议论文是英语中的重要文体，在每年的高考阅读理解中占有一定的比例。
议论文就是说理性的文章，一般由论点、论据和论证过程组成。议论文都要提出论题、观点、提供充分的证据，使用一定的逻辑方法证明观点或得出结论。议论文的写法通常有以下三种形式：
写法一：正方(甲方)，反方(乙方)，我认为……
写法二：提出问题，分析问题，解决问题。
写法三：论点，理由(证据)，重申论点。
议论文的内容涵盖文化、历史、文学、科学和教育等各个方面。在这类体裁的文章中把握好论点、论据和论证很重要。此类体裁的文章中有关主旨大意和推理判断的题目会较多，这也是得分比较难的题型。在阅读这类文章的时候，我们要认真把握作者的态度，领悟弦外之音，从而更好地依据文章的事实做出合理的推断。
注意事项：
1. 避免读得太快，做题靠印象和直觉。(要求每一道题回到原文去找答案)
2. 要先看题目，后读文章。(与先读文章，后看题目的比较)
高考材料阅读方法：先通读全文，重点读首段、各段的段首段尾句，然后其他部分可以略读，再审题定位，比较选项，选出答案。要有把握文章的宏观结构、中心句的能力。
3. 阅读中需要特别注意并做记号的有：
(1)标志类、指示类的信息。
①表示并列关系：and, also, coupled with等；
②表示转折关系：but, yet, however, by contrast等；
③表示因果关系：therefore, thereby, consequently, as a result等；
④表示递进关系：in addition to, even, what’s more, furthermore等；
⑤表示重要性的词：prime, above all, first等。
以上关键词有助于我们对文章逻辑结构的把握。
(2)具有感情色彩、显示作者态度的词：blind盲目的(贬), excessively过分的(贬), objective(客观)等。
4. 常见问题：
(1)读不懂怎么？
问题本身太空泛，应该仔细分析问题到底在哪儿。首先要能意识到自身问题所在。
unconscious incompetent (无意识无能力)属于问题认知的第一阶段；
conscious incompetent (有意识无能力)属于问题认知的第二阶段；
conscious competent (有意识有能力)属于问题认知的第三阶段；
unconscious competent (无意识有能力)属于问题认知的第四阶段。
从认知的第三阶段达到第四阶段，是一个反复熟练的过程。
(2)读懂了文章之后还做错题怎么办？
(3)做完了一遍不愿意看第二遍怎么办？
(4)做题技巧用不上怎么办？
能够不由自主地按照正确的思路解题了，才表明我们正确掌握了这些技巧。
在课堂听明白之后，还需要回去自己思考，针对自己的实际进行分析，从而对症下药。
【命题分析】
议论说理类文章就是议论文，是高考阅读理解题中一种较难的题目。议论说理类文章具有以下特点：
1. 题材多样化、知识化，它包括社会科学的多种领域，以及和自然科学交叉学科，体现以人为本的特点。具体说来：
(1)一般按提出问题、分析问题、解决问题的方法写作。作者一般从日常生活中的热点问题、社会上的重大问题、与读者息息相关的问题入手，即提出问题。然后，分析利弊，举例说明，推理判断，即分析问题。最后，阐述观点，提出办法，即解决问题。
(2)以作者的观点或情感为核心，对细节推理等方面进行考查。
(3)文章的主题一般是生活中的热点问题、重大问题或与生活息息相关的问题等。
2. 侧重考查学生对文章深层意义的理解。通常情况下，深层理解题占多数，这就要求学生读议论文时，不能仅限于对文章的表层理解，只抓一些事实细节，而且要注重对文章的意图、作者的观点以及内在逻辑联系的审视。
3. 深层理解题的主要表现形式：
(1)主旨性题目：此类题常针对文章主题、中心思想、标题或作者的写作意图，通常有以下提问方式：
a. What would be the best title for the text?
b. The text is mainly about _________.
c. From the passage we know that _________.
d. The main idea of the paragraph is _________.
e. The writer’s purpose of writing this text is _________.
f. The passage could be titled _________.
g. The passage deals with _________.
h. What’s the subject discussed in the text?
(2)推理判断题：此题主要考查学生对文章内在逻辑联系的把握，通常有以下出题方式：
a. 回答对why和how的提问。
b. According to the text, which of the statements is true/wrong?
c. From the text, we can infer that _________.
d. Where can this text be selected from?
e. What can you imagine will be dealt with/written in the following passage?
f. 以短语according to the writer of the text或 in the writer’s opinion等引出的其他问题。
(3)词义猜测题：判断词义的词可能有四种情况，一是词未学过，二是词已学过，但在该篇中不是已学过的词义，三是某个代词it或them在文中指代什么，四是某句话的意思。
【应试策略】
议论文体阅读理解题的应对策略
解答议论类阅读理解试题，可以从以下几个方面着手考虑：
作者在开始叙述一个现象，然后对现象进行解释。这类文章的主题是文中最重要的解释或作者所强调的解释，阅读时要注意作者给出的原因，所以又被称为原因—结果(Cause & Effect)型。还有一种比较常见的是问题—答案型，作者在一开始或一段末以问句提出一个问题(相当于一个现象)，然后给出该问题的答案(相当于解释)。针对文中问题给出的主要答案就是这种文章的中心。
这里强调一点，答题时优先考虑正面答题(直接从文章内容得出答案)，然后从中心、态度或利用解答特征等其他角度对选项进行检验；如果从文章内容中直接无法解决，则从中心和态度方面考虑；次之，从解答特征方面考虑。
考生往往最怕此类体裁。山穷水尽时，记住：首先从整体上把握文章中心和作者所持的态度，靠近中心的就是答案。
解题方法：
1. 把握文章的论点、论据和论证。此外，还要把握文章的结构和语言。
2. 互推法：在议论之后，总会再列举一些具体的例子来支持观点或在一些例子之后，总要抒发一些议论。考生在理解议论时，可以借助文中所给的实例，从而在形象的例子中推理出抽象的议论；或从议论中推理理解具体例子的深刻含义，相互推断。
3. 推理法：推理的结论一定是原文有这层意思，但没有明确表达的。推理要根据文章的字面意思，通过语篇、段落和句子之间的逻辑关系，各个信息所暗示和隐含的意义，作者的隐含意等对文章进行推理判断。考生要由文字的表层信息挖掘出文章的深层含义，要能透过现象看本质。
二、解题技巧
历年全国高考英语阅读理解的题型无非基本都是考查主旨大意、词义猜测、推理判断和细节理解四大题型。其中，命题以细节理解题为主，推理判断题为辅，又兼顾词义猜测题和主旨大意题。细节理解题和推理判断题主要考查的是对原文具体细节的理解和把控能力，难度相对较小，广大考生除了平时必要的阅读量和词汇量的积累以外，掌握一定的解题技巧对解答阅读理解题来说也是至关重要的。具体说来：
1. 主旨大意型
干扰项 可能是文中某个具体事实或细节。
干扰项 可能是从文中某些(不完全的)事实或细节片面推出的错误结论。
干扰项 可能是非文章事实的主观臆断。
正确答案 根据文章全面理解而归纳概括出来；不能太笼统、言过其实或以偏概全。
主旨大意题主要考查学生把握全文主题和理解中心思想的能力。根据多年的备考及高考实践，这类题目考查的范围是：基本论点、文章标题、主题或段落大意等。它要求考生在理解全文的基础上能较好地运用概括、判断、归纳、推理等逻辑思维方法，对文章进行高度概括或总结，属于高层次题。
选择＂主题＂旨在考查考生是否掌握了所读文章的主要内容或主旨，通常用词、短语或句子来概括。常见的提问方式有：
1. What is the main / general idea of this text?
2. What is mainly discussed in this passage?
3. What is the text mainly about?
4. This text mainly tells us _________.
5. This passage mainly deals with _________.
6. The main idea of this passage may be best expressed as_________.
7. The topic of this passage is _________.
标题选择题则是让考生给所读的文章选择一个合适的标题。通常标题由一个名词或名词短语充当，用词简短、精练。常见的提问方式有：
1. What would be the best title for the text?
2. Which of the following is the best / most suitable title for this text?
3. The best / most suitable title for this text would be __________.
不管是选择＂主题＂还是选择＂标题＂，实质上都是要求考生从整体上理解语篇内容，找出贯穿语篇的主线；不管是何种体裁的文章，都是围绕一个主题来展开的。在试题设计上，3个干扰项的内容一般在文章里或多或少都有涉及，但并非主要内容，需要注意甄别。
2. 事实细节型
细节理解题主要考查考生对文章中某些细节或重要事实的理解能力。它一般包括直接理解题和语意理解题两种。直接理解题的答案与原文直接挂钩，从阅读材料中可以找到。这种题难度低，只要考生读懂文章，就能得分，属于低层次题。
做此类题时可以使用定位法与跳读法。定位法即根据题干和选项所提供的信息直接从原文中找到相应的句子(即定位)，然后进行比较和分析(尤其要注意一些同义转换)，从而选出正确答案。跳读法即根据题干和选项所提供的信息跳读原文，并找到相关的句子(有时可能是几个句子)或段落，然后进行简单分析、推理等，从而找出正确答案。
(1)解题原则：忠实于原文上下文及全篇的逻辑关系，决不能主观臆断。
文章中心是论点，事实细节是论据或主要理由；有关细节问题常对文中某个词语、某句子、某段落等细节及事实进行提问，所提问题一般可直接或间接在文章中找到答案。
提问的特殊疑问词常有：what, who, which, where, how, why 等。
在阅读理解中，要求查找主要事实和特定细节的问题常有以下几种命题方式：
①Which of the following statements is true?
②Which of the following is not mentioned in the text?
③The author (or the passage) states that __________.
④According to the passage, when (where, why, how, who, what, which, etc.) __________?
(2)干扰项：范围过大、过小；偷换概念；正误并存，某个分句是正确的。
阅读理解中细节理解题的干扰项的设置有以下几个原则：
①包含项原则
在答案选项分析中，假如对A选项的理解概括了对其他三项 (或其中某一项)的理解，那么我们就说选项A与其他三项是包含或概括关系，包含项A往往就是正确答案。如在＂花＂与＂玫瑰＂两选项中，正确答案肯定是＂花＂，花包含了玫瑰。
②正反项原则
所谓正反项，是指两选项陈述的命题完全相矛盾。两个相互矛盾的陈述不能都是假的，其中必有一真。所以，假如四选项中A、B互为正反项，那我们通常先排除C、D项，正确答案一般在A、B项当中。
③委婉项原则
所谓委婉，这里是指说话不能说死，要留有余地。阅读理解选项中语气平和、委婉的往往是正确答案。这些选项一般含有不十分肯定或试探性语气的表达，如：probably, possibly, may, usually, might, most of, more or less, relatively, be likely to, not necessary, although, yet, in addition, tend to等等，而含有绝对语气的表达往往不是正确答案，如：must, always, never, all, every, any, merely, only, completely, none, hardly, already等等。
④同形项原则
命题者往往先将正确答案设置在一个大命题范围，然后通过语言形式的细微变化来考查考生的理解能力与分析能力。同形项原则告诉我们：词汇与句法结构相似的选项中有正确答案的存在。
⑤常识项原则
议论文中，那些符合一般常识、意义深刻富有哲理、符合一般规律、属于普遍现象的往往是正确答案。
⑥因果项原则
阅读理解的逻辑推理基本都是通过因果链进行的，前因后果，一步步循序渐进。然而，在推理题的选项中，有的选项会推理不到位(止于前因)，或者推理过头(止于后果)，这就是所谓的干扰项。因果项原则启示我们：假如四个选项中有两项互为同一事物推理过程中的因果关系，那么正确答案就是两个因果项中的其中之一。如果因项可产生几个结果，那么答案就是因；如果果项可以对应几个原因，那么答案就是果。
解题方法：原文定位法。
查读法：(1)带着问题找答案，把注意力集中在与who, what, when, where问题有关的细节上。
(2)细心!
3. 词义猜测型
阅读理解的测试中经常有猜测词、短语、习语、句子意义的题目，近几年高考阅读中词义猜测题的考查方法呈多样化，其中根据上下文语境推测词义将会越来越多。有时短文中出现一个需猜测其意义的词或短语，后文接着会出现其定义、解释或例子，这就是判断该词或短语意义的主要依据。
除此之外，我们还可以根据转折或对比关系进行判断：根据上下句的连接词，如but，however，otherwise等就可以看到前后句在意义上的差别，从而依据某一句的含义来确定另一句的含义。另外，分号(；)也可以表示转折、对比或不相干的意义。还可以根据因果关系进行判断。俗话说，＂有因必有果，有果必有因＂。根据原因可以预测结果，根据结果也可以找出原因。当然了，这些词、短语、习语要么是生词，要么是熟词新义，单靠平时积累是不够的，还要掌握以下做题技巧。
(1)根据构词法(转化、合成、派生)进行判断。
(2)根据文中的定义、事例、解释猜生词。用事例或解释猜生词；用重复解释的信息猜生词。
(3)根据上下文的指代关系进行选择。文章中的代词it，that，he，him或them可以指上文提到的人或物，其中it和that还可以指一件事。
(4)根据转折或对比关系进行判断。根据上下句的连接词如but，however，otherwise等可以看到前后句在意义上的差别，从而依据某一句的含义，来确定另一句的含义。
(5)根据因果关系进行判断。俗话说，＂有因必有果，有果必有因＂。根据原因可以预测结果，根据结果也可以找出原因。
(6)根据同位关系进行判断。阅读中有时出现新词、难词，后面跟着一个同位语，对前面的词进行解释。
(7)利用标点符号和提示词猜测词义。分号还可以表示转折、对比或不相干的意义；破折号表示解释说明。
常见的问题形式有：
(1)The word ＂…＂ in Line … means/can be best replaced by …
(2)As used in the passage, the phrase ＂…＂ suggests…
(3)From the passage, we can infer that the word/phrase /the sentence ＂…＂ is/refers to /means…
(4)The word ＂…＂ is closest in meaning to …
常用应对方法：
同义法：常在词或短语之间有并列连词and或or，它们连接的两项内容在含义上是接近的或递进的，由此可以推测词义。
反义法：如hot and cold, give and receive等，或前句为肯定，后句为否定。总之，互为反义的词与词间都起着互为线索的作用。
释义法：对文章中的生词用定语(从句)、表语，甚至用逗号、破折号等标点符号引出并加以解释说明。
此外，还有情景推断法、代词替代法等。
做题要领
(1)从文中找线索或信息词；
(2)根据熟悉的词及词义判断新词的意思；
(3)根据上下文判断新词在特定句中的确切意思。
(4)要特别注意熟词新意！
4. 推理判断型
做题要领：既要求学生透过文章表面文字信息推测文章的隐含意思，又要求学生对作者的态度、意图及文章细节的发展作出正确的推理判断，力求从作者的角度考虑而不是固守自己的看法。常见的命题方式有：
(1)The passage implies (暗示) that _________.
(2)We can conclude (得出结论) from the passage that _________.
(3)Which of the following can be inferred (推论)?
(4)What is the tone (语气) of the author?
(5)What is the purpose (目的) of this passage?
(6)The passage is intended to _________.
(7)Where would this passage most probably appear?
题组一（2019年高考真题）
Passage1(2019·天津卷，D)
Would you BET on the future of this man？He is 53 years old. Most of his adult life has been a losing struggle against debt and misfortune. A war injury has made his left hand stop functioning，and he has often been in prison. Driven by heaven-knows-what motives，he determines to write a book.
The book turns out to be one that has appealed to the world for more than 350 years. That former prisoner was Cervantes，and the book was Don Quixote（《堂吉诃德》）. And the story poses an interesting question: why do some people discover new vitality and creativity to the end of their days，while others go to seed long before？
We’ve all known people who run out of steam before they reach life’s halfway mark. I’m not talking about those who fail to get to the top. We can’t all get there. I’m talking about people who have stopped learning on growing because they have adopted the fixed attitudes and opinions that all too often come with passing years.
Most of us，in fact，progressively narrow the variety of our lives. We succeed in our field of specialization and then become trapped in it. Nothing surprises us. We lose our sense of wonder. But，if we are willing to lean，the opportunities are everywhere.
The things we learn in maturity seldom involve information and skills. We learn to bear with the things we can’t change. We learn to avoid self-pity. We learn that however much we try to please，some people are never going to love us-an idea that troubles at first but is eventually relaxing.
With high motivation and enthusiasm，we can keep on learning. Then we will know how important it is to have meaning in our life. However，we can achieve meaning only if we have made a commitment to something larger than our own little egos（自我），whether to loved ones，to fellow humans，to work，or to some moral concept.
Many of us equate（视……等同于）“commitment” with such “caring” occupations as teaching and nursing. But doing any ordinary job as well as one can is in itself an admirable commitment. People who work toward such excellence whether they are driving a truck，or running a store-make the world better just by being the kind of people they are. They’ve learned life’s most valuable lesson.
51. The passage starts with the story of Cervantes to show that_________.
A. loss of freedom stimulates one’s creativity
B. age is not a barrier to achieving one’s goal
C. misery inspires a man to fight against his fate
D. disability cannot stop a man’s pursuit of success
52. What does the underlined part in Paragraph 3 probably mean？
A. End one’s struggle for liberty.
B. Waste one’s energy taking risks.
C. Miss the opportunity to succeed.
D. Lose the interest to continue learning.
53. What could be inferred from Paragraph 4？
A. Those who dare to try often get themselves trapped.
B. Those who tend to think back can hardly go ahead.
C. Opportunity favors those with a curious mind.
D. Opportunity awaits those with a cautious mind.
54. What does the author intend to tell us in Paragraph 5？
A. A tough man can tolerate suffering.
B. A wise man can live without self-pity
C. A man should try to satisfy people around him.
D. A man should learn suitable ways to deal with life
55. What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage？
A. To provide guidance on leading a meaningful adult life.
B. To stress the need of shouldering responsibilities at work.
C. To state the importance of generating motivation for learning.
D. To suggest a way of pursuing excellence in our lifelong career.
Passage2(2019·江苏卷，C)
Who cares if people think wrongly that the Internet has had more important influences than the washing machine? Why does it matter that people are more impressed by the most recent changes?
It would not matter if these misjudgments were just a matter of people’s opinions. However, they have real impacts, as they result in misguided use of scarce resources.
The fascination with the ICT(Information and Communication Technology) revolution, represented by the Internet, has made some rich countries wrongly conclude that making things is so "yesterday" that they should try to live on ideas. This belief in "post-industrial society" has led those countries to neglect their manufacturing sector(制造业) with negative consequences for their economies.
Even more worryingly, the fascination with the Internet by people in rich countries has moved the international community to worry about the "digital divide" between the rich countries and the poor countries. This has led companies and individuals to donate money to developing countries to buy computer equipment and Internet facilities. The question, however, is whether this is what the developing countries need the most. Perhaps giving money for those less fashionable things such as digging wells, extending electricity networks and making more affordable washing machines would have improved people’s lives more than giving every child a laptop computer or setting up Internet centres in rural villages, I am not saying that those things are necessarily more important, but many donators have rushed into fancy programmes without carefully assessing the relative long-term costs and benefits of alternative uses of their money.
In yet another example, a fascination with the new has led people to believe that the recent changes in the technologies of communications and transportation are so revolutionary that now we live in a "borderless world". As a result, in the last twenty years or so, many people have come to believe that whatever change is happening today is the result of great technological progress, going against which will be like trying to turn the clock back. Believing in such a world, many governments have put an end to some of the very necessary regulations on cross-border flows of capital, labour and goods, with poor results.
Understanding technological trends is very important for correctly designing economic policies, both at the national and the international levels, and for making the right career choices at the individual level. However, our fascination with the latest, and our under valuation of what has already become common, can, and has, led us in all sorts of wrong directions.
61. Misjudgments on the influences of new technology can lead to __________.
A. a lack of confidence in technology
B. a slow progress in technology
C. a conflict of public opinions
D. a waste of limited resources
62. The example in Paragraph 4 suggests that donators should __________.
A. take people’s essential needs into account
B. make their programmes attractive to people
C. ensure that each child gets financial support
D. provide more affordable internet facilities
63. What has led many governments to remove necessary regulations?
A. Neglecting the impacts of technological advances.
B. Believing that the world has become borderless.
C. Ignoring the power of economic development.
D. Over-emphasizing the role of international communication.
64. What can we learn from the passage?
A. People should be encouraged to make more donations.
B. Traditional technology still has a place nowadays.
C. Making right career choices is crucial to personal success.
D. Economic policies should follow technological trends.
Passage3(2019·新课标III卷，B)
For Western designers, China and its rich culture have long been an inspiration for Western creative.
"It’s no secret that China has always been a source(来源)of inspiration for designers," says Amanda Hill, chief creative officer at A+E Networks, a global media company and home to some of the biggest fashion(时尚)shows.
Earlier this year, the China Through A Looking Glass exhibition in New York exhibited 140 pieces of China-inspired fashionable clothing alongside Chinese works of art, with the aim of exploring the influence of Chinese aesthetics(美学)on Western fashion and how China has fueled the fashionable imagination for centuries. The exhibition had record attendance, showing that there is huge interest in Chinese influences.
"China is impossible to overlook," says Hill. "Chinese models are the faces of beauty and fashion campaigns that sell dreams to women all over the world, which means Chinese women are not just consumers of fashion — they are central to its movement. "Of course, only are today’s top Western designers being influenced by China-some of the best designers of contemporary fashion are themselves Chinese." Vera Wang, Alexander Wang, Jason Wu are taking on Galiano, Albaz, Marc Jacobs-and beating them hands down in design and sales," adds Hil.
For Hill, it is impossible not to talk about China as the leading player when discussing fashion. "The most famous designers are Chinese, so are the models, and so are the consumers," she says. "China is no longer just another market; in many senses it has become the market. If you talk about fashion today, you are talking about China-its influences, its direction, its breathtaking clothes, and how young designers and models are finally acknowledging that in many ways."
24. What can we learn about the exhibition in New York?
A. It promoted the sales of artworks. B. It attracted a large number of visitors.
C. It showed ancient Chinese clothes. D. It aimed to introduce Chinese models.
25. What does Hill say about Chinese women?
A. They are setting the fashion. B. They start many fashion campaigns.
C. They admire super models. D. They do business all over the world.
26. What do the underlined words "taking on" in paragraph 4 mean?
A. learning from B. looking down on C. working with D. competing against
27. What can be a suitable title for the text?
A. Young Models Selling Dreams to the World
B. A Chinese Art Exhibition Held in New York
C. Differences Between Eastern and Western Aesthetics
D. Chinese Culture Fueling International Fashion Trends
题组二（2018年高考真题）
Passage1(2018·新课标II卷，D)
We’ve all been there: in a lift, in line at the bank or on an 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.
32. 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.
33. 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.
34. 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.
35. 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
Passage2(2018·新课标III卷，D)
Adults understand what it feels like to be flooded with objects. Why do we often assume that more is more when it comes to kids and their belongings? The good news is that I can help my own kids learn earlier than I did how to live more with less.
I found the pre-holidays a good time to encourage young children to donate less-used things, and it worked. Because of our efforts, our daughter Georgia did decide to donate a large bag of toys to a little girl whose mother was unable to pay for her holiday due to illness. She chose to sell a few larger objects that were less often used when we promised to put the money into her school fund(基金）(our kindergarten daughter is serious about becoming a doctor).
For weeks, I’ve been thinking of bigger, deeper questions: How do we make it a habit for them? And how do we train ourselves to help them live with, need, and use less? Yesterday, I sat with my son, Shepherd, determined to test my own theory on this. I decided to play with him with only one toy for as long as it would keep his interest. I expected that one toy would keep his attention for about five minutes, ten minutes, max. I chose a red rubber ball-simple, universally available. We passed it, he tried to put it in his mouth, he tried bouncing it, rolling it, sitting on it, throwing it. It was totally, completely enough for him. Before I knew it an hour had passed and it was time to move on to lunch.
We both became absorbed in the simplicity of playing together. He had my full attention and I had his. My little experiment to find joy in a single object worked for both of us.
32. What do the words “more is more” in paragraph 1 probably mean?
A. The more, the better. B. Enough is enough.
C. More money, more worries. D. Earn more and spend more.
33. What made Georgia agree to sell some of her objects?
A. Saving up for her holiday B. Raising money for a poor girl
C. Adding the money to her fund D. Giving the money to a sick mother
34. Why did the author play the ball with Shepherd?
A. To try out an idea B. To show a parent’s love
C. To train his attention D. To help him start a hobby
35. What can be a suitable title for the text?
A. Take It or Leave It B. A Lesson from Kids
C. Live More with Less D. The Pleasure of Giving
Passage3(2018·北京卷，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.
47. 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
48. As for driverless cars, what is the author’s major concern?
A. Safety. B. Side effects.
C. Affordability. D. Management.
49. What does the underlined word ＂fielded＂ in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
A. Employed. B. Replaced.
C. Shared. D. Reduced.
50. What is the author’s attitude to the future of self-driving cars?
A. Doubtful. B. Positive.
C. Disapproving. D. Sympathetic.
Passage4(2018·天津卷，D)
Give yourself a test. Which way is the wind blowing? How many kinds of wildflowers can be seen from your front door? If your awareness is as sharp as it could be, you’ll have no trouble answering these questions.
Most of us observed much more as children than we do as adults. A child’s day is filled with fascination, newness and wonder. Curiosity gave us all a natural awareness. But distinctions that were sharp to us as children become unclear; we are numb(麻木的) to new stimulation(刺激), new ideas. Relearning the art of seeing the world around us is quite simple, although it takes practice and requires breaking some bad habits.
The first step in awakening senses is to stop predicting what we are going to see and feel before it occurs. This blocks awareness. One chilly night when I was hiking in the Rocky Mountains with some students, I mentioned that we were going to cross a mountain stream. The students began complaining about how cold it would be. We reached the stream, and they unwillingly walked ahead. They were almost knee-deep when they realized it was a hot spring. Later they all admitted they’d felt cold water at first.
Another block to awareness is the obsession(痴迷) many of us have with naming things. I saw bird watchers who spotted a bird, immediately looked it up in field guides, and said, a "ruby-crowned kinglet" and checked it off. They no longer paid attention to the bird and never learned what it was doing.
The pressures of "time" and "destination" are further blocks to awareness. I encountered many hikers who were headed to a distant camp-ground with just enough time to get there before dark. It seldom occurred to them to wander a bit, to take a moment to see what’s around them. I asked them what they’d seen. "Oh, a few birds," they said. They seemed bent on their destinations.
Nature seems to unfold to people who watch and wait. Next time you take a walk, no matter where it is, take in all the sights, sounds and sensations. Wander in this frame of mind and you will open a new dimension to your life.
51. According to Paragraph 2, compared with adults, children are more _____________.
A. anxious to do wonders B. sensitive to others’ feelings
C. likely to develop unpleasant habits D. eager to explore the world around them
52. What idea does the author convey in Paragraph 3?
A. To avoid jumping to conclusions. B. To stop complaining all the time.
C. To follow the teacher’s advice. D. To admit mistakes honestly.
53. The bird watchers’ behavior shows that they ____________.
A. are very patient in their observation
B. are really fascinated by nature
C. care only about the names of birds
D. question the accuracy of the field guides
54. Why do the hikers take no notice of the surroundings during the journey?
A. The natural beauty isn’t attractive to them.
B. They focus on arriving at the camp in time.
C. The forest in the dark is dangerous for them.
D. They are keen to see rare birds at the destination.
55. In the passage, the author intends to tell us we should __________.
A. fill our senses to feel the wonders of the world
B. get rid of some bad habits in our daily life
C. open our mind to new things and ideas
D. try our best to protect nature
题组三（2017年高考真题）
Passage1(2017·天津卷，D)
I read somewhere that we spend a full third of our lives waiting. But where are we doing all of this waiting, and what does it mean to an impatient society like ours? To understand the issue, let’s take a look at three types of ＂waits＂.
The very purest form of waiting is the Watched-Pot Wait. It is without doubt the most annoying of all. Take filling up the kitchen sink(洗碗池) as an example. There is absolutely nothing you can do while this is going on but keep both eyes fixed on the sink until it’s full. During these waits, the brain slips away from the body and wanders about until the water runs over the edge of the counter and onto your socks. This kind of wait makes the waiter helpless and mindless.
A cousin to the Watched-Pot Wait is the Forced Wait. This one requires a bit of discipline. Properly preparing packaged noodle soup requires a Forced Wait. Directions are very specific. ＂Bring three cups of water to boil, add mix, simmer three minutes, remove from heat, let stand five minutes.＂ I have my doubts that anyone has actually followed the procedures strictly. After all, Forced Waiting requires patience.
Perhaps the most powerful type of waiting is the Lucky-Break Wait. This type of wait is unusual in that it is for the most part voluntary. Unlike the Forced Wait, which is also voluntary, waiting for your lucky break does not necessarily mean that it will happen.
Turning one’s life into a waiting game requires faith and hope, and is strictly for the optimists among us. On the surface it seems as ridiculous as following the directions on soup mixes, but the Lucky-Break Wait well serves those who are willing to do it. As long as one doesn’t come to rely on it, wishing for a few good things to happen never hurts anybody.
We certainly do spend a good deal of our time waiting. The next time you’re standing at the sink waiting for it to fill while cooking noodle soup that you’ll have to eat until a large bag of cash falls out of the sky, don’t be desperate. You’re probably just as busy as the next guy.
51. While doing a Watched-Pot Wait, we tend to ___________.
A. keep ourselves busy B. get absent-minded
C. grow anxious D. stay focused
52. What is the difference between the Forced Wait and the Watched-Pot Wait?
A. The Forced Wait requires some self-control.
B. The Forced Wait makes people passive.
C. The Watched-Pot Wait needs directions.
D. The Watched-Pot Wait engages body and brain.
53. What can we learn about the Lucky-Break Wait?
A. It is less voluntary than the Forced Wait.
B. It doesn’t always bring the desired result.
C. It is more fruitful than the Forced Wait.
D. It doesn’t give people faith and hope.
54. What does the author advise us to do the next time we are waiting?
A. Take it seriously. B. Don’t rely on others.
C. Do something else. D. Don’t lose heart.
55. The author supports his view by _________.
A. exploring various causes of ＂waits＂
B. describing detailed processes of ＂waits＂
C. analyzing different categories of ＂waits＂
D. revealing frustrating consequences of ＂waits＂
Passage2(2017·浙江卷，B )
Getting less sleep has become a bad habit for most American kids. According to a new survey(调查) by the National Sleep Foundation, 51% of kids aged 10 to 18 go to bed at 10 pm or later on school nights, even though they have to get up early. Last year the Foundation reported that nearly 60% of 7- to 12-year-olds said they felt tired during the day, and 15% said they had fallen asleep at school.
How much sleep you need depends a lot on your age. Babies need a lot of rest: most of them sleep about 18 hours a day! Adults need about eight hours. For most school-age children, ten hours is ideal(理想的). But the new National Sleep Foundation survey found that 35% of 10- to 12-year-olds get only seven or eight hours. And guess what almost half of the surveyed kids said they do before bedtime? Watch TV.
＂More children are going to bed with TVs on, and there are more opportunities(机会) to stay awake, with more homework, the Internet and the phone,＂ says Dr. Mary Carskadon, a sleep researcher at Brown University Medical School. She says these activities at bedtime can get kids all excited and make it hard for them to calm down and sleep. Other experts say part of the problem is chemical. Changing levels of body chemicals called hormones not only make teenagers’ bodies develop adult characteristics, but also make it hard for teenagers to fall asleep before 11 pm.
Because sleepiness is such a problem for teenagers, some school districts have decided to start high school classes later than they used to. Three years ago, schools in Edina, Minnesota, changed the start time from 7:25 am to 8:30 am. Students, parents and teachers are pleased with the results.
25. What is the new National Sleep Foundation survey on?
A. American kids’ sleeping habits. B. Teenagers’ sleep-related diseases.
C. Activities to prevent sleeplessness. D. Learning problems and lack of sleep.
26. How many hours of sleep do 11-year-olds need every day?
A. 7 hours. B. 8 hours.
C. 10 hours. D. 18 hours.
27. Why do teenagers go to sleep late according to Carskadon?
A. They are affected by certain body chemicals.
B. They tend to do things that excite them.
C. They follow their parents’ examples.
D. They don’t need to go to school early.
题组四（名校模拟题）
Passage 1(黑龙江省哈尔滨市第三中学2019届高三第二次调研考试)
Someone sent me an email urging me to acquire a lot more resources, suggesting could do so much more good if I had an 8 or 9 figure net income of 6 like I’ve been doing for years.He claimed to have acquired a great deal of wealth himself and found it highly beneficial to fueling his path with a heart.
As I consider his suggestion, I find myself not having much clarity(清晰的思维)as to what I’d do with I million or 10 million more money flowing through my life. I put so much attention on creativity, fulfillment, exploration, relationships, etc. that I find it difficult to intelligently imagine how more financial resources could provide extra fuel for that, except in small ways or in ways that aren’t particularly meaningful to me.
Lately I’ve been considering what it would be like to deliberately reduce my income for a while and see if I could live on much less，just for the experience. What if I capped my net personal income at $10,000 per year, for instance? That isn’t such a big deal to me, though, since I already went through a period of low income like that during the 1990s,and I learned that I could still do what I love regardless of income.
I’ve never worked in a business environment-the only job I’ve ever had was working for $6/hour in a video game store while I was in college. So I’ve never seen how larger operations allocate resources. That’s probably why I haven’t pushed myself to acquire more. As I mentioned in my book. Money and Your Path With a Heart，my main financial goal in life was to make money irrelevant in my life.
I’m not interested in building an empire. What interests me is exploring personal growth and sharing what I learn along the way. In some ways I feel that acquiring and acquiring and allocating more resources could become a big distraction. I’m already doing what I want to be doing, so why rick distracting myself to acquire more resources, especially when I lack the idea about how I should treat such resources? I like having freedom and flexibility，and I don’t really see how more resources would meaningfully improve that.
1.Why did the man email the author?
A. To ask the author to fuel his path. B. To lend some money to the author.
C. To share his opinion about wealth. D. To urge the author to earn more money.
2.Which of the following can describe the author’s personality?
A. Optimistic and devoted. B. Independent and cooperative.
C. Unfortunate but positive. D. Wealthy but hardhearted.
3.What does the underlined word “capped” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?
A. Limited B. Spent
C. Increased D. Distributed
4.The following are true EXCEPTA________.
A. the author might be a professional writer
B. the author is good at designing video games
C. the author is interested in exploring his personal growth
D. the author might be a person who likes sharing his knowledge
Passage 2(福建省莆田第九中学2019届高三调研考试)
More and more comments sections are being shut down online.
Autumn Phillips had had enough. On Aug. 19, the executive editor of the Quad- City Times in Iowa, and Illinois, US visited her website, qctimes.com, and saw a story about a man who had been shot to death. When she got to the readers’ comments sections at the end, she was shocked by what she saw. Below the story was a growing number of comments—a racist remark about democratic votes, a negative comment about police …So Phillips decided to do something she had been thinking about for a long time: she shut down the comments sections.
Phillips was not alone in making such a move. Last week, NPR announced k too was closing its online comments sections. The decisions don’t mean that the news outlets are no longer interested in what their audiences are thinking. Both stressed their eagerness to hear from readers and listeners on social networks. But both agreed that comments had deviated from their original intention. And so they had.
In early days of digital journalism, comments were seen as a key part of this new media, a wonderful opportunity for strengthening the dialogue between news producers and their audiences. It was a welcome change, given that for long many news organizations were far too separated from their readers. Much more back and forth conversation seemed like healthy and welcome evolution. Sadly, that’s not the way things turned out. Rather than a place for exchanging ideas, comments sections became the home of ugly name-calling, racism and anti-women language. Besides their poisonous quality, comments seem out of place today.
“Since we made the announcement, I’ve received an outpouring of responses from our readers,” she says. “I’ve heard from parents whose children were hurt by our online comments. I’ve heard from people who said they wouldn’t send in letters to the editor because they were attacked so fiercely by comments, and wasn’t worth it.”
1.Why did Autumn Phillips shut down the comments sections?
A. They were put to wrong use.
B. Her website was attacked heavily.
C. They exposed many illegal issues.
D. She was angry about readers’ comments.
2.What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 3 indicate about comments?
A. They were out of date.
B. They had gone against their original intentions.
C. They were full of sensitive information.
D. They couldn’t interest the audience.
3.What was the welcome change in the early digital journalism?
A. Readers, having more access to news.
B. Readers’ making less negative comments.
C. Readers’ freedom to express their thoughts.
D. Readers’ active involvement in the news industry.
4.How do many readers feel about Autumn Phillips, move according to the last paragraph?
A. Cautious. B. Hopeful.
C. Surprised. D. Supportive.
Passage 3(湖南省长沙市雅礼中学2019届高三一模)
Laughter is part of the universal human vocabulary. All members of the human species understand it. Unlike English or French or Swahili, we don’t have to learn to speak it. We re born with the capacity to laugh.
Very little is known about the specific brain mechanisms responsible for laughter. Contrary to folk wisdom, most laughter is not about humor; it is about relationships. To find out when and why people laugh, I went with several assistants to local malls and recorded what happened just before people laughed. Over a 10-year period, we studied over 2,000 cases of naturally occurring laughter.
We found that most laughter does not necessarily follow jokes. People may laugh after a variety of statements, such as, “Here comes Mary,” “How did you do on the test?” or “Do you have a rubber band?” These certainly aren’t jokes.
We believe laughter evolved from the panting (喘气的) behavior of our ancient ancestors. Today, if we tickle (使发痒) chimps, they don’t laugh. But, instead, they produce a panting sound. That’s the sound of ape laughter, and it’s the root of human laughter.
Apes laugh in the kinds of situations that lead to human laughter, like games that involve chasing. Other animals produce sounds during play, but they are so different from laughter. Rats, for example, produce high sounds during play and when tickled, but these are very different in sound from human laughter.
Laughter is often positive, but it can be negative too. There’s a difference between “laughing with” and “laughing at”. People who laugh at others may be trying to drive them out of the group.
No one has actually counted how much people of different ages laugh, but young children probably laugh the most. At ages 5 and 6 we probably laugh more than at any other times. Adults laugh less than children, probably because they play less.
Work now underway will tell us more about the brain mechanisms behind laughter, how it has evolved, and why we’re so susceptible to tickling.
1. What was the purpose of the decade’s research?
A. To prove that people laugh because of humour.
B. To find out the real reason for people s laughter.
C. To research people s different reaction on jokes.
D. To record conversations among shoppers in malls.
2. What can we learn from the text?
A. People who play more tend to laugh more.
B. Apes produce high sounds when tickled.
C. Scientists know the brain mechanisms responsible for laughter well.
D. The situations in which apes laugh are very different from those in which humans laugh.
3. What does the underlined word “susceptible” in the last paragraph probably mean?
A. Sensitive. B. Flexible.
C. Addictive. D. Reliable.
4. Which of the following might be the best title for the text?
A. The Impact of Laughter
B. The Meaning of Laughter
C. A Big Mystery: Why Do We Laugh?
D. Laughter: The Most Beautiful Words
Passage 4(东北三省四市2019届高三二模联考英语试题)
Connecting with people has become so much easier with advancing technology. Tasks that once required a postage stamp or carrier pigeon are now as simple as tapping a name or even a face on your screen, and you’re connected. But also easier is unconsciously getting caught up in a dilemma by violating certain new rules for communicating. A big one for some: Don’t call until you’ve texted to confirm it’s OK to call. But that’s just the beginning.
“I’m usually pretty mild and not much bothers me,” said Mark Angielle, a 29-year-old office manager from White Plains, New York. But the one thing that he hates more than anything else in life is the terrible one-word message — “K.” “At the very least reply with, Got it.” he said “At least give me a few words here. You’re not that busy.”
There are hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of others who have taken Lo social media to express their distaste for people who don’t follow the unwritten rules of digital communication.
“These rules are simply a new display of a phenomenon we’ve seen in the past,” said James Ivory, professor of communication a Virginia Tech. In the same way that generations and small groups of friends have their own slang and customs, internet culture has given birth to technology-dependent beings that have their own unique set of routine.
But not everyone gets the point. Unlike language, digital communication can be filled with ambiguous clues (线索、迹象) that the person on the other end of the call, text or email may or may not easily understand.
“As soon as people aren’t talking face to face, the first thing that gets lost is some of the richness of the body language,” Ivory said, “People immediately fill that gap by using emoji (表情符号) to sum up a feeling in seconds.
“There’s great potential for danger,” Ivory warned. “What’s considered polite in one form might be inappropriate or rude in another occasion.”
1. What can you infer about Mark from Paragraph 2?
A. He is a businessman with a bad temper.
B. He complains about social manners.
C. He can’t bear one- word messages.
D. He dislike a busy business life.
2. According to the text, which of the following breaks the rules for communicating?
A. John says “I got it.” to his boss face to face.
B. Jim calls Bill without confirming in advance.
C. Mary texts Lily to make sure if she can call her.
D. Jack sends “Thanks a lot” to his business friends.
3. Why may people misunderstand each other during digital communication?
A. Emoji cannot sum up feelings.
B. People use their own slang and customs.
C. There are large quantities of written rules.
D. People gets wrong messages without clear clues.
4. What are people expected to do after reading tie passage?
A. To obey their own digital communication rules.
B. To be aware of rules during digital communication.
C. To use advancing technology even with disadvantages.
D. To keep pace with digital communication development.