Recent research findings have ________ the or...

Recent research findings have ________ the origin of our universe, which has puzzled the scientific world.

A. cast light on　　 B. given rise to

C. seized control of　　 D. kept company with

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Four habits of happy people

While the recent research has shown that about 60 percent of our baseline (基本) level of happiness is probably genetically determined, it means 40 percent is under our control. You can’t go back and get new genes.1.. Here are the good habits of happy people.

·Spend time outside. If you can clock 20 minutes a day outside, studies show you’ll not only maintain a better mood, but your mind will be more open and you’ll improve your working memory. 2..

·Exercise regularly. All exercise releases endorphins (脑内肽) in your brain, and if you work out regularly, this mood boosts（增强）even carries over to non-workout days.3.. Mood stays about the same on days they don’t.

4.. A study has confirmed that when people actively try to be happy, they raise their baseline moods, making them feel happier than those who do not try. In the study, two sets of participants listened to “happy” music. Those who actively tried to feel happier reported the highest level of positive mood afterwards.

·Care for others. 5.. Volunteer work is good for both mental and physical health. People of all ages who volunteer are happier and experience better physical health and less depression.

A. Exercise is easy to do.

B. Put effort into being happy.

C. People around you impact your mood.

D. Sunshine and fresh air make you feel good too.

E. But you can start a good morning over with a new attitude.

F. People who spend time every month helping others are happier.

G. On exercise days, people’s mood is significantly improved after exercising.

高二英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析

Recent findings have shown that our appetite and food intake are influenced by a large number of factors besides our biological need for energy, including our eating environment and our perception (感知) of the food in front of us. A new study suggested that our short-term memory may also play a role in appetite. Several hours after a meal, people's hunger levels were predicted not by how much they'd eaten but rather by how much food they’d seen in front of them — in other words, how much they remembered eating.

This difference suggests the memory of our previous meal may have a bigger influence on our appetite than the actual size of the meal, says Jeffrey M. Brunstrom, a professor of experimental psychology at the University of Bristol.

''Hunger isn't controlled merely by the physical characteristics of a recent meal. We have identified an independent role for memory for that meal, '' Brunstrom says. ''This shows that the relationship between hunger and food intake is more complex than we thought. ''

These findings echo earlier research that suggests our perceptions of food can sometimes trick our body's response to the food itself. In a 2016 study, for instance, people who drank the same 380-calorie milkshake on two separate occasions produced different levels of hunger-related hormones (荷尔蒙), depending on whether the shake's label said it contained 620 or 140 calories. Moreover, the participants reported feeling more full when they thought they'd consumed a higher-calorie shake.

1.What affects our appetite according to the new study?

A.How much we remember eating.

B.What time we eat our last meal.

C.How much we eat our last meal.

D.What ingredients the food contains.

2.The underlined word ''echo'' in the last paragraph means ________ in Chinese.

A.暗示 B.反映

C.印证 D.改善

3.What is the main idea of the text?

A.Good eating habits contribute to our health.

B.Eating speed often affects our food digestion.

C.Psychological factors influence our hunger levels.

D.Our biological need for energy determines our food intake.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

If you want to stay young, sit down and have a good think. This is the research finding of a team of Japanese doctors, who say that most of our brains are not getting enough exercise—and as a result, we are aging unnecessarily soon.

Professor Taiju Matsuzawa wanted to find out why otherwise healthy farmers in northern Japan appeared to be losing their ability to think and reason at a relatively early age, and how the process of aging could be slowed down.

With a team of colleagues at Tokyo National University, he set about measuring brain volumes of a thousand people of different ages and varying occupations.

Computer technology enabled the researchers to obtain precise measurements of the volume of the front and side sections of the brain, which relate to intellect (智能) and emotion, and determine the human character. (The rear section of the brain, which controls functions like eating and breathing, does not contract with age, and one can continue living without intellectual or emotional faculties.)

Contraction of front and side parts—as cells die off—was observed in some subjects in their thirties, but it was still not evident in some sixty- and seventy-year-olds.

Matsuzawa concluded from his tests that there is a simple remedy to the contraction normally associated with age—using the head.　 The findings show in general terms that contraction of the brain begins sooner in people in the country than in the towns. Those least at risk, says Matsuzawa, are lawyers, followed by university professors and doctors. White collar workers doing routine work in government offices are, however, as likely to have shrinking brains as the farm worker, bus driver and shop assistant.　　 Matsuzawa’s findings show that thinking can prevent the brain from shrinking. Blood must circulate properly in the head to supply the fresh oxygen the brain cells need. “The best way to maintain good blood circulation is through using the brain,” he says, “Think hard and engage in conversation. Don’t rely on pocket calculators.”

1.The team of doctors wanted to find out ________.

why certain people age sooner than others　　

B. how to make people live longer

C. the size of certain people’s brains　　　　　

D. which people are most intelligent

2.On what are their research findings based?

A survey of farmers in northern Japan.　　　　　

B. Tests performed on a thousand old people.

C. The study of brain volumes of different people　

D. The latest development of computer technology.

3.The word “subjects” in Paragraph 5 means ________.

something to be considered　　　　　　　　　　　　

B. branches of knowledge studied

C. persons chosen to be studied in an experiment　　

D. any member of a state except the supreme ruler.

4.According to the passage, which people seem to age slower than the others?

A. Lawyers.　　　　 B. Farmers.　　

C. Clerks.　　　　 D. Shop assistants.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The two researchers originally set out to study the zebras in Africa and discovered a new species of tiger ______.

A. by chance　 　　 　　 B. in addition

C. by nature　　　　　 D. in need

高二英语单项填空困难题查看答案及解析

Change is everything in the case of mobile phones. Recent research indicates that the mobile phone is changing not only our culture, but our very bodies as well.

First, let’s talk about culture. The difference between the mobile phone and the fixed-line phone, is that a mobile number corresponds to a person, while a fixed-line phone goes to a place. If you call my mobile, you get me. If you call my fixed-line phone, you get whoever answers it.

This has several implications（含义）. The most common one, however, and perhaps the thing that has changed our culture forever, is the “meeting” influence. People no longer need to make firm plans about when and where to meet. Twenty years ago, a Friday night would need to be arranged in advance. You needed enough time to allow everyone to get from their place of work to the first meeting place. Now, however, a night out can be arranged on the run. It is no longer “see you there at 8”, but “text me around 8 and we’ll see where we all are.”

Texting changes people as well. In their paper, “Insights into the Social and Psychological Effects of SMS (Short Message Service) Text Messaging”, two British researchers distinguished between two types of mobile phone users: the “talkers” and the “texters”－those who prefer voice to text messages and those who prefer text to voice.

They found that the mobile phone’s individuality and privacy gave texters the ability to express a whole new outer personality. Texters were likely to report that their family would be surprised if they were to read their texts. This suggests that texting allowed texters to present a self-image that differed from the one familiar to those who knew them well.

Another scientist wrote of the changes that mobiles have brought to body language. There are two kinds that people use while speaking on the phone. There is the “speakeasy”: the head is held high, in a self-confident way, chatting away. And there is the “spacemaker”: these people focus on themselves and keep out other people.

Who can blame them? Phone meetings get cancelled or reformed and camera-phones intrude（侵入）on people’s privacy. So, it is understandable if your mobile makes you nervous. But perhaps you needn’t worry so much. After all, it is good to talk.

1.The “meeting” influence of a mobile phone refers to the fact that ________.

A. people are able to meet someone at any place and any time

B. people have to make a firm plan about when and where to meet

C. people can arrange their meeting place and time more flexibly

D. people have to attend more phone meetings than ever before

2.We can infer from Paragraph 5 that the texts sent by texters probably are ________.

A. showing popular images to others

B. showing new images to others

C. showing the same images to others

D. showing familiar images to others

3.According to the passage, who is afraid of being heard while talking on the mobile?

A. talkers　　 　　 　　 B. the “spacemaker”

C. the “speakeasy”　 D. texters

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

A. The Influence of Short Message Service B. Changes in the Use of the Mobile

C. Changes Caused by Mobile Phone Use D. Body Language and the Mobile Phone

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Play is the basic business of childhood, and in recent years more and more research has shown the great importance of play in the development of a human being. From earliest  infancy （婴儿）, every child needs opportunity and the right material for play, and the main tools of play are toys. The main function of toys is to suggest, encourage and assist play. To succeed in this, they must be good toys, which children will play with often and will come back to again and again. Therefore, it is important to choose suitable toys for different stages of a child’s development.

In recent years research on infant development has shown that the standard a child is likely to reach, within the range of his inherited(遗传的) abilities, is largely determined in the first three years of his life. So a baby's ability to benefit from the right play materials should not be underestimated. A baby who is encouraged, talked to and shown things and played with, has the best chance of growing up successfully.

The next stage, from three to five years old, curiosity knows no bounds. Every type of suitable toy should be made available to the child, for trying out, experimenting and learning, for discovering his own particular ability. Bricks and jigsaws and construction toys; painting, scribbling(乱涂) and making things; sand and water play; toys for imaginative and pretending play; the first social games for learning to play and get on with others．

By the third stage of play development—from five to seven or eight years old— the child is at school. But for a few more years play is still the best way of learning, at home or at school. It is easier to see which type of toys the child most enjoys.

Until the age of seven or eight, play and work mean much the same to a child. But once reading has been mastered, then books and school become the main source of learning. Toys are still interesting and valuable, which lead up to new hobbies, but their significance has changed —to a child of nine or ten years old, toys and games mean, as to adults, relaxation and fun.

1.The writer wants us to understand that a child_______.

A．cannot grow up without toys               B．matures（使成熟） through play

C．uses toys as friends                      D．has to be taught how to play

2.According to the passage, the abilities a child has inherited from his parents ________.

A．determine his character

B．will not change after the age of three

C．partly determine the standard he is likely to reach

D．to a large extent determine the choice of toys

3.The passage tells us that children are the most curious when they are about______.

A．two years old      B．one year old       C．six years old       D．four years old

4.The article is about_______.

A．the importance of play

B．the importance of books

C．the relationship between play and work

D．children’s speech development

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

A recent study led by researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has found a clear link between the color of a taxi and its accident rate. An analysis of 36 months of detailed taxi, driver and accident data from two fleets of yellow and blue taxis in Singapore suggested that yellow taxis have fewer accidents than blue taxis. The higher visibility (能见度） of yellow makes it less difficult for drivers to avoid getting into accidents with yellow taxis, leading to a lower accident rate.

The study was led by Prof Ho. To test whether there was a relationship between the color of a taxi and the number of accidents the taxi had, the research team analysed data collected by the largest taxi company in Singapore. The researchers found that yellow taxis have about 6. 1 fewer accidents per 1,000 taxis per month.

They also studied the economic effect of changing the color of the entire fleet of taxis to yellow. The Singapore taxi company involved in the study owns about 16,700 taxis in a ratio (比例) of one yellow to three blue taxis. If a commercial decision is made to switch from blue to yellow taxis, 76. 6 fewer accidents will occur per month or 917 fewer accidents per year.

Assuming an average repair cost of $1,000 per car and a downtime of six days, the color of all taxis to yellow could produce an annual saving of $2 million.

“We are eager to continue to validate (证实) the findings of our study by looking at the use of yellow in other types of public transport, such as school buses. For example, we hope to compare the accident rates of yellow school buses against those of other colors to find out if yellow is indeed a safer color for school buses. Besides, we’ re also interested to look at private-hire vehicles and do a comparison of the accident rates of vehicles that are of different colors explained Prof Ho.

1.Why do yellow taxis result in fewer accidents?

A. Because yellow signals a warning of danger.

B. Because yellow can be seen more easily.

C. Because drivers tend to he more careful in yellow taxis.

D. Because people act more quickly in yellow surroundings.

2.What’ s Prof Ho’s study based on?

A. Physical risks taxi passengers experience.

B. The economic effect of changing taxi color.

C. Personal reports from taxi drivers worldwide.

D. Data from Singapore's largest taxi company.

3.What do Prof Ho’s words in the last paragraph suggest?

A. School buses should be painted yellow.

B. Their findings are worth popularizing.

C. Their study will be furthered.

D. Yellow should be widely used in public transport,

4.What can be the best title for the text?

A. Safer to ride in yellow taxis　　 B. Caution: yellow taxis ahead

C. Why are yellow Taxis preferred?　　 D. How can colors help prevent accidents?

高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

Recent research has____the natural mystery, which has amazed the world.

A. got a kick out of　　 B. got stuck in

C. thrown light on　　 D. made sense of

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

One of the most striking findings of a recent questionnaire in the UK is that of the people interviewed, one in two believes that it is becoming more difficult to meet someone to start a family with.

Why are many people finding it increasingly difficult to start and keep close relationships? Does modern life really make it harder to fall in love? Or are we making it harder for ourselves?

It is certainly the case today that nowadays couples benefit in different ways from relationships. Women no longer rely upon partners for economic security or status. A man doesn’t expect his wife to be in sole (唯一的) charge of running his household and raising his children.

But perhaps the knowledge that we can live perfectly well without a partnership means that it takes much more to persuade people to abandon their independence.

In theory, finding a partner should be much simpler these days. Only a few generations ago，your choice of soul mate was limited by geography, social convention and family tradition. Although it was never clear, many marriages were essentially arranged. Now those barriers have been broken down. You can approach a builder or a brain surgeon in any bar in any city on any given evening. When the world is your oyster（牡蛎）, you surely have a better chance of finding a pearl.

But it seems that the traditions have been replaced by an even tighter restriction：the limitation of choice. The expectations of partners are made greater to an unmanageable degree：good looks, impressive salary, kind to grandmother, and so on. There is no room for error in the first impression.

We think that a relationship can be perfect. If it isn’t，it is intended to be thrown away. We work to protect ourselves against future heartache and don’t put in the hard emotional labor needed to build a strong relationship. Twelve-hour work at the office makes relaxed after-hours dating(约会) difficult. The cost of housing and child-raising creates pressure to have a stable(稳定的) income and career before a life partnership.

1. Nowadays, in a family, _________.

A. men begin to depend on women    　　　　　

B. couples share the burdens

C. men are responsible for housework　　　　

D. couples can’t get along together

2. People don’t want to give up their independence because______.

A. they can’t bear arranged marriages

B. they want to have more choices

C. they don’t want to follow traditions

D. they think they can live happily alone

3. People don’t bother to date because_______.

A. it requires luck to build a strong relationship

B. it takes them too much energy to work

C. it needs faith to have a life partnership

D. it causes mental problems to find a life partner

4. Which of the following can best describe the main idea of the passage?

A. The expectations of partners and financial pressure may prevent a relationship.

B. People should spend more money on marriage today.

C. Independence is much more important than love.

D. Even a perfect marriage can be given up for the sake of independence.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析