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． |
【小题1】C
【小题2】C
【小题3】D
【小题4】B
【小题5】C
解析试题分析：文章介绍一项计划，旨在保护海洋的珊瑚免于灭绝，说明珊瑚灭绝的原因和因此导致的后果。
【小题1】句意理解题：第一段的句子：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．意思是：保护主义者要保护几十年后要灭绝的珊瑚。选C
【小题2】细节题：从第一段的句子：increasing threats that they say will lead to "functional extinction" within decades．可知面对这么多的威胁，珊瑚种类有可能灭绝，消失，选C
【小题3】细节题：从第二段的句子：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．可知这个项目选出有十种珊瑚最有可能灭绝。选D
【小题4】细节题：从第五段的句子：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．可知珊瑚灭绝的后果是三分之一的海洋物种都不能生存，选B
【小题5】主旨题：从第一段的句子:Conservationists have unveiled plans to preserve and protect the world's most important species of coral, 可知这篇文章讲的是保护珊瑚的计划。选C
考点：考查环保类短文
黄冈经典趣味课堂系列答案
启东小题作业本系列答案科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
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 |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Hospital emergency rooms treat injured fingers all the time. Without treatment, a bad cut can lead to permanent damage. But how should a person know when a bleeding cut is serious enough to require medical attention? We asked Dr Martin Brown, chairman of the department of emergency medicine at Inova Alexandria Hospital in Virginia.
First, the medical term for a cut or tear in the skin is a laceration(严重划破，撕裂伤). Dr Brown says the length is usually not as important as the depth. He says a long cut on a finger can likely be treated without a visit to a doctor if the wound is not very deep. “If you have a short but deep laceration where there’s been a structure underneath that’s been damaged － a tendon, a nerve, a blood vessel,” says Martin, “it may, in fact, need professional attention.”
Some injuries － like a fingertip that gets cut off － might even require surgery to repair. That requires a specialist to either file(锉平) down the bone or reattach the fingertip. More often, filing down the bone is what is done because reattaching a fingertip is often not successful.
How a wound bleeds can be a sign of how serious it is. Minor cuts usually produce what is known as venous (静脉) bleeding. This means the blood flows steadily from the injury. The bleeding will often stop when pressure is put on the wound. Dr Brown says in most cases holding direct pressure with clean gauze or a cloth for four to five minutes should stop the bleeding. With a cut finger, holding the hand above the heart can reduce the loss of blood. But if a cut appears to be pumping blood out with some force, this may be a sign of arterial(动脉) bleeding. This kind of injury should be treated by a medical professional as soon as possible.
Even a cut that does not require medical attention must be kept clean to prevent infection. Small cuts should be cleaned gently with clean water. Use a washcloth to clean the area if the wound is dirty. Dr Brown says cuts should be covered with a clean, dry bandage.
【小题1】What does the writer want to tell the readers in the first paragraph?
| A．Hospital emergency rooms always treat injured fingers. |
| B．A bleeding cut is serious enough to require medical attention |
| C．Dr Martin Brown is in charge of Inova Alexandria Hospital. |
| D．It is important for us to be able to tell how serious a finger cut is. |
| A．a finger cut without treatment can lead to permanent damage |
| B．the length of a cut on a finger is more important than the depth |
| C．a long but not very deep cut often doesn’t need professional attention |
| D．a short but deep laceration that has been damaged need professional attention. |
| A．repair | B．rebuild | C．reconstruct | D．reconnect |
| A．Hospital Emergency Treatments For Injured Fingers |
| B．When a Cut Finger Is More Serious Than It Might Seem |
| C．Serious Finger Cut That Requires Medical Attention |
| D．Keep Finger Cuts Clean to Prevent Serious Infection |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
If the eyes are the romantic’s window into the soul, then the teeth are an anthropologist’s ( 人类学家 ) door to the stomach.
In a study published last month in the journal Science, Peter Ungar of the University of Arkansas and his partner, Matt Sponheimer of the University of Colorado, US, examined the teeth of our early human ancestors to find out what they were really eating.
They already knew that different foods cause different marks on teeth. Some cause scratches, while others cause pits (坑).The carbon left on teeth by different foods is also different. Tropical grasses, for example, leave one kind of carbon, but trees leave another kind because they photosynthesized ( 光合作用 ) differently.
Traditionally, scientists had looked at the size and shape of teeth and skulls ( 头骨 ) to figure out what early humans ate. Big flat teeth were taken to be signs that they ate nuts and seeds, while hard and sharp teeth seemed good for cutting meat and leaves. But this was proven wrong.
The best example was the Paranthropus (傍人), one of our close cousins, some of which lived in eastern Africa. Scientists used to believe Paranthropus ate nuts and seeds because they had big crests(突起)on their skulls, suggesting they had large chewing muscles and big teeth. If this had been true, their teeth should have been covered with pits like the surface of the moon. They would also have had a particular type of carbon on their teeth that typically comes from tree products, such as nuts and seeds.
However, when the two scientists studied the Paranthroupus, it turned out to have none of these characteristics. The teeth had a different kind of carbon, and were covered with scratches, not pits. This suggests they probably ate grass, not nuts and fruit stones. It was the exact opposite of what people had expected to find.
Carbon “foodprints” give us a completely new and different insight into what different species ate and the different environments they lived in. If a certain species had the kind of carbon on its teeth that came from grasses, it probably lived in a tropical grassland, for example.
【小题1】The underlined sentence in Paragraph 1 probably means that _____.
| A．anthropologists can study the structure of human stomachs by studying their teeth. |
| B．anthropologists can study the diet of early humans by studying their teeth |
| C．anthropologists can learn whether humans were healthy by looking at their teeth |
| D．anthropologists can get the most useful information about humans from their teeth |
| A．Scratches on teeth are caused by eating nuts or seeds. |
| B．Pits on teeth are caused by eating grass or leaves. |
| C．Early humans with hard and sharp teeth ate meat and leaves. |
| D．Different foods leave different marks and carbon on teeth. |
| A．tell readers that they are one of our close cousins living in eastern Africa |
| B．tell readers they had different eating habits from modern humans |
| C．prove that size and shape of skulls does not show accurately what early humans ate |
| D．tell readers that living environment makes a difference to skull structure |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
BEIJING (AP) — Sandstorms whipping across China shrouded(遮蔽) cities in an unhealthy cloud of sand Monday, with winds carrying the pollution outside the mainland as far as Hong Kong and Taiwan.
It was the latest sign of the effects of desertification: Overgrazing, deforestation, urban sprawl(无计划地扩展) and drought have expanded deserts in the country's north and west. The shifting sands have gradually moved onto populated areas and worsened sandstorms that strike cities, particularly in the spring.
Winds blowing from the northwest have been sweeping sand across the country since Saturday, affecting Xinjiang in the far west all the way to Beijing in the country's east. The sand and dust were carried to parts of southern China and even to cities in Taiwan, 1600 miles (2600 kilometers) away from Inner Mongolia where much of the pollution originated.
The sandstorm in Taiwan, an island 100 miles (160 kilometers) away from the mainland, forced people to cover their faces to avoid breathing in the grit(砂砾) that can cause chest discomfort and respiratory problems even in healthy people. Drivers complained their cars were covered in a layer of black soot in just 10 minutes.
In Hong Kong, environmental protection officials said pollution levels were climbing as the sandstorm moved south. Twenty elderly people sought medical assistance for shortness of breath, Hong Kong's radio RTHK reported.
The latest sandstorm was expected to hit South Korea on Tuesday, said Kim Seung-bum of the Korea Meteorological Administration. The sandstorm that raked(掠过) across China over the weekend caused the worst "yellow dust" haze in South Korea since 2005, and authorities issued a rare nationwide dust advisory.
Grit from Chinese sandstorms has been found to travel as far as the western United States.
China's Central Meteorological Station urged people to close doors and windows, and cover their faces with masks or scarves when going outside. Sensitive electronic and mechanical equipment should be sealed off, the station said in a warning posted Monday on its Web site.
State television's noon newscast showed the tourist city of Hangzhou on the eastern coast, where graceful bridges and waterside pagodas were hidden in a mix of sand and other pollution. In Beijing, residents and tourists with faces covered scurried along sidewalks to minimize exposure to the pollution.
A massive sandstorm hit Beijing in 2006, when winds dumped about 300,000 tons of sand on the capital.
【小题1】We can learn from the text that .
| A．the sandstorms were purposely made by China. |
| B．the writer thinks that China government should be responsible for the pollution. |
| C．the sandstorms badly affected the air in US. |
| D．China's Central Meteorological Station will be closed. |
| A．Xinjiang | B．Hangzhou | C．Beijing | D．Inner Mongolia |
| A．breathing | B．digesting | C．hearing | D．walking |
| A．South Korea seldom issues nationwide dust advisories. |
| B．Taiwan is 1,600 miles from Beijing. |
| C．Sandstorms have hit Beijing more than once. |
| D．In Hong Kong some old people need help for shortness of breath caused by sandstorms. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
There has been a dramatic increase in the number of natural disasters over the past few years, and it is assumed that global warming and climate change could cause even more disasters in the future. Some of the world’s leading cities are facing disasters like floods and heat waves.
London
London’s flood defences are getting older. Since 1982, the Thames Barrier(水闸)has protected the city from the threat of flooding, but it was only designed to last until 2030 and close once every two or three years. About 26 years later the barrier now closes five or six times a year and according to Environment Agency predictions, by 2050 the barrier will be closed on almost every tide if the problem is not addressed.
There are 26 underground stations, 400 schools, 16 hospitals, an airport and 80 billion worth of property in London’s flood risk area, so large scale flooding would be disastrous.
Paris
Over a six week period in July and August 2003, more than 1 1,400—mainly elderly people—died in France from dehydration(脱水)and extremely high body temperature in a deadly heat wave. Heat waves of similar intensity(强度)are expected every seven years by 2050, so what can be done to make sure such a disaster does not happen again?
One solution is to have air-conditioners installed in elderly care homes. But this is considered a short-term solution, as the increase in demand for electricity also increases carbon emissions(排放).
In Paris the local authorities are encouraging architects to design new types of buildings such as the building “Flower Tower,” which uses a covering of bamboo to act as a natural air-conditioner.
Shanghai
Shanghai is the fastest growing city on Earth. It has a population of 18 million and is only 4 meters above sea level. Sea levels are predicted to rise by 20 cm within the next century.
An estimated 250，000 people move to Shanghai every year in search of work, placing extra demands on energy consumption. China relies heavily on coal—fired power stations, but these emissions increase temperatures and, in turn, warmer seas increase the risk of typhoons.
【小题1】What problem should be settled now in London?
| A．How to protect the city’s property |
| B．Where to build its flood defences |
| C．How to use the Thames Barrier to protect the city |
| D．How to improve the function of the old flood defences |
| A．Putting up new types of buildings with a covering of bamboo |
| B．Having air-conditioners installed in elderly care homes |
| C．Forbidding the city to build“Flower Tower” |
| D．Encouraging architects to design new types of buildings |
| A．increasing population and coal-fired power stations |
| B．rising sea levels and typhoons |
| C．extremely high temperature and rising sea levels |
| D．extra demands on energy consumption and typhoons |
| A．to tell us how to protect the big cities |
| B．to give advice on how to defend natural disasters |
| C．to explain what causes flood and heat waves |
| D．to warn us of the increasing natural disasters in big cities |
| A．Big Cities Facing Big Disasters |
| B．Big Disasters in the Future |
| C．The Increase of Natural Disasters |
| D．Solutions to Natural Disasters |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
NOT all memories are sweet. Some people spend all their lives trying to forget bad experiences. Violence and traffic accidents can leave people with terrible physical and emotional scars. Often they relive these experiences in nightmares.
Now American researchers think they are close to developing a pill, which will help people forget bad memories. The pill is designed to be taken immediately after a frightening experience. They hope it might reduce, or possibly wipe out, the effect of painful memories.
In November, experts tested a drug on people in the US and France. The drug stops the body releasing chemicals that fix memories in the brain. So far the research has suggested that only the emotional effects of memories may be reduced, not that the memories are wiped out. They are not sure to what degree people’s memories are affected.
The research has caused a great deal of argument. Some think it is a bad idea, while others support it.
Supporters say it could lead to pills that prevent or treat soldiers' troubling memories after war.
They say that there are many people who suffer from terrible memories.
"Some memories can ruin people's lives. They come back to you when you don't want to have them in a daydream or nightmare. They usually come with very painful emotions," said Roger Pitman, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. "This could relieve a lot of that suffering."
But those who are against the research say that maybe the pills can change people’s memories and changing memories is very dangerous because memories give us our identity. They also help us all avoid the mistakes of the past.
"All of us can think of bad events in our lives that were terrible at the time but make us who we are. I'm not sure we want to wipe those memories out, "said Rebecca Dresser, a medical ethicist.
【小题1】The passage is mainly about .
| A．a new medical invention |
| B．a new research on the pill |
| C．a way of wiping out painful memories |
| D．an argument about the research on the pill |
| A．cause the brain to fix memories |
| B．stop people remembering bad experiences |
| C．prevent body producing certain chemicals |
| D．wipe out the emotional effects of memories |
| A．people doubt the effects of the pills |
| B．the pill will certainly stop people's emotional memories |
| C．taking the pill will do harm to people's physical health |
| D．the pill has already been produced and used by the public in America |
| A．some memories can ruin people's lives. |
| B．people want to get rid of bad memories. |
| C．experiencing bad events makes us different from others. |
| D．the pill will reduce people's sufferings from bad memories. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Sometime early in the next century, human beings will move to Mars. They will live there for about a year, and then will be replaced with another group of pioneers. Building the base on Mars will advance our knowledge of the solar system and aid in our understanding of the earth.
We already know that Mars resembles the earth in many aspects: general size, presence of water, length of day, range of temperatures. These resemblances have caused many people to consider a centuries-long project: to terraform Mars. Terraforming means altering a planet’s surface so that Earth’s life forms can survive there. This concept, previously found only in science fiction is now being seriously considered by scientists.
Terraforming Mars is theoretically simple: add nitrogen and oxygen to the atmosphere; pump water to the surface; and add the earth’s plants and animals in the order in which they developed on Earth. But it will take at least 300 years.
Some people think that such a project is too huge for humans to undertake, but there are very good reasons to make the attempt. The earth now contains some 6 billion people, and no one has any idea of how many humans the earth can support. Our very existence and numbers are threatening many other species. We also have had some experience with terraforming our own planet: altering the landscape, the atmosphere and the climate. Currently terraforming earth has become a wiser activity as we try to control global warming, air and water pollution, and preserve some natural living places.
While the possibility of such a project is small, it is not impossible .Even if earth –bound societies come and go in the next 300 years, the project can continue through the work of the Mars settlers without the need for constant backing from the earth.
The future existence of all the people in our world may very well depend upon our ability to terraform Mars.
【小题1】What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．Terraforming Mars. | B．Saving the Earth |
| C．Travelling to Mars. | D．A Newly-found Place |
| A．Warming. | B．Changing. | C．Planting. | D．Building |
| A．do some scientific research work |
| B．find out its similarity to earth |
| C．avoid the dying away of many other species |
| D．find on Mars living place for the increasing human beings |
| A．there are some resemblances between Earth and Mars. |
| B．terraforming Mars is theoretically simple |
| C．we have had some experience with terraforming our own planet: Earth |
| D．the development of science and technology is very rapid |
| A．Optimistic. | B．Negative |
| C．Sceptical（怀疑的） | D．Objective. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Based on new analysis, we are rapidly approaching major climate change and the effects on society and the environment could be quite severe. Geographers predict that within the next eighty years, current world climate zones could shift and some could completely disappear. Polar regions will get colder while tropical regions will get even hotter, forcing animals to migrate (迁徙) north.
Climate changes like these could lead to the spread of diseases. Tropical storms and hurricanes will not only increase but may also become more intense. If the changes come too quickly, animal and plant species may not be able to adapt fast enough and could disappear.
According to Science Daily, a new study predicts that by the year 2100, many of today’s familiar climates will be replaced by climates unknown in today’s world. It is urgent that we reduce the risks of these far-reaching consequences for the whole world. The planet itself has been showing signs of change. In 2004, a serious tsunami created by a major earthquake killed thousands in Sumatra and in 2008, thousands died in China because of another severe earthquake. Egypt was hit in 2009 with a major earthquake and Haiti was devastated in 2010 by yet another massive earthquake.
Within just the last few months, new reports from around the world have been coming in and most agree that our climate situation is much worse than previously thought. At this point, it doesn’t matter what is causing it, but rather, what can be done about it. What’s more, our world is getting more and more unstable every year. There is war and threat of war everywhere. Natural disasters are becoming more frequent and serious.
However, other planets are experiencing global warming as well as our own and some scientists believe there may be some connection between this. No one knows anything for sure at this point because there is simply not enough data.
【小题1】 Which of the following would be the best title for the Passage ?
| A．Ways to protect our planet. | B．Solutions to climate change. |
| C．Be prepared for climate change. | D．Climate change and its effects. |
| A．To show the damage earthquakes caused. |
| B．To remind people to prevent future earthquakes. |
| C．To show major changes are taking place on the planet. |
| D．To tell us more earthquakes will happen in the future. |
| A．Separated. | B．Destroyed. | C．Removed. | D．Affected. |
| A．Animals and plants won’t die out as long as climate changes slowly. |
| B．There’s enough data for us to predict the future of climate change. |
| C．The world is getting more unstable because of animal migration. |
| D．The earth is not the only planet that is experiencing climate change. |
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