2013届高考英语二轮专题总复习精选综合能力专练：阅读理解17LONDON(Reuters)—Quietplease—Britain’sQueenElizabethispreparingtohaveherswanscounted.BuckinghamPalacehasannouncedthattheannualSwanUpping,atraditiondatingbacktothe12thcenturywhichinvolvesacensusoftheswanpopulationontheRiverThames,willbeconductedbytheQueen’sofficialSwanMarkerfromJuly2024.“WiththeassistanceoftheQueen’sSwanWarden,ProfessorChristopherPerrinsoftheUniversityofOxford,theswansandyoungcygnets(小天鹅)arealsoassessedforanysignsofinjuryordisease，”BuckinghamPalacesaidinannouncingthecount.TheprocessinvolvestheSwanMarker,DavidBarber,rowinguptheThamesforfivedayswiththeSwanWardenintraditionalskiffswhilewearingspecialscarletuniformsandcounting,weighingandmeasuringswansandcygnets.Itmayseemeccentric,butitisveryimportanttotheQueen,Accordingtocustom,Britain’ssovereignownsallunmarked,muteswansinopenwater,buttheQueennowexercisestherightonlyonstretchesoftheThamesanditsnearbytributaries.Inmedievaltimes,theSwanMarkerwouldnotonlytraveluptherivercountingtheswans,butwouldcatchasmanyaspossibleastheyweresoughtafterforbanquetsandfeasts.Thisyear,theSwanMarkerandtheSwanWardenareparticularlykeentodiscoverhowmuchdamageisbeingcausedtoswansandcygnetsbyattacksfromdogsandfromdiscardedfishingtackle(渔具)．ItisalsoanimportantyearbecauseQueenElizabethhasdecidedtojoinherteamofSwanUppersforpartofthecensus.Shewillfollowthemuptheriverandvisitalocalschoolprojectonthewholesubjectofswans,cygnetsandtheThames.“EducationandconservationareessentialtotheroleofSwanUppingandtheinvolvementofschoolchildrenisalwaysarewardingexperience，”BuckinghamPalacesaid.[语篇解读]泰晤士河上每年都要举行一个重要的活动：数天鹅。英国皇室的这一传统已经延续了好几个世纪。1.Inmedievaltimes，________.A.swanswerebetterprotectedthannowB.alotofswanswerekilledbydogsC.swanswereadeliciousdishonroyalbanquetsD.commonpeoplecouldcatchtheswans[解析]细节理解题。从文章倒数第四段可知，在中世纪天鹅被捉住，然后成为皇家宴会上的美味。[答案]C2．Wecaninferfromthepassagethattheprocessofcountingtheswans________.A.remainsalmostunchangedinthepastyearsB.involvesalotofroyalmembersC.sometimeslastslongerthanbeforeD.isalwaysguardedbyspecialsoldiers[解析]推理判断题。从文章第四段对数天鹅过程的描述以及参与清点的官员的穿着打扮可知，其过程几乎没有变化，因为这是一项传统活动。[答案]A3．Thisyear,theSwanMarkerandtheSwanWardenmainlywanttofindout________.A.theexactnumberofswansandcygnetsB.howalocalschoolprojectisgoingonC.howmuchdamagetheswansandcygnetssufferD.howeducationandconservationarecarriedoutalongtheThames[解析]细节理解题。从文章倒数第三段内容可知答案为C。[答案]C4．Whichofthefollowingisthemainideaofthepassage?A.Britain’sQueenisconcernedaboutswans.B.Britain’sQueenordersacountofswans.C.AnoldtraditioninBuckinghamPalace.D.QueenElizabethwillcountswansherself.1[解析]主旨大意题。文章第一段是本文的主题段，英国女王下令清点泰晤士河上的天鹅的数量。[答案]B5．Theunderlinedword“tributaries”canbebestreplacedby________.A.districtsB.banksC.treesD.branches[解析]词义理解题。根据语境和常识可知，此处是指在泰晤士河及其支流上生活的天鹅。故答案为D。[答案]D[长难句解读]Inmedievaltimes,theSwanMarkerwouldnotonlytraveluptherivercountingtheswans,butwouldcatchasmanyaspossibleastheyweresoughtafterforbanquetsandfeasts.在中世纪，负责清点天鹅的人不仅沿河清点天鹅的数量，还会尽可能多地捕捉一些，因为天鹅当时是宴会桌上的美餐。本句...
