How can a creature weighing over 5 tons and normally taking 150 kilograms of food and 120 liters of water per day survive in a desert environment?
In the southwest African country of Namibia,and the Sahara lands of Mall further north,the desert elephant does just that.
Although not regarded as a separate species from the African elephant,the desert cousin differs in many ways.Their bodies are smaller,to absorb less heat,and their feet are larger for easier walking across sandy surfaces.They are taller,to reach higher branches.They have shorter tusks(象牙),and most importantly,longer trunks to dig for water in riverbeds.
Desert elephants can travel over 70 kilometers in search for feeding grounds and water-holes,and have a larger group of families.They drink only every 3-4 days,and can store water in a “bag” at the back of their throat,which is only used when badly needed.Desert elephants are careful feeders—they seldom root up trees and break fewer branches,and thus maintain what little food sources are available.Young elephants may even eat the dung(糞便) of the female leader of a group when facing food shortage.
During drought they are unlikely to give birth to their young but with good rains the birthrate will increase greatly.Desert elephants have sand baths,sometimes adding their own urine(尿液) to make them muddy!
As we continue to overheat our weak planet,it can only be hoped that other animal species will adapt as extraordinarily well to change as the desert elephant.
小題1:The underlined part in Paragraph 2 means “_______”.
A．remains in the African countries
B．drinks 120 liters of water a day
C．manages to live in desert areas
D．eats 150 kilograms of food daily
小題2:Desert elephants are called careful feeders because they______.
A．rarely ruin trees
B．drink only every 3-4 days
C．search for food in large groups
D．protect food sources for their young
小題3:The author answers the question raised in the first paragraph with______.
A．stories and explanation
B．facts and descriptions
C．examples and conclusion
D．evidence and argument
小題4:What can be inferred from the last sentence in the passage?
A．Overheating the earth can be stopped.
B．Not all animal species are so adaptable.
C．The planet will become hotter and hotter.
D．Not all animals are as smart as desert elephants.

小題1:C
小題2:A
小題3:B
小題4:B

小題1:這是一道詞義理解題。第一段提出了疑問,第二段是解答第一段的疑問,所以“does just that”就是指做到了第一段提到的事情,也就是能在沙漠生存。選項B、D都是在沙漠生存的具體表現(xiàn),不全面。
小題2:這是一道推斷題。根據(jù)第四段“Desert elephants are careful feeders—they seldom root up trees and break fewer branches”可知他們被叫做“小心的覓食者”是因為他們很少破壞樹木。
小題3:這是一道歸納題。第二段是回答第一段提出的問題,指出納米比亞西南撒哈拉沙漠沙漠象可以做到在沙漠環(huán)境生存。所以回答的方式是用事實和描述。
小題4:這是一道推理題。最后一句指出如果地球再持續(xù)過熱,只能寄希望于其他動物物種也能像沙漠象一樣適應(yīng)極端環(huán)境,隱含義是其他動物物種不可能適應(yīng)那種環(huán)境。
練習(xí)冊系列答案
相關(guān)習(xí)題

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


The discovery of a dwarfed (矮個的)”human being” who lived in Flores .Indonesia, up to 18,000 years ago is changing the way we think about the human family .This “Flores Human”was three foot tall and her brain was smaller than that of the average chimp (黑猩猩),yet she and her relatives apparently lived fully human lives.They seem to have made tools ,worked together to find food and cook it,and perhaps even buried their dead with ceremony.
It was a major surprise to find tools associated with the new human family member .The tools are like those formerly seen only with European fossils (化石)from our own species;Homo sapiens (智人)；and the oldest of them were made 94,000 years ago .Homo sapiens is thought to have arrived in the island about 40,000 years ago ,much too late to be responsible for the tools .If this tiny human made the tools ,them the inside structure (結(jié)構(gòu))of its brain must have been more like our own than a chimp’s ,despite being just a third the size of ours.
This “new human” was suspected to be a dwarfed branch of Homo erectus (直立人).When creatures are separated in regions with rare resources but few enemies,being big is a disadvantage, and evolution tends to shrink them, a process known as island dwarfing.Could natural selection make a human smaller while keeping — even improving — mental ability ?Quite possibly, believes Christopher Wills of the University of California.
Has the “Flores Human” even shown the ability of language? “I find it difficult to imagine that people could make tools，use fire ,and kill large animals without fairly advanced communication.”  Wills says .Did “Flores Human” possess the basic components of human culture — such as the burying of the dead with ceremony ?  Emiliano Bruner of the Italian Institute points out that Indonesia’s hot, wet environment is bad for fossilization.It is reasonable to assume , he says ,that the 18,000-year-old bones of the most complete Flores woman were well-preserved because she was buried with special care.
67.According to the passage , “Flores Human”______.
A.lived a partly human life                        B.was a branch of Homo sapiens
C.used tools before Homo sapiens arrived    D.had a brain as a common chimp’s                    
68.The underlined part “this tiny human”in Paragraph 2 refers to _______.
A.a chimp     .   B.Flores Human C.Homo sapiens   D.Homo erectus                  
69.This passage mainly talks about______.
A.the tools made by “Flores Human”    B.the language used by “Flores Human”
C.the evolution of “Flores Human”             D. the major surprising findings about “Flores Human”      
70.According to the passage ,it is believed that “Flores Human”_______.
A.was dwarfed by its enemies                          B.could use language
C.left a lot of fossils in hot and wet enviroment D.reached Flores 40,000 years ago 

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：完形填空

完形填空(共20小題；每小題1.5分，滿分30分)
請閱讀下面短文，掌握其大意，然后從36~55各題所給的四個選項(A、B、C和D)中，選出最佳選項，并在答題卡上將該選項的標(biāo)號涂黑。
In the clinic,I asked if Michael could be retested,so the specialist tested him again.To my
   36  ,it was the same score.
Later that evening,I    37   told Frank what I had learned that day.After talking it over,we agreed that we knew our    38  much better than an IQ(智商) test.We    39   that Michael’s score must have been a      40     and we should treat him    41   as usual.
We moved to Indiana in 1962,and Michael studied at Concordia High School in the same year.He got      42     grades in the school,especially      43     biology and chemistry,which was a great comfort.
Michael    44   Indiana University in 1965 as a pre-medical student.Soon afterwards,his teacher permitted him to take more courses than    45  .In 1968,he was accepted by the School of Medicine,Yale University.
On graduation day in 1972,Frank and I    46   the ceremony(典禮) at Yale.After the ceremony,we told Michael about the    47   IQ score he got when he was six.Since that day,Michael sometimes would look at us and say    48  .“My dear mom and dad never told me that I couldn’t be a doctor,not until after I graduated from medical school!”It is his special way of thanking us for the    49   we had in him.
Interestingly,Michael then    50   another IQ test.We went to the same clinic where he had    51   the test eighteen years before.This time Michael scored 126,an increase of 36 points.A result like that was supposed to be    52  .
Children often do as    53  as what adults,particularly parents and teachers,   54   of them.That is,tell a child he is “   55  ,”and he may play the role of a foolish child.
36.A.joy                       B.surprise              C.dislike                       D.disappointment
37.A.tearfully               B.fearfully             C.cheerfully                  D.hopefully
38.A.student                 B.son                    C.friend                       D.doctor
39.A.argued                  B.realized              C.decided                     D.understood
40.A.joke                            B.mistake              C.warning                    D.wonder
41.A.specially               B.strictly               C.naturally                  D.carefully
42.A.poor                     B.good                  C.average                     D.standard
43.A.in                        B.about                 C.of                             D.for
44.A.visited                  B.chose                 C.passed                       D.entered
45.A.allowed                B.described            C.required                    D.offered
46.A.missed                  B.held                   C.delayed                     D.attended
47.A.high                     B.same                  C.low                           D.different
48.A.curiously                     B.eagerly               C.calmly                      D.jokingly
49.A.faith                     B.interest               C.pride                         D.delight
50.A.looked for            B.asked for            C.waited for                 D.prepared for
51.A.received               B.accepted             C.organized                  D.discussed
52.A.imperfect              B.impossible          C.uncertain                   D.unsatisfactory
53.A.honestly               B.much                 C.well                          D.bravely
54.A.hear                            B.learn                  C.expect                       D.speak
55.A.wise                     B.rude                   C.shy                           D.stupid

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 DEGREE AT HOME!
Have you ever wondered what a Degree might be worth to you in your job or career? It means a lot—Americans with an Associate Degree average nearly 10 000 more in yearly earnings than those with just a High School Diploma.
Harcourt Learning Direct offers you a way to get a Specialized Associate Deg
ree in 11 of today's growing fields—without having to go to college full time. With Harcourt, you study at home, in your spare time—so you don't have to give up your present job while you train for a better one. Choose from exciting majors like Business Management, Accounting, Dressmaking & Design, Bookkeeping, Photography, Computer Science, Engineering, and more!
Your training includes everything you need!
Books, lessons, learning aids—even professional—quality tools and equipment—everything you need to master your training and move ahead to a new career is included in the low tuition(學(xué)費) price you pay.
Your education is nationally recognized!
Nearly 2 000 American companies—including General Electric, IBM,Mobil,General Moors, Ford, and many others—have used our training for their employees. If companies like these recognize the value of our training, you can be sure that employers in your area will, too!
Earn your degree in as little as two years! Get a career diploma in just six months!
The career of your dreams is closer than your think! Even if you have no experience before, you can get valuable job skills in today's hottest fields! Step?by?step lessons make learning easy. Prepare for promotions, pay raises, evenstart a business of your own!
Send today for FREE information about Harcourt at home training!
Simply fill in your name and address on the coupon(登記表) above, then, write in the name and number of the one program you're most interested in, and mail it today. We'll rush you free information about how you can take advantage of the opportunities in the field you've chosen. Act today!
Mail coupon today!
Or call the number below
1-800-372-1589 Call anytime, 24 hours a day, 7 days week.
www.harcourt-learning.com
E-mail:harcourt@ learning. com
1.What kind of people will probably answer this advertisement?
A. College students preparing to work in some big companies.
B. College students preparing to study for a degree.
C. High school graduates preparing to have at?home training.
D. High school graduates preparing for college entrance examinations. 
2.Which major is NOT mentioned in the advertisement?
A. Photography.    B. Physiology.        C. Accounting.       D. Bookkeeping.
3.People can get a Specialized Association Degree by  ________.
doing full time learning at school  
working in some big famous companies
studying in their spare time
studying abroad for two years
4. Harcourt training has NOT been used by  ________ for its employees.
A. General Moto  rs               B. Harvard University
C. General Electric               D. Mobil 
5.How can you contact Harcourt Learning Direct?
A. By sending an email.             B. By visiting the office on weekdays.
C. By making a call on weekdays only.  D. By sending a letter not later than today. 

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：完形填空


A good teacher is one who remembers what it was like to be young. As he 1  himself in his student’s place, he is able to understand his  2  and they’re able to understand him.  3  ,he remembers that his students have a real   4  for knowledge. He therefore keeps up with 5  developments in his field so that his   6   are lively and up-to-date.
Secondly, he is   7  what it was like to be bored 8  ,so he will make an effort   9   interesting. He neither mumbles(含糊的說話)his material   10 reads it from old notes.
Instead, he 11  his lectures to follow by turns with discussion and make his   12  more active, spirited with examples.
Most important, a good  13  remembers how sensitive his feelings were   14 he was young. He knows how important his   15  can be and is never unkind or   16 critical. He also remembers that he   17  the instructors who asked the most   18 him. So he tries to be, in   19  ,the teacher he dreamed of   20  when he was young.
1.A.lay                         B.placed                       C.put                           D.made
2.A.pupils                    B.classmates                 C.fellows                     D.friends
3.A.The first                 B.One                          C.Above all                  D.First
4.A.thirst                      B.requirement               C.wish                         D.desire
5.A.the later                 B.the latest                   C.later                          D.the lateliest
6.A.materials                B.classes                       C.pupils                       D.teachers
7.A.sure                       B.known                      C.clear                         D.clever
8.A.at school                B.in school                   C.on duty                            D.in class
9.A.to do                      B.to be                         C.to have                      D.to get
10.A.or                        B.no                                   C.not                           D.nor
11.A.should make          B.could have                 C.would cause               D.might let
12.A.lecture notes         B.classes                       C.lessons                      D.words
13.A.teacher                 B.man                          C.student                      D.headmaster
14.A.so                        B.how                          C.and                           D.when
15.A.friendship             B.kindness                    C.subjects                     D.activities
16.A.necessarily            B.very                          C.unnecessarily             D.greatly
17.A.hoped                   B.respected                   C.longed                      D.wished
18.A.about                  B.to                             C.at                             D.of
19.A.words                   B.short                         C.word                         D.sentence
20.A.taking                  B.doing                        C.having                      D.being

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

When next year’s crop of high-school graduates arrive at Oxford University in the fall of 2009, they’ll be joined by a new face: Andrew Hamilton, the 55-year-old provost(教務(wù)長) of Yale, who’ll become Oxford’s vice-chancellor——a position equal to university president in America.
Hamilton isn’t the only educator crossing the Atlantic. Schools in France, Egypt, Singapore, etc. have also recently made top-level hires from abroad. Higher education has become a big and competitive business nowadays, and like so many businesses, it’s gone global. Yet the talent flow isn’t universal. High-level personnel(人員) tend to head in only one direction: outward from America.
The chief reason is that American schools don’t tend to seriously consider looking abroad. For example, when the board of the University of Colorado searched for a new president, it wanted a leader familiar with the state government, a major source of the university’s budget. “We didn’t do any global consideration,” says Patricia Hayes, the board’s chair. The board finally picked Bruce Benson, a 69-year-old Colorado businessman and political activist(活動家) who is likely to do well in the main task of modern university presidents: fund-raising. Fund-raising is a particularlly American thing, since U.S. schools rely heavily on donations. The fund-raising ability is largely a product of experience and necessity.
Many European universities, meanwhile, are still mostly dependent on government funding. But government support has failed to keep pace with rising student numbers. The decline in government support has made fund-raising an increasingly necessary ability among administrators (管理人員), and has hiring committees hungry for Americans.
In the past few years, well-known schools around the world have joined the trend. In 2003, when Cambridge University appointed Alison Richard, another former Yale provost, as its vice-chancellor, the university publicly stressed that in her previous job she had overseen “a major strengthening of Yale’s financial position.”
Of course, fund-raising isn’t the only skill outsiders offer. The globalization of education means more universities will be seeking heads with international experience of some kind to promote international programs and attract a global student body. Foreigners can offer a fresh perspective(視角) on established practices.
小題1:What is the current trend in higher education discussed in the passage?
A．Institution worldwide are hiring administrators from the US.
B．A lot of activists are being hired as administrators
C．American universities are enrolling more international students.
D．University presidents are paying more attention to funding-raising.
小題2: What is the chief consideration of American universities when hiring top-level administrators?
A．The political correctness.B．Their ability to raise funds.
C．Their fame in academic circles.D．Their administrative experience.
小題3: What do we learn about European universities from the passage?
A．The tuitions(學(xué)費) they charge h ave been rising considerably.
B．Their operation is under strict government control.
C．They are strengthening their position by globalization.
D．Most of their money comes from the government.
小題4:In what way do top-level administrators from abroad contribute to university development?
A．They can improve the university’s image.
B．They will bring with them more international personnel.
C．They will view a lot of things from a new angle.
D．They can set up new academic subjects.
小題5:Which of the following would make the best title of the passage?
A．Higher Education GlobalizationB．Global Headhunting In Higher Education
C．Global Higher Education CooperationD．Universal Higher Education Development

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


本文介紹了美國著名的生物學(xué)家Edward Wilson 的著作The Future of Life中的一些有關(guān)如何開發(fā)、利用和保護自然資源的情況。
Edward Wilson is America’s, if not the world’s, leading naturalist. In The Future of Life, he takes us on a tour of the world’s natural resources(資源). How are they used? What has been lost? What remains and is it able to continue with the present speed of use? Wilson also points out the need to understand fully the biodiversity(生物多樣性)of our earth.
Wilson begins with an open letter to the pioneer in environment (環(huán)境) protection, Henry David Thoreau. He compares today’s Walden Pond with that of Thoreau’s day. Wilson will use such comparisons for the rest of the book. The problem is clear: man has done great damage to his home over the years. Van the earth, with human help, be made to return to biodiversity levels that will be able to support us in the future?
Biodiversity, Wilson argues, is the key to settling many problems the earth faces today. Even our agricultural crops can gain advantages from it. A mere hundred species(物種) are the basis of our food supply, of which but twenty carry the load. Wilson suggests changing this situation by looking into ten thousand species that could be made use of, which will be a way to reduce the clearing of the natural homes of plants and animals to enlarge farming areas.
At the end of the book, Wilson discusses the importance of human values in considering the environment. If you are to continue to live on the earth, you may well read and act on the ideas in this book.
小題1: We learn from the text that Wilson cares most about ______
A．the environment for plants
B．the biodiversity of our earth
C．the wastes of natural resources
D．the importance of human values
小題2:How many species are most important to our present food supply?
A．Twenty.B．Eighty.C．One hundredD．Ten thousand.
小題3:Wilson suggests that one way to keep biodiversity is to _______.
A．learn how to farm scientifically
B．build homes for some dying species
C．make it clear what to eat
D．use more species for food
小題4: We can infer that the text is _______
A．a(chǎn) description of natural resources
B．a(chǎn) research report
C．a(chǎn) book review
D．a(chǎn)n introduction to a scientist.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Sorry to say, our brains naturally start slowing down at the Cruelty young age of 30. It used to be thought that this couldn't be helped, but new studies show that people of any age can train their brains to work faster. "Your brain is a learning machine," says University of California scientist Dr. Michael Merzenich. Given the right tools, we can train our brains to act like they did when we were younger. All that's required is the practice designed just for the purpose: a few exercises for the mind.
Merzenich has developed a computer-based training method to speed up the process(過程)                         in which the brain deals with information (positscience.com). Since much of the data we receive comes through speech, the Brain Fitness Program works with language and hearing to better speed and accuracy (準(zhǔn)確性).
Over the course of training, the program starts asking you to distinguish (辨別) sounds (between "dog" and "bog", for example) at an increasingly faster speed. It's a bit like tennis instructor, says Merzenich, hitting balls at you ~faster and faster to keep you challenged(受到挑戰(zhàn)). You may start out slow, but before long you're pretty quick.
The biggest finding in brain research in the last ten years is that the brain at any age is highly plastic. If you ask your brain to learn, it will learn. And it may even speed up while in the process.
To keep your brain young and plastic you can do one of a million new activities that challenge and excite you: playing table tennis or bridge, doing crossword puzzles, learning a language.... "When it comes to preventing ageing, you really do 'use it or lose it' ," says Barbara Sahakian, professor at Cambridge University.
小題1:Dr. Merzenich’s training method mainly depends on ________.
A．speech trainingB．computer languages
C．the activities one joins inD．the information being dealt with
小題2: By saying "the brain at any age is highly plastic ", the writer probably means the brain can be______.
A．usedB．masteredC．developedD．researched
小題3:What can we learn from the text?
A．Practice makes a quick mind.
B．Brain research started ten yeas ago.
C．Dr. Merzenich is a scientist in computer,
D．People believed nothing could stop the brain slowing down.
小題4: Which of the following agrees with the writer's idea?
A．The training methods work better for the old.
B．People should use the brain to stop it from ageing.
C．The training of the brain should start at an early age.
D． It's necessary to take part in as many activities as possible.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

In a few years, you might be able to speak Chinese, Korean, Japanese, French,and English—and all at the same time. This sounds incredible, but Alex Waibel,a computer science professor at US's Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and Germany's University of Karlsruhe,?announced? last week that it may soon be reality. He and his team have invented software and hardware that could make it far easier for people who speak different languages to understand each other.?
One application, called Lecture Translation, can easily translate a speech from one language into another. Current translation technologies typically limit speakers to certain topics or a limited vocabulary. Users also have to be trained how to use the programme.?
Another prototype(雛形機) can send translations of a speech to different listeners depending on what language they speak.“It is like having a simultaneous translator right next to you but without disturbing the person next to you,” Waibel said.?
Prefer to read? So-called Translation Glasses transcribe(轉(zhuǎn)錄) the translations on a tiny liquid-crystal(液晶) display(LCD) screen.?
Then there's the Muscle Translator. Electrodes capture the electrical signals from facial muscle movements made naturally when a person is mouthing words. The signals are then translated into speech. The electrodes could be replaced with wireless chips implanted in a person's face, according to researchers.?
During a demonstration held last Thursday in CMU's Pittsburgh campus, a Chinese student named Stan Jou had 11 tiny electrodes attached to the muscles of his cheeks, neck and throat. Then he mouthed—without speaking aloud—a few words in Mandarin(普通話) to the audience. A few seconds later, the phrase was displayed on a computer screen and spoken out by the computer in English and Spanish: “Let me introduce our new prototype.”?
This particular gadget(器械),when fully developed, might allow anyone to speak in any number of languages or, as Waibel put it, “to switch your mouth to a foreign language”. “The idea behind the university's prototypes is to create ‘good enough’ bridges for cross-cultural exchanges that are becoming more common in the world,” Waibel said.?
With spontaneous(自發(fā)的) translators, foreign drivers in Germany could listen to traffic warnings on the radio, tourists in China could read all the signs and talk with local people, and leaders of different countries could have secret talks without any interpreters there.?
小題1:Which of the following statements is not TRUE??
A．A lecture translation can translate what you said into other languages easily.?
B．There is no Muscle Translator in the world now.?
C．Muscle Translators can translate what you think into speech if you just move your mouth.?
D．The spontaneous translators will help us a lot.
小題2:What kind of equipment is NOT mentioned in this passage?
A．Lecture Translation.
B．Muscle Translator.?
C．Multiple Translator.
D．Translation Prototype.
小題3: What's the final destination of inventing the language translators??
A．To make cultural exchanges between different countries easier.?
B．To help students learn foreign languages more easily.?
C．To make people live in foreign countries more comfortably.?
D．To help people learn more foreign languages in the future.
小題4:Where can this passage probably excerpted from?
A．A newspaper.B．A magazine on science.?
C．A fairy tale.D．A scientific fantasy book.

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習(xí)冊答案