Cloud seeding is a method of artificially cau...

Cloud seeding is a method of artificially causing clouds to produce precipitation （降水） in the form of rain or snow．Cloud seeding has also been used in attempts to modify the severity of hail storms and hurricanes．The effectiveness of cloud seeding remains controversial （有争议的）．but it continues to be used in some regions to try to increase rainfall for agriculture and to build snow packs for water supplies and power production．

Cloud seeding was developed by American scientists Irving Langmuir and Vincent Joseph Schaefer during and after World War II．Their work began as an effort to learn more about the buildup of ice on airplane wings, and eventually led them to attempt to create rainfall by releasing several pounds of crushed frozen carbon dioxide into a cloud from an airplane．In this form, the carbon dioxide is called dry ice．On November 13, 1946, the technique appeared to produce snow directly under the cloud; the snow then turned to rain as it fell to the ground．

For their experiment, Langmuir and Schaefer selected a supercooled cloud, one in which the water droplets remain liquid in subfreezing temperatures．Their theory was that small grains of dry ice falling through the cloud would cause tiny droplets of water vapor in the cloud to freeze into crystals that attracted more water vapor．Their theory proved to be correct and eventually the crystals became heavy enough to fall from the cloud as snow．As the snow reached the warmer temperatures closer to the ground, it melted and became rain．

Another scientist, Bernard Vonnegut, produced a method of cloud seeding using silver iodide （碘化银）．He used particles of silver iodide because its crystal structure resembled that of ice in clouds．Silver

iodide also had practical advantages over frozen carbon dioxide It could be stored at room temperature

and did not require an airplane as a delivery mechanism．Instead, silver iodide crystals could be fired by

cannons （大炮） high into the air, where wind carried them into the clouds．

1.According to the text, Langmuir and Schaefer had intended to deal with__

A．how to freeze carbon dioxide　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

B．how to remove ice on plane wings

C．how to make weather forecast for the war　　　　　　　　　

D how to hide planes in clouds at war

2.What is the CORRECT order of the course for cloud seeding with dry ice?

a．snow becoming rain in wanner temperatures　　　　　　　　 b．crystals attracting more water vapor

c．crystals falling in the form of snow　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 d．crystals becoming very heavy

e．freezing tiny droplets of water vapor into crystals

f．putting small grains of dry ice in the cloud

A．a-c-f-d-b-e　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　 B．b-f-e-a-c-d　　　　　　　　

C．f-e-b-d-c-a　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　 D．e-a-d-c-b-f

3.Bernard chose silver iodide as a method of cloud seeding because___．

A．it is much cheaper than dry ice　　　　 　　　　　　　　　 B．it can be stored at any rooms

C．it can be sent into clouds by wind　　 　　　　　　　　　 D．it is similar

4.The best title for the passage may be "____"．

A．Cloud Seeding　　　　 　　　　　　　　　

B．Artificial Raining　　　　　

C．Weather Changing

D．Cloud Gathering

5.How many methods of cloud seeding are mentioned in the passage?

A．three 　　　　　　　　　 B．two　　　　 　　　　　　　　　 C．one　　　　　　　　　 D.four

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Computer power is moving into the “cloud”—networks of data centres that use the Internet to supply all kinds of services, from e-mail and social networks to data storage and analysis.

The rise of cloud computing is rapid and causing huge changes in the tech industry. The old guard is suffering: this week’s $67 billion merger (合并) between Dell and EMC, makers of computers and storage devices respectively (分别), was a marriage forced by the rise of the cloud. Disruptive (捣乱的) newcomers are blooming: if Amazon’s cloud-computing unit were a stand-alone public company, it would probably be worth almost as much as Dell and EMC combined.

The gains for customers have been equally dramatic. Compared with older IT systems, cloud computing is often much cheaper. It adds tremendous flexibility: firms that need more computing capacity no longer have to spend weeks adding new servers and installing software. In the cloud they can get hold of it in minutes. Their applications can be updated continually, rather than just every few months. Individual users can reach their e-mails, files and photos from any device. And cloud services also tend to be more secure, since providers know better than their customers how to protect their computing systems against hackers.

But cloud computing makes one problem worse. In the old IT world, once a firm or a consumer had decided on an operating system or database, it was difficult and costly to switch to another. In the cloud this “lock-in” is even worse. Cloud providers go to great lengths to make it easy to upload data. They accumulate huge amounts of complex information, which cannot easily be moved to an alternative provider.

Cloud firms also create a world of interconnected services, software and devices, which is convenient but only for as long as you don’t venture (冒险) outside their universe. Being locked in to a provider is risky. Firms can start to tighten the screws by increasing prices. If a cloud provider goes bust (崩溃), its customers may have trouble getting back their data.

These risks have already caused a debate about whether the cloud needs stricter regulation. Some European politicians want to force cloud providers to ensure that data can be moved between them. That is too heavy-handed, because strict rules will inhibit (阻碍) innovation in what is still a young industry. The history of computing suggests that common standards may well appear naturally in response to customers’ demands—just as in personal computers, where it is now much easier to use the same files on different systems.

In the meantime, a few commonsense measures can reduce the risk of lock-in. Firms that use more than one cloud provider to host their data are less affected. So are those that keep their most important information in their own data centres. Consumers can take precautions, too. Some services are better than others at enabling users to move data between providers (Google does well on this score). Cloud computing promises its users many benefits, but don’t mistake it for some sort of digital heaven.

1.The author takes “the merger between Dell and EMC” for example to show ________.

A. the influence of cloud computing on computer and storage device makers

B. the miserable sufferings of old computer companies

C. the rapid development of new computer companies

D. the interaction between old companies and newcomers

2.With wide applications of cloud computing customers can ________.

A. pay less for the older IT systems

B. gain more computing capacity quickly

C. know better about defeating the hackers

D. install software within weeks

3.The problem of “lock-in” can be dangerous because ________.

A. it should ensure data can easily be moved to another provider

B. it can create a network of services connected with devices

C. it may make it difficult for customers to recover their data

D. it will discourage an argument about stricter rules

4.It can be inferred from the last two paragraphs that ________.

A. the European politicians’ advice is perfect

B. customers’ demands play a role in setting standards

C. lock-in is caused by firms’ storing information in their own centres

D. Google enables users to provide services and move data

5.Which of the following sayings can best express the main idea of the passage?

A. Everything has its time and that time must be watched.

B. The grass looks greener on the other side of the fence.

C. A candle lights others and consumes itself.

D. Every white has its black, and every sweet has its sour.

高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

The olinguito（小尖吻浣熊）is new to science. Although lt has been living in the cloud forests of South Amcrica for some time.

Scientists say the olinguito is the first new carnivore（食肉动物）discovered In the Americas in more than 30 years. It is a hairy orange-brown creature with a sweet face and big eyes The animal has small. rounded ears and lives in the trees An adult weighs one kilogram and measures about 75 centimeters. with half of those centimeters taken up by its ringed tail Most of the time. it likes to eat fruit, although it also eats meat. Active at night, the animal has lived in Colombia and Ecuador for a long time. But the olinguito did not exist in science books before now.

Kristofer Helgen, director at the National Museum in Washington, led the research team that confirmed the existence of the olinguito. It had been mistaken more than a century ago for a look-alike animal -- a similar but larger olingo(尖吻浣熊). Mr. Helgen had been studying olingos in a museum for ten years. At that time. he observed a difference in the size and shape of the heads and teeth. That led him on an effort to prove he was looking at an animal never before described by science. He got lucky when he communicated with a zoologist in Ecuador. The animal expert there made a short video that shows an olinguito in the trees. The video confirms that the oiinguito is different from the olingo     Mr. Helgen says tens of thousands of olinguitos live in the wild and are not in danger of disappearing forever. Human beings, however, are moving closer to the olinguito habitat in the Andean cloud forests. The research team estimates that 42 percent of historic olinguiio habitat has been removed

1.Comparcd with most carnivores. the olinguito may seem more _____.

A. terrble         B. fierce         C. clever             D. lovely

2.The onlinguito was unknown to people in the past because ____

A. it was mistaken for another species

B. it was active in the eveing

C. it was too small to be seen clearly

D. it covered itself by its long tail

3.What does the underlined word "That" in Paragraph 3 refer to?

A. Having been studying olingos for ten years.

B. The short video the animal expert made.

C. His communication with an expert in Ecuador.

D. Differences between olingos and olinguitos.

4.We can infer from the text that ______.

A. the olinguito could be made full use of

B. the number of olinguitos is in the conutrol

C. the clinguito is a completely new species up to now

D. people know more and more about animals

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Parts of Africa are covered by a dark cloud. But this is no rain cloud. It is a living cloud made of billions of locusts(蝗虫) that are traveling across the continent eating everything in their path.

And now in the battle to stop this disaster, a radio station in Senegal, West Africa, is offering listeners 50 kilograms of locusts. “We think this idea will get more people to take part in the war on the locusts.” said Abdoulaye Ba, from Sud-Fm, a radio station in one of Senegal’s worst affected area.

This is West Africa’s biggest locust disaster in 15 years, and it is moving east, causing huge damage to crops. As they move they produce young and increase their number and will soon threaten Sudan in the northeast of Africa. Some say it could reach Asia.

Experts say the harmful effect on crops in areas already suffering from food shortage and war could cast many people to go hungry. Governments in the areas are not well equipped to fight the pest.

Although leaders of 12 countries have agreed on a plan, it is not expected to be enough. “We are now treating 6,000 hectares per day with pesticide(杀虫剂), but we need to treat 20,000 hectares per day in order to have any hope of controlling this disaster,” said Mohamed Adballahi Ould Babah, director of locust control in Mauritania.

Requests are being made for international aid, which is the only way to limit the disaster, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization warned.

1.By using “dark cloud” to describe locusts in the first paragraph, the author mainly meant to______.

A. show the size, speed and damage of the mass of locusts

B. suggest the high speed that locusts travel at

C. warn that locusts would sweep the continent severely

D. hint that they look like dark monster

2.The story is mainly about______.

A. West Africa’s united effort in fighting a disaster

B. the difficulty in controlling locusts

C. the great damage locusts caused to West Africa

D. a struggle to fight against a disaster brought by locusts in West Africa

3.According to the text we learn that the locust disaster______.

A. can be even more serious in Asia

B. is then out of control

C. has affected greatly most areas

D. cannot be stopped unless twice as much pesticide is provided for the affected areas

4.Which of the following is WRONG？

A. Sud-Fm offered a reward for fighting locusts so that more people would join in the effort.

B. Senegal is to southwest of Sudan.

C. The locusts can cause such damage mainly because it has no natural enemy in West Africa.

D. 12 countries affected by locusts have untied but still lack pesticide.

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

One of the biggest ideas in computer technology is cloud computing. The system is changing the way information is kept. It uses a group of computers or servers to store information instead of one. The data floats around like clouds instead of being saved on any computer. It means computers can be smaller than ever and store practically unlimited amounts of information. No longer are bulky computers needed because all the information is in the clouds.

So when will cloud computing start affecting the way you use computers? You may not have noticed, but it already has. Facebook, Amazon, Twitter and many other sites all run on cloud computing. Cloud computing is really useful. You can use it to access the same file at work at home or in other countries on different computers. There may even be environmental benefits, too. Gmail, which uses cloud computing, says that the system saves a lot of energy.

However, potential problems do exist such as losing information and not being able to access certain files when the internet is down. Also, some companies charge fees for their cloud computing services. Another major problem is security. If all your Information is out there in the cloud and not safely stored on your own computer or laptop, it may be possible for other people to access it. More and more of our personal information is in danger of being stolen. Therefore, it is important to be careful and to find ways of making the information secure.

More and more companies are starting up and offering cloud computing. Will the company be reliable? What will happen to your data if the company goes out of business? There are real worries. Even so, for those interested in computing technology, one thing is for certain ---the future in the clouds is going to be very exciting.

1.How does the author describe the data?

A.It needs only a single server.

B.It is a cloud floating around computers.

C.It makes computers become smaller.

D.It improves the computer’s function.

2.What can we learn from the passage?

A.Cloud computing will come into use soon.

B.Files will be entered when the Internet is down.

C.Personal information may be lost if not kept properly.

D.Companies will enjoy free cloud computing services.

3.What’s the author’s attitude towards cloud computing?

A.Worried. B.Positive.

C.Unclear. D.Cautious.

4.The purpose of the passage is 　　　　　　　　　　 .

A.to introduce cloud computing to us

B.to talk about the way computers change

C.to warn us to be careful to use computers

D.to tell us how to access information on other computers

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The fast popularity of cloud computing means netizens will need to take added measures to make sure their data stay __________in the digital age.

A. accurate　　　　　 B. stable　　　　　　 C. unknown　　　　 D. secure

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

With the arrival of the ABC(AI, big data, and cloud computing) era, AI is seemingly leading innovation(创新) trends. It’s believed that with the increasing application of deep learning algorithms(计算程序), AI will play a growing role in assisting human beings to complete various tasks in a range of fields.

Domestic internet giant Baidu recently announced that its public welfare Baidu Artificial Intelligence People Searching program successfully reunited more than 10, 000 lost people with their families over the past three years, which is a good example of how technology benefits people. Baidu launched this project using its artificial intelligence(AI) face-recognition technology.

Zhu Guang, senior vice president of Baidu, said, “Baidu has opened up a lot of data processing capabilities in such aspects as voice, picture, video, and natural language processing, which are all beneficial.”

And in cooperation with the Ministry of Civil Affairs(民政部) and nongovernmental organizations, Baidu’s system matches the photographs provided by seekers with those in the population database to achieve highly efficient search results.

After going through 200 million face-training sample photos, Baidu’s AI-based face-recognition technology has achieved a recognition accuracy rate of as high as 99.7 percent. It also supports across-age image comparisons, thus helping parents find their lost children after several years on the basis of their childhood photos.

Many parents whose children were lost at a young age have only their childhood photographs, making the search difficult as features change once a child grows up. But many such lost people have been reunited with their families as AI’s face-recognition technology can match an adult with his/her childhood photograph.

Baidu said it will further improve its program by deepening cooperation with the Ministry of Civil Affairs to cover all the 2,068 grassroots rescue centers, and expand the program to help more people.

This innovative new technology realizes the true goal of technological progress: to make people’s lives better. Applying AI technology for public welfare not only helps people in need, but also improves efficiency and saves costs. It is also a good way for enterprises to demonstrate their corporate social responsibility and contribute to society. It is hoped that more high-tech companies will innovatively apply their technologies to help the public.

1.The first paragraph is mainly to tell us ________.

A.the influence of ABC

B.the importance of AI technology

C.the trend of technology innovation

D.the wide use of Al face-recognition

2.What can we learn about AI face-recognition from text?

A.Its efficiency of search results is not satisfactory.

B.Its accuracy rate greatly needs improving.

C.It has trouble finding lost families only using childhood photos.

D.It’ll help find more children with the support from government.

3.From the passage, we know technological progress is intended to ________.

A.help people accomplish complicated tasks

B.prove the companies’ devotion to society

C.get people to lead a better life

D.offer assistance to the disabled

4.In a newspaper, this text may appear in the section of ________.

A.Science B.Health

C.People D.Lifestyle

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

A dark cloud is a _______of rain.

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

How to best protect your important files? Should you rely on one of the many cloud services available today? The answer is “Yes”. Here's four reasons to invest in cloud storage.

1..

Cloud services-such as OneDrive, iCloud, Google Drive, and Dropbox-can protect your data from local threats, such as theft, fire, flood, nasty virus and hard drive failure.

2., he might take your hard drive, too, unless you store it elsewhere. A flood or fire could destroy both your computer and hard drive if kept in the same place.

Anywhere access.

With cloud services, you can access your backed-up stuff-such as documents or media- from virtually any Internet-connected computer, tablet or smartphone in the world. Most cloud services have free apps that make it easy to download or upload files from your mobile device. 3.

Sharing is super easy.

Cloud computing can also reduce over-crowding in someone's email box. Rather than try- ing to email several large photos or videos to a colleague, friend or family member, which can block up their email box, you can simply store them in the cloud and send a link to receivers to download the goods. 4.

Real-time cooperation.

5., cloud computing lets people work together on projects in real-time. For example, two or more employees can cooperate on a project together, instead of sending revisions back and forth to each other.

A.Sufficient storage

B.Remote protection

C.If someone steals your laptop

D.This is incredibly convenient for them and easy to do

E.Even though they're in different geographic locations

F.You need more space than what free cloud storage solutions offer

G.You can access your stuff anywhere as long as you can get online

高三英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析

In April, thousands of holidaymakers remained ______ abroad due to the volcanic ash cloud.

A. sticking                           B. to be stuck   C. stuck                             D. to have stuck

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析