高考英语阅读理解(科普环保)试题(有答案和解析)含解析.doc

高考英语阅读理解(科普环保)试题(有答案和解析)含解析

一、高中英语阅读理解科普环保类
1．犇犇阅读理解
Babieshaveanastonishingtalentthatadultsentirelylose.Bytheageofone,theycanrecognisethesignificantnoisesaroundthemandgroupthemintoalanguage.Whenwehavelostthiscapacityasadults,itbecomesenormouslydifficulttodistinguishbetweensoundsthatareglaringlydifferenttoanativespeaker.ItallsoundsGreektous.Thisisbecausetherangeofpossiblesoundsthathumansusetoconveymeaningmaybeashighas2,000,butfewlanguagesusemorethan100andeventhenthesignificantnoises－thephonemes(音素)ofalanguage－eachcoverarangeofsoundsandsovaguedistinctionswhichwouldchangethemeaningofawordinotherlanguages.
Butwheredothesephonemescomefromandwhydotheyshiftovertime?Newresearchsuggeststhattheapparentlyarbitrarydistributionofsomesoundsaroundtheworldmaybepartiallyexplainedbydiet.Thisisunexpected.We'dratherthinkoflanguageasproductofourthoughtratherthanofthearrangementofourteeth.Inreality,though,anygivenlanguagemustbeboth.
Huntergathererlanguagesveryseldomusethesoundsknownaslabiodentals(唇齿音)－thosesuchasfandv－thataremadebytouchingthelowerlipwiththeupperteeth.OnlytwoofthehundredsofAustralianaboriginallanguagesusethem,forexample.Butinculturesthathavediscoveredfarming,theseconsonants(辅音)aremuchmorecommon.Theargumentgoesthatfarmerseatmorecookedfoodandmoredairythanhuntergatherers.Eitherway,theyneedtochewmushless,andtobitelesswiththeirfrontteeth.Sofarmersgrewupwithsmallerlowerjawsandmoreofanoverbitethantheirancestorswhohadtobitethroughharderfoods.Itbecameeasierforthemtomakethelabiodentalconsonantsinsteadofpurelylabial(唇音)ones:oneexampleisthatfcometotaketheplaceofp.Romanssaid"pater"butEnglishspeakers(unlessthey'reRees－Moggs)say"father".
Beyondtheseparticularchanges,thestoryhighlightsthewayinwhicheverythingdistinctivelyhumanisbothmaterialandspiritual:speechmustcombinesoundandmeaning,andthemeaningcan'texistorbetransmittedwithoutarealobject.Butneithercanitbereducedtothepurelyphysical,asourinabilitytounderstandoreventorecogniseforeignlanguagesmakesclear.Thefoodweeatshapesourjaws,andourja