The snow in Antarctica is turning green and s...

The snow in Antarctica is turning green and scientists say climate change may be to blame. According to a study at the Cambridge University, microscopic algae blooms (藻类爆发) across the surface of the snow is slowly turning Antarctica’s winter white landscape green. Although microscopic, scientists say they’re able to see the “green snow” from space when the algae blooms all together.

Researchers created a large-scale map of green snow algae along the Antarctic coast using a combination of satellite data and on-the-ground observations over the course of two summers. The study found that the green snow algae bloomed in warmer areas where the average temperatures are just above 0℃ during the southern hemisphere’s (半球的) summer months from November to February.

“As Antarctica warms, we predict the overall mass of snow algae will increase,” said Dr Andrew Gray, lead author of the paper, and a researcher. Researchers say larger blooms of algae can be found north of the Antarctic and South Shetland Islands, where it can spread to higher ground as the snow melts.

The team also discovered some sea birds and mammals influenced the distribution of algae. Over 60% of algae blooms were found within three miles of a penguin settlement. Scientists hypothesize this may be due to their droppings, which act as a “highly nutritious fertilizer.”

“This is a significant advance in our understanding of land-based life on Antarctica, and how it might change in the coming years as the climate warms,” said Dr. Matt Davey in the University of Cambridge’s Department of Plant Sciences, who led the study.

1.What is turning the Antarctic snow green?

A.The melting of snow.

B.The blooming algae.

C.The beautiful landscape.

D.The balanced temperature.

2.Where is microscopic algae most likely to bloom in Antarctica?

A.North of the Antarctic.

B.West of the South Pole.

C.South of the Antarctic.

D.Around the southern hemisphere.

3.What does the underlined word “hypothesize” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A.Confirm. B.Support. C.Assume. D.Warn.

4.What can we learn from the text?

A.Penguins feed on microscopic algae.

B.Antarctic algae grow under the snow.

C.Ground observation lasted for four months.

D.Animal droppings contribute to the algae blooms.

高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

For as long as they can remember, Jynne Martin and April Surgent had both dreamed of going to Antarctica. This winter, they each made it to the icy continent as guests of the National Science Foundation (NSF). But they didn't, as scientists. Martin is a poet and Surgent is an artist. They went to Antarctica as participants in the NSF's Artists and Writers Program, which makes it possible for artists, including filmmakers and musicians, to experience Antarctica and contribute their own points of view to our understanding of the continent.

“It's important for scientists and artists to work together,” says Surgent, who spent six weeks at Palmer Station, the smallest of the U.S. research bases. “You need a lot of different ways and points of view to explain the world.”

Martin followed four scientific teams on the ice and wrote articles and poems inspired by her experience. “Each day was the new ‘best day of my life’.” said Martin, who said she also loved spending time in the library at the McMurdo Station reading the journals of early explorers.

Today's scientists write articles for scientific journals. Unlike the early explorer's journals, scientific papers can now be very difficult for non-scientists to understand. Writers in Antarctica work to explain the research to the public. Peter Rejcek is editor, writer, and photographer for the Antarctic Sun, an online magazine devoted to news about the U.S. Antarctic Program. He goes to the South Pole every year, interviewing the scientists about their research.

Antarctica is full of stories and wonders that are scientific, historical, and personal. People such as Martin, Surgent, and Rejcek are making an effort to bring those stories to as many people as they can.

“Some people are going to be scientists, some people are going to be artists, some people are going to be journalists, but we can all work together,” says Surgent, "to celebrate this extraordinary place.”

1.What is the main purpose of the NSF's Artists and Writers Program?

A.To increase people's understanding of Antarctica.

B.To develop a relationship between scientists and artists.

C.To encourage artists and writers to learn science.

D.To make the scientists in Antarctica known to the public.

2.Which of the following best explains why scientists and artists work together?

A.The world is full of different people. B.The world should move in harmony.

C.The world is full of different opinions. D.The world should be seen in different ways.

3.Where is the library in which Martin spent time reading?

A.At the Antarctic Sun. B.At a research base in the USA.

C.At a research base in Antarctica. D.At the National Science Foundation.

4.It can be inferred from the text that articles by writers about Antarctica　　　　　 .

A.are hard for people to understand B.are easy for people to understand

C.have nothing to do with the research D.are mainly about early explorers

高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

The Himalayan Mountains are home to the highest peak in Mount Everest. Now the first complete study of this remote region shows that is glaciers (冰川) lost billions of tons of ice from 2000 to 2016.

This is the first comprehensive look at what’s happened to glaciers in the Himalaya over a 40-year time, said lead author Joshua Masurer.

“Our study shows a strong signal of glacier ice loss linked to rising temperatures from climate change,” Maurer says. As much as quarter of the regions ice has been lost, he said, “Temperatures in the region have risen one degree, and one degree was indeed enough to produce such a great loss of glacier ice.”

The signal showing Himalayan ice loss linked to rising temperatures would not be so clear if it weren’t for the U. S satellites that photographed the region. Declassified photos from those satellites were turned into 3-D models to show what the glaciers’ elevations and sizes were in the 1970s, Maurer said. Those were then compared to more recent complex NASA satellite photos that shows changing elevations of the ice over time.

The ice and snow in the region are the source for Asia’s great rivers. The study did not include the huge neighbouring ranges of high mountains, but other studies suggest that similar melting is under way there as well.

This melting means flooding and the creation of many glacial lakes. In May 2012, one such flood killed over 60 people in villages near Pokhara, Nepal; it also destroyed houses. Some 800 million people depend in part on rivers from Himalayan glaciers for irrigation, making electricity, and drinking water. The more rapid melting appears to increase the river water during warm seasons, but scientists say that will decrease within decades as the glaciers lose mass.

1.Why did the glaciers in the Himalayan Mountains lose much ice?

A.Many people used the ice to make electricity.

B.The climate change increased the temperature.

C.America used satellite to increase one degree Celsius.

D.The flooding and many glacial lakes took much ice away.

2.How did the scientists get the conclusion?

A.By making an interview.

B.By studying the finding of other scientists.

C.By collecting information by means of satellites.

D.By comparing the data collected by U. S. satellites.

3.What can we infer from Paragraph 5?

A.Only the glaciers in Himalayan Mountains lose ice.

B.Many great rivers run to the Himalayan Mountains.

C.Many Asian regions face the problem of ice loss.

D.The melting of ice is nothing serious.

4.What is the purpose of giving the example in the last paragraph?

A.To show the risk of living near mountains.

B.To show the risky consequence of the ice loss.

C.To ask people to take action to use glaciers.

D.To predict the future of the Himalayan Mountains.

高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

Sometimes fishing ships disappear: Captains turn off the radios that broadcast their locations, leaving regulators wondering whether the ships are fishing illegally. Now, researchers have shown that albatrosses(信天翁)bearing small detectors can find these doubtful ships, even in the middle of the open ocean. After a 6-month study with the large seabirds, the researchers say that more than one-third of ships in the southern Indian Ocean are fishing illegally.

“These are animal police,” says Boris Worm of Dalhousie University. “You’re empowering animals to survey their own environment, ”Worm says. “That’s pretty cool.” The method could also help albatrosses themselves, which can be killed when they get caught or accidentally eat fishing hooks. The researchers will be there on time.

Illegal fishing is a major concern for environment biologists, especially in remote areas. Over the past decade, scientists have studied the problem with data from automatic identification systems (AISs) on ships, which send their identity, location, speed, and direction to satellites. But AlSs can be turned off. Researchers suspect that fishing ships turn off AISs when they are fishing illegally or want to prevent competitors from knowing where they are getting a good catch.

Albatrosses make good spies. The birds, which live on fish, can spot a fishing ship from as far away as 30 kilometers. Some species fly hundreds or thousands of kilometers while hunting. Between December 2018 and June 2019, the birds met 353 ships. Those locations were sent to the lab in less than 2 hours. If they did not match the locations of ships with an active AIS, the team knew the ships had switched it off. In international waters, 37% of detected ships had their AlS switched off and fished illegally.

Although the albatrosses can detect ships, they cannot track them over longer distances, one scientist says. He says, “What you need to do is to look for patterns to take pictures as evidence.” More albatrosses will be arranged in March and April around the Prince Edward Islands in the southern Indian Ocean to reveal the illegal fishing.

1.What is the main idea of the first paragraph?

A.Fishing ships disappear sometimes.

B.Illegal fishing is very serious in the open ocean.

C.Some seabirds are used to monitor the illegal fishing.

D.One-third of ships in the southern Indian Ocean are fishing illegally.

2.What benefit will the method do for the albatrosses?

A.They can get enough food.

B.They can get saved when in danger.

C.They can protect their own rights of fishing.

D.They can avoid being killed or eating fishing hooks.

3.How do the seabirds offer help?

A.By sending locations of ships.

B.By turning off AISs of the ships.

C.By following the ships as far as possible.

D.By taking the pictures of ships fishing illegally.

4.In which column of a newspaper can this text be read?

A.Education. B.Politics. C.Science. D.Health

高二英语阅读选择困难题查看答案及解析

The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Minor Snow, the 20th solar term of the year, begins this year on Nov.22 and ends on Dec.6.

Here are five things you should know about Minor Snow.

Light snow

An ancient Chinese book about plants explains that “in Minor Snow, the weather is cold and it is going to snow, but the snow is light and the earth is not frozen enough.”

Drinking soup

During Minor Snow, indoor heating begins to work, making most people might find their noses and mouths feel a bit dry. The solution is to drink more hot soup, such as cabbage and bean curd soup, mutton and radish (小萝卜) soup and so on.

Eating glutinous (粘的) rice cakes

People have glutinous rice cakes around Minor Snow, which in ancient times, were a traditional festival offering to the bull god.

Making preserved pork

After Minor Snow, the temperature declines sharply and the air becomes dry. It is the best time to start making preserved pork to eat in the bitter winter, especially in the Spring Festival. In the past, when storage conditions were poor, people developed many ways to store food and preserved pork is one such example. Some even say preserved pork tastes more delicious than fresh meat.

Avoiding spicy food

On cold days, people may be greedy for some hot and spicy food to keep warm.Experts say it’s wise not to eat overly spicy food since that will increase your inner heat.

1.Which of the following is true about Minor Snow?

A.It will certainly snow in this term.

B.It has the coldest days of the year.

C.It is a term used in China’s northern areas.

D.It is a term concerned with weather in China.

2.Which food is recommended to eat in Minor Snow?

A.Cabbage and bean curd soup. B.Preserved pork.

C.Cakes. D.Spicy food.

3.Why did people make preserved pork in the past?

A.Because people found it hard to store meat in cold winter.

B.Because it was more delicious to eat than fresh meat.

C.Because people couldn’t afford to buy fresh pork.

D.Because nowhere could people buy fresh pork in winter.

高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

Are people happier in nature with blue skies overhead and fresh green grass underfoot? Could noisy streets, crowded with cars and people, make us unhappy?

The possible mental health problems of city living affect a lot of people. The World Health Organization estimates(估计)that 56 percent of the world's population lived in urban areas in 2019. The WHO adds that that amount will increase to 66 percent by 2050. People often move to cities for better jobs and more cultural activities. But are they putting themselves at risk? Maybe. Experts at the American Psychiatry Association say that “natural environments or green spaces” do much good to our mental health.

Many studies have shown that nature can calm us and make us feel happy. Nature, experts say, can also help us learn better. And experiencing nature helps people recover from the mental tiredness that comes from day-to-day work. On the other hand, mental health experts say some research suggests that city living might hurt our mental health. But they cannot say exactly why.

What are the specific aspects of the urban environment which causes some people to develop mental illness? Andrea Mechelli, a doctor at Kings College, London, states, “There have been studies where people were literally taken out of an urban environment into a rural (乡村的) environment and their symptoms would improve. And we also see that the greater the city is, the greater the risk is.” Mechelli say that someone who lives in a city is three times more likely to develop psychological problem than someone living in the country.

Kings College researchers, along with city planners, land and building designers and others wanted to learn more about city living and mental illness. So, they created a smartphone app called Urban Mind. They say they wanted to understand how different parts of the urban environment affect mental wellbeing(健康).

The researchers found that being outdoors, seeing trees, hearing birdsong, seeing the sky, and feeling in contact with nature were associated with higher levels of mental well-being. They also found that these seeming effects of nature were especially strong in those individuals at greater risk of mental health problems. The Urban Mind Project team says it hopes “the results will inform future urban planning and social policy aimed at improving design and health.”

1.Why is the question raised in the first paragraph?

A.To introduce the topic of the text.

B.To show the background of the text.

C.To ask the readers to learn the study.

D.To raise the readers' interest in happiness.

2.What does Mechelli find during his study?

A.People are attracted by the blue skies and green grass.

B.People are more content with their city life.

C.More and more people are interested in taking risks in cities,

D.City people are more likely to develop mental problems than country people.

3.What is expected of the Urban Mind research result?

A.More people will choose to live in the countryside.

B.It will bring more concern about people s mental health.

C.It will contribute to future urban planning and social policies.

D.People will be helped to improve their mental illness.

4.What is the main idea of the text?

A.Urban Mind measures the level of mental wellbeing.

B.City living may be harmful to people’s mental health.

C.Living in the countryside is better than in the city.

D.Different scientists hold different opinions on the effects of city living.

高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

The Earth is facing a climate crisis, but it’s also getting greener. According to a new research, the rise is largely because of China and India. A study by NASA, based on extensive satellite imagery, has revealed that the two countries with the world’s biggest populations are also responsible for the largest increase in green plants.

A third of the leaf increase is attributable to China and India, due to major tree planting projects as well as a vast increase in agriculture. “China and India account for one-third of the greening, but contain only 9% of the planet’s land area covered in vegetation (植被)—a surprising finding, considering the large populations in the countries need much land,” Chi Chen, the study’s lead author said in a statement.

Between 2000 and 2017, a NASA sensor gathered data of the Earth’s surface from aboard two satellites, the Terra and the Aqua. Using the data, researchers discovered that China is the source of a quarter of the increase in green leaf area, despite possessing only 6.6% of the world’s vegetated area. Forests account for 42% of that increase, while croplands make up a further 32%. China’s increase in forest area is the result of forest conservation and expansion programs, established to combat the impacts of climate change and air pollution.

Rama Nemani, a researcher at NASA’s Ames Research Center, said in a statement, “When the greening of the Earth was first observed, we thought it was due to a warmer, wetter climate from the added carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, leading to more leaf growth in northern forests, for instance. Now, with the data, we see that humans are also contributing,” Nemani said. “This will help scientists make better predictions about the behavior of different Earth systems, which will help countries make better decisions about how and when to take action.”

1.What’s the text mainly about?

A.The climate crisis the Earth is facing.

B.A solution to global climate warming.

C.Actions taken to fight against air pollution.

D.China and India’s contributions to global greening.

2.Why is the finding considered surprising for China and India?

A.They need much land for agriculture.

B.They are greatly polluted countries.

C.They are rich in natural resources.

D.They both face a serious food crisis.

3.What percentage does China make up of the total green leaf growth?

A.6.6%. B.25%.

C.33%. D.42%.

4.What did Rama Nemani’s want to emphasize?

A.The scientists made a wrong prediction.

B.Climate is a critical factor in leaf growth.

C.Human efforts cannot be ignored.

D.It is never too late to take actions.

高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

The outbreak of locusts, an insect that mainly lives in Africa and Asia, is the worst experienced by Kenya in 70 years. The crowds are some three times the size of New York City, eating their way through thousands of acres of crops and animal grassland and destroying livelihoods in the process.

“These hungry things are alarming,” says Keith Cressman, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization's senior locust forecasting officer. "A crowd the size of Manhattan can, in a single day, eat the same amount of food as everyone in New York and California combined."

Desert locusts are infamous for their ability to breed(繁育)rapidly in large numbers every three months. And with some help from the wind, they can travel as much as 80 miles a day. Most years, the insects stay in African deserts. However, under the right environmental conditions, they can multiply quickly, spread as much as 400 times every six months and cause extensive destruction if left unchecked.

“The insect has the ability to take advantage of good conditions.” Cressman says.

The "good conditions" the scientist is referring to began in mid-2018 when a rainstorm from the Indian Ocean struck a remote area of the Arabian Peninsula known as the "Empty Quarter". Normally, it would dry out within a short period, killing most of the locust population, which depends on green plants for food. However, in late 2018, a second rainstorm struck the same region. The huge sandy area got wet, which is exactly what desert locusts need to lay their eggs and breed. The extra food supply caused the population to explode for the second time in six months.

Luckily, the locusts, experts say, are easy to control with chemicals. Kenya badly needs equipment and a steady supply of chemicals to effectively wipe out the massive insects. Hopefully, leaders worldwide will recognize the tough situation and contribute generously to control the locust outbreak.

1.What can we infer from what Cressman says in paragraph 2?

A.Little can dull locusts' appetite.

B.Urgent action must be taken against locusts.

C.Overpopulation in big cities leads to food shortages.

D.New York and California should meet challenges together.

2.What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A.Locusts' living conditions. B.Locusts' destructive effect.

C.Locusts' daily travel distance. D.Locusts' super reproductive power.

3.For what purpose does the author mention "good conditions"?

A.To explain immediate causes of the locust outbreak.

B.To remind locals to preserve the environment.

C.To analyze how to prevent locust outbreak.

D.To highlight the strength of two rainstorms.

高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

Nelda Billie has been waiting to turn on lights in her home for 15 years. ''We've been living off those oil lanterns,'' she says. ''Now we don't have to have flashlights everywhere. All the kids have a flashlight. When they get up in the middle of the night to use the restroom, they have a flashlight to go to the outhouse. ''

Billie, her husband and their five kids live in a tiny, one-room cottage built with wood and mud, which is a traditional Navajo home. Their three sheep are on the green grass that carpets the rolling hills of Dilkon, Ariz., on the Navajo Nation, the largest Native American reservation in the US. They watch two men in a cherry picker hook the last power line to their home.

Billie says they've gone through too many electrical machines to count. ''My two boys, they have really bad allergies and they have asthma(哮喘), so sometimes they need the sprayer. '' Billie says. ''So we usually go to their grandma's house, travel in the middle of the night over there back and forth. ''

The Billies are not alone. About 10% of Navajos on the reservation live without electricity. And as much as 40% of them have to haul their water far away and use outhouses. A poll(民意调查) of Native Americans conducted by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health found that more than a quarter of Native Americans have experienced problems with electricity, the Internet and with the safety of their drinking water.

Outside the Billies' home, the couple waits patiently for the workers to finish the job. Finally, after waiting for so long, the Billies watch the foreman turn on the meter behind their house and close the cover. Nelda then runs inside to open the switch. ''It's so exciting to finally have electricity here after so many years without it, '' Billie says. ''My kids are going to be so happy. They keep asking every day… They go, 'Mum, we're going to have light! We're going to finally have light! '''

Now the family will wait and pray for running water and the Internet.

1.Why did Billie's children have flashlights in the past?

A.They used them as toys.

B.They wanted to save electricity.

C.They needed them to light up late at night

D.They prepared these for going to grandma's house.

2.What can we learn from paragraph 2?

A.The Billies lead a green but poor life.

B.Electricity can bring about great changes.

C.The situation of Native Americans is serious.

D.There is an urgent need for electricity in Billie's house.

3.How does Billie often find electricity to treat her children's illness?

A.By walking a long way to a friend.

B.By producing electricity herself.

C.By inviting workers to her house.

D.By going to her mum's house.

4.What does the underlined sentence ''The Billies are not alone. ''imply in paragraph 4?

A.The Billies live far from cities but never feel lonely.

B.More Navajos suffer greatly from no electricity.

C.Only 10%of Navajos live without safe drinking water.

D.A quarter of Navajos have experienced problems with electricity.

5.What is the best title for the text?

A.The Disappearing Oil Lanterns B.Poor People's Bright Future

C.Electricity Bringing Hope D.Power Lines Construction

高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

When you drink a glass of water or take a shower, think of glaciers. Why? Glaciers contain at least 75 percent of Earth’s fresh water－much more than all our planet’s lakes and rivers combined.

Glaciers grow by adding a new layer of snow each year. It’s easy for scientists to see the annual layers in an ice core by lighting it from beneath. They can then count the layers to determine the age of any section…much like you can count tree rings to determine a tree’s age.

Glaciers form by the accumulation, press and recrystallization of snow. It requires very specific conditions of climate and geography, which means that they are found in or high mountain regions where snowfall is heavy in winter, temperatures stay below freezing for long periods, and summers are cool.

“Hot” ice! Is that possible? Actually, ice is one of the hottest solids in existence, for it is unsteady and easy to melt when heated. Glaciers are always moving, but because ice is hot, they like liquids rather than solids. They slide over the ground on melt-water, a very thin layer of water from melted ice, and “creep” when their icy layers glide over one another because of their weight. Different parts of the same glacier slide or creep at different speeds. The center moves more rapidly than the sides; the surface moves more rapidly than the bottom, because the sides and bottom are restricted by friction. Most glaciers move several feet per year, while others “race” a few miles.

Unfortunately, glaciers are shrinking throughout the world. Melting glaciers will raise sea levels, forcing people to move from low-lying areas.

1.What does the underlined word “it” refer to in paragraph3?

A.The change of glaciers. B.The press of glaciers.

C.The accumulation of glaciers. D.The forming of glaciers.

2.Why do we say the ice is “hot”?

A.Because it keeps sliding or creeping. B.Because it is close to its melting point.

C.Because it absorbs too much sunshine. D.Because the surrounding temperature is low.

3.What is happening to glaciers?

A.They are spreading. B.They are disappearing.

C.They are rising. D.They are racing.

4.What is the best title of this passage?

A.The History of Glaciers. B.The Development of Glaciers.

C.The Secrets about Glaciers. D.The Danger Glaciers are facing.

高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析