发布时间 : 星期一 文章2020版高考英语二轮复习限时规范训练（二十四）阅读板块 - 练速度更新完毕开始阅读
限时规范训练(二十四) 阅读板块——练速度
(满分40分，限时35分钟)
Ⅰ.阅读理解(30分)
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
A
Four Winter Spots
Here are four spots around the world worth a winter trip. ·Christmas Island, Australia
On Christmas Day of 1643, Captain William Mynors sailed past this tropical (热带的) island 224 miles south of Java and named it, of course, “Christmas”. Consisting of rainforest, sand beaches, coral reefs and one oceanic mountain, two thirds of this 52-square-mile island is a national park, home to pipistrelles, flying foxes, endangered seabirds and sea turtles. Many of the 2,000 local people celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year every year.
·Quito, Ecuador
In Quito, the sun always sets at six. As the second biggest city in Ecuador and the second highest capital in the world, Quito makes a convenient access point to the Amazon rainforest, the thrill-seekers' paradise (天堂). In only three hours, travelers can travel from the best-preserved historical city center in Latin America to the land of giant tortoises, lava lizards and blue-footed boobies.
·Sun Peaks, Canada
Snowshoeing, dogsledding and storm-watching all make British Columbia a favorite winter destination. But if you're planning on skiing, ski-biking or snow-limo-riding, please head for Sun Peaks, Canada's second largest ski area.
·Lijiang, China
A winter trip to the southwest Chinese Province of Yunnan promises mild, dry and sunny weather—excellent conditions for skiing the trails of China's highest ski resort (胜地), Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Home to plenty of wildlife and 400 types of tress, the mountain is located about 10 miles from the UNESCO World Heritage Old Town of Lijiang, an important center for the fascinating Naxi people whose 1,000-year-old Dongba characters are the only living pictographic (象形文字的) writing system worldwide today.
[语篇解读] 本文是一篇应用文。文章主要介绍了四处适合冬季旅行的目的地。 1．What makes Quito one of the best winter destinations?
A．The various rare animals. B．The beautiful sunsets there. C．The thrilling winter activities. D．The closeness to the rainforest.
解析：细节理解题。根据Quito, Ecuador部分中的“Quito makes a convenient access point to the Amazon rainforest, the thrill-seekers' paradise. In only three hours, travelers can travel from...”可判断选D项。
答案：D
2．Who might be most interested in Sun Peaks, Canada? A．Winter sports lovers. B．Ice sculpture fans. C．Experienced adventurers. D．Mountain-climbing enthusiasts.
解析：推理判断题。根据Sun Peaks, Canada部分中的“But if you're planning on skiing, ski-biking or snow-limo-riding, please head for Sun Peaks, Canada's second largest ski area.”可知，冬季运动爱好者对此地应最感兴趣，故选A项。
答案：A
3．What can you enjoy on Christmas Island and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain? A．Extreme sports. B．A variety of wildlife. C．Oceanic plants and animals. D．Traditional Chinese cultures.
解析：细节理解题。根据Christmas Island, Australia部分中的“two thirds of this 52-square-mile island is a national park, home to pipistrelles, flying foxes, endangered seabirds and sea turtles”以及Lijiang, China部分中的“Home to plenty of wildlife”可知，这两个地方都有很多种野生动物。
答案：B
B
In 1848, gold was found in California. Thousands of people rushed there. Many people decided to stay there. But there was a problem of sending messages between California and Missouri. The train line to California wasn't finished until 1869. It took a long time to ride a horse to Missouri.
In 1860 and 1861, the Pony Express was the fastest way to get or send messages in the West. The route they took was around 2,000 miles long. It took most people
weeks or months to ride that far. The Pony Express could make the trip in just ten days. So how did they do it?
The Pony Express had 184 stations along the way. The stations were around ten miles apart. This was about how far a horse could run before getting tired. The rider would change the horse at each station. He would only take his mail package with him. Every 75－100 miles, the rider would get to a home station. At each home station, riders would rest. Before resting, he would give his mail package to a new rider. The mail never stopped moving.
It was hard to ride for the Pony Express. Each rider had to weigh less than 125 pounds. Speed was the key. Most of the riders were teenage boys. They rode at a fast speed of up to 100 miles a day. If there were an emergency, one might have to ride 200 miles in a day. The ride could be dangerous, because attacks by Native Americans were common. Riders should be brave enough.
The Pony Express played an important role for a time, but it did not last. The Civil War started in April, 1861. This was bad news to the owners of the Pony Express. The worst for them was yet to come. On October 24th, 1861, the first telegraph line to California was finished. People could send messages in an instant. Two days later, the Pony Express closed, but the spirit of the brave riders lives on even today.
[语篇解读] 本文是一篇说明文。在美国淘金热的年代，东西部互通信息是件很不容易的事，但当时有一家公司却能提供最快的邮递服务，那么这家公司是如何运作的呢？
4．How soon could the Pony Express send a letter from California to Missouri? A．In twenty days. B．In thirty days. C．In ten days.
D．In twenty-four hours.
解析：细节理解题。根据第二段中的“The Pony Express could make the trip in just ten days.”可知，答案为C。
答案：C
5．Why were the Pony Express stations ten miles apart? A．There should be enough stations to keep the riders safe. B．The riders must have a rest after riding ten miles. C．A rider would spend one day in riding ten miles. D．A horse could run that far before getting tired.
解析：细节理解题。根据第三段中的“This was about how far a horse could run before
getting tired.”可知，马跑十英里后就会疲倦，所以每跑十英里就要换马。
答案：D
6．What's the main idea of the fourth paragraph? A．Problems existing in the Pony Express. B．The special system of the Pony Express. C．Dangers to the workers in the Pony Express. D．Requirements for a rider of the Pony Express.
解析：段落大意题。根据第四段的内容可知，本段描述了该公司的骑手必须具备的条件。 答案：D
7．Which of the following ended the Pony Express? A．The train line. B．The Civil War. C．The use of telegraph. D．Mobile phones.
解析：细节理解题。根据最后一段的内容可知，虽然美国内战的爆发对该快递公司有影响，但最终让它倒闭的还是电报的使用。
答案：C
C
It's hard to imagine the humble bucket (桶) being a work of art, but those made by Shuji Nakagawa in his Kyoto studio go for thousands of dollars. Smooth and fragrant with the fresh smell of hinoki, they are used for a variety of purposes from storing rice to holding water for bathing. The level of craftsmanship, honed (磨炼), over a century of teaching and built on traditional methods that go back 700 years, creates a perfect finish and it is almost impossible to see the joints (接头) on the buckets.
The story begins with Nakagawa's grandfather, Kameichi, who 90 years ago went to work at the famous carpentry studio Tarugen—when he was just 10 years old. At 45, he left to establish his own firm, calling it Nakagawa Mokkougei. Now run by Kiyotsugu, Nakagawa's father, the company still operates and is one of the most highly regarded traditional carpentry firms in Japan.
Nakagawa was initially resistant to following his father, but he eventually joined the family business after graduating with a fine arts degree from Kyoto's Seika University. He worked 10 to 12 hours every weekday to learn the craft. However, times have changed and as cheap, plastic, or mass-produced products have become readily available, the demand that was a given for his father and grandfather is no longer