Scientists have discovered that rats have ada...

Scientists have discovered that rats have adapted to modern human life, even adapting their diets to the cities they live in.

The scientists claim that it could be possible that humans and rats have had similar changes in their genetic make-up, due to modern city life. The downside of the changes in the DNA is that they could make rats susceptible to the same health problems as humans, such as pollutants and sugary foods.

The study showed that rats’ diets have also adapted to their environment. In New York, you can see them eat bagels and beer; in Paris, they like croissants and butter. They adapt in amazing ways. The scientists also analyzed the genomes (基因组)of 29 New York rats and compared them with those of nine brown rats from Heilongjiang Province, north-east China. The finding showed that dozens of rat genes had been through major DNA changes over the centuries, as the rats spread from Asia to Europe and America, and from the countryside and into cities.

The changed genes were associated with diet, behavior, and movement, which added pressures and challenges for the rat to overcome. This could reflect the fact that urban rats have to move through highly artificial environments that are very different from natural habitats. So these gene changes might have evolved to help them move more easily through underground channels and pipes.

As the rats are closely associated with city-living humans, the scientists believe that it is possible that similar changes have happened in both species.

In October 2019, scientists used rats to successfully test an enzyme(酶) that could be used to help people quit smoking. Two groups of rats were trained to self-administer nicotine, and over two weeks their nicotine intakes increased, suggesting addiction. Then, one group of rats was given the enzyme, which led to a decreased nicotine intake. The scientists say that the enzyme could be developed for human use in the future.

1.Which of the following best explains the underlined phrase “susceptible to” in paragraph 2?

A.Not likely to be cured of. B.Being disease-resistant to.

C.Very likely to be affected by. D.Being thoroughly exposed to.

2.What does the author intend to show in the third paragraph?

A.Rats in the city are particular about their food.

B.Rats in different cities have different genetic make-up.

C.Rats are distributed in every continent of the earth.

D.Rats have been adjusting themselves to the environment.

3.What is the purpose of testing an enzyme on rats?

A.To explore rats’ survival ability. B.To help people stop smoking.

C.To learn more about city rats. D.To tell apart nicotine and enzyme.

4.What is the best title of this text?

A.Rats Have Adapted to Modern Human Life

B.Rats in the City Have Varieties of Diets

C.Rats Are More Adaptable than Humans

D.Rats Have the Same Genetic Make-up to Humans

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

I believe that I ____ to the modern life in New York by the end of next month.

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

SCIENTISTS have discovered that living to the age of 100 may have nothing to do with the lifestyle you lead and everything to do with the type of genes (基因) you have.

For the lucky carriers of “Methuselah” genes, worries over smoking, eating unhealthily and not getting enough exercise may not be as necessary as to those of us without the special gene pattern .

The “Methuselah” genes could give extra protection against the diseases of old age such as cancer and heart disease. They could also protect people against the effects of the unhealthy lifestyles that we believe will lead us to an early death, scientists say. However, the genes are very rare.

The genes include ADIPOQ, which is found in about 10 percent of young people but in nearly 30 percent of people living past 100. They also include the CETP and the ApoC3 genes, which are found in 10 percent of young people, but in about 20 percent of people over 100 years old.

Some of those genes were discovered by a research group at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, led by Professor Nir Barzilai. The team studied the genes of over 500 people over 100 years old, and their children.

The studies show that tiny mutations (变异) in the make-up of some genes can greatly increase a person’s lifespan. Barzilai told a Royal Society conference that the discovery of such genes gave scientists clear targets for developing drugs that could prevent age-related diseases, allow people to live longer and stay healthy.

David Gems, a researcher at University College London, believes that drugs to slow ageing will become widespread.

“If we know which genes control longevity (长寿) then we can … target them with drugs. That makes it possible to slow down ageing,” he told The Times.

“Much of the pain and suffering in the world are caused by ageing. If we can find a way to reduce that, then we are obliged to take it.”

1. According to the article, which of the following is the most important if a person is to live to the age of 100?

A. Eating healthy food every day.

B. Having the right types of genes.

C. Having a healthy lifestyle.

D. Taking drugs that prevent ageing.

2.According to the article, the ApoC3 gene is found in ______ of people over 100 years old.

A. 10%           B. 20%          C. 30%       D. 50%

3.Which of the following statements is TRUE of the research led by Professor Nir Barzilai?

A. The team studied the genes of over 100 people over 100 years of age.

B. The researchers found that mutations in certain genes lead to longer life.

C. The researchers found ways to develop drugs that could cure age-related diseases.

D. The study suggested that most people have genes that could lengthen their lives.

4. According to David Gems, ______.

A. drugs to slow ageing will be very expensive

B. modern science will be able to find more longevity genes

C. it is the duty of medical scientists to fight the problems of ageing

D. scientists can make new genes that will allow longer life

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Scientists have discovered that living to the age of 100 may have nothing to do with the lifestyle you lead and everything to do with the type of genes you have.

For the lucky carriers of “Methuselah” genes， worries over smoking， eating unhealthily and not getting enough exercise may not be as necessary as to those of us without the special gene pattern.   The “Methuselah” genes could give extra protection against the diseases of old age such as cancer and heart disease. They could also protect people against the effects of the unhealthy lifestyles that we believe will lead us to an early death， scientists say. However， the genes are very rare.

The genes include ADIPOQ， which is found in about 10 percent of young people but in nearly 30 percent of people living past 100. They also include the CETP and the ApoC3 genes， which are found in 10 percent of young people， but in about 20 percent of people over 100 years old.

Some of those genes were discovered by a research group at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York， led by Professor Nir Barzilai. The team studied the genes of over 500 people over 100 years old， and their children.

The studies show that tiny mutations (变异) in the make-up of some genes can greatly increase a person’s lifespan. Barzilai told a Royal Society conference that the discovery of such genes gave scientists clear targets for developing drugs that could prevent age-related diseases， allow people to live longer and stay healthy.

David Gems， a researcher at University College London， believes that drugs to slow ageing will become widespread.

“If we know which genes control longevity (长寿) then we can... target them with drugs. That makes it possible to slow down ageing，” he told The Times.

“Much of the pain and suffering in the world are caused by ageing. If we can find a way to reduce that， then we are obliged to take it.”

1.Which genes could give extra protection against the diseases of old age？ (No more than 3 words) (2 marks)

__________________________________________________________________________　

2. Whom did Barzilai’s team study？ (No more than 10 words) (2 marks)

__________________________________________________________________________

3. What can greatly increase a person’s lifespan？ (No more than 10 words) (3 marks)

__________________________________________________________________________

4.What can scientists do if they are aware which genes control longevity？(No more than 6 words) (3 marks)

__________________________________________________________________________.　

高三英语其他题中等难度题查看答案及解析

Scientists have discovered a special biological behavior in dolphins（海豚） that could lead to a treatment for late-onset diabetes（晚发的糖尿病） in humans. Studies on dolphins found that healthy dolphins switch into a diabetic-like state overnight when they are not feeding, but return to normal when they eat the following morning.

The extraordinary finding has led scientists to suggest that dolphins have “genetic switch” that allows them to imitate diabetes while they are not feeding for a night, without suffering any ill effect.

If researchers can identify a similar genetic pathway in human, they may be able to develop drugs to effectively switch off diabetes. Some 2.2 million people in Britain have type 2 (or late-onset) diabetes, a figure that is expected to reach 4 million by 2025 as a consequence of rising levels of obesity（肥胖）.

The tissues of people with type 2 diabetes have become resistant to insulin（胰岛素） so they lose the ability to control sugar levels in their blood. The condition can damage the heart, eyes, kidneys（肾脏） and nerves and contribute to 5% of all deaths, according to the World Healthy Organization.

Dolphins appear to imitate diabetes to keep high levels of blood sugar when food is rare. Like humans, dolphins need some sugar in their blood for their brains to function normally. Venn-Watson’s team analyzed 1,000 blood samples（样本） from 52 dolphins while they didn’t eat anything overnight and fed in the morning. At night time, the dolphins’ metabolism（新陈代谢）changed greatly and showed similar characteristics to that seen in people with type 2 diabetes.

“It is our hope that this discovery can lead to new ways to prevent, treat and maybe even cure diabetes in humans,” said Stephanie Venn-Watson, director of clinical research at the National Marine Foundation in San Diego.

1.What’s the main idea of the passage?

A. Humans get some idea of treating diabetes from dolphins.

B. Dolphins can switch into a diabetic-like state overnight.

C. Humans can suffer the same disease as dolphins.

D. Dolphins should be fed regularly to avoid diabetes.

2.The key to applying the finding to curing human diabetes lies in ____________.

A. producing insulin in a larger amount

B. developing drugs from healthy dolphins

C. identifying a similar genetic pathway in human

D. analyzing more blood samples from hungry dolphins

3. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Scientists have found a similar genetic switch in humans.

B. More British people will suffer type 2 diabetes due to obesity.

C. 2.2 million people with type 2 diabetes die in Britain every year.

D. Dolphins imitate diabetes to avoid a high blood sugar level.

4.What will happen to dolphins if not fed for a night according to Venn-Watson?

A. Their metabolism breaks down.

B. They become resistant to insulin.

C. Their heart and kidneys are damaged.

D. They keep high levels of blood sugar.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Just when scientists think they have discovered and recorded every species of insect that crawls the earth they find something new. Earlier this month, Peter Jager, the head of Frankfurt’s Senckenberg Research Institute reported the discovery of a unique eyeless spider.

The creature that has a leg span (跨度) of six centimeters and a body size of just twelve millimeters was found in a cave inside the tiny nation of Laos, in Southeast Asia. It was identified as a member of the Huntsman spider, a large family that consists of 1100 species. However, the other members of the family all have eyes. The spider is the first one that has no eyes. They believe that the kind of spider has adapted to the fact that they do not really need the eyes to such a degree that they have dispensed with them altogether.

But they are not the only creature to have done that. Over the years, scientists have discovered completely blind cave fish, and even a freshwater crab, which happens to live in the same cave as this eyeless spider!

Surrounded by Burma and China on the northwest, Vietnam on the east, Cambodia on the south and Thailand on the west, the landlocked nation of Laos is filled with a large number of new and exotic (新奇的) species. In the last few years researchers have discovered the Saola—never-before-seen antelope-like creature, a small deer species called muntjacs, a tiny stripped rabbit and a rock rat that was thought to have been extinct 11 millions years ago. In addition to that it is also home to over one hundred species of large mammals ranging from tigers to macaques and over 165 species of amphibians (两栖动物) and reptiles like the terrible King cobra and the noisy Tokay gecko, a permanent resident inside most Laos households.

64. 1.Which of the following is the best title of passage?

A．Laos full of a large number of exotic species

B．Laos popular with plenty of strange species

C．Every species of insect discovered and recorded by scientists

D．World’s first eyeless spider discovery in Southeast Asia.

65. 2.What does the second paragraph mainly tell us about the unique eyeless spider?

A．The eyesight, identification and family members.

B．The size, identification and the reason for being eyeless

C．The body, species and living environment

D．The size, identification and the species

66. 3.The underlined part “dispensed with” (in 2^nd Para) means _________.

A．got rid of          B．put up with        C．carried away       D．taken no notice of

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

1.　　 　 Scientists and experts have proved the uniqueness of finger-prints and discovered that no exactly similar pattern is passed on from parents to children, though nobody knows why this is the case.

The ridge （隆起） structure on a person's fingers does not change with growth and is not affected by surface injuries．Burns, cuts and other damage to the outer part of the skin will be replaced in time by new one, which bears a reproduction of the original pattern．2. 　 　 Some criminals make use of this fact to remove their own finger-prints but this is a dangerous and rare step to take.

Finger-prints can be made very easily with printer's ink．They can by recorded easily．3. 　 Because of the simplicity and economy of this system, finger-prints have often been used as a method of solving criminal case．A suspected man may deny a charge but this may be in vain．4. 　 　

When a suspect leaves finger-prints behind at the scene of a crime, they are difficult to detect with the naked eye.

5.　 　 Some of the marks found are incomplete but identification is possible if a print of a quarter of an inch square can be obtained.

A．Special techniques are used to "develop" them.

B．A fingerprint is an impression of the friction ridges of all part of the finger.

C．It is only when the inner skin is injured that the arrangement will be destroyed.

D．With special methods, identification can be achieved successfully within a short time.

E．A latent print is the chance reproduction of the friction ridges deposited on the surface of an item.

F．His finger-prints can prove who he is even if his appearance has been changed by age or accident.

G．Every human being has a unique arrangement of the skin on his fingers and this arrangement is unchangeable.

高三英语其他题中等难度题查看答案及解析

Scientists have discovered that 　 1.　 (stay) in the cold could help us lose weight. Researchers at the University of California found that exposure to the cold increases levels of a protein that helps form brown fat -- the type of fat that produces heat and keeps us warm. Brown fat burns energy, 　 2.　 helps us lose weight. White fat stores extra energy, which results 　 3.　 weight gain. The researchers said that because air conditioning and heating give us constant, 4.　 (comfort) temperatures, our body’s need for brown fat has decreased. They found that outdoor workers in northern Finland who 　 5.　 (expose) to cold temperature have 6. significant amount of brown fat when 7.　 (compare) to same-aged indoor workers.

The research was conducted on two different control groups of mice. 　 8. group was injected with the protein that helps create brown fat. This group later gained 30% less weight after both groups were fed high-fat diets. The researchers say this could be good news in the fight against obesity. People who are obese have 　 9. （low) levels of brown fat than thinner people. If you can somehow increase levels of this protein, you could　　 10.　 (possible) lose more weight even if eating the same amount of food.

高三英语信息匹配中等难度题查看答案及解析

Scientists have discovered a "monster black hole" so massive that, in theory, it shouldn't exist

It’s a stellar black hole---the type that forms after stars die, collapse, and explode. Researchers had previously believed that the size limit was no more than 20 times the mass of our sun because 8S these stars die, they lose most of their mass through explosions that expel matter and gas swept away by stellar winds

This theory has now been toppled by LB-1, the newly discovered black hole. Located about 15.000 light years away, it has a mass 70 times greater than our sun, according to a press release from the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The findings were published by Chinese researchers in the journal Nature on Wednesday.

"Black boles of such mass should not even exist in our galaxy, according to most of the current models of stellar evolution," said Liu Jifeng, head of the team that made the discovery. "LB-1 is twice as massive as what we thought possible. Now theorists will have to take up the challenge of explaining its formation."

Scientists are now scratching their heads at how LB-1 got so huge.

The Chinese team has proposed a number of theories. LB-1' sheer size suggests that it “was not formed from the collapse of only one star," the study said--- instead, it could potentially be two smaller black holes orbiting each other.

Another possibility is that it formed from “fallback supermova.” This is when a supernoma---the last stage of an exploding star---ejects material during the explosion, which then falls back into the supernova, creating a black hole.

This fallback formation is theoretically possible, but scientists have never been able to prove or observe it. If this is how LB-1 formed, then we may have "direct evidence for this process” for the first time, the study said.

There are several types of black holes and stellar black holes like LB-1 are on the smaller side, according to NASA. Supermassive black holes are much bigger---they can be billions of times the mass of our sun,

Scientists believe supermassive black holes may be connected to the formation of galaxies, as they often exist at the center of the mass star stems but it is still not clear exactly how, or which form first.

1.Why does the writer write the article?

A.To report the great achievement Chinese scientists have made in black hole theory,

B.To inform the readers of the basic knowledge about the black hole,

C.To share with the readers the new development of the black hole discovery,

D.To demonstrate the significance of discovering new black holes for science.

2.Which of the following about LB-1 is true to the passage?

A.It is the biggest black hole ever discovered,

B.It lost only a small part of its mass through explosion.

C.It couldn't have been formed from the collapse of one star,

D.Its discovery may lead to some breakthrough in the “fallback formation theory".

3.Which of the following is right according to the passage?

A.If the sun in our galaxy dies some of its mass will be taken away by stellar winds.

B.A massive supernova will be formed and then exploded if the sun in our galaxy dies.

C."The Milky Way" was formed after a supermassive black hole collapsed and exploded.

D.If “the Milky Way" dies, a supermassive black hole will be formed after its death.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The fact that ants are fascinating insects has been known for some time. Now, scientists have discovered a large number of wood ants living in an abandoned underground storehouse in Templewo, Poland, despite having no obvious source of food.

Polish zoologist Wojciech Czechowski and his team began studying the underground colony in 2013. They found the ants built a 60-cm high nest in the soil directly over the storehouse vertical air pipe. As years passed, the metal covering on the pipe eroded, leaving behind a hole that thousands of worker ants accidentally slip into each day as they go about their daily chores. The scientists say that there are no sources of food in the storehouse. This means that the insects live in a state of near starvation.

In July 2015, the researchers disturbed part of the ant nest in search of larvae (幼虫), cocoons(茧), and queens. They found nothing, leading them to suspect that the lack of food and cold temperatures made reproduction impossible and that the group tending the nest is entirely made up of non-reproductive female workers. Their population is refilled every year, by a new rain of unfortunate ants that slide down the hole. The researchers say that when they returned in January 2016, the nest had been repaired. It appears that despite the terrible conditions, the worker ants do not stop constructing their nest.

Wood ants are known for their ability to adapt to bad living conditions. In this case, the millions of worker ants trapped in the storehouse have no choice. But instead of losing hope, they are making the best of the situation—a classic example of “when life gives you lesions make lemonade.”

1.How did the wood ants arrive in the storehouse?

A. They fell down there by accident.

B. The research team brought them there.

C. The storehouse builders left them there.

D. They were attracted by the environment.

2.What does the underlined word “eroded” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A. Expanded.　　 B. Rotted.　　 C. Exploded.　　 D. Melted.

3.What did the researchers find in the nest?

A. Larvae.　　 B. Cocoons.　　 C. A queen.　　 D. Worker ants.

4.Why did the population of wood ants remain steady?

A. They had enough food.

B. They were able to reproduce.

C. They adapted to the conditions.

D. They had new comers to join them.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析