The evolution of the first animals may have oxygenated(供氧)Earth's oceans. New research
led by the University of Exeter challenges the long held belief that oxygenation of the atmosphere and oceans was a precondition for the evolution of complex life forms.
The study, published in the journal Nature Geoscience, builds on the recent work of scientists in Denmark who found that sponges(海绵动物)一the first animals to evolve一require only small amounts of oxygen.
Professor Tim Lenton of the University of Exeter, who led the new study, said: "We argue that the evolution of the first animals could have played a key role in the widespread oxygenation of the deep oceans. This in turn may have facilitated the evolution of more complex, mobile animals."
Critical to determining oxygen levels in the deep ocean is the balance of oxygen supply and demand. Demand for oxygen is created by the sinking of dead organic material into the deep ocean. The new study argues that the first animals reduced this supply of organic matter一both directly and indirectly.
Sponges feed by pumping water through their bodies, "digesting" the tiny particles of organic matter, and thus helping oxygenate the shelf seas that they live in. By oxygenating more of the bottom waters, the first animals actually increased the removal of the essential nutrient phosphorus(磷)in the ocean. This in turn reduced the productivity of the whole ocean ecosystem, lowering oxygen demand and thus oxygenating the deep ocean.
A more oxygen-rich ocean created ideal conditions for more complex mobile animals to evolve, because they have a higher requirement for oxygen. These included the first predatory(肉食的)animals with guts(内脏)that started to eat one another, marking the beginning of the type of food webs we are familiar with today.
Professor Simon Poulton of the University of Leeds, who is a co-author of the study, added: "This study provides a possible mechanism for ocean oxygenation without the requirement for a rise in atmospheric oxygen. It therefore questions whether the long-standing belief that there was a major rise in atmospheric oxygen at this time is correct. We simply don't know the answer to this at present, which is ultimately key to understanding how our planet evolved to its current habitable state. Geochemists need to come up with new ways to explain oxygen levels on the early Earth."
1.The underlined word "facilitated" in Para. 3 is closest in meaning to__.
A. prevented B. promoted C. interrupted D. witnessed
2.From paragraphs 4 to 6, we can infer that__.
A. phosphorus can keep the productivity of the ocean ecosystem
B. complex animals consume the same amount of oxygen as sponges
C. the sinking of dead organic material into the deep ocean produces oxygen
D. the existence of the first animals marks the beginning of modern food webs
3. From the last paragraph, we can learn Pro. Simon Poulton believes that__.
A. their study gives a new explanation for the high oxygen content in the air
B.oxygen increased greatly in the air as the first animals oxygenated the oceans
C. their study answers the question of how the earth evolved to the present state
D. ocean oxygenation does not necessarily require a rise in atmospheric oxygen
4.The main purpose of the passage is to__.
A. present the view that the first animals played an active role in oxygenating oceans
B. introduce two opposite opinions on how the first animals oxygenated oceans
C.analyze how atmospheric oxygen stepped up the evolution of oceanic animals
D. explain how oceanic oxygen determines the amount of atmospheric oxygen
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
The evolution of the first animals may have oxygenated(供氧)Earth's oceans. New research
led by the University of Exeter challenges the long held belief that oxygenation of the atmosphere and oceans was a precondition for the evolution of complex life forms.
The study, published in the journal Nature Geoscience, builds on the recent work of scientists in Denmark who found that sponges(海绵动物)一the first animals to evolve一require only small amounts of oxygen.
Professor Tim Lenton of the University of Exeter, who led the new study, said: "We argue that the evolution of the first animals could have played a key role in the widespread oxygenation of the deep oceans. This in turn may have facilitated the evolution of more complex, mobile animals."
Critical to determining oxygen levels in the deep ocean is the balance of oxygen supply and demand. Demand for oxygen is created by the sinking of dead organic material into the deep ocean. The new study argues that the first animals reduced this supply of organic matter一both directly and indirectly.
Sponges feed by pumping water through their bodies, "digesting" the tiny particles of organic matter, and thus helping oxygenate the shelf seas that they live in. By oxygenating more of the bottom waters, the first animals actually increased the removal of the essential nutrient phosphorus(磷)in the ocean. This in turn reduced the productivity of the whole ocean ecosystem, lowering oxygen demand and thus oxygenating the deep ocean.
A more oxygen-rich ocean created ideal conditions for more complex mobile animals to evolve, because they have a higher requirement for oxygen. These included the first predatory(肉食的)animals with guts(内脏)that started to eat one another, marking the beginning of the type of food webs we are familiar with today.
Professor Simon Poulton of the University of Leeds, who is a co-author of the study, added: "This study provides a possible mechanism for ocean oxygenation without the requirement for a rise in atmospheric oxygen. It therefore questions whether the long-standing belief that there was a major rise in atmospheric oxygen at this time is correct. We simply don't know the answer to this at present, which is ultimately key to understanding how our planet evolved to its current habitable state. Geochemists need to come up with new ways to explain oxygen levels on the early Earth."
1.The underlined word "facilitated" in Para. 3 is closest in meaning to__.
A. prevented B. promoted C. interrupted D. witnessed
2.From paragraphs 4 to 6, we can infer that__.
A. phosphorus can keep the productivity of the ocean ecosystem
B. complex animals consume the same amount of oxygen as sponges
C. the sinking of dead organic material into the deep ocean produces oxygen
D. the existence of the first animals marks the beginning of modern food webs
3. From the last paragraph, we can learn Pro. Simon Poulton believes that__.
A. their study gives a new explanation for the high oxygen content in the air
B.oxygen increased greatly in the air as the first animals oxygenated the oceans
C. their study answers the question of how the earth evolved to the present state
D. ocean oxygenation does not necessarily require a rise in atmospheric oxygen
4.The main purpose of the passage is to__.
A. present the view that the first animals played an active role in oxygenating oceans
B. introduce two opposite opinions on how the first animals oxygenated oceans
C.analyze how atmospheric oxygen stepped up the evolution of oceanic animals
D. explain how oceanic oxygen determines the amount of atmospheric oxygen
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
You may be fascinated with pictures of animals in the wild. You might have imagined yourself taking pictures of animals that are rarely seen in the city. If you do get that chance, you may want to consider the following tips or rules.
First of all, a lot of professional photographers give respect to these animals and the environment they are in. Just remember that you should respect the animals and the environment in case these animals bite or hurt you.
Keep in mind that you are taking pictures of real, live, wild animals. A wild animal may bite to protect itself. You must be sensitive while taking their pictures and be gentle in all your movements. Do not feed the animals, or interact with animals that are sleeping or caring for their young.
If you are going to a place where it is privately(私人)owned, you’d better get the owner’s permission first before you start taking pictures.
Change the flash of your camera to natural light, so the animals will not be frightened or surprised when you start shooting. Animals do not react well when they are surprised.
Be very patient. Make sure you are aware of the changes in behavior of the animal and its moods. Be familiar with the animals’ natural habitat.
Now if those rules are clear, it is time for planning. Consider the weather; some animals do not go out when it is raining while some animals love the rain. Therefore, a little research on the weather will not hurt. You should consider taking pictures after sunrise and before sunset. Now if the animal is nocturnal(夜间活动的), then you should prepare to battle not only the wild but also the darkness.
An adventure in the wild will make you very excited. However, you should be well equipped, have experts to back you up, and also a permit for doing the photo shoot. If you do not have any of these, then maybe you should consider visiting the zoo instead.
1.The main purpose of the author in writing this passage is .
A. to call for us to protect animals
B. to show where to buy pictures of animals
C. to explain how to get along with wild animals
D. to give us tips on taking pictures of animals in the wild
2.Which of the following aspects is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A. Respecting the animals.
B. Making gentle movements.
C. Making the animals happy.
D. Changing the flash of your camera to natural light.
3. If the animals are on a farm owned by a person, we should .
A. ask the owner to take pictures for us
B. ask for the owner’s permission first
C. make sure the owner is present when we take pictures
D. take pictures when the owner is feeding animals
4. We can infer from the passage that .
A. most animals love being taken pictures of
B. we have to finish the pictures before sunset
C. we’d better take pictures when the animals are sleeping
D. we should pay attention to the animals’ moods when taking pictures
5.What preparation should you do before going to take pictures of wild animals?
①Preparing some food to feed the animals.
②Asking experts for advice.
③Knowing the weather in the animals’ habitat.
④Getting a permission for taking pictures of wild animals.
A. ①②④ B. ②③④ C. ①②③ D. ①③④
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
A deadly strain of avian flu may have passed between people for the first time, experts believe.The avian influenza A (H7N9) virus is thought to have been transmitted between father and daughter in eastern China, according to research published online by the British Medical Journal (BMJ).
The findings provide the strongest evidence yet of H7N9 transmission between humans since its discover in February, but its ability to transmit itself was deemed "limited and non-sustainable" by the Chinese researchers behind the study.At the end of June 133 cases had been reported, including 43 deaths. Most infections have been among people visiting markets, selling live birds or among those who had contact with live poultry(家禽) in the seven to 10 days before becoming ill.
The latest study examined the case of a 60-year-old father who regularly visited a live poultry market and became ill five to six days after his last visit in March. He was admitted to hospital with fever, cough and shortness of breath. Despite intensive care treatment he died of multiple organ failure on 4 May. His 32-year-old daughter, who was previously healthy, looked after him at his bedside before he was admitted to intensive care. She had no known exposure to live poultry before falling ill with a very high temperature, cough and fever. The daughter developed symptoms six days after her last contact with her father and was admitted to hospital where she died of multiple organ failure on 24 April.
Follow-up investigations(调查) uncovered almost genetically identical virus strains from each patient, suggesting transmission from father to daughter. Another 43 people were also tested who had had close contact with the father, daughter or both.
Dr Peter Horby, senior clinical research fellow at the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit in Hanoi, Vietnam, said of the study: "The most likely source of infection for the daughter was her father, during the period that she cared for him while he was ill. "He said “limited person to person transmission had been reported for other strains like H5N1 , H7N7, and the pig origin flu virus H3N2. Those strains had been around for more than a decade but have not progressed any further down the path towards a world-wide virus.” “Limited human-to-human transmission of H7N9 virus is therefore not surprising, but strengthening to monitor it was still needed,” Dr Horby added.
1.What’s the main idea of the passage ?
A. The findings about H7N9 transmission only between father and daughter .
B. H7N9 transmission may be spreading between people .
C. 133 cases of H7N9 transmission have been reported .
D. Both the father and daughter died of multiple organ failure.
2.The reason why the daughter died of multiple organ failure was that _____.
A. she fell ill with a very high temperature, cough and fever.
B. she was exposed to live poultry before falling ill.
C. she had close contact with the father while caring for her sick father .
D. she sold live birds in five to six days before falling ill .
3.Which of the following is Wrong about H7N9 transmission?
A. It was limited and non-sustainable
B. It was person to person transmission
C. It wasn’t progressed any further down the path towards a world-wide virus.
D. It happened between father and daughter .
4.The underlined word s “was deemed” in paragraph 2 probably means _______
A. was decreased B. was regarded as
C. was thought of D. was developed
5.What type of writing is the article likely to be ?
A. A news report. B. Popular science.
C.A medical report D.A medical findings
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
If maths is the language of the universe, bees may have just uttered their first words. New research suggests these busybodies of the insect world are capable of addition and subtraction (减法)—using colors in the place of plus and minus symbols.
In the animal kingdom, the ability to count—or at least distinguish between differing quantities—isn’t unusual: It has been seen in frogs, spiders, and even fish. But solving equations (方程式) using symbols is rare, so far only achieved by famously brainy animals such as chimpanzees and African grey parrots.
Building on previous research that says the social insects can count to four and understand the concept of zero, researchers wanted to test the limits of what their tiny brains can do.
Scientists trained 14 bees to link the colors blue and yellow to addition and subtraction, respectively. They placed the bees at the entrance of a Y-shaped maze (迷宫), where they were shown several shapes in either yellow or blue. If the shapes were blue, bees got a reward if they went to the end of the maze with one more blue shape (the other end had one less blue shape); if the shapes were yellow, they got a reward if they went to the end of the maze with one less yellow shape.
The testing worked the same way: Bees that “subtracted” one shape when they saw yellow, or “added” one shape when they saw blue were considered to have aced the test. The bees got the right answer 63% to 72% of the time, depending on the type of equation and the direction of the right answer—much better than random guesses would allow—the researchers report today in Science Advances.
Though the results came from just 14 bees, researchers say the advance is exciting. If a brain about 20,000 times smaller than ours can perform maths using symbols, it could pave the way to novel approaches in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Just don’t ask the bees to do your homework anytime soon.
1.Why do the scientists conduct the research?
A. To teach them maths. B. To test the power of tiny brains.
C. To explain the meaning of colors. D. To get access to machine learning.
2.What does the underlined word “aced” in Paragraph 5 probably mean?
A. Given up. B. Entered for.
C. Got through. D. Checked over.
3.What might the research make contributions to?
A. Language acquisition. B. Arithmetic learning.
C. Protection of animals. D. Development of AI.
4.What can be the best title for the text?
A. Bees “Like” Counting
B. Bees “Tell” Colors Apart
C. Bees “Perform” Maths Using Shapes
D. Bees “Get” Addition and Subtraction
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Chemists have sped up evolution, harnessing a process that can take millions of years in the natural world and using it—in months or weeks—to make unusual molecules that today are used for everything from “green” biofuels(生物燃料) to cancer drugs. Today that speed and efficiency was rewarded with the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Frances H. Arnold won half of the 2018 prize for directing evolution in a test tube, speeding up the natural selection of the most productive enzymes(酶) to drive chemical reactions. The other half of the prize went to George P. Smith and Sir Gregory P. Winter.
All three scientists took Charles Darwin's idea of natural selection, in which molecules(分子) or organisms accumulate mutations(突变) in a slow, random process, and figured out ways to identify and select specific mutations that improve the ability of molecules such as proteins and enzymes. By picking and choosing enzymes with improved abilities and repeatedly refining them, Arnold ended up with one that performed 256 times better than the original.
“This was a revolution based on evolution,” says Claes Gustafsson, a member of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry. “Now you can use these enzymes to speed up reaction and to replace poisonous chemicals.”
Arnold began her line of research in the early 1990s. In a speech several years ago she said the notion of improving on the natural course of evolution was an idea that needed to come from an outsider. “Twentyfive years ago it was considered the lunatic fringe(狂热者,极端分子),” Arnold said in 2014. “Scientists didn't do that. Gentlemen didn't do that. But since I’m an engineer and_not_a_gentleman._I_had_no_problem_with_that.”
Smith's research, begun in the 1980s,used a bacteriophage(噬菌体). Genes code for proteins, and Smith got his phages to display those proteins on their outer coats. He then used antibodies to fish out the proteins he was interested in. This process is called phage display. The ability to select specific proteins, cycle their genes back through the phage, and again fish out the best ones sped up natural selection.
Winter put the genes for antibodies inside phages,got the phages to produce antibodies on their coats, and used a small molecule to fish out only antibodies that had a particular kind of binding site(结合部位), so Winter had developed a way of producing highly efficient antibodies in a short period of time. Because of this, Claes says, “Now we can use antibody drugs with greater efficiency and fewer side effects.” Of the 15 mostsold drugs on the planet, she says, 11 are now made by processes based on this method.
1.Why does the Nobel Prize in Chemistry go to Frances H. Arnold?
A. She followed Charles Darwin's idea of natural selection.
B. She found ways to use viruses to produce powerful proteins.
C. She developed a way of producing highly efficient antibodies.
D. She directed evolution and accelerated the natural selection of enzymes.
2.What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 5 imply?
A. She was regarded as a lunatic fringe.
B. She dared to break through conventional idea.
C. She took advantage of her gender(性别).
D. She was supported by other scientists.
3.What attitude does Claes Gustafsson hold towards the use of antibody drugs?
A. Critical. B. Ambiguous. C. Casual. D. Favorable.
4.What's the best title for the passage?
A. Revolution in Evolution Wins 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
B. Three Scientists Speeding up the Natural Selection of the World
C. Charles Darwin's idea of natural selection becoming outdated
D. Scientists Finding a New Method for Wresting with Cancer
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
D
A fish may not be the first creature that comes to mind when co-operation in the animal world is mentioned, but a new study has shown the caring behavior of one sea species. Scientists have found that pairs of rabbitfishes will help and support each other while feeding. While such behavior has been recorded for birds and mammals, it had formerly been thought to be impossible for fishes to exhibit the same features.
"We found that rabbitfish pairs manage their caring activity quite firmly, thus providing safety for their partner that is looking for food," says Dr. Simon Brandl. "In other words, one partner stays ‘on guard’ while the other feeds – these fishes just watch each others’ back," Dr. Brandl says. "This behavior is so far unique among fishes and appears to be based on reciprocal cooperation between pair members."
Reciprocal cooperation, which requires an investment in a partner that is later reciprocated(报答), is supposed to require complex cognitive and social skills — something that fishes had been considered not to have until now.
Dr. Brandl says the research shows clear support and presents interesting evidence for reciprocal support between the rabbitfish pairs.
"There has been a long debate about whether reciprocal cooperation can exist in animals that lack the highly developed cognitive and social skills found in humans and a few species of birds and primates," he said. "By showing that fishes — which are commonly considered to be cold, unsocial, and unintelligent — are able to have reciprocal cooperative systems, we provide evidence that cooperation may not be as special as earlier expected."
Professor Bellwood says that our opinion of fishes as cold creatures is slowly changing. "Our findings should further cause efforts to understand fishes as highly developed organisms with complex social behaviors. This may also require a change in how we study and treat fishes."
【题文1】 What does the first paragraph imply?
A. Rabbitfishes almost act like birds and mammals.
B. Fishes don’t belong to the animal world at all.
C. Fishes have the ability to feed each other.
D. The caring behavior is impossible for fishes.
【题文2】While one rabbitfish feeds, the other one _________.
A. is protecting its partner from any danger B. is carrying some food for its partner
C. is looking for more food for its partner D. is hiding behind the back of its partner
【题文3】 What did people use to think about fishes?
A. They have the same behaviors. B. They show no feelings for others.
C. They have high social skills. D. They support each other all the time.
【题文4】What can we infer from what Bellwood said?
A. We should change our way of eating fish.
B. The behaviors of fishes are difficult to learn.
C. More efforts are needed to understand fish.
D. Our study of social behaviors should be careful.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Many children may be fond of animals, but ever think of making the study of animals their career.
A. a few B. few C. some D. any
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
The setting of the film Zootopia may be limited in the city full of kinds of animals, but __________ it exposes about human nature is quite broad.
A.which B.that C.what D.whether
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
语法填空
When people hear the word ''rat'', they may think of dirty animals that spread disease. And if you are an English learner, you may also connect the word ''rat'' with bad 1. (express). For example, calling someone a ''rat'' is 2. big insult and ''rat race'' describes a joyless, hurried way of living. So rats 3. (general) are not beloved animals either in life or the English language. But the rat trainers at the nonprofit organization, APOPO, see the animals very differently.
Based on Tanzania, APOPO trains giant rats 4. (find) landmines. Humans 5. (use) metal-searching devices to do this work for years. But rats--- it turns out--- do it better. And they also cost 6. (little) money. APOPO estimates that worldwide there are 110 million 7. (hide) explosives (爆炸物) left over from wars. These explosives are still ''live'', or able to explode. The work that APOPO does is really important in spreading the fact 8. rats are not just a pest. They really are 9. (hero) and they show us every day that they are worthy 10. that name.
高三英语语法填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
We are the products of evolution, and not just evolution that occurred billions of years ago. As scientists look deeper into our genes (基因), they are finding examples of human evolution in just the past few thousand years. People in Ethiopian highlands have adapted to living at high altitudes. Cattle -raising people in East Africa and northern Europe have gained a mutation (突变) that helps them digest milk as adults.
On Thursday in an article published in Cell, a team of researchers reported a new kind of adaptation - not to air or to food, but to the ocean. A group of sea-dwelling people in Southeast Asia have evolved into better divers. The Bajau, as these people are known, number in the hundreds of thousands in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. They have traditionally lived on houseboats; in recent times, they’ve also built houses on stilts (支柱) in coastal waters. “They are simply a stranger to the land,” said Redney C. Jubilado, a University of Hawaii researcher who studies the Bajau.
Dr. Jubilado first met the Bajau while growing up on Samal Island in the Philippines. They made a living as divers, spearfishing or harvesting shellfish. “We were so amazed that they could stay underwater much longer than us local islanders,” Dr. Jubilado said. “I could see them actually walking under the sea.”
In2015, Melissa Ilardo, then a graduate student in genetics at the University of Copenhagen, heard about the Bajau. She wondered if centuries of diving could have led to the evolution of physical characteristics that made the task easier for them. “it seemed like the perfect chance for natural selection to act on a population,” said Dr. Ilardo. She also said there were likely a number of other genes that help the Bajau dive.
1.What does the author want to tell us by the examples in paragraph 1?
A.Environmental adaptation of cattle raisers. B.New knowledge of human evolution.
C.Recent findings of human origin. D.Significance of food selection.
2.Where do the Bajau build their houses?
A.In valleys. B.Near rivers. C.On the beach. D.Off the coast.
3.Why was the young Jubilado astonished at the Bajau?
A.They could walk on stilts all day. B.They had a superb way of fishing.
C.They could stay long underwater. D.They lived on both land and water.
4.What can be a suitable title for the text?
A.Bodies Remodeled for a Life at Sea B.Highlanders’ Survival Skills
C.Basic Methods of Genetic Research D.The World’s Best Divers
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析