A victim of climate change
A polar bear's dead body found on the Arctic island of Svalbard, the northernmost part of Norway, has shocked experts who say climate change may be to blame for the death. The starved polar bear in Norway was said to be in good bones by the time a group of explorers came across its body in July.
The bear is thought to have been heading north in a desperate search for sea ice that would allow it to hunt for seals."From his lying position in death, the bear appears to simply have starved to health in April when the Norwegian Polar Institute examined and labeled it. However, the animal was reduced to skin and bones and died where he dropped," polar bear expert Dr. Ian Stirling, a professor at the University of Alberta said, "He had external suggestion of any remaining fat, having been reduced to little more than skin and bone."
Stirling believes the bear starved to death as a result of a lack of sea ice which the animals use as a platform for hunting seals. That may also explain why the 16-year-old male bear was found about 155 miles north of where it was seen in April.
Arctic sea ice reached a record low in 2012, according to a report released this week by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that pointed to continued signs of climate change.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature currently classifies polar bears as vulnerable on its Red List of Threatened Species.
小題1:How did Stirling know the reason for the death of the polar bear?
A.By the food he ate.B.By doing further experiments.
C.By observing other polar bears.D.By his lying position in death.
小題2:The underlined word "vulnerable" probably means _____.
A.easily hurtB.difficult to hunt
C.dangerousD.a(chǎn)mazing
小題3:What is the author's attitude to the incident?
A.Favorable.B.Uncaring.
C.Doubtful.D.Concerned.
小題4:Where does this text probably come from?
A.A novel.B.A guidebook.
C.A news report.D.An advertisement.

小題1:D
小題2:A
小題3:D
小題4:C

試題分析:文章講述了在挪威北部北極的一個島上發(fā)現(xiàn)了一頭北極熊,這件事使專家很震驚。從發(fā)現(xiàn)北極熊的地方看,是北極熊為了尋找食物在向北去的路上死掉的,他是為了尋找冰來作為他獵取海豹的平臺才向北轉(zhuǎn)移的,在些過程中因饑餓而死。這一事件是由氣候的變化引起的,因為全球的氣候變暖,使冰在減少,才使北極熊處于瀕危境地。
小題1: D細節(jié)理解題。.. From his lying position in death, the bear appears to simply have starved to health in April when the Norwegian Polar Institute examined and labeled it。句意為:當挪威極地研究院在檢測北極熊時發(fā)現(xiàn),從他死的位置上可以看出,北極熊是在四月份因饑餓而死的。故答案為D。
小題2:A詞義理解題。The International Union for Conservation of Nature currently classifies polar bears as vulnerable on its Red List of Threatened Species.國際聯(lián)盟自然保護機構(gòu)將北極熊歸類到了瀕危物種的紅色名單上。由此可知北極熊是易受攻擊,受傷害的動物。dangerous 危險的,此處并非北極熊是危險的,而是處于危險之中。故答案為A。
小題3:D綜合理解題。文中從發(fā)現(xiàn)北極熊開始到對動物檢測,查找原因,對這件事情一直處在關注之中,同時也了解到,挪威自然研究院把北極熊劃為瀕危動物的行列。故作者對此事是關注的,所以答案應為D。
小題4:C段落理解題。文章從發(fā)現(xiàn)北極熊的尸體開始展開,經(jīng)過對熊尸體的檢測,推測出了是因氣候變化而導致死亡的原因,同時指出了氣候變暖使北極的冰在連年減少,2012年達到了新的紀錄。所以這篇文章應出自于一篇報道。novel 小說,文章并非在講一個故事;a guidebook 一本指導書,文章并未對事情作出指導;advertisement 廣告,沒有介紹什么產(chǎn)品,故答案應為C。
【考點】考查科普環(huán)保類文章的閱讀理解。
練習冊系列答案
相關習題

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Growers around the world are using new methods to grow grapes to make wine. They use natural and organic methods to control harmful insects and weeds instead of using chemicals. Now, a winery in Canada has adopted a natural way to control its grapevines (葡萄藤).The Featherstone Winery is in southern Ontario. The grapevines, like other plants, need to be cut every year.
Cutting grapevines must be done very carefully. Only a targeted area of leaves is removed from the lower part of the vines to help the grapes grow better. But at the Featherstone Winery, no man or machine does the cutting. Instead, the job is done by 40 little wooly lambs.
David Johnson owns the vineyard. He says he learned about using lambs while visiting wineries in New Zealand. The young lambs are perfectly designed to do the job. They eat the grape leaves on the lower parts of the vine. But they are not tall enough to reach the grapes. They only weigh about 22 kilograms, so they do not beat down the soil. And their waste makes good organic fertilizer. In addition, using the lambs costs much less than hiring workers to cut the vines for seven weeks in summer. And when the cutting is done in August, the lambs become tasty dishes.
Mr Johnson says he had a difficult time finding enough lambs to do the job. There are about 50 million lambs in New Zealand. But there are not nearly as many in Ontario. Also, some organic pesticides (殺蟲劑) are harmful to lambs. And the lambs must be watched to make sure they do not eat too much of the grapevines.
David Johnson says the lambs help him carry out his environmental ideas about farming. They are lovely and peaceful and he likes having them in his vineyard. People visiting the vineyard also enjoy watching the lambs do their job.
小題1:Farmers who grow grapes with natural and organic methods _____.
A.don't cut grapevines every year
B.don't use chemicals to control harmful insects and weeds
C.don't need to control harmful insects and weeds
D.don't use organic fertilizer
小題2:In order to help the grapes grow better, growers _____.
A.only have to remove the dead leaves
B.need to remove a specific area of leaves
C.shouldn't remove any part of the plants
D.should let little lambs do the cutting
小題3:Paragraph 4 is mainly about _____.
A.the future of getting lambs to do the cutting
B.the worries about using organic pesticides
C.the ways to get lambs to do the cutting
D.the problems related to lambs doing the cutting
小題4:We can infer from the passage that David Johnson______.
A.owns several wineries in Canada
B.buys lambs from New Zealand
C.is concerned about protecting the environment
D.loves keeping lambs instead of farming

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

How long do you want to live? How many years might be added to a life? Do you want to live another 100 years or more? Some experts say that scientific advances will one day enable humans to last tens of years beyond what is now seen as the natural limit of the human life span.(壽命)
“I think we are knocking at the door of immortality(永生) , " said Michael Zey, a Montclair State University business professor and author of two books on the future. "I think by 2075 we will see it and that's a conservative estimate(保守的估計)."
At the conference in San Francisco, Donald Louria, a professor at New Jersey Medical School in Newark said advances in using genes as well as nanotechnology(納米技術(shù)) make it likely that humans will live in the future beyond what has been possible in the past. "There is a great push so that people can live from 120 to 180 years," he said. "Some have suggested that there is no limit and that people could live to 200 or 300 or 500 years.
However, many scientists who research into ageing are doubtful about it and say the human body is just not designed to last past about 120 years. Even with healthier lifestyles and less disease, they say the failure of the brain and organs will finally lead all humans to death.
Scientists also differ on what kind of life the super aged might live. "It remains to be seen if you pass 120,you know, could you be healthy enough to have good quality of life?" said Leonard Poon, director  of the University of Georgia Gerontology Centre. "At present people who could get to that point are not in good health at all."
小題1:By saying "we are knocking at the door of immortality", Michael Zey means ______.
A.they have got some ideas about living forever
B.they are sure to find the truth about long living
C.they believe that there is no limit of living
D.they are able to make people live past the present life span
小題2:Donald Louria's attitude towards long living is that ______.
A.people can live from 120 to 180
B.it is possible for humans to live longer in the future
C.the human body is designed to last past about 120 years
D.it is still doubtful how long humans can live
小題3:The underlined word "it"( in Paragraph 4)refers to______.
A.using genes as well as nanotechnology
B.the idea of living beyond the present life span
C.a(chǎn) great push
D.the conservative estimate
小題4:What would be the best title for this text? 
A.No Limit for Human LifeB.Science, Technology and Long Living
C.Living Longer or NotD.Healthy Lifestyle and Long Living

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

In her new book, “The Smartest Kids in the World,” Amanda Ripley, an investigative journalist, tells the story of Tom, a high-school student from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, who decides to spend his senior year in Wroclaw, Poland. Poland is a surprising educational success story: in the past decade, the country raised students’ test scores from significantly below average to well above it. Polish kids have now outscored American kids in math and science, even though Poland spends, on average, less than half as much per student as the United States does. One of the most striking differences between the high school Tom attended in Gettysburg and the one he ends up at in Wroclaw is that the latter has no football team, or, for that matter, teams of any kind.
That American high schools lavish more time and money on sports than on math is an old complaint. This is not a matter of how any given student who plays sports does in school, but of the culture and its priorities. This December, when the latest Program for International Student Assessment(PISA) results are announced, it’s safe to predict that American high-school students will once again display their limited skills in math and reading, outscored not just by students in Poland but also by students in places like South Korea, Belgium, the Netherlands, Finland, Singapore, and Japan. Meanwhile, they will have played some very exciting football games, which will have been breathlessly written up in their hometown papers.
Why does this situation continue? Well, for one thing, kids like it. And for another, according to Ripley, parents seem to like the arrangement, too. She describes a tour she took of a school in Washington D.C., which costs thirty thousand dollars a year. The tour leader—a mother with three children in the school—was asked about the school’s flaws. When she said that the math program was weak, none of the parents taking the tour reacted. When she said that the football program was weak, the parents suddenly became concerned. “Really?” one of them asked worriedly, “What do you mean?”
One of the ironies of the situation is that sports reveal what is possible. American kids’ performance on the field shows just how well they can do when expectations are high. It’s too bad that their test scores show the same thing. 
小題1:Tom decides to spend his senior year in Poland because _______.
A.he intends to improve his scores
B.Polish kids are better at learning
C.sports are not supported at schools in Gettysburg
D.there are striking differences between the 2 countries
小題2:According to Paragraph 2, we know that _______.
A.PISA plays a very important role in America
B.little time is spent on sports in Japanese schools
C.American high schools complain about sports time
D.too much importance is placed on sports in America
小題3:The underlined sentence in the last paragraph means _______.
A.low expectations result in American students’ poor PISA performance
B.high expectations push up American students’ academic performance
C.American students’ academic performance worries their parents a lot
D.lacking practice contributes to American students’ average performance
小題4:The purpose of this article is to _______.
A.compare Polish schools with those in America
B.call on American schools to learn from the Polish model
C.draw public attention to a weakness in American school tradition
D.explain what is wrong with American schools and provide solutions

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

In an ideal world, people would not test medicines on animals. Such experiments are stressful and sometimes painful for animals, and expensive and time–consuming for people. Yet animal experimentation is still needed to help bridge vast gaps in medical knowledge. That is why there are some 50 to 100 million animals used in research around the world each year.
Europe, on the whole, has the world’s most restrictive laws on animal experiments. Even so, its scientists use some 12 million animals a year, most of them mice and rats, for medical research. Official statistics show that just 1.1 million animals are used in research in America each year. But that is misleading. The American authorities do not think mice and rats are worth counting and, as these are the most common laboratory animals, the true figure is much higher. Japan and China have even less comprehensive data than America.
Now Europe is reforming the rules governing animal experiments by restricting the number of animals used in labs. Alternatives to animal testing, such as using human tissue or computer models, are now strongly recommended. In addition, sharing all research results freely should help to reduce the number of animals for scientific use. At present, scientists often share only the results of successful experiments. If their findings do not fit the hypothesis being tested, the work never sees the light of day. This practice means wasting time, money, and animals’ lives in endlessly repeating the failed experiments.
Animal experimentation has taught humanity a great deal and saved countless lives. It needs to continue, even if that means animals sometimes suffer. Europe’s new measures should eventually both reduce the number of animals used in experiments and improve the way in which scientific research is conducted.
小題1:What is the main idea of this passage?
A.The success of animal experiments should be ensured.
B.A ban on the use of animals in the lab should be enforced.
C.Greater efforts need to be taken to reduce the number of lab animals.
D.Scientists should be required to share their research results with each other.
小題2:Which of the following statements is true about animals used in the lab?
A.America uses only about 1.1 million lab animals per year.
B.Europe does not use mice and rats as lab animals at all.
C.Britain does not use as many lab animals as China does.
D.Japan has less comprehensive data on the number of lab animals used each year.
小題3:Which of the following is mentioned as an alternative to replace animal experiments?
A.Statistical studies.
B.Computer models.
C.DNA planted in animals.
D.Tissue from dead animals.
小題4:What usually happens to unsuccessful animal experiments?
A.They are not revealed to the public.
B.They are made into teaching materials.
C.They are collected for future publication.
D.They are not removed from the research topic list.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Speaking in any language is all about imitating (模仿) other people. You want to be able to speak like native speakers do. Before you can form your own correct sentences, you first need to see lots of similar ones in the language you are learning.
When you speak in your native language, you don't have to think about the grammar or the words you use. Correct sentences just come to you. In fact, your brain uses sentences you've already seen or heard. If you want to speak a foreign language fluently, you have to learn it the way you learned your native language--- by massive(大量的) input.
Reading and listening will help you develop language intuition(直覺). It's all about putting lots of correct sentences in your head. Then your brain can imitate them, producing similar sentences to express the meaning you want. When you read and listen a lot, paying attention to useful vocabulary, you will soon start to use new words and phrases in your speaking and writing, and you will develop language intuition. You will start to feel what sounds good and what sounds bad --- just as you do in your native language.
It may seem like you need more time to learn a language by reading and listening, as opposed (相反的)to learning based on grammar rules. For example, to get a good feeling for the use of articles in English you need to read lots of sentences, analyzing them closely. Wouldn't it be easier to read a unit on articles in a grammar book? Well, the problem is that it takes lots of time to build a sentence when you have to think of grammar rules. When you talk to someone, you don't have time for that. The input-based approach may seem to be more demanding, but it's the only way to achieve fluency.
小題1:According to the passage, if you want to speak a foreign language like a native speaker, you must_________.
A.learn grammar very well
B.input many sentences in your head
C.read many books in the foreign language
D.write many compositions
小題2:Which of the following sentences can explain the meaning of language intuition?
A.Ability to understand a foreign language
B.Ability to use a foreign language without thinking about it
C.Ability to speak a foreign language
D.Ability to imitate a native speaker
小題3: In the author’s view, what plays an important role in developing language intuition?
A.Listening and Reading
B.Writing and Listening
C.Reading and Translating
D.Listening and Translating
小題4: According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?
A.You can speak your native language without think about grammar
B.Before you can speak your native you must hear millions of sentences
C.The input-based approach is the only way to speak a language fluently
D.Grammar is no use at all

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

“Get your hands off me, I have been stolen,” the laptop, a portable(便攜式的)computer, shouted. That is a new solution to laptop computer theft: a program that lets owners give their property a voice when it has been taken.
The program allows users to display alerts(警報)on the missing computer’s screen and even to set a spoken message. Tracking software for stolen laptops has been on the market for some time, but this is thought to be the first that allows owners to give the thief a piece of their mind.
Owners must report their laptop missing by visiting to a website, which sends a message to the model: a red and yellow “l(fā)ost or stolen” sign appears on its screen when it is started. Under the latest version(版本) of the software, users can also send a spoken message.
The message can be set to reappear every 30 seconds, no matter how many times the thief closes it. “One customer sent a message saying, ‘You are being tracked. I am right at your door’,” said Carrie Hafeman, chief executive (主管) of the company which produces the program, Retriever.
In the latest version, people can add a spoken message. For example, the laptop’s speakers will say: “Help, this laptop is reported lost or stolen. If you are not my owner, please report me now.”
The Retriever software package(軟件包), which costs $29.95 (£21) but has a free trial period, has the functions of many security software programs. Owners can remotely switch to an alternative password if they fear that the thief has also got hold of the access details.
If a thief accesses the internet with the stolen laptop, Retriever will collect information on the internet service provider in use, so that the police can be alerted to its location.
Thousands of laptops are stolen every year from homes and offices, but with the use of laptops increasing, the number stolen while their owners are out and about has been rising sharply.
Other security software allows users to erase(刪除)data remotely or lock down the computer.
小題1:The expression “to give the thief a piece of their mind” can be understood as “_______”.
A.to give the thief an alert mind
B.to express the owners’ anger to the thief
C.to remind the thief of his conscience
D.to make the thief give up his mind
小題2:Different from other security software, Retriever can ______.
A.record the stealing process
B.help recognize the lost laptop
C.lock down the computer remotely
D.send a spoken message
小題3:One function of the program is that it allows the owner to ______ at a distance.
A.change some access details for switching on the laptop
B.turn on the laptop by using the original password
C.operate the laptop by means of an alternative password
D.erase the information kept in the stolen laptop
小題4:Which of the following can best summarize the main idea of the passage?
A.With no Retriever, thousands of laptops are stolen every year.
B.A new software provides a means to reduce laptop theft.
C.Retriever has helped to find thieves and lost computers.
D.A new program offers a communication platform with the thief.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

C
When an ant dies, other ants take it out of the nest, often within an hour after its death. This behavior interests scientists and they wonder how ants know for sure--and so soon--that another ant is dead.
One scientist recently came up with a way to explain this ant behavior. Dong-Hwan Choe is a biologist, a scientist who studies animals and plants. He found that ants have a chemical on the outside of their bodies that signals to other ants, “I’m dead--take me away” when it is dead.
One scientist recently came up with a way to explain this ant behavior. Dong-Hwan Choe is a biologist, a scientist who studies animals and plants. He found that ants have a chemical on the outside of their bodies that signals to other ants, “I’m dead---take me away” when it is dead.
But there's a question to answer: As we know, if an ant is dead, it stops moving. But when an ant is sleeping or knocked unconscious, it is also not moving. However, other ants don't move the living ant out of the nest. How do they know this ant is not dead? Choe found that ants have another chemical on their bodies, which tells nearby ants something like, “Wait—I'm not dead yet” when it is not dead. Choe suspects that when an ant dies, the chemical that says, “Wait— I'm not dead yet” quickly goes away. When other ants detect the “dead” chemical without the “not dead yet” chemical, they move away the body.
To test his theory, Choe and his team put different chemicals on ants. When the scientists used the “I'm dead” chemical, other ants quickly moved the treated ant away. When the scientists used the “Wait—I'm not dead yet” chemical, other ants left the treated ant alone. Choe believes this behavior shows that the “not dead yet” chemical overrides the “dead” chemical when picked up by other ants. And that when an ant dies, the “not dead yet” chemical fades away. Other nearby ants then detect the remaining “dead” chemical and remove the body from the nest.
Understanding this behavior can help scientists figure out how to stop ants from invading new places and causing problems.
小題1:What is the function of the first paragraph?
A.Leading the following paragraphs.
B.Showing the main idea of the passage.
C.Introducing the background of the passage.
D.Giving a summary of the passage.
小題2:Which of the following has the closest meaning to the underlined word “overrides” in the fourth paragraph?
A.is weaker thanB.is stronger thanC.is better thanD.is worse than
小題3:What can we learn from the passage?
A.Living ants can also be taken away when they are not moving.
B.When an ant dies, it can tell others using a certain chemical.
C.A living ant can pretend to be dead using a special chemical.
D.Ants often use chemicals to communicate with each other.
小題4:Which of the following descriptions about Dong-Hwan Choe is right?
A.Choe did this study in order to stop ants from invading new places.
B.Choe is a biologist who is only interested in animals, especially in ants.
C.Choe first came up with an idea to explain this ant behavior,and then did some tests to prove his theory.
D.Choe did the research on this ant behavior on his own.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Three years ago I listened to a lecture on cognition that changed the way I think about intelligence. There are two types of cognition, and the first is normal cognition the ability to regain knowledge from memory. The second type of cognition is metacognition(元認知) the ability to know whether or not you know.
Does this affect intelligence? In traditional education, intelligence is measured by cognitive ability. Some people can easily produce everything they know on a test. But others are awarded with poor grades and considered inferior (not as good as). But does this inability make them any less intelligent? If the question came up on a task, they could refer to a book or a quick Google search. In reality they’re just as effective as the people that ace a test. They just can’t prove it as easily.
Metacognition is more important to success than cognition. A person with poor cognitive ability, but great metacognitive ability might do poorly in school, but when faced with a challenge, they understand their abilities and take the best course of action. For example, when faced with a question, a person with strong metacognitive ability will deal with it like this. If he knows the answer, but can’t come up with it, he can always do a bit of research. If he knows for sure that he doesn’t know, then he can start educating himself. Because he’s aware of his ignorance, he doesn’t act with foolish confidence. These people might not seem intelligent at first glance, but because they know what they know, they make better decisions and learn the most important things.
However, people with great cognitive ability but poor metacognitive ability may be considered excellent at a young age for acing every test and getting great SAT scores. Unfortunately, they’ve been ruined by poor metacognition they think they know everything but they really don’t. They are arrogant (overconfident), fail to learn from mistakes, and don’t understand the slight differences of personal relationships, showing disregard for persons with lower cognitive ability. They may make the worst decisions.
The most important mental power is the ability to know what you don’t know .The recognition of a fault is the first step to improvement. Don’t try to hide a lack of knowledge. For intelligent people this is the toughest lesson to learn.
小題1:People with great cognitive ability tend to ______________.       
A.do well in tests
B.be considered inferior
C.be more effective than others
D.do research when faced with a task
小題2:The underlined phrase “take the best course of action,” probably means______.
A.starting educating himself
B.taking action during the course
C.making the right decision
D.coming up with many ideas
小題3:People with poor metacognition may not succeed because they ________.
A.lack basic moral values
B.have improper self evaluation
C.fail to communicate with others
D.show little respect for others
小題4:The author probably supports the idea that ___________.
A.intelligence is measured by cognitive ability
B.cognition is the most important mental power
C.the toughest lesson is to distinguish the two types of cognition
D.the awareness of one’s ignorance contributes to one’s improvement

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習冊答案