2018年高考英语真题分类汇编专题12:议论文类阅读理解

试卷更新日期:2018-06-20 类型:二轮复习

一、阅读理解

  • 1. 阅读下列短文,从每题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中,选出最佳选项。

    D

        We've all been there: in a lift, in line at the bank or on airplane, surrounded by people who are, like us, deeply focused on their smartphones or, worse, struggling with the uncomfortable silence.

        What's the problem? It's possible that we all have compromised conversational intelligence. It's more likely that none of us start a conversation because it's awkward and challenging, or we think it's annoying and unnecessary. But the next time you find yourself among strangers, consider that small talk is worth the trouble. Experts say it's an invaluable social practice that results in big benefits.

        Dismissing small talk as unimportant is easy, but we can't forget that deep relationships wouldn't even exist if it weren't for casual conversation. Small talk is the grease (润滑剂) for social communication, says Bernardo Carducci, director of the Shyness Research Institute at Indiana University Southeast. "Almost every great love story and each big business deal begins with small talk," he explains. "The key to successful small talk is learning how to connect with others, not just communicate with them."

        In a 2014 study, Elizabeth Dunn, associate professor of psychology at UBC, invited people on their way into a coffee shop. One group was asked to seek out an interaction(互动) with its waiter; the other, to speak only when necessary. The results showed that those who chatted with their server reported significantly higher positive feelings and a better coffee shop experience. "It's not that talking to the waiter is better than talking to your husband," says Dunn. "But interactions with peripheral(边缘的) members of our social network matter for our well-being also."

        Dunn believes that people who reach out to strangers feel a significantly greater sense of belonging, a bond with others. Carducci believes developing such a sense of belonging starts with small talk. "Small talk is the basis of good manners," he says.

    (1)、What phenomenon is described in the first paragraph?
    A、Addiction to smartphones. B、Inappropriate behaviours in public places. C、Absence of communication between strangers. D、Impatience with slow service.
    (2)、What is important for successful small talk according to Carducci?
    A、Showing good manners. B、Relating to other people. C、Focusing on a topic. D、Making business deals.
    (3)、What does the coffee-shop study suggest about small talk?
    A、It improves family relationships. B、It raises people's confidence. C、It matters as much as a formal talk. D、It makes people feel good.
    (4)、What is the best title for the text?
    A、Conversation Counts B、Ways of Making Small Talk C、Benefits of Small Talk D、Uncomfortable Silence
  • 2. 阅读理解

    D

    Preparing Cities for Robot Cars

        The possibility of self-driving robot cars has often seemed like a futurist's dream, years away from materializing in the real world. Well, the future is apparently now. The California Department of Motor Vehicles began giving permits in April for companies to test truly self-driving cars on public roads. The state also cleared the way for companies to sell or rent out self-driving cars, and for companies to operate driverless taxi services. California, it should be noted, isn't leading the way here. Companies have been testing their vehicles in cities across the country. It's hard to predict when driverless cars will be everywhere on our roads. But however long it takes, the technology has the potential to change our transportation systems and our cities, for better or for worse, depending on how the transformation is regulated.

        While much of the debate so far has been focused on the safety of driverless cars(and rightfully so), policymakers also should be talking about how self-driving vehicles can help reduce traffic jams, cut emissions(排放) and offer more convenient, affordable mobility options. The arrival of driverless vehicles is a chance to make sure that those vehicles are environmentally friendly and more shared.

        Do we want to copy — or even worsen — the traffic of today with driverless cars? Imagine a future where most adults own individual self-driving vehicles. They tolerate long, slow journeys to and from work on packed highways because they can work, entertain themselves or sleep on the ride, which encourages urban spread. They take their driverless car to an appointment and set the empty vehicle to circle the building to avoid paying for parking. Instead of walking a few blocks to pick up a child or the dry cleaning, they send the self-driving minibus. The convenience even leads fewer people to take public transport — an unwelcome side effect researchers have already found in ride-hailing(叫车) services.

        A study from the University of California at Davis suggested that replacing petrol-powered private cars worldwide with electric, self-driving and shared systems could reduce carbon emissions from transportation 80% and cut the cost of transportation infrastructure(基础设施) and operations 40% by 2050. Fewer emissions and cheaper travel sound pretty appealing. The first commercially available driverless cars will almost certainly be fielded by ride-hailing services, considering the cost of self-driving technology as well as liability and maintenance issues(责任与维护问题). But driverless car ownership could increase as the prices drop and more people become comfortable with the technology.

        Policymakers should start thinking now about how to make sure the appearance of driverless vehicles doesn't extend the worst aspects of the car-controlled transportation system we have today. The coming technological advancement presents a chance for cities and states to develop transportation systems designed to move more people, and more affordably. The car of the future is coming. We just have to plan for it.

    (1)、According to the author, attention should be paid to how driverless cars can __________.
    A、help deal with transportation-related problems B、provide better services to customers C、cause damage to our environment D、make some people lose jobs
    (2)、As for driverless cars, what is the author's major concern?
    A、Safety. B、Side effects. C、Affordability. D、Management.
    (3)、What does the underlined word "fielded" in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
    A、Employed. B、Replaced. C、Shared. D、Reduced.
    (4)、What is the author's attitude to the future of self-driving cars?
    A、Doubtful. B、Positive. C、Disapproving. D、Sympathetic.
  • 3. 阅读下列短文,从每题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中,选出最佳选项。

    C

        As cultural symbols go, the American car is quite young. The Model T Ford was built at the Piquette Plant in Michigan a century ago, with the first rolling off the assembly line(装配线) on September 27, 1908. Only eleven cars were produced the next month. But eventually Henry Ford would build fifteen million of them.

        Modern America was born on the road, behind a wheel. The car shaped some of the most lasting aspects of American culture: the roadside diner, the billboard, the motel, even the hamburger. For most of the last century, the car represented what it meant to be American—going forward at high speed to find new worlds. The road novel, the road movie, these are the most typical American ideas, born of abundant petrol, cheap cars and a never-ending interstate highway system, the largest public works project in history.

        In 1928 Herbert Hoover imagined an America with "a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage." Since then, this society has moved onward, never looking back, as the car transformed America from a farm-based society into an industrial power.

        The cars that drove the American Dream have helped to create a global ecological disaster. In America the demand for oil has grown by 22 percent since 1990.

        The problems of excessive(过度的)energy consumption, climate change and population growth have been described in a book by the American writer Thomas L. Friedman. He fears the worst, but hopes for the best.

        Friedman points out that the green economy(经济)is a chance to keep American strength. "The ability to design, build and export green technologies for producing clean water, clean air and healthy and abundant food is going to be the currency of power in the new century."

    (1)、Why is hamburger mentioned in paragraph 2?
    A、To explain Americans' love for travelling by car. B、To show the influence of cars on American culture. C、To stress the popularity of fast food with Americans. D、To praise the effectiveness of America's road system.
    (2)、What has the use of cars in America led to?
    A、Decline of economy. B、Environmental problems. C、A shortage of oil supply. D、A farm-based society.
    (3)、What is Friedman's attitude towards America's future?
    A、Ambiguous. B、Doubtful. C、Hopeful. D、Tolerant.
  • 4. 阅读下列短文,从每题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中,选出最佳选项。

    B

        Steven Stein likes to follow garbage trucks. His strange habit makes sense when you consider that he's an environmental scientist who studies how to reduce litter, including things that fall off garbage trucks as they drive down the road. What is even more interesting is that one of Stein's jobs is defending an industry behind the plastic shopping bags.

        Americans use more than 100 billion thin film plastic bags every year. So many end up in tree branches or along highways that a growing number of cities do not allow them at checkouts(收银台). The bags are prohibited in some 90 cities in California, including Los Angeles. Eyeing these headwinds, plastic-bag makers are hiring scientists like Stein to make the case that their products are not as bad for the planet as most people assume.

        Among the bag makers' arguments: many cities with bans still allow shoppers to purchase paper bags, which are easily recycled but require more energy to produce and transport. And while plastic bags may be ugly to look at, they represent a small percentage of all garbage on the ground today.

        The industry has also taken aim at the product that has appeared as its replacement: reusable shopping bags. The stronger a reusable bag is, the longer its life and the more plastic-bag use it cancels out. However, longer-lasting reusable bags often require more energy to make. One study found that a cotton bag must be used at least 131 times to be better for the planet than plastic.

        Environmentalists don't dispute(质疑) these points. They hope paper bags will be banned someday too and want shoppers to use the same reusable bags for years.

    (1)、What has Steven Stein been hired to do?
    A、Help increase grocery sales. B、Recycle the waste material. C、Stop things falling off trucks. D、Argue for the use of plastic bags.
    (2)、What does the word "headwinds" in paragraph 2 refer to?
    A、Bans on plastic bags. B、Effects of city development. C、Headaches caused by garbage. D、Plastic bags hung in trees.
    (3)、What is a disadvantage of reusable bags according to plastic-bag makers?
    A、They are quite expensive. B、Replacing them can be difficult. C、They are less strong than plastic bags. D、Producing them requires more energy.
    (4)、What is the best title for the text?
    A、Plastic, Paper or Neither B、Industry, Pollution and Environment C、Recycle or Throw Away D、Garbage Collection and Waste Control
  • 5. 请认真阅读下列短文,从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中,选出最佳选项。

    C

        If you want to disturb the car industry, you'd better have a few billion dollars: Mom-and-pop carmakers are unlikely to beat the biggest car companies. But in agriculture, small farmers can get the best of the major players. By connecting directly with customers, and by responding quickly to changes in the markets as well as in the ecosystems(生态系统), small farmers can keep one step ahead of the big guys. As the co-founder of the National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC, 美国青年农会)and a family farmer myself. I have a front-row seat to the innovations among small farmers that are transforming the industry.

        For example, take the Quick Cut Greens Harvester, a tool developed just a couple of years ago by a young farmer, Jonathan Dysinger, in Tennessee, with a small loan from a local Slow Money group. It enables small-scale farmers to harvest 175 pounds of green vegetables per hour—a huge improvement over harvesting just a few dozen pounds by hand—suddenly making it possible for the little guys to compete with large farms of California. Before the tool came out, small farmers couldn't touch the price per pound offered by California farms. But now, with the combination of a better price point and a generally fresher product, they can stay in business.

        The sustainable success of small farmers, though, won't happen without fundamental changes to the industry. One crucial factor is secure access to land. Competition from investors, developers, and established large farmers makes owning one's own land unattainable for many new farmers. From 2004 to 2013, agricultural land values doubled, and they continue to rise in many regions.

        Another challenge for more than a million of the most qualified farm workers and managers is a non-existent path to citizenship — the greatest barrier to building a farm of their own. With farmers over the age of 65 outnumbering(多于)farmers younger than 35 by six to one, and with two-thirds of the nation's farmland in need of a new farmer, we must clear the path for talented people willing to grow the nation's food.

        There are solutions that could light a path toward a more sustainable and fair farm economy, but farmers can't clumsily put them together before us. We at the NYFC need broad support as we urge Congress to increase farmland conservation, as we push for immigration reform, and as we seek policies that will ensure the success of a diverse and ambitious next generation of farms from all backgrounds. With a new farm bill to be debated in Congress, consumers must take a stand with young farmers.

    (1)、The author mentions car industry at the beginning of the passage to introduce           .  
    A、the progress made in car industry   B、a special feature of agriculture C、a trend of development in agriculture   D、the importance of investing in car industry
    (2)、What does the author want to illustrate with the example in paragraph 2?  
    A、Loans to small local farmers are necessary. B、Technology is vital for agricultural development. C、Competition between small and big farms is fierce D、Small farmers may gain some advantages over big ones.
    (3)、What is the difficulty for those new farmers?  
    A、To gain more financial aid. B、To hire good farm managers. C、To have farms of their own. D、To win old farmers' support.
    (4)、What should farmers do for a more sustainable and fair farm economy?  
    A、Seek support beyond NYFC B、Expand farmland conservation. C、Become members of NYFC D、Invest more to improve technology.
  • 6. 请认真阅读下列短文,从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中,选出最佳选项。

    D

        Children as young as ten are becoming dependent on social media for their sense of self-worth, a major study warned.

        It found many youngsters(少年)now measure their status by how much public approval they get online, often through "like". Some change their behavior in real life to improve their image on the web.

        The report into youngsters aged from 8 to 12 was carried out by Children's Commissioner (专员)Anne Longfield. She said social media firms were exposing children to major emotional risks, with some youngsters starting secondary school ill-equipped to cope with the tremendous pressure they faced online.

        Some social apps were popular among the children even though they supposedly require users to be at least 13.The youngsters admitted planning trips around potential photo-opportunities and then messaging friends—and friends of friends — to demand "likes" for their online posts.

        The report found that youngsters felt their friendships could be at risk if they did not respond to social media posts quickly, and around the clock.

        Children aged 8 to 10 were "starting to feel happy" when others liked their posts. However, those in the 10 to 12 age group were "concerned with how many people like their posts", suggesting a "need" for social recognition that gets stronger the older they become.

        Miss Longfield warned that a generation of children risked growing up "worried about their appearance and image as a result of the unrealistic lifestyles they follow on platforms, and increasingly anxious about switching off due to the constant demands of social media.

        She said: "Children are using social media with family and friends and to play games when they are in primary school. But what starts as fun usage of apps turns into tremendous pressure in real social media interaction at secondary school."

        As their world expanded, she said, children compared themselves to others online in a way that was "hugely damaging in terms of their self-identity, in terms of their confidence, but also in terms of their ability to develop themselves".

        Miss Longfield added: "Then there is this push to connect—if you go offline, will you miss something, will you miss out, will you show that you don't care about those people you are following, all of those come together in a huge way at once."

        "For children it is very, very difficult to cope with emotionally." The Children's Commissioner for England's study—life in Likes—found that children as young as 8 were using social media platforms largely for play.

        However, the research—involving eight groups of 32 children aged 8 to 12—suggested that as they headed toward their teens, they became increasingly anxious online.

        By the time they started secondary school—at age 11—children were already far more aware of their image online and felt under huge pressure to ensure their posts were popular, the report found.

        However, they still did not know how to cope with mean-spirited jokes, or the sense of incompetence they might feel if they compared themselves to celebrities(名人)or more brilliant friends online. The report said they also faced pressure to respond to messages at all hours of the day—especially at secondary school when more youngsters have mobile phones.

        The Children's Commissioner said schools and parents must now do more to prepare children for the emotional minefield(雷区)they faced online. And she said social media companies must also "take more responsibility". They should either monitor their websites better so that children do not sign up too early, or they should adjust their websites to the needs of younger users.

        Javed Khan, of children's charity Bamardo's, said: "It's vital that new compulsory age-appropriate relationship and sex education lessons in England should help equip children to deal with the growing demands of social media.

        "It's also hugely important for parents to know which apps their children are using."

    (1)、Why did some secondary school students feel too much pressure?  
    A、They were not provided with adequate equipment. B、They were not well prepared for emotional risks. C、They were required to give quick responses. D、They were prevented from using mobile phones.
    (2)、Some social app companies were to blame because             .  
    A、they didn't adequately check their users' registration B、they organized photo trips to attract more youngsters C、they encouraged youngsters to post more photos D、they didn't stop youngsters from staying up late
    (3)、Children's comparing themselves to others online may lead to           .  
    A、less friendliness to each other B、lower self-identity and confidence C、an increase in online cheating D、a stronger desire to stay online
    (4)、According to Life in Likes, as children grew, they became more anxious to         .  
    A、circulate their posts quickly B、know the qualities of their posts C、use mobile phones for play D、get more public approval
    (5)、What should parents do to solve the problem?  
    A、Communicate more with secondary schools. B、Urge media companies to create safer apps. C、Keep track of children's use of social media. D、Forbid their children from visiting the web.
    (6)、What does the passage mainly talk about?  
    A、The influence of social media on children. B、The importance of social media to children. C、The problem in building a healthy relationship. D、The measure to reduce risks from social media.