It’s not just great minds that think alike. Dozens of the genes involved in the vocal learning that underpins human speech are also active in some songbirds(黄莺). And knowing this suggests that birds could become a standard model for investigating the genetics of speech production and speech disorders.
Complex language is a uniquely human trait, but vocal learning — the ability to pick up new sounds by imitating others — is not. Some mammals, including whales, dolphins and elephants, share our ability to learn new vocalizations(发声). So do three groups of birds: the songbirds, parrots and hummingbirds.
The similarities between vocal learning in humans and birds are not just superficial. We know, for instance, that songbirds have specialised vocal learning brain circuits that are similar to those that mediate(传达) human speech.
What’s more, a decade ago we learned that FOXP2, a gene known to be involved in human language, is also active in “area X” of the songbird brain — one of the brain regions involved in those specialised vocal learning circuits.
Andreas Pfenning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his colleagues have now built on these discoveries. They compared maps of genetic activity in brain tissue taken from the zebra finch, budgerigar and Anna’s hummingbird, representing the three groups of vocal-learning birds.
They then compared these genetic maps with others taken from birds and primates that can’t learn new vocalisations, and with maps taken from the brains of six people who donated tissue to the Allen Brain Institute in Seattle.
Their results showed that FOXP2 is just one of 55 genes that show a similar pattern of activity in the brains of humans and the vocal-learning birds. Those same genes show different patterns of activity in the brains of animals incapable of vocal learning.
“The similarities are beyond one or a handful of genes,” says Pfenning. “There are just systematic molecular similarities between song-learning birds and humans.”
“There’s potential for songbirds to be used to study neurodegeneration(神经元退变) — especially conditions like Huntington’s,” says Pfenning. Huntington’s disease affects the ability to produce complex motor behaviour, such as singing and talking, so experiments with birds might implicate particular genes in the disease.
Constance Scharff at the Free University of Berlin in Germany, who helped identify the importance of FOXP2 for vocal learning in birds agrees that songbirds can make great models for human speech and its pathologies(病理学). “My lab’s research during the past 10 years has shown that FOXP2 is as relevant for birds’ song learning as it is for human speech learning,” she says.
1.Which of the following is WRONG according to the passage?
A. The songbirds, parrots and hummingbirds imitate humans.
B. FOXP2 is active in one of the brain regions of the songbird brain.
C. Songbirds have the same vocal learning brain circuits as human.
D. FOXP2 is a gene that is known to be involved in human language.
2.The underlined word “underpin” in the first paragraph probably means _______.
A. increase B. support
C. prevent D. decrease
3.What can we infer from the passage?
A. FOXP2 was involved in human language about 12 years ago.
B. Six people donated brain tissue to the Allen Brain Institute in Seattle.
C. Experiments with songbirds are likely to help cure Huntington’s disease.
D. Constance Scharff discovered at the Free University of Berlin.
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A. Birds have different genes from humans.
B. Humans and birds share the same singing genes.
C. How FOXP2 affects the brains of humans and birds.
D. Experiments with birds can cure the disease of humans.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
It’s not just great minds that think alike. Dozens of the genes involved in the vocal learning that underpins human speech are also active in some songbirds(黄莺). And knowing this suggests that birds could become a standard model for investigating the genetics of speech production and speech disorders.
Complex language is a uniquely human trait, but vocal learning — the ability to pick up new sounds by imitating others — is not. Some mammals, including whales, dolphins and elephants, share our ability to learn new vocalizations(发声). So do three groups of birds: the songbirds, parrots and hummingbirds.
The similarities between vocal learning in humans and birds are not just superficial. We know, for instance, that songbirds have specialised vocal learning brain circuits that are similar to those that mediate(传达) human speech.
What’s more, a decade ago we learned that FOXP2, a gene known to be involved in human language, is also active in “area X” of the songbird brain — one of the brain regions involved in those specialised vocal learning circuits.
Andreas Pfenning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his colleagues have now built on these discoveries. They compared maps of genetic activity in brain tissue taken from the zebra finch, budgerigar and Anna’s hummingbird, representing the three groups of vocal-learning birds.
They then compared these genetic maps with others taken from birds and primates that can’t learn new vocalisations, and with maps taken from the brains of six people who donated tissue to the Allen Brain Institute in Seattle.
Their results showed that FOXP2 is just one of 55 genes that show a similar pattern of activity in the brains of humans and the vocal-learning birds. Those same genes show different patterns of activity in the brains of animals incapable of vocal learning.
“The similarities are beyond one or a handful of genes,” says Pfenning. “There are just systematic molecular similarities between song-learning birds and humans.”
“There’s potential for songbirds to be used to study neurodegeneration(神经元退变) — especially conditions like Huntington’s,” says Pfenning. Huntington’s disease affects the ability to produce complex motor behaviour, such as singing and talking, so experiments with birds might implicate particular genes in the disease.
Constance Scharff at the Free University of Berlin in Germany, who helped identify the importance of FOXP2 for vocal learning in birds agrees that songbirds can make great models for human speech and its pathologies(病理学). “My lab’s research during the past 10 years has shown that FOXP2 is as relevant for birds’ song learning as it is for human speech learning,” she says.
1.Which of the following is WRONG according to the passage?
A. The songbirds, parrots and hummingbirds imitate humans.
B. FOXP2 is active in one of the brain regions of the songbird brain.
C. Songbirds have the same vocal learning brain circuits as human.
D. FOXP2 is a gene that is known to be involved in human language.
2.The underlined word “underpin” in the first paragraph probably means _______.
A. increase B. support
C. prevent D. decrease
3.What can we infer from the passage?
A. FOXP2 was involved in human language about 12 years ago.
B. Six people donated brain tissue to the Allen Brain Institute in Seattle.
C. Experiments with songbirds are likely to help cure Huntington’s disease.
D. Constance Scharff discovered at the Free University of Berlin.
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A. Birds have different genes from humans.
B. Humans and birds share the same singing genes.
C. How FOXP2 affects the brains of humans and birds.
D. Experiments with birds can cure the disease of humans.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
请根据以下提示，并结合事例，用英语写一篇短文。
We can go as far as we think. The great minds, more often than not, think more and have more aggressive ideas of their life than ordinary people.
注意：
①无须写标题；
②除诗歌外，文体不限；
③文中不得透漏个人姓名和学校名称;
④词数为120左右，如引用提示语则不计入总词数。
高三英语书面表达中等难度题查看答案及解析
Poverty is not first thing that comes to mind when you think of Japan．After all, there are no
children begging on the streets in major cities here．You do not often see Japanese citizens publicly letting out their complaints over the country’s economic decline．But senior government researcher Aya Abe says Japan has the fourth highest rate of child poverty among developed countries．
She says she sees that poverty in schools where students admit to only bathing once a
week．Some cannot afford to buy pencils for class．
“They may not be on the streets begging or they may not be turning into criminals,but it’s
there．It’s just that we have to open our eyes and see,” Abe said．
Abe owes the increase in child poverty to the country’s changing demographics（人口统计）,
struggling economy and high social security premiums（保险费）．She says fewer people live in three-generation households, where the parents and grandparents work．The number of single mothers has increased．The salary for young fathers has declined with the economic downturn．Social security premiums have increased in the last 20 years, putting families on the edge of poverty．
Abe says studies conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
（OECD ） point to rising poverty in Japan before the global economic crises in 2008．But the Japanese government and the public refused to acknowledge it until then partly because of the shame associated with poverty．
“It was very unpopular for Japanese media to say anything about Japanese poverty,” said
Abe．“Even though OECD Japan announced it in Japanese, Japanese media didn’t make it into the articles．”
Abe says new Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has taken one important step to help alleviate
（缓解） the problem．Next year, his Democratic Party of Japan plans to double monthly child care allowances given to families．
But Abe wants the government to expand its financial help even more．She wants it to simplify
the process to apply for public assistance and provide educational grants for students struggling to pay for tuition at high schools and colleges．The country now only offers loans．
Abe also says the government must act quickly because she says the problem will only get
worse in the next few years．
1.The passage is intended to _______．
A．report the result of the studies conducted by OECD
B．tell us about the increase in Japanese child poverty
C．prove that Japan is no longer a developed country
D．introduce Aya Abe, a senior government researcher
2.It seems to be hard to associate Japan with poverty because _______．
A．no children are seen begging in the streets of main cities in Japan
B．its citizens never complain about the country’s economic decline
C．it is one of the few wealthiest countries in the world
D．its government and public refused to acknowledge it
3.According to Abe, several things contribute to the rising child poverty except_______．
A．high social security premiums
B．the increase of the number of single mothers
C．the decrease of the salary for young fathers
D．the expansion of three-generation households
4.Why was it unpopular for Japanese media to say anything about Japanese poverty?
A．The Japanese public didn’t think it true．
B．It was forbidden by the Japanese government．
C．The Japanese public regarded it shameful to be poor．
D．OECD Japan had already announced it in Japanese．
5.Which of the following is NOT the author’s suggestion for alleviating this problem?
A．Doubling monthly child care allowances given to families．
B．Expanding government’s financial help even more．
C．Providing educational grants for poor students．
D．Simplifying the process to apply for public assistance．
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Poverty is not first thing that comes to mind when you think of Japan. After all, there are no children begging on the streets in major cities here. You do not often see Japanese citizens publicly letting out their complaints over the country’s economic decline. But senior government researcher Aya Abe says Japan has the fourth highest rate of child poverty among developed countries.
She says she sees that poverty in schools where students admit to only bathing once a week. Some cannot afford to buy pencils for class.
“They may not be on the streets begging or they may not be turning into criminals, but it’s there. It’s just that we have to open our eyes and see,” Abe said.
Abe owes the increase in child poverty to the country’s changing demographics(人口统计), struggling economy and high social security premiums(保险费). She says fewer people live in three-generation households, where the parents and grandparents work. The number of single mothers has increased. The salary for young fathers has declined with the economic downturn. Social security premiums have increased in the last 20 years, putting families on the edge of poverty.
Abe says studies conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD ) point to rising poverty in Japan before the global economic crises in 2008. But the Japanese government and the public refused to acknowledge it until then partly because of the shame associated with poverty.
“It was very unpopular for Japanese media to say anything about Japanese poverty,” said Abe. “Even though OECD Japan announced it in Japanese, Japanese media didn’t make it into the articles.”
Abe says new Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has taken one important step to help alleviate (缓解) the problem. Next year, his Democratic Party of Japan plans to double monthly child care allowances given to families.
But Abe wants the government to expand its financial help even more. She wants it to simplify the process to apply for public assistance and provide educational grants for students struggling to pay for tuition at high schools and colleges. The country now only offers loans.
Abe also says the government must act quickly because she says the problem will only get worse in the next few years.
1. The passage is intended to _________.
A. report the result of the studies conducted by OECD
B. tell us about the increase in Japanese child poverty
C. prove that Japan is no longer a developed country
D. introduce Aya Abe, a senior government researcher
2. It seems to be hard to associate Japan with poverty because _______.
A. no children are seen begging in the streets of main cities in Japan
B. its citizens never complain about the country’s economic decline
C. it is one of the few wealthiest countries in the world
D. its government and public refused to acknowledge it
3. According to Abe, several things contribute to the rising child poverty except________.
A. high social security premiums
B. the increase of the number of single mothers
C. the decrease of the salary for young fathers
D. the expansion of three-generation households
4. Why was it unpopular for Japanese media to say anything about Japanese poverty?
A. The Japanese public didn’t think it true.
B. It was forbidden by the Japanese government.
C. The Japanese public regarded it shameful to be poor.
D. OECD Japan had already announced it in Japanese.
5. Which of the following is NOT the author’s suggestion for alleviating this problem?
A. Doubling monthly child care allowances given to families.
B. Expanding government’s financial help even more.
C. Providing educational grants for poor students.
D. Simplifying the process to apply for public assistance.
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
—So you think I’m not honest?
— .That’s not what I mean.
A. Just forget it B. You’ve really got me there
C. Don’t get me wrong D. Don’t beat around the bush
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Great works of art are measured by the emotions they call forth, not just ______ they look next to the plant shelf.
A.what B.where C.who D.how
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
D
Whenever people think of charity, the first word that jumps into their mind may be money donated to the needy．However, Wugging, or web-use giving, describes the act of giving to charity at no cost to the user．By using Everyclick．com, which is being added to a number of university computers across the UK, students can raise money every time they search, but it won 4 cost them a penny．
Research shows that students are extremely enthusiastic about supporting charity —88% of full time students have used the Internet to give to charity．This figure is high considering this age group is often the least likely to have their own income．19% of 22 to 24 year olds have short-term debts of more than & 5,000．With rising personal debt levels in this age group, due to university tuition fees or personal loans and a lack of long-term savings, traditional methods of donating to charity are often not appealing or possible．
Beth Truman, a 21-year-old recent university graduate, has used Everyclick．com to donate to her chosen charity, the RSPCA, for two years and has seen the "Wugging" grow in popularity with students．"When you're at university you become more socially aware, but it's sometimes hard to give to others when you have little money yourself," says Beth．"Wugging is great for people in this age group as it allows them to use the technology on a daily basis to give to charity, without costing them a single penny．"
Wugging is perfect for people who want to be more socially aware and supportive but don' t feel they have the means to do so．Students using the web can raise money for causes they care about without costing them anything in terms of time or money, and charities get a valuable source of funding．
Everyclick．com works like any other search engine, allowing users to search for information, news and images but users can decide which of the UK's 170,000 charities they would like to support through their clicks．Everyclick．com then makes monthly payments to every registered charity．Launched in June 2005, Everyclick．com is now the eighth largest search engine and one of the busiest charity websites in the UK．
1.According to the passage, "Wugging" is actually____．
A．a charity－related action
B．a website
C．a school organization
D．a student movement
2.In the case of charity, Everyclick．com____．
A．receives much money from students
B．frees students of the financial worries
C．offers valuable information to students
D．praises students for their money-raising
3.From the passage, we can conclude that____．
A．most full time students do charity on the Internet every day
B．Everyclick．com is the busiest charity website in the UK
C．Everyclick．com helps students pay for further education
D．"Wugging" is a win-win idea for both students and charities
4.What would be the best title for the passage?
A．"Wugging", a popular term on the Internet
B．Students collect money for charity by " Wugging"
C．More British charities benefit from the Internet
D．Charity enjoys increasing popularity with the British
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Whenever people think of charity, the first word that jumps into their mind may be money donated to the needy. However, Wugging, or web-use giving, describes the act of giving to charity at no cost to the user. By using Everyclick. com, which is being added to a number of university computers across the UK, students can raise money every time they search, but it won’t cost them a penny.
Research shows that students are extremely enthusiastic about supporting charity--88% of full time students have used the Internet to give to charity. This figure is high considering this age group is often the least likely to have their own income. 19% of 22 to 24 year olds have short-term debts of more than & 5, 000. With rising personal debt levels in this age group, due to university tuition fees or personal loans and a lack of long-term savings, traditional methods of donating to charity are often not appealing or possible.
Beth Truman, a 21-year-old recent university graduate, has used Everyclick. com to donate to her chosen charity, the RSPCA, for two years and has seen the "Wugging" grow in popularity with students. "When you’re at university you become more socially aware, but it’s sometimes hard to give to others when you have little money yourself," says Beth. "Wugging is great for people in this age group as it allows them to use the technology on a daily basis to give to charity, without costing them a single penny."
Wugging is perfect for people who want to be more socially aware and supportive but don’t feel they have the means to do so. Students using the web can raise money for causes they care about without costing them anything in terms of time or money, and charities get a valuable source of funding.
Everyclick. com works like any other search engine, allowing users to search for information, news and images but users can decide which of the UK’s 170, 000 charities they would like to support through their clicks. Everyclick. com then makes monthly payments to every registered charity. Launched in June 2005, Everyclick. com is now the eighth largest search engine and one of the busiest charity websites in the UK.
1.According to the passage, "Wugging" is actually____.
A. a charity-related action
B. a website
C. a school organization
D. a student movement
2.In the case of charity, Everyclick. com____.
A. receives much money from students
B. frees students of the financial worries
C. offers valuable information to students
D. praises students for their money-raising
3.From the passage, we can conclude that____.
A. most full time students do charity on the Internet every day
B. Everyclick. com is the busiest charity website in the UK
C. Everyclick. com helps students pay for further education
D. "Wugging" is a win-win idea for both students and charities
4.What would be the best title for the passage?
A. "Wugging", a popular term on the Internet
B. Students collect money for charity by "Wugging"
C. More British charities benefit from the Internet
D. Charity enjoys increasing popularity with the British
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
7. ---________ do you think of the play we saw just now?
---Wonderful! But not as interesting as the one we saw last Saturday.
| A．What | B．How | C．Why | D．Where |
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
The driver tried everything he could think of, but the car just ________not move．
A．should B．might C．must D．would
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析