Most people regard zoos as safe places for animals, where struggles such as difficulty finding food and avoiding predators(捕食性动物) don't exist. Without such problems, animals in zoos should live to a ripe old age. But that may not be true for the largest land animals on Earth. Scientists have known that elephants in zoos often develop diseases, joint problems and behavior changes. Sometimes, they even become unable to have babies.
To learn more about how captivity(监禁) affects elephants, a team of international scientists led by Mason, a biologist, compared the life spans of female elephants born in zoos with female elephants living outdoors in the wild. Zoos keep detailed records of all the animals in their care, documenting factors such as birth dates, illnesses, weight and death. These records made it possible for the researchers to analyze 40 years of data on 800 elephants in zoos.
The team found that female elephants born in zoos lived an average of 16.9 years. Their wild counterparts(同类事物) who died of natural causes lived an average of 56 years——more than three times as long.
Scientists don't yet know for sure why wild elephants seem to live so much better than their zoo-raised counterparts. Mason thinks stress and obesity(肥胖) may be to blame. Zoo elephants don't get the same kind of exercise as they do in the wild, and most are very fat. Elephant social lives are also much different in zoos than in the wild, where they live in large groups.
Another finding from the study showed that elephants born in zoos were more likely to die earlier than elephants captured in the wild and brought to zoos. Mason suggests stress in the mothers in zoos might cause them to have babies that are less likely to survive.
The study raises some questions about acquiring more elephants to keep in zoos. While some threatened and endangered species living in zoos reproduce successfully and keep healthy populations, that doesn't appear to be the case with elephants.
1.The text tells us that zoo elephants are different from other zoo animals because they________
A.develop health problems. |
B.1ive to a ripe old age. |
C.are not afraid of predators. |
D.have difficulty eating food. |
2.What do the scientists find in their research?
A.Female elephants live longer than male elephants. |
B.Female zoo elephants die earlier than their wild counterparts. |
C.Female zoo elephants live longer than their wild counterparts. |
D.Both elephants in zoos and those in the wild live in large herds. |
3.Which of the following does the author suggest in the last paragraph?
A.Zoo-born elephants should be attended more carefully |
B.Elephants are no longer an endangered species. |
C.It may not be a wise policy to keep elephants in the zoo. |
D.Zoos should keep more animals except elephants. |
4.Which of the following can be the best title?
A.Comparison between two species of elephants |
B.Longer lives for wild elephants |
C.Female elephants suffer from poor health. |
D.Longer lives for zoo animals. |
高二英语阅读理解困难题
Most people regard zoos as safe places for animals, where struggles such as difficulty finding food and avoiding predators(捕食性动物) don't exist. Without such problems, animals in zoos should live to a ripe old age. But that may not be true for the largest land animals on Earth. Scientists have known that elephants in zoos often develop diseases, joint problems and behavior changes. Sometimes, they even become unable to have babies.
To learn more about how captivity(监禁) affects elephants, a team of international scientists led by Mason, a biologist, compared the life spans of female elephants born in zoos with female elephants living outdoors in the wild. Zoos keep detailed records of all the animals in their care, documenting factors such as birth dates, illnesses, weight and death. These records made it possible for the researchers to analyze 40 years of data on 800 elephants in zoos.
The team found that female elephants born in zoos lived an average of 16.9 years. Their wild counterparts(同类事物) who died of natural causes lived an average of 56 years——more than three times as long.
Scientists don't yet know for sure why wild elephants seem to live so much better than their zoo-raised counterparts. Mason thinks stress and obesity(肥胖) may be to blame. Zoo elephants don't get the same kind of exercise as they do in the wild, and most are very fat. Elephant social lives are also much different in zoos than in the wild, where they live in large groups.
Another finding from the study showed that elephants born in zoos were more likely to die earlier than elephants captured in the wild and brought to zoos. Mason suggests stress in the mothers in zoos might cause them to have babies that are less likely to survive.
The study raises some questions about acquiring more elephants to keep in zoos. While some threatened and endangered species living in zoos reproduce successfully and keep healthy populations, that doesn't appear to be the case with elephants.
1.The text tells us that zoo elephants are different from other zoo animals because they________
A.develop health problems. |
B.1ive to a ripe old age. |
C.are not afraid of predators. |
D.have difficulty eating food. |
2.What do the scientists find in their research?
A.Female elephants live longer than male elephants. |
B.Female zoo elephants die earlier than their wild counterparts. |
C.Female zoo elephants live longer than their wild counterparts. |
D.Both elephants in zoos and those in the wild live in large herds. |
3.Which of the following does the author suggest in the last paragraph?
A.Zoo-born elephants should be attended more carefully |
B.Elephants are no longer an endangered species. |
C.It may not be a wise policy to keep elephants in the zoo. |
D.Zoos should keep more animals except elephants. |
4.Which of the following can be the best title?
A.Comparison between two species of elephants |
B.Longer lives for wild elephants |
C.Female elephants suffer from poor health. |
D.Longer lives for zoo animals. |
高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Where does the conversation most probably take place?
A. In a zoo. B. In a forest. C. In a pet store.
高二英语短对话简单题查看答案及解析
In most people's opinion, the tiger is not an animal that we would ordinarily think of as being chicken. However, one tiger, which lives in an English zoo, turned out to be more cowardly(胆小的)than his keepers could ever have imagined.
Tanvir, a two-year-old Bengal tiger, got stuck at the top of a new 5m-high activity tower in the zoo, after climbing it for the first time.
The wooden tower had been designed to provide mental exercise for Tanvir by testing his ability of dealing with troublesome situations, but after climbing it in just a few seconds, he lost his courage when it came to coming back down. Tanvir went on to spend nearly two days at the top of the tower trying to collect the courage to attempt to get down.
A spokesperson for the zoo said that several days before Tanvir had taken half an hour to get down a lower tower only 1.5m high, and the taller tower had clearly been too much challenging for him.
"Every time he got to the edge, he looked out, put a paw over, and thought, ‘no, I cannot make it!" ’laughed Samantha Cordrey, Tanvir's keeper. In the end Tanvir's hunger defeated his fear, and after almost 48 hours he made his way down. Burying himself in a big meal just like a hungry pig, Tanvir seemed to forget such a shameful experience for a while.
It appears that his experience would not be the worst in Tanvir's life if he continued to act like a chicken. It is not known whether he will take courage to go back up his exercise tower again.
The whole episode(插曲)only serves to show the difficulties faced by zoo staff in creating environments that will improve animals' living ability in enclosed space.
1.When speaking of Tanvir's shameful experience, Samantha Cordrey might feel it was .
A. funny B. surprising C. exciting D. unbelievable
2.What made Tanvir get down the 5m-high activity tower at last?
A. The coldness of the weather. B. The direction from his keepers.
C. The sufferings of being hungry. D. The fear of being alone.
3.Why does the author say "this experience would not be the worst in Tanvir's life if..."(Paragraph 6)?
A. Because Tanvir's keepers will design more difficult exercise for him.
B. Because Tanvir is so cowardly that he has little courage to meet greater challenges.
C. Because Tanvir's bad health will bring him much trouble in practice.
D. Because Tanvir is always careless and often causes trouble by accident.
4.The zoo designed the 5m-high activity tower to .
A. make Tanvir become brave B. improve Tanvir's performance skills
C. let tourists watch Tanvir better D. improve Tanvir's living ability
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Polar bears are one of the most popular animals for people. Polar bears are different from every other bear in the world. This is because polar bears have white fur. However, there are many facts about polar bears that people might not be aware of .
The skin of polar bears is black, which according to thinkquest.org allows them to absorb more heat from the sun. Polar bear fur is transparent , because it is made up of hollow guard hairs. Loc.gov explains that the reason polar bears display white fur is that when the sun hits the fur ,the hollow spaces in the hair scatter the light. Since none of the light is absorbed, the light reflected back appears white to human eyes.
Polar bears’ conservation status is considered close to extinction. Global warming is considered the main cause of the decline in polar population. Polar bears use ice floats to hunt for their food. However, these ice floats are melting so polar bears are starting to drown in the search for food ,and the food is becoming more difficult to get. Contrary to popular belief, polar bears do not eat penguins ,because polar bears are not found in the Antarctic region of the world. Polar bears are only found around the Arctic Circle. Polar bears do not drink water. They get all the water they need from the prey they eat.
FES. Gov specifies that polar bears are considered the largest land carnivores(食肉动物) in the world. The polar bear weight ranges between 700--1,500 pounds. Since the polar bear habitat is melting away, their main evolutionary advantages are fading. Polar bears are not able to use their camouflage(伪装) to find prey in habitats not covered with snow. Polar bears do not hibernate(冬眠). However, when the weather gets uncomfortable, or mothers give birth, polar bears will dig themselves a hidden home.
What can we do to help save the polar bears? We can donate to organizations like the World Wildlife Fund, reduce our carbon footprint, and send letters to politicians explaining to them that we need to set up more preserves to help save the polar bear habitat.
1.What do we know about the fur of the polar bears?
A. It absorbs more heat from the sun.
B. It is black and hollow.
C. Light can pass through it.
D. It is white actually.
2.What does “main evolutionary advantages” in Paragraph 4 refer to?
A. Hibernation habit B. The function of their fur
C. Eating meat D. Their weight
3.What do we know from the passage?
A. Polar bears face danger due to the melting of ice floats.
B. The biggest polar bears weigh about 1,000 pounds.
C. Polar bears never hibernate and do not need water.
D. Polar bears are the largest carnivores in the world.
4.Which of the following ways is NOT the measure used to protect polar bears according to the passage?
A. Donating to wildlife conservation organizations.
B. Trying our best to reduce greenhouse gases.
C. Writing letters to make people protect polar bears.
D. Setting up more polar bear conservation organizations.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
In Twain, many people know what a “motorpool” means. It is known as a place for the maintenance(维修) of official business and government cars. it is a place for vehicle maintenance.
More than ten years ago I came to America on business and I took advantage of the to visit my friend. My friend drove a car to me at the airport, and took me to his home. Out of the , my friend drove his car into the innermost , which had a sign“carpool only”. I what “carpool”meant. I felt doubted whether he was going to a motorpool. I thought myself clever in asking:
“Is there anything wrong with the car?”
“Nothing. ?”said he.
“Well then, why are you going to carpool?”I .
My friend couldn’t help and told me that “carpool” refers to the lane that only the cars with two or more can drive in. I felt rather on hearing that.
After dinner, my friend’s neighbour came over to ask whether he “carpool” the next day. “ ,”my friend said“I will accompany my friend to go shopping tomorrow.” I was again, wondering why he could not“carpool”with him since we had “carpooled” today. My friend explained to me again that the “carpool” that his neighbour meant they in turn drove the car to work so as to save . The first“carpool”is a noun, the second“carpool”is a verb. It is really40for newcomers in America to understand it in a short time.
1.A.commonly B.probably C.partly D. simply
2.A.In general B.In particular C.After all D. Above all
3.A.break B.time C.chance D. place
4.A.watch B.help C.meet D. catch
5.A.sight B.airport C.kindness D. plane
6.A.line B.lane C.range D. route
7.A.wondered B.knew C.understood D. learned
8.A.For B.Thus C.Then D. Though
9.A.How B.What C.Why D. Where
10.A.reminded B.responded C.explained D. judged
11.A.thinking B.talking C.laughing D. showing
12.A.passengers B.drivers C.kids D. ladies
13.A.surprised B.excited C.annoyed D. embarrassed
14.A.needed B.could C.should D. would
15.A.Sure B.Sorry C.Pardon D. Good
16.A.upset B.doubtful C.confused D. worried
17.A.used B.insisted C.learned D. provided
18.A. energyB. time C. money D. gas
19.A.as B.so C.while D. for
20.A.interesting B.difficult C.important D. necessary
高二英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
The bed should be reserved as a place for sleep, but people tend to read an iPad a lot in bed before they go to sleep.
Charles Czeisler, a professor at Harvard Medical School, and his colleagues got a small group of people for an experiment. For five days in a row, the subjects (实验对象) read either a paper book or an iPad for four hours before sleep. Their sleep patterns were monitored all night. Before and after each trial period, they took hourly blood tests to paint a day-long picture of just how much melatonin (褪黑激素) was in their blood at any given time.
When the subjects read on the iPad as compared to the paper books, they reported feeling less sleepy at night and less active the following morning. They also took longer to fall asleep on the iPad nights, and the blood tests showed that their melatonin secretion (分泌) was delayed by an hour and a half.
The researchers conclude in today's journal article that given (考虑到)the rise of e-readers and the increasingly widespread use of e-things among children and adolescents, more research into the long-term consequences of these devices on health and safety is urgently needed. Czeisler and colleagues go on, in the research paper, to note:“Reading an iPad in bed may increase cancer risk.”
However, software has been developed that can reduce some of the blue light from the screens of phones and computers according to time of day, and there are also glasses that are made to filter (过滤) short wavelengths. While they seem like a logical solution for the nighttime tech users, it needs more research.
1.In Charles Czeislers experiment, all the subjects were asked to______.
A. sit in a row and receive the strict tests
B. have their blood tested per hour during the trial
C. read a paper book and an iPad at the same time
D. have their sleep patterns observed all night
2.The third paragraph tells us the iPad readers were likely to______.
A. feel less sleepy and tired in the day
B. become less energetic the next morning
C. have a lot more melatonin secretion
D. fall asleep more easily after reading
3.The special software recently developed can______.
A. weaken the harm done by doing nighttime e-reading
B. help prevent eyes being harmed by short wavelength
C. remove the blue light from your devices completely
D. be used in all the e-things widely and safely
4.Which title is the best one for the text?
A. Wrong behaviors before bedtime
B. New software for night e-readers
C. No e-reading in bed before sleep
D. No games on iPad in bed
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
When a storm is coming, most people leave the area as quickly as possible and head for safety. But there are a few people who will get into their cars and go straight for the center of the storm. These people are willing to risk being killed by floods or 100-kilometer-an-hour winds for the excitement of watching the storm close up.
“Storm chasing(追逐)” is becoming an increasingly popular hobby, especially in the Midwest of the United States, where there are frequent storms between March and July. A storm chaser begins the day by checking the Internet for the latest weather reports, and then drives up to 1,000 kilometers to where the storm will be and waits for it to develop.
Although anyone can do it, storm chasing is extremely dangerous. The power of a big storm can throw a cow into the air or destroy a whole house in seconds. Storm chasers are also often hurt in accidents caused by driving in a heavy rain. If you are a beginner, it is much safer to join a group for vacations during the storm season.
Even then, storm chasing is not all adventure and excitement. “Storm chasing is 95% driving,” says Daniel Lynch, who spends most of his summer storm-chasing. “Sometimes you can sit around for hours waiting for something to happen, and all you get is blue sky and a few light showers.”
However, for storm chasers, it is all worth it. “When you get close to a storm, it is the most exciting sight you will ever see in your life,” says Jasper Morley. “Every storm is an example of the power of nature. It is the greatest show on Earth.”
1.For storm chasing, the first thing storm chasers do is to _______.
A. get quickly into their cars for safety
B. wait patiently for the storm to develop
C. head straight for the center of the storm
D. collect information about a coming storm
2.Beginners of storm chasing are advised _______.
A. to do it in an organized way B. to spend much more time on it
C. not to get too close to a storm D. not to drive in a heavy rain
3.By saying “it is all worth it” in the last paragraph, the author means that _______.
A. storm chasing costs a lot of money
B. efforts in storm chasing are well paid
C. storm chasing is worth hours of waiting
D. a storm presents the greatest show on Earth
4.What is the purpose of the author?
A. To appeal to more people to take the adventures.
B. To give people advice when a storm is coming.
C. To introduce a hobby called storm chasing.
D. To present difficulties of storm chasing.
5.What can we learn from the text?
A. Storm chasing is only fit for young people.
B. Some storm chasers were killed during the storms.
C. Storm chasing is becoming popular around the world.
D. Sometimes storm chasers get nothing but disappointment.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
When a storm is coming, most people leave the area as quickly as possible and head for safety. But there are a few people who will get into their cars and go straight for the center of the storm. These people are willing to risk(冒…危险)being killed by floods or 100-kilometer-an-hour winds for the excitement of watching the storm close up.
“Storm chasing(追逐)” is becoming an increasingly popular hobby(喜好), especially in the Midwest of the United States, where there are frequent storms between March and July. A storm chaser begins the day by checking the Internet for the latest weather reports, and then drives up to 1,000 kilometers to where the storm will be and waits for it to develop.
Although anyone can do it , storm chasing is extremely dangerous. The power of a big storm can throw a cow into the air or destroy a whole house in seconds. Storm chasers are also often hurt in accidents caused by driving in a heavy rain. If you are a beginner, it is much safer to join a group for storm-chasing vacations during the storm season.
Even then, storm chasing is not all adventure and excitement. “Storm chasing is 95% driving,” says Daniel Lynch, who spends most of his summer storm-chasing. “Sometimes you can sit around for hours waiting for something to happen, and all you get is blue sky and a few light showers.”
However, for storm chasers, it is all worth it. “When you get close to a storm, it is the most exciting sight you will ever see in your life,” says Jasper Morley. “Every storm is an example of the power of nature, It is the greatest show on Earth.”
1.For storm chasing, the first thing storm chasers do is to ________ .
A head straight for the center of the storm B. get into the car for safety
C. wait patiently for the storm to develop. D. collect information about a coming storm
2. Beginners of storm chasing are advised ________.
A. not to drive in a heavy rain B. to do it in an organized way
C. not to get too close to a storm D. to spend more time on it in summer
3. By saying “it is all worth it” in the last paragraph, the author means that ________.
A. storm chasing costs a lot of money B. storm chasing is worth hours of waiting
C. efforts in storm chasing are well paid D. a storm presents the greatest show on Earth
4. What can we learn from the text?
A. Sometimes storm chasers get nothing but disappointment
B. Many storm chasers get killed in the storms.
C. Storm chasing is becoming popular around the world.
D. Storm chasing is only fit for young people.
高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
Zoos give people a chance to get close to animals from every continent in the world. But zoos that offer more than just a chance to see animals are worth visiting. Singapore Zoo
At Singapore Zoo, enjoy breakfast while a family of orangutans (猩猩) sits nearby enjoying theirs. A zookeeper tells the breakfast crowd about each member of the family. Or join the Wild Discoverer tour for a detailed look at some of the animals.
Bronx Zoo
The Bronx Zoo in New York City houses 6,000 animals. Those who want to sleep with zebras (斑马) have a chance at this zoo. Special overnight journeys allow families to camp out on the zoo grounds and meet some amazing animal guests.
Taronga Zoo
The Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia offers special animal contact. Visitors can see a koala up close, feed a giraffe or hold a reptile. For those who want to learn what it’s like to work at a zoo, Taronga offers a “Keeper for A Day” program for anyone over 18 years old.
San Diego Zoo
At Southern California’s San Diego Zoo, animals live in natural-looking areas. Wildlife photography (摄影) lovers can take a class to learn the secrets of photographing animals. The zoo offers people opportunities to meet a lion or feed a rhino. The zookeepers also teach people how to talk to the animals so they will talk back.
1.Where can you breakfast with orangutans?
A. At Bronx Zoo. B. At Taronga Zoo.
C. At Singapore Zoo. D. At San Diego Zoo.
2.The “Keeper for A Day” program is intended for .
A. animal protectors B. wildlife researchers
C. adults working with keepers D. adults interested in keepers’ life
3.At San Diego Zoo, you can .
A. sleep with lions or rhinos
B. join the Wild Discoverer tour
C. camp out overnight on the zoo grounds
D. have a better communication with animals
高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
When a storm is coming, most people leave the area as quickly ad possible and head for safety. But there are a few people who will get into their cars and go straight for the center of the storm. These people are willing to risk being killed by floods or 100-kilometer-an-hour winds for the excitement of watching the storm close up.
“Storm chasing” is becoming an increasingly popular hobby, especially in the Midwest of the United States, where there are frequent storms between March and July. A storm chaser begins the day by checking the Internet for the latest weather reports, and then drives up to 1,000 kilometers to where the storm will be and waits for it to develop.
Although anyone can do it , storm chasing is extremely dangerous. The power of a big storm can throw a cow into the air or destroy a whole house in seconds. Storm chasers are also often hurt in accidents caused by driving in a heavy rain. If you are a beginner, it is much safer to join a group for storm-chasing vacations during the storm season.
Even then, storm chasing is not all adventure and excitement . “Storm chasing is 95% driving,” says Daniel Lynch, who spends most of his summer storm-chasing. “Sometimes you can sit around for hours waiting for something to happen, and all you get is blue sky and a few light showers.”
However, for storm chasers, it is all worth it. “When you get close to a storm, it is the most exciting sight you will ever see in your life,” says Jasper Morley. “Every storm is an example of the power of nature, It is the greatest show on Earth.”
1.For storm chasing, the first thing storm chasers do is to .
A.head straight for the center of the storm |
B.get into the car for safety |
C.wait patiently for the storm to develop |
D.collect information about a coming storm |
2.Beginners of storm chasing are advised .
A.not to drive in a heavy rain |
B.to do it in an organized way |
C.not to get too close to a storm |
D.to spend more time on it in summer |
3.By saying “it is all worth it” in the last paragraph, the author means that .
A.storm chasing costs a lot of money |
B.storm chasing is worth hours of waiting |
C.efforts in storm chasing are well paid |
D.a storm presents the greatest show on Earth |
4.What can we learn from the text?
A.Sometimes storm chasers get nothing but disappointment |
B.Many storm chasers get killed in the storms. |
C.Storm chasing is becoming popular around the world. |
D.Storm chasing is only fit for young people. |
高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析