Can we give a hand to those endangered animals? Yes, we may only do a little bit, but together our small actions add up to a lot.
1. Protect wildlife habitat.
Perhaps the greatest threat that faces many species is the widespread destruction of habitat. Cutting down forests, farming, and development all result in loss of wildlife habitat. In areas where rare species live, habitat destruction can quickly force a species to extinction. By protecting habitat, entire communities of animals can be protected together naturally. Parks and reserves are now all too often the only habitats that are left untouched by habitat destruction.
2. Reduce the threat of invasive (入侵的) species.
The spread of non-native species has greatly reduced native populations around the world. Invasive species compete with native species for resources (资源) and habitat. They can even prey on native species directly, forcing native species towards extinction.
3. Place decals (贴花纸) on windows.
It is reported that as many as one billion birds in the United States die each year because of collisions (碰撞) with windows. You can help reduce the number of collisions simply by placing decals on the windows in your home and office.
4. Slow down when driving.
Many native animals have to live in developed areas and this means they must move in human-living areas. One of the biggest obstacles (障碍) to them is that created by roads. Roads divide habitat and present a constant risk to any animal attempting to cross from one side to the other. So when you’re out and about, slow down and keep an eye out for wildlife.
【小题1】 What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．How animals go to extinction |
| B．The importance of protecting wildlife |
| C．What to do to help save wildlife |
| D．How to protect wildlife habitat |
| A．more parks and reserves should be built |
| B．we should have more habitats free of destruction |
| C．there is a need for improvement in parks and re-serves |
| D．parks and reserves are good examples of protecting wildlife |
| A．decorate the houses and beautify the environment |
| B．protect the windows from birds hitting |
| C．attract more birds to make homes nearby |
| D．avoid birds hitting the windows by mistake |
| A．drive away | B．live with | C．kill for food | D．fight with |
【小题1】C
【小题2】B
【小题3】D
【小题4】C
解析试题分析：在本文中作者介绍了几种保护动物的方法。一、保护动物的栖息地，给他们提供生存的空间；二、减少入侵物种的威胁；三、贴窗花以减少鸟类因碰撞窗户而造成的死亡；四、开车时要留意穿越马路的动物们。
【小题1】C主旨大意题。文章开头用自问自答的方式引出保护野生动物这一话题，然后在下文中介绍了几种具体的做法，所以C选项正确。
【小题2】B推理判断题。上文讲述许多动物的栖息地遭到破坏是野生动物面临的最大威胁，由此可知我们要保护野生动物，就要使他们的野外生存环境免受破坏，所以B选项正确。
【小题3】D推理判断题。根据文中You can help reduce the number of collisions simply by placing decals on the windows in your home and office.可知贴窗花是为了避免鸟类因撞到窗户上死亡，所以选D。
【小题4】C词意猜测题。上文讲入侵物种会与当地动物争夺栖息地，以及食物资源等，再根据句中even可以判断此处应该是更为严重的情况，由此推断C选项正确。
考点：考查社会生活类短文阅读。
阅读快车系列答案科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Many of us believe that a person’s mind becomes less active as he grows older. But this is not true, according to Dr Jarvik, professor of psychiatry at the University of California. She has studied the mental functioning of aging persons for several years. For example, one of her studies concerns 136 pairs of twins (双胞胎), who were first examined when they were already 60 years old. As Dr Jarvik continued the study of the twins into their 70s and 80s, their minds did not generally decline (衰弱) as was expected.
However, there was some decline in their psycho-motor speed. This means that it took them longer to finish mental tasks than it used to. But when speed was not a factor, they lost very little intellectual (智力的) ability over the years. In general, Dr Jarvik’s studies have shown that there is no decline in knowledge or reasoning ability. This is true not only with those in their 30s and 40s, but with those in their 60s and 70s as well.
It is true that older people themselves often complain that their memory is not as good as it once was. However, much of what we call “loss of memory” is not that at all. There usually was incomplete learning in the first place. For example, the older person perhaps had trouble hearing, or poor vision, or was trying to learn the new thing at too fast a speed. In the cases where the older person’s mind really seems to get worse, it is not necessarily a sign of decline due to old age. Often it is simply a sign of a sad emotional state.
【小题1】 This passage is mainly about _______.
| A．what caused mental decline |
| B．a new discovery about mental decline |
| C．the difference between middle-aged and older persons |
| D．how Dr Jarvik studied mental functioning of the twins |
| A．the study of diseases of the mind |
| B．the study of physical diseases |
| C．the study of twins’ growth |
| D．the study of human behavior |
| A．a worsening state of health | B．old age |
| C．nervous tension | D．a state of unhappiness |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Gray hair is simply a part of the normal aging process, and the rate you go silver is genetically predetermined. Going gray is not associated with earlier death, and premature graying is not, generally speaking, a sign of an illness or ill health in younger adults. There are, however, some specific health conditions associated with gray or white hair, but for most of us, going gray is just a fact of life.
Hair color comes from the pigment melanin(黑色素), which determines your individual shade. Hair without any melanin is pure white. The pigment is produced in cells called melanocytes, which inject pigment into the hair. At some point in everyone's lifetime, these cells slow down and eventually stop producing color. Scientists have yet to identify the exact mechanism by which melanocyte cell death occurs.
A study of more than 4,000 women and men from 20 countries determined that about 75% of people between the ages of 45 and 65 have some gray hair. In general, people of European descent gray earliest followed by Asians and Africans. It's interesting to note that a lucky 1 in 10 has no gray hair by retirement age. Beginning at age 30, your chances of having gray hair go up 10-20% per decade.
It may feel like you have more grays after a stressful event, but that's probably because middle age is basically a series of anxiety-ridden events. Between working, raising kids, and caring for older parents, the "sandwich" years of 45-65 can be stressful, especially for women. They are also when we naturally start to look older.
At this point, there is still no silver bullet to keep away the grays.
【小题1】What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．Going gray. | B．Tips to make hair color last |
| C．Why does hair turn gray? | D．Gray hair is in fashion. |
| A．Scientists have found out how to prevent hair from turning gray. |
| B．Europeans are more likely to gray than Asians and Africans. |
| C．Gray hair means poor health or a sign of illness. |
| D．Everyone will inevitably get gray hair by retirement age. |
| A．Being physically weak. | B．Stress from different sides. |
| C．Death of melanocyte cell. | D．Genetic factors. |
| A．Make-up | B．Scientific research. | C．Chemical weapon. | D．Cure. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Cutting global warming pollution would not only make the planet healthier, it would make people healthier too, new research suggests.
Cutting carbon dioxide emissions could save millions of lives, mostly by reducing preventable deaths from heart and lung diseases, according to studies released Wednesday and published in a special issue of The Lancet British medical journal.
“Relying on fossil fuels leads to unhealthy lifestyles, increasing our chances for getting sick and in some cases takes years from our lives,” US Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a telecast (电视广播) briefing from her home state of Kansas. “As greenhouse gas emissions go down, so do deaths from cardiovascular (心血管的) and respiratory diseases (呼吸疾病). This is not a small effect.”
Instead of looking at the health ills caused by future global warming, as past studies have done, this research looks at the immediate benefits of doing something about the problem, said Linda Birnbaum, director of the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
Some possible benefits seemed highly speculative (投机的，推测的), the researchers conceded (承认，给予), based on people driving less and walking and cycling more. Other proposals studied were more concrete and achievable, such as reducing cook stoves that burn dung (粪便), charcoal and other polluting fuels in the developing world.
And cutting carbon dioxide emissions also makes the air cleaner, reducing lung damage for millions of people, doctors said.
“Here are ways you can attack major health problems at the same time as dealing with climate change," said lead author Dr. Paul Wilkinson, an environmental epidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Wilkinson said the individual studies came up with numbers of premature deaths prevented or extra years of life added for certain places.
For example, switching to low-polluting cars in London and Delhi, India, would save 160 lost years of life in London and nearly 1,700 in Delhi for every million residents, one study found. But if people also drove less and walked or biked more, those extra saved years would soar (高耸，高涨) to more than 7,300 years in London and 12,500 years in Delhi because of less heart disease.
【小题1】What does the passage mainly about?
| A．How can people live longer. |
| B．Cutting carbon dioxide emissions saves life. |
| C．Global warming threatens people’s lives |
| D．People should stop relying on fossil fuels |
| A．it focuses on the immediate benefits of cutting carbon dioxide emissions |
| B．it studies the bad effects arising from future global warming |
| C．it is believed by most people |
| D．it mainly targets at developing countries |
| A．sometimes it takes years to see the bad effects caused by consuming fossil fuels |
| B．without greenhouse gas emissions, people would not die of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases |
| C．the main reason why people get sick is that they rely on fossil fuels |
| D．death from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases are closely related to greenhouse gas emissions |
| A．London and Delhi have already benefited from reducing greenhouse gas emissions |
| B．switching to low-polluting cars would save 160 lives in London every year |
| C．walking and biking instead of driving will reduce the chance of heart disease |
| D．attacking health problems and dealing with climate change are contradictory |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Below is a selection from a popular science book.
If blood is red, why are veins (静脉) blue?
Actually, veins are not blue at all. They are more of a clear, yellowish colour. Although blood looks red when it's outside the body, when it's sitting in a vein near the surface of the skin, it's more of a dark reddish purple color. At the right depth, these blood-filled veins reflect less red light than the surrounding skin, making them look blue by comparison.
Which works harder, your heart or your brain?
Which works harder depends on whether you are busy thinking or busy exercising. Your heart works up to three times harder during exercise, and shifts enough blood over a lifetime to fill a supertanker. But, in the long run, your brain probably tips it, because even when you’re sitting still your brain is using twice as much energy as your heart, and it takes four to five times as much blood to feed it.
Why do teeth fall out, and why don't they grow back in grown-ups?
Baby (or "milk") teeth do not last long; they fall out to make room for bigger, stronger adult teeth later on. Adult teeth fall out when they become damaged, decayed and infected by bacteria. Once this second set of teeth has grown in, you're done. When they're gone, they’re gone. This is because nature figures you're set for life, and what controls regrowth of your teeth switches off.
Do old people shrink as they age?
Yes and no. Many people do get shorter as they age. But, when they do, it isn't because they're shrinking all over. They simply lose height as their spine(脊柱) becomes shorter and more curved due to disuse and the effects of gravity. Many (but not all) men and women do lose height as they get older. Men lose an average of 3-4 cm in height as they age, while women may lose 5 cm or more. If you live to be 200 years old, would you keep shrinking till you were, like 60 cm tall, like a little boy again? No, because old people don't really shrink! It is not that they are growing backwards — their legs, arms and backbones getting shorter. When they do get shorter, it's because the spine has shortened a little or, more often, become more bent and curved.
Why does spinning（旋转） make you dizzy (眩晕的)?
Because your brain gets confused between what you're seeing and what you're feeling. The brain senses that you’re spinning using special gravity-and-motion-sensing organs in your inner ear, which work together with your eyes to keep your vision and balance stable. But when you suddenly stop spinning the system goes out of control, and your brain thinks you're moving while you're not!
Where do feelings and emotions come from?
Mostly from an ancient part of the brain called the limbic system. All mammals have this brain area — from mice to dogs, cats, and humans. So all mammals feel basic emotions like fear, pain and pleasure. But since human feelings also involve other newer bits of the brain, we feel more complex emotions than any other animal on the planet.
If exercise wears you out, how can it be good for you?
Because our bodies adapt to everything we do to them. And as far as your body is concerned, it’s "use it, or lose it”! It's not that exercise makes you healthy; it's more that a lack of exercise leaves your body weak and easily affected by disease.
【小题1】What is the color of blood in a vein near the surface of the skin?
| A．Blue. | B．Light yellow. | C．Red. | D．Dark reddish purple. |
| A．Because their spine is in active use. |
| B．Because they are more easily affected by gravity. |
| C．Because they keep growing backwards. |
| D．Because their spine becomes more bent. |
| A．In the long run, our brain probably works harder than our heart. |
| B．When our brain senses the spinning, we will fell dizzy. |
| C．The brains of the other mammals are as complex as those of humans. |
| D．Our feelings and emotions come from the most developed area in our brain. |
| A．To give advice on how to stay healthy. |
| B．To provide information about our body. |
| C．To challenge new findings in medical research. |
| D．To report the latest discoveries in medical science. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Shopping green can make an important contribution to protecting the planet and conserving its resources.
Today’s consumer faces a wider range of choices than ever before, Add to that the steady stream of sales campaigns, and shopping smart only gets harder. To buy economically and reduce waste, safeguard health and protect the environment, you’ll need to follow some basic principles and have a clear idea of what you want.
1. Do Your Homework
Before making any major purchase, take the time to research it. Plentiful resources are usually available online. Avoid buying in a hurry, and don’t be persuaded by overenthusiastic salespeople. Sleep on it if necessary—you won’t regret giving yourself some extra time to think.
2. Take the Long View
Consider the running costs as well as the initial price of any item you buy. Many environmentally friendly products cost more to buy, but save you money in the long run. Choose items that are made to last. For example, pick a sofa that has a hardwood or steel frame rather than one made of softwood, which may break easily.
3. Skip the Disposable Option
Buy reusable products like washable cloth towels, handkerchiefs, serviettes（餐巾）and cleaning cloths rather than paper, single-use varieties. Avoid other disposable supplies like cups, glasses, and chopsticks, too.
4. Take the Local Route
Buy local products that are in season. It’s usually cheaper and fresher and has less harm to the environment. Markets and roadside stands are good sources. Some supermarkets also buy from local producers. Support it if you have one.
5. Avoid Wasteful Packaging
Better not buy products that have too much packaging. It’s estimated that approximately 10 percent of every shopping bill is actually paying for packaging—which you normally just throw away! Moreover, significant amounts of energy are used in the production of packaging. Purchasing refillable and renewable containers can also help cut this kind of waste.
【小题1】What could be the best title for this passage?
| A．Protection of the Planet |
| B．Green Shopping Principles |
| C．Environmentally Friendly Products |
| D．Resource Conservation |
| A．think it over | B．forget about it |
| C．set it aside | D．put it into action |
| A．Because they are less expensive to buy. |
| B．Because they save money in the long run. |
| C．Because they will never break. |
| D．Because they are local products. |
| A．Following the stream of sales campaigns. |
| B．Buying disposable chopsticks. |
| C．Focusing on packaging. |
| D．Purchasing from local markets. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
The way we get about has a deep influence on the way we live－affecting where we set up home, work and holiday. So what changes might come in the way we get around? What big ideas are out there, and do they have any chance of coming true?
Personal Air Travel
The idea: flying cars
Developments in light small plane technology will make it possible for everyone to own what are, in fact, flying cars. They will have closed cabins, heating, stereos and room for two people.
You will take off from a field near your home and fly to towns and cities. After landing, you will take off the fixed wing and continue your journey by road just as if you were traveling by car.
Fuel efficient engines and the advantage of being able to travel in the sky will keep costs and the environmental influence down.
Flying for Fun
The idea: Jet Packs
The idea was a hit when a stuntman (特技演员) flew around on one during the opening ceremony of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, which was very successful.
You’ll be able to use the equipment－roughly the size of two scuba tanks fastened to your back－for short journeys.
They will be handy for cleaning hard-to-reach windows, arriving in style at a party and shopping.
Taxis
The idea: driverless taxis
These computer-controlled taxis will take you wherever you want along a fixed route, whenever you want to go.
For the price of one person’s bus fare, several people can ride at speeds of up to 25 mph, and there will be fences to guard against accidents.
There will be little, if any, wait for the use of the taxis, which will leave from stations and will be used by prepaid cards.
The taxis, which will travel on a 1.5 m-wide track, will use 75% less energy per passenger than a car and 50% less than a bus.
【小题1】The passage is mainly about ________.
| A．future travel | B．big ideas and dreams |
| C．advanced technology | D．the influence of travel |
| A．will operate only in the sky |
| B．will be more expensive than common cars |
| C．will have fewer bad effects on the environment |
| D．won’t be equipped with things similar to what cars have |
| A．attend a party | B．clean high windows |
| C．go shopping | D．have a long journey |
| A．We can go wherever we want in them |
| B．They will be both cost-effective and safe |
| C．It costs more to take them than to take ordinary cars |
| D．They will be operated by computers as well as by people |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
C
When an ant dies, other ants take it out of the nest, often within an hour after its death. This behavior interests scientists and they wonder how ants know for sure--and so soon--that another ant is dead.
One scientist recently came up with a way to explain this ant behavior. Dong-Hwan Choe is a biologist, a scientist who studies animals and plants. He found that ants have a chemical on the outside of their bodies that signals to other ants, “I’m dead--take me away” when it is dead.
One scientist recently came up with a way to explain this ant behavior. Dong-Hwan Choe is a biologist, a scientist who studies animals and plants. He found that ants have a chemical on the outside of their bodies that signals to other ants, “I’m dead---take me away” when it is dead.
But there's a question to answer: As we know, if an ant is dead, it stops moving. But when an ant is sleeping or knocked unconscious, it is also not moving. However, other ants don't move the living ant out of the nest. How do they know this ant is not dead? Choe found that ants have another chemical on their bodies, which tells nearby ants something like, “Wait—I'm not dead yet” when it is not dead. Choe suspects that when an ant dies, the chemical that says, “Wait— I'm not dead yet” quickly goes away. When other ants detect the “dead” chemical without the “not dead yet” chemical, they move away the body.
To test his theory, Choe and his team put different chemicals on ants. When the scientists used the “I'm dead” chemical, other ants quickly moved the treated ant away. When the scientists used the “Wait—I'm not dead yet” chemical, other ants left the treated ant alone. Choe believes this behavior shows that the “not dead yet” chemical overrides the “dead” chemical when picked up by other ants. And that when an ant dies, the “not dead yet” chemical fades away. Other nearby ants then detect the remaining “dead” chemical and remove the body from the nest.
Understanding this behavior can help scientists figure out how to stop ants from invading new places and causing problems.
【小题1】What is the function of the first paragraph?
| A．Leading the following paragraphs. |
| B．Showing the main idea of the passage. |
| C．Introducing the background of the passage. |
| D．Giving a summary of the passage. |
| A．is weaker than | B．is stronger than | C．is better than | D．is worse than |
| A．Living ants can also be taken away when they are not moving. |
| B．When an ant dies, it can tell others using a certain chemical. |
| C．A living ant can pretend to be dead using a special chemical. |
| D．Ants often use chemicals to communicate with each other. |
| A．Choe did this study in order to stop ants from invading new places. |
| B．Choe is a biologist who is only interested in animals, especially in ants. |
| C．Choe first came up with an idea to explain this ant behavior，and then did some tests to prove his theory. |
| D．Choe did the research on this ant behavior on his own. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Conservationists have unveiled plans to preserve and protect the world's most important species of coral, in a response to increasing threats that they say will lead to "functional extinction" within decades．
Led by scientists at the Zoological Society of London, the Edge Coral Reefs project has identified 10 coral species in most urgent risk of becoming extinct．The scientists say that reefs are under pressure from a variety of threats including rising sea temperatures due to climatic instability, increased acidity（酸性）, overfishing and pollution．
The Edge plan, which focuses on the most evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered species , will take a regional approach to conservation．This means focusing on the "coral triangle" around the Philippines, the West Indian Ocean around the Mozambique channel, and in the Caribbean channel．
"Coral reefs are threatened with functional extinction in the next 20-50 years, due predominantly to global climatic instability," said Catherine Head, coordinator of the reefs project．"In these regions, we'll be supporting and training in-country conservationists to carry out research and implement targeted conservation actions," she said．"Their projects will last initially for two years．We provide them with a whole host of tools to carry out their projects including funding and intensive training．" She added．
Coral reefs are the planet's most diverse marine ecosystem（生态系统）, known as the rainforests of the oceans．Despite taking up under 0．2% of the ocean floor, they provide food and shelter for almost a third of all sea life．If we lose the ecosystems, we lose not only the biodiversity （生物多样性）, but we also lose the capability of people to obtain income and food from coral reefs．
Climatic instability, which leads to rising sea temperatures, causes corals to bleach．Bleaching occurs when sea temperatures rise and this causes the coral tissue to expel their symbiotic algae called zooxanthellae - these are what give the coral their colour．Bleached corals often die if the stress continues．Among the 10 species chosen to start the Edge project are the pearl bubble coral, a food source for the hawksbill（玳瑁）turtle, and the Mushroom coral, which supports at least 15 brightly colored fish．
【小题1】What does the first paragraph mean in the passage ?
| A．Conservationists planned to preserve and protect some extinct corals years ago． |
| B．Conservationists have banned plans to protect endangered corals for years． |
| C．Conservationists are going to protect corals that are dying out in several ten years． |
| D．Conservationists have made plans to protect corals from being extinct in ten years． |
| A．Decrease． | B．Losing functions |
| C．Disappearance． | D．Existence |
| A．The Edge Coral Reefs project was carried out by American scientists． |
| B．The plan concentrates on the channels to protect the endangered species． |
| C．The Conservationists have carried out the Edge plan for many years to protect the corals． |
| D．Ten coral species chosen by the project are at the greatest risk of becoming extinct． |
| A．We will keep the balance of the marine ecosystems． |
| B．About one third of the marine species can't survive． |
| C．Man can benefit more from corals． |
| D．We will lose the rainforests on our earth． |
| A．Climatic Instability and Coral Extinction |
| B．Reasons for Coral Functional Extinction． |
| C．A Plan to Save Coral from Extinction |
| D．A Research about Endangered Coral Reefs． |
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