A genetic variant(基因变体) that allows people to...

A genetic variant(基因变体) that allows people to feel fully rested with fewer than six hours sleep a night has been found. It is the second such finding in recent months.

Ying-Hui Fu at the University of California, San Francisco, and her colleagues have been seeking out genetic variants responsible for short sleep and genetically engineering these variants into mice to confirm their effect. In August. the team found a variant in a gene called ADRB1, which allows 12 members of a family to sleep 4.5 hours per night without feeling tired.

Now the team has found a variant in a gene called NPSR1 in another family, in which one sleeps averaged 5.5 hours a night and the other just 4.3 hours, feeling fully rested. Another variant in NPSR1 has previously been linked to people requiring 20 minutes less sleep than average, based on studies of tens of thousands of people.

Generally, long-term lack of sleep can contribute to many disorders, including obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and depression. As far as Fu’s team has been able to tell, however, people who sleep less with one of these gene variants are healthy and don’t appear to suffer any ill effects. However, to be absolutely sure would require long-term studies involving large numbers of people, which is not feasible(可行的).

It might be possible to develop drugs that mimic the effects of these variants. However, as NPSR1 is also involved in processes such as stress, anxiety and fear, there is a risk of serious side effects.

1.What did Fu’s team do to confirm the variants effect?

A.Observed blood pressure change.

B.Tested genetic variants on mice.

C.Sorted the effects of different genes.

D.Studied those sleeping less than average.

2.What can we learn about Fu’s team?

A.They are researching variants controlling sleep.

B.They study NPRS1 in a family of 12 members.

C.They have developed drugs to test normal people.

D.They will discover more variants in a week.

3.What does the word “mimic”in the last paragraph mean?

A.Reproduce. B.Compare. C.Avoid. D.Reduce.

4.Where does the text probably come from?

A.A news report. B.A health magazine.

C.A research paper. D.A biology textbook.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

阅读理解。

One in five people carry a “smart gene” variant(变体)linked to long lifespan,bigger forebrains and enhanced mental ability,researchers have found.

“We’ve known for a long time that people lose cognitive(认知) abilities as they age,but now we’re beginning to understand that factors like KLOTHO can give people a boost in aging.Genetic variation in KLOTHO could help us predict brain health and find ways to protect people from the diseases that happen to us as we grow old,like Alzheimer’s disease(老年痴呆症),” said senior author,Dena Dubal of University of California.

The KLOTHO gene affects a protein found in the kidneys and the brain that regulates many different body processes.About one in five people carry a single copy of the variant,known as KL-VS,which boosts levels of the protein and is associated with a longer lifespan and improved heart and kidney function.A small minority,3% of the population,has two copies,which is linked to a shorter lifespan.

In the new study scientists scanned the brains of 422 men and women aged 53 and over who were also tested for the KLOTHO gene.They found that participants with a single copy of the gene variant also had a larger brain region known as RDLPFC,which is especially likely to shrink with age.Loss of neurons in this area may be one reason why older people are sometimes easily distracted and find it difficult to do more than one task at the same time.

Researcher Dr Jennifer Yokoyama said,“The brain region enhanced by genetic variation in KLOTHO is vulnerable(脆弱的)in aging and some mental disease.In this case,bigger size means better function.It will be important to determine whether the structure increase associated with carrying one copy of KL-VS can offset the cognitive(认知的)shortage caused by disease.”

People who have one copy of a variant KL-VS tend to live longer and have lower chances of suffering a stroke(中风),whereas people who have two copies may live shorter lives and have a higher risk of stroke.

1.What can we learn from the second paragraph?

A.People’s cognitive abilities do not decline if people have KLOTHO.

B.With the clear understanding of KLOTHO,Alzheimer’s disease can be cured now.

C.Genetic variation in KLOTHO could be helpful in treating mental disease in elderly people.

D.Genetic variation in KLOTHO could lead people to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease.

2.If a person carries two copies of the gene variant,he/she may 　　 .

A.have better kidney function

B.have a shorter lifespan

C.have a higher level of the protein in his/her body

D.suffer from some cognitive disease

3.The reason why older people’s attention is easily distracted may be that 　　 .

A.they have fewer neurons in the RDLPEC

B.their brain region is too large

C.they have two copies of the gene variant

D.they have more neurons in the RDLPEC

4.What does the underlined word “offset” in Paragraph 5 probably mean?

A.Prevent. 　　　　　　 B.Balance.

C.Keep.　　　　　　　　 D.Promote.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Dogs can tell how other dogs are feeling from the way their tails are wagging (摇摆), according to researchers who monitored the animals’ heart rate as they watched dogs’ movies. The Italian team found that dogs had higher heart rates and became more anxious when they saw others wag their tails more to the left, but not when they wagged more to the right, or failed to wag at all.

The curious form of communication is probably not intentional, or consciously understood, but is instead an automatic behavior that arises from the structure of the brain, said Giorgio. “It’s not something they clearly and exactly understand,” Giorgio told The Guardian. “It’s just something that happens to them.”

Giorgio traces the effect back to the way the two halves of the brain process different experiences. In a previous study, his team showed that when a dog had a positive experience, activity rose in the left side of the brain, bringing about more tail wagging to the right. Or else more tail wagging to the left. The effect is barely visible to the human eye because dogs tend to wag their tails too fast, but it can be seen with slow motion video, or in some larger types.

In the latest study, the researchers wanted to find out whether the direction of tail wagging had any effect on other dogs. To get an answer, they fitted dogs with vests that recorded their heart rates, and played them movies of other dogs wagging their tails one way and then the other. To ensure the dogs reacted only to tail wagging, and not appearance, they repeated the experiment with dogs that appeared only as shadows.

“When dogs saw other dogs wagging their tails to the right, there was quite a relaxed reaction and no evidence of an increased heart rate. But when the wagging was to the left we saw an increase in heart rate and a series of behaviors typically associated with stress, anxiety and being more watchful,” Giorgio said. The anxious animals held their ears up, breathed, and kept their eyes wide open. The study appears in the latest issue of Current Biology.

1.What does the text focus on?

A.Animal protection. B.Animal psychology.

C.Animal tests. D.Animal welfare.

2.What leads to dogs’ wagging tail to the left or right according to Giorgio?

A.Their automatic behavior. B.Their conscious response.

C.Their increasing heart rate. D.Their selective preference.

3.At what time do dogs have more tail wagging to the right?

A.When they run quickly. B.When they feel hungry.

C.When they feel stressed. D.When they play with their owners.

4.What can we learn from the text?

A.Giorgio did the research on his own.

B.The effect of dog’s wagging tails can be seen by human eyes.

C.A dog keeping his eyes wide open may show he is nervous or worried.

D.The findings of the study will help with wildlife protection.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

My father left me with the feeling that I had to live for two people, and that if I did it well enough, 　　　I could make up for the life he should have had.

A. besides　　 B. therefore

C. somehow　　 D. otherwise

高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

Sitting is art that isn’t getting passed along. People these days feel as though they have to be doing something. If they are not working, they are jogging, or playing tennis or golf, or taking courses to improve their minds or bodies –or they are parked in front of the TV. Sitting in front of the TV isn’t sitting – it’s watching.

People used to sit a lot. You would walk down the street or drive down the road, and there they would be, out on the doorsteps, sitting. You could go down to the store and sit on the bench out front in the summer or around the fire in the winter. There were sitting benches out in the town square. At the garage, there were straight-backed chairs. There among the oilcans and tries and spare parts, you could kick back and sit.

Houses used to have sitting rooms, where the grown ups would go after Sunday dinner. Mom and Dad, Grandpa and Aunt Ruby would sit and digest (消化) the fried chicken and talk about Aunt Ethel’s illness, and how well the minister did today. Outside, the children would play, and the afternoon would pass by in a comfortable haze (悠闲的氛围).

That sort of thing looks like doing nothing. A recharging battery (正在充电的电池) doesn’t look as if it’s doing anything either. Sitting restores your soul if you want to enjoy a truly full life, don’t just do something –sit there.

1.What message does the author try to get through to us ?

2.We can learn from the second paragraph that  _____________

3.The sitting room mentioned in the text used to be a place for______________.

4. From the text we know the writer believes_______________

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Sitting is an art that isn't getting passed along. People these days feel as though they have to be doing something. If they are not working, they are jogging, or playing tennis or golf to guard against illnesses, or taking courses to improve their minds or bodies -- or they are parked in front of the TV. Sitting in front of the TV isn't sitting -- it's watching.

People used to sit a whole lot. You would walk down the street or drive down the road, and there they would be, out on the doorsteps, sitting. You could go to the grocery to buy some garlic or some fruits and vegetables and sit on the bench out front m the summer or around the fire in the winter. You could go down to the store to buy an outer garment, an electric grill or anything else. There were sitting benches out in the town square. At the garage, there were straight-backed chairs. There among the oilcans and tires and spare parts, you could kick back and sit.

Houses used to have sitting rooms, where the grown-ups would go after Sunday dinner. Mom and Dad, Grandpa and Aunt Ruby would gather round, sit and digest (消化) the fried chicken and talk about Aunt Ethel’s illness, and how well the minister did today. They may just talk a load of garbage and even gesture with their hands when they become excited. Outside, the younger generation, the children would play on the ground, and the afternoon would pass by in a comfortable haze（ 悠闲的氛围).

That sort of thing looks like doing nothing. A recharging battery (正充电的电池) doesn't look as if it's doing anything either. Sitting restores your soul. If you want to enjoy a truly full life, don't just do something--sit there.

1.What message does the author try to get through to us?

A. People should make better use of their sitting room.

B. People should spend less time watching TV.

C. People should pass down their good habits.

D. People should take things easy for their own good.

2.We can learn from the second paragraph that__________.

A. people lived a more restful life in the past

B. towns were built to make living convenient

C. small town garages had a lot to offer

D. people enjoyed going out for a drive

3.The sitting room mentioned in the text used to be a place for___________.

A. eating food　　 B. watching TV

C. gathering together　　 D. playing with children

4.From the text we know the writer believes____________.

A. sitting has a good spiritual effect

B. sitting helps people remember the past

C. a sitting room may have different purposes

D. a sitting room is important for the old

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

It’s _____ good feeling for people to admire this great work that gives them ______ pleasure

A．/ ; a              B．a; /              C．the ; a            D．a ; the

高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

Some people bring out the best in you in a way that you might never have fully realized on your own. My mom was one of those people.

My father died when I was nine months old, making my mom a single mother at the age of eighteen. While I was growing up, we lived a very hard life.

We had little money, but my mom gave me a lot of love. Each night, she sat me on her lap and spoke the words that would change my life, “Kemmons, you are certain to be a great man and you can do anything in life if you work hard enough to get it.”

At fourteen, I was hit by a car and the doctors said I would never walk again. Every day,my mother spoke to me in her gentle,loving voice, telling me that no matter what those doctors said, I would walk again if I want to badly enough. She drove that message so deep into my heart that I finally believed her.A year I returned to school—walking on my own !

When the Great Depression(大萧条)hit, my mom lost her job. Then I left school to support the both of us. At that moment, I was determined never to be poor again.

Over the years, I experienced various levels of business success. But the real turning point occurred on a vacation I took with my wife and five kids in1951. I was dissatisfied with the second-class hotels available for families and was angry that they charged an extra $2 for each child. That was too expensive for the average American family. I told my wife that I was going to open a motel(汽车旅馆)for families that would never charge extra for children. There were plenty of doubters at that time.

Not surprisingly, Mom was one of my strongest supporters. She worked behind the desk and even designed the room style. As in any business,we experienced a lot of challenges. But with my mother’s words deeply rooted in my soul, I never doubted we would succeed.Fifteen years later,we had the largest hotel system in the world—Holiday Inn. In 1979 my company had 1759 inns in more than fifty countries with an income of $1billion a year.

You may not have started out life in the best situations. But if you can find a task in life worth working for and believe in yourself, nothing can stop you.

1.What Kemmons’mom often told him during his childhood was______

A．caring            B．moving           C．encouraging       D．interesting

2.According to the author, who played the most role in making him walk back to school again?

A．Doctors           B．Nurses            C．Friends           D．Mom

3.What caused Kemmons to start a motel by himself?

A．His terrible experience in the hotel

B．His previous business success of various levels

C．His mom’s support

D．His wife’s suggestion

4.Which of the following best describles Kemmons’s mother?

A．Modest,helpful and hard—working

B．loving, supportive and strong—willed(有坚强意志的)

C．careful, helpful and beautiful

D．strict, sensitive and supportive.

5.Which of the following led to Kemmons’ success according to the passage?

A．Self-cofidence, hard work, higher education and a poor family

B．Mom’s encouragement, clear goals. Self—confidence and hard work

C．Clear goals,mom’s encouragemen, a poor family and higher education.

D．Mom’s encouragement, a poor family, higher education and opportunities

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Some people bring out the best in you in a way that you might never have fully realized on your own．My mom was one of those people．

My father died when I was nine months old，making my mom a single mother at the age of eighteen．While I was growing up，we lived a very hard life．We had little money，but my mom gave me a lot of love．Each night，she sat me on her lap and spoke the words that would change my life，“Kemmons，you are certain to be a great man and you can do anything in life if you work hard enough to get it．”

At fourteen，I was hit by a car and the doctors said I would never walk again. Every day，my mother spoke to me in her gentle，loving voice，telling me that no matter what those doctors said. I could walk again if I wanted it badly enough．She drove that message so deep into my heart that I finally believed her．A year later，I returned to school--walking on my own．

When the Great Depression(大萧条)hit，my mom lost her job．Then I left school to support the both of us．At that moment，I was determined never to be poor again．

Over the years, I experienced various levels of business Success．But the real turning point occurred on a vocation I took with my wife and five kids in 1951．I was dissatisfied with the second-class hotels available for families and was angry that they charged an extra$2 for each child．That was too expensive for the average American family．I told my wife that I was going to open a motel(汽车旅馆)for families that would never charge extra for children．There were plenty of doubters at that time．

Not surprisingly，mom was one of my strongest supporters．She worked behind the desk and even designed the room style．As in any business，we experienced a lot of challenges．But with my mother’s words deeply rooted in my soul，I never doubted we could succeed．Fifteen years later，we had the largest hotel system in the world—Holiday Inn. In 1979，my company had 1759 inns in more than fifty countries with an income of $ 1 billion a year．

You may not have started out life in the best situations．But if you can find a task in life worth working for and believe in yourself，nothing can stop you．

1.What Kemmons' mom often told him during his childhood was________．

2.What caused Kemmons to start a motel by himself?

3.．Which of the following best describes Kemmoms’ mother?   、

4.Which of the following led to Kemmons’ success according to the passage?

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Some people bring out the best in you in a way that you might never have fully realized on your own. My mom was one of those people.

My father died when I was nine months old, making my mom a single mother at the age of eighteen. While I was growing up, we lived a very hard life. We had little money, but my mom gave me a lot of love. Each night, she sat me on her lap and spoke the words that would change my life, “Kemmons, you are certain to be a great man and you can do anything in life if you work hard enough to get it.”

At fourteen, I was hit by a car and the doctors said I would never walk again. Every day, my mother spoke to me in her gentle, loving voice, telling me that no matter what those doctors said, I could walk again if I wanted to badly enough. She drove that message so deep into my heart that I finally believed her. A year later, I returned to school — walking on my own!

When the Great Depression (大萧条) hit, my mom lost her job. Then I left school to support the both of us. At that moment, I was determined never to be poor again.

Over the years, I experienced various levels of business success. But the real turning point occurred on a vacation I took with my wife and five kids in 1951. I was dissatisfied with the second-class hotels available for families and was angry that they charged an extra $2 for each child. That was too expensive for the average American family. I told my wife that I was going to open a motel (汽车旅馆) for families that would never charge extra for children. There were plenty of doubters at that time.

Not surprisingly, mom was one of my strongest supporters. She worked behind the desk and even designed the room style. As in any business, we experienced a lot of challenges. But with my mother’s words deeply rooted in my soul, I never doubted we would succeed. Fifteen years later, we had the largest hotel system in the world — Holiday Inn. In 1979 my company had 1,759 inns in more than fifty countries with an income of $ 1 billion a year.

You may not have started out life in the best situation. But if you can find a task in life worth working for and believe in yourself, nothing can stop you.

1.What Kemmons’ mom often told him during his childhood was ______.

A．caring            B．moving           C．encouraging       D．interesting

2.According to the author, who played the most important role in making him walk back to school again?

A．Doctors.          B．Nurses.           C．Friends.           D．Mom.

3.What caused Kemmons to start a motel by himself?

A．His terrible experience in the hotel.

B．His previous business success of various levels.

C．His mom’s support.

D．His wife’s suggestion.

4.Which of the following best describes Kemmons’ mother?

A．Modest, helpful, and hard-working.

B．Loving, supportive and strong-willed.

C．Careful, helpful and beautiful.

D．Strict, sensitive and supportive.

5.Which of the following led to Kemmons’ success according to the passage?

A．Self-confidence, hard work, higher education and a poor family.

B．Mom’s encouragement, clear goals, self-confidence and hard work.

C．Clear goals, mom’s encouragement, a poor family and higher education.

D．Mom’s encouragement, a poor family, higher education and opportunities.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析