高考英語外刊閱讀模擬強化訓練：閱讀理解專題二十二

高考英語外刊閱讀模擬強化訓練閱讀理解專題二十二①Theendoftheworldisnigh,again.Andasusual,it’sbeinggreetedlargelywithashrug.Perhapsyoufeltaprickofuneaseasyouscrolledtheheadlines,orhalf-listenedoverbreakfasttosomeradiodebateaboutthefactthatsometimeinthenextfouryearstheplanetislikelytobreachthe1.5Criseinglobaltemperaturethatwehavelongbeentoldisthetippingpointtoavoid.Perhapsyouevenfeltrageorfrustrationthatit’stakingeveryoneelsesolongtowakeup.Butthechancesarethatmostpeoplewillhaveforgottenitbylunchtime.Ifswingvoterswereasviscerallyscaredofflood,fireandcatastrophiccropfailureastheyseemtobeofpeopleleavingCalaisindinghies,governmentswouldbeturningthemselvesinsideoutbattlingtherisingtemperature.ImagineifWestminsterpouncedoneveryglobalheatingforecastlikeitwillonnextweek’simmigrationfigures,expectedtoshowanotherrisetorecordlevels;imagineifgreenissuesstirredthesameprimalemotionsasBrexiters’bluepassports.Apsychologistwouldarguethatthebrain’snaturaldefencesagainstanxietyarestrong,andinthiscaseunhelpfullyso.We’rehardwiredtorespondtoimminentphysicalthreatsratherthanabstractordistantonesand,crucially,torunawayfromanythingtoobigtofight.Thesesurvivalinstinctsservedhumanswellinconflictwithchargingmammoths,butnotsomuchagainstthekindofabstractbutexistentialriskspotentiallyposedbytheclimatecrisis.Nodoubtthemediacoulddomoretoshovethisparticularcrisisineveryone’sfaces.It’snottoolateyet.Thelessonfromthepandemicisthatpeoplecanbesurprisinglywillingtomakesacrificesforthepublicgood,ifwethinkthateveryoneelseisdoingitandiftherewardsareclear.StayingathometosavetheNHSwasthenoblethingtodo,butitalsomadeyoumuchlesslikelytodieofCovid,andwithinweeksitwasgratifyinglyobviousthatitwasworkingascasenumbersbegantofall.Thefighttostaybelow1.5Cneedstofeellikethenextnationalcrusade,abattlewearecapableofwinningandwhichisthereforeworthjoiningin.Thereissomethingoddlypuzzlingaboutthisgovernment’sapparentreluctancetosingitsownpraisesovernetzero:Britainevidentlyisn’tdecarbonizing(脫碳)fastenough,butitstillreduceditsemissionsfasterthananyothercountryintheworldbetween2010and2020,asuccessmanyConservativesnowseemstrangelyembarrassedtomention.Crucially,householdsneedtoknowwhatisinitforthemiftheygiveuptheirgasboilersorpetrolcars–whichinpracticemeansmoregenerousfinancialsubsidiesandincentivestocushionthecostsofswitching,plusinvestmentintheinfrastructuretobackitup,fromcar-chargingpointsandbatteryfactoriestoanarmyofproperlytrainedheatingengineers.Butwithoneinfivevotersalreadysayingtheythinkthegovernmentspendstoomuchonclimateandenvironmentpolicies,politicalpartieswon’triskspendingbillionsmorewithoutaclearsignalthatthisreallyishowwewantourtaxesspent.Andsowego,roundandroundinanendlesscircleofdithering.Itisn’trisingglobaltemperaturesthatthreatenusintheendsomuchastheeternalhumantendencytoputoffendlesslyuntiltomorrowthatwhichwecan’tquitefacedoingtoday.Whatthescienceisincreasinglyurgentlytryingtotellus,muchaswemaynotwanttolisten,isthatwecannolongerbesureexactlyhowmanytomorrowswehaveleft.【TheGuardian(May19,2023)】1.Whatwillmostpeopleusuallydoafterhearingthattheworldisburning?A.TheywillscrolltheheadlinesmorefrequentlytoconveytheirideasB.Theywilltakethenewssoseriouslythattheywon’thavebreakfastC.TheywillnotcareitsomuchandwillleaveitbehindtheirheadsquicklyD.Theywilltrytheirbesttoappealtoeveryonetotakeimmediateaction2.Whywon’tthemediacoverglobaltemperatureissuesasmanyaspossible?A.votersaremorescaredofflood,fireandcatastrophiccropfailureB.psychologically,peoplearemorelikelytorespondtophysicaldefensesaroundthecornerthandistanceonesC.BritishgovernmentfocusmoreoneveryglobalheatingforecastD.greenissuesleadtotheprimalemotionsacrossthewholecountry3.Whatdoestheunderlinedphrase“thenextnationalcrusade”referto?A.stayingathomeforthepublicgoodB.savingtheNHSsystemC.thefighttogetridofthepandemicD.battleagainsttheriseofglobaltemperature4.Accordingtotheauthor,whatputusindangerintheend?A.insufficientfinancialsubsidiesandincentivesfromthegovernmentB.alwaysdelayingcompletingtoday’smissionC.thedisapprovalfromthemajorityofthevotersD.theunpracticalclimateandenvironmentpolicies②CouldanewtreatmentdevelopedbytheUSpharmaceuticalcompanyLillymean“thebeginningoftheend”ofAlzheimer’s?Couldweevencurethediseasesomeday?Thesearethetypesofheadlinesandquestionsswirlingaroundafternewsofanewdrug,calleddonanemab,showedpromisingresultsinphase-3trialsatslowingdownthedeclineincognitivefunctionsandreducingthedeteriorationintheabilitytoundertakedailytasksindependently.Alzheimer’sisthemostcommoncauseofdementia,accountingfor60-70%ofcases.Itisnotanormalpartofageing,eventhoughitlargelyaffectsthoseover65.It’sadegenerativediseasewheresymptomsworsenoveryears,startingwithmildmemorylossandmovingtowardsthecompletelossofabilitytorecogniselovedonesandcaregivers,confusionanddisorientationbetweenthepastandpresent,andtheinabilitytoliveindependently.Itcanbeheartbreakingforfamiliestowatchthedeteriorationoflovedoneswhoalmostbecomelikeadifferentperson,withextrememoodandbehaviouralchanges.ThebrainsciencebehindAlzheimer’siscomplex,butCTandMRIscanssuggestthattoxicchangesoccurinthebrain,includingtheabnormalbuildupofproteinscalledamyloidplaquesandtautangles.Thedamagestartsinthepartsofthebrainessentialforformingmemoriesbutthenspreadsthroughouttheorgan,withbraintissueshrinkingsignificantly.DevelopingtreatmentsforAlzheimer’shasbeenachallenge,withalmost20yearspassingwithnonewdrugs.Butinthelastyear,twonewoneshaveemerged:donanemabandlecanemab.Neitherarecuresormagicbulletsforthedisease,buttheydoaddresskeysymptoms.Theytargettheamyloidproteinsthatcanaccumulateinthebrainanddamageneurons,slowingdownitsprogression.Andwhilethisnewsisexciting,therearemajorcaveats.OneiswhetheritwilleverbecomeavailableontheNHS.Thecostisestimatedtobeabout￡20,000perpersonperyearoftreatment.Whilelucrativefordrugcompanies,andlikelytobeaimedattheUShealthcaremarket,intheUKitcouldbecomea“l(fā)uxury”goodforthoseabletopayvastsumsofmoneyinthegrowingprivatehealthcaresector.Anotheristheseriousside-effects:inthestudy,brainswellingoccurredin24%ofparticipantsandbrainbleedingoccurredin31.4%onthedrugcomparedwith13.6%intheplacebogroup.Therewerealsothreedeathsduringthetrial,whichhavebeenlinkedtoAria(amyloid-relatedimagingabnormalities)–seizuresandbleedinginthebrain.Partoftheproblemforme,asanacademic,inassessingthedrugisthatthefullresultsofthetrialhaven’tyetbeensharedpubliclyorpublishedinapeer-reviewjournal.Wecannotaccessthefulldataorscrutinizethetrialyet,andthereisalwaysanincentiveforprivatecompaniestooverstatetheeffectivenessofnewdrugs.Trialresultsneedtobeassessedrobustlybyanindependentbodyofexperts.Whileitisunlikelytochangeclinicalpracticeuntilatleast2025,thenewsofdonanemabisagainanindicationthatscienceiscontinuingtomakeprogresswhenitcomestotreatingthemajorcausesofillnessanddeath,evenonerelatedtothehighlycomplexinnerworkingsofthebrain.We’verarelymanagedto“cure”adiseasecompletely,butwehavemanagedtodeveloptoolstoreducethepainanddebilitatingsymptomsofvariousdiseases–andimprovethequalityandlengthofpeople’slives.So,therearecaveatsandtheneedforcaution,butthesenewAlzheimer’sdrugsareindeedthegroundsforthatrarethingthesedays:hope.【TheGuardian(May19,2023)】1.WhichofthefollowingstatementsconcerningAlzheimeristrue?A.thereexistsanewdrugtocureitcompletelyB.60-70%ofdementiaresultinAlzheimerC.thecompletelossofabilitytorecognizelovedonesisnormalwhenyou’reoldD.amyloidplaquesandtautanglesaccumulatefirsttodamagepartofthebrainthenthewholeorganwasdestroyed2.Theunderlinedword“caveats”canbestbereplacedby_________A.warningsB.discussionsC.illustrationsD.instruments3.What’stheproblemofthenewdrugaccordingtotheauthorasanacademic?A.ithastheseriousside-effectssuchasbrainbleedinganddeathsB.theeffectivenessofnewdrugsmaybeexaggeratedwithoutproperandfairassessmentC.thecostofthenewdrugisoutofreachforordinarypeopleD.thereisnopossibilityfornewdrugstobeadmittedintotheNHS4.Whattheauthor’sattitudetowardsthenewdrug?A.approvalB.doubtfulC.objectiveD.carefree③NewYorkofficialsaredeployingmoreresourcestohelphomelesspeopleonthesubwaysystem.ThecaseofJordanNeely,ahomelessmankilledbyafellowpassengerduringanapparentmentalhealthepisode,showsjusthowstubborntheproblemis.Neely,aMichaelJacksonimpersonatorwhostruggledwithmentalillness,diedMay1after24-year-oldDanielPennyputhiminafatalchokeholdonasubwaytraininlowerManhattan.Neely’sfuneralwillbeheldFridayinHarlem.ProsecutorschargedPennywithsecond-degreemanslaughterthismonthafterachorusofNewYorkofficialsdescribedtheincidentasamurder.Hislawyerssaidhewasactingtoprotecthimself.ThefatalencounterhasinflamedNewYorkers’debatearoundpublicsafetyandmentalhealth.Atthecenterofbothissuesisthecity’shomelessnesscrisis,whichMayorEricAdams—aformerpoliceofficer—haspledgedtofixbutsofarhasstruggledtoalleviate.AdamsandNewYorkGov.KathyHochulannouncedsouped-upoutreachprogramsinFebruary.Itisdifficulttomeasuretheirimpact.Underthecity-backedprogram,teamsofpoliceofficersandoutreachworkerssweeptrainsatend-of-linesubwaystations.Theaveragenumberofhomelesspeopleinsubwaytrainsreachingtheendoftheirlinedecreasedto2.7inJanuary2023fromsixayearearlier.ThesharpestdeclinecameafteranMTAsweepatthestartof2022,whichofficialssaidcleared350peoplefrom29encampmentsinsubwaytunnelsand89encampmentsinstations.ShellyNortz,deputyexecutivedirectorforpolicyfortheHomelessadvocacygroupsaidpeoplesometimesaccepttransportationtosheltersbutdon’tbothercheckingin.Shesaiditwouldbebetterifpeopleweretakentomorepermanenthousingratherthanashelter.DavidJones,anMTAboardmember,saidworkersintheoutreachprogramsneededmoretraining.“We’regoingtohavetouptheanteintermsoftheskillleveloftheoutreachteamstobeabletohandlethisstuff,”hesaid.Lastweek,apoliceofficerspottedapersonsprawledacrossthebenchaboardanEtrainshortlyaftermidnight.“Goodmorning!”theofficershouted.“Areyougettingservices?”anaccompanyingoutreachworkerasked.Thepersonsatup,mumbledsomething,andtheteammovedon.Thetrainpulledoutofthestationagain.Thestatehaslaunched11outreachteamsthatworkinstationsduringdaysandevenings.Itisimportanttobepersistentandlistentopeople’sindividualneeds.Tashjian,executivedeputycommissionerofthestate’sOfficeofMentalHe