Pierre is a 25-year-old penguin at the Califo...

Pierre is a 25-year-old penguin at the California Academy of Sciences. Due to his old age, he was going bald, which made him feel too cold to swim in the pool. Therefore, biologists at the academy had a wetsuit created for this penguin to help him get back in the swimming pool.

Unlike marine mammals, which have a layer of fat to keep them warm, penguins depend on their waterproof feathers. Without them, Pierre was unwilling to jump into the swimming pool and ended up trembling on the side of the pool while his 19 peers played in the water.

"He was cold; he would shake," said Pam Schaller, a senior biologist. Schaller first tried a heat lamp to keep Pierre warm. Then she got another idea: if wetsuits keep humans warm in the cold Pacific, why not make one for Pierre?

Schaller designed the suit, which covered Pierre’s body and had small openings for his flippers.

“I would walk behind him and look at where there were any gaps, and cut and refit and cut and refit until it looked like it was extremely suitable,” she said.

One concern was that the other penguins would reject Pierre in his new suit, but in fact, they accepted his new look. He swam freely and got along with others well, although he was the only penguin with a black stomach.

Schaller couldn’t say for sure whether the wetsuit allowed Pierre to recover his fine feathers, but “certainly we were able to keep him comfortable during a period of time that would have been very difficult for him to stay comfortable”.

Pierre will take off his suit after his new feathers grow back.

1.Pierre felt too cold to swim in the pool because of _____.

A. not having a layer of blubber

B. having few feathers due to old age

C. having no wetsuit

D. others penguins rejecting him

2.The idea of making a wetsuit for Pierre came from _____.

A. total invention

B. waterproof feathers

C. the use of wetsuit on humans

D. the use of heat lamp

3.Schaller followed Pierre in order to see _____.

A. whether other penguins would reject him

B. if anywhere of wetsuit needed to be cut and refit

C. if the wetsuit kept warm

D. whether the wetsuit would keep the feathers from recovering

4.The best title of the passage is _____.

A. Wetsuit for An Old Penguin

B. Old Penguin Getting Bald

C. Unwilling to Swim

D. Strange Look of PierreＢ

高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

Pierre is a 25-year-old penguin at the California Academy of Sciences. Due to his old age, he was going bald, which made him feel too cold to swim in the pool. Therefore, biologists at the academy had a wetsuit created for this penguin to help him get back in the swimming pool.

Unlike marine mammals, which have a layer of fat to keep them warm, penguins depend on their waterproof feathers. Without them, Pierre was unwilling to jump into the swimming pool and ended up trembling on the side of the pool while his 19 peers played in the water.

"He was cold; he would shake," said Pam Schaller, a senior biologist. Schaller first tried a heat lamp to keep Pierre warm. Then she got another idea: if wetsuits keep humans warm in the cold Pacific, why not make one for Pierre?

Schaller designed the suit, which covered Pierre’s body and had small openings for his flippers.

“I would walk behind him and look at where there were any gaps, and cut and refit and cut and refit until it looked like it was extremely suitable,” she said.

One concern was that the other penguins would reject Pierre in his new suit, but in fact, they accepted his new look. He swam freely and got along with others well, although he was the only penguin with a black stomach.

Schaller couldn’t say for sure whether the wetsuit allowed Pierre to recover his fine feathers, but “certainly we were able to keep him comfortable during a period of time that would have been very difficult for him to stay comfortable”.

Pierre will take off his suit after his new feathers grow back.

1.Pierre felt too cold to swim in the pool because of _____.

A. not having a layer of blubber            B. having few feathers due to old age

C. having no wetsuit                        D. others penguins rejecting him

2.The idea of making a wetsuit for Pierre came from _____.

A. total invention                          B. waterproof feathers

C. the use of wetsuit on humans             D. the use of heat lamp

3.Schaller followed Pierre in order to see _____.

A. whether other penguins would reject him

B. if anywhere of wetsuit needed to be cut and refit

C. if the wetsuit kept warm

D. whether the wetsuit would keep the feathers from recovering

4. The best title of the passage is _____.

A. Wetsuit for An Old Penguin               B. Old Penguin Getting Bald

C. Unwilling to Swim                    D. Strange Look of Pierre

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Pierre is a 25-year-old penguin at the California Academy of Sciences．Due to his old age，he was going bald，which made him feel too cold to swim in the pool．Therefore，biologists at the academy had a wetsuit created for this penguin to help him get back in the swimming pool．

Unlike marine(海生的)　 mammals，which have a layer of blubber(鲸脂) to keep them　 warm，penguins depend on their waterproof feathers．Without them，Pierre was unwilling to jump into the swimming pool and ended up trembling on the side of the pool while his 19 peers played in the water．

“He was cold：he would shake，”said Pam Schaller，a senior biologist．Schaller first tried a heat lamp to keep Pierre warm．Then she got another idea：if wetsuits keep humans warm in the cold Pacific，why not make one for Pierre?

Schaller designed the suit，which covered Pierre’s body and had small openings for his flippers．

“I would walk behind him and look at where there were any gaps．and cut and refit until it looked like it was extremely suitable．”she said．

One concern was that the other penguins would reject Pierre in his new suit，but in fact，they accepted his new look．He swam freely and got along with others well，although he was the only penguin with a black stomach．

Schaller couldn’t say for sure whether the wetsuit allowed Pierre to recover his fine feathers，but” certainly we were able to keep him comfortable during a period of time that would have been very difficult for him to stay comfortable”．

Pierre will take off his suit after his new feathers grow back．

1.Pierre felt too cold to swim in the pool because of____．

A．not having a layer of blubber

B．having few feathers due to old age

C．having no wetsuit

D．others penguins rejecting him

2.The idea of making a wetsuit for Pierre came from__________.

A．total invention　　　　 B．the use of wetsuit on humans

C．the use of heat lamp　 D．waterproof feathers　　 ．

3.Schaller followed Pierre in order to see____________________．

A．whether other penguins would reject him

B．if anywhere of wetsuit needed to be cut and refit

C．if the wetsuit kept warm

D．whether the wetsuit would keep the feathers from recovering

4.The best title of the passage is____．

A．Wetsuit for An old Penguin　　 B．Old Penguin Getting Bald

C．Unwilling to Swim　　　　　　 　 D．Strange Look of Pierre

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Mya Le Thai is a scientist studying at the University of California, Irvine. She recently discovered a process that may result in batteries that last forever. Thai said she had been discouraged that the batteries for her wireless devices degrade. Over time, they fail to charge fully.

Thai did not like to have keep her wireless laptop connected to an electrical outlet. She decided to do something about that problem.

At first, she and her team thought about inventing a new battery. But as they experimented, Thai discovered something that might permit lithium-ion(锂离子) batteries to last forever. Lithium-ion batteries power most wireless devices. Over time, the batteries lose the ability to hold a charge. Most of these batteries have a life span of about 7,000 charging cycles before they die.

One of the reasons lithium-ion batteries degrade is their use of nanowires(纳米线) to carry electricity. Nanowires are extremely thin. A human hair is thousands of times thicker, for example. Nanowires are extremely efficient carriers of electricity, which makes them useful in batteries. But Thai said their thinness also makes them weak. "Nanowires break over time," she said. "That's why they lose capacity."

But, Thai had a theory: The nanowires might last longer if covered with a material. She and the team tested her theory. The team tried many coverings for the wires. PMMA was one of them. The nanowires were coated with PMMA and cycled through charges 200,000 times. The PMMA coated nanowires showed no evidence of damage. The results suggest that batteries could last forever, without losing charging ability.

Thai hopes to continue her research to understand why this material works so well and to see if any other material could create better results.

"It's kind of cool," she said. "I'm really glad people are showing interest in my work and not just in the work itself, but also in technology and energy."

1.What caused Thai to do research on the batteries?

A. Weak power of the batteries　　 B. Her preference for batteries

C. Inconvenient use of batteries　　 D. Her habit to use her computer

2.What’s the disadvantage of lithium-ion batteries?

A. They have a certain service life　　 B. They need charging very often

C. They are not quite dependable　　 D. They are easy to break down

3.Why did Thai try covering the nanowires with a certain material?

A. To make them thicker　　 B. To carry more electricity

C. To make them safer to use　　 D. To protect them from being damaged

4.What can be a suitable title for the text?

A. All Batteries Would Be Replaced By Long-Last Ones

B. Lithium-ion Batteries Might Come to an End

C. Batteries That Last Forever Could Be Near

D. Batteries Would Work Without Recharging

高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

The emperor penguin is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species and lives in Antarctica. The male and female are similar in size, reaching 122 cm in height and weighing anywhere from 22 to 45 kg. The back and head are black, contrasting sharply with the pale-yellow breast and bright-yellow ears. Like all penguins, it is flightless, with a streamlined body and their wings stiffen and flatten into flippers(鳍状肢) for a marine habitat.

Its diet consists primarily of fish, but can also include animals with hard shells. In hunting, the species can remain underwater up to 18 minutes, diving to a depth of 535 m. Its unusually structured hemoglobin(血红蛋白)allows it to function at low oxygen levels.

The emperor penguin is perhaps best known for the journeys adults make each year in order to mate and to feed their babies. The only penguin species that breeds(繁殖) during the Antarctic winter, it goes on a long journey of 50-120 km over the ice to breeding areas which may include thousands of individuals. The female lays a single egg, which is incubated(孵化)by the male while the female returns to the sea to feed; parents take turns searching for food at sea and caring for their chick. They both care for the chick until it is able to enter the water to find food on its own. During the process of incubation, the male can lose up to 1/3 to 1/2 of his body weight. One of the coolest things about the male is that if the chick comes out its egg before the female returns, the male can actually produce a special liquid to feed the chick. He can only do this for a short time. If the female doesn’t return, he must leave the chick to go on with his own life. The emperor penguin can typically live for 20 years in the wild, although observations suggest that some individual may live to 50 years of age.

1.We can learn from paragraph 1 that ____.

A. the emperor penguin is the world’s largest kind of penguin

B. the emperor penguin has pale-yellow ears

C. the male and female emperor penguins are of different sizes

D. the emperor penguin lives in the most northern area on the Earth

2.The emperor penguin can stay underwater for a long time mainly because of its ____.

A. strong wings     B. streamlined body     C. structured hemoglobin     D. special diet

3.The emperor penguin differs from other penguin species in that ____.

A. it gives birth in the Antarctic winter        B. it feeds mainly on fish

C. the male won’t search for food on his own   D. it can only live for a short time

4.According to the passage, ____.

A. the egg of the emperor penguin is mainly incubated by the female

B. many emperor penguins will stay together to breed

C. the male emperor penguin will give up his own life to feed the chick

D. the female emperor penguin will leave the chick forever once it lays an egg

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Wang Mengshu, an expert at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said at a group discussion on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People's Congress that Wi-Fi should not be provided on high-speed trains, as it might disturb communication signals of trains and would also cost a lot in keeping trains in good condition. He also encouraged passengers to enjoy the views, instead of fixing their eyes on tiny screens of smart phones and laptops. However, on last Tuesday Beijing Youth Daily said it should be market demand that decides whether the Wi-Fi is offered on the trains or not.

An increasing number of residents, especially young white-collar workers, are addicted to their smart phones rather than face-to-face interactions, thanks to the extensive Wi-Fi coverage across the country. That partly justifies Wang's opposition to the offering of Wi-Fi on high-speed trains, because they are not supposed to be dependent on high-tech devices. It is also evident that passengers on trains without free Wi-Fi will use their smart phones and other mobile devices less. However, whether the trains should provide a free Wi-Fi service fundamentally depends on customer demand.

In other words, state-owned as it is, the China Railway Crop still has to obey relevant market rules, and provide technologically possible services to passengers if that is what they want. It cannot turn a blind eye to customers' wants "for the sake of their well-being".

Free Wi-Fi, in fact, is already available on a lot of buses and coaches. This is a natural response to their competition with trains (especially high-speed ones), which are significantly faster and safer. The bus companies have been forced to improve their services to survive. It requires proper guidance, not a total ban on the bus, to make up for the negative effects of high-end technologies, such as people's increasing addiction to smart phones.

1.Which is one of the reasons for Wang Mengshu saying no to free Wi-Fi on the train?

A. Making communication signals of trains stable.

B. Not focusing on the screens of phones and laptops.

C. A high cost of keeping trains in good condition.

D. Missing the beautiful views throughout a journey.

2.Which of the following best explains the underlined part in the second paragraph?

A. Some people go against Wang's proposal.

B. Wang's opposition proves reasonable in part.

C. Most people think Wang's suggestion hard to carry out.

D. Young white-collar workers consider Wang's advice right.

3.What does "market rules" in the 3rd paragraph refer to?

A. Demand depends on supply.

B. The market decides purchasing power.

C. Everything depends on money.

D. The market is in the control of customers.

4.According to the last paragraph, the author agree _______.

A. People should drop smart phones.

B. Every coin has two sides.

C. High-end technologies cause more side effects.

D. A total ban on free Wi-Fi is reasonable.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The _________ at the military academy is so rigid that students can hardly bear it.

A. convention               B. confinement        C. principle                          D. discipline

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Researchers in the psychology department at the University of California at Los Angeles(UCLA) have discovered a major difference in the way men and women respond to stress. This difference may explain why men are more likely to suffer from stress-related disorders.

Until now, psychological research has maintained that both men and women have the same “fight-or-flight” reaction to stress. In other words, individuals either react with aggressive behavior, such as verbal or physical conflict(“fight”), or they react by withdrawing from the stressful situation(“flight”). However, the UCLA research team found that men and women have quite different biological and behavioral responses to stress. While men often react to stress in the fight-or-flight response, women often have another kind of reaction which could be called “tend and befriend.” That is, they often react to stressful conditions by protecting and nurturing their young(“tend”), and by looking for social contact and support from others—especially other females (“befriend”).

Scientists have long known that in the fight-or-flight reaction to stress, an important role is played by certain hormones(激素) released by the body. The UCLA research team suggests that the female tend-or-befriend response is also based on a hormone. This hormone, called oxytocin, has been studied in the context of childbirth, but now it is being studied for its role in the response of both men and women to stress. The principal investigator, Dr. Shelley E. Taylor, explained that “animals and people with high levels of oxytocin are calmer, more relaxed, more social, and less anxious.” While men also secrete(分泌) oxytocin, its effects are reduced by male hormones.

In terms of everyday behavior, the UCLA study found that women are far more likely than men to seek social contact when they are feeling stressed. They may phone relatives or friends, or ask directions if they are lost.

The study also showed how fathers and mothers responded differently when they came home to their family after a stressful day at work. The typical father wanted to be left alone to enjoy some peace and quiet. For a typical mother, coping with a bad day at work meant focusing her attention on her children and their needs.

The differences in responding to stress may explain the fact that women have lower frequency of stress-related disorders such as high blood pressure or aggressive behavior. The tend-and-befriend regulatory(调节的) system may protect women against stress, and this may explain why women on average live longer than men.

1.Which of the following is true about oxytocin according to the passage?

A. Men have the same level of oxytocin as women do.

B. Oxytocin used to be studied in both men and women.

C. Both animals and people have high levels of oxytocin.

D. Oxytocin has more of an effect on women than on men.

2.What can be learned from the passage?

A. Male hormones help build up the body’s resistances to stress.

B. In a family a mother cares more about children than a father does.

C. Biological differences lead to different behavioral responses to stress.

D. The UCLA study was designed to confirm previous research findings.

3.Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

A. How men and women suffer from stress

B. How men and women get over stress

C. How researchers overcome stress problems

D. How researchers handle stress-related disorder

高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

Michelle was a student at University of California, Los Angeles. She is here to tell us how she feels about the city.

What were the best things about Los Angeles?

One of my favorite things about Los Angeles is the weather. I hate the cold and it never really gets that cold there. Plus, most of the time it’s usually sunny, which is good because I love going to the beach during the summer. There’s so much to do at the beach, but my favorite thing in L.A. was having a picnic on the sand with my friends.

What were the worst things about being there?

I disliked having to drive everywhere to get around because the city is so spread out. Los Angeles has a lot of traffic and sometimes it takes a long time to get somewhere close by just because the streets are so crowded. Also, a lot of people complain about the pollution.

Did you have any problems there?

Just the normal problems of living in any city, like watching out for pickpockets. Some people think Los Angeles has a lot of crime, but I think it’s as safe as any other city. Also, many people think driving is difficult because there is a lot of traffic and road rage (路怒症), but it just takes a little practice and a lot of patience.

What are the people like in Los Angeles?

There are all types of people in Los Angeles since the city is pretty diverse. For the most part, though, most of the people are friendly, calm and relaxed. Some people say that everyone in Los Angeles is beautiful, but I think that’s just a stereotype.

Would you go back to Los Angeles?

Certainly. Los Angeles is one of my favorite cities in the world. I love the fact that it has all the nightlife and shopping of a big city, but also has access to beaches, parks, mountains and other places you can’t usually find in large cities. Between the weather and the beaches and all the fun things to do, it’s a great place to be.

1.We can learn from the text that Michelle _____.

A. hates the heavy traffic in Los Angeles

B. dislikes the cold weather in Los Angeles

C. thinks Los Angeles is small and crowded

D. enjoys driving everywhere in Los Angeles

2.What’s Michelle’s impression of the people in Los Angeles?

A. They get angry easily.

B. All sorts of people live there.

C. They are patient and amusing.

D. Everyone is kind and beautiful.

3.How does Michelle find Los Angeles?

A. Safe but noisy.

B. Relaxing but busy.

C. Polluted and dangerous.

D. Diverse and interesting.

4.We learn from the text that _____.

A. Michelle was born in Los Angeles

B. Michelle loved the life in Los Angeles

C. Los Angeles has many traffic accidents

D. Michelle has no plan to return to Los Angeles

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Michelle was a student at University of California, Los Angeles. She is here to tell us how she feels about the city.

What were the best things about Los Angeles?

One of my favorite things about Los Angeles is the weather. I hate the cold and it never really gets that cold there. Plus, most of the time it’s usually sunny, which is good because I love going to the beach during the summer. There’s so much to do at the beach, but my favorite thing in L.A. was having a picnic on the sand with my friends.

What were the worst things about being there?

I disliked having to drive everywhere to get around because the city is so spread out. Los Angeles has a lot of traffic and sometimes it takes a long time to get somewhere close by just because the streets are so crowded. Also, a lot of people complain about the pollution.

Did you have any problems there?

Just the normal problems of living in any city, like watching out for pickpockets (扒手). Some people think Los Angeles has a lot of crime, but I think it’s as safe as any other city. Also, many people think driving is difficult because there is a lot of traffic and road rage (路怒症), but it just takes a little practice and a lot of patience.

What are the people like in Los Angeles?

There are all types of people in Los Angeles since the city is pretty diverse. For the most part, though, most of the people are friendly, calm and relaxed. Some people say that everyone in Los Angeles is beautiful, but I think that’s just a stereotype (模式化的印象).

Would you go back to Los Angeles?

Certainly. Los Angeles is one of my favorite cities in the world. I love the fact that it has all the nightlife and shopping of a big city, but also has access to beaches, parks, mountains and other places you can’t usually find in large cities. Between the weather and the beaches and all the fun things to do, it’s a great place to be.

1.We can learn from the text that Michelle _____.

A. hates the heavy traffic in Los Angeles

B. dislikes the cold weather in Los Angeles

C. thinks Los Angeles is small and crowded

D. enjoys driving everywhere in Los Angeles

2.What’s Michelle’s impression of the people in Los Angeles?

A. They get angry easily.

B. All sorts of people live there.

C. They are patient and amusing.

D. Everyone is kind and beautiful.

3.How does Michelle find Los Angeles?

A. Safe but noisy.　　　　　　　　 B. Relaxing but busy.

C. Polluted and dangerous.　　 D. Diverse and interesting.

4.We learn from the text that _____.

A. Michelle was born in Los Angeles

B. Michelle loved the life in Los Angeles

C. Los Angeles has many traffic accidents

D. Michelle has no plan to return to Los Angeles

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析