Museums are cathedrals to science and underst...

Museums are cathedrals to science and understanding, but not all science museums are equal. The following 4 examples are all well worth visiting in the future.

The Natural History Museum in London

It is one of the best science museums in the world. With exceptional exhibits all wrapped up in a masterpiece of architectural design, this museum is a must visit for anyone who travels to London. As the name suggests the main theme of the museum is natural history and it features collections about animals, plants, human biology, minerals, and natural resources.

The Exploratorium in San Francisco

The museum, full of engaging and educational exhibits, truly lives up to its nickname" The Scientific Fun House" and offers a very different museum visiting experience. The design team challenged themselves to create a space to display the strangest, most amazing and most exciting aspects of science possible to amaze and inspire young minds. Its main mission is to create young scientists by letting them see just how exciting science can be.

The Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne

It is located in Lucerne in Switzerland and is filled with different modes of transport. Most of the exhibits are Swiss car models from the early 1900s onwards but it also includes planes, trains, shops, and some communication technology. It's not all about science and technology - there is also a large collection of the works of Hans Erni, a well-respected local artist.

The National Air and Space Museum in Washington D. C.

The museums in the world. Exhibits within the museum take you on a visual feast of a tour, from the first attempt to fly right through to the incredible achievements of the explorations into space.

1.Which city are you most likely to visit if you're into dinosaurs?

A.Lucerne B.San Francisco.

C.Washington D.London

2.Which museum offers works of an artist?

A.The Exploratorium in San Francisco.

B.The Natural History Museum in London.

C.The Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne.

D.The National Air and Space Museum in Washington D. C.

3.The Exploratorium in San Francisco is mainly designed to _________.

A.introduce the human flight history B.present the wonder of science

C.display different car models D.show great architecture worldwide

高三英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

Museums have changed. They are no longer places that one “should” go to but to enjoy.

At a science museum in Canada, you can feel your hair stand on end as harmless electricity passes through your body. At the Children’s Museum in New York, you can play an African drum. There are no “Do Not Touch” sign in some other museums in the USA.

More and more museum directors have realized that people learn best when they can become part of what they are seeing. In many science museums, the visitors are encouraged to touch, listen, operate and experiment so as to discover scientific rules for themselves.

The purpose is not only to provide fun, but also help people feel at home in the world of science. If people don’t understand science, they will be afraid of it; and if they are afraid of science, they will not make the best use of it.

One cause of all these changes is the increase in wealth and spare time. Another cause is that the number of young people grow in the population. Many of them are college students or college graduates. They see things in a new and different way. They want art that they can take part in. The same is true of science and history.

The old museums have been changing and the government is encouraging the building of new, modern museums. In the States and Canada, there are more than 6000 museums, twice as many as there were 25 years ago.

Title: 1. __________________________

高三英语其他题中等难度题查看答案及解析

We tend to believe that older people are more positive and younger people are more sensitive to social cues (暗示).

Recently scientists investigated this idea by testing 10,000 men and women. They wanted to see if age affected a person’s ability to identify subtle facial emotions, such as fear and anger.

The researchers from McLean Hospital in the US used a Web-based platform to collect happiness data. It showed the participants two headshots (头部特写) of random people. They were then asked to identify which subject was angrier, happier, or more fearful. The research found that younger people were able to better identify angry and fearful facial cues than older people.

“From the previous studies , we know that the everyday experiences of an adolescent are different from an older person, but we wanted to understand how these experiences might be linked with differences in basic emotion understanding,” wrote Laura Germine, the study’s senior author.

But what is it that makes young people more sensitive?

“This is the exact age when young people are most sensitive to forms of negative social cues, such as bullying,” Lauren Rutter, the study’s lead author, told Science Daily. “The normal development of anger sensitivity can contribute to some of the challenges that arise during this phase of development.”

On the contrary, across the whole 10,000-person survey, researchers found no decline in the perception (感知)of happiness among older participants.

“What’s remarkable is that we see declines in many visual perceptual abilities as we get older, but here we did not see such declines in the perception of happiness,” Germine told Neuro Science News.

She added that these findings fit well with other research, showing that older adults tend to have more positive emotions and a positive outlook.

Following the paper’s release, Rutter told Neuro Science News that gathering their primary research online allowed the team to tap into a “much larger and more diverse sample set” than previous studies.

1.What is the result of the research?

A.We are often bullied while young.

B.We become less positive as we get older.

C.The younger we are, the happier we feel.

D.The younger, the more sensitive; the older, the more positive.

2.What makes young people more sensitive according to the text?

A.Their family backgrounds. B.Their negative experiences.

C.People around them. D.Their visual perceptual abilities.

3.How does the author support the theme of the text?

A.By giving examples. B.By stating arguments.

C.By explaining statistical data. D.By providing results.

4.Where is the text most probably taken from?

A.An announcement. B.A science magazine.

C.A travel guide. D.An official report.

高三英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

A new app aims to help parents interpret what their babies want based on the sound of their cry. The free app ChatterBaby, which was released last month, analyzes the features of a baby's cry, to help parents understand whether their children might be hungry, fussy (大惊小怪) or in pain. While critics say caregivers should not rely too much on their smartphones, others say it's a helpful tool for new or tired parents.

Ariana Anderson, a mother of four, developed the app. She originally designed the technology to help deaf parents better understand why their babies were upset, but soon realized it could be a helpful tool for all new parents.

To build a database, Anderson and her team uploaded 2,000 audio samples of baby cries. She used cries recorded during ear piercings and vaccinations (接种) to distinguish pain cries. And to create a baseline for the other two categories, a group of moms had to agree on whether the cry was hungry or fussy.

Anderson's team continues to collect data and hopes to make the app more accurate by asking parents to get specific about what certain sounds mean.

Pediatrician Eric Ball pointed out that evaluating cries can never be an exact science. ''I think that all of the apps and technology that new parents are using now can be helpful but need to be taken seriously, '' Ball said. ''I do worry, that some parents will get stuck in big data and turn their parenting into basically a spreadsheet (电子表格) which I think will take away the love and caring that parents are supposed to be providing for their children.''

But Anderson says the aim of the app is to have parents interpret the results, not to provide a yes or no answer. The Bells say it's a win-win. They believe they are not only helping their babies now but potentially others in the future.

1.How does the app judge what babies want?

A.By collecting data.

B.By recording all the sounds.

C.By analyzing the sound of their crying.

D.By asking parents about specific messages.

2.Who was the app designed for in the beginning?

A.Deaf parents. B.All new parents.

C.Ariana Anderson. D.Babies often crying.

3.What can we know according to Ball?

A.Parents should use the app wisely.

B.The app can provide an accurate result.

C.Parents and babies are addicted to the app.

D.The app makes babies love their parents.

4.What can be a suitable title for the text?

A.App Knows Why Babies Cry B.App Prevents Babies Crying

C.Parents Build Babies' Database D.Parents Overrely on Smartphones

高三英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

Believe it or not but it is true. There are people who lose the ability to understand or use words due to brain damage. But they become extremely good at something else. They become experts at spotting liars. The condition in which people lose their power to understand or use words due to brain damage are called aphasia(失语症). A study conducted in Massachusetts, U.S., has clearly proved that aphasics make good lie detectors(测谎仪).

In the last 100 years, many doctors studying the brain have mentioned examples of this amazing power of patients suffering from aphasia. Recently, scientists conducted tests to see if all that was said about aphasics was true. They studied the powers of a mixed group of people. Some were normal; others were aphasic. And it was proved clearly that the normal volunteers still got fooled by words. The aphasics were far ahead of them in recognizing false speech. The results of the study were reported in the magazine Nature.

`Fourteen years ago, famous American doctor, Dr. Oliver Sacks, wrote about his experiences with aphasic patients in a book. He remembered a particular incident in a hospital. Patients from the aphasia room were watching TV. Their president, Ronald Reagan, was giving a speech. He was trying to put feelings into each and every word of his speech. But his speech had an opposite effect on the patients. They were not impressed. On the contrary, the whole room shook with their laughter. The aphasics knew that he did not mean a word of what he was saying.

Dr. Sacks saw aphasics as more gifted than normal people. Normal people “get carried away” by words. An aphasic cannot understand words. But he or she can still understand what is being said. He said most of the aphasics had this superior understanding. So, while normal people think of aphasic patients as brain damaged, they actually seem to understand human expressions better.

1.We can know from the first paragraph ___.

A. how aphasics get their special ability　　 B. that aphasics can tell if you are lying

C. that aphasics are good at telling lies　　 D. why aphasics are experts at spotting liars

2.The phrase “get carried away” in the last paragraph means ___.

A. get misunderstood　　 B. get excited　　 C. get fooled　　 D. get discouraged

3.Dr. Oliver Sacks thinks that aphasics ___.

A. can be cured totally　　 B. can not understand what is being said

C. are specially gifted in a way　　 D. should be treated equally and nicely

4.Which would be the best title of the passage?

A. A great discovery　　 B. A special way of understanding

C. Why aphasics can’t talk　　 D. The great lie detectors

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

London is a real treat for museum lovers and museums are a popular destination among London’s many attractions. Below is a list of London’s top museums.

◆　 The London Transport Museum

This is a great, child-friendly museum which combines education with activities. Housed in huge iron and glass structure, the museum possesses a wonderful and colorful collection of more than 80 vehicles spanning 200 years of London’s history, including a red Routemaster bus and the world’s first Underground steam train. There are some great posters and artworks too! Tickets from ￡16.

◆　 The Science Museum

From the future of space travel to asking that difficult question: “Who am I?”, the Science Museum makes your brain perform Olympic-standard mental gymnastics. See, touch and experience the major scientific advances of the last 300 years; and don’t forget the awesome IMAX cinema. Free entry.

◆　 The Natural History Museum

As well as the permanent (and permanently fascinating!) dinosaur exhibition,　 the　 Natural History Museum boasts a collection of the biggest, tallest and rarest animals in the world.See a life-sized blue whale, a 40-million-year-old spider, and the beautiful Central Hall. Free entry.

◆　 The Museum of London

The Museum of London is one the world’s largest urban museum, packed with historic objects and exhibitions telling the story of London’s past. Discover prehistoric London, the city under Roman rule, and the grandeur of medieval London. Don’t miss the new Galleries of Modern London, from 1666 to the present. Free entry.

1.What does London Transport museum look like?

A.An old castle. B.An old church.

C.A modern building. D.A big cottage.

2.Which museum will you visit if you are interested in the history of London?

A.The London Transport Museum B.The Science Museum

C.The Natural History Museum D.The Museum of London

3.What does the Science Museum offer kids?

A.Chances to make films. B.Hands-on experience.

C.Some Olympic events. D.Great posters and artworks.

高三英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

Suppose you are about to complete high school and are thinking about attending a college or university. After doing some research, you find a school you would like to attend, but have questions about the application process. So you go to the school’s website in the hope of finding a few answers.

Time goes by and you, a student, still do not have the answers. You almost feel like giving up. But today, as you can see, artificial intelligence is so advanced. You find a message appears on your computer or personal electronic device. It says something like: ''How can I help? '' Writing back to the website, you try to explain your problem. You possibly get a few questions to clarify what your concerns are. Then, almost immediately, the person with whom you are in contact provides the information you are seeking.

In fact, you are not actually communicating with a school official. You are not even dealing with a human being. You are in contact with a computer program, or chatbot. It is using artificial intelligence, AI for short, to understand and communicate with you. This might sound strange. But chances are that this would not be the first time you have communicated with a computer program without knowing it. In recent years, chatbots have become a common tool for banks and large companies around the world.

Having human beings available to answer people’s questions and complaints can be costly, requiring many workers. And in most cases, employees can only work for several hours in a day, increasing customers’ waiting time for a response, but the chatbot can work around the clock. So not only companies, but a growing number of universities have also begun using the chatbot technology.

Australia's University of Adelaide noted a major improvement in its service to student after employing a chathot to deal with application questions in 2018. It said that students received responses 13 times faster, and students’ approval of the quality of service increased by 60 percent. And just the speed of reacting to questions is the chatbot's major strength.

1.How does the author introduce the topic of the text?

A.By assumption. B.By comparison.

C.By definition. D.By data.

2.What's the main purpose of paragraph 2?

A.To tell time and tide wait for no man.

B.To advise students should clarify their questions.

C.To present the communication convenience brought by Al.

D.To show the phenomenon that students are addicted to computers.

3.What is the main advantage of the chatbot technology?

A.Its low cost. B.Its ease of use.

C.Its short working hours. D.Its quick response.

4.What is the main idea of the text?

A.Artificial intelligence is developing rapidly.

B.Robots are gradually replacing human services.

C.Employees chat with robots without knowing them.

D.More universities use chatbots to communicate online.

高三英语阅读选择困难题查看答案及解析

The beginnings of life provide scientists with some of the most difficult questions on modern science. Our knowledge of the development of cells, from which all forms of life are made, is not complete because we do not understand very well conditions on our planet four billion years ago. Why and how did cells first appear? Was this very likely to happen under the conditions then, or was it due to chance? Might this happen in other places in the universe?

A group of scientists at London University are trying to answer these questions. They started by studying the way in which the first cells on Earth might have been formed. Next they will use powerful new telescope to look at places far away in the universe. The scientists hope that the results will improve our understanding of the development of life on Earth and help us to find life on other planets.

Dr. Nick Lane, who is in charge of the team, has suggested that four billion years ago warm water springs on the floor of the earth ocean might have helped create life. Each spring consists of tiny connected holes that water passes through. The team have created models of these springs in their labs. You have found that they encourage chemical reactions between hydrogen in the liquids that come out of them and the carbon dioxide in the sea water. These chemical reactions can create the “building blocks” of life, these building blocks are not living themselves, but when they are enough of them joined together in the right way, they can make living things. The water in the system of springs move the building blocks around until there are a lot of them in a small area. Things that look very much like real living cells can be made in this way.

These reactions and changes show us how life on earth and on other planets could begin. When sea water goes through tiny holes in the earth’s surface, it gets very hot and causes a chemical reaction with rocks. When this very hot water goes back up and meets cold sea water again, other chemical reactions happen. Lane explains, “The conditions needed for life are rock, water and carbon dioxide. This could be found on millions of exoplanets (planets beyond solar system), so basic life should be everywhere.”

1.What can we learn from the fourth paragraph?

A.Rock, water and carbon dioxide are three things to make life.

B.How different chemicals mix together to produce cells.

C.Amazing reactions are made by hot sea water and cold sea.

D.Life should be seen everywhere in the exoplanets.

2.What does the underlined word “spring” in the third paragraph mean?

A.A place where liquid comes out of the earth.

B.A place where cells are easily born.

C.A place where building blocks of life can be found.

D.A place where hydrogen and carbon dioxide are combined.

3.Why is the scientist very sure that there must be life on exoplanets?

A.We have had enough knowledge about the Universe.

B.The new powerful telescope can help us find cells on the other planets.

C.The ingredients for life are basic and should be all over the universe.

D.Chemical reactions can happen everywhere in the universe.

4.What is the best title for the text?

A.Changes at the Bottom of the Sea B.How Life Starts always puzzles the scientists

C.Search for the Start of Life D.Life Exists on Millions of Exoplanets

高三英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

From linguists’ point of view, grammar is a set of patterns for how words are put together to form phrases or clauses, whether in spoken or written. Different languages have different patterns. Some scholars have tried to identify patterns common to all languages. But apart from some basic features, few of these so-called linguistic universals have been found.

The study of these patterns open up “an ongoing debate” between two positions, known as prescriptivism and descriptivism. Prescriptivism thinks a given language should follow consistent rules, while descriptivism sees variation and adaptation as a natural and necessary part of language.

Language purists(纯化论者) worked to establish and promote this standard by detailing a set of rules that reflected the established grammar of their times. And rules for written grammar were applied to spoken language as well. Speech patterns that deviated from the written rules were considered signs of low social status. And many people who are grown-ups speaking in these ways were forced to adopt the standardized form.

More recently, however, linguists have understood that speech is a separate phenomenon from writing with its own regularities and patterns.We form our spoken skills through unconscious habits, not memorized rules. And because speech also uses mood and intonation for meaning, its structure is often more flexible, adapting to the needs of speakers and listeners. This could mean avoiding complex clauses that are hard to understand in real time, making changes to avoid awkward pronunciation or removing sounds to make speech faster.

But while the debate between prescriptivism and descriptivism continues, the two are not mutually exclusive. Like language itself, it’s a wonderful and complex fabric woven through the contributions of speakers and listeners, writers and readers, prescriptivists and descriptivists from both near and far.

1.What does the underlined word“deviated”in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A.copied B.updated C.differed D.originated

2.According to the passage, prescriptivism____________.

A.focuses on established language patterns B.accepts the differences between languages

C.follows the innovations in language patterns D.attaches more importance to written language

3.What is Paragraph 4 mainly about?

A.A new understanding of language. B.The beliefs held by prescriptivists.

C.The impact of grammar on language. D.The ongoing debate between linguists.

4.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A.The Importance of Grammar. B.The History of Grammar.

C.Grammar: Rules or Habits. D.Grammar: Writing Rules.

高三英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析