《2026年高考领航卷英语》

D
It’s well-known that cutting calorie intake can lead to a longer life, an effect often credited to the weight loss and metabolic（新陈代谢的）changes caused by consuming less food. Now，one of the biggest studies of dietary restriction ever conducted in lab animals shakes the conventional wisdom about how dietary restriction boosts a long life. The study found that low-calorie diets or regular periods of fasting do cause weight loss and related metabolic shifts. But other biological indicators，including immune（有免疫力的）health, genetics and physiological resistance，seem to better explain the link between cutting calories and increased lifespans（寿命）.
Scientists have long known caloric restriction lengthens lifespans in lab animals, while some studies showed periodic fasting could have similar benefits. To learn more about how such diets work, the researchers monitored the health and life of 960 mice, each a genetically distinct individual drawn from a diverse population that mirrors the genetic variability found in humans. The mice were assigned to one of the three groups：calorie-limited dieting, periodic fasting, or unrestricted eating.
A 40% reduction in calorie produced the most significant long life boost, while periodic fasting and less severe calorie restriction also increased the average lifespan. Dieting mice exhibited favourable metabolic changes, including reductions in body fat and blood sugar levels. Contrary to expectations, those that lost the most weight on a calorie-restricted diet tended to die younger than those with less great and sudden weight loss. This suggests that processes beyond metabolic changes drive the body’s response to dietary restriction, like immune response and genetics.
The findings could reshape how scientists approach dietary restriction research in humans. A major clinical trial of a low-calorie diet in individuals found that helped reduce metabolic rates, a short-term effect thought to signal longer-term lifespan benefits. However, the mouse data suggest that while metabolic measurements might reflect healthspan — the years spent free from a long-term and difficult-to-cure disease — other elements are needed to say whether such anti-ageing strategies can truly extend life, which also points the way for researchers’ future work.
32. How does the author present the issue in paragraph 1？
A. By defining a new concept.
B. By challenging a popular belief.
C. By giving a specific example.
D. By drawing a scientific contrast.
33. Which aspect of the study does paragraph 2 focus on?
A. The key findings.
B. The sampling method.
C. The test preparations.
D. The experimental design.
34. What did researchers observe in calorie-restricted mice?
A. Mice gained weight after initial loss.
B. Genes barely affected the outcomes.
C. Dramatic weight loss led to earlier death.
D. Their blood sugar levels kept stable.
35. What does the author expect future research to do?
A. Integrate multiple biological factors.
B. Track long-term metabolic rates.
C. Develop safe anti-ageing strategies.
D. Test fasting conditions in humans.

答案： 32.B 【命题立意】考查推断的能力。
①明题意 作者在第一段是如何提出问题的？
A“通过定义一个新概念”；B“通过挑战一个普遍的看法”；C“通过提供一个具体的例子”；D“通过进行科学对比”。
②解题目 段落首句中的“cutting calorie intake... caused by consuming less food”是公众普遍接受的（或传统的）观点。接下来一句话“Now，one of the biggest studies... shakes the conventional wisdom”中的“shakes the conventional wisdom”表明一项大型研究挑战了这一普遍看法（popular belief），这是一种典型的“先引用普遍观点，再用新研究颠覆它”的行文策略。
✕错因分析 A项曲解原文，第一段提到了一个新发现，不等同于定义一个新概念；C项，客观陈述研究结果不属于举例子；D项中contrast侧重对比之后的差异，在本段中没有体现。
33.D 【命题立意】考查理解主旨要义的能力。
①明题意 第二段关注研究的哪个方面？
A“关键发现”；B“取样方法”；C“测试准备”；D“实验设计”。
②解题目 第二段说明了实验的样本对象和数量（960只老鼠），样本的多样性（each a genetically distinct individual... mirrors the genetic variability found in humans）和分组情况（三组：calorie-limited dieting，periodic fasting，unrestricted eating），这些都是实验设计（experimental design）的典型要素。
✕错因分析 A项是第三段的叙述重点；B项有涉及，但不是主要聚焦点；C项文中并未说明。
34.C 【命题立意】考查理解具体信息的能力。
①明题意 研究人员在限制热量摄入的老鼠身上观察到了什么？
A“老鼠的体重先降后升”；B“基因对结果的影响最大”；C“急剧的减重导致更早死亡”；D“它们的血糖水平保持稳定”。
②解题目 根据第三段的“those that lost the most weight... tended to die younger than those with less great and sudden weight loss”可知，减重最多的老鼠比减重不太显著的老鼠寿命更短，这表明体重急剧下降反而导致老鼠更早死亡。
✕错因分析 A项，文中只提到体重下降；B项，文中提到基因对寿命有很大影响；D项表述与第三段的“reductions in body fat and blood sugar levels”矛盾。
35.A 【命题立意】考查推断的能力。
①明题意 作者期望未来研究做什么？
A“整合多种生物因素”；B“追踪长期代谢率”；C“开发安全抗衰老策略”；D“测试人类的禁食条件”。
②解题目 最后一段提到“while metabolic measurements might reflect healthspan... whether such anti-ageing strategies can truly extend life，which also points the way for researchers’ future work”，表示新陈代谢测量虽然可能反映健康寿命，但这些抗衰老策略是否能真正延长寿命仍需其他因素来验证，这也为研究人员未来的工作指明了方向。再结合第一段中的“other biological indicators... seem to better explain the link between cutting calories and increased lifespans（寿命）”可知，这些信息都指向一个结论：未来研究应该综合考虑多种生物因素。
✕错因分析 B项，最后一段提到代谢率降低被认为是一种可预示长期寿命益处的短期效应，由此不能推断出要追踪长期代谢率；C项的关键词anti-ageing strategies虽然和未来研究方向相关，但文中提到的是判断策略是否真的有效；D项和最后一段首句相关，但不是对未来研究的期望。
【重点词汇】Para. 1：calorie intake 卡路里摄入 dietary restriction饮食限制 conventional wisdom大多数人的看法，普遍信念 Para. 3：contrary to expectations 出乎意料的是 Para. 4：reshape v. 改变，重塑 clinical trial 临床试验 extend v. 延长，使延期
【词缀变形】Para. 1：restrict v. 限制→restriction n. 限制→restricted adj. 的，受限制的→unrestricted adj. 不受限制的 period n. 周期→periodic adj. 间发性的，定期的→periodically adv. 定期地
【一词多义】1.fast 常用义：adj. 快速的 文章义：v. 节食，禁食（Para. 1） He fasted for one day for his health. 他为了健康禁食一天。
2.mirror 常用义：n. 镜子 文章义：v. 反映（Para. 2） The music of the time mirrored the feeling of optimism in the country. 这个时期的音乐反映出这个国家的乐观精神。
【难句分析】To learn more about how such diets work，the researchers monitored the health and life of 960 mice，each a genetically distinct individual {drawn from a diverse population mice的同位语（each... in humans）} 过去分词短语作后置定语，that mirrors the genetic variability（found in humans）}. （Para. 2） 包含that引导的定语从句：为了更多地了解此类饮食的作用机制，研究人员对960只老鼠的健康和寿命进行了监测，每只老鼠都是从一个能反映人类遗传变异性的多样化种群中挑选出的基因独特的个体。