A recent study confirms that several turtle s...

A recent study confirms that several turtle species(海龟种类) have either greatly dropped or disappeared from various sections of the Australian Murray River. “The problem is that the long life of turtles makes people unable to sense the seriousness of the situation,” says Ricky Spencer, a co-author of the study, which was published in February in Scientific Reports. “It’s human nature that only when something is gone do we start missing it.”

Spencer and his workmates recorded the population of three once common turtle species at 52 sites along the southern areas of the river. The researchers inferred the species’ population sizes from the number of individuals they caught in a given amount of time. They found the turtles have disappeared in places where they were previously rich, and most of the individuals they managed to catch elsewhere were large—and likely old—adults. Spencer and his workmates blame the losses on continuing nest predation(捕食) by foxes, accompanied by other problems, including a worse and worse environment and serious drought(干旱) in the 2000s.

“We have known about the sudden sharp drop of the population of the turtles for tens of years, and although media have covered a lot about the ‘trouble of our rivers’, nothing has been done,” says Rick Shine from Macquarie University in Sydney. “This paper is a wake-up call that unless we begin to do something about turtle protection, we may lose an attractive part of our native creatures.”

The turtles could recover quickly if action is taken to protect nests from foxes and bring back living areas, Spencer notes. But governments tend to respond only when losses reach crisis levels, and the Murray River species currently lack the government’s protection, he says. He and his workmates have a solution, however. “Our next step is to start designing community protection efforts for common turtle species,” he explains, “so people can actually do things without having to wait for the government’s support.”

1.Why are people unaware that turtles are in a very serious situation?

A.The government hasn’t taken action.

B.They know turtles have a long life.

C.Old turtles still have a large population.

D.Media haven’t done any report about it.

2.What is the greatest challenge for turtles according to Spencer’s team?

A.Foxes catch and feed on them. B.The environment is getting worse.

C.The climate is extremely dry. D.Human beings kill them in quantity.

3.Which of the following does Rick Shine agree with?

A.Media have already done their best. B.The study gives people a warning.

C.Turtles are sure to disappear soon. D.Turtle protection is a long process.

4.What do we know from the last paragraph?

A.It’s not possible that turtles can avoid disappearing.

B.The government is taking action against the crisis.

C.Community efforts to protect turtles will start soon.

D.People have to wait for the government’s support.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Sea turtles are one of several species that have temperature-dependent sex determination. The number of female babies increases when nests are made in warmer sands.

A recent study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, California State University and Worldwide Fund for Nature Australia examined two genetically distinct populations of green sea turtles living in the Great Barrier Reef. The study found that a group of about 200,000 turtles living in the northern part of the reef was almost entirely female.

While the southern population was 65 to 69 percent female, females in the northern group accounted for 99.1 percent of young turtles and 86.8 percent of adults.

After combining their results with temperature data, the scientists in charge of the study found that the northern green turtles have been producing mainly females for more than two decades and that the complete feminization(雌性化) of this population is possible in the near future.

The temperature at which the turtles will produce male or female babies can be passed on to the turtles' children. Most sea turtle populations are now producing offspring above the most suitable temperature, making it clear that climate change causes a serious threat to the survival of these populations.

The chief executive Of World Wildlife Fund Australia, Dermot O'Gorman, said this is another sign of the impact of climate change, following recent research that shows that coral bleaching (珊瑚白化) events are occurring far more frequently than in the past.

“We've had two years where we've had mass bleaching events on the Great Barrier Reef,” he told Guardian Australia. “That's a very visible sign of the impact of climate change. But this is a quiet change. We can't see the impact it's having on a turtle population until a study like this shows some long-term trends.”

The lead author of the paper, Dr Michael Jensen, said the findings represent a major environmental conservation issue.

O'Gorman said more urgent action on climate change is clearly needed, adding that some conservationists have already taken practical measures, such as using shade cloth on turtle nesting beaches to lower the sand temperature, and reducing bycatch(误捕) in the fishing industry.

"Shade cloth can be used in certain places, but there's a limit to the scale you can do that, " he said. "Now every large male who can reproduce is going to be even more important.

1.According to the research on Great Barrier Reef's green sea turtles, __________.

A.about 65 to 69 percent of northern turtles are female

B.86.8 percent of southern turtles have grown up to adults

C.the feminization of green sea turtles could become worse

D.adult green Sea turtles can change their sex in warmer places

2.Why did O'Gorman mention coral bleaching?

A.To suggest that climate change poses more risks to coral than turtles.

B.To compare the living environments of turtles and coral.

C.To urge people to take practical measures to fight climate change.

D.To stress this discovery about green sea turtles is very valuable.

3.Conservationists are taking action to __________.

A.keep the sea turtles' nests cool

B.stop the illegal fishing of green sea turtles

C.expand the size of the green sea turtles' nesting places

D.build special nests for turtles to produce offspring

4.Which would be the best title for the article?

A.How climate change affects ocean creatures

B.Invisible change caused by global warming exposed

C.Necessity of protecting green sea turtles and their habitat

D.Global green sea turtle populations in greater danger

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

For hundreds of millions of years, turtles (海龟) have struggled out of the sea to lay their eggs on sandy beaches, long before there were nature documentaries to celebrate them, or GPS satellites and marine biologists to track them, or volunteers to hand-carry the hatchlings (幼龟) down to the water’s edge lest (for fear that) they become disoriented by headlights and crawl towards a motel parking lot instead. A formidable wall of bureaucracy has been erected to protect their prime nesting on the Atlantic coastlines. With all that attention paid to them, you’d think these creatures would at least have the gratitude not to go extinct (die out).

But Nature is indifferent to human notions of fairness, and a report by the Fish and Wildlife Service showed a worrisome drop in the populations of several species of North Atlantic turtles, notably loggerheads, which can grow to as much as 400 pounds. The South Florida nesting population, the largest, has declined by 50% in the last decade, according to Elizabeth Griffin, a marine biologist with the environmental group Oceana. The figures prompted Oceana to petition the government to upgrade the level of protection for the North Atlantic loggerheads from “threatened” to “endangered”— meaning they are in danger of disappearing without additional help.

Which raises the obvious question: what else do these turtles want from us, anyway? It turns out, according to Griffin, that while we have done a good job of protecting the turtles for the weeks they spend on land (as egg-laying females, as eggs and as hatchlings), we have neglected the years spend in the ocean. “The threat is from commercial fishing,” says Griffin. Trawlers (which drag large nets through the water and along the ocean floor) and longline fishers (which can deploy thousands of hooks on lines that can stretch for miles) take a heavy toll on turtles.

Of course, like every other environmental issue today, this is playing out against the background of global warming and human interference with natural ecosystems. The narrow strips of beach on which the turtles lay their eggs are being squeezed on one side by development and on the other by the threat of rising sea levels as the oceans warm. Ultimately we must get a handle on those issues as well, or a creature that outlived the dinosaurs (恐龙) will meet its end at the hands of humans, leaving our descendants to wonder how creature so ugly could have won so much affection.

1.We can learn from the first paragraph that ________.

A．human activities have changed the way turtles survive

B．efforts have been made to protect turtles from dying out

C．government bureaucracy has contributed to turtles’ extinction

D．marine biologists are looking for the secret of turtles’ reproduction

2.What does the author mean by “Nature is indifferent to human notions of fairness” (Line 1, Para. 2)?

A．Nature is quite fair regarding the survival of turtles.

B．Turtles are by nature indifferent to human activities.

C．The course of nature will not be changed by human interference.

D．The turtle population has decreased in spite of human protection.

3.What constitutes a major threat to the survival of turtles according to Elizabeth Griffin?

A．Their inadequate food supply.

B．Unregulated commercial fishing.

C．Their lower reproductively ability.

D．Contamination(pollution) of sea water

4.How does global warming affect the survival of turtles?

A．It threatens the sandy beaches on which they lay eggs.

B．The changing climate makes it difficult for their eggs to hatch.

C．The rising sea levels make it harder for their hatchlings to grow.

D．It takes them longer to adapt to the high beach temperature.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

He is a real turtle（海龟）.

Someone who always moves very slowly.

She is such a sheep.

A follower; someone who can’t think for him or herself.

He’s being an ostrich（鸵鸟）.

Someone who hides his/her head in the sand and refuses to face problems or reality.

He’s a lamb.

A gentle, patient, understanding person. Nice and considerate.

What a crab（蟹） he is!

A grouchy（发牢骚的） person; someone who is often angry and in a bad mood.

1.In which of the following situations are the people acting like sheep?

A. A teenager tells a small child to stop bothering an animal.

B. A young man is driving fast because all his friends do.

C. Someone runs for monitor of the senior class in the school.

D. People are walking and singing together along the road.

2.If a person is like a turtle, which of these is most likely to be a problem to him or her?

A. Keeping the house clean.               B. Learning a new language.

C. Getting to school on time.               D. Saving money for future use.

3.Buddy hates to wake up on Monday morning. He doesn’t speak to his wife or children, and he often shouts at the other drivers on his way to work. Everybody stays out of his way at least until noon time. After that he’s all right. Buddy’s boss says, “ Buddy is a good guy, but on Monday morning, he’s an absolute _________.”

A. crab                         B. lamb                        C. turtle                                D. ostrich

4.Jerry has not been well for weeks. He knows he has a problem but he is afraid to see a doctor .If he is sick, he doesn’t want to know about it. His wife says, “ Jerry, don’t be a(n) __________. Go to the doctor. She can help you get of your illness.

A. crab                         B. lamb                        C. sheep                               D. ostrich

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

——I let my secretary call you several times. Do you know that?

——I _____in a meeting. I’m sorry.

A. had been       B. was               C. am           D. have been

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Intense physical exercise is not the only way to better health. Studies show that walking several times a week can lower risk of many diseases. They include heart disease, stroke, diabetes, bone loss, arthritis (关节炎), and depression. Walking also can help you lose weight.

Fast walking is good for the heart. It lowers the blood pressure. It raises the amount of good cholesterol（胆固醇）in the blood. Researchers say walking can sharply reduce the risk of suffering a heart attack.

Studies have also shown that walking for 30 minutes a day can delay and possibly prevent the development of diabetes. People who are overweight have an especially high risk to develop this disease.

Walking strengthens the muscles and builds up the bones that they are attached to. Studies show that walking could decrease the risk of developing osteoporosis （骨质疏松症）. Walking can also help ease the pain of arthritis in areas where bones are joined. This is because walking strengthens the muscles around the bones.

Experts say walking is one of the safest ways to exercise. There is a low risk of injuries. So it is good for people who are starting an exercise program for the first time and for older people.

A walking program is easy to start. You should wear loose clothes and good shoes. There are shoes that are designed especially for lots of walking.

How fast should you walk? For the best effect, doctors say you should walk fast enough to cause you to breathe hard. Yet you should still be able to talk. Let your arms move freely while you walk.

There are no rules to starting a walking program. You might walk short distances. Or you might walk up hills to strengthen your leg muscles. Health experts say you can gain the most from a walking program if you walk at about five kilogmeters an hour for 30 minutes a day. You should do this about five times a week.

高二英语填空题简单题查看答案及解析

A recent study conducted by researchers from Canada's Wilfrid Laurier University found that the snakes actively seek out socialization with their peers （同伴），but also they are extremely particular about who they spend time with. However, snakes used to be thought of as solitary animals. They are seldom seen hanging out in groups.

A team of researchers led by Morgan Skinner and Dr. Noam Miller selected 40 non-poisonous garter snakes （袜带蛇）. Ten were purchased from a snake keeper and the rest were caught in the wild. After marking each snake with a spot of color to allow for easy identification, the researchers placed ten snakes inside each of the four plastic shelters.

Skinner photographed each snake group twice a day before removing them from their shelters. After cleaning the areas thoroughly to rid them of any familiar smells, the reptiles were rearranged into different groups, and returned to the enclosure. A camera fixed over the shelters allowed the scientists to track the animals' movements for a total of eight days.

When Skinner and Miller analyzed the images, they found that regardless of where they were placed, the snakes always slipped back to their origin al "friends" forming groups of three or eight inside the small shelters. “They can tell others apart,” Miller said.

Gordon Burghardt, a biologist, says, "The study should help convince people that snakes have more social intelligence than most of us realize."

Miller believes the research could help with snake protection efforts. Endangered snake species relocated to safer habitats often leave these areas. Now, conservationists may be able to avoid that by transferring entire snake groups to the new location. Alternatively, they could also spray （喷洒）the new habitat with the species' smells to make transplants feel at “home."

1.What does the underlined word "solitary" mean in paragraph 1?

A.Causing fear. B.Existing only in small numbers.

C.Causing death or illness. D.Enjoying being alone.

2.What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A.The findings can contribute to snake conservation.

B.Snakes like to spray smells on the trees.

C.Snakes are easy to adapt to new locations.

D.Snakes tend to stay in safer habitats.

3.Which of the following proverbs can be used to describe the findings?

A.Barking dogs don't bite. B.The early bird catches worms.

C.Things of one kind come together. D.A friend in need is a friend in deed.

4.In which section of a newspaper may this text appear?

A.Entertainment. B.Science.

C.Education. D.Health.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

A recent study on parents who beat their children indicated that physical punishment still occurs far more frequently than previously thought but that physical punishment was ineffective. Given that 73 percent of the children who were hit waited less than 10 minutes before acting out again.

So, what is?

Many parents deal with their children’s mistakes by taking away toys and separating them from their playmates. But for strong-willed kids like I was, none of these methods were effective.

Like many kids, I wasn’t bad; I was bored. Fortunately, my father realized this fairly early on and developed a new form of “discipline” that produced immediate results and long-term positive effects.

Looking back as an adult, my father’s method of making me read the encyclopedia (百科全书)whenever I did something wrong was the best thing he could have done.

He would tell me a topic and say, “Learn about the aardvark and I’m going to quiz you shortly after.” It was punishment in the sense that I was forced to stop whatever I was doing, but it also had a purpose in that it kept my mind occupied and presented the type of mental challenge I clearly lacked.

Although unwillingly, I went to learn absolutely everything there was to know about aardvarks because I was going to figure out every question he could throw at me. If it weren’t for my driving need to prove him wrong, it may not have worked as well as it did.

So that’s just it: It was effective. It helped me change my behavior in that moment and it conditioned me to seek out books when I was bored. Obviously, that happened frequently and apparently and it worked. I grew up to become a successful lawyer and a famous writer as well.

To this day, Dad’s the only one who can beat me.

1.What is the probable main idea of Paragraph 1?

A. It reports the result of a recent study about the encyclopedia.

B. Physical punishment is useless to deal with children.

C. Physical punishment only occurred previously.

D. 73 percent of the children love physical punishment.

2.Why do many kids frequently do what they’re not allowed to do according to

the author?

A. Because they produce immediate results and long-term positive effects.

B. Because they prefer to break the “discipline” set by their parents.

C. Because they are always regarded as bad kids both at home.

D. Because they often find it’s dull in their everyday life.

3.What was the author’s father method of punishing him for his mistakes?

A. His father angrily took away his favourite toys.

B. His father separated him from his playmates.

C. His father forced him to do some reading and tested him later.

D. His father ordered him to learn about the aardvark and quizzed him shortly after.

4.What can be inferred from this passage?

A. Children who are mentally challenged are more likely to be successful.

B. Parents ought to develop a new form of discipline to educate their kids.

C. It’s absolutely necessary to punish strong-willed kids physically.

D. The stricter parents are, the few mistakes children will make.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Recent studies show that many young people in the United States never finish high school．Some researchers say about fifteen to twenty percent of public school students do not complete their education．But many other experts and policymakers believe that for the past twenty years，the dropout rate has been around thirty percent．For Latino and black students，the numbers are even higher．Researchers say almost half of them leave schoo1．At the same time，almost half the states let students leave school before the age of eighteen without letting their parents know．

Finding a good job without a high school education is _________．A recent study found that almost half of all dropouts aged sixteen to twenty—four did not have a job．The lack of high school education can also lead to other problems．An estimated two—thirds of prisoners in the United States dropped out of high schoo1．

The main reason why many students drop out of school is that they are failing．Many are bored with their classes or feel disconnected from their school and teachers．Some students feel that educators place low expectations on them．

There have been efforts to increase graduation rates through education reforms during the past twenty years．Some communities are working on dropout prevention programs．These include alternative (其他的) high schools to meet special needs．In addition，experts suggest “early warning systems’’ to help identify young school children at the risk of dropping out of high schoo1．They say schools should also keep regular contact with parents，especially if their children are missing school often．

1.What is the best title of the passage? (Please answer within 10 words．)

________

2.Which sentence in the passage can be replaced by the following one?

Many students feel tired of their classes or don’t feel connected with their school and teachers．

3.Please fill in the blank in Paragraph 2 with proper words or phrases to complete the sentence．(Please answer within 10 words．)

4.What do you think is the most important reason for the high dropout rate in the high school?(Please answer within 30 words．)

5.Translate the underlined sentence in the last paragraph into Chinese．

________

高二英语其他题中等难度题查看答案及解析

A recent university study found that current electric cars could be used for 87% of daily car journeys in the US. That figure could rise to 98% by 2020.

One hurdle to the widespread adoption of electric cars has been “range anxiety” ---drivers’ concerns about running out of petrol on a journey. While petrol stations are conveniently located across national road systems, the necessary network of electric charging stations is still being developed. In fact, charging points are becoming increasingly common throughout the USA.

Attitudes towards electric vehicles have changed quite considerably over the last few years. Not that long ago, electric cars met with doubt, and their high price drove customers away. Thanks to improvements in battery capacity(电池容量), recharging times, performance and price, the current generation of electric cars is starting to persuade critics.

As well as progress on the road, electric vehicles are taking to the sea and sky. Electric boats are among the oldest electric vehicles, having enjoyed several decades of popularity from the late 19th to the early 20th century before petrol-powered outboard motors took over. Now, the global drive for renewable energy sources is bringing electric boats back. Steps towards electric planes are also being made, with Airbus and NASA among the organizations developing and testing battery-powered planes. The experiments could soon make electric flight a reality.

Electric vehicles do not produce any emissions(排放物). Were the US to act on the study’s findings and replace 87 percent of its cars with electric vehicles, it would reduce the national demand for petrol by 61 per cent. However, because of the production processes and the generation of electricity required to charge these vehicles, they cannot claim to be completely emission-free. Even so, as many countries continue to increase their use of renewable energy sources, electric vehicles will become even cleaner.

1.The underlined word “hurdle” refers to ________.

A. limit　　 B. step

C. result　　 D. aim

2.Why were not the electric cars popular with many people in the past?

A. They were not widely improved.

B. They were very poorly made.

C. They were not good value.

D. They couldn’t travel at a high speed.

3.What is the purpose of Paragraph 4?

A. To show why more people have interest in electric cars.

B. To describe different ways electric vehicles can be used.

C. To introduce the history of electric vehicles

D. To explain why the world needs more electric cars.

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

A. Driving into the Future　　 B. Problems with Petrol Cars

C. My Dream Car　　 D. History of Electric Cars

高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析