基于语篇研读的阅读测试

本刊试题研究中心

Test 1

The new season is coming,which means that we can look forward to a whole lot of new exhibitions.For those who want to make their schedules available for a visit,Fashion United has selected various fashion exhibitions.

Marche et démarche:A history of the chaussure

The Musée des Arts Décoratifs has been focused on shoes since this fall.The exhibition zooms in on the different ways of walking,from the Middle Ages to the present day and from the West to non-European cultures.More than five hundred objects will be on display.The exhibition could be visited until November 20,2022,at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.Pricing:$25.

Thierry Mugler:Couturissime

Thierry Mugler is a successful fashion designer from France.The exhibition“Thierry Mugler:Couturissime”is now visiting Europe for the first time with the opening in the Kunsthal in Rotterdam.The multimedia approach of the exhibition deserves a special mention.Not only have videos and sounds been added to the set-up,but the 4D presentation in one of the rooms and projections on the walls in another take the exhibition to the next level.The exhibition could be visited until October 30,2022,in the Kunsthal in Rotterdam.Pricing:Free.

Zandra Rhodes:Fifty years of fabulous

The exhibition of fashion designer Zandra Rhodes in London is worth your time.Rhodes is known for her unique and outspoken prints,and her works show that she was initially inspired by the pop art movement.In total,there are 100 styles and 50 fabric (布料)samples to admire.The exhibition could be visited until December 22,2022,in the Fashion and Textile Museum in London.Pricing:$10.

Bags:Inside out

A bag often says a lot about the wearer.The new exhibition of the Victoria and Albert Museum looks at the function,status and craftsmanship behind bags.More than 300 objects are used to illustrate the theme.Bags from the royal families,celebrities and well-known fashion houses are given a place in the show.The exhibition could be visited until December 22,2022,at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.Pricing:$30.

1.What do we know about Marche et démarche:A history of the chaussure?

A.Five thousand objects will be exhibited.

B.Visitors can enjoy Zandra Rhodes'works.

C.Shoes in different periods will be on show.

D.It is an event about the pop art movement.

2.What is special about Thierry Mugler:Couturissime?

A.Its ticket costs more than the other three.

B.Visitors can enjoy a 4D presentation.

C.Some of its exhibits can be viewed online.

D.Visitors can appreciate dresses from around the world.

3.What do the two exhibitions in London have in common?

A.Both of them charge the same admission fee.

B.A popular designer would attend the two exhibitions.

C.The themes of the two shows are related to the latest bags.

D.Both of them can be visited on December 22,2022.

Test 2

Katherine Rooks,a Denver-based writer,had sent her son a text message about coming home from school.Mrs Rooks said,“I could tell from his response that he became upset suddenly in our threads.”When he came home,he came over and said,“What did you mean by this?”Rooks was confused.So they looked at the text together and Mrs Rooks said,“Well,I meant,see you later,or something.I don't remember exactly what it said.”And he said,“But you ended with a full stop! I thought you were really angry!”Mrs Rooks wasn't angry,and she explained to her son,“Well,periods are how you end a sentence.”

But in text-messaging—at least for younger adults—periods do more than just end a sentence:They also can set a tone.Gretchen McCulloch,a linguist,said that when it comes to text-messaging,the period has lost its original purpose.But that doesn't mean the period has lost all the purposes in text-messaging.Now,it can be used to indicate seriousness or a sense of finality.“But caution is needed,”said McCulloch,noting that problems can start to arise when you combine a period with a positive emotion,like“Sure”or“Sounds good”.

A period can accidentally set a tone.A recent study conducted by Binghamton University psychology professor Celia Klin confirmed this.Researchers asked undergraduates to evaluate a text exchange that included an innocent question and the answer“Yes”.Some saw“Yes”with a period and some saw the word without.They found consistently through many experiments that“Yes”with a period resulted in responses that were more negative.So people thought“Yes”with a period was less friendly,less sincere,and so on.“I really don't like getting text messages that end in periods because it always feels so passiveaggressive,”said Juan Abenante Rincon,24,a social media manager.“Like,are you mad?What's going on?Did I do something wrong?”

Klin said this demonstrates that language is constantly changing.“Language evolution has happened;it'll continue to happen,and isn't it great that we're so linguistically flexible and creative?”she added.

1.Why does the text begin with Mrs Rooks'conflict with her son?

A.To lead in the use of periods in text-messaging.

B.To emphasize the great power of words.

C.To show youngsters'attitudes towards text-messaging.

D.To suggest the right use of punctuation marks.

2.Why is Juan Abenante Rincon mentioned in the text?

A.To make assessments on the recent study.

B.To confirm the findings of the recent study.

C.To put forward doubts about the recent study.

D.To show great opposition to the recent study.

3.What is Celia Klin's attitude towards the changes in the meanings of full stops?

A.Disapproving.

B.Conservative.

C.Worried.

D.Positive.

4.What can be the suitable title for the text?

A.Full stops:Be original

B.Full stops:Be cautious

C.Language evolution:Be flexible

D.Language evolution:Be consistent

Test 3

Imagine that you take a walk around your yard or nearby park and immediately,the sounds of an insect band surround you.Produced by the muscular movements of the insects called treehopper (角蝉),this imagined soundscape comes from vibrations (震动) that flow across the surface of plants.But it is not at all like the familiar vocalizations of crickets (蟋蟀).Instead,it's something richer and more varied.Some sounds are song-like and others are similar to the noises of machines or musical instruments.The noise made from even a single plant may be“as noisy as a busy street”.

InAn Immense World:How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us,Pulitzer prize-winning science journalist Ed Yong explains that,on a real walk instead of this one we've imagined,humans would not be able to hear the treehoppers'music without special equipment.In the company of scientists with a laser vibrometer (振动计),a device that changes the treehopper vibrations into sounds audible to human ears,Yong gets to hear them in the wild and in the laboratory.He is shocked by the attractive sounds.

In this book that follows from 2018'sI Contain Multitudes,Yong writes in a perfect balance of scientific severity and personal awe as he invites readers to grasp something of how other animals experience the world.Communicating through surface vibrations is a rather cool example that extends beyond treehoppers to elephants and spiders,and to this fact about frogs.Due to vibrations entering the eggs,a frog hatches quickly if a snake shows up with a hard bite,but ignores rain,wind,footsteps and even an earthquake.

My admiration for the book is,well,immense.Like many thousands of other people,I have relied throughout the course of COVID-19 on Yong's reporting atThe Atlanticas he cracked open the fast-changing world of pandemic science.Now,withAn Immense World,Yong brings into beautiful focus on a host of other animal sensory worlds that co-exist with ours,and how we may protect them.

1.How does the soundscape come about according to paragraph 1?

A.It comes from humans'muscles.

B.It arises from the vocalizations of crickets.

C.It comes from an imaginable world.

D.It arises from vibrations flowing across the surface of plants.

2.Why can Yong hear the treehopper's music?

A.Because of a laser device.

B.Because of the surface of plants.

C.Because of the nature of the insects.

D.Because of the special imaginable environment.

3.What can we learn aboutAn Immense World?

A.It appeals to all kinds of people.

B.It is aimed at protecting the animals.

C.It is scheduled to be published next year.

D.It describes a virtual world full of animals.

4.What is the text?

A.A news report.

B.A historical novel.

C.A book review.

D.A personal biography.

Test 4

If the grass looks greener after the sky has cleared,your eyes aren't cheating you.“There are several reasons why rain helps lawns green up,”said Jennifer Knoepp,a soil research scientist with the USDA Forest Service in Otto,North Carolina.

After it rains,there's typically more water available in the soil for plants.When plants take up that water,they are also taking up nitrogen(氮)from the organic matter that's in the soil.“As plants grow,their small roots die and new roots grow,”Knoepp said.When that happens,soil microbes (微生物)cause the dead roots to rot.This process is similar to adding fertilizers to your lawn,but only this action takes place underground and naturally,without your awareness.As rain runs into the soil,it activates the microbes to give off more nitrogen.The grass benefits from the freshly fallen rain because the water allows the roots to take up this“new”nitrogen as well as the nitrogen that the microbes have previously produced.“At the same time,the grass is very active with photosynthesis (光合作用)when the sun returns,”Knoepp explained.

Even though rain increases the nitrogen that's available to your lawn in several ways,you can't count on nitrogen from rain to meet all the fertilizer needs of your grass or your vegetable garden.Commercial fertilizers are still needed for a balanced fertilizer program,but Knoepp urges caution in applying them.While nitrogen is vital for good plant growth,be sure to follow package directions.Too much of a good thing can be harmful not only to plants but to nearby ponds,lakes,streams and rivers.After all,it's not green streams but green lawns that homeowners want to see when the clouds leave and the sun returns.

1.What makes the grass look greener after the rain?

A.The clean-up of the rain.

B.Slower photosynthesis.

C.The appearance of new roots.

D.Increasing absorption of nitrogen.

2.What's the main idea of paragraph 2?

A.The production of nitrogen.

B.The process of plants'growth.

C.The effects of photosynthesis.

D.The method of natural fertilizing.

3.What does Knoepp suggest homeowners do?

A.Be careful not to overuse fertilizers.

B.Keep a commercial fertilizer program.

C.Collect as much rainwater as possible.

D.Take advantage of nitrogen from rain only.

4.Which best describes the author's tone in the text?

A.Skeptical and critical.

B.Cautious and confident.

C.Objective and humorous.

D.Scientific and conservative.

Test 5

Jason,a straight-A student from the University of Pennsylvania,uses the term“pseudoworking”to describe how many of us study.The pseudo-worker looks and feels like someone who is working hard—he or she spends a long time in the library and is not afraid to push on late into the night—but,because of a lack of focus and concentration,he or she doesn't actually accomplish much.

This phenomenon can be seen on most college campuses.For example,at Dartmouth,there was a section of the main library that was open twenty-four hours a day,and the students I used to see there late at night crowded in groups,drinking coffee,were definitely pseudo-working.The roommate who flips through her chemistry notes on the couch while watching TV is pseudo-working.

By placing themselves in distracting environments and insisting on working long hours,these students are damaging their brains' ability to think clearly and efficiently accomplish the task at hand.In the end,they get half the results with twice the effort.

The bigger problem here is that most students don't even realize that they're pseudoworking.To them,pseudo-working is work—it's how they've always done it,and it's how all of their friends do it.It never crosses their minds that there might be a better way.Straight-A students,on the other hand,know all about pseudo-working.They fear it.It not only wastes time,but it's also mentally tiring.

In fact,the most important skill in becoming a straight-A student is the ability to get work done quickly and with a minimum of wasted effort.Some cognitive science research concludes that about fifty minutes is the optimal learning period to maximize the material integrated per time unit.So how do these students achieve this goal? To understand their secret to success,consider the following simple formula (公式): work accomplished=time spent×intensity of focus.

Pseudo-working features a very low intensity of focus.Therefore,to accomplish something by pseudo-working,you need to spend a lot of time.The straight-A approach,on the other hand,increases intensity in order to use less time.

1.Which of the following phenomenon is pseudo-working?

A.Tom is busy taking notes while attending a lecture.

B.Mike is sitting in a study lounge in preparation for a final exam quietly.

C.Jack spends a long time in the library on his essay while listening to music.

D.Alice and Sara are sitting on the couch reading their favorite books.

2.Compared with straight-A students,what is the major problem of most students?

A.They want to spend more time on study.

B.They are eager to follow their friends'way.

C.They have got used to their study approach.

D.They are unaware of their pseudo-working.

3.What does the underlined word“optimal”mean in paragraph 5?

A.Possible. B.Best.

C.Least. D.Accurate.

4.What does the author want to stress by mentioning the formula?

A.The length of time on study counts.

B.Concentration plays a key role in study.

C.An effective study approach is very important.

D.Getting work done quickly means everything.

Test 6

Courage is a highly admired virtue.When asked to describe courage,most people conjure up（脑海中浮现）the image of an individual running into a burning building,or maybe a hero saving the world.But there's another form of bravery that's much more important because it comes up more often.It's called moral courage.

Moral courage is the ability that allows us to face our fears and to conquer our darkest fears.It's the ability to face the future without knowing what is certain.It's the ability to stand tall and confront those who oppose us,and those who prevent us from realizing who we are and what we are.But most importantly,it's the ability to stand up for what's right,even though there are risks that stand in your way.Sara Anderson once said that“It takes great courage to faithfully follow what we know to be true”.

The potential for showing moral courage has the power of changing the world.It was because of the moral courage that Mahatma Gandhi was able to make India free from British rule.He fought bravely against them without the use of any weapon by presenting great moral courage.In this way,he also became a great example to the people of the whole world.It is not that we remember Gandhi because of his body or beauty.We remember him because of the great ideas and principles of his life.

Moral courage is essential not only for a noble life,but a happy one.Without moral courage,we have no control over our lives.Our fears destroy our spirits and make us trapped in depression.Mark Twain said,“Courage is not the absence of fear but the resistance to fear,the mastery of fear.”If our fears cause us to lose confidence in the power of virtue,we will lose something very precious.

People with moral courage rarely get medals,but it is the best marker of true character and a virtue others can be proud of.We must try to develop the power of moral courage that will surely help in ending injustice and wrong and grant us a better world.

1.What is the main function of paragraph 1?

A.To make a comparison.

B.To propose a definition.

C.To introduce the subject.

D.To provide the background.

2.What does the example of Mahatma Gandhi tell us?

A.Moral courage makes people faithfully follow the truth.

B.Moral courage restricts great ideas and principles.

C.Moral courage is essential for leading a happy life.

D.Moral courage can make a difference to the world.

3.What can be inferred from Mark Twain's words?

A.Having a fear can limit our future lives.

B.Courage is a spirit to overcome fear.

C.Courage is being brave without any fear.

D.Fear can stop us from achieving our goals.

4.What does the author advise us to do in the last paragraph?

A.To strengthen moral courage.

B.To end injustice and wrong.

C.To pursue excellent virtues.

D.To create a better world.

Test 7

A picture may be worth a thousand words,but thanks to an artificial intelligence program called DALL-E 2,you can have a professional-looking image with far fewer.

Open AI researchers built DALL-E 2 from an enormous collection of images with captions（说明文字）.They gathered some of the images online and licensed others.Using DALL-E 2 looks a lot like searching for an image on the web:you type in a short phrase into a text box,and it gives back six images.

But instead of selecting pictures from the web,the program creates six brand-new images,each of which reflects some version of the entered phrase.Nearly all of them could probably pass for professional photographs or drawings.

It's easy to imagine this tool transforming the way people make images and communicate,whether via memes,greeting cards,advertising—and,yes,art.

You might say there's little artistic merit in an image produced by a few keystrokes.But this line of thinking echoes the classic take that photography cannot be art because a machine did all the work.Today the human authorship and craft involved in artistic photography are recognized,and critics understand that the best photography involves much more than just pushing a button.

Some artists,like Ryan Murdoch,have advocated for prompt-based (基于提示的)image-making to be recognized as art.They argue that the art,using a system like DALL-E 2,comes not just from the final text prompt,but in the entire creative process that led to that prompt.Different artists will follow different processes and end up with different results that reflect their own approaches and skills.

It's too early to judge the significance of this art form.The first films by the Lumiere brothers in the 1890s were novelties,not cinematic masterpieces;it amazed people to see images moving at all.

AI art software develops so quickly that there's continual technical and artistic novelty.It seems as if,each year,there's an opportunity to explore an exciting new technology—each more powerful than the last,and each seemingly ready to transform art and society.

1.What can DALL-E 2 do for you?

A.It edits your photographs.

B.It reproduces your paintings.

C.It collects images from the web.

D.It turns your words into pictures.

2.Why does the author mention photography in paragraph 5?

A.To explain a rule. B.To illustrate a point.

C.To present a finding. D.To define a concept.

3.What does the author think of AI art software?

A.It is promising. B.It is risky.

C.It is unreliable. D.It is superior.

4.What is a suitable title for the text?

A.DALL-E 2 has arrived.Are artists in trouble?

B.DALL-E 2:What exactly is“AI-generated art”?

C.DALL-E 2:Can it produce an incredible image—but is it art?

D.DALL-E 2:Why is the AI program a revolutionary invention?

Test 8

Music makes life better in many ways.The fact that music can make a difficult task more tolerable may be why students often choose to listen to it while doing their homework.But is listening to music the smart choice for students who want to improve their learning?A new study suggests that for some students,listening to music is a wise choice,but for others,it isn't.The effect of music on cognitive (认知的)function appears to depend partly on your personality—specifically,on your need for external stimulation.

Researchers not only assessed listeners' personality but also changed the difficulty of the task and the complexity of the music.Participants first completed a personality test used to determine the need for external stimulation.They then engaged in an easy cognitive task like searching for the letter A in lists of words and a more challenging one like remembering word pairs.Participants finished both tasks under one of two sound conditions which is without music and with music.

The data suggest that for those with a high need of external stimulation,on the simple task of finding A's,such subjects' scores for the music condition were significantly worse than those for the silent condition.On the complex task of learning word pairs,their performance was worse whenever music was played.For those with a low need of external stimulation,however,on the simple task of findings A's,such participants' scores for the music condition were dramatically better than those for the silent condition.On the complex task of learning word pairs,the participants showed a small but reliable benefit when listening to music.

According to the study,there are significant individual differences in the impact ofmusic on cognitive function,resulting in personalized recommendations regarding its presence in the classroom.Students who are easily bored and who seek stimulation should be cautious of adding music to the mix.On the other hand,students with a low need for stimulation may benefit significantly from the presence of music.

With the right personality,the right music and the right task,the presence of music may significantly improve cognitive function.Given the benefits of music,subscription toSpotifymight just pay for itself.

1.What can we learn about the study in paragraph 2?

A.It only involved the participants'response to music.

B.The difficulty of the two tasks decreased in the study.

C.Participants completed two tasks to compose songs.

D.Participants went through two stages in the experiment.

2.What can we infer from the results shown in paragraph 3 and paragraph 4?

A.The complexity of tasks might reduce the benefit of music.

B.Students should listen to music when performing complex tasks.

C.Students with less external stimulation perform badly with music.

D.The presence of music suits students seeking external stimulation.

3.What might the underlined word“Spotify”be?

A.A psychology journal.

B.A music platform.

C.A travel guide.

D.A personality test.

4.What could be the best title for the text?

A.Why is music essential to your study?

B.Is music beneficial to your personality?

C.Does music boost your cognitive performance?

D.How can music affect your external stimulation?