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三硕士教育2014高考再创辉煌！12014年普通高等学校招生全国统一考试(新课标I)英语第I卷第二部分阅读理解（共两节，满分60分）第一节（共15小题；每小题3分，满分45分）阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。ATheCambridgeScienceFestivalCuriosityChallengeDaretoTaketheCuriosityChallenge!TheCambridgeScienceFestival(CSF)ispleasedtoinformyouofthesixthannualCuriosityChallenge.Thechallengeinvites,evendaresschoolstudentsbetweentheagesof5and14tocreateartworkorapieceofwritingthatshowstheircuriosityandhowitinspiresthemtoexploretheirworld.Studentsarebeingdaredtodrawapicture,writeanarticle,takeaphotoorwriteapoemthatshowswhattheyarecuriousabout.Toenterthechallenge,allartworkorpiecesofwritingshouldbesenttotheCambridgeScienceFestival,MITMuseum,265MassAvenue,Cambridge02139byFriday,February8th.StudentswhoentertheCuriosityChallengeandareselectedaswinnerswillbehonoredataspecialceremonyduringtheCSFonSunday,April21st.Guestspeakerswillalsopresentprizestothestudents.Winningentrieswillbepublishedinabook.Studententrieswillbeexhibitedandprizeswillbegiven.Familiesofthosewhotakepartwillbeincludedinthecelebrationandbrunchwillbeserved.BetweenMarch10thandMarch15th,eachwinnerwillbegiventhespecificsoftheclosingceremonyandtheCuriosityChallengecelebration.Theprogramguidelinesandotherrelatedinformationareavailableat:(旅鸽)onceflewovermuchoftheUnitedStatesinunbelievablenumbers.Writtenaccountsfromthe18thand19thcenturiesdescribedflocks(群)solargethattheydarkenedtheskyforhours.Itwascalculatedthatwhenitspopulationreacheditshighestpoint,thereweremorethan3billionpassengerpigeons–anumberequalto24to40percentofthetotalbirdpopulationintheUnitedStates,makingitperhapsthemostabundantbirdintheworld.Evenaslateas1870whentheirnumbershadalreadybecomesmaller,aflockbelievedtobe1milewideand320miles三硕士教育2014高考再创辉煌！2(about515kilometers)longwasseennearCincinnati.Sadly,theabundanceofpassengerpigeonsmayhavebeentheirundoing.Wherethebirdsweremostabundant,peoplebelievedtherewasanever-lastingsupplyandkilledthembythethousands.Commercialhuntersattractedthemtosmallclearingswithgrain,waiteduntilpigeonshadsettledtofeed,thenthrewlargenetsoverthem,takinghundredsatatime.Thebirdswereshippedtolargecitiesandsoldinrestaurants.Bytheclosingdecadesofthe19thcentury,thehardwoodforestswherepassengerpigeonsnestedhadbeendamagedbyAmericans’needforwood,whichscattered(驱散)theflocksandforcedthebirdstogofarthernorth,wherecoldtemperaturesandspringstormscontributedtotheirdecline.Soonthegreatflocksweregone,nevertobeseenagain.In1897,thestateofMichiganpassedalawprohibitingthekillingofpassengerpigeons,butbythen,nosizableflockshadbeenseeninthestatefor10years.ThelastconfirmedwildpigeonintheUnitedStateswasshotbyaboyinPikeCounty,Ohio,in1900.Foratime,afewbirdssurvivedunderhumancare.Thelastofthem,knownaffectionatelyasMartha,diedattheCincinnatiZoologicalGardenonSeptember1,1914.24.Inthe18thandearly19thcenturies,passengerpigeons_______.A.werethebiggestbirdintheworldB.livedmainlyinthesouthofAmericaC.didgreatharmtothenaturalenvironmentD.werethelargestbirdpopulationintheUS25.Theunderlinedword“undoing”probablyreferstothepigeons’______.A.escapeB.ruinC.liberationD.evolution26.Whatwasthemainreasonforpeopletokillpassengerpigeons?A.Toseekpleasure.B.Tosaveotherbirds.C.Tomakemoney.D.Toprotectcrops.27.WhatcanweinferaboutthelawpassedinMichigan?A.Itwasignoredbythepublic.B.Itwasdeclaredtoolate.C.Itwasunfair.D.Itwasstrict.CAtypicalliontamer(驯兽师)inpeople’smindisanentertainerholdingawhip(鞭)andachair.Thewhipgetsalloftheattention,butit’smostlyforshow.Inreality,it’sthechairthatdoestheimportantwork.Whenaliontamerholdsachairinfrontofthelion’sface,theliontriestofocusonallfourlegsofthechairatthesametime.Withitsfocusdivided,thelionbecomesconfusedandisunsureaboutwhattodonext.Whenfacedwithsomanyoptions,thelionchoosestofreezeandwaitinsteadofattackingthemanholdingthechair.Howoftendoyoufindyourselfinthesamepositionasthelion?Howoftendoyouhavesomethingyouwanttoachieve(e.g.loseweight,startabusiness,travelmore)----onlytoendupconfusedbyalloftheoptionsinfrontofyouandnevermakeprogress?Thisupsetsmetonoendbecausewhilealltheexpertsarebusydebatingaboutwhichoptionisbest,thepeoplewhowanttoimprovetheirlivesareleftconfusedbyalloftheconflictinginformation.Theendresultisthatwefeellikewecan’tfocusorthatwe’refocusedonthewrongthings,andsowetakelessaction,makelessprogress,andstaythesamewhenwecouldbeimproving.三硕士教育2014高考再创辉煌！3Itdoesn’thavetobethatway.Anytimeyoufindtheworldwavingachairinyourface,rememberthis:Allyouneedtodoisfocusononething.Youjustneedtogetstarted.Startingbeforeyoufeelreadyisoneofthehabitsofsuccessfulpeople.Ifyouhavesomewhereyouwanttogo,somethingyouwanttoaccomplish,someoneyouwanttobecome…takeimmediateaction.Ifyou’reclearaboutwhereyouwanttogo,therestoftheworldwilleitherhelpy