A new study has found that North American mig...

A new study has found that North American migratory birds (候鸟)have been getting smaller over the past 40 years. Researchers say the finding suggests a warming climate could be affecting bird growth in North America - and across the world.

The study involved data on nearly 80,000 birds killed from 1978 to 2016 in the city of Chicago, Illinois. Researchers measured the size of the birds. The birds included in the study had died after crashing into buildings during the spring and fall migrations.

Fifty-two species of birds were studied. Most were different kinds of songbirds. These birds reproduce in cold areas of North America and spend their winters in areas south of Chicago. Over the 40-year period, body size decreased in all 52 species. The average body mass fell by 2. 6 percent. Leg bone length dropped by 2. 4 percent. The one area of growth was the wingspan, which increased by 1.3 percent. The researchers said the wing growth likely happened to permit the birds to continue making long migrations with smaller bodies.

Brian Weeks, a biologist at the University of Michigan's School for Environment and Sustainability, helped lead the research. He told the Reuters news agency that he believes the results show a clear link between a warming climate and the growth of the birds.

The study found a direct link between the average summer temperature and the body size of the birds. Dave Willard works with Chicago's Field Museum, which was in charge of measuring all the birds. He said nearly “ everyone agrees that the climate is warming, but examples of just how that is affecting the natural world are only now coming to light.” The study provides new evidence of worrisome developments for North American birds.

A study published in September documented a 29-percent drop in the bird population in the United States and Canada since 1970. The study said this represented a net loss (净亏损)of about 2. 9 billion birds. Weeks said the new study is the largest examination yet to measure body size reactions to warming temperatures involving a large, diverse group of species. “We had good reason to expect that increasing temperatures would lead to reductions in body size, based on previous studies,” Weeks added. “The thing that was shocking was how consistent it was. I was incredibly surprised that all of these species are responding in such similar ways.”

The researchers plan to continue studying the Field Museum data in an effort to find additional evidence to support their findings. They will also further examine the idea that an individual's physical development can change to fit changing environmental conditions.

1.In the study, the size and mass of birds fell but the wingspan increased, which　　 .

A.permitted birds to fly higher and stronger

B.made birds' long migration with smaller bodies possible

C.could protect birds from being extinct in the world

D.made North American migratory birds more beautiful and charming

2.Which of the following statements about Dave Willard is CORRECT?

A.He conducted a research which proved the climate is warming.

B.He provided new evidence of worrisome developments for North American birds.

C.He works with Chicago's Field Museum and is in charge of measuring all the birds.

D.He agrees that evidence proving a link between global warming and nature is just revealed.

3.According to the text, what made Brian Weeks astonished?

A.All species are responding to global warming similarly.

B.His study was surprisingly consistent with other scientists' research.

C.Birds got smaller in all parts of their body with the temperature increasing.

D.All species surveyed became smaller in response to increasing temperatures.

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

A.Birds Are Going to Die Out

B.Migratory Birds Are Getting Smaller

C.Climate Change May Be Causing Smaller North American Birds

D.Brian Week, A Great Biologist, Published A Study about Birds

高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

It is common for older people to forget things. Now an American study has found that memory starts to fail when we are young adults. People younger than thirty years of age usually do not know that they are starting to forget information. But scientists from the University of Michigan say the loss of memory has usually already started.

Researchers say people do not observe this slow reduction in mental ability until the loss affects their everyday activities.

Denise Park led the new study. She directs the Centre for Aging and Cognition at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. Her team studied more than 350 men and women between the ages of twenty and ninety years. The study identified people in their middle twenties with memory problems.

She says young adults do not know they are forgetting things because their brains have more information than they need.

But she says that people in their twenties and thirties are losing memory at the same rate as people in their sixties and seventies.

Ms. Park says people between the ages of sixty and seventy may note the decrease in their mental abilities. They begin to observe that they are having more trouble remembering and learning new information.

The study found that older adults are more likely to remember false information as being true. For example, they remembered false medical claims as being true. Younger people remembered hearing the information. But they were more likely to remember that it was false.

Ms. Park is now using modern imaging equipment to study what happens in the brains of people of different ages. She is studying what parts of the brain older adults use for different activities compared to younger adults. Ms. Park says mental performance is a direct result of brain activity and brain structure. She says keeping the brain active is important. She hopes future studies will identify ways to improve the operation of our aging minds.

1.The passage is meant to _____________.

2. According to the passage, young adults differ from older adults in that ________.

3. Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?

4.It can be inferred from what Denis Park says that ______.

5.Which of the following is a suitable title for the passage?

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

A new study has found that social media could be affecting the sleep of young adults.

The study is a project of researchers at the University of Pittsburgh's School of Medicine. They found that young people who often use social media are more likely to suffer from sleep disorders than those who use social media less. The researchers say doctors should ask young adults about their use of social media when treating sleep issues.

“This is one of the first pieces of evidence that social media use really can influence your sleep.” said Jessica C Levenson. She was the lead author of a report on the study.

The researchers set out to examine the connection between social media use and sleep among young adults. Levenson noted that these young adults are possibly the first “generation to grow up with social media.”

The researchers wanted to find out how often young people used social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Credit and Tumbler. For the study, they gave questionnaires to nearly 1,800 adults, aged 19 to 32. On average, members of the study group used social media sites one hour a day. They also "visited various social media 30 times per week.”

Thirty percent of the study's participants reported having serious problems with sleeping. Those people who used social media a lot were three times more likely to have a sleep disorder. And those who spent the most time on social media were two times as likely to suffer from sleep disturbances.

Levenson said the number of times a person visits social media is a better predictor of sleep problems than overall time spent on social media. If this is true, she adds, then practices that stop such behaviors may be the most effective.

1.What's the main idea of the text?

A. The researchers focus on social media.

B. The researchers manage to handle sleep problems.

C. Doctors treat young patients.

D. Social media affects sleep.

2.When treating sleep problems, doctors are advised to ________.

A. offer some advice about giving up social media

B. ask the patients about young adults’ use of social media

C. give young adults some medicine

D. ask about the patients' living conditions

3.How did the researchers mainly carry out the study?

A. By doing online research.　　 B. By giving an example.

C. By collecting published data.　　 D. By doing questionnaires.

4.What can be inferred from the text?

A. Men are more likely to suffer from a sleep disorder than women.

B. People often using social media are less likely to have a sleep disorder.

C. Using computers less helps avoid sleep problems completely.

D. Sleep problems can be determined by the times of a person visiting social media.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

A new study, conducted by British company Mindlab International, has found that listening to music at work increases accuracy and speed, The Telegraph reported. Perhaps, some parents disagree with this idea, saying, "Switch off the music and concentrate!" Well, if that's the case with your parents, you might now be able to convince them that you have science on your side.

The company gave 26 participants a series of different tasks for five days in a row, including spell checking, mathematical word problems, data entry, and abstract reasoning. The participants completed these tasks while listening to music or no music at all.

The results showed that while music was playing, 88% of participants produced their most accurate test results and 81% completed their fastest work. David Lewis, chairman of Mindlab International, told The Telegraph, "Music is a very powerful management tool if you want to increase not only the efficiency of your workforce but also their emotional state... they are going to become more positive about the work."

However, you may have a list of your favorite songs, but not all kinds of music match all homework. For maths or other subjects involving numbers or attention to detail, you should listen to classical music, the study found. In the study, pop music enabled participants to complete their tasks 58% faster than when listening to no music at all. If you are reviewing your English writing, pop music is the best choice, as it is the best kind for spell checking. It cut mistakes by 14%, compared to listening to no music. After finishing your homework, do you often take time to check your answers? Maybe, some dance music is suitable for you.

1.Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?

A. Music helps us to learn

B. We cannot live without music

C. Different music, different lives

D. Music in the classroom.

2.What did the participants have to do in the study？

A. Persuade their parents to listen to music.

B. Listen to the same music together.

C. Try their best to choose the most suitable music.

D. Finish tasks with music or without music at all.

3.What does the underlined word "they" refer to in Para 3？

A. tools　　 B. results

C. tests　　 D. participants

4.When you review your English writing, what kind of music is the best choice？

A. Classical music　　 B. Dance music

C. Pop music　　 D. Rock music

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

New research has found that grey seals can simulate(模仿）human speech and songs. The study carried out by Dr Amanda Stansbury and Professor Vincent Janik,at the University of St Andrews,found that grey seals use the same sound production system as humans due to having similar vocal tracts(声道）。

Three young grey seals-Zola,Gandalf and Janice-were monitored from birth by Stansbury and Janik to determine their natural talents.Once this process was complete, the researchers began teaching the seals to simulate common seal sounds or noises a seal might normally hear from a herd mate in the wild.Fish was used to encourage the seals to come out of the water and sing a series of notes.Stansbury would record the seals'own sounds and play them back.The seals quickly learnt that if they sang back the same notes, they would be rewarded with fish.

Once the seals were familiar with this process and could easily copy these basic sounds,Stansbury and Janik used higher and longer tones and unfamiliar vowels from human speech.The seals were then rewarded for matching these new sounds.Stansbury even used some combinations to simulate songs that no seal would be expected to produce under natural circumstances.Zola had a gift for copying up to ten notes of songs such as Twinkle,Twinkle,Little Star and the theme song of Star Wars.Gandalf and Janice were better at accurately reproducing combinations of human vowel sounds.

Stansbury said,"I was amazed how well the seals copied the model sounds we played to them.Copies were not perfect,but given that these are not typical seal sounds,it is pretty impressive.Our study really shows how flexible seal voices are."

After one year of working with the researchers,the seal pups were released back into the wild."This study gives us a better understanding of the development of vocal learning,a skill that is important for human language development."Janik believes this knowledge can help to develop new methods to study speech problems.

1.What is the first paragraph mainly about?

A.Grey seals 'learning environments.

B.A research finding on grey seals.

C.Humans 'sound production system.

D.A comparison of humans and grey seals.

2.In the study,fish would be given when the seals

A.made funny noisesre B.came out of the water

C.repeated the same notes D.copied typical fish sounds

3.What can we find about Zola based on the research?

A.It can copy some musical sounds played to her.

B.It is good at copying human vowel sounds.

C.It is smarter than Gandalf and Janice.

D.It likes singing children's songs.

4.What does Janik think of the research result?

A.It shows the living environments of grey seals.

B.It leads to a better understanding of human vocal system.

C.It raises an awareness of the need to protect grey seals.

D.It brings inspirations for research on speech problems.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

　A new study has found that it may be possible to train people to be more intelligent，increasing the brainpower they had at birth.

　Until now，it has been widely assumed that the kind of mental ability that allows us to solve new problems without having any relevant previous experience—what psychologists call fluid intelligence—is innate and cannot be taught（though people can raise their grades on tests of it by practicing）.

　But in the new study，researchers describe a method for improving this skill，along with experiments to prove it works.

　The key, researchers found, was carefully structured training in working memory—the kind that allows memorization of a telephone number just long enough to dial it. This type of memory is closely related to fluid intelligence，so the researchers reasoned that improving it might lead to improvements in fluid intelligence.

　First they measured fluid intelligence of volunteers using standard tests. Then they trained each in a complicated memory task—the child’s card game，in which they had to recall a card they saw and heard. During the course, they needed to ignore irrelevant items，monitor ongoing performance，manage two tasks at the same time and connect related items to one another in space and time.

　The four groups experienced a half-hour of training daily for 8，12，17 and 19 days，respectively. To make sure they were not just improving their test-taking skills，the researchers compared them with control groups that took the tests without the training.

　The results, published Monday in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences，were striking. Improvement in the trained groups was a lot greater. Moreover，the longer they trained, the higher their scores were. All performers，from the weakest to the strongest，showed significant improvement.

　“Our results show you can increase your intelligence with proper training.”said Dr Jaeggi, a co-author of the paper.“No one knows how long the gains will last after training stops，”he added，“and the experiment’s design did not allow the researchers to determine whether more training would continue to produce further gains.”

67．The researchers thought the key to improving the intelligence was ______________.

A．memorizing telephone numbers

B．improving working memory

C．training in concentration

D．recalling a card

68．The following aspects of the training help increase intelligence EXCEPT___________.

A．ignoring irrelevant items

B．monitoring ongoing performance

C．managing two tasks at the same time

D．using previous experience

69．When the experiment was conducted，the researchers______________.

A．trained the four groups for the same period of time

B．only made comparisons between the four groups

C．compared the four groups with control groups

D．trained the four groups together

70．By writing the article，the writer intends to ______________.

A．inform the readers of a new study

B．call on people to be trained to increase intelligence

C．prove one’s born brainpower can be improved

D．tell people the improved intelligence will last forever

高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

A new study has found no evidence that sunscreen, commonly used to reduce the risk of skin cancer, actually increases the risk.

Researchers from the University of Iowa based their findings on a review of 18 earlier studies that looked at the association between sunscreen use and melanoma(黑素瘤). They said that they found flaws in studies that had reported associations between sunscreen use and higher risk of melanoma.

Most health experts believe that by protecting the skin from the harmful effects of the sun, sunscreen helps prevent skin cancer, which is increasing in incidence(发生率)faster than any other cancer in the United States.

But questions have been raised about sunscreen and whether it may have the opposite effect, perhaps by allowing people to remain exposed to the sun longer without burning.

The researchers said that among the problems with some earlier studies is that they often failed to take into account that those people most at risk for skin cancer—people with fair skin and freckles(雀斑), for example—are more likely to use sunscreen. As a result, it may appear that sunscreen users get cancer more often.

The studies, which generally relied on volunteers to recall their sunscreen use, were also unable to prove how well the products had been applied, said the new study.

1.The underlined word “flaws” in the 2nd paragraph most probably means 　　　　 .

A. evidences        B. facts        C. faults        　　 D. failures

2.People with fair skin and freckles 　　　　　 .

A. seldom use sunscreen            　　　　

B. are more in danger of skin cancer

C. can be free from the harm of the sun    　

D. often expose themselves to the sun

3.We can learn from the passage that 　　　　　 .

A. sunscreen users get skin cancer more often

B. the volunteers have proved the effect of sunscreen

C. the new study was based on the experiences of volunteers

D. the number of skin cancer patients is increasing in America

4.Which of the following can be the best title for this passage?

A. Sunscreen to Prevent Skin Cancer    　　

B. Sunscreen to Increase Skin Cancer

C. Skin Cancer Caused by Sunscreen    　　

D. Skin Cancer Caused by Freckles

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

A new study has found no evidence that sunscreen, commonly used to reduce the risk of skin caner, actually increases the risk.

Researchers from the University of lows based their firdings on a review of 18 earlier studies that looked at the associstion between sunscreen use and melanoms(黑素瘤). They said that they found flaws in studies that had reported associations between sunscreen use and higher risk of melanoma.

Most health experts believe that by protecting the skin from the harmful effects of the sun, sunscreen helpsprevent skin cancer, which is increasing in incidence (发生率) faster than any other cancer in the United States.

But questions have been raised about sunscreen and whether it may have the opposite effect, perhaps by allowing people to remain exposed to the sun longer without burning.

The researchers said that among the problems with some earlier studies is that they often failed to take into account that those people most at risk for skin concer—people with fair skin and freckles （雀斑）,for example—are more likely to use sunscreen. As a result, it may appear that sunscreen users get cancer more often.

The studies, which generally relied on volunteers to recall their sunscreen use, were also unable to prove how well the products had been applied, said the new study.

1.The underlined word “flaws” in the 2^nd paragraph most probably means ________.

A.evidences     B.facts     C.faults        D.failures

2.People with fair skin and freckles ________.

A.seldom use sunscreen                  B. are more in danger of skin concer

C. can be free from the harm of the sun     D. often expose themselves to the sun

3.We can learn from the passage that ________.

A. sunscreen users get skin cancer more often

B. the volunteers have proved the effect of sunscreen

C. the new study was based on the experiences of volunteers

D. the number of skin cancer patients is increasing in America

4.Which of the following can be the beat title for this passage?

A. Sunscreen to Prevent Skin Cancer         B. Sunscreen to Increase Skin Cancer

C. Skin Cancer Caused by Sunscreen          D. Skin Cancer Caused by Freckles

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

A new study has found no evidence that sunscreen, commonly used to reduce the risk of skin cancer, actually increases the risk.

Researchers from the University of Iowa based their findings on a review of 18 earlier studies that looked at the association between sunscreen use and melanoma (黑素瘤)．They said that they found faults in studies that had reported associations between sunscreen use and higher risk of melanoma.

Most health experts believe that by protecting the skin from the harmful effects of the sun, sunscreen helps prevent skin cancer, which is increasing in incidence (发生率) faster than any other cancer in the United States.

But questions has been raised about sunscreen and whether it may has opposite effect, perhaps by allowing people to remain exposed to the sun longer without burning.

The researchers said that among the problems with some earlier studies is that they often failed to take into account that those people most at risk for skin cancer--- people with fair skin and freckles (雀斑), for example--- are more likely to use sunscreen．As a result, it may appear that sunscreen users get cancer more often.

The studies, which generally relied on volunteers to recall their sunscreen use, were also unable to prove how well the products had been applied, said the new study.

1.People with fair skin and freckles________.

2.We can learn from the passage that________.

3.Which of the following can be the best title for this passage?

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

A new study has found that cats can connect with people in the same way as dogs and children.The research, published in Current Biology, suggests the social abilities of cats to form human attachments has been greatly underestimated.The study notes that more cats live with humans than dogs do worldwide.But historically, more scientific research has centered on the social relationships between people and dogs.

The researchers designed experiments similar to methods used to measure human attachment behaviors.For example, other studies have observed how babies react to being reunited with caregivers after being separated for short periods.

About 70 cats were studied.The hehavior of the animals was observed by experts who divided them into two groups.64 percent were judged to be “securely attached”to caregivers, while 36 percent were found to be “insecurely attached.”The cats with secure attachments showed several signs of “reduced stress”levels, the study found.These cats were found to be more comfortable and effectively balanced their attention between the person and their surroundings.However, the cats with an insecure attachment showed clear signs of stress.These included shaking of the tail, repeated licking or staying completely away from the caregiver.

She added that the results showed that the level of secure and insecure attachments in cats is very close to those measured in human babies.In humans, research has found that 65 percent of babies are also securely attached to their caregivers.The researchers also were interested in finding out if socialization training would change the results.

But after a six-week training program for the cats, there were no major differences. “Once an attachment style has been established between the cat and its caregiver, it appears to remain relatively stable overtime, even after a training and socialization intervention(干预), ”Vitale　 said.

1.What does the study mentioned in this passage show?

A.Cats’social ability is little thought of.

B.Dogs have more sociable personalities than cats.

C.Historically, dog is much smarter than cats.

D.Cats have bad social relationships with dogs.

2.What will happen if the cats feel unsafe?

A.They tend to attack their caregivers.

B.They are going to shake their tails.

C.They will stay close to their caretakers.

D.They are likely to balance their attention.

3.What can we infer from the last two paragraphs?

A.Attachment level in babies is higher than in cats.

B.Training program plays an important role in the results.

C.Researchers feel insecure when experimenting with cats.

D.It’s hard to make changes to attachment styles between cats and caregivers.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析