Ocean Acidification: 'Evil Twin' Threatens World's Oceans
The rise in human emissions of carbon dioxide is driving dangerous changes in the chemistry and ecosystems of the world's oceans, international marine(海洋的)scientists have warned. "Ocean conditions are already more extreme than those experienced by marine organisms and ecosystems for millions of years," says the latest issue of the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution. "This emphasizes the urgent need to adopt policies that markedly reduce CO2 emissions."
Ocean acidification, which the researchers call the 'evil twin of global warming', is caused when the CO2 emitted by human activity, mainly burning fossil fuels, dissolves into the oceans. It is happening independently of, but in combination with, global warming. Evidence gathered by scientists over the last few years suggests that ocean acidification could represent an equal -- or perhaps even greater threat -- to the biology of our planet than global warming. More than 30% of the CO2 released from burning fossil fuels, cement production, deforestation and other human activities goes straight into the oceans, turning them gradually more acidic.
"The resulting acidification will impact many forms of sea life, especially organisms whose shells or skeletons are made from calcium carbonate(碳化钙), like corals and shellfish. It may interfere with the reproduction of plankton species which are a vital part of the food web on which fish and all other sea life depend," he adds.
The scientists say there is now persuasive evidence that mass extinctions in past Earth history, like the "Great Dying" of 251 million years ago and another wipeout 55 million years ago, were accompanied by ocean acidification, which may have delivered the deathblow to many species that were unable to cope with it. "These past periods can serve as great lessons of what we can expect in the future, if we continue to push the acidity the ocean even further" said lead author, Dr. Carles Pelejero, from ICREA and the Marine Science Institute of CSIC in Barcelona, Spain. "Given the impacts we see in the fossil record, there is no question about the need to immediately reduce the rate at which we are emitting carbon dioxide in the atmosphere," he said further.
"Today, the surface waters of the oceans have already acidified by an average of 0.1 pH units from pre-industrial levels, and we are seeing signs of its impact even in the deep oceans," said co-author Dr. Eva Calvo, from the Marine Science Institute of CSIC in Spain. "Future acidification depends on how much CO2 humans emit from here on -- but by the year 2100 various projections indicate that the oceans will have acidified by a further 0.3 to 0.4 pH units, which is more than many organisms like corals can stand," Prof. Hoegh-Guldberg says.
"This will create conditions not seen on Earth for at least 40 million years."
"These changes are taking place at rates as much as 100 times faster than they ever have over the last tens of millions of years" Prof. Hoegh-Guldberg says. Besides directly impacting on the fishing industry and its contribution to the human food supply at a time when global food demand is doubling, a major die-off in the oceans would affect birds and many land species and change the biology of Earth as a whole profoundly, Prof. Hoegh-Guldberg adds.
1.What is the biggest cause of the ocean acidification according to the report?
A. the increase of carbon dioxide emission by human beings
B. The worsening of global warming
C. The disappearance of the world’s forests
D. The decrease of marine life
2.In what way according to the report does ocean acidification affect the majority of marine life?
A. It affects their reproduction B. It destroys their food chain
C. It affects the growth of their young D. destroys their habitats
3.Which of the following statements is NOT true about ocean acidification?
A. Ocean acidification has made ocean conditions most extreme in millions of years.
B. Ocean acidification may do more damage than global warming to human and plant life in the long run.
C. Ocean acidification is suspected of having caused mass extinctions of life in past Earth history.
D. The effects of ocean acidification are not now but will be felt in the foreseeable future.
4.From the report we can clearly feel that the situation with ocean acidification __________.
A. is quite optimistic B. remains well under control
C. looks more than urgent D. is already out of control
高三英语阅读理解困难题
Ocean Acidification: 'Evil Twin' Threatens World's Oceans
The rise in human emissions of carbon dioxide is driving dangerous changes in the chemistry and ecosystems of the world's oceans, international marine(海洋的)scientists have warned. "Ocean conditions are already more extreme than those experienced by marine organisms and ecosystems for millions of years," says the latest issue of the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution. "This emphasizes the urgent need to adopt policies that markedly reduce CO2 emissions."
Ocean acidification, which the researchers call the 'evil twin of global warming', is caused when the CO2 emitted by human activity, mainly burning fossil fuels, dissolves into the oceans. It is happening independently of, but in combination with, global warming. Evidence gathered by scientists over the last few years suggests that ocean acidification could represent an equal -- or perhaps even greater threat -- to the biology of our planet than global warming. More than 30% of the CO2 released from burning fossil fuels, cement production, deforestation and other human activities goes straight into the oceans, turning them gradually more acidic.
"The resulting acidification will impact many forms of sea life, especially organisms whose shells or skeletons are made from calcium carbonate(碳化钙), like corals and shellfish. It may interfere with the reproduction of plankton species which are a vital part of the food web on which fish and all other sea life depend," he adds.
The scientists say there is now persuasive evidence that mass extinctions in past Earth history, like the "Great Dying" of 251 million years ago and another wipeout 55 million years ago, were accompanied by ocean acidification, which may have delivered the deathblow to many species that were unable to cope with it. "These past periods can serve as great lessons of what we can expect in the future, if we continue to push the acidity the ocean even further" said lead author, Dr. Carles Pelejero, from ICREA and the Marine Science Institute of CSIC in Barcelona, Spain. "Given the impacts we see in the fossil record, there is no question about the need to immediately reduce the rate at which we are emitting carbon dioxide in the atmosphere," he said further.
"Today, the surface waters of the oceans have already acidified by an average of 0.1 pH units from pre-industrial levels, and we are seeing signs of its impact even in the deep oceans," said co-author Dr. Eva Calvo, from the Marine Science Institute of CSIC in Spain. "Future acidification depends on how much CO2 humans emit from here on -- but by the year 2100 various projections indicate that the oceans will have acidified by a further 0.3 to 0.4 pH units, which is more than many organisms like corals can stand," Prof. Hoegh-Guldberg says.
"This will create conditions not seen on Earth for at least 40 million years."
"These changes are taking place at rates as much as 100 times faster than they ever have over the last tens of millions of years" Prof. Hoegh-Guldberg says. Besides directly impacting on the fishing industry and its contribution to the human food supply at a time when global food demand is doubling, a major die-off in the oceans would affect birds and many land species and change the biology of Earth as a whole profoundly, Prof. Hoegh-Guldberg adds.
1.What is the biggest cause of the ocean acidification according to the report?
A. the increase of carbon dioxide emission by human beings
B. The worsening of global warming
C. The disappearance of the world’s forests
D. The decrease of marine life
2.In what way according to the report does ocean acidification affect the majority of marine life?
A. It affects their reproduction B. It destroys their food chain
C. It affects the growth of their young D. destroys their habitats
3.Which of the following statements is NOT true about ocean acidification?
A. Ocean acidification has made ocean conditions most extreme in millions of years.
B. Ocean acidification may do more damage than global warming to human and plant life in the long run.
C. Ocean acidification is suspected of having caused mass extinctions of life in past Earth history.
D. The effects of ocean acidification are not now but will be felt in the foreseeable future.
4.From the report we can clearly feel that the situation with ocean acidification __________.
A. is quite optimistic B. remains well under control
C. looks more than urgent D. is already out of control
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
The 115 islands that sparkle in the middle of the Indian Ocean are one of the world's greatest treasures 'A place where natural purity and simplicity can be found and innocence rediscovered; a place like no other and another world entirely. 92 of those islands consist of Seychelles, which is known as "the last paradise".
For over two centuries, the islands of Seychelles have remained a melting pot of different races, traditions and religions from the four corners of the earth. The Seychellois are a colorful blend of peoples of different races, cultures and religions. .At different times in its history, people of African, European and Asian origin have come to Seychelles, bringing with them their distinct traditions and customs and contributing to the way of life and to Seychellois culture.
Throughout Seychelles, there are many artisans producing works of art that are as varied and diverse as their surrounds and which include stained glass, products made from coconut shell, husk, seashells and corals, clothing, gold, silver and other forms of jewellery, recycled materials, bamboo, metal and pottery. They are probably poorly educated, but they have talent for producing handicraft articles.
Seychelles, Mauritius, Maldives are all island countries, but Seychelles is unique. Mr. Alanin, Director of Tourism Marketing of Seychelles Tourism hoard said, "There are a variety of islands in Seychelles. Mauritius has only one island. In Maldives, there are a lot of islands, but they are all coral islands. Seychelles has big granite (花岗岩) islands. In addition, the people are different. We have a mixture of people, and you can see how friendly they are.
Most importantly, all these natural disasters do not exist in Seychelles because we are out of the belt. Nothing will happen to visitors when they are in Seychelles. In Seychelles, harmony is a way of life."
41. The islands of Seychelles are NOT ______.
A. polluted B. world famous C. beautiful D. various
42. Which of the following of Seychelles is not mentioned in the passage?
A. The nature. B. The people.
C. The food. D. The culture.
43. From the 3rd paragraph we can guess that an "artisan" is ______.
A. a professional artist producing works with recycled materials
B. a person whose job requires skills with his hands
C. a factory where handicraft articles are produced
D. an organization who sell natural things
44. Which of the following is a part of the reasons for that Seychelles is unique?
A. Seychelles' islands are all granite ones.
B. Seychelles had more islands than Mauritius and Maldives.
C. Seychelles has more races and the people are friendly.
D. Seychelles is located at a safe position on the earth.
45. What's Mr. Alanin's purpose to say all these words in the last paragraph?
A. To attract visitors to travel in Seychelles.
B. To praise the beauty of Seychelles.
C. To express his feelings to his country.
D. To explain the difference from Mauritius and Maldives.
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
Three years ago, a study of overfishing led to sharp debate.It warned that the world’s ocean fish could be almost gone by the middle of the century.Now, a new study offers more hope.It shows that the risk of fisheries(渔场) collapse has recently decreased in some areas-some, but not all.
BORIS WORM: “This means different regions are heading in different directions and some regions have indeed begun to eliminate overfishing.”
Boris Worm at Dalhousie University in Canada and Ray Hilborn at the University of Washington in Seattle were lead authors of the new study.
Professor Worm also led the earlier study published in 2006.Professor Hilborn publicly disagreed with those findings.The result: the two scientists agreed to work together on a new study.
They led a team that studied ten areas.In five of them, the rate at which fish are being taken out of the sea has dropped to a level that should let the populations recover.Three areas still had overfishing, but corrective measures have begun.
Yet, in all, almost two-thirds of fish populations studied worldwide still need rebuilding.
Only two areas did not have an overfishing problem in either the new study or the earlier one.They are New Zealand and the American state of Alaska.
The new study found that overfishing has been reduced in Canada’s Newfoundland-Labrador area and in Iceland and southern Australia.It also found improvements in the northeastern United States and the California Current that flows south along the West Coast.
The study found that better controls are still needed in the North Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Bay of Biscay between France and Spain.
The findings from two years of research appear in the journal Science.
Using nets that let smaller fish escape and agreeing not to fish in certain areas can help reduce overfishing.The study showed that these measures helped fish populations grow in Kenya.
But one of the authors of the study, from the Wildlife Conservation Society, says fisheries in Africa face another threat.Most countries in Africa, he says, are selling fishing rights to industrialized nations which catch large amounts of seafood.
The study shows what happened when industrialized nations increased restrictions on fishing in their own waters.Seafood companies moved their boats to developing countries with fewer restrictions.
1.Among the ten areas surveyed in the new study, _______ of them were not so overfished as they used to be.
A.two-thirds B.five C.three D.two
2.As to the new study, which of the following statements is Wrong?
A.It found that two of the areas studied showed improvements.
B.It lasted two years in all.
C.It showed that many areas still needed improving.
D.It was conducted not only by Boris Worm and Ray Hilborn.
3.The underlined word in paragraph 2 eliminate most probably means________.
A.defeat B.reduce C.get rid of D.improve
4.Which can be the best title for the passage?
A.Study Finds Some Ocean Fisheries Are Recovering
B.Boris Worm and Ray Hilborn’s New Study
C.New Findings about Overfishing Offer Hope
D.Overfishing Is Decreasing
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
What looks like an angry old man and lives at the bottom of the ocean? It’s the world’s ugliest animal---the blobfish(水滴鱼).
Its strange skin is shaped by its habitat. It lives 800 meters below the ocean’s surface, a depth where very few other creatures can survive.
Most fishes have a swim bladder(鱼鳔), which is filled with gas and helps them stay afloat. At the depth that the blobfish live, water pressure is 80 times higher than that at higher sea levels and any swim bladder wouldn’t be able to serve its purpose.
The blobfish don’t have a swim bladder because their skin works the same way. It helps them stay afloat without having to use any energy.
The blobfish have a pretty relaxed attitude towards eating. All they do is stay and wait for crabs or lobsters to come by.
Since the blobfish like to eat crabs and lobsters, they often get caught in nets that are used to catch lobsters or crabs and end up dying or being killed. They are not suitable for eating so they are useless for fishermen.
There’s a purpose behind the blobfish’s new title; it has become the new mascot for the Ugly Animal Preservation Society, an organization whose purpose is to preserve endangered ugly animals.
“We’ve needed an ugly face for endangered ugly animals for a long time and I’ve been amazed by the public reaction,” said the Society’s Simon Watt. “For too long cute animals have taken the limelight(风头) but now the blobfish will be a voice for those who always get forgotten.”They hope this new face will help the world know that we need to help preserve the populations of ugly animals too.
1.The biggest difference between the blobfish and most other fishes is that the blobfish_____ .
A. cannot be eaten by people
B. don’t have a swim bladder
C. only live at high sea levels
D. aren’t active in catching food
2.What makes the blobfish stay afloat?
A. Their skin. B. Their tail.
C. Their mouth. D. Their swim bladder.
3.We can learn from what Simon Watt said that _____ .
A. most ugly animals are in danger
B. the population of the blobfish is increasing
C. the blobfish have attracted the public’s attention
D. people knew nothing about the blobfish in the past
4.What is the purpose of the passage?
A. To discuss the importance of preserving animals.
B. To give the reason for starting an organization.
C. To present the results of a survey.
D. To introduce a special animal.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
阅读理解。
What looks like an angry old man and lives at the bottom of the ocean? It’s the world’s ugliest animal---the blobfish(水滴鱼).
Its strange skin is shaped by its habitat. It lives 800 meters below the ocean’s surface, a depth where very few other creatures can survive.
Most fishes have a swim bladder(鱼鳔), which is filled with gas and helps them stay afloat. At the depth that the blobfish live, water pressure is 80 times higher than that at higher sea levels and any swim bladder wouldn’t be able to serve its purpose.
The blobfish don’t have a swim bladder because their skin works the same way. It helps them stay afloat without having to use any energy.
The blobfish have a pretty relaxed attitude towards eating. All they do is stay and wait for crabs or lobsters to come by.
Since the blobfish like to eat crabs and lobsters, they often get caught in nets that are used to catch lobsters or crabs and end up dying or being killed. They are not suitable for eating so they are useless for fishermen.
There’s a purpose behind the blobfish’s new title; it has become the new mascot for the Ugly Animal Preservation Society, an organization whose purpose is to preserve endangered ugly animals.
“We’ve needed an ugly face for endangered ugly animals for a long time and I’ve been amazed by the public reaction,” said the Society’s Simon Watt. “For too long cute animals have taken the limelight(风头) but now the blobfish will be a voice for those who always get forgotten.”They hope this new face will help the world know that we need to help preserve the populations of ugly animals too.
1.The biggest difference between the blobfish and most other fishes is that the blobfish_____ .
A. cannot be eaten by people
B. don’t have a swim bladder
C. only live at high sea levels
D. aren’t active in catching food
2.What makes the blobfish stay afloat?
A. Their skin. B. Their tail.
C. Their mouth. D. Their swim bladder.
3.We can learn from what Simon Watt said that _____ .
A. most ugly animals are in danger
B. the population of the blobfish is increasing
C. the blobfish have attracted the public’s attention
D. people knew nothing about the blobfish in the past
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Five steps to make a difference to the oceans
The oceans are being seriously polluted now. Plastics are harming the marine (海产的) life. Carbon pollution is warming the oceans and increasing their acidity(酸度). Waters are being overfished. 1. Here are some steps we can take to help make a difference.
1. Bring our own bags. 2. Try carrying a reusable bag at all times, including while traveling, and bringing our own things to work to avoid relying on plastic items.
2. Talk about it now. We should carry that conversation into public places. Talk to our friends and family about why the ocean is important and why we take steps to help it, and challenge them to do the same.
3. 3. A good way to make a difference is to organize a garbage cleanup now. Whether it’s an inland cleanup or one near the coast, plan one in our community.
4. Throw away our cars. 4. When we hang out, we should reduce our carbon footprint, which may help slow global warming and ocean acidification as well as conserve energy
5. Recycle, obviously. Experts say recycling is an obvious action to take. Check on what can be recycled in our community, and make sure you’re separating out your plastic.
In summary, think about it more and act on it more. The more someone thinks about plastics and plastics pollution, the environment and the consequences of our actions, the more likely they are to act on it. 5.
A. Plan a cleanup.
B. Choose public transportation over driving our cars.
C. Driving cars is not a good way to protect the oceans.
D. However, experts say there’s still hope to make a difference.
E. However, marine life plays a very important role in the oceans.
F. If everyone can contribute to the oceans, the oceans will be well preserved.
G. Whenever we put something, we should bring our own bag, but not a plastic one.
高三英语七选五简单题查看答案及解析
Conventional wisdom is a major barrier to innovation that threatens the survival of companies everywhere.It’s based on the assumption that old ideas will always work,so they shouldn’t be challenged. While this may be a valid assumption in situations that don’t change,it’s unlikely to hold true in a changing situation.In today’s rapid changing global environment,old methods often don't work,and stubbornly using them can lead to major problems.
Most people seem to agree with conventional wisdom because it gives one a false sense of security.If everyone else believes it,then it must be true.Individuals who use conventional wisdom are certain that they are right,and being right is good. They want to continue using old ideas rather than take risks with changes that might not work.In 1977,Ken Olsen,co-founder and CEO of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC),stated “There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in his home.” Despite being a dominant leader in the computer industry,DEC no longer exists.
People seem to forget that since innovation is a change,there can be no innovation without change.Unfortunately,conventional wisdom prevents leaders,followers and companies from changing and therefore innovating.If companies don’t innovate,but their competitors do,the future is likely to be problematic. Breaking from conventional wisdom has led to many of the most innovative companies and products in history across many industries,so it has a powerful effect on business success.
Ted Turner (founder of CNN) knew little,if anything,about the news business,but he knew it was inconvenient to watch news only at the dinner hour,as was common before CNN.Turner’s solution was to create a cable channel dedicated to news 24 hours a day.The news establishment reflected conventional wisdom at the time,and predicted his idea would fail because no one wanted to watch the news all day.However,it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that viewers don’t have to watch the news all day for the CNN to work.Viewers just have to watch when they want to get information.Due to conventional thinking,the critics failed to recognize the opportunity that was clear to Ted. They assumed that only what was familiar to them could work in the future.
Conventional wisdom prevents creativity,flexibility and risk-taking,so unconventional leaders enthusiastically break from it.To survive,thrive and maintain competitive advantage,companies must be flexible when reacting to change.
1.DEC has disappeared probably because ___________.
A. the consumers didn’t like its products
B. the leaders lacked the sense of security
C. the CEO stuck to the conventional ideas
D. the employees took many risks with changes
2.The founding of CNN is used as an example to prove _________.
A. missing opportunities could lead to failure
B. changing could contribute to business success
C. watching news at the dinner hour is convenient
D. conventional wisdom influences business success
3.What does the underlined part probably mean?
A. Rocket scientists can ensure the CNN works properly.
B. Most of the viewers don’t like to watch the news at work.
C. It’s necessary to understand when people watch the news.
D. It’s easy to know people needn’t watch the news all the time.
4.The passage is mainly written to tell us that ______.
A. old methods are changing with time
B. opportunities lead to business success
C. conventional wisdom limits innovation
D. successful companies need wise leaders
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Shortage of Primary Care Threatens Health Care System
Increasing health care bills, long emergency-room waits and the inability to find a primary care physician just scratch the surface of the problems that patients face daily.
Primary care should be the support of any health care system. Countries with appropriate primary care resources score highly when it comes to health outcomes and cost. The U.S. takes the opposite approach by emphasizing the specialist rather than the primary care physician.
A recent study analyzed the providers who treat Medicare beneficiaries. The surprising finding was that the average Medicate patient saw a total of seven doctors - two primary care physicians and five specialists - in a given year.
Contrary to popular belief, the more physicians taking care of you doesn't guarantee better care. Actually, increasing fragmentation of care results in a corresponding rise in cost and medical errors.
How did we take little care of primary care? The key is how doctors are paid. Most physicians are paid whenever they perform a medical service. The more a physician does, regardless of quality or outcome, the better he's reimbursed. Moreover, the amount a physician receives leans heavily toward medical or surgical procedures.
A specialist who performs a procedure in a 30-minute visit can be paid three times more than a primary care physician using that same 30 minutes to discuss a patient's disease. Combine this fact with annual government threats to randomly cut reimbursements, physicians are faced with no choice but to increase quantity to boost income.
Primary care physicians who refuse to compromise quality are either driven out of business or to cash-only practices, further contributing to the decline of primary care.
Medical students aren't blind to this action. They know how heavily the reimbursement is against primary care. The recent numbers show that since 1997, newly graduated U.S. medical students who choose primary care as a career have declined by 50%. This trend results in emergency rooms being overwhelmed with patients without regular doctors.
How do we fix this problem?
It starts with reforming the physician reimbursement system. Remove the pressure for primary care physicians to squeeze in more patients per hour, and reward them for optimally managing their diseases and practicing evidence-based medicine. Make primary care more attractive to medical students by forgiving student loans for those who choose primary care as a career and reconciling the marked difference between specialist and primary care physician salaries.
We’re at a point where primary care is needed more than ever. Within a few years, the first wave of the 76 million Baby Boomers will become eligible for Medicare. Patients older than 85, who need chronic care most, will rise by 50% this decade.
Who will be there to treat them?
1.The author’s chief concern about the current U.S. health care system is _________.
A.the ever-rising health care costs B.the declining number of doctors
C.the inadequate training of physicians D.the shrinking primary care resources
2.We learn from the passage that people tend to believe that _________.
A.the more doctors taking care of a patient, the better
B.visiting doctors on a regular basis ensures good health
C.seeing more doctors may result in more diagnostic errors
D.the more costly the medicine, the more effective the cure.
3.Faced with the government threats to cut reimbursements randomly, primary care physicians have to __________.
A.make various deals with specialists B.improve their expertise and service
C.see more patients at the expense of quality D.increase their income by working overtime
4.What suggestion does the author give in order to provide better health care?
A.Extend primary care to patients with chronic diseases.
B.Recruit more medical students by offering them loans.
C.Reduce the tuition of students who choose primary care as their major.
D.Bridge the salary gap between specialists and primary care physicians.
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Conventional wisdom is a major barrier to innovation that threatens the survival of companies everywhere. It's based on the assumption that old ideas will always work, so they shouldn't be challenged. While this may be a valid assumption in situations that don't change, it's unlikely to hold true in a changing situation. In today's rapid changing global environment, old methods often don't work, and stubbornly using them can lead to major problems.
Most people seem to agree with conventional wisdom because it gives one a false sense of security. If everyone else believes it, then it must be true.Individuals who use conventional wisdom are certain that they are right, and being right is good.They want to continue using old ideas rather than take risks with changes that might not work.In 1977, Ken Olsen,co-founder and CEO of Digital Equipment Corporation(DEC), stated"There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in his hoe." Despite being a dominant leader in the computer industry, DEC no longer exists.
People seem to forget that since innovation is a change, there can be no inovation without change. Unfortunately, conventional wisdom prevents leaders, followers and companies from changing and therefore innovating. If companies don't innovate, but their competitors do, the future is likely to be problematic. Breaking from conventional wisdom has led to many of the most innovative companies and products in history across many industries, so it has a powerful effect on business success.
Ted Turner(founder of CNN) knew little, if anything, about the news business, but he knew it was inconvenient to watch news only at the dinner hour, as was common before CNN. Turner's solution was to create a cable channel dedicated to news 24 hours a day. The news establishment reflected conventional wisdom at the time, and predicted his idea would fail because no one wanted to watch the news all day.
However, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand that viewers don't have to watch the news all day for the CNN to work. Viewers just have to watch when they want to get information. Due to conventional thinking, the critics failed to recognize the opportunity that was clear to Ted. They assumed that only what was familiar to them could work in the future.
Conventional wisdom prevents creativity, flexibility and risk-taking, so unconventional leaders enthusiastically break from it. To survive, thrive and maintain competitive advantage, companies must be flexible when reacting to change.
1.DEC has disappeared probably because .
A. the consumers didn't like its products
B. the leaders lacked the sense of security
C. the CEO stuck to the conventional ideas
D. the employees took many risks with changes
2.The founding of CNN is used as an example to prove .
A. missing opportunities could lead to failure
B. changing could contribute to business success
C. watching news at the dinner hour is convenient
D. conventional wisdom influences business success
3.What does the underlined part probably mean?
A. Rocket scientists can ensure the CNN works properly.
B. Most of the viewers don't like to watch the news at work.
C. It's necessary to understand when people watch the news.
D. It's easy to know people needn't watch the news all the time.
4.The passage is mainly written to tell us that .
A. old methods are changing with time
B. opportunities lead to business success
C. conventional wisdom limits innovation
D. successful companies need wise leaders.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Everyone has heard of the San Andreas fault (断层), which constantly threatens California and the West Coast with earthquakes.But how many people know about the equally serious New Madrid fault in Missouri?
Between December of 1811 and February of 1812, three major earthquakes occurred, all centered around the town of New Madrid, Missouri, on the Mississippi River.Property damage was severe.Buildings in the area were almost destroyed.Whole forests fell at once, and huge cracks opened in the ground, releasing some strong smell chemicals.
The Mississippi River itself completely changed character, developing sudden rapids and whirlpools (激流和旋涡). Several times it changed its course, and once, according to some observers, it actually appeared to run backwards.Few people were killed in the New Madrid earthquakes, probably simply because few people lived in the area in 1811 ; but the severity of the earthquakes is shown by the fact that the shock waves rang bells in church towers in Charleston, South Carolina, on the coast.Buildings shook in New York City, and clocks were stopped in Washington, D.C.
Scientists now know that America' s two major faults are essentially different.The San Andreas is a horizontal (水平的)boundary between two major land masses that are slowly moving in opposite directions.California earthquakes result when the two masses make a suddenly move.
The New Madrid fault, on the other hand, is a vertical fault; at some point, possibly hundreds of millions of years ago, rock was pushed up toward the surface, probably by volcanoes under the surface.Suddenly, the volcanoes cooled and the rock collapsed, leaving huge cracks.
Even now, the rock continues to settle downwards, and sudden sinking motions cause earthquakes in the region.The fault itself, a large crack in this layer of rock, with dozens of other cracks that split off from it, extends from northeast Arkansas through Missouri and into southern Illinois.
Scientists who have studied the New Madrid fault say there have been lots of smaller quakes in the area since 1811; these smaller quakes indicate that larger ones are probably coming, but the scientists say they have no method of predicting when a large earthquake will occur.
1.This passage is mainly about _____.
A.the New Madrid fault B.the San Andreas
C.the causes of faults D.current scientific knowledge about faults
2.Which of the following pictures best describes the type of the New Madrid fault?
3.This passage implies that ______.
A.horizontal faults are more dangerous than vertical faults
B.vertical faults are more dangerous than horizontal faults
C.more people would die if the 1811 New Madrid earthquakes happened today
D.the volcanoes that caused the New Madrid fault are still alive.
4.The underlined word "vertical" most probably means ______.
A.moving straight up B.terribly changing
C.breaking suddenly D.extending largely
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