四、阅读理解
An old saying used for predicting the weather says, “Red sky at night, sailors' (水手) delight (高兴). Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning (警告).” Is the saying true? It turns out that it is. A red sky at sunset may mean that there are clear skies to the west, where the sun sets. A red sky at sunrise usually means that the clear weather has already passed, so storms might be coming.
Forecasting(预报) the weather has been practised for thousands of years. In the 5th century B.C., the Greeks sent out forecasts to sailors. They used signs in nature to forecast the weather. But today, meteorologists send detailed forecasts further in advance (提前). They use scientific skills to study weather conditions around the world and make forecasts. Pilots (飞行员), farmers and many other people depend on these forecasts. Luckily, now most of us can simply check on the smartphone or turn on the TV to find out what kind of weather is coming.
If you are looking for some signs of the weather, pay attention to nature. There are two basic rules that are used in weather forecasting: Weather generally moves from west to east, and low air pressure (压力) usually means coming rain or snow. So pay attention to the signs. If rainbows form in the west at sunrise, the sun is on the way. Smell the flowers—their smells are stronger in wet air. What are the ants doing? Are they moving to the higher ground? This could mean a drop in air pressure. Are the birds flying low or high? Falling air pressure may have an effect on birds' ears, so they fly low. And if the sky is red at sunset, you might plan a picnic for the next day!
() 1. What is the old saying about?
A. The beauty of sunrise.
B. The night sky.
C. The signs of the weather.
D. The sailors' work.
() 2. The underlined word “meteorologists” means the people who .
A. give daily weather reports on TV
B. carry out studies on nature
C. take an interest in plants
D. do scientific studies of weather
() 3. Which of the following is introduced in Paragraph 2?
A. The reasons for terrible weather.
B. A true story about weather forecasting.
C. Different ways of forecasting the weather.
D. The problems in forecasting the weather.
() 4. What do we know from the last paragraph?
A. It'll be sunny if ants move to higher places.
B. The smells of flowers are stronger in wet air.
C. Birds fly higher because of the low air pressure.
D. It'll rain if rainbows form in the west at sunrise.
() 5. What is the writer's purpose in writing the text?
A. To encourage people to get close to nature.
B. To express the need for weather forecasting.
C. To show nature can tell us about the weather.
D. To discuss how important weather forecasting is.

1.C 2.D 3.C 4.B 5.C

【分析】
首先通读全文，明确文章围绕“天气预测”展开，涉及古老天气谚语、古今天气预测方式、自然中的天气信号等内容。解题时需结合题目类型（细节理解、词义猜测、主旨大意），定位原文关键信息，逐一排除错误选项：第1题需找古老谚语的主题；第2题通过上下文语境猜测词义；第3题分析第二段核心内容；第4题匹配最后一段细节；第5题总结作者写作目的。
【解析】
1. 第1题：根据第一段第一句的古老谚语是用于预测天气的，属于天气的迹象，A（日出之美）、B（夜空）、D（水手的工作）均与谚语主题无关，故选C。
2. 第2题：第二段提到古代用自然迹象预报天气，现在meteorologists用科学技能研究全球天气状况并做预报，可知该词指“做天气科学研究的人”，A（电视上的日常天气预报）片面，B（自然研究）范围过大，C（对植物感兴趣）无关，故选D。
3. 第3题：第二段分别介绍了古希腊给水手预报、现代用科学方法预报、普通人用手机/电视查天气，即不同的天气预测方式，A（坏天气原因）、B（天气预测的真实故事）、D（预测天气的问题）均未提及，故选C。
4. 第4题：最后一段明确说明“their smells are stronger in wet air”，B项正确；A项蚂蚁移高地是气压下降，会下雨而非晴天；C项鸟飞低是因为低压影响耳朵，并非飞高；D项彩虹在西边日出是晴天将至，而非下雨，故选B。
5. 第5题：全文通过古老谚语、自然迹象、古今预测方式，展示自然能传递天气信息，A（鼓励亲近自然）、B（表达对天气预报的需求）、D（讨论天气预报的重要性）均不符合作者目的，故选C。
【答案】
1.C 2.D 3.C 4.B 5.C
【知识点】
英语阅读理解、词义猜测、细节理解
【点评】
本题为英语阅读理解题，考查细节理解、词义猜测及主旨大意，需学生精准定位原文信息，理解文章核心内容，题型常规，难度适中。
【难度系数】
0.6