1、.阅读理解AThe discovery of a dwarfed(矮个的) “human being” who lived in Flores,Indonesia (印尼),up to 18,000 years ago is changing the way we think about the human family.This “Flores Human” was three feet tall and her brain was smaller than that of the average chimp (黑猩猩) ,yet she and her relatives apparent
2、ly lived fully human lives.They seemed to have made tools,worked together to find food and cook it,and perhaps even buried their dead with ceremony.It was a major surprise to find tools associated with the new human family member.The tools are like those formerly seen only with European fossils(化石)
3、from our own species,Homo sapiens(智人),and the oldest of them were made 94,000 years ago.Homo sapiens is thought to have arrived in the island about 40,000 years ago,much too late to be responsible for the tools.If this_tiny_human made the tools,then the inside structure(结构)of its brain must have bee
4、n more like our own than a chimps,despite being just a third the size of ours.This “new human” was suspected to be a dwarfed branch of Homo erectus(直立人)When creatures are separated in regions with rare resources but few enemies,being big is a disadvantage,and evolution tends to shrink them,a process
5、 known as island dwarfing.Could natural selection make a human smaller while keepingeven improvingmental ability? Quite possibly,believes Christopher Wills of the University of California.Has the “Flores Human” even shown the ability of language? “I find it difficult to imagine that people could mak
6、e tools,use fire,and kill large animals without fairly advanced communication.”Wills says.Did “Flores Human” possess the basic components of human culturesuch as the burying of the dead with ceremony?Emiliano Brunet of the Italian Institute points out that Indonesias hot,wet environment is bad for f
7、ossilization.It is reasonable to assume,he says,that the 18,000yearold bones of the most complete Flores woman were wellpreserved because she was buried with special care.【语篇解读】本文介绍了关于“Flores Human”的主要发现。1What did the dwarfed “human beings” look like?AThey were not small.BThey were very tall.CThey w
8、ere 30 inches tall.DThey were 36 inches tall.解析:选D。根据第一段中“This Flores Human was three feet tall and her brain was smaller.”看出这些矮人有三英尺高,一英尺等于12英寸。2The underlined part “this tiny human” in Paragraph 2 refers to _Aa chimp BFlores HumanCHomo sapiens DHomo erectus解析:选B。词义猜测题。从第一段中“a dwarfed(矮个的)human bei
9、ng.This Flores Human.”,第二段中“If this_tiny_human made the tools,then the inside structure(结构) of its brain must have been more like our own than a chimps”,以及第三段的“This new human was.”看出,this tiny human意指“Flores Human”。3This passage mainly talks about _Athe tools made by “Flores Human”Bthe language used
10、 by “Flores Human”Cthe evolution of “Flores Human”Dthe major surprising findings about “Flores Human”解析:选D。主旨大意题。本文主要论述了关于“Flores Human”的主要发现。A、B、C项均为D项的一个方面。4According to the passage,it is believed that “Flores Human” _Awas dwarfed by its enemiesBcould use languageCleft a lot of fossils in hot and
11、wet environmentDreached Flores 40,000 years ago解析:选B。由文章最后一段“I find it difficult to imagine that people could make tools,use fire,and kill large animals without fairly advancd communication.”看出,没有高级交流很难做到上述行为,说明“Flores Human”能够使用语言。BWe dont know how different our future will be in the future.We can
12、only try to imagine it.At first we think about human relationship.In the year 2050,we will use computers almost every day.We will be making new friends through the Interneteven our husbands or wives will be met in this way.It will be much faster and easier for us.On the other hand,our relationships
13、with people wont be as important as they are todaywe will feel a little lonely.Computers will also help us in many other activities in 2050.For example,they will be used by the children at school to make their learning easier.In addition,there will be much more other machines which will play a simil
14、ar role as computers,like robots which will do the housework for us.Spending holidays will also be completely different.Traveling to other planets or to the moon will be available for everyone.Means of transport will,of course,change,too.We will be using solarpowered cars,which will be much more env
15、ironmentally friendly.We could expect that the faster technological progress would lead to a more pollution environment.But it isnt true.We will pay more attention to protecting the environment.And scientists will probably find cures for many dangerous diseases,like cancer or AIDS.Therefore,our surr
16、oundings as well as our health will be in a better condition.Although we cant predict the exact changes which will be made in the world,we often think about them.We worry about our and our childrens future;we have expectations,hopes as well as fears.But I think we should be rather sanguine about our
17、 future.We should be happy and believe good things will happen.【语篇解读】文章提出2050的生活会是什么样的?后面是展开想象,让读者设想一下从日常生活到科技发展的变化。5Why will people probably feel a little lonely in 2050?ABecause the number of people will become much smaller.BBecause there will be less facetoface communication.CBecause people wont
18、like making friends with each other.DBecause people wont communicate with each other much often.解析:选B。推理判断题。根据第二段的内容可知,在2050年,人们主要通过电脑进行交流,而很少进行面对面的交流,人与人之间的关系也就淡薄了,因此那时的人们会感到有点孤独,选B。6According to the passage,which of the following will happen in 2050?AThe relationship between people will be more im
19、portant than today.BThe way of spending holidays will be the same as that of today.CIt wont be difficult for people to travel to other planets.DOur environment will be much more polluted with a growning number of cars.解析:选C。推理判断题。根据第二段的our relationships with people wont be as important as they are t
20、oday可知A项不正确;根据第四段的Spending holidays will also be completely different.可知B项不正确;根据第四段的Traveling to other planets or to the moon will be available for everyone.可知C项正确;根据倒数第二段的We will pay more attention to protecting the environment.Therefore,our surroundings as well as our health will be in a better co
21、ndition.可知D项不正确。故选C。7The underlined word “sanguine” in the last paragraph most probably means “_”AdisappointedBsurprised Ccurious Doptimistic解析:选D。词义猜测题。根据画线词后面一句We should be happy and believe good things will happen.可以推测出,这里指的是要保持乐观的态度,故选D。8What does the passage mainly talk about?AHow people will c
22、ommunicate in the year 2050?BWhat our life will be like in the year 2050?CHow people will travel and spend their holiday in the year 2050?DWhat high technology will appear in the year 2050?解析:选B。主旨大意题。根据文章第一段We dont know how different our future will be in the future.We can only try to imagine it.可知
23、文章是讲2050的生活会是什么样的?故选B。.语法填空The Black Country is about 10 miles from Birmingham.Its made up of four districts: Dudley, Walsall, Sandwell, and Wolverhampton.1_(historical), it was famous for industry, which explains why the area is called the Black Country.It got its name during the industrial revolut
24、ion, 2._ factory pollution turned the local skies back and local dust from the mines made the soil the same colour.Dudley, which is 3._(probable) the heart of the Black Country, has a history 4._(date) back over 1,000 years, and its famous castle has been there 5._ about the 8th century.People from
25、the Black Country are very friendly.6._ their local dialect, which comes from the old “Middle English”, can be very difficult to understand.I still remember 7._(take) a visiting friend from Canada to a local Black Country pub for lunch.Before the waitress could even finish 8._(describe) the menu, my
26、 friend looked at me with his eyebrows(眉毛) 9._(raise)When I asked what he wanted to order, he just shook his head in disbelief and asked if the waitress whom I 10._(speak) to just now was actually speaking English.【语篇解读】本文主要介绍黑区的组成部分,名称的由来以及难以听懂的语言。1解析:考查副词。副词修饰整个句子,一般放在句首,并用逗号隔开。答案:Historically2解析:
27、考查关系副词。先行词the industrial revolution在定语从句中充当时间状语,故用关系副词引导非限制性定语从句。答案:when3解析:考查句子的构成成分。此处应用副词形式probably。答案:probably4解析:考查非谓语动词。动词date和逻辑主语a history之间为主谓关系,所以用dating作定语。答案:dating5解析:考查介词。根据and后的句意“自从约8世纪以来,著名的城堡就一直在那里了”,以及主句中的谓语动词是现在完成时可知,应填since。答案:since6解析:考查连词。第三段第一句话提到人们很友好,紧接着提到他们来自古英语的方言很难懂,由此可知
28、,这两句话之间是转折关系,故用but。答案:But7解析:考查非谓语动词。remember doing sth.意为“记得曾经做过的事”。句意:我仍然记得曾经来访的一个朋友。答案:taking8解析:考查非谓语动词。finish doing sth.为固定用法,有“完成”的意思,后面跟动词时用其动名词形式,表达“被完成的项目或事情”。答案:describing9解析:考查非谓语动词。with的宾语his eyebrows和raise之间是动宾关系,由此可知使用raised。答案:raised10解析:考查动词的时态。根据本句主从句的谓语动词的动作关系或时间状语可知答案。答案:had been
29、speaking/was speaking/had spoken/spoke.短文改错Once I had to read a textbook which was so expensive for me to buy it. I couldnt obtain it from the library and an only copy I could find was in a certain bookshop. So I will go along to the shop every afternoon and read a little of the book in a time. One
30、day,therefore,I was disappointed to find the book missing from its usually place. He was about to leave when the owner of the shop waved at me. Expecting to be told off,I went towards him. To my surprise,the owner pointed to the book which placed in a corner. “I put it there in case it should be bou
31、ght.” He said kindly,left me to continue my reading.答案:Once I had to read a textbook which was expensive for me to buy .I couldnt obtain it from the library and only copy I could find was in a certain bookshop. So I go along to the shop every afternoon and read a little of the book a time. One day,I
32、 was disappointed to find the book missing from its place. was about to leave when the owner of the shop waved at me. Expecting to be told off,I went towards him. To my surprise,the owner pointed to the book which was placed in a corner. “I put it there in case it should be bought.” He said kindly, me to continue my reading.