The discovery of an ancient giant panda skull...

The discovery of an ancient giant panda skull has confirmed its bamboo diet dates back more than 2 million years and may have played a key part in its survival.

A Chinese-US research team reports its results today following studies on a fossil skull found in south China’s Cuangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in 2001.

The six fossils unearthed in Jinyin Cave are dated between 2.4 and 2 million years ago, according to the report in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, an influential US journal.

Jin Changzhu, of the chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and lead author of the paper, said the smaller fossil skull indicates the giant pandas were about a third smaller than today’s pandas.

Researchers knew the panda reached its maximum size about 500,000 years ago, when it peaked ,and then gradually became smaller.

Jin, a paleontologist (古生物学者) at the Institute of Vertebrate paleontology and Paleoanthropology (古人类学) attached to the CAS, said the size variation was a basic rule of evolution.

“A species tends to grow bigger when it reaches the peak of its population , but becomes smaller when numbers decline,” he said.

The dental remains of the skull, which is the oldest giant panda skull ever found, are similar to today’s pandas, indicating the type of teeth that could munch (津津有味地嚼)mountains of bamboo. A panda can eat up to 40kg of bamboo per day.

Paleoanthropologist Russell Ciochon, the US co-author at the University of lowa, said the panda’s focus on bamboo could have helped it survive all these years.

“Once an animal begins to rely on a common and stable food source, such as bamboo, it tends to evolve a larger body size,” he said. “As individuals of the evolving species grow bigger, they have a better chance not to be eaten by predators (肉食动物) due to their larger body size.”

1.According to the research of the CAS , there were most pandas in the world 　　 .

A. 2 million years ago

B. between 2.4 and 2 million years ago

C. 500,000 years ago

D. Nowadays

2.The underlined word “variation” in para 6 means 　　　 .

A. fall　　　　　　　 B. change　　　　 C. increase　　　　 D. decrease

3.From the passage, we can learn 　　　 .

A. pandas began to eat bamboo 2 million years ago

B. a species tends to grow smaller when numbers decline

C. the giant pandas were about a third the size of today’s pandas

D. pandas’ bamboo has played an important role in its development

4.The passage mainly tells us that 　　　 .

A. pandas are endangered

B. pandas had a long history

C. pandas had bamboo to beat predators

D. today’s Pandas are similar to the oldest ones

高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

The giant panda is an animal unique to China, and Wolong in Sichuan Province is one of the few places in China where ______.

A. the giant panda live                B. lives the giant panda

C. does the giant live                   C. the giant panda is living

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

The oil giant has confirmed it is planning to list on the stock exchange, in _______ could be the world's biggest initial public offering.

A.that B.which C.what D.how

高三英语单项填空困难题查看答案及解析

Last summer, bird-watchers confirmed the discovery of a new species of bird in Cambodia（柬埔寨）: the Combodian tailorbird. It was not an event of particular biological significance but it was striking for one reason: This species of tailorbird was discovered not in an unspoiled rain forest but within the limits of Combodia’s capital, Phnom Penh.

We don’t typically think of the city as a likely habitat for natural life except rats and pigeons（鸽子）, let alone as a hiding place for an undiscovered species of bird. But a new paper, published last week in the Proceedings of the Royal Society, proves it incorrect. A team of 24 researchers has studied birds and plants in 147 cities, and found that cities much more closely resemble their native habitats than they resemble each other.

It’s also true that in the world of birds and plants, as in human society, there is such thing as a world species who feels equally at home in Francisco, Milan and Beijing. Four birds appear in more than 80 percent of the cities studied, and 11 plants in more than 90 percent of the cities. On the plant side, those include meadow grass, shepherd’s purse, weeds. In the air, it’s the usual species: the pigeon, the house sparrow and the European starling（惊鸟）. They all have become completely adapted to urban life.

However, not all cities are equal protectors of plants and animals, though. City design plays an important role in greening a city. In fact, the amount of green space is a stronger predictor of the biodiversity than a city’s size.

In a world where architecture, food, language, fashion and commerce are increasingly globalized, a city’s native plants and animals are considered as a kind of city identity. Cities tend to become similar, but their natural environments stand differently apart.

1.What does the author think of the discovery of the Cambodian tailorbird?

A.It is just an exception.

B.It is a wonder for the Cambodians.

C.It is an amazing biological event.

D.It is very common in the world.

2.Weeds and sparrows are found in many cities. This seems to be a result of ________.

A.complete adaption

B.natural selection

C.good urban design

D.rapid globalization

3.We can learn that while cities tend to become similar, their natural environments ________.

A.are becoming worse

B.remain diverse

C.are expanding in size

D.stay unchanged

4.What would be the best title for the text?

A.The Discovery of New Species of Bird in Cambodia

B.The Similarity of the Habitats in Different Cities

C.City’s Native Plants and Animals—A Kind of City Identity

D.City—Protector of Native Plants and Animals

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Good news for giant panda lovers: The cute and cuddly creature has just been brought back from the brink of extinction.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) downgraded the species from “endangered” to “vulnerable” as the union released its updated Red List on Sept 4 at Hawaii.

The downgrade came after IUCN data suggested that there were 1,864 giant pandas in the wild in China in 2014 — their population has grown by 17 percent in the decade leading up to 2014.

Chinese conservation efforts, including forest protection and reforestation, are considered to be the driving force behind the animal’s resurgence.

“It’s all about restoring the habitats,” Craig Hilton-Taylor, head of the IUCN Red List, told the BBC.

The number of panda reserves in China has also jumped to 67, from 13 in 1992. Nearly two-thirds of all wild pandas live in these reserves, according to the World Wildlife Fund.

“Just by restoring the panda’s habitat, that’s given them back their space and made food available to them,” Hilton-Taylor said.

A loss of habitats, on the contrary, was what caused the number of pandas to drop to just over 1,200 in the 1980s, Hilton-Taylor added.

Apart from giant pandas, the Tibetan Antelope has also moved from “endangered” to “near threatened”. According to a statement from IUCN, the animal’s numbers dwindled severely — dropping from around 1 million to an estimated 65,000-72,500 in the 1980s and early 1990s — due to commercial poaching. Rigorous(严格的) protection has since been enforced to protect the beasts and the population is now likely to be between 100,000 and 150,000.

Despite the improved statuses, wild animals like the giant panda and the Tibetan Antelope still face great challenges. The IUCN warned, for example, that ongoing threats from climate change could eliminate more than 35 percent of the panda’s bamboo habitat in the next 80 years, which would reverse the species recent gains.

1.What does the underlined word in pagagraph 1 mean?

A. dangerous and threatened.            B. safe and sound.

C. weak and easily hurt.                D. normal and common.

2.Which of the following can account for pandas’ living improvement?

A. Better climate.                        B. More built reserves.

C. Well restored habitats.                D. Aroused public awareness.

3.The passage is written in order to ________.

A. convince            B. inform            C. argue            D advocate

4.What does the last paragraph imply?

A. The climate will influence the threatened species.

B. We humans still have a long way to go to protect the endangered species.

C. Pandas will go extinct for lack of abundant food.

D. Habitats for giant pandas will decrease sharply.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

There is an ancient Chinese story about a giant man named Kua Fu who chases the sun. He drains (喝干) the Yellow and Wei rivers during his race and finally dies of dehydration(脱水). His failure has reminded people of the unstoppable power of the sun for centuries. And yet, scientists throughout history have tried to better understand the most important star in our sky. On Aug 12, 2018, NASA launched the Parker Solar Probe(探测器), marking the start of its trip to the sun.

The probe itself is almost as big as a car and needed the help of a powerful rocket to escape Earth's orbit, change direction and reach the sun. In order to reach the sun, the probe must complete seven flight of Venus, using the power of the planet's gravity to change its path, sending it toward the sun. But that's not the only difficult part of the journey. As the probe approaches the sun's corona(日冕), it will have to bear temperatures reaching 1,400 C, as well as deal with serious radiation. So how will the probe survive?

According to NASA, a special shield (保护罩)　 has been used, which is a special 11.5 cm-thick carbon-composite shield that will be positioned between the probe and the sun's corona. Its advanced technology like this will make the probe's trip to the sun much smoother. If everything goes as planned, the probe will reach a speed of 692,018 kilometers per hour as it orbits the sun, setting a new record for the fastest man-made object in history, NBC noted. It will fly close to the sun 24 times between 2018 and 2025, NBC added.

The "mission to touch the sun" will "not only make history by answering questions that have puzzled scientists for decades, but it may also lead to the discovery of new phenomena that are completely unknown to us now," Raouafi told Discovery Magazine. "This mission has the potential to push solar research into a new direction," he added.

1.What does "it" underlined in paragraph 2 refer to?

A. A powerful rocket.　　 B. The probe.

C. Venus.　　 D. The planet's gravity.

2.What do we know about the Parker Solar Probe?

A. It’s the fastest probe ever designed.

B. It has an 11.5-inch-thick shield.

C. It was designed to carry a powerful rocket.

D. It’s twice the size of a car.

3.The probe will meet the challenges except ________.

A. the route to the sun　　 B. the heat near the sun

C. the distance to the sun　　 D. the radiation from the sun

4.What’s the main purpose of the last paragraph?

A. To stress the importance of advanced technology.

B. To prove the mission is the greatest move in human history.

C. To suggest there is a long way to go in solar exploration.

D. To show the mission will fill a gap in solar research.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The two giant pandas living at Ouwehands Dierenpark in the Dutch city of Rhenen staged a charming debut(初次登台) for hundreds of long- awaited admirers on Tuesday afternoon.

After six weeks since their arrival on April 12, Wu Wen, the female giant panda made tentative steps into her outdoor enclosure(围场). She threw herself at the first bamboo plant. she saw and started to chew. Xing Ya, the male, sat on a rock to enjoy the early summer sunshine. Wu Wen and Xing Ya, both three-and-a-half-year old, will stay at Ouwehands for 15 years. Native to south central China, they belong to a species which counts only 1,864 individuals.

" Both are in perfect health and adapt well to their new home, " said Zhang Hongwen, chief economist of China’s National Forestry and Grassland Administration."I am glad to see that Wu Wen and Xing Ya are so popular in the Netherlands. Their stay will surely promote Sino-Dutch cooperation relating to the protection of forest and biodiversity.

Martijn van Dam, Dutch State Secretary for Economic Affairs, Sad, "From today on, Dutch children will get to know Wu Wen and Xing Ya.They can get inspired by all the beautiful and powerful things nature has offered.

China has succeeded in stopping the decline of the number of pandas. China also makes efforts to maintain the natural habitat of the giant pandas. We would also like to contribute to that."

He stressed, "Wu Wen and Xing Ya underline these good developments. Let this be a sign of hope that with joint forces we can protect our nature worldwide, and let this be the beginning of a wave of inspiration for the new generation."

1.What did Wu Wen do after she went outdoors?

A.She walked step by step.

B.She threw herself on a rock.

C.She enjoyed the sunshine.

D.She ate a bamboo plant.

2.What did Zhang Hongwen say about the two pandas?

A.They belong to an endangered species.

B.People in the Netherlands love them.

C.They inspire young children to protect nature.

D.Hundreds of people have been scared by them.

3.What does the underlined word"that" in Paragraph 4 refer to?

A.Stopping the increase of panda numbers.

B.Welcoming pandas to the Netherlands.

C.Protecting pandas and their habitat.

D.Learning more about the nature of pandas.

4.What is the main idea of this passage?

A.Two giant pandas meet the public in the Netherlands.

B.Giant pandas adapt to the lite in foreign countries easy.

C.Giant pandas are becoming fewer and fewer.

D.How China protects giant pandas.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The voice of an ancient Egyptian priest has been heard for the first time in more than 3,000 years, thanks to a detailed reconstruction of his vocal tract (声带) from his mummified remains.

A team of scientists in England used medical scans of the famous mummy of Nesyamun to create a digital, 3D model of the insides of the individual’s throat and mouth, which were reproduced on a 3D printer. Then the researchers created an artificial larynx (喉头) with a loudspeaker using an electronic waveform. The sound was then played through the speaker into the 3D printed vocal tract to produce a short bust of Nesyamun’s voice — a sound not heard since the 11th century B.C.

Previous efforts to reproduce ancient voices could only approximate them, by animating facial reconstructions with software. In comparison, the sound of Nesyamun’s voice is based on “an extant (现存的) vocal tract preserved over 3,000 years,” the researchers wrote.

Nesyamun lived around 1100 B.C. He is thought to have died in his late 50s from a severe allergic reaction. Almost 3,000 years later, his mummy was discovered at Karnak and transported to the Leeds City Museum in 1823. His remains and ornate coffin (棺材) have since become some of the world’s best researched relics of ancient Egypt.

“Nesyamun’s mummy was a good choice for studying the sound of an ancient voice,” said David Howard, the lead author of the new research, “It was particularly suited, given its age and preservation of its soft tissues, which is unusual.”

He said he hopes the scientific understanding of how human voices are created can be combined with knowledge of the ancient Egyptian language to reconstruct longer passages of Nesyamun’s speech.

Before examining the mummy, the researchers had to deal with ethical (道德的) concerns related to examining a person without their consent. They used nondestructive research methods, and took into account words on his coffin, relating that Nesyamun hoped again to address the gods as he had in his working life.

The researchers interpreted that to indicate his desire to speak again after death. “We are in a way fulfilling his declared wishes,” Howard said.

Howard and Schofield said they hope a reconstruction of Nesyamun’s speech, perhaps reciting an ancient Egyptian prayer, can be featured at the Karnak temple in Egypt for modem tourists.

“When visitors encounter the past, it is usually a visual encounter,” said Schofield. “With this voice, we can change that.”

1.The voice of Nesyamun was recreated by _____.

A.repairing his vocal tract

B.bringing Nesyamun back to life

C.using some advanced technologies

D.combining it with facial movements

2.Why was Nesyamun’s mummy suitable for research?

A.He often gave long speeches.

B.His vocal tract is well preserved.

C.A severe disease resulted in his death.

D.His remains are displayed in the museum.

3.What does the underlined word in Paragraph 8 refer to?

A.The researchers took into account words on his coffin.

B.Nesyamun’s mummy was examined without his consent.

C.The researchers hope to reconstruct longer passages of his speech.

D.Nesyamun hoped to address the gods as he had in his working life.

4.What would be the best title for the passage?

A.A 3000-year-old mummy speaks again

B.The voice of a mummy excites visitors

C.A 3D-printed vocal tract has been created

D.The dream of Nesyamun has been achieved

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, has an ancient competition with Chongqing, a city to its south-east. Residents of Chongqing accused their Chengdu cousins of being pompous (自大的). The people of Chongqing were hotheads, Chengdu residents shot back. Both cities share a love of spice-laden Sichuan cuisine, which in recent decades has occupied Chinese dinner tables. But they are at war over which has the best Sichuan hotpot—a type of DIY-cooking that involves boiling vegetables and slices of meat with chillies and numbing peppercorns.

A private museum in Chongqing, opened several years ago, makes the case for the Chongqing-style hotpot. It describes how it developed from a method used to make cheap offcuts of meat taste delicious. But Chengdu is playing catch-up. In January the city sold a plot of land on condition that the developer build a hotpot museum on part of it.

The two cities are among many in China with their own styles of hotpot. Hotpot restaurants in China are more profitable than other kinds. Haidilao, a well-known Sichuan-based hotpot chain, raised nearly $1bn when it was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (股票交易所) in September.

Not all Chinese warm to hotpot. Some older Sichuanese refuse to be connected with it. They complain that it is causing overuse of chilli in other dishes that cover up the original genuine flavours.

But Chengdu’s plans for a museum suggest that Sichuan hotpot is not only growing in popularity, but is also becoming symbolic. If it can set the West on fire, officials may hope it will become a delicious new source of Chinese soft power. There will be plenty of glory for both Chengdu and Chongqing to take pride in if that happens.

1.Why are Chengdu and Chongqing competing with each other?

A.Because Chengdu people think Chongqing people are pompous.

B.Because Chengdu residents like to shoot back in battles.

C.Because they both think they are better at eating spicy food.

D.Because they both believe they have the best Sichuan hotpot.

2.What is the purpose of building a hotpot museum in Chengdu?

A.To compete with Chongqing. B.To advertise Sichuan cuisine.

C.To show their love for hotpot. D.To keep the hotpot tradition.

3.What can we infer about hotpot from the last paragraph?

A.The two cities have competed only in recent decades.

B.More hotpot museums will be built in the future.

C.Hotpot is already a source of Chinese soft power.

D.People hold a high expectation for hotpot culture.

4.Which can be a suitable title for the text?

A.Growing Popularity of Hotpot in Two Cities

B.Two Cities’ War Over Tastiest Sichuan Hotpot

C.“No Hotpot, No Happiness” True in Food Business

D.Private Museum in Chongqing Opened First

高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

A proposal came up at the meeting _____the protection of giant pandas in Sichuan.

A．was concerned with       B．concerned about

C．concerning              D．to concern

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析