2017-2024学年高中英语选修八习题：课下能力提升十七

Unit 5 课下能力提升(十七)

阅读理解

A

I will be the first to say that I am not materialistic. My friends regard me as a goody-goody. My parents say I am conservative (保守的) and modest when it comes to clothes. None of my skirts or shorts end above my knees. That is my choice.

So why, why did I feel so attracted? My family and I were in a shopping mall, and there it was, waiting — a skirt specifically designed not to cover anything. It looked like something one of those modern schoolgirls would wear.

I checked my purse. The skirt cost DS|10. I had the money. I could buy it. I imagined walking into school and my friends' jaws dropping. Boys would ask me out, and I would be happy. I_could_buy_it,_no,_I_should_buy_it.

I showed my mother. She was surprised but said it was my decision. My sister looked on enviously. I went into the dressing room to try it on. So sure was I that this skirt would change me, somehow make me not what I am but what I wished to be. I slid my jeans off and put it on. Now for the decisive moment, I looked in the mirror. There I was — a terrible girl in a Superman T-shirt and sneakers. My glasses fogged up as I started to cry.

The skirt did not change me. Though it fit well and might make me look good in the eyes of today's world, it was not me. I am not a girl who wears cool clothes to fit in.

I took the thing off and went back into the comfort of the modesty (质朴). My mom knocked on the door.“Emily, are you okay？”

I wiped away my tears.“I'm fine.” I looked in the mirror again and saw a blond slim girl with thick glasses. I saw myself.

1．How did the author think her friends would react to her new skirt? A．They would start to copy her new style. B．They would think of her as a goody-goody.

C．They would be amazed to see the big change in her.

D．They would envy her when they saw how beautiful she looked.

2．The underlined sentence indicated the author ________. A．hesitated about buying the skirt B．was able to afford to buy the skirt C．made up her mind to buy the skirt

D．worried about others' opinions on the skirt 3．The author cried because ________. A．the skirt made her look so good

B．she found that she looked ugly in the skirt

C．she was disappointed that the skirt did not fit well D．she realized it's a wrong decision to make a change 4．What is the main point of the article? A．It's important to be yourself. B．Others' opinions don't matter at all. C．Girls should wear clothes with modesty.

D．It's better for girls to wear conservative clothes.

B

Under the cold clear water of Lake Huron, researchers have found a five-and-a-half-foot-long piece of wood that is 8,900 years old. The wood, which is tapered (使成锥形) on one side in a way that looks deliberate, may provide important clues to a mysterious period in North American prehistory.

“This was the stage when humans gradually shifted from hunting large animals to fishing, gathering and agriculture，”said anthropologist John O'Shea.“But because most of the places in this area that prehistoric people lived in are now under water, we don't have good evidence of this important shift itself. We just have clues from before and after the change.”

With support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), O'Shea and his colleague Guy Meadows began exploring the area several years ago. In 2009 they reported finding a series of stone features that they believe were “drive lanes” used by ancient Indian hunters.

Since that discovery, O'Shea and Meadows have worked on identifying human campsites, which are typically located away from hunting areas. On their 25-foot boat, the researchers first spotted the ancient wood object using a small piece of equipment with a camera. Then a team of divers — including O'Shea — went down about 100 feet to get it.

The wood's age has now been fixed by means of carbon dating. It is currently undergoing more detailed analyses to determine whether there has been human modification, which visual examination suggests.“The first thing you notice is that it appears to have been shaped with a rounded base and a pointed tip，”O'Shea said.“It must have been created. It looks like it might have been used as a tent pole or a pole to hang meat.”

In addition to the wood, the researchers have collected many other samples from the bottom of the lake. O'Shea and his colleagues will need to wait for calmer weather before they can resume their search for evidence of human life under the great lake.

5．During the mysterious period mentioned in the passage, the Lake Huron area ________.

A．was deserted by ancient Indians B．witnessed the start of agriculture C．was taken up by large animals D．began to be covered by water

6．Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．The findings of John O'Shea and his colleagues may prove a previous theory. B．The effort that John O'Shea and Meadows made before 2010 was meaningless. C．Some equipment was used to support the discovery.

D．John O'Shea and his colleagues didn't draw the final conclusion from visual examination.

7．What's the fourth paragraph mainly about? A．How the wood was found. B．Why the wood is important.

C．Preparations that were made for the discovery of the wood. D．Conclusions the experts have made from the discovery of the wood. 8．What do we know about the future plan of John O'Shea and his colleagues? A．They will explore another lake soon.

B．They will study the weather around Lake Huron.

C．They will have a long holiday before going back to work. D．They will continue to explore Lake Huron.

C

Scientist Kathy Berry started thinking about her own routine of putting sugar in her coffee and started a study to test how little routines influence our experiences.

The first experiment involved two groups and each participant was given a piece of

chocolate. The first group was asked to relax and then eat the bar at any time. The second was given a set of detailed instructions to follow before eating. The group that went through the specific chocolate eating routine actually enjoyed eating the chocolate more than the other group. The key, according to researchers, is in the deliberate participation of the task. Random (随机的) movements didn't add to the joy. People who participated in a simple routine before eating, particularly after a delay between the routine and consumption, enjoyed the food more.

What researchers found is that when we participate in short and deliberate behaviors, we tend to enjoy our experiences more. The data was so clear after four different experiments that researchers may now begin looking at how routines could help us recover faster after an operation, reduce our pains, and enlarge our life experience in other ways.

I am a mom of four kids but I've got plenty of routines of my own. Some are little and silly. Others are quiet and personal, such as my routine of morning gratitude (感恩) and the prayer at the end of the day. But they all do the same things — they slow me down, reduce my stress, allow me to pause and connect, to become present and to be mindful of the moment. Each of them does help me enjoy my life and that often leads to gratitude and appreciation.

9．In the first experiment, the participants of the second group was asked to ________. A．have a short relaxation B．eat the chocolate at random C．give a piece of chocolate to others D．follow detailed instructions

10．Why did researchers carry out the four different experiments? A．To further confirm the researchers' assumption. B．To persuade people to join in the experiments. C．To find out the different effects of daily routines. D．To question about the result of the first experiment.

11．From the last paragraph, we can infer that the author's routines ________. A．make her self-centered B．have no influence on her life C．bring her a better life D．change her life completely 12．What is the passage mainly about?

A．Healthy eating can bring people more joy. B．Little routines can influence our experiences. C．Experiences do matter in our daily lives. D．Living a life of gratitude can make people happy.

课下能力提升(十七)

Ⅰ. 语篇解读：本文是一篇记叙文。作者在文中讲述了自己尝试改变穿衣风格的经历，启示我们：最重要的是做真正的自己。

1．解析：选C 细节理解题。根据第三段第五句“I imagined walking into school and my friends' jaws dropping.”可知，作者是一个很保守的女孩，所以她认为如果她穿着那件极为暴露的衣服去学校的话，她的朋友肯定会对她的改变感到吃惊。故答案选C。

2．解析：选C 句意理解题。根据第三段中的“I had the money. I could buy it.”可知，作者有买这件衣服的钱。画线句体现了作者从确定自己可以买这件衣服到最终决定买这件衣服的心理过程。故答案选C。

3．解析：选D 推理判断题。根据倒数第三段中的“The skirt did not change me. Though it fit well ... it was not me.”可知，虽然这件衣服穿上合身，但它并没有改变作者，穿上这件衣服后，作者感觉自己不再是自己了。由此可推知，作者哭泣是因为她意识到改变穿衣风格是个错误的决定。故答案选D。

4．解析：选A 主旨大意题。根据倒数第三段中的“Though it fit well ... it was not me.”及最后一段最后一句“I saw myself.”可知，作者通过讲述自己尝试改变穿衣风格的经历，启示我们：最重要的是做真正的自己。故答案选A。

语篇解读：考古学家们的新发现有望印证远古人类从游猎文明到农耕文明的转变。 5．解析：选B 推理判断题。从第一、二段的“... may provide important clues to a mysterious period in North American prehistory ... when humans gradually shifted from hunting large animals to fishing, gathering and agriculture”可知B项正确。

6．解析：选B 细节理解题。从第三段的“In 2009 they reported finding a series of stone features that they believe were ‘drive lanes’ used by ancient Indian hunters.”可知，John O'Shea和Meadows 之前的研究也是有成效的。

7．解析：选A 段落大意题。本段主要交待了 John O'Shea 和同事们从何时开始、使用何种方法找到了这块木头。

8．解析：选D 细节理解题。从最后一段的“O'Shea and his colleagues will need to wait for calmer weather before they can resume their search for evidence of human life under the great lake.”可知答案。