As we enjoy the summer ocean waves along the beaches, we may think nervously about Steven Spielberg's Jaws and the great fear that sharks inspire in us. Yet we are happy to see global efforts to protect the declining number of sharks. The world has realized that we need the species, like sharks, to keep a balanced ecosystem.
Sharks, in particular, are “in” these days. Thanks to good public policy and famous stars such as Jackie Chan and Ang Lee, killing sharks for fin soup is no longer cool.
The demand for shark fins has been rising for decades, threatening sharks with extinction(灭绝)—up to 100 million sharks are killed each year just for their fins. But we have started to reverse the trend, particularly in many areas of the United States and overseas where restaurants once proudly provided delicious shark fins on the menu.
In California, a ban on the sale and possession of shark fin soup has gone into effect this year through the efforts of Wild Aid and other organizations.
Overseas marketing and public efforts featuring posters on public transportation systems and TV ads have been underway for the past few years. These efforts all show signs of success, on both the supply side and the demand side of trade in shark fins.
Actually, stopping the killing of sharks is part of a broader movement to stop the killing of wild animals and the buying and selling of wildlife products. These products come from hunting elephants, tigers and rhinos, besides killing marine life.
Whether it is shark fin soup or ivory piano keys, killing animals is big business. The hunting of elephants in search of ivory tusks for luxury(奢侈的)goods has become a fullscale war. The decrease of African elephant populations is alarming. Together with international partners, the United States is leading the worldwide effort to reduce demand for highend products that rely on killing animals.
【小题1】The underlined word “reverse” in Paragraph 3 probably means ________.
A.show | B.keep |
C.follow | D.change |
A.Jackie Chan and Ang Lee make fin soup popular |
B.a lot of wild animals have been killed for products |
C.Steven Spielberg's Jaws inspires us to protect sharks |
D.the number of African elephants has been increased |
A.More animals for highend products will be saved. |
B.People have kicked the habit of having shark fin soup. |
C.Shark fins will not be available any more in restaurants. |
D.Global efforts have succeeded in stopping killing wild animals. |
【小题1】D
【小题2】B
【小题3】A
解析文章大意:对野生动物的保护正在进行中。
【小题1】D 猜测词义题。由转折词But可知,所在句意为:我们已经开始“扭转”这一趋势。
【小题2】B 细节理解题。由第二段第二句话“Thanks to good public policy and famous stars such as Jackie Chan and Ang Lee, killing sharks for fin soup is no longer cool.”可知,成龙和李安使鱼翅汤不再流行,所以A项错误;由第一段第一句话“As we enjoy the summer ocean waves along the beaches, we may think nervously about Steven Spielberg's Jaws and the great fear that sharks inspire in us.”可知,斯皮尔伯格的《大白鲨》使人们产生了对鲨鱼的恐怖,所以C项正确;由最后一段第三句话“The decrease of African elephant populations is alarming.”可知,D项错误;由倒数第二段可知,B项正确。
【小题3】A 推理判断题。由最后一段最后一句话“Together with international partners, the United States is leading the worldwide effort to reduce demand for highend products that rely on killing animals.”可推知,在全世界人们的努力下,更多的动物会受到保护。所以A项正确;其他三项都不对。
科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
“I’ve never met a human worth cloning,” says cloning expert Mark Westhusin from his lab at Texas A&M University. “It’s a stupid endeavor.”
That’s an interesting choice of adjective, coming from a man who has spent millions of dollars trying to clone a 13-year-old dog named Missy. So far, he and his team have not succeeded, though they have cloned two cows and a cat.
They just might succeed in cloning Missy soon — or perhaps not for another five years.
Westhusin's experience with cloning animals leaves him upset by all this talk of human cloning. In three years of work on the Missy project, using hundreds upon hundreds of dog's eggs, the A&M team has produced only a dozen or so embryos carrying Missy's DNA. None have survived the transfer to a surrogate(代孕的)mother. The wastage of eggs and the many spontaneously aborted(流产,发育不全) fetuses(胎)may be acceptable when you're dealing with cats or bulls, he argues, but not with humans. “Cloning is incredibly inefficient, and also dangerous,” he says.
Even so, dog cloning is a commercial opportunity, with a nice research payoff. Ever since Dolly the sheep was cloned in 1996, Westhusin's phone has been ringing with people calling in hopes of duplicating their cats and dogs, cattle and horses. “A lot of people want to clone pets, especially if the price is right,” says Westhusin. Cost is no obstacle for Missy's mysterious billionaire owner; he's put up $3.7 million so far to fund A&M's research.
Contrary to some media reports, Missy is not dead. The owner wants a twin to carry on Missy's fine qualities after she does die. The prototype(原型;雏形)is, by all accounts, athletic, good-natured and super-smart. Missy's master does not expect an exact copy of her. He knows her clone may not have her temperament(气质、性情). In a statement of purpose, Missy's owner and the A&M team say they are “both looking forward to studying the ways that her clones differ from Missy.”
Besides cloning a great dog, the project may contribute insight into the old question of nature vs. nurture. It could also lead to the cloning of special rescue dogs and many endangered animals.
However, Westhusin is cautious about his work. He knows that even if he gets a dog pregnant, the offspring, should they survive, will face the problems shown at birth by other cloned animals: abnormalities like immature lungs and heart and weight problems~ “Why would you ever want to clone humans,” Westhusin asks, “when we're not even close to getting it worked out in animals yet?”
【小题1】By “stupid endeavor”, Westhusin means to say that ________.
A.human cloning is a foolish undertaking |
B.animal cloning is absolutely impractical |
C.human cloning should be done selectively |
D.animal cloning is not worth the effort at all |
A.Its success is already in sight. |
B.It is progressing smoothly. |
C.It is doomed to utter failure. |
D.Its outcome remains uncertain. |
A.study the possibility of cloning humans |
B.search for ways to modify its temperament |
C.find out the differences between Missy and its clones |
D.examine the reproductive system of the dog species |
A.a bad temper |
B.defective(有缺陷的、有毛病的)organs |
C.immune deficiency |
D.an abnormal shape |
A.Cloning of Missy |
B.Scientist Says ‘No’ to Human Cloning |
C.Human Cloning Is Dangerous . |
D.Westhusin Is Cautious about Cloning |
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科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
A new study shows students who write notes by hand during lectures perform better on exams than those who use laptops(笔记本电脑).
Students are increasingly using laptops for note-taking because of speed and legibility(清晰度).But the research has found laptop users are less able to remember and apply the concepts they have been taught.
Researchers performed experiments that aimed to find out whether using a laptop increased the tendency to make notes "mindlessly" by taking down word for word what the professors said
In the first experiment, students were given either a laptop or pen and paper .They listened to the same lectures and were told to use their usual note-taking skills. Thirty minutes after the talk , they were examined on their ability to remember facts and on how well they understood concepts.
The researchers found that laptop users took twice as many notes as those who wrote by hand. However, the typists performed worse at remembering and applying the concepts. Both groups scored similarly when it came to memorizing facts.
The researchers' report said, "While more notes are beneficial, if the notes are taken mindlessly, as is more likely the case on a laptop, the benefit disappears."
In another experiment aimed at testing long-term memory, students took notes as before but were tested a week after the lecture. This time, the students who wrote notes by hand performed significantly better on the exam.
These two experiments suggest that handwritten notes are not only better for immediate learning and understanding, but that they also lead to superior revision in the future.
【小题1】More and more students favor laptops for note-taking because they can .
A.write more notes | B.digest concepts better |
C.get higher scores | D.understand lectures better |
A.skillful | B.mindless |
C.thoughtful | D.tireless |
A.examine the importance of long-term memory |
B.stress the benefit of taking notes by hand |
C.explain the process of taking notes |
D.promote the use of laptops |
A.a newspaper advertisement | B.a computer textbook |
C.a science magazine | D.a finance report |
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科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
Password (密码) strength has been a topic about the Internet lately. I have seen lots of clever methods for generating and remembering strong passwords. Some are better than others, but in my opinion, none are adequate. Here's the problem: It doesn't matter how strong your passwords are if you use the same one on multiple sites. All it takes is for a site to get hacked(侵入), like Gawker media, or even Sony did, and now your superstrong password has been stolen, and every site on which you used that password has been accessed.
So, the bottom line is that no matter how strong your passwords are, and no matter what clever tricks you use to help you remember them, if you surf internet often, the only truly secure password system is what you need.
Enter LastPass. It's not the only password manager out there, but I like it the best. You create ONE strong password that you have to memorize and use it to access your LastPass database. The LastPass database is stored online, on LastPass's servers. LastPass recognizes the site you're on and automatically logs you in (after, optionally, asking you to reenter your master password). LastPass also has automatic form fill and automatic password generation. This means that you can have a different, unique, very strong password for every site you log into, but you only have to remember one master password. It's the best of both worlds.
One argument against LastPass is that if their database is attacked, then all of your sites are in danger, and that's true, but given that their entire line of work is keeping that information safe, I'm willing to take that chance. The alternative is rolling dice(掷骰子) or picking phrases to create passwords, writing all of them down on a piece of paper or something, and then having to manually type them in when I go to a site. A terrible mess.
There is a free version of LastPass, with some additional features unlocked if you pay a $12 a year subscription.
Joshua Bardwell
【小题1】The writer thinks using the same password everywhere is ________.
A.dangerous | B.convenient |
C.appropriate | D.adequate |
A.all passwords used |
B.the last password |
C.unique password each time |
D.the master password only |
A.they have better ways to create password |
B.they think rolling dice is more convenient |
C.they have no faith in Lastpass database's safety |
D.Gawker media and Lastpass were hacked once |
A.share his experience |
B.introduce a product of good quality |
C.advertise his product |
D.teach how to use a new product |
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科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
Different Kinds of Birds
Avocets
There are 4 different species of Avocet found around the world-Pied Avocet , Red-necked Avocet, Andean Avocet, and American Avocet. This bird is found in North and South America, Europe, and even Australia. This long-legged bird has webbed feet and an upturned, thin bill.
Bald Eagles
The bald eagle is found in wetlands and near coastlines. They have very large and broad wings, with a broad tail. The head and tail are white in color, which is the major distinguishable factor of the bald eagle. The long, hooked bill is yellow in color. They feed on fish, ducks, rabbits, geese, etc.
Eastern Bluebirds
These are around 61/2 inches in length .Such birds are found mainly in gardens woodlands, and orchards with the arrival of spring. Male Eastern Bluebirds are bright blue on the upper half and have a white belly. Female Eastern Bluebirds have a grayish head with shades of blue as well. New York and Missouri have named this creature as their state bird.
Flamingos
These pink-bodied birds with a unique beak, are generally found in large groups. The beaks are capable of removing mud before they can eat their food. Flamingos can be found in many African countries, areas of Florida, and one particular type of species is found only in the Andean highlands.
Kingfishers
There are over 90 various species of Kingfishers found in the woodland areas as well as wetlands across the world. They are excellent divers when it comes to catching fish in the rivers. Their pointed bills are what help them bag the catch. Kingfishers have good eyesight whether they are in air or underwater.
【小题1】____ most probably mean the same.
A.Bill and beak | B.Head and beak | C.Bill and belly | D.Leg and feet |
A.Eastern Bluebirds are all blue in color. |
B.Avocets can be found around the world. |
C.The white head and tail make Bald Eagles distinguishable. |
D.More Kingfishers can be found in wetlands than in the woodland areas. |
A.Bald Eagles |
B.Female Eastern Bluebirds |
C.Andean Avocets |
D.one special type of Flamingos |
A.habitats | B.shapes | C.ability to catch fish | D.eyesight in air or under water |
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科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
The first robot rover to land on the Moon in nearly 40 years, China's Jade Rabbit, has begun sending back photos, with shots of its lunar lander(登月飞行器). Jade Rabbit rolled down a ramp lowered by the lander and on to the volcanic plain known as Sinus Iridum at 04:35 Beijing time on Saturday (20:35 GMT).It moved to a spot a few metres away, its historic short journey recorded by the lander. On Sunday evening the two machines began photographing each other. A Chinese flag is clearly visible on the Jade Rabbit as it stands deployed on the Moon's surface.
Ma Xingrui, chief mander of China's lunar programme, declared the mission (任务)a “plete success”. The first soft landing on the Moon since 1976 is the latest step in China's ambitious space programme, says BBC science reporter Paul Rincon.
The lander will operate there for a year, while the rover is expected to work for some three months. The Chang'e3 mission landed some 12 days after being launched atop a Chinesedeveloped Long March 3B rocket from Xichang in the country's south. The official Xinhua news service reported that the lander began its descent(下降)on Saturday just after 13:00 GMT, touching down in Sinus Iridum (the Bay of Rainbows) 11 minutes later. “I was lucky enough to see a prototype rover(原型月球车) in Shanghai a few years ago it's a wonderful technological achievement to have landed,” Prof Andrew Coates, from UCL's Mullard Space Science Laboratory, told BBC News.
Chang'e3 is the third unmanned rover mission to touch down on the lunar surface, and the first to go there in more than 40 years. The last was an 840kg (1,900lb) Soviet vehicle known as Lunokhod2, which was kept warm by polonium(钋)210. But the sixwheeled Chinese vehicle carries a more sophisticated payload(复杂的有效负荷), including groundpenetrating radar which will gather measurements of the lunar soil and crust.
【小题1】What does the text mainly talk about?
A.China's space and aeronautics industry develops quickly. |
B.The importance of China's space and aeronautics industry. |
C.China's Jade Rabbit Moon rover sends back first photos. |
D.Chang'e3 is the third unmanned rover mission to touch down on the lunar surface. |
A.nearly 40 | B.37 |
C.64 | D.more than 40 |
A.do some research about the moon |
B.be the first settler on the moon |
C.to plant the Chinese flag onto the moon |
D.send a lovely jade rabbit onto the moon |
A.13:00 | B.20:00 |
C.22:00 | D.21:00 |
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科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
If you want to help children develop language and speech skills, UCLA researchers say, listening to what they have to say is just as important as talking to them.
The effect of a conversation between a child and an adult is about six times as great as the effect of adult speech input(输入)alone, the researchers found. “Adults speaking to children helps language develop, but what matters much more is the interaction, ”said the study’s lead author, Frederick Zimmerman, an associate professor in the School of Public Health at the University of California, Los Angeles. The researchers also found that TV viewing didn’t have much of an effect—positively or negatively—as long as it wasn’t displacing conversations between an adult and a child.
The UCLA study included 275 families with children between 2 months and 48 months old. They represented a variety of incomes and education. The researchers found that, in an average day, children heard about 13, 000 spoken words from adults and participated in about 400 adult-child conversations a day.
Assessed separately, factors positively associated with language development included each additional 100 conversations a day and each 1, 000 words increase in the number of words spoken by adults and heard by children. When looked at alone, TV was negatively associated with language development. But, when these three factors were analyzed together, the only one that stood out was conversation between adults and children.
“The more a child speaks and interacts with an adult, the better idea a parent has about where the child is”, Zimmerman said. “Although it’s mostly done unconsciously, parents will provide feedback and correct mistakes. They’ll also tailor their speech to the child. Parents can give the children words by talking to them about what they’re doing, such as, ‘I’m putting on your pajamas now’. But give your child the opportunity to talk, hopefully without the rest of the noise in the environment, ”she added. “If parents can carve out some conversation time—maybe at bath time or at dinner time—that’s a wonderful thing. ”
【小题1】 The researchers also found that TV viewing .
A.could have a positive effect on a child’s language development |
B.had a little effect on a child’s language development |
C.affected a child’s language development more negatively than positively |
D.affected a child’s language development both negatively and positively |
A.parents should let their children talk most of the time |
B.children should watch TV programs selectively |
C.the conversation between parents and children should be two-way |
D.it’s no good for parents to correct their children’s mistakes when they are speaking |
A.parents should let a child repeat what he or she says |
B.bath time or dinner time is the best chance for parents to talk to a child |
C.parent-child conversation can be carried out at any proper time |
D.parents should leave a child talking alone |
A.Talk with kids, not at them |
B.Let your children voice their own opinions |
C.How to develop a child’s language ability |
D.The importance of early child language development |
A.control | B.improve |
C.pass | D.adjust |
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科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
No one wants to be tested. We would all like to get a driver’s license without answering questionsabout rights of way or showing that we can parallel park a car. Many future lawyers and doctors probablywish they could join their profession without taking an exam.
But tests and standards are a necessary fact of life. They protect us from unskilled drivers, harmful products and dishonest professionals. In schools too exams play a. constructive role. They tell public officials whether new school programs are making a difference and where new investments are likely to pay off.
They tell teachers what their students have learned--and have not. They tell parents how their children are doing compared with others their age. They encourage students to make more effort.
It is important to recall that for most of century, educators used intelligence tests to decide whichchildren should get a high-quality education. The point of IQ testing was to find out how much children were capable of learning rather than to test what they had actually learned. Based on IQ scores, millions of children
were assigned to dumbed-down programs instead of solid courses in science, math, history, literature andforeign language.
This history reminds us that tests should be used to improve education. Every child should have access to a high-quality education. Students should have full opportunity to learn what will be tested; otherwise theirscores will merely reflect whether they come from an educated family.
In the past few years, we have seen the enormous benefits that flow to disadvantaged students because of the information provided by state tests. Those who fall behind are now getting extra instruction inafter-school classes and summer programs. In their efforts to improve student performance, states are
increasing teachers salaries, testing new teachers and insisting on better teacher education.
Performance in education means the mastery of both knowledge and skills. This is why it is reasonable totest teachers to make sure they know their subject matter, as well as how to teach it to young children. And this is why it is reasonable to assess whether students are ready to advance to the next grade or graduate
from high school.
【小题1】According to the passage, school exams enable ______.
A.governments to make right policieshave made efforts |
B.students to meet their teachers' requirements |
C.teachers to understand if their students |
D.parents to compare their kids' behavior across schools |
A.lead to high-quality education |
B.are less academically challenging |
C.are intended for intelligent students |
D.enable children to make steady progress |
A.Disadvantaged students can benefit from state tests. |
B.Tests should focus on what students have actually learned. |
C.Intelligent tests decide if children should get a high - quality education. |
D.Intelligent tests are helpful in separating excellent students from poor ones. |
A.To re-assess the value of IQ testing. |
B.To defend the role of testing in education. |
C.To explain what high-quality education means. |
D.To call for thorough and complete reform in education. |
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科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
Many of our favorite travel destinations are in danger of being changed badly by increased temperatures and rising seas. The following are some of the places that may be in danger and some that are already experiencing the effects of global warming.
The Everglades, Florida: Perhaps no region of the country is as unprotected to climate change as Florida. Even a slight increase in temperature and water level could devastate popular destinations like the Everglades, Miami Beach and the Keys.
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef: One of the most impressive natural habitats in the world, the Great Barrier Reef could be killed by increased water temperatures and the resulting coral bleaching (漂白法). Australia is particularly easily damaged by global warming because of its large number of fragile (脆弱的) ecosystems, uncertain water sources and a large group of people gathering on the coast.
Dalian, China: Fast-growing China, shown here during a heat wave last year, is opening about one coal factory every day this year. Along with the U.S., China is one of the world's leading contributors to the greenhouse gases , which can lead to the increase in the Earth's temperature.
Venice, Italy: No stranger to flooding, Venice has invested $4.5 billion in a floodgate system that is due to open in 2012. But the frequent changing ocean levels have made people question the floodgates' ability to hold out the rising waters.
London, England: Designed to protect London from storms and extremely high tides, the Thames Barrier was opened in 1984. Some analysts fear that rising oceans will create conditions beyond the capabilities the barrier was designed to meet.
【小题1】The word “devastate” in paragraph 2 means “_____________”.
A.protect | B.destroy | C.swallow | D.enlarge |
A.Fragile ecosystem |
B.Uncertain water sources. |
C.The large group of people. |
D.Increased water temperatures and the coral bleaching |
A.flooding is common in Venice |
B.everyone is familiar with flooding |
C.it is strange for Venice to experience flooding |
D.there is no flooding in Venice |
A.the dangerous destinations |
B.the most popular destinations |
C.the fascinating destinations |
D.the endangered destinations |
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