Researchers in Australia have discovered an effective new method to capture the atmospheric carbon dioxide that is damaging our planet and transform it into something solid, making it much easier to store.
Carbon capture isn’t new, but previous methods call for the gas to be compressed (压缩) into liquid and then put into underground. Widespread usage of that technology has been locked by economic and environmental concerns due to possible leaks. Instead, in a study published in Nature Communications, the group details their sustainable and cost-effective plan for transforming CO2 into coal.
This new process involves a liquid metal catalyst ( 催化剂 ) that is efficient in conducting electricity. CO2 gas is dissolved (溶解) in a container with some liquid. Once electricity charge is introduced, the CO2 begins to turn into solid pieces of carbon, which can be collected and stored.
What makes this particularly unique is that the entire process can occur at room temperature. Previous experiments have only shown a gas to solid conversion at extremely high temperature, which made it impossible on a large scale. Now, the researchers are hoping that their work will be used to create even further when it comes to carbon storage.
In an interesting side benefit, the solid carbon also works as an electrode ( 电极 ), which opens up a world of possibilities. “A side benefit of the process is that the carbon can hold electrical charge, becoming a super battery, so it could potentially be used as a part in future vehicles,” explains Dr. Dorna Estrafilzadeh, a researcher. “The process also produces fuel as a by-product, which could also have industrial applications.”
1.Why have the previous methods been limited?
A.Because CO2 is difficult to be compressed into liquid.
B.Because CO2 is not easily collected.
C.Because much space underground has to be taken up to store CO2.
D.Because the liquid of CO2 might leak.
2.What is most special about the new method?
A.The process involves a liquid metal catalyst.
B.CO2 gas can produce electricity during the process.
C.The process happens at normal temperature.
D.CO2 is stored in the form of solid pieces.
3.What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A.The method will make a difference in the future industry.
B.CO2 will replace the traditional fuel in the future.
C.The side benefits of the process have been applied widely.
D.The method will be used to make new vehicles.
4.What is the best title for the passage?
A.Carbon dioxide damaging our planet
B.A new carbon capture technology
C.A new Australian discovery
D.How to store carbon dioxide
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题
Researchers in Australia have discovered an effective new method to capture the atmospheric carbon dioxide that is damaging our planet and transform it into something solid, making it much easier to store.
Carbon capture isn’t new, but previous methods call for the gas to be compressed (压缩) into liquid and then put into underground. Widespread usage of that technology has been locked by economic and environmental concerns due to possible leaks. Instead, in a study published in Nature Communications, the group details their sustainable and cost-effective plan for transforming CO2 into coal.
This new process involves a liquid metal catalyst ( 催化剂 ) that is efficient in conducting electricity. CO2 gas is dissolved (溶解) in a container with some liquid. Once electricity charge is introduced, the CO2 begins to turn into solid pieces of carbon, which can be collected and stored.
What makes this particularly unique is that the entire process can occur at room temperature. Previous experiments have only shown a gas to solid conversion at extremely high temperature, which made it impossible on a large scale. Now, the researchers are hoping that their work will be used to create even further when it comes to carbon storage.
In an interesting side benefit, the solid carbon also works as an electrode ( 电极 ), which opens up a world of possibilities. “A side benefit of the process is that the carbon can hold electrical charge, becoming a super battery, so it could potentially be used as a part in future vehicles,” explains Dr. Dorna Estrafilzadeh, a researcher. “The process also produces fuel as a by-product, which could also have industrial applications.”
1.Why have the previous methods been limited?
A.Because CO2 is difficult to be compressed into liquid.
B.Because CO2 is not easily collected.
C.Because much space underground has to be taken up to store CO2.
D.Because the liquid of CO2 might leak.
2.What is most special about the new method?
A.The process involves a liquid metal catalyst.
B.CO2 gas can produce electricity during the process.
C.The process happens at normal temperature.
D.CO2 is stored in the form of solid pieces.
3.What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A.The method will make a difference in the future industry.
B.CO2 will replace the traditional fuel in the future.
C.The side benefits of the process have been applied widely.
D.The method will be used to make new vehicles.
4.What is the best title for the passage?
A.Carbon dioxide damaging our planet
B.A new carbon capture technology
C.A new Australian discovery
D.How to store carbon dioxide
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
Researchers at the University of Scotland have discovered a protein that can influence viruses developing and even can control cancer. Now the fight is on to fully understand how it works in the hope of turning the laboratory research into a treatment.
The protein is called Hira. Technically it is a histone（组蛋白）complex, but it is easier to understand in terms of what it can do. Three years ago Dr Taranjit Singh Rai and colleagues at the Beatson Cancer Institute and Glasgow University reported that Hira could possibly suppress the division of cells that causes cancer. In the course of that research, Dr Rai found out something unusual. In the lab they have established that the Hira protein has a role to play in the anti-viral fight, thus, making it have a fundamental role to play in fighting against cancer.
The trick in using it to fight diseases may lie in increasing Hira levels in our cells. “I think what researchers might be interested in is how we can increase levels of this protein to deal with the viruses better, Dr Rai said.
Dr Rai has led an international study and support has come from Cancer Research UK and the results are published in the journal Nucleic Acids Research. But there is a major concern that the research is still limited to the laboratory.
It is going to take some time, probably years, before this work can move out of the lab and into clinics and hospitals. But the researchers are excited Hira will one day be the basis of a new approach in medicine.
1.What does the underlined word “suppress" in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
A.Motivate. B.Monitor. C.Control. D.Improve.
2.What can be known from the text?
A.Hira has been used in the medical treatment.
B.More studies should be done on Hira.
C.The levels of Hira in cells are unchangeable.
D.Hira can bring about side effects.
3.What is the researchers' attitude to the future of Hira?
A.Cautious. B.Optimistic.
C.Disapproving. D.Doubtful.
4.What's the text mainly about?
A.A new way to use the protein.
B.A new approach to improving the division of cells.
C.A new medicine that can fight diseases.
D.A protein that can stop viruses developing.
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
Researchers Jose Cordova and Erich Astudillo have discovered a new molecule(分子) that kills the bacteria Streptococcus Mutans, long known to be responsible for breaking down sugars in food in the mouth, which damages tooth leading to decay(腐烂). The new molecule they call “Keep 32” has been found to kill the bacteria.
The two have applied for a patent(专利) on their discovery and have also begun a marketing strategy aimed at both oral care products and food products. They say either product, if left in the mouth for just 60 seconds ,will kill all the harmful bacteria in the mouth and keep them at bay for several hours. If the new molecule passes health and safety tests, the two believe products using their new molecule should be on the market in as little as a year and a half. They expect the market for such a product to reach $300 million in just the first year.
The two have been working together since 2005 using money from the Founder Institute and say the aim is to approve the process for creating the molecule they’ve discovered for big companies like Procter & Gamble, Colgate even candy companies such as Hershey’s. In interviews, Astudillo has suggested that the two researchers are already heavily into discussion with several companies, some of which are interested in buying the patent once it is approved.
Over the years many products have come on the scene with announcement of reducing tooth decay and even the loss of teeth, but other than the introduction of fluoride(氟化物) into drinking water, not much progress has been made. If the announcement made by this new team proves true however, it could foresee a mark in saving the world of tooth decay as well as helping to improve the health for millions of people as tooth decay has been linked to many other health problems throughout the body including heart attacks.
1.The underlined word “them” in Para. 2 refers to _________.
A. oral care products B. food products
C. new molecules D. the harmful bacteria
2.The phrase “come on the scene” in Para. 4 is closest in meaning to __________.
A. performed B. occurred
C. existed D. arrived
3.What has been a way to reduce tooth decay and even the loss of teeth over the years?
A. Using the molecule “Keep 32”.
B. Killing the bacteria Mutans.
C. Introducing fluoride into drinking water.
D. Cooperating with some big companies.
4.This passage mainly tells us that ___________.
A. many health problems are closely connected to tooth decay
B. the discovery of a new molecule will greatly benefit health care
C. two researchers are discussing their patent with companies
D. researchers discover a molecule that can kill tooth decay-causing bacteria
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The two researchers originally set out to study the zebras in Africa and discovered a new species of tiger ______.
A. by chance B. in addition
C. by nature D. in need
高二英语单项填空困难题查看答案及解析
Researchers recently discovered some unusual behavior in chimps living in the forests of West Africa. An adult male in the wild would pick up a rock, throw it at a tree while yelling and then run away. Although researchers aren't certain why, they make a guess: The chimps seem to prefer trees that create longer-lasting sounds when struck.
A team of researchers from Germany first discovered this behavior three years ago. Because the actions appeared to be localized, the researchers suggested the purpose was a local tradition and was likely part of some sort of ritual(仪式), Phys. org reports. But they weren't sure what purpose the ritual served.
So the group desired to carry out more experiments to determine why the chimps were so interested in throwing rocks at trees. This time around, they went to the same areas but set up microphones to capture(捕捉) the sounds of the stones as they were thrown.
Researchers analyzed all the recordings and found that the chimps tended to prefer throwing rocks at trees that made lower, longer-lasting sounds. Often these were trees that had exposed roots.
In their findings, published in Biology Letters, the researchers write that “low-frequency sounds travel further in the environment and are better suited for long-distance communication”.
If chimps tried to communicate. it would be more effective for them to strike the trees or choose the ones that made the loudest noises when struck. Because the researchers saw chimps stick to the same trees and never choose new ones, the location could be a factor. Researcher Ammie Kalan tells Science that maybe the locations of the trees have something to do with nearby resources like food and water, and that the sound is a signal to others where to find them.
1.How did the researchers feel about the chimps behavior from the first two paragraphs?
A.Doubtful B.Excited C.Disappointed D.Frightened.
2.What did the researchers do during their experiments?
A.They tried to make long-lasting sounds.
B.They recorded the sounds from the stricken（受...侵袭的） trees.
C.They designed various sounds for the chimps.
D.They collected different sounds of the chimps.
3.What does Ammie Kalan think of the chimps' behavior?
A.It is a good way of seeking food. B.It is a means of communication.
C.It is a natural response to food. D.It is a symbol of their growth.
4.What is the text mainly about?
A.How the chimps produce sounds.
B.The chimps’ habit of throwing rocks.
C.Why the chimps like to throw rocks at trees.
D.Chimps often throw rocks at different kinds of trees.
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
Do you have an emotional brain or a rational (理性的) one? Researchers at Australia’s Monash University have found actual difference in the brains of people who respond emotionally to others’ feelings compared with those who respond more rationally.
A study published in the journal NeuroImage has looked at whether people who have more brain cells in certain areas of the brain are better at certain types of empathy, according to Science Daily. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person, and the two types investigated were cognitive (认知的) empathy and affective (情感的) empathy.
“Every day people use empathy with, and without, their knowledge to get around in the social world,” said Robert Eres from Monash University’s School of Psychological Sciences. “We use it for communication, to build relationships, and to increase our understanding of others.”
“People who are high on affective empathy are often those who get quite fearful when watching a scary movie, or start crying during a sad scene. Those who have high cognitive empathy are those who are more rational, for example a psychologist helping someone,” explained Eres.
The results of the study showed that people with high scores for affective empathy had more gray matter in a part of the brain called the insula, found right in the “middle” of the brain. Those who scored higher for cognitive empathy had more in a part called the midcingulate cortex—an area above the corpus callosum, which connects the two halves of the brain.
The discovery “raises new questions—like whether people could train themselves to have more empathy, and whether those areas of the brain would become larger if they did, or whether we can lose our ability to empathize if we don’t use it enough”, according to Science Daily.
“In the future we want to investigate further by testing whether training people in empathy-related tasks can lead to changes in these brain areas. We also want to investigate if damage to these brain areas, as a result of a stroke (中风) for example, can lead to empathy problems.” said Eres.
Perhaps in the future we will all be able to empathize more with other people. Maybe you will cry at that sad movie after all!
1.Empathy can be used in the following situations EXCEPT that .
A. when a psychologist is helping a patient with his mental disease
B. when a teacher is comforting a student about his father’s death
C. when a mathematician is calculating the area of a farmland
D. when people are reading a story with a frightening ending
2.What does the research done by Monash University mainly show?
A. Differences in the brains of emotional and rational people.
B. Whether a rational brain works better than an emotional one.
C. What empathy is and how to improve people’s ability to empathize.
D. How to effectively train people to have more empathy cells in their brain.
3.Which of the following statements might Robert Eres disagree with?
A. People use empathy when they are or aren’t aware of it.
B. People tend to use empathy to build relationships or understand others.
C. People with higher affective empathy feel heart-broken when watching sad movies.
D. People who are more rational have been found to have more gray matter in their brains.
4.Which of the following will be one of the focuses of future investigations according to the article?
A. How to train people in empathy-related tasks.
B. Whether people can be trained to be more empathetic.
C. Whether empathy problems can lead to damage to areas of the brain.
D. Why people seem to lose their ability to empathize if they don’t use it enough.
高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
Having an older brother comes with plenty of benefits. Big brothers tend to look out for their younger siblings, and except for the occasional rocky moment here and there, many siblings enjoy life-long close relationships. However, a new study finds an interesting downside: children with older brothers take longer when it comes to developing language skills.
The study, led by a group of researchers in Paris, France, builds upon a former research which showed that having older siblings is associated with poor linguistic development. Now, researchers say they have come to a more specific conclusion: only children with an older brother have these linguistic difficulties.
One would think that children with older brothers would grow up around more conversation on a daily basis, thus speeding up their language development. Yet researchers say such children actually take longer than their older brothers to begin developing these skills. Researchers studied more than 1,000 children from birth to the age of five-and-a-half years old. Each child’s language skills were tested at ages 2, 3, and 5.5, using tests specially designed to measure numerous aspects of language development. What the research team discovered was significant: children with an older brother had, on average, a two-month delay in their language development compared to studied children with an older sister.
As far as explaining this, researchers have put forward two hypotheses. The first is that older sisters tend to talk more often than older brothers, which would make up for parents being less present than they were for their first child. The second hypothesis is that older sisters usually compete with their siblings less than older brothers for their parents’ attention.
Up till now, the study’s authors say they can’t say for certain why children with older brothers have a harder time developing language skills. In the future they would like to know if culture or location affects these results.
1.What does the underlined phrase“rocky moment”in Paragraph 1 refer to?
A.Sadness. B.Quarrel. C.Excitement. D.Peace.
2.Why did the Paris researchers carry out the study?
A.To find how kids learn from their siblings.
B.To further research into a former study result.
C.To explore the newest trend of linguistic world.
D.To investigate the situation of kids’language skills.
3.Which of the following did the researchers find in kids with siblings?
A.Children with older brothers were less active.
B.Siblings are less helpful to them than other people.
C.Kids with older sisters developed their language better.
D.Older children got more chances to talk to their parents.
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
Researchers have discovered a new bacterium that feeds on polyurethane, a kind of plastic that is difficult to recycle or destroy. Scientists say the discovery could help reduce a flood of hard — to — recycle plastics that are ending up in the world's landfills（垃圾填埋地） and polluting oceans.
A team from the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research in Leipzig, Germany, found the new type of soil bacteria. It was spotted in an area that contained a large amount of plastic waste. The team discovered the bacteria were feeding on polyurethane diol, which was widely used in many different products.
One problem is that recycling polyurethane requires a lot of energy. The plastic material does not melt when heated. Most polyurethane-based products end up in landfills, where they can release dangerous chemicals. The team round that the bacterium can produce enzymes（酶）that eat away polyurethane. This would make it possible to break down the material in the environment. The results were recently reported in a study in the publication Frontiers in Microbiology. Hermann Heipieper helped write the report. He said in a statement the finding “represents an important step in being able to reuse polyurethane products.”
German study noted that plastic-eating bacteria could be easily controlled and produced for industrial use. The researchers said the next step is to find more information about the bacterial enzymes that can break down polyurethane.
Scientist Douglas Rader wrote about the issue in a 2018 article for the Environmental Defense Fund. He said much more study should be carried out to learn about the complex relationships between bacteria and marine ecosystems. “Such research is needed before we can take action such as putting plastic-eating bacteria into the ocean,” Rader wrote.
1.What is the problem about polyurethane?
A.It seems difficult to transport when it goes to landfills.
B.It affects the quality of plastic products if widely used.
C.It melts easily when exposed to the sun for a long time.
D.It pollutes the environment unless recycled or destroyed.
2.What do we know about the new type of bacteria from the text?
A.It can produce harmful chemicals. B.It can gradually destroy polyurethane.
C.It is very hard to discover and control. D.It is very likely to increase plastic waste.
3.What is Douglas Rader's attitude towards the future use of the new bacterium?
A.Doubtful. B.Disapproval.
C.Cautious. D.Enthusiastic.
4.Which of the following is the best title for the text?
A.Plastic-eating Bacteria B.Plastic Waste — A Big Problem
C.Plastic and Ocean D.Polyurethane — A Bacteria killer
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
Birthday parties and graduations are occasions when people celebrate with balloons, often releasing (释放) them into the sky happily. But what happens to those plastic balloons once they become flat? Where do they end up?
For years, many environmental groups have pushed for mass balloon releases to be inhibited, saying that balloon pieces and strings are dangerous to wildlife. “They can bring harm to wildlife simply because they are colorful and bright, so wildlife might think they are delicious food, and their bodies can get caught by the strings, thus making it difficult for them to swim or breathe.” Emma Tonge, communications and outreach specialist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told USA Today. Yet releases still happen.
Researchers in Australia analyzed the effects that soft plastics like balloons have on seabirds. They have discovered that soft plastics are more likely than hard plastics to cause barriers in seabirds’ gastrointestinal tracts (胃肠道). Of the birds examined, nearly one out of five died as a result of swallowing a balloon or balloon pieces.
“If seabirds eat plastics, their risk of death increases, and even a single piece can be deadly,” wrote lead study author Lauren Roman, PhD student at University of Tasmania. “The evidence is clear that if we want to stop seabirds from dying from plastic ingestion (吸入) we need to reduce or remove marine debris (海洋垃圾) from their environment, particularly balloons.”
Balloons Blow, a nonprofit organization, is devoted to educating people about the dangers released balloons can have on animals, people and the environment. The group points out that all released balloons return to the ground as litter. Animals like birds, whales and sea turtles can die after swallowing balloons.
1.Why does wildlife eat balloon pieces?
A.They mistake them for delicious food. B.They eat anything for lack of food.
C.They feel like eating bright things. D.They suck them just for pleasure.
2.What does the underlined word“inhibited”in paragraph 2 most probably mean?
A.objected B.adjusted C.banned D.governed
3.What can we infer from the researchers’analysis in paragraph 3?
A.Seabirds are forced to swallow balloons.
B.Balloons mainly determine seabirds’survival.
C.Soft plastics are worse than hard ones for seabirds.
D.Seabirds are more sensitive to hard plastics.
4.What is Lauren Roman’s idea on the released balloons?
A.They have bad effects on all the birds. B.They are harmless in small pieces.
C.They are major damage to people. D.They do great harm to seabirds.
5.What is the text mainly about?
A.What released balloons bring to the ocean.
B.Why people should stop releasing balloons.
C.When action will be taken to protect wildlife.
D.How released balloons can be finally reduced.
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
I have just been in Australia for a week and I’m trying to _____ the new climate here.
| A．agree with | B．adjust to | C．fit in | D．rely on |
高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析