Barbara McClintock was one of the most important scientists of the twentieth century. She made important discoveries about genes and chromosomes (染色体).
Barbara McClintock was born in 1902 in Hartford, Connecticut. Her family moved to the Brooklyn area of New York City in 1908. Barbara was an active child with interests in sports and music. She also developed an interest in science.
She studied science at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Barbara was among a small number of undergraduate students to receive training in genetics in 1921. Years later, she noted that few college students wanted to study genetics.
Barbara McClintock decided to study botany, the scientific study of plants, at Cornell University. She completed her undergraduate studies in 1923. McClintock decided to continue her education at Cornell. She completed a master’s degree in 1925. Two years later, she finished all her requirements for a doctorate degree.
McClintock stayed at Cornell after she completed her education. She taught students botany. The 1930s were not a good time to be a young scientist in the United States. The country was in the middle of the great economic Depression. Millions of Americans were unemployed. Male scientists were offered jobs. But female geneticists were not much in demand.
An old friend from Cornell, Marcus Rhoades, invited McClintock to spend the summer of 1941 working at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. It is a research center on Long Island, near New York City. McClintock started in a temporary job with the genetics department. A short time later, she accepted a permanent position with the laboratory. This gave her the freedom to continue her research without having to teach or repeatedly ask for financial aid.
By the 1970s, her discoveries had had an effect on everything from genetic engineering to cancer research. McClintock won the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1983 for her discovery of the ability of genes to change positions on chromosomes. She was the first American woman to win an unshared Nobel Prize.
1.When did McClintock receive a doctorate degree?
A. In 1921. B. In 1923. C. In 1925. D. In 1927.
2.During the great economic Depression in the US, _______.
A. young scientists had trouble finding a job
B. female geneticists were not wanted at all
C. male geneticists were in great demand
D. male scientists were mostly out of job
3.Which of the following jobs may be most beneficial to McClintock’s research?
A. The job as a botany teacher.
B. The temporary job in the genetics department.
C. The permanent position in the laboratory.
D. The job of cancer research.
4.McClintock was awarded a Nobel Prize because of _______.
A. her life-long research in botany and biology
B. her contribution to genetic engineering
C. her discoveries about genes and chromosomes
D. her unshared work in the laboratory
5.The text is likely to appear in _______.
A. a biography B. a history paper
C. a newspaper D. a philosophy textbook
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题
Barbara McClintock was one of the most important scientists of the twentieth century. She made important discoveries about genes and chromosomes (染色体).
Barbara McClintock was born in 1902 in Hartford, Connecticut. Her family moved to the Brooklyn area of New York City in 1908. Barbara was an active child with interests in sports and music. She also developed an interest in science.
She studied science at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Barbara was among a small number of undergraduate students to receive training in genetics in 1921. Years later, she noted that few college students wanted to study genetics.
Barbara McClintock decided to study botany, the scientific study of plants, at Cornell University. She completed her undergraduate studies in 1923. McClintock decided to continue her education at Cornell. She completed a master’s degree in 1925. Two years later, she finished all her requirements for a doctorate degree.
McClintock stayed at Cornell after she completed her education. She taught students botany. The 1930s were not a good time to be a young scientist in the United States. The country was in the middle of the great economic Depression. Millions of Americans were unemployed. Male scientists were offered jobs. But female geneticists were not much in demand.
An old friend from Cornell, Marcus Rhoades, invited McClintock to spend the summer of 1941 working at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. It is a research center on Long Island, near New York City. McClintock started in a temporary job with the genetics department. A short time later, she accepted a permanent position with the laboratory. This gave her the freedom to continue her research without having to teach or repeatedly ask for financial aid.
By the 1970s, her discoveries had had an effect on everything from genetic engineering to cancer research. McClintock won the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1983 for her discovery of the ability of genes to change positions on chromosomes. She was the first American woman to win an unshared Nobel Prize.
1.When did McClintock receive a doctorate degree?
A. In 1921. B. In 1923. C. In 1925. D. In 1927.
2.During the great economic Depression in the US, _______.
A. young scientists had trouble finding a job
B. female geneticists were not wanted at all
C. male geneticists were in great demand
D. male scientists were mostly out of job
3.Which of the following jobs may be most beneficial to McClintock’s research?
A. The job as a botany teacher.
B. The temporary job in the genetics department.
C. The permanent position in the laboratory.
D. The job of cancer research.
4.McClintock was awarded a Nobel Prize because of _______.
A. her life-long research in botany and biology
B. her contribution to genetic engineering
C. her discoveries about genes and chromosomes
D. her unshared work in the laboratory
5.The text is likely to appear in _______.
A. a biography B. a history paper
C. a newspaper D. a philosophy textbook
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
One of the most important things that has happened to me occurred long before I was aware of it. As the story goes, I was three days old and Mom was singing “The Name Game” song to me: “Christine- Bo-Bean-Banana-Fanna-Fo-Feen.” By day four, I was given a new name — Christine-Bo-Bean, or just Bo-Bean to my mother. Now, I am Bo to her and close friends.
Why is this nickname so important to me? I once read a book with a passage about True Names which explains that when a person’s true name is spoken, she has a distinct aura (光环) around her. Although I have been Bo to my mother all my life, I recently discovered that my true name is not on my birth certificate; it’s the name that is as unique and memorable as I am.
People usually know me as Christine. They still see me as a quiet, bookish child. They don’t know who I am now. My most recent hopes, fears, goals, dreams and opinions escape their notice; it is easier to think of me as I was. In their minds, they have a box labeled “Christine” in which I fit neatly, and as Christine, I was content with the perfect packaging.
Those who call me Bo or Bo-Bean really know me. They remember who I was and realize I have changed. Bo is a tight squeeze in the old “Christine” boxes. The Bo I am is ever-changing, ever-growing and ever-learning.
When I was Christine, I was quiet, and easily scared. I feared groups, meeting new people and sharing my opinions. I was more comfortable with a book than my best friend. As Christine, I thought everyone was better than I was.
As Bo, I still love my books, but I want to discuss them. As Bo, my dream is to live where I can experience new things and meet new people. I dream about being alone on a stage lit by a single spotlight; I have that confidence now. I am equal to those I once saw as better than me.
A name shouldn’t make such a difference, but sometimes, when a person finds his or her True Name, they develop a new shine visible to friends, family and especially themselves.
I can’t always be Bo. Sometimes exposing myself is still scary and I feel too nervous; I want to hide in those old boxes. Mostly, however, I am ready for the world. So, just call me Bo.
1.When was the author given a nickname?
A.When she was three years old.
B.On the fourth day after she was born.
C.On the arrival of some close friends.
D.When mom first sang “ The Name Game”.
2.What do the people know about the author as Christine?
A.They think the author is active and crazy.
B.They care about the author’s most recent feelings.
C.They don’t realize the author has changed.
D.They don’t know the author has a new name.
3.What kind of person was the author in the past?
A.She showed no interest in reading.
B.She took pleasure in finding new things.
C.She loved reading and sharing books with friends.
D.She lacked confidence and preferred to be alone.
4.What can be a suitable title for the text?
A.Bo — the True Name
B.A Unique Name
C.Remember the Past
D.The Meaning of Nickname
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
CALGARY, CANADA---It was one of the most important phone calls Bruce Burrell has ever received, a call warning that a flood was headed Calgary’s way.
“I got a phone call about five in the morning on Thursday from Len McCharles, who was on watch at the time, and he said “there has been big flooding in Canmore and it’s heading this way,” said Burrell, the head of the Calgary Emergency Management Agency.
“I got up immediately, turned on the morning news, saw the pictures from Canmore and then called McCharles back. I said “open the Emergency Operations Centre.”
Burrell was in the EOC for 48 hours straight and it wasn’t until Burrell left the centre for the first time that the disaster(灾难）hit him.
“Once you step outside and you actually see it and hear it, it paints a completely different picture from what you thought you would be dealing with.”
Calgary firefighters came to help the Calgarians who were influenced by floodwaters. Keal Prince, captain of the Calgary Fire Department remembers how a young boy lost his finger while helping a woman remove debris(瓦砾）out of her house.
“As his finger got cut off it went into a fully loaded dumpster(装好的垃圾箱）”Prince said. “People had worked hours to get the dumpster loaded and now they’re working tirelessly, quickly to unload that dumpster, looking for that finger.”
“We had to remove a lot of debris to find that finger. Luckily, the finger was found and it was reattached(重新接上），”Prince added.
Burrell is proud of what the city has achieved so far. And he says the city couldn’t have done it without hundreds of unsung heroes. “There were a lot of unbelievable things that went on during the flood and I think that is what Calgarians need to be proud of.”
1.On the morning of Thursday, Burrell ______.
A. recogised his house was flooded
B. was called to go to Canmore to help people
C. got to know from others about a coming disater.
D. opened his house and found something was wrong.
2.Hearing what had happened, Burrell ________.
A. called the centre to collect pictures
B. reported the event to the TV station
C. went to the flooded areas immediately
D. gave orders for work to be started at once
3.It seemed that the young boy ____.
A. was a great help
B. had a happy ending
C. looked for his finger hours alone
D. was hurt while unloading the dumpster
4.We can infer from the last paragragh that Burrell ______.
A. thinks highly of people in Calgary
B. has received praise from Calgarians
C. thinks it’s his duty to protect the city
D. feels the firefighters need more training
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
One of the most important discoveries during this period was how 1. (draw) things in perspective. This technique was first used by Masaccio in 1428. When people first saw his paintings, they 2.(convince) that they were looking through a hole in a wall at a real scene. 3.coincidence, oil paints were also developed at this time, which made the colors used in paintings look 4.(rich) and deeper. Without the new paints and the new technique, we would not be able to see the many great masterpieces for 5.this period is famous.
In 6.late 19th century, Europe changed a lot, from a mostly agricultural society to a mostly 7.(industry) one. Many people moved from the countryside to the new cities. There were many new inventions and social changes. 8.(nature), these changes also led to new painting styles. Among the painters who 9.(break) away from the traditional style of painting were the Impressionists10. (live) and working in Paris.
高二英语语法填空困难题查看答案及解析
WHAT’S the most important thing of life?
People’s answers vary greatly. For British scientist Robert Edwards，the answer is having a child.“Nothing is more special than a child，”he told the BBC.
Edwards，the inventor of the In Vitro Fertilization(IVF)technology—more commonly known as“testtube(试管)baby”technology—passed away on April 10 ,2013 at the age of 87.
Edwards changed the lives of millions of ordinary people who now rejoice(充满喜悦)in the gift of their own child，”said Peter Braude，professor at King’s College London.“He leaves the world a much better place.”
Edwards started his experiments as early as the 1950s，when he had just finished his PhD in genetics. At that time，much of the public viewed test-tube babies as“scary”，according to Mark Sauer，professor at Columbia University，US.
Edwards and his colleague Patrick Steptoe faced opposition from churches，governments and media，not to mention attacks from many of their fellow scientists.“People said that we should not play God and we should not interfere with nature，”Edwards once told Times. He said that he felt “quite alone” at the time.
“But Edwards was a fighter，and he believed in what he was doing，”said Sauer. Without support from the government，the two struggled to raise funds to carry on. And in 1968 they finally developed a method to successfully fertilize human eggs outside the body.
The first test-tube baby was born on July 25，1978.Her name was Louise Brown. Despite people’s safety concerns，Brown was just as healthy as other children.
“IVF had moved from vision to reality and a new era in medicine had begun，”BBC commented.
Ever since then，public opinion has evolved considerably. Couples who were unable to have babies began thronging(蜂拥)to Edwards’ clinic. Nowadays，Reuters reports，some 4.3 million other“test-tube” children exist. Edwards received a Nobel Prize in 2010 and was knighted(封为爵士)by Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ the following year.
Before his death，Edwards was still in touch with Louise.“He is like a granddad to me，”she said in an interview with the Daily Mail.
He is a granddad to millions, in fact.
1.What is the article mainly about?
A．The first test-tube baby.
B．A new era in medicine.
C．The inventor of IVF technology.
D．The changes IVF technology has brought.
2.The writer quoted Peter Braude to ________．
A．show how difficult it was for Edwards to do his work
B．describe what kind of person Edwards was
C．explain why he is loved by all children
D．comment on his achievement
3.The underlined word“opposition”in Paragraph 6 is closest in meaning to ________．
A．attack B．support
C．test D．influence
4.What is the CORRECT order of events in Edwards’ life?
a．He received a Nobel Prize.
b．He struggled to raise funds.
c．The first test-tube baby was born.
d．He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ.
e．He succeeded in fertilizing human eggs outside the body.
f．He started his experiments on IVF technology.
A．f—e—b—c—a—d B．f—b—e—c—d—a
C．f—b—e—c—a—d D．f—e—d—a—c—b
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The deep sea is one of the most mysterious places on earth. Scientists rarely go there. Those few do discover new species all of the time. Many places of the deepest parts of the ocean, where it's forever dark, can light up. Now, a teen's research has shown new light on how one of these swimming animals behaves in darkness.
The giant flashlight fish lives in the Indian Ocean as well as in tropical parts of the central and western Pacific. It lives at depths of up to 400 meters, (about 1,300 feet). But not always. Sometimes it lives in coral reefs in shallow waters. In those shallow waters, the blackish-blue fish comes out only at night. Reef-dwelling members of this species tend to be smaller than those living in deeper waters. Those biggies can grow to lengths of 35meters (14inches). That may not sound like a giant, but they are the largest of their type of fish.
The giant flashlight fish gets its name from a small glow-in-the-dark patch found in a packet of tissue under each eye, explains Caroline Edmonds. She is a 13- year-old student from Fountain Valley, Calif. There, she attends Talbert Middle School. She said that the eye pockets in these fish contain light-producing bacteria.
These bacteria and their host fish have built a relationship that helps both. The fish use the bacteria as a way to communicate with creatures around them. The bacteria gain nutrients from the fish and a safe place to live. When a fish wants to “ flash” its light, it turns the bacteria-filled pocket toward the outside of its body, Caroline explains. When a fish wants to hide its light, it turns the pocket back toward the inside. According to her data, the fish flash most often when they are being fed. They flash least often late at night, when they are resting.
1.The deep sea is dark and mysterious, but _________
A. a teen's research is going to light it up.
B. in the deepest part, lives a swimming animal.
C. scientists are looking for a new species to light up.
D. a kind of glowing fish has been found there.
2.What do we know about the giant flashlight fish?
A. It doesn't like living in warm places.
B. It can be found in coral reefs at times.
C. It doesn't like moving around at night.
D. It always lives at depths of up to 400 meters.
3.From where does the giant flashlight fish produce light?
A. Between its wings.
B. Inside its body.
C. Inside its back.
D. Near its eyes.
4.We can infer from the passage that Caroline Edmonds _________
A. is probably on a research team.
B. has learned about the fish in the library.
C. has always focused on her studies at school.
D. is one of the most famous American scientists.
5.What is implied in the last paragraph?
A. The light is usually on when the fish is excited.
B. The fish is sometimes troubled by the light.
C. The fish can decide when to “flash” its light.
D. The light is usually on when the fish is resting.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Theater is one of the oldest and most important art forms in world culture, it is also one of the richest art forms. Many people work together to bring a play to life. There are playwrights, directors, set designers, costumers, lighting technicians, and, of course, actors. If the performance is a musical, the skills of a songwriter, a choreographer, and musicians are also required. The excitement of opening night can be felt by the people waiting to watch a performance and by the performers and workers backstage waiting for the curtain to go up. Live theater is thrilling because no one really knows how well the play will go until it is performed.
The word theater comes from the Greek theatron, which means “a place for seeing.” One concept from Greek theater that is still seen in some plays today is the “Greek Chorus”. This consists of several actors or characters watching the action of the play(almost like the audience) and then commenting on what whey just saw with either reactions or dialogue.
Although most people think of the theater in terms of a play performed on the stage, theater has taken on a much broader meaning in the modern world. You may find yourself walking into a theater with no seats in the rows. Instead, you are seated among the set pieces, which makes you part of the setting. Sometimes theater may come to life on a street corner, or in a classroom. The excitement of theater is in its very nature----it is an art form that changes as it is interpreted(诠释) in different ways by different people. That is probably why the works of the greatest playwright of all time, William Shakespeare, are still performed and enjoyed today, both in classic and new interpretations.
1.What does the word “richest” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?
A. diverse. B. wealthy. C. terrifying. D. entertaining.
2.Why is live theater so exciting according to the text?
A. Plays are usually well written. B. It is often interpreted by skilled actors.
C. No one can predict its success or failure. D. There are so many people working on it.
3.What is suggested about the plays of Shakespeare in the text?
A. They are more often given new interpretations today than in the past.
B. They are more popular today than during Shakespeare’ s time.
C. They will always be considered the world’s greatest.
D. They have been performed in a variety of ways.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A. A vital part of theater: Greek Chorus B. Modern theater: adventures in acting
C. Shakespeare: our greatest playwright D. Theater: an exciting art form
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The history of the Louvre Museum, which today contains one of the most important art collections in the world, dates back to the Middle Ages. Built in 1190 as a fortress（堡垒）protect Paris from the Vikings, it was transformed into a palace by Francesco I. Since then, for four centuries, French kings and emperors have expanded it. The glass pyramid of I. M. Pei was added to the courtyard of honor in 1989. All galleries can be reached from here.
The glass pyramid
The projects for the monetization and expansion of the Louvre date back to 1981. They included the construction of a main entrance to the museum. The American architect of Chinese origin－I. M. Pei－was in charge of the project. Pei designed a pyramid that had to become an entrance to the museum. Its glass walls allow visitors to admire the surrounding historic buildings and to light up the entrance hall.
The Louvre collection
The Louvre treasures can date back to the collection of Francesco I (1515－1547), who bought many Italian paintings. During the rule of Louis XIV ( 1643－1715) this amounted to only 200 artworks, but it also increased as a result of donations and purchases. It was opened for the first time to the public in 1793. Since then the Louvre collection has been continuously enriched.
The fallen guide
The main entrance is under the glass pyramid. The artworks are exposed on four floors: the display rooms of the artworks are organized according to the countries they are from. There are eight sections in all. The European painters’ collection is very large, with 40 percent of French works, while the collection of sculptures is less complete.
1.What does the first paragraph say about the Louvre Museum?
A. It was first intended as a royal palace.
B. It has a history of less than ten centuries.
C. It has the largest art collection worldwide.
D. It experienced nonstop expansion in the past.
2.Which of the following in a function of the glass wills of the pyramid?
A. Acting as a good viewpoint. B. Making visitors move faster.
C. Making the entrance hall less bright. D. Preventing heat by reflecting sunlight.
3.The arrangement of the display rooms is based on the artworks’ .
A. historic values B. cultural meanings
C. countries of origin D. levels of perfection
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Walking for the Heart Disease
Walking is one of the most important steps for the recovery of heart disease. Time and speed are two vital aspects of walking for people with heart disease. One must walk for at least thirty five minutes per day. ________1.________ The following understanding will help them to walk.
Why walking?
Walking is a must for a heart patient. ________2.________ First, it reduces weight, controls sugar, and reduces stress. It also gives the joints (关节) enough movement, fresh air – if you walk in the morning. Regular walks help in the control of blood pressure. But the most important advantage is that it gives fitness to the heart.
________3.________
Start walking slowly. Gradually increase the speed. Feel when the angina (心绞痛) is about to come. Stop, the feeling will go away. Walk again, but now the speed will be slower than the last time. Keep walking now and the angina will not come. This is the correct speed.
How to start?
Suppose, you are at the stage of Class I angina: start walking on Day One. Try to walk about 30 minutes. For Class II angina group, walking should be slow and they should start with 10-15 minutes. They should not walk fast. Class III angina patients should start with one minute at home on empty stomach. After two days, they should increase to two minutes. ________4.
However, do not walk more than ten minutes a time.
Dos and don’ts on physical activity:
Heart patients must also know that they can do most of the activities where the heart rate does not go up. Sitting in an office, talking over the phone, discussing, driving car are some of the activities which do not increase the heart’s speed. ________5.________ As a matter of fact, stresses can also lead to other illnesses.
A. It has a great number of advantages.
B. Walking plays a very important role in helping a heart patient recover.
C. How to roughly judge the proper walking speed?
D. What is more important for the heart patient is to know the speed of walking.
E. But avoid all kinds of stresses, as stress can increase the heart’s speed.
F. How to increase the speed of walking?
G. Gradually they should increase the time but not the speed.
高二英语其他题中等难度题查看答案及解析
Flying devices called drones(无人机) may be one of the most important technologies of the future.
The number of jobs for people who know how to design, build and control them is increasing. Because of this increase, several U.S. universities have started offering degrees in unmanned aircraft systems, or UAS.
One of these universities is the University of Washington in Seattle. Ward Handley is seeking a master’s degree in UAS at the university. When the drone program first began, he did not think it was a good idea. “Drones can be used to invade privacy(侵犯隐私).” He said. But later, Handley changed his opinion. He said, “I think there are good enough purposes for them.”
The FAA (the part of the U.S. government that controls air travel and traffic) is creating new rules to control the use of drones, however. A new law requires drone owners to register(登记) their drones. People who do not register their drones could face fines of up to US$20,000.
The new rules may also present problems for students. One problem is finding a legal place to fly.
Students at Blue Mountain Community College fly inside the college gym. In Seattle, University of Washington students test their drones in a big room.
Christopher Lum, a scientist at the University of Washington, helps students explore how drones can safely share the sky with regular aircraft. Lum explained why they test drones inside a building, “We need to register our aircraft and get permission to fly outside. That process can take months.”
At this time, Kansas State University is the only school with permission to offer unmanned aircraft flight classes to students outside. The FAA selected Kansas State University and 15 other universities to be part of a national research group.
Lum and some of his students recently moved their research to Australia. Australia has fewer rules limiting drones. A professor at Western Washington University also took his department’s drones to Canada for the same reason.
1.Degrees in UAS were created in several U.S. universities because of ________.
A. the increasing interest in the field
B. the increasing employment opportunities
C. the support from the government
D. the development of this technology
2.Why didn’t Handley think the drone program was a good idea at first?
A. Drones can be used for bad purposes.
B. The use of drones was very limited.
C. Few people can benefit from the program.
D. The university didn’t attach great importance to the program.
3.According to Lum, why does he teach flight classes inside a building?
A. It’s safer for the students.
B. It’s very expensive to register the aircraft.
C. It takes a very long time to get official permission.
D. He hasn’t got permission from the university.
4.What can we infer from the last two paragraphs?
A. Australia is promoting the use of drones.
B. Kansas State University is the first to offer a UAS degree.
C. Australia has fewer rules than Canada to control the use of drones.
D. The U.S. has more rules than Canada to control the use of drones.
高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析