Just a year ago, the colors were bright under the waves. Now it’s gray — the Maldivian reef is dead. The coral is killed by the pressure of rising temperatures.
Coral reefs are areas underwater where small creatures live. The coral is hard material formed on the bottom of the sea by the skeletons of those creatures. But the world has lost about half its coral reefs in the last 30 years. Scientists are working to prevent their destruction. Due to global warming, over 90 percent of corals are expected to die by 2050. “To lose coral reefs is to fundamentally undermine the health of a very large proportion of the human race,” said Ruth Gates, director of the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology.
Why are coral reefs important? Coral reefs support a fourth of all marine species, as well as half a billion people worldwide. They serve as barriers to protect coastlines from the storms. They provide billions of dollars from tourism, fishing and other trade. They are also used in medical research for cures for diseases. “Everyone should be concerned,” said biologist Ove Guldberg at Australia’s University of Queensland. “This is not just some distant dive destination. This is the basic structure of the ecosystem we depend on.”
The ocean is getting warmer. A rising temperature of just one to two degree Celsius can force coral to expel the algae (驱逐海藻) that live there. This leaves their white skeletons uncovered. It is a process called “bleaching”. Sixteen percent of the world’s corals died of bleaching in 1998. The problem has become much worse in recent years.
“We’ve lost 50 percent of the reefs, but that means we still have 50 percent left,” said Ruth Gates, who is working in Hawaii to breed corals that can better withstand increasing temperatures. She is also trying to “train” corals to survive rising temperatures. Gates says it is time to start “thinking outside the box”— find creative ways to help them.
1.The underlined word “undermine” in paragraph 2 means ___________.
A.weaken B.regain C.promote D.overlook
2.What’s the major concern of the scientists like Ove Guldberg?
A.People won’t find a dive destination in the future.
B.The effort to save corals will turn out to be fruitless.
C.The destruction of coral reefs will affect the earth ecosystem.
D.The bright sea has lost its charm because of those dead corals.
3.The fourth paragraph is mainly about ___________.
A.the harm of algae B.the process of “bleaching”
C.the importance of coral reefs D.the change of ocean temperature
4.Ruth Gates’ attitude towards the protection of corals is ___________.
A.proud B.cautious C.optimistic D.casual
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题
Just a year ago, the colors were bright under the waves. Now it’s gray — the Maldivian reef is dead. The coral is killed by the pressure of rising temperatures.
Coral reefs are areas underwater where small creatures live. The coral is hard material formed on the bottom of the sea by the skeletons of those creatures. But the world has lost about half its coral reefs in the last 30 years. Scientists are working to prevent their destruction. Due to global warming, over 90 percent of corals are expected to die by 2050. “To lose coral reefs is to fundamentally undermine the health of a very large proportion of the human race,” said Ruth Gates, director of the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology.
Why are coral reefs important? Coral reefs support a fourth of all marine species, as well as half a billion people worldwide. They serve as barriers to protect coastlines from the storms. They provide billions of dollars from tourism, fishing and other trade. They are also used in medical research for cures for diseases. “Everyone should be concerned,” said biologist Ove Guldberg at Australia’s University of Queensland. “This is not just some distant dive destination. This is the basic structure of the ecosystem we depend on.”
The ocean is getting warmer. A rising temperature of just one to two degree Celsius can force coral to expel the algae (驱逐海藻) that live there. This leaves their white skeletons uncovered. It is a process called “bleaching”. Sixteen percent of the world’s corals died of bleaching in 1998. The problem has become much worse in recent years.
“We’ve lost 50 percent of the reefs, but that means we still have 50 percent left,” said Ruth Gates, who is working in Hawaii to breed corals that can better withstand increasing temperatures. She is also trying to “train” corals to survive rising temperatures. Gates says it is time to start “thinking outside the box”— find creative ways to help them.
1.The underlined word “undermine” in paragraph 2 means ___________.
A.weaken B.regain C.promote D.overlook
2.What’s the major concern of the scientists like Ove Guldberg?
A.People won’t find a dive destination in the future.
B.The effort to save corals will turn out to be fruitless.
C.The destruction of coral reefs will affect the earth ecosystem.
D.The bright sea has lost its charm because of those dead corals.
3.The fourth paragraph is mainly about ___________.
A.the harm of algae B.the process of “bleaching”
C.the importance of coral reefs D.the change of ocean temperature
4.Ruth Gates’ attitude towards the protection of corals is ___________.
A.proud B.cautious C.optimistic D.casual
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The students of Senior 3 are now under great pressure for it will be just one year ______ they take the Entrance Examination.
A.since B.after C.before D.when
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
All added up, there are now only ten students in the mountain school, but ten years ago there were .
A. ten times more B. ten times much
C. more ten times D. much ten times
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Just under a decade ago, faced with a declining economy and rising oil prices, drivers were turning away from gas-powered vehicles and toward hybrid-electric cars (油电混合动力汽车) that promised, over time, to save them millions.
That was then, In recent years, as the economy recovered and gas prices dropped, so has demand for more-fuel-efficient cars. Electric cars and hybrids now make up less than 3% of new-car purchases, down from years past. Roughly 75% of Americas who traded in a hybrid or an electric car this year took home an all-gas car, an 11-point increase from 2015
At the same time, it's unreasonable to expect drivers to change their habits purely because of a sense of duty to build a better world. Buying a Toyota Camry, for example, would save its owner about $400 yearly in gas spending (vs. a similar-size all-gas vehicle). But it would also cost an extra $3000 in advance. For Americans, that payoff isn't worth the investment.
Automakers face this stalemate (僵局)? The government. Thanks to a set of regulations, automakers are required to keep improving their average fuel efficiencies to a certain degree, no matter how oil prices might change.
But starting a true green-car revolution will require more than fuel-efficiency standards. One solution, favored by some economists and environmental activists, is an increase in the gas tax, Which hasn't been raised since 1993. Others have suggested taxing carbon emission(排放), so people will rethink how they drive. In Norway, where drivers pay both fees, the electric cars from Tesla Motors have enjoyed a brief period as the country's top-selling vehicle.
Indeed, the best approach may well be to create the impossible: an electric car that actually offers more value than its gas-powered competitor. Many are trying, from Tesla to GM, which is releasing an inexpensive all-electric car this year. The future of driving is “not going to be determined by gas prices," says economist Jeff Sachs. “It's going to be determined by technology."
1.What change has taken place in the US car market?
A.Car purchases have dropped sharply
B.People are beginning to favor all-gas cars
C.Electric cars have become the most popular
D.Hybrid-electric cars have become more expensive
2.What do Americans think of the Toyota Camry hybrid?
A.It is a good investment
B.It is perfectly comfortable.
C.It has a price disadvantage.
D.It will change bad driving habits.
3.What can we infer about green cars in Norway?
A.They will slow they country's economy.
B.They may be a big potential market.
C.They will cause an increase in the gas tax.
D.They require higher fuel-efficiency standards.
4.Which of the following will Jeff Sachs probably agree with?
A.There will be more electric cars.
B.All-gas cars will be the general trend.
C.Gas-powered cars will cost much more.
D.Technology will affect driving negatively.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
1
Now the people in that mountain village are _____________than they were 10 years ago.
A. well off B. better off C. badly off D. worse off
高二英语简单题查看答案及解析
Bocai Middle School, which is reported just two years ago, is now reowned throughout Hunan Province.
A. having established B. to be established
C. being established D. to have been established
高二英语单项填空困难题查看答案及解析
The Mayan Indians lived in Mexico for thousands of years. The Maya were so bright that they achieved a lot. They had farms, temples and cities with many buildings. They knew much about nature and the world around them. This knowledge helped them to live a better life than most people of that time.
In ancient Mexico there were many small clearings in the forest. In each clearing was a village with fields of crops around it. The Maya planted seeds after they cleared the land. A farmer was able to grow crops that produced for several people. But not every Maya had to be a farmer. Some were builders or priests (祭司).
The Maya believed in many gods. They built large temples to honor them. Skillful workers built cities around these temples. It was difficult because they had to carry all of the building materials themselves. Today, many of these ancient Mayan cities and temples are still standing.
Although the Maya worked hard to build the beautiful cities, very few of them lived in them. Usually, only the priests lived in the cities. The other people lived in small villages in the forests. Their houses were much simpler. Most Maya lived a simple life close to nature.
Measuring time correctly was important to the Maya, so Mayan priests made a system to keep track of time. They wrote numbers as dots ( … ) and bars ( — ). They also made a calendar (日历). The year was divided into 18 months of 20 days each with five days left over.
Around the year 800, the Maya left their villages and beautiful cities, never to return. No one knows why this happened. They may have died from a deadly disease. They may have left because the soil could no longer grow crops. The lost secrets of the Maya are still beyond the reach of modern people. They are still one of our greatest mysteries (神秘).
1.The Maya lived better than most people of their times because _____.
A.they had skillful workers
B.they believed in many gods
C.they knew better about nature
D.they could measure time correctly
2.It can be inferred from the passage that _____.
A.the calendar was first invented by the ancient Maya
B.the ancient Mayan cities and temples were well built
C.the ancient Mayan people led a happy life in the cities
D.the priests were not highly respected by the ancient Maya
3.The underlined word “they” in the passage refers to _____.
A.the Mayan people B.the Mayan villages
C.the Mayan cities D.the lost secrets of the Maya
4.Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
A.The Life of the Maya B.The Cities of the Maya
C.The Mystery of the Maya D.The Belief of the Maya
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The Mayan Indians lived in Mexico for thousands of years. The Maya were so bright that they achieved a lot. They had farms, temples and cities with many buildings. They knew much about nature and the world around them. This knowledge helped them to live a better life than most people of that time.
In ancient Mexico there were many small clearings in the forest. In each clearing was a village with fields of crops around it. The Maya planted seeds after they cleared the land. A farmer was able to grow crops that produced for several people. But not every Maya had to be a farmer. Some were builders or priests (祭司).
The Maya believed in many gods. They built large temples to honor them. Skillful workers built cities around these temples. It was difficult because they had to carry all of the building materials themselves. Today, many of these ancient Mayan cities and temples are still standing.
Although the Maya worked hard to build the beautiful cities, very few of them lived in them. Usually, only the priests lived in the cities. The other people lived in small villages in the forests. Their houses were much simpler. Most Maya lived a simple life close to nature.
Around the year 800, the Maya left their villages and beautiful cities, never to return. No one knows why this happened. They may have died from a deadly disease. They may have left because the soil could no longer grow crops. The lost secrets of the Maya are still beyond the reach of modern people. They are still one of our greatest mysteries.
1.The Maya lived better than most people of their times because ______.
A. they had skillful workers
B. they believed in many gods
C. they knew better about nature
D. they could measure time correctly
2.It can be inferred from the passage that ______.
A. the priests were not highly respected by the ancient Maya
B. the ancient Mayan cities and temples were well built
C. the ancient Mayan people led a happy life in the cities
D. the ancient Mayan people died from a serious disease
3.The underlined word “They” in the last paragraph refers to ______.
A. the Mayan people B. the Mayan villages
C. the Mayan cities D. the lost secrets of the Maya
4.Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
A. The Cities of the Maya B. The Belief of the Maya
C. The Maya D. The Buildings of the Maya
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Two brightly colored butterflies have just flown by. They seems to be exactly alike, but actually one is a little larger than the other. 1 The smaller one has a wingspread of less than three inches and also a black line on its back wings.
At first sight, it is hard to tell them apart. Would you guess from this that they are different-sized butterflies of the same species? 2 If you said yes to either question, you would be wrong, for these look-alikes belong to quite different families.
The larger insect is the monarch butterfly (黑脉金斑蝶). As a baby insect, the monarch feeds on milkweed, which seems to give the monarch a disagreeable taste and smell. 3 Birds that eat butterflies soon recognize the monarch and quickly learn to leave it alone.
4 Birds would find this insect tasty, but because it looks like the monarch, birds keep away from it. The viceroy’s similarity to the monarch gives it some protection from its enemies and helps it survive.
There are other pairs of look-alike butterflies, bees and moths. In each case, one either has a disagreeable taste or smell, or can give a painful sting (叮咬). The larger is called the model. 5
A.The smaller insect is the viceroy (副王峡蝶), which feeds on the leaves of trees.
B.The larger insect has a wingspread (翼长) of up to four inches.
C.The bright coloring of the monarch acts as a warning sign to its enemy.
D.Birds protect their babies from eating such dangerous enemies.
E. The insect that imitates this model for protection is called the mimic(保护色).
F. Or that they are different species of butterflies but close relatives belonging to the same family?
G. Do you like this kind of special species?
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Along the seashore(海边),the tall coconut(椰子)trees waved in he wind. The sand was white in the bright sun, and the ocean was dark blue. The houses in the town near the shore, were painted white. The boats had been pulled up on the shore. Usually they would all be in the water with hard-working fishermen. But today was a holiday, and everyone was preparing for the celebration that was going to take place that evening.
In the distance, men could be seen climbing the coconut trees. They were singing as they worked. There were monkeys in the trees, too. The monkeys were jumping up and down and screaming angrily.The climbers just laughed at the monkeys and continued to pick the fruits.
1.What is this passage about?
A.It tells us a story of the monkeys.
B.It describes the scene on the seashore.
C.It talks about the life of the fishermen.
D.It is about how the people celebrated a holiday.
2.The boats had been pulled up on the shore because_________.
A.it was a holiday
B.the weather was too hot
C.there was going to be a storm
D.it was not the season for fishing
3.The men climbed the coconut trees to_________.
A.pick the coconuts
B.catch the monkeys
C.look at the ocean far away
D.see who could climb high and fast
4.The word "screaming" in Paragraph Two probably means _______.
A.singing and working
B.jumping up and down
C.running here and there
D.shouting in a high voice
5.The monkeys were angry because________.
A.the men were trying to catch them
B.the men wanted to drive them away
C.the men got the coconuts , which were their food
D.the men climbed higher and faster than they did
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析