【高考二轮题型复习】2023年高考英语题型精讲精练学案（新高考）——专题14 说明文体类阅读理解（原卷版+解析版）

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专题14 说明文体类阅读理解（原卷版）
所谓说明文，就是指研究自然科学与技术的文章。说明文是对事物或事理进行客观说明的一种文体，它以说明为主要表达方式，通过解说事物或阐明事理，达到教人以知识的目的，在结构上往往采用总分、递进等方式按一定的顺序（如时间、空间、从现象到本质）进行说明。说明文的特点是客观、简练、语言准确、明了，文章很少表达作者的感情倾向。阅读说明文的重点在于读懂它说明的事物或事理，了解事物的性质、构造、成因、功能等，了解事理的含意、特点等。


一、解题策略
1. 考情分析
最近五年，说明文的出现变化不大，一直很稳定，选材通常是各学科的前沿问题；高科技领域的科研成果；人们比较关心的社会问题；人文方面的经典。由于阅读理解题的设置采用渐进式，即由简到难的方式，因此说明文是高考试卷中阅读理解题中相对比较难的，通常后置。阅读理解试题的中要考点之一是考查学生对词汇和句式的掌握。说明文的词汇和句式的运用较别的体裁的文章难度更大。词汇运用灵活，同一词的不同词性的用法交替出现，未列入考纲的生词较多，通常达到了4-5%。不过考生可以通过说明文的语言特点来帮助理解语篇，例如，同位语、下定义、解释、举例、同义词、反义词、上下义词以及标点符号（如破折号、冒号都有表示解释和说明）等。

2. 得分要点

高考阅读理解中，说明文为主要体裁之一。高考阅读理解题的设问主要围绕以下四方面：细节事实题、主旨大意题、推理判断题、猜测词义题。其中，说明文主要以细节事实、主旨大意和猜测词义三方面问题为主。
一、词义猜测类题型
阅读理解题中常要求学生猜测某些单词或短语的意思。历年英语高考题中均有此类题目，有的文章尽管没有专门设题，但由于文章中常常出现生词，因此，词义的猜测还是贯穿在文章的阅读理解之中。解这类题目一般是通过上下文去理解或根据构词法去猜测。判断一个单词的意思不但离不开句子，而且还需要把句子放在上下文中，根据上下文提供的线索加以猜测。运用构词法,语境等推测关键词义，可以根据以下几种方法猜测：
（一）内在逻辑关系
根据内在逻辑关系推测词义是指运用语言知识分析和判断相关信息之间存在的逻辑关系，然后根据逻辑关系推断生词词义。

1.通过同义词和反义词的关系猜词
通过同义词猜词，一是要看由and或or连接的同义词词组，如happy and gay，即使我们不认识gay这个词，也可以知道它是愉快的意思.这是高三册第八单元阅读第五段的句子：
The word ＂secure＂ in paragraph 5 line is closest in meaning to_________.
A.freefromanxiety B.anxious C.nervous D.happy
根据上下文和同义词，可以选出答案A。
二是看在进一步解释的过程中使用的同义词，如Man has known something about the planets Venus，Mars，and Jupiter with the help of spaceships. 此句中的Venus（金星）,Mars（火星）,Jupiter（木星）均为生词，但只要知道planets就可猜出这几个词都属于＂行星＂这一义域.通过反义词猜词，一是看表转折关系的连词或副词，如but，while，however等；二是看与not搭配的或表示否定意义的词语，如：He is so homely，not at all as handsome as his brother.根据not at all...handsome我们不难推测出homely的意思，即不英俊,不漂亮的意思。

2.根据因果关系猜测词义
通过因果关系猜词，首先是找出生词与上下文之间的逻辑关系，然后才能猜词。有时文章借助关联词（如because，as，since，for，so，thus，as a result，of course，therefore等等）表示前因后果。例如：
You shouldn’t have blamed him for that，for it wasn’t his fault.通过for引出的句子所表示的原因（那不是他的错），可猜出blame的词义是＂责备＂。

3.通过定义或释义关系来推测词义
例如：But sometimes，no rain falls for a long，long time. Then there is a dry period，or drought.
从drought所在句子的上文我们得知很久不下雨，于是便有一段干旱的时期，即drought，由此可见drought意思为＂久旱＂，＂旱灾＂。而a dry period和drought是同义语。这种同义或释义关系常由is，or，that is，in other words，be called或破折号等来表示。

4.通过句法功能来推测词义
例如：Bananas，oranges，pineapples，coconuts and some other kind of fruit grow in warm areas.假如pineapples和coconuts是生词，我们可以从这两个词在句中所处的位置来判断它们大致的意思。从句中不难看出pineapples，coconuts和bananas，oranges是同类关系，同属fruit类，因此它们是两样水果，准确地说，是菠萝和椰子。

5.通过描述猜词
描述即作者为帮助读者更感性地了解某人或某物而对该人或该物作出的外在相貌或内在特征的描写。例如The penguin is a kind of sea bird living in the South Pole. It is fat and walks in a funny way. Although it cannot fly，it can swim in the icy water to catch the fish.从例句的描述中可以得知penguin是一种生活在南极的鸟类.后面更详尽地描述了该鸟类的生活习性。

（二）外部相关因素
外部相关因素是指篇章（句子或段落）以外的其他知识，有时仅靠分析篇章内在逻辑关系无法猜出词义。这时，就需要运用生活经验和普通常识确定词义。例如：The snakes lithered through the grass.根据有关蛇的生活习性的知识，我们可以推断出slither词义为＂爬行＂。

（三）构词法
在阅读文章时，我们总会遇上一些新词汇，有时很难根据上下文来推断其词意，而它们对文章的理解又有着举足轻重的作用，此时，如掌握了一些常用的词根,前缀,后缀,合成等构词法知识，这些问题便不难解决了。
1.根据前缀猜测词义
例如：He fell into a ditch and lay there，semi-conscious，for a few minutes.根据词根conscious（清醒的，有意识的），结合前缀semi（半，部分的，不完全的），我们便可猜出semiconscious词义＂半清醒的，半昏迷的。＂I’m illiterate about such things.词根lit-erate意为＂有文化修养的，通晓的＂，前缀il表示否定，因此illiterate指＂一窍不通，不知道的＂。

2.根据后缀猜测词义
例如：Insecticide is applied where it is needed.后缀cide表示＂杀者，杀灭剂＂，结合大家熟悉的词根insect（昆虫），不难猜出insecticide意为＂杀虫剂＂。Then the vapor may change into droplets.后缀let表示＂小的＂，词根drop指＂滴，滴状物＂。将两个意思结合起来，便可推断出droplet词义＂小滴，微滴＂。
3.根据复合词的各部分猜测词义
例如：Growing economic problems were high-lighted by a slowdown in oil output. Hightlight或许是一个生词，但是分析该词结构后，就能推测出其含义。它是由high（高的，强的）和light（光线）两部分组成，合在一起便是＂以强光照射，使突出＂的意思。Bullfight is very popular in Spain. Bull（公牛）和fight（打，搏斗）结合在一起，指一种在西班牙颇为流行的体育运动—斗牛。

二、主旨大意类题型
主旨大意类题型主要测试学生对文章全面理解和概括的能力，提问的内容可能是全文的大意，也可能是某段的段落大意，一般不易在文中直接找到答案。怎样把握主旨大意题呢？通常有以下几种方法：
（一）阅读文章的标题或副标题
文章的标题是一篇文章的题眼，通过阅读标题或副标题可以迅速把握文章的主旨大意。
（二）寻找文章的主题句
分析篇章结构，找出文章主题。在许多情况下，尤其在阅读说明文和议论文时，根据其篇章特点我们可以通过仔细阅读短文的第一句或第二句,即文章的主题句来归纳出文章的主题.若短文由若干段组成，除仔细阅读第一段的首句外，还须仔细阅读每一段的第一句，即段落中心.通常文章的中心思想包含在文章的首句，有时也在文章的末句，其他句子都是用来说明和阐述主题句。因此，在确定文章的中心思想时，要求学生重视阅读文章的首句和末句。但也有一些文章，中心思想常常贯穿在全文中，因此要求学生综观全文，对段落的内容要融会贯通，对文章透彻理解后归纳总结。主题句的特点是：1.相对于其他句子，它表达的意思比较概括；2.主题句一般结构简单；3.段落中其他句子必定是用来解释,支撑或发展主题句所表达的思想的。
总之，为提高阅读理解能力，在阅读时应抓中心思想,作者意图及关键词语，运用联想,比较,归纳,推测等方法，得出最佳结论，选择最佳答案，不能主观臆测，把自己的观点强加进去，与文章的观点混为一谈。经过长时间有计划,有目的的系统训练，使学生加快阅读速度，提高阅读的正确性，使两者有机地统一起来，以提高学生阅读英语和运用英语进行交际的能力，为继续学习和运用英语切实打好基础.阅读是一种综合性很强的语言实际活动。我们只有进行大量的课内外阅读，掌握一定的阅读技巧，正确运用阅读方法，才能有效地提高阅读理解能力。

3. 常用解题方法

1. 定位对照法：
先阅读题干，然后根据问题的要求，按照题目顺序依次有针对性地结合题干中的关键词到文中定位，阅读相关部分并快速寻找有效信息。再将原文和选项进行比较。当问题与原文材料相同的时候，对号入座；如果问题与原文不同．则可以同义替换、归纳事实等。 
2. 选项分析法：
根据题干中的关键词，找准相关句、段的内容。再仔细对照，排除于文章内容不一致的错误信息，从而确定选项。

3.中心精确捕捉法：根据议论文特点对文章中心段或句进行精准分析。

4. 两种解题步骤
方式一：
1.读开头段，把握中心（中心明确）；
2.解“主旨题”以及“主旨相关题”；
3.解“细节题”（先定段，后定句）。

方式二
1.读开头段，把握中心（中心不明确）；
2.解“细节题”（先定段，后定句）；
3.解“主旨题”以及“主旨相关题”。

【注意事项】
1.不必通读全文，不必千方百计理解文章所有语句；
2.必须首先读好开头与结尾段，快速准确找出文章中心主旨；
3.注意并充分利用文章中所给出的中文提示词。


二、高考真题
一、2022年高考真题
1． 2022年6月新高考1卷A篇
Grading Policies for Introduction to Literature
Grading Scale
90-100, A; 80-89, B; 70-79, C; 60-69, D; Below 60, E.
Essays (60%)
Your four major essays will combine to form the main part of the grade for this course: Essay 1 = 10%; Essay 2 = 15%; Essay 3 = 15%; Essay 4 = 20%.
Group Assignments (30%)
Students will work in groups to complete four assignments (作业) during the course. All the assignments will be submitted by the assigned date through Blackboard, our online learning and course management system.
Daily Work/In-Class Writings and Tests/Group Work/Homework (10%)
Class activities will vary from day to day, but students must be ready to complete short in-class writings or tests drawn directly from assigned readings or notes from the previous class' lecture/discussion, so it is important to take careful notes during class. Additionally, from time to time I will assign group work to be completed in class or short assignments to be completed at home, both of which will be graded.
Late Work
An essay not submitted in class on the due date will lose a letter grade for each class period it is late. If it is not turned in by the 4th day after the due date, it will earn a zero. Daily assignments not completed during class will get a zero. Short writings missed as a result of an excused absence will be accepted.
21. Where is this text probably taken from?
A. A textbook. B. An exam paper. C. A course plan. D. An academic article.
22. How many parts is a student’s final grade made up of?
A. Two. B. Three. C. Four. D. Five.
23. What will happen if you submit an essay one week after the due date?
A. You will receive a zero. B. You will lose a letter grade.
C. You will be given a test. D. You will have to rewrite it.


2． 2022年6月新高考1卷B篇
Like most of us, I try to be mindful of food that goes to waste. The arugula (芝麻菜)was to make a nice green salad, rounding out a roast chicken dinner. But I ended up working late. Then friends called with a dinner invitation. I stuck the chicken in the freezer. But as days passed, the arugula went bad. Even worse, I had unthinkingly bought way too much; I could have made six salads with what I threw out.
In a world where nearly 800 million people a year go hungry, “food waste goes against the moral grain,” as Elizabeth Royte writes in this month’s cover story. It’s jaw-dropping how much perfectly good food is thrown away — from “ugly” (but quite eatable) vegetables rejected by grocers to large amounts of uneaten dishes thrown into restaurant garbage cans.
Producing food that no one eats wastes the water, fuel, and other resources used to grow it. That makes food waste an environmental problem. In fact, Royte writes, “if food waste were a country, it would be the third largest producer of greenhouse gases in the world.”
If that’s hard to understand, let’s keep it as simple as the arugula at the back of my refrigerator. Mike Curtin sees my arugula story all the time — but for him, it's more like 12 bones of donated strawberries nearing their last days. Curtin is CEO of DC Central Kitchen in Washington, D.C., which recovers food and turns it into healthy meals. Last year it recovered more than 807,500 pounds of food by taking donations and collecting blemished (有瑕疵的) produce that otherwise would have rotted in fields. And the strawberries? Volunteers will wash, cut, and freeze or dry them for use in meals down the road.
Such methods seem obvious, yet so often we just don’t think. “Everyone can play a part in reducing waste, whether by not purchasing more food than necessary in your weekly shopping or by asking restaurants to not include the side dish you won’t eat,” Curtin says.


3． 2022年6月新高考1卷C篇
The elderly residents (居民) in care homes in London are being given hens to look after to stop them feeling lonely.
The project was dreamed up by a local charity (慈善组织) to reduce loneliness and improve elderly people’s wellbeing, It is also being used to help patients suffering dementia, a serious illness of the mind. Staff in care homes have reported a reduction in the use of medicine where hens are in use.
Among those taking part in the project is 80-year-old Ruth Xavier. She said: “I used to keep hens when I was younger and had to prepare their breakfast each morning before I went to school. ”
“I like the project a lot. I am down there in my wheelchair in the morning letting the hens out and down there again at night to see they’ve gone to bed.”
“It’s good to have a different focus. People have been bringing their children in to see the hens and residents come and sit outside to watch them. I’m enjoying the creative activities, and it feels great to have done something useful.”
There are now 700 elderly people looking after hens in 20 care homes in the North East, and the charity has been given financial support to roll it out countrywide.
Wendy Wilson, extra care manager at 60 Penfold Street, one of the first to embark on the project, said: “Residents really welcome the idea of the project and the creative sessions. We are looking forward to the benefits and fun the project can bring to people here.”
Lynn Lewis, director of Notting Hill Pathways, said: “We are happy to be taking part in the project. It will really help connect our residents through a shared interest and creative activities.”
28. What is the purpose of the project?
A. To ensure harmony in care homes. B. To provide part-time jobs for the aged.
C. To raise money for medical research. D. To promote the elderly people’s welfare.
29. How has the project affected Ruth Xavier?
A. She has learned new life skills. B. She has gained a sense of achievement.
C. She has recovered her memory. D. She has developed a strong personality.
30. What do the underlined words “embark on” mean in paragraph 7?
A. Improve. B. Oppose. C. Begin. D. Evaluate.
31. What can we learn about the project from the last two paragraphs?
A. It is well received. B. It needs to be more creative.
C. It is highly profitable. D. It takes ages to see the results.

4． 2022年6月新高考1卷D篇
Human speech contains more than 2,000 different sounds, from the common “m” and “a” to the rare clicks of some southern African languages. But why are certain sounds more common than others? A ground-breaking, five-year study shows that diet-related changes in human bite led to new speech sounds that are now found in half the world’s languages.
More than 30 years ago, the scholar Charles Hockett noted that speech sounds called labiodentals, such as “f” and “v”, were more common in the languages of societies that ate softer foods. Now a team of researchers led by Damián Blasi at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, has found how and why this trend arose.
They discovered that the upper and lower front teeth of ancient human adults were aligned (对齐), making it hard to produce labiodentals, which are formed by touching the lower lip to the upper teeth. Later, our jaws changed to an overbite structure (结构), making it easier to produce such sounds.
The team showed that this change in bite was connected with the development of agriculture in the Neolithic period. Food became easier to chew at this point. The jawbone didn’t have to do as much work and so didn’t grow to be so large.
Analyses of a language database also confirmed that there was a global change in the sound of world languages after the Neolithic age, with the use of “f” and “v” increasing remarkably during the last few thousand years. These sounds are still not found in the languages of many hunter-gatherer people today.
This research overturns the popular view that all human speech sounds were present when human beings evolved around 300,000 years ago. ”The set of speech sounds we use has not necessarily remained stable since the appearance of human beings, but rather the huge variety of speech sounds that we find today is the product of a complex interplay of things like biological change and cultural evolution,“ said Steven Moran, a member of the research team.
32. Which aspect of the human speech sound does Damián Blasi’s research focus on?
A. Its variety. B. Its distribution. C. Its quantity. D. Its development.
33. Why was it difficult for ancient human adults to produce labiodentals?
A. They had fewer upper teeth than lower teeth. B. They could not open and close their lips easily.
C. Their jaws were not conveniently structured. D. Their lower front teeth were not large enough.
34. What is paragraph 5 mainly about?
A. Supporting evidence for the research results. B. Potential application of the research findings.
C. A further explanation of the research methods. D. A reasonable doubt about the research process.
35. What does Steven Moran say about the set of human speech sounds?
A. It is key to effective communication. B. It contributes much to cultural diversity.
C. It is a complex and dynamic system. D. It drives the evolution of human beings.

5． 2022年6月全国甲卷B篇
Goffin’s cockatoos, a kind of small parrot native to Australasia, have been shown to have similar shape-recognition abilities to a human two-year-old. Though not known to use tools in the wild, the birds have proved skilful at tool use while kept in the cage. In a recent experiment, cockatoos were presented with a box with a nut inside it. The clear front of the box had a “keyhole” in a geometric shape, and the birds were given five differently shaped “keys” to choose from. Inserting the correct “key” would let out the nut.
In humans, babies can put a round shape in a round hole from around one year of age, but it will be another year before they are able to do the same with less symmetrical (对称的) shapes. This ability to recognize that a shape will need to be turned in a specific direction before it will fit is called an “allocentric frame of reference”. In the experiment, Goffin’s cockatoos were able to select the right tool for the job, in most cases, by visual recognition alone. Where trial-and-error was used, the cockatoos did better than monkeys in similar tests. This indicates that Goffin’s cockatoos do indeed possess an allocentric frame of reference when moving objects in space, similar to two-year-old babies.
The next step, according to the researchers, is to try and work out whether the cockatoos rely entirely on visual clues (线索), or also use a sense of touch in making their shape selections.
24. How did the cockatoos get the nut from the box in the experiment?
A. By following instructions. B. By using a tool.
C. By turning the box around. D. By removing the lid.
25. Which task can human one-year-olds most likely complete according to the text?
A. Using a key to unlock a door. B. Telling parrots from other birds.
C. Putting a ball into a round hole. D. Grouping toys of different shapes.
26. What does the follow-up test aim to find out about the cockatoos?
A. How far they are able to see. B. How they track moving objects.
C. Whether they are smarter than monkeys. D. Whether they use a sense of touch in the test.
27. Which can be a suitable title for the text?
A. Cockatoos: Quick Error Checkers B. Cockatoos: Independent Learners
C. Cockatoos: Clever Signal-Readers D. Cockatoos: Skilful Shape-Sorters

6． 2022年6月全国甲卷C篇
As Ginni Bazlinton reached Antarctica, she found herself greeted by a group of little Gentoo penguins (企鹅) longing to say hello. These gentle, lovely gatekeepers welcomed her and kick-started what was to be a trip Ginni would never forget.
Ever since her childhood, Ginni, now 71, has had a deep love for travel. Throughout her career (职业) as a professional dancer, she toured in the UK, but always longed to explore further. When she retired from dancing and her sons eventually flew the nest, she decided it was time to take the plunge.
After taking a degree at Chichester University in Related Arts, Ginni began to travel the world, eventually getting work teaching English in Japan and Chile. And it was in Chile she discovered she could get last-minute cheap deals on ships going to Antarctica from the islands off Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost tip of the South American mainland. “I just decided I wanted to go,” she says. “I had no idea about what I’d find there and I wasn’t nervous, I just wanted to do it. And I wanted to do it alone as I always prefer it that way.”
In March 2008, Ginni boarded a ship with 48 passengers she’d never met before, to begin the journey towards Antarctica. “From seeing the wildlife to witnessing sunrises, the whole experience was amazing. Antarctica left an impression on me that no other place has,” Ginni says. “I remember the first time I saw a humpback whale; it just rose out of the water like some prehistoric creature and I thought it was smiling at us. You could still hear the operatic sounds it was making underwater.”
The realization that this is a precious land, to be respected by humans, was one of the biggest things that hit home to Ginni.
28. Which of the following best explains “take the plunge” underlined in paragraph 2?
A. Try challenging things. B. Take a degree.
C. Bring back lost memories. D. Stick to a promise.
29. What made Ginni decide on the trip to Antarctica?
A. Lovely penguins. B. Beautiful scenery.
C. A discount fare. D. A friend’s invitation.
30. What does Ginni think about Antarctica after the journey?
A. It could be a home for her. B. It should be easily accessible.
C. It should be well preserved. D. It needs to be fully introduced.
31. What is the text mainly about?
A. A childhood dream. B. An unforgettable experience.
C. Sailing around the world. D. Meeting animals in Antarctica.

7． 2022年6月全国乙卷C篇
Can a small group of drones (无人机) guarantee the safety and reliability of railways and, at the same time, help railway operators save billions of euros each year? That is the very likely future of applying today’s “eyes in the sky” technology to making sure that the millions of kilometres of rail tracks and infrastructure (基础设施) worldwide are safe for trains on a 24/7 basis.
Drones are already being used to examine high-tension electrical lines. They could do precisely the same thing to inspect railway lines and other vital aspects of rail infrastructure such as the correct position of railway tracks and switching points. The more regularly they can be inspected, the more railway safety, reliability and on-time performance will be improved. Costs would be cut and operations would be more efficient (高效) across the board.
That includes huge savings in maintenance costs and better protection of railway personnel safety. It is calculated that European railways alone spend approximately 20 billion euros a year on maintenance, including sending maintenance staff, often at night, to inspect and repair the rail infrastructure. That can be dangerous work that could be avoided with drones assisting the crews’ efforts.
By using the latest technologies, drones could also start providing higher-value services for railways, detecting faults in the rail or switches, before they can cause any safety problems. To perform these tasks, drones for rail don’t need to be flying overhead. Engineers are now working on a new concept: the rail drones of the future. They will be moving on the track ahead of the train, and programmed to run autonomously. Very small drones with advanced sensors and AI and travelling ahead of the train could guide it like a co-pilot. With their ability to see ahead, they could signal any problem, so that fast-moving trains would be able to react in time.
28. What makes the application of drones to rail lines possible?
A. The use of drones in checking on power lines. B. Drones’ ability to work at high altitudes.
C. The reduction of cost in designing drones. D. Drones’ reliable performance in remote areas.
29. What does “maintenance” underlined in paragraph 3 refer to?
A. Personnel safety. B. Assistance from drones.
C. Inspection and repair. D. Construction of infrastructure.
30. What function is expected of the rail drones?
A. To provide early warning. B. To make trains run automatically.
C To earn profits for the crews. D. To accelerate transportation.
31. Which is the most suitable title for the text?
A. What Faults Can Be Detected with Drones B. How Production of Drones Can Be Expanded
C. What Difficulty Drone Development Will Face D. How Drones Will Change the Future of Railways

8． 2022年6月全国乙卷D篇
The Government’s sugar tax on soft drinks has brought in half as much money as Ministers first predicted it would generate, the first official data on the policy has shown.
First announced in April, 2016, the tax which applies to soft drinks containing more than 5g of sugar per 100ml, was introduced to help reduce childhood obesity (肥胖). It is believed that today’s children and teenagers are consuming three times the recommended level of sugar, putting them at a higher risk of the disease.
Initially the sugar tax was expected to make £520m a year for the Treasury. However, data of the first six months showed it would make less than half this amount. At present it is expected to generate £240m for the year ending in April 2019, which will go to school sports.
It comes after more than half of soft drinks sold in shops have had their sugar levels cut by manufacturers (制造商) so they can avoid paying the tax. Drinks now contain 45 million fewer kilos of sugar as a result of manufacturers’ efforts to avoid the charge, according to Treasury figures. Since April drinks companies have been forced to pay between 18p and 24p for every litre of sugary drink they produce or import, depending on the sugar content.
However some high sugar brands, like Classic Coca Cola, have accepted the sugar tax and are refusing to change for fear of upsetting consumers. Fruit juices, milk-based drinks and most alcoholic drinks are free of the tax, as are small companies manufacturing fewer than 1m litres per year.
Today’s figures, according to one government official, show the positive influence the sugar tax is having by raising millions of pounds for sports facilities (设施) and healthier eating in schools. Helping the next generation to have a healthy and active childhood is of great importance, and the industry is playing its part.

9． 2022年6月北京卷C篇
“What would the world be if there were no hunger?” It’s a question that Professor Crystal would ask her students. They found it hard to answer, she wrote later, because imagining something that isn’t part of real life—and learning how to make it real—is a rare skill. It is taught to artists and engineers, but much less often to scientists. Crystal set out to change that, and helped to create a global movement. The result—an approach known as systems thinking—is now seen as essential in meeting global challenges.
Systems thinking is crucial to achieving targets such as zero hunger and better nutrition because it requires considering the way in which food is produced, processed, delivered and consumed, and looking at how those things intersect (交叉 ) with human health, the environment, economics and society. According to systems thinking, changing the food system—or any other network—requires three things to happen. First, researchers need to identify all the players in that system; second, they must work out how they relate to each other; and third, they need to understand and quantify the impact of those relationships on each other and on those outside the system.
Take nutrition. In the latest UN report on global food security, the number of undernourished (营养不良 )people in the world has been rising, despite great advances in nutrition science. Tracking of 150 biochemicals in food has been important in revealing the relationships between calories, sugar, fat and the occurrence of common diseases. But using machine learning and artificial intelligence, some scientists propose that human diets consist of at least 26,000 biochemicals—and that the vast majority are not known.This shows that we have some way to travel before achieving the first objective of systems thinking - which,in this example, is to identify more constituent parts of the nutrition system.
A systems approach to creating change is also built on the assumption that everyone in the system has equal power. But as some researchers find, the food system is not an equal one. A good way to redress (修正 ) such power imbalance is for more universities to do what Crystal did and teach students how to think using a systems approach.
More researchers, policymakers and representatives from the food industry must learn to look beyond their direct lines of responsibility and adopt a systems approach. Crystal knew that visions alone don’t produce results, but concluded that “we’ll never produce results that we can’t envision”.
28. The author uses the question underlined in Paragraph 1 to ________.
A. illustrate an argument B. highlight an opinion
C. introduce the topic D. predict the ending
29. What can be inferred about the field of nutrition?
A. The first objective of systems thinking hasn’t been achieved.
B. The relationships among players have been clarified.
C. Machine learning can solve the nutrition problem.
D. The impact of nutrition cannot be quantified.
30. As for systems thinking, which would the author agree with?
A. It may be used to justify power imbalance. B. It can be applied to tackle challenges.
C. It helps to prove why hunger exists. D. It goes beyond human imagination.

10． 2022年6月浙江卷B篇
All around the world, there are small changes taking place. At the side of roads, behind school playgrounds and on all kinds of unloved pieces of land across towns and cities, tiny forests barely the size of tennis courts are appearing, making a great place for both wildlife and local people who may not normally have easy access to nature. This is the Tiny Forest movement, which aims to prove that the best things in life really do come in small packages.
Tiny forests were first pioneered as a concept in the 1970s by Dr Miyawaki, a Japanese botanist. As he went on to share his concept with others, the idea soon took off in India and other countries before eventually reaching Europe, where it became popular in places like France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
So how does it work? Louise Hartley, who is leading the Tiny Forest project in the UK, explains that the process begins by identifying areas in which a tiny forest could have the biggest influence. “We focus on urban areas where access to nature is often not that easy”, says Hartley. “We see it as a chance to try to break the growing disconnect between people and nature.”
In a Tiny Forest, there must be a minimum of 600 trees, and the trees are planted much closer together and without chemicals or fertilisers (肥料). There are usually around 30 different kinds of all-native tree species (物种). This variety, coupled with the fact that tiny forests grow up to ten times faster than standard forests, means they attract a rich abundance of wildlife. It’s also thought that these places could help reduce the risk of flooding, remove carbon from the atmosphere and fight climate change, as well as improving the mental health of those living locally.
4. What do we know about the Tiny Forest movement?
A. It has achieved notable success. B. It is led by number of schools.
C. It began in Europe in the 1970s. D. It will spread to the countryside.
5. What is the purpose of the project led by Hartley in the UK?
A. To promote eco-tourism. B. To improve forestry research.
C. To popularise gardening. D. To get people close to nature.
6. What is special about the trees in a Tiny Forest?
A. They are small in size. B. They are thickly planted.
C. They are foreign species. D. They are heavily fertilised.

11． 2022年6月浙江卷C篇
Many people believe that working to the maximum is the secret to success, but research has found that moderation(适度) also gets results on the job.
In a study led by Ellen Langer of Harvard University, researchers asked people to translate sentences into a new a made-up language. Subjects who practiced the language moderately beforehand made fewer errors than those who practiced extensively or not at all. High levels of knowledge can make people too attached to traditional ways of viewing problems across fields the arts, sciences, and politics. High conscientiousness is related to lower job performance, especially in simple jobs where it doesn’t pay to be a perfectionist.
How long we stay on the clock and how we spend that time are under careful examination in many workplaces. The young banker who eats lunch at his desk is probably seen as a go-getter, while his colleagues who chat over a relaxed conference-room meal get dirty looks from the corner office. “People from cultures that value relationships more than ours does are shocked by the thought of eating alone in front of a computer”, says Art Markman, a professor of psychology at the University of Texas, Austin. Social interaction has been shown to lift mood(情绪) and get people thinking in new directions and in ways that could help improve any post-lunch effort.
Markman also promotes off-task time. “Part of being a good thinker is experiencing things that are seemingly unrelated to what you are working on at the moment but give you fresh ideas about your work,” he says. “Also, there is a lot of research showing that a positive mood leads to higher levels of productivity and creativity. So, when people do things to increase their life satisfaction, they also make themselves more effective at work.”
7. What does Ellen Langer’s study show?
A. It is worthwhile to be a perfectionist B. Translation makes people knowledgeable.
C. Simpler jobs require greater caution. D. Moderate effort produces the best result.
8. The underlined word “go-getter” in paragraph 3 refers to someone Who_______.
A. is good at handling pressure B. works hard to become successful
C. a has a natural talent for his job. D. gets on well with his co-workers
9. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A. A good thinker is able to inspire other people. B. Experience unrelated to your job is useless.
C. A cheerful mood helps make a creative mind. D. Focusing on what you do raises productivity.
10. What does the text seem to advocate?
A. Middle-of-the-road work habits. B. Balance between work and family.
C. Long-standing cultural traditions. D. Harmony in the work environment.

12． 2022年1月浙江卷C篇
The benefits of regular exercise are well documented but there's a new bonus to add to the ever-growing list.New research found that middle-aged women who were physically fit could be nearly 90 percent less likely to develop dementia（失智症）in later life-and if they did，it came on a decade later than less sporty women.
Lead researcher Dr.Helena Horder, of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden,said:“These findings are exciting because it's possible that improving people's cardiovascular（心血管的）fitness in middle age could delay or even prevent them from developing dementia.”
For the study,191 women with an average age of 50 took a bicycle exercise test until they were tired out to measure their peak（最大值的）cardiovascular capacity.The average peak workload was measured at 103 watts.
A total of 40 women met the criteria for a high fitness level with a capacity of 120 watts or higher. While 92 women were in the medium fitness category; A total of 59 were of low fitness level ,with a peak workload of 80 watts or less,or having their tests stopped because of health problems.
These women were then tested for dementia six times over the following four decades.During that time,44 of the women developed dementia.Five percent of the highly fit women developed dementia,compared to 25 percent of the women with medium fitness and 32 percent of the women with low fitness.
"However,this study does not show cause and effect between cardiovascular fitness and dementia, it only shows an association.said Horder. More research is needed to see if improved fitness could have a positive effect on the risk of dementia and also to look at when during a lifetime a high fitness level is most important." She also admitted that a relatively small number of women were studied,all of whom were from Sweden,so the results might not be applicable to other groups.
27.What is on the ever-growing list mentioned in the first paragraph?
A.Positive effects of doing exercises. B.Exercises suitable for the middle-aged.
C.Experimental studies on dementia. D.Advantages of sporty women over men.
28.Why did the researchers ask the women to do bicycle exercise?
A.To predict their maximum heart rate. B.To assess their cardiovascular capacity.
C.To change their habit of working out. D.To detect their potential health problems.
29.What do we know about Dr Horder's study?
A. It aimed to find a cure for dementia. B.Data collection was a lengthy process.
C.Some participants withdrew from it. D.The results were far from satisfactory.
30.Which of the following is the best title for the text?
A.More Women Are Exercising to Prevent Dementia
B.Middle-Aged Women Need to Do More Exercise
C.Fit Women Are Less Likely to Develop Dementia
D.Biking Improves Women's Cardiovascular Fitness

二、2021年高考真题
1.【2021新高考1卷 C篇】
When the explorers first set foot upon the continent of North America, the skies and lands were alive with an astonishing variety of wildlife. Native Americans have taken care of these precious natural resourses wisely. Unfortunately, it took the explorers and the settlers who followed only a few decades to decimate a large part of these resources. Millions of waterfowl（水禽）were killed at the hands of market hunters and a handful of overly ambitious sportsmen. Millions of acres of wetlands were dried to feed and house the ever-increasing populations, greatly reducing waterfowl habitat（栖息地）.
In 1934, with the passage of the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act (Act), an increasingly concerned nation took firm action to stop the destruction of migratory（迁徙的）waterfowl and the wetlands so vital to their survival. Under this Act, all waterfowl hunters 16 years of age and over must annually purchase and carry a Federal Duck Stamp. The very first Federal Duck Stamp was designed by J.N. "Ding" Darling, a political cartoonist from Des Moines, lowa, who at that time was appointed by President Franklin Roosevelt as Director of the Bureau of Biological Survey. Hunters willingly pay the stamp price to ensure the survival of our natural resources.
About 98 cents of every duck stamp dollar goes directly into the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund to purchase wetlands and wildlife habitat for inclusion into the National Wildlife Refuge System—a fact that ensures this land will be protected and available for all generations to come. Since 1934, better than half a billion dollars has gone into that Fund to purchase more than 5 million acres of habitat. Little wonder the Federal Duck Stamp Program has been called one of the most successful conservation programs ever initiated.
1.What was a cause of the waterfowl population decline in North America?
A.Loss of wetlands. B.Popularity of water sports.
C.Pollution of rivers. D.Arrival of other wild animals.

2.What does the underlined word "decimate" mean in the first paragraph?
A.Acquire. B.Export. C.Destroy. D.Distribute.

3.What is a direct result of the Act passed in 1934?
A.The stamp price has gone down. B.The migratory birds have flown away.
C.The hunters have stopped hunting. D.The government has collected money.

4.Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?
A.The Federal Duck Stamp Story B.The National Wildlife Refuge System
C.The Benefits of Saving Waterfowl D.The History of Migratory Bird Hunting

2.【2021全国甲卷 B篇】
Port Lympne Reserve, which runs a breeding（繁育） programme, has welcomed the arrival of a rare black rhino calf （犀牛幼崽）. When the tiny creature arrived on January 31. she became the 40th black rhino to be born at the reserve. And officials at Port Lympne were delighted with the new arrival, especially as black rhinos are known for being difficult to breed in captivity（圈养）.
Paul Beer, head of rhino section at Port Lympne, said: "Obviously we're all absolutely delighted to welcome another calf to our black rhino family. She's healthy, strong and already eager to play and explore. Her mother, Solio, is a first-time mum and she is doing a fantastic job. It's still a little too cold for them to go out into the open, but as soon as the weather warms up, I have no doubt that the little one will be out and about exploring and playing every day."
The adorable female calf is the second black rhino born this year at the reserve, but it is too early to tell if the calves will make good candidates to be returned to protected areas of the wild. The first rhino to be born at Port Lympne arrived on January 5 to first-time mother Kisima and weighed about 32kg. His mother, grandmother and great grandmother were all born at the reserve and still live there.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, the global black rhino population has dropped as low as 5500, giving the rhinos a "critically endangered" status.
1.Which of the following best describes the breeding programme?
A.Costly. B.Controversial. C.Ambitious. D.Successful.

2.What does Paul Beer say about the new-born rhino?
A.She loves staying with her mother. B.She dislikes outdoor activities.
C.She is in good condition. D.She is sensitive to heat.

3.What similar experience do Solio and Kisima have?
A.They had their first born in January. B.They enjoyed exploring new places.
C.They lived with their grandmothers. D.They were brought to the reserve young.

4.What can be inferred about Port Lympne Reserve?
A.The rhino section will be open to the public.
B.It aims to control the number of the animals.
C.It will continue to work with the World Wildlife Fund.
D.Some of its rhinos may be sent to the protected wild areas.

3.【2021全国甲卷 D篇】
Who is a genius? This question has greatly interested humankind for centuries.
Let's state clearly: Einstein was a genius. His face is almost the international symbol for genius. But we want to go beyond one man and explore the nature of genius itself. Why is it that some people are so much more intelligent or creative than the rest of us? And who are they?
In the sciences and arts, those praised as geniuses were most often white men, of European origin. Perhaps this is not a surprise. It's said that history is written by the victors, and those victors set the standards for admission to the genius club. When contributions were made by geniuses outside the club—women, or people of a different color or belief—they were unacknowledged and rejected by others.
A study recently published by Science found that as young as age six, girls are less likely than boys to say that members of their gender（性别）are "really, really smart." Even worse, the study found that girls act on that belief: Around age six they start to avoid activities said to be for children who are "really, really smart." Can our planet afford to have any great thinkers become discouraged and give up? It doesn't take a genius to know the answer: absolutely not.
Here's the good news. In a wired world with constant global communication, we're all positioned to see flashes of genius wherever they appear. And the more we look, the more we will see that social factors（因素） like gender, race, and class do not determine the appearance of genius. As a writer says, future geniuses come from those with “intelligence, creativity, perseverance（毅力）, and simple good fortune, who are able to change the world."
1.What does the author think of victors' standards for joining the genius club?
A.They're unfair. B.They're conservative. C.They're objective. D.They're strict.

2.What can we infer about girls from the study in Science?
A.They think themselves smart. B.They look up to great thinkers.
C.They see gender differences earlier than boys. D.They are likely to be influenced by social beliefs.

3.Why are more geniuses known to the public?
A.Improved global communication. B.Less discrimination against women.
C.Acceptance of victors' concepts. D.Changes in people's social positions.

4.What is the best title for the text?
A.Geniuses Think Alike B.Genius Takes Many Forms
C.Genius and Intelligence D.Genius and Luck


4.【2021全国乙卷 B篇】
When almost everyone has a mobile phone, why are more than half of Australian homes still paying for a landline（座机）?
These days you'd be hard pressed to find anyone in Australia over the age of 15 who doesn't own a mobile phone. In fact plenty of younger kids have one in their pocket. Practically everyone can make and receive calls anywhere, anytime.
Still, 55 percent of Australians have a landline phone at home and only just over a quarter (29%) rely only on their smartphones, according to a survey（调查）. Of those Australians who still have a landline, a third concede that it's not really necessary and they're keeping it as a security blanket—19 percent say they never use it while a further 13 percent keep it in case of emergencies. I think my home falls into that category.
More than half of Australian homes are still choosing to stick with their home phone. Age is naturally a factor（因素）—only 58 percent of Generation Ys still use landlines now and then, compared to 84 percent of Baby Boomers who've perhaps had the same home number for 50 years. Age isn't the only factor; I'd say it's also to do with the makeup of your household.
Generation Xers with young families, like my wife and I, can still find it convenient to have a home phone rather than providing a mobile phone for every family member. That said, to be honest the only people who ever ring our home phone are our Baby Boomers parents, to the point where we play a game and guess who is calling before we pick up the phone (using Caller ID would take the fun out of it).
How attached are you to your landline? How long until they go the way of gas street lamps and morning milk deliveries?
1.What does paragraph 2 mainly tell us about mobile phones?
A.Their target users. B.Their wide popularity.
C.Their major functions. D.Their complex design.

2.What does the underlined word "concede" in paragraph 3 mean?
A.Admit. B.Argue. C.Remember. D.Remark.

3.What can we say about Baby Boomers?
A.They like smartphone games. B.They enjoy guessing callers' identity.
C.They keep using landline phones. D.They are attached to their family.

4.What can be inferred about the landline from the last paragraph?
A.It remains a family necessity. B.It will fall out of use some day.
C.It may increase daily expenses. D.It is as important as the gas light.


5.【2021全国乙卷 C篇】
You've heard that plastic is polluting the ocean—between 4.8 and 12.7 million tonnes enter ocean ecosystems every year. But does one plastic straw or cup really make a difference? Artist Benjamin Von Wong wants you to know that it does. He builds massive sculptures out of plastic garbage, forcing viewers to re-examine their relationship to single-use plastic products.
At the beginning of the year, the artist built a piece called  "Strawpocalypse, " a pair of 10-foot-tall plastic waves, frozen mid-crash. Made of 168, 000 plastic straws collected from several volunteer beach cleanups, the sculpture made its first appearance at the Estella Place shopping center in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Just 9% of global plastic waste is recycled. Plastic straws are by no means the biggest source（来源）of plastic pollution, but they've recently come under fire because most people don't need them to drink with and, because of their small size and weight, they cannot be recycled. Every straw that's part of Von Wong's artwork likely came from a drink that someone used for only a few minutes. Once the drink is gone, the straw will take centuries to disappear.
In a piece from 2018, Von Wong wanted to illustrate（说明） a specific statistic: Every 60 seconds, a truckload's worth of plastic enters the ocean. For this work, titled "Truckload of Plastic, " Von Wong and a group of volunteers collected more than 10, 000 pieces of plastic, which were then tied together to look like they'd been dumped（倾倒） from a truck all at once.
Von Wong hopes that his work will also help pressure big companies to reduce their plastic footprint.
1.What are Von Wong's artworks intended for?
A.Beautifying the city he lives in. B.Introducing eco-friendly products.
C.Drawing public attention to plastic waste. D.Reducing garbage on the beach.

2.Why does the author discuss plastic straws in paragraph 3?
A.To show the difficulty of their recycling. B.To explain why they are useful.
C.To voice his views on modern art. D.To find a substitute for them.

3.What effect would "Truckload of Plastic" have on viewers?
A.Calming. B.Disturbing. C.Refreshing. D.Challenging.

4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A.Artists' Opinions on Plastic Safety B.Media Interest in Contemporary Art
C.Responsibility Demanded of Big Companies D.Ocean Plastics Transformed into Sculptures


6.【2021全国乙卷 D篇】
During an interview for one of my books, my interviewer said something I still think about often. Annoyed by the level of distraction（干扰）in his open office, he said, "That's why I have a membership at the coworking space across the street—so I can focus." His comment struck me as strange. After all, coworking spaces also typically use an open office layout（布局）. But I recently came across a study that shows why his approach works.
The researchers examined various levels of noise on participants as they completed tests of creative thinking. They were randomly divided into four groups and exposed to various noise levels in the background, from total silence to 50 decibels（分贝）, 70 decibels, and 85 decibels. The differences between most of the groups were statistically insignificant; however, the participants in the 70 decibels group—those exposed to a level of noise similar to background chatter in a coffee shop—significantly outperformed the other groups. Since the effects were small, this may suggest that our creative thinking does not differ that much in response to total silence and 85 decibels of background noise.
But since the results at 70 decibels were significant, the study also suggests that the right level of background noise—not too loud and not total silence—may actually improve one's creative thinking ability. The right level of background noise may interrupt our normal patterns of thinking just enough to allow our imaginations to wander, without making it impossible to focus. This kind of "distracted focus" appears to be the best state for working on creative tasks.
So why do so many of us hate our open offices? The problem may be that, in our offices, we can't stop ourselves from getting drawn into others' conversations while we're trying to focus. Indeed, the researchers found that face-to-face interactions and conversations affect the creative process, and yet a coworking space or a coffee shop provides a certain level of noise while also providing freedom from interruptions.
1.Why does the interviewer prefer a coworking space?
A.It helps him concentrate. B.It blocks out background noise.
C.It has a pleasant atmosphere. D.It encourages face-to-face interactions.

2.Which level of background noise may promote creative thinking ability?
A.Total silence. B.50 decibels. C.70 decibels. D.85 decibels.

3.What makes an open office unwelcome to many people?
A.Personal privacy unprotected. B.Limited working space.
C.Restrictions on group discussion. D.Constant interruptions.

4.What can we infer about the author from the text?
A.He's a news reporter. B.He's an office manager.
C.He's a professional designer. D.He's a published writer.


7.【2021.6 浙江卷 C篇】
If you ever get the impression that your dog can "tell" whether you look content or annoyed, you may be onto something. Dogs may indeed be able to distinguish between happy and angry human faces, according to a new study.
Researchers trained a group of 11 dogs to distinguish between images（图像） of the same person making either a happy or an angry face. During the training stage, each dog was shown only the upper half or the lower half of the person's face. The researchers then tested the dogs' ability to distinguish between human facial expressions by showing them the other half of the person's face or images totally different from the ones used in training. The researchers found that the dogs were able to pick the angry or happy face by touching a picture of it with their noses more often than one would expect by random chance.
The study showed the animals had figured out how to apply what they learned about human faces during training to new faces in the testing stage. "We can rule out that the dogs simply distinguish hetween the pictures bused on a simple cue, such as the sight of teeth, " said study anthor Corsin Muller.  "Instead, our results suggest that the surcessful dogs realized that a smiling mouth means the same thing as smiling eyes, and the same rule applies to an angry mouth having the same meaning as angry eyes."
"With our study, we think we can now confidently conclude that at least some dogs can distinguish human facial expressions," Muller told Live Science.
At this point, it is not clear why dogs seem to be equipped with the ability to recognize different facial expressions in humans."To us, the most likely explanation appears to be that the basis lies in their living with humans, which gives them a lot of exposure to human facial expressions, ” and this exposure has provided them with many chances to learn to distinguish between them, Muller said.
1.The new study focused on whether dogs can           .
A.distinguish shapes B.make sense of human faces
C.feel happy or angry D.communicate with each other

2.What can we learn about the study from paragraph 2?
A.Researchers tested the dogs in random order. B.Diverse methods were adopted during training.
C.Pictures used in the two stages were different. D.The dogs were photographed before the test.

3.What is the last paragraph mainly about?
A.A suggestion for future studies. B.A possible reason for the study findings.
C.A major limitation of the study. D.An explanation of the research method.

8.【2021年6月天津卷A篇】
When starting college, most students enjoy a week's stay on campus before classes actually begin. What should you do with that time? Below are several tips to ease（使熟悉） yourself into college life.
Participating in Campus Welcome Activities
Most universities host welcome events before the academic year officially begins, including freshmen orientations （迎新会），campus picnics, and entertainments like concerts.
Participating in such events is a great way to learn about school facilities and understand campus culture: What do students do for fiin? What are their favorite classes? What is the history of your university? It can help you observe campus life outside the classroom.
Exploring Campus
Getting to know where essential campus resources are—such as the student advising center, psychological services, and the tutoring center~~will make your first few weeks on campus a lot easier, because you won't have to look for them while still getting used to your classes.
Take some time to check out the buildings where your classes will be held. This will prevent you from getting lost in the first few days of classes, and familiarize you with how long it takes to get from place to place. If you're worried about taking classes one after another in different buildings, a quick test run won't hurt. That way, you will avoid potential time delays in getting to your classes.
Starting a Routine
Before getting too excited about all of the fun things you will be able to do during the week, remember that you do have a pretty big schedule change coming up. Starting classes means being in different places at different times, so it’s a great idea to start getting used to that routine right this week.
What helps you most is to schedule your sleep. Following the planned time will ensure you have enough sleep to get to those early classes and stay wide awake.
If you have other daily routines, such as exercising or talking on the phone with family, work those into your day-to-day life before classes start so that you get a better idea of how they fit in with your schedule.
36．By participating in campus welcome activities, freshmen can .
A．learn about campus culture B.get their course schedule
C.have a physical examination D.take an entrance test
37．Why are freshmen advised to have a quick test run between buildings ?
A．To see how many facilities they can use. B.To avoid being late for future classes.
C.To help those getting lost on campus. D.To practice running on their way to class.
38．When is it best for freshmen to start getting used to the new routine?
A．On the first day of their classes. B.Before the orientation week.
C.After their first-day classes. D.During the orientation week.
39．What does the author suggest freshmen do to stay focused in class?
A．Take physical exercise before class. B.Leave their phones powered off.
C.Take early classes every day. D.Keep to the sleep schedule.
40．What is the author's purpose in writing this passage?
A．To offer some tips on making an easier start at college.
B.To remind freshmen about the first day of school.
C.To help freshmen organize campus activities.
D.To share his college experience with the reader.

9.【2021年6月天津卷C篇】
In the fictional worlds of film and TV, artificial intelligence （Al） has been described as so advanced that it is indistinguishable from humans. But what if we're actually getting closer to a world where Al is capable of thinking and feeling?
Tech company UneeQ is heading for its "digital humans", which appear life like on the screen not only in terms of language, but also because of facial movements: raised eyebrows, a smile, even a nod. They look close to a human, but not quite.
What lies beneath UneeQ9 s digital humans? Their 3D faces are modeled on actual human features. Speech recognition enables them to understand what a person is saying, and natural language processing is used to work out a response. Meanwhile, another Al company, Soul Machines, is taking a more biological approach, with a "digital brain", that imitates aspects of the human brain to adjust the emotions "fblt" and "expressed" by its "digital people".
Shiwali Mohan, an Al scientist at the Palo Research Center, is skeptical of these digital beings. "They're humanlike in their looks and the way they sound, but that in itself is not being human," she says. "Human qualities also involve how you think, how you approach problems, and how you break them down; and that takes a lot of algorithmic (算 法)design. Designing for human-level intelligence is a different attempt than designing images that behave like humans." She then continues, “If something looks like a human, we have high expectations of them, but they might behave differently in ways that humans just instinctively (直觉地)know how other humans react.
Yet the demand is there, with UneeQ seeing high adoption of its digital employees across the financial, health care, and commercial sectors （行业）. "Unless these sectors make their business models much more efficient digitally, they might be left behind," says Chetan Dube, UneeQ9s CEO.
Some other companies are taking their digital beings a step further, enabling organizations and individuals to create digital humans themselves using free-access platforms they provide. "The biggest motivation for such platforms is to popularize Al," Dube says.
Mohan is cautious about this approach, yet she supports the purpose behind these digital beings and is optimistic about where they are headed. "As we develop more advanced Al technology, we would then have to use new ways of communicating with that technology,she says. "'Hopefully, all of that is designed to support humans in their goals."
46．According to Para. 2, in what respect（s） do UneeQ9s "digital humans" resemble human beings?
A．In the way they move around. B.In the way they act and react.
C.In observation and analysis. D.In speech and facial expressions.
47．Soul Machines’digital brain is a technological breakthrough because it .
A．learns to make proper emotional responses B.tends to imitate human beings' tone vividly
C.recognizes the speech sounds it receives D.processes the natural language it hears
48．In Mohan's opinion, what human quality is lacking in digital beings?
A．Calculating brain. B.Language skills.
C.Instinctive judgments. D.Problem-solving ability.
49．What makes many sectors employ digital humans?
A．The fear of falling behind in efficiency. B.The urgency to promote e-commerce.
C.The wish to spread digital technology. D.The need to upgrade the health care system.
50．What does Mohan think of the future of digital beings?
A．It's well planned. B.It is promising. C.It is uncertain. D.It's quite hopeless.

10.【2021年6月天津卷D篇】
Art is everywhere. Any public space has been carefully designed by an artistic mind to be both functional and beautiful. Why, then, is art still so widely considered to be "the easy subject" at school, insignificant to wider society, a waste of time and effort?
Art can connect culture with commercial products in a way that not many other things can; art generates money and holds significant emotional and cultural value within communities. When people attend a concert, they are paying for music, sure, maybe even hotel rooms, meals, and transport, but they also gain an incredible experience, a unique atmosphere and a memory that will go through the rest of their lives. People don't just want material things anymore, they want to experience life一the arts are a perfect crossover（交迭）between culture and commerce.
Furthermore, the arts can bring communities together, reducing loneliness and making people feel safer. Social bonds are created among individuals when they share their arts experiences through reflection and discussion, and their expression of common values through artworks in honour of events significant to a nation's experience.
The arts clearly have a pretty positive impact on physical and psychological health. It is found that people who frequent cultural places or participate in artistic events are more likely to gain good health compared to those who do not; more engagement with the arts is linked to a higher level of people's wellbeing. The Royal Society of Public Health discovered that music and art, when used in hospitals, help to improve the conditions of patients by reducing stress, anxiety and blood pressure.
Children who are involved with the arts make greater achievements in their education: those engaged with drama have greater literary ability while others taking part in musical practice exhibit greater skills in math and languages. Kids with preference for the arts have a greater chance of finding employment in the future. Participating in the arts is essential for child development; encouraging children to express themselves in constructive ways could help to form healthy emotional responses in later life.
Vital to human life, art is celebrated and used by nations across the world for various purposes. Life without art would be boring and dead still, for art is a part of what makes us human.
51．Art products differ from most other commercial products because .
A．most people purchase them for collection
B.they are more expensive and less accessible
C.they have both commercial and cultural values
D.their prices may climb up as time passes
52．By sharing their arts experiences, community members can .
A．keep the community safe from illnesses B.develop a stronger tie between them
C.learn to appreciate their own works of art D.offer honourable solutions to their problems
53．What can we learn about people who are involved in artistic activities?
A．They enjoy better living conditions.
B.They like to compare themselves with others.
C.They are particularly good at both music and art.
D.They tend to be healthier physically and mentally.
54．How does kids' engagement with the arts benefit them?
A．It promotes their academic performance and emotional growth.
B.It gives them more confidence in exhibiting their learning skills.
C.It inspires their creativity in designing their future career.
D.It helps to make responsible people out of them.
55．What is the best title for this passage?
A．How Art Cures Our Hearts B.Art: A Blessing to Humankind
C.How Art Benefits Communities D.Art: A Bridge Between Cultures

11.【2021年6月新高考2卷D篇】
An Australian professor is developing a robot to monitor the health of grazing cattle, a development that could bring big changes to a profession that's relied largely on a low-tech approach for decades but is facing a labor shortage.
Salah Sukkarieh, a professor at the University of Sydney, sees robots as necessary given how cattlemen are aging. He is building a four-wheeled robot that will run on solar and electric power. It will use cameras and sensors to monitor the animals. A computer system will analyze the video to determine whether a cow is sick. Radio tags (标签) on the animals will measure temperature changes. The quality of grassland will be tracked by monitoring the shape, color and texture (质地) of grass. That way, cattlemen will know whether they need to move their cattle to another field for nutrition purposes.
Machines have largely taken over planting, watering and harvesting crops such as com and wheat, but the monitoring of cattle has gone through fewer changes.
For Texas cattleman Pete Bonds, it's increasingly difficult to find workers interested in watching cattle. But Bonds doesn't believe a robot is right for the job. Years of experience in the industry - and failed attempts to use technology - have convinced him that the best way to check cattle is with a man on a horse. Bonds, who bought his first cattle almost 50 years ago, still has each of his cowboys inspect 300 or 400 cattle daily and look for signs that an animal is getting sick.
Other cattlemen see more promise in robots. Michael Kelsey Paris, vice president of the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association, said a robot could be extremely useful given rising concerns about cattle theft. Cattle tend to be kept in remote places and their value has risen, making them appealing targets.
12. What is a problem with the cattle-raising industry?
A. Soil pollution. B. Lack of workers.
C. Aging machines. D. Low profitability.
13. What will Sukkarieh's robot be able to do?
A. Monitor the quality of grass. B. Cure the diseased cattle.
C. Move cattle to another field. D. Predict weather changes.
14. Why does Pete Bonds still hire cowboys to watch cattle?
A. He wants to help them earn a living. B. He thinks men can do the job better.
C. He is inexperienced in using robots. D. He enjoys the traditional way of life.
15. How may robots help with cattle watching according to Michael Kelsey?
A. Increase the value of cattle. B. Bring down the cost of labor.
C. Make the job more appealing. D. Keep cattle from being stolen.

三、2020年高考真题

1. 【2020·全国卷I，C】
Race walking shares many fitness benefits with running, research shows, while most likely contributing to fewer injuries. It does, however, have its own problem.
Race walkers are conditioned athletes. The longest track and field event at the Summer Olympics is the 50-kilometer race walk, which is about five miles longer than the marathon. But the sport’s rules require that a race walker’s knees stay straight through most of the leg swing and one foot remain in contact (接触) with the ground at all times. It’s this strange form that makes race walking such an attractive activity, however, says Jaclyn Norberg, an assistant professor of exercise science at Salem State University in Salem, Mass.
Like running, race walking is physically demanding, she says, According to most calculations, race walkers moving at a pace of six miles per hour would burn about 800 calories(卡路里) per hour, which is approximately twice as many as they would burn walking, although fewer than running, which would probably burn about 1,000 or more calories per hour.
However, race walking does not pound the body as much as running does, Dr. Norberg says. According to her research, runners hit the ground with as much as four times their body weight per step, while race walkers, who do not leave the ground, create only about 1.4 times their body weight with each step.
As a result, she says, some of the injuries associated with running, such as runner’s knee, are uncommon among race walkers. But the sport’s strange form does place considerable stress on the ankles and hips, so people with a history of such injuries might want to be cautious in adopting the sport. In fact, anyone wishing to try race walking should probably first consult a coach or experienced racer to learn proper technique, she says. It takes some practice.
1. Why are race walkers conditioned athletes?
A. They must run long distances. B. They are qualified for the marathon.
C. They have to follow special rules. D. They are good at swinging their legs.
2. What advantage does race walking have over running?
A. It’s more popular at the Olympics. B. It’s less challenging physically.
C. It’s more effective in body building. D. It’s less likely to cause knee injuries.
3. What is Dr. Norberg’s suggestion for someone trying race walking?
A. Getting experts’ opinions. B. Having a medical checkup.
C. Hiring an experienced coach. D. Doing regular exercises.
4. Which word best describes the author’s attitude to race walking?
A. Skeptical. B. Objective.
C. Tolerant. D. Conservative.

2. 【2020·全国卷I，D】
The connection between people and plants has long been the subject of scientific research. Recent studies have found positive effects. A study conducted in Youngstown，Ohio，for example, discovered that greener areas of the city experienced less crime. In another，employees were shown to be 15% more productive when their workplaces were decorated with houseplants.
The engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT)have taken it a step further changing the actual composition of plants in order to get them to perform diverse，even unusual functions. These include plants that have sensors printed onto their leaves to show when they’re short of water and a plant that can detect harmful chemicals in groundwater. ＂We’re thinking about how we can engineer plants to replace functions of the things that we use every day,＂explained Michael Strano, a professor of chemical engineering at MIT.
One of his latest projects has been to make plants glow(发光)in experiments using some common vegetables. Strano’s team found that they could create a faint light for three-and-a-half hours. The light，about one-thousandth of the amount needed to read by，is just a start. The technology, Strano said, could one day be used to light the rooms or even to turn trees into self-powered street lamps.
In the future，the team hopes to develop a version of the technology that can be sprayed onto plant leaves in a one-off treatment that would last the plant’s lifetime. The engineers are also trying to develop an on and off＂switch＂where the glow would fade when exposed to daylight.
Lighting accounts for about 7% of the total electricity consumed in the US. Since lighting is often far removed from the power source(电源)-such as the distance from a power plant to street lamps on a remote highway-a lot of energy is lost during transmission(传输).Glowing plants could reduce this distance and therefore help save energy.
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?
A. A new study of different plants.
B. A big fall in crime rates.
C. Employees from various workplaces.
D. Benefits from green plants.
2. What is the function of the sensors printed on plant leaves by MIT engineer?
A. To detect plants’ lack of water
B. To change compositions of plants
C. To make the life of plants longer.
D. To test chemicals in plants.
3. What can we expect of the glowing plants in the future?
A. They will speed up energy production.
B. They may transmit electricity to the home.
C. They might help reduce energy consumption.
D. They could take the place of power plants.
4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A. Can we grow more glowing plants?
B. How do we live with glowing plants?
C. Could glowing plants replace lamps?
D. How are glowing plants made pollution-free?

3. 【2020·全国卷II，B】
Some parents will buy any high-tech toy if they think it will help their child, but researchers said puzzles help children with math-related skills.
Psychologist Susan Levine, an expert on mathematics development in young children the University of Chicago, found children who play with puzzles between ages 2 and 4 later develop better spatial skills. Puzzle play was found to be a significant predictor of cognition(认知) after controlling for differences in parents’ income, education and the amount of parent talk, Levine said.
The researchers analyzed video recordings of 53 child-parent pairs during everyday activities at home and found children who play with puzzles between 26 and 46 months of age have better spatial skills when assessed at 54 months of age.
“The children who played with puzzles performed better than those who did not, on tasks that assessed their ability to rotate(旋转)and translate shapes,” Levine said in a statement.
The parents were asked to interact with their children as they normally would, and about half of children in the study played with puzzles at one time. Higher-income parents tended to have children play with puzzles more frequently, and both boys and girls who played with puzzles had better spatial skills. However, boys tended to play with more complex puzzles than girls, and the parents of boys provided more spatial language and were more active during puzzle play than parents of girls.
The findings were published in the journal Developmental Science.
1. In which aspect do children benefit from puzzle play?
A. Building confidence. B. Developing spatial skills.
C. Learning self-control. D. Gaining high-tech knowledge.
2. What did Levine take into consideration when designing her experiment？
A. Parents’ age. B. Children’s imagination.
C. Parents’ education. D. Child-parent relationship.
3. How do boy differ from girls in puzzle play?
A. They play with puzzles more often.
B. They tend to talk less during the game.
C. They prefer to use more spatial language.
D. They are likely to play with tougher puzzles.
4. What is the text mainly about?
A. A mathematical method. B. A scientific study.
C. A woman psychologist D. A teaching program.

4. 【2020·全国卷II，C】
When you were trying to figure out what to buy for the environmentalist on your holiday list, fur probably didn’t cross your mind. But some ecologists and fashion (时装)enthusiasts are trying to bring back the market for fur made from nutria(海狸鼠).
Unusual fashion shows in New Orleans and Brooklyn have(showcased)nutria fur made into clothes in different styles. “It sounds crazy to talk about guilt-free fur-unless you understand that the nutria are destroying vast wetlands every year”, says Cree McCree, project director of Righteous Fur.
Scientists in Louisiana were so concerned that they decided to pay hunters $5 a tail. Some of the fur ends up in the fashion shows like the one in Brooklyn last month.
Nutria were brought there from Argentina by fur farmers and let go into the wild. “The ecosystem down there can’t handle this non-native species(物种).It’s destroying the environment. It’s them or us.” says Michael Massimi, an expert in this field.
The fur trade kept nutria check for decades，but when the market for nutria collapsed in the late 1980s，the cat-sized animals multiplied like crazy.
Biologist Edmond Mouton runs the nutria control program for Louisiana. He says it’s not easy to convince people that nutria fur is green, but he has no doubt about it. Hunters bring in more than 300,000 nutria tails a year, so part of Mouton’s job these days is trying to promote fur.
Then there’s Righteous Fur and its unusual fashion. Model Paige Morgan says，”To give people a guilt-free option that they can wear without someone throwing paint on them-1 think that’s going to be a massive thing, at least here in New York.” Designer Jennifer Anderson admits it took her a while to come around to the opinion that using nutria fur for her creations is morally acceptable. She trying to come up with a lable to attach to nutria fashions to show it is eco-friendly.
28. What is the purpose of the fashion shows in New Orleans and Brooklyn?
A. To promote guilt-free fur.
B. To expand the fashion market.
C. To introduce a new brand.
D. To celebrate a winter holiday.
29. Why are scientists concerned about nutria?
A. Nutria damage the ecosystem seriously.
B. Nutria are an endangered species.
C. Nutria hurt local cat-sized animals.
D. Nutria are illegally hunted.
30. What does the underlined word “collapsed” in paragraph 5 probably mean?
A. Boomed. B. Became mature. C. Remained stable. D. Crashed.
31. What can we infer abouf wearing fur in New York according to Morgan?
A. It’s formal. B. It’s risky. C. It’s harmful. D. It’s traditional.

5. 【2020·全国卷III，D】
We are the products of evolution, and not just evolution that occurred billions of years ago. As scientists look deeper into our genes(基因), they are finding examples of human evolution in just the past few thousand years. People in Ethiopian highlands have adapted to living at high altitudes. Cattle -raising people in East Africa and northern Europe have gained a mutation (突变) that helps them digest milk as adults.
On Thursday in an article published in Cell, a team of researchers reported a new kind of adaptation — not to air or to food, but to the ocean. A group of sea-dwelling people in Southeast Asia have evolved into better divers. The Bajau, as these people are known, number in the hundreds of thousands in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. They have traditionally lived on houseboats; in recent times, they’ve also built houses on stilts (支柱) in coastal waters. “They are simply a stranger to the land,” said Redney C. Jubilado, a University of Hawaii researcher who studies the Bajau.
Dr. Jubilado first met the Bajau while growing up on Samal Island in the Philippines. They made a living as divers, spearfishing or harvesting shellfish. “We were so amazed that they could stay underwater much longer than us local islanders,” Dr. Jubilado said. “I could see them actually walking under the sea.”
In2015, Melissa Ilardo, then a graduate student in genetics at the University of Copenhagen, heard about the Bajau. She wondered if centuries of diving could have led to the evolution of physical characteristics that made the task easier for them. “it seemed like the perfect chance for natural selection to act on a population,” said Dr. Ilardo. She also said there were likely a number of other genes that help the Bajau dive.
32. What does the author want to tell us by the examples in paragraph 1?
A. Environmental adaptation of cattle raisers. B. New knowledge of human evolution.
C. Recent findings of human origin. D. Significance of food selection.
33. Where do the Bajau build their houses?
A. In valleys. B. Near rivers. C. On the beach. D. Off the coast.
34. Why was the young Jubilado astonished at the Bajau?
A. They could walk on stilts all day. B. They had a superb way of fishing.
C. They could stay long underwater. D. They lived on both land and water.
35. What can be a suitable title for the text?
A. Bodies Remodeled for a Life at Sea B. Highlanders’ Survival Skills
C. Basic Methods of Genetic Research D. The World’s Best Divers

6. 【2020·山东卷，D】
According to a recent study in the Journal of Consumer Research, both the size and consumption habits of our eating companions can influence our food intake. And contrary to existing research that says you should avoid eating with heavier people who order large portions(份), it's the beanpoles with big appetites you really need to avoid.
To test the effect of social influence on eating habits, the researchers conducted two experiments. In the first, 95 undergraduate women were individually invited into a lab to ostensibly(表面上)participate in a study about movie viewership. Before the film began, each woman was asked to help herself to a snack. An actor hired by the researchers grabbed her food first. In her natural state, the actor weighed 105 pounds. But in half the cases she wore a specially designed fat suit which increased her weight to 180 pounds.
Both the fat and thin versions of the actor took a large amount of food. The participants followed suit, taking more food than they normally would have. However, they took significantly more when the actor was thin.
For the second test, in one case the thin actor took two pieces of candy from the snack bowls. In the other case, she took 30 pieces. The results were similar to the first test: the participants followed suit but took significantly more candy when the thin actor took 30 pieces.
The tests show that the social environment is extremely influential when we're making decisions. If this fellow participant is going to eat more, so will I. Call it the “I’ll have what she's having” effect. However, we'll adjust the influence. If an overweight person is having a large portion, I'll hold back a bit because I see the results of his eating habits. But if a thin person eats a lot, I'll follow suit. If he can eat much and keep slim, why can't I?
12. What is the recent study mainly about?
A. Food safety. B. Movie viewership.
C. Consumer demand. D. Eating behavior.
13. What does the underlined word “beanpoles” in paragraph 1 refer to?
A. Big eaters. B. Overweight persons.
C. Picky eaters. D. Tall thin persons.
14. Why did the researchers hire the actor?
A. To see how she would affect the participants.
B. To test if the participants could recognize her.
C. To find out what she would do in the two tests.
D. To study why she could keep her weight down.
15. On what basis do we “adjust the influence” according to the last paragraph?
A. How hungry we are. B. How slim we want to be.
C. How we perceive others. D. How we feel about the food.


三、模拟演练
1、
An Israeli law banning too skinny models went into effect with the start of 2013. The law, approved last March in Israel, requires models to prove they have maintained a Body Mass Index (BMI) of at least 18.5 for three months before a fashion show. That means a woman who is 68 inches tall can weigh no less than 119 pounds.
“This law is another step in the war against eating disorders,” said physician Adatto. “Underweight models,” he explained, “can no longer serve as role models for innocent young people who copy their false image of being skinny.”
But some critics in this country say it is misguided, focusing on weight instead of health. They also say the Israeli ban is bound to fail because of the strong power of the fashion industry. “I think it’s an approach that isn’t going to work.” said eating disorder expert Susan Ice, who worked with an organization which creates a healthy working environment for models.
But Adatto told the reporter that he began to concern the issue after meeting an ambitious model who looked like she needed to be hospitalized. He said. “I realized that only legislation(立法) can change the situation. There was no time to waste; so many girls were dieting to death.”
However, the efforts to regulate models’ weight in Spain and Italy have not resulted in significant changes in part because of difficulties in determining reliable methods of measuring weight and health.
Still, folks including Ice say there’s no denying that images from Hollywood and the fashion industry can be difficult for young women to deal with. “Certainly I don't believe the modeling industry has caused the rise in eating disorders, but it makes it harder,” she says. “It’s a difficult recovery environment, worshiping thinness as the beauty ideal.”
4．One benefit the new Israeli law may bring is ______.
A．to change the working conditions of models
B．to lower the chance of skinny models’ death
C．to provide guidance for women worshiping thinness
D．to prevent models from suffering from eating disorders
5．In the opinion of the critics, the law won’t succeed because _______.
A．it misleads young women to form a bad eating habit
B．the fashion industry is much too influential
C．it doesn’t create a healthy working environment for models
D．it doesn’t provide a proper approach that can work well
6．What caused Adatto to think that a law was needed to change the situation?
A．Being interviewed by a reporter.
B．Establishing his fashion model agent.
C．Meeting an ambitious but too skinny model.
D．Seeing a model die from eating disorders.
7．According to the passage, the new Israeli law banning skinny models is _____ .
A．practical B．controversial
C．acceptable D．reasonable


2、
Corporate culture is the values and beliefs a company develops over time.The role of corporate culture isto improve a company’s mission and strategies,with long-term hopes of improvements in a company’s profit.Mostly corporate culture comes from a company’s top management.
One role of corporate culture is to influence employee behavior, honesty, and compliance（服从）. A company does not have to necessarily create a direct influence for these actions.A direct influence may be a setof written regulations or other policies,and while these may be in place,the corporate culture is usually moreof an indirect influence.
While many companies try to create corporate culture through the use of written policies,its role isharder to define.The human factor has an influence on how corporate culture is expressed.The way uppermanagement acts and reacts to various situations defines how lower-level employees will act,and this aspectmay be more important than any written policy.
A company’s corporate culture can also extend beyond the walls of the business. Consumers who believe a company to be honest and forthright（直率）may be more loyal in their buying behavior. Employees in a company’s customer service department can also exhibit positive corporate culture to outside individuals.Inthis case,the culture creates a link between the company’s employees and its customers.How customers reactmay be a direct result from the company’s corporate culture.
Product quality can also be influenced by a company’s corporate culture.Companies that focus only onprofits may decide to avoid high-quality materials in products,but try to suggest that the products are ofhigher quality than they really are.This negative culture can then result in lower brand loyalty withconsumers.
12．What do we know about corporate culture from this passage?
A．It is a set of rules and regulations.
B．It is the way the employees act.
C．It is the values and beliefs of a company.
D．It is the long term hope of a company.
13．Which of the following is more efficient in creating corporate culture?
A．Making a set of rules and regulations.
B．Setting an example for the employees.
C．Learning the corporate culture regularly.
D．Encouraging the employees to work harder.
14．What can we infer from the fourth paragraph?
A．The customer is always right.
B．Corporate culture has different functions.
C．Without corporate culture,a company will die.
D．Positive corporate culture can promote sales.
15．Which word can describe the companies mentioned in the last paragraph?
A．Creative. B．Efficient.
C．Dishonest. D．Disloyal.


3、
A sheet of transparent new material at a University of Maryland lab looks like it might be plastic. But it’s actually wood—and it could eventually be used to make energy-efficient windows or even see-through buildings.
"Compared to glass, wood has lower heat conductivity, and it's lighter, stronger, and more environmentally friendly," says Liangbing Hu, a materials science professor at the University of Maryland and one of the authors of a new study of the material.
The idea is to employ the material in buildings. With a window made from transparent wood instead of glass, for example, a building would take less energy to heat and cool. Because of the structure of the wood, the windows could also reduce glare from the sun while allowing in natural light.
Researchers have experimented with transparent wood in the past, but the new method is more sustainable.
Other methods usually put the wood in a chemical compound Nacl to remove lignin, part of the wood that gives it structure. But this can weaken the wood, and it produces waste that is hard to recycle. Hu and his team made slight changes to the process so it doesn't fully remove the lignin. By brushing hydrogen peroxide(过氧化物) over the wood and leaving it under a UV light, they removed only the parts of the lignin that give it color. The result is transparent wood that can be coated in epoxy(环氧树脂).
It’s just one of a number of ways scientists and engineers are rethinking how we can use this renewable resource in construction. Skyscrapers made entirely out of wood are gaining popularity in cities around the world. And scientists recently discovered a technique to grow wood in a lab, opening up the possibility of using wood without having to cut down a forest.
The transparent wood is 50% stronger than previous transparent wood and could even be used to build load-bearing walls in a building. It could also potentially be used in other ways, such as layers used in solar cells. A new company called InventWood is working to commercialize the technology.
8．Why would people like to choose transparent wood in their buildings in preference to glass?
A．It can conduct heat more quickly.
B．It is lighter and more delicate.
C．It can let light in with less heat.
D．It has higher energy consumption.
9．Compared with the experiment in the past, what is the difference of the new method?
A．The new method is less environmentally friendly.
B．The new method can make the wood weaker.
C．Researchers brushed Nacl over the wood.
D．Researchers only took away the lignin related to color.
10．Which of the following statements may the author agree with ?
A．This see-through wood can replace glass windows.
B．This see-through wood is in mass production.
C．This transparent wood has been grown in labs.
D．This transparent wood is only popular in cities.
11．What does the last paragraph mainly focus on?
A．The advantages of transparent wood.
B．The prospect of transparent wood.
C．The production of transparent wood.
D．The companies of transparent wood.


4、
A year of lockdown has brought about some questionable fashion trends. In US suburbs, bathrobes and slippers are now socially-acceptable clothing for a trip to the grocery store.
Ugly shoes are also having moment. Crocs the maker of plastic clogs(木屐) now with market worth of $5. 3 billion, had a record 2020. The distinctive shoes, with their punch(打孔机) hole design, have long been popular with hospital staff. During the COVID-19 outbreak, they have become a sought-after item for those looking for something easy to wear and clean.
The company sold more than 69 million pairs of shoes in 2020 and pulled in nearly $1. 4 billion, a 13% jump from 2019. The share price, up 650 percent from its pandemic low, has set repeated new highs this year.
Birkenstock is another brand riding high on the shift to a more casual lifestyle. The German group recently sold itself to a LVMH-backed group in a 4 billion deal.
The two brands' popularity shows no sign of fading. Poshmark, the second-hand clothing app, said Crocs and Birkenstock remained top trending brands on its site in March. Sales are up sharply for both compared with the year-ago period. Cooperation with celebrities (Justin Bieber for Crocs, women's brand Proenza Schouler for Birkenstock) should help maintain the trend.
The same cannot be said for dress shoes, which were already falling out of fashion. Office closures and fewer special occasions such as weddings and graduations have accelerated the trend. Sales for the category plummeted last year, according to market researchers The NPD Group. These accounted for only 8% of total fashion footwear dollar sales in 2020, compared with 17% in 2017.
People will soon reach again for going-out clothes, more formal than pyjamas. But the market for dress shoes will never recover entirely. The ugly shoe movement is here to stay.
12．What does the underlined word "plummeted" in paragraph 5 probably mean?
A．Increased sharply. B．Increased slightly.
C．Decreased sharply. D．Decreased slightly.
13．What's the author's opinion about the prospect of ugly shoes?
A．Uncertain B．Pessimistic. C．Cautious. D．Confident.
14．What can be the best title of this passage?
A．Crocs give dress shoes a kicking. B．Casual clothes are making a comeback.
C．Punch hole design becomes a trend. D．Dress shoes are falling out of fashion.
15．What’s the purpose of this text?
A．To recommend new shoes. B．To present a new tendency.
C．To change people’s lifestyle. D．To question a fashion trend


5、
Could looking through trees be the view to a greener future? Trees replacing the clear glass in your windows is not a work of science fiction. It's happening now.
Forest Products Laboratory researcher Junyong Zhu together with colleagues from the University of Maryland and University of Colorado has developed a transparent wood material that may be the window of tomorrow. Researchers found that transparent wood has the potential to outperform glass currently used in construction in nearly every way.
While glass is the most common material used in window construction, it comes with quite a few bad consequences. Heat easily transfers through glass and amounts to higher energy bills when it escapes during cold weather and pours in when it's warm. Glass production used for construction also comes with a heavy carbon footprint. Manufacturing emissions alone are approximately 25,000 metric tons per year, without considering the heavy footprint of transporting the glass.
The innovation was developed using wood from the balsa tree, which is native to South and Central America. The team treated balsa wood to an oxidizing bath, where the wood is kept in a bleach solution at room temperature to remove the light-absorbing substance from the structure. The wood is then penetrated（注入）with a synthetic polymer called polyvinyl alcohol（PVA）, creating a product that is virtually transparent. So the transparent wood is created, which is far more durable and lighter than glass.
Switching to transparent wood could prove to be cost efficient as well. It is approximately five times more thermally efficient than glass. cutting energy costs. It is made from a sustainable, renewable resource with low carbon emissions.
With all of these potential benefits for consumers, manufacturing and the environment, the case for transparent wood couldn't be clearer.
8．What is the main problem with glass used in window construction?
A．It is inefficient in letting heat out.
B．It does not reflect light and heat.
C．It cause a high ecological cost
D．It is inconvenient to transport.
9．What does the underlined part "a bleach solution" refer to?
A．A liquid to make objects white.
B．A process to solve problems.
C．A container to store liquids.
D．A way to make colors fade.
10．What does paragraph 4 focus on?
A．How to make things transparent
B．How to produce the new material.
C．The benefits of the wood material.
D．The great importance of innovation.
11．What is the author's attitude towards transparent wood?
A．Skeptical. B．Ambiguous.
C．Conservative. D．Appreciative.
Visual language is a form of communication that uses visual elements (元素) as opposed to formal written language to convey meaning or an idea. Graphicacy, the ability to communicate visually, is considered as important as literacy and numeracy, the abilities to read and count. Some people are visual thinkers, using that part of the brain that is emotional and creative to process and give meaning to information. Visual communication can find expression in paintings, drawings, symbols, or simply lines and shapes arranged for a specific effect.
Art is an example of visual language. A painting or sculpture can convey ideas or arouse specific kinds of emotional responses. It may also express ideas about historical events, abstract concepts, or simply be about the way certain shapes or forms “work” together or create a certain effect on the mind. Some researchers believe that different parts of the brain respond in unique ways to colors and shapes.
Pictograms (象形文字) and ideograms (表意文字) are types of visual language. Pictograms are pictures that are similar to what they represent. They are still used today to communicate information. Many people around the world are familiar with the pictograms indicating such things as airports, public facilities, and non-smoking areas indicated by a cigarette in a circle with a line across it. Ideograms are pictures that represent ideas and can often be understood without the aid of written language. Some scholars track modern alphabets to pictures. Letters are actually ancient pictures, and words are a series of pictures. Modern alphabet letters are not only phonetic (语音的) symbols but are based on ancient religious images and symbols.
Musivisual communication is also a part of visual language. The term refers to music created specifically to improve the visual experience of film. It corresponds to the images being seen on the screen, and the music arouses a sense of terror, fear, or other emotions. Most movie goers understand the language of musical clues showing that something dramatic or important is about to happen.
12．What is Visual language according to the text?
A．An idea conveyed by artists.
B．An ability to read and count.
C．A system used to arouse emotions.
D．A way of processing and expressing information.
13．What may be the origin of the modern alphabet letters?
A．Public facilities. B．Imaginary lines.
C．Living conditions. D．Religious images.
14．What can we learn about the music of a film from the last paragraph?
A．A visual thinker can make it better.
B．It can help the audience predict the plot.
C．It often changes without the audience’s notice.
D．It makes the film more emotional and complex.
15．What can be the best title for the text?
A．What Is Visual Language?
B．What Is the Origin of Language?
C．How can We Learn Visual Language?
D．How does Visual Language Affect Life?


6、
TerraCycle is a company that has recycled and upcycled (升级改造) just about any garbage it can get its hands on. It upcycles things like pens and markers into dust bins and picnic tables and cigarette ends into railroad ties.
Now, TerraCycle wants to help families waste even less with a new book Make Garbage Great: The TerraCycle Family Guide to a Zero-Waste Lifestyle. The book is part wake-up call, part history lesson, part how-to, and part DIY arts and crafts instruction.
In an effort to help people do what they can to curb their contribution to the tons of waste created every day, Make Garbage Great gives the history of various materials, discusses why those various materials are a problem, and gives tips and DIY projects to recycle or upcycle each material.
There is a chapter each on plastics, metals, paper, glass, wood, rubber and organics. Each chapter is filled with tons of tips and ideas for reducing the amount of waste you create and for responsibly handling the waste you end up creating in your home. If you’re a conscious consumer, some of the information you may already know, but there are also tips in this book that will help you recycle more than you thought you were able to. It has information on where you can take old sneakers, pillows, and all that electronic waste that seems to pile up quicker and quicker each year.
Whether the book inspires you to get a little clever at dealing with your waste or simply inspires you to think before you buy or before you throw, anyone who is concerned about the amount of waste our culture creates will find some ideas here. Even the physical book itself is a bit of an inspiration. It’s printed on tree-free paper and is a reminder that there is usually a sustainable (可持续的) alternative to many of the products that we waste.
8．What is the book intended to do?
A．To advertise for the company.
B．To help families make money.
C．To instruct people to learn arts.
D．To help families reduce waste.
9．What can we know about the book?
A．It is intended for housewives.
B．It is environmentally friendly.
C．It is well received all over the world.
D．It is not different from other paper books.
10．What does the author’s attitude towards the book?
A．Positive. B．Negative.
C．Doubtful. D．Objective.
11．What could be the best title for the text?
A．Live A More Healthy Life?
B．Want A Zero-waste Lifestyle?
C．TerraCycle — A Responsible Company
D．Make Garbage Great — A Key to Success


7、
Children grow taller in rural households where their mothers are supported to grow their own food, according to new research from the University of East Anglia (UEA). The research, which looked at households in some developing countries, showed growing their own food helped mothers to prevent their children from being stunted, wasting away and underweight. Their children’s food was more varied, meaning these children had access to different classes of food nutrients.
The team from UEA analyzed studies that introduced women to home farming in some African and Asian countries. The home farming included growing brightly colored vitamin A-rich fruit and vegetables, and sometimes also included chicken farming. The health of these women’s children was assessed over the next year or more, and they did better than children of other women. No studies, however, reported on children’s eye health. The researchers concluded that high-quality trials are needed to assess the impact of home food production on nutritional blindness in children, which is caused by an insufficient intake of vitamin A．Around 250 million pre-school children are deficient in vitamin A, according to the World Health Organization. Vitamin A deficiency is the main global cause of childhood blindness, which also increases the risk of dying from other childhood diseases and vitamin A plays a significant role in normal immune function. It remains one of the most widespread micronutrient deficiencies globally.
Mrs Chizoba Bassey led the team conducting the systematic review. She said, “Well-evidenced interventions such as vitamin A supplementation programs should be adopted and expanded to children at greatest risk to prevent nutritional blindness.”
Currently there is not enough evidence of the effects of home gardening on xerophthalmia, night blindness or the death rate in children, but the evidence from the research shows that if women take up home gardening, the risk of being stunted, wasting away and underweight in their children will be reduced. Home farming may help to achieve sustainability in controlling vitamin A deficiency and can assist vitamin A supplementation programs where they are available.
12．What does the new study focus on?
A．Fruit and vegetables suitable for family gardening.
B．The development of farming in Africa and Asia.
C．Rural children’s health problems.
D．Benefits of home farming.
13．What is mainly talked about in Paragraph 3?
A．The importance of nutrients. B．Causes of childhood blindness.
C．Health risks of lack of vitamin A． D．Ways to improve kids’ immune function.
14．Which of the following may Mrs Bassey agree with?
A．Nutritional blindness is preventable.
B．Most of pre-school kids suffer from a nutrient deficiency.
C．Home food production has proved good for children’s eyes.
D．Vegetables grown by housewives have higher nutritional value.
15．What does the author want to express in the last paragraph?
A．The urgency of doing further research.
B．The necessity of encouraging home farming.
C．The difficulty in controlling vitamin A deficiency.
D．The relationship between home gardening and xerophthalmia.


8、
We’ve known for years that plants can see, hear, smell and communicate with chemicals. Now, reported New Scientist, they have been recorded making sounds when stressed.
In a yet-to-be-published study, Itzhak Khait and his team at Tel Aviv University, in Israel, found that tomato and tobacco (烟草) plants can make ultrasonic (超声的) noises. The plants “cry out” due to lack of water, or when their stems (茎) are cut. It’s just too high-pitched (音调高的) for humans to hear.
Microphones placed 10 centimeters away from the plants picked up sounds in the ultrasonic range of 20 to 100 kilohertz (千赫兹). Human hearing usually ranges from 20 hertz to 20 kilohertz. “These findings can change the way we think about the plant kingdom,” they wrote.
On average, “thirsty” tomato plants made 35 sounds an hour, while tobacco plants made 11. When plant stems were cut, tomato plants made an average of 25 sounds in the following hour, and tobacco plants 15. Unstressed plants produced fewer than one sound per hour, on average.
Perhaps most interestingly, different types of stress led to different sounds. The researchers trained a machine-learning model to separate the plants’ sounds from those of the wind, rain and other noises of the greenhouse. In most cases, it correctly identified (辨识) whether the stress was caused by dryness or a cut, based on a sound’s intensity(强度) and frequency. Water-hungry tobacco appears to make louder sounds than cut tobacco, for example. Although Khait and his colleagues only looked at tomato and tobacco plants, they think other plants also make sounds when stressed.
If farmers could hear these sounds, said the team, they could give water to the plants that need it most. As climate change causes more droughts (旱灾), they said this would be important information for farmers. “The sounds that drought-stressed plants make could be used in precision agriculture (精准农业),” said Anne Visscher at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in the UK.
Khait’s report also suggests that insects and mammals (哺乳动物) can hear the sounds up to 5 meters away and respond. For example, a moth (蛾子) may decide not to lay eggs on a water-stressed plant. Edward Farmer, at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, is doubtful. He said that the idea of moths listening to plants is “a little too speculative”.
If plants are screaming for fear of their survival, maybe we should be glad we can’t hear them.
4．What did Khait and his team find from their research?
A．Plants made low-pitched sounds when in danger.
B．Plants made ultrasonic noises to communicate with each other.
C．Plants picked up a wider range of sounds when stressed.
D．Plants were able to produce sounds in response to stresses.
5．How did tomato and tobacco plants react to different stresses according to the text?
A．A plant reacted to different stresses with the same sound.
B．Cut tomato plants produced more sounds per hour than water-hungry ones.
C．Cut tobacco plants seemed to make weaker sounds than drought-stressed ones.
D．Tobacco plants might make louder sounds than tomato plants when short of water.
6．What’s the main idea of Paragraph 6?
A．Challenges faced by farmers in the future.
B．The potential applications of the research.
C．Farmers’ contributions to the research.
D．What the future agriculture will be like.
7．The underlined word “speculative” in the second-to-last paragraph has the closest meaning to “______”.
A．practical B．unsupported
C．surprising D．complicated


9、
As we close out the final days of this year, treat yourself to a deliciously distracting new book — a book that you can dip into and out of throughout the holidays. Read up, rest up, and enjoy yourself.
Yoga for Pregnancy, Birth and beyond
A must-have guide for yoga-loving mamas, Yoga for Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond offers helpful relaxation techniques and breathing exercises that are tailored to each pregnant (怀孕的) woman. The book also lays out valuable techniques for labor and staying in touch with your body as it continuously changes.
Mindfulness Activities for Kids
We could all use a little more peace in our lives. Uniquely suited for children and parents to do together, the 40 mindfulness exercises recommended here — from pausing to fully enjoy a tasty sandwich to taking chalk walk together — will not only teach children calm and gratitude, but also bring grown-ups and their littles closer together.
Before She Disappeared
Frankie Elkin is a recovering alcoholic who devotes her time to solving cold cases, especially those involving people of color. A new investigation brings her to Boston, searching for a Haitian teenager who disappeared months ago. But as Frankie starts asking questions, someone else will stop at nothing to keep the answers hidden.
Oak Flat
Lauren Redniss' Oak Flat tells the story of the land near the San Carlos Apache Reservation through an Apache family fighting to protect the land, which the U. S. government and two world-power mining enterprises are attempting to seize and destroy for its copper resources. Visually striking and deeply reported, Oak Flat tells a larger story of endless westward expansion and native resistance.
1．Which book can help to improve family relations?
A．Yoga for Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond. B．Mindfulness Activities for Kids.
C．Before She Disappeared. D．Oak Flat.
2．What do we know about the book Oak Flat?
A．It centers on an Apache family's struggle.
B．It's a brief account of mining enterprises.
C．It sings high praise of the US government.
D．It supports westward expansion and native resistance.
3．Who are the target readers of the four books?
A．Women. B．Teenagers. C．Grown-ups. D．Pupils.