四、阅读理解
People use sailboats mostly for pleasure, but ancient seafaring people depended
on the wind in their sails to carry them all over the world.
Hot air is lighter than cold air. If you put hot air in a balloon, it rises—and
that's how hot-air balloonists float high in the sky. Birds like eagles and hawks fly
high above the ground, too. They spread their great wings to catch warm air currents
and rise in lazy circles above us. Airplanes called gliders are lifted high in the air in
much the same way.
The seaside is a perfect place for flying kites, because the wind almost never
stops blowing. The sand on the beach warms up faster than the ocean does. As the
warm air over the land rises, cool winds blow in from the sea. The beach is a good
place to try hang-gliding(悬挂式滑翔运动), too—which is about as close to being a
human kite as you can get!
Everyone has seen trees waving in the wind. But the wind isn't just spreading
leaves for you to collect as it passes through. It's also helping the trees—and bushes
and grasses and flowers—spread their seeds. Wind carries all kinds of seeds to new
places, where they can take root and grow. Maple seeds, and dandelions, are just a
few of the plants that rely on the wind to help them spread their seeds.
All around us the wind is at work.
It brings changes in the weather. It carries birds, airplanes, boats and seeds to all
over the world. And sometimes, the wind just helps people have fun! With the wind in
your sail, you can go almost anywhere—on water, on ice, on land, and in the air.
The wind touches us all every day of our lives. Everywhere you look, things are
blowing in the wind!
()1. How is a glider lifted high in the air?
A. It carries hot air in its wings.
B. It makes use of warm air currents.
C. It is drawn up by hot-air balloons.
D. It has wings like those of birds.
()2. How does the wind help most plants?
A. By making them move back and forth.
B. By blowing their leaves here and there.
C. By helping them take root and grow.
D. By spreading their seeds to new places.
()3. What's the main idea of the passage?
A. The wind is at work all around us.
B. The wind can be used to make electricity.
C. The wind is useless in our daily life.
D. We can go anywhere with the help of wind.
()4. In which column of a magazine can you probably find the passage above?
A. History. B. Culture. C. Nature. D. Medicine.

四、1.B 2.D 3.A 4.C

【分析】
这是一篇英语阅读理解题，需结合原文内容逐一分析各小题。解题思路为：针对细节理解题，定位原文对应段落，匹配选项；针对主旨大意题，查找文章核心句；针对推理判断题，结合文章主题判断所属专栏。
【解析】
1. 细节理解题：定位原文第二段，提到鹰等利用暖气流上升，而滑翔机（glider）升空原理与鹰相同，对应选项B，故答案为B。
2. 细节理解题：定位原文第四段，明确说明风帮助植物将种子传播到新地方生根生长，对应选项D，故答案为D。
3. 主旨大意题：文章多次围绕“风在我们周围发挥作用”展开，核心句为“All around us the wind is at work”，对应选项A，故答案为A。
4. 推理判断题：文章主要介绍风在自然中的各种作用，属于自然科学范畴，应在杂志的Nature专栏，对应选项C，故答案为C。
【答案】
1.B 2.D 3.A 4.C
【知识点】
英语阅读理解，细节查找，主旨归纳
【点评】
本文是关于风的作用的英语阅读材料，题目以细节理解和主旨归纳为主，难度适中，需学生准确抓取原文关键信息，理解文章核心内容。
【难度系数】
0.6