Unit2ExploringEnglishⅠ.閱讀理解Itwasn’tuntilafterIgraduatedfromcollege,andrealizedthatthere’snosuchthingasall-encompassing(包羅萬象的)knowledge,thatIwasabletoreadforpleasure.AsenseofcuriositydirectedmeandIstartedtoseedictionariesasfieldguidestothelifeoflanguage.LookingupwordsfeltlesslikeafailingthananadmissionthattherearelotsofthingsIdon’tknowandanopportunitytodiscoverjusthowmany.Iprizemy1954copyofWebster’sNewInternationalDictionary,SecondEdition.Ioftenconsultit,duringeveninggamesofScrabbleormiddaymagazinereading.WhenIcomeacrossunfamiliarwordswhilereadingnovels,Ilookthemup.WhenIstartencounteringthesewordselsewhere,thelinguistic(語言的)universeseemstoshrinktothesizeofasmalltown.Dictionariesheightenmysenses:Theydirectmyattentionintoaconversationwithlanguage.TheymakemewonderwhatotherthingsI’mblindtobecauseIhaven’ttaughtmyselftonoticethemyet.Recentlyspottedexamplesinclude“orrery”—amechanicalmodel,usuallyclockwork,devisedtorepresentthemotionsofthemoonandEarth(andsometimesalsootherplanets)aroundthesun.TheOxfordEnglishDictionary(OED)alsotellsmethatthewordcomesfromthefourthEarlofOrrery,forwhomacopyofthefirstmachinewasmade,around1700.Useful?Obviouslynot.Satisfying?Deeply.Webbrowsersanswerquestionswithmorequestions,openinguppagesyouneveraskedfor.Butadictionarybuildsoncommonknowledge,usingsimplewordstoexplaincomplexones.UsingonefeelsasifI’mpryingopenanoyster(蠔)ratherthanfallingdownarabbithole.Whyleavesolvablemysteriesuptoguesswork?

Forme,dictionariesareadoorintothatkindofuncalculatedknowledge-seeking.TheyremindmethatfollowingyourcuriosityinsteadofbrushingitasideisoneofthebestwaysIknowtofeelconnectedtomorethanwhat’srightinfrontofyou.1.Whatcanweknowabouttheauthor?A.Hemerelyreadforfunbeforegraduation.B.Helongedtolearnaboutallknowledge.C.Heconsidereddictionarieschancesofenrichment.D.Headmittedbeingafailurewhenlearninglanguages.2.Whydoestheauthormentiontheexampleof“orrery”inparagraph3?A.Tointroduceaword.B.Toindicateafinding.C.Toclarifyaconcept.D.Tosupportastatement.3.Whatdoestheunderlinedpartinparagraph4referto?A.Encounteringnewproblems.B.Enteringadifferentworld.C.Acquiringessentialcommonsense.D.Simplifyingtoughquestions.4.Accordingtothepassage,whichofthefollowingcanbestdescribedictionaries?A.Jaw-dropping. B.Eye-opening.C.Mind-numbing. D.Labour-saving.Languagegivesusthepowertodescribecountlessactions,propertiesandrelationsthatcomposeourexperiences,realorimagined.Asforhowlanguageswerecreated,scientistsfoundiconicitymightplayakeyrole.Peoplecan’tbridgethelanguagegapandunderstandeachotherwithouticonicity.Whenplayingagameofcharades(打啞謎猜字游戲),weactoutourmeaning,usingourhandsandbodiestodescribethesizesandshapesofobjects.Thekeytothisprocessofformingnewsymbolsistheuseoficonicity.Notlimitedtogesturing,iconicityappearsinourvisualcommunicationtoo.Trafficsigns,foodpackaging,maps...wherevertherearepeoplecommunicating,youwillfindiconicity.Accordingtoourresearch,iconicitymightalsoexistinourvoices.Weorganizedacontestinwhichweinvitedcontestantstorecordasetofsoundstoexpressdifferentmeanings.Thewinnerofthecontestwasdeterminedbyhowwelllistenerscouldguesstheintendedmeaningsofthesoundsbasedonasetofwrittenoptions.Critically,thesoundsthatcontestantssubmittedcouldn’tincludeactualwordsoronomatopoeicwords(擬聲詞).Listenerswereremarkablygoodatinterpretingthemeaningsofthesounds.Yet,allofthecontestantsandlistenerswerespeakersofEnglish.Thus,itwaspossiblethatlisteners’successreliedonsomeculturalknowledgethattheysharedwiththespeakers.Didthelistenersalsounderstandthespeakersfromcompletelydifferentculturalbackgrounds?Later,anInternetsurveytranslatedinto25differentlanguageswascarriedout.ParticipantslistenedtoeachsoundfromtheEnglishspeakersandguessedthemeaningbychoosingfromsixwrittenwords.Guessingaccuracyforthedifferentgroupsrangedfrom74percentforEnglishspeakersto34percentforPortuguesespeakers.Itisfarfromperfect,butwellabovethechancerateofeightpercentexpectedbyus.Takentogether,thesestudiesshowthatourcapacityforiconiccommunicationhasplayedacriticalrole.Withoutthisspecialtalent,languagewouldlikelyneverhavegottenofftheground.5.Whichofthefollowingcanexplain“iconicity”?A.Askillinforeignlanguagelearning.B.Theprocessofactingoutourmeanings.C.Theconnectionbetweenformandmeaning.D.Abarrierbetweendifferentlanguagespeakers.6.Whatcanweknowaboutthecontest?A.Itrequiredsoundscontainingmeanings.B.Itswinnerswerecreativeinrecordings.C.Itaimedtoproveiconicityinwords.D.Itsentrieswerefamiliartolisteners.7.WhatcanbeinferredfromParagraph4?A.Englishpronunciationsdiffer.B.Theresearchhasalimitation.C.Theculturalgapisnarrowing.D.Listeningskillsvaryincultures.8.Whatisthesignificanceoftheresearch?A.Clarifyingtheinfluenceofsounds.B.Provingthenecessityofexchanges.C.Uncoveringtheoriginoflanguages.D.Identifyingthefunctionofgestures.Ⅱ.完形填空(2025·濰坊高三二模)Ihadneverpickedupacamerabeforemyfreshmanyearin2012,whenmyjourneytoanartistbegan.Forfouryears,I1G-StarSchoolofTheArts,wheremy2forphotographyandfilmmakingwereawaken.

Havingseenmyfirstshortfilm,myteachercameover,saying,“Yougotagood3.Whynotconsiderdoingthisasyourprofession?Ithinkyou’vegota4init.”Then,itclicked.I,therefore,5mybankaccountandboughtmyfirstcamera.

Sincethen,Iwasamazedbythe6theworldhastooffer.Ihaveto7,though:I,shyandchicken-hearted,tendedtocapturenature-relatedscenes,8anythingtodowithpeople.

AsIwas9myway,Istartedphotographingmyself,theonlyoneIfelt10with.Thecamerasoonbecamemystrongest11,servingasthetoolforhowIexpressedmyself.Gradually,Igainedenough12tostarttakingphotosofotherpeople,greatlytouchedbyhowIwasableto13thebestinthemthroughthelens(鏡頭).

Eachyear,IwouldlookbackonalloftheshotsIdidthatyearandwould14themtothefirstoneIevertookinmycareer.Althoughtheprogressseemedsubstantial,Irealizedthekeytogrowthasanartististoneverbe15.Thisallowsmetocreateprogressivelybetterworkyearafteryear.

1.A.designed B.attendedC.assessed D.arranged2.A.duties B.requestsC.passions D.needs3.A.heart B.handC.eye D.nerve4.A.future B.memoryC.schedule D.certificate5.A.opened B.closedC.monitored D.emptied6.A.beauty B.soundC.lesson D.chance7.A.admit B.judgeC.conclude D.negotiate8.A.envying B.avoidingC.prioritizing D.recording9.A.winding B.losingC.shooting D.clearing10.A.familiar B.comfortableC.generous D.patient11.A.resolve B.voiceC.shoulder D.vision12.A.knowledge B.integrityC.confidence D.insight13.A.bringout B.commentonC.callfor D.takeover14.A.refer B.relateC.apply D.compare15.A.self-conscious B.self-reliantC.self-centered D.self-contentⅢ.語法填空(2025·八省聯(lián)考)In2010,theUNDepartmentofGlobalCommunicationsinstitutedlanguagedaysforeachoftheorganization’ssixofficiallanguages.Thegoalwastwo-fold:1.(celebrate)culturaldiversityaswellastopromotetheequaluseofallsix2.(tongue).

Languageisthecarrierofcommunication,thebridgeofinteractionbetweennations,3._______thebondofunderstandingamongcivilizations.Atthesametime,alanguageanditsindividual4._______(write)formsmakeupthe“soul”ofanation’sculturaltradition.Everylanguageisworthyofrespectandshould5.(treat)equally.

TheUNChineseLangungeDaynotonlyprovidesauniqueplatform6.theworldtobetterunderstandChina,butalso7.(promote)languageandculturalexchangesintheworld.

Today,morethan70countrieshaveincludedtheChineselanguageintheireducationsystems.Chineseplaysanincreasinglyimportantrolein8.(improve)communicationandcooperationbetweenChinaand9.restoftheworld.AsmoreandmoreforeignersstarttostudytheChineselanguageandexperienceChineseculture,theworldwillhaveabetterunderstandingofChinaanditsrichhistory,itshard-workingpeople,itsdevelopmentthrough10.(innovate)anditsinclusiveness.China,onitspart,willalsoembrace(擁抱)theworldwithgreateropennessandmakenewcontributionsto