What makes humans smarter than other animals? We’ve got a bigger brain, of course. But when it comes to brains, is bigger always better?
Traditionally, scientists have thought that humans’ superior intelligence derived(源于)mostly from the fact that our brains are three times bigger than those of our nearest living relatives, chimpanzees. People even used to believe that because men have slightly larger brains than women that men are smarter.
This, however, is not the truth. Scientists at University College London in the UK have found that brain organization, and not brain size, is the key to the superiority of human intelligence, reported Live Science.
Through millions of years of evolution, our ancestors were constantly pushed to get smarter so that they could meet the demands of new environments. However, holding this growing intelligence in increasingly large brains was not the best choice because bigger brains require more energy to power. “This is when reorganization may come into play, ”said Christophe Soligo, a member of the London research team.
In the study, scientists looked at the brains of 17 species of primates(灵长目动物), including monkeys, apes and humans. They found that in the process of evolution, brains didn’t keep growing as a whole. Certain regions of the brain grew prior to others in response to species’ needs, and in this way they could make the best use of their limited brain space.
For example, when early humans were struggling to survive, the brain region in charge of using tools and finding food grew in size more than other regions. But in modern times, the prefrontal cortex(前额皮质)—the region in charge of social cognition(认知), moral judgments and goal-directed planning—grew more than the rest of the brain.
Think of the brain as a room. If a big room is poorly organized, it doesn’t necessarily store more stuff than a smaller one.
Paul Manger, professor at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, explains this principle using the example of whales. He told Scientific American: “Whales have big brains, absolutely. But if you look at the actual structure of the brain, it’s not very complex. Brain size only matters if the rest of the brain is organized properly. ”
【小题1】It has recently been found that humans are smarter than the other animals mainly because .
| A．they are a species of primates |
| B．they have much larger brains |
| C．their brain structure is more complex |
| D．they were constantly pushed to get smarter |
| A．the brain kept growing in size to adapt to new environments |
| B．most regions of the brain didn’t change |
| C．the prefrontal cortex grew more than the rest of the brain |
| D．humans’ brains became increasingly simple so that humans could survive |
| A．Gender makes a difference in intelligence. |
| B．The size of the brain has nothing to do with intelligence. |
| C．Species whose brain is organized properly tend to be smarter. |
| D．Larger brains are usually organized better than smaller ones. |
| A．by presenting research data |
| B．by giving examples |
| C．by making a comparison |
| D．by analyzing cause and effect |
手拉手全优练考卷系列答案科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Almost every machine with moving parts has wheels，yet no one knows exactly when the first wheel was invented or what it was used for.We do know，however，that they existed over 5,500 years ago in ancient Asia.
The oldest known transport wheel was discovered in 2002 in Slovenia.It is over 5,100 years old.Evidence suggests that wheels for transport didn’t become popular for a while，though.This could be because animals did a perfectly good job of carrying farming tools and humans around.
But it could also be because of a difficult situation.While wheels need to roll on smooth surfaces，roads with smooth surfaces weren’t going to be constructed until there was plenty of demand for them.Eventually，road surfaces did become smoother，but this difficult situation appeared again a few centuries later.There had been no important changes in wheel and vehicle design before the arrival of modern road design.
In the mid1700s，a Frenchman came up with a new design of road—a base layer(层) of large stones covered with a thin layer of smaller stones.A Scotsman improved on this design in the 1820s and a strong，lasting road surface became a reality.At around the same time，metal hubs (the central part of a wheel)came into being，followed by the pneumatic tyre(充气轮胎) in 1846.Alloy wheels were invented in 1967，sixty years after the appearance of tarmacked roads(柏油路)．As wheel design took off，vehicles got faster and faster. (2013·重庆，C)
【小题1】What might explain why transport wheels didn’t become popular for some time?
| A．Few knew how to use transport wheels. |
| B．Humans carried farming tools just as well. |
| C．Animals were a good means of transport. |
| D．The existence of transport wheels was not known. |
| A．It was easier than wheel design. |
| B．It improved after big changes in vehicle design. |
| C．It was promoted by fastmoving vehicles. |
| D．It provided conditions for wheel design to develop. |
| A．By giving examples. |
| B．By making comparisons. |
| C．By following time order. |
| D．By making classifications. |
| A．The beginning of road design. |
| B．The development of transport wheels. |
| C．The history of public transport. |
| D．The invention of fastmoving vehicles. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Cloud seeding is a method of artificially causing clouds to produce precipitation （降水） in the form of rain or snow．Cloud seeding has also been used in attempts to modify the severity of hail storms and hurricanes．The effectiveness of cloud seeding remains controversial （有争议的）．but it continues to be used in some regions to try to increase rainfall for agriculture and to build snow packs for water supplies and power production．
Cloud seeding was developed by American scientists Irving Langmuir and Vincent Joseph Schaefer during and after World War II．Their work began as an effort to learn more about the buildup of ice on airplane wings, and eventually led them to attempt to create rainfall by releasing several pounds of crushed frozen carbon dioxide into a cloud from an airplane．In this form, the carbon dioxide is called dry ice．On November 13, 1946, the technique appeared to produce snow directly under the cloud; the snow then turned to rain as it fell to the ground．
For their experiment, Langmuir and Schaefer selected a supercooled cloud, one in which the water droplets remain liquid in subfreezing temperatures．Their theory was that small grains of dry ice falling through the cloud would cause tiny droplets of water vapor in the cloud to freeze into crystals that attracted more water vapor．Their theory proved to be correct and eventually the crystals became heavy enough to fall from the cloud as snow．As the snow reached the warmer temperatures closer to the ground, it melted and became rain．
Another scientist, Bernard Vonnegut, produced a method of cloud seeding using silver iodide （碘化银）．He used particles of silver iodide because its crystal structure resembled that of ice in clouds．Silver
iodide also had practical advantages over frozen carbon dioxide It could be stored at room temperature
and did not require an airplane as a delivery mechanism．Instead, silver iodide crystals could be fired by
cannons （大炮） high into the air, where wind carried them into the clouds．
【小题1】According to the text, Langmuir and Schaefer had intended to deal with__
A．how to freeze carbon dioxide
B．how to remove ice on plane wings
C．how to make weather forecast for the war
D how to hide planes in clouds at war
【小题2】What is the CORRECT order of the course for cloud seeding with dry ice?
a．snow becoming rain in wanner temperatures b．crystals attracting more water vapor
c．crystals falling in the form of snow d．crystals becoming very heavy
e．freezing tiny droplets of water vapor into crystals
f．putting small grains of dry ice in the cloud
| A．a-c-f-d-b-e | B．b-f-e-a-c-d |
| C．f-e-b-d-c-a | D．e-a-d-c-b-f |
| A．it is much cheaper than dry ice | B．it can be stored at any rooms |
| C．it can be sent into clouds by wind | D．it is similar |
| A．Cloud Seeding |
| B．Artificial Raining |
| C．Weather Changing |
| D．Cloud Gathering |
| A．three | B．two | C．one | D．four |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Special trees that grow faster, fight pollution, produce better wood, and even sense chemical attacks are being planted by scientists in the US．
When 40 per cent of Hawaii's US$14 million-a-year papaya （木瓜）industry was destroyed by a virus five years ago, work began on creating genetically engineered（转基因的）trees．
Researchers successfully introduced seeds that were designed to resist the virus．Since then, more and more people have been testing genetically engineered trees．Some researchers put special bacteria into trees to help them grow faster and produce better wood．Others are trying to create trees that can clean polluted soil．Meanwhile fruit farmers are looking for trees that are strong enough to resist worms, and paper companies want trees that produce more wood and therefore more paper．
The Pentagon （五角大楼） even gave the researchers US$500,000 this year after they developed a pine tree that changes its colours if it senses a chemical attack．So far, the poplar, eucalyptus （杨树与桉树）, apple and coffee trees are among those being engineered．All this can be done today because we have a better understanding of tree genomes （基因组）．
However, some people fear that the genetically engineered trees will cause dangerous results．They are worried that the new trees will breed with natural species and change the balance of the forest environment．
“It could be destructive,” said Jim Diamond, an environmentalist. “Trees are what is left of our natural environment and home to many endangered species.”
But researchers insist that science could give nature a fighting chance against both natural and man-made dangers．They hope to answer the critics by stopping the new trees from breeding, so their effect on the environment can be controlled．
【小题1】Which kind of tree is not the ones that scientists are planting in the US?
| A．Trees that worms can't hurt． |
| B．Genetically engineered trees． |
| C．Trees that can resist wind better． |
| D．Trees that can protect themselves at a chemical attack． |
| A．Tree genomes are mapped out so scientists know how to improve trees． |
| B．Great numbers of trees have been lost due to attacks by viruses． |
| C．Researchers successfully introduced seeds designed to resist the virus． |
| D．They think science could give nature a fighting chance against both natural and man-made dangers． |
| A．Papaya． | B．Pine． | C．Apple． | D．Poplar． |
| A．these trees can destroy the balance of nature |
| B．everything except trees has been genetically engineered |
| C．trees are home to many endangered species |
| D．these trees may affect normal trees |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Although cats may be one of the most popular pets today, little is known about how and when humans and cats set up their close relationship.
The earliest evidence for human–cat interaction dates back to prehistoric Cyprus（史前塞浦路斯）, where the remains of a wild cat and a human — dated 9,500 years old — were found buried together.
A new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has confirmed the first direct evidence of a human–domestic cat relationship among Chinese farmers 5,300 years ago. Researchers studied the bones of cats, dogs, deer and other animals unearthed in an excavation (挖掘) near a village in Central China. By using some ways, scientists showed that the cats were living on a mostly millet(黍)–based diet, just like the domesticated dogs and pigs from the site.
"The most reasonable explanation for a high consumption of millet–based food is that the cats had formed a stable and mutual relationship with humans and could easily feed on rodents (啮齿动物) around human villages, find leftover food or even have been fed by people intentionally," said Hu Yaowu from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, whose research focuses on the relationship between humans and domesticated animals.
"It is very interesting for us to find the consumption of millet-based foods by the cats, since this kind of evidence had long been missing.” Hu explains. Since cats usually eat meat, such a diet would be unexpected, unless the cats were being fed by people, the study argues. The researchers also found that one of the cats survived to reach old age, implying that it had a safe place to live and enough to eat.
Why the farmers wanted to keep cats nearby or make them "pets" could be answered by other evidence. Chinese archaeologists found some storage containers were specifically designed to keep out rodents — a vermin (害兽) that cats could certainly have helped with.
The simplified theory is that rats were attracted to the food of farmers, and so were harmful to farmers. Cats were attracted to the rats, and so farmers formed a mutually beneficial relationship with cats, taking care of them in return for pest control.
【小题1】The evidence found in the remains dating back to prehistoric Cyprus means .
| A．human made cats pets as early as 9,500 years ago |
| B．human interacted with cats very early |
| C．cats didn’t appear until prehistoric Cyprus |
| D．when cats became domesticated |
| A．the preventions of pests from grains |
| B．the history of Chinese farming |
| C．the dogs and pigs |
| D．the ways to keep pets |
| A．Cats didn’t feed on meat. |
| B．The cats consumed large amounts of millet–based foods. |
| C．One of the cats survived to reach old age. |
| D．Some storage containers were specifically designed to keep out rodents. |
| A．Helping keep other domesticated animals. |
| B．Not letting cats eat food. |
| C．Supplying meat for human. |
| D．Helping reduce the amount of pests. |
| A．Entertainment | B．Environment |
| C．Human and Science | D．Life and fashion |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
It's a fact that we all dream. Some dreams seem to last for hours, others only for seconds. Some of us have strange dreams, some have interesting dreams, and some of us have unpleasant dreams. Tests in the 1980s showed that these dreams occur within 90-minute cycles, each cycle made up of six stages. In the last stage people experience rapid eye movement, known as REM, and it is in this stage that dreaming takes place. Eighty percent of people who were woken during this sixth stage could easily remember their dreams. On the other hand, when during the first five stages (NREM), only seven percent could describe a dream.
However, of these same people woken during the first five stages, 74% were able to remember thinking activity, although they would not call it a dream. NerysDee, who has written about dreams in a book called "Your Dreams and What They Mean" says: "Perhaps during NREM sleep we are sorting out our outer mundane problems, but in REM sleep we are dealing with inside matters." She also makes the following statement about 90-minute cycle: It may also prove the reason why insomniacs who wake in the middle of the night find it impossible to get to sleep again for at least an hour and a half. In other words, until they have missed out one complete 90-minute sleep period.
【小题1】Which of the following statements about dreams is TRUE?
| A．Everyone dreams but very few can recall what they dream. |
| B．Some people have long dreams and others have very short ones. |
| C．People can only remember unpleasant dreams. |
| D．More than eighty percent of people can remember their dreams. |
| A．between each 90-minute cycle |
| B．at any time during 90-minute cycles |
| C．during the first five stages of 90-minute cycles |
| D．in the last stage of 90-minute cycles |
| A．hardly remember their dreams |
| B．easily remember their dreams |
| C．only remember their dreams |
| D．partly remember their thinking activity |
| A．can always remember their dreams |
| B．have trouble getting into sleep at night |
| C．experience rapid eye movement |
| D．usually wake after each 90-minute sleep period |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
When Hurricane Phailin hit India in late 2013, it became the largest storm to strike the subcontinent in over a decade. The storm affected more than 12 million people in India and neighboring countries, and damaged or destroyed many houses. However, good news is that cleverly-designed beach house created by architect Ray Huff can survive such strong winds and storm waves.
Located on the shore of an Indian island, Huff’s award-winning cube-shaped beach house was built to replace one smashed to pieces by Hurricane Phailin.
Huff pointed out that many houses built along shoreline were poorly constructed, and enforcement(执行) of building codes wasn’t strict. After Phailin’s attack, all new shoreline houses are required to meet stricter, better-enforced codes. The new beach house should be able to stand a Category 3 hurricane with peak winds of 179 to 209 kilometers per hour.
At first sight, Huff's house looks anything but hurricane-proof. Its redwood shell makes it resemble “a large party lantern” at night, according to one observer. But looks can be misleading. The house’s wooden frame is reinforced(加固) with long steel rods to give it extra strength.
To further protect the house from hurricane damage, Huff raised it 2.7 meters off the ground on pilings---long columns of wood anchored(固定) deep in the sand. Pilings might appear insecure, but they are strong enough to support the weight of the house. They also balance the house above storm waves. The pilings allow the waves to run under the house instead of running into it. “These swells of water come ashore at great speeds and cause most of the damage done to beach-front buildings,” said Huff.
Huff designed the wooden pilings to be partially hidden by the house’s ground-to-roof shell. “The shell masks the pilings so that the house doesn’t look like it’s standing with its pant legs pulled up,” said Huff. In case of a storm wave, the shell should break apart and let the waves rush under the house, the architect explained.
【小题1】After Hurricane Phailin, new houses built along shore line are required_____.
| A．to be easily reinforced |
| B．to look smarter in design |
| C．to meet stricter building standards |
| D．to be designed in the shape of cubes |
| A．it is made of redwood |
| B．it is in the shape of a shell |
| C．it is strengthened by steel rods |
| D．it is built with wood and stones |
| A．support the weight of the house |
| B．allow the waves to run through the house |
| C．anchor stronger pilings deep in the sand |
| D．prevent water from rushing into the house |
| A．to give the house a better appearance |
| B．to strengthen the pilings of the house |
| C．to protect the wooden frame of the house |
| D．to slow down the speed of the swelling water |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
You can’t always predict a heavy rain or remember your umbrella.But designer Mikhail Belyaev doesn’t think that forgetting to check the weather forecast before heading out should result in you getting wet.That’s why he created Lampbrella，a lamp post with its own rainsensing umbrella.
The designer says he come up with the idea after watching people get wet on streets in Russia.“Once，I was driving on a central Saint Petersburg street and saw the street lamps lighting up people trying to hide from the rain.I thought it would be appropriate to have a canopy(伞篷)built into a street lamp，”he said.
The Lampbrella is a standardlooking street lamp fitted with an umbrella canopy.It has a builtin electric motor which can open or close the umbrella on demand.Sensors(传感器)then ensure that the umbrella offers pedestrians shelter whenever it starts raining.
In addition to the rain sensor，there’s also a 360°motion sensor on the fiberglass street lamp which detects whether anyone is using the Lampbrella.After three minutes of not being used the canopy is closed.
According to the designer，the Lampbrella would move at a relatively low speed，so as not to cause harm to the pedestrians.Besides，it would be grounded to protect from possible lightning strike.Each Lampbrella would offer enough shelter for several people.Being installed(安装) at 2 meters off the ground，it would only be a danger for the tallest of pedestrians.
While there are no plans to take the Lampbrella into production，Belyaev says he recently introduced his creation to one Moscow Department，and insists his creation could be installed on any street where a lot of people walk but there are no canopies to provide shelter.
【小题1】For what purpose did Belyaev create the Lampbrella?
| A．To predict a heavy rain. |
| B．To check the weather forecast. |
| C．To protect people from the rain. |
| D．To remind people to take an umbrella. |
| A．His creation was inspired by an experience. |
| B．It rains a lot in the city of Saint Petersburg. |
| C．Street lamps are protected by canopies. |
| D．He enjoyed taking walks in the rain. |
| A．motor→canopy→sensors |
| B．sensors→motor→canopy |
| C．motor→sensors→canopy |
| D．canopy→motor→sensors |
| A．Its moving speed. |
| B．Its appearance. |
| C．Its installation. |
| D．Its safety. |
| A．The designer will open a company to promote his product. |
| B．The Lampbrella could be put into immediate production. |
| C．The designer is confident that his creation is practical. |
| D．The Lampbrella would be put on show in Moscow. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
A recent experiment held in Japan shows that it is almost impossible for people to walk exactly straight for 60 metres. Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology found 20 healthy men and asked them to walk as straight as possible to a target 60 metres away at normal speed. Each man had to walk on white paper fixed flat to the floor wearing wet colored socks. The footprints revealed that all walked in a winding rather than a straight line. Researchers found that people readjust the direction of walking every few seconds. The amount of the winding differed from subject to subject. This suggests that none of us can walk in a strictly straight line. We walk in a winding way mainly because of a slight structural or functional imbalance of our limbs (四肢). Although we may start walking in a straight line, several steps afterwards we have changed direction.
Eyesight helps us to correct the direction of walking and leads us to the target. Your ears also help you walk. After turning around a lot with your eyes closed, you can hardly stand still, let alone walk straight.
It’s all because your ears help you balance. Inside your inner ear there is a structure which contains liquids. On the sides of the organ are many tiny hair-like structures that move around as the liquid flows. When you spin (旋转) the liquid inside also spins. The difference is that when you stop, the liquid continues to spin for a while. Dizziness is the result of these nerves in your ear. When you open your eyes, although your eyesight tells you to walk in a straight line, your brain will trust your ears more, thus you walk in a curved line.
【小题1】The experiment held in Japan proved that _______.
| A．the participants kept readjusting their direction of walking |
| B．all the participants had a good sense of direction |
| C．the experiment was done in different ways |
| D．none of the participants finished the 60 metres |
| A．a person with a functional imbalance |
| B．a person chosen to be studied in an experiment |
| C．the subject one studies at school |
| D．the direction of walking |
| A．prove that ears and eyes help us to walk straight |
| B．explain why we can hardly walk in a strictly straight line |
| C．point out the importance of noticing everyday science |
| D．give background information about a latest study |
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