1、课下能力提升(一)阅读理解A“This isnt Disneyland, Im not a novelty (新奇), this is as real as it gets.” sing The Sisters of Invention.The young women Annika, Michelle, Jackie, Aimee and Caroline are a pop group with a difference. All have learning difficulties and some have extra disabilities.The five are based in
2、 Adelaide, Australia, and met in 2010 when they sang together in a choir (合唱队) run by Tutti, an organization which supports disabled artists. Tutti saw they had talent and invited them to form a group. Now they perform together two or three times per month, and this is how they make a living.Michell
3、e is 25 and has cerebral palsy (脑瘫) and a mild learning disability. She says, “We choose the name The Sisters of Invention because we are like sisters and we support each other on and off stage. For the invention part, we are trying to change peoples view of people with disabilities. We are reinvent
4、ing the rules.”All their songs are based on the members own experiences and were written as a group in their twice weekly meetings at Tutti. “We would arrive in the morning and Id say, What do you want to talk about today？” says their manager and producer Michael Ross. He then noted down everything
5、they said until lyrics took shape. Ross says that putting “their truth” out there is important. He says, “What Im interested in is that we get to see the world in a way that people in pop culture almost never get to see. It is creative gold.”When they perform their songs, the physical side of their
6、disabilities is more obvious, but Ross says, “Theyre not up there to show their barriers or difficulties. Theyre up there to show their strengths.”语篇解读：本文为记叙文。五个有学习障碍的女孩组成了一支乐队，她们通过演出向人们展现自己的力量。1What do we know about The Sisters of Invention?AAll its members are disabled.BIt was founded all by five
7、girls.CIt has existed for less than ten years.DThey perform not in order to make money.解析：选A细节理解题。由第二段“All have learning difficulties and some have extra disabilities”可知，五个女孩都有学习障碍，有的还有别的残疾。2The girls choose the name The Sisters of Invention because _.Athey all have great talentBthey help each other
8、 like sistersCthey have the same experiencesDthey are good at inventing things解析：选B细节理解题。由第四段“ . because we are like sisters and we support each other on and off stage”可知，之所以给乐队起这个名字是因为五个成员亲如姐妹，互相支持。3How does Michael Ross produce lyrics for The Sisters of Invention?ABy talking with the girls.BBy ask
9、ing the girls questions.CBy learning about pop culture.DBy using his personal experiences.解析：选A细节理解题。由第五段可知，制作人通过跟五个姐妹聊天，很自然地写出歌词。4How do audiences probably feel watching the performances of The Sisters of Invention?AThey will feel bored.BThey will be inspired.CThey will feel disappointed.DThey will
10、 have pity on them.解析：选B推理判断题。分析最后一段可知，尽管五个姐妹在演出时残疾暴露得更明显，但她们意在向人们展示自己的力量，故观众看到她们的表演后会受到鼓舞。BEach year on Halloween, children look forward to trickortreating (不请客就捣乱) for candies. But for some kids, eating Halloween candies can be dangerous.Thats because 1 out of every 13 kids in the US have a food a
11、llergy. They are allergic to ingredients in many Halloween candies, such as peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, and beans. If they eat these foods, they will get sick or even die.“I had to throw away all my candies with tears，” eightyearold Conlen said. Conlen is allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, and dair
12、y. Twelveyearold Kylie is allergic to peanuts and tree nuts. She has been trickortreating only twice. “I brought my candies home and gave them to the neighbors，” Kylie said. “It felt terrible.”But this year, Conlen, Kylie and other kids with food allergies will have a chance for a happy Halloween. T
13、hats because nearly 100,000 households across the US have promised to take part in the Teal (蓝绿色) Pumpkin Project (TPP), which was started last year by Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE)FARE is an organization that works to improve the lives of people with food allergies. Through the project,
14、the households agree to have nonfood items for trickortreaters, including trinkets (小饰品) and toys.To take part in the project, people buy a teal pumpkin or paint a pumpkin teal and place it in front of their house. The painted pumpkins let trickortreaters know that nonfood items are available there.
15、 The households also add their home addresses to an online map, making it easier for trickortreaters to find them.Kylie loves the idea. “The TPP makes Halloween fun and safe，” she said. “It makes me feel like a normal kid, and it makes everyone feel included.”语篇解读：本文是新闻报道。为了让那些对特定食物过敏的孩子过上快乐的万圣节，美国的
16、一个组织Food Allergy Research & Education开展了一个名为Teal Pumpkin Project的活动。5To Conlen and Kylie, in the past Halloween was _.Aupsetting and dangerousBinteresting and specialCsick and terribleDimportant and exciting解析：选A推理判断题。根据文章第三段的内容可知，Conlen和Kylie对一些食物过敏，所以他们不能吃万圣节糖果。所以对于他俩来说，万圣节是一个让他们难过而且还会带来危险的节日。6Acc
17、ording to the passage, we know that FARE _.Ahelps people with food allergies recoverBhelps the households take part in the TPPCtakes action to change kids bad eating habitsDhelps kids with food allergies have a happy Halloween解析：选D细节理解题。根据文章第四段的内容可知，Food Allergy Research & Education组织通过开展Teal Pumpki
18、n Project的活动来帮助那些对特定食物过敏的孩子过一个快乐的万圣节。7The households help kids with food allergies by _.Agiving them teal pumpkins as giftsBoffering them all kinds of food except candiesCproviding them with trinkets and toys as treatsDasking them for home addresses and sending them gifts解析：选C细节理解题。根据文章倒数第三段最后一句以及倒数
19、第二段的内容可知，参加Teal Pumpkin Project的家庭在万圣节期间会在自家门前摆放一个蓝绿色的南瓜，他们会用小饰品或者玩具来招待那些不能吃糖果的孩子。8Where is the passage most probably taken from?AA magazine about the history of festivals.BA news report on cultures and customs.CAn advertisement for an organization.DA research paper on kids health.解析：选B文章出处题。通读全文可知，
20、本文内容和万圣节的风俗习惯有关。再根据文章第四段中的“But this year, Conlen, Kylie and other kids .”可知，本文写在今年的万圣节前，而且文章中还引用了两个孩子的话语，由此可知，本文最有可能摘自一篇关于风俗习惯的新闻报道。CDarek Fidyka, a 38yearold Bulgarian, had been paralysed (瘫痪的) from the chest down for four years after a knife attack. Scientists from Britain and Poland took cells fr
21、om his nose, transplanted (移植) them into his back and regrew his spinal cord (脊髓). Now he can walk and even drive a car. The doctors were delighted but said it was the first step in a long journey.The breakthrough came after 40 years of research by Professor Geoff Raisman, who found that cells had t
22、he possibility to repair damage to nasal (鼻腔的) nerves, the only part of the nervous system that constantly regrows. “The idea was to take something from an area where the nervous system can repair itself, and does so throughout life, and put it into an area that doesnt repair itself，” Professor Rais
23、man said.Polish doctors injected the nasal cells into Mr Fidykas spinal cord above and below the injury and used some nerves from his ankle to form a bridge across the damaged tissue. The nasal cells appear to have caused the spinal nerves to repair themselves.Professor Raisman achieved this with ra
24、ts in the late 1990s, but this is his greatest success. “I think the moment of discovery for me was Christmas in 1997 when I first saw a rat that couldnt control its hand put its hand out to me. That was an exciting moment, because I realised then that my belief that the nervous system could be repa
25、ired was true.”Doctors chose the easiest case for their first attempt it might not work for others. But there is a real sense of hope that an idea once thought impossible has been realised.David Nicholls, who helped provide money for the breakthrough, said information about the breakthrough would be
26、 made available to researchers across the globe.“What youve got to understand is that for three million paralysed people in the world today, the world looks a totally brighter place than it did yesterday，” he said.语篇解读：本文是说明文。文章主要讲述了英国和波兰科学家通过移植鼻腔细胞使得瘫痪病人重获走路的能力。9Why did Professor Geoff Raisman choo
27、se cells from the nose?AThe nervous system in the nose can repair itself.BCells in the nose can be easily transplanted.CCells in the nose reproduce rapidly.DHe just wanted to give it a try.解析：选A细节理解题。由第二段中的“found that cells had the possibility . the nervous system that constantly regrows”可知，Geoff Ra
28、isman教授发现鼻腔细胞是神经系统中唯一能够不断再生的部分。10Why did the operation work for Darek Fidyka?AThe nasal cells reproduced and spread quickly.BThe nerves from his ankle helped cure the injury.CThe nervous system in the spinal cord can repair itself.DThe nasal cells helped the spinal nerves to repair themselves.解析：选D细
29、节理解题。由第三段中的“The nasal cells appear to have caused the spinal nerves to repair themselves”可知，鼻腔细胞能够促使脊髓神经自我修复。11What made Professor Geoff Raisman believe the nervous system can be repaired?AHis study on animals.BHis operation on a paralysed patient.CHis sudden thoughts about Christmas.DHis unusual ex
30、perience with a sick rat.解析：选D细节理解题。由第四段中的“when I first saw a rat . the nervous system could be repaired was true”可知，Geoff Raisman教授看到一只不能使唤爪子的老鼠竟然把一只爪子伸向他，由此他开始相信神经系统是可以修复的。12David Nicholls words suggest that _.Athe world is becoming better and brighterBparalysed people have the hope of recoveryCthe report of the breakthrough will be published soonDresearchers across the globe will carry out the operation解析：选B推理判断题。由最后一段中的“What youve got to understand . brighter place than it did yesterday”可知，对于世界上三百万瘫痪的病人来说，治愈这种病有一线希望。