高考英语真题科技说明文阅读理解精选训练(含答案)

6.【2015·陕西】CThe production of coffee beans is a huge, profitable business, but, unfortunately, full-sun production is taking over the industry and bringing about a lot of damage. The change in how coffee is grown from shade-grown prod uction to full-sun production endangers the very existence of, certain animals and birds, and even disturbs the world's ecological balance.On a local level, the damage of the forest required by full-sun fields affects the area's birds and animals. The shade of the forest trees provides a home for birds and other special(物种) that depend on the trees’flowers a nd fruits. Full-sun coffee growers destroy this forest home. As a result, many special are quickly dying out.On a more global level, the destruction of the rainforest for full-sun coffee fields also threatens(威胁)human li fe. Medical research often makes use of the forests' plant and animal life, and the destruction of such species could prevent researchers from finding cures for certain diseases. In addition, new coffee-growing techniques are poiso ning the water locally, and eventually the world's groundwater.Both locally and globally, the continued spread of full-sun coffee plantations (种植园)could mean the destruct ion of the rainforest ecology. The loss of shade trees is already causing a slight change in the world's climate, and studies show that loss of oxygen-giving trees also leads to air pollution and global warming. Moreover, the new growing techniques are contributing to acidic(酸性的) soil conditions.It is obvious that the way much coffee is grown affects many aspects many aspects of life, fr om the local e nvironment to the global ecology. But consumers do have a choice. They can purchase shade-grown coffee whene ver possible, although at a higher cost. The future health of the planet and mankind is surely worth more than an inexpensive cup of coffee.54. What can we learn about full-sun coffee production from Paragraph 4?A. It limits the spread of new growing techniques.B. It leads to air pollution and global warming.C. It slows down the loss of shade trees.D. It improves local soil conditions.to .A. entertainB. advertiseC. instructD. persuade56. Where does this text probably come from ?A. An agricultural magazine.B. A medical journal.C. An engineering textbook.D. A tourist guide.57.Which of the following shows the structure of the whole text?57.文章结构题。

（现代科技）李仕才【话题导读】灯柱伞是一种有雨水感应伞的灯柱，这样人们在忘记带雨伞时就不会挨淋了。

LampbrellaYou can’t always predict a heavy rain or remember your umbrella. ①But designer Mikhail Belvacv doesn’t think that forgetting to check the weather forecast before heading out should result in you getting wet. That’s why he created lampbrella, a lamp post with its own rain sensing umbrella.The designer says he ②come up with the idea after watching people get wet on streets in Russia. “Once, I was driving on a central Saint Petersburg street ad saw the street lamps ③lighting up people trying to hide from the rain. I thought it would be appropriate to have a canopy built into a street lamp.”he said.The lampbrella is a standard-looking street lamp fitted with an umbrella canopy. It has a built-in electric motor which can open or close the umbrella ④on demand. Sensors then ensure that the umbrella offers p edestrians shelter whenever it starts raining.⑤In addition to the rain sensor, there’s also a 360°motion sensor on the fiberglass street lamp which detects whether anyone’s using the lampbrella. After three minutes of not being used the canopy is closed.According to the designer, the lampbrella would move at a relatively low speed, so as not to cause harm to the pedestrians. Besides, it would be grounded to protect from possible lighting strike. Each lampbrella would offer enough shelter for several people. Being installed at 2 meters off the ground, it would only be a danger for the tallest of pedestrians.While there are no plans to take lampbrella into production, Belyacv says he recently introduced his creation one Moscow Department, and insists this creation could be installed on my street where a lot of people walk but there are no canopies toprovide shelter.灯柱伞你不会每次都预测到大雨到来或者记得带上雨伞。

2012 年全国高考英语试题阅读理解分类汇编之科技说明文类（精校word版有答案解析）point guard, or numbers person. The fixed mind-set believes it’s sure to succeed without much effort and regards failure as personal shame. When things get difficult, it’s quick to blame, lie, and even stay away from future difficulties.On the other hand, a growth mind-set believes that no talent is entirely heaven-sent and that effort and learning make everything possible. Because the ego (自尊) isn’t on the line as much, the growth mind-set sees failure as a chance rather than shame. When faced with a difficulty, it’s quick to rethink, change and try again. In fact, it enjoys this experience.We are all born with growth mind-sets. (Otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to live in the world.) But parents, teachers, and instructors often push us into fixed mind-sets by encouraging certain actions and misdirecting praise. Dweck’s book, Mind-set: The New Psychology of Success, and online instructional program explain this in depth. But she says there are many little things you can start doing today to make sure that your children, grandchildren and even you are never defeated by failure.【文章大意】本文是一篇科学调查报告。

2023届高考英语二轮阅读理解专题之科普知识类说明文（含参考答案、核心词汇背诵默写版、参考译文）A篇Every person yawns. So do many other vertebrate (有脊椎的) animals, including snakes, dogs, cats, sharks, and chimpanzees. While yawning is contagious (会传染的), not everyone catches a yawn. Around 60-70% of people yawn if they see another person yawn in real life or in a photo or even read about yawning. Contagious yawning also occurs in animals, but it doesn’t necessarily work the same way as in people.Scientists have proposed many theories for why we catch yawns. Probably the most popular theory is that yawning serves as a form of nonverbal communication. Catching a yawn shows you’re accustomed to a person’s emotions. Scientific evidence comes from a 2010 study at the University of Connecticut, which concluded yawning does not become contagious until a child is about four years old when empathy (共情) skills develop. In the study, children with autism, who may have impaired empathy development, caught yawns less often than their peers.Studying contagious yawning in other animals may provide clues to how people catch yawns. Contagious yawning in animals may serve as a means of communication. Siamese fighting fish yawn when they see their mirror image or another fighting fish, generally just prior to an attack.Contagious yawning is linked to temperature, in both animals and people. Most scientists speculate it is a thermoregulatory behavior, while some researchers believe it is used to communicate a potential threat or stressful situation. A 2010 study of budgerigars (虎皮鹦鹉) found that yawning increased as temperature was raised near body temperature.People commonly yawn when tired or bored. Similar behavior is seen in animals. One study found the brain temperature in sleep deprived rats was higher than their core temperature. Yawning reduced brain temperature, possibly improving brainfunction. Researchers will do further study on this.1.What can we learn about yawning from Paragraph 1?A．All animals yawn.B．Reading about yawning may make a person yawn.C．Only vertebrate animals yawn.D．Yawning works the same for human and animals.2. Why does the author mention children with autism in Paragraph 2?A．To prove a theory.B．To define a conceptC．To develop the theme.D．To provide the background.3. Siamese fighting fish yawn to ________.A．show kindness.B．find a partner.C．give a threat.D．escape from danger.4. What can be inferred from the passage?A．More research in yawning will be carried out in the future. B．Temperature is not a factor concerning yawning.C．The secret to yawing has been worked out.D．Yawning can improve brain function greatly.B篇Using the power of artificial intelligence (AI) , scientists have revealed new insights into the creation and destruction of mass extinction. Contrary to conventional knowledge, their study suggests that larger extinctions are not always a form of "creative destruction" that allows new organisms (生物体) to radiate and evolve. Instead, it suggests that mass extinction is rarely associated with new species of radiation.Dr. Hoyal Cuthill, the lead study author from the University of Essex in the UK and the Tokyo Institute of Technology, said in a statement, “Some of the mostchallenging things to understand the history of life are the vast timelines involved and the number of species. New machine learning applications can help us understand this information in human-readable form. This means that we can, so to speak, hold the evolution of half a billion years in the palm of our hand and gain new insights from what we see.”They concluded that mass extinction and later radiation were not connected as previously thought. Within 5 percent of the most significant periods of disruption (中断), AI detected “big five” mass extinctions, seven more mass extinctions, two mass extinction-radiation events, and 15 mass radiations. Most importantly, it discovers that massive radiation and extinction rarely occurred with each other, changing the view that greater extinction leads to a kind of deep cycle-like species radiation of nature. It appears that larger extinctions are certainly not the engine of evolutionary radiation. Take the Cambrian eruption for example and it was about 41 million years ago when a large group of animals first appeared on the record of the first fossil record and the dawn of a high mobile animal equipped with modern physical features.This new study found that a handful of other notable explosions of biodiversity, including the Cambrian eruption, usually occurred at a time when they were largely isolated (隔离) from extinction. Dr. Nicholas Guttenberg, a study co-author from the Tokyo Institute of Technology explained, “Ecosystems are dynamic and you don't need anything to exist to allow something new to appear.”1. What does the first paragraph serve as?A. An explanation of artificial intelligence.B. A background of researchers' study.C. The reasons for creative destruction.D. The result of researchers' new study.2. What can we infer from Dr. Hoyal Cuthill's words?A. AI contributes a lot to the study of evolution.B. Understanding the history of life is very difficult.C. New AI machines learn applications better.D. Biological evolution can be controlled easily.3. What is the researchers' discovery?A. Mass extinction is unlikely to cause evolutionary radiation.B. The first animal with modern features occurred during eruption.C. The volcanic eruption led to a mass extinction and radiation.D. The idea of deep cycle-like species radiation has turned out true.4. What is the text mainly about?A. New processes of biological evolution.B. New view of radiation from natural species.C. New understanding of mass extinction.D. New outbreaks of biological populations.C篇Midway through The Matrix, Cypher feasts on an enormous steak, well aware that his reality is not real, part of a digital program telling his brain that the steak is a construction and that it is “juicy and delicious.” Two decades after the movie made its first appearance, something unexpected arises: The future of reality will not only be virtual but also synthetic (合成的). Cypher’s future meal will be a physical one, synthesized from animal cells.And the synthesis goes beyond dinner. Starting with components from the natural world, scientists are learning to engineer microorganisms and build biocomputing systems. However, biology has a tendency to evolve in unexpected ways.Synthesized meat is one case in point. The driving forces behind the meat movement are practical. It has been estimated that cultured (培育的) meat would require 7 to 45 percent less energy and produce 78 to 96 percent less greenhouse gas than conventional animals farmed for consumption. But once we’re able to synthesize meat, theoretically, we’ll have the capability to culture meat from any animal, even those we’d never consider eating today, like dolphins or chimpanzees, which will pose a new regulatory challenge for us.Using synthetic biology, we can even edit and rewrite life, the technology of which are already in use. In 2021, scientists in some countries announced they had grown monkey embryos injected with human stem cells. Here comes the situationworth considering: such a monkey-human hybrid will demonstrate qualities that are somewhere between humans, on which experimentation isn’t allowed, and animals, which are often raised specifically for research. How will we decide when an animal becomes too human?Depending on where you stand, the synthetic realities land somewhere between “really exciting” and “critically concerning.” As individuals, we undertake a shared responsibility to make good choices about this coming synthetic technology.1.What do we know about Cypher’s steak in the movie?A．It is anything but appetizing.B．It is enjoyed in a virtual world.C．It is synthesized from animal cell.D．It is a construction made by himself.2. What’s the advantage of synthesized meat?A．It is more nutritious.B．It is more energy-consuming.C．It is more environment-friendly.D．It is more controllable in regulation.3. What is the author’s attitude to the experiment in Paragraph 4?A．Cautious.B．Favorable.C．Pessimistic.D．Indifferent.4. What is the purpose of the text?A．To popularize synthetic technology.B．To indicate challenges of synthetic technology.C．To stress the importance of synthetic technology.D．To introduce the development of synthetic technology.参考答案A1.B2.A3.C4.A参考答案B1.D2.A3.A4.C参考答案C1.B2.C3.A4.B1.yawn/jɔːn/v.打哈欠2.shark n.鲨鱼3.contagious/kənˈteɪdʒəs/adj.传染的4.propose v.提议- proposal n.提议5.theory n.理论6.verbal&oral adj.口头的7.be accustomed to doing sth8.impair/ɪmˈpeə(r)/v.损害，削弱9.peer n.同龄人10.clue n.线索11.serve as a means of communication充当交流的手段12.mirror image 镜像13.prior to...先于......14.speculate/ˈspekjuleɪt/v.猜测15.a potential threat/buyer/customer潜在的危险/买家/顾客16.a stressful situation17.deprive/dɪˈpraɪv/ v.剥夺，使丧失18.core n.核心，果核19.brain function大脑功能20.concerning prep.关心1.yawn/jɔːn/v._____2.shark n._____3.contagious/kənˈteɪdʒəs/adj.______4.propose v.提议- ________ n.提议5.theory n._____6._______&oral adj.口头的7.be accustomed ____(do) sth8.______/ɪmˈpeə(r)/v.损害，削弱9._____ n.同龄人10._____ n.线索11.serve as ___ means of communication充当交流的手段12.mirror image _____13.prior ___...先于......14.________/ˈspekjuleɪt/v.猜测15.a potential threat/buyer/customer潜在的_____/____/_____16.a ________(stress) situation17.________/dɪˈpraɪv/ v.剥夺，使丧失18._______ n.核心，果核19.brain function_______20.________(concern) prep.关于1.reveal v.揭露2.insight into...对......的洞悉3.destruction n.破坏4.mass extinction 大规模灭绝5.contrary to conventional knowledge和传统知识相反anism/ˈɔːɡənɪzəm/ n.生物，有机体organic/ɔːˈɡænɪk/adj.有机的7.radiate/ˈreɪdieɪt/v.流露，辐射8.evolve v.进化- evolution n.进化- evolutionary adj.进化的9.be associated with...和......有关10.timeline n.时间轴11.so to speak也就是说12.palm/pɑːm/n.手掌13.conclude- conclusion n.结论14.massive adj.大规模的15.it appears that…看来16.engine n.动力，引擎17.fossil/ˈfɒs(ə)l/n.化石18.the dawn of civilization文明的开端19.a handful of...少量的20.notable adj.显著的21.explode- explosion n.爆炸22.co- author联名作者23.ecosystem/ˈiːkəʊsɪstəm/ n.生态系统24.dynamic/daɪˈnæmɪk/adj.动态的，充满活力的1._______ v.揭露2.insight _____...对......的洞悉3.destruction n.破坏4.mass extinction ________5.contrary ____ conventional knowledge和传统知识相反anism/ˈɔːɡənɪzəm/ n.________ organic/ɔːˈɡænɪk/adj.______7.radiate/ˈreɪdieɪt/v.__________8.evolve v.进化- ________ n.进化- _________ adj.进化的9.be associated ____...和......有关10.timeline n.______11.so to speak________12._______/pɑːm/n.手掌13.conclude- ________n.结论14._______ adj.大规模的15.it appears that…看来...16_______ n.动力，引擎17.fossil/ˈfɒs(ə)l/n._____18.the _____ of civilization文明的开端19.a handful of...少量的20._______(note) adj.显著的21.explode- _______ n.爆炸22.co- author联名作者23.ecosystem/ˈiːkəʊsɪstəm/ n.________24._________/daɪˈnæmɪk/adj.动态的，充满活力的核心词汇C1.feast on ...尽情享受2.enormous/ɪˈnɔːməs/adj.巨大的3.construction/kənˈstrʌkʃn/n.建设4.juice- juicy taste- tastyponent/kəmˈpəʊnənt/n.成分6.have a tendency to do sth 趋势，倾向7.evolve- evolution - evolutionary8.in an unexpected way9.a driving force 动力10.it is estimated that…11.conventional adj.传统的12.consume- consumption n.消费13.theory- theoretical adj.理论上的14.capable- capability n.能力15.have the capability to do sth16.consider doing sth17.pose a new threat/challenge 18.edit v.编辑- editor n.编辑19.inject/ɪnˈdʒekt/ v.注射20.embryo/ˈembriəʊ/ n.胚胎21.popular- popularize v.普及22.stem cells 干细胞23.demonstrate v.展示24.hybrid/ˈhaɪbrɪd/n.混合物，杂种25.undertake a shared responsibility承担共同责任1.feast ____ ...尽情享受2.__________/ɪˈnɔːməs/adj.巨大的3._________/kənˈstrʌkʃn/n.建设4.juice-_____ taste- ______5.________/kəmˈpəʊnənt/n.成分6.have a _______ to do sth 趋势，倾向7.evolve- evolution - _________8.___ an unexpected way9.a driving force 动力10.___ is estimated that…11._________ adj.传统的12.consume- _________ n.消费13.theory- theoretical adj._____14.capable- _________ n.能力15.have the capability___(do) sth16.consider ______(do) sth17.____ a new threat/challenge 18.edit v.编辑- ______ n.编辑19._____/ɪnˈdʒekt/ v.注射20.embryo/ˈembriəʊ/ n.______21.popular- __________ v.普及22.stem cells ______23.__________ v.展示24.hybrid/ˈhaɪbrɪd/n.混合物，杂种25.undertake a ______(share) responsibility承担共同责任参考译文A每个人都会打哈欠。

2024届高考英语（新高考通用）压轴真题专项练习——阅读理解CD篇（人工智能类）命题预测人工智能类、医疗健身健康类类、动植物研究时代感。

从近年全国卷和各地高考试卷中科普类阅读命题的统计来看，高考阅读理解科普类文章的理论性和逻辑性强、生词多、句式结构复杂体现。

命题尊重语篇的文体特征和行文特点，考查了考生理解说明文语篇的能力，以及灵活运用各种阅读策略提取、归纳所读信息的能力，尤其加大了对概括能力1、说明文基本规律及解题要领高考中科普类阅读理解一般不给标题，反而经常要求考生选择最佳标题。

说明文一般采用如下四部分：首段：一般即是文章的主题段，开门见山点明新发明或研究对象。

背景: 交代问题的现状或研究的起因。

主干: 部分介绍研究所取得的突破，作者往往会详细介绍研究对象、研究方法、研究理论或具体的实验、统计等过程。

结尾: 通常会再次对中心进行概括、重述研究成果、预计的市场未来等与主题呼应。

二、说明文的解题技巧1. 运用语篇结构（text structure），了解文章大意科普说明文主题鲜明、脉络清晰，行文结构模式较为固定。

弄清文本结构有助于把握文章主旨和阅读重点。

人工智能类说明文通过对人工智能AI的说明，介绍人工智能的发展、运用及可能的市场。

结构上一般采用上述四个部分，说明手法上常使用以下说明方法：描述法（包括举例子、下定义、列数据等）、因果法、问题与比较法。

实验研究型文章一般会以实验的过程进展为线索，多用描述法、问题与对策法等方法，通过列数据、做对比等来说明新的科学研究发现及其产生的影响。

阅读时，首先用略读法快速浏览每段的首尾句，根据英语说明文思维模式特征，作者一般都会开门见山，直奔主题。

结尾通常也是中心思想的概括，并与导语相呼应。

因此在做主旨大意、写作意图和最佳标题等题目时，需要重点关注首尾段落里面高频复现的词汇和内容。

2. 定位标志词，分析长难句，进行逻辑推理判断每一个问题，在原文中，都要有一个定位。

专题16 科普类说明文2019高考题D【2019·全国I】We may think we're a culture that gets rid of our worn technology at the first sight of something shiny and new, but a new study shows that we keep using our old devices(装置) well after they go out of style. That’s bad news for the environment — and our wallets — as these outdated devices consume much more energy than the newer ones that do the same things.To figure out how much power these devices are using, Callie Babbitt and her colleagues at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York tracked the environmental costs for each product throughout its life — from when its minerals are mined to when we stop using the device. This method provided a readout for how home energy use has evolved since the early 1990s. Devices were grouped by generation — Desktop computers, basic mobile phones, and box-set TVs defined 1992. Digital cameras arrived on the scene in 1997. And MP3 players, smart phones, and LCD TVs entered homes in 2002, before tablets and e-readers showed up in 2007.As we accumulated more devices, however, we didn't throw out our old ones. "The living-room television is replaced and gets planted in the kids' room, and suddenly one day, you have a TV in every room of the house," said one researcher. The average number of electronic devices rose from four per household in 1992 to 13 in 2007. We're not just keeping these old devices — we continue to use them. According to the analysis of Babbitt's team, old desktop monitors and box TVs with cathode ray tubes are the worst devices with their energy consumption and contribution to greenhouse gas emissions（排放）more than doubling during the 1992 to 2007 window.So what's the solution（解决方案）? The team's data only went up to 2007, but the researchers also explored what would happen if consumers replaced old products with new electronics that serve more than one function, such as a tablet for word processing and TV viewing. They found that more on-demand entertainment viewing on tablets instead of TVs and desktop computers could cut energy consumption by 44%.32. What does the author think of new devices?A. They are environment-friendly.B. They are no better than the old.C. They cost more to use at home.D. They go out of style quickly.33. Why did Babbitt's team conduct the research?A. To reduce the cost of minerals.B. To test the life cycle of a product.C. To update consumers on new technology.D. To find out electricity consumption of the devices.34. Which of the following uses the least energy?A. The box-set TV.B. The tablet.C. The LCD TV.D. The desktop computer.35. What does the text suggest people do about old electronic devices?A. Stop using them.B. Take them apart.C. Upgrade them.D. Recycle them.【答案】32. A 33. D 34. B 35. A【解析】本文是一篇科普说明文。

科技类词汇对应阅读passage1A snake﹣robot designer，a technologist，an extradimensional physicist and a journalist walk into a room.The journalist turns to the crowd and asks：Should we build houses on the ocean？Like a think﹣tank panel，members of the team dream up far﹣out answers to the crucial problem，such as self﹣driving housing units that could park on top of one another in the coastal city center.The setting is X，the enterprise which considers more than100ideas each year，in areas ranging from clean energy to artificial intelligence.Although only a tiny percentage become"projects"with far﹣reaching creativity，these projects exist，ultimately，to change the world，like Waymo，the biggest self﹣driving﹣car company.In the past60years，something strange has happened.As the academic study of creativity has thrived （蓬勃发展），the label innovation may have covered every tiny change of a soda can or a toothpaste flavor，but the rate of productivity growth has been mostly declining since the1970s.John Fernald，an economist，points out that the notable exception to the post﹣1970decline in productivity occurred when businesses throughout the economy finally figured out the breakthrough technology﹣information technology.John Fernald says，"It's possible that productivity took off，because we picked all the low﹣hanging fruit from the IT wave."Actually，the world economy continues to harvest the benefits of IT.But where will the next technology shock come from？Breakthrough technology results from two distinct activities﹣invention and innovation.Invention is typically the work of scientists and researchers in labs，while innovation is an invention put to commercial use.Seldom do the two activities occur successfully under the same roof.They tend to thrive in opposite conditions；while competition and consumer choice encourage innovation，invention has historically progressed in labs that are protected from the pressure to generate profit.Allowing well﹣funded and diverse teams to try to solve big problems is what gave us the computer and the Internet.Today，we fail to give attention to planting the seeds of this kind of ambitious research，while complaining about the harvest."Companies are really good at combining existing breakthroughs in ways that consumers like.But the breakthroughs come from patient and curious scientists，not the rush to market，"says Jon Gertner，the author of The Idea Factory."Technology is a tall tree，"John Fernald said."But planting the seeds of invention and harvesting the fruit of innovation are entirely distinct skills，often mastered by different organizations and separated by manyyears."As for me，both of them are essential for technology，although they are relatively independent.I don't think X is a planter or a harvester，actually.It is like building taller ladders.Nobody knows for sure what，if anything，the employees at such enterprises are going to find up on those ladders.But they're reaching.At least someone is.（1）What is the main purpose of the first two paragraphs？A．To present the process of group discussion.B．To illustrate X's worry about big problems.C．To reveal the importance of the crazy ideas.D．To stress the varied backgrounds of the team.（2）What can we learn from the passage？A．Breakthroughs must stand the test of the market.B．Innovation on necessities can promote productivity.C．Invention develops slowly under the pressure of profit.D．The harvest of innovation lies in some ambitious research.（3）Regarding John Fernald's view on technology，the author is.A．supportiveB．cautiousC．uncertainD．critical（4）What can be inferred about X from the passage？A．It will focus on innovation.B．It will have its outcome soon.C．It may give in to its fruitless reality.D．It may bring an encouraging outlook.【分析】这是一篇说明文。

高考英语说明文4篇1Here is an astonishing and significant fact: Mental work alone can’t makeus tire. It sounds absurd/əb'sɜːd/荒谬的. But a years ago, scientists tried to find out how long the human brain could labor without reaching a stage 阶段of fatigue /fə'tiːg/(疲劳). To the amazement of these scientists, they discovered that blood passing through the brain, when it is active, shows no fatigue at all! If we tooka drop of blood from a day laborer劳动者, we would find it fullof fatigue toxins /'tɒksɪn/ (毒素) and fatigue products. But if wetook blood from the brain of an Albert Einstein, it would show nofatigue toxins at the end of the day.So far as the brain is concerned, it can work as well and swiftly很快地at the end of eight or even twelve hours of effort as at the beginning. The brain istotally tireless. So what makes us tired?Some scientists declare that most of our fatigue comes from our mental and emotional(情绪的) attitudes. One of England’s most outstanding scientists, J.A. Hadfield, says, “The greater part of the fatigue from which we suffer is of mental origin /'ɒrɪdʒɪn/起源. In fact, fatigue of purely physical origin is rare.”Dr. Brill, a famous American scientist, goes even further. He declares, “One hundred percent of the fatigue of sitting worker in good health is due to emotional problems.”What kinds of emotions make sitting workers tired? Joy? Satisfaction?No! A feeling of being bored, anger, anxiety/æŋ'zaɪətɪ/焦虑, tenseness紧张, worry, a feeling of not being appreciated---those are the emotions that tire sitting workers. Hard work by itself seldom causes fatigue. We get tired because our emotions produce nervousness in the body.1. What surprised the scientists a few years ago?A. Fatigue toxins could hardly be found in a laborer’s blood.B. Albert Einstein didn’t feel worn after a day’s work.C. The brain could work for many hours without fatigue.D. A mental worker’s blood was filled with fatigue toxins.2. According to the author, which of the following can make sitting workers tired?A. Challenging mental work.B. Unpleasant emotions.C. Endless tasks.D. Physical labo3. What’s the author’s attitude towards the scientists’ idea?A. He agrees with them.B. He doubts them.C. He argues against them.D. He hesitates to accept them.4. We can infer from the passage that in order to stay energetic, sitting workers need to ________.A. have some good food.B. enjoy their workC. exercise regularlyD. discover fatigue toxins2They baby is just one day old and has not yet left hospital. She is quietbut alert /ə'lɜːt/（警觉）. Twenty centimeters厘from her face researchershave placed a white card with two black spots on it. She stares at it carefully.A researcher removes the card and replaces it by another, this time with the spots differently spaced. As the cards change from one to the other, her gaze（凝视）starts to lose its focus — until a third, with three black spots,is presented. Her gaze returns: she looks at it for twice as long as she did at the previous card. Can she tell that the number two is different from three, just 24 hours after coming into the world?Or do newborns simply prefer more to fewer? The same experiment, but with three spots shown before two, shows the same return of interest when the number of spots changes. Perhaps it is just the newness 名，新奇? When slightly older babies were shown cards with pictures of objects (a comb, a key, an orange and so on), changing the number of objects had an effect separate from changing the objects themselves. Could it be the pattern that two things make, as opposed to three? No again. Babies paid more attention to squares moving randomly on a screen when their number changed from two to three,or three to two. The effect even crosses between senses. Babies who were repeatedly shown two spots became more excited when they then heard three drumbeats than when they heard just two; likewise （同样地）when the researchers started with drumbeats and moved to spots.5. The experiment described in Paragraph 1 is related to the baby’s__.A. sense of hearingB. sense of sightC. sense of touch D sense of smell6. Babies are sensitive to the change in______.A. the size of cardsB. the colour of picturesC. the shape of patternsD. the number of objects7. Why did the researchers test the babies with drumbeats?A. To reduce the difficulty of the experiment.B. To see howbabies recognize sounds.C. To carry their experiment further.D. To keep the babies’interest.8. Where does this text probably come from?A. Science fiction.B. Children’s literature.C. An advertisement.D.A science report3Last night’s meteor(流星) 英/'miːtɪə/ shower left many people in the community dissatisfied and demanding 苛求的；要求高的；吃力的answers. According to Gabe Rothsclild, Emerald Valley’s mayor市长, people gathered in thesuburbs /'sʌbɜːb/of the city, carrying heavy telescopes, expecting to watch the brightly burning meteors passing through the sky. What they found instead was a sky so brightene by the city’s lights that it darkened the light of the meteors passing overhead. “My family was so frustrated,” admitted town resident Duane Cosby, “We wanted to make this an unforgettable family outing, but it turned out to be a huge disappointments.”Astronomers- /ə'strɒnəmə/n. 天文学家--scientists who study stars and planets---- have beencomplaining about this problem for decades. They say that light pollution prevents them from seeing objects in the sky that they could see quite easily in the past. They call on people and the government to take measures to fightagainst it.There is yet a population besides professional and amateur /ˈæmətə(r)/美 /'æmə.tʃʊr/n. 爱好者star observers that suffers even more from light pollution. This population consists of birds, bats frogs, snakes, etc. For example, outdoor lighting severely affects migrating(迁徙的)birds. According to the International Dark-Sky Association. “100million birds a year throughout North America die in crashes 撞碎with lighted buildings and towers.”Countless more animals casualties(伤亡）result from the use of artificial lighting. Clearly, people enjoy the benefits of lighting their evenings, but some scientists think it can be harmful for humans, too. They worry that exposure to light while sleeping can increase pers on’s chances of getting cancer. Emerald Valley is only one community that is becoming aware of the negative effects of light pollution. For years, Flagstaff, Arizona/,æri'zəunə/美 /,æri'zəunə/n. 美国亚利桑那州, has enforced lighting regulations in its city in order to assist astronomers at the Lowell Observatory.英 /əb'zɜːvət(ə)rɪ/美 /əb'zɝvətɔri/n. 天文台；气象台；瞭望台Similar efforts have been made worldwide, and a movement isunderway 进行中的to remind us to turn off lights when we are not using them, so thatother creatures can share the night.9.It happened last night thatA. the city’s lights affected the meteor watchingB. the meteors flew past before being noticedC. the city light show attracted many peopleD. the meteor watching ended up a social outing10. What do the astronomers complain about?A. Meteor showers occur less often than beforeB. Their observation equipment is in poor repairC. Light pollution has remained unsolved for yearsD. Their eyesight is failing due to artificial lighting11. What the author concerned about according to Paragraph 4?A. Birds may take other migration pathsB. Animals living habits may changesuddenlyC. Varieties of animals will become sharplyreducedD. Animals’ survival is threatened byoutdoor lighting12. Lighting regulations in Flagstaff, Arizona areput into effect toA. Lessen the chance of getting cancerB. create an ideal observation conditionC. ensure citizens a good sleep at nightD. enable all creatures to live in harmony13.What message does the author most want to give us?A. Saving wildlife is saving ourselvesB. Great efforts should be made to save energyC. Human activities should be environmentally friendlyD. New equipment should be introduced for space study4Almost every machine with moving parts has wheels, yet no one knows exactly when the first wheel was invented or what it was used for. We do know，however，that they existed over 5,500years ago in ancient Asia.The oldest known transport wheel was discovered in 2002 in Slovenia. It is over 5，100 years old. Evidence suggests thatwheels for transport didn't become popular for .while, though . This could be because animals did a perfectly good job of carryingfarming tools and humans around.But it could also be because of a difficult situation. While wheels need to roll on smooth surfaces, roads with smooth surfaces weren't going to be constructed until there was plenty of demand for them. Eventually, road surfaces did become smoother, but this difficult situation appeared again a few centuries later. There had been no important changes in wheel and vehicle design before the arrival of modern road design.In the mid-1700s,a Frenchman came up with a new design of road--a base layer (层)of large stones covered with a thin layer of smaller stones. A Scotsman苏格兰人improved on this design in the 1820s and a strong, lasting road surface became a reality. At around the same time, metal hubs英 /hʌb/美 /hʌb/n. 中心；毂；木片(the central part of a wheel)、came into being, followed by the Wheels were invented in 1967, sixty years after the appearance of tarmacked roads(泊油路). As wheel design took off,vehicles got faster and faster.14. What might explain why transport wheels didn’t become popular for some time?A. Few knew how to use transport wheels.B. Humans carried farming tools just aswell. C. Animals were a good means oftransport.D. The existence of transport wheels was not known.15. What do we know about road design from the passage?A. It was easier than wheel design.B. It improved after big changes in vehicle design.C. It was promoted by fast-moving vehicles.D. It provided conditions for wheel design to develop.16. How is the last paragraph mainly developed?A. By giving examples.B. By making comparisons.C.By following time order.D.By making classifications.17.What is the passage mainly about ?A.The beginning of road deaign.B.The development of transport wheel.C.The history of public transport.D.The invention of fast-moving vehicles.。

1科教科普类1、Australia leads the world in its number of resident poisonous spiders as well as the strengthof their toxicity( 毒性 ). However,of almost 9,800 species most are perfectly harmless andinteresting.Spider diversity is broad and many fascinating species occur here that range from the large tothe tiny and hardly noticed, and from the dullest black to the strangely shaped.Spiders can be roughly classified according to the strategies( 策略) they use for feeding.Spiders which appeared earlier in the evolutionary scale feed by waiting in a cave for food to comealong before grabbing it. Following them were spiders which actively wandered looking forfood and which caught it by chasing it down. The evolution of flying insects makes spiders evolvenew ways of catching food which couldn’ t be chased and so the earliest air web weavers arose.Most spiders feed on insects and other arthropods but the Whistling Spider feeds on frogs andsmall birds. The Golden Orb Spider also feeds on small birds.A spider periodically sheds( 蜕皮 ;脱落 ) its skin so that it can grow. Immature stages are called moults. Each species has a particular number of moults that it will go through before reaching itsfinal adult stage.Usually, once male spiders have mated, they die shortly after. But, even in death, Redbackmales often serve a purpose. The already pregnant Redback females always kill their lover and,in most cases, also eat them. This provides them with a small reproductive advantage.Allowing spiders to take up places around houses can be beneficial in that they catchother annoying insects such as mosquitoes and flies.Rest assured that while you might see some large spiders, and perhaps even some poisonousones, a good rule is to look and admire but don't touch any spider you find. Even those withoutpoison could still have a nasty bite.1.Different families of spiders are identified themselves by ______.A.their physical characterB.their ways of getting foodC.the strength of their toxicityD.their effect on the environment1A.Spiders that chase down insects for food.B.Spiders that wait for the insects to come along.C.Spiders that can weave webs to catch flying insects.D.Spiders that actively go out to look for insects as food.3.If a spider stays on the wall of your house, you______. ’ d betterA.kill itB.feed itC.let it beD.chase it out4.What is the passage mainly talking about?A.A brief introduction of spiders.B.The evolution process of spiders.C.Living harmoniously with spiders.D.The living and feeing habits of spiders.2、Many people believe that you lose the ability to learn new languages as you get older.Language experts,however,will tell you that you’ re never too old to learn a new language. As youget older, it can be more difficult to learn a new language,though.Children and adults learn new languages in different ways. For children, language is their life.They study for thousands of hours every year. Because they need to learn language to became partof their communities.Adults,on the other hand,are already part of a language community. Learninga new language means becoming part of another language community,and adults rarely get thechance to practice as much as young children do.Moreover.children leaning a new language are expected to make mistakes. This gives themfreedom when learning to be daring and confident Adults,however,often feel pressured to beperfect when learning a new language.This can discourage many people and make it even harderto learn a new language.When young children learn a new language,they come to see various languages as a“ normal”part of society.This mindset( 思维模式 ) helps them embrace learning a new language withoutSo if you want to learn a new language,go f or it! It’ s never too late to learn a new language. If you're older,it may take more work,but it can be done.If you're a young child,though,now is thetime to step out and learn a new language!1.By“ Language is their life” ,the author means that children.A.can't live without languageB.lead a happy life every dayC.practice a new language a lotD.are taken good care of adults2.What may make it hard for the old people to learn a new language!A.They are afraid of being laughed at.B.They usually have too many interests.C.They think making mistakes is natural.D.They always make all kinds of mistakes.3.Which of the following shows the difference between children and adults in learning newlanguage?A.The behaviors they have.B.The learning attitudes.C.The future plans they have made.D.The materials they are using.4.According to the author,a new language.A.can never be learned by the old peopleB.can be grasped by the people easilyC.can be understood only by the old peopleD.can learned by both the old and the young3、 Kids and teens are often dismissive of praise from their parents. I am sure that parents outthere can relate to this, as we all have been told at one time or another by one or several of ourkids,“ Stop it, Mom’’. or even,“ You’ re just saying that because you are my parents and you have to say that. " I can assure you, though, that they are listening. They will probably not thank you forthis praise until they are in their twenties, but don't let that stop you from praising them duringtheir childhood and teen years. Just be careful how you praise them. A little praise may go a long way —especially if it is the right kind of praise.It appears that the way to go is to praise their efforts according to a study by Brummelman, of Utrecht University in the Netherlands and colleagues. These researchers concluded that kids should be praised primarily for their efforts, rather than for their personal characteristics, becauseif they are praised for effort, then a poor performance is more likely to be seen as a glitch( 小故障 ), rather than a valid reflection of who they are as individuals.Let ’ s think about this together. If you are a teenager or a child of any age and are constantlytold how brilliant you are, then when you do poorly on a test or a few tests, you may feel like you have suddenly lost your status as brilliant and may now feel ashamed that you are merely averageor even dumb. If you are a girl who is constantly being told how beautiful you are, then on a day when you don’t look or feel so good, you may decide that you are unattractive. This is the problem that develops when we are praising our kids for global personality characteristics that theycan't always live up to.1.According to the passage, which of the following statements is the right kind of praise?A.You are a great artist.B.You are very intelligent.C.Wow, you have a special gift for music.D.Your painting has indeed improved due to your efforts.2.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?A.All the children should be praised.B.There ’ s no need to praise kids and teens.C.Praise should be beyond children’ s expectations.D.Teens often pay no attention to their parents’ praise.3.The underlined word“ dumb” in theagraphlastparcan be replaced by _________.A.stupidB.uniqueC.curiousD.honestA.why to praise kids and teensB.how to praise kids and teensC.different ways to praise kids and teensD.the importance of praising kids4、 Scientists, psychologists and English academics at Liverpool University have found thatreading the works of the classical writers like Shakespeare and Wordsworth has a great effect onthe mind, catches the reader’ s attentionriggersandmoments of self-examination.Using a special machine, they monitored the brain activity of 30 volunteers as they read worksby William Shakespeare, William Wordsworth, T.S. Eliot and others.In the first part of the research, the brain activity of 30 volunteers was monitored as they readpassages from Shakespeare’ s plays, including King Lear, Othello, Coriolanus and Macbeth, andagain as they read the text rewritten in a simpler form or modern language.While reading the common texts, normal levels of electrical activity were shown in their brains.When they read the works of Shakespeare, however, the levels of activity jumped because ofhis use of words which were unfamiliar to them. The result of the test showed that the morechallenging passages cause a greater degree of electrical activity in the brain than thecommon ones.Scientists went on to study the brain activity as it responded to each word and recorded how itlit up as the readers came across unusual words, surprising phrases or difficult sentences in theclassical works. As a result, this lightening up process of the mind lasted longer than that whenvolunteers read common texts, encouraging further reading.The research also found that reading poetry especially increases activity in the righthemisphere(半球 ) of the brain, an area connected with“ autobiographical memory” , driving the readers to think carefully about their own experiences based on what they have read. Theacademics said this meant the classical works of literature are more useful than self-help books.Philip Davis, an English professor who has worked on the study in the university’ s mag resonance center, announced this week:“ Classical literature acts-boosterlikearockettothe brain,which provides extra power for the brain. You may never imagine how powerful it is. Theresearch shows such kind of literature can create new thoughts and connections in the young andthe old.”1.The underlined word“ trigger” in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to“ ______”.A.depends onB.picks upC.sets offD.changes into2.Which of the following is NOT true about reading classical literature?A.It makes readers ’ brain more active than reading common texts.B.It makes readers ’ electrical activity of brain return to normal.C.It ’ s helpful for readers to come up with new ideas.D.It ’ s an activity that is suitable for people of all ages.3.From the research, we can learn that ______.A.the readers prefer Shakespeare ’ s works to the other writers ’ worksB.the words of classical works make it hard for volunteers to read furtherC.reading classical works produces a good and long-lasting effect on the mindD.poetry increases left-brain activity more than other literary forms4.What does the author mainly tell us in this passage?A.Shakespeare plays’s deserve to be read.mon books are unpopular anymore.C.Poetry is best for developing people ’ s brain.D.Classical works help the brain develop better.5、 Do parents have a constitutional right to homeschool their children? No, according to aCalifornia District Court judge, who recently ruled that a child must be schooled "by a personholding a valid state teaching credential ( 文凭 )for the grade being ta ught ”.What started as a Los Angeles County child welfare case involving one specific family hasgone into proceedings ( 诉讼 ) that have actually put on trial the very nature of what constitutes asound education.“ For decades we’ ve been happily ling,homeschooandthen this comes upgiven homeschooling parents the freedom to choose the kind of education they want for theirchild.This particular family in Los Angeles had enrolled their children in a private schoolindependent study program not in their home. In response to abuse charges against the family, thechildren were enrolled in public schools. The parents stated they had a constitutional right tohomeschool on religious grounds; that's when the court ruling was issued. However, Griffith saysif the ruling ends up affecting anyone, it will mainly be those who also enroll their children inoff- site homeschooling.“ This won't-reachingbefar for homeschooling parents."That's how organizations like the Homeschool Association of California (HSC) would like tokeep it, anyway, and they've hired a team of lawyers to limit the impact of the case. Griffith saysthe legal team for HSC is trying to establish that while this ruling may indeed be necessary for thisparticular family, it should not set a precedent( 先例 ) for all.What does this case really mean for homeschooling families nationwide? According to DarrenA. Jones, this decision is certain to affect homeschooling on a national scale. Jones claims that it iscommon for state courts to look to other states’ rulings for assistance in deciding issues where no precedent exists.“ A poor legal decision in California could become part of a trend acrosse thnation.’’1.In Griffith’ s opinion, ________.A.parents don’ t have a right to homeschool their childrenB.a child must be schooled by an expert with a credentialC.homeschooling should be forbidden in the whole countryD.it is understandable for parents to homeschool their children2.The underlined word“ this” in Para. 2 refers to the fact that.A.parents happily homeschool their childrenB.parents don’ t have a right to homeschool their childrenC.a child must be schooled by a person with a teaching credentialD.a Los Angeles County child welfare case involves a special family3.Why were the particular family’ s children enrolled in public schools?A.To avoid the abuse charges against them.C.To break away from their parents.D.To cooperate with the expert’ s jobs.4.What ’ s the author’ s attitude towards whether parents have a right to homeschool their children?A.Supportive.B.Sympatric.C.Negative.D.Objective.6、Summer shouldn't mean taking a break from learning, especially reading. Studies show thatmost students experience a loss of reading skills over the summer months, but children whocontinue to read actually gain skills. So efforts should be made during the summer to helpchildren keep reading skills, practice reading and read for enjoyment.Parents should remember that children need free time in the summer to relax and enjoy thepleasures of childhood. So summer reading should be fun. Following are a few tips to makereading enjoyable for your children this summer:Read aloud together with your child every day.Make it fun by reading outdoors on the front steps, patio, at the beach or park. Also, let yourchildren read to you.Set a good example!Keep lots of reading material around the house. Turn off the TV and have each person readhis or her book, including Mom and Dad.Read the same book your child is reading and discuss it.This is the way to develop habits of the mind and build capacity(能力) for thought and insight.Let kids choose what they want to read, and don turn your nose’upt at popular fiction. It willonly discourage the reading habit.Subscribe, in your child’ s name, to magazines.Encourage older children to read the newspaper and current events magazines, to keep up the reading habit over the summer and develop vocabulary. Ask them what they think about whatthey ’ ve read, and listen to what they say.1.Parents must help children read during the summer because ________.A.the summer holiday is too long a time for themB.reading is a kind of relaxation for childrenC.some of the reading skills may be lost if they stop readingD.children can enjoy the pleasure of childhood2.What does the underlined phrase "turn your nose up at” probably mean?A.Get interested in.B.Show one ’ s dislike for.C.Think highly of.D.Lose interest in.3.In oder to build children's capacity for thought and insight, parents should ______.A.subscribe to magazines in the child’ s nameB.read the same book the child is reading and discuss itC.let children choose what they want to readD.turn off the TV4.What does the passage mainly tell about?A.Some summer reading tips for parents.B.Some useful advice on reading for children.C.What kinds of books to read in summer.D.How to teach children to read.7、 Have you got the information taught by your teacher in class? Have you understood what you saw on the screen? Maybe everyone has their own learning style.Generally speaking, we gather information with our minds and bodies in different ways, such as seeing, hearing and doing. Then our brains deals with that information, organizing it and connecting it to things we are already aware of. In other words, our brains will deal with the information in different ways. Sometimes we think in pictures or words. Sometimes we remember details or the big pictures.For different people, their learning styles are different too. One person may find it hard to make out the information in written forms but easy to know it immediately in an oral description. However, another person might find difficulties with the picture but the written message.Now scientists say there exist seven basic learning styles.·Linguistic: These people learn through listening, reading, speaking and writing.·Logical: These people learn with formula (公式) and principles (原理).·Visual: These people learn by seeing what they are studying.·Musical: These people learn well when information is presented through music.·Kinesthetic: These people learn from movement and physical activities.·Intrapersonal: These people learn best by linking new information directly with their own experiences.·Interpersonal: These people learn well by working with others.Therefore, if you know what learning style is your strength, you can balance your weakness, and get a more successful learning experience.1.From the passage, we know that our brains ______.A.deal with the information in different waysB.send out the information in the same wayanize information with our bodiesD.gather information in the same way2.A visual learner usually learns _____.A.through listening and speakingB.by seeing what he is learningC.from movement and physical activitiesD.by linking new information with his experience3.A musical learner will find it easy to learn ______.A.with formulas and principlesB.by working with othersC.through reading and writingD.through music he hearsA.learn more successfullyB.gather more informationC.understand more quicklyD.exchange information better8、 In 2015 a paper published in a science magazine reported on the personality types of peopleliving in various London districts. Extroverts ( 外向的人 ), the researchers who wrote it haddiscovered, favored Richmond. Those who were most open to experience gathered in Hackney.People in Barnet scored lower than average on emotional stability.What this study did not address was whether someone’ s home range reflects their personality traits or imposes them. In other words, is what is going on“ nature培育”)? orHowever,“nurture” (in a piece of research just published, Dr. Holtmann of Otago University, in New Zealand, and hiscolleagues have filled that gap — at least, they have filled it for dunnocks.The dunnock is a European bird. It has, though, been introduced to New Zealand and itspopulation has boomed there. It is a well-studied species, and, in particular, some beingmeasurably bolder (更大胆的 ) and more tolerant of potential threats, such as nearby humanbeings, than others. The team’ s research area was the Botanic Garden in Dunedin. This is open tothe public, but some areas are more frequented by visitors than others. Dunnocks have smallterritories, so it was possible to measure the amount of human disturbance in a given territory withreasonable precision. And, by wrapping each of the dunnocks in the garden with colour-codedbands it was possible to identify individuals by sight. Altogether, the researchers looked at 99 ofthem.They worked out a bird’ s level of threat tolerance by the simple method of walking towards it,and then measuring how close one could get before the bird flew away. They did this several times foreach bird every breeding season, and repeated the process over the course of three seasons.A particular bird’ s flight distance (ie, how closely it could be approached before it departed)was, they found, consistent within a breeding season. From season to season most birds got a littlebolder— probably as they learnt more about the world and what they could safely get away with.But this increase in boldness with age was small compared with the different starting points of boldthat, on average, birds’ flight distances were inversely correlated负相关) (with the level of human disturbance in their territories. This was a consequence of disturbed territories being settledby bold birds, and undisturbed territories by shy ones.In the case of dunnocks, then, nature wins over nurture. Dr. Holtmann was able to show that personalities match circumstances, rather than being created by them. Dunnocks can recognizewhich places suit them best, and choose to settle in them shortly after they are fully fledged (羽翼丰满 ). Most likely, that is happening in London districts, too.1.What does the underlined words “ that gap ” in the second paragraph refer to?A.What the paper published in 2015 failed to handle.B.Why extroverts favour certain areas in London district.C.How Dr. Holtmann involved dunnocks in his study.D.What the former and latter study have in common.2.From Paragraph 3, we can know that dunnocks ________.A.are native to New ZealandB.have distinct personalitiesC.are bolder than human beingsD.can be easily identified by its color3.What conclusion did Dr. Holtmann draw from his study?A.It ’ s nurture rather than nature that matters in the case of dunnocks ’ behaviour.B.Birds ’ flight distances were in proportion to human disturbance in their territories.C.Dunnocks choose their habitats wisely in the first place rather than adapt to them.D.Bold birds and shy birds alike settle in undisturbed territories in the botanic garden.4.What is the author ’ s purpose in writingepassage?thA.To argue that circumstances cultivate certain personalities.B.To entertain readers with some funny facts about dunnocks.C.To present the finding of a scientific research about dunnocks.D.To confirm the assumption that personalities match circumstances.答案以及解析1答案及解析：答案： 1.B; 2.C; 3.C; 4.A解析： 1.细节理解题。

高考英语说明文4篇1Here is an astonishing and significant fact: Mental work alone can’t makeus tire. It sounds absurd/əb'sɜːd/荒谬的. But a years ago, scientists tried to find outhow long the human brain could labor without reaching a stage 阶段of fatigue /fə'tiːg/(疲劳). To the amazement of these scientists, they discovered that blood passing through the brain, when it is active, shows no fatigue at all! If we tooka drop of blood from a day laborer劳动者, we would find it full offatigue toxins /'tɒksɪn/ (毒素) and fatigue products. But if we tookblood from the brain of an Albert Einstein, it would show no fatiguetoxins at the end of the day.So far as the brain is concerned, it can work as well and swiftly很快地at the end of eight or even twelve hours of effort as at the beginning. The brain is totally tireless. So what makes us tired?Some scientists declare that most of our fatigue comes from our mentaland emotional(情绪的) attitudes. One of England’s most outstanding scientists, J.A. Hadfield, says, “The greater part of the fatigue from which wesuffer is of mental origin /'ɒrɪdʒɪn/起源. In fact, fatigue of purely physical origin is rare.”Dr. Brill, a famous American scientist, goes even further. He declares, “One hundred percent of the fatigue of sitting worker in good health is due to emotional problems.”What kinds of emotions make sitting workers tired? Joy? Satisfaction?No! A feeling of being bored, anger, anxiety/æŋ'zaɪətɪ/焦虑, tenseness紧张, worry, a feeling of not being appreciated---those are the emotions that tire sitting workers. Hard work by itself seldom causes fatigue. We get tired because our emotions produce nervousness in the body.1. What surprised the scientists a few years ago?A. Fatigue toxins could hardly be found in a laborer’s blood.B. Albert Einstein didn’t feel worn after a day’s work.C. The brain could work for many hours without fatigue.D. A mental worker’s blood was filled with fatigue toxins.2. According to the author, which of the following can make sitting workers tired?A. Challenging mental work.B. Unpleasant emotions.C. Endless tasks.D. Physical labo3. What’s the author’s attitude towards the scientists’ idea?A. He agrees with them.B. He doubts them.C. He argues against them.D. He hesitates to accept them.4. We can infer from the passage that in order to stay energetic, sitting workers need to ________.A. have some good food.B. enjoy their workC. exercise regularlyD. discover fatigue toxins2They baby is just one day old and has not yet left hospital. She is quietbut alert /ə'lɜːt/（警觉）. Twenty centimeters厘from her face researchers have placed a white card with two black spots on it. She stares at it carefully.A researcher removes the card and replaces it by another, this time with the spots differently spaced. As the cards change from one to the other, hergaze（凝视）starts to lose its focus — until a third, with three black spots,is presented. Her gaze returns: she looks at it for twice as long as she did atthe previous card. Can she tell that the number two is different from three,just 24 hours after coming into the world?Or do newborns simply prefer more to fewer? The same experiment, butwith three spots shown before two, shows the same return of interest whenthe number of spots changes. Perhaps it is just the newness 名，新奇? When slightly older babies were shown cards with pictures of objects (a comb, a key, an orange and so on), changing the number of objects had an effect separate from changing the objects themselves. Could it be the pattern that two things make, as opposed to three? No again. Babies paid more attention to squares moving randomly on a screen when their number changed from two to three,or three to two. The effect even crosses between senses. Babies who were repeatedly shown two spots became more excited when they then heard three drumbeats than when they heard just two; likewise （同样地）when the researchers started with drumbeats and moved to spots.5. The experiment described in Paragraph 1 is related to the baby’s__.A. sense of hearingB. sense of sightC. sense of touch D sense of smell6. Babies are sensitive to the change in______.A. the size of cardsB. the colour of picturesC. the shape of patternsD. the number of objects7. Why did the researchers test the babies with drumbeats?A. To reduce the difficulty of the experiment.B. To see howbabies recognize sounds.C. To carry their experiment further.D. To keep the babies’interest.8. Where does this text probably come from?A. Science fiction.B. Children’s literature.C. An advertisement.D.A science report3Last night’s meteor(流星) 英/'miːtɪə/ shower left many people in the community dissatisfied and demanding 苛求的；要求高的；吃力的answers. According to Gabe Rothsclild, Emerald Valley’s mayor市长, people gathered in the suburbs /'sʌbɜːb/ of the city, carrying heavy telescopes, expecting to watch the brightly burning meteors passing through the sky. What they found instead was a sky so brighteneby the city’s lights that it darkened the light of the meteors passing overhead.“My family was so frustrated,” admitted town resident Duane Cosby, “We wanted to make this an unforgettable family outing, but it turned out to be ahuge disappointments.”Astronomers- /ə'strɒnəmə/n. 天文学家--scientists who study stars and planets----have beencomplaining about this problem for decades. They say that light pollution prevents them from seeing objects in the sky that they could see quite easily in the past. They call on people and the government to take measures to fight against it.There is yet a population besides professional and amateur /ˈæmətə(r)/美 /'æmə.tʃʊr/n. 爱好者star observers that suffers even more from light pollution. This population consists of birds, bats frogs, snakes, etc. For example, outdoor lighting severely affects migrating(迁徙的)birds. According to the International Dark-Sky Association. “100million birds a year throughoutNorth America die in crashes 撞碎with lighted buildings and towers.”Countless more animals casualties(伤亡）result from the use of artificial lighting. Clearly, people enjoy the benefits of lighting their evenings, butsome scientists think it can be harmful for humans, too. They worry that exposure to light while sleeping can increase pers on’s chances of getting cancer. Emerald Valley is only one community that is becoming aware of the negative effects of light pollution. For years, Flagstaff, Arizona/,æri'zəunə/美 /,æri'zəunə/n. 美国亚利桑那州, has enforced lighting regulations in its city in order to assist astronomers at the Lowell Observatory.英 /əb'zɜːvət(ə)rɪ/美 /əb'zɝvətɔri/n. 天文台；气象台；瞭望台Similar efforts have been made worldwide, and a movement is underway 进行中的to remind us to turn off lights when we are not using them, so that other creatures can share the night.9.It happened last night thatA. the city’s lights affected the meteor watchingB. the meteors flew past before being noticedC. the city light show attracted many peopleD. the meteor watching ended up a social outing10. What do the astronomers complain about?A. Meteor showers occur less often than beforeB. Their observation equipment is in poor repairC. Light pollution has remained unsolved for yearsD. Their eyesight is failing due to artificial lighting11. What the author concerned about according to Paragraph 4?A. Birds may take other migration pathsB. Animals living habits may changesuddenlyC. Varieties of animals will become sharplyreducedD. Animals’ survival is threatened by outdoorlighting12. Lighting regulations in Flagstaff, Arizona areput into effect toA. Lessen the chance of getting cancerB. create an ideal observation conditionC. ensure citizens a good sleep at nightD. enable all creatures to live in harmony13.What message does the author most want to give us?A. Saving wildlife is saving ourselvesB. Great efforts should be made to save energyC. Human activities should be environmentally friendlyD. New equipment should be introduced for space study4Almost every machine with moving parts has wheels, yet no one knows exactly when the first wheel was invented or what it was used for. We do know，however，that they existed over 5,500years ago in ancient Asia.The oldest known transport wheel was discovered in 2002 in Slovenia. It is over 5，100 years old. Evidence suggests thatwheels for transport didn't become popular for .while, though . Thiscould be because animals did a perfectly good job of carryingfarming tools and humans around.But it could also be because of a difficult situation. While wheels need to roll on smooth surfaces, roads with smooth surfacesweren't going to be constructed until there was plenty of demandfor them. Eventually, road surfaces did become smoother, but this difficult situation appeared again a few centuries later. There hadbeen no important changes in wheel and vehicle design before thearrival of modern road design.In the mid-1700s,a Frenchman came up with a new design ofroad--a base layer (层)of large stones covered with a thin layer ofsmaller stones. A Scotsman苏格兰人improved on this design in the 1820s and a strong, lasting road surface became a reality. At around thesame time, metal hubs英 /hʌb/美 /hʌb/n. 中心；毂；木片(the central part of a wheel)、came into being, followed by the Wheels were invented in 1967, sixty years after the appearance of tarmacked roads(泊油路). As wheel design took off, vehicles got faster and faster.14. What might explain why transport wheels didn’t become popular for some time?A. Few knew how to use transport wheels.B. Humans carried farming tools just as well.C. Animals were a good means of transport.D. The existence of transport wheels was not known.15. What do we know about road design from the passage?A. It was easier than wheel design.B. It improved after big changes in vehicle design.C. It was promoted by fast-moving vehicles.D. It provided conditions for wheel design to develop.16. How is the last paragraph mainly developed?A. By giving examples.B. By making comparisons.C.By following time order.D.By making classifications.17.What is the passage mainly about ?A.The beginning of road deaign.B.The development of transport wheel.C.The history of public transport.D.The invention of fast-moving vehicles.。

科普类说明文2018高考题D【2018·全国I】We may think we're a culture that gets rid of our worn technology at the first sight of something shiny and new, but a new study shows that we keep using our old devices(装置) well after they go out of style. That’s bad news for the environment — and our wallets — as these outdated devices consume much more energy than the newer ones that do the same things.To figure out how much power these devices are using, Callie Babbitt and her colleagues at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York tracked the environmental costs for each product throughout its life — from when its minerals are mined to when we stop using the device. This method provided a readout for how home energy use has evolved since the early 1990s. Devices were grouped by generation — Desktop computers, basic mobile phones, and box-set TVs defined 1992. Digital cameras arrived on the scene in 1997. And MP3 players, smart phones, and LCD TVs entered homes in 2002, before tablets and e-readers showed up in 2007.As we accumulated more devices, however, we didn't throw out our old ones. "The living-room television is replaced and gets planted in the kids' room, and suddenly one day, you have a TV in every room of the house," said one researcher. The average number of electronic devices rose from four per household in 1992 to 13 in 2007. We're not just keeping these old devices — we continue to use them. According to the analysis of Babbitt's team, old desktop monitors and box TVs with cathode ray tubes are the worst devices with their energy consumption and contribution to greenhouse gas emissions（排放）more than doubling during the 1992 to 2007 window.So what's the solution（解决方案）? The team's data only went up to 2007, but the researchers also explored what would happen if consumers replaced old products with new electronics that serve more than one function, such as a tablet for word processing and TV viewing. They found that more on-demand entertainment viewing on tablets instead of TVs and desktop computers could cut energy consumption by 44%.32. What does the author think of new devices?A. They are environment-friendly.B. They are no better than the old.C. They cost more to use at home.D. They go out of style quickly.33. Why did Babbitt's team conduct the research?A. To reduce the cost of minerals.B. To test the life cycle of a product.C. To update consumers on new technology.D. To find out electricity consumption of the devices.34. Which of the following uses the least energy?A. The box-set TV.B. The tablet.C. The LCD TV.D. The desktop computer.35. What does the text suggest people do about old electronic devices?A. Stop using them.B. Take them apart.C. Upgrade them.D. Recycle them.【答案】32. A 33. D 34. B 35. A【解析】本文是一篇科普说明文。

专题十六阅读理解之科普类说明文1.【2015·湖北卷】DThe oddness of life in space never quite goes away. Here are some examples.First consider something as simple as sleep. Its position presents its own challenges. The main question is whether you want your arms inside or outside the sleeping bag. If you leave your arms out, they float free in zero gravity, often giving a sleeping astronaut the look of a funny balled （芭蕾）dancer. “I’m an inside guy,” Mike Hopkins says, who returned from a six-month tour on the International Space Station. “I like to be wrapped up.”On the station, the ordinary becomes strange. The exercise bike for the American astronauts has no handlebars. It also has no seat. With no gravity, it’s just as easy to pedal violently. You can watch a movie while you pedal by floating a microcomputer anywhere you want. But station residents have to be careful about staying in one place too long. Without gravity to help circulate air, the carbon dioxide you exhale (呼气) has a tendency to form an invisible （隐形的）cloud around you head. You can end up with what astronauts call a carbon-dioxide headache.Leroy Chiao, 54, an American retired astronaut after four flights, describes what happens even before you float out of your seat,”Your inner ear thinks your’re falling . Meanwhile your eyes are telling you you’re standing straight. That can be annoying—that’s why some people feel sick.” Within a couple days —truly terrible days for some —astronauts’ brains learn to ignore the panicky signals from the inner ear, and space sickness disappears.Space travel can be so delightful but at the same time invisibly dangerous. For instance, astronauts lose bone mass. That’s why exercise is considered so vital that National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) puts it right on the workday schedule. The focus on fitness is as much about science and the future as it is about keeping any individual astronauts return home, and, more importantly, how to maintain strength and fitness for the two and a half years or more that it would take to make a round-trip to Mars.is the major challenge to astronauts when they sleep in spaceA. Deciding on a proper sleep positionB. Choosing a comfortable sleeping bagC. Seeking a way to fall asleep quicklyD. Finding a right time to go to sleep.astronauts will suffer from a carbon-dioxide headache when _____.A. the y circle around on their bikesB. they use microcomputers without a stopC. they exercise in one place for a long timeD. they watch a movie while pedalingastronauts feel sick on the station during the first few days because _____.A. their senses stop workingB. they have to stand up straightC. they float out of their seats unexpectedlyD. whether they are able to go back to the stationof the NASA’s major concerns about astronauts is _____.A. how much exercise they do on the stationB. how they can remain healthy for long in spaceC. whether they can recover after returning homeD. whether they are able to go back to the station【解析】试题分析：这是一篇说明文。

历年高考英语真题分类汇编之阅读理解科技说明文（2023年1月浙江卷）CA machine can now not only beat you at chess, it can also outperform you in debate. Last week, in a public debate in San Francisco, a software program called Project Debater beat its human opponents, including Noa Ovadia, Israel's former national debating champion.Brilliant though it is, Project Debater has some weaknesses. It takes sentences from its library of documents and prebuilt arguments and strings them together. This can lead to the kinds of errors no human would make. Such wrinkles will no doubt be ironed out, yet they also point to a fundamental problem. As Kristian Hammond, professor of electrical engineering and computer science at Northwestern University, put it: “There's never a stage at which the sys tem knows what it's talking about.”What Hammond is referring to is the question of meaning, and meaning is central to what distinguishes the least intelligent of humans from the most intelligent of machines. A computer works with symbols. Its program specifies a set of rules to transform one string of symbols into another. But it does not specify what those symbols mean. Indeed, to a computer, meaning is irrelevant. Humans, in thinking, talking, reading and writing, also work with symbols. But for humans, meaning is everything. When we communicate, we communicate meaning. What matters is not just the outside of a string of symbols, but the inside too, not just how they are arranged but what they mean.Meaning emerges through a process of social interaction, not of computation, interaction that shapes the content of the symbols in our heads. The rules that assign meaning lie not just inside our heads, but also outside, in society, in social memory, social conventions and social relations. It is this that distinguishes humans from machines. And that's why, however astonishing Project Debater may seem, the tradition that began with Socrates and Confucius will not end with artificial intelligence.28.Why does the author mention Noa Ovadia in the first paragraph?A.To explain the use of a software program.B.To show the cleverness of Project Debater.C.To introduce the designer of Project Debater.D.To emphasize the fairness of the competition.29.What does the underlined word “wrinkles” in paragraph 2 refer to?A. Arguments.B. Doubts.C. Errors.D. Differences.30.What is Project Debater unable to do according to Hammond?A. Create rules.B. Comprehend meaning.C. Talk fluently.D. Identify difficult words.31.What can we learn from the last paragraph?A.Social interaction is key to understanding symbols.B.The human brain has potential yet to be developed.C.Ancient philosophers set good examples for debaters.D.Artificial intelligence ensures humans a bright future.（2023年1月浙江卷）DAccording to the Solar Energy Industry Association, the number of solar panels installed ( 安装) has grown rapidly in the past decade, and it has to grow even faster to meet climate goals. But all of that growth will take up a lot of space, and though more and more people accept the concept of solar energy, few like large solar panels to be installed near them.Solar developers want to put up panels as quickly and cheaply as possible, so they haven't given much thought to what they put under them. Often, they'll end up filling the area with small stones and using chemicals to control weeds. The result is that many communities, especially in farming regions, see solar farms as destroyers of the soil.“Solar projects need to be good neighbors,” says Jordan Mackn ick, the head of the Innovative Site Preparation and Impact Reductions on the Environment(InSPIRE) project. “They need to be protectors of the land and contribute to the agricultural economy.” InSPIRE is investigating practical approaches to “low-impact” s olar development, which focuses on establishing and operating solar farms in a way that is kinder to the land. One of the easiest low-impact solar strategies is providing habitat for pollinators(传粉昆虫).Habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change have caused dramatic declines in pollinator populations over the past couple of decades, which has damaged the U.S. agricultural economy. Over 28 states have passed laws related to pollinator habitat protection and pesticide use. Conservation organizations put out pollinator-friendliness guidelines for home garde ns, businesses, schools, cities—and now there are guidelines for solar farms.Over the past few years, many solar farm developers have transformed the space under their solar panels into a shelter for various kinds of pollinators, resulting in soilimprovement and carbon reduction. “These pollinator-friendly solar farms can have a valuable impact on everything that's going on in the landscape,” says Macknick.32.What do solar developers often ignore?A.The decline in the demand for solar energy.B.The negative impact of installing solar panels.C.The rising labor cost of building solar farms.D.The most recent advances in solar technology.33.What does InSPIRE aim to do?A.Improve the productivity of local farms.B.Invent new methods for controlling weeds.C.Make solar projects environmentally friendly.D.Promote the use of solar energy in rural areas.34.What is the purpose of the laws mentioned in paragraph 4?A. To conserve pollinators.B. To restrict solar development.C. To diversify the economy.D. To ensure the supply of energy.35.Which of the following is the best title for the text?A. Pollinators: To Leave or to StayB. Solar Energy: Hope for the FutureC. InSPIRE: A Leader in AgricultureD. Solar Farms: A New Development(2022年全国乙卷）CCan a small group of drones(无人机)guarantee the safety and reliability of railways and, at the same time, help railway operators save billions of euros each year? That is the very likely future of applying today’s eyes in the sky technology to making sure that the millions of kilometres of rail tracks and infrastructure(基础设施)worldwide are safe for trains on a 24/7 basis.Drones are already being used to examine high-tension electrical lines. They could do precisely the same thing to inspect railway lines and other vital aspects of rail infrastructure such as the correct position of railway tracks and switching points. The more regularly they can be inspected, the more railway safety, reliability and on-time performance will be improved. Costs would be cut and operations would be more efficient(高效)across the board.That includes huge savings in maintenance costs and better protection of railway personnel safety. It is calculated that European railways alone spend approximately 20 billion euros a year on maintenance, including sending maintenance staff, often at night, to inspect and repair the rail infrastructure. That can be dangerous work that could be avoided with drones assisting the crews efforts.By using the latest technologies, drones could also start providing higher-valueservices for railways, detecting faults in the rail or switches, before they can cause any safety problems. To perform these tasks, drones for rail don’t need to be flying overhead. Engineers are now working on a new concept: the rail drones of the future. They will be moving on the track ahead of the train, and programmed to run autonomously. Very small drones with advanced sensors and AI and travelling ahead of the train could guide it like a co-pilot. With their ability to see ahead, they could signal any problem, so that fast-moving trains would be able to react in time.28. What makes the application of drones to rail lines possible?A. The use of drones in checking on power lines.B.Drones ability to work at high altitudes.C. The reduction of cost in designing drones.D. Drones reliable performance in remote areas.29. What does maintenance underlined in paragraph 3 refer to?A. Personnel safety.B. Assistance from drones.C. Inspection and repair.D. Construction of infrastructure.30. What function is expected of the rail drones?A. To provide early warning.B. To make trains run automatically.C. To earn profits for the crews.D. To accelerate transportation.31. Which is the most suitable title for the text?A. What Faults Can Be Detected with DronesB. How Production of Drones Can Be ExpandedC. What Difficulty Drone Development Will FaceD. How Drones Will Change the Future of Railways（2022年全国Ⅰ卷）DHuman 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 touchingthe 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.（2022年全国Ⅱ卷）DAs 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 early60s. 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 non aerobic（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.（2022年北京卷）DQuantum ( 量子 ) computers have been on my mind a lot lately. A friend has been sending me articles on how quantum computers might help solve some of the biggest challenges we face as humans. I’ve also had exchanges with two quantum-computing experts. One is computer scientist Chris Johnson who I see as someone who helps keep the field honest. The other is physicist Philip Taylor.For decades, quantum computing has been little more than a laboratory curiosity. Now, big tech companies have invested in quantum computing, as have many smaller ones. According to Business Weekly, quantum machines could help us “cure cancer, and even take steps to turn climate change in the opposite direction.” This is the sort of hype (炒作 ) that annoys Johnson. He worries that researchers are making promises they can’t keep. “What’s new,” Johnson wrote, “is that millions of do llars are now potentially available to quantum computing researchers.”As quantum computing attracts more attention and funding, researchers may mislead investors, journalists, the public and, worst of all, themselves about their work’s potential. If researchers can’t keep their promises, excitement might give way to doubt, disappointment and anger, Johnson warns. Lots of other technologies have gone through stages of excitement. But something about quantum computing makes it especially prone to hype, Johnson suggests, perhaps because “‘quantum’ stands for something cool you shouldn’t be able to understand.” And that brings me back to Taylor, who suggested that I read his book Q for Quantum.After I read the book, Taylor patiently answered my questions about it. He also answered my questions about PyQuantum, the firm he co-founded in 2016. Taylor shares Johnson’s concerns about hype, but he says those concerns do not apply to PyQuantum.The company, he says, is closer than any other firm “by a very large margin ( 幅度)” to building a “useful” quantum computer, one that “solves an impactful problem that we would not have been able to solve otherwise.” He adds, “People will naturally discount my opinions, but I have spent a lot of time quantitatively comparin g what we are doing with others.”Could PyQuantum really be leading all the competition “by a wide margin”, as Taylor claims? I don’t know. I’m certainly not going to advise my friend oranyone else to invest in quantum computers. But I trust Taylor, just as I trust Johnson.31. Regarding Johnson’s concerns, the author feels ________.A.sympatheticB.unconcernedC.doubtfulD.excited32. What leads to Taylor’s optimism about quantum computing?A.His dominance in physics.B.The competition in the field.C.His confidence in PyQuantum.D. The investment of tech companies.33. What does the underlined word “prone” in Paragraph 3 most probably mean?A.Open.B.Cool.eful.D.Resistant.34. Which would be the best title for the passage?A. Is Johnson More Competent Than Taylor?B. Is Quantum Computing Redefining Technology?C. Will Quantum Computers Ever Come into Being?D. Will Quantum Computing Ever Live Up to Its Hype?（2022年浙江卷）BAll around the world, there are small changes taking place. At the side of roads, behind school playgrounds and on all kinds of unloved pieces of land across towns and cities, tiny forests barely the size of tennis courts are appearing, making a great place for both wildlife and local people who may not normally have easy access to nature. This is the Tiny Forest movement, which aims to prove that the best things in life really do come in small packages.Tiny forests were first pioneered as a concept in the 1970s by Dr Miyawaki, a Japanese botanist. As he went on to share his concept with others, the idea soon took off in India and other countries before eventually reaching Europe, where it became popular in places like France, Belgium and the Netherlands.So how does it work? Louise Hartley, who is leading the Tiny Forest project in the UK, explains that the process begins by identifying areas in which a tiny forest could have the biggest influence. “We focus on urban areas where access to natur e is often not that easy,” says Hartley. “We see it as a chance to try to break the growing disconnect between people and nature.”In a Tiny Forest, there must be a minimum of 600 trees, and the trees are planted much closer together and without chemicals or fertilisers (肥料). There are usually around 30 different kinds of all-native tree species (物种). This variety, coupled with the fact that tiny forests grow up to ten times faster than standard forests, means they attract a rich abundance of wildlife. It’s also thought that these places could help reduce the risk of flooding, remove carbon from theatmosphere and fight climate change, as well as improving the mental health of those living locally.24. What do we know about the Tiny Forest movement?A. It has achieved notable success.B. It is led by a number of schools.C. It began in Europe in the 1970s.D. It will spread to the countryside.25. What is the purpose of the project led by Hartley in the UK?A. To promote eco-tourism.B. To improve forestry research.C. To popularise gardening.D. To get people close to nature.26. What is special about the trees in a Tiny Forest?A. They are small in size.B. They are thickly planted.C. They are foreign species.D. They are heavily fertilised.（2021年全国Ⅱ卷）DAn 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 concems about cattle theft. Cattle tend to be kept in remote places and their valuehas risen, making them appealing targets.32.What is a problem with the cattle-raising industry?A. Soil pollution.ck 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.（2021年全国乙卷）You've heard that plastic is polluting the oceans — between 4.8 and 12.7 million tonnes enter ocean ecosystems every year. But does one plastic straw or cup really make a difference? Artist Benjamin V on Wong wants you to know that it does. He builds massive sculptures out of plastic garbage, forcing viewers to re-examine their relationship to single-use plastic products.At the beginning of the year, the artist built a piece called “Strawpocalypse,” a pair of 10-foot-tall plastic waves, frozen mid-crash.Made of 168,000 plastic straws collected from several volunteer beach cleanups, the sculpture made its first appearance at the Estella Place shopping center in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.Just 9% of global plastic waste is recycled. Plastic straws are by no means the biggest source（来源）of plastic pollution, but they've recently come under fire because most people don't need them to drink with and, because of their small size and weight, they cannot be recycled. Every straw that's part of V on Wong's artwork likely came from a drink that someone used for only a few minutes.Once the drink is gone, the straw will take centuries to disappear.In a piece from 2018, V on Wong wanted to illustrate（说明）a specific statistic: Every 60 seconds, a truckload's worth of plastic enters the ocean. For this work, titled “Truckload of Plastic,” V on Wong and a group of volunteers collected more than 10,000 pieces of plastic, which were then tied together to look like they'd been dumped（倾倒）from a truck all at once.V on Wong hopes that his work will also help pressure big companies to reduce their plastic footprint.28.What are V on Wong's artworks intended for？______A.Beautifying the city he lives in.B.Introducing eco-friendly products.C.Drawing public attention to plastic waste.D.Reducing garbage on the beach.29. Why does the author discuss plastic straws in paragraph 3？______A.To show the difficulty of their recycling.B.To explain why they are useful.C.To voice his views on modern art.D.To find a substitute for them.30. What effect would "Truckload of Plastic" have on viewers？______A.Calming.B.Disturbing.C.Refreshing.D.Challenging.31. Which of the following can be the best title for the text？______A.Artists' Opinions on Plastic SafetyB.Media Interest in Contemporary ArtC.Responsibility Demanded of Big CompaniesD.Ocean Plastics Transformed into Sculptures（2020全国I卷）DThe 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 grow（发光）in experiments using some common vegetables. Strano’s team f ound 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 besprayed 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 engineer?A. To detect plants’ lack of waterB. To change compositions of plantsC. 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?（2020年全国II卷）BSome parents will buy any high-tech toy if they think it will help their child, but researchers said puzzles help children with math-related skills.Psychologist Susan Levine, an expert on mathematics development in young children the University of Chicago, found children who play with puzzles between ages 2 and 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.。

高考英语说明文4篇1Here is an astonishing and significant fact: Mental work alone can’t makeus tire. It sounds absurd/əb'sɜːd/荒谬的. But a years ago, scientists tried to find out how long the human brain could labor without reaching a stage 阶段of fatigue /fə'tiːg/(疲劳). To the amazement of these scientists, they discovered that blood passing through the brain, when it is active, shows no fatigue at all! If we tooka drop of blood from a day laborer劳动者, we would find it fullof fatigue toxins /'tɒksɪn/ (毒素) and fatigue products. But if wetook blood from the brain of an Albert Einstein, it would show nofatigue toxins at the end of the day.So far as the brain is concerned, it can work as well and swiftly很快地at the end of eight or even twelve hours of effort as at the beginning. The brain istotally tireless. So what makes us tired?Some scientists declare that most of our fatigue comes from our mental and emotional(情绪的) attitudes. One of England’s most outstanding scientists, J.A. Hadfield, says, “The greater part of the fatigue from which we suffer is of mental origin /'ɒrɪdʒɪn/起源. In fact, fatigue of purely physical origin is rare.”Dr. Brill, a famous American scientist, goes even further. He declares, “One hundred percent of the fatigue of sitting worker in good health is due to emotional problems.”What kinds of emotions make sitting workers tired? Joy? Satisfaction?No! A feeling of being bored, anger, anxiety/æŋ'zaɪətɪ/焦虑, tenseness紧张, worry, a feeling of not being appreciated---those are the emotions that tire sitting workers. Hard work by itself seldom causes fatigue. We get tired because our emotions produce nervousness in the body.1. What surprised the scientists a few years ago?A. Fatigue toxins could hardly be found in a laborer’s blood.B. Albert Einstein didn’t feel worn after a day’s work.C. The brain could work for many hours without fatigue.D. A mental worker’s blood was filled with fatigue toxins.2. According to the author, which of the following can make sitting workers tired?A. Challenging mental work.B. Unpleasant emotions.C. Endless tasks.D. Physical labo3. What’s the author’s attitude towards the scientists’ idea?A. He agrees with them.B. He doubts them.C. He argues against them.D. He hesitates to accept them.4. We can infer from the passage that in order to stay energetic, sitting workers need to ________.A. have some good food.B. enjoy their workC. exercise regularlyD. discover fatigue toxins2They baby is just one day old and has not yet left hospital. She is quietbut alert /ə'lɜːt/（警觉）. Twenty centimeters厘from her face researchershave placed a white card with two black spots on it. She stares at it carefully.A researcher removes the card and replaces it by another, this time with the spots differently spaced. As the cards change from one to the other, her gaze（凝视）starts to lose its focus — until a third, with three black spots,is presented. Her gaze returns: she looks at it for twice as long as she did at the previous card. Can she tell that the number two is different from three, just 24 hours after coming into the world?Or do newborns simply prefer more to fewer? The same experiment, but with three spots shown before two, shows the same return of interest when the number of spots changes. Perhaps it is just the newness 名，新奇? When slightly older babies were shown cards with pictures of objects (a comb, a key, an orange and so on), changing the number of objects had an effect separate from changing the objects themselves. Could it be the pattern that two things make, as opposed to three? No again. Babies paid more attention to squares moving randomly on a screen when their number changed from two to three,or three to two. The effect even crosses between senses. Babies who were repeatedly shown two spots became more excited when they then heard three drumbeats than when they heard just two; likewise （同样地）when the researchers started with drumbeats and moved to spots.5. The experiment described in Paragraph 1 is related to the baby’s__.A. sense of hearingB. sense of sightC. sense of touch D sense of smell6. Babies are sensitive to the change in______.A. the size of cardsB. the colour of picturesC. the shape of patternsD. the number of objects7. Why did the researchers test the babies with drumbeats?A. To reduce the difficulty of the experiment.B. To see howbabies recognize sounds.C. To carry their experiment further.D. To keep the babies’interest.8. Where does this text probably come from?A. Science fiction.B. Children’s literature.C. An advertisement.D.A science report3Last night’s meteor(流星) 英/'miːtɪə/ shower left many people in the community dissatisfied and demanding 苛求的；要求高的；吃力的answers. According to Gabe Rothsclild, Emerald Valley’s mayor市长, people gathered in thesuburbs /'sʌbɜːb/of the city, carrying heavy telescopes, expecting to watch the brightly burning meteors passing through the sky. What they found instead was a sky so brightene by the city’s lights that it darkened the light of the meteors passing overhead. “My family was so frustrated,” admitted town resident Duane Cosby, “We wanted to make this an unforgettable family outing, but it turned out to be a huge disappointments.”Astronomers- /ə'strɒnəmə/n. 天文学家--scientists who study stars and planets---- have beencomplaining about this problem for decades. They say that light pollution prevents them from seeing objects in the sky that they could see quite easily in the past. They call on people and the government to take measures to fightagainst it.There is yet a population besides professional and amateur /ˈæmətə(r)/美 /'æmə.tʃʊr/n. 爱好者star observers that suffers even more from light pollution. This population consists of birds, bats frogs, snakes, etc. For example, outdoor lighting severely affects migrating(迁徙的)birds. According to the International Dark-Sky Association. “100million birds a year throughout North America die in crashes 撞碎with lighted buildings and towers.”Countless more animals casualties(伤亡）result from the use of artificial lighting. Clearly, people enjoy the benefits of lighting their evenings, but some scientists think it can be harmful for humans, too. They worry that exposure to light while sleeping can increase pers on’s chances of getting cancer. Emerald Valley is only one community that is becoming aware of the negative effects of light pollution. For years, Flagstaff, Arizona/,æri'zəunə/美 /,æri'zəunə/n. 美国亚利桑那州, has enforced lighting regulations in its city in order to assist astronomers at the Lowell Observatory.英 /əb'zɜːvət(ə)rɪ/美 /əb'zɝvətɔri/n. 天文台；气象台；瞭望台Similar efforts have been made worldwide, and a movement isunderway 进行中的to remind us to turn off lights when we are not using them, so thatother creatures can share the night.9.It happened last night thatA. the city’s lights affected the meteor watchingB. the meteors flew past before being noticedC. the city light show attracted many peopleD. the meteor watching ended up a social outing10. What do the astronomers complain about?A. Meteor showers occur less often than beforeB. Their observation equipment is in poor repairC. Light pollution has remained unsolved for yearsD. Their eyesight is failing due to artificial lighting11. What the author concerned about according to Paragraph 4?A. Birds may take other migration pathsB. Animals living habits may changesuddenlyC. Varieties of animals will become sharplyreducedD. Animals’ survival is threatened byoutdoor lighting12. Lighting regulations in Flagstaff, Arizona areput into effect toA. Lessen the chance of getting cancerB. create an ideal observation conditionC. ensure citizens a good sleep at nightD. enable all creatures to live in harmony13.What message does the author most want to give us?A. Saving wildlife is saving ourselvesB. Great efforts should be made to save energyC. Human activities should be environmentally friendlyD. New equipment should be introduced for space study4Almost every machine with moving parts has wheels, yet no one knows exactly when the first wheel was invented or what it was used for. We do know，however，that they existed over 5,500years ago in ancient Asia.The oldest known transport wheel was discovered in 2002 in Slovenia. It is over 5，100 years old. Evidence suggests thatwheels for transport didn't become popular for .while, though . This could be because animals did a perfectly good job of carryingfarming tools and humans around.But it could also be because of a difficult situation. While wheels need to roll on smooth surfaces, roads with smooth surfaces weren't going to be constructed until there was plenty of demand for them. Eventually, road surfaces did become smoother, but this difficult situation appeared again a few centuries later. There had been no important changes in wheel and vehicle design before the arrival of modern road design.In the mid-1700s,a Frenchman came up with a new design of road--a base layer (层)of large stones covered with a thin layer of smaller stones. A Scotsman苏格兰人improved on this design in the 1820s and a strong, lasting road surface became a reality. At around the same time, metal hubs英 /hʌb/美 /hʌb/n. 中心；毂；木片(the central part of a wheel)、came into being, followed by the Wheels were invented in 1967, sixty years after the appearance of tarmacked roads(泊油路). As wheel design took off,vehicles got faster and faster.14. What might explain why transport wheels didn’t become popular for some time?A. Few knew how to use transport wheels.B. Humans carried farming tools just aswell. C. Animals were a good means oftransport.D. The existence of transport wheels was not known.15. What do we know about road design from the passage?A. It was easier than wheel design.B. It improved after big changes in vehicle design.C. It was promoted by fast-moving vehicles.D. It provided conditions for wheel design to develop.16. How is the last paragraph mainly developed?A. By giving examples.B. By making comparisons.C.By following time order.D.By making classifications.17.What is the passage mainly about ?A.The beginning of road deaign.B.The development of transport wheel.C.The history of public transport.D.The invention of fast-moving vehicles.。

科教科普类1、Australia leads the world in its number of resident poisonous spiders as well as the strength of their toxicity(毒性). However,of almost 9,800 species most are perfectly harmless and interesting.Spider diversity is broad and many fascinating species occur here that range from the large to the tiny and hardly noticed, and from the dullest black to the strangely shaped.Spiders can be roughly classified according to the strategies(策略) they use for feeding. Spiders which appeared earlier in the evolutionary scale feed by waiting in a cave for food to come along before grabbing it. Following them were spiders which actively wandered looking for food and which caught it by chasing it down. The evolution of flying insects makes spiders evolve ne w ways of catching food which couldn’t be chased and so the earliest air web weavers arose.Most spiders feed on insects and other arthropods but the Whistling Spider feeds on frogs and small birds. The Golden Orb Spider also feeds on small birds.A spider periodically sheds(蜕皮;脱落) its skin so that it can grow. Immature stages are called moults. Each species has a particular number of moults that it will go through before reaching its final adult stage.Usually, once male spiders have mated, they die shortly after. But, even in death, Redback males often serve a purpose. The already pregnant Redback females always kill their lover and, in most cases, also eat them. This provides them with a small reproductive advantage.Allowing spiders to take up places around houses can be beneficial in that they catch other annoying insects such as mosquitoes and flies.Rest assured that while you might see some large spiders, and perhaps even some poisonous ones, a good rule is to look and admire but don't touch any spider you find. Even those without poison could still have a nasty bite.1.Different families of spiders are identified themselves by ______.A.their physical characterB.their ways of getting foodC.the strength of their toxicityD.their effect on the environment2.What are the latest spiders in their evolution process?A.Spiders that chase down insects for food.B.Spiders that wait for the insects to come along.C.Spiders that can weave webs to catch flying insects.D.Spiders that actively go out to look for insects as food.3.If a spider stays on the wall of your house, you’d better ______.A.kill itB.feed itC.let it beD.chase it out4.What is the passage mainly talking about?A.A brief introduction of spiders.B.The evolution process of spiders.C.Living harmoniously with spiders.D.The living and feeing habits of spiders.2、Many people believe that you lose the ability to learn new languages as you get older. Language experts,however,will tell you that you’re never too old to learn a new language. As you get older, it can be more difficult to learn a new language,though.Children and adults learn new languages in different ways. For children, language is their life. They study for thousands of hours every year. Because they need to learn language to became part of their communities.Adults,on the other hand,are already part of a language community. Learning a new language means becoming part of another language community,and adults rarely get the chance to practice as much as young children do.Moreover.children leaning a new language are expected to make mistakes. This gives them freedom when learning to be daring and confident Adults,however,often feel pressured to be perfect when learning a new language.This can discourage many people and make it even harder to learn a new language.When young children learn a new language,they come to see various languages as a “normal” part of society.This mindset(思维模式) helps them embrace learning a new language without feeling like they're doing something unusual or“too hard”.So if you want to learn a new language,go f or it! It’s never too late to learn a new language. If you're older,it may take more work,but it can be done.If you're a young child,though,now is the time to step out and learn a new language!1.By “Language is their life”,the author means that children .A.can't live without languageB.lead a happy life every dayC.practice a new language a lotD.are taken good care of adults2.What may make it hard for the old people to learn a new language!A.They are afraid of being laughed at.B.They usually have too many interests.C.They think making mistakes is natural.D.They always make all kinds of mistakes.3.Which of the following shows the difference between children and adults in learning new language?A.The behaviors they have.B.The learning attitudes.C.The future plans they have made.D.The materials they are using.4.According to the author,a new language .A.can never be learned by the old peopleB.can be grasped by the people easilyC.can be understood only by the old peopleD.can learned by both the old and the young3、Kids and teens are often dismissive of praise from their parents. I am sure that parents out there can relate to this, as we all have been told at one time or another by one or several of our kids,“Stop it, Mom.’’ or even,“You’re just saying that because you are my parents and you have to say that. " I can assure you, though, that they are listening. They will probably not thank you for this praise until they are in their twenties, but don't let that stop you from praising them duringtheir childhood and teen years. Just be careful how you praise them. A little praise may go a long way —especially if it is the right kind of praise.It appears that the way to go is to praise their efforts according to a study by Brummelman, of Utrecht University in the Netherlands and colleagues. These researchers concluded that kids should be praised primarily for their efforts, rather than for their personal characteristics, because if they are praised for effort, then a poor performance is more likely to be seen as a glitch(小故障), rather than a valid reflection of who they are as individuals.Let’s think about this together. If you are a teenager or a child of any age and are constantly told how brilliant you are, then when you do poorly on a test or a few tests, you may feel like you have suddenly lost your status as brilliant and may now feel ashamed that you are merely average or even dumb. If you are a girl who is constantly being told how beautiful you are, then on a day when you don’t look or feel so good, you may decide that you are unattractive. This is the problem that develops when we are praising our kids for global personality characteristics that they can't always live up to.1.According to the passage, which of the following statements is the right kind of praise?A.You are a great artist.B.You are very intelligent.C.Wow, you have a special gift for music.D.Your painting has indeed improved due to your efforts.2.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?A.All the children should be praised.B.There’s no need to praise kids and teens.C.Praise should be beyond children’s expectations.D.Teens often pay no attention to their parents’ praise.3.The underlined word “dumb” in the last par agraph can be replaced by _________.A.stupidB.uniqueC.curiousD.honest4.The main topic of this passage is _____.A.why to praise kids and teensB.how to praise kids and teensC.different ways to praise kids and teensD.the importance of praising kids4、Scientists, psychologists and English academics at Liverpool University have found that reading the works of the classical writers like Shakespeare and Wordsworth has a great effect on the mind, catches the reader’s attention and triggers moments of self-examination.Using a special machine, they monitored the brain activity of 30 volunteers as they read works by William Shakespeare, William Wordsworth, T.S. Eliot and others.In the first part of the research, the brain activity of 30 volunteers was monitored as they read passages from Shakespeare’s plays, including King Lear, Othello, Coriolanus and Macbeth, and again as they read the text rewritten in a simpler form or modern language.While reading the common texts, normal levels of electrical activity were shown in their brains. When they read the works of Shakespeare, however, the levels of activity jumped because of his use of words which were unfamiliar to them. The result of the test showed that the more challenging passages cause a greater degree of electrical activity in the brain than the common ones.Scientists went on to study the brain activity as it responded to each word and recorded how it lit up as the readers came across unusual words, surprising phrases or difficult sentences in the classical works. As a result, this lightening up process of the mind lasted longer than that when volunteers read common texts, encouraging further reading.The research also found that reading poetry especially increases activity in the right hemisphere(半球) of the brain, an area connected with “autobiographical memory”, driving the readers to think carefully about their own experiences based on what they have read. The academics said this meant the classical works of literature are more useful than self-help books.Philip Davis, an English professor who has worked on the study in the university’s magnetic resonance center, announced this week: “Classical literature acts like a rocket-booster to the brain, which provides extra power for the brain. You may never imagine how powerful it is. Theresearch shows such kind of literature can create new thoughts and connections in the young and the old.”1.The underlined word “trigger” in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to “______”.A.depends onB.picks upC.sets offD.changes into2.Which of the following is NOT true about reading classical literature?A.It makes readers’ brain more active than reading common texts.B.It makes readers’ electrical activity of brain return to normal.C.It’s help ful for readers to come up with new ideas.D.It’s an activity that is suitable for people of all ages.3.From the research, we can learn that ______.A.the readers prefer Shakespeare’s works to the other writers’ worksB.the words of classical works make it hard for volunteers to read furtherC.reading classical works produces a good and long-lasting effect on the mindD.poetry increases left-brain activity more than other literary forms4.What does the author mainly tell us in this passage?A.Shakespeare’s plays deserve to be read.mon books are unpopular anymore.C.Poetry is best for developing people’s brain.D.Classical works help the brain develop better.5、Do parents have a constitutional right to homeschool their children? No, according to a California District Court judge, who recently ruled that a child must be schooled "by a person holding a valid state teaching credential (文凭)for the grade being ta ught”.What started as a Los Angeles County child welfare case involving one specific family has gone into proceedings (诉讼) that have actually put on trial the very nature of what constitutes a sound education. “For decades we’ve been happily homeschoo ling, and then this comes up suddenly,” says Mary Griffith, a homeschooling parent. Griffith says California had traditionallygiven homeschooling parents the freedom to choose the kind of education they want for their child.This particular family in Los Angeles had enrolled their children in a private school independent study program not in their home. In response to abuse charges against the family, the children were enrolled in public schools. The parents stated they had a constitutional right to homeschool on religious grounds; that's when the court ruling was issued. However, Griffith says if the ruling ends up affecting anyone, it will mainly be those who also enroll their children inoff-site homeschooling. “This won't be far-reaching for homeschooling parents."That's how organizations like the Homeschool Association of California (HSC) would like to keep it, anyway, and they've hired a team of lawyers to limit the impact of the case. Griffith says the legal team for HSC is trying to establish that while this ruling may indeed be necessary for this particular family, it should not set a precedent(先例) for all.What does this case really mean for homeschooling families nationwide? According to Darren A. Jones, this decision is certain to affect homeschooling on a national scale. Jones claims that it is common for state courts to look to other states’ rulings for assistance in deciding issues where no precedent exists. “A poor legal decision in California could become part of a trend across th e nation.’’1.In Griffith’s opinion, ________.A.parents don’t have a right to homeschool their childrenB.a child must be schooled by an expert with a credentialC.homeschooling should be forbidden in the whole countryD.it is understandable for parents to homeschool their children2.The underlined word “this” in Para. 2 refers to the fact that ________.A.parents happily homeschool their childrenB.parents don’t have a right to homeschool their childrenC.a child must be schooled by a person with a teaching credentialD.a Los Angeles County child welfare case involves a special family3.Why were the particular family’s children enrolled in public schools?A.To avoid the abuse charges against them.B.To receive the better education in it.C.To break away from their parents.D.To cooperate with the expert’s jobs.4.What’s the author’s attitude towards whether parents have a right to homeschool their children?A.Supportive.B.Sympatric.C.Negative.D.Objective.6、Summer shouldn't mean taking a break from learning, especially reading. Studies show that most students experience a loss of reading skills over the summer months, but children who continue to read actually gain skills. So efforts should be made during the summer to help children keep reading skills, practice reading and read for enjoyment.Parents should remember that children need free time in the summer to relax and enjoy the pleasures of childhood. So summer reading should be fun. Following are a few tips to make reading enjoyable for your children this summer:Read aloud together with your child every day.Make it fun by reading outdoors on the front steps, patio, at the beach or park. Also, let your children read to you.Set a good example!Keep lots of reading material around the house. Turn off the TV and have each person read his or her book, including Mom and Dad.Read the same book your child is reading and discuss it.This is the way to develop habits of the mind and build capacity(能力) for thought and insight.Let kids choose what they want to read, and don’t turn your nose up at popular fiction. It will only discourage the reading habit.Subscribe, in your child’s name, to magazines.Encourage older children to read the newspaper and current events magazines, to keep up the reading habit over the summer and develop vocabulary. Ask them what they think about what they’ve read, and listen to what they say.1.Parents must help children read during the summer because ________.A.the summer holiday is too long a time for themB.reading is a kind of relaxation for childrenC.some of the reading skills may be lost if they stop readingD.children can enjoy the pleasure of childhood2.What does the underlined phrase "turn your nose up at” probably mean?A.Get interested in.B.Show one’s dislike for.C.Think highly of.D.Lose interest in.3.In oder to build children's capacity for thought and insight, parents should ______.A.subscribe to magazines in the child’s nameB.read the same book the child is reading and discuss itC.let children choose what they want to readD.turn off the TV4.What does the passage mainly tell about?A.Some summer reading tips for parents.B.Some useful advice on reading for children.C.What kinds of books to read in summer.D.How to teach children to read.7、Have you got the information taught by your teacher in class? Have you understood what you saw on the screen? Maybe everyone has their own learning style.Generally speaking, we gather information with our minds and bodies in different ways, such as seeing, hearing and doing. Then our brains deals with that information, organizing it and connecting it to things we are already aware of. In other words, our brains will deal with the information in different ways. Sometimes we think in pictures or words. Sometimes we remember details or the big pictures.For different people, their learning styles are different too. One person may find it hard to make out the information in written forms but easy to know it immediately in an oral description. However, another person might find difficulties with the picture but the written message.Now scientists say there exist seven basic learning styles.·Linguistic: These people learn through listening, reading, speaking and writing.·Logical: These people learn with formula (公式) and principles (原理).·Visual: These people learn by seeing what they are studying.·Musical: These people learn well when information is presented through music.·Kinesthetic: These people learn from movement and physical activities.·Intrapersonal: These people learn best by linking new information directly with their own experiences.·Interpersonal: These people learn well by working with others.Therefore, if you know what learning style is your strength, you can balance your weakness, and get a more successful learning experience.1.From the passage, we know that our brains ______.A.deal with the information in different waysB.send out the information in the same wayanize information with our bodiesD.gather information in the same way2.A visual learner usually learns _____.A.through listening and speakingB.by seeing what he is learningC.from movement and physical activitiesD.by linking new information with his experience3.A musical learner will find it easy to learn ______.A.with formulas and principlesB.by working with othersC.through reading and writingD.through music he hears4.The purpose of the passage is to tell us to ______.A.learn more successfullyB.gather more informationC.understand more quicklyD.exchange information better8、In 2015 a paper published in a science magazine reported on the personality types of people living in various London districts. Extroverts (外向的人), the researchers who wrote it had discovered, favored Richmond. Those who were most open to experience gathered in Hackney. People in Barnet scored lower than average on emotional stability.What this study did not address was whether someone’s home range reflects their personality traits or imposes them. In other words, is what is going on “nature” or “nurture” (培育) ? However, in a piece of research just published, Dr. Holtmann of Otago University, in New Zealand, and his colleagues have filled that gap—at least, they have filled it for dunnocks.The dunnock is a European bird. It has, though, been introduced to New Zealand and its population has boomed there. It is a well-studied species, and, in particular, some being measurably bolder (更大胆的) and more tolerant of potential threats, such as nearby human beings, than others. The team’s research area was the Botanic Garden in Dunedin. This is open to the public, but some areas are more frequented by visitors than others. Dunnocks have small territories, so it was possible to measure the amount of human disturbance in a given territory with reasonable precision. And, by wrapping each of the dunnocks in the garden with colour-coded bands it was possible to identify individuals by sight. Altogether, the researchers looked at 99 of them.The y worked out a bird’s level of threat tolerance by the simple method of walking towards it, and then measuring how close one could get before the bird flew away. They did this several times for each bird every breeding season, and repeated the process over the course of three seasons.A particular bird’s flight distance (ie, how closely it could be approached before it departed) was, they found, consistent within a breeding season. From season to season most birds got a little bolder—probably as they learnt more about the world and what they could safely get away with. But this increase in boldness with age was small compared with the different starting points of bold and shy birds when they first arrived in a territory. It did not, therefore, much affect the factthat, on average, birds’ flight distances were inversely correlated (负相关) with the level of human disturbance in their territories. This was a consequence of disturbed territories being settled by bold birds, and undisturbed territories by shy ones.In the case of dunnocks, then, nature wins over nurture. Dr. Holtmann was able to show that personalities match circumstances, rather than being created by them. Dunnocks can recognize which places suit them best, and choose to settle in them shortly after they are fully fledged (羽翼丰满). Most likely, that is happening in London districts, too.1.What does the underlined words “that gap” in the second paragraph refer to?A.What the paper published in 2015 failed to handle.B.Why extroverts favour certain areas in London district.C.How Dr. Holtmann involved dunnocks in his study.D.What the former and latter study have in common.2.From Paragraph 3, we can know that dunnocks ________.A.are native to New ZealandB.have distinct personalitiesC.are bolder than human beingsD.can be easily identified by its color3.What conclusion did Dr. Holtmann draw from his study?A.It’s nurture rather than nature that matters in the case of dunnocks’ behaviour.B.Birds’ flight distances were in proportion to huma n disturbance in their territories.C.Dunnocks choose their habitats wisely in the first place rather than adapt to them.D.Bold birds and shy birds alike settle in undisturbed territories in the botanic garden.4.What is the author’s purpose in writing th e passage?A.To argue that circumstances cultivate certain personalities.B.To entertain readers with some funny facts about dunnocks.C.To present the finding of a scientific research about dunnocks.D.To confirm the assumption that personalities match circumstances.答案以及解析1答案及解析：答案：1.B; 2.C; 3.C; 4.A解析：1.细节理解题。

2020高考英语全国II卷BSome parents will buy any high-tech toy if they think it will help their child, but researchers said puzzles help children with math-related skills.Psychologist Susan Levine, an expert on mathematics development in young children the University of Chicago, found children who play with puzzles between ages 2 and 4 later develop better spatial skills. Puzzle play was found to be a significant predictor of cognition(认知) after controlling for differences in parents’ income,education and the amount of parent talk, Levine said.The researchers analyzed video recordings of 53 child-parent pairs during everyday activities at home and found children who play with puzzles between 26 and 46 months of age have better spatial skills when assessed at 54 months of age.“The children who played with puzzles performed better than those who did not, on tasks that assessed their ability to rotate(旋转)and translate shapes,” Levine said in a statement.The parents were asked to interact with their children as they normally would, and about half of children in the study played with puzzles at one time. Higher-income parents tended to have children play with puzzles more frequently, and both boys and girls who played with puzzles had better spatial skills. However, boys tended to play with more complex puzzles than girls, and the parents of boys provided more spatial language and were more active during puzzle play than parents of girls.The findings were published in the journal Developmental Science.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 boy differ from girls in puzzle play?A. They play with puzzles more often.B. They tend to talk less during the game.C. They prefer to use more spatial language.D. They are likely to play with tougher puzzles.27. What is the text mainly about?A. A mathematical method.B. A scientific study.C. A woman psychologistD. A teaching program.2020山东卷阅读理解DAccording to a recent study in the Journal of Consumer Research, both the size and consumption habits of our eating companions can influence our food intake. And contrary to existing research that says you should avoid eating with heavier people who order large portions （份）, it’s the beanpoles with big appetites you really need to avoid.To test the effect of social influence on eating habits, the researchers conducted two experiments. In the first, 95 undergraduate women were individually invited into a lab to ostensibly（表面上）participate in a study about movie viewership. Before the film began, each woman was asked to help herself to a snack. An actor hired by the researchers grabbed her food first. In her natural state, the actor weighed 105 pounds. But in half the cases she wore a specially designed fat suit which increased her weight to 180 pounds.Both the fat and thin versions of the actor took a large amount of food. The participants followed suit, taking more food than they normally would have. However, they took significantly more when the actor was thin.For the second test, in one case the thin actor took two pieces of candy from the snack bowls. In the other case, she took 30 pieces. The results were similar to the first test: the participants followed suit but took significantly more candy when the thin actor took 30 pieces.The tests show that the social environment is extremely influential when we’re making decisions. If this fellow participant is going to eat more, so will I. Cal l it the “I’ll have what she’s having” effect. However, we’ll adjust the influence. If an overweight person is having a large portion, I’ll hold back a bit because I see the results of his eating habits. But if a thin person eats a lot, I’ll follow suit. If he can eat much and keep slim, why can’t I?12. What is the recent study mainly about?A. Food safety.B. Movie viewership.C. Consumer demand.D. Eating behavior.13. What does the underlined word "beanpoles" in paragraph 1 refer to?A. Big eaters.B. Overweight persons.C. Picky eaters.D. Tall thin persons.14. Why did the researchers hire the actor?A. To see how she would affect the participants.B. To test if the participants could recognize her.C. To find out what she would do in the two tests.D. To study why she could keep her weight down.15. On what basis do we "adjust the influence" according to the last paragraph?A. How hungry we are.B. How slim we want to be.C. How we perceive others.D. How we feel about the food.2020深圳第二次线上测试Pinocchio may be just a children’s fairy tale, but Spanish scientists at the University of Granada recently investigated this so-called “Pinocchio effect” and found that our noses don’t grow when we tell a lie, but actually shrink a bit.Dr. Gómez Milán and his team developed a lie detector test that used thermography（体温计）to tell if people were lying, and found that whenever participants in their research were being untruthful, the temperature of the tip of their nose dropped up to 1.2℃, while the temperature of their forehead increased up to 1.5℃. Scientist also found that drop in temperature at nose level actually caused it to slightly shrink, although the difference is undetected by the human eye.“One has to think in order to lie, which rises the temperature of the forehead,” Dr. Gómez Milán explained the findings. “At the same time we feel anxious, which lowers the temperature of the nose.”For this study, researchers asked a number of 60 students to perform various tasks while their temperature is scanned by technology. One of these tasks required making a 3 to 4 minutes call to their parents or a friend and telling a significant lie. Participants had to make up the lie themselves during the call. Interestingly, this lie detector picked up the “Pinocchio effect” temperature difference in 80 percent of the test subjects, which is a better rate of success than that of any modern lie detector.“With this method we have achieved to increase accuracy”, said Dr. Gómez Milán, who added that law enforcement interviewers could one day combine other lie detection technology with thermal imaging to achieve better results.1.Why does the writer talk about Pinocchio in the first paragraph?A.To tell a fairy tale.B.To give an example.C.To talk about a scientist.D.To introduce the topic.2.What is “Pinocchio effect”?A.Our noses will grow when we tell a lie.B.Our noses will shrink when we tell a lie.C.The temperature of the forehead falls if we lie.D.The temperature of the student rises for anxiety.3.How did Dr. Gómez Milán feel about the lie detector?A.Doubtful.B.Surprised.C.Confident.D.Puzzled.4.What lesson can we learn from the text?A.A lie will travel very hard.B.Many ways to bring a liar to light.C.A lie never lives to be old.D.Once a liar always a liar.2018北京高考阅读CPlastic-Eating WormsHumans produce more than 300 million tons of plastic every year. Almost half of that winds up in landfills(垃圾填埋场), and up to 12 million tons pollute the oceans. So far there is no effective way to get rid of it, but a new study suggests an answer may lie in the stomachs of some hungry worms.Researchers in Spain and England recently found that the worms of the greater wax moth can break down polyethylene, which accounts for 40% of plastics. The team left 100 wax worms on a commercial polyethylene shopping bag for 12 hours, and the worms consumed and broke down about 92 milligrams, or almost 3% of it. To confirm that the worms’ chewing alon e was not responsible for the polyethylene breakdown, the researchers made some worms into paste(糊状物) and applied it to plastic films. 14 hours later the films had lost 13% of their mass — apparently broken down by enzymes (酶) from the worms’ stomachs. The ir findings were published in Current Biology in 2017.Federica Bertocchini, co-author of the study, says the worms’ ability to break down their everyday food — beeswax —also allows them to break down plastic. “Wax is a complex mixture, but the basic bond in polyethylene, the carbon-carbon bond, is there as well, ”she explains, “The wax worm evolved a method or system to break this bond. ”Jennifer DeBruyn, a microbiologist at the University of Tennessee, who was not involved in the study, says it is not surprising that such worms can break down polyethylene. But compared with previous studies, she finds the speed of breaking down in this one exciting. The next step, DeBruyn says, will be to identify the cause of the breakdown. Is it an enzyme produced by the worm itself or by its gut microbes(肠道微生物)?Bertocchini agrees and hopes her team’s findings might one day help employ the enzyme to break down plastics in landfills. But she expects using the chemical in some kind of industrial process —not simply “millions of worms thrown on top of the plastic.”43. What can we learn about the worms in the study?A. They take plastics as their everyday food.B. They are newly evolved creatures.C. They can consume plastics.D. They wind up in landfills.44. According to Jennifer DeBruyn, the next step of the study is to .A. identify other means of the breakdownB. find out the source of the enzymeC. confirm the research findingsD. increase the breakdown speed45. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that the chemical might .A. help to raise wormsB. help make plastic bagsC. be used to clean the oceansD. be produced in factories in future46. What is the main purpose of the passage?A. To explain a study method on worms.B. To introduce the diet of a special worm.C. To present a way to break down plastics.D. To propose new means to keep eco-balance.2020高考英语全国II卷B keys:BCDB24.B 细节理解题。

高考英语说明文 4 篇1Here is an astonishing and significant fact: Mental work alone can ' m t akeus tire. It sounds absurd /?b's ??d/荒谬的. But a years ago, scientists tried to find out howlong the human brain could labor without reaching a stage 阶段of fatigue /f?'ti?g/（疲劳）. To the amazement of these scientists, they discovered that blood passing through the brain, when it is active, shows no fatigue at all! If we tooka drop of blood from a day laborer 劳动者, we would find it full of fatigue toxins /'t?ks?n/ （毒素） and fatigue products. But if wetook blood from the brain of an Albert Einstein, it would show no fatigue toxins at the end of the day.So far as the brain is concerned, it can work as well and swiftly 很快地at the end of eight or even twelve hours of effort as at the beginning. The brain is totally tireless. So what makes us tired?Some scientists declare that most of our fatigue comes from our mental and emotional（情绪的） attitudes. One of England 'm s ost outstanding scientists, J.A. Hadfield, says, “ Th egreater part of the fatigue from which we suffer is of mental origin /'?r?d??n/起源. In fact, fatigue of purely physical origin is rare. D”r. Brill, a famous American scientist, goes even further. He declares, “ One hundred percent of the fatigue of sitting worker in good health is due to emotional problems. ”What kinds of emotions make sitting workers tired? Joy? Satisfaction? No! A feeling of being bored, anger, anxiety /??'za?? t?/焦虑, tenseness 紧张, worry, a feeling of not being appreciated---those are the emotions that tire sitting workers. Hard work by itself seldom causes fatigue. We get tired because our emotions produce nervousness in the body.1. What surprised the scientists a few years ago?A. Fatigue toxins could hardly be found in a laborer s 'blood.B. Albert Einstein didn ' fe t el worn after a day ' w s ork.C. The brain could work for many hours without fatigue.D. A mental worker ' b s lood was filled with fatigue toxins.2. According to the author, which of the following can make sitting workers tired?A. Challenging mental work.B. Unpleasant emotions.C. Endless tasks.D. Physical labo3. What' s the author ' at s titude towards the scientists idea'?A. He agrees with them.B. He doubts them.C. He argues against them.D. He hesitates to accept them.4. We can infer from the passage that in order to stay energetic, sitting workers need to.A. have some good food.B. enjoy their workC. exercise regularlyD. discover fatigue toxins2They baby is just one day old and has not yet left hospital. She is quiet but alert /?'l??t/ （警觉）. Twenty centimeters 厘from her face researchers have placed a white card with two black spots on it. She stares at it carefully. A researcher removes the card and replaces it by another, this time with the spots differently spaced. As the cards change from one to the other, her gaze（凝视）starts to lose its focus —until a third, with three black spots, is presented. Her gaze returns: she looks at it for twice as long as she did at the previous card. Can she tell that the number two is different from three, just 24 hours after coming into the world?Or do newborns simply prefer more to fewer? The same experiment, but with three spots shown before two, shows the same return of interest when the number of spots changes. Perhaps it is just the newness 名，新奇? When slightly older babies were shown cards with pictures of objects （a comb, a key, an orange and so on）, changing the number of objects had an effect separate from changing the objects themselves. Could it be the pattern that two things make, as opposed to three? No again. Babies paid more attention to squares moving randomly on a screen when their number changed from two to three, or three to two. The effect even crosses between senses. Babies who were repeatedly shown two spots became more excited when they then heard three drumbeats than when they heard just two; likewise （同样地）when the researchers started with drumbeats and moved to spots.5. The experiment described in Paragraph 1 is related to the baby ' s__.A. sense of hearingB. sense of sightC. sense of touch D sense of smell6. Babies are sensitive to the change in _____ .A. the size of cardsB. the colour of picturesC. the shape of patternsD. the number of objects7. Why did the researchers test the babies with drumbeats?A. To reduce the difficulty of the experiment.B. To see howbabies recognize sounds.C. To carry their experiment further.D. To keep the babies in'terest.8. Where does this text probably come from?A. Science fiction.B. Children l'ite s rature.C. An advertisement.D.A science report3Last night 'm s eteor（流星）英/'mi?t??/ shower left many people in the community dissatisfied and demanding 苛求的；要求高的；吃力的answers. According to Gabe Rothsclild, Emerald Valley 'm s ayor 市长, people gathered in the suburbs /'s?b??b/of the city, carrying heavy telescopes, expecting to watch the brightly burning meteors passing through the sky. What they found instead was a sky so brightene by the city'lig s hts that it darkened the light of the meteors passing overhead.“ M yfamily was so frustrated, adm”itted town resident Duane Cosby, “ We wanted to make this an unforgettable family outing, but it turned out to be a huge disappointments. ”Astronomers- /?'str?n?m?/n. 天文学家--scientists who study stars and planets ------have beencomplaining about this problem for decades. They say that light pollution prevents them from seeing objects in the sky that they could see quite easily in the past. They call on people and the government to take measures to fight against it.There is yet a population besides professional and amateur /??m? t?（r）/美/'?m ?.t??r/n. 爱好者star observers that suffers even more from light pollution. This population consists of birds, bats frogs, snakes, etc. For example, outdoor lighting severely affects migrating（迁徙的）birds. According to the International Dark-Sky Association. “ 100million birds a year throughout North America die in crashes 撞碎with lighted buildings and towers. ”Countless more animals casualties（伤亡）result from the use of artificial lighting. Clearly, people enjoy the benefits of lighting their evenings, but some scientists think it can be harmful for humans, too. They worry that exposure to light while sleeping can increase person 's chances of getting cancer. Emerald Valley is only one community that is becoming aware of the negative effects of light pollution. For years, Flagstaff, Arizona/,? ri'z ?un ?/ 美/,?ri'z ?un?/n. 美国亚利桑那州, has enforced lighting regulations in its city in order to assist astronomers at the Lowell Observatory. 英/?b'z??v?t（?）r?/美/?b'z?v?t?ri/ n. 天文台；气象台；瞭望台Similar efforts have been made worldwide, and a movement is underway 进行中的to remind us to turn off lights when we are not using them, so that other creatures can share the night.9.It happened last night thatA. the city 'lig s hts affected the meteor watchingB. the meteors flew past before being noticedC. the city light show attracted many peopleD. the meteor watching ended up a social outing10. What do the astronomers complain about?A. Meteor showers occur less often than beforeB. Their observation equipment is in poor repairC. Light pollution has remained unsolved for yearsD. Their eyesight is failing due to artificial lighting11. What the author concerned about according to Paragraph 4?A. Birds may take other migration pathsB. Animals living habits may change suddenlyC. Varieties of animals will become sharply reducedD. Animals s'urvival is threatened by outdoor lighting12. Lighting regulations in Flagstaff, Arizona areput into effect toA. Lessen the chance of getting cancerB. create an ideal observation conditionC. ensure citizens a good sleep at nightD. enable all creatures to live in harmony13. What message does the author most want to give us?A. Saving wildlife is saving ourselvesB. Great efforts should be made to save energyC. Human activities should be environmentally friendlyD. New equipment should be introduced for space study4Almost every machine with moving parts has wheels, yet no one knows exactly when the first wheel was invented or what it was used for. We do know ，however ，that they existed over 5,500years ago in ancient Asia.The oldest known transport wheel was discovered in 2002 in Slovenia. It is over 5 ，100 years old. Evidence suggests thatwheels for transport didn't become popular for .while, though . This could be because animals did a perfectly good job of carrying farming tools and humans around.But it could also be because of a difficult situation. While wheels need to roll on smooth surfaces, roads with smooth surfaces weren't going to be constructed until there was plenty of demand for them. Eventually, road surfaces did become smoother, but this difficult situation appeared again a few centuries later. There had been no important changes in wheel and vehicle design before the arrival of modern road design.In the mid-1700s,a Frenchman came up with a new design of road--a base layer （层）of large stones covered with a thin layer of smaller stones. A Scotsman 苏格兰人improved on this design in the 1820s and a strong, lasting road surface became a reality. At around the same time, metal hubs 英/h?b/美/h?b/n. 中心；毂；木片（the central part of a wheel）、came into being, followed by the Wheels were invented in 1967, sixty years after the appearance of tarmacked roads（泊油路）. As wheel design took off, vehicles got faster and faster.14. What might explain why transport wheels didn 'b t ecome popular for some time?A. Few knew how to use transport wheels.B. Humans carried farming tools just as well.C. Animals were a goodmeans of transport.D. The existence of transport wheels was not known.15. What do we know about road design from the passage?A. It was easier than wheel design.B. It improved after big changes in vehicle design.C. It was promoted by fast-moving vehicles.D. It provided conditions for wheel design to develop.16. How is the last paragraph mainly developed?A. By giving examples.B. By making comparisons.C. By following time order.D. By making classifications.17. What is the passage mainly about ? A.The beginning of road deaign.B.The development of transport wheel.C. The history of public transport.D. The invention of fast-moving vehicles.。