A 16-year survey on the arctic Norwegian isla...

A 16-year survey on the arctic Norwegian island of Svalbard found the reindeer（驯鹿）there have declined in weight by an alarming 12 percent. The reduction in average body-mass is being blamed on global warming.

In research presented lately at a meeting of the British Ecological Society in Liverpool, scientists will explain how rising temperatures are making female reindeer difficult to obtain nutrients during important periods of being pregnant.

Snow in Svalbard typically covers the ground for eight months of the year, which, combined with low temperatures, limits grass growth to June and July. But as summer temperatures have increased by around 1.5℃, grasslands have become more productive, allowing female reindeer to gain more weight by the autumn and therefore to conceive（孕育）more calves.

However, warmer winters have brought with them greater rainfall which freezes when is settles on the snow, therefore locking out the reindeer from the life-supporting food below. As a result, female reindeer are becoming starved, causing them to give birth to much lighter young. The average mass of an adult reindeer in 1998, when the survey began, was 55kg, but by 2016 IT had dropped to 48kg.

Professor Steve Albon, an ecologist at the James Hatton Institute in Aberdeen , said that, because the mammals have a relatively high surface-area-to-volume ratio（表面积与体积比）, they are no particularly energy efficient.

Reindeer can often access the inadequate food sources beneath the snow by clearing IT away with their antlers（鹿角）, but they cannot break through the hard ice. Without access to the food in winter, calves are being born far lighter than they should be. Numbers of reindeer have also increased rapidly in the past 20 years, meaning that those which are born are facing greater competition for food. “The implication（含义）are that there may well be more smaller reindeer in the Arctic in the coming decades, but possibly at the risk of catastrophic die-offs because of increased ice on the ground,”said Professor Albon Despite the gloomy findings, reindeer appear to be suffering less from the impact of climate change than some other arctic species.

1.Which of the following may be the most important reason for the smaller reindeer?

A. Heavy snow.

B. Greater rainfall.

C. Hard ice.

D. Global warming.

2.According to the passage, rising temperatures will not lead to_________.

A. grass growing more rapidly in summer

B. more rainfall in the arctic area in winter

C. female reindeer’s gaining more weight in winter

D. female reindeer’s suffering from hunger in winter

3.What does the underlined word“gloomy”in the last paragraph mean?

A. Exciting.

B. Optimistic.

C. Disappointing.

D. Doubtful.

4.How does the writer develop the passage?

A. By analyzing the research.

B. By classification of reindeer.

C. By comparing opinions of experts.

D. By telling stories of different species.

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

A victim of climate change

A polar bear's dead body found on the Arctic island of Svalbard, the northernmost part of Norway, has shocked experts who say climate change may be to blame for the death. The starved polar bear in Norway was said to be in good bones by the time a group of explorers came across its body in July．

The bear is thought to have been heading north in a desperate search for sea ice that would allow it to hunt for seals．"From his lying position in death, the bear appears to simply have starved to health in April when the Norwegian Polar Institute examined and labeled it． However, the animal was reduced to skin and bones and died where he dropped," polar bear expert Dr. Ian Stirling, a professor at the University of Alberta said, "He had external suggestion of any remaining fat, having been reduced to little more than skin and bone．"

Stirling believes the bear starved to death as a result of a lack of sea ice which the animals use as a platform for hunting seals． That may also explain why the 16-year-old male bear was found about 155 miles north of where it was seen in April．

Arctic sea ice reached a record low in 2012, according to a report released this week by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that pointed to continued signs of climate change．

The International Union for Conservation of Nature currently classifies polar bears as vulnerable on its Red List of Threatened Species．

1.How did Stirling know the reason for the death of the polar bear?

A．By the food he ate．                         B．By doing further experiments．

C．By observing other polar bears．              D．By his lying position in death．

2.The underlined word "vulnerable" probably means _____．

A．easily hurt                        B．difficult to hunt

C．dangerous                        D．amazing

3.What is the author's attitude to the incident?

A．Favorable．           B．Uncaring．

C．Doubtful．             D．Concerned．

4.Where does this text probably come from?

A．A novel．                       B． A guidebook．

C．A news report．                  D．An advertisement．

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

A victim of climate change

A polar bear's dead body found on the Arctic island of Svalbard, the northernmost part of Norway, has shocked experts who say climate change may be to blame for the animal’s death.The starved polar bear in Norway was said to be in good health in April when the Norwegian Polar Institute examined and labeled it． However, the animal was reduced to skin and bones by the time a group of explorers came across its body in July．

The bear is thought to have been heading north in a desperate search for sea ice that would allow it to hunt for seals.

"From his lying position in death the bear appears to simply have starved and died where he dropped," polar bear expert Dr. Ian Stirling, a professor at the University of Alberta said, "He had external suggestion of any remaining fat, having been reduced to little more than skin and bone．"

Stirling believes the bear starved to death as a result of a lack of sea ice which the animals use as a platform for hunting seals． That may also explain why the 16-year-old male bear was found about 155 miles north of where it was seen in April．

Arctic sea ice reached a record low in 2012, according to a report released this week by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that pointed to continued signs of climate change．

The International Union for Conservation of Nature currently classifies polar bears as vulnerable on its Red List of Threatened Species．

1.How did Stirling know the reason for the death of the polar bear?

A．By the food he ate

B．By doing further experiments

C．By observing other polar bears

D．By his lying position in death

2.The underlined word "vulnerable" probably means _____

A．easily hurt                        B．difficult to hunt

C．dangerous                        D．amazing

3.What is the author's attitude to the incident?

A．Favorable．            B．Uncaring

C．Doubtful．             D．Concerned

4.Where does this text probably come from?

A．A novel．              B．A guidebook

C．A news report．                  D．An advertisement

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The government of Norway is planning to build an unusual storage center on an island in the Arctic Ocean. The place would be large enough to hold about two million seeds. The goal is to present all crops known to scientists. The British magazine New Scientist published details of the plan last month. The structure will be designed to protect the world’s food supply against nuclear war, climate change and other possible threats. It will be built in a mountain on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen. The mountain is less than one thousand kilometers from the North Pole, the northernmost position on earth.

An international group called the Global Crop Diversity Trust is working on the project. The director of the group, Cary Fowler, spoke to New Scientist. He said the project would let the world rebuild agriculture if, in his word, “the worst came to the worst”. Norway is expected to start work next year. The project is expected to cost three million dollars. Workers will drill（钻孔） deep in the side of a sandstone mountain. Temperatures in the area never rise above 0ºC. The seeds will be protected behind walls a meter thick and high-security door.

The magazine report says the collection will represent the products of ten thousand years of farming. Most of the seeds at first will e from collections at seed banks in Africa, Asia and Latin America. To last a long time, seeds need to be kept in very low temperatures. Workers will not be present all the time. But they plan to replace the air inside the storage space each winter. Winter temperatures on the island are about eighteen degrees below 0ºC. The cold weather would protect the seeds even if the air could not be replaced.

Mr. Fowler says the proposed structure will be the world’s safest gene bank. He says the plant seeds would only be used when all other seeds are gone for some reason. Norway first put forward the idea in the 1980s. But safety concerns delayed the plan. At that time, the Soviet Union was meeting in Rome of the Food and Agriculture Organization.

1.The project is meant to ______.

A．increase the world’s food output in the future

B．carry out some scientific experiments on plant genes

C．build an exhibition centre of the world’s plant seeds

D．protect crop seeds from dying out in case of possible disasters

2.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the above passage?

A．The government of Norway will perform the project alone.

B．Seeds to be collected there were produced ten thousands years ago.

C．Spitsbergen is chosen because it is free of the nuclear war forever.

D．Temperature is a major consideration when choosing the storage place.

3.We can infer from the text that _______.

A．Norway had meant to build the storage centre about 20 years before.

B．The storage center will greatly promote world agriculture

C．People will get newly-developed seeds from the center every year.

D．There haven’t been any seed storage centres in the world before.

4.What is probably the best title of the passage?

A．The Best Place to Store Seeds

B．Noah’s Ark（诺亚方舟）of Plant Seeds in Plan

C．Concerns of World Food Supply

D．A New Way to Feed the World

高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

The government of Norway is planning to build an unusual storage centre on an island in the Arctic Ocean. The place would be large enough to hold about two million seeds. The goal is to present all crops known to scientists. The British magazine New Scientist published details of the plan last month. The structure will be designed to protect the world's food supply against nuclear war, climate change and other possible threats. It will be built in a mountain on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen. The mountain is less than one thousand kilometres from the North Pole, the northernmost position on earth.

An international group called the Global Crop Diversity Trust is working on the project. The director of the group, Cary Fowler, spoke to New Scientist. He said the project would let the world rebuild agriculture if, in his word, ＂the worst came to the worst＂. Norway is expected to start work next year. The project is expected to cost three million dollars. Workers will drill (钻孔) deep in the side of a sandstone mountain. Temperatures in the area never rise above 0℃.The seeds will be protected behind walls a metre thick and highsecurity door.

The magazine report says the collection will represent the products of ten thousand years of farming. Most of the seeds at first will come from collections at seed banks in Africa, Asia and Latin America. To last a long time, seeds need to be kept in very low temperatures. Workers will not be present all the time. But they plan to replace the air inside the storage space each winter. Winter temperatures on the island are about eighteen degrees below 0℃.The cold weather would protect the seeds even if the air could not be replaced.

Mr Fowler says the proposed structure will be the world’s safest gene bank. He says the plant seeds would only be used when all other seeds are gone for some reason. Norway first put forward the idea in the 1980s. But safety concerns delayed the plan. At that time, the Soviet Union was meeting in Rome of the Food and Agriculture Organization.

1.The project is meant to _____________.

A. increase the world's food output in the future

B. carry out some scientific experiments on plant genes

C. build an exhibition centre of the world’s plant seeds

D. protect crop seeds from dying out in case of possible disasters

2.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the above passage?

A. The government of Norway will perform the project alone.

B. Seeds to be collected there were produced ten thousand years ago.

C. Spitsbergen is chosen because it is free of the nuclear war forever.

D. Temperature is a major consideration when choosing the storage place.

3.We can infer from the text that _____________.

A. Norway had meant to build the storage centre about 30 years before

B. the storage centre will greatly promote world agriculture

C. people will get newlydeveloped seeds from the centre every year

D. there haven't been any seed storage centres in the world before

4.What is probably the best title of the passage?

A. The best place to store seeds

B. Noah’s Ark (诺亚方舟) of plant seeds in plan

C. Concerns of world food supply

D. A new way to feed the world

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Iceland, an island just south of the Arctic Circle, has fairly mild winters,　 thanks to warm ocean currents. Time your vacation here during the winter months to take advantage of off-season deals.

Off-season means good deals on flights, hotels and tours. You may also find that the locals are a bit friendlier and more welcoming when tourists aren’t arriving in crowds.

In the winter months, there are less than seven hours of daylight; thus, chances are good you’ll catch sight of the northern lights. Sunsets are also beautiful at this time, making for some great photo opportunities.

In Iceland, winter is the perfect time to hike glaciers, go ice climbing, explore caves made out of hardened lava(岩浆) and much more. One of the most popular activities is off-roading(越野比赛) in a specially-equipped “super jeep”.

Before booking your trip, be sure to check for volcano alerts. There are about 130 volcanoes on or around Iceland. Thirty-five of them are active. In 2010, a volcano named Eyjaallajokull exploded, sending clouds of ash up to four kilometers into the atmosphere. The ash drifted toward the UK and Europe. Because the ask could damage aircraft engines, airlines operating in the region were forced to cancel flights for six days. As a result, thousands of people were stuck in airports.

Recently, another volcano named Bardarbunga has become active, erupting ash into the air. Such events, if large enough, could prevent your trip from going ahead. So check the latest volcano news prior to making your reservations.

1. According to this article, why are you more likely to see the northern lights in the winter?

A. They move from rural areas to cities.

B. The weather is more stable at that time.

C. They’re a special feature of many festivals.

D. The sky is dark for longer periods then.

2. According to the article, how do visitors to Iceland have fun in the winter?

A. They learn how to ski down the mountains.

B. They photograph famous historic sites..

C. They explore the countryside in well made vehicles..

D. They spend a week at one of the seaside resorts.

3. What is true about the volcanoes of Iceland?

A. The majority of them are quiet.

B. Their age hasn’t been determined.

C. All but one of them are extinct.

D. Citizens aren’t affected by them.

4. What does this article explain?.

A. Some of Iceland’s urban cultural attractions.

B. A way t reduce the cost of a trip to Iceland.

C. Reasons for visiting Iceland in June and July.

D. The average price for a short tour of Iceland.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Two-thirds of the coins dug up on the island ________ from the year 275AD to 221BC.

A. dates　　 　　 B. date

C. is dated　　　 D. are dated

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Each year 1.(thousand) of tourists visit the polar regions of the Arctic and Antarctica. But the increasing number of people traveling to the ends of the Earth can have2.negative effect on fragile ecosystems. Should tourists3.(allow) to visit polar regions?

About 40,000 tourists visit Antarctica each year. More than five million travel to the Arctic and sub-Arctic. Transporting tourists to the regions 4.(increase) ship and airplane traffic, adding to the risk of pollution, oil spills, and other 5.(environment) damage. Because the places where wildlife is accessible 6.(be) few in number, tourist traffic can become concentrated in specific areas, 7.(put)Arctic vegetation at risk.

Others say that access8. these very special parts of the world should not be restricted to only researchers and scientists. Polar tourism allows people to develop deep 9.（person） connections with polar regions. “Those 10. travel to the Arctic or Antarctica often become cheerleaders for supporting those places.” Jim Sano, vice president for travel and conservation at World Wildlife Fund, told TFK.

高三英语短文填空困难题查看答案及解析

Each year thousands of 1. (explore) and tourists visit the polar regions of the Arctic and Antarctica. But the increasing number of people travelling to the ends of the Earth’ can have a negative effect 2. fragile ecosystems. Should tourists 3. (allow) to visit polar regions?

About 40,000 tourists visit Antarctica each year, More than five million travel to the Arctic and sub-Arctic. Transporting tourists to the regions 4. (increase) ship and airplane traffic, adding to the risk of pollution, oil spills, and other 5. (environment) damage. Because the places where wildlife is accessible 6. (be) few in numbers, tourist traffic can become concentrated in specific areas, 7. (put) Arctic vegetation at risk.

Others say that access 8. these very special parts of the world should not be restricted to only researches and scientist. Polar tourism allows people to develop deep personal connections with polar regions. “Those 9. travel to the Arctic or Antarctica often become cheer leaders for supporting those places” Jim Sano, vice president for travel and 10. (conserve) at World Wildlife Fund, told TFK.

高三英语语法填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

In the past few years, sea ice ____ in the Arctic as a result of global warming.

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析