《2026年一本密卷高考英语》

Imagine a future where clean electric power is generated effortlessly from the atmosphere, anywhere and anytime. This concept, though old, is now gaining popularity with recent advancements that promise to turn it into reality.
Scientists have developed a novel device capable of extracting electricity from the humidity present in the air. While the amount of electricity generated initially is modest, it marks a significant proof of the concept. If set up in a large scale successfully, this technology could potentially obtain continuous, renewable power from the air, independent of weather conditions.
Scientists have been trying to plug into the vast power source of Earth's atmosphere for centuries. In his famous 1752 experiment, Benjamin Franklin used a kite to try and collect electricity from a cloud. Nikola Tesla, a 19th century Serbian American inventor, also tried to harness (利用) electricity from the skies. Jun Yao, an electrical engineer at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, explains that the atmosphere holds large electrical potential, sufficient to meet humanity's energy needs multiple times over. Thunderstorms vividly demonstrate this potential with their electrical discharges.
The innovation of Yao's team mimics (模仿) the dynamics of a miniature cloud. By impacting on the humidity in the air, their device creates an electric charge gradient (梯度) similar to that found in natural atmospheric phenomena. This gradient enables the extraction of electrons from water molecules, thereby generating electricity.
The journey towards this breakthrough began in 2020 when Yao's team initially experimented with bacteria capable of generating electricity from humidity. Transitioning away from microorganisms, they identified materials like silk and wood fibers that exhibit similar humidity - responsive properties. These materials, characterized by their micro structure, enable the movement of water and electron flow.
Despite current limitations in power output, which currently stops practical applications like charging a cell phone, Yao's team is focused on enhancing mass production and efficiency, foreseeing future applications in powering small medical devices or sensors. Looking ahead, advancements in humidity - to - electricity technology hold the potential to revolutionize renewable energy by promoting the unlimited power of the atmosphere, paving the way for sustainable energy solutions in the years to come.
1. What does the underlined word “modest” in Paragraph 2 mean?
A. Rich.
B. Limited.
C. Sufficient.
D. Unexpected.
2. Why does the author mention Franklin and Tesla?
A. To acknowledge their pioneering exploration.
B. To compare them with modern scientists.
C. To prove Yao's concept fully copied theirs.
D. To analyze their scientific experiments.
3. What can we learn about Yao's innovation?
A. It has been widely applied in outdoor environment.
B. It relies on bacteria to generate electricity from humidity.
C. It uses micro - structured materials fit for electron flow.
D. It is efficient enough to charge a cell phone currently.
4. What is the author's attitude toward extracting electricity from the humidity?
A. Doubtful.
B. Cautious.
C. Ambiguous.
D. Optimistic.

答案： 1. B 词义猜测题。由上文可知，科学家开发出一种新装置，能够从潮湿的空气中提取电能。画线词位于由While引导的让步状语从句中，整句句意为：尽管开始时发电量________，但它标志着一个重要的概念证明。再由后一句可知，如果这项技术大规模展开，必将潜能无限，由此可推出，这项技术还没有大规模展开，即产能有限。B项Limited符合题意。
2. A 写作意图题。由题干中的两个人物Franklin和Tesla可定位解题信息至第三段，由第三段首句“Scientists have been trying to plug into the vast power source of Earth’s atmosphere for centuries”可知，几个世纪以来，科学家们一直试图利用地球大气的巨大能源，接着下文谈到Franklin曾用风筝做过著名的电力实验，Tesla在19世纪也探索过类似的可能性，由此可以推出，作者介绍这两位先驱主要是承认他们为大气电能所进行的开创性的探索。故选A。A项中的关键词pioneering意为“先驱的”。
3. C 细节理解题。由第五段中的“...they identified materials like silk and wood fibers ... These materials, characterized by their micro structure, enable the movement of water and electron flow”可知，Yao的团队使用了像丝绸和木纤维这样的微结构材料，这些材料有助于水和电子的流动。C项中的“micro - structured materials”是原文中的“These materials, characterized by their micro structure”的同义转述。故选C。
[干扰项分析]
A项 文中没有提到Yao的团队的创新已经在户外环境中广泛应用，属“无中生有”。
B项 由第五段中的“Transitioning away from microorganisms，they identified materials like silk and wood fibers that exhibit similar humidity - responsive properties.”可知，团队最初使用微生物进行实验，但后来转向使用具有湿度敏感性的材料。
D项 由最后一段中的“Despite current limitations in power output，which currently stops practical applications like charging a cell phone”可知，目前的电能输出量还不够为手机充电，故排除。
4. D 观点态度题。由最后一段，尤其是其中的最后一句可知，未来湿度转化为电能技术的进步有可能通过释放大气的无限能量彻底改变可再生能源，为未来几年的可持续能源解决方案铺平道路。从而推出，作者对于这项技术的态度是积极乐观的。故选D。