《2026年高中必刷题高二下英语人教版》

B
语篇类型：议论文
主题：《昔日盛世》书评
词数：312
难度：偏难
建议用时：8分钟
[湖南长沙郡中学2025高二月考]“Mathematical symbolism and metaphor (隐喻) are present in every kind of literature, from fairy tales to War and Peace,” says mathematician Sarah Hart. In Once Upon a Prime, she _lays bare_ some of this hidden maths and meaning in a host of poetry, novels and legends.
She starts with nursery rhymes, often full of counting—such as One, Two, Buckle My Shoe—showing how numbers go into our very first encounters with the world of words. This is not just through counting but also through the rhythms and rhyme patterns. It's also through trebling—where a word or phrase is repeated three times, such as “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”.
The number three is everywhere in common expressions—“Ready, Set, Go!” or “Learning your ABCs.” It's also central to story structure. Characters tend to come in threes, too, like The Three Little Pigs, and even in jokes.
Hart suggests this emphasis on three has some basis in geometry. Three is the smallest number of sticks that can make a triangle. Therefore, the number three is given “a sense of strength and completeness,” Hart writes.
For a book about maths and literature, it's not surprising that Hart focuses quite a bit on poetry, which is often defined by patterns of some sort. Perhaps more meaningful is her look at how maths also creates the structure of novels.
Some readers may wonder if Hart's love of maths simply leads her to find these patterns in literature. But the chances must be extremely high for the examples she presents to be mere chance.
Hart's simple breakdown of both maths and literature makes the book easy for anyone to follow, no matter their proficiency in either subject. Not everyone will finish the book and discover the mathematical treasures hidden in a book or poem. But that takes little away from the pleasure of reading it.
1. What does the underlined phrase “lays bare” mean in paragraph 1?
A. Picks.
B. Creates.
C. Uncovers.
D. Receives.
2. How does Sarah Hart support her opinions in her book?
A. By referring to a subject.
B. By drawing comparisons.
C. By providing examples.
D. By using experts' words.
3. What is a feature of Once Upon a Prime according to the text?
A. It highlights the charm of poetry.
B. It focuses on the origin of geometry.
C. It explains a difficult mathematical theory.
D. It reveals the mathematical impact on novels.
4. What can be a suitable title for the text?
A. A Glimpse Into Mathematics
B. The Hidden Maths in Literature
C. Strength and Completeness of Numbers
D. Mathematical Symbolism and Metaphor

答案： 1.C 词义猜测题。根据画线短语上文中的“‘Mathematical symbolism and metaphor are present in every kind of literature, from fairy tales to War and Peace,’ says mathematician Sarah Hart.”可知,莎拉·哈特认为文学作品中都存在着数学象征和隐喻,所以画线短语所在句是指莎拉·哈特在她的作品《昔日盛世》中揭示了诗歌、小说和传说中隐藏的数学元素和意义。画线短语lays bare有“揭露、揭示”之意,与C项意思相近。
2.C 推理判断题。根据第二段和第三段的内容可知,哈特的书中列举了具体的例子,如童谣“One, Two, Buckle My Shoe”,常见表达“Ready, Set, Go!”,以及童话故事The Three Little Pigs等,由此可知,哈特在书中通过举例子来支持她的观点。
3.D 细节理解题。根据第五段中的“Perhaps more meaningful is her look at how maths also creates the structure of novels.”可知,作者特别强调了《昔日盛世》这本书中一个更有意义的方面,即它探讨了数学如何构建了小说的结构,由此可知,这本书揭示了数学对小说的影响。故选D项。
4.B 主旨大意题。通读全文,结合第一段内容可知,本文主要介绍了数学家莎拉·哈特在她的著作《昔日盛世》中揭示了诗歌、小说和传说等文学作品中隐藏的数学元素和意义,所以B项(文学中隐藏的数学)最适合做本文的标题。