An article published in the prestigious (有威望的) scientific journal Nature sheds new light on an important, but up-to-now little appreciated, aspect of human evolution. In this article Professors Dennis Bramble and Daniel Lieberman suggest that being able to run was the necessary condition for the development of our species which enabled us to come down from the trees. This challenges traditional scientific thinking, which claims that the distinctive, upright body form of modern humans has come about as a result of the ability to walk, and that running is simply a by-product of walking. Furthermore, humans have usually been regarded as poor runners compared to such animals as dogs, horses or deer. However, this is only true if we consider running at high speed, especially over short distances. But when it comes to long-distance running, humans do astonishingly well. They can keep a steady pace for many kilometres, and their overall speed is at least the same as that of horses or dogs.
Bramble and Lieberman examined 26 physical features found in humans. One of the most interesting of these is the nuchal ligament(项韧带). When we run, this ligament prevents our head from moving back and forth or from side to side. Therefore, we are able to run with steady heads held high. The nuchal ligament is not found in any other surviving primates, such as apes and monkeys. Then there are our Achilles tendons (跟腱) at the backs of our legs, which connect our calf (小腿肚) muscles to our heel bones — and which have nothing to do with walking. When we run, these tendons behave like springs, helping to push us forward. Furthermore, we have low, wide shoulders virtually disconnected from our skulls(颅骨), a physical development which allows us to run more efficiently.
But what evolutionary advantage is gained from being good long-distance runners? Perhaps it permitted early humans to obtain food more effectively. "What these features and facts appear to be telling us is that running evolved in order for our direct ancestors to compete with other meat-eating animals for access to the protein needed to grow the big brains that we enjoy today," says Lieberman. Some scientists put forward the theory that early humans chased animals for great distances in order to exhaust them before killing them.
"Research on the history of humans' ability to move has traditionally been controversial," says Lieberman. "At the very least, I believe this theory will motivate many researchers to reevaluate and further investigate how humans learned to run and walk and why we are built the way we are. "
1.In paragraph 1, what do the two professors suggest about humans' ability to run?
A.It is an evolutionary by-product of walking.
B.It helps to form people's ability to climb trees.
C.It has played an important role in human evolution.
D.It has not been adequately studied by scientists before.
2.What is true about the physical characteristics examined by the professors?
A.Achilles tendons assist people to walk long distances.
B.The human skull helps people to run more efficiently.
C.people's shoulders allow them to look from side to side.
D.The nuchal ligament enables people to hold their head steady.
3.According to paragraph 3, scientists believe that early humans_________.
A.always came across dangerous situations in life
B.ran after animals for long distances when hunting
C.often failed to find food because they couldn't run fast
D.developed their hunting skills by running long distances
4.Professor Lieberman thinks the new theory will _________.
A.completely explain how running developed
B.revolutionize the theory of human evolution
C.encourage more in-depth studies on the topic
D.be widely supported within the scientific community
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
An article published in the prestigious (有威望的) scientific journal Nature sheds new light on an important, but up-to-now little appreciated, aspect of human evolution. In this article Professors Dennis Bramble and Daniel Lieberman suggest that being able to run was the necessary condition for the development of our species which enabled us to come down from the trees. This challenges traditional scientific thinking, which claims that the distinctive, upright body form of modern humans has come about as a result of the ability to walk, and that running is simply a by-product of walking. Furthermore, humans have usually been regarded as poor runners compared to such animals as dogs, horses or deer. However, this is only true if we consider running at high speed, especially over short distances. But when it comes to long-distance running, humans do astonishingly well. They can keep a steady pace for many kilometres, and their overall speed is at least the same as that of horses or dogs.
Bramble and Lieberman examined 26 physical features found in humans. One of the most interesting of these is the nuchal ligament(项韧带). When we run, this ligament prevents our head from moving back and forth or from side to side. Therefore, we are able to run with steady heads held high. The nuchal ligament is not found in any other surviving primates, such as apes and monkeys. Then there are our Achilles tendons (跟腱) at the backs of our legs, which connect our calf (小腿肚) muscles to our heel bones — and which have nothing to do with walking. When we run, these tendons behave like springs, helping to push us forward. Furthermore, we have low, wide shoulders virtually disconnected from our skulls(颅骨), a physical development which allows us to run more efficiently.
But what evolutionary advantage is gained from being good long-distance runners? Perhaps it permitted early humans to obtain food more effectively. "What these features and facts appear to be telling us is that running evolved in order for our direct ancestors to compete with other meat-eating animals for access to the protein needed to grow the big brains that we enjoy today," says Lieberman. Some scientists put forward the theory that early humans chased animals for great distances in order to exhaust them before killing them.
"Research on the history of humans' ability to move has traditionally been controversial," says Lieberman. "At the very least, I believe this theory will motivate many researchers to reevaluate and further investigate how humans learned to run and walk and why we are built the way we are. "
1.In paragraph 1, what do the two professors suggest about humans' ability to run?
A.It is an evolutionary by-product of walking.
B.It helps to form people's ability to climb trees.
C.It has played an important role in human evolution.
D.It has not been adequately studied by scientists before.
2.What is true about the physical characteristics examined by the professors?
A.Achilles tendons assist people to walk long distances.
B.The human skull helps people to run more efficiently.
C.people's shoulders allow them to look from side to side.
D.The nuchal ligament enables people to hold their head steady.
3.According to paragraph 3, scientists believe that early humans_________.
A.always came across dangerous situations in life
B.ran after animals for long distances when hunting
C.often failed to find food because they couldn't run fast
D.developed their hunting skills by running long distances
4.Professor Lieberman thinks the new theory will _________.
A.completely explain how running developed
B.revolutionize the theory of human evolution
C.encourage more in-depth studies on the topic
D.be widely supported within the scientific community
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
An article published recently in the scientific journal Nature is shedding new light on an important, but so far little has been appreciated, aspect of human evolution. In this article, Professors Dennis Bramble, and Daniel Lieberman suggest that the ability to run was a decisive factor in the development of our species. According to the two scientists, humans possess a number of anatomical（人体结构的）features that make them surprisingly good runners. “We are very confident that strong selection for running，which came at the expense of the historical ability to live in trees-was helpful in the origin of the modern human body form,” says Bramble, a biology professor at the University of Utah.
Traditional thinking up to now has been that the upright body form of modern humans has come about as a result of the ability to walk, and that running is simply a by-product of walking. Furthermore, humans have usually been regarded as poor runners compared to such animals as dogs, horses or antelopes. However, this is only true if we consider fast running over short distances. Even Olympic athlete can hardly run as fast as a horse can gallop, and can only keep up a top speed for fifteen seconds or so. Horses and antelopes, on the other hand, can run at top speed for several minutes, clearly outperforming us in this respect. But when it comes to long-distance running, humans do astonishingly well. They can maintain a steady pace for miles, and their overall speed compares favorably with that of horses or dogs.
Bramble and Lieberman examined twenty-six anatomical features found in humans. One of the most interesting of these is the nuchal ligament（颈背的韧带）. When we run, it is this ligament that prevents our head from pitching back and forth or from side to side. Therefore, we are able to run with steady heads held high. The nuchal ligament is not found in any other surviving primates（灵长类动物）, although the fossil（化石）record shows that Homo erectus, an early human species that walked upright, much as we do, also had one. Then there are our Achilles tendons（跟腱）at the backs of our legs, which have nothing to do with walking. When we run, these tendons behave like springs, helping to push us forward. Furthermore, we have low, wide shoulders, virtually disconnected from our skulls (the bony part of the head), another anatomical adaptation which allows us to run more efficiently.
But what evolutionary advantage is gained from being good long-distance runners? One assumption is that this ability may have permitted early humans to obtain food more effectively. “What these features and fossil facts appear to be telling us is that running evolved in order for our direct ancestors to compete with other carnivores (animals that eat meat) for access to the protein needed to grow the big brains that we enjoy today.” says Lieberman.
1.We can learn from the passage that the human ability to run _______.
A. was only recently described in a scientific journal
B. played an important part in human evolution
C. was considered more natural than the ability to live in trees
D. contributed to the form of human language
2.According to the second paragraph, humans _______
A. are better runners than most other animals
B. are not good at running short distances
C. compare unfavorably with horses and dogs
D. are poor long-distance runners
3.It appears that the nuchal ligament _______.
A. enables us to run with steady heads
B. is found in modern primates only
C. prevents the head from being held high
D. is a unique feature of carnivores
4.The passage does NOT tell us that _______
A. early humans had an advantage in obtaining food thanks to the running ability
B. fossils help us better understand human evolution.
C. our Achilles tendons are an adaptation for running efficiently
D. big brains may have been evolved for running long-distance
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Learning to Run
An article published in the scientific journal Nature discusses an important aspect of human evolution. According to Bramble and Lieberman, Professors at the University of Utah, humans possess a number of features that make them surprisingly good runners. “We are confident that the selection for running was important in the origin of the human body form,” says Bramble.
Traditional thinking has been that humans are poor runners compared to such animals as horses. However, this is only true if we consider running at high speed, especially over short distances. Even an athlete can hardly run as quickly as a horse does, and can only keep up a top speed for 15 seconds or so. But when it comes to long-distance running, humans will do astonishingly well. They can keep a steady pace for many kilometres, and their speed is at least at the same level with that of horses.
Bramble and Lieberman examined 26 parts of human bodies. One of the most interesting of these is the nuchal ligament (韧带). When we run, it is this ligament that prevents our head from moving back and forth or from side to side. Therefore, we are able to run with steady heads, held high. Then there are Achilles tendons at the backs of our legs, forming the mechanical links between the muscles to the bones. They act like strong strings and help to push us forward when we run. Besides, we have low, wide shoulders, a development which allows us to run more effectively. Add to this our light forearms, which swing in co-operation with the movement of our legs to assist balance, and one begins to appreciate the point that Bramble and Lieberman are trying to make.
But what advantage is gained from being good long-distance runners? One theory is that this ability may have permitted early humans to obtain food more effectively. Some scientists guess that early humans may have run after animals for great distances to make them tired before killing them. Running would also have shown another advantage: early humans might have eaten the meat left over from a kill by other large animals. They may have been warned of the existence of a freshly killed animal by vultures (秃鹰), and the faster they got to the scene of the kill, the better.
“Research on the history of human ability of running has traditionally been controversial,” says Lieberman. “At the very least, I hope this theory will make many people have second thoughts about how humans learned to run and why we are built the way we are.”
1.In Paragraph 2, the author mainly tells us that .
A. humans are poor runners compared to horses
B. humans are good runners over long distances
C. humans may run at high speed for a short time
D. humans can keep a constant pace when running
2.We can learn from Paragraph 3 that .
A. tendons are a successful adaptation for running
B. strong muscles and bones keep running effective
C. the shape of shoulders affects the position of heads
D. humans can run faster if they have longer forearms
3.What conclusion is drawn about early humans?
A. They followed birds to avoid danger.
B. They were unable to kill large animals.
C. They developed their big brains for running.
D. They evolved running due to the need for hunting.
4.What does Lieberman mean by saying the underlined sentence?
A. Proving that humans run in a comfortable position.
B. Informing people of the reasons why humans may run.
C. Expressing appreciation of the theory of human evolution.
D. Making people reconsider the idea about our body structure.
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
The New York Times published an article recently that shows great regret for the "death of conversation"．It suggests that while technology such as cell phones, e-mails, and Internet posting makes us feel more 36 than ever, they’re also driving us 37 from people around us．
Users get final connectivity 38 the price of 39 face-to-face conversation. Sherry Turkle, author of the article in The New York Times says people are 40 to a different way of being “alone together”．
Actually , 41 text messages or writing micro-blogs allows us to 42 thoughts.
43 bits and pieces of online cannot 44 a “real conversation．” Lan Guo, 19, a freshman English major from Changsha University , said that she would like to hear people’s tone of voice and see their faces in a (n) 45 . “The give and take of ideas in a conversation sharpens our minds.” she said. She also mentions that 46 ourselves in mobile technology reduces our chance of starting conversations with strangers and 47 people．
Turkle mentioned the popular 48 of “I share, therefore I am ”among this generation. Liu Xuan, a young writer from Taiwan and psychology graduate from Harvard University, thinks it’s a mindset adopted by most young people. They are so busy creating or polishing their online persona (网络人格)that they forget how to live a (n) 49 life. For example, They may 50 more about blogging about attending a party rather than enjoying being 51 .
52 , experts remind us that it’s unfair to blame mobile technology . Chen Chen, a sociology expert at China Youth &Children Research Center, points out that it is still owners of gadgets , such as cell phones and tablets , who’re avoiding personal 53 . We take advantage of these devices to hide ourselves 54 others. Texting messages or calling may be a (n) 55 to avoid contact with others, such as having eye contact. “Only by strengthening conversation can we understand each other. Simply throwing away the mobile gadgets is not a solution.” she said．
1.A．received B．shared C．connected D．respected
2.A．off B．back C．away D．down
3.A．beyond B．at C．for D．above
4.A．having B．risking C．sacrificing D．sharing
5.A．related B．committed C．devoted D．accustomed
6.A．sending B．getting C．reading D．taking
7.A．change B．exchange C．deliver D．raise
8.A．So B．And C．Or D．But
9.A．indicate B．replace C．cover D．involve
10.A．conversation B．computer C．party D．Internet
11.A．abandoning B．joining C．burying D．attaching
12.A．interviewing B．introducing C．knowing D．meeting
13.A．feeling B．concept C．fact D．truth
14.A．colorful B．interesting C．real D．meaningful
15.A．worry B．care C．ask D．debate
16.A．there B．out C．down D．in
17.A．Therefore B．Altogether C．Instead D．However
18.A．information B．space C．contact D．management
19.A．from B．of C．behind D．under
20.A．approach B．source C．result D．excuse
高三英语完型填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
The New York Times published an article recently that shows great regret for the "death of conversation"．It suggests that while technology such as cell phones, e-mails , and Internet posting makes us feel more than ever, they’re also driving us _ from people around us．
Users get final connectivity the price of face-to-face conversation． Sherry Turkle, author of the article in The New York Times says people are to a different way of being “alone together”．
Actually , text messages or writing micro-blogs allows us to thoughts.
bits and pieces of online cannot a “real conversation．” Lan Guo, 19, a freshman English major from Changsha University , said that she would like to hear people’s tone of voice and see their faces in a (n) ．“The give and take of ideas in a conversation sharpens our minds,” she said．She also mentions that ourselves in mobile technology reduces our chance of starting conversations with strangers and People．
Turkle mentioned the popular of “I share, therefore I am” among this generation. Liu Xuan, a young writer from Taiwan and psychology graduate from Harvard University, thinks it’s a mindset adopted by most young people． They are so busy creating or polishing their online persona (网络人格)that they forget how to live a (n) life． For example，They may more about blogging about attending a party rather than enjoying being ．
However，experts remind us that it’s unfair to mobile technology . Chen Chen, a sociology expert at China Youth &Children Research Center, points out that it is still owners of gadgets , such as cell phones and tablets , who’re avoiding personal .We take advantage of these devices to hide ourselves others ．Texting messages or calling may be a (n) to avoid contact with others, such as having eye contact． “Only by strengthening conversation can we understand each other. Simply throwing away the mobile gadgets is not a solution．”she said．
1.A．received B．shared C．connected D．respected
2.A．off B．back C．away D．down
3.A．beyond B．at C．for D．above
4.A．having B．risking C．sacrificing D．sharing
5.A．related B．committed C．devoted D．accustomed
6.A．sending B．getting C．reading D．taking
7.A．change B．exchange C．deliver D．raise
8.A．So B．And C．Or D．But
9.A．indicate B．replace C．cover D．involve
10.A．conversation B．computer C．party D．Internet
11.A．abandoning B．joining C．burying D．attaching
12.A．interviewing B．introducing C．knowing D．meeting
13.A．feeling B．concept C．fact D．truth
14.A．colorful B．interesting C．real D．meaningful
15.A．worry B．care C．ask D．debate
16.A．there B．out C．down D．in
17.A．complain B．adore C．worship D．blame
18.A．information B．space C．contact D．management
19.A．from B．of C．behind D．under
20.A．approach B．source C．result D．excuse
高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
According to a study published in the UK recently, those who like jogging and do this kind of exercise 1. (regular) for at least one hour a week have very high chances to live a longer life. The study's Danish researchers convinced 2. (convince) that choosing this kind of physical activity can bring us a priceless reward, 3. is 5 to 6more years of life! Moreover, to achieve better results, the researchers suggest 4. (limit) yourself to gentle jogging rather than fast-pace and tiring distance running. The scientists found that jogging 5. (benefit) are maximized when done at an average or even slow-pace exercising, and just one or two hours of jogging 6. week can be enough for you to achieve success, regardless 7.your age or health condition.
The scientists analyzed the data on about 20,000 people 8. (age) between 20 and 93, collected for over 35 years by the Copenhagen City Heart Study. According Dr. Peter Schnohr, the 9. (lead) researcher, it was found that jogging is associated with as much as a 44 percent 10. (low) risk of death. The life expectancy increase in men is as much as 6.2 years, and for women it is as much as 5.6 years.
高三英语语法填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
The Wall Street Journal recently published an excellent article penned by Wendy Bounds on a hot topic here at MNN: the air-purifying qualities of the common house plant. Given that the air inside your home can be 2 to 5 times more polluted than the air outside of it, making it clean with plants like peace lily (百合花) and asparagus fern (芦笋蕨) is an economical. artistically pleasing alternative to air purifiers. So it’s been acknowledged that a bunch of pretty putted houseplants can help you maintain a healthier home, but a smarter home?
That' s the question in light of a recent study published by the Journal of Environmental Psychology showing that the presence of plants in a room, particularly in an office environment, can shrink attention span (范围). Struggling directive attention (the kind of attention that takes effort) can be refreshed through exposure ho to naturalistic environments. Basically, taking a walk through the park can clear one’s head. But can a head be refreshed simply by being surrounded by houseplants?
To test their theory, the study’s authors rounded up a bunch of participants, put some of them in a mom with no plants and put others in a room with our plants placed around a desk, and put them all to the same series of tests. First was a Rearing Span Teat which involves reading a series of sentences aloud and remembering the Last word in each sentence. This task requires that you fluently switch between attention demanding tasks: from rending and memorizing at one moment. to writing and recalling at the next. Next came a proofreading task fallowed by another Reading Span Test.
The results? Participants working in the room with the plants improved their performance from the first Reading Span Test to the second while those working in the room lacking in greenery did not. Consequently, the benefits of working among plants is indeed evident.
1.What do we know from the first paragraph?
A.Staying indoors can help avoid the poorer air outdoors.
B.Houseplants can Function as beautiful cheap air purifiers.
C.Planting polled flowers as decorations is very interesting.
D.Air purifiers are the most effective to create a healthy home.
2.What does the underlined part in paragraph 2 probably refer to?
A.Focus one’s attention. B.Disturb one’s attention.
C.weaken one’s attention. D.Turn one’s attention away.
3.What does the test prove?
A.Working in nature helps increase productivity.
B.Houseplants will be in great demand in our life.
C.Greenery creates healthier naturalistic atmosphere indoors.
D.Working among houseplants improves mental functioning.
4.What can be a suitable title for the text?
A.Flowers: Grand Feast to Eyes B.Greenery: Effective Air-purifier
C.Houseplants: Visual Brain Food D.Potted Plants: Great! House-beautifier
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The Wall Street Journal recently published an excellent article penned by Wendy Bounds on a hot topic here at MNN: the air-purifying qualities of the common houseplant. Given that the air inside your home can be 2 to 5 times more polluted than the air outside of it, making it clean with plants like peace lily(百合花)and asparagus fern(芦笋蕨)is an economical, artistically pleasing alternative to air purifiers. So, it's been acknowledged that a bunch of pretty potted houseplants can help you maintain a healthier home, but a smarter home?
That's the question in light of a recent study published by the Journal of Environmental Psychology showing that the presence of plants in a room, particularly in an office environment, can shrink attention span(范围). Struggling directive attention (the kind of attention that takes effort) can be refreshed through exposure to naturalistic environments. Basically, taking a walk through the park can clear one's head. But can a head be refreshed simply by being surrounded by houseplants?
To test their theory, the study's authors rounded up a bunch of participants, put some of them in a room with no plants and put others in a room with four plants placed around a desk, and put them all to the same series of tests. First was a Reading Span Test, which involves reading a series of sentences aloud and remembering the last word in each sentence. This task requires that you fluently switch between attention demanding tasks: from reading and memorizing at one moment, to writing and recalling at the next. Next came a proof-reading task followed by another Reading Span Test.
The results? Participants working in the room with the plants improved their performance from the first Reading Span Test to the second while those working in the room lacking in greenery did not. Consequently, the benefits of working among plants is indeed evident.
1.What do we know from the first paragraph?
A.Staying indoors can help avoid the poorer air outdoors.
B.Houseplants can function as beautiful cheap air purifiers.
C.Planting potted flowers as decorations is very interesting.
D.Air purifiers are the most effective to create a healthy home.
2.What does the underlined part in paragraph 2 probably refer to?
A.Focus one's attention. B.Disturb one's attention.
C.Weaken one's attention. D.Turn one's attention away.
3.What does the test prove?
A.Working in nature helps increase productivity.
B.Houseplants will be in great demand in our life.
C.Greenery creates healthier naturalistic atmosphere indoors.
D.Working among houseplants improves mental functioning.
4.What can be a suitable title for the text?
A.Flowers: Grand Feast to Eyes B.Greenery: Effective Air-purifier
C.Houseplants: Visual Brain Food D.Potted Plants: Great House-beautifier
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
He has written two articles for the journal，one to be published in this issue，the other to___________ in the next.
A. turn out B. come out
C. bring out. D. leave out
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
There is no sound worse than an alarm clock first thing in the morning.Some of us are the type to jolt out of bed with a smile.1. While I have a love-hate relationship with mornings,I have found that there are indeed ways to make mornings a little more bearable.
Mentally plan out your day.
One way to combat the morning blues is to mentally plan out your day right when you wake up to prepare yourself for the day.Give yourself at least one little thing to look forward to each day.2.
Meditate.
Meditation (冥想) will clear your mind and relax your body.Even just ten minutes of focused mental thought can completely clear your mind.3. Of all of them,I like Headspace best,which provides 10-minute sessions that leave you feeling relaxed,and ready to have a great day!4.
People say “look good,feel good.” If you have your outfit ready in advance,you are more likely to feel confident and mentally prepared for the day.Whether it’s a pair of jeans or a sweater,pick out clothes that you feel great in.
Go with a friend or classmate to breakfast,school,etc.
5. Sharing the first moments of the day with others will fuel your mind and let you ease into your day. Also,having a regimented (受管制的) morning routine with others will help ensure that you are on-time for school and that you have a reason to get up in the morning.
A.Put on your clothes for the night.
B.Lay out your clothes the night before.
C.Others love to exercise in the morning.
D.Mornings are best when you have good company.
E.However,for others,mornings are the worst enemy.
F.It can even be a cookie of your favorite taste on the lunch break.
G..It’s easy with the availability of apps and YouTube guided exercises out there.
高三英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析