高中英语2024届高考复习短篇阅读积累（素材+练习）（共六篇）

高考英语短篇阅读积累
一、穿鞋会损害脚踝吗？
每天出门穿鞋，我们都习以为常，但你知道吗？有些地方的人不穿鞋或穿非常薄的鞋。那穿鞋对我们的脚会有什么影响吗？下面就让我们通过这篇文章来了解一下。
Your shoes are changing your feet.The ankles of people who habitually wear shoes are different from those of people who tend to walk barefoot.
ankle /ˈæŋkl/ n.踝；踝关节
habitually /həˈbɪtʃuəli/ adv.习惯地；日常地
tend to do...倾向于做……；趋向于做……
barefoot /ˈbeəfʊt/ adj.& adv.赤脚的/地
In many industrial societies, people tend to wear shoes from a young age.However, many people around the world often go barefoot, or wear only very thin footwear.
industrial /ɪnˈdʌstriəl/ adj.工业的；产业的
footwear /ˈfʊtweə(r)/ n.鞋类（如鞋和靴）
“We know that there are some variations in the feet of modern humans due to the use of shoes,” says Rita Sorrentino at the University of Bologna in Italy.But most previous findings relate to the front and middle of the foot.She and her team have focused on the ankle instead.
variation /ˌveəriˈeɪʃn/ n.变化；变更；变异
previous /ˈpriːviəs/ adj.先前的；以往的
relate to 涉及；与……相关；谈到
They studied 142 ankle bones from 11 populations from North America, Africa and Europe.These included sandal-wearing (穿凉鞋的) Nguni (恩古尼族的) farmers in southern Africa, people living in New York and fossilized bones from Stone Age hunter-gatherers.The hunter-gatherers’ ankle bones were significantly shorter than those of people living in modern cities, and there were other differences in the shape.“They are mostly related to footwear-related behaviors and locomotor (运动的) behaviors,” says Sorrentino.
fossilized /ˈfɒsəlaɪzd/ adj.石化的
hunter-gatherer /ˌhʌntə ˈɡæðərə(r)/ n.采猎者（以打猎和采集植物为生的人）
significantly /sɪɡˈnɪfɪkəntli/ adv.显著地；明显地；有重大意义地
The hunter-gatherers walked barefoot for long distances every day over natural terrain (地形).Their ankles were relatively flexible.In contrast, people living in big cities, who wear constrictive (束紧的) footwear and walk short distances on flat surfaces like asphalt (柏油) roads, had more rigid ankles.
flexible /ˈfleksəbl/ adj.灵活的；可变动的；柔韧的；有弹性的
in contrast 相比之下；相反
flat /flæt/ adj.平坦的，水平的
rigid /ˈrɪdʒɪd/ adj.僵直的；死板的；僵硬的；坚硬的
Changes to ankle bones take place over the course of a person’s life, and there is no evidence that these alterations (改变) can be passed on genetically.
course /kɔːs/ n.进展；进程
pass on 传给；递给；转交
genetically /dʒəˈnetɪkli/ adv.基因地；遗传地
It is an open question whether shoes have disadvantages, but Sorrentino suspects that the rigidity of modern shoes causes our bones to become weaker and more prone to fracturing (骨折).
suspect /səˈspekt/ vt.疑有，觉得（尤指坏事可能属实或发生）；怀疑；不信任
rigidity /rɪˈdʒɪdəti/ n.硬度；刚性；僵化
(be) prone to 易于遭受；有做（坏事）的倾向
【参考译文】
你的鞋子正在改变你的脚。习惯穿鞋的人的脚踝与倾向于赤脚行走的人的脚踝有所相同。
在许多工业社会中，人们倾向于从小就穿鞋。但是，世界上还有很多人经常赤脚走路，或者只穿非常薄的鞋。
“我们知道，因为经常穿鞋，现代人的脚踝发生了一些变化。”意大利博洛尼亚大学的Rita Sorrentino说。但是之前的大多数发现都与前足和中足有关。她和她的团队则将中心放在了脚踝。
他们研究了来自北美、非洲和欧洲11个族群的142块脚踝骨。其中包括非洲南部的恩古尼族农民，他们主要穿凉鞋，以及生活在纽约的人和石器时代采猎者的骨骼化石。采猎者的脚踝骨明显比在现代都市中生活的人的脚踝骨要短，而且在形状上还有其他差异。Sorrentino说：“这些差异主要与鞋类和运动行为有关。”
采猎者每天在自然地形上赤脚行走很远的路。他们的脚踝相对灵活。相比之下，生活在大城市的人们，穿着束紧的鞋，在柏油路等平坦的路面上走很短的距离，他们的脚踝会更僵硬一些。
脚踝骨骼的变化贯穿于人的一生，没有证据表明这些变化可以遗传。
穿鞋是否会对人不利是一个悬而未决的问题，但Sorrentino怀疑现代鞋子的硬度会导致我们的骨头变得更为脆弱，更容易骨折。
【即学即练】
一、根据句意，用括号中所给单词的正确形式填空。
1.You need to be more __________(flexibility) and imaginative in your approach.
2.This chemical has a wide range of __________(industry) uses.
3.The two sets of figures are not __________(significant) different.
4.The curriculum was too narrow and too __________(rigidity).
二、根据括号中的提示，翻译下列句子。
1.他们去那里传递宝贵的经验。（pass on）


2.连续工作不停歇使人更容易出错。（prone to）


3.我常常会忘事，除非我把它们记下来。（tend to）


4.其他建议与如何存储这种数据的细节有关。（relate to）


【参考答案】
一、1.flexible 2.industrial 3.significantly 4.rigid
二、
1.They went there to pass on their valuable experience.
2.Working without a break makes people more prone to error.
3.I tend to forget things unless I write/set them down.
4.Other suggestions relate to the details of how such data is stored.


高考英语短篇阅读积累
二、气候变化——未来40度都算凉快天
早在2016年，“3.23”世界气象日的主题就是直面“更热、更旱、更涝的未来”，极端天气的增加正日益成为共识。“这是史上最热的一年，也可能是未来最凉快的一年。”真是这样吗？我们通过英国《卫报》的这篇文章一起来了解一下吧！
There’s no getting around it, the UK’s once equable (稳定的) climate is falling apart.We are now firmly on course for hothouse Britain and the signs are all around us.Just three years ago, the mercury (水银) hit 38.7℃ (101.7°F) in Cambridge—then an all-time record.A year later, meteorologists (气象学家) at the UK Met Office (英国气象局) mocked up (做……模型) a weather forecast for 2050, showing 40℃-plus temperatures across much of the UK.
there’s no getting around sth.不可避免；不可忽视；无法否认
fall apart 破碎；破裂；崩溃
on course for sth.（因为已开始做而）很可能做成（或做）
hothouse /ˈhɒthaʊs/ n.温室，暖房
hit /hɪt/ vt.达到（某水平）；（用手或器具）击，打
all-time /ˈɔːl taɪm/ adj.（用于比较或表示好坏程度）空前的，创纪录的
forecast /ˈfɔːkɑːst/ n.预测；预报
But the speed of climate breakdown is such that this future is already upon us.On Monday, the Met Office’s first ever red extreme heat warning comes into force for much of England, as ferocious (猛烈的) 40℃-plus temperatures threaten to overwhelm (压垮) ambulance services and A&E (急诊室) departments, and potentially bring about thousands of deaths.
climate breakdown 气候崩溃
come into force 开始生效；开始实施
potentially /pəˈtenʃəli/ adv.可能地；潜在地
And this is just the beginning.When our children are our age, they will yearn for a summer as “cool” as 2022, because long before the century’s end, 40℃-plus heat will be nothing to write home about in the climate-mangled (气候严重破坏的) world they inherit.
yearn for 渴望；向往
nothing to write home about 没什么值得说的；普通的；平常的
inherit /ɪnˈherɪt/ vt.继承（金钱、财产等）；接替（责任等）；继任
Hothouse Britain is about far more than insufferable summer heat.Progressive climate breakdown will affect everyone and every aspect of our lives.
insufferable /ɪnˈsʌfrəbl/ adj.难以忍受的；难以容忍的
progressive /prəˈɡresɪv/ adj.稳步的；逐步的；稳定发展的
Health and well-being services will buckle (被压垮), as tens of thousands of the most vulnerable people struggle in the growing heat and humidity, cases of poisoning due to heat-related food and water contamination (污染) increase rapidly, and new diseases suited to the hotter conditions—including malaria (疟疾) and dengue fever (登革热)—gain a foothold.
vulnerable /ˈvʌlnərəbl/ adj.（身体上或感情上）脆弱的；易受伤害的
humidity /hjuːˈmɪdəti/ n.（空气中的）湿度；湿热；高温潮湿
poisoning /ˈpɔɪzənɪŋ/ n.中毒；服毒
gain a foothold 站稳脚跟；获得立足点
Too many of us still think that global heating will just mean that the world will get a bit warmer and that somehow we will muddle through (胡乱应付过去).However, things are going to be dreadful, but by working together, we still have the time to stop a dangerous future becoming a disastrous one.
dreadful /ˈdredfl/ adj.可怕的；令人畏惧的；糟糕透顶的
disastrous /dɪˈzɑːstrəs/ adj.灾难性的；极糟糕的；完全失败的
【参考译文】
英国曾经稳定的气候系统正在崩溃，这一点不容忽视。现在，我们周围的种种迹象都表明，我们正坚定地朝着温室英国的方向前进。早在三年前，剑桥的温度就高达38.7℃，创下历史纪录。一年后，英国气象局的气象学家制作了2050年的天气预测模型，显示英国大部分地区的气温将超过40℃。
但是气候崩溃的速度如此之快，温室英国已近在咫尺。周一，英国气象局在英格兰大部分地区发布了首个高温红色预警，因为40℃以上的剧烈高温会压垮救护车服务和急症部门，并有可能造成数千人死亡。
而这仅仅是个开始。当我们的孩子到了我们的年龄时，他们会渴望拥有像2022年一样“凉爽”的夏天，因为在本世纪结束前很长时间，我们孩子所继承的是气候严重破坏的世界，40℃以上的高温不值一提。
英国成为暖房远不止意味着夏季无法忍受的高温。渐进的气候崩溃将影响每个人，影响我们生活的方方面面。
数以万计脆弱的人在日益严峻的高温和潮湿环境下挣扎，因高温导致的食物污染和水污染中毒病例迅速增加，以及高温疾病——包括疟疾和登革热——容易多发，医疗服务将不堪重负。
我们中的太多人仍然认为，全球变暖只是意味着世界会变得更加暖和，并且我们能够胡乱应付过去。然而，事情的真相是很可怕的，但是只要我们齐心协力，我们仍然有时间阻止危险的未来成为灾难性的未来。
【即学即练】
一、写出下列句子中画线部分的汉语意思。
1.Good as it is to inherit a library, it is better to collect one.__________
2.Old people are particularly vulnerable members of our society.__________
3.One typical symptom of the disease is progressive loss of memory.__________
4.Each of these stages could potentially be different.__________
二、根据括号中的提示，翻译下列句子。
1.这家公司的利润有望达到2000万美元。（on course for sth.）

2.商家们正投资数百万美元以求在新市场中赢得立足点。（gain a foothold）

3.新规章什么时候开始执行？（come into force）

4.他们是一群渴望自由的年轻人。（yearn for）

【参考答案】
一、1.继承 2.易受伤害的 3.逐步的 4.可能地
二、
1.The company is on course for profits of $20 million.
2.Businesses are investing millions of dollars to gain a foothold in this new market.
3.When do the new regulations come into force?
4.They are a group of young people who/that yearn for freedom.

高考英语短篇阅读积累
三、植物也不喜欢城市噪音
众所周知，汽车、飞机、地铁等交通工具的噪音，还有工业生产、建筑施工等产生的噪音，对于有听觉的人和动物来说，都不利于身心健康。而噪音对没有听觉的植物会不会有影响呢？下面通过这篇文章来了解一下吧！
Many animals depend upon sound to find food, detect predators (捕食者) and communicate with one another.These species understandably suffer when loud motorways cut through their habitats.It has always been assumed, however, that noise is a problem unique to animals.But a new study by Ali Akbar Ghotbi-Ravandi, a botanist (植物学家) at Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, has revealed that plants suffer too.
cut through 通过；抄近路穿过
habitat /ˈhæbɪtæt/ n.（动植物的）生活环境；栖息地
That plants can be hampered (妨碍) indirectly by noise pollution has never been in doubt.Since most flowering species depend upon pollinators (传粉者) and most fruit-bearing species need animals to disperse (散布) their seeds, it is obvious that if these animal partners are harmed by noise then their botanical counterparts will do badly, too.What has remained unknown is whether or not plants themselves suffer directly from noise pollution.
in doubt 不肯定；不确定；拿不准
counterpart /ˈkaʊntəpɑːt/ n.职位（或作用）相当的人；对应的事物
To this end, Dr Ghotbi-Ravandi decided to set up an experiment to study precisely this question.Working with a team of colleagues, Dr Ghotbi-Ravandi grew two species in his lab that are commonly found in urban environments—French marigolds (金盏花) and scarlet sage (红鼠尾草).The plants were grown from seed and allowed to mature for two months in the same space before they were divided into two groups.One group was exposed to 73 decibels (分贝) of traffic noise recorded from a busy motorway in Tehran for 16 hours a day.The other group was left to grow in silence.After 15 days had passed, samples were taken from the youngest fully expanded leaves on every plant in the experiment and studied.
precisely /prɪˈsaɪsli/ adv.精确地；仔细地；准确地
be divided into 被分为
sample /ˈsɑːmpl/ n.（化验的）取样，样本；（抽查的）样本，样品
None of the plants exposed to the traffic noise did well.Analysis of their leaves revealed that all of them were suffering.The chemical compounds hydrogen peroxide (过氧化氢) and malondialdehyde (丙二醛) are indicators of stress in plants and both were found at much higher levels in the specimens exposed to the traffic noise.The team also found that a range of hormones (激素) normally associated with healthy growth and development in plants were present at significantly reduced levels in the plants exposed to the noise.
compound /ˈkɒmpaʊnd/ n.化合物；复合物；混合物
indicator /ˈɪndɪkeɪtə(r)/ n.指示信号；标志；迹象
specimen /ˈspesɪmən/ n.样品；样本；标本
(be) associate with 与……有关联；和……相关
Dr Ghotbi-Ravandi’s findings make it clear that, though plants lack ears, the vibrations generated by the noise of traffic still bothers them enough to trigger strong stress responses that are not quite different from those that would be found in plants exposed to drought, high salinity (盐度) or heavy metals in their soil.
vibration /vaɪˈbreɪʃn/ n.震动；颤动；抖动
generate /ˈdʒenəreɪt/ vt.产生；引起
trigger /ˈtrɪɡə(r)/ vt.发动；引起；触发
drought /draʊt/ n.久旱；旱灾
【参考译文】
许多动物依靠声音来寻找食物，发现捕食者，以及相互交流。当嘈杂的高速公路穿过它们的栖息地时，这些物种遭受痛苦是可以理解的。然而，我们一直认为噪音只影响动物。但是，德黑兰沙希德·贝赫什提大学的植物学家Ali Akbar Ghotbi-Ravandi进行的一项新研究明，植物也会受到影响。
噪音污染会间接妨碍植物的生长，这一点毋庸置疑。由于大多数开花的植物都需要依赖传粉者授粉，而大多数结果的植物都需要动物来传播种子，因此很明显，如果这些动物伙伴受到噪音的伤害，那么对应植物的生长也会变差。尚不清楚的是植物本身是否会直接遭受噪音污染。
为此，Ghotbi-Ravandi博士决定通过实验来得到准确的结论。Ghotbi-Ravandi博士与小组同事共同合作，在他的实验室中种植了两种在城市中常见的植物：金盏花和红鼠尾草。两种植物从种子开始生长，在同一空间生长两个月后再被分为两组。一组植物每天16个小时暴露于73分贝的交通噪音中，这些噪音记录于德黑兰一条繁忙的高速公路上。另一组则置于无声的环境中。15天后，从实验中每株植物新长出的完全展开的叶片中采集样本并进行研究。
暴露于交通噪音下的每株植物的生长情况都很差。对植物叶片的分析表明，所有这些植物都遭受了噪音污染。化合物过氧化氢和丙二醛是植物压力的指标，两种化合物在暴露于交通噪音下的植物样本中的含量要高得多。研究团队还发现，通常与植物健康生长和发育相关的一系列激素，其含量在暴露于噪音之下的植物中大大降低。
Ghotbi-Ravandi博士的发现清楚地表明，尽管植物没有耳朵，但交通噪音产生的振动仍然足以让植物产生强烈的压力反应，这些反应与暴露于干旱、高盐度或含有重金属的土壤中的植物中发现的反应没有太大区别。
【即学即练】
一、根据句意，用括号中所给单词的正确形式填空。
1.These atmospheric waves are a reliable __________(indicate) of weather changes.
2.I think we can date the decline of Western civilization quite __________(precise).
3.We need someone to __________(generation) new ideas.
4.Experts believe that the coming __________(dry) will be extensive.
二、写出下列句子中画线部分的汉语意思。
1.The success of the system is not in doubt.

2.This species has nearly died out because its habitat is being destroyed.

3.The course book is divided into 30 lessons.

4.In fact, almost anything can trigger an allergic reaction.


【参考答案】
一、1.indicator 2.precisely 3.generate 4.drought
二、1.不确定 2.栖息地 3.被分为 4.引起


高考英语短篇阅读积累
四、为什么蚊子总是咬你？
一到夏天，就到了蚊子猖獗的季节。你是不是发现自己比别人更容易被蚊子叮咬。为什么有些人总是受到蚊子的袭击，而有些人却可以相安无事？蚊子真的是通过血型来寻找叮咬对象吗？我们通过这篇文章一起来了解一下吧！
You’re covered with itchy (发痒的) red welts (红肿) while your friends seem blissfully (幸福地) unbitten.What’s the deal with that?
First of all, it’s not in your head.Mosquitoes (蚊子) really do prefer some people to others, says Dr.Jonathan Day, a medical entomologist (昆虫学家) and mosquito expert at the University of Florida.“Some people produce more of certain chemicals in their skin,” he explains.There’s also evidence that one blood type (O) attracts mosquitoes more than others (A or B).
chemical /ˈkemɪkl/ n.化学制品；化学品
evidence /ˈevɪdəns/ n.根据；证明；证据
Unfortunately, your genes decide your blood type and the chemical makeup of your body.Genetics (遗传学) also determines several other factors that could make you an object of blood-sucking (吸血) affection for your local mosquito population, Day says.Maybe the most important: Your metabolic (新陈代谢的) rate, or the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) your body releases as it burns energy.
makeup /ˈmeɪkʌp/ n.构造；组成
affection /əˈfekʃn/ n.喜爱；钟爱
release /rɪˈliːs/ vt.释放；放出；放走
Mosquitoes use CO2 as their primary means of identifying bite targets, Day says.And while it’s true that you can moderate your metabolic rate through diet and exercise, you can only change your metabolism so much, Day says.
primary /ˈpraɪməri/ adj.主要的；最重要的；基本的
identify /aɪˈdentɪfaɪ/ vt.确认；认出；鉴定
moderate /ˈmɒdərət/ vt.& vi.缓和；使适中
While CO2 detection is the primary technique mosquitoes and other blood-sucking bugs use to spot hosts, they also rely on secondary cues to differentiate you from cars, decaying trees, and other CO2-producing objects.And you can control some of those secondary cues, Day says.
detection /dɪˈtekʃn/ n.侦查；探测；察觉；发现
secondary /ˈsekəndri/ adj.次要的；从属的；辅助的
differentiate /ˌdɪfəˈrenʃieɪt/ vt.& vi.区分；区别；辨别
decay /dɪˈkeɪ/ vi.& vt.（使）腐烂，腐朽
For example: Dark clothing is more attractive to mosquitoes than light outfits.At the same time, lots of motion distinguishes you from your surroundings.Also, mosquitoes usually feed at dawn and dusk when the wind tends to die down and the humidity (湿度) rises, Day explains.If you can stay indoors at those times, you’ll avoid bites.A good fan pointed in your general vicinity (周围地区) will also do a great job of keeping the bugs away.If all that fails, hug a bite-free buddy.Maybe some of his mosquito-repelling (驱蚊的) skin chemicals will rub off on you.
outfit /ˈaʊtfɪt/ n.全套服装
distinguish /dɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ/ vt.& vi.区分；辨别；分清
at dawn and dusk 晨昏
die down 逐渐变弱；逐渐平息；逐渐黯淡
buddy /ˈbʌdi/ n.朋友；同伴
rub off on sb.感染某人；传给某人
【参考译文】
你浑身都是红肿发痒的包，而你的朋友却很幸运，一口没被咬。这是怎么回事呢？
首先，这并不是虚构的，佛罗里达大学的医学昆虫学家和蚊子专家Jonathan Day博士表示，蚊子确实更喜欢某些人。他解释说：“有些人的皮肤中产生的某种化学物质多于其他人。”也有证据表明，血型（O）比其他血型（A或B）更吸引蚊子。
不幸的是，你的基因决定了你的血型和你身体的化学构成。Day说，遗传学也决定了其他一些可能使你成为当地蚊子种群的吸血对象的因素。也许最重要的是：你的新陈代谢率，或你的身体燃烧能量时释放的二氧化碳量。
Day说，蚊子利用二氧化碳作为识别叮咬目标的主要途径。他说，虽然你确实可以通过饮食和运动来调节你的新陈代谢率，但你对你的新陈代谢的改变也仅限于此。
虽然探测二氧化碳是蚊子和其他吸血虫子用来发现宿主的主要途径，但它们也依靠辅助线索将你与汽车、腐烂的树木和其他产生二氧化碳的物体区分开来。Day说，你也可以控制这些辅助线索。
例如：深色衣服比浅色衣服更吸引蚊子。同时，不断移动也能将你与周围环境区分开来。此外，Day解释说，蚊子通常在黎明和黄昏时进食，这时候风很小，湿度比较高。如果你这个时候留在室内，就可以避免叮咬。将性能良好的风扇对着你经常活动的区域吹，对远离这些飞虫也有帮助。如果这些都失败了，请拥抱一个从来不被蚊子叮咬的伙伴。也许他皮肤中的某些驱蚊的化学物质能沾到你身上。
【即学即练】
一、根据句意，用括号中所给单词的正确形式填空。
1.Early __________(detect) of cancers is vitally important.
2.Experience is what matters—age is of __________(second) importance.
3.The child is simply hungry for __________(affect).
4.The company __________(identify) 60 potential customers up to now.
二、写出下列句子中画线部分的汉语意思。
1.The primary aim of this course is to improve your spoken English.

2.It was a theory unsupported by evidence.

3.A child may not differentiate between his imagination and the real world.

4.When the applause had died down, she began her speech.

【参考答案】
一、1.detection  2.secondary  3.affection  4.has identified
二、1.主要的  2.证据  3.区分  4.逐渐平息




高考英语短篇阅读积累
五、做噩梦是坏事吗？
你晚上睡觉会做哪些梦呢？做的好梦多还是噩梦多？临近考试时有没有过考试迟到、没写上答案之类的梦境呢？噩梦是好是坏呢？下面就让我们一起去文章中寻找答案吧！
Your night life prepares you for what’s to come.
prepare sb.for sth.使某人有准备应对某事
What are dreams for? A handful of theories predominate.Sigmund Freud famously argued that they reveal hidden truths and wishes.More recent research suggests that they may help us process intense emotions, or perhaps sort through and consolidate (巩固) memories, or make sense of random neuron (神经元) activity, or rehearse responses to threatening situations.Others say that dreams have no evolutionary function, but simply dramatize personal concerns.
a handful of 少量的；一把
predominate /prɪˈdɒmɪneɪt/ vi.占主导地位；有最大影响（或重要性）
reveal /rɪˈviːl/ vt.揭示；显示；透露
sort through 翻查，规整
make sense of 理解，弄懂
rehearse /rɪˈhɜːs/ vt.& vi.排练；排演
evolutionary /ˌiːvəˈluːʃənri/ adj.进化的；演变的；逐渐发展的
Despite being largely unsupported by evidence, Freud’s view maintains a strong following around the world.Researchers found that students in the U.S., South Korea, and India were much more likely to say that dreams reveal hidden truths than to support substantiated (经证实的) theories.Relatedly, people put great stock in their dreams: In the same study, respondents said that dreaming about a plane crash would cause them more anxiety than an official warning about a terrorist attack.
maintain /meɪnˈteɪn/ vt.维持；保持
put great stock in 非常重视
respondent /rɪˈspɒndənt/ n.回答问题的人；（尤指）调查对象
crash /kræʃ/ n.撞车；碰撞；相撞
official /əˈfɪʃl/ adj.正式的；官方的；官方授权的
terrorist /ˈterərɪst/ n.恐怖主义者；恐怖分子
For all the commonalities (共性) dreams exhibit, they vary across time—people who grew up watching black-and-white TV are more likely to dream in black and white.If human dreams sound bleak (无望的), bear in mind that even negative ones can have positive effects.In a study of students taking a French medical-school entrance exam, 60 percent of the dreams they had beforehand involved a problem with the exam, such as being late or leaving an answer blank.But those who reported dreams about the exam, even bad ones, did better on it than those who didn’t.
exhibit /ɪɡˈzɪbɪt/ vt.表现，显示；展览，展出
bear in mind 牢记；记住
beforehand /bɪˈfɔːhænd/ adv.预先；事先
So the next time you dream about an education-related experience in which you are both falling and being chased, don’t worry.It’s probably totally meaningless.Then again, your brain might be practicing so you’ll be ready if such an event ever comes to pass.
come to pass 发生；出现

【参考译文】
你夜晚的梦境使你为即将发生的事情做好准备。
梦的作用是什么呢？少数理论占据了主导地位。Sigmund Freud著名的观点是，梦揭示了隐藏的真相和愿望。最近的研究表明，梦可能会帮助我们应对激烈的情绪，或者整理和巩固记忆，或者了解随机的神经元活动，或者对有威胁的情形进行预先排练。其他人则认为梦没有发展进化的功能，而只是将个人的担忧戏剧化了。
在很大程度上，Freud的观点并没有证据支持，但在世界各地仍拥有众多的追随者。研究人员发现，美国、韩国和印度的学生更倾向于认为梦揭示了隐藏的真相，而不是支持已证实的理论。与之相关的是，人们特别相信自己的梦：在同一项研究中，受访者说，梦见飞机失事比官方预警恐怖袭击事件更让他们焦虑。
从梦境展示的共性可以得出，时代不同，梦境也大不一样——看着黑白电视长大的人，他们的梦境也更可能是黑白的。如果梦境很悲凉，请记住，即使是消极的梦也会产生积极的影响。在一项针对参加法国医学院入学考试的学生进行的研究中，考试前他们做的梦60%都与考试遇到问题相关，例如迟到或没有填答案。但是，那些梦见考试的学生，即使做的是噩梦，也比那些没有梦到的学生考得好。
因此，下次你梦到与学业有关的经历——你在被人追的时候摔了一跤，别担心。这可能完全没有意义。你的大脑可能正在预演，如果这样的事情发生了，你也做好了准备。
【即学即练】
一、写出下列句子中画线部分的汉语意思。
1.Don’t say anything that might reveal where you live.__________
2.Few people nowadays are able to maintain friendships into adulthood.__________
3.I only knew the official version of events.__________
4.It is reasonable to assume that he knew beforehand that this would happen.__________
二、根据括号中的提示，翻译下列句子。
1.因为有代沟的存在，所以我们必须记住，年轻人可能不喜欢这个想法。（bear in mind）

2.请马上弄清纸上这些符号的意义。（make sense of）

3.这个项目旨在教育学生使其为具有挑战性的职业做好准备。（prepare sb.for sth.）

4.他预测的很多事都发生了。（come to pass）




【参考答案】
一、1.透露  2.维持  3.官方的  4.事先
二、
1.As generation gap exists, we must bear in mind that young people might not like this idea.
2.Please make sense of these marks on paper immediately.
3.The programme aims to educate and prepare students for a challenging career.
4.Many of the things (that/which) he predicted have come to pass.


高考英语短篇阅读积累
六、双语会让人更聪明吗？
在大多数人的眼里，会说两种语言的人似乎更聪明。这种说法是否科学呢？看看下面的文章来一探究竟吧！
Does knowing more than one language really make a person smarter? By the time I was a psychology student in the late 1970s, it was generally acknowledged that early exposure to two languages was considered not a handicap (阻碍) but a cognitive advantage.
psychology /saɪˈkɒlədʒi/ n.心理学
acknowledge /əkˈnɒlɪdʒ/ vt.承认（属实）；承认（权威、地位）
exposure /ɪkˈspəʊʒə(r)/ n.暴露；显露
cognitive /ˈkɒɡnətɪv/ adj.认知的；感知的；认识的
Now the consensus is changing.A vast online study published last month in the journal Psychological Science suggests that bilingualism (双语能力) can be handy but doesn’t make you a bit more intelligent.
consensus /kənˈsensəs/ n.一致的意见；共识
intelligent /ɪnˈtelɪdʒənt/ adj.有才智的；悟性强的；聪明的
Emily Nichols, the lead author and a postdoctoral (博士后的) fellow at the University of Western Ontario, told me that the study enlisted 11,000 people to complete 12 online cognitive tests.Participants included “people who hadn’t finished high school and others with professional degrees.” The researchers then selected 372 pairs comprising one bilingual and one monolingual (单语的) subject, matching people who were equivalent in age, education, income and gender.Satisfied that they had controlled for these confounding (令人困惑的) factors, the researchers compared the performance of the pair in online tests of their intelligence.
enlist /ɪnˈlɪst/ vt.争取，谋取（帮助、支持或参与）
professional /prəˈfeʃənl/ adj.专业的；职业的
comprise /kəmˈpraɪz/ vt.包括；包含；由……组成；组成；构成
equivalent /ɪˈkwɪvələnt/ adj.（价值、数量、意义、重要性等）相等的，相同的
The study found almost no cognitive differences between people who speak just one language and those who said they speak at least two.Bilinguals had a leg up on Digit Span (数字广度), a task that requires a person to remember increasingly long strings of numbers by heart.
a leg up 优势；有利的地位；强处
string /strɪŋ/ n.一系列；一连串；一批
We don’t know all the details about this new study’s participants, so we can’t yet close the book on whether their bilingualism boosts their smarts.But there are clearly other benefits, said professor Adrian Owen at the University of Western Ontario.“You can speak to more people, qualify for more jobs and fall in love with more people.” And for most of us, that’s enough.
close the book on...结束
boost /buːst/ vt.使增长；使兴旺
qualify for合格；有……的资格
fall in love with 爱上
【参考译文】
多了解一门语言真的能使一个人更聪明吗？20世纪70年代末，当我还是一名心理学专业的学生时，人们普遍认为，早期接触两种语言并不是障碍，而是一种认知优势。
现在，人们的看法发生了改变。上个月发表在《心理科学》杂志上的一项庞大的在线研究表明，双语能够带来便捷，但不会让你更聪明。
西安大略大学的博士后研究员兼本研究的主要作者Emily Nichols告诉我，这项研究吸引了11 000人，共完成12项在线认知测试。参与者包括“尚未读完高中的人和其他拥有专业学位的人”。然后，研究人员选择了372对分别具有双语和单语背景的对象，每一对年龄、教育程度、收入和性别都对等。研究人员确信他们控制了这些混杂的因素后，比较了每一对受访者在线上智力测试中的表现。
该研究发现，只说一种语言的人和至少说两种语言的人之间几乎没有认知差异。而双语者在数字跨度上更有优势，这项任务要求一个人记住越来越长的数字字符串。
我们不清楚有关这项新研究的参与者的所有细节，因此我们还不能最终论定他们的双语能力是否能提高他们的智力。但是，西安大略大学的Adrian Owen教授认为，双语明显有其他益处。“你可以与更多的人交谈，有资格获得更多的工作，爱上更多的人。”对于我们大多数人来说，这就足够了。
【即学即练】
一、根据句意，用括号中所给单词的正确形式填空。
1.He is one of this country’s top ________(profession) sportsmen.
2.As children grow older, their ________(cognition) processes become sharper.
3.________(expose) to the sun can accelerate the ageing process.
4.He’s ________(intelligence) enough but he lacks motivation.
二、写出下列句子中画线部分的汉语意思。
1.He failed to reach the required standard, and did not qualify for the race.

2.We need a big win to boost our confidence.

3.There is a general consensus among teachers about the need for greater security in schools.

4.Older people comprise a large proportion of those living in poverty.



【参考答案】
一、1.professional   2.cognitive  3.Exposure  4.intelligent
二、1.有……的资格  2.使增长  3.共识   4.构成