According to a study published in the pre-print website bioRxiv, a team of Israeli scientists recorded tomato and tobacco plants producing sound frequencies which humans cannot hear in stressful situations—such as when they experienced a lack of water or their stems were cut. The team identified the sounds with microphones placed around 10 centimeters (around four inches) away from the plants, though the scientists say the noises could potentially be heard several feet away by some mammals and insects, such as mice.
Plants exposed to drought stress have been shown to experience cavitation (空化现象)— a process where air bubbles (气泡)form, expand and explode inside tissue that transports water. These explosions produce sound, but they have only ever been recorded using devices directly connected to the plants. The latest study, meanwhile, is the first to identify plants making sounds which can be detected over a distance. And the researchers say that cavitation could potentially be the source of these sounds.
The team detected the tomato plants made 35 sounds an hour on average when they were exposed to drought conditions, while the tobacco plants produced 11. When the stems of the plants were cut, the tomato plants made 25 sounds an hour on average and the tobacco plants produced 15. As a comparison, unstressed plants made less than one sound hour on aver-age, according to the study.
The team say that while they only tested tomato and tobacco. It's possible that other plants could also produce sounds, adding that the latest findings could have implications for agriculture. ''Plant sound emissions could offer a novel way for monitoring crops' water state—a question of vital importance in agriculture, '' the authors wrote in the study. ''More Precise irrigation can save up to 50 percent of the water consumption and increase the output, with dramatic economic implications. ''
''According to Anne Visscher from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in the U. K., the idea that the sounds could be used in precision agriculture is 'practical' though she urges caution regarding the Israeli team's suggestion that other animals could hear the sounds at a distance, '' New Scientist reported.
1.What do the Israeli scientists find about plants?
A.Stressed plants tend to lack water.
B.Some plants can understand humans' sounds.
C.Stressed plants can make more frequent sounds.
D.Some mammals and insects can communicate with plants.
2.What can we learn about cavitation?
A.It may contribute to the plants' sounds.
B.It may lead to plants experiencing drought.
C.It is determined by the number of air bubbles.
D.It was identified and recorded for the first time.
3.How many sounds do the tomato plants make per hour on average when cut?
A.11. B.15.
C.25. D.35.
4.What's Anne Visscher's attitude to applying the study to agriculture?
A.Supportive. B.Cautious.
C.Reserved. D.Opposed.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
According to a study published in the pre-print website bioRxiv, a team of Israeli scientists recorded tomato and tobacco plants producing sound frequencies which humans cannot hear in stressful situations—such as when they experienced a lack of water or their stems were cut. The team identified the sounds with microphones placed around 10 centimeters (around four inches) away from the plants, though the scientists say the noises could potentially be heard several feet away by some mammals and insects, such as mice.
Plants exposed to drought stress have been shown to experience cavitation (空化现象)— a process where air bubbles (气泡)form, expand and explode inside tissue that transports water. These explosions produce sound, but they have only ever been recorded using devices directly connected to the plants. The latest study, meanwhile, is the first to identify plants making sounds which can be detected over a distance. And the researchers say that cavitation could potentially be the source of these sounds.
The team detected the tomato plants made 35 sounds an hour on average when they were exposed to drought conditions, while the tobacco plants produced 11. When the stems of the plants were cut, the tomato plants made 25 sounds an hour on average and the tobacco plants produced 15. As a comparison, unstressed plants made less than one sound hour on aver-age, according to the study.
The team say that while they only tested tomato and tobacco. It's possible that other plants could also produce sounds, adding that the latest findings could have implications for agriculture. ''Plant sound emissions could offer a novel way for monitoring crops' water state—a question of vital importance in agriculture, '' the authors wrote in the study. ''More Precise irrigation can save up to 50 percent of the water consumption and increase the output, with dramatic economic implications. ''
''According to Anne Visscher from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in the U. K., the idea that the sounds could be used in precision agriculture is 'practical' though she urges caution regarding the Israeli team's suggestion that other animals could hear the sounds at a distance, '' New Scientist reported.
1.What do the Israeli scientists find about plants?
A.Stressed plants tend to lack water.
B.Some plants can understand humans' sounds.
C.Stressed plants can make more frequent sounds.
D.Some mammals and insects can communicate with plants.
2.What can we learn about cavitation?
A.It may contribute to the plants' sounds.
B.It may lead to plants experiencing drought.
C.It is determined by the number of air bubbles.
D.It was identified and recorded for the first time.
3.How many sounds do the tomato plants make per hour on average when cut?
A.11. B.15.
C.25. D.35.
4.What's Anne Visscher's attitude to applying the study to agriculture?
A.Supportive. B.Cautious.
C.Reserved. D.Opposed.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
According to a study published in the UK recently, those who like jogging and do this kind of exercise 1. (regular) for at least one hour a week have very high chances to live a longer life. The study's Danish researchers convinced 2. (convince) that choosing this kind of physical activity can bring us a priceless reward, 3. is 5 to 6more years of life! Moreover, to achieve better results, the researchers suggest 4. (limit) yourself to gentle jogging rather than fast-pace and tiring distance running. The scientists found that jogging 5. (benefit) are maximized when done at an average or even slow-pace exercising, and just one or two hours of jogging 6. week can be enough for you to achieve success, regardless 7.your age or health condition.
The scientists analyzed the data on about 20,000 people 8. (age) between 20 and 93, collected for over 35 years by the Copenhagen City Heart Study. According Dr. Peter Schnohr, the 9. (lead) researcher, it was found that jogging is associated with as much as a 44 percent 10. (low) risk of death. The life expectancy increase in men is as much as 6.2 years, and for women it is as much as 5.6 years.
高三英语语法填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Exercise may hold the key to youth, according to a study published on Monday which showed people who keep fit are up to nine years biologically younger than those who do not. The findings are the first to show in humans how keeping fit affects the ageing process.
The study of 2,40twins found that a sedentary（久坐的）lifestyle raises the risk of a range of problems from heart disease to cancer and appears to play a key role in the ageing process.
It all appears to boil down to（归结为）the length of structures called telomeres（染色体终 端）---which protect the DNA on the chromosomes（染色体）,the researchers from King's College London wrote in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Many studies have shown telomeres get shorter over time, suggesting the cells are ageing or dying. The study, which extracted （提取）a DNA sample from their volunteers, found people who exercised more each week had longer telomeres.
Exercise lowers the risk of a range of problems such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer, the researchers said. “It is not just walking around the block. It is really working up a sweat." said Tim Spector, a genetic epidemiologist who led the study, in a telephone interview.
The study found people who exercised energetically 3 hours each week had longer telomeres and they were 9 years biologically younger than people who did under 15 minutes.
Spector's team, who also adjusted for body weight, smoking, economic status and physical activity at work, also said moderate（适度的）exercise for 1-2 hours each week provided a four- year advantage.
Studying twins also provided a unique opportunity to judge the effects of exercise on people with the same or similar genetic make-up. the researchers said.
The reason why exercise has this effect is not clear but the researchers said they believe physical activity somehow defends against the natural process called oxidative stress （氧化应激反应）.which damages and kills cells.
1.What is the risk of sedentary lifestyle?
A.It can cause diseases.
B.It can make our cells alive.
C.It can lengthen telomeres.
D.It can keep us fit.
2.What do we know from the text?
A.Exercising can shorten the telomeres.
B.The less exercise, the longer telomeres.
C.Sitting often boils more chromosomes.
D.Telomeres affect human being's ageing.
3.What can cause ageing according to the last paragraph?
A.Cells with diseases. B.Oxidative stress.
C.Genetic structure. D.Physical activities.
4.What is the purpose of the text?
A.To introduce some exercise.
B.To show how to do research.
C.To encourage people to exercise.
D.To advise people to lose weight.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
California has lost half its big trees since the 1930s, according to a study to be published Tuesday and climate change seems to be a major factor(因素).
The number of trees larger than two feet across has declined by 50 percent on more than 46, 000 square miles of California forests, the new study finds. No area was spared or unaffected, from the foggy northern coast to the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the San Gabriels above Los Angeles. In the Sierra high country, the number of big trees has fallen by more than 55 percent; in parts of southern California the decline was nearly 75 percent.
Many factors contributed to the decline, said Patrick McIntyre, an ecologist who was the lead author of the study. Woodcutters targeted big trees. Housing development pushed into the woods. Aggressive wildfire control has left California forests crowded with small trees that compete with big trees for resources(资源).
But in comparing a study of California forests done in the 1920s and 1930s with another one between 2001 and 2010, McIntyre and his colleagues documented a widespread death of big trees that was evident even in wildlands protected from woodcutting or development.
The loss of big trees was greatest in areas where trees had suffered the greatest water shortage. The researchers figured out water stress with a computer model that calculated how much water trees were getting in comparison with how much they needed, taking into account such things as rainfall, air temperature, dampness of soil, and the timing of snowmelt(融雪).
Since the 1930s, McIntyre said, the biggest factors driving up water stress in the state have been rising temperatures, which cause trees to lose more water to the air, and earlier snowmelt, which reduces the water supply available to trees during the dry season.
1.What is the second paragraph mainly about?
A.The seriousness of big-tree loss in California.
B.The increasing variety of California big trees.
C.The distribution of big trees in California forests.
D.The influence of farming on big trees in California.
2.Which of the following is well-intentioned but may be bad for big trees?
A.Ecological studies of forests.
B.Banning woodcutting.
C.Limiting housing development.
D.Fire control measures.
3.What is a major cause of the water shortage according to McIntyre?
A.Inadequate snowmelt. B.A longer dry season.
C.A warmer climate. D.Dampness of the air.
4.What can be a suitable title for the text?
A.California’s Forests: Where Have All the Big Trees Gone?
B.Cutting of Big Trees to Be Prohibited in California Soon
C.Why Are the Big Trees Important to California Forests?
D.Patrick McIntyre: Grow More Big Trees in California
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
In the past three years, according to a study, the number of people who study part- time in England has decreased by 42%—the equivalent (等同的)of 106,000 fewer students. Almost half a million students were studying part-time in the past three years, with most of them working at the same time and studying vocational subjects, according to Universities UK(UUK), which conducted the research. The report, which was requested by ministers, said, ''There seems to be many factors responsible for it: the current economic climate limiting employer support for further study and putting pressure on household budgets, changing pathways to higher education and the current changes to the funding system in England and associated increase in tuition fees. Factors such as the rise of apprenticeships(学徒制),increase in private providers (whether for profit or not for profit), and a shift to online learning also have an impact. ''
Professor Sir Eric Thomas, chairman of the review and vice-president of Bristol University, said, ''The reality is that the UK needs more graduates and relies heavily on part-time higher education to meet these fast changing skill needs in a fast changing world. We ignore part-time study's transformative power for individuals and society. While part-time students are a great success story for the UK, something is going wrong. In England in particular, numbers are reducing and do not look like recovering. The situation is highly complex. This review is the beginning of a process of universities working together and with partners to take steps in dealing with this issue. We cannot and must not give up on these students. ''
Rachel Wenstone, vice-president for higher education at the National Union of Students (NUS), said, ''NUS welcomes this report and we are pleased that this issue is getting the attention it deserves. It is incredibly disheartening to see the number of part- time students decreasing. The sector took responsibility in analyzing the issues facing part-time students and it's now time for the sector to take responsibility for dealing with the problems. ''
The university's minister, David Willetts, said, Part-time study brings enormous benefits to individuals, the economy and employers. Tuition fee loans are now available to new part-time students. We will also change the rules which stop people from getting financial support to learn new skills in engineering, technology and computer science part-time. This will make sure that the nation has the skills we need to keep our businesses ahead in the global race. Institutions must also play their part to encourage more part-time study by emphasizing the benefits to future students. I am calling on all universities to make sure that part-time options are highly visible on websites and detailed information about the courses is also up to date.
1.Which of the following is NOT the reason for the decline of the number of part- time students in the UK?
A.The tuition fees have been increased.
B.Many people choose to learn on the Internet.
C.People are too busy with their work and daily lives.
D.Families are short of money to let their members study further.
2.What does Eric Thomas really want to express in Paragraph 2?
A.Part-time higher education is very important in the UK.
B.More graduates in the UK have to improve their skills.
C.Part-time students have been very successful in the UK.
D.Universities in the UK play a key role in attracting part-time students.
3.How does Wenstone feel about the present part-time study in the UK?
A.Puzzled. B.Satisfied.
C.Optimistic. D.Discouraged.
4.Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
A.The UK sees the decline of its part-time students
B.Part-time students receive more attention nowadays
C.The UK comes up with ways to attract more part-time students
D.The decline of part-time students has effects on the UK
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Celebrities(名人) are more in love with themselves than the average person，according to a new study．
In case anyone needed proof, a new study supports the widely held perception：Famous people are more narcissistic(自我陶醉的)，which means they are more in love with themselves than the average person is．That is the conclusion drawn by Drew Pinsky and S．Mark Young of the University of Southern California，whose study of 200 celebrities will appear in the Journal Of Research in Personality．
It is not the entertainment industry that turns stars into narcissists，the study found．Rather, it suggests，the self-adoring(自恋的)people seek jobs in show business．The study, whose subjects were a11 celebrities from Pinsky’s‘Loveline’radio show, found that reality TV stars were the most narcissistic of all celebrities．Female stars were also more likely than the male stars to exhibit narcissistic characteristics．
It’s “common sense” that celebrities are narcissists，said Jeremy Ritzlin，a longtime Hollywood psychologist who has not seen the study．“Everyone knows famous people are really in love with themselves，”he said．“So it would be natural for narcissists to be attracted toward the stage and spotlight，where other people will also think highly of them．”
Pinsky, an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at USC’S Keck School of Medicine，said narcissists desire attention，are overconfident，behave strangely and lack sympathy．“However, they are easily-liked，especially on first meeting，are outgoing and perform well in public，” added Pinsky, who has hosted the radio show“Loveline”for 20 years．
Celebrity guests appearing on the program were randomly chosen to participate in the study．They anonymously(匿名地)took the Narcissistic Personality Inventory test．which rates self-love levels based on seven components：superiority, exhibitionism，entitlement，vanity，authority, exploitativeness，and self-sufficiency．
1.Who are most likely to be self-adoring in the study?
A．The women stars． B．The men stars
C．The average people． D．It is not mentioned in the passage．
2.According to the forth paragraph．the fact “celebrities are narcissists” .
A．is common in the entertainment industry
B．is a misunderstanding of Jeremy Ritzlin
C．is known to most of the people
D．is unreal on the stage
3.According to Pinsky, narcissists may NOT .
A．hope to attract attention
B．be kind to poor people
C．believe in themselves
D．be liked by others easily
4.How were the celebrities surveyed in the study?
A．They were interviewed by Drew Pinsky and S．Mark Young．
B．They were invited to the University of Southern California．
C.They appeared on Pinsky’s‘Loveline’radio show．
D．They took the Narcissistic Personality Inventory test．
5.The author of this passage wants to tell US ．
A．how psychologists make a study
B．how entertainment industry produces celebrities
C．how people think of the famous stars
D．how celebrities feel about themselves
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
According to a recent study in the Journal of Consumer Research, both the size and consumption habits of our eating companions can influence our food intake. And contrary to existing research that says you should avoid eating with heavier people who order large portions(份), it's the beanpoles with big appetites you really need to avoid.
To test the effect of social influence on eating habits, the researchers conducted two experiments. In the first, 95 undergraduate women were individually invited into a lab to ostensibly(表面上)participate in a study about movie viewership. Before the film began, each woman was asked to help herself to a snack. An actor hired by the researchers grabbed her food first. In her natural state, the actor weighed 105 pounds. But in half the cases she wore a specially designed fat suit which increased her weight to 180 pounds.
Both the fat and thin versions of the actor took a large amount of food. The participants followed suit, taking more food than they normally would have. However, they took significantly more when the actor was thin.
For the second test, in one case the thin actor took two pieces of candy from the snack bowls. In the other case, she took 30 pieces. The results were similar to the first test: the participants followed suit but took significantly more candy when the thin actor took 30 pieces.
The tests show that the social environment is extremely influential when we're making decisions. If this fellow participant is going to eat more, so will I. Call it the “I’ll have what she's having” effect. However, we'll adjust the influence. If an overweight person is having a large portion, I'll hold back a bit because I see the results of his eating habits. But if a thin person eats a lot, I'll follow suit. If he can eat much and keep slim, why can't I?
1.What is the recent study mainly about?
A.Food safety. B.Movie viewership.
C.Consumer demand. D.Eating behavior.
2.What does the underlined word “beanpoles” in paragraph 1 refer to?
A.Big eaters. B.Overweight persons.
C.Picky eaters. D.Tall thin persons.
3.Why did the researchers hire the actor?
A.To see how she would affect the participants.
B.To test if the participants could recognize her.
C.To find out what she would do in the two tests.
D.To study why she could keep her weight down.
4.On what basis do we “adjust the influence” according to the last paragraph?
A.How hungry we are. B.How slim we want to be.
C.How we perceive others. D.How we feel about the food.
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Fear may be felt in the heart as well as in the head, according to a study that has found a link between the cycles of a beating heart and the chance of someone feeling fear.
Tests on healthy volunteers found that they were more likely to feel a sense of fear at the moment when their hearts are contracting(收缩) and pumping blood around their bodies, compared with the point when the heartbeat is relaxed. Scientists say the results suggest that the heart is able to influence how the brain responds to a fearful event, depending on which point it is at in its regular cycle of contraction and relaxation.
Sarah Garfinkel at the Brighton and Sussex Medical School said: "Our study shows for the first time that the way in which we deal with fear is different depending on when we see fearful pictures in relation to our heart."
The study tested 20 healthy volunteers on their reactions to fear as they were shown pictures of fearful faces. Dr Garfinkel said, "The study showed that fearful faces are better noticed when the heart is pumping than when it is relaxed. Thus our hearts can also affect what we see and what we don't see - and guide whether we see fear."
To further understand this relationship, the scientists also used a brain scanner(扫描仪) to show how the brain influences the way the heart changes a person's feeling of fear. “We have found an important mechanism by which the heart and brain ‘speak’to each other to change our feelings and reduce fear," Dr Garfinkel said.
"We hope that by increasing our understanding about how fear is dealt with and ways that it could be reduced, we may be able to develop more successful treatments for anxiety disorders, and also for those for those who may be suffering from serious stress disorder."
1.What is the finding of the study?
A．One's heart affects how he feels fear.
B．fear is a result of one's relaxed heartbeat.
C．fear has something to do with one's health.
D．Ones fast heartbeats are likely to cause fear.
2.The study was carried out by analyzing _______.
A．volunteers' heartbeats when they saw terrible pictures
B．the time volunteers saw fearful pictures and their health conditions
C．volunteers' reactions to horrible pictures and data from their brain scans
D．different pictures shown to volunteers and their heart-brain communication
3.Which of the following is closest in meaning to "mechanism" in Paragraph 6?
A．Order. B．system. C．machine. D．treatment.
4.This study may contribute to _______.
A．treating anxiety and stress better
B．explaining the cycle of fear and anxiety
C．finding the sky to the heart-brain communication
D．understanding different fears in our hearts and heads
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Fear may be felt in the heart as well as in the head, according to a study that has found a link between the cycles of a beating heart and the chance of someone feeling fear.
Tests on healthy volunteers found that they were more likely to feel a sense of fear at the moment when their hearts are contracting(收缩) and pumping blood around their bodies, compared with the point when the heartbeat is relaxed. Scientists say the results suggest that the heart is able to influence how the brain responds to a fearful event, depending on which point it is at in its regular cycle of contraction and relaxation.
Sarah Garfinkel at the Brighton and Sussex Medical School said: “Our Study shows for the first time that the way in which we deal with fear is different depending on when we see fearful pictures in relation to our heart.”
The study tested 20 healthy volunteers on their reactions to fear as they were shown pictures of fearful faces. Dr Garfinkel said, “The study showed that fearful faces are better noticed when the heart is pumping than when it is relaxed. Thus our hearts can also affect what we see and what we don’t see一and guide whether we see fear.”
To further understand this relationship, the scientists also used a brain scanner(扫描仪) to show how the brain influences the way the heart changes a person’s feeling of fear.
“We have found an important mechanism by which the heart and brain ‘speak’ to each other to change our feelings and reduce fear,” Dr Garfinkel said.
“We hope that by increasing our understanding about how fear is dealt with and ways that it could be reduced, we may be able to develop more successful treatments for anxiety disorders, and also for those who may be suffering from serious stress disorder.”
1.What is the finding of the study?
A. One’s heart affects how he feels fear.
B. Fear is a result of one’s relaxed heartbeat.
C. Fear has something to do with one’s health.
D. One’s fast heartbeats are likely to cause fear.
2.The study was carried out by analyzing .
A. volunteers’ heartbeats when they saw terrible pictures
B. the time volunteers saw fearful pictures and their health conditions
C. volunteers’ reactions to horrible pictures and data from their brain scans
D. different pictures shown to volunteers and their heart—brain communication
3.Which of the following is closest in meaning to “mechanism” in Paragraph 6?
A. Order. B. System.
C. Machine. D. Treatment.
4.This study may contribute to .
A. treating anxiety and stress better.
B. explaining the cycle of fear and anxiety
C. finding the key to the heart-brain communication
D. understanding different fears in our hearts and heads
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
(2013·高考四川卷，E)Fear may be felt in the heart as well as in the head，according to a study that has found a link between the cycles of a beating heart and the chance of someone feeling fear.
Tests on healthy volunteers found that they were more likely to feel a sense of fear at the moment when their hearts are contracting(收缩) and pumping blood around their bodies，compared with the point when the heartbeat is relaxed.Scientists say the results suggest that the heart is able to influence how the brain responds to a fearful event，depending on which point it is at in its regular cycle of contraction and relaxation.
Sarah Garfinkel at the Brighton and Sussex Medical School said：“Our study shows for the first time that the way in which we deal with fear is different depending on when we see fearful pictures in relation to our heart.”
The study tested 20 healthy volunteers on their reactions to fear as they were shown pictures of fearful faces.Dr Garfinkel said，“The study showed that fearful faces are better noticed when the heart is pumping than when it is relaxed.Thus our hearts can also affect what we see and what we don’t see－and guide whether we see fear.”
To further understand this relationship，the scientists also used a brain scanner(扫描仪) to show how the brain influences the way the heart changes a person’s feeling of fear.
“We have found an important mechanism by which the heart and brain ‘speak’to each other to change our feelings and reduce fear，”Dr Garfinkel said.
“We hope that by increasing our understanding about how fear is dealt with and ways that it could be reduced，we may be able to develop more successful treatments for anxiety disorders，and also for those who may be suffering from serious stress disorder.”
1.What is the finding of the study?
A．One’s heart affects how he feels fear.
B．Fear is a result of one’s relaxed heartbeat.
C．Fear has something to do with one’s health.
D．One’s fast heartbeats are likely to cause fear.
2.The study was carried out by analyzing________.
A．volunteers’ heartbeats when they saw terrible pictures
B．the time volunteers saw fearful pictures and their health conditions
C．volunteers’ reactions to horrible pictures and data from their brain scans
D．different pictures shown to volunteers and their heartbrain communication
3.Which of the following is closest in meaning to“mechanism” in Paragraph 6?
A．Order. B．System.
C．Machine. D．Treatment.
4.This study may contribute to________.
A．treating anxiety and stress better
B．explaining the cycle of fear and anxiety
C．finding the key to the heartbrain communication
D．understanding different fears in our hearts and heads
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析