备战2021届高考英语之阅读理解专项练习一

注：本次专项练习难度较大，适合同学们拔高训练，所以同学们请务必要重视！！！

A

Whether it's Chinese social media like Sina Weibo, or Western media like Instagram an , videos can go viral in mere hours.

The wide range of viral videos suggests that popular concepts are largely random. After all, what links the recent broom challenge to funny internet cat videos?

According to scientists from Stanford University, US, the popularity of a video can be predicted by looking at how certain areas of a person's brain react within the first few seconds of a video. This method has been called neuroforecasting（神经预测）.

The team made the finding by recruiting（招募）36 volunteers to watch a range of videos while being scanned with an FMRI—a machine that can monitor the changes in blood oxygen and flow.

Participants were shown 32 different videos and were monitored according to their brain responses in four different areas. The results showed that specific brain activity during the first four seconds of a video could effectively predict a person's thoughts on a video and whether they would keep watching.

Using the FMRI results, the Stanford team consistently saw increased activity in the nucleus accumbens（伏核）and decreased activity in the anterior insula（前脑岛）parts of the brain while the participants were watching the most popular of the 32-vidco selection.

According to the study, these two brain regions are related to the feeling of expectation we get when we're not certain of something's outcome.

Stanford neuroscientist（神经学家）and the study's author Brian Knutson said: \"If we examine our subjects' choices to watch the video or even their reported responses to the videos, they don't tell us about the general response online ... Only brain activity seems to forecast a video's popularity on the internet.”

He added, “Future research might also systematically analyze the video content, so content creators can use these findings to make their videos more popular.”

In the future, the team aims to use this type of FMRI experiment to understand \"whether processes that generate individual choice can tell us something about choices made by large groups of people”. According to Knutson, this could apply to shopping trends, charity support and general money-spending. 1．What did scientists from Stanford University find?

A．There are differences between viral videos in different cultures.

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B．People's reported response can predict the popularity of a video. C．There are links between viral videos under different subjects. D．Viewers' initial brain activity can forecast the popularity of a video.

2．What was the brain's response when viewers watched the most popular video? A．All four areas monitored displayed increased activity. B．One area got more active while another became less active. C．Areas related to the feeling of uncertainty got more active. D．The activity of areas related to the feeling of expectation increased. 3．What can we conclude from Brian Knutson's words?

A．The participants' choices to watch the videos help them make the finding. B．How long the subjects watched the videos also mattered to their conclusion. C．Our brain activity can show something we ourselves don't realize.

D．When the video was beyond the viewers‘ expectation, it is generally popular. 4．What is the aim of the team's future research?

A．Exploring the link between individual and general choices. B．Interviewing content creators how they make videos. C．Discouraging more charity organizations. D．Applying their findings to arresting criminals.

B

As is known, honesty is a virtue. It is admired in every culture. It means telling the truth and being fair and upright. So, is it necessary to be honest all the time? Could upping one's personal honesty light up a pleasure center in his own brain?

My 6-year-old daughter said that telling the truth made her feel \"gold in her brain\". Once she asked me if the cat really went to sleep last year, or if that actually meant that I had killed him. I sighed, wondering if I should wait to start this honesty project until my child grew up. But I braved it and told her, \"Yes, I had made the choice for him, because he was suffering and I wanted him to be comfortable.\" It struck me that the choice to lie or be honest was often a choice between two equally undesirable things. Telling my daughter the truth did not make me happier, but lying would not either.

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There was another scene. When a client accidentally paid me twice as much money for a project—sending a $1,000 check a week after he'd paid me—there was no internal debate. It was $1,000, so obviously, I notified the client. But when the McDonald's cashier gave me an extra dollar in change and the line had been so long and all I wanted was a Diet Coke and my kids were acting crazily in the back seat, it was a different story. Even though I gave the dollar back, I almost didn't, because an extra dollar was such a small thing and seemed somehow justified. Had I not focused on honesty, I would not have given it back.

When people were more honest, they also tended to feel better about their relationships and social interactions, the researchers found. This rang true to me, mostly because I felt better about myself. And focusing on honesty helped me feel that I was doing my part. It might even make me feel as if I had gold in my brain. 5．What's the function of the two questions in Paragraph 1? A．To introduce the topic of honesty. B．To help develop readers' good quality. C．To remind readers to mind their manners. D．To teach everyone not to lie but be honest.

6．How did the author feel on hearing the question about the death of the cat? A．Guilty. C．Regretful.

B．Confused. D．Shamed.

7．What does the author mainly want to express in Paragraph 3? A．Honesty doesn't lie in small instances. B．Honesty is measured by the amount of money. C．He struggled more with the small instances of honesty. D．He experienced some different incidents about honesty. 8．What's the author's opinion on honesty? A．A white lie can be helpful. B．Honesty makes people better off. C．It is essential to be honest in daily life. D．One should be honest in small things.

C

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The government of India has announced that it will replace the single-use plastic cups used for tea in 7,000 train stations around the country with traditional clay cups called kulhads. This will reduce the amount of waste thrown away every day, thus helping further the government's goal of making India free from single-use plastics, and it will provide much-needed employment for two million potters.

Jaya Jaitly, a politician and handicrafts expert, has advocated since the early 1990s for clay cups to be reintroduced in train stations. She explained that employing potters to provide these cups was a way to support them at a time when they lost jobs due to \"new Internet technology.\"

It is reported that a potter's average monthly income will increase from $34 to $135 a month. The government is distributing electric wheels to those who do not have them and funding a switch from wood-fueled to gas-fueled kilns(窑炉)in villages that already have gas devices for cooking. Jaitly said this would reduce smoke pollution.

She also said that one reason why earlier efforts to reintroduce kulhads failed was that the government was unwilling to accept non-standardized sizes and shapes of cups. This time they will have to accept it because the handmade pieces cannot possibly be the same, particularly with production being so scattered(分散). Variation in appearance is a small price to pay for the environmental benefits.

This is happy, hopeful news from India, a country that has long struggled to deal with plastic waste, partly because of its huge population and inadequate waste processing infrastructure across vast rural regions. This policy is an excellent example of getting at the root cause of a problem and fixing it, rather than just trying to clean up the mess afterward. To use the bathtub metaphor(比喻) that's commonly cited when talking about plastic pollution, this is like turning off the plastic-producing tap, instead of wasting time trying to mop up the overflow, wishing it would go away.

9．What is special about the policy announced by Indian government? A．It promotes awareness of traffic issues. B．It collects enough revenue to fight poverty. C．It promises to be eco-friendly and favorable. D．It rids India of the long-term unemployment. 10．What can we learn from Paragraph 2?

A．Jaya Jaitly is a short-sighted politician and economist. B．Advances in Internet technology cost potters their jobs. C．Clay cups were first introduced in Indian railway stations. D．Potters were employed at stations to get financial support. 11．What effort does the government make for the potters?

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A．It raises their monthly income. B．It offers new cooking devices to them. C．It standardizes the size of clay cups for them. D．It provides funds for them to upgrade their devices. 12．Which of the following is similar to the bathtub metaphor? A．Put the cart before the horse. B．Treat the foot when the foot hurts. C．Stop the boiling by taking off the fire. D．Kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.

D

Wildlife in New York City tends to be headline news. These animals' admirable ability to live with humans in peace draws our attention and sympathy. Yet, what most New Yorkers don't even know is that another animal, the Quaker Parrot, has invaded (入侵) the city with surprising results.

Quaker parrots originally came from the mild regions of Argentina and Brazil. The details related to the birds' arrival to the U. S. have become a thing of legend. During the 1960s, workers at JFK International Airport reported that the parrots—then products of the pet trade—escaped from broken shipping trunks (箱子). Others say the birds escaped from their homes or were intentionally released by their owners, some of whom may have been unprepared to deal with the birds' unpleasant screams. Either way, the birds have now infiltrated (渗透) all five districts in New York within the last five years. They've also expanded into the lower Hudson Valley and major cities around the U. S.

Each bird is born knowing how to build a nest, although this skill is adjusted slightly with age and experience. The birds use their soft feet to build these free-standing nests in between tree forks. Nest structures can grow to the size of a refrigerator, housing up to 200 pairs of birds. Each nest can weigh more than a ton.

Unfortunately, these parrots' unique habit of building nests on public facilities can cause their homes to catch fire, taking down the electrical network. Con Edison, New York City's energy services company, realized about 14 years ago that these nests were behind a series of Power outages (停电) in Brooklyn. So the company partners with wildlife specialists to carefully remove nests from dangerous areas before they become a security risk.

Despite the challenges these parrots present for the public, they are one of the few invasive species stories with a fairly happy outcome. The parrots seem to pose no risk of overpopulating the neighborhood or outcompeting native species for food. And public service corporations arrange special teams to keep equipment free from birds, and the parrots have become a largely welcomed addition to New York's wildlife scene.

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13．What do we know about Quaker parrots according to the passage? A．They have charming voices. C．They are only active in New York. 14．What's special about Quaker parrots? A．Size. C．Popularity.

B．Screams. D．Nest building.

B．They are from South America. D．Their nests look like a refrigerator.

15．What does the last paragraph mainly tell us? A．The birds are welcome. C．The birds are in danger.

B．The birds need protection. D．The birds are trouble makers.

16．Which of the following can be the best title for the text? A．Magical Birds' Nest.

C．Parrots Living in Urban Jungle.

B．Prefer Jungle to Buildings? D．Help Parrots Survive in Cities?

E

Employment is the foundation of people's livelihood, one end is connected with economic development, and the other end is connected with thousands of families. It is a straightforward expression of having people in mind and responsibility in mind to do a good job in the employment of graduates by all means. It is of great significance to release the annual report of graduates' employment quality to find out the deep problems of talent cultivation, to analyze the solutions to the structural contradictions of employment, to plan innovative development paths, to promote the school's talent cultivation and the national development strategy, to resonate with the thoughts of teachers, students, parents and employers, and to promote the coordinated development of talent cultivation structure, quality, characteristics and scale significance.

The University attaches great importance to the investigation and writing of the graduates' employment quality annual report, and establishes a special class to carry out questionnaire investigation, chart data analysis, language logic self consistency and visual communication design. On November 4, 2020, the University issued an online questionnaire to all the graduates of the year 2020. As of November 20, 6757 valid questionnaires have been collected, accounting for 86.80% of the total number of graduates. Meanwhile, the University conducted a questionnaire survey on 319 influential employers who received our graduates in recent three years. This report consists of six sub reports, which are respectively the scale of graduates and the basic situation of employment, the analysis of graduates' employment results, the feedback of graduates' training, the feedback of employers on the quality of graduates' training, the analysis of development trend and the analysis of special topics.In particular, 2020 The annual report of graduates' employment quality in is not only satisfied with showing objective \"figures\focuses on professional certification and other work. For normal graduates and non normal graduates, the employers

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in education industry and non education industry carry out data statistics respectively. At the same time, it focuses on \"comparative analysis of undergraduate normal students and non normal students\undergraduate public normal students\" and \"independent evaluation\"\"Entrepreneurship analysis\" and \"analysis of the situation of unemployed graduates\" are four major topics, which deeply excavate the \"digital\" and respond to the concerns of schools and society.

Finally, I would like to thank all the managers and researchers who participated in the writing of this report and the readers who read this report.

17．What is the function of the first paragraph? A．Lead to the theme C．Introducing the school

B．Summarize the article D．Introduce the annual process

18．Why does the school launch a questionnaire survey on graduates? A．Let them evaluate the school

B．To investigate the whereabouts and occupation after graduation C．Tracing the source of the epidemic D．Social and school requirements

19．How many parts does the report consist of? A．3

B．4

C．5

D．6

20．What are the characteristics of the 2020 annual report on Graduates' employment quality? A．Fast and efficient

C．It's a very independent report

B．Not just content with numbers

D．It has been strongly supported by the society and schools

F

Fabien Cousteau is the grandson of Jacques Cousteau, an ocean scientist who brought the wonders of the sea to the attention of people around the world. Jacques Cousteau helped invent the Aqua-Lung(水肺) , now used by divers everywhere. Fabien Cousteau has followed a similar path,exploring the sea as a scientist and working to protect the oceans.

Oceans cover more than 70% of our planet. NOAA says we have created maps of less than 20% of the world's oceans, and only 5% have been explored. Space seems to have gotten much more attention , even though it's farther away. The International Space Station( ISS) has been around for more than 20 years , and more people have gone to the moon than have gone to the deepest point in the ocean.

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\"The ocean is our life support system. It is the very reason why we exist in the first place,'Fabien says. But though the ocean is all around us , studying it is a challenge. Divers are limited in how far down they can go and how long they can stay below. Returning to the surface can be dangerous. Fabien has announced a plan to build a large research station under the ocean named Proteus,which is designed to deal with many of those problems. The power for the station is expected to come from solar energy and the movement of the ocean. Fabien says that the research base won't just be used to study and help protect the sea, but also to research new ways of creating energy , and perhaps even searching for new medicines. Proteus is also expected to have the first under water greenhouse in the world , so that the lab will be able to grow some of its own food.

Like the ISS , Proteus is designed so that it can grow in the future , as scientists decide to add new sections or equipment to the station. Fabien hopes to have the lab completed and ready to use by 2023. 21．What do we know about Fabien Cousteau? A．He's doing what Jacques once did. B．He took part in the work in the ISS. C．He built an undersea laboratory. D．He helped invent the Aqua-Lung.

22．Why does the author mention the statistics in paragraph 2? A．To show the world's oceans are vast. B．To prove oceans and space are vital. C．To advise people to protect oceans. D．To tell why oceans need exploring.

23．Which of the following can best describe Proteus? A．Environment-friendly. C．Expensive.

24．What is the best title for the text? A．Fabien's Ocean Research Achievements B．Proteus: Research Lab Growing Gradually C．Proteus : Plan for Underwater Version of ISS D．Fabien's Dream about Promoting his Station

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B．Water-saving. D．Risky.

G

When it comes to judgment of their bodies, women can’t win. People often make “fat jokes”, but fat-shaming is no laughing matter; neither is fit-shaming. I spoke to two women who were shamed for being fat, and then, after losing weight, shamed for being fit.

Sarah Moore is a 29-year-old mother of three from Indiana, US. She became a personal trainer after losing more than 45 kg. She remembers the fat-shaming she bore before her weight loss. When waiting to get on a roller coaster once, people behind her were complaining about the wait, and the attendant (服务人员) told them, “Don’t worry. She’s not going to fit on here, and you’ll be next.” But after losing weight, Moore said people commented on her body even more. “Now I get comments like, ‘Are you sure you can eat that?’ because they’re worried I’ll regain the weight,” she said. How does it make her feel? “Fat-shaming made me feel sad and helpless, and fit-shaming makes me angry,” she said.

Changes in body weight can also influence relationships. It can upset the balance because others can get

jealous. People who lose weight can experience personality changes, such as an increase in confidence, which also influences relationships.

Fit-shaming has been harder to handle for Andrea Sereda, a 38-year-old social worker in Canada. She said judgment of her body is something she’s faced for years. Sereda said that when she was 9, her grandfather told her at a birthday party, “I don’t think you should eat cake,” and made comments about how many calories each bite contained as she ate it. She also experienced similar things in college. The judgment of Sereda’s body increased after she lost 57 kg. “It’s worse with people who knew me from before,” Sereda said. “People constantly say, ‘You’re so skinny now you’re going to disappear.’” It was mostly friends making such comments. Closer friends seemed to compare their own bodies negatively to Sereda’s new physique (体型). “I was afraid of going out and having to field all these comments,” Sereda said. “I had to learn how to handle it.”

Let us try to understand that just because someone has lost weight, it doesn’t make them fair game for commentary on their new shape. Everyone deserves to live free of being body shamed, regardless of how they look. 25．Sarah Moore is shamed for being fit after losing weight mainly because ________. A．people still judge her new body shape B．she lost too much weight after her diet C．her personality changed for the better D．people are all jealous of her new look

26．The example of Andrea Sereda is used to ________. A．explain what pushes women to lose weight

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B．show the negative effects of fit shaming C．suggest what can be done to handle fat shaming D．show the difficulties overweight women face

27．What would be a proper way to treat those who have lost weight? A．To appreciate their new body shape. B．To stop commenting on their physique. C．To encourage them to maintain their shape. D．To remind them to be careful with their diet.

H

Visitors with limited mobility are encouraged to use the covered drop-off lane (车道) at the Main Street entrance to the Beck Building. From the Beck Building, most public areas of the Museum, including the galleries, Brown Auditorium Theater, Visitor Center, café, and shop are wheelchair-accessible. The Cullen Sculpture Garden is also accessible.

The MFAH has wheelchairs that visitors may check out free of charge with a valid photo ID．The wheelchairs are available from the bag-and-coat check desks in the lobbies of the Beck Building, Law Building, and Visitor Center on a “first come, first served” basis.

Parking Information

A new underground parking garage, located at 5101 Montrose Boulevard, is open, joining the existing parking garage at 1144 Binz. The outdoor lot across from 1001 Bissonnet is closed permanently.

We recommend that guests with limited mobility use the covered drop-off lane at the Main Street entrance to the Beck Building. Both the Montrose and the Binz parking garages feature wheelchair-accessible parking, but please note that the garage at 1144 Binz is closer to a Museum entrance.

As you head toward the Museum from the Montrose garage, enjoy the art and nature in the Cullen Sculpture Garden, created by sculptor Isamu Noguchi.

Parking Garage Hours 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Parking Fees

*Parking payments may be made only with a major credit card.

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Time 0-30 minutes 31 minutes - 4 hours 4 - 12 hours 12 - 24 hours MFAH members FREE $6 $10 $35 Visitors FREE $10 $18 $35 *Parking is free in both garages for MFAH visitors who enter the Museum between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Thursdays. General admission to the Museum is free on Thursdays. 28．Where can free wheelchairs be found? A．Brown Auditorium Theater. C．The Cullen Sculpture Garden

B．5101 Montrose Boulevard. D．Law Building.

29．What is the advantage of going through the Montrose garage? A．Having a chance of enjoying arts. C．Walking the shortest distance.

B．Having a good parking place. D．Getting a wheelchair for free.

30．How much should a MFAH member pay for parking five hours on Monday? A．$6. C．$18.

B．$10. D．$35.

I

Apple revealed new ways to discover and organize apps, confirmed a significant change and announced a new feature that will let users unlock their cars with their smartphones.

The updates, announced at Apple (AAPL)’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, highlight the company’s continued effort to involve itself into seemingly every corner of our lives, from our cars and living rooms to our personal health, while also facing the potential for app tiredness more than a decade after the App Store launched.

The company kicked off the event by focusing on iOS 14, the upcoming operating system for the iPhone. As part of its presentation, Apple unveiled a new feature called App Library, which automatically organizes the apps on your homescreen so you don’t have to scroll (滚屏) through several pages.

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Apple also developed a more perfect way to discover and access new apps. The feature, called App Clips, offers a small part of an app for use at the moment it’s needed, whether it’s for ordering a scooter on demand or food from a restaurant. These apps are small in size and connect with Apple Pay. Users can then decide to download the full version of the app from the App Store.

At the same time, Apple attempted to demonstrate the still undeveloped potential of the iPhone, which remains its chief moneymaker. Having already turned the iPhone into a digital credit card, Apple now has plans to make it a digital car key. A new feature, called Carkey, will initially be available with the new 2021 BMW 5 series. 31．How many new features are mentioned in the text? A．Two.

B．Three.

C．Four.

D．Five.

32．Which word can replace the underlined “unveiled” in Paragraph 3? A．Produced.

B．Developed.

C．Issued.

D．Downloaded.

33．Which can you probably choose if the phone is out of memory? A．App Library.

B．App Clips.

C．Carkey.

D．Apple Watch.

34．What can we know according to the text? A．Users can start their cars with Carkey. B．Apples has already used iOS 14 for the iPhone. C．Users still need to scroll the screen with an App Library.

D．Apple makes profit mainly from its undeveloped potential of the iPhone.

J

When we speak to other people, they are not only listening to our actual words, but sensing our facial expression, tone of voice, gestures, level of eye contact, posture, and movements as well. Nonverbal communication, or body language, makes up approximately 65 percent of human communication. Body language has a major impact on how others perceive what we say. It can also be a tool for miscommunication when the speaker and listener are from different cultures or are communicating through technology that deprives them of vision cues. In fact, we often realize the importance of body language only when we cannot interpret someone else’s body language correctly.

In Eye to Eye： How People Interact, Dr. Peter Marsh explains that before we speak，our gestures, posture, and facial expressions are already broadcasting messages to those around us. While we are speaking，these gestures continue to communicate messages-usually clarifying what we are saying, but sometimes contradicting us in telltale ways.

Often, body language is an unconscious act that triggers the most developed senses in other people-hearing and

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sight. That is why body language is such a great way to emphasize words and ideas. Many people take advantage of this. Advertisers，for example, cast actors in their commercials who use body language that appeals to viewers.

Studies have shown that peopled body language changes when they are not telling the truth. If someone’s body language is inconsistent with what he or she is saying，people tend to believe what the body is telling them. A good way for people to convey a positive message is to avoid certain movements, like fidgeting or letting your eyes wander. Instead, good communicators maintain steady eye contact, nod in agreement, and smile. You may notice that people on television, like hosts of infomercials and talk-shows generally display this positive language when speaking.

35．The text mainly focuses on the ______________ of the body language. A．development C．examples

36．What is the main purpose of Paragraph 2? A．To attract readers to go on reading.

B．To help readers know about Dr. Marsh and encourage them to read his book. C．To offer a research to support the writer’s statement. D．To introduce a different viewpoint from the writer’s.

37．The underlined word fidgeting most probably means making small movements of hands and feet, because of feeling ______________. A．pleased C．satisfied

B．sad D．nervous

K

Currently, vegetarianism is increasingly popular, but it is still not the best option for many. If you may be contemplating removing meat from your diet but do not want to go completely meat-free,perhaps try going meat-free for just one day a week.

Sharon Palmer, a registered dietitian and author of Plant Powered for Life, discuses how \"research consistently shows that plant based diets are linked with a lower risk of obesity, hypertension,heart disease ,type 2 diabetes and cancer.

She says, \"Even going meatless one day a week can make a difference, as you increase all of those whole plant-foods beans, wholegrains, nuts, seeds, vegetables,fruits-and decrease more animal foods, in particular red and processed meat. A high intake of these foods has been linked with increased disease risk.”

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B．significance D．acquirement

Deciding to have a more plant-based diet also increases your intake of fiber, vitamins healthy fats and minerals. To help to do this，stocking your fridge with a variety of beans seasonable veggies , wholegrains, herbs, nuts and seeds is Palmer's secret to eating more plant-based meals.

Palmer's other recommendation is“plantifying”\"your favorite dishes. \"Just make your favorite dishes or meals plant-based,with a few changes. If you love Taco Tuesday, make your tacos veggie by skipping the meat and serving black beans or a vegetarian mushroom with tofu filling. If you love Indian food, skip the chicken masala and have chickpea masala instead. These will be foods you already love and are familiar with.”

Her biggest advice is to pick one day a week to follow through this and mark it on your calendar, \"I love the Meatless Monday idea because people often start their best behaviour at the beginning of the week. . .However, there may be a better day of the week for you. So just plan it. \" Palmer said.

38．What does the underlined words “contemplating\" in Paragraph l most probably mean? A．Stopping C．Resisting

B．Delaying D．Considering.

39．Why does the writer mention Sharon Palmer as a registered dietitian and author of a book? A．To make us firmly believe Palmer’s advice. B．To help us better understand Palmer 's theory. C．To promote Palmer's popular book to readers D．To let us the popularity of Palmer's advice.

40．Which of the following does Palmer advise to \"plantify\" your favorite dishes? A．Trying going meat-free one day a week. B．Stocking your fridge with whole plant foods. C．Using vegetable filings, not meat for dumplings. D．Planning a meatless day of the week as you like. 41．Which word best describes Palmer's advice? A．Theoretical C．Boring

B．Practical D．Unrealistic.

L

In a new blog post for the International Monetary Fund, four researchers presented their findings from a

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working paper that examines the current relationship between finance and tech as well as its potential future.

Gazing into their crystal ball, the researchers see the possibility of using the data from your browsing, search, and purchase history to create a more accurate mechanism for determining the credit rating of an individual or business. They believe that this approach could result in greater lending to borrowers who would potentially be denied by traditional financial institutions.

At its heart, the paper is trying to wrestle with the dawning notion that the institutional banking system is facing a serious threat from tech companies like Google, , and Apple. The researchers identify two key areas in which this is true: Tech companies have greater access to soft-information, and messaging platforms can take the place of the physical locations that banks rely on for meeting with customers.

The concept of using your web history to inform credit ratings is framed around the notion that lenders rely on hard-data that might hide the worthiness of a borrower or paint an unnecessarily bad picture during hard times. Citing soft-data points like \"the type of browser and hardware used to access the internet, the history of online searches and purchases\" that could be included in evaluating a borrower, the researchers believe that when a lender has a closer relationship with the potential client's history, they might be more willing to cut them some slack.

\"Banks tend to cushion credit terms for their long-term customers during downturns,\" the paper's authors write. This is because they have a history and relationship with the customer.

The researchers acknowledge that there will be privacy and policy concerns related to including this kind of soft-data in credit analysis. Getting the soft-data points would probably require companies like and Apple to loosen up their standards on linking unencrypted information with individual accounts. How they might share information with other institutions would be its own can of worms. 42．What is the approach put forward by the researchers? A．Replacing banks with soft information.

B．Lending money by predicting the future.

C．Determining credit ratings by web history. D．Facing the threat posed by high-tech companies. 43．Why do they advocate the new way of rating the borrower’s credit? A．Traditional finance refuse to lend money. B．The new approach helps reduce burden on banks. C．The type of hardware misleads the lender’s judgement. D．Soft information better reflects the truth than hard data.

44．Which is the closest in meaning with the underlined phrase in Paragraph 4? A．Be less strict.

B．Share interests.

C．Forgive others’ fault. D．Cut a piece of bread.

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45．What do the researchers worry about? A．Banks will break up with customers. B．High tech companies will be in a mess.

C．Sharing information may cause problems of privacy. D．Competition between tech companies will be more fierce.

M

Sound may offer a creative way to take the ocean's temperature. Climate change is steadily warming the seas, which have absorbed about 90 percent of the excess heat trapped by greenhouse gases. This warming contributes to sea-level rise, endangers species and influences weather patterns.

But tracking the warming is tricky. Ship-based observations capture only snapshots in time over a tiny portion of the water. Satellite observations cannot enter very deep below the surface. The most detailed picture of ocean heat comes from Argo, which can drop down to around 6,500feet. But there are only about 4,000 such floats, and they cannot sample deeper parts of the oceans.

In Science, researchers at the California Institute of Technology and the Chinese Academy of Sciences compared the travel speeds of sounds produced by undersea earthquakes to detect ocean warming over wider areas. Because sound travels faster in warmer water, differences in speed can reveal changing temperatures. \"They're opening up a whole new area of study,\" says Princeton University geophysicist Frederik Simons, who was not involved in the research.

Inspired by those early efforts to measure ocean heat with sound, Caltech researcher Wenbo Wu thought to monitor low-frequency sound waves sent out by earthquakes below the seafloor. “I know these earthquakes are very powerful sources, \"Wu says, \"So why not try to use the earthquakes?\"”

He and his team tested the idea near Indonesia’s island of Nias, where the IndoAustralian Plate is bumping under the Sunda Plate. The researchers gathered sound data from 4,272 earthquakes of magnitude 3 or greater from 2004 to 2016, and they compared sound wave speeds from quakes that originated in the same spot over the years. By modeling the differences, often just fractions of a second, they found that the ocean near Nias was warming by about 0.08 degree Fahrenheit per decade—more than the 0.047 degree F suggested by Argo’s data. Less than one degree F does not sound large, but it takes considerable heat to warm the entire eastern Indian Ocean.

The new method is promising, says University of Hawaii oceanographer Bruce Howe, who was not involved in the work. Meanwhile Simons and his colleagues are exploring an alternative technique, employing dozens of underwater microphones called hydrophones to catch more earthquake sounds. He notes that finding out the floats’ precise locations will be challenging, however. Overcoming such challenges would fill in important gaps, Wu says, “We really need different methods of gathering the data as much as possible.” 46．What do people do to take ocean’s temperature?

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A．Ships sail across all the oceans to take photos. B．Satellites are used to provide data on ocean heat. C．Argo enters the deepest seas for detailed pictures. D．The numbers of floats hit a record high for samples. 47．Why can sound be a method for detecting ocean warming? A．Because its speed varies with the temperature of water. B．Because it accompanies earthquakes below the seafloor. C．Because it is approved by Chinese and US researchers. D．Because its value has been proved by previous efforts.

48．What is the similarity between the researches by Wu and Simons? A．They use hydrophones as floats. B．They exchange their data with Argo. C．They meet the same trouble at work. D．They employ new research methods. 49．What can be the best title for the passage？ A．Undersea earthquakes B．Climate and seas C．Sound and ocean heat D．New method found

参：A: DBCA B:ABCC C:CBDC D:BDAC E:ABDB I: BCBD J:BCD K:DACB L:CDAC M:BADC

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F: ADAC G:ABB H:DAB