《2026年一本密卷高考英语》

C（2025·湖北武汉·高三检测）
On the surface, it may not appear that Dr. Dolittle and artificial intelligence（AI）have much in common. One belongs in 1900s children's literature, while the other is firmly rooted in the 21st century. One is a physician turned vet（兽医）who can talk to animals, and the other a computerized technology that cannot. But the dream of speaking with animals may not be so fantastical anymore.
AI has already given us the ability to bark instructions at robots—could its potential be extended to the animal kingdom? Could it help us understand the natural world and maybe one day allow us to "talk" to animals?
The first difficulty in "translating" animal communication is understanding what that communication looks like. Human language is made up of verbal（口头的）and non-verbal cues, and animal communication is no different. Dogs wag their tails, for example, to convey a range of emotions. However, there is some debate as to whether this can be considered a "language". According to Dr. Herzing, Research Director, Wild Dolphin Project, AI could help put it to bed.
"We currently don't know if animals have a language," Herzing said. "But AI can help us look for language-like structures which might suggest animals have parts of a language."
Scientists have been collecting sounds, calls and various animal vocalizations（发声）for decades. Research has shown that animal vocalizations carry many types of information from their identity to external objects. The hope is that AI models being developed can work like what ChatGPT does for human input, and turn those vocalizations into something more recognizable to humans.
With a better understanding of the animals around us, can we still justify practices that slaughter（屠宰）them? This could have far-reaching influences, including for the treatment of animals in entertainment, research and agriculture. From a human perspective, there is also a lot we could learn, not just about ourselves but about animals and, maybe, other life forms.
8. Why does the author mention Dr. Dolittle in Paragraph 1?
A. To present a classic figure.
B. To highlight literary-real gap.
C. To inspire animal talk fantasy.
D. To indicate tech realizes fairytale.
9. What does "put it to bed" underlined in Paragraph 3 refer to?
A. Solve the problem.
B. Suspend the research.
C. Continue the discussion.
D. Reconsider the definition.
10. What are AI models expected to do?
A. Interpret human language patterns.
B. Assess the general state of animals.
C. Make animal voices understandable.
D. Record major events in the natural world.
11. What will a better understanding of the animals lead to?
A. A new life form exploration.
B. The better animal welfare.
C. A deeper reflection on humans.
D. The advanced slaughter technology.

答案： 8.D 9.A 10.C 11.B