2015届高考英语二轮专题精华训练 阅读理解(3)

- 1 - 2015届高考英语二轮专题训练精华：阅读理解（3）

We think of camels as living in hot,dry places like Egypt.But scientists discovered

30 pieces of bone from an ancient camel in the northernmost part of Canada,within

the Arctic(北极地区).The camels are believed to have lived 3.5 million years ago.

Natalia Rybczynski found the camel’s remains on Ellesmere Island.She is a

paleontologist,a scientist who studies fossils.“It’s a surprise when you first hear

it,”she tells The New York Times,“but the Arctic in the winter was like a desert

in ancient times.”

Huge camels

The ancient camels,called paracamelus,were up to 29 percent larger than today’s

camels.Paracamelus had some similar characteristics to modern camels.They had

wide,flat feet and humps(驼峰)made of fat.These qualities helped paracamelus survive

difficult,cold winter conditions.Their wide feet helped them travel over unstable

surfaces,like snow or sand.And the fatty humps helped them survive when there was

not enough food.

“The characteristics that allow camels to survive in the desert would also support

animals that live in very cold environments,”says Susan Lawler.She is a

biologist.“This study gives us an excuse to think about how adaptations for one

environment can lead to survival in another.”

Great migration

These are not the first paracamelus fossils found in North America.However,before

this discovery,scientists did not realize how far north the animals had lived.

Millions of years ago,the Arctic was much warmer than it is today.Some scientists

believe that as the climate changes,the Arctic may actually see a return to those

ancient,warmer temperatures.“The camel is an ambassador for climate change,”says

John Gosse,who co-authored the study on the paracamelus fossil.

- 2 - Researchers believe that paracamelus eventually migrated into East Asia and

Europe.From there they eventually evolved into the modern-day camels found in the

Middle East,Africa,and Central Asia.

1.In which aspect were the ancient camels different from today’s camels?

A.They had more humps.

B.They were much larger.

C.They had wide and flat feet.

D.Their humps were made of fat.

答案:B

解析:细节理解题。由第三段中的“The ancient camels,called paracamelus,were up to 29

percent larger than today’s camels.”可知,远古骆驼比如今的骆驼大很多。

2.According to Susan Lawler, .

A.both ancient and modern camels live in the desert

B.animals living in one environment support each other

C.an animal may survive in two different kinds of environments

D.animals in different environments have different characteristics

答案:C

解析:推理判断题。由第四段中的“The characteristics that allow camels to survive in

the desert would also support animals that live in very cold environments...”可推断,Susan Lawler认为一种动物可以在两种截然不同的环境中生存。

3.By saying “The camel is an ambassador for climate change”,John Gosse means that

“ ”.

A.climate change is putting camels in danger

B.some ambassadors are surprised at climate change

C.camels are having difficulty getting used to climate change

D.the change of camels’ habitat reveals the change of climate

答案:D

- 3 - 解析:句意理解题。画线部分的意思是“骆驼是适应气候变化的代表性动物”,也就是说“骆驼栖息地的变化反映了气候的变化”。

4.Which section of a newspaper is the text most probably taken from?

A.Travel. B.Nature.

C.Society. D.Weather.

答案:B

解析:推理判断题。文章由在加拿大北部发现的骆驼化石引出对古代骆驼的介绍,并由此引发了关于气候变化和骆驼大迁徙的猜想。这些都与自然紧密相关。故选B项。

5.What is the title of the passage?

A.Camels in Canada B.An important animal

C.The habits of camels D.How to keep camels?

答案:A

解析:主旨大意题。由第一段可知A项正确。

On my first day of teaching,I found that I spent 85 percent of my energy

disciplining and 15 percent teaching knowledge.Of course I had some wonderful,serious

students who would do well wherever they were in life,but others worked hard to push

themselves to the limit(限度).At night I went home exhausted,often near tears.What

gave me the idea I wanted to teach?

And then there was Matthew.

After school Matthew would come into my classroom to dust erasers or empty the

wastepaper basket.

“Why do you come in to visit me?” I asked him one night.

“Because at home no one listens to me,” was his ter I found out that

there were eleven children in his family,with Matthew near the middle.

One time when he came to see me,he said,“Miss Ausmus,the kids are saying that

you and Mr D.like each other.”

- 4 - “Matthew,Mr D.is a nice man and we both teach some of the same students.He is

not my boyfriend,and it’s not something the children should be talking about

anyway.”

Another time,he said,“Will you wait for me so I can marry you when I grow up?”

“Sorry,Matthew,but that won’t work,” I answered in a gentle way.

When my birthday arrived,his mother made me a cake.She delivered(递送)it after