2022届高考英语二轮复习：科普文阅读理解专练- （含答案）

阅读理解专练 科普研究类
(一)A build-it-yourself solar still（蒸馏器） is one of the best ways to obtain drinking water in areas where the liquid is not readily available. Developed by two doctors in the U.S.Department of Agriculture, it’s an excellent water collector. Unfortunately, you must carry the necessary equipment with you, since it’s all but impossible to find natural substitutes．The only components required, though, are a sheet of clear or slightly milky plastic, six feet of plastic tube, and a container — perhaps just a drinking cup — to catch the water. These pieces can be folded into a neat little pack and fastened on your belt．
To construct a working still, use a sharp stick or rock to dig a hole four feet across and three feet deep. Try to make the hole in a damp area to increase the water catcher’s productivity. Place your cup in the deepest part of the hole. Then lay the tube in place so that one end rests all the way in the cup and the rest of the line runs up — and out — the side of the hole．
Next, cover the hole with the plastic sheet, securing the edges of the plastic with dirt and weighting the sheet’s center down with a rock. The plastic should now form a cone(圆锥体) with 45-degree-angled sides. The low point of the sheet must be centered directly over, and no more than three inches above, the cup．
The solar still works by creating a greenhouse under the plastic．Ground water evaporates (蒸发) and collects on the sheet until small drops of water form, run down the material and fall off into the cup. When the container is full, you can suck the refreshment out through the tube, and won’t have to break down the still every time you need a drink．
1．What do we know about the solar still equipment from the first paragraph
A．It’s delicate． B. It’s expensive． C．It’s complex． D．It’s portable．
2．What does the underlined phrase “the water catcher” in paragraph 2 refer to
A．The tube． B．The still． C．The hole． D．The cup．
3．What’s the last step of constructing a working solar still
A. Dig a hole of a certain size． B．Put the cup in place．
C．Weight the sheet’s center down． D．Cover the hole with the plastic sheet．
4. When a solar still works, drops of water come into the cup form ．
A．the plastic tube B．outside the hole C．the open air D．beneath the sheet
(二)When a leafy plant is under attack it doesn’t sit quietly. Back in 1983 two scientists Jack Schultz and Ian Baldwin reported that young maple trees getting bitten by insects send out a particular smell that neighboring plants can get. These chemicals come from the injured parts of the plant and seem to be an alarm. What the plants pump through the air is a mixture of chemicals known as volatile organic compounds V0Cs for short．
Scientists have found that all kinds of plants give out V0Cs when being attacked. It’s a plant’s way of crying out. But is anyone listening Apparently. Because we can watch the neighbors react．
Some plants pump out smelly chemicals to keep insects away. But others do double duty. They pump out perfumes designed to attract different insects who are natural enemies to the attackers. 0nce they arrive the tables are turned. The attacker who was lunching now becomes lunch．
In study after study it appears that these chemical conversations help the neighbors. The damage is usually more serious on the first plant but the neighbors relatively speaking stay safer because they heard the alarm and knew what to do．
Does this mean that plants talk to each other Scientists don’t know. Maybe the first plant just made a cry of pain or was sending a message to its own branches and so in effect was talking to itself. Perhaps the neighbors just happened to “overhear” the cry. So information was exchanged but it wasn’t a true intentional back and forth．
Charles Darwin over 150 years ago imagined a world far busier noisier and more intimate(亲密的) than the world we can see and hear. 0ur senses are weak. There’s a whole lot going on．
1．What does a plant do when it is under attack
A．It makes noises． B．It gets help from other plants．
C．It stands quietly D．It sends out certain chemicals．
2．What does the author mean by “the tables are turned” in paragraph 3
A．The attackers get attacked．
B．The insects gather under the table．
C．The plants get ready to fight back．
D．The perfumes attract natural enemies．
3．Scientists find from their studies that plants can ．
A．predict natural disasters B．protect themselves against insects
C．talk to one another intentionally D．help their neighbors when necessary
4．What can we infer from the last paragraph
A．The word is changing faster than ever．
B．People have stronger senses than before
C．The world is more complex than it seems
D．People in Darwin’s time were more imaginative．
(三)．The Intelligent Transport team at Newcastle University have turned an electric car into a mobile laboratory named “Drive LAB” in order to understand the challenges faced by older drivers and to discover where the key stress points are．
Research shows that giving up driving is one of the key reasons for a fall in health and well-being among older people, leading to them becoming more isolated(隔绝) and inactive．
Led by Professor Phil Blythe, the Newcastle team are developing in-vehicle technologies for older drivers which they hope could help them to continue driving into later life．
These include custom-made navigation(导航) tools, night vision systems and intelligent speed adaptations．Phil Blythe explains： “For many older people, particularly those living alone or in the country, driving is important for preserving their independence, giving them the freedom to get out and about without having to rely on others． ”
“But we all have to accept that as we get older our reactions slow down and this often results in people avoiding any potentially challenging driving conditions and losing confidence in their driving skills．The result is that people stop driving before they really need to． ”
Dr Amy Guo the leading researcher on the older driver study, explains, “The Drive LAB is helping us to understand what the key points and difficulties are for older drivers and how we might use technology to address these problems．
“For example, most of us would expect older drivers always go slower than everyone else but surprisingly, we found that in 30mph zones they struggled to keep at a constant speed and so were more likely to break the speed limit and be at risk of getting fined．We’re looking at the benefits of systems which control their speed as a way of preventing that．
“We hope that our work will help with technological solutions(解决方案) to ensure that older drivers stay safer behind the wheel.”
1．What is the purpose of the Drivel AB
A. To explore new means of transport． B．To design new types of cars．
C. To find out older driver`s problems． D．To teach people traffic rules．
2．Why is driving important for older people according to Phil Blythe
A．It keeps them independent． B．It helps them save time．
C．It builds up their strength． D．It cures their mental illnesses．
3. What do researchers hope to do for older drivers
A．Improve their driving skills． B．Develop driver-assist technologies．
C．Provide tips on repairing their cars． D．0rganize regular physical checkups．
4．What is the best title for the text
A．A new Model Electric Car B．A Solution to Traffic Problem
C．Driving Service for elders D．Keeping 0lder Drivers on the Road
(四)．Getting less sleep has become a bad habit for most American kids．According to a new survey(调查) by the National Sleep Foundation 51% of kids aged 10 to 18 go to bed at 10 pm or later on school nights even though they have to get up early．Last year the Foundation reported that nearly 60% of 7- to 12-year-olds said they felt tired during the day and 15% said they had fallen asleep at school．
How much sleep you need depends a lot on your age．Babies need a lot of rest: most of them sleep about 18 hours a day! Adults need about eight hours．For most school-age children ten hours is ideal(理想的)．But the new National Sleep Foundation survey found that 35% of 10- to 12-year-olds get only seven or eight hours．And guess what almost half of the surveyed kids said they do before bedtime Watch TV．
“More children are going to bed with TVs on and there are more opportunities(机会) to stay awake with more homework the Internet and the phone ” says Dr.Mary Carskadon a sleep researcher at Brown University Medical School. She says these activities at bedtime can get kids all excited and make it hard for them to calm down and sleep．0ther experts say part of the problem is chemical．Changing levels of body chemicals called hormones not only make teenagers’ bodies develop adult characteristics but also make it hard for teenagers to fall asleep before 11 pm．
Because sleepiness is such a problem for teenagers some school districts have decided to start high school classes later than they used to．Three years ago schools in Edina Minnesota changed the start time from 7:25 am to 8:30 am. Students parents and teachers are pleased with the results．
1．What is the new National Sleep Foundation survey on
A．American kids’ sleeping habits． B．Teenagers’ sleep-related diseases．
C．Activities to prevent sleeplessness． D．Learning problems and lack of sleep．
2. How many hours of sleep do 11-year-olds need every day
A．7 hours． B．8 hours． C．10 hours． D. 18 hours．
3． Why do teenagers go to sleep late according to Carskadon
A．They are affected by certain body chemicals． B．They tend to do things that excite them．
C．They follow their parents’ examples． D. They don’t need to go to school early．
(五)．Bad news sells. If it bleeds, it leads．No news is good news, and good news is no news. Those are the classic rules for the evening broadcasts and the morning papers. But now that information is being spread and monitored (监控) in different ways, researchers are discovering new rules．By tracking people’s e-mails and online posts, scientists have found that good news can spread faster and farther than disasters and sob stories．
“The ‘if it bleeds’ rule works for mass media,” says Jonah Berger, a scholar at the University of Pennsylvania． “They want your eyeballs and don’t care how you’re feeling．But when you share a story with your friends, you care a lot more how they react．You don’t want them to think of you as a Debbie Downer.”
Researchers analyzing word-of-mouth communication—e-mails, Web posts and reviews, face-to-face conversations—found that it tended to be more positive than negative(消极的), but that didn’t necessarily mean people preferred positive news．Was positive news shared more often simply because people experienced more good things than bad things To test for that possibility, Dr. Berger looked at how people spread a particular set of news stories: thousands of articles on The New York Times’ website. He and a Penn colleague analyzed the “most e-mailed” list for six months．0ne of his first findings was that articles in the science section were much more likely to make the list than non-science articles．He found that science amazed Times’ readers and made them want to share this positive feeling with others．
Readers also tended to share articles that were exciting or funny, or that inspired negative feelings like anger or anxiety, but not articles that left them merely sad．They needed to be aroused(激发) one way or the other, and they preferred good news to bad．The more positive an article, the more likely it was to be shared, as Dr. Berger explains in his new book, “Contagious: Why Things Catch 0n.”
1．What do the classic rules mentioned in the text apply to
A．News reports． B．Research papers． C．Private e-mails． D．Daily conversations．
2．What can we infer about people like Debbie Downer
A．They’re socially inactive． B．They’re good at telling stories．
C．They’re inconsiderate of others． D．They’re careful with their words．
3．Which tended to be the most e-mailed according to Dr．Berger’s research
A．Sports news． B．Science articles． C．Personal accounts． D．Financial reviews．
4． What can be a suitable title for the text
A. Sad Stories Travel Far and Wide B. 0nline News Attracts More People
C. Reading Habits Change with the Times D. Good News Beats Bad on Social Networks
(六)．A warm drink of milk before bed has long been the best choice for those wanting a good night’s sleep．But now a study has found it really does help people nod off—if it is milked from a cow at night．
Researchers have discovered that “night milk” contains more melatonin(褪黑激素), which has been proven to help people feel sleepy and reduce anxiety．
The study, by researchers from Seoul, South Korea, involved mice being fed with dried milk powder made from cows milked both during the day and at night．
Those given night milk, which contained 10 times the amount of melatonin, were less active and less anxious than those fed with the milk collected during daytime, according to the study published in The Journal of Medicinal Food．
Night milk quickened the start of sleep and caused the mice to sleep longer．
While the effect of cows milk harvested at different time has not been tested on humans up to now, taking melatonin drugs has been suggested to those who are struggling to fall asleep at night．
Previous studies have also indicated that milk can be excellent for helping sleep because of the calcium content, which helps people to relax．
Milk is also sugar-free and additive-free with nutritionists recommending skimmed milk as the best choice before bed as it is the least fattening．The more fat you take in before bedtime, the greater burden you will put on your body at night．
1．According to the text, the mice fed with daytime milk_______．
A.started sleep more easily B．were more anxious C．were less active D．woke up later
2．Which of the following is true of melatonin according to the text
A．It’s been tested on mice for ten years B．It can make people more energetic
C．It exists in milk in great amount D．It’s used in sleeping drugs
3．What can be a suitable title for the text
A．Night Milk and Sleep B．Fat Sugar and Health
C．An Experiment on Mice D．Milk Drinking and Health
4．How does the author support the theme of the text
A．By giving examples． B. By stating arguments．
C．By explaining statistical data． D. By providing research results．
(七)．Chimps(黑猩猩) will cooperate in certain ways, like gathering in war parties to protect their territory．But beyond the minimum requirements as social beings, they have little instinct (本能) to help one another．Chimps in the wild seek food for themselves．Even chimp mothers regularly decline to share food with their children．Who are able from a young age to gather their own food．
In the laboratory, chimps don’t naturally share food either．If a chimp is put in a cage where he can pull in one plate of food for himself or, with no great effort, a plate that also provides food for a neighbor to the next cage, he will pull at random ---he just doesn’t care whether his neighbor gets fed or not．Chimps are truly selfish．
Human children, on the other hand are extremely corporative．From the earliest ages, they decide to help others, to share information and to participate a achieving common goals．The psychologist Michael Tomasello has studied this cooperativeness in a series of expensive with very young children. He finds that if babies aged 18 months see an worried adult with hands full trying to open a door, almost all will immediately try to help．
There are several reasons to believe that the urges to help, inform and share are not taught , but naturally possessed in young children. 0ne is that these instincts appear at a very young age before most parents have started to train children to behave socially．Another is that the helping behaviors are not improved if the children are rewarded．A third reason is that social intelligence. There are several reasons to develop in children before their general cognitive skills at least when compared with chimps． In tests conducted by Tomtasell, the children did
no better than the chimps on the physical world tests, but were considerably better at understanding the social
world．
The cure of what children’s minds have and chimps’ don’t in what Tomasello calls what．Part of this ability is that they can infer what others know or are thinking. But that, even very young children want to be part of a shared purpose. They actively seek to be part of a “we”, a group that intends to work toward a shared goal．
1．What can we learn from the experiment with chimps
A．Chimps seldom care about others’ interests． B．Chimps tend to provide food for their children．
C．Chimps like to take in their neighbors’ food． D．Chimps naturally share food with each other．
2．Michael Tomasello’s tests on young children indicate that they____．
A．have the instinct to help others B．know how to offer help to adults
C．know the world better than chimps D．trust adults with their hands full
3．The passage is mainly about ____．
A．the helping behaviors of young children B．ways to train children’s shared intentionality
C．cooperation as a distinctive human nature D．the development of intelligence in children
(八)．Your house may have an effect on your figure. Experts say the way you design your home could play a role in whether you pack on the pounds or keep them off. You can make your environment work for you instead of against you. Here are some ways to turn your home into part of diet plan.
0pen the curtains and turn up the lights. Dark environments are more likely to encourage overeating, for people are often less self-conscious（难为情）when they’re in poorly lit places — and so more likely to eat lots of food . If your home doesn’t have enough window light , get more lamps and flood the place with brightness.
Mind the colors. Research suggests warm colors fuel our appetites. In one study, people who ate meals in a blue room consumed 33 percent less than those in a yellow or red room. Warm colors like yellow make food appear more appetizing, while cold colors make us feel less hungry. So when it’s time to repaint, go blue.
Don’t forget the clock — or the radio. People who eat slowly tend to consume about 70 fewer calories（卡路里） per meal than those who rush through their meals. Begin keeping track of the time, and try to make dinner last at least 30 minutes, And while you’re at it, actually sit down to eat. If you need some help slowing down, turn on relaxing music. It makes you less likely to rush through a meal.
Downsize the dishes, Big serving bowls and plates can easily make us fat. We eat about 22 percent more when using a 12-inch plate instead of a 10-inch plate. When we choose a large spoon over a smaller one ,total intake（摄入）jumps by 14 percent. And we’ll pour about 30 percent more liquid into a short, wide glass than a tall, skinny glass.
1．The text is especially helpful for those who care about_______.
A. their home comforts B. their body shape C. house buying D. healthy diets
2．A home environment in blue can help people_________.
A. digest food better B．reduce food intake C. burn more calories D．regain their appetites
3．What are people advised to do at mealtimes
A. Eat quickly. B．Play fast music. C．Use smaller spoons. D. Turn down the lights.
4．What can be a suitable title for the test
A．Is Your House Making You Fat B．Ways of Serving Dinner
C．Effects of Self-Consciousness D．Is Your Home Environment Relaxing
(九)．No one is sure how the ancient Egyptians built the pyramids near Cairo. But a new study suggests they used a little rock ‘n’ roll. Long-ago builders could have attached wooden pole s to the stones and rolled them across the sand, the scientists say.
“Technically, I think what they’re proposing is possible,” physicist Daniel Bonn said．
People have long puzzled over how the Egyptians moved such huge rocks. And there’s no obvious answer. 0n average, each of the two million big stones weighed about as much as a large pickup truck. The Egyptians somehow moved the stone blocks to the pyramid site from about one kilometer away.
The most popular view is that Egyptian workers slid the blocks along smooth paths. Many scientists suspect workers first would have put the blocks on sleds(滑板). Then they would have dragged them along paths. To make the work easier, workers may have lubricated the paths either with wet clay or with the fat from cattle. Bonn has now tested this idea by building small sleds and dragging heavy objects over sand．
Evidence from the sand supports this idea． Researchers found small amounts of fat, as well as a large amount of stone and the remains of paths.
However, physicist Joseph West thinks there might have been a simpler way, who led the new study. West said, “I was inspired while watching a television program showing how sleds might have helped with pyramid construction. I thought, ‘Why don’t they just try rolling the things ’ ” A square could be turned into a rough sort of wheel by attaching wooden poles to its sides, he realized. That, he notes, should make a block of stone “a lot easier to roll than a square”.
So he tried it .
He and his students tied some poles to each of four sides of a 30-kilogram stone block. That action turned the block into somewhat a wheel. Then they placed the block on the ground．
They wrapped one end of a rope around the block and pulled． The researchers found they could easily roll the block along different kinds of paths. They calculated that rolling the block required about as much force as moving it along a slippery(滑的)path.
West hasn’t tested his idea on larger blocks, but he thinks rolling has clear advantages over sliding. At least, workers wouldn’t have needed to carry cattle fat or water to smooth the paths.
1．It’s widely believed that the stone blocks were moved to the pyramid site by ______.
A. rolling them on roads B. pushing them over the sand
C. sliding them on smooth paths D. dragging them on some poles
2．The underlined part “lubricated the paths” in Paragraph 4 means____.
A.made the paths wet B. made the paths hard C. made the paths wide D. made the paths slippery
3．What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 7 refer to
A．Rolling the blocks with poles attached. B．Rolling the blocks on wooden wheels.
C．Rolling poles to move the blocks D．Rolling the blocks with fat.
4．Why is rolling better than sliding according to West
A. Because more force is needed for sliding.
B. Because rolling work can be done by fewer cattle.
C. Because sliding on smooth roads is more dangerous.
D. Because less preparation on paths is needed for rolling.
5．What is the text mainly about
A．An experiment on ways of moving blocks to the pyramid site.
B．An application of the method of moving blocks to the pyramid site.
C．An argument about different methods of moving blocks to the pyramid site.
D．An introduction to a possible new way of moving blocks to the pyramid site.
(十)．How fit are your teeth Are you lazy about brushing them Never fear: An inventor is on the case． An electric toothbrush senses how long and how well you brush and it lets you track your performance on your phone．
The Kolibree toothbrush was exhibited at the International Cortsumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week. It senses how it is moved and can send the information to an Android phone or iPhone via a Bluetooth wireless connection．
The toothbrush will be able to teach you to brush right (don't forget the insides of the teeth!) and make sure you're brushing long enough．"It's kind of like having a dentist actually watch your brushing on a day-to-day basis " says Thomas Serval the French inventor．
The toothbrush will also be able to talk to other applications on your phone so developers could for instance create a game controlled by your toothbrush. You could score points for beating monsters among your teeth．"We try to make it smart but also fun " Serval says．
Serval says he was inspired by his experience as a father．He would come home from work and ask his kids if they had brushed their teeth. They said " yes " but Serval would find their toothbrush heads dry. He decided he needed a brush that really told him how well his children brushed．
The company says the Kolibree will go on sale this summer for $ 99 to $ 199 depending on features． The it is the first target market．
Serval says that one day it'll be possible to replace the brush on the handle with a brushing unit that also has a camera．The camera can even examine holes in your teeth while you brush．
1．Which is one of the features of the Kolibree toothbrush
A. It can sense how users' brush their teeth． B. It can track users9 school performance．
C. It can detect users' fear of seeing a dentist． D. It can help users find their phones．
2．What can we learn from Serval's words in Paragraph 3
A．You will find it enjoyable to see a dentist．
B．You should see your dentist on a day-to-day basis．
C．You can brush with the Kolibree as if guided by a dentist．
D．You'd like a dentist to watch you brush your teeth every day．
3．Which of the following might make the Kolibree toothbrush fun
A．It can be used to update mobile phones． B．It can be' used to play mobile phone games．
C．It can send messages to other users． D．It can talk to its developers．
4．What is Paragraph 5 mainly about
A．How Serval found out his kids lied to him． B．Why Serval thought brushing teeth was necessary．
C．How Serval taught his kids to brush their teeth． D．What inspired Serval to invent the toothbrush
5．What can we infer about Serval9s children
A．They were unwilling to brush their teeth．
B．They often failed to clean their toothbrushes．
C．They preferred to use a toothbrush with a dry head．
D．They liked brushing their teeth after Serval came home．
6．What can we learn about the future development of the Kolibree
A．The brush handle will be removed． B．A mobile phone will be built into it．
C．It will be used to fill holes in teeth． D．It will be able to check users' teeth．
(十一).A new study shows students who write notes by hand during lectures perform better on exams than those who use laptops (笔记本电脑)．
Students are increasingly using laptops for note-taking because of speed and legibility (清晰度). But the research has found laptop users are less able to remember and apply the concepts they have been taught．
Researchers performed experiments that aimed to find out whether using a laptop increased the tendency to make notes "mindlessly" by taking down word for word what the professors said．
In the first experiment students were given either a laptop or pen and paper．They listened to the same lectures and were told to use their usual note-taking skills．Thirty minutes after the talk they were examined on their ability to remember facts and on how well they understood concepts．
The researchers found that laptop users took twice as many notes as those who wrote by hand．However the typists performed worse at remembering and applying the concepts. Both groups scored similarly when it came to memorizing facts．
The researchers' report said "While more notes are beneficial if the notes are taken mindlessly as is more likely the case on a laptop the benefit disappears． "
In another experiment aimed at testing long-term memory students took notes as before but were tested a week after the lecture. This time the students who wrote notes by hand performed significantly better on the exam．
These two experiments suggest that handwritten notes are not only better for immediate learning and understanding but that they also lead to superior revision in the future．
1．More and more students favor laptops for note-taking because they can _______ ．
A．write more notes B．digest concepts better C．get higher scores D．understand lectures better
2．While taking notes laptop users tend to be _______．
A．skillful B．mindless C．thoughtful D．tireless
3．The author of the passage aims to _______ ．
A．examine the importance of long-term memory B．stress the benefit of taking notes by hand
C．explain the process of taking notes D．promote the use of laptops
4．The passage is likely to appear in ______ ．
A. a newspaper advertisement B. a computer textbook C. a science magazine D. a finance report
(十二)．
Working with a group of baboons(狒狒) in the Namibian desert Dr. Alecia Carter of the Department of Zoology Cambridge University set baboons learning tasks involving a novel food and a familiar food hidden in a box. Some baboons were given the chance to watch another baboon who already knew how to solve the task while others had to learn for themselves．To work out how brave or anxious the baboons were Dr．Carter presented them either with a novel food or a threat in the form of a model of a poisonous snake．
She found that personality had a major impact on learning． The braver baboons learnt but the shy ones did not learn the task although they watched the baboon perform the task of finding the novel food just as long as the brave ones did．In effect despite being made aware of what to do they were still too shy to do what the experienced baboon did．
The same held true for anxious baboons com pared with calm ones．The anxious individuals learnt the task by observing others while those who were relaxed did not even though they spent more time watching．
This mismatch between collecting social information and using it shows th8t personality plays a key role in social learning in animals something that has previously been ignored in studies on how animals 1earn to do things．The findings are significant because they suggest that animals may perform poorly in cognitive (认知的) tasks not because they aren't clever enough to solve them but because they are too shy or nervous to use the social information．
The findings may impact how we understand the formation of culture in societies through social learning. If some individuals are unable to get information from others because they don't associate with the knowledgeable individuals or they are too shy to use the information once they have it information may not travel between all group members preventing the formation of a culture based on social learning．
1．What is the first paragraph mainly about
A．The design of Dr.Carter's research． B．The results of Dr. Carter's research．
C．The purpose of Dr.Carter's research． D．The significance of Dr.Carter's research．
2．According to the research which baboons are more likely to complete a new learning task
A．Those that have more experience． B．Those that can avoid potential risks．
C．Those that like to work independently． D．Those that feel anxious about learning．
3．Which best illustrates the "mismatch" mentioned in Paragraph 4
A．Some baboons are intelligent but slow in learning．
B．Some baboons are shy but active in social activities．
C．Some baboons observe others but don't follow them．
D．Some baboons perform new tasks but don't concentrate．
4．Dr.Carter's findings indicate that our culture might be formed through _______ ．
A．storing information B．learning from each other
C．understanding different people D．traveling between social groups
(十三)．
The baby is just one day old and has not yet left hospital. She is quiet but alert (警觉). Twenty centimeters from her face researchers have placed a white card with two black spots on it. She stares at it carefully. A researcher removes the card and replaces it by another, this time with the spots differently spaced. As the cards change from one to the other, her gaze(凝视) starts to lose its focus - until a third, with three black spots, is presented. Her gaze returns: she looks at it for twice as long as she did at the previous card. Can she tell that the number two is different from three, just 24 hours after coming into the world
0r do newborns simply prefer more to fewer The same experiment, but with three spots shown before two, shows the same return of interest when the number of spots changes. Perhaps it is just the newness When slightly older babies were shown cards with pictures of objects (a comb, a key, an orange and so on), changing the number of objects had an effect separate from changing the objects themselves. Could it be the pattern that two things make, as opposed to three No again. Babies paid more attention to squares moving randomly on a screen when their number changed from two to three, or three to two. The effect even crosses between senses. Babies who were repeatedly shown two spots became more excited when they then heard three drumbeats than when they heard just two; likewise(同样地) when the researchers started with drumbeats and moved to spots.
1．The experiment described in Paragraph 1 is related to the baby’s ______ .
A．sense of hearing. B．sense of sight. C．sense of touch. D．sense of smell.
2．Babies are sensitive to the change in______.
A. the size of cards. B. the colour of pictures. C. the shape of patterns. D. the number of objects.
3. Why did the researchers test the babies with drumbeats
A．To reduce the difficulty of the experiment. B．To see how babies recognize sounds.
C．To carry their experiment further. D．To keep the babies’ interest.
4．Where does this text probably come from
A．Science fiction. B．Children’s literature. C．An advertisement. D．A science report.
(十四)．
Eating too much fatty food exercising too little and smoking can raise your future risk of heart disease．But there is another factor that can cause your heart problems more immediately: the air you breathe．
Previous studies have linked high exposure(暴露) to environmental pollution to an increased risk of heart problems but two analyses now show that poor air quality can lead to heart attack or stroke (中风) within as little as a few hours after exposure． In one review of the research scientists found that people exposed to high levels of pollutants (污染物)were up to S% more likely to suffer a heart attack within days of exposure than those with lower exposure． A separate study of stroke patients showed that even air that the U． S． Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers to be of "moderate" (良好) quality and relatively safe for our health can raise the risk of stroke as much as 34% within 12 to 14 hours of exposure．
The authors of both studies stress that these risks are relatively small for healthy people and certainly modest compared with other risk factors such as smoking and high blood pressure．
However it is important to be aware of these dangers because everyone is exposed to air pollution regardless of lifestyle choices. So stricter regulation by the EPA of pollutants may not only improve environmental air quality but could also become necessary to protect public health．
1The text mainly discusses the relationship between ______ ．
A．heart problems and air quality B．heart problems and exercising
C．heart problems and smoking D．heart problems and fatty food
2．The Underlined word "modest" in Paragraph 3 most probably means ______ ．
A．relatively high B．extremely low C. relatively low D．extremely high
3．What can we learn from the text
A. Eating fatty food has immediate effects on your heart．
B．The EPA conducted many studies on air quality．
C．Moderate air quality is more harmful than smoking．
D．Stricter regulations on pollutants should be made．
4．The author’s purpose of writing the text is most likely to ______ ．
A．inform B．persuade C．describe D．entertain
(十五)．
Ever since they were first put on the market in the early 1990s genetically modified (GM 转基因) foods have been increasingly developed and marketed in many countries in the world mainly on the basis of their promise to end the worldwide food crisis． But can GM technology solve world hunger problems Even if it would is it the best solution
Despite what it promises GM technology actually has not increased the production potential (潜力) of any crop．In fact studies show that the most widely grown GM crop GM soybeans has suffered reduced productivity．For instance a report that analyzed nearly two decades of research on major GM food crops shows that GM engineering has failed to significantly increase US crop production．
Something else however has been on the rise．While GM seeds are expensive GM companies tell farmers that they will make good profits by saving money on pesticides (条虫剂)．0n the contrary US government data show that GM crops in the US have produced an overall increase in pesticide use compared to traditional crops．"The promise was that you could use less chemicals and boost production．But neither is true "said Bill
Christison President of the US National Family Farm Coalition．
At the same time the authors of the book World Hunger: Twelve Myths argue that there actually is more than enough food in the world and that the hunger crisis is not caused by production but by problems in food distribution and politics．These indeed deserve our efforts and money．Meanwhile the rise in food prices results from the increased use of crops for fuel rather than food according to a 2008 World Bank report．
As a matter of fact scientists see better ways to feed the world． Another World Bank report concluded that GM crops have little to offer to the challenges of worldwide poverty and hunger because better ways out are available among which "green" farming is supposed to be the first choice．
1．The author develops the second paragraph mainly ______．
A．by classification B．by comparison C．by example D．by process
2．What does the underlined word "boost" in the third paragraph probably mean
A．Control． B．Evaluate． C．0btain． D．Increase．
3．GM companies promise farmers that they will benefit from ______ ．
A．practising "green" farming B．use of less chemicals
C．fair distribution of their crops D. using more crops for fuel
4．Which of the following best describes the attitude of the author towards GM technology
A．0ptimistic． B．Defensive． C．Disapproving． D．Casual．
(一) DBCD
（二）DABC
(三)CABD。
(四)ACBD
(五)．ACBD
(六)．BDAD
(七)AAC
（八）BBCA
(九)．CDADD
(十)． ACBDAD
（十一）。ABBC
（十二）．ACDA
(十三) BDCD
（十四）ACDA
（十五）CDBC