Researchers from Pennsylvania University sugg...

Researchers from Pennsylvania University suggest that loud snoring can be caused by having a fat tongue. Scientists have long known that losing weight can help the condition, but now they know why. It explains why losing weight reduces the risk of obstructive sleep apnoea (阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停).

Improved symptoms are linked to slimming down the unexpected part of the body - opening the door to better treatments. Professor Richard Schwab, chief of sleep medicine at Pennsylvania University, said: "Most clinicians, and even experts in the sleep apnoea world, have not typically focused on fat in the tongue for treating sleep apnoea."Having a large neck was previously believed to be the culprit(引起问题的事物). Prof Schwab said: "Now we know tongue fat is a risk factor and sleep apnoea improves when tongue fat is reduced, we have established a unique therapeutic target that we've never had before.

In sleep apnoea the airways become blocked - leading to snoring . It blights the lives of four and two percent of middle aged men and women, respectively, in the UK. Long term, sleep apnoea is linked with a number of chronic diseases, including high blood pressure , heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and depression.

Analyzing MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans of the throat and nose of obese patients, the researchers found reducing tongue fat is the key. They found that a reduction in tongue fat volume was the key factor. Weight loss also resulted in a smaller pterygoid - the jaw muscle that controls chewing. This is irrespective of whether they appear to fall into the typical "high-risk" obese categories, said Prof Schwab.

He added: "Primary care doctors, and perhaps even dentists, should be asking about snoring and sleepiness in all patients, even those who have a normal body mass index, as, based on our data, they may also be at risk for sleep apnoea."

Twenty-two million Americans suffer from sleep apnoea, in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts, causing patients to wake up randomly throughout their sleep cycles. One of the recommended treatments is CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure), which has been free on the NHS since March 2008.

1.What can we learn from Prof Schwab?

A.People with high tongue fat must be at high risk of obesity.

B.Sleep apnea improves when tongue fat is reduced.

C.Patients with a normal body mass index won’t develop sleep apnea.

D.Most clinicians focus on the fat on the tongue to treat sleep apnea.

2.What does the second paragraph mainly talk about?

A.The shape of tongue fat.

B.The harm of tongue fat.

C.The feature of tongue fat.

D.The cause of tongue fat.

3.What does the underlined word “blight” in the third paragraph most probably mean?

A.harm B.affect

C.benefit D.cost

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

A new study, a project of the researchers from the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, finds the fitness tracker probably does not help with weight loss.

The devices are designed to record your physical activity. They are usually worn around the wrist, where they measure a person’s heart rate. The research team looked at two groups of individuals. The first wore a fitness tracker and took part in health counseling (咨询) with experts to consider the best weight-loss plan. The researchers compared this group with people who only got health counseling.

The study found that those only speaking with the health experts lost nearly 6 kilograms, but those using a fitness tracker lost only 3.5 kilograms. John Jakicic, the lead researcher, questioned the use of electronic devices for weight control in place of “effective behavioral counseling for physical activity and diet. ”

The study involved 470 subjects aged between 18 and 35. Some of them were overweight, while others were considered obese (肥胖的). Over three fourths of the subjects were women. All the subjects were told to increase physical activity and start on a low-calorie diet. They had their weight measured once every six months. After six months, researchers divided the group into two parts: one continued with monthly counseling, while members of the other group were given a fitness tracker. Eighteen months later, both groups “showed significant improvements in fitness, physical activity, and diet,” with no major difference between groups. However, when it came to losing weight, the people who only spoke with experts lost nearly twice as much weight.

Jakicic said, “the study’s findings are important because effective long-term treatments are needed to address America’s obesity. ” More information is needed, he added, to learn how to best use these devices to change “physical activity and diet behaviors” in adults who want to lose weight.

1.All the subjects in the study were asked to ________.

A. start on a high-calorie diet　　 B. wear a fitness tracker

C. increase physical activities　　 D. record their heart rates

2.Why does Jakicic think the findings are important?

A. Wearing fitness trackers hardly helps people lose weight.

B. Physical activity and diet have no effect on weight loss.

C. Handling obesity requires effective long-term treatments.

D. There are great differences in fitness between both groups.

3.What can we infer about the study mentioned in the text?

A. The study went on for about two years.

B. More than 120 men took part in the study.

C. Health counseling helps lose almost 6 kilograms.

D. Wearing a fitness tracker is useful for keeping slim.

4.The purpose of the text is to ________.

A. describe how the researchers were conducting the study

B. indicate regular counseling for weight control is necessary

C. convince readers to wear fitness trackers for weight control

D. warn women are more likely to suffer from weight problems

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

University of Pennsylvania researchers say that for the first time they have linked social media use to increases in depression and loneliness． The idea that social media is anything but social when it comes to mental health has been talked about for years， but not many studies have managed to actually link the two． To do that， Penn researchers， led by psychologist Melissa Hunt， designed a study that focused on WeChat， Snapchat and Instagram．

The study was conducted with 143 participants， who before they began， completed a mood survey and sent along photos of their battery screens， showing how often they were using their phones to access social media． "We set out to do a much more complete study which attempts to imitate real life．" Hunt said．

The study divided the participants into two groups： The first group was allowed to maintain their normal social media habits． The other， the control group， was restricted to 10 minutes per day on social media． The restrictions were put in place for three weeks and then the participants returned and were tested for outcomes such as fear of missing out， anxiety， depression and loneliness．

The results showed a very clear link between social media use and increased levels of depression and loneliness． "Using less social media than you normally do would lead to significant decreases in both depression and loneliness，" Hunt said．

Social media invites what Hunt calls "downward social comparison．" "When you're online， it can sometimes seem that everyone else is cooler and having more fun and included in more things and you're left out，" Hunt said． And that's just generally discouraging． "Every minute you spend online is a minute you are not doing your work or not meeting a friend for dinner or having a deep conversation with your roommate．" And these real life activities are the ones that can encourage self﹣esteem and self﹣worth， Hunt added．

"People are on their devices， and that's not going to change，" she said． But as in life， a bit of control goes a long way．

1.Before the study was conducted， the participants completed a survey to　　　 　．

A. imitate people's real life

B. link loneliness to depression

C. show their use of social media

D. prove social media is important

2.The results of the study showed using less social media would result in　　　 　．

A. people's fear of missing out

B. higher levels of depression

C. obvious relief in loneliness

D. lower levels of happiness

3.In Hunt's opinion， which activity benefits more to mental health？

A. Hiking out with friends．

B. Making comparison with others．

C. Playing computer games in spare time．

D. Logging onto social media and having fun．

4.Which can be the best title of the passage？

A. A Study on Social Media．

B. How to Improve Mental Health．

C. People Addicted to Social Media．

D. Social Media Influences Mental Health．

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

Empathy

Last year, researchers from the University of Michigan reported that empathy, the ability to understand other people, among college students had dropped sharply over the past 10 years. __71__ Today, people spend more time alone and are less likely to join groups and clubs.

Jennifer Freed, a co-director of a teen program, has another explanation. Turn on the TV, and you’re showered with news and reality shows full of people fighting, competing, and generally treating one another with no respect. __72__

There are good reasons not to follow those bad examples. Humans are socially related by nature. __73__ Researchers have also found that empathetic teenagers are more likely to have high self-respect. Besides, empathy can be a cure for loneliness, sadness, anxiety, and fear.

Empathy is also an indication of a good leader. In fact, Freed says, many top companies report that empathy is one of the most important things they look for in new managers. __74__ “Academics are important. But if you don’t have emotional intelligence, you won’t be as successful in work or in your love life,” she says.

What’s the best way to up your EQ (情商）? For starters, let down your guard and really listen to others. __75__

To really develop empathy, you’d better volunteer at a nursing home or a hospital, join a club or a team that has a diverse membership, have a “sharing circle” with your family, or spend time caring for pets at an animal shelter.

E. Empathy is a matter of learning how to understand someone else—both what they think and how they feel.

F. Good social skills—including empathy—are a kind of “emotional intelligence” that will help you succeed in many areas of life.

G. That could be because so many people have replaced face time with screen time, the researchers said.

高三英语信息匹配中等难度题查看答案及解析

Empathy

Last year, researchers from the University of Michigan reported that empathy, the ability to understand other people, among college students had dropped sharply over the past 10 years. __71__ Today, people spend more time alone and are less likely to join groups and clubs.

Jennifer Freed, a co-director of a teen program, has another explanation. Turn on the TV, and you’re showered with news and reality shows full of people fighting, competing, and generally treating one another with no respect. __72__

There are good reasons not to follow those bad examples. Humans are socially related by nature. __73__ Researchers have also found that empathetic teenagers are more likely to have high self-respect. Besides, empathy can be a cure for loneliness, sadness, anxiety, and fear.

Empathy is also an indication of a good leader. In fact, Freed says, many top companies report that empathy is one of the most important things they look for in new managers. __74__ “Academics are important. But if you don’t have emotional intelligence, you won’t be as successful in work or in your love life,” she says.

What’s the best way to up your EQ (情商）? For starters, let down your guard and really listen to others. __75__

To really develop empathy, you’d better volunteer at a nursing home or a hospital, join a club or a team that has a diverse membership, have a “sharing circle” with your family, or spend time caring for pets at an animal shelter.

E. Empathy is a matter of learning how to understand someone else—both what they think and how they feel.

F. Good social skills—including empathy—are a kind of “emotional intelligence” that will help you succeed in many areas of life.

G. That could be because so many people have replaced face time with screen time, the researchers said.

高三英语信息匹配困难题查看答案及解析

Researchers from the University of Michigan have found that astronauts’ brains change shape during spaceflight. It is the first study1.(look) into how the brain changes in space. Researchers looked at high-tech MRI(磁共振成像)pictures of the brains of 26 astronauts who spent time in space. Twelve of the2.(astronaut) spent two weeks on the Space Shuttle, and 14 spent six months on the International Space Station. All of them3.(experience) increases and decreases in the size of 4.(differ) parts of the brain. The longer an astronaut spent in space ,the 5.(big) the size differences were.

The research produced some6.(interest) findings. One was that on gravity means fluids do not drop in the body, 7.there is a shift in the brain’s position inside the skull. The brain becomes either smaller or bigger. The findings could help doctors to treat problems that affect the brain’s function. They could treat people with problems　 8.(cause)by long-term bed rest. They could also help those who have a build-up of fluid in the brain, which can lead9.brain damage. We will understand more about 10.neurons(神经元)in the brain connect. The findings will also help future trips to Mars.

高三英语短文填空困难题查看答案及解析

七选五。

Last year，researchers from the University of Michigan reported that empathy，the ability to understand other people，among college students had dropped sharply over the past 10 years. That could be because so many people have replaced face time with screen time，the researchers said.

1. Jennifer Freed，a co-director of a teen program，has another explanation. Turn on the TV，and you're showered with news and reality shows full of people fighting，competing，and generally treating one another with no respect. 2.

There are good reasons not to follow those bad examples.Humans are socially related by nature. Having relationships with other people is an important part of being human — and having empathy is decisive to those relationships. Research ers have also found that empathetic teenagers are more likely to have high self-respect. 3.

Empathy is also an indication of a good leader.In fact，Freed says，many top companies report that empathy is one of the most important things they look for in new managers. 4. “Academics are important.But if you don't have emotional （情感的） intelligence，you won't be as successful in work or in your love life，” she says.

What's the best way to up your EQ　 （情商）? For starters，let down your guard and really listen to others. 5.

To really develop empathy，you'd better volunteer at a nursing home or a hospital，join a club or a team that has a diverse membership，have a “sharing circle” with your family，or spend time caring for pets at an animal shelter.

A. Today，people spend more time alone and are less likely to join groups and clubs.

B. “One doesn't develo p empathy by having a lot of opinions and doing a lot of talking，” Freed

says.

C. Humans learn by example and most of the examples on it are anything but empathetic.

D. Empathy is a matter of learning how to understand someone else — both what they think and

how they feel.

E. Good social skills, including empathy, are a kind of “emotional intelligence” that will help

you succeed in many areas of life.

F. Besides，empathy can be a cure for loneliness，sadness，anxiety，and fear.

G. Everyone is different，and levels of empathy differ from person to person.

高三英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析

An international team of researchers from the University of Oxford have found that the way people use the Internet is closely tied to the seasonal movements in the natural world. Their online species searches follow the patterns of seasonal animal migrations (迁徙).

Migratory birds (候鸟) flood back to where they reproduce every spring. That migratory behavior is accompanied by some human behavior. “In English-language Wikipedia (维基百科), the online searches for migratory species tend to increase in spring when those birds arrive in the United States,” said the lead author John Mittermeier.

And not just birds. Mittermeier and his team surveyed nearly 2.5 billion Wikipedia search records, for 32,000 species, across 245 languages. They also saw variable search rates for insects, horsetails and flowering plants. Seasonal trends seemed to be widespread in Wikipedia behavior for many species of plants and animals.

This finding suggests new ways to monitor changes in the world’s biological diversity. It also shows new ways to see how much people care about nature, and which species and areas might be the most effective targets for conservation.

Mittermeier is encouraged by the search results. He commented, “I think there’s a concern among conservationists (生态环境保护者) that people are losing touch with the natural world and that they’re not interacting with native species anymore. And so in that sense, it was really exciting and quite unexpected for me to see people’s Wikipedia interest closely related to changes in nature.”

Richard Grenyer, Associate Professor from the University of Oxford, says search data is useful to conservation biologists, “By using these big data approaches, we can direct our attention towards the difficult questions in modern conservation: which species and areas are changing, and where are the people who care the most and can do the most to help.”

1.What have researchers found about species searches?

A. They strengthen ties among people.

B. They affect the animal movements.

C. They differ in language backgrounds.

D. They reflect animal migration seasons.

2.What is the purpose of writing Paragraph 3?

A. To summarize the research process.

B. To further support the research findings.

C. To show the variety of species searches.

D. To present researchers’ heavy work load.

3.How does Mittermeier feel about the search results?

A. Satisfied with Wikipedia’s service.

B. Worried about Wikipedia behavior.

C. Amazed at people’s care about nature.

D. Sad about people’s not getting close to nature.

4.Why does Richard think such search data is useful?

A. It helps to aim at conservation targets.

B. It increases interest in big data approaches.

C. It keeps track of trends in biologists’work.

D. It pushes people to solve difficult problems.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Are you an early riser or a night owl? Researchers from Aachen University in Germany believe that about 10 percent of people can be classified as “morning people”, who feel more active and function best in the morning．Around 20 percent are night owls—people who naturally tend to stay up late and are more tired during the day．And the rest of us fall somewhere in between, according to New Scientist.

Previous studies have suggested that early risers are more likely to be happy and healthy while night owls experience worse sleep as well as more depression and anxiety during the day.

For a long time, scientists have been trying to find out what causes the differences between the two．A new study suggests that it isn’t just people’s habits—early risers and night owls actually have different brain structures.

Led by Jessica Rosenberg at Aachen University, researchers scanned the brains of 16 early risers, 23 night owls and 20 people with intermediate sleeping hours．They found that the brains of night owls had less “white matter”—which speeds up the transmission(传输) of nerve signals — in brain areas associated with depression.

As you know, after people fly in an airplane from one time zone to another, they often suffer from a confused and tired feeling called “jet lag” because their body clocks are out of sync(不同步的) with the new time zone．It usually takes about a week for their bodies to adjust to the new time．But night owls always have difficulty syncing their bodies to the right time due to their brain structure．“It’s like they suffer from permanent jet lag,” said Rosenberg.

The good news is that it is possible for night owls to turn themselves into morning people．According to the researchers, night owls should try to spend as much time in the sunlight as possible and reduce their exposure to artificial light at night to force their body clocks to shift to a more normal rhythm.

1.What does the article mainly discuss?

A．How to turn early risers into night owls.

B．How our habits influence our sleep patterns.

C．What causes the differences between early risers and night owls.

D．Why early risers are happier and healthier than night owls.

2.We can learn from the article that night owls ________.

A．make up almost a third of the human population

B．have more white matter in their brains than other people

C．are more used to artificial night than sunlight

D．have body clocks that are not in agreement with the actual time

3.Jessica Rosenberg’s research suggests that ________.

A．previous studies about night owls are wrong

B．night owls are affected by jet lag more strongly than others

C．white matter helps our brains work more efficiently

D．brain structure might determine people’s chances of suffering from depression

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Researchers from the MIT Media Lab, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Northeastern University used a robotic teddy bear, “Huggable”, across the Boston Children’s Hospital. More than 50 hospitalized children were divided into three groups that involved Huggable, a tablet-based virtual Huggable, or a traditional toy teddy bear. In general, the robotic Huggable improved various patient outcomes over the other two choices.

When first designed, Huggable was operated remotely by a specialist outside a child’ s room for the moment. Through software, a specialist could control the robot’s facial expressions and body actions. The specialists could also talk through a speaker — with their voice automatically changed to sound more childlike — and monitor the participants via camera.

During the treatments involving Huggable for kids aged 3 to 10 years, a specialist would sing nursery rhymes to younger children through the robotic bear and move the arms during the song. Older kids would play the I Spy game, where they had to guess an object in the room described by the specialist through Huggable. Through self-reports and questionnaires, the researchers recorded how much the patients and families liked Huggable. A greater percentage of children and their parents reported that the children enjoyed playing with Huggable more than with the virtual figure or traditional teddy bear.

The study proved the possibility of including Huggable in the treatments for children. Results also showed that children playing with Huggable experienced more positive emotions overall. They also got out of bed and moved around more, and emotionally connected with the robot, asking it personal questions and inviting it to come back later to meet their families. “Such improved emotional and physical outcomes are all positive factors that could contribute to hospitalized children’ s better and faster recovery,” the researchers write in their study.

The study also provided a basis for developing a fully autonomous Huggable robot, which is the researchers’ final goal. In the future, that automated robot could be used to improve children’ s further treatment and care, and monitor their well-being.

1.What can we learn about Huggable?

A.It was first designed for disabled kids.

B.It can make facial expressions.

C.It talks like a caring parent.

D.It works automatically.

2.How did the children find Huggable?

A.Favorable. B.Conventional.

C.Disappointing. D.Unhelpful.

3.How did Huggable help the hospitalized children with their treatment?

A.It improved their mental experience.

B.It protected them from possible virus.

C.It gave tips on taking good care of young patients.

D.It provided up-to-date information about their diseases.

4.What is the text mainly about?

A.The fast development of robots in medical area.

B.A new technology in medicine to treat children.

C.Robots’ advantages over other methods of treatment.

D.A robotic teddy bear used in caring for hospitalized children.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析