Animals are more like us than we ever imagined.They feel pain, they experience stress, they show affection, excitement and love.All these findings have been made by scientists in recent years---and such results are beginning to change how we view animals.
Strangely enough, some of this research was sponsored by fast food companies like McDonald’s and KFC.Pressured by animal rights groups , these companies felt they had to fund scientists researching the emotional and mental states of animals.
McDonald’s, for instance, funded studies on pig behavior at Purdue University, Indiana.This research found that pigs seek affection and easily become depressed if left alone or prevented from playing with each other.If they become depressed, they soon become physically ill.Because of this, and other similar studies, the European Union has banned the use of isolating pig stalls from 2010.In Germany, the government is encouraging pig farmers to give each pig 20 seconds of human contact a day, and to provide them with toys to prevent them from fighting
Other scientists have shown that animals think and behave like humans.Koko, the 300-pound gorilla at the Gorilla Foundation in Northern California, for instance, has been taught sign language.Koko can now understand several thousand English words, more than many humans who speak English as a second language.On human IQ tests, she scores between 70 and 95.
Before such experiments, humans thought language skills were absent from the animal kingdom.Other myths are also being overturned, like the belief that animals lack self-awareness.Studies have also shown that animals mourn their dead, and that they play for pleasure.
These striking similarities between animal and human behavior have led some to ask a question: “If you believe in evolution, how can’t you believe that animals have feelings that human  beings have?”
Until recently, scientists believed that animals behaved by instinct and that what appeared to be learned behavior was merely genetically-programmed activity.But as Koko the Gorilla shows, this is not the case.In fact, learning is passed from parent to offspring far more often than not in the animal kingdom.
So what implications does this knowledge have for humans? Because of this, should we ban hunting and animal testing? Should we close zoos? Such questions are being raised by many academics and politicians.Harvard and 25 other American law schools have introduced courses on animal rights.Germany meanwhile, recently guaranteed animal rights in its constitution---the first country to do so.
小題1:McDonald’s and KFC give money to support scientist to do research on animals, because_____
A.they are international big companies.
B.they love animals.
C.they are pressured by animal right groups.
D.they earn a large amount of money and want to do some good deeds.
小題2:The research on pigs at Purdue University shows that______
A.pigs love being alone.
B.pigs easily become physically ill.
C.pigs need affection.
D.pigs don’t like to play with each other.
小題3:Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A.Animals behave by instinct.
B.Animals have self-awareness.
C.Animals have feelings and love.
D.Animals do not have language skills.
小題4:Should we ban hunting and animal testing?
A.Yes.
B.No
C.Not certain
D.Not mentioned

小題1:C
小題1:C
小題1:D
小題1:D
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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

The tragic death of celebrity Wang Bei has made people aware of the risks of cosmetic surgery, which is becoming increasingly popular.
A survey on the reaction to Wang’s death, conducted by Tencent, which runs China’s most popular instant-messaging service, received more than 600,000 responses, as of press time Monday.Forty-one percent of respondents expressed sorrow over her death, saying, "It’s a pity she died at such a young age." Some 31 percent said she should have been more cautious and less vain, while 10 percent were enraged at the hospital that conducted the surgery.The remaining 18 percent were indifferent.
A common thread of online discussion is why someone considered beautiful was so dissatisfied with her looks.Some netizens said Wang was a victim of society’s unrealistic ideal of beauty: double eyelids, an aquiline nose and the pointed chin typical of Western celebrities.Others said her death underscores the limits to which people will go to achieve fame and fortune.Young people, see cosmetic surgery as the key to wealth and love.
"They want to improve their appearance to find better opportunities at work and in marriage," says Ding Xiaobang, a plastic surgeon with the Peking Union Medical College Hospital."We’re living in a highly competitive society.People regard appearance as a weapon and a means of empowerment…Most of them tell me, ’I don’t care how much I spend, just make me look beautiful’." In the past decade, Ding says he Has seen a growing number of patients, like Wang Bei, who are young and naturally good-looking.The surgeon attributes this trend to people becoming richer, the standards of beauty changing, competition and frustration.
"Some are frustrated with life and use surgery as a way to try and recover," lie says.
The surge in demand for plastic surgery has resulted in a rise in the number of unauthorized business establishments and surgeons conducting such procedures.
Meanwhile, experts say, young and beautiful people who still seek plastic surgery need to address their self-awareness issues and be more accepting.
“They’ve built their identity around the admiration of others and fail to establish a system to assess themselves," says Zhu Wenbo, a psychologist with Blue Bay Psychological Consulting Center in Chengdu."People’s opinions always change, so this is not a reliable way to evaluate oneself."
小題1:Most people are       toward the death of Wang Bei according to the survey.
A.sympatheticB.indifferentC.enragedD.not mentioned
小題2:Why is there such a trend of having medical cosmetic surgery according to Ding Xiaobang?
A.People become richer.
B.The standard the beauty always changes.
C.People suffer fierce competition and frustration now and then.
D.All of the above.
小題3:What kind of people is regarded as a beauty nowadays?
A.a(chǎn) person with single eyelid, an aquiline nose and a pointed chin
B.a(chǎn) person with double eyelids, an aquiline nose and a pointed chin
C.a(chǎn) person with double eyelids, a snub nose and a pointed chin
D.a(chǎn) person with double eyelids, a snub nose and a chubby chin
小題4:The purpose of the text is to           .
A.inform us that cosmetic surgery becomes popular.
B.emphasize that young people should re-evaluate themselves rationally.
C.raise concerns about the risk of medical cosmetology industry.
D.state that people’s standard of beauty always changes.

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Astronauts aboard the space station celebrated a space first on Wednesday by drinking water that had been recycled from their urine(尿), sweat and water got from air. They said "cheers," clicked drinking bags and toasted NASA workers on the ground.
The urine recycling system is needed for astronaut stations on the moon and Mars. It also will have NASA money because it won’t have to ship up as much water to the station by space shuttles or cargo rockets. Besides, it’s important as the space station is about to expand from three people living on board to six.
The recycling system had been brought up to the space station last November by space shuttles Endeavour, but it couldn’t be used until samples(樣品) were tested back on earth. So when it came time to actually drink up, NASA made a big deal of it. The three-man crew stood holding their drinks and congratulated engineers in two NASA centres that worked on the system.
“This is something that had been the stuff of science fiction,” American astronaut Michael Barratt said before taking a small mouthful. “The taste is worth trying.”
The new system takes the combined urine of the crew from the toilet, moves it to a big tank, where the water is boiled off, and the vapor(水蒸氣) is collected. The rest of the urine is thrown away. Then the water vapor is mixed with water from air, and then it goes through filters (過濾器). When six crew members are aboard it can make about six gallons from urine in about six hours.
“Some people may find the idea of drinking recycled urine distasteful, but it is also done on earth, but with a lot longer time between urine and the tap,” said Marybeth Edeen, the space station’s national lab manager.
The technology NASA developed for this system has already been used for quick water purification after the 2004 Asian tsunami.
小題1: According to the text, the recycling system is important because ___________.
A.it makes traveling to the moon for the average person possible
B.with it NASA won’t need to ship any water up the space station
C.it can help meet the need for more water after the crew is expanded
D.it protects the environment in space by reducing the amount of waste
小題2:What’s the RIGHT time order of the following events?
a. The samples of the recycled water were tested on earth.
b. Astronauts celebrated the space first of making water from urine
c. The recycling system was brought up to the space station.
d. The technology for the system was used to quickly purify water.
A.a(chǎn), d, c, bB.a(chǎn), c, b, dC.d, a, c, bD.d, c, a, b
小題3:From Para. 5 we can know ____________.
A.the theory behind the recycling systemB.the effect of the recycling system
C.the process of recycling urineD.a(chǎn)n opinion on recycling urine
小題4:What did Edeen say about recycled urine and the recycling system?
A.The taste of recycled urine is not as good as that of common water.
B.The recycling system has made a science fiction story come true.
C.The idea of drinking recycled urine makes astronauts feel unpleasant.
D.It takes a longer time on earth to make water from urine than in space.
小題5:What is the best title for the passage?
A.The Research of NASA Has Made Great Progress.
B.New Technology Is Used in the Space Station.
C.Drink up: Space Station Recycles Urine to Water.
D.Good News: Water Recycled from Urine Tastes Good

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Do you know how to play a game called “Musical Chairs”?It is easy to play and most people enjoy it. All you need are some chairs, some people and some way of making music. You may use a piano or any other musical instrument, if someone can play it. You may use a tape recorder. You can even use a radio.
Put the chairs in a row. The chairs may be put in twos, back to back. A better way is to have the chairs in one row with each chair facing in the opposite direction to the chair next to it.
The game is easy. When the music starts, the players walk round the chairs. Everyone goes in the same direction, of course, they should walk in time to the music. If the music is fast they should walk quickly. If the music is slow, they should walk slowly.
The person playing music cannot see the people in the game. When the music stops, the players try to sit on the chairs. If a person cannot find a chair to sit on, he drops out. Then, before the music starts again, one chair must be taken away. When the music stops again, one more player will be out.. At last, there will be two players and one chair. The one who sits on the chair when the music stops is the winner.
小題1:If ten people are playing musical chairs,you must begin with _______.
A.nine chairsB.ten chairsC.eleven chairsD.one chair
小題2:Which of the following is not suitable for playing musical chairs? _______.
A.A pianoB.A radioC.A tape recorderD.A telephone
小題3:The chairs should be put _______.
A.with the desksB.before the winnerC.a(chǎn)ll over the roomD.in a line
小題4:When the music starts,the players must _______.
A.run about the roomB.get down
C.walk around the chairsD.sit on the chairs
小題5: Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A.The game “Musical Chairs” is not difficult to learn.
B.The last one can sit on the last chair.
C.The winner can sit on the chair.
D.If the person plays music, he cannot be the winner.

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Recently, scientists have developed a wireless brainmachine interface that help restore communication to people who can no longer speak by reading brainwaves using electrodes(電極) stuck on their heads. Unfortunately, these have proved very slow, at roughly one word typed per minute, making normal conversations and social interactions virtually impossible.
Scientist Frank Guenther and his colleagues reveal a brainmachine interface that uses electrodes implanted directly into the brain for research into real time speech.
"It should soon be possible for extremely paralysed individuals who are incapable of speaking to produce speech through a laptop computer, " said Guenther.
The scientists worked with a 26-year- old male volunteer who experience near-total paralysis due to a stroke he suffered when he was 16. They implanted an electrode that had two wires into a part of the brain that help plan and execute movements related to speech. The electrode recorded brain signals when the volunteer attempted to talk and the wires spread them across the scalp(頭皮)to help drive a speech synthesizer (合成器). The delay between brain activity and sound output was just 50 milliseconds on average, roughly the same with regular speech.
"He was quite excited, particularly on the first few days we used the system, as he got used to its properties, " Guenther recalled." I am sure the work proceeds slowly from his perspective, as it does from ours. Nonetheless, he was very excited about getting real-time audio feedback of his intended speech and happy to work very hard with us throughout the experiments."
"The current system uses data from just two wires. Within a year it will be possible to implant a system with 16 times as many." Guenther said." This will allow us to tap into neurons(神經(jīng)元),which in the end means better control over a synthesizer and thus better speech."
小題1:In the study of Guenther, electrodes are _______.
A.fixed on the heads B.put into the heads
C.tied to the headsD.separated from the heads
小題2:   The underlined word "them" in Paragraph 4 refers to _______.
A.movementsB.wiresC.brain signals D.Scientists
小題3:   What might be the best title for the passage?
A. Wireless Device Are Used to Read Words in the Brain.
B. New Equipment Helps you read others’ mind.
C. Virtual tongue can make you speak fluently.
It is no secret what you are thinking in mind.

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

If you want to improve your child’s results at school, you could do a lot worse than ensuring that they do plenty of exercise. Scientists have already shown that physical activity can make you brainier. But a team in America has used scans to show that an important part of the brain actually grows in children who are fit. These youngsters tend to be more intelligent and have better memories than those who are inactive.
  Scientists also found that one of the most important parts of their brains was 12 percent larger than those of unfit children. They believe that encouraging children to take exercise from a very young age could help them do better at school later. Researchers from the University of Illinois, in the U.S., studied the brains of 49 children aged nine and ten using a magnetic resonance imaging scan (核磁共振攝影掃描), a technique which provides very detailed pictures of organs and tissues in the body.
  They also tested the fitness levels of the children by making them run on a treadmill (跑步機(jī)). The scientists found that the hippocampus, a part of the brain responsible for memory and learning, was around 12 percent larger in the fitter children.
  Professor Art Kramer, who led the study published in the journal Brain Research, said the findings had important implications for encouraging individuals to take part in sport from a young age. “We knew that experience and environmental factors and socioeconomic status all impact brain development,” he said. “If you get some terrible genes from your parents, you can’t really fix that, and it’s not easy to do something about your economic status. But here’s something that we can do something about.”
小題1: If you want to improve your children’s result in school, ____________.
A.it is worse to ensure that they do plenty of exercise
B.you can have their brain scanned
C.it could be better to make sure that they do a lot of exercise
D.you can do a lot except ensuring that they do exercise
小題2: According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?
A.The fitness level of the children is linked to their intelligence.
B.Children who have a larger hippocampus will probably have better memories.
C.You can do something about the genes from your parents.
D.Unhealthy children will probably have a smaller hippocampus than others.
小題3:All the following factors that have some influence on one’s brain are mentioned EXCEPT ____________.
A.genetic factorB.economic statusC.physical fitnessD.economic development

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Imagine that the genome (基因組) is a book. The book consists of 23 chapters with thousands of stories made up of paragraphs, words and letters on different levels. There are one billion words in the book, which makes it longer than 5,000 volumes the size of this book, or as long as 800 Bibles. If I read the genome out to you at the rate of one word per second for eight hours a day, it would take me a century. If I wrote out the human genome, one letter per millimeter, my text would be as long as the River Danube. This is an enormous document. A huge volume, a cook book of great length, and it all fits inside the extremely small nucleus (核) of a tiny cell that fits easily upon the head of a pin.
The idea of the genome as a book is not, strictly speaking, even a metaphor (比喻), It is true to a great extent. A book is a piece of digital information, written in one-directional form and defined by a code that translates a small alphabet of letters into a large dictionary of meanings through the order of their groupings. So is a genome. The only complication is that all English books read from left to right, while some parts of the genome read from left to right, and some from right to left, though never both at the same time.
While English books are written in words of different lengths using twenty-six letters. Genomes are written entirely in three-letter words, using only four letters, And instead of being written on flat pages, they are written on long chains of DNA molecules (分子), The genome is a very clever book, because in the right conditions it can both photocopy itself and read itself.
小題1:How do human genomes read according to the passage?
A.Only from left to right.B.Only from right to left.
C.From both directions at the same timeD.From one direction at a time
小題2:We can learn from the passage that the human genome ______.
A.is as long as the River Danube
B.can be easily placed on the head of a pin
C.is coded with and alphabet of four letters
D.is smart enough to read and take photos of itself
小題3:It can be concluded that the passage is mainly written for ______.
A.specialists in the field B.general readers
C.natural scientistsD.readers with academic background
小題4:The real purpose of the author’s comparison of the genome to a book is ______.
A.to focus on the differences between the two
B.to lay emphasis on the similarities between the two
C.to simplify the concept of the human genome
D.to give an exact description of the human genome

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

In July 1994 Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, was struck by 21 pieces of a comet(彗星). When the fragment(碎片)landed in the southern part of the giant planet, the explosions were watched by scientists here on earth. But what if our own planet was hit by a comet?
The year is 2094. It has been announced that a comet is heading towards the Earth. Most of it will miss our planet, but two fragments will probably hit the southern part of the Earth. The news has caused panic.
On 17 July, a fragment four kilometers wide enters the Earth’s atmosphere with a huge explosion. About half of the fragment is destroyed. But the major part survives and hits the South Atlantic at 200 times the speed of sound. The sea boils and an enormous wave is created and spreads. The wall of water rushes towards southern Africa at 800 kilometers an hour. Cities on the African coast are totally destroyed and millions of people are drowned. The wave moves into the Indian Ocean and heads towards Asia.
Millions of people are already dead in the southern part of the Earth, but the north won’t escape for long. Tons of broken pieces are thrown into the atmosphere by the explosions. As the sun is hidden by clouds of dust, temperatures around the world fall to almost zero. Crops are ruined. Wars break out as countries fight for food. A year later civilization has collapsed. No more than 10 million people have survived.
Could it really happen? In fact, it has already happened more than once in the history of the Earth. The dinosaurs(恐龍)were on the Earth for over 160 million years. Then 65 million years ago they suddenly disappeared. Many scientists believe that the Earth was hit by a space fragment. The dinosaurs couldn’t survive in the cold climate that followed and they became extinct. Will we meet the same end?
小題1: Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the author’s description of the disaster in 2094?
The whole mankind becomes extinct.
All the coastal cities in African are destroyed.
The whole world becomes extremely cold.
The visit of the comet results in wars.
小題2:Why does the author mention dinosaurs at the end of the passage?
A.Because they could only live in the warm climate.
B.Because they once dominated the Earth.
C.Because dinosaurs and humans never live in the same age.
D.Because their extinction indicates future disasters
小題3: In writing the passage, the author intends to __________.
A.give an accurate description of the possible disaster in the future
B.warn of a possible disaster in the future
C.tell the historical development of the Earth
D.prove that humans will sooner or later be destroyed
小題4:It can be concluded that the passage is most probably part of a(n) __________.
A.horror storyB.news report
C.a(chǎn)rticle of popular scienceD.research paper

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Experts say the American state of Hawaii has been invaded (入侵)by a small frog called the coqui (ko--kee). There may be millions of the small frogs in Hawaii. However, they do not belong there. They are normally found in the southeastern United States. The coqui frogs are harming Hawaii’s environment. And the extremely loud noise they make is causing problems for Hawaiian citizens and visitors.
The coqui invaders arrived in Hawaii about ten years ago. They were believed to have been brought in accidentally in shipments of plants from Florida. Their number has sharply increased. They have quickly spread around the Hawaii Islands hidden in plants.
The coqui is a brown frog about five centimeters long. During the day, the frogs hide in wet protected areas, such as under plant leaves. At night, the frogs move onto trees to feed, call to females and mates. The call of the male coqui sounds like. Ko kee! Ko kee!
In the southeastern United States, local people celebrate coqui frogs. But in Hawaii, the foreign frog has been considered as a harmful animal. The coqui frogs are a major danger to Hawaii’s environmental system. The frogs eat thousands of insects (昆蟲)every night. These insects are important for the reproduction of plants. The insects also are important food for Hawaii’s native rare birds. The frogs also are affecting the tourism industry in Hawaii. Increasing numbers of hotels, visitors and local people have been annoyed by the loud calls made by male coqui frogs to female frogs. At night, the noise often makes it difficult for people to sleep.
The frogs do not have any natural enemies in Hawaii to reduce their population size. The warm weather permits them to lay eggs all year long. There are many efforts in Hawaii designed to stop the spread of the coqui. It is a crime to transport ,sell or release(釋放)the frogs there.
The Hawaii Department of Agriculture is trying to find an effective chemical that can be safely used to kill the frogs. For now, the frogs may only be caught by hand. The Hawaii Department of Agriculture says the greatest danger to the economy and environment of the state is from harmful species, like the coqui.
小題1:The statement that can best summarize the main idea of the passage is         .
A.the coqui invaders have seriously affected the tourism industry in Hawaii
B.it is not permitted to transport, sell or release the coqui frogs in Hawaii
C.the coqui invasion has serious effects on the economy and environment in Hawaii
D.great efforts have been made by the Hawaii people to kill the coqui
小題2:The coqui frogs originally arrived in Hawaii            .
A.by chanceB.a(chǎn)t the request of all the local citizens
C.a(chǎn)s a giftD.a(chǎn)s goods demanded in the local market
小題3:Visitors to Hawaii don’t like the coqui frogs mainly because                 .
A.they are a big danger to the environmental system there
B.the loud noise made by the frogs bother their rest at night
C.they affect the reproduction of the local plants and insects
D.visitors could no longer see the native rare birds because of them
小題4:The two factors leading to the rapid spread of coqui frogs in Hawaii are           .
A.the frogs’ habit and the environment in Hawaii
B.the large number of the insects and the plants in Hawaii
C.the geographic location of Hawaii and its tourism industry
D.the warm weather there and the frogs’ lack of natural enemies

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