1、2020年高考英语真题模拟试题专项汇编（6）阅读理解-科教科普类1. Some parents will buy any high-tech toy if they think it will help their child, but researchers said puzzles help children with math-related skills. Psychologist Susan Levine, an expert on mathematics development in young children the University of Chicago, found c
2、hildren who play with puzzles between ages 2 and 4 later develop better spatial skills. Puzzle play was found to be a significant predictor of cognition(认知) after controlling for differences in parents income, education and the amount of parent talk, Levine said. The researchers analyzed video recor
3、dings of 53 child-parent pairs during everyday activities at home and found children who play with puzzles between 26 and 46 months of age have better spatial skills when assessed at 54 months of age. The children who played with puzzles performed better than those who did not, on tasks that assesse
4、d their ability to rotate(旋转)and translate shapes, Levine said in a statement. The parents were asked to interact with their children as they normally would, and about half of children in the study played with puzzles at one time. Higher-income parents tended to have children play with puzzles more
5、frequently, and both boys and girls who played with puzzles had better spatial skills. However, boys tended to play with more complex puzzles than girls, and the parents of boys provided more spatial language and were more active during puzzle play than parents of girls. The findings were published
6、in the journal Developmental Science.(1).In which aspect do children benefit from puzzle play?A.Building confidence.B.Developing spatial skills.C.Learning self-control.D.Gaining high-tech knowledge.(2).What did Levine take into consideration when designing her experiment?A.Parents age.B.Childrens im
7、agination.C.Parents education.D.Child-parent relationship.(3).How do boys differ from girls in puzzle play?A.They play with puzzles more often.B.They tend to talk less during the game.C.They prefer to use more spatial language.D.They are likely to play with tougher puzzles.(4).What is the text mainl
8、y about?A.A mathematical method.B.A scientific study.C.A woman psychologistD.A teaching program.2. We are the products of evolution, and not just evolution that occurred billions of years ago. As scientists look deeper into our genes (基因), they are finding examples of human evolution in just the pas
9、t few thousand years. People in Ethiopian highlands have adapted to living at high altitudes. Cattle-raising people in East Africa and northern Europe have gained a mutation (突变) that helps them digest milk as adults. On Thursday in an article published in Cell, a team of researchers reported a new
10、kind of adaptation - not to air or to food, but to the ocean. A group of sea-dwelling people in Southeast Asia have evolved into better divers. The Bajau, as these people are known, number in the hundreds of thousands in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. They have traditionally lived on house
11、boats; in recent times, theyve also built houses on stilts (支柱) in coastal waters. They are simply a stranger to the land, said Redney C. Jubilado, a University of Hawaii researcher who studies the Bajau. Dr. Jubilado first met the Bajau while growing up on Samal Island in the Philippines. They made
12、 a living as divers, spearfishing or harvesting shellfish. We were so amazed that they could stay underwater much longer than us local islanders, Dr. Jubilado said. I could see them actually walking under the sea. In 2015, Melissa Ilardo, then a graduate student in genetics at the University of Cope
13、nhagen, heard about the Bajau. She wondered if centuries of diving could have led to the evolution of physical characteristics that made the task easier for them. It seemed like the perfect chance for natural selection to act on a population, said Dr. Ilardo. She also said there were likely a number
14、 of other genes that help the Bajau dive.(1).What does the author want to tell us by the examples in paragraph 1?A.Environmental adaptation of cattle raisers.B.New knowledge of human evolution.C.Recent findings of human origin.D.Significance of food selection.(2).Where do the Bajau build their house
15、s?A.In valleys.B.Near rivers.C.On the beach.D.Off the coast.(3).Why was the young Jubilado astonished at the Bajau?A.They could walk on stilts all day.B.They had a superb way of fishing.C.They could stay long underwater.D.They lived on both land and water.(4).What can be a suitable title for the tex
16、t?A.Bodies Remodeled for a Life at SeaB.Highlanders Survival SkillsC.Basic Methods of Genetic ResearchD.The Worlds Best Divers3. Todays world is not an easy adjustment for young adults. A key skill set for success is persistence (毅力), characteristic that researchers say is heavily influenced by fath
17、ers. Researchers from Brigham Young University discovered that fathers are in a unique position to help their adolescent children learn persistence. BYU professors Laura Padilla-Walker and Randal Day arrived at these findings after following 325 American families over several years. And over time, t
18、he persistence gained through fathers led to higher achievement in school. There are relatively few studies that stress the unique role of fathers, Padilla-Walker said. This research also helps to prove that characteristics such as persistence which can be taught are key to a childs life success. Re
19、searchers determined that dads need to practice an authoritative parenting style. Authoritative parenting is not authoritarian: rigid, demanding or controlling. Rather, an authoritative parenting style includes some of the following characteristics: children feel warmth and love from their father; r
20、esponsibility and the reasons behind rules are stressed; children are given an appropriate level of autonomy(自主权). In the study, about 52 percent of the dads exhibited above-average levels of authoritative parenting. key finding is that over time, children raised by an authoritative father were sign
21、ificantly more likely to develop persistence, which leads to better outcomes in school. This particular study examined 11 to 14-year-olds living in two-parent homes. Yet the researchers suggest that single parents still may play a role in teaching the benefits of persistence, which is an avenue of f
22、uture research.(1).What is special about the BYU professors study?A.It centered on fathers role in parenting.B.It was based on a number of large families.C.It analyzed different kinds of parenting styles.D.It aimed to improve kids achievement in school.(2).What would an authoritative father do when
23、raising his children?A.Ignore their demands.B.Make decisions for them.C.Control their behaviors.D.Explain the rules to them.(3).Which group can be a focus of future studies according to the researchers?A.Single parents.B.Children aged from 11 to 14.C.Authoritarian fathers.D.Mothers in two-parent hom
24、es.(4).Which of the following is the best title for the text?A.Three Characteristics of Authoritative FathersB.Key Skills for Young Adults to Succeed in FutureC.Children Tend to Learn Determination from FatherD.Family Relationship Influences School Performance4. A group of blue-faced birds step thro
25、ugh the grass shoulder to shoulder, red eyes looking around. They look like middle schoolers seeking a cafeteria table at lunchtime. Perhaps theyre not so different. A new study, led by Damien Farine, an ornithologist who studies collective behaviour, shows that vulturine guinea fowls of eastern Afr
26、ica, like humans, have multilevel societies. In the past, scientists assumed such social structures required a lot of brainpower. But the pea-brained guinea fowls are revealing the faults in that assumption. These large birds wander across the landscape in packs, often walking so closely that their
27、bodies touch. They may fight each other to maintain their strict hierarchies (等级制度),but at other times they engage in friendly behaviours like sharing food. Suspecting the guinea fowl might have a social structure, Dr. Farine and his colleagues began a thorough study of their society. For a whole ye
28、ar, they made daily observations of 441 birds. Coloured leg bands in unique combinations let researchers tell the black-and-blue birds apart. They also attached GPS devices to the backs of 58 birds, which let them see exactly where every group went, 24 hours a day. The findings of the research sugge
29、st that vulturine guinea fowls have a multilevel society. There are groups within groups within the population as a whole. There even seem to be groups of friends within the small groups. This is the first time anyone has observed such a society in a bird. And Dr. Farine emphasizes this particular b
30、irds tiny brain size. They dont only have small brains relative to mammals (哺乳动物);they also have quite small brains relative to other birds, he said. According to him, living in this kind of society might actually make it easier to keep track of the social order. For example, if groups are stable an
31、d a bird can identify just one or two individuals within a group, it knows which group its looking at no need for a brain that can recognize every single animal. Multilevel societies also let animals adjust their group sizes based on whatever challenges theyre facing. Depending on what enemies or re
32、sources are around, it might make sense to travel in a combined group rather than a smaller one. Having a multilevel structure may not require having a large brain, Dr. Farine said. There may be more birds and other animals out there that, although small-brained, have multilevel societies as our own
33、.(1).According to the passage, what inspired Dr. Farine to carry out the study?A.The guinea fowls social behaviour.B.Previous assumptions about birds.C.His interest in animals brainpower.D.The faults in earlier research.(2).What is Paragraph 4 mainly about?A.The research subjects.B.The research meth
34、ods.C.The research findings.D.The research equipment.(3).What can be learned from the passage?A.Complex social systems can be a disadvantage to guinea fowls.B.Guinea fowls are good at recognizing individuals in a group.C.Birds maintain the social order by travelling in combined groups.D.Small-braine
35、d animals can form multilevel societies.(4).What is the main purpose of the passage?A.To present the findings of a study of the guinea fowl.B.To explain the interaction patterns in multilevel societies.C.To introduce a new approach to observing the guinea fowl.D.To uncover clues about how complex so
36、cieties are formed.5.One sheep, two sheep. Wait, why are we counting sheep again? Counting sheep to fall asleep is a method that seems to be as old as time. But have you ever stopped to think about why theyre sheep? Why not cats? Or dogs?While the origin of why people count sheep to fall asleep has
37、no exact root, therere a few guesses. The most popular belief, according to Mental Floss, has to do with shepherds in Britain in Middle Ages. Apparently, if shepherds used communal grazing land (公共牧场), they were responsible to keep a headcount of their sheep each night So before going to sleep, they
38、 counted their sheep to ensure they were all accounted for.But at least one book claims the link between sheep and sleep goes back even further, reports Mental Floss. “A chapter in Disciplina Clericalis suggests that counting sheep has already been part of certain cultures for centuries.”So does cou
39、nting sheep to fall asleep actually work? Apparently, you might want to seek other options first. “Involving the brain in a relaxing, repetitive task slows the mind, and stops our racing stressful thoughts from taking over,” says Hilary Thompson, a health consultant. “Unfortunately, counting sheep i
40、snt one of these helpful tasks. Researchers at Oxford University put it to the test and discovered that subjects who pictured running waterfalls and rivers could fall asleep more quickly.”In addition to picturing something relaxing, breathing techniques also tend to be very effective sleeping aids.
41、“I prefer to teach patients the breath work,” says Dr Elizabeth Trattner. “Breath in through the nose for a count of 4, hold for 7 and make a whooshing noise out for the count of 8. This breathing technique resets the body, and lowers both stress and anxiety.”1.Before going to bed, why did shepherds
42、 count sheep?A.To learn to count numbers.B.To help fall asleep quickly.C.To make all sheep were there.D.To play games with other shepherds.2.What can be inferred from the book Disciplina Clericalis?A.Counting sheep has a long history.B.The book was written for a long time.C.Counting sheep was quite
43、interesting.D.The book describes life of shepherds.3.What is Hilary Thompsons view on counting sheep?A.It is helpful to sleep.B.It doesnt work very well.C.It increases sleep time.D.It makes mind relaxing.4.What is the best way to fall asleep quickly by Elizabeth Trattner?A.Listening to soft music.B.
44、Picturing water running.C.Imagining relaxing things.D.Applying breathing techniques.6.A study confirmed that the cracks found on Marss surface last year by the Curiosity Rover are evidence of ancient lakes that likely dried up about 3.5 billion years ago. The new study provides further evidence of w
45、hat the climate on the Red Planet may have been like in its ancient past.The study, published online in Geology, proved that cracks on Marss surface previously photographed by Curiosity are dry mud cracks which could have only been formed when wet ground was exposed to the air. This conclusion was b
46、ased on an analysis of a single area of rock known as “Old Soaker.”Researchers used the Curiosity rover and information from its many tools including the Mars Hand Lens Imager, ChemCam Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectrometer (LIBS) and the Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) to study both the phys
47、ical appearance and the chemistry of the rock, which is described as no bigger than a coffee table.The analysis showed that cracks on the rocks were formed by exposure to air, rather than heat or the flow of water. In addition, the shape of the cracks suggests it experienced a single drying event on
48、 the planet, rather than getting wet and drying over repeatedly. The position of the cracks, closer to the center of the ancient lake rather than alongside it, also suggests that the lake levels changed often, rising and falling over time.“The mud cracks are exciting because they help us to understa
49、nd this ancient lake system,” lead study author Nathaniel Stein, a geologist at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, said, referring to the ancient lake system on the planet.Scientists have known of the existence of ancient water on Mars for years. A 2015 NASA study that measured wate
50、r in Marss atmosphere suggested that ancient oceans may once have had more water than our own Arctic Ocean. However, because the planet has less gravity and a thinner atmosphere than Earth, this water evaporated(蒸发)into space over the course of several billion years.1.What is the Curiosity Rover?A.A
51、n organization.B.A scientist.C.A planet.D.A machine.2.What do we know about the discovery on Mars?A.The cracks are near the center of an ancient lake.B.Mars was getting wet and drying more than once.C.The lake level on Mars seldom changes over time.D.The cracks on the rocks were formed by water flow
52、.3.What can we infer from the last paragraph?A.Ancient water still exists on Mars now.B.The gravity on Mars is stronger than that on Earth.C.The atmosphere on Earth is thicker than that on Mars.D.The ancient Arctic Ocean had more water than it has now.4.What is the text mainly about?A.Water on Mars.
53、B.A trip to Mars.C.A study on Mars.D.Cracks on Mars.7. The connection between people and plants has long been the subject of scientific research. Recent studies have found positive effects. A study conducted in Youngstown, Ohio, for example, discovered that greener areas of the city experienced less
54、 crime. In another, employees were shown to be 15% more productive when their workplaces were decorated with houseplants. The engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT) have taken it a step further-changing the actual composition of plants in order to get them to perform diverse, ev
55、en unusual functions. These include plants that have sensors printed onto their leaves to show when theyre short of water and a plant that can detect harmful chemicals in groundwater. Were thinking about how we can engineer plants to replace functions of the things that we use every day, explained M
56、ichael Strano, a professor of chemical engineering at MIT. One of his latest projects has been to make plants grow(发光) in experiments using some common vegetables. Stranos team found that they could create a faint light for three-and-a-half hours. The light, about one-thousandth of the amount needed
57、 to read by, is just a start. The technology, Strano said, could one day be used to light the rooms or even to turn tree into self-powered street lamps. In the future, the team hopes to develop a version of the technology that can be sprayed onto plant leaves in a one-off treatment that would last t
58、he plants lifetime. The engineers are also trying to develop an on and off switch where the glow would fade when exposed to daylight. Lighting accounts for about 7% of the total electricity consumed in the US. Since lighting is often far removed from the power source(电源)such as the distance from a p
59、ower plant to street lamps on a remote highway-a lot of energy is lost during transmission(传输). Glowing plants could reduce this distance and therefore help save energy. (1)Why are race walkers conditioned athletes?A. They must run long distances.B. They are qualified for the marathon.C. They have t
60、o follow special rules.D. They are good at swinging their legs.(2)What advantage does race walking have over running?A. Its more popular at the Olympics.B. Its less challenging physically.C. Its more effective in body building.D. Its less likely to cause knee injuries.(3)What is Dr. Norbergs suggest
61、ion for someone trying race walking?A. Getting experts opinions.B. Having a medical checkup.C. Hiring an experienced coach.D. Doing regular exercises.(4)Which word best describes the authors attitude to race walking?A. Skeptical.B. Objective.C. Tolerant.D. Conservative.答案以及解析1.答案：(1)-(4)BCDB解析：(1).考
62、查细节理解。根据第二段中的Psychologist Susan Levine.found children who play with puzzles between ages 2 and 4 later develop better spatial skills 以及第三段内容可知,孩子们通过玩智力游戏可以培养空间技能。故选B。(2).考查细节理解。根据第二段最后一句Puzzle play was found to be a significant predictor of cognition(认知)after controlling for differences in parents i
63、ncome, education and the amount of parent talk, Levine said可知,Levine在设计实验时,考虑到了父母的收入、教育以及谈话量。故选C。(3).考查细节理解。根据倒数第二段最后一句However, boys tended to play with more complex puzzles than girls, and the parents of boys provided more spatial language and were more active during puzzle play than the parents of
64、 girls可知,男孩们较女孩们而言,倾向于玩更复杂的智力游戏。故选D。(4).考查主旨大意。阅读全文内容尤其是最后一段The findings were published in the journal Developmental Science可知,该篇文章主要介绍的是一项科学研究。故选B。2.答案：BDCA解析：(1).考查推理判断。根据第一段中的they are finding examples of human evolution in just the past few thousand years可以推断,作者举例主要是为了告诉读者人类进化的新知识,故选B。(2).考查细节理解。
65、根据第二段中的They have traditionally lived on houseboats; in recent times, theyve also built houses on stilts(支柱)in coastal waters可知,巴瑶族人主要居住在沿海地区,故D项正确。(3).考查细节理解。根据第三段中的We were so amazed that they could stay underwater much longer than us local islanders可知,年轻的Jubilado对巴瑶族人惊讶不已的地方在于他们可以在水下待很长的时间,故选C。(4).
66、考查标题判断。本文是一篇研究报道,根据第二段的研究结果a team of researchers reported a new kind of adaplation-not to air or to food, but to the ocean可知,本文主要讲述了巴瑶族人为了更好地适应海上的生活,身体结构发生了变化,所以A项适合作本文的标题。3.答案：(1)-(4)ADAC解析：(1).考查细节理解。根据文章第一段的Researchers from Brigham Young University discovered that fathers are in a unique position
67、 to help their adolescent children learn persistence可推断,该研究关注父亲在教育子女坚持方面的独特作用和地位。故答案为A项。(2).考查推理判断。根据文章第四段的Authoritative parenting. Rather, an authoritative parenting style includes some of the following characteristics: children feel warmth and love from their father; responsibility and the reasons
68、 behind rules are stressed可推断,真正的权威式父亲不是独裁式的,而是给孩子讲规则、讲理由的。此处特别要注意文章中的the reasons behind rules are stressed与D项属于同义替换。所以答案为D项。(3).考查推理判断。根据文章最后一段的that single parents still may play a role in teaching the benefits of persistence, which is an avenue of future research可知,未来的研究将会更多关注到单亲父母在教导坚持的益处方面的作用。因此
69、选A项。(4).考查标题判断。根据文章第一段的Researchers from Brigham Young University discovered that fathers are in a unique position to help their adolescent children learn persistence可知,本文主要围绕父亲的家教作用来展开,提出父亲对孩子坚持的品质的培养有特别的影响。故C项能够很好地概括全文。 4.答案：(1)-(4)ABDA解析：(1).考查细节理解。根据第三段的内容以及第四段第一句Suspecting the guinea fowl might
70、have a social structure, Dr. Farine and his colleagues began a thorough study of their society可知, 鹫珠鸡独特的行为表现使Dr. Farine觉得它们可能有社会结构,所以他和他的同事开展了这项研究,故选A。(2).考查段落大意。根据第四段的内容可知,Dr. Farine及其团队在一年内每天观察441只鹫珠鸡,并用彩带把它们区分开,还给其中58只身上装了定位设备,每天24小时观察它们的去向,由此可知,本段主要讲述了Dr. Farine及其团队所使用的研究方法,故B项正确。(3).考查推理判断。通读全文
71、并根据最后一段中的Having a multilevel structure may not require having a large brain可推知,即使大脑很小的物种,也可能拥有多层次的社会结构,故选D。(4).考查写作目的。本文第一段通过鹫珠鸡的行为表现引人话题,第二段介绍了研究发现,第三、四段讲述了开始研究的原因及研究方法,后四段分析了研究发现。由此可知,本文主要介绍了一项关于鹫珠鸡的研究的发现, 故A项正确。 5.答案：1.C; 2.A; 3.B; 4.D解析：1.细节理解题。根据第二段第三、第四句话可知,如果牧羊人在公共场合放牧,那么每晚睡觉前都要清点羊群数量来确保所有的羊都
72、在。故选C。2.推理判断题。根据第三段最后一句“ A chapter in Disciplina Clerical suggests that counting sheep has already been part of certain cultures for centuries.”可知,睡觉时数羊这一现象已经存在几个世纪之久,已经成为特定文化的一部分。故选A。3.推理判断题。根据第四段Hilary Thompson说的话“ Involving the brain”及 “Unfortunately, counting sheep isnt one of these helpful task
73、s”可知脑中想一些轻松、重复的事物有助于睡眠,但是数羊不在其中。由此可知,HUary Thompson认为睡前数羊几乎没有什么作用。故选B。4.细节理解题。根据最后一段Elizabeth Trattner所说的话,呼吸可以让身体放松,同时减缓压力和焦虑,可知,Elzabeth Trattner认为使用一些呼吸技巧来促进睡眠是最佳的方法。 故选D。6.答案：1.D; 2.A; 3.C; 4.D解析：1.根据第二段中 previously photographed by Curiosity可知,Curiosity rover 是火星探测器。2.根据第四段中的the position of the
74、cracks, closer to the center of the ancient lake rather than alongside it可知答案。3.根据最后一段中because the planet has less gravity and a thinner atmosphere than Earth可知,地球的大气层比火星的厚。4.根据首段中的A study confirmed that the cracks found on Marss surface last year by the Curiosity rover are evidence of ancient lakes
75、 that likely dried up about 3.5 billion years ago.以及下文对该裂缝的分析可知,这篇文章是关于火星裂缝的。7.答案：(1)-(4)DACC解析：(1).考查段落大意。根据第一段第二句Recent studies have found positive effects及本段中的greener areas of the city experienced less crime和employees were shown to be 15% more productive when their workplaces were decorated with
76、houseplants可知,D选项Benefits from green plants能概括本段内容。(2).考查细节理解。根据第二段第二句中的These include plants that have sensors printed onto their leaves to show when theyre short of water可知,A选项正确。根据该句后半部分a plant that can detect harmful chemicals in groundwater可知,干扰项D选项错误。(3).考查推理判断。根据最后一段的内容尤其是最后一句Glowing plants could reduce this distance and therefore help save energy可推知,在未来发光的植物可能有助于减少能源消耗。(4).考查标题判断。文章第一段点明植物的积极作用;第二段是有关植物的其他方面的功能的研究;第三段说明最新的研究表明植物可以发光;第四段是有关将来要开发的一种用在植物叶子上的技术及研究植物发光是否可以打开和关上;第五段表述能量在传输中损失很多,或许发光植物可以解决这一问题。故C选项(发光的植物能代替灯吗?)最能凸显本文主题。