Jewelweeds are pretty flowers that grow in wet, shady spots all over the Northern Hemisphere. According to a recent experiment, they seem to know their own flower family —or at least, recognize whether or not they came from the same mother plant. Together with other through their leaves, but through their roots.
Scientists planted jewelweeds in pots with either siblings(兄弟姐妹)or strangers. Sibling plants were grown from seeds that came from the same mother plant. Stranger plants were grown from seeds from different plants.
When jewelweeds were planted in pots with strangers, the plants started to grow more leaves than if they had been planted alone. This response suggests that plants are competing with strangers for sunlight, since a plant with more leaves can receive more light and make more food.
When jewelweed seedlings were planted with siblings, they few a few more branches than they normally would if they were alone—but they did not start growing lots of extra leaves. This behavior suggests the plants are more likely to share resources, rather than compete.
The plants only responded this way when they shared soil. If stranger seedlings were planted in different pots and placed next to each other, for example, they did not grow more leaves. This different shows that the plants must use their roots to detect sibling plants in the same soil. In 2007, Dudley and her team studied the Great Lakes sea rocket, a plant that grows on the beach—where it may be hard to get fresh water. In that experiment, the botanists observed that when sea rockets were planed with siblings, they tolerated each other. But when they were planted with strangers, the sea prickets reacted by working extra hard to grow lots of roots, but not extra leaves.
The different types of plants may react in different ways, but they have one thing in common: the roots. In both experiments, on Jewelweeds and sea rockets, the key was the shared soil—and other plant species may turn out to show similar behavior. These experiments, as well as earlier experiments, suggest “The phenomenon is quite common.” Says Hans de Kroonof, an ecologist in the Netherlands.
57.In Paragraph 1, the author mentions a recent experiment of Jewelweeds to___________.
A.make a comparison B.introduce a topic
C.describe a pretty flower D.put forward a new theory
58.What can we know from the experiments done by scientists?
A.Jewelweeds can grow in the Northern Hemisphere.
B.Jewelweeds can grow in wet, shady spots.
C.Jewelweeds are more friendly to their siblings than to stranger plants.
D.jewelweeds can recognize their siblings through leaves.
59.If jewelweeds and their siblings are planted in different pots and placed close to one another, they will___________.
A.start to grow more leaves B.detect the strangers
C.compete with sibling plants D.grow normally
60.The best title of the passage would be___________.
A.Flower family knows its roots
B.The growing conditions of Jewelweeds
C.Jewelweeds and sea rockets
D.The stranger plant recognize each other
Since the early 1990s, the Internet has greatly changed the way people communicate. But some teachers think the changes are not all for the better.
Eleanor Johnson, an English professor at Columbia University in New York, says, “Ithink text messaging has made students believe that it is far more acceptable than it actually is to just make spelling and grammatical mistakes.” She says her students over the past several years have increasingly used less formal English in their writing. She says words and phrases like “you know” now appearing research papers. And she now has to talk about another problem in class---incorrect word use.
Professor Johnson doubts a strong connection between the rise of communication online and an increase in writing mistakes. But she admits there may not be much scientific proof, at least not yet.
David Crystal, a British language expert, says the actively changing nature of the Internet makes it difficult to stay unchanged in studying its effects. But he believes its effect on language is small. He says, “The main effect of the Internet on language has been to increase the expressive richness of language, providing the language with a new set of communicative content that didn’t exist in the past.” Erin Jansen, founder of an online dictionary of Internet and text messaging terms, says his new technology has not changed existing language but has greatly added to the vocabulary. “Basically it is a freedom of expression,” she says, “If it is helping them write more or communicate more, that is great. That is what teachers and educators want---to get students communicating.”
But Erin Jansen and David Crystal agree with Eleanor Jonson on at least one thing. Teachers need to make sure students understand the uses and rules of language.
According to the text, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A.David Crystal thinks the Internet makes the language expression richer. |
B.David Crystal believes the Internet’s effects on language use are clear |
C.Eleanor Johnson thinks writing mistakes has much to do with the Internet |
D.Eleanor Johnson thinks all the Internet effects on language use are good |
. Eleanor Johnson is mentioned to _______.
A.share her idea of the great effects of using the Internet |
B.tell people a way to correct students’ writing mistakes |
C.serve as an example of teachers’ blaming the Internet |
D.warn people against the dangers of using the Internet |
What do the three experts have in common as to the Internet effect?
A.The possibilities of avoiding the use of less formal words |
B.The causes of the Internet’s great effects on language |
C.The necessity of helping students reduce writing mistakes |
D.The importance of students’ knowing how to use language |
. What could be the best title for the text?
A.Students’ Learning and the Internet: Good or Bad? |
B.Students’ Writing and the Internet: Good or Bad? |
C.Students’ Papers and the Internet: Good or Bad? |
D.Students’ Mistakes and the Internet: Good or Bad? |
There are two kinds of physical activity which require special training. The first demands exact, careful movements of the muscles(肌肉).This kind of activity must be strictly controlled because even a slight movement in the wrong direction will lead to a mistake. To type quickly, for example, a person needs training; the slightest movement of a finger in the wrong direction may cause a spelling mistake. A dancer who has to dance on the point of her shoes or turn around on one foot must be trained for a long period of time before she can sense her own center and balance herse
lf. You may have seen a girl walking on a rope across an empty space, which, too, requires a lot of practice.
The second kind of physical activity needs greater strength or extra effort. Most of us get tired if we try to run half a mile without stopping, but a specially-trained person can do this without much effort. Three years ago, some scientists carried out experiments, which produced meaningful and unexpected results. They wanted to find out whether a certain amount of physical exercise would injure those suffering from heart problems. They selected some male patients and trained them in continuous bicycle riding. They were surprised to find that the harmful effect of a given amount of physical effort was actually less on the hearts of these trained patients than on those of the patients who were not similarly trained. This is important because it shows that regular physical exercise enables us to
make better use of the oxygen we breathe in and that this training, in fact, reduces the amount of work our hearts do. Many tasks which are hard for untrained people are not hard at all for trained people.
.The first kind of physical activity must be strictly controlled because ______.
A.a mistake in the wrong direction is dangerous to the fingers |
B.a wrong movement in a direction will cause no mistakes |
C.a movement in the wrong direction will cause a mistake |
D.a slight movement of a finger will lead to a mistake |
.
What must a dancer do before she can balance herself?
A.she must dance on the point of her shoes | B.she must receive long-time training |
C.she must turn around on one foot | D.she must perform again and again |
.
The experiments done by some scientists showed that __________.
A.some male patients were asked to ride bicycles regularly in the experiments | B.the physical exercise had more harmful effect on the hearts of the untrained patients |
C.the physical exercise was harmless to the male patients with heart trouble | |
D.the physical exercise could be helpful f![]() |
. What would be the best title for this text?
A.Training Our Bodies | B.Physical Activities |
C.Movement Training | D.Extra Body Effort |
Recently a professor of philosophy(哲学)in the United States has written a book called Money and the Meaning of Life. He has discovered that how we deal with money in our day to day life has more meaning than we usually think. One of the exercises he has asked his students to do is to keep a record of every penny they spend for a week. From the way they spend their money, they can see what they really value(重视)in life.
The professor says our relation with others often becomes clearly defined(明确)when money enters the picture. You might have wonderful friendship with somebody and you think that you are very good friends. But you will know him only when you ask him to lend you some money.If he does,it brings something to the relationship that seems stronger than ever before. Otherwise it can suddenly weaken the relationship if he doesn’t.
Since money is so important to us, we consider those who are rich to be very important. The professor interviews some rich people in his research for his book.
Question: What is the most surprising thing you have discovered about being rich?
Answer : The most surprising thing is why people give me so much respect(尊重). I am nothing.I don’t know much.All I am is rich.
People just have an idea of making more and more money, but what is it for? How much money do I need for any given purpose in my life? In his book,the professor uncovered an important need in modern society:to bring back the idea that money is a tool rather than the end.Money plays an important role in the material world,but expecting money to give happiness may be missing the meaning of life..
The students are asked to keep a record of every penny they spend to______.
A.learn how to spend money | B.learn how to make more money |
C.know what to write in a record![]() |
D.know what is important in life |
.
In the second paragraph, the professor mainly tells us ________.
A.never to borrow money from a friend |
B.friendship disappears when it comes to money |
C.money can influence friendship |
D.money can weaken friendship |
.
.Through his book,the professor seems to tell us.
A.money is very important in the material world |
B.the purpose of our life is to make money |
C.money does not surely mean happiness |
D.we should value money in our life |
.
We consider rich people important because .
A.they have a meaningful life | B.they are successful people |
C.we sometimes borrow money from them | D.we think money is important in life |
.
Which of the following might the author disagree?
A.Money is important in modern society. |
B.The meaning of life does not completely lie in money. |
C.Wealth will surely bring the owner happiness. |
D.Happiness is not necessarily the result of wealth. |
An 80-year-old man was sitting on the sofa in his house along with his 45-year-old son. Suddenly a crow(乌鸦) landed on their window.
The father asked his son, “What is that?”
The son replied, “That is a crow.”
After a few minutes, the father asked his son for the second time, “What is that?”
The son said, “Father, I told you just now. It is a crow.”
After a little while, the father asked his son the same question for the third time, “What is this?”
This time his son shouted at his father, “Why do you keep asking me the same question again and again? I have told you already. ‘IT IS A CROW.’ Are you not able to understand this?”
A minute later the father went to his room and came back with a diary, which he had kept since his son was born. On opening a page, he asked his son to read that page:
Today my little son aged three was sitting with me on the sofa, when a crow suddenly landed on the window edge. My son asked me 23 times what it was, and I replied him 23 times that it was a crow. I hugged him lovingly each time he asked me the same question. I did not at all feel angry, but instead felt affection for my son.
If you parents reach old age, do not look at them as a burden, but speak to them gently, and be kind to them. From today say this aloud, “I want to see my parents happy forever. They have cared for me ever since I was a little child. They have always showered me with love. I will take care of my old parents in the BEST way no matter how they behave.”.
The writer mainly intends to ______.
A.tell us the function of a diary | B.call on us to love our parents |
C.teach us what a crow is | D.introduce a pair of son and father |
.
According to the passage, the son felt _____ when his father kept asking the same question.
A.puzzled | B.angry | C.grateful | D.surprised |
.
We can know that the father wrote this diary at the age of ______.
A.eighty | B.forty-give | C.thirty-eight | D.thirty-five |
.
The old man brought out the diary, which he had kept since his son was born, because ___.
A.he forgot what had happened | B.he would like his son to read it |
C.it could remind himself of the past | D.he wanted to find what a crow was in his diary |
Why is setting goals important? Because goals can help you do, be, and experience everything you want in life. Instead of just letting life happen to you, goals allow you to make your life happen.
Successful people imagine how their life should be and set lots of goals. By setting goals you are taking control of your life. It’s like having a map to show you where you want to go. Think of it this way. There are two drivers. One has a destination in mind (her goal) which can be found on a map. She can drive straight there without any wasted time or wrong turns. The other driver has no goal or destination or map. She starts off at the same time from the same place as the first driver, but she drives aimlessly around, never getting anywhere, just using up gas. Which driver do you want to be?
Winners in life set foals and follow through on them. They decide what they want in life and then get there by making plans and setting goals. Unsuccessful people just let life happen by accident. Goals aren’t difficult to set---and they aren’t difficult to reach. It’s up to you to find out what your goals really are. You are the one who must decide what to achieve and in what direction to aim your life.
Research tells us that when we write a goal down we are more likely to achieve it. Written goals can be reviewed regularly, and have more power. Like a contract with yourself, they are harder to neglect or forget. Also when you write your goals in a particular way, you are able to make yourself continuously aware of situations that will bring you nearer to your goals.
.
The article is written to throw light on ______.
A.the importance of setting goals | B.the way of setting goals |
C.the winners of competitions | D.the goals in life |
.
The example of two drivers is adopted in order to ______.
A.compare the difference of goals | B.explain the traffic rules |
C.help readers understand the importance of goals | D.tell the function of a map |
.
The main idea of the fourth paragraph is that ______.
A.it’s better to write a goal down | B.written goals can’t be forgotten easily |
C.try to make yourself aware of your goals | D.written goals can be reviewed regularly |