Section Ⅱ Reading Comprehension
Part A
Directions：Read the following four texts. Answer the questions after each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. (40 points)
Text 1
It’s true that high-school coding classes aren’t essential for learning computer science in college. Students without experience can catch up after a few introductory courses, said Tom Cortina, the assistant dean at Carnegie Mellon’s School of Computer Science.
However, Cortina said, early exposure is beneficial. When younger kids learn computer science, they learn that it’s not just a confusing, endless string of letters and numbers — but a tool to build apps, or create artwork, or test hypotheses. It’s not as hard for them to transform their thought processes as it is for older students. Breaking down problems into bite-sized chunks and using code to solve them becomes normal. Giving more children this training could increase the number of people interested in the field and help fill the jobs gap, Cortina said.
Students also benefit from learning something about coding before they get to college, where introductory computer-science classes are packed to the brim, which can drive the less-experienced or-determined students away.
The Flatiron School, where people pay to learn programming, started as one of the many coding bootcamps that’s become popular for adults looking for a career change. The high-schoolers get the same curriculum, but “we try to gear lessons toward things they’re interested in,” said Victoria Friedman, an instructor. For instance, one of the apps the students are developing suggests movies based on your mood.
The students in the Flatiron class probably won’t drop out of high school and build the next Facebook. Programming languages have a quick turnover, so the “Ruby on Rails” language they learned may not even be relevant by the time they enter the job market. But the skills they learn — how to think logically through a problem and
organize the results — apply to any coding language, said Deborah Seehorn, an education consultant for the state of North Carolina.
Indeed, the Flatiron students might not go into IT at all. But creating a future army of coders is not the sole purpose of the classes. These kids are going to be surrounded by computers — in their pockets, in their offices, in their homes — for the rest of their lives. The younger they learn how computers think, how to coax the machine into producing what they want — the earlier they learn that they have the power to do that — the better.
21. Cortina holds that early exposure to computer science makes it easier to____.
A. complete future job training
B. remodel the way of thinking
C. formulate logical hypotheses
D. perfect artwork production
22. In delivering lessons for high-schoolers, Flatiron has considered their____.
A. experience
B. academic backgrounds
C. career prospects
D. interest
23. Deborah Seehorn believes that the skills learned at Flatiron will____.
A. help students learn other computer languages
B. have to be upgraded when new technologies come
C. need improving when students look for jobs
D. enable students to make big quick money
24. According to the last paragraph, Flatiron students are expected to____.
A. compete with a future army of programmers
B. stay longer in the information technology industry
C. become better prepared for the digitalized world
D. bring forth innovative computer technologies
25. The word “coax” (Line4, Para.6) is closest in meaning to____.
A. challenge
B. persuade
C. frighten
D. misguide
Text 1
21 答案 B remodel the way of thinking.
Reshape 重塑 remold 重塑
Mold 名詞-模型 模子 動詞-形成塑造
解析：此題是文中人物觀點題。根據(jù)Cortina定位到第二段前三句。Cortina認為盡早接觸計算機科學是有益的。第三句It’s not as hard for them to transform their thought processes as it is for older students. 譯為在轉變思維程序方面小孩不像年齡較大的學生一樣困難，即B remodel the way of thinking 轉變思維方式即為同義替換。
22 答案 D interest
解析：此題是細節(jié)題。根據(jù)關鍵詞Friedman定位到第四段第二句but之后引號里面內容“我們試圖讓課程符合學生興趣”，故而D interest為正確答案。
23 答案 A help students learn other computer languages
解析：文中人物觀點題。題干問的是Deborah Seehorn認為在Flatiron這里所學到的技能將能怎么樣，據(jù)此定位到第五段But處，和題干基本一致，該句指出“But the skills they learn…appl to any coding language”，意思是他們學到的技能可以應用于任何編碼語言。對比答案選項，A選項的意思是“幫助學生學習其他的計算機語言”屬于原文定位處的同義替換。
24 答案 C become better prepared for the digitalized world
解析：細節(jié)題。題干指出：根據(jù)最后一段，F(xiàn)latiron的學生被期望去干什么。據(jù)此定位到最后一段的These kids are going to be處，是題干的同義復現(xiàn)。定位句“These kids are…be surrounded by computers for the rest of their lives. The younger they learn how computers think…….the better.”，意思是學生們越早學越好。C選項“為數(shù)字化的未來做更好的準備”是同義概述。
25 答案 B persuade
解析：詞義句意題，結合上下文來解題。根據(jù)coax此單詞，定位到最后一段最后一句“how to coax the machine into producing what they want”，考察固定搭配“persuade…into…”。A選項挑戰(zhàn)，B選項勸服，C選項使恐慌，D選項誤導醫(yī)學全.在.線.提供. m.payment-defi.com�？忌鲱}時一定要注意結合上下文來推測生詞的詞義，這是命題人的出題 規(guī)律。
Text 2
Biologists estimate that as many as 2 million lesser prairie chickens---a kind of bird living on stretching grasslands—once lent red to the often gray landscape of the midwestern and southwestern United States. But just some 22,000 birds remain today, occupying about 16% of the species’ historic range.
The crash was a major reason the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service （USFWS)decided to formally list the bird as threatened. “The lesser prairie chicken is in a desperate situation,” said USFWS Director Daniel Ashe. Some environmentalists, however, were disappointed. They had pushed the agency to designate the bird as “endangered,” a status that gives federal officials greater regulatory power to crack down on threats. But Ashe and others argued that the“threatened” tag gave the federal government flexibility to try out new, potentially less confrontational conservations approaches. In particular, they called for forging closer collaborations with western state governments, which are often uneasy with federal action and with the private landowners who control an estimated 95% of the prairie chicken’s habitat.
Under the plan, for example, the agency said it would not prosecute landowner or businesses that unintentionally kill, harm, or disturb the bird, as long as they had signed a range—wide management plan to restore prairie chicken habitat. Negotiated by USFWS and the states, the plan requires individuals and businesses that damage habitat as part of their operations to pay into a fund to replace every acre destroyed with 2 new acres of suitable habitat. The fund will also be used to compensate landowners who set aside habitat, USFWS also set an interim goal of restoring prairie chicken populations to an annual average of 67,000 birds over the next 10 years. And it gives the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA), a coalition of state agencies, the job of monitoring progress. Overall, the idea is to let “states” remain in the driver’s seat for managing the species，” Ashe said.
Not everyone buys the win-win rhetoric Some Congress members are trying to block the plan, and at least a dozen industry groups, four states, and three environmental groups are challenging it in federal court Not surprisingly, doesn’t go far enough “The federal government is giving responsibility for managing the bird to the same industries that are pushing it to extinction,” says biologist Jay Lininger.
26. The major reason for listing the lesser prairie as threatened is____
[A]its drastically decreased population
[B]the underestimate of the grassland acreage
[C]a desperate appeal from some biologists
[D]the insistence of private landowners
27.The “threatened” tag disappointed some environmentalists in that it_____
[A]was a give-in to governmental pressure
[B]would involve fewer agencies in action
[C]granted less federal regulatory power
[D]went against conservation policies
28.It can be learned from Paragraph3 that unintentional harm-doers will not be prosecuted if they_____
[A]agree to pay a sum for compensation
[B]volunteer to set up an equally big habitat
[C]offer to support the WAFWA monitoring job
[D]promise to raise funds for USFWS operations
29.According to Ashe， the leading role in managing the species in______
[A]the federal government
[B]the wildlife agencies
[C]the landowners
[D]the states
30.Jay Lininger would most likely support_______
[A]industry groups
[B]the win-win rhetoric
[C]environmental groups
[D]the plan under challenge
26 答案 A its drastically decreased population
解析：此題是原因細節(jié)題。根據(jù)關鍵詞定位到第一段But前后關于lesser prairie chickens 數(shù)量2million和22,000的強烈對比。此外第二段第二句“the lesser prairie chicken is in a desperate situation”都可以得知A its drastically decreased population 數(shù)量的急劇下降為正確答案。
27 答案 C granted less federal regulatory powers
Grant 動詞-同意允許；授予賦予
名詞-補貼
解析：此題是原因細節(jié)題。根據(jù)關鍵詞定位到第二段第四句，They had …, a state that gives federal officials greater regulatory power. 而But 之后是截然相反的事實，即政府授予了更少的管理權。故而C granted less federal regulatory powers為正確答案。
28 答案 A agree to pay a sum for compensation賠償補償 薪酬
解析：推斷題。題干問的是從第三段推出來：無意傷害的那些人是不會被檢舉的如果怎么樣。根據(jù)題干定位到第三段首句“it would not prosecute….as long as ….”，題干中問的if即原文的as long as的同意替換，原文as long as的意思是：只要他們簽署了計劃。下一句說道，該計劃要求個體和企業(yè)去支付基金。對應選項A選項“贊同支付賠償”屬于同義替換。
29 答案 D the states
解析：此題是細節(jié)題。根據(jù)關鍵詞定位到第三段最后一句the idea is to let the“states”remain in the driver’s seat for managing the species, Ashe said. 其中in the driver’s seat對應題干中的the leading role, 故而D states為正確答案。
30 答案 C environmental groups群體團體
解析：文中人物觀點題。題干問的是Jay Lininger最可能支持誰，大寫人名定位到末段最后一句。最后一句提到：生物學家Jay Lininger說道聯(lián)邦政府要把責任推給導致鳥類滅絕的企業(yè)，顯然是對政府和企業(yè)的反對。再往前看一句，指出：企業(yè)團體和政府部門觀點一致，環(huán)境學家與其觀點恰巧一致。因此，Jay Lininger最支持環(huán)境團體的觀點了。
