高考英语精选备考题库系列含详解阅读理解五

1、2012高考英语精选备考题库系列（含详解） 阅读理解（五）备战2012高考，精选阅读200篇，适合高三上学期使用，希望对大家有帮助。（2011年8月）LONDON （Reuters） Quiet please Britain s Queen Elizabeth is preparing to have her swans counted.Buckingham Palace has announced that the annual Swan Upping, a tradition dating back to the 12th century which involves a census o

2、f the swan population on the River Thames, will be conducted by the Queen1 s oflicial Swan Marker from July 20 24.“With the assistance of the Queen s Swan Warden, Professor Christopher Perrins of th University of Oxford, the swans and young cygnets （ 小天鹅）are also assessed for any signs of injury or

3、disease, “ Buckingham Palace said in announcing the count.The process involves the Swan Marker, David Barber, rowing up the Thames for five days with the Swan Warden in traditional skiffs while wearing special scarlet uniforms and counting, weighing and measuring swans and cygnets.It may seem eccent

4、ric, but it is very important to the Queen, According to custom, Britain s sovereign owns all unmarked, mute swans in open water, but the Queen now exercises the right only on stretches of the Thames and its nearby tributaries.In medieval times, the Swan Marker would not only travel up the river cou

5、nting the swans, but would catch as many as possible as they we sought niter for banquets and feasts.This year, the Swan Marker and the Swan Warden are particularly keen to discover how much damage is being caused to swans and cygnets by attacks from dogs and from discarded fishing tackle （渔具）.It is

6、 also an important year because Queen Elizabeth has decided to join her team of Swan Uppers for part of the census. She will follow them up the river and visit a local school project on the whole subject of swans, cygnets and the Thames.“Education and conservation are essential to the role of Swan U

7、pping and the involvement of school children is always a rewarding experience, “ Buckingham Palace said.语篇解读泰晤士河上每年都要举行一个重要的活动：数天鹅。英国皇室的这一传统已经延续了好几个世纪。In medieval times , .swans were better protected than nowa lot of swans were killed by dogsswans were a delicious dish on royal banquetscommon people

8、 could catch the swans解析细节理解题。从文章倒数第四段可知，在中世纪天鹅被捉住，然后成为皇家宴会 上的美味。答案CWe can infer from the passage that the process of counting the swans.remains almost unchanged in the past yearsinvolves a lot of royal memberssometimes lasts longer than beforeis always guarded by special soldiers解析推理判断题。从文章第四段对数天鹅过

9、程的描述以及参与清点的官员的穿着打扮 可知，其过程几乎没有变化，因为这是一项传统活动。答案AThis year, the Swan Marker and the Swan Warden mainly want to find out.the exact number of swans and cygnetshow a local school project is going onhow much damage the swans and cygnets sufferhow education and conservation are carried out along the Thames解

10、析细节理解题。从文章倒数第三段内容可知答案为Co答案CWhich of the following is the main idea of the passage?Britain s Queen is concerned about swans.Britain s Queen orders a count of swans.An old tradition in Buckingham Palace.Queen Elizabeth will count swans herself.解析主旨大意题。文章第一段是本文的主题段，英国女王下令清点泰晤士河上的天鹅的数量。答案BThe underlined

11、 word a tributaries “ can be best replaced by.A. districtsB. banksC. treesD. branches解析词义理解题。根据语境和常识可知，此处是指在泰晤士河及其支流上生活的天鹅。 故答案为Do答案D长难句解读 In medieval times, the Swan Marker would not only travel up the rivercounting tlic swans, but would catch as many as possible as they were sought after forbanque

12、ts and feasts在中世纪，负责清点天鹅的人不仅沿河清点天鹅的数量，还会尽可能多地捕捉一些，因为天鹅当时是宴会桌上的美餐。本句是一个并列句，not only.but（also）.引导并列句，后面的 as引导原因状语从句。出Happiness is contagious, researchers reported on Thursday.People with the most social connections spouses,friends, neighbors and relatives were also the happiest, the data showed. Each

13、additional happy person makes you happierChristakis said.“Imaginethat I am connected to you and you are connected to others and others are connected to still others. It is this fabric of humanity, like an American patch quilt.Hath person sits on e different colored patcht Imagine that thes e patches

14、 are happy and unhappy patches. Your happiness depends on what is going on in the patch around you,“ Christakis said.“Itis not just happy people connecting with happy people, which they do. Above and beyond, there is this contagious process goig on.”And happiness is more contagious than unhappiness,

15、 they discovered.“If a social contact is happy, it increases the likelihood that you are happy by 15 percen t” Fowler said. A friend of a friend, or the friend of a spouse or a siblings姐妹 ）,if they arehappy, increases your chances by 10 percen t he added.A happy third degree friend the friend of a f

16、riend of a friend increases a person s chances of being happy by 6 percent.“Butevery extra unhappy friend increases the likelihood that youllbe unhappy by 7 percent, “ Fowler said.The finding is interesting and it is useful, too, Fowler said.“Among other benefits, happiness has been shown to have an

17、 important effect on reduced mortality （死亡率）,pain reduction, and improved cardiac （心脏的）function. So better understanding of how happiness spreads can help us learn how to promote a healthier society, “ he said.The study also fits in with other data suggested in 1984 that having $ 5,000 extra increas

18、ed a person s chances of becoming happier by abo percent.“A happy friend is worth about $ 20,000, Christakis said.语篇解读美国科学家的一项最新研究成果表明，快乐感可以互相传递。这项研究成果为我们构建更为健康、和谐的社会提供了依据和方法。According to the research, your happiness.has nothing to do with your workmates or schoolmateshas something to do with anyone

19、 who has a close relationship with youdepends on those who are in favour of you or are against youhas little to do with what social connections you have解析推理判断题。根据第二段、第三段内容可知，快乐感会不断传递和扩散，你的配偶、朋友、邻居、亲戚等的快乐指数会直接影响你的快乐程度，故选Bo答案BThe underlined word “ contagious in the first paragraph means.A. infectiousB

20、. beautifulC. effectiveD. prior解析词义猜测题。第一句是全文的主题句。由文章第二、三、四段可知，快乐感可以 在人们之间彳播，故contagious的意思是 有感染力的，有传染性的答案AIt can be inferred that.happiness spreads as fast and widely as unhappinessunhappiness spreads faster and more widely than happinesshappiness spreads faster and more widely than unhappinessthe

21、spread of unhappiness has not been studied by researchers解析 推理判断题。根据第六段And happiness is more contagious than unhappinessthey discovered. 一句可推知选 C。答案CWhich of the following will increase your chances of becoming happier most?Being in a party with a happy atmosphere.A happy experience of your brother

22、or your parents.A happy trip to a foreign country of your friends.Happiness of your friend s friend.解析事实细节题。根据第七、第八段讲述的别人的快乐感对你的影响几率可知，排在最前的是 “If a social contact is happy, 故选 A。答案AWhat does Christakis mean by saying A happy friend is worth about $ 20,000A happy friend can help you bring in a wealth

23、 of $ 20,000.A happy friend is a wealth which is worth about $ 20,000.A happy friend increases your chances of being happy by 2%.A happy friend increases your chances of being happy by 8 %.解析句意理解题。结合上一段中的thathaving $5,000 extra increased a person ;chances of becoming happier by about 2 percent 可知，二个

24、快乐的朋友带给你的快乐相当于 大约$20,000带给你的快乐，也就是 $5,000的四倍，即一个快乐的朋友给你带来快乐的几率为 8% ,故选D。答案D长难句解读The study also fits in with other data suggested in 1984 that having $ 5,000 extra increased a person s chances of becoming happier by about 2 percent.该句为主从复合句，主句为The study also fits in with other data , suggested in 198

25、4为过去分词作定语修饰 data,后面that引导的是同位语从句，说明data的内容。该从句的主语为having $5,000 extra , a person s chance宾语， of becoming happier 为定语修饰 chances, by about 2 percent 为程度状语。工The Parthenon in Athens is a building with a long and complex history. Built nearly 2,500 years ago as a temple celebrating the Greek goddess Athe

26、na, it was for thousands of years the church of the Virgin Mary of the Athenians, then a mosque （ 清真寺）,and finally a ruin. The building was changed and the sculptures much damaged over the centuries. By 1800 only about half of the original sculptural decoration remained.Between 1801 and 1805, Lord 日

27、gin, the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, which controlled Athens, acting with the full knowledge and permission of the Ottoman authorities, removed about half of the remaining sculptures from the fallen ruins and from the building itself.Lord Elgin loved Greek history and transported the s

28、culptures back to Britain. The arrival of the sculptures in London had a huge effect on the European public, greatly increasing interest in ancient Greek culture and influencing contemporary artistic trends. These sculptures were acquired from Lord Elgin by the British Museum in 1816 and since then

29、they have all been on display to the public, free of charge.Since the early 1980s, however, the Greek government has argued for the permanent removal to Athens of all the Parthenon sculptures in the British Museum. They have also challenged the British Museum Board of Trustees legal title to the scu

30、lptures.The British Museum, however, insists that it exists to tell the story of cultural achievement throughout the world, from the dawn of human history over two million years ago until the present day. The museum considers itself an important resource for the world: the breadth and depth of its c

31、ollec 而口 油Ihe world public to re 、力而ne cultural identities 力nd explore the complex network of interconnected world cultures.It also says that, within the context of this unparalleled collection, the Parthenon sculptures are an important representation of ancient Athenian civilization. Each year mill

32、ions of visitors admire the artistry of the sculptures and gain insights on how ancient Greece influenced and was influenced by the other civilizations that it encountered.For most of its history people went to the Parthenon to.admire the goddess Athenapray to their godsearch for sculptureslearn abo

33、ut its complex history答案BThe underlined it (in Paragraph 4) refers to .the British Museumthe Greek governmentthe Parthenonthe British Museum Board of Trustees答案AWhat can we infer from the passage?The sculptures introduced ancient Greek culture to the west.Ancient Greek culture has greatly influenced

34、 world culture.The British Museum has made much money from the Parthenon sculptures.The British Museum is the place most capable of preserving these sculptures.答案BWhat can we learn about Lord Elgin from the passage?He is greatly admired in Greece.He worked for the Ottoman Empire.He saved the Parthen

35、on sculptures from being destroyed.He had a deep interest in Greek culture.答案DThe author s maieritibn in writing this passage is to tell.the history of the Parthenon and its sculptureswhat people can see in the British Museumwhy the British Museum refuses to return the sculpturesthe influence of Gre

36、ece on British culture答案CIf you travel to a new exhibit at the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers, you will have chances to see some meat-eating plants. Take bladderworts, a kind of such plant, for example. They appear so small and grow in a quiet pond. But these are the fastest-known killers of

37、theplant kingdom, able to capture a small insect in 1/50 of a second using a trap door!Once the trap door closes on the victim, the enzymes（ 酶）similar to those in the human stomach slowly digest the insect. When dinner is over, the plant opens the trap door and is ready to trap again.Meat- eating pl

38、ants grow mostly in wet areas with soil that doesn t offer much food value.In such conditions, these amazing plants have developed insect traps to get their nutritional needs over thousands of years. North America has more such plants than any other continent.Generally speaking, the traps may have a

39、ttractive appearance to fool the eye, like pitcher plants, which get their name because they look like beautiful pitchers （a container like a bottle） full of nectar（花蜜）.The Asian pitcher plant, for example, has bright colors and an attractive half-closed lid.Curious insects are tempted to come close

40、 and take a sip, and then slide down the slippery （ 光 滑的）slope to their deaths.Hair-like growths along the pitcher walls ensure that nothing cab escape, and the digestive enzymes can get to work. A tiny insect can be digested in a few hours, but a fly takes a couple of days.Some of these pitchers ar

41、c large enough to hold 加。gallons. Meat eating p lants only eat people in science fiction movies, but sometimes a bird or other small animals will discover that a pitcher plant isn t a good place to get a drink.语篇解读本文是一篇说明文，介绍了一些特别的植物一一靠捕食动物获得生长所需养 分的怪肉植物”。From the first paragraph, we can know that b

42、ladderworts can.capture 50 small insects in a secondcapture an insect in the shortest timebe found floating on a quiet lakedigest an insect in 1/50 of a second解析细节理解题。第一段指出，bladderworts能在1/50秒的时间内捕获一只小昆虫，是植物中已知的捕获动物速度最快的，因此选 Bo答案BIftlic trap door of a meat eating plant is closcdf the plantis fooling

43、 insects into taking a sipis producing nectaris tempting insects to come closeis enjoying a dinner解析细节判断题。第二段说，一旦陷阱门”将猎物关起来，类似于人胃里的那些消化酶就开始慢慢地消化它了，由此判断D正确。答案DMeat eating plants can grow in wet and poor soil because they.can get nutrition from animalsdon t need much food valuecan make the most of suc

44、h conditionshave developed digestive enzymes解析推理判断题。这些植物生长在潮湿贫瘠的土壤中，为获得生长所需的养分，在数 千年的进化中，它们演化出了捕获昆虫的陷阱”，由此推出它们主要从动物中获取养分，而不是从土壤中获取养分。答案AWhich of the following is the picture of the Asian pitcher plant?A.B.解析推理判断题。根据第四、五、六段可知亚洲捕虫草主要有这些特征：状如水瓶，颜色鲜亮，有半掩的盖子，综合此三项可知，只有A项最合适。答案AAccording to the passage, w

45、hich of the following is true?South Asia lias the most meat eating plants.Some of the meat eating plnnts can even cat a human.Hair like growths in tlic plants help trap insects.The traps of these plants have a dull color.解析细节理解题。依据文章第三段最后一句可知，北美洲的食肉植物最多，故 A错。这些须状的东西可以防止小昆虫逃跑，故 昆虫一般有漂亮的外形，故D项错。答案C从最后

46、一段中的第二句可知，食肉植物是不吃人的，所以 B项错。从文章倒数第二段可知，C项正确。从文章第四段可知，食肉植物为了吸引After years of research and testing, the hybrid car was developed and put on the market.It s an interesting and exciting new improvement in today s world as we look for better waysto protect the quality of the air we breathe and conserve ou

47、r natural resources.The quality of our air is affected by many different things. But one of the largest sources of air pollution is the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and gasoline which is used to power a car s engine. The EPA has set national standards to help control the level of harmful pol

48、lutants sent off into the air, and the automobile industry has acted by producing a hybrid car that uses less gas and therefore causes less pollution.A hybrid car is a combination of a regular car that runs on gasoline and an electric car that is battery powered. Some people tend to think that since

49、 the hybrid car is partially electric, you have to plug it in to charge it But thafs not how it works. The 144 volt lottery pack is actually recharged through the energy that is produced when the car s brakes are used. This isreferred to as “ regenerative braking ” , because it generates electricity

50、.Although the hybrid car still runs on gasoline most of the time, this helps it use less gas than a regular car. When the driver stops at a traffic light, the engine automatically shuts off to save fuel. Then, as soon as the driver puts the car in gear and touches the gas pedal, the engine starts ba

51、ck up.Have you ever ridden in a car with someone who ran out of gas? That probably wouldn thappen if you were riding in a hybrid car. It flashes a waming on its computer screen that says, “I am low on gas ” . When it completelysrout, the warning reads , YOU ARE NOW OUTOF GAS !” Then the electric pow

52、er supply kicks in to let the driver travel a few more miles to a gas station.语篇解读本文主要介绍了一种新型汽车hybrid cars的优点和生产这种汽车的原因。Which of the following is true according to the passage?The hybrid car will be put on the market.Hybrid cars run faster than regular cars.When the hybrid car stops at a traffic lig

53、ht, the driver will get a warning.The burning of fossil fuels is one of the largest sources of air pollution.解析 细节判断题。根据第二段的“But one of the largest sources of air pollution is theburning of fossil fuels such as coal and gasoline which is used to power a car可知答 s engine. ”案。答案DAccording to the passag

54、e, the word“ hybrid “ refers to.e high tech discoveryenergy savinga new inventiona combination of two things解析词义猜测题。由文章的第三段的第一句Ahybrid car is a combination of aregular car that runs on gasoline and an electric car that is battery powered. 可知答案。答案D“ Regenerative breaking “ is antanpprocess of the hyb

55、rid car because.it allows the car to come to a quick stopit gives the driver a smoother rideit produces energy to charge the batteryit can control the speed of the car解析细节理解题。由文章的第三段的町he 144 Vdlt battery pack is.because itgenerates electricity.可知答案。答案CWhich of the following is right about the EPA?Th

56、ey designed hybrid cars.They outlawed （宣布为不合法）the burning of fossil fuels.They set important guidelines that help control pollution.Their main purpose is to protect endangered plants and animals.解析细节理解题。由文章的第二段的第三句可知答案。答案CWhich of the following is the reason for developing hybrid cars?They use less

57、gas than regular cars.They re safer to drive than most cars.They re more modern than other cars.They cost less than regular cars.解析 细节理解题。由第四段的第一句Althoughthe hybrid car still runs on gasolinemost of the time, this helps it use less gas than a regular car.可知答案。”答案AJBananas are one of the world t impn

58、rtant food crops. They are also one of the mostvaluable exports. Bananas do not grow from seeds.Instead, they grow from existing plants. Bananas are threatened by disease because all the plants on a farm are copies of each other.They all share the same genetic weaknesses.For example, the Cavendish b

59、anana is most popular in North American and European markets. However , some kinds of fungus organisms easily infect the Cavendish. Black Sigatoka disease affects the leaves of Cavendish banana plants. Th e disease is controlled on large farms by putting chemicals on the plant s leaves. Farmers put

60、anti-fungal chemicals on their crops up to once a week.Another fungal disease is more serious. Panama disease attacks the roots of the banana plant. There is no chemical treatment for this disease. Infected plants must be destroyed. Panama disease has affected crops in Southeast Asia, Australia and