新高考英语时文阅读精练（含中文翻译及答案解析）AThe new coronavirus (新冠病毒) is the third to have jumped from animals to humans in the 21st century. Here’s what we know about these modern viruses, how they have spread, and how public health systems have responded.A family of viruses that can also cause the common coldSARS, MERS, and Covid-19 are all infections caused by members of a group of viruses called coronaviruses. “Coronaviruses are a family of viruses which can cause a variety of diseases in humans and animals, typically illnesses related to breathing in humans,” explains S. Wesley Long. Three different coronaviruses cause up to a third of all cases of the common cold, he adds. Viruses that have never before been known to infect humans typically are more virulent, meaning they are more likely to make people sick. “When they make the jump to humans, our preexisting immunity (免疫力) is low,” explains Eric Cioe-Pena.Related but differentLike members of any extended family, MERS, SARS, and Covid-19 also have different personalities that affect how they behave in public. MERS had the highest death rate at about 35 percent, followed by SARS at 10 percent. So far, Covid-19 has the lowest death rate, currently estimated between 2 and 3 percent, says Dr. Long. But Covid-19 is transmitted between humans much more efficiently than either SARS or MERS, which helps explain why it has traveled so much faster than its two modern predecessors.What have we learned?Any new epidemic will disrupt public health systems, no matter how complicated. There are just too many unknowns. Covid-19 is moving so fast that public health officials are struggling to keep testing guidelines up to date. While researchers are making progress toward a vaccine (疫苗), we’re at least a year away from having one ready for public use. Some of the most basic strategies are still the most effective. Isolating sick patients at home, closing schools, and limiting travel can help slow the spread.1. What kind of disease can the coronavirus cause?A. Heart disease.B. Lung disease.C. Skin disease.D. Liver disease.2. What does the underlined word “virulent” mean?A. Deadly.B. Mild.C. Universal.D. Controllable.3. What is special about Covid-19?A. It can spread very quickly.B. Its death rate is the highest.C. It has the fewest infections.D. It is caused by coronavirus.4. What can we learn from the text?A. The vaccine can be put into use immediately.B. The virus will reduce the human body immunity.C. Human beings have a complete grasp of this virus.D. The three viruses have exactly the same characteristics.BThe Study Finding of Unused Drug DisposalAs of April 2019, 70% of the U.S. population now lives less than five miles from a permanent① drug disposal② collection site – however, most people are unaware of recommended disposal methods available within their communities or have not disposed of unused prescription③opioids in the past.In response to additional provisions④in legislation from 2018, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) was required to study proper disposal of unused pharmaceuticals⑤, particularly in relation to how patients dispose of unused prescription medications.In the study, the GAO found that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Drug Enforcement⑥Administration (DEA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) all recommend that patients dispose of unused prescription opioids by bringing them to DEA-registered collection sites or a DEA take back event. You can easily find registered⑦controlled substance public disposal locations using this resource from the U.S. Diversion Control Division.The GAO also recommended mail back methods as another solution for managing unwanted prescription drugs. For example, pre-paid medication envelopes can be distributed to patients and then discreetly⑧ shipped to an incineration⑨ location for proper disposal. Many of the solutions recommended in the study are services Stericycle Environmental Solutions already provides; our award-winning consumer drug take back solutions includes medication collection kiosks and Seal&Send medication mail back envelopes.If your local p harmacy, hospital or law enforcement office doesn’t have a year-round drug take back option available, mark the next Take Back Day (Oct. 26, 2019) on your calendar.CAs scientific meetings are cancelled worldwide, researchers are rethinking how they network—a move that should have done earlier. “At some point, we need to be having conversations about ‘What is the point of a conference now?’” says Sarah Hörst, a planetary (行星) scientist.Meeting spaces that are inaccessible (难以达到的) to some disabled scientists, health considerations, a lack of access to childcare and travel restrictions can all end up alienating (疏远) potential attendees from physical conferences. There’s a “large appetite” for alternative (可替代的) conference set-ups, says Divya Persaud, a planetary scientist. She and Eleanor Armstrong, a UCL sociologist of space science, have a grant from their university to hold an experimental virtual conference, called Space Science in Context, in May. The conference aims to improve accessibility. Participants will watch recorded talks ahead of time and then join in online conversations on the day of the conference. Persaud says that the response to plans for the meeting, which launched its save-the-date website last week, has been overwhelmingly positive. But she also points out that many of the adjustments that conferences are making — such as introducing virtual participation — are accommodations for which disabled scientists have been demanding loudly for years, and it’s a shame that it took a global health crisis to make them happen.Still, as conference organizers are finding out, making these changes — especially on short notice — is no easy thing. The European Geophysical Union (EGU) general conference is scheduled for 3–8 May in Vienna, and session leaders are making other plans in case it is cancelled. Those intending to participate in the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference this weekin The Woodlands, Texas, found that they are trying to come up with alternative solutions when that conference was cancelled on 4 March. “Most of the responses were just ‘Well, have the conference online,’” says Hörst.1.Which of the following is NOT a potential attendee?A.Scientists without visas.B.Scientists who are not feeling well.C.Scientists with physical disabilities.D.Scientists who don’t understand childcare.2.What is the public’s attitude towards online conference?A.Uncertain.B. Supportive.C. Disappointed.D. Dissatisfied.3. Why does the second paragraph take Space Science in Context as an example?A. To show that modern technology can realize conference online.B. To prove that virtual conferences can make more people involved.C. To praise the conference organizing ability of these two scientists.D. To emphasize that the previous physical meetings were unsuccessful.4. Where would this passage most probably appear?A. In a guidebook for tourists.B. In a weekly story magazine.C. In science channel of a website.D. On the front page of a newspaper.DThe New Dinner and a MovieDinner and a movie was a two-part affair. But increasingly, the two have merged into①a single experience, allowing moviegoers to get fries and a beer while they watch the latest superhero blockbuster②. Full-service theaters have become a Friday-night pastime as American as well, going to the movies.Dine-in cinemas are not altogether new. In the late 1980s, brothers Mike and Brian McMenamin opened one in Portland, Ore. A decade later, inspired by the McMenamins, Tim and Karrie League began pairing trendy beer with hits like The Craft at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin. But in recent years, the trend has expanded from niche to mainstream. There are now 29 Alamo locations nationwide, from Omaha to El Paso.Full-service theaters appeal to③ a broader, more regionally diverse customer base. At Movie Tavern in Roswell, Ga., for instance, you can order popcorn shrimp and a “Jumbo Jar” margarita while watching Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. AMC, the biggest U.S. movie-theater company, launched Dine-In, where meals can be ordered with the push of a button. IPic Theaters offers something akin④ to a first-class flying experience，minus the turbulence: leather reclining chairs and a menu developed by a James Beard Award-winning chef.The rise in full-service moviegoing coincides with⑤ declining ticket sales across the industry more broadly. North American movie attendance in 2017 plunged to⑥what appears to be a 27-year low. The downward tendency is the continuation of a 15-year trend. Between the glut⑦ of uninspired reboots hitting theaters, younger audiences choosing to consume content on their s martphones and the dramatic rise in the popularity of streaming, it’s no wonder⑧that theater owners are seeking creative ways to lure customers off their couches. It’s working: despite a 2% decline in movie attendance over four years, AMC Dine-In achieved 4% growth in just two.Full-service theaters are not without their detractors⑨. Some prefer to eat post-movie for a chance to discuss what they’ve just watched. And others want to eat before watching the movies. Many people find that they will be hungry i f they don’t eat anything before watching the movies. So it’s very hard for every person to enjoy it.But for those with the funds, the full-service theater offers reason enough to quit online movies.EHow big should a business team be? It is an enormously important issue for companies. Teams that are too small may lack the skills required to get the job done; teams that are too bigmay be impossible to co-ordinate.Startups are often short of staff. The founders must play a host of different roles, from obtaining finance to product development and marketing, for which they may not be equally suited. But the upside is that they can have highly collaborative working environments.People who have worked for startups say the culture changes when the company reaches a certain size. Patty McCord, formerly of Netflix, referred to the “stand-on-a-chair number”—the biggest group that can easily hear the boss address them.Robin Dunbar, an anthropologist at Oxford University, has done a lot of work on groups. His argument is that the size of the group is linked to the size of the brain. With their large brains, humans can cope with larger bands. A larger social group has many advantages, allowing for greater protection and specialization.Whereas 150 is sometimes referred to as the “Dunbar number” (邓巴数), the academic himself in fact refers to a range of figures. He observes that humans tend to have five intimate friends, 15 or so good friends, around 50 social friends and 150-odd acquaintances.Small work teams may also tend towards these two size ranges. “If you want a committee to decide something, limit it to four to five people,” says Mr Dunbar. “But to brainstorm in a meeting, you need 12-15.” Many companies use “agile” teams which draw employees from across the company; they tend to have between five and nine members.The modern company may settle on a model with a small group of “core” workers and a larger group of contract workers. The result may be more cohesion within the core staff but the non-core staff may be less well treated. The small core teams may work effectively. The big question will be the effect on morale of those outside those teams.1. What is the probable disadvantage of large company?A. Hard to co-ordinate.B. Lack of protection.C. Impossible to specialization.D. Less communication.2. What does “stand-on-a-chair number” mean in Paragraph 3?A. The number of people who stand on the chair.B. The largest group who can have a talk with boss easily.C. The fewest people that company should hire.D. The most members that company can manage efficiently.3. How many people does Mr Dunbar suggest to be in the group if the boss wants a brainstorm?A. 5.B. 14.C. 50.D. 150.4. What is the best title for the text?A. The Advantages of Big CompanyB. The Advantages of Small CompanyC. The Modern Company ModeD. The Best Number of Workers for CompanyA【答案】1-4 BAAB【解析】本文是一篇说明文，主要介绍了21世纪从动物传染给人类的三种病毒（SARS, MERS 和Covid-19）的相关知识。
