A
Taking a shower is relaxing. You can hum a song, daydream or think about nothing, leaving the real world behind you. But did you know that showering can also benefit your mind?
A research by Scott Barry Kaufman, a psychologist from Yale University in the U．S. interviewed over 3,000 people around the world. It turned out that nearly twothirds of the interviewees said they had experienced new ideas in the shower and were more likely to have them in the shower than at work.
So why does a simple shower have such magic power? Science can explain it. Showering can help to raise our level of dopamine, a hormone (荷尔蒙) closely related to our creativity. “People vary in terms of their level of creativity according to the activity of dopamine，” explained Alice Flaherty, a famous American neuroscientist. “Taking a warm shower can make us feel relaxed and therefore make the dopamine level rise and bring ‘Aha！’ moment to us.”
Besides the chemical changes, showering may give you a break from what you feel you have been stuck with. Especially when you have thought hard all day about a problem, jumping into the shower can keep you from the outside world so that you can focus on your inner feelings and memories. In this way, according to American psychologist Shelley H. Carson, author of Your Creative Brain, “A showering hour may turn into an ‘incubation (孵化) period’ for your ideas.”
Compared with sitting in front of a computer, taking a shower is something we do less frequently in our daily life. When showering, we get a fresh experience with the change of location, temperature and humidity. “New and unexpected experiences can lead to positive changes in thinking，” explained Kaufman. “Getting off the couch and jumping in the shower may create a distance and force you to think from a new point of view.”
Showering allows us to enjoy the creative juices of our minds, but it needn't just be the bathroom where you get your inspiration. For instance, Gertrude Stein, a female American writer and poet, got new ideas by driving around a farm and stopping at different cows until she found the one that most inspired her. So try to create your own way to free your mind.
语篇解读：一项科学实验证实淋浴对人们身心有益，尤其可以激发大脑的创造力。
1．According to the article, what changes can showering cause? A．Bringing the terrible moment to us.
B．Setting the creative part of the brain free. C．Leading to boredom or tiredness. D．Increasing the level of dopamine.
解析：选D 细节理解题。根据第四段第一句“Showering can help to raise our level of dopamine ...”可知，淋浴能够使多巴胺的数值升高。故选D项。
2．If one has focused on something all day, showering can help ________. A．turn one's attention inward
B．draw one's attention to the outside world C．make an important breakthrough D．many chemical changes to take place
解析：选A 细节理解题。根据第五段第二句“Especially when you have thought hard ... your inner feelings and memories.”可知，淋浴可以使人将注意力转向内心。故选A项。
3．According to Kaufman, why can taking showers make us creative? A．Because taking showers happens more often.
B．Because taking showers can make us acquire a fresh experience, inspiring us. C．Because nothing but taking showers can get our inspiration. D．Because taking showers can help us try something unexpected.
解析：选B 细节理解题。根据第六段中的“When showering, we get a fresh experience”及“lead to positive changes in thinking”，再结合最后一段的描述可知，淋浴可以帮助我们获得新的体验、赋予我们灵感，故选B项。
4．The example of Gertrude Stein in the last paragraph is used to ________. A．encourage readers to find their own ways of getting inspiration B．point out to readers that it's hard to get inspiration C．explain how to link inspiration with readers' daily lives D．show that creativity often comes from strange places
解析：选A 推理判断题。根据最后一段中的“but it needn't just be the bathroom where you get your inspiration”及最后一句“So try to create your own way to free your mind.”可以判断，举该例是为了鼓励读者寻找适合自己的获得灵感的方式。故选A项。
B
(2018·广西桂林十八中模拟)No one can deny that buttons are an important clothing device. But, can they rise to the level of art? Organizers of an exhibit in New York City think so.
Peter Souleo Wright organized “The Button Show” at Rush Arts Gallery in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. Eleven artists used the small, ordinary objects to create sculptures, portraits and wearable art. Some of the works are political, some are personal and others are just fun.
Wright said each artist reimagines and repurposes the buttons to make art.“What I tried to do with this show，” he said, “was to look at artists who were promoting that level of craft.”
He said he wanted the button art to be comparable to a painting “because of the amount of detail and precision in the work”．
Artist Beau McCall produced “A Harlem Hangover”. It looks like a wine bottle that fell over on a table. A stream of connected red buttons hang over the side, like wine flowing down. Similar red buttons form a small pool on the floor.
McCall layers buttons of different shapes and sizes to create the bottle. The stitching that holds them together is also part of the artistic design.
For San Franciscobased artist Lisa Kokin, buttons are highly personal. After her father died in 2001, she created a portrait of him using only buttons. That memorial to her father led to other button portraits, including those of activists Rosa Parks and Cesar Chavez.
Others use buttons for details. Artist Amalia Amaki of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, placed them on and around old photographs. Los Angeles artist Camilla Taylor attached buttons to three large sculptures that look like headless animals with long, narrow legs.
“The Button Show” ends at March 12. The Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation paid for the exhibition. The foundation was created in 1995 by the Simmons brothers: artist Danny, hiphop producer Russell and rapper Reverend Run. The foundation seeks to bring the artists to urban youth and to provide support for new artists.
语篇解读：文章介绍了纽约艺术家们组织的一场特殊的纽扣展览，在展览中人们见到了许多有创意的艺术品。 1．Why did Wright organize “The Button Show”？ A．To show the importance of buttons. B．To support the new artists.
C．To raise the button show to the level of art. D．To create sculptures and portraits.
解析：选C 细节理解题。根据第一段最后两句“But, can they rise to the level of art? Organizers of an exhibit in New York City think so.”和第二段中的“Peter Souleo Wright organized ‘The Button Show’”可知，赖特组织“纽扣展”的目的是将纽扣展上升到艺术水平。故选C项。
2．Whose works are personal? A．Peter Souleo Wright. C．Lisa Kokin.
B．Beau McCall. D．Amalia Amaki.
解析：选C 细节理解题。根据倒数第三段第一句“For San Franciscobased artist Lisa Kokin, buttons are highly personal.”可知，对于莉萨·科金来说纽扣是高度私人化的东西。故选C项。
3．If you want to see “The Button Show”， you should ________. A．buy tickets before March 12
B．phone Peter Souleo Wright before March 12 C．go to Rush Arts Gallery
D．go to the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation
解析：选C 细节理解题。根据第二段第一句“Peter Souleo Wright organized ‘The Button Show’ at Rush Arts Gallery in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan.”可知，赖特组织的纽扣展是在Rush Arts Gallery。故选C项。
C
To us it seems so natural to put up an umbrella to keep the water off when it rains, but actually the umbrella was not invented as protection against the rain. Its first use was as a shade against the sun!
Nobody knows who first invented it, but the umbrella was used in very ancient times. Probably the first to use it were the Chinese in the 11th century BC.
We know that the umbrella was used in ancient Egypt and Babylon as a sunshade. And there was a strange thing connected with its use: it became a symbol of honor. In the Far East in ancient times, the umbrella was allowed to be used only by those in high office.
In Europe, the Greeks were the first to use the umbrella as a sunshade. And the umbrella was commonly used in ancient Greece. But it is believed that the first persons in Europe to use the umbrella as protection against the rain were the ancient Romans.
During the Middle Ages, the use of umbrella practically disappeared. Then it
appeared again in Italy in the late 16th century. And again it was considered as a symbol of power. By 1680, the umbrella appeared in France and later in England.
By the 18th century, the umbrella was used against rain throughout most of Europe.
Umbrellas have not changed much in style during all this time, though they have become much lighter in weight. It wasn't until the twentieth century that women's umbrellas began to be made, in a whole variety of colors.
篇章导读：本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了伞最初产生时的用途以及其后来的演变。
1．According to this passage, the umbrella was probably first invented in ancient ________ .
A．China B．Egypt C．Greece D．Rome
答案：A 细节理解题。根据文章第二段第二句可判断伞最初或许是在中国产生的。 2．Which of the following statements is NOT true about the umbrella? A．No one exactly knows who the inventor of the umbrella was.
B．The umbrella was first invented to be used as protection against the sun. C．The umbrella changed much in style in the 18th century.
D．In Europe, the Greeks were the first to use the umbrella as a sunshade. 答案：C 细节理解题。根据文章倒数第一段中的“Umbrellas have not changed much in style during all this time”可知，一直以来，伞在风格上没有什么大的变化。
3．A strange feature of the umbrella's use is that it was used as ________ . A．protection against rain B．a shade against the sun C．a symbol of honor and power D．women's decoration
答案：C 细节理解题。根据文章第三段第二句“And there was a strange thing ... a symbol of honor.”和最后一句“... only by those in high office.”可判断出答案。
D
Dujiangyan is the oldest manmade water system in the world,anda wonder in thedevelopmentof Chinese science. Built over 2,200 years ago in what is now Sichuan Province in Southwest China,this amazing engineering achievement is still used today to irrigate over 6,000 square kilometres of farmland, take away floodwater and provide water for 50 cities in the province.
In ancient times, the region in which Dujiangyan now stands suffered from regular floods caused by overflow from the Minjiang River. To help the victims of the flooding, Li Bing, the region's governor, together with his son, decided to find a solution. They studied the problem and discovered that the river most often overflowed when
winter snow atthe top of the nearby Mount Yulei began to melt as the weather warmed.
The simplest fix was to build a dam, but this would have ruined the Minjiang River. So instead Li designed a series of channels built at different levels along Mount Yulei that would take away the floodwater while leaving the river flowing naturally. Better still, the extra water could be directed to the dry Chengdu Plain, making it suitable for farming.
Cutting the channels through the hard rock of Mount Yulei was a remarkable accomplishment as it was done long before the invention of gunpowder and explosives. Li Bing found another solution. He used a combination of fire and water to heat and cool the rocks until they cracked and could be removed. After eight years of work, the 20metrewide canals had been carved through the mountain.
Once the system was finished, no more floods occurred and the people were able to live peacefully and affluently. Today, Dujiangyan is admired by scientists from around the world because of one feature. Unlike modern dams where the water is blocked with a huge wall, Dujiangyan still lets water flow through the Minjiang River naturally, enabling ecosystems and fish populations to exist in harmony.
篇章导读：本文是一篇说明文。全文简述了都江堰水利工程的特点及其重要价值。 1．What are the benefits of Dujiangyan according to the first paragraph? A．Reducing flooding and watering farmland. B．Protecting the mountain and reducing flooding. C．Watering farmland and improving water quality. D．Drying the river and supplying cities with water.
答案：A 细节理解题。根据第一段第二句可知，都江堰水利工程带来的益处是灌溉、防洪和提供用水。故选A。
2．What was the main cause of the Minjiang River's flooding? A．Heavy rains. C．Low river banks. 融化造成的。故选B。
3．How was Li Bing able to break through the rocks of Mount Yulei? A．By using gunpowder.
B．By flooding the rocks with water.
C．By applying a heating and cooling technique. D．By breaking the rocks with hammers and spades.
答案：C 细节理解题。根据第四段第三句“He used a combination of fire and water to heat and cool the rocks until they cracked and could be removed.”可知，他是通过运用加热和冷却的技术来解决这一难题的。故选C。
4．Why is Dujiangyan greatly admired by scientists today? A．It preserves much of the natural river life.
B．Melting snow. D．Steep mountains.
答案：B 细节理解题。根据第二段最后一句可知，岷江洪水泛滥主要是由山上的积雪
B．It took very little time to complete the project. C．The building techniques used were very modern.
D．It has raised the living standards of the local people.
答案：A 细节理解题。根据最后一段最后一句可知，这是因为都江堰水利工程使河流的生态系统和鱼类和谐相处。故选A。
E
The world is filled with extremely talented sand artists—people that can masterfully carve up giant castles, sculptures and even paintings, using just sand and water. But very few are as lovable as the Beachbot—a robot which will keep the audience entertained as it moves around creating beautiful masterpieces.
An automatic pressure control allows the robot to use the right amount of force on the soft sand. Seven motors ensure that the Beachbot can arrange the rake prongs (尖头), allowing it to create “brush strokes” measuring two feet long and fifteen inches wide and tall. The rake can also be retracted at any time, enabling the robot to create the outline with multiple lines instead of a continuous one. Its three cushioned balloon－like wheels not only help in painting smoother curves, but also allow the robot to drive over the artwork, without ruining it.
Of course all the skill and quickness are only possible because of the Beachbot's incredible “brain”， which has been programmed and turns images into paths that the robot can easily follow. An inbuilt laser scanner allows the detection of the four reflective poles that act as limits of its sand paintings. In addition, the inertial (惯性的) measurement unit allows the artist to make precise movements that become lines, patterns, and eventually beautiful shapes and images, some as big as 30 feet by 30 feet. While the Beachbot's artwork, which it completes in a speedy quick ten minutes is certainly impressive, what is even more so is watching the robot create it—a sight its inventors suitably describe as “a magical show”．
The Beachbot, which is still in the concept stage, is not quite ready for production. That's because it requires manual (靠人工的) pulling, especially when creating larger sand paintings. In addition, its inventors imagine future Beachbots to be able to erase their own masterpieces, paint entire shorelines and even be proficient snow artists.
篇章导读：本文是一篇说明文。主要介绍了一款可以在沙滩上作画的沙滩机器人。 1．What does the underlined word “one” in Paragraph 2 refer to? A．The outline. C．The line.
B．The robot. D．The rake.
答案：C 指代判断题。根据画线词前面的“enabling the robot to create the outline with multiple lines instead of a continuous”可知，one指的是前面提到的线条。
2．How does the Beachbot know what to draw?
A．By using an inbuilt laser scanner to receive a signal of painting. B．By arranging seven motors to design the painting patterns. C．By using a program to change images into paths. D．By depending on a man to guide it on the scene.
答案：C 细节理解题。结合第三段中的“because of the Beachbot's incredible “brain”， which has been programmed and turns images into paths that the robot can easily follow”可知，这个沙滩机器人由软件控制，能够把图案转变成路径从而进行作画。
3．What helps the Beachbot figure the boundaries to draw within? A．The four reflective poles. B．The inertial measurement unit. C．The automatic pressure control.
D．The three cushioned balloon－like wheels.
答案：A 细节理解题。根据第三段第二句“An inbuilt laser scanner allows the detection of the four reflective poles that act as limits of its sand paintings.”可知，这四个反射杆限制着它的作画范围。
4．Why isn't the Beachbot ready for production? A．It can't complete paintings in a short time. B．It can't create larger sand paintings. C．It can't draw a continuous line. D．It can't move all by itself now.
答案：D 推理判断题。从最后一段中的“which is still in the concept stage”及“because it requires manual (靠人工的) pulling”可知，这个沙滩机器人还不能独自作画，即它还需要人工帮助。
F
Here's a look at Bob Dylan's life through his legendary music. “Song to Woody” (1962)
It was released on his debut album Bob Dylan in 1962.Dylan expressed his respect for the legendary folk singer Woody Guthrie in this early classic.
“The Times They Are AChangin'” (1963)
It was released as the title track of his third album of the same name, which launched him as a major voice in the new folk scene and marked the beginning of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s.Critic Michael Gray called it “the archetypical protest song.”
“Ballad in Plain D” (1964)
Dylan details his fractious relationship with Suze Rotolo in this long track from his fourth album, Another Side of Bob Dylan.Dylan scholar Clinton Heylin called it “an exercise of painful autobiography.”
“Like a Rolling Stone” (1965)
Chosen by Rolling Stone as number one on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, it was from the Highway 61 Revisited album and transformed Dylan's image from a folk singer to a rock star.He wrote it after returning from an exhausting tour of England.He was thinking about quitting the music business, but he worked out his frustrations about the public's demanding expectations of him through this song.
“All Along the Watchtower” (1968)
After a nearfatal motorcycle accident in 1966, Dylan went into seclusion for almost a year.He emerged with one of his greatest artistic achievements with this track from the John Wesley Harding album.Many critics have seen this song as a summingup of Dylan's life and career.
“Gotta Serve Somebody” (1979)
In the late 1970s, Dylan underwent a conversion to bornagain Christianity, taking five months off touring to attend Bible school.This yearning plea for meaning expressed his new religion.It was part of his Slow Train Coming rockgospel album.
“Things Have Changed” (2000)
Written for the film Wonder Boys, this strange portrait of an aging star shuffling through show business won Dylan a Golden Globe and an Oscar. 语篇解读：本文是一篇应用文。让我们通过这些传奇音乐来寻觅鲍勃·迪伦的人生故事。
1．Which of the following reflects a more politicized Dylan? A．“Ballad in Plain D”． B．“Things Have Changed”． C．“All Along the Watchtower”． D．“The Times They Are AChangin'”．
解析：选D 细节理解题。根据“The Times They Are AChangin'” (1963)部分中的“marked the beginning of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s.Critic Michael Gray called it ‘the archetypical protest song.’”可知选D项。
2．Which includes a song that shows Dylan's relationship with Suze Rotolo? A．Bob Dylan. C．John Wesley Harding.
B．Slow Train Coming. D．Another Side of Bob Dylan.
解析：选D 细节理解题。根据“Ballad in Plain D” (1964)部分中的“Dylan details his fractious relationship with Suze Rotolo in this long track from his fourth album, Another Side of Bob Dylan.”可知选D项。
3．When did Dylan release a song that expresses his new religion? A．In 1965. C．In 1979.
B．In 1968. D．In 2000.
解析：选C 细节理解题。根据“Gotta Serve Somebody” (1979)部分中的“This yearning plea for meaning expressed his new religion.”可知选C项。
4．What can we learn from the text?
A．“Things Have Changed” describes an Oscar winning star. B．“Like a Rolling Stone” expresses Dylan's unhappiness. C．“Song to Woody” was released on Dylan's third album.
D．“All Along the Watchtower” was written to record Dylan's accident. 解析：选B 细节理解题。根据“Like a Rolling Stone” (1965)部分中的“he worked out his frustrations about the public's demanding expectations of him through this song”可知选B项。
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