2016年高考英语二轮专题复习命题预测40
阅读理解
A
As a young girl growing up in the 1930s, I always wanted to fly a plane, but back then it was almost unheard of for a woman to do that. I got a taste of that dream in 2001, when my husband arranged for me to ride in a hot air balloon for my birthday. But the experience turned out to be very dull. Around then, I wanted to skydive. So when our retirement community organized an essay competition and the topic was an experience of a lifetime that you wanted to have, I decided to write about my dream.
I wrote about my desire to skydive, stating George Brush Sr. did it at age 80. Why not me? I was just 84 and pretty healthy. At first I heard nothing. But then they announced that I was one of the winners. I just couldn’t believe it. Inspired by this, I decided to realize my dream, even though some of my family and my doctor were against it.
On June 11, 2009, nearly 40 of my family and friends gathered to watch my dive. My instructor, Jay, guided me through the experience. The plane was very noisy, but I wasn’t frightened—I was just looking forward to the experience. Reached 13,000 feet, Jay instructed me to throw myself out of the plane. When we first hit the air, the wind was so strong that I could hardly breathe. For a second I thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” But then everything got calmer. We were in a free fall for about a minute before Jay opened the parachute（降落伞）, then we just floated downward for about five minutes. Being up in the clouds and looking at the view below was unlike anything I have ever felt. I was just enjoying it.
Skydiving was really one of the greatest experiences of my life. I hope other people will look at me and realize that you don’t stop living just because you are 84 years old. If there’s something you want to experience, look into it. If it’s something that is possible, make it happen.
56. What happened to the author in 2001?
A. She flew an airplane.
B. She entered a competition.
C. She went on a hot air balloon ride.
D. She moved into a retirement community.
57. The author mentioned George Bush Sr. in her essay to
.
A. build up her own reputation
B. show her admiration for him
C. compare their health condition
D. make her argument persuasive
58. How did the author feel immediately after she jumped out of the plane?
A. Regretful.
B. Excited.
C. Eager.
D. Scared.
59. What did the author enjoy most when she was skydiving?
A. The beautiful clouds.
B. The company of Jay.
C. The wonderful view.
D. The one-minute free fall.
B
Children start out as natural scientists, eager to look into the world around them. Helping them enjoy science can be easy; there’s no need for a lot of scientific terms or expensive lab equipment. You only have to share your children’s curiosity(好奇). Firstly, listen to their questions. I once visited a classroom of seven-year-olds to talk about science as a job. The children asked me “textbook questions” about schooling, salary and whether I liked my job. When I finished answering, we sat facing one another in silence. Finally I said, “Now that we’re finished with your lists, do you have questions of your own about science?”
After a long pause, a boy raised his hand, “Have you ever seen a grasshopper(蚱蜢) eat? When I try eating leaves like that, I get a stomachache. Why?”
This began a set of questions that lasted nearly two hours.
Secondly, give them time to think. Studies over the past 30 years have shown that, after asking a question, adults typically wait only one second or less for an answer, no time for a child to think. When adults increase their “wait time” to three seconds or more, children give more logical, complete and creative answers.
Thirdly, watch your language. Once you have a child involved in a science discussion, don’t jump in with “That’s right” or “Very good”. These words work well when it comes to encouraging good behavior. But in talking about science, quick praise can signal that discussion is over. Instead, keep things going by saying “That’s interesting” or “I’d never thought of it that way before”, or coming up with more questions or ideas.
Never push a child to “Think”. It doesn’t make sense, children are always thinking, without your telling them to. What’s more, this can turn a conversation into a performance. The child will try to find the answer you want, in as few words as possible, so that he will be a smaller target for your disagreement.
Lastly, show; don’t tell. Real-life impressions of nature are far more impressive than any lesson children can learn from a book or a television program. Let children look at their fingertips through a magnifying glass(放大镜), and they’ll understand why you want them to wash before dinner. Rather than saying that water evaporates(蒸发), set a pot of water to boil and let them watch the water level drop.
60. According to the passage, children are natural scientists, and to raise their interest, the most important thing for adults to do is _______.
A. to let them see the world around
B. to share the children’s curiosity
C. to explain difficult phrases about science
D. to supply the children with lab equipment
61. In the last sentence of the first paragraph, the word “lists” could best be replaced by ______.
A. any questions
B. questions from textbooks
C. any problems
D. any number of questions
62. According to the passage, children can answer questions in a more logical, complete and creative way if adults ________.
A. ask them to answer quickly
B. tell them to answer the next day
C. wait at least for three seconds after a question
D. wait for one or two seconds after a question
63. The author mentions all of the following techniques for adults to share with their children’s curiosity EXCEPT that adults should ________.
A. tell their children stories instead of reciting(背诵) facts
B. offer their children chances to see things for themselves
C. be patient enough when their children answer questions
D. encourage their children to ask questions of their own
C
The flag, the most common symbol of a nation in the modern world, is also one of the most ancient. With a clear symbolic meaning, the flag in the traditional form is still used today to mark buildings, ships and other vehicles related to a country.
The national flag as we know it today is in no way a primitive artifact. It is, rather, the product of thousands of years’ development. Historians believe that it had two major ancestors, of which the earlier served to show wind direction.
Early human beings used very fragile houses and boats. Often strong winds would tear roofs from houses or cause high waves that endangered travelers. People’s food supplies were similarly vulnerable. Even after they had learned how to plant grains, they still needed help from nature to ensure good harvests. Therefore they feared and depended on the power of the wind, which could bring warmth from one direction and cold from another.
Using a simple piece of cloth tied to the top of a post to tell the direction of the wind was more dependable than earlier methods, such as watching the rising of smoke from a fire. The connection of the flag with heavenly power was therefore reasonable. Early human societies began to fix long pieces of cloth to the tops of totems (图腾) before carrying them into battle. They believed that the power of the wind would be added to the good wishes of the gods and ancestors represented by the totems themselves.
These flags developed very slowly into modern flags. The first known flag of a nation or a ruler was unmarked. The king of China around 1000 B.C. was known to have a white flag carried ahead of him. This practice might have been learned from Egyptians even further in the past, but it was from China that it spread over trade routes through India, then across Arab lands, and finally to Europe, where it met up with the other ancestor of the national flag.
64. The best title for the passage would be “________”.
A. Uses of Flags
B. Types of Flags
C. Power of the National Flag
D. Development of the National Flag
65. The underlined word “vulnerable” in Paragraph 3 means ________.
A. easy to be damaged
B. likely to be protected
C. impossible to make sure of
D. difficult to find
66. The earliest flags were connected with heavenly power because ________.
A. they could bring warmth
B. they could bring good luck to fighters
C. they were handed down by the ancestors
D. they were believed to stand for natural forces
67. What will the author most probably talk about next?
A. The role of China in the spread of the national flag.
B. The second ancestor of the national flag.
C. The use of modern flags in Europe.
D. The importance of modern flags.
D
“Have a nice day” may be a pleasant gesture or a meaningless expression. When my friend Maxie says “Have a nice day” with a smile, I know she sincerely cares about what happens to me. I feel loved and secure since another person cares about me and wishes me well.
“Have a nice day. Next!” The version of the expression is spoken by a salesgirl at supermarket who is rushing me and my groceries out the door. The words came out in the same tone ( 腔调 ) with a fixed procedure. They are spoken at me, not to me. Obviously, the concern for my day and everyone else’s is the management’s attempt to increase business.
The expression is one of those behaviors that help people get along with each other. Sometimes it indicates the end of a meeting. As soon as you hear it, you know the meeting at an end. Sometimes the expression saves us when we don’t know what to say. “Oh, you just had a tooth out? I’m terribly sorry, but have a nice day”
The expression can be pleasant. If a stranger says “Have a nice day” to you, you may find it heart-warming because someone you don’t know has tried to be nice to you.
Although the use of the expression is insincere, meaningless social custom at times, there is nothing wrong with the sentence except that it is a little uninteresting. The salesgirl, the waitress, the teacher, and the countless others who speak it without thinking may not really care about my day. But in a strange and comfortable way, it’s nice to know they care enough to pretend they care when they really don’t care all that much. While the expression may not often be sincere, it is always spoken. The point is that people say it all the time when they like.
68. How does the author understand Maxie’s words?
A. Maxie shows her anxiety to the author.
B. Maxie really wishes the author a good day.
C. Maxie encourages the author to stay happy.
D. Maxie really worries about the author’s security.
69. What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 mean?
A. The salesgirl is rude.
B. The salesgirl is bored.
C. The salesgirl cares about me.
D. The salesgirl says the words as a routine.
70. According to the last paragraph, people say“Have a nice day”_______.
A. sincerely
B. as thanks
C. as a habit
D. encouragingly
71. What is the best title of the passage?
A. Have a Nice Day—a Social Custom
B. Have a Nice Day—a Pleasant Gesture
C. Have a Nice Day—a Heart-warming Greeting
D. Have a Nice Day—a Polite Ending of a Conversation
E
The literal meaning of philosophy is “love of wisdom”. But this meaning does not tell us very much. Unlike the other disciplines（学科）, philosophy cannot be defined by what you study, because it is actually unlimited. Anything can be the subject matter of philosophy: art, history, law, language, literature, mathematics, and in fact, the other academic disciplines are directly related to philosophy. For this reason you get a Doctorate（博士学位）of Philosophy (Ph. D. ) in biochemistry, or computer science, or psychology.
Two broad sub-fields of philosophy are logic and the history of philosophy. Logic is the science of argument and critical thinking. It provides sound methods for distinguishing good from bad reasoning. The history of philosophy involves the study of major philosophers and period in the development of philosophy.
Of what use is philosophy? First it is useful in educational advancement. It is necessary for understanding other disciplines. Only philosophy question the nature of the concepts used in a discipline, and its relation to other disciplines. And through the study of philosophy, one develops sound methods of research and analysis that can be applied to any field.
There are a number of general uses of philosophy. It strengthens one’s ability to solve problem, to communicate, to organize ideas and issues, to persuade, and to take what is the most important form a large quantity of data. These general uses are of great benefit in the career first, not necessarily for obtaining one’s first job after graduation, but for preparing for positions of responsibility, management and leadership later on. It is very short-sighted after all, to take a course of studies only for the purpose of getting one’s first job. The useful skills developed through the study of philosophy have significant long-term benefits in career advancement. No other discipline systematically follows the ideals of wisdom, leadership, and capacity to resolve human conflict.
72. According to Paragraph 1 philosophy can best be described as the study of_______.
A. social sciences
B. natural sciences
C. the subject matter of politics
D. both social and natural sciences
73. With the study of philosophy, you can _______.
A. become a great leader
B. succeed in everything
C. find a good job soon after graduation
D. make progress in your career development
74. According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. Philosophy is an independent discipline.
B. Logic helps you to become a better thinker.
C. The study of philosophy brings you immediate benefits.
D. The meaning of philosophy is too limited to define.
75. From the passage, we can conclude___________.
A. not all the subjects have to do with philosophy
B. a person will get a Ph. if he / she studies philosophy
C. philosophy is the only solution to all the problems in the world
D. philosophy can be helpful for the study of any other subjects
阅读理解：
56—59
CDAC
60—63
BBCA
64—67
DADB
68—71
BDCA
72—75
DDBD