1、高考资源网() 您身边的高考专家Unit 1 课时跟踪检测(一) Warming Up & Reading Pre reading阅读理解AWhere can you find the first successful airplane, one of the worlds biggest bugs (虫子) and Kermit the Frog? Theyre all at the Smithsonian Institution, Americans storehouse of the coolest things ever, in Washington. ,DC. More than 1
2、38 million objects have been collected by their 19 museums, with more coming in every day.The Smithsonian was founded in 1846 and named after James Smithson, an English businessman. Smithson never visited America, but he left his entire fortune to the United States to build an institution “for the i
3、ncrease of knowledge.”Here are just a few of the amazing things in the Smithsonian collection.Big bugsThe Smithsonian has 35 million bugs. The largest insect in the collection is a beetle (甲虫) from South America called the titan beetle. Titan beetles can grow to more than 6 inches long.Flying machin
4、esThe first powered plane to fly, the 1903 Wright Flyer, is displayed in the National Air and Space Museum. The Smithsonian has the first supersonic(超音速的)airliner, the Concorde, which could cross the Atlantic Ocean in fewer than four hours.The longest beardThe Smithsonian is home to the longest bear
5、d ever recorded. Norwegian immigrant Hans Langseth had grown his facial hair to 18 feet 6 inches by the time he died in 1927. The Smithsonian has 17 feet 6 inches of it because, even though Langseths final wish was to have his entire beard preserved, his family decided it wouldnt be right to bury hi
6、m cleanshaven.Time and admission:Smithsonian museums are open every day of the year except December 25 unless otherwise noted. Most museums are open daily from 10 am. to 5:30 pm. The American Art Museum and Portrait Gallery are open 11:30 am. to 7 pm.Admission is free for all Smithsonian museums and
7、 the zoo in Washington,DC., and the American Indian Museums George Gustav Heye Center in New York. A fee is required at the CooperHewitt, National Design Museum in New York (Members and children under 12 are admitted free)语篇解读:本文是应用文。文章介绍了美国史密森尼博物院的历史、展品、游览须知等。1According to the text, the Smithsonian
8、 Institution _.Awas founded in honor of an AmericanBhas all its museums in Washington, DC.Cis most famous for its fine collection of artDwas funded by money from James Smithson解析:选D细节理解题。根据第二段的“named after James Smithson”和“he left his entire fortune to the United States to build an institution for t
9、he increase of knowledge”可知,史密森尼博物院建立的资金来自于James Smithson去世后留下的钱。2The Smithsonian failed to get the entire beard of Hans Langseths due to_.Athe words in his last will Bthe rejection of his family Cthe tradition of Norwegians Dthe bad condition of the beard解析:选B细节理解题。根据文中第六段的“Langseths final wish was
10、 to have his entire beard preserved, his family decided it wouldnt be right to bury him cleanshaven”可知,虽然Langseth希望把自己的胡子都保留下来,但他的家人还是希望他能留点胡子下葬。3What do the objects mentioned have in common?AThey were from South Africa.BThey are in the same museum.CThey are recordbreaking items.DThey were from the
11、19th century.解析:选C推理判断题。根据文章中的largest,first,longest等词的描述可知,该博物馆的这几件藏品都堪称世界之最。4All of Smithsonian museums _.Aare open at 10 am.Bcharge an entrance fee Care closed on Christmas Day Dask for your membership cards解析:选C细节理解题。根据倒数第二段的“Smithsonian museums are open every day of the year except December 25”可
12、知,该博物馆圣诞节闭馆。BGetting 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
13、 60% of 7 to 12yearolds 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 schoolage children, ten hours is i
14、deal (理想的). But the new National Sleep Foundation survey found that 35% of 10 to 12yearolds 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
15、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. C
16、hanging 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 tha
17、n 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.语篇解读:本文是一篇说明文。文章指出美国孩子缺乏睡眠的问题,列举了不同年龄段的孩子所需的睡眠时间、青少年晚睡的原因以及学校为解决青少年的睡眠问题所采取的措施等。5What is the new National Sleep Foundation survey
18、on?AAmerican kids sleeping habits.BTeenagers sleeprelated diseases.CActivities to prevent sleeplessness.DLearning problems and lack of sleep.解析:选A推理判断题。根据文章第一段内容可知,该调查主要是对美国青少年的睡眠习惯进行的研究,所以选A项。6How many hours of sleep do 11yearolds need every day?A7 hours.B8 hours.C10 hours. D18 hours.解析:选C细节理解题。根据文
19、章第二段的“For most schoolage children, ten hours is ideal (理想的)”可知,11岁左右的青少年最佳的睡眠时长是10小时,故选C项。7Why do teenagers go to sleep late according to Carskadon?AThey are affected by certain body chemicals.BThey tend to do things that excite them.CThey follow their parents examples.DThey dont need to go to schoo
20、l early.解析:选B推理判断题。 根据第三段第一句和“She says these activities at bedtime can get kids all excited and make it hard for them to calm down and sleep.”可推知,由于青少年晚上的活动会使他们兴奋,所以他们很难静下心来睡觉,从而导致晚睡,故选B项。COn the Right TrackWhy do we always want to go faster? I am talking about travel. We want our cars, trains and p
21、lanes to get us to places quicker. This century, theres been a rise in highspeed rail travel as people have seen the benefits of this form of transport.I love train travel and have experienced the efficient and fast trains that operate in France and Japan. The acceleration and top speed of these tra
22、ins are impressive. The space and comfort on board make it comfortable and the ability to see something out of the window means, according to me, it will beat air travel one day.Spain recently joined the railway revolution with its AVE ultramodern highspeed train that has a top speed of 310 kilomete
23、rs per hour. Its service from Madrid to Barcelona took 20% of passengers away from Spains national airline. In Japan, a magnetic train that will run at 500 kilometers per hour is being developed.This has categorized rail travel in Britain as the slow line. It has one highspeed line from London to Fr
24、ance HS1 but now it is planning to construct a new line called HS2 which will connect London with the north of England. The UK. governments transport secretary says, “This is essential to actually making sure that our great cities are connected and we get the right benefits for the United Kingdom. ”
25、But not everyone agrees. The idea of fast train travel may appeal but not if its going to be built in your backyard. Its controversial: people are arguing over the benefits and cost of having shorter journey time, less traffic on the roads and more capacity on the rail network.John Kelleher, who is
26、a farmer and lives on the proposed site of the new line, says, “Theyre not taking the destruction into consideration, which HS2 will cause on its construction sites and routes through the countryside.” Some people are worried the financial and environmental cost of saving just half an hour on a jour
27、ney will be too high.But other countries have shown that highspeed rail is good for the economy.It has helped poorer parts of the country reduce the need to fly and has made train travel cool.语篇解读:如今,各种各样的交通方式使我们的出行越来越快捷,高铁的发展也充分展现出了它的优势,但对于高速铁路的发展,不同的人持有不同的观点。8Which is the most comfortable form of
28、travel according to the author?ARail. BAir.CHighway. DUnderground.解析:选A细节理解题。根据文章第二段“I love train travel . it will beat air travel one day.”可知,作者认为最舒服的旅行方式是火车。9Which statement is NOT the benefit of the fast train travel?AConstruction of it will benefit the environment of the countryside.BIt reduces
29、traffic jam.CIt saves some time on a journey.DIt can hold more people.解析:选A细节理解题。根据文章第五、六段可知,高速铁路可缩短出行时间、减少拥堵,其运载能力更强,但高速铁路的建设却会破坏乡村环境,故A项符合题意。10What is the authors attitude toward the highspeed rail?ASupportive. BNegative.CDoubtful. DObjective.解析:选D推理判断题。文章客观阐述了高速铁路的优势及劣势,由此可知作者对高速铁路的发展持客观态度,故选D项。1
30、1What is the main idea of the passage?APeople benefit from highspeed rail a lot.BMore and more people are fond of traveling.CHighspeed rail travel has developed quickly recently.DTravel means having a vital effect on local economy.解析:选C主旨大意题。作者从人们对旅行方式的选择引入话题出行越来越快捷,加快了高铁的发展;中间几个段落列举了不同国家高铁的发展情况;最后围绕高铁的发展给出了不同的看法。所以本文的主题就是高铁的迅猛发展。- 5 - 版权所有高考资源网