Scientists in Israel have discovered a new way to test for water pollution by “l(fā)istening” to what the plants growing in water have to say.
By shining a laser beam (激光束) on the tiny pieces of algae floating in the water,the researchers said they hear sound waves that tell them the type and amount of contamination (致污物) in the water.
“It is a red light,telling us that something is beginning to go wrong with the quality of water,” said Zvy Dubinsky,an aquatic biologist at Israel’s Bar Ilan University.“Algae is the first thing to be affected by a change in water quality.”“The secret,” he said,“is to measure the rate of photosynthesis (光合作用) in the algae,meaning the plant’s ability to transform light into energy.” During photosynthesis,plants also release oxygen into the air.
Dubinsky’s technique is easy to perform because of the over­abundance of algae in the planet’s water.Most of the oxygen in the atmosphere comes from algae.A prototype tester that occupies about one square meter of a laboratory desktop,shoots a laser beam at water samples to stimulate photosynthesis in the algae.But not all of the laser’s heat is used.Depending on the condition of the algae and the rate of photosynthesis,some of the heat is shot back into the water,creating sound waves,Dubinsky said.With a special underwater microphone,researchers are able to analyze the strength of the sound waves and determine the health of the algae and the condition of the surrounding water.
“Algae suffering from lead poisoning,like waste discharged from battery and paint manufacturing plants,will produce a different sound than those suffering from lack of iron or exposure to other toxins,” said researcher Yulia Pinchasov.She said that testing algae photosynthesis can determine water quality more accurately and easily than labor­intensive methods now used like chemical and radioactive carbon testing.
小題1:The underlined word “algae” in Paragraph 2 probably refers to a kind of________.
A.instrumentB.plant
C.woodD.pollutant
小題2:Why is the algae tested?
A.Because it floats on the water.
B.Because it can have photosynthesis.
C.Because it is the first to be polluted.
D.Because it can produce different sounds.
小題3:We can infer from the passage that________.
A.a(chǎn)lgae can produce a loud sound when polluted
B.a(chǎn)lgae can die easily from pollution
C.photosynthesis of the algae can only be caused by sunlight
D.photosynthesis of the algae is related to water quality
小題4:What would be the best title for the passage?
A.Scientists Listen to Plants to Find Water Pollution
B.A Prototype Tester Is Used to Determine Water Pollution
C.The Importance of Photosynthesis of the Algae
D.The Problem of Chemical and Radioactive Carbon Testing

小題1:B
小題2:C
小題3:D
小題4:A

小題1: B
解析 詞義猜測題。由文章第一句中的“what the plants”及第三段倒數(shù)第二句中“meaning the plant’s ability to transform light into energy”可推出,algae是一種植物,因為只有植物才能進(jìn)行光合作用。
小題2: C
解析 細(xì)節(jié)理解題。由文章第三段第二句可知,藻類是水中最先受到污染的植物,因此科學(xué)家用它來研究并判斷水的污染情況。
小題3: D
解析 推理判斷題。由文章最后一段可知,通過檢測藻類的光合作用可以確定水的質(zhì)量,因此藻類的光合作用跟水的質(zhì)量有密切關(guān)聯(lián)。
小題4:A
解析 主旨大意題。概括全文可知,本文主要講了科學(xué)家通過探聽水中植物的狀況來發(fā)現(xiàn)水污染的程度。文章第一段就點明了主旨。
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 library is one of the most popular places at a western university.Students turn to it for research,conversations about class,and many other services.
Compared with Chinese libraries,college libraries in the US and UK tend to offer more resources.A postgraduate at Yale University can borrow as many as 225 books at a time.
In addition to borrowing books,there are online and electronic resources.These include a database search of popular and academic material,such as LexisNexis Academic,which offers items from newspapers and magazines.
Although books and articles are the items that students ask for most frequently,some libraries provide audio and video recordings,maps and sheet music(活頁樂譜).At some schools,teachers and tutors put electronic copies of their teaching PPTs on the library web to give easier access for students.
Another useful service in western college libraries is the Interlibrary Loan.This allows a student at one school to borrow books from another school.The loan request is made through the student’s college library,which gets the book,gives it to the user,and arranges for its return.
Technology has brought more services to students and has made libraries attractive.Some universities have services for students to send messages through the computer or mobile texts to ask the library staff for information.
Earlier this year,Harvard University introduced a new Scan and Deliver service,allowing students to make requests for parts of books and articles.Requests made through the system are handled by library staff.The student receives an e­mail with an Internet link to the scanned pages.The service is free and all material comes within four days.
It used to be that libraries didn’t allow food or drinks.But that rule is changing and many of them now contain a café so students can spend as much time as they want in the library.
Actually,some US university libraries are now all­night affairs,or have at least one study room open all night.
小題1:In western college libraries a postgraduate can ________.
A.have a free drink or a meal
B.borrow as many books as they want
C.a(chǎn)sk questions and get answers from their tutors
D.a(chǎn)ccess not only books but other study resources
小題2:LexisNexis Academic is the name of a ________.
A.guideB.library
C.databaseD.university
小題3:Which of the following are mostly needed by students in western libraries?
A.Books and articles.
B.Audio and video recordings.
C.Maps and sheet music.
D.Tutors’ teaching PPTs.
小題4:Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A.Chinese library services are better than western ones.
B.Library staff play an important role in college library service.
C.Postgraduates can post their own PPTs on the library website.
D.24­hour services are adopted in all western libraries nowadays.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Internet dating has become one of the biggest and most successful business ventures on the Internet.Basically,Internet dating is a way to meet people for either friendship or dating without actually having to meet them in person first.
The first thing to do if you decide to try Internet dating is to build your profile (簡介) which can include your hobbies,hopes for the future,and so on.A photograph is optional,but many sites claim that a photograph increases the number of people who look at your profile.Many Internet dating sites will charge a one­time registration fee to use their services.
Internet dating makes it possible to meet people from all over the world.Your call even narrow the search down to your area by zip code (郵政編碼).Another advantage is that you can communicate by e­mail before you meet in person.Thousands of people have met,fallen in love,and married through Internet dating.It is an excellent way for shy people to meet.It is also a way for people with busy lives to connect with others,and an easy way to meet people who share your interests.
Just as in conventional dating and love,there are some pitfalls to be aware of in Internet dating.The person you have been talking to on the Net may not be who they say they are.Be very aware that there are some people who misrepresent their appearance or private details,such as marital status,income,and so on,for their own reasons.It would not be the first time that someone has been taken in,and talk shows are full of cheating partners who have been caught dating over the Internet in their spare time.Nevertheless,taking a few simple precautions (防范措施) should help ensure that your Internet dating experience is fun.
小題1:The purpose of writing the passage is to________.
A.persuade readers to go dating on the Internet
B.inform us how to date on the Internet
C.warn readers against web love
D.introduce Internet dating to us
小題2:Which of the following is a must to make an Internet dating possible?
A.A photo.B.A profile.
C.Registration fee.D.Business experience.
小題3:The underlined word “pitfalls” in Paragraph 4 most probably means________.
A.rulesB.trends
C.problemsD.skills
小題4:What is probably talked about following the last paragraph?
A.Conventional dating.B.Hidden advantages.
C.Safety measures.D.Romantic love.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Scott Langteau has this message for kids:spend less time playing video games.
It’s a message that many a mom and dad have tried to impress upon many a youngster (and some not­so­youngsters) who spend perhaps a bit too much time with game controllers in hand.
But the 40­year­old Langteau isn’t a parent.He’s a veteran (老手) of the video game industry—one who played producer on three “Medal of Honor” games and cofounded his own game development company.
Langteau has just published a children’s books called Sofa Boy,which tells the story of a kid who spends too much time sitting on the couch with controller clutched in hand and the rather terrible consequences that follow.
It’s a fairy tale plucked straight from Langteau’s own experiences as a lad with a fondness for video games and his own bouts with a bit of game addiction.But first,Langteau would like to make one thing clear,“I’m not saying that you shouldn’t play video games.I think video games are great.I think they do great things for kids.”Instead,Langteau says his book is all about a little something called moderation (克制).
“It’s about being well rounded,” he says.“Just like with anything else,we all need to make sure that there’s a variety in what we do.”
Video gamers can be rather bad­tempered when it comes to accepting criticism about their favorite entertainment.And understandably so.After all,most people who go around talking about the dangers of playing video games tend to be outsiders—people who don’t play video games and certainly don’t understand that they can be a valuable and healthy form of entertainment.
But Langteau and Sofa Boy seem to be in a  unique position to deliver a message of gaming moderation that the young game masses might actually listen to.After all,this is a man who understands what it means to be a kid with a passion for games.His early experience has taught him a lesson.
小題1:Scott Langteau published Sofa Boy to________.
A.share his great skills on games
B.warn kids against game addiction
C.tell about his fairy tale as a kid
D.deliver a message for video games
小題2:Which of the following is TRUE about Sofa Boy?
A.The book implies the writer’s own story.
B.The book describes a veteran of games.
C.The boy in the book wins a medal in games.
D.The boy in the book is not a video game addict.
小題3:We can learn from the passage that________.
A.Langteau advises the young to play games within limits
B.Langteau advises the young not to play games
C.playing video games ruins the future of kids
D.playing video games doesn’t benefit kids
小題4:By saying “It’s about being well rounded,...” (in Para.6),Langteau means________.
A.games do great good to kids
B.gamers are usually fat and round
C.games should be viewed from all sides
D.gamers are to blame for their behaviors

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

I hear many parents saying that their teenage children are rebellion(反叛的). I wish it were so. At your age you ought to be growing away from your parents. You should be learning to stand on your own two feet. But take a good look at the present rebellion. It seems that teenagers are all taking the same way of showing that they degree with their parents. Instead of striking out bravely on their own, most of them are trying to seize at one another’s hands for safety.
They say they want to dress as they please. But they all wear the same clothes. They set off in new directions in music. But somehow reason for thinking or acting in thus-and-such a way is that the crowd is doing it. They have come out of their cocoon(蠶繭) -----into a larger cocoon.
It has become harder and harder for a teenager to stand up against the popularity wave and to go his or her own way. Industry has firmly opened up a teenage market. These days every teenager can learn from newspapers and TV what a teenager should have and be. And many of today’s parents have come to award(獎勵) high narks for the popularity of their children. All this adds up to great difficulty for the teenager who wants to find his or her own path.
But the difficulty is worth getting over. The path is worth following. You may want to listen to classical music instead of going to a party. You may want to collect rocks when everyone else is collecting records. You may have some thoughts that you don’t care to share at once with your classmates. Well, go to it. Find yourself. Be yourself. Popularity will come-----with the people who respect you for who you are. That’s the only kind of popularity that really counts.
小題1:The writer’s purpose in writing this passage is to tell_______.
A.readers how to be popular in the world
B.parents how to control and guide their children
C.teenagers how to learn to decide things for themselves
D.people how to understand and respect each other
小題2:According to the writer, many teenagers think they are brave enough to act on their own, but, in fact, most of them______.
A.a(chǎn)re not sure of themselves
B.have much difficulty in understanding each other
C.dare not do things
D.a(chǎn)re very much afraid of getting lost
小題3:During the teenage years, one should learn to_____.
A.become different from others in as many ways as possible
B.find one’s real self
C.get into the right reason and become popular
D.rebel against parents

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Coffee is a powerful beverage.On a personal level,it helps keep US awake and active.On a much broader level,it has helped shape our history and continues to shape our culture.
Coffee didn’t take off until the l400s when people figured out they could roast its seeds.By the l500s,the drink had spread to coffeehouses across the Arab world.Within another l50 years,it took Europe by storm.
“It actually had a major impact on the rise of business,” historian Mark Pendergrast says.Coffeehouses became a spot not just to enjoy a cup but to exchange ideas.The insurer Lloyd’s of London was founded hundreds of years ago in one of London’s 2,000 coffeehouses.Literature,newspapers and even the works of great composers like Bach and Beethoven were also spawned(涌現(xiàn))in coffeehouses.
It is often said that after the Boston Tea Party of l773,when American colonists attacked British tea ships and threw boxes of tea into the harbor,Americans universally switched over to drinking coffee.In a letter John Adams wrote to his wife,Abigail,the Founding Father claims his love of tea but says he will have to learn to embrace coffee instead,because drinking tea had become a symbol of not loving the country.
For all the upsides coffee has brought the modern world,it also led to its fair share of downsides,too.Europeans carried coffee with them as they colonized various parts of the world,and this frequently meant they enslaved people in order to grow it.In Brazil — where slavery was legal until l888 — coffee plantations would use slash-and-burn agriculture,tearing down rain forests and planting coffee trees.Once the soil had been exhausted,growers would move on to another place.
And yet,coffee,as Pendergrast says,”had a very good impact in many ways on our civilization,even though it was,for a long time,grown by slaves.”
小題1:Why did people enjoy going to coffeehouses?
A.Because it was a fashion to drink coffee.
B.Because coffeehouses provided a better flavor.
C.Because they could stay awake and active there.
D.Because they could exchange ideas there.
小題2:What can we learn from the fourth paragraph?
A.American colonists made great profits by trading in coffee.
B.Tea was regarded as a symbol of loving one’s country.
C.Coffee became very popular after the incident in Boston.
D.John Adams was the Founding Father of the Tea Party.
小題3:In the fifth paragraph.the writer points out that __________ .
A.Coffee plantation was closely connected with slavery
B.coffee plantation led to outdated agriculture in Brazil
C.slavery in Brazil had been against the law until l888
D.slavery was responsible for the damage to rainforests
小題4:What is mainly talked about in this passage?
A.Some interesting stories about coffee culture.
B.Important Roles that coffee played in history.
C.How coffee became the most popular beverage.
D.How coffee affected America’s independence.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

  How would you like to teach yourself, rather than have teachers? According to the UK’s Department of Education and Skills, students will teach themselves in the schools of the future. This means that there will be no more problems such as finding enough teachers.
Estelle Morris, the UK Education Secretary, opened the 2002 Education Technology Conference in London recently. To start the conference, she presented a video showing a computer—generated model of the school of tomorrow.
Greater use of computer technology and classroom assistants will help students develop their own way of learning, Morris said. She added that this is a more exciting as well as a more interesting way of learning.
At the same time, teachers will be “freed from their traditional role as the source of all knowledge”.
Children of all abilities will “form the curriculum(課程)around their individual needs.” They will “l(fā)earn in their own time, at their own speed and in their own environment”.
At home or at school, they will follow their learning programmes by looking at online libraries and watching lessons by world-class teachers and subject experts.
Instead of going on field trips, students will use virtual reality. If they don’t understand something, they can ask other students—“take part in virtual communities with learners with similar needs”—or e-mail their teachers. They will hand in their work electronically to be “auto-marked”.
The classroom of the future is fast becoming a reality.
And the Department of Education will soon produce a guide to help schools adapt buildings for new technology, Morris said. These ideas are based on the UK government’s plan to create an education system that provides students with a strong grounding of knowledge and skills at primary school level. And provides the chance for students to develop their individual skills at secondary school level.
小題1:According to the UK’s Department of Education and Skills, the school of the future will ______.
A.cause more problems such as being able to find enough teachers
B.set no homework and no tests for students
C.make good use of the computer technology and classroom assistants
D.enable students to learn by themselves without teachers
小題2:Estelle Morris thinks that computer technology does good to teachers in ________.
A.helping students develop their own way of learning
B.enabling students to experience interesting and exciting ways of learning
C.providing students with knowledge of all sorts
D.not being considered the source of various knowledge
小題3: If the students do not understand something, they can _______.
A.go on a field trip
B.go to ask their teachers to help them
C.send e-mail to ask for a teacher’s help
D.have a look at other learners’ homework
小題4: If s a student is under the UK’s newly-developed education system,he will be ________.
A.provided with a basic knowledge from the beginning
B.given more knowledge at primary school level
C.helped to use computers better
D.supplied chance to develop their basic skills

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Boredom and Creativity
Most of us think of being bored at work as a negative experience, but a new study suggests it can have positive results including an increase in creativity because it gives us time to daydream.
That is the finding of Dr. Sandi Mann from the University of Central Lancashire. Dr. Mann conducted two studies. In the first experiment, 40 people were asked to carry out a boring task. They were told to copy numbers out of a telephone directory for 15 minutes. After that they were asked to complete another task. A pair of cups were given to each of them. Everyone tried to come up with different uses of the cups, and was given a chance to display their creativity. Meanwhile, another group of 40 people were just asked to come up with uses for the cups without doing any boring tasks before. It turned out that the 40 people who had first copied out the telephone numbers were more creative than the control group(對照組).
To see if daydreaming was a factor in this effect, a second boring task was introduced that allowed even more daydreaming than the boring writing task. This second study saw 30 people copying out the numbers as before, but also included a second group of 30 reading rather than writing them.
Again the researchers found that the people in the control group were least creative, but the people who had just read the names were more creative than those who had to write them out. This suggests that more passive boring activities, like reading or perhaps attending meetings, can lead to more creativity. Compared with reading, writing reduced the scope(范圍) for daydreaming. As a result, it reduces the  effects of boredom on creativity.
Dr. Mann says: “Boredom at work has always been seen as something to be avoided, but perhaps we should accept it in order to promote our creativity. What we want to do next is to see what the practical implications of this finding are. Do people who are bored at work become more creative in other areas of their work -- or do they go home and write novels?”  
小題1:Who proved to be the most creative in the two studies?
A.The people who attended meetings.
B.The people who did the reading task.
C.The people who invented uses for cups.
D.The people who copied telephone numbers.
小題2:The studies conducted by Dr. Mann indicate that creativity results from _______.
A.creative tasks
B.controlled activities
C.the range of daydreaming
D.reading and writing ability
小題3:What is Dr. Mann’s attitude towards boredom at work?
A.Positive.
B.Skeptical.
C.Subjective.
D.Disapproving.
小題4:What will Dr. Mann probably continue to research in their study?
A.The real causes of creativity.
B.The actual use of boredom.
C.The practical reasons of boredom.
D.The writing ability improved by boredom.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

One Monday morning, Paul and his classmates were in science laboratory for their practical chemistry lesson. The students were going to work in pairs to do an experiment. Before they began, the teacher gave them this description of the different stages of the experiment.
Stage 1: Prepare the equipment: a test tube, a crucible, a Bunsen burner and tongs.
Stage 2: Weigh 5 grams of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and put it in a crucible.
Stage 3: Heat 10 ml of hydrochloric acid (鹽酸) in a test tube.
Stage 4: Pour the warm acid onto the baking soda and continue to heat the mixture.
Result: The acid reacts with the bicarbonate(碳酸氫鹽)to form water, carbon dioxide gas and salt. The hotter the mixture, the quicker the reaction. Continue to heat the mixture until the water evaporates, leaving the salt in the crucible.
Paul and his partner followed the instructions and set up their equipment. Paul went to the cupboard to get a bottle of hydrochloric acid. He found that there was only one bottle in the cupboard so he took that. There was no label on the bottle and Paul didn’t check with the teacher if it was the right solution.
He measured the liquid and poured it into a test tube. Using tongs to hold the test tube, he heated it over the Bunsen burner. That’s when things started to go wrong. The liquid in the test tube was not hydrochloric acid. When it was heated, it formed a thick cloud of white gas. Soon the room was full of this strong smelling white gas.
All the students started coughing and their eyes hurt. The teacher immediately opened the windows and ordered the students to leave the laboratory at once. She realized that the liquid was a crylamide (丙烯酰胺) and that it is poisonous.
Fortunately, nobody was injured in the incident. However, it taught the students and the teacher a good lesson.
小題1:What lesson did the incident teach the students and the teacher?
A.Never have a bottle without a label in the chemistry lab!
B.Obey your teacher’s instructions in the Chemistry lab.
C.A crylamide can’t take the place of hydrochloric acid.
D.Finding something unusual happened, you have to leave the laboratory at once.
小題2:What substance were the students making in the experiment?
A.WaterB.Carbon dioxide gasC.SaltD.Poisonous gas
小題3:Why did Paul make the mistake?
A.He went to the cupboard to get the bottle by himself.
B.He found that there was only one bottle in the cupboard so he took that.
C.There was no label on the bottle.
D.Paul didn’t check with the teacher that it was the right solution.
小題4:Why did the teacher send the students out of the classroom?
A.Becausethe room was full of this strong smelling white gas.
B.Because all the students started coughing and their eyes hurt.
C.Becausethe liquid was a crylamide and that it is poisonous.
D.Because someone was injured in the incident.

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習(xí)冊答案