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From talking robots and video phones to rovers （探测器）on Mars, technology has become so advanced that the previously impossible seems to occur on a daily basis. And yet—we still have no cure for the common cold.
Why can't we stop the common cold? According to Peter Barlow, a scientist at Edinburgh Napier University in the UK, the main challenge lies in the many different types of cold viruses that are produced by the rhinoviruses （鼻病毒），Scientific American reported. There are at least 160 types. They mutate so easily that they quickly become resistant to drugs, or learn to hide from our immune systems. In other words, a single cure isn't likely to work on every type of cold.
However, researchers from Stanford University and the University of California, San Francisco, have found a possible answer. They discovered a protein that the viruses need. Without it, they can't spread inside your body.
To identify the gene which produces the specific protein needed by the viruses, researchers used a gene-editing technique to test all genes in the human genome（基因组）one by one for thousands of cell.
These modified （改变的）cells were then exposed to a range of enteroviruses （肠道病毒）， including the rhinoviruses which cause the common cold.
All the viruses were unable to replicate（复制）inside cells without a gene that produces a specific protein, called methyltransferase（甲基转移酶）SETD3.
Then, they tested genetically（从基因方面）modified mice, which were completely unable to produce the protein. The mice were able to live healthy, normal lives without the protein.
"Lacking that gene protected the mice completely from viral （病毒的）infection,” associate professor Jan Carette, from Stanford, told the BBC.
"These mice would always die, but they survived and we saw a very strong reduction in viral replication and very strong protection."
Carette said the plan is to find a drug which can temporarily suppress（抑制） the protein, instead of producing genetically modified humans.
“We have identified a fantastic target that all enteroviruses and rhinoviruses require and depend on. Take that away and the virus really has no chance," said Carette.
"This is a really good first step—the second step is to have a chemical that mimics（模拟） this genetic deletion,” he added.
1.What does the underlined word "mutate” mean in English?
A.To change a new form.
B.To identify a new gene.
C.To check a modified cell.
D.To cure a viral infection.
2.What is the article mainly about?
A.Why it is so hard to cure the common cold.
B.The possible link between rhinoviruses and the common cold.
C.A possible way to stop viral infections that cause the common cold.
D.The functions of a protein needed by viruses.
3.What does Peter Barlow think is the main problem for prevention of the common cold?
A.The slow mutation of some genes.
B.The fast speed at which rhinoviruses spread.
C.The harm rhinoviruses do to the immune system.
D.The wide variety of cold viruses created by rhinoviruses.
4.What can we learn about the protein needed by the viruses?
A.It helps the viruses replicate inside our bodies.
B.It allows the viruses to change easily.
C.It helps the viruses become resistant to drugs.
D.It increases the spread of the viruses.
5.What did the researchers discover in their gene-editing study?
A.Genetically modified mice died because they lacked the protein.
B.The modified cells seemed to protect the mice against viral infections.
C.More methyltransferase SETD3 was produced after the cells were modified.
D.The gene-editing technique was more effective against enteroviruses than rhinoviruses.
6.What do the researchers plan to do next, according to Carette?
A.Conduct experiments on genetically modified humans.
B.Identify a drug that can help reduce the protein.
C.Apply this gene-editing technique to control other viruses.
D.Find a chemical that can cure all enteroviruses and rhinoviruses.
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
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From talking robots and video phones to rovers on Mars, technology has become so advanced that the previously impossible seems to occur on a daily basis. And yet - we still have no cure for the common cold.
Why can’t we stop the common cold? According to Peter Barlow, a scientist at Edinburgh Napier University in the UK, the main challenge lies in the many different types of cold viruses that are produced by the rhinoviruses (鼻病毒). There are at least 160 types. They mutate (突变) so easily that they quickly become resistant to drugs, or learn to hide from our immune systems. In other words, a single cure isn’t likely to work on every type of cold.
However, researchers from Stanford University and the University of California, San Francisco, have found a possible answer. They discovered a protein that the viruses need. Without it, they can’t spread inside your body.
To identify the gene which produces the specific protein needed by the viruses, researchers used a gene-editing technique to test all genes in the human genome one by one for thousands of cells. These modified (改变的) cells were then exposed to a range of enteroviruses, including the rhinoviruses which cause the common cold. All the viruses were unable to replicate (复制) inside cells without a gene that produces a specific protein, called methyltransferase SETD3.
Then, they tested genetically modified mice, which were completely unable to produce the protein. The mice were able to live healthy, normal lives without the protein. “Lacking that gene protected the mice completely from viral infection.” associate professor Jan Carette, from Stanford, told the BBC. “These mice would always die, but they survived and we saw a very strong reduction in viral replication and very strong protection.”
Carette said the plan is to find a drug which can temporarily suppress (抑制) the protein, instead of producing genetically modified humans. “We have identified a fantastic target that all enteroviruses and rhinoviruses require and depend on. Take that away and the virus really has no chance.” said Carette. “This is a really good first step – the second step is to have a chemical that mimics (模拟) this genetic deletion.” he added.
1.What does Peter Barlow think is the main problem for prevention of the common cold?
A.The slow mutation of some genes.
B.The fast speed at which rhinoviruses spread.
C.The harm rhinoviruses do to the immune system.
D.The wide variety of cold viruses created by rhinoviruses.
2.What can we learn about the protein needed by the viruses?
A.It helps the viruses replicate inside our bodies.
B.It allows the viruses to mutate easily.
C.It helps the viruses become resistant to drugs.
D.It accelerates the speed at which the viruses spread.
3.What did the researchers discover in their gene-editing study?
A.Genetically modified mice died because they lacked the protein.
B.The modified cells seemed to protect the mice against viral infections.
C.More methyltransferase SETD3 was produced after the cells were modified.
D.The gene-editing technique was more effective against enteroviruses than rhinoviruses.
4.What do the researchers most probably do next, according to Carette?
A.Conduct experiments on genetically modified humans.
B.Identify a drug that can help reduce the protein.
C.Apply this gene-editing technique to control other viruses.
D.Find a chemical that can cure all enteroviruses and rhinoviruses.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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From talking robots and video phones, technology has become so advanced that the previously impossible seems to occur on a daily basis. And yet—we still have no cure for the common cold.
Why can’t we stop the common cold? According to Peter Barlow, a scientist at Edinburgh Napier University, the main challenge lies in the many different types of cold viruses that are produced by the rhinoviruses (鼻病毒). There are at least 160 types. They change so easily that they quickly become resistant to drugs. In other words, a single cure isn’t likely to work on every type of cold.
However, researchers from Stanford University have found a possible answer. They discovered a protein that the viruses need. Without it, they can't spread inside your body.
To identify the gene which produces the specific protein needed by the viruses, researchers used a gene-editing technique to test all genes one by one for thousands of cells. These modified (改变的) cells were then exposed to a range of rhinoviruses which cause the common cold.
All the viruses were unable to copy inside cells without a gene that produces a specific protein, called methyltransferase (甲基转移酶) SETD3.
Then, they tested genetically modified mice, which were completely unable to produce the protein. The mice were able to live healthy, normal lives without the protein.
“Lacking that gene protected the mice completely from the common cold,” associate professor Jan Carette, from Stanford, told the BBC.
“These mice would always die, but they survived and we saw a very strong protection.”
Carette said the plan is to find a drug which can keep back the protein for a limited time, rather than produce genetically modified humans.
“We have identified a fantastic target that all rhinoviruses require and depend on. Take that away and the virus really has no chance,” said Carette.
1.Why does the author mention talking robots and video phones in the first paragraph?
A.To stress the importance of technology.
B.To encourage readers to share their ideas.
C.To introduce the topic of the text.
D.To recognize the progress of science.
2.What can we learn about the protein needed by the viruses?
A.It helps the viruses copy inside our bodies.
B.It stops the viruses from changing easily.
C.It protects the viruses against drugs.
D.It forces the viruses to spread fast.
3.What does Jan Carette intend to do?
A.To identify a fantastic target.
B.To slow copying speed of some genes.
C.To produce genetically modified humans.
D.To find a drug to temporarily block the protein.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.A New Experiment on Viruses.
B.New Defense Found for Viruses.
C.A Chemical Curing Modified Viruses.
D.Gene-editing Technology to Control Viruses.
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
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In today’s congratulatory phone call to the team behind NASA's Mars Curiosity rover（火星车）, President Barack Obama made sure that if the mission discovers Martians, he'll be one of the first to know.
"If in fact you do make contact with Martians, please let me know right away," Obama said during the call, "I've got a lot of things on my plate, but I expect that that will go to the top of the list. Even if they're just microbes(微生物), it will be pretty exciting."
Obama also said he was impressed by the attention that's been paid to flight director Bobak Ferdowsi, the "Mohawk Guy" whose star-spangled haircut and warmhearted behavior during Curiosity's Aug. 5 landing won him Internet fame.
"I, in the past, thought about getting a Mohawk myself," Obama joked. "But my team keeps on discouraging me. And now that he's received marriage proposals and thousands of new Twitter followers, I think I'm goi
ng to go back to my team and see if it makes sense."The
congratulatory phone call is a tradition for the White House. But it was clear that Obama particularly enjoyed congratulating the scientists and engineers behind the amazingly successful landing of NASA's newest Mars exploration.He also said the achievement reflected the American spirit, and he gave his personal promise to protect these critical investments in science and technology.
"This is the kind of thing that inspires kids across the country," he said. "They’re telling their moms and dads they want to be part of a Mars mission, maybe even the first person to walk on Mars. And that kind of inspiration is the byproduct of work of the sort that you guys have done."
The Curiosity rover's $2.5 billion mission focuses on studying billions of years' worth of geology on Mars and determining whether the planet was ever potentially suitable for people to live in. The mission is not specifically designed to explore life, even on the range of microbes, but it could point the way for future life-exploration experiments.
1.Obama phoned the team behind NASA's Mars Curiosity rover in order to _______.
A．congratulate them on finding Martians
B．praise the flight director
C．congratulate on the rover’s landing
D．encourage them to contact with Martians
2.What is the main idea of Paragraph 2 ?
A．Obama is very busy now.
B．Obama longs for the finding of life on Mars.
C．Obama is interested in biology.
D．Obama wants to contact Martians.
3.Which of the following about the Curiosity rover is TRUE ?
A．It costs billions of dollars.
B．It mainly aims to find life on Mars.
C．It carries the first person to Mars.
D．It proves Mars fit to live on.
4.What can we learn from the passage ?
A．Bobak Ferdowsi got a Mohawk haircut to win great Internet fame.
B．Obama called on the government and companies to invest in science.
C．America’s president seldom congratulates on scientific achievements.
D．Children showed special interest in the landing of Curiosity.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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Fascinated with images from the Mars Rover? It turns out you don’t have to go to space. The following spots may look like they are on another planet, but they are right here on earth.
* Socotra Island, Indian Ocean
The largest of the four-island Socotra Archipelago, the island has about 250 species of plants that are not found anywhere else in the world. This includes the canopy-topped dragon’s blood tree, which has blood-red resin(树脂）that runs down if the trunk is cut deep. It can grow to 10 feet with a bulbous(球根的）trunk that swells with water absorbed in case of dry weather.
See it for yourself: There are regular flights from the Yemen capital of Sanaa on(Felix Airways) ($ 180 each way)
* Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Arizona
This wilderness in Northern Arizona/southern Utah is home to some of the most striking landscapes in the American Southwest. The nearly 300,000-acre site is known for its abundance of colorful shale（页岩）and Navajo sandstone that has been eroded(侵蚀）by the elements to create cliffs that rise as high as 3,000 feet. In the northwest of the park is the Coyote Buttes, where you’ll find The Wave, a wall of red sandstone that twists and turns in a way that just doesn’t look natural ---but is.
See it for yourself: Permits are required to hike in Vermilion Cliffs. Paria Canyon and Buckskin Gulch permits are available at on-site pay stations or in advance ($5 per person).
*Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina
The huge size of the Perito Moreno Glacier is unbelievable---it is more than 50 miles in length and 500 feet deep. The terminus(终点）of the glacier is Lago Argetino, where a 50-foot blue-hued ice wall rises from the lake. The Perito Moreno is also one of the only glaciers left on earth that is still growing.
See it for yourself: Many tour companies offer day trips to Perito Moreno from El Calafte. Viator’s full-day tour includes transportation from a local hotel and a guided tour for $ 106 per person.
1.Which is true about the canopy-topped dragon’s blood tree?
A. It grows where there is little rain.
B. It has blood-red skin.
C. It is shaped like a dragon.
D. It stores water for dry season.
2.What do we know about The Wave?
A. It is created in a natural way.
B. It is created by waves.
C. It is as high as 3,000 feet.
D. It looks quite natural.
3.How much does a couple pay for a trip to Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina?
A. $106 B.$ 212 C.$ 360 D. $ 420
4.Where does the text probably come from?
A. A geography book. B. A tourist guidebook.
C. A news report. D. A TV program.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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NASA’s twin Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, have been exploring the Red Planet since 2004. But a little more than a year ago, NASA lost contact with Spirit. The space agency has tried several ways to make contact with the rover, but Spirit has not sent back any signals.
Spirit landed on Mars on January 4, 2004. Three weeks later, Opportunity arrived. Soon after, the rovers went to the opposite side of Mars. Spirit’s original mission was only designed to last for three months, but Spirit has worked for more than five years doing additional missions. Both rovers have made important discoveries about ancient Mars. They have taken thousands of images and found evidence in the rocks of a water, warmer past in Mars’ history.
Spirit is solar-powered. It got stuck in a sand trap in April 2009, trapped deep into the soil and with its wheels turning around and around but not able to move forwards or backwards. Spirit had to agree that there is nothing that can be done to change the situation—it’s never going to move again. However, even if it is a not moving station, it can still study the planet’s atmosphere and deep interior.
NASA has been concentrating on trying to position its solar panels to get as much energy from the sun as possible, or to get the rover leaning in a manner that will allow the most amount of sunlight falling on its solar panels, in order to keep it alive during the coming winter months. Engineers have planned to rock the vehicle back and forth to acquire a more favorable position. However, no matter how many efforts have been made, Spirit still could not get out of the soft soil and could not lean itself toward the sun as the Martian winter approached. Without enough energy reaching its solar panels and with so little energy in its batteries, it went into hibernation, just like a polar bear, and has not communicated with Earth since March 22, 2010.
Whatever the future holds for Spirit, its mission has been an outstanding success. When it landed on the Red Planet in January 2004, no one was really sure how long it would continue working in the cold and dusty environment. As a matter of fact, three months was its original goal.
After so many fruitless efforts, NASA scientists are losing hope of ever reconnecting with Spirit, but they will give it one more try. Ground controllers are contacting Spirit over a range of frequencies and at different times during the day in case its internal clock stopped working and it lost track of time. They also are commanding the rover to turn on its backup radio transmitter in case the main one is dead.
If this final effort to connect isn’t successful, NASA will shift the focus to its twin robot, Opportunity, which is in a different part of Mars. Opportunity is still on the move and continues to travel freely to this day. It has traveled 16.6 miles so far, and is currently rolling towards another crater it has yet to explore.
NASA has spent more than $900 million on the project but shows no sign of giving up on these determined and hard-working robots. The rovers are, though, experiencing gradual wear and tear, the expected damage to something caused by using it repeatedly over a period of time. Even before Spirit got trapped, one of its wheels had failed. And NASA says it’s just a matter of time before both robots break down completely.
1.According to the passage, what can we know about Spirit?
A. It had explored Mars several times.
B. Its original mission was to work for five years.
C. It landed on Mars three weeks later than Opportunity.
D. It discovered that Mars was once a warm and wetter place.
2.According to the passage, which of the following is NOT what NASA did?
A. Try to lean Spirit to make it get as much sunlight as possible.
B. Rock Spirit back and forth to make it acquire a more favorable position.
C. Make efforts to help Spirit get out of the soft soil where it is stuck.
D. Contact and order Spirit to turn on its backup radio transmitter.
3.The reason why Spirit failed to communicate with the Earth is that ________.
A. it didn’t have enough energy B. it had finished its task
C. something was wrong with its wheels D. it met an unidentified creature
4.By saying “NASA will shift the focus” in Paragraph 7, the author means that ______.
A. NASA will move the center of Spirit out of the sand
B. NASA will depend on Opportunity to do the exploration
C. NASA will do nothing but wait for some opportunity
D. NASA will make opportunity help Spirit
5.The last paragraph mainly informs us that _______.
A. NASA has planned to spend more money on Spirit
B. Spirit will be brought back to Earth
C. Spirit will stop operating totally in the future
D. Spirit will cause damage to Mars
6. What’s the text mainly about?
A. NASA makes the last effort to contact Spirit.
B. Spirit has made many important discoveries on Mars.
C. How Spirit got stuck and couldn’t move on Mars.
D. Why NASA tried many ways to contact Spirit.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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From talking robots to driverless vehicles, technology has become so advanced that the previously impossible seems to occur on a daily basis. And yet-we still have no cure for the common cold.
Why can't we stop the common cold? According to Peter Barlow, a scientist at Edinburgh Napier University, the main challenge lies in the many different types of cold viruses that belong to the rhinoviruses(鼻病毒). There are at least 160 types.They mutate(突变) so easily that they quickly become resistant to drugs, or learn to hide from our immune systems. In other words, a single cure isn't likely to work on every type of cold.
However, researchers from Stanford University and the University of California, San Francisco, have found a possible answer. They discovered a protein(蛋白质) that the viruses need. All the viruses were unable to replicate(复制) inside cells without a gene that produces a specific protein called SETD3.
To identify the gene which produces the specific protein, researchers used a gene-editing technique to test all genes in the human genome (基因组). Namely, they randomly disabled a single gene in each of the cells, so that the cells lacked one or another of every gene in our genome. These genetically modified cells were then exposed to the rhinoviruses, which cause the common cold. The team then looked at which gene was missing in cells that continued to grow. As it turned out, the one that stood out was SETD3, which makes a protein of the same name.
Carette said the plan is to find a drug which can temporarily disable the protein, instead of producing genetically modified humans. “We have identified a fantastic target that all rhinoviruses require and depend on. Take that away and the virus really has no chance,” said Carette.
1.Which does Peter Barlow think is a problem for fighting the common cold?
A.The poor immunity of patients. B.The large variety of viruses.
C.The lack of enough cures. D.The side effects of drugs.
2.What do we know about the gene-editing study in Paragraph 4?
A.All genetically modified cells survived B.Some genes in our genome were ignored
C.It located the gene responsible for SETD3 D.It exposed the harm of the rhinoviruses.
3.How should we stay away from the common cold according to Carette?
A.Apply gene-editing to human genes B.Avoid contacts with colds patients
C.Prevent cold viruses from mutating D.Develop a drug to switch off SETD3
4.Which of the following is the best title for the text?
A.Potential defense found for cold viruses B.Secrets behind the human genes
C.Real causes of the common cold D.Puzzles over rhinoviruses solved
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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The first robot rover to land on the Moon in nearly 40 years, China's Jade Rabbit, has begun sending back photos, with shots of its lunar lander(登月飞行器). Jade Rabbit rolled down a ramp lowered by the lander and on to the volcanic plain known as Sinus Iridum at 04：35 Beijing time on Saturday (20：35 GMT)．It moved to a spot a few metres away, its historic short journey recorded by the lander. On Sunday evening the two machines began photographing each other. A Chinese flag is clearly visible on the Jade Rabbit as it stands deployed on the Moon's surface.
Ma Xingrui, chief mander of China's lunar programme, declared the mission (任务)a “plete success”. The first soft landing on the Moon since 1976 is the latest step in China's ambitious space programme, says BBC science reporter Paul Rincon.
The lander will operate there for a year, while the rover is expected to work for some three months. The Chang'e3 mission landed some 12 days after being launched atop a Chinesedeveloped Long March 3B rocket from Xichang in the country's south. The official Xinhua news service reported that the lander began its descent(下降)on Saturday just after 13：00 GMT, touching down in Sinus Iridum (the Bay of Rainbows) 11 minutes later. “I was lucky enough to see a prototype rover(原型月球车) in Shanghai a few years ago it's a wonderful technological achievement to have landed，” Prof Andrew Coates, from UCL's Mullard Space Science Laboratory, told BBC News.
Chang'e3 is the third unmanned rover mission to touch down on the lunar surface, and the first to go there in more than 40 years. The last was an 840kg (1,900lb) Soviet vehicle known as Lunokhod2, which was kept warm by polonium(钋)210. But the sixwheeled Chinese vehicle carries a more sophisticated payload(复杂的有效负荷), including groundpenetrating radar which will gather measurements of the lunar soil and crust.
1.What does the text mainly talk about?
A．China's space and aeronautics industry develops quickly.
B．The importance of China's space and aeronautics industry.
C．China's Jade Rabbit Moon rover sends back first photos.
D．Chang'e3 is the third unmanned rover mission to touch down on the lunar surface.
2.After ________ years' hard and scientific work, the first soft landing on the Moon has made such great progress.
A．nearly 40 B．37
C．64 D．more than 40
3.The purpose that the Chinese moon rover has visited the moon is to ________.
A．do some research about the moon
B．be the first settler on the moon
C．to plant the Chinese flag onto the moon
D．send a lovely jade rabbit onto the moon
4.From the text, we know that the lander began its descent on Saturday just after ________ Beijing time.
A．13：00 B．20：00
C．22：00 D．21：00
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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Cell phones are now widely used, _______possible for us to talk to anyone from almost anywhere.
A. make it B. to make it
C. making D. making it
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
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Terry, please your cell phone when Grandma is talking to you.
A. look up from B. look into
C. look back on D. look through
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
ng to go back to my team and see if it makes sense."