2014年高考閱讀理解題選讀——說明文12篇

舒清海

（一）

（新課標(biāo)I卷B篇）Since the first Earth Day in 1970， Americans have gotten a lot “greener” toward the environment.“We didnt know at that time that there even was an environment， let alone that there was a problem with it，”says Bruce Anderson， president of Earth Day USA.

But what began as nothing important in public affairs has grown into a social movement. Business people， political leaders， university professors， and especially millions of grass-roots Americans are taking part in the movement. “The understanding has increased many， many times，” says Gaylord Nelson， the former governor from Wisconsin， who thought up the first Earth Day.

According to US government reports， emissions （排放） from cars and trucks have dropped from 10. 3 million tons a year to 5.5 million tons. The number of cities producing CO beyond the standard has been reduced from 40 to 9. Although serious problems still remain and need to be dealt with， the world is a safer and healthier place. A kind of“green thinking”has become part of practices.

Great improvement has been achieved. In 1988 there were only 600 recycling programs; today in 1995 there are about 6，600. Advanced lights， motors， and building designs have helped save a lot of energy and therefore prevented pollution.

Twenty-five years ago， there were hardly any education programs for environment. Today， its hard to find a public school， university， or law school that does not have such a kind of program. “Until we do that， nothing else will change！”says Bruce Anderson.

1. According to Anderson， before 1970， Americans had little idea about ________.

A. the social movement ? ? ? ?B. recycling techniques

C. environmental problems D. the importance of Earth Day

2. Where does the support for environmental protection mainly come from？

A. The grass-roots level. B. The business circle.

C. Government officials. ? ? ? ?D. University professors.

3. What have Americans achieved in environmental protection？

A. They have cut car emissions to the lowest.

B. They have settled their environmental problems.

C. They have lowered their CO levels in forty cities.

D. They have reduced pollution through effective measures.

4. What is especially important for environmental protection according to the last paragraph？

A. Education. ? ? ?B. Planning.

C. Green living. D. CO reduction.endprint

5. What does the passage mainly tell us？

A. How the first Earth Day came into being.

B. America has made great progress in protecting the environment.

C. A kind of“green thinking”has become part of practices in America.

D. Protecting the environment has grown into a social movement in America.

（二）

（山東卷D篇）How fit are your teeth？ Are you lazy about brushing them？ Never fear： An inventor is on the case. An electric toothbrush senses how long and how well you brush， and it lets you track your performance on your phone.

The Kolibree toothbrush was exhibited at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week. It senses how it is moved and can send the information to an Android phone or iPhone via a Bluetooth wireless connection.

The toothbrush will be able to teach you to brush right （don't forget the insides of the teeth?。?and make sure youre brushing long enough. “Its kind of like having a dentist actually watch your brushing on a day-to-day basis，”says Thomas Serval， the French inventor.

The toothbrush will also be able to talk to other applications on your phone， so developers could， for instance， create a game controlled by your toothbrush. You could score points for beating monsters among your teeth. “We try to make it smart but also fun，”Serval says.

Serval says he was inspired by his experience as a father. He would come home from work and ask his kids if they had brushed their teeth. They said“yes，“but Serval would find their toothbrush heads dry. He decided he needed a brush that really told him how well his children brushed.

The company says the Kolibree will go on sale this summer， for $99 to $199， depending on features. The U. S. is the first target market.

Serval says that one day， itll be possible to replace the brush on the handle with a brushing unit that also has a camera. The camera can even examine holes in your teeth while you brush.

1. Which is one of the features of the Kolibree toothbrush？

A. It can sense how users brush their teeth.

B. It can track usersschool performance.

C. It can detect users fear of seeing a dentist.

D. It can help users find their phones.

2. What can we learn from Servals words in Paragraph 3？

A. You will find it enjoyable to see a dentist.

B. You should see your dentist on a day-to-day basis.

C. You can brush with the Kolibree as if guided by a dentist.endprint

D. Youd like a dentist to watch you brush your teeth every day.

3. Which of the following might make the Kolibree toothbrush fun？

A. It can be used to update mobile phones.

B. It can be used to play mobile phone games.

C. It can send messages to other users.

D. It can talk to its developers.

4. What can we infer about Servals children？

A. They were unwilling to brush their teeth.

B. They often failed to clean their toothbrushes.

C. They preferred to use a toothbrush with a dry head.

D. They liked brushing their teeth after Serval came home.

5. What can we learn about the future development of the Kolibree？

A. The brush handle will be removed.

B. A mobile phone will be built into it.

C. It will be used to fill holes in teeth.

D. It will be able to check usersteeth.

（三）

（江蘇卷C篇）Most damagingly， anger weakens a persons ability to think clearly and keep control over his behaviour. The angry person loses objectivity in evaluating the emotional significance of the person or situation that arouses his anger.

Not everyone experiences anger in the same way; what angers one person may amuse another. The specific expression of anger also differs from person to person based on biological and cultural forces. In contemporary culture， physical expressions of anger are generally considered too socially harmful to be tolerated. We no longer regard duels（決斗） as an appropriate expression of anger resulting from one persons awareness of insulting behaviour on the part of another.

Anger can be identified in the brain， where the electrical activity changes. Under most conditions EEG （腦電圖） measures of electrical activity show balanced activity between the right and left prefrontal （額葉前部） areas. Behaviourally this corresponds to the general even-handed disposition（意向） that most of us possess most of the time. But when we are angry the EEG of the right and left prefrontal areas arent balanced and， as a result of this， were likely to react. And our behavioural response to anger is different from our response to other emotions， whether positive or negative.

Most positive emotions are associated with approach behaviour： we move closer to people we like. Most negative emotions， in contrast， are associated with avoidance behaviour： we move away from people and things that we dislike or that make us anxious. But anger is an exception to this pattern. The angrier we are， the more likely we are to move towards the object of our anger. This corresponds to what psychologists refer to as offensive anger： the angry person moves closer in order to influence and control the person or situation causing his anger. This approach-and-confront behaviour is accompanied by a leftward prefrontal asymmetry（不對(duì)稱） of EEG activity. Interestingly， this asymmetry lessens if the angry person can experience empathy （同感） towards the individual who is bringing forth the angry response. In defensive anger， in contrast， the EEG asymmetry is directed to the right and the angry person feels helpless in the face of the anger-inspiring situation.endprint

1. The“duels”example in Paragraph 2 proves that the expression of anger ________.

A. usually has a biological basis

B. varies among people

C. is socially and culturally shaped

D. influences ones thinking and evaluation

2. What changes can be found in an angry brain？

A. Balanced electrical activity can be spotted.

B. Unbalanced patterns are found in prefrontal areas.

C. Electrical activity corresponds to ones behaviour.

D. Electrical activity agrees with ones disposition.

3. Which of the following is typical of offensive anger？

A. Approaching the source of anger.

B. Trying to control what is disliked.

C. Moving away from what is disliked.

D. Feeling helpless in the face of anger.

4. According to the text， we move towards the people and things that ________.

A. we dislike ? ? ? ? ? ?B. we are worried about

C. we are angry with D. we are afraid of

5. What is the key message of the last paragraph？

A. How anger differs from other emotions.

B. How anger relates to other emotions.

C. Behavioural responses to anger.

D. Behavioural patterns of anger.

（四）

（安微卷E篇）You may not have heard of Ashoka， but for the past 27 years， this association， founded by Bill Drayton， has fought poverty（貧困） and sickness， promoted education and encouraged small businesses. To support these worthy causes， Ashoka provides money for the worlds most promising“changemakers”seeking to solve urgent problems and would like to create a world in which every citizen is a changemaker.

Drayton believes that anyone can become an agent for change. The important thing is to simply give yourself permission. If you see a problem that you care about， you can help solve it. The young in particular are willing to accept this concept because at heart every child wants to grow into a happy， healthy， contributing adult. In fact， it is many young peoples ambition to set up programmes or businesses that improve social conditions. An excellent example is an Ashoka project started in 1995 in Dhaka， which handled the rubbish problem facing the city， helped local farmers and provided an income for poor people there.

When Masqsood and Iftekhar began to study the problem of all the uncollected rubbish that lay in Dhakas streets， attracting rats and disease， they discovered that 80% of it was natural waste. So they educated the poor people in the city to compost（把……制成堆肥） this waste. They knew that they would have a market for the end product because local farmers were struggling with chemical fertilizers（化肥） which were expensive and had reduced the natural minerals in the soil over the years. At first， they were refused， but once they were able to persuade them that there was money to be made， the project took off. In 2009 sales were $14， 000.endprint

Drayton is optimistic that in ten years Ashoka will be making really serious， practical progress in bringing about social change by changing the way we look at economic development.

1. Which of the following could be the best title for the passage？

A. Changemakers ? ? ? B. Businessmen

C. Social Conditions D. Rubbish Problem

2. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage？

A. Ashoka was founded by Bill Drayton.

B. Chemical fertilizers in Dhaka were expensive.

C. Every child wants to grow into a contributing adult.

D. Only some of the uncollected rubbish in Dhaka is natural waste.

3. The underlined word“them”in Paragraph 3 probably refers to“________.”

A. the local farmers ? B. Masqsood and Iftekhar

C. Drayton and his team ? D. the poor people in Dhaka

4. It can be concluded from the passage that anyone can become a changemaker if he ________.

A. considers Draytons concept

B. gets permission from Ashoka

C. tries to improve social conditions

D. is a young， happy and healthy adult

5. The authors attitude towards Ashokas program can be described as ________.

A. changing B. forgiving C. cautious D. positive

（五）

（浙江A卷） Wealth starts with a goal and saving a dollar at a time. Call it the piggy bank strategy （策略）. There are lessons in that time-honored coin-savings container.

Any huge task seems easier when reduced to baby steps. If you wished to climb a 12，000-foot mountain， and could do it a day at a time， you would only have to climb 33 feet daily to reach the top in a year. If you want to take a really nice trip in 10 years for a special occasion， to collect the $15， 000 cost， you have to save $3.93 a day. If you drop that into a piggy bank and then once a year put $1， 434 in a savings account at 1% interest rate after-tax， you will have your trip money.

When I was a child， my parents gave me a piggy bank to teach me that， if I wanted something， I should save money to buy it. We associate piggy banks with children， but in many countries， the little containers are also popular with adults. Europeans see a piggy bank as a sign of good fortune and wealth. Around the world， many believe a gift of a piggy bank on New Years Day brings good luck and financial success. Ah， yes， but you have to put something in it.

Why is a pig used as a symbol of saving？ Why not an elephant bank， which is bigger and holds more coins？ In the Middle Ages， before modern banking and credit instruments， people saved money at home， a few coins at a time dropped into a jar or dish. Potters （制陶工） made these inexpensive containers from an orange-colored clay （黏土） called“pygg，”and folks saved coins in pygg jars. The Middle English word for pig was“pigge.” While the Saxons pronounced pygg， referring to the clay， as“pug，”eventually the two words changed into the same pronunciation， sounding the“i”as in pig or piggy. As the word became less associated with the orange clay and more with the animal， a clever potter fashioned a pygg jar in the shape of a pig， delighting children and adults. The piggy bank was born.endprint

Originally you had to break the bank to get to the money， bringing in a sense of seriousness into savings. While piggy banks teach children the wisdom of saving， adults often need to relearn childhood lessons. Think about the things in life that require large amounts of money-college education， weddings， cars， medical care， starting a business， buying a home， and fun stuff like great trips. So when you have money， take off the top 10%， put it aside， save and invest wisely.

1. What is the piggy bank strategy？

A. Paying 1% income tax at a time.

B. Setting a goal before making a travel plan.

C. Aiming high even when doing small things.

D. Putting aside a little money regularly for future use.

2. Why did the writers parents give him a piggy bank as a gift？

A. To delight him with the latest fashion.

B. To encourage him to climb mountains.

C. To help him form the habit of saving.

D. To teach him English pronunciation.

3. What does the underlined word“something”（Paragraph 3） most probably refer to？

A. Money. B. Gifts.

C. Financial success. D. Good luck.

4. The piggy bank originally was ________.

A. a potters instrument B. a cheap clay container

C. an animal-shaped dish D. a pig-like toy for children

5. The last paragraph talks about ________.

A. the seriousness of educating children

B. the enjoyment of taking a great trip

C. the importance of managing money

D. the difficulty of starting a business

（六）

（遼寧卷A篇） A new study shows students who write notes by hand during lectures perform better on exams than those who use laptops（筆記本電腦）.

Students are increasingly using laptops for note-taking because of speed and legibility（清晰度）. But the research has found laptop users are less able to remember and apply the concepts they have been taught.

Researchers performed experiments that aimed to find out whether using a laptop increased the tendency to make notes“mindlessly”by taking down word for word what the professors said.

In the first experiment， students were given either a laptop or pen and paper. They listened to the same lectures and were told to use their usual note-taking skills. Thirty minutes after the talk， they were examined on their ability to remember facts and on how well they understood concepts.

The researchers found that laptop users took twice as many notes as those who wrote by hand. However， the typists performed worse at remembering and applying the concepts. Both groups scored similarly when it came to memorizing facts.endprint

The researchersreport said， “While more notes are beneficial， if the notes are taken mindlessly， as is more likely the case on a laptop， the benefit disappears.”

In another experiment aimed at testing long-term memory， students took notes as before but were tested a week after the lecture. This time， the students who wrote notes by hand performed significantly better on the exam.

These two experiments suggest that handwritten notes are not only better for immediate learning and understanding， but that they also lead to superior revision in the future.

1. More and more students favor laptops for note-taking because they can ________.

A. write more notes ? ? ?B. digest concepts better

C. get higher scores ? ? ?D. understand lectures better

2. While taking notes， laptop users tend to be ________.

A. skillful ? ? ? ? ? ?B. mindless

C. thoughtful ? ? ? ? ? ?D. tireless

3. The underlined word“typists”in the 5th paragraph refers to“________”.

A. students ? ? ? ? ? ?B. professors

C. note takers ? ? ? ? ? ?D. laptop users

4. The author of the passage aims to ________.

A. examine the importance of long-term memory

B. stress the benefit of taking notes by hand

C. explain the process of taking notes

D. promote the use of laptops

5. The passage is likely to appear in ________.

A. a newspaper advertisement B. a computer textbook

C. a science magazine D. a finance report

（七）

（遼寧卷C篇） Would it surprise you to learn that， like animals， trees communicate with each other and pass on their wealth to the next generation？

UBC Professor Simard explains how trees are much more complex than most of us ever imagined. Although Charles Darwin thought that trees are competing for survival of the fittest， Simard shows just how wrong he was. In fact， the opposite is true： trees survive through their co-operation and support， passing around necessary nutrition “depending on who needs it”.

Nitrogen（氮） and carbon are shared through miles of underground fungi（真菌） networks， making sure that all trees in the forest ecological system give and receive just the right amount to keep them all healthy. This hidden system works in a very similar way to the networks of neurons（神經(jīng)元） in our brains， and when one tree is destroyed， it affects all.endprint

Simard talks about“mother trees”， usually the largest and oldest plants on which all other trees depend. She explains how dying trees pass on the wealth to the next generation， transporting important minerals to young trees so they may continue to grow. When humans cut down “mother trees”with no awareness of these highly complex“tree societies”or the networks on which they feed， we are reducing the chances of survival for the entire forest.

“We didnt take any notice of it，” Simard says sadly. “Dying trees move nutrition into the young trees before dying， but we never give them chance.” If we could put across the message to the forestry industry， we could make a huge difference towards our environmental protection efforts for the future.

1. The underlined sentence“the opposite is true”in Paragraph 2 probably means that trees ________.

A. compete for survival

B. protect their own wealth

C. depend on each other

D. provide support for dying trees

2. “Mother trees”are extremely important because they ________.

A. look the largest in size in the forest

B. pass on nutrition to young trees

C. seem more likely to be cut down by humans

D. know more about the complex“tree societies”

3. The underlined word“it” in the last paragraph refers to ________.

A. how“tree societies”work

B. how trees grow old

C. how forestry industry develops

D. how young trees survive

4. Which of the following is false according to the text？

A. Animals communicate with each other.

B. Trees compete for survival of the fittest.

C. When one tree is destroyed， it affects all.

D. Dying trees move nutrition into young trees before dying.

5. What would be the best title for the passage？

A. Old Trees Communicate Like Humans

B. Young Trees Are In Need Of Protection

C. Trees Are More Awesome Than You Think

D. Trees Contribute To Our Society

（八）

A Guide to the University

Food

（天津卷A篇）The TWU Cafeteria is open 7 am to 8 pm. It serves snacks （小吃）， drinks， ice cream bars and meals. You can pay with cash or your ID cards. You can add meal money to your ID cards at the Front Desk. Even if you do not buy your food in the cafeteria， you can use the tables to eat your lunch， to have meetings and to study.

If you are on campus in the evening or late at night， you can buy snacks， fast food， and drinks in the Lower Café located in the bottom level of the Douglas Centre. This area is often used for entertainment such as concerts， games or TV watching.endprint

Relaxation

The Globe， located in the bottom level of McMillan Hall， is available for relaxing， studying， cooking， and eating. Monthly activities are held here for all international students. Hours are 10 am to 10 pm， closed on Sundays.

Health

Located on the top floor of Douglas Hall， the Wellness Centre is committed to physical， emotional and social health. A doctor and nurse is available if you have health questions or need immediate medical help or personal advice. The cost of this is included in your medical insurance. Hours are Monday to Friday， 9 am to noon and 1： 00 to 4： 30 pm.

Academic Support

All students have access to the Writing Centre on the upper floor of Douglas Hall. Here， qualified volunteers will work with you on written work， grammar， vocabulary， and other academic skills. You can sign up for an appointment on the sign-up sheet outside the door： two 30-minute appointments per week maximum. This service is free.

Transportation

The TWU Express is a shuttle（班車） service. The shuttle transports students between campus and the shopping centre， leaving from the Mattson Centre. Operation hours are between 9 am and 3 pm， Saturdays only. Round trip fare is $1.

1. What can you do in the TWU Cafeteria？

A. Do homework and watch TV.

B. Buy drinks and enjoy concerts.

C. Have meals and meet with friends.

D. Add money to your ID and play chess.

2. Where and when can you cook your own food？

A. The Globe， Friday.

B. The Lower Café， Sunday.

C. The TWU Cafeteria， Friday.

D. The McMillan Hall， Sunday.

3. The Guide tells us that the Wellness Centre ________.

A. is open six days a week

B. offers services free of charge

C. trains students in medical care

D. gives advice on mental health

4. How can you seek help from the Writing Centre？

A. By applying online.

B. By calling the centre.

C. By filling in a sign-up form.

D. By going to the centre directly.

5. What is the function of TWU Express？

A. To carry students to the lecture halls.

B. To provide students with campus tours.

C. To take students to the Mattson Centre.

D. To transport students to and from the stores.

（九）

（天津卷B篇）A world-famous Canadian author， Margaret Atwood， has created the worlds first long-distance signing device （裝置）， the LongPen.endprint

After many tiring book-signing tours from city to city， Atwood thought there must be a better way to do them. She hired some technical experts and started her own company in 2004. Together they designed the LongPen. Heres how it works： The author writes a personal message and signature on a computer tablet （手寫板） using a special pen. On the receiving end， in another city， a robotic arm fitted with a regular pen signs the book. The author and fan can talk with each other via webcams （網(wǎng)絡(luò)攝像機(jī)） and computer screens.

Work on the LongPen began in Atwoods basement （地下室）. At first， they had no idea it would be as hard as it turned out to be. The device went through several versions， including one that actually had smoke coming out of it. The inventing finally completed， test runs were made in Ottawa， and the LongPen was officially launched at the 2006 London Book Fair. From here， Atwood conducted two transatlantic book signings of her latest book for fans in Toronto and New York City.

The LongPen produces a unique signature each time because it copies the movement of the author in real time. It has several other potential applications. It could increase credit card security and allow people to sign contracts from another province. The video exchange between signer and receiver can be recorded on DVD for proof when legal documents are used.

“Its really fun，”said the owner of a bookstore， who was present for one of the test runs.“Obviously you cant shake hands with the author， but there are chances for a connection that you dont get from a regular book signing.”

The response to the invention hasnt been all favorable. Atwood has received criticism from authors who think shes trying to end book tours. But she said， “It will be possible to go to places that you never got sent to before because the publishers couldnt afford it.”

1. Why did Atwood decide to invent the LongPen？

A. To set up her own company.

B. To win herself greater popularity.

C. To write her books in a new way.

D. To make book signings less tiring.

2. How does the LongPen work？

A. It copies the authors signature and prints it on a book.

B. It signs a book while receiving the authors signature.

C. The webcam sends the authors signature to another city.

D. The fan uses it to copy the authors signature himself.

3. What do we know about the invention of the LongPen？

A. It has been completed but not put into use.endprint

B. The basement caught fire by accident.

C. Some versions failed before its test run.

D. The designers were well-prepared for the difficulty.

4. How could the LongPen be used in the future？

A. To draft legal documents.

B. To improve credit card security.

C. To keep a record of the authors ideas.

D. To allow author and fan to exchange videos.

5. What could be inferred from Paragraphs 5 and 6？

A. Atwood doesnt mean to end book tours.

B. Critics think the LongPen is of little use.

C. Bookstore owners dont support the LongPen.

D. Publishers dislike the LongPen for its high cost.

（十）

（湖南卷C篇）The behaviour of a buildings users may be at least as important as its design when it comes to energy use， according to new research from the UK Energy Research Centre （UKERC）. The UK promises to reduce its carbon emissions （排放） by 80 percent by 2050， part of which will be achieved by all new homes being zero-carbon by 2016. But this report shows that sustainable building design on its own-though extremely important-is not enough to achieve such reductions： the behaviour of the people using the building has to change too.

The study suggests that the ways that people use and live in their homes have been largely ignored by existing efforts to improve energy efficiency（效率）， which instead focus on architectural and technological developments.

“Technology is going to assist but it is not going to do everything，” explains Katy Janda， a UKERC senior researcher， consumption patterns of building users can defeat the most careful design. In other words， old habits die hard， even in the best-designed eco-home.

Another part of the problem is information. Households and bill-payers dont have the knowledge they need to change their energy-use habits. Without specific information， it's hard to estimate the costs and benefits of making different choices. Feedback（反饋） facilities， like smart meters and energy monitors， could help bridge this information gap by helping people see how changing their behaviour directly affects their energy use; some studies have shown that households can achieve up to 15 percent energy savings using smart meters.

Social science research has added a further dimension（方面）， suggesting that individualsbehaviour in the home can be personal and cannot be predicted-whether people throw open their windows rather than turn down the thermostat（恒溫器）， for example.endprint

Janda argues that education is the key. She calls for a focused programme to teach people about buildings and their own behaviour in them.

1. As to energy use， the new research from UKERC stresses the importance of ________.

A. zero-carbon homes

B. sustainable building design

C. the behaviour of building users

D. the reduction of carbon emissions

2. The underlined word“which”in Paragraph 2 refers to

“ ________”.

A. the ways B. their homes

C. developments D. existing efforts

3. What are Katy Jandas words mainly about？

A. The importance of changing building usershabits.

B. The necessity of making a careful building design.

C. The variety of consumption patterns of building users.

D. The role of technology in improving energy efficiency.

4. The information gap in energy use ________.

A. can be bridged by feedback facilities

B. affects the study on energy monitors

C. brings about problems for smart meters

D. will be caused by building usersold habits

5. What does the dimension added by social science research suggest？

A. The social science research is to be furthered.

B. The education programme is under discussion.

C. The behaviour of building users is unpredictable.

D. The behaviour preference of building users is similar.

（十一）

（北京卷D篇）What is the first thing you notice when you walk into a shop？ The products displayed（展示） at the entrance？ Or the soft background music？

But have you ever noticed the smell？ Unless it is bad， the answer is likely to be no. But while a shops scent may not be outstanding compared with sights and sounds， it is certainly there. And it is proving to be an increasingly powerful tool in encouraging people to purchase.

A brand store has become famous for its distinctive scent which floats through the fairly dark hall and out to the entrance， via scent machines. A smell may be attractive but it may not just be used for freshening air. One sports goods company once reported that when it first introduced scent into its stores， customersintention to purchase increased by 80 percent.

When it comes to the best shopping streets in Paris， scent is just as important to a brands success as the quality of its window displays and goods on sale. That is mainly because shopping is a very different experience to what it used to be.endprint