2014年全国统一高考英语试卷（新课标Ⅰ）第二部分阅读理解（共两节，满分60分）（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:HYPERLINKhttp://cambridgesciencefestival.orghttp://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.werethelargestbirdpopulationintheUS25.Theunderlinedword“undoing”probablyreferstothepigeons’ .A.escapeB.ruinC.liberationD.evolution26.Whatwasthemainreasonforpeopletokillpassengerpigeons? A.ToseekpleasureB.TosaveotherbirdsC.TomakemoneyD.Toprotectcrops27.WhatcanweinferaboutthelawpassedinMichigan? A.ItwasignoredbythepublicB.ItwasdeclaredtoolateC.ItwasunfairD.ItwasstrictCAtypicalliontamer（驯兽师）inpeople’smindisanentertainerholdingawhip（鞭）andachair.Thewhipgetsalloftheattention,butit’smostlyforshow.Inreality,it’sthechairthatdoestheimportantwork.Whenaliontamerholdsachairinfrontofthelion’sface,theliontriestofocusonallfourlegsofthechairatthesametime.Withitsfocusdivided,thelionbecomesconfusedandisunsureaboutwhattodonext.Whenfacedwithsomanyoptions,thelionchoosestofreezeandwaitinsteadofattackingthemanholdingthechair.Howoftendoyoufindyourselfinthesamepositionasthelion?Howoftendoyouhavesomethingyouwanttoachieve（e.g.loseweight,startabusiness,travelmore）---onlytoendupconfusedbyalloftheoptionsinfrontofyouandnevermakeprogress?Thisupsetsmetonoendbecausewhilealltheexpertsarebusydebatingaboutwhichoptionisbest,thepeoplewhowanttoimprovetheirlivesareleftconfusedbyalloftheconflictinginformation.Theendresultisthatwefeellikewecan’tfocusorthatwe’refocusedonthewrongthings,andsowetakelessaction,makelessprogress,andstaythesamewhenwecouldbeimproving.Itdoesn’thavetobethatway.Anytimeyoufindtheworldwavingachairinyourface,rememberthis:Allyouneedtodoisfocusononething.Youjustneedtogetstarted.Startingbeforeyoufeelreadyisoneofthehabitsofsuccessfulpeople.Ifyouhavesomewhereyouwanttogo,somethingyouwanttoaccomplish,someoneyouwanttobecome…takeimmediateaction.Ifyou’reclearaboutwhereyouwanttogo,therestoftheworldwilleitherhelpyougetthereorgetoutoftheway.28.Whydoesth