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More than 100 scientists from 25 countries have traveled to faraway places to collect wild crop seeds(种子) in an effort to help battle climate change.
The scientists, who have been compared to the heroes of the “Indiana Jones” movies, traveled on foot, four-wheeled vehicles(交通工具), boats, horses and even elephants to reach faraway areas. They faced extreme heat,dust, and danger from wild animals. At last, they collected 4, 644 seeds of 371 wild relatives of 28 world crops, many of which are said to be endangered.
The Crop Trust, an organization that works to save different kinds of crops, is directing the project. The group is working in partnership with Britain's Royal Botanic Gardens and Millennium Seed Bank. Additional financial support comes from Norway. The project is believed to be the largest organized international effort yet to collect and protect crops' wild relatives.Hannes Dempewolf is a scientist and the head at the Crop Trust. He said“What these seed collectors went through in the field resembles scenes from an Indiana Jones movie.”
Some crops are threatened because of destruction of forests, climate change and expanded cities. The newly-found wild seeds have developed so plants can grow in extreme temperatures, poor soils, and even in low rainfall areas.
A United Nations report says that food production is at risk because of a shortage of rain and other weather extremes connected to climate change. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization says that the number of plant species is quickly decreasing and people are depending on fewer species for food. Those wild seeds could be important in feeding a growing human population in some areas and offer a largely unused source of diversity(多样性) to crops.
1.What does the second paragraph show?
A.Collecting seeds is not an easy job.
B.The scientists’ story is made into a movie.
C.The wild seeds are in danger of extinction.
D.The scientists can choose from many vehicles.
2.What does the underlined word “resembles”in the third paragraph mean?
A.Depends on. B.Looks like.
C.Turns out. D.Refers to.
3.What is the advantage of the newly-found wild seeds?
A.They can increase green areas. B.They can provide more nutrients
C.They can survive bad conditions. D.They can improve existent crop seeds.
4.What is the meaning of the scientists collecting wild seeds?
A.Bringing more plant species to the world.
B.Helping farmers improve their farming skills.
C.Knowing about the worlds farming practices.
D.Helping battle climate change.
高一英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
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Australia’s bush fires are threatening the country’s unique wildlife —from koalas to native birds to bees —and researchers fear that some species are being pushed to the brink of extinction. The fires have killed at least 26 people, burned thousands of homes and could shave as much as 0. 4% of economic growth, according to some experts.
More than 13,000 head of livestock have been killed by the fires in New South Wales state, where more than 20,000 square miles of land has been burned. The fires threaten to rage on into February—summer - time in Australia —or longer.
Scientists say at least six species are in danger. “There’s great concern that these fires may have pushed species closer to extinction or potentially over,” said Deakin University wildlife ecologist Euan Ritchie. “We won’ t know until we get into the areas,” he said.
Some scientists are concerned about a metallic - green bee that lives exclusively in areas that have been ravaged by fire, along Australia’s east coast and on Kangaroo Island in the south. Researchers suspect the green carpenter bee has been wiped out on Kangaroo Island.
“The species is likely to be in terrible conditions, as all of its habitat has now either burnt or is threatened by fire,” said Katja Hogendoorn, a bee expert at the University of Adelaide, who has been working for half a decade to preserve the population of green carpenter bees on Kangaroo Island.
1.What can we learn from Paragraph One?
A.The wildlife is well protected in Australia.
B.The fires also damage Australian economy.
C.The bush fires have lasted for a long time.
D.The bush fires are frequent in Australia.
2.How might Euan Ritchie feel about ecological losses?
A.Curious. B.Concerned.
C.Unexpected. D.Surprised.
3.Why are scientists worried about the metallic - green bee?
A.It will all be burnt to death. B.It is gradually dying out.
C.It might lose its natural home. D.It will move to other places.
4.Where might you find this text?
A.In a story book. B.In a textbook.
C.In a newspaper. D.In a traveling guide.
高一英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
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The COVID-19 pandemic has spread far and wide. Because of this, countries around the world have implemented containment measures(实施遏制措施)to help stop the virus in its tracks. As more and more people stay inside to stay safe, the outside world seems to have become much quieter. In fact, scientists have seen this change in their research, too.
Seismologists–scientists who study earthquakes–have heard less seismic(地震的)noise recently. Seismic noise is made from vibrations(震动)in the ground that are caused by things like ocean waves and human activity, such as construction work and traffic. This noise makes it difficult for scientists to pick up seismic activity that is made at the same frequency.
Thomas Lecocq,a scientist at the Royal Observatory of Belgium, located in Brussels, was the first to notice this phenomenon.
According to Lecocq, the amount of seismic noise in Brussels has been reduced by about 30 to 50 percent since mid-March. Interestingly enough, this is around the same time Belgium started its containment measures.
Because of this reduction in background noise, scientists like Lecocq have been able to pick up on smaller earthquakes that some seismic stations–like the one in Brussels–wouldn’t have been able to before.
This phenomenon isn’t unique to Brussels, though. Once Lecocq shared his findings online, seismologists from all over the world echoed similar findings.
Celeste Labedz, a graduate student at the California Institute of Technology, mentioned in a tweet that Los Angeles also experienced less background noise.
Researchers from the UK, France and New Zealand also noted a decrease in background noise since containment measures were put in place.
These global efforts to contain the COVID-19 virus have helped to shed light on seismic activity that may have gone unnoticed. It also shows that people are listening to health officials and following lockdown guidelines.
“From the seismological point of view, we can motivate people to say,‘ You feel like you’re alone at home, but we can tell you that everyone is home.…Everyone is respecting the rules.’Lecocq told CNN.
1.What did seismologists find out recently?
A.More smaller earthquakes are likely to happen.
B.Less seismic activity has been detected recently.
C.Seismic noise is caused by vibrations underground.
D.Reduced seismic vibration makes Earth quieter.
2.What can we learn from Paragraphs 4-8?
A.More data on smaller earthquakes is being collected.
B.More seismic noise is being picked up.
C.Scientists will shift their focus to smaller earthquakes.
D.Future big earthquakes can be more accurately predicted.
3.The underlined word “echoed” in Paragraph 6 is closest in meaning to“______”.
A.questioned B.demanded C.explored D.repeated
4.What can we conclude from the text?
A.human activities cause more seismic noise than ocean waves.
B.The drop in seismic noise is unique to Europe.
C.The phenomenon proved that people are following the lockdown rules.
D.Many seismologists wanted tighter restrictions for their research.
高一英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
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The spread of Western eating habits around the world is bad for human health and the environment. These findings come from a new report in the journal Nature.
David Tilman, a professor of ecology at the University of Minnesota, America, examined information from 100 countries to identify what people ate and how diet affected health. He noted a movement beginning in the 1960s. He found that as nations industrialized(工业化), the population increased and earnings rose, more people began to adopt what has been called the Western diet.
The Western diet is high in sugar, fat, oil and meat. By eating these foods, people began to get fatter and sicker. David Tilman says overweight people are at greater risk of non-infectious diseases like diabetes(糖尿病) and heart disease.
Unfortunately when people adopt this Western diet, they are going to have these health problems, especially in developing countries in Asia. China is an example where the number of diabetes cases has been jumping from less than one per cent to 10 per cent of the population as they began to industrialize over a 20-year period. And that is happening all across the world, in Mexico, in Nigeria and so on.
And, a diet bad for human beings, is also bad for the environment. As the world's population grows, more forests and tropical(热带的) areas will become farmland for crops or grasslands for cattle. We are likely to have more greenhouse gases in the future from agriculture than those coming out of all forms of transportation right now.
Mr Tilman calls the link between the diet, the environment and human health “a trilemma”: a problem offering a difficult choice. He says one possible settlement is leaving the Western diet behind.
1.We can infer from the passage that .
A.Nigeria has the largest number of diabetes cases
B.overweight people are at higher risk of infectious diseases
C.the examined information comes from developing countries
D.industrialization contributes to the spread of the Western diet
2.According to the passage, more greenhouse gases might be given off in the future from .
A.transportation B.developing countries C.agriculture D.developed countries
3.David Tilman believes that .
A.the diet, the environment and human health are closely connected
B.the Western diet is the only choice as the nation industrializes
C.people in tropical areas are more likely to have heart disease
D.traditional diets are more balanced than the Western diet
4.What's the main purpose of writing the passage?
A.To call on us to protect the environment.
B.To warn us of the danger of the Western diet.
C.To remind us of the importance of health.
D.To advise us to have a balanced diet.
高一英语阅读选择简单题查看答案及解析
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If you were asked to imagine a scientist, what image would come to your mind? The idea that most of the kids have is a man wearing a white lab coat with messy hair, big glasses, and cups of colorful liquids giving off clouds of smoke. As for adults, the majority regard scientists as strange people who spend a lot of time working in a lonely lab. However, the reality is quite different.
Recently I’ve had a chance to take part in a scientific experience far from my lab and into Costa Rica. It has a large amount of wildlife due to its geographical placement between North and South America. It is home to more than 500,000 species (物种), which represents nearly 4% of the species worldwide!
First we worked to protect wildlife at a leatherback turtle (棱皮龟) protection center. We helped the volunteers to remove rubbish from the beach to create a safe environment for turtle eggs to come out. After that we stayed at Mount Arenal where we studied seismic (地壳的) activity relating to earthquakes. During our stay at Arenal, we rode over the mountainous areas and took a long walk through the rainforest. On the last day we got a professional introduction of rocket (火箭) science and learned about new rocket technology that will be used on the international space station.
During my Costa Rica experience, I know that being a scientist doesn’t mean working in a lab all day and night. A scientist is the one who loves learning and getting a better understanding of the world from helping protect wildlife, learning about earthquakes or inventing rockets. I think that science is so much more than wearing a lab coat and mixing chemicals. Kids need to be aware of the excitement and adventures science can bring!
1.According to Paragraph 1, scientists are often believed ________.
A.to do experiments in messy labs B.to spend too much time in labs
C.to wear clothes in a different way D.to work in dangerous conditions
2.In Costa Rica，the author ________.
A.experienced an earthquake B.took part in rocket experiments
C.picked up rubbish on the beach D.helped the volunteers collect turtle eggs
3.What does the author learn about science from his experience?
A.Science is full of boring experiments.
B.Science is related to chemical liquids.
C.Science is more than working in a lab.
D.Science is about wildlife and earthquakes.
4.What is the best tide for the passage?
A.What a Scientist Is Like B.Where a Scientist Works
C.How I Traveled in Costa Rica D.Why I Chose to Study Science
高一英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
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More than 200 scientists have completed a twoyear study to identify the most natural and undeveloped areas on Earth. Their findings are reported in a new book called Wilderness：Earth’s Last Wild Places. The book describes 37 wilderness areas around the world. Each has an area greater than 10,000 square kilometers. The study considered only areas where at least 70% of all plants are native.
North and South America are home to the largest number of wilderness areas. There are 16 such areas, from southern Argentina to Alaska and northern Canada. Africa has 8 wilderness areas, including the thick forests and the grasslands. Australia and New Guinea (几内亚) share 6 areas. Europe has 3 areas and Asia has 2.The Arabian Desert and Antarctica also are considered wilderness areas.
The largest wilderness area is the Boreal Forest (北方森林)．It extends for 16million square kilometers south of the Arctic Circle. The Boreal Forest extends across Alaska, Canada, northern Europe and Russia. The smallest of the 37 wilderness areas is the Sundarbans. It is the world’s largest tidal mangrove forest (红树林)．It covers 10,000 square kilometers of land at the mouth of the Ganges River in India and Bangladesh (孟加拉国)．
The study found that wilderness areas cover about 46% of the Earth’s land surface. However, they are home to less than 2.5% of the world’s population. Nineteen of the wilderness areas have only about one person for each square kilometer. Native people usually live in these areas.
Wilderness areas help to influence the world’s weather systems and rainfall. They are also home to many plants and animals. Population growth and the spread of agriculture and mining operations threaten wilderness areas. But just 7% of all such areas have some form of official protection.
1.What does the author think of the wilderness areas around the world in the book?
A．Unwanted. B．Long-lasting. C．Valuable D．Perfect.
2.The writer describes the wilderness areas to show that they ________.
A．are worth the public support B．can attract readers’ attention
C．need to be stressed as resources D．are seen on every continent
3.According to the 4th paragraph, we can draw a conclusion that the 37 wilderness areas are ________.
A．deserted B．crowded C．uncontrolled D．undeveloped
4.As the result of the effect on nature, the wilderness areas on Earth should be ________.
A．thought more of by the governments B．explored as natural habitats very soon
C．further made full use of at present D．discovered for their advantages of nature
5.The purpose of writing this text is to tell us ________of the wilderness areas around the world.
A．the importance B．the situation C．the development D．the environment
高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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Breathing dirty air can cost someone's life span(寿命) months—even years, a new study finds.Worldwide, air pollution lowers average life spans by a year. Scientists shared their new findings in Environmental Science & Technology Letters.
Air pollution has been linked to many health problems.Most earlier studies has looked at how tiny air pollutants affected rates of illness or death. But now an environmental scientist, Joshua Apte, is going even further. He works at the University of Texas, Austin. He together with his team is looking at life expectancy, hoping to make the threat easier to understand.
PM 2.5 is what scientists call tiny particles of pollution in the air. Higher levels of PM 2. 5 can cause health problems and cut months, if not years, from the average life span. This analysis show show pollution affects life expectancy in different parts of the world.
The World Health Organization(WHO) recommends limiting PM 2.5 to 10 micrograms(微克) per cubic (立方)meter of air. Apte's group used data to try to find how this low level would help people. But meeting the WHO standard won't get rid of health damage from dirty air.That's because even below 10 micrograms per cubic meter pollution still causes huge risks.
Reducing air pollution could increase life expectancy. The scientists also compared how other threats shorten life spans across the globe. These risk factors included smoking and cancer.
These results show that in poor countries, cleaning up dirty air could greatly increase life spans. It could have as big an effect as cleaning up drinking water, or curing lung cancer. However, in wealthier countries air pollution shortens life expectancy by less than half a year. All forms of cancer, in fact, shorten the average life expectancy by more than 3.5 years.“Knowing this can really help people, or policymakers, decide where to spend their money,” says Kirk Smith.
1.What is Joshua Apte's team trying to do?
A.Let people understand air pollution better. B.Know how small air pollutants are.
C.Study the life expectancy of different people. D.Study many different healthy problems.
2.What will happen if one country limits PM 2.5 to 10 micrograms per cube meters?
A.Its people will live a healthy life. B.Its air is very clean.
C.It will get a prize from WHO. D.It still has pollution risks.
3.What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A.Cancer is the leading killer in all kinds of diseases.
B.It's very hard to clean up dirty air in a short time.
C.The study will help different countries take different policies.
D.Reducing air pollution can increase all people's lifespans much.
4.What can be the best title for the text?
A.The Effect of Cancer Is Worse than Dirty Air
B.Air Pollution Is Shortening Lives Worldwide
C.Many Factors Are Affecting People's Health
D.Governments Are Trying to Make Life Span Long
高一英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
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An experiment which saw salad seeds sent into space has given hope for the future of growing food on another planet, according to a recently-published study.
The findings have appeared after two kilograms of seeds spent six months on board the International Space Station(ISS)with British European Space Agency(ESA)astronaut, Tim Peake, as part of his Principia mission.
There, the seeds could have absorbed up to 100 times more radiation(辐射)than on Earth while being influenced by the violent shaking from the stresses of space travel.
When the seeds returned to Earth in 2016,600,000 children from schools across Britain took part in an experiment, supported by the UK Space Agency, to plant them and monitor their growth, comparing it to that of seeds that had remained on Earth.
The results showed that, while the space seeds grew more slowly and were more sensitive to ageing, they were still able to survive.
Peake said, “When humans travel to Mars, they will need to find ways to feed themselves, and this research helps us understand some of the biology of seed storage and germination(发芽) which will be important for future space missions.”
The Royal Horticultural Society(RHS)tasked 8,600 schools and groups across Britain to take part in the controlled study, recording their results as a scientist would.
It was part of a project called Rocket Science, led by the RHS Campaign for School Gardening, in partnership with the UK Space Agency.
RHS manager Alana Cama said, “The Rocket Science experiment opened a window into space biology and allowed young people to be at the forefront of creative research.”
“This research project did more than just inspire; it furthered our understanding of the challenges around growing plants in unusual environments and the possibility of growing food on long-term space missions in the future. Inspiring a new generation of botanists and biologists will remain our goal to enrich everyone’s lives through plants.”
1.The findings of the experiment indicate that
A.salad seeds sent into space turned out a failure
B.astronauts successfully grew salad seeds on Mars
C.the future of growing plants in space looks bright
D.the radiation makes it impossible for plants to survive
2.Unlike those on Earth, the seeds sent into space
A.can grow 100 times larger in size B.provide enough food for astronauts
C.stop growing when returning to Earth D.are more likely to show signs of ageing
3.Which word can be filled in the blank to complete the research steps?
A.update B.observe C.protect D.improve
4.What can we learn from what Alana Cama said?
A.Growing plants in unusual environments is no longer a challenging task.
B.A new generation of botanists and biologists takes the lead in the research.
C.The project inspires the interests of the young generation in creative fields.
D.The exploration of growing food in space is the central mission in the future.
高一英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
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More perhaps than any other European nation, the Swiss have got used to looking after foreign travelers. As early as the 18th century, wealthy French, Germans and Italians were treating the country as an amusement center while, in the 19th century, it became the major holiday playground for the British nobles. Today, it attracts visitors from all over the world.
The Swiss are clear about the importance of tourism to their economy, which contributes about eight percent of Gross National Product, and helps the industry greatly. Managers of hotels from all over the world go to Switzerland to learn how to do the job, and a generally high standard can be expected from the great majority of the country’s hotels, most of which are small and pride themselves on a personalized service. Public transport is the best in Europe. Both the Swiss Federal railways and the private railways are fully electrified, and the total network is made up of about 5000 kilometers of track.
Under the Fly Baggage system passengers can check luggage in at 116 railway stations and have it automatically carried to their flight. The national highway system is equally well planned, and the mountain roads offer views of some of the country’s most breathtaking scenery. Also serving the mountains is an effective system of railways and cable ways, while more than 160 passenger cars cross the lakes and rivers to and fro. Hiking in the mountains is equally popular with Swiss nationals and foreign visitors. For those who want to view the country from a height without having to climb the mountain themselves, it is always possible to take in the view from a balloon.
1.Compared with other European countries, Switzerland _______.
A. places more importance on entertainment
B. thinks more about foreign travelers
C. has more convenient public transport
D. has more five-star hotels
2.According to the passage, Switzerland is now visited by _____.
A. wealthy French people
B. rich Germans and Italians
C. British nobles
D. people from various countries
3.According to the passage we learn that _____.
A. most of the hotels in Switzerland are big
B. all the hotels in Switzerland offer exactly the same service
C. most of the hotels in Switzerland offer first class service
D. the hotels in Switzerland are used to learning from the rest of the world
4.The passage mainly tells us about _____.
A. scenery in Switzerland
B. the life in Switzerland
C. tourism in Switzerland
D. the transportation in Switzerland
高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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Managing a popular tourist attraction can be kind of like throwing a party — everyone wants to come and have fun, but nobody wants to help clean up when it's over. But the Faroe Islands have come up with a creative way to take care of their home and welcome visitors at the same time.
An official notice on the islands' national tourism website reads "closed for maintenance (维护), open for voluntourism.”Following a successful plan this year, the country has made the decision to "close” its major tourism sights and attractions during the weekend of April 16-17, 2020. Hotels will be open, and flights will continue. That weekend, people all over the Faroe Islands will be working on environmental protection projects.
However, people who are just dying to visit the Faroe Islands during that weekend can sign on to help with the housekeeping. The islands are looking for 100 volunteers to come to the country to help with the caretaking efforts. There were thousands of applications for the 2019 plan, so would-be islanders better apply fast.
"For us, tourism is not all about numbers, " Director at Visit Faroe Islands told CNN Travel earlier this year." We welcome visitors to the islands each year, but we also have a responsibility to our community and to our beautiful environment, and our aim is to protect the islands, ensuring responsible growth." The first group of voluntourists included travelers from Mexico, Israel, Australia, China and the United States. The director said that because of the surprising popularity of the volunteering weekend in 2019, the Faroes will host the event yearly. According to the Faroes' tourism authority, visits to the country have increased by 10% over the past few years.
1.Who can visit the Faroe Islands on April 16-17, 2020?
A.Any tourists. B.Selected voluntourists.
C.Housekeepers. D.All islanders.
2.Why do the Faroes host the yearly event?
A.To protect and develop their home. B.To make more money in tourism.
C.To attract more foreign visitors. D.To please the tourists.
3.What can we infer from the passage?
A.All travelers have a chance to volunteer in 2020.
B.The Faroe Islands are likely to hold a party yearly.
C.The plan has made some difference in recent years.
D.Some tourism sights and attractions are closed for all.
4.What's the writer's attitude towards the voluntourism?
A.Indifferent. B.Doubtful. C.Negative. D.Objective.
5.In which section of a newspaper can you probably find this article?
A.Sports. B.Travel. C.Technology. D.History.
高一英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析