Rescue workers had collected 820 birds from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the majority of them already dead. The current spill promises to be the largest in US history, and as cleanup efforts stretch across the summer, it's clear that more oiled birds will be found, stuck and suffering in the black stick liquid. And as they do with every oil spill, rescue workers will go to great lengths to capture and clean the survivors hoping to restore them to their natural habitat.
Is it worth the effort? Some scientists aren’t so sure. Because the stress of being captured and bathed is as significant as the horror of being immersed in oil, and because research suggests that many rescued birds die shortly after being released, some experts say euthanasia (安乐死) is a more humane option.
Clean bird feathers repel water (防水) and regulate body temperature while dirty ones don't. Oil in particular makes feathers heavier and decreases their ability to trap air, which in turn makes birds weak and become easier to drowning, overheating and organ damage. Of course, being captured and cleaned is no picnic either. Some birds wind up returning to their destroyed habitats only to fall victim to the oil again. And those who manage to avoid a second oil bath suffer dramatically shortened life spans (跨度) and lower reproductive success. Of the thousands of birds that were rescued from the Prestige oil spill off the coast of Spain in 2002, only 600 were released into the wild; most of the rest died after just a few days in captivity.
However, bird rescuers say they have learned a lot about how to best help oil-soaked birds, and that therefore, survival rates stand to increase this time around. In the past, birds were cleaned right away, and volunteers often worked through the night bathing rescued birds. But now, captured birds are left to rest for a day or two before being cleaned, and only washed during the day, so as not to disrupt their circadian (生理的) rhythms. But part of that increase may be due to greater selectivity on the part of rescuers. The workers do blood tests right in the field now and birds that are loaded with hydrocarbons (碳氢化合物) or don’t look like they’re going to make it are put down right away, rather than subjected to the stress of captivity and cleaning.
And so far, while release rates may be improving, there is little evidence of better medium or long-term survival, especially for the more-difficult-to-save species. There still aren’t good protocols (协议) for repairing the internal organ damage. Anyway, rescue efforts will continue in large part because the public demands that. Euthanasia is a difficult thing to do, especially for people who have built their lives around saving animals.
1.Why do some scientists doubt the effort to rescue oiled birds?
A.Because it has cost too much time and money.
B.Because human may be infected with the bird virus.
C.Because it is torture followed by death to birds.
D.Because migrant birds may broaden the pollution.
2.The case of Spain coast spill is mentioned to indicate ________.
A.thousands of birds were polluted by oil
B.the survival rate of oiled birds was very low
C.the efforts to rescue oiled birds were ineffective
D.captivity is an impractical method to rescue binds
3.Why do the survival rates of oiled birds increase?
A.Oiled birds are kept in warm water for one or two days
B.The second cleaning of the oiled birds in daytime is not permitted
C.The rescuers often select the birds that are likely to survive
D.Hydrocarbons are removed to rescue the oiled birds
4.Why does oiled birds' rescue remain a controversial problem?
A.Oiled birds’ internal organ damage is permanent.
B.Euthanasia is a difficult and heart-aching operation.
C.The more-difficult-to-save species will die by cleaning.
D.The rescue is oiled birds’ suffering while seeing them die is cruel.
高三英语阅读理解困难题
Rescue workers had collected 820 birds from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the majority of them already dead. The current spill promises to be the largest in US history, and as cleanup efforts stretch across the summer, it's clear that more oiled birds will be found, stuck and suffering in the black stick liquid. And as they do with every oil spill, rescue workers will go to great lengths to capture and clean the survivors hoping to restore them to their natural habitat.
Is it worth the effort? Some scientists aren’t so sure. Because the stress of being captured and bathed is as significant as the horror of being immersed in oil, and because research suggests that many rescued birds die shortly after being released, some experts say euthanasia (安乐死) is a more humane option.
Clean bird feathers repel water (防水) and regulate body temperature while dirty ones don't. Oil in particular makes feathers heavier and decreases their ability to trap air, which in turn makes birds weak and become easier to drowning, overheating and organ damage. Of course, being captured and cleaned is no picnic either. Some birds wind up returning to their destroyed habitats only to fall victim to the oil again. And those who manage to avoid a second oil bath suffer dramatically shortened life spans (跨度) and lower reproductive success. Of the thousands of birds that were rescued from the Prestige oil spill off the coast of Spain in 2002, only 600 were released into the wild; most of the rest died after just a few days in captivity.
However, bird rescuers say they have learned a lot about how to best help oil-soaked birds, and that therefore, survival rates stand to increase this time around. In the past, birds were cleaned right away, and volunteers often worked through the night bathing rescued birds. But now, captured birds are left to rest for a day or two before being cleaned, and only washed during the day, so as not to disrupt their circadian (生理的) rhythms. But part of that increase may be due to greater selectivity on the part of rescuers. The workers do blood tests right in the field now and birds that are loaded with hydrocarbons (碳氢化合物) or don’t look like they’re going to make it are put down right away, rather than subjected to the stress of captivity and cleaning.
And so far, while release rates may be improving, there is little evidence of better medium or long-term survival, especially for the more-difficult-to-save species. There still aren’t good protocols (协议) for repairing the internal organ damage. Anyway, rescue efforts will continue in large part because the public demands that. Euthanasia is a difficult thing to do, especially for people who have built their lives around saving animals.
1.Why do some scientists doubt the effort to rescue oiled birds?
A.Because it has cost too much time and money.
B.Because human may be infected with the bird virus.
C.Because it is torture followed by death to birds.
D.Because migrant birds may broaden the pollution.
2.The case of Spain coast spill is mentioned to indicate ________.
A.thousands of birds were polluted by oil
B.the survival rate of oiled birds was very low
C.the efforts to rescue oiled birds were ineffective
D.captivity is an impractical method to rescue binds
3.Why do the survival rates of oiled birds increase?
A.Oiled birds are kept in warm water for one or two days
B.The second cleaning of the oiled birds in daytime is not permitted
C.The rescuers often select the birds that are likely to survive
D.Hydrocarbons are removed to rescue the oiled birds
4.Why does oiled birds' rescue remain a controversial problem?
A.Oiled birds’ internal organ damage is permanent.
B.Euthanasia is a difficult and heart-aching operation.
C.The more-difficult-to-save species will die by cleaning.
D.The rescue is oiled birds’ suffering while seeing them die is cruel.
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
IQUIQUE, Chile (Reuters) — Rescue workers at the San Jose gold and copper mine in northern Chile had reason to sing this week. A small hole drilled into the earth became a passage to freedom for 33 trapped miners, who spent 69 days underground. “Never have people been trapped for so long so deeply,” says a doctor at NASA, the American space agency, which helped in the rescue.
But the chief medical officer for the miners said most are in good enough health to leave the hospital within a day or so. The first three recovered and went home Thursday night.
For much of the day the miners relaxed with Chilean President Sebastian Pinera. The 32 Chileans and 1 Bolivian still wore special sunglasses to protect their eyes.
A partial mine collapse on 5th August trapped them more than half a kilometer underground. They had to stretch a two-day food supply. For two weeks no one knew if they were alive or dead. Later, they received supplies.
The first miner rescued on Wednesday was Florencio Avalos. The second was Mario Sepulveda, who talked about how the experience tested his faith. The last miner up was Luis Urzua, who was the shift leader when his crew became trapped.
Rescuers used a metal cage to pull the miners to safety in less than 24 hours — faster than expected. The rescue capsule was a half-meter wide and known as the Phoenix, an imaginary bird from ancient stories. It bursts into flames but is continually reborn and rises from the ashes.
Chile’s Navy built the capsule with advice from mining experts and NASA engineers. It worked like an elevator, traveling up and down on a cable through a shaft(竖井)drilled 622 meters into the rocks.
Millions of people around the world watched the rescue. More than one thousand journalists traveled to the mine in the Atacama Desert to report on the rescue. They joined family members of the miners and rescue crews housed in an area of tents known as Camp Hope.
1.What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Rescued miners speak out B. A rebirth for 33 rescued miners in Chile
C. Miners’ life deep underground D. Chilean president honors rescued miners
2. How many rescued miners are still in hospital?
A. 3. B. 33. C. 30. D. 69.
3. A. It was a wooden cage like a capsule. B. It was named after a real Chilean bird.
C. It worked efficiently in the rescue. D. It was built by NASA engineers.
4. The rescue is great for the reason that ______.
A. it lasted so long and the miners were trapped so deep
B. the American space agency took part
C. Chilean President was on the rescuing spot
D. 33 trapped miners were saved
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
IQUIQUE, Chile (Reuters) — Rescue workers at the San Jose gold and copper mine in northern Chile had reason to sing this week. A small hole drilled into the earth became a passage to freedom for 33 trapped miners, who spent 69 days underground. “Never have people been trapped for so long so deeply,” says a doctor at NASA, the American space agency, which helped in the rescue.
But the chief medical officer for the miners said most are in good enough health to leave the hospital within a day or so. The first three recovered and went home Thursday night.
For much of the day the miners relaxed with Chilean President Sebastian Pinera. The 32 Chileans and 1 Bolivian still wore special sunglasses to protect their eyes.
A partial mine collapse on 5th August trapped them more than half a kilometer underground. They had to stretch a two-day food supply. For two weeks no one knew if they were alive or dead. Later, they received supplies.
The first miner rescued on Wednesday was Florencio Avalos. The second was Mario Sepulveda, who talked about how the experience tested his faith. The last miner up was Luis Urzua, who was the shift leader when his crew became trapped.
Rescuers used a metal cage to pull the miners to safety in less than 24 hours — faster than expected. The rescue capsule was a half-meter wide and known as the Phoenix, an imaginary bird from ancient stories. It bursts into flames but is continually reborn and rises from the ashes.
Chile’s Navy built the capsule with advice from mining experts and NASA engineers. It worked like an elevator, traveling up and down on a cable through a shaft(竖井)drilled 622 meters into the rocks.
Millions of people around the world watched the rescue. More than one thousand journalists traveled to the mine in the Atacama Desert to report on the rescue. They joined family members of the miners and rescue crews housed in an area of tents known as Camp Hope.
1.What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Rescued miners speak out
B. Miners’ life deep underground
C. A rebirth for 33 rescued miners in Chile
D. Chilean president honors rescued miners
2.How many rescued miners are still in hospital?
A. 3. B. 30. C. 33. D. 69.
3.We can infer from the passage that ______.
A. all the trapped miners are Chileans
B. the Chileans rescued the miners alone
C. the rescue caught the world’s attention
D. the trapped miners lived easily underground
4. Which of the following is true of the Phoenix?
A. It was a wooden cage like a capsule.
B. It worked efficiently in the rescue.
C. It was named after a real Chilean bird.
D. It was built by NASA engineers.
5.The rescue is great for the reason that ______.
A. 33 trapped miners were saved
B. the American space agency took part
C. Chilean President was on the rescuing spot
D. it lasted so long and the miners were trapped so deep
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
One of the collectors collected some seeds from a tree that had _____ him.
A. interest in B. appealed to C. been attracted D. drew attention of
高三英语单项填空困难题查看答案及解析
Lots of rescue workers were working around the clock, supplies to Yushu, Qinghai province after the earthquake....
A.sending B.to send
C.having sent D.to have sent
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Lots of rescue workers were working around the clock, ________supplies to Yushu, Qinghai province after the earthquake....
A. sending B. to send C. having sent D. to have sent
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Rescue workers and thousands of volunteers are not the only ones who have won hearts and minds for their heroic efforts in the search for survivors after Tuesday's powerful earthquake in
Mexico. Fifteen dogs from the navy's canine(军犬)unit have assisted this week in the rescue efforts at the sites of collapsed buildings across Mexico City, where more than 50 people have been pulled alive from the ruins.
Of the canine heroes none is more famous or loved than Frida, a six-year-old white Labrador who in her distinguished service has won praise for her ability to detect people who have been trapped by various natural disasters. Over her admirable career she has found 52 people including 12 survivors in Mexico and other Latin American countries.
This week, Frida and Evil and Echo—two Belgian Shepherds that have also been specially trained for rescue efforts一were sent to the site of the collapsed Enrique Rebsamen School in southern Mexico City.
Equipped with goggles that protect her eyes from dust and smoke, boots to prevent damage to her paws while she climbs over rough ruins, Frida took to her work looking every bit the part of the ruins.
If Frida detects the presence of a survivor, she is trained to bark to alert rescue workers but if she detects a corpse she stops suddenly before proceeding, her handler explained.
Eleven children were rescued from ruins at the school but this time human rescue workers rather than the dogs were the ones who located them.
However, that hasn't stopped Frida from becoming a social media star and reaching a new level of fame this week. Videos and other social media posts that highlight the work of Frida and her impressive record of detecting people trapped by natural disasters spread quickly online.
While she has yet to detect anyone trapped in the ruins this week, she and other rescue dogs are continuing to work tirelessly, searching through spaces that humans cannot reach. With the possibility that there are still people trapped alive, time will tell whether she adds to her rescue record.
1.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A.Severe earthquakes in Mexico B.Undertaking rescue work.
C.People waiting for rescue D.Special rescuers in Mexico.
2.What makes Frida a social media star?
A.Her rescue records and tireless work.
B.Her cooperation with the rescue team.
C.Her cool appearance with some special devices.
D.Her ability to search spaces beyond humans' reach.
3.What does the underlined word "corpse" in paragraph 5 probably mean?
A.An article of clothing. B.An unconscious animal.
C.A dead person. D.A special signal.
4.It can be inferred from the last paragraph that_______ .
A.Frida will achieve nothing
B.Frida will probably work miracles
C.more dogs will be sent to the area
D.the rest of the rescue will be done by dogs
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Efforts to reduce the damage from the huge oil spill(漏油)in the Gulf of Mexico are under way . How can you help ?A number of organizations are recruiting(招聘)volunteers.
The Deep Water Horizon response team is looking for help in identifying shoreline and animals affected . Oiled wildlife should not be captured but instead reported at 1-866-557-1401. To report areas with oil ashore or to leave contact information to volunteers in the affected areas , call 1-866-448-5816.
The National Wildlife Federation is looking for volunteers and support to help spot distressed or oiled wildlife , and to assist in the cleanup and restoration efforts along the coast of Louisiana. You can text the word “NWF” to 20222. That’ss donate $10 to the National Wildlife Federation through your phone bill.
United Way has launched the Gulf Recovery Fund . which is providing emergency assistance and long-term recovery support for the communities affected by this oil spill . Those who need help or want to volunteer can dial 2-1-1.You can donate to this fund by going to liveunited . org/gulfrecovery.or text the word “United” to 50555 to donate $10 from your mobile phone.
The First Response Team of America is working with the National Guard in Southern Louisiana to build dams to hold back the oil from the fragile coastal habitats . Their founder , Tad Agoglia —who was named a CNN Hero in 2008—has made their work on the oil . spill their top Priority(首位)until the disaster is contained.They are looking for volunteers . Call 941-388-3010.
AmenCares is providing medical care and supplies to oilspill victims along the Gulf , and is funding and assisting mental health assessments and counseling needs for the immediate and long-term health and mental health issues affecting children as a result of this disaster . Mental health experts are in great demand . The Children’s Health Fund can be reached at 1-800-535-7418.
1.If you see an oiled bird in the Gulf of Mexico . you are supposed to ________.
A.catch it B.raise it at home
C.call 1-866-557-1401 D.shoot at it
2..If you text the word . “NWF”to 20222 with your cellphone , you will________.
A.donate$10 to the Nationas Wildlife Federation
B.get a free gift
C.donate$10 to United Way
D.have a chance of winning a trip to France
3.Which of the following organizations are providing medical care?
A.United Way and AmenCares.
B.The Deep Water Horizon and The National Wildlife Federation.
C.The National Wildlife Federation and The Children’s Health Fund.
D.AmeriCares and The Children’s Health Fund.
4.We can infer that Tad Agoglia________.
A.is a person with the social responsibility
B.is an engineer on dam –building
C.is the founder of AmeriCares
D.should be responsible for the oil spill
5.If you are good at treating mental health problems and willing to volunteer ,you can dial the telephone number________.
A.1-800-486-4357 B.1-800-535-744
C.1-866-448-5816 D.941-388-3010
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Ellen was a painter of birds and of nature,________,for some reason,had withdrawn from all human society.(2012·浙江,17)
A.which B.who C.where D.whom
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
It was very difficult to rescue the drowning boy in the sea. One moment the rescue workers _______him but the next moment they _____.
A.caught sight of; lost | B.caught the sight of; lost his sight |
C.caught sight of; lost sight of him | D.caught the sight of; lost their sight of him |
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析