高考英语阅读理解精英训练题5及答案.docx

1、高考英语阅读理解精英训练题5及答案2014高考英语阅读理解精英训练题（5）及答案阅读理解There is increasing evidence that the impacts of meteorites (陨星) have had important effects on Earth, particularly in the field of biological evolution. Such impacts continue to pose a natural hazard to life on Earth. If an impact is large enough, it can d

2、isturb the environment of the entire Earth and cause an ecological catastrophe. The best-documented such impact took place 65 million years ago at the end of the Cretaceous period (白垩纪期) of geological history. This break in Earths history is marked by a mass extinction, when as many as half the spec

3、ies on the planet became extinct. While there are a dozen or more mass extinctions in the geological record, the Cretaceous mass extinction has always intrigued paleontologists (古生物学者) because it marks the end of the age of the dinosaurs. For tens of millions of years, those great creatures had flou

4、rished. Then, suddenly, they disappeared. The body that impacted Earth at the end of the Cretaceous period was a meteorite with a mass of more than a trillion tons and a diameter of at least 10 kilometers. Scientists first identified this impact in 1980 from the worldwide layer of sediment (沉积物) dep

5、osited from the dust cloud that enveloped the planet after the impact. This sediment layer is enriched in the rare metal iridium (铱) and other elements that are relatively abundant in a meteorite but very rare in the crust (地壳) of Earth. Even diluted (稀释) by the terrestrial (地球的) material excavated

6、(挖掘) from the crater, this component of meteorites is easily identified. By 1990 geologists had located the impact site itself in the Yucat region of Mexico. The crater, now deeply buried in sediment, was originally about 200 kilometers in diameter. This impact released an enormous amount of energy,

7、 excavating a crater about twice as large as the lunar crater Tycho. The explosion lifted about 100 trillion tons of dust into the atmosphere. Such a quantity of material would have blocked the sunlight completely from reaching the surface, plunging Earth into a period of cold and darkness that last

8、ed at least several months. The explosion is also calculated to have produced vast quantities of nitric acid (硝酸) and melted rock that sprayed out over much of Earth, starting widespread fires that must have consumed most terrestrial forests and grassland. Presumably, those environmental disasters c

9、ould have been responsible for the mass extinction, including the death of the dinosaurs.Several other mass extinctions in the geological record have been tentatively identified with large impacts, but none is so dramatic as the Cretaceous event. But even without such specific documentation, it is c

10、lear that impacts of this size do occur and that their results can be catastrophic. What is a catastrophe for one group of living things, however, may create opportunities for another group. Following each mass extinction, there is a sudden evolutionary burst as new species develop to fill the ecolo

11、gical niches opened by the event.Impacts by meteorites represent one way that could cause global catastrophes and seriously influence the evolution of life all over the planet. According to some estimates, the majority of all extinctions of species may be due to such impacts. Such a perspective fund

12、amentally changes our view of biological evolution. The standard criterion for the survival of a species is its success in competing with other species and adapting to slowly changing environments. Yet an equally important criterion is the ability of a species to survive random global ecological cat

13、astrophes due to impacts. 5. In paragraph 2, why does the author include the information that dinosaurs had flourished for tens of millions of years and then suddenly disappeared?A. To support the claim that the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous is the best-documented of the dozen or so m

14、ass extinctions in the geological record.B. To explain why as many as half of the species on Earth at the time are believed to have become extinct at the end of the Cretaceous.C. To explain why paleontologists have always been intrigued by the mass extinction at the end of the CretaceousD. To provid

15、e evidence that an impact can be large enough to disturb the environment of the entire planet and cause an ecological disaster.6. According to paragraph 3, how did scientists determine that a large meteorite had impacted Earth?A. They discovered a large crater in the Yucat region of Mexico.B. They f

16、ound a unique layer of sediment worldwide.C. They were alerted by archaeologists who had been excavating in the Yucat region.D. They located a meteorite with a mass of over a trillion tons.7. According to paragraph 4, all of the following statements are true of the impact at the end of the Cretaceou

17、s period EXCEPT:A. A large amount of dust blocked sunlight from Earth.B. Earth became cold and dark for several months.C. New elements were formed in Earths crust.D. Large quantities of nitric acid were produced.8. The phrase tentatively identified in the passage is closest in the meaning to _.A. id

18、entified without certainty B. identified after careful study C. occasionally identified D. easily identified9. Paragraph 6 supports which of the following statements about the factors that are essential for the survival of a species?A. The most important factor for the survival of a species is its a

19、bility to compete and adapt to gradual changes in its environment.B. The ability of a species to compete and adapt to a gradually changing environment is not the only ability that is essential for survival.C. Since most extinctions of species are due to major meteorite impacts, the ability to surviv

20、e such impacts is the most important factor for the survival of a species.D. The factors that are most important for the survival of a species vary significantly from one species to another.参考答案 5-9 CBCAB 第三部分：阅读理解(共两节，满分40分)阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。A(2012四川眉山一诊)Tomato Festival

21、Started in 2005, the Tomato Festival has grown into a local tradition in Malta. In recent years, the festival has added amusement parkstyle rides and a yearly Creature Feature, which screens old horrible movies.There are also dance competitions, parades and pancake breakfast.Third weekend in August.

22、 Address: 833 Tinkham Rd, Fountain Park, Wilbraham, Massachusetts 01095 Phone：(413)5990010Brat DaysDont mistake this festival for a day filled with poorly behaved children. Begun m 1953, the gathering is the biggest festival in the city each year and features more than 50 stands (摊位) selling the sau

23、sage, as well as a contest to see who can quickly eat the most bratwurst (德国式小香肠) in ten minutes.Early August.Address: 17th and New Jersey sts, Kiwanis Park, She boygan, Wisconsin 53081Phone: (920)4579491Hope Watermelon FestivalThe festival dates back to the 1920s, when many trains went through this

24、 small town and local watermelon growers would sell their watermelon to parched travelers.These days, the festival sees a Watermelon Queen crowned(加冠的) and sometimes a worldrecord watermelon grown.There are also more than 300 stands selling arts and crafts from a sixstate area, as well as a car show

25、 and the Watermelon Olympics.Early August.Address: 108 W 3rd St, Hope, Arkansas 71801 Phone: (870) 7773640Oyster Festival (牡蛎节)Featuring appearances from tall ships and oyster boats, this festival has regularly drawn 60,000 visitors a year since it began in 1978.More than 3,000 volunteers (志愿者) make

26、 the festival possible each year.Norwalk is less than a twohour drive from many of New Englands larger cities, making it easy to attend the festival during a trip to New York or Hartford.Weekend after Labor Day.Address: Sea view Ave, Veterans Park, East Norwalk, Connecticut 06855 Phone: (800) 866792

27、5文章大意：本文主要介绍了国外四种节日起源的时间，不同的庆祝方式、时间和地点。56Which of the following festivals has the longest history?A.Oyster Festival. BHope Watermelon Festival.C.Brat Days. DTomato Festival.答案：B对比归纳题。从文中可以得到各个节日的起源时间为：Oyster Festival 1978年；Hope Watermelon Festival 20世纪20年代；Brat Days 1953年；Tomato Festival 2005年故B项的历史

28、最长。57The underlined word “parched” in the third passage means_.A.tired BhungryCthirsty Dexcited答案：C猜测词义题。西瓜最好的特性是“甘甜解渴”。故反推得C。58In which of the following activities can you enjoy the frightening films?A.The Creature Feature B.The Watermelon OlympicsC.The Eatingbratwurst ContestDDance Competitions答案：

29、A细节理解题。只有Tomato Festival中的第二句提到，其中的the Creature Feature里放old horrible movies“旧的恐怖电影”。59If it is August 15 today this year, you might still attend_.A.Brat Days BOyster FestivalC.Hope Watermelon Festival DTomato Festival答案：D推理判断题。几个节日的日期只有Tomato Festival是在8月的第三个星期，在8月15日之后。（201*浙江卷）AOne evening in Feb

30、ruary 2007 . a student named Paula Ceely brought her car to a stop on a remote in Wales . She got out to open a metal gate that blocked her path . Thats when she heard the whistle sounded by the driver of a train.Her Renault Clio parked across a railway line. Second later,she watched the train drag

31、her car almost a kilometre down the railway tracks. Ceelys near miss made the news because she blamed it on her GPS device(导航仪).She had never driven the route before .It was dark and raining heavily . Ceely was relying on her GPS. But it made no mention of the crossing .I put my complete trust in th

32、e device and it led me right into the path of a speeding train ,she told the BBC. W ho is to blame here ? Rick Stevenson ,who tells Ceelys story in his book When Machines Fail US, finger at the limitations of technology. We put our faith in digital devices, he says, but our digital helpers are too often not up to the job. They are filled with small problems. And its not just GPS devices: Stevenson takes us on a tour of digital disasters involving everything from m