2014Ⅰ年全国统一高考英语试卷（新课标）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，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。ATheCambridgeScienceFestivalCuriosityChallengeDaretoTaketheCuriosityChallenge!TheCambridgeScienceFestival(CSF)ispleasedtoinformyouofthesixthannualCuriosityChallenge.Thechallengeinvites,evendaresschoolstudentsbetweentheagesof5and14tocreateartworkorapieceofwritingthatshowstheircuriosityandhowitinspiresthemtoexploretheirworld.Studentsarebeingdaredtodrawapicture,writeanarticle,takeaphotoorwriteapoemthatshowswhattheyarecuriousabout.Toenterthechallenge,allartworkorpiecesofwritingshouldbesenttotheCambridgeScienceFestival,MITMuseum,265MassAvenue.Cambridge02139byFriday,February8th.StudentswhoentertheCuriosityChallengeandareselectedaswinnerswillbehonoredataspecialceremonyduringtheCSFonSunday,April21st.Guestspeakerwillalsopresentprizestothestudents.Winningentrieswillbepublishedinabook.Studententrieswillbeexhibitandprizeswillbegiven.Familiesofthosewhotakepartwillbeincludedinthecelebrationandbrunchwillbeserved.BetweenMarch10thandMarch15th,eachwinnerwillbegiventhespecificsoftheclosingceremonyandtheCuriosityChallengecelebration.Theprogramguidelinesandotherrelatedinformationareavailableat:http://cambridgesciencefestival.org.21.WhocantakepartintheCuriosityChallenge?A.SchoolstudentsB.CambridgelocalsC.CSFwinnersD.MITartists22.Whenwilltheprize-givingceremonybeheld?A.OnFebruary8thB.OnMarch10thC.OnApril21stD.OnMarch15th23.Whattypeofwritingisthistext?A.Anexhibitionguide.B.Anartshowreview.C.Anannouncement.D.Anofficialreport.BPassengerpigeons（旅鸽）onceflewovermuchoftheUnitedStatesinunbelievablenumbers.Writtenaccountsfromthe18thand19thcenturiesdescribedflocks（群）solargethattheydarkenedtheskyforhours.Itwascalculatedthatwhenitspopulationreachitshighestpoint,thereweremorethan3billionpassengerpigeons–anumberequalto24to40percentofthetotalbirdpopulationintheUnitedStates,makingitperhapsthemostabundantbirdsintheworld.Evenaslateas1870whentheirnumbershadalreadybecomesmaller,aflockbelievedtobe1milewideand320miles(about515kilometers)longwasseennearCincinnati.Sadly,theabundanceofpassengerpigeonsmayhavebeentheirundoing.Wherethebirdswereabundant,peoplebelievedtherewasanever-lastingsupplyandkilledthembythethousands.Commercialhuntersattractedthemtosmallclearingswithgrain,waiteduntilpigeonshadsettledtofeed,thenthrewlargenetsoverthem,takinghundredsatatime.Thebirdswereshippedtolargecitiesandsoldinrestaurants.Bytheclosingdecadesofthe19thcentury,thehardwoodforestswherepassengerpigeonsnestedhadbeendamagedbyAmericans’needforwood,whichscattered（驱散）theflocksandforcedthebirdstogofarthernorth,wherecoldtemperaturesandspringstormscontributedtotheirdecline.Soonthegreatflocksweregone,nevertobeseenagain.In1897,thestateofMichiganpassedalawprohibitingthekillingofpassengerpigeons,butbythen,nosizableflockshadbeenseeninthestatefor10years.ThelastconfirmedwildpigeonintheUnitedStateswasshotbyaboyinPikeCounty,Ohio,in1900.Foratime,afewbirdssurvivedunderhumancare.Thelastofthem,knownaffectionatelyasMartha,diedattheCincinnatiZoologicalGardeninSeptember1,1914.24.Inthe18thandearly19thcenturies,passengerpigeons.A.werethebiggestbirdintheworldB.livedmainlyinthesouthofAmericaC.didgreatharmtothenaturalenvironmentD.werethelargestbirdpopu...