《2026年高中必刷题高中英语必修第三册外研版》

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语篇类型:议论文 主题:火山灰是否有危害 词数:287 难度:中 建议用时:7分钟
[湖南长沙一中 2025 高一期末]Europeans should try to stay indoors if ash from Iceland's volcano starts settling, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned Friday as small amounts of ash fell in Iceland, Scotland and Norway. WHO's spokesman said the microscopic ash is potentially dangerous for people when it starts to reach the Earth because inhaled particles (微粒) can enter the lungs and cause respiratory (呼吸的) problems. And the spokesman also said Europeans who go outside might want to consider wearing a mask.
Other experts, however, weren't convinced the volcanic ash would have a major effect on people's health and said WHO's warnings were hysterical. They said volcanic ash was much less dangerous than cigarette smoke or pollution. During a volcanic eruption, the ash can be breathed deep into the lungs and cause irritation even in healthy people. But once it falls from a greater distance—like from the cloud currently hovering above Europe—its effects on health are often minimal, experts say.
“Not all particles are created equal,” said Ken Donaldson, a professor of Respiratory Toxicology at The University of Edinburgh. “In the grand scheme of things, volcanic ash is not all that harmful.” And he said most Europeans' exposure to volcanic ash would be negligible and that only those in the nearby districts of the Icelandic volcano would likely be at risk.
Dr. Stephen Spiro, a professor of Respiratory Medicine and former vice chair of the British Lung Foundation, said the further the particles travel, the less dangerous they will be. “The cloud has already passed over northern Scotland and we haven't heard of any ill effects there,” he said. Spiro said wearing masks or staying indoors to avoid volcanic ash was “over the top” and “a bit exaggerated”.
1. What can we learn from paragraph 2?
A. The volcanic ash had no impact on Europeans.
B. Other experts highly approved of WHO's warnings.
C. The volcanic ash posed more risks than cigarette smoke.
D. Even healthy people would experience discomfort due to the ash.
2. According to Ken Donaldson, who are most likely to be at risk due to the volcanic ash?
A. Europeans living in big cities.
B. People who often smoke cigarettes.
C. Those staying outdoors for a long time.
D. People in the nearby districts of the Icelandic volcano.
3. What does the underlined word “exaggerated” in paragraph 4 most probably mean?
A. Amazing.
B. Expanded.
C. Valuable.
D. Overstated.
4. What is the text mainly about?
A. Panic caused by volcanic ash.
B. WHO's warnings about volcanic ash.
C. Views on volcanic ash's health risks.
D. Volcanic ash's environmental effects.

答案： 1.D 细节理解题。根据第二段中的“During a volcanic eruption, the ash can be breathed deep into the lungs and cause irritation even in healthy people.”可知，火山灰可被深度吸入肺部，使得健康人群也会感到不适。故选D项。
干扰项解读 第三段提到 most Europeans’ exposure to volcanic ash would be negligible,即大多数欧洲人对火山灰的接触量少到可忽略不计，但并非“无影响”，且题目问的是第二段中的信息，排除A项；第二段首句“Other experts… said WHO’s warnings were hysterical.”明确指出其他专家认为世界卫生组织的警告夸张，并非高度认可这些警告，排除B项；第二段中的 volcanic ash was much less dangerous than cigarette smoke 明确说明火山灰的危害远低于香烟，排除C项。
2.D 细节理解题。根据第三段中的“And he said most Europeans’ exposure to volcanic ash would be negligible and that only those in the nearby districts of the Icelandic volcano would likely be at risk.”可知，只有冰岛火山附近地区的人可能会面临风险。故选D项。
3.D 词义猜测题。根据第二段中的“Other experts，however，weren’t convinced the volcanic ash would have a major effect on people’s health and said WHO’s warnings were hysterical.”以及本段内容尤其是画线词前的“over the top”可知，画线词应符合前文其他专家不认同火山灰对人体有巨大危害的说法，即世界卫生组织的警告有些夸张。故选D项。
巧贴士：结合上下文语境可直接确定词汇含义。
4.C 主旨大意题。文章围绕“火山灰对健康的风险”展开，第一段介绍世界卫生组织警告火山灰可能引发呼吸问题；第二至四段呈现其他专家的观点，认为火山灰对多数欧洲人的健康影响微小，世界卫生组织的警告有些夸张。由此可推知，全文聚焦关于火山灰的健康风险的不同观点。故选C项。