Back in old times, people had little knowledge about the universe and nature. Things we now consider to be common sense were mysteries to our ancestors.
Over the years, major breakthroughs have been made in science and many phenomena have been explained. But still, there are always questions we can't yet answer, and The Guardian has listed some of them.
1. What makes us human?
Just looking at your DNA won't tell you - human DNA is 99 percent identical to that of the chimpanzee and, believe it or not, 50 percent identical to a banana's! A lot of the things we once thought were unique about us - language and tool use, recognizing ourselves in the mirror and so on – have since been seen in other animals. Perhaps it's our culture that makes the difference or maybe our ability to use fire. It's also possible that our capacity (能力) for co-operation and our trading skills are what make us unique.
2. Why do we dream?
Given the fact that we spend around a third of our lives sleeping, shouldn't we know everything about it? Unfortunately, scientists are still searching for a complete explanation of what happens when we sleep and why we dream.
Austrian psychologist Sigmund Freud believed dreams were the expressions of wishes that we can't fulfill in our real lives. Others have wondered whether dreams are just random "noise" coming from a sleeping brain.
3. Could we someday live forever?
Apart from accidents, most people die because of diseases that can be treated and aging. And since many diseases, such as diabetes(糖尿病) and cancer, are diseases of aging, treating aging itself could be the key to extending our lives.
Our knowledge of what causes us to age - and what allows some animals to live longer than others - is expanding rapidly. And though we haven't quite worked out all the details, we've worked out some pieces of the puzzles such as DNA damage and metabolism (新陈代谢), which are all leading to the invention of drugs that can slow down the aging process.
If we're lucky enough to lengthen our lives, we might even get to see the day when all of these questions are answered.
1.The main point of the passage is ______.
A. to inform people of the knowledge about the universe and nature
B. to introduce major breakthroughs that have been made in science
C. to present some questions we can't yet answer
D. to explain what were once mysteries to our ancestors
2.Chimpanzees and bananas are mentioned as examples to prove that ______.
A. human beings are actually not different from other animals
B. animals have completely different DNA from that of plants
C. both animals and plants share the same amount of DNA
D. DNA alone is not good enough to make humans different
3.The underlined word "identical" is closest in meaning to ______.
A. mysterious B. unique C. advanced D. same
4.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. What were mysteries to our ancestors are considered to be common sense now.
B. Now we know much more about dreams than our ancestors did in the past.
C. With the invention of new drugs people can possibly live even longer.
D. If all the diseases can be treated people can theoretically live forever.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
Back in old times, people had little knowledge about the universe and nature. Things we now consider to be common sense were mysteries to our ancestors.
Over the years, major breakthroughs have been made in science and many phenomena have been explained. But still, there are always questions we can't yet answer, and The Guardian has listed some of them.
1. What makes us human?
Just looking at your DNA won't tell you - human DNA is 99 percent identical to that of the chimpanzee and, believe it or not, 50 percent identical to a banana's! A lot of the things we once thought were unique about us - language and tool use, recognizing ourselves in the mirror and so on – have since been seen in other animals. Perhaps it's our culture that makes the difference or maybe our ability to use fire. It's also possible that our capacity (能力) for co-operation and our trading skills are what make us unique.
2. Why do we dream?
Given the fact that we spend around a third of our lives sleeping, shouldn't we know everything about it? Unfortunately, scientists are still searching for a complete explanation of what happens when we sleep and why we dream.
Austrian psychologist Sigmund Freud believed dreams were the expressions of wishes that we can't fulfill in our real lives. Others have wondered whether dreams are just random "noise" coming from a sleeping brain.
3. Could we someday live forever?
Apart from accidents, most people die because of diseases that can be treated and aging. And since many diseases, such as diabetes(糖尿病) and cancer, are diseases of aging, treating aging itself could be the key to extending our lives.
Our knowledge of what causes us to age - and what allows some animals to live longer than others - is expanding rapidly. And though we haven't quite worked out all the details, we've worked out some pieces of the puzzles such as DNA damage and metabolism (新陈代谢), which are all leading to the invention of drugs that can slow down the aging process.
If we're lucky enough to lengthen our lives, we might even get to see the day when all of these questions are answered.
1.The main point of the passage is ______.
A. to inform people of the knowledge about the universe and nature
B. to introduce major breakthroughs that have been made in science
C. to present some questions we can't yet answer
D. to explain what were once mysteries to our ancestors
2.Chimpanzees and bananas are mentioned as examples to prove that ______.
A. human beings are actually not different from other animals
B. animals have completely different DNA from that of plants
C. both animals and plants share the same amount of DNA
D. DNA alone is not good enough to make humans different
3.The underlined word "identical" is closest in meaning to ______.
A. mysterious B. unique C. advanced D. same
4.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. What were mysteries to our ancestors are considered to be common sense now.
B. Now we know much more about dreams than our ancestors did in the past.
C. With the invention of new drugs people can possibly live even longer.
D. If all the diseases can be treated people can theoretically live forever.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
第三部分:阅读理解(共20小题,每小题2分,满分40分)
Back in the old times, there was an old man, who had spent his life learning many different things. He had traveled to many places as well. “I must be the wisest man in the world.” The man thought to himself. As he grew old, he felt that there was no need for him to learn any longer because of the arrival of the end of life. Every day he spent his time complaining about many things. It seemed that he was satisfied with nothing his life.
One day while he was sitting in the chair, there was a knock on the door. The old man opened the door and found a little girl,whose face was covered with soil. “Can I borrow some fire ?”the girl whispered softly.At that time,matches hadn’t been invented,and people used to borrow fire from neighbors by loading a bucket (铲子) with a few hot coals.It was much better than trying to start a fire with sticks.
Not finding a bucket in her hand,the old man asked impatiently , “Well , where’s your bucket ? How are you going to get the coals home ?” However , the girl said she didn’t have one and went to the fireplace .She put a pile of cold ashes into her hand and put the coal on top of the ash heap (灰堆).“Thanks !”she said on her way out.Seeing the girl’s happy and grateful appearance, the man was moved and felt ashamed of himself.“If I can learn something new from a little farm girl, there must be a lot I still don’t know.I’d better get busy while I still have time.”
1.We can learn from the first paragraph that the old man ____________________
A.failed to know what he needed to do
B.lost confidence in himself
C.lost the fame of the world’s wisest man
D.often expressed his dissatisfaction with life
2.How did the girl change the old man’s opinions ?
A.By solving an old problem in a new way
B.By following the old man’s instructions
C.By pointing out his mistakes politely
D.By helping the old man to make a fire
3.It can be inferred from the underlined part in me last paragraph that the old man would become_______________.
A.more confident C.more modest
C.more modest D.more intelligent
4.What can we infer from the text ?
A.Failure is the mother of success B.Action speaks louder than words
C.It’s never too late to learn D.Great minds think alike
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
One picture in the Wonder Book of knowledge I had as a little boy showed a man reading a book while floating in the Dead Sea. What a miracle! How would it feel to lie back in water so thick with salt that it was impossible to sink?
Fed by the Jordan River and smaller streams, the Dead Sea is the lowest point on the earth’s surface, and its water is ten times saltier than the Mediterranean. With evaporation its only outlet, salt and other minerals become super-concentrated.
Earlier this year, I drove down the long, steep hill to realize my dream. The shoreline was a broad area of bare salt-mud, but the water edge was far out of sight. Had somebody pulled the Dead Sea’s plug? I wondered. Eli Dior, an Israeli official, explained the problem: “The Dead Sea is drying up. Every year, the surface drops about one meter, and as the water level falls, shadow areas are left high and dry.”
Over the last half-century, the five neighboring countries have collectively diverted nearly all the water flowing into the Dead Sea to meet human and agriculture needs. Result: the Dead Sea is being emptied.
With population in the region set to double at least in the next 50 years, there is little hope of restoring the water being diverted for human consumption. No country has a drop to spare for the Dead Sea, where they know it will just evaporate. To dream of opening the dams and restoring natural balance is plainly unrealistic.
Yet one ambitious high-tech dream may turn out to be not only the salvation of the Dead Sea but also a ticket to peace around its shores. The “Red-Dead” is a proposed $5 billion project to bring sea water some 240 kilometers by pipeline and canal from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea. The Red-Dead may be the only solution, but even if the project is carried out successfully, the Dead Sea will be 10 to 20 meters lower than now and two thirds of its current size.
Whatever the future holds, the Dead Sea’s magical mix of sun, mud, sea and salt will surely survive. Many might complain that the Dead Sea is half empty—but for me the Dead sea will always be half full.
1.What’s the passage mainly about?
A.Dead Sea – miracle of the world.
B.Save the environment of the Dead Sea.
C.Slow shrinking of the Dead Sea.
D.Why is the Dead Sea so salty.
2.The shrinking of the Dead Sea is mainly caused by ________ according to the passage.
A.a severe reduction of the water flowing into the sea
B.rapid evaporation of the water in the Dead Sea area
C.the increasing quantity of water drawn from the sea
D.very low annual rainfall in the Dead Sea Area
3.Which of the following is right according to the passage?
A.With no outlet to any ocean, the Dead Sea has become by evaporation most dense waters on earth.
B.Though burdened with the growing population, the neighboring countries haven’t cut off the sources of the Dead Sea.
C.All the countries in the area will consider diverting less water from the Jordan River.
D.The Red-Dead Project has not only brought water to the Dead Sea, but peace to the area as well.
4.Which of the following statements will the author approve of?
A.If the Dead Sea dried up, great natural disasters would happen in the region.
B.The Dead Sea will not survive no matter what people do to save it.
C.The five neighboring countries should stop diverting water from the Jordan River.
D.Though the Dead Sea is shrinking gradually, it will not die.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
One of the things that made me long ________ back in prison was that I had little opportunity thinking and reflection.
A.be | B.being | C.to be | D.to being |
高三英语单项填空困难题查看答案及解析
. The year 2003 ____ a wild spread of SARS, a disease people knew little about at that time.
A.accompanied | B.followed | C.saw | D.caused |
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
I agree with the saying that some people “see old memories as a chance to deal with the past and unite past and present.” Many people are so ___1___ by things that happened in their past that they are not able to focus on the ___2___ . For example, in the book Ceremony, the main character, Tayo, cannot concentrate on the present because he can’t forget his troubled childhood and ___3___ continues to relive things that happened during that time.
However, past memories can help people to ___4___ in the present. A ___5___ example of people learning from the past would be the Marshall Plan. After the ___6___ of World War II there were many war-torn countries around the world in need of ___7___ assistance to help rebuild their countries, and the United States would have to be the one to ___8___ that assistance. Many American politicians thought it was ___9___ for the US government to spend money abroad on countries that would not be able to repay it for a long time. However, George Marshall, a former US general, remembered how the exact same ___10___ of "why should we spend money on war-torn nations that really owe us reparations (赔款)?" had been used after World War I towards Germany. The ___11___ of assistance towards Germany after World War I had caused a gigantic economic depression in Germany that had made the Mark (German money) virtually ___12___ . The German people became so desperate that they started ___13___ an extreme German nationalist named Adolf Hitler, who eventually started World War II. Marshall knew that if the US did not ___14___ war-torn Germany and, especially, Japan, we could ___15___ have a World War III on our hands.
1.A. shocked B. troubled C. punished D. annoyed
2.A. memory B. situation C. present D. future
3.A. constantly B. innocently C. ridiculously D. rarely
4.A. forget B. recover C. enjoy D. compare
5.A. personal B. scientific C. historical D. commercial
6.A. conclusion B. decision C. invasion D. extension
7.A. medical B. political C. economic D. lawful
8.A. need B. provide C. find D. prevent
9.A. reasonable B. necessary C. difficult D. foolish
10.A. statement B. argument C. suggestion D. introduction
11.A. intension B. request C. influence D. lack
12.A. hopeless B. worthless C. worldwide D. valuable
13.A. refusing B. employing C. supporting D. charging
14.A. stop B. warn C. resist D. help
15.A. similarly B. simply C. regularly D. unlikely
高三英语完型填空困难题查看答案及解析
完形填空
An old man who lived in a small back street of my hometown had to tolerate the nuisance of boys playing football and making a lot of noise outside his house at night.
One evening when the boys were particularly ________ ,he went out to talk to them. He explained that he had just ________ and was happy when he could see or hear boys playing his ________ game—football. He would ________ give them $25 each week to play in the street at night. The boys got ________ ,for they could hardly believe ________ they were being paid to do something they ________ .
The first two weeks had passed,the boys came to the old man’s house each weekend,and went away ________ with their $25. The third week when they came back, ________ ,the old man said he hadn’t had much money ________ himself and sent them away with only $15. The fourth week,the man said he had not yet received his ________ from the government and gave them only $10. The boys were very disappointed,but there was________much that they could do about it.
At the ________ of the fifth week,the boys came back and ________ at the old man’s door,waiting for their ________ . Slowly,the door opened and the old man appeared. He ________ that he could not afford to pay them $25 ________ he had promised,but said he would give them $5 each week without ________ .
This was really too much for the boys. “You expect us to play seven days a week for merely $5!”They yelled.“ ________ !”
They ________ away and never played on the street again.
1.A. hot B. noisy C. troublesome D. naughty
2.A. retired B. studied C. worked D. appointment
3.A. interesting B. amusing C. acceptable D. favorite
4.A. more ever B. therefore C. willingly D. forever
5.A. shouted B. cried C. thrilled D. smiled
6.A. how B. when C. that D. what
7.A. expected B. enjoyed C. admired D. respected
8.A. happily B. thankfully C. gratefully D. tearfully
9.A. but B. in addition C. however D. besides
10.A. earned B. saved C. remained D. left
11.A. paychecks B. insurance C. food tickets D. salary
12.A. not B. no C. so D. very
13.A. final B. end C. start D. beginning
14.A. kicked B. hit C. beat D. knocked
15.A. rewards B. awards C. checks D. wages
16.A. expressed B. apologized C. stated D. expected
17.A. as B. like C. when D. though
18.A. fail B. hesitation C. joke D. question
19.A. No way B. No possible C. No problem D. No play
20.A. walked B. stormed C. broke D. backed
高三英语完形填空简单题查看答案及解析
I suppose by the time I come back in ten years' time all these old houses_______down.
A. will be pulling B. will have been pulled
C. will have pulled D. will be pulled
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
— Looking back on _____ in years gone by and the good time that I had makes today seem rather sad.
— Absolutely. So much has changed.
A. how it was B. who it was C. how was it D. who was it
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
In our hometown, about 1,500 meters east of my house,_______ an old temple_______ back to the 17th century.
A.stands; dating B.is standing; dated
C.standing; dated D.stand; dating
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析