You might associate bees with their cute, fuzzy shape and seemingly aimless interest in flowers. But beneath the yellow-and-black (mostly) stripes lies an incredible mind. To efficiently find and collect food to bring back to the hive, bees have to quickly learn to recognize (and then memorize) the most effective foraging routes.
A new study collected evidence from 23 studies of bees and concluded that levels of pesticides (杀虫剂) currently considered safe to use may still have a big effect on bee colony (蜂群) survival.
They found that pesticides had significant negative effects on learning and memory. That was true both when bees were suddenly exposed to a lot of pesticides, and when they got a little bit over a long time. It was also true regardless of whether the bees were exposed to neonicotinoids (新烟碱类杀虫剂), or other pesticides.
Current pesticide regulations are geared (便适应) toward making sure they aren’t used at levels that kill bees. But these currently legal amounts apparently make the bees dumber, which could have effects for species survival.
The other question these findings implicitly (含蓄地) raise is how these pesticides affect less-studied types of bees. Bees don’t all live collectively. Many wild bees do not live in colonies, and if their learning or memory are affected, there are no other bees to help out.
Ohio State University entomologist Reed Johnson told Popular Science in an email interview, the question is: “Can pesticides ever be used safely around bees?” This study, which in one sense has the strength of 23 studies’ worth of evidence,” suggests that the answer is NO,” he wrote.
The follow-up question goes deep into one of our most fundamental needs-food. Pesticides are an essential part of large-scale industrial agriculture, and some amount of honeybee exposure is inevitable. The question, then-which hasn’t been answered by regulation to date, Johnson says-is how much harm to bees is acceptable.
As ever, more research is needed. But this study is worth paying attention to, University of Ottawa bee conservationist Jeremy Kerr told Popular Science. Its conclusions are based on evidence from over 100 individual experiments included in the 23 studies, he says, lending their findings weight.” The lesson that emerges is that honeybees begin to lose their ability to learn and to remember when they are exposed to neonicotinoids,”he writes.
“With restrictions on neonicotinoids increasing globally, many will be looking on alternative chemicals for crop protection.” It’s important to think about what those chemicals might be doing to the bees.
1.Pesticides have a negative effect on bees in that_____.
A.wild bees fail to live in colonies
B.pesticides destroy food of bees
C.bees’ learning and memory will be harmed
D.even a low level of pesticides kills bees
2.Bees’ survival may be threatened EXCEPT when_____.
A.they are exposed to a lot of pesticides
B.they take in some pesticides for long
C.they are in contact with neonicotinoids
D.they are living in the pure wilderness
3.According to Johnson, it remains unclear now_____.
A.how these pesticides affect wild bees’ survival
B.whether pesticides can be used safely around bees.
C.how much harm from pesticides bees can bear
D.whether bee exposure to pesticides can be avoided
4.In response to the restrictions on neonicotinoids, many people might_____.
A.limit the use of all pesticides
B.do more experiments on bees
C.reduce the amount of chemicals in farming
D.find some other chemicals to protect crops
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题
You might associate bees with their cute, fuzzy shape and seemingly aimless interest in flowers. But beneath the yellow-and-black (mostly) stripes lies an incredible mind. To efficiently find and collect food to bring back to the hive, bees have to quickly learn to recognize (and then memorize) the most effective foraging routes.
A new study collected evidence from 23 studies of bees and concluded that levels of pesticides (杀虫剂) currently considered safe to use may still have a big effect on bee colony (蜂群) survival.
They found that pesticides had significant negative effects on learning and memory. That was true both when bees were suddenly exposed to a lot of pesticides, and when they got a little bit over a long time. It was also true regardless of whether the bees were exposed to neonicotinoids (新烟碱类杀虫剂), or other pesticides.
Current pesticide regulations are geared (便适应) toward making sure they aren’t used at levels that kill bees. But these currently legal amounts apparently make the bees dumber, which could have effects for species survival.
The other question these findings implicitly (含蓄地) raise is how these pesticides affect less-studied types of bees. Bees don’t all live collectively. Many wild bees do not live in colonies, and if their learning or memory are affected, there are no other bees to help out.
Ohio State University entomologist Reed Johnson told Popular Science in an email interview, the question is: “Can pesticides ever be used safely around bees?” This study, which in one sense has the strength of 23 studies’ worth of evidence,” suggests that the answer is NO,” he wrote.
The follow-up question goes deep into one of our most fundamental needs-food. Pesticides are an essential part of large-scale industrial agriculture, and some amount of honeybee exposure is inevitable. The question, then-which hasn’t been answered by regulation to date, Johnson says-is how much harm to bees is acceptable.
As ever, more research is needed. But this study is worth paying attention to, University of Ottawa bee conservationist Jeremy Kerr told Popular Science. Its conclusions are based on evidence from over 100 individual experiments included in the 23 studies, he says, lending their findings weight.” The lesson that emerges is that honeybees begin to lose their ability to learn and to remember when they are exposed to neonicotinoids,”he writes.
“With restrictions on neonicotinoids increasing globally, many will be looking on alternative chemicals for crop protection.” It’s important to think about what those chemicals might be doing to the bees.
1.Pesticides have a negative effect on bees in that_____.
A.wild bees fail to live in colonies
B.pesticides destroy food of bees
C.bees’ learning and memory will be harmed
D.even a low level of pesticides kills bees
2.Bees’ survival may be threatened EXCEPT when_____.
A.they are exposed to a lot of pesticides
B.they take in some pesticides for long
C.they are in contact with neonicotinoids
D.they are living in the pure wilderness
3.According to Johnson, it remains unclear now_____.
A.how these pesticides affect wild bees’ survival
B.whether pesticides can be used safely around bees.
C.how much harm from pesticides bees can bear
D.whether bee exposure to pesticides can be avoided
4.In response to the restrictions on neonicotinoids, many people might_____.
A.limit the use of all pesticides
B.do more experiments on bees
C.reduce the amount of chemicals in farming
D.find some other chemicals to protect crops
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
“Birds are not as loyal to their partners as you might think, with divorce, child abandonment and remarriage a common part of birds’ life,” a new book has shown. Author and biology professor Bridge Stutchbury, dispels the love-bird belief that birds pair up for life. “In terms of the top 10 beliefs about birds, the lasting pair bonds that we think about, do occur in some birds, but in most of the little songbirds that we studied, no,” the professor from York University in Toronto said. The divorce rate among greater flamingos is 99 percent.
Stutchbury’s book, The Private Lives of Birds, based on 20 years of research from radio filming and DNA testing shows male Acadian flycatchers fertilize(使受孕) females far away from their home nests, “ The main discovery is that so many birds do divorce for what humans would describe as selfish reasons,” Professor Stutchbury said. She noted that females may seek out males that are more colorful and better singers, or look to “step up in the world” and move to areas that are safer and have more food. “Females are looking for the highest quality male so that their children will be of high quality,” she added.
Professor Stutchbury said shorter summers may drive females to leave their nests before their young are fully grown up so they can quickly find new mates（配偶） and lay more eggs, leaving the males to feed the hungry chicks on their own.
Males can double their success in producing children by fertilizing neighboring females, but only “mates” care for the young, and some are none the wiser. “ They can’t tell when the egg comes out and whether it’s theirs or not,” She said. “They have no way to know.”
Divorce is surprisingly common among birds, and most live with one partner for only a few months or years. Divorce rates range from 99 percent in the greater flamingo to zero in the wandering albatross(信天翁).
1.What does the underline word “dispels” mean?
A. States B. Doubts C. Confirms D. Removes
2.The book The Private Lives of Birds_____.
A. shows the kind of male birds females seek out.
B. indicates the wandering albatross is the most faithful.
C. is based on Professor Stutchbury’s 20 years’ research.
D. suggests that female birds select males near their home.
3.According to the passage, we can infer that________.
A. young birds’ quality depends on their feather.
B. some male birds care for others’ young as their own.
C. female birds go to find males as soon as autumn comes.
D. female birds are responsible for feeding the hungry babies.
4. What is the passage mainly about?
A. A book about love-birds.
B. Birds’ living habits and love life
C. The fact that birds don’t love their mates forever.
D. The factors that influence birds to look for another mate.
高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
When going through major life changes, like changing careers, I would change the people with whom I spent the most time. We’ve all gone through periods when the people in our lives have changed—graduation, moving to a new city, getting a new job, joining a new club, etc. I don’t think I need to convince you just how much influence other people can have over your identity. If you’ve ever experienced a major switch in your people environment, then you know that you change as well.
Most people don’t make these choices consciously though. You might consciously decide to spend more time with a certain friend, or you may ask someone out on a date to begin a new relationship. But few people choose their existing friendships deliberately.
There’s no “getting rid of people”. People are always dropping into and out of each other’s lives. Associations grow into friendships, and friendships fade into associations. You don’t get rid of anyone. The truth is that in order to make room for new people and new experiences, you may need to loosen up some of your existing connections.
What about loyalty? Shouldn’t you always be loyal to your friends? Once you have a close friend, even if their influence on you is slightly harmful, shouldn’t you stick by them?
Loyalty to a friend sometimes means having to let go. It means being loyal to their highest and best as well. If someone is destroying his health by smoking, for example, you aren’t showing loyalty by smoking right along with him. True loyally sometimes requires that you break damaging connections, get yourself back on solid ground, and then decide what you can really do to help your friend.
It can take a lot of courage to tell someone, “I’m sorry, but I can’t have you in my life anymore." But even though this might seem like a selfish act at times, it’s often the best thing for the other person too. If a relationship is holding you back in some way, understand that it is also hurting the other person. For example, if you work for a violent boss, your acceptance of that situation is considered to be silent approval, encouraging your boss to continue to behave violently.
1.When experiencing major life changes, people may ________.
A.join a new social community B.influence their friends around
C.choose their friendships purposely D.have their people environment changed
2.What can be concluded from Paragraph 3 in the passage?
A.Everyone has at least one friend.
B.Friendship still exists though there’s less connection.
C.It is unnecessary to make new friends.
D.You ought to treat your old and new friend equally.
3.What is the author’s opinion on the loyalty to friends?
A.Never betray your close friends whatever happens.
B.Correct their mistakes while you guard their goodness.
C.Stick by your friends even though they do harm lo you.
D.Break up with your friends immediately if they smoke.
4.How should we behave when employed by a violent boss?
A.We should accept what we are told to do.
B.We should stay silent and be in favor of it.
C.We should bravely disobey him if he is wrong.
D.We should give our boss courage to continue.
高二英语阅读选择困难题查看答案及解析
It's the most popular drink worldwide. According to the British Coffee Association, approximately two billion cups of coffee are consumed every day. But after the beans have been picked, roasted and brewed, the grounds（渣子）are often treated as waste. With the environment and resource consumption such hot topics at the moment, wouldn't it be great if we could reuse this waste to make something useful?
The company OCHIS produces sunglasses. Max Havrylenko, founder of the company, was searching for an alternative material to plastic. He wanted to "solve the problem of plastic use and overconsumption so as to create a greener world," he told the Guardian. OCHIS heats the grounds with vegetable oils, forming a bond. These are pressed into plates which are durable and flexible. These are then cut into the arms and frames of the glasses. "Don't worry," he says, "They won't dissolve（溶解）in the rain."
Rosalie McMillan, a London jeweler, uses recycled coffee grounds along with gold and silver to make handcrafted jewelry. Mixed with oils, the coffee is then subjected to heat and pressure to create a compound she calls "Curface". Her website says it has a "beautiful surface quality and texture" with similar properties to hardwood.
What about a coffee cup made from them? Kaffeeform is a German-based company that transforms used grounds and renewable plant-based raw materials into a durable composite. This is shaped into a variety of containers and polished and finished, ready to be sold. So, you can drink your coffee from a cup made of coffee.
And it doesn't stop there. Even without a factory, you can make use of coffee grounds. They make excel-lent fertilizer（肥料）. You can highlight something against them, or mix them with water to make a brown-toned paint. And the list goes on. So next time you finish your morning cup, lake a while to think again.
1.The first paragraph is mainly written to introduce .
A.how people treat coffee grounds B.annual consumption of coffee
C.growing popularity of coffee D.the big problem of wasting food
2.What can be inferred from the second paragraph?
A.OCHIS doesn't make sunglasses at all at present.
B.Plastic might be less eco-friendly to environment.
C.Coffee has become the raw materials of sunglasses.
D.Coffee-based plates are more durable and flexible.
3.The underlined word "subjected" in Paragraph 3 can be best replaced by .
A.accustomed B.exposed C.relevant D.sensitive
4.What does the author advise people to do in the last paragraph?
A.Think about how to recycle the coffee grounds. B.Take full advantage of their time.
C.Add more information to the list. D.Keep away from the coffee cups.
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
Holidays are often associated with no work and all play. People seek to enjoy their holidays in different ways. Vacation packages (一揽子交易) have been in existence for a long time. ---1.--- So now people can choose from the different packages according to their own tastes.
Sky diving, hiking and many other extreme sports are packaged with hotel tours to attract the younger generation. Tour service providers enjoy the benefits of the increase in bookings from hotel tours. Holiday-makers enjoy the exciting experiences without making efforts to look for hotels. ---2.---
---3.-- These holiday-makers enjoy student discount and packages while learning about history and culture of different places.
Summer vacation packages have never fallen down the rankings. ---4.--- Having a warm sunny day at the beach is one of the fast selling vacation packages in the leisure industry.
Safari (游猎) adventures have always attracted some of the modern adventurers. The animals of Africa continue to amaze crowds that have only seen these creatures on educational channels. Many activities like outdoor camping, safari day tours and hiking in protected parks are always welcomed by holiday-makers.
--5.--- Alaways try something new or fun to do and your days of relaxation will be always exciting.
A. Picking out a vacation package can keep yourself from boring vacations.
B. Everyone is in a winning situation.
C. You can’t miss vacation packages if you want to have a good vacation.
D. Educational vacation packages are quite suitable for students.
E. They are one of the favorite choices for most holiday-makers who like sunny beaches.
F. They are continually being improved to meet people’s demands.
G. Vacation needs your plan.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
阅读下面短文，根据其内容写一篇60词左右的内容概要。
These days, football is one of the most popular sports in the world. Given that Neil Armstrong wanted to take a football to the Moon, we could even say that it is also the most popular sport out of this world! The history of the game goes back over two thousand years to Ancient China. It was then known as cuju(kick ball), a game using a ball of animal skins with hair inside. Goals were hung in the air. Football as we know it today started in Great Britain, where the game was given new rules.
That football is such a simple game to play is perhaps the basis of its popularity. It is also a game that is very cheap to play. You don't need expensive equipment; even the ball doesn't have to cost much money. All over the world you can see kids playing to their hearts 'content with a ball made of plastic bags; just like Pele did when he was a boy.
Another factor behind football's global popularity is the creativity and excitement on the field. It is fun enough to attract millions of people. You do not have to be a fan to recognize the skill of professional player-how they use their bodies to pass, score and defend can be amazing to see-or to feel the excitement of a game ending with a surprising twist.
What's more, football has become one of the best ways for people to communicate: it does not require words, but everyone understands it. It breaks down walls and brings people together on and off the field. Take, for example, the famous football game on Christmas Day 1914. World War I had broken out months before, but British and German soldiers put down their guns and played football together-one moment of peace to remember during years of conflict.
“Some people believe football is a matter of life and death, ...... “said Bill Shankly, the famous footballer and manager. “I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.” This might sound funny, but one only has to think about the Earth to realize that our planet is shaped like a football.
高二英语概要写作中等难度题查看答案及解析
Growing up,we are constantly reminded that young people are heavily affected by technology.We are the”antisocial club”，those who prefer to text our friends in the same room rather than make eye contact with them.And even though never-ending studies reveal to us the extent of our social media addiction,we should at least consider that it’s not only our young people’s problem any more.
There’s the rise of the Instagram mums,who like to post an abundance of cute baby pictures,share their mom feelings along the way and show their wonderful lifestyles.They are the so-called”Facebook mum generation”，a growing group of parents that like to overshare.
While all of this might be fine,and even a little humorous,new research suggests that parents’ technology addiction is negatively affecting their children’s behavior.According to the study,40%of mothers and 32%of fathers have admitted having some sort of phone addiction. This has led to a significant fall in verbal interactions within families and even a decline in mothers’ encouraging their children.
There is no denying that I get annoyed when receiving the words”I’ll be with you soon” from a parent,when all I want to do is ask one question.But,at the same time,every day leaving the room to wait until my father is finished with his”serious business”(Farmville),has now become the norm.Whether you want to escape your disturbing children for a bit,or want to stay up late flicking through Twitter,know that wanting to do all of these is normal.We-your children-know how addictive it can be and how difficult it is to switch off.But before telling us to put our phones away at the table or even worse,listing statistics of how damaging social media can be for us,maybe lead by example,considering how much time you spend on the phone and how this is impacting your children and your relationship with us.Maybe in this way we can work on our addiction together.
1.From Paragraph 1,we can know that teenagers nowadays_.
A.enjoy socializing with their friends
B.send messages to their friends every day
C.hate to make eye contact with their friends
D.are heavily addicted to their mobile phones
2.What does the author think of mums’ oversharing?
A.Boring. B.Funny. C.Selfish. D.Meaningful.
3.The underlined word”norm”in Paragraph 4 probably means
A.discipline B.standard C.routine D.custom
4.What’s the main purpose of the article?
A.To share the author’s own experience with the readers.
B.To call on parents to get rid of their own media addiction.
C.To reveal that parents are always addicted to mobile phones.
D.To show the author’s dissatisfaction with parents’ phone use.
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
What comes to mind when you think of a museum? Perhaps you picture an impressive building in a rather traditional design made of high-quality stone? Some might consider these customary institutions the best way to safeguard the future of typical educational topics. But according to the Museums Association, a museum is traditionally defined as a place enabling "… people to have more knowledge via various collections for inspiration, learning and enjoyment."
There are about 2500 museums in the UK; a few are bound to be considered a little unconventional, unusual or even unknown. However atypical your interest is, there's a museum for you!
What about Neil Cole's Adventures? This museum was opened by founder Neil Cole. Visitors to this Allendale attraction in Northumberland can see items ranging from stage properties used in the BBC series Dr Who to part of Thor's costume from the Avengers movie. "Science fiction has now become more mainstream so I thought people might want to see this," says Mr Cole.
If clocks are more to your taste, why not visit the Cuckooland Museum? Set up by brothers Roman and Maz Piekarski, this Cheshire collection of over 600 cuckoo clocks is considered to be the largest of its kind in the world— and all from the Black Forest region in Germany.
Then, you could visit the Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities in London. This offbeat, alternative institution is against the trend of educating visitors through written descriptions alongside its collections. Instead, it displays all of its rare treasures, which include dodo bones, shrunken heads and a collection of McDonald's Happy Meal toys, with no caption at all.
There are many more wonderful institutions out there that march to the beat of their own drum. All you have to do is go and find them!
1.What do the traditional museums serve to do?
A.To educate kids more about the world. B.To help people explore more
C.To show visitors a specialized field. D.To help understand the real life.
2.What does Neil Cole's Adventures focus on?
A.Allendale scenery. B.Stage properties.
C.Science fiction. D.The Avengers movies.
3.Which of the following museums has no written explanation for visitors?
A.The Museum Association. B.Neil Cole's Adventures.
C.The Cuckooland Museum. D.The Viktor Wynd Museum.
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
Pets are supposed to provide us with warm and fuzzy feelings, but most of the time they worry us. We need pet cameras to make sure they behave while we're not home and GPS dog collars to warn us when they break through the fence to run after rabbits. But Amazon can help you enjoy your holiday parties in peace with a sale on some of our favorite pet trackers.
Keep a close watch with the whistle 3 pet GPS tracker on sale for $49.98 at Amazon Not only that, Amazon also has the whistle go Explore health and location tracker on sale for $104.95.
Every Whistle tracker uses GPS tracking through AT&T cell towers and Google Maps to provide accurate locations. A Whistle subscription can cost $9.95 with a monthly plan or $6.95 per month if you choose a two-year commitment.
For anyone with a tighter budget to consider, a whistle 3 for less than $50 is the perfect match. You get important data such as how far they travel and how many calorie they burn in a day.
But if your fat pet needs to shed a few pounds, the Whistle Go Explore can help you monitor their progress. It provides daily stats on how much they sleep, scratch, and even lick themselves. Whistle then takes all of this information and overall activity level to provide you with weekly wellness reports. Not only that, Whistle even emails your vet with a 30-day health report so you can get an expert opinion.
Pet owners deserve peace of mind, so a deal on Whistle GPS pet trackers could be the absolute best gift for the dog lover in your life.
1.What do we know about pets according to paragraph 1?
A.They always make us worried.
B.They are supposed to give us warmth.
C.They should help us enjoy our holiday.
D.They usually behave well when we are not home.
2.Which will be your best choice if you don't have enough money?
A.Whistle GO Explore. B.Whistle GPS.
C.Whistle 3. D.ATt &T.
3.What does the underlined word “shed” in paragraph 5 probably mean?
A.increase B.lose
C.share D.put on
4.What type is probably the passage?
A.An announcement. B.An advertisement.
C.A report. D.a poster.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
You know that thrill you get when listening to your favorite music or that exciting feeling down your spine (脊柱) when you hear your favorite melody or rhythm? According to a recent study, it seems the same thing can happen while you are reading, but not with every kind of text. This opens up fascinating questions around how music, reading and emotions are connected in the brain.
“We decided we would do a comparison between four or five different kinds of texts to see how the brain responded,” explains Professor Adam Zeman, a neurologist. “The participants lay in an MRI scanner reading the texts, and then we compared brain activity for those five texts.” The texts ranged from deadly boring ones to highly exciting ones, including the Highway Code, passages from novels and poems.
As the researchers observed, participants found some texts more emotional than others. When they read these emotional texts, there was higher activity in brain areas associated with pleasure and reward — the same areas related to the thrill we get when we listen to music. As Zeman says, “It was a nice proof that the emotional response to literature and to music has quite a bit in common.”
When the participants were reading poems, the team found there was more activity in a particular group of brain areas called the Default Network. "These areas seem to be associated with things we do with our minds when we are resting, like thinking about what's happened to us recently, thinking about what’s going to happen in the near future, about other people, and that network seems to be more strongly associated with poetry than with prose” explains Zeman. The study shows that the different texts activate different areas of our brains when we read.
1.What can we know from the study?
A.People may feel excited when reading poems. B.People aren’t thrilled when listening to music.
C.Music gives participants more pleasure than text. D.Deadly boring texts never excite the brain.
2.What is the purpose of the comparison between different kinds of texts?
A.To thrill the participants. B.To scan the participants’ brain.
C.To check the response of human's brain. D.To teach the participants novels and poems.
3.What happened in the participants’ brains when they were reading?
A.Their brains preferred music.
B.Brain areas related to pleasure became more active.
C.Their emotional response to literature stopped.
D.Their brains were less emotional when reading the emotional text.
4.Where is the text probably from?
A.A science magazine. B.A film review.
C.An advertisement. D.A science fiction.
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析