Lucy， whose skeleton（骨骼） was discovered in Ethiopia in 1974， died shortly after she fell out of a tree， according to a new study published Monday in the British journal Nature．
For their research， Kappelman and Dr． Richard Ketcham used a CT scanner to create more than 35，000 "slices" of Lucy's skeleton． Scientists named her Lucy from the Beatles song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"， which was played at the camp the night of her discovery．
The following analysis of the slices showed sharp， clean breaks seen at the end of Lucy's right humerus （肱骨） are similar to bone breaks seen in victims of falls．
The researchers concluded that these and other breaks in her skeleton show that Lucy， who is believed to have stood about 3 feet 6 inches and weighed about 60 pounds， fell feet first and used her arms to support herself ﹣ but that the injury was too severe to have been survivable．
The researchers estimate that Lucy was going about 35 miles an hour when she hit the ground after falling from a height of roughly 40 feet， according to the statement．
That sounds plausible． But other scientists are doubtful． "There are countless explanations for bone breaks，" Dr， Donald C， Johanson， director of the Institute of Human Origins and one of the scientists who discovered Lucy， said， "The suggestion that she fell out of a tree is largely a just﹣so story and therefore unprovable． " Johanson said it was more likely that Lucy's breaks occurred long after she died， saying that "elephant bones appear to have the same kind of breaks， It's unlikely they fell out of a tree．
But the new research focused on "a small number of breaks" that are consistent with "high﹣energy bone﹣to﹣bone influences" and which differ from the sorts of breaks commonly seen in other collected bones． Kappelman responded in an email， "These appear to have occurred at or near the time of death． "
1.What can we infer about Lucy from Kappelman and Dr． Richard Ketcham's research？
A.She got her name from a song．
B.She had more than 35，000 slices．
C.She couldn't use her arms properly．
D.She made an effort to save herself．
2.What does the underlined word "plausible" in Paragraph 6 probably mean？
A.Reasonable．
B.Creative．
C.Surprising．
D.Unbelievable．
3.Which of the following would Johanson probably agree？
A.Elephants are unlikely to die from falling．
B.Lucy got breaks at or near the time of death．
C.Other reasons for the breaks should be considered．
D.Lucy's bone breaks differ from other bone breaks．
4.What conclusion can we draw from the passage？
A.Lucy didn't die from falling out of a tree．
B.The newly published study was meaningless．
C.The argument on how Lucy died will continue．
D.Scientists will find another way to solve the problem．
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题
Lucy， whose skeleton（骨骼） was discovered in Ethiopia in 1974， died shortly after she fell out of a tree， according to a new study published Monday in the British journal Nature．
For their research， Kappelman and Dr． Richard Ketcham used a CT scanner to create more than 35，000 "slices" of Lucy's skeleton． Scientists named her Lucy from the Beatles song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"， which was played at the camp the night of her discovery．
The following analysis of the slices showed sharp， clean breaks seen at the end of Lucy's right humerus （肱骨） are similar to bone breaks seen in victims of falls．
The researchers concluded that these and other breaks in her skeleton show that Lucy， who is believed to have stood about 3 feet 6 inches and weighed about 60 pounds， fell feet first and used her arms to support herself ﹣ but that the injury was too severe to have been survivable．
The researchers estimate that Lucy was going about 35 miles an hour when she hit the ground after falling from a height of roughly 40 feet， according to the statement．
That sounds plausible． But other scientists are doubtful． "There are countless explanations for bone breaks，" Dr， Donald C， Johanson， director of the Institute of Human Origins and one of the scientists who discovered Lucy， said， "The suggestion that she fell out of a tree is largely a just﹣so story and therefore unprovable． " Johanson said it was more likely that Lucy's breaks occurred long after she died， saying that "elephant bones appear to have the same kind of breaks， It's unlikely they fell out of a tree．
But the new research focused on "a small number of breaks" that are consistent with "high﹣energy bone﹣to﹣bone influences" and which differ from the sorts of breaks commonly seen in other collected bones． Kappelman responded in an email， "These appear to have occurred at or near the time of death． "
1.What can we infer about Lucy from Kappelman and Dr． Richard Ketcham's research？
A.She got her name from a song．
B.She had more than 35，000 slices．
C.She couldn't use her arms properly．
D.She made an effort to save herself．
2.What does the underlined word "plausible" in Paragraph 6 probably mean？
A.Reasonable．
B.Creative．
C.Surprising．
D.Unbelievable．
3.Which of the following would Johanson probably agree？
A.Elephants are unlikely to die from falling．
B.Lucy got breaks at or near the time of death．
C.Other reasons for the breaks should be considered．
D.Lucy's bone breaks differ from other bone breaks．
4.What conclusion can we draw from the passage？
A.Lucy didn't die from falling out of a tree．
B.The newly published study was meaningless．
C.The argument on how Lucy died will continue．
D.Scientists will find another way to solve the problem．
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
“Mum, what does it mean when someone tells you that they have a skeleton(骨骼) in the closet?” Jessica asked. “A skeleton in the closet?” her mother paused thoughtfully. “Well, it’s something that you would rather not have anyone else know about. For example, if in the past, someone in Dad’s family had been arrested for stealing a horse, it would be ‘a skeleton in his family’s closet’. He really wouldn’t want any neighbor to know about it.”
“Why pick on my family?” Jessica’s father said with anger. “Your family history isn’t so good. you know. Wasn’t your great-great-grandfather a prisoner who was transported to Australia for his crimes?” “Yes, but people these days say that you are not a real Australian unless your ancestors arrived as prisoners .” “Gosh, sorry I asked, I think I understand now,” Jessica cut in before things grew worse.
After dinner, the house was very quiet. Jessica’s parents were still quite angry with each other. Her mother was ironing clothes and every now and then she glared at her husband, who hid behind his newspaper pretending to read. When she finished, she gathered the freshly pressed clothes in her arms and walked to Jessica’s closet. Just as she opened the door and reached in to hang a skirt, a bony arm stuck out from the dark depths and a bundle of white bones fell to the floor. Jessica’s mother sank into a faint(晕倒), waking only when Jessica put a cold, wet cloth on her forehead. She looked up to see the worried faces of her husband and daughter.
“What happened？Where am I?” she asked. “You just destroyed the school’s skeleton, Mum,” explained Jessica. “I brought it home to help me with my health project, I meant to tell you, but it seemed that as soon as I mentioned skeletons and closets, it caused a problem between you and Dad.” Jessica looked in amazement as her parents began to laugh madly. “they’re both crazy,” she thought.
1.According to Jessica’s mother, “a skeleton in the closet” means ______.
A. a family honor B. a family treasure
C. a family story D. a family secret
2.What can we learn about some Australians’ ancestors from Paragraph 2?
A. They were brought to Australia as prisoners.
B. They were the earliest people living in Australia
C. They were involved in some crimes in Australia.
D. They were not regarded as criminals in their day.
3.Jessica’s mother fell down into a faint because she was ________.
A. frightened B. surprised
C. injured D. knocked
4.Jessica’s parents laughed madly at the end of the story probably because_________.
A. they were crazy
B. they realized their misunderstanding
C. they were overexcited
D. they both thought they bad won the quarrel
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
“Mum, what does it mean when someone tells you that they have a skeleton（骨骼）in the closet（衣橱）?” Jessica asked. “A skeleton in the closet?” her mother paused thoughtfully. “Well, it’s something that you would rather not have anyone else know about. For example, if in the past, someone in Dad’s family had been arrested for stealing a horse, it would be ‘a skeleton in his family’s closet’. He really wouldn’t want any neighbor to know about it.”
“Why pick on my family?” Jessica’s father said with anger. “Your family history isn’t so good, you know. Wasn’t your great-great-grandfather a prisoner who was transported to Australia for his crimes?” “Yes, but people these days say that you are not a real Australian unless your ancestors arrived as prisoners.” “Gosh, sorry I asked. I think I understand now,” Jessica cut in before things grew worse.
After dinner, the house was very quiet. Jessica’s parents were still quite angry with each other. Her mother was ironing clothes and every now and then she glared at her husband, who hid behind his newspaper pretending to read. When she finished, she gathered the freshly pressed clothes in her arms and walked to Jessica’s closet. Just as she opened the door and reached in to hang a skirt, a bony arm stuck out from the dark depths and a bundle of white bones fell to the floor. Jessica’s mother sank in a faint（晕倒）, waking only when Jessica put a cold, wet cloth on her forehead. She looked up to see the worried faces of her husband and daughter.
“What happened? Where am I?” she asked. “You just destroyed the school’s skeleton, Mum,” explained Jessica. “I brought it home to help me with my health project. I meant to tell you, but it seemed that as soon as I mentioned skeletons and closets, it caused a problem between you and Dad.” Jessica looked in amazement as her parents began to laugh madly. “They’re both crazy,” she thought.
1.According to Jessica’s mother, “a skeleton in the closet” means ______.
A. a family honor B. a family secret
C. a family story D. a family treasure
2.What can we learn about some Australians’ ancestors form Paragraph 2?
A. They were brought to Australia as prisoners.
B. They were the earliest people living in Australia.
C. They were involved in some crimes in Australia.
D. They were not regarded as criminals in their days.
3.Why did Jessica bring a skeleton home?
A. She was curious about it. B. She planned to keep it for fun.
C. She needed it for her school task. D. She intended to scare her parents.
4. Jessica’s parents laughed madly at the end of the story probably because ______.
A. they were crazy
B. they were over excited
C. they realized their misunderstanding
D. they both thought they had won the quarrel
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
“Mum, what does it mean when someone tells you that they have a skeleton (骨骼) in the closet (衣橱)?” Jessica asked. “A skeleton in the closet?” her mother paused thoughtfully. “Well, it’s something that you would rather not have anyone else know about. For example, if in the past, someone in Dad’s family had been arrested for stealing a horse, it would be ‘a skeleton in his family’s closet’. He really wouldn’t want any neighbor to know about it.”
“Why pick on my family?” Jessica’s father said with anger. “Your family history isn’t so good, you know. Wasn’t you great-great grandfather a prisoner who was transported to Australia for his crimes?” “Yes, but people these days say that you are not a real Australian unless your ancestors arrived as prisoners.” “Gosh, sorry for my asking. I think I understand now,” Jessica cut in before things grew worse.
After dinner, the house was very quiet. Jessica’s parents were still quite angry with each other. Her mother was ironing clothes and every now and then she glared at her husband, who hid behind his newspaper, pretending to read. When she finished, she gathered the freshly pressed clothes in her arms and walked to Jessica’s closet. Just as she opened the door and reached in to hang a skirt, a bony arm stuck out from the dark depths and a bundle of white bones fell to the floor. Jessica’s mother sank into a faint (晕倒), waking only when Jessica put a cold, wet cloth on her forehead. She looked up to see the worried faces of her husband and daughter.
“What happened? Where am I?” she asked. “You just destroyed the school’s skeleton, Mum,” explained Jessica. “I brought it home to help me with my health project. I meant to tell you, but it seemed that as soon as I mentioned skeletons and closets, it caused a problem between you and Dad.” Jessica looked in amazement as her parents began to laugh madly. “They’re both crazy,” she thought.
1.According to Jessica’s mother, “a skeleton in the closet” means ______.
| A．a family honor | B．a family secret | C．a family story | D．a family treasure |
2. What can we learn about some Australian’s ancestors from Paragraph 2?
| A．They were brought to Australia as prisoners. |
| B．They were the earliest people living in Australia. |
| C．They were involved in some crimes in Australia. |
| D．They were not regarded as criminals in their days. |
3. Jessica’s mother fell down into a faint because she was ______.
| A．knocked | B．frightened | C．injured | D．surprised |
4. Why did Jessica bring a skeleton home?
| A．She was very curious about it. |
| B．She planned to keep it for fun. |
| C．She needed it for her school task. |
| D．She intended to scare her parents. |
5. Jessica’s parents laughed madly at the end of the story probably because ______.
| A．they were quite crazy |
| B．they realized their misunderstanding |
| C．they were overexcited |
| D．they both thought they had won the quarrel |
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
“Mum, what does it mean when someone tells you that they have a skeleton (骨骼) in the closet (衣橱)?” Jessica asked. “A skeleton in the closet?” her mother paused thoughtfully. “Well, it's something that you would rather not have anyone else know about. For example, if in the past, someone in Dad's family had been arrested for stealing a horse, it would be 'a skeleton in his family's closet'. He really wouldn't want any neighbor to know about it.”
“Why pick on my family?” Jessica's father said with anger. “Your family history isn't so good, you know. Wasn't your great-great-grandfather a prisoner who was transported to Australia for his crimes?” “Yes, but people these days say that you are not a real Australian unless your ancestors arrived as prisoners.” “Gosh, sorry I asked. I think I understand now,” Jessica cut in before things grew worse.
After dinner, the house was very quiet. Jessica's parents were still quite angry with each other. Her mother was ironing clothes and every now and then she glared at her husband, who hid behind his newspaper pretending to read. When she finished, she gathered the freshly pressed clothes in her arms and walked to Jessica's closet. Just as she opened the door and reached in to hang a skirt, a bony arm stuck out from the dark depths and a bundle of white bones fell to the floor. Jessica's mother sank in a faint (晕倒), waking only when Jessica put a cold, wet cloth on her forehead. She looked up to see the worried faces of her husband and daughter.
“What happened? Where am I?” she asked. “You just destroyed the school's skeleton, Mum,” explained Jessica. “I brought it home to help me with my health project. I meant to tell you, but it seemed that as soon as I mentioned skeletons and closets, it caused a problem between you and Dad.” Jessica looked in amazement as her parents began to laugh madly. “They're both crazy,” she thought.
1.According to Jessica's mother, “a skeleton in the close” means ________.
A. a family honor B. a family secret C. a family story D. a family treasure
2.What can we learn about some Australians' ancestors from Paragraph 2?
A. They were brought to Australia as prisoners.
B. They were the earliest people living in Australia.
C. They were involved in some crimes in Australia.
D. They were not regarded as criminals in their days.
3.Why did Jessica bring a skeleton home?
A. She was curious about it. B. She planned to keep it for fun.
C. She needed it for her school task. D. She intended to scare her parents.
4. Jessica's parents laughed madly at the end of the story probably because ________.
A. they were crazy.
B. they were over excited.
C. they realized their misunderstanding.
D. they both thought they had won the quarrel.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – One of the world’s most famous fossils (化石) – the 3.2 million-year-old Lucy skeleton (骨骼) unearthed in Ethiopia in 1974 – will go on an exhibition tour abroad for the first time in the United States, officials said Tuesday.
Even the Ethiopian public has only seen Lucy twice. The Lucy on exhibition at the Ethiopian National Museum in the capital, Addis Ababa, is a replica while the real remains are usually locked in a secret storeroom. A team from the Museum of National Science in Houston, Texas, spent four years discussing with the Ethiopians for the U.S. tour, which will start in Houston next September.
“Ethiopia’s rich culture of both the past and today, is one of the best kept secrets in the world,” said Joel Bartsch, director of the Houston museum.
The six-year tour will also go to Washington, New York, Denver and Chicago. Officials said six other U.S. cities may be on the tour. But they said plans had not been worked out.
Travelling with Lucy will be 190 other fossils.
Lucy, her name taken from a Beatles song that played in a camp the night of her discovery, is part of the skeleton of what was once a 3.5-foot-tall ape-man (猿人).
1.The author writes this text mainly to .
A. introduce a few U.S. museums B. report a coming event
C. discuss the value of an ape-man D. describe some research work
2.What does the words “a replica” in Paragraph 2 refer to?
A. A copy of the skeleton. B. A photograph of Lucy
C. A painting of the skeleton. D. A written record of Lucy.
3.How many cities has Lucy’s U.S. tour plan already included?
A. Eleven. B. Six. C. Five. D. Four.
4.What was the skeleton named after?
A. An ape-man. B. A camp. C. A singer. D. A song.
高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Charlton Heston was born in 1923 in Evanston, Illinois. Charlton Heston discovered his interest in acting while performing in plays at his high school. He later spent two years studying theater at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. But he left college to join the Army Air Forces during World War Two.
After the war, he found small roles in the theater as well as in television shows. His performance in a television version of the book Jane Eyre caught the attention of the Hollywood producer Cecil B. De Mille who later asked Heston to play the role of Moses in his movie The Ten Commandments which came out in 1956.This role made Heston famous and defined(明确) his career as a hero and leader. His face and body represented strength and heroism in many different roles. He played cowboys, soldiers and athletes.
The 1959 movie Ben Hur made Charlton Heston an even bigger star. Ben Hur won eleven Academy Awards, including Best Actor for Charlton Heston. Heston starred in many adventure movies during the 1960s. In the 1970s, Heston appeared in popular disaster movies like Earthquake, Skyjacked and Airport 1975.
Charlton Heston was also very active in the movie industry. He worked to help set up the American Film Institute. In 1977 he was honored for his service in the industry. He received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In 1997 he was awarded a Kennedy Center Honor. And, in 2003, President Bush gave Charlton Heston a Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
In 2000, Charlton Heston issued a statement announcing that he had an Alzheimer’s disease. He died in 2008 at his home in Beverly Hills, California.
1.What kind of role did Charlton Heston often play in films?
A. Heroes. B. Cowboys. C. Soldiers. D. Athletes.
2.Which film won Best Actor for Charlton Heston?
A. Jane Eyre. B. Earthquake.
C. Ben Hur. D. The Ten Commandments.
3.What can we learn about Charlton Heston according to the passage?
A. He began to show his talent in Ben Hur.
B. He used to be a soldier.
C. He was once awarded by Kennedy.
D. He won eleven Academy Awards.
4.What’s the main idea of Paragraph 2?
A. How Charlton Heston became famous.
B. How Charlton Heston began his career.
C. Who made Charlton Heston a popular star.
D. Who made Charlton Heston win so many awards.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Published in 1974,the book was a(n) _____ success and was soon translated into thirteen foreign lanuages.
A．constant B．instant C．confident D．innocent
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Published in 1974，the book was a(n) ________ success and was soon translated into thirteen foreign languages.
A. constant B. instant C. unique D. accurate
高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
Easter Island, which was almost uninhabited when it was discovered on Easter Day in 1722 by a Dutch captain, is covered with hundreds of giant statues, each ______ several tons.
A. weighing B. weighs
C. weighed D. to weigh
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析