2012届上海市高三二模英语——阅读C篇

2012届上海市高三二模英语试卷——C篇(崇明)(C)Lots of bacteria can grow in the seemingly unfriendly environment under glaciers(冰川), a region formerly considered free of much biology. This finding by glaciologists working in Switzerland could help solve some puzzles of the last ice age and point the way for finding life on other planets.Bacteria with odd lifestyles have been under increasing study lately, with most research focused on the species which prefer hot homes. The new study shifts attention to the other end of the thermometer(温度计). The exciting thing is the idea of pushing the window of acceptable bacterial environments a little bit farther open.Researchers have previously collected small numbers of bacteria from ice in Antarctica and Greenland, but they could not determine whether these were active bacteria or just frozen cells blown in by wind. In contrast, the earth beneath two Swiss glaciers harbors large colonies of bacteria—hundreds of millions of cells per gram—that appear to be growing at 0℃.Scientists followed upon these findings by taking samples of ice, water, and earth at two mountain glaciers. They found that earth beneath the glaciers contained much larger populations of bacteria than did surface and inner part of ice. Those findings indicate that the bacteria were growing at the bottom of the glacier and are not something washed in while the scientists drilled through the ice.Looking at the bacteria under a microscope(显微镜), the researchers found that many were in the process of dividing, and healthy under the ice. The bacteria might break down minerals and plant remains originally buried beneath the glacier or later washed in by water going slowly through the ice, scientists say.―Some of the assumptions we have made in the past now must be seriously questioned,‖ say researchers. ―If bacteria can live under glaciers on Earth, why not on other planets? The new study points out in many ways that the bottoms of glaciers are probably quite good environments from the point of view of bacteria. So, maybe the bottom of the ice sheets on other planets would be a sensible place to try if you‘re going to look for life on them.‖72. What is special about the new study on bacteria?A. It focuses on the bacteria in hot environments.B. It opens the windows of the bacterial labs wider.C. It pays more attention to the bacteria in the thermometer.D. It changes scientists‘ view about the environment bacteria exist in.73. Which of the following facts proves that bacteria under glaciers are alive?A. Water is going slowly through the ice.B. The drills used by scientists are free of bacteria.C. Many of the bacteria are in the process of dividing.D. The earth beneath the glacier contains more bacteria.74. From the passage we can learn that ________.A. bacteria disappear in the inner part of iceB. bacteria must be also alive on other planetsC. bacteria can grow in extreme weathersD. bacteria grow by breaking themselves down75. The passage is mainly about the possibility of the existence of life _________.A. under the seaB. in hot waterC. on other planetsD. under glaciersC篇D CCD(奉贤)(C)The gift of being able to describe a face accurately is a rare one, as every experienced policeofficer knows to his cost. As the Lancet put it recently, ―When we try to describe faces precisely, words fail us, and we resort to identikit (拼脸型图) procedures.‖Yet, according to one authority on the subject, we can each probably recognize more than 1,000 faces, the majority of which differ in fine details. This, when one comes to think of it, is a tremendous feat, though, curiously enough, relatively little attention has been devoted to the fundamental problems of how and why we acquire this gift for recognizing and remembering faces. Is it an inborn property of our brains, or an acquired one? As so often happens, the experts tend to differ.Th us, some argue that it is inborn, and that there are ―special characteristics about the brain‘s ability to distinguish faces‖. In support of this, they note how much better we are at recognizing a face after a single encounter than we are, for example, in recognizing an individual horse. On the other hand, there are those, and they are probably in the majority, who claim that the gift is an acquired one.The arguments in favor of this latter view, it must be confessed, are impressive. It is a habit that is acquired soon after birth. Watch, for instance, how a quite young baby recognizes his mother by sight. Granted that his other senses help – the sound, his sense of smell, the distinctive way she handles him. But of all these, sight is predominant. Formed at the very beginning of life, the ability to recognize faces quickly becomes an established habit, and one that is, essential for daily living, if not necessarily for survival. How essential and valuable it is we probably do not appreciate until we encounter people who have been deprived of the faculty.This unfortunate inability to recognize familiar faces is known to all, but such people can often recognize individuals by their voices, their walking manners or their spectacles. With typical human ingenuity, many of these unfortunate people overcome their handicap by recognizing other characteristic features.72. It is stated in the passage that ______.A. it is unusual for a person to be able to identify a face satisfactorilyB. the ability to recognize faces unhesitatingly is an unusual giftC. quite a few people can visualize faces they have seenD. few people can give exact details of the appearance of a face73. What the author feels strange about is that _______.A. people have the tremendous ability to recognize more than 1,000 facesB. people don‘t think much of the problem of how and why we acquire the ability to recognizeand remember facesC. people don‘t realize how essential and valuable it is for them to have the ability torecognize facesD. people have been arguing much over the way people recognize and remember faces74. What is the first suggested explanation of the origin of the ability?A. It is one of the characteristics peculiar to human beings.B. It is acquired soon after birth.C. It is something we can do from the very moment we are born.D. It is learned from our environment and experiences.75. This passage seems to emphasize that ______.A. the ability to recognize individuals is dependent on other senses as well as sightB. sight is indispensable (必需的) to recognizing individualsC. the ability to recognize faces is a special inborn ability of the brainD. the importance of the ability of recognizing faces is fully appreciated by people.72—75 DBCA(虹口)(C)There are a couple of ways to forecast the destructive potential of a hurricane (飓风) so that people in the way can take adequate precautions (预防措施). Satellite images of cloud patterns can be analyzed to estimate peak wind speeds, but the estimates are often way off the mark. Specialized aircraft can fly into a storm to measure the winds directly, but the flights are costly.Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology come up with a third way: listening to a storm underwater.In a paper to be published in Geophysical Research Letters, Nicholas C. Makris and a former graduate student, Joshua D. Wilson, report a strong connection between the intensity(强度) of sound recorded by an undersea microphone in the mid-Atlantic and the wind power of a hurricane that passed over it. They say that such microphones, known as hydrophones, could be a safe and relatively inexpensive means of estimating hurricane force.Dr. Makris and Dr. Wilson, who are now with Applied Physical Sciences Corporation, worked out the theory of underwater acoustic (声音的) monitoring of storms in a 2005 paper. ―To be very frank with you, it‘s a mystery what makes storms noisy underwater.‖ Dr. Makris said. The most popular idea currently is that it has something to do with oscillating air bubbles (气泡振动).The researchers then went looking for experimental data to back their theory, and found it from a hydrophone placed at a depth of 2,500 feet by the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration. It happened that Hurricane Gert passed over the area in September 1999, and a hurricane-hunter plane directly measured the wind speed at the same time. The hydrophone data showed sound intensity risi ng when the storm‘s outside wind ―wall‖ passed over, and again when the inside wall, the most destructive part of the storm near the eye, passed over. ―We got a beautiful connection,‖ Dr. Makris said, ―between the hydrophone data and the actual wind speeds as measured by the aircraft.‖Dr. Makris is conducting additional experiments, working with the Mexican Navy off the west coast of Mexico. The eventual goal, he said, would be permanent hydrophones in known hurricane zones or temporary ones that could be easily laid by plane or ship in the path of a coming storm.72. Compared with the traditional methods, the new way of measuring is_____.A. more expensiveB. more directC. less dangerousD. less accurate73. Which statement is WRONG according to the article?A. The scientists gained support from different fields.B. Dr. Makris and Dr. Wilson have figured out what makes storms noisy underwater.C. The scientists have found the relationship between the changes of sound intensity and theforce of the hurricane.D. There are several ways for people to forecast the force of the coming hurricane.74. Why is Dr. Makris now making other experiments with the help of the Mexican Navy off thewest coast of Mexico?A. To place permanent hydrophones in some zones.B. To collect more images of cloud patterns.C. To be secure in carrying out their experiments.D. To get more information from the hurricane-hunter planes.75. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?A. Ways to Stop the Destructive Force of a HurricaneB. Connection between the Intensity of Sound and the Wind Power of a HurricaneC. Hydrophones, Safe but Expensive Means of Estimating Hurricane ForceD. Measuring a Hurricane by Sound Underwater72-75: CBAD（黄浦、嘉定）(C)The coast of the State of Maine is one of the most irregular in the world. A straight line running from the southernmost coastal city to the northernmost coastal city would measure about 225 miles. If you followed the coastline between these points, you would travel more than ten times as far. This irregularity is the result of what is called a drowned coastline. The term comes from the glacial（冰川的）activity of the Ice Age. At that time, the whole area that is now Maine was part of a mountain range that towered above the sea. As the glacier descended, however, it applied enormous force on those mountains, and they sank into the sea.As the mountains sank, ocean water charged over the lowest parts of the remaining land. And the highest parts of the former mountain range, nearest the shore, remained as islands. Marine fossils found here are 225 feet above sea level indicating the level of the shoreline prior to the glacier.The 2,500-mile-long rocky and jagged coastline of Maine keeps watch over nearly 2,000 islands. Many of these islands are tiny and uninhabited, but many are home to blooming communities. Mt. Desert Island is one of the largest, most beautiful of the Maine coast islands left behind by the glacier. Measuring 16 miles by 12 miles, Mt. Desert was very nearly formed as two distinct islands. It is split almost in half by Somes Sound, a very deep and very narrow stretch of water seven miles long.For years, Mt. Desert Island, particularly its major settlement, Bar Harbor, has afforded summer homes for the wealthy. Recently, though, Bar Harbor has become a new arts community as well. But the best part of the island is the unspoiled forest land known as Acadia National Park. Since the island sits on the border between two different geographical zones, the park supports the plants and animals of both zones. It also lies in a major bird migration lane and is a resting spot for many birds.The establishment of Acadia National park in 1916 means that this natural monument will bepreserved and that it will be available to all people, not just the wealthy. Visitors to Acadia may receive nature instruction from the park naturalists as well as enjoy camping, hiking, cycling, and boating. Or they may choose to spend time at the museum learning about the Stone Age inhabitants of the island.72．The large number of small islands along the coast of Maine is the result of __________.A. the drowning of the Maine coastlineB. glacier‘s forcing mountains into the seaC. the irregularity of the Maine coastlineD. ocean water‘s flooding the mountain range73．From the passage, we learn that __________.A. the coastline of Maine is ten times longer after the Ice AgeB. there are more than 2500 islands along the Maine coastlineC. Mt. Desert Island has been broken apart by a 7-mile-long water stretchD. an arts community gave way to the summer homes on Mt. Desert Island74．What CANNOT be inferred about the Acadia Nation Park?A. It welcomes all the people, rich or poor.B. It has much appeal for bird-watching lovers.C. It offers visitors both entertainment and education.D. It is a border between the two geographical zones.75．Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?A. The past and the present of MaineB. The formation of Maine coastlineC. Efforts for preserving national parksD. Tourist attractions on Mt. Desert Island72—75 BCDA（静安、杨浦、宝山、青浦）(C)Being less than perfectly well-dressed in a business setting can result in a feeling of great discomfort that may well require treatment to eliminate. And the sad truth is that ―clothing mismatches‖ on the job can ruin the day of the person who is wearing the inappropriate attire(着装)—and the people with whom he or she comes in contact.Offices vary when it comes to dress codes. Some businesses have very high standards for their employees and set strict guidelines for office attire, while others maintain a more relaxed attitude. However, it is always important to remember that no matter what your company‘s attitude is regarding what you wear, you are working in a business environment and you should dress properly. Certain items may be more appropriate for evening wear than for a business meeting, just as shorts and a T-shirt are better suited for the beach than for an office environment. Your attire should reflect both your environment and your position. A senior vice president has a different image to maintain than that of a secretary or sales assistant. Like it or not, you will be judged by your personal appearance.This is never more apparent than on ―dress-down days‖, when what you wear can say more about you than any business suit ever could. In fact, people will pay more attention to what you wear on dress-down days than on ―business professional‖ days. Thus, when dressing in ―businesscasual‖ clothes, try to put some good taste into your wardrobe choices, recognize that the ―real‖definition of business casual is to dress just one notch(等级) down from what you would normally wear of business-professional attire days.Remember, there are borders between your career and our social life. You should dress one way for play and another way when you mean business. Always ask yourself where you are going and how other people will be dressed when you get there. Is the final destination the opera, the beach, or the office? Dress properly and you will discover the truth in the principle that clothes make the man—and the woman. When in doubt, always misjudge on the side of dressing slightly more traditionally than the situation demands.72. What is the passage mainly about?A. How to dress properly in a business setting.B. A president of a company should dress differently from a secretary or sales assistant.C. The differences between professional and casual dress.D. Improper dress will make a person feel uncomfortable.73. Which of the following statements is true?A. Every company has strict rules regarding office dress.B. You can wear whatever you like if your company doesn‘t have high standards for dressing.C. You should dress according to the business setting even when there are no fixed rules.D. In companies with relaxed rules on office dress, you can‘t spot a manager among others.74. Which statement best describes ―dress-down days‖?A. On dress-down days, you can wear whatever you like.B. People‘s clothes on dress-down days don‘t receive much attention.C. We can‘t judge a person‘s taste by his clothes on dress-down days.D. People are usually more careful about what they wear on dress-down days than on otheroccasions.75. Which of the following is NOT the rule offered in the passage with regard to business dress?A. Remember to ask others for advice when you are not sure about what to dress.B. Think about how other guests will wear if you are invited to a dinner.C. For a business meeting and a concert, you should dress differently.D. Dress a bit traditionally if you are not sure about proper dress for a certain occasion.72—75 ACDA（闵行）(C)According to sociologists, there are several different ways in which a person may become recognized as the leader of a social group in the United States. In the family traditional cultural patterns confer (授予) leadership on one or both of the parents. In other cases, such as friendship groups, one or more persons may gradually emerge as leaders, although there is no formal process of selection. In larger groups, leaders are usually chosen formally through election or recruitment.Although leaders are often thought to be people with unusual personal ability, decades ofresearch have failed to produce consistent evidence that there is any category of "natural leaders." It seems that there is no set of personal qualities that all leaders have in common; rather, virtually any person may be recognized as a leader if the person has qualities that meet the needs of that particular group.Furthermore, although it is commonly supposed that social groups have a single leader, research suggests that there are typically two different leadership roles that are held by different individuals. Instrumental leadership is leadership that emphasizes the completion of tasks by a social group. Group members look to instrumental leaders to ―get things done.‖Expressive leadership, on the other hand, is leadership that emphasizes the collective well-beings of a social group‘s members. Expressive leaders are less concerned with the overall goals of the group than with providing emotional support to group members and attempting to minimize tension and conflict among them. Group members expect expressive leaders to maintain stable relationships within the group and provide support to individual members.Instrumental leaders are likely to have a rather secondary relationship to other group members. They give orders and may discipline group members who prohibit attainment (达到) of the group‘s goals. Expressive leaders cultivate a more personal or primary relationship to others in the group. They offer sympathy when someone experiences difficulties or is subjected to discipline, are quick to lighten a serious moment with humor, and try to resolve issues that threaten to divide the group. As the difference in these two roles suggests, expressive leaders generally receive more personal affection from group members; instrumental leaders, if they are successful in promoting group goals, may enjoy a more distant respect.72. Which of the following statements about leadership can be inferred from paragraph 2?A. Few people succeed in sharing a leadership role with another person.B. A person who is an effective leader of a particular group may not be an effective leaderin another group.C. A person can best learn how to be an effective leader by studying research on leadership.D. Most people desire to be leaders but can produce little evidence of their qualifications.73. The passage indicates that instrumental leaders generally focus on ________.A. ensuring harmonious relationshipsB. sharing responsibility with group membersC. achieving a goalD. identifying new leaders74. A ―secondary relationship‖ between a leader and the members of a group could best bedescribed as ―________‖.A. distantB. enthusiasticC. sympatheticD. personal75. What does the passage mainly discuss?A. The problems faced by leaders.B. How leadership differs in small and large groups.C. How social groups determine who will lead them.D. The role of leaders in social groups.72. B 73. C 74. A 75. D(浦东)（C）Longer Lives for Wild ElephantsMost people think of zoos as safe places for animals, where struggles such as difficulty finding food and avoiding predators don't exist. Without such problems, animals in zoos should live to a ripe old age.But that may not be true for the largest land animals on Earth. Scientists have known that elephants in zoos often suffer from poor health. They develop diseases, joint problems and behavior changes. Sometimes, they even become unable to have babies.To learn more about how captivity(监禁) affects elephants, a team of international scientists compared the life spans of female elephants born in zoos with female elephants living outdoors in their native lands. Zoos keep detailed records of all the animals in their care, documenting factors such as birth dates, illnesses, weight and death. These records made it possible for the researchers to analyze 40 years of data on 800 African and Asian elephants in zoos across Europe. The scientists compared the life spans of the zoo-born elephants with the life spans of thousands of female wild elephants in Africa and Asian elephants that work in logging camps(伐木场), over approximately the same time period.The team found that female African elephants born in zoos lived an average of 16.9 years. Their wild counterparts who died of natural causes lived an average of 56 years——more than three times as long. Female Asian elephants followed a similar pattern. In zoos, they lived 18.9 years, while those in the logging camps lived 41.7 years.Scientists don't yet know why wild elephants seem to live so much better than their zoo-raised counterparts. Georgia Mason, a biologist at the University of Guelph in Canada who led the study, thinks stress and obesity(肥胖) may be to blame. Zoo elephants don't get the same kind of exercise they would in the wild, and most are very fat. Elephant social lives are also much different in zoos than in the wild, where they live in large herds and family groups.Another finding from the study showed that Asian elephants born in zoos were more likely to die early than Asian elephants captured in the wild and brought to zoos. Mason suggests stress in the mothers in zoos might cause them to have babies that are less likely to survive.The study raises some questions about acquiring more elephants to keep in zoos. While some threatened and endangered species living in zoos reproduce successfully and maintain healthy populations, that doesn't appear to be the case with elephants.72. According to the first two paragraphs, unlike other zoo animals, zoo elephants _______ .A. have difficulty eating food.B. 1ive to a ripe old age.C. are not afraid of predators.D. develop health problems.73. Which of the following about the international scientists' research on the life spans of elephants is NOT true? (See paragraph 3)?A. They compared zoo elephants with wild elephants.B. They kept detailed records of all the elephants in their care.C. They analyzed the records of the elephants kept in zoos.D. The zoo-born elephants they studied are kept in European zoos.74. What do the scientists find in their research?A. Female elephants live longer than male elephants.B. Female zoo elephants live longer than their wild counterparts.C. Female zoo elephants die much earlier than their wild counterparts.D. Elephants in zoos and those in the wild enjoy the same long life spans.75. Which of the following does the author suggest in the last paragraph?A. It may not be a wise policy to keep elephants in the zoo.B. Elephants are no longer an endangered species.C. Zoo-born elephants should be looked after more carefully.D. Zoos should keep more animals except elephants.72--75. DBCA（普陀）(C)The French word renaissance means rebirth. It was first used in 1855 by the historian Jules Michelet in his History of France, then adopted by historians of culture, by art historians, and eventually by music historians, all of whom applied it to European culture during the 150 years spanning 1450-1600. The concept of rebirth was appropriate to this period of European history because of the renewed interest in ancient Greek and Roman culture that began in Italy and then spread throughout Europe. Scholars and artists of this period wanted to restore the learning and ideals of the classical civilizations of Greece and Rome. To these scholars this meant a return to human. Fulfillment in life became a desirable goal, and expressing the entire range of human em otions and enjoying the pleasures of the senses were no longer ―frowned on‖. Artists and writers now turned to religious subject matter and sought to make their works understandable and appealing.These changes in outlook deeply affected the musical culture of the Renaissance period—how people thought about music as well as the way music was composed and experienced. They could see the architectural monuments, sculptures, plays, and poems that were being rediscovered, but they could not actually hear ancient music —although they could read the writings of classical philosophers, poets, essayists, and music theorists that were becoming available in translation. They learned about the power of ancient music to move the listener and wondered why modern music did not have the same effect. For example, the influential religious leader Bernardino Cirillo expressed disappointment with the learned music of his time. He urged musicians to follow the example of the sculptors, painters, architects, and scholars who had rediscovered ancient art and literature.The musical Renaissance in Europe was more a general cultural movement and state of mind than a specific set of musical techniques. Furthermore, music changed so rapidly during this century and a half —though at different rates in different countries—that we cannot define a single Renaissance style.72. The phrase "frowned on" in Para.1 is closest in meaning to ________.A. given upB. forgotten aboutC. argued aboutD. disapproved of73. It can be inferred from the passage that thinkers of the Renaissance were seeking a rebirth of_______.A. communication among artists across EuropeB. Green and Roman architecture and sculpturesC. a cultural emphasis on human valuesD. religious themes in art that were more abstract74. According to the passage, why was Bemardino Cirillo disappointed with the music of histime?A. It was not complex enough to appeal to musicians.B. It had little emotional impact on the audiences.C. It was too dependent on the art and literature of his time.D. It did not contain enough religious themes.75. Which of the following is mentioned in the passage as a reason for the absence of a singleRenaissance musical style?A. The musical Renaissance was defined by technique rather than style.B. The musical Renaissance was too short to give rise to a new musical style.C. Renaissance musicians adopted the styles of both Greek and Roman musicians.D. During the Renaissance, music never remained the same for very long.72-75DCBD（徐汇、金山）(C)People are looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint. Purchasing property that is environmentally responsible is a good investment for those who are concerned about their own health and the well-being of the earth. Based on this trend, entire districts, known as eco-communities, are being designed with a green focus in mind. Dockside Green in Victoria, British Columbia is one of them.If everything goes according to plan, Dockside Green will be a self sufficient community along the harbour front of British Columbia's capital city. The community will be home to 2500 people and will consist of residential, office, and retail space. Builders of Dockside Green have the environment in mind with every choice they make. They ensure proper ventilation（通风）, and guarantee residents 100% fresh indoor air. Building materials, such as paints and wood, are natural and non-poisonous. Eco-conscious builders use bamboo wherever possible because it grows fast and does not require pesticides（杀虫剂）to grow.Energy efficiency is one of the top concerns in eco-communities, such as Dockside Green. Not only do energy efficient appliances and light fixtures（照明设备）reduce the environmental impact of heating and hot water, they also save residents and business owners money. Dockside Green claims that home owners will use 55% less energy than average residents in Canada. Residents will have individual water metres as studies show that people use around 20% less energy when they are billed for exactly what they use. In addition, water is treated at Dockside Green and reused on site f or flushing（冲洗）toilets.Planners of eco-communities such as Dockside Green must take the future into account. Dockside Green plans on reusing 90% of its construction waste. They also plan to continue using local suppliers for all of their transport and maintenance needs. This is a great way to reduce emissions（排放）. Dockside residents will be encouraged to make use of a mini transportation。