Talking plants might sound like characters in a fairy tale. But recent scientific studies have shown that plants communicate with each other and with other living things in a surprising number of ways. To understand them, scientists say, we just have to learn their language. Farmers are especially interested in what plants have to say.
“Plants are able to communicate with all sorts of organisms (有机体). They can communicate with giant bacteria, with other plants and with insects. They do this chemically，” said Cahill, an Ecology Professor of the University of Alberta in Canada.
Plant scientists are just beginning to understand this chemical “language”. Cahill says studies have shown, for example, that plants can evaluate (评估) conditions in their immediate environment and take appropriate actions. Plants have an ability, for example, to signal pain or discomfort caused by anything from temperature extremes to an insect attack. Jack Schultz, a professor of chemical ecology at the University of Missouri, says when a plant senses that it's being eaten, it cannot walk away from trouble; on the contrary, it will release a chemical vapor(蒸汽) that alerts other plants nearby.
“Their language is a chemical language, and it involves chemicals that move through the air that are easy to be changeable, and most of all are smells that we are familiar with，” Schultz explained.
“All plants responded to the attack by changing their chemistry to defend themselves，” Schultz recalled. “But we were quite surprised to find that nearby plants also changed their chemistry to defend themselves, even though they were not part of the experiment.”
Studies have also shown that plants under attack release pleasant chemicals. Those chemicals attract friendly insects that attack the pests eating the plant.
In the end, plants' ability to communicate their needs—and our ability to understand them—could help farmers reduce the use of poisonous chemicals, cut operating costs and limit damage to the environment.The recent scientific studies have shown that plants can ______.
| A．communicate with other living things in a chemical way |
| B．hardly react to any sudden change in temperature |
| C．use a very special chemica1 language which is familiar to us |
| D．respond to the attack by giving off poisonous chemicals |
When being eaten by an insect, the plant will ________.
| A．walk away from trouble |
| B．change its chemistry to kill the insect |
| C．release a chemical vapor to “ask” other plants for help |
| D．give off nice chemicals to attract friendly insects killing the pest |
The underlined word “alert” most probably means “______”．
| A．warn | B．protect |
| C．threaten | D．allow |
Which would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Communication between Plants |
| B．A Chemical “Language” |
| C．Plants Can Talk |
| D．How Plants Protect Themselves |
The Internet has opened up a whole new on-line world for us to meet, chat (聊天) and go where we’ve never been before.
But just as in face-to-face communication, there are some basic rules of behavior that should be followed when online. The basic rule is simple: treat others in the same way that you would want to be treated. Imagine how you’d feel if you were in the other person’s shoes.
For anything you’re going to send, ask yourself: “Would I say this in front of the person?” If the answer is no, rewrite and reread. Repeat the process till you feel sure that you’d feel comfortable saying the words to the person’s face.
If someone in the chat room is impolite to you, your feeling is to fight back in the same manner. But try not to do so. You should either ignore (忽略) the person, or use your chat software (软件) to stop their messages. If it was caused by a disagreement with another member, try to fix the situation by politely discussing it. Remember to respect the beliefs and opinions of others in the chat room.
Everyone was new to the network once. Offer advice when asked by newcomers, as they may not be sure what to do or how to communicate. When someone makes a mistake whether it’s a stupid question or an unnecessarily long answer, be kind about it. If it’s a small mistake, you may not need to say anything. Even if you feel strongly about it, think twice before saying anything. Having good manners yourself doesn’t give you the right to correct everyone else.
If you do decide to tell someone about a mistake, point it out politely. At the same time, if you find you are wrong, be sure to correct yourself and apologize to those who you have offended (冒犯).
It is not polite to ask others personal questions such as their age, sex, and families. Unless you know the person very well, and you are both comfortable with sharing personal information, don’t ask such questions.. When you send short messages to a person, you must .
| A．make sure that they don’t do harm to others | B．read them again and again |
| C．say something good to hear | D．repeat them later to the person’s face |
If you are hurt in the chat room by others, you should .
| A．fight back in the same way | B．take them seriously |
| C．pay no attention to them | D．be angry at them |
If a newcomer who communicates on line makes any mistakes, you .
| A．should point them out sharply |
| B．shouldn’t give any advice unless required by them |
| C．should say something about them |
| D．should correct them at once |
This passage mainly tells us .
| A．some rules of Internet communication |
| B．ways of sending messages |
| C．rules of the face – to – face communication |
| D．ways of making friends on the Internet |
No one knows yet the accurate number of lives which have been lost in this terrible fire. But reports suggest that it is more than one hundred.
A wall of fire fifty feet high and at least one hundred and fifty miles wide is now racing towards the forests and rich farmlands of southern Victoria. Towns less than one hundred miles from Melbourne will be in danger unless the wind changes. People are rushing excitedly into the streets. The police have warned them not to see the fire but many people are doing so.
The cause of the fire is unknown. No rain has fallen in this part of Australia for three months, and the hot, north-west wind from the great central desert is blowing at more than thirty miles an hour.
The firefighters are traveling to the fire by road, rail and air. But it is not easy to get there. Flames and fallen trees have cut off or blocked roads and railway lines. The thick smoke often prevents them from finding the air strips (飞机跑道).
It is said that the fire has brought the greater danger to the country since the Second World War.By the time the article is written, the fire .
| A．has just broken out | B．has been put out |
| C．is spreading fiercely | D．is coming to an end |
The writer writes this article mainly to tell people .
| A．the fire is terrible and dangerous |
| B．it is very easy to put out the fire |
| C．less than one hundred people die of the fire |
| D．to join in the fight against the fire |
In the 4th paragraph, the writer suggests (暗示) that .
| A．the fire would be controlled by the firefighters very soon |
| B．it will be very difficult to put out the fire |
| C．the government is paying great attention to the fire |
| D．the fire has caused great losses and the airport was in danger |
The underlined word “ accurate ” in the first sentence has the same meaning as .
| A．recent | B．false | C．rough（大约的） | D．exact |
Ed Viesturs grew up in Rockford, Illinois, where the tallest thing on the ground was the water tower. But on Thursday, Viesturs became the only American to climb to the top of the world’s 14 highest mountains.
His last hike was up Mount Annapurna, in Asia’s snowcapped Himalayas. At 26,545 feet, its top is the 10th highest in the world. It is the mountain that inspired him to start climbing.
“It seems to be the most difficult, the most dangerous,” said Viesturs. “There’s no simple way to climb it. There are threatening avalanches (雪崩) and ice falls that protect the mountain.”
In high school, Viesturs read French climber Maurice Herzog’s story of climbing the icy Annapurna. Herzog’s story was of frostbite (冻伤) and difficulty and near-death experiences. Viesturs was hooked right away.
Viesturs got his start on Washington’s Mount Rainier in 1977, guiding hikes in the summer. Fifteen years ago, he set out to walk up to the world’s highest tops. Finally, he’s done.
The pioneering climber talks about mountains as if they were living creatures that should be treated with respect. “You have to use all of your senses, all of your abilities to see if the mountain will let you climb it,” said Viesturs. “If we have the patience and the respect, and if we’re here at the right time, under the right conditions, they allow us to go up, and allow us to come down.”
What’s next for a man who can’t stop climbing? “I’m going to hold my wife and kids and enjoy the summer,” says Viesturs. But for a man who has climbed the world’s 14 tallest mountains, he will probably soon start another adventure. The author used Viestures’ words in Paragraph 6 to support an opinion that .
| A．mountain climbing is a dangerous sport |
| B．mountains should be regarded as living creatures |
| C．mountain climbing needs more skills than physical energy |
| D．those who like mountain climbing won’t stop climbing |
The underlined word “hooked” in Paragraph 4 can be replaced by ________.
| A．frightened | B．discouraged | C．interested | D．upset |
What’s the next probable plan of Viestures?
| A．Stopping climbing and staying with his family. |
| B．Climbing to the top of the world’s 14 tallest mountains again. |
| C．Writing down the experiences about his adventure. |
| D．Climbing another one of the highest mountains. |
Studies show that walking several times a week can lower, or reduce, the danger of many diseases. Walking also can help you lose weight.
Fast walking is good for the heart. It lowers the blood pressure. Researchers say walking can reduce the danger of suffering a heart attack by as much as fifty percent.
Studies have shown that walking for thirty minutes a day can delay and possibly prevent the development of Type Two Diabetes. It can prevent diabetes among people who are overweight and at danger for the disease.
Studies show that women who walk and take calcium reduce their danger of thinning of the bones. Walking also helps lower the pain of arthritis in areas where bones are joined by strengthening the muscles around the bones.
Walking several times a week is a good way to control your weight and even lose body fat. Studies show it also helps lower feelings of sadness.
Experts say walking is one of the safest ways to exercise. There is a low danger of injuries. So it is good for people who are starting an exercise program for the first time and for older people.
A walking program is easy to start. You should wear loose clothes and good shoes. Shoes designed for walking are best.
How fast should you walk? You should be breathing hard while you are walking. Yet, you should be able to
talk.
Let your arms move back and forward at your sides while you walk. The title of the passage probably is ______.
| A．Walking | B．Feelings of Sadness | C．Weight | D．Diseases |
“Walking is one of the safest ways to exercise” means ______.
| A．walking is easy to start | B．there’s a low danger of injuries |
| C．walking is good for heart | D．walking can prevent the development of diseases |
Walking helps reduce the following EXCEPT_________.
| A．the danger of many diseases | B．weight | C．sad feelings | D．money for shoes |
According to the passage, walking ________.
| A．is the safest way to all of the people | B．is a good way to reduce the danger of many diseases |
| C．can cure the disease of heart attack | D．can help put on weight |
Valencia is in the east part of Spain. It has a port on the sea, two miles away on the coast. It is the capital of a province that is also named Valencia.
The city is a market center for what is produced by the land round the city. Most of the city’s money is made from farming. It is also a busy business city, with ships, railways, clothes and machine factories.
Valencia has an old part with white old buildings, colored roofs, and narrow streets. The modern part has long, wide streets and new buildings. Valencia is well known for its parks and gardens. It has many old churches and museums. The university in the center of the city was built in the 13th century.
The city of Valencia has been known since the 2nd century. In the 8th century it was the capital of Spain. There is also an important city in Venezuela named Valencia. From the text, how many places have the name Valencia?
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
What is the main difference between the two parts of the city?
| A．The age of the buildings. | B．The parks and gardens. |
| C．The number of people. | D．The churches and museums. |
When was Valencia the most important city in Spain?
| A．In the 2nd century. | B．In the 8th century. | C．In the 13th century. | D．In the 20th century. |
What is Valencia famous for?
| A．Its seaport. | B．Its university. |
| C．Its churches and museums. | D．Its parks and gardens. |
The main income of the city of Valencia is from its _____.
| A．markets | B．businesses | C．factories | D．agriculture |
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