《2026年江苏13大市中考名卷优选38套英语》

D
If you've ever watched a pet dog getting up from its bed and spreading out, with its front paws on the floor and its tail pointing up in the air, you'll know where the downward - facing dog pose gets its name. You'll have noticed that many other well - known yoga poses take their names from animals too. But just why is it that so many poses are based on animals, insects, and even birds?
To understand where these poses came from you have to think like an ancient yogi. The practice of yoga started many thousands of years ago. There were no cars, computers, high - rise buildings, or playgrounds, so instead people looked to the natural world for inspiration(灵感).
Dawattie Basdeo teaches yoga to children and young people. She explains, “Ancient yogis sat in nature and watched the world around them. They would have been watching the way that animals moved and thinking about copying those shapes. Yoga is about understanding how the world works and your place within it through movement and meditation(冥想).”
Young children are flexible (柔韧的). But as humans grow up, they spend more time sitting at desks or travelling in cars, and their flexibility decreases. Animals don't have this problem— in fact, they often depend on their bodies and their ability to move to survive.
Dawattie says, “Thinking about animal forms and shapes can make the different yoga poses easy to understand and remember. When you think of the way a dog spreads out, you can easily picture what a downward - facing dog pose might look like. ① A clear picture will come to your mind.”
Yoga is also a spiritual practice, where you think about improving your self - awareness as you move, hold positions, pay attention to your breathing, and meditate. ②
Some breathing exercises practised in yoga also take inspiration from nature, such as Bhramari Pranayama— or bee breathing— where the breath sounds like the buzzing of a bumblebee. ③
Along with taking inspiration from the living beings around them, the ancient yogis were also inspired by the landscapes of the natural world. ④ There are postures that mirror the calmness of a mountain or the strength and balance of a tall tree.
“Humans think of themselves as being at the top of the species ladder,” says Dawattie. “But we can gain so much from the other animals on the planet.”
34. What can we learn about yoga from the passage?
A. Yoga was first created for modern stress.
B. Yoga suits someone with good flexibility.

C. Yoga makes humans as strong as animals.
D. Yoga connects humans to the natural world.
35. The following sentence can be best placed at .
When you pose like a powerful lion, you might think about its strengths and characteristics.
A. ①
B. ②
C. ③
D. ④
36. Why is “mountain” pose mentioned in the passage?
A. To show yoga is about more than animals.
B. To teach how to stand like a mountain.
C. To prove yoga is just for nature lovers.
D. To explain what to do with the breathing.
37. How does the writer share information in the passage?
A. By giving facts and examples.
B. By listing historical events.
C. By sharing experiences and opinions.
D. By comparing different animals.

答案： 34.D 推理判断。据第二段第三句可知，瑜伽的灵感来源是自然世界，故可以推断瑜伽是将人与自然世界相联结。
35.A 句子还原。第五段第二句举例“下犬式”，故空处可举例“像狮子那样摆出姿势”，进一步说明模仿不同动物可帮助记忆和领会动作。
36.A 推理判断。根据倒数第二段可知，文中提到“山”这个姿势为了说明瑜伽动作不仅可以模仿动物，也可以从自然景观中获得灵感，说明瑜伽不止来自动物，还可来源于“山”“树”等自然景色。
37.A 推理判断。根据第一段引入瑜伽的起源、第二段给出事实、第三段引用老师的解释、第五段列举“下犬式”等具体例子可知，作者通过“给出事实并举例”进行阐述。