New Scientist LiveWhat is it?New Scientist Li...

Online Event：What Happened at the Big Bang（爆炸）？

Over the past few decades, we've made unbelievable discoveries about how our universe developed over the past 13. 8 billion years. But we still know very little about what happened in the first seconds after the big bang.

In the latest New Scientist online event, the speaker Dan Hooper will examine how physicists are using experiments to re-create the conditions of the big bang, and to deal with mysteries like how our universe came to contain so much matter and so little antimatter.

•Early bird ticket offer £ 12, and your ticket includes:

—Live lecture lasting 40 minutes

—Question & Answer with Dan Hooper

—On-demand access to a recording of the lecture and Q & A, available（可得到的）to watch for 12 months —An additional 40-minute physics lecture

● About the speaker:

Dan Hooper is a senior scientist and the head of the theoretical astrophysics group at the Fermi National Accelerator Lab, as well as a professor of the University of Chicago. He is especially interested in questions about dark matter and the early universe.

●Event information:

This online event will start at 6 pm on Thursday, July 9 and will last for about one hour. Access to a recording of the event will be available from July 10 to ticket buyers for the 12 months following the live event.

●Booking information:

Tickets are only refundable（可退还的）if New Scientist stops this event. New Scientist Ltd has the right to change the event and its arrangement, or stop the event. Tickets are only available in advance through New Scientist website.

1.What benefit can the ticket buyers enjoy?

A.Interviewing the speaker face to face.

B.Taking someone else to attend the lecture.

C.Getting a video tape of a 40-minute physics lecture.

D.Watching a recording of the event within one year.

2.What can we know about Dan Hooper?

A.He works at a university.

B.He is a world-famous writer.

C.He is the head of New Scientist Ltd.

D.His study focuses on questions about online events.

3.What do you have to do if you want to attend the event?

A.Get in touch with Hooper. B.Buy a ticket ahead of time.

C.Arrive before 6 pm on the day. D.Get permission from the organizer.

高二英语阅读选择简单题查看答案及解析

New Scientist Live

What is it?

New Scientist Live is the world’s greatest science festival, which has won gold in the “event of the year” category at the British Media Awards three years in a row. This year’s event will run at the ExCel Center in London from 10 to 13 October, featuring over 140 talks and a huge range of interactive experiences, workshops and performances.

Who are the speakers?

The main stage lineup features such amazing names as Lee Berger, the discoverer of our ancient human relatives Homo Naledi, biological anthropologist Alice Roberts, the Astronomer Royal Martin Rees, and Christiana Figueres, who led the United Nations climate negotiations from 2012 to 2016.

Then there are 5 more stages with different themes: universe, humans, Earth, technology and engineering. Here you’ll find architect Roma Agrawal, geneticist Giles Yeo, ocean explorer Jon Copley, engineer Mark Miodownik and many more. Plus, you can see TV stars like Konnie Huq and Maddie Moate on our performance stage.

What else is going on?

On top of that, there’re over 150 exhibits including a virtual reality roller coaster, rocket building, the operating room of the future, and a huge moon installation.

Can school groups come?

Absolutely—we have schools’ tickets available on Thursday 10 and Friday 11 October. On Thursday we have a special schools’ program with dedicated content around the curriculum.

Can I come just for the evening?

Yes—On Friday 11 October, we’re open until 9 pm. Friday night tickets allow access from 5 pm onwards for drinks, discussions and after-dark entertainment, like Julia Shaw’s talk on the science of evil.

How can I get tickets?

Head over to the New Scientist Live website—you’ll find much more information there about what’s on and how to get there.

1.How can you benefit from the event?

A.Make friends with many visitors present

B.Have chances to interview many famous stars

C.Learn about different fields of scientific knowledge

D.Develop special habits of making scientific discoveries

2.What do you have to do to attend the festival?

A.Buy a ticket online

B.Join a school group

C.Make an appointment with the speakers

D.Arrive at the ExCel Center in advance

3.When can you listen to Julia Shaw’s presentation?

A.On Oct 10 B.On Oct 11

C.On Oct 12 D.On Oct 13

高二英语阅读选择简单题查看答案及解析

Alice：　 You seem to be absorbed(全神贯注) in the magazine, David.

David： It is the New scientist, 1.__________ (deliver) to me this morning. Honestly speaking, I am fascinated(着迷的) by the magazine.

Alice： Are there articles or stories about the latest2.__________ (science) breakthrough?

David: Sure. I am reading an article3.______________ (introduce) a new invention --- the “flying car”.

Alice: That sounds interesting. Can you explain to me 4.____ the “flying car” works?

David: Yes. The car has four wheels and two wings that can be folded. So it can 5._________ be driven　 on the road or flown at a speed of 110 miles per hour, just like a plane. When the roads are crowded, 6._____ is often the case now,　 you can fly it and easily reach your destination. Besides, it uses electricity instead of petrol, so it’s7. ________________ (environment) friendly

Alice: Sounds great! This kind of car will make our lives 8.________　 (easy) and more comfortable. By the way, is the “flying car” on the market yet? Can I buy 9.___ now?

David: I’m afraid not. The car 10. ____________ (try) out at present and it still needs to be improved.

Alice： I bet it is very expensive.

David： It does cost a lot of money, but scientists are working hard to bring down the price.

高二英语其他题简单题查看答案及解析

A huge 3D printer is now building new homes in the countryside in Southern Mexico. It is the world’s first 3D-printed village. Could this be part of the global housing solution?

The 500-square-foot houses are finished with roofs, windows and the inside parts. A nonprofit organization called New Story leading the project believes that the new construction could be part of the solution for affordable housing in some of the places in the world. The organization hopes to build 50 new houses by the end of 2020, replacing the ones that residents built themselves out of wood, metal and whatever materials they could afford.

The families live in a seismic zone that usually suffer from flooding. Building something that will stand up to an earthquake and keep them dry during heavy rains is a key consideration when it comes to the design.

New Story has been helping families in need of shelter. It has built more than 2,700 homes in South America and Mexico since it was founded in 2014. This is the first home-building project that it’s done with 3D printing.

Each house takes 24 hours, which is about two times faster than it takes to build a home with regular construction. The house has two bedrooms, one bathroom, a living room and a kitchen. And the houses can resist powerful earthquakes.

The technology is there and the application to building homes for those in need brings a lot of hope for the future. Experts say 3D printing is not science fiction. We have moved beyond science fiction into reality.3D printers build homes faster, better and less expensively. In the future, this will be humanity’s perfect housing solution that matches our highest values and ideals.

1.What do we know about New Story?

A.It must be a famous company. B.It values 3D printing technology.

C.It earns a lot by building houses. D.It takes the lead in 3D printing technology.

2.What's the focus for people living in the earthquake zone to build houses?

A.Predicting floods. B.Resisting earthquakes.

C.Saving building costs. D.Using expensive materials.

3.What does the author think of 3D printing?

A.It is hard to apply. B.It is science fiction.

C.It has a bright future. D.It has perfectly solved housing problems.

4.What’s the best title for the text?

A.A Huge 3D Printer B.New Story, a Great Nonprofit

C.The World’s First 3D-printed Village D.3D-printed Houses, Popular Worldwide

高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

The Internet has changed the world we live in dramatically, so that in some ways it is unrecognizable from the place we lived in twenty years ago. Communications have been revolutionized. Not only have cell phones found their way into most people’s pockets or purses, but they are also used for next messaging and as cameras. Long distance phone calls have been replaced by e-mail and video conferencing. Communications, person to person or company to company, have turned into a fast-paced exchange with instant response. In fact, it has become more convenient and efficient.

The other kind of communication the Internet provides is information. School children and medical researchers alike will tell you that they could not work without the Internet and its ability to connect them to any number of websites and databases of information. Many people do their banking on-line. Others plan a trip and book a flight for themselves. People do their own stock  trading through the Net. Sports fans follow scores and statistics on websites. Political junkies(政治狂) gather campaign statements and debate topics, even between elections. And almost everyone who owns a computer and has Internet access has bought at least one item on-line. No wonder some young people can not imagine what life was like before the Internet.

Some Advantages of the Internet

I. ________1.________ of the Internet communication

●A fast-paced exchange replacing long distance phone calls with ________2.________ like e-mail and vedio conferencing

II. Accessibitlity to the Internet information

●On-line ________3.________ service

Convenience to do banking at home or office

●________4.________ service

Choices of booking traffic and accommodation

●Sports websites

Information about scores and statistics

●Political websites

Campaign statements and ________5.________

高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

Denmark is only about half the size of South Carolina, but it produces more of its electricity from wind than any other country in the world. Denmark now gets 47%of its electricity from wind, and there will be more to come, thanks to a combination of history and policy.

Paul la Cour was a scientist and inventor who experimented with early wind power machines at the start of the 20th century. So it's not surprising that Denmark invested in building wind power the earliest. Since the 1970s,Denmark has been investing in wind energy all over the country. In the 1980s,due to a strong movement opposing nuclear power plants, Denmark increased its production of clean energy even before many other countries considered it.

Even back in 2002,Denmark took climate change warnings seriously. They drew up policies, aiming to cut fossil-fuel emissions by 20%,which they did via renewable energy investment. Some of the world's largest companies in the field—including Vestas, which builds turbines(涡轮机)，and Orsted, which specializes in offshore wind projects—are Danish, so the country has an impact beyond its borders.

The huge impact of Denmark’s wind industry is important. But Denmark is a small country, so while almost 50%of its electricity from wind is admirable, it's also minor in terms of entire global impact.

While Denmark gets half its electricity from 5,758 megawatts (MW) of capacity, Spain's 23,000 MW covers just 18 percent of its electricity supply as it’s a much bigger country. China is the leader in wind energy at 221,000 MW, and the U.S.is the second in the world at about 96,000 MW.

At the end of 2019,lawmakers in Denmark set a new goal: increasing the share of electricity coming from renewable power to 100%.

1.What can we know about Demark?

A.It is a leader in solar energy. B.It is a pioneer in clean energy.

C.It is a victim of climate change. D.It is an advocate of nuclear energy.

2.What is Denmark government's attitude towards fossil-fuel energy projects?

A.Indifferent. B.Ambiguous

C.Positive. D.Opposed.

3.Which country produces the most wind energy in the world?

A.Denmark. B.China. C.The U.S D.Spain.

4.What is the best title for the text?

A.Almost Half of Denmark’s Electricity Comes from Wind Power

B.Denmark's Government Pushes ahead with Fossil-fuel Projects

C.Denmark Has a Great Effect on World's Wind Power Equipment

D.Denmark Has a Long History of Developing Renewable Power

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

The Internet is a growing new world that has been developing ever since it was created many years ago. The only reason Internet sales are not taxed (征税) is because we did not know the Internet would be used to sell products when it was created. Internet sales are no different than going into the store to buy the exact same product except for the fact that Internet sales are not taxed.

When buying online, people cannot see and touch the product the same way they could in a store. To fix this, customers are going into the store to see the product. Then if they like the product, they buy it online to save money on the sales tax. This is a form of tax evasion (逃税) if you ask me!

Everyone has to pay the tax in the store so they should have to pay taxes online as well. Also, the added money brought in through Internet taxing could help the government to fund (为……拨款) certain policies and other things that they could not do without the added funds. This could go toward the country’s schools or other things necessary for society to function well. These funds could be extremely beneficial because of the recession (经济衰退) that the country is in at this point. Internet taxing is a way to increase those funds and in turn improve the quality of life for all who live in that country.

In conclusion, there are many more positives than negatives in the argument over taxing Internet sales. I do understand that I may have to pay more if I want to buy something online, but the funds stay within my society and help my country. The added cost may hurt me at first but in the end, the funds will help me and others in our country.

1.The text mainly discusses _____.

A.whether it is a good way to buy things online.

B.whether Internet sales should be taxed.

C.why people love to buy things online.

D.why Internet sales are not taxed.

2.Internet sales are not taxed because _____.

A.selling online was unexpected. B.they are different from store sales.

C.people don’t know how to tax them. D.many people are against taxing them.

3.What can we learn from Paragraph 2?

A.Online shoppers find it difficult to buy satisfactory goods.

B.Customers get better products at a lower price online.

C.Problems related to online shopping are hard to fix.

D.Online shoppers probably try to avoid paying tax.

4.According to the author, taxing Internet sales _____.

A.is good for all people. B.can help the country out of the recession.

C.can help improve the quality of products. D.is beneficial to the development of Internet.

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Denmark is only about half the size of South Carolina, but it produces more　 of its electricity from wind than any other country in the world. That's not because it's a country with particularly strong wind; it has pretty ordinary wind speeds. The reason why the Danes now get 47% of their electricity from wind, with more to come, comes down to a combination of history and policy.

First, the history: Paul la Cour was a scientist and inventor who experimented with and built early wind power machines at the start of the 20th century. So it's not surprising that Denmark spent money building wind power plants early, beginning at a national level in the 1970s. In the 1980s, because of a strong movement against nuclear （原子核的）power plants, Denmark increased production before many other countries were even considering it.

Denmark has also had important government support for wind-energy projects, as well as support from the country 's technology-focused universities. Even back in 2002, the country was taking climate change warnings seriously, successfully cutting greenhouse gas emissions （排放）by 20%.

Some of the world's largest companies—including Vestas, which builds turbines （(涡轮）， and Orsted, which specializes in offshore wind projects—are Danish. European countries are global leaders in using wind power but Denmark is far in front of its nearest competitor Ireland, which sourced 28% of its power from wind in 2018 according to industry group Wind Europe.

At the end of 2019, lawmakers in Denmark set a new goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 70% by 2030 and increase the share of electricity sourced from renewable power to 100%.

1.What do we know about Denmark from Paragraph 1?

A.It produces more than half of its electricity from wind.

B.It makes the most of its wind to produce electricity　　 .

C.It is the most environmentally friendly country.

D.It is a country with rich wind resources.

2.What is the key message of Paragraph 2?

A.Denmark started making use of wind power very early .

B.Paul la Cour built wind power plants in the whole country.

C.Nuclear power plants produce most electricity in Denmark.

D.Denmark taught other countries to build wind power plants.

3.Some large companies are mentioned to show that Denmark　　　　 .

A.has an influential role on the world stage

B.has many technology-focused companies

C.is the head office of many large companies

D.is the world's leading wind power country

4.In which part of a newspaper can you read the text?

A.History. B.Lifestyle. C.Environment. D.Society.

高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

When Maleficent first appeared in cinemas five years ago, with her sculpted cheekbones and twisted devil horns, she became an instant hit with audiences around the world. Now, she’s back with a new movie.

The sequel to Disney’s 2014 film, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, hit Chinese mainland cinemas on Oct 18. It was expected to be one of the hottest film releases of the month.

What makes this film popular with audiences?

“Maleficent （2019） is a fierce fairy tale about the joy of being uniquely individual,” Carla Renata, a US film critic, wrote on Twitter.

The sequel features new and distinctive characters, Maleficent, played by US actress Angelina Jolie, is an evil fairy witch who hates human beings for the betrayal of her human lover. Then we have Princess Aurora, played by US actress Elle Fanning, who is kind and strong. Even though Maleficent cursed her and took her captive, Aurora refuses to hate fairies. A new character, Queen Ingrith, is Aurora’s mother-in-law. She’s a typical villain who will spare no effort to divide Maleficent and Aurora. She hopes lo divide humans and fairies forever.

“These characters are so unique that you would remember even many years after you finished watching the movie,” said Renata.

Apart from the strong cast of characters, the movie’s theme of inclusiveness and cooperation between two distinct groups is meant to enlighten audiences. Both fairies and humans must find a way to understand each other if they want to protect the peaceful land where magical creatures live together.

“The film is about kindness and acceptance and tolerance,” Fanning told Metro, “We want people to be kind to one another... to understand that it is wrong to out people that are different.”

With such a powerful theme, there’s no wonder that USA Today says it’s among Disney’s best live-action sequels.

1.What do we know about the character Maleficent?

A.She fights for human beings. B.She betrays her human lover.

C.She sees humans as her enemies. D.She makes friends with Aurora.

2.What did Renata think makes the 2019 Maleficent film special?

A.A fairy tale. B.Unique characters.

C.A powerful theme. D.Many film stars playing roles.

3.What does the 2019 Maleficent film want to tell viewers?

A.Peace is the key to happiness.

B.It takes effort to make the world a better place.

C.Humans should care about other creatures.

D.We should be kind to and tolerant of others.

高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析