III. Reading Comprehension
Section A
Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A,B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.
Nothing can better illustrate the failure of education in this country than the contrast between millions of college graduates finding it hard to get a proper job every year and the lack of workers in the more industrialized regions.
According to news from Dongguan (东莞), one of the __50__ manufacturing centers in the Pearl River Delta (珠江三角洲) region in South China, “over 90 percent” factories have said they are finding __51__ difficult to employ people from the second half of 2009, when the __52__ began picking up and overseas orders restarted pouring in. Running to full capacity seems a dream that the factories had__53__.
An awkward reality is that only few, __54__, of the new college graduates could really fill the vacancies because the trainings they have received are entirely __55__ from the demands of the jobs. Nor will Chinese cities have enough workforce if they pursue a development model other than export-based manufacturing.
The __56__ for that is simple: The knowledge about management graduates gather is totally out of step with reality, __57__ of them can hardly express themselves in English or compose an email message properly, and __58__ handle even paper work in a law service with the legal knowledge they have.
I __59__ some college teachers, whom I went to college with, that the amount of time an average college student spends on studies today is less than half of what we __60__ in the late 1970s when proper college education was recovered after the “cultural revolution” (1966-76).
“They (the administrations) have enrolled so many students just to __61__ from their parents (tuition and other charges)”, one of the teachers said embarrassedly. “It's a nationwide phenomenon, you know.”
It is hard to believe that a country should not __62__ education so seriously when there are no longer as many young people as before and view its opportunities only in terms of immediate financial gains, which greatly affects the quality of education. __63__, vocational education faces a double threat: frequent ups and downs in the business cycle and that of a flooding of cheap college certificates.
It is __64__ in a country with rapid development in many fields to see little reform and progress in its education system. When colleges are reduced to money-making machines, they cannot help a society create enough workers, thinkers and leaders.
50. A. necessary B. key C. new D. remote
51. A. this B. that C. it D. as
52. A. economy B. country C. city D. industry
53. A. in the near future B. at present time C. from time to time D. in the long past
54. A. and some B. but none C. if any D. because such
55. A. different B. same C. opposite D. similar
56. A. result B. method C. reason D. expectation
57. A. some B. most C. few D. all
58. A. can B. must C. can’t D. mustn’t
59. A. took from B. picked out C. caught sight of D. learned from
60. A. spent B. cost C. wasted D. detected
61. A. cost money B. make money C. create money D. deal with
62. A. put B. set C. make D. take
63. A. Although B. Besides C. However D. Therefore
64. A. common B. likely C. worthwhile D. surprising
高三英语完型填空简单题
III. Reading Comprehension
Section A
Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A,B,C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.
It’s December again. In addition to the excitement about 50 down to the holidays and parties. This month is also about long study hours for thousands of senior college students in China.
According to the Ministry of Education, the number of postgraduate 51 has risen again this year. The ministry has even 52 the enrollment dates to allow for the 53 applicants. However. I do not see the point of enrolling in postgraduate study 54 after college.
Postgraduate programs are 55 on specific fields and on advanced research and study. They also require 56 knowledge you can only gain from the workplace. If your goal is to gain more skills, you should try harder to find a job. Employers want 57 . not more qualifications. Otherwise, postgraduate study straight is a 58 of time and money.
Job applicants with a master’s degree often find that their competitors hold 59 qualifications.
Ten years ago, graduates with bachelor degrees had no problem finding employment, but authorities 60 the number of university places in 1999 and now where are millions of graduates without work.
It appears that postgraduate education will 61 this history of undergraduate education.
62 , the human resources staff faced with the choice between two applicants with masters degrees will usually choose the graduate from the more 63 undergraduate school. A bachelor’s degree from a key university is more helpful than a master’s degree sometimes.
If you don’t have working experience when you graduate, you will have the same problem even though you go on to 64 a master’s degree immediately.
50．A．taking B．counting C．casting D．tracking
51．A．achievements B．admissions C．accusations D．applications
52．A．expanded B．expected C．stretched D．shortened
53．A．national B．additional C．visible D．desperate
54．A．suddenly B．curly C．straight D．far
55．A．focused B．depended C．fed D．impressed
56．A．book B．abstract C．rich D．practical
57．A．elegance B．excitement C．experiment D．experience
58．A．memory B．waste C．cement D．symbol
59．A．different B．various C．similar D．adequate
60．A．increased B．eliminated C．abandoned D．enlarged
61．A．shape B．polish C．promote D．shadow
62．A．However B．Subsequently C．Meanwhile D．Originally
63．A．well-built B．prepared C．well-known D．newly-opened
64．A．hold B．earn C．evaluate D．Deposit
高三英语完型填空简单题查看答案及解析
III. Reading Comprehension
Section A
Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.
The first attempt of even the most talented artists, musicians, and writers is seldom a masterpiece, If you consider your drafts as dress rehearsals (彩排), or tryouts, revising will seem a natural part of the writing ___50___.
What is the purpose of the dress rehearsals and the out-of-town previews that many Broadway shows go through? The answer is adding, deleting, replacing, reordering, ___51___ revising. Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Phantom of the Opera underwent such a process.
When Lloyd Webber began writing in 1984, he had in mind a funny, exciting production. However, when Phantom opened in London in 1986, the audience saw a moving psychological love story set to music. The musical had. ___52___ several revisions due, in part, to problems with costuming and makeup (戏服和化妆). For instance, Lloyd Webber ___53___ some of the music because the Phantom's makeup prevented the actor from singing certain sounds.
When you revise, you change aspects of your work in ___54___ to your evolving purpose, or to include ___55___ ideas or newly discovered information.
Revision is not just an afterthought that gets only as much time as you have at the end of an assignment. ___56___, it is a major stage of the writing process, and writers revise every step of the way. Even your decision to ___57___. topics while prewriting is a type of revising. However. don't make the mistake of skipping the revision stage that follows ___58___. Always make time to become your own ___59___and view your dress rehearsal, so to speak. Reviewing your work in this way can give you ___60___ new ideas.
Revising involves ___61___ the effectiveness and appropriateness of all aspects of your writing, making your purpose more clearly, and refocusing or developing the facts and ideas you present. When you revise, ask yourself the following questions, keeping in mind the audience for whom you are writing: Is my main idea or purpose ___62___ throughout my draft? Do I ever lose sight of my purpose? Have I given my readers all of the ___63___ that is, facts, opinions, inferences --- that they need in order to understand my main idea? Finally, have I included too many ___64___ details that may confuse readers?
50. A. technique B. style C. process D. career
51. A. in particular B. as a result C. for example D. in other words
52. A. undergone B. skipped C. rejected D. replaced
53. A. rewrote B. released C. recorded D. reserved
54. A. addition B. response C. opposition D. contrast
55. A. fixed B. ambitious C. familiar D. fresh
56. A. However B. Moreover C. Instead D. Therefore
57. A. discuss B. switch C. exhaust D. cover
58. A. drafting B. rearranging C. performing D. training
59. A. director B. master C. audience D. visitor
60. A. personal B. valuable C. basic D. delicate
61. A. mixing B. weakening C. maintaining D. assessing
62. A. amazing B. bright C. unique D. clear
63. A. angles B. evidence C. information D. hints
64. A. unnecessary B. uninteresting C. concrete D. final
高三英语完型填空简单题查看答案及解析
III. Reading Comprehension
Section A
Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A,B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.
Nothing can better illustrate the failure of education in this country than the contrast between millions of college graduates finding it hard to get a proper job every year and the lack of workers in the more industrialized regions.
According to news from Dongguan (东莞), one of the __50__ manufacturing centers in the Pearl River Delta (珠江三角洲) region in South China, “over 90 percent” factories have said they are finding __51__ difficult to employ people from the second half of 2009, when the __52__ began picking up and overseas orders restarted pouring in. Running to full capacity seems a dream that the factories had__53__.
An awkward reality is that only few, __54__, of the new college graduates could really fill the vacancies because the trainings they have received are entirely __55__ from the demands of the jobs. Nor will Chinese cities have enough workforce if they pursue a development model other than export-based manufacturing.
The __56__ for that is simple: The knowledge about management graduates gather is totally out of step with reality, __57__ of them can hardly express themselves in English or compose an email message properly, and __58__ handle even paper work in a law service with the legal knowledge they have.
I __59__ some college teachers, whom I went to college with, that the amount of time an average college student spends on studies today is less than half of what we __60__ in the late 1970s when proper college education was recovered after the “cultural revolution” (1966-76).
“They (the administrations) have enrolled so many students just to __61__ from their parents (tuition and other charges)”, one of the teachers said embarrassedly. “It's a nationwide phenomenon, you know.”
It is hard to believe that a country should not __62__ education so seriously when there are no longer as many young people as before and view its opportunities only in terms of immediate financial gains, which greatly affects the quality of education. __63__, vocational education faces a double threat: frequent ups and downs in the business cycle and that of a flooding of cheap college certificates.
It is __64__ in a country with rapid development in many fields to see little reform and progress in its education system. When colleges are reduced to money-making machines, they cannot help a society create enough workers, thinkers and leaders.
50. A. necessary B. key C. new D. remote
51. A. this B. that C. it D. as
52. A. economy B. country C. city D. industry
53. A. in the near future B. at present time C. from time to time D. in the long past
54. A. and some B. but none C. if any D. because such
55. A. different B. same C. opposite D. similar
56. A. result B. method C. reason D. expectation
57. A. some B. most C. few D. all
58. A. can B. must C. can’t D. mustn’t
59. A. took from B. picked out C. caught sight of D. learned from
60. A. spent B. cost C. wasted D. detected
61. A. cost money B. make money C. create money D. deal with
62. A. put B. set C. make D. take
63. A. Although B. Besides C. However D. Therefore
64. A. common B. likely C. worthwhile D. surprising
高三英语完型填空简单题查看答案及解析
III. Reading Comprehension
Section A
Directions: For each blank in the following passages there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.
Many times when our new husbands and wives enter our lives, they need to accept another love that is already there. A lot of us have pets and they are a huge part of our __50__. Some may not want these loved ones absent from our most __51__ moment of getting married. There are many things you can do to your pets to be __52__ included in your wedding and not have the event turn into a __53__. Let's talk about how you can have a pet friendly wedding!
First things first, some people may be allergic（过敏）to pets and this does have to be taken into consideration when you're thinking of __54__ your dog, cat or other pet in the wedding activities. The __55__ thing you want to do is have sneezing guests that are miserable the whole time they are at your wedding. __56__ you may want to plan an outdoor wedding so that the pet dander（毛屑）does not become an issue it would be if __57__ indoors.
Next, set aside an area where pets will be kept out in the open and __58__ but still away so not to spoil the wedding ceremony. If the pets are __59__ and used to being around other pets, allow the pets to play together. Also, you should ask anyone that has a pet __60__ at the wedding to sit towards the back and away from anyone that may have allergies.
And last but not least, not only will you have to plan a special meal for your __61__ guests, you'll also want to make sure there's plenty of food and water for any pets present. Although this may be a bit __62__, you may want to allow only certain types of animals to attend the wedding activities. __63__, if you have a dog, perhaps only allow guests that also have dogs. Obviously you will not want aggressive pets possibly to __64__ any part of the event. I'm sure you are not going to want to walk through the crowd to pets fighting in the background.
50.A. lives B. homes C. marriages D. families
51.A. lively B. important C. attractive D. representative
52.A. safely B. blindly C. smoothly D. uncertainly
53.A. dream B. comedy C. legend D. disaster
54.A. feeding B. raising C. including D. attending
55.A. last B. only C. other D. similar
56.A. However B. Furthermore C. Therefore D. Meanwhile
57.A. held B. trapped C. participated D. celebrated
58.A. at risk B. in sight C. for fun D. by hand
59.A. healthy B. energetic C. sociable D. sensitive
60.A. alert B. angry C. present D. disappointed
61.A. human B. formal C. party-animal D. animal-loving
62.A. tough B. silly C. serious D. common
63.A. In general B. By contrast C. In conclusion D. For instance
64.A. attend B. witness C. worsen D. interrupt
高三英语完型填空简单题查看答案及解析
III, Reading Comprehension
Section A
Directions: For each blank in the following passages there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.
The world was sharply separated into men and women, because that was the way we believed it should be. We hold this firm belief and made efforts to keep this ___50___. When a baby came to the world, he or she was expected to play different roles—boys were portrayed as noisy and naughty ones who people were more likely to ___51___ while girls were bound by strict social requirements to be lovely and ___52___. People became the product of their sex. Their social roles were determined when they were ___53___. Males were the producers of cool reasoning and were capable of ___54___. And being emotional was considered as the feature of females and their main activity location was ___55___.
___56___, with the development of civilization and women’s self-consciousness, more and more women have realized that such natural and physical differences between man and woman have no ___57___ with the differences between male and female excellence. Women are now confident to ___58___ the concepts as “male leadership” and “male power”, which are only terms invented by men and serve in men’s ___59___.
Such remarkable change in people’s viewpoint may well explain the gradual ___60___ of single-sex schools. The aim of education is to stimulate imagination, encourage free thinking and keep alive various interests. But the single-sex school follows the same regulations and ___61___ a set of separate subjects for males or females. In single-sex schools, instead of being offered a rich expansion of experience, students have access to ___62___ knowledge. Such education harms individual freedom and kills the possibility for a young person to develop into a(n) ___63___ human. Furthermore, such sexual distinction is also dangerous as it breaks up the sense of community by ___64___ people into two sex groups, which eventually damages the development of human civilization.
50. A. regret B. division C. union D. step
51. A. spoil B. control C. teach D. face
52. A. active B. humorous C. famous D. gentle
53. A. born B. grown C. praised D. retired
54. A. friendship B. failure C. leadership D. relationship
55. A. at home B. at work place C. in politics D. in education
56. A. In particular B. Furthermore C. In addition D. However
57. A. contact B. attempt C. connection D. excuse
58. A. reject B. reflect C. pardon D. measure
59. A. truth B. sex C. interest D. belief
60. A. extinction B. prospect C. foundation D. definition
61. A. sets up B. brings down C. sticks to D. gives up
62. A. objective B. wrong C. vivid D. limited
63. A. complete B. simple C. domestic D. ordinary
64. A. guiding B. uniting C. isolating D. transporting
高三英语完型填空简单题查看答案及解析
阅读理解。
III. Reading Comprehension
Section A
Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.
In the 1960s, Douglas McGregor, one of the key thinkers in the art of management, developed the mow famous Theory X and Theory Y. Theory X is the idea that people instinctively ___________ work and will do anything to avoid it. Theory Y is the view that everyone has the potential to find satisfaction in work.
In any case, despite so much evidence to the ___________, many managers still agree to Theory X. They believe, ___________ , that their employees need constant supervision if they are to work effectively, or that decisions must be imposed from ___________ without consultation. This, of course, makes for authoritarian (专制的) managers.
Different cultures have different ways of ___________ people. Unlike authoritarian management, some cultures, particularly in Asia, are well known for the consultative nature of decision-making—all members of the department or work group are asked to ___________ to this process. This is management by the collective opinion. Many western companies have tried to imitate such Asian ways of doing things, which are based on general ___________. Some experts say that women will become more effective managers than men because they have the power to reach common goals in a way that traditional ___________ managers cannot.
A recent trend has been to encourage employees to use their own initiative, to make decisions on their own without ___________ managers first. This empowerment (授权) has been part of the trend towards downsizing: ___________ the number of management layers in companies. After de-layering in this way, a company may be ___________ with just a top level of senior managers, front-line managers and employees with direct contact with the public. Empowerment takes the idea of delegation (委托) much further than has ___________ been the case. Empowerment and delegation mean new forms of management control to ___________ that the overall business plan is being followed, and that operations become more profitable under the new organization, rather than less.
Another trend is off-site or ___________ management, where teams of people linked by e-mail and the Internet work on projects from their own houses. Project managers evaluate the ___________ of the team members in terms of what they produce for projects, rather than the amount of time they spend on them.
1.A. desire B. seek C. lose D. dislike
2.A. contrary B. expectation C. degree D. extreme
3.A. vice versa B. for example C. however D. otherwise
4.A. outside B. inside C. below D. above
5.A. replacing B. assessing C. managing D. encouraging
6.A. refer B. contribute C. object D. apply
7.A. agreement B. practice C. election D. impression
8.A. bossy B. experienced C. western D. male
9.A. asking B. training C. warning D. firing
10.A. doubling B. maintaining C. reducing D. estimating
11.A. honored B. left C. crowded D. compared
12.A. economically B. traditionally C. inadequately D. occasionally
13.A. deny B. admit C. assume D. ensure
14.A. virtual B. ineffective C. day-to-day D. on-the-scene
15.A. opinion B. risk C. performance D. attractiveness
高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
III. Reading Comprehension (35分)
Section A
Directions: For each blank in the following passage, there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.
Billions of people across the world use cell phones. Though cell phones can be wonderful, liberating tools of 50 , freeing us from the confines (界限) of an office and providing more leisure time, they often do the exact 51 . Cell phone use has 52 the line between work and non-work time, increasing stress and tension within families and between friends. As Eric Slate, author of Technoslave commented in his essay: "It seems the more ' 53 ' we are, the more detached (不相连的) we become."
There is a risk of being too connected. While I was hiking in Spain, I got 54 a few times. I saw new sights and was surprised by 55 landscapes and towns I wouldn't have otherwise come across. Back in the US, whenever I got lost, I would always call a friend for 56 on my cell phone. With a cell phone, you're less 57 to go down the wrong street and see new things or unexpectedly meet new people.
So, when I recently returned home to Burlington, Vermont, I 58 my cell phone and traded in an old, rusty bike for a regular landline telephone that was connected to the wall and everything. Now, I go outside and don't make a phone call or check my phone. 59 , I've seen things in my neighbourhood I 60 noticed before, like a big flower garden around the block and artwork and sculptures down the road. Now that I'm not __61___ my cell phone, I've met new people on the street and at the supermarket, started 62 with neighbours I haven't spoken with before and talk with my friends face-to-face instead of over the phone. .
Instead of 63 me from the world, getting rid of my cell phone has helped me become more in touch with my community. I am no longer a 64 of my cell phone.
50. A. information B. communication C. learning D. exchange
51. A. opposite B. same C. wrong D. right
52. A. misused B. limited C. troubled D. confused
53. A. affected B. separated C. connected D. satisfied
54. A. exhausted B. disappointed C. lost D. attracted
55. A. inaccessible B. unexpected C. familiar D. similar
56. A. attention B. destination C. direction D. action
57. A. eager B. likely C. willing D. interested
58. A. made use of B. hung up C. got rid of D. got hold of
59. A. Therefore B. However C. Besides D. Instead
60. A. once B. often C. never D. ever
61. A. happy with B. crazy about C. glue to D. aware of
62. A . interviews B. arguments C. visits D. conversations
63. A. isolating B. saving C. protecting D. removing
64. A. fan B. master C. friend D. slave
高三英语完型填空简单题查看答案及解析
Reading Comprehension
Section B
Directions：Read the following passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.
Are organically grown foods the best food choices？The advantages claimed for such foods over conventionally (传统地) grown and marketed food products are now being debated. Supporters of organic foods—a term whose meaning varies greatly—frequently announce that such products are safer and more nutritious than others.
The growing interest of consumers in the safety and nutritional quality of the typical North American diet is a welcome development. However, much of this interest has been sparked by sweeping claims that the food supply is unsafe or inadequate in meeting nutritional needs. Although most of these claims are not supported by scientific evidence, the flood of written material advancing such claims makes it difficult for the general public to separate fact from fiction. As a result, claims that eating a diet consisting entirely of organically grown foods prevents or cures disease or provides other benefits to health have become widely publicized.
Almost daily the public is besieged by claims for “no-aging” diets, new vitamins and other wonder foods. There are numerous unproved reports that natural vitamins are superior to synthetic ones, that fertilized eggs are nutritionally superior to unfertilized eggs, that untreated grains are better than fumigated grains and the like.
One thing that most organically grown food products seem to have in common is that they cost more than conventionally grown foods. But in many cases consumers are misled if they believe organic foods can maintain health and provide better nutritional quality than conventionally grown foods. So there is real cause for concern if consumers，particularly those with limited incomes, distrust the regular food supply and buy only expensive organic foods instead.
1.The “welcome development” mentioned in paragraph 2 is an increase in ______.
A. attention to food safety and nutrition among north Americans
B. the nutritional quality of the typical North American diet
C. the amount of healthy food grown in North America
D. the number of consumers in North America
2. The author implies that there is cause for concern if consumers buy organic foods instead of conventionally grown foods because ______.
A. organic foods can be more expensive but are often not better than conventionally grown foods
B. many organic foods are actually less nutritious than similar conventionally grown foods
C. conventionally grown foods are more readily available than organic foods
D. too many farmers will stop using conventional methods to grow food crops
3.What is the author’s attitude toward the claims made by advocates of health foods？
A. Enthusiastic. B. Favorable. C. Neutral. D. Distrustful.
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
Section A
Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.
In the 1960s, Douglas McGregor, one of the key thinkers in the art of management, developed the mow famous Theory X and Theory Y. Theory X is the idea that people instinctively work and will do anything to avoid it. Theory Y is the view that everyone has the potential to find satisfaction in work.
In any case, despite so much evidence to the , many managers still agree to Theory X. They believe, , that their employees need constant supervision if they are to work effectively, or that decisions must be imposed from without consultation. This, of course, makes for authoritarian (专制的) managers.
Different cultures have different ways of people. Unlike authoritarian management, some cultures, particularly in Asia, are well known for the consultative nature of decision-making—all members of the department or work group are asked to to this process. This is management by the collective opinion. Many western companies have tried to imitate such Asian ways of doing things, which are based on general . Some experts say that women will become more effective managers than men because they have the power to reach common goals in a way that traditional managers cannot.
A recent trend has been to encourage employees to use their own initiative, to make decisions on their own without managers first. This empowerment (授权) has been part of the trend towards downsizing: the number of management layers in companies. After de-layering in this way, a company may be with just a top level of senior managers, front-line managers and employees with direct contact with the public. Empowerment takes the idea of delegation (委托) much further than has been the case. Empowerment and delegation mean new forms of management control to that the overall business plan is being followed, and that operations become more profitable under the new organization, rather than less.
Another trend is off-site or management, where teams of people linked by e-mail and the Internet work on projects from their own houses. Project managers evaluate the of the team members in terms of what they produce for projects, rather than the amount of time they spend on them.
1.A. desire B. seek C. lose D. dislike
2.A. contrary B. expectation C. degree D. extreme
3.A. vice versa B. for example C. however D. otherwise
4.A. outside B. inside C. below D. above
5.A. replacing B. assessing C. managing D. encouraging
6.A. refer B. contribute C. object D. apply
7.A. agreement B. practice C. election D. impression
8.A. bossy B. experienced C. western D. male
9.A. asking B. training C. warning D. firing
10.A. doubling B. maintaining C. reducing D. estimating
11.A. honored B. left C. crowded D. compared
12.A. economically B. traditionally C. inadequately D. occasionally
13.A. deny B. admit C. assume D. ensure
14.A. virtual B. ineffective C. day-to-day D. on-the-scene
15.A. opinion B. risk C. performance D. attractiveness
高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Part III Reading Comprehension （30 marks）
Directions: Read the following three passages, Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements．For each of them there are four choices marked A, B,C and D．Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage.
A
Humans aren’t the only ones getting a buzz from coffee. Caffeine can improve memory among honeybees and lead to better pollination(授粉). According to a recent study published in the journal Science.
The study was conducted by a team of researchers at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom. They found that the nectar(花蜜) of some flowers, such as those from grapefruit and lemon plants, as well as certain coffee flowers, contains low doses of caffeine. To get bees to feed on these flowers, the team trained the insects to associate food with the smell of the flowers. They also trained another group of bees to feed on nectar from flowers that were sweetened with a sugar, but did not contain caffeine. After 24 hours, the bees trained on caffeinated flowers returned to these plants three times as often as those trained on the sweetened flowers returned to the uncaffeinated plants.
Professor Geraldine Wright led the researchers. “Remembering floral traits (花部特征) is difficult for bees to perform at a fast pace as they fly from flower to flower and we found that caffeine helps the bee remember where the flowers are,” Wright said in a statement.
Improved memory led to the better pollination. That’s because once bees sip the caffeine nectar, they continue to look for more coffee plants to pollinate. This also suggests that caffeine plays a role in improving the bees’ ability to search for food.
Researchers found that caffeine’s effect on the bee brain is similar to its effect on mammals. “The change is similar to that produced by caffeine in neurons (神经元)”associated with learning and memory in the rat brain,” Wright said.
Bee populations have declining since 2007. The dramatic drop in the insects’ numbers has serious effects for ecosystems and the farming industry. Bees are needed in the reproduction of crops and spreading wild flower species. Understanding what keeps bees buzzing could help to make sure that the insects are able to remember and pollinate their favorite flowers.
1.Which of the following is mentioned in the passage?
A. Caffeine has no effect on the rat brain.
B. Bee population has been increasing.
C. The nectar of lemon plants contains caffeine.
D. Bees dislike nectar from sweetened flowers.
2.After reading the passage, John, who works in the farming industry, will probably feel ________.
A. annoyed B. angry C. nervous D. excited
3.Which of the following relationship is correct according to the passage?
A. improved memory — caffeine nectar — better pollination
B. caffeine nectar — improved memory — better pollination
C. improved memory — better pollination — caffeine nectar
D. caffeine nectar — better pollination — improved memory
4.We can know from the passage that ________.
A. the rat is a mammal
B. caffeine has nothing to do with memory
C. bees are good at remembering floral traits
D. Geraldine Wright did the research on his own
5. What section of a newspaper may this passage be taken from?
A. Science B. Education
C. Culture D. Sports
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析