Back in old times, people had little knowledge about the universe and nature. Things we now consider to be common sense were mysteries to our ancestors.

Over the years, major breakthroughs have been made in science and many phenomena have been explained. But still, there are always questions we can't yet answer, and The Guardian has listed some of them.

1. What makes us human?

Just looking at your DNA won't tell you - human DNA is 99 percent identical to that of the chimpanzee and, believe it or not, 50 percent identical to a banana's! A lot of the things we once thought were unique about us - language and tool use, recognizing ourselves in the mirror and so on – have since been seen in other animals. Perhaps it's our culture that makes the difference or maybe our ability to use fire. It's also possible that our capacity (能力) for co-operation and our trading skills are what make us unique.

2. Why do we dream?

Given the fact that we spend around a third of our lives sleeping, shouldn't we know everything about it? Unfortunately, scientists are still searching for a complete explanation of what happens when we sleep and why we dream.

Austrian psychologist Sigmund Freud believed dreams were the expressions of wishes that we can't fulfill in our real lives. Others have wondered whether dreams are just random "noise" coming from a sleeping brain.

3. Could we someday live forever?

Apart from accidents, most people die because of diseases that can be treated and aging. And since many diseases, such as diabetes(糖尿。 and cancer, are diseases of aging, treating aging itself could be the key to extending our lives.

Our knowledge of what causes us to age - and what allows some animals to live longer than others - is expanding rapidly. And though we haven't quite worked out all the details, we've worked out some pieces of the puzzles such as DNA damage and metabolism (新陳代謝), which are all leading to the invention of drugs that can slow down the aging process.

If we're lucky enough to lengthen our lives, we might even get to see the day when all of these questions are answered.

1.The main point of the passage is ______.

A. to inform people of the knowledge about the universe and nature

B. to introduce major breakthroughs that have been made in science

C. to present some questions we can't yet answer

D. to explain what were once mysteries to our ancestors

2.Chimpanzees and bananas are mentioned as examples to prove that ______.

A. human beings are actually not different from other animals

B. animals have completely different DNA from that of plants

C. both animals and plants share the same amount of DNA

D. DNA alone is not good enough to make humans different

3.The underlined word "identical" is closest in meaning to ______.

A. mysterious          B. unique     C. advanced             D. same

4.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. What were mysteries to our ancestors are considered to be common sense now.

B. Now we know much more about dreams than our ancestors did in the past.

C. With the invention of new drugs people can possibly live even longer.

D. If all the diseases can be treated people can theoretically live forever.

 

【答案】

 

1.C

2.D

3.D

4.C

【解析】

試題解析:本文講述了一些到現(xiàn)在為止科學(xué)還不能做出解釋的幾個(gè)問(wèn)題。

1.C主旨大意題。通讀全文和根據(jù)第二段隨后點(diǎn)題句:But still, there are always questions we can't yet answer, and The Guardian has listed some of them.所以C正確。

2.D細(xì)節(jié)推理題。根據(jù)第一個(gè)問(wèn)題第一句話:Just looking at your DNA won't tell you - human DNA is 99 percent identical to that of the chimpanzee and, believe it or not, 50 percent identical to a banana's!僅 看你的DNA是不能辨別出你的,因?yàn)槿祟惖腄NA是百分之99與黑猩猩相同,信不信由你,百分之50和香蕉是相同的!所以D正確。

3.D詞義猜測(cè)題。根據(jù)全句Just looking at your DNA won't tell you - human DNA is 99 percent identical to that of the chimpanzee and, believe it or not, 50 percent identical to a banana's!僅 看你的DNA是不能辨別出你的,因?yàn)槿祟惖腄NA是百分之99與黑猩猩相同,信不信由你,百分之50和香蕉是相同的!和下文內(nèi)容,所以D正確。

4.C細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)倒數(shù)第二段最后And though we haven't quite worked out all the details, we've worked out some pieces of the puzzles such as DNA damage and metabolism (新陳代謝), which are all leading to the invention of drugs that can slow down the aging process.盡管我們還沒(méi)有解決所有的細(xì)節(jié),但我們已經(jīng)解決了部分的困惑,像DNA的損害和新陳代謝,這導(dǎo)致了減緩我們衰老的藥的發(fā)明,所以C正確。

考點(diǎn):考查科學(xué)知識(shí)類短文閱讀。

 

練習(xí)冊(cè)系列答案
相關(guān)習(xí)題

科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:同步題 題型:閱讀理解

閱讀理解。
     閱讀下面短文,第1至5題表述了Anna, Smith,Wilkins, Crick和June在自己的生活及學(xué)習(xí)中遇
到的問(wèn)題,他們需要你的幫助,請(qǐng)從A.B.C.D.E和F中為其選出最合適的建議。選項(xiàng)中有一項(xiàng)是多
余選項(xiàng)。
     1. Anna: I get really frustrated easily, and sometimes I end up yell ing at people I love. I'm not very sure
why it happens, but I have no control over it. How can I stop?
     2. Smith:Some kids are making fun of me because I'm doing very well at school. Isn't that something to
be proud of? I need advice.
     3. Wilkins: I am not sociable. I am really shy, and I am already a freshman in high school. I have some
new friends, but I am still shy to the cool kids. Can you help me, please?
     4. Crick: I always say what I feel immediately and without thinking. Sometimes I get in trouble for it or
feel sorry about it later. Is speaking your mind a good or a bad thing?
     5. June: I love to read! But I don't have any time to read because of all of my activities. I don't want to
quit anything. What should I do?
A
     Instead of feeling upset, you should definitely be proud of your- self. Intelligence is a quality that everyone
wants, and as you get ol- der it's going to be what people love and respect about you. Still water runs deep.
I'm sure as time goes by, some of those kids making fun of you might realize how cool you actually are.
B
     Everyone has to learn how to adapt to society and mix socially with others. No man is an island, as the
saying goes. To become a so- ciable person, you must be naturally friendly. Besides, do something for a social
situation. A teacher once gave me this great advice: Pre parea conversation in your head before going into an
uncomfortable social situation. It sounds like a lot of work, but it's easy and it works! Get involved in activities
that interest you and you will make new friends fast.
C
     Always keep a book with you so that you can read during pock- ets of free time. Turn some of your TV
or computer time into reading time. Read for a little while right before bed, and find time to read on weekends.
Also, talk to your parents about your schedule. You might not want to quit anything, but you might need to
find more free time in order to have a happy balance in your life.
D
     That feeling is your conscience, and it's telling you that you need to confess what you did. Be brave and
tell your parents. Even if they get upset when they hear about it from you, they would be even more upset to
hear about it from your friend's mom. So pick a quiet time and say. Mom, Dad, I need to tell you something,
but I'm a fraid. Then spill the beans. No matter what they say, you'll be re lieved not to have this secret any
more. 
E
     First, identify what is frustrating you, then learn to calm your- self down. The next time you start feeling
frustrated, stop what you're doing and breathe deeply. Count to ten. Get up and walk around. Clear your
mind before you come back to the frustrating task. If you keep a cool head, you'll be less likely to snap at
others. And if you do yell at someone, apologize and admit that it's not that person's fault. Then calm down
and try again.
F
     Speaking your mind can be a really good thing. Far too many people don't, except when talking about
someone behind that person's back. However, there are times when honesty does more than good like when
a girl asks if she looks fat. So in situations in which there's no real good, you are better off keeping your
thoughts to yourself. In situations in which that is not the case like when your brother asks if his breath stinks
feel free to tell the truth. Just be prepared to take it in return.

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習(xí)冊(cè)答案