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《备战2024年高考英语名校真题零失误规范训练》（广东专用）
专题12 阅读理解说明文最新真题模拟16篇（干货+模拟）
解析版
技能专区：冲刺备考名师提醒，洞悉高考命题规律，提供高效提分干货
一、阅读理解说明文细节理解题注意落实“定位原文”和“同义替换”技巧。
二、数据计算题注重“原文定位”和“细节理解”，弄清来龙去脉再计算。
三、重视说明文“倒三角形”结构，特别是首段和段首的独特引领作用。
四、标题概括题重视三性：概括性、简洁性和新颖性；同时联系首段和关键词。
五、说明文长难句较多增加了理解的难度，落实“括号法”，（从句）（非谓语）
（介词短语）（名词短语）。
六、规范训练目标：做标记，留痕迹；零失误；限时6分钟/每篇。
模拟专区：做好题才有好成绩！练技能，补漏洞，提分数，强信心！
（2024·广东深圳·一模）“Why does grandpa have ear hair ” Just a few years ago my child was so curious to know “why” and “how” that we had to cut off her questions five minutes before bedtime. Now a soon-to-be fourth grader, she says that she dislikes school because “it’s not fiun to learm.” I am shocked. As a scientist and parent, I have done everything I can to promote a love of learning in my children. Where did I go wrong
My child’s experience is not unique. Developmental psychologist Susan Engel notes that curiosity defined as “spontaneous (自发的)” investigation and eagerness for new information-drops dramatically in children by the fourth grade.
In Wonder: Childhood and the Lifelong Love of Science, Yale psychologist Frank C. Keil details the development of wonder — a spontaneous passion to explore, discover, and understand. He takes us on a journey from its early development, when wonder drives common sense and scientific reasoning, through the drop-off in wonder that often occurs, to the trap of life in a society that devalues wonder.
As Keil notes, children are particularly rich in wonder while they are rapidly developing causal mechanisms (因果机制) in the preschool and early elementary school years. They are sensitive to the others’ knowledge and goals, and they expertly use their desire for questioning. Children’s questions, particularly those about “why” and “how” support the development of causal mechanisms which can be used to help their day-to-day reasoning.
Unfortunately, as Keil notes, “adults greatly underestimate young children’s causal mechanisms.” In the book, Wonder, Keil shows that we can support children’s ongoing wonder by playing games with them as partners, encouraging question-asking, and focusing on their abilities to reason and conclude.
A decline in wonder is not unavoidable. Keil reminds us that we can accept wonder as a desirable positive quality that exists in everyone. I value wonder deeply, and Wonder has given me hope by proposing a future for my children that will remain wonder-full.
1. What is a common problem among fourth graders
A. They upset their parents too often. B. They ask too many strange questions.
C. Their love for fun disappears quickly. D. Their desire to learn declines sharply.
2. What can be inferred about children’s causal mechanisms in paragraph 4
A. They control children’s sensitivity. B. They slightly change in early childhood.
C. They hardly support children’s reasoning. D. They develop through children’s questioning.
3. How can parents support children’s ongoing wonder according to Keil
A. By monitoring their games. B. By welcoming inquiring minds.
C. By estimating their abilities. D. By providing reasonable conclusions.
4. What is the text
A. A book review. B. A news report. C. A research paper. D. A children’s story.
【答案】1. D 2. D 3. B 4. A
【导语】本文是一篇说明文，主要介绍的是Wonder这本书的主要内容，这本书主要分析的是为什么孩子们对外界事物的好奇会在四年级时急剧减少。
1. 推理判断题。根据第二段“Developmental psychologist Susan Engel notes that curiosity defined as “spontaneous (自发的)” investigation and eagerness for new information-drops dramatically in children by the fourth grade.(发展心理学家Susan Engel指出，到四年级时，被定义为“自发”调查的好奇心和对新信息的渴望会急剧下降。)”可知，四年级学生的常见问题是他们的学习欲望急剧下降。故选D。
2. 推理判断题。根据第四段“Children’s questions, particularly those about “why” and “how” support the development of causal mechanisms which can be used to help their day-to-day reasoning.(孩子们的问题，特别是那些关于“为什么”和“如何”的问题，支持因果机制的发展，可以用来帮助他们的日常推理。)”可知，从第4段可以推断出儿童的因果机制是通过孩子们的提问发展起来的。故选D。
3. 细节理解题。根据倒数第二段“In the book, Wonder, Keil shows that we can support children’s ongoing wonder by playing games with them as partners, encouraging question-asking, and focusing on their abilities to reason and conclude.(在Wonder这本书中，Keil告诉我们，我们可以通过和孩子们一起玩游戏，鼓励他们提问，关注他们推理和总结的能力，来支持孩子们持续的惊奇。)”可知，根据Keil的说法，父母可以通过欢迎孩子们问问题来支持孩子们不断的惊奇，故选B。
4. 推理判断题。通读全文，尤其是倒数第二段“In the book, Wonder, Keil shows that we can support children’s ongoing wonder by playing games with them as partners, encouraging question-asking, and focusing on their abilities to reason and conclude.(在Wonder这本书中，Keil告诉我们，我们可以通过和孩子们一起玩游戏，鼓励他们提问，关注他们推理和总结的能力，来支持孩子们持续的惊奇。)”可知，本文主要介绍的是Wonder这本书的主要内容，因此这本书是书评，故选A。
（2024·广东深圳·一模）Each year, the world loses about 10 million hectares of forest—an area about the size of Iceland—because of cutting down trees. At that rate, some scientists predict the world’s forests could disappear in 100 to 200 years. To handle it, now researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have pioneered a technique to generate wood-like plant materials in a lab. This makes it possible to “grow” a wooden product without cutting down trees.
In the lab, the researchers first take cells from the leaves of a young plant. These cells are cultured in liquid medium for two days, then moved to another medium which contains nutrients and two different hormones. By adjusting the hormone levels, the researchers can tune the physical and mechanical qualities of the cells. Next, the researchers use a 3D printer to shape the cell-based material, and let the shaped material grow in the dark for three months. Finally, the researchers dehydrate the material, and then evaluate its qualities.
They found that lower hormone levels lead to plant materials with more rounded, open cells of lower density, while higher hormone levels contribute to the growth of plant materials with smaller but denser cell structures. Lower or higher density of cell structures makes the plant materials softer or more rigid, helping the materials grow with different wood-like characteristics. What’s more, it’s to be noted that the research process is about 100 times faster than the time it takes for a tree to grow to maturity!
Research of this kind is ground-breaking. “This work demonstrates the great power of a technology,” says lead researcher, Jeffrey Berenstain. “The real opportunity here is to be at its best with what you use and how you use it. This technology can be tuned to meet the requirements you give about shapes, sizes, rigidity, and forms. It enables us to ‘grow’ any wooden product in a way that traditional agricultural methods can’t achieve.”
5. Why do researchers at MIT conduct the research
A. To grow more trees. B. To protect plant diversity.
C. To reduce tree losses. D. To predict forest disappearance.
6. What does paragraph 2 mainly tell us about the lab research
A. Its theoretical basis. B. Its key procedures.
C. Its scientific evidence. D. Its usual difficulties.
7. What does the finding suggest about the plant materials
A. The hormone levels affect their rigidity.
B. They are better than naturally grown plants.
C. Their cells’ shapes mainly rely on their density.
D. Their growth speed determines their characteristics.
8. Why is the research ground-breaking according to Berenstain
A. It uses new biological materials in lab experiments.
B. It revolutionizes the way to make wooden products.
C. It challenges traditional scientific theories in forestry.
D. It has a significant impact on worldwide plant growth.
【答案】5. C 6. B 7. A 8. B
【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章主要说明了为了避免砍伐树木，麻省理工学院的研究人员开创了一种技术，在实验室里生产类似木材的植物材料。解释了其实验过程以及其积极意义。
5. 细节理解题。根据第一段“Each year, the world loses about 10 million hectares of forest—an area about the size of Iceland—because of cutting down trees. At that rate, some scientists predict the world’s forests could disappear in 100 to 200 years. To handle it, now researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have pioneered a technique to generate wood-like plant materials in a lab.(每年，由于砍伐树木，世界上损失了大约1000万公顷的森林——面积约为冰岛的大小。一些科学家预测，按照这个速度，世界上的森林可能会在100到200年内消失。为了解决这个问题，麻省理工学院的研究人员开创了一种技术，在实验室里生产类似木材的植物材料)”可知，麻省理工学院的研究人员进行这项研究是为了减少树木损失。故选C。
6. 主旨大意题。根据第二段“In the lab, the researchers first take cells from the leaves of a young plant. These cells are cultured in liquid medium for two days, then moved to another medium which contains nutrients and two different hormones. By adjusting the hormone levels, the researchers can tune the physical and mechanical qualities of the cells. Next, the researchers use a 3D printer to shape the cell-based material, and let the shaped material grow in the dark for three months. Finally, the researchers dehydrate the material, and then evaluate its qualities.(在实验室里，研究人员首先从幼小植物的叶子上提取细胞。这些细胞在液体培养基中培养两天，然后转移到另一种含有营养物质和两种不同激素的培养基中。通过调节激素水平，研究人员可以调节细胞的物理和机械特性。接下来，研究人员使用3D打印机来塑造细胞基材料，并让成型的材料在黑暗中生长三个月。最后，研究人员将材料脱水，然后评估其质量)”可知，第二段主要告诉我们关于实验室研究的关键程序。故选B。
7. 细节理解题。根据第三段“They found that lower hormone levels lead to plant materials with more rounded, open cells of lower density, while higher hormone levels contribute to the growth of plant materials with smaller but denser cell structures. Lower or higher density of cell structures makes the plant materials softer or more rigid, helping the materials grow with different wood-like characteristics.(他们发现，较低的激素水平会导致植物材料的细胞更圆、更开放，密度更低，而较高的激素水平会导致植物材料的细胞结构更小，但密度更大。细胞结构的密度或高或低，使植物材料更柔软或更坚硬，帮助材料生长出不同的类木特性)”可知，激素水平影响植物材料的硬度。故选A。
8. 细节理解题。根据最后一段“This technology can be tuned to meet the requirements you give about shapes, sizes, rigidity, and forms. It enables us to ‘grow’ any wooden product in a way that traditional agricultural methods can’t achieve.(该技术可以调整以满足对形状、大小、刚性和形式的要求。它使我们能够以传统农业方法无法实现的方式“种植”任何木制品)”可知，贝伦斯坦认为这项研究具有开创性因为它革新了制作木制品的方法。故选B。
（2024·广东广州·一模）There’s a classic short story in which a young man travels years ahead and meets his future self. Narratives like this have always been related to science fiction. But what if you could meet your future self
I’m a psychologist and professor. My research over the past 15 years isn’t far from this theme. I’ve largely focused on how people think about and relate to their future selves, and explored the reasons why we have such a hard time making long-term decisions. In my research, I’ve learnt that we often imagine our future selves like strangers, which can impede us in making long-term choices. One way to bridge the emotional gap is to think of future selves in more concrete and vivid ways, like writing letters to and from one’s future self, which can strengthen the connection between current and future selves.
Admittedly, having people engage in an imagined conversation is a far cry from actually meeting one’s future self. But it’s believed that far richer interactions may happen in the near future through artificial intelligence (AI). It wouldn’t be predicting exactly what choices you’d make. It’d be more about showing your potential, based on the lives of people similar to you: not just one possible life for you, but rather, the most possible life path for you. Such interactions could offer valuable insights into our potential future selves.
So, to return to my original question: if you could time-travel to meet your future self, what aspects of your life would you want to know more about I realized, through thorough reflections, that the most powerful questions would be ones that helped me make better choices today —questions exploring personal growth, regrets and unfulfilled actions.
Actually, you don’t need to wait for time travel or advanced AI for answers that you can act on. Through my research, I’ve learnt that simply taking a bit of time to picture this meeting can help you make better choices now. All you need is a little imagination, and the willingness to put yourself in the shoes of a person you currently treat as a stranger.
9. Why is it difficult for people to make long-term decisions according to the author
A. Technology for time travel is not available.
B. Strangers cannot help with decision-making.
C. Writing letters to one’s future self is impractical.
D. People find it hard to connect with their distant selves.
10. What does the underlined phrase “a far cry from” mean in paragraph 3
A. contradictory to B. very different from
C. not as convenient as D. less popular than
11. Which question would the author most likely ask his future self
A. Why hasn’t my hard work ever paid off
B. What can AI do to help people become better persons
C. If given the chance, what would you have done differently
D. How can I succeed without going through all the difficulties in life
12. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text
A. Time travel: What if you met your future self
B. My research: How do people view their future selves
C. Emotional gap: Why can’t we talk with our future selves
D. Artificial intelligence: Is it possible to meet your future self
【答案】9. D 10. B 11. C 12. A
【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章主要说明了人们很难做出长期的决定因为人们发现很难与遥远的自己联系起来，指出让人们参与想象中的对话与真正见到未来的自己相去甚远。建议人们花一点时间想象一下这次会面，就能帮助你现在做出更好的选择。
9. 细节理解题。根据第二段“I’ve largely focused on how people think about and relate to their future selves, and explored the reasons why we have such a hard time making long-term decisions. In my research, I’ve learnt that we often imagine our future selves like strangers, which can impede us in making long-term choices.(我主要关注的是人们如何思考和联系他们未来的自己，并探讨了我们很难做出长期决定的原因。在我的研究中，我了解到我们经常把未来的自己想象成陌生人，这可能会阻碍我们做出长期的选择)”可知，人们很难做出长期的决定因为人们发现很难与遥远的自己联系起来。故选D。
10. 词句猜测题。根据第二段“In my research, I’ve learnt that we often imagine our future selves like strangers, which can impede us in making long-term choices.(在我的研究中，我了解到我们经常把未来的自己想象成陌生人，这可能会阻碍我们做出长期的选择)”；划线词上文“having people engage in an imagined conversation”以及后文“actually meeting one’s future self”可知，人们发现很难与遥远的自己联系起来，即让人们参与想象中的对话与真正见到未来的自己是非常不同的情况。故划线词意思是“与……非常不同”，故选B。
11. 细节理解题。根据倒数第二段“I realized, through thorough reflections, that the most powerful questions would be ones that helped me make better choices today —questions exploring personal growth, regrets and unfulfilled actions.(经过深思熟虑，我意识到，最有影响力的问题应该是那些帮助我今天做出更好选择的问题——那些探讨个人成长、遗憾和未实现的行为的问题)”可知，作者最有可能问未来的自己：如果有机会，你会做些什么不同的事？故选C。
12. 主旨大意题。根据第一段“There’s a classic short story in which a young man travels years ahead and meets his future self. Narratives like this have always been related to science fiction. But what if you could meet your future self (有一个经典的短篇故事，讲的是一个年轻人在多年前旅行，遇到了未来的自己。这样的叙事总是与科幻小说有关。但如果你能见到未来的自己呢？)”结合文章主要说明了人们很难做出长期的决定因为人们发现很难与遥远的自己联系起来，指出让人们参与想象中的对话与真正见到未来的自己相去甚远。建议人们花一点时间想象一下这次会面，就能帮助你现在做出更好的选择。可知，A选项“时间旅行：如果你遇到了未来的自己该怎么办？”最符合文章标题。故选A。
（2024·广东广州·一模）When adult humans meet a baby, many can’t help speaking in a higher-pitched (更高音的), sing-song y voice. This shift, known as parentese, is not unique to humans — it has also been observed in animals like monkeys and gorillas. Now, scientists are adding one more species to that list: bottlenose dolphins.
Dolphins are intelligent animals that live and hunt in groups. They communicate in a unique way: every individual produces its own signature sound that acts much like an ID card, usually by its first birthday. But how does each come up with its distinctive whistle For babies, it might have something to do with listening to Mum. To solve this mystery, researchers examined the sounds mother dolphins, make.
Scientists studied 34 years’ worth of recordings of sounds made by 19 female bottlenose dolphins. When the mother dolphins were near their young, they continued to make their signature sound, but at a higher frequency. They also used a wider range of frequencies than they did when their babies were not nearby.
This discovery suggests that using these modifications mother dolphins assist their young in learning how to produce these calls themselves. Since dolphin babies often spend some years with their mothers before living on their own, it makes sense that this adaptation would help them learn to communicate. At the very least, the higher-pitched whistle likely gets the babies’ attention. “It’s important for a baby to know,’ Oh, Mum’s talking to me now,’” says marine biologist June Mann.
This kind of research could help us understand how language developed in humans. “It is absolutely essential to have basic knowledge about other species and how they communicate,” says Mann. “I would be really interested to see whether dolphins also change their sounds when interacting with babies of others, which is what happens in humans.”
13. What do the underlined words “this mystery ”refer to in paragraph 2
A. Why dolphins live and play in groups.
B. How dolphins develop their unique sounds.
C. What aspects of intelligence dolphins possess.
D. Whether dolphins can use parentese like humans.
14. How did the researchers carry out their study of dolphins
A. By analyzing mother dolphins’ sound features.
B. By recording parent-child interaction frequency.
C. By measuring the distance between parent and child.
D. By examining the speech organs of mother dolphins.
15. What is a suggested reason why dolphin mothers use parentese with their young
A. To help them learn to talk. B. To teach them hunting skills.
C. To express worry and care. D. To distract their attention.
16. What is the purpose of the text
A. To compare the parentese of humans and dolphins.
B. To illustrate the development of dolphin intelligence.
C. To share new findings about dolphin communication.
D. To highlight the value of studying dolphins’ language.
【答案】13. B 14. A 15. A 16. C
【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章主要说明了海豚妈妈通过教授幼崽使用独特的声音来教会幼崽说话。文章解释了研究开展的经过以及研究的意义。
13. 词句猜测题。根据划线词上文“But how does each come up with its distinctive whistle For babies, it might have something to do with listening to Mum. To solve”以及后文“researchers examined the sounds mother dolphins, make.”可知，海豚发出独特的声音与听到海豚妈妈的声音有关，所以为了解“海豚如何发出独特的声音”这个谜团，研究人员检查了海豚妈妈发出的声音。故划线词指的是“海豚如何发出独特的声音”。故选B。
14. 推理判断题。根据第三段“Scientists studied 34 years’ worth of recordings of sounds made by 19 female bottlenose dolphins.(科学家们研究了19只雌性宽吻海豚34年来的声音记录)”可知，研究人员通过分析母海豚的声音特征对海豚进行研究。故选A。
15. 细节理解题。根据倒数第二段“This discovery suggests that using these modifications mother dolphins assist their young in learning how to produce these calls themselves.(这一发现表明，利用这些变化，海豚妈妈帮助它们的孩子学习如何自己发出这些叫声)”可知，海豚妈妈对幼崽使用父母语的原因是帮助他们学会说话。故选A。
16. 推理判断题。根据第一段“When adult humans meet a baby, many can’t help speaking in a higher-pitched (更高音的), sing-song y voice. This shift, known as parentese, is not unique to humans — it has also been observed in animals like monkeys and gorillas. Now, scientists are adding one more species to that list: bottlenose dolphins.(当成年人遇到婴儿时，许多人会情不自禁地用一种高亢的歌声说话。这种被称为“父母性”的转变并不是人类独有的，猴子和大猩猩等动物也有这种现象。现在，科学家们又增加了一个物种：宽吻海豚)”结合文章主要说明了海豚妈妈通过教授幼崽使用独特的声音来教会幼崽说话。文章解释了研究开展的经过以及研究的意义。可知，文章的目的是分享海豚交流的新发现。故选C。
（2024·广东·一模）We learn about the world through the knowledge accumulated over thousands of years. standing on the shoulders of great men, we don’t have to experience endless trial and error, just as the wheels do not have to be reinvented each time to run a car. But where does our ability to learn from others come from
A study led by Markus Paulus, professor at Loyola Marymount University, shows that the ability has its roots in earliest childhood. “It’s generally assumed that children’s ability to imitate (模仿) is inborn, but according to our observation, children imitate because they themselves are imitated by caregivers. This interaction enables a cultural transfer of knowledge, which, through generations’ efforts, consequently leads to the development of human beings,” says Markus Paulus.
In this research, Paulus recorded the interaction between mother and child over several months. The babies came into the lab for the first time at the age of6 months , while their final visit was when they were18 months old. As they engaged in various play situations , the interactions and imitations of mother and child were analyzed. The long-term study showed that the more sensitive a mother was in her interactions with her six- month-old child and the more often she imitated the baby, the greater the child’s overall ability was at the age of18 months.
Paulus’ research shows that mutual imitation is the keystone of knowledge transfer , through which children successfully learn various skills, such as how to use objects , waving and acquisition of language. “This interaction is the nucleus of learning and, finally, gives rise to evolutionary success of human,” says Paulus.
“Cultural learning is an essential part of human evolution, and it is rooted in the imitation of others, particularly our caregivers during our earliest childhood,” says Paulus. “Through this, we learn from each other and pass on knowledge to the next generation, so certain actions or techniques do not have to be constantly invented again. ”
17. Why does the author mention the example of wheels
A. To praise the invention of car wheels. B. To describe the process of trial and error.
C. To emphasize the necessity of new tools. D. To show the importance of prior knowledge.
18. What can we learn about Paulus’ research
A. Children’s imitation was recorded by mothers.
B. Sensitive mothers encouraged children’s imitation.
C. Children’s ability was analyzed through interaction.
D. Effective interaction promoted children’s development.
19. What does the underlined word “nucleus” mean in paragraph 4
A. Core. B. Result. C. Aim. D. Content.
20. Which of the following can be the best title for the text
A. Why does Evolution Matter B. How to Interact with Children
C. Imitation: The Engine of Evolution D. Cultural Learning: The Root of Imitation
【答案】17. D 18. D 19. A 20. C
【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章介绍了模仿对于人际互动，学习和人类文明演进的重要性。
17. 推理判断题。根据第一段“We learn about the world through the knowledge accumulated over thousands of years. standing on the shoulders of great men, we don’t have to experience endless trial and error, just as the wheels do not have to be reinvented each time to run a car. But where does our ability to learn from others come from (我们通过几千年积累的知识来了解世界。站在伟人的肩膀上，我们不必经历无尽的尝试和错误，就像汽车的轮子不必每次都重新发明一样。但是我们向别人学习的能力从何而来呢？)”和第二段“It’s generally assumed that children’s ability to imitate (模仿) is inborn, but according to our observation, children imitate because they themselves are imitated by caregivers. This interaction enables a cultural transfer of knowledge, which, through generations’ efforts, consequently leads to the development of human beings(人们通常认为孩子的模仿能力是天生的，但根据我们的观察，孩子模仿是因为他们自己被照顾者模仿。这种相互作用使知识的文化转移成为可能，通过几代人的努力，知识的文化转移最终导致了人类的发展)”可推知，作者提到轮子的例子是为了强调先前知识的重要性。正是站在巨人的肩膀上，我们不必再重新进行研究和试验。故选D。
18. 细节理解题。根据第三段“The long-term study showed that the more sensitive a mother was in her interactions with her six- month-old child and the more often she imitated the baby, the greater the child’s overall ability was at the age of18 months.(这项长期研究表明，母亲在与6个月大的孩子互动时越敏感，她模仿孩子的次数越多，孩子在18个月大时的整体能力就越强)”可知，Paulus的研究表明，妈妈越频繁地模仿孩子，孩子的发育水平越好。因此可知，有效的互动促进了孩子们的发展。故选D。
19. 词义猜测题。根据划线词下文“of learning and, finally, gives rise to evolutionary success of human”可知，这种相互作用最终导致了人类进化的成功，说明是学习的核心，故划线词意思是“核心”。故选A。
20. 主旨大意题。根据最后一段““Cultural learning is an essential part of human evolution, and it is rooted in the imitation of others, particularly our caregivers during our earliest childhood,” says Paulus. “Through this, we learn from each other and pass on knowledge to the next generation, so certain actions or techniques do not have to be constantly invented again.”(“文化学习是人类进化的重要组成部分，它植根于对他人的模仿，尤其是我们童年早期的照顾者，”保卢斯说。“通过这种方式，我们相互学习，并将知识传授给下一代，因此某些动作或技术不必不断地重新发明。”)”结合文章主要讲述了模仿在人类进化中的重要性，强调了模仿对于人类进化的推动作用。因此，最佳标题应该是“模仿：进化的引擎”。故选C。
（2024·广东江门·一模）Demographic changes, such as aging populations and declining birth rates, pose challenges as well as offer opportunities for industries and countries. To overcome the challenges and seize the opportunities, especially to achieve long-term economic sustainability, economies need to enhance policies promoting innovations.
Now many countries in East Asia are facing the aging population and declining working-age population pared with other advanced countries, Japan encountered the population aging problem at a slightly earlier stage, starting in the mid-1990s. As Japan’s percentage of elderly population to the total population increased, it impacted the country’s economy, leading to a contraction in domestic demand and decline in both production and consumption, and restricting the growth of economy.
Some innovative companies have actively increased outward FDI (Foreign Direct Investment), providing cost advantages from inexpensive overseas labor to maintain their cost competitiveness. However, the global economy is facing the challenge of declining trade owing to the protectionism practiced by certain countries. Consequently, the chances of boosting growth through outward FDI may be limited.
Developing artificial intelligence is another solution to the negative impacts of the demographic changes. AI and robotics will play a crucial role in stimulating productivity and innovation by making payment for the decline in the working-age population, and the following increase in productivity will in turn raise the demand for labor by creating new employment opportunities.
AI, robotics and other advanced technologies give rise to new tasks within their fields and across other sectors. Therefore, it is necessary to employ cooperation policies to support corporations that promote innovations by increasing investment in research and development, facilitating the growth of new companies, and building a perfect system to protect intellectual properties. Since AI and robotics may replace certain jobs, it is essential to address the potential challenges they may create in the labor market and work out strategies to ensure a balanced and comprehensive transition.
21. What do we know about demographic changes from the first two paragraphs
A. There is no need to worry since the changes offer opportunities.
B. The changes won’t affect the long-term economic sustainability.
C. Japan is the only advanced country facing the changes at present.
D. Things should be done to overcome the challenges posed by the changes.
22. What does the underlined word “contraction” mean in the second paragraph
A. Push. B. Decrease. C. Pause. D. Change.
23. What is the writer’s attitude to FDI
A. Favorable. B. Intolerant. C. Objective. D. Indifferent.
24. What does the writer advise to tackle the new tasks posed by advanced technologies
A. Withdrawing investment in research and development.
B. Adopting policies that encourage innovation of corporations.
C. Establishing new companies to protect intellectual properties.
D. Creating potential labor market for more possible employments.
【答案】21. D 22. B 23. C 24. B
【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章阐述了现在很多国家面临人口结构失衡的现象，它们把解决问题的方法投向了人工智能领域。作者呼吁各国政府要出台相应政策支持人工智能的开发，同时也要关注它可能带来的负面影响。
21. 细节理解题。根据第一段“To overcome the challenges and seize the opportunities, especially to achieve long-term economic sustainability, economies need to enhance policies promoting innovations.(为克服挑战、抓住机遇，特别是实现经济的长期可持续性，各经济体需要加强促进创新的政策)”可知，我们应该采取措施来克服人口变化带来的挑战。故选D。
22. 词句猜测题。根据划线词上文“As Japan’s percentage of elderly population to the total population increased, it impacted the country’s economy”以及后文“in domestic demand and decline in both production and consumption, and restricting the growth of economy”可知，随着日本老龄人口比例的上升，国家经济受到影响，国内需求“减少”，从而导致生产力和消费下降，经济的增长也受到约束，故划线词意思是“减少”。故选B。
23. 推理判断题。根据第三段“Some innovative companies have actively increased outward FDI(Foreign Direct Investment), providing cost advantages from inexpensive overseas labor to maintain their cost competitiveness. However, the global economy is facing the challenge of declining trade owing to the protectionism practiced by certain countries. Consequently, the chances of boosting growth through outward FDI may be limited.(一些创新型企业积极增加对外直接投资（FDI），利用海外廉价劳动力的成本优势保持成本竞争力。然而，由于某些国家实行保护主义，全球经济正面临贸易下降的挑战。因此，通过对外直接投资促进增长的机会可能有限)”可推知，作者分别提到了FDI的优点和缺点，即对FDI的态度是客观的。故选C。
24. 细节理解题。根据最后一段“Therefore, it is necessary to employ cooperation policies to support corporations that promote innovations by increasing investment in research and development, facilitating the growth of new companies, and building a perfect system to protect intellectual properties.(因此，有必要通过加大研发投入、促进新企业成长、建立完善的知识产权保护制度等合作政策，支持推动创新的企业)”可知，作者建议采取鼓励企业创新的政策来应对先进技术带来的新任务。故选B。
（2024·广东江门·一模）Figuring out biodiversity patterns and detecting rare or just-good-at-hiding species has long posed challenges for ecosystem monitoring and conservation efforts. Traditional survey methods are labor intensive and cover limited areas. Now, emerging environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques open new possibilities.
Scientists collect water or soil samples from an environment and extract (提取) any DNA traces left behind by organisms. This is the environmental DNA (eDNA). They then use one of the two analysis methods — quantitative PCR (qPCR) or DNA sequencing (DNA 测序). Similar to COVID tests, qPCR is used to detect if a specific species’ DNA is in the sample. For example, researchers tested river water eDNA to see if endangered fish X was present. When it was detected, they confirmed that the fish lived in that river without directly seeing it. DNA sequencing analyzes all DNA in the sample at once. Scientists can then match the DNA barcodes to databases to identify which species were in the sampled environment.
Although eDNA sampling cannot identify new species or those only known from photos and videos if they are not already listed in the reference databases, the real power of it lies in its ability to capture a wide range of organisms. With just one sample, scientists can detect all kinds of living things, from bacteria to whales, in almost any environment where life exists, including the deep sea and underground caves. One of the most significant advantages of eDNA sampling is that it allows scientists to detect species that are difficult to see or capture. This is particularly useful when studying rare or very small species, or when working in environments like dark water where visibility is limited.
This is just the start. Imagine a future where eDNA data could be collected from the most remote oceans by autonomous vehicles, analyzed by the drone or on board a research vessel (船舰), and integrated with other monitoring data so marine managers and the public can see near-real-time data about the condition of the ocean. Science fiction Not any more.
25. What’s the author’s purpose of mentioning the example in Paragraph 2
A. To explain the process of qPCR analysis method.
B. To introduce the definition of environmental DNA.
C. To tell the difference between two analysis methods.
D. To show the similarity between qPCR and COVID tests.
26. What’s the advantage of eDNA sampling
A. It can detect species from photos and videos.
B. It can help scientists capture endangered species.
C. It enables scientists to work in invisible environment.
D. It can identify any living creature with a sample of it.
27. What could eDNA data be applied to in the future
A. Studying microbial communities. B. Analyzing diversity changes over time.
C. Collecting species in new environments. D. Offering statistics for ocean supervision.
28. What’s the main idea of the text
A. Scientists have made a breakthrough in undersea research.
B. Rare species have been discovered with two analysis methods.
C. New biodiversity monitoring techniques are around the corner.
D. Traditional survey methods are abandoned for their shortcomings.
【答案】25. A 26. D 27. D 28. C
【导语】这是一篇说明文。新的生物多样性监测技术——环境DNA (eDNA)技术即将问世，文章对其进行了介绍。
25. 推理判断题。根据第二段“They then use one of the two analysis methods — quantitative PCR (qPCR) or DNA sequencing (DNA 测序 ). Similar to COVID tests, qPCR is used to detect if a specific species’ DNA is in the sample. For example, researchers tested river water eDNA to see if endangered fish X was present. When it was detected, they confirmed that the fish lived in that river without directly seeing it.(然后他们使用两种分析方法中的一种——定量PCR (qPCR)或DNA测序(DNA测序)。与COVID测试类似，qPCR用于检测样品中是否存在特定物种的DNA。例如，研究人员测试了河水的eDNA，看看是否存在濒危鱼类X。当它被发现时，他们没有直接看到它就能确认鱼生活在那条河里。)”可知，作者在第二段提到这个例子的目的是说明qPCR分析方法的过程。故选A。
26. 细节理解题。根据第三段前两句“Although eDNA sampling cannot identify new species or those only known from photos and videos if they are not already listed in the reference databases, the real power of it lies in its ability to capture a wide range of organisms. With just one sample, scientists can detect all kinds of living things, from bacteria to whales, in almost any environment where life exists, including the deep sea and underground caves.(虽然eDNA采样不能识别新物种，或者那些只从照片和视频中知道的物种，如果它们没有被列入参考数据库，但它的真正力量在于它能够捕获范围广泛的生物。只需一个样本，科学家就可以在几乎任何有生命存在的环境中探测到各种生物，从细菌到鲸鱼，包括深海和地下洞穴。)”可知，eDNA取样的优势是它可以用它的样本识别任何生物。故选D。
27. 细节理解题。根据最后一段第二句“Imagine a future where eDNA data could be collected from the most remote oceans by autonomous vehicles, analyzed by the drone or on board a research vessel (船舰), and integrated with other monitoring data so marine managers and the public can see near-real-time data about the condition of the ocean.(想象一下，未来eDNA数据可以由自动驾驶车辆从最偏远的海洋收集，由无人机或研究船上进行分析，并与其他监测数据相结合，这样海洋管理者和公众就可以看到有关海洋状况的近实时数据。)”可知，eDNA数据在未来可以应用于为海洋监管提供统计数据。故选D。
28. 主旨大意题。根据第一段“Figuring out biodiversity patterns and detecting rare or just-good-at-hiding species has long posed challenges for ecosystem monitoring and conservation efforts. Traditional survey methods are labor intensive and cover limited areas. Now, emerging environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques open new possibilities.(长期以来，弄清楚生物多样性的模式，探测稀有或善于隐藏的物种，一直是生态系统监测和保护工作的挑战。传统的调查方法是劳动密集型的，覆盖范围有限。现在，新兴的环境DNA (eDNA)技术开启了新的可能性。)”可知，文章主要是讲新的生物多样性监测技术即将问世。故选C。
（2024·广东佛山·二模）Curiosity — the desire to know, to discover, to learn. Inspired by curiosity, humans are found everywhere on our planet, and beyond it in space. Yet according to human behaviourist and author of Curious, Ian Leslie, although we are all born curious, not all of us bring this into adulthood, and we can lose out as a result.
As Leslie explains, curiosity shapes us from the start. By trying new things, we build knowledge, and want to know more. “We are born aware that we don’t know stuff — we want to experience and discover.” However, the contrast between childhood and adulthood is clear. “We ask 40,000 questions a year between the ages of two and five,” says Leslie — around 110 each day; adults, in comparison, ask just 20.
As we get older, we may feel hesitant about asking questions, believing this reveals gaps in our knowledge. We can become scared to share unconventional ideas for fear of criticism or misunderstanding. We can also be a victim of our success, as Leslie explains. “Once you’ve worked out how to do your job, then you don’t feel curious anymore. The need to learn goes away — in a way, curiosity has done its job. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t cultivate it.”
Leslie’s tips for cultivating curiosity begin with spending time with the experts — children. “Talk to your kids, and try to answer those weird, difficult questions they have — like ‘What is air ’ This makes you think about things you’ve taken for granted — it reawakens your curiosity in what’s around us and how we perceive the world.”
So does finding what Leslie calls an ‘informal mentor’, through work or other circles, who is happy to share their expertise, from a skill, technology, to a field of learning. “Try to think of people the way children think of adults — as sources of secret knowledge, a great store of learning you can tap into,” says Leslie.
Leslie also suggests creating a ‘spark file’ — a digital or physical notebook in which you collect interesting thoughts. “Fill it with facts you’ve come across, sentences you like, insights that strike you. Let it be random. And let it build. Over time you’ll build up a rich source of inspiration, and you’ll think, ‘Oh that’s interesting, that relates to this…’ And suddenly your mind starts firing away with new ideas and ways of thinking.”
29. According to Leslie, what happens as we get older
A. We gradually lose our natural curiosity.
B. We are less aware of our knowledge gaps.
C. We are unwilling to let others benefit from our ideas.
D. We may think asking questions makes people foolish.
30. Which of the following sayings might Leslie agree with
A. A day’s planning is best done at daybreak.
B. In the eyes of a lover, Xi Shi will appear.
C. A master can lead you to the door, but the rest is up to you.
D. When three people walk together, one can surely be my teacher.
31. Which of the following is a characteristic of a ‘spark file’
A. It is carefully organized. B. It can help people connect ideas.
C. It only contains complete sentences. D. It can help people improve their memory.
32. What is the writer’s aim in this passage
A. To prove Ian Leslie’s arguments. B. To summarise Ian Leslie’s viewpoint.
C. To question Ian Leslie’s conclusions. D. To introduce Ian Leslie’s achievements.
【答案】29. A 30. D 31. B 32. B
【导语】
这是一篇说明文，文章介绍了人类行为学家Ian Leslie关于好奇心的观点及如何培养好奇心的研究。
29. 细节理解题。根据文章第三段“As we get older, we may feel hesitant about asking questions, believing this reveals gaps in our knowledge. We can become scared to share unconventional ideas for fear of criticism or misunderstanding. We can also be a victim of our success, as Leslie explains. “Once you’ve worked out how to do your job, then you don’t feel curious anymore. The need to learn goes away — in a way, curiosity has done its job. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t cultivate it.”( 随着年龄的增长，我们可能会对提问感到犹豫，认为这暴露了我们知识上的差距。我们可能会因为害怕批评或误解而变得害怕分享非传统的想法。正如莱斯利解释的那样，我们也可能成为成功的受害者。“一旦你弄清楚了如何做你的工作，你就不会再感到好奇了。学习的需要消失了——在某种程度上，好奇心已经完成了它的工作。但这并不意味着你不应该培养它。”)”可推知，Leslie认为，随着年龄的增长我们可能会逐渐失去天生的好奇心。故选A。
30. 推理判断题。根据第四段内容，结合本段中“Leslie’s tips for cultivating curiosity begin with spending time with the experts — children.( Leslie培养好奇心的建议是从花时间和专家——孩子们——在一起开始的)”及“This makes you think about things you’ve taken for granted — it reawakens your curiosity in what’s around us and how we perceive the world.(这会让你思考你认为理所当然的事情——它会重新唤醒你对我们周围的事物以及我们如何看待世界的好奇心)”可知，Leslie建议和孩子们在一起来培养好奇心，由此可推知他会同意D项观点“三人行，必有我师”。故选D。
31. 细节理解题。根据最后一段首句“Leslie also suggests creating a ‘spark file’ — a digital or physical notebook in which you collect interesting thoughts.(Leslie还建议创建一个‘火花文件’——一个可以收集有趣想法的电子或实体笔记本)”及“Over time you’ll build up a rich source of inspiration, and you’ll think, ‘Oh that’s interesting, that relates to this…’(随着时间的推移，你会建立一个丰富的灵感来源，你会想，‘哦，这很有趣，这和这个有关……’)”可知，“火花文件”可以帮助人们把想法联系起来。故选B。
32. 推理判断题。通读全文，结合第一段最后一句“Yet according to human behaviourist and author of Curious, Ian Leslie, although we are all born curious, not all of us bring this into adulthood, and we can lose out as a result.(然而，根据人类行为学家、《好奇》一书的作者Ian Leslie的说法，尽管我们生来就有好奇心，但并不是所有人都会在成年后变得好奇，因此我们可能会因此而失败)”可知，本文主要介绍了Ian Leslie关于好奇心的观点。故作者的目的是总结他的观点。故选B。
（2024·广东湛江·一模）For the history of life on Earth, organisms have relied on the light of the sun, moon, and stars to find their way and schedule their lives. While the beginning of electric lighting in the late 19th century may have benefited humans, it has caused problems in the natural world. Among the impacts of artificial light at night(ALAN), light pollution lures migrating birds to cities with shocking consequences, contributes to the alarming decline in insect populations, and convinces sea turtle babies to amble(缓行)away from the water instead of towards it.
Now, a new study from the University of Plymouth adds another disappointing finding about how ALAN is affecting the creatures with whom we share the planet: Light pollution from coastal cities can trick corals(珊瑚)into reproducing outside of the optimum times when they would normally reproduce.
Using a combination of light pollution data and spawning(产卵)observations, researchers were able to show for the first time that corals exposed to ALAN are spawning one to three days earlier and closer to the full moon compared to those on unlit corals. “That shift may reduce the survival and fertilization success of gametes(配子)and genetic connectivity between nearby lit and unlit coral systems,” they explain.
“Corals are among the most biodiverse, economically important, and threatened ecosystems on the planet,” write the authors of the study.
“Climate change has led to mass bleaching(褪色)events. Habitat destruction, fisheries, and pollution have reduced corals substantially since the 1950s,” they write, adding, “The complete loss of corals is anticipated over the next 100 years.”
If we want to reduce the harm ALAN is causing, we could perhaps look to delay the switching-on of night-time lighting in coastal regions to ensure the natural dark period between sunset and moonrise when coral reproduction remains undisturbed.
33. Why is the first paragraph written
A. To present the topic of the text. B. To advocate energy conservation.
C. To explain a natural phenomenon. D. To provide background information.
34. What does the underlined word “optimum” in paragraph 2 mean
A. Possible. B. Appropriate. C. Flexible. D. Sensitive.
35. What is the researchers’ major concern over corals
A. Extinction. B. Losing value.
C. Terrible diseases. D. Exposure to moonlight.
36. What can be a suitable title for the text
A. Creatures Rely on Natural Lights to Schedule Their Life
B. Night-time Lighting Shortens Natural Dark Period
C. Coastal Lights Trick Corals into Early Spawning
D. Light Pollution Leads to Serious Consequences
【答案】33. D 34. B 35. A 36. C
【导语】
本文是说明文。文章主要介绍了海滨城市的照明对珊瑚的影响。这些照明产生的光会使珊瑚比不受光污染的珊瑚产卵早，从而对其产生不利影响。
33. 推理判断题。根据第一段内容“For the history of life on Earth, organisms have relied on the light of the sun, moon, and stars to find their way and schedule their lives. While the beginning of electric lighting in the late 19th century may have benefited humans, it has caused problems in the natural world. Among the impacts of artificial light at night(ALAN), light pollution lures migrating birds to cities with shocking consequences, contributes to the alarming decline in insect populations, and convinces sea turtle babies to amble(缓行)away from the water instead of towards it.(在地球上生命的历史中，生物一直依靠太阳、月亮和星星的光来找到自己的路，安排自己的生活。虽然19世纪末开始的电灯可能给人类带来了好处，但它也给自然界带来了问题。在夜间人造光(ALAN)的影响中，光污染将候鸟吸引到城市，带来令人震惊的后果，导致昆虫数量惊人的下降，并使海龟宝宝远离水而不是靠近水。)”可知，文章第一段介绍了始于 19 世末的人造光源对自然产生的不好的影响，结合第二段“Now, a new study from the University of Plymouth adds another disappointing finding about how ALAN is affecting the creatures with whom we share the planet: Light pollution from coastal cities can trick corals(珊瑚)into reproducing outside of the optimum times when they would normally reproduce.(现在，普利茅斯大学的一项新研究增加了另一个令人失望的发现，即ALAN如何影响与我们共享地球的生物：沿海城市的光污染会诱使珊瑚在正常繁殖的最佳时间之外繁殖。)”讲述文章主题是阐述人造光对于珊瑚的危害可推断，第一段的目的是提出提供了背景信息。故选D。
34. 词句猜测题。分析句子可知，后面的定语从句“when they would normally reproduce(当它们正常繁殖的时候)”修饰the optimum time可知“the optimum times”指的是“珊瑚正常的繁殖时间”，所以画线词与appropriate“合适的，恰当的”。故选B。
35. 细节理解题。根据文章倒数第二段中“The complete loss of corals is anticipated over the next 100 years.( 预计珊瑚将在未来100年内完全消失。)”可知，研究人员最大的担心是珊瑚的灭绝。故选A。
36. 主旨大意题。通读全文特别是第二段“Now, a new study from the University of Plymouth adds another disappointing finding about how ALAN is affecting the creatures with whom we share the planet: Light pollution from coastal cities can trick corals(珊瑚)into reproducing outside of the optimum times when they would normally reproduce.(现在，普利茅斯大学的一项新研究增加了另一个令人失望的发现，即ALAN如何影响与我们共享地球的生物：沿海城市的光污染会诱使珊瑚在正常繁殖的最佳时间之外繁殖。)”可知，本文主要介绍了海滨城市的照明对珊瑚的影响。这些照明产生的光会使珊瑚比不受光污染的珊瑚产卵早，从而对其产生不利影响，因此 C 项“海岸灯光诱使珊瑚提早产卵”为合适的标题。故选C。
（2024·广东·一模）If you’ve noticed you’re getting less while your bill almost stays the same, it’s not just you. “Shrinkflation” — reducing a product’s size or quantity while keeping its price stable — is showing up in shops around the world.
As the global economy struggles with inflation (通货膨胀), rising material costs and higher human cost, consumers are bearing the increasing production prices. “Consumers are more likely to notice how their purchases are affecting their wallets than the amount of product lost when sizes decrease,” says Mark Stiving, the chief pricing educator at Impact Pricing. As a result, companies use shrinkflation to make consumers “less painful”.
Yet even as shrinkflation comes with inflation, the problem doesn’t end after inflation does. Once the new sizes are on the shelf, they are likely to stay that way. “Shoppers don’t have a choice. They have to adapt themselves to the changes,” adds Stiving. There are rare exceptions, but companies generally take the opportunity to get more profits.
For many companies, shrinkflation seems to be unavoidable. In food industry, for example, where customers are highly sensitive to price, lifting prices might make customers jump ship to another brand. But facing the continuous inflation, the companies have to do something to maintain their profits. Introducing small reduction in the size of their goods should enable them to improve profits while keeping their prices competitive. But once customers notice the change, they might feel fooled, leading to a loss of trust and confidence.
Some grocers are using stickers to remind shoppers of shrinkflation, but still, it’s a tough hit to the bottom line — especially because the price of products generally doesn’t fall as inflation does. Consumers may need to examine both price and size sensibly as they shop, and make sure they don’t fall into the trap of that super size on the shelf.
37. Why does shrinkflation make consumers “less painful” according to Stiving
A. Shrinkflation reduces human cost.
B. Shrinkflation raises purchasing power.
C. Consumers become more aware of size.
D. Consumers experience little increase in cost.
38. What is paragraph 3 mainly about
A. The concerns of shoppers. B. The interests of companies.
C. The impact of shrinkflation. D. The phenomenon of inflation.
39. What is the author’s attitude to the shrinkflation in paragraph 4
A. Favorable. B. Objective.
C. Dismissive. D. Unclear.
40. What should consumers do according to the last paragraph
A. Draw a bottom line. B. Put warning stickers.
C. Choose smaller packs. D. Make a conscious decision.
【答案】37. D 38. C 39. B 40. D
【导语】
这是一篇说明文，文章主要讲述一种经济学现象：缩水式通货膨胀，及其原因和影响。
37. 细节理解题。根据第二段中“‘Consumers are more likely to notice how their purchases are affecting their wallets than the amount of product lost when sizes decrease,’ says Mark Stiving, the chief pricing educator at Impact Pricing. As a result, companies use shrinkflation to make consumers ‘less painful’.(Impact pricing的首席定价教育专家Mark Stiving表示：‘当尺寸减小时，消费者更有可能注意到他们的购买对他们钱包的影响，而不是产品损失的数量。’因此，企业利用缩水式通胀让消费者‘不那么痛苦’)”可知，相比于商品尺寸的减少，消费者更关注价格的波动，因此，缩水式通货膨胀来使消费者成本几乎没有增加，从而“不那么痛苦”，故选D。
38. 主旨大意题。根据第三段内容，结合前两句“Yet even as shrinkflation comes with inflation, the problem doesn’t end after inflation does. Once the new sizes are on the shelf, they are likely to stay that way.(然而，即使缩水式通胀伴随着通胀而来，问题也不会在通胀结束后才结束。一旦新尺码上市，它们很可能会一直保持这种状态)”可知，本段主要讲述缩水式通货膨胀的后续影响，即产品的尺寸一旦减少，后续可能很难再变回来，故选C。
39. 推理判断题。根据第四段“For many companies, shrinkflation seems to be unavoidable. In food industry, for example, where customers are highly sensitive to price, lifting prices might make customers jump ship to another brand. But facing the continuous inflation, the companies have to do something to maintain their profits. Introducing small reduction in the size of their goods should enable them to improve profits while keeping their prices competitive. But once customers notice the change, they might feel fooled, leading to a loss of trust and confidence.(对许多公司来说，缩水式通胀似乎是不可避免的。例如，在消费者对价格高度敏感的食品行业，提高价格可能会让消费者跳槽到另一个品牌。但是面对持续的通货膨胀，公司不得不做些什么来维持他们的利润。把产品的尺寸缩小一点可以使他们在保持价格竞争力的同时提高利润。但是，一旦客户注意到这种变化，他们可能会觉得自己被愚弄了，从而导致信任和信心的丧失)”可知，作者在本段中提到迫于市场的诸多因素，对许多公司来说缩水式通货膨胀是无法避免的，这可以保证其公司在市场的竞争力。但消费者可能会感觉受到了欺骗，导致信任和信心的丧失。因此，作者对于缩水式通货膨胀的态度是客观的，既指出了其带来的问题，也指出了其对公司的好处，故选B。
40. 推理判断题。根据最后一段中“Consumers may need to examine both price and size sensibly as they shop, and make sure they don’t fall into the trap of that super size on the shelf.(消费者在购物时可能需要理智地检查价格和尺码，并确保自己不会落入货架上超大尺码的陷阱)”可知，本段提到消费者在购物时需要明智地考虑价格和尺寸，确保自己不会陷入价格陷阱。因此，消费者应该做出明智的决定，故选D。
（2024·广东汕头·一模）The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in educational technology has brought convenience and efficiency to classrooms worldwide. However, despite these advancements, it is crucial to recognize the significant challenges it poses to the autonomy and professional judgment of instructors. One of the primary concerns associated with AI-driven tools in education is the depersonalization of instruction. These tools often rely on pre-packaged digital content and standardized solutions, leaving little room for instructors to tailor their teaching methods.
Each student possesses unique characteristics, including distinct learning styles, strengths, and weaknesses. Instructors, armed with their wealth of experience and expertise, are best positioned to customize their approaches to meet these individual needs. They know how to adapt to their students’ varying learning styles. However, AI-driven platforms restrict their ability to do so effectively, resulting in a one-size-fits-all approach that fails to engage and inspire students to reach their maximum potential.
The implications of this depersonalization are far-reaching. By diminishing(降低) the role of instructors as facilitators of meaningful educational interactions, we run the risk of preventing the growth of critical thinking and problem-solving skills among students.
Education should not merely focus on knowledge acquisition (习得), but should also develop the ability to analyze, evaluate, and apply that knowledge in real-world contexts. It should help one’s mind grow, not simply possess information. Through dynamic classroom discussions, cooperative projects, and hands-on activities, instructors play a vital role in cultivating these essential skills. AI-driven platforms, with their standardized solutions and automated features, are ill-equipped to provide the same level of engagement and intellectual stimulation as human instructors. While AI-driven platforms undeniably have their advantages, we must not lose sight of the importance of preserving instructors’ autonomy and the educational experience they provide.
41. Why do AI-driven tools fail to help instructors adjust their teaching methods
A. Their solutions will be challenged. B. They don’t have professional judgement.
C. Their digital content is set previously. D. They think little of the students’ autonomy.
42. What advantage do instructors have over AI-driven tools
A. They are more professional. B. They can satisfy individual needs.
C. They have higher efficiency. D. They adopt one-size-fits-all approach.
43. In which aspect does depersonalization in education influence on students
A. Their response in classroom discussions.
B. Their ability in solving real life problems.
C. Their willingness to cooperate with others.
D. Their adaptability to various learning styles.
44. What should education focus on apart from knowledge acquisition
A. Doing cooperative projects. B. Organizing hands-on activities.
C. Developing thinking ability. D. Evaluating students’ development.
【答案】41. C 42. B 43. B 44. C
【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章介绍了人工智能(AI)与教育技术的融合为世界各地的课堂带来了便利和效率。然而，尽管取得了这些进步，但认识到这对教师的自主性和专业判断构成的重大挑战是至关重要的。
41. 细节理解题。根据文章第一段“These tools often rely on pre-packaged digital content and standardized solutions, leaving little room for instructors to tailor their teaching methods.(这些工具通常依赖于预先打包的数字内容和标准化解决方案，教师几乎没有空间来定制他们的教学方法。)”可知，人工智能驱动的工具无法帮助教师调整教学方法，因为其数字内容是之前设置的。故选C。
42. 细节理解题。根据文章第二段“Each student possesses unique characteristics, including distinct learning styles, strengths, and weaknesses. Instructors, armed with their wealth of experience and expertise, are best positioned to customize their approaches to meet these individual needs. They know how to adapt to their students’ varying learning styles.(每个学生都有独特的特点，包括不同的学习方式、优点和缺点。教师拥有丰富的经验和专业知识，最适合定制他们的方法来满足这些个人需求。他们知道如何适应学生不同的学习方式。)”可知，与人工智能驱动的工具相比，教师的优势在于他们可以满足个人需求。故选B。
43. 细节理解题。根据文章第三段“By diminishing(降低) the role of instructors as facilitators of meaningful educational interactions, we run the risk of preventing the growth of critical thinking and problem-solving skills among students.(通过削弱教师作为有意义的教育互动促进者的作用，我们冒着阻碍学生批判性思维和解决问题能力发展的风险。)”可知，教育中去人格化对学生的影响主要表现在学生解决现实生活问题的能力上。故选B。
44. 推理判断题。根据文章最后一段“Education should not merely focus on knowledge acquisition (习得), but should also develop the ability to analyze, evaluate, and apply that knowledge in real-world contexts.(教育不应该仅仅关注知识的获取，还应该培养分析、评价和在现实环境中应用这些知识的能力。)”可知，教育除了注重知识的获取外，还应注重思维能力的培养。故选C。
（2024·广东汕头·一模）A wild African bird that will lead people to trees with honeycomb (蜂巢) seems to somehow learn the distinct whistles and calls of the human foragers (觅食者) who live near them.
This bird species has far more information about what the bees are doing than humans ever could. In Tanzania, Hadza foragers can use a special whistle to attract this bird, which will then fly down and start leading them to honey. With its noisy chattering sound, the bird is very conspicuous. Once the bird arrives at a tree with honey inside, it will rest near the beehive silently, seemingly not to disturb the bees. “That’s the signal to the Hadza to really start searching,” says Brian Wood, an anthropologist at University of California, Los Angeles. Pretty soon, the foragers will locate the hive and cut open the tree trunk.
It is found that the birds are more likely to show up when the familiar signal used by the locals is being broadcast. According to the research, the birds appear 82% of the time when Hadza whistles are being played. But they appear only 24% of the time when the researchers play the whistles traditionally used in a different country.
This makes it clear that the birds have learned what their human neighbors do when they want to partner up and go honey-hunting. “This is a very strong result which supports the idea that there’s a learning process involved,” says Wood.
But how do the birds learn It’s still unclear. What is clear is that this human-animal communication seems to benefit both parties, and it may go back many thousands of years. When the honeycomb is out, the birds get some of the beeswax, which they love to eat. And the human foragers get the honey—which is an enormously important food for the Hadza. Wood has calculated that the Hadza get about 10% of the calories in their annual diet with the help of the birds.
45. What does the underlined word “conspicuous” in Para.2mean
A. Eye-catching. B. Care-free. C. Naughty. D. Attractive.
46. What can we know about the birds
A. They are raised by humans. B. They help cut open the tree trunk.
C. They feed on honey as their annual diet. D. They can distinguish different whistles.
47. Which of the following can best describe the honey gathering
A. A complex dilemma. B. An unfair trade.
C. A double-edged sword. D. A win-win cooperation.
48. Which can be a suitable title for the text
A. The familiar signal in the forest.
B. A talented expert in hunting the bees.
C. A wonderful guide to collecting honey.
D. The human-animal communication in Tanzania.
【答案】45. A 46. D 47. D 48. C
【导语】这是一篇说明文。文章讲述了一种将人类带到有蜂巢的树上的非洲野鸟似乎不知何故学会了住在它们附近的人类觅食者独特的口哨声和叫声，从而帮助人类和自己获得蜂蜜。
45. 词句猜测题。根据上文“With its noisy chattering sound(这只鸟叽叽喳喳叫得很响)”可知，响亮的叫声这只鸟引人注目，由此可知，conspicuous意为“引人注目的”。故选A。
46. 细节理解题。根据文章第三段“It is found that the birds are more likely to show up when the familiar signal used by the locals is being broadcast. According to the research, the birds appear 82% of the time when Hadza whistles are being played. But they appear only 24% of the time when the researchers play the whistles traditionally used in a different country.(研究发现，当播放当地人熟悉的信号时，这些鸟更有可能出现。根据这项研究，当哈扎哨声响起时，这些鸟出现的几率为82%。但当研究人员吹响另一个国家传统上使用的哨子时，它们出现的几率只有24%。)”可知，这些鸟能够区分不同的哨声。故选D。
47. 推理判断题。根据文章最后一段“What is clear is that this human-animal communication seems to benefit both parties, and it may go back many thousands of years.(可以肯定的是，这种人类与动物之间的交流似乎对双方都有好处，而且这种交流可能可以追溯到几千年前。)”可知，这个采蜜的过程是一个双赢的合作。故选D。
48. 主旨大意题。文章讲述了一种将人类带到有蜂巢的树上的非洲野鸟似乎不知何故学会了住在它们附近的人类觅食者独特的口哨声和叫声，从而帮助人类和自己获得蜂蜜。由此可知，C项：A wonderful guide to collecting honey.(一个收集蜂蜜的好向导。)是最合适的标题。故选C。
（2024·广东湛江·一模）The Robbers Cave Experiment was part of a series of studies conducted by social psychologist Muzafer Sherif and his workmates in the 1940s and 1950s. The researchers divided boys at a summer camp into two groups, and they studied how conflict developed between them. They also investigated what did and didn’t work to reduce group conflict. The boys were left in the dark about the experiment.
In the 1954 study, boys who were approximately 11~12 years old thought that they were participating in a typical summer camp, which took place at Robbers Cave State Park. However, the campers’ parents knew that their children were actually participating in a research study.
The boys arrived at the camp in two separate groups: for the first part of the study, they spent time with members of their own group, without knowing that the other group existed. The groups chose names, the Eagles and the Rattlers.
After a short period of time, the boys became aware of the existence of the other group and began to speak negatively about the other group. Then the researchers arranged a competitive tournament between the groups, consisting of games such as baseball and tug-of-war and the relationship between the two groups quickly became tense. The campers rated their own group more positively than the rival (对立) group.
To determine the factors that could reduce group conflict, the researchers first brought the campers together for fun activities such as hav《备战2024年高考英语名校真题零失误规范训练》（广东专用）
专题12 阅读理解说明文最新真题模拟16篇（干货+模拟）
原卷版
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一、阅读理解说明文细节理解题注意落实“定位原文”和“同义替换”技巧。
二、数据计算题注重“原文定位”和“细节理解”，弄清来龙去脉再计算。
三、重视说明文“倒三角形”结构，特别是首段和段首的独特引领作用。
四、标题概括题重视三性：概括性、简洁性和新颖性；同时联系首段和关键词。
五、说明文长难句较多增加了理解的难度，落实“括号法”，（从句）（非谓语）
（介词短语）（名词短语）。
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（2024·广东深圳·一模）“Why does grandpa have ear hair ” Just a few years ago my child was so curious to know “why” and “how” that we had to cut off her questions five minutes before bedtime. Now a soon-to-be fourth grader, she says that she dislikes school because “it’s not fiun to learm.” I am shocked. As a scientist and parent, I have done everything I can to promote a love of learning in my children. Where did I go wrong
My child’s experience is not unique. Developmental psychologist Susan Engel notes that curiosity defined as “spontaneous (自发的)” investigation and eagerness for new information-drops dramatically in children by the fourth grade.
In Wonder: Childhood and the Lifelong Love of Science, Yale psychologist Frank C. Keil details the development of wonder — a spontaneous passion to explore, discover, and understand. He takes us on a journey from its early development, when wonder drives common sense and scientific reasoning, through the drop-off in wonder that often occurs, to the trap of life in a society that devalues wonder.
As Keil notes, children are particularly rich in wonder while they are rapidly developing causal mechanisms (因果机制) in the preschool and early elementary school years. They are sensitive to the others’ knowledge and goals, and they expertly use their desire for questioning. Children’s questions, particularly those about “why” and “how” support the development of causal mechanisms which can be used to help their day-to-day reasoning.
Unfortunately, as Keil notes, “adults greatly underestimate young children’s causal mechanisms.” In the book, Wonder, Keil shows that we can support children’s ongoing wonder by playing games with them as partners, encouraging question-asking, and focusing on their abilities to reason and conclude.
A decline in wonder is not unavoidable. Keil reminds us that we can accept wonder as a desirable positive quality that exists in everyone. I value wonder deeply, and Wonder has given me hope by proposing a future for my children that will remain wonder-full.
1. What is a common problem among fourth graders
A. They upset their parents too often. B. They ask too many strange questions.
C. Their love for fun disappears quickly. D. Their desire to learn declines sharply.
2. What can be inferred about children’s causal mechanisms in paragraph 4
A. They control children’s sensitivity. B. They slightly change in early childhood.
C. They hardly support children’s reasoning. D. They develop through children’s questioning.
3. How can parents support children’s ongoing wonder according to Keil
A. By monitoring their games. B. By welcoming inquiring minds.
C. By estimating their abilities. D. By providing reasonable conclusions.
4. What is the text
A. A book review. B. A news report. C. A research paper. D. A children’s story.
（2024·广东深圳·一模）Each year, the world loses about 10 million hectares of forest—an area about the size of Iceland—because of cutting down trees. At that rate, some scientists predict the world’s forests could disappear in 100 to 200 years. To handle it, now researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have pioneered a technique to generate wood-like plant materials in a lab. This makes it possible to “grow” a wooden product without cutting down trees.
In the lab, the researchers first take cells from the leaves of a young plant. These cells are cultured in liquid medium for two days, then moved to another medium which contains nutrients and two different hormones. By adjusting the hormone levels, the researchers can tune the physical and mechanical qualities of the cells. Next, the researchers use a 3D printer to shape the cell-based material, and let the shaped material grow in the dark for three months. Finally, the researchers dehydrate the material, and then evaluate its qualities.
They found that lower hormone levels lead to plant materials with more rounded, open cells of lower density, while higher hormone levels contribute to the growth of plant materials with smaller but denser cell structures. Lower or higher density of cell structures makes the plant materials softer or more rigid, helping the materials grow with different wood-like characteristics. What’s more, it’s to be noted that the research process is about 100 times faster than the time it takes for a tree to grow to maturity!
Research of this kind is ground-breaking. “This work demonstrates the great power of a technology,” says lead researcher, Jeffrey Berenstain. “The real opportunity here is to be at its best with what you use and how you use it. This technology can be tuned to meet the requirements you give about shapes, sizes, rigidity, and forms. It enables us to ‘grow’ any wooden product in a way that traditional agricultural methods can’t achieve.”
5. Why do researchers at MIT conduct the research
A. To grow more trees. B. To protect plant diversity.
C. To reduce tree losses. D. To predict forest disappearance.
6. What does paragraph 2 mainly tell us about the lab research
A. Its theoretical basis. B. Its key procedures.
C. Its scientific evidence. D. Its usual difficulties.
7. What does the finding suggest about the plant materials
A. The hormone levels affect their rigidity.
B. They are better than naturally grown plants.
C. Their cells’ shapes mainly rely on their density.
D. Their growth speed determines their characteristics.
8. Why is the research ground-breaking according to Berenstain
A. It uses new biological materials in lab experiments.
B. It revolutionizes the way to make wooden products.
C. It challenges traditional scientific theories in forestry.
D. It has a significant impact on worldwide plant growth.
（2024·广东广州·一模）There’s a classic short story in which a young man travels years ahead and meets his future self. Narratives like this have always been related to science fiction. But what if you could meet your future self
I’m a psychologist and professor. My research over the past 15 years isn’t far from this theme. I’ve largely focused on how people think about and relate to their future selves, and explored the reasons why we have such a hard time making long-term decisions. In my research, I’ve learnt that we often imagine our future selves like strangers, which can impede us in making long-term choices. One way to bridge the emotional gap is to think of future selves in more concrete and vivid ways, like writing letters to and from one’s future self, which can strengthen the connection between current and future selves.
Admittedly, having people engage in an imagined conversation is a far cry from actually meeting one’s future self. But it’s believed that far richer interactions may happen in the near future through artificial intelligence (AI). It wouldn’t be predicting exactly what choices you’d make. It’d be more about showing your potential, based on the lives of people similar to you: not just one possible life for you, but rather, the most possible life path for you. Such interactions could offer valuable insights into our potential future selves.
So, to return to my original question: if you could time-travel to meet your future self, what aspects of your life would you want to know more about I realized, through thorough reflections, that the most powerful questions would be ones that helped me make better choices today —questions exploring personal growth, regrets and unfulfilled actions.
Actually, you don’t need to wait for time travel or advanced AI for answers that you can act on. Through my research, I’ve learnt that simply taking a bit of time to picture this meeting can help you make better choices now. All you need is a little imagination, and the willingness to put yourself in the shoes of a person you currently treat as a stranger.
9. Why is it difficult for people to make long-term decisions according to the author
A. Technology for time travel is not available.
B. Strangers cannot help with decision-making.
C. Writing letters to one’s future self is impractical.
D. People find it hard to connect with their distant selves.
10. What does the underlined phrase “a far cry from” mean in paragraph 3
A. contradictory to B. very different from
C. not as convenient as D. less popular than
11. Which question would the author most likely ask his future self
A. Why hasn’t my hard work ever paid off
B. What can AI do to help people become better persons
C. If given the chance, what would you have done differently
D. How can I succeed without going through all the difficulties in life
12. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text
A. Time travel: What if you met your future self
B. My research: How do people view their future selves
C. Emotional gap: Why can’t we talk with our future selves
D. Artificial intelligence: Is it possible to meet your future self
（2024·广东广州·一模）When adult humans meet a baby, many can’t help speaking in a higher-pitched (更高音的), sing-song y voice. This shift, known as parentese, is not unique to humans — it has also been observed in animals like monkeys and gorillas. Now, scientists are adding one more species to that list: bottlenose dolphins.
Dolphins are intelligent animals that live and hunt in groups. They communicate in a unique way: every individual produces its own signature sound that acts much like an ID card, usually by its first birthday. But how does each come up with its distinctive whistle For babies, it might have something to do with listening to Mum. To solve this mystery, researchers examined the sounds mother dolphins, make.
Scientists studied 34 years’ worth of recordings of sounds made by 19 female bottlenose dolphins. When the mother dolphins were near their young, they continued to make their signature sound, but at a higher frequency. They also used a wider range of frequencies than they did when their babies were not nearby.
This discovery suggests that using these modifications mother dolphins assist their young in learning how to produce these calls themselves. Since dolphin babies often spend some years with their mothers before living on their own, it makes sense that this adaptation would help them learn to communicate. At the very least, the higher-pitched whistle likely gets the babies’ attention. “It’s important for a baby to know,’ Oh, Mum’s talking to me now,’” says marine biologist June Mann.
This kind of research could help us understand how language developed in humans. “It is absolutely essential to have basic knowledge about other species and how they communicate,” says Mann. “I would be really interested to see whether dolphins also change their sounds when interacting with babies of others, which is what happens in humans.”
13. What do the underlined words “this mystery ”refer to in paragraph 2
A. Why dolphins live and play in groups.
B. How dolphins develop their unique sounds.
C. What aspects of intelligence dolphins possess.
D. Whether dolphins can use parentese like humans.
14. How did the researchers carry out their study of dolphins
A. By analyzing mother dolphins’ sound features.
B. By recording parent-child interaction frequency.
C. By measuring the distance between parent and child.
D. By examining the speech organs of mother dolphins.
15. What is a suggested reason why dolphin mothers use parentese with their young
A. To help them learn to talk. B. To teach them hunting skills.
C. To express worry and care. D. To distract their attention.
16. What is the purpose of the text
A. To compare the parentese of humans and dolphins.
B. To illustrate the development of dolphin intelligence.
C. To share new findings about dolphin communication.
D. To highlight the value of studying dolphins’ language.
（2024·广东·一模）We learn about the world through the knowledge accumulated over thousands of years. standing on the shoulders of great men, we don’t have to experience endless trial and error, just as the wheels do not have to be reinvented each time to run a car. But where does our ability to learn from others come from
A study led by Markus Paulus, professor at Loyola Marymount University, shows that the ability has its roots in earliest childhood. “It’s generally assumed that children’s ability to imitate (模仿) is inborn, but according to our observation, children imitate because they themselves are imitated by caregivers. This interaction enables a cultural transfer of knowledge, which, through generations’ efforts, consequently leads to the development of human beings,” says Markus Paulus.
In this research, Paulus recorded the interaction between mother and child over several months. The babies came into the lab for the first time at the age of6 months , while their final visit was when they were18 months old. As they engaged in various play situations , the interactions and imitations of mother and child were analyzed. The long-term study showed that the more sensitive a mother was in her interactions with her six- month-old child and the more often she imitated the baby, the greater the child’s overall ability was at the age of18 months.
Paulus’ research shows that mutual imitation is the keystone of knowledge transfer , through which children successfully learn various skills, such as how to use objects , waving and acquisition of language. “This interaction is the nucleus of learning and, finally, gives rise to evolutionary success of human,” says Paulus.
“Cultural learning is an essential part of human evolution, and it is rooted in the imitation of others, particularly our caregivers during our earliest childhood,” says Paulus. “Through this, we learn from each other and pass on knowledge to the next generation, so certain actions or techniques do not have to be constantly invented again. ”
17. Why does the author mention the example of wheels
A. To praise the invention of car wheels. B. To describe the process of trial and error.
C. To emphasize the necessity of new tools. D. To show the importance of prior knowledge.
18. What can we learn about Paulus’ research
A. Children’s imitation was recorded by mothers.
B. Sensitive mothers encouraged children’s imitation.
C. Children’s ability was analyzed through interaction.
D. Effective interaction promoted children’s development.
19. What does the underlined word “nucleus” mean in paragraph 4
A. Core. B. Result. C. Aim. D. Content.
20. Which of the following can be the best title for the text
A. Why does Evolution Matter B. How to Interact with Children
C. Imitation: The Engine of Evolution D. Cultural Learning: The Root of Imitation
（2024·广东江门·一模）Demographic changes, such as aging populations and declining birth rates, pose challenges as well as offer opportunities for industries and countries. To overcome the challenges and seize the opportunities, especially to achieve long-term economic sustainability, economies need to enhance policies promoting innovations.
Now many countries in East Asia are facing the aging population and declining working-age population pared with other advanced countries, Japan encountered the population aging problem at a slightly earlier stage, starting in the mid-1990s. As Japan’s percentage of elderly population to the total population increased, it impacted the country’s economy, leading to a contraction in domestic demand and decline in both production and consumption, and restricting the growth of economy.
Some innovative companies have actively increased outward FDI (Foreign Direct Investment), providing cost advantages from inexpensive overseas labor to maintain their cost competitiveness. However, the global economy is facing the challenge of declining trade owing to the protectionism practiced by certain countries. Consequently, the chances of boosting growth through outward FDI may be limited.
Developing artificial intelligence is another solution to the negative impacts of the demographic changes. AI and robotics will play a crucial role in stimulating productivity and innovation by making payment for the decline in the working-age population, and the following increase in productivity will in turn raise the demand for labor by creating new employment opportunities.
AI, robotics and other advanced technologies give rise to new tasks within their fields and across other sectors. Therefore, it is necessary to employ cooperation policies to support corporations that promote innovations by increasing investment in research and development, facilitating the growth of new companies, and building a perfect system to protect intellectual properties. Since AI and robotics may replace certain jobs, it is essential to address the potential challenges they may create in the labor market and work out strategies to ensure a balanced and comprehensive transition.
21. What do we know about demographic changes from the first two paragraphs
A. There is no need to worry since the changes offer opportunities.
B. The changes won’t affect the long-term economic sustainability.
C. Japan is the only advanced country facing the changes at present.
D. Things should be done to overcome the challenges posed by the changes.
22. What does the underlined word “contraction” mean in the second paragraph
A. Push. B. Decrease. C. Pause. D. Change.
23. What is the writer’s attitude to FDI
A. Favorable. B. Intolerant. C. Objective. D. Indifferent.
24. What does the writer advise to tackle the new tasks posed by advanced technologies
A. Withdrawing investment in research and development.
B. Adopting policies that encourage innovation of corporations.
C. Establishing new companies to protect intellectual properties.
D. Creating potential labor market for more possible employments.
（2024·广东江门·一模）Figuring out biodiversity patterns and detecting rare or just-good-at-hiding species has long posed challenges for ecosystem monitoring and conservation efforts. Traditional survey methods are labor intensive and cover limited areas. Now, emerging environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques open new possibilities.
Scientists collect water or soil samples from an environment and extract (提取) any DNA traces left behind by organisms. This is the environmental DNA (eDNA). They then use one of the two analysis methods — quantitative PCR (qPCR) or DNA sequencing (DNA 测序). Similar to COVID tests, qPCR is used to detect if a specific species’ DNA is in the sample. For example, researchers tested river water eDNA to see if endangered fish X was present. When it was detected, they confirmed that the fish lived in that river without directly seeing it. DNA sequencing analyzes all DNA in the sample at once. Scientists can then match the DNA barcodes to databases to identify which species were in the sampled environment.
Although eDNA sampling cannot identify new species or those only known from photos and videos if they are not already listed in the reference databases, the real power of it lies in its ability to capture a wide range of organisms. With just one sample, scientists can detect all kinds of living things, from bacteria to whales, in almost any environment where life exists, including the deep sea and underground caves. One of the most significant advantages of eDNA sampling is that it allows scientists to detect species that are difficult to see or capture. This is particularly useful when studying rare or very small species, or when working in environments like dark water where visibility is limited.
This is just the start. Imagine a future where eDNA data could be collected from the most remote oceans by autonomous vehicles, analyzed by the drone or on board a research vessel (船舰), and integrated with other monitoring data so marine managers and the public can see near-real-time data about the condition of the ocean. Science fiction Not any more.
25. What’s the author’s purpose of mentioning the example in Paragraph 2
A. To explain the process of qPCR analysis method.
B. To introduce the definition of environmental DNA.
C. To tell the difference between two analysis methods.
D. To show the similarity between qPCR and COVID tests.
26. What’s the advantage of eDNA sampling
A. It can detect species from photos and videos.
B. It can help scientists capture endangered species.
C. It enables scientists to work in invisible environment.
D. It can identify any living creature with a sample of it.
27. What could eDNA data be applied to in the future
A. Studying microbial communities. B. Analyzing diversity changes over time.
C. Collecting species in new environments. D. Offering statistics for ocean supervision.
28. What’s the main idea of the text
A. Scientists have made a breakthrough in undersea research.
B. Rare species have been discovered with two analysis methods.
C. New biodiversity monitoring techniques are around the corner.
D. Traditional survey methods are abandoned for their shortcomings.
（2024·广东佛山·二模）Curiosity — the desire to know, to discover, to learn. Inspired by curiosity, humans are found everywhere on our planet, and beyond it in space. Yet according to human behaviourist and author of Curious, Ian Leslie, although we are all born curious, not all of us bring this into adulthood, and we can lose out as a result.
As Leslie explains, curiosity shapes us from the start. By trying new things, we build knowledge, and want to know more. “We are born aware that we don’t know stuff — we want to experience and discover.” However, the contrast between childhood and adulthood is clear. “We ask 40,000 questions a year between the ages of two and five,” says Leslie — around 110 each day; adults, in comparison, ask just 20.
As we get older, we may feel hesitant about asking questions, believing this reveals gaps in our knowledge. We can become scared to share unconventional ideas for fear of criticism or misunderstanding. We can also be a victim of our success, as Leslie explains. “Once you’ve worked out how to do your job, then you don’t feel curious anymore. The need to learn goes away — in a way, curiosity has done its job. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t cultivate it.”
Leslie’s tips for cultivating curiosity begin with spending time with the experts — children. “Talk to your kids, and try to answer those weird, difficult questions they have — like ‘What is air ’ This makes you think about things you’ve taken for granted — it reawakens your curiosity in what’s around us and how we perceive the world.”
So does finding what Leslie calls an ‘informal mentor’, through work or other circles, who is happy to share their expertise, from a skill, technology, to a field of learning. “Try to think of people the way children think of adults — as sources of secret knowledge, a great store of learning you can tap into,” says Leslie.
Leslie also suggests creating a ‘spark file’ — a digital or physical notebook in which you collect interesting thoughts. “Fill it with facts you’ve come across, sentences you like, insights that strike you. Let it be random. And let it build. Over time you’ll build up a rich source of inspiration, and you’ll think, ‘Oh that’s interesting, that relates to this…’ And suddenly your mind starts firing away with new ideas and ways of thinking.”
29. According to Leslie, what happens as we get older
A. We gradually lose our natural curiosity.
B. We are less aware of our knowledge gaps.
C. We are unwilling to let others benefit from our ideas.
D. We may think asking questions makes people foolish.
30. Which of the following sayings might Leslie agree with
A. A day’s planning is best done at daybreak.
B. In the eyes of a lover, Xi Shi will appear.
C. A master can lead you to the door, but the rest is up to you.
D. When three people walk together, one can surely be my teacher.
31. Which of the following is a characteristic of a ‘spark file’
A. It is carefully organized. B. It can help people connect ideas.
C. It only contains complete sentences. D. It can help people improve their memory.
32. What is the writer’s aim in this passage
A. To prove Ian Leslie’s arguments. B. To summarise Ian Leslie’s viewpoint.
C. To question Ian Leslie’s conclusions. D. To introduce Ian Leslie’s achievements.
（2024·广东湛江·一模）For the history of life on Earth, organisms have relied on the light of the sun, moon, and stars to find their way and schedule their lives. While the beginning of electric lighting in the late 19th century may have benefited humans, it has caused problems in the natural world. Among the impacts of artificial light at night(ALAN), light pollution lures migrating birds to cities with shocking consequences, contributes to the alarming decline in insect populations, and convinces sea turtle babies to amble(缓行)away from the water instead of towards it.
Now, a new study from the University of Plymouth adds another disappointing finding about how ALAN is affecting the creatures with whom we share the planet: Light pollution from coastal cities can trick corals(珊瑚)into reproducing outside of the optimum times when they would normally reproduce.
Using a combination of light pollution data and spawning(产卵)observations, researchers were able to show for the first time that corals exposed to ALAN are spawning one to three days earlier and closer to the full moon compared to those on unlit corals. “That shift may reduce the survival and fertilization success of gametes(配子)and genetic connectivity between nearby lit and unlit coral systems,” they explain.
“Corals are among the most biodiverse, economically important, and threatened ecosystems on the planet,” write the authors of the study.
“Climate change has led to mass bleaching(褪色)events. Habitat destruction, fisheries, and pollution have reduced corals substantially since the 1950s,” they write, adding, “The complete loss of corals is anticipated over the next 100 years.”
If we want to reduce the harm ALAN is causing, we could perhaps look to delay the switching-on of night-time lighting in coastal regions to ensure the natural dark period between sunset and moonrise when coral reproduction remains undisturbed.
33. Why is the first paragraph written
A. To present the topic of the text. B. To advocate energy conservation.
C. To explain a natural phenomenon. D. To provide background information.
34. What does the underlined word “optimum” in paragraph 2 mean
A. Possible. B. Appropriate. C. Flexible. D. Sensitive.
35. What is the researchers’ major concern over corals
A. Extinction. B. Losing value.
C. Terrible diseases. D. Exposure to moonlight.
36. What can be a suitable title for the text
A. Creatures Rely on Natural Lights to Schedule Their Life
B. Night-time Lighting Shortens Natural Dark Period
C. Coastal Lights Trick Corals into Early Spawning
D. Light Pollution Leads to Serious Consequences
（2024·广东·一模）If you’ve noticed you’re getting less while your bill almost stays the same, it’s not just you. “Shrinkflation” — reducing a product’s size or quantity while keeping its price stable — is showing up in shops around the world.
As the global economy struggles with inflation (通货膨胀), rising material costs and higher human cost, consumers are bearing the increasing production prices. “Consumers are more likely to notice how their purchases are affecting their wallets than the amount of product lost when sizes decrease,” says Mark Stiving, the chief pricing educator at Impact Pricing. As a result, companies use shrinkflation to make consumers “less painful”.
Yet even as shrinkflation comes with inflation, the problem doesn’t end after inflation does. Once the new sizes are on the shelf, they are likely to stay that way. “Shoppers don’t have a choice. They have to adapt themselves to the changes,” adds Stiving. There are rare exceptions, but companies generally take the opportunity to get more profits.
For many companies, shrinkflation seems to be unavoidable. In food industry, for example, where customers are highly sensitive to price, lifting prices might make customers jump ship to another brand. But facing the continuous inflation, the companies have to do something to maintain their profits. Introducing small reduction in the size of their goods should enable them to improve profits while keeping their prices competitive. But once customers notice the change, they might feel fooled, leading to a loss of trust and confidence.
Some grocers are using stickers to remind shoppers of shrinkflation, but still, it’s a tough hit to the bottom line — especially because the price of products generally doesn’t fall as inflation does. Consumers may need to examine both price and size sensibly as they shop, and make sure they don’t fall into the trap of that super size on the shelf.
37. Why does shrinkflation make consumers “less painful” according to Stiving
A. Shrinkflation reduces human cost.
B. Shrinkflation raises purchasing power.
C. Consumers become more aware of size.
D. Consumers experience little increase in cost.
38. What is paragraph 3 mainly about
A. The concerns of shoppers. B. The interests of companies.
C. The impact of shrinkflation. D. The phenomenon of inflation.
39. What is the author’s attitude to the shrinkflation in paragraph 4
A. Favorable. B. Objective.
C. Dismissive. D. Unclear.
40. What should consumers do according to the last paragraph
A. Draw a bottom line. B. Put warning stickers.
C. Choose smaller packs. D. Make a conscious decision.
（2024·广东汕头·一模）The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in educational technology has brought convenience and efficiency to classrooms worldwide. However, despite these advancements, it is crucial to recognize the significant challenges it poses to the autonomy and professional judgment of instructors. One of the primary concerns associated with AI-driven tools in education is the depersonalization of instruction. These tools often rely on pre-packaged digital content and standardized solutions, leaving little room for instructors to tailor their teaching methods.
Each student possesses unique characteristics, including distinct learning styles, strengths, and weaknesses. Instructors, armed with their wealth of experience and expertise, are best positioned to customize their approaches to meet these individual needs. They know how to adapt to their students’ varying learning styles. However, AI-driven platforms restrict their ability to do so effectively, resulting in a one-size-fits-all approach that fails to engage and inspire students to reach their maximum potential.
The implications of this depersonalization are far-reaching. By diminishing(降低) the role of instructors as facilitators of meaningful educational interactions, we run the risk of preventing the growth of critical thinking and problem-solving skills among students.
Education should not merely focus on knowledge acquisition (习得), but should also develop the ability to analyze, evaluate, and apply that knowledge in real-world contexts. It should help one’s mind grow, not simply possess information. Through dynamic classroom discussions, cooperative projects, and hands-on activities, instructors play a vital role in cultivating these essential skills. AI-driven platforms, with their standardized solutions and automated features, are ill-equipped to provide the same level of engagement and intellectual stimulation as human instructors. While AI-driven platforms undeniably have their advantages, we must not lose sight of the importance of preserving instructors’ autonomy and the educational experience they provide.
41. Why do AI-driven tools fail to help instructors adjust their teaching methods
A. Their solutions will be challenged. B. They don’t have professional judgement.
C. Their digital content is set previously. D. They think little of the students’ autonomy.
42. What advantage do instructors have over AI-driven tools
A. They are more professional. B. They can satisfy individual needs.
C. They have higher efficiency. D. They adopt one-size-fits-all approach.
43. In which aspect does depersonalization in education influence on students
A. Their response in classroom discussions.
B. Their ability in solving real life problems.
C. Their willingness to cooperate with others.
D. Their adaptability to various learning styles.
44. What should education focus on apart from knowledge acquisition
A. Doing cooperative projects. B. Organizing hands-on activities.
C. Developing thinking ability. D. Evaluating students’ development.
（2024·广东汕头·一模）A wild African bird that will lead people to trees with honeycomb (蜂巢) seems to somehow learn the distinct whistles and calls of the human foragers (觅食者) who live near them.
This bird species has far more information about what the bees are doing than humans ever could. In Tanzania, Hadza foragers can use a special whistle to attract this bird, which will then fly down and start leading them to honey. With its noisy chattering sound, the bird is very conspicuous. Once the bird arrives at a tree with honey inside, it will rest near the beehive silently, seemingly not to disturb the bees. “That’s the signal to the Hadza to really start searching,” says Brian Wood, an anthropologist at University of California, Los Angeles. Pretty soon, the foragers will locate the hive and cut open the tree trunk.
It is found that the birds are more likely to show up when the familiar signal used by the locals is being broadcast. According to the research, the birds appear 82% of the time when Hadza whistles are being played. But they appear only 24% of the time when the researchers play the whistles traditionally used in a different country.
This makes it clear that the birds have learned what their human neighbors do when they want to partner up and go honey-hunting. “This is a very strong result which supports the idea that there’s a learning process involved,” says Wood.
But how do the birds learn It’s still unclear. What is clear is that this human-animal communication seems to benefit both parties, and it may go back many thousands of years. When the honeycomb is out, the birds get some of the beeswax, which they love to eat. And the human foragers get the honey—which is an enormously important food for the Hadza. Wood has calculated that the Hadza get about 10% of the calories in their annual diet with the help of the birds.
45. What does the underlined word “conspicuous” in Para.2mean
A. Eye-catching. B. Care-free. C. Naughty. D. Attractive.
46. What can we know about the birds
A. They are raised by humans. B. They help cut open the tree trunk.
C. They feed on honey as their annual diet. D. They can distinguish different whistles.
47. Which of the following can best describe the honey gathering
A. A complex dilemma. B. An unfair trade.
C. A double-edged sword. D. A win-win cooperation.
48. Which can be a suitable title for the text
A. The familiar signal in the forest.
B. A talented expert in hunting the bees.
C. A wonderful guide to collecting honey.
D. The human-animal communication in Tanzania.
（2024·广东湛江·一模）The Robbers Cave Experiment was part of a series of studies conducted by social psychologist Muzafer Sherif and his workmates in the 1940s and 1950s. The researchers divided boys at a summer camp into two groups, and they studied how conflict developed between them. They also investigated what did and didn’t work to reduce group conflict. The boys were left in the dark about the experiment.
In the 1954 study, boys who were approximately 11~12 years old thought that they were participating in a typical summer camp, which took place at Robbers Cave State Park. However, the campers’ parents knew that their children were actually participating in a research study.
The boys arrived at the camp in two separate groups: for the first part of the study, they spent time with members of their own group, without knowing that the other group existed. The groups chose names, the Eagles and the Rattlers.
After a short period of time, the boys became aware of the existence of the other group and began to speak negatively about the other group. Then the researchers arranged a competitive tournament between the groups, consisting of games such as baseball and tug-of-war and the relationship between the two groups quickly became tense. The campers rated their own group more positively than the rival (对立) group.
To determine the factors that could reduce group conflict, the researchers first brought the campers together for fun activities such as having a meal or watching a movie together. However, this didn’t work to reduce conflict.
Next, Sherif and his workmates tried having the two groups work on common goals. For example, the camp’s water supply was cut off purposely by the researchers, and the Eagles and the Rattlers worked together to fix the problem. Working on shared goals eventually reduced conflict and friendships began to form with members of the other group. In the end, some of the campers requested that everyone from both groups take the bus home together, and one group bought drinks for the other group.
49. What can be inferred about the campers in the 1954 experiment
A. Their parents held something back from them.
B. They were asked to take part in a social practice.
C. They were participating in a typical summer camp.
D. Their groups were formed by the names they chose.
50. What is the beginning of the boys’ negative attitude to the other group
A. Being asked to rate the other group.
B. Hearing negative remarks from the other group.
C. Competing in a tournament against the other group.
D. Becoming aware of the existence of the other group.
51. Why was the camp’s water supply cut off
A. To cause a conflict between the two groups.
B. To test the campers’ problem-solving ability.
C. To get the two groups to work for a common goal.
D. To see how much the campers care about each other.
52. What can be a conclusion from Sherif’s experiment
A. Fights between different groups are unavoidable.
B. One should seek friendship with outgroup members.
C. Fun activities are the best ways to reduce group conflict.
D. Group members tend to turn against outgroup members.
（2024·广东·模拟预测）The fairy tales and stories we love often begin with someone asking questions. Sleeping Beauty has a princess exploring a castle just to see what’s inside. Jack climbs his beanstalk because he wants to know what’s at the top. All these happen because of curiosity.
Curiosity may be the driving force of all science and experiments, encouraging us to explore the highest mountains and deepest oceans. But it’s also our biggest downfall. It’s the voice that says “push the button”, and it’s what burnt Icarus’ waxen wings.
When it comes to curiosity, we are not born equal. Some people can’t help but question, or examine something, while others are quite happy with what they have and what they see. So why isn’t curiosity distributed evenly among people
Our brain rewards us for good behavior. When we satisfy our desire, our brain says to us, “Yes, well done on looking after the body—have some endorphins(内啡肽).”The seeking system is the thing that encourages us to explore and go beyond our comfort zone. It has various reward systems set up for the satisfaction of our goal. Without the seeking system, we’d just sit still and satisfy ourselves with whatever we have.
For the curiosity differences between men and women, research suggests that men are more likely to do risky behavior, from going on financial investments to swimming in the sea. Perhaps it is because of some kind of “hunter-gatherer” society behavior, where men are regarded as needing to be more risk-seeking and curious to help feed, protect, and care for “the whole group”.
And children are born with great curiosity. The success that teenagers will have in satisfying their curiosity, or how far they are allowed to devote themselves to it, will determine how efficient those curiosity pathways are in later life. If children are given new environments to explore, the room to play and experiment, and the freedom to ask questions and examine them, then they will do so more later in life as well.
53. Why does the author mention the fairy tales at the beginning
A. To lead in the topic of the text.
B. To explain the cause of curiosity.
C. To provide background information.
D. To introduce the ways of being curious.
54. What mainly affects curiosity distribution among people
A. Their spirits of adventure. B. Their society behavior.
C. Their seeking system. D. Their endorphins.
55. What might the author advise parents to do
A. Reward kids for their good behavior.
B. Accompany kids in playing and studying.
C. Give teenagers the freedom of expression and choice.
D. Provide children with conditions to satisfy their curiosity.
56. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text
A. Why Are Some People More Curious than Others
B. How Can Curiosity Influence People’s Life
C. Why Is Curiosity Important for Learning
D. How Can People Develop Their Curiosity
（2024·广东·模拟预测）Polar bears normally need sea ice to hunt seals, but an isolated group of polar bears living on the mountainous coast of southeast Greenland have figured out how to make a living, even though the sea ice there melts away early in the year.
These bears have found a way to supplement their limited sea ice supply by hunting on freshwater ice that comes from glaciers on land. The glacial ice falls off in pieces into fjords, where the pieces get together into a floating platform that the polar bears use to catch seals, according to a report in the journal Science.
Climate change is making sea ice more and more scarce. Loss of sea ice is “the primary threat to polar bears,” says Kristin Laidre of the University of Washington, lead author of the new study. But, she says, this new work suggests some bears might be able to cope with a decreased amount of sea ice—at least for a while—in places like Greenland where they can take advantage of floating glacier ice.
While local people have long known that bears live in southeast Greenland, it’s a remote, challenging environment that’s not frequented by humans. “It’s a coastline with huge mountain peaks, lots of winds, extreme conditions and plenty of fogs,” says Laidre, who has spent years working with colleagues to survey polar bears living on Greenland’s 1,800-mile-long east coast.
To see what they could find in southeast Greenland, the team had to take helicopters from the nearest settlement and fly for two hours in a straight line to the coast, “We arrived in these fjords, very isolated fjords, and there’s essentially no sea ice or very poor sea ice offshore,” says Laidre, explaining that the researchers expected to find few bears.
“But there were a lot of bears in these fjords,” she says. “It was clearly just a unique habitat.”
The sea ice persisted in these fjords for only around a hundred days a year, she notes, meaning that bears don’t have much time to use it as a hunting ground.
57. What does the underlined word “supplement” in paragraph 2 mean
A. Make up for. B. Keep up with. C. Look forward to. D. Break away from.
58. What will happen to pieces of glacial ice after falling off
A. They will form various fjords.
B. They will exist in fjords for only a hundred years.
C. They will float into cold places and never disappear.
D. They will gather to be a platform for polar bears to hunt.
59. What is the environment like in southeast Greenland
A. Crowded. B. Pleasant. C. Severe. D. Windless.
60. What is the text mainly about
A. Polar bears are on the edge of dying out.
B. Polar bears no longer need sea ice to hunt seals.
C. Polar bears can replace sea water with fresh water.
D. Polar bears have another way to hunt with little sea ice.
（2024·广东茂名·一模）Researchers have identified a growing threat to astronomy from the sunlight reflecting off communication devices in space. One such device, a communication satellite called BlueWalker 3, is currently one of the brightest objects visible from Earth, matching the brightness of Procyon and Achemar, two of the brightest stars in the night sky.
“BlueWalker 3 is visible in both dark sky and urban skies, though in urban settings this will be limited to when BlueWalker 3 passes overhead,” said Dr. Jeremy Tregloan-Reed, a co-author of the study at the University of Atacama in Chile. “Large constellations (星座) of bright artificial satellites in low Earth orbit pose significant challenges to ground-based astronomy,” the study’s authors wrote.
Tregloan-Reed said a large reflective brightness means that when a satellite crosses the detector of a telescope, it leaves a mark that can be difficult, if not impossible, to remove. This could lead to loss of data from the affected pixels (像素). But he said space-based astronomy also faced challenges from such satellites, noting that observations by the Hubble telescope had increasingly been affected by marks from Starlink satellites. Besides, the team notes the radio frequencies used by BlueWalker 3 are close to those used for radio astronomy, raising the possibility that such satellites could cause interference.
While BlueWalker 3 was folded when it was launched last year, once in space it opened up to reveal a huge surface area that reflected sunlight. Tregloan-Reed added that even if all the reflective brightness of all satellites was reduced to below the level visible by the naked eye, “the sky background glow will increase due to the accumulative effect of having hundreds of thousands of satellites from various operators from many countries in low Earth orbit. It is disastrous!”
BlueWalker 3, built by AST Space Mobile, is just the first one to be launched. The company is planning a constellation of satellites nicknamed BlueBirds, consisting of over 100 similar satellites and aimed to provide satellite network service for the whole world. You can imagine how bright the night sky will be at that time!
61. What can we know about BlueWalker 3
A. It threatens the sunlight. B. It was invented by Dr. Jeremy.
C. It is brighter than Procyon and Achernar. D. It is visible in urban skies when passing overhead.
62. The brightness of BlueWalker 3 is most likely to affect ________.
A. earth orbit B. space observation
C. radio frequency D. satellite communication
63. Concerning the plan of BlueBirds, what might the author agree with
A. It has potential drawbacks. B. It is bound to be accomplished.
C. It is irreplaceable for astronomy. D. It provides network service for the world.
64. What’s the best title of the passage
A. BlueWalker 3—A Bright and Dark “Star” B. BlueWalker 3—The Most Valuable Satellite
C. The Night Sky—Glowing with BlueWalker 3 D. The Night Sky—Heavily Polluted by BlueWalker 3
（2024·广东肇庆·二模）One of the biggest challenges that traditional educators face is how to unlock students’ love of learning. Once students overcome their fear or unwillingness, they will be on the track of becoming motivated learners.
In order to help students discover the joy in learning, some teachers are turning to a simple but effective strategy called gamification-using game-related elements such as activities and rewards to promote students’ engagement in class. With an origin in educational psychology, this approach is designed to reach students by making the learning process funny and interesting.
What’s more, researches show that gamification can also make assignments less stressful. Without too much pressure, students will associate learning with curiosity and joy. Accordingly, they feel like continuing the journey because positive feelings have boosted their confidence.
But like any other strategies, gamification has its drawbacks when used incorrectly. It is very likely that some students only focus on winning rewards but have no interest in understanding concepts or learning new skills-exactly the opposite of the desired outcome. To avoid this, teachers can help prevent students from becoming wrongly motivated by choosing suitable rewards. Instead of class parties or snacks, try rewards that help students develop a passion for academic subjects.
For example, have students earn points towards a class field trip by behaving and doing their assignments, or pair subjects that a student dislikes with fun books or activities to encourage motivation. That way, they associate fun with reading, math, or other skills. More examples include competing on a leader-board, holding a talent show, or playing other team-building games. All activities and rewards need to be carefully selected and well arranged.
If you’re having a hard time getting your class interested in learning, talk with them together or individually about what motivates them and include it into your student engagement strategies.
65. What can we learn about gamification from the first two paragraphs
A. It improves students' critical thinking.
B. It advocates a traditional teaching style.
C. It motivates students to be active learners.
D. It promotes the use of video games in class.
66. What is the author's attitude to the application of gamification
A. Favorable. B. Worried. C. Doubtful. D. Objective.
67. How should teachers avoid the drawbacks of gamification
A. Set learning goals for different students.
B. Associate learning process with assignments.
C. Encourage teamwork by holding class parties.
D. Select suitable rewards for teaching activities.
68. What is the text mainly about
A. The analysis of a teaching strategy.
B. The future influences of gamification.
C. A discovery about motivating learners.
D. Recent research on education system.
（2024·广东佛山·一模）Suppose you come across two doctors. One is handsome while the other looks plain. Who would you trust with your surgery Most people would probably want to get treated by the handsome one. And most people are likely to be wrong about that.
When you look at the sun, you sometimes see it clearly. But sometimes you’ll see it shining way bigger than its actual shape. That circle of light called a halo makes it look bigger. This effect, known as the halo effect, also happens when a person, product, or company shines like the sun. Then we don’t see them clearly and associate all sorts of unrelated qualities to them.
The halo effect was once studied by the psychologist Edward Thorndike, who asked flight commanders to evaluate their pilots in various distinct aspects such as physical appearance, intelligence, and leadership. He found that the pilots who got high scores for their physical appearance, also got rated high on intelligence and leadership skills — a link that seemed wrong. It appears that the commanders were unable to evaluate specific qualities independently of others. They thought of their pilots in broad terms, either “good” or “bad”, and allowed this general feeling to influence the specific qualities they credited to their pilots. Some pilots profited from their halo.
The halo effect also explains why some teachers give better-looking students higher grades. One study looked at the grades of 4,500 pupils, who were sorted by volunteers into three groups: below-average, average, and above-average looking. The researchers then compared students’ grades between classes taken in conventional classrooms with those taken online where there was no face-to-face interaction. The researchers found that students who were rated as good-looking earned significantly lower grades in online courses compared to conventional classrooms.
Since the physical appearance of good-looking people seems to naturally make them also appear intelligent, strong, and trustworthy, here is one good rule. If you meet with an accident and have to choose between two equally qualified doctors, ignore their halo and choose the less handsome one. He might have worked twice as hard to gain the same reputation and is likely better at his job.
69. What is the purpose of the second paragraph
A. To explore a natural wonder.
B. To spread scientific knowledge.
C. To explain a psychological tendency.
D. To interpret social rules at the workplace.
70. How did the commanders tend to evaluate their pilots in Thorndike’s study
A. In a general way. B. With common sense.
C. From a specific aspect. D. By an objective criterion.
71. What does the 4,500-pupil study find about better-looking students
A. They were fairly treated by their teachers.
B. They were less attentive in online courses.
C. They probably had natural learning abilities.
D. They were overvalued in conventional classes.
72. What can be learned about the halo effect
A. It relieves appearance anxiety.
B. It leads to inaccurate judgments.
C. It causes trust crisis among people.
D. It intensifies workplace competition.
（2024·广东佛山·一模）A China plane struck a bird after taking off in Chengdu, Sichuan, and had to immediately return to the airport last October, and it wasn’t the first accident between an aircraft and a bird last year.
In fact, more than 20,000 wildlife strikes with aircraft were reported worldwide in 2023 — the vast majority of those animals being birds. The strikes can also include run-ins with bats or creatures on the ground, such as deer or turtles. Expanding wildlife populations, increases in number of aircraft movements, and a trend toward faster and quieter aircraft all have contributed to the increase in wildlife strikes.
Bird strikes are a hazard not just to commercial airplanes, but to all sorts of aircraft. However, historical data shows that damage is reported in a small percentage of incidents. Last year, 95% of the global strikes involved some kind of damage — and only 5% of those caused “substantial” damage.
Some of the most disturbing types of strikes can happen when one or more birds go into a plane’s engine, which might cause a lot of damage to the aircraft. The pilot would need to return to the airport or find a safe place to land.
In last October’s China plane incident, the Beijing-bound flight was able to land normally in Chengdu after taking into account what the airline described as security concerns. Senior captain Chen Jianguo said pilots are trained on how to respond if they have a bird strike in flight. The pilot in this case did exactly what he was trained to do.
“There are lots of things that are being used by airports to try to manage the habitat and birds around the airport,” said Chen Jianguo. Airports need to manage bird habitats to reduce or get rid of trees and plants that shelter birds, or address wetlands that can attract birds. Collecting data on what kinds of birds are involved in strikes is equally important so the risks can better be managed. Many airports also use audible signals to scare birds away, such as the sounds of fireworks.
73. What is a cause of the increase in wildlife strikes
A. The poorly designed aircraft.
B. The growing number of birds.
C. The destruction of wildlife habitats.
D. The absence of environmental awareness.
74. What does the underlined word in Paragraph 3 probably mean
A. Danger. B. Delay. C. Accident. D. Reminder.
75. What does the historical data tell us about bird strikes
A. They are a rare occurrence.
B. They usually damage engines.
C. Most of them cause slight damage.
D. Most of them involve one single bird.
76. What does the last paragraph mainly talk about
A. Ways to study bird behavior.
B. Measures to drive birds away.
C. Efforts to restore bird habitat.
D. Attempts to take care of birds.
（2024·广东·一模）The world of underwater slumber is unlike what we see on the surface. For mammals (哺乳动物), a good night’s sleep sends an animal into a state of unconsciousness (无知觉) during hours of restorative sleeping that helps heal the body and solidify memories firmly in the mind. For fish, however, sleep isn’t such a well-defined process. Instead, many fish species have taken to spending short periods in a state of reduced activity or rest while keeping their eyes open to scan the water for potential threats. During these periods of reduced activity, a fish’s bodily functions slow down and its watchfulness drops.
The breadth of animals in the ocean that exhibit this type of reduced activity is wide-reaching. Among the hundreds of thousands of creatures in the sea, some merely ride along with the current, such as jellyfish. Others find rocky bedrooms for the night, while those such as stingrays bury themselves in the sand to rest. However, it must be really hard to get a good night’s sleep when you breathe air but live in water. This is something that the world’s underwater mammals have to deal with.
To prevent themselves from drowning (溺死) in their sleep, underwater mammals such as dolphins and manatees have developed the ability to “turn off” one side of their brain to rest, known as unihemispheric sleep. While one side is fast asleep, the other keeps all the animal’s vital functions running, such as breathing. Manatees, for example, love to sleep, spending up to 12 hours a day in a deep slumber. However, as air-breathing animals, manatees need to surface every 20 minutes or so for oxygen. To achieve this, the half of the brain that’s still awake sends the sleeping manatee to the surface to get some air.
77. What does the underlined word “slumber” in paragraph 1 mean
A. Rest. B. Sleep. C. Danger. D. Activity.
78. Why is it hard to define sleep for fish
A. Because fish remain partially awake. B. Because fish need short resting time.
C. Because fish possess no consciousness. D. Because fish pretend not to be sleeping.
79. What is a challenge faced by underwater mammals
A. Hiding in sand. B. Riding the current.
C. Finding spots to rest. D. Breathing while sleeping.
80. How do manatees ensure their oxygen supply during sleep
A. By sleeping less. B. By adapting to the sea.
C. By surfacing periodically. D. By controlling their breath.

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