Elephants have impressed us for centuries. They are big, clever, and sociable. But what if someone told you that they may also hold the key to fighting cancer (癌症)?
People have been wondering why elephants do not develop cancer, even though they have lifespans (寿命) that are similar to humans, living for around 50 to 70 years.
Now scientists believe they know why. A team at the University of Chicago, US has found that elephants carry a large number of genes that stop tumors (肿瘤) from developing. To be precise, they found 20 copies of an antitumor gene called TP53 in elephants. Most other species, including humans, only carry one copy.
According to the research, which was recently published on the online science network BioRxiv, the extra copies of the gene improved the animal's sensitivity to DNA damage. This lets the cells quickly kill themselves when damaged before they can go on to form deadly tumors.
“An increased risk of developing cancer has stood in the way of the evolution of large body sizes in many animals，” study author Dr. Vincent Lynch told The Guardian. If every living cell (细胞) has the same chance of becoming cancerous, large creatures with long lifespans like whales and elephants should have a greater risk of developing cancer than humans and mice do. But across species, the risk of cancer does not show a connection with body mass.
This_phenomenon was found by Oxford University scientist Richard Peto in the 1970s and later named “Peto's paradox”. Evolutionary (进化的) biologists believe it results from larger animals using protection that many smaller animals do not. In the elephant's case, the making of TP53 is nature's way of keeping this species alive.
The study also found that when the same genes were brought to life in mice, they had the same cancer resistance (抵抗) as elephants. This means researchers could use the discovery to develop new treatments that can help stop cancers from spreading or even developing in the first place.
“Nature has already figured out how to prevent cancer, ” said Joshua Schiffman, an oncologist at the School of Medicine, University of Utah, US.
“It's up to us to learn how different animals tackle (处理) the problem so we can use those strategies to prevent cancer in people.”
1.Why are elephants unlikely to develop cancer?
A. They have a large body size.
B. Their genes suffer no DNA damage.
C. Certain genes in their body kill existing tumors.
D. They carry many genes that keep tumors from developing.
2.According to Dr. Vincent Lynch, what has been a risk in the evolution of large animals?
A. A risk of deadly tumors. B. Human behavior.
C. Extreme weather. D. Cells killing themselves.
3.What does the underlined expression “This phenomenon” in the sixth paragraph refer to?
A. Larger animals have protection from TP53.
B. The risk of cancer is not related to body size.
C. The larger animals are, the bigger risk of cancer they have.
D. Larger animals suffer the same risk of cancer as smaller ones do.
4.We can conclude from the last three paragraphs that ________.
A. humans are expected to stop cancer in the near future
B. depending on nature is not enough to fight against cancer
C. this new treatment is more effective than the present ones
D. the TP53 genes have proven useful in stopping cancer in mice
高一英语阅读理解中等难度题
Elephants have impressed us for centuries. They are big, clever, and sociable. But what if someone told you that they may also hold the key to fighting cancer (癌症)?
People have been wondering why elephants do not develop cancer, even though they have lifespans (寿命) that are similar to humans, living for around 50 to 70 years.
Now scientists believe they know why. A team at the University of Chicago, US has found that elephants carry a large number of genes that stop tumors (肿瘤) from developing. To be precise, they found 20 copies of an antitumor gene called TP53 in elephants. Most other species, including humans, only carry one copy.
According to the research, which was recently published on the online science network BioRxiv, the extra copies of the gene improved the animal's sensitivity to DNA damage. This lets the cells quickly kill themselves when damaged before they can go on to form deadly tumors.
“An increased risk of developing cancer has stood in the way of the evolution of large body sizes in many animals，” study author Dr. Vincent Lynch told The Guardian. If every living cell (细胞) has the same chance of becoming cancerous, large creatures with long lifespans like whales and elephants should have a greater risk of developing cancer than humans and mice do. But across species, the risk of cancer does not show a connection with body mass.
This_phenomenon was found by Oxford University scientist Richard Peto in the 1970s and later named “Peto's paradox”. Evolutionary (进化的) biologists believe it results from larger animals using protection that many smaller animals do not. In the elephant's case, the making of TP53 is nature's way of keeping this species alive.
The study also found that when the same genes were brought to life in mice, they had the same cancer resistance (抵抗) as elephants. This means researchers could use the discovery to develop new treatments that can help stop cancers from spreading or even developing in the first place.
“Nature has already figured out how to prevent cancer, ” said Joshua Schiffman, an oncologist at the School of Medicine, University of Utah, US.
“It's up to us to learn how different animals tackle (处理) the problem so we can use those strategies to prevent cancer in people.”
1.Why are elephants unlikely to develop cancer?
A. They have a large body size.
B. Their genes suffer no DNA damage.
C. Certain genes in their body kill existing tumors.
D. They carry many genes that keep tumors from developing.
2.According to Dr. Vincent Lynch, what has been a risk in the evolution of large animals?
A. A risk of deadly tumors. B. Human behavior.
C. Extreme weather. D. Cells killing themselves.
3.What does the underlined expression “This phenomenon” in the sixth paragraph refer to?
A. Larger animals have protection from TP53.
B. The risk of cancer is not related to body size.
C. The larger animals are, the bigger risk of cancer they have.
D. Larger animals suffer the same risk of cancer as smaller ones do.
4.We can conclude from the last three paragraphs that ________.
A. humans are expected to stop cancer in the near future
B. depending on nature is not enough to fight against cancer
C. this new treatment is more effective than the present ones
D. the TP53 genes have proven useful in stopping cancer in mice
高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
For centuries, dolphins have got our admiration, and it is easy to see why. They are beautiful, cute and smart sea animals. Dolphins are not fish, but warm-blooded animals. They live in groups, and speak to each other in their own language. In this way, they are like other animals, such as bees and birds. But dolphins are very different from almost all land animals. It is said that dolphins are the world’s second brightest creatures after humans and have many brain features related to intelligence. Their brain is nearly the same size as our own, and they live a long time at least twenty or thirty years.
Like some animals, dolphins use sound to help them find their way around. They also make these sounds to talk to each other and to help them find food. We now know they do not use their ears to receive these sounds, but the lower part of the mouth, called the jaw.
Strangely, dolphins seem to like man, and for thousands of years there have been stories about the dolphin and its friendship with people.
There is a story about sailors in the 19th century. In a dangerous part of the sea off the coast of New Zealand, they learnt to look for a dolphin called Jack. From 1871 to 1903, Jack met every boat in the area and showed it the way. Then in 1903 a passenger on a boat called The Penguin shot and wounded Jack. He recovered and for nine years more continued to guide all ships through the area－except for The Penguin.
Today, some people continue to kill dolphins, but many countries of the world now protect them and in these places it is against the law to kill them.
1.Dolphins are different from many other animals because they _____.
A. live in groups
B. have large brains
C. are warm-blooded
D. have their own language
2.Which of the following does the dolphin use to help it find its way around?
A. Its nose. B. Its ears. C. Its jaw. D. Its eyes.
3.Why did the sailors off the coast of New Zealand look for Jack?
A. He was lonely and liked to be with people.
B. They enjoyed playing with him.
C. He was seriously wounded.
D. They wanted his help.
4.By telling the story of Jack, the writer wanted to show that _____.
A. dolphins are friendly and clever
B. people are cruel to animals
C. Jack is different from other dolphins
D. dolphins should be protected by law
高一英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Elephants are famous for their supposedly excellent memory. Now it seems that they are good at simple math too.
Researchers at the University of Tokyo have found an Asian elephant named Ashya can add small quantities together and correctly identify(识别）which is larger.
For example ,when researcher Naoko dropped three apples into one bucket and one apple into a second, then four more apples into the first and five into the second, Ashya correctly identified that the first bucket contained more apples and began munching(嚼）on her tasty prize.
Ashya chose the correct bucket 74% of the time "I even get confused when "I'm dropping the apple," Naoko told New Scientist magazine.
Elephants' counting abilities are far from unique. Chimps, pigeons(鸽子)and dolphins have shown the same abilities in lab tests, but what is more impressive for Elephants is that their ability to tell between two figures does not get worse when those numbers are more similar.
The elephants that Naoko tested were as good at telling the difference between five and six as they were at telling between five and one.
Naoko presented her findings last week at the International Society annual meeting in New York.
It is not obvious why elephants should need this mathematical ability in the wild." It is really tough to figure out why elephants would need to count," said Mya, a professor at Cornell University who studies elephants.
One possibility is that they use it to keep track of other members of their herd(兽群）so that no one is left behind. Asian elephants live in groups of six to eight." You really don't want to lose your group members," said Mya.
Another possibility is that the ability for simple math might be a by-product(副产品）of natural selection for a larger brain.
68.The experiments researchers have done recently show that elephants can____.
A. memorize things correctly B. munch on apples
C. do some simple math D. change small quantities into larger ones
69.What does the underlined word" tough" in Paragraph 8 mean?
A. Difficult B. Impossible C. Easy D. Useful
70.The reason why elephants need to count is possibly that_____.
A. they want to exercise their brains
B .they often count the members of their herd
C. they hope to stay in groups
D. they have taken regular training
高一英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
What is a dream?
For centuries, people have wondered about the strange places that they seem to visit in their sleep. ________1________However, they have been valued as necessary to a person's health and happiness.
Historically people thought dreams contained messages from God. It was only in the twentieth century that people started to study dreams scientifically believing that they tell about a person's character.________2________He believed that dreams allow a person to express fantasies or fears, which would be socially unacceptable in real life.
The second theory to become popular was Carl Jung's compensation theory. Jung, a former student of Freud, said that the purpose of a dream is not to hide something, but rather to communicate it to the dreamer. ________3________Thus, people who think too highly of themselves may dream about falling; those who think too little of themselves dream of being heroes.
Using more recent research, William Domhoff from the University of California found that dreaming is a mental skill that needs time to develop in humans. ,________4________ Until they reach age five, they can not express very well what their dreams are about. Once people become adults, there is little or no change in their dreams. The dreams of men and women differ. For instance,
The characters that appear in the dreams of men are often other men, and often involve physical aggression.
The meaning of dreams continues to be difficult to understand. ________5________ If you dream that a loved one is going to die, do not panic. The dream may have meaning, but it does not mean that your loved one is going to die.
A．Dreams make up for what is lacking in waking life.
B．However, people should not take their dreams as reality.
C．They have been considered as meaningless nighttime journeys.
D．It gives scientists chances to better understand human mind.
E．Children do not dream as much as adults.
F．They think their mind is trying to tell them something.
G．First, there was Sigmund Freud’s theory.
高一英语信息匹配中等难度题查看答案及解析
Zoos have been around for centuries — and they’ve changed a lot over the years. In the Middle Ages, wealthy people kept animals in their gardens. Public animal parks appeared in European cities in the late 1700s and early 1800s. The Philadelphia Zoo, the first in the United States, opened in 1874.
Until a few decades (十年) ago, most zoos were organized by creatures — monkeys in one area, cats in another, birds somewhere else, just like museum collections. In recent years, zoos have instead begun grouping animals that would normally interact (互相作用) in the wild. Moreover, instead of closing animals behind bars, designers are creating landscapes like the environments in which these creatures would naturally be found. Nearby signs provide information about the animals and their habitats in parts of the world where they normally live.
The Denver Zoo’s new Predator Ridge exhibit, for example, aims to teach visitors about Africa. Eight acres of land provide homes for 14 animal species, including lions, porcupines, cranes, and wild dogs. Plants from the region grow alongside African-like landform. Ten-foot-tall mounds (土墩) give lions a place from which to survey their surroundings, just as they would do in the wild.
Landscape design makes visitors to the Denver Zoo’s Predator Ridge exhibit feel like they’re really in Africa.
Animals in Predator Ridge can’t actually be mixed with one another, for safety reasons. But hidden deep channels and other smart features allow visitors to see all the animals at once. Different species can see each other too.
1.What is the passage mainly about?
A. Protection of zoo animals.
B. Changes of zoos over the time.
C. The safety problem of zoos.
D. The living habits of zoo animals.
2.In the Denver Zoo ten-foot-tall mounds are built to _____.
A. protect the safety of visitors
B. separate lions from other animals
C. create a natural environment for lions
D. offer visitors a better view of lions
3.The underlined part “the region” in Paragraph 3 probably refers to _____.
A. Africa B. the Predator Ridge exhibit
C. the Denver Zoo D. the ten-foot-tall mounds
4.We can learn from the passage that _____.
A. the earliest zoos were probably rich people’s gardens
B. the Philadelphia Zoo is the first zoo in the world
C. the new Predator Ridge exhibit is held in Africa
D. more animals will be kept in zoos in the future
高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The Meanings of Dreams
Sleep and dreams have interested people for centuries. Scientists are learning more about sleep, but they still know very little about why we dream.
________1.________ First, we have most of our dreams during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. At this time, the brain is very active. Second, everyone dreams – even if we cannot remember doing so when we awaken. ________2.________ While we are asleep, it works more slowly and sometimes puts our thoughts and memories together in strange ways.
________3.________ Some believe that our dreams are associated with thoughts and feelings that we experience while we are awake. Many dream researchers think that a dream about death, for example, is really about an important life change. ________4.________ Dreams about a car or travel often represent feelings about your own life. Dreams about teeth – especially broken or loose ones may indicate stress and fear. Dreams in which you are flying often represent freedom or escape.
Researchers think people in our dreams can tell us something about ourselves. If the person in the dream was yelling (叫喊), for example, maybe you are angry. ________5.________
There is still a lot about dreaming that we do not understand. By learning more about our dreams, we may learn more about ourselves.
A. Dreams may be more important than sleep.
B. Scientists do not know for certain why we dream.
C. If he or she was terrified, then maybe you are afraid of something.
D. Modern research can tell us some important things about dreams.
E. There are three things you should pay attention to to have a sweet dream.
F. Finally, a part of our brain helps us to understand daily experiences we have.
G. Dreams about telephones are thought to be about giving or receiving an important message.
高一英语其他题中等难度题查看答案及解析
Mr. and Mrs. Turner live outside a small town. They have a big farm and they are always busy working on it. Their son, Peter, studied at a middle school. The young man studied hard and did well in his lessons. It made them happy.
Last month Peter finished middle school and passed the entrance examination (升学考试). Mrs. Turner was very happy and told the farmers about it.
Yesterday morning the woman went to the town to buy something for her son. On the bus she told one of her friends how clever and able her son was. She spoke very loudly. All the people in the bus began to listen to her.
“Which university (大学) will your son study in?” a woman next to her asked.
“In the most famous university in our country!” Mrs. Turner said happily.
“The most famous university?”
“Oxford University (牛津).”
Most of the passengers (乘客) looked at her carefully. Some of them said to her, “Congratulations!”
A woman said, “I'm sure he'll know Fred Smith.”
“Who's Fred Smith?”
“He's my son.”
“Does he study in the university, too?”
“No, ”said the woman. “He is one of the professors.”
1.The story happened in ________.
A. America B. France C. Germany D. England
2.Mr. and Mrs. Turner were happy because ________.
A. their son did well in his lessons
B. they have a big farm
C. they have a good harvest
D. their son studied at a middle school
3.Mrs. Turner wanted everyone to know ________.
A. her son finished middle school
B. her son was handsome
C. her son was going to study in a university
D. her son was very friendly to others
4. Mrs. Turner spoke so loudly in the bus that __________.
A. her friend could hear her
B. all the people could hear her
C. she hoped to make all the people happy
D. she hoped they would say congratulations to her
5.Which of the following is true? __________.
A. The woman wasn't interested in Mrs. Turner's words
B. Mrs. Turner knew nothing about the famous university
C. The woman wanted to stop Mrs. Turner from showing off (炫耀)
D. The woman next to Mrs. Turner wanted to show off her son, too
高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
For many people in the US，sports are not just for fun. They’re almost a “religion”．Thousands of sports fans buy expensive tickets to watch their favorite teams and athletes play in person .Other fans watch the games at home，sticking to their TV sets，never missing a game. Many a wife becomes a “sports widow” during her husband’s favorite season. Americans’ devotion to sports has created a new class：professional athletes. Sports stars often receive milliondollar salaries. Some even make big money by appearing in advertisements for soft drinks，shoes and almost everything.
Sports are an important part of American culture. Throughout their school life，Americans learn to play many sports. Many students try out for the school teams. Athletic events at universities attract scores of fans and benefit the whole community. Many people also enjoy noncompetitive activities，like hiking，cycling，horseback riding，camping or hunting.
Many sports were imported from other countries. Europeans brought tennis，golf，bowling and boxing to America .Football and baseball came from other Old World games. Only basketball has a truly American origin. Americans export sports fever as well. Satellites broadcast games to sports fans around the globe. NBA is a good example. The names of American superstars like basketball great Michael Jordan have become household words all over the world.
1.．Many a wife becomes a “sports widow” in the US probably because________.
A．they are serious in religion
B．they are devoted to sports
C．their husbands stick to sports
D．their husbands are missing
2.．Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A．The US sports stars can earn a large sum of money via the media.
B．American students go in for various sports and athletic events.
C．Lots of American people take part in noncompetitive activities.
D．American people like to exchange different sports from each other.
3.．The writer mainly intends to tell us________.
A．how important sports are in America
B．where sports can help to make money
C．why sports are so popular in America
D．what affect Americans’ everyday life
高一英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
Around the world there are some festivals that for some of us may sound bizarre.
In England they celebrate the rolling cheese race, which occurs every year during the last Monday in May. This festival’s characteristic is a contest where an official rolls cheese down a steep hill and festival- goers go chasing after it. The winner is the first one to reach and catch the cheese.
Another festival celebrated in England is the world championship of grimaces (鬼脸). It is a celebration that dates back to 1297 and is celebrated during the month of September. The task is to perform the best grimace using anything you can to win.
The worldwide championship of wife lifting is celebrated in Finland. The game is based on Viking traditions where a man should carry away his neighbor’s wife. According to the rules, any woman above 17 is considered as a wife, so if you are within this age, take care while visiting this country during the month of July.
Many of you have watched Pirates of the Caribbean and have known something about pirates. The 19th of September has been declared worldwide as the day to talk like a pirate. Plenty of people have celebrated it thanks to the publicity (宣传) on the Internet.
First staged in 1998, the Boryeong Mud Festival is an attraction that pulls more than a million visitors to the South Korean City. As you all know, the town is said to be rich in minerals, so there is no shortage of mud. Mud is trucked onto Daecheon Beach for tourists and locals to enjoy the festival to their best.
The Monkey Buffet Festival is held in Thailand to develop tourism. It’s an unusual feast held for about 600 monkeys. The Monkey Buffet Festival is held in honor of the Hindu gods Ram and Hanuman and involves 3,000 kilograms of vegetables and fruits being laid out for monkeys to stuff themselves.
1.What does the underlined word “bizarre” in Paragraph1 probably mean?
A．Dangerous B．Strange C．terrible D．Familiar
2.If a participant wants to win in the rolling cheese race, he / she should __________.
A．roll as much cheese down the hill as possible
B．find the largest piece of cheese rolling downhill
C．perform the best grimace when chasing the cheese
D．be the first one to catch the cheese rolling downhill
3.According to the writer, a girl above 17 should be careful when enjoying __________.
A．the worldwide championship of wife lifting
B．the world championship of grimaces
C．the Boryeong Mud Festival
D．the Monkey Buffet Festival
高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Around the world there are some festivals that for some of us may sound bizarre.
In England they celebrate the rolling cheese race, which occurs every year during the last Monday in May. This festival’s characteristic is a contest where an official rolls cheese down a steep hill and festival- goers go chasing after it. The winner is the first one to reach and catch the cheese.
Another festival celebrated in England is the world championship of grimaces(鬼脸). It is a celebration that dates back to 1297 and is celebrated during the month of September. The task is to perform the best grimace using anything you can to win.
The worldwide championship of wife lifting is celebrated in Finland. The game is based on Viking traditions where a man should carry away his neighbor’s wife. According to the rules, any woman above 17 is considered as a wife, so if you are within this age, take care while visiting this country during the month of July.
Many of you have watched Pirates of the Caribbean and have known something about pirates. The 19th of September has been declared worldwide as the day to talk like a pirate. Plenty of people have celebrated it thanks to the publicity (宣传) on the Internet.
First staged in 1998, the Boryeong Mud Festival is an attraction that pulls more than a million visitors to the South Korean City. As you all know, the town is said to be rich in minerals, so there is no shortage of mud. Mud is trucked onto Daecheon Beach for tourists and locals to enjoy the festival to their best.
The Monkey Buffet Festival is held in Thailand to develop tourism. It’s an unusual feast held for about 600 monkeys. The Monkey Buffet Festival is held in honor of the Hindu gods Ram and Hanuman and involves 3,000 kilograms of vegetables and fruits being laid out for monkeys to stuff themselves.
1.If a participant wants to win in the rolling cheese race, he / she should __________.
A.roll as much cheese down the hill as possible
B.find the largest piece of cheese rolling downhill
C.perform the best grimace when chasing the cheese
D.be the first one to catch the cheese rolling downhill
2.According to the writer, a girl above 17 should be careful when enjoying __________.
A.the world-wide championship of wife lifting B.the world championship of grimace
C.the Boryeong Mud Festival D.the Monkey Buffet Festival
3.If you are interested in the Boryeong Mud Festival, you should go to ________.
A.England B.Finland
C.South Korea D.Thailand
高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析