三年真题研读04(任务型阅读)(解析版)

1、三年真题研读04（任务型阅读）一、真题解析2019The Cost of ThinkingDespite their many differences, all human beings share several defining characteristics. such as large brains and the ability to walk upright on two legs.The first unique human characteristic is that humans have extraordinarily large brains compared with

2、other animals. It seems obvious that evolution should select for larger brains. Mammals（ 哺乳动物）weighing sixtykilograms have an average brain size of 200 cm 2 . Modern man has a brain averaging 1200-1400 cm 2. We are so fond of our high intelligence that we assume that when it comes to brain power, mo

3、re must be better. Unfortunately, that is not the case.The fact is that a huge brain is a huge drain consumption of energy on the body. I s not easy to carry around, especially when boxed inside a massive skull（ 倾骨 ）. It s even harder to provides energy. In modern man, the brain accounts for about 2

4、-3%of total body weight but it consumes 25% of the body s energy when the body is at rest. By comparison, the brains of apes（ 类人猿 ）require only 8%of rest-time energy. Early humans pad for their large brains in two ways. Firstly, they spent more time in search food. Secondly, their muscles grew small

5、er and weaker. Its hardly an obvious conclusion that this is a good way to survive. A chimpanzee（ 黑猩猩）can t win anargument with a modern man, but it can tear the man apart like a rag doll.Another unique human characteristic is that we walk upright. Standing up, it s easier to find food or enemies. I

6、n addition, their arms that are unnecessary for moving around are freed for other purposes, like throwing stones or signaling. As a result, humans can perform very complex tasks with their hands.Yet walking upright has its disadvantage. The bone structure of our ancestors developed for millions of y

7、ears to support a creature that walked on all fours and has a relatively small head. Adjusting to an upright position was quite a challenge, especially when the bones had to support an extra-large skull. Humankind paid for its broad vision and skillful hands backaches and painful necks.We assume tha

8、t a large brain makes huge advantages. It seems obvious that these have made humankind the most powerful animal on earth. But humans enjoyed all of these advantages for a full 2 million years during which they remained weak and marginal creature. Thus humans who lived a million years ago, despite th

9、eir big brains and sharp stone tools, lived in constant fear of meat-eating animals.The Cost of ThinkingIntroduction Large brains for their bodies and the ability to walk upright are two(71)of human beings.The (72)of largehuman brains The larger brains may not be better because of the cost. The big

10、brains make it harder for the body to move around and consume more energy. The animal brain requires less (73)when the body is at rest. Large human brains consume more food, and weaken muscles.The (74)ofwalking upright Walking upright makes it easy to find food or (75)against enemies. Freed hands ca

11、n serveome (76)purpose and perform complex tasks. Walking upright challenges the human bone structure, and (77)thesize of brains. Walking upright results in (78)sufferings.Conclusion With a largebrain, human beings (79)other beings in terms ofintelligence. Weak and marginal, human beings remained(80

12、) of meat-eatinganimals.【解题策略】先看表格了解文章的基本框架：第一部分(Introduction)对应于文章的第一段；第二部分(The (72) of large human brains)对应于文章的第二、三两段；第三部分(The (74) ofwalking upright)对应于文章第四、五两段。第四部分(Conclusion)对应文章的最后一段。接着结 合表格浏览标题可知：文章主要叙述人用大脑思考的代价。71 .【答案】characteristics【解析】信息查找题。根据题干定位到第一段“all human beings share defining cha

13、racteristics ,such aslarge brains and the ability to walk upright on t wo legs.可知，大脑袋和双腿直立行走的能力是 人类共有的特点。再根据题干中的数词two可确定答案为characteristics o72 .【答案】disadvantages【解析】信息概括题。根据右栏的内容可知主要叙述了人类的大脑大的缺点。因此本空格填写disadvantages。这一题实际就是短文第三段的主旨大意。73 【答案energy【解析 信息查找题。根据题干定位到第三段中的“ a huge brain is a huge drain c

14、onsumption of energy以及 “It (the brain) consumes 25% of the body s energy when the body is at rest By comparison the brains of apes require only 8% of rest- time energy 可知，人类巨大的大脑是一个巨大的能 ”量消耗。当身体处于休息时，大脑要消耗25%的身体能量。相比之下，类人猿的大脑只需要8%的休息时间能量。人类与动物相比，动物需要的能量(energy)要比人类少。故填energy。74 【答案impact(s)【解析信息概括题。

15、分析右栏中的75 78小题定位到第四段和第五段的内容可知，此部分主要叙述了直立行走对人类的影响。故填impact(s)。75 【答案guard【解析信息概括题。根据题干定位到第四段的第一句“ Another unique human characteristic is that wewalk upright Standing up, it s easier to find food or enemies 和 “ like thro” wing stones or signaling并'结合题干中againstenemies可知，直立行走有助于人类发现和抵御敌人，故答 案为guard。g

16、uardagainst为固定搭配，意为 提防”。76 【答案other【解析信息查找题。根据题干定位到第四段中的” their arms that are unnecessary for moving aroundare freed for other purposes, like throwing stones or signaling As a result, humans can perform very complex tasks with their hands 可知，解放了的双手可以用于做其它的事，即有其它的 ” 目的。故填other。77 【答案limits【解析信息概括题。根据

17、题干定位到第五段“ walking upright has disadvantages The bone structure ofour ancestors developed for millions of years to support a creature that walked on four and arelative small head Adjusting to an upright position was quite a challenge , especially when the bones had to support an extra -large skull 可知

18、， ” 直立行走也有缺点。我们祖先进化了上百亿年，骨骼也只能支撑四肢行走和有一个相对较小的头。直立行走对人类的骨骼是一个相当大的挑战，限制了人的头脑的大小。故本空填limits 。78 【答案physical【解析 信息概括题。根据第五段“. , Humankind paid for its vision and skillful hands with backaches andpainful necks 可知，直立对人类的骨骼是一个相当大的挑战，人类为自己的视力和灵巧的 ”双手付出了代价，换来的是月酸背痛和脖子疼痛，backaches和painful对应题干中的sufferings,由此得出

19、，直立导致身体方面的（physical）痛苦，故填physical。79 .【答案】beat【解析】信息概括题。根据最后一段“ We assumehtat a large brain makes huge advantages.It seemsobvious that these have made humankind the most powerful animal on earth. 可知，我们假设大”脑越大，优势越大。很明显，这些使得人类成为地球上最强大的动物。由此可推断出我们 的大脑比动物大，在智力方面人类比动物更聪明，即在智力方面击败了（beat）其他动物。故本空填beat。80 .

20、 【答案】fearful/afraid【解析】信息转换题。根据最后一段“ .humans enjoyed all of these advantages for a full 2 million yearsduring which they weak and marginal creatures. Thus humans who lived a million years ago, despite their big brains and sharp stone tools, lived in constant fear of meat-eating anima ls. 可 ” 知，尽管人类享

21、受着所有这些优势，但也是弱小的生物。因此尽管拥有巨大的大脑和锋利的石器，但也曾经对食肉动物仍旧害怕/恐惧。因为空前是系动词，故本空要填fear 的形容词 fearful 或其同义词afraid。2018How Arts Promote Our EconomyWhen most people think of the arts, they imagine the end product, the beautiful painting, a wonderful piece of music, or an award-winning performance in the theater. But a

22、rts groups bring broader value to our communities. The economic impact of the arts is often overlooked and badly judged.The arts create jobs that help develop the economy. Any given performance takes a tour bus full of artists, technical experts, managers, musicians, or writers to create an appealin

23、g piece of art. These people earn a living wage for their professional knowledge and skills.Another group of folks is n eeded to help market the event.you build“ itIfthey will come” is a misleadingbelief. Painters, digital media experts, photographers, booking agents and promoters are hired to sell

24、tickets and promote the event. According to the Dallas Area Cultural Advocacy Coalition, arts agencies employ more than 10,000 people as full-or part-time employees or independent contractors.A successful arts neighborhood creates a ripple effect（ 连锁反应）throughout a community. In 2005, when theBishop

25、 Arts Theatre was donated to our town, the location was considered a poor area of town. After investing more than $1 million in reconstructing the building, we began producing a full season of theater performances, jazzconcerts, and year-round arts education programs in 2008. Nearly 40 percent of ja

26、zz lovers live outside of theDallas city limits and drive or fly in to enjoy an evening in the Bishop Arts District.No doubt the theater has contributed to the area's development and economic growth. Today, there are galleries, studios, restaurants and newly built work spaces where neighbors sha

27、re experiences, where there is renewed life and energy. In this way, arts and culture also serve as a public good.TeCo Theatrical Productions Inc. made use of Bloomberg 's investment of $35,000 to get nearly $400,000 in public and private sector support during the two-year period. Further, Dalla

28、s arts and arts-based businesses produce $298 for every dollar the city spends on arts programming and facilities. In Philadelphia, a metro area smaller than Dallas, the arts have an economic impact of almost $3 million and support 44,000 jobs, 80 percent of which actually lie outside the arts indus

29、try, including accountants, marketers, construction workers, hotel managers, printers, and other kinds of art workers.The arts are efficient economic drivers and when they are supported, the entire small-business community benefits.It is wrong to assume arts groups cannot make a profit. But in order

30、 to stay in business, arts groups must produce returns. If you are a student studying the arts, chances are you have been ill-advised to have a plan B. But those who truly understand the economic impact and can work to change the patterns can create a wide range of career possibilities.Arts as an ec

31、onomic driverOur communities (71)from arts in terms of economy.(72) ofarts' promoting our economyArts activity demands a(n) (73)effort. It involves creation, performance, and(74) A_. Artists make a living through their creative work. Others get paid by marketing the event.Arts have a gradually s

32、preading (75). They could help promote other industrieswhether they lie inside or outside arts. Besides tickets, some jazz lovers will pay their (76)to and from the events. Arts contribute to cultural development when people gather together to share their experience and renew their energy.Investment

33、 in arts could produce potential (77) economic results. TeCo used a $35,000 art investment to attract an overall support of $400,000. In Dallas, one dollar invested in arts could harvest and extraordinary return of nearly $300. In Philadelphia the arts have created about 35,000 job opportunities for

34、 workers(78)arts industry.Art students making a good livingWith these (79)in mind, art students need not worry about their career andhave a(n) (80)plan.【解题策略】先看表格了解文章的基本框架：第一部分 (Arts as an economic driver)对应于文章的第一段；第二部分(72)of arts' promoting our economy)对应于文章的第二至第七段；第三部分(Artstudents making a goo

35、d living)对应于文章最后一段。接着结合表格浏览标题可知：文章主要讲 述艺术是如何促进我们经济发展的。71 .【答案】benefit【解析】信息转换题。根据题干定位到文章第一段。根据"But arts groups bring broade value to ourcommunities.艺术团体给我们的社区带来了更大的价值”，换句话说就是：我们的社区从艺术中收益，所以用短语 benefit from从受益，故填benefit。72 .【答案】Ways【解析】信息概括题。分析右边表格各小点的内容可知，这里应该为艺术提升我们经济的方法，所以用way,注意首字母大写及复数形式。故填

36、 Ways。73 .【答案】joint/collective【解析】信息概括题。根据题干定位到文章第二段。根据"Any given performance takes a tour bus full ofartists, technical experts, managers, musicians, or writers to create an appealing piece of art.呈现给观 众的任何一次演出的背后都会有一个团队：艺术家、专业技术人员、管理人员、乐队的伴奏以 及吸引人的艺术品的创作人员”可以归纳出：艺术活动需要集体共同努力。故填 joint /collect

37、ive。74 .【答案】promotion/marketing【解析】信息转换题。根据题干定位到文章第三段。将 “Painters, digital media experts, photographers,booking agents and promoters are hired to sell tickets and promote the event. 画家、数码媒体专家、摄影师、订票代理和宣传员被雇来销售门票和促销宣传活动”中的动词promote转化为名词promotion ，也可以用同义名词marketing 。故填 promotion/marketing 。75 【答案effec

38、t【解析信息查找题。根据题干定位到文章第四段。根据“ A successful arts neighborhood creates a rippleefect（连锁反应）throughout a community. 一个成功的艺术社区会在整个社区产生连锁反应”中的原词"efect可'以得出答案，故填 effecto76 .【答案fares【解析 信息转换题。根据题干定位到文章第四段。根据 “ Nearly 40 percent of jazz lovers live outside of theDallas city limits and drive orfly in to

39、 enjoy an evening in the Bishop Arts District. 近 40%的爵士乐 爱好者居住在达拉斯城郊，他们会驱车或飞至大主教艺术区来参加该地区主办的艺术晚会”可知：爵士爱好者除了买票之外，还需要付来去交通费、住宿费等费用。故填fares。77 .【答案positive【解析信息概括题。根据题干定位到倒数第三段。根据“ In Philadelphia, a metro area smaller than Dallas,the arts have an economic impact of almost $3 million and support 44,000

40、 jobs, 80 percent of which actually lie outside the arts industry, including accountants, marketers, construction workers, hotel managers, printers, and other kinds of art workers. 在费城有一个区域，地处地铁，面积略小于达拉斯， 它的艺术产业带来的经济效益达近30 亿元。 同时还提供了44,000 个就业机会，其中 80%的机会来自于艺术的周边企业，如会计、市场营销、建筑、酒店管理、打印等各类和艺术相关的工作岗位”可

41、知：艺术品投资可以产生潜在的积极经济效果。故填positive。78 .【答案outside/beyond【解析信息查找题。根据题干定位到倒数第三段。根据“ In Philadelphia, a metro area smaller than Dallas,the arts have an economic impact of almost $3 million and support 44,000 jobs, 80 percent of which actually lie outside the arts industry, including accountants, marketers

42、, construction workers, hotel managers, printers, and other kinds of art workers. 中的 outside 可以得出答案，也可以用其同义词 ” beyond。故填 outside/beyond。79 .【答案statistics/data/analyses【解析信息概括题。这里是对文章的总结，艺术生应该考虑到上文这些统计数据或分析，故无需担心他们的职业。故填statistics/data/analyses。80 .【答案alternative【解析 信息概括题。根据题干定位到最后一段。根据 “ If you are

43、a student studying the arts, chances are youhave been ill-advised to have a plan B. But those who truly understand the economic impact and canwork to change the patterns can create a wide range of career possibilities.如果你是名正在学习艺术的学生，有可能会有人建议你将来另谋出路，这是一种误导。但是只有真正理解艺术对经济 的影响，并且有能力改变它的影响模式的人才能在事业上获取更大的

44、发展空间”，我们可以推断出这段话的潜台词是：(尽管)艺术系的学生不必担心自己的职业，(但是)要有个替代性的计划。 可知填 alternative。2017Population ChangeWhy is the world 's population growing? The answer is not what you might think. The reason for the explosion is not that people have been reproducing like rabbits, but that people have stopped dropping

45、dead like flies. In 1900, people died at the average age of 30. By 2000 the average age was 65. But while increasing health was a typical feature of the 20 th century, declining birth rate could be a defining one of the 21 st.Statistics show that the average number of births per woman has fallen fro

46、m 4.9 in the early 1960s to 2.5 nowadays. Furthermore, around 50% of the world's population live in regions where the figure is now below thereplacement level(i.e.2.1 births per woman)and almost all developed nations are experiencing sub-replacement birth rate. You might think that developing na

47、tions would make up the loss(especially since 80% of the world'speople now live in such nations), but you 'd be wrong. Declining birth rate is a major problem in many developing regions too, which might cause catastrophic global shortages of work force within a few decades.A great decline in

48、 young work force is likely to occur in China, for instance. What does it imply? First, China needs to undergo rapid economic development before a population decline hits the country. Second, if other factors such as technology remain constant, economic growth and material expectations will fall wel

49、l below recent standards and this could invite trouble.Russia is another country with population problems that could break its economic promise. Since 1992 the number of people dying has been bigger than that of those being born by a massive 50%. Indeed official figures suggest the country has shrun

50、k by 5% since 1993 and people in Russia live a shorter life now than those in 1961.Why is this occurring? Nobody is quite sure, but poor diet an above all long-time alcoholism have much to do with it. If current trends don 't bend, Russia's population will be about the size of Yemen 's b

51、y the year 2050.In the north of India, the population is booming due to high birth rates, but in the south, where most economicdevelopment is taking place, birth rate is falling rapidly. In a further twist, birth rate is highest in poorly educated rural areas and lowest in highly educated urban area

52、s. In total, 25% of India's working-age population has no education. In 2030, a sixth of the country 's potential work force could be totally uneducated.One solution is obviously to import foreign workers via immigration. As for the USA, it is almost unique among developed nations in having

53、a population that is expected to grow by 20% from 2010-2030. Moreover, the USA has a track record of successfully accepting immigrants. As a result it 's likely to see a rise in the size of itsworking-age population and to witness strong economic growth over the longer term.Population ChangeDecl

54、ine of the birth ratePopulation and(74) pressureAmerican solutionThe birth rate in the 21 st century may be much (71) than it was in the 20 thIt would be difficult for developed countries to maintain the (72)population. ofThe impact of dropping birth rate on developing countries may notbe (73) but d

55、isastrous.To guarantee its economic growth, China needs to deal with the population issue properly, as its workers are getting (75).The (76) death of Russians may result in a shrinkingpopulation, which would damage its economic future. It would be better if it can change people(7 7) s way of .Leavin

56、g aside the birth rate issue, India' s economy may take off whethe country achieves (78) of educational opportunity.The USA will increase, from 2010-2030, its population by 20% through(79). This will (80) for the lack of young work force.【解题策略】先看表格了解文章的基本框架：第一部分(Decline of the birth rate)对应于文章的第

57、一二两段;第二部分(Population and (74)pressure)对应于文章的第三四五三段；第三部分(American solution)对应于文章最后一段。接着结合表格浏览文章可知：本文讲的是与 "Population Change6口变化)话题相关的人口与经济的问题。71 .【答案】lower【解析】信息转换题。根据题干定位到第一段最后一句"But while increasing health was a typical feature ofthe 20th century, declining birth rate could be a defining one of the 21st.但是，尽管健康水平的提高 是二十世纪的一个典型特征，但出生率的下降可能是二十一世纪的一个决定性特征根据定位句可知，二H一世纪的出生率比20世纪低。用low修饰rate的低，much后加比较级。故而用lower。根据题干前面的"Declineofthebirthrate出生率下降”也可以推出答案。72 .【答案】size/scale【解析】信息转换题。根据第二段 Furthermore, around 50% of the world 's population live in regions where the fig