Most of the new diseases we humans have faced in the past several decades have come from animals. The more we come into contact with wild animals, the more we risk a so-called disease “spillover” from animals to humans.
“As people move and wildlife move in response to a changing environment, humans and wildlife and animals will come in contact more regularly,” said Jeanne Fair from the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. Fair argues that by shifting animal habitats, climate change will also make the opportunities for disease spillover more frequent. “Everything is sort of shifting and will shift into the future as the environment changes through climate change,” Fair said.
Scientists, including climatologists and epidemiologists (流行病学家) on Fair’s team at Los Alamos, are beginning to model how changes to the climate will impact the spread of infectious diseases. It’s early days for this kind of research, but previous studies suggest that extreme weather has already played a role in at least one outbreak. Scientists say drought and deforestation have combined to force bats out of rain forests and into orchards (果园) in Malaysia to find food. Those bats, a common disease reservoir, then passed the Nipah virus through pigs to humans for the first time in the late 1990s.
“We’re going by the past data to really predict what’s going to happen in the future,” Fair said, “And so, anytime you increase that wildlife-human interface, that’s sort of an emerging disease hot spot. And so, that’s just increasing as we go forward.”
Jeffrey Shaman, head of the climate and health program at Columbia University’s public health school, argues we don’t yet know whether climate change will cause a net increase in infectious disease rates globally. For example, mosquitoes carry disease that affects millions of people across the world every year. As their habitats expand in some parts of the world, they might contract diseases elsewhere. Shaman says what we know for certain about climate change is that it will make it harder to predict where disease outbreaks will pop up.
1.How does climate change affect the spread of disease according to Fair?
A.By breaking animals’habits. B.By increasing animals’varieties.
C.By promoting animals’breeding. D.By changing animals’living environment.
2.What is the example of bats for in paragraph 3?
A.Explaining the influence of Nipah virus.
B.Proving the harm of bats to human beings.
C.Showing the effects of climate change on disease.
D.Presenting scientists’early study about the cause of disease.
3.What can we infer from Fair’s words in paragraph 4?
A.Humans should give up studying animals.
B.Frequent contact with animals can cause disease outbreaks.
C.Disease hot spots will disappear if animals die out.
D.Past data can solve the problems in the future.
4.What could be the best title for the text?
A.Climate Change and Disease Spillover
B.Animals’Interaction with Humans
C.Early Studies about Extreme Weather
D.Scientists’Prediction for Disease Outbreaks
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题
Most of the new diseases we humans have faced in the past several decades have come from animals. The more we come into contact with wild animals, the more we risk a so-called disease “spillover” from animals to humans.
“As people move and wildlife move in response to a changing environment, humans and wildlife and animals will come in contact more regularly,” said Jeanne Fair from the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. Fair argues that by shifting animal habitats, climate change will also make the opportunities for disease spillover more frequent. “Everything is sort of shifting and will shift into the future as the environment changes through climate change,” Fair said.
Scientists, including climatologists and epidemiologists (流行病学家) on Fair’s team at Los Alamos, are beginning to model how changes to the climate will impact the spread of infectious diseases. It’s early days for this kind of research, but previous studies suggest that extreme weather has already played a role in at least one outbreak. Scientists say drought and deforestation have combined to force bats out of rain forests and into orchards (果园) in Malaysia to find food. Those bats, a common disease reservoir, then passed the Nipah virus through pigs to humans for the first time in the late 1990s.
“We’re going by the past data to really predict what’s going to happen in the future,” Fair said, “And so, anytime you increase that wildlife-human interface, that’s sort of an emerging disease hot spot. And so, that’s just increasing as we go forward.”
Jeffrey Shaman, head of the climate and health program at Columbia University’s public health school, argues we don’t yet know whether climate change will cause a net increase in infectious disease rates globally. For example, mosquitoes carry disease that affects millions of people across the world every year. As their habitats expand in some parts of the world, they might contract diseases elsewhere. Shaman says what we know for certain about climate change is that it will make it harder to predict where disease outbreaks will pop up.
1.How does climate change affect the spread of disease according to Fair?
A.By breaking animals’habits. B.By increasing animals’varieties.
C.By promoting animals’breeding. D.By changing animals’living environment.
2.What is the example of bats for in paragraph 3?
A.Explaining the influence of Nipah virus.
B.Proving the harm of bats to human beings.
C.Showing the effects of climate change on disease.
D.Presenting scientists’early study about the cause of disease.
3.What can we infer from Fair’s words in paragraph 4?
A.Humans should give up studying animals.
B.Frequent contact with animals can cause disease outbreaks.
C.Disease hot spots will disappear if animals die out.
D.Past data can solve the problems in the future.
4.What could be the best title for the text?
A.Climate Change and Disease Spillover
B.Animals’Interaction with Humans
C.Early Studies about Extreme Weather
D.Scientists’Prediction for Disease Outbreaks
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
Being able to tell human faces apart is a skill that almost every person has,although some are far better at it than others.But a new study says that this is not just a skill that humans have. Even fish can do it.
Following up on research studying different species’(物种)abilities to recognize human laces(sheep,dogs,cows,horses,and birds have all been tried),the researchers from the University of Oxford decided to pick an animal that does not have an evolved neocortext,the part of the brain that processes sight and sounds,and doesn’t have a close relationship with humans.That way,there would be no reason why these test subjects(实验对象)would have a past history of identifying human faces.
So they picked the archerfish,a reef fish variety that shoots water into the air to knock its prey(猎物)out of the sky.They used this adaptation to have the fish spray water at a face on a monitor hanging over their tanks for a reward.Most of the fish were able to pick apart their learned face,even when colors were taken away.
This study gives more support to the assumption that distinguishing between faces is not just a skill that big-brained organisms are born with.It is possible that a good percentage of recognizing faces is learned over time.The development of neocortext may contribute only to quickly processing a large number of faces in varying situations.
But more work needs to be conducted to find a deeper link to this possible learned behavior. The sample size of this study was very small-only eight fish were used altogether.Also,the faces displayed were only white,female faces from a German database,shown in a front view, with no expressions.Other animal trials have shown that some species,like pigeons,respond more to different angles and varied expressions.
1.The archerfish were picked as test subjects because they
A.have no evolved neocortext
B.have close relationship with human
C.have a skill of spraying water for a reward
D.have a past history of recognizing human faces
2.What is the finding of the research?
A.Some animals possess the ability to tell human faces apart.
B.Some animals gain the ability to recognize faces by learning.
C.The fish’s ability to tell human faces apart is a natural skill.
D.The fish’s ability to recognize human faces is related to neocortext.
3.What is likely to be done for further research?
A.To show more faces in a front view.
B.To display more white,female faces.
C.To test more fish samples to gather more data.
D.To test pigeons’ response to varied expressions.
4.Where is this text most likely from?
A.A diary. B.A biography. C.A mystery. D.A magazine.
高二英语阅读选择困难题查看答案及解析
The World Health Organization (WHO), in cooperation with the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations(FAO), has identified best practices for the naming of new human diseases, with the aim to minimize unnecessary negative effect of disease names. “We now have a name for the disease and it’s COVID-19, “ WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in Geneva.
COVID-I9, which has now spread to many countries, has much in common with seasonal flu. They are both viral infections(病毒感染) ,share similar symptoms and seriously can spread from human to human. In the midst of flu season in much of the northern hemisphere, telling the difference between the two will be vital in stopping its spread.
Human coronaviruses (冠状病毒), of which there are four, can cause lung problems similar to flu. However, COVID-19 is more serious than a “typical one,” says Ian Jones, a professor of virology at the University of Reading. “There is no antibodies (抗体) in the population so it has potential for a global spread, “warns Jones.
As with the Ebola epidemic (埃博拉病毒),which peaked in the middle of the last decade, fears around the new coronavirus are rising due to a lack of knowledge over its nature. Medical advice is similar across those countries with confirmed cases of the infection. In many western countries, authorities are asking those who think they are infected to call an ambulance rather than visiting a hospital, where they could potentially pass on the virus. Similar advice has been issued in China and other Asian countries.
1.What’s the aim of confirming the name for the disease?
A.To reduce the bad influence of misusing name.
B.To make the disease known to all of us.
C.To raise awareness of this disease.
D.To minimize the risk of global spread.
2.COVID-19 has much in common with seasonal flu EXCEPT that_____.
A.they are both viral infections
B.they have similar symptoms
C.they can spread from human to human
D.they have potential for a global spread
3.According to paragraph 4, what is the main reason for the panic focused by COVID-19?
A.Shortage of drugs. B.A lack of knowing it.
C.Weak control measures. D.Speed of spreading.
4.What’s Ian Jones’s attitude towards the spread of COVID-19?
A.Indifferent. B.Confident.
C.Worried. D.Discouraged.
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
Throughout history, humanity has existed side-by-side with viruses and bacteria. From the bubonic plague to smallpox, humanity has evolved to resist these bacteria and viruses. However, there are now new ways for them to infect us.
Climate change is melting permafrost(冻土) areas that have been frozen for thousands of years. As the permafrost melts, so too the ancient bacteria and viruses that have been frozen. These ancient bacteria and viruses, which previously lay inactive in the ice, may spring back to life as the earth’s climate warms.
In August 2016, a 12-year-old boy in the Arctic Circle died and at least twenty people there were hospitalized after having been infected by anthrax(炭疽).
Experts studied and concluded that over 75 years ago, a reindeer infected with anthrax died and its body was frozen and trapped under a layer of permafrost. It stayed there, with the disease inactive, until a heatwave in the summer of 2016. The heatwave melted the permafrost and exposed the reindeer body, which then released the infectious pathogen(病原体) into the nearby water and soil, and then into the food supply. More than 2,000 reindeer feeding near the body became infected, which then led to a small number of human cases.
While you may think the incident is isolated to that area, the fact that long-inactive viruses and bacteria might wake up soon due to climate change will affect us all. Pathogenic viruses might be preserved in old permafrost layers, including some that have caused global epidemics in the past.
With climate change, who knows what deadly viruses and bacteria hidden beneath permafrost areas are threatening us. Perhaps it is time for everyone to do their part to stop global warming.
1.What does the underlined “new ways” refer to?
A.Ancient bacteria and viruses came back to life.
B.Bacteria and viruses have evolved into new types.
C.Bacteria and viruses become more resistant to medicine.
D.Ancient bacteria and viruses remain active in frozen permafrost.
2.Which is the right order of the case of anthrax in 2016?
① A 12-year-old boy died and many others were infected.
② Over 2,000 reindeer feeding near the body became infected.
③ The bacteria went into the nearby water, soil, and then food supply.
④ The permafrost melted and the bacteria in the dead reindeer woke up.
A.④ ③ ② ① B.④ ② ③ ① C.① ② ④ ③ D.① ③ ④ ②
3.Why does the writer write this text?
A.To introduce an ancient virus, anthrax.
B.To call on people to stop global warming.
C.To encourage people to study ancient viruses.
D.To warn of the danger of melting permafrost.
4.In which section can we most possibly read this text on a website?
A.Geography. B.Environment. C.Education. D.Medicine.
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
Every New Year’s Eve in the past, we had breakfast at Aunt Dot' s house. My most vivid __ of the meal was the centerpiece (中心装饰品)that Aunt Dot always __ on her kitchen table — seven sets of salt and pepper shakers. It wasn’ t until years later that I finally asked Aunt Dot about the unusual centerpiece.
She was then 87 but she __ invited us to the last breakfast of the year. I had __ early that morning to help with the meal __ . Though weak, Aunt Dot was __ stirring (揽伴) pancake batter (糊状物)as she __ my question. “You know I arrange those salt and pepper shakers on the table every single year.”
“I know,” I said, __ plates on the table. “But __ do you always do that on New Year’s Eve morning?”
“It helps to remind me that __ the holidays are over, there’s another whole year of them coming,” Aunt Dot said thoughtfully.
I nodded __, “I guess that makes sense.”
“Let me tell you something more,” she said. “I’ve learned over my many tears that nothing really __ ; every ending in life is really just another new __ .”She pointed at me with the batter-covered spoon. “__ that, my dear.”
"I will," I told her.
In the spring of that year, after a short illness, Aunt Dot passed away. To my __ , I got the holiday salt and pepper shakers which I thought would be given to her own children. I __ Aunt Dot wanted to make sure I remembered her philosophy (生活信条).
I continued Aunt Dot' s breakfast __ at my own apartment with the salt and pepper shakers centerpiece __ .The pancakes are never as delicious as Aunt Dot’s, __ the center of the table is covered with those old salt and pepper shakers, __ us all that every ending is really just another beginning.
1.A. dream B. memory C. mind D. worry
2.A. changed B. listed C. arranged D. cooked
3.A. still B. even C. ever D. just
4.A. come through B. come up C. come over D. come across
5.A. orders B. purchases C. shares D. preparations
6.A. enthusiastically B. nervously C. sadly D. bravely
7.A. went through B. figured out C. replied to D. made out
8.A. removing B. appreciating C. washing D. setting
9.A. when B. why C. what D. where
10.A. now that B. in case C. as though D. even if
11.A. in vain B. in doubt C. in agreement D. in demand
12.A. ignores B. stops C. requires D. lives
13.A. beginning B. surviving C. challenging D. escaping
14.A. Remember B. Forgive C. Forget D. Experience
15.A. disappointment B. surprise C. sadness D. relief
16.A. find B. decide C. guess D. notice
17.A. principle B. method C. law D. tradition
18.A. under control B. broken C. changed D. in place
19.A. but B. so C. and D. for
20.A. announcing B. reminding C. persuading D. suggesting
高二英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Every New Year's Eve in the past, we had breakfast at Aunt Dot's house. My most vivid
____of the meal was the centerpiece(中心装饰品)that Aunt Dot always ______ on her kitchen table-seven sets of salt and pepper shakers. It wasn't until years later that I finally asked Aunt Dot about the unusual centerpiece.
She was then 87 but she______invited us to the last breakfast of the year. I had ______early that morning to help with the meal______.Though weak, Aunt Dot was______stirring(搅拌)pancake batter(糊状物)as she______my question. "You know I arrange those salt and pepper shakers on the table every single year.”
“I know," I said,_______plates on the table. "But______do you always do that on New Year's Eve morning?"
“It helps to remind me that_______the holidays are over, there's another whole year of them coming," Aunt Dot said thoughtfully.
I nodded________,"1 guess that makes sense. "
"Let me tell you something more," she said.“I’ve learned over my many Tears that nothing really______; every ending in life is really just another new______. " She pointed at me with the batter-covered spoon. "_______ that, my dear. "
"I will," I told her.
In the spring of that year, after a short illness, Aunt Dot passed away. To my_____, I got the holiday salt and pepper shakers which I thought would be given to her own children. I_______Aunt Dot wanted to make sure I remembered her philosophy.
I continued Aunt Dot's breakfast_____ at my own apartment with the salt and pepper shakers centerpiece______. The pancakes are never as delicious as Aunt Dot's,______the center of the table is covered with those old salt and pepper shakers,______us all that every ending is really just another beginning.
1.A. dream B. memory C. mind D. worry
2.A. changed B. listed C. arranged D. cooked
3.A. still B. even C. ever D. just
4.A. come through B. come up C. come over D. come across
5.A. orders B. purchases C. shares D. preparations
6.A. enthusiastically B. nervously C. sadly D. bravely
7.A. went through B. figured out C. replied to D. made out
8.A. removing B. appreciating C. washing D. setting
9.A. when B. why C. what D. where
10.A. now that B. in case C. as though D. even if'
11.A. in vain B. in doubt C. in agreement D. in demand
12.A. ignores B. stops C. requires D. lives
13.A. beginning B. surviving C. challenging D. escaping
14.A. Remember B. Forgive C. Forget D. Experience
15.A. disappointment B. surprise C. sadness D. relief
16.A. find B. decide C. guess D. notice
17.A. principle B. method C. law D. tradition
18.A. under control B. broken C. changed D. in place
19.A. but B. so C. and D. for
20.A. announcing B. reminding C. persuading D. suggesting
高二英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
As artificial intelligence (AI) systems become more subtle, we can expect them to be used more often in the world of human medicine and healthcare. AI is designed to imitate the human brain in decision making and learning, so with the computing power to learn tasks in days or even hours, it is possible to create medical AIs that rapidly outperform doctors in certain tasks.
Most of the AI systems working in medicine employ smart algorithms ( 算 法 ), with the machine and deep learning techniques, and are supported by speech recognition and computer or machine vision to make their decisions. It will be some time before researchers can develop artificial general intelligence systems capable of abstracting knowledge and developing their own experiences to share with other AIs. But firms like Microsoft, Google, Apple,
IBM and Facebook are preparing themselves up to deliver the most advanced AI personalized healthcare possible for patients around the world.
Data plays a hugely important role in helping AI systems learn about human medicine. AI systems are trained on large data sets gathered from real-life cases. Providing amounts of detailed patient information is a decisive factor for their success.
One of the most important areas for influencing global health is in the field of epidemiology ( 流行病学).
Predicting disease outbreaks can save millions of lives by having resources ready should the worst happen. Another field where medical AIs are making rapid advances is in diagnostics. Doctors base a lot of decisions on information from X-ray, CT and MRI images. Speeding up diagnoses from patient scans can rapidly improve patient care and outcomes.
Cardiologist (心脏病医生) Rima Arnaout developed an AI that beat human experts at correctly interpreting echocardiograms by 92 percent to 79 percent. She said that despite the result there is no hope of AI replacing human doctors any time soon. "As cardiologists, we read the images and then go see the patient," she said. "So we’re both reading images and practicing medicine. I don't think that the second piece will be taken over so quickly."
1.The purpose of this text is to introduce ________.
A.the speech recognition of AI systems
B.the computer vision of AI systems
C.the rise of AI systems in medicine
D.the development of AI in tech firms
2.What is the key to making medical AI systems successful?
A.Arriving at decisions.
B.Providing patient data.
C.Predicting disease outbreaks.
D.Speeding up diagnoses.
3.What can we infer from Rima's words?
A.She prefers practicing medicine to reading images.
B.AIs do better than cardiologists in seeing patients.
C.She is confident in the irreplaceable role of human doctors.
D.AIs are unable to read images with current technology.
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
In the film The Matrix, Agent Smith, a super-computer in human shape, says, “You move to an area, and you multiply, and multiply, until every natural resource is consumed. The only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern: a virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet. ”
Yes, relatively speaking, we are just a large virus. While most species live in balance with their ecosystems, we fail to do so. We are taking more from nature than it has to give. We wipe out animals and plants as a virus might invade and kill a host. We are destroying our host, the earth.
Our brain has been our most successful tool for survival. The funny thing is that our mind has developed to such a degree that we have thought up solutions to more survival problems. We are for the first time in earth's history changing nature to suit our comfort and desires. Being a human, I do like the advancement of technology and medicine as we nave the chance to survive longer and sometimes feel less pain. After all, nature is cruel and we can soften its blow through these inventions. However, people surviving genetic faults or illness, could they be actually making the gene pool more “dirty” and could even more people in the future suffer due to an increase in faulty DNA? It seems that even though we deal with a short-term problem we could be causing more. Are we being kind to be cruel?
We are lucky enough to own a brain complex enough to think and create. But we fail to realize the only way to really survive is through respect of our host, the earth, and working with it as the only way a living thing can benefit is by benefiting its host as it depends on it to survive.
1.According to the passage, what characteristics do humans and viruses share?
A.They take and give. B.They expand and destroy.
C.They create and consume. D.They balance and survive.
2.What does the author think of modern technology and medicine?
A.They can help humans control nature. B.They can guarantee purer human DNA.
C.They may reduce humans' effect on the earth. D.They may bring humans more harm than good.
3.What is the author's purpose of writing the passage?
A.To appeal for humans' respect for nature. B.To put forward ways to advance medicine.
C.To talk about a film character, Agent Smith. D.To argue against comparing humans to viruses.
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
How to Live Well
At a certain point in life, thoughts may come up. How well have you lived?1.How well have you treated those you love and care about? Most of all, however, time seems to slip on without too much self-reflection. Maybe it’s time to slow down and think about what it means to live well.
To live means acting.2.You start action, come up with goals, make plans to help work on the desired outcome, and dive in. Not every action will immediately bring about a successful finish of the project, task or undertaking, but you learn from everything you do.
3.Being busy is an effective cure to loneliness, helps avoid depression and self-pity, and keeps us in a constant state of movement. Again, doing things often puts us in contact with others and that’s also a good thing for humans to make interaction with other humans.
But what happens when you don’t give a project or task your full effort? Are you still living well? Or are you shortchanging yourself, trying to cheat and still get the reward?4.Not only learn to face these, but also try to overcome them.
The truth is that everyone cuts corners now and then. Maybe it is because we lack time, energy, financial or other resources. Sometimes we have to make ends meet by shaving off an item or a step. That doesn’t mean we make a habit of it.5.
A.To live means you participate in life.
B.To have a good life doesn’t mean living well.
C.Keeping busy sometimes is important in life.
D.Sometimes you have to face these in your life.
E.How much have you achieved relative to your goals?
F.What can you do if you suffer from an illness?
G.That really means we should stop and think, in order to live better.
高二英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析
As a child, I never imagined that one day a man would walk on the moon. Yet this year we marked the 50th anniversary of the famous Apollo 11 mission. As those historic pictures were beamed (传递) back to Earth, millions of us sat transfixed (使…呆住) to our television screens, as we watched Neil Armstrong taking a small step for man and a giant leap for mankind---and, indeed, for womankind. It’s a reminder for us all that giant leaps often start with small steps.
This year we marked another important anniversary: D-Day. On 6th June 1944, some 156,000 British, Canadian and American forces landed in northern France. It was the largest ever seabourne invasion and was delayed due to bad weather. I well remember the look of concern on my father’s face. He knew the secret D-Day plans but could of course share that burden with no one.
For the 75th anniversary of that decisive battle, in a true spirit of reconciliation (和解), those who had formally been sworn enemies came together in friendly commemorations (纪念) either side of the Channel, putting past differences behind them. Such reconciliation seldom happens overnight. It takes patience and time to rebuild trust, and progress often comes through small steps.
Since the end of the Second World War, many charities, groups and organisations have worked to promote peace and unity around the world, bringing together those who have been on opposing sides. By being willing to put past differences behind us and move forward together, we honour the freedom and democracy (民主) once won for us at so great a cost.
The path, of course, is not always smooth, and may at times this year have felt quite bumpy, but small steps can make a world of difference. And, as we all look forward to the start of a new decade, it’s worth remembering that it is often the small steps, not the giant leaps, that bring about the most lasting change.
And so, I wish you all a very happy Christmas.
1.Who does the “I” in the passage probably refer to?
A.Neil Armstrong. B.Winston Churchill.
C.Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ. D.Donald Trump.
2.What does the underlined word “bumpy” mean in the fifth paragraph?
A.Smooth. B.Rough. C.Flat. D.Straight.
3.The passage might be a speech on _______.
A.Christmas Day B.New Year’s Eve
C.the anniversary of D-Day landing D.Victory in Europe Day
4.What is the purpose of the passage?
A.To honour the achievements of moon-landing.
B.To remember the victory of D-Day landing.
C.To promote reconciliation across the Channel.
D.To urge efforts for a world of peace and unity.
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析