Passage 4
The sun hung low, brushing gold over the empty area. The air buzzed(喧闹)—not with insects, but with voices, cameras, and the feeling that something was about to begin.
Roy's heart beat like a drum. He looked out at the people gathering for the pancake house's ground-breaking ceremony(仪式). Behind him stood the company men and the reporters, and under his feet—hidden underground—were the tiny burrows(洞穴) of the owls.
No sign marked them. No fence protected them. They asked for nothing and made no sound, yet now heavy machines waited, ready to destroy their living area.
He thought of Mullet Fingers, the wild boy who cared more about animals than about himself. He thought of brave Beatrice, who helped even when it was hard. Roy had tried to stay out of trouble. He liked quiet. But now, staying quiet didn't feel right.
He stepped up to the microphone(话筒).
"Excuse me," he said, voice shaking, "before you dig ... you should know the truth."
The crowd(人群) grew quiet.
"There are owls living here," Roy said. "They're small. They're scared. And if you build here, you'll destroy their homes."
Someone in the crowd laughed. Then a reporter asked Roy, "How do you know that?"
"Because I saw them. I stood right there and watched them. They live here. They belong here. And they matter."
The manager stepped forward, "This is not your business, kid."
Roy turned to face him. His fear turned into something else: strength.
"It's my business. It's everyone's business. We can't just destroy what we don't see. Progress should not come at the cost of wonder," he said.
His hands stopped shaking. People in the crowd began whispering. One mother held her child's hand. A teacher nodded. Even the manager looked uncertain.
Roy didn't know what would happen next, but he did what he could: he told the truth.
Roy used to be scared, but doing the right thing made him stronger.
Sometimes, doing what you can is enough to change the wind.
() 1.Who did Roy think of before stepping up to the microphone?
A. His teacher.
B. Mullet Fingers and Beatrice.
C. The manager.
D. The newspaper reporters.
() 2.Why was Roy speaking to the crowd at the ceremony?
A. To raise money for wildlife.
B. To protect the owls' living area.
C. To advertise the pancake house.
D. To welcome people from other towns.
() 3.What does the underlined sentence in the passage mean?
A. Extra cost should be paid to protect nature.
B. There's nothing more important than progress.
C. Nature shouldn't be destroyed for development.
D. People should cut the cost of creating wonders.
() 4.What can we learn from Roy's story in the passage?
A. Silence sometimes speaks louder than actions.
B. Finding out the truth needs patience and wisdom.
C. Knowing yourself helps you make the right choice.
D. Standing up for nature takes courage but it's worth it.

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

【分析】
这是一篇记叙文类阅读理解，解题时可以按照不同题型的对应方法逐一突破：1. 前两道是细节理解题，直接带着题干的关键词回到原文对应段落定位，就能快速找到匹配的答案；2. 第三题是句意猜测题，需要结合划线句的上下文语境，把句子里的抽象指代和文章核心事件（开发建设和猫头鹰栖息地保护的矛盾）结合起来解读，排除不符合语境的干扰项；3. 第四题是主旨推理题，需要梳理全文人物的行为变化、故事的核心走向，提炼出文章想要传递的道理，选出最贴合主旨的选项。
【解析】
1. 细节理解题。定位原文第4段内容："He thought of Mullet Fingers, the wild boy who cared more about animals than about himself. He thought of brave Beatrice, who helped even when it was hard."，可知Roy走到话筒前想到的是Mullet Fingers和Beatrice，对应选项B。
2. 细节理解题。根据Roy上台后向众人说明的内容"There are owls living here... And if you build here, you'll destroy their homes."，可知他在仪式上发言是为了阻止施工破坏猫头鹰的家园，保护猫头鹰的生活区，对应选项B。
3. 句意猜测题。划线句"Progress should not come at the cost of wonder"中，Progress指代本次煎饼屋的商业开发建设，wonder指代文中代表自然生灵的猫头鹰及其栖息地，整句含义为“发展进步不应该以牺牲自然美好为代价”，和选项C“Nature shouldn't be destroyed for development.”表意完全一致。
4. 主旨推理题。通读全文可知，原本性格安静、容易胆怯的Roy，为了保护猫头鹰的栖息地鼓起勇气站出来说出真相，哪怕心怀恐惧也坚持做正确的事，故事传递的核心是：站出来为自然发声需要勇气，但这么做是非常有价值的，对应选项D。
【答案】
1.B 2.B 3.C 4.D
【知识点】
阅读细节定位，句意猜测，主旨归纳
【点评】
本篇阅读故事性强，情节清晰，题目设置梯度合理，前3道题难度较低，学生通过回文定位即可快速得出答案，最后一道主旨题需要学生结合人物的成长变化提炼核心道理，既考察学生的阅读能力，也向学生传递了要勇敢守护自然的正向价值观。
【难度系数】
0.7