专项39 阅读理解之说明文
＂英语说明文＂，顾名思义，就是一种以＂说明、解释＂为主要表达方式的英语文体。它是对客观事物的性状、特点、功能和用途等作科学解说的。它既不像故事那样重在情节的叙述和描写，也不像议论文那样，重在阐明主张和论点论据；更不像科幻作品那样富于想象和虚构夸张。说明文是通过解说事物、阐明事理，使人们增长知识和技能。说明文是高考英语阅读理解题中的重点内容之一。说明文具有与自己特点相适应的说明方法，因此说明文结构复杂，专业术语多，易于拉开考生分数档次，便于高校分层次选拔人才。然而对于考生来说说明文抽象度高，解题难度大。高考对说明文的考查多为科普知识，动植物特性、自然现象和新产品、新工艺介绍以及人文地理、风土人情等方面的说明文，文中解释性、定义性、说明性的句子居多。因此考生要掌握说明文的命题特点，叙述方式，以冷静的心态阅读原文，重点突破长句结构特点和逻辑关系，以便对其做出准确的语意理解。     
说明文阅读理解的特征
一般说来，英语说明文与其他文体一样，文章所涉及的内容不外乎以下几个方面，即who → what → when → where → how → why。     
1. who：问的是这篇文章的主体是谁？（即所要说明和描述的人或事物）     
2. what：问的是主体做了什么事情？（即主体表现出的特性、功能和用途）     
3. when和where：是在何时何地发生的？（即何时何地所表现出的特性、功能和用途）     
4. how：通过什么方式表现出来的？     
5. why：这种特性功能用途的原因是什么？     
做说明文阅读理解题的时候，一定要记住上面的wh-word。边阅读，边搜记，牢记要点，把握全文。
A
（2022·西藏·中考真题）
The Fuxing train has started running in southwest China’s Tibet along the Lhasa—Nyingchi Railway(拉萨—林芝铁路).
The 435-kilometer railway links Lhasa and Nyingchi. It is China’s first electrified(电气化的) railroad on the “Roof of the World”. It shortens the journey between Lhasa and Nyingchi from over five hours to about 3.5 hours.
The new railway covers an area of 226,000 square kilometers. It goes through 47 tunnels (隧道) and crosses 121 bridges. The train has a top speed of 160 kilometers per hour. It is the fastest train on the high land, but it’s a bit slower than some other Fuxing trains in our country because of the special environment. The railway not only makes local people’s life easier, but also brings more tourists to the area.
“The railway trip is so relaxing and fast. The new train has brought our family members closer than ever before,” said a teacher who lives in Nyingchi. She used to drive more than five hours from Nyingchi to Lhasa to visit her parents during the summer vacation.
Besides carrying passengers, the railway also provides good chances for farmers to sell local products to more places. It’s sure to put new energy into Tibet’s economic(经济的) development.
1．How many hours does the journey take between Lhasa and Nyingchi by Fuxing train?
A．About 5 hours.    B．About 4 hours.    C．About 3.5 hours.    D．About 1.5 hours.
2．What’s the top speed of Fuxing train from Lhasa to Nyingchi?
A．160 kilometers per hour.    B．121 kilometers per hour.
C．47 kilometers per hour.    D．160 meters per hour.
3．What does the underlined word “shortens” mean in Chinese?
A．克扣    B．下降    C．缩短    D．缺少
4．What’s special about the Lhasa—Nyingchi Railway?
A．It covers a large area.
B．It can carry passengers.
C．The train goes through lots of tunnels and bridges.
D．It’s China’s first electrified railway on the “Roof of the World”.
5．What can we learn from the passage?
A．The railway trip is not relaxing or fast.
B．The railway does not bring more tourists to the area.
C．The train goes through 121 tunnels and 47 bridges.
D．It’s a bit slower than some other Fuxing trains in our country.
【答案】1．C    2．A    3．C    4．D    5．D
【导语】本文是一篇说明文，介绍拉萨—林芝铁路的相关信息。
1．细节理解题。根据“It shortens the journey between Lhasa and Nyingchi from over five hours to about 3.5 hours.”可知，它将拉萨和林芝之间的路程从5个多小时缩短到约3.5小时。所以是3.5小时，故选C。
2．细节理解题。根据“The train has a top speed of 160 kilometers per hour.”可知，这列火车的最高时速为160公里。故选A。
3．词句猜测题。分析“It shortens the journey between Lhasa and Nyingchi from over five hours to about 3.5 hours.”可知，它将拉萨和林芝之间的路程从5个多小时缩短到约3.5小时。所以shortens的意思是“缩短”，故选C。
4．细节理解题。根据“It is China’s first electrified(电气化的) railroad on the ‘Roof of the World’.”可知，它是中国第一条在“世界屋脊”上的电气化铁路。故选D。
5．细节理解题。根据“It is the fastest train on the high land, but it’s a bit slower than some other Fuxing trains in our country because of the special environment.”可知，它是高原上最快的火车，但由于特殊的环境，它比我们国家的一些其他复兴列车要慢一些。故选D。
B
（2022·江苏南京·中考真题）
Sue and Jim were neighbours for five years but they were never interested in each other. Then one day, Sue saw Jim’s music collection. She noticed a rare punk rock CD that she also owned. At that moment, she realized that they both had the same interest in music and they started talking. Sue said, “I thought we had nothing in common (相同) until I saw his CD by the New York Dolls.” They are now married and living with each other.
Some psychologists (心理学家) think that your taste in music is related to (有联系的) your personality. As part of a test at the University of Texas, Austin, USA, volunteers created a CD of their favourite songs. The volunteers then listened to each other’s CDs and made gu
less is more英文理解
esses about the CD creator’s personality—outgoing, adventurous, happy, and so on. These strangers correctly guessed much more about each others’ personalities through their CDs than through their clothes or taste in films. For example, Sue and Jim love punk music, which means they have outgoing personalities.