05 科普知识-2025年中考英语最新热点时文阅读

本资料来自专辑：

2025年中考英语最新热点时文阅读

05 科普知识

01

A new study has suggested that the key to reducing feelings of anger is not venting (letting the angry emotions out) but doing calming activities such as yoga or meditation.

The study was published in March by Sophie Kjaervik and Brad Bushman from Ohio State University in the US. They wanted to explore the popular theory that venting (expressing) anger is a good way of reducing it. Examples of venting anger include shouting or hitting something like a cushion, so that you let go of the emotion and therefore don’t feel it any more. The pair looked at 154 other studies on anger. These involved 10, 189 people, and included a variety of ages and backgrounds. In their study, Kjaervik and Bushman define anger as “an emotional response (反应) to a real or imagined threat (威胁)”. They used a theory of emotion (情绪假说) that says emotions are partly felt in your body and partly in your mind.

The scientists looked at the other studies to see how different activities influenced anger. They found that activities such as running or boxing—which are often thought to be good for dealing with anger—weren’t very good at reducing it. In fact, some of these activities actually made it worse because they increased physical responses in the body that are linked to feeling angry. For example, they made people’s hearts beat faster. However, activities that decreased physical responses in the body did help to reduce feelings of anger. These included activities that slow the heart rate, such as deep breathing, meditation and yoga. Bushman says activities that increase physical responses may be good for heart health but are “definitely not the best way to reduce anger”.

The team found jogging was most likely to increase anger. However, some heart-rate increasing activities—like ball games and team sports—could reduce anger.

1．What is the main finding of the new study?

A．A new method of venting anger.             B．A new method of reducing anger.

C．Good activities to vent anger.                 D．Good activities to reduce anger.

2．What can we learn about calming activities?

A．They can reduce feelings of anger.          B．They can increase the heart rate.

C．They are good for mind health.              D．They are good for heart health.

3．According to Schachter and Singer’s theory, what happens first if you see a snake and feel afraid?

A．You get the feeling of fear.                    B．You get the feeling of calm.

C．Your heart beats fast.                             D．Your heart beats slowly.

4．The following sentence can best be put at the end of ________.

They think this shows that fun or playful activities help to reduce negative feelings.

A．Paragraph 1       B．Paragraph 2            C．Paragraph 3            D．Paragraph 4

02

We’ve all seen pictures of camels carrying heavy loads (负载物) across the sandy desert. They walk without stopping for food or water for several days.

Have you ever wondered how they do it? For your answer, take a look at the bag round hump which is on a camel’s back.

Camels are the only animals with humps. And it’s the hump that gives camels the amazing ability to go for long periods of time without food or water. The hump is like a spare cupboard (备用食物柜) where the camel stores (储存) food and water for days when there is nothing to eat or drink.

When life is good, and there is plenty to eat and drink, a camel’s hump can grow to as big as 40 kilograms. The food is changed into fat (脂防) and stored in the camel’s bump.

When there is nothing to eat or drink, camels begin to use the stored fat in their humps. That’s why they can continue to live for weeks without food and up to 10 days without water.

Camels are like sponges. They can take in more than 130 litres of water in one short drink. In only a few minutes, all of this water goes directly to the camel’s blood cells (组胞).

Camels save water too. They never know when they’ll find the next watering hole. As they breathe out, their noses close quickly. The water in the breath stays in their bodies.

After a long trek across the desert carrying 100 kilograms or more, a camel can lose up to 150 kilograms of weight. The camel’s hump will become very small. As soon as this camel gets to an oasis (绿洲), it will take in hundreds of litres of water. In a day, it will get back most of its weight.

Nature really has given camels the perfect system for living the hard desert life.

5．What is Paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．The shape of the hump.                         B．The habit of the camel.

C．The function (功能) of the hump.           D．The ability of the camel

6．Which is TRUE about the hump?

A．The hump stores different kinds of food.

B．The hump always stays the same size.

C．The hump can store more than 130 litres water.

D．The weight of the hump depends on eating conditions.

7．What does the underlined word “sponges” mean?

A．海绵                 B．弹簧                      C．水桶                      D．吸管

8．Why docs the writer use some numbers in this passage?

A．To explain the facts more clearly.

B．To express the ideas more politely.

C．To make the article more educational.

D．To make the language more beautiful.

9．What does the writer mainly want to tell us?

A．Camels have some amazing abilities.

B．Camels are good helpers for desert people.

C．Camels have a great quality of never wasting water.

D．Camels have a perfect system for living in the desert.

03

People know animals do have feelings, but they are not sure if these feelings are correctly understood. In recent years, scientists have done research about the feelings of cows, frogs and pandas.  ▲  It says that humans can tell whether a chicken is happy or sad by listening to its calls.

The researchers put a bowl behind a door. Inside the bowl, sometimes, there was something chickens love to eat, such as rice or insects. Sometimes, there was nothing. When the chickens saw food behind the door, they seemed happy and produced fast and loud sounds, known as food calls. When there wasn’t food, the chickens made low and long noises to express disappointment. The researchers recorded all these sounds and studied their waves.

Then the researchers chose 16 recordings of such chicken noises. Half were from the chickens seeing the food and half were from the chickens finding no food. The recordings were played to 194 volunteers. Sixty-nine percent of the volunteers correctly understood whether the chickens were feeling happy or not, and some of them even had no experience of taking care of chickens.

The result shows that humans have the natural ability to understand the feelings of chickens. Hopefully, this finding can bring about new technology to help with chicken-raising, a big industry in many countries. Some scientists are already working on a smart computer program that can identify chickens’ feelings. This is good news for farmers who want to make the birds happier and healthier.

10．Which of the following can be put in “________” in Paragraph 1?

A．Humans may not like animals.              B．Scientists know nothing about it.

C．Nobody knows why this happens.          D．A new study adds chickens to the list.

11．Which is most probably the sound wave of a happy call by a chicken?

12．How did the volunteers help with the research?

A．By listening to the chicken calls.           B．By taking care of the chickens.

C．By finding food for the chickens.          D．By making the chickens happy.

13．What does the underlined word “identify” mean in Paragraph 4?

A．Control.           B．Hide.                     C．Recognize.              D．Hurt.

14．What is the best title for the passage?

A．Chickens’ Food Calls                           B．Happy Chickens, Sad Chickens

C．Farmers’ Best Choice                           D．Smart Farmers, Healthy Farmers

04

All around the world, buildings are going green! People are making green buildings. What does it mean to go green or to make a green building? A green building is designed (设计) in a way that is not harmful to the environment. The building uses energy, water, and other materials in ways that are good for the environment.

When planning green buildings, architects (建筑师) must think about how to use energy, water, and materials in an environment-friendly way. There are many ways to save energy. Architects can design buildings to use natural light. Buildings can also be made with solar or wind power to get energy from the sun or the wind. To save water, green buildings can have areas on the roofs to collect rainwater. Kitchens and bathrooms can have sinks (洗池) and toilets (马桶) that conserve water. As for the materials used to build the building, it is important to use materials that do not have chemicals that are harmful to the air or water. Recycled materials can also be used for buildings.

Buildings around the world use all three of these ways to go green. An office building called CH₂ in Melbourne, Australia, uses wind and solar power. A cultural center in London, England, is made from recycled train cars and is powered by solar and wind power. The Academy of Sciences building in California in the U.S. has recycled materials, solar energy, and a huge “living roof” of plants. A temple in Thailand is made out of one million recycled glass bottles! This is a good use of recycled material, and it also lets natural light into the temple.

More and more green buildings are being built and they are making the world a better place!

15．What do we know about a green building?

A．It is usually painted green outside.         B．It uses more materials than other buildings.

C．It is designed by famous architects.        D．It is built in an environment-friendly way.

16．Why do architects design buildings to use natural light?

A．To save energy.                                   B．To save materials.

C．To protect the plants.                            D．To protect the buildings.

17．What does the underlined word “conserve” in paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Save.               B．Boil.                      C．Clean.                    D．Produce.

18．How does the writer support the main idea of paragraph 3?

A．By asking questions.                            B．By giving examples.

C．By listing numbers.                              D．By explaining reasons.

19．What can be the best title for the text?

A．Designing Buildings                            B．Going Green

C．Recycling Materials                             D．Using Energy

05

An old saying used for forecasting (预测) the weather says, “Red sky at night, sailors’ delight. Red sky in the morning, sailors (水手) take warning.” Is the saying true? It turns out that it is. A red sky at sunset may mean that there are clear skies to the west, where the sun sets. A red sky at sunrise usually means that the clear weather has already passed, so storms might be coming.

Forecasting the weather has been practiced for thousands of years. In the 5th century BC, the Greeks sent out forecasts to sailors. They used signs in nature to forecast the weather. But today, meteorologists send exact forecasts further in advance (提前). They use scientific instruments to study weather conditions around the world and make forecasts. Pilots, farmers and many other people depend on these forecasts. Luckily, most of us can simply look on the smart phone or turn on the TV to find out what kind of weather is coming.

If you are looking for some signs of the weather, pay attention to nature. There are two basic rules used in weather forecasting: Weather generally moves from west to east, and low air pressure (压力) usually means rain or snow. So pay attention to the signs. If rainbows form in the west at sunrise, the sun is on the way. Smell the flowers—their smells are stronger in wet air. What are the ants doing? Are they moving to higher ground? This could mean a drop in air pressure. Are the birds flying low or high? Falling air pressure may influence birds’ ears, so they fly low. And if the sky is red at sunset, you might plan a picnic for the next day!

根据材料内容选择最佳答案。

20．What is the old saying about?

A．The beauty of sunrise.                          B．The night sky.

C．The signs of the weather.                      D．The sailors’ work.

21．What does the underlined word “meteorologists” mean?

A．The persons who give daily weather reports on TV.

B．The persons who carry out research on natural history.

C．The persons who take an interest in plants and animals.

D．The persons who do scientific studies of weather conditions.

22．How does the writer develop his idea in Paragraph 2?

A．By listing the reasons for terrible weather.

B．By telling a true story about weather forecasting.

C．By introducing different ways of forecasting the weather.

D．By mentioning the difficulties in forecasting the weather.

23．What do we know from the last paragraph?

A．It’ll be sunny if ants move to higher places.

B．The smells of flowers are stronger in wet air.

C．Birds fly higher because of the low air pressure.

D．It’ll rain if rainbows form in the west at sunrise.

24．What is the writer’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To encourage people to get close to nature.

B．To express the need for weather forecasting.

C．To explain nature can tell us about the weather.

D．To discuss how important weather forecasting is.

06

Salt has always been important to people. In the past, it was as valuable as gold. Over the years, people discovered different ways to get salt. Some early people got salt from rocks. In other places, people got salt from the sea. They took sea water and put it in the sun. After a long time, the water dried up (耗尽). Then people could get salt.

Today, people still get salt from the sea. But most salt comes from salt mines (矿) and salt wells (井). How do people get salt from salt mines? They dig deep into the ground for it. To get salt from salt wells, people put two pipes (管子) into the ground. Water is sent down through one of the pipes. And the water is mixed with the salt in salt wells. It makes salt water. Then the salt water is pushed up through the other pipe. Later, the salt is taken out of the salt water.

People once worked hard to find and make salt. Now, people can buy it at any food store.

25．Some early people got salt from ________.

A．flowers            B．fruits                     C．trees                       D．rocks

26．Why did people put sea water in the sun?

A．To get salt.                                          B．To catch fish.

C．To wash clothes.                                  D．To water crops.

27．How do people get salt from salt mines?

A．By mixing sand with gold.                   B．By digging deep into the ground.

C．By putting oil on rocks.                        D．By throwing stones into the sea.

28．What is the right order of getting salt from salt wells?

A．a-b-c               B．b-c-a                      C．c-b-a                      D．b-a-c

29．The passage is mainly about ________.

A．who discovered salt                             B．when we made salt

C．where salt comes from                         D．how much salt we need

07

Though oceans cover about 71 percent of the earth’s surface, there’s still a lot we don’t know about them. Only about 20 percent of the seafloor has been mapped, and the remaining 80 percent is still a secret to us. Some scientists even think that 91 percent of sea animals have yet to be discovered.

So why do we know so little about the deep sea? Well, getting to those depths is very difficult and requires high technology that simply didn’t come into being for most of human history. The first navigable submarine (可驾驶的潜水艇), for example, was built in 1620, and it couldn’t go more than five meters below the surface. In fact, for a long time many scientists didn’t even think that there could be any life at depths greater than 550 meters and didn’t see much need to explore (探索) the deep sea. However, this changed in 1862 when life was discovered as far down as 945 meters below sea level with the help of a digging machine. Ten years later, around 4, 700 species (物种) unknown before from the ocean floor were discovered.

Since then, high technology has been developed to help explore the deep sea, including satellites. But why is deep-sea exploration still so difficult? Well, at greater depths it is freezing (极冷的), everything is completely dark, and the pressure can be over 1, 000 times greater than that on the surface.

Though we have the difficulties, it’s important that we understand the seas. They help control the earth’s temperature and produce half of the oxygen (O₂) in the air. They can also provide us with information about climate change. Our future depends on learning more about our oceans, and it is possible for us to really understand what is ongoing below the surface.

30．Why are some numbers listed in Paragraph 1?

A．To introduce how important oceans are.

B．To discuss why sea animals have yet to be found out.

C．To explain that oceans cover a large area of the earth.

D．To show that we have only a little understanding of oceans.

31．What caused the change of exploration into the deep sea?

A．High technology.                                 B．Unknown species.

C．A pleasant environment.                       D．Valuable information.

32．What does the underlined word “They” in the last paragraph refer to?

A．Sea animals.     B．The seas.                C．The satellites.          D．Many scientists.

33．What can we learn from the text?

A．It is difficult to build a navigable submarine. B．The seas have a strong influence on our future.

C．The seas have no lives at a depth of 550 meters.     D．It is easier to go into the deep sea than we think.

34．What could be the best title of the text?

A．Hidden Treasures in Deep Sea               B．Unlocked Secrets of Deep Sea

C．Deep-Sea Exploration: Into the Freezing Depths    D．Deep-Sea Exploration: The Past and the Future

08

根据短文内容及首字母提示，填写所缺单词，使短文意思完整。每空限填一词。

Long ago, the early people did not live in houses as we do today. Most of the homes were in caves or shelters (遮蔽物) which were built in trees. These ‘homes’ were only used as temporary (临时的) shelters to p    35     them from the sun, the rain and the wild animals in the forests. Men of that time were called ‘cave people’.

These ‘cave people’ usually lived in small groups and life was not e    36     for them. They had to move from place to place to s    37     for food. They would hunt, fish or pick wild fruit. When they couldn’t find a    38     to eat, they would leave to find another proper place. Their tools were very simple. They ate raw (生的) food u    39     they learnt how to make a fire. For clothing, they used only the bark (树皮) of trees or the skins (皮) of animals to c    40     their bodies.

However, the lives of the ‘cave people’ changed. They collected the seeds (种子) of wild plants that g    41     in the forests. Soon they learnt to plant fruit, vegetables and other crops. They also kept cows, sheep and other kinds of farm a    42     for milk, meat and skins. They became f   43    and lived in only one certain area. Their groups became l    44     than before as they lived more settled (固定的) lives. They built houses as long-lasting homes, and as a result, villages and towns developed quickly. The ‘cave people’ began to be civilized (文明的).

09

根据下面短文内容及部分首字母提示，在短文的空格处填上一个最恰当的词，使短文完整、通顺。请将完整的单词填写在答题卡上对应的位置。

“Do you get enough sleep?” The answer is probably no if you ask a tired student who is always taking a nap (小睡) on a classroom desk. “I couldn’t get to sleep and experienced a restless night again.” You may often hear such words from an adult. Not having enough     45     is a common problem around the world.

However, sleep is just like food and water to us.     46     of us can live if we don’t sleep at all. Sleep experts say that an adult requires 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night and a teenager needs 8.5 to 9.5 hours. Anything less could be h    47     to our health.

According to a study, sleeping only five hours a night for a week is like having a blood-alcohol (酒精) level of 0.1 percent. That is above the safe driving limit (限制) in most countries. Most people probably wouldn’t take an exam or go to work if they get drunk. But     48     enough sleep, they still do these things. As a result, they     49     in the exams or perform badly at work. What’s worse, doctors and nurses often work long hours. When they are sleepy, they might hurt a patient or even     50     a patient’s death by accident.

    51     sleep is so important, many people these days are not getting enough. In a survey, twenty percent say that daytime sleepiness influences their daily work. They feel it hard to pay full attention during the day. However, they don’t seem to care. Some even show off how energetic they can be the next day just with little sleep. It may be time to wake up and     52     the way we think. We should realize that not sleeping enough is a serious problem.

10

阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Chinese New Year is a great celebration. It    53    (mark) the end of the winter season and the beginning of spring. According to tradition, people like to give flowers and fruits    54    each other during Chinese New Year, because they carry many special    55    (meaning). They represent (象征) the earth coming back to life and best wishes for new beginnings,

Orchids (兰花) come in many colors, but many people like purple and red ones for Chinese New Year. They are believed    56    (represent) love and beauty. Orchids say, “Wish you to be    57    (luck), successful and happy.” During the holiday period, this plant is a must.

Peonies (牡丹) are like soft clouds in pink, red and white. They are beautiful and can brighten up someone’s day. Red peonies    58    (give) to people to show love and care. Peonies say, “You are special to me.” They are also a symbol of wealth and    59    (rich).

Kumquats (金橘), with    60    (they) golden color, ate a symbol of wealth and luck. The Chinese word for “kumquat” sounds like “gold orange”, which connects kumquats with richness. This small fruit tree is often presented in pairs.

The apple, with its bright colors    61    round shape, represents peace and harmony (和谐). In fact, the word for “apple” in Chinese sounds like “peace”.    62    (certain), apples make great gifts.

…………

参考答案

1．D    2．A    3．C    4．D

【导语】本文是一篇说明文，主要介绍了关于情绪的两因素理论，以及一项新的研究发现，即减少愤怒感觉的关键不是发泄，而是做一些如瑜伽或冥想等平静的活动。

1．细节理解题。根据第一段“A new study has suggested that the key to reducing feelings of anger is not venting (letting the angry emotions out) but doing calming activities such as yoga or meditation.”可知，新的研究发现，减少愤怒感觉的关键不是发泄，而是做一些如瑜伽或冥想等平静的活动，故这项新的研究主要发现了一些可以减少愤怒的好的活动。故选D。

…………