2017届高考英语二轮专题总复习精选综合能力专练：阅读理解17

　　2017届高考英语二轮专题总复习精选综合能力专练：阅读理解17

　　LONDON (Reuters) — Quiet please — Britain’ s Queen Elizabeth is preparing to have her swans counted.

　　Buckingham Palace has announced that the annual Swan Upping, a tradition dating back to the 12th century which involves a census of the swan population on the River Thames, will be conducted by the Queen’ s official Swan Marker from July 20 24.

　　“With the assistance of the Queen’ s Swan Warden, Professor Christopher Perrins of the University of Oxford, the swans and young cygnets (小天鹅) are also assessed for any signs of injury or disease，” Buckingham Palace said in announcing the count.

　　The process involves the Swan Marker, David Barber, rowing up the Thames for five days with the Swan Warden in traditional skiffs while wearing special scarlet uniforms and counting, weighing and measuring swans and cygnets.

　　It may seem eccentric, but it is very important to the Queen, According to custom, Britain’ s sovereign owns all unmarked, mute swans in open water, but the Queen now exercises the right only on stretches of the Thames and its nearby tributaries.

　　In medieval times, the Swan Marker would not only travel up the river counting the swans, but would catch as many as possible as they were soughtafter for banquets and feasts.

　　This year, the Swan Marker and the Swan Warden are particularly keen to discover how much damage is being caused to swans and cygnets by attacks from dogs and from discarded fishing tackle (渔具)．

　　It is also an important year because Queen Elizabeth has decided to join her team of Swan Uppers for part of the census. She will follow them up the river and visit a local school project on the whole subject of swans, cygnets and the Thames.源:学#科#网Z#X#X#K]

　　“Education and conservation are essential to the role of Swan Upping and the involvement of school children is always a rewarding experience，” Buckingham Palace said.

　　[语篇解读]　泰晤士河上每年都要举行一个重要的活动：数天鹅。英国皇室的这一传统已经延续了好几个世纪。

　　1. In medieval times，________.

　　A. swans were better protected than now

　　B. a lot of swans were killed by dogs

　　C. swans were a delicious dish on royal banquets

　　D. common people could catch the swans

　　[解析]　细节理解题。从文章倒数第四段可知，在中世纪天鹅被捉住，然后成为皇家宴会上的美味。

　　[答案]　C

　　2．We can infer from the passage that the process of counting the swans ________.

　　A. remains almost unchanged in the past years

　　B. involves a lot of royal members

　　C. sometimes lasts longer than before

　　D. is always guarded by special soldiers

　　[解析]　推理判断题。从文章第四段对数天鹅过程的描述以及参与清点的官员的穿着打扮可知，其过程几乎没有变化，因为这是一项传统活动。

　　[答案]　A

　　3．This year, the Swan Marker and the Swan Warden mainly want to find out________.

　　A. the exact number of swans and cygnets

　　B. how a local school project is going on

　　C. how much damage the swans and cygnets suffer

　　D. how education and conservation are carried out along the Thames

　　[解析]　细节理解题。从文章倒数第三段内容可知答案为C。

　　[答案]　C

　　4．Which of the following is the main idea of the passage?

　　A. Britain’ s Queen is concerned about swans.

　　B. Britain’ s Queen orders a count of swans.

　　C. An old tradition in Buckingham Palace.

　　D. Queen Elizabeth will count swans herself.

　　[解析]　主旨大意题。文章第一段是本文的主题段，英国女王下令清点泰晤士河上的天鹅的数量。

　　[答案]　B

　　5．The underlined word “tributaries” can be best replaced by ________.

　　A. districts

　　B. banks

　　C. trees

　　D. branches

　　[解析]　词义理解题。根据语境和常识可知，此处是指在泰晤士河及其支流上生活的天鹅。故答案为D。

　　[答案]　D

　　[长难句解读]　In medieval times, the Swan Marker would not only travel up the river counting the swans, but would catch as many as possible as they were soughtafter for banquets and feasts.在中世纪，负责清点天鹅的人不仅沿河清点天鹅的数量，还会尽可能多地捕捉一些，因为天鹅当时是宴会桌上的美餐。

　　本句是一个并列句，not only...but(also)．..引导并列句，后面的as引导原因状语从句。

　　Happiness is contagious,_researchers reported on Thursday.

　　People with the most social connections — spouses, friends, neighbors and relatives — were also the happiest, the data showed. “Each additional happy person makes you happier，” Christakis said.

　　“Imagine that I am connected to you and you are connected to others and others are connected to still others. It is this fabric of humanity, like an American patch quilt.”

　　Each person sits on a differentcolored patch. “Imagine that these patches are happy and unhappy patches. Your happiness depends on what is going on in the patch around you，” Christakis said.

　　“It is not just happy people connecting with happy people, which they do. Above and beyond, there is this contagious process going on.”

　　And happiness is more contagious than unhappiness, they discovered.

　　“If a social contact is happy, it increases the likelihood that you are happy by 15 percent，” Fowler said. “A friend of a friend, or the friend of a spouse or a sibling (兄弟姐妹), if they are happy, increases your chances by 10 percent，” he added.

　　A happy thirddegree friend — the friend of a friend of a friend — increases a person’s chances of being happy by 6 percent.

　　“But every extra unhappy friend increases the likelihood that you’ll be unhappy by 7 percent，” Fowler said.

　　The finding is interesting and it is useful, too, Fowler said.

　　“Among other benefits, happiness has been shown to have an important effect on reduced mortality (死亡率), pain reduction, and improved cardiac (心脏的) function. So better understanding of how happiness spreads can help us learn how to promote a healthier society，” he said.

　　The study also fits in with other data suggested in 1984 that having $ 5,000 extra increased a person’s chances of becoming happier by about 2 percent.

　　“A happy friend is worth about $ 20,000，” Christakis said.

　　[语篇解读]　美国科学家的一项最新研究成果表明，快乐感可以互相传递。这项研究成果为我们构建更为健康、和谐的社会提供了依据和方法。

　　1．According to the research, your happiness ________.

　　A. has nothing to do with your workmates or schoolmates

　　B. has something to do with anyone who has a close relationship with you

　　C. depends on those who are in favour of you or are against you

　　D. has little to do with what social connections you have

　　[解析]　推理判断题。根据第二段、第三段内容可知，快乐感会不断传递和扩散，你的配偶、朋友、邻居、亲戚等的快乐指数会直接影响你的快乐程度，故选B。

　　[答案]　B

　　2．The underlined word “contagious” in the first paragraph means ________.

　　A. infectious

　　B. beautiful

　　C. effective

　　D. prior

　　[解析]　词义猜测题。第一句是全文的主题句。由文章第二、三、四段可知，快乐感可以在人们之间传播，故contagious的意思是“有感染力的，有传染性的”。

　　[答案]　A

　　3．It can be inferred that________.

　　A. happiness spreads as fast and widely as unhappiness

　　B. unhappiness spreads faster and more widely than happiness

　　C. happiness spreads faster and more widely than unhappiness

　　D. the spread of unhappiness has not been studied by researchers

　　[解析]　推理判断题。根据第六段“And happiness is more contagious than unhappiness，they discovered.”一句可推知选C。

　　[答案]　C

　　4．Which of the following will increase your chances of becoming happier most?

　　A. Being in a party with a happy atmosphere.

　　B. A happy experience of your brother or your parents.

　　C. A happy trip to a foreign country of your friends.

　　D. Happiness of your friend’ s friend.

　　[解析]　事实细节题。根据第七、第八段讲述的别人的快乐感对你的影响几率可知，排在最前的是“If a social contact is happy”，故选A。

　　[答案]　A

　　5．What does Christakis mean by saying “A happy friend is worth about $ 20,000” ?

　　A. A happy friend can help you bring in a wealth of $ 20,000.

　　B. A happy friend is a wealth which is worth about $ 20,000.

　　C. A happy friend increases your chances of being happy by 2%.

　　D. A happy friend increases your chances of being happy by 8 %.

　　[解析]　句意理解题。结合上一段中的“that having $5,000 extra increased a person’s chances of becoming happier by about 2 percent”可知，一个快乐的朋友带给你的快乐相当于大约$20,000带给你的快乐，也就是$5,000的四倍，即一个快乐的朋友给你带来快乐的几率为8%，故选D。

　　[答案]　D

　　[长难句解读]　The study also fits in with other data suggested in 1984 that having $ 5,000 extra increased a person’s chances of becoming happier by about 2 percent.

　　该句为主从复合句，主句为The study also fits in with other data，suggested in 1984为过去分词作定语修饰data，后面that引导的是同位语从句，说明data的内容。该从句的主语为having $5,000 extra，a person’s chances为宾语，of becoming happier为定语修饰chances，by about 2 percent为程度状语。

　　The Parthenon in Athens is a building with a long and complex history. Built nearly 2,500 years ago as a temple celebrating the Greek goddess Athena, it was for thousands of years the church of the Virgin Mary of the Athenians, then a mosque (清真寺), and finally a ruin. The building was changed and the sculptures much damaged over the centuries. By 1800 only about half of the original sculptural decoration remained.

　　Between 1801 and 1805, Lord Elgin, the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, which controlled Athens, acting with the full knowledge and permission of the Ottoman authorities，removed about half of the remaining sculptures from the fallen ruins and from the building itself.Lord Elgin loved Greek history and transported the sculptures back to Britain. The arrival of the sculptures in London had a huge effect on the European public, greatly increasing interest in ancient Greek culture and influencing contemporary artistic trends. These sculptures were acquired from Lord Elgin by the British Museum in 1816 and since then they have all been on display to the public, free of charge.

　　Since the early 1980s, however, the Greek government has argued for the permanent removal to Athens of all the Parthenon sculptures in the British Museum. They have also challenged the British Museum Board of Trustees’ legal title to the sculptures.

　　The British Museum, however, insists that it exists to tell the story of cultural achievement throughout the world, from the dawn of human history over two million years ago until the present day. The museum considers itself an important resource for the world: the breadth and depth of its collection allows the world public to reexamine cultural identities and explore the complex network of interconnected world cultures.

　　It also says that, within the context of this unparalleled collection, the Parthenon sculptures are an important representation of ancient Athenian civilization. Each year millions of visitors admire the artistry of the sculptures and gain insights on how ancient Greece influenced — and was influenced by — the other civilizations that it encountered.

　　1. For most of its history people went to the Parthenon to________.

　　A. admire the goddess Athena

　　B. pray to their god

　　C. search for sculptures

　　D. learn about its complex history

　　[答案]　B

　　2. The underlined “it” (in Paragraph 4) refers to “________”．

　　A. the British Museum

　　B. the Greek government

　　C. the Parthenon

　　D. the British Museum Board of Trustees

　　[答案]　A

　　3. What can we infer from the passage?

　　A. The sculptures introduced ancient Greek culture to the west.

　　B. Ancient Greek culture has greatly influenced world culture.

　　C. The British Museum has made much money from the Parthenon sculptures.

　　D. The British Museum is the place most capable of preserving these sculptures.

　　[答案]　B

　　4. What can we learn about Lord Elgin from the passage?

　　A. He is greatly admired in Greece.

　　B. He worked for the Ottoman Empire.

　　C. He saved the Parthenon sculptures from being destroyed.

　　D. He had a deep interest in Greek culture.

　　[答案]　D

　　5. The author’s main intention in writing this passage is to tell________.

　　A. the history of the Parthenon and its sculptures

　　B. what people can see in the British Museum

　　C. why the British Museum refuses to return the sculptures

　　D. the influence of Greece on British culture

　　[答案]　C

　　If you travel to a new exhibit at the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers, you will have chances to see some meat-eating plants. Take bladderworts, a kind of such plant, for example. They appear so small and grow in a quiet pond. But these are the fastest-known killers of the plant kingdom, able to capture a small insect in 1/50 of a second using a trap door!

　　Once the trap door closes on the victim, the enzymes(酶) similar to those in the human stomach slowly digest the insect. When dinner is over, the plant opens the trap door and is ready to trap again.

　　Meat-eating plants grow mostly in wet areas with soil that doesn’ t offer much food value. In such conditions, these amazing plants have developed insect traps to get their nutritional needs over thousands of years. North America has more such plants than any other continent.

　　Generally speaking, the traps may have attractive appearance to fool the eye, like pitcher plants, which get their name because they look like beautiful pitchers (a container like a bottle) full of nectar(花蜜)．

　　The Asian pitcher plant, for example, has bright colors and an attractive half-closed lid. Curious insects are tempted to come close and take a sip, and then slide down the slippery (光滑的)slope to their deaths.

　　Hair-like growths along the pitcher walls ensure that nothing cab escape, and the digestive enzymes can get to work. A tiny insect can be digested in a few hours, but a fly takes a couple of days.

　　Some of these pitchers are large enough to hold two gallons. Meateating plants only eat people in science fiction movies, but sometimes a bird or other small animals will discover that a pitcher plant isn’ t a good place to get a drink.

　　[语篇解读]　本文是一篇说明文，介绍了一些特别的植物——靠捕食动物获得生长所需养分的“食肉植物”。

　　1．From the first paragraph, we can know that bladderworts can ________.

　　A. capture 50 small insects in a second

　　B. capture an insect in the shortest time

　　C. be found floating on a quiet lake

　　D. digest an insect in 1/50 of a second

　　[解析]　细节理解题。第一段指出，bladderworts能在1/50秒的时间内捕获一只小昆虫，是植物中已知的捕获动物速度最快的，因此选B。

　　[答案]　B

　　2．If the trap door of a meateating plant is closed, the plant ________.

　　A. is fooling insects into taking a sip

　　B. is producing nectar

　　C. is tempting insects to come close

　　D. is enjoying a dinner

　　[解析]　细节判断题。第二段说，一旦“陷阱门”将猎物关起来，类似于人胃里的那些消化酶就开始慢慢地消化它了，由此判断D正确。

　　[答案]　D

　　3．Meateating plants can grow in wet and poor soil because they ________.

　　A. can get nutrition from animals

　　B. don’ t need much food value

　　C. can make the most of such conditions

　　D. have developed digestive enzymes

　　[解析]　推理判断题。这些植物生长在潮湿贫瘠的土壤中，为获得生长所需的养分，在数千年的进化中，它们演化出了捕获昆虫的“陷阱”，由此推出它们主要从动物中获取养分，而不是从土壤中获取养分。

　　[答案]　A

　　4．Which of the following is the picture of the Asian pitcher plant?

　　[解析]　推理判断题。根据第四、五、六段可知亚洲捕虫草主要有这些特征：状如水瓶，颜色鲜亮，有半掩的盖子，综合此三项可知，只有A项最合适。

　　[答案]　A

　　5．According to the passage, which of the following is true?

　　A. South Asia has the most meateating plants.

　　B. Some of the meateating plants can even eat a human.

　　C. Hairlike growths in the plants help trap insects.

　　D. The traps of these plants have a dull color.

　　[解析]　细节理解题。依据文章第三段最后一句可知，北美洲的食肉植物最多，故A错。从最后一段中的第二句可知，食肉植物是不吃人的，所以B项错。从文章倒数第二段可知，这些须状的东西可以防止小昆虫逃跑，故C项正确。从文章第四段可知，食肉植物为了吸引昆虫一般有漂亮的外形，故D项错。

　　[答案]　C