专题04+科普知识与现代技术（真题训练）-备战2018年高考英语阅读理解话题分类解读与训练

专题04+科普知识与现代技术（真题训练）-备战2018年高考英语阅读理解话题分类解读与训练

专题04 科普知识与现代技术 真题训练 Passage 1（2017·新课标卷I）‎ ‎ A build-it-yourself solar still（蒸馏器） is one of the best ways to obtain drinking water in areas where the liquid is not readily available. Developed by two doctors in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, it’s an excellent water collector. Unfortunately, you must carry the necessary equipment with you, since it’s all but impossible to find natural substitutes. The only components required, though, are a 5＇5＇ sheet of clear or slightly milky plastic, six feet of plastic tube, and a container — perhaps just a drinking cup — to catch the water. These pieces can be folded into a neat little pack and fastened on your belt.‎ To construct a working still, use a sharp stick or rock to dig a hole four feet across and three feet deep. Try to make the hole in a damp area to increase the water catcher’s productivity. Place your cup in the deepest part of the hole. Then lay the tube in place so that one end rests all the way in the cup and the rest of the line runs up — and out — the side of the hole.‎ ‎ Next, cover the hole with the plastic sheet, securing the edges of the plastic with dirt and weighting the sheet’s center down with a rock. The plastic should now form a cone(圆锥体) with 45-degree-angled sides. The low point of the sheet must be centered directly over, and no more than three inches above, the cup. ‎ ‎ The solar still works by creating a greenhouse under the plastic. Ground water evaporates (蒸发) and collects on the sheet until small drops of water form, run down the material and fall off into the cup. When the container is full, you can suck the refreshment out through the tube, and won’t have to break down the still every time you need a drink. ‎ ‎32. What do we know about the solar still equipment from the first paragraph?‎ A. It’s delicate. B. It’s expensive.‎ C. It’s complex. . D. It’s portable.‎ ‎33. What does the underlined phrase “the water catcher” in paragraph 2 refer to?‎ A. The tube. B. The still.‎ C. The hole. D. The cup.‎ ‎34. What’s the last step of constructing a working solar still?‎ A. Dig a hole of a certain size. B. Put the cup in place.‎ C. Weight the sheet’s center down. D. Cover the hole with the plastic sheet.‎ ‎35. When a solar still works, drops of water come into the cup from .‎ A. the plastic tube B. outside the hole C. the open air D. beneath the sheet ‎【话题解读】本文属于科普知识，主要介绍了一种自己可以亲手制作的简单易行的太阳能蒸馏器的方法，并介绍了它的工作原理。这种蒸馏器所需的材料简单，适用于任何缺水的地方。‎ ‎32.D 【解析】推理判断题。根据第一段最后一句话These pieces can be folded into a neat little pack and fastened on your belt.可知制作蒸馏器的东西可以叠放在一个小包里，系在腰间，这说明制作蒸馏器的设备很轻便，portable表示“轻便的；手提的”，故选D。‎ ‎34.C 【解析】细节理解题。根据第三段Next, cover the hole with the plastic sheet, securing the edges of the plastic with dirt and weighting the sheet’s center down with a rock.可知最后一步是weighting the sheet’s center down with a rock(放一块石头在覆盖膜的中间，把它压下去)，故选C。‎ ‎35. D 【解析】推理判断题。结合第四段中的Ground water evaporates (蒸发) and collects on the ‎ sheet until small drops of water form, run down the material and fall off into the cup可知地下水蒸发，在覆盖膜上聚集起来，直到形成小水滴落在杯子里，覆盖膜是在杯子上面的，水滴落入杯子里，所以水滴是聚在覆盖膜的下面。故选D。‎ Passage 2（2017·北京卷）‎ ‎ Hollywood’s theory that machines with evil(邪恶) minds will drive armies of killer robots is just silly. The real problem relates to the possibility that artificial intelligence(AI) may become extremely good at achieving something other than what we really want. In 1960 a well-known mathematician Norbert Wiener, who founded the field of cybernetics（控制论）, put it this way: “If we use, to achieve our purposes, a mechanical agency with whose operation we cannot effectively interfere(干预), we had better be quite sure that the purpose put into the machine is the purpose which we really desire.”‎ ‎ A machine with a specific purpose has another quality, one that we usually associate with living things: a wish to preserve its own existence. For the machine, this quality is not in-born, nor is it something introduced by humans; it is a logical consequence of the simple fact that the machine cannot achieve its original purpose if it is dead. So if we send out a robot with the single instruction of fetching coffee, it will have a strong desire to secure success by disabling its own off switch or even killing anyone who might interfere with its task. If we are not careful, then, we could face a kind of global chess match against very determined, super intelligent machines whose objectives conflict with our own, with the real world as the chessboard. ‎ ‎ The possibility of entering into and losing such a match should concentrate the minds of computer scientists. Some researchers argue that we can seal the machines inside a kind of firewall, using them to answer difficult questions but never allowing them to affect the real world. Unfortunately, that plan seems unlikely to work: we have yet to invent a firewall that is secure against ordinary humans, let alone super intelligent machines.‎ ‎ Solving the safety problem well enough to move forward in AI seems to be possible but not easy. There are probably decades in which to plan for the arrival of super intelligent machines. But the problem should not be dismissed out of hand, as it has been by some AI researchers. Some argue ‎ that humans and machines can coexist as long as they work in teams—yet that is not possible unless machines share the goals of humans. Others say we can just “switch them off” as if super intelligent machines are too stupid to think of that possibility. Still others think that super intelligent AI will never happen. On September 11, 1933, famous physicist Ernest Rutherford stated, with confidence, “Anyone who expects a source of power in the transformation of these atoms is talking moonshine.” However, on September 12, 1933, physicist Leo Szilard invented the neutron-induced(中子诱导) nuclear chain reaction.‎ ‎67. Paragraph 1 mainly tells us that artificial intelligence may .‎ A. run out of human control B. satisfy human’s real desires C. command armies of killer robots D. work faster than a mathematician ‎68. Machines with specific purposes are associated with living things partly because they might be able to .‎ A. prevent themselves from being destroyed B. achieve their original goals independently C. do anything successfully with given orders D. beat humans in international chess matches ‎69. According to some researchers, we can use firewalls to .‎ A. help super intelligent machines work better B. be secure against evil human beings C. keep machines from being harmed D. avoid robots’ affecting the world ‎70. What does the author think of the safety problem of super intelligent machines?‎ A. It will disappear with the development of AI.‎ B. It will get worse with human interference.‎ C. It will be solved but with difficulty.‎ D. It will stay for a decade. ‎ ‎【话题解读】本文属于主要介绍了人工智能及它给我们的生活带来的影响。‎ ‎67.A 【解析】推理判断题。根据第一段The real problem relates to the possibility that artificial intelligence(AI) may become extremely good at achieving something other than what we really want.可知人工智能可能会出现的真正问题是AI会非常擅长取得某个成就而不是我们真正想要的东西，也就是说AI可能会超出人的控制去做一些事情，故选A。‎ ‎69.D 【解析】推理判断题。根据第三段using them to answer difficult questions but never allowing them to affect the real world.可知可以用防火墙来回答那些困难的问题但是却永远不要让他们影响这个真正的现实世界，故选D。‎ ‎70.C 【解析】推理判断题。根据最后一段Solving the safety problem well enough to move forward in AI seems to be possible but not easy.可知作者认为解决人工智能机器的安全问题是可能的，但是并不容易，也就是很困难，故选C。‎ Passage 3 （2017·浙江卷）‎ ‎ Getting less sleep has become a bad habit for most American kids. According to a new survey(调查) by the National Sleep Foundation, 51% of kids aged 10 to 18 go to bed at 10 pm or later on school nights, even though they have to get up early. Last year the Foundation reported that nearly 60% of 7- to 12-year-olds said they felt tired during the day, and 15% said they had fallen asleep ‎ at school.‎ How much sleep you need depends a lot on your age. Babies need a lot of rest: most of them sleep about 18 hours a day! Adults need about eight hours. For most school-age children, ten hours is ideal(理想的). But the new National Sleep Foundation survey found that 35% of 10- to 12-year-olds get only seven or eight hours. And guess what almost half of the surveyed kids said they do before bedtime? Watch TV.‎ ‎＂More children are going to bed with TVs on, and there are more opportunities(机会) to stay awake, with more homework, the Internet and the phone,＂ says Dr. Mary Carskadon, a sleep researcher at Brown University Medical School. She says these activities at bedtime can get kids all excited and make it hard for them to calm down and sleep. Other experts say part of the problem is chemical. Changing levels of body chemicals called hormones not only make teenagers’ bodies develop adult characteristics, but also make it hard for teenagers to fall asleep before 11 pm.‎ Because sleepiness is such a problem for teenagers, some school districts have decided to start high school classes later than they used to. Three years ago, schools in Edina, Minnesota, changed the start time from 7:25 am to 8:30 am. Students, parents and teachers are pleased with the results.‎ ‎25. What is the new National Sleep Foundation survey on?‎ A. American kids’ sleeping habits. B. Teenagers’ sleep-related diseases.‎ C. Activities to prevent sleeplessness. D. Learning problems and lack of sleep.‎ ‎26. How many hours of sleep do 11-year-olds need every day?‎ A. 7 hours. B. 8 hours. C. 10 hours. D. 18 hours.‎ ‎27. Why do teenagers go to sleep late according to Carskadon?‎ A. They are affected by certain body chemicals.‎ B. They tend to do things that excite them.‎ C. They follow their parents’ examples.‎ D. They don’t need to go to school early.‎ ‎【话题解读】本文属于科普知识类，文章首先用数据告诉我们美国孩子的睡眠状况堪忧，接着告诉我们孩子在不同年龄段需要的睡眠时间不同，然后分析了孩子晚睡的原因，最后介绍了一些学校为了让孩子们有更多的睡眠时间而推迟了上课的时间。‎ ‎25. A 【解析】细节理解题。文中第一段列举了一些数据，向我们说明美国有51%的10到18岁的孩子上床睡觉的时间偏晚，也调查了60%的7到12岁的孩子在白天感到疲惫，15%的孩子会在学校睡着，所以这些调查都是关于美国孩子的睡眠习惯的，故选A。‎ ‎27. B 【解析】细节理解题。根据第三段＂She says these activities at bedtime can get kids all excited and make it hard for them to calm down and sleep＂可知她认为孩子们睡觉晚的原因是他们会在睡前做一些让他们兴奋的活动，故选B。‎ Passage 4（2017·天津卷）‎ This month, Germany’s transport minister, Alexander Dobrindt, proposed the first set of rules for autonomous vehicles(自主驾驶车辆). They would define the driver’s role in such cars and govern how such cars perform in crashes where lives might be lost. ‎ The proposal attempts to deal with what some call the “death valley” of autonomous vehicles: the grey area between semi-autonomous and fully driverless cars that could delay the driverless future.‎ Dobrindt wants three things: that a car always chooses property(财产) damage over personal injury; that it never distinguishes between humans based on age or race; and that if a human removes his or her hands from the driving wheel — to check email, say — the car’s maker is responsible if there is a crash.‎ ‎“The change to the road traffic law will permit fully automatic driving,” says Dobrindt. It will put fully driverless cars on an equal legal footing to human drivers, he says.‎ Who is responsible for the operation of such vehicles is not clear among car makers, consumers and lawyers. “The liability(法律责任) issue is the biggest one of them all,” says Natasha Merat at the University of Leeds, UK.‎ An assumption behind UK insurance for driverless cars, introduced earlier this year, insists that a human “be watchful and monitoring the road” at every moment.‎ But that is not what many people have in mind when thinking of driverless cars. “When you say ‘driverless cars’, people expect driverless cars.” Merat says. “You know — no driver.”‎ Because of the confusion, Merat thinks some car makers will wait until vehicles can be fully automated without operation.‎ Driverless cars may end up being a form of public transport rather than vehicles you own, says Ryan Calo at Stanford University, California. That is happening in the UK and Singapore, where government-provided driverless vehicles are being launched.‎ That would go down poorly in the US, however. “The idea that the government would take over driverless cars and treat them as a public good would get absolutely nowhere here,” says Calo.‎ ‎46. What does the phrase “death valley” in Paragraph 2 refer to?‎ A. A place where cars often break down.‎ B. A case where passing a law is impossible.‎ C. An area where no driving is permitted. ‎ D. A situation where drivers’ role is not clear.‎ ‎47. The proposal put forward by Dobrindt aims to __________.‎ A. stop people from breaking traffic rules B. help promote fully automatic driving C. protect drivers of all ages and races D. prevent serious property damage ‎48. What do consumers think of the operation of driverless cars?‎ A. It should get the attention of insurance companies.‎ B. It should be the main concern of law makers.‎ C. It should not cause deadly traffic accidents.‎ D. It should involve no human responsibility.‎ ‎49. Driverless vehicles in public transport see no bright future in _________.‎ A. Singapore B. the UK ‎ C. the US D. Germany ‎50. What could be the best title for the passage?‎ A. Autonomous Driving: Whose Liability?‎ B. Fully Automatic Cars: A New Breakthrough C. Autonomous Vehicles: Driver Removed!‎ D. Driverless Cars: Root of Road Accidents ‎【话题解读】这是一篇有关自主驾驶车辆的文章，介绍了德国交通部长的对于自主驾驶车辆的规章制度的一个提议，引出说明了位于科技前沿的无人驾驶的自动化车辆在英国、新加坡和美国的不同前景。‎ ‎46.D 【解析】考查词义猜测。根据第二段的句子the grey area between semi-autonomous and fully driverless cars that could delay the driverless future可知选D。‎ ‎47.B 【解析】考查推理判断。根据第二段内容The proposal attempts to deal with what some call the “death valley” of autonomous vehicles…可知选B。‎ ‎48. D【解析】考查细节理解。根据第六、七、八段内容可知选D。‎ ‎50.A 【解析】考查标题归纳。通读全文可以知道，本文主要讲述了谁来对无人驾驶的机动车辆负责。故选A。‎ ‎【名师点睛】这篇文章的内容和每个人的生活都密切相关，讲的是谁对新型交通工具——无人驾驶的全自动化的车辆负责，各国意见不一，学生应该有兴趣阅读。材料涉及科技前沿，文章篇幅适中，设题考查比较全面，除了理解细节题，还需要适当的推理，还有词义辨析类的题目，对学生的能力考查得比较全面。‎ Passage 5(2015·天津卷)‎ ‎ Whether in the home or the workplace, social robots are going to become a lot more common in the next few years. Social robots are about to bring technology to the everyday world in a more humanized way, said Cynthia Breazeal, chief scientist at the robot company Jibo.‎ While household robots today do the normal housework, social robots will be much more like companions than mere tools. For example, these robots will be able to distinguish when someone is happy or sad. This allows them to respond more appropriately to the user.‎ The Jibo robot, arranged to ship later this year, is designed to be a personalized assistant. You can talk to the robot, ask it questions, and make requests for it to perform different tasks. The robot doesn’t just deliver general answers to questions; it responds based on what it learns about each individual in the household. It can do things such as reminding an elderly family member to take medicine or taking family photos.‎ Social robots are not just finding their way into the home. They have potential applications in everything from education to health care and are already finding their way into some of these spaces.‎ Fellow Robots is one company bringing social robots to the market. The company’s "Oshbot" robot is built to assist customers in a store, which can help the customers find items and help ‎ guide them to the product’s location in the store. It can also speak different languages and make recommendations for different items based on what the customer is shopping for.‎ The more interaction the robot has with humans, the more it learns. But Oshbot, like other social robots, is not intended to replace workers, but to work alongside other employees. "We have technologies to train social robots to do things not for us, but with us," said Breazeal.‎ ‎1.How are social robots different from household robots?‎ A. They can control their emotions. ‎ B. They are more like humans.‎ C. They do the normal housework. ‎ D. They respond to users more slowly.‎ ‎2.What can a Jibo robot do according to Paragraph 3?‎ A. Communicate with you and perform operations.‎ B. Answer your questions and make requests.‎ C. Take your family pictures and deliver milk.‎ D. Obey your orders and remind you to take pills.‎ ‎3.What can Oshbot work as?‎ A.A language teacher. B.A tour guide. ‎ C.A shop assistant. D.A private nurse.‎ ‎4.We can learn from the last paragraph that social robots will _________.‎ A. train employees B.be our workmates C. improve technologies D. take the place of workers ‎5.What does the passage mainly present?‎ A.A new design idea of household robots. ‎ B. Marketing strategies for social robots.‎ C. Information on household robots. ‎ D. An introduction to social robots.‎ ‎【话题解读】文章主要介绍了社会机器人的功能与作用。‎ ‎2.D 【解析】考查细节理解。第三段中提到：你可以问Jibo机器人问题，也能要求它做不同的任务。它不仅仅给出一般的答案，它能根据对家庭成员的了解做出不同的回应。它能够提醒老人吃药，也能拍摄家庭照片。由此可知Jibo机器人能够服从你的命令，也能提醒你吃药，故选D。‎ ‎3.C 【解析】考查细节理解。根据倒数第二段可知，Oshbot能够在商店中帮助顾客，故选C项。‎ ‎5.D 【解析】考查主旨大意。本文主要介绍了社会机器人的情况，故D项符合题意。‎