Wondering what bacteria are? First, to help to understand a bit about our bodies, think of a brick house. All the bricks stick together to form the walls. Similarly, our body is built of building blocks. Instead of bricks, however, our bodies are built out of cells. These cells are extremely small.
Bacteria are very small, single-celled organisms. Our body is made out of trillions (万亿)of cells, while a bacterium has only one cell. Bacteria are similar to the cells that make up our body. They are very small microorganisms, often much smaller than our cells. Bacteria are found almost everywhere on Earth. Right now, bacteria are probably living on your skin and in your body.
Many bacteria are helpful. They can help your body break down and digest food. Some bacteria, however, like Salmonella, are harmful and can make people very sick. Many bacteria get food from their environment. Also, bacteria have a DNA blueprint, and can reproduce.
We know of at least 300 species of bacteria, and scientists often discover new species. Some bacteria are good for us. Many bacteria are harmless. Some bacteria are dangerous, and along with other bad microbes (微生物), they are called “germs”.
Bacteria are small, usually microscopic organisms. This means you typically can’t see bacteria without a microscope or another tool. Bacteria are living organisms. However, some bacteria can use photosynthesis (光合作用), like plants, to create energy. This means they use sunlight and other things to create energy.
Bacteria are found pretty much everywhere on Earth. Right now, bacteria are likely present on your skin. They may also be present on the computer screen, on your food, and in many other places. Many bacteria live in your digestive tract and help your body break down food.
1. Why does the author mention the brick house?| A．To show the importance of cells. |
| B．To give an explanation for cells. |
| C．To help understand bacteria. |
| D．To prove bacteria are necessary for our body. |
| A．Bacteria can be only seen with the help of a microscope. |
| B．Bacteria are found only in human’s body. |
| C．Bacteria are similar to the cells in size. |
| D．Bacteria are single-celled organisms. |
| A．Some bacteria can generate energy. |
| B．Most bacteria are dangerous. |
| C．Bacteria are a little bit bigger than cells. |
| D．We know of less than 30, 000 species of bacteria. |
| A．The introduction of germ |
| B．The introduction of bacteria |
| C．The discovery of new bacteria |
| D．The distinction of god and bad bacteria |
相似题推荐
Have you ever heard of the contrast between the fox and the hedgehog（刺猬）? It is not about the difference between the two real animals. This distinction was first made by the Greek poet Archilochus over 2,500 years ago. He claimed that “the fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.”
There are a number of different interpretations of this idea. Some believe it describes two different types of people dealing with things in their lives. According to them, people like hedgehogs view the world through a single defining perspective（视角）.But people who are foxes see the world in various ways and believe their experiences cannot be boiled down to a single concept.
The strength of the hedgehog is that it has a clear central vision and focus, whereas the fox is flexible and open to many new ways of understanding life.The hedgehog is firm and devotes its life to one single thing, but the fox is open to changing its mind and willing to try different things.
Some critics argue that this contrast is too simple and that in reality most people are partly like a fox and partly like a hedgehog. But there does seem to be something useful in the distinction if we look at people around us and observe their attitudes towards the work they do.
For example, if we look at famous writers, we can see a distinction between those who devote their life to writing on one theme and those who have very varied careers. The great Chinese writer Cao Xueqin from the Qing Dynasty spent many years creating his epic novel Dream of the Red Chamber. Similarly, the 20th-century French writer Marcel Proust toiled for many years to produce an enormously long and autobiographical work entitled Remembrance of Things Past about a young man’s journey through life.
On the other hand, there are some writers who are happy to experiment with different styles and produce a wide variety of works. William Shakespeare is an example of this kind of writer, who turned his hand to comedies, histories and tragedies as well as writing numerous poems. Another writer who wrote a number of genres（体裁） is the 20th-century Irishman James Joyce whose writings range from naturalistic short stories, to a modern classic novel to an enormous experimental work pushing back the boundaries of language itself.
So, if we can divide people’s attitudes towards dealing with things in life into two groups: devoted, single-minded hedgehogs, or curious, adventurous foxes, which are you?
1. According to Archilochus’s statement, what is the distinction between the fox and hedgehog?(no more than 10 words)2. What does the underlined expression “boiled down to” in paragraph 2 probably mean?(no more than 5 words)
3. What is the main characteristics of people like hedgehogs?(no more than 15 words)
4. What do some critics say about the distinction between foxes and hedgehogs?(no more than 25 words)
5. Are you more like a hedgehog or a fox? Give your reasons.(no more than 25 words)
【推荐2】From Mozart to Metallica, tons of people enjoy listening to various types of music while they paint, write, or draw. Many believe that music helps inspire creativity, but an international Study conducted by English and Swedish researchers is challenging that idea.
Psychologists from Lancaster University, The University of Gavle, and The University of Central Lancashire say that their findings indicate music actually prevents creativity.
To come to their conclusions, researchers had participants complete verbal insight(洞察) problems designed to inspire creativity while sitting in a quiet room, and then again while music played in the background. They found that background music "significantly impaired( 削弱)" the participants' ability to complete tasks associated with verbal creativity.
The research team also tested background noises such as those commonly heard in a library, but found that such noises had no impact on subjects' creativity.
The tasks were simple word games. For example, participants were given three words, such as dress, dial, and flower. Then, they were asked to find a single word associated with all three that could be combined to form a common phrase or word. The single word, in this case, would be "sun” (sundress, sunflower, etc.)
Participants completed the tasks in either a quiet room, or while exposed to three different types of music; music with unfamiliar lyrics, instrumental music, or music with familiar lyrics.
"We found strong evidence of impaired performance when playing background music in comparison to quiet background conditions," says co-author Dr. Neil McLatchie of Lancaster University.
Dr. McLatchie and his colleagues theorize that music interferes (干 扰) with the verbal working memory processes of the brain, preventing creativity. Also, as far as the library background noise having seemingly no effect, the study's authors believe that was the case because library noises create a "steady state" environment that doesn't prevent concentration.
It's worth mentioning that even familiar music with well known lyrics impaired participants creativity, regardless of whether or not it produced a positive reaction, or whether participants typically studied or created while listening to music.
"To conclude, the findings here challenge the popular view that music inspires creativity, and instead show that music, regardless of the presence of semantic(语义的) content (no lyrics, familiar lyrics or unfamiliar lyrics), always prevent creative performance in insight problem solving", the study reads.
1. What conclusion can most probably be drawn from this passage?| A．Background music inspires creativity. |
| B．Background music impairs creativity. |
| C．Background noises have bad influence on creativity. |
| D．Different music has different effects on creativity. |
| A．do some reading in a library |
| B．design some verbal insight problems |
| C．do some word games |
| D．listen to some background music |
| A．Because the music prevents concentration. |
| B．Because they aren't familiar with music. |
| C．Because the tasks are too challenging |
| D．Bee the background is not creative. |
| A．The music with a positive reaction has a positive effect. |
| B．The effects depend on the contents of music. |
| C．Quiet music does good to learning effects. |
| D．All background music is bad for learning effects. |
【推荐3】Humans are not the animal world’s only fashion followers. Tits (山雀) can be one of them, too. A study by Sonja Wild and Lucy Aplin shows that, given the chance, they make their nests (巢穴) with this season’s must-have color.
Dr. Wild and Dr. Aplin followed up on a study which noted that the blue tits preferred to put the same plants into their nests. This also suggested fashion-following—and it led Dr. Wild and Dr. Aplin to imagine that birds were studying the nests of others and copying them.
The birds they followed carried instruments on them. That allowed researchers to follow a large number of tits by their arrival at food dispensers (自动取物装置) throughout the woods.
One day in March 2021, Dr. Wild and Dr. Aplin used five dispensers with wool rather than food. Each contained two colors—either orange and pink or blue and purple—but all were rigged to give only one of these. This remained so until at least one local nest was seen to include wool from a dispenser. At that moment, the other color was discovered, too. As a comparison, Dr. Wild and Dr. Aplin set up four wool dispensers in a separate area, each providing two colors from the beginning.
Of 68 tits’ nests, 26 included wool from a dispenser. Of these, 18 were built after both colors had been gotten from all dispensers. Even so, 10 of that 18 included only the color of wool first chosen by a nest makers. By contrast (相比之下), all 8 nests with wool have mixed colors, which showed a clear difference in the record.
Tits, then, do seem to be “in fashion” when it comes to nest-building materials. Tits like those of the leaders of human fashions and it is worth more deep research.
1. Why are the same plants put into nests by the tits?| A．They want to beautify their nests. |
| B．They find no other plants. |
| C．They are used to doing this. |
| D．They want to keep warm. |
| A．Refused. | B．Warned. | C．Forced. | D．Arranged. |
| A．Testing colors. | B．Observing activities. |
| C．Comparing results. | D．Checking numbers. |
| A．Disappointed. | B．Supportive |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Unclear. |
【推荐1】You may have heard the old saying, “The more, the merrier.” It’s usually true, but not for travel. When it comes to travel, I say, “The more, the messier.”
I first figured this out a few years ago. I bought the cheapest airline ticket I could find: the Philippines. It turned out great! Once, I went on a long hike and missed the last bus back to town. No problem! Because I was traveling alone, I was able to ride with some Swiss tourists who only had one extra seat in their van(货车). Traveling alone, I was never really alone at all. It was easier to meet people. I talked to everyone I met.
I’m not alone in my preference for solo travel. According to the Daily Mail, there has been a 143 percent increase in “solo travel” internet searches over the past three years. This makes it one of the fastest growing parts of the travel industry.
To me, it’s obvious why people like it. It’s easier to plan. Just pack your bag and go straight to your dream place. If you involve other people, you’ll have to make compromises with your time and money.
Besides freedom, for some people, solo travel is a journey for the mind and soul. They believe solo travel helps them escape trivial (琐碎的) problems of daily life and social activities. “I need peace. I need quiet,” said Suzanne Joinson in the Telegraph. “And most of all, I really, really need to be alone.” No wonder US author Henry Rollins once wrote: “Loneliness adds beauty to life. It puts a special burn on sunsets and makes night air smell better.”
1. What’s the author’s purpose in mentioning the old saying at the beginning of the text?| A．To arouse people’s thinking. | B．To prove it’s completely wrong. |
| C．To introduce his opinion on travel. | D．To show people’s opinions on happiness. |
| A．Few people prefer solo travel. | B．Not all the people like solo travel. |
| C．Some other people also like solo travel. | D．The author doesn’t feel lonely when travelling alone. |
| A．it’s easier to plan | B．they will have more freedom |
| C．they can find their inner peace | D．they need to compromise with their time and money |
| A．Solo Travel: Lonelier but Freer | B．Solo Travel: a Journey for the Soul |
| C．Solo Travel: the Best Way of Travelling | D．Solo Travel: a Merrier Way of Travelling |
【推荐2】New technology is making it possible for people to make videos of people appearing to say things they never actually said. The videos are known as “deepfakes”.
The word “deepfake” is a combination of “deep learning”(an important part of artificial intelligence) and “fake” (not real). Deepfake software allows people to replace part of a video with another video image. The result is a fake video.
The software allows you to put your face over the face of a talking president or movie star. This process will make your face speak in the voice of that president or movie star. Many people are worried the technology will be used to trick voters. Lawmakers, intelligence officials and media experts have expressed concern about deepfakes. They warn the false videos could be used to threaten America’s national security.
“We have entered a new world where it is going to be difficult to know how to believe what we see,” said Hany Farid, a researcher at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. He added, “the opposite result is also worrying. People will become so used to seeing false videos that they will be more likely to doubt a real video. ”
The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency(DARPA) is already working to develop technologies to identify fake images and videos. But Senator Rubio says, now the identification is difficult and takes a very long time.
“It takes advanced technology to be able to show that it’s not real. And by the time that’s done, it’s been widely used.”
Rubio and other lawmakers say people will need to take more responsibility to identify fakes.
1. What is “deepfake” software used to do?| A．Kill some virus. | B．Make fake videos. |
| C．Make excellent movies. | D．Benefit stars and leaders. |
| A．False videos might mislead people. |
| B．It was too difficult to use the software. |
| C．Private information might be given away. |
| D．Some people might be addicted to “deepfakes”. |
| A．It is really difficult to identify fake videos. |
| B．The technology “deepfake” has been banned. |
| C．The government is responsible for identification. |
| D．National security is being threatened by “deepfake”. |
| A．Ways to identify fake videos. |
| B．People’s different views on “deepfake”. |
| C．A new technology with a bright future. |
| D．A worrying new technology “deepfake”. |
【推荐3】Antarctica is the highest, driest, and coldest place on Earth. It is also the remotest, a fact which demystifies its unspoiled environment. It is difficult for people to get there, and not a comfortable place for people to stay once they arrive. It is widely described as the last true wilderness on our planet.
The cold climate is responsible for maintaining the continent’s year-round ice fields: They never melt. Even though Antarctica receives more sunlight than the equator, the temperatures are lower because the ice sheet reflects the heat back into space. Thus, the coldest temperature ever recorded on Earth was in Antarctica in July, 1983. Soviet scientists shivered (瑟瑟发抖) through temperatures that fell to minus 89.2 degrees Celsius.
Once completely inaccessible, Antarctica has more recently been playing host to adventurers seeking excitement, scientists interested in experimenting, and companies looking to exploit this wild zone for profit: gold, uranium and oil are just some of the valuable resources which lie beneath the continent’s icy covering.
For centuries, Europeans wondered about the existence of a South-pole continent, but no one actually knew for certain Antactica was there until 1820 when European explorers “discover” it. Since then, men have gone to Antarctica in search of adventure. Testing their abilities, several teams of explorers set out in 1911 to be the first men to stand at the South Pole.
Yet, Antarctica’s fragile and complicated ecosystem is threatened by its human visitors. Damage to the environment occurs as people come looking for resources beneath the ice, or carelessly leave their garbage behind. Currently, countries are working to ensure that the damage to Antarctica’s environment is minimized, and that the last wilderness on Earth will remain an unspoiled place.
1. What does the underlined word “demystifies” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Does harm to. | B．Lies in. | C．Accounts for. | D．Stays away from. |
| A．To make a comparison with other places. | B．To show Soviet scientists’ fearless spirits. |
| C．To stress the freezing weather of Antarctica. | D．To explain the reason for Antarctica’s cold climate. |
| A．In the late eighteenth century. | B．In the early eighteenth century. |
| C．In the early nineteenth century. | D．In the late twentieth century. |
| A．Measures are being taken to protect Antarctica. |
| B．Antarctica’s eco-system has been destroyed by men. |
| C．People visiting Antarctica leave garbage on purpose. |
| D．In the icy covering are buried few precious resources. |
