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Scientists believe they could bring the likes of dodos(渡渡鸟)back from the dead through cloning experiments in the near future which could see the flightless birds revived from their extinction.
The big bird, which was about a metre tall and weighed up to 18 kilograms, was native to Mauritius but became extinct in the 1600s, shortly after humans discovered the island. However, 400 years later, scientists now believe that they could bring the dodo back to life through cloning of some of its closest living relatives.
Scientists recently published a paper which identified the overall genomic structure of dinosaurs. The team achieved this by tracing the ancestors (祖先)of birds — the dinosaurs closest living relatives — to create the genomic structure. Researchers involved in the study say it is an emphatic ‘no’ when it comes to the possibility of ever being able to clone dinosaurs, but they do say that more recently extinct birds like the carrier pigeon and the dodo could be brought back due to the fact that they have such close living relatives.
University of Kent scientists Darren Griffin and Rebecca O’Connor wrote in an article for The Conversation: “We discovered that birds and most flightless dinosaurs had a lot of chromosomes (packages of DNA). Having so many allows animals to generate variation, the driver of natural selection.”
“However, though it is a long shot, it may be possible in future to use Jurassic Park technology to help avoid some of the harm that humans have caused. Mankind has seen the extinction of well-known avian dinosaurs such as the dodo and the passenger pigeon.”
“Recovery(恢复)of DNA that is a only few hundred years old from these birds is a far more realistic way. It may also be that eggs from closely related living species might just be good enough. In the right conditions we may be able to use them to resurrect some of these species from extinction.”
1.What can we learn about dodos?
A.They flew to Mauritius in the 1600s. B.They could be used to clone pigeons.
C.They would die out in the near future. D.They might be brought back to life soon.
2.How do scientists revive dodos?
A.They clone dodos’ closest living relatives. B.They trace those endangered birds closely.
C.They look for dinosaurs’ living conditions. D.They identify genomic structure of pigeons.
3.What does the underlined word “resurrect” in the last paragraph mean?
A.Learn. B.Protect.
C.Revive. D.Prevent.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.Scientists Expect to Clone the Dodos. B.Scientists Find Close Living Relatives.
C.Dinosaurs Have Already Been Extinct. D.Some Species Have Been Discovered.
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
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Scientists have connected the “fat gene” with the “happy gene”. They believed there could be genetic evidence which explains why fat people are often happier than their skinny friends. The breakthrough could be an explanation for why fat characters, such as The Laughing Policeman and Father Christmas are often described as joyful and kind.
FTO is the major genetic contributor to being fat. But it is also connected with an eight percent reduction in the risk of depression. Researchers at McMaster University in Canada had been studying whether there was a connection between being fat and being depressed. They found the opposite was true．
They studied 17,200 DNA from participants in 21 countries. Results showed people with FTO gene — the fat gene — showed less signs of depression. This finding was supported by three additional international studies.
Professor David Meyre said, “We set out from the belief that being depressed and being fat both deal with brain activity. We thought that fat genes may be related to depression. However, we have discovered a molecule (分子) contributing to depression. It is the first evidence that an FTO fat gene is connected with protection against depression.
In a recent interview, actress Lisa Riley said she was more than comfortable with her size. She said she is a “big, really happy” girl who is lucky enough to be confident in her own skin, and added, “Many people want to be thinner. Not me. I love being different and it drives me mad that people don’t believe I’m happy with what I am.”
1.According to the passage, FTO is ________.
A. a molecule connected with happiness B. a kind of DNA from participants
C. a gene that contributes to depression D. a gene which leads to being fat
2.According to what Professor David Meyre said, we can know ________.
A. his former beliefs were right
B. fat genes are connected with depression
C. there was no evidence for the role of an FTO fat gene in the protection against depression before
D. there should be more people involved in the study
3.By mentioning the actress Lisa Riley, the author aims to show that ________.
A. Lisa Riley is unhappy with her size B. it’s not easy to be an actress
C. many people want to be thinner D. fat people are really happier
4.The passage is likely to appear in ________.
A. a health magazine B. a lesson plan
C. an advertisement D. an amusement program
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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Scientists have found what look like caves on Mars, and say they could be protecting life from the planet’s terrible environment.
The first caves discovered beyond the Earth appear as seven mysterious black dots on the pictures sent back by NASA’s Mars Odyssey orbiter. Each as large as a football field, they may be openings into natural caves below the Martian surface.
“If there is life on Mars, there is a good chance you’d find it in caves,” said Jut Wynne, one of the researchers who noticed the features while working on a US Geological Survey Mars Cave Detection Program.
Jonathan Clarke, a geologist with the Mars Society of Australia, yesterday described the discovery as exciting.
One photo taken at night by an infrared imager(红外线成像器) showed one hole to be unusually warm, suggesting hot air trapped during the day is flowing out.
“I said: ‘Wow, that’s a cave’.” Dr. Clarke said excitedly. “People have been looking for these for a long time; now we have found them.”
He agreed such caves would be perfect places to hunt for life escaping from the bitterly cold, radiation-soaked(充满辐射的), dry surface.
“Tiny drops of water could collect inside,” he said. “If there are gases coming out, they could provide energy for a whole range of bacteria. A cave is also a protection from radiation; the surface of Mars is exposed to high levels of space radiation.”
The caves probably formed when tube-shaped lave flows(管状岩浆流) spread across the planet long ago. The outside of the tubes cooled, forming solid walls, while something hotter inside allowed the remaining have to flow out, forming caves.
1.What does the passage mainly talk about?
A. How the caves were formed on Mars.
B. How scientists found these caves on Mars.
C. Caves on Mars may be full of hot air or a sign of life.
D. Scientists have completely recognized the surface of Mars.
2.What can the “cave” be used for according to the scientists?
A. They can protect life from the planet’s terrible environment.
B. They can provide energy for people’s life.
C. They can be used to prevent space radiation
D. Both A and C.
3.We can learn from the passage that .
A. water has already been found on Mars
B. the scientists found all the caves at night
C. it is certain that there is life in these caves
D. the surface of Mars is bitterly cold, radiation-soaked and dry
4.According to the passage, Dr. Clarke was so excited because .
A. such caves could provide energy for life
B. they had finally found the caves on Mars
C. such caves would be perfect places to hunt for life
D. scientists had long been looking for these caves
5.Necessary conditions for life on Mars mentioned in the passage may include .
A. lave and energy
B. water and radiation from space
C. gases and lave
D. water and protection from radiation
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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The remains of an ancient ape (猿) found in Bavaria suggest that humans' ancestors began standing upright millions of years earlier than previously thought.
An international team of researchers said the fossilized skeleton (化石骨骼) of a male ape that lived in the warm and damp forests of what is now southern Germany was quite similar to modem human bones. In a paper published by the journal Nature, they concluded that the previously unknown species — named Danuvius guggenmosi — could walk on two legs but also climb like an ape.
''The findings raise fundamental questions about our previous understanding of the evolution of the great apes and humans, '' said Madelaine Boehme, who led the research.
The question of when apes could walk on two legs has fascinated scientists since Charles Darwin first argued that they were the ancestors of humans. Previous fossil records of apes with an upright move — found in Crete and Kenya — dated only as far back as 6 million years. These apes are called Toumai.
Boehme, along with researchers from Bulgaria, Canada and the United States, examined more than 15,000 bones recovered from the archaeological remains found. Among the remains they were able to piece together were primate (灵长目动物) fossils belonging to 4 individuals that lived 11.62 million years ago. The most complete, an adult male, likely stood about 1 meter tall, weighed 31 kilograms and looked similar to modern-day bonobos, a species of chimp.
Like humans, Danuvius had an S-shaped backbone to hold its body upright while standing. Unlike humans, though, it had a powerful big toe that would have allowed it to grab branches with its foot easily.
Fred Spoor, a biologist at the Natural History Museum in London, called the fossil finds ''fantastic'', but said they would likely be denied or suspected by others, especially because they could challenge many existing ideas about evolution.
1.Where did the scientists find the fossilized ape skeleton?
A.Germany. B.Canada.
C.Bulgaria. D.Kenya.
2.What can we infer about Danuvius guggenmosi?
A.It was a species of chimp.
B.It lived in Crete and Kenya.
C.It could walk with a backbone.
D.It existed much earlier than Toumai.
3.How does Spoor feel about the finding?
A.It is the most fantastic one.
B.It is a support to evolution.
C.It may cause lots of debate.
D.It denies the previous ideas.
4.What might be the best title for this text?
A.Legend of Humans' Ancestors
B.The Secrets Uncovered from Fossils
C.The Oldest Example of Upright Ape Found
D.Recent Findings against the Theory of Evolution
高二英语阅读选择困难题查看答案及解析
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A cat with an accent sounds like a character in children’s tale, but Swedish scientists are trying to figure out if domestic cats actually do have different “dialects” based on their geographical location. They also want to understand if the owner’s voice might have a role to play in the way cats’ meow（猫）. If they’re successful, the team of scientists from Lund University. hope to put together a “dictionary” of cat sounds.
The project will be carried out over the next five years. SchÖtz explained that she and her team will use phonetic（语音）analysis to compare cat sounds from two parts of Sweden-Stockholm and Lund-with different human dialects, and figure out if the cats from these regions also have different dialects. They will focus on tune, voice, and speaking style in the human speech that is addressed to cats, and also cat sounds that are addressed to humans.
While it all sounds rather fanciful, the main idea behind the project is to improve the human-cat relationship. Since their domestication（驯化）about 10,000 years ago, cats and humans have learned to “talk” through audio（声音的）and visual signals. Even today, wild cats have no need for meowing in adulthood, while domestic ones continue to meow as a way of communicating with humans. And by understanding more about this communication, SchÖtz and her team hope to influence the way cats are treated in animal hospitals, shelters, and care homes.
The team will record voices of about 30 to 50 cats in different situations, for example when they want access to desired locations, when they are content, friendly, happy, hungry, annoyed, or even angry-and try to identify any differences in their phonetic patterns. They want to know if cats prefer pet-directed speech or prefer to be spoken to like human adults.
The project is yet to begin officially, but the researchers have already started testing their equipment and techniques by recording a few cats’ meowings. And they’ve already made a few interesting observations. In one of the recordings, they noticed that when a cat is begging for food its meows rise slowly. But the opposite happens when the cat is unhappy. By the year 2021, SchÖtz and her team hope to have entirely broken the cats’ code by interpreting all their meowings.
1.Carrying out the research, Swedish Scientists will mainly investigate ______.
A.how cats vary the melody of meows B.how cats communicate with their owners
C.how cats meow with a funny mood D.how cats are treated around the world
2.The main purpose of the project done by Swedish scientists is to ______.
A.find out where the cats live B.understand the cats’ lifestyle
C.build up the human-cat relationship D.make up a dictionary of cat sounds
3.According to the passage it can most probably be inferred that ______.
A.the owners’ voice plays a key role in the way cats meow
B.the research could bring about the cats’ welfare changes in shelters, for instance
C.the owners understand entirely the cats’ need through their meows
D.domestic cats live a happier life than wild ones
4.What attitude does the author hold towards the prospect（前景）of the research？
A.Optimistic. B.Pessimistic.
C.Unconcerned. D.Skeptical.
高二英语阅读选择困难题查看答案及解析
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In a world where nearly 6 million fingerprint records of government employees are stolen in one computer hack, and here millions of people are victims of identity theft every year, the next step in cybersecurity may well be mapping your brain.
Researchers at Binghamton University, State University of New York are working on a biometric system that records how your brain reacts to certain images. With a little more polishing, the scientists’ brainchild could become the way you get into a safe deposit box, your office or past scanners at the airport. It could replace the password for your online banking, your email or your social media accounts.
The started their project by measuring the brain waves of 30 subjects, The subjects were fitted with a cap that had 30 electrodes attached to it, and then shown various images and symbols—celebrity faces, words, pictures of food—on a computer screen in 200- millisecond bursts. The brain's reaction was recorded.
The idea is that every time a person needs to use a “password”, he or she goes through the same procedure, and the results are matched with their first-time reaction. If the “brainprint”' is compromised—like what happened with the fingerprint records—then the system is merely reset by running another set of images and collecting a different set of brain waves. “Even if that was stolen, you could just cancel it and record one to something else”, says professor Laszlo.
Laszlo and her team have shown that their system can be 100 percent accurate. So one of the more difficult parts of making the system practical already has been overcome. Now they're spending much time recording accurate brainprints with as few as three electrodes, which could make recording in the future as easy as wearing a pair of special glasses. They're also working with cheaper material and methods to see if they can bring the cost down.
1.What does the underlined word “brainchild” in Paragraph 2 refer to?
A.The brain function. B.The fingerprint record.
C.The biometric system. D.The online password.
2.Why were the images and symbols shown to the subjects?
A.To create their brainprints. B.To check the brain's reaction.
C.To match brainprints with pictures. D.To connect brain waves to electrodes.
3.What are the researchers doing with the program now?
A.Making it user-friendly. B.Improving its accuracy.
C.Recording more brainprints. D.Increasing the number of electrodes.
4.Which's the best the title of this passage?
A.Brain waves—the necessity of passwords B.Biometric systerm—the hope of cybersecurity
C.Brainprint—the future of passwords D.Fingerpint—the challenge of cybersecurity
高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
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Scientists have created the world's first living, self-healing robots using stem cells (干细胞) from frogs. Named xenobots after the African clawed frog from which they take their stem cells, the ''machines'' are less than a millimeter wide — small enough to travel inside human bodies. They can walk and swim, survive for weeks without food, and work together in groups. ''These are entirely new life forms, '' said the University of Vermont, which conducted the research with Tufts University's Allen Discovery Center.
The researchers removed living stem cells from frog embryos (胚胎), and left them to hatch. Then, the cells were cut and reshaped into specific ''body forms'' designed by a supercomputer — forms ''never seen in nature''，according to a news release from the University of Vermont.
Xenobots even have regenerative abilities. When the scientists sliced into one robot, it healed by itself and kept moving. They don’t look like traditional robots - they have no shiny clothing or robotic arms. Instead, they look more like a tiny drop of moving pink flesh. The researchers say this is deliberate — this ''biological machine'' can achieve things typical robots of steel and plastic cannot. ''Traditional robots degrade over time and can produce harmful ecological and health side effects, '' researchers said in the study. ''As biological machines, xenobots are more environmentally friendly and safer for human health.''
According to the researchers, these robots could be used to clean up radioactive waste, collect microplastics in the oceans, or even carry medicine inside human bodies. Aside from these immediate practical tasks, they could also help researchers to learn more about cell biology - opening the doors to future advancement in human health and longevity. This sounds like something from a sci-fi movie. Some people even voiced their concern that humans might be taken control of by those xenobots. However, the researchers in the study say there is no need for alarm. They can't reproduce or evolve (进化).
1.What is this passage mainly about?
A.The advantages of a medical robot.
B.The application of robots in biology.
C.The general introduction of a living robot.
D.The medical value of African clawed frogs.
2.The underlined word ''regenerative'' in Paragraph 3 probably means ''________''.
A.living longer B.growing again
C.replacing old cells D.defending against attacks
3.What can we know about xenobots?
A.They can do everything that traditional robots can.
B.They can break up steel and plastic while degrading.
C.They are able to cure people of all kinds of diseases.
D.They are harmless to the environment and human health.
4.What is the researchers' attitude to the development of xenobots?
A.Doubtful. B.Positive.
C.Cautious. D.Casual.
高二英语阅读选择困难题查看答案及解析
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Here are some of the best movies you like. I believe they can accompany you to spend your dull weekend.
The Matrix
In this story a computer hacker searches for the truth behind the mysterious force . In the 22nd century it turns out that the world is controlled by a magic computer system called the Matrix and people live in an unreal world. The computer hacker and his comrades overcome much difficulty and at last find the way to take over the Matrix and save the world.
Men in Black
This comedy is about J and K, agents in a top secret agency , and they fight bravely with the alien to save the galaxy from a bad-tempered alien “bug” and save the Earth from being destroyed .
Harry Potter
Harry has lived under the stairs at his aunt and uncle’s house. But on his 11th birthday, he learns he’s a powerful wizard——with a place waiting for him at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There, he uncovers the truth about his parents’ deaths and about the bad man who’s to blame .
Andromeda Strain
When a satellite crashes in New Mexico, the Air Force sends two men to reach it. To their horror, they discover that the probe carries an alien virus that’s already killed all but two of the residents of the town where it landed. Now, scientists must stop the virus from spreading .
12 Monkeys
In the year 2035, James Cole is forced to be sent back to 1996 by scientists to discover the origin of a virus that wiped out nearly all of the earth’s population. When Cole is mistakenly sent to 1990, he’s arrested and locked up in a mental hospital, where he meets the son of a famous virus expert.
1. In which film secret agents fight with the bad creature from outer space?
A. The Matrix B. Men in Black C. Andromeda Strain D. 12 Monkeys
2.Harry Potter _________.
A. does’t know he’s a powerful wizard until he is 11 years old
B. has a happy and pleasant childhood with his aunt and uncle
C. hates to stay at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
D. Knows how his parents died before he goes to the Hogwarts school
3. Which of the following is NOT true?
A. Men in black is a comedy.
B. The Matrix is a mysterious force which is later taken over by a group of computer hackers.
C. The alien virus killed all the residents of the town where it landed.
D. James Cole is sent back to 1990 mistakenly and is kept in a mental hospital.
4. The author writes the passage in order to ________.
A. let readers know more about the latest movies
B. increase the income of the cinemas of the city
C. tell readers some interesting summaries of movies
D. help readers to choose the best movie they like
高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
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Why Do Adults Love Animated Movies?
You go home from work. You are tired, and want to sit in front of the TV, watching something fun. Your children want the same. What is better than an animated film?
Both children and most adults love animation. Of course, there are animated movies that are directed specially to adults.1.So, why do adults like cartoons so much?
They have well-written characters
There are plenty of reasons. First and foremost, a lot of them are really good.2.Screenwriters, designers, programmers and musicians are all working together to bring the best outcome to the big screen. And usually, they succeed.
Animated films have well-written characters facing complicated situations. Sometimes the scripts are even better than those in adult films. So, it comes as no surprise that animated films appeal to grown-ups as well.
3.
Remember the time when you were a child and used to sit in front of the TV enjoying cartoons? Animated films bring out that specific feeling of our childhood. Moreover, they reveal our inner child. By watching an animated movie, we forget the monotony of everyday life and leave our problems behind.
We love heroes
Almost every cartoon has something to do with the journey of a character. A journey towards adulthood, or towards finding oneself, or succeeding in a quest.4. A hero that overcomes all obstacles trying to find true meaning and happiness in his or her existence? Plenty of times, the characters in animated films are bigger-than-life and that’s what we need in order to believe in humans again.
They are treats for adults
Animated films are made for children, but sometimes filmmakers decide to put something for adults as well: Shrek, for example, has scenes with a sense of humor that is addressed mainly to grown-ups.5. And it’s a really successful practice.
A.They bring out the child in us.
B.Anything can happen in childhood.
C.And who doesn’t love a hero like that?
D.Talents work together in producing animated films.
E.We applaud those characters because they remind us of ourselves.
F.And there is also the chance that adults will love a kid’s movie more.
G.It’s a treat that aims to help parents enjoy their time in the animated films as well.
高二英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析
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Scientists are trying to make the deserts into good land again． They want to bring water to the deserts， so people can live and grow food． They are learning a lot about the deserts． But more and more of the earth is becoming desert all the time． Scientists may not be able to change the desert in time．
Why is more and more land becoming desert？ Scientists think that people make deserts． People are doing bad things to the earth．
Some places on the earth don't get much rain． But they still don't become deserts． This is because some green plants are growing there． Small green plants and grass are very important to dry places． Plants don't let the sun make the earth even drier． Plants do not let the wind blow the dirt away． When a bit of rain falls， the plants hold the water． Without plants， the land can become desert more easily．
1. Deserts ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿ ．
A． never have any plants or animals in them
B． can all be turned into good land before long
C． are becoming smaller and smaller D． get very little rain
2. Small green plants are very important to dry places because ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿ ．
A． they don't let the sun make the earth even drier
B． they don't let the wind blow the soil away
C． they hold water D． All of the above．
3. Land is becoming desert little by little because ＿＿＿＿＿＿．
A． plants can't grow there B． there is not enough rain
C． people haven't done what scientists wish them to do
D． scientists know little about the deserts
4. Which is the main idea of the first paragraph？
A． Scientists know how to change desert into good land．
B． Land is becoming desert faster than scientists can change it back into good land．
C． If scientists can bring water to desert， people can live and grow food there．
D． More and more places are becoming deserts all the time．
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析