问题:Irish Dolphins May Have a Unique DialectIrish scientists monitoring dolphins living in a river estuary in the southwest of the country believe they may have developed a unique dialect to communicate with each other.The Channel Dolphin and Wildlife Foundation (SDWF) has been studying a group of up to 120 bottle-nose dolphins in the River Shannon using vocalisations collected on a computer in a cow shed near the River Shannon.As part of a research project, student Ronan Hickey digitised and analysed a total of 1,882 whistles from the Irish dolphins and those from the Welsh dolphins on a computer and separated them into six fundamental whistle types and 32 different categories. Of the categories, he found most were used by both sets of dolphins—but eight were only heard from the Irish dolphins."We are building up a catalogue of the different whistle types they use and trying to associate them with behaviour like foraging, resting, socialising and the communications of groups with calves," project leader Simon Berrow said. "Essentially we are building up what is like a dictionary of words they use or sounds they make. "Berrow, a marine biologist, said the dolphins' clicks are used to find their way around and locate prey. The whistles are communications. "They do a whole range of other sounds like barks, groans and a kind of gunshot. " He said. "The gunshot is an intense pulse of sound. Sperm whales use it to stun their prey. ""When I first heard it I was surprised as I thought sperm whales were the only species who used it. We can speculate the dolphins are using it for the same reason as the sperm whales. " Berrow said.References in local legend indicate there have been dolphins in the Shannon estuary for generations and they may even have been resident there as far back as the 6th century.They are regularly seen by passengers on the Shannon ferry and an estimated 25,000 tourists every year take special sightseeing tours on local boats to visit them.The difference in eating habits between the bottle-nose dolphins and the sperm whales interested the SDWF scientists.A.RightB.WrongC.Not mentioned
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问题:People are confused in their attempts to control malaria in Europe in the early 1900s, because scientists ______.A.identified only one mosquito species instead of six speciesB.thought only three mosquito species transmitted diseaseC.thought there was only one mosquito speciesD.did not know what species was being studied
问题:The energy stored in coal ______.
问题:And the cars are tested for defects before leaving the factory.A.functionsB.faultsC.motionsD.parts
问题:Why do people replace the term creationism with the term intelligent design nowadays?A.Because "intelligent design" represents the modified theory of evolution.B.Because they believe God created different species.C.Because the term creationism is unscientific.D.Because the term creationism is too direct.
问题:According to Weis in the 5th paragraph, the theory of evolution ______.A.is fundamental to the development of modem genetics, molecular biology and geonomicsB.is a political issueC.is based on genetics, molecular biology and geonomicsD.has increased our understanding of human health
问题:Ronan Hickey analyzed almost 2000 different dialects of the bottle-nose dolphins.A.RightB.WrongC.Not mentioned
问题:Defending the Theory of Evolution Still Seems NeededJudith S. Weis, a biology professor who serves as president of the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) is leading a nationwide effort to "defend" the theory of evolution. Weis leads the effort in the face of what the institute views as opposition and indifference from school boards and government entities.The Institute believes that the teaching of evolution in America is being diminished by the teaching of creationism as well as by an overall lack of teaching Darwin's theory in high school. "There's nothing that requires schools to teach evolution. Sometimes teachers in high schools just leave it out. However from the point of view of biologists, evolution is the central theory of biology upon which everything is based," said Weis. "Unfortunately, teaching evolution has become a political issue in many parts of the country and AIBS, as a representative of biologists, wanted to be a major force speaking out in favor of its teaching. "Weis said the institute is working together with the American Geological Institute and the National Association of Biology Teachers and its 80-plus member organizations to address" the political and legislative threats to teaching evolution. In states challenging its teaching, the institute responds by sending letters to school boards and state legislatures, by providing testimony at public meetings and by notifying members and affiliated organizations. AIBS, with more than 80 member societies and 250,000 members, has established an email system enabling scientists and teachers in each state, and member societies, to keep each other informed about threats to the teaching of evolution.Darwin's theory of evolution holds that living things change and adapt to their environment and that present-day species ( including human beings) are descended from earlier species through modification by natural selection. The theory has been accepted by scientists for nearly 100 years, Weis said, and has been refined, extended and strengthened over the years by findings in paleontology and developmental biology. Discoveries in genetics, molecular biology and genomics—all of which provide significant benefits for human health—would not be possible without the underlying knowledge of evolution. And, Weis adds, "modem molecular biology and genomics have increased our understanding of how evolution works." Nonetheless, evolution remains a politically, if not scientifically, controversial issue.Weis said that this year alone, seven states have had either local or statewide efforts to water down the teaching of evolution, or "balance" it with the teaching of creationism—a religious belief that different species were created separately by a higher power, such as God. "Rarely does anyone now use the word ' creationism, ' because that's too obvious," Weis said. "The current terminology is ' intelligent design. ' "According to the first paragraph, which of the following statements about the theory or evolution is true?A.Government entities support AIBS's effort to defend the theory of evolution.B.School boards oppose AIBS's effort to defend the theory of evolution.C.AIBS and school boards advocate the teaching of the theory of evolution.D.The theory of evolution and that of creationism co-exist peacefully in schools.
问题:Of the 32 categories, eight were produced only by the Irish dolphins.A.RightB.WrongC.Not mentioned
问题:Hearing problems may be alleviated by changes in diet and exercise habits.A.removedB.curedC.worsenedD.relieved
问题:Sperm whales can produce stronger ultrasonic waves to kill their prey than dolphins.A.RightB.WrongC.Not mentioned
问题:Which one of the following is NOT the reason for an overall lack of teaching Darwin's theory?A.Teaching of creationism diminishes teaching of evolution.B.Teachers are not required to teach Darwin's theory.C.teachers often leave out the teaching of evolution.D.Darwin's theory is denied as the central theory of biology.
问题:For young children, getting dressed is a complicated business.A.strangeB.complexC.personalD.funny
问题:"Hidden" Species May Be Surprisingly CommonCryptic species animals that appear identical but are genetically quite distant—may be much more widespread than previously thought. The findings could have major implications in areas ranging from biodiversity estimates and wildlife management, to our understanding of infectious diseases and evolution.Reports of cryptic species have increased dramatically over the past two decades with the advent of relatively inexpensive DNA sequencing technology. Markus Pfenninger and Klaus Schwenk, of the Goethe-Universitat, in Frankfurt, Germany, analyzed all known data on cryptic animal species and discovered that they are found in equal proportions throughout all major branches of the animal kingdom and occur in equal numbers in all biogeographieal regions.Scientists had previously speculated that cryptic species were predominantly found in insects and reptiles, and were more likely to occur in tropical rather than temperate regions. "Species that are seemingly widespread and abundant could in reality be many different cryptic species that have low populations and are highly endangered. " Says Pfenninger. Until the genetic information of all species in at least one taxon is thoroughly studied, no one will know just how many cryptic species exist. "It could be as high as 30%. " Pfenninger says."I'm extremely surprised by their results. " Says Alex Smith of the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. "It's a call to arms to keep doing the broad kind of genetic studies that we are doing. "Sampling as many individuals as possible, scientists hope to complete work on all fish and birds in another 5 to 10 years. Once either of these taxonomic groups is completed, Pfenninger says researchers will be able to decide how many cryptic species exist throughout the animal kingdom.Examples of cryptic species include the African elephant. A 2001 study found the elephants were actually two genetically distinct, non-interbreeding species, the African bush elephant and the African elephant. The species are currently listed as vulnerable and threatened, respectively, by the World Conservation Union (WCU).The reclassifications are more than an academic exercise. They define populations that have evolved independently of each other and whose genetic differences can have significant consequences. In the early 1900s misidentification of mosquito species based on morphology confused attempts to control malaria in Europe. Ultimately, what was thought to be a single species was actually made up of six sibling species, only three of which transmitted the disease. "The basic unit in biology is always the species, and you have to know what you are dealing with. " Pfenninger says. Much previous research is now no longer used, he says, because it is not clear what species was being studied.Which of the following about the significance of the research on cryptic species is NOT true?A.The results of the research can help the development of many other research areas.B.The results of the research can help the development of biodiversity estimates.C.The results of the research can help our understanding of infectious disease evolution.D.The results of the research can help our understanding of "survival of the fittest. "
问题:Electromagnetic EnergyWhite light seems to be a combination of all colors. The energy that comes from a source of light is not limited to the kind of energy you can see. Heat is given off by a flame or an electric light. On a cloudy day it is possible to get a sunburn even though you feel cool. Visible light and the kind of energy that produce warmth and sunburn are examples of electromagnetic energy.The sun is 93 million miles from the earth. Yet we can use energy from the sun because electromagnetic energy travels through space.Many other kinds of energy are also types of electromagnetic energy. Radio, television, and radar signals travel from transmitters to receivers as low-energy electromagnetic waves. Infrared (红外线的) radiation is an electromagnetic wave. When it is absorbed by matter, heat is produced. Waves of infrared and visible light have more energy than waves of radio, television, or radar. Ultraviolet rays (紫外线) and X-rays are electromagnetic waves with even greater amounts of energy. Infrared radiation is used in cooking food and heating buildings. Sunlight and electric lights are part of our requirements for normal living. Ultraviolet radiation is useful in killing certain disease organisms. X-rays and gamma rays have so mush energy that they travel right through solid objects. They can be used to detect and treat cancer. X-rays are used in industry to find hidden cracks in metal, and in medicine to reveal broken bones.Usually we use electricity to generate electromagnetic energy. The source of most of our energy is the sun. Heat from the sun causes water to evaporate. When the water falls to the earth as rain, some of it is trapped behind dams and then used to operate electric generators. Other generators are powered by coal, but the energy stored in coal came from the sun, too.Until recently, the source of the tremendous amount of energy given off by the sun was a puzzle. If the sun depended on chemical reactions, it would have used up all its energy long ago. Experiments with electromagnetic radiation led to the theory that mass can be converted into energy. About forty years after the theory was proposed, nuclear energy was harnessed (利用) by man. Chemical energy comes from electron (电子) rearrangement. Nuclear energy comes from a change in the nucleus of an atom. Compared with chemical reactions, nuclear reactions release millions of times more energy per pound of fuel. We now believe that the sun's energy comes from the nuclear reactions in which hydrogen is changed into helium(氦).Nuclear energy is beginning to compete with coal as an economical source of power to generate electricity. It is also being used to operate engines in large ships. Scientists continue to seek new and better methods of obtaining and using energy.A. Nuclear Reactions as the Lasting Source of the Sun's EnergyB. The Most Important Source of EnergyC. Types of Electromagnetic EnergyD. X-rays Are Used to Detect and Treat Cancer.E. Seeking New Sources of EnergyF. Nuclear Energy is Beginning to Compete with CoalParagraph 3 ______
问题:AIBS's is composed of ______.A.more than 80 societies and 250,000 membersB.250,000 biologistsC.80 member organizationsD.more than 250,000 members and 80 member societies
问题:He is determined to consolidate his power.A.strengthenB.controlC.abandonD.exercise