【高考二轮题型复习】2023年高考英语题型精讲精练学案（新高考）——专题08 阅读理解之主旨题（原卷版+解析版）

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专题08 阅读理解之主旨题（原卷版）
主旨大意题考查的是考生对文章内容的深层次理解，它要求考生在充分理解全文的前提下，对整篇文章的主旨大意有一个较为清晰的印象。主旨大意题分为标题类和主题类。
主旨大意题是阅读理解中考生失分最多的题目，因为该类试题不仅考查考生略读文章、领会大意的能力，也对考生的归纳、概括能力提出了较高的要求。文章中没有明显的解题依据，需要考生从文章中提炼、抽取一些关键词、主干句进行加工概括，才能归纳出文章的主旨。此类题目可分为三大类，即标题归纳题、文章大意题和段落大意题。要做好主旨大意题，我们首先必须了解其正确选项和干扰选项的特征。



正确选项特征
干扰选项特征
1.涵盖性强，覆盖全文或全段。
2.确定的范围恰当，既不太大，也不太小。
3.精确性强，不会改变语言表意的程度及色彩。
1.过于笼统，不知所云
所给选项内容概括的范围过大，超出文章所述内容。
2.以偏概全，主次不分
所给选项只阐述了文章的一部分内容，或以文章中的细节信息或个别词作为选项的设置内容，或以次要的事实或细节充当全文的主要观点。
3.移花接木，偷换概念
所给选项被命题者有意识地把本属于A的内容放在B上，若不留神，极易选错答案。
4.无中生有，生搬硬套
所给选项的关键词语虽然在文章中谈到了，但经过仔细阅读分析之后，发现选项的内容与文章的内容毫无联系。


类型一　标题归纳题

一、提问方式
·The best title of the passage is ________.
·Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
·What would be the best title for the passage?
·The most appropriate title of the passage is ______.

二、解题必备知能
(一)理解标题的3大特点
一个好的标题应具备三大特点：
1．概括性——准确而又简短；
2．针对性——标题外延正好与文章内容相符；
3．醒目性——能引发读者的阅读欲望。

(二)巧用3大方法确定文章标题
1．正面肯定法：在理解文章主旨的基础上，揣摩哪个选项能准确概括主旨；
2．反面否定法：撇开原文，拿各个备选项去设想用它们写出来的“文章”将是什么内容，然后和原文章对照，一一排除不符选项；
3．研读备选项本身：研读备选项里面的中心词、修饰词的变化、结构、概括性等。

例子1
Good Morning Britain's Susanna Reid is used to grilling guests on the sofa every morning, but she is cooking up a storm in her latest role — showing families how to prepare delicious and nutritious meals on a tight budget.
In Save Money: Good Food, she visits a different home each week and with the help of chef Matt Tebbutt offers top tips on how to reduce food waste, while preparing recipes for under ￡5 per family a day. And the Good Morning Britain presenter says she's been able to put a lot of what she's learnt into practice in her own home, preparing meals for sons, Sam, 14, Finn, 13, and Jack, 11.
“We love Mexican churros, so I buy them on my phone from my local Mexican takeaway restaurant，” she explains. “I pay ￡5 for a portion (一份), but Matt makes them for 26p a portion, because they are flour, water, sugar and oil. Everybody can buy takeaway food, but sometimes we're not aware how cheaply we can make this food ourselves.”
The eight­part series (系列节目), Save Money: Good Food, follows in the footsteps of ITV's Save Money: Good Health, which gave viewers advice on how to get value from the vast range of health products on the market.
With food our biggest weekly household expense, Susanna and Matt spend time with a different family each week. In tonight's Easter special they come to the aid of a family in need of some delicious inspiration on a budget. The team transforms the family's long weekend of celebration with less expensive but still tasty recipes.
27．What can be a suitable title for the text?
A．Keeping Fit by Eating Smart
B．Balancing Our Daily Diet
C．Making Yourself a Perfect Chef
D．Cooking Well for Less
[解题示范]
第一步：读文章，概括文意
本文是一篇新闻报道。《早安英国》的节目主持人苏珊娜·瑞德新推出了一档节目——Save Money: Good Food，向观众展示如何用较少的预算做出美味营养的饭菜。
第二步：析选项，斟酌判断
A
通过明智的吃来保持健康
文中虽提到有关饮食和健康方面的内容，但这不是文章主要内容。
以偏概全，主次不分
B
平衡我们的日常饮食
文中没有提到平衡日常饮食。
无中生有，生搬硬套
C
让你自己成为一个完美的厨师
文中只是提到用较少的预算做出美味的饭菜，没有说做一个完美的厨师。
以偏概全，主次不分
D
用的少，烹饪好
文章围绕用较少的预算做出美味的饭菜展开的。
涵盖性强，覆盖全文
[答案]　D

类型二　文章大意题


提问方式
·What's the main idea/point of the passage?
·The passage is mainly about ________.
·The passage is mainly concerned about ________.
·Which of the following best states the main idea of the passage?
·Which of the following statements best expresses the main idea/theme of the passage?
·In this passage the author discusses primarily ________.
·The subject discussed in this text is ________.
·The general/main idea of the passage is about ________.

二、解题必备知能
掌握寻找主题句的4个小窍门，快速确定文章大意
文章是由段落组成的。段落的主题就是段落的中心思想，具体段落的中心思想又是为文章整体中心思想服务的。理解整篇文章的中心思想的方法是建立在理解具体段落中心的基础上的。找出每小段的主题句，各段的主题句常在该段的首句或尾句，各段主题句的整体归纳便是文章的中心思想。有的文章无明显主题句，主题句隐含在段意之中，这就需要进一步加工概括。观察全文的结构安排，理解文章的“重心”和支撑性细节。
用浏览法(skimming)，即快速阅读文首、文尾，或每段的首句和尾句等，搜索主题线索和主题信息的方法可以快速找到主题句。以下是找主题句的四个小窍门：
1．段落中出现表示转折的词语(如however, but, in fact, actually等)时，该句很可能是主题句。
2．首段出现疑问句时，对该问句的回答很可能就是文章主旨。
3．作者有意识地重复的观点，通常是主旨；反复出现的词语，一般为体现文章主旨的关键词。
4．表示总结或结论的句子常包含therefore, thus, in short, conclude, conclusion等词，通常是主旨。
例子2
Languages have been coming and going for thousands of years, but in recent times there has been less coming and a lot more going. When the world was still populated by hunter­gatherers, small, tightly knit (联系) groups developed their own patterns of speech independent of each other. Some language experts believe that 10,000 years ago, when the world had just five to ten million people, they spoke perhaps 12,000 languages between them.
Soon afterwards, many of those people started settling down to become farmers, and their languages too became more settled and fewer in number. In recent centuries, trade, industrialisation, the development of the nation­state and the spread of universal compulsory education, especially globalisation and better communications in the past few decades, all have caused many languages to disappear, and dominant languages such as English, Spanish and Chinese are increasingly taking over.
At present, the world has about 6,800 languages. The distribution of these languages is hugely uneven. The general rule is that mild zones have relatively few languages, often spoken by many people, while hot, wet zones have lots, often spoken by small numbers. Europe has only around 200 languages; the Americas about 1,000; Africa 2,400; and Asia and the Pacific perhaps 3,200, of which Papua New Guinea alone accounts for well over 800. The median number (中位数) of speakers is a mere 6,000, which means that half the world's languages are spoken by fewer people than that.
Already well over 400 of the total of 6,800 languages are close to extinction (消亡), with only a few elderly speakers left. Pick, at random, Busuu in Cameroon (eight remaining speakers), Chiapaneco in Mexico (150), Lipan Apache in the United States (two or three) or Wadjigu in Australia (one, with a question­mark): none of these seems to have much chance of survival.
31．What is the main idea of the text?
A．New languages will be created.
B．People's lifestyles are reflected in languages.
C．Human development results in fewer languages.
D．Geography determines language evolution.
[解题示范]
第一步：读文章，概括文意
文章介绍了世界上语言的种类随着人类社会的发展而逐渐减少这一现象。
第二步：析选项，斟酌判断
A
新语言将会被创造。
文章介绍的是语言的减少而不是新语言的创造。
移花接木，偷换概念
B
人们的生活方式会反映到语言上。
文中没有这种说法。
无中生有，生搬硬套
C
人类的发展导致语言越来越少。
文章介绍了世界上语言多样性的发展变化以及现在很多语言面临消亡的威胁这一现象。
涵盖性强，覆盖全文
D
地理决定语言的发展。
文中没有这种说法。
无中生有，生搬硬套
[答案]　C

类型三　段落大意题

一、常见设问方式
·What does the author tell us in Paragraph ...?
·The main idea of the second paragraph probably is ________.
·The first paragraph is mainly about ________.
·Which of the following can best summarize Para.1?
·What is the first paragraph mainly about?

二、解题必备知能
归纳段落大意的2种方法
方法1：概括段落大意
要准确概括某段的大意，务必要知道该段的逻辑结构。
(1)如果该段是按总分顺序组织，首句做总的说明，其他句子对其进行具体论述，这种结构的主题句就在段首；
(2)如果按分总顺序组织，主题句就在段尾；
(3)如果按分总分的顺序组织，则主题句就在这段话的中间；
(4)如果按总分总的顺序，段落结构相对难度较低，我们可以很明显的看到一段的首句和末句的内容几乎完全一致，正确答案就呼之欲出了；
(5)如果按并列式行文，这种结构的段落一般会在一段中讨论两个平行的内容，整个段落可以从中间处分开，前后是平行关系，这样的段落结构对应的答案通常也会是很明显的并列关系；
(6)如果对比各事物，那么它们的共同点或不同点就是该段大意。

方法2：揣摩段落大意
有时，作者可能不直接写出主题句，而是通过各种方法暗示给读者，这就需要充分发挥读者的想象力与判断力，揣摩段落大意。

例子3
Terrafugia Inc. said Monday that its new flying car has completed its first flight, bringing the company closer to its goal of selling the flying car within the next year. The vehicle — named the Transition — has two seats, four wheels and wings that fold up so it can be driven like a car. The Transition, which flew at 1,400 feet for eight minutes last month, can reach around 70 miles per hour on the road and 115 in the air. It flies using a 23­gallon tank of gas and burns 5 gallons per hour in the air. On the ground, it gets 35 miles per gallon.
…
28．What is the first paragraph mainly about?
A．The basic data of the Transition.
B．The advantages of flying cars.
C．The potential market for flying cars.
D．The designers of the Transition.
[解题示范]
第一步：读文章，概括段意
该段没有主题句，但是从以下几个方面说明了飞车the Transition的相关情况：
①制造商：Terrafugia Inc.
②首飞成功：completed its first flight
③上市时间：within the next year
④飞车名字：the Transition
⑤飞车构成：two seats, four wheels and wings
⑥飞行时速：around 70 miles per hour on the road and 115 in the air
⑦耗油：5 gallons per hour in the air; On the ground, 35 miles per gallon
由以上信息可以看出该段主要描述了飞车the Transition的一些基本数据。
第二步：析选项，斟酌判断
A
飞车the Transition的基本数据。
A项是对本段内容的精炼概括和总结。
涵盖性强，覆盖全段
B
飞车的一些优点。
该选项错误在于以下两点：
①该段介绍了名字为the Transition的飞车；而不是全部飞车(flying cars)。
②该段列举的是基本数据而不是优点。
无中生有，生搬硬套
C
飞车的潜在市场。
原文没有提及。
无中生有，生搬硬套
D
飞车the Transition的设计商。
该选项仅仅是文章中的一个方面。
以偏概全，主次不分
[答案]　A


三、高考真题
1. 2022年6月新高考1卷 D篇
Human speech contains more than 2,000 different sounds, from the common “m” and “a” to the rare clicks of some southern African languages. But why are certain sounds more common than others? A ground-breaking, five-year study shows that diet-related changes in human bite led to new speech sounds that are now found in half the world’s languages.
More than 30 years ago, the scholar Charles Hockett noted that speech sounds called labiodentals, such as “f” and “v”, were more common in the languages of societies that ate softer foods. Now a team of researchers led by Damián Blasi at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, has found how and why this trend arose.
They discovered that the upper and lower front teeth of ancient human adults were aligned (对齐), making it hard to produce labiodentals, which are formed by touching the lower lip to the upper teeth. Later, our jaws changed to an overbite structure (结构), making it easier to produce such sounds.
The team showed that this change in bite was connected with the development of agriculture in the Neolithic period. Food became easier to chew at this point. The jawbone didn’t have to do as much work and so didn’t grow to be so large.
Analyses of a language database also confirmed that there was a global change in the sound of world languages after the Neolithic age, with the use of “f” and “v” increasing remarkably during the last few thousand years. These sounds are still not found in the languages of many hunter-gatherer people today.
This research overturns the popular view that all human speech sounds were present when human beings evolved around 300,000 years ago. ”The set of speech sounds we use has not necessarily remained stable since the appearance of human beings, but rather the huge variety of speech sounds that we find today is the product of a complex interplay of things like biological change and cultural evolution,“ said Steven Moran, a member of the research team.
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.

2. 2022年6月全国甲卷B篇
Goffin’s cockatoos, a kind of small parrot native to Australasia, have been shown to have similar shape-recognition abilities to a human two-year-old. Though not known to use tools in the wild, the birds have proved skilful at tool use while kept in the cage. In a recent experiment, cockatoos were presented with a box with a nut inside it. The clear front of the box had a “keyhole” in a geometric shape, and the birds were given five differently shaped “keys” to choose from. Inserting the correct “key” would let out the nut.
In humans, babies can put a round shape in a round hole from around one year of age, but it will be another year before they are able to do the same with less symmetrical (对称的) shapes. This ability to recognize that a shape will need to be turned in a specific direction before it will fit is called an “allocentric frame of reference”. In the experiment, Goffin’s cockatoos were able to select the right tool for the job, in most cases, by visual recognition alone. Where trial-and-error was used, the cockatoos did better than monkeys in similar tests. This indicates that Goffin’s cockatoos do indeed possess an allocentric frame of reference when moving objects in space, similar to two-year-old babies.
The next step, according to the researchers, is to try and work out whether the cockatoos rely entirely on visual clues (线索), or also use a sense of touch in making their shape selections.
27. Which can be a suitable title for the text?
A. Cockatoos: Quick Error Checkers B. Cockatoos: Independent Learners
C. Cockatoos: Clever Signal-Readers D. Cockatoos: Skilful Shape-Sorters

3. 2022年6月全国甲卷C篇
As Ginni Bazlinton reached Antarctica, she found herself greeted by a group of little Gentoo penguins (企鹅) longing to say hello. These gentle, lovely gatekeepers welcomed her and kick-started what was to be a trip Ginni would never forget.
Ever since her childhood, Ginni, now 71, has had a deep love for travel. Throughout her career (职业) as a professional dancer, she toured in the UK, but always longed to explore further. When she retired from dancing and her sons eventually flew the nest, she decided it was time to take the plunge.
After taking a degree at Chichester University in Related Arts, Ginni began to travel the world, eventually getting work teaching English in Japan and Chile. And it was in Chile she discovered she could get last-minute cheap deals on ships going to Antarctica from the islands off Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost tip of the South American mainland. “I just decided I wanted to go,” she says. “I had no idea about what I’d find there and I wasn’t nervous, I just wanted to do it. And I wanted to do it alone as I always prefer it that way.”
In March 2008, Ginni boarded a ship with 48 passengers she’d never met before, to begin the journey towards Antarctica. “From seeing the wildlife to witnessing sunrises, the whole experience was amazing. Antarctica left an impression on me that no other place has,” Ginni says. “I remember the first time I saw a humpback whale; it just rose out of the water like some prehistoric creature and I thought it was smiling at us. You could still hear the operatic sounds it was making underwater.”
The realization that this is a precious land, to be respected by humans, was one of the biggest things that hit home to Ginni.
31. What is the text mainly about?
A. A childhood dream. B. An unforgettable experience.
C. Sailing around the world. D. Meeting animals in Antarctica.

4. 2022年6月全国甲卷D篇
Sometime in the early 1960s, a significant thing happened in Sydney, Australia. The city discovered its harbor. Then, one after another, Sydney discovered lots of things that were just sort of there — broad parks, superb beaches, and a culturally diverse population. But it is the harbor that makes the city.
Andrew Reynolds, a cheerful fellow in his early 30s, pilots Sydney ferryboats for a living. I spent the whole morning shuttling back and forth across the harbor. After our third run Andrew shut down the engine, and we went our separate ways — he for a lunch break, I to explore the city.
“I’ll miss these old boats,” he said as we parted.
“How do you mean?” I asked.
“Oh, they’re replacing them with catamarans. Catamarans are faster, but they’re not so elegant, and they’re not fun to pilot. But that’s progress, I guess.”
Everywhere in Sydney these days, change and progress are the watchwords (口号), and traditions are increasingly rare. Shirley Fitzgerald, the city’s official historian, told me that in its rush to modernity in the 1970s, Sydney swept aside much of its past, including many of its finest buildings. “Sydney is confused about itself,” she said. “We can’t seem to make up our minds whether we want a modern city or a traditional one. It’s a conflict that we aren’t getting any better at resolving (解决).”
On the other hand, being young and old at the same time has its attractions. I considered this when I met a thoughtful young businessman named Anthony. “Many people say that we lack culture in this country,” he told me. “What people forget is that the Italians, when they came to Australia, brought 2000 years of their culture, the Greeks some 3000 years, and the Chinese more still. We’ve got a foundation built on ancient cultures but with a drive and dynamism of a young country. It’s a pretty hard combination to beat.”
He is right, but I can’t help wishing they would keep those old ferries.
32. What is the first paragraph mainly about?
A. Sydney’s striking architecture. B. The cultural diversity of Sydney.
C. The key to Sydney’s development. D. Sydney’s tourist attractions in the 1960s.

5. 2022年6月全国乙卷C篇
Can 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-value services 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.
31. Which is the most suitable title for the text?
A. What Faults Can Be Detected with Drones
B. How Production of Drones Can Be Expanded
C. What Difficulty Drone Development Will Face
D. How Drones Will Change the Future of Railways

6. 2022年6月北京卷D篇
Quantum ( 量子 ) computers have been on my mind a lot lately. A friend has been sending me articles on how quantum computers might help solve some of the biggest challenges we face as humans. I’ve also had exchanges with two quantum-computing experts. One is computer scientist Chris Johnson who I see as someone who helps keep the field honest. The other is physicist Philip Taylor.
For decades, quantum computing has been little more than a laboratory curiosity. Now, big tech companies have invested in quantum computing, as have many smaller ones. According to Business Weekly, quantum machines could help us “cure cancer, and even take steps to turn climate change in the opposite direction.” This is the sort of hype ( 炒作 ) that annoys Johnson. He worries that researchers are making promises they can’t keep. “What’s new,” Johnson wrote, “is that millions of dollars are now potentially available to quantum computing researchers.”
As quantum computing attracts more attention and funding, researchers may mislead investors, journalists, the public and, worst of all, themselves about their work’s potential. If researchers can’t keep their promises, excitement might give way to doubt, disappointment and anger, Johnson warns. Lots of other technologies have gone through stages of excitement. But something about quantum computing makes it especially prone to hype, Johnson suggests, perhaps because “‘quantum’ stands for something cool you shouldn’t be able to understand.” And that brings me back to Taylor, who suggested that I read his book Q for Quantum.
After I read the book, Taylor patiently answered my questions about it. He also answered my questions about PyQuantum, the firm he co-founded in 2016. Taylor shares Johnson’s concerns about hype, but he says those concerns do not apply to PyQuantum.
The company, he says, is closer than any other firm “by a very large margin ( 幅度 )” to building a “useful” quantum computer, one that “solves an impactful problem that we would not have been able to solve otherwise.” He adds, “People will naturally discount my opinions, but I have spent a lot of time quantitatively comparing what we are doing with others.”
Could PyQuantum really be leading all the competition “by a wide margin”, as Taylor claims? I don’t know. I’m certainly not going to advise my friend or anyone else to invest in quantum computers. But I trust Taylor, just as I trust Johnson.
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?

7. 2022年1月浙江卷C篇
The benefits of regular exercise are well documented but there's a new bonus to add to the ever-growing list.New research found that middle-aged women who were physically fit could be nearly 90 percent less likely to develop dementia（失智症）in later life-and if they did，it came on a decade later than less sporty women.
Lead researcher Dr.Helena Horder, of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden,said:“These findings are exciting because it's possible that improving people's cardiovascular（心血管的）fitness in middle age could delay or even prevent them from developing dementia.”
For the study,191 women with an average age of 50 took a bicycle exercise test until they were tired out to measure their peak（最大值的）cardiovascular capacity.The average peak workload was measured at 103 watts.
A total of 40 women met the criteria for a high fitness level with a capacity of 120 watts or higher. While 92 women were in the medium fitness category; A total of 59 were of low fitness level ,with a peak workload of 80 watts or less,or having their tests stopped because of health problems.
These women were then tested for dementia six times over the following four decades.During that time,44 of the women developed dementia.Five percent of the highly fit women developed dementia,compared to 25 percent of the women with medium fitness and 32 percent of the women with low fitness.
"However,this study does not show cause and effect between cardiovascular fitness and dementia, it only shows an association.said Horder. More research is needed to see if improved fitness could have a positive effect on the risk of dementia and also to look at when during a lifetime a high fitness level is most important." She also admitted that a relatively small number of women were studied,all of whom were from Sweden,so the results might not be applicable to other groups.
30.Which of the following is the best title for the text?
A.More Women Are Exercising to Prevent Dementia
B.Middle-Aged Women Need to Do More Exercise
C.Fit Women Are Less Likely to Develop Dementia
D.Biking Improves Women's Cardiovascular Fitness

8. 2021年6月天津卷D篇
Art is everywhere. Any public space has been carefully designed by an artistic mind to be both functional and beautiful. Why, then, is art still so widely considered to be "the easy subject" at school, insignificant to wider society, a waste of time and effort?
Art can connect culture with commercial products in a way that not many other things can; art generates money and holds significant emotional and cultural value within communities. When people attend a concert, they are paying for music, sure, maybe even hotel rooms, meals, and transport, but they also gain an incredible experience, a unique atmosphere and a memory that will go through the rest of their lives. People don't just want material things anymore, they want to experience life一the arts are a perfect crossover（交迭）between culture and commerce.
Furthermore, the arts can bring communities together, reducing loneliness and making people feel safer. Social bonds are created among individuals when they share their arts experiences through reflection and discussion, and their expression of common values through artworks in honour of events significant to a nation's experience.
The arts clearly have a pretty positive impact on physical and psychological health. It is found that people who frequent cultural places or participate in artistic events are more likely to gain good health compared to those who do not; more engagement with the arts is linked to a higher level of people's wellbeing. The Royal Society of Public Health discovered that music and art, when used in hospitals, help to improve the conditions of patients by reducing stress, anxiety and blood pressure.
Children who are involved with the arts make greater achievements in their education: those engaged with drama have greater literary ability while others taking part in musical practice exhibit greater skills in math and languages. Kids with preference for the arts have a greater chance of finding employment in the future. Participating in the arts is essential for child development; encouraging children to express themselves in constructive ways could help to form healthy emotional responses in later life.
Vital to human life, art is celebrated and used by nations across the world for various purposes. Life without art would be boring and dead still, for art is a part of what makes us human.
55．What is the best title for this passage?
A．How Art Cures Our Hearts B.Art: A Blessing to Humankind
C.How Art Benefits Communities D.Art: A Bridge Between Cultures

9. 2021年6月新高考Ⅰ卷C篇
When the explorers first set foot upon the continent of North America, the skies and lands were alive with an astonishing variety of wildlife. Native Americans have taken care of these precious natural resourses wisely. Unfortunately, it took the explorers and the settlers who followed only a few decades to decimate a large part of these resources. Millions of waterfowl（水禽）were killed at the hands of market hunters and a handful of overly ambitious sportsmen. Millions of acres of wetlands were dried to feed and house the ever-increasing populations, greatly reducing waterfowl habitat（栖息地）.
In 1934, with the passage of the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act (Act), an increasingly concerned nation took firm action to stop the destruction of migratory（迁徙的）waterfowl and the wetlands so vital to their survival. Under this Act, all waterfowl hunters 16 years of age and over must annually purchase and carry a Federal Duck Stamp. The very first Federal Duck Stamp was designed by J.N. "Ding" Darling, a political cartoonist from Des Moines, lowa, who at that time was appointed by President Franklin Roosevelt as Director of the Bureau of Biological Survey. Hunters willingly pay the stamp price to ensure the survival of our natural resources.
About 98 cents of every duck stamp dollar goes directly into the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund to purchase wetlands and wildlife habitat for inclusion into the National Wildlife Refuge System—a fact that ensures this land will be protected and available for all generations to come. Since 1934, better than half a billion dollars has gone into that Fund to purchase more than 5 million acres of habitat. Little wonder the Federal Duck Stamp Program has been called one of the most successful conservation programs ever initiated.
4.Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?
A.The Federal Duck Stamp Story
B.The National Wildlife Refuge System
C.The Benefits of Saving Waterfowl
D.The History of Migratory Bird Hunting

10. 2021年6月新高考二卷C篇
A British woman who won a S1 million prize after she was named the World's Best Teacher will use the cash to bring inspirational figures into UK schools.
Andria Zafirakou,a north London secondary school teacher, said she wanted to bring about a classroom revolution (变革). “We are going to make a change, ”she said.“I’ve started a project to promote the teaching of the arts in our schools.”
The project results from the difficulties many schools have in getting artists of any sort - whether an up-and-coming local musician or a major movie star - into schools to work with and inspire children.
Zafirakou began the project at Alperton Community School, her place of work for the past twelve years. “I've seen those magic moments when children are talking to someone they are inspired by - their eyes are shining and their faces light up,” she said. “We need artists . more than ever in our schools."
Artist Michael Craig-Martin said: “Andria's brilliant project to bring artists from all fields into direct contact with children is particularly welcome at a time when the arts are being downgraded in schools." It was a mistake to see the arts as unnecessary, he added.
Historian Sir Simon Schama is also a supporter of the project. He said that arts education in schools was not just an add-on. “It is absolutely necessary. The future depends on creativity and creativity depends on the young. What will remain of us when artificial intelligence takes over will be our creativity, and it is our creative spirit, our visionary sense of freshness,that has been our strength for centuries."
11. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?
A. Bring Artists to Schools B. When Historians Meet Artists
C. Arts Education in Britain D. The World's Best Arts Teacher

11. 2021年6月全国甲卷D篇
Who is a genius? This question has greatly interested humankind for centuries.
Let's state clearly: Einstein was a genius. His face is almost the international symbol for genius. But we want to go beyond one man and explore the nature of genius itself. Why is it that some people are so much more intelligent or creative than the rest of us? And who are they?
In the sciences and arts, those praised as geniuses were most often white men, of European origin. Perhaps this is not a surprise. It's said that history is written by the victors, and those victors set the standards for admission to the genius club. When contributions were made by geniuses outside the club—women, or people of a different color or belief—they were unacknowledged and rejected by others.
A study recently published by Science found that as young as age six, girls are less likely than boys to say that members of their gender（性别）are "really, really smart." Even worse, the study found that girls act on that belief: Around age six they start to avoid activities said to be for children who are "really, really smart." Can our planet afford to have any great thinkers become discouraged and give up? It doesn't take a genius to know the answer: absolutely not.
Here's the good news. In a wired world with constant global communication, we're all positioned to see flashes of genius wherever they appear. And the more we look, the more we will see that social factors（因素） like gender, race, and class do not determine the appearance of genius. As a writer says, future geniuses come from those with “intelligence, creativity, perseverance（毅力）, and simple good fortune, who are able to change the world."
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.Geniuses Think Alike B.Genius Takes Many Forms
C.Genius and Intelligence D.Genius and Luck
12. 2021年6月全国乙卷B篇
When almost everyone has a mobile phone, why are more than half of Australian homes still paying for a landline（座机）?
These days you'd be hard pressed to find anyone in Australia over the age of 15 who doesn't own a mobile phone. In fact plenty of younger kids have one in their pocket. Practically everyone can make and receive calls anywhere, anytime.
Still, 55 percent of Australians have a landline phone at home and only just over a quarter (29%) rely only on their smartphones, according to a survey（调查）. Of those Australians who still have a landline, a third concede that it's not really necessary and they're keeping it as a security blanket—19 percent say they never use it while a further 13 percent keep it in case of emergencies. I think my home falls into that category.
More than half of Australian homes are still choosing to stick with their home phone. Age is naturally a factor（因素）—only 58 percent of Generation Ys still use landlines now and then, compared to 84 percent of Baby Boomers who've perhaps had the same home number for 50 years. Age isn't the only factor; I'd say it's also to do with the makeup of your household.
Generation Xers with young families, like my wife and I, can still find it convenient to have a home phone rather than providing a mobile phone for every family member. That said, to be honest the only people who ever ring our home phone are our Baby Boomers parents, to the point where we play a game and guess who is calling before we pick up the phone (using Caller ID would take the fun out of it).
How attached are you to your landline? How long until they go the way of gas street lamps and morning milk deliveries?
1.What does paragraph 2 mainly tell us about mobile phones?
A.Their target users. B.Their wide popularity.
C.Their major functions. D.Their complex design.

13. 2021年6月全国乙卷C篇
You've heard that plastic is polluting the ocean—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 Von 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 Von 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, Von 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, " Von 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.
Von Wong hopes that his work will also help pressure big companies to reduce their plastic footprint.
4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A.Artists' Opinions on Plastic Safety
B.Media Interest in Contemporary Art
C.Responsibility Demanded of Big Companies
D.Ocean Plastics Transformed into Sculptures

14. 2021年6月浙江卷C篇
If you ever get the impression that your dog can "tell" whether you look content or annoyed, you may be onto something. Dogs may indeed be able to distinguish between happy and angry human faces, according to a new study.
Researchers trained a group of 11 dogs to distinguish between images（图像） of the same person making either a happy or an angry face. During the training stage, each dog was shown only the upper half or the lower half of the person's face. The researchers then tested the dogs' ability to distinguish between human facial expressions by showing them the other half of the person's face or images totally different from the ones used in training. The researchers found that the dogs were able to pick the angry or happy face by touching a picture of it with their noses more often than one would expect by random chance.
The study showed the animals had figured out how to apply what they learned about human faces during training to new faces in the testing stage. "We can rule out that the dogs simply distinguish hetween the pictures bused on a simple cue, such as the sight of teeth, " said study anthor Corsin Muller.  "Instead, our results suggest that the surcessful dogs realized that a smiling mouth means the same thing as smiling eyes, and the same rule applies to an angry mouth having the same meaning as angry eyes."
"With our study, we think we can now confidently conclude that at least some dogs can distinguish human facial expressions," Muller told Live Science.
At this point, it is not clear why dogs seem to be equipped with the ability to recognize different facial expressions in humans."To us, the most likely explanation appears to be that the basis lies in their living with humans, which gives them a lot of exposure to human facial expressions, ” and this exposure has provided them with many chances to learn to distinguish between them, Muller said.
3.What is the last paragraph mainly about?
A.A suggestion for future studies. B.A possible reason for the study findings.
C.A major limitation of the study. D.An explanation of the research method.
A trial project by the Montreal Children's Hospital suggested that the use of medical hypnosis （催眠）can reduce pain and anxiety in patients. The project also resulted in a reduction in the amount of medicines used to perform medical-imaging （医学影像） procedures.
"During the examination children don't move. It works perfectly. It's amazing," said Johanne L'Ecuyer, a medical-imaging technologist at the hospital.
The project was inspired by a French team from Rouen University Hospital Centre where examinations are done under hypnosis instead of general anesthesia （麻醉）.
A French medical-imaging technologist—also a hypnotist—was invited to train a few members in the medical-imaging department of the children's hospital. In all, 80 examinations were conducted for the project between January and September, 2019, focusing on the imaging procedures that would cause anxiety.
Hypnosis is not a state of sleep: It is rather a modified （改变的）state of consciousness. The technologist will guide the patient to this modified state—an imaginary world that will disassociate itself more and more from the procedure that follows.
"The technologist must build up a story with the patient," Ms. L'Ecuyer said. "The patient is left with the power to choose what he wants to talk about. Do you play sports? Do you like going to the beach? We establish a subject that we will discuss throughout the procedure."
Everything that happens next during the procedure must be related to this story—an injection （注射）becomes the bite of an insect; the heat on the skin becomes the sensation of the sun and a machine that rings becomes a police car passing nearby.
"The important thing is that the technologist associates what is happening outside the patient's body with what the patient sees in his head," Ms. L'Ecuyer said. "It requires creativity on the part of the technologist, imagination, a lot of patience and kindness."
The procedure appealed to the staff a lot when it was introduced in January. "It spread like wildfire that someone from France was here to train the technologists," Ms. L'Ecuyer said. She added that she had a line of staff at her door wanting to take the training.
6.What is the passage mainly about?
A.An easy way to communicate with patients.
B.The standard method of conducting hypnosis.
C.An introduction of medical-imaging technology.
D.The use of hypnosis in medical-imaging procedures.

15. 2020年全国卷1-D篇
The connection between people and plants has long been the subject of scientific research. Recent studies have found positive effects. A study conducted in Youngstown, Ohio, for example, discovered that greener areas of the city experienced less crime. In another, employees were shown to be 15% more productive when their workplaces were decorated with houseplants.
The engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology（MIT）have taken it a step further—changing the actual composition of plants in order to get them to perform diverse, even unusual functions. These include plants that have sensors printed onto their leaves to show when they're short of water and a plant that can detect harmful chemicals in groundwater. "We're thinking about how we can engineer plants to replace functions of the things that we use every day, " explained Michael Strano, a professor of chemical engineering at MIT.
One of his latest projects has been to make plants glow（发光） in experiments using some common vegetables. Strano's team found that they could create a faint light for three-and-a-half hours. The light, about one-thousandth of the amount needed to read by, is just a start. The technology, Strano said, could one day be used to light the rooms or even to turn trees into self-powered street lamps.
In the future, the team hopes to develop a version of the technology that can be sprayed onto plant leaves in a one-off treatment that would last the plant's lifetime. The engineers are also trying to develop an on and off "switch" where the glow would fade when exposed to daylight.
Lighting accounts for about 7% of the total electricity consumed in the US. Since lighting is often far removed from the power source（电源）—such as the distance from a power plant to street lamps on a remote highway—a lot of energy is lost during transmission（传输）. Glowing plants could reduce this distance and therefore help save energy.
32. What is the first paragraph mainly about?
A. A new study of different plants
B. A big fall in crime rates.
C. Employees from various workplaces
D. Benefits from green plants.
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?

16. 2020年(全国2卷B篇)
Some parents will buy any high-tech toy if they think it will help their child, but researchers said puzzles help children with math-related skills.
Psychologist Susan Levine, an expert on mathematics development in young children at the University of Chicago, found children who play with puzzles between ages 2 and 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 the children in the study played with puzzles at one time. Higher-income parents tended to have children play with puzzles more frequently, and both boys and girls who played with puzzles had better spatial skills. However, boys tended to play with more complex puzzles than girls, and the parents of boys provided more spatial language and were more active during puzzle play than the parents of girls.
The findings were published in the journal Developmental Science.
27. What is the text mainly about?
A. A mathematical method
B. A scientific study.
C. A woman psychologist
D. A teaching program.

17. 2020年(全国2卷D篇)
I have a special place in my heart for libraries. I have for as long as I can remember. I was always an enthusiastic reader, sometimes reading up to three books a day as a child. Stories were like air to me and while other kids plaved ball or went to parties. I lived out adventures through the books I checked out from the library.
My first job was working at the Ukiah Library when I was 16 years old .It was a dream job and I did everything from shelving books to reading to the children for story time.
As I grew older and became a mother, the library took on a new place and an added meaning in my life. I had several children and books were our main source(来源) of entertainment. It was a big deal for us to load up and go to the local library, where my kids could pick out books to read or books they wanted me to read to them.
I always read ,using different voices , as though I were acting out the stories with my voice and they loved it !It was a special time to bond with my children and it filled them with the wonderment of books.
Now, I see my children taking their children to the library and I love that the excitement of going to the library lives on form generation to generation.
As a novelist, I've found a new relationship with libraries. I encourage readers to go to their local library when they can't afford to purchase a book. I see libraries as a safe haven(避风港) for readers and writers, a bridge that helps put together a reader with a book. Libraries, in their own way, help fight book piracy(盗版行为) and 1 think all writers should support libraries in a significant way when they can. Encourage readers to use the library. Share library announcements on your social media. Frequent them and talk about them when you can.
35. Which can be a suitable title for the text?
A. Reading: A Source of Knowledge
B. My Idea about writing
C. Library: A Haven for the Young
D. My Love of the Library

18. 2020年(全国3卷B篇)
When "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" was first shown to the public last month, a group of excited animal activists gathered on Hollywood Boulevard. But they weren't there to throw red paint on fur-coat-wearing film stars. Instead, one activist, dressed in a full-body monkey suit, had arrived with a sign praising the filmmakers: "Thanks for not using real apes（猿）!"
The creative team behind "Apes" used motion-capture（动作捕捉） technology to create digitalized animals, spending tens of millions of dollars on technology that records an actor's performance and later processes it with computer graphics to create a final image（图像）. In this case, one of a realistic-looking ape.
Yet "Apes" is more exception than the rule. In fact, Hollywood has been hot on live animals lately. One nonprofit organization, which monitors the treatment or animals in filmed entertainment, is keeping tabs on more than 2, 000 productions this year. Already, a number of films, including "Water for Elephants", "The Hangover Part Ⅱ" and "Zookeeper", have drawn the anger of activists who say the creatures acting in them haven't been treated properly.
In some cases, it's not so much the treatment of the animals on set in the studio that has activists worried; it's the off-set training and living conditions that are raising concerns. And there are questions about the films made outside the States, which sometimes are not monitored as closely as productions filmed in the States.
25. What does paragraph 2 mainly talk about:
A. The cost of making "Apes"
B. The creation of digitalized apes.
C. The publicity about "Apes."
D. The performance of real apes.

19. 2020年(全国3卷C篇)
With the young unable to afford to leave home and the old at risk of isolation（孤独）, more families are choosing to live together.
The doorway to peace and quiet, for Nick Bright at least, leads straight to his mother-in-law, she lives on the ground floor, while he lives upstairs with his wife and their two daughters.
Four years ago they all moved into a three-storey Victorian house in Bristol—one of a growing number of multigenerational families in the UK living together under the same roof. They share a front door and a washing machine, but Rita Whitehead has her own kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and living room on the ground floor.
"We floated the idea to my mum of sharing at a house, " says Kathryn Whitehead. Ria cuts in: "We spoke more with Nick because I think it's a big thing for Nick to live with his mother-in-law."
And what does Nick think? "From my standpoint, it all seems to work very well. Would I recommend it? Yes, I think I would."
It's hard to tell exactly how many people agree with him, but research indicates that the numbers have been rising for some time. Official reports suggest that the number of households with three generations living together had risen from 325, 000 in 2002 to 419, 000 in 2013.
Other varieties of multigenerational family are more common. Some people live with their elderly parents; many more adult children are returning to the family home, if they ever left. It is said that about 20% of 25-34-year-olds live with their parents, compared with 16% in 1991. The total number of all multigenerational households in Britain is thought to be about 1.8 million.
Stories like that are more common in parts of the world where multigenerational living is more firmly rooted. In India, particularly outside cities, young women are expected to move in with their husband's family when they get married.
31. What is the text mainly about?
A. Lifestyles in different countries.
B. Conflicts between generations.
C. A housing problem in Britain.
D. A rising trend of living in the UK.

20. 2020年(全国3卷D篇)
We are the products of evolution, and not just evolution that occurred billions of years ago. As scientists look deeper into our genes（基因）, they are finding examples of human evolution in just the past few thousand years. People in Ethiopian highlands have adapted to living at high altitudes. Cattle-raising people in East Africa and northern Europe have gained a mutation（突变） that helps them digest milk as adults.
On Thursday in an article published in Cell, a team of researchers reported a new kind of adaptation—not to air or to food, but to the ocean. A group of sea-dwelling people in Southeast Asia have evolved into better divers. The Bajau, as these people are known, number in the hundreds of thousands in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. They have traditionally lived on houseboats; in recent times, they've also built houses on stilts（支柱） in coastal waters. "They are simply a stranger to the land, " said Rodney C. Jubilado, a University of Hawaii researcher who studies the Bajau.
Dr. Jubilado first met the Bajau while growing up on Samal Island in the Philippines. They made a living as divers, spearfishing or harvesting shellfish. "We were so amazed that they could stay underwater much longer than us local islanders, " Dr. Jubilado said. "I could see them actually walking under the sea."
In 2015, Melissa Ilardo, then a graduate student in genetics at the University of Copenhagen, heard about the Bajau. She wondered if centuries of diving could have led to the evolution of physical characteristics that made the task easier for them. "it seemed like the perfect chance for natural selection to act on a population, " said Dr. Ilardo. She also said there were likely a number of other genes that help the Bajau dive.
4.What can be a suitable title for the text?
A.Bodies Remodeled for a Life at Sea B.Highlanders' Survival Skills
C.Basic Methods of Genetic Research D.The World's Best Divers

21. 2020年(新高考全国卷1-B篇)
Jennifer Mauer has needed more willpower than the typical college student to pursue her goal of earning a nursing degree. That willpower bore fruit when Jennifer graduated from University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and became the first in her large family to earn a bachelor's degree.
7. What can we learn from Jennifer's story?
A. Time is money.
B. Love breaks down barriers.
C. Hard work pays off.
D. Education is the key to success.

22. 2020年(新高考全国卷1-C篇)
In the mid-1990s, Tom Bissell taught English as a volunteer in Uzbekistan. He left after seven months, physically broken and having lost his mind. A few years later, still attracted to the country, he returned to Uzbekistan to write an article about the disappearance of the Aral Sea.
His visit, however, ended up involving a lot more than that. Hence this book, Chasing the Sea. Lost Among the Ghosts of Empire in Central Asia, which talks about a road trip from Tashkent to Karakalpakstan, where millions of lives have been destroved by the slow drying up of the sea. It is the story of an American travelling to a strange land, and of the people he meets on his way: Rustam his translator, a lovely 24-year-old who picked up his colorful English in California, Oleg and Natasha, his hosts in Tashkent, and a string of foreign aid workers.
This is a quick look at life in Uzbekistan, made of friendliness and warmth, but also its darker side of society. In Samarkand, Mr Bissell admires the architectural wonders. while on his way to Bukhara he gets a taste of police methods when suspected of drug dealing. In Ferghana, he attends a mountain funeral (葬礼) followed by a strange drinking party. And in Karakalpakstan, he is saddened by the dust storms, diseases and fishing boats stuck miles from the sea.
Mr Bissell skillfully orcanizes historical insights and cultural references, making his tale a well-rounded picture of Uzbekistan, seen from Western eyes. His judgment and references are decidedly American, as well as his delicate stomach. As the author explains, this is neither a travel nor a history book, or even a piece of reportage. Whatever it is, the result is a fine and vivid description of the purest of Central Asian traditions.
11. What is the purpose of this text?
A. To introduce a book
B. To explain a cultural phenomenon.
C. To remember a writer.
D. To recommend a travel destination.

23. 2020年(天津卷-B篇)
"They tell me that you'd like to make a statue (塑像) of me-is that correct, Miss Vinnie Ream?"
The deep, gentle voice helped calm the nervous girl. Asking a favor of the President of the United States was no casual matter, especially for a seventeen-year-old girl.
"Yes, sir"” she replied, her dark eves meeting his. "I wouldn't have dared to ask you, but my teacher, Mr. Mills, says I am ready. I plan to make it in an admirable manner.”
President Lincoln smiled. "Painters, sculptors they've all tried to make the best of this ordinary face, but I'm afraid there's not much hope. What did you have in mind, Miss Ream? A bust (半身像)?"
Before Vinnie could say yes, the President hurried on, a shade of apology in his voice, "Of course -I shouldn't have asked. A full-length pose would be much too big a project for a young woman your size."
Vinnie's face turned red. She realized she looked like a child, with her tiny figure. "Small does not mean weak, sir," She defended herself, " was born in the country of Wisconsin. I've driven teams of houses and carried water. Making a full-ength clay (粘土) figure would not exhaust my strength — and that is what I intend to do!"
The President's eyes, brightened at her show of spirit. "Sorry, madam. I have underestimated you as I didn't know your background
But his smile faded as he rubbed his beard with bony fingers, in thought. "Miss Ream," he sighed. "I'd like to let vou do it. but as vou know. we are in the middle of a war. How could I possibly take the time to pose for a sculpture now? I hardly have a minute to myself"
Vinnie glanced around and noted the size of his office. "I work quickly," she said. Her voice was soft but confident as she pointed to the corner near the windows. "If I were to bring my clay here and work for three hours every afternoon, I could complete most of the project while you are at your desk."
The President seemed to consider her idea seriously. He got up and shook Vinnie's hand warmly, "I've heard that you are a talented young woman, and I have found you charming and intelligent as well. I cannot make my decision immediately, but you will hear from me soon."
The very next day, Vinnie received an invitation from the President.
45. What message does the story convey?
A. A strong-willed soul can reach his goal.
B. Experience helps to promote excellence.
C. Ups and downs make one strong.
D. Devotion requires enthusiasm.

24. 2020年(天津卷-C篇)
For people who are interested in sound, the field of sound technology is definitely making noise in the past, sound engineers worked in the back rooms of recording studios, but many of today's sound professionals are sharing their knowledge and experience with professionals in other fields to create new products based on the phenomenon we call sound.
Sound can be used as a weapon. Imagine that a police officer is chasing thief. The thief tries to escape. And the officer can't let him get away. He pulls out special device, points it at the suspect, and switches it on. The thief drops to the ground. This new weapon is called a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD,远程定向声波发射器). It produces a deafening sound so painful that it temporarily disables a person. The noise from the LRAD is directed like a ray of light and travels only into the ears of that person. but it is not deadly.
For those who hunger for some peace and quiet, sound can now create silence. Let's say you are at the airport, and the little boy on the seat next to you is humming (哼唱) a short commercial song. He hums it over and over again, and you are about to go crazy. Thanks to the Silence Machine. a British invention, you can get rid of the sound without upsetting the boy or his parents. One may wonder how the Silence Machine works. Well, it functions by analyzing the waves of the incoming sound and creating a second set of outgoing waves. The two sets of waves cancel each other out. Simply turn the machine on point it at the target, and your peace and quiet comes back.
Directed sound is a new technology that allows companies to use sound in much the same way spotlights (聚光灯) are used in the theater. A spotlight lights up only one section of a stage; similarly, a "spotsound" creates a circle of sound in one targeted area. This can be useful for businesses such as restaurants and stores because it offers a new way to attract customers. Restaurants can offer a choice of music along with the various food choices on the menu, allowing customers more control over the atmosphere in which they are dining. Directed sound is also beginning to appear in shopping centers and even at homes.
50. What does the passage focus on?
A. How professionals invented sound products.
B. Inventions in the field of sound technology.
C. The growing interest in the study of sound
D. How sound engineers work in their studios.

25. 2020.7(天津卷-D篇)
After years of observing human nature, I have decided that two qualities make the difference between men of great achievement and men of average performance curiously and discontent. I have never known an outstanding man who lacked either. And I have never known an average man who had both. The two belong together.
Together, these deep human urges（驱策力） count for much more than ambition. Galileo was not merely ambitious when he dropped objects of varying weights from the Leaning Tower at Pisa and timed their fall to the ground. Like Galileo, all the great names in history were curious and asked in discontent, "Why? Why? Why? "
Fortunately, curiosity and discontent don't have to be learned. We are born with them and need only recapture them.
"The great man, " said Mencius（孟子）, "Is he who does not lose his child's heart." Yet most of us do lose it. We stop asking questions. We stop challenging custom. We just follow the crowd. And the crowd desires only the calm and restful average. It encourages us to occupy our own little corner, to avoid foolish leaps into the dark, to be satisfied.
Most of us meet new people, and new ideas, with hesitation. But once having met and liked them, we think how terrible it would have been, had we missed the chance. We will probably have to force ourselves to waken our curiosity and discontent and keep them awake.
How should you start? Modestly, so as not to become discouraged. I think of one friend who couldn't arrange flowers to satisfy herself. She was curious about how the experts did it. How she is one of the experts, writing books on flower arrangement.
One way to begin is to answer your own excuses. You haven't any special ability? Most people don't; there are only a few geniuses. You haven't any time? That's good, because it's always the people with no time who get things done. Harriet Stowe, mother of six, wrote parts of Uncle Tom's Cabin while cooking. You're too old? Remember that Thomas Costain was 57 when he published his first novel, and that Grandma Moses showed her first pictures when she was 78.
However you start, remember there is no better time to start than right now, for you'll never be more alive than you are at this moment.
5.What could be the best title for the passage?
A.Curious Minds Never Feel Contented B.Reflections on Human Nature
C.The Keys to Achievement D.Never Too Late to Learn

26. 2020年(江苏卷-D篇)
I was in the middle of the Amazon (亚马逊) with my wife, who was there as a medical researcher. We flew on a small plane to a faraway village. We did not speak the local language, did not know the customs, and more often than not, did not entirely recognize the food. We could not have felt more foreign.
We were raised on books and computers, highways and cell phones, but now we were living in a village without running water or electricity. It was easy for us to go to sleep at the end of the day feeling a little misunderstood.
Then one perfect Amazonian evening, with monkeys calling from beyond the village green, we played soccer. I am not good at soccer, but that evening it was wonderful. Everyone knew the rules. We all spoke the same language of passes and shots. We understood one another perfectly. As darkness came over the field and the match ended, the goal keeper, Juan, walked over to me and said in a matter-of-fact way, "In your home, do you have a moon too?" I was surprised.
After I explained to Juan that yes, we did have a moon and yes, it was very similar to his, I felt a sort of awe (敬畏) at the possibilities that existed in his world, In Juan's world, each village could have its own moon. In Juan's world, the unknown and undiscovered was vast and marvelous. Anything was possible.
In our society, we know that Earth has only one moon. We have looked at our planet from every angle and found all of the wildest things left to find. I can, from my computer at home, pull up satellite images of Juan's village. There are no more continents and no more moons to search for, little left to discover. At least it seems that way.
Yet, as I thought about Juan's question, I was not sure how much more we could really rule out. I am, in part, an ant biologist, so my thoughts turned to what we know about insect life and I knew that much in the world of insects remains unknown. How much, though? How ignorant (无知的) are we? The question of what we know and do not know constantly bothered me.
I began collecting newspaper articles about new species, new monkey, new spider…, and on and on they appear. My drawer quickly filled. I began a second drawer for more general discoveries: new cave system discovered with dozens of nameless species, four hundred species of bacteria found in the human stomach. The second drawer began to fill and as it did, I wondered whether there were bigger discoveries out there, not just species, but life that depends on things thought to be useless, life even without DNA. I started a third drawer for these big discoveries. It fills more slowly, but all the same, it fills.
In looking into the stories of biological discovery, I also began to find something else, a collection of scientists, usually brilliant, occasionally half-mad, who made the discoveries. Those scientists very often see the same things that other scientists see, but they pay more attention to them, and they focus on them to the point of exhaustion (穷尽), and at the risk of the ridicule of their peers. In looking for the stories of discovery, I found the stories of these people and how their lives changed our view of the world.
We are repeatedly willing to imagine we have found most of what is left to discover. We used to think that insects were the smallest organisms (生物), and that nothing lived deeper than six hundred meters. Yet, when something new turns up, more often than not, we do not even know its name.70. What could be the most suitable title for the passage?
A. The Possible and the Impossible
B. The Known and the Unknown
C. The Civilized and the Uncivilized
D. The Ignorant and the Intelligent

27. 2020年(浙江卷1月-A篇)
I never knew anyone who'd grown up in Jackson without being afraid of Mrs. Calloway, our librarian. She ran Jackson's Carnegie Library absolutely by herself. SILENCE in big black letters was on signs hung everywhere. If she thought you were dressed improperly, she sent you straight back home to change your clothes. I was willing; I would do anything to read.
My mother was not afraid of Mrs. Calloway. She wished me to have my own library card to check out books for myself. She took me in to introduce me. "Eudora is nine years old and has my permission to read any book she wants from the shelves, children or adults." Mother said.
Mrs. Calloway made her own rules about books. You could not take back a book to the library on the same day you'd taken it out; it made no difference to her that you'd read every word in it and needed another to start. You could take out two books at a time and two only. So two by two, I read library books as fast as I could go, rushing them home in the basket of my bicycle. From the minute I reached our house, I started to read. I knew this was extreme happiness, knew it at the time.
My mother shared this feeling of mine. Now, I think of her as reading so much of the time while doing something else. I remember her reading a magazine while taking the part of the Wolf in a game of "Little Red Riding Hood" with my brother's two daughters. She'd just look up at the right time, long enough to answer—in character—"The better to eat you with, my dear, " and go back to her place in the magazine article.
3.Where is the text probably from?
A.A guidebook. B.An autobiography.
C.A news report. D.A book review.

28. 2020年(浙江卷1月-C篇)
Today's world is not an easy adjustment for young adults. A key skill set for success is persistence（毅力）, a characteristic that researchers say is heavily influenced by fathers. Researchers from Brigham Young University discovered that fathers are in a unique position to help their adolescent children learn persistence.
BYU professors Laura Padilla-Walker and Randal Day arrived at these findings after following 325 American families over several years. And over time, the persistence gained through fathers led to higher achievement in school.
"There are relatively few studies that stress the unique role of fathers." Padilla-Walker said. "This research also helps to prove that characteristics such as persistence-which can he taught-are key to a child's life success."
Researchers determined that dads need to practice an "authoritative" parenting style. Authoritative parenting is not authoritarian: rigid, demanding or controlling. Rather, an authoritative parenting style includes some of the following characteristics: children feel warmth and love from their father; responsibility and the reasons behind rules are stressed; children are given an appropriate level of autonomy（自主权）.
In the study, about 52 percent of the dads exhibited above-average levels of authoritative parenting. A key finding is that over time, children raised by an authoritative father were significantly more likely to develop persistence, which leads to better outcomes in school.
This particular study examined la to 14-year-olds living in two-parent homes. Yet the researchers suggest that single parents still may play a role in teaching the benefits of persistence, which is an avenue of future research.
30. Which of the following is the best title for the text?
A. Three Characteristics of Authoritative Fathers
B. Key Skills for Young Adults to Succeed in Future
C. Children Tend to Learn Determination from Father
D. Family Relationship Influences School Performance

29. 2020年(浙江卷7月-C篇)
Challenging work that requires lots of analytical thinking, planning and other managerial skills might help your brain stay sharp as you age, a study published Wednesday in the journal Neurology suggests.
Researchers from the University of Leipzig in Germany gathered more than 1, 000 retired workers who were over age 75 and assessed the volunteers' memory and thinking skills through a battery of tests. Then, for eight years, the scientists asked the same group to come back to the lab every 18 months to take the same sorts of tests.
Those who had held mentally stimulating（刺激）, demanding jobs before retirement tended to do the best on the tests. And they tended to lose cognitive（认知） function at a much slower rate than those with the least mentally challenging jobs. The results held true even after the scientists accounted for the participants' overall health status.
"This works just like physical exercise, " says Francisca Then, who led the study. "After a long run, you may feel like you're in pain, you may feel tired. But it makes you fit. After a long day at work—sure, you will feel tired, but it can help your brain stay healthy. "
It's not just corporate jobs, or even paid work that can help keep your brain fit, Then points out. A waiter's job, for example, that requires multitasking, teamwork and decision-making could be just as stimulating as any high-level office work. And "running a family household requires high-level planning and coordinating（协调）, " she says. "You have to organize the activities of the children and take care of the bills and groceries."
Of course, our brains can decline as we grow older for lots of reasons—including other environmental influences or genetic factors. Still, continuing to challenge yourself mentally and keeping your mind busy can only help.
30. Which of the following is the best title for the text?
A. Retired Workers Can Pick Up New Skills
B. Old People Should Take Challenging Jobs
C. Your Tough Job Might Help Keep You Sharp
D. Cognitive Function May Decline As You Age

30. 2020海南D篇
Rainforests are home to a rich variety of medicinal plants, food, birds and animals. Can you believe that a single bush（灌木丛）in the Amazon may have more species of ants than the whole of Britain! About 480 varieties of trees may be found in just one hectare of rainforest.
Rainforests are the lungs of the planet—storing vast quantities of carbon dioxide and producing a significant amount of the world's oxygen. Rainforests have their own perfect system for ensuring their own survival; the tall trees make a canopy（树冠层）of branches and leaves which protect themselves, smaller plants, and the forest animals from heavy rain, intense dry heat from the sun and strong winds.
Amazingly, the trees grow in such a way that their leaves and branches, although close together, never actually touch those of another tree. Scientists think this is the plants' way to prevent the spread of any tree diseases and make life more difficult for leaf-eating insects like caterpillars. To survive in the forest, animals must climb, jump or fly across the gaps. The ground floor of the forest is not all tangled leaves and bushes, like in films, but is actually fairly clear. It is where dead leaves turn into food for the trees and other forest life.
They are not called rainforests for nothing! Rainforests can generate 75% of their own rain. At least 80 inches of rain a year is normal—and in some areas there may be as much as 430 inches of rain annually. This is real rain—your umbrella may protect you in a shower, but it won't keep you dry if there is a full rainstorm. In just two hours, streams can rise ten to twenty feet. The humidity（湿气）of large rainforests contributes to the formation of rainclouds that may travel to other countries in need of rain.
4.What can be a suitable title for the text?
A.Life-Giving Rainforests B.The Law of the Jungle
C.Animals in the Amazon D..Weather in Rainforests

31. 2019江苏B篇
In the 1960s, while studying the volcanic history of Yellowstone National Park, Bob Christiansen became puzzled about something that, oddly, had not troubled anyone before: he couldn't find the park's volcano. It had been known for a long time that Yellowstone was volcanic in nature—that's what accounted for all its hot springs and other steamy features. But Christiansen couldn't find the Yellowstone volcano anywhere.
Most of us, when we talk about volcanoes, think of the classic cone（圆锥体）shapes of a Fuji or Kilimanjaro, which are created when erupting magma（岩浆）piles up. These can form remarkably quickly. In 1943, a Mexican farmer was surprised to see smoke rising from a small part of his land. In one week he was the confused owner of a cone five hundred feet high. Within two years it had topped out at almost fourteen hundred feet and was more than half a mile across. Altogether there are some ten thousand of these volcanoes on Earth, all but a few hundred of them extinct. There is, however, a second less known type of volcano that doesn't involve mountain building. These are volcanoes so explosive that they burst open in a single big crack, leaving behind a vast hole, the caldera. Yellowstone obviously was of this second type, but Christiansen couldn't find the caldera anywhere.
Just at this time NASA decided to test some new high-altitude cameras by taking photographs of Yellowstone. A thoughtful official passed on some of the copies to the park authorities on the assumption that they might make a nice blow-up for one of the visitors' centers. As soon as Christiansen saw the photos, he realized why he had failed to spot the caldera; almost the whole park—2.2 million acres—was caldera. The explosion had left a hole more than forty miles across—much too huge to be seen from anywhere at ground level. At some time in the past Yellowstone must have blown up with a violence far beyond the scale of anything known to humans.
2.What does the second paragraph mainly talk about?
A.The shapes of volcanoes. B.The impacts of volcanoes.
C.The activities of volcanoes. D.The heights of volcanoes.

32. 2019.江苏D篇
The 65-year-old Steve Goodwin was found suffering from early Alzheimer's（阿尔兹海默症）. He was losing his memory.
A software engineer by profession, Steve was a keen lover of the piano, and the only musician in his family. Music was his true passion, though he had never performed outside the family.
Melissa, his daughter, felt it more than worthwhile to save his music, to which she fell asleep catch night when she was young. She thought about hiring a professional pianist to work with her father.
Naomi, Melissa's best friend and a talented pianist, got to know about this and showed willingness to help.
"Why do this? " Steve wondered.
"Because she cares." Melissa said.
Steve nodded, tears in eye.
Naomi drove to the Goodwin home. She told Steve she'd love to hear him play. Steve moved to the piano and sat at the bench, hands trembling as he gently placed his fingers on the keys.
Naomi put a small recorder near the piano, starts and stops and mistakes. Long pauses, heart sinking. But Steve pressed on, playing for the first time in his life for a stranger.
"It was beautiful." Naomi said after listening to the recording. "The music was worth saving."
Her responsibility, her privilege, would be to rescue it. The music was sill in Steve Goodwin. It was bidden in rooms with doors about to be locked.
Naomi and Steve met every other week and spent hours together. He'd move his fingers clumsily on the piano, and then she'd take his place. He struggled to explain what he heard in his head. He stood by the piano, eyes closed, listening for the first time to his own work being played by someone else.
Steve and Naomi spoke in musical code lines, beats, intervals, moving from the root to end a song in a new key. Steve heard it. All of it. He just couldn't play it.
Working with Naomi did wonders for Steve. It had excited within him the belief he could write one last song. One day, Naomi received an email. Attached was a recording, a recording of loss and love, of the fight. Steve called it "Melancholy Flower" .
Naomi heard multiple stops and starts, Steve struggling, searching while his wife Joni called him "honey" and encouraged him. The task was so hard, and Steve, angry and upset, said he was quitting. Joni praised him, telling her husband this could be his signature piece.
Naomi managed to figure out 16 of Steve's favorite, and most personal songs. With Naomi's help, the Goodwin family found a sound engineer to record Naomi playing Steve's songs. Joni thought that would be the end. But it wasn't.
In the months leading up to the 2016 Oregon Repertory Singers Christmas concert, Naomi told the director she had a special one in mind: "Melancholy Flower".
She told the director about her project with Steve. The director agreed to add it to the playing list. But Naomi would have to ask Steve's permission. He considered it an honor.
After the concert, Naomi told the family that Steve's music was beautiful and professional. It needed to be shared in public.
The family rented a former church in downtown Portland and scheduled a concert. By the day of the show, more than 300 people had said they would attend.
By then, Steve was having a hard time remembering the names of some of his friends. He knew the path his life was now taking. He told his family he was at peace.
Steve arrived and sat in the front row, surrounded by his family. The house lights faded. Naomi took the stage. Her fingers. His heart.
6.What can be a suitable title for the passage?
A.The Kindness of Friends. B.The Power of Music.
C.The Making of a Musician. D.The Value of Determination.

33. 2019全国1.D篇
During the rosy years of elementary school（小学）, I enjoyed sharing my dolls and jokes, which allowed me to keep my high social status. I was the queen of the playground.Then came my tweens and teens, and mean girls and cool kids. They rose in the ranks not by being friendly but by smoking cigarettes, breaking rules and playing jokes on others, among whom I soon found myself.
Popularity is a well-explored subject in social psychology. Mitch Prinstein, a professor of clinical psychology sorts the popular into two categories: the likable and the status seekers. The likables' plays-well-with-others qualities strengthen schoolyard friendships, jump-start interpersonal skills and, when tapped early, are employed ever after in life and work. Then there's the kind of popularity that appears in adolescence: status born of power and even dishonorable behavior.
Enviable as the cool kids may have seemed. Dr. Prinstein's studies show unpleasant consequences. Those who were highest in status in high school, as well as those least liked in elementary school, are "most likely to engage（从事）in dangerous and risky behavior."
In one study, Dr. Prinstein examined the two types of popularity in 235 adolescents, scoring the least liked, the most liked and the highest in status based on student surveys（ 调查研究）. "We found that the least well-liked teens had become more aggressive over time toward their classmates. But so had those who were high in status. It clearly showed that while likability can lead to healthy adjustment, high status has just the opposite effect on us.
Dr. Prinstein has also found that the qualities that made the neighbors want you on a play date-sharing, kindness, openness-carry over to later years and make you better able to relate and connect with others.
In analyzing his and other research, Dr. Prinstein came to another conclusion: Not only is likability related to positive life outcomes, but it is also responsible for those outcomes, too. "Being liked creates opportunities for learning and for new kinds of life experiences that help somebody gain an advantage, " he said.
2.What is the second paragraph mainly about?
A.The classification of the popular. B.The characteristics of adolescents.
C.The importance of interpersonal skills. D.The causes of dishonorable behavior.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.Be Nice-You Won't Finish Last B.The Higher the Status, the Better
C.Be the Best-You Can Make It D.More Self-Control, Less Aggressiveness

34. 2019全国2 D篇
Bacteria are an annoying problem for astronauts. The microorganisms（微生物） from our bodies grow uncontrollably on surfaces of the International Space Station, so astronauts spend hours cleaning them up each week. How is NASA overcoming this very tiny big problem? It's turning to a bunch of high school kids. But not just any kids. It is depending on NASAHUNCH high school classrooms, like the one science teachers Gene Gordon and Donna Himmelberg lead at Fairport High School in Fairport, New York.
HUNCH is designed to connect high school classrooms with NASA engineers. For the past two years, Gordon's students have been studying ways to kill bacteria in zero gravity, and they think they're close to a solution（解决方案）. "We don't give the students any breaks. They have to do it just like NASA engineers, " says Florence Gold, a project manager.
"There are no tests, " Gordon says. "There is no graded homework. There almost are no graded, other than 'Are you working towards your goal? ' Basically, it's 'I've got to produce this product and then, at the end of year, present it to NASA.' Engineers come and really do an in-person review, and… it's not a very nice thing at times. It's a hard business review of your product."
Gordon says the HUNCH program has an impact（影响）on college admissions and practical life skills. "These kids are so absorbed in their studies that I just sit back. I don't teach." And that annoying bacteria? Gordon says his students are emailing daily with NASA engineers about the problem, readying a workable solution to test in space.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.NASA: The Home of Astronauts B.Space: The Final Homework Frontier
C.Nature: An Outdoor Classroom D.HUNCH: A College Admission Reform

35. 2019全国3 B篇
For Western designers, China and its rich culture have long been an inspiration for Western creative.
"It's no secret that China has always been a source（来源）of inspiration for designers, " says Amanda Hill, chief creative officer at A+E Networks, a global media company and home to some of the biggest fashion（时尚）shows.
Earlier this year, the China Through A Looking Glass exhibition in New York exhibited 140 pieces of China-inspired fashionable clothing alongside Chinese works of art, with the aim of exploring the influence of Chinese aesthetics（美学）on Western fashion and how China has fueled the fashionable imagination for centuries. The exhibition had record attendance, showing that there is huge interest in Chinese influences.
"China is impossible to overlook, " says Hill. "Chinese models are the faces of beauty and fashion campaigns that sell dreams to women all over the world, which means Chinese women are not just consumers of fashion—they are central to its movement." "Of course, only are today's top Western designers being influenced by China—some of the best designers of contemporary fashion are themselves Chinese." Vera Wang, Alexander Wang, Jason Wu are taking on Galiano, Albaz, Marc Jacobs—and beating them hands down in design and sales, " adds Hill.
For Hill, it is impossible not to talk about China as the leading player when discussing fashion. "The most famous designers are Chinese, so are the models, and so are the consumers, " she says. "China is no longer just another market; in many senses it has become the market. If you talk about fashion today, you are talking about China—its influences, its direction, its breathtaking clothes, and how young designers and models are finally acknowledging that in many ways."
4.What can be a suitable title for the text?
A.Young Models Selling Dreams to the World
B.A Chinese Art Exhibition Held in New York
C.Differences Between Eastern and Western Aesthetics
D.Chinese Culture Fueling International Fashion Trends

36. 2019北京卷C篇
The problem of robocalls has gotten so bad that many people now refuse to pick up calls from numbers they don't know. By next year, half of the calls we receive will be scams（欺诈）. We are finally waking up to the severity of the problem by supporting and developing a group of tools, apps and approaches intended to prevent scammers from getting through. Unfortunately, it's too little, too late. By the time these "solutions" （解决方案）become widely available, scammers will have moved onto cleverer means. In the near future, it's not just going to be the number you see on your screen that will be in doubt. Soon you will also question whether the voice you're hearing is actually real.
That's because there are a number of powerful voice manipulation（处理）and automation technologies that are about to become widely available for anyone to use. At this year's I/O Conference, a company showed a new voice technology able to produce such a convincing human-sounding voice that it was able to speak to a receptionist and book a reservation without detection.
These developments are likely to make our current problems with robocalls much worse. The reason that robocalls are a headache has less to do with amount than precision. A decade of data breaches（数据侵入）of personal information has led to a situation where scammers can easily learn your mother's name, and far more. Armed with this knowledge, they're able to carry out individually targeted campaigns to cheat people. This means, for example, that a scammed could call you from what looks to be a familiar number and talk to you using a voice that sounds exactly like your bank teller's, tricking you into "confirming" your address, mother's name, and card number. Scammers follow money, so companies will be the worst hit. A lot of business is still done over the phone, and much of it is based on trust and existing relationships. Voice manipulation technologies may weaken that gradually.
We need to deal with the insecure nature of our telecom networks. Phone carriers and consumers need to work together to find ways of determining and communicating what is real. That might mean either developing a uniform way to mark videos and images, showing when and who they were made by, or abandoning phone calls altogether and moving towards data-based communications-using apps like Face Time or WhatsApp, which can be tied to your identity.
Credibility is hard to earn but easy to lose, and the problem is only going to get harder from here on out.
4.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A.Where the Problem of Robocalls Is Rooted
B.Who Is to Blame for the Problem of Robocalls
C.Why Robocalls Are About to Get More Dangerous
D.How Robocalls Are Affecting the World of Technology

37. 2019北京卷 D篇
By the end of the century, if not sooner, the world's oceans will be bluer and greener thanks to a warming climate, according to a new study.
At the heart of the phenomenon lie tiny marine microorganisms（海洋微生物）called phytoplankton. Because of the way light reflects off the organisms, these phytoplankton create colourful patterns at the ocean surface. Ocean colour varies from green to blue, depending on the type and concentration of phytoplankton. Climate change will fuel the growth of phytoplankton in some areas, while reducing it in other spots, leading to changes in the ocean's appearance.
Phytoplankton live at the ocean surface, where they pull carbon dioxide（二氧化碳）into the ocean while giving off oxygen. When these organisms die, they bury carbon in the deep ocean, an important process that helps to regulate the global climate. But phytoplankton are vulnerable to the ocean's warming trend. Warming changes key characteristics of the ocean and can affect phytoplankton growth, since they need not only sunlight and carbon dioxide to grow, but also nutrients.
Stephanie Dutkiewicz, a scientist in MIT's Center for Global Change Science, built a climate model that projects changes to the oceans throughout the century. In a world that warms up by 3℃, it found that multiple changes to the colour of the oceans would occur. The model projects that currently blue areas with little phytoplankton could become even bluer. But in some waters, such as those of the Arctic, a warming will make conditions riper for phytoplankton, and these areas will turn greener. "Not only are the quantities of phytoplankton in the ocean changing, " she said, "but the type of phytoplankton is changing."
And why does that matter? Phytoplankton are the base of the food web. If certain kinds begin to disappear from the ocean, Dutkiewicz said, "it will change the type of fish that will be able to survive." Those kinds of changes could affect the food chain.
Whatever colour changes the ocean experiences in the coming decades will probably be too gradual and unnoticeable, but they could mean significant changes. "It'll be a while before we can statistically show that the changes are happening because of climate change, " Dutkiewicz said, "but the change in the colour of the ocean will be one of the early warning signals that we really have changed our planet."
1.What are the first two paragraphs mainly about?
A.The various patterns at the ocean surface.
B.The cause of the changes in ocean colour.
C.The way light reflects off marine organisms.
D.The efforts to fuel the growth of phytoplankton.

38. 2019浙江卷 B篇
Money with no strings attached. It's not something you see every day. But at Union Station in Los Angeles last month, a board went up with dollar bills attached to it with pins and a sign that read, "Give What You Can, Take What You Need."
People quickly caught on. And while many took dollars, many others pinned their own cash to the board. "People of all ages, races, and socio-economic （社会经济的）backgrounds gave and took, " said Tyler Bridges of The Toolbox, which created the project. "We even had a bride in her wedding dress come up to the board and take a few dollars." Most of the bills on the board were singles, but a few people left fives, tens and even twenties. The video clip （片段）shows one man who had found a $ 20 bill pinning it to the board.
"What I can say for the folks that gave the most, is that they were full of smiles, " Bridges said. "There's a certain feeling that giving can do for you and that was apparent in those that gave the most." Most people who took dollars look only a few, but Bridges said a very small number took as much as they could.
While the clip might look like part of a new ad campaign, Bridges said the only goal was to show generosity and sympathy. He added that he hopes people in other cities might try similar projects and post their own videos on the Internet.
"After all, everyone has bad days and good days, " he said. "Some days you need a helping hand and some days you can be the one giving the helping hand."
3.Why did Bridges carry out the project?
A.To do a test on people's morals. B.To raise money for his company.
C.To earn himself a good reputation. D.To promote kindness and sympathy.

39. 2019浙江卷 C篇
California has lost half its big trees since the 1930s, according to a study to be published Tuesday and climate change seems to be a major factor（因素）.
The number of trees larger than two feet across has declined by 50 percent on more than 46, 000 square miles of California forests, the new study finds. No area was spared or unaffected, from the foggy northern coast to the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the San Gabriels above Los Angeles. In the Sierra high country, the number of big trees has fallen by more than 55 percent; in parts of southern California the decline was nearly 75 percent.
Many factors contributed to the decline, said Patrick McIntyre, an ecologist who was the lead author of the study. Woodcutters targeted big trees. Housing development pushed into the woods. Aggressive wildfire control has left California forests crowded with small trees that compete with big trees for resources（资源）.
But in comparing a study of California forests done in the 1920s and 1930s with another one between 2001 and 2010, McIntyre and his colleagues documented a widespread death of big trees that was evident even in wildlands protected from woodcutting or development.
The loss of big trees was greatest in areas where trees had suffered the greatest water shortage. The researchers figured out water stress with a computer model that calculated how much water trees were getting in comparison with how much they needed, taking into account such things as rainfall, air temperature, dampness of soil, and the timing of snowmelt（融雪）.
Since the 1930s, McIntyre said, the biggest factors driving up water stress in the state have been rising temperatures, which cause trees to lose more water to the air, and earlier snowmelt, which reduces the water supply available to trees during the dry season.
1.What is the second paragraph mainly about?
A.The seriousness of big-tree loss in California.
B.The increasing variety of California big trees.
C.The distribution of big trees in California forests.
D.The influence of farming on big trees in California.

40. 2019.6天津卷 B篇
I must have always known reading was very important because the first memories I have as a child deal with books. There was not one night that I don't remember mom reading me a storybook by my bedside. I was extremely inspired by the elegant way the words sounded.
I always wanted to know what my mom was reading. Hearing mom say, "I can't believe what's printed in the newspaper this morning, " made me want to grab it out of her hands and read it myself. I wanted to be like my mom and know all of the things she knew. So I carried around a book, and each night, just to be like her, I would pretend to be reading.
This is how everyone learned to read. We would start off with sentences, then paragraphs, and then stories. It seemed an unbending journey, but even as a six-year-old girl I realized that knowing how to read could open many doors. When mom said, "The C-A-N-D-Y is hidden on the top shelf, " I knew where the candy was. My progress in reading raised my curiosity, and I wanted to know everything. I often found myself telling my mom to drive more slowly, so that I could read all of the road signs we passed.
Most of my reading through primary, middle and high school was factual reading. I read for knowledge, and to make A's on my tests. Occasionally, I would read a novel that was assigned, but I didn't enjoy this type of reading. I liked facts, things that are concrete. I thought anything abstract left too much room for argument.
Yet, now that I'm growing and the world I once knew as being so simple is becoming more complex, I find myself needing a way to escape. By opening a novel, I can leave behind my burdens and enter into a wonderful and mysterious world where I am now a new character. In these world I can become anyone. I don't have to write down what happened or what technique the author was using when he or she wrote this. I just read to relax.
We're taught to read because it's necessary for much of human understanding. Reading is a vital part of my life. Reading satisfies my desire to keep learning. And I've found that the possibilities that lie within books are limitless.
5.What could be the best title for the passage?
A.The Magic of Reading B.The Pleasure of Reading
C.Growing Up with Reading D.Reading Makes a Full Man

41. 2019.6天津卷 C篇
Would you BET on the future of this man? He is 53 years old. Most of his adult life has been a losing struggle against debt and misfortune. A war injury has made his left hand stop functioning, and he has often been in prison. Driven by heaven-knows-what motives, he determines to write a book.
The book turns out to be one that has appealed to the world for more than 350 years. That former prisoner was Cervantes, and the book was Don Quixote （《堂吉诃德》） . And the story poses an interesting question why do some people discover new vitality and creativity to the end of their days, while others go to seek long before?
We've all known people who run out of steam before they reach life's halfway mark. I'm not talking about those who fail to get to the top. We can't all get there. I'm talking about people who have stopped learning on growing because they have adopted the fixed attitudes and opinions that all too often come with passing years.
Most of us, in fact, progressively narrow the variety of our lives. We succeed in our field of specialization and then become trapped in it. Nothing surprises us. We lose our sense of wonder. But, if we are willing to learn, the opportunities are everywhere.
The things we learn in maturity seldom involve information and skills. We learn to bear with the things we can't change. We learn to avoid self-pity. We learn that however much we try to please, some people are never going to love us—an idea that troubles at first but is eventually relaxing.
With high motivation and enthusiasm, we can keep on learning. Then we will know how important it is to have meaning in our life. However, we can achieve meaning only if we have made a commitment to something larger than our own little egos （自我）, whether to loved ones, to fellow humans, to work, or to some moral concept.
Many of us equate （视……等同于） "commitment" with such "caring" occupations as teaching and nursing. But doing any ordinary job as well as one can is in itself an admirable commitment. People who work toward such excellence—whether they are driving a truck, or running a store—make the world better just by being the kind of people they are. They've learned life's most valuable lesson.
5.What is the author's purpose in writing the passage?
A.To provide guidance on leading a meaningful adult life.
B.To stress the need of shouldering responsibilities at work.
C.To state the importance of generating motivation for learning.
D.To suggest a way of pursuing excellence in our lifelong career.


42. 2019.3天津B篇
An unpleasant smell floated into my nose as the bowl of fried stinky tofu （臭豆腐）settled onto my grandmother's dinner table. I immediately sat back. The smell ruined my appetite, and I pushed the dish away.
"It's supposed to stink. Just give it a try!" my grandmother said.
Holding my breath, I unwillingly took a bite. To my surprise, the tofu beneath the fried skin was warm, soft, and mouthwatering. Since then, whenever I visited my grandmother's house, I would rush to the kitchen for the stinky tofu with excitement. Thus, stinky tofu became more than a household tradition. It became my favorite dish.
Along with the stinky tofu, I would meet my Uncle Chan on every visit. As an immature boy, I never understood my uncle's condition of Down syndrome（唐氏综合征）. He was an unfriendly and terrible creature in my eyes. He constantly walked around the house, talking to himself. Whenever he was within view, I would run away in fear.
However, one day, my view of my uncle suddenly changed. I was just getting out of my bed when I heard soft steps approaching. It was my uncle. My muscles froze. He slowly sat next to me and touched my face gently, as a mother would stroke（抚摸） a baby. A wide smile emerged from his blank expression. How beautiful his smile was! I could not help but smile back. My fear disappeared gradually, and my muscles relaxed. For the first time, I could see softness and warmth in his eyes.
My uncle very much resembled stinky tofu. Stinky tofu smells unpleasant on the outside, yet feels warm and soft on the inside. Like stinky tofu, my uncle's Down syndrome made me keep my distance at first. Yet, I learned that deep inside, he is harmless and has a loving nature.
Some people tend to look down upon disabled people and regard them as unfit for a regular life. As I was unable to see through the outer surface of the tofu, these people are unable to see through the surface of prejudice （偏见）. As a result, they judge the disabled with one glance.
The outside and inside of the stinky tofu exist as two extremely different worlds. Perhaps that is what makes it such a tasty dish. Not only is it delicious, stinky tofu offers a valuable lesson: never judge people at first glance, for true beauty comes from the inside.
5.What does the author mainly want to tell us in the passage?
A.We shouldn't judge by appearances. B.Person's taste changes over time.
C.Blood is thicker than water. D.You are what you eat.

四、实战演练
1.
Marian Bechtel sits at West Palm Beach’s Bar Louie counter by herself, quietly reading her e-book as she waits for her salad. What is she reading? None of your business! Lunch is Bechtel’s "me" time. And like more Americans, she’s not alone.
A new report found 46 percent of meals are eaten alone in America. More than half（53 percent）have breakfast alone and nearly half（46 percent）have lunch by themselves. Only at dinnertime are we eating together anymore, 74 percent, according to statistics from the report.
"I prefer to go out and be out. Alone, but together, you know?" Bechtel said, looking up from her book. Bechtel, who works in downtown West Palm Beach, has lunch with coworkers sometimes, but like many of us, too often works through lunch at her desk. A lunchtime escape allows her to keep a boss from tapping her on the shoulder. She returns to work feeling energized. "Today, I just wanted some time to myself," she said.
Just two seats over, Andrew Mazoleny, a local videographer, is finishing his lunch at the bar. He likes that he can sit and check his phone in peace or chat up the barkeeper with whom he's on a first-name basis if he wants to have a little interaction（交流）. "I reflect on how my day's gone and think about the rest of the week," he said. "It's a chance for self-reflection, You return to work recharged and with a plan."
That freedom to choose is one reason more people like to eat alone. There was a time when people may have felt awkward about asking for a table for one, but those days are over. Now, we have our smartphones to keep us company at the table. "It doesn't feel as alone as it may have before all the advances in technology," said Laurie Demeritt, whose company provided the statistics for the report.
8. What is the text mainly about?
A. The trend of having meals alone. B. The importance of self-reflection.
C. The stress from working overtime. D. The advantage of wireless technology.

2.
Benjamin West, the father of American painting, showed his talent for art when he was only six years of age. But he did not know about brushes before a visitor told him he needed one. In those days , a brush was made from camel's hair. There were no camels nearby. Benjamin decided that cat hair would work instead. He cut some fur from the family cat to make a brush.
The brush did not last long. Soon Benjamin needed more fur. Before long, the cat began to look ragged （蓬乱）. His father said that the cat must be sick. Benjamin was forced to admit what he had been doing.
The cat's lot was about to improve. That year, one of Benjamin's cousins, Mr. Pennington, came to visit. He was impressed with Benjamin's drawings. When he went home, he sent Benjamin a box of paint and some brushes. He also sent six engravings（版画）by an artist. These were the first pictures and first real paint and brushes Benjamin had ever seen. In 1747, when Benjamin was nine years old, Mr. Pennington returned for another visit .He was amazed at what Benjamin had done with his gift. He asked Benjamin's parents if he might take the boy to Philadelphia for a visit.
In the city, Mr. Pennington gave Benjamin materials for creating oil paintings. The boy began a landscape (风景) painting. Williams, a well-known painter, came to see him work. Williams was impressed with Benjamin and gave him two classic books on painting to take home .The books were long and dull. Benjamin could read only a little, having been a poor student. But he later said,” Those two books were my companions by day, and under my pillow at night.” While it is likely that he understood very little of the books, they were his introduction to classical paintings. The nine-year-old boy decided then that he would be an artist.
21. What is the text mainly about?
A. Benjamin's visit to Philadelphia.
B. Williams' influence on Benjamin.
C. The beginning of Benjamin's life as an artist.
D. The friendship between Benjamin and Pennington.

3.
Cities usually have a good reason for being where they are, like a nearby port or river. People settle in these places because they are easy to get to and naturally suited to communications and trade. New York City, for example, is near a large harbour at the mouth of the Hudson River. Over 300 years its population grew gradually from 800 people to 8 million. But not all cities develop slowly over a long period of time. Boom towns grow from nothing almost overnight. In 1896, Dawson, Canada, was unmapped wilderness(荒野). But gold was discovered there in 1897, and two years later, it was one of the largest cities in the West, with a population of 30,000.
Dawson did not have any of the natural conveniences of cities like London or Paris. People went there for gold. They travelled over snow-covered mountains and sailed hundreds of miles up icy rivers. The path to Dawson was covered with thirty feet of wet snow that could fall without warming. An avalanche(雪崩) once closed the path, killing 63 people. For many who made it to Dawson, however, the rewards were worth the difficult trip. Of the first 20,000 people who dug for gold, 4,000 got rich. About 100 of these stayed rich men for the rest of their lives.
But no matter how rich they were, Dawson was never comfortable. Necessities like food and wood were very expensive. But soon, the gold that Dawson depended on had all been found. The city was crowded with disappointed people with no interest in settling down, and when they heard there were new gold discoveries in Alaska, they left Dawson City as quickly as they had come. Today, people still come and go — to see where the Canadian gold rush happened. Tourism is now the chief industry of Dawson City — its present population is 762.
27. What is the text mainly about?
A. The rise and fall of a city.
B. The gold rush in Canada.
C. Journeys into the wilderness.
D. Tourism in Dawson.
4.
Teens and younger children are reading a lot less for fun, according to a Common Sense Media report published Monday.
While the decline over the past decade is steep for teen readers, some data in the report shows that reading remains a big part of many children's lives, and indicates how parents might help encourage more reading.
According to the report's key findings, “the proportion (比例) who say they ‘hardly ever' read for fun has gone from 8 percent of 13-year-olds and 9 percent of 17-year-olds in 1984 to 22 percent and 27 percent respectively today.”
The report data shows that pleasure reading levels for younger children, ages 2—8, remain largely the same. But the amount of time spent in reading each session has declined, from closer to an hour or more to closer to a half hour per session.
When it comes to technology and reading, the report does little to counsel(建议) parents looking for data about the effect of e-readers and tablets on reading. It does point out that many parents still limit electronic reading, mainly due to concerns about increased screen time.
The most hopeful data shared in the report shows clear evidence of parents serving as examples and important guides for their kids when it comes to reading. Data shows that kids and teens who do read frequently, compared to infrequent readers, have more books in the home, more books purchased for them, parents who read more often, and parents who set aside time for them to read.
As the end of school approaches, and school vacation reading lists loom(逼近) ahead, parents might take this chance to step in and make their own summer reading list and plan a family trip to the library or bookstore.
28. What is the Common Sense Media report probably about?
A. Children's reading habits.
B. Quality of children's books.
C. Children's after-class activities.
D. Parent-child relationships.

5.
We've all been there: in a lift, in line at the bank or on an airplane, surrounded by people who are, like us, deeply focused on their smart phones or, worse, struggling with the uncomfortable silence.
What's the problem? It's possible that we all have compromised conversational intelligence. It's more likely that none of us start a conversation because it's awkward and challenging, or we think it's annoying and unnecessary. But the next time you find yourself among strangers, consider that small talk is worth the trouble. Experts say it's an invaluable social practice that results in big benefits.
Dismissing small talk as unimportant is easy, but we can't forget that deep relationships wouldn't even exist if it weren't for casual conversation. Small talk is the grease(润滑剂) for social communication, says Bernardo Carducci, director of the Shyness Research Institute at Indiana University Southeast. “Almost every great love story and each big business deal begins with small talk,” he explains. “The key to successful small talk is learning how to connect with others, not just communicate with them.”
In a 2014 study, Elizabeth Dunn, associate professor of psychology at UBC, invited people on their way into a coffee shop. One group was asked to seek out an interaction(互动) with its waiter; the other, to speak only when necessary. The results showed that those who chatted with their server reported significantly higher positive feelings and a better coffee shop experience. “It's not that talking to the waiter is better than talking to your husband,” says Dunn. “But interactions with peripheral(边缘的) members of our social network matter for our well-being also.”
Dunn believes that people who reach out to strangers feel a significantly greater sense of belonging, a bond with others. Carducci believes developing such a sense of belonging starts with small talk. “Small talk is the basis of good manners,” he says.
35. What is the best title for the text?
A. Conversation Counts B. Ways of Making Small Talk
C. Benefits of Small Talk D. Uncomfortable Silence

6.
Measles(麻疹), which once killed 450 children each year and disabled even more, was nearly wiped out in the United States 14 years ago by the universal use of the MMR vaccine(疫苗). But the disease is making a comeback, caused by a growing anti-vaccine movement and misinformation that is spreading quickly. Already this year, 115 measles cases have been reported in the USA, compared with 189 for all of last year.
The numbers might sound small, but they are the leading edge of a dangerous trend. When vaccination rates are very high, as they still are in the nation as a whole, everyone is protected. This is called “herd immunity”, which protects the people who get hurt easily, including those who can't be vaccinated for medical reasons, babies too young to get vaccinated and people on whom the vaccine doesn't work.
But herd immunity works only when nearly the whole herd joins in. When some refuse vaccination and seek a free ride, immunity breaks down and everyone is in even bigger danger.
That's exactly what is happening in small neighborhoods around the country from Orange County, California, where 22 measles cases were reported this month, to Brooklyn, N.Y., where a 17-year-old caused an outbreak last year.
The resistance to vaccine has continued for decades, and it is driven by a real but very small risk. Those who refuse to take that risk selfishly make others suffer.
Making things worse are state laws that make it too easy to opt out(决定不参加) of what are supposed to be required vaccines for all children entering kindergarten. Seventeen states allow parents to get an exemption（豁免), sometimes just by signing a paper saying they personally object to a vaccine.
Now, several states are moving to tighten laws by adding new regulations for opting out. But no one does enough to limit exemptions.
Parents ought to be able to opt out only for limited medical or religious reasons. But personal opinions? Not good enough. Everyone enjoys the life-saving benefits vaccines provide, but they'll exist only as long as everyone shares in the risks.
66. What is the purpose of the passage?
A. To introduce the idea of exemption.
B. To discuss methods to cure measles.
C. To stress the importance of vaccination.
D. To appeal for equal rights in medical treatment.