Researchers Jose Cordova and Erich Astudillo ...

Researchers Jose Cordova and Erich Astudillo have discovered a new molecule(分子) that kills the bacteria Streptococcus Mutans, long known to be responsible for breaking down sugars in food in the mouth, which damages tooth leading to decay(腐烂). The new molecule they call “Keep 32” has been found to kill the bacteria.

The two have applied for a patent(专利) on their discovery and have also begun a marketing strategy aimed at both oral care products and food products. They say either product, if left in the mouth for just 60 seconds ,will kill all the harmful bacteria in the mouth and keep them at bay for several hours. If the new molecule passes health and safety tests, the two believe products using their new molecule should be on the market in as little as a year and a half. They expect the market for such a product to reach $300 million in just the first year.

The two have been working together since 2005 using money from the Founder Institute and say the aim is to approve the process for creating the molecule they’ve discovered for big companies like Procter & Gamble, Colgate even candy companies such as Hershey’s. In interviews, Astudillo has suggested that the two researchers are already heavily into discussion with several companies, some of which are interested in buying the patent once it is approved.

Over the years many products have come on the scene with announcement of reducing tooth decay and even the loss of teeth, but other than the introduction of fluoride(氟化物) into drinking water, not much progress has been made. If the announcement made by this new team proves true however, it could foresee a mark in saving the world of tooth decay as well as helping to improve the health for millions of people as tooth decay has been linked to many other health problems throughout the body including heart attacks.

1.The underlined word “them” in Para. 2 refers to _________.

A. oral care products B. food products

C. new molecules　 　　 D. the harmful bacteria

2.The phrase “come on the scene” in Para. 4 is closest in meaning to __________.

A. performed　　　　　　 B. occurred

C. existed　　　　　　 　 D. arrived

3.What has been a way to reduce tooth decay and even the loss of teeth over the years?

A. Using the molecule “Keep 32”.

B. Killing the bacteria Mutans.

C. Introducing fluoride into drinking water.

D. Cooperating with some big companies.

4.This passage mainly tells us that ___________.

A. many health problems are closely connected to tooth decay

B. the discovery of a new molecule will greatly benefit health care

C. two researchers are discussing their patent with companies

D. researchers discover a molecule that can kill tooth decay-causing bacteria

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Scholars and researchers have tried to discover what personality characteristics go along with success in intercultural(跨文化的)experiences. Their findings have often been unclear or incomplete. But three characteristics stand out in their reports: patience, a sense of humor, and the awareness (意识, 认识)of being unclear.

Patience, of course, is the ability to keep calm even when things do not go as one wants them to, or hopes they will, or has even been sure they will. Impatience sometimes brings improvements in relations with other people, but usually it does not.

A person with a sense of humor is less likely to take things too seriously and more ready to see the humor in his own reactions than a humorless person. The value of a sense of humor really needs to be paid more attention to.

The awareness of being unclear is a more difficult concept than patience or a sense of humor. Foreigners often find themselves in situations that are unclear to the newcomers. That is, they do not know what is happening in the situation. Perhaps they do not understand the local language well enough, or they do not know how some system or organization works, or they can’t be sure of different people’s roles in what is going on. “It’s like I just got here from the moon,” a Chinese graduate student who newly arrived in the United States said, “things are just so different here.”

1.The passage mainly tells us ________.

2. According to the passage, what characteristic should be most focused on?

3.“The awareness of being unclear” refers to ________.

4.According to the writer, the Chinese students are ________.

5.Which of the following can best sum up the passage?

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Scholars and researchers have tried to discover what personality characteristics go along with success in different cultural experiences. Their findings have often been unclear or incomplete. But three typical characteristics stand out in their reports: patience, a sense of humor, and the awareness of being unclear.

Patience, of course, is the ability to keep calm when things do not go as one wants them to, or as one hopes they would, or even as one was sure they would. Impatience sometimes brings improvements in relations with other people, but usually it does not.

A person with a sense of humor is less likely to take things too seriously and more ready to see the humor in his own reaction than a humorless person. The value of a sense of humor really needs to be paid more attention to.

“The awareness of being unclear” is a more difficult concept to understand than patience and a sense of humor. Foreigners often find themselves in situations that are unclear as they are newcomers. That is, they do not know what is happening in a certain situation. Perhaps they do not understand the local language well enough, or they do not know how some system or organization works, or they can’t be sure of different people’s roles in what is going on. “It’s like that I just got here from the moon,” a Chinese graduate student who newly arrived in the United States said. “Things are just so different here.”

1.The passage mainly tells us ______.

A. about some uneasy traveling experiences in foreign countries

B. about the three main ways to communicate with foreigners

C. about some typical characteristics in different cultural experiences

D. how to show your characters to foreigners

2.According to the passage, which characteristic should be focused on most?

A. The ability to keep cool.    B. The sense of humor.

C. Patience.                D. The awareness of being unclear.

3.“The awareness of being unclear” refers to “______” .

A. not knowing what is happening in a situation

B. not understanding the local language well enough

C. being aware that the situation is unclear

D. not knowing how some system or organization works

4.By what the Chinese graduate student said, we can learn that ______.

A. he is not used to the culture of America

B. he went to the United States to study the moon

C. he is a person with a sense of humor

D. he has just returned from the moon

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

American researchers have discovered that human brains and sleep patterns are confused by devices(装置) that give out bright lights. Electronics, such as laptops, mislead our minds into thinking that it is still daytime, preventing sleep and increasing the risk of insomnia.

Sleep experts say human's natural body clock begins to rest and relax from the day between 9 and 10 pm but the use of computers confuses it.

A person's brain biologically becomes awake when the sun is out because bright light after dark causes the brain to stop producing the hormone (荷尔蒙) called melatonin that makes us sleepy.

Researchers say blue light from devices such as iPads, which is expected to become a popular reading tool when it comes out later this month, is particularly disruptive (干扰的)during the night when the brain thinks it should be dark.

Experts say a good book is a far better way of resting the brain and ensuring a good night's sleep because the bedside lamp(灯) light doesn't affect the brain as it does not look straight into a person's eyes.

“Potentially, yes, if you're using an iPad or a laptop close to bedtime... that light can be stimulating (刺激) to the brain to make it more awake and delay your ability to sleep，” Phyllis Zee, a professor at Northwestern University and director of the school's Centre for Sleep & Circadian Biology, told CNN.

“And I think more importantly, it could also be enough to affect your circadian (昼夜节律的) rhythm. This is the clock in your brain that determines when you sleep and when you wake up. ”

Alon Avidan, associate director of the Sleep Disorders Center at the University of California Los Angeles, added, “I wish people would just take a boring book — an old­fashioned book — and read by a lamp.”

1.The underlined word “insomnia” in the first paragraph probably means “________”．

A．being unable to eat properly

B．brain injury

C．being unable to fall sleep

D．lack of energy

2.Melatonin is the hormone that ________.

A．makes us sleepy

B．helps us relaxed

C．prevents us from waking up

D．makes us excited

3.The bedside lamp light doesn't affect the brain because ________.

A．it doesn't give out blue light

B．it's not as bright as your laptop

C．it doesn't enter your eyes directly

D．it is adjustable

4.We can conclude from the passage that ________.

A．one who uses his laptop often before bedtime can have his body clock disturbed

B．using a laptop before bedtime is more harmful than using an iPad

C．we'd better not do anything before going to bed

D．the best time to go to bed is before 9 pm

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Researchers from France and Italy discovered that Canadian parents are less strict with their children than mothers and fathers in France and Italy.

“Our most important finding was the difference between Canadians and the others,” said Professor Michel Claes, the lead author of the study.“Canadians focus on independence and negotiation. On the other hand, Italians, for example, exercise more control. We found Canadians seem to focus on negotiation in case of a conflict.”

Claes said Canada, France and Italy were selected for the study because they share important cultural and social factors.“We chose French­Canadians because they share the same language as France, and originally came from France and share certain values．Italy was included because it was considered to have similar，strong and important family values，” he explained.

The researchers examined the emotional ties between parents and their children by questioning 1,256 students aged 11 to 19 years old.

Canadian students reported less control and more free actions, according to the study. Italian parents were stricter and French parents were somewhere in the middle.

Claes explains that the differences lie in education in Canada, France and Italy.

“North America has its own educational values, which promote individualization. Tolerance and comprehension are encouraged. Italy, on the other hand, promotes respect of authority, control, and the need for permission.” he said.

Children from all three countries described their mothers as warm and communicative. Italian and Canadian children had similar feelings about their fathers, and reported high levels of emotional ties. But French fathers were generally thought by their children to be more distant and cold.

“We were surprised by this,” Claes admitted.“It seems as though the relationships between French mothers and their children were becoming closer over time, while fathers maintain a form of distance and coldness, which is more of a source of conflict in France than in the other countries.”

1.Professor Michel Claes believes that Canada, France and Italy ________.

A．have the same family spirit

B．have some similar cultural traditions

C．have experienced some similar social changes

D．have experienced similar cultural developments

2.How did the researchers carry out the study?

A．By collecting answers of parents from Canada, France and Italy.

B．By collecting answers of children from Canada, France and Italy.

C．By questioning parents and their children from Italian Canadian families.

D．By questioning children from French­Canadian families.

3.According to Michel Claes, what mainly leads to the differences in parent­children relationships among Canada, France and Italy?

A．Educational opportunities.

B．Traditional ideas.

C．Educational values.

D．Historical events.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The two researchers originally set out to study the zebras in Africa and discovered a new species of tiger ______.

A. by chance　 　　 　　 B. in addition

C. by nature　　　　　 D. in need

高二英语单项填空困难题查看答案及解析

Over the last 70 years, researchers have been studying happy and unhappy people and finally found out ten factors that make a difference．Our feelings of well-being at any moment are determined to a certain degree by genes．However, of all the factors, wealth and age are the top two.

Money can buy a degree of happiness．But once you can afford to feed, clothe and house yourself, each extra dollar makes less and less difference.

Researchers find that, on average, wealthier people are happier．But the link between money and happiness is complex．In the past half-century, average income has sharply increased in developed countries, yet happiness levels have remained almost the same．Once your basic needs are met, money only seems to increase happiness if you have more than your friends, neighbors and colleagues.

“Dollars buy status, and status makes people feel better,” conclude some experts, which helps explain why people who can seek status in other ways—scientists or actors, for example—may happily accept relatively poorly-paid jobs.

In a research, Professor Alex Michalos found that the people whose desires—not just for money, but for friends, family, job, health—rose furthest beyond what they already had, tended to be less happy than those who felt a smaller gap (差距)．Indeed, the size of the gap predicted happiness about five times better than income alone．“The gap measures just blow away the only measures of income.” says Michalos.

Another factor that has to do with happiness is age．Old age may not be so bad．“Given all the problems of aging, how could the elderly be more satisfied? ” asks Protessor Laura Carstensen.

In one survey, Carstensen interviewed 184 people between the ages of 18 and 94, and asked them to fill out an emotions questionnaire．She found that old people reported positive emotions just as often as young people, but negative emotions much less often.

Why are old people happier? Some scientists suggest older people may expect life to be harder and learn to live with it, or they’re more realistic abour their goals, only setting ones that they know they can achieve．But Carstensen thinks that with time running out, older people have learned to focus on things that make them happy and let go of those that don’t.

“People realize not only what they have, but also that what they have cannot last forever,” she says．“A goodbye kiss to a husband or wife at the age of 85, for example, may bring far more complex emotional responses than a similar kiss to a boy or girl friend at the age of 20.”

1.According to the passage, the feeling of happiness ________.

A．is determined partly by genes              B．increases gradually with age

C．has little to do with wealth                    D．is measured by desires

2.Some actors would like to accept poorly-paid jobs because the jobs ________.

A．make them feel much better                B．provide chances to make friends

C．improve their social position                  D．satisfy their professional interests

3.Aged people are more likely to feel happy because they are more ________.

A．optimistic                                            B．successful

C．practical                                             D．emotional

4.Professor Alex Michalos found that people feel less happy if ________.

A．the gap between reality and desire is bigger

B．they have a stronger desire for friendship

C．their income is below their expectation

D．the hope for good health is greater

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Over the last 70 years, researchers have been studying happy and unhappy people and finally found out ten factors that make a difference. Our feelings of well-being at any moment are determined to a certain degree by genes. However, of all the factors, wealth and age are the top two.

Money can buy a degree of happiness. But once you can afford to feed, clothe and house yourself , each extra dollar makes less and less difference.

Researchers find that, on average, wealthier people are happier. But the link between money and happiness is complex. In the past half-century, average income has sharply increased in developed countries, yet happiness levels have remained almost the same. Once your basic needs are met, money only seems to increase happiness if you have more than your friends, neighbors and colleagues.

“Dollars buy status, and status makes people feel better,” conclude some experts, which helps explain why people who can seek status in other ways---scientists or actors, for example—may happily accept relatively poorly-paid jobs.

In a research, Professor Alex Michalos found that the people whose desires—not just for money, but for friends, family, job, health—rose furthest beyond what they already had, tended to be less happy than those who felt a smaller gap. Indeed, the size of the gap predicted happiness about five times better than income alone. “The gap measures just blow away the only measures of income.” Says Michalos.

Another factor that has to do with happiness is age. Old age may not be so bad. “Given all the problems of aging, how could the elderly be more satisfied?” asks Professor Laura Carstensen.

In one survey, Carstensen interviewed 184 people between the ages of 18 and 94, and asked them to fill out an emotions questionnaire. She found that old people reported positive emotions just as often as young people, but negative emotions much less often.

Why are old people happier? Some scientists suggest older people may expect life to be harder and learn to live with it, or they’re more realistic about their goals, only setting ones that they know they can achieve. But Carstensen thinks that with time running out, older people have learned to focus on things that make them happy and let go of those that don’t. “People realize not only what they have, but also that what they have cannot last forever,” she says. “A goodbye kiss to a husband or wife at the age of 85, for example, may bring far more complex emotional responses than a similar kiss to a boy or girl friend at the age of 20.

1.According to the passage, the feeling of happiness ________.

A．is determined partly by genes              B．increases gradually with age

C．has little to do with wealth                 D．is measured by desires

2.Some actors would like to accept poorly-paid jobs because the jobs_____.

A．make them feel much better               B．provide chances to make friends

C．improve their social position               D．satisfy their professional interests

3.Aged people are more likely to feel happy because they are more______.

A．optimistic         B．successful         C．practical          D．emotional

4.Professor Alex Michalos found that people feel less happy if _______.

A．the gap between reality and desire is bigger

B．they have a stronger desire for friendship

C．their income is below their expectation

D．the hope for good health is greater

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Over the last 70 years．researchers have been studying happy and Unhappy people and finally found out ten factors that make a difference．Our feelings of well-being at any moment are determined to a certain degree by genes．However of all the factors，wealth and age are the top two．

Money can buy a degree of happiness．But once you can afford to feed，clothe and house yourself, each extra dollar makes less and less difference．

Researchers find that，on average，wealthier people are happier．But the link between money and happiness is complex．In the past half-century, average income has sharply increased in developed countries，yet happiness levels have remained almost the same．Once your basic needs are met，money only seems to increase happiness if you have more than your friends，neighbors and colleagues．

“Dollars buy Status(社会地位)，and status makes people feel better,” conclude some experts，which helps explain why people who can seek status in other ways-scientists or actors，for example-may happily accept relatively poorly-paid jobs．

In a research，Professor Alex Michalos found that the people whose desires-not just for money，but for friends，family, job，health-rose furthest beyond what they already had，tended to be less happy than those who felt a smaller gap(差距)．Indeed，the size of the gap predicted happiness about five times better than income alone．“The gap measures just blow away the only measures of income，”says Michalos．

Another factor that has to do with happiness is age．Old age may not be so bad．“Given all the problems of aging，how could the elderly be more satisfied?” asks Professor Laura Carstensen．

Why are old people happier? Some scientists suggest older people may expect life to be harder and learn to live with it，or they're more realistic about their goals，only setting ones that they know they can achieve．But Carstensen thinks that with time running out，older people have learned to focus on things that make them happy and let go of those that don't．

“People realize not only what they have，but also that what they have cannot-last forever,” she says．“A goodbye kiss to a husband or wife at the age of 85，for example，may bring far more complex emotional responses than a similar kiss to a boy or girl friend at the age of 20.”

1.According to the passage，the feeling of happiness _________.

A．has little to do with wealth       B．increases gradually with age

C．is measured by desires           D．is determined partly by genes

2.Some actors would like to accept poorly-paid jobs because the jobs _________.

A．make them feel much better       B．provide chances to make friends

C．improve their social position     D．satisfy their professional interests

3.Aged people are more likely to feel happy because they are more _________.

A．optimistic      B．practical      C．successful     D．emotional

4.Professor Alex Michalos found that people feel less happy if __________.

A．the gap between reality and desire is bigger

B．they have a stronger desire for friendship

C．their income is below their expectation

D．the hope for good health is greater

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

American and British researchers have proved that judgments based on how someone looks are important. They found that appearance tells a lot about your personality.

The researchers included Laura Naumann of Sonoma State University in California, and Simine Vazire of Washington University in Saint Louis, Missouri. They were joined by Sam Gosling of the University of Texas at Austin and Peter J. Rentfrow of Britain's Cambridge University. The results of their study were published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin in December, 2009.

The subjects（接受实验者）were asked to judge the personality of people they had never met. The judges examined pictures of one hundred twenty-three people. The people in the photographs had been told how to stand. They looked into the cameras without showing their feelings. The same people also were photographed the way they themselves wanted to stand. Those who wanted to smile could smile.

Then the judges attempted to decide what the people were like. The researchers compared the judges’ opinions with the way the people who were photographed thought of themselves. Three people who knew those in the photographs well also provided information about their personality and behavior.

The judges looked for ten qualities in the people in the pictures. The qualities included extroversion (having a confident character and enjoying the company of other people) and self-esteem (being satisfied with oneself).

The judges also looked for signs of loneliness, conscientiousness（正义）, emotional control and religious and political beliefs.

The researchers said the judges could identify some personalities even when people were pictured in controlled positions. They could recognize personalities like extroversion and self-esteem. But it was hard for the judges to decide about most other personalities under the controlled conditions.

When the people smiled and stood naturally, however, judging their personalities was easy. Then the judges’ choices were correct for nine of the ten personalities.

Researcher Laura Nauman said that we live in the world where first impressions are important.

1. According to the passage, who were the judges?

A. The researchers of the study.                               B. The subjects in the study.

C. Parents and other adults.                                        D. People in the photographs.

2. Which of the following qualities could the judges identify even when people were pictured in controlled positions?

A. Extroversion                           B. Religious beliefs           C. Loneliness             D. Emotional control

3. We can infer from the passage that ____________

A. the study was carried out by four researchers from America.

B. in the study126 people were photographed for judges to decide their personalities.

C. the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin is an official publication（出版物）.

D. it was hard to recognize personalities when the people were pictured with natural looks.

4. What will the author most probably talk about next?

A. The quality of the judges.                                B. The personalities of Laura Nauman.

C. Signs of emotional control.                            D. The reason why one’s appearance is important.

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析