American researchers have discovered that hum...

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 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

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

Have you ever heard that we humans use only ten percent of our brains? This opinion holds a certain appeal because if it were true, then we could instantly become ten times more intelligent just by firing up that sleepy majority of the brain!

The idea that we use only a small part of the brain dates back to animal experiments in the 19th century. When scientists stimulated (刺激) a specific part of the brain,　 the animal moved its leg or tail. If a tiny part of the brain could do something so great, what was the use of the rest of the brain? Some scientists assumed that large parts of the brain were simply useless.

Then, in the early 20th century, scientists observed that stimulating certain parts of the brain had no physical effects. They named these seemingly useless parts of the brain the “silent cortex.” Today we know that in humans, much of the “silent cortex” is actually devoted to complex activities like language, learning, and imagining.

Brain scans have shown that different parts of the brain become much more active as we shift (切换) our attention and focus, but even as we sleep, many areas of the brain are extremely active. Would you be smarter if your entire brain constantly worked to maximum capacity (能力)? Interestingly enough, the opposite is probably true. The less brain activity you need to perform a given task, the more the brain as a whole is able to do.

1.Why does the opinion mentioned in paragraph l seem appealing?

A. People wish to become much smarter.

B. People believe it is scientific.

C. People know nothing about the brain.

D. People want to make little use of their brain.

2.What did scientists discover in their experiment in the 20th century?

A. The majority of the brain is sleeping.

B. Animals’ legs and tails have some connection with their brain.

C. Stimulation on some parts of the brain causes no physical reaction.

D. Certain parts of the brain are devoted to language and learning activities.

3.“Silent cortex” has proved to be______.

A. sensitive to stimulation

B. useful in complex activities

C. responsible for physical reaction

D. more active than the other parts of the brain

4.If you need less brain activity to perform a task, _______.

A. you will feel sleepy

B. you must shift your focus

C. you can use your brain to the fullest

D. you will be more productive

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

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

Research advances over the past decade have told us that, with a little work, we humans can clone just about anything we want, from frogs to monkeys and probably even ourselves!

So, we can clone things, but why would we want to?

Of all the reasons, cloning for medical purposes has the most potential to benefit large numbers of people. How might cloning be used in medicine?

1. Cloning animal models of disease

Much of what researchers learn about human disease comes from studying animal models such as mice. Often, animal models are genetically engineered to carry disease-causing mutations(变异) in their genes. Creating these transgenic（转基因的） animals is a time-intensive process that requires trial-and-error and several generations of breeding（培育）. Cloning technologies might reduce the time needed to make a transgenic animal model, and the result would be a population of genetically identical animals for study.

2．Cloning stem cells(干细胞) for the treatment of diseases

Stem cells are the body's building blocks, responsible for developing and repairing the body throughout life. As a result, they might be used to repair damaged or diseased organs and tissues. Researchers are currently looking up cloning as a way to create certain human stem cells for the research of diseases.

3. Cloning farm animals for drug production

Farm animals such as cows, sheep and goats are currently being genetically engineered to produce drugs or proteins that are useful in medicine. Just like creating animal models of disease, cloning might be a faster way to produce large herds of genetically engineered animals.

1.From Purpose One, we can infer that________.

A．most transgenic animals are clone

B．most animals carry engineered genes

C．most transgenic animal models are not cloned

D．most animals carry disease-causing mutations in their genes

2.It can be learned from Purpose Two that cloning technologies can be mainly use do________.

A．create damaged or diseased organs and tissues

B．clone genetically defined human stem cells

C．develop and maintain the body

D．repair the body throughout life

3.According to Purpose Three, cloning technologies can be mainly used to________.

A．speed up the producing of genetically engineered animals

B．produce drugs or proteins that are useful in medicine

C．raise genetically engineered cows, sheep and goats

D．produce large herds of animals for human beings

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

Research on the human brain has been attracting the attention of more and more scientists in recent years. One of the latest research topics is how to change the human brain or combine the computer and the human brain, i.e., to transplant (移植) a chip into human brain. This innovation (创新) may make everyone’s dream come true. If we compare a human brain to a hard disc, what the scientists do is to enlarge the capacity (容量) of the hard disc. There are some difficulties in such transplant experiments, but scientists never give up.

Experiments were started on animals. In 1996, a transplant experiment performed at the Defense and Military Physiology Research Institute in the U.S. turned a bear into a dolphin.

The dolphin was named Ted, and the bear was named Tallin. Using the most advanced technology, deep and detailed studies were made of the swimming action memory area in Ted’s brain by the scientists. They got a lot of useful information. The information was saved into a button-sized chip, which was then transplanted into the action memory area in Tallin’s brain. The information saved on the chip was released by means of electric power.

Recently, another memory transplant was performed at the Motor Nerve Research Institute of the University of California. The transplant was performed from a dog named “Genius” to a dog named “Idiot”. “Genius” could understand and follow up to 100 gestures and orders made by its master. It was a real genius. “Idiot” was the younger brother of “Genius”. It had no contact with people at all since its birth. It became an animal with nothing in its brain, without any memory.

The operation was a complete success. When the two dogs woke up, “Idiot” had all the abilities “Genius” possessed. It could follow every gesture and order given by its master. But “Genius” gave no response to its master, and in fact did not recognize him at all.

1.We can learn from the passage that _____.

A.　 the two experiments are about memory transplants

B.　 the scientists exchanged the dolphin’s and the bear’s brains

C.　 there is no possibility of changing the human brain

D.　 “Idiot” got only some abilities “Genius” possessed after the experiment

2.The scientists did the two experiments to _____.

A.　 see if animals can be taught some special skills

B.　 see if animals can share some common knowledge

C.　 learn if it’s safe to do such transplant experiments

D.　 make preparative research on changing the human brain

3.The underlined sentence “The operation was a complete success” in the last paragraph　　 means that _____.

A. the dogs exchanged their memories

B. the dogs could live as before

C. the dogs were as clever as human beings

D. the dogs were safe

4.It could be inferred from the passage that in the future _____.

A.　 human beings will be healthier

B.　 animals will be more tender

C.　 human beings may get knowledge more quickly

D. animals will cause more damage to the environment

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The human brain remembers negative experiences more easily than positive ones. Our brains have developed in this way because threats, like dangerous animals, have a more immediate effect on people’s survival compared to positive things like food or shelter. As a result, you clearly know what makes you unhappy, but do you know what makes you happy?

Research suggests that our level of happiness is partly shaped by the choices we make. If you’ve been chasing wealth, fame, power and some material things, you may be looking for happiness in the wrong places. Psychologists suggest that the following habits can make people happier.

People who own close relationships tend to be happier than those who do not. The number of our friends is not important. What matters is the quality of our relationships. Relationships that bring happiness usually consist of the sharing of feelings, acceptance, mutual (双方的) respect and trust.

People who exercise regularly can improve both their physical and mental well-being. Some research has shown that exercise can be as effective as some medicine in treating depression.

If we are so interested in an activity, we may lose track of time, and we can be in a state of flow. The activity could be playing the piano, surfing the Internet or playing a game… People who experience flow in their work or life tend to be happier.

People are more likely to be happy if they know what their strengths are and can use them regularly. People are especially happy when they can set goals and use their strengths to achieve them.

People, who think positively by being grateful, mindful and optimistic, are more likely to be happy. Being grateful means being thankful. Being mindful means considering, focusing on, and enjoying the experiences of the present moment. Being optimistic means being hopeful about the future.

1.Human brains remember negative things more easily because negative things____ .

A. tend to affect human survival immediately

B. are much more important than other things

C. can make people live much happier

D. are easy to remember

2.According to this passage, people may find happiness in___ .

A. being famous　　 B. chasing power

C. setting life goals　　 D. earning money

3.In the last paragraph, the author tries to tell us to ____.

A. think more about our future　　 B. be positive in our life and work

C. focus on everything in our life　　 D. only enjoy the present moment

4.What does the passage mainly want to tell us?

A. Why people remember positive things easily.

B. Why people remember negative things easily.

C. What makes people happy.

D. What makes people sad.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析