Back in old times, people had little knowledge about the universe and nature. Things we now consider to be common sense were mysteries to our ancestors.
Over the years, major breakthroughs have been made in science and many phenomena have been explained. But still, there are always questions we can't yet answer, and The Guardian has listed some of them.
1. What makes us human?
Just looking at your DNA won't tell you - human DNA is 99 percent identical to that of the chimpanzee and, believe it or not, 50 percent identical to a banana's! A lot of the things we once thought were unique about us - language and tool use, recognizing ourselves in the mirror and so on – have since been seen in other animals. Perhaps it's our culture that makes the difference or maybe our ability to use fire. It's also possible that our capacity (能力) for co-operation and our trading skills are what make us unique.
2. Why do we dream?
Given the fact that we spend around a third of our lives sleeping, shouldn't we know everything about it? Unfortunately, scientists are still searching for a complete explanation of what happens when we sleep and why we dream.
Austrian psychologist Sigmund Freud believed dreams were the expressions of wishes that we can't fulfill in our real lives. Others have wondered whether dreams are just random "noise" coming from a sleeping brain.
3. Could we someday live forever?
Apart from accidents, most people die because of diseases that can be treated and aging. And since many diseases, such as diabetes（糖尿病） and cancer, are diseases of aging, treating aging itself could be the key to extending our lives.
Our knowledge of what causes us to age - and what allows some animals to live longer than others - is expanding rapidly. And though we haven't quite worked out all the details, we've worked out some pieces of the puzzles such as DNA damage and metabolism (新陳代謝), which are all leading to the invention of drugs that can slow down the aging process.
If we're lucky enough to lengthen our lives, we might even get to see the day when all of these questions are answered.
【小題1】The main point of the passage is ______.
| A．to inform people of the knowledge about the universe and nature |
| B．to introduce major breakthroughs that have been made in science |
| C．to present some questions we can't yet answer |
| D．to explain what were once mysteries to our ancestors |
| A．human beings are actually not different from other animals |
| B．a(chǎn)nimals have completely different DNA from that of plants |
| C．both animals and plants share the same amount of DNA |
| D．DNA alone is not good enough to make humans different |
| A．mysterious | B．unique | C．a(chǎn)dvanced | D．same |
| A．What were mysteries to our ancestors are considered to be common sense now. |
| B．Now we know much more about dreams than our ancestors did in the past. |
| C．With the invention of new drugs people can possibly live even longer. |
| D．If all the diseases can be treated people can theoretically live forever. |
【小題1】C
【小題2】D
【小題3】D
【小題4】C
解析試題解析：本文講述了一些到現(xiàn)在為止科學(xué)還不能做出解釋的幾個(gè)問題。
【小題1】C主旨大意題。通讀全文和根據(jù)第二段隨后點(diǎn)題句：But still, there are always questions we can't yet answer, and The Guardian has listed some of them.所以C正確。
【小題2】D細(xì)節(jié)推理題。根據(jù)第一個(gè)問題第一句話：Just looking at your DNA won't tell you - human DNA is 99 percent identical to that of the chimpanzee and, believe it or not, 50 percent identical to a banana's!僅 看你的DNA是不能辨別出你的，因?yàn)槿祟惖腄NA是百分之99與黑猩猩相同，信不信由你，百分之50和香蕉是相同的！所以D正確。
【小題3】D詞義猜測題。根據(jù)全句Just looking at your DNA won't tell you - human DNA is 99 percent identical to that of the chimpanzee and, believe it or not, 50 percent identical to a banana's!僅 看你的DNA是不能辨別出你的，因?yàn)槿祟惖腄NA是百分之99與黑猩猩相同，信不信由你，百分之50和香蕉是相同的！和下文內(nèi)容，所以D正確。
【小題4】C細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)倒數(shù)第二段最后And though we haven't quite worked out all the details, we've worked out some pieces of the puzzles such as DNA damage and metabolism (新陳代謝), which are all leading to the invention of drugs that can slow down the aging process.盡管我們還沒有解決所有的細(xì)節(jié)，但我們已經(jīng)解決了部分的困惑，像DNA的損害和新陳代謝，這導(dǎo)致了減緩我們衰老的藥的發(fā)明，所以C正確。
考點(diǎn)：考查科學(xué)知識類短文閱讀。
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Have you ever wondered why birds sing? Maybe you thought that they were just happy．After all, you probably sing when you are happy．
Some scientists believe that birds do sing some of the time just because they are happy．However they sing most of the time for a very different reason．Their singing is actually a warning to other birds to stay out of their territory．
Do you know what a “territory” is? A territory is an area that an animal, usually the male, claims (聲稱) as its own．Only he and his family are welcome there． No other families of the same species are welcome．Your house is your territory where only your family and friends are welcome．If a stranger should enter your territory and threaten you, you might shout．Probably this would be enough to frighten him away．
If so, you have actually frightened the stranger away without having to fight him．A bird does the same thing．But he expects an outsider almost any time, especially at nesting (筑巢) season．So he is screaming all the time, whether he can see an outsider or not．This screaming is what we call a bird’s song, and it is usually enough to keep an outsider away．
【小題1】Some scientists believe that most of the time bird’s singing is actually ______．
| A．a(chǎn)n expression of happiness | B．a(chǎn) way of warning |
| C．a(chǎn)n expression of anger | D．a(chǎn) way of greeting |
| A．A place where families of other species are not accepted. |
| B．A place where a bird may shout at the top of its voice． |
| C．An area for which birds fight against each other． |
| D．An area which a bird considers to be its own． |
| A．Because they want to invite more friends． |
| B．Because their singing helps frighten outsiders away． |
| C．Because they want to find outsiders around． |
| D．Because their singing helps get rid of their fears． |
| A．By comparing birds with human beings． |
| B．By reporting experiment results． |
| C．By describing birds’ daily life． |
| D．By telling a bird’s story． |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
This winter, the air quality over the north China plain was so bad that it was actually off the standard scale. The air pollution reached levels that the World Health Organization describes as dangerous. On Thursday, heavy smog blanketed most of northern and eastern China again.
It is reasonable to ask why the air pollution is so bad this winter. Weather conditions and topographic(地形學(xué)的) factors have been given as reasons, but, although contributing factors, these are not to blame. The worsening air pollution is linked to an energy mix that relies heavily on coal and to motor vehicle emissions(排放). But despite the astonishing growth of motor vehicles in our cities, it is the burning of coal that is the biggest cause of air pollution. More than half of the country's power plants are located in the eastern region and China's coal consumption has more than doubled in the past decade, reaching 3.8 billion tons last year, accounting for almost half the world's total coal consumption. And with coal occupying nearly 70 percent of the country's primary energy consumption, it has become critical to reduce the use of coal if we are to solve the nation's overall air pollution problem.
In the face of the poisonous air recently, one citizen said, "we have nothing but hot air to purify the skies". In fact, the government plans to have 350 billion yuan ($55.67 billion) investment in improving coal-fired facilities and limiting the use of yellow-label cars that do not meet the Euro I emissions standard and so on.
However, it would be far more effective to reduce emissions at the source, which means that the biggest challenge currently facing government departments is saying "no" to the country's air polluting offenders. According to the Joint Prevention and Control Plan on Air Pollution in Key Regions released recently by the State Council, the amount of coal the nation consumes is set to rise by 30 percent during the period of the 12th Five-Year Plan. This is not going to let anyone breathe easier.
This highlights a key problem when it comes to environmental issues in this country - economic development comes first. The fundamental cause of the worsening air pollution is the idea of economic growth at any cost, which has resulted in ever-worsening pollution. And the priority(優(yōu)先權(quán))given to economic growth presents another problem, namely the failure of existing environmental protection policies and regulations to control pollution. For instance, the current weak regulations covering emissions would suggest there has been a significant reduction in emissions when clearly this is not the case. Also those enterprises found breaking the regulations are still far lower than the cost of treating the pollution they produce. This means even if many large-scale enterprises with lagging production capacity(能力) fail to meet the requirements for environmental protection, the environmental protection department is incapable of shutting these enterprises down or forcing their relocation.
Dealing with air pollution requires taking action at the local level to reduce vehicle emissions and at the regional level to reduce industrial emissions. But it also requires giving more priority to environmental issues in policymaking. Our hope is that the environmental protection department will be truly capable of saying "no" to pollution, and it will raise standards and effectively enforce them, and that governments at all levels will prioritize quality of life not just economic growth.
【小題1】The writer mentions the heavy smog in parts of China in Paragraph1 in order to_____.
| A．remind people to stay in doors because of the bad air quality |
| B．show people’s concern about the priority to economic growth |
| C．introduce the issue about the serious air pollution |
| D．highlight the importance of government’s policies and regulations |
| A．Because enterprises are encouraged to develop economy at the cost of the environment. |
| B．Because much emphasis has been laid on economic growth regardless of the cost. |
| C．Because it’s impossible to relocate the enterprises for lack of money. |
| D．Because the production capacity of enterprises falls behind the required speed. |
| A．the sharp growth of coal consumption in recent years |
| B．the rapid increase of motor vehicles in cities |
| C．the building of power plants in northern China |
| D．the poor weather conditions caused by complex geographical factors |
| A．Giving priority to economic development in policymaking. |
| B．Making environment-friendly policies and carrying them out effectively. |
| C．Increasing investment in the construction of coal-fired facilities. |
| D．Limiting the use of cars not meeting the required emission standard |
| A．Pessimistic. | B．Convincing. | C．Doubtful. | D．Concerned. |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Bicycle lights may not exactly be a problem that needs solving, but the following can be said about most of them ---- they’re easily stolen if left on an unattended bike. People riding at dusk can forget to turn them on, and those same people can forget to turn them off when they reach their destination. Well, the makers of the Blink/ Steady Bike Light have set out to address all of those shortcomings.
The waterproof(防水的) Blink/ Steady is so far only available as a tail light, although a head light is on the way. It’s fixed onto the bike’s seat post. A built- in photosensor(感光器) tells when it’s become dark enough for the light to be required, and allows it to come on once you begin the riding. According to the producers, it isn’t fooled by things such as headlights or streetlights. The light also contains an accelerometer, also known as a motion sensor, which can tell when the bike is in motion.
Between the two sensors, this means the light will come on only once it’s dark enough, and the bike is moving. Even when stopped at red lights, the small movements of the rider will reportedly be enough to keep the light activated---- it’ll go out after 30 seconds of complete inactivity. While this does mean that the two sensors are continuously powered up, they go into a very low---- power sleep pattern when the bike is sitting, unused.
Light is provided by two5- watt LEDs, seeable over a range of 180 degrees. And power comes from two AAA batteries, which provided up to 200 hours of continuous run time. The designers and engineers behind the Blink/ Steady are now raising money for its commercial production. About US $95 will get you one if they become available.
【小題1】The first paragraph is mainly to mean that______.
| A．bicycle lights are worth a research |
| B．bicycle lights are not a problem at all |
| C．bicycle lights are easy to deal with |
| D．bicycle lights are difficult to turn off |
| A．the weather | B．streetlights | C．headlights | D．natural light |
| A．To protect the bike against water. |
| B．To tell if the bike is moving. |
| C．To make the bike easy to ride. |
| D．To judge the speed of the bike. |
| A．It will be turned off immediately if the bike stops. |
| B．The traffic lights have no effect on the light. |
| C．It won’t use any power if the bike is unused. |
| D．It must meet two requirements if it comes on. |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Dan Bebber is a senior research fellow at the University of Exeter in Britain. He says research has shown that wild plants and animals are moving toward Earth's North and South poles as the planet warms.
Mr Bebber wanted to know if the same thing was happening with organisms that attack agricultural crops. He examined reports of first sightings of new insects and diseases around the world. The records came from CABI - the Centre for Agricultural Bioscience International. He says the group began collecting information from developing and industrialized countries years ago.
Dan Bebber and his research team studied 612 different organisms - from viruses and bacteria to insects like beetles and butterflies. They found that since 1960, crop pests and diseases have been moving toward the poles at an average rate of about 3 kilometers each year. Mr Bebber says this puts the most productive farmland in the world in danger.
"As new species of pests and diseases evolve and potentially the environment for them becomes more amenable at higher latitudes, the pressure on the breadbaskets of the world is going to increase."
Farmers face other threats. Invasive species passed through trade are also causing problems. Gene Kritsky is an Entomologist at the College of Mount St. Joseph in Ohio. He specialises in the study of insects. He says climate change may improve conditions for some invasive species.
“It means that species in other parts of the world that might do well in warmer temperatures can now do well in the breadbasket of America.”
Another Entomologist Christian Krupke of Purdue University says the effects of these changes will depend very much on the crop, the insect and the disease. But he says the research is a warning sign that people should care about climate change and do something about it.
【小題1】The purpose of Dan Bebber’s research was to find ______.
| A．if farmland could be moved to colder places thanks to global warming |
| B．if diseases and insects harmful to crops were going towards colder areas |
| C．if organisms were moving to the north and south poles |
| D．if the number of crop pests was increasing |
| A．it will be hard for farmers to kill them |
| B．the most productive farmland will produce more crops |
| C．the earth will not produce enough food to support the world |
| D．the conditions for some crops may be improved |
| A．Climate change helps crop pests to adapt to new environment. |
| B．Foreign species are brought in by trade. |
| C．Invasive species doing well in warmer places might do well in America. |
| D．The impacts of the climate and species changes on crops are not easy to determine. |
| A．a(chǎn)greeable | B．terrible | C．unfriendly | D．changeable |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
In South America, the rich soil of the Amazon River basin（流域）in Brazil is known as “black gold”. Scientists found that the secret of this rich soil was charcoal（木炭）. Local people made it from animal bones and tree branches. They mixed the charcoal with the soil about 1.500 years ago.
Now, scientists in the United States have done a modern demonstration. They say charcoal fertilization offers a revolutionary way to improve soil quality for hundreds or even thousands of years.
Mingxin Guo and his team at Delavare State University heated tree leaves, corn stalks（莖）, small pieces of wood and poultry waste into “biochar”（生物碳）. They reported their findings at a recent meeting of the American Chemical Society in New Orleans.
Biochar could be good news for farmers with poor soil and hungry populations to feed. Professor Guo says it could even help against global warming. Intensive（集約的） farming and overuse of chemical fertilizer give out carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Biochar does the opposite, he says. It traps carbon in the ground.
The researchers planted winter wheat in containers of soil in a greenhouse — some with biochar, some without. Professor Guo says the wheat grows much better in the pots with biochar. The soil was added two percent charcoal to. But he says even a one percent treatment will increase productivity.
The results demonstrated that biochar can increase organic matter in soil. Loss of nutrients in soil is an increasing problem worldwide as farmers try to grow more food for growing populations.
Next, the team will carry out a five-year study of biochar with spinach（菠菜）, green peppers and tomatoes.
Mingxin Guo says he learns about the “black gold” in Brazil from a magazine story. He explains that it was discovered in the jungle, in the area where waters flow to the Amazon, in the 1960’s. But it was not until recent years that scientists began to bring public attention to it.
【小題1】According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．The researchers will go on proving their theory. |
| B．The leading researcher learns the theory from the magazine. |
| C．Charcoal was discovered 1,500 years ago. |
| D．Common farming can produce more carbon dioxide. |
| A．it can improve the condition of the soil |
| B．it can be used as a kind of energy |
| C．it can help against global warming |
| D．it can increase productivity of the corn |
| A．reduce the carbon dioxide |
| B．keep the carbon in the soil |
| C．reduce the loss of nutrients in the soil |
| D．a(chǎn)bsorb the carbon dioxide |
| A．Using Charcoal to Make soil into “Black Gold” |
| B．Using Charcoal to Reduce the Carbon Dioxide |
| C．How Amazon River Basin Produces “Golden Black” |
| D．Guo’s Research on Producing Biochar |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
As a result of pollution, Lake Erie, on the borders of the USA and Canada, is now without many living things.
Pollution in water is not simply a matter of “poisons” killing large numbers of fish overnight. Very often the effects of pollution are not noticed for many months or years because the first organisms (生物體) to be affected are either plants or plankton (浮游生物). These organisms are the food of fish, birds, and other creatures. When this food disappears, the fish and birds die too. In this way a whole food chain can be wiped out, and it is not until dead fish and water birds are seen at the river’s edge or on the sea shore that people realize what is happening.
Where do the substances which pollute water come from? There are two main sources, sewage(污水) and industrial waste. As more detergent (洗滌劑)is used in homes, more of it is finally put into our rivers, lakes and seas. Detergents harm water birds by breaking down the natural substances which keep their feathers waterproof. Sewage itself, if not properly treated, makes the water dirty and prevents all forms of life in rivers and the sea from receiving the oxygen they need. Industrial waste is even more harmful since there are many highly poisonous materials in it, such as copper and lead.
So if we want to stop this pollution, the answer is simple. Sewage and industrial waste must be made clean before flowing into the water reservoirs. It may already be too late to save some rivers and lakes, but others can still be saved if the correct action is taken at once.
【小題1】Pollution in water is noticed ________.
| A．when the first organisms are affected |
| B．when many fish and birds die |
| C．when poisons are poured into water |
| D．As soon as the balance of nature is destroyed |
| A．water | B．fish | C．Poison | D．oxygen |
| A．full of water | B．not allowing water to go through |
| C．covered with water | D．cleaned by water |
| A．Industrial waste and chemicals | B．Water in the river |
| C．Coal and wood | D．plastic |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Think about the different ways that people use the wind. You can use it to fly a kite or to sail a boat. Wind is one of our cleanest and richest power sources, as well as one of the oldest. Evidence shows that windmills(風(fēng)車) began to be used in ancient Iran back in the seventh century BC. They were first introduced to Europe during the 1100s, when armies returned from the Middle East with knowledge of using wind power.
For many centuries, people used windmills to grind(碾碎) wheat into flour or pump water from deep underground. When electricity was discovered in the late 1800s, people living in remote areas began to use them to produce electricity. This allowed them to have electric lights and radios. However, by the 1940s when electricity was available to people in almost all areas of the United States, windmills were rarely used.
During the 1970s, people started becoming concerned about the pollution that is created when coal and gas are burned to produce electricity. People also realized that the supply of coal and gas would not last forever. Then, wind was rediscovered, though it means higher cost. Today, there is a global movement to supply more and more of our electricity through the use of wind.
【小題1】 From the text we know that windmills________.
| A．were invented by European armies |
| B．have a history of more than 2,800 years |
| C．used to supply power to radio in remote areas |
| D．have rarely been used since electricity was discovered |
| A．Sailing a boat. | B．Producing electricity. |
| C．Grinding wheat into flour. | D．Pumping water from underground. |
| A．wind power is cleaner |
| B．it is one of the oldest power sources. |
| C．it was cheaper to create energy from wind |
| D．the supply of coal and gas failed to meet needs |
| A．The advantages of wind power. |
| B．The design of wind power plants. |
| C．The worldwide movement to save energy. |
| D．The global trend towards producing power from wind. |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Motherhood may make women smarter and may help prevent dementia(癡呆) in old age by bathing the brain in protective hormones(荷爾蒙) , U.S. researchers reported on Thursday.
Tests on rats show that those who raise two or more litters of pups do considerably better in tests of memory and skills than rats who have no babies, and their brains show changes that suggest they may beprotected against diseases such as Alzheimer’s(早老癡呆癥). University of Richmond psychology professor Craig Kinsley believes his findings will translate into humans.
“Our research shows that the hormones of pregnancy(懷孕) are protecting the brain, including estrogen(雌激素),which we know has many neuroprotective (保護(hù)神經(jīng)的) effects,” Kinsley said. “It’s rat data but humans are mammals just like these animals are mammals,” he added in a telephone interview. “They go through pregnancy and hormonal changes.”Kinsley said he hoped public health officials and researchers will look to see if having had children protects a woman from Alzheimer’s and other forms of age-related brain decline.
“When people think about pregnancy, they think about what happens to babies and the mother from the neck down,”said Kinsley, who presented his findings to the annual meeting of the Society of Neuroscience in Orlando, Florida.“They do not realize that hormones are washing on the brain. If you look at female animals who have never gone through pregnancy, they act differently toward young. But if she goes through pregnancy, she will sacrifice her life for her infant—that is a great change in her behavior that showed in genetic alterations(改變) to the brain.”
【小題1】How do scientists know “Motherhood may make women smarter”?
| A．Some researchers have told them. |
| B．Many women say so. |
| C．They know it by experimenting on rats. |
| D．They know it through their own experience. |
| A．Estrogen. |
| B．The hormones of pregnancy. |
| C．More exercise. |
| D．Taking care of children. |
| A．Do You Want to Be Smarter? |
| B．Motherhood Makes Women Smarter |
| C．Mysterious Hormones |
| D．An Important Study |
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