高考英語時(shí)文閱讀材料(十六)

英語高考時(shí)文閱讀材料（十六）編者：如今的英語高考、模擬考的閱讀材料（完形填空、閱讀理解、任務(wù)型閱讀）大都選自中國、歐美等主流媒體的最新時(shí)鮮文章，與最新人文科技、政治文化接軌。作為一名考生，在接觸閱讀世界最新潮流的同時(shí)也應(yīng)該積累素材，并培養(yǎng)相關(guān)英語文章的閱讀能力。下面摘取了最新的來自中國日?qǐng)?bào)網(wǎng)（CHINADAILY）的兩篇文章，并做了必要的批注，且于文章末尾增添了幾個(gè)小習(xí)題，可自行按照所附的參考答案檢測(cè)閱讀效果。Passage1為什么情人節(jié)要送巧克力？WhydowegivechocolateforValentine‘sDay?2020-02-14PhotobyJessicaJohnstononUnsplashIt'simpossibletonavigate（駕駛，路過）virtuallyanykindofretailstore（零售店）inFebruarywithoutseeingdisplaysofpinkandredchocolateboxesaroundeverycorner.ChocolatehasbecomeastandardValentine'sDaygift,rightuptherewithflowersandjewelry,butthetreatdidn'tdevelopitsromanticreputation（名聲）overnight.Ittookcenturiesofmyths,marketing,andtraditionstowritechocolateintoValentine'sDayhistory.ThefirstpeopletoconnectloveandchocolateweretheMayans（瑪雅人）.Theystartedbrewing（釀造）drinksmadefromcocoabeansaround500BC—centuriesbeforethefirstFeastofSt.Valentine.ThisearlyhotchocolatewasanimportantpartofMayanweddingrituals（儀式）.Thebrideandgroomwouldexchangesipsofthebeverage（飲料）duringtheceremony,foreshadowing（預(yù)示）chocolate'sfuturestatusasauniversalexpressionoflove.TheAztecs（阿茲特克人）hadalesswholesome（健康的，純潔的）viewoftheingredient（要素）.Accordingtolegend,theemperorMontezumaIIbingedhugequantitiesofcocoabeanstofuelhisromanticaffairs.Chocolatedoescontainsmallamountsoftryptophan（色氨酸）andphenylethylamine（苯基乙胺），twochemicalsassociatedwithfeelingsloveanddesire,butscientistssaythereisn'tenoughofeithersubstancetomakechocolateastrongaphrodisiac.aphrodisiac[辭fr‘dizi吧k]:n?春藥；催欲劑Storiesofchocolate'seffectsinthebedroompersisted（流傳）nonetheless,whichmightexplainwhycandy-sellersembracedthesweettreatswhenValentine'sDaybecamepopular.Cadburydebutedthefirstheart-shapedboxofchocolatesin1861,anditwasaninstantsuccess.Thepackagewasembellished（裝飾）withcupidsandrosestoappealtocustomersshoppingforValentine'sDaygifts.Andoncetheboxwasempty,itcouldbeusedtostorekeepsakeslikelovelettersandlocksofhair.盡管如此，巧克力對(duì)房事效果的傳說故事還是流傳了下來，這也許可以解釋為什么情人節(jié)興起時(shí)糖果商會(huì)賣這種甜食。1861年吉百利推出了首款心形盒裝巧克力，立刻大獲成功。這種心形盒子裝飾了愛神丘比特的圖案和玫瑰花來吸引采購情人節(jié)禮品的顧客。如果盒子里的巧克力吃光了，還可以用來裝情書和頭發(fā)等紀(jì)念品。keepsake['kirpseik]:n.紀(jì)念品

PhotobyFreeModelsAgencyonUnsplashCadburydidn'Cadburydidn'ppatent（申請(qǐng)專利）theheart-shapedchocolatebox,sotherestofthecandyindustrystartedmanufacturingsimilarpackagingoftheirwiththenewly-commercializedholiday.own.Itwasn'tlongbeforechocolatessyown.Itwasn'tlongbeforechocolatessybneocnaymmeous商業(yè)化）Valentine'sDaychocolatesareexchangedaroundtheworld,butthey'reattachedtointerestingtraditionsinsomecountries.Thankstoasuccessfumarketingcampaign,womeninJapanhavetogive"obligationchocolates"toallthementheyknowonFebruary14.Passage2調(diào)查發(fā)現(xiàn)：工作時(shí)聽古典音樂能提高效率Listeningtoclassicalmusicatworkboostsproductivity,studyfindsStudyFinds、Jandan2019-12-0209:13PhotobyAustinDistelonUnsplashThenexttimeyou'restrugglingtofinishupataskatwork,throwingonsomeBachorBeethovenmayworthatry.That'sthemainconclusionofanexperimentonBritishworkersthatfoundlisteningtoclassicalmusicatworkcanimproveproductivityby15%.Aninitialsurveyof2,000UKemployeesrevealed（顯示）thathalfregularlylistentomusiconthejob.Someofthoseemployees'bossesreportedlyencouragethepractice,butothersarestrictlyagainstit,believingithurtsworkperformance.So,BritishclassicalmusicstationScalaRadioandpsychologistDr.BeckySpelmansetouttodetermineifbackgroundmusichurtsorhindersworkplaceefficiency.Fourofficeworkerswereaskedtotranscribe（抄寫）two600-wordsetsofsonglyrics.Thefirstsetwastranscribedwithnomusicplaying,whiletheotherwascompletedwithclassicalmusicplayinginthebackground.Thefirsttask,completedinsilence,wascompletedinanaveragetimeof20minutesand59seconds.However,thesecondtranscriptionexercisethatinvolvedmusicwascompletedinanaveragetimeof17minutesand42seconds;adifferenceofthreeminutesand17seconds,or15%."Musichasaverypowerfulimpactonthebrain.Itaffectsmood,mentalperformanceandphysicalperformance,”saysDr.Spelmaninamediarelease.“Manypeoplefindthatlisteningtocertaintypesofinstrumentalmusiccanhelpthemwiththeirproductivitylevels.Themusiccanfunctionasasortof‘whitenoise',cancellingout(抵消)potentiallydistractingambientnoise.”ambient[8mbint]:adj.周圍的；夕卜界的；環(huán)繞的；產(chǎn)生輕松氛圍的ScalaRadio'sinitialresearchhadfoundthatmanyBritishworkersputheadphonesonfirstthingwhentheysitdownattheirdeskstohelpthemconcentrateorblockoutdistractions.Athirdofthoserespondentssaidtheyworkharderwhilelisteningtomusic,and40%thinktheygetmoreworkdone.Manyrespondentssaidtheylistentomusicsimplytoavoidsilence(10%),andmorethantwo-thirdsofrespondentswhoworkfromhomesaidtheywouldstruggletoconcentratewithoutmusicplayinginthebackground.Inall,47%ofthosepolledontheirworklisteninghabitssaidtheyfeellstressedwithbackgroundmusicplaying,whileoverathirdsaidtheirproductivityimproves."Providedthemusichasacalm,regularbeat,itcanactuallyhelpustostcalm,reducingourstress,slowingourheamtadadratiand（調(diào)節(jié)）ourpulsesaysDr.Spelman.“Thismakesiteasierforustofocusonthetaskathandratherthanenteringinto‘flightorfight'mode,inwhichibeverydifficulttothinkclearlybecauseofourelevatedlevelsofadrenaline（腎上腺素）andcortiso（皮質(zhì)醇）QuestionsTranslatetheunderlinedsentence.1It'simpossibletonavigate（駕駛，路過）virtuallyanykindofretailstore（零售店）inFebruarywithoutseeingdisplaysofpinkandred