Why texting harms your IQ
The regular use of text messages and e-mails can lower the IQ more than twice as much as smoking marijuana (大麻). That is the statement of researchers who have found that tapping away on a mobile phone or computer keypad or checking for electronic messages temporarily knocks up to 10 points off the user’s IQ. This rate of decline in intelligence compares unfavorably with the four-point drop in IQ associated with smoking marijuana, according to British researchers, who have described the phenomenon of improved stupidity as “infomania”. The research conducted by Hewlett Packard, the technology company, has concluded that it is mainly a problem for adult workers, especially men.
It is concluded that too much use of modern technology can damage a person’s mind. It can cause a constant distraction of “always on” technology when employees should be concentrating on what they are paid to do. Infomania means that they lose concentration as their minds remain fixed in an almost permanent state of readiness to react to technology instead of focusing on the task in hand. The report also added that, in a long term, the brain will be considerably shaped by what we do to it and by the experience of daily life. At a microcellular level, the complex networks of nerve cells that make up parts of the brain actually change in response to certain experiences.
Too much use of modern technology can be damaging not only to a person’s mind, but to their social relationship. 1100 adults were interviewed during the research. More than 62 per cent of them admitted that they were addicted to checking their e-mails and text messages so often that they scrutinized work-related ones even when at home or on holiday. Half said that they always responded immediately to an email and will even interrupt a meeting to do so. It is concluded that infomania is increasing stress and anxiety and affecting one’s characteristics. Nine out of ten thought that colleagues who answered e-mails or messages during a face-to-face meeting were extremely rude.
The effects on IQ were studied by Dr Glenn Wilson, a psychologist at University of London. “This is a very real and widespread phenomenon,” he said. “We have found that infomania will damage a worker’s performance by reducing their mental sharpness and changing their social life. Companies should encourage a more balanced and appropriate way of working.”
小題1:We can learn from the passage that “infomania” ______.
A．has a positive influence on one’s IQ
B．results in the change of part of the brain
C．lies in the problem of lack of concentration
D．is caused by too much use of modern technology
小題2:The research mentioned in the passage is most probably about ______.
A．the important function of advanced technology
B．the damage to one’s brain done by unhealthy habits
C．the relevance between IQ and use of modern technology
D．the relationship between intelligence and working effectiveness
小題3:The underlined word “scrutinized” probably means “______”.
A．examined carefullyB．copied patiently
C．corrected quicklyD．a(chǎn)dmitted freely
小題4:Which of the following shows the structure of the passage?
A．
B．
C．
D．
CP: Central Point   P: Point   Sp: Sub-point (次要點(diǎn))   C: Conclusion

小題1:D
小題2:C
小題3:A
小題4:B
文章講述的是當(dāng)代科技的過(guò)度使用會(huì)導(dǎo)致人的智商的下降。
小題1:推理判斷題，根據(jù)第一段內(nèi)容可知，發(fā)短信等活動(dòng)會(huì)導(dǎo)致智商下降。
小題2:推理判斷題。根據(jù)第二段It is concluded that too much use of modern technology can damage a person’s mind可知，文章講述的是當(dāng)代技術(shù)的過(guò)度使用會(huì)對(duì)人的智商有影響。
小題3: 猜測(cè)詞義題，根據(jù)后面的even when at home or on holiday可知，即使在家里或者放假的時(shí)候，還會(huì)認(rèn)真的查看工作相關(guān)的郵件。
小題4:通讀全文，根據(jù)各段大意可知。
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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Everyone is at it, even my neighbors. I thought I might be the only person left in the world who hadn’t done an eBay deal. So, I decided to try my hand at online auction (網(wǎng)上拍賣).
Buying for beginners: Sign up on www. ebay. co. uk. Most items（e.g. tables, computers, and books）ready for auction will come with a picture and a short description; others may be marked with “ Buy It Now ” and have a fixed price. You can buy these right away.
If the item is being auctioned, you offer the highest price you are prepared to pay and eBay bids（出價(jià)）for you. The bid will be increased little by little until it goes beyond your highest bid, then you are emailed and asked if you would like to bid again. Auctions last up to 10 days and when they finish you get an email telling you whether you have won the item.
How to pay: Sellers decide how they would like to be paid and you need to check this before placing a bid as you might not want to post a check or postal orders. The easiest way is through PayPal, an online payment system that takes the money away from your credit card (信用卡).
Selling made simple: If you plan to sell on eBay, it helps to include a picture of the item. I followed my friends’ advice and put up the items I wanted to sell for a 10-day auction, starting on a Thursday. This way buyers had two weekends to bid.
The big things in life: It’s easy to post a small item, but furniture is a big part of eBay and this has to be collected or sent by delivery men. Check the ways of delivery before you bid.
小題1:What is the passage mainly about?
A．How to make payment online.
B．Ways of using delivery online.
C．Advantages of an online-auction system.
D．How to use an online-auction system.
小題2:After bidding for an item, a buyer __________.
A．will get what he wants in ten days
B．should make payment immediately
C．has chances to make higher bids
D．may check its picture and description
小題3:The easiest way of making payment mentioned in the passage is __________.
A．through an online payment system
B．through a local banking system
C．by sending the money to the seller
D．by paying the deliveryman directly

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

There are two methods by which hydrogen (氫) can be used to power cars. The first way is to use hydrogen to drive the engine, in much the same way as many cars use gas. The second method is to use the reaction of hydrogen with oxygen in a battery, making the car a kind of electric one.
The dream of producing hydrogen in the car while driving along by electrolyzing（電解）water is a long way off, so we are still at the period of batteries and filling the tank with hydrogen gas. This is the difficulty for potential car users and producers. There are only sixteen hydrogen filling stations in Los Angeles and none in 99% of other cities worldwide.
Indeed, some of the big name automobile producers have pulled out of the race to put the first practical hydrogen car on the streets. Ford and GM have announced that they are pulling out in America and so has Renault in France.
However, the Japanese companies are pressing on. In fact, Honda introduced its first hydrogen fuel cell car in 1999. They are now producing second generation hydrogen car known as the FCX Clarity. Guess where they are available for sale? In only one city because of its filling stations.
Honda thinks that they could go into full-scale production of the FCX Clarity by 2020 if the world is prepared for them by then.
Then there are hydrogen-powered buses in several European cities including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Hamburg, London, Luxembourg and Madrid. Lotus, the makers of London taxis, have announced that they propose to manufacture hydrogen-powered taxis in time for the London Olympics.
So, the hydrogen vehicle is out there and the numbers will be growing fairly soon. The buses go back to their bus station, where an electrolyzing machine changes water into fuel for them to fill up on and the same will be the case for many of London’s taxis.
Unfortunately, getting fuel is not the only difficulty for the average motorist, a number of these vehicles cost about $300,000 each.
小題1:According to the text, hydrogen-powered buses ________.
A．can easily be filled up with gas.
B．a(chǎn)re likely to sell well in the future.
C．a(chǎn)re mainly used in the United States
D．won’t be used in the London Olympics
小題2:What does the underlined word “them” in paragraph 5 refer to?
A．Japanese companiesB．Hydrogen buses
C．The FCX ClarityD．Filling stations
小題3:Where are hydrogen cars currently available for sale?
A．In BarcelonaB．In HamburgC．In LondonD．In Los Angeles
小題4:We can learn from the text that ________.
A．there are sixty hydrogen filling stations all over the world
B．hydrogen vehicles fueled by water will be very expensive
C．Honda will mass-produce the FCX Clarity by 2012
D．Honda produced its first hydrogen car in 1989

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Light for the City
Edison and his assistants came to New York to set up an electric power system. They hoped it would provide enough electricity to light up a part of the great city.
They bought several machines with them. These were called generators(發(fā)電機(jī)), which produced electricity power for lamps in Edison’s building.
Soon there were lights for the building. Edison lived in a room facing the street and he often worked over night. The light burned brightly and steadily and he often worked over night. People often came and stopped their horse-drawn carriage to look. Everyone knew that Thomas Edison was in town.
First, the inventor and his assistants produced several large generators. A great deal of power would be needed to light up even a small part of the city. Then the workers were busy digging deep trenches in the hard earth below the city streets, and Edison had fourteen miles of wire laid into the trenches. The wire connected each building to a generator.
Setting up an electric power system was not an easy job. It took a year and a half. In September, 1882, the job was finished.
A small group of men stood around Edison inside the power house. The big moment came at last. The inventor, taking a deep breath, pulled a switch. The electric lights flashed up.
“Very good! Very good!” a man nearby shouted to praise Edison for what he had done.
“Sir,” said Edison, “this is only the beginning!” And Edison was right. Soon Edison’s lamp were lighting up cities all over the world.                
小題1:The generators they brought with them could produce as much as electricity as ______ needed.
A．Edison’s buildingB．a(chǎn) small part of the city
C．the whole cityD．the world
小題2:Trenches were dug to ______.
A．set up generatorsB．lay wiresC．built city streetsD．build a power house
小題3:It took a year and a half to ______.
A．set up the electric system
B．produce several large generators
C．dig the deep trenches
D．lay fourteen miles of wire into the trench
小題4:Edison took a deep breath before pulling a switch, which showed that he was ______.
A．excitedB．frightenedC．uneasyD．light-hearted

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Researchers in over 80 nations are taking part in a project to conduct a decade-long census(統(tǒng)計(jì)) of sea life. Scientists presented some of their findings at a recent conference as the project neared its completion.
In deep icy waters under Antarctica, scientists found bulbous tunicates, an underground animal, and many newly-discovered creatures believed to be related to starfish (海星) and other marine(海洋的）creatures.
Elsewhere in the world’s oceans, they have recently discovered many kinds of underwater life forms new to science. It is all part of a research effort called the Census of Marine Life.
“There are about 2,000 scientists worldwide involved,” said Bob Gagosian, President, CEO of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership. Gagosian helps manage the project. “Everywhere they’ve gone they’ve found new things,” he says. “The ocean basically is unexplored from the point of view of marine living things.”
Researchers have placed small markers on hundreds of fish and marine animals to track by satellite their migration(遷移）routes and to discover places where sea life gathers.
According to Ron O’Dor, a senior scientist with the Census of Marine Life, knowledge of life on the ocean floor is especially limited. “90% of all the information we have is from the top hundred meters of the ocean,” O’Dor states.
And he says the sea floor is, on average, at a depth of 4, 000 meters. And so, as some machines dive far below what people have previously seen, scientists are discovering new species of plants, animals and living things.
Since the census project began, more than 5,300 new marine animals have been found. Ocean researchers say they hope to catalogue 230,000 species during the census —which some say is only a small part of all the creatures living in the sea.
小題1:Why do the researchers place small markers on many marine creatures?
A．To catch them.B．To research them.
C．To kill them.D．To protect them.
小題2:From what Ron O’Dor says, we can conclude that        .
A．human beings only know a little about marine life
B．the oceans don’t need to be further explored
C．he considers exploring the ocean a dangerous thing
D．the marine creatures mainly live on the top of the ocean
小題3:What can we learn from the passage?
A．About 2,000 scientists from America are involved in the project.
B．The census of sea life will last for ten years.
C．230,000 new marine animals have been found.
D．The sea floor is at a depth of 400 meters.
小題4:Why does the author write the passage?
A．To tell the news that new marine creatures are being discovered
B．To encourage people to find new marine creatures
C．To prove the importance of marine creatures
D．To introduce the newly-discovered creatures.

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Scientists at Harvard University and Bates College find female chimpanzees (黑猩猩) appear to treat sticks as dolls, carrying them around until they have children of their own. Young males engage in such behavior much less frequently.
The new work by Sonya M. Kahlenberg and Richard W. Wrangham, described this week in the journal Current Biology, provides the first evidence of a wild non­human species playing with dolls, as well as the first known sex difference in a wild animal’s choice of playthings.
The two researchers say their work adds to a growing body of evidence that human children are probably born with their own ideas of how they want to behave, rather than simply mirroring other girls who play with dolls and boys who play with trucks. Doll play among humans could have its origins in object—carrying by earlier apes (猿類), they say, suggesting that toy selection is probably not due entirely to socialization.
“In humans, there are obvious sex differences in children’s toy play, and these are remarkably similar across cultures,” says Kahlenberg. “While socialization by elders and peers has been the primary explanation, our work suggests that biology may also have an important role to play in activity preferences.”
In 14 years of data on chimpanzee behavior at the Kibale National Park in Uganda, Kahlenberg and Wrangham counted more than 100 examples of stick­carrying. Some young chimpanzees carried sticks into the nest to sleep with them and on one occasion built a separate nest for the stick. “We have seen juveniles occasionally carrying sticks for many years, and because they sometimes treated them rather like dolls, we wanted to know if in general this behavior tended to represent something like playing with dolls,” says Wrangham, a Professor at Harvard. “If the doll hypothesis (假設(shè)) was right, we thought that females should carry sticks more than males do, and that the chimpanzees should stop carrying sticks when they had their first child. We have now watched enough young chimpanzees to prove both points.”
小題1:What does a female chimpanzee do with sticks?
A．She gives them to her child to play with.
B．She treats them as dolls.
C．She makes useful tools from them.
D．She treats them as weapons.
小題2: What causes the different toy selection of chimpanzees, according to the passage?
A．Sex difference.B．Socialization.
C．Environment. D．Cultural difference.
小題3:We can infer from the fourth paragraph that ________.
A．socialization has nothing to do with human’s choice of playthings
B．sex difference is the only factor in human’s choice of playthings
C．the biology factor may also influence toy choice
D．people choose different toys in different cultures
小題4:It can be concluded from the passage that ________.
A．both humans and chimpanzees choose their playthings due to sex difference
B．different factors cause humans and chimpanzees to choose different playthings
C．only female chimpanzees have playthings
D．chimpanzees usually choose playthings for their children

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Baby girls make their way directly for dolls as soon as they can crawl, while boys will head for cars, a study has shown. The findings, the first to show differences in very young babies, suggest there is a biological basis to their preferences.
Psychologists Dr Brenda Todd from City University London carried out an experiment involving 90 babies aged 9 months to 36 months. The babies were allowed to choose from seven toys. Some were typically boys’ toys ---- a car, a digger, a ball and a blue teddy. The rest were girls’ toys: a pink teddy, a doll and a cooking set. They were placed a meter away from the toys；and could pick whichever toy they liked their choice and the amount of time they spent playing with each toy were recorded.
Of the youngest children (9 to 14 months), girls spent significantly longer playing with the doll than boys, and boys spent much more time with the car and ball than the girls did. Among the two and three-year-olds, girls spent 50 percent of the time playing with the doll while only two boys briefly touched it. The boys spent almost 90 percent of their time playing with cars, which the girls barely touched. There was no link between the parents’ view on which toys were more appropriate for boys or girls, and the children’s choice.
Dr Brenda Todd said, “Children of this age are already exposed to much socialization. Boys may be given ‘toys that go’ while girls get toys they can care for, which may help shape their preference. But these findings agree with the former idea that children show natural interests in particular kinds of toys. There could be a biological basis for their choices. Males through evolution have been adapted to prefer: moving objects, probably through hunting instincts（本能）, while girls prefer warmer colors such as pink, the colour of a newborn baby.”                                
小題1:Baby boys and girls have different toy preferences probably because ________.
A．baby boys are much more active
B．baby girls like bright colours more
C．their parents treat them differently
D．there is a natural difference between them
小題2:Both baby boys and baby girls like to play with ________ according to the study.
A．a(chǎn) ballB．a(chǎn) teddyC．a(chǎn) carD．a(chǎn) doll
小題3:What can we infer from Paragraph 3?
A．Nine-month-old baby boys don’t play with dolls at all.
B．Two-year-old baby girls sometimes play with cars and balls.
C．The older the babies are, the more obvious their preference is.
D．Parents should teach their babies to share each other’s toys.
小題4:What conclusion did Dr. Brenda Todd draw from the results of the study?
A．Adults purposely influence their babies’ preference.
B．Babies’ preference isn’t affected by social surroundings.
C．Baby boys preferring to moving toys will be good at hunting.
D．Baby girls preferring warmer colors will be warm-hearted.

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

The practice of students endlessly copying letters and sentences from a blackboard is a thing of the past. With the coming of new technologies like computers and smartphone, writing by hand has become something of nostalgic (懷舊的)skill. However, while today’s educators are using more and more technology in their teaching, many believe basic handwriting skills are still necessary for students to be successful---both in school and in life.
Virginia Berninger, professor of educational psychology at the University of Washington, says it’s important to continue teaching handwriting and help children acquire the skill of writing by hand.
Berninger and her colleagues conducted a study that looked at the ability of students to complete various writing tasks---both on a computer and by hand. The study, published in 2009, found that when writing with a pen and paper, participants wrote longer essays and more complete sentences and had a faster word production rate.
In a more recent study, Berninger looked at what role spelling plays in a student’s writing skills and found that how well children spell is tied to know well they can write. “Spelling makes some of the thinking parts of the brain active which helps us access our vocabulary, word meaning and concepts. It is allowing our written language to connect with ideas.” Berninger said.
Spelling helps students translate ideas into words in their mind first and then to transcribe(轉(zhuǎn)換) “those words in the mind written symbols on paper or keyboard and screen,” the study said. Seeing the words in the “mind’s eye” helps children not only to turn their ideas into words, says Berninger, but also to spot(發(fā)現(xiàn)) spelling mistakes when they write the words down and to correct then over time.
“In our computer age, some people believe that we don’t have to teach spelling because we have spell checks,” she said. “But until a child has a functional spelling ability of about a fifth grade level, they won’t have the knowledge to choose the correct spelling among the options given by the computer.”
小題1:What makes writing by hand a thing of the past?
A．The absence of blackboard in classroom.
B．The use of new technologies in teaching.
C．The lack of practice in handwriting.
D．The popular use of smartphones.
小題2:Berninger’s study published in 2009 ___________.
A．focused on the difference between writing by hand and on a computer.
B．indicated that students prefer to write with a pen and paper.
C．found that good essays are made up of long sentences.
D．discussed the importance of writing speed.
小題3:Which of the following best shows the role of spelling?
A．Spelling improves one’s memory of words.
B．Spelling ability is closely related to writing ability.
C．Spelling benefits the translation from words into ideas.
D．Spelling slows down finding exact words to express ideas.
小題4:What does “mind’s eye” in paragraph 5 mean?
A．Window.B．SoulC．Picture.D．Imagination.
小題5:What conclusion could be drawn from the passage?
A．Computers can help people with their choice of words.
B．Spell checks can take the place of spelling teaching.
C．Handwriting still has a place in today’s classrooms.
D．Functional spelling ability develops fast in the fifth grade.

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


For better eyesight, doctors advise limiting the hours of screen time and encourage having enough eye resting time.
However, another study shows that sitting in front of computer or TV screens for long hours is not the only reason for myopia（近視）. An Australian research team studied young children in Sydney and Singapore to find the reasons for myopia.
The research team found that the prevalence（流行）of myopia among children in Sydney was lower than children in Singapore, even though they spent more time in front of computer and TV screens. The major finding is that children in Sydney spend longer hours on outdoor activities than those in Singapore.
Indoor and outdoor sports activities both make the eyes focus on more distant objects, which prevents the eyes from changing shape. But outdoor activities may better help avoid myopia than indoor sports activities.
Jane Gwiazda, who does research in sight problems, says: “Natural light is good for eye growth. And extra vitamin D from the sun might contribute to eye growth.”
Many doctors suggest that every child get its first eye test done when he/she is about two and half years old, and even if his/her sight seems perfect.
It is necessary for myopic children to wear glasses to prevent headaches, trouble reading or injuries. It is also important that schools invite doctors to test their students’ eyes.
If that is not possible, school teachers should at least encourage parents and children to have regular eye examinations and wear glasses. And parents should remember not only to limit the total screen time for their children, but also to encourage them to spend time outdoors.
小題1:What’s the aim of the study by the Australian research team ?
A．To find the reasons for myopia.
B．To find the ways to treat myopia.
C．To prove the bad effects of myopia.
D．To prove the prevalence of myopia.
小題2:Why are there fewer children with myopia in Sydney than in Singapore ?
A．Because Sydney children watch less TV.
B．Because Sydney children have more eye resting time.
C．Because Sydney children use computers less.
D．Because Sydney children do more outdoor sports.
小題3:What conclusion can we draw from the passage ?
A．Sydney children don’t study hard.
B．Singapore children do few exercises.
C．Outdoor activities do more good to eyes.
D．Room light does harm to children’s eyes.
小題4:Which of the following statements is TRUE ?
A．Children should have eye tests as soon as they reach school age.
B．Doing outdoor activities with no glasses is good for myopia children.
C．Focusing on distant objects can help the eyes keep their original shape.
D．Children should limit their time in the sun in order to protect their eyes.

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