Scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have reported evidence that Mars was warmer and wetter long ago than it is today.  The Caltech scientists say they have directly established the temperature of Mars four billion years ago. At least, they established the surface temperature on part of the planet at that time. The researchers say it is the first such evidence to be discovered and presented.
The Caltech scientists say carbonate(碳酸鹽)minerals formed on Mars at about eighteen degrees Celsius. They reached the finding after studying a meteorite(隕石)that had its beginnings near the Martian surface.
Today, the average temperature on Mars is sixty-three degrees below zero Celsius.
The finding was reported on the website of the National Academy of Sciences. Caltech Assistant Professor Woody Fischer helped to prepare the report. He says eighteen degrees Celsius is not especially cold or hot. He says this makes the finding extremely interesting. Knowing the temperature can give scientists an idea of the climate on Mars long ago. It can also help them decide whether the planet had liquid water. Spacecraft orbiting Mars have shown what appear to be rivers, lakebeds and mineral deposits. These pictures suggest that, at one time, water did flow there. Mars Rover vehicles and other spacecraft have proved the information.

The meteorite the scientists examined is one of the oldest known rocks in the world. It is called the Allan Hills meteorite. Its name came from the place in Antarctica where it was found in 1984. The meteorite is believed to have blown loose from the Mars' surface when another space rock struck its "home."
【小題1】The underlined word “establish” in Paragraph 1 probably means “___________”.

A.to set up
B.to make people accept a belief
C.to discover or prove
D.to start having a relationship with others
【小題2】How did the scientists reach the finding?
A.By studying Allan Hills meteorite.
B.By using spacecraft orbiting Mars.
C.By studying minerals gathered on Mars.
D.By studying a meteorite on the Martian surface.
【小題3】According to the fourth paragraph, what have spacecraft orbiting Mars done?
A.Measuring the temperature of Mars.
B.Taking photos of the surface of Mars.
C.Finding that there is water flowing on Mars.
D.Proving where human beings will probably land on Mars.
【小題4】Where can we most probably read this passage?
A.In a biography of scientists. B.In a geography magazine.
C.In an environment report. D.In a science report.


【小題1】C
【小題2】A
【小題3】B
【小題4】D

解析試題分析:本文主要說明一個科學(xué)報告:許多年前火星比現(xiàn)在更溫暖,潮濕。
【小題1】猜詞題:從第一段最后一句The researchers say it is the first such evidence to be discovered and presented結(jié)合前面兩句可以說明科學(xué)家發(fā)現(xiàn)了40億年前的火星地表的溫度的證據(jù)!癳stablish”是discover or prove ,選C
【小題2】細(xì)節(jié)題:從第二段的句子:They reached the finding after studying a meteorite(隕石) that had its beginnings near the Martian surface.及最后一段It is called the Allan Hills meteorite可知科學(xué)家是通過研究Allan Hills隕石得到這個發(fā)現(xiàn)的。答案選A
【小題3】細(xì)節(jié)題:從第四段倒數(shù)第二,三句話These pictures suggest that, at one time, water did flow there. Mars Rover vehicles and other spacecraft have proved the information.可以看出宇宙飛船火星軌道是給火星地表拍照的。B
【小題4】文章出處題:從第一段第一句Scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have reported evidence that Mars was warmer and wetter long ago than it is today.可知本文主要講的是一個科學(xué)報告,故選D
考點:考查科普說明文

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科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解

      People from East Asia tend to have more difficulty than those from Europe in distinguishing facial expressions — and a new report published online in Current Biology explains why.
Rachael Jack, University of Glasgow researcher, said that rather than scanning evenly(均勻的) across a face as Westerners do, Easterners fix their attention on the eyes.
"We show that Easterners and Westerners look at different face features to read facial expressions," Jack said. "Westerners look at the eyes and the mouth in equal measure, whereas Easterners favor the eyes and neglect (忽略) the mouth."
According to Jack and her colleagues, the discovery shows that human communication of emotion is more complex than previously believed. As a result, facial expressions that had been considered universally recognizable cannot be used to reliably convey emotion in cross-cultural situations.
The researchers studied cultural differences in the recognition of facial expressions by recording the eye movements of 13 Western Caucasian and 13 East Asian people while they observed pictures of. expressive faces and put them into categories: happy, sad, surprised, fearful, disgusted, angry, or neutral. They compared how accurately participants read those facial expressions using their particular eye movement strategies.
It turned out that Easterners focused much greater attention on the eyes and made significantly more errors than did Westerners. "The cultural difference in eye movements that they show is probably a reflection of cultural difference in facial expressions," Jack said. "Our data suggest that whereas Westerners use the whole face to convey emotion, Easterners use the eyes more and mouth less."
In short, the data show that facial expressions are not universal signals of human emotion. From here on, examining how cultural factors have diversified these basic social skills will help our understanding of human emotion. Otherwise, when it comes to communicating emotions across cultures, Easterners and Westerners will find themselves lost in translation.
【小題1】The discovery shows that Westerners         .

A.pay equal attention to the eyes and the mouth
B.consider facial expressions universally reliable
C.observe the eyes and the mouth in different ways
D.have more difficulty in recognizing facial expressions
【小題2】 What were the people asked to do in the study?
A.To make a face at each other. B.To get their faces impressive.
C.To classify some face pictures. D.To observe the researchers' faces.
【小題3】 What does the underlined word "they" in Paragraph 6 refer to?
A.The participants in the study.
B.The researchers of the study.
C.The errors made during the study.
D.The data collected from the study.
【小題4】 In comparison with Westerners, Easterners are likely to         .
A.do translation more successfully
B.study the mouth more frequently
C.examine the eyes more attentively
D.read facial expressions more correctly
【小題5】What can be the best title for the passage?
A.The Eye as the Window to the Soul
B.Cultural Differences in Reading Emotions
C.Effective Methods to Develop Social Skills
D.How to Increase Cross-cultural Understanding

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科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解

It's going to be a chaotic(混亂的)day. How do I know? It’s Monday. OK, joking. But, I do predict that today will be filled with the normal last-minute tasks, fire drills, and unforeseen events. So, how do you keep yourself from being swept away in the stream of chaos? How do you remain calm while others are rushing and panicking? There's a problem… Panic! When things don't go as planned, how do you react? Are you the calm one who works to fix things? Or the one running around like Chicken Little screaming that the sky falling? Getting upset or alarmed can seem like natural reactions to a problem.
Here are a few tips to kelp you remain calm in the face of the storm:
? Don't Panic  You are better able to find a solution if you   aren't panicking. If you can keep your head when others are losing theirs, you will be able to make a dear decision in the chaos.
? There Aren't Many True Emergenaes   My time as a Naval Officer taught me a­bout true emergencies. In the military, when there is a problem, people can get hurt or die. This is not usually the case when the office copier or email server goes down. Keep things in perspective. There are very few true emergencies in life.
? Avoid the "Fight or Flight"   When you are stressed, your body will want to go into "fight or flight." Your body was designed to keep you safe from danger, but its natu­ral reflexes aren't always the best solution against a project gone away. Keep your emotions in check and ensure that your physical reflexes don’t make bad decisions for you.
? Head Into The Problem    While everyone else is running away, true leaders walk into a problem. Sticking your head in the sand only makes things worse. Instead of trying to ignore the situition, get to the heart of the issue as soon as possible. Only then can you address it
How Will You React? When you find yourself ready to lose it, take a step back. Ask, "In this truly an emergcncy?" Keep your head when others are losing theirs. And you'll find that you are that much closer to a solution.
【小題1】The author writes the first paragraph in order to______.

A.describe a chaotic dayB.a(chǎn)dvocate a way of lifeC.introduce a topicD.make a joke
【小題2】In order to make a wiser decision in the chaos, you should _____.
A.low your headB.keep your headC.shake your headD.stick your head
【小題3】The example of the author's time as a Naval Officer is used to illustrate_____.
A.there are seldom true emergencies in life
B.there are many true emergencies in life
C.some emergencies are really urgent
D.some emergencies can't be predicted
【小題4】What would the best title for the passage?
A.Fight or Flight
B.True emergencies
C.Less Talking, More Doing
D.Keep calm in the face of the storm

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科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解

October 15th is the Global Handwashing Day. Activities are planned in more than 20 countries to get millions of people in the developing world to wash their hands with soap. For example, donors(捐贈者) will give 150,000 bars of soap to schools in Ethiopia.
Experts say people around the world wash their hands every day, but very few use soap at so-called important moments. These include after using the toilet, after cleaning a baby and before touching food.
Global Handwashing Day is the idea of the Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing with Soap. Partners include the United Nations Children’s Fund, American government agencies, the World Bank and soap makers Unlever and Procter and Gamble. The organizers say all soaps are equally effective at removing disease-causing germ(細(xì)菌). They say the correct way to wash is to wet your hands with a small amount of water and cover them with soap. Rub(揉搓) it into all areas, including under the fingernails(指甲). Rub for at least twenty seconds. Then rinse well under running water. Finally, dry your hands with a clean cloth or wave them in the air.
The Partnership for Handwashing says soap is important because it increases the time that people spend in washing hands. Soap also helps to break up the dirt that holds most of the germs. And it usually leaves a pleasant smell. The Partnership for Handwashing also says washing with soap before eating or after using the toilet could save more lives than any vaccine(疫苗)or medicine. Hand washing could also prevent the spread of other diseases. When people get germs on their hands, they can infect(感染)themselves by touching their eyes, noses or mouths. Then they can infect others.
【小題1】What’s the best title for this passage?

A.Say no to washing hands in the wrong way.
B.Find out why washing hands carefully is so important.
C.Hand washing: so important----it gets a day of its own.
D.Want to live a longer life?-wash your hands.
【小題2】The word “rinse” in Paragraph 3 probably means ______.
A.to dry your hands B.to wash away the soap
C.to rub your hands carefully D.to clean your fingers
【小題3】The last paragraph mainly tells us ______.
A.how to wash your hands correctly
B.why washing hand with soap is so important
C.the dangers of washing hands without soap
D.when we should especially wash our hands with soap
【小題4】In which part of newspaper would you most probably read this passage?
A.Medical care B.Public service C.Health report D.Advertisement

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科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解

While students in Hainan are quite used to clear skies, Beijing teenagers are not so lucky. As another warm winter approaches, the city can expect the normal clouds of smoke caused by air pollution.

But things may start to improve soon. The government is co-operating with a US-based environmental protection agency to update existing buses and trucks with clean fuel technology. The new technology could reduce air pollutants in existing diesel engines(柴油機(jī))by 40 percent. The programme will begin by testing buses in Beijing to see if the technology can be applied to them.
“We encourage the development of public transports. But at the same time we need to reduce pollution from them, ”said an official.
Efforts are being made to improve the capital’s environment with tighter controls on emissions(排放). Some heavily polluting factories and construction sites, such as those owned by the steel giant Shougang Group, have been asked to cut production in November and December or be closed.
Beijing was the third polluted city in the world at the end of last century, according to the UN. But thanks to recent measures, the capital has made some progress. Last year 224 clear days were rated as having good air quality. In 1998 the air quality index(指數(shù))gave just 100 days as good.
“I am glad to see an improvement, ”said a senior 1 boy living in the northwest of Beijing. “Compared to other places, the air quality of Beijing is still worrying though. I hate pollution. Once I was riding my bike in the morning when I almost had a traffic accident because I couldn’t see a car only metres away from me in fog. ”
In early October, the skies were covered by such a thick fog that a display show by the visiting French Air Force was called off.
Rapid development, industry, traffic fumes and sandstorms from the desert all contribute to the city’s bad air.
【小題1】 The passage is mainly about   .

A.a(chǎn) programme aiming at improving Beijing’s air quality
B.progress made in Beijing’s air quality
C.Beijing’s air pollution
D.the differences between Hainan and Beijing
【小題2】Which of the following is NOT the measure taken or to be taken to improve Beijing’s air quality?
A.Clean fuel technology will be used in public transports.
B.Some factories have been asked to cut production.
C.Some construction sites have been told to be closed.
D.A display show of airplanes has been called off.
【小題3】 We can infer from the passage that, with the aim of being an ecological(生態(tài)的)city,    .
A.far more still needs to be done
B.nothing else needs to be done
C.a(chǎn)ll traffic has to be closed
D.the development of the city has to be slowed down
【小題4】Which of the following is NOT correct according to the passage?
A.Beijing’s air quality is getting worse and worse.
B.Rapid development, industry, traffic fumes and sandstorms are all the causes of bad air quality.
C.People see clouds of smoke in the sky in the winter of Beijing.
D.The government is making efforts to stop air pollution.

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科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解

The extraordinary Eastgate Building in Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital city, is said to be the only one in the world to use the same cooling and heating principles as the termite mound(白蟻堆).
Architect Mick Pearce used precisely the same strategy when designing the Eastgate Building, which has no air-conditioning and almost no heating. The building—the country’s largest commercial and shopping complex—uses less than 10% of the energy of a conventional building of its size. The Eastgate’s owners saved $3.5 million on a $36 million building because an air-conditioning equipment didn’t have to be imported.
The complex is actually two buildings linked by bridges across a shady, glass-roofed atrium(天井) open to the air. Fans suck fresh air in from the atrium, blow it upstairs through hollow spaces under the floors and from there into each office through baseboard vents(通風(fēng)口). As it rises and warms, it is drawn out via ceiling vents and finally exists through forty-eight brick chimneys.
During summer’s cool nights, big fans blow air through the building seven times an hour to cool the empty floors. By day, smaller fans blow two changes of air an hour through the building, to circulate the air which has been in contact with the cool floors. For winter days, there are small heaters in the vents.
This is all possible only because Harare is 1600 feet above sea level, has cloudless skies, little dampness and rapid temperature changes—days as warm as 31℃ commonly drop to 14℃ at night. “You couldn’t do this in New York, with its hot summers and cold winters,” Pearce said.
The engineering firm of Ove Arup&Partners monitors daily temperatures. It is found that the temperature of the building has generally stayed between 23℃ and 25℃, with the exception of the annual hot period just before the summer rains in October and three days in November, when a doorkeeper accidentally switched off the fans at night. And the air is fresh—far more so than in air-conditioned buildings, where up to 30% of the air is recycled.
【小題1】Why was Eastgate cheaper to be built than a conventional building? 

A.It was designed in a smaller size.
B.No air conditioners were fixed in.
C.Its heating system was less advanced.
D.It used rather different building materials.
【小題2】What does “it” refer to in Paragraph 3?
A.Fresh air from outside. B.Heat in the building.
C.Hollow space. D.Baseboard vent.
【小題3】Why would a building like Eastgate Not work efficiently in New York?
A.New York has less clear skies as Harare.
B.Its dampness affects the circulation of air.
C.New York covers a larger area than Harare.
D.Its temperature changes seasonally rather than daily.
【小題4】The data in the last paragraph suggests Eastgate’s temperature control system_____.
A.a(chǎn)llows a wide range of temperatures
B.functions well for most of the year
C.can recycle up to 30% of the air
D.works better in hot seasons

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科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解

New crime prediction software should reduce not only the murder rate, but the rate of other crimes. Developed by Richard Berk, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, the software has already used in Baltimore and Philadelphia to predict which individuals on probation(緩刑) or parole(假釋) are most likely to murder and to be murdered.
“When a person goes on probation or parole he is supervised(監(jiān)督) by an officer. The question is ‘what level of supervision is appropriate?’” said Berk. It used to be that parole officers used the person’s criminal record, and their judgment to make decisions.
“This research replaces those seat-of-the –pants calculations,” he said.
Technology helps determine level of supervision. On average there is one murder for every 100,000 people. Even among high-risk groups the murder rate is one in 100. Predicting such a rare event is very difficult, but advances in computer technology works.
Years ago, the researchers made a dataset of more than 60,000 various crimes. Using the software they developed, they found some much more likely to commit murder when paroled or probated. They could identify eight future murderers out of 100.
Berk’s software examines roughly two dozen variables(可變因素), from criminal record to geographic location. The type of crimes, and more importantly, the age at which that crime was committed, were two of the most predictive variables.
“People assume that if someone murdered then they will murder in the future,” said Berk. “ What really matters is what that person did as a young individual. Predicting future crimes sounds well. But we aren’t anywhere near being able to do that.”
“Berk’s scientific answer leaves policymakers with difficult questions. By labeling one group of people as high risk, and supervise them closely, there should be fewer murders, which the potential victims should be happy about. It also means that those high-risk individuals will be supervised more aggressively. For human rights advocates, that means punishing people who, most likely, will not commit a crime in the future,” said Bushway. “It comes down to a question of whether you would rather make these errors or those errors.”
【小題1】The underlined words(in Para.3) probably mean___. 

A.calculations based on subjective opinions
B.calculations based on widespread voting
C.calculations made by advanced technology
D.calculations based on serious considering
【小題2】For 650 people with crime records, how many potential murderers would the software find?
A.6.5.B.13.C.52.D.65.
【小題3】From Para 7, we can infer that______.
A.the technology developed by Richard Berk will soon be widely used in the US
B.the technology would not be widely accepted in the short term
C.whether a person murders or not largely decided by his upbringing while young
D.if a person murdered when he was fifty, he is sure to murder again while on probation
【小題4】Bushway’s attitude to the technology put forward by Richard Berk is ____.
A.positiveB.negativeC.objectiveD.indifferent
【小題5】Which would be the best title for the passage?
A.Closely Supervise Potential Murders
B.Measures Taken to Prevent Criminal Behavior
C.Technology Revolutionizes Judges’ Way of Working
D.Software is Developed to Predict Criminal Behavior

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科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解

Mulch is a protective cover of material that is spread on top of soil.It is usually made out of organic material, like crop waste.Farmers may keep the remains of maize or other crops on top of the soil.This creates mulch on the soil surface.The plant remains help protect the soil against wind and water damage.Mulching is one of the best things people can do for their plants.It also helps keep the soil from getting dry, and reduces the need for watering plants.It also limits temperature changes in the soil.And it stops unwanted plants, or weeds,from growing.
Organic mulch improves the condition of soil.As the mulch breaks down, it provides material which keeps the soil from getting hard.This improves the growth of roots and increases the movement of water through the soil.It also improves the ability of the soil to hold water. Organic mulch contains nutrients for plants.It also provides a good environment for earthworms and other helpful organisms in the soil.
It is easy to find organic mulch materials.Cut­up leaves and small pieces of tree bark can be used.Grass cuttings are also a good mulch for plants. Mulch from newspapers works well in controlling weeds.
The best time to add mulch depends on your goal.Mulch provides a thick barrier between the soil and the air.This helps to reduce temperature changes in the soil. As a result,mulched soil will be cooler than other soil in the summer.In winter, the mulched soil may not freeze as deeply as other soil.The best time is after the ground has frozen, but before the coldest weather arrives.Spreading mulch before the ground has frozen may attract small animals searching for a warm place to spend the winter.Delaying the spreading should prevent this problem.The animals will probably find another place to live.
【小題1】The author tells us the following EXCEPT________.

A.what mulch is and its benefits
B.the best time to add mulch
C.what can be mulched on the soil surface
D.the bad effects of mulch
【小題2】The following can be used as organic materials to make mulch EXCEPT________.
A.tree barks B.cut­up leaves
C.grass cuttings D.plastic
【小題3】Which of the following is the benefit of mulch?
A.Protecting the soil against wind and water damage.
B.Keeping the soil wet and reducing the need for watering plants.
C.Reducing temperature changes in the soil and stopping unwanted weeds
growing.
D.All of the above.
【小題4】The main idea of Paragraph 2 is that organic mulch can________.
A.improve the condition of soil
B.improve the ability of the soil to hold water
C.provide a good environment for earthworms
D.improve the growth of roots and increase the movement of water through the
soil
【小題5】From the last paragraph, we know ________.
A.the best time to add mulch is in spring and summer
B.the best time to add mulch is after the coldest weather arrives
C.the best time to add mulch depends on weather
D.choosing the best time to add mulch can avoid attracting small animals

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科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解

Bottled water has become the choice for people who are healthy and thirsty. Bottled water is all over the world. But some say the planet’s health, and people’s health may be suffering from it.
The idea that bottled water is safer for humans may not be true. The Natural Resources Defense Council of America said, “There is no promise that because water comes out of a bottle, it is cleaner or safer than water from the tap.” Another New York City-based action group added that some bottled water is “really just tap water in a bottle—sometimes more clean, sometimes not.”

It is not proven that bottled water is better than tap water. Nick Reeves from the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management said, “The high mineral content (含量) of some bottled water makes them not good for feeding babies and young children.” Also, most bottled water doesn’t have fluoride (氟化物), which can make teeth stronger. Kids are drinking more bottled water and less fluoridated tap water, and some say that’s behind the recent rise in bad teeth.
Storing is another problem. Placed near heat, the plastic bottles can produce bad chemicals (化學(xué)物質(zhì)) into the water.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, some 2.7 million tons of plastic are used worldwide to bottle water each year. The plastic can take between 400 and 1,000 years to break down.
In terms of energy use, plastic bottles are also not cheap. One report said that if water and soft drink bottlers had used 10 percent recycled materials in their plastic bottles, they would have saved about 72 million gallons of gas.
So, if you are worried about the effect of bottled water on the Earth, you can take the following steps.
● Drink from your tap. Unless your government warns against this, it should be fine.
● Get a container (容器). Carry your tap water in a steel or a lined drinking container, and clean it between uses.
● Keep it cool. Don’t drink from a bottle that has been sitting in the sun, don’t store it near chemicals, and don’t reuse plastic bottles.
● Choose glass containers over plastic if possible. When finished, recycle!
【小題1】What is the main idea of the article?

A.Drinking tap water is the only choice for people.
B.Glass containers are better than plastic bottles.
C.Plastic bottles are harmful to the environment.
D.Bottled water may not be as good as we think.
【小題2】What can we learn about plastic bottles from the article?
A.They break down in less than 300 years.B.They can be used for many other things.
C.They are a risk to the environment.D.They are cheap to make.
【小題3】According to the article, we can know that bottled water is __________.
A.no problem for the environmentB.more expensive than tap water
C.a(chǎn)lways safer than tap waterD.better for babies
【小題4】Which of the following about tap water is NOT mentioned in the article?
A.There are a lot of problems storing tap water.
B.Bottled water can be just tap water in a bottle.
C.It may be better for your teeth.
D.It may contain fluoride.

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