1、说明文专项 21体裁 话题 词数 难度 建议时间说明文加利福尼亚州的秃鹫3586 分钟California Condors Shocking RecoveryCalifornia condors are North Americas largest birds, with wing-length of up to 3 meters. In the 1980s, electrical lines and lead poisoning(铅中毒) nearly drove them to dying out. Now, electric shock training and medical trea
2、tment are helping to rescue these big birds.In the late 1980s, the last few condors were taken from the wild to be bred(繁殖). Since 1992, there have been multiple reintroductions to the wild, and there are now more than 150 flying over California and nearby Arizona, Utah and Baja in Mexico.Electrical
3、 lines have been killing them off. “As they go in to rest for the night, they just dont see the power lines,“ says Bruce Rideout of San Diego Zoo. Their wings can bridge the gap between lines, resulting in electrocution(电死) if they touch two lines at once.So scientists have come up with a shocking i
4、dea. Tall poles, placed in large training areas, teach the birds to stay clear of electrical lines by giving them a painful but undeadly electric shock. Before the training was introduced, 66% of set-free birds died of electrocution. This has now dropped to 18%.Lead poisoning has proved more difficu
5、lt to deal with. When condors eat dead bodies of other animals containing lead, they absorb large quantities of lead. This affects their nervous systems and ability to produce baby birds, and can lead to kidney(肾) failure and death. So condors with high levels of lead are sent to Los Angeles Zoo, wh
6、ere they are treated with calcium EDTA, a chemical that removes lead from the blood ove r several days. This work is starting to pay off. The annual death rate for adult condors has dropped from 38% in 2000 to 5.4% in 2011.Rideouts team thinks that the California condors average survival time in the
7、 wild is now just under eight years. “Although these measures are not effective forever, they are vital for now,“ he says. “They are truly good birds that are worth every effort we put into recovering them.“语篇解读：在 20 世纪 80 年代,电线和铅中毒导致美国加利福尼亚州的秃鹫濒临灭绝,但在科研人员的帮助下,秃鹫的数量有所回升,死亡率也有所下降。1.California condors
8、 attract researchers interest because they . A.are active at nightB.had to be bred in the wildC.are found only in CaliforniaD.almost died out in the 1980s2.Researchers have found electrical lines are . A.blocking condors journey homeB.big killers of California condorsC.rest places for condors at nig
9、htD.used to keep condors away2.选 B 考查细节理解。从题干中的 electrical lines 可知,答案应定位在第三段。电线能使秃鹫丧命,因为秃鹫晚上休息的时候看不见电线,而如果它们宽大的翅膀同时搭在两根电线上,它们就会被电死,因此选 B。3.According to Paragraph 5, lead poisoning . A.makes condors too nervous to flyB.has little effect on condors kidneysC.can hardly be gotten rid of from condors bl
10、oodD.makes it difficult for condors to produce baby birds3.选 D 考查细节理解。第五段讲述了铅中毒对秃鹫的危害:影响秃鹫的神经系统(A 错), 影响秃鹫繁衍后代的能力(D 正确), 导致秃鹫肾衰竭 (B 错)。科研人员给秃鹫使用一种化学药物,帮助它们排出了体内的铅(C 错)。因此选 D。 1.Which is true about AI and education?A. Robots have been widely used to teach children. B. AI has been used to grade studen
11、ts homework. C. AI has enabled more students to receive education at school. D. Education was the first field where AI was used. 2.Which can be inferred from the passage?A. Atria can help people understand complex data. B. The wallet.AI can help people make more money. C. Robots jobs are considered
12、dangerous to humans. D. Robots can help people concentrate. 2.选 A 考查推理判断。根据第三段第三句 “Also, systems are being developed, like Atria, to translate complex data into simple and understandable language“可知,Atria 系统能够将复杂的数据转化为简单易懂的语言,由此可推知 Atria 能够帮助人们理解复杂的数据,故 A 项正确。3.From the last two paragraphs we can kn
13、ow that . A. Todays drivers neednt learn to park their carsB. AI ensures safe, efficient, and reliable transportationC. AI-enabled toys are designed to improve kids intelligenceD. Video game bots can fight against you in video games3.选 D 考查推理判断。根据最后一段最后一句 “AI has also been applied to.arent available
14、 or desired“可知,如果人类玩家人数不够或者不想和其他人类玩家玩,那么 video game bots 就可以充当对手,故 D 项正确4.What is the passage mainly about?A. The latest progress in AI. B. AI is of great use. C. Some applications of AI. D. AI is used in all fields. 说明文专项训练（25）体裁 话题 词数 难度 建议时间说明文 交换衣服 350 6 分钟“Clothes Swapping“ is an activity which
15、 has become increasingly popular among American women. At a clothes swap event the women can give away unwanted clothing and get something different in return.Recently about 300 women went to a clothes swap at a high school in Springfield, Virginia. It was the largest crowd ever for the areas popula
16、r clothing-swapping group.Daphne Steinberg was having a good day. “For anyone who knows Ann Taylor LOFT, Ann Taylor is a really good womens designer and I will totally wear this to work. So I love that, and I love that I can equip myself for work, have a good time in doing it, and not totally bankru
17、pt(使破产) myself.“Sandy Van Dusen likes the idea that clothes are finding new homes instead of being thrown away. “Because it helps to keep the Earth green. Theres no point in my opinion in continuing to buy new clothes when we can reuse what are already here. Give them a new home let somebody else lo
18、ve what you used to love and no longer love.“Kim Pratt organized the clothes swap event in Springfield. She also organized a money-raising activity for the high schools debate team. It is one of several ways that her group gives to charitable causes. Another is by donating all of the “unswapped“ clo
19、thing to shelters for victims of domestic violence.“I started doing this four years ago, and weve been doing it for four years, getting bigger and bigger each time we have a swap.“She used the social media website to help publicize the events. The website has helped her group grow from 30 members t
20、o 1,300. Ms. Pratt says most of the members respect the clothing swap rules. But she says competition for desirable fashion can be strong.“We have to tell people sometimes not to hover(徘徊) over the new people coming in with their clothing. As they put it out, some people tend to grab the stuff right
21、 out of their hands and it becomes like a free-for-all. We try to avoid that as much as possible.“本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了在 Springfield 的一所高中举办的“交换衣服“ 活动,详细介绍了活动组织人 Kim Pratt 组织该活动的初衷、意义和存在的问题等。 1.Women can at a clothes swap. A. exchange unwanted clothing for something differentB. buy whatever clothing they l
22、ikeC. have a social gathering and make friendsD. make some money by giving away unwanted clothing2.We can learn from what Daphne Steinberg said that . A. she had been to a clothes swap for the first timeB. she experienced the largest clothes swap ever in the a reaC. she got some clothes she likes at
23、 the clothes swapD. she saved much more money than she had expected2.C 考查细节理解。根据第三段中 Daphne Steinberg 所说的话“For anyone who knows Ann Taylor LOFT, Ann Taylor is a really good womens designer and I will totally wear this to work“可知,Daphne Steinberg在这次“交换衣服 “活动中得到了她喜欢的 Ann Taylor 设计的衣服,并会穿着它去上班,故 C 项正确。
24、3.What is Paragraph 5 mainly about?A. What Kim Pratt did with the unswapped clothing.B. How Kim Pratt started the clothes swap event.C. What Kim Pratt did to help people in need.D. How Kim Pratt raised money to help charitable causes.3.C 考查段落大意。通读第五段可知,该段主要介绍了 Kim Pratt 为帮助需要帮助的人组织的多个活动,包括“交换衣服 “活动、
25、为 Springfield 的一所高中的辩论队组织的筹款活动、捐赠衣服给家庭暴力受害者的庇护所的活动,故 C 项正确。4.It can be inferred from the last paragraph that . A. clothes swaps are often out of control in the end B. inappropriate behavior at clothes swaps needs to be controlledC. clothes swapping is becoming increasingly popular with Americanwomen
26、D. more clothes swap events need to be organized说明文专项训练（26）体裁 话题 词数 难度 建议时间说明文全球变暖对海豹的影响3386 分钟When the natural climate changes due to global warming, it can surely affect seals. The majority of them live in the Antarctic region so as the ice is melting, their natural habitat(栖息地) can be seriously a
27、ffected. These changes dont take place overnight. They can be the result of many years of additional temperatures in the area. The seals then have to find ways to adapt. Seals depend on the cool air currents to bring plenty of food for them. When the temperatures get higher, there is less and less f
28、ood and the seal population starts to get depleted. Mothers arent healthy enough to feed their babies. Many of the babies end up abandoned as the mothers have to leave to find their own source of food. The fact that their desire to produce young can be changed by the warmer temperatures is frighteni
29、ng too. It is also believed that the warmer temperatures can allow different diseases and viruses to attack the seals. This is a huge concern as they can rapidly wipe out huge numbers of seals out there.However, these changes in climate and temperature arent all bad for other species of seals. Scien
30、tists have found that those living in warmer climates are producing more young due to the changes. Research also shows that the females are moving further to find food and water. When they are out of the reach of the governing males, they are more willing to accept the moves of other males in the gr
31、oup. This is good news too because it means that there will be more selection in the gene pool(基因库) for future generations. It can help the seals as a species adapt to changes in their natural environment more easily. The climate change problem for seals is directly linked to humans. When we take ac
32、tion to change what we let out into the environment, we will make positive changes for the seals. However, it is going to take a very long time to reverse(彻底改变) the effects of what has already been done. 语篇解读：本文是一篇说明文,主要说明了全球气候变暖给海豹带来的影响。1.What does the author regard climate changes for seals as?A.
33、A double-edged sword. B. An unavoidable disaster for existence. C. A mirror of evolution.D. A requirement for more choice in the gene pool. 1.A 考查推理判断。文章第一至三段介绍了气候变暖对南极地区的海豹的负面影响,第四、五段介绍了气候变暖对其他种类的海豹的正面影响。由此可推知,在作者看来,对海豹来说,气候变暖既有利又有弊,是把双刃剑。故选 A。2.What does the underlined phrase “get depleted“ in Par
34、agraph 2 most probably mean?A. Explode. B. Disappear.C. Shrink. D. Vary.3.What will happen to the seals in warmer climates?A. Their number will be on the increase. B. The female seals will be in the lead. C. Their genes will change a great deal. D. The females will keep away from the males. 3.A 考查细节
35、理解。根据第四段中的 “those living in warmer climates are producing more young due to the changes“可知,生活在更暖和的地区的海豹会因为气候变暖而繁殖更多的幼崽。由此可知,它们的数量会增加。4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?A. The Importance of Protecting SealsB. Seals Adaptation to Climate Change C. How Climate Change Affects Se
36、als D. Why Are Seals Becoming Less and Less 说明文专项训练（27）体裁 话题 词数 难度建议时间说明文 反垄断管理 4397 分钟A new commodity brings about a highly profitable, fast-growing industry, urging antitrust(反垄断) regulators to step in to check those who control its flow. A century ago, the resource in question was oil. Now simila
37、r concerns are being raised by the giants(巨头) that deal in data, the oil of the digital age. The most valuable firms are Google, Amazon, Facebook and Microsoft. All look unstoppable.Such situations have led to calls for the tech giants to be broken up. But size alone is not a crime. The giants succe
38、ss has benefited consumers. Few want to live without search engines or a quick delivery. Far from charging consumers high prices, many of these services are free (users pay, in effect, by handing over yet more data). And the appearance of new-born giants suggests that newcomers can make waves, too.B
39、ut there is cause for concern. The internet has made data abundant, all-present and far more valuable, changing the nature of data and competition. Google initially used the data collected from users to target advertising better. But recently it has discovered that data can be turned into new servic
40、es: translation and visual recognition, to be sold to other companies. Internet companies control of data gives them enormous power. So they have a “Gods eye view“ of activities in their own markets and beyond.This nature of data makes the antitrust measures of the past less useful. Breaking up firm
41、s like Google into five small ones would not stop remaking themselves: in time, one of them would become great again. A rethink is required and as a new approach starts to become apparent, two ideas stand out.The first is that antitrust authorities need to move from the industrial age into the 21st
42、century. When considering a merger(兼并), for example, they have traditionally used size to determine when to step in. They now need to take into account the extent of firms data assets(资产 ) when assessing the impact of deals. The purchase price could also be a signal that an established company is bu
43、ying a new-born threat. When this takes place, especially when a new-born company has no revenue to speak of, the regulators should raise red flags.The second principle is to loosen the control that providers of on-line services have over data and give more to those who supply them. Companies could
44、be forced to reveal to consumers what information they hold and how much money they make from it. Governments could order the sharing of certain kinds of data, with users consent.Restarting antitrust for the information age will not be easy. But if governments dont want a data economy controlled by
45、a few giants, they must act soon.语篇解读：一种新的商品引发了一个高利润的、快速增长的产业的产生,迫使反垄断管理者介入并控制那些处于主导地位的公司。 公司对于数据的控制赋予了它们巨大的权力,从而可以巩固它们的控制地位。3.By paying attention to firms data assets, antitrust regulators could . A. kill a new threatB. avoid the size trapC. favour bigger firmsD. charge higher prices4.What is the p
46、urpose of loosening the giants control of data?A. Big companies could relieve data security pressure.B. Governments could relieve their financial pressure.C. Consumers could better protect their privacy.D. Small companies could get more opportunities. 4.选 D 考查细节理解。由倒数第二段内容可知 ,放松在线服务提供商对于数据的控制,把更多的份额
47、给数据提供者,从而让小公司也有机会发展。说明文专项训练（28）体裁 话题 词数 难度 建议时间说明文 间隔年 2545 分钟More students than ever before are taking a gap year(间隔年 ) before going to university. It used to be called the “year off“ between school and university. The gap-year phenomenon originated(起源) with the months left over to Oxbridge applica
48、nts between entrance exams in November and the start of the next academic year.This year, 25,310 students who have accepted places in higher education institutions have put off their entry until next year, according to statistics on university entrance provided by the University and College Admissio
49、ns Service(UCAS).That is a record 14.7% increase in the number of students taking a gap year. Tony Higgins from UCAS said that the statistics are good news for everyone in higher education. “Students who take a well-planned year out are more likely to be satisfied with, and complete, their chosen course. Students who take a gap year are often more mature and responsible,“ he said.But not everyone is happy. Owain James, the president of the National Union of Students (NUS), argued that the increase is evidence of student
