2020高考英语【阅读理解】专题强化训练 二十一
Test 1
Two of the saddest words in the English language are “if only”. I live my life with the goal of never having to say those words, because they convey regrets, lost opportunities, mistakes, and disappointment.
My father is famous in our family for saying,“Take the extra minute to do it right.” I always try to live by the “extra minute” rule. When my children were young and likely to cause accidents, I always thought about what I could do to avoid an “if only” moment, whether it was something minor like moving a cup full of hot coffee away from the edge of a counter, or something that required a little more work such as taping padding(衬垫) on to the sharp corners of a glass coffee table.
I don’t only avoid those “if only” moments when it comes to safety. It’s equally important to avoid “if only” in our personal relationships. We all know people who lost a loved one and regretted that they had forgone an opportunity to say “I love you” or “I forgive you”. When my father announced he was going to the eye doctor across from my office on Good Friday, I told him that it was a holiday for my company and I wouldn’t be here. But then I thought about the fact that he was 84 years old and I realized that I shouldn’t miss an opportunity to see him. I called him and told him I had decided to go to work on my day off after all.
I know there will still be occasions when I have to say“if only”about something, but my life is definitely better because of my policy of doing everything possible to avoid that eventuality. And even though it takes an extra minute to do something right, or it occasionally takes an hour or two in my busy schedule to make a personal connection, I know that I’m doing the right thing. I’m buying myself peace of mind and that’s the best kind of insurance for my emotional well-being.
1．Why does the writer regard“if only”as two of the saddest words in the English language?
A．Because people use them when they feel sad.
B．Because they express regrets and disappointment in life. C．Because they remind the writer of some sad experiences. D．Because they mean sadness in the English language.
2．What’s the meaning of the underlined word“forgone”in Paragraph 3?
A．Given up. B．Come across. C．Got through. 3．The author decided to go to her office on Good Friday to ．
A．see a doctor B．finish her work C．join a celebration D．accompany her father 4．What is the best title for the passage?
A．Advice from My Father B．Avoidance of Saying“If Only” C．The“Extra Minute”Rule
D．The Importance of Emotional Well-being
【解题导语】“我”认为英语中最悲伤的两个词是 “if only”，因为它们表达了遗憾。父亲在“我”小时候经常告
D．Held back.
诉我们花费额外的时间也要把事情做好来避免遗憾，“我” 听从父亲的建议并认为这样做是对的。
1. B 解析：细节理解题。由第一段中的“Two of the saddest words in the English language are ‘if only’... because they convey regrets, lost opportunities, mistakes, and disappointment.”可知， “我” 认为英语中最令人伤心的两个词是 “if only”，因为这两个词表达了后悔、错失的机会、错误和失望。故选B项。
2. A 解析：词义猜测题。该词所在的句子表达的意思是：我们都认识这样的人, 他们在失去所爱之人后会后悔错失了说“我爱你”或“我原谅你” 的机会。所以画线词表示 “失去了”，和短语give up意思接近。故选A项。
3. D 解析：细节理解题。题干中的关键信息 “decided to go to her office” 对应原文中的“I had decided to go to work”，由此定位到倒数第二段。从倒数第二段可以看出，“我”知道父亲要去自己办公室对面看眼科医生时，本来打算按原计划休假，但突然意识到父亲已经84岁了, 所以“我”决定即便是自己的休息日，为了陪父亲，也会去上班。故选D项。
4. B解析：标题归纳题。根据首尾段的第一句话及文章大意可知，本文主要是针对避免说英语中最悲伤的两个词 “if only” 进行阐述的，所以B项避免说‘if only’符合全文内容。故选B项。
Test 2
Some people are so rude!
Who sends an e-mail or a text message that just says “Thank you” ? Who leaves a voice mail message rather than texts you? Who asks for a fact easily found on Google? Don’t these people realize that they’re wasting your time?
Maybe I’m the rude one for not appreciating life’s little politeness. But many social agreed standards just don’t make sense to people drowning in digital communication.
In texts, you don’t have to declare who you are or even say hello.E-mail, too, is slower than a text. Voice mail is a now impolite way of trying to connect.
My father learned this lesson after leaving me a dozen voice mail messages, none of which I listened to. Exasperated, he called my sister to express his dissatisfaction that I never returned his phone calls.“Why are you leaving him voice mail？”my sister asked. “Just text him.”
In the age of the smart-phone, there is no reason to ask once-acceptable questions about: the weather forecast, a business’s phone number, or directions to a house, a restaurant, which can be easily found on Google Maps. But people still ask these things. And when you answer, they respond with a thank-you e-mail.
How to handle these differing standards? Easy: Consider your audience. Some people, especially older ones, appreciate a thank-you message. Others, like me, want no reply.
The anthropologist(人类学家) Margaret Mead once said that in traditional societies, the young learn from the old. But in modern societies, the old can also learn from the young. Here’s hoping that politeness never goes out of fashion but that time-wasting forms of communication do.
1．What does the underlined word“Exasperated”mean in the fifth paragraph?
A．Worried. B．Surprised. C．Annoyed. D．Tired. 2．Why didn’t the writer reply to his father?
A．He liked text messages better. B．He enjoyed checking his voice mail. C．He didn’t receive any voice mail messages. D．He didn’t want to talk with his father. 3．Which of the following does the writer agree to?
A．People needn’t learn from one another in traditional societies. B．Dealing with voice mail should vary with each individual. C．People needn’t turn to Google for help when in trouble. D．Declaring who you are or saying hello in texts is necessary. 4．What’s the best title of this passage?
A．Nowadays：What Should We Do with Text Messages? B．Nowadays：Do You Like Leaving Others a Voice Message? C．Nowadays：What Means Should We Use in Communication? D．Nowadays：Do You Need a Thank-you Message?
【解题导语】 本文是一篇议论文，主要讨论了如今在智能手机时代，人们应该选择何种方式进行沟通。
1. C 解析：词义猜测题。根据第五段第二句中的“he called my sister to express his dissatisfaction that I never returned his phone calls.”可知，作者的父亲对作者不给自己回电话很不满，由此可推知Exasperated意思是 “恼怒的，生气的”，故选C。
2. A 解析：推理判断题。根据第五段中的‘Why are you leaving him voice mail？’my sister asked.‘Just text him.’可推知,作者不喜欢用语音信箱，更偏爱发短信，故选A。
3. B 解析：推理判断题。根据第七段的内容可推知，标准是变化的，处理方式应该因人而异，而不是一刀切，语音信箱的使用亦是如此,故选B。
4. C 解析：标题归纳题。根据对文章内容的整体理解可知，第三段引入本文话题，最后两段点题总结，本文主要讨论的是如今(在智能手机时代)我们应该用何种方式沟通，故选C项。
Test 3
Petrol and diesel cars may still dominate our roads, but their days are numbered. A recent university study found that current electric cars could be used for 87 per cent of daily car journeys in the U.S. That figure could rise to 98 per cent by 2020.
One hurdle to the widespread adoption of electric cars has been“range anxiety”—drivers’ concerns about running out of juice on a journey. While petrol stations are conveniently located across national road systems，the necessary network of electric charging stations is still being developed. That said，charging points are becoming increasingly common throughout the U.S.A.
Attitudes towards electric vehicles have changed quite considerably over the last few years. Not that long ago，electric cars were met with distrust, and their large price tags drove customers away. Thanks to improvements in battery capacity，recharging times, performance and price，the current generation of electric cars is starting to
persuade critics. Plug-in cars will soon give internal combustion engine models a run for their money.
As well as advancements on the road, electric vehicles are taking to the seas and skies. Electric boats are among the oldest methods of electric travel，having enjoyed several decades of popularity from the late 19th to the early 20th century before petrol-powered outboard motors took over. Now, the global drive for renewable energy sources is bringing electric boats back. Steps towards electric air travel are also being made，with Airbus and NASA among the organizations developing and testing battery powered planes.The experiments could soon make commercial electric flight a reality.
Electric vehicles do not produce any emissions. Were the U.S. to act on the study’s findings and replace 87 per cent of its cars with electric vehicles, it would reduce the national demand for petrol by 61 per cent. However，because of the production processes and the generation of electricity required to charge these vehicles, they cannot claim to be completely emission-free. That said，as many countries continue to increase their use of renewable energy sources, electric vehicles will become even cleaner. 1．Which is the best title for this passage?
A．My Dream Car B．History of Electric Cars C．Problems with Petrol Cars D．Driving into the Future
2．As used in Paragraph 2，the underlined word“hurdle”means “ ”．
A．aim B．barrier C．consequence D．step 3．In the past, why did many people refuse to buy the electric cars?
A．They were not good value. B．They were very poorly made. C．They were not widely promoted. D．They couldn’t travel at a high speed. 4．What is the function of Paragraph 4?
A．To introduce the history of electric travel. B．To explain why the world needs more electric cars. C．To show why more people have interest in electric cars. D．To describe different ways electric vehicles can be used.
【解题导语】 本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了汽油车和柴油车将逐步被电动汽车代替以及电动交通工具在未来的发展。
1. D 解析：标题归纳题。通读全文可知，本文主要介绍了汽油车和柴油车将逐步被电动汽车代替以及电动交通工具在未来的发展。D项“驶向未来”形象地概括了文章的主旨，故选D项。
2. B 解析：词义猜测题。根据第二段中的“drivers’ concerns about running out of juice on a journey”可知，司机担心在路上没电的问题。因此，这是电动汽车普及的一个障碍，故选B项。
3. A 解析：细节理解题。根据第三段中的“Not that long ago，electric cars were met with distrust，and their large price tags drove customers away.”可知, 人们是被当时这种电动汽车的价格吓跑的；根据该段中的“Thanks to...to persuade critics.”可知，随着电池容量、可充电次数的增加、汽车性能的改善和价格的优化，这一代电动汽车已经开始吸引消费者购买了。这说明以前的电动汽车在各方面还不够完善，人们认为不值那个价钱。故选A项。
4. D 解析：段落大意题。根据第四段中的“electric vehicles are taking to the seas and skies”可知，除了在公路上，其他地方也可以使用电动交通工具。故选D项。
Test 4
Super-storm Sandy slammed into the eastern United States years ago. The wind-driven water caused a lot of flooding, especially in the region’s subway system. Now two teens have invented a device that could help prevent future subway floods.
In New York City alone, Super-storm Sandy caused an estimated $ 19 billion in damage. Much of the flood-waters entered the subway system through its ventilation grates(通风栅). Those metal grilles usually lie at ground level. When the system is shut down ahead of a flood, engineers try to cover those grates with plywood(胶合板) and sandbags. But the flooding often washes away those measures, which allows water to flow into the tunnels. Raising those grates even a tiny bit above ground level would cost a lot of money. Other ideas have included building tall chimneys around the holes. That would raise the grates and cost a lot of money, too.
Kyle and Raymond came up with a different, less expensive idea. They designed a metal grate with a built-in, adjustable cover. When trains are running, one part of the grate slides open to bring in fresh air. But when the system is shut down, that part can be slid shut to completely block the grate.
Their grate is the same size as the grates used now. So, it would be simple, they say, to lift out the old grate and drop in a replacement. Their design includes tamper-proof features, which can prevent operation mistakes. They make sure that people don’t intentionally shut off airflow during normal conditions. For people with the proper key, it would only take a minute or two to close the grate ahead of a flood. 1．What’s the second paragraph mainly about?
A．The steps to operate grates. B．The measures to prevent flood. C．The function of plywood and sandbags. D．The disadvantage of present subway system.
2．Which of the following words best describes the two teens’ new invention?
A．Costly. B．Time-saving. C．Practical. D．Conventional. 3．What’s the purpose of designing the tamper-proof feature?
A．To replace the old grate correctly. B．To close the grate ahead of a flood. C．To ensure airflow in normal conditions.
2020年高考英语3.1 阅读理解专题强化训练二十一(解析版)
