高考英语北京卷3年（2021-2023）真题汇编-阅读理解

这是一份高考英语北京卷3年（2021-2023）真题汇编-阅读理解，共28页。试卷主要包含了阅读理解等内容，欢迎下载使用。

高考英语北京卷3年（2021-2023）真题汇编-阅读理解

一、阅读理解
（2023年北京卷英语真题）The International Olympic Committee(IOC)Young Leaders programme empowers talents to make a positive difference in their communities through sport. Twenty-five Young Leaders are being selected every two years for a four-year period. They promote the Olympic values, spreading the message of sport for good.
To be an IOC Young Leader, you need to first complete the 4-Week Learning Sprint (冲刺).
4-Week Learning Sprint
The 4-Week Learning Sprint, which will take place during November 2023, is a virtual learning programme. The sessions can be attended live or watched back after they are made available on the IOC channel. Each week, participants will be asked to complete a topic﹣specific reflection task.
The 4-Week Learning Sprint is open to anyone, with the target audience aged between 20 and 28.
After successfully completing the 4-Week Learning Sprint, you will need to submit a plan for a sport﹣based project, which you will work on if selected as an IOC Young Leader.
Requirements for the Applicants
•You have successfully completed the 4-Week Learning Sprint.
•You have completed your high school studies.
•You have at least one year of work experience.
•You have strong public speaking skills.
•You are self-motivated and committed.
•You are passionate about creating positive change in your community.
•You are open to being coached and advised by experts and peers (同伴).
•You are able to work with people from different backgrounds.
1．In the 4-Week Learning Sprint, participants will ________.
A．create change in their community B．attend a virtual learning programme
C．meet people from different backgrounds D．promote the IOC Young Leaders project
2．If selected as an IOC Young Leader, one will need to ________.
A．complete a reflection task each week B．watch sports on the IOC channel
C．work on a sport-based project D．coach and advise their peers
3．Which is a requirement for the applicants?
A．Spreading the message of sport for good. B．Having at least one-year work experience.
C．Showing great passion for project planning. D．Committing themselves to becoming an expert.

（2023年北京卷英语真题）Sitting in the garden for my friend’s birthday. I felt a buzz (振动) in my pocket. My heart raced when I saw the email sender’s name. The email started off: “Dear Mr Green, thank you for your interest” and “the review process took longer than expected.” It ended with “We are sorry to inform you…”and my vision blurred (模糊). The position—measuring soil quality in the Sahara Desert as part of an undergraduate research programme — had felt like the answer I had spent years looking for.
I had put so much time and emotional energy into applying, and I thought the rejection meant the end of the road for my science career.
So I was shocked when, not long after the email, Professor Mary Devon, who was running the programme, invited me to observe the work being done in her lab. I jumped at the chance, and a few weeks later I was equally shocked—and overjoyed—when she invited me to talk with her about potential projects I could pursue in her lab. What she proposed didn’t seem as exciting as the original project I had applied to, but I was going to give it my all.
I found myself working with a robotics professor on techniques for collecting data from the desert remotely. That project, which I could complete from my sofa instead of in the burning heat of the desert, not only survived the lockdown but worked where traditional methods didn’t. In the end, I had a new scientific interest to pursue.
When I applied to graduate school, I found three programmes promising to allow me to follow my desired research direction. And I applied with the same anxious excitement as before. When I was rejected from one that had seemed like a perfect fit, it was undoubtedly difficult. But this time I had the perspective (视角) to keep it from sending me into panic. It helped that in the end I was accepted into one of the other programmes I was also excited about.
Rather than setting plans in stone, I’ve learned that sometimes I need to take the opportunities that are offered, even if they don’t sound perfect at the time, and make the most of them.
4．How did the author feel upon seeing the email sender’s name?
A．Anxious. B．Angry. C．Surprised. D．Settled.
5．After talking with Professor Devon, the author decided to ________.
A．criticise the review process B．stay longer in the Sahara Desert
C．apply to the original project again D．put his heart and soul into the lab work
6．According to the author, the project with the robotics professor was ________.
A．demanding B．inspiring C．misleading D．amusing
7．What can we learn from this passage?
A．An invitation is a reputation. B．An innovation is a resolution.
C．A rejection can be a redirection. D．A reflection can be a restriction.

（2023年北京卷英语真题）In recent years, researchers from diverse fields have agreed that short-termism is now a significant problem in industrialised societies. The inability to engage with longer-term causes and consequences leads to some of the world’s most serious problems: climate change, biodiversity collapse, and more. The historian Francis Cole argues that the West has entered a period where “only the present exists, a present characterised at once by the cruelty of the instant and by the boredom of an unending now”.
It has been proved that people have a bias (偏向) towards the present, focusing on loud attractions in the moment at the expense of the health, well-being and financial stability of their future selves or community. In business, this bias surfaces as short-sighted decisions. And on slow-burning problems like climate change, it translates into the unwillingness to make small sacrifices (牺牲) today that could make a major difference tomorrow. Instead, all that matters is next quarter’s profit, or satisfying some other near-term desires.
These biased perspectives cannot be blamed on one single cause. It is fair to say, though, that our psychological biases play a major role. People’s hesitancy to delay satisfaction is the most obvious example, but there are others.One of them is about how the most accessible information in the present affects decisions about the future. For instance, you might hear someone say: “It’s cold this winter, so I needn’t worry about global warming.”Another is that loud and urgent matters are given too much importance, making people ignore longer-term trends that arguably matter more. This is when a pop star draws far more attention than, say, gradual biodiversity decline.
As a psychologist once joked, if aliens (外星人) wanted to weaken humanity, they wouldn’t send ships; they would invent climate change. Indeed, when it comes to environmental transformations, we can develop a form of collective “poor memory”, and each new generation can believe the state of affairs they encounter is nothing out of the ordinary. Older people today, for example, can remember a time with insect-covered car windscreens after long drives. Children, on the other hand, have no idea that insect population has dropped dramatically.
8．The author quotes Francis Cole mainly to ________.
A．draw a comparison
B．introduce a topic
C．evaluate a statement
D．highlight a problem
9．What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A．Climate change has been forgotten.
B．Lessons of history are highly valued.
C．The human mind is bad at noting slow change.
D．Humans are unwilling to admit their shortcomings.
10．What does the author intend to tell us?
A．Far-sighted thinking matters to humans.
B．Humans tend to make long-term sacrifices.
C．Current policies facilitate future decision-making.
D．Bias towards the present helps reduce near-term desires.

（2023年北京卷英语真题）What is life? Like most great questions, this one is easy to ask but difficult to answer. The reason is simple: we know of just one type of life and it’s challenging to do science with a sample size of one. The field of artificial life-called ALife for short — is the systematic attempt to spell out life’s fundamental principles. Many of these practitioners, so-called ALifers, think that somehow making life is the surest way to really understand what life is.
So far no one has convincingly made artificial life. This track record makes ALife a ripe target for criticism, such as declarations of the field’s doubtful scientific value. Alan Smith, a complexity scientist, is tired of such complaints. Asking about “the point” of ALife might be, well, missing the point entirely, he says. “The existence of a living system is not about the use of anything.” Alan says. “Some people ask me, ‘So what’s the worth of artificial life?’ Do you ever think, ‘What is the worth of your grandmother?’”
As much as many ALifers hate emphasizing their research’s applications, the attempts to create artificial life could have practical payoffs. Artificial intelligence may be considered ALife’s cousin in that researchers in both fields are enamored by a concept called open-ended evolution (演化). This is the capacity for a system to create essentially endless complexity, to be a sort of “novelty generator”. The only system known to exhibit this is Earth’s biosphere. If the field of ALife manages to reproduce life’s endless “creativity” in some virtual model, those same principles could give rise to truly inventive machines.
Compared with the developments of Al, advances in ALife are harder to recognize. One reason is that ALife is a field in which the central concept — life itself — is undefined. The lack of agreement among ALifers doesn’t help either. The result is a diverse line of projects that each advance along their unique paths. For better or worse, ALife mirrors the very subject it studies. Its muddled (混乱的) progression is a striking parallel (平行线) to the evolutionary struggles that have shaped Earth biosphere.
Undefined and uncontrolled, ALife drives its followers to repurpose old ideas and generated novelty. It may be, of course, that these characteristics aren’t in any way surprising or singular. They may apply universally to all acts of evolution. Ultimately ALife may be nothing special. But even this dismissal suggests something：perhaps, just like life itself throughout the universe, the rise of ALife will prove unavoidable.
11．Regarding Alan Smith’s defence of ALife, the author is .
A．supportive B．puzzled C．unconcerned D．doubtful
12．What does the word “enamored” underlined in Paragraph 3 most probably mean?
A．Shocked. B．Protected. C．Attracted. D．Challenged.
13．What can we learn from this passage?
A．ALife holds the key to human future. B．ALife and AI share a common feature.
C．AI mirrors the developments of ALife. D．AI speeds up the process of human evolution.
14．Which would be the best title for the passage?
A．Life Is Undefined. Can AI Be a Way Out?
B．Life Evolves. Can AI Help ALife Evolve, Too?
C．Life Is Undefined. Can ALife Be Defined One Day?
D．Life Evolves. Can Attempts to Create ALife Evolve, Too?

（2022年北京卷英语真题）Peer ( 同伴 ) Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) is a peer-facilitated learning programme available to students enrolled ( 注册 ) in most core units of study in our business school.
PASS involves weekly sessions where you work in groups to tackle specially prepared problem sets, based around a unit of study you’re enrolled in.
PASS doesn’t re-teach or deliver new content. It’s an opportunity to deepen your understanding of the key points from lecture materials while you are applying your skills to solve problems.
You work interactively with your peers. As a peer group, you decide what is covered in each session. That way, PASS directly responds to your needs and feedback.
Registration in Term 2 will open at 9 am, 21 September 2022.
Waiting lists
If a session is full, you can register for the waiting list. We will email you if a place becomes available or if a new session is to be held.
When you are placed on a waiting list, we will email you a number which tells you where you are on the list. If you are close to the front of the list, you have a good chance of gaining a place in the programme in the near future.
Deregistering
If you miss two PASS sessions in a row, you will be deregistered and your place will be given to someone on the waiting list. Make sure you fill in the attendance sheet at each session to record your attendance.
You’ll be informed by email if you are being deregistered as a result of missing sessions. If you believe you have received the email in error, email the PASS office at  passoffice@umbs. edu..
15．In PASS, students ________.
A．attend new lectures B．decide their own schedules
C．prepare problem sets in groups D．use their skills to solve problems
16．What can students do if a session is full?
A．Fill in the attendance sheet. B．Sign up for the waiting list.
C．Report their needs and feedback. D．Email the office their numbers on the list.
17．Students will be deregistered if ________.
A．they send emails in error B．they fail to work interactively
C．they give their places to others D．they miss two sessions in a row

（2022年北京卷英语真题）My name is Alice. Early last year, I was troubled by an anxiety that crippled ( 削弱 ) my ability to do anything. I felt like a storm cloud hung over me. For almost a year I struggled on, constantly staring at this wall that faced me. My perfectionist tendencies were the main root of this: I wanted to be perfect at whatever I did, which obviously in life is not possible, but it consumed me.
One day, I attended a presentation by wildlife conservationist Grant Brown at my high school. His presentation not only awed and inspired me, but also helped emerge an inner desire to make a difference in the world. I joined a pre-presentation dinner with him and that smaller setting allowed me to slowly build up my courage to speak one-on-one with him—an idea that had seemed completely impossible. This first contact was where my story began.
A month later, Brown invited me to attend the World Youth Wildlife Conference. Looking back, I now see that this would be the first in a series of timely opportunities that my old self would have let pass, but that this new and more confident Alice enthusiastically seized. Shortly after I received his invitation, applications to join the Youth for Nature and the Youth for Planet groups were sent around through my high school. I decided to commit to completing the applications, and soon I was a part of a growing global team of young people working to protect nature. Each of these new steps continued to grow my confidence.
I am writing this just six months since my journey began and I’ve realised that my biggest obstacle ( 障碍 ) this whole time was myself. It was that voice in the back of my head telling me that one phrase that has stopped so many people from reaching their potential: I can’t. They say good things come to those who wait; I say: grab every opportunity with everything you have and be impatient. After all, nature does not require our patience, but our action.
18．What was the main cause for Alice’s anxiety?
A．Her inability to act her age. B．Her habit of consumption.
C．Her desire to be perfect. D．Her lack of inspiration.
19．How did Grant Brown’s presentation influence Alice?
A．She decided to do something for nature. B．She tasted the sweetness of friendship.
C．She learned about the harm of desire. D．She built up her courage to speak up.
20．The activities Alice joined in helped her to become more ________.
A．intelligent B．confident C．innovative D．critical
21．What can we learn from this passage?
A．Practice makes perfect. B．Patience is a cure of anxiety.
C．Action is worry’s worst enemy. D．Everything comes to those who wait.

（2022年北京卷英语真题）“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”.
22．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
23．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.
24．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.

（2022年北京卷英语真题）Quantum ( 量子 ) computers have been on my mind a lot lately. A friend has been sending me articles on how quantum computers might help solve some of the biggest challenges we face as humans. I’ve also had exchanges with two quantum-computing experts. One is computer scientist Chris Johnson who I see as someone who helps keep the field honest. The other is physicist Philip Taylor.
For decades, quantum computing has been little more than a laboratory curiosity. Now, big tech companies have invested in quantum computing, as have many smaller ones. According to Business Weekly, quantum machines could help us “cure cancer, and even take steps to turn climate change in the opposite direction.” This is the sort of hype ( 炒作 ) that annoys Johnson. He worries that researchers are making promises they can’t keep. “What’s new,” Johnson wrote, “is that millions of dollars are now potentially available to quantum computing researchers.”
As quantum computing attracts more attention and funding, researchers may mislead investors, journalists, the public and, worst of all, themselves about their work’s potential. If researchers can’t keep their promises, excitement might give way to doubt, disappointment and anger, Johnson warns. Lots of other technologies have gone through stages of excitement. But something about quantum computing makes it especially prone to hype, Johnson suggests, perhaps because “‘quantum’ stands for something cool you shouldn’t be able to understand.” And that brings me back to Taylor, who suggested that I read his book Q for Quantum.
After I read the book, Taylor patiently answered my questions about it. He also answered my questions about PyQuantum, the firm he co-founded in 2016. Taylor shares Johnson’s concerns about hype, but he says those concerns do not apply to PyQuantum.
The company, he says, is closer than any other firm “by a very large margin ( 幅度 )” to building a “useful” quantum computer, one that “solves an impactful problem that we would not have been able to solve otherwise.” He adds, “People will naturally discount my opinions, but I have spent a lot of time quantitatively comparing what we are doing with others.”
Could PyQuantum really be leading all the competition “by a wide margin”, as Taylor claims? I don’t know. I’m certainly not going to advise my friend or anyone else to invest in quantum computers. But I trust Taylor, just as I trust Johnson.
25．Regarding Johnson’s concerns, the author feels ________.
A．sympathetic B．unconcerned C．doubtful D．excited
26．What leads to Taylor’s optimism about quantum computing?
A．His dominance in physics. B．The competition in the field.
C．His confidence in PyQuantum. D．The investment of tech companies.
27．What does the underlined word “prone” in Paragraph 3 most probably mean?
A．Open. B．Cool. C．Useful. D．Resistant.
28．Which would be the best title for the passage?
A．Is Johnson More Competent Than Taylor?
B．Is Quantum Computing Redefining Technology?
C．Will Quantum Computers Ever Come into Being?
D．Will Quantum Computing Ever Live Up to Its Hype?

（2021年新高考北京英语高考试题（网络收集版））If you are planning to start a career in the field of education，science，or culture，then an internship（实习） at UNESCO will be ideal for you．
Who can apply？
l    You have completed your full-time university studies；or．
l    You are studying in a graduate program for a master's degree．
l    Applicants in technical assignments must have reached the last year of their studies in a technical institution．
What are the requirements？
l    You must be at least 20 years old．
l    You should have a good command （掌握） of either English or French．
l    You must have an excellent knowledge of office-related software．
l    You should be able to work well in a team and adapt to an international working environment．
l    You should possess strong interpersonal and communication skills．
What do you need to prepare？
l    Visa：You should obtain the necessary visas．
l    Travel：You must arrange and finance your travel to and from the location where you will do your internship．
l    Medical insurance：You must show proof of a comprehensive health insurance valid（有效的）in the target country for the entire period of the internship．UNESCO will provide limited insurance coverage up to USD30,000 for the internship period．
l    Medical certificate：You must provide a medical certificate indicating you are fit to work．
l    Motivation letter：You should have your motivation letter ready before filling out the application form．
Your application will be accessed by UNESCO managers and will stay in our database for six months．We do not respond to every candidate．If selected，you will be contacted by a manager．If you do not receive any update within six months，it means that your application has not been successful．
29．According to this passage，applicants are required to________．
A．hold a master's degree in science
B．have international work experience
C．be fluent in either English or French
D．present a letter from a technical institution
30．What will UNESCO provide for the internship period？
A．Limited medical insurance coverage．
B．Training in communication skills．
C．A medical certificate for work．
D．Financial support for travel．
31．What should applicants do before filling out the application form？
A．Contact UNESCO managers． B．Get access to the database．
C．Keep a motivation letter at hand． D．Work in a team for six months．

（2021年新高考北京英语高考试题（网络收集版））I remember the day during our first week of class when we were informed about our semester（学期） project of volunteering at a non-profit organization．When the teacher introduced us to the different organizations that needed our help，my last choice was Operation Iraqi Children （OIC）．My first impression of the organization was that it was not going to make enough of a difference with the plans I had in mind．
Then，an OIC representative gave us some details，which somewhat interested me．After doing some research， I believed that we could really do something for those kids．When I went online to the OIC website，I saw pictures of the Iraqi children．Their faces were so powerful in sending a message of their despair（绝望） and need that I joined this project without hesitation．We decided to collect as many school supplies as possible，and make them into kits——one kit，one child．
The most rewarding day for our group was project day，when all the efforts we put into collecting the items finally came together．When I saw the various supplies we had collected，it hit me that every kit we were to build that day would eventually be in the hands of an Iraqi child．Over the past four months，I had never imagined how I would feel once our project was completed．While making the kits，I realized that I had lost sight of the true meaning behind it．I had only focused on the fact that it was another school project and one I wanted to get a good grade on．When the kits were completed，and ready to be sent overseas，the warm feeling I had was one I would never forget．
In the beginning，I dared myself to make a difference in the life of another person．Now that our project is over，I realize that I have affected not only one life，but ten．With our efforts，ten young boys and girls will now be able to further their education．
32．How did the author feel about joining the OIC project in the beginning？
A．It would affect his/her initial plans．
B．It would involve traveling overseas．
C．It would not bring him/her a good grade．
D．It would not live up to his/her expectations．
33．What mainly helped the author change his/her attitude toward the project？
A．Images of Iraqi children． B．Research by his/her classmates．
C．A teacher's introduction． D．A representative's comments．
34．The author's OIC project group would help ten Iraqi children to________．.
A．become OIC volunteers B．further their education
C．study in foreign countries D．influence other children
35．What can we conclude from this passage？
A．One's potential cannot always be underrated．
B．First impression cannot always be trusted．
C．Actions speak louder than words．
D．He who hesitates is lost．

（2021年新高考北京英语高考试题（网络收集版））Hundreds of scientists, writers and academics sounded a warning to humanity in an open letter published last December: Policymakers and the rest of us must engage openly with the risk of global collapse. Researchers in many areas have projected the widespread collapse as “a credible scenario(情景) this century”.
A survey of scientists found that extreme weather events, food insecurity, and freshwater shortages might create global collapse. Of course, if you are a non-human species, collapse is well underway.
The call for public engagement with the unthinkable is especially germane in this moment of still-uncontrolled pandemic and economic crises in the world's most technologically advanced nations. Not very long ago, it was also unthinkable that a virus would shut down nations and that safety nets would be proven so disastrously lacking in flexibility.
The international scholars’ warning letter doesn't say exactly what collapse will look like or when it might happen. Collapseology, the study of collapse, is more concerned with identifying trends and with them the dangers of everyday civilization. Among the signatories(签署者) of the warning was Bob Johnson, the originator of the “ecological footprint” concept, which measures the total amount of environmental input needed to maintain a given lifestyle. With the current footprint of humanity, “it seems that global collapse is certain to happen in some form, possibly within a decade, certainly within this century,” Johnson said in an email.
“Only if we discuss the consequences of our biophysical limits,” the December warning letter says, “can we have the hope to reduce their speed, severity and harm”. And yet messengers of the coming disturbance are likely to be ignored. We all want to hope things will turn out fine. As a poet wrote,
Man is a victim of dope(麻醉品)
In the incurable form of hope.
The hundreds of scholars who signed the letter are intent(执着) on quieting hope that ignores preparedness. “Let's look directly into the issue of collapse,” they say, “and deal with the terrible possibilities of what we see there to make the best of a troubling future.”
36．What does the underlined word “germane” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?
A．Scientific. B．Credible.
C．Original. D．Relevant.
37．As for the public awareness of global collapse, the author is________.
A．worried B．puzzled
C．surprised D．scared
38．What can we learn from this passage?
A．The signatories may change the biophysical limits.
B．The author agrees with the message of the poem.
C．The issue of collapse is being prioritized.
D．The global collapse is well underway.

（2021年新高考北京英语高考试题（网络收集版））Early fifth-century philosopher St．Augustine famously wrote that he knew what time was unless someone asked him．Albert Einstein added another wrinkle when he theorized that time varies depending on where you measure it．Today's state-of-the-art atomic（原子的） clocks have proven Einstein right．Even advanced physics can't decisively tell us what time is, because the answer depends on the question you're asking．
Forget about time as an absolute．What if，instead of considering time in terms of astronomy,we related time to ecology？What if we allowed environmental conditions to set the tempo（节奏） of human life？We're increasingly aware of the fact that we can't control Earth systems with engineering alone，and realizing that we need to moderate（调节）our actions if we hope to live in balance．What if our definition of time reflected that？
Recently，I conceptualized a new approach to timekeeping that's connected to circumstances on our planet，conditions that might change as a result of global warming．We're now building a clock at the Anchorage Museum that reflects the total flow of several major Alaskan rivers，which are sensitive to local and global environmental changes．We've programmed it to match an atomic clock if the waterways continue to flow at their present rate．If the rivers run faster in the future on average，the clock will get ahead of standard time．If they run slower，you'll see the opposite effect．
The clock registers both short-term irregularities and long-term trends in river dynamics．It's a sort of observatory that reveals how the rivers are behaving from their own temporal frame（时间框架），and allows us to witness those changes on our smartwatches or phones．Anyone who opts to go on Alaska Mean River Time will live in harmony with the planet．Anyone who considers river time in relation to atomic time will encounter a major imbalance and may be motivated to counteract it by consuming less fuel or supporting greener policies．
Even if this method of timekeeping is novel in its particulars，early agricultural societies also connected time to natural phenomena．In pre-Classical Greece，for instance，people“corrected”official calendars by shifting dates forward or backward to reflect the change of season．Temporal connection to the environment was vital to their survival．Likewise，river time and other timekeeping systems we're developing may encourage environmental awareness．
When St．Augustine admitted his inability to define time， he highlighted one of time 's most noticeable qualities：Time becomes meaningful only in a defined context．Any timekeeping system is valid，and each is as praiseworthy as its purpose．
39．What is the main idea of Paragraph 1？
A．Timekeeping is increasingly related to nature．
B．Everyone can define time on their own terms．
C．The qualities of time vary with how you measure it．
D．Time is a major concern of philosophers and scientists．
40．The author raises three questions in Paragraph 2 mainly to________．
A．present an assumption B．evaluate an argument
C．highlight an experiment D．introduce an approach
41．What can we learn from this passage？
A．Those who do not go on river time will live an imbalanced life．
B．New ways of measuring time can help to control Earth systems．
C．Atomic time will get ahead of river time if the rivers run slower．
D．Modern technology may help to shape the rivers’ temporal frame．
42．What can we infer from this passage？
A．It is crucial to improve the definition of time．
B．A fixed frame will make time meaningless．
C．We should live in harmony with nature．
D．History is a mirror reflecting reality．


参考答案：
1．B 2．C 3．B

【导语】这是一篇应用文。文章主要介绍了一个成为国际奥委会青年领袖的项目以及要求。
1．细节理解题。根据4-Week Learning Sprint部分中“The 4-Week Learning Sprint, which will take place during November 2023, is a virtual learning programme. The sessions can be attended live or watched back after they are made available on the IOC channel. (为期4周的学习冲刺是一个虚拟学习计划，将于2023年11月进行。这些会议可以现场观看，也可以在IOC频道播出后观看)”可知，在为期四周的学习冲刺中，参与者将参加虚拟学习课程。故选B。
2．细节理解题。根据4-Week Learning Sprint部分中“After successfully completing the 4-Week Learning Sprint, you will need to submit a plan for a sport﹣based project, which you will work on if selected as an IOC Young Leader. (在成功完成为期4周的冲刺学习后，您需要提交一份以体育为基础的项目计划，如果您被选为国际奥委会青年领袖，您将参与其中)”可知，如果被选为国际奥委会青年领袖，需要做一个以运动为基础的项目。故选C。
3．细节理解题。根据Requirements for the Applicants部分中“You have at least one year of work experience. (你至少有一年的工作经验)”可知，对申请人的要求是至少一年工作经验。故选B。
4．A 5．D 6．B 7．C

【导语】本文是一篇记叙文。文章中作者结合自己被拒绝后得到了更好的职业发展机会，告诉我们最初的拒绝给予了更好的方向。
4．推理判断题。根据第一段“My heart raced when I saw the email sender’s name. The email started off: “Dear Mr Green, thank you for your interest” and “the review process took longer than expected.” It ended with “We are sorry to inform you…”and my vision blurred (模糊). (当我看到邮件发件人的名字时，我的心跳加速了。这封邮件是这样开头的：“亲爱的格林先生，感谢您的关注”，“审核过程比预期的要长。”信的结尾是“我们很抱歉地通知你……”，我的视线模糊了)”可知，收到的是被拒绝的邮件，所以推测作者在看到电子邮件发件人的名字时感到焦虑。故选A。
5．细节理解题。根据第三段“So I was shocked when, not long after the email, Professor Mary Devon, who was running the programme, invited me to observe the work being done in her lab. I jumped at the chance, and a few weeks later I was equally shocked—and overjoyed—when she invited me to talk with her about potential projects I could pursue in her lab. What she proposed didn’t seem as exciting as the original project I had applied to, but I was going to give it my all. (因此，当我收到这封邮件后不久，负责这个项目的玛丽·德文教授邀请我去她的实验室观察正在进行的工作时，我感到非常震惊。我欣然接受了这个机会，几周后，当她邀请我和她谈谈我可以在她的实验室里从事的潜在项目时，我同样感到震惊——同时也是欣喜若狂。她提出的建议似乎没有我最初申请的项目那么令人兴奋，但我打算全力以赴)”可知，与德文教授交谈后，作者决定全心全意地投入实验室工作。故选D。
6．推理判断题。根据第四段“I found myself working with a robotics professor on techniques for collecting data from the desert remotely. That project, which I could complete from my sofa instead of in the burning heat of the desert, not only survived the lockdown but worked where traditional methods didn’t. In the end, I had a new scientific interest to pursue. (我发现自己和一个机器人教授一起研究从沙漠中远程收集数据的技术。我可以在沙发上完成这个项目，而不是在沙漠的酷热中完成，它不仅在封锁期间幸存下来，而且在传统方法不奏效的地方也奏效了。最后，我有了新的科学兴趣去追求)”可推知，机器人学教授的项目很鼓舞人心。故选B。
7．推理判断题。根据最后一段“Rather than setting plans in stone, I’ve learned that sometimes I need to take the opportunities that are offered, even if they don’t sound perfect at the time, and make the most of them. (我明白了有时候我需要抓住提供的机会，即使这些机会在当时听起来并不完美，也要充分利用，而不是一成不变地制定计划)”结合文章中作者结合自己被拒绝后得到了更好的职业发展机会，告诉我们最初的拒绝给予了更好的方向。故C选项“拒绝可以是重定向”最符合文章的主旨。故选C。
8．D 9．C 10．A

【导语】本文是说明文。近年来，来自不同领域的研究人员一致认为，短期主义现在是工业化社会的一个重大问题。事实证明，人们对现在有偏见，以牺牲健康为代价，专注于当下有吸引力的事物，而牺牲了未来自己或社区的健康、幸福和财务稳定。
8．推理判断题。第一段首句“In recent years, researchers from diverse fields have agreed that short-termism is now a significant problem in industrialised societies.(近年来，来自不同领域的研究人员一致认为，短期主义现在是工业化社会的一个重大问题。)”提出一个问题——短期主义，接着下文“The historian Francis Cole argues that the West has entered a period where “only the present exists, a present characterised at once by the cruelty of the instant and by the boredom of an unending now”.(历史学家弗朗西斯•科尔（Francis Cole）认为，西方已经进入了一个“只有现在存在的时代，现在的特点是瞬间的残酷和无休止的现在的无聊”。)”引用历史学家Francis Cole的话来强调只注重现在的这种短期主义的危害，由此可推知，文章引用Francis Col的话是为了强调一个问题，故选D。
9．推理判断题。根据最后一段中“As a psychologist once joked, if aliens (外星人) wanted to weaken humanity, they wouldn’t send ships; they would invent climate change. Indeed, when it comes to environmental transformations, we can develop a form of collective “poor memory”, and each new generation can believe the state of affairs they encounter is nothing out of the ordinary.(一位心理学家曾经开玩笑说，如果外星人想削弱人类，他们不会派出飞船；他们会发明气候变化。的确，在环境变化的问题上，我们可以形成一种集体的“记忆不良”，每一代人都会认为他们所遇到的情况并没有什么不同寻常的)”可知，一位心理学家曾经开玩笑说，如果外星人想要削弱人类，他们会发明气候变化，通过这种方式来削弱人类，因为人们对于气候变化形成一种集体的“记忆不良”，认为他们所遇到的情况没什么异常的，由此可推知人们不擅长察觉出缓慢的变化，故选C。
10．推理判断题。通读全文，尤其是第一段“In recent years, researchers from diverse fields have agreed that short-termism is now a significant problem in industrialised societies.(近年来，来自不同领域的研究人员一致认为，短期主义现在是工业化社会的一个重大问题。)”提出一个问题——短期主义，和第二段“It has been proved that people have a bias(偏向) towards the present, focusing on loud attractions in the moment at the expense of the health, well-being and financial stability of their future selves or community. In business, this bias surfaces as short-sighted decisions. And on slow-burning problems like climate change, it translates into the unwillingness to make small sacrifices(牺牲) today that could make a major difference tomorrow.(事实证明人们对现在有偏见，以牺牲健康为代价，只专注于当下引人注目的事物，而牺牲了未来自己或社区的健康、幸福和稳定。在商业中，这种偏见表现为短视决策。在气候变化等缓慢燃烧的问题上，这意味着不愿意今天做出小的牺牲，而这些牺牲可能会在明天产生重大影响。)”可知，文章主要讲述了短视决策的危害，呼吁我们要做出有远见的思考。由此可推知，作者的写作目的是告诉我们有远见的思考对人类的重要性，故选A。
11．A 12．C 13．B 14．D

【导语】本文为说明文。文章主要探讨了ALife是否也在不断地进化的问题。
11．推理判断题。根据第三段“As much as many ALifers hate emphasizing their research’s applications, the attempts to create artificial life could have practical payoffs. (尽管许多ALifer讨厌强调他们研究的应用，但创造人工生命的尝试可能会有实际的回报)”可知，作者认为创造人工生命的尝试是会有回报的；再结合第二段“So far no one has convincingly made artificial life. This track record makes ALife a ripe target for criticism, such as declarations of the field’s doubtful scientific value. Alan Smith, a complexity scientist, is tired of such complaints. Asking about “the point” of ALife might be, well, missing the point entirely, he says. “The existence of a living system is not about the use of anything.” Alan says. “Some people ask me, ‘So what’s the worth of artificial life?’ Do you ever think, ‘What is the worth of your grandmother?’”(到目前为止，还没有人能令人信服地制造出人工生命。这一记录使生命科学成为批评的成熟目标，比如对该领域可疑科学价值的声明。复杂性科学家艾伦•史密斯厌倦了这样的抱怨。他说，询问ALife的“意义”可能完全没有抓住要点。“一个生命系统的存在与任何东西的使用无关。”Alan说。“有人问我，‘那么人工生命的价值是什么？’你有没有想过，‘你祖母的价值是多少？’”)”可推知，因为还没有人能令人信服地制造出人工生命，才导致使生命科学成为批评（认为其没有科学价值）的成熟目标，作者认为这是不合理的，所以后文引用了Alan Smith的话语对这种观点进行反驳，即关于Alan Smith对ALife的辩护，作者表示支持。故选A。
12．词句猜测题。根据划线词上文“Artificial intelligence may be considered ALife’s cousin in that researchers in both fields are enamored by a concept called open-ended evolution (演化).(人工智能可能被认为是ALife的表亲，因为这两个领域的研究人员都被一个叫做开放进化的概念enamored)”可知，人工智能可能被认为是ALife的表亲，说明人工智能和ALife二者间有共同之处，可推测是因为这两个领域的研究人员都被一个叫做开放进化的概念所吸引，所以才有了这种观点。故划线词意为“吸引”。故选C。
13．推理判断题。根据第三段“Artificial intelligence may be considered ALife’s cousin in that researchers in both fields are enamored by a concept called open-ended evolution (演化).(人工智能可能被认为是ALife的表亲，因为这两个领域的研究人员都被一个叫做开放进化的概念所吸引)”可知，ALife和AI有一个共同的特点。故选B。
14．主旨大意题。根据最后一段“They may apply universally to all acts of evolution. Ultimately ALife may be nothing special. But even this dismissal suggests something: perhaps, just like life itself throughout the universe, the rise of ALife will prove unavoidable.(它们可能普遍适用于所有进化行为。最终，ALife可能没有什么特别的。但即使是这种否定也表明了一些事情：也许，就像整个宇宙中的生命本身一样，ALife的崛起将被证明是不可避免的)”结合文章主要探讨了ALife是否也在不断地进化。D选项“生命在进化。创造ALife的尝试也能进化吗？”是最合适的标题。故选D。
15．D 16．B 17．D

【导语】本文是一篇应用文。主要介绍了同伴辅助学习课程(PASS)。
15．细节理解题。根据第三段“It’s an opportunity to deepen your understanding of the key points from lecture materials while you are applying your skills to solve problems.（这是一个机会，在你运用技能解决问题的同时，加深你对课堂材料关键点的理解。）”可知，在同伴辅助学习课程中，学生运用技能解决问题。故选D。
16．细节理解题。根据Waiting lists部分“If a session is full, you can register for the waiting list.（如果课程满员，您可以注册等待列表。）”可知，如果某一课程满员，可以注册等待列表。故选B。
17．细节理解题。根据Deregistering部分“If you miss two PASS sessions in a row, you will be deregistered and your place will be given to someone on the waiting list.（如果您连续错过两次课程，您将被取消注册，你的位置将分配给等待名单上的某个人。）”可知，如果学生连续错过两次课程，将被取消注册。故选D。
18．C 19．A 20．B 21．C

【导语】这是一篇记叙文。文章主要讲述作者通过参加保护自然活动治愈好了自己的焦虑。
18．细节理解题。由文章第一段“My perfectionist tendencies were the main root of this: I wanted to be perfect at whatever I did, which obviously in life is not possible, but it consumed me.(我的完美主义倾向是这一点的主要根源：无论我做什么，我都想做到完美，这在生活中显然是不可能的，但它消耗了我。)”可知，是要求完美导致了焦虑。故选C项。
19．细节理解题。由文章第二段“One day, I attended a presentation by wildlife conservationist Grant Brown at my high school. His presentation not only awed and inspired me, but also helped emerge an inner desire to make a difference in the world. (一天，我在高中参加了野生动物保护主义者Grant Brown的演讲。他的演讲不仅让我感到敬畏和鼓舞，还帮助我产生了一种内在的愿望，希望在世界上有所作为。)”和文章第三段“ Shortly after I received his invitation, applications to join the Youth for Nature and the Youth for Planet groups were sent around through my high school. I decided to commit to completing the applications, and soon I was a part of a growing global team of young people working to protect nature. (在我收到他的邀请后不久，我的高中就收到了加入“Youth for Nature”和“Youth for Plane”组织的申请。我决定致力于完成这些申请，很快我就成为了一个日益壮大的全球年轻人保护自然团队的一员。)”可知，是Grant Brown让作者开始为从事保护自然地活动中。故选A项。
20．细节理解题。由文章第三段“I decided to commit to completing the applications, and soon I was a part of a growing global team of young people working to protect nature. Each of these new steps continued to grow my confidence.(我决定完成申请，很快我就成为了一个不断壮大的全球年轻人保护自然团队的一员。每一步都让我更加自信。)”可知，Alice 加入这些活动让她变得更自信了。故选B项。
21．推理判断题。由第一段“ Early last year, I was troubled by an anxiety that crippled ( 削弱 ) my ability to do anything. I felt like a storm cloud hung over me.”（去年年初，我被一种焦虑困扰，它削弱了我做任何事情的能力。）由文章第三段“I decided to commit to completing the applications, and soon I was a part of a growing global team of young people working to protect nature. Each of these new steps continued to grow my confidence.(我决定完成申请，很快我就成为了一个不断壮大的全球年轻人保护自然团队的一员。每一步都让我更加自信。)可知，文章主要讲述作者通过参加保护自然活动治愈好了自己的焦虑。所以从文章中我们能学到行动是忧虑最大的敌人。故选C项。
22．C 23．A 24．B

【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了解决全球挑战的重要方法——系统思维。
22．推理判断题。由文章第一段““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. (“如果没有饥饿，世界会是什么样子？”这是 Crystal教授会问学生的问题。她后来写道，他们发现很难回答这个问题，因为想象一些不属于现实生活的东西，并学习如何将其变成现实是一项罕见的技能。它被教授给艺术家和工程师，但很少教授给科学家。Crystal着手改变这种状况，并帮助创建了一个全球运动。结果，一种被称为系统思维的方法现在被视为应对全球挑战的关键。)”可知，文章开头提出问题是为了引出话题-系统思维的方法被视为应对全球挑战的关键。故选C项。
23．细节理解题。由文章第三段“This shows that we have some way to travel before achieving the first objective of systems t hinking - which,in this example, is to identify more constituent parts of the nutrition system.(这表明，在实现系统思考的第一个目标之前，我们还有一段路要走——在本例中，这是为了确定营养系统的更多组成部分。)”可知，实现系统思维的第一个目标还有一段路需要走，现尚未实现。故选A项。
24．推理判断题。由文章第一段“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.(Crystal着手改变这种状况，并帮助创建了一个全球运动。结果，一种被称为系统思维的方法现在被视为应对全球挑战的关键。)”可知，作者认为该系统能应用于解决挑战。故选B项。
25．A 26．C 27．A 28．D

【导语】本文是一篇议论文。主要论述了“量子计算真的会像它的宣传那样成功吗？”，计算机科学家克里斯·约翰逊和物理学家菲利普·泰勒分别阐明了自己的观点。
25．推理判断题。根据第三自然段“As quantum computing attracts more attention and funding, researchers may mislead investors, journalists, the public and, worst of all, themselves about their work’s potential. If researchers can’t keep their promises, excitement might give way to doubt, disappointment and anger, Johnson warns. （随着量子计算吸引了更多的关注和资金，研究人员可能会误导投资者、记者、公众，最糟糕的是，他们自己的工作潜力。约翰逊警告说，如果研究人员不能兑现承诺，兴奋可能会让位于怀疑、失望和愤怒）”根据最后一段“ But I trust Taylor, just as I trust Johnson.”（但我相信泰勒，就像我相信约翰逊一样）可知，关于约翰逊的担忧，作者是支持的。A. sympathetic同情的，赞同的；B. unconcerned不关心的；C. doubtful怀疑的；D. excited激动的。故选A。
26．细节理解题。根据倒数第二段“The company, he says, is closer than any other firm “by a very large margin ( 幅度 )” to building a “useful” quantum computer, one that “solves an impactful problem that we would not have been able to solve otherwise.” He adds, “People will naturally discount my opinions, but I have spent a lot of time quantitatively comparing what we are doing with others.”（ 他说，这家公司比其他任何公司都“在很大程度上”接近于制造出“有用的”量子计算机，它“解决了一个有影响力的问题，否则我们无法解决这个问题”。他补充说:“人们自然会不相信我的观点，但我已经花了很多时间来定量地比较我们与他人的做法）”可知，泰勒对量子计算的乐观来源于他对PyQuantum的信心。故选C。
27．词义猜测题。根据第三自然段“But something about quantum computing makes it especially prone to hype, Johnson suggests, perhaps because “‘quantum’ stands for something cool you shouldn’t be able to understand.”（ 但约翰逊表明，量子计算的某些方面使得它特别 prone被炒作，可能是因为“量子”代表了一些你不应该理解的酷东西。”）”可知，本句中含有一个原因状语从句，因为““量子”代表了一些你不应该理解的酷东西”，所以它特别容易被炒作。故prone意为“易于……的”。A. Open.开放的；易受损害的；B. Cool. 酷的；C. Useful. 有用的；D. Resistant. 有抵抗力的。故选A。
28．主旨大意题。根据第二自然段“Now, big tech companies have invested in quantum computing, as have many smaller ones. According to Business Weekly, quantum machines could help us “cure cancer, and even take steps to turn climate change in the opposite direction. This is the sort of hype ( 炒作 ) that annoys Johnson.”（ 现在，大型科技公司和许多小型公司都在量子计算领域进行了投资。据《商业周刊》报道，量子机器可以帮助我们“治愈癌症，甚至采取措施将气候变化转向相反的方向。这种炒作让约翰逊感到恼火。”）”以及最后一段“Could PyQuantum really be leading all the competition “by a wide margin”, as Taylor claims? I don’t know. I’m certainly not going to advise my friend or anyone else to invest in quantum computers.（PyQuantum真的能像泰勒所说的那样“以巨大的优势”领先所有竞争对手吗？我不知道。我当然不会建议我的朋友或其他人投资量子计算机。但我信任泰勒，就像我信任约翰逊一样。）”可知，本文主要论述了“量子计算真的会像它的宣传那样成功吗？”，计算机科学家克里斯·约翰逊和物理学家菲利普·泰勒分别阐明了自己的观点。所以短文的最佳标题为“量子计算真的会像它的宣传那样成功吗？”。故选D。
29．C 30．A 31．C

【分析】本文是一篇应用文，主要讲的是联合国教科文组织的实习项目。
29．细节理解题。根据What are the requirements？部分的You should have a good command （掌握） of either English or French（你应该精通英语或法语）可知，申请者必须精通英语或法语，故选C。
30．细节理解题。根据What do you need to prepare？部分的UNESCO will provide limited insurance coverage up to USD30,000 for the internship period（联合国教科文组织将为实习期间提供不超过3万美元的有限保险）可知，教科文组织为实习期间提供有限的医疗保险，故选A。
31．细节理解题。根据倒数第二段的You should have your motivation letter ready before filling out the application form（在填写申请表之前，你应该准备好你的动机信）可知，在填写申请表之前，申请人应将动机信放在手边，故选C。
32．D 33．A 34．B 35．B

【分析】本文是记叙文。讲述了作者一开始认为加入伊拉克儿童行动项目不会达到他的期望，但是最后通过努力对自己和他人带来影响，说明第一印象不总是可信的。
32．细节理解题。根据第一段“When the teacher introduced us to the different organizations that needed our help，my last choice was Operation Iraqi Children （OIC）．My first impression of the organization was that it was not going to make enough of a difference with            the plans I had in mind．”（当老师向我们介绍了需要我们帮助的不同组织时，我最后的选择是伊拉克儿童行动(OIC)。我对这个组织的第一印象是，它不会对我心中的计划产生足够的影响。）可知，一开始作者认为加入伊拉克儿童行动项目不会达到他的期望。故选D。
33．细节理解题。根据第二段“When I went online to the OIC website，I saw pictures of the Iraqi children．Their faces were so powerful in sending a message of their despair（绝望） and need that I joined this project without hesitation．”（当我上网访问OIC 网站时，我看到了伊拉克儿童的照片。他们的脸上传递的信息是绝望和需要帮助，我毫不犹豫地加入了这个项目。）可知，伊拉克儿童图片帮助作者改变了他对这个项目的态度。故选A。
34．细节理解题。根据最后一段“Now that our project is over，I realize that I have affected not only one life，but ten．With our efforts，ten young boys and girls will now be able to further their education．”（现在我们的项目结束了，我意识到我不仅影响了一个人的生活，而且影响了十个人的生活。在我们的努力下，10名男孩和女孩现在将能够继续接受教育。）可知，作者的伊拉克儿童行动组织帮助十个伊拉克儿童继续接受教育。故选B。
35．推理判断题。根据第一段“My first impression of the organization was that it was not going to make enough of a difference with the plans I had in mind．”（我对这个组织的第一印象是，它不会对我心中的计划产生足够的影响。）和最后一段“In the beginning，I dared myself to make a difference in the life            of another person．Now that our project is over，I realize that I have affected not only one life，but ten．With our efforts，ten young boys and girls will now be able to further their education．”（一开始，我鼓励自己去改变另一个人的生活。现在我们的项目结束了，我意识到我不仅影响了一个人的生活，而且影响了十个人的生活。在我们的努力下，十名男孩和女孩现在将能够继续接受教育。）可知，一开始作者认为加入伊拉克儿童行动不会达到他的期望，但是最后通过努力对自己和他人带来影响，说明第一印象不总是可信的。故选B。
【点睛】
36．D 37．A 38．B

【分析】这是一篇说明文，文章阐述了全球崩塌（global collapse）的概念。数百名科学家、作家和学者在去年12月发表的一封公开信中向全人类发出了警告：政策制定者和我们每个人必须直面“全球崩塌”的风险。文章具体阐释了学者们对这一概念的定义、理解和它的现实意义。
36．词义猜测题。根据该词所在的具体语境，第三段第一句“The call for public engagement with the unthinkable is especially germane in this moment of still-uncontrolled pandemic and economic crises in the world's most technologically advanced nations.”（呼吁公众对世界不确定性的关注，尤其与此时此刻的情况密切相关：此时此刻，在世界上技术最先进的国家，仍处于无法控制流行病和经济危机的泥潭中），下文也提到，一场病毒肆虐，一个国家社会停止了运转，大流行无法控制，经济下行，这样的事情在不久之前都是无法想象，不可思议（unthinkable）的，即世界充满了不确定性。而此时此刻呼吁人们对这种unthinkable加以关注，正是和此时此刻的世界实况密切相关。A. Scientific科学的；B. Credible可信的，可靠的；C. Original原来的，原创的；D. Relevant相关的，有重大关系的。根据上面的分析，仅有D符合语境，故选D。
37．推理判断题。本题要求判断作者的情感态度，根据原文第五段“yet messengers of the coming disturbance are likely to be ignored. We all want to hope things will turn out fine.”（然而未来崩溃的先行信号很可能被忽略，我们都希望事情在未来会变好）和倒数最后一段的呼吁，例如“Let's look directly into the issue of collapse,” they say, “and deal with the terrible possibilities of what we see there to make the best of a troubling future.”（他们说，“让我们直面全球崩塌的议题，真正去解决我们看到的可能的糟糕情况，以便使未来没那么糟。”）可知，作者认为公众对“全球崩塌”的重视意识不够，比较担心，A. worried担忧的；B. puzzled困惑的，茫然的；C. surprised惊讶的；D. scared害怕的，综合以上的分析，可见作者对此是“担忧的”，故选A。
38．推理判断题。原文诗歌“Man is a victim of dope; In the incurable form of hope.”（人类是麻醉品的受害者；沉迷于无可救药的幻想中）表达的是，人类无视未来全球崩塌的巨大危险，把头埋进沙子里，假装不知道，充满不切实际的幻想和希望。而诗歌前面的段落就提到“yet messengers of the coming disturbance are likely to be ignored. We all want to hope things will turn out fine.”（然而未来崩溃的先行信号很可能被忽略，我们都希望事情在未来会变好），结合上下文，这里指的是人们都幻想着未来就会变好。诗歌之后的最后一段则提到执着于“quieting hope that ignores preparedness.”（掐灭不做准备的空有幻想），接着又借学者之口，提到“Let's look directly into the issue of collapse,” they say, “and deal with the terrible possibilities of what we see there to make the best of a troubling future.”（他们说，“让我们直面全球崩塌的议题，真正去解决我们看到的可能的糟糕情况，以便使未来没那么糟。”）可见，上下文一脉相承，表达相同的一方观点，未对另一方的观点有任何呈现，理解文章后可知，作者有明显的态度倾向，作者对于这首诗表达的信息是赞同的，故选B。
39．B 40．D 41．C 42．C

【分析】本文是议论文。文章通过讨论时间的定义，讲述了人们应该和大自然和谐相处，保护环境。
39．主旨大意题。根据第一段最后一句“Even advanced physics can't decisively tell us what time is, because the answer depends on the question you're asking．(即使是先进的物理学也不能决定性地告诉我们时间是什么，因为答案取决于你要问的问题)”以及上文列举的哲学家St．Augustine和爱因斯坦对于时间的定义可推断，第一段主要讲述每个人都可以用自己的话来定义时间。故选B项。
40．推理判断题。根据第二段的“We're increasingly aware of the fact that we can't control Earth systems with engineering alone，and realizing that we need to moderate（调节）our actions if we hope to live in balance．(我们越来越意识到，我们不能只是用工程学来控制地球系统，意识到，如果我们希望保持平衡，我们就需要调节我们的行动。)”进而提出问题“What if our definition of time reflected that？(如果时间的定义反映那些会怎么样呢)”，结合前两个问题“What if，instead of considering time in terms of astronomy, we related time to ecology？What if we allowed environmental conditions to set the tempo（节奏） of human life？(如果我们不考虑天文学方面的时间，而是将时间与生态学联系起来呢？如果我们允许环境条件来设定人类生活的节奏呢)”可推断，第二段提出的三个问题是为了介绍方法。故选D项。
41．细节理解题。根据第三段的“We've programmed it to match an atomic clock if the waterways continue to flow at their present rate．If the rivers run faster in the future on average，the clock will get ahead of standard time．If they run slower，you'll see the opposite effect．（如果水道继续以目前的速度流动，我们对它进行了编程，匹配了一个原子时间。如果河流在未来的平均运行速度更快，时间就会超过标准时间。如果它们的运行速度较慢，你就会看到相反的效果。）”可知，如果河流运行速度得较慢，原子时间将超过河流时间。故选C项。
42．推理判断题。根据第二段的“We're increasingly aware of the fact that we can't control Earth systems with engineering alone，and realizing that we need to moderate（调节）our actions if we hope to live in balance．(我们越来越意识到，我们不能只是用工程学来控制地球系统，意识到，如果我们希望保持平衡，我们就需要调节我们的行动。)”和倒数第二段的“Temporal connection to the environment was vital to their survival．Likewise，river time and other timekeeping systems we're developing may encourage environmental awareness(时间与环境的暂时联系对它们的生存至关重要。同样，河流时间和我们正在开发的其他时间保护系统也可能会鼓励人们提高环境意识)”可推断，从这篇文章中我们知道我们应该与自然和谐共处，保护环境。故选C。