【英语】2018届二轮复习阅读理解说明文10篇训练（五）（含解析）学案（19页word版） 24页

‎2018届二轮复习 阅读理解说明文典题10篇训练 ‎【一】‎ Thanks to this new hands free suitcase, carrying around heavy luggage may soon become a thing of the past. Designed by Israeli company NUA Robotics, this “smart” suitcase can follow you everywhere you go.‎ The carryon suitcase, currently a prototype (雏形), connects to a smartphone app via bluetooth. It has a builtin camera sensor that can “see” you and follow you around on flat surfaces like airport floors. It comes with an antitheft alarm to prevent someone carrying it away when you’re not looking, and it has a backup (备用) battery that you can use to charge all your devices.‎ ‎“It can follow and carry things for people around while communicating with their smartphone, and avoiding obstacles，” explained Alex Libman, founder of NUA Robotics. “We’re combining sensor network, computer vision, and robotics. So if you download our app (应用), press the ’follow me’ button, the luggage recognizes its user and knows to follow and communicate.”‎ NUA is still testing the device and trying improve features like speed and customization (客户订制), but they hope to make the suitcase available to customers in a year’s time. If it proves successful, they want to use the bluetooth pairing technology to automate lots of other devices, like shopping carts at the supermarket. These devices are especially meant to be useful to the physically disabled and elderly. “Any object can be smart and robotic，” Libman told Mashable. “We want to bring robots into everyday life.”‎ The Israeli tech company made it clear that the finished product will look just like a regular suitcase. They’re planning to partner with a carryon luggage maker, since the device that makes it “smart” weighs just 2.5 pounds and can be fitted on oldfashion luggage.‎ With NUA’s smart suitcase, carrying around heavy luggage isn’t a burden. But how their invention will handle tough obstacles like stairs? It will be interesting to wait.‎ 语篇解读：本文是一篇说明文，文章介绍了一种无需手提的智能旅行箱。‎ ‎9．According to the passage, the “smart” suitcase ________.‎ A．can go everywhere B．is on sale now C．can make our hands free during traveling D．was designed by Alex Libman 解析：选C　细节理解题。根据第一段第一句可知，这种智能的行李箱能够让我们在旅行中无需拖着沉重的箱子。故选C。‎ ‎10．If you want to use this free hand suitcase, you must ______.‎ A．download the app B．avoid obstacles C．look at it all the time D．carry a camera 解析：选A　推理判断题。根据第二段第一句及文章内容可推知，如果你想使用这款箱子，你必须下载手机应用程序。故选A。‎ ‎11．What can we learn about NUA?‎ A．It was founded by Mashable.‎ B．It has improved the features of the device.‎ C．It wants to bring more smart and robotic devices into everyday life.‎ D．It will make the suitcase available to customers in a month.‎ 解析：选C　推理判断题。根据第四段第二句及第四段内容可推知，NUA想将更多的智能机器化设备带到日常生活中。故选C。‎ ‎12．Where is the article probably from?‎ A．A textbook. B．A poster.‎ C．A biography. D．A website.‎ 解析：选D　文章出处题。根据文章第三段“So if you download our app (应用), press the ’follow me’ button ...”可推断，本文可能来自一个网站。故选D。‎ ‎【二】‎ International Studies (BA理学士)‎ Key features ‎●Recognizes the “global community”‎ ‎●Has close connections with practical research ‎●Much of the teaching is done in small discussion groups About the course The course focuses on the complex relations between nation states. It will provide more opportunity to study specific issues such as relationship among countries in the European Union, third world debt, local and international disagreement, and the work of international bodies such as the United Nations, the European Union, NATO, and the World Bank.‎ The course applies theories to the working of the international system with close attention to particular countries. It provides students with a better knowledge of ways to solve international problems.‎ Related courses BA (Hons) Community Management BA (Hons) Public Policy and Management Employment possibilities International organizations International business Earth Science (BSc文学士)‎ Key features ‎●Based on key courses and the latest research findings ‎●Pays much attention to practical skills ‎●Offers chances for fieldwork About the course The demand and competition for natural resources is becoming an increasingly serious problem for the future of mankind. Graduates in Earth Science will play an important role in meeting this demand, and in how these natural resources will be used.‎ The course covers geography and geology (地质学). You will carry out fieldwork in the UK and possibly abroad, and in your final year complete a research project in an area of interest to you.‎ Related courses BSc (Hons) Geography BSc (Hons) Geology Employment possibilities Mineral, oil, water or other related engineering industries 语篇解读：本文是一篇应用文，主要介绍了两种学位课程的相关信息。‎ ‎1．International Studies is a course in ________.‎ A．international politics　　 　B．international business C．international bodies D．international relations 解析：选D　细节理解题。根据课程一About the course部分第一段第一句可知，International Studies课程的内容主要是关于国际关系的。故选D。‎ ‎2．After taking the course of International Studies, the students will ________.‎ A．become practical and openminded B．have a greater ability to discuss theories C．know ways to settle problems between countries D．have good jobs in any international organization 解析：选C　细节理解题。根据课程一About the course部分第二段第二句可知，学完International Studies这门课程后，学生可以学会解决国际问题的方法。故选C。‎ ‎3．Earth Science, as described in the second text, ________.‎ A．is attractive because of the chance for fieldwork B．pays more attention to theories than practical skills C．is built on important courses and the results of recent studies D．encourages students to play a role in using natural resources 解析：选C　细节理解题。根据课程二Key features部分可知，Earth Science课程建立在重要的课程和近期的研究成果之上。故选C。‎ ‎4．The above two texts are most probably written for the students who ________.‎ A．are first year college students B．have not yet chosen their course C．want to study in the UK D．are interested in practical study abroad 解析：选B　推理判断题。纵观全文可知，文章除了介绍两种课程的特点之外，还介绍了课程概述以及具体科目；由此可推知，本文应该是为了给还没有做出具体选择的学生提供参考。故选B。‎ ‎【三】‎ These days, young people in some Englishspeaking countries are speaking a strange language, especially when communicating on social media.‎ Look at these words chosen by The Washington Post ：“David Bowie dying is totes tradge” and “When Cookie hugged Jamal it made me totes emosh”. Or this sentence: “BAE, let me know if you stay in tonight.”‎ What on earth do they mean? Well, “totes” is a short form of “totally”. Similarly, “tradge” means “tragic” and “emosh” means “emotional”. It seems that, for millennials (千禧一代), typing in this form is not only timesaving but fashionable.‎ As you can see, many millennial slangs (俚语) are formed by socalled “totesing” — the systematic abbreviation (缩写) of words. The trend might have started with “totally” becoming “totes”， but it now has spread to many other English words.‎ The origins of other millennial slangs are more complex than “totesing”. “Bae”， for example, has been widely used by AfricanAmericans for years. It can be an expression of closeness with one’s romantic partner or, like “sweetheart”， for someone without romantic connection. After pop singer Pharrell used the word in his work, “bae” became mainstream.‎ Some people might think millennial slangs lower the value of the English language, but Melbourne University linguist (语言学家) Rosey Billington doesn’t agree. She says when people are able to use a language in a creative way, they show that they know the language rules well enough to use words differently. Two other linguists, Lauren Spradlin and Taylor Jones, share the same view. The two analysed hundreds of examples of totesspeak and discovered totesing has complex roots.‎ It isn’t simply an adult version of baby talk, nor a clever way to minimize your word count. Rather, it is a highly organized system that relies on a speaker’s mastery of English pronunciation. It is about sounds, follows sound system of English and has strict rules.‎ 语篇解读：本文是一篇说明文。现在一些说英语的国家的年轻人喜欢用缩略词，尤其是在社交媒体上。有些语言学家认为，年轻人对缩略词的使用不但没有降低英语的价值，反而表明他们熟练掌握了英语。‎ ‎5．Why do young people like using eslangs?‎ A．They are timeconsuming. B．They are in fashion.‎ C．They are complex. D．They are in order.‎ 解析：选B　细节理解题。根据第三段最后一句可知，他们认为这是一种时尚。故选B。‎ ‎6．What’s the author’s purpose of mentioning “Bae” in Paragraph 5?‎ A．To support that totesing is no baby talk.‎ B．To analyse the usage of millennial slangs.‎ C．To inform people how it became mainstream.‎ D．To explain the complex origins of millennial slangs.‎ 解析：选D　推理判断题。根据第五段第一句可知，作者主要是用它来解释千禧一代所使用的一些俚语的复杂起源。故选D。‎ ‎7．Which statement may Rosey Billington agree with?‎ A．Totesing is a loosely organized system.‎ B．Millennial slangs lower the value of English.‎ C．It’s simply a clever way to reduce the word count.‎ D．Totesspeak requires a good command of English.‎ 解析：选D　推理判断题。根据第六段第二句可知，她同意“网络缩略词要求对英语(的运用规则)能熟练掌握”的说法。故选D。‎ ‎8．What’s the best title of the passage?‎ A．Eslangs Catch on Among Youth B．Linguists Disapprove of Totesing C．Millennial Slangs Take the Lead D．English Has Greatly Changed 解析：选A　标题归纳题。纵观全文可知，本文主要讲述的是现在一些说英语的国家的很多年轻人都喜欢使用缩略词，尤其是在社交媒体上进行交流的时候。故选A。‎ ‎【四】‎ Wondering which New York City museums to see first? These four Manhattan institutions are the city’s most visited.‎ Metropolitan Museum of Art Visitors per year: more than 6 million The draw: one of the world’s most comprehensive art museums, with nearly 2 million works of art from five millennia of human history.‎ Highlights: popular permanent exhibitions include the American Wing, Egyptian Art — especially the cavernous room devoted to the Temple of Dendur — and Medieval Art.‎ Best time to beat the crowd: around 11 a．m., once the opening lines have dissipated.‎ American Museum of Natural History Visitors per year: almost 5 million The draw: a science museum with dinosaur fossils, exhibitions chronicling virtually all known animal and human history and, yes, some eyepopping IMAX movie action.‎ Highlights: the Butterfly Conservatory features hundreds of live butterflies in a heated environment that feels like an oasis (绿洲) in winter.‎ Best time to beat the crowd: late afternoons or early on Sunday mornings.‎ Museum of Modern Art Visitors per year: 3 million The draw: modern works that, in some cases, push the boundaries of what many people think of as art.‎ Highlights: Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh are among the many wellknown artists whose work is on display at MoMA.‎ Best time to beat the crowd: first thing when it opens.‎ Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum Visitors per year: 1 million The draw: a reallife aircraft carrier that saw service in World War Ⅱ and the Vietnam War and is now a museum moored (停泊) along the Hudson River.‎ Highlights: among the sights are the USS Growler submarine, a British Airways Concorde supersonic jet and the Enterprise — a space shuttle used in test flights that may be the most aweinspiring attraction of all.‎ Best time to beat the crowd: first thing when it opens.‎ 语篇解读：本文是一篇应用文，介绍了位于纽约市的四个博物馆的一些信息。‎ ‎1. Which is the most visited museum per year?‎ A．Metropolitan Museum of Art.‎ B．American Museum of Natural History.‎ C．Museum of Modern Art.‎ D．Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.‎ 解析：选A　细节理解题。根据每个博物馆介绍中的Visitors per year可知，每年参观Metropolitan Museum of Art的游客数量居于首位。‎ ‎2．Which is the best time to see live butterflies in a museum?‎ A．Around 11 a．m.‎ B．Every early morning.‎ C．In the late afternoon.‎ D．As soon as the museum opens.‎ 解析：选C　细节理解题。根据American Museum of Natural History介绍中的“Highlights: ...features hundreds of live butterflies”和“Best time to beat the crowd: late afternoons or early on Sunday mornings.”可知，选C。‎ ‎3．What can visitors enjoy on the Hudson River?‎ A．Flight vehicles.　　　 　B．Modern works of art.‎ C．IMAX movies. D．Egyptian Art.‎ 解析：选A　细节理解题。根据Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum下的介绍可知，这里有：USS Growler号潜艇、英国航空公司的协和式超音速喷气飞机、航天飞机等。由此可知，在这里可以看到飞行器。‎ ‎【五】‎ Cheerleading (拉拉队) dates back to the late 19th century, when crowds began to chant and yell to encourage their teams. Credit for the first organized cheer was given to a University of Minnesota student named Johnny Campbell, who got the students to shout “Rah, rah, rah! Skuumar, Hoorah! Hoorah! Varsity! Varsity! Varsity, Minnesota！” for their football team in the 1898 season. Soon after, a yellleader group of six male students was organized, a practice that became popular at numerous other universities.‎ For the first few decades of its history cheerleading was an allmale activity, but by the 1920s, women began to take part in the activity as well. Nowadays more than 90% of America’s cheerleading participants are female.‎ In 1948, Lawrence Herkimer, a former Southern Methodist University ‎ ‎ cheerleader formed the National Cheerleaders Association (NCA). Herkimer is credited with creating many of cheerleading’s fundamental moves. ‎ Cheerleading remained in its supporting role until the 1980s, when cheerleading competitions, organized by the National Cheerleaders Association and other groups, started to grow in popularity. For the first time, teams got off the sidelines and took centre stage, competing with teams from all over the U．S.‎ Today cheerleaders can be found at almost any kind of sporting event, including the Olympics and the Cricket World Cup. The sport has spread from the U. S. to many other countries, like Mexico.‎ 语篇解读：本文是一篇说明文，简单介绍了拉拉队的发展历史。‎ ‎12．Which of the following is TRUE to the first organized cheer?‎ A．It started in the early 19th century.‎ B．It made crowds around the school chant and yell to encourage their teams.‎ C．It had the students shout certain words for their football team.‎ D．It got a group of six male students to shout for their football team.‎ 解析：选C　细节理解题。第一段第二句提到，第一次有组织的加油要归功于明尼苏达大学的学生强尼·坎伯，在1898年赛季他让学生(而非学校周围的人或者六个男学生)喊口号为他们的足球队助威，故C正确。‎ ‎13．At the early years of the cheerleading history ________ took part in the activity.‎ A．only men B．only girls C．both males and females D．both youths and adults 解析：选A　细节理解题。第二段第一句提到，在拉拉队出现的早期，拉拉队的活动全是男性参加，而到了20世纪20年代才有了女性参加。‎ ‎14. After the 1980s, teams of cheerleading ________.‎ A．played their part on the sidelines B．could play their part on the centre stage C．stayed the same as they were before D．were completely different from what they were before 解析：选B　细节理解题。根据第四段的内容可知，20世纪80年代之后，拉拉队离开场外区域，进入了场区的中心位置，并且和来自全美的其他队伍竞争。故B项正确。‎ ‎15．The best title for this passage may be “________”．‎ A．People who started cheerleading B．How cheerleading was started C．What cheerleading means D．A brief history of cheerleading 解析：选D　标题归纳题。通读全文可知，文章主要讲述了拉拉队的发展历史。故D项做文章标题最佳。‎ ‎【六】‎ Humans and many other mammals have unusually efficient internal temperature regulating systems that automatically maintain stable core body temperatures (核心体温) in cold winters and warm summers. In addition, people have developed cultural patterns and technologies that help them adjust to extremes of temperature and humidity (湿度)．‎ In very cold climates, there is a constant danger of developing hypothermia ‎ (低体温), which is a life threatening drop in core body temperature to below normal levels. The normal temperature for humans is about 37.0℃. However, differences in persons and even the time of day can cause it to be as much as 6℃ higher or lower in healthy individuals. It is also normal for core body temperature to be lower in elderly people. Hypothermia begins to occur when the core body temperature drops to 34.4℃. Below 29.4℃， the body cools more rapidly because its natural temperature regulating system usually fails. The rapid decline in core body temperature is likely to result in death. However, there have been rare cases in which people have been saved after their temperatures had dropped to 13.9 － 15.6℃. This happened in 1999 to a Swedish woman who was trapped under an ice sheet in freezing water for 80 minutes. She was found unconscious, not breathing, and her heart had stopped beating, yet she was eventually saved despite the fact that her temperature had dropped to 13.7℃.‎ In extremely hot climates or as a result of uncontrollable infections, core body temperatures can rise to equally dangerous levels. This is hypothermia. Life threatening hypothermia typically starts in humans when their temperatures rise to 40.6 － 41.7℃. Only a few days at this extraordinarily high temperature level is likely to result in the worsening of internal organs and death.‎ 语篇解读：本文是一篇说明文。主要介绍了人类及其他哺乳动物具有非同寻常的有效的内部体温调节系统，可以在寒冷的冬天或炎热的夏天自动维持稳定的核心体温。‎ ‎1．Why can humans keep stable body temperatures in different seasons?‎ A．Because their bodies are unusually efficient.‎ B．Because they experience different climates.‎ C．Because they can adjust to cultural patterns and technologies.‎ D．Because they have internal temperature regulating systems.‎ 解析：选D　细节理解题。根据第一段第一句可知，在不同季节，人类能够保持稳定的核心体温，是因为他们具有有效的内部体温调节系统。故选D。‎ ‎2．What does Paragraph 2 mainly discuss?‎ A．The dangerous effects of hypothermia.‎ B．The change of body temperature.‎ C．The survival of the Swedish woman.‎ D．The regulating systems of natural temperature.‎ 解析：选A　段落大意题。根据第二段内容及第二段第一句可知，关键句为该段主题句，概括了该段大意；由此可知，第二段主要讲述低体温会造成的危害。故选A。‎ ‎3．People are unlikely to survive under the body temperature ________.‎ A．higher than 34.4℃‎ B．lower than 29.4℃‎ C．between 40.6～41.7℃‎ D．between 34.4～37℃‎ 解析：选B　推理判断题。根据第二段第六句“Below 29.4℃ ...usually fails.”可推知，低于29.4℃时，人体不能保持核心体温，因此无法生存。故选B。‎ ‎4．What is the best title for the passage?‎ A．Surviving in an ice trap B．Getting to know hypothermia C．Adapting to climate extremes D．Changing core body temperature 解析：选C　标题归纳题。根据第一段中的“help them adjust to extremes of ‎ temperature and humidity (湿度)”以及文章整体内容可知，本文主要讲述人类通过内部核心体温以及发展文化模式和技术来适应气候的变化。故选C。‎ ‎【七】‎ ‎“Food in France is still primarily about pleasure，” says Mark Singer, technical director of cuisine at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. “ Cooking and eating are both pastimes (消遣) and pleasure.” The French might start their day with bread, butter, jam, and perhaps something hot to drink — it’s a time of the day when the whole family can be united. Singer, born in Philadelphia, has lived in France for more than 40 years.‎ ‎“Although things have changed greatly in the past 20 years when it comes to food in the country，” he says, “and what was a big affair with eating has been slowly softened up, there are still events in the year, like birthdays and New Year’s Eve and Christmas Eve that are still really anchored in traditional food and cooking. But it’s not every day.”‎ Some people think French food life may be a performance,_adds Jennifer Berg, director of graduate food studies at New York University. “They want to believe that France is this nation where people are spending five hours a day going to 12 different markets to get their food. The reality is most croissants (羊角面包) are factorymade, and most people are buying convenience food, except for the very small group of people in high society. But part of our identity relies on believing that myth.”‎ ‎ In Italy, as in France, takeout is still relatively rare. “Eating fast is not at all part of our culture，” says Marco Bolasco, editorial director of Slow Food and an Italian food expert. Our meals are relaxed, even during a lunch break. Food in Italy is love, and nutrition, and pleasure, he says. An Italian child’s first experience with food is not small round cakes or rice or eggs, but probably ice cream, notes Bolasco. Status and wealth play less of a role in food.‎ 语篇解读：本文是一篇说明文。作者通过专家的话语来说明法国人和意大利人对于食物是一种享受生活的态度。‎ ‎5．How have things about French food changed?‎ A．People prefer to cook at home.‎ B．More people choose to eat out.‎ C．Traditional food is less frequently cooked.‎ D．People eat faster than before.‎ 解析：选C　推理判断题。根据第二段的内容可知，法国传统美食受到冲击，人们只是偶尔在重大节日中才去享用传统美食，并不是每一天，故选择C。‎ ‎6．What does the underlined word “performance” in Paragraph 3 refer to?‎ A．A bother.　　　　　 　B．A play.‎ C．A hobby. D．A routine.‎ 解析：选A　词义猜测题。由后文中的“people are spending five hours a day going to 12 different markets to get their food”可知，此处应是指部分人认为法国传统烹饪比较繁琐。故此处performance指“麻烦”。故选A。‎ ‎7．Why is Italian food compared with French food in the last paragraph?‎ A．To show the advantages of Italian food.‎ B．To prove the differences between them.‎ C．To reflect the customs of Italian food.‎ D．To indicate the common points of the two.‎ 解析：选D　推理判断题。由本段中的“In Italy, as in France”，再结合第一段中的“Food in France is still primarily about pleasure”和最后一段中的“Food in Italy is love, and nutrition, and pleasure”可知，作者比较这两种食物的目的是找出二者的共同点，阐明主旨，故选D。‎ ‎8．What’s the main idea of the passage?‎ A．Food as identity. B．Food as pleasure.‎ C．Food as survival. D．Food as status.‎ 解析：选B　文章大意题。由文中的“Food in France is still primarily about pleasure”，“Cooking and eating are both pastimes (消遣) and pleasure”以及“Food in Italy is love, and nutrition, and pleasure”可知答案。‎ ‎【八】‎ Modern humans have a hard time controlling their desire to eat. Often you eat not because you are hungry, but because you are affected by many other things. How much you eat is strongly affected by how much those around you eat. People eating alone eat least. People eating with one other person eat 35 percent more than they do at home. People dining in a party of four eat 75 percent more. Eating with overweight friends? You’ll eat more. Is your waitress overweight? You’ll eat more. A wide variety of food? You’ll eat more.‎ Plates can decide how sweet dessert tastes. If people ate it off a paper plate, they’d say, “This is good.” If they ate it off a fancy silver plate, they would say, “This is the greatest cake I’ve eaten in my entire life.”‎ Your knowledge about what makes food good or bad also affects how much you eat. You tend to eat more when you think the food is good, and less when you think it is bad. So Grandma’s cookies always taste better than other cookies. “Good food” even has a “health halo (光环) effect”. If we’re eating something healthy, we feel that everything in that meal is healthy. Due to this, people often believe that a cheese cake with a salad has fewer calories (卡路里) than the cheese cake alone. That’s perhaps also why eating organic (有机的) food might turn you into an annoying guy. Your brain may use anything that makes you feel good about your own morality to excuse your immoral behaviour.‎ Food and hunger affect your judgment too. Hungry judges give more serious sentences. Kids who don’t eat breakfast behave worse than kids who eat their breakfast. People who have low blood sugar are more likely than the average person to have trouble concentrating and controlling their unpleasant emotions.‎ 语篇解读：本文是一篇科普说明文，主要介绍了哪些因素会导致人们吃得更多。‎ ‎13．What is mentioned as a cause of overeating?‎ A．Suffering from great loneliness.‎ B．Being served by a helpful waitress.‎ C．Being treated to high quality food.‎ D．Eating with many friends.‎ 解析：选D　细节理解题。根据第一段第五句可知，和别人一起吃饭会比单独在家吃饭多吃35%；据此可知，和许多朋友一起吃饭是吃得多的一个原因，故D项正确。‎ ‎14．According to the passage, an annoying person may be one who ________.‎ A．finds any excuse for eating more B．is crazy about the quality of plates C．competes with others in making cookies D．teaches people to stick to morality 解析：选A　推理判断题。根据第一段的内容和第三段中的“That’s perhaps also ...your immoral behaviour.”可知，一个让人讨厌的人可能总会找到吃多的借口，故A项正确。‎ ‎15．What would be the best title for the passage?‎ A．When Can’t We Go on a Diet?‎ B．What Affects Eating?‎ C．How to Make Good Food D．Where to Find Safe Food 解析：选B　标题归纳题。通读全文可知，本文的主题句是第一段的第二句，结合下文内容可知，本文主要介绍影响吃饭的因素，故B项最能概括文章大意。‎ ‎【九】‎ Nearly a third of the world’s cacti (仙人掌) are facing the threat of extinction, according to a shocking global assessment of the effects.‎ Cacti are an important provider of food and water to desert wildlife ranging from wolves and deer to tortoises, bats and birds, and these fauna spread the plants’ seeds in return.‎ But the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s first worldwide health check of the plants says that they are coming under huge pressure from human activities such as land use changes, commercial and residential developments and shrimp farming. But the paper said the main driver of cacti species extinction was the “uncontrolled collection of live plants and private decorating collections, and annual agriculture”．‎ The findings were described as “disturbing” by Inger Andersen, the IUCN’s directorgeneral. “They confirm that the scale of the illegal wildlife trade, including the trade in plants is much greater than we had previously thought, and that illegal wildlife trade concerns many more species than the elephants which tend to receive global attention.”‎ Cacti are almost always delicious but unlike most others, they store water in their stems alone, enabling them to survive extreme droughts. The plants can be as small as one centimetre in diameter and grow above 19 metres in height. Well over half of the species are used by humans for display decoration, food or medicine. Almost 1,500 types of cacti were surveyed by the IUCN specialists over a fiveyear period, mostly in the Americans.‎ Dealing with the illegal trade is a hard task as they can be hidden in suitcases or even socks. While countries such as Peru have made progress in blocking the i llegal trade, the IUCN is calling for more strictly carrying out the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in the “hotspots” of Uruguay, Brazil and Chile, and Mexico has made advances but still has work to do, according to Goettsch.‎ 语篇解读：本文是一篇说明文。仙人掌是沙漠中许多动物的食物来源。然而非法的动植物贸易使仙人掌面临着灭绝。由于仙人掌便于藏匿运输，阻止仙人掌非法贸易成为难题。‎ ‎9．The underlined word “fauna” in Paragraph 2 probably means “________”．‎ A．birds B．cacti C．humans D．animals 解析：选D　词义猜测题。根据画线词前的“to desert wildlife ranging from wolves and deer to tortoises, bats and birds”可以判断，fauna指代wolves, deer, tortoises, bats, birds等动物，故画线词意为“动物”，故D项正确。‎ ‎10．What does the third paragraph mainly tell us?‎ A．What causes cacti species extinction.‎ B．What gives people pressure.‎ C．What the IUCN has found.‎ D．What farmers have planted.‎ 解析：选A　段落大意题。根据第三段第一句中的“they are coming under huge pressure from human activities”以及第二句中的“the main driver of cacti species extinction was the ...”可知，该段主要讲述了仙人掌面临灭绝的原因，故A项正确。‎ ‎11．In Inger Andersen’s opinion, ________.‎ A．the findings of the IUCN are not disturbing B．the illegal plant trade is less serious than we had thought C．cacti have received much global attention D．the illegal plant trade threatens lots of wildlife 解析：选D　细节理解题。根据第四段中Inger Andersen所说的话“that illegal wildlife trade concerns many more species than the elephants which tend to receive global attention”可知，Inger Andersen认为，非法的动植物贸易威胁着许多野生生物，故D项正确。‎ ‎12．Why is it hard to fight against the illegal cacti trade?‎ A．Because cacti can be made into socks.‎ B．Because cacti are easy to carry secretly.‎ C．Because many countries carry out CITES strictly.‎ D．Because some countries made advances to trade cacti.‎ 解析：选B　细节理解题。根据最后一段的第一句可知，由于仙人掌可以藏在手提箱甚至袜子中秘密运输，所以解决非法贸易的问题很难，故B项正确。‎ ‎【十】‎ Singapore’s schools have become global role models, with high results in international tests. But now they want to move beyond this — towards something that encourages creativity and what they term “holistic (全面的) education”．‎ Minister for Education, Heng Swee Keat, says this is “less about content knowledge”， but “more about how to process information”. He describes this challenge of innovating as being able to “tell truths from untruths, connect seemingly different things, and create knowledge even as the context changes”．‎ This strategy aims to prepare today’s students for the demands of the next 20 years. It means that schools are under more pressure, and will be given more freedom, to come up with creative ways to teach students. So instead of the traditional ‎ images of highpressure Asian schools, with rows of heads buried in books, they are trying different approaches to learning.‎ To put this into practice, on a sunny April morning, 80 students from one of Singapore’s top schools were traveling outdoors. The nine to tenyearolds from Rosyth School were on a “learning journey” in a park, with science topics and values such as caring for the environment.‎ ‎“We are conducting a biopsy (活组织检查) to find out why a bee, a fish, a bird and a plant mysteriously died，” said student Darren Ong. “Is it because of human actions？”‎ They photographed “evidence” on smartphones and digital cameras, getting facts on plant and animal species on their iPads. “In one activity, I can cover three topics，” said science teacher Lin Lixun. “They can really learn through handson experience and putting things into action，” said moral education teacher, Joslyn Huang.‎ 语篇解读：本文是一篇说明文。新加坡的学校向来以优异的考试成绩在国际上闻名。但是，如今新加坡的学校不再仅仅满足于考试成绩的领先，他们开始推行一种旨在培养学生创造力的“全面教育”。‎ ‎8．According to the passage, what are Singapore’s schools famous for?‎ A．Test results.‎ B．Strict management.‎ C．Teaching quality.‎ D．The learning environment.‎ 解析：选A　细节理解题。由第一段第一句可知，新加坡的学校在国际考试中向来成绩优异，并因此成为全球学校学习的榜样，故A项正确。‎ ‎9．What does Singapore’s “holistic education” lay emphasis on?‎ A．Students’ moral behavior.‎ B．Students’ content knowledge.‎ C．Students’ creative ability.‎ D．Students’ handson experience.‎ 解析：选C　细节理解题。由第一段中的“encourages creativity”及第二段中的“less about content knowledge ... this challenge of innovating”可知，新加坡的“全面教育”强调的是对学生创造力的培养，故C项正确。‎ ‎10．The 80 students from Rosyth School conducted a biopsy to find out ________.‎ A．how to improve the environment B．how to protect animals and plants C．relationships between human behavior and climate change D．relationships between human actions and some anim‎ als and plants’ death 解析：选D　细节理解题。由倒数第二段可知，这些学生进行活组织检查的目的是找出一些动植物的死因与人类活动之间的关系。‎ ‎11．The author tells us about Singapore’s schools’ different ways of learning by ________.‎ A．giving examples　　 　B．making contrasts C．listing figures D．analyzing cause and effect 解析：选A　写作手法题。文章第三段提到，新加坡的学校打算尝试新的教学方式；接着第四、五段举了Rosyth School组织学生到户外学习的例子。由此可知，作者是通过举例的方式来说明新加坡在教育方面的新尝试。‎