高考英语二轮复习外刊阅读模拟强化训练阅读理解专题七.docx

高考英语外刊阅读模拟强化训练 阅读理解专题七AThe Atacama Desert in Chile is just about the driest place on Earth. In spots, it looks a lot like Mars. But its not lifeless, even in the hyper-arid regions. Using state-of-the-art equipment to probe the desert rocks, researchers found bits of DNA from an intriguing mix of microbes. Strikingly, 9 percent of the genetic fragments belong to organisms unknown to science, making them part of the “dark microbiome.”These organisms are bacteria that are “so strange and different,” as the report puts it, that researchers could not identify any known relatives. The Atacama is the Mars analogy and scientists believe it is a brilliant test bed for the search for Martian life. The research seems to bolster the long-term Mars exploration strategy of NASA and its partner, the European Space Agency. They are in the midst of a multistage mission called Mars Sample Return. If all goes as planned, samples of Martian soil obtained by NASAs Perseverance rover will be hauled back to Earth. But this new research also highlights the challenges facing scientists who want to know the biological history of Mars. Microbial life, especially if extinct and long fossilized, may exist at or beyond the farthest limit of what can be detected with the kind of instruments small enough to be blasted into space and landed on another planet. The Perseverance rover continues to explore Jezero Crater, digging up and storing samples of Martian soil. The plan is to put another spacecraft on the surface, which would double as a launchpad. Perseverance would then deliver the samples to the lander, which would hurtle the material into orbit. The new research suggests this may be the most effective and possibly the only conclusive way to find out if anything was ever alive on Mars.“We know there are things to detect,” Azua-Bustos, a leading researcher said. “But if your instrument is not designed to be able to detect those things, then we have a problem.”【题源 The Washington Post (February 22, 2023)】1. Whats the meaning of the phrase “dark microbiome” in paragraph 1?A. An advanced and latest equipment used to explore MarsB. Microorganisms whose DNA cant match to any known genetic codeC. Bits of DNA from an intriguing mix of microbesD. The genetic fragments discovered in The Atacama Desert2. Why does the research benefit Mars exploration in the long run?A. The bacteria found in the research are strange and differentB. NASA and its partner feel obliged to conduct the researchC. The Atacama offers test bed in search for life on Red Planet D.The multistage mission will send samples of Martian soil back to Earth 3. Whats the challenges revealed by the research?A.The biological history of Mars is impossible to study B. Microbial life in Mars cant be detected with the instruments landed on the planetC.Microbial life has already extinct and long fossilizedD. Mars is too far for any kind of instrument to detect 4. What can we learn from Azua-Bustoss words?A.The Perseverance project should be canceled because it is useless B. It is the instrument that prevent the further study on biological history of MarsC. The Perseverance project is the only way to conduct studies on Mars.D.Scientists are not sure if there are things to detect on Mars BIf the idea of working four days a week for the same pay sounds like music to your ears, the results of a pilot program from the United Kingdom may give you cause for hope.Dozens of companies there took part in the worlds largest trial of the four-day workweek and a majority of supervisors and employees liked it so much theyve decided to keep the arrangement. In fact, 15 percent of the employees who participated said “no amount of money” would convince them to go back to working five days a week.Companies that participated could adopt different methods to“meaningfully” shorten their employees workweeks from giving them one day a week off to reducing their working days in a year to average out to 32 hours per week but had to ensure the employees still received 100 percent of their pay.At the end of the experiment, employees reported a variety of benefits related to their sleep, stress levels, personal lives and mental health, according to results published Tuesday. Companies revenue “stayed broadly the same” during the six-month trial but rose 35 percent on average when compared with a similar period from previous years. Resignations decreased.Of the 61 companies that took part in the trial, 56 said they would continue to implement four-day workweeks after the pilot ended, 18 of which said the shift would be permanent. Two companies are extending the trial. Only three companies did not plan to carry on with any element of the four day workweek.The results are likely to put the spotlight back on shorter workweeks as a possible solution to the high levels of employee burnout and the “Great Resignation” phenomenon exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, amid a global movement calling for businesses to ditch the in-office, 9-to-5, five-day workweek and adopt more flexible working practices instead.While the four-day workweek model has gained some steam, its still not standard practice globally. Opponents of the four-day workweek say while the policy may benefit some workers, it is not feasible for many, including workers in key industries such as child care and health care, which already face widespread staff shortages. And some skeptics believe that employees productivity would eventually decrease if the four-day workweek was made permanent. However, proponents of the policy emphasize that there is no one-size-fits-all. Their ideas are becoming more mainstream. 【题源 The Washington Post (February 22, 2023)】1. What does paragraph two mainly discuss?A.The trial of the four-day workweek raised heated debate B.The trial of the four-day workweek was rejected by a majority of supervisorsC.The trial of the four-day workweek increase the amount of money given to employees D.The trial of the four-day workweek are welcomed by both employers and employees 2. Which of the following conclusions about the trial is correct?A. There are a variety of benefits related to employers sleep, stress levels, personal lives and mental healthB. 100 percent of pay can be guaranteed if employees workweeks are lengthened C.Companies revenue “stayed broadly the same” compared with a similar period from previous years. D. 18 of the 61 companies said the four-day workweek would be permanent3. Which one can best replace the underlined word “ditch”?A. put off B. lay down C. get rid of D. carry out4. Whats the best title of the passage?A. Four-day workweek pilot proves pretty popular B. Is four-day workweek a standard practice globally?C. More flexible working practices, more revenueD.“Great Resignation” phenomenon is put an end CAs she nudged a shopping cart down the aisle, passing free bags of potatoes and melons, Chanahvia Hall, 36, mentally scrolled through her shopping list. With eight kids, ages 2 to 15, thesingle mother figured it cost $200 in food a week to keep the family going a strain on the household budget that made regular trips to the free pantry necessary.Hall knew more trips to the food bank were ahead. On March 1, tens of millions of Americans who receive money through the federal governments Supplemental nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are scheduled to lose a pandemic-era boost in payments. Before 2020, Hall said, she received $1,700 in monthly SNAP assistance. Starting next month, that money will be gone.“Were calling it a hunger cliff because people are going to lose in a very precipitous fashion a very large amount of grocery money,” said Ellen Vollinger, the SNAP director. “We know a lot of these households dont have a lot cushion in their budgets.”The end of the extra SNAP benefits also arrives as wages are failing to keep pace with rising prices. The federal government is also unlikely to step in. The newly seated republican majority in the House of representatives appears to have no political appetite for an increase in spending and is eyeing further budget cuts to programs such as SNAP.“Covid has taught us how to be more nimble,” said Annie Turner, the food banks executive director.“Change is constant, and we have to be ready with food in any circumstance.” The organization has seen an uptick both in numbers and the amount it has to spend to meet those numbers, Turner said. Before the pandemic, food for others typically budgeted $60,000 annually on food purchases. Now the organization is spending around $300,000 a year. On a typical day now, around 200 people come to the market for food, she said. The organization is bracing for more new faces as March 1 approaches.“We know we will likely see an influx of new families,” Turner said. “Well be ready.”【题源 The Washington Post (February 22, 2023)】1.Why is the story of Chanahvia Hall cited in paragraph 1?A. To arouse sympathy to the hard life of the single mother B. To introduce her economical household budget C. To indicate the severe budget problem most Americans are facing D. To attach importance of the organization SNAP2. Whats the meaning of the phrase “hunger cliff”?A.Households suffer a tight budget on all kinds of goods B.Households cant receive monthly SNAP assistance any more C.Households lose a very large amount of grocery money abruptlyD.Households cant afford to cover their shopping list3. What will federal government do towards the problem？A. It will do its best to assist the citizens B. It will found new organizations to solve the problem C. It will turn to the international community for help D. It will not be involved in the situation to improve it 4. What can we learn from the last paragraph？A.The organization is expecting more households who are low in their food budgetsB.The organization cant handle the overwhelmed new comers C.The organization is unready with food in any circumstanceD.The organization increase annually on food purchases答案BCBBCDCACCDA学科网（北京）股份有限公司