高考英语阅读理解科学技术

高考英语阅读理解—科学技术

We are now living in a time that science is developing at a great speed. With the development of science many countries have improved not only their economy but also their people’s living conditions. In our daily life we can get a lot of benefit from science.

If we look at the things around us we’ll find how closely our daily life is connected with science. For example, at home we can turn on the central heating or air conditioner when we feel cold or hot, and we can watch TV or listen to the tape recorder for entertainment, and we can use a gas stove to cook our meals, and we have computers to help us with our work when we are working in the office, and we also have cars, buses, even airplanes as traffic tools when we go out. All these things are the results of the development of science. It goes without saying that without science our society cannot make rapid progress and our life cannot be comfortable and convenient.

Since science is so important in our daily life, we should try to make as much contribution as possible to the development of science. As college students, we must first of all study hard, to gain useful scientific knowledge, and then put what we have learned into practice. We should take advantage of science to serve our society.

1. Which can’t show the relation between science and daily life? _________

A. We can use computers to help our work

B. We can travel by plane.

C. We can play basketball in a sport center.

D. We can enjoy ourselves by watching TV.

2. What should the college students do to take advantage of science except _____

A. studying hard

B. serving the society with knowledge

C. putting what we have learned into practice

D. taking physical exercise

Technology is the application of knowledge to production. Thanks to modern technology, we have been able to increase greatly the efficiency of our work force. New machines and new methods have helped cut down time and expense while increasing overall output. This has meant more production and a higher standard of living. For most of us in America, modern technology is thought of as the reason why we can have cars and television sets. However, technology has also increased the amount of food available to us, by means of modern farming machinery and animal breeding techniques, and has extended our life span via medical technology.

Will mankind continue to live longer and have a higher quality of life? In large measure the answer depends on technology and our ability to use it widely. If we keep making progress as we have over the past fifty years, the answer is definitely yes. The advancement of technology depends upon research and development, and the latest statistics show that the United States is continuing to pump billions of dollars annually into such efforts. So while we are running out of some scarce resources we may well find technological substitutes for many of them through our research programs.

Therefore, in the final analysis the three major factors of production (land, labor and capital) are all influenced by technology. When we need new skills, on techniques in medicine, people will start developing new technology to meet those needs. As equipment proves to be slow or inefficient, new machines will be invented. Technology responds to our needs in helping us maintain our standard of living.

1. What is the best title for the passage?

A. The definition of technology B. Modern technology

C. The application of technology D. The development of technology

2. Which is the main idea of the passage?

A. Modern technology is the key to the improvement of standard of living.

B. The three major factors of production (land, labor and capital) are all influenced by technology.

C. Technology is the response to our needs.

D. The United States is making great efforts to advance its technology.

3. According to the passage, people can live a long life with the help of _______.

A. higher quality of life B. medical technology

C. modern farming machinery D. technological substitute

“I love you” virus

On May 21, 1999, some American scientists were working at the computers to look for information they needed. Suddenly they saw a lot of very bright red spots crossing the computers’ screens. At the same time the computers were working much slower. To find out what was happening they stopped their work to check some parts of the computers. To their horror, they found out that most of their stored information was got rid of by computer virus! Obviously all these computers had been infected by computer virus.

It is said that the computer virus was made by two or three Philippine young men fond of playing tricks. They all had excellent education. They created the virus just to show their intelligence. The kind of computer virus is named “I Love You” Virus. This virus can hide in computers for long. When the time comes it will attack the computers by lowering the important functions, damaging their normal programs or even getting rid of a great deal of information which operators of the computers often use or store; even worse, it still can reproduce itself in great quantities within a short time.

We come to know that “I Love You” Virus often attacks computers on Mondays and that it is spreading to many computers in the world. Among the countries that suffered computer viruses last year are Britain, Australia, Switzerland and the US. Those who made the computer viruses have been found out slowly and carefully. But till now, how to get rid of the terrible viruses remains a problem.

1. In 1999, the virus made American scientists’ information ________

A. all lost B. partly lost C. none lost D. mostly lost

2. The most terrible character “I Love You” Virus is _______

A. it can hide in computers for long

B. it can damage computer’s normal programs

C. it can get rid of all the information that the operator stores

D .it can reproduce itself in great quantities in a short time

3. All the following countries have been attacked by “I Love You” Virus EXCEPT __

A. Britain B. Australia C. Switzerland D. Japan

4. According to the passage, which is NOT true about “I love you” virus?

A. Have found who made it B. Have found the solution to it

C. Have been attacked by it D. Have no effective method to

Robots look for life

The first scientists to visit Mars are not going to be flesh and blood humans, but metal robots.

This summer, NASA (美国国家宇航局) plans to start the Mars Exploration Rovers mission (MER, "火星漫游者探险任务"), sending a pair of robotic twins into space. If all goes well, the six-wheeled rovers will be rolling around the Red Planet sometime in January 2004.

NASA first sent a rover to Mars in 1997. It proved that the technology could get to, and land on, the planet. This time, the MER robot will act as a scientist and seek out any signs of water — past or present.

Both MER robots will be delivered into space by a rocket. Wrapped in a landing shell, an airbag (气囊) will protect them when the shell hits the planet's surface. Once it lands, the shell will open, and the rovers will come out.

"What we tried to do was take everything you'd find in a field scientist's bag on earth and make a robotic field scientist for Mars," said Steven Squyres, a NASA scientist.

Each carries nine cameras, which will send pictures of Mars back down to Earth. One camera sits on the tip of each robot's arm. This arm is the same size as that of a human adult. Every time the robot moves, the cameras feed images to its computer. The computer then decides whether an obstacle can be dealt with or should be avoided. And if it gets in a real jam, the rover phones home for instructions.

"The rule is: 'Don't go over anything larger than your wheel'," said Squyres. The wheels on each of the 180kg rovers stand at about 25cm tall.

And they move slowly — around 5cm per second. The MER robots are able to dig, in any rock, holes about 45mm wide and 5mm deep. This will allow researchers to study material that has been untouched by the extreme Martian (火星的) weather.

During Mars' nights, MER robots can "sleep" for up to 18 hours. But sometimes they'll have to work late and conduct experiments in the dark. They will roll on Mars for 90 days.

Water on Mars?

In June 2000, NASA announced its discovery of water on Mars. Scientists believe that vast stores of water still exist below the surface. If the discovery is confirmed (证实), it would be a big step for NASA. Without water there can, and never could have been, any life.

1. The first scientists designed to visit Mars this summer are going to be ______.

A. two scientists of NASA B. a pair of twins

C. two pilots. D. Two metal robots

2. The main task of the MER is _____________.

A. to take some pictures of Mars. B. to test the robots.

C. to seek out any signs of water. D. to dig holes in Mars.

课后训练

Gene technology to benefit people

Among all the fast growing science and technology, the research of human genes, or biological engineering as people call it, is drawing more and more attention now. Sometimes it is a hot topic discussed by people.

The greatest thing that gene technology can do is to cure serious diseases that doctors at present can almost do nothing with, such as cancer and heart disease. Every year, millions of people are murdered by these two killers. And to date, doctors have not found an effective way to cure them. But if the gene technology is applied, not only these two diseases can be cured completely, bringing happiness and more living days to the patients, but also the great amount of money people spend on curing their diseases can be saved, therefore it benefits the economy as well. In addition, human life span(寿命) can be prolonged.

Gene technology can help people to give birth to more healthy and clever children. Some families, with the English imperial family being a good example, have hereditary diseases. This means their children will for sure have the family disease, which is a great trouble for these families. In the past, doctors could do nothing about hereditary diseases. But gene technology can solve this problem perfectly. The scientist just need to find the wrong gene and correct it, and a healthy child will be born.

Some people are worrying that the gene research can be used to manufacture human beings in large quantities. In the past few years, scientists have succeeded in cloning a sheep, therefore these people predict that human babies would soon be cloned. But I believe cloned babies will not come out in large quantities, for most couples in the world can have babies in very normal way. Of course, the governments must take care to control gene technology.

1. What does “these two killers” in the second paragraph refer to ?

A. Gene technology and another treatment of the two diseases.

B. The two murderers who killed the cloned baby

C. The two diseases of cancer and heart disease

D. Hereditary diseases and cancer

2. What’s the main idea of the third paragraph?

A. How gene technology can be applied in the field of treating hereditary diseases.

B. Gene technology can be used to clone human babies.

C. Gene technology can help people to give birth of a baby.

D. Gene technology can help the English imperial family out

3. In what way gene technology can help to treat hereditary diseases?

A. Using gene technology, people with hereditary diseases can have more living days.

B. Using gene technology, scientist finds the wrong gene and corrects it.

C. Using gene technology, human babies can be cloned.

D. Doctors can cure cancer and heart disease with the help of gene technology.

4. What is the main purpose of writing this passage?

A. Expressing the writer’s idea that gene technology will benefit people

B. Telling people the advantages of gene technology

C. Telling the readers that gene technology will not benefit people

D. Explaining that gene technology will also do harm to the humanity

Cars drive into cleaner future

Ford, the second-largest car maker in the world, celebrates its 100th birthday this month. And it is already looking forward to its next 100 years. Ford expects to have nearly half its cars powered by fuel cells (燃料电池) by the year 2050.

In the meantime, another car maker in the US, General Motors (GM, 通用汽车公司), is building the technology for cars to be powered by fuel cells.

So, what makes fuel cells so special? Why are car makers so enthusiastic about them?

Fuel cells are based on an electrochemical (电气化学的) process. They change chemical energy from hydrogen and oxygen (氢和氧) into electrical energy.

Fuel cells pollute much less than traditional power sources. They produce little more than water as a by-product. Car makers expect them to cut CO2 emissions (散发) in half and so make cars more environmentally friendly.

Fuel cells are not dependent on oil supplies. Instead, they run on hydrogen, the most common element in the universe. And they can be refuelled. Car makers expect fuel cells to lesson the industry's need to rely on decreasing oil supplies.

Using fuel cells, without the traditional motor, engineers have many more possibilities for developing cars.

A fuel cell frame can last 20 years, so car bodies could change with drivers' needs — or even with the seasons — and be replaced at will. Owners could switch from a sports car to a family car while keeping the same fuel cell frame. This is a much cheaper solution to buying a whole new vehicle.

"A fuel cell car is more than just a new concept car; it's the start of a revolution in how cars are designed, built and used," said GM Chief Executive Rick Wagoner.

While this may sound great, fuel cells are still too expensive to produce. For cars, they can be ten times the price of normal engines. The current test models can cost US$1 million or more.

Besides Ford and GM, a number of other car makers are now testing fuel cell vehicles. And all are aiming for mass production by 2010. By that time, the cost of buying a fuel cell car should be as affordable as that of a traditional car.

1. Besides Ford, the writer uses GM as another example to show _______.

A. another car war is on

B. big car makers are depending on fuel cells for their future

C. fuel cells will replace traditional power sources

D. fuel cell car will be produced earlier than expected

2. What makes the traditional car frame not able to change with drivers' needs?

A. Traditional fuels. B. High cost of changing the frames.

C. The traditional car frame can't last many years. D. Traditional motor.

3. What does Rick Wagoner mean by "a fuel cell car is more than just a new concept car"?

A. A fuel cell car is not something that only exists in future.

B. A fuel cell car will be very important in the future.

C. It will become a reality.

D. A fuel cell car is still very expensive.

【答案解析】

科学和我们日常生活紧密相连。

1. 细节题。答案：C。

2. 推断题。D项不属于利用科学技术。

“科学技术是生产力”是这篇文章的主题。

1. B。主旨题。文章的主要笔墨是用在科学技术的作用上，所以答案应选B。

2. A。主旨题。文章最后一句Technology responds to our needs in helping us maintain our standard of living 就是主题句。

3. B。判断题。从文章第2段第2句话„the answer depends on technology and our ability to use it widely 可以肯定答案选B。

1．细节题。答案：D。

2． “爱虫”病毒最可怕的特征是：D。A、B、C项是一般计算机病毒所具有的特征。文中

even worse, it still can reproduce itself in great quantities within a short time.一句也可看出这一特征是最可怕的。

3．细节题。答案：D。

4．判断题。B项与文中But till now, how to get rid of the terrible viruses remains a problem.一

句不符。

地球机器人勇探火星，充当地质学家寻找水源。

1. 细节题。答案：D。

2. 主旨题。火星漫游者探险的主要任务是寻找水源。答案：C，

基因技术会给人类带来更多的好处。

1．确定指代关系。答案C。

2．段义理解。第三段是讲基因技术在治疗遗传疾病方面的应用。

3．细节题。答案：B。

4．推断写作意图。答案：A。

福特、通用两大汽车公司正着手研制燃料电池驱动的汽车。

1．细节题。答案：B。

2．文中A fuel cell frame can last 20 years, so car bodies could change with drivers' needs — or

even with the seasons — and be replaced at will. Owners could switch from a sports car to a family car while keeping the same fuel cell frame.一段提供信息。传统的发动机就不象FUEL CELL 这样方便了。答案：D

3．句义理解。答案：C，