In 2016, a team of Japanese scientists found ...

In 2016, a team of Japanese scientists found bacteria capable of breaking down and “eating” one of the world’s most popular plastics-polyethylene terephthalate(PET). It was valued as a potential breakthrough at the time. But a new discovery came as a team of British scientists examined an enzyme(酶) produced by the Japanese bacteria to find out more about its structure. While operating the structure to better understand how it worked, they accidentally created the changed enzyme that’s even more efficient at breaking down plastic bottles.

The researchers are now working to further improve the enzyme so it can be used on an industrial scale. It’s possible that within the next few years there could be an industrially possible process for turning PET into other substances so it can be recycled.

The ability to scale up the process will be important. Plastic pollution is fast becoming one of the biggest environmental issues of our time. More than 1 million plastic bottles are bought around the world every minute. Most of these bottles are made from PET，which can take up to00 years to biodegrade(生物降解), and many are left in the oceans. Over half of global PET waste is not collected for recycling and only 7 percent of bottles are recycled into new bottles.

Some scientists say the breakthrough, though promising, is nowhere near enough to solve our pollution crisis. These enzymes are not abundantly present in nature. So you would need to produce the enzyme first, then add it to the PET plastic to degrade it.”This is likely to be a slow process. If you have gone through the trouble of collecting the PET waste, then there are clearly far better ways to recycle it or burn it for energy,” said Wim, head of the Industrial Biotechnology Center. He suggested the use of commercially available biodegradable bioplastics would still be a better bet.

1.What unexpected discovery did the British scientists make?

A. An effective way to deal with plastic waste.

B. A potential solution in collecting PET waste.

C. The way to understand the structure of enzyme better.

D. The real value of the discovery by Japanese scientists.

2.What does the underlined phrase “the process” in Paragraph 3 actually refer to?

A. The process to find the enzyme.

B. The process to make more plastics.

C. The process to reduce the PET waste.

D. The process to produce kind of new PET.

3.What is the problem about recycling the PET waste?

A. Large quantities of plastic bottles are used.

B. Ocean plastic waste is harder to biodegrade

C. Most of the PET waste is left without treatment.

D. Most of the plastic products are made from PET.

4.What can be concluded from the last paragraph?

A. The enzyme does not exist in nature.

B. The enzyme has helped to solve the plastic problems.

C. Burning plastic waste for energy is now the best way to rid it.

D. We have a long way to go to use the enzyme to recycle PET waste.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

A team of American scientists has found a treatment to protect humans from the deadly H5N1 flu virus, ________ brings great ________ to the world.

A. that; appearance      B. which; relief        C. which; advantage     D. that; profit

高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

An international team of researchers from the University of Oxford have found that the way people use the Internet is closely tied to the seasonal movements in the natural world. Their online species searches follow the patterns of seasonal animal migrations (迁徙).

Migratory birds ( 候 鸟 ) flood back to where they reproduce every spring. That migratory behavior is accompanied by some human behavior. “In English-language Wikipedia ( 维基百科), the online searches for migratory species tend to increase in spring when those birds arrive in the United States,” said the lead author John Mittermeier.

And not just birds. Mittermeier and his team surveyed nearly 2.5 billion Wikipedia search records, for 32,000 species, across 245 languages. They also saw variable search rates for insects, horsetails and flowering plants. Seasonal trends seemed to be widespread in Wikipedia behavior for many species of plants and animals.

This finding suggests new ways to monitor changes in the world’s biological diversity. It also shows new ways to see how much people care about nature, and which species and areas might be the most effective targets for conservation.

Mittermeier is encouraged by the search results. He commented, “I think there’s a concern among conservationists (生态环境保护者) that people are losing touch with the natural world and that they’re not interacting with native species anymore. And so in that sense, it was really exciting and quite unexpected for me to see people’s Wikipedia interest closely related to changes in nature.” Richard Grenyer, Associate Professor from the University of Oxford, says search data is useful to conservation biologists, “By using these big data approaches, we can direct our attention towards the difficult questions in modern conservation: which species and areas are changing, and where are the people who care the most and can do the most to help.”

1.What have researchers found about species searches?

A.They strengthen ties among people. B.They affect the animal movements.

C.They reflect animal migration seasons. D.They differ in language backgrounds.

2.What is the purpose of writing Paragraph 3?

A.To further support the research findings.

B.To show the variety of species searches.

C.To summarize the research process.

D.To present researchers’ heavy work load.

3.How does Mittermeier feel about the search results?

A.Sad about people’s not getting close to nature.

B.Worried about Wikipedia behavior.

C.Amazed at people’s care about nature.

D.Satisfied with Wikipedia’s service.

4.From which is the text probably taken?

A.A scientific magazine. B.A biology textbook.

C.A biography. D.A travel brochure .

高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

The operation room in every hospital has to ______ bacteria of any kind.

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

The most famous animal said to be capable of counting was a horse in Germany at the beginning of the 19th century called Clever Hans. The horse’s owner　　 that animals could think and reason as we can and that this　　 could come from training them. He trained Clever Hans to give the　 　 to arithmetic (算术的) problems; the horse gave the correct answer by　　 the right number of times with its forefoot. The animal gave the correct answers not only to additions but to other arithmetic, too. It also gave the right answers when the questions were shown to it on a card.

This　　 was talked about so much that scientists studied the horse’s　 　 　 . The committee, after a(n)　　 study, found that Clever Hans’ owner and trainer was　　 . He had not deliberately trained his horse to stop tapping by giving it a slight　　 . Members of the committee got the right answers from Hans　　 when the owner wasn’t there,　　 that this type of trickery (诡计) hadn’t happened.

It looked as if the horse really could think and　　 . But soon after this another scientist found that if the horse was asked questions to which none of the people there knew the answers, then the animal　　 gave a correct answer. The questions were asked by showing the horse a card that the questioner himself had not　 　 .

This biologist soon discovered that the horse had actually　　 to very slight unconscious (下意识的) movements of head or body made by a questioner who knew the　　 number of taps. He counted the taps to himself, and when the horse got to the right number, the questioner’s tension (紧张感) was　　 by a small, unconscious movement of his head or body. The horse then　　　 tapping. Questioners who didn’t know the answer didn’t do this. The horse had really　　 itself to answer these very small　　 during its training.

1.A. believed　　　　 B.remembered　　　　 C. expected　　　　 D.doubted

2.A. chance　　　　　　 B. knowledge　　　　　 C. method　　　　　 D. ability

3.A. explanations　　 B. information　　　　　 C.answers　　　　　 D. facts

4.A. jumping　　　　　 B. tapping　　　　　　　 C. moving　　　　　　 D.dropping

5.A. problem　　　　 B.program　　　　　　　　 C.case　　　　　　　　 D. model

6.A. interests　　　　 B.activities　　　　　　　 C.habits　　　　　　 D. powers

7.A. careful　　　　　　 B.simple　　　　　　　　 C. general　　　　　 D. extra

8.A. honest　　　　　　 B. creative　　　　　　　 C.independent　　 D.patient

9.A. praise　　　　　　 B. hint　　　　　　　　　　 C.trust　　　　　　　 D. attention

10.A. still　　　　　　　 B.nearly　　　　　　　　　　 C.even　　　　　　　 D. only

11.A. knowing　　　　 B.considering　　　　　　 C.pretending　　　　 D. proving

12.A. work　　　　　　 B.play　　　　　　　　　　 C. count　　　　　　 D.argue

13.A. never　　　　　　 B. sometimes　　　　　　 C. always　　　　　　 D.ever

14.A. designed　　　　 B. read　　　　　　　　　　 C. improved　　　　 D.answered

15.A. responded　　　 B. returned　　　　　　 C. complained　　 D.compared

16.A. various　　　　　 B. correct　　　　　　　　 C. strange　　　　　 D. direct

17.A. ignored　　　　 B. checked　　　　　　　 C.offered　　　　　　 D. shown

18.A. Practiced　　　　 B. continued　　　　　　 C. stopped　　　　　 D.began

19.A. permitted　　　　 B. taught　　　　　　　　 C. regretted　　　　　 D. forced

20.A. suggestions　　 B.instructions　　　　　 C. questions　　　　 D. movements

高二英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

During the 19th century, scientists found that when certain parts of the brain of a person were hurt, he would lose the power of doing certain things. And so people thought that each part of the brain does a different job. But modern research has discovered that this is not so, for it is not easy to show exactly what each part of the brain does.

In the past fifty years there has been a great increase in the amount or research done on the brain. Scientists have found out that the way the brain works is not so simple as people in general may think. Chemists tell us that about 100,000 chemical changes take place in the brain every second. Some recent researches also suggest that we can remember everything that happened to us. We may not be able to think of the things we have heard and seen but it is kept there in the store-house of the human mind. Earlier scientists thought that the power of one’s brain got weaker and weaker as one grows older. But it is plenty of exercise, it keeps its power. It is now thought that is not true. As long as the brain is given plenty of exercise, it keeps its power. It has proved that an old person who has always been active in the mind has a quicker mind than a young person who has done physical work without using much of his brain.

1.In the last century, scientists found that a person would lose the power to do certain things _____.

A．when he got weaker in health

B．if certain parts of his brain were hurt

C．after he did a quite different job

D．when he grew older

2.Scientists today are still unable to show exactly ______.

A．what each part of the brain is doing

B．how many chemical changes take place in the brain each second

C．whether each part of the brain does the same job

D．which part of the brain is the most important

3.It has been found that one’s brain usually works ______.

A．faster when he is old

B．a little now and a little then

C．in a very simple way

D．without any rest all day long

4.Which of the following is NOT true according to the text?

A．Scientists are working hard at the researches on the brain.

B．As many as six million chemical changes take place in the brain every minute.

C．A young man doing physical labor is sure to have a much slower mind.

D．Even an old man has a quick mind only if his brain is given much exercise.

5.The more work we give our brains,___________.

A．the less result we will gain

B．the more work they are able to do

C．the weaker their power will get

D．the more tired they will feel

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

A team of US psychologists have found that talking to another person for ten minutes a day helps with memory.

"Socializing is just as effective as more traditional kinds of mental exercise in boosting memory and intellectual performance," Oscar Ybarra, a psychologist at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research, said in a statement.

In one investigation, they analyzed data on 3610 people, aged 24 to 96.

They found that the higher their level of social interaction (交流), the better their cognitive (认知的) functioning.  Social interaction includes getting together or having phone chats with relatives, freinds and neighbors.

In another experiment, the researchers conducted lab tests on 76 college students, aged 18 to 21, to evaluate how social interactions and intellectual exercises affected the results of memory and mental performance tests.

The students were divided into three groups: the social interaction group had a discussion of a social issue for 10 minutes before taking the tests; the intellectual activities group completed three tasks (including a reading comprehension exercise and a crossword puzzle) before the tests; and a control group (对照组) watched a 10-minute clip (电源片段) of the Seinfeld television show.

"We found that short-term social interaction lasting for just 10 minutes improved participants' intellectual performance as much as engaging in so-called 'intellectual' activities for the same amount of time," Ybarra said.

The study was expected to be published in the February issue of the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

1.The underlined word "boosting" in the second paragraph can be replaced by ______.

2.Which is not included in social interaction?

3.What's the purpose of the experiment on 76 college students?

4.Which of the following questions may be asked in the social interaction group in the experiment?

5.What's the main idea of the passage?

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Parents are important elements in the children’s educational progress. They are capable of being good resources not just for children, but also for schools and teachers.

Parents can help children realize the value of education through their love and support, and most importantly, their encouragement plays an important role in educational success. So parents can be more involved in children’s classroom activities. For example, parents can help out with teaching arts and crafts（工艺美术）to preschoolers and children in grades 1-3. Asking parents to show the children their own talents and impart（传授）the knowledge on the subject they love is a good way to involve the parents in their children’s education. And as a teacher, having someone on call to help you with the cutting and gluing（粘）during a craft class will ensure a less daunting（使人畏缩的）job.

Having parent volunteers around when organizing activities for children is definitely an advantage. Organizing field trips, outings, community services, camps, etc., can be a daunting task when you are the only member responsible for catering to the needs of a large group of children. At such times, asking parent volunteers to help out with the basic requirements makes perfect sense. You can even ask them to stay together with students on camping and field trips or help with community services. And activities which allow them to mix freely with the children will help them understand the needs of the children better.

Asking parent volunteers to keep records of classroom activities, the resources used, etc., is a good way of making good use of them. Ask them to help out with restocking（补充）the materials needed for arts and crafts. You can even ask them to help tune musical instruments, organize the library and the children’s artwork. Make sure that they are comfortable doing the work assigned（布置）to them, after all, you would not want to offend（冒犯）their feelings.

School is considered as a second home, and there is a constant need to conduct research or surveys to find out whether the children are comfortable in school and what they think of it. A better way to do this is to employ parent volunteers to complete the task. Ultimately（最重要地）, the goal of research or surveys is to make the school environment-friendly and home-like. Thus, it makes sense to conduct research or surveys with the help of parent volunteers.

It goes without saying that you ought to thank the parent volunteers for all their help. To conclude, I agree with the saying,“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

高二英语其他题困难题查看答案及解析

A new study by a Penn State College of Medicine research team found that honey is a better and safer treatment for children than cough medicines.

Ian Paul, the study’s lead researcher, was motivated to test honey because treating coughs in children has recently become a sticky subject. Coughing is the body’s way of clearing irritated (受刺激的) airways to help you breathe. But too much coughing can irritate your lungs and throat even more. It can also make it tough to get the sleep your body needs to heal. Hoping to ease the suffering of their children, parents often give them cough medicines.

But there have never been any good studies showing that they work. Cough and cold medicines may also cause serious side effects. Hundreds of kids die in the hospital each year after receiving too much cough medicine by mistake. Last October, the US Food and Drug Administration suggested that parents should not give cough medicines to children under 6.

In order to search for a different solution, Paul designed a study that involved 105 kids who were sick with coughs and other cold conditions. At bedtime, the kids took buckwheat (荞麦) honey, honey-flavored (蜂蜜味的) DM (one of the most common ingredients in cough medicines), or no treatment. Parents and kids in the no-

-treatment group knew they weren’t getting anything, but the other two groups weren’t told which treatment they were getting.

The surveys showed that kids who swallowed about 2 teaspoons of buckwheat honey before bedtime coughed less and slept better than kids in the other groups. “When parents want something for their kids to take,” Paul says, “honey seems like the best option”.

But what gives honey its healing power? Substances called antioxidants (抗氧化剂) may be part of the answer. All honey contains antioxidants that protect our cells from damage. Studies show that antioxidant levels in the body rise after someone swallows honey.

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

A. No cough medicines to children

B. Sweet solution to kids’ coughing

C. Best treatment for your cold

D. Cough medicines don’t work

69. We can learn from Paragraph 2 that coughing ______.

A. sometimes does good to people

B. can cure lung and throat diseases

C. is more harmful to children

D. helps improve children’s diet

70. During Paul’s experiment, the kids who received treatment ______.

A. seemed much worse than before

B. knew they weren’t getting anything

C. coughed less and slept better

D. had no idea what they swallowed

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Scientists have found evidence of a link between social and economic status and childhood attention deficit disorder(ADHD)(注意力缺陷多动障碍)in the UK. A team led by the University of Exeter Medical School analysed data from the Millennium Cohort Study, a database of more than 19, 500 UK children born between 2000 and 2002 .The study was published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.

Findings showed that more children with ADHD came from families below the poverty line than the UK population as a whole, with average family incomes for households whose study child was affected by ADHD at £324 per week, compared to £391 for those whose child was not. The study found the odds (机会)of parents in social housing having a child with ADHD was roughly three times greater than for those who owned their own homes.

The team also found that the odds of younger mothers having a child with ADHD were significantly higher than for other mothers. Mothers with no qualifications were more than twice as likely to have a child with ADHD than those with degrees, and lone (孤独的)parents were more likely to have a child with ADHD diagnosis than households with two live-in parents.

Information was gathered from surveys when the cohort children were nine months old, and at the ages of three, five, seven and eleven.

Dr Ginny, of the University of Exeter Medical School,who led the study, said, "There is a genetic element to ADHD,but this study provides strong evidence that ADHD is also associated with a disadvantaged social and economic background. Some people believe that ADHD in children causes disadvantage to the economic situation of their family, but we found no evidence to support that theory. It's important to discover more about the causes of this disorder so that we can look towards prevention, and so that we can target treatment and support effectively. "

1.We can infer from Paragraph 2 that _______.

A. family incomes of £391 per week are below the poverty line in the UK

B. children affected by ADHD consume family incomes of £324 per week

C. parents who rent houses are likely to have a child with ADHD

D. families who own their own houses are above the poverty line

2.Which of the following families are most likely to have a child with ADHD?

A. The households with two live-in parents.

B. Middle-aged mothers having no diploma.

C. Single younger mothers with no diploma.

D. Younger mothers living with their　 husbands.

3.What is Dr Ginny's attitude to the belief that ADHD in children causes disadvantage to the economic situation of their family?

A. He agrees with it.

B. He ignores it.

C. He hesitates to accept it.

D. He argues against it.

4.What message does the author most want　 to give us?

A. ADHD linked to social and economic disadvantage.

B. The cure of ADHD has been found by the UK's scientists.

C. New methods have been used to treat ADHD patients.

D. Causes and effects of ADHD have been found out completely.

高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析