to honor beloved dead, attract wildlife, preserve rare species’ connect to history, invest in the future, grow food and create beauty.
Steward categorizes these tree collectors according to their sense of purpose. Kenneth Hoegh, one of the book’s “ecologists”, tests which cold-loving species might grow in a warming and historically treeless Greenland. “Healer” Joe Hamilton plants loblolly pines on a parcel of land he got from his enslaved ancestors with an eye toward long-term sustainable forestry which he hopes will establish a source of generational wealth for his family. Reagan Wytsalucy has a plan to restore traditional peach orchards on Navajo land as one of the “community builders” who seek to bring people together.
Adding to the book’s charm are Stewart’s watercolor’ illustrations — she gives Us a look at each of her human subjects while also cataloging the most wonderful qualities of featured trees, such as Seussian eucalyptus seed pods and delicate camellia blossoms.
After spending time in this varied commonwealth, you’ll undoubtedly experience an intense desire to rest under the shade of a leafy oak. But something even deeper is happening here: by creating a space for people to talk about something they love. “How often do any of us get a chance to pour our hearts out to a stranger ” she writes. “Somehow, talking about trees made it possible.”
1. What does the underlined word “curation” in paragraph 2 mean
A. Connection. B. Collection. C. Treatment. D. Transformation,
2. What purpose of planting trees is mentioned in paragraph 3
A. To preserve rare species. B. To honor beloved dead.
C. To develop new varieties. D. To strengthen social bonds.
3. What does the quote in the last paragraph suggest about discussing trees
A. It inspires new ideas. B. It rarely happens in public.
C. It allows deep emotional sharing. D. It helps resolve environmental issues.
4. What does the writer think of the book
A. Complicated. B. Conventional. C. Inspiring. D. Intense.
【答案】1. B 2. D 3. C 4. C
【语篇解读】这是一篇说明文。文章介绍了自然主义作家艾米·斯图尔特的作品The Tree Collectors: Tales of Arboreal Obsession，该书描绘了50位因对树木的热爱而改变的人物。
1. 词句猜测题。由文章第二段“Initially, trees struck Stewart as an odd thing to collect. Intrigued by this community of enthusiasts, she discovered educators, preservationists and visionaries, all drawn to a kind of curation, motivated by reasons diverse as their projects.(起初，斯图尔特觉得收集树木很奇怪。被这个爱好者群体所吸引，她发现了教育工作者、保护主义者和梦想家，他们都被这一种 所吸引，其动机与他们的项目不同)”可知，这里curation应指前一句中所提及的收集，所以猜测curation表“收集”的意思。故选B项。
2. 推理判断题。由文章第三段“‘Healer’ Joe Hamilton plants loblolly pines on a parcel of land he got from his enslaved ancestors with an eye toward long-term sustainable forestry which he hopes will establish a source of generational wealth for his family. Reagan Wytsalucy has a plan to restore traditional peach orchards on Navajo land as one of the ‘community builders’ who seek to bring people together.(‘治疗师’乔·汉密尔顿在他从被奴役的祖先那里获得的一块土地上种植火炬松，着眼于长期可持续的林业，他希望这将为他的家庭建立一代人的财富来源。Reagan Wytsalucy计划恢复纳瓦霍土地上的传统桃园，作为寻求将人们聚集在一起的‘社区建设者’之一)”可知，第3段提到植树是可以加强社会联系的。故选D项。
3. 推理判断题。由文章最后一段“‘How often do any of us get a chance to pour our hearts out to a stranger ’ she writes. ‘’Somehow, talking about trees made it possible.’(她写道：‘我们中有多少人有机会向陌生人倾诉心声？不知何故，和树聊天可以使这成为可能。’)”可知，和树聊天可允许人们进行深度的情感分享。故选C项。
4. 推理判断题。由文章最后一段“After spending time in this varied commonwealth, you’ll undoubtedly experience an intense desire to rest under the shade of a leafy oak. But something even deeper is happening here: by creating a space for people to talk about something they love. (在这个多样化的联邦度过一段时间后，你无疑会强烈渴望在绿树成荫的橡树下休息。但这里正在发生更深层次的事情：为人们创造一个谈论他们喜欢的事情的空间)”以及上下文可知，作者认为这本书鼓舞人心，会让读者爱上树以及向往书里的生活。故选C项。
高频话题07 人与社会—竞技/比赛
Passage 1
[2025福建省厦门市高中毕业班第一次质量检测]
At the Paris 2024 Olympics, sport climbing featured two medal events for men and women: Speed and a combined Boulder & Lead event. Behind the scenes, there is a crucial but often unseen figure — Martin Hammerer, head of the experienced team responsible for the Lead routes, who has been setting routes internationally since 2007.
“The actual design took place at the climbing wall. The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) pre-selected the material, which we then used to set the routes,” Hammerer explained when asked about his work in Paris. “We started with the finals — which was the highlight — and worked backward to the semi-finals. After completing a route, we photographed it, removed and stored the holds for later use.”
The focus for the routesetters is to offer a challenging but also fair competition. Routes for the combined Boulder & Lead event were carefully designed to ensure that specialists in one discipline didn’t have an unfair advantage. “Our aim is to offer a balanced competition,” Hammerer said. “For the podiums(领奖台), the athletes have to be really strong in both disciplines.”
Routesetting relies heavily on the team’s creativity. The style has changed over the past 15 years, with today’s routes looser and more dynamic. “The materials and structures have also changed greatly,” Hammerer said. “Every season we adapt to the athletes anew.”
Routesetting used to be quite independent and greatly influenced climbing style. “But now, federations set training routes for athletes. When we see this on social media, we get new input for our work,” Hammerer reflected.
As Hammerer once said, “Climbers evolve, and so must we.” He continues to shape the future of climbing — one route, one challenge, one story at a time.
1. What does Hammerer do
A. He competes in sport climbing events. B. He coaches athletes for the Olympics.
C. He designs routes for sport climbing. D. He judges climbing competitions.
2. What is paragraph 2 mainly about
A. The materials used for route setting. B. The process of setting climbing routes.
C. The criteria for routes of varied levels. D. The location selected for route setting.
3. How did Hammerer’s team achieve their aim
A. By balancing innovation and adaptation.
B. By sticking to federations’ training routes.
C. By promoting their concept through social media.
D. By disciplining themselves to follow strict guidelines.
4. What message does Hammerer convey in the last paragraph
A. Practice makes perfect. B. Change is the only constant.
C. Slow and steady wins the race. D. Actions speak louder than words.
【答案】1. C 2. B 3. A 4. B
【语篇解读】这是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了2024年巴黎奥运会攀岩比赛背后的关键人物——马丁·哈默尔(Martin Hammerer)，他负责设计攀岩比赛的路线，并详细描述了他的工作内容、设计理念以及攀岩路线设置的发展变化。
1. 细节理解题。根据第一段中的“Behind the scenes, there is a crucial but often unseen figure — Martin Hammerer, head of the experienced team responsible for the Lead routes, who has been setting routes internationally since 2007.(在幕后，有一个关键但往往不为人知的人物——Martin Hammerer，负责Lead路线的经验丰富的团队负责人，自2007年以来一直在国际上制定路线。)”可知，Hammerer是设计运动攀岩路线的，故选C。
2. 主旨大意题。根据第二段中的“The actual design took place at the climbing wall. The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) pre-selected the material, which we then used to set the routes,” Hammerer explained when asked about his work in Paris. “We started with the finals — which was the highlight — and worked backward to the semi-finals. After completing a route, we photographed it, removed and stored the holds for later use.(‘实际的设计是在攀岩墙上进行的。国际运动攀岩联合会(IFSC)预先选择了材料，然后我们用它来设定路线。’当被问及他在巴黎的工作时，Hammerer解释说：‘我们从决赛开始——这是最精彩的部分——然后回到半决赛。在完成一条路线后，我们拍摄了它，并将其移走并储存起来以备以后使用。’)”可知，Hammerer在本段解释了攀岩路线是怎样设计的。由此可知，第二段主要介绍了设置攀岩路线的过程，故选B。
3. 推理判断题。根据第四段中的“Routesetting relies heavily on the team’s creativity. The style has changed over the past 15 years, with today’s routes looser and more dynamic. ‘The materials and structures have also changed greatly,’ Hammerer said. ‘Every season we adapt to the athletes anew.(路线设置在很大程度上依赖于团队的创造力。在过去的15年里，风格发生了变化，今天的路线更加宽松和充满活力。‘材料和结构也发生了很大变化，’Hammerer说：‘每个赛季，我们都会重新适应运动员。’)”可知，路线设置在很大程度上依赖于团队的创造力，并且每个赛季都会重新适应运动员；由此可知，Hammerer的团队通过平衡创新和适应来实现他们的目标，故选A。
4. 推理判断题。根据最后一段“As Hammerer once said, ‘Climbers evolve, and so must we.’ He continues to shape the future of climbing — one route, one challenge, one story at a time.(正如Hammerer曾经说过的那样，“登山者在进化，我们也必须进化。”他继续塑造登山的未来——一条路线，一个挑战，一个故事。)”可知，Hammerer在最后一段中传达的信息是“变化是唯一不变的”，即我们要随着攀岩者的进化而进化，要不断创新和适应，故选B。
高频话题08人与自然—环境保护
Passage 1
[2025广东省佛山市三校高三1月第一次模拟考试]
If the findings of a bunch of new climatic researches conducted recently are any guide, we are rapidly approaching major climate change and the effects on society as well as the environment could be quite severe. Geographers have made a prediction that within the future eighty years, current world climate zones could shift and chances are that some could completely disappear. Polar regions will get colder while tropical regions will get even hotter, forcing animals to migrate north.
Climate changes like these could lead to the spread of diseases. Tropical storms and hurricanes will not only increase in numbers but in intensity as well. If the changes come too quickly, animal and plant species may not be able to adapt fast enough and could face extinction.
According to Science Daily, a new study predicts that by the year 2100, many of today’s familiar climates will be replaced by climates unknown in today’s world. It is urgent that we reduce the risks of these far-reaching consequences for the sake of the whole world. The planet earth itself has been showing signs of change, which concerns the scientific community deeply. In 2004, a serious tsunami created by a major earthquake killed thousands in Sumatra and in 2008, thousands died in China because of another severe earthquake. Egypt was hit in 2009 with a major earthquake and Haiti was devastated in 2010 by yet another massive earthquake.
Within just the last few months, new reports from around the world have been coming in and most agree that our climate situation is much worse than previously expected. At this point, it doesn’t matter what’s causing it, but rather, what can be done about it. What’s more, our world is getting more and more unstable every year. There has been war and threat of war everywhere. Natural disasters are becoming more frequent and serious.
However, astronomical observations have been showing signs that other planets are experiencing global warming as well as our own and some scientists believe there may be some connection behind such mysterious phenomena. Yet no one knows anything for sure at this point because there is simply not enough data.
1. What does the underlined word “devastated” in Paragraph 3 mean
A. shocked. B. destroyed. C. frightened. D. impacted.
2. The examples of several destructive earthquakes are used to support the idea that ______ .
A. Earthquakes have caused significant damage to the human society.
B. Measures must be taken to prevent future earthquakes from causing damage.
C. Some major changes seem to be taking place on the planet earth.
D. The probability of more earthquakes happening in the future remains strong.
3. According to the fourth paragraph, how should we react to climate change
A. We should explore the reasons for climate change.
B. We should explore possible measures to deal with it.
C. We should stop environmental pollution completely.
D. We should plan to move to other planets as soon as possible.
4. What can be inferred from the passage
A. Species won’t become extinct as long as climate change happens slowly.
B. There’s enough data at hand for us to predict the future of climate change.
C. The world is getting more unstable because of large-scale migration.
D. The earth is not alone in experiencing major climate changes currently.
【答案】1. B 2. C 3. B 4. D
【语篇解读】本文是一篇说明文。本文主要讲述了气候变化对地球及社会环境的严重影响。
1. 词义猜测题。根据文章第三段划线词前面的内容“ In 2004, a serious tsunami created by a major earthquake killed thousands in Sumatra and in 2008, thousands died in China because of another severe earthquake.(2004年，一场大地震引发的严重海啸在苏门答腊岛造成数千人死亡，2008年，中国又发生了一场强烈地震，造成数千人死亡)”推知，划线词所在部分是指海地在地震中受到了严重的破坏。故划线词意为“摧毁，破坏”。与选项B“destroyed(破坏)”为同义词。故选B。
2. 推理判断题。根据文章第三段“The planet earth itself has been showing signs of change, which concerns the scientific community deeply.(地球本身已经显示出变化的迹象，这引起了科学界的深切关注)”可知，作者举出几个破坏性地震的例子是为了支持地球正在发生重大变化的观点。故选C。
3. 细节理解题。根据文章第四段“Within just the last few months, new reports from around the world have been coming in and most agree that our climate situation is much worse than previously expected. At this point, it doesn’t matter what’s causing it, but rather, what can be done about it.(在过去的几个月里，世界各地不断传来新的报告，大多数报告都认为我们的气候状况比先前预料的要糟糕得多。在这个时候，是什么原因造成的并不重要，重要的是我们能做些什么)”可知，对于气候变化，我们应该探索可能的应对措施，而不是纠结其原因。故选B。
4. 推理判断题。根据文章最后一段“However, astronomical observations have been showing signs that other planets are experiencing global warming as well as our own and some scientists believe there may be some connection behind such mysterious phenomena.(然而，天文观测已经显示出其他星球也在经历全球变暖的迹象，就像我们自己的地球一样，一些科学家认为这些神秘现象背后可能存在着某种联系)”可知，地球并非唯一正在经历重大气候变化的星球，其他星球也在经历类似的变化。故选D。
Passage 2
[2025江西省高三下学期2月一模联考]
Sound signals are vital for animals deep in the dark oceans to communicate and search for food. That way of life has been threatened from increasing human noise. A leading cause is shipping-noise emissions.
With roughly 90% of traded goods traveling by sea, quieting the ocean through reductions in shipping is untenable. Efforts to make ships more efficient and less polluting may also reduce noise. But experts say those measures won’t do enough to restore quiet. So, a range of technologies are being developed to allow humans and other animals to co-exist in the ocean.
Much of the underwater noise a ship produces comes from its propeller(螺旋桨). The low-frequency noise it produces can travel thousands of metres underwater without losing strength, interrupting the movements of whales which use these frequencies to communicate.
One solution by researchers at the University of British Columbia(UBC), makes the metal propeller flexible, allowing their tips to bend and twist, preventing bubbles from forming and reducing the noise the propeller produces, says Rajeev of UBC.
More ideas are also on the table. Giovanni, a marine-engineering researcher, is investigating whether an acoustic (音响的) black hole can help. Such an object, which aims to trap sound like black holes trap light, can be built by fixing steel beams to the inside of the ship. Laboratory tests show this can reduce vibrations like the best available alternatives, without the added weight or fire risk these often involve.
Tom Smith, a researcher in naval architecture, says that technological solutions for reducing ocean noise are abundant. What is missing is a willingness for shipbuilders and owners to use them. Refitting ships to be quieter is complex and costly, and not seen as a priority at present.
That may change. Some seaports now offer discounts equal to thousands of dollars for ships that meet the highest level of noise reduction. Since the International Maritime Organisation has promised to reduce carbon emissions from international shipping by 70% by 2040, this may prove a good deal.
1. What’s the harm shipping-noise emissions do to a deep-sea animal
A. Its habitat is polluted by the emissions. B. Its way of communication is interrupted.
C. It can’t find enough neighboring animals. D. It has to travel a longer distance for food.
2. What does the underlined word “untenable” in paragraph 2 mean
A. Impractical. B. Sensible. C. Irregular. D. Universal.
3. What’s the difficulty in adopting technological solutions according to Tom
A. The technology isn’t reliable to be used. B. It may do great harm to the environment.
C. It’s complicated and adds to the cost of ships. D. It has drawn criticism from the government.
4. What is the main idea of the passage
A. The importance of sound signals in the ocean.
B. The role of shipping in global trade and its environmental impact.
C. The challenges faced by marine engineers in reducing noise pollution.
D. The impact of shipping noise on marine life and the potential solutions.
【答案】1. B 2. A 3. C 4. D
【语篇解读】这是一篇说明文。文章主要讲述了船舶噪声对海洋生物的影响以及潜在的解决方案。
1. 细节理解题。根据第一段“Sound signals are vital for animals deep in the dark oceans to communicate and search for food. That way of life has been threatened from increasing human noise. (声音信号对于深海动物交流和寻找食物至关重要。这种生活方式受到了人类噪音增加的威胁。)”可知，船舶噪声排放会干扰深海动物的交流方式。故选B。
2. 词句猜测题。根据第二段“With roughly 90% of traded goods traveling by sea, quieting the ocean through reductions in shipping is untenable.(大约90%的贸易货物通过海运运输，因此通过减少航运来使海洋安静下来是_____。)”可知，因为大部分贸易货物都通过海运，所以通过减少航运来使海洋安静下来是不实际的，由此可知，untenable意为“不切实际的”。故选A。
3. 细节理解题。根据倒数第二段“Refitting ships to be quieter is complex and costly, and not seen as a priority at present.(对船舶进行改装以使其更安静是复杂且昂贵的，目前并不被视为优先事项。)”可知，根据Tom的说法，采用技术解决方案的困难是它很复杂，并增加了船的成本。故选C。4. 主旨大意题。根据第一段“Sound signals are vital for animals deep in the dark oceans to communicate and search for food. That way of life has been threatened from increasing human noise. A leading cause is shipping-noise emissions.(声音信号对于深海黑暗中的动物来说，对于交流和寻找食物至关重要。这种生活方式正受到人类噪声日益增加的威胁。一个主要原因是船舶噪声排放。)”可知，第一段引出船舶噪声对海洋生物的影响，接下来的内容讲述了人们为了减少船舶噪声所做出的努力，以及潜在的解决方案，由此可知，这篇文章的主旨是船舶噪声对海洋生物的影响及潜在解决方案。故选D。
Passage 3
[2025河南省焦作市博爱县第一中学高三上学期一模]
Most people in the Netherlands are convinced that their consumption patterns affect the environment. Many of them are looking for ways to reduce their footprint. However, the reality is more complicated, according to a research by Leiden PhD candidate Levon Amatuni, who studied car sharing and the reuse of phones. He used his background in computer science and mathematics to model and measure the benefits of such practices.
His research shows users of car-sharing platforms reduce their impact by only 3 to 18 percent — much less than 51 or 37 percent claimed in previous research. This is caused by so-called “rebound effects”, which are rarely accounted for by companies or even researchers.
For example, shared vehicles are replaced with new models more frequently than private cars. Additionally, the introduction of sharing schemes(方案) can encourage people to drive when they would have otherwise taken public transport. These rebound effects turn out to be highly influential. Amatuni also found users of sharing platforms don’t significantly reduce their driving. “And if they do, they often take buses and trains, which aren’t emission-free,” he says. While public transport is usually a better option, its impact is not negligible. So, this data must be included to make an accurate assessment.
Similarly, Amatuni discovered that a second-hand phone only offsets(抵消) about one-third of a new phone’s production. Rebound effects are the cause. If people couldn’t sell their old devices, they would use them for longer.
In other words, reuse both extends the lifetime of a device — by giving it a new owner — but also shortens it, as people tend to sell their newly bought devices sooner.
Amatuni doesn’t want people to conclude taking small steps towards sustainability is pointless. “Our intentions are still what’s most important,” he says, “but meanwhile, people need to realise there’re no easy fixes.” He recommends prioritising overall consumption reduction rather than continuing current habits while trying to make them more efficient.
1. What is the focus of Amatuni’s research
A. The ways of reducing people’s footprint.
B. The benefits of car sharing and phone reuse.
C. The damage of public transport to the environment.
D. The knowledge of computer science and mathematics.
2. What does the underlined word “negligible” in paragraph 3 mean
A. Small. B. Permanent.
C. Direct. D. Immediate.
3. Which of the following represents a phone rebound effect
A. Buying new phones often. B. Keeping old phones in use.
C. Taking care of new phones. D. Selling used phones cheaply.
4. What is Amatuni’s suggestion on promoting sustainability
A. Stop eco-friendly habits. B. Increase production efficiency.
C. Reduce total resource use. D. Seek easy solutions to eco-crisis.
【答案】1. B 2. A 3. A 4. C
【语篇解读】本文是一篇说明文。主要讲述的是莱顿大学博士生Levon Amatuni对汽车共享和手机再利用的研究，揭示了这些环保行为的实际效益远低于预期，并探讨了背后复杂的“反弹效应”及其对环境影响的真实情况。
1. 细节理解题。根据第二段“His research shows users of car-sharing platforms reduce their impact by only 3 to 18 percent—much less than 51 or 37 percent claimed in previous research. This is caused by so-called “rebound effects”, which are rarely accounted for by companies or even researchers.(他的研究表明，汽车共享平台的用户只减少了3%到18%的影响，远低于之前研究中声称的51%或37%。这是由所谓的“反弹效应”造成的，企业甚至研究人员都很少考虑到这一点。)”可知，Amatuni的研究重点是汽车共享和手机重复使用的好处。故选B。
2. 词句猜测题。根据第三段“they often take buses and trains, which aren’t emission-free(他们经常乘坐公共汽车和火车，这些都不是零排放的)”和“this data must be included to make an accurate assessment(为了做出准确的评估，必须包括这些数据)”可知，公共交通的影响并不是微不足道的，negligible的意思是“微不足道的”，和small意思相近。故选A。
3. 细节理解题。根据第四段“Similarly, Amatuni discovered that a second-hand phone only offsets (抵消) about one-third of a new phone’s production. Rebound effects are the cause. If people couldn’t sell their old devices, they would use them for longer.(同样，Amatuni发现，二手手机只抵消了新手机产量的三分之一左右。反弹效应是原因。如果人们不能卖掉他们的旧设备，他们就会使用更长时间。)”可知，经常买新手机代表了手机的反弹效应。故选A。
4. 细节理解题。根据最后一段“He recommends prioritising overall consumption reduction rather than continuing current habits while trying to make them more efficient.(他建议优先考虑整体减少消费，而不是继续目前的习惯，同时试图提高效率。)”可知，Amatuni对促进可持续发展的建议是减少总资源使用。故选C。
Passage 3
[2025湖南省长沙市高三上学期新高考适应性考试]
Decades of increasing corn and soya bean production have turned Brazil into an agricultural powerhouse, which also led to the destruction of the Amazon rainforest. That has long put farmers and environmentalists in disagreement. But a study released in October by the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and Rainforest Foundation Norway (RFN) shows the extent to which deforestation is hurting farmers too.
The report shows that the practice of clear-cutting in the Brazilian Amazon led to reduced crop production, resulting in total economic losses of about $1 billion between 2006 and 2019. The net revenues(收入) for soya beans dropped by 10% over that time, while corn revenues dropped by 20%. Anders Krogh, a specialist forest adviser at RFN, says these findings demonstrate the danger deforestation poses to global food security.
When ancient forests become rolling plains, a delicate balance of water cycle is disturbed. As trees breathe, they turn water into vapour(水蒸气), which goes on to form large, thick rain clouds, and has a cooling effect on the region. This recycling process also influences atmospheric circulation(循环), which plays a key role in temperature regulation in the Amazon basin. The effects are the severest in the most deforested regions. Less rain and hotter days mean smaller harvests and smaller revenues.
Preventing further deforestation in Brazil’s southern Amazon could slow the trend. Plus, reforesting could even change rainfall trends: the report concludes that if the Brazilian state of Pará were to reforest 55,000 km of farming land, the rain could come on average five days earlier, and up to 19 in some areas. For now, though, that seems like a tall order. Agricultural firms in Brazil tend to treat such reports and the researchers who produce them with doubt. The term “agri-phobic(农业恐惧)” is often used to describe scientists who criticize the country’s farming practices. At the grassroots level, despite the increasing costs of adapting to drier conditions, Brazilian farmers doubt the claims that lower production results from climate change or deforestation.
Britaldo Soares-Filho, a researcher at UFMG and the report’s lead author, hopes that concentrating on the financial effect of deforestation, rather than abstract modelling, can change farmers’ minds. Sustainable farming practices, he urges, are in the economic interests of agribusiness.
1. How does the author develop paragraph 2
A. By listing statistics. B. By citing a saying.
C. By making an assumption. D. By introducing a concept.
2. Which is close to the underlined idiom “a tall order” in meaning in paragraph 4
A. A hard nut. B. A big fish.
C. A helping hand. D. A red-letter day.
3. What does Britaldo Soares-Filho mean
A. Logging contributes to financial increase.
B. Abstract modelling makes a big difference.
C. Clear-cutting puts global food security in great danger.
D. Farmers should focus on the financial impact of deforestation.
4. What is the best title for the text
A. Deforestation: it boosts revenues
B. Water cycle: it disturbs agriculture
C. Climate change: it worsens rainforest
D. Reforesting: it relieves global warming
【答案】1. A 2. A 3. D 4. A
【语篇解读】这是一篇说明文。文章主要阐述了巴西亚马孙雨林的砍伐对农业生产及经济的影响。
1. 推理判断题。根据第二段“The report shows that the practice of clear-cutting in the Brazilian Amazon led to reduced crop production, resulting in total economic losses of about $1 billion between 2006 and 2019. The net revenues (收入) for soya beans dropped by 10% over that time, while corn revenues dropped by 20%. Anders Krogh, a specialist forest adviser at RFN, says these findings demonstrate the danger deforestation poses to global food security.(报告显示，巴西亚马孙地区的皆伐导致农作物产量减少，2006年至2019年期间经济损失总额约为10亿美元。在此期间，大豆的净收入下降了10%，而玉米的收入下降了20%。雨林基金会(RFN)的林业专家顾问安德斯·克罗格(Anders Krogh)表示，这些发现表明，森林砍伐对全球粮食安全构成了威胁。)”可知，作者在该段中通过列出具体的统计数据，如经济损失总额、大豆和玉米的收入下降百分比等，来支持其观点。故选A。
2. 词句猜测题。根据上文“Plus, reforesting could even change rainfall trends: the report concludes that if the Brazilian state of Pará were to reforest 55,000 km of farming land, the rain could come on average five days earlier, and up to 19 in some areas.(此外，重新造林甚至可以改变降雨趋势：报告得出结论，如果巴西帕拉州能够对5.5万平方公里的耕地进行重新造林，那么雨水可能会平均提前5天到来，在某些地区甚至可能提前19天到来。)”和“though(不过)”可知，就目前而言，这似乎是一个难题。由此可知，“a tall order”指的是一个难以实现或要求过高的任务，即一个难题。选项A“一个难题”符合题意。故选A。
3. 推理判断题。根据最后一段“Britaldo Soares-Filho, a researcher at UFMG and the report’s lead author, hopes that concentrating on the financial effect of deforestation, rather than abstract modelling, can change farmers’ minds.(UFMG的研究员、该报告的主要作者布里塔尔多·索阿雷斯·菲略希望，把注意力集中在森林砍伐的经济影响上，而不是抽象的建模上，可以改变农民的想法。)”可知，Britaldo Soares-Filho认为农民应该关注森林砍伐对经济的影响。故选D。
4. 主旨大意题。根据第一段“But a study released in October by the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and Rainforest Foundation Norway (RFN) shows the extent to which deforestation is hurting farmers too.(但米纳斯吉拉斯联邦大学(UFMG)和挪威雨林基金会(RFN)10月发布的一项研究显示，森林砍伐对农民的伤害程度也很大。)”和第二段“The report shows that the practice of clear-cutting in the Brazilian Amazon led to reduced crop production, resulting in total economic losses of about $1 billion between 2006 and 2019.(报告显示，巴西亚马孙地区的皆伐导致农作物产量减少，2006年至2019年期间经济损失总额约为10亿美元。)”可知，文章主要讨论了森林砍伐对农业生产及经济的影响，选项A“砍伐森林：它能增加收入？”这个标题能够引发读者对森林砍伐与农民收入之间关系的思考，与短文的主题紧密相关。故选A。
Passage 4
[2025湖南省株洲市高三教学质量统一检测(一模)考试]
Despite decades of indoor smoking bans and restrictions which serve to protect non-smoking people from exposure to second-hand smoke, a new research from Drexel University suggests that third-hand smoke, the chemical residue(残留物) from cigarette smoke that attaches itself to anything and anyone nearby, can make its way into the air and spread through buildings where no one is smoking.
Peter DeCarlo, an atmospheric chemist at Drexel, revealed the new exposure route for third-hand smoke - through aerosol particles(气溶胶颗粒) which are common particles suspended in the air - they come from various sources and are harmful to health. “In an empty classroom, where smoking has not been allowed, we found that 29 percent of the entire indoor aerosol mass contained third-hand smoke chemical species. This shocked us and raised many questions about how that much third-hand smoke could continue to exist in a non-smoking room,” he says.
To investigate the cause of this surprising finding, DeCarlo and his coworkers first made cigarette smoke flow into a Pyrex container, allowing the smoke chemicals to stay inside. Then they made any residual smoke flow out of the container before pulling outdoor air through it to clear out any second-hand smoke. After a day, purified outdoor air was passed through the container and the researchers measured the chemical composition of the aerosol particles it acquired and compared it to outdoor air that hadn’t passed through the container. They found a 13 percent increase in third-hand smoke chemical species in the air that went through the Pyrex container, which meant that, though it seemed as though the smoke had cleared, a chemical residue still existed and found a way to attach itself to passing aerosol particles.
This means that the discovery was by no means unique to that classroom; in fact, it’s likely quite a widespread phenomenon. “While most people expect that they’ ll be exposed to air pollution from cars, or other chemicals in low concentrations when they’ re outside - they tend to think that they’ re escaping all that when they step indoors,” DeCarlo says. “Understanding that we are constantly exposed to these chemicals, even in our workplaces, is a challenge to communicate to the public.”
1. What does the research show
A. Third-hand smoke spreads widely. B. Smoking bans function well.
C. Smoke residue exists temporarily. D. Indoor smoking is strictly restricted.
2. Why was the discovery in the classroom surprising
A. Smoking was permitted there. B. New aerosol particles appeared there.
C. Chemical species there raised a debate. D. Partial aerosol particles there carried smoke.
3. How did the researchers carry out the study
A. By observing chemicals in the lab. B. By comparing indoor and outdoor air.
C. By modeling third-hand smoke exposure. D. By measuring air quality in containers.
4. What does DeCarlo imply in the last paragraph
A. People face new working challenges.
B. Their discovery is against expectations.
C. Smoke exposure raises widespread concerns.
D. Staying indoors frees people from air pollution.
【答案】1. A 2. D 3. C 4. B
【语篇解读】本文是说明文。文章讲述了研究表明，三手烟能通过气溶胶颗粒在无烟建筑内传播。研究发现，即使在禁烟的空教室中，29%的室内气溶胶质量含三手烟化学物质。实验显示，经处理的空气中三手烟化学物质增加了13%，说明化学残留物会附着在气溶胶颗粒上。这提示该现象可能很普遍，人们在室内也可能持续暴露于这些有害化学物质，这对公众认知构成挑战。
1. 细节理解题。根据第一段内容“Despite decades of indoor smoking bans and restrictions which serve to protect non-smoking people from exposure to second-hand smoke, a new research from Drexel University suggests that third-hand smoke, the chemical residue (残留物)from cigarette smoke that attaches itself to anything and anyone nearby, can make its way into the air and spread through buildings where no one is smoking. (尽管几十年来，为了保护不吸烟的人免受二手烟的危害，室内禁烟令和限制措施一直在实施，但德雷塞尔大学(Drexel University)的一项新研究表明，三手烟，即香烟烟雾中的化学残留物，附着在附近的任何东西和任何人身上，可以进入空气，并在没有人吸烟的建筑物中传播。)”可知，德雷塞尔大学(Drexel University)的一项新研究表明三手烟广泛传播。故选A。
2. 细节理解题。根据第二段的““In an empty classroom, where smoking has not been allowed, we found that 29 percent of the entire indoor aerosol mass contained third-hand smoke chemical species. This shocked us and raised many questions about how that much third-hand smoke could continue to exist in a non-smoking room,” he says. (“在一个不允许吸烟的空教室里，我们发现29%的室内气溶胶含有三手烟化学物质。他说：“这让我们感到震惊，并提出了许多问题，那么多三手烟怎么会继续存在于一个禁烟的房间里。”)”可知，这个发现之所以令人惊讶，是因为在那个教室里，尽管吸烟是被禁止的，但研究者们发现室内气溶胶质量中有29%含有三手烟化学物质，这意味着部分气溶胶颗粒携带了烟雾的化学残留物。这与人们通常认为的在禁烟场所室内空气应该是清洁的、不含烟雾化学物质的预期相违背。故选D。
3. 推理判断题。根据第三段的“To investigate the cause of this surprising finding, DeCarlo and his coworkers first made cigarette smoke flow into a Pyrex container, allowing the smoke chemicals to stay inside. Then they made any residual smoke flow out of the container before pulling outdoor air through it to clear out any second-hand smoke. After a day, purified outdoor air was passed through the container and the researchers measured the chemical composition of the aerosol particles it acquired and compared it to outdoor air that hadn’t passed through the container. (为了调查这一惊人发现的原因，DeCarlo和他的同事们首先让香烟烟雾流入一个耐热玻璃容器，让烟雾中的化学物质留在里面。然后，他们让剩余的烟从容器中流出，然后将室外空气从容器中抽出，以清除任何二手烟。一天后，净化过的室外空气通过容器，研究人员测量了它获得的气溶胶颗粒的化学成分，并将其与未通过容器的室外空气进行了比较。)”可知，研究人员通过建模三手烟暴露来进行研究的。故选C。
4. 推理判断题。根据最后一段内容“This means that the discovery was by no means unique to that classroom; in fact, it’s likely quite a widespread phenomenon. “While most people expect that they’ ll be exposed to air pollution from cars, or other chemicals in low concentrations when they’ re outside - they tend to think that they’ re escaping all that when they step indoors,” DeCarlo says. “Understanding that we are constantly exposed to these chemicals, even in our workplaces, is a challenge to communicate to the public.” (这意味着这一发现绝非仅限于那个教室；实际上，这很可能是一种相当普遍的现象。“虽然大多数人预期他们在户外时会接触到汽车尾气或其他低浓度的化学物质——他们倾向于认为当他们走进室内时就摆脱了所有这些，”DeCarlo说。“理解到我们即使在工作场所也不断暴露于这些化学物质中，向公众传达这一点是一个挑战。”)”可知，从这段话中可以分析出，DeCarlo暗示人们通常认为进入室内可以逃避室外的空气污染，但实际上，即使在室内，人们仍然会暴露于三手烟等有害化学物质中。这与人们的预期相反，说明他们的发现是出乎意料的。故选B。
高频话题09人与自我—阅读学习
Passage 1
[2025河南省安阳市高三上学期一模]
What is happiness Gopnik’s new book All That Happiness Is provides an answer. It suggests that happiness is the pursuit of something meaningful.
What that pursuit requires, and how we know if we might have arrived at the desired destination are the meat of the book, with Gopnik sharing a personal moment of great happiness, when he locked himself in his teenage bedroom with a guitar and pursued the knowledge of a handful of rock ‘n’ roll from the Beatles songbook.
Gopnik declares that 50 years on he is “not much better” at the guitar than he was at the end of that first week. However, the period of self-study, during which he discovered some measure of the Beatles’ magic for himself, became the foundation of almost every accomplishment in his life since.
Gopnik draws a distinction between “accomplishment” and “achievement”, stating that accomplishment is rooted in an internal sense of having done something interesting and worthwhile, while achievement is rooted in external reward, having fulfilled the demands coming from an outside force.
I can’t help but think that today’s schools focus more on achievement than on accomplishment, which obviously does harm to our pursuit of happiness. Students must consistently achieve without the accompanying satisfaction of accomplishment.
All That Happiness Is calls for respecting the necessity and benefits of experiencing a sense of accomplishment. Once that sense is achieved, the work required for external achievements comes more naturally.
Ultimately, to be happy, you have to center on what truly fulfills you. I can prove it. Even after a dozen years, I still get a kick out of the choice of writing a column in my hometown newspaper, from which I gained a sense of achievement.
It took me maybe 20 minutes to read All That Happiness Is, not much of an achievement; but the full worth of a book isn’t in how long it took to read it, but in how long it continues to exist in our lives. In this case, Gopnik has accomplished much.
1. What does Gopnik’s experience of learning the guitar mean to him
A. It has given him a taste for the guitar. B. It has guided him to do something meaningful.
C. It has helped him make a lifelong career. D. It has taught him to learn all by himself.
2. How does achievement differ from accomplishment according to Gopnik
A. Accomplishment comes from inside.
B. Accomplishment is easy to get.
C. Achievement has greater influence than accomplishment.
D. Achievement brings people more joy than accomplishment.
3. What is the author’s attitude toward today’s schools
A. Unclear. B. Uncaring. C. Supportive. D. Disapproving.
4. What does the underlined part “get a kick out of” in paragraph 7 mean
A. Feel regretful for. B. Gain pleasure from.
C. Get attracted by. D. Become nervous about.
【答案】1. B 2. A 3. D 4. B
【语篇解读】这是一篇说明文，文章以Gopnik的新书All That Happiness Is探讨了什么是幸福。
1. 细节理解题。根据第三段中“However, the period of self-study, during which he discovered some measure of the Beatles’ magic for himself, became the foundation of almost every accomplishment in his life since.(然而，在自学期间，他为自己发现了披头士的魔力，这成为他一生中几乎所有成就的基础)”可知，Gopnik学习吉他的经历成为他一生中几乎所有成就的基础，即指导他去做出了一些有意义的事情，故选B。
2. 细节理解题。根据第四段中“Gopnik draws a distinction between “accomplishment” and “achievement”, stating that accomplishment is rooted in an internal sense of having done something interesting and worthwhile(Gopnik对“成绩”和“成就”进行了区分，他指出，成绩根植于一种内在的感觉，即做了一些有趣和有价值的事情)”可知，“成绩”来源于内在，故选A。
3. 推理判断题。根据第五段中“I can’t help but think that today’s schools focus more on achievement than on accomplishment, which obviously does harm to our pursuit of happiness.(我不禁认为，今天的学校更注重成绩，而不是成就，这显然不利于我们追求幸福)”可知，作者不赞成当今学校的做法，故选D。
4. 词句猜测题。根据划线短语前“Ultimately, to be happy, you have to center on what truly fulfills you.(最终，要想快乐，你必须专注于真正能让你满足的事情)”以及后文“from which I gained a sense of achievement(从中我获得了成就感)”可知，划线短语表示积极的情绪，做能让自己满足的事情应是有乐趣，get a kick out of意为“从中得到乐趣”，故选B。
Passage 2
[2025·浙江杭州·一模]
A few days ago, I watched a video of myself talking in perfect Chinese. I’ve been studying the language on and off for only a few years, and I’m far from fluent. But there I was, pronouncing each character just as a native speaker would. “My favorite food is sushi,” I said — wo zui xihuan de shiwu shi shousi.
I’d created the video using software from a Los Angeles-based artificial-intelligence start-up called HeyGen. The technology, which only needs a single selfie and a script to generate deepfake videos of real people “saying” almost anything, is a testament(证明) to the advancements in AI language tools. This got me thinking about the declining interest in language learning with fewer students enrolling in foreign language courses and the decrease of English proficiency among young people in some places.
AI translation, integrated into social media and messaging platforms, seems to be everywhere. Even language-learning apps are using AI-generated content in their marketing. However, language translation is an art rather than a science. Something enormous will be lost in exchange for that convenience. As Anne, a Chinese专题03 阅读理解(说明文)(二)
高频话题06 人与自然—人与动植物
Passage 1
[2025广东省三校高三下学期2月第一次模拟考试一模]
The woolly mammoth is one of the most iconic animals of the prehistoric era, yet it remains shrouded in mystery. Often depicted as slow, clumsy, and ill-suited to its environment, a new wave of research is challenging these long-held assumptions.
The woolly mammoth, a massive herbivore with long, curved tusks, roamed the icy landscapes of Eurasia and North America during the Ice Age. These colossal creatures stood up to 11 feet tall and weighed as much as 6 tons, making them larger than modern elephants. They subsisted on a diet of grasses, shrubs, and other vegetation, using their tusks to dig through snow and ice to reach food.
Due to the scarcity of well-preserved mammoth remains, scientists have had limited opportunities to study these ancient beasts. However, recent advancements in paleontology and genetics have allowed researchers to piece together a more accurate picture of their lives. By analyzing ancient DNA and fossilized footprints, scientists have discovered that woolly mammoths were far more agile and adaptable than previously thought.
One of the most significant findings is that woolly mammoths had strong, flexible tendons in their legs, which enabled them to move swiftly across the frozen terrain. Fossil evidence also suggests that they lived in complex social groups, similar to modern elephants, and had highly developed survival strategies to endure the harsh Ice Age conditions.
Woolly mammoths went extinct around 4,000 years ago, likely due to a combination of climate change and human hunting. However, their extinction was not due to a lack of intelligence or adaptability. In fact, recent studies indicate that they were highly intelligent animals with strong problem-solving abilities.
The ongoing research into woolly mammoths is part of a broader effort to understand the ecology and behavior of extinct species. “We are on the brink of uncovering the true nature of these magnificent creatures,” said Dr. Elena Ivanova, a leading paleontologist. “The woolly mammoth was not just a relic of the past, but a highly evolved and resilient animal that thrived for thousands of years.”
As scientists continue to unravel the mysteries of the woolly mammoth, we are gaining a deeper appreciation for this ancient giant and its place in the history of our planet.
1. What was the traditional view of the woolly mammoth
A. It was a slow, clumsy, and ill-suited animal to its environment.
B. It was highly intelligent and adaptable.
C. It was smaller than modern elephants.
D. It was a solitary animal with no social structure.
2. How have researchers gained new insights into the woolly mammoth
A. By studying well-preserved mammoth remains found in large quantities.
B. By analyzing ancient DNA and fossilized footprints.
C. By observing the behavior of modern elephants.
D. By using computer simulations to model their behavior.
3. What can be inferred about the woolly mammoth’s extinction from the article
A. It was primarily due to its inability to adapt to changing climates.
B. It was a result of both climate change and human hunting.
C. It was caused by a sudden and catastrophic event.
D. It was mainly due to competition with other prehistoric animals.
4. What does the underlined phrase “on the brink of uncovering” mean in the context of the article
A. Just beginning to understand.
B. Almost completely solved.
C. Facing a major challenge.
D. Reaching a critical point.
Passage 2
[2025江西省部分学校高三下学期2月一模考试]
To avoid humans, mountain lions in the Greater Los Angeles area are changing their activity patterns. The big cats living near areas where humans hike, run and cycle are becoming increasingly more nocturnal(夜行的). The findings are detailed in a study published in the journal Biological Conservation.
“People are increasingly enjoying recreating in nature, which is fantastic,” study co-author Ellie Bolas said in a statement. “This flexibility we see in mountain lion activity is what allows us to share these natural areas together.”
Mountain lions are top carnivorous predators(食肉捕食者) that eat a wide variety of meat including deer, wild pigs and rabbits. While mountain lions rarely attack humans, they can still be dangerous to hikers, runners, or cyclists who spend time in their habitats. The mountain lions in the Greater Los Angeles area face numerous challenges — busy roadways where they’re often hit by cars, the threat of wildfires, harmful chemicals and disturbed habitats. Generally, mountain lions prefer to avoid humans altogether. But in an urban area home to more than 18 million people, the natural spots where mountain lions live are also heavily used by recreationists.
“These results are really important in that they show how humans may be affecting wildlife in less obvious ways than killing them with vehicles,” Seth Riley, a study co-author, said in a statement. “The study also continues to drive home the amazing fact that a population of large field predators wanders in one of the largest urban areas in the world. That would not be possible if mountain lions weren’t able to adjust to human activity.”
However, it’s not only up to the mountain lions. People have a role in helping protect themselves, their pets, and mountain lions by being aware of the high time for mountain lion activity. Be careful if you have to drive at night, when mountain lions living in populated areas are more likely to be active.
1. What is Ellie Bolas’ attitude toward people’s recreation in nature
A. Unclear. B. Doubtful. C. Intolerant. D. Supportive.
2. What can we learn about mountain lions in the Greater Los Angeles area from paragraph 3
A. Their habitats are undisturbed. B. They are under threat.
C. They tend to get close to humans. D. Their attacks on humans are common.
3. What do Seth Riley’s words suggest about mountain lions’ adaption
A. It displays their disastrous impact. B. It is a result of human conservation efforts.
C. It is key to their coexistence with humans. D. It has led to the decrease of human activity.
4. What is the author’s advice for humans
A. Enjoy activity in populated areas. B. Train their pets to get active at night.
C. Avoid encounters with mountain lions. D. Drive quickly to pass by mountain lions.
Passage 3
[2025福建省厦门市高中毕业班第一次质量检测]
Wild chimpanzees seem to learn skills from each other and then — much as humans do — improve on those techniques from one generation to the next.
In particular, young females that migrate(迁徙) between groups bring their cultural knowledge with them, and groups can combine new techniques with existing ones to get better at searching for food. Such “cumulative culture” means some chimpanzee communities are becoming more technologically advanced — although very, very slowly. “If chimpanzees have some cultural knowledge that the community they’ re moving into doesn’t have, they may pass it on — just in the same way we pass on the genes(基因),” says Andrew Whiten at the University of St Andrews. “And then that culture builds up.”
Scientists knew chimpanzees used tools and passed on the knowledge, but their lack of significant innovation compared to humans puzzled researchers. Cassandra Gunasekaram at the University of Zurich suspected she might be able to apply genetic analysis to the puzzle. To see if young females bring their skill sets into their new groups, she and her colleagues looked at data previously collected by other research groups at 35 study sites in Africa and included information about what tools, if any, each animal used, as well as their genetic connections over the past 15,000 years. “The genetics give us a kind of time machine into the way culture has been transmitted (传播) across chimpanzees,” says Whiten.
Some chimpanzees used complex tools, for example a drilling stick and a fishing brush for hunting. The researchers found the chimpanzees with the most advanced tool sets were three to five times more likely to share the same DNA as those that used simple tools or no tools at all, even though they might live thousands of kilometres away. And advanced tool use was also more strongly associated with female migration compared with simple or no tool use.
“Our interpretation is that these complex tool sets are really invented by perhaps building on a simpler form from before, and therefore they have to depend on transmission by females from the communities that invented them initially to the other communities,” says Whiten. “It shows that complex tools would rely on social exchanges across groups— which is very surprising and exciting,” says Gunasekaram.
1. Which best describes “cumulative culture” in paragraph 2
A. The immediate adoption of advanced tools for food.
B. The gradual build-up of cultural knowledge over time.
C. The independent invention of tools without prior skills.
D. The preservation of cultural knowledge for generations.
2. How did Gunasekaram’s team conduct their research
A. By observing chimpanzees at 35 study sites.
B. By analyzing existing data on chimpanzees.
C. By comparing chimpanzees in terms of their tool use.
D. By investigating genetic connections of chimpanzees.
3. What led to chimpanzees’ use of complex tools
A. Human influences. B. Food-hunting strategy.
C. Social competition. D. Cross-group interactions.
4. What does the text mainly talk about
A. The learning gaps between chimpanzees and humans.
B. The environmental impact on chimpanzees’ behaviors.
C. The genetic diversity of chimpanzees in the wilderness.
D. The role of female chimpanzees in cultural transmission.
Passage 4
[2025安徽省合肥市高三上学期第一次教学质量检测]
It might surprise you to learn that dogs are playing an increasingly important role as conservationists. For centuries, they have been known as man’s best friends. Now, their unique. abilities are being made use of to help protect some of the world’s most threatened species.
Quick and loyal, dogs possess many qualities that make them ideal for fieldwork, but it’s their extraordinary sense of smell that makes them invaluable for conservation work. With around 220 million olfactory receptors(嗅觉受体) compared to just 5 million in humans, dogs can detect scents(气味) and analyze them with astonishing accuracy, devoting 40 times more of their brain to scent analysis than we do.
Thanks to this incredible ability, some dogs are now being trained to save at-risk animals by sniffing(嗅) out their droppings. At the University of Washington’s Conservation Cannes facility,20specially trained dogs have successfully tracked killer whale droppings, which only float briefly on the ocean’s surface. Analyzing these samples enables scientists to monitor the health of killer whale populations, which are under significant stress from food shortages, pollution, and boat traffic.
Beyond tracking animal droppings, conservation dogs are also trained for live animal detection, further showcasing their abilities. They can locate rare species in their natural habitats. Additionally, they are now used to tackle the non-native species that threaten the survival of the local wildlife. Dogs also take on other important roles. For example, at Kenya’s Mombasa port, dogs sniff out illegal wildlife products such as rhino horns and ivory. Across Africa, they work on the frontlines against illegal hunting, serving as a powerful security force enhancer.
While dogs may not be the ultimate solution to every conservation challenge. their incomparable abilities make them invaluable companions in the fight to protect our planet’s biodiversity.
1. Why are the figures mentioned in the second paragraph
A. To highlight the superiority of dogs’ sense of smell.
B. To suggest the amazing accuracy of dogs’ analysis.
C. To recognize the importance of conservation work.
D. To show dogs’ impressive achievements in fieldwork.
2. How do dogs help protect killer whales
A. By tracking their movements.
B. By detecting their droppings.
C. By monitoring their populations.
D. By analyzing the collected samples.
3. What can we learn from the example given in paragraph 4
A. Wildlife products are popular in African countries.
B. Non-native species affect the survival of local wildlife.
C. Dogs are used to detect and prevent illegal wildlife trade.
D. Dogs can accurately locate the natural habitats of rare species.
4. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text
A. To appeal to people to protect biodiversity.
B. To report various environmental challenges.
C. To introduce dogs’ roles in conservation efforts.
D. To prove the conventional claim of dogs’ qualities.
Passage 5
[2025·浙江杭州·一模]
“Growing fruit trees is a very simple way to stay in love with our world,” says Vivian Keh, playwright and daughter of immigrants, holding a basket of persimmons (柿子) she’s cultivated to feel connected to her Korean ancestors. Keh is just one of the 50 remarkable subjects in naturalist writer Amy Stewart’s The Tree Collectors: Tales of Arboreal Obsession, a collection of portraits of people transformed by their love of trees.
Initially, trees struck Stewart as an odd thing to collect. Intrigued by this community of enthusiasts, she discovered educators, preservationists and visionaries, all drawn to a kind of curation, motivated by reasons diverse as their projects. They plant trees in public and private spaces both modest and expansive, nurturing(培育) their collections to honor beloved dead, attract wildlife, preserve rare species’ connect to history, invest in the future, grow food and create beauty.
Steward categorizes these tree collectors according to their sense of purpose. Kenneth Hoegh, one of the book’s “ecologists”, tests which cold-loving species might grow in a warming and historically treeless Greenland. “Healer” Joe Hamilton plants loblolly pines on a parcel of land he got from his enslaved ancestors with an eye toward long-term sustainable forestry which he hopes will establish a source of generational wealth for his family. Reagan Wytsalucy has a plan to restore traditional peach orchards on Navajo land as one of the “community builders” who seek to bring people together.
Adding to the book’s charm are Stewart’s watercolor’ illustrations — she gives Us a look at each of her human subjects while also cataloging the most wonderful qualities of featured trees, such as Seussian eucalyptus seed pods and delicate camellia blossoms.
After spending time in this varied commonwealth, you’ll undoubtedly experience an intense desire to rest under the shade of a leafy oak. But something even deeper is happening here: by creating a space for people to talk about something they love. “How often do any of us get a chance to pour our hearts out to a stranger ” she writes. “Somehow, talking about trees made it possible.”
1. What does the underlined word “curation” in paragraph 2 mean
A. Connection. B. Collection. C. Treatment. D. Transformation,
2. What purpose of planting trees is mentioned in paragraph 3
A. To preserve rare species. B. To honor beloved dead.
C. To develop new varieties. D. To strengthen social bonds.
3. What does the quote in the last paragraph suggest about discussing trees
A. It inspires new ideas. B. It rarely happens in public.
C. It allows deep emotional sharing. D. It helps resolve environmental issues.
4. What does the writer think of the book
A. Complicated. B. Conventional. C. Inspiring. D. Intense.
高频话题07 人与社会—竞技/比赛
Passage 1
[2025福建省厦门市高中毕业班第一次质量检测]
At the Paris 2024 Olympics, sport climbing featured two medal events for men and women: Speed and a combined Boulder & Lead event. Behind the scenes, there is a crucial but often unseen figure — Martin Hammerer, head of the experienced team responsible for the Lead routes, who has been setting routes internationally since 2007.
“The actual design took place at the climbing wall. The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) pre-selected the material, which we then used to set the routes,” Hammerer explained when asked about his work in Paris. “We started with the finals — which was the highlight — and worked backward to the semi-finals. After completing a route, we photographed it, removed and stored the holds for later use.”
The focus for the routesetters is to offer a challenging but also fair competition. Routes for the combined Boulder & Lead event were carefully designed to ensure that specialists in one discipline didn’t have an unfair advantage. “Our aim is to offer a balanced competition,” Hammerer said. “For the podiums(领奖台), the athletes have to be really strong in both disciplines.”
Routesetting relies heavily on the team’s creativity. The style has changed over the past 15 years, with today’s routes looser and more dynamic. “The materials and structures have also changed greatly,” Hammerer said. “Every season we adapt to the athletes anew.”
Routesetting used to be quite independent and greatly influenced climbing style. “But now, federations set training routes for athletes. When we see this on social media, we get new input for our work,” Hammerer reflected.
As Hammerer once said, “Climbers evolve, and so must we.” He continues to shape the future of climbing — one route, one challenge, one story at a time.
1. What does Hammerer do
A. He competes in sport climbing events. B. He coaches athletes for the Olympics.
C. He designs routes for sport climbing. D. He judges climbing competitions.
2. What is paragraph 2 mainly about
A. The materials used for route setting. B. The process of setting climbing routes.
C. The criteria for routes of varied levels. D. The location selected for route setting.
3. How did Hammerer’s team achieve their aim
A. By balancing innovation and adaptation.
B. By sticking to federations’ training routes.
C. By promoting their concept through social media.
D. By disciplining themselves to follow strict guidelines.
4. What message does Hammerer convey in the last paragraph
A. Practice makes perfect. B. Change is the only constant.
C. Slow and steady wins the race. D. Actions speak louder than words.
高频话题08人与自然—环境保护
Passage 1
[2025广东省佛山市三校高三1月第一次模拟考试]
If the findings of a bunch of new climatic researches conducted recently are any guide, we are rapidly approaching major climate change and the effects on society as well as the environment could be quite severe. Geographers have made a prediction that within the future eighty years, current world climate zones could shift and chances are that some could completely disappear. Polar regions will get colder while tropical regions will get even hotter, forcing animals to migrate north.
Climate changes like these could lead to the spread of diseases. Tropical storms and hurricanes will not only increase in numbers but in intensity as well. If the changes come too quickly, animal and plant species may not be able to adapt fast enough and could face extinction.
According to Science Daily, a new study predicts that by the year 2100, many of today’s familiar climates will be replaced by climates unknown in today’s world. It is urgent that we reduce the risks of these far-reaching consequences for the sake of the whole world. The planet earth itself has been showing signs of change, which concerns the scientific community deeply. In 2004, a serious tsunami created by a major earthquake killed thousands in Sumatra and in 2008, thousands died in China because of another severe earthquake. Egypt was hit in 2009 with a major earthquake and Haiti was devastated in 2010 by yet another massive earthquake.
Within just the last few months, new reports from around the world have been coming in and most agree that our climate situation is much worse than previously expected. At this point, it doesn’t matter what’s causing it, but rather, what can be done about it. What’s more, our world is getting more and more unstable every year. There has been war and threat of war everywhere. Natural disasters are becoming more frequent and serious.
However, astronomical observations have been showing signs that other planets are experiencing global warming as well as our own and some scientists believe there may be some connection behind such mysterious phenomena. Yet no one knows anything for sure at this point because there is simply not enough data.
1. What does the underlined word “devastated” in Paragraph 3 mean
A. shocked. B. destroyed. C. frightened. D. impacted.
2. The examples of several destructive earthquakes are used to support the idea that ______ .
A. Earthquakes have caused significant damage to the human society.
B. Measures must be taken to prevent future earthquakes from causing damage.
C. Some major changes seem to be taking place on the planet earth.
D. The probability of more earthquakes happening in the future remains strong.
3. According to the fourth paragraph, how should we react to climate change
A. We should explore the reasons for climate change.
B. We should explore possible measures to deal with it.
C. We should stop environmental pollution completely.
D. We should plan to move to other planets as soon as possible.
4. What can be inferred from the passage
A. Species won’t become extinct as long as climate change happens slowly.
B. There’s enough data at hand for us to predict the future of climate change.
C. The world is getting more unstable because of large-scale migration.
D. The earth is not alone in experiencing major climate changes currently.
Passage 2
[2025江西省高三下学期2月一模联考]
Sound signals are vital for animals deep in the dark oceans to communicate and search for food. That way of life has been threatened from increasing human noise. A leading cause is shipping-noise emissions.
With roughly 90% of traded goods traveling by sea, quieting the ocean through reductions in shipping is untenable. Efforts to make ships more efficient and less polluting may also reduce noise. But experts say those measures won’t do enough to restore quiet. So, a range of technologies are being developed to allow humans and other animals to co-exist in the ocean.
Much of the underwater noise a ship produces comes from its propeller(螺旋桨). The low-frequency noise it produces can travel thousands of metres underwater without losing strength, interrupting the movements of whales which use these frequencies to communicate.
One solution by researchers at the University of British Columbia(UBC), makes the metal propeller flexible, allowing their tips to bend and twist, preventing bubbles from forming and reducing the noise the propeller produces, says Rajeev of UBC.
More ideas are also on the table. Giovanni, a marine-engineering researcher, is investigating whether an acoustic (音响的) black hole can help. Such an object, which aims to trap sound like black holes trap light, can be built by fixing steel beams to the inside of the ship. Laboratory tests show this can reduce vibrations like the best available alternatives, without the added weight or fire risk these often involve.
Tom Smith, a researcher in naval architecture, says that technological solutions for reducing ocean noise are abundant. What is missing is a willingness for shipbuilders and owners to use them. Refitting ships to be quieter is complex and costly, and not seen as a priority at present.
That may change. Some seaports now offer discounts equal to thousands of dollars for ships that meet the highest level of noise reduction. Since the International Maritime Organisation has promised to reduce carbon emissions from international shipping by 70% by 2040, this may prove a good deal.
1. What’s the harm shipping-noise emissions do to a deep-sea animal
A. Its habitat is polluted by the emissions. B. Its way of communication is interrupted.
C. It can’t find enough neighboring animals. D. It has to travel a longer distance for food.
2. What does the underlined word “untenable” in paragraph 2 mean
A. Impractical. B. Sensible. C. Irregular. D. Universal.
3. What’s the difficulty in adopting technological solutions according to Tom
A. The technology isn’t reliable to be used. B. It may do great harm to the environment.
C. It’s complicated and adds to the cost of ships. D. It has drawn criticism from the government.
4. What is the main idea of the passage
A. The importance of sound signals in the ocean.
B. The role of shipping in global trade and its environmental impact.
C. The challenges faced by marine engineers in reducing noise pollution.
D. The impact of shipping noise on marine life and the potential solutions.
Passage 3
[2025河南省焦作市博爱县第一中学高三上学期一模]
Most people in the Netherlands are convinced that their consumption patterns affect the environment. Many of them are looking for ways to reduce their footprint. However, the reality is more complicated, according to a research by Leiden PhD candidate Levon Amatuni, who studied car sharing and the reuse of phones. He used his background in computer science and mathematics to model and measure the benefits of such practices.
His research shows users of car-sharing platforms reduce their impact by only 3 to 18 percent — much less than 51 or 37 percent claimed in previous research. This is caused by so-called “rebound effects”, which are rarely accounted for by companies or even researchers.
For example, shared vehicles are replaced with new models more frequently than private cars. Additionally, the introduction of sharing schemes(方案) can encourage people to drive when they would have otherwise taken public transport. These rebound effects turn out to be highly influential. Amatuni also found users of sharing platforms don’t significantly reduce their driving. “And if they do, they often take buses and trains, which aren’t emission-free,” he says. While public transport is usually a better option, its impact is not negligible. So, this data must be included to make an accurate assessment.
Similarly, Amatuni discovered that a second-hand phone only offsets(抵消) about one-third of a new phone’s production. Rebound effects are the cause. If people couldn’t sell their old devices, they would use them for longer.
In other words, reuse both extends the lifetime of a device — by giving it a new owner — but also shortens it, as people tend to sell their newly bought devices sooner.
Amatuni doesn’t want people to conclude taking small steps towards sustainability is pointless. “Our intentions are still what’s most important,” he says, “but meanwhile, people need to realise there’re no easy fixes.” He recommends prioritising overall consumption reduction rather than continuing current habits while trying to make them more efficient.
1. What is the focus of Amatuni’s research
A. The ways of reducing people’s footprint.
B. The benefits of car sharing and phone reuse.
C. The damage of public transport to the environment.
D. The knowledge of computer science and mathematics.
2. What does the underlined word “negligible” in paragraph 3 mean
A. Small. B. Permanent.
C. Direct. D. Immediate.
3. Which of the following represents a phone rebound effect
A. Buying new phones often. B. Keeping old phones in use.
C. Taking care of new phones. D. Selling used phones cheaply.
4. What is Amatuni’s suggestion on promoting sustainability
A. Stop eco-friendly habits. B. Increase production efficiency.
C. Reduce total resource use. D. Seek easy solutions to eco-crisis.
Passage 3
[2025湖南省长沙市高三上学期新高考适应性考试]
Decades of increasing corn and soya bean production have turned Brazil into an agricultural powerhouse, which also led to the destruction of the Amazon rainforest. That has long put farmers and environmentalists in disagreement. But a study released in October by the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and Rainforest Foundation Norway (RFN) shows the extent to which deforestation is hurting farmers too.
The report shows that the practice of clear-cutting in the Brazilian Amazon led to reduced crop production, resulting in total economic losses of about $1 billion between 2006 and 2019. The net revenues(收入) for soya beans dropped by 10% over that time, while corn revenues dropped by 20%. Anders Krogh, a specialist forest adviser at RFN, says these findings demonstrate the danger deforestation poses to global food security.
When ancient forests become rolling plains, a delicate balance of water cycle is disturbed. As trees breathe, they turn water into vapour(水蒸气), which goes on to form large, thick rain clouds, and has a cooling effect on the region. This recycling process also influences atmospheric circulation(循环), which plays a key role in temperature regulation in the Amazon basin. The effects are the severest in the most deforested regions. Less rain and hotter days mean smaller harvests and smaller revenues.
Preventing further deforestation in Brazil’s southern Amazon could slow the trend. Plus, reforesting could even change rainfall trends: the report concludes that if the Brazilian state of Pará were to reforest 55,000 km of farming land, the rain could come on average five days earlier, and up to 19 in some areas. For now, though, that seems like a tall order. Agricultural firms in Brazil tend to treat such reports and the researchers who produce them with doubt. The term “agri-phobic(农业恐惧)” is often used to describe scientists who criticize the country’s farming practices. At the grassroots level, despite the increasing costs of adapting to drier conditions, Brazilian farmers doubt the claims that lower production results from climate change or deforestation.
Britaldo Soares-Filho, a researcher at UFMG and the report’s lead author, hopes that concentrating on the financial effect of deforestation, rather than abstract modelling, can change farmers’ minds. Sustainable farming practices, he urges, are in the economic interests of agribusiness.
1. How does the author develop paragraph 2
A. By listing statistics. B. By citing a saying.
C. By making an assumption. D. By introducing a concept.
2. Which is close to the underlined idiom “a tall order” in meaning in paragraph 4
A. A hard nut. B. A big fish.
C. A helping hand. D. A red-letter day.
3. What does Britaldo Soares-Filho mean
A. Logging contributes to financial increase.
B. Abstract modelling makes a big difference.
C. Clear-cutting puts global food security in great danger.
D. Farmers should focus on the financial impact of deforestation.
4. What is the best title for the text
A. Deforestation: it boosts revenues
B. Water cycle: it disturbs agriculture
C. Climate change: it worsens rainforest
D. Reforesting: it relieves global warming
Passage 4
[2025湖南省株洲市高三教学质量统一检测(一模)考试]
Despite decades of indoor smoking bans and restrictions which serve to protect non-smoking people from exposure to second-hand smoke, a new research from Drexel University suggests that third-hand smoke, the chemical residue(残留物) from cigarette smoke that attaches itself to anything and anyone nearby, can make its way into the air and spread through buildings where no one is smoking.
Peter DeCarlo, an atmospheric chemist at Drexel, revealed the new exposure route for third-hand smoke - through aerosol particles(气溶胶颗粒) which are common particles suspended in the air - they come from various sources and are harmful to health. “In an empty classroom, where smoking has not been allowed, we found that 29 percent of the entire indoor aerosol mass contained third-hand smoke chemical species. This shocked us and raised many questions about how that much third-hand smoke could continue to exist in a non-smoking room,” he says.
To investigate the cause of this surprising finding, DeCarlo and his coworkers first made cigarette smoke flow into a Pyrex container, allowing the smoke chemicals to stay inside. Then they made any residual smoke flow out of the container before pulling outdoor air through it to clear out any second-hand smoke. After a day, purified outdoor air was passed through the container and the researchers measured the chemical composition of the aerosol particles it acquired and compared it to outdoor air that hadn’t passed through the container. They found a 13 percent increase in third-hand smoke chemical species in the air that went through the Pyrex container, which meant that, though it seemed as though the smoke had cleared, a chemical residue still existed and found a way to attach itself to passing aerosol particles.
This means that the discovery was by no means unique to that classroom; in fact, it’s likely quite a widespread phenomenon. “While most people expect that they’ ll be exposed to air pollution from cars, or other chemicals in low concentrations when they’ re outside - they tend to think that they’ re escaping all that when they step indoors,” DeCarlo says. “Understanding that we are constantly exposed to these chemicals, even in our workplaces, is a challenge to communicate to the public.”
1. What does the research show
A. Third-hand smoke spreads widely. B. Smoking bans function well.
C. Smoke residue exists temporarily. D. Indoor smoking is strictly restricted.
2. Why was the discovery in the classroom surprising
A. Smoking was permitted there. B. New aerosol particles appeared there.
C. Chemical species there raised a debate. D. Partial aerosol particles there carried smoke.
3. How did the researchers carry out the study
A. By observing chemicals in the lab. B. By comparing indoor and outdoor air.
C. By modeling third-hand smoke exposure. D. By measuring air quality in containers.
4. What does DeCarlo imply in the last paragraph
A. People face new working challenges.
B. Their discovery is against expectations.
C. Smoke exposure raises widespread concerns.
D. Staying indoors frees people from air pollution.
高频话题09人与自我—阅读学习
Passage 1
[2025河南省安阳市高三上学期一模]
What is happiness Gopnik’s new book All That Happiness Is provides an answer. It suggests that happiness is the pursuit of something meaningful.
What that pursuit requires, and how we know if we might have arrived at the desired destination are the meat of the book, with Gopnik sharing a personal moment of great happiness, when he locked himself in his teenage bedroom with a guitar and pursued the knowledge of a handful of rock ‘n’ roll from the Beatles songbook.
Gopnik declares that 50 years on he is “not much better” at the guitar than he was at the end of that first week. However, the period of self-study, during which he discovered some measure of the Beatles’ magic for himself, became the foundation of almost every accomplishment in his life since.
Gopnik draws a distinction between “accomplishment” and “achievement”, stating that accomplishment is rooted in an internal sense of having done something interesting and worthwhile, while achievement is rooted in external reward, having fulfilled the demands coming from an outside force.
I can’t help but think that today’s schools focus more on achievement than on accomplishment, which obviously does harm to our pursuit of happiness. Students must consistently achieve without the accompanying satisfaction of accomplishment.
All That Happiness Is calls for respecting the necessity and benefits of experiencing a sense of accomplishment. Once that sense is achieved, the work required for external achievements comes more naturally.
Ultimately, to be happy, you have to center on what truly fulfills you. I can prove it. Even after a dozen years, I still get a kick out of the choice of writing a column in my hometown newspaper, from which I gained a sense of achievement.
It took me maybe 20 minutes to read All That Happiness Is, not much of an achievement; but the full worth of a book isn’t in how long it took to read it, but in how long it continues to exist in our lives. In this case, Gopnik has accomplished much.
1. What does Gopnik’s experience of learning the guitar mean to him
A. It has given him a taste for the guitar. B. It has guided him to do something meaningful.
C. It has helped him make a lifelong career. D. It has taught him to learn all by himself.
2. How does achievement differ from accomplishment according to Gopnik
A. Accomplishment comes from inside.
B. Accomplishment is easy to get.
C. Achievement has greater influence than accomplishment.
D. Achievement brings people more joy than accomplishment.
3. What is the author’s attitude toward today’s schools
A. Unclear. B. Uncaring. C. Supportive. D. Disapproving.
4. What does the underlined part “get a kick out of” in paragraph 7 mean
A. Feel regretful for. B. Gain pleasure from.
C. Get attracted by. D. Become nervous about.
Passage 2
[2025·浙江杭州·一模]
A few days ago, I watched a video of myself talking in perfect Chinese. I’ve been studying the language on and off for only a few years, and I’m far from fluent. But there I was, pronouncing each character just as a native speaker would. “My favorite food is sushi,” I said — wo zui xihuan de shiwu shi shousi.
I’d created the video using software from a Los Angeles-based artificial-intelligence start-up called HeyGen. The technology, which only needs a single selfie and a script to generate deepfake videos of real people “saying” almost anything, is a testament(证明) to the advancements in AI language tools. This got me thinking about the declining interest in language learning with fewer students enrolling in foreign language courses and the decrease of English proficiency among young people in some places.
AI translation, integrated into social media and messaging platforms, seems to be everywhere. Even language-learning apps are using AI-generated content in their marketing. However, language translation is an art rather than a science. Something enormous will be lost in exchange for that convenience. As Anne, a Chinese translator said, “Building a ladder between widely different languages, such as Chinese and English, is sometimes as difficult as a doctor building a bridge in a patient’s heart,”
Language learning fosters cultural competency, a skill that AI cannot simply copy. Learning a different way to speak, read, and write helps people discover new ways to see the world. No machine can replace such a profoundly human experience. Deborah Cohn, a language professor, emphasizes that language learning is actually about understanding and connecting with different cultures; Instead of abandoning language courses in favor of AI, some educators advocate for emphasizing the intercultural aspects of language learning. Paula Krebs of the MLA points out that even with a “universal translator”, sometimes, the greater meaning of people’s utterance(言辞) remains a mystery.
In essence, while AI language tools offer convenience, they lack the depth and cultural insight that comes from human language learning. The challenge and beauty of learning a language are in understanding the cultural tapestry (织锦) that weaves through words, something AI has yet to achieve.
1. Why does the author give the example in paragraph 1
A. To promote the language software.
B. To show off his Chinese language skills.
C. To prove learning a language is a wasted effort.
D. To encourage critical thinking about AI language tools.
2. What can we learn from paragraph 3
A. AI translation deserves more attention.
B. Language apps play a key role in marketing.
C. Language translation is far beyond technology.
D. Learning a different language is an uphill battle.
3. What is the key benefit of learning a language according to the passage
A. Better digital literacy.
B. Improved translation skills.
C. Deeper cultural confidence.
D. Effective intercultural interaction.
4. What does the author imply in the last paragraph
A. AI language tools offer convenience.
B. AI facilitates language learning in terms of culture.
C. AI is far from perfect in helping language understanding.
D. AI has achieved success in the development of language learning tools.
高频话题10人与自我—日常生活
Passage 1
[2025河南省安阳市高三上学期一模]
Most of us use too much laundry detergent(洗涤剂), which can present all kinds of problems. Whatever amount of detergent you use, it must be completely rinsed(漂洗) away.
There are so many variables. Generally, for a standard-size washing machine in areas with soft water, use 1 tablespoon of high-efficiency detergent per wash load. If you have hard water, use 2 tablespoons.
Then there comes the question, “How do I know if my water is hard or soft ” Call your water company or go to its website to learn about the grains of hardness per liter in your local water supply. If the water quality is a little bit hard and you want precise control, use 1.5 tablespoons of high-efficiency detergent per load.
Another important variable is the machine capacity. If it’s a super-size machine, you need to adjust the amount of detergent accordingly. Check the instructions for guidance. Also, you may need to use more or less detergent if you’re running a heavily soiled load or a very small load.
Above all, the most important thing to consider when it comes to laundry detergent is whether or not the detergent gets completely rinsed away before that load of laundry is finished.
The next time you do a load of wash, take a washcloth out of the dryer when it is finished and put it in a warm dish of water. If the water remains clean, it means you have not used too much detergent. If the water turns even slightly cloudy, it means all the detergent has not been removed and you’re using too much detergent.
Finding the exact amount of laundry detergent you need based on the hardness of your water, the size of your washing machine and the size of the laundry load may take experimentation. But once you discover what’s right for you — and you are getting all that detergent out of the clothes, too — you’re going to be pleasantly surprised by the fantastic results.
1. How can one know the hardness of water in his area
A. By counting the grains in the water. B. By checking the water color.
C. By communicating with neighbors. D. By consulting the water company.
2. What is the purpose of using a washcloth according to paragraph 6
A. To see whether the dryer works well.
B. To show how to determine the load properly.
C. To judge whether the laundry detergent is totally rinsed away.
D. To prove water hardness influences how much water is used.
3. What conclusion can be drawn about laundry detergent
A. The more, the cleaner. B. More isn’t necessarily better.
C. The users have the final say. D. Quality is more important than quantity.
4. What can be the best title for the text
A. The Science of Laundry Detergent
B. The Impact of Laundry Detergent on the Environment
C. How to Figure Out the Right Amount of Laundry Detergent
D. What to Take into Consideration When Choosing a Washing Machine
Passage 2
[2025湖南省长沙市高三上学期新高考适应性考试]
Like other cities in New Jersey’s Rust Belt(铁锈地带), Paterson has fallen on hard times, with its once-famous textile(纺织品) industry in disrepair and its schools abandoned.
Strickland, an expert in school design and instructor at MIT in Boston, had been hired as a consultant to help Paterson find sites for new schools. The architect hatched a grand plan to help revitalize(复兴) Paterson’s schools and the city itself.
Six career academies are holding classes at old sites. These small changes have not gone unnoticed. The city, as the residents expected, has the potential to shine.
A nearly unoccupied three-story shopping mall houses two schools, one focused on medical careers, the other on media arts and urban planning. English and math teachers for the two schools lead classes in storefronts that were empty just a year ago. Across town, under the thick wooden beams(横梁) of an old textile factory and a train engine plant, students with disabilities will learn about careers with the region’s transportation systems.
Strickland requires his graduate students at MIT to help Paterson construct models for new building projects in the city. Jane Riesman, one of Strickland’s students, has been working with her kids on an educational park that would replace a wasteland of lifeless asphalt(沥青) and grass that stretches between two downtown schools. The surrounding neighborhood is hardly inspiring; pulling-down of a high-rise housing project is underway, showering dust everywhere. But Riesman’s students envision a very different place. One of the student models includes a swimming pool, skating court, climbing wall, sandbox, and a pond with a fountain and lots of trees. “It’s fun, and it makes us feel like we’re in charge and helping the community,” says 15-year-old Marilyn Medina, one of the model’s creators.
Strickland says it’s important for the students to dream. “They’re setting a tone for the town,” he says. “The kids can push the envelope and change the culture.”
1. What was Paterson like in the past according to paragraph 1
A. It fell into severe disrepair.
B. It rarely produced any iron.
C. Its textile industry was well-known.
D. Its schools were completely deserted.
2. What was the residents’ attitude towards Strickland’s plan
A. Opposed. B. Favorable. C. Dismissive. D. Uncaring.
3. What can we infer about Riesman’s students
A. Diligent and innocent. B. Funny and responsible.
C. Honest and trustworthy. D. Imaginative and helpful.
4. What does the text focus on
A. Transforming old buildings to shine.
B. Revitalizing the city’s shopping mall.
C. Developing students’ logical thinking.
D. Witnessing the rise and fall of Paterson.
Passage 3
[2025·浙江金华·一模]
Last winter I enjoyed a brief adventure in Guatemala. Over a period of 12 days, I explored through the jungle to watch the sunrise and danced in the street during the holiday parade. But looking back on that trip, what I remember most vividly is a New Year’s Eve in Guatemala City, at a lifeless hotel. Rather than a countdown to midnight, I counted down the hours until my departure.
Nothing special happened during that night. Rather, the big role this hotel plays in my memories can be explained by a psychological principle called the recency effect. “The recency effect helps to account for our tendency to remember the ending part of a sequence of events with far more clarity than the rest, ” said Dr. Mary Poffenroth, a biopsychologist.
She says it arises from our short-term memory’s inability to hold on to more than a small amount of information at once. So while there is no magic formula to create lovely travel memories, employing the recency effect can turn a good trip into an unforgettable one.
Dr. Stephanie, a Neuroscientist, says that while you can strategically set off the recency effect at a trip’s end, you may have multiple opportunities to create lasting memories all along the way by breaking it up into smaller chunks.
Keep in mind that the recency effect can also backfire. “Ending an amazing trip with stressful flight delays, lost luggage or feeling unwell might be enough to overshadow the entire experience, resulting in remembering the trip as awful instead of joyful,” Stephanie said.
To avoid disproportionately(不成比例地)spotlighting the final days, Poffenroth has created a trick: She amplifies(增强) earlier days in a trip to keep her memories well-rounded. “I collect little bits that will remind me of that day: a subway ticket, a seashell, a cardboard drink with a pub’ s logo on it. ” Then, as she is packing on the last day, “I go through all my little found treasures and spend a few moments recalling each one,” she said. “This gives me a sense of closure for that chapter of travel and makes the experience memorable. ”
1. How did the author feel about the New Year’s Eve in Guatemala City
A. It was boring. B. It was eventful.
C. It was relaxing. D. It was cheerful.
2. What do we know about the recency effect from paragraph 2
A. It is based on a psychological principle.
B. It is widely used to create lovely memories.
C. It highlights the final part of a series of events.
D. It makes up for the inability of short-term memory.
3. What does the underlined word “backfire” mean in paragraph 4
A. Be avoided to some extent. B. Be applied extensively.
C. Produce undesirable consequences. D. Pose unexpected challenges.
4. According to Poffenroth, which of the following may help travelers have good memories
A. Share travel experiences. B. Recall the final days of a journey.
C. Purchase as many souvenirs as possible. D. Purposely gather reminders of a journey.
Passage 4
[2025·浙江金华·一模]
In the video game Space Invaders Extreme 2, a player has to fire weapons to destroy aliens(外星人) attacking Earth. These aliens move fast, raining down from the top of the screen and claiming a player’s “life” if they reach the bottom.
A study in Nature suggests that while destroying digital aliens might seem unrelated to distinguishing between words, such action video games may help children at risk for developmental dyslexia—a genetic(遗传的, 基因的) language disorder that makes processing words difficult—by improving their ability to perceive spoken words and sounds.
In the study, 79 prereading children with family histories of dyslexia took several language tests, including listening for differences in made-up words—a task that can be challenging for dyslexic people. The kids were then split into four groups. One played Space Invaders Extreme 2, a second played a non-action video game, a third attended speech therapy(疗法), and a fourth received no intervention. Gamers played four times a week for 45 minutes each over a month and a half, and those in speech therapy attended 45-minute sessions twice weekly over about four months.
By the end of the trial more than 80 percent of the Space Invaders players were significantly better at the word-identification task than before, and they showed greater improvements than any of the other three groups. The researchers aren’t sure why scores on the other language tests did not improve notably—but they say that this finding could be valuable. “If we can target these small cognitive (认知的) functions before children are older and lose some brain plasticity, then perhaps we can treat aspects of dyslexia before they’ve fully formed, ” says Simone Gori, co-author of the study.
Dyslexia often goes untreated in Italy’s overburdened public health and school systems, says Marilu Tempini, a behavioral neurologist at the University of California. She hopes to see larger future studies conducted in other languages as well. “Eyes are an extension of the brain,” she says, “so when we play video games, it's directly connected to our cognitive function—and there is so much research potential there. ”
1. The author describes Space Invaders Extreme 2 in paragraph 1 to show the game is ________.
A. violent B. skill-based C. action-packed D. entertaining
2. According to Simone Gori, what is the significance of the finding
A. It proves that children with dyslexia can be cured.
B. It offers hope that the public health system in Italy will be improved.
C. It suggests that video games can replace the traditional speech therapy.
D. It indicates that action video games can be used for early intervention of dyslexia.
3. What is Marilu Tempini’s attitude towards the study
A. Doubtful. B. Favorable. C. Dismissive. D. Conserved.
4. Which of the following might be a suitable title for the text
A. Secrets Behind Dyslexia Revealed
B. Action Video Games Advance Word Awareness
C. The Most Effective Coping Strategy for Dyslexia
D. Video Games Designed to Improve Cognitive Function
高频话题11人与自我—工作职业
Passage 1
[2025·浙江宁波·一模]
Among bearing a reputation for various characteristics ranging from the good to the bad, millennials(千禧一代) have notably been labeled the “job-hopping” generation. A Deloitte survey revealed that 49% of millennials might quit their jobs within the next two years. While some from older generations may interpret this as a sign of laziness, a deeper look suggests more complex motivations.
At first glance, there are a variety of reasons and circumstances that may lead a person to job hop occasionally. However, beyond the conventional reasons like obtaining better salaries or greater job stability, many millennials have been increasingly motivated by value-driven goals. Surveys show that some go to the extent of suffering pay cuts to pursue positions that provide better learning opportunities. Additionally, some even quit their positions for companies which are aligned with their value system better. In response to such a trend, employers are taking steps to improve workplace culture and to pay more attention to the professional growth and development of individuals.
Visibly, Millennials’ boldness in pursuing new job opportunities is also shaped by emerging economic trends and novel business models, such as the gig economy, where self-employed and temporary work caters to those who value flexibility and work-life balance. Additionally, social media has created new career paths, from blogging to content creation, leading more millennials to leave traditional desk jobs for unconventional careers. Hence, one can’t say for certain that job-hopping indicates laziness. Instead, it shows millennials’ wandering off the beaten track to explore new opportunities and development.
However, job-hopping remains controversial. Some employers appreciate the diversity in experience and skills job-hopping brings about, while others view it negatively, seeing it as a lack of commitment. There is concern that millennials, raised in relatively prosperous times, may possess less patience and resilience. Yet, at a materialistic society, millennial generation’s pursuit of meaning in their careers offers inspiration. They should never be discouraged to define new horizons of success when their career decisions are driven by healthy ambition and an appetite for upskilling.
1. What phenomenon does the first paragraph describe
A. Millennials switch jobs frequently. B. Millennials are reluctant to seek jobs.
C. Millennials have fewer job opportunities. D. Millennials are particular about their jobs.
2. The underlined phrase “are aligned with” in Paragraph 2 can be replaced by .
A. go beyond B. correspond to C. conflict with D. compete against
3. The emerging gig economy attracts Millennials in that it allows for .
A. decent income B. high social status
C. definite freedom D. self-paced schedule
4. What is the author’s view on the job-hopping generation
A. They are characterized by laziness. B. They lack diverse work experience.
C. They prioritize individual fulfillment. D. They should bear more responsibility.
Passage 2
[2025·浙江台州·一模]
Are you clever and funny Of course, just like me. But wouldn’t it be terrible if we were mistaken Psychologists suggest that we are often blind to our own shortcomings. This might explain why some incompetent people seem annoying and also teach us modesty about our own abilities.
Justin Kruger and David Dunning from Cornell University tested whether those lacking skills also failed to recognize their limitations. They recruited professional comedians to rate the funniness of 30 jokes and then asked65 undergraduates to do the same. The students’ ratings were compared to the professionals’, revealing how well each undergraduate’s sense of humor matched with expert judgment. Participants also estimated how they performed compared to that of the average person.
As anticipated, most students believed their humor judgement was above average. Interestingly, those slightly above average in rating jokes were accurate in their self-assessments, while the best performers modestly rated themselves only slightly above average. Conversely, the poorest performers not only misjudged humor but also overestimated their abilities. The researchers also repeated their experiments with tests of logical reasoning and grammar. In each case, those who performed worst were also the worst at estimating their own capabilities, Even when given feedback on others’ performance, the least competent still couldn’t recognize their own shortcomings,
Kruger and Dunning’s interpretation is that accurately assessing skill level relies on some of the same core abilities as actually performing that skill, so the least competent suffer a double inadequacy. Not only are they incompetent, but they lack the mental tools to judge their own incompetence. Further, when poor performers were trained in logical reasoning tasks, their self- assessments improved.
Other research confirms this “unskilled and unaware” effect in real-life scenarios, not just in labs. For instance, hunters with the least firearm knowledge misjudge their expertise the most, and doctors with poor patient-interview skills fail to recognize their inadequacies.
This phenomenon, known as the Dunning-Kruger effect, exemplifies metacognition - thinking about thinking. It’s a humbling reminder that we too might overlook our own ignorance, despite our self-beliefs. So, before feeling smug (沾沾自喜的), consider: you could have potential blind spots, too.
1. How did Kruger and Dunning conduct their study
A. By assessing subjects’ funniness. B. By repeating identical joke cases.
C. By observing students’ responses. D. By comparing distinct humor ratings.
2. Which aspect of the experiments is mainly discussed in paragraph 3
A. Estimation tools. B. Test processes.
C. Participant analyses. D. Research findings.
3. What can improve performers’ self-assessments according to the study
A. Live performing skills. B. Immediate peer feedback.
C. Logical thinking exercises. D. Adequate judging guidance.
4. What does the Dunning-Kruger effect imply
A. The richer knowledge we have, the humbler we stay.
B. The less capable we are, the smarter we think we are.
C. The stronger self-beliefs we hold, the better we behave.
D. The more skilled we are, the fewer blind spots we have.
Passage 3
[2025·浙江温州·一模]
In 2017, the University of Waterloo created the PhD job shadow program to help PhDs explore their career options beyond a tenure-track faculty position(终身教职). The program achieved this by having PhD students shadow non-faculty(非教师) staff or hosts who work in departments such as graduate studies and postdoctoral affairs and the centre for teaching excellence. The students would write up a case study relevant to the staff members’ department, including projects like designing a survey or creating a report based on document review.
In 2023, the program was improved to give students greater agency when choosing a host based on student, host and program staff feedback who all found that student-host matching didn’t always meet student needs or expectations. Students were asked to create a list containing up to five staff of their choice and then paired with the staff chosen from their submitted lists. This active effort to find common ground with their hosts created a more meaningful relationship and allowed for higher satisfaction with the interactions during the program.
Choosing their host and doing research around their role allowed students to be better prepared to contribute to a specific department through the case study. One student claimed:“So I found that in general it was a direct match... There are parts that I would have to learn, but the background structure of what I’ve been doing directly translates.” This is particularly relevant since PhD students may finish their program feeling prepared for academia, but most PhD programs do not provide support or training for jobs outside of tenure-track positions.
Mistakenly, the tenure-track is considered by many as the only way to successfully conclude a path in academia and any other paths are“plan B”, which can give feelings of being a “failure”. When students get the opportunity of experiencing what they enjoy about their research in other non-academic or research-related role, finding an equally meaningful career outside of faculty roles becomes clearer and more possible. As one student commented: “It made me realize that the administrative aspect of academia is deeper, richer and more meaningful than what a lot of people assume.”
1. What did the PhD Students do in the job shadow program
A. They experienced non-faculty jobs.
B. They interviewed tenure-track faculty.
C. They worked as teaching assistants.
D. They helped students with career choices.
2. How did the program change in 2023
A. It limited the number of hosts. B. It narrowed down its subjects.
C. It raised its standards for hosts. D. It increased the PhDs’autonomy.
3. What benefit did the program bring to PhDs
A. Expansion of career exploration.
B. Preparation for future research.
C. Familiarity with academic settings.
D. Satisfaction with the chosen careers.
4. What may the PhDs agree with according to the last paragraph
A. Plan B leaves much to be desired.
B. Non-academic positions are also valuable.
C. The administrative positions are better choices.
D. Explorations beyond their capabilities are meaningful.
高频话题12人与社会—人际关系
Passage 1
[2025·浙江绍兴·一模]
It would be difficult to overemphasize the importance of cooperation, not only because it was fundamental to the success of our species through evolution, but because it is fundamental to the success of almost all modern social interactions and relationships.
Let’s start by defining what cooperation actually means. Although definitions vary, cooperation has been defined as working or acting together for mutual benefit. It requires two or more people to act in the best interest of their collective rather than acting for selfish benefit. During task-related communication, cooperation can be expressed in terms of proposing a fair distribution of resources or equal outcomes.
If we consider the dangerous environments that our ancestors grew up in, where around every corner was a potential predator(捕食者), it’s no surprise that cooperation was encouraged. Having strong social relationships provided a helping hand when sick or injured, and helped gather food as well as warnings about what to avoid eating. As a result, modern humans are hard-wired to find cooperation rewarding. Researchers have demonstrated that cooperating with others is associated with increased reward-related activity in the brain compared to engaging in non-cooperative exchanges, even when the physical rewards obtained from such exchange remain the same. Evidently, it is in our nature to want to cooperate, and this is why our relationships thrive when we do.
When we consider the needs of others and put the goals of the collective above the desire for selfish gain during decision making, we lay the groundwork for a strong trusting relationship to be built. But it’s not just in our personal lives that cooperation allows us to thrive, the same goes for our professional lives. In business, when we work collaboratively with others, be it at an individual level (between employees) or an industry level (between organizations), the shared resources and shared ideas enable innovation to flourish. It is exactly this cooperative approach of “two heads are better than one” that is at the heart of project success throughout academia and the private sector.
1. Which statement best defines cooperation according to paragraph 2
A. Acting together for common interests.
B. Working individually for personal gains.
C. Building strong relationships within a team.
D. Associating with each other in an equal way.
2. Why does the author mention dangerous environments in human history
A. To show the cooperative ability of our ancestors.
B. To explain the link between cooperation and reward.
C. To highlight the role of cooperation in human survival.
D. To illustrate the research of reward-related brain activity.
3. How does cooperation contribute to success in professional settings
A. It promotes innovations by sharing ideas and resources.
B. It creates profit opportunities for organizations.
C. It ensures fair competition among employees.
D. It enables individuals to satisfy their desire.
4. What is the main idea of the passage
A. Cooperation leads to the boost of business.
B. Cooperation strengthens personal relationships.
C. Cooperation is a key driver of human development.
D. Cooperation is a vital factor for professional success.
