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压轴题04 阅读理解C、D篇
命题预测 分析近几年高考阅读理解C、D篇可知，高考命题中科普说明文一直都是以压轴题的形式存在，着重考查考生对于语篇的理解能力以及信息处理能力。 题材多样，语篇主要来源于英美主流报刊、杂志和网站。内容涉及科技创新发明、人工智能类、医疗健身健康类、社会与文化研究报告、观念事理类、环境与保护类、动植物研究等多种领域，具有较强的思想性、趣味性、实际功用性和较强的时代感。 从近年全国卷和各地高考试卷中科普类阅读命题的统计来看，高考阅读理解科普类文章的理论性和逻辑性强、生词多、句式结构复杂。六种命题类型都有所体现。命题尊重语篇的文体特征和行文特点，考查了考生理解说明文语篇的能力，以及灵活运用各种阅读策略提取、归纳所读信息的能力，尤其加大了对概括能力和推断能力等高阶思维能力的考查。预测2024年高考对于科普说明文的考查仍然是重点。
高频考法 推理判断题 标题归纳题 细节理解题 词义猜测题
说明文基本规律及解题要领
高考中科普类阅读理解一般不给标题，反而经常要求考生选择最佳标题。说明文一般采用如下四部分：
首段：一般即是文章的主题段，开门见山点明新发明或研究对象。
背景: 交代问题的现状或研究的起因。
主干: 部分介绍研究所取得的突破，作者往往会详细介绍研究对象、研究方法、研究理论或具体的实验、统计等过程。
结尾: 通常会再次对中心进行概括、重述研究成果、预计的市场未来等与主题呼应。
二、说明文的解题技巧
1. 运用语篇结构（text structure），了解文章大意
科普说明文主题鲜明、脉络清晰，行文结构模式较为固定。弄清文本结构有助于把握文章主旨和阅读重点。动物植物类文章多用描述法、问题与历史文化背景等方法，通过列数据、做对比等来说明动植物在不同的历史时期或地点, 数目的变化及原因、动植物的习性等。 结构上一般采用上述四个部分，说明手法上常使用以下说明方法：描述法（包括举例子、下定义、列数据等）、因果法、问题与对策法。
实验研究型文章一般会以实验的过程进展为线索，多用描述法、问题与对策法等方法，通过列数据、做对比等来说明新的科学研究发现及其产生的影响。
阅读时，首先用略读法快速浏览每段的首尾句，根据英语说明文思维模式特征，作者一般都会开门见山，直奔主题。结尾通常也是中心思想的概括，并与导语相呼应。因此在做主旨大意、写作意图和最佳标题等题目时，需要重点关注首尾段落里面高频复现的词汇和内容。
2. 定位标志词，分析长难句，进行逻辑推理判断
每一个问题，在原文中，都要有一个定位。然后精读，找出那个标志词或者中心句。根据题干要求，用查读法快速定位到相关段落。再利用标志词所提供的逻辑关系找到细节信息，如列数据、举例子、原因和结果等。如果句子成分复杂，有生词，也不要烦躁退缩，分析主句和从句或非谓语动词之间的关系，一些出现在术语、抽象概念、长难句前后的同义词、近义词等，都是用以理解文章的语境线索。通过这些对长句进行层层剖析，露出主干部分，就能明晰句意，弄懂作者的真实意图。
关注某人说到或推断观点态度题
某人说过的话，有时并不是题眼，但可以从侧面或某个角度来反映作者的观点，也就是作者想表达的，正确答案都是和这样的观点相一致的。要把握关键词，有感彩的词。
4.关注转折关系的逻辑词
说明文中常会出现表示转折意义的词，如however, but, yet,while等。这些词后面才是作者真正想表达的意思，常常会在此处命题。
5. 熟悉选项设置规律，关注细节
正确选项：文中内容的“同义替换”或者“归纳概括”。
干扰项：“张冠李戴”、“偷梁换柱”、“无中生有”和“以偏概全”四种类型。
04 动物、植物类
1.（23-24高三下·山东·阶段练习）
Manatees — often called sea cows — are an anomaly in the animal kingdom. Neither predator nor prey, these peaceable creatures, which can grow to 13 feet and weigh more than 2,000 pounds, are evolutionarily devoid of aggression. Crystal River — “Manatee Capital of the World” — is the epicenter of their presence and recovery.
Yet despite some gains, manatees still face grave threats. Three-quarters of Florida’s 22 million people live along the coast, many in prime manatee habitat, where the strain of human-presence has degraded the state’s enchanted springs, waterways, and wetlands. In Indian River Lagoon, for example, an important manatee habitat along Florida’s densely populated east coast, decades of human waste, sediment from real estate development, and fertilizers from lawns and farms have clouded the water. That has killed seagrass, manatees’ main food source there. More than a thousand manatees have died in the lagoon during the past two years.
What people don’t understand is the need to help support them in waterways. That means restoring seagrass beds and freshwater aquatic vegetation, the basis of their existence and of the overall health of Florida’s waters. Steps to reverse the damage started small. Neighbors gathered with rakes, scooping up algae by hand. Ironically, it was Save Crystal River — the group environmentalists had opposed during their fight over the manatee’s endangered status — that spearheaded the restoration of aquatic vegetation. With funding from the state government, Save Crystal River hired Sea& Shoreline, an aquatic restoration firm, to remove the waste and replant the river bottom with eelgrass, which grows long, ribbon like leaves.
While the prospect of replanting the entire river was daunting, after vacuuming more than 300 million pounds of detritus and planting some 350,000 individual eelgrass pods by hand, the groups have flipped the river back to an ecosystem no longer dominated by algae.
Instead of spending the few short winter months in Crystal River before heading back out into the Gulf of Mexico to graze, some manatees now linger here year-round, enjoying fat times. Aerial surveys from January 2022
revealed the highest number of manatees ever recorded in these waters — more than a thousand in Kings Bay alone.
1．What is a feature of manatees
A．They are gentle animals. B．They feed on small creatures.
C．They are slightly aggressive. D．They look cute for their shape.
2．What is the main reason for manatees’ decline
A．Climate change. B．Habitat loss.
C．Low food supply. D．Human activities.
3．How did Save Crystal River help improve manatees’ endangered situation
A．By removing wastes from the river.
B．By raising funds from the government.
C．By replanting algae in the river bottom.
D．By refining manatees’ living surroundings.
4．What can we learn about manatees from the last paragraph
A．They enjoy the cold winter of Mexico.
B．They remain in Manatee Capital for long.
C．They head towards the warmer waters during winter.
D．They have the largest population ever recorded globally.
【答案】1．A 2．D 3．D 4．B
【导语】本文是说明文。文章详细解释了海牛（被称为海牛或海牛兽）的生态环境、所面临的威胁，以及人类为了保护这种特殊动物和它们的栖息地所采取的行动。
1．细节理解题。根据第一段“Manatees — often called sea cows — are an anomaly in the animal kingdom. Neither predator nor prey, these peaceable creatures, which can grow to 13 feet and weigh more than 2,000 pounds, are evolutionarily devoid of aggression.(海牛——通常被称为海牛——是动物王国里的异类。它们既不是掠食者，也不是猎物，这些能长到13英尺长，体重超过2000磅的和平生物，在进化上没有攻击性)”可知，海牛没有攻击性，所以它们是温顺的动物。故选A项。
2．细节理解题。根据第二段“Three-quarters of Florida’s 22 million people live along the coast, many in prime manatee habitat, where the strain of human-presence has degraded the state’s enchanted springs, waterways, and wetlands. In Indian River Lagoon, for example, an important manatee habitat along Florida’s densely populated
east coast, decades of human waste, sediment from real estate development, and fertilizers from lawns and farms have clouded the water. That has killed seagrass, manatees’ main food source there. More than a thousand manatees have died in the lagoon during the past two years.(佛罗里达州2200万人口中有四分之三居住在沿海地区，其中许多人居住在主要的海牛栖息地，人类的存在已经使该州迷人的泉水、水道和湿地退化。例如，在沿佛罗里达州人口稠密的东海岸的重要海牛栖息地印第安河泻湖，几十年来人类的排泄物、房地产开发的沉积物以及草坪和农场的肥料使水变得浑浊。这杀死了海牛的主要食物来源海草。在过去的两年里，有一千多只海牛死于泻湖)”可知，海牛数量减少的主要原因是人类活动。故选D项。
3．推理判断题。第三段“Neighbors gathered with rakes, scooping up algae by hand. Ironically, it was Save Crystal River—the group environmentalists had opposed during their fight over the manatee’s endangered status—that spearheaded the restoration of aquatic vegetation. With funding from the state government, Save Crystal River hired Sea& Shoreline, an aquatic restoration firm, to remove the waste and replant the river bottom with eelgrass, which grows long, ribbon like leaves.(邻居们拿着耙子聚集在一起，用手铲起海藻。具有讽刺意味的是，正是“拯救水晶河”——环保主义者在为海牛的濒危地位而斗争时反对的组织——带头恢复了水生植被。在州政府的资助下，“拯救水晶河”聘请了水生修复公司“海洋与海岸线”(sea&shoreline)来清除废物，并在河底重新种植大叶藻，大叶藻会长出细长的丝带状叶子)”可知，“拯救水晶河”聘请了水生修复公司来清除废物，并在河底重新种植大叶藻，大叶藻会长出细长的丝带状叶子，所以是通过改善海牛的生活环境来帮助改善海牛的濒危状况。故选D项。
4．推理判断题。根据最后一段“Instead of spending the few short winter months in Crystal River before heading back out into the Gulf of Mexico to graze, some manatees now linger here year-round, enjoying fat times. Aerial surveys from January 2022 revealed the highest number of manatees ever recorded in these waters—more than a thousand in Kings Bay alone.(一些海牛不再在水晶河度过短暂的冬季，然后返回墨西哥湾吃草，而是全年在这里逗留，享受丰美的时光。从2022年1月开始的航空调查显示，这片水域的海牛数量是有史以来最多的——仅在金斯湾就有1000多头)”可知，一些海牛不再在水晶河度过短暂的冬季，然后返回墨西哥湾吃草，而是全年在这里逗留，推知他们在海牛之都待了很长时间。故选B项。
2.（2024·山西晋中·模拟预测）
Sleep-deprived human parents know the value of a quick nap, but it turns out chinstrap penguins have us all beat. When nesting, these Antarctic birds take four-second-long “micro- sleeps”, a strategy that allows parents to keep constant watch over weak eggs and chicks, all while having 11 hours of total sleep a day, according to a new
study.
Like other penguins, chinstrap parents take turns guarding the nest. While one bird protects the chicks, the partner finds food at sea. Then the penguins trade places. For two months between egg laying and fledging(羽化) , it’s a series of nonstop demands.
To study how penguins manage to accomplish all this and get the necessary sleep, Lee, a leader researcher, first stuck biologgers, small battery-powered devices, to the backs of 14 nesting penguins of both sexes. This device functions like a smart-watch, measuring physical activity, pulse, and the ocean depths of foraging birds.
Next, the team humanely arrested each of the penguins, attaching the devices temporarily into their skull to measure brain activity. When an animal is awake, the brain constantly buzzes with activity. During sleep, however, brain waves slow down and stretch out. When Lee started reviewing the data, he was surprised to discover the birds, slept in four-second intervals throughout the day and night while looking after their eggs or chicks.
“In both humans and penguins, micro-sleeps occur during times of exhaustion, yet nesting chinstrap penguins seem to have a near-exclusive reliance on it,” Cirelli, another scientist, says. Studying sleep in natural environments is difficult, so “the simple fact that they were able to record data in these conditions is incredible. ”
While the data is convincing, Cirelli notes that the researchers only studied the penguins during nesting periods, making it impossible to tell if the birds micro-sleep when they’re not parenting. The other challenge is understanding how micro-sleep impacts the brains and bodies of the pen-guins. Sleep deprivation in humans causes a range of health problems, and it’s not clear whether penguins experience this, too.
5．When do the birds have micro-sleeps
A．When they lay eggs. B．When they hunt for food.
C．When they care for babies. D．When they exchange places.
6．What is the biologger
A．A charger. B．A smart-watch.
C．A sleep monitor D．A safety alarm.
7．What does Cirelli mean in the last but one paragraph
A．The micro-sleep study is successful. B．Chinstrap penguins sleep more than human.
C．The data from the micro-sleep study is simple. D．Chinstrap penguins rely entirely on micro-sleep.
8．What is probably continued with the text
A．Effects and occurrence of micro-sleep. B．Short-term strategies for tired bird parents.
C．Problems caused by lack of sleep in humans. D．Approaches of chinstrap penguins’ parenting.
【答案】5．C 6．C 7．D 8．A
【导语】本文是一篇说明文。本文介绍了一项新研究，发现南极栖息的带帽企鹅在孵蛋和照顾幼鸟期间会进行四秒钟的微睡，这个策略使它们能够持续看护弱小的蛋和幼仔，并每天获得11小时的总睡眠时间。
5．细节理解题。根据第一段中“When nesting, these Antarctic birds take four-second-long “micro- sleeps”, a strategy that allows parents to keep constant watch over weak eggs and chicks, all while having 11 hours of total sleep a day, according to a new study.(根据一项新的研究，这些南极鸟类在筑巢时需要4秒钟的“微睡眠”，这种策略可以让父母在每天总共有11个小时睡眠的同时，不断地照看虚弱的蛋和雏鸟。)”可知，带帽企鹅在孵蛋和照顾幼鸟期间，会进行四秒钟的微睡来保持对薄弱的蛋和幼仔的持续看护。故选C。
6．细节理解题。根据第三段中“This device functions like a smart-watch, measuring physical activity, pulse, and the ocean depths of foraging birds.(这种设备的功能类似于智能手表，可以测量觅食鸟类的身体活动、脉搏和海洋深度。)”可知，biologgers 是一种小型电池供电设备，可以测量物理活动、脉搏和觅食鸟类的海洋深度，所以它是一种用于测量睡眠的监测器。故选C。
7．推理判断题。根据倒数第二段中““In both humans and penguins, micro-sleeps occur during times of exhaustion, yet nesting chinstrap penguins seem to have a near-exclusive reliance on it,” Cirelli, another scientist, says.(另一位科学家Cirelli说:“无论是人类还是企鹅，在疲惫的时候都会有微睡眠，但筑巢的帽带企鹅似乎几乎完全依赖微睡眠。”)”可知，Cirelli认为微睡在人类和企鹅中都是在精疲力竭时发生的，但巢穴中的带帽企鹅似乎几乎完全依赖于微睡这一点。故选D。
8．推理判断题。根据最后一段中“The other challenge is understanding how micro-sleep impacts the brains and bodies of the pen-guins. Sleep deprivation in humans causes a range of health problems, and it’s not clear whether penguins experience this, too.(另一个挑战是了解微睡眠如何影响企鹅的大脑和身体。人类睡眠不足会导致一系列健康问题，目前尚不清楚企鹅是否也会出现这种情况。)”可知，此处提出微睡对企鹅的大脑和身体的影响。因此，文章可能会继续探讨微睡眠的作用和发生。故选A。
3.（2024·湖南娄底·一模）
The speedy lizard (蜥蜴) was moving quickly across the tabletop when suddenly one foot hit a slippery spot. It just made a split-second adjustment as it moved onward. Afterward, its movements, recorded with Hollywood-style motion-capture technology, were played back in slow motion.
This is the lab of Tonia Hsieh, a Temple University biologist who studies life on the move. The goal of the
lizard study is to use the animals as a model for humans, to figure out better ways to prevent falls among the aged. The scientists are using two species — the frilled dragon and the brown basilisk — that share an unusual characteristic with humans: the ability to run on two legs.
If the scientists can figure out how these lizards remain upright in different situations, they hope some of the lessons can be used to guide human treatment.
The lizards run on a tabletop covered with sandpaper except for one slippery spot in the middle: a square of poster board covered with contact paper.
In the lab recently, the scientists filmed one of the frilled dragons in action and played it back at slow speed on a computer screen, the lizard’s movements reduced to a series of colored dots on a gray background. At the moment the lizard stepped on the contact paper, its left foot slid to the side, and its upper body twisted in the opposite direction. It barely seemed to lose its balance.
Could some clue in those colored dots be used to improve stability in older adults Every year, thousands of older, adults die from injuries sustained in falls.
The work is still ongoing, but early indications are that. tendons (肌腱) in the lizards’ feet play . a key role in balance, acting as springs that counteract (抵消) small changes in the surface. It’s a valuable first line of defense that kicks in even before the brain has time to react, Hsieh said.
If the scientists can figure out what factors are most important in keeping the lizards upright, perhaps someone can work out strategies to enhance those factors in people.
“I think this is a great first step,” said Hsieh.
9．What made the scientists decide to conduct the lizard study
A．Their curiosity about running lizards.
B．Their concern for lizard conservation.
C．The characteristics of different lizards.
D．The similarity between lizards and humans.
10．Why was contact paper used in the lizard study
A．To record the lizard’s movements. B．To provide stability for the lizard.
C．To make the lizard lose its balance. D．To limit the lizard’s running speed.
11．How does Hsieh feel about the lizard study
A．It’s important for lizards. B．It has been a great success.
C．It needs more assistance. D．It shows great promise.
12．What can be a suitable title for the text
A．Running like Lizards B．Learning from Lizards
C．Keeping Your Balance D．Developing Your Potential
【答案】9．D 10．C 11．D 12．B
【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍蜥蜴在可能跌倒的情况下仍能保持身体的平衡，人类如何防跌倒方面可以从中获得启示和借鉴。
9．细节理解题。根据第二段“The goal of the lizard study is to use the animals as a model for humans, to figure out better ways to prevent falls among the aged. The scientists are using two species — the frilled dragon and the brown basilisk — that share an unusual characteristic with humans: the ability to run on two legs. (蜥蜴研究的目的是用这种动物作为人类的模型，找出更好的方法来防止老年人跌倒。科学家们使用了两种物种——褶边龙和棕色蛇怪——它们与人类有一个不同寻常的特征：用两条腿跑步的能力)”可知，对蜥蜴奔跑的好奇心促使科学家们决定对蜥蜴进行研究。故选D。
10．推理判断题。根据第四段“The lizards run on a tabletop covered with sandpaper except for one slippery spot in the middle: a square of poster board covered with contact paper. (蜥蜴在一张铺着砂纸的桌面上奔跑，除了中间有一块光滑的地方：一块贴着接触纸的方形海报板)”可推知，设置一块光滑的地方是为了观看蜥蜴怎样跌倒的。故选C。
11．推理判断题。根据最后一段“ “I think this is a great first step,” said Hsieh. (“我认为这是伟大的第一步，”Hsieh说) ”可推知，Hsieh对蜥蜴的研究抱有很大的希望。故选D。
12．主旨大意题。通读全文，尤其第三段“If the scientists can figure out how these lizards remain upright in different situations, they hope some of the lessons can be used to guide human treatment.(如果科学家们能弄清楚这些蜥蜴是如何在不同的情况下保持直立的，他们希望其中的一些经验教训可以用来指导人类的治疗)”可知，文章介绍蜥蜴在可能跌倒的情况下仍能保持身体的平衡，人类可以在防跌倒方面获得启示和借鉴。由此可知，B选项“向蜥蜴学习”符合文章大意题，适合作标题。故选B。
4.（2024·山西·模拟预测）
Crouching on all fours on Widdybank Fell in Teesdale, Margaret Bradshaw, a 97-year-old botanist, calls out the names of some rare plants. This part of the uplands is a seemingly empty landscape, heavily grazed (吃草) by sheep, but it hides botanical treasures that have been here for more than 10,000 years. Some of the plants can’t be
found anywhere else in the UK and —until Bradshaw arrived on the scene—many were unaccounted for.
Bradshaw is the chief caretaker of some of the country’s rarest flowers. She has spent seven decades studying the unique flora (植物群) of Teesdale, in the north of England. Although once they were widespread in Britain, now only a few remain, and 28 species are threatened with extinction.
Bradshaw has just written a 288-page book on the subject, Teesdale’s Special Flora: Places, Plants and People, published as part of the Princeton Wild Guides series.The Teesdale fora is celebrated because it is a mix of alpine-arctic (高寒的) flowers and southern European species; nowhere else in Britain do they all grow together.
Now, though, the area’s unique features are under threat. Bradshaw has been recording rare
plants here since the early 1950s and has witnessed great declines. Since the 1960s, plant abundance has dropped by 54%on average. Some have essentially disappeared, such as the dwarf milkwort, down by 98%, and the hoary whitlow-grass, down by 100%.
She says, “We’ve got various buildings in the country—Stonehenge, Durham Cathedral, and others; if they were falling apart, there would be groups and money helping stop it, because people would say we can’t let this happen. “These flowers’ communities are much older, and in some respects they are more beautiful.
The main reason for the decline of these plants is an unusual one—not enough sheep. The number of sheep on the areas had been reduced by half by 2000, as the uplands were generally believed to be overgrazed. Bradshaw says while some upland areas are damaged by sheep, reducing grazing on Teesdale has been devastating. Longer grass overshadows the delicate flowers, taking away the light they need to grow.
13．Why is the flora in Teesdale unique
A．It is site-specific.
B．There is a book about it.
C．It is under strict protection.
D．There are many sheep feeding on it.
14．Why are some buildings mentioned in paragraph 5
A．To recommend popular tourist attractions.
B．To recognize their historic value.
C．To draw attention to the flora in Teesdale.
D．To praise the conservation efforts.
15．What is the main threat to the flora in Teesdale
A．Overgrazing in upland areas.
B．Reduced sheep population.
C．Response to climate change.
D．Lack of enough shadows.
16．What does the underlined word “devastating” in the last paragraph mean
A．Innovative. B．Satisfying
C．Challenging D．Destructive
【答案】13．A 14．C 15．B 16．D
【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章讲述了97岁高龄的植物学家Margaret Bradshaw花费数十年研究英格兰北部Tees dale地区特有的植物群，然而这些植物群正面临灭绝的威胁。
13．推理判断题。根据第一段“Some of the plants can’t be found anywhere else in the UK (有些植物在英国其他地方是找不到的。)”及第三段中“nowhere else in Britain do they all grow together (在英国其他任何地方，它们都不会同时生长)”可知，该植物群的独特之处在于其仅存在于该地区。故选A。
14．推理判断题。根据文章第五段“She says, “We’ve got various buildings in the country—Stonehenge, Durham Cathedral, and others; if they were falling apart, there would be groups and money helping stop it, because people would say we can’t let this happen.” These flowers’ communities are much older, and in some respects they are more beautiful. ( 她说：“我们在这个国家有各种各样的建筑——巨石阵、达勒姆大教堂等等;如果他们崩溃了，就会有团体和资金来阻止它，因为人们会说我们不能让这种情况发生。”这些花卉群落更古老，在某些方面它们更美丽。)”可知，本段提到英国的一些著名建筑是为了说明如果这些建筑即将崩塌，会有团队和资金来帮助阻止这种情况的发生。而这些植物群比这些建筑更古老，却没有得到应有的关注。由此可推知，提到这些建筑物是为了引起人们对Tees dale地区植物群的关注。故选C。
15．细节理解题。根据最后一段“The main reason for the decline of these plants is an unusual one—not enough sheep. (这些植物数量减少的主要原因是一个不寻常的原因——没有足够的羊。)”可知，Tees dale地区独特的植物群面临的主要威胁是羊的数量减少。故选B。
16．词句猜测题。根据上文“The main reason for the decline of these plants is an unusual one—not enough sheep. The number of sheep on the areas had been reduced by half by 2000, as the uplands were generally believed to be overgrazed. (这些植物数量减少的主要原因是一个不寻常的原因——没有足够的羊。到2000年，这些地区的绵羊数量减少了一半，因为人们普遍认为这些高地被过度放牧。)”和下文“Longer grass overshadows the delicate flowers, taking away the light they need to grow. (较长的草遮住了娇嫩的花朵，带走了它们生长所需的阳
光。)” 可知，Tees dale独特的植物群面临的主要威胁是羊的数量减少。虽然一些高地地区被羊破坏了，但减少在Tees dale的放牧却具有破坏性。长长的草遮住了娇嫩的花朵，带走了它们生长所需要的光。因此，devastating意为“破坏性的”。故选D。
5.（2024高三下·海南·学业考试）
“A moth (飞蛾) to a flame” is often used to indicate an inescapable attraction, yet it is a strange example of animal behavior that continues to confuse people today. Scientists have raised a number of theories over the years to explain why. One holds that insects flying at night are following their nature to fly toward the brightest spot in their field of vision, which they mistake for the sky. Another suggests that insects are trying to warm themselves with the heat produced by the light. The most popular theory, though, is that insects are confusing lights with the moon or other celestial bodies (天体) that they normally use to navigate (导航).
To find out the real reason, the team carried out a first set of experiments in an insect flight area. The researchers used eight high-speed infrared (红外线) cameras equipped with motion-capture technologies to track 30 insects from three moth and two dragonfly species. They also flew lab-raised insects from six different insect orders that were too small for motion-capture technology, including fruit flies and honeybees, to make sure different insects all showed similar responses to light. Working with co-author Pablo Allen of the Council on International Educational Exchange in Monteverde, Costa Rica, the researchers put heavy cameras, lights and tripods in two field sites to gather behavioral data from insects in the wild.
The team was able to confirm that insects were not beelining to the light but rather circling it as they tilted (倾斜) in an attempt to turn their backs toward it. This behavior, known as a “dorsal light response”, normally helps insects to remain in an unchanging path of flight that is properly lined to the horizon (地平线). Artificial light that arrives from a point source causes them to fly in unpredictable patterns as they try to turn their backs to what they are mistaking for the sky.
Now research might have finally solved the mystery mentioned first: artificial light confuses insects’ ability to turn themselves to the horizon, confusing their sense of what is up and down and causing them to fly in circles.
17．Which theory about a moth to a flame is accepted by most people
A．They follow their nature to fly. B．They are blind to artificial light.
C．They mistake artificial light for celestial bodies. D．They are attracted by the warmth of artificial light.
18．What’s the author’s purpose in using the figures in paragraph 2
A．To show the study is comprehensive. B．To introduce the purpose of the study.
C．To estimate the cost of the research. D．To stress the challenge faced by the researchers.
19．What does the underlined word “beelining” in paragraph 3 probably mean
A．Flying slowly. B．Sticking. C．Responding. D．Going straight.
20．What benefit can insects get from “dorsal light response”
A．They can fly beyond the horizon. B．They can follow a steady flight path.
C．They can turn their backs toward lights. D．They can circle the light source upside down.
【答案】17．C 18．A 19．D 20．B
【导语】本文是一篇说明文。飞蛾为什么扑火？科学家发现人造光似乎将飞蛾和其他飞虫困在不稳定的飞行模式中。它们不一定被光吸引，但更有可能被困在它的光芒中。
17．细节理解题。根据第一段的“The most popular theory, though, is that insects are confusing lights with the moon or other celestial bodies (天体) that they normally use to navigate (导航).(然而，最流行的理论是，昆虫将光与它们通常用来导航的月亮或其他天体混淆了)”可知，最流行的理论是昆虫将光与它们通常用来导航的月球或其他天体混淆了。故选C。
18．推理判断题。根据第二段中“The researchers used eight high-speed infrared (红外线) cameras equipped with motion-capture technologies to track 30 insects from three moth and two dragonfly species. They also flew lab-raised insects from six different insect orders that were too small for motion-capture technology, including fruit flies and honeybees, to make sure different insects all showed similar responses to light.(研究人员使用八台配备动作捕捉技术的高速红外摄像机来追踪来自三种飞蛾和两种蜻蜓的 30 种昆虫。他们还对实验室饲养的六种不同昆虫目昆虫（包括果蝇和蜜蜂）进行了飞行，这些昆虫对于动作捕捉技术来说太小了，包括果蝇和蜜蜂，以确保不同的昆虫都对光表现出相似的反应。)”所给出的数字可推断，这些数字是为了强调此研究的涵盖面广，科学严谨。故选A。
19．词义猜测题。根据画线单词所在句子“The team was able to confirm that insects were not beelining to the light but rather circling it as they tilted (倾斜) in an attempt to turn their backs toward it.(研究小组证实，昆虫并不是beelining向光，而是在倾斜时绕着光转，试图背对着光。)”可知，昆虫是在倾斜身体试图背向光源的时候绕着光源转，由此可推知，昆虫不是直线向光飞行，划线单词意为“直线前进”。故选D。
20．细节理解题。根据第三段的“This behavior, known as a ‘dorsal light response’, normally helps insects to remain in an unchanging path of flight that is properly lined to the horizon (地平线).(这种行为被称为‘背光反应’，通常可以帮助昆虫保持在与地平线正确排列的不变的飞行路径上)”可知，背光反应有助于昆虫保持稳定的飞行路线。
故选B。
6.（23-24高三·河南·阶段练习）
When lightning caused fires around California’s Big Basin Redwoods State Park north of Santa Cruz in August 2020, the fire spread quickly. Mild fires strike coastal redwood (红杉) forests about every decade. The giant trees resist burning thanks to the bark (树皮), up to about 30 centimetres thick at the base, which contains acids. Their branches and needles are normally beyond the reach of flames. But this time flames shot through the top of 100-metre-tall trees, burning the needles. “It was shocking,” says Drew Peltier, a tree expert at Northern Arizona University. “It really seemed like most of the trees were going to die.”
Yet many of them lived. In a paper published yesterday in Nature Plants, Peltier and his colleagues help explain why: The survivors use long-held energy reserves—sugars that had been made from sunlight decades earlier—and poured them into buds (芽) that had been lying dormant (休眠的) under the bar k for centuries.
“This is one of those papers that challenges our previous knowledge on tree growth,” says Adrian Rocha, an ecosystem ecologist at the University of Notre Dame. “It is amazing to learn that carbon taken up decades ago can be used to sustain its growth into the future.” The findings suggest redwoods have the tools to cope with big fires driven by climate change, Rocha says. Still, it’s unclear whether the trees could cope with the regular infernos that might occur under a warmer climate environment.
The fire in 2020 was so intense that even the top branches of many trees burned and their ability to photosynthesize (光合作用) went up in smoke along with their pine needles. Trees photosynthesize to create sugars and other carbohydrates (碳水化合物), which provide the energy they need to grow and repair tissue. Trees do store some of this energy, which they can call on during a drought or after a fire. Although the redwoods have sprouted (长出) new growth, Peltier and other forest experts wonder how the trees will cope with far less energy from photosynthesis, given that it will be years before they grow as many needles as they had before the fire. “They’re alive, but I would be a little concerned for them in the future.”
21．What’s special about this big fire for coastal redwood forests in 2020
A．It burnt the top of the trees. B．It was very close to the last fire.
C．It resisted burning effectively. D．It caused relatively minor damage.
22．Why did redwoods survive in the big fire
A．Sugars protected their barks. B．Energy reserves promoted the growth of buds.
C．They got used to hot climate. D．They took in much carbon to resist fire.
23．What does the underlined word “infernos” in the third paragraph mean
A．Unpredictable disasters. B．Changeable climate.
C．Terrible environment. D．Uncontrollable fires.
24．Why does Peltier worry about the survival of redwoods
A．Their tissues can’t be repaired. B．They can’t save energy anymore.
C．Their energy saved is not sufficient. D．They grow too slowly.
【答案】21．A 22．B 23．D 24．C
【导语】本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了2020年8月，加州大盆地红杉州立公园周围发生严重的火灾，红杉林遭到严重破坏，但是很多红杉活了下来，因为它们使用了长期保存的能量储备——几十年前从阳光中提取的糖——并将其注人休眠的芽中，但是由于红杉的很多针叶被烧毁，光合作用受到影响，这引起了专家的担忧。
21．推理判断题。根据第一段“Mild fires strike coastal redwood forests about every decade. The giant trees resist burning thanks to the bark, up to about 30 centimetres thick at the base, which contains acids. Their branches and needles are normally beyond the reach of flames. But this time flames shot through the top of 100-metre-tall trees, burning the needles.(沿海红杉森林大约每十年发生一次轻度火灾。由于红杉下部的树皮厚达约30厘米且含有酸，大树可以在火中抗燃烧。它们的树枝和针叶通常是火焰无法触及的，但这一次，火焰穿透了100米高的树顶，点燃了针叶)”可推知，这次的大火烧了树顶。故选A。
22．细节理解题。根据第二段“Yet many of them lived. In a paper published yesterday in Nature Plants, Peltier and his colleagues help explain why: The survivors use long-held energy reserves—sugars that had been made from sunlight decades earlier—and poured them into buds (芽) that had been lying dormant (休眠的) under the bark for centuries.(然而，它们中的许多活了下来。在昨天发表在《自然植物》杂志上的一篇论文中，Peltier和他的同事解释了其中的原因：存活下来的植物利用长期储存的能量储备——几十年前从阳光中产生的糖——并将它们注入在阳光下休眠了几个世纪的花蕾中)”可知， 很多红杉活了下来， 因为它们使用了长期保存的能量储备——几十年前从阳光中提取的糖——促进了新芽的生长。故选B。
23．词义猜测题。根据划线词前文“The findings suggest redwoods have the tools to cope with big fires driven by climate change, Rocha says.( Rocha说， 研究结果表明，红杉拥有应对气候变化引发的大火的工具)”结合“Still, it’s unclear whether the trees could cope with the regular infernos that might occur under a warmer climate environment.”中的“that might occur under a warmer climate environment”是infernos的定语从句， 我们可以推
断出，气候变暖环境下可能发生定期的不可控的火灾，故infernos的意思可能是“无法控制的大火”。故选D。
24．推理判断题。根据最后一段“Although the redwoods have sprouted new growth, Peltier and other forest experts wonder how the trees will cope with far less energy from photosynthesis, given that it will be years before they grow as many needles as they had before the fire.(尽管红杉已经长出了新枝，但珀尔蒂埃和其他森林专家想知道，考虑到红杉需要数年才能长出大火前那么多的针叶，它们将如何应对光合作用产生的能量大大减少)”可推知，Peltier担心红杉的生存是因为节约的能源不够。故选C。压轴题04 阅读理解C、D篇
命题预测 分析近几年高考阅读理解C、D篇可知，高考命题中科普说明文一直都是以压轴题的形式存在，着重考查考生对于语篇的理解能力以及信息处理能力。 题材多样，语篇主要来源于英美主流报刊、杂志和网站。内容涉及科技创新发明、人工智能类、医疗健身健康类、社会与文化研究报告、观念事理类、环境与保护类、动植物研究等多种领域，具有较强的思想性、趣味性、实际功用性和较强的时代感。 从近年全国卷和各地高考试卷中科普类阅读命题的统计来看，高考阅读理解科普类文章的理论性和逻辑性强、生词多、句式结构复杂。六种命题类型都有所体现。命题尊重语篇的文体特征和行文特点，考查了考生理解说明文语篇的能力，以及灵活运用各种阅读策略提取、归纳所读信息的能力，尤其加大了对概括能力和推断能力等高阶思维能力的考查。预测2024年高考对于科普说明文的考查仍然是重点。
高频考法 推理判断题 标题归纳题 细节理解题 词义猜测题
说明文基本规律及解题要领
高考中科普类阅读理解一般不给标题，反而经常要求考生选择最佳标题。说明文一般采用如下四部分：
首段：一般即是文章的主题段，开门见山点明新发明或研究对象。
背景: 交代问题的现状或研究的起因。
主干: 部分介绍研究所取得的突破，作者往往会详细介绍研究对象、研究方法、研究理论或具体的实验、统计等过程。
结尾: 通常会再次对中心进行概括、重述研究成果、预计的市场未来等与主题呼应。
二、说明文的解题技巧
1. 运用语篇结构（text structure），了解文章大意
科普说明文主题鲜明、脉络清晰，行文结构模式较为固定。弄清文本结构有助于把握文章主旨和阅读重点。动物植物类文章多用描述法、问题与历史文化背景等方法，通过列数据、做对比等来说明动植物在不同的历史时期或地点, 数目的变化及原因、动植物的习性等。 结构上一般采用上述四个部分，说明手法上常使用以下说明方法：描述法（包括举例子、下定义、列数据等）、因果法、问题与对策法。
实验研究型文章一般会以实验的过程进展为线索，多用描述法、问题与对策法等方法，通过列数据、做对比等来说明新的科学研究发现及其产生的影响。
阅读时，首先用略读法快速浏览每段的首尾句，根据英语说明文思维模式特征，作者一般都会开门见山，直奔主题。结尾通常也是中心思想的概括，并与导语相呼应。因此在做主旨大意、写作意图和最佳标题等题目时，需要重点关注首尾段落里面高频复现的词汇和内容。
2. 定位标志词，分析长难句，进行逻辑推理判断
每一个问题，在原文中，都要有一个定位。然后精读，找出那个标志词或者中心句。根据题干要求，用查读法快速定位到相关段落。再利用标志词所提供的逻辑关系找到细节信息，如列数据、举例子、原因和结果等。如果句子成分复杂，有生词，也不要烦躁退缩，分析主句和从句或非谓语动词之间的关系，一些出现在术语、抽象概念、长难句前后的同义词、近义词等，都是用以理解文章的语境线索。通过这些对长句进行层层剖析，露出主干部分，就能明晰句意，弄懂作者的真实意图。
关注某人说到或推断观点态度题
某人说过的话，有时并不是题眼，但可以从侧面或某个角度来反映作者的观点，也就是作者想表达的，正确答案都是和这样的观点相一致的。要把握关键词，有感彩的词。
4.关注转折关系的逻辑词
说明文中常会出现表示转折意义的词，如however, but, yet,while等。这些词后面才是作者真正想表达的意思，常常会在此处命题。
5. 熟悉选项设置规律，关注细节
正确选项：文中内容的“同义替换”或者“归纳概括”。
干扰项：“张冠李戴”、“偷梁换柱”、“无中生有”和“以偏概全”四种类型。
04 动物、植物类
1.（23-24高三下·山东·阶段练习）
Manatees — often called sea cows — are an anomaly in the animal kingdom. Neither predator nor prey, these peaceable creatures, which can grow to 13 feet and weigh more than 2,000 pounds, are evolutionarily devoid of aggression. Crystal River — “Manatee Capital of the World” — is the epicenter of their presence and recovery.
Yet despite some gains, manatees still face grave threats. Three-quarters of Florida’s 22 million people live along the coast, many in prime manatee habitat, where the strain of human-presence has degraded the state’s enchanted springs, waterways, and wetlands. In Indian River Lagoon, for example, an important manatee habitat along Florida’s densely populated east coast, decades of human waste, sediment from real estate development, and fertilizers from lawns and farms have clouded the water. That has killed seagrass, manatees’ main food source there. More than a thousand manatees have died in the lagoon during the past two years.
What people don’t understand is the need to help support them in waterways. That means restoring seagrass beds and freshwater aquatic vegetation, the basis of their existence and of the overall health of Florida’s waters. Steps to reverse the damage started small. Neighbors gathered with rakes, scooping up algae by hand. Ironically, it was Save Crystal River — the group environmentalists had opposed during their fight over the manatee’s endangered status — that spearheaded the restoration of aquatic vegetation. With funding from the state government, Save Crystal River hired Sea& Shoreline, an aquatic restoration firm, to remove the waste and replant the river bottom with eelgrass, which grows long, ribbon like leaves.
While the prospect of replanting the entire river was daunting, after vacuuming more than 300 million pounds of detritus and planting some 350,000 individual eelgrass pods by hand, the groups have flipped the river back to an ecosystem no longer dominated by algae.
Instead of spending the few short winter months in Crystal River before heading back out into the Gulf of Mexico to graze, some manatees now linger here year-round, enjoying fat times. Aerial surveys from January 2022
revealed the highest number of manatees ever recorded in these waters — more than a thousand in Kings Bay alone.
1．What is a feature of manatees
A．They are gentle animals. B．They feed on small creatures.
C．They are slightly aggressive. D．They look cute for their shape.
2．What is the main reason for manatees’ decline
A．Climate change. B．Habitat loss.
C．Low food supply. D．Human activities.
3．How did Save Crystal River help improve manatees’ endangered situation
A．By removing wastes from the river.
B．By raising funds from the government.
C．By replanting algae in the river bottom.
D．By refining manatees’ living surroundings.
4．What can we learn about manatees from the last paragraph
A．They enjoy the cold winter of Mexico.
B．They remain in Manatee Capital for long.
C．They head towards the warmer waters during winter.
D．They have the largest population ever recorded globally.
2.（2024·山西晋中·模拟预测）
Sleep-deprived human parents know the value of a quick nap, but it turns out chinstrap penguins have us all beat. When nesting, these Antarctic birds take four-second-long “micro- sleeps”, a strategy that allows parents to keep constant watch over weak eggs and chicks, all while having 11 hours of total sleep a day, according to a new study.
Like other penguins, chinstrap parents take turns guarding the nest. While one bird protects the chicks, the partner finds food at sea. Then the penguins trade places. For two months between egg laying and fledging(羽化) , it’s a series of nonstop demands.
To study how penguins manage to accomplish all this and get the necessary sleep, Lee, a leader researcher, first stuck biologgers, small battery-powered devices, to the backs of 14 nesting penguins of both sexes. This
device functions like a smart-watch, measuring physical activity, pulse, and the ocean depths of foraging birds.
Next, the team humanely arrested each of the penguins, attaching the devices temporarily into their skull to measure brain activity. When an animal is awake, the brain constantly buzzes with activity. During sleep, however, brain waves slow down and stretch out. When Lee started reviewing the data, he was surprised to discover the birds, slept in four-second intervals throughout the day and night while looking after their eggs or chicks.
“In both humans and penguins, micro-sleeps occur during times of exhaustion, yet nesting chinstrap penguins seem to have a near-exclusive reliance on it,” Cirelli, another scientist, says. Studying sleep in natural environments is difficult, so “the simple fact that they were able to record data in these conditions is incredible. ”
While the data is convincing, Cirelli notes that the researchers only studied the penguins during nesting periods, making it impossible to tell if the birds micro-sleep when they’re not parenting. The other challenge is understanding how micro-sleep impacts the brains and bodies of the pen-guins. Sleep deprivation in humans causes a range of health problems, and it’s not clear whether penguins experience this, too.
5．When do the birds have micro-sleeps
A．When they lay eggs. B．When they hunt for food.
C．When they care for babies. D．When they exchange places.
6．What is the biologger
A．A charger. B．A smart-watch.
C．A sleep monitor D．A safety alarm.
7．What does Cirelli mean in the last but one paragraph
A．The micro-sleep study is successful. B．Chinstrap penguins sleep more than human.
C．The data from the micro-sleep study is simple. D．Chinstrap penguins rely entirely on micro-sleep.
8．What is probably continued with the text
A．Effects and occurrence of micro-sleep. B．Short-term strategies for tired bird parents.
C．Problems caused by lack of sleep in humans. D．Approaches of chinstrap penguins’ parenting.
3.（2024·湖南娄底·一模）
The speedy lizard (蜥蜴) was moving quickly across the tabletop when suddenly one foot hit a slippery spot. It just made a split-second adjustment as it moved onward. Afterward, its movements, recorded with Hollywood-style motion-capture technology, were played back in slow motion.
This is the lab of Tonia Hsieh, a Temple University biologist who studies life on the move. The goal of the lizard study is to use the animals as a model for humans, to figure out better ways to prevent falls among the aged. The scientists are using two species — the frilled dragon and the brown basilisk — that share an unusual characteristic with humans: the ability to run on two legs.
If the scientists can figure out how these lizards remain upright in different situations, they hope some of the lessons can be used to guide human treatment.
The lizards run on a tabletop covered with sandpaper except for one slippery spot in the middle: a square of poster board covered with contact paper.
In the lab recently, the scientists filmed one of the frilled dragons in action and played it back at slow speed on a computer screen, the lizard’s movements reduced to a series of colored dots on a gray background. At the moment the lizard stepped on the contact paper, its left foot slid to the side, and its upper body twisted in the opposite direction. It barely seemed to lose its balance.
Could some clue in those colored dots be used to improve stability in older adults Every year, thousands of older, adults die from injuries sustained in falls.
The work is still ongoing, but early indications are that. tendons (肌腱) in the lizards’ feet play . a key role in balance, acting as springs that counteract (抵消) small changes in the surface. It’s a valuable first line of defense that kicks in even before the brain has time to react, Hsieh said.
If the scientists can figure out what factors are most important in keeping the lizards upright, perhaps someone can work out strategies to enhance those factors in people.
“I think this is a great first step,” said Hsieh.
9．What made the scientists decide to conduct the lizard study
A．Their curiosity about running lizards.
B．Their concern for lizard conservation.
C．The characteristics of different lizards.
D．The similarity between lizards and humans.
10．Why was contact paper used in the lizard study
A．To record the lizard’s movements. B．To provide stability for the lizard.
C．To make the lizard lose its balance. D．To limit the lizard’s running speed.
11．How does Hsieh feel about the lizard study
A．It’s important for lizards. B．It has been a great success.
C．It needs more assistance. D．It shows great promise.
12．What can be a suitable title for the text
A．Running like Lizards B．Learning from Lizards
C．Keeping Your Balance D．Developing Your Potential
4.（2024·山西·模拟预测）
Crouching on all fours on Widdybank Fell in Teesdale, Margaret Bradshaw, a 97-year-old botanist, calls out the names of some rare plants. This part of the uplands is a seemingly empty landscape, heavily grazed (吃草) by sheep, but it hides botanical treasures that have been here for more than 10,000 years. Some of the plants can’t be found anywhere else in the UK and —until Bradshaw arrived on the scene—many were unaccounted for.
Bradshaw is the chief caretaker of some of the country’s rarest flowers. She has spent seven decades studying the unique flora (植物群) of Teesdale, in the north of England. Although once they were widespread in Britain, now only a few remain, and 28 species are threatened with extinction.
Bradshaw has just written a 288-page book on the subject, Teesdale’s Special Flora: Places, Plants and People, published as part of the Princeton Wild Guides series.The Teesdale fora is celebrated because it is a mix of alpine-arctic (高寒的) flowers and southern European species; nowhere else in Britain do they all grow together.
Now, though, the area’s unique features are under threat. Bradshaw has been recording rare
plants here since the early 1950s and has witnessed great declines. Since the 1960s, plant abundance has dropped by 54%on average. Some have essentially disappeared, such as the dwarf milkwort, down by 98%, and the hoary whitlow-grass, down by 100%.
She says, “We’ve got various buildings in the country—Stonehenge, Durham Cathedral, and others; if they were falling apart, there would be groups and money helping stop it, because people would say we can’t let this happen. “These flowers’ communities are much older, and in some respects they are more beautiful.
The main reason for the decline of these plants is an unusual one—not enough sheep. The number of sheep on the areas had been reduced by half by 2000, as the uplands were generally believed to be overgrazed. Bradshaw says while some upland areas are damaged by sheep, reducing grazing on Teesdale has been devastating. Longer grass overshadows the delicate flowers, taking away the light they need to grow.
13．Why is the flora in Teesdale unique
A．It is site-specific.
B．There is a book about it.
C．It is under strict protection.
D．There are many sheep feeding on it.
14．Why are some buildings mentioned in paragraph 5
A．To recommend popular tourist attractions.
B．To recognize their historic value.
C．To draw attention to the flora in Teesdale.
D．To praise the conservation efforts.
15．What is the main threat to the flora in Teesdale
A．Overgrazing in upland areas.
B．Reduced sheep population.
C．Response to climate change.
D．Lack of enough shadows.
16．What does the underlined word “devastating” in the last paragraph mean
A．Innovative. B．Satisfying
C．Challenging D．Destructive
5.（2024高三下·海南·学业考试）
“A moth (飞蛾) to a flame” is often used to indicate an inescapable attraction, yet it is a strange example of animal behavior that continues to confuse people today. Scientists have raised a number of theories over the years to explain why. One holds that insects flying at night are following their nature to fly toward the brightest spot in their field of vision, which they mistake for the sky. Another suggests that insects are trying to warm themselves with the heat produced by the light. The most popular theory, though, is that insects are confusing lights with the moon or other celestial bodies (天体) that they normally use to navigate (导航).
To find out the real reason, the team carried out a first set of experiments in an insect flight area. The researchers used eight high-speed infrared (红外线) cameras equipped with motion-capture technologies to track 30 insects from three moth and two dragonfly species. They also flew lab-raised insects from six different insect orders that were too small for motion-capture technology, including fruit flies and honeybees, to make sure
different insects all showed similar responses to light. Working with co-author Pablo Allen of the Council on International Educational Exchange in Monteverde, Costa Rica, the researchers put heavy cameras, lights and tripods in two field sites to gather behavioral data from insects in the wild.
The team was able to confirm that insects were not beelining to the light but rather circling it as they tilted (倾斜) in an attempt to turn their backs toward it. This behavior, known as a “dorsal light response”, normally helps insects to remain in an unchanging path of flight that is properly lined to the horizon (地平线). Artificial light that arrives from a point source causes them to fly in unpredictable patterns as they try to turn their backs to what they are mistaking for the sky.
Now research might have finally solved the mystery mentioned first: artificial light confuses insects’ ability to turn themselves to the horizon, confusing their sense of what is up and down and causing them to fly in circles.
17．Which theory about a moth to a flame is accepted by most people
A．They follow their nature to fly. B．They are blind to artificial light.
C．They mistake artificial light for celestial bodies. D．They are attracted by the warmth of artificial light.
18．What’s the author’s purpose in using the figures in paragraph 2
A．To show the study is comprehensive. B．To introduce the purpose of the study.
C．To estimate the cost of the research. D．To stress the challenge faced by the researchers.
19．What does the underlined word “beelining” in paragraph 3 probably mean
A．Flying slowly. B．Sticking. C．Responding. D．Going straight.
20．What benefit can insects get from “dorsal light response”
A．They can fly beyond the horizon. B．They can follow a steady flight path.
C．They can turn their backs toward lights. D．They can circle the light source upside down.
6.（23-24高三·河南·阶段练习）
When lightning caused fires around California’s Big Basin Redwoods State Park north of Santa Cruz in August 2020, the fire spread quickly. Mild fires strike coastal redwood (红杉) forests about every decade. The giant trees resist burning thanks to the bark (树皮), up to about 30 centimetres thick at the base, which contains acids. Their branches and needles are normally beyond the reach of flames. But this time flames shot through the top of 100-metre-tall trees, burning the needles. “It was shocking,” says Drew Peltier, a tree expert at Northern Arizona University. “It really seemed like most of the trees were going to die.”
Yet many of them lived. In a paper published yesterday in Nature Plants, Peltier and his colleagues help explain why: The survivors use long-held energy reserves—sugars that had been made from sunlight decades earlier—and poured them into buds (芽) that had been lying dormant (休眠的) under the bar k for centuries.
“This is one of those papers that challenges our previous knowledge on tree growth,” says Adrian Rocha, an ecosystem ecologist at the University of Notre Dame. “It is amazing to learn that carbon taken up decades ago can be used to sustain its growth into the future.” The findings suggest redwoods have the tools to cope with big fires driven by climate change, Rocha says. Still, it’s unclear whether the trees could cope with the regular infernos that might occur under a warmer climate environment.
The fire in 2020 was so intense that even the top branches of many trees burned and their ability to photosynthesize (光合作用) went up in smoke along with their pine needles. Trees photosynthesize to create sugars and other carbohydrates (碳水化合物), which provide the energy they need to grow and repair tissue. Trees do store some of this energy, which they can call on during a drought or after a fire. Although the redwoods have sprouted (长出) new growth, Peltier and other forest experts wonder how the trees will cope with far less energy from photosynthesis, given that it will be years before they grow as many needles as they had before the fire. “They’re alive, but I would be a little concerned for them in the future.”
21．What’s special about this big fire for coastal redwood forests in 2020
A．It burnt the top of the trees. B．It was very close to the last fire.
C．It resisted burning effectively. D．It caused relatively minor damage.
22．Why did redwoods survive in the big fire
A．Sugars protected their barks. B．Energy reserves promoted the growth of buds.
C．They got used to hot climate. D．They took in much carbon to resist fire.
23．What does the underlined word “infernos” in the third paragraph mean
A．Unpredictable disasters. B．Changeable climate.
C．Terrible environment. D．Uncontrollable fires.
24．Why does Peltier worry about the survival of redwoods
A．Their tissues can’t be repaired. B．They can’t save energy anymore.
C．Their energy saved is not sufficient. D．They grow too slowly.

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