题文
Harvard researchers have created a tough, low-cost, biodegradable (可生物降解的) material inspired by insects' hard outer shells. The material's inventors say it has a number of possible uses and someday could provide a more environmentally friendly alternative to plastic. The material, made from shrimp ('虾) shells and proteins produced from silk, is called "shrilk." It is thin, clear, flexible and strong.
A major benefit of the material is its biodegradability. Plastic's toughness and flexibility represented a revolution in materials science during the 1950s and '60s. Decades later, however, plastic's very durability (耐用性) is raising questions about how appropriate it is for one-time products such as plastic bags, or short-lived consumer goods, used in the home for a few years and then cast into a landfill where they will degrade for centuries. What is the point of making something that lasts 1,000 years?
Shrilk not only will degrade in a landfill, but its basic components are used as fertilizer(肥料), and so will enrich the soil.
Shrilk has great potential, the inventors said. Materials from which it is made are plentiful in nature, found in everything ranging from shrimp shells, insect bodies to living plants. That makes shrilk low cost, and its mass production possible should it be used for products demanding a lot of material.
Work on shrilk is continuing in the lab. The inventors said the material becomes flexible when wet, so they're exploring ways to use it in wet environments. They're also developing simpler production processes, which could be used for non-medical products, like for computer cases and other products inside the home. They're even exploring combining it with other materials, like carbon fibers, to give it new properties.
小题1:Paragraph I of the passage is mainly about shritk's_____.A．remarkable designB．interesting nameC．major featuresD．basic elements小题2:What has become a concern about plastic?A．Using it properly.B．Producing it cheaply.C．Developing its properties quickly.D．evaluating its contributions fairly.小题3:According to the inventors, shrilk has great potential partly because_____.A．it can help plastic degradeB．it can be found in living thingsC．its mass production has been realizedD．its raw materials are abundant in mature小题4:What are the inventors doing in the lab?A．Replacing carbon fibers with shrilk.B．Testing ahrilk's use in wet conditions.C．Making shrilk out of used household goods.D．Improving shrilk's flexibility for medical purposes.小题5:Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?A．Recent Progress in Environmental ProtectionB．Benefits of Insects in Scientific ResearchC．The Harm of One-time ProductsD．A Possible Alternative to Plastic 题型：未知 难度：其他题型
答案
小题1:C
小题2:A
小题3:D
小题4:B
小题5:D
解析
这是一篇新闻报道，事物类说明文，讲述的主题是"shrilk."，哈佛大学的研究人员仿照昆虫外壳研制出了一种既坚硬又廉价的物质。这种物质由虾壳和蚕丝提取物制作而成，可降解，非常环保。小题1:段落大意题。第一段第一句介绍了shrilk的主要特征即tough, low-cost, biodegradable，而本句是本段的主题句。
小题2:细节考查题。由第二段的第二句Decades later, however, plastic’s very durability is raising questions about how appropriate it is for one-time products such as plastic bags, or short-lived consumer goods, used in home for a few years and then cast into a landfill where they will degrade for centuries.可知之。
小题3:细节考查题。由第四段的第二句可知之。
小题4:细节考查题。由第二段的第二句中的so they are exploring ways to use it in wet environment可知之。
小题5:主旨大意题。本文是新闻报道，主要介绍的是一种新环保材料shrilk。
考点
据考高分专家说，试题“Harvard researchers .....”主要考查你对 [政治经济类阅读 ]考点的理解。政治经济类阅读
政治经济类文章的概念：
要做好这类阅读，平时就要注意了解国内外发生的政治经济大事，掌握一定背景知识，对这类文章的叙述特点及内容安排有一定了解，还要扩展这方面的词汇。阅读这类文章，要抓住文章的核心，即文章整体和各段主要在说什么，也要注意段落之间的逻辑关系。
如何备考政治经济类阅读理解题：
【题型说明】政治经济类阅读文章是高考常选材料之一。该类文章时代气息浓郁，语言鲜活，但熟字新义词、超纲词及专业词语多，长句、难句多。政治类文章大多数是同学们感性趣的内容，读起来倒有似曾相识的感觉，经济类文章读起来就像是雾里看花，文章看完，一头雾水。再加之这类文章的命题侧重于词义猜测、推理判断和文章主旨，同学们对这类题材是望而生畏。
【备考策略】建立心理优势。针对不同体裁的文章，我们要采取相应的阅读方法和技巧。政治类文章多采用记叙文形式，我们可采取“顺读法”，以便抓关键语句，领会文章主旨；而经济类文章则多采用说明文形式，我们则可以采取“逆读法”，先读试题，再从文章中查找有用信息。若遇到的确难读的材料。千万不用着急，因为你觉得难，其他人也一定是同感。在高考前，我们就要有这种心理准备，高考试卷肯定有一、两篇难以阅读的材料。不过，我们平时可以有意识地从报刊杂志上找一些较难的阅读材料来阅读，以培养自己迎难而上的心理素质。
【答题方法】
1、寻找主干：
根据英语中五种基本句型结构，把句子中的主语、谓语、宾语、表语等主要成分找出来，其他成分如定语、状语、补语等则易于理解。找到了句子主干，句子的意思至少明白了一半。
2、剔除从句：
在一个长句中可能会出现若干个从句，在理解时，如果把各个从句剔除出来单独理解，然后把大意拼凑起来，整个长句的意思就会明白六、七分。
3、辨别分句：
一个长句如果是由几个并列、转折、递进、对比关系的分句组成，句中往往有表示这些分句关系的连接词，只要能弄清楚分句和分句之间的逻辑关系，再把各层分句的意思加以连贯，整个长句的句意基本上能跃然脑中。
4、寻找关键词：
如果一个句子看完，一点句意的感觉也没有，下下策就是抓住句中的关键词，通过关键词大体弄懂这个长句的意思。
