The African Continent has various habitat types, but savanna (热带草原) ecosystems cover approximately half. And where there is savanna, there is fire. "It's an important part of the ecology of the system," says University of Liverpool ecologist James R Probert. Burning allows grasses to take the lead by keeping taller bushes from occupying the land, Loss of grasses could push out species such as wildebeest (牛 羚 ), which are famous for their splendid annual migration.
A decade ago researchers put decreasing fires within Tanzania's Serengeti National Park down to the recovery of wildebeest population following an epidemic of rinderpest, a viral disease. When millions of wildebeest feed on grass, they remove fuel from the land, making fire less frequent and less severe.
But Probert and his colleagues found that even after wildebeest populations had stabilized by the mid-1990s, fires continued to decrease in the same area. Their analysis of satellite data showed that the region experienced a 40 percent reduction in wildfires between 2001 and 2014- in line with dramatic increases in farm animals in the area.
If you have lots of farm animals eating the grass, then you have less fire. That’s well known Probert says. "But I don’t think anybody had realized the degree of the decline in fire and linked it to farm animals before.”
This is a really interesting pattern, "says University of Guelph biologist John Fryxell, who was not involved in the study. He cautions, however, that 15 years' worth of data is still a fairly small amount of information from which to draw final conclusions. "What a short-term connection like that suggests is that there's something interesting here that could provide the grounds for a deeper experimental analysis, "he adds. That research could include artificially controlling fire frequency or grazing intensity (放牧强度) in certain areas and then monitoring the land's response over time.
1.What do we know about fires in savanna?
A.They only happen once in a decade.
B.They are harmful to the growth of grasses.
C.They help keep the balance of the ecosystem.
D.They guarantee the leading position of taller bushes.
2.According to Probert, what led to decreasing fires?
A.The spread of a disease. B.The increase in farm animals.
C.The change of the climate. D.The stability of wildebeest population.
3.What does John think of Probert's study?
A.It might help recover the land in savanna.
B.It could lead to further studies on savanna fire.
C.It has proven the link between fires and grasses.
D.It offers enough information for final conclusions.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.Savanna Ecosystem. B.No More Farm Animals
C.Eating Away Fire. D.Controlling Wildfires
高三英语阅读选择中等难度题
The African Continent has various habitat types, but savanna (热带草原) ecosystems cover approximately half. And where there is savanna, there is fire. "It's an important part of the ecology of the system," says University of Liverpool ecologist James R Probert. Burning allows grasses to take the lead by keeping taller bushes from occupying the land, Loss of grasses could push out species such as wildebeest (牛 羚 ), which are famous for their splendid annual migration.
A decade ago researchers put decreasing fires within Tanzania's Serengeti National Park down to the recovery of wildebeest population following an epidemic of rinderpest, a viral disease. When millions of wildebeest feed on grass, they remove fuel from the land, making fire less frequent and less severe.
But Probert and his colleagues found that even after wildebeest populations had stabilized by the mid-1990s, fires continued to decrease in the same area. Their analysis of satellite data showed that the region experienced a 40 percent reduction in wildfires between 2001 and 2014- in line with dramatic increases in farm animals in the area.
If you have lots of farm animals eating the grass, then you have less fire. That’s well known Probert says. "But I don’t think anybody had realized the degree of the decline in fire and linked it to farm animals before.”
This is a really interesting pattern, "says University of Guelph biologist John Fryxell, who was not involved in the study. He cautions, however, that 15 years' worth of data is still a fairly small amount of information from which to draw final conclusions. "What a short-term connection like that suggests is that there's something interesting here that could provide the grounds for a deeper experimental analysis, "he adds. That research could include artificially controlling fire frequency or grazing intensity (放牧强度) in certain areas and then monitoring the land's response over time.
1.What do we know about fires in savanna?
A.They only happen once in a decade.
B.They are harmful to the growth of grasses.
C.They help keep the balance of the ecosystem.
D.They guarantee the leading position of taller bushes.
2.According to Probert, what led to decreasing fires?
A.The spread of a disease. B.The increase in farm animals.
C.The change of the climate. D.The stability of wildebeest population.
3.What does John think of Probert's study?
A.It might help recover the land in savanna.
B.It could lead to further studies on savanna fire.
C.It has proven the link between fires and grasses.
D.It offers enough information for final conclusions.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.Savanna Ecosystem. B.No More Farm Animals
C.Eating Away Fire. D.Controlling Wildfires
高三英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
The type of soap with the name African black soap or simply black soap is the one that has its origin in Africa or West Africa to be precise.
The soap is often made by women and is fair-traded, though not always, Black soap is traditionally made in West Africa, typically Ghana, from secret recipes. Different tribes have adopted their own secret making techniques, which can be seen in different colors among black soap. Varieties of black soaps actually made in Africa tend to be pure.
The first step of making traditional African black soap is selecting the plant—usually cocoa pods or palm tree leaves, sometimes shea tree bark (酪脂树皮), which then are sun-dried and burned to ashes which are often used to heal cuts. To guarantee the natural color and light smell, it's important to keep a constant temperature of burning. Then the water is added into the ashes along with the shea butter, palm oil, and coconut oil. That mixture is cooked until it becomes stable. It needs to be hand stirred for at least 24 hours. After that, they scooped it out and let it ''cure'' for two weeks. Those soaps that are made in Africa contain no artificial ingredients (材料).
African black soap is being used for many generations and many causes. African black soap has many benefits over commercially produced soaps. One of the most common usage is to cure skin conditions and problems. After using this soap, the skin looks healthy. Another usage of the black soap is for removing the makeup and dead skin. It also gives an excellent UV (紫外线) protection because of the high level of shea butter in it.
However, the black soap also has some unpleasant side effects. For example, your skin may become over-dried. If so, you should stop using it and wash your skin with water.
1.What leads to color differences of African black soap?
A.Different market demands. B.The makers' personal preferences.
C.Some artificial ingredients. D.Various secret making techniques.
2.What should people do first when making African black soap?
A.Choose the proper plant. B.Change the temperature of burning.
C.Mix coconut oil up for a whole day. D.Dry palm tree leaves for two weeks.
3.What is paragraph 4 mainly about?
A.The benefits of African black soap.
B.The problems caused by black soap.
C.The harm of using African black soap.
D.The process of making African black soap.
4.What do we know about African black soap?
A.It has a strong smell.
B.It's effects are two-edged.
C.It's quite difficult to purchase.
D.It's specially made for women.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Sub-Saharan Africa has the world’s highest hunger rate. But according to a new report, African farmers also have ideas that could help the world fight hunger and poverty. Danielle Nierenberg from the Worldwatch Institute in Washington spent a year visiting twenty-five countries south of the Sahara. In Nairobi, Kenya, for example, Ms Nierenberg found women farmers growing vegetables just outside their doorsteps in the Kibera settlement. She says they are finding ways to make their lives better. The women feed their families and sell their surplus. They use the money to send their children to school.
Last year, about 925,000,000 people worldwide did not get enough to eat. Half of all people in the world now live in and around cities. Researchers like Ms Nierenberg are looking increasingly at creative ideas to feed those who don’t have enough good food to eat. She says there are a lot of lessons that people in the Western world can learn from Africa. And what they are doing can certainly be done in other developing countries.
Farmers in the developing world lose between twenty and forty percent of their harvest before it ever reaches market. There are many reasons why food gets wasted. Farmers are without electricity and cold storage. They lack good seeds and fertilizer. They lack good roads. Conditions like these keep small farmers in poverty. Ms Nierenberg says more attention needs to be paid to protecting harvests. She says, “Given all that we invest in producing food in the first place, we need to devote the same amount of attention to making sure that it is not wasted.”
In Nigeria, village processing centers are helping farmers reduce their losses and earn more money. They centers process cassava, a root vegetable, into basic food products. In Uganda, the Worldwatch report says some schools are teaching children how to grow local kinds of crops. And in South Africa and Kenya the report praises the breeding(培育) of local kinds of livestock. These animals may produce less milk or meat than other breeds, but they can survive heat and drought conditions.
1.We could learn from the new report in Para.1 that ________.
A.sub-Saharan Africa has the world’s highest hunger rate
B.African farmers have ideas to help fighting hunger and poverty
C.women farmers grow vegetables in the Kibera settlement
D.women farmers grow vegetables to send their children to school.
2.The underlined word “surplus” in Para.1 is closest in meaning to ________.
A. private vegetables B. side products
C. leftover vegetables D. home-made products
3.Ms Nierenberg suggests that ________.
A.the women spend more money on education instead of farming
B.more and more African people should live in and around cities
C.researchers find creative ideas to feed the people suffering hunger
D.people in the Western world do the same as the Africans have done
4.Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A.Farmers in developing world often lose some of their harvest
B.Small farmers in developing countries often suffer poverty.
C.Farmers should pay more attention to protecting their harvest
D.Attention should be paid to saving food instead of producing food
5.The best title of this passage should be ________.
A.A New Report About African Farmers Fighting Hunger
B.Creative Ideas to Feed Those Who Have No Enough Food
C.Looking to Africa for Ideas About How to Fight Hunger
D.Animals That Can Survive Heat and Drought Conditions
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
He has lived through various dangers but time may be running out for the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat.
On September 11, Israel announced its decision to remove him, following several Palestinian suicide bomb attacks on Israel. “He should be punished for the killings,” an Israeli official said, “He has done nothing to stop the terrorist groups.”
But the decision has angered many other countries. China said that Arafat is the true leader, elected by the Palestinian people, and removing him would harm the peace in the Middle East. Other governments share this idea.
Arafat himself said: “They can kill me, but never get me out of my country.” He has spent most of his life in danger as the most important aim of Israel. But, just like a cat with nine lives, Arafat escaped every time.
For years he has made a practice of sleeping in a different bed each night, thinking a moving person is harder to hit. In 1985, Israel sent fighter planes to kill Arafat. The wild bombing destroyed his office in Tunis but Arafat himself was unhurt. In 1992, the aircraft in which he was flying over North Africa broke in two during a crash landing. The pilot was killed but he managed to remain alive.
What is so unbelievable is that he always remains calm in great danger. Israeli tanks and planes attacked his office building in Ram Allah in December 2001. When they saw the attackers coming, Arafat’s bodyguards took no notice of his orders to stay still and carried him to safety underground. Seconds later, several bombs were dropped nearby. Though safe, his bodyguards were so frightened that they were wet in sweat.
But, Arafat, with Israeli tanks only 200 meters away, showed no fear at all. He stayed in the damaged office, talking by phone with foreign leaders in hope of preventing further attacks from Israel.
All these experiences have made him a beloved leader to his people and an enemy to some others.
But has he used up the last of his nine lives? Only time will tell.
1.. According to the passage, which statement is true?
A. In 1992, Arafat’s plane crashed in South Africa.
B. Israeli officers thought Arafat himself sent the terrorist groups to Israel.
C. China is the only country against Israel’s decision of removing Arafat.
D. Being Palestinian leader, Arafat would rather die in his own country than be driven away
from his people.
2.. . What did the author mean by saying “just like a cat has nine lives” when he talked about Arafat?
A. Arafat is as clever as a cat.
B. Arafat can live as long as a cat.
C. Arafat can stay alive after accidents or disasters as if he has nine lives.
D. Arafat should have died for at least 8 times.
3.. The underlined phrase “took no notice of” can be replaced by __________.
A. obeyed B. ignored C. disagreed D. dissatisfied
4.. . What’s the writer’s attitude towards Arafat’s future, judging from the last sentence of the passage?
A. Hopeful. B. Interesting. C. Satisfactory. D. Doubtful.
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
The rise in wood fuel use has _____ the disappearance of forest and the loss of habitats for pandas.
A. belonged to B. adapted to C. devoted to D. contributed to
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
In the frozen continent of Antarctica scientists fear an alien invasion — not from outer space, but carried in people’s pockets and bags.
Seeds and plants accidentally brought to Antarctica by tourists and scientists may introduce alien plant species which could threaten the survival of native plants in the finely balanced ecosystem.
“The people that were carrying the most had lots and lots of seeds. They really were real threats,” said Dana Bergstrom, from the Australian Antarctic Division.
“When we take things in through hitchhiking（搭车旅行） then we get species which are competitive. The plants and animals there are not necessarily competitive, so we’d start losing various precious biodiversity（生物多样性） on the (Antarctic) continent”, Bergstrom told Reuters.
Amongst the alien species discovered were the Iceland Poppy, and Annual Winter Grass — all from cold climates and capable of growing in Antarctica.
The Antarctic Peninsula, where most tourists travel, is now considered a “hot spot” on the frozen continent and the warmer the climate, the easier for seeds to grow. “The peninsula(半岛) is warming at some of the greatest rates on the planet,” said Bergstrom.
The study, the first continent-wide assessment of invasive species in Antarctica, surveyed about 1,000 passengers during 2007-2008, the first year of the International Polar Year, an international effort to research the polar areas.
Bergstrom said the one alien seed that had gained a foothold is Annual Winter Grass. It is a strong weed in the sub-Antarctic and is on the Antarctic island of King George. It has also made its way to the tail part of the Antarctic continent.
1.What does the passage focus on?
A. The human influence on the native plants.
B. The development of native plants.
C. The discovery of new plants.
D. The promising future of tourism.
2.What is the effect of alien plant seeds to Antarctica?
A. They contribute to the biodiversity.
B. They lead to the warming up of Antarctica.
C. They make the native plants more competitive.
D. They break the balance of the natural environment of plants.
3.What can we learn from the passage?
A. The International Polar Year started in 2007.
B. Visitors to Antarctica are mainly scientists.
C. Visitors to Antarctica bring seeds on purpose.
D. Tall Fescue Velvet grass grows well in warm places.
4.What is the purpose of writing the passage?
A. To introduce the native environment of Antarctica.
B. To warn people of the danger of alien plant seeds to Antarctica.
C. To explain the relationship between plants and climate.
D. To give visitors some tips on how to explore Antarctica.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The African grey parrot’s ability to talk and mimic sounds makes it a charming companion. African grey owners often report that their greys oftentimes talk in context and can understand their people’s emotions (情感). The African grey parrot is not just a top talker - this bird is also known for its extreme intelligence, which gives them the name “The Einsteins of the Bird World”.
The bird is medium-sized, dusty-looking and almost pigeon-like. It has a bright red tail, intelligent orange eyes, and a stunning scalloped (扇形的) pattern to its feathers. Their diet in the wild consists mostly of nuts, seeds, fruits, and leafy matter.
At home, African greys need plenty of toys that challenge their intelligence, such as food searching and puzzle toys. Nutri-Berries by Lafeber Company are a perfect choice, which, with a balance of grains, seeds and other nutrients in the shape of a berry, encourages African greys to hold, bite off, and even play with, just as they do in the wild.
African greys seem especially affected by stress and disturbing noise in their environment and can be put more at ease by placing one corner of the cage against a wall as opposed to in the middle of a room.
African grey parrots are more likely to suffer from lack of Vitamin-A/beta-carotene, and therefore benefit from eating vegetables high in beta-carotene, such as cooked sweet potato and fresh kale. Lack of Vitamin-D is another concern, especially for greys on a poor diet. Offering a balanced, pill-shaped diet, such as Nutri-Berries, helps prevent vitamin and mineral shortage.
1.Why are African grey parrots called “The Einsteins of the Bird World”?
A.Because of their brain size. B.On account of their intelligence.
C.Owing to their rich emotions. D.Due to their talking ability.
2.What can “Nutri-Berries” probably be?
A.A brand of bird food. B.Puzzle toys for birds.
C.A type of round fruit. D.Wild Intelligence games.
3.What is the characteristic of African grey parrots?
A.They may get ill due to lack of Vitamin
B.They prefer to stay in the middle of the room.
C.They are dusty looking with blue eyes.
D.They are smart and love to have fun.
4.Where can we most probably find the passage?
A.In a wildlife magazine. B.In science fiction.
C.In a travel guide. D.On a shopping website.
高三英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
Yacouba Sawadogo is an African farmer who has been travelling across the deserts for the last 30 years，using ancient farming techniques to fight the threatening deserts.
His story dates back to the 1980s when Africa suffered one of the worst droughts in its history．During that period，rainfall reduced by as much as 80％，killing almost all the plants．Most local people moved away to different places，but Yacouba stayed back．Instead of giving in to the violence of nature，he decided to take control and change the face of the land completely．
Unable to read and write，and with no access to modern techniques and tools，he started to employ an old African farming practice called “Zai”．The practice involves planting seeds in small holes filled with eco-friendly manure(肥料)．The holes fill up with and keep the water that falls during the rainy season．This provides moisture(水分) and nutrients for the growing plants during the dry periods．Also，the manure attracts ants，which help break up the soil further and increase its ability to take in water．
Within two decades of starting his revolutionary work，a forested area of about fifty acres came up on the land of the African desert．Yacouba featured in a documentary titled “The Man Who Stopped the Desert” through which he became known to the rest of the world．To the great joy and relief of Yacouba，what the documentary focused on was put into the re-establishment of local forests and a training program for the farmers who wanted to 1earn Yacouba’s technique．Today，“Zai” is being widely practiced in the region．
1.What does the text mainly talk about?
A. A training program for African farmers．
B. A documentary about an influential African farmer．
C. The serious situation of environment destruction in Africa．
D. An African farmer fighting deserts with old farming methods．
2.What can we learn from the last paragraph?
A. Yacouba advertised his farming practice through the media．
B. Yacouba’s efforts have made a great difference．
C. Rebuilding forests is no tough job at a11．
D. Deserts no longer threaten Africa．
3.Which word can best describe Yacouba?
A. Determined． B. Knowledgeable． C. Curious． D. Creative．
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
If there is any such thing as a sea monster, chances are that it looks much like a frilled shark (皱鳃鲨)! This fearsome but interesting creature is one of the most rarely sighted species on earth. Let’s take a closer look at the habitat, appearance and feeding behavior of the frilled shark.
While very little is known about the frilled shark, it is thought to live in the deepest, darkest parts of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and only come to the surface when sick or injured. It is believed that they are able to survive at a depth of about 5,150 feet but are more commonly found in waters 50-200 feet deep. There is a small but convincing body of research that suggests the frilled shark is a vertical migrator, moving from deep to deeper waters on a regular basis.
While this mysterious beast is called a shark, many believe it looks more like an eel with a long, slim body about five to six feet in length. It has a head that’s triangular in shape similar to that of a poisonous snake and large oval eyes giving off a strange and frightening green light. The unusual creature has six pairs of gills (鳃), each with the frilled edges for which the sea monster was named.
The feeding behavior of the frilled shark has never been studied or even observed by human eyes. However, it is almost certainly a predator (食肉动物). After all, researchers believe, why else would it need 300 sharp teeth?! Scientists theorize that these dangerous teeth make it possible for a slow moving fish like the frilled shark to catch squid and other deep-sea creatures.
As research into the habitat, appearance and feeding behavior of this strange creature continues, there’s a good chance that we will gain a full understanding of this unusual species one day. Until then, the frilled shark remains one of the great mysteries of the deep.
1.What can we infer about the frilled shark from Paragraph 2?
A.It is hard to see them in a healthy state on the ocean surface.
B.They migrate from ocean to ocean in the deepest waters.
C.They usually live in oceans at a depth of over 5,150 feet.
D.It is a rare species threatened by human activities.
2.Where can you find the information about the shark’s appearance?
A.In Paragraph 2. B.In Paragraph 3.
C.In Paragraph 4. D.In Paragraph 5.
3.The frilled shark got its name because of______.
A.the place where it was found B.the place where it was born
C.its appearance D.its character
4.How do scientists know the frilled shark is a predator?
A.From its behavior. B.From its habitat.
C.From its teeth. D.From its gills.
5.What is the author’s attitude to solving the mystery of the frilled shark?
A.Doubtful. B.Cautious.
C.Disapproving. D.Optimistic.
高三英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
In many African countries, the care of orphans has been mainly led by foreign donor organizations. However, Sister Florence has changed all that. Using her own resources, Sister Florence is leading the work of raising orphans from different backgrounds. Sister Florence Wanjala’s biggest motivation to start the orphan program was when she saw a little boy whose parents had died. The boy was living with a cruel grandparent and he would visit the grave of his mother, crying for support. Sister Wanjala wanted to give a helping hand and give him hope. From that time, she started feeling the call to help a larger number of orphans.
She opened an office with a few friends and coordinated (协调)a program to help the orphans. All the registrations were done in the office and the program so far has 8000 children. Sister Wanjala said, “My dream is to help the orphan to live a holistic (完整)life and be a good Kenyan citizen to help this country. Many people think that the way to support orphans is to put them in an institution. Others support them up to the age of eighteen, but here, we do it very differently.” For Sister Wanjala, putting a child in an institution is normally her last choice. She prefers the orphans to live in a foster home.
She said, “I’m so encouraged and happy to see the orphans succeeding. When they come first or second in class, it shows how the program has helped them, and that’s encouraging to me as I continue to coordinate the program.” Through her charity work, more than 1000 orphans have been able to find a home. Sister Wanjala, as a mother, takes care of her own family.
1.What inspired Sister Wanjala to start the orphan program?
A. Her preference for kids. B. Her own similar experience.
C. A sad story about an orphan. D. Her successful charity work.
2.Sister Wanjala opened an office mainly to ______.
A. set up as many institutions as possible for orphans
B. start a program to offer orphans a foster family
C. provide school education for those orphans
D. raise more money for the homeless kids
3.What does the underlined sentence probably mean?
A. She didn’t want orphans to live in an institution.
B. She preferred to put orphans into an institution.
C. She had no choice but to put orphans in institutions.
D. She sent orphans into an institution in the end.
4.What can we learn from the text?
A. Sister Wanjala finally adopted the little boy.
B. Sister Wanjala found foster homes for 8000 orphans.
C. Sister Wanjala was too busy to care for her own family.
D. Sister Wanjala was not alone in helping orphans.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析