主题六:科学技术【高考精粹】五年(2021-2025)高考英语真题专项训练分语境刷真题( 含答案解析)

资源下载
  1. 二一教育资源

主题六:科学技术【高考精粹】五年(2021-2025)高考英语真题专项训练分语境刷真题( 含答案解析)

资源简介

主题六:科学技术【高考精粹】五年(2021-2025)高考英语真题专项训练分语境刷真题( 含答案解析
(2025·全国二卷·高考真题)When Sonja Detrinidad opened her online shop selling houseplants, she didn’t have high hopes for it. But the opposite happened: She was flooded, shipping out 1,200 orders in June of 2020 alone. In the past year, Detrinidad sent out more than 70,000 plants. Her success is just one example of increased time at home leading to an explosion in the houseplant industry.
“Plants are in fashion right now,” says Dr. Melinda Knuth, a researcher from the University of Florida. “People who live in plant-rich environments report a higher life satisfaction rating, ” she says. “Adding more nature to our environment can change our mood and how we think.” Plants can improve our state of mind in a few ways but the biggest is by decreasing our level of cortisol, the stress hormone (激素) in our body.
“Students who are around plants perform better academically than students who are in a classroom without plants,” says Knuth. “This productivity also translates into the workplace for adults. Our study showed that there was a 30% decrease in sick leave for people who were in plant-rich workplaces.”
If you’re among the groups of people who are enjoying the mental and physical health benefits of surrounding yourself with plants, don’t beat yourself up if one (or a few!) doesn’t make it. “Doctors practice medicine and lawyers practice law and you should allow yourself the practice it takes to sustain a plant. Tending to plants is an exercise in patience and learning. Be invested in taking care of it, but if it dies, go get another one,” Detrinidad says.
1.How was Detrinidad’s business when it started
A.It faced tough competition. B.It suffered a great loss.
C.It got lots of financial support. D.It went surprisingly well.
2.What is one of Knuth’s findings about plants
A.They appeal more to students. B.They purify the environment.
C.They raise the cortisol level. D.They enhance productivity.
3.What does Detrinidad try to explain by mentioning doctors and lawyers
A.The necessity of social skills. B.The meaning of sustainability.
C.The importance of repeated efforts. D.The value of professional opinions.
4.What can be a suitable title for the text
A.Time to Replace Houseplants B.Plants Boost Your Mood
C.Tips on Choosing Houseplants D.Plants Brighten Your Home
(2025·浙江·高考真题)As new technologies take on increasingly humanlike qualities, there’s been a push to make them genderless. “People are stereotyping (形成刻板印象) their gendered objects in very traditional ways,” says Ashley Martin, a Stanford associate professor of organizational behavior. Removing gender from the picture altogether seems like a simple way to fix this. Yet as Martin has found in her work, gender is one of the fundamental ways people form connections with objects, particularly those designed with human characteristics.
In her study, Martin asked participants to rate their attachment to male, female, and genderless versions of a digital voice assistant and a self-driving car known as “Miuu.” It was found that gender increased users’ feelings of attachment to these devices and their interest in purchasing them. For example, participants said they would be less likely to buy a genderless voice assistant than versions with male or female voices.
While gendering a product may be good marketing, it may also strengthen outdated or harmful ideas about power and identity. The stereotypes commonly associated with men, such as competitiveness and dominance, are more valued than those associated with women. These qualities, in turn, are mapped onto products that have been assigned a gender.
Martin’s study also found that creating a genderless object was difficult. For instance, if an object’s name was meant to sound genderless, like Miuu, participants would still assign a gender to it — they would assume Miuu was a “he” or “she.”
Martin sees a silver lining, however: She believes that anthropomorphism (拟人化) “provides an opportunity to change stereotypes.” When women are put into positions of leadership like running companies, it reduces negative stereotypes about women. Similarly, anthropomorphized products could be created to take on stereotype-inconsistent roles — a male robot that assists with nursing or a female robot that helps do calculations, for instance.
5.What is the purpose of making new technologies genderless
A.To reduce stereotypes. B.To meet public demand.
C.To cut production costs. D.To encourage competition.
6.What were the participants probably asked to do in the study
A.Design a product. B.Respond to a survey.
C.Work as assistants. D.Take a language test.
7.Why is it difficult to create genderless objects
A.They cannot be mass-produced. B.Naming them is a challenging task.
C.People assume they are unreliable. D.Gender is rooted in people’s mind.
8.What does the last paragraph mainly talk about
A.The quality of genderless products. B.The upside of gendering a product.
C.The meaning of anthropomorphism. D.The stereotypes of men and women.
(2025·浙江·高考真题)When I was a child I was often told what not to eat. “You don’t want to get fat” was on constant repeat throughout my childhood. It really messed up my relationship with food — something that took me years to overcome. Because of this, I’m careful not to connect what my kids weigh with their worth as people. I encourage my daughter to make healthy snack choices and often dissuade (劝阻) her from a second dessert. But one day when I heard her saying “I think I’m too fat,” my heart sank. It made me wonder if giving her advice on snacks was having an unintentionally negative impact.
According to Charlotte Markey, a professor of psychology, food is one of the rare subjects where, as parents, saying less is more. “There are so many things in parenting that are good to talk through, but I’m not convinced that food is one of them,” she says. “It just creates some worries and insecurities in kids that aren’t necessarily healthy.”
Instead, she recommends applying a well-known concept among nutrition experts called the “Division of Responsibility,” where parents provide a variety of mostly healthy foods to their kids at fixed times, and the kids themselves decide what and how much they want to consume — even if that means occasionally eating more cookies than carrots.
Allowing kids to eat what they want also exposes them to the natural consequences of their decisions. “When your child says, ‘My stomach hurts,’ you can say, ‘Well you had a lot of sugary foods and you might feel better if you made some other choices,’” says Markey. “Let them feel like they have some control over it.”
I’ve been trying out these strategies and I’ve found that when I’m less restrictive, they do make better decisions. “Feeding is a long game,” says Markey. “The food you have available makes a huge difference. Even if they don’t eat it, they’ re seeing it. And then all of a sudden it clicks.”
9.What can be inferred about the author from the first paragraph
A.She is upset by her kids’ weight. B.She is critical of the way she was fed.
C.She is interested in making food. D.She is particular about what she eats.
10.Which of the following would Markey disapprove of
A.Allowing kids to eat cookies occasionally. B.Offering various foods to kids at fixed times.
C.Explaining to kids the risks of taking snacks. D.Talking with kids about school at mealtimes.
11.What should kids do according to the “Division of Responsibility”
A.Make diet decisions on their own. B.Share their food with other kids.
C.Eat up what is provided for them. D.Help their parents do the dishes.
12.What does the author think of the strategies she has been following
A.Costly. B.Complex.
C.Workable. D.Contradictory.
(2025·浙江·高考真题)A novel design approach to gardening has been gaining in popularity worldwide. Referred to as matrix planting, this approach aims for nature to do a lot more of the heavy lifting in the garden, and even some of the designing. Eschewing fertilizers (化肥) and power tools, it’s based on an elegantly simple principle: to garden more like nature does.
The concept was born when German city planners sought to plant large areas of parkland after World War II in a reproducible way that would need minimal maintenance. Planners created planting mixes that could be used modularly (模块化). In a matrix garden, plants with similar cultural needs are grouped so that they will grow together above and below ground, forming a cooperative ecosystem that conserves water and discourages weeds.
Dutch plantsman and designer Piet Oudolf’s gardens popularized this style, adding artistic flavors to the planting mixes while playing with color and form, including four-season interest and serving the needs of wildlife. Beautiful year-round, they invite you to enjoy the smallest detail, from the sound of grasses in the gentle wind to the sculpture of odd-looking seed heads.
It takes a lot of thought to look this natural. While matrix gardens appear wild, they are carefully planned, with cultural needs the first consideration. Led by the concept of “right plant, right place,” they match plants that enjoy the same soil, sun and weather conditions, and arrange them according to their patterns of growth.
The benefits are substantial for both gardener and planet. With human inputs dramatically reduced, the garden’s ecology can develop well. Established matrix gardens should not need the life support we give most gardens: fertilizer, dividing, regular pared to traditional garden plots, they increase carbon absorption, reduce stormwater runoff and boost habitat and biodiversity significantly.
13.What does the underlined word “Eschewing” in the first paragraph mean
A.Running out of. B.Keeping away from.
C.Putting up with. D.Taking advantage of.
14.Why was the idea of matrix planting introduced
A.To control weeds in large gardens. B.To bring in foreign species of plants.
C.To conserve soil and water resources. D.To develop low-maintenance parkland.
15.Which of the following best describes Piet Oudolf’s gardens
A.Traditional. B.Odd-looking.
C.Tasteful. D.Well-protected.
16.Which of the following can be a suitable title for the text
A.The future of gardening is WILD. B.Nature treats all lives as EQUALS.
C.Matrix gardens need more CARE. D.Old garden plots work WONDERS.
(2024·天津·高考真题)Research sometimes proves, with data, what we more or less already know(e. g. Exercise is good for you, and polluted air isn’t). Still, sometimes our assumptions are incorrect, and scientific findings surprise researchers, along with the rest of us. A recent example is the phenomenon of disappearing lakes in parts of the frozen treeless Arctic(北极的) region.
You might think these lakes would be expanding, not disappearing. As climate change warms the region — melting(融化)surface snow and ice as well as the permafrost(永冻层)— there should be more surface water, forming larger lakes and even new ones. Recently, however, scientists have observed not just shrinking(缩小的) lakes but lakes that have completely gone away.
Many scientists shared the commonsense expectation that as permafrost melted, lakes would at first expand with meltwater flowing into them. Eventually, researchers made a prediction that progressive warming during the 21st and 22nd centuries would dry out the Arctic, and lakes would begin to shrink. But now it looks as if Arctic lakes are disappearing a century sooner than predicted. A case in point is that some large, age-old lakes shrank dramatically in what appears to have been a matter of months. Scientists have labeled this phenomenon “disastrous lake loss”
What caused this The frozen solid ground actually contains bits of rock, mineral and organic matter, leaving spaces in between. And because these spaces are filled with solid ice, liquid water cannot readily get inside, but it can when the permafrost melts, allowing more water to get through. Soon after that, around 192 lakes in northwestern Alaska are gone from sight.
Why did scientists miss this One probable reason is that most climate models assume that the melting of permafrost is driven only by warming air.
New evidence suggests, however, that rainfall — particularly increasing autumn rain — is now contributing significantly to permafrost loss. The rainfall carries heat into the ground. Yet none of the existing models includes such processes.
That is a good example of why — no matter how complex our models are or may one day be — we need direct observation of the natural world.
17.What does Paragraph 1 mainly tell us
A.General knowledge can at times turn out to be true.
B.Commonsense assumptions can sometimes prove wrong.
C.Research findings should be built on popular assumptions.
D.Scientific research is inspired by an unknown phenomenon.
18.Contrary to the general expectation, climate change has caused ________.
A.a rapid rise of water surface B.the permafrost to melt faster
C.many Arctic lakes to grow larger D.the disappearance of many Arctic lakes
19.The disastrous climatic impacts on the Arctic region have been ________.
A.proved with emerging lakes B.underestimated by scientists
C.well predicted by researchers D.shown elsewhere in the world
20.Why is the frozen Arctic ground hard for water to get through
A.Because of the solid ice within it.
B.Because of its unique composition.
C.Because it is far away from the waters.
D.Because snow rarely melts on frozen ground.
21.What lesson can we learn from the passage
A.Direct observation is a must for scientific research.
B.Scientific research is guaranteed by sufficient lab facilities.
C.New evidence should be found to back up research findings.
D.Scientific predictions should be mostly based on research models.
(2024·北京·高考真题)If you want to develop maximum credibility (可信性), is it better to be a hedgehog (刺猬) or a fox According to Isaiah Berlin, the hedgehog knows one thing very well, and the fox knows a lot of things.
Is there a clear advantage of one style over the other Hedgehog thinkers tend to answer yes. 22 And they are usually very credible in doing so. According to Jim Hart, the “hedgehog concept” is one of the factors that lead companies to greatness. They focus on one thing and do it really well. They figure out what they are good at. 23 The hedgehog concept makes perfect sense for companies.
24 Philip Tate has studied the track records of those folks on the Sunday talk shows who make predictions about what will happen. He has found that hedgehogs are not only wrong more often than foxes, but that they are less likely to recognise or admit that they are wrong when events do not match their predictions.
The advantage that foxes have is that they are more likely to seek out new information from a broader range of sources, and are comfortable with uncertainty and new information. 25 They try to include it in their viewpoint rather than to exclude it from their thinking. They also have a clearer estimation of what they know and don’t know.
So, which is better The question can be answered in a foxy hedgehog style. 26 The choice between being a hedgehog or a fox is a false trade-off. The most effective way to go through life is to try to be that rare mixture known as foxy hedgehog.
A.In other words, there are clear advantages for each.
B.They are more likely to remember people’s mistakes.
C.Hence, they have the advantage of clarity and confidence.
D.But there can be a downside to concentration on one big thing.
E.However, hedgehogs remain open to others’ reactions and inputs.
F.When something is contradictory to their view, they don’t treat it as exceptional.
G.They come down squarely on one side or the other and fully support their position.
(2024·全国甲卷·高考真题)Animals can express their needs using a lot of ways. For instance, almost all animals have distinct vocals (声音) that they rely on to either ask for help, scare away any dangerous animals or look for shelter. But cats are special creatures who possess amazing vocalization skills. They are able to have entire conversations with humans using meows and you're able to interpret it. If a pet cat is hungry, it will keep meowing to attract attention and find food. However, when a cat is looking for affection, they tend to produce stretched and soft meows. Meowing starts as soon as a baby cat is brought to life and uses it to get the mother's attention and be fed.
Cats have many heightened senses, but their sense of smell is quite impressive. They use their noses to assess their environment and look out for any signs of danger. They will sniff out specific areas before they choose a place to relax. However, another way the cats are able to distinguish between situations is by looking for familiar smells. Your cat will likely smell your face and store the smell in its memory and use it to recognize you in the future. That's why most pet cats are able to tell immediately if their owners were around any other cats, which they don't usually like.
Dogs are known for their impressive fetching habit, but cats take this behavior up a notch. Many cats will find random objects outside and bring them to their owners. This is a very old habit that's been present in all kinds of predators (食肉动物). Cats bring gifts for their owners to show they love you. These adorable little hunters are just doing something that it's been in their nature since the beginning of time. So just go along with it!
27.What can be learned about cats' meowing from the first paragraph
A.It's a survival skill. B.It's taught by mother cats.
C.It's hard to interpret. D.It's getting louder with age.
28.How does a pet cat assess different situations
A.By listening for sounds. B.By touching familiar objects.
C.By checking on smells. D.By communicating with other cats.
29.Which best explains the phrase "take. . . up notch" in paragraph 3
A.Perform appropriately. B.Move faster. C.Act strangely. D.Do better.
30.What is a suitable title for the text
A.Tips on Finding a Smart Cat B.Understanding Your Cat's Behavior
C.Have Fun with Your Cat D.How to Keep Your Cat Healthy
(2024·新课标Ⅱ卷·高考真题)Given the astonishing potential of AI to transform our lives, we all need to take action to deal with our AI-powered future, and this is where AI by Design: A Plan for Living with Artificial Intelligence comes in. This absorbing new book by Catriona Campbell is a practical roadmap addressing the challenges posed by the forthcoming AI revolution (变革).
In the wrong hands, such a book could prove as complicated to process as the computer code (代码) that powers AI but, thankfully, Campbell has more than two decades’ professional experience translating the heady into the understandable. She writes from the practical angle of a business person rather than as an academic, making for a guide which is highly accessible and informative and which, by the close, will make you feel almost as smart as AI.
As we soon come to learn from AI by Design, AI is already super-smart and will become more capable, moving from the current generation of “narrow-AI” to Artificial General Intelligence. From there, Campbell says, will come Artificial Dominant Intelligence. This is why Campbell has set out to raise awareness of AI and its future now — several decades before these developments are expected to take place. She says it is essential that we keep control of artificial intelligence, or risk being sidelined and perhaps even worse.
Campbell’s point is to wake up those responsible for AI—the technology companies and world leaders—so they are on the same page as all the experts currently developing it. She explains we are at a “tipping point” in history and must act now to prevent an extinction-level event for humanity. We need to consider how we want our future with AI to pan out. Such structured thinking, followed by global regulation, will enable us to achieve greatness rather than our downfall.
AI will affect us all, and if you only read one book on the subject, this is it.
31.What does the phrase “In the wrong hands” in paragraph 2 probably mean
A.If read by someone poorly educated. B.If reviewed by someone ill-intentioned.
C.If written by someone less competent. D.If translated by someone unacademic.
32.What is a feature of AI by Design according to the text
A.It is packed with complex codes. B.It adopts a down-to-earth writing style.
C.It provides step-by-step instructions. D.It is intended for AI professionals.
33.What does Campbell urge people to do regarding AI development
A.Observe existing regulations on it.
B.Reconsider expert opinions about it.
C.Make joint efforts to keep it under control.
D.Learn from prior experience to slow it down.
34.What is the author’s purpose in writing the text
A.To recommend a book on AI. B.To give a brief account of AI history.
C.To clarify the definition of AI. D.To honor an outstanding AI expert.
(2024·新课标Ⅱ卷·高考真题)We all know fresh is best when it comes to food. However, most produce at the store went through weeks of travel and covered hundreds of miles before reaching the table. While farmer’s markets are a solid choice to reduce the journey, Babylon Micro-Farm (BMF) shortens it even more.
BMF is an indoor garden system. It can be set up for a family. Additionally, it could serve a larger audience such as a hospital, restaurant or school. The innovative design requires little effort to achieve a reliable weekly supply of fresh greens.
Specifically, it’s a farm that relies on new technology. By connecting through the Cloud, BMF is remotely monitored. Also, there is a convenient app that provides growing data in real time. Because the system is automated, it significantly reduces the amount of water needed to grow plants. Rather than watering rows of soil, the system provides just the right amount to each plant. After harvest, users simply replace the plants with a new pre-seeded pod (容器) to get the next growth cycle started.
Moreover, having a system in the same building where it’s eaten means zero emissions (排放) from transporting plants from soil to salad. In addition, there’s no need for pesticides and other chemicals that pollute traditional farms and the surrounding environment.
BMF employees live out sustainability in their everyday lives. About half of them walk or bike to work. Inside the office, they encourage recycling and waste reduction by limiting garbage cans and avoiding single-use plastic. “We are passionate about reducing waste, carbon and chemicals in our environment,” said a BMF employee.
35.What can be learned about BMF from paragraph 1
A.It guarantees the variety of food. B.It requires day-to-day care.
C.It cuts the farm-to-table distance. D.It relies on farmer’s markets.
36.What information does the convenient app offer
A.Real-time weather changes. B.Current condition of the plants.
C.Chemical pollutants in the soil. D.Availability of pre-seeded pods.
37.What can be concluded about BMF employees
A.They have a great passion for sports.
B.They are devoted to community service.
C.They are fond of sharing daily experiences.
D.They have a strong environmental awareness.
38.What does the text mainly talk about
A.BMF’s major strengths. B.BMF’s general management.
C.BMF’s global influence. D.BMF’s technical standards.
(2024·广东江苏·高考真题)In the race to document the species on Earth before they go extinct, researchers and citizen scientists have collected billions of records. Today, most records of biodiversity are often in the form of photos, videos, and other digital records. Though they are useful for detecting shifts in the number and variety of species in an area, a new Stanford study has found that this type of record is not perfect.
“With the rise of technology it is easy for people to make observations of different species with the aid of a mobile application,” said Barnabas Daru, who is lead author of the study and assistant professor of biology in the Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences. “These observations now outnumber the primary data that comes from physical specimens (标本), and since we are increasingly using observational data to investigate how species are responding to global change, I wanted to know: Are they usable ”
Using a global dataset of 1.9 billion records of plants, insects, birds, and animals, Daru and his team tested how well these data represent actual global biodiversity patterns.
“We were particularly interested in exploring the aspects of sampling that tend to bias (使有偏差) data, like the greater likelihood of a citizen scientist to take a picture of a flowering plant instead of the grass right next to it,” said Daru.
Their study revealed that the large number of observation-only records did not lead to better global coverage. Moreover, these data are biased and favor certain regions, time periods, and species. This makes sense because the people who get observational biodiversity data on mobile devices are often citizen scientists recording their encounters with species in areas nearby. These data are also biased toward certain species with attractive or eye-catching features.
What can we do with the imperfect datasets of biodiversity
“Quite a lot,” Daru explained. “Biodiversity apps can use our study results to inform users of oversampled areas and lead them to places — and even species — that are not well-sampled. To improve the quality of observational data, biodiversity apps can also encourage users to have an expert confirm the identification of their uploaded image.”
39.What do we know about the records of species collected now
A.They are becoming outdated. B.They are mostly in electronic form.
C.They are limited in number. D.They are used for public exhibition.
40.What does Daru’s study focus on
A.Threatened species. B.Physical specimens.
C.Observational data. D.Mobile applications.
41.What has led to the biases according to the study
A.Mistakes in data analysis. B.Poor quality of uploaded pictures.
C.Improper way of sampling. D.Unreliable data collection devices.
42.What is Daru’s suggestion for biodiversity apps
A.Review data from certain areas. B.Hire experts to check the records.
C.Confirm the identity of the users. D.Give guidance to citizen scientists.
(2023·新课标Ⅰ卷·高考真题)On March 7, 1907, the English statistician Francis Galton published a paper which illustrated what has come to be known as the “wisdom of crowds” effect. The experiment of estimation he conducted showed that in some cases, the average of a large number of independent estimates could be quite accurate.
This effect capitalizes on the fact that when people make errors, those errors aren’t always the same. Some people will tend to overestimate, and some to underestimate. When enough of these errors are averaged together, they cancel each other out, resulting in a more accurate estimate. If people are similar and tend to make the same errors, then their errors won’t cancel each other out. In more technical terms, the wisdom of crowds requires that people’s estimates be independent. If for whatever reasons, people’s errors become correlated or dependent, the accuracy of the estimate will go down.
But a new study led by Joaquin Navajas offered an interesting twist (转折) on this classic phenomenon. The key finding of the study was that when crowds were further divided into smaller groups that were allowed to have a discussion, the averages from these groups were more accurate than those from an equal number of independent individuals. For instance, the average obtained from the estimates of four discussion groups of five was significantly more accurate than the average obtained from 20 independent individuals.
In a follow-up study with 100 university students, the researchers tried to get a better sense of what the group members actually did in their discussion. Did they tend to go with those most confident about their estimates Did they follow those least willing to change their minds This happened some of the time, but it wasn’t the dominant response. Most frequently, the groups reported that they “shared arguments and reasoned together”. Somehow, these arguments and reasoning resulted in a global reduction in error. Although the studies led by Navajas have limitations and many questions remain, the potential implications for group discussion and decision-making are enormous.
43.What is paragraph 2 of the text mainly about
A.The methods of estimation. B.The underlying logic of the effect.
C.The causes of people’s errors. D.The design of Galton’s experiment.
44.Navajas’ study found that the average accuracy could increase even if ________.
A.the crowds were relatively small B.there were occasional underestimates
C.individuals did not communicate D.estimates were not fully independent
45.What did the follow-up study focus on
A.The size of the groups. B.The dominant members.
C.The discussion process. D.The individual estimates.
46.What is the author’s attitude toward Navajas’ studies
A.Unclear. B.Dismissive. C.Doubtful. D.Approving.
(2023·新课标Ⅱ卷·高考真题)As cities balloon with growth, access to nature for people living in urban areas is becoming harder to find. If you’re lucky, there might be a pocket park near where you live, but it’s unusual to find places in a city that are relatively wild.
Past research has found health and wellness benefits of nature for humans, but a new study shows that wildness in urban areas is extremely important for human well-being.
The research team focused on a large urban park. They surveyed several hundred park-goers, asking them to submit a written summary online of a meaningful interaction they had with nature in the park. The researchers then examined these submissions, coding (编码) experiences into different categories. For example, one participant’s experience of “We sat and listened to the waves at the beach for a while” was assigned the categories “sitting at beach” and “listening to waves.”
Across the 320 submissions, a pattern of categories the researchers call a “nature language” began to emerge. After the coding of all submissions, half a dozen categories were noted most often as important to visitors. These include encountering wildlife, walking along the edge of water, and following an established trail.
Naming each nature experience creates a usable language, which helps people recognize and take part in the activities that are most satisfying and meaningful to them. For example, the experience of walking along the edge of water might be satisfying for a young professional on a weekend hike in the park. Back downtown during a workday, they can enjoy a more domestic form of this interaction by walking along a fountain on their lunch break.
“We’re trying to generate a language that helps bring the human-nature interactions back into our daily lives. And for that to happen, we also need to protect nature so that we can interact with it,” said Peter Kahn, a senior author of the study.
47.What phenomenon does the author describe at the beginning of the text
A.Pocket parks are now popular. B.Wild nature is hard to find in cities.
C.Many cities are overpopulated. D.People enjoy living close to nature.
48.Why did the researchers code participant submissions into categories
A.To compare different types of park-goers. B.To explain why the park attracts tourists.
C.To analyze the main features of the park. D.To find patterns in the visitors’ summaries.
49.What can we learn from the example given in paragraph 5
A.Walking is the best way to gain access to nature.
B.Young people are too busy to interact with nature.
C.The same nature experience takes different forms.
D.The nature language enhances work performance.
50.What should be done before we can interact with nature according to Kahn
A.Language study. B.Environmental conservation.
C.Public education. D.Intercultural communication.
(2023·上海·高考真题)The Motivated Sequence (序列) of Public Speech
The motivated sequence gets its name partly because it follows John Dewey’s problem solution model for thinking and partly because it makes attractive analyses of these problems and their solutions by tying them to human motives. That is, the motivated sequence is both problem-driven and motivation-centered.
There are five basic steps in the motivated sequence
a1.You must get people to attend to some problem, or to feel discomfort strongly enough to want to hear more.
a2. You can create more specific wants or desires, a personal sense of need.
a3. When wants or needs are created, you can attempt to satisfy them by showing what can be done to solve the problem or relieve the sense of discomfort.
a4. Simply describing a course of action may not be enough, so in the fourth place you can visualize the world as it would look if the actions were carried out, and what it might be like if they were not.
a5. With that, if you have done these four tasks well, accidence members should be ready to act — to put into practice the proposed solution to their problems.
Five steps Audience response
l.Attention Getting attention I want to listen.
2.Need Showing the need : Describing the solution Something needs to be done.
3.Satisfaction Satisfying the need : presenting the solution This is what to do to satisfy the need.
4.Visualization Visualizing the results _________ _________
5. Action Requesting action or approval I will do this.
The motivated sequence can be used to structure many different sorts of speeches. It could be used, for example, in a speech urging your classmates to join a blood donors’ association. Or, you could use it to sell a friend insurance. And you can also use it to talk about social problems, such as the environment and the economic crisis.
51.What do we know about the motivated sequence
A.It is the basic principle of problem-solution model.
B.It has nothing to do with human motivation.
C.It’s both problem-driven and motivation-centered.
D.There are six basic steps in the motivated sequence.
52.What can the motivated sequence be used for
A.A speech urging your classmates to quit a blood donors’ association.
B.A speech to get your friends to promote a blood donors’ association.
C.A speech to get your friends to sell insurance.
D.A speech on the environmental and economic crisis.
53.Xiao Wang is trying to persuade his classmates to join a blood donors’ association. Help him draft a speech by putting the following five sentences in the right order based on the motivated sequence.
(1)With the steady supply of blood, emergencies will be met with timely treatment.
(2)You can help by filling out the blood donors’ cards I am passing out.
(3)Our area is short of blood of all types to meet emergency needs.
(4)A man died last night in a traffic accident because he lost too much blood.
(5)A blood donors’ association guarantees a predictable, steady supply of blood to the medical community.
A.(4 ) (3) (5) (1) (2) B.(4 ) (2) (3) (1) (5)
C.(4 ) (5) (3) (1) (2) D.(4 ) (2) (1) (5) (3)
(2023·上海·高考真题)The universe expands with every passing second, stretching the space between galaxies like dough rising in an oven. But just how fast is this expansion happening As telescopes like Hubble strive to answer this fundamental question, they encounter a perplexing gap between theoretical predictions and observed data.
Hubble’s measurements indicate a faster rate of expansion in the modern universe compared to what was expected based on observations of the universe more than 13 billion years ago by the European Space Agency’s Planck satellite. This inconsistency has been a subject of scientific inquiry for several years. However, it remains uncertain whether differences in measurement techniques or chance variations are responsible for this disparity.
Recent data from the Hubble telescope have significantly reduced the possibility that this discrepancy is merely a statistical fluke, with the chances now estimated at only 1 in 100,000. This marks a substantial improvement from previous estimates, which placed the odds at 1 in 3,000 less than a year ago. These precise measurements from Hubble lend weight to the hypothesis that new physics may be necessary to reconcile the observed mismatch.
Lead researcher Adam Riess, a Nobel laureate from the Space Telescope Science Institute and Johns Hopkins University, describes the tension between the early and late universe as one of the most exciting developments in cosmology in decades. He emphasizes that the growing disparity cannot be dismissed as a random occurrence and suggests that it may signal the need for a deeper understanding of the cosmos.
To determine distances in the universe, scientists rely on a “cosmic distance ladder” method. This involves accurately measuring distances to nearby galaxies and then using progressively distant galaxies as reference points. By observing stars like Cepheid variables, astronomers can calibrate this distance ladder. Riess and his team have been refining these measurements since 2005, aiming to improve our understanding of cosmic distances.
In their latest study, astronomers used Hubble to observe 70 Cepheid variables in the Large Magellanic Cloud. By comparing these stars with their more distant counterparts in galaxies hosting supernovae, they refined their measurement of the Hubble constant, reducing its uncertainty from 2.2% to 1.9%. Despite this increased precision, their calculated Hubble constant remains at odds with the value predicted by observations of the early universe conducted by Planck.
The Planck satellite, which maps the cosmic microwave background – a remnant of the universe’s early stages – provides crucial data for understanding the universe’s expansion. However, the discrepancy between these measurements and those from Hubble underscores the need for further investigation and the potential for new discoveries in cosmology.
54.Where do measurements of the early universe come from
A.The space between galaxies.
B.Measurements from Hubble and other telescopes
C.European Space Agency’s Planck satellite.
D.The latest Hubble data.
55.Which of the following statements is in line with Adam Riess’ opinion
A.The expansion speed of the modern universe is faster than expected
B.New physics may be needed to explain this mismatch.
C.It is unlikely that this discrepancy occurred by chance.
D.Hubble’s tension is the most exciting development in cosmology in decades.
56.What do scientists use to determine the distance of things in the universe
A.A cosmic distance ladder.
B.Accurate measurements of distances.
C.Milepost markers.
D.The Hubble constant.
57.What did Riess’ team do
A.They used the Hubble Space Telescope to observe pulsating stars
B.They improved the comparison between
C.They raised the uncertainty of the Hubble constant to 2.2%
D.They reduced the uncertainty in their Hubble constant value to 1.9.
(2023·天津·高考真题)Storytelling is an ancient art form that has been used to hand down legends, tales and factual stories. Perhaps the first thing that springs to mind when you think of storytelling is the fantasy land that took shape in your mind while Mom or Dad told you stories about princes, castles and monsters, with a unique voice for each character.
Storytelling does not just take place at bedtime or round a campfire, however. It can take some other forms, either via the books we read or the films we watch. But they usually have some elements in common: rather than a list of dry facts, stories have plots and they introduce characters. We respond to stories, particularly when there is emotional detail.
And unlike what we suppose, storytelling is not just a form of entertainment, but a form of learning as well. Long before reading and writing became widely spread and available, oral storytelling had already been a form that the wisdom and knowledge of the people were passed down from elders to children. A good story engages our curiosity, emotions and imagination.
Storytelling helps with learning also because stories are easy to remember. Research has found that learning obtained from a well-told story is remembered more accurately, and for far longer, than from facts and figures.
And above all, stories have a transformative power to allow us to see the world in a different way than we do if we just encounter it on our own. Stories are an entry point to understanding a different experience of the world.
This aspect of storytelling-presenting a different perspective of the world—is important when it comes to connecting with each other. It gives us an opportunity to learn from another person’s experience and it can shape, strengthen or challenge our opinions and values. So, when someone tells us their own personal story, we catch a glimpse (瞥见) of a view of the world that may be slightly or significantly different from our own. When we see the world as they see it, or walk in their shoes, the experience can inspire empathy (共情;同理心) with them.
58.What occurs to us the moment we think of “storytelling”
A.A child's imaginary world.
B.Voices of Mom or Dad.
C.An ancient art form.
D.Factual stories.
59.What are the common elements in all forms of storytelling according to the author
A.Form and style.
B.Facts and figures.
C.Emotional and physical details.
D.A series of events and characters.
60.Why does storytelling work better than mere statement of facts in promoting learning
A.It carries more wisdom and knowledge.
B.It is more widely available to young learners.
C.It satisfies our imagination and releases our emotions.
D.It makes what is learned more precise and longer lasting.
61.How can other people’s personal stories probably benefit us
A.By offering us more opportunities to know people.
B.By helping us stay connected with the contemporary world.
C.By allowing us to understand the world the way they see it.
D.By enabling us to tell reality from imagination.
62.What makes the best title for the passage
A.The History of Storytelling
B.The Power of Storytelling
C.The Forms of Storytelling
D.The Art of Storytelling
(2023·天津·高考真题)Getting the “side-eye” look from your dog can make it seem like they are making a judgement about you, and some new studies suggest they really could be.
The ability to judge others’ intentions is an indicator of possessing “theory of mind” which was once thought to be unique to humans. However, new studies have shown that dogs can read human behaviour and have a preference to people who are more friendly or generous with food.
One such study published in 2023 aimed to see if dogs can tell the difference between humans who are “unwilling” or “unable” to give them a treat. 96 dogs were involved in both “unwilling” and “unable” scenarios (情境) designed for the study. Both scenarios involved a dog being placed on one side of a glass screen with small holes in it at nose-height, and an experimenter standing on the other. In the ‘unwilling’ scenario, the experimenter would hang a piece of sausage in front of the screen in a ‘teasing’ (戏耍的) manner, and approach one of the holes. But instead of passing it through the hole to the dog, they would then pull it out of its reach. For the “unable” scenario, the experimenter would again move the treat towards the hole while the dog watched, but “accidentally” drop it before they could pass it through.
The researchers observed that the dogs were much more patient, making more eye contact and staying closer to the screen after the “unable” scenario played out. In the “unwilling” scenario, however, the dogs looked at the experimenter less often, sat, lay down and wandered around more frequently.
Another study from 2021 tested for “theory of mind” in dogs in a similar way, but the dogs were able to walk round the screen to obtain the treat after witnessing the experimenter’s “unwilling” or “unable” behaviour. The main finding was that the dogs approached the experimenter significantly sooner in the unable scenario than in the unwilling scenario.
However, the researchers of the 2023 study challenged that the food dropped on the floor in the clumsy (笨拙的) manner might have motivated the dogs to approach the experimenter considering that they probably often obtain food dropped on the floor in their daily lives.
Now, more evidence has been provided that dogs distinguish between similar actions associated with different intentions. But how exactly they acquire such intention-reading abilities will be an exciting topic for future research.
63.What is one of the new research findings according to Paragraph 2
A.Dogs also have “theory of mind”.
B.Dogs prefer food from generous people.
C.Human behaviours are mostly intentional.
D.Friendly animals can get food more easily.
64.What did the experimenter do in the “unwilling” scenario in the 2023 study
A.They acted awkwardly while feeding the dog.
B.They pretended to walk slowly away from the dog.
C.They teased the dog by fixing the treat to the screen.
D.They pulled the sausage beyond the dog’s reach.
65.How did the dogs of the 2023 study respond to the “unable” behaviour
A.By moving closer to the experimenter.
B.By keeping wandering around.
C.By ignoring the experimenter.
D.By lying still on the floor
66.How does the experiment design of the 2021 study differ from that of 2023
A.The dogs can watch the experimenter.
B.The dogs can go to the other side of the screen.
C.The dogs’ responses are under close observation.
D.The dogs’ habitual behaviours are under analysis.
67.What do the dogs’ different responses in “unwilling” and “unable” scenarios suggest
A.Dogs can tell “being friendly” from “being mean”
B.Dogs’ intelligence is gradually evolving.
C.Dogs’ intentions can be easily identified.
D.Dogs are a lot more emotional than other animals.
(2023·北京·高考真题)What is life Like most great questions, this one is easy to ask but difficult to answer. The reason is simple: we know of just one type of life and it’s challenging to do science with a sample size of one. The field of artificial life-called ALife for short — is the systematic attempt to spell out life’s fundamental principles. Many of these practitioners, so-called ALifers, think that somehow making life is the surest way to really understand what life is.
So far no one has convincingly made artificial life. This track record makes ALife a ripe target for criticism, such as declarations of the field’s doubtful scientific value. Alan Smith, a complexity scientist, is tired of such complaints. Asking about “the point” of ALife might be, well, missing the point entirely, he says. “The existence of a living system is not about the use of anything.” Alan says. “Some people ask me, ‘So what’s the worth of artificial life ’ Do you ever think, ‘What is the worth of your grandmother ’”
As much as many ALifers hate emphasizing their research’s applications, the attempts to create artificial life could have practical payoffs. Artificial intelligence may be considered ALife’s cousin in that researchers in both fields are enamored by a concept called open-ended evolution (演化). This is the capacity for a system to create essentially endless complexity, to be a sort of “novelty generator”. The only system known to exhibit this is Earth’s biosphere. If the field of ALife manages to reproduce life’s endless “creativity” in some virtual model, those same principles could give rise to truly inventive machines.
Compared with the developments of Al, advances in ALife are harder to recognize. One reason is that ALife is a field in which the central concept — life itself — is undefined. The lack of agreement among ALifers doesn’t help either. The result is a diverse line of projects that each advance along their unique paths. For better or worse, ALife mirrors the very subject it studies. Its muddled (混乱的) progression is a striking parallel (平行线) to the evolutionary struggles that have shaped Earth biosphere.
Undefined and uncontrolled, ALife drives its followers to repurpose old ideas and generated novelty. It may be, of course, that these characteristics aren’t in any way surprising or singular. They may apply universally to all acts of evolution. Ultimately ALife may be nothing special. But even this dismissal suggests something:perhaps, just like life itself throughout the universe, the rise of ALife will prove unavoidable.
68.Regarding Alan Smith’s defence of ALife, the author is .
A.supportive B.puzzled C.unconcerned D.doubtful
69.What does the word “enamored” underlined in Paragraph 3 most probably mean
A.Shocked. B.Protected. C.Attracted. D.Challenged.
70.What can we learn from this passage
A.ALife holds the key to human future. B.ALife and AI share a common feature.
C.AI mirrors the developments of ALife. D.AI speeds up the process of human evolution.
71.Which would be the best title for the passage
A.Life Is Undefined. Can AI Be a Way Out
B.Life Evolves. Can AI Help ALife Evolve, Too
C.Life Is Undefined. Can ALife Be Defined One Day
D.Life Evolves. Can Attempts to Create ALife Evolve, Too
(2023·新课标Ⅰ卷·高考真题)The goal of this book is to make the case for digital minimalism, including a detailed exploration of what it asks and why it works, and then to teach you how to adopt this philosophy if you decide it’s right for you.
To do so, I divided the book into two parts. In part one, I describe the philosophical foundations of digital minimalism, starting with an examination of the forces that are making so many people’s digital lives increasingly intolerable, before moving on to a detailed discussion of the digital minimalism philosophy.
Part one concludes by introducing my suggested method for adopting this philosophy: the digital declutter. This process requires you to step away from optional online activities for thirty days. At the end of the thirty days, you will then add back a small number of carefully chosen online activities that you believe will provide massive benefits to the things you value.
In the final chapter of part one, I’ll guide you through carrying out your own digital declutter. In doing so, I’ll draw on an experiment I ran in 2018 in which over 1,600 people agreed to perform a digital declutter. You’ll hear these participants’ stories and learn what strategies worked well for them, and what traps they encountered that you should avoid.
The second part of this book takes a closer look at some ideas that will help you cultivate (培养) a sustainable digital minimalism lifestyle. In these chapters, I examine issues such as the importance of solitude (独处) and the necessity of cultivating high-quality leisure to replace the time most now spent on mindless device use. Each chapter concludes with a collection of practices, which are designed to help you act on the big ideas of the chapter. You can view these practices as a toolbox meant to aid your efforts to build a minimalist lifestyle that works for your particular circumstances.
72.What is the book aimed at
A.Teaching critical thinking skills. B.Advocating a simple digital lifestyle.
C.Solving philosophical problems. D.Promoting the use of a digital device.
73.What does the underlined word “declutter” in paragraph 3 mean
A.Clear-up. B.Add-on. C.Check-in. D.Take-over.
74.What is presented in the final chapter of part one
A.Theoretical models. B.Statistical methods.
C.Practical examples. D.Historical analyses.
75.What does the author suggest readers do with the practices offered in part two
A.Use them as needed. B.Recommend them to friends.
C.Evaluate their effects. D.Identify the ideas behind them.
(2022·上海·高考真题)Business innovation is an organization’s process for introducing new ideas, workflows, methodologies, services or products. Like IT innovation, which calls for using technology in new ways to create a more efficient and agile organization, business innovation should enable the achievement of goals across the entire organization, with sights set on accomplishing core business aims and initiatives. Innovation often begins with idea generation, wherein ideas are narrowed down during brainstorming sessions, after which leaders consider the business viability, feasibility and desirability of each idea. Business innovation should improve on existing products, services or processes; or it should solve a problem; or it should reach new customers. Recent examples of business innovation include the introduction of the Dyson vacuum cleaner, whose creator and namesake James Dyson declared in advertisements that he set out to build a better product by applying industrial cyclone technologies to the household appliance.
The purpose of the business innovation process is to create value for the organization. That value can come from creating new revenue opportunities or driving more revenue through existing channels; from creating efficiencies that save time, money or both; or from improvements to productivity or performance. In short, innovation should lead to higher profits. Additionally, the results of an organization’s innovation process should yield a competitive advantage; it should help the organization to grow and reach — or, better still, exceed — strategic objectives.
Innovation and invention are closely linked, but the two terms are not interchangeable. An invention is an entirely new creation. The process of business innovation can produce an invention, but the term is broader in scope and includes the application of an existing concept or practice in a new way, or applying new technology to an existing product or process to improve upon it. To better understand the difference, consider this: The telephone is an invention, but the smartphone is an innovation.
Business innovation can also be classified as either revolutionary or evolutionary. Revolutionary business innovation yields a drastic change in a product, service, process, etc., which often destroys or supplants an existing business model. This is also known as radical innovation. Evolutionary or incremental innovation involves smaller, more continuous improvements that, while important, are not drastic enough to shift a company or market into a new paradigm. Disruptive innovation is a category that emphasizes the destructive aspect of revolutionary innovation; this term applies to business innovation that leads to the creation of a new market that displaces an existing one or, similarly, a significant upheaval in a category of products or services.
Business innovation, like most business initiatives, has both benefits and risks. Organizations should recognize on the negative side that the business innovation process can be a costly undertaking that does not always produce a return on investment (ROI); that ideas considered likely to succeed could still fail; and that stakeholders could fight the changes required to be successful. On the other hand, organizations need to weigh those risks against the benefits of business innovation.
76.What does the underlined word in the first paragraph mean?
A.Persuasibility.
B.Scarcity.
C.Generality.
D.Practicability.
77.What is the purpose of business innovation?
A.Create value benefits for the enterprise.
B.Reform the management structure of enterprises.
C.Encourage staff to make more inventions.
D.Upgrade the product performance.
78.Which of the following is true about innovation and invention
A.They are essentially the same concept.
B.They can replace each other in the context.
C.They can bring huge commercial benefits.
D.They are closely related but have different conceptual scopes.
79.What is the main content of this passage
A.The precautions for brainstorming meetings.
B.The considerations for business innovation.
C.The difference between innovation and invention.
D.The revolutionary change in business innovation.
(2022·天津·高考真题)Is it true that our brain alone is responsible for human cognition(认知) What about our body Is it possible for thought and behavior to originate from somewhere other than our brain Psychologists who study Embodied Cognition(EC) ask similar questions. The EC theory suggests our body is also responsible for thinking or problem-solving. More precisely, the mind shapes the body and the body shapes the mind in equal measure.
If you think about it for a moment, it makes total sense. When you smell something good or hear amusing sounds, certain emotions are awakened. Think about how newborns use their senses to understand the world around them. They don’t have emotions so much as needs—they don’t feel sad, they’re just hungry and need food. Even unborn babies can feel their mothers’ heartbeats and this has a calming effect. In the real world,they cry when they’re cold and then get hugged. That way, they start to as-sociate being warm with being loved.
Understandably, theorists have been arguing for years and still disagree on whether the brain is the nerve centre that operates the rest of the body. Older Western philosophers and mainstream language researchers believe this is fact, while EC theorises that the brain and body are working together as an organic supercomputer, processing everything and forming your reactions.
Further studies have backed up the mind-body interaction. In one experiment, test subjects(实验对象) were asked to judge people after being handed a hot or a cold drink. They all made warm evaluations when their fingertips perceived warmth rather than coolness. And it works the other way too; in another study, subjects’ fingertip temperatures were measured after being“included” in or “rejected” from a group task. Those who were included felt physically warmer.
For further proof, we can look at the metaphors(比喻说法) that we use without even thinking. A kind and sympathetic person is frequently referred to as one with a soft heart and someone who is very strong and calm in difficult situations is often described as solid as a rock. And this kind of metaphorical use is common across languages.
Now that you have the knowledge of mind-body interaction, why not use it If you’re having a bad day,a warm cup of tea will give you a flash of pleasure. If you know you’re physically cold, warm up before making any interpersonal decisions.
80.According to the author, the significance of the EC theory lies in ________.
A.facilitating our understanding of the origin of psychology
B.revealing the major role of the mind in human cognition
C.offering a clearer picture of the shape of human brain
D.bringing us closer to the truth in human cognition
81.Where does the new borns’ understanding of their surroundings start from
A.Their personal looks.
B.Their mental needs.
C.Their inner emotions.
D.Their physical feelings.
82.The experiments mentioned in Paragraph 4 further prove________.
A.environment impacts how we judge others
B.how body temperature is related to health
C.the mind and the body influence each other
D.how humans interact with their surroundings
83.What does the author intend to prove by citing the metaphors in Paragraph 5
A.Human speech is alive with metaphors.
B.Human senses have effects on thinking.
C.Human language is shaped by visual images.
D.Human emotions are often compared to natural materials.
84.What is the author’s purpose in writing the last paragraph
A.To share with the reader ways to release their emotions.
B.To guide the reader onto the path to career success.
C.To encourage the reader to put EC into practice.
D.To deepen the reader’s understanding of EC.
(2022·浙江·高考真题)Many people believe that working to the maximum is the secret to success, but research has found that moderation(适度) also gets results on the job.
In a study led by Ellen Langer of Harvard University, researchers asked people to translate sentences into a new made-up language. Subjects who practiced the language moderately beforehand made fewer errors than those who practiced extensively or not at all. High levels of knowledge can make people too attached to traditional ways of viewing problems across fields the arts, sciences, and politics. High conscientiousness is related to lower job performance, especially in simple jobs where it doesn’t pay to be a perfectionist.
How long we stay on the clock and how we spend that time are under careful examination in many workplaces. The young banker who eats lunch at his desk is probably seen as a go-getter, while his colleagues who chat over a relaxed conference-room meal get dirty looks from the corner office. “People from cultures that value relationships more than ours does are shocked by the thought of eating alone in front of a computer”, says Art Markman, a professor of psychology at the University of Texas, Austin. Social interaction has been shown to lift mood(情绪) and get people thinking in new directions and in ways that could help improve any post-lunch effort.
Markman also promotes off-task time. “Part of being a good thinker is experiencing things that are seemingly unrelated to what you are working on at the moment but give you fresh ideas about your work,” he says. “Also, there is a lot of research showing that a positive mood leads to higher levels of productivity and creativity. So, when people do things to increase their life satisfaction, they also make themselves more effective at work.”
85.What does Ellen Langer’s study show
A.It is worthwhile to be a perfectionist B.Translation makes people knowledgeable.
C.Simpler jobs require greater caution. D.Moderate effort produces the best result.
86.The underlined word “go-getter” in paragraph 3 refers to someone Who_______.
A.is good at handling pressure B.works hard to become successful
C.a has a natural talent for his job. D.gets on well with his co-workers
87.What can be inferred from the last paragraph
A.A good thinker is able to inspire other people.
B.Experience unrelated to your job is useless.
C.A cheerful mood helps make a creative mind.
D.Focusing on what you do raises productivity.
88.What does the text seem to advocate
A.Middle-of-the-road work habits. B.Balance between work and family.
C.Long-standing cultural traditions. D.Harmony in the work environment.
(2022·北京·高考真题)“What would the world be if there were no hunger ” It’s a question that Professor Crystal would ask her students. They found it hard to answer, she wrote later, because imagining something that isn’t part of real life—and learning how to make it real—is a rare skill. It is taught to artists and engineers, but much less often to scientists. Crystal set out to change that, and helped to create a global movement. The result—an approach known as systems thinking—is now seen as essential in meeting global challenges.
Systems thinking is crucial to achieving targets such as zero hunger and better nutrition because it requires considering the way in which food is produced, processed, delivered and consumed, and looking at how those things intersect (交叉 ) with human health, the environment, economics and society. According to systems thinking, changing the food system—or any other network—requires three things to happen. First, researchers need to identify all the players in that system; second, they must work out how they relate to each other; and third, they need to understand and quantify the impact of those relationships on each other and on those outside the system.
Take nutrition. In the latest UN report on global food security, the number of undernourished (营养不良 )people in the world has been rising, despite great advances in nutrition science. Tracking of 150 biochemicals in food has been important in revealing the relationships between calories, sugar, fat and the occurrence of common diseases. But using machine learning and artificial intelligence, some scientists propose that human diets consist of at least 26,000 biochemicals—and that the vast majority are not known. This shows that we have some way to travel before achieving the first objective of systems thinking - which,in this example, is to identify more constituent parts of the nutrition system.
A systems approach to creating change is also built on the assumption that everyone in the system has equal power. But as some researchers find, the food system is not an equal one. A good way to redress (修正 ) such power imbalance is for more universities to do what Crystal did and teach students how to think using a systems approach.
More researchers, policymakers and representatives from the food industry must learn to look beyond their direct lines of responsibility and adopt a systems approac

展开更多......

收起↑

资源预览