高考英语考前分类强化（二）—科普类
科普类文章也是高考选材的一个热点。高考题在科普知识的选材上非常注重当今世界人们在科技领域的新发现，事物本身具有新颖性因此而倍受高考命题者的青睐。命题趋势：
此类文章主要考察考生对语篇的整体领悟和处理信息的能力。其取材密切联系当前经济和科技等方面的变化，有关数据的来源真实可靠，是必考材料之一。本节在命题方面既注重特定细节的准确理解，又注重推理判断题的考查。
这一节选了八篇文章，进行专题训练，促进相关背景知识的学习，增强本题材文章的阅读语感，为将来考试的实战进行知识上的、素质上的和心理上的准备。（答案见节最后）
Passage 1
A recent study, published in last week’s Journal of the American Medical Association,
offers a picture of how risky it is to get a lift from a teenage driver.
Indeed, a 16-year-old driver with three or more passengers is three times as
likely to have a fatal accident as a teenager driving alone. By contrast, the
risk of death for drivers between 30 and 59 decreases with each additional
passenger.
The authors also found
that the death rates for teenage drivers increased dramatically after 10 p.m.,
and especially after midnight. With passengers in the car, the driver was even
more likely to die in a late-night accident.
Robert Foss, a scientist at the University of North
Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, says the higher death rates for
teenage drivers have less to do with “really stupid behavior” than with just a
lack of driving experience. “The basic issue,” he says, “is that adults who are
responsible for issuing licenses fail to recognize how complex and skilled a
task driving is.”
Both he and the author
of the study believe that the way to mitigate
(使……缓解)the problem is to have states institute
so-called graduated licensing systems, in which getting a license is a
multistage process. A graduated license requires that a teenager first prove
himself capable of driving in the presence of an adult, followed by a period of
driving with night or passenger restrictions, before graduating to full driving
privileges.
Graduated licensing
systems have reduced teenage driver crashes, according to recent studies. About
half of the states now have some sort of graduated licensing system in place,
but only 10 of those states have restrictions on passengers. California is the
strictest, with a novice(新手) driver prohibited from carrying any passenger
under 20 (without the presence of an adult over 25) for the first six months.
1. Which of the following situations is most dangerous according to the
passage?
A) Adults giving a lift to teenagers on
the highway after 10 p.m.
B) A teenager driving after
midnight with passengers in the car.
C) Adults driving with three
or more teenage passengers late at night.
D) A teenager getting a lift
from a stranger on the highway at midnight.
2. According to Robert Foss, the high death rate of teenage drivers is mainly
due to ________.
A) their frequent driving at
night
B) their improper ways of driving
C) their lack of driving
experience
D) their driving with
passengers
3. According to Paragraph 3, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A) Teenagers should spend
more time learning to drive.
B) Driving is a skill too
complicated for teenagers to learn.
C) Restrictions should be
imposed on teenagers applying to take driving lessons.
D) The licensing authorities
are partly responsible for teenagers' driving accidents.
4. A suggested measure
to be taken to reduce teenagers' driving accidents is that ________.
A) driving in the presence
of an adult should be made a rule
B) they should be prohibited
from taking on passengers
C) they should not be
allowed to drive after 10 p.m.
D) the licensing system
should be improved
5. The present situation in about half of the states is that the graduated licensing system ________.
A) is under discussion B) is about to be set up
C) has been put into effect D) has been perfected
Passage 2
It is hard to track the blue whale, the ocean’s largest creature, which has almost been killed off by commercial whaling and is now listed as an endangered species. Attaching radio devices to it is difficult, and visual sightings are too unreliable to give real insight into its behavior.
So biologists were delighted early this year when, with the help of the Navy, they were able to track a particular blue whale for 43 days, monitoring its sounds. This was possible because of the Navy’s formerly top-secret system of underwater listening devices spanning the oceans.
Tracking whales is but one example of an exciting new world just opening to civilian scientists after the cold war as the Navy starts to share and partly uncover its global network of underwater listening system built over the decades to track the ships of potential enemies.
Earth scientists announced at a news conference recently that they had used the system for closely monitoring a deep-sea volcanic eruption （爆发） for the first time and that they plan similar studies.
Other scientists have proposed to use the network for tracking ocean currents and measuring changes in ocean and global temperatures.
The speed of sound in water is roughly one mile a second—slower than through land but faster than through air. What is most important, different layers of ocean water can act as channels for sounds, focusing them in the same way a stethoscope （听诊器） does when it carries faint noises from a patient’s chest to a doctor’s ear. This focusing is the main reason that even relatively weak sounds in the ocean, especially low-frequency ones, can often travel thousands of miles.
1. The passage is chiefly about ____ .
A) an effort to protect an endangered marine species
B) the civilian use of a military detection system
C) the exposure of a U.S. Navy top-secret weapon
D) a new way to look into the behavior of blue whales
2. The underwater listening system was originally designed ____ .
A) to trace and locate enemy vessels
B) to monitor deep-sea volcanic eruptions
C) to study the movement of ocean currents
D) to replace the global radio communications network
3. The deep-sea listening system makes use of ____ .
A) the sophisticated technology of focusing sounds under water
B) the capability of sound to travel at high speed
C) the unique property of layers of ocean water in transmitting sound
D) low-frequency sounds travelling across different layers of water____
4. It can be inferred from the passage that____.
A) new radio devices should be developed for tracking the endangered blue whales
B) blue whales are no longer endangered with the use of the new listening system
C) opinions differ as to whether civilian scientists should be allowed to use military technology
D) military technology has great potential in civilian use
5. Which of the following is true about the U.S. Navy underwater listening network?
A) It is now partly accessible to civilian scientists.
B) It has been replaced by a more advanced system.
C) It became useless to the military after the cold war.
D) It is indispensable in protecting endangered species.
Passage 3
Dogs are social animals and without proper training, they will behave like wild animals. They will spoil your house, destroy your belongings, bark excessively, fight other dogs and even bite you. Nearly all behavior problems are perfectly normal dog activities that occur at the wrong time or place or are directed at the wrong thing. The key to preventing or treating behavior problems is learning to teach the dog to redirect its normal behavior to outlets that are acceptable in the domestic setting.
One of the best things you can do for your dog and yourself is to obedience train (驯服) it. Obedience training doesn't solve all behavior problems, but it is the foundation for solving just about any problem. Training opens up a line of communication between you and your dog. Effective communication is necessary to instruct your dog about what you want it to do.
Training is also an easy way to establish the social rank order. When your dog obeys a simple request of “come here, sit,” it is showing obedience and respect for you. It is not necessary to establish yourself as top dog or leader of the dog pack (群) by using extreme measures. You can teach your dog its subordinate (从属的) role by teaching it to show submission to you. Most dogs love performing tricks for you to pleasantly accept that you are in charge.
Training should be fun and rewarding for you and your dog. It can enrich your relationship and make living together more enjoyable. A well-trained dog is more confident and can more safely be allowed a greater amount of freedom than an untrained animal.
1. Behavior problems of dogs are believed to _________.
A) be just part of their nature B) worsen in modern society
C) occur when they go wild D) present a threat to the community
2. The primary purpose of obedience training is to __________.
A) teach the dog to perform clever tricks
B) make the dog aware of its owner's authority
C) provide the dog with outlets for its wild behavior
D) enable the dog to regain its normal behavior
3. Effective communication between a dog and its owner is ___________.
A) essential to solving the dog's behavior problems
B) the foundation for dogs to perform tasks
C) a good way to teach the dog new tricks
D) an extreme measure in obedience training
4. Why do pet dogs love performing tricks for their masters?
A) To avoid being punished. B) To show their affection for their masters.
C) To win leadership of the dog pack. D) To show their willingness to obey.
5. When a dog has received effective obedience training, its owner ___________.
A) can give the dog more rewards B) will enjoy a better family life
C) can give the dog more freedom D) will have more confidence in himself
Passage 4
Unless we spend money to spot and prevent asteroids (小行星) now，one might crash into Earth and destroy life as we know it, say some scientists.
Asteroids are bigger versions of the meteoroids (流星) that race across the night sky. Most orbit the sun far from Earth and don't threaten us. But there are also thousands whose orbits put them on a collision course with Earth.
Buy $50 million worth of new telescopes right now. Then spend $10 million a year for the next 25 years to locate most of the space rocks. By the time we spot a fatal one，the scientists say, we'll have a way to change its course.
Some scientists favor pushing asteroids off course with nuclear weapons. But the cost wouldn't be cheap.
Is it worth it? Two things experts consider when judging any risk are: 1) How likely the event is; and 2) How bad the consequences if the event occurs. Experts think an asteroid big enough to destroy lots of life might strike Earth once every 500,000 years. Sounds pretty rare—but if one did fall，it would be the end of the world. “If we don't take care of these big asteroids, they'll take care of us,” says one scientist. “It's that simple.”
The cure, though, might be worse than the disease. Do we really want fleets of nuclear weapons sitting around on Earth? “The world has less to fear from doomsday (毁灭性的) rocks than from a great nuclear fleet set against them,” said a New York Times article.
1. What does the passage say about asteroids and meteoroids?
A) They are heavenly bodies different in composition.
B) They are heavenly bodies similar in nature.
C) There are more asteroids than meteoroids.
D) Asteroids are more mysterious than meteoroids.
2. What do scientists say about the collision of an asteroid with Earth?
A) It is very unlikely but the danger exists.
B) Such a collision might occur once every 25 years.
C) Collisions of smaller asteroids with Earth occur more often than expected.
D) It's still too early to say whether such a collision might occur.
3. What do people think of the suggestion of using nuclear weapons to alter the course of asteroids?
A) It sounds practical but it may not solve the problem.
B) It may create more problems than it might solve.
C) It is a waste of money because a collision of asteroids with Earth is very unlikely.
D) Further research should be done before it is proved applicable.
4. We can conclude from the passage that _________.
A) while pushing asteroids off course nuclear weapons would destroy the world
B) asteroids racing across the night sky are likely to hit Earth in the near future
C) the worry about asteroids can be left to future generations since it is unlikely to happen in our lifetime
D) workable solutions still have to be found to prevent a collision of asteroids with Earth
5. Which of the following best describes the author's tone in this passage?
A) Optimistic. B) Critical. C) Objective. D) Arbitrary.
Passage 5
Believe it or not, optical illusion (错觉) can cut highway crashes.
Japan is a case in point. It has reduced automobile crashes on some roads by nearly 75 percent using a simple optical illusion. Bent stripes，called chevrons (人字形) painted on the roads make drivers think that they are driving faster than they really are，and thus drivers slow down.
Now the American Association Foundation for Traffic Safety in Washington D.C. is planning to repeat Japan's success. Starting next year, the foundation will paint chevrons and other patterns of stripes on selected roads around the country to test how well the patterns reduce highway crashes.
Excessive speed plays a major role in as much as one fifth of all fatal traffic accidents, according to the foundation. To help reduce those accidents，the foundation will conduct its tests in areas where speed-related hazards are the greatest—curves，exit slopes，traffic circles，and bridges.
Some studies suggest that straight，horizontal bars painted across roads can initially cut the average speed of drivers in half. However, traffic often returns to full speed within months as drivers become used to seeing the painted bars.
Chevrons，scientists say，not only give drivers the impression that they are driving faster than they really are but also make a lane appear to be narrower. The result is a longer lasting reduction in highway speed and the number of traffic accidents.
1. The passage mainly discusses _________.
A) a new way of highway speed control B) a new pattern for painting highways
C) a new approach to training drivers D) a new type of optical illusion
2. On roads painted with chevrons drivers tend to feel that __________.
A) they should avoid speed-related hazards B) they are driving in the wrong lane
C) they should slow down their speed D) they are approaching the speed limit
3. The advantage of chevrons over straight，horizontal bars is that the former __________.
A) can keep drivers awake B) can cut road accidents in half
C) will have a longer effect on drivers D) will look more attractive
4. The American Association Foundation for Traffic Safety plans to __________.
A) try out the Japanese method in certain areas
B) change the road signs across the country
C) replace straight，horizontal bars with chevrons
D) repeat the Japanese road patterns
5. What does the author say about straight，horizontal bars painted across roads?
A) They are falling out of use in the United States.
B) They tend to be ignored by drivers in a short period of time.
C) They are applicable only on broad roads.
D) They cannot be applied successfully to traffic circles.
Passage 6
The biggest safety threat facing airlines today may not be a terrorist with a gun, but the man with the portable computer in business class. In the last 15 years, pilots have reported well over 100 incidents that could have been caused by electromagnetic interference. The source of this interference remains unconfirmed, but increasingly, experts are pointing the blame at portable electronic devices such as portable computers, radio and cassette players and mobile telephones.
RTCA, an organization which advises the aviation (航空) industry, has recommended that all airlines ban (禁止) such devices from being used during "critical" stages of flight, particularly take-off and landing. Some experts have gone further, calling for a total ban during all flights. Currently, rules on using these devices are left up to individual airlines. And although some airlines prohibit passengers from using such equipment during take-off and landing, most are reluctant to enforce a total ban, given that many passengers want to work during flights.
The difficulty is predicting how electromagnetic fields might affect an aircraft's computers. Experts know that portable devices emit radiation which affects those wavelengths which aircraft use for navigation and communication. But, because they have not been able to reproduce these effects in a laboratory, they have no way of knowing whether the interference might be dangerous or not.
The fact that aircraft may be vulnerable (易受损的) to interference raises the risk that terrorists may use radio system in order to damage navigation equipment. As worrying, though, is the passenger who can't hear the instructions to turn off his radio because the music's too loud.
1. The passage is mainly about _______.
A) a new regulation for all airlines B) the defects of electronic devices
C) a possible cause of aircraft crashes D) effective safety measures for air flight
2. What is said about the over 100 aircraft incidents in the past 15 years?
A) They may have been caused by the damage to the radio systems.
B) They may have taken place during take-off and landing.
C) They were proved to have been caused by the passengers' portable computers.
D) They were suspected to have resulted from electromagnetic interference.
3. Few airlines want to impose a total ban on their passengers using electronic devices because ______.
A) they don't believe there is such a danger as radio interference
B) the harmful effect of electromagnetic interference is yet to be proved
C) most passengers refuse to take a plane which bans the use of radio and cassette players
D) they have other effective safety measures to fall back on
4. Why is it difficult to predict the possible effects of electromagnetic fields on an airplane's computers?
A) Because it is extremely dangerous to conduct such research on an airplane.
B) Because it remains a mystery what wavelengths are liable to be interfered with.
C) Because research scientists have not been able to produce the same effects in labs.
D) Because experts lack adequate equipment to do such research.
5. It can be inferred from the passage that the author _______.
A) is in favor of prohibiting passengers' use of electronic devices completely
B) has overestimated the danger of electromagnetic interference
C) hasn't formed his own opinion on this problem
D) regards it as unreasonable to exercise a total ban during flight
Passage 7
Negative calories? You’ve got to be kidding me.
Is this possible? Can a food actually not only have no calories, but even have negative calories? Could you literally eat your way to fat loss?Yes. Although all foods carry some calories, the overall effect of certain foods in our body is that of "Negative calories".
Negative calorie foods are foods that use more calories to digest than the calories the foods actually contain.
Calories from these foods are much harder for the body to break down and process. In other words, the body has to work harder in order to extract calories from these foods. This gives these foods a natural fatburning advantage.
For example, a piece of pie consisting of 350 calories may only require 100 calories to be digested, thus a net gain of 250 calories will be added to your body fat.
But, if you eat 65 calories of a food that requires 150 calories to digest, then you’ve burnt an additional 50 calories simply by eating that food.
There are a large number of foods that combine low calories, delicious taste, and excellent negative calorie properties. To lose weight, you should not starve. Instead,eat a lot of negative calorie foods to lose that extra fat and become slim naturally.
1. The author of this passage suggests that if you want to lose weight you should_______.
A.eat foods with less calories
B.eat foods with negative calories
C.starve more
D.eat foods with low calories and delicious taste
2. How can you get negative calories, according to the passage?
A. Eat less food than necessary.
B. Eat foods that contain more calories than the calories it takes to digest.
C. Eat foods that require more calories to digest than the calories you get from the foods.
D. Eat less food and exercise more.
3. Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage?
A.Names of negative calorie foods.
B.What negative calorie foods are.
C.The effect of negative calorie foods.
D.How negative calorie foods work.
Passage 8
Burning the midnight oil before an exam or interview has an opposite effect according to a research which found that sleep is necessary for memories to be "downloaded" into the brain.
"A good night’s sleep within 30 hours of trying to remember a new task is a necessary condition of having good recall (回忆) in the weeks ahead," scientists have found.
"We think that getting that first night’s sleep starts the process of memory consolidation (加强)," said Robert Stickgold, a sleep researcher at Harvard Medical School who conducted the latest study.
"It seems that memories are normally washed out of the brain unless some process nails them down. I feel uncertain that sleep is one of those things that do the nailing down," Professor Stickgold said.
Professor Stickgold’s team trained the 24 people to tell the direction of three diagonal bars(斜线) shown for a sixtieth of a second on a computer screen full of horizontal stripes(水平线条).
Half the subjects were kept awake that night, while the others slept. Both groups were allowed to sleep for the second and third nights to make up for any differences in tiredness between the volunteers（志愿者）.
Those who slept the first night were much better at remembering the task while the second group showed no improvement in spite of enjoying two nights of catchup sleep.
A further study by scientists at the Medical University at Lubeck in Germany showed that memories are laid down in two stages during the night. The first is during the deep, socalled "slow wave" sleep, which usually takes place in the first half of the night. The second, and less important stage happens during the periods of dreaming or "rapid eye movement (REM)". When people don’t sleep well in the first half of the night, their memory consolidation is almost the same as having no sleep at all.
1.Which of the following statements is correct according to Paragraph 1?
A. It is necessary to burn the midnight oil before an exam or interview.
B. Sleep speeds up the loss of memory.
C. Man should have a good sleep if he wants to keep a good memory.
D. Staying up late will make you better prepared for an exam or interview.
2.It can be inferred from Paragraph 4 that _______
A. some process helps memories to be washed out of the brain.
B. professor Stickgold is doubtful about whether sleep can make memories better.
C. some memories normally influence the function of the brain.
D. sleep improves the condition of memories.
3. How was the research conducted by Professor Stickgold ?
A. The subjects were divided into two groups.
B. All the subjects were kept awake for 3 nights.
C. One group slept at the first night but was kept awake the next two nights.
D. One group was kept awake for 3 nights but the other slept for the second and third nights.
4. What was the study result of the scientists at the Medical University at Lubeck?
A. REM sleep is not important at all for the consolidation for memory.
B. Intellectual performance mainly depends on the slow wave sleep period.
C. When people sleep poorly in the first half of the night, it is almost the same as having no sleep at all.
D. REM sleep is as important as slow wave sleep in terms of memory recall.
5. The best title of this passage is_____.
A. Sleep Necessary for Memories
B. The Importance of the First Stage of Sleep
C. Studies Made By Scientists About Sleep
D. The Scientists’ Achievement in Sleep Research
科普类答案：
Passage 1 BCDDC Passage 2 BACDA Passage 3 ACBDC Passage 4 BABDC
Passage 5 ACCAB Passage 6 CDBCA Passage 7 BCA Passage 8 CDABA