Many of the most striking beasts on the plane...

Many of the most striking beasts on the planet come in only two colors: black and white. These high-contrast markings represent some of the nature's most diverse evolutionary choices. For some animals, black -and- white coloring is a way to warn off natural enemies. For others, to keep insects away. For still others, it creates a clever cover. Spend some time exploring what science has discovered about these animals’ appearances, and you will see that basic black and white isn't so basic after all.

Skunk

Depending on the species, black skunks may wear white spots that act as a cover or white stripes(条纹)that signal enemies to watch out for their smelly spray.

Giant Panda

Resent insights into panda coloring have come from studying each body part separately. Black ears indicate fierceness, and distinct eye patches aid in individual recognition. The panda in white body hides it against snow, white its dark limbs(四肢) keep it from being spotted in forests, a compromise developed from its poor bamboo diet:Bamboo doesn’t let pandas build up enough fat to hibernate(冬眠), forcing them to spend winters in the snow.

Badger

Even when a badger is in its cave, its facial stripes can be seen, Zoologists say the warning coloration helps the small animal prevent natural enemies.

Blackbuck(male)

In bright sun, the buck’s white stomach reduces the effect of the shadow cast by his back, allowing him to appear one color and two dimensional---especially hiding from natural enemies in his own shadown.

1.Which animals can use their color to warn off natural enemies?

A. Skunk and Badger B. Giant panda and Zebra

C. Badger and Blackbuck D. Zebra and Blackbuck

2.White body and dark limbs help the giant panda to ________.

A. show fierceness B. store fat

C. recognize individuals D. take cover

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

A. Which animals have black- and- white color?

B. How some animals protect themselves from harm.

C. Why so many animals wear black- and- white coats?

D. What science has discovered about different colors.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

___ with the increasing unemployment, many people went on strike in most of the European countries.

A. Facing   B. Being faced   C. Faced    D. Having faced

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Many of the most damaging types of weather begin quickly, strike suddenly, and disappear rapidly, destroying small areas while leaving neighboring areas untouched．Such event as a tornado struck the northeastern part of Edmonton, Alberta, in July 1987．Total damages from the tornado went beyond $250 million, the highest ever for any Canadian storm．

Traditional computer models of the atmosphere have limited value in predicting short-lived local storms like the Edmonton tornado, because the available weather data are generally not detailed enough to allow computers to study carefully the slight atmospheric changes that come before these storms．In most nations, for example, weather-balloon observations are taken just once every twelve hours at places separated by hundreds of miles．With such limited data, traditional forecasting models do a much better job predicting general weather conditions over large areas than they do forecasting specific local events．

Until recently, the observation intensive method needed for exact, very short-range forecasts, or “Nowcasts,” was not possible．The cost of equipping and operating many thousands of conventional weather stations was extremely high, and the difficulties concerned in rapidly collecting and processing the weather data from such a network were hard to overcome．

Fortunately, scientific and technological advances have overcome most of these problems．Radar systems and satellites are all able to make detailed, nearly continuous observation over large areas at a lower cost．Communications satellites can send out data around the world cheaply and immediately, and modern computers can quickly collect and analyze this large amount of weather information．

Meteorologists（气象学者）and computer scientists now work together to design computer programs and video equipment able to change weather data into words and graphic displays that forecasters can understand easily and quickly．As meteorologists have begun using these new technologies in weather forecasting offices, Nowcasting is becoming a reality．

1．Why can’t traditional computer models predict short-lived local storms?

A．The weather data people collect are often wrong．

B．Detailed weather data in some small areas are not available．

C．The computers are not advanced enough to predict them．D．The computers are not used to forecast specific local events．

2．The word “Nowcast” in Paragraph 3 means ________．

A．a network to collect storm data

B．a way of collecting weather data

C．a more advanced system of weather observation

D．a forecast which can predict weather in the small area

3．What can make “Nowcasts” a reality according to the passage?

A．Scientific and technological advances． B．Advanced computer programs．

C．Computer scientists．              D．Meteorologists．

4．What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．The advantages of “Nowcasts”．        B．A tornado in Edmonton, Alberta．

C．The difficulty in predicting tornado．  D．A great development in weather forecast．

高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Music comes in many forms; most countries have a style of their own. The US is well known for jazz (爵士乐), which has gained world-wide popularity.

In contrast to classical (古典的) music, which follows formal European traditions, jazz is natural and free-form. It is full of energy, expressing the moods, interests, and feelings of the people. It has a modern sound that makes people very excited. In the 1920s jazz sounded like America. And So it does today.

The origins of this music are as interesting as the music itself. Jazz was produced by American blacks, who were brought to the Southern States as slaves. They were sold to plantation owners (种植园主) and forced to work long hours in the cotton and tobacco fields. This work was hard and life was short. When a Negro died, his friends and relatives formed a group to carry the body to the cemetery.

A band often went with them. On the way to the cemetery the band played slow and sad music. But on the way home the mood changed. Spirits lifted. Everybody was happy. Death had removed one of their members, but the living were glad to be alive. The band played happy music, which made everyone want to dance. It was an early form of jazz.

Music has always been important in their lives. Coming mainly from West Africa, the black men who were brought to America already possessed a rich musical tradition. This music centered on religious ceremonies (宗教的仪式) in which dancing, singing, clapping and stamping (顿足) to the beat of a drum were important forms of musical expression. As these people settled in to their fields, they made up work songs. Singing made the hard work go faster.

Another musical form that helped to develop jazz was the blues. Blues songs always describe something sad — an unhappy love affair, a money problem, bad luck. To this day, the expression “feeling blue” means being sad.

1.Through jazz, people can express______.

2.Which of the following is true according to the text?

3.The underlined sentence “Spirits lilted,” suggested that______.

4.What should be the best tide for this passage?

A. A Light Music.

B. Black men’s Music.

C. The Origin of the Jazz Music.

D. The Popular Music—Jazz in the U.S.A.

5.Why did the band play happy music on the way home from the cemetery?

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

One of the most striking findings of a newly research in the UK is that of the people interviewed, one in two believes that it is becoming more difficult to meet someone to start a family with.

Why are many finding it increasingly difficult to start close relationships? Does modern life really make it harder to fall in love? Or are we making it harder for ourselves? It is certainly the case today that contemporary couples benefit in different ways from relationships. Women no longer rely upon partners for money or status. A man doesn’t expect his wife to be in sole (唯一的) charge of running his household and raising his children.

But perhaps the knowledge that we can live perfectly well without a partnership means that it takes much more to persuade people to abandon their independence.

In theory, finding a partner should be much simpler these days. Only a few generations ago, your choice of soul mate was limited by geography, social convention and family tradition. Although it was never clear, many marriages were essentially arranged. Now those barriers have been broken down. You can approach a builder or a brain surgeon in any bar in any city on any given evening. When the world is your oyster (牡蛎), you surely have a better chance of finding a pearl.

But it seems that the old conventions have been replaced by the limitation of choice. The expectations of partners are raised to an unmanageable degree: good looks, impressive salary, kind to grandmother, and right socks. There is no room for error in the first impression.

We think that a relationship can be perfect. If it isn’t, it should be ended. We work to protect ourselves against future heartache and don’t put in the hard emotional labor needed to build a strong relationship. Twelve-hour work at the office makes relaxed after-hours dating difficult. The cost of housing and child-raising creates pressure to have a stable income and career before a life partnership.

1.What is a contemporary family like in the UK today?

A. Women are responsible for housework.

B. Men begin to depend on women.

C. Couples share the burdens.

D. It is difficult to take care of a family.

2.Why do people want to preserve their independence?

A. To ignore traditions.　　 B. To have more choices.

C. To avoid marriages.　　 D. To live alone happily.

3.What makes it hard for people to date?

A. Mental headache in dating.　　 B. Bad luck in finding a partner.

C. The pressure to survive.　　 D. The disbelief in life partners.

4.What is the author trying to inform us in this text?

A. Expectations and reality stand in the way of relationships.

B. People should spend more money on marriages.

C. Perfect marriages conflict with individual independence.

D. Independence is much more important than love.

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

Britain’s seed bank, the only one in the world aiming to collect all of the planet’s wild plant species, has reached its goal of banking 10 percent by 2010.

The Millennium Seed Bank Project, run by Kew Gardens—one of the oldest botanical gardens—will officially deposit the 24,200th species on Thursday, a pink, wild banana from China.

More than 50 countries are now on board with Kew's giant task but vast places of the globe, including India and Brazil, still need to join in and donate seeds, director Paul Smith said.

The seed bank is one of the largest and most diverse in the world with more than 1.5 billion seeds. Its goal is to help protect the planet’s bio-diversity during a time of climate change.

The wild banana seed is under threat of extinction(灭绝) in southwest China from agricultural development. It is a vital food source for Asian elephants and important for growing bananas for human consumption.

Stored at minus-20 degrees centigrade, so they can last for thousands of years, the seeds await the day that scientists hope never comes—when the species no longer exist in the wild.

It is a race against time, Smith said, because in the last decade alone, 20 plants held in the bank have already been wiped out in the wild. He estimates that between a third and a quarter will become extinct this century.

"It is urgent and it is happening now. An area, the size of England, is cleared of primary vegetation（植被）every year." Smith said.

Because most of the world's food and medicines come from nature, protecting wild plant species is quite important, scientists say. There are already many other seed banks safeguarding food crops, which only account for 0.6 percent of plant diversity.

For Kew's next goal—to collect a quarter of wild varieties by 2020—the botanists need 10 million pounds a year, or a further 100 million pounds on top of the 40 million they have already been granted.

1.What’s the final purpose of the Britain’s seed bank?

A. To collect enough money for the project.  B. To safeguard food crops.

C. To protect wild plants from extinction.        D. To help scientists study wild plants.

2.The wild banana seed in China is in danger because of _______.

A. the expanding of farming work           B. the climate change in this area

C. the large number of Asian elephants       D. human’s large consumption

3. We can learn from the passage that _______.

A. the seeds in the bank can be used now and then all over the world

B. India and Brazil haven’t joined in the Seed Bank Project at present

C. there is only one seed bank in the world at present

D. the wild plants in places like India and China will never die out

4. What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 7 refer to?

A. The extinction of plant species.           B. The Millennium Seed Bank Project.

C. Britain’s seed bank.                      D. Kew Gardens’ next goal.

5.Which of the following information isn’t mentioned in the passage?

A. The global partnership of collecting wild plant species.

B. The temperature condition of the conservative wild plant species.

C. The government’s financial support for the seed bank project.

D. Scientists’ concern on the extinct wild plant species.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

.

Scientists have not come close to understanding all the different kinds of life on the planet, but US researcher Craig Venter is already working on creating the first artificial（人造的）life.

Venter and his researchers made a breakthrough late last month, They successfully moved the DNA of one type of bacteria(细菌) to a yeast cell（酵母）, changed it, then put it into another bacterial cell.

“Bacteria have systems that protect them from foreign DNA” Venter explained to the BBC, In the experiment, the team managed to block this system.

The experiment was performed on a simple type of bacteria celled mycoplasma mycoides. The team took the bacteria’s genes and put them into a yeast cell.

Putting a DNA in a yeast cell allowed the team to change the genes in this case, taking out a gene that was not necessary for the bacteria to live.

They then put the gene into a host bacteria cell. The cell went on to divide normally, producing new healthy bacteria.

In January, the team created artificial genes of a new type of bacteria. Their next goal is to put the artificial DNA into a host cell to create a new species, according to a report in Science magazine.

“lf we don’t make any errors, I think it should work and we should have the first artificial species by the end of the year.” Venter said in the report.

The first artificial life form is likely to be a simple man-made bacteria, to prove that the technology can work.. But that form will be followed by more complex bacteria that turn coal into cleaner natural gas, or algae  that can take in carbon dioxide and change it into fuel.

Many scientists think it’s good news to have this artificial life, but others are worried that the technology to create new organisms might end up in the wrong hands, with dangerous result.

57．Which of the following is true according to the text ?

A  Bacteria have systems that protect them from yeast cell.

B  If we put a gene into a host bacteria cell,the cell will not go on to divide as usual.

C  Venter and his researchers completely achieved all their goals.

D  All the scientists didn’t agree to this artificial life.

58. What can we learn from the underlined sentences?

A. Venter and his researchers had succeeded in this project.

B. Venter predicted that they would make errors in the future,so he decided to give it up.

C. Venter would go on the study and he was full of confidence.

D. Venter was a clearer man but a little shy.

59. Which of the following shows the order of the passage ?

1.change the genes

2. put the gene into a host bacteria cell

3. moved the DNA of one type of bacteria to a yeast cell

4. The cell went on to divide normally

5. put it into another bacteria cell

A. 3-5-1-4-2     .               B. 3-5-1-2-4   C. 4-2-5-1-3                      D. 2-3-5-1-4

60.What will be mentioned in the next paragraph?

A. The wrong hands that created by the artificial life.

B. The advantages and disadvantages about the artificial life.

C. The future about this project.

D. The author’s attitude.

高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Scientists have not come close to understanding all the different kinds of life on the planet, but US researcher Craig Venter is already working on creating the first artificial life.

Venter and his researchers made a breakthrough this August. They successfully moved the DNA of one type of bacteria(细菌) to a yeast(酵母) cell, changed it, then put it into another bacterial cell.

“Bacteria have systems that protect them from foreign DNA,” Venter explained to the BBC. In the experiment, the team managed to block this system.

The experiment was performed on a simple type of bacteria called Mycoplasma mycoides. The team took the bacteria’s genes and put them into a yeast cell.

Putting the DNA in a yeast cell allowed the team to change the genes----in this case, taking out a gene that was not necessary for the bacteria to live.

They then put the gene into a host bacteria cell. The cell went on to divide normally, producing new healthy bacteria.

In January, the team created artificial genes of a new type of bacteria. Their next goal is to put the artificial DNA into a host cell to create a new species, according to a report in Science magazine.

“If we don’t make any errors, I think it should work and we should have the first artificial species by the end of the year,” Venter said in the report.

The first artificial life from is likely to be a simple man-made bacteria, to prove that the technology can work. But that form will be followed by more complex bacteria that turn coal into cleaner natural gas, or algae that can take in carbon dioxide and change it into fuel.

Many scientists think it’s good news to have this artificial life, but others are worried that the technology to create new organisms might end up in the wrong hands, with dangerous results.

1.Craig Venter and his team are working to ______.

A．create a new animal

B．clone a new species

C．produce the first artificial bacteria

D．develop a new system

2.Which of the following is the right order of the experiment?

a. A gene was removed and put into a host bacteria cell.

b. The genes were put into a yeast cell.

c. The cell produced new healthy bacteria.

d. The genes were changed.

e. Some genes were taken out of Mycoplasma mycoides.

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

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

3.According to the passage, complex artificial bacteria, which will follow the first simple man-made bacteria, are intended to ______.

A．cure deadly diseases

B．prepare the Earth for natural disasters

C．prove that the technology can work

D．improve the earth’s environment

4.We can learn from the passage that ______.

A．Venter and his team are the only scientists trying to create artificial life

B．The experiment was based on research into different kinds of life on Earth

C．A new type of bacteria was created in January

D．All scientists are not in favor of the research

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Scientists have not come close to understanding all the different kinds of life on the planet, but US researcher Craig Venter is already working on creating the first artificial（人造的）life.

Venter and his researchers made a breakthrough late last month, They successfully moved the DNA of one type of bacteria(细菌) to a yeast cell（酵母）, changed it, then put it into another bacterial cell.

“Bacteria have systems that protect them from foreign DNA” Venter explained to the BBC, In the experiment, the team managed to block this system.

The experiment was performed on a simple type of bacteria celled mycoplasma mycoides. The team took the bacteria’s genes and put them into a yeast cell.

Putting a DNA in a yeast cell allowed the team to change the genes in this case, taking out a gene that was not necessary for the bacteria to live.

They then put the gene into a host bacteria cell. The cell went on to divide normally, producing new healthy bacteria.

In January, the team created artificial genes of a new type of bacteria. Their next goal is to put the artificial DNA into a host cell to create a new species, according to a report in Science magazine.

“lf we don’t make any errors, I think it should work and we should have the first artificial species by the end of the year.” Venter said in the report.

The first artificial life form is likely to be a simple man-made bacteria, to prove that the technology can work.. But that form will be followed by more complex bacteria that turn coal into cleaner natural gas, or algae  that can take in carbon dioxide and change it into fuel.

Many scientists think it’s good news to have this artificial life, but others are worried that the technology to create new organisms might end up in the wrong hands, with dangerous result.

1.Which of the following is true according to the text ?

A  Bacteria have systems that protect them from yeast cell.

B  If we put a gene into a host bacteria cell,the cell will not go on to divide as usual.

C  Venter and his researchers completely achieved all their goals.

D  All the scientists didn’t agree to this artificial life.

2.What can we learn from the underlined sentences?

A. Venter and his researchers had succeeded in this project.

B. Venter predicted that they would make errors in the future,so he decided to give it up.

C. Venter would go on the study and he was full of confidence.

D. Venter was a clearer man but a little shy.

3.Which of the following shows the order of the passage ?

1.change the genes

2. put the gene into a host bacteria cell

3. moved the DNA of one type of bacteria to a yeast cell

4. The cell went on to divide normally

5. put it into another bacteria cell

A. 3-5-1-4-2     .               B. 3-5-1-2-4   C. 4-2-5-1-3                      D. 2-3-5-1-4

4.What will be mentioned in the next paragraph?

A. The wrong hands that created by the artificial life.

B. The advantages and disadvantages about the artificial life.

C. The future about this project.

D. The author’s attitude.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

There are billions of people on this planet, and many of us love to eat meat. Can the demand be filled in a sustainable(可持续的) and affordable way? A bunch of businessmen are not only optimistic but are working to make this happen sooner than you may think.

The environmental effects caused by meat consumption (食用)—waste, animal treatment, health problems and even the greenhouse gas effects that are potentially caused by methane gas produced by cows—have given rise to a number of startups(新兴公司)looking to develop meats in different ways.

For example, San Francisco-based Memphis Meats is developing cell-based meats in its labs without requiring any animals. Israel’s Future Meat Technologies is doing the same by producing fat and muscle cells that are being tested by chefs in Jerusalem. All of these companies use special processes to harvest cells from animals and grow them in a lab.

But don’t worry if you’re not a meat lover. Startups such as Jet Eat, which is also based in Israel, are working on food products grown in labs that are plant-based and replicate (复制) meats using natural elements while still keeping flavor, consistency and the “overall sensory experience”, according to a report on NoCamels. Jet Eat, which was founded in early 2018, aims to 3D-print their lab-grown products by 2020.

As you can imagine, there are plenty of barriers facing the industry. Educating the public is a big one. Another controversial issue is the labeling of the products.　 Recently both the USDA and the Food and Drug Administration(FDA) announced that they will begin jointly controlling the new “cell-based meat” category.

Many of us have concerns about the challenges facing future generations as our global population increases and the earth’s natural resources decreases. The good news is that there are plenty of businessmen around the world—like those producing lab-grown meats—who are working to solve some of these problems and make a little money in the process. Nothing wrong with that.

1.Why do some companies begin to develop new kinds of meats?

A.To analyse the causes of air pollution.

B.To stress the importance of protecting wild animals.

C.To make people less interested in eating meat and more healthy.

D.To meet people’s demand for meat in environmentally friendly ways.

2.What’s special about the lab-grown meats of Jet Eat?

A.They cost less. B.They are plant-based.

C.They are more delicious. D.They are available on the market now.

3.Which of the following is a barrier lab-grown meat industries must deal with?

A.How to let people accept the meat. B.How to give the meat an elegant name.

C.How to produce the meat in large amounts. D.How to reduce the cost of making the meat.

4.What’s the author’s attitude towards lab-grown meats?

A.Supportive. B.Opposing. C.Ambiguous. D.Cautious.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析