Modem agriculture and its ability to feed bil...

Modem agriculture and its ability to feed billions of people may be one of humanity's greatest achievements. However it comes with hidden costs. For example, have you ever considered how much water is needed to provide you with a steak or a salad? It may surprise you.

In a recent study published in the journal Nutrients, scientists from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization(CSIRO). Australia's national science organization, took a close look at the diets of 9,341 adult Australians — specifically, their "water-scarcity footprints(水消耗足迹)". It turns out that a sweet tooth not only adds to our waistlines but also stresses our water resources.

The water-scarcity footprint is a widely recognized measurement of water consumption. First, it counts the liters of water you used. Then, it looks at the place where the water was used. Using a liter of water in the desert is not the same as using a liter of water in a tropical rainforest. The more scarce water is in your area, the larger your water-scarcity footprint.

The scientists found that the average Australian's diet had a water-scarcity footprint of 362 liters per day. Snacks and beverages — cookies, cakes, sodas and alcohol — accounted for 25 percent of the water-scarcity footprint. The research also included a glass of wine (41 liters), a single serving of potato chips (23 liters), and a small bar of milk chocolate (21 liters).

Not surprisingly, cutting down on snacks would be the top priority if we wanted to lower our own water-scarcity footprint.

Earth's surface is 70 percent water, but only 2.5 percent of that can be used for drinking or farming. While humanity faces an uphill battle to feed its growing population, climate change is causing droughts and extreme weather in agricultural centers like California and eastern Australia. Cities aren't safe, either. In 2018, Cape Town, South Africa, nearly ran out of water due to a drought. Its freshwater reservoir(储藏)stayed at just above 13.5 percent of full capacity. By 2030, a world of about 8.6 billion people will need 35 percent more water, 40 percent more energy, and 50 percent more food, according to the United States National Intelligence Council.

So, we need to watch what we eat, not just for our personal health but for the health of our societies.

1.Scientists find from their studies that .

A.Modem agriculture has the ability to feed billions of people

B.A steak or a salad consumes much water

C.A sweet tooth puts pressure on water resources

D.Snacks consume 85 liters of water per day

2.What is the public's attitude to the water-scarcity footprint as a way to measure water consumption?

A.Doubtful B.Approving

C.Negative D.Indifferent

3.The author develops the sixth paragraph mainly　　　　　 .

A.by explaining an experiment B.by analyzing a problem

C.by making comparisons D.by listing numbers

4.What is the best title for the text?

A.Water-scarcity footprint is measured B.Water waste starts with snacks

C.Water resources are reduced D.Water consumption faces an uphill battle

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Modern agriculture and its ability to feed billions of people may be among humanity’s greatest successes. However, it comes with hidden costs. For example, have you ever considered how much water is needed to provide you with a steak or a salad? It may surprise you.

In a recent study published in the journal Nutrients, scientists from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization(CSIRO), Australia's national science organization, took a close look at the diets of 9,341 adult Australians—specifically, their “water-scarcity footprints(水消耗足迹)”.

It turned out that a sweet tooth not only adds to our waistlines(腰围) but also stresses our water resources. The water-scarcity footprint is a widely recognized measurement of water consumption. First, it counts the liters of water you used. Then, it looks at the place where the water was used. The more lacking water is in your area, the larger your water-scarcity footprint.

The scientists found that the average Australian's diet had a water-scarcity footprint of 362 liters per day. Snacks—cookies, cakes and alcohol—accounted for 25 percent of the water-scarcity footprint. The research also included a glass of wine(41 liters), a single serving of potato chips(23 liters), and a small bar of milk chocolate(21 liters).

Not surprisingly, cutting out snacks would be the N0.1 priority if you wanted to lower your own water-scarcity footprint.

Earth's surface is 70 percent water, but only 2.5 percent of that can be used for drinking or farming. By 2030, a world of about 8.6 billion people will need 35 percent more water, 40 percent more energy, and 50 percent more food, according to the United States National Intelligence Council. So, we need to watch what we eat, not just for our personal health but for the health of our societies.

1.What did the recent study closely focus on?

A.Modern agriculture. B.Average Australians.

C.Water resources. D.Water-scarcity footprints.

2.What did scientists from CSIRO find in their study?

A.Sweet teeth lead to thin waistlines.

B.Australians' diets are mainly made up of snacks.

C.The water-scarcity fooprint is a measurement of saving water.

D.Lacking water in our area means a larger water-scarcity footprint.

3.What does the underlined part “the N0.1 priority” in Paragraph 5 probably mean?

A.the least important thing B.the least impossible thing

C.something to be done first D.something to be prevented first

4.What does the last paragraph intend to tell us?

A.Take care of our diets. B.Protect our drinking water.

C.Make good use of energy. D.Produce more healthy food.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

There are billions of people on this planet, and many of us love to eat meat. Can the demand be filled in a sustainable(可持续的) and affordable way? A bunch of businessmen are not only optimistic but are working to make this happen sooner than you may think.

The environmental effects caused by meat consumption (食用)—waste, animal treatment, health problems and even the greenhouse gas effects that are potentially caused by methane gas produced by cows—have given rise to a number of startups(新兴公司)looking to develop meats in different ways.

For example, San Francisco-based Memphis Meats is developing cell-based meats in its labs without requiring any animals. Israel’s Future Meat Technologies is doing the same by producing fat and muscle cells that are being tested by chefs in Jerusalem. All of these companies use special processes to harvest cells from animals and grow them in a lab.

But don’t worry if you’re not a meat lover. Startups such as Jet Eat, which is also based in Israel, are working on food products grown in labs that are plant-based and replicate (复制) meats using natural elements while still keeping flavor, consistency and the “overall sensory experience”, according to a report on NoCamels. Jet Eat, which was founded in early 2018, aims to 3D-print their lab-grown products by 2020.

As you can imagine, there are plenty of barriers facing the industry. Educating the public is a big one. Another controversial issue is the labeling of the products.　 Recently both the USDA and the Food and Drug Administration(FDA) announced that they will begin jointly controlling the new “cell-based meat” category.

Many of us have concerns about the challenges facing future generations as our global population increases and the earth’s natural resources decreases. The good news is that there are plenty of businessmen around the world—like those producing lab-grown meats—who are working to solve some of these problems and make a little money in the process. Nothing wrong with that.

1.Why do some companies begin to develop new kinds of meats?

A.To analyse the causes of air pollution.

B.To stress the importance of protecting wild animals.

C.To make people less interested in eating meat and more healthy.

D.To meet people’s demand for meat in environmentally friendly ways.

2.What’s special about the lab-grown meats of Jet Eat?

A.They cost less. B.They are plant-based.

C.They are more delicious. D.They are available on the market now.

3.Which of the following is a barrier lab-grown meat industries must deal with?

A.How to let people accept the meat. B.How to give the meat an elegant name.

C.How to produce the meat in large amounts. D.How to reduce the cost of making the meat.

4.What’s the author’s attitude towards lab-grown meats?

A.Supportive. B.Opposing. C.Ambiguous. D.Cautious.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Since ancient times, people have known about its ability to reduce pain and high body temperature. More than 2000 years ago, the Greek doctor Hippocrates advised his patients to chew on the bark and leaves of the willow.

The tree contains a chemical called salicin（柳醇）. From salicin, researchers in the 1800s discovered how to make salicylic acid（酸）. And in 1897, a chemist named Felix Hoffmann at Friedrich Bayer and Company in Germany created acetyl salicylic acid. Later it became the active substance in a new medicine that Bayer called aspirin. The "a" came from acetyl. The "spir" came from the spirea plant, which also produces salicin. And the "in" Well, that is a common way to end medicine names.

In 1982, a British scientist shared the Nobel Prize in Medicine in part for discovering how aspirin works. Sir John Vane found that aspirin blocks the body from making natural substances called prostaglandins（前列腺素）.Prostaglandins have several effects on the body. Some cause pain and the expansion, or swelling（ 肿瘤; 膨胀）, of damaged tissue. Others protect the lining of the stomach and small intestine. Prostaglandins also make the heart, kidneys and blood vessels （血管）work well. But there is a problem. Aspirin works against all prostaglandins, good and bad. Scientists learned how aspirin interferes with an enzyme（酶）. One form of this enzyme makes the prostaglandin that causes pain and swelling. Another form of the enzyme creates a protective effect. So aspirin can reduce pain and swelling in damaged tissues. But it can also harm the inside of the stomach and small intestine（肠）.

1.What sickness can the medicine from the willow deal with according to the passage?

A. Cold        B. Toothache         C. Cancer        D. Skin disease

2.What can we know about Prostaglandin according to the passage?

A. It results from pain.

B. It prevents the lining of the stomach and small intestine.

C. It causes blood vessels to work wrongly.

D. It is sometimes good but sometimes bad.

3.What can we know about aspirin according to the passage?

A. Aspirin can treat almost diseases.

B. Aspirin can create the protective enzyme.

C. Aspirin can harm the inside of the stomach and small intestine.

D. Aspirin can protect the inside of the stomach and small intestine.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Every day, 340 million people speak it. One billion people are learning it and it is said that by 2050, half of the world’s population will be using it. What are we talking about? That is the global language—English.

The English language started in Britain in the 5th century. It is a mixed language. It was built up when German. Scandinavian and French invaders settled in England and created a common language for communication.

Today it is the official language of the UK, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa and Ireland as well as many islands in the Caribbean. Many other countries and regions use it for politics and business, for example, India. Pakistan, Nigeria and the Philippines. English is also one of the official languages of Hong Kong.

But global advertising and pop music mean that in most countries, you will see or hear some English. Thanks to McDonalds, we all know about “burgers”. “fries” and “milkshakes”. Songs by Madonna, Britney Spears and Celine Dion are in English. We can sing along, even if we do not understand what we are singing!

English is a messy (杂乱的) language. Every year, dictionaries include new words that talk about popular culture, for example, computer-related words such as "blogging", "download" and "chartroom". Also included are words that teenagers use. Who does not know “cool”, “OK” and “hello”? Other languages also influence English. Many English words come from French. Words like “café” and expressions like “c'est la vie” (that is life) are all part of the English language. On the other hand, the French language includes English words like "le weekend" and "le camping". German words are also part of English. Words like "kindergarten" come from the German language.

Recently, British people have become interested in “yoga”. But the word comes from an ancient Hindu language in India.

1.The English language has a history of ______.

A. over 2000 years　　　　　　　　 B. over 1500 years

C. over 500 years　　　　　　　　 D. over 1000 years

2.The underlined expression “thanks to” can be replaced by ______.

A. as usual　 　　　 B. in order to

C. because of　　　 D. as if.

3. Which of the following statements is true about the language of English?

A. It has borrowed words from all the other languages.

B. It has been changing all the time.

C. French words are used by the English because dictionaries have French words.

D. Singers and film stars have the greatest influence on language.

4.How many people in the world are using English now?

A. One billion people.

B. not mentioned above, but the number is growing rapidly.

C. almost all the people in the world.

D. 340 million.

5.Many countries and regions use it for politics and business except______.

A. Norway　　　 　　　　　 B. Nigeria

C. the Philippines　　　 D. the USA

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Kiyoto Saito is trying to change people’s opinion of agricultural work through his unusual attire(打扮). Whether he’s driving a tractor1.is standing in the fields, Kiyoto is always wearing an elegant suit.

Kiyoto’s family has been planting rice for around 400 years, but as a teenager he 2.(find) the tradition boring and moved to the city. He returned to his native town two years ago,3.(determine) to get involved in the family business.

4. idea of wearing a suit in the fields started as a joke. One day, his brother joked about farming in an elegant suit, but Kyioto took it5.(serious). He viewed the idea as the perfect way to change public opinion of agricultural work. “Most people think of farmers6.‘dirty all day’. I want youngsters to think ‘farming looks fun’” he said.

At first no one seemed7.(understand) him. Even his family was surprised by his8.(choose) of farming attire. His grandfather worried 9.(do) farm work in a suit would be dangerous.

Now Kiyoto is famous and has been invited on various television shows. He also has a blog where he regularly10.(post) his farming experiences and photos of himself all dressed up.

高三英语短文填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Kiyoto Saito is trying to change people’s opinion of agricultural work through his unusual attire (打扮). Whether he’s driving a tractor 1. is standing in the fields, Kiyoto is always wearing an elegant suit.

Kiyoto’s family has been planting rice for around 400 years, but as a teenager he 2. (find) the tradition boring and moved to the city. He returned to his native town two years ago,3. (determine) to get involved in the family business.

4. idea of wearing a suit in the fields started as a joke. One day, his brother joked about farming in an elegant suit, but Kyioto took it 5. (serious). He viewed the idea as the perfect way to change public opinion of agricultural work. “Most people think of farmers 6. ‘dirty all day’. I want youngsters to think ‘farming looks fun’” he said.

At first no one seemed 7. (understand) him. Even his family was surprised by his 8. (choose) of farming attire. His grandfather worried 9. (do) farm work in a suit would be dangerous.

Now Kiyoto is famous and has been invited on various television shows. He also has a blog where he regularly 10. (post) his farming experiences and photos of himself all dressed up.

高三英语短文填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

For all the technological wonders of modem medicine, health care-with its fax machines and clipboards(写字板)—is out of date. This outdated era is slowly drawing to a close as the industry catches up with the artificial-intelligence ( AI) revolution.

Eric Topol, an expert in heart disease and enthusiast for digital medicine, thinks AI will be particularly useful for such tasks as examining images, observing heart traces for abnormalities or turning doctors' words into patient records. It will be able to use masses of data to work out the best treatments, and improve workflows in hospitals. In short, AI is set to save time, lives and money.

The fear some people have is that AI will be used to deepen the assembly-line culture of modem medicine. If it gives a “ gift of time” to doctors, they argue that this bonus should be used to extend consultations, rather than simply speeding through them more efficiently.

That is a fine idea, but as health swallows an ever-bigger share of national wealth, greater efficiency is exactly what is needed, at least so far as governments and insurers are concerned. Otherwise, rich societies may fail to cope with the needs of ageing and growing populations. An extra five minutes spent chatting with a patient is costly as well as valuable. The AI revolution will also enable managerial accountants to adjust and evaluate every aspect of treatment. The autonomy of the doctor will surely be weakened, especially, perhaps, in public-health systems which are duty-bound to cut unnecessary costs.

The Hippocratic Oath(誓言) holds that there is an art to medicine as well as a science, and that “warmth, sympathy and understanding may outweigh the surgeon's knife or the chemist's drug”. There's lots of sense in it: the patients of sympathetic physicians have been shown to recover better. Yet as the supply of human carers fails to satisfy the demand for health care, the future may involve consultations on smartphones and measurements monitored by chatbots. The considerately warmed stethoscope ( 听诊器) ,placed gently on a patient's back, may become a relic of the past.

1.What's Dr Topol's attitude toward AI's coming into medicine?

A.Concerned. B.Doubtful. C.Optimistic. D.Cautious.

2.What does the author of the text attach more importance to?

A.Medical costs. B.National wealth.

C.Longer consultation. D.Greater efficiency.

3.Why is the Hippocratic Oath mentioned?

A.To prove the bright future of AI.

B.To show the advantage of a human doctor.

C.To explain medical equipment is more important.

D.To argue a human doctor performs as well as a robot.

4.What may be the best title for the text?

A.Health care and AI B.AI and its applications

C.Doctors and Patients D.Dr Topol and digital medicine

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

For all the technological wonders of modem medicine, health care-with its fax machines and clipboards(写字板)—is out of date. This outdated era is slowly drawing to a close as the industry catches up with the artificial-intelligence ( AI) revolution.

Eric Topol, an expert in heart disease and enthusiast for digital medicine, thinks AI will be particularly useful for such tasks as examining images, observing heart traces for abnormalities or turning doctors' words into patient records. It will be able to use masses of data to work out the best treatments, and improve workflows in hospitals. In short, AI is set to save time, lives and money.

The fear some people have is that AI will be used to deepen the assembly-line culture of modem medicine. If it gives a “ gift of time” to doctors, they argue that this bonus should be used to extend consultations, rather than simply speeding through them more efficiently.

That is a fine idea, but as health swallows an ever-bigger share of national wealth, greater efficiency is exactly what is needed, at least so far as governments and insurers are concerned. Otherwise, rich societies may fail to cope with the needs of ageing and growing populations. An extra five minutes spent chatting with a patient is costly as well as valuable. The AI revolution will also enable managerial accountants to adjust and evaluate every aspect of treatment. The autonomy of the doctor will surely be weakened, especially, perhaps, in public-health systems which are duty-bound to cut unnecessary costs.

The Hippocratic Oath(誓言) holds that there is an art to medicine as well as a science, and that “warmth, sympathy and understanding may outweigh the surgeon's knife or the chemist's drug”. There's lots of sense in it: the patients of sympathetic physicians have been shown to recover better. Yet as the supply of human carers fails to satisfy the demand for health care, the future may involve consultations on smartphones and measurements monitored by chatbots. The considerately warmed stethoscope ( 听诊器) ,placed gently on a patient's back, may become a relic of the past.

1.What's Dr Topol's attitude toward AI's coming into medicine?

A.Concerned. B.Doubtful. C.Optimistic. D.Cautious.

2.What does the author of the text attach more importance to?

A.Medical costs. B.National wealth.

C.Longer consultation. D.Greater efficiency.

3.Why is the Hippocratic Oath mentioned?

A.To prove the bright future of AI.

B.To show the advantage of a human doctor.

C.To explain medical equipment is more important.

D.To argue a human doctor performs as well as a robot.

4.What may be the best title for the text?

A.Health care and AI B.AI and its applications

C.Doctors and Patients D.Dr Topol and digital medicine

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

For all the technological wonders of modem medicine, health care-with its fax machines and clipboards(写字板)—is out of date. This outdated era is slowly drawing to a close as the industry catches up with the artificial-intelligence ( AI) revolution.

Eric Topol, an expert in heart disease and enthusiast for digital medicine, thinks AI will be particularly useful for such tasks as examining images, observing heart traces for abnormalities or turning doctors' words into patient records. It will be able to use masses of data to work out the best treatments, and improve workflows in hospitals. In short, AI is set to save time, lives and money.

The fear some people have is that AI will be used to deepen the assembly-line culture of modem medicine. If it gives a “ gift of time” to doctors, they argue that this bonus should be used to extend consultations, rather than simply speeding through them more efficiently.

That is a fine idea, but as health swallows an ever-bigger share of national wealth, greater efficiency is exactly what is needed, at least so far as governments and insurers are concerned. Otherwise, rich societies may fail to cope with the needs of ageing and growing populations. An extra five minutes spent chatting with a patient is costly as well as valuable. The AI revolution will also enable managerial accountants to adjust and evaluate every aspect of treatment. The autonomy of the doctor will surely be weakened, especially, perhaps, in public-health systems which are duty-bound to cut unnecessary costs.

The Hippocratic Oath(誓言) holds that there is an art to medicine as well as a science, and that “warmth, sympathy and understanding may outweigh the surgeon's knife or the chemist's drug”. There's lots of sense in it: the patients of sympathetic physicians have been shown to recover better. Yet as the supply of human carers fails to satisfy the demand for health care, the future may involve consultations on smartphones and measurements monitored by chatbots. The considerately warmed stethoscope ( 听诊器) ,placed gently on a patient's back, may become a relic of the past.

1.What's Dr Topol's attitude toward AI's coming into medicine?

A.Concerned. B.Doubtful. C.Optimistic. D.Cautious.

2.What does the author of the text attach more importance to?

A.Medical costs. B.National wealth.

C.Longer consultation. D.Greater efficiency.

3.Why is the Hippocratic Oath mentioned?

A.To prove the bright future of AI.

B.To show the advantage of a human doctor.

C.To explain medical equipment is more important.

D.To argue a human doctor performs as well as a robot.

4.What may be the best title for the text?

A.Health care and AI B.AI and its applications

C.Doctors and Patients D.Dr Topol and digital medicine

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析