When it comes to social behaviour,mammals are in a league of their own.Some birds may form pairs,or even cooperate to hunt,but the complexity (复杂性) of their relationships can hardly compare to those within a school of dolphins,a herd of elephants or a group of humans.What makes mammalian social groups different from a flock of starlings or a shoal of fish,is that in many cases the individuals could recognize each other.Although we may think that all elephants look pretty much the same,we can easily tell individuals of our own species apart and it has become clear through studies that the same is true of other species.Dolphins have their own signature whistles that act like “names”,and elephants can recognize and greet other individuals they have known but not seen for many years.This is something that only a few species of birds appear to be able to do.
Mammals in complex social groups not only recognize each other as individuals,but also they remember a lot of information about that individual.Social groups often rely on this memory—such as knowing who is dominant to whom,who is related to whom,and who has done what to whom in the past.It’s like remembering who you have lent money to or done a favour for,and who hasn’t repaid that money or has talked about you behind your back.You have to learn who to trust,who your friends are,and who to watch out for.
All this remembering goes on in a particular part of the brain called the neocortex (大脑皮层).If you compare the size of a mammal’s social group with the size of this part of the brain,you will find they are remarkably closely related.This area seems to take a long time to develop fully and animals in which it is very large take a very long time to grow up to adulthood.During this time,the youngster has to learn all the rules of social behaviour in their group and to piece together all the relationships between the group members:Knowledge that will be needed to avoid getting into trouble.
1.What is special about a mammalian social group according to the passage?
A.All the individuals cooperate to hunt.
B.The individuals can communicate with each other.
C.The individuals can recognize each other.
D.The individuals form closer relationship.
2.The passage suggests that elephants________.
A.are cleverer than dolphins
B.can recognize other species
C.may mistake a member for another
D.have good memories
3. Animals whose area of the neocortex is large________.
A.will have a long period of time before they become adults
B.will spend a shorter time learning the necessary knowledge
C.will learn the necessary knowledge much more easily
D.will have more difficulty in growing up as adults
4. If the neocortex is larger,the animals________.
A.can live a longer life
B.have a smaller social group
C.have a larger social group
D.have a greater body size
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
When it comes to social behaviour,mammals are in a league of their own.Some birds may form pairs,or even cooperate to hunt,but the complexity (复杂性) of their relationships can hardly compare to those within a school of dolphins,a herd of elephants or a group of humans.What makes mammalian social groups different from a flock of starlings or a shoal of fish,is that in many cases the individuals could recognize each other.Although we may think that all elephants look pretty much the same,we can easily tell individuals of our own species apart and it has become clear through studies that the same is true of other species.Dolphins have their own signature whistles that act like “names”,and elephants can recognize and greet other individuals they have known but not seen for many years.This is something that only a few species of birds appear to be able to do.
Mammals in complex social groups not only recognize each other as individuals,but also they remember a lot of information about that individual.Social groups often rely on this memory—such as knowing who is dominant to whom,who is related to whom,and who has done what to whom in the past.It’s like remembering who you have lent money to or done a favour for,and who hasn’t repaid that money or has talked about you behind your back.You have to learn who to trust,who your friends are,and who to watch out for.
All this remembering goes on in a particular part of the brain called the neocortex (大脑皮层).If you compare the size of a mammal’s social group with the size of this part of the brain,you will find they are remarkably closely related.This area seems to take a long time to develop fully and animals in which it is very large take a very long time to grow up to adulthood.During this time,the youngster has to learn all the rules of social behaviour in their group and to piece together all the relationships between the group members:Knowledge that will be needed to avoid getting into trouble.
1.What is special about a mammalian social group according to the passage?
A.All the individuals cooperate to hunt.
B.The individuals can communicate with each other.
C.The individuals can recognize each other.
D.The individuals form closer relationship.
2.The passage suggests that elephants________.
A.are cleverer than dolphins
B.can recognize other species
C.may mistake a member for another
D.have good memories
3. Animals whose area of the neocortex is large________.
A.will have a long period of time before they become adults
B.will spend a shorter time learning the necessary knowledge
C.will learn the necessary knowledge much more easily
D.will have more difficulty in growing up as adults
4. If the neocortex is larger,the animals________.
A.can live a longer life
B.have a smaller social group
C.have a larger social group
D.have a greater body size
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The behaviour of a building’s users may be at least as important as its design when it comes to energy use, according to new research from the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC). The UK promises to reduce its carbon emissions (排放)by 80 percent by 2050, part of which will be achieved by all new homes being zero-carbon by 2016. But this report shows that sustainable building design on its own — though extremely important- is not enough to achieve such reductions: the behaviour of the people using the building has to change too.
The study suggests that the ways that people use and live in their homes have been largely ignored by existing efforts to improve energy efficiency (效率),which instead focus on architectural and technological developments.
‘Technology is going to assist but it is not going to do everything,’explains Katy Janda, a UKERC senior researcher,‘consumption patterns of building users can defeat the most careful design. ’In other words,old habits die hard, even in the best-designed eco-home.
Another part of the problem is information. Households and bill-payers don’t have the knowledge they need to change their energy-use habits. Without specific information,it’s hard to estimate the costs and benefits of making different choices. Feedback (反馈) facilities, like smart meters and energy monitors,could help bridge this information gap by helping people see how changing their behaviour directly affects their energy use; some studies have shown that households can achieve up to 15 percent energy savings using smart meters.
Social science research has added a further dimension (方面),suggesting that individuals’behaviour in the home can be personal and cannot be predicted 一 whether people throw open their windows rather than turn down the thermostat (恒温器) , for example. Janda argues that education is the key. She calls for a focused programme to teach people about buildings and their own behaviour in them.
1.As to energy use, the new research from UKERC stresses the importance of________.
A. zero-carbon homes
B. the behaviour of building users
C. sustainable building design
D. the reduction of carbon emissions
2.The underlined word “which” in Paragraph 2 refers to”________.”
A.the ways B.their homes C.developments D.existing efforts
3.What are Katy Janda’s words mainly about?
A. The importance of changing building users, habits.
B. The necessity of making a careful building design.
C. The variety of consumption patterns of building users.
D. The role of technology in improving energy efficiency.
4.The information gap in energy use _______.
A. can be bridged by feedback facilities
B. affects the study on energy monitors
C. brings about problems for smart meters
D. will be caused by building users’ old habits
5.What does the dimension added by social science research suggest?
A. The social science research is to be furthered.
B. The education programme is under discussion.
C. The behaviour of building users is unpredictable.
D. The behaviour preference of building users is similar.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The behaviour of a building’s users may be at least as important as its design when it comes to energy use, according to new research from the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC). The UK promises to reduce its carbon emissions (排放)by 80 percent by 2050, part of which will be achieved by all new homes being zero-carbon by 2016. But this report shows that sustainable building design on its own — though extremely important- is not enough to achieve such reductions: the behaviour of the people using the building has to change too.
The study suggests that the ways that people use and live in their homes have been largely ignored by existing efforts to improve energy efficiency (效率),which instead focus on architectural and technological developments.
‘Technology is going to assist but it is not going to do everything,’explains Katy Janda, a UKERC senior researcher,‘consumption patterns of building users can defeat the most careful design. ’In other words,old habits die hard, even in the best-designed eco-home.
Another part of the problem is information. Households and bill-payers don’t have the knowledge they need to change their energy-use habits. Without specific information,it’s hard to estimate the costs and benefits of making different choices. Feedback (反馈) facilities, like smart meters and energy monitors,could help bridge this information gap by helping people see how changing their behaviour directly affects their energy use; some studies have shown that households can achieve up to 15 percent energy savings using smart meters.
Social science research has added a further dimension (方面),suggesting that individuals’behaviour in the home can be personal and cannot be predicted 一 whether people throw open their windows rather than turn down the thermostat (恒温器) , for example.
Janda argues that education is the key. She calls for a focused programme to teach people about buildings and their own behaviour in them.
1.As to energy use, the new research from UKERC stresses the importance of________.
A. zero-carbon homes B. the behaviour of building users
C. sustainable building design D. the reduction of carbon emissions
2.The underlined word “which” in Paragraph 2 refers to”________.”
A. the ways B. their homes
C. developments D. existing efforts
3.What are Katy Janda’s words mainly about?
A. The importance of changing building users, habits.
B. The necessity of making a careful building design.
C. The variety of consumption patterns of building users.
D. The role of technology in improving energy efficiency.
4.The information gap in energy use _______.
A. can be bridged by feedback facilities
B. affects the study on energy monitors
C. brings about problems for smart meters
D. will be caused by building users’ old habits
5.What does the dimension added by social science research suggest?
A. The social science research is to be furthered.
B. The education programme is under discussion.
C. The behaviour of building users is unpredictable.
D. The behaviour preference of building users is similar.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The behaviour of a building’s users may be at least as important as its design when it comes to energy use, according to new research from the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC). The UK promises to reduce its carbon emissions (排放)by 80 percent by 2050, part of which will be achieved by all new homes being zero-carbon by 2016. But this report shows that sustainable building design on its own — though extremely important — is not enough to achieve such reductions: the behaviour of the people using the building has to change too.
The study suggests that the ways that people use and live in their homes have been largely ignored by existing efforts to improve energy efficiency,which instead focus on architectural and technological developments.
‘Technology is going to assist but it is not going to do everything,’ explains Katy Janda, a UKERC senior researcher, ‘consumption patterns of building users can defeat the most careful design.’ In other words, old habits die hard, even in the best-designed eco-home.
Another part of the problem is information. Households and bill-payers don’t have the knowledge they need to change their energy-use habits. Without specific information, it’s hard to estimate the costs and benefits of making different choices. Feedback (反馈) facilities, like smart meters and energy monitors,could help bridge this information gap by helping people see how changing their behaviour directly affects their energy use; some studies have shown that households can achieve up to 15 percent energy savings using smart meters.
Social science research has added a further dimension (方面),suggesting that individuals’ behaviour in the home can be personal and cannot be predicted —whether people throw open their windows rather than turn down the thermostat (恒温器) , for example.
Janda argues that education is the key. She calls for a focused programme to teach people about buildings and their own behaviour in them.
1.As to energy use, the new research from UKERC stresses the importance of________.
A. zero-carbon homes
B. the behaviour of building users
C. sustainable building design
D. the reduction of carbon emissions
2.The underlined word “which” in Paragraph 2 refers to “________.”
A. the ways B. their homes
C. developments D. existing efforts
3.What are Katy Janda’s words mainly about?
A. The importance of changing building users’ habits.
B. The necessity of making a careful building design.
C. The variety of consumption patterns of building users.
D. The role of technology in improving energy efficiency.
4.The information gap in energy use _______.
A. can be bridged by feedback facilities
B. affects the study on energy monitors
C. brings about problems for smart meters
D. will be caused by building users’ old habits
5.What does the dimension added by social science research suggest?
A. The social science research is to be furthered.
B. The education programme is under discussion.
C. The behaviour of building users is unpredictable.
D. The behaviour preference of building users is similar.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
When it comes to protecting the privacy of their children, U.S. parents give social networks a failing grade. According to a recent survey, three out of four parents believe social networks are not doing a good job of protecting kids’ online privacy.
The survey was conducted for Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization devoted to helping families find the right way to deal with the world of media and technology.
Ninety-two percent of parents said they are concerned that children share too much information online, and 85 percent said they are more concerned about online privacy than they were five years ago. In other findings, Common Sense Media found that 68% of parents are not at all confident in search engines keeping their private information safe and secure and 71% of parents said the same about social networking sites.
The survey found a great deal of concern about the online geo-location services which find and show the exact position of somebody through the net. Ninety-one percent of parents said search engines and social networking sites should not be able to share the physical location of children with other companies unless the parents approve.
“The survey results present a clear divide between the industry’s view of privacy and the opinion of parents and kids,” Common Sense Media CEO and founder James Steyer said.
“American families are deeply worried about how their personal information is being used by technology and online companies, yet the companies appear to be keeping their heads deep in the sand,” Steyer said.
IT companies need to step up but parents, children, schools and government also need to do more, he said.
“Parents and kids have to educate themselves about how to protect their information,” he said. “Schools should teach all students and their parents about privacy protection.”
“And finally, policymakers have to update privacy policies for the 21st century,” he said. According to the survey, more than 60 percent of parents want the US Congress to update online privacy laws for children and teenagers.
1. What does the underlined part in Paragraph 6 mean?
A. Refusing to admit the problem. B. Refusing to work with others.
C. Trying to find a solution to the problem D. Trying to look deep into the problem.
2. According to James Steyer, the following organizations should make more contributions to protecting
children’s online privacy except __________.
A. IT companies B. Government C. Schools D. Nonprofit Organizations
3.What can be inferred from the passage?
A. Parents are worried about social networks because they lead to the children’s failing grades.
B. Most US parents agree that the online geo-location services should be forbidden.
C. Most US parents will support a law that limits IT companies to using personal information.
D. US Congress has not yet passed any online privacy law for children and teenagers.
4. Which of the following may be the best title for the passage?
A. US Congress to Update Privacy Policies for 21st Century
B. Common Sense Media Warns Against Social Networks
C. US Parents Want Better Online Privacy Protection for Kids
D. Worry Grows for Problems Caused by Social Networks
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
When it comes to intelligence, human beings are the top dogs of the animal kingdom. But in recent years, scientists have been documenting surprising intelligence and emotional depth in animals ranging from honeybees to elephants. Here are some amazing examples.
Artistic Monkey Business
Jannet Schmid, director of the Little River Zoo in Norman, Oklahoma, learned a lot about the intelligence of capuchin monkeys. She and her busband adopted a young male, named Bailey. The capuchin particularly liked taking car rides, insisting that he insert the key and ride in the front passenger’s seat.
Now Bailey has become a devoted painter. He uses brushes to create colorful, abstract paintings, and prefers not to be disturbed.
Prairie Dog Sound
Through a variety of birdlike sounds, prairie dogs warn each other of approaching creatures. They demonstrated a surprisingly complex communication system. In his 25 years of study, Slobodchikoff, a professor of biology, has recorded them pronouncing ten nouns including hawk, deer and coyote, a number of adjectives to identify color, size and shape, and even some verbs to indicate speed.
In an ongoing study, Slobodchikoff learns that their brain contains a very extensive vocabulary. He once used his best prairie dog sound to say coyote, and they just looked at him in anger as if he had said a bad word.
Ivy League Parrot
One African grey parrot Alex is said to have the cognitive abilities of a five-year-old child. Alex can identify 50 different objects, seven colors, five shapes, quantities up to six, and the concepts of bigger, smaller, same and different.
Also Alex is considered to make reasoned decisions. During an experiment, researchers gave Alex different-colored blocks in sets of two, three and six. When asked which color group had five blocks, Alex replied, “None.” And he answered the same in repeated tests. Obviously, he interpreted the concept of “none” as an absence of quantity all on his own. That’s a lot like a high school student answering questions on a quiz show.
1.Which of the following is true?
A. Bailey is as clever as a child of five.
B. The prairie dog loves taking car rides.
C. The capuchin monkey is fond of painting.
D. Alex develops a communication system.
2.The underlined word “coyote” in Paragraph 4 refers to ________.
A. a verb B. an animal C. a warning D. an adjective
3.The African grey parrot Alex can ________.
A. answer questions on a quiz show
B. understand the figure “7”
C. identify five colors and seven shapes
D. apply the concept of “none” correctly
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A. Animal communication B. Animal research
C. Animal intelligence D. Animal information
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
When it comes to the Italian league, there's now an agreement _____ it has fallen behind its English match.
A.that B.why C.which D.how
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
When introducing American universities, some of the first institutions to mention are the Ivy League schools. Originally, the Ivy League was an athletic conference made up of 8 private institutes of higher learning in northeastern United States. However, as time went on, these schools also became known for their excellence in academics besides athletics. Until now, these 8 schools have been recognized as some of the best colleges and universities in the United States.
Harvard University is a private institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The university includes a number of graduate and professional schools, as well as a college for undergraduates. In 2012, Harvard ranked number one in US News’ ranking of national universities again. Founded in 1636, Harvard is the oldest institute of higher education in the United States. It can be said that first there was Harvard, then the United States of America. Also, Harvard’s library contains the oldest collection of books in the United States as well as the largest private collection in the world. Harvard has also been described by Forbes Magazine as one of the “billionaire universities” as of their recent list of 469 billionaires, 50 received a degree from Harvard.
Harvard College (the institute for undergraduate students) is one of the most famous schools in the United States. It offers over 40 undergraduate fields of study, including astrophysics, mathematics, neurobiology(神经生物学), etc. And the financial aid program there is amazing. Even though the tuition is about 37,576, and there are other expenses throughout the year, about 70% of undergraduate students received financial aid. Out of those students, over 90% of them had their full need met. And the policies for international students are the same for U.S. citizens.
Harvard College is very selective, as it only admits about 6% of their applicants. For admission into Harvard College, it is required that students take the SAT or the ACT, as well as 2 SAT Subject Tests. Harvard will also look at other factors during admission such as your application essay, high school transcript, recommendations, and most importantly, your character and personal qualities.
1. What are the Ivy League schools famous for?
A. Athletics and location. B. Academics and history.
C. Financial aid and training. D. Athletics and academics.
2.Harvard University includes .
A. only one college
B. a number of colleges for undergraduates
C. a kindergarten, a middle school and a college
D. many graduate and professional schools and a college for undergraduates
3.Why is Harvard called one of the “billionaire universities”?
A. Because people can get a lot of money from Harvard.
B. Because there are 50 billionaires in Harvard.
C. Because nearly one ninth of the billionaires once studied in Harvard.
D. Because 469 billionaires sponsor Harvard.
4.What can we learn from the passage?
A. 90% students in Harvard have their full need met.
B. About 70% of undergraduate students received financial aid.
C. Harvard College is the institute for graduate students.
D. The policies for international students are different for U.S. Citizens.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
When introducing American universities, some of the first institutions to mention are the Ivy League schools. Originally, the Ivy League was an athletic conference made up of 8 private institutes of higher learning in northeastern United States. However, as time went on, these schools also became known for their excellence in academics besides athletics. Included in the Ivy League schools are Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania, Yale University, and Harvard University. These 8 schools have been recognized as some of the best colleges and universities in the United States.
Harvard University is a private institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The university includes a number of graduate and professional schools, as well as a college for undergraduates. In 2012, Harvard ranked number one in US News’ ranking of national universities again. Founded in 1636, Harvard is the oldest institute of higher education in the United States. It can be said that first there was Harvard, then the United States of America. Also, Harvard’s library contains the oldest collection of books in the United States as well as the largest private collection in the world. Harvard has also been described by Forbes Magazine as one of the “billionaire universities” as of their recent list of 469 billionaires, 50 received a degree from Harvard.
Harvard College (the institute for undergraduate students) is one of the most famous schools in the United States. It offers over 40 undergraduate fields of study, including astrophysics, mathematics, neurobiology(神经生物学), etc. And the financial aid program there is amazing. Even though the tuition is about 37,576, and there are other expenses throughout the year, about 70% of undergraduate students received financial aid. Out of those students, over 90% of them had their full need met. And the policies for international students are the same for U.S. citizens.
Harvard College is very selective, as it only admits about 6% of their applicants. For admission into Harvard College, it is required that students take the SAT or the ACT, as well as 2 SAT Subject Tests. Harvard will also look at other factors during admission such as your application essay, high school transcript, work experience, GPA (Grade Point Average), your interview, recommendations, and most importantly, your character and personal qualities.
1.What are the Ivy League schools famous for?
A. Athletics and location.
B. Academics and history.
C. Financial aid and training.
D. Athletics and academics.
2.Harvard University includes .
A. a number of colleges for undergraduates
B. a kindergarten, a middle school and a college
C. many graduate and professional schools and a college for undergraduates
D. only one college
3.Why is Harvard called one of the “billionaire universities”?
A. Because nearly one ninth of the billionaires once studied in Harvard.
B. Because there are 50 billionaires in Harvard.
C. Because people can get a lot of money from Harvard.
D. Because 469 billionaires sponsor Harvard.
4.What can we learn from the passage?
A. 90% students in Harvard have their full need met.
B. About 70% of undergraduate students received financial aid.
C. Harvard College is the institute for graduate students.
D. The policies for international students are different for U.S. citizens.
5.To be admitted by Harvard, you need _________.
①high school transcript
②a good application essay
③living permit
④to take the SAT or the ACT
⑤health certificate
⑥good personal qualities
A. ①②③ B.④⑤⑥ C. ①③⑤ D. ②④⑥
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
My bookshelves are full of dust — and with good reason. When it comes to cleaning that part of my home, I suffer from the most serious case of avoidance (回避反应症).
The thing is this: when I do set out to clean and re-organize my books, which seldom happens, I place myself into a really bad situation. No sooner do I take a title from the shelf, blow off the dust, and wipe down the cover than I find myself sitting on the floor with legs crossed and my back against the wall. Pretty soon books get piled up on my legs as I am reunited with old friends.
It is as if these books have voices, and each wants to say its piece. “Remember me? I was given to you when you went into the Navy, so that you would never lack for companionship,” one whispers. Another says, “I was your first book of poems, given to you before you learned to love poetry.” And a third, “I was the book that made history so attractive to you.”
Perhaps the greatest pleasure of re-organizing my books are the surprises — or better said, reunions — that occur. During my latest book-cleaning adventure, I found one that had fallen behind the shelf: “Tales of Edgar Allan Poe.” Not an unusual title, but the words written on the first page made it very special: “With Love from Mom and Dad, Christmas 1965.” What’s this? A book on the physics of lasers(激光). It is filled with mathematical statements, and I had bought it at a library sale when I was 12, not long after the laser had been invented. I couldn’t understand a bit of it, but I did learn what “laser” meant.
What I end up with when I empty my bookshelves is a cross-section (横剖面) of my personal history. It’s like a road cut where one sees all the layers of rock going back through time to the beginning of the simplest life forms. The books I’ve read — and kept — are not just old friends. They are my résumé.
1.What could be said about the author?
A.He is too busy to tidy up his bookshelves.
B.He considers his books treasured possessions.
C.He has made a lot of notes in his books.
D.He is a lover of science books.
2.By saying that his books have voices, the author means ________ .
A.they bring back happy memories
B.they are recorded in human voice
C.they say a lot about human history
D.they offer good topics for discussion
3.What does the author enjoy most from re-organizing his books?
A.Finding some missing books.
B.Putting books in good order.
C.Learning something new from the books.
D.Rediscovering interesting stories behind some books.
4.The underlined word “résumé” in the last paragraph probably means ______.
A.personal history B.precious notes C.good companion D.simple life forms
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析