选修八 Unit 4 高考提能练
阅读理解·组块专练——练速度
(限时：35分钟)
Ⅰ.阅读理解
A
(2016·甘肃省高三第一次诊断)When Shakespeare was twentyone, he went to London, a very interesting place, to try his fortune.
There were the famous London Bridge and St. Pauls Cathedral, and palaces and markets and long streets full of shops.
Then, too, there were the daily crowds where could be seen people from all over the world. Knights, scholars and highwaymen (拦路强盗) or thieves who had been infamous for their clever robberies, passed by each other.
Here, also, were noblemen dressed in gold, from Italy, Spain and France; slaves from Spanish America, sea captains and ministers, soldiers and servants — all held by chances or interests within the gray walls which circled London, and whose gates gave welcome to as strange a crowd as could be found in the world.
Into this curious crowd came Shakespeare, quick to see and eager to learn. And before long all these strange sights were as familiar to him as the faces of his own town?s residents. Each one told its story to him so plainly that, as before he had learned the secrets of the fields and woods, so now he learned men and men?s interests that make up the great world.
And he learned these lessons so well that when he came to write his plays, he made such use of them as no writer ever made before or since; for it is the use of this knowledge of the world, combined with his own genius, that makes Shakespeare the greatest dramatist that has ever lived.
语篇解读：本文主要讲述了莎士比亚到伦敦后的经历，他很快适应了那里的生活，并把自己所观察到的事情融入自己的创作中。
1．What was London like in Shakespeares eyes when he first went there?
A．Dirty and small. B．Strange and interesting.
C．Infamous and terrible.
D．Familiar and modern.
解析：选B 细节理解题。根据第一段中的“a very interesting place”和第五段中的“all these strange sights”可知，在Shakespeare的眼中，伦敦是一个有趣而陌生的城市，即B项正确。
2．Which of the following best describes Shakespeare?
A．Shakespeare got inspiration to write from his hometown, London.
B．Shakespeare was eager to make friends with the noblemen in London.
C．Shakespeare was good at observing and learning from the daily life.
D．Shakespeare became the greatest dramatist owing to his own genius.
解析：选C 推理判断题。根据第五段可知，Shakespeare来到伦敦不久之后，通过观察和学习了解了伦敦，并适应了那里的生活，由此可推断出，Shakespeare擅长观察日常生活并从中学习，故C项正确。
3．What does the underlined word “one” in Paragraph 5 refer to?
A．Crowd.
B．Sight.
C．Face.
D．Resident.
解析：选B 代词指代题。画线词后的“as before he had learned the secrets of the fields and woods”的意思为“正如他以前所学到的田野和树林的秘密那样”，根据这句话可知，one 指的是像田野和树林一样的景象，故B项正确。
4．The passage probably comes from ________.
A．a poster
B．a textbook
C．an advertisement
D．an announcement
解析：选B 推理判断题。本文主要讲述了莎士比亚到伦敦的经历，所以这篇文章最有可能出现在一本教材中，故B项正确。
B
(2016·昆明市第一中学高三第二次双基检测)Big cities and small historic towns top the list of most popular places to visit in the United States, according to the votes of the travel site, TripAdvisor. Here is a look at TripAdvisor’s Top 5 most popular travel destinations in America!
1．New York City
More than 50 million people visit New York City every year. The five boroughs— or districts of New York have some of the most easily recognized attractions in the world. Visitors on a budget can take a free boat from Manhattan to Staten Island for a great view of the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline.
2．Chicago, Illinoise
Amaricas thirdlargest city offers worldclass museums, sporting events and iconic architecture — including Willis Tower, America?s tallest building. The Midwest city is also known for comedy. The Second City theater is where many famous comedians get their start.
3．Charleston, South Carolina
The coastal city has a very rich history. The Civil War began at its waterfront, at Fort Sumter, which visitors can explore. But presentday Charleston has a lot to offer, too. Conde Traveler voted it the number one U. S. city, for its beautiful architecture, food, and friendly people.
4．Las Vegas, Nevada
The desert city of Las Vegas is known around the world for its casinos and bright lights. Visitors stay at worldclass hotels, eat at top chefs’ restaurants, and usually see a wonderful show or concert.
5．Seattle, Washington
Visitors to the West Coast city of Seattle will find iconic Space Needle, the worlds first Starbucks, and Pike Place Market, one of the oldest and most famous farmers markets in the country. The Space Needle was built in 1962 for the World’s Fair. Riding up to the top provides views of the nearby mountains.
语篇解读：本文为社会生活类文章，主要介绍了由TripAdvisor根据票选排出了美国最受欢迎的五个城镇。5．This top list is from the votes of ________.
A．the Internet B．phone calls
C．tourists interviews
D．text messages
解析：选A 细节理解题。根据第一段第一句话中的“ according to the votes of the travel site, TripAdvisor”可知排名是来自于网络的票选结果。故选A项。
6．The underlined word “boroughs” in Paragraph 2 means ________.
A．states
B．islands
C．attractions
D．areas
解析：选D 词义猜测题。根据该词所在句的句子结构可知boroughs与district同义，意为“地区，区域”。故选D项。
7．Which city tops the first according to Conde Nast Travelers votes?
A．Seattle
B．New York City
C．Charleston
D．Chicago
解析：选C 细节理解题。根据第四段的Conde Traveler voted it the number one U. S. City可知选C。
8．What do we know about the Space Needle?
A．It is located in South Carolina.
B．It has a history of about 50 years.
C．It is the biggest Starbucks in the world.
D．It has some argiricultural products on sale.
解析：选B 推理判断题。根据最后一段对Seattle的介绍可知，Space Needle位于Washington，故排除A；是第一家Starbucks而没有说是最大的，故排除C；D选项应是对Pike Place Market的介绍，故应排除；建于1962年，距现在50年左右，故B项正确。
C
(2016·石家庄市教学质量检测)Pilates, yoga and the running machine get all the attention when it comes to popular ways to stay healthy.
There is, however, a more humble exercise that might not be so attractive, but has all the benefits — walking.
Certified fitness professional Jolynn Jaekel explains, “What I love about walking is that anyone can do it at any age and any fitness level. Plus, it is good for your heart, your head and your wallet.”
A recent report details the health benefits of walking. The report found that walking regularly to fulfill the 150 minutes of moderate physical exercise every week, recommended by the UK?s chief medical officer, could save 37,000 lives each year. Scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California found that quick walking reduces the risk of heart disease more effectively than running. They observed participants aged between 18 and 80 over a sixyear period and found that walking reduced the risk of heart disease by 9.3%, while running reduced it by 4.5%. And there is even more good news: 30 minutes of quick walking over five days could help you sleep easily, according to research by Oregon State University. The study by the university showed that walking helped participants sleep better and feel more alert during the day.
The sooner you get started, the sooner you’ll notice the differences in your mind and body. So, go out for your 30minute walk in a nearby park or green space.
语篇解读：本文是一篇说明文。主要介绍了健康生活方式中的最简单有效的方式——步行。9．The underlined word “humble” in the first paragraph probably means “________”．
A．plainB．relaxing
C．popular
D．active
解析：选A 词义猜测题。根据第一段可知，当提到保持健康的方式时首先可以想到普拉提、瑜伽和跑步机。然而，有一种不太引人注目的简单运动却让人受益匪浅，那就是步行。由此可推知，画线词和“plain”意义相近。故A项正确。
10．What does Jolynn Jaekel think of walking?
A．Its loved by people of all ages.
B．Its much healthier than running.
C．Its a moneysaving physical exercise.
D．Its becoming more and more popular.
解析：选C 细节理解题。根据第二段中的“What I love about walking ... your head and your wallet.”可知，步行对人的心脏和大脑都有好处并且可以省钱。故C项正确。
11．What did scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory find?
A．Walking helps people with sleep problems.
B．Walking contributes to curing heart disease.
C．Walking 150 minutes per week can save lives.
D．Walking is better than running in some cases.
解析：选D 细节理解题。根据第三段第三句中的“found that quick walking reduces the risk of heart disease more effectively than running”以及下文将步行和跑步从几个方面进行的对比来看，前者优于后者。故D项正确。
12．In which section of a newspaper can we read this text?
A．Comment.
B．Lifestyle.
C．Education.
D．Science.
解析：选B 推理判断题。纵观全文可知，本文主要介绍了健康生活方式中的最简单有效的方式——步行。由此可推知，可从报纸上介绍生活方式的版块读到该文章。故B项正确。
D
(2016·包头市高三统一考试)Smartphones are really addictive and the more you use one, the worse it gets, a new study has revealed. Psychology lecturer, Dr Zaheer Hussain, who conducted the research, found that the more you use a smartphone, the higher your risk of becoming addicted.
He explained that higher
scores of narcissism — defined as excessive (过度的) interest or admiration of oneself and ones physical appearance — are the most common and obvious sign of the addiction.
An obsession (痴迷) with taking selfies and posting them on social media is one key indication.
The study found that 13 percent of 256 participants were addicts. The average age of those who took part in the online survey was 29.
As a result, the researchers say they believe it should be made compulsory that anyone selling smartphones should warn customers of their potentially addictive properties.
Dr Hussain said, “The study informs us about smartphone overuse and the impact on psychological wellbeing. We now use smartphones on a daily basis and for various tasks, so being aware of the psychological effects is very important. There are various smartphone apps such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Candy Crush, as well as Skype that make smartphone use psychologically more attractive and can lead to addiction.”
The study also revealed the average user spent 3.6 hours per day on the device, and when the participants were asked if they used their phone in banned areas, 35 percent answered yes.
Social networking sites were the most popularly used apps — 87 percent, followed by instant messaging apps — 52 percent, and then news apps — 51 percent.
Relationships were also noted in the research as, despite 46.8 percent of participants speaking positively of improved social relations, nearly a quarter admitted their smartphones create communication issues within “real life”．
Professor James Elander, Head of the Centre for Psychological Research at the University of Derby, said, “This study is a very timely one with many potential impacts, and the findings show that users should be more aware of how they are using their smartphones and of the potential risks of excessive use.”
语篇解读：一项最新研究发现：智能手机会使人上瘾，而且使用者的使用量越大，上瘾的风险就越高。
13．What does the underlined word “narcissism” in the second paragraph mean?
A．Selfesteem.
B．Selflove.
C．Selfrespect.
D．Selftrust.
解析：选B 词义猜测题。根据画线词后的“... defined as excessive (过度的) interest or admiration of oneself and ones physical appearance ...”可知，对它下的定义是：对自我或个人外表的过度爱慕，所以B项“自恋”符合语境。
14．Whats the attitude of Professor James Elander towards the research according to the last paragraph?
A．Positive.
B．Negative.
C．Neutral.
D．Ambiguous.
解析：选A 推理判断题。根据最后一段中James Elander 教授说的话“This study is a very timely one with many potential impacts ...”中的timely“及时的”的提示可推知，他对于这项研究持积极的态度。
15．What can we learn from this passage?
A．People are easy to be addicted to smartphones and cant live a normal life.
B．Smartphone manufacturers should be responsible for the smartphone addiction.
C．The smartphone addiction has become a reality and people should take it seriously.
D．Smartphones shouldnt be used to download and use smartphone apps.
解析：选C 推理判断题。根据文章中列举的研究中的数字尤其是倒数第二段中的“... nearly a quarter admitted their smartphones create communication issues within real life’．”可知，手机上瘾已成为社会生活中的一个现实；再结合第五段中的“... it should be made compulsory that anyone selling smartphones should warn customers ...”和最后一段中的“... should be more aware of how they are using their smartphones and of the potential risks of excessive use.”可知，人们应该认真对待手机上瘾这件事。故选C项。
Ⅱ.阅读七选五
(2016·山西四校联考三)Do you have a spare room in your house? Do you like to share your driveway in front of your garage with others? __1__ Many people are benefiting from this new business of renting.
Perhaps the bestknown example of a company in this field is Airbnb — an American web business which allows you to rent out your spare room to holidaymakers. It says it operates in 34,000 cities and it has 800,000 listings of rooms and apartments. __2__
A British company is doing something with parking spaces. JustPark’s founder, Anthony Eskinazi, says, “When I had the original idea, I spotted a driveway close to a sports stadium. It would have been so convenient if I could have just parked in that driveway rather than in a commercial car park.” __3__ Around 20,000 people have advertised their spaces on the website, and he says around half a million drivers use it.
__4__ They are people who run things like traditional hotels and commercial car parks. They are afraid of ending up losing money.
__5__ Regulations for these new businesses are unclear. How will renting out your driveway affect your neighbour？Because this is a new business world, those rules aren’t there yet.
A．They seem to have occupied the majority of the market.
B．Both of these can help you make money.
C．And there is another problem.
D．And his great idea has proved a success.
E．But the new business of renting has its competitors.
F．There are many ways to earn money.
G．A commercial car park is inconvenient.
答案：1～5 BADEC