高三年级英语二轮复习科普环保类阅读题精选

根据以英语作为母语的人数计算，英语可能是世界上第三大语言，但它是世界上最广泛的第二语言。以下是常梦网为大家整理的高三年级英语二轮复习科普环保类阅读题，希望可以解决您所遇到的相关问题，加油，常梦网一直陪伴您。

1、阅读下面短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

How could we possibly think that keeping animals in cages in unnatural environments -mostly for entertainment purposes - is fair and respectful?

Zoo officials say they are concerned about animals.However, most zoos remain “collections” of interesting “things” rather than protective habitats.Zoos teach people that it is acceptable to keep animals bored, lonely, and far from their natural homes.

Zoos claim to educate people and save endangered species, but visitors leave zoos without having learned anything meaningful about the animals’ natural behavior, intelligence, or beauty.Zoos keep animals in small spaces or cages, and most signs only mention the species’ name, diet, and natural range.The animals’ normal behavior is seldom noticed because zoos don’t usually take care of the animals’ natural needs.

The animals are kept together in small spaces, with no privacy and little opportunity for mental and physical exercise.This results in unusually and self-destructive behavior called zoochosis.A worldwide study of zoos found that zoochosis is common among animals kept in small spaces or cages.Another study showed that elephants spend 22 percent of their time making repeated head movements or biting cage bars, and bears spend 30 percent of their time walking back and forth, a sign of unhappiness and pain.

Furthermore, most animals in zoos are not endangered.Captive breeding(圈养繁殖) of endangered big cats, Asian elephants, and other species has not resulted in their being sent back to the wild.Zoos talk a lot about their captive breeding programs because they do not want people to worry about a species dying out.In fact, baby animals also attract a lot of paying customers.Haven’t we seen enough competitions to name baby animals?

Actually, we will save endangered species only if we save their habitats and put an end to the reasons people kill them.Instead of supporting zoos, we should support groups that work to protect animals’ natural habitats.

【小题1】How would the author describe the animals’ life in zoos?

A.Dangerous.

B.Unhappy.

C.Natural.

D.Easy.

【小题2】In the state of zoochosis, animals _________.

A.remain in cages

B.behave strangely

C.attack other animals

D.enjoy moving around

【小题3】What does the author try to argue in the passage?

A.Zoos are not worth the public support.

B.Zoos fail in their attempt to save animals.

C.Zoos should treat animals as human beings.

D.Zoos use animals as a means of entertainment.

【小题4】The author tries to persuade readers to accept his argument mainly by _________.

A.pointing out the faults in what zoos do

B.using evidence he has collected at zoos

C.questioning the way animals are protected

D.discussing the advantages of natural habitats

2、You may have never heard of Lanthanum, Cerium or Neodymium, but these elements (元素) and others known as “rare earth” play a major role in modern technology. They can actually be found in many places on the earth, but not in quantities that can be mined. Only a few countries — China, America, India, Australia, Brazil and Malaysia have any that can be mined enough to be traded.

Even though some of these elements such as Cerium are as abundant as Copper, they are not found in concentrated amounts on the earth’s surface. They are often mixed together with other metals, which makes extraction (提取) of these elements an expensive and an environmentally messy process. It was due to this reason that the term “rare earth” was invented.

Rare earth metals are used widely in our life. Rechargeable car batteries, computers, iPhones, DVD players, computer monitors, televisions, lighting, lasers, glass polishing, and superconductors all use quantities of rare earth metals. Also, with the advancement in “green” technology like solar panels, these shiny materials are becoming more important than ever. An average electric car uses 10 pounds of Lanthanum for its rechargeable battery!

America has large deposits (存储量) of rare earths and has one of the first mines. It was opened in Southern California in 1940. The element “Europium” was the first metal to be separated in quantity for use in color televisions. However, in the 1980’s and 1990’s, as China started producing these elements in Inner Mongolia, the mines in America and elsewhere could not keep pace. The mine in Mountain Pass, California also failed environmental regulations and shut down in 2002.

Now, recognizing the importance of having more than one supplier of this important resource, other rare earth owning countries like India and Australia are either dusting off their rare earth mines or speeding up their production. It is believed that the debate over rare earths will become louder in the coming months and years.

【小题1】What can we learn about rare earths?

A.They are actually as abundant as Copper.

B.They can be mined easily as other metals.

C.They can only be found in a few countries.

D.They are not really as rare as they are named.

【小题2】Compared with China, America _____.

A.paid more attention to Europium

B.has larger deposits of rare earths

C.started producing rare earths earlier

D.has more rare earth mines

【小题3】It can be inferred from the text that rare earths _____.

A.are now in great demand

B.can now be used in few fields

C.are harmful to the environment

D.will soon be replaced by other metals

3、Mosquitoes have an extraordinary ability to target humans far away and fly straight to their unprotected skin. Regrettably，mosquitoes can do more than cause an itchy(发痒的)wound. Some mosquitoes spread several serious diseases，including Dengue，yellow fever and  malaria.

Over one million people worldwide die from these diseases each year. New research now   shows how mosquitoes choose who to bite.

Mosquitoes need blood to survive. They are attracted to human skin and breath. They smell the carbon dioxide gas，which all mammals breathe out. This gas is the main way for mosquitoes to know that a warm-blooded creature is nearby.

But mosquitoes also use their eyes and sense of touch. Michael Dickinson is a professor at the California Institute of Technology. His research shows how these small insects，with even smaller brains，use three senses to find a blood meal.

Michael Dickinson’s team used plumes—a material that rises into the air of carbon dioxide gas into a wind tunnel. They then used cameras to record the mosquitoes. The insects followed the plume.

Then，the scientists placed dark objects on the lighter  colored floor and walls of the  tunnel. Mr. Dickinson said，at first，the mosquitoes showed no interest in the objects at all.      “What was quite striking and quite surprising is that the mosquitoes fly back and forth for hours. These are hungry females and they completely ignore the objects on the floor and wall of the tunnel. But the moment they get a hit of CO2，they change their behavior quite obviously and now would become attracted to these little visual blobs (斑点).”

This suggested to the researchers that a mosquito’s sense of smell is more important in the search for food. Once mosquitoes catch a smell of a human  or animal，they also follow  visual signals.

【小题1】What do mosquitoes mainly use to find their targets?

A.Sense of smell. B.Sense of touch.

C.Sense of sight. D.Smart brains.

【小题2】The first response of the mosquitoes to the objects in the experiment is     .

A.to fly to the dark ones

B.to catch and stick to them

C.to take no notice of them

D.to attach themselves to them

【小题3】How can we avoid being attacked by mosquitoes according to the text ?

A.Don’t let them see us.

B.Use dark objects to stop them.

C.Make them fly back and forth for hours.

D.Attract them to objects full of carbon dioxide gas.

【小题4】What can be the best title for the text?

A.How Do Mosquitoes Survive?

B.Why Do Mosquitoes Need Blood?

C.How Do Mosquitoes Choose to Bite You?

D.Why Do Mosquitoes Attack the Human Being?

4、The way we cook is important. In many countries, the two sources of heat used for cooking are natural gas or electric stoves. The World Health Organization(WHO) warns that millions of people are dying every year from indoor air pollution. The WHO finds that poor cooking, heating and lighting technologies are killing millions of people each year.

Indoor air pollution results from the use of dangerous fuels and cook stoves in the home. WHO officials say nearly three billion people are unable to use clean fuels and technologies for cooking, heating and lighting. And they say more than seven million people die from exposure to indoor or outdoor air pollution each year. Of that number, the WHO says about 4.3 million people die from household air pollution given off  by simple biomass(生物燃料)and coal stoves.

These findings show that the home use of poisonous fuels is to blame for many of these deaths. These fuels include wood, coal, animal waste and so on. Carlos Dora is Coordinator in the WHO’ s Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health. He says people should not use unprocessed coal and kerosene(煤油)fuel indoors. He says opening a window or door to let out the harmful air will not correct the situation. It will only pollute the outdoors. “New technologies and clean fuels can rid people of this problem.”

The United Nations found that more than 95 percent of families in sub-Saharan Africa depend on solid fuels for cooking. It says huge populations in India, China and Latin American countries, such as Guatemala and Peru, are also at risk.

Nigel Bruce is a professor of Public Health at the University of Liverpool. He says researchers are developing good stoves and other equipment to burn fuels in a more efficient way.“There are already many technologies for clean fuels available now. An effective and reasonably low-cost ethanol(酒精)stove that is made by Dometic (a Sweden-based company)is now being tested out. Another interesting development is electric induction stoves.” In India, you can buy an induction stove for about $8. And in Africa you can buy a solar lamp for less than $1.

【小题1】How is Paragraph 2 mainly developed?

A.By making classifications. B.By listing numbers.

C.By following time order. D.By describing a process.

【小题2】According to Carlos Dora, what is the best solution to indoor air pollution?

A.People should use an effective air cleaner.

B.People should use new technologies and clean fuels.

C.People should open a window or door to let out the harmful air.

D.People should prevent themselves from being exposed to harmful air..

【小题3】What can we learn from the passage?

A.Most of the deaths from indoor pollution are in developing countries.

B.Burning solid fuels can help limit indoor air pollution .

C.People can buy ethanol stoves made by Dometic in India.

D.There are already two technologies for clean fuels available for use.

【小题4】Which would be the best title for the passage?

A.The way we cook is changing.

B.Cause of indoor air pollution.

C.The development of electric stoves.

D.Indoor air pollution kills millions each year.

5、Humans have been keeping animals as pets for tens of thousands of years, but Dr Jean-Loup Rault, an animal scientist at the University of Melbourne in Australia, believes new companions are coming: robot pets.

“Technology is moving very fast,” Rault told ABC News, “The Tamagotchi in the early 1990s was really the first robotic pet, and now Sony and other big companies have improved them a lot.”

This may not sit well with pet lovers. After all, who would choose a plastic toy over a lovely puppy? But Rault argues that the robotic kind has a lot going for it: “You don’t have to feed it, you don’t have to walk it, it won’t make a mess in your house, and you can go on a holiday without feeling guilty.” The technology also benefits those who are allergic to pets, short on space, or fearful of real animals.

It’s not clear whether robot pets can replace real ones. But studies do suggest that we can bond with these smart machines. People give their cars names and kids give their toy animals life stories. It’s the same with robots. When Sony stopped its repair service for its robot dog Aibo in March 2014, owners in Japan held funerals.

As an animal welfare researcher, Rault is concerned about how robotic pets could affect our attitudes towards live animals. “If we become used to a robotic companion that doesn’t need food, water or exercises, perhaps it will change how humans care about other living beings,” he said.

So are dogs and cats a thing of the past, as Rault predicts? For those who grew up with living and breathing pets, the mechanical kind might not do. But for our next generation who are in constant touch with smart technology, a future in which lovely pets needn’t have a heartbeat might not be a far-fetched dream.

【小题1】What does the underlined phrase “sit well with” means?

A.be refused by B.be beneficial to

C.make a difference to D.receive support from

【小题2】What are the advantages of robot pets?

a. They are plastic and feel smooth.

b. Owners needn’t worry about them when going out.

c. They can help cure allergies(过敏).

d. They save space and costs.

A.ab B.bc C.bd D.cd

【小题3】We can learn from the passage that___________.

A.Sony is the first company to produce robot pets Aibo.

B.People can develop strong bond(联系、关系) with their robot pets.

C.Rault thinks robot pets still have a long way to go.

D.Robot toys may help people care more about living beings.

【小题4】The passage mainly tells us___________.

A.the advantages of robot toys

B.the popularity of robot pets

C.living pets are dying out

D.robot pets are coming

6、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(白蚁堆).

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(通风口). 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.

【小题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.

【小题2】What does “it” refer to in Paragraph 3?

A.Hollow space.

B.Baseboard vent.

C.Fresh air from outside.

D.Heat in the building.

【小题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.

【小题4】The data in the last paragraph suggests Eastgate’s temperature control system_____.

A.works better in hot seasons

B.can recycle up to 30% of the air

C.functions well for most of the year

D.allows a wide range of temperatures

7、Many gardeners believe that “talking” to their plants helps them grow---it turns out that they may not be crazy after all. According to the scientists from the University of Exeter, plants may keep communicating with each other through a secret “unseen” language.

For their experiment, the scientists picked a cabbage plant that is known to send out a gas when its surface is cut. In order to get video evidence of the communication, they changed the cabbage gene by adding the protein---luciderase(虫荧光素酶), which is what makes fireflies(萤火虫) glow in the dark.

When the changed cabbage plant was in full bloom, they cut a leaf off with a pair of scissors, and almost immediately, thanks to the luciderase, they could see the plant sending out “methyl jasmonate(茉莉酸甲酯)”.

While this was a known fact, what was surprising was the fact that the minute this gas began to give out, the nearby cabbage plants seemed to sense some kind of danger and started to send out a gas that they normally have to keep predators(捕食者) like caterpillars(毛虫) away.

What the scientists are not sure is whether the plants are trying to warn the other leaves or the near plants about the danger---something that will require further research However, the team, which is led by Professor Nick Smirnoff, is quite excited about the findings because this is the first time it has been proved that plants do not live a passive life, but actually move, sense and even communicate with each other.

However, before you get all concerned, they are quite sure that plants do not feel the pain when they are cut, since they do not have nerves---so go ahead and bite into that juicy carrot!

【小题1】What’s the best title of the passage?

A. Plants Can Send Some Gas

B. Plants Can Communicate with Each Other

C. The “Unseen” Language of Plants

D. Plants Can’t Feel Pain

【小题2】What does the underlined word “they” in Paragraph 1 mean?

A. Gardeners B. Plants

C. Scientists D. Fireflies

【小题3】When the plant sent out methyl jasmonate, which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?

A. The nearby cabbage plants seemed to sense some kind of danger.

B. The nearby cabbage plants started to send out a gas.

C. The nearby cabbage plants tried to warn the near plants.

D. The nearby cabbage plants communicated through a secret language.

【小题4】According to the experiment, plants ________________.

A. don’t live a passive life

B. can feel pain when they are cut

C. can warn the other leaves about danger

D. can talk with each other

8、Technological change is everywhere and affects every aspect of life, mostly for the better. However, social changes are brought about by new technology are often mistaken for a change in attitudes.

An example at hand is the involvement of parents in the lives of their children who are attending college. Surveys (调查) on this topic suggests that parents today continue to be “very” or “somewhat” overly-protective even after their children move into college dormitories. The same surveys also indicate that the rate of parental involvement is greater today than it was a generation ago. This is usually interpreted as a sign that today’s parents are trying to manage their children’s lives past the point where this behavior is appropriate.

However, greater parental involvement does not necessarily indicate that parents are failing to let go of their “adult” children.

In the context (背景) of this discussion, it seems valuable to first find out the cause of change in the case of parents’ involvement with their grown children. If parents of earlier generations had wanted to be in touch with their college-age children frequently, would this have been possible?

Probably not. On the other hand, does the possibility of frequent communication today mean that the urge to do so wasn’t present a generation ago? Many studies show that older parents—today’s grandparents—would have called their children more often if the means and cost of doing so had not been a barrier.

Furthermore, studies show that finances are the most frequent subject of communication between parents and their college children. The fact that college students are financially dependent on their parents is nothing new; nor are requests for more money to be sent from home. This phenomenon is neither good nor bad; it is a fact of college life, today and in the past.

Thanks to the advanced technology, we live in an age of bettered communication. This has many implications well beyond the role that parents seem to play in the lives of their children who have left for college. But it is useful to bear in mind that all such changes come from the technology and not some imagined desire by parents to keep their children under their wings.

【小题1】The surveys inform us of______.

A.the development of technology

B.the changes of adult children’s behavior

C.the parents’ over-protection of their college children

D.the means and expenses of students’ communication

【小题2】 The writer believes that__________.

A.parents today are more protective than those in the past

B.the disadvantages of new technology outweigh its advantages

C.technology explains greater involvement with their children

D.parents’ changed attitudes lead to college children’s delayed independence

【小题3】What is the best title for the passage?

A.Technology or Attitude

B.Dependence or Independence

C.Family Influences or Social Changes

D.College Management or Communication Advancement

【小题4】Which of the following shows the development of ideas in this passage?

9、Strawberry (草莓) fields dotted with hunched-over workers picking and packaging, then pushing the delicate red fruit to waiting trucks — it is a typical winter scene embedded in the patchwork of homes and farms that make up eastern Hillsborough County.

That scene is changing, though, as the labor pool shrinks and technology comes knocking. Wish Farms owner Gary Wishnatzki and his engineer partner Bob Pitzer are banking on technology.

As strawberry season wrapped up in February, their driverless strawberry-picking machine drove into the fields for some test runs. The results were impressive and enlightening(有启迪作用的), Wishnatzki said.

For some three years now, farmers have been forced to abandon millions of dollars worth of strawberries in fields, mostly in Hillsborough and Manatee counties, because they lacked laborers, industry experts say. The problem has been just as serious in California, Arizona and other farm communities.

The reasons for the shrinking worker pool are numerous. Migrant(移民)workers who have picked the fields for years are aging. Young adults in migrant families already in the United States are getting better educations and have more choices these days, including the construction industry, which again is on the upswing. Stricter security is allowing fewer undocumented workers to cross the border from Mexico. And Mexicans are having much smaller families now  — just over two children per family, compared with 7.3 per family in 1960, according to a Pew Hispanic Center report released in 2012.

And since Mexico’s economy bounced back faster than that of the U.S., more Mexicans have been able to find work closer to home, according to the study.

“We came up with a concept we perceive as a necessity,” Wishnatzki said. “The labor pool has been shrinking for over 10 years now. It has been pretty harmful.” So in 2012, he and Pitzer formed their partnership, Harvest CROO Robotics, to develop a mechanical picker.

The Harvest CROO design has multiple picking heads that will move across a field, picking 25 acres over a three-day period, the typical time for picking fruit as it ripens. It has a “vision system” to distinguish between red and green strawberries and is able to get under the leaves to find and pick the ripe berries.

Picking strawberries is nothing like using a combine on a corn field, coming through and thrashing down the plants. Strawberries are delicate and ripen in various intervals, which Harvest CROO is taking into account in developing its machine.

A strawberry-picking machine will never completely replace the need for human labor in the fields, Wishnatzki said, but if the machines can supplement(补充)labor enough to keep the industry profitable, he and Pitzer will have met their goal.

【小题1】Which of the following describes the typical winter scene of eastern Hillsborough County?

A.Farmers work hard on a corn field.

B.Workers pick and package strawberries.

C.Scientists test machines in strawberry fields.

D.Farmers operate strawberry-picking machines.

【小题2】The mechanical picker is introduced due to ______.

A.the labor shortage

B.the market demand

C.the aging of the local population

D.the new concept of farming

【小题3】Which of the following statements about Mexicans is true according to the passage?

A.Mexicans like to find jobs far away from home.

B.There are more Mexican laborers than needed in Arizona.

C.Security regulations now make it easier to employ Mexicans.

D.Young people from migrant Mexican families now have access to more career choices.

【小题4】 The “vision system” is designed to ______.

A.take pictures

B.locate leaves

C.find the ripe berries

D.help the color-blind

【小题5】The goal of developing the strawberry-picking machine is to ______.

A.get rid of human labor

B.help farmers make money

C.show the power of robots

D.compete with the corn industry

10、The following are selected contributors’ notes for an essay collection.

KATY BUTLER, a 2004 finalist for a National Magazine Award, has written for The New Yorker, the New York Times, Mother Jones, Salon, Tricycle, and other magazines. She was born in South Africa and raised in England, and came to the United States with her family at the age of eight. “Everything Is Holy,” her essay about nature worship, Buddhism (佛学), and ecology, was selected for Best Buddhist Writing 2006. In 2009 she won a literary award from the Elizabeth George Foundation. “What Broke My Father’s Heart” was named a “notable narrative” by the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard, won a first-place award from the Association of Health Care Journalists, and was named one of the 100 Best Magazine Articles of All Time. Butler has taught narrative nonfiction at Nieman Foundation conferences and memoir writing at Esalen Institute. Her current book project is Knocking on Heaven’s Door: A Journey Through Old Age and New Medicine to be published in 2013.

VICTOR LAVALLE is the author of a collection of stories, Slapboxing with Jesus, and two novels, The Ecstatic and Big Machine, for which he won the Shirley Jackson Award, the American Book Award, and the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence. He is a 2010 Guggenheim Award winner and an assistant professor at Columbia University’s School of the Arts. About “Long Distance” he says: “This essay actually came about when I was asked to write about my life after having lost a great deal of weight. And yet, when I sat down to work, all I could do was return to that time when I was much heavier and deeply unhappy. Why? I sure didn’t miss those days. And yet, I felt I couldn’t write about my present without touching on that past. But, of course, I never reach the true present in the essay. Maybe I still don’t know how to talk about a life with greater happiness. ”

BRIDGET POTTER was born in Brompton-on-Swale, Yorkshire, and came to the United States as a teenager in 1958. She spent the first forty years of her career in television, beginning as a secretary, then as a producer and an executive, including fifteen years as senior vice president of original programming at HBO. In 2007 she earned a BA in cultural anthropology from Columbia University. This year she will complete an MFA in nonfiction, also from Columbia, where she has been an instructor in the University Writing Program. She is currently working on her first book, a memoir / social history of the 1960s, from which her essay “Lucky Girl” is adapted.

PATRICIA SMITH is the author of five books of poetry, including Blood Dazzler, chronicling the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, which was a finalist for the 2008 National Book Award, and Teahouse of the Almighty, a National Poetry Series selection. Her work has appeared in Poetry, The Paris Review, TriQuarterly, and The Best American Poetry 2011. She is a Pushcart Prize winner and a four-time individual champion of the National Poetry Slam, the most successful poet in the competition’s history.

RESHMA MEMON YAQUB wouldn’t even be fit to write a grocery list were it not for her guardian editors. Her stories owe many glorious plot twists to Zain, eleven, and Zach, seven. Ditto their dad (Amer) and grandparents (Ali, Razia, Muhammad, Nasreen). Costars: Sophie, Sana, Yousef, and Maryam. Miss Yaqub lives in Bethesda, Maryland. Her next project is an investigation into the whereabouts (行踪) of two missing people: Mr. Right and Ms. Memoir Literary Agent.

【小题1】 Which of the following won the Shirley Jackson Award?

A.Best Buddhist Writing 2006.

B.Teahouse of the Almighty.

C.Mother Jones.

D.Big Machine.

【小题2】 What is “Long Distance” mainly about?

A.The true happiness in the writer’s present life.

B.Nature worship, Buddhism and ecology.

C.The whereabouts of two missing people.

D.The author’s past life experience.

【小题3】 When did the author of “Lucky Girl” come to the United States?

A.In 1958. B.In 2007.

C.In 2010.  D.In 2013.

【小题4】Who is the most successful poet in the competition’s history?

A.BRIDGET POTTER. B.KATY BUTLER.

C.PATRICIA SMITH. D.VICTOR LAVALLE.

11、Scientists from China, Sweden and the United Stated have developed a high-producing rice that can reduce methane emission(甲烷排放), a major greenhouse gas blamed for global warming, from rice fields, according to a paper published on the latest issue of Nature.

By inserting a barley(大麦) gene into rice, Sun Chuanxin and his colleagues created SUSIBA2 Rice, which stores more starch(淀粉) in the section of the rice above ground, according to a paper published on the latest issue of Nature.This means the grains will have more starch while the root will exude less nutrients that will later be turned into methane by microbes(微生物) in the soil, Sun, who works with Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, told Xinhua.

"It solves two major problems mankind faces at one time: environmental degradation and the need for increased grain output," Wang Feng, another scientist, said, adding that the rice can cut methane discharge by more than 90 percent during summer and more than half during autumn, as "the rice displays a greater emission reduction effect in high temperatures." Meanwhile, small-scale trials have also suggested an increased output: a single plant of the new breed has 300 more grains with a starch content 10 percent higher. Wang said the team is working on applications for the rice in different areas, seasons and using different farming techniques. "It's still far away from mass application, but at least we see the light of hope."

Human-induced methane, though less abundant than carbon dioxide in the air, is responsible for 20 percent of the global warming effect. Rice paddies are the largest single source of methane linked to human activity. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, China produces 209 million tons of rice in 2014, or 28 percent of the world's total of 734 million.

【小题1】SUSIBA2 Rice will be a major breakthrough because _______.

A.it tastes with a barley flavor

B.it well balances environmental protection and grains increase

C.it contains more starch than the ordinary rice

D.it gives off less methane in summer than in winter

【小题2】What can we learn from the text?

A.Scientists will soon grow the new rice in large areas

B.Human-related methane contributes most to global warming

C.China may contribute greatly to global warming reduction

D.Rice fields will be reduced all over the world

【小题3】The purpose of this writing is to ________.

A.ask people to cut down on their dependence on rice consumption

B.draw people’s attention to the serious consequences of global warming

C.introduce a new kind of genetically-modified rice and its possible benefits

D.indicate human-related methane alone is to blame for global warming effects

12、If you had a strange sound in your ear, what would you do? One man in Wales who thought he had a fly in his ear called 999, the emergency services number in Britain. And so did a woman who was worried about her green potatoes. Could she make chips with them? Were they poisonous? She didn’t hesitate about calling the local ambulance service to ask. According to a recent report, more than 31,000 non-urgent calls were made to the Welsh Ambulance Service in the last year.

Inappropriate calls are a headache for health professionals everywhere. In the US, prank calls to 911 happen on a daily basis. Many callers use apps which hide their identity. But those who try to be funny shouldn’t be surprised if the police have the last laugh. One man from Colorado was arrested for making more than 1,200 prank calls, according to a report on the US television station KOAA—TV.

People who take these calls are trained to stay calm and keep a straight face, no matter how strange the call sounds. “There’s no way for us to know whether the call is real, accidental or a prank call,” said a public safety worker interviewed by the American TV channel.

The Head of Clinical Services at the Welsh Ambulance Service, Richard Lee, has a warning for prank callers. He says:“ When people misuse the service it means our precious time is being taken away from someone who really does need our help.” Indeed, these hotlines are supposed to help the seriously ill or those with a life-threatening injury. You never know, one day, the person who needs assistance could be you or someone in your family.

【小题1】How does the author introduce the topic of the text?

A.By giving examples. B.By telling a story.

C.By listing figures. D.By making a comparison.

【小题2】According to the text, prank calls are usually________.

A.meant to be helpful B.dealt with in time

C.thought highly of D.made to play tricks

【小题3】What does the underlined phrase “have the last laugh” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A.win at last. B.never find them.

C.laugh at them. D.know nothing.

【小题4】What does the author intend to suggest in the text?

A.Prank calls are usually easy to identify.

B.Operators feel annoyed by strange callers.

C.Prank calls may cause serious results.

D.Prank callers should be punished by law.

13、Our body clock, or natural body rhythm, influences our energy and alertness. Paying attention to it can help us choose the suitable time of the day when we best perform specific tasks.

The reality, however, is that most of us organize the time around work demands, school deadlines, commuting or social events. Doing whatever the body feels like doing is a luxury in today’s fast-paced modern society.

But that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth trying. Obeying our body clock has significant health benefits. Disrupting our natural body rhythm, on the other hand, has been linked to problems such as depression, obesity, or headache, says Steve Key, a biology professor.

When the body clock can synchronize (使…同步) the rhythms of its natural processes, it “gives us an advantage in daily life”, says Key.

According to him, when it comes to cognitive (认知的) work, most adults perform best in the late morning. As our body temperature starts to rise just before awakening in the morning and continues to increase until midday, our memory, alertness and concentration gradually improve.

However, he adds, our ability to concentrate typically starts to decrease soon thereafter. Most of us are more easily distracted (分心) between noon and 4 pm.

Alertness also tends to fall after eating a meal and sleepiness tends to peak around 2 pm, making that a good time for a nap.

Surprisingly, tiredness may increase our creative powers. For most adults, problems that require open-ended thinking are often best dealt with in the evening when they are tired, according to a study in the journal Thinking & Reasoning.

When choosing a time of the day to exercise, paying attention to your body clock can improve results. Physical performance is usually best from about 3 to 6 pm, says Michael Smolensky, a professor of biomedical engineering.

Of course, not everyone’s body clock is the same, making it even harder to synchronize natural rhythms with daily plans.

【小题1】If we know our natural body rhythm well, we can ______.

A.find out the suitable time to do specific tasks

B.organize our time around work demands

C.do whatever our body feels like doing

D.be sure to be healthy

【小题2】 Which of the following is NOT true?

A.Our alertness is influenced by our natural body rhythm.

B.Doing whatever your body feels like is very difficult in our modern society.

C.Obeying our body clock is good for our health.

D.Disrupting our natural body rhythm can lead to obesity.

【小题3】Inspiration to solve a difficult problem will most probably come to us______.

A.when we get up in the morning

B.when we are tired in the evening

C.when we are full of energy in the late morning

D.when we are asleep at night

【小题4】Which of the following can be the suitable title for the passage?

A.What is natural body rhythm?

B.Natural body rhythm is good for us.

C.natural body rhythm and health

D.The latest research about natural body rhythm.

14、Scientists believe that one of our most important means of knowing what is going on around us is the sense of sound. We are warned of danger by sounds. Sounds serve to please us in music. Sound has a waste product, too, in the form of noise. Noise has been called unwanted sound. Noise is growing and it may get much worse before it gets any better.

In order to know how noise affects people and animals, scientists have been studying for several years. They are surprised by what they have learned. Peace and quiet are becoming harder to find. Noise pollution is a threat that should be looked at carefully.

Sounds is measured in units called decibels (分贝). At a level of 140 decibels people feel pain in their ears.

Trucks , buses , motorcycles, airplanes, boats, factories---all these things make noise. They trouble not only our ears, but minds and bodies as well.

There is a saying that it is so noisy that you can’t hear yourself think. Doctors who study noise believe that we must sometimes hear ourselves think. If we don’t, we may have headaches, other aches and pains, or even worse mental problems.

Noise adds more tension (紧张) to a society that has already faced enough stress.

【小题1】The sense of sound _________.

A.makes us feel excited

B.helps us hear more clearly

C.is something harmful to us

D.helps to know what is happening around us

【小题2】When sound is turned into noise, ______________.

A.people grow worse and worse

B.it makes us forget all the past

C.people don’t know what to do with everyday life

D.it will be a kind of pollution to people

【小题3】Why does the passage say peace and quiet are becoming harder to find?

A.Because the world is making more and more noise.

B.Because wars and battles happen here and there in the world.

C.Because all the sounds are becoming over 140 decibels.

D.Because some machines can make noise.

【小题4】Doctors say we can hear ourselves think __________.

A.if we don’t like to hear noise

B.if we have no aches or pains in our bodies

C.if there isn’t too much noise

D.if we can’t be careful of noise

15、For as long as they can remember Jynne Martin and April Surgent had both dreamed of going to Antarctica.This winter，they each made it to the icy continent as guests of the National Science Foundation(NSF).Bm they didn’t go as scientists.Martin is a poet and Surgent is an artist.They went to Antarctica as participants.in the NSF’s Artists and Writers program.The NSF is thegovernment agency that funds scientific research in Antarctica.But it also makes it possible for artists，including filmmakers and musicians，to experience Antarctica and contribute their own points of view to our understanding of the continent.

The mixing of science and art in Antarctica isn’t new.Some of the earliest explorersbrought along painters and photographers.Edward Wilson was a British painter，doctor，and bird expert who journeyed with RobertFalcon Soott on two separate Antamtic expeditionsmore than 100 years ago.Herbert Ponting was a photographer who also accompanied Scott on one of those expeditions.In hundreds of photos，Pontingcaptured the beauty of the continentand recorded the daily lives and heroic struggles of the explorers.

Today’s scientists write articles forscientificjournals.Unlike theearly explorers’journals，scientific papers can now be very difficult for non-scientists to understand.Writers in Antarctica workto explain the research to the public.Peter Rejcek is editor，writer，and photographer for the Antarctic Sun，an onlinemagazine devoted to news about the U.S.Antarctic Program.Rejeck began his career in the Antarctic in 2003 by spending a year at the South Pole.He has returned everyyear since，interviewing，scientists about research at Palmer，McMurdo，and South Pole stations.

There are also scientists in Antarctica who work hardto explain their research to the public.Scientist Diane McKnight wrote The Lost Seal，a children’s book that explains the research she and others are doing in an unusual ice-free area in Antarctica called the Dry Valleys.

Antarctica is full of stories and wonders that are scientific，historic.and personal. People such as Martin，Surgent，Rejcek，and McKnight are devoted to bringing those storiesto asmany peopleare they can.“Some people are going to be scientists，some people are goingto be journalists，some people are going to be artists，but we can all work together，’saysSurgent,“tocelebrate，thisextraordinary place.”

【小题1】What do we know about the NSF?

A.It is a government agency.

B.It only funds scientists in Antarctica.

C.It encourages the understanding of human nature.

D.It enables the mixing of science and art for the first time.

【小题2】Why didn’t some earliest explorers bring writers along?

A.Writers were not funded at that time.

B.Writing can’t capture the beauty of the continent.

C.Writers were not interested in popularizing science.

D.Early explorers’journals can be easily understood by the public.

【小题3】By mentioning Diane McKnight，the author may try to suggest that_____.

A.scientists should explain their research to children

B.writers are not necessary since scientists can tell stories as well

C.telling stories to children is more important than knowing the truth

D.no matter what role we play，we can work together to appreciate Antarctica

【小题4】What would be the best title for this article?

A.Antarctica：A Land for All

B.The NSF：A Program for All

C.Antarctica：A Land of Beauty and Stories

D.The NSF：A Program for Artists and Scientists

16、Australia’s koalas could be dying out within 30 years, unless urgent measures is taken to stop the losing in population, according to researchers. They say development, climate change and bushfires have all related to reduce the number of wild koalas sharply. The Australian Koala Foundation said a recent survey showed the population could have dropped by more than half in the past six years. Previous estimates put the number of koalas at more than 100,000, but the latest figures suggest there could now be as few as 43,000.

The foundation collected field data from 1,800 sites and 80,000 trees to calculate the numbers. In one area in northern Queensland estimated to have 20,000 koalas a decade ago, a team of eight people could not find a single animal in four days of searching.

The foundation said besides problems caused by cutting down forests, hotter and drier conditions because of global warming had reduced the nutritional(营养的)value of their staple food, eucalyptus leaves, leading to poor nutrition for them.

Koalas, which live in the forests in Australia’s east and south, are very particular about what types of the leaves they eat.

Foundation chief Deborah Tabart said: “The koalas are missing everywhere we look. It’s really no tree, no me. If you keep cutting down trees you don’t have any koalas.”She is hoping the new figures will persuade the government’s Threatened Species Steering Committee (TSSC) to list the koala as threatened. But committee chairman Bob Beeton said a decision was not likely recently and the koala’s status as one of the country’s favorite animals would not be a factor. “There’s a number of species which are attractive and people have special feelings towards them. We don’t consider that,” Mr. Beeton was reported as saying by the AFP agency.

【小题1】The writer gives the example of the area in northern Queensland in Paragraph 3 to show that _____.

A.the environment is being polluted seriously

B.the number of koalas is dropping quickly

C.the forests are being damaged heavily

D.koalas usually live in wild mountainous areas

【小题2】Global warming is an important cause of koalas’ reduction because _____.

A.the leaves koalas eat are losing nutritional value

B.koalas cannot get enough water to drink

C.koalas can hardly stand the hot weather

D.the leaves koalas eat cannot grow in hot weather

【小题3】According to Bob Beeton, _____.

A.they needn’t pay special attention to koalas

B.a decision will be made to protect koalas

C.koalas are his favorite animals

D.koalas needn’t be protected at all

17、Learning English well is a great challenge, but with the help from technology(技术) it can be as easy as a piece of cake.

As well as the classroom, teachers and textbooks, the Internet, TV and radio programs can play an active role in helping learn English. The Internet is full of rich and up-to-date information. English learners might wish to try http://www.in2english.com.cn. It provides cultural information about Britain.

Another useful website for middle school students and teachers is: Besides reading 21st Century School Edition online, students are also invited to put their views on different topics up on the website.

Compared with the Internet, TV programs have their own advantages(优点): one does not have to sit at a computer and one can hear and watch the programs much better.

One popular English-learning program is called "Modern English". This focuses on spoken English in practical situations such as taking photos and shopping.

If you watch Beijing Television Channel 8, you might see a program titled "Study Abroad". Cartoons are used to explain how to use the word in daily life. Listening to the radio may not be a new way to learn English but it is easy.

China Radio International airs a program called "Studio Classroom" at 6:30 a.m. every day. This 25-minute program is aimed at middle school students and covers subjects from current news to travel and history, all in simple language.

【小题1】The author wants the readers to know that learning English __________.

A.is very difficult for us

B.is very easy for us

C.is neither easy nor difficult

D.can be much easier with the help of technology

【小题2】 One can practise spoken English in everyday situations in ___________.

A.Studio Classroom B.21st Century School Edition

C.Study Abroad D.Modern English

【小题3】According to the author, TV programs are better than programs on the Internet because they  __________.

A.can let you hear and watch the programs much better

B.cost you nothing

C.have more English passages

D.have English courses whenever you need them

【小题4】 What’s the main idea of this passage?

A.It introduces some websites of learning English

B.It introduces some TV and radio programs of learning English

C.It gives suggestions on learning English in modern ways

D.It explains different English courses

18、E

Energy independence.  It has a nice ring to it.  Doesn't it? If you think so， you're not alone，because energy independence has been the dream of American president for decades， and never more so than in the past few years， when the most recent oil price shock has been partly responsible for kicking off the great recession(经济衰退).

"Energy independence"and its rhetorical(修辞的) companion"energy security"are， however，slippery concepts that are rarely though through.  What is it we want independence from， exactly?

Most people would probably say that they want to be independent from imported oil.But there  are reasons that we buy all that old from elsewhere.

The first reason is that we need it to keep our economy running.  Yes， there is a trickle(涓涓细流)of biofuel(生物燃料)available， and more may become available， but most biofuels cause economic waste and environmental destruction.

Second， Americans have basically decided that they don't really want to produce all their own oil. They value the environmental quality they preserve over their oil imports from abroad. Vast areas of the United States are off-limits to oil exploration and production in the name of environmental protection. To what extent are Americans really willing to endure the environmental impacts of domestic energy production in order to cut back imports?

Third， there are benefits to trade. It allows for economic efficiency， and when we buy things from places that have lower production costs than we do， we benefit.  And although you don't read about this much， the United States is also a large exporter of oil products， selling about 2 million barrels of petroleum products per day to about 90 countries.

There is no question that the United States imports a great deal of energy and， in fact， relies on that steady flow to maintain ite economy. When that flow is interrupted， we feel the pain in short supplies and higher prices.  At the same time， we derive massive economic benefits when we buy the most affordable energy on the world market and when we engage in energy trade around the world.

【小题1】From the passage， we know that biofuels       .

A.keep America's economy running healthily

B.prove to be a good alternative to petroleum

C.do not provide a sustainable energy supply

D.cause serious damage to the environment

【小题2】Why does America rely heavily on oil imports?

A.Its own oil production falls short of demand.

B.Its own oil reserves are quickly running out.

C.It wants to keep Its own environment undamaged.

D.It wants to expand its storage of crude oil.

【小题3】What can we conclude from the last paragraph?

A.America doesn't have enough oil supplies.

B.People can benefit more from importing oil.

C.Energy independence is significant for Americans.

D.Short of energy may cause economic depression.

【小题4】What is the author's purpose in writing the passage?

A.To justify America's dependence on oil imports.

B.To stress the importance of energy conservation.

C.To arouse Americans' awareness of the energy crisis.

D.To explain the increase of international oil trade.

19、C

lt's a dog's life for the nation's mutts - who are becoming anxious and aggressive through lack of play， experts fear.

A study of 4，000 dog owners has found a clear link between limited playtime and behaviour problems， such as being nervous when left alone， disobedience and snapping at other animals. And while researchers can't be sure that playing less is directly to blame， they say that games provide vital intellectual stimulation and exercise. The Bristol University study showed that only one in five owners play with their dogs six times a day.  Half play two or three times a day and 10 per cent have just one play session.

Mark Evans， former chief vet for the RSPCA， said that dogs are one of the few animals to play into adulthood.  He told the Sunday Times： 'There is a clear association in the results.  Owners report more potential behaviour problems in dogs that play less.'

Emily Blackwell -- who conducted the research uncovered tonight on Channel 4's Dogs： Their Secret Lives - said dogs often enjoy playing so much that they slow down or change strategy to make the fun last longer. The lecturer in canine(犬科动物) welfare hopes that 10，000 people will eventually fill out the survey. This will enable her to firmly establish whether lack of play is affecting dogs' moods - or if their emotional problems put their owners off spending time with them.  For instance，they may slow down when playing 'chase'， allowing their owner to catch up with them and the game to continue. Favourite games include wrestling， chase and tugging at toys， and perhaps unsurprisingly，'fetch' topped the list. Tennis balls were the favourite toys， followed by soft， squeaky toys， rubber balls and rope toys.

The research comes just days after an animal charity warned that millions of dogs are becoming fat. aggressive and destructive because their owners are clueless about basic animal care.The PDSA said that treats including beer， chips and leftover takeaways are making dogs fat and unwell – and wamed that almost a million are never taken for a walk.

【小题1】If the dogs are not looked after carefully，     .

A.they may become rebelling and damaging

B.they may get hurt and run away from home

C.they may become less active and dislike playing with the owners

D.they are more likely to fight with other animals

【小题2】What is Emily Blackwell's opinion on dogs' behavior?

A.If the owners spend less time with their dogs， they may become aggressive.

B.Dogs know how to make their playing time last longer.

C.Only a few owners spend enough time playing with their dogs.

D.Some junk food or leftover may cause obesity on dogs.

【小题3】The underlined word "this" in the fourth paragraph probably refers to       .

A.canine welfare

B.Channel 4's Dogs：Their Secret Lives

C.the survey

D.favourite games

【小题4】What can we learn from the passage?

A.Researchers confirm that playing less is to blame for dogs' bad behaviours.

B.Most of the owners will play with their dogs many times in a day.

C.Chase and tennis balls are the favourites of dogs.

D.It's obvious that dogs' behaviour problems are related with their playing time.

20、B

The Sieferts are the kind of environmentally conscious family who has solar panels atop their home. They use timers on their kids' showers and have planted drought-tolerant landscaping. But they feel kind of guilt. “I haven’t thought about the pool as much as I probably should,” said Annette Siefert.

As California's drought worsens, swimming pools have become a target for those who think the classic backyard greens waste water. Some water districts have banned new pools from being filled and have limited how much water existing pools can use.

But some of those agencies are walking back the rules as they make a surprising discovery: Pools aren't the water wasters some have made them out to be. Analyses by various water districts, along with scientific studies, conclude that pools and their surrounding landscapes use about the same amount of water as a lawn(草坪) of the same size. Over time, pools might even use less water. With pool covers, experts say water evaporation(蒸发)can be cut by almost half, making pools significantly less wasteful than grass and about as efficient as drought-tolerant landscaping.

Facing complaints over a recent ban on filling pools, the Santa Margarita Water District conducted its own water-use analysis. It found that pools require thousands of gallons of water to fill initially, but they use about 8,000 gallons less water than a traditional landscape after that. By the third year, the analysis found, the savings add up, and a pool's cumulative water use falls below that of a lawn.

Water agencies such as the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power have come to similar conclusions. Armed with new information, Santa Margarita Water District officials will reconsider their ban next week.

“We want to respect the people's rights to use their property. There are many families we know that have saved for pools,” said Jonathan Volzke, spokesman for the 155,000-customer district. “But at the same time, the reality around us is that we're in the third year of a serious drought, and we don't know if we're in the third year of a three-year drought or the third year of a 10-year drought.”

【小题1】Annette Siefert feels guilty mainly because of ______.

A.being a typical water waster

B.the water-use of their swimming pool

C.her control over her kids' showers at home

D.the construction of the drought-tolerant landscaping

【小题2】According to analyses and scientific studies, a swimming pool ______.

A.had belter be filled up in the beginning

B.becomes more efficient against drought

C.isn't what people think to be wasteful of water

D.consumes more water than a lawn of the same size

【小题3】What does Jonathan Volzke try to express in the last paragraph?

A.He expects the serious drought to come to an end.

B.He thinks highly of those who have saved for pools.

C.He appeals for reasonable use of the swimming pools.

D.He tries to maintain the right to use the swimming pools.

【小题4】What would be the best title for the passage?

A.Water Crisis In California

B.Strict Ban On Filling Pools

C.The Sieferts—Real Environmentalists?

D.Pools—A Big Factor During Drought?

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