12014年普通高等学校招生全国统一考试(新课标I)英语第一部分：听力（1-20小题）（省略）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，并在题卡上将该项涂黑。ATheCambridgeScienceFestivalCuriosityChallengeDaretoTaketheCuriosityChallenge!TheCambridgeScienceFestival(CSF)ispleasedtoinformyouofthesixthannualCuriosityChallenge.Thechallengeinvites,evendaresschoolstudentsbetweentheagesof5and14tocreateartworkorapieceofwritingthatshowstheircuriosityhowitinspiresthemtoexploretheirworld.Studentsarebeingdaredtodrawapicture,writeanarticle,takeaphotoorwriteapoemthatshowswhattheyarecuriousabout.Toenterthechallenge,allartworkorpiecesofwritingshouldbesenttotheCambridgeScienceFestival,MITMuseum,265MassAvenue.StudentswhoentertheCuriosityChallengeandareselectedaswinnerswillbehonorataspecialceremonyduringtheCSFonSunday,April21st.Guestspeakerswillalsopresentprizestothestudents.Winningentrieswillbepublishedinabook.Studententrieswillexhibitedandprizeswillbegiven.Familiesofthosewhotakepartwillbeincludedincelebrationandbrunchwillbeserved.BetweenMarch10thandMarch15h,eachwinnerwillbegiventhespecificsoftheclosingceremonyandtheCuriosityChallengecelebration.Theprogramguidelinesandotherrelatedinformationareavailableat:http://cambridgesciencefestival.org.21.WhocantakepartintheCuriosityChallenge?A.Schoolstudents.B.Cambridgelocals.C.CSFwinners.D.MITartists.22.Whenwilltheprize-givingceremonybeheld?A.OnFebruary8th.B.OnMarch10th.C.OnMarch15thD.OnApril21st.23.Whattypeofwritingisthistext?A.Anexhibitionguide.B.Anartshowreview.C.Anannouncement.D.Anofficialreport.BPassengerpigeons(旅鸽)onceflewovermuchoftheUnitedStatesinunbelievablenumbers.Writtenaccountsfromthe18thand19thcenturiesdescribedflocks(群)solargethattheydarkenedtheskyforhours.Itwascalculatedthatwhenitspopulationreacheditshighestpoint,theyweremorethan3billionpassengerpigeons—anumberequalto24to40percentofthetotalbirdpopulationintheUnitedStates,makingitperhapsthemostabundantbirdintheworld.Evenaslateas1870whentheirnumbershadalreadybecomesmaller,aflockbelievedtobe1milewideand320miles(about515kilometers)longwasseennearCincinnati.Sadlytheabundanceofpassengerpigeonsmayhavebeentheirundoing.Wherethebirdsweremostabundant,peoplebelievedtherewasanever-lastingsupplyandkilledthembythethousands.Commercialhuntersattractedthemtosmallclearingswithgrain,waiteduntilpigeonshadsettledtofeed,thenthrew2largenetsoverthem,takinghundredsatatime.Thebirdswereshippedtolargecitiesandsoldinrestaurants.Bytheclosingdecadesofthe19thcentury,thehardwoodforestswherepassengerpigeonsnestedhadbeendamagedbyAmerican’sneedforwood,whichscattered(驱散)theflocksandforcedthebirdstogofarthernorth,wherecoldtemperaturesandstormscontributedtotheirdecline.Soonthegreatflocksweregone,nevertobeseenagain.In1897,thestateofMichiganpassedalawprohibitingthekillingofpassengerpigeonsbutbythen,nosizableflockshadbeenseeninthestatefor10years.ThelastconfirmedwildpigeonintheUnitedStateswasshotbyaboyinPikeCounty,Ohio,in1900.Foratime,afewbirdssurvivedunderhumancare.Thelastofthem,knownaffectionatelyasMartha,diedattheCincinnatiZoologicalGardenonSeptember1,1914.24.Inthe18thandearly19tehcenturies,passengerpigeons____.A.werethebiggestbirdintheworldB.livedmainlyinthesouthofAmericaC.didgreatharmtothenaturalenvironmentD.werethelargestbirdpopul...
