People in several American states may be surprised to see cars on city streets without a driver. Experimental driverless vehicles now are legal in Florida, Nevada and California. They are pointing the way to a future that is not far down the road. The high-tech company Google has a number of self-driving cars, which had covered 480,000 kilometers by August. Volvo is among the companies doing road tests and says it plans to sell driverless cars by 2020.
In September, California Governor Jerry Brown signed an act to allow autonomous vehicles on the roads of his state. " Today we're looking at science fiction becoming tomorrow's reality-the driverless car. " The technology for these cars includes cameras, radar and motion sensors. The systems have been improved through competitions sponsored by the U. S. government agency DARPA. Engineer Richard Mason of the Rand Corporation helped design driverless vehicles for DARPA challenge races.
Cars have become much more fuel-efficient, and new electronic features are' making Hondas safer, said Angie Nucci of Honda America. " A camera on the passenger-side mirror actually engaged on your guiding screen so you can safely change lanes. " Other safety features include warning systems on the front and the sides of the cars. These systems help drivers , but don't replace them. Curator Leslie Kendall of the Petersen Automotive Museum said autonomous cars will make the high ways safer．
"By taking out drivers, you also remove most risks of an accident," Kendall said. He said consumers, however, may be unwilling to lose control. "It may take them time to come to realize that the technology is indeed reliable, but it will have to prove itself first. "
Mason said the technology already works and the biggest challenge now is getting down the cost for driverless vehicles from hundreds of thousands of dollars to something more affordable. He said this will happen as the technology is improved.
【小题1】What can we learn from Paragraph l?
A. Driverless vehicles are now legal in the whole USA.
B. Volvo will be the first to sell driverless cars.
C. Driverless cars are pointing us' a faraway future.
D. Google's self-driving cars have covered a long distance.
【小题2】We learn that Governor of California Jerry Brown_________.
| A．helped design self-driving cars. |
| B．supports self-driving cars on roads. |
| C．considers self-driving cars science fiction. |
| D．improved the self-driving car systems. |
| A．They can help people drive more safely. |
| B．They can take the place of drivers now. |
| C．They can make cars run without fuel. |
| D．They can help cars run much faster. |
| A．They are not allowed to run on the road. |
| B．Their technical problems remain to be solved. |
| C．They are now too expensive for consumers. |
| D．They are more dangerous for people on the street. |
| A．The benefits of the self-driving cars. |
| B．The biggest challenge of the self-driving cars. |
| C．Safer or more dangerous-self-driving cars. |
| D．Self-driving cars-science fiction future is near. |
【小题1】D
【小题2】B
【小题3】A
【小题4】C
【小题5】D
解析试题分析：文章介绍无人驾驶汽车已经经过研发阶段，现在正在试用阶段，在不久的将来无人驾驶汽车将不是科幻而成为现实。文章还介绍了这些汽车的系统设计和有待改进的地方。
【小题1】细节题：从第一段的句子：The high-tech company Google has a number of self-driving cars, which had covered 480,000 kilometers by August.可知谷歌的无人驾驶车已经可以开很长距离，选D
【小题2】细节题：从文章第二段的句子：In September, California Governor Jerry Brown signed an act to allow autonomous vehicles on the roads of his state. 可知加力福利亚的州长Jerry Brown 支持无人驾驶汽车上路，选B
【小题3】细节题：从文章第三段的句子：A camera on the passenger-side mirror actually engaged on your guiding screen so you can safely change lanes. " Other safety features include warning systems on the front and the sides of the cars. 可知这些系统的作用是它们可以帮助人们更安全的驾驶，选A
【小题4】细节题：从文章最后一段的句子：Mason said the technology already works and the biggest challenge now is getting down the cost for driverless vehicles from hundreds of thousands of dollars to something more affordable.可知Richard Mason认为无人驾驶汽车最大的挑战是它们现在对消费者来说太贵了。选C
【小题5】标题确定题：从这篇文章的内容和第一段的句子：People in several American states may be surprised to see cars on city streets without a driver. Experimental driverless vehicles now are legal in Florida, Nevada and California. They are pointing the way to a future that is not far down the road.可知这篇文章讲的是在不久的将来无人驾驶汽车将不是科幻而成为现实，选D
考点：考查科普类短文
科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Plastic is one of the most important technological discoveries of the 20th century.However，it may soon be replaced.The new development—liquid wood—can replace plastics in all branches of modern industries.
Plastic as a material enjoys the biggest demand in the modern world，but it does have a number of drawbacks.First and foremost，plastic isn’t recyclable.Secondly，it contains toxins (毒物) helping develop cancerous diseases.Finally，it’s made of oil and oil reserves aren’t endless.
The liquid wood technology is likely to replace plastic and provide mankind with new materials for many years ahead.Norbert Eisenfreich，a senior researcher at the Faunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology (ICT) in Germany，said that arboform，the new material，is made of lignin (木质素)，which can be obtained from soft tissues of wood.Once mixed with several other materials，it turns into solid and nontoxic alternative for plastics.
ICT team leader Emilia Regina InoneKauffmann said the woodworking industry separates wood into three basic components，including lignin.Lignin isn’t used for the production of paper.Specialists of ICT mixed lignin with several natural materials and thus invented the material which could be melted and molded (铸型)．
When solid，arboform looks like plastic and possesses the qualities of polished wood.It can be used for the production of any items.Arboform is already used for the production of car parts which require extra strength.In addition，liquid wood can be recycled repeatedly.The material preserved all of its qualities even if it’s reprocessed ten times.
However，the new invention doesn’t enjoy an extensive use due to the high content of sulphur (硫) in it.German researchers are sure to reduce the amount of sulphur by 90 percent very soon to make arboform usable for home needs.
【小题1】According to the passage，plastic________.
| A．plays a big role in the modern world |
| B．helps to protect our environment in some way |
| C．has been replaced by the newly discovered material |
| D．helps us to reduce the use of petrol |
| A．It is easily made from natural oil. |
| B．It is more widely used in household. |
| C．It is recyclable and friendly to the environment. |
| D．It contains no poisonous materials. |
| A．the material’s extensive use |
| B．the content of sulphur in arboform |
| C．the production cost of arboform |
| D．the qualities of liquid wood |
| A．advertise the new material—arboform |
| B．introduce liquid wood which will replace plastic |
| C．advertise new products made of arboform |
| D．show readers how to produce arboform |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Redwood trees are the tallest plants on the earth，reaching heights of up to 100 meters．They are also known for their longevity，typically 500 to 1000 years，but sometimes more than 2000 years．A hundred million years ago，in the age of dinosaurs，redwoods were common in the forests of a much more moist and tropical North America．As the climate became drier and colder，they declined to a narrow strip along the Pacific coast of Northern Califomia．
The trunk of redwood trees is very strong and usually forms a single straight column．It is covered with a soft bark．This bark can be pretty thick，well over two feet in the more mature trees．It gives the older trees a certain kind of protection from insects，but the main benefit is that it keeps the center of the tree harmless from moderate forest fires because of its thickness．This fire resistant quality explains why the giant redwood grows to live that long．While most other types of trees are destroyed by forest fires，the giant redwood actually prospers because of them．
Moderate fires will clear the ground of competing plant life，and the rising heat dries and opens the ripe fruit of the redwood，releasing many thousands of seeds onto the ground below．
New trees are often produced from shoots，little baby trees，which form at the base of the trunk．These shoots grow slowly，fed by the root system of the “mother’’ tree．When the main tree dies，the shoots are then free to grow as full trees，forming a “fairy ring” of trees around the original tree．These trees，in turn，may give rise to more shoots，and the cycle continues．
【小题1】Why were redwood trees easier to find in the forests of North America millions of years ago?
| A．The trees were taller and stronger． |
| B．The soil was softer for seeds to develop． |
| C．The climate there was warmer and wetter． |
| D．The temperature was lower along the Pacific coast． |
| A．It allows redwood trees to bear seeds． |
| B．It prevents redwood trees from attack by insects． |
| C．It helps redwood trees absorb water in the air． |
| D．It makes redwood trees more beautiful and appealing． |
| A．They have heavy and straight tree trunks． |
| B．They are properly watered and catered to． |
| C．They are more resistant to fire damage than other trees． |
| D．They produce many young trees to maintain their life cycle． |
| A．By killing an old tree． | B．By connecting root systems． |
| C．By inserting holes into old trees． | D．By surrounding a mature tree． |
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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
Recently we told you about a finding that more years of school could help students get higherscores on intelligence tests．That was the finding of a study of teenage males in Norway．Now，other research shows that physical activity may help students do better in their classes .
The research comes as educators in some countries are reducing time for activities like physical education．They are using the time instead for academic subjects like maths and reading．The studies appeared between 2007 and 2013．They included more than 55，000 children，aged 6 to 18．
Amika Singh：“Based on the results of our study，we can conclude that being physically active is beneficial for academic performance. There are，first，Physiological explanations，like more blood flow, and so more oxygen to the brain．Being physically active means there are more hormones(荷尔蒙)produced like endorphins(内啡肽)．And endorphins make your stress level lower and your mood improved, which means you also perform better.”
Also，students involved in organized sports learn rules and how to follow them．This could improve their classroom behavior and help them keep their mind on their work．
The study leaves some questions unanswered，however．Ms．Stash says it is not possible to say whether the amount or kind of activity affected the level of academic improvement．This is because of differences among the studies .
Also．they were mostly observational studies．An observational study is where researchers do not do controlled comparisons．They only describe what they observe．So they might observe a link that students who are more active often have better grades．But that does not necessarily mean being active was the cause of those higher grades．
The researchers said they found only two high - quality studies．They called for more high-
quality studies to confirm their findings．They also pointed out that “outcomes for other parts of the world may be quite different. ”
Still，the general finding was that physically active kids are more likely to do better in school．Ms．Singh says schools should consider that finding before they cut physical education programs．Her paper on “Physical Activity and Performance at School”is published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine．
【小题1】The passage mainly tells us that ＿＿＿＿
| A．a research on physical education has been done by the researchers |
| B．there exists a possibility that physical activity leads to higher grades |
| C．the amount or kind of activity directly affects academic level |
| D．the research shows that the children aged 6 to 1 8 don't do sports |
| A．Being mentally active is good for academic subjects． |
| B．The more hormones you have，the more stressed you will get． |
| C．They have found many high-quality studies to prove the research． |
| D．The educators in the research think studies，not exercise，mean much to students． |
| A．good marks result from high-quality study |
| B．findings probably vary in different areas |
| C．physical activity will spread all over the world |
| D．academic performance depends on the surroundings |
| A．To call our attention to the sports at school． |
| B．To introduce all types of physical activities． |
| C．To represent the academic performance． |
| D．To improve students' health ． |
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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
Chinese scientists have found a new way to use cells found in human urine （尿液）that could aid in the treatment of a range of nerve disorders.That is a new technique for reprogramming cells in human urine into nerve progenitor cells that can grow into multi-functional nerve and brain cells.
The technique is expected to be used in the study and treatment of nerve disorders such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and other nerve disorders.
Pei Duanqing, a professor at Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, said his research team has combined an episomal system to deliver reprogramming factors with a chemically defined culture medium to reprogram kidney epithelial(肾表皮) cells in urine into NPCs.
These NPCs, normally only found in the human brain, were later proven to be transgene-free and self-renewing, he said.
"These nerve and brain cells can survive for up to one month when transplanted into the brain of a newborn rat," said Pei. "My team is working hard to understand why our experimental condition allowed the urine cells to become NPCs, because we want to improve the technique and make it more efficient".
Scientists have long searched to treat and study neural disorders by obtaining and transplanting neural stem cells. However, the previous method of getting and using cells from either fetal (胎儿)or adult human tissue remains challenging due to ethical concerns and immune system rejections, he said.
Pei hopes the discovery will be used to generate NPCs from patients with nerve disorders such as Parkinson's disease. "These NPCs from patients may help us discover new drugs for these diseases."
"It is a remarkable advance in the stem cell field. The results and methods obtained from this study will be of great value and significance to the field, " said Fred Gage,a professor with the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.
【小题1】What is the passage mainly about?
| A．NPCs are beneficial in treating human diseases. |
| B．Chinese scientists succeeded in making NPCs from human urine. |
| C．Chinese scientists have found cures for all diseases. |
| D．A new technique was used to study the use of human urine |
| A．make more contributions to medical study |
| B．discover another new technique |
| C．make the technique more perfect |
| D．treat more patients suffering from bad diseases |
| A．The ethical comcerns and immune system refusal |
| B．The difificulties in getting cells from human. |
| C．The under-developed techniques in medical science. |
| D．The lack of financial support from the government. |
| A．the new technique will be developed in science |
| B．the results and methods will be applied to treating cancers |
| C．the study will give a major push to the stem cell field |
| D．the mew technique will bring great profis |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Bad teeth may be painful and it’s getting worse without treatment. They can even ruin your life. Illness of the teeth can find its way into the blood system. This can increase the chances of a heart disease or other illnesses.
Experts say good care for teeth should start at birth. Mothers’ milk is the best food for the healthy development of teeth.
But dentists say a baby’s mouth and early teeth should be cleaned after each feeding. Use a cloth with a little warm water. Do the same if a baby is fed with a bottle. Experts say if you decide to put your baby to sleep with a bottle, give him only water.
When baby’s teeth begin to appear, you can clean them with a wet toothbrush. Dentists say it is important to find soft toothbrushes made especially for babies and to use them very gently. Young children often eat toothpaste (牙膏) when they brush, so they should be carefully watched when they brush their teeth.
Parents often ask what effect thumb sucking (咬手指) might have on their baby’s teeth. Experts generally agree that this is fine early in life. Most children stop sucking their thumbs by the age of four. If it continues, parents should talk to their children’s dentist or doctor.
Dentists say children should have their first dental visit by the time they are one year old. They say babies should be examined when their first teeth appear usually at around six months.
【小题1】Why should people pay attention to teeth problems?
| A．They can cause other illnesses. |
| B．They will bring bad luck. |
| C．They will bring the family much trouble. |
| D．They usually last a long time. |
| A．he begins to speak | B．he has his first tooth |
| C．he was born | D．he is fed with bottle milk |
| A．toothache | B．parents’ trouble | C．thumb sucking | D．experts’ advice |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
About ten men in every hundred suffer from color blindness in some way. Women are luckier, only about one in two hundred if affected in this matter. Perhaps, after all, it is safer to be driven by a woman.
There are different forms of color blindness. In some cases a man may not be able to see deep red. He may think that red, orange and yellow are all shades of green. Sometimes a person can’t tell the differences between blue and green. In rare cases an unlucky man sees everything in shades of green--- a strange world in deed.
Color blindness in human beings is a strange thing to explain. In a single eye there are millions very small things called “cones”. These help us see in a bright day and tell the differences between colors. There are also millions of “rods”, but these are used for seeing when it is nearly dark. They show us shapes(形状) but not color. Some insects have favorite colors. Mosquitoes like blue but do not like yellow. A red light will not attract insects but a blue lamp will. In similar way human being also have favorite colors. Yet we are lucky. With the aid of cones in our eyes we can see many beautiful colors by day and with the aid of the rods we can see shapes at night. One day we may even learn more about the invisible colors around us.
【小题1】The passage is mainly about ______.
| A．color and its surprising effects on drivers |
| B．women being luckier than man in that fewer of them are color blind |
| C．danger caused by color blindness |
| D．color blindness and how our eyes tell different colors and shapes |
| A．tell different colors | B．see in weak light |
| C．tell different shapes | D．tell orange from yellow |
| A．Women are more careful. |
| B．There are fewer color blind women. |
| C．Women are fonder of driving than men. |
| D．Women are weaker but quicker in thinking. |
| A．Not all of them have the same problem in recognizing colors. |
| B．None of them can see deep red but all can tell blue from green. |
| C．None of them can tell blue from green but all can see deep red. |
| D．All of them are lucky enough to see everything in shades of green. |
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