Climate change will force exhausted birds migrating to Europe from Africa to travel further, with possibly disastrous consequences, according to a study.
The annual voyage of some species, which fly north in search of food and suitable habitats, could increase by as much as 400 kilometers (250 miles), the research found. “Marathon migrations for some birds are set to become even longer,” said Stephen Willis, a professor at Durham University in Britain and the main architect of the study. “This is bad news for birds like the White throat, a common farmland bird. The added distance is a considerable threat. As temperatures rise and habitats change, birds will face their biggest challenge since the Pleistocene era (更新世), which ended 11,000 years ago,” he said in a statement.
Some 500 million birds migrate each year from Africa, some weighing as little as nine grams (three-tenths of an ounce). To complete a voyage that can be thousands of kilometers long, birds have to fatten themselves up to twice their normal weight. Some even shrink their internal organs (收缩内脏) to become more fuel efficient, so any additional distance may be dangerous.
The study finds that from 2007 to 2010, nine out of 17 species examined are going to face longer migrations, particularly birds that cross the Sahara Desert. Some birds travel the Sahara and the Mediterranean Sea in a one go, while others have a break in northern Africa before crossing. Many fly at night, when temperatures are cooler.
A few — such as the Blackcap — have started to adapt by spending winters in Britain, but such behavior remains exceptional, the study said. The study forecasts that the migration distance of the Orphean Warbler will jump from 2,700 kilometers (1,700 miles) to between 3,050 and 3,350 kilometers (1,900 and 2,100 miles), with even longer increases for the Subalpine and Barred Warblers.
1.What does traveling extra distance mean for some migrating birds?
A. Better living conditions. B. Better physical health.
C. Stronger ability to fly. D. Bigger threat to life.
2.To complete the marathon migrations, some birds have to do the following except ______.
A. have a break in the Sahara B. put on more weight
C. reduce the size of internal organs D. fly at night to avoid the heat
3.What can we infer from the text?
A. Birds have to migrate from Africa to Europe in winter.
B. Global warming is bad for all birds worldwide.
C. Birds that are of small size don’t need to migrate.
D. Some birds have to migrate unless they adapt to climate change.
4.What’s the best title of the text?
A. Climate change leads to disastrous consequence
B. The annual voyage of some species
C. How birds migrate for longer distances
D. Climate change pushes birds to migrate farther
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题
Climate change will force exhausted birds migrating to Europe from Africa to travel further, with possibly disastrous consequences, according to a study.
The annual voyage of some species, which fly north in search of food and suitable habitats, could increase by as much as 400 kilometers (250 miles), the research found. “Marathon migrations for some birds are set to become even longer,” said Stephen Willis, a professor at Durham University in Britain and the main architect of the study. “This is bad news for birds like the White throat, a common farmland bird. The added distance is a considerable threat. As temperatures rise and habitats change, birds will face their biggest challenge since the Pleistocene era (更新世), which ended 11,000 years ago,” he said in a statement.
Some 500 million birds migrate each year from Africa, some weighing as little as nine grams (three-tenths of an ounce). To complete a voyage that can be thousands of kilometers long, birds have to fatten themselves up to twice their normal weight. Some even shrink their internal organs (收缩内脏) to become more fuel efficient, so any additional distance may be dangerous.
The study finds that from 2007 to 2010, nine out of 17 species examined are going to face longer migrations, particularly birds that cross the Sahara Desert. Some birds travel the Sahara and the Mediterranean Sea in a one go, while others have a break in northern Africa before crossing. Many fly at night, when temperatures are cooler.
A few — such as the Blackcap — have started to adapt by spending winters in Britain, but such behavior remains exceptional, the study said. The study forecasts that the migration distance of the Orphean Warbler will jump from 2,700 kilometers (1,700 miles) to between 3,050 and 3,350 kilometers (1,900 and 2,100 miles), with even longer increases for the Subalpine and Barred Warblers.
1.What does traveling extra distance mean for some migrating birds?
A. Better living conditions. B. Better physical health.
C. Stronger ability to fly. D. Bigger threat to life.
2.To complete the marathon migrations, some birds have to do the following except ______.
A. have a break in the Sahara B. put on more weight
C. reduce the size of internal organs D. fly at night to avoid the heat
3.What can we infer from the text?
A. Birds have to migrate from Africa to Europe in winter.
B. Global warming is bad for all birds worldwide.
C. Birds that are of small size don’t need to migrate.
D. Some birds have to migrate unless they adapt to climate change.
4.What’s the best title of the text?
A. Climate change leads to disastrous consequence
B. The annual voyage of some species
C. How birds migrate for longer distances
D. Climate change pushes birds to migrate farther
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Migration(迁徙), is a long journey carried out by some birds to other areas where they hope to find more food and a warmer place to spend winter. Hundreds or thousands of miles' journey is actually difficult and dangerous. So why do birds migrate?1.However, it all comes down to survival.
Migrating for a Meal
For all birds, one of the main driving forces behind migration is food shortage. If all birds were to stay in the same warm regions all the year round, food would become lacking and producing their young would be less successful. As food resources are rich in the north each spring, millions of birds migrate there for the food supplies.2.
Migrating for Family
Over thousands of years, birds have evolved different migration patterns, timing and destinations to fly around the world to produce their young. Birds take advantage of a wide variety of suitable conditions to raise their young.3.
Migrating for Climate
Birds have evolved different types of feathers to survive different climates.4.So many birds leave the Arctic producing grounds, for example, when temperatures begin to fall and they need warmer habitats. Similarly, the hottest regions can be a bad environment for raising little chicks, and they will choose cooler areas to lay eggs.
Migrating for Predators(掠食动物)
Habitats that have rich food resources all the year round also attract a greater number of predators that can threaten their nests.5.It gives their young a better chance of reaching maturity. Many birds even migrate to specialized habitats that are nearly inaccessible to predators.
A.Birds always tend to fly to warmer places.
B.And changes in those climates can affect migration.
C.This increases the surviving chances of little chicks.
D.Birds have adapted themselves to their own surroundings.
E.There is more than one reasons for different birds to migrate
F.As the food supplies decrease in fall, they return to warm regions.
G.So birds migrate to different habitats to avoid being eaten by predators.
高二英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析
To regain their_______ after an exhausting game, the players lay in the grass.
A. energy B. force C. power D. health
高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
Climate change will increase US wildfires,and the smoky air will cause terrible problems in areas far beyond those burned,reports an environmental group Thursday.
Two-thirds of Americans,or nearly 212 million,lived in states suffering from wildfire smoke three years ago,according to the report by the Natural Resources Defense Council(NRDC).These areas,which had smoke for at least a week,were nearly 50 times greater than those burned directly by fire.
“It affects a much wide area of the United States than people have realized.” says author Kim Knowlton,a Columbia University health professor,adding the smoke can move up to hundreds of miles.She says the smoke contains air pollution and can cause several kinds of diseases.
Texas was hit hardest in 2011,when smoke stayed for at least a week in areas that are home to 25 million people,according to NRDC’s report.Illinois,which recorded no wildfires within its borders, came second with nearly 12 million people affected by smoke that moved in from elsewhere.The other eight states with the most people in touch with smoky air were,in descending order: Florida,Missouri,Georgia,Louisiana,Michigan,Alabama,Oklahoma and Iowa.
Nearly two dozen states had no wildfires within their borders in 2011,but eight of them still had at least one week of smoky air: Illinois,Missouri,Iowa,Kansas,Nebraska,Indiana,Wisconsin and Ohio.
Only 18 states and the District of Columbia had no people in touch with at least a week of smoke that year,although five of them—Alaska,California,Hawaii,Nevada and Utah—had a large area burned by wildfires.
The problem will only get worse.Knowlton says.Scientific research shows climate is causing higher temperatures and health problems.
1.We can learn from the first two paragraphs that_______.
A.climate change killed many Americans
B.there are fewer states burned by wildfires
C.every state had wildfire smoke for at least a week
D.most Americans suffered from wildfire smoke 3 year ago
2.Which of the following states had wildfires within its borders in 2011?
A.Iowa. B.Kansas.
C.Ohio. D.California.
3.The underlined word “descending” in the fourth paragraph probably means _______.
A.going down B.coming true
C.looking practical D.turning back
4.What is the text mainly about?
A.Climate change causes more wildfires.
B.Wildfire smoke becomes a serious health problem.
C.More wildfires cause climate changes.
D.Air pollution becomes a terrible problem.
高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
As they migrate (迁移), butterflies and moths choose the winds they want to fly with, and they change their body positions if they start floating in the wrong direction. This new finding suggests that insects may employ some of the same methods that birds use for traveling long distances. Scientists have long thought that insects were simply at the mercy of the wind.
Fascinating as their skills of flight are, migrating behavior has been difficult to study in insects because many long distant trips happen thousands of feet above ground. Only recently have scientists developed technologies that can detect (测出) such little creatures at such great heights.
To their surprise, though, the insects weren’t passive travelers on the winds. In autumn, for example, most light winds blew from the east, but the insects somehow sought out ones that carried them south and they positioned themselves to navigate directly to their wintering homes.
Even in the spring, when most winds flowed northward, the insects didn’t always go with the flow. If breezes weren’t blowing in the exact direction they wanted to go, the insects changed their body positions to compensate (补偿). Many migrating birds do the same thing.
The study also found, butterflies and moths actively flew within the air streams that pushed them along. By adding flight speeds to wind speeds, the scientists calculated that butterflies and moths can travel as fast as 100 kilometers an hour. The findings may have real-world applications. With climate warming, migrating insects are growing in number. Knowing how and when these pests move could help when farmers decide when to spray their crops.
1.What’s the main idea of the text?
A. Insects migrate with the seasons.
B. Wind helps insects greatly in migrating.
C. Windsurfing insects have real direction.
D. Scientists have trouble in observing insects.
2.Scientists originally thought that ________.
A. insects always waited for their favorable winds
B. insects chose the winds they wanted to ride
C. insects were just blown about by the wind
D. insects positioned themselves in the winds
3.It is not easy to study the migrating behavior of the insects because ________.
A. the little creatures can fly very fast
B. they have no regular migrating courses
C. the wind’s direction is hard to foresee
D. their flight is long and high above ground
4.We can learn from the text that _________.
A. insects fly in the way birds do
B. insects travel more easily in autumn
C. insects never position themselves when flying low
D. insects rest a lot when the wind pushes them along
5.According to the passage, the findings can__________.
A. increase insects in number B.instruct farmers when to spray
C. prevent climate warming D.help protect insects
高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
Climate change will bring greater extremes in weather, the Government’s chief scientific adviser has warned as he called for action to deal with global warming. Professor Sir John Beddington says the effects of climate change on the weather are already being felt in the UK.
“In a sense we have moved from the idea of global warming to the idea of climate change, and that is rather important. Temperatures are increasing and there are more changes in our weather,” he said.
Even if effective action is taken now on global warming, he says there will be great climate change over the next 20 to 25 years as a result of past global problems.
“We have serious problems in the world --- in 12 years there will be another billion people on the planet and we have big issues of food security, water security and energy security, and many people will start to be living in cities,” he said. “These are serious problem; climate change is just going to make it worse.”
He said there were some “uncertainties” in the analysis of climate and climate change. “But those uncertainties are completely unimportant in comparison(比较)with a great deal of evidence that shows it is happening in the sort of ways climate models would expect,” he said. “For example, the Arctic is heating up faster than other parts of the world --- this is exactly what the climate scientists are predicting.”
Sir John’s views were made as Britain experienced freezing cold weather and snow, with thousands of homes across the UK without power. England and Wales experienced 10 separate flooding events between April and December last year after widespread drought gave way to the wettest summer in a century, with unusually high rainfall totals and river levels around the country.
1.Which of the following is NOT one of the things that Sir John says?
A. We need more action to deal with global warming.
B. Climate change will make some big problems worse.
C. Climate change will bring greater extremes in weather.
D. England will experience more extremes in weather than Wales.
2.How long will it be before our planet has another billion people?
A. 25 years. B. 20 years
C. 12 years. D. 10 years.
3.What is Sir John’s attitude towards the Climate scientists’ prediction?
A. Puzzled. B. Trusting.
C. Uncertain. D. Doubtful.
4.In recent years, which of the following has the UK NOT experienced?
A. Widespread drought.
B. Many flooding events.
C. Freezing cold weather.
D. Several big earthquakes.
5.What is the main purpose of this report?
A. To call for effective action on climate change.
B. To introduce Professor Sir John and his opinions.
C. To prove that the UK has experienced a series of disasters.
D. To show how correct the climate scientists’ predictions are.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
China will have the most 5G connections of any nation by 2025, according to a new study, while Europe will fall behind Korea, the United States and Japan in terms of 5G penetration (渗透) by that year.
5G is the fifth generation of network technology. It is expected to bring unbelievable speeds to Internet users, with some operations running 10 times faster than on 4G network. 5G is also expected to unlock potential in a lot of new services, including artificial intelligence, science of robots, self-driving cars, and the Internet of things.
The GSMA said that China’s three major mobile operators—China Unicom, China Mobile, and China Telecom—are already moving ahead with 5G works. While most nations will have 5G by updating existing foundations, the study noted that China plans to build part of its 5G networks.
One of the major distinguishing factors between Chinese mobile operators and those in the rest of the world is the intention to erect the new and independent 5G networks. That is, China is determined to build a completely advanced 5G. The high cost underlines China’s seriousness about paying whatever it takes.
Korea will lead the world in terms of 5G penetration in 2025, when 66 percent of the nations’ total connections will be 5G, according to GSMA. This compares to 50 percent in the US, 49 percent in Japan, 36 percent in China, 30 percent in Europe, and a global average of 18 percent. Out of the five economies leading on 5G, Europe will have the lowest participation in 2025, as the area is moving more slowly in having its 5G networks.
1.What is the future of 5G in China?
A.It will develop rapidly. B.It may be lack of financial support.
C.It will move forward slowly. D.It may fall behind Europe.
2.Which of the following best explains “erect” underlined in paragraph 4?
A.Bring up. B.Set up.
C.Turn up. D.Pick up.
3.What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A.Some Chinese will use 5G in 2025.
B.Koreans cannot possess 5G in 2025.
C.Only five countries will have 5G in 2025.
D.Europe will pay little attention to 5G in 2025.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
China will have the most 5G connections of any nation by 2025, according to a new study, while Europe will fall behind Korea, the United States and Japan in terms of 5G penetration (渗透) by that year.
5G is the fifth generation of network technology. It is expected to bring unbelievable speeds to Internet users, with some operations running 10 times faster than on 4G networks. 5G is also expected to unlock the potential in a lot of new services, including artificial intelligence, science of robots, self-driving cars, and the Internet of things.
The GSMA said that China’s three major mobile operators — China Unicom, China Mobile, and China Telecom—are already moving ahead with 5G networks. While most nations will have 5G by updating existing foundations, the study noted that China plans to build part of its 5G networks.
A One of the major distinguishing factors between Chinese mobile operators and those in the rest of the world is the intention to erect the new and independent 5G networks. That is, China is determined to build a completely advanced 5G. The high cost underlines China’s seriousness about paying whatever it takes.
Korea will lead the world in terms of 5G penetration in 2025, when 66 percent of the nation’s total connections will be 5G, according to GSMA. This compares to 50 percent in the US,49 percent in Japan, 36 percent in China, 30 percent in Europe, and a global average of 18 percent. Out of the five economies leading on 5G, Europe will have the lowest participation in 2025, as the area is moving more slowly in having its 5G networks.
1.What will 5G bring?
A.A completely new pattern for daily life.
B.Excellent networks and national safety.
C.Amazing speeds for public transportation.
D.Realizing the potential in many new services.
2.What is the future of 5G in China?
A.It will develop rapidly. B.It may be lack of government support.
C.It will move forward slowly. D.It may fall behind Europe.
3.Which of the following best explains “erect” underlined in paragraph 4?
A.bring up. B.set up.
C.turn up. D.pick up.
4.What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A.Some Chinese will use 5G in 2025.
B.Koreans cannot own 5G in 2025.
C.Only five countries will have 5G in 2025.
D.Europe will pay little attention to 5G in 2025.
高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
When it comes to climate change, there are always some new, terrifying consequences to worry about—like ancient viruses and bacteria coming from the ice as the earth warms. Unfortunately, researchers fear we may see more of this in the future.
Some of these viruses and bacteria may have been trapped for thousands of years, and it’s not even totally clear yet what they are, let alone what kind of damage they might have.
Researchers have met complex “giant viruses” in the melting permafrost(永久冻土) of Siberia. One such virus, 30,000 years old, was still infectious when it was discovered in 2015, though it posed no danger to humans. It turns out that permafrost is excellent at preserving bacteria and viruses that are temporarily inactive, and then become reactivated with warming.
Scientists have discovered Spanish flu viruses in dead bodies buried in 1918 in the Alaskan tundra (冻原). When close to half of the population of a Siberian town in the 1890s died of smallpox (天花), their bodies were buried in the permafrost along the Kolyma River. The banks of that river are now beginning to wear away amid global warming, the BBC reports.
In Siberia in August 2016, some 100 people and 2,300 deer were infected with anthrax(炭疽) in the first outbreak in the area since 1941. One boy died from the disease. Scientist believed the anthrax had been trapped in the body of a long-frozen dead deer and became active during particularly hot summer of 2016, releasing the bacteria cells into the environment.
But even in warmer climates, rising temperatures can help grow and spread dangerous diseases. Over a decade ago, researcher Paul Epstein prophesied the possible spread of mosquito-born illnesses as a result of climate change. “Mosquitoes are sensitive to temperature changes,” he said. “Warming speeds up their rates of reproduction and the number of blood meals they take, makes their breeding (繁殖) season long, and shortens the maturation period for the germs they spread” --- all of which makes them more efficient at spreading disease.
1.Why are researchers worried about?
A. More ancient germs may reappear. B. The earth is being seriously polluted
C. Ice melting may cause heavy floods. D. Global climate change is worsening.
2.What can we learn from Paragraph 3?
A. No “giant viruses” were discovered in Siberia.
B. A new way was found to deal with the new germs.
C. One ancient virus could still result in people’s death.
D. Permafrost can keep germs alive for a long time.
3.What led to a boy’s death in Siberia?
A. Flu. B. Cancer.
C. Anthrax. D. Smallpox.
4.Which can best replace the underlined word “prophesied” in the last paragraph?
A. Denied. B. Predicted.
C. Doubted. D. Prevented.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Countries are failing to take the action needed to stave off the worst effects of climate change, a UN climate report has found, and the commitments made in the 2015 Paris agreement will not be met unless governments introduce additional measures as a matter of urgency.
New taxes on fossil fuels, investment in clean technology and much stronger government policies to bring down emissions are likely to be necessary. Governments must also stop subsidizing (补贴) fossil fuels, directly and indirectly, the report said.
Greenhouse gas emissions continued their long-term rise last year, according to the report, but they could be brought under control. There are promising signs, such as investment from the private sector in renewable energy and other technologies to cut carbon, but these are currently insufficient to meet scientific advice.
Global emissions have reached what the UN has called "historic levels" of 53.5 gigatonnes(十亿吨) of carbon dioxide equivalent, and are showing no signs of peaking, despite a leveling off in the past decade.
Joyce Msuya, deputy executive director of UN Environment, said: "The science is clear: for all the ambitious climate action we've seen, governments need to move faster and with greater urgency. We're feeding this fire, while the means to extinguish it are within reach. "
Last month, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC) warned of the dire effects of allowing global warming to reach 1.5℃ above pre-industrial levels. The world has a little over a decade to bring down greenhouse gas emissions before such dangerous levels of warming become inevitable.
Only 57 countries, representing 60%of global greenhouse gas emissions, are on track to cause their emissions to peak before 2030.If emissions are allowed to rise beyond that, the IPCC has said countries are likely to breach the 1.5℃ limit, which will trigger sea-level rises, droughts, floods and other extreme weather events.
According to the Paris agreement, the first global pact to bind both developed and developing countries to a specific temperature goal, governments must do all they can to stop warming reaching 2℃ above pre-industrial levels, with an aspiration to limit warming to no more than 1.5℃.
Jian Liu, the chief scientist at UN Environment, said some of the necessary policies were clear and available, if there was political will to implement them. "When governments embrace fiscal(财政的) policy measures to subsidize low-carbon alternatives and tax fossil fuels, they can stimulate the right investments in the energy sector and significantly reduce carbon emissions. If all fossil fuel subsidies were phased out, global carbon emissions could be reduced by up to 10% by 2030."
1.Which of the following ideas is NOT included in the UN climate report?
A.Governments should stop their subsidy to the coal and petroleum industry.
B.The efforts made by the government showed some promising signs.
C.Man has been breaking the historical records of global emissions.
D.There is still hope for us to control Greenhouse gas emission.
2.How do you interpret the underlined sentence in paragraph 5?
A.The situation is dangerous and we need to do something to bring it under control.
B.Immediate fire-fighting measures should be taken to keep the fire under control.
C.We are making climate efforts but the achieved effects can be easily reversed.
D.To reduce emissions, we need to close down the fossil-fuel-powered plants.
3.Which of the following statements is True according to the Paris agreement?
A.It is desirable for humanity to limit the temperature rise within 1.5℃.
B.Countries need to control the temperature rise within 2℃ above prehistoric level.
C.Developed and developing countries are bound by their own temperature goals.
D.Disastrous climate change will be irrecoverable if we exceed the 1.5℃ limit.
4.What does the word "dire" mean in paragraph 6?
A.upcoming B.hazardous
C.crucial D.convincing
5.What's the primary purpose of this article?
A.To show a huge gap between words and deeds in fighting global warning.
B.To present a clear picture of how Paris agreement is implemented.
C.To appeal for further global commitment to avoid disastrous climate.
D.To warn of worsening climate caused by lack of combined human effort.
高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析