高考英语外刊阅读模拟强化训练：阅读理解专题二十一.docx

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1、高考英语外刊阅读模拟强化训练 阅读理解专题二十一King Charles III will dress like the captain of Britains ship of state for his coronation on Saturday, but he is really a figurehead, pinned to the sharp end of a vessel unsure of its destination. In this, if not much else, his Britannic majesty resembles his struggling subje

2、cts. While a coronation is a beginning that draws on the mystique of the past, Britains present is all discontent and doldrums. When the fanfare is over and the flags are folded away, the course to prosperity wont be any clearer.Britain isnt a happy ship. Food prices rose 19% year-on-year in March,

3、the sharpest increase since 1977. Rations are short, and the crew, especially its Scottish and Northern Irish members, is mutinous. Britain is the only Western European country with double-digit inflation. Eastern Europes inflation figures reflect the energy squeeze created by the post-Covid demand

4、surge and the war in Ukraine. The same pressures have raised Britains energy costs, but its energy bills have been exacerbated by local factors, most self-inflicted. Britains biggest export markets are the U.S. and the eurozone, and storms in both currency zones have simultaneously buffeted the poun

5、d. Brexit has marginally worsened the economic situation by making trade with the European Union more cumbersome. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is committed to stabilizing the economy. He has raised income taxes to their highest level in 70 years, with people earning between 100,000 (about $126,000) an

6、d 125,000 a year effectively paying a marginal rate of 60%. This will alienate voters and accelerate brain drain. It wont be enough to fix the National Health Service. True, in Britain the sick arent bankrupted by health insurers while they are in the hospital, but this is partially because there ar

7、ent enough beds in hospitals. The Covid-19 backlog has yet to clear, mortality rates are rising, and nurses and junior doctors, or interns, are on strike.Charles III hopes that his coronation will secure one British institution, the monarchy, in the affections of his increasingly post-imperial, mult

8、icultural subjects. Mr. Sunak must repair several institutions and reposition Britain in the world. He has announced new drilling in the North Sea gas fields and canceled Boris Johnsons ban on fracking. In late March, he secured Britains biggest post-Brexit trade deal, making Britain the first Europ

9、ean member of the free-trade bloc known as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. Negotiations on a free-trade deal with India are reportedly almost complete.It is time yet again for Britain to sink or swim. Like Germany and France, the U.K. must compete for the g

10、rowing markets of Asia or go under. Like France, the country aspires to be a “pivot state,” an influential, second-tier power in the emerging multipolar world. As the flag follows trade, the British-American alliance, the linchpin of Britains 20th-century strategy, will be tested. Charles III will n

11、ot, like George III, become a king who lost America. But America may lose a reliable ally as the trade winds carry Britain east.【The Wall Street Journal(May 6, 2023)】1.What does the author think of King Charles IIIs following reign?A. Hopeful B. Prosperous C. Struggling D. Smooth 2. Whats the meanin

12、g of the underlined word “exacerbated” in paragraph 2?A. covered B. aggravated C. replaced D. deleted 3. Which of the following measurements adopted by Mr. Sunak is effective?A. Raise income taxes to the highest levelB. Deal with the Covid-19 backlog swiftly C. Lay off the nurses and junior doctors

13、who are on strikeD. Secure Britains biggest post-Brexit trade deal4. Why does the author say “ the British-American alliance will be tested”?A. The U.K. is not a reliable ally any more in America B. King Charles III cant secure British Monarchy C. The U.K. must compete for the growing markets of Asi

14、a D. The U.K. is an influential power in the multipolar world In nine scenarios out of 10, it will likely suit the parties to the Hollywood writers walkout to kludge together a deal so they can get back to work churning out the shows demanded by streaming outlets.But the 10th scenario is ugly for wr

15、iters. It forces the industry to confront the artificial-intelligence opportunity to replace much of what writers do, which is already algorithmic.The subject has been missing from almost every news account, but not from the minds of show-biz execs attending this weeks Milken conference in Los Angel

16、es, who were positively chortling about the opportunity. The BBC figured it out, commissioning ChatGPT to compose plausible opening monologues for the “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and other late-night programs put on pause by the strike.Understandable is the indignation of journeyman writers

17、. Employment is up, earnings are up in the streaming era, but so is gig-like uncertainty, forcing many to hold down day jobs as other aspiring artists do. But wanting a full-time job plus benefits is not the same as someone having an obligation to confer them on you.Surprising, in the press coverage

18、, is how many cite their skin color, gender and sexual orientation as if these are bargaining chips. Audiences dont care. They may be excited by an interesting show about a gender-fluid person of color but they arent excited by a boring show written by one.This attitude does not bode well. I recentl

19、y asked ChatGPT-3 an esoteric question about which news accounts have published thousands of words: What is the connection between the 1987 murder of private eye Dan Morgan and Britains 2011 phone-hacking scandal? OpenAIs Large Language Model got every particular wrong, starting with a faulty premis

20、e. But its answer was also plausible and inventive, which，suggests ChatGPT will be suitable for creating TV plots long before its suitable for big-league news reporting and analysis. Transformed might even be the inept recommendation engines used by Netflix and others. If AI cant find us a show well

21、 like, maybe it can create one, and instantly to our specifications once CGI is good enough to provide a fake Tom Hanks along with fake scenery.My own guess is that this problem will be transitional. One day were told every will child will have an AI friend and confidante, but I suspect tomorrows ki

22、ds, from an early age, will also effortlessly interpolate (as we cant) that AI is a soulless word machine and manage the relationship accordingly.All this lies in the future. In one consistent pattern of the digital age, a thin layer of Hollywood superstar writers, as creators and owners of the impo

23、rtant shows, the ones that impress with their nuance, originality and intelligence, will capture most of the rewards. The eight-figure paychecks will continue to flow.Todays frisson of solidarity with journeyman colleagues is likely to wear off after a few weeks. After all, they have interesting wor

24、k to get back to, cultivating their valuable, emotionally resonant and highly investable franchises. And a big job is beckoning: how to adapt artificial intelligence to improve the quality and productivity of their inspirations. 【The Wall Street Journal(May 6, 2023)】1. According to the passage, what

25、 put the Hollywood writers strike on pause? A. The demand of streaming outlets and every news account B. The AI opportunity to replace much of what writers doC. the minds of show-biz executives D. the plausible opening monologue for the programs 2. What does “this attitude” mean in paragraph 6?A. th

26、e press is likely to cite writers skin color and gender B. skin color, gender and sexual orientation are not bargaining chips C. Audiences only care about if a show is interesting or not instead of the writers background D. Hollywood writers are not as aspiring as other artists 3. Why does the autho

27、r mention a fake Tom Hanks?A. to indicate how powerful AI will be in the future B. to criticize how bad the recommendation engines used by Netflix are C. to show how easy to plot a creative TVD. to discuss how skillful a celebrated actor is4. Which of the following statement is true according to the

28、 authors guess?A. todays children will have an AI friend and know how to get along well with them B. the majority of Hollywood writers can make a fortune using AI C. AI will be suitable for creating TV plots D. the Hollywood strike will not last long and the writers will cooperate with AI some day W

29、hen Sammy Palazzolo goes out, people constantly ask to see her phone. The 18-year-old often obliges, flipping it open and handing it over. In late 2022, Ms. Palazzolo and some of her dorm-mates at the University of Illinois were bemoaning their smartphone addictions.“We were talking about how we fel

30、t like slaves to our phones, like robots who keep scrolling and scrolling, even when were out at parties. The group hatched a plan to do something about it. The next day, they went flip-phone shopping at Walmart. Ms. Palazzolo ended up with a $40 AT&T Cingular Flex.Now the freshman advertising major

31、 evangelizes flip phones on TikTok, with posts about bringing her “dumb” phone to social events instead of her iPhone. Nokia recently sent her its $90 2780 for free, plus 44 more to give away to friends and social-media followers.While some Gen Zers might be buying smart phones that flip and fold, l

32、ike the $1,000 Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4, the chatter online centers on“dumb”models with few capabilities. These devices are experiencing a renaissance as budget second phonesallowing you to detach from constant notifications and the lure of infinite scroll, without losing the ability to send texts an

33、d make calls in an emergency.Young people arent the only fans. Nokia sells tens of thousands of its flip phones each month in the U.S., according to Lars Silberbauer, chief marketing officer of HMD Global, the Finnish manufacturer of Nokia phones. Sales are growing across demographics, he said. “Its

34、 not a small trend.”Modern models improve on the ones you might remember. Most come with features like Bluetooth, 4G and contemporary cameras, even if they retain the design (and brawny batteries) of early relics. Some have an internet browser but employ an operating system that doesnt support apps

35、like Instagram and TikTok. What are you going to scroll now?Osamah Qatanani, a 23-year-old content strategist in New York City, carries both an iPhone and a basic flip phone and estimates his usage is split 50-50. He views his “dumb” phone purely as a means for his closest contacts to reach him. “Ot

36、her than that,” he said, “theres no work emails, no Instagram updates, nothing from Facebook, nothing from TikTok. Nothing from anyone except the people who are important to you.”For some, the trend is vindicating. Melissa Range, 49, an associate professor of English at Lawrence University in Applet

37、on, Wis., never made the switch to a smart phone. Sometimes, she said, her flip phones limitations make things tough. “If I get lost, I have to use my wits or ask someone for directions,” she said. But for the most part, Prof. Range values its simplicity. “I have a really busy job, and Im pulled in

38、a lot of directions,” she said, adding that she doesnt want to give her remaining attention to a phone. Like Ms. Palazzolo, Prof. Range gets constant comments on her flip phone. People almost sound wistful, she said, when they tell her, “I wish I could get rid of my smartphone.”【The Wall Street Jour

39、nal(May 6, 2023)】1. Why did Ms. Palazzolo use “dumb” phone instead of iPhone?A. iPhone is hard to handle and scroll B. she wanted to stop being addicted to her smartphone C. the flip-phone shops at Walmart had no iPhones in stock D. it is a trend on TikTok to use “dumb” phone2. The underlined phrase

40、 “detach from” can best be replaced by_A. keep track of B. be informed of C. be accused of D. get rid of 3. Which of the following statements is wrong concerning Nokia phones?A. Modern models feature Bluetooth, 4G and contemporary camerasB. the design of early generations is maintained C. young peop

41、le are more likely to follow the trend to buy modern Nokia phoneD. they didnt support apps like Instagram and TikTok4. What can we learn from Ranges words in the last paragraph?A. flip phones are definitely making our lives tough and inconvenient B. there will be more and more people turning to flip phones C. she was constantly distracted from her work by her flip phone D. it is a wistful choice to switch your smartphone to flip phones 答案CBDCBCADBDCB学科网（北京）股份有限公司