We are the products of evolution, and not just evolution that occurred billions of years ago. As scientists look deeper into our genes (基因), they are finding examples of human evolution in just the past few thousand years. People in Ethiopian highlands have adapted to living at high altitudes. Cattle -raising people in East Africa and northern Europe have gained a mutation (突变) that helps them digest milk as adults.
On Thursday in an article published in Cell, a team of researchers reported a new kind of adaptation - not to air or to food, but to the ocean. A group of sea-dwelling people in Southeast Asia have evolved into better divers. The Bajau, as these people are known, number in the hundreds of thousands in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. They have traditionally lived on houseboats; in recent times, they’ve also built houses on stilts (支柱) in coastal waters. “They are simply a stranger to the land,” said Redney C. Jubilado, a University of Hawaii researcher who studies the Bajau.
Dr. Jubilado first met the Bajau while growing up on Samal Island in the Philippines. They made a living as divers, spearfishing or harvesting shellfish. “We were so amazed that they could stay underwater much longer than us local islanders,” Dr. Jubilado said. “I could see them actually walking under the sea.”
In2015, Melissa Ilardo, then a graduate student in genetics at the University of Copenhagen, heard about the Bajau. She wondered if centuries of diving could have led to the evolution of physical characteristics that made the task easier for them. “it seemed like the perfect chance for natural selection to act on a population,” said Dr. Ilardo. She also said there were likely a number of other genes that help the Bajau dive.
1.What does the author want to tell us by the examples in paragraph 1?
A.Environmental adaptation of cattle raisers. B.New knowledge of human evolution.
C.Recent findings of human origin. D.Significance of food selection.
2.Where do the Bajau build their houses?
A.In valleys. B.Near rivers. C.On the beach. D.Off the coast.
3.Why was the young Jubilado astonished at the Bajau?
A.They could walk on stilts all day. B.They had a superb way of fishing.
C.They could stay long underwater. D.They lived on both land and water.
4.What can be a suitable title for the text?
A.Bodies Remodeled for a Life at Sea B.Highlanders’ Survival Skills
C.Basic Methods of Genetic Research D.The World’s Best Divers
高三英语阅读理解困难题
We are the products of evolution, and not just evolution that occurred billions of years ago. As scientists look deeper into our genes (基因), they are finding examples of human evolution in just the past few thousand years. People in Ethiopian highlands have adapted to living at high altitudes. Cattle -raising people in East Africa and northern Europe have gained a mutation (突变) that helps them digest milk as adults.
On Thursday in an article published in Cell, a team of researchers reported a new kind of adaptation - not to air or to food, but to the ocean. A group of sea-dwelling people in Southeast Asia have evolved into better divers. The Bajau, as these people are known, number in the hundreds of thousands in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. They have traditionally lived on houseboats; in recent times, they’ve also built houses on stilts (支柱) in coastal waters. “They are simply a stranger to the land,” said Redney C. Jubilado, a University of Hawaii researcher who studies the Bajau.
Dr. Jubilado first met the Bajau while growing up on Samal Island in the Philippines. They made a living as divers, spearfishing or harvesting shellfish. “We were so amazed that they could stay underwater much longer than us local islanders,” Dr. Jubilado said. “I could see them actually walking under the sea.”
In2015, Melissa Ilardo, then a graduate student in genetics at the University of Copenhagen, heard about the Bajau. She wondered if centuries of diving could have led to the evolution of physical characteristics that made the task easier for them. “it seemed like the perfect chance for natural selection to act on a population,” said Dr. Ilardo. She also said there were likely a number of other genes that help the Bajau dive.
1.What does the author want to tell us by the examples in paragraph 1?
A.Environmental adaptation of cattle raisers. B.New knowledge of human evolution.
C.Recent findings of human origin. D.Significance of food selection.
2.Where do the Bajau build their houses?
A.In valleys. B.Near rivers. C.On the beach. D.Off the coast.
3.Why was the young Jubilado astonished at the Bajau?
A.They could walk on stilts all day. B.They had a superb way of fishing.
C.They could stay long underwater. D.They lived on both land and water.
4.What can be a suitable title for the text?
A.Bodies Remodeled for a Life at Sea B.Highlanders’ Survival Skills
C.Basic Methods of Genetic Research D.The World’s Best Divers
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
The Origins of Famous Brands
Our lives are full of brand names and trademarked products that we use every day. Although many brand names are simple acronyms(首字母缩略词) or versions of their founders names, some of the companies we trust every day actually have fascinating and surprising back stories.
Starbucks
It seems fitting that the most famous coffee brand in the world would take its name from one of the world’s greatest works of literature. The inspiration for the name of the coffeehouse came from Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. The founders’ original idea was to name the company after the Captain Ahab’s ship, but they eventually decided that Pequot wasn’t a great name for coffee, so they chose Ahab’s first mate, Starbucks, as the name instead.
Google was originally called Backrub, for it searched for links in every corner of the Web. In 1997, when the founders of the company were searching for a new name showing a huge amount of data for their rapidly improving search technology, a friend suggested the word “googol”. When a friend tried to register the new domain (域) name, he misspelled “googol” as “google”.
Nike
Originally founded as a distributor for Japanese running shoes, the company was originally named BRS, or Blue Ribbon Sports. In 1971, BRS introduced its own soccer shoe, a model called Nike, which is also the name for the Greek goddess of victory. In 1978, the company officially renamed itself as Nike, Inc.
The right name is essential to a company’s success, and a great origin story is just as important as a great product. An attractive origin story is one more thing that keeps customers guessing, wondering, and buying its products.
1.What is the name of the Captain Ahab’s ship?
A. Moby Dick. B. Starbucks.
C. Pequot. D. Herman Melville.
2.Why did the founders of the Google want to change its name?
A. They mistook their name.
B. They wanted new customers.
C. The company’s original name was too long.
D. The company’s search technology was improving rapidly.
3.Where does the importance of the origin story of one company lie in?
A. It can change the company’s image.
B. It can add myth to the company.
C. It explains the development of the company to customers.
D. It makes customers imagine and purchase its goods.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
As we reflect on the evolution of fitness over the centuries, and the emergence of a well- organized and growing "fitness” market and industry, it is well to ask ourselves: what have we lost, and what have we gained?
Obviously, much good has come out of these recent developments: there's widespread awareness of the importance of regular exercise, nearly every community has a gym or fitness club where people can go or pay to work out, and we understand more about how the human body works.Yet despite the many health and fitness methods, programs, and resources, the general population has never been so physically sedentary (久坐的)and out-of-shape. A recent World Health Organization report indicates that life expectancy (寿命)in the U. S. dropped for the first time since 1993. The health of modem people is declining, despite highly advanced medical technologies and the booming health and fitness industry.
How could that be? A large part of it is motivation. People are simply not as motivated to move their body and get healthy as they were in the past. We live in a society where the inability to operate one's body in a practical and effective manner is no longer an embarrassing condition. The fitness industry, no matter how good each new program claims to be, has failed to get the majority of people to value, practice, and enjoy physical exercise.
So, should we expect the answer to this dilemma to come from even more varied, or more technologically advanced programs and equipment? Or will the solution come from a different mindset, a simpler approach and practice, and overall a new culture?
1.What does the author tell us about fitness industry in paragraph 2?
A.It provides better technology.
B.It is supported by most people.
C.It brings about positive effects.
D.It costs people too much money.
2.What is the main reason why people fail to do physical exercise?
A.Not enough equipment. B.Lack of inner drive.
C.Misguided instructions. D.Embarrassing living conditions.
3.What does the author seem to agree with?
A.Change attitudes to fitness. B.Rely on standard practice.
C.Seek more potential customers. D.Turn to more advanced programs.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.Lost in fitness B.Misunderstanding about fitness
C.Evolution of fitness D.Importance of fitness
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
We are just trying to reach a point ______ both sides will sit down together and talk.
A.where | B.that | C.when | D.which |
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
Some of those who oppose smoking in movies have just seen the future, and they are not happy about it.
Having caught up with James Cameron’s3-D science fiction thriller, “Avatar,” over the holidays, Stanton A. Glantz, director of the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California, said his Smoke Free Movies initiative(倡议) would soon come out swinging with an informational campaign aimed at what he saw as the movie’s pro-smoking message.
“This is like someone just put a bunch of plutonium(钚) in the water supply,” Mr. Glantz said in a telephone interview last week. He was referring to scenes in which an environmental scientist played by Sigourney Weaverdrags lovingly on a cigarette as she works to save the moon Pandora sometime in the 22nd century.
Scenesmoking.org, which monitors tobacco mentions in films, gave “Avatar” a rating: A “black lung.” Still, this movie is not the only holiday picture to earn that distinction, which indicates unacceptable depictions(描绘) of tobacco.
“Sherlock Holmes” and “The Blind Side,” which were distributed by Warner Brothers; “Nine,” from the Weinstein Company; “Did You Hear About the Morgans?”from Sony Pictures; and “The Fantastic Mr. Fox,” also from Fox, were similarly rated with a “black lung” for tobacco use.
In a statement sent by e-mail over the weekend, Mr. Cameron said he had never intended Ms. Weaver’s character, Grace Augustine, to be “a role model” for teenagers. “She’s rude, she swears, she drinks, she smokes,” wrote Mr. Cameron. “Also, from a character perspective, we were showing that Grace doesn’t care about her human body, only her avatar body, which again is a negative comment about people in our real world living too much in their avatars, meaning online and in video games.”
Speaking as an artist, Mr. Cameron said: “I don’t believe in the dogmatic(教条的) idea that no one in a movie should smoke. Movies should reflect reality…I do agree that young role-model characters should not smoke in movies, especially in a way which suggests that it makes them cooler or more accepted by their peers.”
For the record, apart from the 3-D tobacco use, Mr. Glantz said he found “Avatar” to be “a great movie.”
1.What would be the best title for the text?
A. “Avatar” Made by James Cameron Becomes the Latest Hit Again
B. A discussion about the Role-model for Young People
C. ‘Avatar’ Joins Holiday Movies That Fail an Antismoking Test
D. A Campaign against Smoking
2.What is Warner Brothers?
A. A rating administration. B. A research center.
C. A film. D. A film company.
3.What is the tone of the text?
A. Doubtful. B. Objective C. Subjective. D. Sensitive.
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
Just as John Lubbock said, we may sit in a library and yet be in all quarters of the earth. Here are some of the coolest libraries of the world.
Stuttgart City Library
Despite a classic white-on-white color, Stuttgart City Library is one of the most visually appealing modern libraries. The amazing modem and simple look is the product of the Korean architect Yi Eun-young. The German library opened in 2011, and cost nearly 80 million euros to construct.
Kanazawa Umimirai Library
Architects from the Coelacanth K&H Architects studio designed the Kanazawa Umimirai Library lo create the best reading environment. Healed floors, an outpouring of natural light, and other features were specifically included lo achieve this goal. The wall, which consists of thousands of tiny openings, allows natural lighting into the building, improving the overall feel of the space. This Japanese library was opened in 2011, and reflects the appearance of many modem and simple spaces.
Library of Congress
In 1800, Congress set up the Library of Congress in Washington D.C.. Fifteen years later, Thomas Jefferson offered his personal library to replace books that were lost when the British set the building on fire in 1814. His books, which took nearly 50 years to collect, varied from texts on science, literature and philosophy, to books in a variety of foreign languages. These days, the Library of Congress offers more than 155 million items and the largest rare book collection in North America.
State Library of Victoria
The Slate Library of Victoria, located in Melbourne, Australia, is one of the largest exhibiting libraries in the world. Though it opened in 1856, major repairs took place between 1990 and 2004. The La Trobe Reading Room is one of the library’s main attractions due to its visually amazing architecture. The lawn at the library’s front attracts hundreds of city folk each day, who gather for lunch or to enjoy the statues there. The library currently contains over two million books, as well as armor (盔甲) of Ned Kelly, a folk hero against the ruling class.
1.Which library has the longest history?
A. Stuttgart City Library. B. Kanazawa Umimirai Library.
C. Library of Congress. D. State Library of Victoria.
2.What’s special about Stale Library of Victoria?
A. It has great architecture.
B. It has a folk hero’s statue in it.
C. It is the world’s largest exhibiting library.
D. It serves as a meeting place for the citizens.
3.What does the first two libraries have in common?
A. They are constructed in the modem style.
B. They cost a large amount of money.
C. They are designed by Korean architects.
D. They feature providing readers with natural light.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
We may not be aware of it, but ordinary family homes in the U.S. and the rest of the world are not energy-efficient.
Most of their energy goes to heating and cooling, and a lot of it is wasted, as warm air and cool air escape through fireplace chimneys and thin or poorly fitting windows and doors. A passive house loses almost none."Imagine a thermos(保温瓶),"said housing developer Brendan O’Neill."You have insulation(隔绝) everywhere, and it’s basically completely sealed. And so the idea is to build a house like a thermos. So the windows are sealed. There’s insulation completely surrounding the building. We make it as sealed as possible."
A 147-square-meter passive house, presented by O’Neill Development Corp. as a demonstration unit just outside Washington, was brought to the site in two boxes. "Once it’s set and put together, it takes about four weeks to complete the outside construction, to put down carpets," O’Neill said. "If everything is set in place, you put a house like this together in about four months.”The total cost of building it was $325,000, or about 17 percent more than constructing an ordinary house. But its utility(公用事业) bill is only around $20 monthly, or one-tenth the amount for the average house of the same size.
While passive houses have been around for a long time, the idea has never taken root in the U.S. There was no driving force to push it.
However, David Peabody, an architect who designs passive houses said, "I think climate change is now becoming a larger issue. And I think building standards are catching on to that. So people are becoming more aware of energy."Peabody said the cost of building passive houses could come down."What really makes sense for truly affordable housing," he said, "is to build multi-storey buildings."
1.Why aren’t ordinary family homes energy-efficient?
A. Building them wastes much energy.
B. Their energy mainly goes to heating and cooling.
C. Their sealing performance is poor.
D. They have no insulation around at all.
2.What is the feature of a passive house?
A. There’re no windows or chimneys.
B. There’s little space to place furniture.
C. Its building cost is relatively high.
D. It takes about four weeks to build one.
3.What’s David Peabody’s attitude to the future of the passive house?
A. Cautious. B. Optimistic. C. Skeptical. D. Concerned.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Tony and I are good friends. We tried to walk across the United States of America. We’re not exactly sure why we were doing it. Part of 1. was to test ourselves; to see if we could face the challenges. When I was 2. teenager I often daydreamed that I was going to walk across the United States after I 3. (graduate) from high school. 4. , I didn’t do that.
Before I knew it I was5. my thirties ,married , a job, yet still had this idea in my mind with each passing year. I figured I was too old and my opportunity6. (pass). Then, a few years ago, I met Tony , 7. was in his thirties and quit his job as a civil engineer in New York City to walk across the United States.He wasn’t doing it for a cause as part of an organization. He was doing it 8. (simple) because he loved to walk and discover. The idea was back and I no longer had an excuse. We planned on averaging 20 miles a day and taking some days off 9. (rest), so we expected the walk to take about 6 months realizing it could take10. (long). We were in no hurry: The total distance would have been about 3,100 miles.
高三英语其他题中等难度题查看答案及解析
Tony and I are good friends. We tried to walk across the United States of America. We're not exactly sure 1. we were doing it. Part of it was to test ourselves; to see if we could face the challenges. When I was 2. teenager I often daydreamed that I was going to walk across the United States 3. I graduated from high school. 4. ,I didn't do that. Before I knew it I was in my thirties, married, 5. (have) a job, yet still had this idea in my mind with each 6. (pass) year. I figured I was too old and my opportunity had passed. Then, a few years ago,I met Tony, 7. was in his thirties and quit his job as a civil engineer in New York City to walk across the United States. He wasn't doing it for a cause 8. as part of an organization. He was doing it 9. (simple) because he loved to walk and discover. The idea was back and I no longer had an excuse. We planned on averaging 20 miles a day and taking some days off to rest, so we expected the walk to. take about 6 months realizing it could take 10. (long). We were in no hurry: The total distance would have been about 3,100 miles.
高三英语其他题中等难度题查看答案及解析
Tony and I are good friends. We tried to walk across the United States of America. We’re not exactly sure why we were doing it. Part of 1. was to test ourselves; to see if we could face the challenges. When I was 2. teenager I often daydreamed that I was going to walk across the United States after I 3. (graduate) from high school. 4. , I didn’t do that.
Before I knew it I was 5. my thirties ,married , a job, yet still had this idea in my mind with each passing year. I figured I was too old and my opportunity 6. (pass). Then, a few years ago, I met Tony , 7. was in his thirties and quit his job as a civil engineer in New York City to walk across the United States.He wasn’t doing it for a cause as part of an organization. He was doing it 8. (simple) because he loved to walk and discover. The idea was back and I no longer had an excuse. We planned on averaging 20 miles a day and taking some days off 9. (rest), so we expected the walk to take about 6 months realizing it could take10. (long). We were in no hurry: The total distance would have been about 3,100 miles.
高三英语其他题中等难度题查看答案及解析