Growing strawberries in pots
·The best way to start growing strawberries is to buy pot-grown strawberry plants in spring：5 plants are plenty for a hanging basket and 10 for the average 13 inch-sized pot．
·Plant them immediately in soil-based compost（混合肥料） and they will produce a modest crop in their first year．The second year should see a bumper（特大的）crop，followed by a slightly lower yield（产量）the third summer．Then start again with fresh stock ．
·Careful watering and feeding are essential If you are to harvest a good crop，you must never let the compost dry out, particularly when the fruit is forming and ripening；if you do．most of your crop will drop off血e bush almost immediately．
·Water well then leave the pots for up to 3 weeks，until they reach the point of drying out be careful not to overwater them during the winter months．
Pruning apple trees
·A one-year-old tree is known as a “maiden”．It has a single stem when purchased．Immediately after planting, cut it back by about half to leave 4 good buds at the base of the stem．This will force growth from the base or the plant during the summer．
·In the second year ,prune in winter by cutting all side branches back by about one-third, Make sure each cut is made cleanly just above an outward-facing bud．In the third and fourth years, new side branches will have emerged from the previous year’s growth．Cut back all these new side branches by a third, pruning to an outward-facing bud．
·By the fifth year the tree should have a well-balanced shape．From then on ,cut back all new branches by one-third in winter．Remove any diseased wood and broken branches, and ensure the centre is open to air circulationThe two pieces of advice probably appear in_________
| A．a scientific repot | B．a gardening guide |
| C．a book review | D．a fashion column |
A good crop of strawberries mainly depends on_________
| A．the size of a pot |
| B．the season of harvesting |
| C．the number of plants in a pot |
| D．careful watering and feeding |
Cutting back all side branches by a third is to__________
| A．remove the diseased and broken branches |
| B．keep the whole tree open to air circulation |
| C．force the apple tree to grow from the base in winter |
| D．help the apple tree to form a well-balanced shape |
The two pieces of advice suggest that planting is closely related to_______
| A．season | B．water | C．compost | D．cutting |
Although Paris is often considered the city of romance， close to a million adults who call it home are single. Many single people say that France’s capital is one of the most difficult places to meet people. The complaints of this lonely group have inspired a new phenomenon known as “supermarket dating.” At Galerie Lafayette Gourmet，singles can shop for more than just the items on their grocery list. They can look for someone who has blue eyes， brown hair，and is 1.8 meters tall，or whatever may be on their romantic shopping list.
At this Paris location，single people of all ages can schedule their shopping for Thursday nights between 6:30 and 9:00 p.m. When they walk through the door，they pick up a purple basket to advise that they are looking for love. They try to arrive early because the baskets disappear quickly, and then they have to wait in line for their turn to wander the store aisles(过道).
With purple baskets in hand， shoppers can consider their romantic options while they pick out their groceries. When they are ready to pay， they can go to the checkout line for singles who want to chat.
Most of the people who look for love in the supermarket are skeptical of Internet dating. They know that it is easy to embellish（美化）one’s appearance or to lie about one’s age over the Internet. The supermarket， on the other hand，is considered a safe and casual environment in which to meet a potential match. In addition， what one finds in another’s grocery basket can say a thing or two about that person’s character or intentions. Buying pet food can be a man’s way of showing a potential match that he has a sensitive side. Women who fill their baskets with low-fat food show their healthy style of living. These ways it’s possible to find much more than food at a grocery store.What do many single people in Paris complain about?
| A．The difficulty in meeting people. |
| B．The idea of supermarket dating. |
| C．The items on their grocery list. |
| D．The inconvenience in shopping. |
Which of the following can be inferred but is not clearly stated in the second paragraph?
| A．The dating supermarket is located in Paris. |
| B．The dating supermarket is open only on Thursday evenings. |
| C．People looking for love must get a basket of a particular color |
| D．The dating supermarket has very good business. |
How do love shoppers meet one another?
| A．They schedule their meeting in advance. |
| B．They go through a special checkout. |
| C．They pick out their groceries with great care. |
| D．They dial the phone numbers on their shopping items. |
According to the writer，a possible way to win a woman’s heart is to .
| A．pick up a purple basket | B．buy low-fat food |
| C．embellish your appearance | D．buy pet food |
Why do the people prefer the supermarket dating to Internet dating?
| A．The supermarket dating is more convenient. |
| B．The supermarket dating is more casual. |
| C．The supermarket dating can be trusted more. |
| D．The supermarket dating is less expensive. |
Howard Dill is a giant among giant pumpkin growers. He grew world champion pumpkins for four years running，from 1979 to 1982，and missed winning the fifth year by a mere 5 pounds. Today，his Dill Atlantic Giant seeds are sold worldwide to more than 50 seed companies. The pumpkins grown from his Dill Atlantic Giant seeds commonly weigh in at over 1,000 pounds.“I don’t have any training in genetics ；it was all trial and error，”Dill says. He inherited his love of pumpkins from his father and has enjoyed growing them for years.
Dill still grows giant pumpkins, but not for competition. In the fall, visitors come to enjoy the pumpkin patch on his 90-acre farm in Nova Scotia，Canada. He plants ten acres of pumpkins for Halloween and two acres of giant pumpkins. One of giant pumpkins was recently baked into 442 pumpkin pies and sold at $ 5 each for charity.
It you want to try growing a giant pumpkin, Dill recommends starting with a soil test and then adding fertilizer as needed. Plant the giant pumpkin seed. A giant pumpkin can gain 15 to 20 pounds a day， so careful watering—every day or two—is essential. You should wait about 130 days until the pumpkin matures and then you can harvest it.
Dill’s favorite pumpkin set the Guinness Book record in 1981. It weighted 493.5 pounds. “I’ve grown them larger since， but that one meant a lot,” he remembers. “I never would have predicted ten years ago that there would be a 1,000-pounder，but there are many of them now，”says Dill。The 2006 world record holder is Larry Checkon of Pennsylvania. He grew a 1,469 pounder. Dill says, “These world champions are grown from my seeds， so I feel like a winner right along with them.”What can we learn about the world champion pumpkin of 1983?
| A．It weighed over 1,000 pounds. |
| B．It was missing after the competition. |
| C．It was 5 pounds heavier than that of 1982. |
| D．It was 5 pounds heavier than Dill’s biggest one that year. |
One of Dill’s giant pumpkins earned .
| A．$2210 | B．$442 | C．$1000 | D．$1469 |
In the third paragraph Dill mainly tells about .
| A．how to do a soil test | B．how to plant the giant pumpkin seed |
| C．when to water the pumpkin | D．how to grow a giant pumpkin |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．Howard Dill is well trained in genetics. |
| B．Howard Dill grows pumpkins just for competiton. |
| C．Dill felt proud of Larry Checkon’s champion pumpkin. |
| D．Dill’s favorite pumpkin is the heaviest of all those he has ever grown. |
Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
| A．Gardening Giant: Howard Dill | B．World Champion Pumpkin |
| C．Dill Atlantic Giant Seeds | D．How to Grow Giant Pumpkins |
The food we eat seems to have a great effect on our health. Although science has made big steps in making food more fit to eat, it has, at the same time, made many foods unfit to eat. Some research has shown that perhaps eighty percent of human illness is related to food and forty percent of cancer is related to food as well. That food is related to illness is not a new discovery. In 1945, some researchers realized that things commonly used to keep colour in meats and other food additives（添加剂）caused cancer.
Yet, these additives remain in our food, and it is difficult to know which things on the wrappings（包装）of foods are helpful or harmful. The additives which we eat are not all so direct. Farmers often give penicillin to their animals, and because of this, penicillin has been found in the milk of cows. Sometimes similar tings are supplied to animals not for their health, but just to make a profit.
The farmers are simply trying to fatten the animals in order to get a higher price on the market. Although some countries have tried to control such things, the practice continues.Which of the following is not true?
| A．Some wrappings of food are harmful. |
| B．Farmers try to make more money on the market by fattening their animals. |
| C．“The practice continues” means “things are still going on like that”. |
| D．We needn’t take care of what we eat. |
According to this passage, we can know .
| A．perhaps most of human illness is caused by what we eat |
| B．perhaps most kinds of cancer are related to what people eat |
| C．cancer was discovered in 1945 |
| D．science has made food unfit to eat |
Things that are used to keep colours in meats are .
| A．harmful | B．useless | C．helpless | D．dangerous |
All the additives .
| A．are bright and colourless |
| B．are not bright and colourful |
| C．have indirect effects on our health |
| D．have direct effects on our health |
How Americans Began to Eat Tomatoes
People have strange ideas about food. For example, the tomato is a kind of very delicious vegetable. It is one of useful plants that can be prepared in many ways. It has rich nutrition and vitamin in it. But in the 18th century, Americans never ate tomatoes. They grew them in their gardens because tomato plants are so pretty. But they thought the vegetable was poisonous (有毒的). They called tomatoes “poison apples.”
President Thomas Jefferson, however, knew that tomatoes were good to eat. He was a learned man. He had been to Paris, where he learned to love the taste of tomatoes. He grew many kinds of tomatoes in his garden. The President taught his cook a way for a cream of tomato soup. This beautiful pink soup was served at the President’s party. The guests thought the soup tasted really good. They never thought their president would serve his honored guests poison apples. Jefferson never spoke to his honored (忠实的) guests about the fact.From the passage we know all the honored guests invited by Jefferson were .
| A．people from other countries | B．from France |
| C．people of his own country | D．men only |
After you read the passage, which of the following do you think is true?
| A．Americans never ate tomatoes after they began to plant them. |
| B．Americans didn’t eat tomatoes before 19th century. |
| C．Even now Americans don’t eat tomatoes. |
| D．In the 18th century Americans ate a lot of tomatoes. |
The passage tells us that Jefferson was a President who learned to love the taste of tomatoes .
| A．while he was in Paris | B．when he was a little boy |
| C．because his parents told him so | D．from books |
According to the text, _______ made the beautiful pink soup served at the President’s party?
| A．the President himself | B．a French cook |
| C．the President’s cook | D．the President’s wife |
Forgiving someone who has hurt you or let you down is never an easy thing. Several new studies, however, say that it could have a lot of health benefits. When you think of forgiveness, you probably don’t think of it as being a health or medical problem. Studies from Stanford University, on the other hand, show that something like anger can change your well-being.
When cartoon book characters like the Incredible Hulk get angry, they change colours and often gain special power. In the real world, anger is less obvious and may be more dangerous. That’s why Professor Fred Luskin, founder of the Stanford Forgiveness Project and author of Forgive for Good, says holding on to anger and hatred can harm your physical and mental health. Two new studies seem to show the same idea.
The studies find that people who are able to forgive feel less stress, less back pain, and less depression. They also have fewer headaches, lower blood pressure, and fewer problems on sleeping.
So it doesn’t matter if your anger is caused by the traffic or other things. Learning to let it go is important. Techniques such as deep breath or thought can help. Or just ask yourself if it’s worth hurting yourself by staying angry with someone else.
Forgiveness does not mean that you simply accept what happened and say it’s OK. Instead, it’s a way of making peace with yourself about what happened in the past. The author of the passage tries to make his viewpoint clear ______.
| A．by raising his own examples |
| B．based on his own experience |
| C．by mentioning some studies |
| D．by mentioning some typical patients |
The example of the cartoon book characters is taken in the passage to______.
| A．support the viewpoint that anger and hatred harm physical and mental health |
| B．introduce a famous expert |
| C．let the reader know the different colours of cartoon faces |
| D．show how to control one’s temper |
The underlined phrase“holding on to”in this passage possibly means“______”.
| A．removing | B．keeping up | C．getting rid of | D．learning about |
The best title for this passage is probably _______.
| A．Forgiveness | B．Forgiveness Is Good for Health |
| C．A Secret to Keeping Health | D．Anger Is Bad for Health |
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