(NEW YORK)---Scientists have discovered small signs of awareness in some vegetative(植物人的) brain injury patients and have even communicated with one of them---findings that are beneficial to how to assess and care for such people.
The new research suggests that standard tests may ignore patients who have some consciousness, and that someday some kind of communication may be possible.
In the strongest example, a 29-year-old patient was able to answer yes-or-no questions by picturing specific scenes the doctors asked him to imagine.
“We were stunned when this happened,” said one study author, Martin Monti of the Brain Sciences Unit in Cambridge. “I find it really amazing. This was a patient who was believed to be vegetative for five years.”
Ever since a research paper four years ago described obvious signs of awareness in a vegetative patient, families of patients have been demanding brain scans, said Dr. James Bernat, a spokesman for the American Academy for Neurology.
But experts said more study is needed before the specialized brain scans could be used in medical treatment. “It’s still a research tool,” Bernat said.
Experts also pointed out that only a few tested patients showed evidence of awareness. And they said it is not clear what degree of consciousness and mental abilities the signs imply.
They also noted that the positive signals appeared only in people with traumatic(外伤的) brain injury---not in patients whose brains had been lacking in oxygen, as can happen when the heart stops.
The new study used brain scanning called functional MRI, for 23 patients in a vegetative state and 31 that are minimally(极微地) conscious.
Patients are said to be in a vegetative state if they are tested and found unable to do such things as move on command or follow a moving object with their eyes. Minimally conscious patients show signs of awareness, but they are minimal and discontinuous.
1. What is the practical use of the research?
A.It leads to studying how to cure vegetative patients. |
B.It attracts society to pay more attention to vegetative patients. |
C.It helps doctors know whether patients are vegetative or not. |
D.It drives the government to care about vegetative patients. |
2.What does the underlined word “stunned” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
A.Relaxed | B.Amazed | C.Excited | D.Worried |
3.One is considered vegetative if _______________.
A.his eyes can’t follow a moving thing | B.his brain only has a little oxygen |
C.he has a traumatic brain injury | D.his heart stops beating |
4.The passage mainly deals with ________________.
A.how to recognize a vegetative patient | B.the significance of a new scientific finding |
C.how family members look after a vegetative patient | |
D.the latest findings on awareness in some vegetative patients |
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
(NEW YORK)---Scientists have discovered small signs of awareness in some vegetative(植物人的) brain injury patients and have even communicated with one of them---findings that are beneficial to how to assess and care for such people.
The new research suggests that standard tests may ignore patients who have some consciousness, and that someday some kind of communication may be possible.
In the strongest example, a 29-year-old patient was able to answer yes-or-no questions by picturing specific scenes the doctors asked him to imagine.
“We were stunned when this happened,” said one study author, Martin Monti of the Brain Sciences Unit in Cambridge. “I find it really amazing. This was a patient who was believed to be vegetative for five years.”
Ever since a research paper four years ago described obvious signs of awareness in a vegetative patient, families of patients have been demanding brain scans, said Dr. James Bernat, a spokesman for the American Academy for Neurology.
But experts said more study is needed before the specialized brain scans could be used in medical treatment. “It’s still a research tool,” Bernat said.
Experts also pointed out that only a few tested patients showed evidence of awareness. And they said it is not clear what degree of consciousness and mental abilities the signs imply.
They also noted that the positive signals appeared only in people with traumatic(外伤的) brain injury---not in patients whose brains had been lacking in oxygen, as can happen when the heart stops.
The new study used brain scanning called functional MRI, for 23 patients in a vegetative state and 31 that are minimally(极微地) conscious.
Patients are said to be in a vegetative state if they are tested and found unable to do such things as move on command or follow a moving object with their eyes. Minimally conscious patients show signs of awareness, but they are minimal and discontinuous.
1. What is the practical use of the research?
A.It leads to studying how to cure vegetative patients. |
B.It attracts society to pay more attention to vegetative patients. |
C.It helps doctors know whether patients are vegetative or not. |
D.It drives the government to care about vegetative patients. |
2.What does the underlined word “stunned” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
A.Relaxed | B.Amazed | C.Excited | D.Worried |
3.One is considered vegetative if _______________.
A.his eyes can’t follow a moving thing | B.his brain only has a little oxygen |
C.he has a traumatic brain injury | D.his heart stops beating |
4.The passage mainly deals with ________________.
A.how to recognize a vegetative patient | B.the significance of a new scientific finding |
C.how family members look after a vegetative patient | |
D.the latest findings on awareness in some vegetative patients |
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Scientists who discovered a new way of generating electricity from water say they may have come across an alternative source of clean energy to rival wind and solar power.
The breakthrough, which scientists say is the first new way to generate electricity in 160 years, could lead to batteries that use water instead of poisonous substances.
The scientists made the discovery when they were investigating what happens when tap water is forced through extremely narrow glass tubes. Water squeezed down the tubes, each of which was narrower than a tenth the thickness of a human hair, generating a small electric current that ran the length of the tube. To produce a larger electric current, the team tried forcing water through a glass water filter(滤水器)that contained thousands of narrow channels lined up side by side. “When we took a syringe(注射器)of water and squeezed it through the filter, we got enough power to light a light bulb,” said Larry Kostiuk of the University of Alberta in Canada. “The harder you push the syringe, the more electric current you get.”
The current is produced because of an effect in the glass tubes. When they are filled with water, positively charged ions(阳离子)fixed in the tubes are washed away, leaving a slight negative charge on the glass surface. When water is then forced along the tube, the surface repels negatively charged ions in the water while positively charged ions are attracted down the tube. The result is a net flow of positively charged ions that sets up an electric current.
According to Dr Kostiuk, no one has ever thought to use water to produce electricity in this way. “The last time someone came up with a way of generating electricity was Michael Faraday in 1839,” he said. “So this is the first new way of generating electricity in 160 years, which is why we are so excited about it.”
Dr Kostiuk says water batteries might one day be used to power mobile phones and calculators, but admitted that the engineering challenges might make other applications more realistic. “You’d need to be sure it wouldn’t leak, and you’d need to make sure it wouldn’t freeze,” he said.
More likely would be to install the electricity-generating devices where water is already being pumped, such as at city water filtration sites, he said. “It could compete with wind and solar power,” he added.
1.What does the passage mainly want to tell us about?
A. A kind of solar power discovered by scientists.
B. A kind of new energy source found in tap water.
C. The breakthrough to generate electricity 160 yeas ago.
D. A kind of new battery invented without poisonous substances.
2.The underlined word “repels” in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to _________.
A. rejects B. identifies C. attracts D. rebels
3.Why were the scientists extremely happy about their new discovery?
A. They were the first to find a new way to produce electricity.
B. They could make an electric current to light a light bulb.
C. Their discovery could be used to invent water batteries.
D. Their discovery was made 160 years earlier than Faraday’s.
4.What can we infer about potential water batteries?
A. They must be used to power mobile phones and calculators.
B. They have some possible disadvantages like water leaking.
C. They would be needed greatly at city water filtration sites.
D. They would be better than wind and solar power.
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Scientists in Israel have discovered a new way to test for water pollution by “listening” to what the plants growing in water have to say.
By shining a laser beam (激光束) on the tiny pieces of algae floating in the water,the researchers said they hear sound waves that tell them the type and amount of contamination (致污物) in the water.
“It is a red light,telling us that something is beginning to go wrong with the quality of water,” said Zvy Dubinsky,an aquatic biologist at Israel’s Bar Ilan University.“Algae is the first thing to be affected by a change in water quality.”“The secret,” he said,“is to measure the rate of photosynthesis (光合作用) in the algae,meaning the plant’s ability to transform light into energy.” During photosynthesis,plants also release oxygen into the air.
Dubinsky’s technique is easy to perform because of the overabundance of algae in the planet’s water.Most of the oxygen in the atmosphere comes from algae.A prototype tester that occupies about one square meter of a laboratory desktop,shoots a laser beam at water samples to stimulate photosynthesis in the algae.But not all of the laser’s heat is used.Depending on the condition of the algae and the rate of photosynthesis,some of the heat is shot back into the water,creating sound waves,Dubinsky said.With a special underwater microphone,researchers are able to analyze the strength of the sound waves and determine the health of the algae and the condition of the surrounding water.
“Algae suffering from lead poisoning,like waste discharged from battery and paint manufacturing plants,will produce a different sound than those suffering from lack of iron or exposure to other toxins,” said researcher Yulia Pinchasov.She said that testing algae photosynthesis can determine water quality more accurately and easily than laborintensive methods now used like chemical and radioactive carbon testing.
1.The underlined word “algae” in Paragraph 2 probably refers to a kind of________.
A.instrument B.plant
C.wood D.pollutant
2.Why is the algae tested?
A.Because it floats on the water.
B.Because it can have photosynthesis.
C.Because it is the first to be polluted.
D.Because it can produce different sounds.
3.We can infer from the passage that________.
A.algae can produce a loud sound when polluted
B.algae can die easily from pollution
C.photosynthesis of the algae can only be caused by sunlight
D.photosynthesis of the algae is related to water quality
4.What would be the best title for the passage?
A.Scientists Listen to Plants to Find Water Pollution
B.A Prototype Tester Is Used to Determine Water Pollution
C.The Importance of Photosynthesis of the Algae
D.The Problem of Chemical and Radioactive Carbon Testing
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Scientists at Royal Holloway, University of London and Queen Mary, University of London have discovered that bees learn to fly the shortest possible route between flowers even if they discover the flowers in a different order. Bees are effectively solving the “traveling salesman problem”, and they are the first creatures found to do this.
The traveling salesman must find the shortest route that allows him to visit all locations on his route. Computers solve it by comparing the length of all possible routes and choosing the shortest, and it can keep computers busy for days. However, bees solve it without computer assistance using a brain the size of grass seed. Dr. Nigel Raine, from the School of Biological Sciences at Royal Holloway explains, “Bees solve traveling salesman problems every day. They visit flowers at multiple locations and because bees use lots of energy to fly, they find a route which keeps flying to a minimum. ”
The team used the computer to control artificial flowers to test whether bees would follow a route defined by the order in which they discovered the flowers or if they would find the shortest route. After exploring the location of the flowers, bees quickly learned to fly the shortest route.
As well as improving our understanding of how bees move around the landscape pollinating(授粉)crops and wild flowers, this research, which is due to be published in The American Naturalist, has other applications. Our lifestyle relies on networks such as traffic on the roads, information flow on the Web and business supply chains. By understanding how bees can solve their problems with such a tiny brain, we can improve our management of these everyday networks without needing lots of computer time. Dr. Raine adds, “Despite their tiny brains, bees are capable of extraordinary feats of behavior. We need to understand how they can solve the traveling salesman problem without a computer. ”
1. What would be the best title of the passage?
A. Bees help salesmen travel
B. Tiny-brained bees solve a complex mathematical problem
C. How bees discover the flowers
D. How to solve the “traveling salesman problem”
2.We may infer from the second paragraph that the “traveling salesman problem” .
A. can be solved by a computer easily
B. can’t even be solved by a computer
C. can puzzle both people and computers
D. remains to be solved by scientists
3. The main purpose of the last paragraph is to .
A. provide further proof for the research
B. tell us how bees can fly the shortest route between flowers
C. tell us how the research about bees’ flying route was conducted
D. explain the importance of the research
4. It can be concluded from the passage that .
A. all creatures are smarter than computers
B. the research about bees’ flying route can be applied to many fields
C. our networks are more complex than bees’ ones
D. with the help of the computer we can find out how bees can solve the “traveling salesman problem”
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
SCIENTISTS have discovered that living to the age of 100 may have nothing to do with the lifestyle you lead and everything to do with the type of genes (基因) you have.
For the lucky carriers of “Methuselah” genes, worries over smoking, eating unhealthily and not getting enough exercise may not be as necessary as to those of us without the special gene pattern .
The “Methuselah” genes could give extra protection against the diseases of old age such as cancer and heart disease. They could also protect people against the effects of the unhealthy lifestyles that we believe will lead us to an early death, scientists say. However, the genes are very rare.
The genes include ADIPOQ, which is found in about 10 percent of young people but in nearly 30 percent of people living past 100. They also include the CETP and the ApoC3 genes, which are found in 10 percent of young people, but in about 20 percent of people over 100 years old.
Some of those genes were discovered by a research group at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, led by Professor Nir Barzilai. The team studied the genes of over 500 people over 100 years old, and their children.
The studies show that tiny mutations (变异) in the make-up of some genes can greatly increase a person’s lifespan. Barzilai told a Royal Society conference that the discovery of such genes gave scientists clear targets for developing drugs that could prevent age-related diseases, allow people to live longer and stay healthy.
David Gems, a researcher at University College London, believes that drugs to slow ageing will become widespread.
“If we know which genes control longevity (长寿) then we can … target them with drugs. That makes it possible to slow down ageing,” he told The Times.
“Much of the pain and suffering in the world are caused by ageing. If we can find a way to reduce that, then we are obliged to take it.”
1. According to the article, which of the following is the most important if a person is to live to the age of 100?
A. Eating healthy food every day.
B. Having the right types of genes.
C. Having a healthy lifestyle.
D. Taking drugs that prevent ageing.
2.According to the article, the ApoC3 gene is found in ______ of people over 100 years old.
A. 10% B. 20% C. 30% D. 50%
3.Which of the following statements is TRUE of the research led by Professor Nir Barzilai?
A. The team studied the genes of over 100 people over 100 years of age.
B. The researchers found that mutations in certain genes lead to longer life.
C. The researchers found ways to develop drugs that could cure age-related diseases.
D. The study suggested that most people have genes that could lengthen their lives.
4. According to David Gems, ______.
A. drugs to slow ageing will be very expensive
B. modern science will be able to find more longevity genes
C. it is the duty of medical scientists to fight the problems of ageing
D. scientists can make new genes that will allow longer life
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Scientists have discovered that living to the age of 100 may have nothing to do with the lifestyle you lead and everything to do with the type of genes you have.
For the lucky carriers of “Methuselah” genes, worries over smoking, eating unhealthily and not getting enough exercise may not be as necessary as to those of us without the special gene pattern. The “Methuselah” genes could give extra protection against the diseases of old age such as cancer and heart disease. They could also protect people against the effects of the unhealthy lifestyles that we believe will lead us to an early death, scientists say. However, the genes are very rare.
The genes include ADIPOQ, which is found in about 10 percent of young people but in nearly 30 percent of people living past 100. They also include the CETP and the ApoC3 genes, which are found in 10 percent of young people, but in about 20 percent of people over 100 years old.
Some of those genes were discovered by a research group at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, led by Professor Nir Barzilai. The team studied the genes of over 500 people over 100 years old, and their children.
The studies show that tiny mutations (变异) in the make-up of some genes can greatly increase a person’s lifespan. Barzilai told a Royal Society conference that the discovery of such genes gave scientists clear targets for developing drugs that could prevent age-related diseases, allow people to live longer and stay healthy.
David Gems, a researcher at University College London, believes that drugs to slow ageing will become widespread.
“If we know which genes control longevity (长寿) then we can... target them with drugs. That makes it possible to slow down ageing,” he told The Times.
“Much of the pain and suffering in the world are caused by ageing. If we can find a way to reduce that, then we are obliged to take it.”
1.Which genes could give extra protection against the diseases of old age? (No more than 3 words) (2 marks)
__________________________________________________________________________
2. Whom did Barzilai’s team study? (No more than 10 words) (2 marks)
__________________________________________________________________________
3. What can greatly increase a person’s lifespan? (No more than 10 words) (3 marks)
__________________________________________________________________________
4.What can scientists do if they are aware which genes control longevity?(No more than 6 words) (3 marks)
__________________________________________________________________________.
高三英语其他题中等难度题查看答案及解析
BEIJING - A research team led by Chinese scientists have discovered dietary modulation of gut microbiota(膳食干预肠道菌群)can alleviate both genetic and simple obesity in children.
The findings of the team, led by Zhao Liping with Shanghai Jiaotong University, Yin Aihua with the Guangdong province children's hospital, and Tang Huiru with Chinese Academy of Sciences, have been published on EBioMedicine, a renowned medical journal co-sponsored by Cell and The Lancet in July.
The team identified bacterial genomes specifically for producing obesity-related metabolites(代谢物), and said an improved gut microbiota can significantly help to treat genetic obesity such as Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS).
Beginning in childhood, PWS affected kids develop an insatiable appetite, leading to chronic overeating and obesity.
The scientists used a diet therapy with beneficial gut bacteria on trial patients and found considerable diminished appetite, weight loss and improved health conditions on the patients.
The paper concluded dysbiosis (失调)of gut microbiota is highly related with both genetic and simple obesity in children, implicating dietary modulation of gut microbiota a potentially effective treatment method.
1. Which of the following factors contributes to child obesity?
A. dietary modulation of gut microbiota
B. beneficial gut bacteria
C. an improved gut microbiota
D. dysbiosis of gut microbiota
2. Which can replace the underlined word “diminished”?
A. unsatisfied B. increased
C. decreased D. good
3. Where is the passage extracted?
A. Medicine book B. Science book
C. Doctor’s instructions D. News report
4. Which might be the best title for the passage?
A. Chinese scientists discover treatment to child obesity.
B .The reasons for genetic obesity in children has been found.
C. Obesity-related research has been done by Chinese scientists.
D. An effective treatment to obesity has been found.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Scientists have discovered thirteen kinds of vitamins. They say vitamins help to carry out chemical changes within cells. If we do not get enough of the vitamins we need in our food, we are at risk of developing a number of diseases. Which foods should be eaten to keep us healthy? Let us look at some important vitamins.
Vitamin A helps prevent skin and other tissues from becoming dry. People who do not get enough vitamin A cannot see well in darkness. Vitamin A is found in fish liver oil and the yellow part of eggs.
Vitamin B-1 is also called thiamine. Thiamine changes starchy(含淀粉的)foods into energy. Thiamine is found not just in whole grains like brown rice, but also in beans and peas, nuts, and meat and fish.
Vitamin B-12 is needed so folic acid can do its work. Together, they help produce red blood cells. Folic acid has been shown to prevent physical problems in babies when taken by their mothers during pregnancy. Vitamin B-12 is found naturally in foods like eggs, meat, fish and milk products. Vitamin B-12 is found in green leafy vegetables and other foods, like legumes and citrus fruits (柑橘类水果).
Vitamin C is needed for strong bones and teeth. The body stores little vitamin C. So we must get it every day in foods such as citrus fruits, tomatoes and uncooked cabbage.
Vitamin D prevents the children’s bone disease rickets (佝偻病). Ultraviolet light from the sun changes a substance in the skin into vitamin D. Fish liver oil also contains vitamin D.
Vitamin K is needed for healthy blood. It thickens the blood around a cut to stop bleeding. It can also be found in pork products, liver and in vegetables like cabbage, kale and spinach (菠菜).
Vitamins are important to our health. A lack of required vitamins can lead to health problems.
1.What is the main idea of the passage?
A. There are thirteen kinds of vitamins in total.
B. One can not live without enough vitamins.
C. Vitamins can carry out chemical changes within cells.
D. Enough vitamins are vital to keep healthy.
2.Women who wish to become mothers should take in ________.
A. vitamin A B. vitamin B-1
C. vitamin B-12 D. vitamin C
3.What can change a substance in the skin into vitamin D?
A. Fish liver oil.
B. Ultraviolet light from the sun.
C. Fresh milk drunk by people.
D. Doing a certain amount of exercise.
4.According to the passage, taking in enough vitamin C can ________.
A. make our eyesight better
B. help to stop bleeding
C. make our bones and teeth strong
D. help produce red blood cells
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
BEIJING - A research team led by Chinese scientists have discovered dietary modulation of gut microbiota(膳食干预肠道菌群)can alleviate both genetic and simple obesity in children.
The findings of the team, led by Zhao Liping with Shanghai Jiaotong University, Yin Aihua with the Guangdong province children's hospital, and Tang Huiru with Chinese Academy of Sciences, have been published on EBioMedicine, a renowned medical journal co-sponsored by Cell and The Lancet in July.
The team identified bacterial genomes specifically for producing obesity-related metabolites(代谢物), and said an improved gut microbiota can significantly help to treat genetic obesity such as Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS).
Beginning in childhood, PWS affected kids develop an insatiable appetite, leading to chronic overeating and obesity.
The scientists used a diet therapy with beneficial gut bacteria on trial patients and found considerable diminished appetite, weight loss and improved health conditions on the patients.
The paper concluded dysbiosis(失调)of gut microbiota is highly related with both genetic and simple obesity in children, implicating dietary modulation of gut microbiota a potentially effective treatment method.
1.Which of the following factors contributes to child obesity ?
A. dietary modulation of gut microbiota
B. beneficial gut bacteria
C. an improved gut microbiota
D. dysbiosis of gut microbiota
2.Which can replace the underlined word “diminished”?
A. unsatisfied B. increased
C. decreased D. good
3.Where is the passage extracted?
A. Medicine book B. Science book
C. Doctor’s instructions D. News report
4.Which might be the best title for the passage?
A. Chinese scientists discover treatment to child obesity.
B.The reasons for genetic obesity in children has been found.
C. Obesity-related research has been done by Chinese scientists.
D. An effective treatment to obesity has been found.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Scientists have exactly discovered the set of brain cells involved in making risky decisions, and have been able to control them in rats using targeted light. By changing the activity of the cells they were able to change the behaviour of risk-taking rats to avoid risk, hinting the approach could in future be used to treat people with impulse (冲动) control problems.
Risk-taking is a key part of survival, knowing when to take a chance could pay off—such as moving to a new area to look for food when pickings are slim.
While all animals need an element of risk, the preference towards it varies between individuals. Researchers found this variation, which determines how risk-averse an individual is, is regulated by brain cells in a region of the brain called the nucleus accumbens. This cluster of neurons releases the neurotransmitter dopamine, which regulates the brain’s reward and pleasure centres.
Previous studies have shown that in patients with Parkinson’s disease, taking medication which blocks specific dopamine receptors (DR2) (受体) leads to increased gambling (赌博) behaviour and risk taking behaviour. In studies with rats, researchers were able to use a technique called optogenetics (光遗传学)—which uses light sensitive proteins to change the activity of cells—to modify cells with DR2 in the nucleus accumbens.
Rats were trained to choose one of two levers, offering them a choice between a “safe” or “risky” choice. The safe option resulted in a small, but consistent amount of a sugar water treat. But the risky choice consistently delivered smaller amounts of sugar water, with the occasional large pay off—essentially encouraging the animals to gamble for a bigger prize. Around two-thirds of the animals weren’t keen on risk, opting for the safe option, but the remaining third were risk-seekers. Brain scans of the animals showed that those with low levels of DR2 consistently went for the gamble.
But using pulses of light to stimulate (刺激) the DR2 cells and improve their activity could cause the risk-takers to play it safe and opt for the guaranteed but less rewarding option. Once the light-pulses stopped, the risk-takers returned to their gambling strategy.
In the risk-averse animals, stimulating the same cells had little to no effect.
Professor Karl Deisseroth, of Stanford University in California, said: “Humans and rats have similar brain structures involved.”And we found a drug known to increase risk preference in people had the same effect on the rats. So every indication is that these findings are relevant to humans. “Risky behavior has its moments where it’ s valuable. As a species, we wouldn’t have come as far as we have without it.”
1.The variation in people’s preference towards risks is directly regulated by ________.
A. nucleus accumbens B. light sensitive proteins
C. neurons D. dopamine
2.From the experiment with rats, we can conclude that ________.
A. the lack of DR2 cells results in a safe option
B. the levels of DR2 have little to do with their choices
C. the high levels of DR2 can make animals avoid risks
D. the risky choice is a less rewarding option
3.The underlined words in Paragraph 7 most likely mean the animals that are ________.
A. willing to take big risks
B. reluctant to take risks
C. fond of gambling strategy
D. afraid of receiving stimulation
4.What can be inferred from what Professor Karl Deisseroth said?
A. Humans and rats differ in their preference for risk-taking.
B. Too much risk-taking can do more harm than good.
C. Risk-taking can be used to treat people with impulse control problems.
D. Risk-taking is a means of survival and brings higher returns to humans.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析