Researchers at San Diego Zoo have been studying what has been described as the “secret language” of elephants. They have been monitoring(监测) communications between animals that cannot be heard by human ears.
The elephant’s call will be familiar to most people, but the animals also give out growls (低吼). Their growls, however, are only partly audible (听得见的); two-thirds of the call is at frequencies that are too low to be picked up by our hearing. To learn more about the inaudible part of the growl, the team attached (附在……上面) a microphone sensitive to these low frequencies and a GPS tracking system to eight of the zoo’s female elephants. The researchers could then relate the noises the animals were making to what they were doing. Matt Anderson, who led the project, told BBC News, “We’re excited to learn how they interact and contact with one another.”
The team has already learned that pregnant females use this low frequency communication to announce to the rest of their long gestation (妊娠期) of over two years, in the last 12 days we see the low part of the growl, which we can’t hear. This we believe is to announce to the rest of the herd that the baby is upcoming,” said Dr Anderson.
The researchers believe that this also warns the elephants to look out for coming danger. “You may think that a baby calf of about 300 pounds would not be as open to predation (捕食) as other species,” he says. “But packs of hyenas (袋狼) are a big threat in the wild.”
Female elephants are only in season for around four days every four years and these calls can be heard by males more than two miles away.
1.Why some elephants’ call is called “secret language”?
A.Because it can’t be heard by human ears.
B.Because it can only be heard by female elephants.
C.Because people don’t know its meanings.
D.Because people haven’t studied it completely.
2.By using a sensitive microphone and a GPS tracking system, the researchers wanted to find out.
A.where the elephants usually go
B.what the elephants’ growls really mean
C.how mother elephants raise baby calves
D.how elephants protect their babies.
3.A pregnant elephant uses inaudible growls to________.
A.show the location where she is staying
B.ask for help when she losses her way
C.scare away the enemy
D.let others know she will have a baby
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A.The elephants can speak like people.
B.The wild elephants’ ways to fight against enemies.
C.The “secret language” between elephants.
D.The special life of female elephants.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题
Researchers at San Diego Zoo have been studying what has been described as the “secret language” of elephants. They have been monitoring(监测) communications between animals that cannot be heard by human ears.
The elephant’s call will be familiar to most people, but the animals also give out growls (低吼). Their growls, however, are only partly audible (听得见的); two-thirds of the call is at frequencies that are too low to be picked up by our hearing. To learn more about the inaudible part of the growl, the team attached (附在……上面) a microphone sensitive to these low frequencies and a GPS tracking system to eight of the zoo’s female elephants. The researchers could then relate the noises the animals were making to what they were doing. Matt Anderson, who led the project, told BBC News, “We’re excited to learn how they interact and contact with one another.”
The team has already learned that pregnant females use this low frequency communication to announce to the rest of their long gestation (妊娠期) of over two years, in the last 12 days we see the low part of the growl, which we can’t hear. This we believe is to announce to the rest of the herd that the baby is upcoming,” said Dr Anderson.
The researchers believe that this also warns the elephants to look out for coming danger. “You may think that a baby calf of about 300 pounds would not be as open to predation (捕食) as other species,” he says. “But packs of hyenas (袋狼) are a big threat in the wild.”
Female elephants are only in season for around four days every four years and these calls can be heard by males more than two miles away.
1.Why some elephants’ call is called “secret language”?
A.Because it can’t be heard by human ears.
B.Because it can only be heard by female elephants.
C.Because people don’t know its meanings.
D.Because people haven’t studied it completely.
2.By using a sensitive microphone and a GPS tracking system, the researchers wanted to find out.
A.where the elephants usually go
B.what the elephants’ growls really mean
C.how mother elephants raise baby calves
D.how elephants protect their babies.
3.A pregnant elephant uses inaudible growls to________.
A.show the location where she is staying
B.ask for help when she losses her way
C.scare away the enemy
D.let others know she will have a baby
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A.The elephants can speak like people.
B.The wild elephants’ ways to fight against enemies.
C.The “secret language” between elephants.
D.The special life of female elephants.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Rae Armantrout, who has been a poetry professor at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) for two decades, has won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in the poetry category for her most recent book, "Versed".
"I'm delighted and amazed at how much media recognition that the Pulitzer brings, as compared to even the National Book Critics Award, which I was also surprised and delighted to win," said Armantrout.
"For a long time, my writing has been just below the media radar, and to have this kind of attention, suddenly, with my 10th book, is really surprising."
Armantrout, a native Californian, received her bachelor's degree at UC Berkeley, where she studied with noted poet Denise Levertov, and her master's in creative writing from San Francisco State University. She is a founding member of Language Poets, a group in American poetry that analyzes the way language is used and raises questions to make the reader think.
In March, she won the National Book Critics Circle Award for "Versed."
"This book has gotten more attention," Armantrout said, "but I don't feel as if it's better."
The first half of "Versed" focuses on the dark forces taking hold of the United States as it fought the war against Iraq. The second half looks at the dark forces casting a shadow over her own life after Armantrout was diagnosed with cancer in 2006.
Armantrout was shocked to learn she had won the Pulitzer but many of her colleagues were not. "Rae Armantrout is a unique voice in American poetry," said Seth Lerer, head of Arts and Humanities at UCSD.
"Versed", published by the Wesleyan University Press, did appear in a larger printing than her earlier works, which is about 2,700 copies. The new edition is scheduled to appear in May.
1.According to Rae Armantrout, __________
A.her 10th book is much better
B.her winning the Pulitzer is unexpected
C.the media is surprised at her works
D.she likes being recognized by her readers
2.Which of the following is true of Rae Armantrout?
A.She published a poetry textbook.
B.She used to teach Denise Levertov.
C.She started a poets' group with others.
D.She taught creative writing at UC Berkeley.
3.What can we learn about "Versed"?
A.It partly concerns the poet's own life.
B.It is mainly about the American army.
C.It is a book published two decades ago.
D.It consists of three parts.
4.Rae Armantrout's colleagues think that she __________.
A.should write more B.has a sweet voice
C.deserves the prize D.is a strange professor
5.What can we learn from the text?
A. "Versed" has been awarded twice. B. Cancer made Armantrout stop writing.
C. Armantrout got her degrees at UCSD. D. About 2,700 copies of "Versed" will be printed.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Rae Armantrout, who has been a poetry professor at the University of California San Diego(UCSD)for two decades, has won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in the poetry category for her most recent book, Versed.
“I’m delighted and amazed at how much media recognition that the Pulitzer brings, as compared to even the National Book Critics Award, which I was also surprised and delighted to win, ”said Armantrout.“For a long time, my writing has been just below the media radar, and to have this kind of attention, suddenly, with my 10th book, is really surprising.”
Armantrout, a native Californian, received her bachelor’s degree at UC Berkeley, where she studied with noted poet Denise Levertov, and her master’s in creative writing from San Francisco State University.She is a founding member of Language Poets, a group in American poetry that analyzes the way language is used and raises questions to make the reader think.
In March, she won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Versed.
“This book has gotten more attention, ” Armantrout said, “but I don’t feel as if it’s better.”The first half of Versed focuses on the dark forces taking hold of the United States as it fought the war against Iraq. The second half looks at the dark forces casting a shadow over her own life after Armantrout was diagnosed with cancer in 2006.
Armantrout was shocked to learn she had won the Pulitzer but many of her colleagues were not.“Rae Armantrout is a unique voice in American poetry, ” said Seth Lerer,head of Arts and Humanities at UCSD.
Versed, published by the Wesleyan University Press, did appear in a larger printing than her earlier works, which is about 2, 700 copies. The new edition is scheduled to appear in May.
1.According to Rae Armantrout, ____.
A.her 10th book is much better
B.her winning the Pulitzer is unexpected
C.the media is surprised at her works
D.she likes being recognized by her readers
2.Which of the following is TRUE about Rae Armantrout?
A.She published a poetry textbook.
B.She used to teach Denise Levertov.
C.She started a poets’ group with others.
D.She taught creative writing at UC Berkeley.
3. What can we learn about Versed?
A.It consists of three parts.
B.It is mainly about the American army.
C.It is a book published two decades ago.
D.It partly concerns the poet’s own life.
4.Rae Armantrout’s colleagues think that she ____.
A.should write more
B.has a sweet voice
C.deserves the prize
D.is a strange professor
5. What can we learn from the passage?
A. About 2, 700 copies of Versed will be printed.
B. Cancer made Armantrout stop writing.
C. Armantrout got her degrees at UCSD.
D. Versed has been awarded twice.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
听下面一段较长对话,回答以下小题。
1.What’s the destination of the trip?
A. Vancouver. B. San Diego. C. San Francisco.
2.How many days did the total trip last?
A. 42. B. 40. C. 36.
3.What transport did the man mostly use?
A. Train. B. Bus. C. Bicycle.
4.What’s the last question about?
A. The repair shops. B. The tools to take. C. The cost of the trip.
高二英语长对话困难题查看答案及解析
Over the last 70 years, researchers have been studying happy and unhappy people and finally found out ten factors that make a difference.Our feelings of well-being at any moment are determined to a certain degree by genes.However, of all the factors, wealth and age are the top two.
Money can buy a degree of happiness.But once you can afford to feed, clothe and house yourself, each extra dollar makes less and less difference.
Researchers find that, on average, wealthier people are happier.But the link between money and happiness is complex.In the past half-century, average income has sharply increased in developed countries, yet happiness levels have remained almost the same.Once your basic needs are met, money only seems to increase happiness if you have more than your friends, neighbors and colleagues.
“Dollars buy status, and status makes people feel better,” conclude some experts, which helps explain why people who can seek status in other ways—scientists or actors, for example—may happily accept relatively poorly-paid jobs.
In a research, Professor Alex Michalos found that the people whose desires—not just for money, but for friends, family, job, health—rose furthest beyond what they already had, tended to be less happy than those who felt a smaller gap (差距).Indeed, the size of the gap predicted happiness about five times better than income alone.“The gap measures just blow away the only measures of income.” says Michalos.
Another factor that has to do with happiness is age.Old age may not be so bad.“Given all the problems of aging, how could the elderly be more satisfied? ” asks Protessor Laura Carstensen.
In one survey, Carstensen interviewed 184 people between the ages of 18 and 94, and asked them to fill out an emotions questionnaire.She found that old people reported positive emotions just as often as young people, but negative emotions much less often.
Why are old people happier? Some scientists suggest older people may expect life to be harder and learn to live with it, or they’re more realistic abour their goals, only setting ones that they know they can achieve.But Carstensen thinks that with time running out, older people have learned to focus on things that make them happy and let go of those that don’t.
“People realize not only what they have, but also that what they have cannot last forever,” she says.“A goodbye kiss to a husband or wife at the age of 85, for example, may bring far more complex emotional responses than a similar kiss to a boy or girl friend at the age of 20.”
1.According to the passage, the feeling of happiness ________.
A.is determined partly by genes B.increases gradually with age
C.has little to do with wealth D.is measured by desires
2.Some actors would like to accept poorly-paid jobs because the jobs ________.
A.make them feel much better B.provide chances to make friends
C.improve their social position D.satisfy their professional interests
3.Aged people are more likely to feel happy because they are more ________.
A.optimistic B.successful
C.practical D.emotional
4.Professor Alex Michalos found that people feel less happy if ________.
A.the gap between reality and desire is bigger
B.they have a stronger desire for friendship
C.their income is below their expectation
D.the hope for good health is greater
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Over the last 70 years, researchers have been studying happy and unhappy people and finally found out ten factors that make a difference. Our feelings of well-being at any moment are determined to a certain degree by genes. However, of all the factors, wealth and age are the top two.
Money can buy a degree of happiness. But once you can afford to feed, clothe and house yourself , each extra dollar makes less and less difference.
Researchers find that, on average, wealthier people are happier. But the link between money and happiness is complex. In the past half-century, average income has sharply increased in developed countries, yet happiness levels have remained almost the same. Once your basic needs are met, money only seems to increase happiness if you have more than your friends, neighbors and colleagues.
“Dollars buy status, and status makes people feel better,” conclude some experts, which helps explain why people who can seek status in other ways---scientists or actors, for example—may happily accept relatively poorly-paid jobs.
In a research, Professor Alex Michalos found that the people whose desires—not just for money, but for friends, family, job, health—rose furthest beyond what they already had, tended to be less happy than those who felt a smaller gap. Indeed, the size of the gap predicted happiness about five times better than income alone. “The gap measures just blow away the only measures of income.” Says Michalos.
Another factor that has to do with happiness is age. Old age may not be so bad. “Given all the problems of aging, how could the elderly be more satisfied?” asks Professor Laura Carstensen.
In one survey, Carstensen interviewed 184 people between the ages of 18 and 94, and asked them to fill out an emotions questionnaire. She found that old people reported positive emotions just as often as young people, but negative emotions much less often.
Why are old people happier? Some scientists suggest older people may expect life to be harder and learn to live with it, or they’re more realistic about their goals, only setting ones that they know they can achieve. But Carstensen thinks that with time running out, older people have learned to focus on things that make them happy and let go of those that don’t. “People realize not only what they have, but also that what they have cannot last forever,” she says. “A goodbye kiss to a husband or wife at the age of 85, for example, may bring far more complex emotional responses than a similar kiss to a boy or girl friend at the age of 20.
1.According to the passage, the feeling of happiness ________.
A.is determined partly by genes B.increases gradually with age
C.has little to do with wealth D.is measured by desires
2.Some actors would like to accept poorly-paid jobs because the jobs_____.
A.make them feel much better B.provide chances to make friends
C.improve their social position D.satisfy their professional interests
3.Aged people are more likely to feel happy because they are more______.
A.optimistic B.successful C.practical D.emotional
4.Professor Alex Michalos found that people feel less happy if _______.
A.the gap between reality and desire is bigger
B.they have a stronger desire for friendship
C.their income is below their expectation
D.the hope for good health is greater
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Over the last 70 years.researchers have been studying happy and Unhappy people and finally found out ten factors that make a difference.Our feelings of well-being at any moment are determined to a certain degree by genes.However of all the factors,wealth and age are the top two.
Money can buy a degree of happiness.But once you can afford to feed,clothe and house yourself, each extra dollar makes less and less difference.
Researchers find that,on average,wealthier people are happier.But the link between money and happiness is complex.In the past half-century, average income has sharply increased in developed countries,yet happiness levels have remained almost the same.Once your basic needs are met,money only seems to increase happiness if you have more than your friends,neighbors and colleagues.
“Dollars buy Status(社会地位),and status makes people feel better,” conclude some experts,which helps explain why people who can seek status in other ways-scientists or actors,for example-may happily accept relatively poorly-paid jobs.
In a research,Professor Alex Michalos found that the people whose desires-not just for money,but for friends,family, job,health-rose furthest beyond what they already had,tended to be less happy than those who felt a smaller gap(差距).Indeed,the size of the gap predicted happiness about five times better than income alone.“The gap measures just blow away the only measures of income,”says Michalos.
Another factor that has to do with happiness is age.Old age may not be so bad.“Given all the problems of aging,how could the elderly be more satisfied?” asks Professor Laura Carstensen.
Why are old people happier? Some scientists suggest older people may expect life to be harder and learn to live with it,or they're more realistic about their goals,only setting ones that they know they can achieve.But Carstensen thinks that with time running out,older people have learned to focus on things that make them happy and let go of those that don't.
“People realize not only what they have,but also that what they have cannot-last forever,” she says.“A goodbye kiss to a husband or wife at the age of 85,for example,may bring far more complex emotional responses than a similar kiss to a boy or girl friend at the age of 20.”
1.According to the passage,the feeling of happiness _________.
A.has little to do with wealth B.increases gradually with age
C.is measured by desires D.is determined partly by genes
2.Some actors would like to accept poorly-paid jobs because the jobs _________.
A.make them feel much better B.provide chances to make friends
C.improve their social position D.satisfy their professional interests
3.Aged people are more likely to feel happy because they are more _________.
A.optimistic B.practical C.successful D.emotional
4.Professor Alex Michalos found that people feel less happy if __________.
A.the gap between reality and desire is bigger
B.they have a stronger desire for friendship
C.their income is below their expectation
D.the hope for good health is greater
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Nola (August 21, 1974 -November 22, 2015) was a northern white rhino(犀牛)who lived at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park near Escondido, California. At her death, she was one of only four remaining northern white rhinos in the world. The other three lived in Kenya. World Rhino Day, held on September 22, is to raise awareness of the less than 30,000 other rhinos left on Earth.
“Rhinos need our help today, not tomorrow,”Nola’s lead keeper Jane Kennedy said. “Last year we lost over 1,200 rhinos just in South Africa. If we continue to lose more than 1,000 rhinos a year, in 10 to 20 years all the rhinos on the planet will be gone.”
“Unfortunately, most animals are in danger of dying out because of humans,” Kennedy says.“ Humans have either poached(偷猎)animals, or because there are over seven billion of us, we’ ve taken up too much of the world’s resources ”. Poachers illegally hunt rhinos for their horns. They sell the horns for thousands of dollars per pound, to be used for art, jewelry, and decorations.Experts believe that one rhino is poached every eight hours.
In 1975, the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research started the Frozen Zoo, a program through which researchers have collected cell (细胞) samples from more than 8,000 different types of animals, including the northern white rhino. Scientists hope that by studying the rhino cells, they will get greater understanding of it, and will find ways to increase its numbers.
Jane Kennedy describes World Rhino Day as “a celebration of rhinos along with an awareness campaign for everybody across the world to know that rhinos need our help.”At the San Diego Zoo, children and adults are welcome to visit and speak with zookeepers to learn about rhinos. But you don’ t have to live in San Diego to celebrate World Rhino Day. It is observed around the world, with zoos and wildlife parks holding special events and programs to teach people about rhinos, and enable them to see the animals up close. For more information, go to www. worldrhinoday. org.
1.What do we know about Nola?
A. It was a baby white rhino. B. It was one of the last of its kind.
C. It lived with other northern white rhinos in Kenya. D. It died on September 22 at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.
2.What troubled Jane Kennedy according to Paragraph 2?
A. The rhinos’ strange activities. B. The rhinos’ uncertain future.
C. The limited natural resources. D. The rare animals in South Africa.
3.What does the Frozen Zoo aim to do?
A. Keep animals from dying out. B. Invent new kinds of animals.
C. Prevent rhinos from being hunted. D. Raise public awareness of rhinos.
4.What is the main purpose of the last paragraph?
A. To help people know more about animals. B. To encourage people to protect animals.
C. To report special events in San Diego. D. To introduce World Rhino Day.
高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
________ London many times, but he knows little about the city.
A.Having been to | B.Though he has been to |
C.He has been to | D.He has gone to |
高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
As a nation of animal lovers, Britain has been rocked by a study that at least ten million pets suffer mental or physical stress.
Two million dogs are left alone daily for longer than recommended and 750,000 rabbits are fed too little grass, at least three million dogs and cats have never been vaccinated(接种疫苗), the research indicates. Shocked animal welfare campaigners are calling on owners to give their pets urgent attention.
A spokesman for animal charity said, “We know that owners love their pets, but many do not understand what their pets need.”
The charity’s survey is the first to measure the well-being of Britain’s 12 million cats, eight million dogs and 1.7 million pet rabbits. It found that five million cats, four million dogs and more than 700000 rabbits would be suffering mental or physical stress because their owners do not look after them properly. About 2.4 million dogs are mainly fed on leftovers(剩饭), rather than nutritionally balanced dog food.
About 1.9 million dogs are left alone each day for more than four hours, even though vets say four hours should be the maximum. Around 15 percent of owners believe it is acceptable to leave a dog for eight hours without attention while four percent say dogs can be abandoned for more than ten hours without suffering.
The survey also showed the Britain’s cats are overfed, with more than half of owners admitting their cats are overweight. Rabbits are also neglected. In the wild they live in large groups, but 67 percent of pet rabbits live on their own, which creates the risk of boredom and stress.
Another spokesman said, “Our report reveals that there is much work to do to raise awareness of what pets need to live healthy and happy lives.”
1.The author has written this article to______.
A. explain what pets should eat to keep healthy
B. show the present physical and mental situation of pets
C. call on people to take good care of their pets
D. tell readers what is a good happy life for pets
2.Which of the following is TRUE, according to the text?
A. Dogs should be left alone for more than eight hours without suffering.
B. About 2.4 million dogs are fed on nutritionally balanced dog food.
C. Pet rabbits living together creates the risk of boredom and stress.
D. More than half of cats in Britain are overfed and overweight.
3.You can read this article in a _______.
A. health magazine B. biology textbook C. newspaper advertisement D. book review
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析