Question

If you thought pilots dimmed（调暗）the lights before takeoff to give you some shuteye, think again. Believe it or not, the dim lighting could actually help save your life in case of a plane emergency.

The dimmed lights before taking off the runway and landing are a flight precaution used to help passengers’ eyes adjust quicker during an emergency escape. “Going from a brightly lit environment to one that’s completely dark would require some time for our eyes to focus and see the escape slide,” Alice Theriault, service director for Air Canada wrote in a press statement. “Since we need to have all the seconds on our side in the event of an emergency, dimming the lights is one of many steps we take to ensure the safety of our customers.”

The phenomenon that your eyes see those strange speckles (小斑点) as your sight adjusts to a dark place after being in a light place is called dark adaptation. It normally takes our eyes about 20 to 30 minutes to see best in a dark room. The brighter the lights, the longer it takes for our eyes to adjust, which is why dimming the plane lights could shorten your “dark adaptation” time since you haven’t been sitting under fluorescent bulbs (荧光灯) all flight.

Not only does dimming lights add valuable time to the escape process, it reduces the tension on your eyes if you need to look outside, or see the emergency lighting along the passage. “It helps keep you in the right direction.” Patrick Smith, an airline pilot and author of Cockpit Confidential told The Telegraph. “It also makes it easier for flight attendants to assess any outside risks, such as fire or debris, that might affect an escape.” So next time a pilot dims the lights, just know it’s for your safety, even though it creates a gentle atmosphere for your takeoff into the sky.

1.The lights are turned down before takeoff to help passengers_______.

A. take a short break

B. escape in time of emergency

C. create a warm atmosphere

D. adapt their eyes to the bright environment

2.What is one of the roles of shortening “dark adaptation” time?

A. Slowing down the landing.    B. Adjusting the plane lights.

C. Keeping passengers calm.    D. Helping the crew judge outside risks.

3.What does the underlined word “It” in the last paragraph refer to?

A. Dimming lights.    B. The escape process.

C. Reducing tension.    D. The passage.

4.What is the text mainly about?

A. A tip of air travel.

B. An emergency event on a plane.

C. A warning message on a plane.

D. An explanation of an airline safety measure.

Answer

1.B

2.D

3.A

4.D

【解析】本文是一篇科普类短文阅读。文章主要讲述了飞机起飞前都需要调暗灯光，而这一点能够在飞机紧急情况下帮助挽救你的生命。

1.细节理解题。根据文章第二段The dimmed lights before taking off the runway and landing are a flight precaution used to help passengers’ eyes adjust quicker during an emergency escape.可知，飞机起飞前灯光关掉，其目的是帮助乘客在紧急情况下逃生。故选B。

2.细节理解题。根据文章最后一段It also makes it easier for flight attendants to assess any outside risks, such as fire or debris, that might affect an escape.可知，缩短暗适应时间，可以帮助空乘人员评估外面的风险。故选D。

3.词义猜测题。根据前一句Not only does dimming lights add valuable time to the escape process, it reduces the tension on your eyes if you need to look outside, or see the emergency lighting along the passage.可以推测出，It代指前面的dimming lights，故选A。

4.主旨大意题。根据文章主旨大意：文章主要讲述了飞机起飞前都需要调暗灯光，而这一点能够在飞机紧急情况下帮助挽救你的生命，可知，短文是航空公司安全措施的解释。故选D。

【名师点睛】

1、要想做好科普英语阅读理解题，同学们就要注意平时多读科普知识类文章，学习科普知识，积累常见的科普词汇，从根本上提高科普英语的阅读能力。 

2、要熟悉科普类文章的结构特点。但根据历年的高考情况来看，这类阅读理解材料一般不给标题，而要同学们选择标题或概括文章主旨大意。导语一般位于整篇文章的首段。背景交待一个事实的起因。主体则对导语概括的事实进行详细叙述，这一部分命题往往最多，因此，阅读时，同学们要把这部分作为重点。结尾往往也是中心思想的概括，并与导语相呼应，命题者常在此要设计一道推理判断题。

3、在进行推理判断时，同学们一定要以阅读材料所提供的科学事实为依据，同时所得出的结论还应符合基本的科普常识。