2016高考英语二轮阅读理解八十集之连载训练（44）
阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A,B,C或D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
Below is a selection from a popular science book.
If blood is red，why are veins(静脉) blue?
Actually，veins are not blue at all.They are more of a clear，yellowish colour.Although blood looks red when it's outside the body，when it's sitting in a vein near the surface of the skin，it's more of a dark reddish purple colour.At the right depth，these bloodfilled veins reflect less red light than the surrounding skin，making them look blue by comparison.
Which works harder，your heart or your brain?
That kind of depends on whether you're busy thinking or busy exercising.Your heart works up to three times harder during exercise，and shifts enough blood over a lifetime to fill a supertanker.But，in the long run，your brain probably tips it，because even when you're sitting still your brain is using twice as much energy as your heart，and it takes four to five times as much blood to feed it.
Why do teeth fall out，and why don't they grow back in grownups?
Baby (or “milk”) teeth do not last long；they fall out to make room for bigger，stronger adult teeth later on.Adult teeth fall out when they become damaged，decayed and infected by bacteria.Once this second set of teeth has grown in，you're done.When they're gone，they're gone.This is because nature figures you're set for life，and what controls regrowth of your teeth switches off.
Do old people shrink as they age?
Yes and no.Many people do get shorter as they age.But，when they do，it isn't because they're shrinking all over.They simply lose height as their spine(脊柱) becomes shorter and more curved due to disuse and the effects of gravity(重力)．Many (but not all) men and women do lose height as they get older.Men lose an average of 34 cm in height as they age，while women may lose 5 cm or more.If you live to be 200 years old，would you keep shrinking till you were，like 60 cm tall，like a little boy again？No，because old people don't really shrink！It is not that they are growing backwards—their legs，arms and backbones getting shorter.When they do get shorter，it's because the spine has shortened a little.Or，more often，become more bent and curved.
Why does spinning make you dizzy(眩晕的)?
Because your brain gets confused between what you're seeing and what you're feeling.The brain senses that you're spinning using special gravityandmotionsensing organs in your inner ear，which work together with your eyes to keep your vision and balance stable.But，when you suddenly stop spinning the system goes out of control，and your brain thinks you're moving while you're not!
Where do feelings and emotions come from?
Mostly from an ancient part of the brain called the limbic system.All mammals have this brain area—from mice to dogs，cats，and humans.So all mammals feel basic emotions like fear，pain and pleasure.But since human feelings also involve other，newer bits of the brain，we feel more complex emotions than any other animal on the planet.
If exercise wears you out，how can it be good for you?
Because our bodies adapt to everything we do to them.And as far as your body is concerned，it's “use it，or lose it”！It's not that exercise makes you healthy；it's more that a lack of exercise leaves your body weak and easily affected by disease.
1．What is the colour of blood in a vein near the surface of the skin?A．Blue.
B．Light yellow.
C．Red.
D．Dark reddish purple.
解析 细节理解题。根据第一个标题下的“...it's more of a dark reddish purple colour.”可知答案。
答案 D2．Why do some old people look a little shrunken as they age?
A．Because their spine is in active use.
B．Because they are more easily affected by gravity.
C．Because they keep growing backwards.
D．Because their spine becomes more bent.
解析 细节理解题。根据第四个标题下的“They simply lose height as their spine(脊柱) becomes shorter and more curved due to disuse and the effects of gravity(重力)．”可知，老年人变矮是因为脊柱收缩和弯曲造成的。
答案 D3．Which of the following statements about our brain is true?
A．In the long run，our brain probably works harder than our heart.
B．When our brain senses the spinning，we will feel dizzy.
C．The brains of the other mammals are as complex as those of humans.
D．Our feelings and emotions come from the most developed area in our brain.
解析 细节理解题。根据第二个标题下的第三句“But，in the long run，your brain...”可知答案为A项。此题最易误选B项，根据第五个标题下的最后一句可知，眩晕是由于 “你已经不动了，而你的大脑认为你还在动”的错觉引起的。
答案 A4．What is the main purpose of the selection?
A．To give advice on how to stay healthy.
B．To provide information about our body.
C．To challenge new findings in medical research.
D．To report the latest discoveries in medical science.
解析 写作意图题。考生易误选D项，但是在医学领域，概括失误。文章主要涉及我们身体的问题，包括身体的、情绪的等等。故选择B项较全面。
答案 BA,B,C或D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
A German study suggests that people who were too optimistic about their future actually faced greater risk of disability or death within 10 years than those pessimists who expected their future to be worse.
The paper, published this March in Psychology and Aging, examined health and welfare surveys from roughly 40,000 Germans between ages 18 and 96.The surveys were conducted every year from 1993 to 2003.
Survey respondents (受访者) were asked to estimate their present and future life satisfaction on a scale of 0 to 10, among other questions.
The researchers found that young adults (age 18 to 39) routinely overestimated their future life satisfaction, while middleaged adults (age 40 to 64) more accurately predicted how they would feel in the future.Adults of 65 and older, however, were far more likely to underestimate their future life satisfaction.Not only did they feel more satisfied than they thought they would, the older pessimists seemed to suffer a lower ratio (比率) of disability and death for the study period.
“We observed that being too optimistic in predicting a better future than actually observed was associated with a greater risk of disability and a greater risk of death within the following decade，” wrote Frieder R．Lang, a professor at the University of ErlangenNuremberg.
Lang and his colleagues believed that people who were pessimistic about their future may be more careful about their actions than people who expected a rosy future.
“Seeing a dark future may encourage positive evaluations of the actual self and may contribute to taking improved precautions(预防措施)，”the authors wrote.
Surprisingly, compared with those in poor health or who had low incomes, respondents who enjoyed good health or income were associated with expecting a greater decline.Also, the researchers said that higher income was related to a greater risk of disability.
The authors of the study noted that there were limitations to their conclusions.Illness, medical treatment and personal loss could also have driven health outcomes.
However, the researchers said a pattern was clear.“We found that from early to late adulthood, individuals adapt their expectations of future life satisfaction from optimistic, to accurate, to pessimistic，” the authors concluded.
1．According to the study, who made the most accurate prediction of their future life satisfaction?
A．Optimistic adults.
B．Middleaged adults.
C．Adults in poor health.
D．Adults of lower income.
解析 细节理解题。由文章第四段第一句话“The researchers found that young adults (age 18 to 39) routinely overestimated their future life satisfaction, while middleaged adults (age 40 to 64) more accurately predicted how they would feel in the future.”可知中年人可以更加精确地预测他们的未来。故选B项。
答案 B．Pessimism may be positive in some way because it causes people________.
A．to fully enjoy their present life
B．to estimate their contribution accurately
C．to take measures against potential risks
D．to value health more highly than wealth
解析 细节理解题。由第六、七段中的关键信息“...people who were pessimistic about their future may be more careful about their actions...”及“...contribute to taking improved precautions(预防措施)．..”可知对未来持悲观态度的人会对他们的行动更加小心并且采取一些预防措施，故选C项。
答案 C．How do people of higher income see their future?
A．They will earn less money.
B．They will become pessimistic.
C．They will suffer mental illness.
D．They will have less time to enjoy life.
解析 细节理解题。由第八段第一句话“Surprisingly, compared with those in poor health or who had low incomes, respondents who enjoyed good health or income were associated with expecting a greater decline.”可知工资高的人会预料他们未来工资的下降，故选A项。
答案 A．What is the clear conclusion of the study?
A．Pessimism guarantees chances of survival.
B．Good financial condition leads to good health.
C．Medical treatment determines health outcomes.
D．Expectations of future life satisfaction decline with age.
解析 推理判断题。由最后一段的最后一句话“‘We found that from early to late adulthood, individuals adapt their expectations of future life satisfaction from optimistic, to accurate, to pessimistic，’the authors concluded.”可知对未来生活满意度的预测随年龄的增长而下降。
答案 D, 从给的四个选项 (A、B、C和D) 中, 选出最佳选项。
Life is not a beauty contest.We all focus on our imperfections(瑕疵)．In fact，you should see yourself in a proper way.It's necessary for you to know that self knowledge(自知之明)is the most important beauty
secret.
Don't hate yourself for wanting to be beautiful.Goodlooking people get special treatment from strangers，employers and even their own mothers.We're not even close to our objective when it comes to judging our own looks.Other people see the whole package.But when we look in the mirror，we're likely to pay attention to imperfections.For example, that bump(凸起)on your friend's nose. It's her feature！It gives her character！But to you，that thing on your nose is completely ugly.
Our opinions of our own looks are also changeable.
So if we can't trust the judgment of ourselves，or the words of friends and family which can take away our doubts，we're left to the cool judgment of strangers to satisfy our curiosity about our appearances.The website“Hot or Not”，which lets people hand their photos in for others to judge，had nearly 2 million daily page views within a week in 2000.But it's not the best way to improve the judgment of yourself because you have no confidence yet in your mind.
Everyone may pay too much attention to his or her
own appearance，and at the same time worry about being criticized.If you are particularly attentive to your body，or
if you feel uncomfortable in public，you are certainly hotter than you think.And we all have the ability to change how other people judge us without changing our looks.When you believe that you look good，others will see you in a more favorable way.Improve your impression from the inside.Understanding your own advantages can help you stop worrying about your appearance and look better.
．What can we infer from the first paragraph?
A．We should focus on our advantages.
B．Don't be cheated by others' praise.
C．Judging oneself in a right way is important.
D．It's unnecessary to know the meaning of beauty.
答案：C 推理判断题 。根据第一段“...selfknowledge is the most important beauty secret.”可知，人的自知之明是美丽的最重要秘诀。由此推之，正确评价自己很重要。
．What does the example in the second paragraph suggest?
A．Goodlooking people are more popular than ordinary ones.
B．Some badlooking people are afraid to look in the mirror.
C．Some people judge one by his appearance simply.
D．Sometimes we make our own imperfections bigger.
答案：D 推理判断题。根据第二段“That bump on your friend's nose. It's her feature！It gives her character！But to you，that thing on your nose is completely ugly.Our opinions of our own looks are also changeable.”可知，“你”可能认为朋友鼻子上的凸起是她的特色，赋予她个性。而如果在自己身上，就会看起来很丑陋。由此推断，有时我们把自身的瑕疵放大了。
．“Hot or Not”________．
A．is a website which allows others to comment on your character
B．can't change your ideas completely unless you're confident
C．is a good way to make friends and makes you popular online
D．can satisfy one's curiosity about others' secrets
答案：B 细节理解题。根据第三段“But it's not the best way to improve the judgment of yourself because you have no confidence yet in your mind.”可知，这个网站不是提升“你”对自己评价的最好方法，因为在心里，“你”仍然没有自信。所以，除非“你”有自信，否则这个网站不能完全改变“你”的想法。
．From the last paragraph we can learn________.
A．hanging our looks can make us more attractive
B．people shouldn't care about their own disadvantages
C．we can make ourselves more beautiful in the mind
D．it's useless to pay attention to your appearance
答案：C 细节理解题。根据最后两句“Improve your impression from the inside. Understanding your own advantages can help you stop worrying about your appearance and look better.”可知，作者建议从内部提升“你”的形象。了解自身优势有助于“你”不再担忧自己的外表，从而(让自己)看起来更美。所以，“我们”可以从内心中把自己“武装得”更美。