论文部分内容阅读
一、考情剖析
近3年江苏高考阅读理解题命题特点、规律及命题趋势如下：
1．体裁多样，有记叙文、说明文、议论文等。所选材料语言地道而且内容丰富、真实、贴近学生的学习和生活、有很强的时代气息。
2．阅读理解所选文章长度加大，试题信息量大，这就要求学生必须提高阅读速度和快速处理信息的能力。
3．阅读理解题目设置要求较高，归纳总结之类的题较多，这类题的答案并不在某一句话或某一段落中，学生需要耐心阅读，在整篇文章里查找散落的信息，然后加以归纳、推理和总结。
二、应试技巧
要做好阅读理解题，基础是保证，技巧是关键。除了要有丰富的词汇量，扎实的语言基本功，较高的分析、结合能力外，还必须具备科学的解题方法和解题技巧，做到有的放矢，胸有成竹。
解题步骤通常分为4步：
1．通读全文，了解文章大意，注意文章的首句、尾句和中心句。是否有前后矛盾的情况出现，若有，则选出的答案必错无疑，考生就应充分利用试题与短文，试题间的相互暗示与启示，前后对应，认真检查，确保答案的唯一性。
一篇文章的首句，有时就是文章的主题句，用来统帅全文，表述文章的主旨大意，而文章的尾句有时与首句遥相呼应，有时是对整篇文章的归纳和总结。还要注意中心句有时出现在文章中间。
2．读短文后面的测试题，明确解题的目标。
阅读文章一般较长，信息量大，短文提供的信息，不一定读一遍都记得住，也不一定都有用。读完测试题之后，就会做到心中有数。读第二遍时便会有的放矢，从而节省时间。
3．细读全文，谨慎答题。
针对试题的提问，仔细研读与题干相关的单词、句子及段落，抓住关键的细节描述，提炼有用的信息，为选项进行仔细推敲，认真琢磨，有时候还要结合中学生应有的常识进行一系列的逻辑思维推理，从而找出确凿的依据。
4．复读全文，核实答案。
考生做完之后，应快速再读一遍短文，尤其注意再看一下与测试题相关的信息点，检查一下答案。
阅读理解一般分为六类题型：1．理解主旨大意题。2．事实、细节辨认题。3．逻辑推理与判断题。4．领会作者态度、理解人物性格题。5．词义猜测题。6．辨认图形与数据推算题。
三、解题技巧
1．理解大意，抓住主要话题。
快速阅读后，仔细阅读短文后的试题，带着问题，重读文章，寻找答案。一般情况下，考题中选择标题、中心句等都可以使用此法。一篇文章是围绕一个中心思想展开的。一般情况下主题多数位于每段开头，尤其是新闻报道，少数放在段尾，个别则贯穿在全文中。因此，弄清文章的中心思想可使用归纳法和概括法。
2．根据语境，理解词语意义。
在阅读理解题中，理解一个词或短语，不能停留在字面上。需要进行转换理解，才能揭示出它的实在意义。当然，这种转换理解一定要根据上下文形成的语境。
3．把握住五个“W”和一个“H”。
在速读全文，了解文意的基础上，理顺思路，摸清脉络，然后把着眼点转移到文章的每一个段落上，尽快地把握住文章的五个“W”(who, when, where, why, what) 和一个“H”(how)。
4．字斟句酌，注意文章细节。
有些试题是通过细节来表达中心内容的，因此通读全文，掌握作者思路，寻找文章的信息资料，像图表、时间、史料等就能准确答题。而个别题目则需要进行计算、推理才能选出正确答案。
5．逻辑推理，揭示隐含意义。
高考阅读理解不仅要求考生运用自身具备的词汇语法知识读懂每个句子，还要了解它们之间的逻辑联系，再通过一定程度的逻辑推理和判断，结合自己的生活常识和经验，理解文章的言外之意、弦外之音。但要依照事实，合理得出结论。切忌凭空想象，自以为是。
6．合理分析，了解文化背景。
考生平时应对西方社会的风俗习惯，生活常识，人文景观等有所了解，摆脱考生对某些问题的主观看法。合理分析，大胆推理，力求与作者思路吻合。
7．统观全篇，对照核实答案。
做完阅读理解题后，要立足整体，把全文再读一遍，逐一校对各题的答案，注意各题答案是否前后照应。如发现前后意思矛盾，则必定有误选答案。要根据全文意思，认真核查，直到前后统一。
四、实战演练
A
The year of the Dragon will begin on January 23, 2012. The Dragon is the fifth sign of the Chinese Zodiac (生肖), which consists of 12 animal signs.
Many Chinese people are proud to call themselves the “descendants (传人) of the dragon”. According to Chinese folklore(民间传说), there is a dragon living in every river, well and ocean. When the dragon sneezes, it rains. Chinese dragons traditionally symbolize strength, power and good luck. They control the water, rain, hurricanes and floods.
Emperors of ancient China usually used the dragon as a symbol of their power. Emperors wear clothes with dragon patterns and their imperial throne (王位) was called the Dragon Throne.
Dragons have appeared in many works of classical Chinese literature, such as Journey to the West, often seen as one of the four masterpieces of China. The Monkey King gets his golden cudgel (金箍棒) from the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea. A son of the Dragon King of the Western Sea turns into Monk Tang’s white horse.
Dragon is also frequently used in colloquial (口语的) language in China. Excellent and outstanding people are compared to dragons. We are all familiar with sayings that refer to dragons, for example: “Hope one’s child will become a dragon”, which means hoping he or she will be successful.
However, the creature is regarded differently in Western countries. In the Bible, dragons represent the devil (恶魔) and trick the world. “Western people usually see dragons as coldblooded reptiles (爬行动物), like snakes,” said Jonathan Hagen, the Founder and Academic Director of DK Education. “They are cruel killers, breathing fire and capturing women.” Western people think of dragons as dishonest because of their forked(分叉的) tongues.
More often than not, dragons in Western literature are presented as monsters (怪物) against which the hero must battle. It is a common tale for a medieval (中世纪的) knight (骑士) to kill a dragon and save a princess and her country from evil (邪恶). Even the popular boy wizard Harry Potter has to battle a deadly dragon and get back a golden egg from its nest in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Because of this, some Chinese experts have suggested changing the English word for Chinese dragons to its pinyin, “Long”. They believe the name “dragon” makes Western people think badly about China. But some don’t agree. They think Chinese people can look after their own culture. Many Western people already know the difference between Chinese dragons and Western ones.
1. Why do many people take pride in being called descendants of the dragon? Because Chinese dragons stand for____.
A. strength, power and good luck
B. knowledge, power and beauty
C. strength, character and bad luck
D. wisdom, appearance and ill luck
2. The Chinese Zodiac, of which the____ sign is the Dragon, consists of____ animal signs.
____________________
A. 12th; 12
B. 12th; 5
C. 5th; 12
D. 5th; 5
3. The creature is regarded____ in Western countries.
A. the same
B. quite oppositely
C. similarly
D. not differently
4. Chinese people think of dragons as____ while Western people regard them as____.
A. honest; honest
B. dishonest; dishonest
C. dishonest; honest
D. honest; dishonest
B
The Olympic Stadium for the London Games is in Stratford in the northeast of London. The stadium will host the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as athletics__events.
Designers say the Olympic Stadium will be the most sustainable (可持续性的) ever built—in fact, the motto of the stadium is “reduce, reuse, recycle”. They have tried to avoid using too much steel, for example, as the metal is in short supply at the moment. They managed to use 75 percent less than other stadiums. The top part of the stadium was built from old gas pipes. The Olympic Stadium will be able to seat 80,000 spectators.
There will be other stadiums, including an Aquatics (水上的) Center for water sports — and, of course, the Olympic Park. The Olympic Park will cover__25__square kilometers of land in east London. This land used to be a polluted industrial site, but now will be covered in greenery (绿色植物). Around 2,000 trees are being planted. Lakes will be built and 300,000 wetland plants put in place, making it the largest ever river planting to take place in a UK city. Visitors can enjoy the surroundings from one of the bars or cafes onsite, or get involved with the markets and other events.
Stratford is known as a poor area of London, and organizers hope the bid will create many jobs for local people.
5. The Olympic Stadium for the London Games lies in____.
A. Beijing in the southeast of China
B. Paris in the southwest of France
C. Washington D.C. in the northeast of USA
D. Stratford in the northeast of London
6. In the sentence “The Olympic Stadium will be__able__to seat 80,000 spectators,” “spectators” means____.
A. players
B. sportsmen
C. onlookers (esp. at a show or game)
D. judges
7. Trees and wetland plants add up to about____.
A. 302,000
B. 320,000
C. 298,000
D. 300,000
C
“I Went Skydiving at 84!”
As a young girl growing up in the 1930s, I always wanted to fly a plane, but back then it was almost unheard of a woman to do that. I got a taste of that dream in 2001, when my husband arranged for me to ride in a hot air balloon for my birthday. But the experience turned out to be very dull. Around that time, I told my husband that I wanted to skydive. So when our retirement community (社区) announced that they were having an essay competition and the topic was an experience of a lifetime that you wanted to have, I decided to write about my dream.
In the essay, I wrote about my desire to skydive, stating George Bush Sr. did it at age 80. Why not me? I was just 84 and in pretty good health. A year went by and I heard nothing. But then at a community party in late April 2009, they announced that I was one of the winners. I just couldn’t believe it.
On June 11, 2009, nearly 40 of my family and friends gathered in the area close to where I would land while I headed up in the airplane. My instructor, Jay, guided me through the experience. The plane was the noisiest one I had ever been in, but I wasn’t frightened — I was really just looking forward to the experience. When we reached 13,000 feet, Jay instructed me to throw myself out of the plane. When we first hit the air, the wind was so strong that I could hardly breathe. For a second I thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” But then everything got calmer. We were in a free fall for about a minute before Jay opened the parachute (降落伞), then we just floated downward to about five minutes. Being up in the clouds and looking at the view below was unlike anything I have ever felt — much better than the hot air balloon. I was just enjoying it.
Skydiving was really one of the greatest experiences of my life. I hope other people will look at me and realize that you don’t stop living just because you are 84 years old. If there’s something you want to experience, look into it. If it’s something that is possible, make it happen.
8. What happened to the author in 2001?
A. She flew an airplane.
B. She entered a competition.
C. She went on a hot air balloon ride.
D. She moved into a retirement community.
9. The author mentioned George Bush Sr. in her essay to____.
A. build up her own reputation
B. show her admiration for him
C. compare their health condition
D. make her argument persuasive
10. How did the author feel immediately after she jumped out of the plane?
A. Excited.
B. Scared.
C. Nervous.
D. Regretful.
11. What did the author enjoy most when she was skydiving?
A. The beautiful clouds.
B. The wonderful view.
C. The company of Jay.
D. The oneminute free fall.
D
Why should mankind explore space? Why should money, time and effort be spent exploring and researching something with so few apparent benefits? Why should resources be spent on space rather than on conditions and people on Earth? These are questions that, understandably, are very often asked.
Perhaps the best answer lies in our genetic makeup (基因构成) as human beings. What drove our ancestors to move from the trees into the plains, and on into all possible areas and environments? The wider the spread of a species, the better its chance of survival. Perhaps the best reason for exploring space is this genetic tendency to expand wherever possible.
Nearly every successful civilization has explored, because by doing so, any dangers in surrounding areas can be identified and prepared for. Without knowledge, we may be completely destroyed by the danger. With knowledge, we can lessen its effects.
Exploration also allows minerals and other potential (潜在的) resources to be found. Even if we have no immediate need of them, they will perhaps be useful later. Resources may be more than physical possessions. Knowledge or techniques have been acquired through exploration. The techniques may have medical applications which can improve the length or quality of our lives. We have already benefited from other spinoffs including improvements in earthquake prediction, in satellites for weather forecasting and in communications systems. Even nonstick pans and mirrored sunglasses are byproducts (副产品) of technological developments in the space, the chance to save ourselves might not exist.
While many resources are spent on what seems a small return, the exploration of space allows creative, brave and intelligent members of our species to focus on what may serve to save us. While space may hold many wonders and explanations of how the universe was formed or how it works, it also holds dangers. The danger exists, but knowledge can help human being to survive. Without the ability to reach out across space, the chance to save ourselves might not exist.
While Earth is the only planet known to support life, surely the adaptive ability of humans would allow us to live on other planets. It is true that the lifestyle would be different, but human life and cultures have__adapted__in the past and surely could in the future.
12. Why does the author mention the questions in Paragraph 1?
A. To express his doubts.
B. To compare different ideas.
C. To introduce points for discussion.
D. To describe the conditions on Earth.
13. What is the reason for exploring space based on Paragraph 2?
A. Humans are natureborn to do so.
B. Humans have the tendency to fight.
C. Humans may find new sources of food.
D. Humans don’t like to stay in the same place.
14. The underlined word “spinoffs” in Paragraph 4 probably refers to .
A. survival chances
B. potential resources
C. unexpected benefits
D. physical possessions
15. What makes it possible for humans to live on other planets?
A. Our genetic makeup.
B. Resources on the earth.
C. The adaptive ability of humans.
D. Byproducts in space exploration.
参考答案
1. A。细节理解题。根据第二段倒数第二句可找到答案。
2. C。细节理解题。根据第一段第二句话解题。
3. B。推理判断题。根据第六段第一句中differently=quite oppositely。
4. D。推理判断题。根据文章第六段第一句和最后一句。
5. D。细节理解题。根据第一段首句可找到答案。
6. C。词义猜测题。根据上下文，伦敦体育馆可以坐80,000名观众。
7. A。计算题。根据倒数第二段第4句两个数据相加即可得出答案。
8. C。细节理解题。由I got a taste of that dream in 2001, when my husband arranged for me to ride in a hot air balloon for my birthday.可知答案。
9. D。推理判断题。由In the essay, I wrote about my desire to skydive, stating George Bush Sr. did it at age 80. Why not me？I was just 84 and in pretty good health. 可知作者在他的文章中引用George Bush是想使她的论点更具有说服力。
10. D。推理判断题。由上文作者but I wasn’t frightened和下文When we reached 13,000 feet, Jay instructed me to throw myself out of the plane. When__ __（下转第64页)
近3年江苏高考阅读理解题命题特点、规律及命题趋势如下：
1．体裁多样，有记叙文、说明文、议论文等。所选材料语言地道而且内容丰富、真实、贴近学生的学习和生活、有很强的时代气息。
2．阅读理解所选文章长度加大，试题信息量大，这就要求学生必须提高阅读速度和快速处理信息的能力。
3．阅读理解题目设置要求较高，归纳总结之类的题较多，这类题的答案并不在某一句话或某一段落中，学生需要耐心阅读，在整篇文章里查找散落的信息，然后加以归纳、推理和总结。
二、应试技巧
要做好阅读理解题，基础是保证，技巧是关键。除了要有丰富的词汇量，扎实的语言基本功，较高的分析、结合能力外，还必须具备科学的解题方法和解题技巧，做到有的放矢，胸有成竹。
解题步骤通常分为4步：
1．通读全文，了解文章大意，注意文章的首句、尾句和中心句。是否有前后矛盾的情况出现，若有，则选出的答案必错无疑，考生就应充分利用试题与短文，试题间的相互暗示与启示，前后对应，认真检查，确保答案的唯一性。
一篇文章的首句，有时就是文章的主题句，用来统帅全文，表述文章的主旨大意，而文章的尾句有时与首句遥相呼应，有时是对整篇文章的归纳和总结。还要注意中心句有时出现在文章中间。
2．读短文后面的测试题，明确解题的目标。
阅读文章一般较长，信息量大，短文提供的信息，不一定读一遍都记得住，也不一定都有用。读完测试题之后，就会做到心中有数。读第二遍时便会有的放矢，从而节省时间。
3．细读全文，谨慎答题。
针对试题的提问，仔细研读与题干相关的单词、句子及段落，抓住关键的细节描述，提炼有用的信息，为选项进行仔细推敲，认真琢磨，有时候还要结合中学生应有的常识进行一系列的逻辑思维推理，从而找出确凿的依据。
4．复读全文，核实答案。
考生做完之后，应快速再读一遍短文，尤其注意再看一下与测试题相关的信息点，检查一下答案。
阅读理解一般分为六类题型：1．理解主旨大意题。2．事实、细节辨认题。3．逻辑推理与判断题。4．领会作者态度、理解人物性格题。5．词义猜测题。6．辨认图形与数据推算题。
三、解题技巧
1．理解大意，抓住主要话题。
快速阅读后，仔细阅读短文后的试题，带着问题，重读文章，寻找答案。一般情况下，考题中选择标题、中心句等都可以使用此法。一篇文章是围绕一个中心思想展开的。一般情况下主题多数位于每段开头，尤其是新闻报道，少数放在段尾，个别则贯穿在全文中。因此，弄清文章的中心思想可使用归纳法和概括法。
2．根据语境，理解词语意义。
在阅读理解题中，理解一个词或短语，不能停留在字面上。需要进行转换理解，才能揭示出它的实在意义。当然，这种转换理解一定要根据上下文形成的语境。
3．把握住五个“W”和一个“H”。
在速读全文，了解文意的基础上，理顺思路，摸清脉络，然后把着眼点转移到文章的每一个段落上，尽快地把握住文章的五个“W”(who, when, where, why, what) 和一个“H”(how)。
4．字斟句酌，注意文章细节。
有些试题是通过细节来表达中心内容的，因此通读全文，掌握作者思路，寻找文章的信息资料，像图表、时间、史料等就能准确答题。而个别题目则需要进行计算、推理才能选出正确答案。
5．逻辑推理，揭示隐含意义。
高考阅读理解不仅要求考生运用自身具备的词汇语法知识读懂每个句子，还要了解它们之间的逻辑联系，再通过一定程度的逻辑推理和判断，结合自己的生活常识和经验，理解文章的言外之意、弦外之音。但要依照事实，合理得出结论。切忌凭空想象，自以为是。
6．合理分析，了解文化背景。
考生平时应对西方社会的风俗习惯，生活常识，人文景观等有所了解，摆脱考生对某些问题的主观看法。合理分析，大胆推理，力求与作者思路吻合。
7．统观全篇，对照核实答案。
做完阅读理解题后，要立足整体，把全文再读一遍，逐一校对各题的答案，注意各题答案是否前后照应。如发现前后意思矛盾，则必定有误选答案。要根据全文意思，认真核查，直到前后统一。
四、实战演练
A
The year of the Dragon will begin on January 23, 2012. The Dragon is the fifth sign of the Chinese Zodiac (生肖), which consists of 12 animal signs.
Many Chinese people are proud to call themselves the “descendants (传人) of the dragon”. According to Chinese folklore(民间传说), there is a dragon living in every river, well and ocean. When the dragon sneezes, it rains. Chinese dragons traditionally symbolize strength, power and good luck. They control the water, rain, hurricanes and floods.
Emperors of ancient China usually used the dragon as a symbol of their power. Emperors wear clothes with dragon patterns and their imperial throne (王位) was called the Dragon Throne.
Dragons have appeared in many works of classical Chinese literature, such as Journey to the West, often seen as one of the four masterpieces of China. The Monkey King gets his golden cudgel (金箍棒) from the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea. A son of the Dragon King of the Western Sea turns into Monk Tang’s white horse.
Dragon is also frequently used in colloquial (口语的) language in China. Excellent and outstanding people are compared to dragons. We are all familiar with sayings that refer to dragons, for example: “Hope one’s child will become a dragon”, which means hoping he or she will be successful.
However, the creature is regarded differently in Western countries. In the Bible, dragons represent the devil (恶魔) and trick the world. “Western people usually see dragons as coldblooded reptiles (爬行动物), like snakes,” said Jonathan Hagen, the Founder and Academic Director of DK Education. “They are cruel killers, breathing fire and capturing women.” Western people think of dragons as dishonest because of their forked(分叉的) tongues.
More often than not, dragons in Western literature are presented as monsters (怪物) against which the hero must battle. It is a common tale for a medieval (中世纪的) knight (骑士) to kill a dragon and save a princess and her country from evil (邪恶). Even the popular boy wizard Harry Potter has to battle a deadly dragon and get back a golden egg from its nest in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Because of this, some Chinese experts have suggested changing the English word for Chinese dragons to its pinyin, “Long”. They believe the name “dragon” makes Western people think badly about China. But some don’t agree. They think Chinese people can look after their own culture. Many Western people already know the difference between Chinese dragons and Western ones.
1. Why do many people take pride in being called descendants of the dragon? Because Chinese dragons stand for____.
A. strength, power and good luck
B. knowledge, power and beauty
C. strength, character and bad luck
D. wisdom, appearance and ill luck
2. The Chinese Zodiac, of which the____ sign is the Dragon, consists of____ animal signs.
____________________
A. 12th; 12
B. 12th; 5
C. 5th; 12
D. 5th; 5
3. The creature is regarded____ in Western countries.
A. the same
B. quite oppositely
C. similarly
D. not differently
4. Chinese people think of dragons as____ while Western people regard them as____.
A. honest; honest
B. dishonest; dishonest
C. dishonest; honest
D. honest; dishonest
B
The Olympic Stadium for the London Games is in Stratford in the northeast of London. The stadium will host the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as athletics__events.
Designers say the Olympic Stadium will be the most sustainable (可持续性的) ever built—in fact, the motto of the stadium is “reduce, reuse, recycle”. They have tried to avoid using too much steel, for example, as the metal is in short supply at the moment. They managed to use 75 percent less than other stadiums. The top part of the stadium was built from old gas pipes. The Olympic Stadium will be able to seat 80,000 spectators.
There will be other stadiums, including an Aquatics (水上的) Center for water sports — and, of course, the Olympic Park. The Olympic Park will cover__25__square kilometers of land in east London. This land used to be a polluted industrial site, but now will be covered in greenery (绿色植物). Around 2,000 trees are being planted. Lakes will be built and 300,000 wetland plants put in place, making it the largest ever river planting to take place in a UK city. Visitors can enjoy the surroundings from one of the bars or cafes onsite, or get involved with the markets and other events.
Stratford is known as a poor area of London, and organizers hope the bid will create many jobs for local people.
5. The Olympic Stadium for the London Games lies in____.
A. Beijing in the southeast of China
B. Paris in the southwest of France
C. Washington D.C. in the northeast of USA
D. Stratford in the northeast of London
6. In the sentence “The Olympic Stadium will be__able__to seat 80,000 spectators,” “spectators” means____.
A. players
B. sportsmen
C. onlookers (esp. at a show or game)
D. judges
7. Trees and wetland plants add up to about____.
A. 302,000
B. 320,000
C. 298,000
D. 300,000
C
“I Went Skydiving at 84!”
As a young girl growing up in the 1930s, I always wanted to fly a plane, but back then it was almost unheard of a woman to do that. I got a taste of that dream in 2001, when my husband arranged for me to ride in a hot air balloon for my birthday. But the experience turned out to be very dull. Around that time, I told my husband that I wanted to skydive. So when our retirement community (社区) announced that they were having an essay competition and the topic was an experience of a lifetime that you wanted to have, I decided to write about my dream.
In the essay, I wrote about my desire to skydive, stating George Bush Sr. did it at age 80. Why not me? I was just 84 and in pretty good health. A year went by and I heard nothing. But then at a community party in late April 2009, they announced that I was one of the winners. I just couldn’t believe it.
On June 11, 2009, nearly 40 of my family and friends gathered in the area close to where I would land while I headed up in the airplane. My instructor, Jay, guided me through the experience. The plane was the noisiest one I had ever been in, but I wasn’t frightened — I was really just looking forward to the experience. When we reached 13,000 feet, Jay instructed me to throw myself out of the plane. When we first hit the air, the wind was so strong that I could hardly breathe. For a second I thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” But then everything got calmer. We were in a free fall for about a minute before Jay opened the parachute (降落伞), then we just floated downward to about five minutes. Being up in the clouds and looking at the view below was unlike anything I have ever felt — much better than the hot air balloon. I was just enjoying it.
Skydiving was really one of the greatest experiences of my life. I hope other people will look at me and realize that you don’t stop living just because you are 84 years old. If there’s something you want to experience, look into it. If it’s something that is possible, make it happen.
8. What happened to the author in 2001?
A. She flew an airplane.
B. She entered a competition.
C. She went on a hot air balloon ride.
D. She moved into a retirement community.
9. The author mentioned George Bush Sr. in her essay to____.
A. build up her own reputation
B. show her admiration for him
C. compare their health condition
D. make her argument persuasive
10. How did the author feel immediately after she jumped out of the plane?
A. Excited.
B. Scared.
C. Nervous.
D. Regretful.
11. What did the author enjoy most when she was skydiving?
A. The beautiful clouds.
B. The wonderful view.
C. The company of Jay.
D. The oneminute free fall.
D
Why should mankind explore space? Why should money, time and effort be spent exploring and researching something with so few apparent benefits? Why should resources be spent on space rather than on conditions and people on Earth? These are questions that, understandably, are very often asked.
Perhaps the best answer lies in our genetic makeup (基因构成) as human beings. What drove our ancestors to move from the trees into the plains, and on into all possible areas and environments? The wider the spread of a species, the better its chance of survival. Perhaps the best reason for exploring space is this genetic tendency to expand wherever possible.
Nearly every successful civilization has explored, because by doing so, any dangers in surrounding areas can be identified and prepared for. Without knowledge, we may be completely destroyed by the danger. With knowledge, we can lessen its effects.
Exploration also allows minerals and other potential (潜在的) resources to be found. Even if we have no immediate need of them, they will perhaps be useful later. Resources may be more than physical possessions. Knowledge or techniques have been acquired through exploration. The techniques may have medical applications which can improve the length or quality of our lives. We have already benefited from other spinoffs including improvements in earthquake prediction, in satellites for weather forecasting and in communications systems. Even nonstick pans and mirrored sunglasses are byproducts (副产品) of technological developments in the space, the chance to save ourselves might not exist.
While many resources are spent on what seems a small return, the exploration of space allows creative, brave and intelligent members of our species to focus on what may serve to save us. While space may hold many wonders and explanations of how the universe was formed or how it works, it also holds dangers. The danger exists, but knowledge can help human being to survive. Without the ability to reach out across space, the chance to save ourselves might not exist.
While Earth is the only planet known to support life, surely the adaptive ability of humans would allow us to live on other planets. It is true that the lifestyle would be different, but human life and cultures have__adapted__in the past and surely could in the future.
12. Why does the author mention the questions in Paragraph 1?
A. To express his doubts.
B. To compare different ideas.
C. To introduce points for discussion.
D. To describe the conditions on Earth.
13. What is the reason for exploring space based on Paragraph 2?
A. Humans are natureborn to do so.
B. Humans have the tendency to fight.
C. Humans may find new sources of food.
D. Humans don’t like to stay in the same place.
14. The underlined word “spinoffs” in Paragraph 4 probably refers to .
A. survival chances
B. potential resources
C. unexpected benefits
D. physical possessions
15. What makes it possible for humans to live on other planets?
A. Our genetic makeup.
B. Resources on the earth.
C. The adaptive ability of humans.
D. Byproducts in space exploration.
参考答案
1. A。细节理解题。根据第二段倒数第二句可找到答案。
2. C。细节理解题。根据第一段第二句话解题。
3. B。推理判断题。根据第六段第一句中differently=quite oppositely。
4. D。推理判断题。根据文章第六段第一句和最后一句。
5. D。细节理解题。根据第一段首句可找到答案。
6. C。词义猜测题。根据上下文，伦敦体育馆可以坐80,000名观众。
7. A。计算题。根据倒数第二段第4句两个数据相加即可得出答案。
8. C。细节理解题。由I got a taste of that dream in 2001, when my husband arranged for me to ride in a hot air balloon for my birthday.可知答案。
9. D。推理判断题。由In the essay, I wrote about my desire to skydive, stating George Bush Sr. did it at age 80. Why not me？I was just 84 and in pretty good health. 可知作者在他的文章中引用George Bush是想使她的论点更具有说服力。
10. D。推理判断题。由上文作者but I wasn’t frightened和下文When we reached 13,000 feet, Jay instructed me to throw myself out of the plane. When__ __（下转第64页)