A new study in West Africa shows how farm irrigation systems powered by the sun can produce more food and money for villagers. The study in Benin found that solar-powered pumps are effective in supplying water, especially during the long dry season.
Sub-Saharan Africa is the part of the world with the least food security. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that more than one billion of the world’s people faced hunger last year. Around two hundred sixty-five million of them live south of the Sahara Desert. Lack of rainfall is one of their main causes of food shortages.
Jennifer Burney from Stanford University in California led the study. The research team helped build three solar-powered irrigation systems in northern Benin.
The solar-powered irrigation systems produced an average of nearly two metric tons of vegetables per month.
They sold the surplus(过剩的) produce at local markets. The earnings greatly increased their ability to buy food during the dry season which can last six to nine months.
People in the two villages with the systems were able to eat three to five more serving of vegetables per day. But making the surplus available at markets also had a wider effect.
The study compared the villages with two others where women farmed with traditional methods like carrying water in buckets. The amount of vegetables eaten in those villages also increased, though not as much.
The researchers note that only four percent of the cropland in sub-Saharan Africa is irrigated. Using solar power to pump water has higher costs at first. But the study says it can be more economical in the long term than using fuels like gasoline, diesel or kerosene. And solar power is environmentally friendly.
1.People living in sub-Saharan Africa are short of food mainly because______.
A. it seldom rains there throughout the year B. there is little farmland in the area
C. people there lack experience in farming D. people know nothing about irrigation techniques
2.Which of the following is an advantage of Jennifer’s irrigation systems?
A. They are not affected by the weather.
B. They cost much less than traditional irrigation systems.
C. They have no bad effects on the environment.
D. They use less fuel than traditional irrigation systems.
3.We can learn from the last paragraph that______.
A. people in South Africa will soon be provided with enough food
B. the demand for fuels like gasoline will greatly decrease in Africa
C. people in sub-Saharan Africa don’t take agriculture seriously
D. it’s worthwhile to use the new irrigation systems on the while
4.People in the two villages owe all the following to Jennifer’s irrigation systems EXCEPT that ______.
A. they could buy more food during the dry season
B. they could eat more vegetables than usual every day
C. they could supply local markets with vegetables
D. they could provide people in other villages with food
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
A new study in West Africa shows how farm irrigation systems powered by the sun can produce more food and money for villagers. The study in Benin found that solar-powered pumps are effective in supplying water, especially during the long dry season.
Sub-Saharan Africa is the part of the world with the least food security. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that more than one billion of the world’s people faced hunger last year. Around two hundred sixty-five million of them live south of the Sahara Desert. Lack of rainfall is one of their main causes of food shortages.
Jennifer Burney from Stanford University in California led the study. The research team helped build three solar-powered irrigation systems in northern Benin.
The solar-powered irrigation systems produced an average of nearly two metric tons of vegetables per month.
They sold the surplus(过剩的) produce at local markets. The earnings greatly increased their ability to buy food during the dry season which can last six to nine months.
People in the two villages with the systems were able to eat three to five more serving of vegetables per day. But making the surplus available at markets also had a wider effect.
The study compared the villages with two others where women farmed with traditional methods like carrying water in buckets. The amount of vegetables eaten in those villages also increased, though not as much.
The researchers note that only four percent of the cropland in sub-Saharan Africa is irrigated. Using solar power to pump water has higher costs at first. But the study says it can be more economical in the long term than using fuels like gasoline, diesel or kerosene. And solar power is environmentally friendly.
1.People living in sub-Saharan Africa are short of food mainly because______.
A. it seldom rains there throughout the year B. there is little farmland in the area
C. people there lack experience in farming D. people know nothing about irrigation techniques
2.Which of the following is an advantage of Jennifer’s irrigation systems?
A. They are not affected by the weather.
B. They cost much less than traditional irrigation systems.
C. They have no bad effects on the environment.
D. They use less fuel than traditional irrigation systems.
3.We can learn from the last paragraph that______.
A. people in South Africa will soon be provided with enough food
B. the demand for fuels like gasoline will greatly decrease in Africa
C. people in sub-Saharan Africa don’t take agriculture seriously
D. it’s worthwhile to use the new irrigation systems on the while
4.People in the two villages owe all the following to Jennifer’s irrigation systems EXCEPT that ______.
A. they could buy more food during the dry season
B. they could eat more vegetables than usual every day
C. they could supply local markets with vegetables
D. they could provide people in other villages with food
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Recently，scientists attending a meeting in Chicago presented new studies showing how food and its production affect global warming.They offered some suggestions for how to eat in a more environmentally friendly way.
For many years，scientists have warned us that our planet is getting warmer.If current trends continue，animals may start to die off and life could get very difficult for everyone.The temperature is rising because humans have been releasing massive amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere，which surround the planet and keep heat from escaping.One of these gases is carbon dioxide.
Most carbon dioxide we produce comes from the process of making and eating food，the scientists reported in Chicago.The production of meat contributes to a lot of carbon dioxide.And much of meat’s contribution comes from beef，which is responsible for releasing even more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
The process of making a hamburger，for example，requires a lot of energy.A cow has to be fed and raised，and cow’s wastes are a major source of greenhouse gases.After the cow is killed，the meat has to be processed and shipped to a consumer，which takes fuel.And most of the cow won’t even be used for meat people eat.
By the time a hamburger finally lands on a dinner plate，it has taken a heavy toll on the environment.It is believed that the process of making a halfpound allbeef burger adds about 19 times the weight of hamburgers in carbon dioxide.
The message is clear：We can greatly reduce the production of greenhouse gases by eating less beef.Other kinds of meat like pork and chicken do less harm to the environment—at least in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases released.Nathan Pelletier，a scientist at Dalhousie University in Canada，reported that if everyone in industrial countries ate chicken instead of beef，we would cut the Earth’s greenhouse gases by more than half.
All kinds of meat，the scientists reported，are harder on the planet than vegetables.To grow and eat a pound of potatoes，for example，sends less than one quarter pound of carbon dioxide into the air.So shifting our diet to less meat and more vegetables may do the world some good.
1.The text mainly tells us ________.
A．what we eat can affect the whole planet
B．the way we live affects the environment
C．how we can save energy on the Earth
D．how we can produce environmentfriendly food
2.What is likely to happen if the climate is getting warmer according to the passage?
A．Sea level will continue to rise sharply.
B．Human beings won’t have enough food.
C．It would be very hard for man to survive.
D．All the animals and plants will disappear.
3.Why does the author mention the process of making a hamburger?
A．To show meat is usually part of a hamburger.
B．To illustrate that our food contributes to greenhouse gases.
C．To prove making a hamburger is a complex process.
D．To suggest a lot of energy is needed to make hamburgers.
4.The author believes one effective way to fight global warming is ________.
A．we should eat no pork and no chicken
B．we should eat more chicken than beef
C．we should eat not meat but vegetables
D．we should eat less meat and more vegetables
5.Which of the following statements would Nathan Pelletier agree to?
A．Eating pork and chicken is more environmentally friendly.
B．Meat consumption is the main cause of greenhouse gases.
C．People in industrial countries consume more beef than fish.
D．Eating more beef is a more efficient way to save more energy.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
A new study shows that air pollution can cause a huge reduction in our intelligence. The study was a project involving researchers at Peking University in China and Yale University in the United States.
The researchers reported that long-term exposure to air pollution can affect a person's mental abilities in two areas: Language and math.
The researchers studied about 25,000 people from across China. Between 2010 and 2014, these Chinese men, women and children were given language and math tests. Then researchers compared the test results with measurements of pollution in the air, namely nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide （二氧化硫）.
Xi Chen of the Yale School of Public Health led the study. He and his team found that breathing polluted air can reduce a person's education level by about one year.
Chen said that the effect generally is worse for those over 64 years of age, for men and for those with little or no education.
“The older persons—they are more affected. And we find, quite amazingly, males are more affected than females. And people working outdoors are more affected than people working indoors.
He noted that the youngest people in the study were 10 years old, while the oldest was 90 years old. They came from China's 33 provinces. In his words, the data and facts are convincing and this range of ages and locations across the country provided a real, objective and representative sample.
The researchers noted that the effect of air pollution on verbal ability is even more serious as people age, especially among men and the less educated. The researchers also stressed that every country, whether developed, developing or poor, should focus on air pollution or humans will face a bad situation.
1.What is the result of the study?
A.Air pollution has a bad effect on people's intelligence.
B.Females are more affected by air pollution than males.
C.Americans are more affected by air pollution than Chinese.
D.People working indoors are actually not affected by air pollution.
2.What did Chen say about the study?
A.It is doubtful.
B.It is extremely unfair.
C.It is common and not representative.
D.It is relatively objective and persuasive.
3.What did the researchers emphasize in the last paragraph?
A.The data from the 33 provinces is convincing.
B.The whole world should pay attention to air pollution.
C.The less educated take more responsibility for air pollution.
D.Air pollution's influence on verbal ability is less serious as people age.
4.Where is the text most likely taken from?
A.A life diary. B.A guidebook.
C.A science magazine. D.A biography.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Many people don't realize the importance of music education in the schools today. A new study showed, however, music education is extremely important.
In college, music education is one of the largest programs. Teachers have to learn general education materials and techniques. They must learn to play every instrument; they must learn music history and music theory; they must learn instrument repair and teaching methods; they must learn conducting and so much more. At the same time, much of our culture and tradition is absorbed in music.
Music plays a very important role in our education.
Music helps with math and science. Students learn to count, and how to multiply and divide. Students also use science to help them discover what sounds good together and what doesn’t. Students also need science to understand something called the “overtone series", which is about how music is produced by vibration（颤动）and why.
Students learn a lot about languages through music．Many songs are written in other languages, including ancient ones. Students must learn to translate these works to understand what they are singing about. A song is likely to be a famous short work set to music; so students are exposed to that very often while singing.
Students learn a huge amount of cooperation （协作）of body parts through music, so parts of the body can work better together. Students must use motor（肌肉运动的）skills in order to play an instrument. Singers and wind（管乐器）players must learn breath control and be in good shape to play.
Students learn about art. Some famous pieces were written about important pieces of art, and students learn about the artists and styles as they're playing the music.
Music education also brings higher thinking to our children. It allows them to think about complex patterns. Students have to be aware of what every other musician does at every time. In that way, it develops cooperation, as well. They tend to develop more ability for learning.
As one can see, music is very important to education.
1. What can we infer about learning music in college?
A. It is an easy task without much effort.
B. It attracts more and more people to learn.
C. It is such a challenging job to finish
D. It has no value to our future life.
2. Music benefits us a lot in many ways except for_______.
A. making us a scientist later.
B. improving language ability
C. bettering cooperation of body parts.
D. making us think more about how to learn well
3. The underlined word “that” in Para. 5 refers to “_________”
A. the music B. the workC. the culture D. the language
4. What can we know from the passage?
A. A good achievement of science is vital to music learning.
B. Learning music to a higher level on one’s own is impossible
C. People have long known the importance of music to our growth.
D. Music has benefits to the all—around development of human beings.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Many people don't realize the importance of music education in the schools today．A new study showed, however, music education is extremely important．
In college, music education is one of the largest programs．Teachers have to learn general education materials and techniques． They must learn to play every instrument; they must learn music history and music theory; they must learn instrument repair and teaching methods; they must learn conducting and so much more．At the same time, much of our culture and tradition is absorbed in music．
Music plays a very important role in our education．
Music helps with math and science． Students learn to count, and how to multiply and divide．Students also use science to help them discover what sounds good together and what doesn't．Students also need science to understand something called the “overtone series", which is about how music is produced by vibration（颤动）and why．
Students learn a lot about languages through music．Many songs are written in other languages, including ancient ones．Students must learn to translate these works to understand what they are singing about． A song is likely to be a famous short work set to music; so students are exposed to that very often while singing．
Students learn a huge amount of cooperation （协作）of body parts through music, so parts of the body can work better together．Students must use motor（肌肉运动的）skills in order to play an instrument．Singers and wind（管乐器）players must learn breath control and be in good shape to play．
Students learn about art． Some famous pieces were written about important pieces of art, and students learn about the artists and styles as they're playing the music．
Music education also brings higher thinking to our children．It allows them to think about complex patterns．Students have to be aware of what every other musician does at every time．In that way, it develops cooperation, as well．They tend to develop more ability for learning．
As one can see, music is very important to education．
1.According to the passage, learning music in college will be quite ．
A． easy B． stressful C． attractive D． useless
2.As to the benefits from music, which of the following is NOT included in the passage?
A． Calculation． B． Language study．
C． Relaxation． D． Cooperation of body parts．
3.The underlined word "that" in Para．5 refers to“ "．
A． the music B． the language
C． the culture D． the work
4.What can we know from the passage?
A． Science and music are extreme poles．
B． Only the wisest person can learn music well．
C． Music is good to our all-round development．
D． All of us know the importance of music clearly．
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
A new study shows that rising levels of planet-warming gases may reduce important nutrients（营养物质）in food crops
Researchers studied the effects of carbon dioxide on rice， In the experiment， scientists grew 18 kinds of rice in fields in China and Japan．They set carbon dioxide levels to what scientists are predicting for our planet by the end of the century．Rice grown under high carbon dioxide conditions had，on average，13 t0 30 percent lower levels of four B vitamins and 10 percent less protein（蛋白质）The crops also had 8 percent less iron and 5 percent less zinc than rice grown under normal conditions However， vitamin E leveLs increased by about 13 percent on average．
The researchers said the effects of planet-warming gases would be most sevcre for the poorest citizens in some of the least developed countries．These people generally eat the most rice and have the least complex diets．That includes abour 600 million people in Indonesia， Cambodia，Myanmar，Bangladesh，Laos and other nations，mainly in Southeast Asia．
Other studies have shown that higher temperatures from climate change and weather extremes will reduce food production．But scientists are finding that rising levcls of carbon dioxide and other planet-warming gases threaten food quality．
Earlier studies showed that wheat，rice，field peas and soybeans grown under high carbon dioxide conditions all had Iower levels of protein and mincrais．Scientists predicted that almost 150 million people might be at risk of having too little protein or zinc in their diet by 2050．
The new study suggests a way to lower the nutritional harm of climate change．That is to grow different forms of rice that can adapt to higher carbon dioxide levels．
1.Growing rice under high carbon dioxide conditions may____．
A. increase iron in the rice
B. make it less nutritious
C. cause losses of Vitamin E
D. make it more delicious
2.How can people reduce the nutritional harm of climate change？
A. By importing rice from China and Japan．
B. By taking other kinds of food instead of rice．
C. By avoiding eating rice from Southeast Asia．
D. By growing rice suitable for the environment．
3.What’s the author’s purpose of writing the text？
A. To infom readers what nurrients food crops contain．
B. To call on people to care for the planet they live on．
C. To share the results of some studies on people’s diets．
D. To tell readers where food crops are mainly produced．
4.In which part of a magazine can you read the text？
A. Advertisements． B. Arts and culture．
C. Science report． D. Business news．
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
A new study shows that rising levels of planet-warming gases may reduce important nutrients(营养物质)in food crops
Researchers studied the effects of carbon dioxide on rice. In the experiment， scientists grew 18 kinds of rice in fields in China and Japan.They set carbon dioxide levels to what scientists are predicting for our planet by the end of the century.Rice grown under high carbon dioxide conditions had，on average，13 to 30 percent lower levels of four B vitamins and 10 percent less protein(蛋白质)The crops also had 8 percent less iron and 5 percent less zinc than rice grown under normal conditions. However, vitamin E levels increased by about 13 percent on average.
The researchers said the effects of planet-warming gases would be most severe for the poorest citizens in some of the least developed countries.These people generally eat the most rice and have the least complex diets.That includes about 600 million people in Indonesia， Cambodia，Myanmar，Bangladesh，Laos and other nations，mainly in Southeast Asia.
Other studies have shown that higher temperatures from climate change and weather extremes will reduce food production.But scientists are finding that rising levels of carbon dioxide and other planet-warming gases threaten food quality.
Earlier studies showed that wheat，rice，field peas and soybeans grown under high carbon dioxide conditions all had lower levels of protein and minerals.Scientists predicted that almost 150 million people might be at risk of having too little protein or zinc in their diet by 2050.
The new study suggests a way to lower the nutritional harm of climate change.That is to grow different forms of rice that can adapt to higher carbon dioxide levels.
1.Growing rice under high carbon dioxide conditions may____.
A. increase iron in the rice B. make it more delicious
C. cause losses of Vitamin E D. make it less nutritious
2.How can people reduce the nutritional harm of climate change？
A. By importing rice from China and Japan.
B. By taking other kinds of food instead of rice.
C. By avoiding eating rice from Southeast Asia.
D. By growing rice suitable for the environment.
3.What’s the author’s purpose of writing the text？
A. To inform readers what nutrients food crops contain.
B. To call on people to care for the planet they live on.
C. To share the results of some studies on people’s diets.
D. To tell readers where food crops are mainly produced.
4.In which part of a magazine can you read the text？
A. Advertisements. B. Arts and culture.
C. Science report. D. Business news.
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
A new study of 8,000 young people in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior shows that although love can make adults live healthily and happily, it is a bad thing for young people. Puppy love (早恋) may bring stress for young people and can lead to depression . The study shows that girls become more depressed than boys, and younger girls are the worst of all.
The possible reason for the connection between love and higher risk of depression for girls is “loss of self”. According to the study, even though boys would say “lose themselves in a romantic relationship”, this “loss of self” is much more likely to lead to depression when it happens to girls. Young girls who have romantic relationships usually like hiding their feelings and opinions. They won’t tell that to their parents.
Dr Marian Kaufman, an expert on young people problems, says 15% to 20% young people will have depression during their growing. Trying romance often causes the depression. She advises kids not to jump into romance too early. During growing up, it is important for young people to build strong friendships and a strong sense of self. She also suggests the parents should encourage their kids to keep close to their friends, attend more interesting school activities and spend enough time with family.
Parents should watch for signs of depression -- eating or mood changes -- and if they see signs from their daughters or sons, they need to give help. The good news is that the connection between romance and depression seems to become weak with age. Love will always make us feel young, but only maturity (成熟) gives us a chance to avoid its bad side effects.
1.Which of the following is more likely to have depression?
A. Young people who have a strong sense of selfishness.
B. Young girls who always hide their feelings and opinions.
C. Young boys whose parents watch for their behavior.
D. Careless parents whose children are deep in love.
2.What can be inferred from the passage?
A. The older a woman is, the less likely she seems to lose herself in romance.
B. Lacking love can lead young people to grow up more quickly.
C. Early love makes young people keep close to their friends and parents.
D. Parents should help their children to be aware of the signs of depression.
3.What’s the author’s attitude towards puppy love?
A. Confused. B. Disinterested.
C. Scared. D. Disapproving.
4.What’s the main idea of the passage?
A. Puppy love may bring young people depression.
B. Parents should forbid their children’s love.
C. Romance is a two edged sword for adults.
D. Romance is good for young people
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
A new study of 8,000 young people in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior shows that although love can make adults live healthily and happily，it is a bad thing for young people．Puppy love（早恋）may bring stress for young people and can lead to depression（忧郁症）．The study shows that girls become more depressed than boys，and younger girls are the worst of all．
The possible reason for the connection between love and higher risk of depression for girls is “loss of self”．According to the study，even though boys would say “lose themselves in a romantic relationship”，this “loss of self” is much more likely to lead to depression when it happens to girls．Young girls who have romantic relationships usually like hiding their feelings and opinions．They won’t tell that to their parents．
Dr Marianm Kaufman，an expert on young people problems，says 15% to 20% young people will have depression during their growing．Trying romance often causes the depression．She advises kids not to jump into romance too early．During growing up，it is important for young people to build strong friendships and a strong sense of self．She also suggests the parents should encourage their kids to keep close to their friends，attend more interesting school activities and spend enough time with family．
Parents should watch for signs of depression—eating or mood changes—and if they see signs from their daughters or sons，they need to give help．The good news is that the connection between romance and depression seems to become weak with age．Love will always make us feel young，but only maturity（成熟）gives us a chance to avoid its bad side effects．
1.What’s the main idea of the passage?
A．Romance is good for young people．
B．Parents should forbid their children’s love．
C．Romance is a two edged sword for adults．
D．Puppy love may bring young people depression．
2.Which of the following is more likely to have depression?
A．Young girls who always hide their feelings and opinions．
B．Young boys whose parents watch for their behavior．
C．Young people who have a strong sense of selfishness．
D．Careless parents whose children are deep in love．
3.What can be inferred from the passage?
A．Lacking love can lead young people to grow up more quickly．
B．The older a woman is，the less likely she seems to lose herself in romance．
C．Parents should help their children to be aware of the signs of depression．
D．Early love makes young people keep close to their friends and parents．
4.What’s the author’s attitude towards puppy love?
A．Confused B．Scared
C．Disinterested D．Disapproving
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Now,a new study led by Mason,a behavioral biologist at the University of Guelph in Canada,shows that people who can consistently read cats' expressions belong to a special group:that of the cat whisperer, mostly young and female.
For the research,Mason and his colleagues created an online survey and invited Internet users to take part.The 6,329 participants from 85 countries watched between 2 to 20 short videos of cats' expressions, and then responded if they thought the cats were distressed or happy.These random users got an average of 11.85 out of 20 ratings correct-better than chance,but not by much.But about 13 percent of the survey takers were unusually skilled at reading cats' emotions,scoring at least 15 out of 20 correct-the so-called cat whisperers.Those who self-reported being young,female,and having professional veterinary （MEW)experience were most likely to score well.Surprisingly to Mason,cat ownership had no impact on the ability to interpret cat emotion.
＂In humans,facial expressions are a major-if underappreciated- form of human communication," says Mason."And recent research shows that a variety of animals,from rats to dogs to horses,also make facial expressions that clearly communicate how they're feeling,"she says.A study published earlier this year found that cats were no exception,while also suggesting that humans could comprehend subtle(微妙的）forms of cat communication,especially facial expressions.
Mikel Delgado,a cat-behavior expert,says that this study is a"great start"to cracking cat communication,but cautions against identifying a cat's emotional state based on one piece of information.＂There's still a lot for us to understand about cats' body language,"says Delgado.For instance,tail and ear position are also relevant signals to how a cat is feeling.
1.What do we know about the cat whisperers?
A.They often go into profession related to animals.
B.They are good at understanding cats' feelings.
C.They like making videos of cats' expressions.
D.They are most likely to own and raise cats.
2.What does the author mean by"cats were no exception"in Paragraph 3?
A.Cats share a variety of characteristics with rats and dogs.
B.Cats can make out facial expressions like human beings.
C.Cats take an interest in communicating with other animals.
D.Cats can convey their feelings through facial expressions.
3.What can we infer from Mikel Delgado's words?
A.We should be very cautious when we deal with cats.
B.Cats have better communication skills than other animals.
C.We shouldn't tell cats' feelings only through their facial expressions.
D.Cats are used to showing how they feel through their body language.
4.What is the authors purpose in writing the text?
A.To convince people of benefits of keeping pets.
B.To introduce a study of reading cats 'expressions.
C.To compare cats 'and human's facial expressions.
D.To clarify some misconceptions about communication.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析