Section 12　閱讀理解

　　科普知識類

　　詞義猜測題解題技巧(Ⅱ)

　　3．根據原始含義和所在句語境推斷熟詞新義

　　眾所周知，英語單詞詞義豐富，搭配靈活，一些熟詞在特定語境中常產生新含義。

　　(1)有些新含義與原含義沒有聯系，需要借助上下文進行推斷

　　(2)有些新含義既來自原含義又體現新特點，只有將原含義和新語境有機結合，在整體思維、綜合考慮的基礎上才能準確推斷。

　　【典例】

　　The way most of us spend our mornings is exactly opposite to the conditions that promote flexible，openminded thinking.Imaginative ideas are most likely to come to us when we’re unfocused.If you are one of those energetic morning people，your most inventive time comes in the early evening when you are relaxed.Sleepy people’s lack of focus leads to an increase in creative problem solving.By not giving yourself time to tune__into__your__wandering__mind，you’re missing out on the surprising solutions it may offer.

　　By “tune into your wandering mind”(in Para.2)，the author means“________”．

　　A．wander into the wild

　　B．listen to a beautiful tune

　　C．switch to the traffic channel

　　D．stop concentrating on anything

　　解析　詞義猜測題。根據語境可知，若一味集中注意力而無暇放松，將錯失有創造性的解決問題的方法。D項意為“不將注意力集中在某事物上”，符合語境。

　　答案　D

　　句意猜測題通常需要考生猜測一個具有概括性的句子或格言、諺語等。這要求考生通過閱讀文章，用合適的語句對其進行直接的或解釋性的描述，難度略大。

　　做這類題時，考生可

　　4．依據語境邏輯推斷普通詞匯的特殊含義

　　一些非常常見、十分普通的詞匯在特殊場合會產生特殊的含義，解題時應認真閱讀，仔細分析特定詞匯所在句和鄰近句，弄清作者的表達目的和寫作意圖，揭示其在特定詞匯使用上的言外之意，從而正確推斷該詞的真正含義。

　　【典例】

　　When Frida Kahlo’s paintings were on show in London，a poet described her paintings as “a ribbon(絲帶)around a bomb”．Such comments seem to suggest Kahlo had a big influence on the art world of her time.Sadly，she is actually a__much__bigger__name today than she was during her time.

　　What does the phrase “a much bigger name”in Paragraph 1 most nearly mean?

　　A．A far better artist.

　　B．A far more gifted artist.

　　C．A much stronger person.

　　D．A much more famous person.

　　解析　墨西哥女畫家弗里達·卡羅，身殘志不殘，創作了無數優秀作品。雖然在有生之年其作品未能受到應有的關注，70年代底得到了國際聲譽。name意為“名字”，但在本文提供的語境中其意義變為“名聲”。

　　答案　D

　　5．略過生詞

　　對于閱讀理解中的生詞，如果是人名、地名、國家名、組織機構名等次要信息，我們大可不必過分重視。事實上，不知道這些單詞的意思不一定會影響我們對整句或全文的理解，很多時候更不會影響我們后面的解題。如：On his right the gentleman wore a gauntlet of heavy leather.如果gauntlet一詞的含義，通過本句的語境知道它是戴在手上的用皮革制成的某種東西即可(防護手套)。

　　6．學會只猜測生詞的大概意思，而不求其準確含義

　　The Asian gibbon，like other apes，especially adapts to life in trees.

　　解析　在這句話中，考生只要猜出gibbon是apes(類人猿)的一種就行了，沒必要知道其準確意思。

　　相信過了詞匯這一關，閱讀理解一定會取得高分的。趕快試試吧。

　　Passage 1

　　(2024·四川高考)A warm drink of milk before bed has long been the best choice for those wanting a good night’s sleep.But now a study has found it really does help people nod off—if it is milked from a cow at night.

　　Researchers have discovered that“night milk” contains more melatonin(褪黑激素), which has been proven to help people feel sleepy and reduce anxiety.

　　The study, by researchers from Seoul, South Korea, involved mice being fed with dried milk powder made from cows milked both during the day and at night.

　　Those given night milk, which contained 10 times the amount of melatonin, were less active and less anxious than those fed with the milk collected during daytime, according to the study published in The Journal of Medicinal Food.

　　Night milk quickened the start of sleep and caused the mice to sleep longer.

　　While the effect of cows milk harvested at different time has not been tested on humans up to now, taking melatonin drugs has been suggested to those who are struggling to fall asleep at night.

　　Previous studies have also indicated that milk can be excellent for helping sleep because of the calcium content, which helps people to relax.

　　Milk is also sugar－free and additive－free with nutritionists recommending skimmed milk as the best choice before bed as it is the least fattening.The more fat you take in before bedtime, the greater burden you will put on your body at night.

　　1．According to the text, the mice fed with daytime milk________．

　　A．started sleep more easily

　　B．were more anxious

　　C．were less active

　　D．woke up later

　　2．Which of the following is true of melatonin according to the text?

　　A．It’s been tested on mice for ten times.

　　B．It can make people more energetic.

　　C．It exists in milk in great amount.

　　D．It’s used in sleeping drugs.

　　3．What can be a suitable title for the text?

　　A．Night Milk and Sleep

　　B．Fat Sugar and Health

　　C．An Experiment on Mice

　　D．Milk Drinking and Health

　　4．How does the author support the theme of the text?

　　A．By giving examples.

　　B．By stating arguments.

　　C．By explaining statistical data.

　　D．By providing research results.

　　Passage 2

　　(2024·全國Ⅲ)Bad news sells.If it bleeds, it leads.No news is good news, and good news is no news.Those are the classic rules for the evening broadcasts and the morning papers.But now that information is being spread and monitored(監控) in different ways, researchers are discovering new rules.By tracking people’s e－mails and online posts, scientists have found that good news can spread faster and farther than disasters and sob stories.

　　“The ‘if it bleeds’ rule works for mass media，” says Jonah Berger, a scholar at the University of Pennsylvania.“They want your eyeballs and don’t care how you’re feeling.But when you share a story with your friends, you care a lot more how they react.You don’t want them to think of you as a Debbie Downer.”

　　Researchers analyzing word－of－mouth communication—e－mails，Web posts and reviews, face－to－face conversations—found that it tended to be more positive than negative(消極的), but that didn’t necessarily mean people preferred positive news.Was positive news shared more often simply because people experienced more good things than bad things? To test for that possibility, Dr.Berger looked at how people spread a particular set of news stories: thousands of articles on The New York Times’ website.He and a Penn colleague analyzed the “most e－mailed” list for six months.One of his first finds was that articles in the science section were much more likely to make the list than non－science articles.He found that science amazed Times’ readers and made them want to share this positive feeling with others.

　　Readers also tended to share articles that were exciting or funny, or that inspired negative feelings like anger or anxiety, but not articles that left them merely sad.They needed to be aroused(激發) one way or the other, and they preferred good news to bad.The more positive an article, the more likely it was to be shared, as Dr.Berger explains in his new book, “Contagious: Why Things Catch On.”

　　1．What do the classic rules mentioned in the text apply to?

　　A．News reports.

　　B．Research papers.

　　C．Private e－mails.

　　D．Daily conversations.

　　2．What can we infer about people like Debbie Downer?

　　A．They’re socially inactive.

　　B．They’re good at telling stories.

　　C．They’re inconsiderate of others.

　　D．They’re careful with their words.

　　3．Which tended to be the most e－mailed according to Dr.Berger’s research?

　　A．Sports news.

　　B．Science articles.

　　C．Personal accounts.

　　D．Financial reviews.

　　4．What can be a suitable title for the text?

　　A．Sad Stories Travel Far Wide.

　　B．Online News Attracts More People.

　　C．Reading Habits Change with the Times.

　　D．Good News Beats Bad on Social Networks.

　　Passage 1

　　(2024·全國)Your house may have an effect on your figure.Experts say the way you design your home could play a role in whether you pack on the pounds or keep them off.You can make your environment work for you instead of against you.Here are some ways to turn your home into part of your diet plan.

　　Open the curtains and turn up the lights.Dark environments are more likely to encourage overeating，for people are often less self－conscious(難為情)when they’re in poorly lit places—and so more likely to eat lots of food.If your home doesn’t have enough window light，get more lamps and flood the place with brightness.

　　Mind the colors.Research suggests warm colors fuel our appetites.In one study，people who ate meals in a blue room consumed 33 percent less than those in a yellow or red room.Warm colors like yellow make food appear more appetizing，while cold colors make us feel less hungry.So when it’s time to repaint，go blue.

　　Don’t forget the clock—or the radio.People who eat slowly tend to consume about 70 fewer calories(卡路里) per meal than those who rush through their meals.Begin keeping track of the time，and try to make dinner last at least 30 minutes.And while you’re at it，actually sit down to eat.If you need some help slowing down，turn on relaxing music.It makes you less likely to rush through a meal.

　　Downsize the dishes.Big serving bowls and plates can easily make us fat.We eat about 22 percent more when using a 12－inch plate instead of a 10－inch plate.When we choose a large spoon over a smaller one，total intake(攝入) jumps by 14 percent.And we’ll pour about 30 percent more liquid into a short，wide glass than a tall，skinny glass.

　　1．The text is especially helpful for those who care about________．

　　A．their home comforts

　　B．their body shape

　　C．house buying

　　D．healthy diets

　　2．A home environment in blue can help people________．

　　A．digest food better

　　B．reduce food intake

　　C．burn more calories

　　D．regain their appetites

　　3．What are people advised to do at mealtimes?

　　A．Eat quickly.

　　B．Play fast music.

　　C．Use smaller spoons.

　　D．Turn down the lights.

　　4．What can be a suitable title for the text?

　　A．Is Your House Making You Fat?

　　B．Ways of Serving Dinner

　　C．Effects of Self－Consciousness

　　D．Is Your Home Environment Relaxing?

　　Passage 2

　　(2024·北京高考)

　　Life in the Clear

　　Transparent animals let light pass through their bodies the same way light passes through a window. These animals typically live between the surface of the ocean and a depth of about 3，300 feet—as far as most light can reach. Most of them are extremely delicate and can be damaged by a simple touch. Sonke Johnsen, a scientist in biology, says, “These animals live through their life alone. They never touch anything unless they’re eating it, or unless something is eating them.”

　　And they are as clear as glass. How does an animal become see through? It’s trickier than you might think.

　　The objects around you are visible because they interact with light. Light typically travels in a straight line. But some materials slow and scatter(散射) light, bouncing it away from its original path. Others absorb light, stopping it dead in its tracks. Both scattering and absorption make an object look different from other objects around it, so you can see it easily.

　　But a transparent object doesn’t absorb or scatter light, at least not very much. Light can pass through it without bending or stopping. That means a transparent object doesn’t look very different from the surrounding air or water. You don’t see it—you see the things behind it.

　　To become transparent, an animal needs to keep its body from absorbing or scattering light. Living materials can stop light because they contain pigments(色素) that absorb specific colors of light. But a transparent animal doesn’t have pigments, so its tissues won’t absorb light. According to Johnsen, avoiding absorption is actually easy. The real challenge is preventing light from scattering.

　　Animals are built of many different materials—skin, fat, and more—and light moves through each at a different speed.Every time light moves into a material with a new speed, it bends and scatters. Transparent animals use different tricks to fight scattering. Some animals are simply very small or extremely flat. Without much tissue to scatter light, it is easier to be see－through. Others build a large, clear mass of non－living jelly－like(果凍狀的)material and spread themselves over it.

　　Larger transparent animals have the biggest challenge, because they have to make all the different tissues in their bodies slow down light exactly as much as water does. They need to look uniform. But how they’re doing it is still unknown. One thing is clear for these larger animals, staying transparent is an active process. When they die, they turn a non－transparent milky white.

　　1．According to Paragraph 1, transparent animals ________．

　　A．stay in groups

　　B．can be easily damaged

　　C．appear only in deep ocean

　　D．are beautiful creatures

　　2．The underlined word “dead” in Paragraph 3 means ________．

　　A．silently

　　B．gradually

　　C．regularly

　　D．completely

　　3．One way for animal to become transparent is to ________.

　　A．change the direction of light travel

　　B．gather materials to scatter light

　　C．avoid the absorption of light

　　D．grow bigger to stop light

　　4．The last paragraph tells us that larger transparent animals ________．

　　A．move more slowly in deep water

　　B．stay see－through even after death

　　C．produce more tissues for their survival

　　D．take effective action to reduce light spreading

　　Passage 3

　　(2024·陜西高考)Parents who help their children with homework may actually be bringing down their school grades.Other forms of parental__involvement,__including volunteering at school and observing a child’s class，also fail to help，according to the most recent study on the topic.

　　The findings challenge a key principle of modern parenting (養育子女) where schools expect them to act as partners in their children’s education.Previous generations concentrated on getting children to school on time, fed，dressed and ready to learn.