Big cats have existed on the earth for millions of years, though scientists aren’t sure exactly how long. But a new study indicates that a skull (颅骨) of a snow leopard (豹) relative that was recently unearthed is 4.4 million years old. That makes it the oldest big cat fossil (化石) ever found.
A team of US and Chinese scientists unearthed the skull in Tibet. This creature is not a direct ancestor to big cats, but it is closely related to the snow leopard, study leader Jack Tseng told the Associated Press. The fossil lends evidence to the belief that big cats existed in Asia and spread out from there.
Big cats are at the top of the food chain and have few predators of their own. Big cats include snow leopards, clouded leopards, tigers and lions. Based on genetic judgements, most scientists believe they first existed in Central Asia. But previously, the oldest known big cat fossil was 3.6 million years old and found in Africa.
The new fossil findings were published in the November 13 issue of the science journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. Tseng and his team were fossil hunting in the Himalayas in 2010 when they discovered some bones, including the buried cat skull. The researchers were able to determine its age by studying the surrounding rocks and soil. The skull indicates that the animal was about the size of a clouded leopard, which can grow up to 50 pounds. In 2012, the team returned to unearth more cat bones.
David Polly from Indiana University told the Associated Press that the fossil is “convincingly older than the current record holder”. He added that there could be even older big cat fossils in the Tibetan plateau to uncover.
1.What does the newly unearthed skull prove?
A. Big cats might have their origins in Asia.
B. The oldest fossil is 4.4 million years old.
C. The snow leopard is the oldest big cat.
D. The skull is of big cats’ direct ancestor.
2.What does the underlined word in Paragraph 3 mean?
A. relatives. B. enemies.
C. partners. D. protectors
3.How do the researchers know the skull’s age?
A. By measuring its size and forehead.
B. By examining other bones around it.
C. By studying its chemical composition.
D. By exploring the rocks and soil around it.
4.Where was “the current record holder” in the last paragraph found?
A. Asia. B. Africa.
C. America. D. Australia.
高一英语阅读理解中等难度题
Big cats have existed on the earth for millions of years, though scientists aren’t sure exactly how long. But a new study indicates that a skull (颅骨) of a snow leopard (豹) relative that was recently unearthed is 4.4 million years old. That makes it the oldest big cat fossil (化石) ever found.
A team of US and Chinese scientists unearthed the skull in Tibet. This creature is not a direct ancestor to big cats, but it is closely related to the snow leopard, study leader Jack Tseng told the Associated Press. The fossil lends evidence to the belief that big cats existed in Asia and spread out from there.
Big cats are at the top of the food chain and have few predators of their own. Big cats include snow leopards, clouded leopards, tigers and lions. Based on genetic judgements, most scientists believe they first existed in Central Asia. But previously, the oldest known big cat fossil was 3.6 million years old and found in Africa.
The new fossil findings were published in the November 13 issue of the science journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. Tseng and his team were fossil hunting in the Himalayas in 2010 when they discovered some bones, including the buried cat skull. The researchers were able to determine its age by studying the surrounding rocks and soil. The skull indicates that the animal was about the size of a clouded leopard, which can grow up to 50 pounds. In 2012, the team returned to unearth more cat bones.
David Polly from Indiana University told the Associated Press that the fossil is “convincingly older than the current record holder”. He added that there could be even older big cat fossils in the Tibetan plateau to uncover.
1.What does the newly unearthed skull prove?
A. Big cats might have their origins in Asia.
B. The oldest fossil is 4.4 million years old.
C. The snow leopard is the oldest big cat.
D. The skull is of big cats’ direct ancestor.
2.What does the underlined word in Paragraph 3 mean?
A. relatives. B. enemies.
C. partners. D. protectors
3.How do the researchers know the skull’s age?
A. By measuring its size and forehead.
B. By examining other bones around it.
C. By studying its chemical composition.
D. By exploring the rocks and soil around it.
4.Where was “the current record holder” in the last paragraph found?
A. Asia. B. Africa.
C. America. D. Australia.
高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Sharks have been swimming in the ocean for millions of years. They were on Earth even before dinosaurs! At the top of the world’s ocean’s food chain, sharks help keep the population of other ocean animals in balance. A large drop in the number of sharks can cause serious problems for all ocean animals. Saving sharks makes sense!
Many people are afraid of sharks. But most sharks are harmless. Only a small percentage of sharks are known to attack humans. It adapt(适应) well to new habitats and eat whatever is available. However, today, sharks are in trouble. Nearly one-third of the 400 shark species are in danger of extinction, largely due to over-fishing. Each year, tens of millions of sharks are caught and killed just for their fins(鳍). The fins are used to make shark fin soup.
Humane Society International (HSI) joined with the Jane Goodall Institute’s Roots and Shoots program and Beijing Zoo to protect sharks. An exhibit at the zoo, “the Price Behind the Taste-----Protect Sharks. Don’t Eat Shark Fins”, was designed to tell people that shark finning is cruel and unnecessary. It’s hoped that the activity will help put an end to the practice.
Shark fin soup is also eaten in the United States. In fact, the numbers of some shark species in US waters have dropped 90 percent in the last 30 years. To slow the fall, laws against the sale of shark fins have been passed in several states, including Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, and California.
1.What does the first paragraph mainly tell us?
A. Ocean animals are at the top of the food chain.
B. Sharks play an important role in the ocean
C. Sharks are an old species in the ocean.
D. Sharks are being caught and killed.
2.According to paragraph 2, sharks are in trouble because ______.
A. they often attack humans.
B. their food is being polluted.
C. they are being caught for food.
D. their habitat is being destroyed.
3.The underlined part “the practice” in Paragraph 3 refers to _______.
A. shark finning B. shark protection
C. the program of HIS D. the exhibit at Beijing Zoo
4.What do we know from the text?
A. There are 400 shark species in the United States.
B. It’s illegal to eat shark fin soup in the United States.
C. Most sharks are not interested in a human for dinner.
D. Sharks are very particular about their habitats and food
高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Sea turtles have been on Earth for millions of years, but they may soon die out. The main 1 to them is people who kill them for food, according to Dr. Wallace J. Nichols of the University of California.
But the latest news may 2 turtle hunting: Dr. Nichols has found that sea turtles 3 a lot of pollution from the ocean. This pollution is unhealthy for both turtles and humans. It can cause __4__ damage to their bodies and lead to death. Research shows that many people get sick and even die from eating sea turtle meat.
In the US, most people have never eaten turtle. This is because turtles are 5 by the United States law, which makes it 6 to harm or kill these amazing animals. “But many people in other countries still eat them,” explains Nichols. “Our first 7 was to save turtles; now we must save 8 too.”
Davis said he also wants to send out a bigger 9 that we should protect the oceans. “The health of the ocean, animals in the ocean, and our own health are all 10 . A clean ocean is really good for us too because of the food we eat from there.”
1.A. doubt B. stream C. danger D. worry
2.A. accelerate B. slow C. improve D. change
3.A. cause B. expand C. absorb D. reduce
4.A. accidental B. occasional C. unknown D. serious
5.A. qualified B. protected C. restricted D. produced
6.A. impossible B. difficult C. illegal D. abnormal
7.A. goal B. impression C. difficulty D. cost
8.A. Earth B. ocean C. people D. animals
9.A. advertisement B. message C. sign D. problem
10.A. concerned B. disturbed C. developed D. connected
高一英语完型填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
For years scientists have been worried about the effects of air pollution on the earth’s natural conditions.Some believe the air inside many houses may be more dangerous than the air outside.It may be one hundred times worse.
Indoor air pollution can cause a person to feel tired,to suffer eye pain,headache and other problems.Some pollutants(污染物质) can cause breathing disorders,diseases of blood and even cancer.Most scientists agree that every modern house has some kind of indoor pollution.
People have paid more attention to the problem now.It is said that when builders began making houses and offices,they did not waste energy.To do this they built buildings that limited the flow of air between inside and outside.They also began using man-made building materials.These materials are now known to let out harmful gases.
As the problem became more serious,scientists began searching for a way to deal with it.They discovered a natural pollution control system for buildinggreen plants.Scientists do not really know how plants control air pollution.They believe that a plant’s leaves absorb(吸收；吸引) or take in the pollutants.In exchange the plant lets out oxygen through its leaves and small organizations on its roots.Scientists suggest that all buildings should have one large plant or several small plants inside for every nine square meters of space.Studies of different plants show that each absorbs different chemicals.So the most effective(有效的) way to clean the air is to use different kinds of plants.Having green plants inside your house can make it prettier and more healthy place.
1.Generally speaking,indoor air pollution may be more harmful than that outside because _______.
A. indoor air pollution can often make people seriously ill
B. man-made building materials give off dangerous gases
C. there may be more harmful gases outside the buildings
D. the flow of air indoors is limited,which is very harmful
2.Some kind of indoor pollution can be found in _______.
A. every modern house B. every old house
C. all kinds of houses D. all kinds of offices
3.The indoor air pollution is caused by _______.
A. the limit of the flow of air between inside and outside
B. the building way that the builders want to save energy
C. the building things that are made of man-made materials
D. the man-made building materials and the limit of air-flow
4.The reason why we should use different kinds of plants to clean the air is that _______.
A. plants can let out all kinds of pollutants indoors
B. plants may take in more oxygen which people need
C. plants can absorb some kinds of harmful indoor chemicals
D. plants can make our houses prettier and more healthy
高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Pangolins (穿山甲), the world’s only mammals with scales (鳞片), have existed on earth for about 60 million years. Pangolins are very sensitive creatures and most of them don’t like staying indoors. In the wild, they’re slow to reproduce and give birth to only one baby at a time. Pangolins are alone and shy — nearly impossible for even the most devoted field researchers to catch sight of.
However, over recent ten years, their wild population has decreased greatly. More than a million pangolins are believed to have been taken from the wild in Asia and Africa. In the first eight days of April 2019 alone, authorities caught two 14-ton shipments of pangolin scales in Singapore, representing about 72,000 animals and worth a combined $90 million. In February, Malaysian seized a 33-ton shipment of mostly whole, frozen pangolins.
“The present scale of trade could drive this species to extinction,” said an Indian official.
If the illegal pangolin trade continues at such high levels, it’s thought that another 10 years might see them die out altogether. The trade is caused by a series of factors, but the fact that the local government doesn’t make strict laws against it plays a major role.
Another big challenge facing pangolins is that so few people know what they are and why they’re in such danger. As National Geographic Photo Ark photographer Joel Sartore says, “You won’t save what you don’t love.”
1.According to Paragraph 1, pangolins ______.
A.are rare mammals B.like living indoors
C.are outgoing but sensitive D.are easily found in the wild
2.What is the main reason for pangolins’ trade?
A.People in Africa like hunting pangolins.
B.Strict laws against it haven’t been made.
C.Pangolins’ population is increasing rapidly.
D.Pangolins have existed on earth for a long time.
3.What is the Indian official’s attitude towards the scales of trade?
A.Uncaring. B.Puzzled.
C.Supportive. D.Worried.
4.What is the main idea of the text?
A.Pangolins are hunted in Asia.
B.Pangolins are facing extinction.
C.People are trying to save Pangolins out of love.
D.Many countries are taking action to protect Pangolins.
高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
For several billion years after the ”Big Bang ”, the earth was still just a cloud of dust. What it was to 1.was uncertain until between 4.5 and 3.8 billion years ago when the dust settled into a solid globe. The earth became so 2. that it was not clear whether the shape would last or not.
3.eastward, you’ll pass mountains and thousands of lakes and forests, as well as wide rivers and large cities. Some people have the idea 4. you can cross Canada in less than five days, but they forget the fact that Canada is 5500 kilometers from coast to coast. Here in Vancouver, you’re in Canada’s warmest part. People say it is Canada’s most beautiful city, 5. by mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Its population is increasing rapidly. The coast6. of Vancouver has some of the oldest and most beautiful forests in the world.
However, this was not easy. When they first arrived in Gombe in 1960, it was unusual for a woman to live in the froest.7.after her mother came to help her for the first few months8.she allowed to begin her project. Her work changed the way people think about chimps. For example, one important thing she discovered was that chimps hunt and eat meat. Until then everyone9. thought chimps ate only fruit and nuts. She also discovered how chimps communicate with each other, and her study of their body language helped her10.their social system.
高一英语短文填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Parents , the most selfless people on Earth are the biggest reason for your existence. However, we often____ to appreciate(感激) their efforts. And by the time we realize this, it's ____ late. So, don't wait for any _____day to say sweet things to your parents and tell them how _____you're for whatever they've done for you.
First,____you often forget to call your parents and _____them how much you miss them, they may often feel you're not making any_____to stay in touch with them.
Second, you should hug them. You can't possibly _____whatever they've done for you, but this small gesture(姿势) will______make them feel special.
Third, let your emotions out in time, because you_____know, there might not be a tomorrow to express your____. We all have been mean to our ____at times, and have said things that _____them deeply. If so, all you can do is apologize（道歉） from the bottom of your ____.
Finally, _____them to know that they're the real superheroes in your life. You can never ____them enough. They've always been your____to move forward. They taught you all the small and big things about life. They always _____ you to work hard and become a successful person in life. Even though you may have_____ in a race or failed in an exam, they were and still are your number one____ . So, express yourself before your parents before it’s too late.
1.A. fall B. fail C. want D. wait
2.A. very B. rather C. fairly D. too
3.A. good B. wonderful C. special D. beautiful
4.A. lucky B. grateful C. sorry D. regretful
5.A. when B. since C. unless D. if
6.A. ask B. inform C. tell D. find
7.A. mistakes B. will C. dream D. efforts
8.A. give back B. send back C. give away D. put away
9.A. surely B. luckily C. sincerely D. entirely
10.A. ever B. never C. hardly D. almost
11.A. love B. regret C. worry D. happiness
12.A. teachers B. friends C. parents D. classmates
13.A. inspire B. move C. hurt D. discourage
14.A. soul B. mind C. brain D. heart
15.A. get B. let C. bet D. set
16.A. believe B. thank C. apologize D. know
17.A. advantage B. hope C. strength D. bank
18.A. needed B. asked C. forced D. encouraged
19.A. won B. lost C. competed D. succeeded
20.A. fans B. heroes C. Examples D. teachers
高一英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Sharks have lived in the world's oceans for millions of years. A shark has an extremely good sense of smell. It can find small amounts of substances in the water, such as blood, body liquids and chemicals produced by animals. These powerful senses help them find their food. 1.
Sharks grow slowly. About forty percent of the different kinds of sharks lay eggs. 2. Some sharks carry their young inside their bodies as humans do. Some sharks are not able to reproduce until they are twenty years old. Most reproduce only every two years. And they give birth to fewer than ten young sharks. For this reason, over-fishing of sharks is of special danger to the future of the animal.
3. .They eat injured and diseased fish. Their hunting activities mean that the numbers of other fish in the ocean do not become too great. This protects the plants and other forms of life that exist in the oceans.
People hunt sharks for sport, food, medicine and their skin. Experts say the international market for some kinds of sharks has increased greatly because many parts of a shark are valuable. 4. . Shark liver oil is a popular source of Vitamin. The skin of a shark can be used like leather. In Asia, people enjoy a kind of soup made from shark fins. Experts say a fisherman can earn a lot of money for even one kilogram of shark fins.
Sharks are among the oldest animals on Earth. 5. If too many sharks in one area are killed, the group of shark may never return to normal population levels
A. The others give birth to live young.
B. Sharks are important for the health of the world's oceans.
C. This is a threat to other form of life in the ocean.
D. Collectors pay thousands of dollars for the jaws of a shark.
E. Sharks are valuable to us and we can make full use of them.
F. But some sharks are in danger of disappearing from Earth.
G. Sharks eat fish, other sharks, and plants that live in the ocean
高一英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析
For as long as humans have lived on the earth, they have made use of various forms of communication. Generally, this expression of thoughts and feelings has been in the form of oral speech. When there is a spoken language problem, communication can be carried out through sign language, in which gestures stand for letters, words, and ideas. Tourists and people unable to hear or speak have often had to turn to this form of expression. When gestures describe words or ideas, they can often be used internationally. When used for spelling words however, where each gesture stands for a single letter, people must share the same written language.
Body language sends ideas or thoughts by certain actions, either meaningfully or not. A wink can be a way of showing that the person is only joking. A nod means agreement, while shaking the head indicates disagreement.
Other forms of language can be found in Braille (a reading system of raised dots read with the fingertips used by the blind), signal flags, Morse code, and smoke signals. Road maps and picture signs also guide and warn people. While language is the most common form of communication, other systems and techniques also express human thoughts and feelings.
1.Which of the following ways can not be used as a form of communication?
A. oral speech B. sign language C. body language D. thought
2.What does the author mainly want to say?
A. People can communicate in many different ways.
B. Everybody uses only one form of communication.
C. Language is invaluable to foreigners.
D. Non-spoken communication is of little value.
3.According to the text, which part of the body can be used to show you are joking?
A. Fingers B. Eyes C. Head D. Feet
4.What can’t be effectively communicated by sign language when people belong to different language groups?
A. Spelling B. Idea C. Whole words D. Expressions
5.How many different forms of communication are mentioned in the text?
A. Three B. Five C. Six D. Nine
高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
It is believed that it took about 800 thousand to 1 million years for the earth's population to reach the 250 million total which existed at the end of the first century AD. For some time after that, disease, famine(饥饿) and war kept the population increase down to a rate of 1 percent a year so that more than 15 centuries passed before the population reached 500 million. But in the next 250 years, up to 1850, the population of the world shot to 1 billion and today it has reached 3.5 billion. Scientists say that in the next 35 years the population of the world will double, reaching almost 7 billion by the year 2010.
When experts are asked what are the most effective measures that can stop over population, they reply that at least three measures can be considered.
(A) Increasing sources and supply of food for under-developed countries.
(B) Increasing the industrialization of under- developed countries.
(C) Controlling birth.
The experts add, however, that none of the above measures can be effective by itself, and that all must be combined into one whole program. They also agree that without controlling of births, any other measures are doomed (注定) to failure.
1.The population _______ because of disease, famine and war.
A. didn't increase B. became less
C. increased slowly D. still increased very fast
2. The population of the world doubled between the year _______.
A. 1850 and today B. 100 and the year 1400
C. 100 and the year 1600 D. 1 and the year 100
3.Which of the following is true?
A. the richer the country is, the faster the population increase.
B. Birth control is the most important way to control the growth of population.
C. the population in the developed countries is increasing faster than that in the underdeveloped countries.
D. It is impossible to control the increase of the population.
4.The passage was written in ________.
A. 1850 B. 1936 C. 2001 D. 1975
高一英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析