高考英语外刊阅读模拟强化训练阅读理解专题二十四

高考英语外刊阅读模拟强化训练阅读理解专题二十四①Lockdownwasbrutal.Butnatureishealing.Asfrazzledurbanitesemergefromtheirpandemichibernaculumintoagrimeconomy,somewanttoventuretothegreatoutdoors.Smallcitiesandruralareasareobligingbyputtingonfunkynewmusicfestivalswheretheyouthcandanceandhugandrelaxonceagain.Aperfectexampletookplaceinmid-AprilataremotewetlandparkinthesouthwesternprovinceofSichuan.Some5,000revellersgatheredoutsidethecityofMeishanfortheChunyouFestival(chunyoumeans“springouting”).SparklinglakesdotthelandscapebetweengreenhillsandidyllicforestsnotfarfromSichuan’sfamouspandasanctuaries.AfifthofthoseattendingcamefromoutsideSichuan,manyfromShanghaiandBeijing.Manydiscountedticketsalsowenttolocals,someofwhomjustcametowatchthecityfolksboogie.Manyurbanhipstershavebeentosuchfestivalsthisspring.Othershavefriendswhohavejustreturnedfromaforestnearatownnoonehadeverheardofbefore,wheretheytalkedaboutloveandpeaceandforgotaboutparentalpressuretofindaspouseandthe”996”grind(9amtill9pm,sixdaysaweek).Seeingtheirpopularity,anotherstrugglingtribehaslookedtocashin.Localofficialsalsohadatoughlockdown,exhaustingtheirbudgetschasingdowneverysinglecaseofcovid,whilewatchingtheirincomeslipaway.Now,realisingthatanxiousurbanyouthswillpaygoodmoneytoloiternearayogatentdrinkingcraftbeerormingleataTibetanteaarea,officialsarescramblingtocompetefortourists,andlookingtobuildtheirsmalltownbrandbygettingthecoolkidspostingonline.Type#musicfestivalsintoXiaohongshu,asocialmediaapp,andyouget2mhits.DuringtheMayDayholidaythisyear,morethan40musicfestivalswereheldacross19provincesandregions,withmanyofthoseinlower-tiercities.Zhuji,asmallcitytwohoursfromShanghai,reportedthattouristsspent450myuan($64m)theweekenditlauncheditsfirst-evermusicfestival,includinganincreaseof365%onhotelsandrestaurantsfromthepreviousweekend.Yantai,acoastalcityinShandongprovincewherethisyear’sMidifestivalwasheld,said340,000touristsvisitedandspent200myuan.Inthemidstofanationaleconomicslowdown,ZhujiandYantaihavebothbeenstrugglingwithdebts.“Musicfestivalshave‘broughtfire’tous,”claimedtheZhujigovernmentonWeChat,asocialmediaplatform,usingtheChinesephrasefor“goingviral”.Chunyou“isamuch-neededtripformeafterlivinginShanghaiforawhile,”saysWencyChen,whoworksincommunications.SeveralofherfriendshadflowntoSichuantoo.Awomaninher30s,whocallsherselfPeach,drovetwohourswithherbrothertogetthere.Thewholescenemadeherfeel“happyandliberated”,shesaid.Themusicisnotbad,either.China’slivemusicscenehasevolvedalot,andChunyoufeaturedalotofethnicminoritytunes,playedbyartistssuchasKawa,areggaegroupfromYunnanprovince,andTs.Bayandalai,anethnicMongolianmusician.And,inspiteofacrackdownonmanyareasofurbanculturallife,thereisstillasenseoffreedominthemusicworld.ItmaynotequalthehedonismofsomeWesterngigs,butthefestivalsareamongthefewplaceswhererainbowflagscanbewaved.Theorganisersarekeentokeepasmalltownvibe.“Wedon’twanttobecomeagiantfestival,”saysone.“Wejustwantpeopletohavefun.”【TheEconomist(May27,2023)】1.WhatdidtheurbanitesdoattheChunyouFestival?A.TheyenjoyedarangeofmusicaltastesB.theycampedoutsidethecityofMeishanandatthefamouspandabaseC.theycameandwatchedthelocalsboogieD.theycametofindaspouseandworkedthe“996”grind2.Whatmeasuresdidlocalofficialstaketocompetefortourists?A.theychaseddowneverysinglecaseofcovidB.theyareeagertobuildtheirsmalltownbrandC.theycooperatewithvarioussocialmediaappsD.theycopythepatterninMeishanandexhausttheirbudget3.WhydoestheauthormentionZhujiandYantaiinparagraph4?A.toillustratethepositiveeffectmusicfestivalsbringabouttosmallcitiesB.todisplayhowstrugglingthelower-tiercitiesareC.toemphasizehoefashionableofurbanitestoattendmusicfestivalsD.toraiseaquestionabouttheenvironmentalproblemscausedbytourism4.Whatwillthemusicfestivalsbecomeinthefuture?A.theywillbecomeagiantfestivalrenownedallroundtheworldB.theywillbecomeamodelforurbanculturallifeC.theywillbecomeaplaceforpeoplepursuingfunandfreedomD.theywillbecomeanoccasiononlylocalscanfeelhappyandliberated②InNathanielHawthorne’sshortstory“TheBirthMark”,achemistcalledAylmermarriesayoungwoman,Georgiana,whosesoleimperfectionisaredblemishonherleftcheek.Heconsidersita“fatalflaw”;shepleadswithhimtousehisskillstoremoveit.Stumblingonhisjournal,however,Georgianaisastonishedtofinditisacatalogueofscientificmishaps.Mighthisloathingofherbirthmarkstemfromhisprofessionaldisappointment?AtlengthAylmerconcoctsapotionthathasthedesiredeffect—andpromptlykillsher.Hawthorne’s180-yea-roldtaleillustratestheperilsofperfectionism.ItisThomasCurran’sstartingpointforastudyofwhathecallsa“hiddenepidemic”.Hethinkstheobsessivepursuitofeverhigherstandards,ratherthanpropellingachievement,ismainlyascourge.AsocialpsychologistattheLondonSchoolofEconomics,hedescribeshimselfas“arecoveringperfectionist”.Drawingonbothacademicresearchandhisownexperiencesof“deficitthinking”,hemakesavigorouscase,albeitoneoccasionallymarkedbycliché.MrCurrandistinguishesbetweenthreesortsofperfectionism.Thefirst,whichlooksinward,istherelentlessself-scoldingoftheworkaholicorpunctiliousstudent.Asecondversion,directedtowardsothers,iscommonlyfoundinbosseswhohaveunrealisticexpectationsoftheirstaffanddecrytheirsupposedfailings.Thethirdandmosttroublesomekindistheformimputedtosociety:“anall-encompassingbeliefthateverybody,atalltimes,expectsustobeperfect”.Itsvictimstendtofeellonely;oftentheyharmthemselvesandharbourthoughtsofsuicide.Havingnotedthewaysinwhichthispathologyinflamesvulnerabilitiesanderodesresilience,MrCurransuggestssomecauses.Theseincludealackofjobsecurity,neuroticsupervisionbyhelicopterparentsandthegaudyblandishmentsofadvertising,whichfuelconsumptionandanxiety.“Theveryfabricofthiseconomy”,heclaims,“iswovenfromourdiscontent.”Inevitablyheblamessocialmedia,whichinundateuserswithimagesoffinely-sculptedbodies,flawlessoutfits,ambrosialholidaysandexquisiteweddings.AlessfamiliarculpritisDonHamachek,anAmericanpsychologist,whointhe1970scoinedtheterm“normalperfectionism”,therebylegitimisingmorbidself-criticism,saysMrCurran.HeevenreproachesBarackObamaforenjoiningyoungpeopletolearnfromtheirmistakes.Instead,hesays,failuresshouldbe“allowedtosimplywashthroughusasajoyousreminderofwhatitmeanstobeafalliblehuman”.Dailylife,inhisview,nowresemblesanendlesstribunal.Youngpeoplesuffermostfromtheconstantscrutinyofscoresandrankings.Decryingafixationoneconomicgrowth,heapplaudscountries,suchasBhutanandNewZealand,wheredecisionmakerstakeaccountofcitizens’happiness.MrCurran’spreferredfixisauniversalbasicincome,whichhesayswould“extinguishthefireofperfectionism”.Whateveritseconomicmerits,hisargumenterrsintreatingperfectionismasapurelyculturalphenomenon.Mightitnotalsobeadispositionembeddedinthepsyche?Tellingly,hisguidance—“Keepgoing.Donotyield”;“Keeppractisingthatacceptanceoffortuneandfate”—iscouchedinthelanguageoftheperfectionist’sroundtheclockreportcard.【TheEconomist(May27,2023)】1.WhydidGeorgianawanttohaveherbirthmarkremoved?A.sheconsideredita“fatalflaw”toherappearanceB.shewasconfusedthathishusbandcouldremoveitC.sheneededtorecoverfromherprofessionaldisappointmentD.shewasembarrassingbyherhusband’sperfectionism2.Whowillsufferfromthemostseriousperfectionism?A.AbosswhohashighexpectationofhimselfB.AcoachwhoscoldshisplayersbecauseoftheirfailureC.Astudentwhothinkshecouldn’tliveuptoeveryone’sexpectationsD.Aladywhoisunsatisfiedaboutherappearance3.WhydoesMr.CurranargueagainstDonHamachekandBarackObama?A.theybothemphasizetheuseofsocialmediaB.theycollectivelycoinedtheterm“normalperfectionism”C.theybothworsenyoungpeople’svulnerabilitiesanderoderesilienceD.theybothpreventyoungpeoplefromlearningfromtheirmistakes4.AsforMr.Curran,whatshouldbedonetostopperfectionism?A.putandendtoeconomicgrowthB.applyabasicincomeuniversallyC.paymoreattentiontocitizen’shappinessD.considerperfectionismasapurelyculturalphenomenon③Scientistshavediscoveredmorethan5,000newspecieslivingontheseabedinanuntouchedareaofthePacificOceanthathasbeenidentifiedasafuturehotspotfordeep-seamining,accordingtoareviewoftheenvironmentalsurveyscarriedoutinthearea.ItisthefirsttimethepreviouslyunknownbiodiversityoftheClarion-ClippertonZone(CCZ),amineral-richareaoftheoceanfloorthatspans1.7msqmilesbetweenHawaiiandMexicointhePacific,hasbeencomprehensivelydocumented.Theresearchwillbecriticaltoassessingtheriskofextinctionofthespecies,givencontractsfordeep-seamininginthenear-pristineareaappearimminent.Mostoftheanimalsidentifiedbyresearchersexploringthezonearenewtoscience,andalmostallareuniquetotheregion:onlysix,includingacarnivorousspongeandaseacucumber,havebeenseenelsewhere.ContractsforminingexplorationintheCCZhavebeengrantedto17deep-seaminingcontractorsinanareacovering745,000sqmiles.Thecompanies,whicharebackedbycountriesincludingBritain,theUSandChina,wanttodigformineralsincludingcobalt,manganeseandnickel,inparttoselltothealternativeenergysector.Tobetterunderstandtheimpactofminingthisfragileecosystemanditsnewlydiscoveredinhabitants,aninternationalteamofscientistshasbuiltthefirst“CCZchecklist”bycompilingalltherecordsfromexpeditionstotheregion.PublishedinthejournalCurrentBiology,itincludes5,578differentspecies,ofwhichanestimated88%to92%hadneverbeforebeenseen.Tostudyandcollectspecimensfromtheoceanfloor,biologistshavejoinedresearchcruisesinthePacificthatsendremote-controlledvehiclestotraversetheseabed4,000to6,000metresbelow.AdrianGlover,adeep-seabiologistattheNHMandseniorauthorofthestudy,describeditasan“incredibleprivilege”.Theexpedition,fundedthroughtheNaturalEnvironmentResearchCouncilandothers,isbackedbyUKSeabedResources(UKSR),adeep-seaminingcompanythatoperatestheUK’sexplorationarea.Thescientistswatchoperationsbyvideolinkdirectfromtheboatasnewspeciesaregatheredbyremotecontrolvehiclesinthedarknessbelow.Theseabed,Gloversaid,isan“amazingplace”where,despitetheextremecoldanddark,lifethrives.“Oneofthecharacteristicsoftheabyssalplaneisthelackoffood,butlifehasawayofpersistingdownthere,”hesaid.“It’samystery.”Oneofthedeep-seaanimalsdiscoveredwasnicknamedthe“gummysquirrel”,becauseofitshugetailandjelly-likeappearance,hesaid.Therearealsoglasssponges,someofwhichlooklikevases.Withapprovalfordeep-sea