高三英语限时阅读十八科普.doc

高三英语限时阅读十八科普AThere are plenty of good reasons to buy organic products, but nutrition may not be one of them, suggests a new study, which found no difference in antioxidant (抗氧化剂) levels between organically and conventionally (常规地) grown onions, carrots, and potatoes. The study only looked at three types of vegetables and just a few select nutrients. But the experiment was part of a bigger project that was so systematic and strictly controlled that the findings likely apply to other crops, too. “Giving preference to organic products because they contain more bioactive components is doubtful and not supported by scientific evidence,” Knuthsen said. “Still, there are many good reasons for the consumer to select organic food products, including absence of pesticide residues (农药残留) in foods, animal welfare, and environmental protections.”Argument over whether organic produce is more nutritious than conventional varieties has been around for at least a decade, said Jeffrey Blumberg, director of the Antioxidants Research Laboratory at Tufts University in Boston. “Some studies have suggested that organically grown plants contain higher levels of healthful antioxidants, possibly because some antioxidants act as natural fungicides (杀真菌剂), pesticides and insecticides,” he said. “The idea is that, without help from industrial chemicals, plants on organic farms need to work harder to protect themselves. They end up becoming more nutritious as a result.” But plenty of other studies have shown no such relationship. “I understand that organic farmers would love to be able to say that theirs are super-fruits and super-vegetables because there are higher amounts of these compounds in them,” Blumberg said. “If you want to buy them because you think theyre safer for the planet to grow things that way, or because you think pesticides are bad for you or your family, or you like that they come from a shorter distance away, thats great.”“But if you want to buy them because theyre more nutritious, youre confused, and we dont know if thats true or not.”1. The new study proves that. A. there are plenty of good reasons to buy organic produceB. nutrition is one of the good reasons to buy organic produceC. some organically and conventionally grown foods have the same antioxidant levelsD. organic produce is harmful to our health2. Why do people prefer organic products? A. Because they think organic products have no bioactive components. B. Because scientific evidence supports organic products can make them stronger. C. Because its proved that organic produce is more nutritious than conventional varieties. D. Because they think organic food products have no harmful things. 3. The fourth paragraph mainly tells us. A. its unclear whether organic produce is more nutritious than conventional varietiesB. organically grown plants contain higher levels of healthful antioxidantsC. plants on organic farms need to work harder to protect themselvesD. plenty of other studies have shown no such relationship来源:学|科|网Z|X|X|K4. Which is NOT the reason for you to buy organic products according to Blumberg? A. There are higher amounts of these compounds in them. B. Theyre safer for the planet to grow things that way. C. Pesticides are bad for you or your family. D. They are more nutritious. 6.CDAD BThe 2012 London Olympics had enough problems to worry about. But one more has just been addeda communications blackout caused by solar storms.After a period of calm within the Sun,scientists have detected the signs of a fresh cycle of sunspots that could peak in 2012,just in time for the arrival of the Olympic torch in London.Now scientists believe that this peak could result in vast solar explosions that could throw billions of tons of charged matter towards the Earth,causing strong solar storms that could jam the telecommunications satellites and internet links sending live Olympic broadcast from London.“The Suns activity has a strong influence on the Earth. The Olympics could be in the middle of the next solar maximum which could affect the functions of communications satellites,“ said Professor Richard Harrison,head of space physics at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire.At the peak of the cycle,violent outbursts calledcoronal mass ejections(日冕物质抛射) occur in the Suns atmosphere,throwing out great quantities of electrically-charged matter. “A coronal mass ejection can carry a billion tons of solar material into space at over a million kilometres per hour. Such events can expose astronauts to a deadly amount,can disable satellites,cause power failures on Earth and disturb communications,” Professor Harrison added. The risk is greatest during a solar maximum when there is the greatest number of sunspots.Next week in America,NASA is scheduled to launch a satellite for monitoring solar activity called the Solar Dynamics Observatory(SDO),which will take images of the Sun that are 10 times clearer than the most advanced televisions available.The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory helped to make the high-tech cameras that will capture images of thesolar flares(太阳耀斑) and explosions as they occur.Professor Richard Holdaway,the labs director,said that the SDO should be able to provide early warning of a solar flare or explosion big enough to affect satellite communications on Earth. “If we have advance warning,well be able to reduce the damage. What you dont want is things switching off for a week with no idea of whats caused the problem,” he said.1. The phrase “communications blackout” in Paragraph 1 most probably refers toduring the 2012 Olympics.A. the extinguishing of the Olympic torch B. the collapse of broadcasting systemsC. the transportation breakdown in London D. the destruction of weather satellites2. What can be inferred about the solar activity described in the passage?A. The most fatal matter from the corona falls onto Earth.B. The solar storm peak occurs in the middle of each cycle.C. It takes several seconds for the charged matter to reach Earth.D. The number of sunspots declines after coronal mass ejections.3. According to the passage,NASA will launch a satellite to.A. take images of the solar system B. provide early warning of thunderstormsC. keep track of solar activities D. improve the communications on Earth4. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?A. Solar Storms:An Invisible Killer B. Solar Storms:Earth Environment in DangerC. Solar Storms:Threatening the Human RaceD. Solar Storms:Human Activities to Be Troubled28.1-4 BDCD CA new argument has been put forward as to whether penguins are disturbed by the presence of tourists in Antarctica. Previous research by scientists from Keil University in Germany monitored Adelie penguins and noted that the birds heart rates increased dramatically at the sight of a human as far as 30 meters away. But new research using an artificial egg, which is equipped to measure heart rates, disputes this. Scientists from the Scott Polar Research Institute at Cambridge say that a slow moving human who does not approach the nest too closely, is not viewed as a threat by penguins. The earlier findings have been used to partly explain the 20 per cent drop in populations of certain types of penguins near tourist sites. However, tour operators have continued to insist that their activities do not adversely affect wildlife in Antarctica, saying they encourage non-disruptive behavior in tourists, and that the decline in penguin numbers is caused by other factors.Amanda Nimon of the Scott Polar Research Institute spent three southern hemisphere summers at Cuverville Island in Antarctica studying penguin behavior towards humans. “A nesting penguin will react very differently to a person rapidly and closely approaching the nest,” says Nimon. “First they exhibit large and prolonged heart rate changes and then they often flee the nest leaving it open for predators (掠夺者) to fly in and remove eggs or chicks.”The artificial egg, specially for the project, monitored both the parent who had been disturbed when the egg was placed in the nest and the other parent as they both took it in turns to guard the nest.However, Boris Culik, who monitored the Adelie penguins, believes that Nimons findings do not invalidate his own research. He points out that species behave differently and Nimons work was with Gentoo penguins. Nimon and her colleagues believe that Culiks research was methodologically flawed because the monitoring of penguins responses needed capturing and restraining the birds and fitting them with beart-rate transmitters. Therefore, argues Nimon, it would not be surprising if they became stressed on seeing a human subsequently. 66. According to the passage, what overall message is presented?A. No firm conclusions are drawn.B. Neither Culiks nor Nimons findings are of much value.C. Penguin reduction is closed related to tourist behavior.D. Tourists are not responsible for the fall in penguin numbers.67.Which ONE argument of the following is stated in the passage?A. Penguins are harder to research when they have young.B. Tour operators should encourage tourists to avoid Antarctica.C. Not all penguins behave in the same way.D. Penguins need better protection from tourists.68.What do you notice about the views presented in the passage?A. They are groundless.B. They are factual.C. They are descriptive.D. They are conflicting.69.What does the underlined word (final line) probably mean?A. later onB. Carmly C. separately D. in the same place12.ACDA D “BEIJING, Sep. 10 (Xinhuanet)The extra-large model baby in the Spain Pavilion (馆) was conceived (构思) by a Spanish filmmaker,” Shi Yingying reports. Visitors admiring the 6.5-meter-high giant baby, Miguelin, in the Spain Pavilion may be surprised to realize that it was not the concept of a famous designer or a group of groundbreaking engineers. It came from one filmmakers interpretation of the meaning of “Better City, Better Life”. Spanish director Isabel Coixet developed the idea after being asked to contribute to Expo 2010 Shanghai. “They asked me to do something to tell the Chinese audience about Spain in the future and the first thing jumping to my mind was a baby,” said Coixet. “If we really fight to have better cars, better cities and better lives, its for themfor our children.”Despite her Spanish heritage, Coixet doesnt focus on making Spanish films or using Spain as the setting. Fans of her various award-winning films, including My Life Without Me, The Secret Life of Words and Elegy, may not even be aware of Coixets Spanish background. “The borders between countries are just illusion (假象),” said Coixet. “Some directors feel really comfortable telling stories that belong to their territory.”But Coixet feels the opposite: “Im more comfortable outside my country. It gives me a strange freedom.”One of her favorite things about being a director is the freedom. “The thing is that the world is wide and this freedom lets you make films everywhere,” she said. Coixets curiosity took her latest exploration and movie work to Japan. In the movie Map of the Sound of Tokyo, the Catalan actor Sergi Lopez is the owner of a wine shop in Tokyo, and Japanese actress Rinko Kikuchi is a young woman who works both as a fishmonger and as a hired killer. The clash (冲突) of the two peoples very different worlds and the tango-like relationship they develop is just one representation of what Coixet is able to produce by mixing cultures. While she doesnt know if she will shoot a film in Shanghai, two things have caught her attention: Shanghainese women and crickets (蟋蟀). After just arriving in the city, she was surprised by the mix of old Chin