People in several American states may be surprised to see cars on city streets without a driver. Experimental driverless vehicles now are legal in Florida, Nevada and California. They are pointing the way to a future that is not far down the road. The high-tech company Google has a number of self-driving cars, which had covered 480,000 kilometers by August. Volvo is among the companies doing road tests and says it plans to sell driverless cars by 2020.
In September, California Governor Jerry Brown signed an act to allow autonomous vehicles on the roads of his state. " Today we're looking at science fiction becoming tomorrow's reality-the driverless car. " The technology for these cars includes cameras, radar and motion sensors. The systems have been improved through competitions sponsored by the U. S. government agency DARPA. Engineer Richard Mason of the Rand Corporation helped design driverless vehicles for DARPA challenge races.
Cars have become much more fuel-efficient, and new electronic features are' making Hondas safer, said Angie Nucci of Honda America. " A camera on the passenger-side mirror actually engaged on your guiding screen so you can safely change lanes. " Other safety features include warning systems on the front and the sides of the cars. These systems help drivers , but don't replace them. Curator Leslie Kendall of the Petersen Automotive Museum said autonomous cars will make the high ways safer．
"By taking out drivers, you also remove most risks of an accident," Kendall said. He said consumers, however, may be unwilling to lose control. "It may take them time to come to realize that the technology is indeed reliable, but it will have to prove itself first. "
Mason said the technology already works and the biggest challenge now is getting down the cost for driverless vehicles from hundreds of thousands of dollars to something more affordable. He said this will happen as the technology is improved.
【小题1】What can we learn from Paragraph l?
A. Driverless vehicles are now legal in the whole USA.
B. Volvo will be the first to sell driverless cars.
C. Driverless cars are pointing us' a faraway future.
D. Google's self-driving cars have covered a long distance.
【小题2】We learn that Governor of California Jerry Brown_________.
| A． helped design self-driving cars. |
| B．supports self-driving cars on roads. |
| C．considers self-driving cars science fiction. |
| D．improved the self-driving car systems. |
| A．They can help people drive more safely. |
| B．They can take the place of drivers now. |
| C．They can make cars run without fuel. |
| D．They can help cars run much faster. |
| A．They are not allowed to run on the road. |
| B．Their technical problems remain to be solved. |
| C．They are now too expensive for consumers. |
| D．They are more dangerous for people on the street. |
【小题1】D
【小题2】B
【小题3】A
【小题4】C
解析试题分析：文章介绍无人驾驶汽车已经经过研发阶段，现在正在试用阶段，在不久的将来无人驾驶汽车将不是科幻而成为现实。文章还介绍了这些汽车的系统设计和有待改进的地方。
【小题1】细节题：从第一段的句子：The high-tech company Google has a number of self-driving cars, which had covered 480,000 kilometers by August.可知谷歌的无人驾驶车已经可以开很长距离，选D.
【小题2】细节题：从文章第二段的句子：In September, California Governor Jerry Brown signed an act to allow autonomous vehicles on the roads of his state. 可知加力福利亚的州长Jerry Brown 支持无人驾驶汽车上路，选B.
【小题3】细节题：从文章第三段的句子：A camera on the passenger-side mirror actually engaged on your guiding screen so you can safely change lanes. " Other safety features include warning systems on the front and the sides of the cars. 可知这些系统的作用是它们可以帮助人们更安全的驾驶，选A.
【小题4】细节题：从文章最后一段的句子：Mason said the technology already works and the biggest challenge now is getting down the cost for driverless vehicles from hundreds of thousands of dollars to something more affordable.可知Richard Mason认为无人驾驶汽车最大的挑战是它们现在对消费者来说太贵了。选C
考点：考查科普类短文
科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
The forces that make Japan one of the world’s most earthquakeprone (有地震倾向的) countries could become part of its longterm energy solution.
Water from deep below the ground at Japan’s tens of thousands of hot springs could be used to produce electricity.
Although Japanese hightech companies are leaders in geothermal (地热的) technology and export it，its use is limited in the nation.
“Japan should no doubt make use of its resources of geothermal energy，” said Yoshiyasu Takefuji，a leading researcher of thermalelectric power production.
The disastrous earthquake and tsunami on March 11,2011 caused a reaction against atomic power，which previously made up 30 percent of Japan’s energy needs，and increased interest in alternative energies，which accounted for only 8 percent.
Artist Yoko Ono has called on Japan to explore its natural energy，following the example of Iceland which uses renewable energy for more than 80 percent of its needs.
For now，geothermal energy makes up less than 1 percent of the energy needs in Japan，which has for decades relied heavily on fossil fuels and atomic power.
The biggest problem to geothermal energy is the high initial cost of the exploration and constructing the factories.Another problem is that Japan’s potentially best sites are already being developed for tourism or are located within national parks where construction is forbidden.
“We can’t even dig 10 cm inside national parks.” said Shigeto Yamada of Fuji Electric，adding that regulations protecting nature would need to be relaxed for geothermal energy to grow.
Researcher Hideaki Matsui said，“Producing electricity using hot springs is a decadeslong project.We also have to think about what to do for now as energy supplies will decline in the short term.”
The Earth Policy Institute in Washington，US，believed Japan could produce 80 000 megawatts (兆瓦) and meet more than half its electricity needs with geothermal technology.
Japanese giants such as Toshiba are already global leaders in geothermal technology，with a 70 percent market share.In 2010，Fuji Electric built the world’s largest geothermal factory in New Zealand.
【小题1】What would be the best title for the text?
| A．Alternative energies in Japan |
| B．World’s largest geothermal plant |
| C．Japan takes the lead in geothermal technology |
| D．Japan thinks of geothermal energy |
| A．About 8%. | B．Below 1%. |
| C．Around 30%. | D．Over 80%. |
| A．a change of rules | B．financial support |
| C．local people’s help | D．high technology |
| A．Yoshiyasu Takefuji | B．Hideaki Matsui |
| C．Shigeto Yamada | D．Yoko Ono |
| A．the world’s biggest geothermal plant was built by America |
| B．Japan will not export its geothermal technology |
| C．the potential of Japan’s geothermal energy is great |
| D．it is hard to find geothermal energy in Japan |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Eating different colored foods can keep you healthy, as well as change your mood and behavior. Here is a list of colors, which can change your life.
Blue/Purple
Blue is considered to be peaceful and calming and it has the same effect on our health. The blue / purple color in food is due primarily to their anthocyanins which are antioxidants (抗氧化剂) that are particularly heart healthy and may help support healthy blood pressure. Out of all the blue and purple foods available, blueberries are considered to have the highest antioxidant level. An analysis of the latest data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study found that people who eat purple and blue fruits and vegetables are at a reduced risk for high blood pressure and are less likely to be overweight.
A food and health expert says that blue and purple color foods can prevent blood mass formation, and they also lower the risk of cancer.
Foods that contain blue and purple colors are: reddish eggplant (especially the skin), blueberries, blackberries, purple grapes, etc.
Green
We all know that we should eat green as green symbolizes nature. The green foods are rich in isothiocyanates, which help resist cancer.
Dr. Ashok Agarwal, a food and nutrition specialist, explains, "They are excellent sources of folic acid, vitamin K, as well as carotene （胡萝卜素）. Diets high in those above are associated with lowered blood pressure."
Foods that contain the green color are: broccoli, cabbage, cucumbers, etc.
Red
Lycopene (番茄红素) in reddish fruits and vegetables is a powerful antioxidant that has been associated with a reduced risk of some cancers, and also provides protection against heart attacks.
Dr. Smiths says, "Cooked tomato sauces are associated with greater health benefits as compared with the uncooked version as the heating process allows lycopene to be more easily absorbed by the body. Obtaining the most benefit from food depends on proper selection, storage and cooking of the produce."
Foods that contain red color are: Tomatoes and tomato products, watermelon, guava, red onions, red chili, red apples, red grapes, cherries, etc.
Orange
The orange foods are also rich in carotene, which are particularly good antioxidants. These foods are commonly considered eyesight foods because they contain vitamin A.
"Orange fruits and vegetables also play a part in preventing cancer, particularly of the lungs and stomach. Foods that contain the color orange are: Carrots, mangoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, etc.
【小题1】The passage tries to tell us that ______.
| A．colors mean a lot to people and their health |
| B．foods of different colors will have different benefits |
| C．eating foods with a color must prevent diseases |
| D．what people should eat in their daily lives |
| A．lowering blood pressure | B．improving eyesight |
| C．preventing cancer | D．reducing the risk of heart disease |
| A．Purple. | B．Green. | C．Red. | D．Orange. |
| A．vitamin A | B．folic acid | C．carotene | D．vitamin K |
| A．all grapes help lower the risk of high blood pressure and cancer |
| B．lung cancer can be prevented by eating red-colored foods |
| C．green-colored foods contain a lot of vitamin A which is good for eye health |
| D．tomatoes should be eaten cooked so that we can benefit the most |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are a major cause of climate change, and now a new study has confirmed that atmosphere CO2 is also affecting the ocean chemistry and potentially harming sea life.
Montana State University scientist Robert Dore has been researching the water in the Pacific Ocean for almost two decades. “We’ve been going to the same spot in the Pacific Ocean, and we try and characterize long-term change in the open ocean environment. And one of the key things that we measure is CO2 levels. And we’ve been able to record this increasing quantity of atmosphere CO2 into the ocean.”
Scientists expected that as atmosphere CO2 increased, more and more of the carbon dioxide would be absorbed into the ocean, affecting the chemical balance of the sea water, with a potentially harmful impact on shellfish and coral in particular.
“As carbon dioxide dissolves in the water or seawater in this case, it forms a weak acid, carbonic acid,” Dore explains. “And therefore, as the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere goes up and that exchanges with the surface seawater, it drives the pH down, and makes it more acidic.”
The seawater samples Dore and his colleagues have analyzed confirm what the theory predicts.
The effect was particular striking at about 250 meters down, and again at 500 meters. Dore and his colleagues came up with two possible explanations. It could be that surface water picked up CO2 and then moved to those depths. Or there could be a biological explanation.
“It’s important to realize that the oceans are really becoming acidic. And it can have negative impacts on a whole variety of sea life from fish to coral. It’s potentially catastrophic.”
【小题1】What can be the best title of the passage?
| A．Scientist Researching Seawater |
| B．Sea Life Facing Danger |
| C．Oceans Becoming More Acidic |
| D．Climate Change Affecting Seawater |
| A．more corals will appear in the sea |
| B．the chemical balance of the seawater is affected |
| C．the surface water is becoming warmer |
| D．the pH of the ocean out here has been increasing |
| A．a→b→c→d→e | B．e→b→c→d→a |
| C．a→e→b→c→d | D．e→d→c→b→a |
| A．the expectation of other scientists |
| B．some former theory |
| C．his research and analysis |
| D．a major cause of climate change |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
A huge cloud of dust rose and an overpass disappeared. This was the scene in Zhuzhou，Hunan Province on May 17.Nine people were killed and 16 injured.
Things were similar last year in the Sichuan earthquake. Thousands of people were buried in the ruins and lost their lives. What if we could have warned them?
People are always racking their brains to find a way of preventing buildings’ collapse. Better materials and technology help，but they are not a solution.
Just like humans，a building has its own life cycle from “birth” to “death”．If we know when a building is going to collapse，we can repair it in advance or get out of it before it falls.
Now，scientists at the University of Illinois have developed a material that turns red before it breaks. The invention could be used in things like climbing ropes or bridge supports.
The research was led by Nancy Sottos，a professor at the university’s Beckman Institute，and Douglas Davis，a graduate research assistant.
The secret behind the colorchanging material is a type of molecule (分子)．A molecule is a group of atoms held together by chemical bonds. Imagine you and your friends standing in a circle，holding hands. Each person stands for one atom，your hands represent the bonds，and the entire circle represents a molecule. If one person lets go of his or her hands，the molecule changes color.
The research team put the molecule into a soft material. When the researchers stretched the material，it turned bright red for a few seconds before it broke into two pieces. When they repeatedly stretched and relaxed the material，without breaking it，it only turned a little red.
The major problem is that light can get rid of the red color. When the team shone bright light on the molecule，the broken bond was fixed，and the color disappeared.
If the bright light keeps the red color from appearing，the material’s warning system will be useless. Scientists still have a lot of work to do before the colorchanging molecules can be used outside the lab.
【小题1】What does the passage mainly introduce?
| A．The collapse of an overpass in Zhuzhou，Hunan Province. |
| B．The Sichuan earthquake |
| C．A material that turns red before it breaks. |
| D．A way of preventing building from collapsing. |
| A．suffering a lot | B．collecting beyond imagination |
| C．losing a lot | D．thinking very hard |
| A．Thousands of people died from the collapse of buildings in the Sichuan earthquake because they hadn’t been warned. |
| B．There is no building that will never collapse. |
| C．A new material has been applied to buildings to warn people of collapse. |
| D．A colorchanging material can turn red before it breaks. |
| A．The colorchanging molecules are certain to be used outside the lab. |
| B．There will be no collapse with the help of the colorchanging material. |
| C．There is a long way to go before the material can be applied. |
| D．The problem caused by bright light will be solved by scientists. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Why is pink or purple a color for girls and blue or brown for boys?
The answer depends largely on cultural values as well as personal experiences. To the Egyptians, green was a color that represented the hope and joy of spring, while for Muslims, it means heaven. Red is a symbol of good luck in many cultures. In China, children are given money in a red envelope to bring good fortune in the New Year. For many nations, blue is a symbol of protection and religious beliefs. Greek people often wear a blue necklace hoping to protect themselves against evils（灾祸）.
People’s choice of colors is also influenced by their bodies’ reactions （反应）toward them. Green is said to be the most restful color. It has the ability to reduce pain and relax people both mentally and physically. People who work in green environment have been found to have fewer stomach aches.
Red can cause a person’s blood pressure to rise and increase people’s appetites（食欲）. Many decorators will include different shades of red in the restaurant. Similarly, many commercial websites will have a red “Buy Now” button because red is a color that easily catches a person’s eye.
Blue is another calming color. Unlike red, blue can cause people to lose appetite. So if you want to eat less, some suggest that eating from blue plates can help.
The next time you are deciding on what to wear or what color to decorate your room, think about the color carefully.
【小题1】Muslims regard green as a symbol of heaven mainly because of their .
| A．cultural values |
| B．commercial purposes |
| C．personal experiences |
| D．physical reactions to the color |
| A．To relax people physically. |
| B．To increase people’s appetites. |
| C．To encourage people to make a purchase. |
| D．To cause a person’s blood pressure to rise. |
| A．Red | B．Green. | C．Blue. | D．Purple. |
| A．Colors and Human Beings |
| B．The Cultural Meaning of Color |
| C．Colors and Personal Experiences |
| D．The Meaning and Function of Color |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
What will people die of 100 years from now? If you think that is a simple question, you have not been paying attention to the revolution that is taking place in biotechnology. With the help of new medicine, the human body will last a very long time. Death will come mainly from accidents, murder and war. Today's leading killers, such as heart disease, cancer, and aging itself, will become distant memories.
In discussion of technological changes, the Internet gets most of the attention these days. But the change in medicine can be the real technological event of our times. How long can humans live? Human brains were known to decide the final death. Cells are the basic units of all living things, and until recently, scientists were sure that the life of cells could not go much beyond 120 years because the basic materials of cells, such as those of brain cells, would not last forever. But the upper limits will be broken by new medicine. Sometime between 2050 and 2100, medicine will have advanced to the point at which every 10 years or so, people will be able to take medicine to repair their organs. The medicine, made up of the basic building materials of life, will build new brain cells, heart cells, and so on—in much the same way our bodies make new skin cells to take the place of old ones.
It is exciting to imagine that the advance in technology may be changing the most basic condition of human existence, but many technical problems still must be cleared up on the way to this wonderful future.
【小题1】According to the passage, human death is now mainly caused by ________.
| A．diseases and aging | B．accidents and war |
| C．accidents and aging | D．heart disease and war |
| A．medicine | B．the Internet | C．brain cells | D．human organ |
| A．heart disease will be far away from us |
| B．human brains can decide the final death |
| C．the basic materials of cells will last forever |
| D．human organs can be repaired by new medicine |
| A．Over 100 years. | B．More than 120 years. |
| C．About 150 years. | D．The passage doesn't tell us. |
| A．Cells aren’t the basic units of all living things any more |
| B．humans have to take medicine to build new skin cells now |
| C．much needs to be done before humans can have a longer life |
| D．we have already solved the technical problems in building new cells |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Taking a picture of your tongue with a mobile phone could soon instantly tell you how healthy you are. Researchers believe the images can reveal important information about a patient’s health and even give them early warning of serious illness.
A team at the University of Missouri is developing a system that can analyze pictures using a 5,000-year-old Chinese principle, which is based on the flow and balance of positive and negative energies in the body, and uses the tongue as a key to learning about a person’s physical health, or “zheng” according to Chinese medicine.
“Within a year, our goal is to create an application for smart phones that will allow anyone to take a photo of their tongue and learn the status of their zheng,” said Dong Xu, chair of MU’s Computer Science Department in the College of Engineering and the co-author of the latest study.
The software analyzes images based on the tongue’s color and coating to distinguish between tongues showing signs of “hot” or “cold” zheng. Shades of red and yellow are associated with hot zheng, whereas a white coating on the tongue is a sign of cold zheng.
“Hot and cold zheng doesn’t refer directly to body temperature,” said Xu, “Rather, it refers to a series of symptoms associated with the state of the body as a whole.”
For the study, 263 gastritis(胃炎) patients and 48 healthy volunteers had their tongues analyzed. The gastritis patients were classified by whether they showed infection by a certain bacteria as well as the intensity of their gastritis symptoms. In addition, most of the gastritis patients had been previously classified with either hot or cold zheng. This allowed the researchers to test the accuracy of the software’s analysis.
“Our software is able to classify people based on their zheng status. And as we continue to work on the software we hope to improve its ability,” said another co-author Ye Duan, “Eventually everyone will be able to use this tool at home using webcams or smart phone applications, which will allow them to monitor their zheng and get an early warning about possible ailments.”
【小题1】 The software mentioned in the passage is based on ________.
| A．the latest development of smart phones |
| B．a traditional Chinese medical principle |
| C．the changes in one’s flow and energy |
| D．symptoms related with the state of the body |
| A．one’s body temperature | B．the physical health of a person |
| C．the possible disease of a person | D．the color and coating of one’s tongue |
| A．the effect of the software |
| B．the software’s great prospect |
| C．the advancement of smart phones |
| D．the greatness of Chinese medicine |
| A．analysis | B．effects | C．illnesses | D．applications |
| A．the software still needs improvement |
| B．the subjects in the study are all gastritis |
| C．the software has been in market for a year |
| D．the subjects in the study are classified by age |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Did you get a flu shot this year？For the first time，the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US is recommending that all children aged from 6 months to 18 years receive the flu vaccine.
Vaccines battle diseases caused by bacteria and viruses.A weakened form of the germ (病菌) is introduced into the body.The body makes special substances called antibodies (抗体) to fight the germs.If the actual germs were to attack，the antibodies would fight.Because there are many kinds of flu viruses，scientists must create a new vaccine formula (处方) each year.Researchers must make a prediction.
It is like forecasting the weather.Sometimes they are right on，and sometimes they are off.But even when the vaccine does not closely match circulating flu types，it can make the illness less serious.
“The flu vaccine is not as effective as the polio (小儿麻痹症) vaccine or the measles vaccine，” says Dr.William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.“It’s not a great vaccine，but it is in fact quite a good vaccine.”
But a flu vaccine doesn’t work for everyone.There are certain people who should be careful about taking it，because the vaccine is produced in eggs.Those who are allergic (过敏的) to eggs should not take it.If you have a fever，you should wait until you recover.
Some people are afraid that they might get the flu from the flu shot.Scientists say that it is not possible，because the viruses in the flu shot are inactivated.But some minor side effects such as lowgrade fever and body ache could occur.If they do，they begin soon after the shot and usually last only one to two days.
Did you know？Smallpox was the first disease people tried to prevent by putting a virus into a healthy person.In 1796，English scientist Edward Jenner placed some infected material under a boy’s skin.
【小题1】The underlined word “vaccine” (in Para.1) refers to________.
| A．virus used for fighting against disease |
| B．antibody to fight the germs |
| C．formula to fight against disease |
| D．germ to be injected into the body |
| A．is as effective as the polio and the measles vaccines |
| B．is worse，compared with the polio and the measles vaccines |
| C．does help to make illness less serious |
| D．is quite good because it works for everyone |
| A．those who are not allergic to eggs can take the flu vaccine |
| B．not all the flu vaccines are effective for everyone |
| C．you should go to a doctor if you have a fever after taking the flu vaccine |
| D．it is possible that some people might get the flu from the flu shot |
| A．they’ll be allergic to eggs |
| B．their bodies will ache for 5 days |
| C．they probably have a low fever |
| D．they won’t catch a flu ever after |
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