近10年 阅读理解说明文汇编 试卷版

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近10年 阅读理解说明文汇编 试卷版

Passage 1

（2026·全国一卷·高考真题）

In line with longstanding initiatives to expand its green spaces, New York City is planting tens of thousands of trees each year. They provide shade, lower surface temperatures, absorb a surprising amount of airborne carbon, remove tiny pollutants, and provide wildlife habitat along with just plain beauty. 

Something could go wrong, though, according to a new study. Oaks and sweetgums, which currently account for a majority of the city’s trees, produce huge amounts of a chemical substance called isoprene. Harmless by itself, isoprene interacts rapidly with polluting nitrogen oxides released by vehicles, buildings and industry to form ground-level ozone (臭氧) — a major factor in many breathing problems. 

The research, carried out by scientists at the Columbia Climate School and other institutions, found that if the city maintains past species patterns in new plantings, isoprene production in Manhattan in coming decades will go up by about 140%, and resulting summer ozone levels as much as 30%. 

“We’re all for planting more trees. They bring so many good things,” said study coauthor Róisín Commane. “But if we’re not careful, we could make air quality worse.” 

The Parks Department is not oblivious to the issue. A study carried out by some of its researchers several years ago concluded that city trees did release isoprene. “We didn’t make a big deal of that,” said Novem Auyeung, a Parks Department senior scientist. She said trees should not be viewed as the enemy. “We could plant any trees we want to, if we just rethink our car-centric lifestyle,” she said.

“We’re not going to go cutting down any big old oaks,” and neither will the department completely stop planting new ones, said Auyeung. “You have to think about what you would lose if you do that.” Oaks are keystone species, she pointed out, providing food and habitat for native insects, birds and other animals. 

28.What does the new study imply regarding oaks and sweetgums? 

A.They affect the growth of other trees. 

B.They absorb less carbon than expected. 

C.They harm people’s health indirectly. 

D.They raise the local temperature slowly. 

29.Which of the following may Commane suggest based on their study?

A.Cutting down the isoprene-producing trees. 

B.Suspending tree-planting for a few decades. 

C.Changing the species of trees in new plantings. 

D.Removing isoprene released by existing trees. 

30. What does the underlined phrase “oblivious to” in paragraph 5 mean? 

A. Honest about. B. Unaware of. C. Related to. D. Optimistic about. 

31. What would Auyeung probably advocate? 

A. Reducing car use in daily life. B. Providing animals with new habitats. 

C. Controlling population growth. D. Doing more research on the problem.

Passage 2

（2026·全国一卷·高考真题）

A team of Cambridge psychologists conducted an experiment to compare the cognitive (认知的) effects of merely seeing art with actively judging how beautiful it is. 

In the study, 187 people were invited to visit Kettle’s Yard gallery during an exhibition of handmade clay objects. Participants were randomly divided into two groups: the “beauty” group was asked to actively consider and then rate the beauty of each object they viewed, while the control group just matched a line drawing of the object with the artwork itself. All participants were then tested on how they process information, and whether it’s in a more practical or abstract way. 

Across all participants, those in the beauty group scored almost 14% higher on average than the control group in abstract thinking. While they were told the study was about cognitive processes, participants were asked about interests, with around half saying they had an artistic hobby. Among those, the effect was greater: those with an artistic hobby in the beauty group scored over 25% higher on average for abstract thinking than those with an artistic hobby in the control group. 

Emotional states of participants were also measured by asking about their feelings while completing the gallery task. Across all participants, those in the beauty group reported an average of 23% higher levels of “transformative and self-transcendent feelings” — such as feeling moved, enlightened and inspired — than the control group. Importantly, however, the beauty group did not report feeling any happier than the control group, suggesting that it was the engagement with beauty that influenced abstract thinking, rather than any overall positivity from the experience. 

“We usually think in very concrete terms when doing something on a screen,” said Simone Schnall, senior author of the study. “It’s becoming much rarer to zone out and just let the mind wander, but that’s when we think in ways that broaden our minds. Admiring the beauty of art may be the ideal way to initiate the abstract cognitive processes.” 

32.What was the beauty group asked to do with the clay objects? 

A.Draw their outlines. 

B.Give each piece a rating. 

C.Compare their prices. 

D.Make a copy of each piece. 

33.Which participants got the highest score on average in the test? 

A.Beauty group, with an artistic hobby. 

B. Beauty group, without an artistic hobby. 

C. Control group, with an artistic hobby. 

D. Control group, without an artistic hobby. 

34.Why were the participants’ emotional states measured? 

A.To discover their attitudes towards art. 

B.To identify their specific thinking patterns. 

C.To examine the difficulty of the tasks. 

D.To determine factors behind the test results. 

35.What is the major finding of the study regarding the appreciation of art? 

A.It enhances emotional ties. 

B.It needs critical thinking skills. 

C.It creates positive feelings. 

D.It encourages abstract thinking.

Passage 3

（2026·全国二卷·高考真题）

The peak of Mount Qomolangma,8,849 meters above sea level.Chimborazo,6,263m; Mont Blanc,4,806m;Pradidali hut,at the foot of the Pala group in the Dolomites,2,278 m.It is common practice to provide the elevation (高度) of a place.Simple readings are now readily available on our phones and wearables.But elevation is necessarily relative:only the choice of a reference point allows us to express numerically the height of an object or a location.

The idea of sea level as a reference point for elevations has by now been around for so long as to go essentially unnoticed— we mention it without even considering what it means. That the concept has a history is easily ignored.We tend to forget that sea level is a product of technically and culturally determined assumptions.In this book I tell a story of these assumptions.

Appropriately,the book took shape during a summer spent between sea and mountains.A month after visiting the French Riviera and enjoying the sandy beaches of Nice and Menton,I went hiking with friends in the Pala group.Resting on a pass near the Pradidali hut,we began discussing the readings offered by our altimeters(测高仪).Why did they vary ever so slightly from one instrument to the next?This sense of uncertainty led me to think about the meaning of zero.This is how I began my search for the conceptual history of sea level.

In this book I examine three crucial stages in the history of mean sea level.These stages mirror the development of human conceptions of the sea.Since I began thinking about this project in August 2011,the issue of sea-level rise and the need to place it historically have only become more urgent: between then and the end of 2022 the global sea rose by almost 5 centimeters,about half of the overallrise recorded by satellites since 1993.

28. What does the author point out at the beginning of the text?

A.Some mountains are getting higher.B.Data on wearables are misleading.

C.The concept of elevation is relative.D.The reference point is hard to locate.

29.What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A.How the altimeter was invented.B.What initiated the author’s research.

C.Why the digital readings varied.D.Where the author spent his holiday.

30.What does the underlined word “it”refer to in the last paragraph?

A.The book.B.The project.C. The issue.D.The development.

31.What can be the title of the book mentioned in the text?

A.The Altimeter:AMust-HaveB. Sea Level:A History

C. Meaning ofZero:Nothing or EverythingD. Mountains to Seas:Ups and Downs

Passage 4

（2026·全国二卷·高考真题）

The Barcelona subway pulls into the station,the doors slide open and passengers pour out to go about their daily business.Little do they know that as they do so,a burst of energy is sent up to street level to help charge an electric car.

Barcelona has put together a package of clean energy technologies to help public transportation go greener,while also doing its part to tackle climate change and aid Europe’s difficult shift to the privately owned electric vehicle market.

Sixteen stations of Barcelona’s subway system are part ofits new MetroCharge project, whereby the energy from the underground trains’ brakes (刹车)is used to power the trains and the stations themselves,while the remainder is sent snaking through cables(电缆)to the surface to power plug-in stations for privately owned vehicles.

Bernardo Espinoza,an engineer who takes the subway every day,owns an electric car. “I am pleasantly surprised,because I am always looking for where to plug it in,” Espinoza said before catching the subway in a working-class area of southern Barcelona. “And if it is from energy from the trains’ brakes,then even better.”

Regenerative brakes have been in trains for decades and are also used in some cars.They consist of an electric motor which collects energy used in the braking action that would be lost as heat by conventional brakes.That energy can be immediately used to accelerate(加速) the vehicle or,in the case of the Barcelona subway system,sent along cables to supply electricity for the station or for electric car chargers.

Alvaro Luna,a professor of electrical engineering,said that the system is innovative in so far as it allows for recycled energy to be redirected to specific local uses—in this case powering electric cars parked nearby.That,he said,boosts efficiency.

32. Why does Barcelona launch the MetroCharge project?

A.To fuel the city’s economy.B.To enhance passengers’ experience.

C.To promote green transportation.D.To raise the quality of electric cars.

33.What is Espinoza’s concern?

A.How to cut his travel expenses.B.Where to get a parking space.

C.How to avoid rush-hour traffic.D.Where to find a charging point.

34.What aspect of regenerative brakes is discussed in paragraph 5?

A.Their operating conditions.B.Their conventional standard.

C.Their potential risks.D.Their working mechanism.

35.What did Luna say about the system?

A.It uses reclaimed energy creatively.B.It improves workers’ efficiency.

C.It prioritizes the safety of trains.D.It generates jobs for the locals.

Passage 5

（2025·全国一卷·高考真题）

Microplastics have become a common source of pollution across the Earth — they have settled in the deep sea and on the Himalayas, stuck inside volcanic rocks, filled the stomachs of seabirds and even fallen in fresh Antarctic snow. They are even appearing inside humans. 

Now, new research suggests that a simple, cheap measure may significantly reduce the level of microplastics in water from your tap (水龙头): boiling and filtering (过滤) it. In a study published Wednesday in Environmental Science & Technology Letters, researchers from China found that boiling tap water for just five minutes — then filtering it after it cools — could remove at least 80 percent of its microplastics. 

Crucially, this process relies on the water containing enough calcium carbonate (碳酸钙) to trap the plastics. In the study, boiling hard water containing 300 milligrams of calcium carbonate led to an almost 90 percent drop in plastics. But in samples with less than 60 milligrams of calcium carbonate, boiling reduced the level of plastics by just 25 percent. Additionally, the research didn’t include all types of plastics. The team focused only on three common types — polystyrene, polyethylene and polypropylene — and they didn’t study other chemicals previously found in water such as vinyl chloride. 

Still, the findings show a potential path forward for reducing microplastic exposure — a task that’s becoming increasingly difficult. Even bottled water, scientists found earlier this year, contains 10 to 1,000 times more microplastics than originally thought. 

Scientists are still trying to determine how harmful microplastics are — but what they do know has raised concerns. The new study suggests boiling tap water could be a tool to limit intake. “The way they demonstrated how microplastics were trapped through the boiling process was nice,” Caroline Gauchotte-Lindsay, an environmental engineer of the University of Glasgow in Scotland who was not involved in the research, tells New Scientist. “We should be looking into upgrading drinking water treatment plants so they remove microplastics.”

32. How does the author present the issue in the first paragraph?

A. By quoting an expert.B. By defining a concept.

C. By giving examples.D. By providing statistics.

33. What determines the effectiveness of trapping microplastics in water?

A. The hardness of water.B. The length of cooling time.

C. The frequency of filtering.D. The type of plastic in water.

34. What does the author try to illustrate by mentioning bottled water in paragraph 4?

A. The importance of plastic recycling.B. The severity of the microplastic problem.

C. The danger in overusing pure water.D. The difficulty in treating polluted water.

35. What is Gauchotte-Lindsay’s suggestion about?

A. Choice of new research methods.B. Possible direction for further study.

C. Need to involve more researchers.D. Potential application of the findings.

Passage 6

（2025·全国二卷·高考真题）

When Sonja Detrinidad opened her online shop selling houseplants, she didn’t have high hopes for it. But the opposite happened: She was flooded, shipping out 1,200 orders in June of 2020 alone. In the past year, Detrinidad sent out more than 70,000 plants. Her success is just one example of increased time at home leading to an explosion in the houseplant industry. 

“Plants are in fashion right now,” says Dr. Melinda Knuth, a researcher from the University of Florida. “People who live in plant-rich environments report a higher life satisfaction rating, ” she says. “Adding more nature to our environment can change our mood and how we think.” Plants can improve our state of mind in a few ways but the biggest is by decreasing our level of cortisol, the stress hormone (激素) in our body. 

“Students who are around plants perform better academically than students who are in a classroom without plants,” says Knuth. “This productivity also translates into the workplace for adults. Our study showed that there was a 30% decrease in sick leave for people who were in plant-rich workplaces.”

If you’re among the groups of people who are enjoying the mental and physical health benefits of surrounding yourself with plants, don’t beat yourself up if one (or a few!) doesn’t make it. “Doctors practice medicine and lawyers practice law and you should allow yourself the practice it takes to sustain a plant. Tending to plants is an exercise in patience and learning. Be invested in taking care of it, but if it dies, go get another one,” Detrinidad says.

28. How was Detrinidad’s business when it started?

A. It faced tough competition.B. It suffered a great loss.

C. It got lots of financial support.D. It went surprisingly well.

29. What is one of Knuth’s findings about plants?

A. They appeal more to students.B. They purify the environment.

C. They raise the cortisol level.D. They enhance productivity.

30. What does Detrinidad try to explain by mentioning doctors and lawyers?

AThe necessity of social skills.B. The meaning of sustainability.

C. The importance of repeated efforts.D. The value of professional opinions.

31. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A. Time to Replace HouseplantsB. Plants Boost Your Mood

C. Tips on Choosing HouseplantsD. Plants Brighten Your Home

Passage 7

（2025·全国二卷·高考真题）

Does your soul die a little every time you throw away unused food? Mine does. Maybe that feeling comes from growing up in South Africa, where the phrase “there are children starving in Africa” was more of an uncomfortable reminder of fact than a prayer at dinner time. 

Food waste is a growing concern in the restaurant, supermarket, and supply chain industries. From technological solutions to educational campaigns, food producers and sellers are looking for ways to use more of what we’re already growing. But last month, one popular New York City restaurant tried a different way: It changed its menu to exclusively (专门) offer food that would otherwise be thrown away. 

For two weeks in March Greenwich Village’s Blue Hill restaurant was renamed wastED, and served items like fried skate cartilage, a juice pulp burger, and a dumpster diver’s vegetable salad. Each dish was tailor-made to raise awareness regarding food waste. 

A study by the Food Waste Alliance determined that the average restaurant generates 33 pounds of food waste for every $1,000 in revenue (收入), and of that waste only 15.7% is donated or recycled. Up to 84.3% is simply thrown out. Restaurants like Silo in the UK have experimented with zero-waste systems, but wastED took the concept to its logical conclusion. 

It should be noted that none of the items on wastED’s menu was technically made from garbage. Instead, all the ingredients (配料) used were examples of meat cuts and produce that most restaurants would never consider serving. Things like kale ribs, fish collars, rejected sweet potatoes, and cucumber butts were all re-appropriated and, with the help of a number of good chefs, turned into excellent cuisine. 

Though wastED received enthusiastic reviews, it was designed from the start as a short-lived experiment; Blue Hill has since returned to its regular menu. Nevertheless, it serves as a reminder that there are many ways to address problems of sustainability, and that you can make an amazing meal out of almost anything.

32. What can be inferred about the author’s early life?

A. He witnessed food shortage.B. He enjoyed the local cuisine.

C. He donated food to Africans.D. He helped to cook at home.

33. Why did Blue Hill carry out the experiment?

A. To customize dishes for guests.B. To make the public aware of food waste.

C. To test a food processing method.D. To improve the UK’s zero-waste systems.

34. What is paragraph 5 mainly about?

A. Why the ingredients were used.B. Which dishes were best liked.

C. What the dishes were made of.D. Where the ingredients were bought.

35. What can we learn about wastED?

A. It has ended as planned.B. It is creating new jobs.

C. It has regained popularity.D. It is criticized by top chefs.

Passage 8

（2024·全国一卷·高考真题）

Is comprehension the same whether a person reads a text onscreen or on paper?And are listening to and viewing content as effective as reading the written word when covering the same material? The answers to both questions are often “no.”The reasons relate to a variety  of factors, including reduced concentration, an entertainment mindset (心态)and a tendency to multitask while consuming digital content.

When reading texts of several hundred words or more, learning is generally more successful when it's on paper than onscreen. A large amount of research confirms this finding. The benefits of print reading particularly  shine through when experimenters move from  posing simple tasks -- like identifying the main idea in a reading passage -- to ones that require mental abstraction -- such as drawing inferences from a text.

The differences between print and digital reading results are partly related to paper's physical properties. With paper, there is a literal laying on of hands, along with the visual geography of distinct pages. People often link their memory of what they've read to how far into the book it was or where it was on the page.

But equally important is the mental aspect. Reading researchers have proposed a theory called "shallowing  hypothesis(假说). " According to this theory, people approach digital texts with a mindset suited to social media, which are often not so serious, and devote less mental  effort than when they are reading print.

Audio(音频)and video can feel more  engaging than text, and  so university teachers increasingly tum to these technologies -- say, assigning an online talk instead of an article by  the  same  person. However, psychologists  have  demonstrated  that  when  adults  read  news  stories, they remember more of the content than if they listen to or view identical pieces.

Digital texts, audio  and  video  all  have  educational  roles, especially  when  providing resources not available in print. However, for maximizing learning where mental focus and  reflection are called for, educators shouldn't assume all media are the same, even when they  contain identical words.

28. What does the underlined phrase "shine through" in paragraph 2 mean?

A. Seem unlikely to last.B. Seem hard to explain.

C. Become ready to use.D. Become easy to notice.

29. What does the shallowing hypothesis assume?

A. Readers treat digital texts lightly.

B. Digital texts are simpler to understand.

C. People select digital texts randomly.

D. Digital texts are suitable for social media.

30. Why are audio and video increasingly used by university teachers?

A. They can hold students' attention.

B. They are more convenient to prepare.

C. They help develop advanced skills.

D. They are more informative than text.

31. What does the author imply in the last paragraph?

A. Students should apply multiple learning techniques.

B. Teachers should produce their own teaching material.

C. Print texts cannot be entirely replaced in education.

D. Education outside the classroom cannot be ignored.

Passage 9

（2024·全国一卷·高考真题）

In the race to document the species on Earth before they go extinct, researchers and citizen scientists have collected billions of records. Today, most records of biodiversity are often in the form of photos, videos, and other digital records. Though they are useful for detecting shifts in the number and variety of species in an area, a new Stanford study has found that this type of record is not perfect.

“With the rise of technology it is easy for people to make observations of different species with the aid of a mobile application,"said Barmabas Daru, who is lead author of the study and assistant professor of biology in the Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences.  “These observations now outnumber the primary data that comes from physical specimens (标本), and since we are increasingly using observational data to investigate how species are responding to global change, I wanted to know: Are they usable?"

Using a global dataset of 1. 9 billion records of plants, insects, birds, and animals, Daru and his team tested how well these data represent actual global biodiversity patterns.

“We were particularly interested in exploring the aspects of sampling that tend to bias (使有偏差) data, like the greater likelihood of a citizen scientist to take a picture of a flowering  plant instead of the grass right next to it,"said Daru.

Their study revealed that the large number of observation-only records did not lead to better global coverage. Moreover, these data are biased and favor certain regions, time periods, and species. This makes sense because the people who get observational biodiversity data on mobile devices are oftencitizen scientists recording their encounters with species in areas nearby. These data are also biased toward certain specieswith attractive or eye-catching features.

What can we do with the imperfect datasets of biodiversity?

“Quite a lot,"Daru explained. “Biodiversity apps can use our study results to inform users of oversampled areas and lead them to places-and even species-that are not well-sampled. To improve the quality of observational data, biodiversity apps can also encourage users to have an expert confirm the identification of their uploaded image.”

32. What do we know about the records of species collected now?

A. They are becoming outdated.B. They are mostly in electronic form.

C. They are limited in number.D. They are used for public exhibition.

33. What does Daru's study focus on?

A. Threatened species.B. Physical specimens.

C. Observational data.D. Mobile applications

34. What has led to the biases according to the study?

A. Mistakes in data analysis.               B. Poor quality of uploaded pictures.

C. Improper way of sampling.D. Unreliable data collection devices.

35. What is Daru's suggestion for biodiversity apps?

A. Review data from certain areas.

B. Hire experts to check the records.

C. Confirm the identity of the users.

D. Give guidance to citizen scientists.

Passage 10

（2024·全国二卷·高考真题）

Do you ever get to the train station and realize you forgot to bring something to read? Yes, we all have our phones, but many of us still like to go old school and read something printed. 

Well, there’s a kiosk (小亭) for that. In the San Francisco Bay Area, at least. 

“You enter the fare gates (检票口) and you’ll see a kiosk that is lit up and it tells you can get a one-minute, a three-minute, or a five-minute story,” says Alicia Trost, the chief communications officer for the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit — known as BART. “You choose which length you want and it gives you a receipt-like short story.”

It’s that simple. Riders have printed nearly 20,000 short stories and poems since the program was launched last March. Some are classic short stories, and some are new original works. 

Trost also wants to introduce local writers to local riders. “We wanted to do something where we do a call to artists in the Bay Area to submit stories for a contest,” Trost says. “And as of right now, we’ve received about 120 submissions. The winning stories would go into our kiosk and then you would be a published artist.”

Ridership on transit (交通) systems across the country has been down the past half century, so could short stories save transit? 

Trost thinks so. 

“At the end of the day all transit agencies right now are doing everything they can to improve the rider experience. So I absolutely think we will get more riders just because of short stories,” she says. 

And you’ll never be without something to read.

24. Why did BART start the kiosk program?

A. To promote the local culture.B. To discourage phone use.

C. To meet passengers’ needs.D. To reduce its running costs.

25. How are the stories categorized in the kiosk?

A. By popularity.B. By length.

C. By theme.D. By language.

26. What has Trost been doing recently?

A. Organizing a story contest.B. Doing a survey of customers.

C. Choosing a print publisher.D. Conducting interviews with artists.

27. What is Trost’s opinion about BART’s future?

A. It will close down.B. Its profits will decline.

C. It will expand nationwide.D. Its ridership will increase.

Passage 11

（2024·全国二卷·高考真题）

We all know fresh is best when it comes to food. However, most produce at the store went through weeks of travel and covered hundreds of miles before reaching the table. While farmer’s markets are a solid choice to reduce the journey, Babylon Micro-Farm (BMF) shortens it even more. 

BMF is an indoor garden system. It can be set up for a family. Additionally, it could serve a larger audience such as a hospital, restaurant or school. The innovative design requires little effort to achieve a reliable weekly supply of fresh greens. 

Specifically, it’s a farm that relies on new technology. By connecting through the Cloud, BMF is remotely monitored. Also, there is a convenient app that provides growing data in real time. Because the system is automated, it significantly reduces the amount of water needed to grow plants. Rather than watering rows of soil, the system provides just the right amount to each plant. After harvest, users simply replace the plants with a new pre-seeded pod (容器) to get the next growth cycle started. 

Moreover, having a system in the same building where it’s eaten means zero emissions (排放) from transporting plants from soil to salad. In addition, there’s no need for pesticides and other chemicals that pollute traditional farms and the surrounding environment. 

BMF employees live out sustainability in their everyday lives. About half of them walk or bike to work. Inside the office, they encourage recycling and waste reduction by limiting garbage cans and avoiding single-use plastic. “We are passionate about reducing waste, carbon and chemicals in our environment,” said a BMF employee.

28. What can be learned about BMF from paragraph 1?

A. It guarantees the variety of food.B. It requires day-to-day care.

C. It cuts the farm-to-table distance.D. It relies on farmer’s markets.

29. What information does the convenient app offer?

A. Real-time weather changes.B. Current condition of the plants.

C. Chemical pollutants in the soil.D. Availability of pre-seeded pods.

30. What can be concluded about BMF employees?

A. They have a great passion for sports.

B. They are devoted to community service.

C. They are fond of sharing daily experiences.

D. They have a strong environmental awareness.

31. What does the text mainly talk about?

ABMF’s major strengths.B. BMF’s general management.

C. BMF’s global influence.D. BMF’s technical standards.

Passage 12

（2024·全国二卷·高考真题）

Given the astonishing potential of AI to transform our lives, we all need to take action to deal with our AI-powered future, and this is where AI by Design: A Plan for Living with Artificial Intelligence comes in. This absorbing new book by Catriona Campbell is a practical roadmap addressing the challenges posed by the forthcoming AI revolution (变革). 

In the wrong hands, such a book could prove as complicated to process as the computer code (代码) that powers AI but, thankfully, Campbell has more than two decades’ professional experience translating the heady into the understandable. She writes from the practical angle of a business person rather than as an academic, making for a guide which is highly accessible and informative and which, by the close, will make you feel almost as smart as AI. 

As we soon come to learn from AI by Design, AI is already super-smart and will become more capable, moving from the current generation of “narrow-AI” to Artificial General Intelligence. From there, Campbell says, will come Artificial Dominant Intelligence. This is why Campbell has set out to raise awareness of AI and its future now-several decades before these developments are expected to take place. She says it is essential that we keep control of artificial intelligence, or risk being sidelined and perhaps even worse. 

Campbell’s point is to wake up those responsible for AI-the technology companies and world leaders-so they are on the same page as all the experts currently developing it. She explains we are at a “tipping point” in history and must act now to prevent an extinction-level event for humanity. We need to consider how we want our future with AI to pan out. Such structured thinking, followed by global regulation, will enable us to achieve greatness rather than our downfall. 

AI will affect us all, and if you only read one book on the subject, this is it.

32. What does the phrase “In the wrong hands” in paragraph 2 probably mean?

A. If read by someone poorly educated.B. If reviewed by someone ill-intentioned.

C. If written by someone less competent.D. If translated by someone unacademic.

33. What is a feature of AI by Design according to the text?

A. It is packed with complex codes.B. It adopts a down-to-earth writing style.

C. It provides step-by-step instructions.D. It is intended for AI professionals.

34. What does Campbell urge people to do regarding AI development?

A. Observe existing regulations on it.

B. Reconsider expert opinions about it.

C. Make joint efforts to keep it under control.

D. Learn from prior experience to slow it down.

35. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A. To recommend a book on AI.B. To give a brief account of AI history.

C. To clarify the definition of AI.D. To honor an outstanding AI expert.

Passage 13

（2023·全国一卷·高考真题）

The goal of this book is to make the case for digital minimalism, including a detailed exploration of what it asks and why it works, and then to teach you how to adopt this philosophy if you decide it’s right for you.

To do so, I divided the book into two parts. In part one, I describe the philosophical foundations of digital minimalism, starting with an examination of the forces that are making so many people’s digital lives increasingly intolerable, before moving on to a detailed discussion of the digital minimalism philosophy.

Part one concludes by introducing my suggested method for adopting this philosophy: the digital declutter. This process requires you to step away from optional online activities for thirty days. At the end of the thirty days, you will then add back a small number of carefully chosen online activities that you believe will provide massive benefits to the things you value.

In the final chapter of part one, I’ll guide you through carrying out your own digital declutter. In doing so, I’ll draw on an experiment I ran in 2018 in which over 1,600 people agreed to perform a digital declutter. You’ll hear these participants’ stories and learn what strategies worked well for them, and what traps they encountered that you should avoid.

The second part of this book takes a closer look at some ideas that will help you cultivate (培养) a sustainable digital minimalism lifestyle. In these chapters, I examine issues such as the importance of solitude (独处) and the necessity of cultivating high-quality leisure to replace the time most now spent on mindless device use. Each chapter concludes with a collection of practices, which are designed to help you act on the big ideas of the chapter. You can view these practices as a toolbox meant to aid your efforts to build a minimalist lifestyle that works for your particular circumstances.

28. What is the book aimed at?

A. Teaching critical thinking skills.B. Advocating a simple digital lifestyle.

C. Solving philosophical problems.D. Promoting the use of a digital device.

29. What does the underlined word “declutter” in paragraph 3 mean?

A. Clear-up.B. Add-on.C. Check-in.D. Take-over.

30. What is presented in the final chapter of part one?

A. Theoretical models.B. Statistical methods.

C. Practical examples.D. Historical analyses.

31. What does the author suggest readers do with the practices offered in part two?

A. Use them as needed.B. Recommend them to friends.

C. Evaluate their effects.D. Identify the ideas behind them.

Passage 14

（2023·全国一卷·高考真题）

On March 7, 1907, the English statistician Francis Galton published a paper which illustrated what has come to be known as the “wisdom of crowds” effect. The experiment of estimation he conducted showed that in some cases, the average of a large number of independent estimates could be quite accurate.

This effect capitalizes on the fact that when people make errors, those errors aren’t always the same. Some people will tend to overestimate, and some to underestimate. When enough of these errors are averaged together, they cancel each other out, resulting in a more accurate estimate. If people are similar and tend to make the same errors, then their errors won’t cancel each other out. In more technical terms, the wisdom of crowds requires that people’s estimates be independent. If for whatever reasons, people’s errors become correlated or dependent, the accuracy of the estimate will go down.

But a new study led by Joaquin Navajas offered an interesting twist (转折) on this classic phenomenon. The key finding of the study was that when crowds were further divided into smaller groups that were allowed to have a discussion, the averages from these groups were more accurate than those from an equal number of independent individuals. For instance, the average obtained from the estimates of four discussion groups of five was significantly more accurate than the average obtained from 20 independent individuals.

In a follow-up study with 100 university students, the researchers tried to get a better sense of what the group members actually did in their discussion. Did they tend to go with those most confident about their estimates? Did they follow those least willing to change their minds? This happened some of the time, but it wasn’t the dominant response. Most frequently, the groups reported that they “shared arguments and reasoned together”. Somehow, these arguments and reasoning resulted in a global reduction in error. Although the studies led by Navajas have limitations and many questions remain, the potential implications for group discussion and decision-making are enormous.

32. What is paragraph 2 of the text mainly about?

A. The methods of estimation.B. The underlying logic of the effect.

C. The causes of people’s errors.D. The design of Galton’s experiment.

33. Navajas’ study found that the average accuracy could increase even if ________.

A. the crowds were relatively smallB. there were occasional underestimates

C. individuals did not communicateD. estimates were not fully independent

34. What did the follow-up study focus on?

A. The size of the groups.B. The dominant members.

C. The discussion process.D. The individual estimates.

35. What is the author’s attitude toward Navajas’ studies?

A. Unclear.B. Dismissive.C. Doubtful.D. Approving.

Passage 15

（2023·全国二卷·高考真题）

Turning soil, pulling weeds, and harvesting cabbage sound like tough work for middle and high school kids. And at first it is, says Abby Jaramillo, who with another teacher started Urban Sprouts, a school garden program at four low-income schools. The program aims to help students develop science skills, environmental awareness, and healthy lifestyles. 

Jaramillo’s students live in neighborhoods where fresh food and green space are not easy to find and fast food restaurants outnumber grocery stores. “The kids literally come to school with bags of snacks and large bottles of soft drinks,” she says. “They come to us thinking vegetables are awful, dirt is awful, insects are awful.” Though some are initially scared of the insects and turned off by the dirt, most are eager to try something new. 

Urban Sprouts’ classes, at two middle schools and two high schools, include hands-on experiments such as soil testing, flower-and-seed dissection, tastings of fresh or dried produce, and work in the garden. Several times a year, students cook the vegetables they grow, and they occasionally make salads for their entire schools. 

Program evaluations show that kids eat more vegetables as a result of the classes. “We have students who say they went home and talked to their parents and now they’re eating differently,” Jaramillo says. 

She adds that the program’s benefits go beyond nutrition. Some students get so interested in gardening that they bring home seeds to start their own vegetable gardens. Besides, working in the garden seems to have a calming effect on Jaramillo’s special education students, many of whom have emotional control issues. “They get outside,” she says, “and they feel successful.”

24. What do we know about Abby Jaramillo?

A. She used to be a health worker.B. She grew up in a low-income family.

C. She owns a fast food restaurant.D. She is an initiator of Urban Sprouts.

25. What was a problem facing Jaramillo at the start of the program?

A. The kids’ parents distrusted her.B. Students had little time for her classes.

C. Some kids disliked garden work.D. There was no space for school gardens.

26. Which of the following best describes the impact of the program?

A. Far-reaching.B. Predictable.

C. Short-lived.D. Unidentifiable.

27. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A. Rescuing School GardensB. Experiencing Country Life

C. Growing Vegetable LoversD. Changing Local Landscape

Passage 16

（2023·全国二卷·高考真题）

Reading Art: Art for Book Lovers is a celebration of an everyday object — the book, represented here in almost three hundred artworks from museums around the world. The image of the reader appears throughout history, in art made long before books as we now know them came into being. In artists’ representations of books and reading, we see moments of shared humanity that go beyond culture and time. 

In this “book of books,” artworks are selected and arranged in a way that emphasizes these connections between different eras and cultures. We see scenes of children learning to read at home or at school, with the book as a focus for relations between the generations. Adults are portrayed (描绘) alone in many settings and poses —absorbed in a volume, deep in thought or lost in a moment of leisure. These scenes may have been painted hundreds of years ago, but they record moments we can all relate to. 

Books themselves may be used symbolically in paintings to demonstrate the intellect (才智), wealth or faith of the subject. Before the wide use of the printing press, books were treasured objects and could be works of art in their own right. More recently, as books have become inexpensive or even throwaway, artists have used them as the raw material for artworks — transforming covers, pages or even complete volumes into paintings and sculptures. 

Continued developments in communication technologies were once believed to make the printed page outdated. From a 21st-century point of view, the printed book is certainly ancient, but it remains as interactive as any battery-powered e-reader. To serve its function, a book must be activated by a user: the cover opened, the pages parted, the contents reviewed, perhaps notes written down or words underlined. And in contrast to our increasingly networked lives where the information we consume is monitored and tracked, a printed book still offers the chance of a wholly private, “off-line” activity.

28. Where is the text most probably taken from?

A. An introduction to a book.B. An essay on the art of writing.

C. A guidebook to a museum.D. A review of modern paintings.

29What are the selected artworks about?

A. Wealth and intellect.B. Home and school.

C. Books and reading.D. Work and leisure.

30. What do the underlined words “relate to” in paragraph 2 mean?

A. Understand.B. Paint.

C. Seize.D. Transform.

31. What does the author want to say by mentioning the e-reader?

A. The printed book is not totally out of date.

B. Technology has changed the way we read.

C. Our lives in the 21st century are networked.

D. People now rarely have the patience to read.

Passage 17

（2023·全国二卷·高考真题）

As cities balloon with growth, access to nature for people living in urban areas is becoming harder to find. If you’re lucky, there might be a pocket park near where you live, but it’s unusual to find places in a city that are relatively wild. 

Past research has found health and wellness benefits of nature for humans, but a new study shows that wildness in urban areas is extremely important for human well-being. 

The research team focused on a large urban park. They surveyed several hundred park-goers, asking them to submit a written summary online of a meaningful interaction they had with nature in the park. The researchers then examined these submissions, coding (编码) experiences into different categories. For example, one participant’s experience of “We sat and listened to the waves at the beach for a while” was assigned the categories “sitting at beach” and “listening to waves.”

Across the 320 submissions, a pattern of categories the researchers call a “nature language” began to emerge. After the coding of all submissions, half a dozen categories were noted most often as important to visitors. These include encountering wildlife, walking along the edge of water, and following an established trail. 

Naming each nature experience creates a usable language, which helps people recognize and take part in the activities that are most satisfying and meaningful to them. For example, the experience of walking along the edge of water might be satisfying for a young professional on a weekend hike in the park. Back downtown during a workday, they can enjoy a more domestic form of this interaction by walking along a fountain on their lunch break. 

“We’re trying to generate a language that helps bring the human-nature interactions back into our daily lives. And for that to happen, we also need to protect nature so that we can interact with it,” said Peter Kahn, a senior author of the study.

32. What phenomenon does the author describe at the beginning of the text?

A. Pocket parks are now popular.B. Wild nature is hard to find in cities.

C. Many cities are overpopulated.D. People enjoy living close to nature.

33. Why did the researchers code participant submissions into categories?

A. To compare different types of park-goers.B. To explain why the park attracts tourists.

C. To analyze the main features of the park.D. To find patterns in the visitors’ summaries.

34. What can we learn from the example given in paragraph 5?

A. Walking is the best way to gain access to nature.

B. Young people are too busy to interact with nature.

C. The same nature experience takes different forms.

D. The nature language enhances work performance.

35. What should be done before we can interact with nature according to Kahn?

ALanguage study.B. Environmental conservation.

C. Public education.D. Intercultural communication.

Passage 18

（2022·全国一卷·高考真题）

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.

Passage 19

（2022·全国二卷·高考真题）

As we age, even if we're healthy, the heart just isn't as efficient in processing oxygen as it used to be. In most people the first signs show up in their 50s or early 60s. And among people who don't exercise, the changes can start even sooner. 

"Think of a rubber band. In the beginning, it is flexible, but put it in a drawer for 20 years and it will become dry and easily broken," says Dr. Ben Levine, a heart specialist at the University of Texas. That's what happens to the heart. Fortunately for those in midlife, Levine is finding that even if you haven't been an enthusiastic exerciser, getting in shape now may help improve your aging heart. 

Levine and his research team selected volunteers aged between 45 and 64 who did not exercise much but were otherwise healthy. Participants were randomly divided into two groups. The first group participated in a program of nonaerobic（无氧）exercise—balance training and weight training—three times a week. The second group did high-intensity aerobic exercise under the guidance of a trainer for four or more days a week. After two years, the second group saw remarkable improvements in heart health. 

"We took these 50-year-old hearts and turned the clock back to 30-or 35-year-old hearts," says Levine. "And the reason they got so much stronger and fitter was that their hearts could now fill a lot better and pump（泵送）a lot more blood during exercise." But the hearts of those who participated in less intense exercise didn't change, he says. 

"The sweet spot in life to start exercising, if you haven't already, is in late middle age when the heart still has flexibility," Levine says. "We put healthy 70-year-olds through a yearlong exercise training program, and nothing happened to them at all."

Dr. Nieca Goldberg, a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association, says Levine's findings are a great start. But the study was small and needs to be repeated with far larger groups of people to determine exactly which aspects of an exercise routine make the biggest difference. 

32. What does Levine want to explain by mentioning the rubber band? 

A. The right way of exercising.B. The causes of a heart attack. 

C. The difficulty of keeping fit.D. The aging process of the heart. 

33. In which aspect were the two groups different in terms of research design? 

A. Diet plan.B. Professional background. 

C. Exercise type.D. Previous physical condition. 

34. What does Levine's research find? 

A. Middle-aged hearts get younger with aerobic exercise. 

B. High-intensity exercise is more suitable for the young. 

C. It is never too late for people to start taking exercise. 

D. The more exercise we do, the stronger our hearts get. 

35. What does Dr. Nieca Goldberg suggest? 

A. Making use of the findings.B. Interviewing the study participants. 

C. Conducting further research.D. Clarifying the purpose of the study.

Passage 20

（2021·全国一卷·高考真题）

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 had taken care of these precious natural resources 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, Iowa, 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 percent 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.

28. 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.

29. What does the underlined word “decimate” mean in the first paragraph?

A. Acquire.B. Export.C. Destroy.D. Distribute.

30. 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.

31. Which of the following a suitable title for the text?

A. The Federal Duck Stamp Story.B. The National Wildlife Refuge System.

C. The Benefits of Saving WaterfowlD. The History of Migratory Bird Hunting

Passage 21

（2021·全国二卷·高考真题）

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.

32. What is a problem with the cattle-raising industry?

A. Soil pollution.B. Lack of workers.

C. Aging machines.D. Low profitability.

33. 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.

34. 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.

35. 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.

Passage 22

（2020·全国一卷·高考真题）

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.

28. 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.

29. 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.

30 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.

31. Which word best describes the author’s attitude to race walking?

A. Skeptical.B. Objective.C. Tolerant.D. Conservative.

Passage 23

（2020·全国一卷·高考真题）

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 tree 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. 

32. 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.

33. What is the function of the sensors printed on plant leaves by MIT engineers?

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.

34. 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.

35. 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?

Passage 24

（2020·全国二卷·高考真题）

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 at the University of Chicago, found children who play with puzzles between ages 2 and 4later 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 the 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.

24. 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.

25.What did Levine take into consideration when designing her experiment？

A. Parents’ age.B. Children’s imagination.

C. Parents’ education.D. Child-parent relationship.

26. How do boys 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.

27. What is the text mainly about?

A. A mathematical method.B. A scientific study.

C. A woman psychologistD. A teaching program.

Passage 25

（2020·全国二卷·高考真题）

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 in 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 — I 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’s trying to come up with a label 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 about wearing fur in New York according to Morgan?

A. It’s formal.B. It’s risky.C. It’s harmful.D. It’s traditional.

Passage 26

（2020·全国三卷·高考真题）

When "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" was first shown to the public last month, a group of excited animal activists gathered on Hollywood Boulevard. But they weren’t there to throw red paint on fur-coat-wearing film stars. Instead, one activist, dressed in a full-body monkey suit, had arrived with a sign praising the filmmakers: "Thanks for not using real apes (猿)!"

The creative team behind "Apes" used motion-capture (动作捕捉) technology to create digitalized animals, spending tens of millions of dollars on technology that records an actor’s performance and later processes it with computer graphics to create a final image (图像). In this case, one of a realistic-looking ape.

Yet "Apes" is more exception than the rule. In fact, Hollywood has been hot on live animals lately. One nonprofit organization, which monitors the treatment or animals in filmed entertainment, is keeping tabs on more than 2,000 productions this year. Already, a number of films, including "Water for Elephants," "The Hangover Part Ⅱ" and "Zookeeper," have drawn the anger of activists who say the creatures acting in them haven’t been treated properly.

In some cases, it’s not so much the treatment of the animals on set in the studio that has activists worried; it’s the off-set training and living conditions that are raising concerns. And there are questions about the films made outside the States, which sometimes are not monitored as closely as productions filmed in the Sates.

24. Why did the animal activists gather on Hollywood Boulevard?

A. To see famous film stars.B. To oppose wearing fur coats.

C. To raise money for animal protection.D. To express thanks to some filmmakers.

25. What does paragraph 2 mainly talk about?

A. The cost of making "Apes."B. The creation of digitalized apes.

C. The publicity about “Apes."D. The performance of real apes.

26. What does the underlined phrase "keeping tabs on" in paragraph 3 probably mean?

A. Listing completely.B. Directing professionally.

C. Promoting successfully.D. Watching carefully.

27. What can we infer from the last paragraph about animal actors?

A. They may be badly treated.B. They should take further training.

C. They could be traded illegally.D. They would lose popularity.

Passage 27

（2020·全国三卷·高考真题）

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."

In201, 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 SeaB. Highlanders’ Survival Skills

C. Basic Methods of Genetic ResearchD. The World’s Best Divers

Passage 28

（2020·全国三卷·高考真题）

As data and identity theft becomes more and more common, the market is growing for biometric（生物测量）technologies—like fingerprint scans—to keep others out of private e-spaces. At present, these technologies are still expensive, though.

Researchers from Georgia Tech say that they have come up with a low-cost device（装置）that gets around this problem: a smart keyboard. This smart keyboard precisely measures the cadence（节奏）with which one types and the pressure fingers apply to each key. The keyboard could offer a strong layer of security by analyzing things like the force of a user’s typing and the time between key presses. These patterns are unique to each person. Thus, the keyboard can determine people’s identities, and by extension, whether they should be given access to the computer it’s connected to — regardless of whether someone gets the password right.

It also doesn’t require a new type of technology that people aren’t already familiar with. Everybody uses a keyboard and everybody types differently.

In a study describing the technology, the researchers had 100 volunteers type the word ＂touch＂four times using the smart keyboard. Data collected from the device could be used to recognize different participants based on how they typed, with very low error rates. The researchers say that the keyboard should be pretty straightforward to commercialize and is mostly made of inexpensive, plastic-like parts. The team hopes to make it to market in the near future. 

28. Why do the researchers develop the smart keyboard?

A.To reduce pressure on keys.B. To improve accuracy in typing 

C.To replace the password system.D. To cut the cost of e-space protection.

29. What makes the invention of the smart keyboard possible?

A.Computers are much easier to operate.

B.Fingerprint scanning techniques develop fast.

C.Typing patterns vary from person to person. 

D.Data security measures are guaranteed.

30. What do the researchers expect of the smart keyboard?

A.It’ll be environment-friendly.B. It’ll reach consumers soon. 

C.It’ll be made of plastics.D. It’ll help speed up typing.

31. Where is this text most likely from?

A.A diary.B. A guidebookC. A novel.D. A magazine.

Passage 29

（2019·全国二卷·高考真题）

Marian Bechtel sits at West Palm Beach’s Bar Louie counter by herself, quietly reading her e-book as she waits for her salad. What is she reading? None of your business! Lunch is Bechtel’s "me" time. And like more Americans, she’s not alone.

A new report found 46 percent of meals are eaten alone in America. More than half（53 percent）have breakfast alone and nearly half（46 percent）have lunch by themselves. Only at dinnertime are we eating together anymore, 74 percent, according to statistics from the report.

"I prefer to go out and be out. Alone, but together, you know?" Bechtel said, looking up from her book. Bechtel, who works in downtown West Palm Beach, has lunch with coworkers sometimes, but like many of us, too often works through lunch at her desk. A lunchtime escape allows her to keep a boss from tapping her on the shoulder. She returns to work feeling energized. "Today, I just wanted some time to myself," she said.

Just two seats over, Andrew Mazoleny, a local videographer, is finishing his lunch at the bar. He likes that he can sit and check his phone in peace or chat up the barkeeper with whom he's on a first-name basis if he wants to have a little interaction（交流）. "I reflect on how my day's gone and think about the rest of the week," he said. "It's a chance for self-reflection, You return to work recharged and with a plan."

That freedom to choose is one reason more people like to eat alone. There was a time when people may have felt awkward about asking for a table for one, but those days are over. Now, we have our smartphones to keep us company at the table. "It doesn't feel as alone as it may have before all the advances in technology," said Laurie Demeritt, whose company provided the statistics for the report.

28. What are the statistics in paragraph 2 about?

A. Food variety.B. Eating habits.C. Table manners.D. Restaurant service.

29. Why does Bechtel prefer to go out for lunch?

A. To meet with her coworkers.B. To catch up with her work.

C. To have some time on her own.D. To collect data for her report.

30. What do we know about Mazoleny?

A. He makes videos for the bar.B. He’s fond of the food at the bar.

C. He interviews customers at the bar.D. He’s familiar with the barkeeper.

31. What is the text mainly about?

A. The trend of having meals alone.B. The importance of self-reflection.

C. The stress from working overtime.D. The advantage of wireless technology.

Passage 30

（2019·全国二卷·高考真题）

Bacteria are an annoying problem for astronauts. The microorganisms（微生物） from our bodies grow uncontrollably on surfaces of the International Space Station, so astronauts spend hours cleaning them up each week. How is NASA overcoming this very tiny big problem? It’s turning to a bunch of high school kids. But not just any kids. It depending on NASA HUNCH high school classrooms, like the one science teachers Gene Gordon and Donna Himmelberg lead at Fairport High School in Fairport, New York.

HUNCH is designed to connect high school classrooms with NASA engineers. For the past two years, Gordon’s students have been studying ways to kill bacteria in zero gravity, and they think they’re close to a solution（解决方案）. “We don’t give the students any breaks. They have to do it just like NASA engineers,” says Florence Gold, a project manager.

"There are no tests," Gordon says. "There is no graded homework. There almost are no grades, other than 'Are you working towards your goal?' Basically, it’s 'I’ve got to produce this product and then, at the end of year, present it to NASA.' Engineers come and really do an in-person review, and... it’s not a very nice thing at times. It’s a hard business review of your product."

Gordon says the HUNCH program has an impact（影响） on college admissions and practical life skills. "These kids are so absorbed in their studies that I just sit back. I don’t teach." And that annoying bacteria? Gordon says his students are emailing daily with NASA engineers about the problem, readying a workable solution to test in space.

32. What do we know about the bacteria in the International Space Station?

A. They are hard to get rid of.B. They lead to air pollution.

C. They appear in different forms.D. They damage the instruments.

33. What is the purpose of the HUNCH program?

A. To strengthen teacher-student relationships.B. To sharpen students’ communication skills.

C. To allow students to experience zero gravity.D. To link space technology with school education.

34. What do the NASA engineers do for the students in the program?

A. Check their product.B. Guide project designs.

C. Adjust work schedules.D. Grade their homework.

35. What is the best title for the text?

A. NASA: The Home of AstronautsB. Space: The Final Homework Frontier

C. Nature: An Outdoor ClassroomD. HUNCH: A College Admission Reform

Passage 31

（2019·全国三卷·高考真题）

Before the 1830s,most newspapers were sold through annual subscriptions in America, usually $8 to $10 a year. Today $8 or $10 seems a small amount of money, but at that time these amounts were forbidding to most citizens. Accordingly, newspapers were read almost only by rich people in politics or the trades. In addition, most newspapers had little in them that would appeal to a mass audience. They were dull and visually forbidding. But the revolution that was taking place in the 1830s would change all that.

The trend, then, was toward the "penny paper"— a term referring to papers made widely available to the public. It meant any inexpensive newspaper; perhaps more importantly it meant newspapers that could be bought in single copies on the street.

This development did not take place overnight. It had been possible(but not easy)to buy single copies of newspapers before 1830,but this usually meant the reader had to go down to the printer's office to purchase a copy. Street sales were almost unknown. However, within a few years, street sales of newspapers would be commonplace in eastern cities. At first the price of single copies was seldom a penny—usually two or three cents was charged —and some of the older well-known papers charged five or six cents. But the phrase "penny paper " caught the public's fancy, and soon there would be papers that did indeed sell for only a penny.

This new trend of newspapers for "the man on the street" did not begin well. Some of the early ventures(企业)were immediate failures. Publishers already in business, people who were owners of successful papers, had little desire to change the tradition. It took a few youthful and daring businessmen to get the ball rolling.

28.Which of the following best describes newspapers in America before the 1830s?

A. Academic.B. Unattractive.C. Inexpensive.D. Confidential.

29.What did street sales mean to newspapers?

A. They would be priced higher.B. They would disappear from cities.

C. They could have more readers.D. They could regain public trust.

30.Who were the newspapers of the new trend targeted at?

A. Local politicians.B. Common people.

C. Young publishers.D. Rich businessmen.

31.What can we say about the birth of the penny paper?

A. It was a difficult process.B. It was a temporary success.

C. It was a robbery of the poor.D. It was a disaster for printers.

Passage 32

（2019·全国三卷·高考真题）

Monkeys seem to have a way with numbers.

A team of researchers trained three Rhesus monkeys to associate 26 clearly different symbols consisting of numbers and selective letters with 0-25 drops of water or juice as a reward. The researchers then tested how the monkeys combined—or added—the symbols to get the reward.

Here's how Harvard Medical School scientist Margaret Livingstone, who led the team, described the experiment: In their cages the monkeys were provided with touch screens. On one part of the screen, a symbol would appear, and on the other side two symbols inside a circle were shown. For example, the number 7 would flash on one side of the screen and the other end would have 9 and 8. If the monkeys touched the left side of the screen they would be rewarded with seven drops of water or juice; if they went for the circle, they would be rewarded with the sum of the numbers—17 in this example.

After running hundreds of tests, the researchers noted that the monkeys would go for the higher values more than half the time, indicating that they were performing a calculation, not just memorizing the value of each combination.

When the team examined the results of the experiment more closely, they noticed that the monkeys tended to underestimate（低估）a sum compared with a single symbol when the two were close in value—sometimes choosing, for example, a 13 over the sum of 8 and 6. The underestimation was systematic: When adding two numbers, the monkeys always paid attention to the larger of the two, and then added only a fraction（小部分）of the smaller number to it.

"This indicates that there is a certain way quantity is represented in their brains, "Dr. Livingstone says. “But in this experiment what they're doing is paying more attention to the big number than the little one.”

32. What did the researchers do to the monkeys before testing them?

A. They fed them.B. They named them.

C. They trained them.D. They measured them.

33. How did the monkeys get their reward in the experiment?

A. By drawing a circle.B. By touching a screen.

C. By watching videos.D. By mixing two drinks.

34. What did Livingstone's team find about the monkeys?

A. They could perform basic addition.B. They could understand simple words.

C. They could memorize numbers easily.D. They could hold their attention for long.

35. In which section of a newspaper may this text appear?

A. Entertainment.B. Health.C. Education.D. Science.

Passage 33

（2018·全国一卷·高考真题）

Languages have been coming and going for thousands of years, but in recent times there has been less coming and a lot more going. When the world was still populated by Hunter-gatherers, small, tightly knit (联系) groups developed their own patterns of speech independent of each other. Some language experts believe that 10,000 years ago, when the world had just five to ten million people, they spoke perhaps 12,000 languages between them.

Soon afterwards, many of those people started settling down to become farmers, and their languages too became more settled and fewer in number. In recent centuries, trade, industrialisation, the development of the nation-state and the spread of universal compulsory education, especially globalisation and better communications in the past few decades, all have caused many languages to disappear, and dominant languages such as English, Spanishand Chinese arc increasingly taking over.

At present, the world has about 6,800 languages. The distribution of these languages is hugely uneven. The general rule is that mild zones have relatively few languages, often spoken by many people, while hot, wet zones have lots, often spoken by small numbers. Europe has only around 200 languages; the Americas about 1.000; Africa 2,400; and Asia and the Pacific perhaps 3,200, of which Papua New Guinea alone accounts for well over 800. The median number (中位数）of speakers is a mere 6,000, which means that half the world’s languages are spoken by fewer people than that.

Already well over 400 of the total of 6,800 languages are close to extinction (消亡)，with only a few elderly speakers left. Pick, at random, Busuu in Cameroon (eight remaining speakers), Chiapaneco in Mexico (150), Lipan Apache in the United States (two or three) or Wadjigu in Australia (one, with a question-mark): none of these seems to have much chance of survival.

28. What can we infer about languages in hunter-gatherer times?

A. They developed very fast.B.They were largeinnumber.

C. They had similar patterns.D.They were closelyconnected.

29. Which of the following best explains “dominant” underlined inparagraph 2?

A. Complex.B.Advanced.C. Powerful.D.Modem.

30. How many languages are spoken by less than 6,000 people atpresent?

A.About 6,800.B.About 3,400.C. About 2,400.D.About 1,200.

31. What is the main idea of the text?

A. New languages will be created.B. People’s lifestyles are reflected in languages.

C. Human development results in fewer languages.

D. Geography determines language evolution.

Passage 34

（2018·全国二卷·高考真题）

Many of us love July because it’s the month when nature’s berries and stone fruits are in abundance. These colourful and sweet jewels form British Columbia’s fields are little powerhouses of nutritional protection.

Of the common berries, strawberries are highest in vitamin C, although, because of their seeds, raspberries contain a little more protein (蛋白质), iron and zinc (not that fruits have much protein). Blueberries are particularly high in antioxidants (抗氧化物质). The yellow and orange stone fruits such as peaches are high in the carotenoids we turn into vitamin A and which are antioxidants. As for cherries (樱桃), they are so delicious who cares? However, they are rich in vitamin C.

When combined with berries of slices of other fruits, frozen bananas make an excellent base for thick, cooling fruit shakes and low fat “ice cream”. For this purpose, select ripe bananas for freezing as they are much sweeter. Remove the skin and place them in plastic bags or containers and freeze. If you like, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice on the bananas will prevent them turning brown. Frozen bananas will last several weeks, depending on their ripeness and the temperature of the freezer.zx.x.k

If you have a juicer, you can simply feed in frozen bananas and some berries or sliced fruit. Out comes a “soft-serve” creamy dessert, to be eaten right away. This makes a fun activity for a children’s party; they love feeding the fruit and frozen bananas into the top of the machine and watching the ice cream come out below.

24. What does the author seem to like about cherries?

A. They contain protein.B. They are high in vitamin A.

C. They have a pleasant taste.D. They are rich in antioxidants.

25. Why is fresh lemon juice used in freezing bananas?

A. To make them smell better.B. To keep their colour.

C. To speed up their ripening.D. To improve their nutrition.

26. What is “a juicer” in the last paragraph?

A. A dessert.B. A drink.

C. A container.D. A machine.

27. From which is the text probably taken?

A. A biology textbook.B. A health magazine.

C. A research paper.D. A travel brochure.

Passage 35

（2018·全国三卷·高考真题）

Cities usually have a good reason for being where they are, like a nearby port or river. People settle in these places because they are easy to get to and naturally suited to communications and trade. New York City, for example, is near a large harbour at the mouth of the Hudson River. Over 300 years its population grew gradually from 800 people to 8 million. But not all cities develop slowly over a long period of time. Boom towns grow from nothing almost overnight. In 1896, Dawson, Canada, was unmapped wilderness(荒野). But gold was discovered there in 1897, and two years later, it was one of the largest cities in the West, with a population of 30,000.

Dawson did not have any of the natural conveniences of cities like London or Paris. People went there for gold. They travelled over snow-covered mountains and sailed hundreds of miles up icy rivers. The path to Dawson was covered with thirtyfeet of wet snow that could fall without warming. An avalanche(雪崩) once closed the path, killing 63 people. For many who made it to Dawson, however, the rewards were worth the difficult trip. Of the first 20,000 people who dug for gold, 4,000 got rich. About 100 of these stayed rich men for the rest of their lives.

But no matter how rich they were, Dawson was never comfortable. Necessities like food and wood were very expensive. But soon, the gold that Dawson depended on had all been found. The city was crowded with disappointed people with no interest in settling down, and when they heard there were new gold discoveries in Alaska, they left Dawson City as quickly as they had come. Today, people still come and go — to see where the Canadian gold rush happened. Tourism is now the chief industry of Dawson City — its present population is 762.

24. What attracted the early settlers to New York City?

A. Its business culture.

B. Its small population.[来源:Zxxk.Com]

C. Its geographical position.

D. Its favourable climate.

25. What do we know about those who first dug for gold in Dawson?

A. Two-thirds of them stayed there.

B. One out of five people got rich.

C. Almost everyone gave up.

D. Half of them died.

26. What was the main reason for many people to leave Dawson?

A. They found the city too crowded.

B. They wanted to try their luck elsewhere.

C. They were unable to stand the winter.

D. They were short of food.

27. What is the text mainly about?

A. The rise and fall of a city.

B. The gold rush in Canada.

C. Journeys into the wilderness.

D. Tourism in Dawson.

Passage 36

（2017·全国一卷·高考真题）

Some of the world’s most famous musicians recently gathered in Paris and New Orleans to celebrate the first annual International Jazz Day. UNESCO ( United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) recently set April 30 as a day to raise awareness of jazz music, its significance, and its potential as a unifying (联合) voice across cultures.

Despite the celebrations, though, in the U.S. the jazz audience continues to shrink and grow older, and the music has failed to connect with younger generations.

It’s Jason Moran’s job to help change that. As the Kennedy Center’s artistic adviser for jazz, Moran hopes to widen the audience for jazz, make the music more accessible, and preserve its history and culture.

“Jazz seems like it’s not really a part of the American appetite,” Moran tells National Public Radio’s reporter Neal Conan. “What I’m hoping to accomplish is that my generation and younger start to reconsider and understand that jazz is not black and write anymore. It’s actually color, and it’s actually digital.”

Moran says one of the problems with jazz today is that the entertainment aspect of the music has been lost. “The music can’t be presented today the way it was in 1908 or 1958. It has to continue to move, because the way the world works is not the same,” says Moran.

Last year, Moran worked on a project that arranged Fats Waller’s music for a dance party, “Just to kind of put it back in the mind that Waller is dance music as much as it is concert music,” says Moran. “For me, it’s the recontextualization. In music, where does the emotion(情感) lie? Are we, as humans, gaining any insight (感悟) on how to talk about ourselves and how something as abstract as a Charlie Parker record gets us into a dialogue about our emotions and our thoughts? Sometimes we lose sight that the music has a wider context,” says Moran, “So I want to continue those dialogues. Those are the things I want to foster.”

28．Why did UNESCO set April 30 as International Jazz Day?

A．To remember the birth of jazz.B．To protect cultural diversity.

C．To encourage people to study music.D．To recognize the value of jazz.

29．What does the underlined word “that” in Paragraph 3 refer to?

A．Jazz becoming more accessible.B．The production of jazz growing faster.

C．Jazz being less popular with the young.D．The jazz audience becoming larger.

30．What can we infer about Moran’s opinion on jazz?

A．It will disappear gradually.B．It remains black and white.

C．It should keep up with the times.D．It changes every 50 years.

31．Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．Exploring the Future of jazz.B．The Rise and Fall of jazz.

C．The Story of a jazz Musician.D．Celebrating the Jazz Day.

Passage 37

（2017·全国一卷·高考真题）

A buld-it-yourself solar still（蒸馏器） is one of the best ways to obtain drinking water in areas where the liquid is not readily available. Developed by two doctors in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, it’s an excellent water collector. Unfortunately, you must carry the necessary equipment with you, since it’s all but impossible to find natural substitutes. The only components required, though, are a 5’×5’ sheet of clear or slightly milky plastic, six feet of plastic tube, and a container— perhaps just a drinking cup — to catch the water. These pieces can be folded into a neat little pack and fastened on your belt.

To construct a working still, use a sharp stick or rock to dig a hole four feet across and three feet deep. Try to make the hole in a damp area to increase  the water catcher’s productivity. Place your cup in the deepest part of the hole. Then lay the tube in place so that one end rests all the way in the cup and the rest of the line runs up — and out — the side of the hole.

Next, cover the hole with the plastic sheet, securing the edges of the plastic with dirt and weighting the sheet’s center down with a rock. The plastic should now form a cone(圆锥体) with 45-degree-angled sides. The low point of the sheet must be centered directly over, and no more than three inches above, the cup.

The solar still works by creating a greenhouse under the plastic. Ground water evaporates (蒸发) and collects on the sheet until small drops of water form, run down the material and fall off into the cup. When the container is full, you can suck the refreshment out through the tube, and won’t have to break down the still every time you need a drink.

32.What do we know about the solar still equipment from the first paragraph?

A.It’s delicate.               B.It’s expensive.

C.It’s complex.                 D.It’s portable

33.What does the underlined phrase “the water catcher” in paragraph 2 refer to?

A.The tube                        B.The still

C.The hole                        D.The cup

34.What’s the last step of constructing a working solar still?

A.Dig a hole of a certain size                     B.Put the cup in place

C.Weight the sheet’s center down                D.Cover the hole with the plastic sheet

35.When a solar still works, drops of water come into the cup form.

A.the plastic tube                      B.outside the hole

C.the open air                         D.beneath the sheet

Passage 38

（2017·全国二卷·高考真题）

Terrafugia Inc .said Monday that its new flying car has completed its first flight, bringing the company closer to its goal of selling the flying car within the next year. The wehicle-named the Transition – has two seats wheels and wings that fold up so it can be driven like a car. The Transition, which flew at 1,400 feet for eight minutes last month, can reach around 70 miles per hour on the road and 115 in the flies using a 23-gallon tank of gas and bums 5 gallons per hour in the air. On the ground, it gets 35 miles per gallon.

Around 100 people have already put down a $10,000 deposit to get a Transition when they go on sale, and those numbers will likely rise after Terrafugia introduces the Transition to the public later this week at the New York Auto Show. But don’t expect it to show up in too many driveways. It’s expected to cost $279,000.And it won’t help if you’re stuck in traffiC. The car needs a runway.

Inventors have been trying to make flying cars since the 1930s, according to Robert Mann, an airline industry expert. But Mann thinks Terrafugia has come closer than anyone to making the flying car a reality. The government has already permitted the company to use special materials to make it easier for the vehicle to fly. The Transition is now going through crash tests to make sure it meets federal safety standards.

Mann said Terrafugia was helped by the Federal Aviation Administration’s decision five years ago to create a separate set of standards for light sport aircraft, which are lower than those for pilots of larger planes. Terrafugia says an owner would need to pass a test and complete 20 hours of flying time to be able to fly the Transition, a requirement pilots would find relatively easy to meet.

28. What is the first paragraph mainly about?

A. The basic data of the Transition.B. The advantages of flying cars.

C. The potential market for flying cars.C. The designers of the Transition.

29. Why is the Transition unlikely to show up in too many driveways?

A. It causes traffic jams.B. It is difficult to operate.

C. It is very expensive.D. It bums too much fuel.

30. What is the government’s attitude to the development of the flying car?

A. CautiousB. Favorable.

C. Ambiguous.D. Disapproving.

31. What is the best title for the text?

A. Flying Car at Auto ShowB. The Transition’s Fist Flight

C. Pilots’ Dream Coming TrueD. Flying Car Closer to Reality

Passage 39

（2017·全国二卷·高考真题）

When a leafy plant is under attack ，it doesn’tsit quietly. Back in 1983, two scientists, Jack Schultz and Ian Baldwin, reported that young maple trees getting bitten by insects send out a particular smell that neighboring plants can get. These chemicals come from the injured parts of the plant and seem to be an alarm. What the plants pump through the air is a mixture of chemicals known as volatile organic compounds, VOCs for short.

Scientistshave found that all kinds of plants give out VOCs when being attacked .It’s a plant’s way of crying out. But is anyone listening? Apparently. Because we can watch the neighbors react.

Someplants pump out smelly chemicals to keep insects away. But others do double duty .They pump out perfumes designed to attract different insects who are natural enemies to the attackers. Once they arrive, the tables are turned .The attacker who are natural enemies to the attackers. Once they arrive, the tables are turneD. The attacker who was lunching now becomes lunch.

In study after study, it appears that these chemical conversations help the neighbors .The damage is usually more serious on the first plant, but the neighbors , relatively speaking, stay safer because they heard the alarm and knew what to do.

Does this mean that plants talk to each other? Scientists don’t know. Maybe the first plant just made a cry of pain or was sending a message to its own branches, and so, in effect, was talking to itself. Perhaps the neighbors just happened to “overhear” the cry. So information was exchanged, but it wasn’t a true, intentional back and forth.

Charles Darwin, over 150 years ago, imagined a world far busier, noisier and more intimate(亲密的) than the world we can see and hear. Our senses are weak. There’s a whole lot going on.

32. What does a plant do when it is under attack?

A. It makes noises.     B. It gets help from other plants.

C. It stands quietly    D. It sends out certain chemicals.

33. What does the author mean by “the tables are turned” in paragraph 3?

A. The attackers get attackeD. B. The insects gather under the table.

C. The plants get ready to fight back.D. The perfumes attract natural enemies.

34. Scientists find from their studies that plants can .

A. predict natural disastersB. protect themselves against insects

C. talk to one another intentionally D. help their neighbors when necessary

35. what can we infer from the last paragraph?

A. The word is changing faster than ever.

B. People have stronger senses than before

C. The world is more complex than it seems

D. People in Darwin’s time were imaginative.

Passage 40

（2017·全国三卷·高考真题）

After years of heated debate, gray wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park. Fourteen wolves were caught in Canada and transported to the park. By last year, the Yellowstone wolf population had grown to more than 170 wolves.

Gray wolves once were seen here and there in the Yellowstone area and much of the continental United States, but they were gradually displaced by human development. By the 1920s, wolves had practically disappeared from the Yellowstone area. They went farther north into the deep forests of Canada, where there were fewer humans around.

The disappearance of the wolves had many unexpected results. Deer and elk populations — major food sources (来源) for the wolf — grew rapidly. These animals consumed large amounts of vegetation (植被), which reduced plant diversity in the park. In the absence of wolves, coyote populations also grew quickly. The coyotes killed a large percentage of the park’s red foxes, and completely drove away the park’s beavers.

As early as 1966, biologists asked the government to consider reintroducing wolves to Yellowstone Park. They hoped that wolves would be able to control the elk and coyote problems. Many farmers opposed the plan because they feared that wolves would kill their farm animals or pets.

The government spent nearly 30 years coming up with a plan to reintroduce the wolves. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service carefully monitors and manages the wolf packs in Yellowstone. Today, the debate continues over how well the gray wolf is fitting in at Yellowstone. Elk, deer, and coyote populations are down, while beavers and red foxes have made a comeback. The Yellowstone wolf project has been a valuable experiment to help biologists decide whether to reintroduce wolves to other parts of the country as well.

28.What is the text mainly about? 

A.Wildlife research in the United States. 

B.Plant diversity in the Yellowstone area. 

C.The conflict between farmers and gray wolves.

D. The reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone Park.

29.What does the underlined word “displaced” in paragraph 2 mean? 

A. Tested.B. Separated.C. Forced out.D. Tracked down.

30.What did the disappearance of gray wolves bring about? 

A. Damage to local ecology.B. A decline in the park’s income. 

C. Preservation of vegetation.D. An increase in the variety of animals.

31.What is the author’s attitude towards the Yellowstone wolf project? 

A. Doubtful.B. Positive.C. Disapproving.D. Uncaring

Passage 41

（2017·全国三卷·高考真题）

The Intelligent Transport team at Newcastle University have turned an electric car into a mobile laboratory named “DriveLAB” in order to understand the challenges faced by older drivers and to discover where the key stress points are.

Research shows that giving up driving is one of the key reasons for a fall in health and well-being among older people, leading to them becoming more isolated (隔绝) and inactive.

Led by Professor Phil Blythe, the Newcastle team are developing in-vehicle technologies for older drivers which they hope could help them to continue driving into later life.

These include custom-made navigation (导航) tools, night vision systems and intelligent speed adaptations. Phil Blythe explains: “For many older people, particularly those living alone or in the country, driving is important for preserving their independence, giving them the freedom to get out and about without having to rely on others.

“But we all have to accept that as we get older our reactions slow down and this often results in people avoiding any potentially challenging driving conditions and losing confidence in their driving skills. The result is that people stop driving before they really need to.”

Dr Amy Guo, the leading researcher on the older driver study, explains: “The DriveLAB is helping us to understand what the key points and difficulties are for older drivers and how we might use technology to address these problems.

“For example, most of us would expect older drivers always go slower than everyone else but surprisingly, we found that in 30mph zones they struggled to keep at a constant speed and so were more likely to break the speed limit and be at risk of getting fined. We’re looking at the benefits of systems which control their speed as a way of preventing that.

“We hope that our work will help with technological solutions (解决方案) to ensure that older drivers stay safer behind the wheel.”

32. What is the purpose of the DriveLAB?

A. To explore new means of transport.B. To design new types of cars.

C. To find out older drivers’ problems.D. To teach people traffic rules.

33. Why is driving important for older people according to Phil Blythe?

A. It keeps them independent.B. It helps them save time.

C. It builds up their strength.D. It cures their mental illnesses.

34. What do researchers hope to do for older drivers?

A. Improve their driving skills.B. Develop driver-assist technologies.

C.Providetips on repairing their cars.D. Organize regular physical checkups.

35. What is the best title for the text?

A. A New Model Electric CarB. A Solution to Traffic Problem

C. Driving Service for EldersD. Keeping Older Drivers on the Road

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