In recent decades, social isolation has been ...

In recent decades, social isolation has been recognized as a major risk to our health and long life. It’s twice as bad for you as being overweight and nearly as bad as smoking. The rising number of people who say they are affected, across a wide range of ages, is shocking. In reality, you can suffer the ill effects of loneliness even if you are not socially isolated.

Comedian Robin Williams made a striking observation in 2014: “I used to think the worst thing in life was to end up all alone. It’s not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people who make you feel all alone.” Tracking large groups over time indicates that perceived（感知的）social isolation carries its own risk for morbidity（发病率）and mortality.

The perception of isolation—from others of being in the social aspect—is not only a cause of unhappiness, it also signals danger. Fish have evolved to swim to the middle of their group when predators（捕食者）approach, mice housed in social isolation show sleep disruptions and reduced slow-wave sleep and prairie voles（田鼠）isolated from their partners then placed in an open field explore their surroundings less and concentrate on avoiding predators.

These behaviours reflect an increased emphasis on self-preservation in the social aspect. For instance, fish on the edge of a school are more likely to be attacked by predators because they are easier to isolate and prey upon. Such observations reflect a more general principle that perceived social isolation in social animals activates neural（神经系统的）, neuroendocrine （神经内分泌的）and behavioural responses that promote short-term self-preservation. However, these responses bring a cost for long-term health and well-being.

The range of harmful neural and behavioural effects of perceived isolation documented in adults include increased anxiety, hostility and social withdrawal; fragmented sleep and daytime tiredness; increased vascular resistance and changed gene expression and immunity; decreased impulse control; increased negativity and depressive symptoms; and increased age-related cognitive decline.

Sadly, to date, attempts to reduce loneliness have met with limited success. A series of randomized controlled trials showed that they had only a small effect. Among the four types of interventions（介人）examined, talking therapy that focused on inappropriate thought processes had the largest impact. Social skills training, social support and increased opportunities for social contact were much less effective.

1.What can we learn about social isolation from the first paragraph?

A. It exists mainly among adults.

B. More and more people are suffering it.

C. Its effect is more serious than smoking.

D. It’s the worst risk to our health and long life.

2.During perceived social isolation, animals will suffer bad health for ________.

A. focusing more on their own safety

B. being separated from their partners

C. adapting to the new surroundings

D. worrying about their lack of food

3.The fifth paragraph is mainly about ________.

A. causes of perceived isolation.

B. treatments for perceived isolation

C. bad effects of perceived isolation

D. the definition of perceived isolation

4.What is the most effective in helping suffers of perceived social isolation?

A. Giving them strong social support.

B. Communicate more and better with them.

C. Get them to attend some training courses.

D. Enlarge their circles of social network.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

In recent decades, social isolation has been recognized as a major risk to our health and long life. It’s twice as bad for you as being overweight and nearly as bad as smoking. The rising number of people who say they are affected, across a wide range of ages, is shocking. In reality, you can suffer the ill effects of loneliness even if you are not socially isolated.

Comedian Robin Williams made a striking observation in 2014: “I used to think the worst thing in life was to end up all alone. It’s not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people who make you feel all alone.” Tracking large groups over time indicates that perceived（感知的）social isolation carries its own risk for morbidity（发病率）and mortality.

The perception of isolation—from others of being in the social aspect-is not only a cause of unhappiness, it also signals danger. Fish have evolved to swim to the middle of their group when predators（捕食者）approach, mice housed in social isolation show sleep disruptions and reduced slow-wave sleep and prairie voles（田鼠）isolated from their partners then placed in an open field explore their surroundings less and concentrate on avoiding predators.

These behaviours reflect an increased emphasis on self-preservation in the social aspect. For instance, fish on the edge of a school are more likely to be attacked by predators because they are easier to isolate and prey upon. Such observations reflect a more general principle that perceived social isolation in social animals activates neural（神经系统的）, neuroendocrine（神经内分泌的）and behavioural responses that promote short-term self-preservation. However, these responses bring a cost for long-term health and well-being.

The range of harmful neural and behavioural effects of perceived isolation documented in adults include increased anxiety, hostility and social withdrawal; fragmented sleep and daytime tiredness; increased vascular resistance and changed gene expression and immunity; decreased impulse control; increased negativity and depressive symptoms; and increased age-related cognitive decline.

Sadly, to date, attempts to reduce loneliness have met with limited success. A series of randomized controlled trials showed that they had only a small effect. Among the four types of interventions（介入）examined, talking therapy that focused on inappropriate thought processes had the largest impact. Social skills training, social support and increased opportunities for social contact were much less effective.

1.What can we learn about social isolation from the first paragraph?

A. It exists mainly among adults.

B. It’s the worst risk to our health and long life.

C. Its effect is more serious than smoking.

D. More and more people are suffering it.

2.During perceived social isolation, animals will suffer bad health for ________.

A. focusing more on their own safety　　 B. being separated from their partners

C. adapting to the new surroundings　　 D. worrying about their lack of food

3.The fifth paragraph is mainly about ________.

A. causes of perceived isolation.　　 B. treatments for perceived isolation

C. bad effects of perceived isolation　　 D. the definition of perceived isolation

4.What is the most effective in helping suffers of perceived social isolation?

A. Giving them strong social support.

B. Communicate more and better with them.

C. Get them to attend some training courses.

D. Enlarge their circles of social network.

高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

The __________ rate has been rising in the past decade in China，________ is reported in a recent survey. People find it hard to maintain their marriage.

A．divorce; as                            B．divorce; it

C．disconnection; which                    D．separation; what

高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

As has been all too apparent in recent days at Balcombe, few issues cause greater concern than energy policy. Many village communities feel their countryside is being ruined by the power-producing machines of wind farms; yet they never take “ direct action”, even though the planning laws put them at a severe disadvantage. And the generous subsidies(财政补贴),which encourage the expansion of wind power, are not favorable to the village communities and set landowners in conflict with other residents.

Those who disagree with the rapid expansion of wind farms state that the damage they cause is out of proportion to the benefits they bring, because their energy output cannot match that of the carbon-based power stations they are supposed to replace. Supporters insist that wind must be part of a mix of renewables, nuclear and carbon, and that the country is committed to meeting EU(European Union) targets for non-carbon energy generation.

Against this background, the fact that there is an argument within the Government over whether to publish an official report on wind farms impact on the countryside becomes even more extraordinary. The two parties in the coalition government are in disagreement over what it should say.

We have some advice for the two parties :publish the report ,and let the country be the judge. Even if it contains evidence that wind farms are harmful, it will hardly be a pleasant surprise to people who do not like them. Equally, supporters must argue their case by acknowledging the concerns and explaining why they are either misplaced or worthy of much attention.

The suggestion that further negotiations are to take place to produce an “acceptable” report suggests that the politics of coalition government are doing the country harm in a certain way. Given the sensitivities involved ,all the information should be available so that people can reach their own conclusions, rather than being left with the suspicion that facts are being replaced by political beliefs.

1.We call learn from the first paragraph that________.

A. energy policy catches much attention of the public

B. the residents are in favor of the expansion of wind farms

C. many village communities are satisfied with the subsidies

D. the planning laws offer great benefits to the residents

2.Supporters think that the expansion of wind power_____.

A. is more rapid than that of carbon-based power

B. guarantees an increase in energy output

C. is expected to be much better than that of nuclear Dower

D. agrees with EU targets for non-carbon energy generation

3.It can be inferred from the passage that_________.

A. an official report will settle the energy problem

B. the two parties are divided over the issue of wind farms

C. the two parties have agreed on a further negotiation

D. political beliefs concerning energy issue go against facts

4.Which of the following reflects the author’s opinion?

A. Increase political impact on energy policy.

B. Release a statement of supporters on wind farms.

C. Let the nation judge the facts about wind power.

D. Leave the two parties to reach their own conclusions.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

书法展示：请用手写印刷体抄写下面短文

Recently, recycling textbooks has been put into practice in some provinces. As far as I am concerned, it is a good way which will benefit both society and us students.

For one thing, it is good news to students from poor families who can’t afford textbooks. For another, recycling textbooks can save natural resources. We are cutting down too many trees every day. In the long run, it helps to develop the students’ environmental awareness. What’s more, students may learn to share and work with others through recycling textbooks.

To sum up, I consider recycling textbooks useful and helpful.

高二英语书面表达中等难度题查看答案及解析

In the past decade, the use of social media has grown in a way that no one could have guessed. It has turned some teenagers into celebrities (名人) and turned the famous into the infamous, overnight.

A key feature of social media, however, is its volatility. Trends come and go, disappearing almost as quickly as they appeared. So, what were the key social media trends of 2018?

Short video apps such as TikTok and its Chinese equivalent Douyin, took the world by storm. The Telegraph reported that TikTok was ranked 8th on Apple’s App Store in April. And Douyin had more than 300 million domestic monthly active users in June, CNBC said.

Why are these short videos – which are rarely longer than a few minutes – so popular? Jiang Yige, Singapore-based analyst at FengHe Fund Management, has a theory. Short videos are “just right to fill in the little gaps in our busy schedules,” he told CNBC.

These videos – apart from being very convenient – are important to teenagers because they allow them to express themselves, according to Teen Vogue.

The sense of community that users of short video app get is another appealing feature. Liza Koshy, a user of the US app Musically who has over 2 million followers, said that she was thrilled when anyone said that her video had “inspired” them. “It’s really cool … because I think as social creators that’s what we all are,” she added.

Live streaming is another feature of our social media life that now seems as natural as sunrise. It’s a pretty neat idea: You can watch anyone, anywhere, live.

However, China has taken live streaming to a whole new level. In China, more than 100 million viewers monthly watch a live streaming video. Forbes thought that a number of factors had led to the popularity of live streams. Among them is viewers’ ability to interact while remaining anonymous.

However, the boom in social media may be having side effects too. Fake news is one serious problem it arguably causes. Material shared on these platforms is often not checked for accuracy. The most basic content can be false and can sway users one way or another. We use social media all the time; that doesn’t mean that we understand the influence it is having on us. We should be mindful of both the time we spend on it and its impact on our minds.

1.The underlined word “volatility” in Paragraph 2 possibly means “being _____”.

A.changeable B.steady

C.promising D.violent

2.According to Lisa Koshy, short videos are very popular because _____________.

A.they are very convenient

B.they help people kill time

C.they provide a sense of community

D.they allow people to express themselves

3.What can we learn about social media from the text?

A.The information from social media is highly reliable.

B.When it comes to social media, people know short videos the best.

C.People can’t communicate with each other without social media.

D.There is still much room for social media to make improvement.

4.What is the best title for the text?

A.Rapid Development of Social Media

B.Key Social Media Trends ruling 2018

C.Short Videos Taking the World by Storm

D.Live Streaming—New Feature of Social Media

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

As people try to keep social engagement during self-isolation, citizen science offers a unique opportunity.

Defined as "public participation and collaboration in scientific research", citizen science allows people to use technology to unite towards a common goal —from the comfort of their homes. And it is now offering a chance to contribute to research on the coronavirus pandemic.

With so many of us staying home, this could help build a sense of community where we may otherwise feel helpless, or struggle with isolation.

Anyone is welcome to contribute. You don't need expertise, just time and interest. Projects exist in many forms, catering to people of diverse ages, backgrounds and circumstances. Many projects offer resources and guides to help you get started, and opportunities to collaborate via online discussion forums.

Scientists worldwide are racing to find effective treatments and vaccines to halt the coronavirus pandemic. As a citizen scientist, you can join the effort to help tackle COVID-19, and other infectious diseases.

Foldit is an online game that challenges players to fold proteins to better understand their structure and function. The Foldit team is now challenging citizen scientists to design antiviral proteins that can bind with the coronavirus.

The highest scoring designs will be manufactured and tested in real life. In this way, Foldit offers a creative outlet that could eventually contribute to a future vaccine for the virus.

Another similar project is Folding@home. This is a distributed computing project that, rather than using you to find proteins, uses your computer's processing power to run calculations in the background. Your computer becomes one of thousands running calculations, all working together.

1.Where does a citizen scientist work?

A.In the office. B.At research center.

C.In the factory. D.At home.

2.Who can be a citizen scientist?

A.Anyone who has time and interest. B.The expert who is interested.

C.People who are well educated. D.Doctors who are experienced.

3.How can a citizen scientist join in the effort to help deal with the COVID-19 and infectious diseases?

A.He can play Foldit an online game and get the highest scores.

B.He can do experiments about COVID-19.

C.He can design a new game about COVID-19.

D.He can help build a sense of community.

4.What is true about Folding@home?

A.It is the same project as Foldit.

B.It is a computer project using you to run calculations by computer.

C.It is a project using you to find proteins.

D.It is done by experts.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Tobacco has long been recognized as a huge health threat. It is known to cause lung and heart problems to many long-term users. According to the World Health Organization, 3,000,000 people die early each year because of tobacco use, including 890,000 deaths from second-hand smoke exposure.

E-cigarettes, an alternative (替代品) to smoking, have become popular. Also known as vaporizers (汽化器), they are electric devices that heat liquid nicotine into a vapor that can he taken in. This vapor is less harmful to inhale than smoke. For example, it does not produce tar (焦油), which can build up in a smoker’s lungs. Inhaling vapor - called vaping - is not without its own risks, however. Exposure to nicotine during youth can lead to addiction and cause long-term harm to brain development. The vapor may also contain harmful things. The Center for Disease Control has linked vaping to more than 805 cases of lung disease and 12 deaths so far in the US.

Vaping has greatly increased in popularity in the US, especially among teenagers. About 37 % of US high school seniors were reported vaping in 2018, up from 28% the year before, Harvard Health Publishing reported. Michael Blaha, a researcher at the Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease, listed 3 reasons that contributed to vaping’s popularity among young people. First, many teens eve that vaping is less harmful than smoking. Second, ecigarettes have a lower per-use cost than traditional cigrattes. Finally, e-cigarettes come in a wide range of sweet flavors, like apple pie and watermelon.

Blaha is most concerned that more teenagers are taking up vaping as a habit. “It’s one thing if you change from cigarette smoking to vaping. It’s quite another thing to start up nicotine use with vaping. And, it often leads to using traditional tobacco products down the road,” he said.

Governments around the world the divided about vaping. 39 countries and regions have banned the sale of e-cigarettes, according to the Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction 2018. Last September, US President Donald Trump said the use of e-cigarettes might be negatively affecting young people and that it should be kept off the market until proved harmless.

1.The underlined word “inhale” in Paragraph 2 probably means “__________”.

A.blow away B.spread out

C.give off D.breathe in

2.In what way are e-cigarettes different from traditional tobacco products?

A.E-cigarettes do not produce tar.

B.E-cigarettes are not bad to smokers’ health.

C.E-cigarettes are less likely to cause nicotine addiction.

D.E-cigarettes do more harm to smokers’ brains than their lungs.

3.Why is vaping popular with young people according to Blaha?

A.Vaping is allowed at school.

B.Vaping makes them look cool.

C.They like the liquid taken from fruits.

D.They think it’s safer and cheaper than smoking.

4.What can we learn from Blaha’s words in Paragraph 4?

A.Those who smoke e-cigarettes tend to smoke tobacco later.

B.Vaping is more likely to attract teenagers than older people.

C.It usually takes a long time for smokers to enjoy e-cigarettes.

D.E-cigarettes should be encouraged to replace traditional tobacco products.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The illegal ivory(象牙) trade has been a major problem in Africa for decades. Poachers have killed hundreds of thousands of elephants to obtain ivory. Now, affected areas are taking action. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced on Wednesday key African states where poaching takes place have promised to stop the ivory trade to protect elephants.

Over the past few days, top officials and experts from 30 states met at the African Elephant Summit. The conference, organized by the IUCN and the government of Botswana, was held in Gaborone, Botswana.

Conservation efforts will include China and Thailand, where much of the ivory is sent. “Now is the time for Africa and Asia to join forces to protect this universally valued species,” said Botswana President Ian Khama.

In the 1980s, as many as 1 million elephants across Africa were killed for their ivory. The ivory was used to make jewelry and other items. This continued until 1989, when the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) voted to ban all the trade in ivory. As a result, demand for ivory fell. Governments cracked down on poachers. Elephant populations slowly began to increase. However , this progress was short-lived.

According to the IUCN, 2011 saw the highest levels of poaching and illegal ivory trading in at least 16 years. Around 25,000 elephants were killed in Africa that year. Data from the IUCN　 show even higher levels of illegal trade may have been reached in 2013. “With an estimated 22,000 elephants illegally killed in 2012, we continue to face a critical situation,” said John E. Scanlon, CITES Secretary-General. “Current elephant poaching in Africa remains far too high, and could soon lead to local extinction if the present killing rate continues.

At the African Elephant Summit , key African states where elephants make their home agreed to develop a “zerotolerance approach” to poaching. The deal calls for maximum sentences for poachers and hunters, and increased cooperation between affected states. Officials are committed to classifying wildlife trafficking (交易) as a serious crime --- and to making sure that the people who commit it are punished. All participants at the conference agreed to sign the deal. With these states working together, there may yet be hope for elephants.

1.The purpose of holding the African Elephant Summit is to _________.

A. make new laws to punish poachers.

B. prevent elephants from being poached.

C. collect money for elephants’ protection

D. call for African countries to save elephants.

2.Why are China and Thailand mentioned in the text?

A. The ivory is illegally sold in these two countries.

B. Elephants need protecting in these two countries.

C. They know how to protect wildlife like elephants.

D. They prefer jewelry and other items made of ivory.

3.What can we learn from Paragraph 5 ?

A. The governments do nothing to protect animals.

B. Elephant poaching in Africa is out of control.

C. A large number of elephants have been killed.

D. Illegal ivory trading is to blame for the elephants’ extinction.

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

A. Wild Animals Are at Risk　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. New Hope for Elephants

C. Elephants Need Our Help　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. Wildlife Protection in Africa

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

China’s one-child policy has been in place for decades and is causing ageing problem. So the news that China abandons one-child policy is _________ with cheers from many married couples.

A. behaved　 B. greeted　 C. hugged　 D. equipped

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析