Mosquitoes(蚊子) ruin countless American picnic...

Mosquitoes(蚊子) ruin countless American picnics every year, but around the world, this bloodsucking beast isn’t just annoying--it causes a health problem. More than a million people die from the spread of mosquito-borne diseases like malaria and yellow fever each year. Attempts to control populations via insecticides like DDT have had ruinous side effects for nature and human health. Neurobiologist Leslie B. Vosshall has a different solution for stopping the insects and the spread of disease. “I believe the key to controlling mosquito behavior is to understand better how they sense us,” she says.

At their Rockefeller University lab, Vosshall and her colleagues are studying the chemical sensory processes by which mosquitoes choose hosts. How do they sense heat, humidity, carbon dioxide, and body odor(气味)? What makes some people more attractive to a mosquito than others? It takes blood and sweat to find out. To study how mosquitoes assess body odor, Vosshall and her teammates might wear stockings on their arms and keep from showering for 24 hours to create sample smells, Then comes the hard part. They insert their arms into the insects’ hidden home to study how mosquitoes land, bite, and feed and then they document how this changes. This can mean getting anywhere from one bite to 400, depending on the experiment. Studying male mosquitoes is more pleasant. Since they don’t feed on blood, the lab tests their sense of smell using honey.

Vosshall and her team have also begun to study how genetics contribute to mosquitoes’ choice of a host. She’s even created a breed that is unable to sense carbon dioxide, an important trigger for the insects. “By using genetics to make mutant(变异的) mosquitoes, we can document exactly how and why mosquitoes hunt humans,” Vosshall says.

Once Vosshall figures out what makes mosquitoes flock to us, she can get to work on making them leave us alone. Many of her lab’s proposed solutions sound simple enough, including bracelets(手镯) that carry long-lasting repellants(驱虫剂) or traps that can reduce populations, but the breakthroughs, when they come, may save millions of lives in the developing world—and a lot of itching everywhere else.

1.Vosshall and her colleagues are mainly studying mosquitoes’ ______.

A. appearance　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. size

C. behavior　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. change

2.By saying the underlined part “Then comes the hard part”, the author probably means that______.

A. the insects smell terrible

B. the experiment will last long

C. The researchers will probably suffer

D. the researchers have to study lots of documents.

3.Why is it less challenging to study male mosquitoes?

A. They are not bloodsuckers.

B. They are afraid of stockings.

C. They have a poor sense of smell.

D. They are protective of their hosts.

4.It can be inferred from the last paragraph that Vosshall’s research______.

A. looks very promising

B. has saved millions of lives

C. is facing great difficulties

D. is quite simple to carry out.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Mosquitoes(蚊子) ruin countless American picnics every year, but around the world, this bloodsucking beast isn’t just annoying— it causes a health problem. More than a million people die from the spread of mosquito-borne diseases like malaria and yellow fever each year. Attempts to control populations via insecticides like DDT have had ruinous side effects for nature and human health. Neurobiologist Leslie B. Vosshall has a different solution for stopping the insects and the spread of disease. “I believe the key to controlling mosquito behavior is to understand better how they sense us,” she says.

At their Rockefeller University lab, Vosshall and her colleagues are studying the chemical sensory processes by which mosquitoes choose hosts. How do they sense heat, humidity, carbon dioxide, and body odor(气味)? What makes some people more attractive to a mosquito than others? It takes blood and sweat to find out. To study how mosquitoes assess body odor, Vosshall and her teammates might wear stockings on their arms and keep from showering for 24 hours to create sample smells, Then comes the hard part. They insert their arms into the insects’ hidden home to study how mosquitoes land, bite, and feed and then they document how this changes. This can mean getting anywhere from one bite to 400, depending on the experiment. Studying male mosquitoes is more pleasant. Since they don’t feed on blood, the lab tests their sense of smell using honey.

Vosshall and her team have also begun to study how genetics contribute to mosquitoes’ choice of a host. She’s even created a breed that is unable to sense carbon dioxide, an important trigger for the insects. “By using genetics to make mutant(变异的) mosquitoes, we can document exactly how and why mosquitoes hunt humans,” Vosshall says.

Once Vosshall figures out what makes mosquitoes flock to us, she can get to work on making them leave us alone. Many of her lab’s proposed solutions sound simple enough, including bracelets(手镯) that carry long-lasting repellants(驱虫剂) or traps that can reduce populations, but the breakthroughs, when they come, may save millions of lives in the developing world—and a lot of itching everywhere else.

1.Vosshall and her colleagues are mainly studying mosquitoes’ ______

A. appearance　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. size

C. behavior　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. change

2.By saying the underlined part “Then comes the hard part”, the author probably means that______.

A. the insects smell terrible

B. the experiment will last long

C. The researchers will probably suffer

D. the researchers have to study lots of documents.

3.Why is it less challenging to study male mosquitoes?

A. They are not bloodsuckers.

B. They are afraid of stockings.

C. They have a poor sense of smell.

D. They are protective of their hosts.

4.It can be inferred from the last paragraph that Vosshall’s research______.

A. looks very promising

B. has saved millions of lives

C. is facing great difficulties

D. is quite simple to carry out.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Every year, countless nonprofit organizations want to double their donations. Many companies in the United States have a Matching Gift program, which　 offers certain amount of money to these organizations when its employee makes a personal donation. The following list includes information on four major companies matching gift programs.

1.When a company’s employee makes a donation to a nonprofit, the Matching Gift programs will _________.

A. compensate the employee

B. donate instead of the employee

C. give certain donations as well

D. organize some voluntary events

2.From the list ,we know that __________.

A. Coca-Cola offers three times donations of its employees’ to religious groups.

B. Coca-Cola handles its employees’ donations request quickly.

C.GE and Verizon will give the same amount, if an employee donates $20.

D. Google’s employees can claim matching gift in various forms.

3.The purpose of this passage is _______.

A. to inform　　 B. to entertain

C.to explain　　 D. to persuade

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

This little South American Magellanic penguin swims 5,000 miles, to a beach in Brazil, every year in order to be reunited with the man who saved its life. It sounds like something out of a fairy tale, but it’s true!

71-year-old retired brick worker Joao, who lives in an island village just outside Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, found the small Magellanic penguin lying on rocks at his local beach in 2011. The penguin was covered in oil and running out of time fast. Joao rescued the penguin, naming it Din, cleaned the oil off its feathers and fed him a daily diet of fish to rebuild its strength. After a week of recovery, Joao attempted to release the penguin back into the wild. However, Din had already formed a family bond with his rescuer and wouldn’t leave.

“He stayed with me for 11 months and then, just after he changed his coat with new feathers, he disappeared,” Joao recalls. “I love the penguin like it’s my own child and I believe the penguin loves me,” Joao told Globo TV. “No one else is allowed to touch him. He pecks (啄) them if they do. He lies on my lap, lets me give him showers, and allows me to feed him.”

Professor Krajewski, a biologist who interviewed the fisherman for Globo TV, told The Independent: “I have never seen anything like this before. I think the penguin believes Joao is part of his family and probably a penguin as well.”

However, environmentalists warn that, while hundreds of the Magellanic species are known to naturally migrate (迁徙) thousands of miles north in search of food, there has been a worrying rise in the phenomenon of oceanic creatures washing up on Brazil’s beaches. Professor David Zee from Rio de Janeiro’s State University, said the increase is due in part to global climatic changes. Professor Zee added that sea animals face increased danger from leaked tanker oil.

Luckily the ending for Joao and Din has been a happy one, even though it is illegal in Brazil to keep wild animals as pets.

Professor Krajewski said: “Professionals who work with animals try to avoid relationships like this occurring so they are able to reintroduce the animal into the wild. But in this single case the authorities allowed Din to stay with Joao because of his kindness.”

1.Every year Din swims a long distance to a beach in Brazil to ______.

A.avoid being killed B.meet his rescuer

C.escape from ocean currents D.find much more fish

2.When Din was found in 2011 ______.

A.he was dying B.he was running on the beach

C.he was resting on a rock D.he was cleaning oil off his feathers

3.What can we learn about Joao from the passage?

A.He is not allowed to keep the penguin as a pet by the authorities.

B.He overprotects the penguin by keeping him away from others.

C.His contact with the penguin is encouraged by professionals.

D.His kindness wins the penguin’s trust.

4.The story in the passage mainly shows ______.

A.the environmental impact on wildlife

B.the love between humans and wildlife

C.the tendency of wildlife to bond with humans

D.the protection of threatened wildlife by mankind

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

This little South American Magellanic penguin swims 5,000 miles, to a beach in Brazil, every year in order to be reunited with the man who saved its life. It sounds like something out of a fairy tale, but it’s true!

71-year-old retired brick worker Joao, who lives in an island village just outside Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, found the small Magellanic penguin lying on rocks at his local beach in 2011. The penguin was covered in oil and running out of time fast. Joao rescued the penguin, naming it Din, cleaned the oil off its feathers and fed him a daily diet of fish to rebuild its strength. After a week of recovery, Joao attempted to release the penguin back into the wild. However, Din had already formed a family bond with his rescuer and wouldn’t leave.

“He stayed with me for 11 months and then, just after he changed his coat with new feathers, he disappeared,” Joao recalls. “I love the penguin like it’s my own child and I believe the penguin loves me,” Joao told Globo TV. “No one else is allowed to touch him. He pecks (啄) them if they do. He lies on my lap, lets me give him showers, and allows me to feed him.”

Professor Krajewski, a biologist who interviewed the fisherman for Globo TV, told The Independent: “I have never seen anything like this before. I think the penguin believes Joao is part of his family and probably a penguin as well.”

However, environmentalists warn that, while hundreds of the Magellanic species are known to naturally migrate (迁徙) thousands of miles north in search of food, there has been a worrying rise in the phenomenon of oceanic creatures washing up on Brazil’s beaches. Professor David Zee from Rio de Janeiro’s State University, said the increase is due in part to global climatic changes. Professor Zee added that sea animals face increased danger from leaked tanker oil.

Luckily the ending for Joao and Din has been a happy one, even though it is illegal in Brazil to keep wild animals as pets.

Professor Krajewski said: “Professionals who work with animals try to avoid relationships like this occurring so they are able to reintroduce the animal into the wild. But in this single case the authorities allowed Din to stay with Joao because of his kindness.”

1.Every year Din swims a long distance to a beach in Brazil to ______.

A.avoid being killed B.meet his rescuer

C.escape from ocean currents D.find much more fish

2.When Din was found in 2011 ______.

A.he was dying B.he was running on the beach

C.he was resting on a rock D.he was cleaning oil off his feathers

3.What can we learn about Joao from the passage?

A.He is not allowed to keep the penguin as a pet by the authorities.

B.He overprotects the penguin by keeping him away from others.

C.His contact with the penguin is encouraged by professionals.

D.His kindness wins the penguin’s trust.

4.The story in the passage mainly shows ______.

A.the environmental impact on wildlife

B.the love between humans and wildlife

C.the tendency of wildlife to bond with humans

D.the protection of threatened wildlife by mankind

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Every four years on November 8, the American people will vote for the next U. S. president. Before election day, people following the presidential campaign will see many polls (民调). A poll is a public opinion study. Research organizations ask people questions about the candidates to find out who they support.

For example, one of the poll is run by a professor at a university in the U.S. state of Connecticut. People who work for the polling service call likely voters on the telephone.

How can one poll be so different from others? Here are some things to remember when you are looking at polls:

Not all polling groups are the same

Some polls target specific groups of people. Many polls make sure they collect many different opinions. Sometimes, however, polling organizations receive money from groups that support a specific political issue. It is important to look at which group carried out the poll along with the results.

A poll's method is important

Some polls are using new technology. Traditionally, polls are done over the phone. But that is slowly changing. Many polls are now done online. While online polls can produce good information, it is sometimes hard to reach as many different types of people over the Internet.

Also important the size of the poll. Try to find out how many people were polled before believing its results.

Polls are not predictions(预测)

Polls only show how people feel at one moment in time. They do not show what will happen in the future. Public opinion may change before the general election on November 8. Some things that could change the opinions of voters include: the debates on television, the release of the candidates’ tax or medical records, and unexpected illnesses.

1.What do political polls in the U. S. try to do?

A. Call on people to be active in the election.

B. Help political parties to win the election.

C. Find out the support rate in the election.

D. Affect people's opinions in the election.

2.What do you know about polling organizations?

A. Some serve for certain groups.　　 B. They all collect different opinions.

C. They all make money from their polls.　　 D. All of them try to find the correct results.

3.What is the disadvantage of polls done online?

A. People may refuse to respond.　　 B. Results sometimes lack of representation.

C. Only the young give their ideas.　　 D. People refuse to tell their true thoughts.

4.What can be a suitable title for the text?

A. Effects of Political Polls in the U. S..

B. Various Kinds of Political Polls in the U. S..

C. Ways to Carry Out Political Polls in the U. S..

D. Things to Know About Political Polls in the U. S..

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Ants are troublesome, best known for itchy bites and ruining picnics.　 But, a new species of crazy ant is taking over Texas. In some ways they appear to be worse than fire ants and there's no good way to stop them*　 These ants move fast and are plentiful in some areas.

The crazy ants first sprang in Pearland in 2002 and have been becoming more and more of a problem ever since.“An invasion of these can be so extreme that it's hard to call it just a nuisance," University of Texas entomologist Edward LeBrun told The Austin American-tatesman.　 “The ants have been known to crawl into and ruin televisions,　 appliances and other electronic devices.　 No one is entirely sure why," He said.

David Oi , a research entomologist at the Department of Agriculture, told The New York Times in 2013, the strange idea that the ants are actually attracted to the electricity itself can't be ruled out.

The crazy ants or Raspberry ants-yep, that's actually what they are called-are found in 23 Texas counties. The ants have very little venom（毒液）, but do cause a slight sting when they bite. Mostly, though, they're a hazard to electrical equipment.

They are a relatively new species in the region and little is known about how to control or kill the population. And, unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be much that can be done about them right now. So, for the moment, the best advice is not to stay close to ant piles and groups. and hope that none make it inside to crawl around the electronics.

1.What do the ants do in Texas?

A. Bite some people.　　 B. Damage local crops.

C. Destroy appliances.　　 D. Pollute environment.

2.The underlined word "nuisance" in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to "　　　　　　 ”.

A. story　　 B. problem

C. visit　　 D. failure

3.When meeting with ant piles, we'd better　　　　　　　　　　 .

A. kill them all　　 B. control them

C. drive them away　　 D. stay away from them

4.What can we know from the text ?

A. The crazy ants first. appeared in Texas in 2013.

B. The crazy ants cause huge loss to the people in Texas.

C. The government is taking measures to deal with the ant.

D. David Oi is sure why the ants ruin electronic devices.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Airbags, now found in almost every vehicle, have saved countless lives and largely reduced the severity of injuries in crashes. Similar technology could greatly reduce broken hips (髋部) resulting from a fall, something most seniors fear.

Dr. Robert Buckman and his start-up company, Active Protective in Allentown, Pennsylvania, has developed a promising solution, a wearable airbag that can protect hip bones in the event of a fall. The idea was the result of Dr. Buckman’s years as a doctor at Temple University. He noticed how many elderly people were being brought into hospitals with broken hip due to falls, and how they often never completely recovered from the injuries. He started to ask what he could do for these people, and that was when he started trying to figure out whether there was a way of helping people who were at the highest risk of falling and suffering these kinds of injuries.

The device is worn much like a regular belt, but on the outside of the clothing, and it includes sensors that monitor the movement of hips. If the device detects that the person, is falling, an airbag opens before the person hits the ground, cushioning the fall. When the wearer hits the ground, the bag reduces the force to the hip bones by 90 percent, enough to avoid the majority of hip injuries.

With one out of every three people aged 65 and older suffering serious falls each year, Active Protective has a big market for its wearable device. It also has the potential to sizably reduce hip - related health care expenses: Hip injuries among the elderly cost the US health care system in 2012 $30 billion, which doesn’t include the long-term care expenses associated with the high percentage of patients that can no longer live independently.

1.What is the purpose of the Active Protective’s airbag?

A. To avoid hip injuries among seniors.

B. To protect seniors from car accidents.

C. To help seniors with their daily nursing.

D. To help doctors deal with serious injuries.

2.What inspired Dr. Robert Buckman to make the device?

A. A report on seniors’ health.

B. A serious fall he experienced.

C. His work experiences as a doctor.

D. Suggestions of seniors at Temple University.

3.How does the device mainly work?

A. By predicting road conditions.　　 B. By speeding up bone recovery.

C. By reducing the effects of falling.　　 D. By preventing people from failing.

4.What does the author think of the Active Protective’s airbag?

A. It still needs improving.

B. It has a promising future.

C. It may encourage seniors to do exercise.

D. It may increase America’s spend on seniors.

高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

We’ve known that sitting for long periods of time every day has countless health consequences, like a higher risk of heart disease. But now a new study has found that sitting is also bad for your brain.

A study published last week, conducted by Dr. Prabha Siddarth at the University of California, showed that sedentary（久坐的）behavior is associated with reduced thickness of the medial temporal lobe（中颞叶）, a brain area that is critical to learning and memory.

The researchers asked a group of 35 healthy people, ages 45 to 70, about their activity levels and the average number of hours each day spent sitting and then scanned their brains. They found that the subjects who reported sitting for longer periods had the thinnest medial temporal lobes. It means that the more time you spend in a chair the worse it is for your brain health, resulting in possible damage to learning and memory.

What is also interesting is that this study did not find a significant association between the level of physical activity and thickness of this brain area, suggesting that exercise, even severe exercise, may not be enough to protect you from the harmful effects of sitting.

It then surprisingly turned out that you don’t even have to move much to enhance cognition（认知）; just standing will do the trick. For example, two groups of subjects were asked to complete a test while either sitting or standing. Participants are presented with conflicting stimuli（刺激）, like the word “green” in blue ink, and asked to name the color. Subjects thinking on their feet beat those who sat by a 3-milicond margin.

The cognitive effects of severe physical exercise are well known. But the possibility that standing more and sitting less improves brain health could lower the bar for everyone.

I know, this all runs counter to received ideas about deep thought, from our grade school teachers, who told us to sit down and focus, to Rodin’s famous “Thinker,” seated with chin on hand.

They were wrong. You can now all stand up.

1.What can we infer from Paragraphs 3 and 4?

A.Severe exercise can lessen the damage of sitting.

B.Severe exercise can greatly improve our brain health.

C.Sedentary behavior will possibly damage our brain.

D.Brain health has nothing to do with sedentary behavior.

2.What does the underlined word “margin” in Paragraph 5 mean?

A.blank. B.edge.

C.decrease. D.difference.

3.What is the received idea about deep thought?

A.Sitting more is good for our mental health.

B.Sitting is better when we think.

C.Exercise more can improve our cognition.

D.We should stand while thinking.

4.The passage mainly tells us ________.

A.people tend to sit while thinking

B.standing more can make our brain healthier

C.physical exercise can improve our brain health

D.sedentary behavior leads to countless health problems

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Four Simple Keys to Transform Your Life

The Power of Choice．Every one of us makes countless choices every day．Every choice we make has an impact on our lives．Even insignificant choices can affect what we experience and how we feel．When hunger strikes, we can reach for a healthy, nutritious snack, or we can choose the sugar high of junk food．The more important the decision, the greater its effect．For instance, how do I act towards that person who treated me badly? Do I generally choose to be passive, or do I actively set clear intentions and create what I want in my life? Every choice we make, however big or small, affects us in some way．

How Do You Make Choices? If you are interested in living a richer, fuller life, there is a foundation upon which you can base all of your decisions which can make life better not only for you, but also for those around you．This foundation is to choose based on what's best for all．Imagine a world where every parent, spouse（配偶）, friend, teacher, business person, and politician truly did their best to choose what's best for all involved in every decision they made. We would certainly live in a more caring, supportive world．

It's the Intention．"But how do I know what is really best?" you might ask．The answer is simple．It doesn't matter．What matters is not the choice you make, but rather the intention beind your choice．What matters is that whatever decision you make, you are clear in your intention of choosing based on what's best for all．If it later turns out that you made what appears to have been a bad choice, there's no need for guilt．Knowing that you did your best to choose with a sincere desire for what's best for all, your conscience stays clear and open．This then allows you to more easily learn from your mistakes, and to live with a clear heart and mind．

What's Best for Me, Too! Choosing what's best does not mean you have to always sacrifice yourself for others．An overly(过度的) exhausted mother can lose her temper easily．Some time off for this mother might seem selfish, yet in the long run, it can help her to be a better mother to her children．So as we move through each day of our lives, let us remember to include ourselves as we do our best to choose what's best for all．

1.Which of the following is FALSE?

A．Whenever hunger strikes, we will reach for a junk snack

B．Every choice, however big or small, has an influence on us．

C．Even small choices affect how we feel．．

D．We make choices every day．

2.How should we make choices?

A．To be interested in a richer, fuller life．

B．To make life better for ourselves．

C．To imagine a world where everyone did their best．

D．To choose based on what's best for all．

3.Why does the author say, "What matters is not the choice you make, but rather the intention behind your choice．"?

A．Because the choice you make is not important．

B．Because you may have made a bad choice．

C．Because this allows you to stay clear and improve．

D．Because there is no need for guilt．

4.How to choose what is best for us?

A．We need to devote all our life to others．

B．We need to put away some time for ourselves．

C．We need to sacrifice ourselves for others．

D．We need to be selfless every minute．

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析