What's going to happen in the future? Will robots take over our planet? Will computers become smarter than us? Not likely. But here are some things that scientists say are most likely to happen 10 to 30 years later from now, according to the BBC.
1.Digital money
We used to pay with cash for everything we bought. Now when we swipe(刷) our bus pass or use a credit card to shop online, money is spent without us even seeing it. In fact, we are already using one type of digital money.
You have to admit that using a card is much easier than searching your pockets for change. It is also safer than carrying a lot of cash.
When ATM cards were first introduced, they were not accepted everywhere. But now it's hard to live without them. People in Sweden completely stopped using cash last year, according to the Associated Press, and the US might be next.
2.Bionic(能力超人的)eye
It's no longer something only in a sci­fi movie. People who are blind may have a chance to get their sight back—by wearing bionic eyes.
A blind eye can no longer sense light, but a bionic eye can use a camera to “see” the environment and send data directly to the brain.
Although the bionic eye that's out now only allows patients to see lights and unclear shapes, a high­resolution(高清晰度的) version could be just a few years away.
3.Self­driving cars
Everything is going automatic these days—washing machines, ticket selling machines and even cars. Unlike a human driver, a self­driving car won't get distracted by a phone call, the radio or something outside the window. Sensors and cameras on the car would allow it to stick strictly to the rules of the road and keep a safe distance from other cars. This would greatly reduce the number of road accidents. You could even take a nap while the car drives itself.
Many vehicle companies are now planning self­driving cars. “By 2040, driverless vehicles will be widely accepted and possibly be the dominant vehicles on the road,” said Jeffrey Miller, professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage, US, in Wired magazine.
【小題1】The underlined word “distracted” in the article is closest in meaning to “________”.

A.directedB.discouraged
C.a(chǎn)ttackedD.disturbed
【小題2】Jeffrey Miller's attitude towards self­driving cars is ________.
A.optimisticB.pessimistic
C.doubtfulD.cautious
【小題3】Which section is the article most likely to be found in the newspaper?
A.Learning KitB.Campus Trends
C.EntertainmentD.Technology


【小題1】D
【小題2】A
【小題3】D

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科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解

Are some people born clever, and others born stupid? Or is intelligence developed by our environment and our experience? Strangely enough, the answer to these questions is yes. To some extent our intelligence is given to us at birth, and no amount of education can make a genius out of a child born with low intelligence. On the other hand, a child who lives in a boring environment will develop his intelligence less than one who lives in rich and varied surroundings. Thus the limits of person’s intelligence are fixed at birth, whether or not he reaches those limits will depend on his environment. This view, now held by most experts, can be supported in a number of ways.
It is easy to show that intelligence is to some extent something we are born with. The closer the blood relationship between two people, the closer they are likely to be intelligence. Thus if we take two unrelated people at random from population, it is likely that their degree of intelligence will be completely different. If, on the other hand, we take two identical twins, they will very probably be as intelligent as each other. Relations like brothers and sisters, parents and children, usually have similar intelligence, and this clearly suggests that intelligence depends on birth.
Imagine now that we take two identical twins and put them in different environments. We might send one, for example, to a university and the other to a factory where the work is boring. We would soon find differences in intelligence developing, and this indicates that environment as well as birth plays a part. This conclusion is also suggested by the fact that people who live in close contact with each other, but who are not related at all are likely to have similar degree of intelligence.
【小題1】 The writer is in favor of the view that man’s intelligence is given to him____________.

A.a(chǎn)t birth
B.through education
C.neither at birth nor through education
D.both at birth and through education
【小題2】If a child is born with low intelligence, he can_____________________.
A.become a genius
B.still become a genius if he should be given special education
C.reach his intelligence limits in rich surroundings
D.not reach his intelligence in his life.
【小題3】The example of the twins going to a university and to a factory separately shows_________.
A.the importance of their intelligence
B.the importance of their positions
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D.the part that birth plays

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科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解

Imagine you’re in a dark room, running your fingers over a smooth surface in search of a single dot the size of this period, How high do you think the dot must be for your finger to feel it?
Scientists have determined that the human finger is so sensitive it can detect a surface bump just one micron(l0-6m)"high. The human eye, by contrast, can't tell anything much smaller than100 microns.No wonder we rely on touch rather than eyesight when faced with a new roll of toilet paper.
Biologically, touch is the mother of all sensory(感覺的) systems.It is an ancient sense in evolution: even the simplest single-celled living things can feel when something brushes up against them and will respond by moving closer or pulling away. It is the first sense aroused during a baby’s development and the last to weaken at life's peak. Patients in a deep coma (昏迷)who seem otherwise lost to the world will show skin reaction when touched by a nurse.
“Touch ,is so central to what we are that we almost cannot imagine ourselves without it,” said Chris Dijkerman.“It's 'not like eyesight, where you close your eyes and you don't see anything. You can't do that with touch.It's always there."
Long ignored in favor of the sensory heavyweights of eyesight and hearing, the study of touch lately:: has been gaining new concern among scientists.They're exploring the effects of recently reported false touch impressions, of people being made to feel as though they had three arms, for example, with the hope of gaining the true understanding of how the mind works.
Others are turning to touch for more practical purposes: to build better touch screen instruments and robot hands, a more well-rounded virtual life.。“There's a fair amount of research into new ways of offloading information onto our sense of touch," said Lynette Jones. "To have your cell phone buzzing (making a low sound) as opposed to ringing turned out to have a lot of advantages in.some situations."
Touch is our most active sense, our means of seizing the world and experiencing it 'first hand. Dr.Susan Lederman pointed out that while we can become aware of something by seeing or hear,ing7;-.from a distance and without really trying, if we want to learn about something by means of touch, we must make a move.We must rub the cloth, or pet the cat. Touching is a two-way street, and that's not true for seeing or hearing. If you have a soft object and you squeeze it, you change its shape. The physical world reacts back."
Our hands are smart and can do many tasks automatically - button a shirt, fit a key in a lock, play the; piano for others.Dr.Lederman and her colleagues have shown that blindfolded subjects can easily recognize a wide range of common -objects placed.in their hands.But on some feeling tasks, touch is all thumbs (very clumsy). When people are given a raised line drawing of a common object, they're puzzled.“If all we've got is outline information;" Dr.Lederman said,.“no weight, no texture, no temperature information, well, we're very, very bad with that."
Touch also turns out to be easy to fool, Among the sensory tricks now being investigated is something called the Pinocchio illusion. Researchers have found that if they shake the band of the biceps(二頭。, many people report feeling that their forearm is getting 'longer, their hand floating ever further from their elbow(肘). And if they are told to touch the forefinger of the shaken arm to the tip of their nose, they feel as though their nose was lengthening, too. 
【小題1】Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?   

A.Our eyes are more sensitive than our fingers.
B.Our fingers are more sensitive than our eyes.
C.Our eyes are more sensitive than our ears.
D.Our noses are less sensitive than our ears.
【小題2】The sense that is firstly awaked during a child's development is the sense of        
A.sightB.tasteC.hearingD.touch
【小題3】The underlined sentence “You can't do that with touch” here means “You can't        ”.
A.close your skinB.close your eyes ' C.touch anythingD.see anything
【小題4】Scientists are lately getting interested in the following except      
A.living a well-rounded virtual life
B.understanding how the mind works
C.favoring eyesight and hearing
D.building better 'touch screen objects
【小題5】In the view of       , movement is needed when we want to know something by touching.
A.the author B.Chris Dijkerman
C.Lynette JonesD.Susan Lederman

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科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解

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.
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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.
【小題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. 
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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. 
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A.They have heavy and straight tree trunks. 
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C.They are more resistant to fire damage than other trees. 
D.They produce many young trees to maintain their life cycle. 
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A.By killing an old tree. B.By connecting root systems. 
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科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解

Most people know that awkward feeling when you walk into an elevator with other people and try not to make eye contact(接觸). But a new research suggests it may be down to a subconscious power struggle being played out as you make your way up and down.
A study found that people decide where they stand based on a micro social status,established within seconds of entering the lift.
Rebekah Rousi.a(chǎn) Ph. D.student in cognitive(認(rèn)知)science,conducted an ethnographic(人種論)
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In a blog she writes that more senior men seemed to direct themselves towards the back of the elevator She said:“In front of them were younger men,and in front of them were women of aII ages.”She also notice there
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She concluded it could be that people who are shyer stand toward the front,where they can’t see other passengers,whereas confident people stand in the back,where they have a  view of everyone else.
【小題1】The passage is mainly about      
A. elevator riding manners   
B communication in the elevator
C. elevator riders’ standing positions 
D. micro social status in the elevator
【小題2】The underlined word“it”in the first paragraph probably refers to“     

A.a(chǎn)n elevator B.the new research C.eye contact D.social status
【小題3】A person who stands in the back of the lift is probably      
A confident    B shy    C honest
【小題4】The conclusion of the research in the passage is          
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科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解

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.
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"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 (害獸) 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.
【小題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
【小題2】Apart from cats, Hu Yaowu and his teams may also study         .
A.the preventions of pests from grains
B.the history of Chinese farming
C.the dogs and pigs
D.the ways to keep pets
【小題3】Which of the following is NOT the evidence of Chinese farms’ keeping cats?
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.
【小題4】What are the reasons for farmers to keep cats?
A.Helping keep other domesticated animals.
B.Not letting cats eat food.
C.Supplying meat for human.
D.Helping reduce the amount of pests.
【小題5】In which part of a newspaper would be the passage most probably appear         .
A.EntertainmentB.Environment
C.Human and ScienceD.Life and fashion

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科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解

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(荷爾蒙)produced like endorphins(內(nèi)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.
【小題1】The passage mainly tells us that ____

A.a(chǎn) 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
【小題2】Which of the following is TRUE?
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.
【小題3】The underlined sentence in Paragraph 7 probably means ____.
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.a(chǎn)cademic performance depends on the surroundings
【小題4】What's the purpose of writing the passage?
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:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解

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(腎表皮) 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 (胎兒)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.
【小題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
【小題2】Pei and his tean try their best to work hard in order to      .
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
【小題3】What is the challenge of making NPCs in the previous method?
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.
【小題4】From the last paragraph we can infer      .
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:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解

The need to feed a growing population is putting much pressure on the world's supply of water. With 97% of the world's water too salty to be drunk or used in agriculture, the worldwide supply of water needs careful management, especially in agriculture. Although the idea of a water shortage(短缺)seems strange to someone fortunate enough to live in a high rainfall country, many of the world's agricultural industries experience constant water shortages.
Although dams can be built to store water for agricultural use in dry areas and dry seasons, the costs of water redistribution(重新分配)are very high. Not only is there the cost of the engineering itself, but there is also an environmental cost to be considered. Where valleys(山谷)are flooded to create dams, houses are lost and wildlife homes destroyed. Besides, water may flow easily through pipes to fields, but it cannot be transported from one side of the world to the other. Each country must therefore rely on the management of its own water to supply its farming requirements.
This is particularly troubling for countries with agricultural industries in areas dependent on irrigation (灌溉). In Texas, farmers' overuse of irrigation water has resulted in a 25% reduction of the water stores. In the Central Valley area of southwestern USA, a huge water engineering project provided water for farming in dry valleys, but much of the water use has been poorly managed.
Saudi Arabia's attempts to grow wheat in desert areas have seen the pumping of huge quantities of irrigation water from underground reserves.  Because there is no rainfall in these areas, such reserves can only decrease, and it is believed that fifty years of pumping will see them run dry.
【小題1】From the first two paragraphs we learn that________.

A.much of the world's water is available for use
B.people in high rainfall countries feel lucky
C.water can be easily carried through pipes across the world
D.the costs of water redistribution should be considered
【小題2】Which of the following is TRUE?
A.The water stores in Texas have been reduced by 75%.
B.Most industries in the world suffer from water shortages.
C.The underground water in Saudi Arabia might run out in 50 years.
D.Good management of water use resulted from the project in the Central Valley.
【小題3】What is most likely to be discussed in the paragraph that follows?
A.Steps to improving water use management.
B.Ways to reduce the costs of building dams.
C.Measures to deal with worldwide water shortages.
D.Approaches to handling the pressure on water supply.
【小題4】The text is mainly about________.
A.water supply and increasing population
B.water use management and agriculture
C.water redistribution and wildlife protection
D.water shortages and environmental protection

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