The COVID-19 pandemic has spread far and wide. Because of this, countries around the world have implemented containment measures(实施遏制措施)to help stop the virus in its tracks. As more and more people stay inside to stay safe, the outside world seems to have become much quieter. In fact, scientists have seen this change in their research, too.
Seismologists–scientists who study earthquakes–have heard less seismic(地震的)noise recently. Seismic noise is made from vibrations(震动)in the ground that are caused by things like ocean waves and human activity, such as construction work and traffic. This noise makes it difficult for scientists to pick up seismic activity that is made at the same frequency.
Thomas Lecocq,a scientist at the Royal Observatory of Belgium, located in Brussels, was the first to notice this phenomenon.
According to Lecocq, the amount of seismic noise in Brussels has been reduced by about 30 to 50 percent since mid-March. Interestingly enough, this is around the same time Belgium started its containment measures.
Because of this reduction in background noise, scientists like Lecocq have been able to pick up on smaller earthquakes that some seismic stations–like the one in Brussels–wouldn’t have been able to before.
This phenomenon isn’t unique to Brussels, though. Once Lecocq shared his findings online, seismologists from all over the world echoed similar findings.
Celeste Labedz, a graduate student at the California Institute of Technology, mentioned in a tweet that Los Angeles also experienced less background noise.
Researchers from the UK, France and New Zealand also noted a decrease in background noise since containment measures were put in place.
These global efforts to contain the COVID-19 virus have helped to shed light on seismic activity that may have gone unnoticed. It also shows that people are listening to health officials and following lockdown guidelines.
“From the seismological point of view, we can motivate people to say,‘ You feel like you’re alone at home, but we can tell you that everyone is home.…Everyone is respecting the rules.’Lecocq told CNN.
1.What did seismologists find out recently?
A.More smaller earthquakes are likely to happen.
B.Less seismic activity has been detected recently.
C.Seismic noise is caused by vibrations underground.
D.Reduced seismic vibration makes Earth quieter.
2.What can we learn from Paragraphs 4-8?
A.More data on smaller earthquakes is being collected.
B.More seismic noise is being picked up.
C.Scientists will shift their focus to smaller earthquakes.
D.Future big earthquakes can be more accurately predicted.
3.The underlined word “echoed” in Paragraph 6 is closest in meaning to“______”.
A.questioned B.demanded C.explored D.repeated
4.What can we conclude from the text?
A.human activities cause more seismic noise than ocean waves.
B.The drop in seismic noise is unique to Europe.
C.The phenomenon proved that people are following the lockdown rules.
D.Many seismologists wanted tighter restrictions for their research.
高一英语阅读选择中等难度题
The COVID-19 pandemic has spread far and wide. Because of this, countries around the world have implemented containment measures(实施遏制措施)to help stop the virus in its tracks. As more and more people stay inside to stay safe, the outside world seems to have become much quieter. In fact, scientists have seen this change in their research, too.
Seismologists–scientists who study earthquakes–have heard less seismic(地震的)noise recently. Seismic noise is made from vibrations(震动)in the ground that are caused by things like ocean waves and human activity, such as construction work and traffic. This noise makes it difficult for scientists to pick up seismic activity that is made at the same frequency.
Thomas Lecocq,a scientist at the Royal Observatory of Belgium, located in Brussels, was the first to notice this phenomenon.
According to Lecocq, the amount of seismic noise in Brussels has been reduced by about 30 to 50 percent since mid-March. Interestingly enough, this is around the same time Belgium started its containment measures.
Because of this reduction in background noise, scientists like Lecocq have been able to pick up on smaller earthquakes that some seismic stations–like the one in Brussels–wouldn’t have been able to before.
This phenomenon isn’t unique to Brussels, though. Once Lecocq shared his findings online, seismologists from all over the world echoed similar findings.
Celeste Labedz, a graduate student at the California Institute of Technology, mentioned in a tweet that Los Angeles also experienced less background noise.
Researchers from the UK, France and New Zealand also noted a decrease in background noise since containment measures were put in place.
These global efforts to contain the COVID-19 virus have helped to shed light on seismic activity that may have gone unnoticed. It also shows that people are listening to health officials and following lockdown guidelines.
“From the seismological point of view, we can motivate people to say,‘ You feel like you’re alone at home, but we can tell you that everyone is home.…Everyone is respecting the rules.’Lecocq told CNN.
1.What did seismologists find out recently?
A.More smaller earthquakes are likely to happen.
B.Less seismic activity has been detected recently.
C.Seismic noise is caused by vibrations underground.
D.Reduced seismic vibration makes Earth quieter.
2.What can we learn from Paragraphs 4-8?
A.More data on smaller earthquakes is being collected.
B.More seismic noise is being picked up.
C.Scientists will shift their focus to smaller earthquakes.
D.Future big earthquakes can be more accurately predicted.
3.The underlined word “echoed” in Paragraph 6 is closest in meaning to“______”.
A.questioned B.demanded C.explored D.repeated
4.What can we conclude from the text?
A.human activities cause more seismic noise than ocean waves.
B.The drop in seismic noise is unique to Europe.
C.The phenomenon proved that people are following the lockdown rules.
D.Many seismologists wanted tighter restrictions for their research.
高一英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
Tech giants Apple and Google are teaming up to create a system that would let smart phone users know when they've come into contact with someone who has COVID-19.
The technology would rely on the Bluetooth signals that smart phones can both send out and receive 1aperscn tests positive(阳性) for COVID-19, they could inform public health authorities through an app. Those public health apps would then warn anyone whose smart phones bad come tear the infected person's phone in the previous 14 days. The technology could be used on both Google Android phones and Apple iPhones.
The companies insist that they will preserve smart phone users' privacy and their technology will be used only by public health authorities to trace the spread of COVID-19. Smart phone users can choose to use it. The software will not collect data on users' physical locations or their personally identifiable information. People who test positive would remain unknown to the public, both to the people who came in contact with them and to Apple and Google. “Privacy is of greatest importance in this effort,” the companies said in a joint statement.
The American Civil Liberties Union has warmed that using cellphone data to handle the pandemic carries risks of “destruction of privacy”. In a statement on Friday, ACLU cyber security counsel Jennifer Granick said, The system also can't work well if people don’t trust it”. She said that the joint Apple and Google project “appears to reduce the worst privacy risks, but there is still room for improvement.” She added that the contact tracing app should be used only for public health purposes and only for the duration of this pandemic.
Public health officials say the contact tracing -finding people who have been in contact with an infected person will be a key step in lifting shelter in-place restrictions.
It would allow people who are known to have been exposed to the virus to isolate themselves, while letting others recover normal activities.
1.What is the main purpose of the passage?
A.To advertise for public health. B.To introduce a contact tracing system.
C.To warn the public of risks of COVID-19. D.To raise people's awareness of privacy protection.
2.What do the companies promise to do in particular?
A.Warn people who test positive. B.Protect infected people's privacy.
C.Work with public health authorities. D.Collect data on users physical locations.
3.What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 4 suggest?
A.Public health issues are traced accurately. B.Only people's trust influences the system.
C.The system is at the risk of being destroyed. D.Jennifer thinks the system should be better.
4.The system is mainly designed to .
A.ensure infected people's recovery B.guarantee people's normal activities
C.help prevent the spread of COVID-19 D.encourage all the people to isolate themselves
高一英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
Greece restarted regular ferry (轮渡) services to its islands, and cafés and restaurants were also back open for business to rescue its tourism .
Travel to the islands had been generally off-limits since a lockdown was carried out in late March to stop the spread of the coronavirus, with only goods suppliers and locals allowed to enter. But the country’s low infection rate (感染率) in the COVID-19 pandemic encouraged the government to start the holiday season three weeks earlier than the expected June 15 date.
At Bairaktaris restaurant on central Monastiraki Square in Athens, waiters and other workers wearing face masks, prepared various dishes, arranged flowers on tables and waited for customers, who remained cautious. Spiros Bairaktaris, the owner, is carrying on a family business running for 140 years and has hung pictures on the wall of himself sitting next to supermodel Naomi Campbell, singer Cesaria Evora, and other famous customers.
Greece has had nearly 2,900 infections and 171 deaths from the virus. Italy has seen nearly 33,000 coronavirus patients die, Spain has had nearly 29,000 deaths and Turkey 4,340, according to a record by Johns Hopkins University.
Social distancing rules and passenger limits have been introduced on ferries and at restaurants to prevent new infections. State-run health services to fight the coronavirus are being provided to the islands.
Tourism is a vital part of the Greek economy, directly contributing more than 10% of the country’s GDP . More than 34 million visitors traveled to Greece last year, spending 18.2 billion euros ($19.5 billion), according to government data.
1.What does the underlined word “off-limits” in paragraph 2 probably refer to ?
A.Prevented. B.Admired. C.Confirmed. D.Encouraged.
2.Which of the following statements is true according to the text?
A.Tourism has been completely rescued in Greece.
B.Visitors are welcomed to Greece to help develop tourism.
C.Coronavirus pandemic has already disappeared in Greece.
D.Bairaktaris restaurant has attracted many famous customers.
3.What’s the author’s purpose of writing the text?
A.To attract famous customers in Greece.
B.To show the growth of Greek economy.
C.To introduce the efforts made for Greek tourism.
D.To share specific ways to run a restaurant in Greece.
高一英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
Robots often star in popular science fiction movies as the bad guys that take over the world and control mankind. But with the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic (新型冠状病毒), robots are increasingly being employed as helpers, performing often dull, difficult and dangerous tasks and thus reducing humans’ exposure (暴露) to COVID-19.
Across the world, robotics companies are teaming with health care providers and government officials to develop technological solutions for dealing with the global health crisis. In China, robots have rolled down streets spraying disinfectant. In at least one hospital in South Korea, robots are being used to check patients’ temperatures and give out hand wash.
In the United States, two of the major ways in which robotic technology is being used are to disinfect hospital rooms and to act as telemedicine portal (远程医疗门户), allowing doctors and health care workers to communicate via video conference directly with patients without unnecessarily exposing themselves to the virus.
In Boston, doctors, researchers and robotics engineers have cooperated to bring a friendly, dog-like robot named Spot into Brigham and Women’s Hospital, allowing doctors to interact with COVID-19 patients via telemedicine. What sets Spot apart is its four-legged design, which allows the robot to move about easily in different settings, such as the tent set up outside the hospital.
In March, researchers began developing and testing the robot’s design to enable Spot to interact with patients, thus reducing the exposure of frontline health care workers to the virus. In the place of head, Spot has an iPad fixed to stand, allowing doctors to conduct telemedicine sessions with their patients.
Researchers are working to increase the robots’ diagnostic (诊断) abilities, enabling it to test the patient’s temperature and measure his or her respiratory rate.
Dr. Peter Chai, an emergency medicine physician, predicts that hospitals will continue to find ways to use robots even after the coronavirus pandemic is over, whether it may be through delivering supplies to rooms or seeing patients with other contagious (传染性的) diseases.
1.In China, robots are used to ________.
A.rid the streets of the virus B.hand out hand wash
C.communicate with patients D.measure the patients’ temperature
2.What does the underlined word “sessions” in Para. 5 mean?
A.greetings B.decisions C.experiments D.conferences
3.What can we infer from Dr. Chai’s prediction in the last paragraph?
A.More robots will be used to fight the virus.
B.New robots will be invented to fight the virus.
C.Robots will still play a part in medical treatment.
D.Robots will be invented to deliver medicines to patients.
4.Which can be the best title for the passage?
A.Robots, deliverers of COVID-19 B.Robots, fighters against COVID-19
C.Robots, helpers in fighting COVID-19 D.Robots, pioneers in fighting COVID-19
高一英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
It is a sad truth that any health crisis (危机) will lead to a large outbreak of misinformation.
In the 80s, 90s, and 2000s we saw the spread of dangerous lies about AIDS - from the belief that the HIV virus was created by a government laboratory to the idea that it could be treated with goat’s milk. These claims increased risky behaviour and worsened the crisis.
Now, we are surrounded with unreal news - this time around Covid-19 (新冠肺炎). The Economist in March 2020 found 13% of Americans believed Covid-19 was a trick while 49% believed the virus might be man-made. While you might hope that greater brainpower or education would help us to tell facts from lies, it is easy to find examples of many educated people falling for false information. Kelly Brogan, who has a degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has refused clear evidence of the virus’s danger in countries like China and Italy and even questioned the health officials.
Part of the problem arises from the nature of the messages themselves. As BBC Future has described in the past, suppliers of false news can make their message feel “truthy” through a few simple tricks, which discourages us from using our critical thinking skills.
For example, a simple image alongside a statement increases our trust in its accuracy (准确)---even if it is only partly related to the statement. Moreover, even the simple repetition of a statement can increase the “truthiness” by increasing feelings of familiarity.
These tricks have long been known by peddlers (传播者) of misinformation, but today’s social media make the spread more easily. Recent evidence shows that many people share information on the Internet without even thinking about its truthfulness and ignoring the obvious question: is it true?
1.How does the author support his ideas in the text?
A.By giving examples. B.By making comparisons.
C.By doing scientific research. D.By explaining statistical data.
2.The author mentions Kelly Brogan in paragraph 3 to prove that ________.
A.Covid-19 is not real but may be man-made
B.plenty of false news crowds into people’s daily life
C.even well-educated people may not tell facts from lies
D.countries like China and Italy have suffered greatly these days
3.People are most likely to believe the false news when ________.
A.it’s unfamiliar to them B.it’s attached with clear evidences
C.it carries several messages at a time D.it includes pictures and repeated statements
4.What’s the main idea of the last paragraph?
A.Many people share false information to attract more followers.
B.Fake news peddlers have long tricked people into ignoring truth.
C.Some tricks prevent people from applying critical thinking skills.
D.It’s today’s social media that speed up the spread of misinformation.
高一英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
Getting rid of dirt, in the opinion of most people, is a good thing. However, there is nothing fixed about attitudes to dirt.
In the early 16th century, people thought that dirt on the skin was a means to block out disease, as medical opinion had it that washing off dirt with hot water could open up the skin and let ills in. A particular danger was thought to lie in public baths. By 1538, the French king had closed the bath houses in his kingdom. So did the king of England in 1546. Thus began a long time when the rich and the poor in Europe lived with dirt in a friendly way. Henry IV, King of France, was famously dirty. Upon learning that a nobleman had taken a bath, the king ordered that, to avoid the attack of disease, the nobleman should not go out.
Though the belief in the advantage of dirt was long-lived, dirt has no longer been regarded as a nice neighbor ever since the 18th century. Scientifically speaking, cleaning away dirt is good to health. Clean water supply and hand washing are practical means of preventing disease. Yet, it seems that standards of cleanliness have moved beyond science since World War Ⅱ. Advertisements repeatedly sell the idea: clothes need to be whiter than white, cloths ever softer, surfaces to shine. Has the hate for dirt, however, gone too far?
Attitudes to dirt still differ hugely nowadays. Many first-time parents nervously try to warn their children off touching dirt, which might be responsible for the spread of disease. On the contrary, Mary Ruebush, an American immunologist(免疫学家), encourages children to play in the dirt to build up a strong immune system. And the latter position is gaining some ground.
1.The kings of France and England in the 16th century closed bath houses because .
A.they lived healthily in a dirty environment.
B.they thought bath houses were too dirty to stay in
C.they believed disease could be spread in public baths
D.they considered bathing as the cause of skin disease
2.Which of the following best describes Henry IV’s attitude to bathing?
A.disapproving B.Curious. C.Approving. D.Uninterested.
3.How does the passage mainly develop?
A.By providing examples. B.By making comparisons.
C.By following the order of time. D.By following the order of importance.
4.What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?
A.To stress the role of dirt. B.To introduce the history of dirt.
C.To call attention to the danger of dirt. D.To present the change of views on dirt.
高一英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
At a time when crossborder(跨境) travel is strictly limited, China Hour,a program on Sky TV, has hit record high viewings in Britain, offering a window on the eastern country and its culture under COVID-19 lockdown( 活动限制).
Jointly run by China International TV & Film Corporation and Dove Media Ltd UK, the program has grown rapidly since the end of March when Britain began its lockdown. Its March viewings saw a dramatic increase of nearly 70 percent compared to that of February. Figures in April again went far beyond average, 2. 5 times higher than the previous month.
“Thanks to its enhanced efforts for promotion( 提 升 ) and adapted contents, China Hour seized the opportunity when its British audience were staying home,” said Sui Songyan, CEO of Dove Media. “It is true that the lockdown contributed to a longer TV watching time among the public, however, the increase was also owed to the program contents and schedules,” he added.
Sui introduced, “China Hour’s performance remains consistent in 2020, like it was in the second half of last year. ” While some classic programs stay popular, new shows along with new themed schedules have all been well received, including the Chinese New Year series, Silk Road series and some other cultural and travel programs, like History of Great Wall, Furniture Chinese Style, the Legend of Bruce Lee, Chinese Garden, Tea: Story of a Leaf.
Thanks to the team efforts in scheduling, promotion, translation and dubbing, the Chinese New Year special shows aired in January and February have achieved satisfactory figures, reflecting the audience's keen interest in Chinese folk culture.
1.When did the increase begin?
A.From January and February. B.From the end of March.
C.From the beginning of April. D.From the second half of last year.
2.What can you infer from what Sui Songyan said?
A.He thought the program had succeeded by chance.
B.He showed his thankfulness to the British audience.
C.He thought highly of the team efforts on the program.
D.He thought it was the lockdown that decided the success.
3.Which of the following is not a factor that has promoted the viewings?
A.The contents and schedules.
B.The joint efforts of the team.
C.The COVID-19 lockdown.
D.The audience’s keen interest in culture.
4.Which is the best title for this passage?
A.China Hour Offers a Window on Chinese Culture.
B.China Hour Hits Record High Viewings Globally.
C.COVID-19 Lockdown Limits Crossborder Travel.
D.COVID-19 Lockdown Contributes to China Hour.
高一英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
Life has gone mostly online for many people around the world. With more people going online during the COVID-19 pandemic, global Internet traffic has become a big problem. Between January and late March. many major cities experienced an increase in Internet traffic.
Video meetings, online classrooms and stay-at-home entertainment have become a daily routine. This increase in traffic is testing the Internet' s strength. In March. major phone networks in the UK experienced mass outages(断供). People were not able to take calls, receive texts or use mobile data.
In the US, major telecommunications companies like AT&T said traffic was up 21 percent month over month. Video streaming services like You Tube, Netflix and Facebook have cut their picture qualities and download speeds. This is being done to reduce network traffic jams.
China has seen an Internet traffic increase of around 50 percent compared to the end of 2019. The country's network speeds went down sharply in early February. However, they returned to normal soon afterwards and have been working well. This is due to China’s work in building network infrastructure(基础设施), especially 5G technology. By the end of February, 164,000 5G base stations had been built nationwide. This has given Chinese networks the power to handle increased traffic.
“If there were no such development in the Internet network field. people could hardly enjoy such a colorful life at home. Online working and teaching could never be realized so smoothly," said Wen Kun, an official with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
1.What happened to the Internet due to COVID-19?
A.Internet traffic was jammed. B.Internet access was cut off.
C.Internet service was ignored. D.Internet community was ruined.
2.Why did some US companies cut download speeds?
A.To increase Internet strength. B.To improve picture qualities.
C.To avoid Internet breakdown. D.To reduce the number of users.
3.Compared with other countries. China's Internet system_________.
A.suffered bigger losses B.recovered faster
C.cost less money D.started earlier
4.What is Wen Kun's attitude towards China's Internet network?
A.Doubtful. B.Uncaring.
C.Critical. D.Positive.
高一英语阅读选择简单题查看答案及解析
We've seen a worldwide health crisis (危机) bring out the worst in some people, but fortunately, we've also been able to see it bring out the best in others.
A taxi driver in Spain has been providing COVID-19 (新冠肺炎) patients with free rides to and from the hospitals. Doctors and nurses wanted to surprise him with their thanks for helping out.
They tricked him down to the hospital under the pretense of needing to pick up a sick patient, but in reality, doctors and nurses lined the hall waiting to applaud (鼓掌) him.
“This is a surprise that has been given to a taxi driver who takes patients to the hospitals without charge,” wrote the taxi company that first shared the video.
The man seemed completely taken aback by the gesture, stopping in the middle of the doors as the whole room cheered for him.
He was also given an envelope full of money and the satisfying results of his own COVID-19 test.
The video has since been shared tens of thousands of times across the world, because kind gestures break the language barrier (障碍).
“When the crisis is finished, there will have been two types of people... the good and the bad,” one user wrote. “With workmates like him, I am proud to be a taxi driver, son of a taxi driver, and father of a taxi driver.”
With the word in hard times, just knowing good people are there doing good deeds is something we can all appreciate.
1.We can learn from the story that____________.
A.the driver took doctors to and from the hospitals
B.the taxi company ticked the driver to pick up a patient
C.the patients lined the hall to thank the driver
D.the driver stayed safe from COVID-19
2.What does the underlined phrase “taken aback" in Paragraph 5 mean?
A.Worried. B.Amazed. C.Frightened. D.Excited.
3.Why has the video been shared so many times across the world?
A.It moves people of different nations.
B.It encourages more people to be a taxi driver.
C.It shows there will have been two types of people.
D.It calls for doctors and nurses to fight COVID-19.
4.What is the author intended to tell us?
A.There is always kindness around us.
B.We should be proud of our own jobs.
C.Helping others is the biggest happiness.
D.Taxi drivers play an important part in this crisis.
高一英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
March 25, 2020
Dear students and parents.
As our state continues to fight against the spread of COVID-19, the State Board of Education has voted to authorize the closure of all public schools in Oklahoma for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year.
Jenks Public Schools (JPS) will be transitioning to distance learning beginning April 6 through the end of the school year. All JPS school buildings and facilities will remain closed until further notice. All activities, athletic events, club meetings, school sponsored trips are canceled for the 2019-20 school year.
JPS administrators are working on plans for a district-wide distance learning program. Please be patient over the next week as these plans are finalized. As soon as more information is available, you will be notified.
The time being missed due to the coronavirus-related closure will not have to be made up. Summer will not be shortened and as of now, the start of the 2020-21 school year will not be delayed.
We recognize the disappointment and difficulty this closure is causing our students and families. Our thoughts go out to our senior class knowing they will not have the opportunity to walk across a graduation stage in front of their family, friends, and peers. Please be assured, we will find a way to honor our seniors and recognize their achievements.
None of this is easy but despite our distance, we are still one Trojan family. We will continue to love and support each other. We will always make decisions based on what is best for our students. Thank you for your trust. You will hear from us very soon.
Sincerely,
JPS Administration
1.What is the public schools’ plan for rest of the 2019-20 school year in Oklahoma?
A.Schools will be closed. B.Students will not have any class.
C.Students might go back to school. D.A distance learning program will be offered.
2.The time being missed due to the coronavirus-related closure will ______.
A.not affect school activities B.be made up during summer break
C.delay the start of the next school year D.not influence the start of the next school year
3.Jenks High School students graduating this year will _______.
A.be honored in a different way B.have difficulty graduating this year
C.walk across a graduation stage alone D.have a graduation ceremony without their parents
高一英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析