2015届高考英语考前热身专练 新闻报道类阅读1

2015届高考考前热身专练：新闻报道类阅读

1. (2014届四川省成都树德中学高三3月阶段性考试英语试卷）

The NSA(美国国家安全局) and GCHQ(英国政府通讯总部) are tapping popular smart phone apps such as Angry Birds to gather the enormous amounts of very personal data those bits of software collect—including age, gender, marital status, income, education level and more, according to new reports from the New York Times and The Guardian.

Citing secret documents provided by Edward Snowden, former NSA staff, the reports detail efforts to gain data collection from cell phone carriers and smart phones by tapping into “leaky”(有漏洞的) apps themselves.

Both spy agencies showed a particular interest in Google Maps, which is accurate to within a few yards or better in some locations and would clearly pass along data about the area where phone owner is.

“It effectively means that an yone using Google Maps on a smartphone is working in support of a GCHQ system,” reads a secret 2008 report by the NSA's sister spy agency, according to the New York Times.

More surprising is the wide range of apps that the agencies search for data, including innocent-seeming apps such as Angry Birds. One document in particular from GCHQ listed what information can be found from which apps, mentioning Android apps but suggesting the sa me data was available from the iPhone platform.

Angry Birds maker Rovio Entertainment of Finland said it had no knowledge of any NSA or GCHQ programs for tapping into its users’ data.

"Rovio doesn't have any previous knowledge of this matter, and have not been aware of such activity in 3rd party advertising networks," said Saara Bergstrom. "Nor do we have any involvement with the organizations you mentioned."

Mobile photos uploaded to social media sites like Facebook and Twitter appear to be a particularly rich source of information for the spy agencies as well. Metadata in the photos is briefly available. The NSA and GCHQ are able to tap into that metadata to collect a wealth of key data points about a person’s life.

“NSA does not profile everyday Americans as it carries out its foreign intelligence mission,”

the agency told the Times in response to questions about the program.

During a Monday press conference, White House press secretary Jay Carney stressed that same position. "As the president said in his Jan. 17 speech, to the extent data is collected by the NSA, through whatever means, we are not interested in the communications of people who are not valid foreign intelligence targets（情报目标） and we are not after the information of ordinary Americans," he said.

1．American and British spy agencies were both particularly interested in the information gathered from_________.

A. Google Maps

B. Twitter

C. Angry Birds

D. Facebook

2．According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?

A. The iPhone platform is more reliable than that of Android.

B. The New York Times interviewed Edward Snowden secretly.

C. It is difficult for common users to protect their personal information.

D. A document from NSA listed what information can be found from which apps.

3．What did Jay Carney’s words imply?

A.NSA didn’t gather any worthy information from Americans.

B. NSA would stop its foreign intelligence mission in the future.

C. NSA and White House shared different attitude towards the affair.

D. NSA collected information with the permission of White House

4．Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A. Angry Birds Give You Away

B. NSA Gather Information from Apps

C. Reports from the New York Times

D. Documents from Edward Snowden

2.(2014届江苏省南京市高三第二次英语模拟试卷）

Spanish explorers called them Las Encantadas, the Enchanted Isles, and Charles Darwin used his studies of the islands as the foundation for his theory of natural selection. The Galapagos are among the world's most important scientific treasures, a group of volcanic islands surrounded by deserted beaches and inhabited by unique varieties of giant tortoise, lizards, and birds.

Yet life on this United Nations world heritage site has turned sour. Battles have broken out between fishermen and conservationists. Ecuador, which owns the islands, has sent a naval patrol (海军巡逻队) to put down disturbances.

The controversial director of the Galapagos National Park—which controls 97 percent of Galapagos land and the reserve extending to 40 miles offshore—has been fired, while an air of uneasy tension hangs over the islands, as the islanders prepare for election when they pick their representatives in Ecuador’s national assembly.

“It’s a very tense situation,” said Leonor Stjepic, director of the London-based Galapagos Conservation Trust, which raises money to help projects on the islands. “We are watching it with concern.”

The violence has been triggered by an alarming growth in the islands’ population. Puerto Ayora, on Santa Cruz island, housed just 45 inhabitants in the 50s. Today there are more than 10,000, while the islands' total population is more than 19,000 and growing by 6 percent a year, despite recently introduced a law to limit waves of immigrants fleeing the poor areas of Ecuador for a life “in paradise (天堂)”. On top of this, more than 100,000 tourists visit the islands every year.

Such numbers have put the islands, special ecology under intense pressure. Conservationists backed by the Ecuador government, have replied by exercising strict controls to protect the islands* iguanas, blue-footed boobies, and giant tortoises.

These moves have angered many local people, however. They want to exploit (开发利用) the islands’ waters and catch its protected species of sharks, lobsters and sea cucumbers, which can fetch high prices in Japan and South Korea.

Angry fishermen surrounded the Charles Darwin research station on Santa Cruz last February, threatened to kill Lonesome George—the last surviving member of the Pinta Island species of the Galapagos giant tortoise.

The situation got improved after the Ecuador government made concessions (让步) by increasing fishing quotas (配额), which angered conservationists. “I t is tragic, the short-term gain of a few fishermen versus the long-term survival of the Galapagos,” said John McCosker of the California Academy of Sciences. “They are killing the golden goose.”

Then, the Ecuador government appointed Fausto Cepeda as the national park's new director, a post that has become a political football for the mainland government. There have been nine directors in the past 18 months.

This appointment was particularly controversial, however. Cepeda was known to have close ties with the fishing industry, and the rangers (管理员),who run t he national park and reserve, rebelled.

More than 300 staged a sit-in at the park’s headquarters and prevented Cepeda from taking up his post. A battle broke out, and at least two people suffered serious injuries. Eventually, Cepeda—with the fishermen’s help- entered the park. “I am in office, i am in control. And I am trying to lower the tension,” he announced.

The Ecuador government took no chances, and sent a patrol boat to maintain the peace. A few days later, Ecuador Environment Minister Fabian Valdivicso met representatives of rangers. After discussions, he told newspapers that he had decided to remove Cepeda from the post.

However, as the population continues to rise, the long-term pressures on the islands are serious and will not disappear that easily.

“We have to balance its special environment with the needs of local people. In that sense, it is a microcosm (缩影) for all the other threatened parts of the world. So getting it right here is going t o be a very, very important trick to pull off,” said Stjepic.

5．What does the underlined word “this” in Paragraph 5 refer to?

A. The island’s swelling population.

B. The law to limit waves of immigrants.

C. A life in paradise.

D. The tourists’ visiting the islands every year.

6．How significant were the islands for Charles Darwin?

A. He based his theory on his studies there.

B. He built the Charles Darwin research center there.

C. He advocated the balance between ecology and people there.

D. He found the last surviving giant tortoise there.

7．What is the primary contributing factor to the conflict between conservationists and

fishermen?

A. The dismissal of the previous director of the Galapagos National Park.

B. The exploitation of the islands.

C. The government's support of Galapagos Conservation Trust.

D. Cepeda’s close tie with the fishing industry.

8．We can learn from the passage that _______.

A. the projects of Galapagos Conservation Trust on the islands are profitable

B. conservationists get angry when fishermen are killing a goose

C. politicians from the mainland government play football on the islands

D. the government is trying to ease the tension

9．In Paragraph 13, what does the author mean by “The Ecuador government took no chances”?

A. The government did not seize opportunities.

B. The government made no compromises.

C. The government did not run risks.

D. The government shrank from responsibilities.

3.(2014届江苏省南京市高三第二次英语模拟试卷）

First lady Michelle Obama turns 50 on Friday, Jan. 17, 2014.

Michelle Obama has spent the first half-century of her life breaking barriers and checking off a series of firsts. Now, as she reaches her milestone birthday Friday, the nation will be watching to see in what other areas she will leave her mark.

Five years after moving into the White House, and without a re-election campaign to worry about, she has more room to relax in her role and, political watchers say, possibly become more vocal (声音的) on political issues in the three years left in office.

So far, critics have complained about Michelle’s silence on issues where they expected to hear her voice: Last year, at the start of her husband's second term, she disappointed advocates for tighter gun-control measures after she failed to push harder on the issue in response to the massacre (残杀) at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. She also disappointed some feminists (女权主义者) who wanted her to defend their causes instead of falling back on her self-described role as the nation’s “mom-in-chief.” Nor did she handle racial issues during

her second term, as some had expected.

“The most important thing to remember is, whether you are black, white or Hispanic, you’re the first lady and the president of all the people in the United States. That’s a huge m elting pot, so to reinforce (强化)that she's African American over anything else would not be wise,” said Anita McBride, who directs programming and national conferences on the legacies (遗产) of America’s first ladies and their historical influence at American University.

Valerie Jarrett, a top White House adviser and a close friend of the Obamas, said the first lady doesn't want to “spread herself too thin.”

“She really wants to have a maximum impact and to do that in fewer areas,” Jarrett told the Associated Press. “That, she said, “is better than trying to take on every single possible cause.”

But Robert Watson, a Lynn University professor, said he expects Obama to “go a little harder at issues” over the next several years. “Second-term first ladies usually feel more at ease to speak mo re forcefully about issues close to their heart,” he said.

Myra Gutin, a Ryder University communications professor and frequent lecturer on first ladies, said she expects Obama to continue making both of them a priority in her remaining years in the White House, given their success. Michelle launched the “Let’s Move” campaign in 2010. It in particular has gained widespread support, ranging from the National Football League to the Sesame Street franchise (特许), which even gave permission to the produce industry to use its licensed characters for free on fruits and vegetables.

“There’s no such thing as a traditional first lady, not anymore in this technology-filled world. Is Mrs. Obama cutting edge? Is she an activist? No. As first ladies go, I think she’s been politically careful because she does not want there to be a major flare-up that would require her husband to use his political capital to clean up,” she said. “But she’s not exactly just sitting in the White House pouring tea and having receptions, either.”

10．Critics were disappointed with Michelle because _______.

A. she didn’t put gun-control measures into effect

B. she failed some feminists to stand out to be a career woman

C. she didn’t solve some racial problems

D. she failed to voice her opinion on some issues

11．According to the professors or advisers, which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. It’s not wise to reinforce Michelle is African American over anything else.

B. It’s better for Michelle to have a maximum impact than to take on every poss ible cause.

C. It's expected for Michelle to go a little harder at issues.

D. It’s a tradition for first ladies to stay out of political issues.

12．What does the underlined phrase “spread herself too thin” in Paragraph 6 mean?

A. Try to do a lot of work at the same time.

B. Get very tired.

C. Try to improve physical fitness.

D. Move herself away from others.

13．In Paragraph 9, the campaign “Let’s Move” might be aiming to help people _______..

a. gain widespread support

b. become more physically active

c. have access to healthier foods

d. raise awareness about gun control

A. a, c

B. a, b

C. b, c

D. c, d

4.(2014届广东省揭阳市高三3月第一次模拟英语试卷）

As a group of young African immigrants struggle to adapt to life in the United States, an after-school drama program at White Oak Middle School aims to make their lives easier by first making them a little harder.

Project X is a program that uses drama, dance, poetry and other creative outlets to help students discuss the tough and sometimes painful problems they face as pre-teen immigrants with language barriers. A final unveiling of their creation will be performed for friends and family at the end of the year at Imagination Stage.

Wanjiru Kamau, coordinator of White Oak’s African Club said it’s important to give troubles to group members to help them find their place at t he school. “It comforts those who are uncomfortable, and it discomforts those who are comfortable,” Kamau said of Project X.

Kamau teamed up with Imagination Stage after she noticed that many African students seemed

uncomfortable talking about problems, such as being laughed at by their fellow students about how they look and talk. When most of the kids join the club, they speak little or no English, Kamau said. Each week, the club typically draws five to ten students who are originally from Africa for discussion sessions and the Project X programme.

“We are going to express ourselves through our words and our actions, and that’s powerful,” said teaching artist Meg Green as she introduced fill-in-the-blank poems the students wrote about their identities.

One student, Frank Ketchouang, 13, wrote, “I am from the world; I am love,” which drew oohs and aahs from the group. Ketchouang has been in the United States for less than a year, said Program Coordinator Chad Dike. When Ketchouang started attending Project X, he had been in the United States for two months and spoke no English. Now he’s one of the group’s most outgoing members and helps translate instructions from English to Creole for the group’s newest member, who is from Haiti.

Many people will give up when there’s a language barrier, “but these students prove them wrong”. Kamau said. “You do have something to give. You are important. When TV, media, etc. are bringing them down, this program is bringing them up.”

14．Project X is intended for helping the young African immigrants to_________.

A. get over language barriers

B. enrich after-school life

C. overcome tough problems

D. become more creative

15．How well the members learn in the Project X program is shown by_________.

A. their annual creative performances

B. their annual scores gained at school

C. the comments of friends and family

D. the comments of the program teachers

16．What do we know about the Imagination Stage?

A. It’s established by Kamau for Project X.

B. It’s a cooperative partner of White Oak’S African Club.

C. It’s a project designed by White Oak Middle School.

D. It’s operated once at the end of each year.

17．According to the author, what Franck Ketchouang wrote was______.

A. silly

B. simple

C. excellent

D. contradictory

18．The passage is written mainly to_______.

A. introduce the Project X program

B. inspire immigrants to never give up

C. advocate White Oak’S African Club

D. call for more attention to immigrants

5.(2014届福建省龙岩市高三毕业班教学质量检查英语试卷）

BEIJING---Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed the need to promote the country’s housing security and supply to guarantee people’s basic residential needs

On Tuesday, Xi said tha t pushing the construction of the housing supply system is a solid project that benefits all people．

‘‘Solving the housing issue is a long-term task,” the president said “China still faces problems such as insufficient affordable housing and imbalances in housing distribution”

Xi said future work will sick to market-oriented reform．and properly handle the roles of government and the market, economic and social functions of housing development，relations of necessity and possibility and the difference between housing security and welfare trap Meanwhile，he vowed(誓言)the government shall meet the basic housing needs of the group troubled by inadaptable labor skills, lack of job opportunities or low income Xi pointed out that the general scheme of building China’s housing supply system is that the government realizes most of the basic needs while leaving other diversified demands for the market rules

“China will spare no effort to increase housing supply while pursuing affordable, environmentally friendly and safe living standards in accordance with the country’s practical situation，”he said

According to the country’s 12th five-year plan，China will increase its quantity of affordable housing g o that it covers 20 percent of all residential areas by 2015 through

construction of 36 million affordable housing units，including renovation(改造)of run-down neighborhoods

Xi said the government will first ensure the quality and safety of these buildings and strive to accomplish the goal while speeding up the construction of public rental and low—rent housing as well as the renovation of run-down neighborhoods

Land and financial policies will be further improved to support the project，Xi said，adding the government will explore and encourage ways for non-profit institutions to participate in the construction and management of affordable housing．

The top leader also stressed that China shall strengthen supervision，establish standard management system and punish illegal occupation of affordable housing units.

19．The housing supply system is constructed to

A. guarantee people’s basic residential needs

B．handle the roles of government and housing market

C．improve land and financial policies

D．punish illegal occupation of affordab le housing units

20．As for solving China’s housing problems．President Xi is ．

A．helpless B. pessimistic C. determined D. uncertain

21．Building China’s housing supply system will .

A．be put to an end soon

B cover all residential needs by 2015

C．especially benefit low-income people

D．encourage profit-driven organizations

22． What would be the best title for this passage ?

A．Handle China’s Housing Issues and Policies

B. Better China’s Housing Security and Supply System

C. Balance the Functions 0foovermnent and Market Rules

D. Strengthen Housing Supervision and Management

【答案】

1．A

2．C 3．D 4．A 【解析】

【答案】5．A 6．A 7．B 8．D 9．C 【解析】

【答案】10．D 11．D 12．A 13．C 【解析】

【答案】14．C 15．A 16．B 17．C 18．A 【解析】

【答案】

19．A

20．C

21．C

22．B

【解析】

中国国家主席习近平近日强调，要切实做好住房保障工作，满足居民基本住房需求。对此，中国已经做了很多努力，进一步的工作正在开展当中。

19．细节理解题。由“ On Tuesday, Xi said that pushing the construction of the housing supply system is a solid