Science Daily (Apr 27, 2008) — Dutch ecologist Roxina Soler and her colleagues have discovered that subterranean (地下的) and aboveground herbivorous (食草的) insects can communicate with each other by using plants as telephones. Subterranean insects issue chemical warning signals through the leaves of the plant. This way, aboveground insects are warned that the plant is already “occupied”.
Aboveground, leaf-eating insects prefer plants that have not yet been occupied by subterranean root-eating insects. Subterranean insects send out chemical signals through the leaves of the plant, which warn the aboveground insects about their presence. This messaging makes it possible for spatially-separated insects to avoid each other, so that they do not compete for the same plant.
In recent years it has been discovered that different types of aboveground insects develop slowly if they feed on plants that also have subterranean residents and vice versa (反之亦然). It seems that a system has developed through natural selection, which helps the subterranean and aboveground insects to notice each other. This avoids unnecessary competition.
Through the “green telephone lines”, subterranean insects can also communicate with a third party, namely the natural enemy of caterpillars (毛虫). Parasitic wasps (寄生的黄蜂) lay their eggs inside aboveground insects. The wasps also benefit from the signals sent by the leaves, as these help them find more insects for their eggs.
The communication between subterranean and aboveground insects has only been studied in a few cases. It is still not clear how widespread this phenomenon is. But scientists are looking into it. This research was carried out at the Netherlands Institute for Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) by Roxina Soler, Jeffrey Harvey, Martijn Bezemer, Wim van der Putten and Louise Vet. The PhD project, in which this study was carried out, was funded by the Free Competition of NWO Earth and Life Sciences.
51. After finding a plant occupied by subterranean insects, aboveground insects usually ____.
A. send out warning signals B. choose to give up the plant
C. compete for the plant D. share it with the subterranean insects
52. Aboveground insects will develop more quickly if they ____.
A. feed on plants occupied by subterranean insects
B. feed on plants not occupied by subterranean insects
C. become cleverer through natural selection
D. compete with subterranean insects
53. Subterranean insects communicate with a third party through ____.
A. caterpillars B. parasitic wasps C. wasps’ eggs D. a plant’s leaves
54. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A. Other animals may communicate in the same way.
B. There will be further research into this phenomenon.
C. Part of the study is a PhD project.
D. The Free Completion of NWO Earth and Life Sciences has the patent for these results.
55. What would be the best title for this passage?
A. Insects use plants as a telephone. B. Insects live in harmony with each other.
C. No species can live alone. D. Plants and animals have an effect on each other.
Volunteers, as an essential part of a successful world exposition, are a major channel for the public to participate in, serve and share the world exposition and a means to showcase the image of the host country and city. The following information is about the volunteer for the World Exposition 2010 Shanghai China．
I．Requirements for Volunteers
● Be willing to participate in voluntary services of Expo 2010;
● Age limit: Expo Site volunteers must be born April 30,
1992 and Expo City Voluntary Service Station volunteers before
April 30, 1994;
● Obey the laws and regulations of the PRC;
● Be able to participate in training and relevant activities before the opening of Expo 2010 on May 1st;
● Possess necessary knowledge and skills needed by the position, one foreign language at least;
● Be in good health to meet the requirements of corresponding voluntary positions．
● Have previous experience of voluntary work.
II．Further Information for Volunteers
● Source
Residents of Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, as well as overseas Chinese, and foreigners can all apply to be the volunteers．
● Signup methods
Applicants may log in onto the official websites for online signup．They may also consult or connect with the Expo Volunteer Stations．
● Time
May 1 - December 31, 2009
Ⅲ．Volunteer Training
Volunteer training includes general training, special training and position training．General training is carried out through internet, while special training and position training are provided through classroom lectures and field practice．
IV．Volunteer Types
● Expo Site volunteers refer to those offering voluntary services to visitors and the Organizer in the Expo Site, mainly including information, visitor flow management, reception, translation and interpretation(口译), assistance for the disabled, and assistance in media service, event and conference organization and．volunteer management．
● Information booth volunteers are stationed in the Expo's information booths at key transportation centers, commercial outlets, tourist attractions, restaurants, hotels and cultural event places outside the Expo Site．They offer services including information, translation, interpretation and even first aid．
60. According to the volunteer brochure, which of the following suits the position of Expo Site?
A．Li Hua, a retired Spanish teacher, still recovering from her leg operation.
B．Wang Ming, 19, a former voluntary interpreter of the United Nations.
C．Li Jing, a middle-aged researcher, who is to finish his field work at the end of April.
D．Hong Wei, 17, winner of an English speaking competition, looking for his first voluntary work.
61. Which of the training will be done on the Internet?
A．Position training． B．General training．
C．Classroom training． D．Special training．
62. Which of the following service is offered by information booth volunteers?
A．Visitor flow management． B．Helping the disabled
C．Assistance in media service． D．Emergency first aid．
On any weekend throughout the year one can spend hours browsing through neighborhood flea (跳蚤) markets. These are very popular for those who are in search of bargains and who have a keen eye for picking through what others have discarded. They hunt and search for something they can reuse. Americans love secondhand merchandise (商品) which can be bought cheaply and restored to its original use. In many cases the condition and the quality are still good, though the style might be outdated.
For some people searching through flea markets is a hobby which reaps rewards. They look for possible antiques among the items for sale or for old furniture which can be restored with a little care and used again. Many wise collectors often find rare items worth much more than their bargained price. Since prices are usually not fixed, if one is persistent a bargain can easily be struck. The owner may be selling a rare collectable and may not even be aware of its value. One of the great pleasures of shopping at such markets is the chance to bargain with the shop owner and settle for a price which one can afford and is willing to pay.
Perhaps even more enjoyable than flea markets are the weekend outdoor garage sales which have now become very much a part of American culture. These are held usually in the spring and fall when the weather is still good. Usually a homeowner, having decided that he would like to clear his residence of accumulated items which are no longer useful to him, advertises in a local paper that he is holding a garage sale. More than likely the goods on display are in good condition and great buys can be found if one has the time and patience to search carefully. The home owner places items for sale on display along the driveway leading to his garage or on his front lawn and waits for people to look at what he has to sell. Old magazines, books, paintings, bicycles, ice-skates, items of clothing and electrical appliances of every sort appear on a regular basis. If the owner is in a position where he must sell his home or plans to move soon, then he may be forced to practically give things away at a price far below their true worth.
67. What do you usually do before holding a garage sale?
A. Put on an advertisement in a local newspaper. B. Display your goods in front of the garage.
C. Find rare items and fix their prices. D. Clear your garage and front lawn.
68. The underlined word “discarded” in Paragraph 1 probably means ____.
A. distributed B. rejected C. discovered D. stored
69. When people shop at a flea market, how can they settle on a price?
A. They can bargain on a price acceptable to both. B. They can question their value.
C. They can expect a 50% discount. D. They can compare with the other sellers.
70. What do we know about the garage sale?
A. It is only held in the spring of the year.
B. The goods on display are totally useless.
C. Garage sales are popular with Americans.
D. All the goods are selling far below their real value.
第二部分：阅读理解（20小题, 每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文, 从每题所给的四个选项 (A、B、C和D) 中, 选出最佳选项
A New Zealand fishermen caught what may prove to be a world-record-breaking colossal squid(鱿鱼).
In the cold, dark waters of the Antarctic hides a creature with eight arms, two super long tentacles(触须) and eyes as big as dinner plates. Sound like something out of a science fiction movie? Think again.
On February 21, New Zealand fishermen landed a colossal squid the length of a school bus. They had been fishing with long lines for Chilean sea bass in the waters off the coast of New Zealand when they caught the rare squid. With two hours of hard work, the crew skillfully pulled the creature into a net and dragged in aboard their ship.
Scientists evaluate that the animal weighs about a half ton and is about 40 feet long. That would make this colossal squid the biggest on record.
First identified in 1925 after two tentacles were found in a whale’s stomach, the colossal squid has long been a mystery. The animals are not easy to observe because they can go down to ocean depths of 6,500 feet. What scientists do know from studying the bodies of a half dozen colossal squids is that they are fierce hunters.
The recently captured colossal squid has been frozen to keep it for scientific study. It will be transported to New Zealand’s national museum, Te Papa, in the capital city of Wellington. Experts believe it to be the first adult male ever caught undamaged. Scientists hope to learn more about the colossal squid’s diet, behavior and reproductive(繁殖)patterns.
“Scientists will be very interested in this amazing creature, ”said New Zealand Fisheries Minister Jim Anderson. “It adds immeasurably to our understanding of the marine environment. ”
56. Why is it usually difficult for experts to observe the squid?
A. Because it moves too fast B. Because it is too large.
C. Because it is dangerous. D. Because it can go down to deep ocean.
57. What can be inferred from the passage?
A. The squid is from a science fiction story
B. The fishermen often meet colossal squids
C. Scientists know much about the colossal squid.
D. The fishermen had some difficulty catching the large squid.
58. What’s the purpose of catching such a huge squid?
A. To make it into food B. To set a world record
C. To do research on it D. To display it for visitors
59. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. The biggest squid ever found B. Scientific research on squid
C. The lifestyle of the colossal squid D. How the fishermen caught the squid
Women turn to online shopping
Women have jumped ahead of men for the first time in using the Internet to do their holiday shopping, according to a study published last week in the US.
For years men have been more likely to shop on the Internet than women, but during the 2004 holiday season 58 percent of those making online purchases were women.
“It shows how mainstream the Internet is becoming”, said Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project group, which carried out the study.
Rainie said it was only a matter of time before women shoppers caught up with men. This is because women traditionally make decisions about spending.
Users were more likely to shop online to save time. Internet users between the ages of 18 and 29 were responsible for some of the most dramatic（显著的）increases in the online gift-buying population this time around.
However, three-quarters of the US Internet users did not buy holiday gifts online in 2004. They worried about credit card security, or just compared online prices with off-line prices, then dashed off to the shops to get the best deals.
“But even if shoppers don’t buy online, websites are becoming promotion tools for stores,” said Dan Hess, vice(副) president of Comscore Networks Inc. Hess said that actually most stores’ websites can make customers fully believe the security of their credit card numbers. And most are able to ensure that gifts arrive on time.
“It’s all about making the shopping experience more efficient, more reliable and more comfortable,” Hess said.
67.Which of the following statements is true?
A．There were fewer women online shoppers than men in 2004．
B．Most of the Internet users between the ages of 18 and 29 are women.
C．People in the US were more likely to buy gifts online.
D．More women shopped online than men in 2004.
68.From the passage we can infer that________.
A．men usually decide how to spend money in the family
B．women usually decide what to buy in the family
C．the Internet is used in all the shops.
D．more and more shops will sell their goods online.
69.According to Dan Hess, shopping online___________.
A．is unsafe B．is convenient
C．is a waste of time D．is cheaper
70.What can we know from the passage?
A．American people only buy gifts in holidays.
B．Shopping online is fun for women.
C．Shopping off-line provides better service.
D．Young people like to do gift-shopping online.
President Barack Obama nominated (提名) Utah governor Jon Huntsman as ambassador (大使) to China on May 16.
Huntsman, 49, is the son of a Utah multimillionaire (千万富翁). He served as ambassador to Singapore under former president George H.W. Bush. In 2004, he became the governor of Utah and was elected for a second term in 2008.
The governor has strong ties to China: He lived in Taiwan when he was a teenager and speaks fluent Chinese. One of his daughters was adopted (收养) from China. His family also has business ties with China through Huntsman Corp, a chemical company. It has operations (动作) in the country including a factory in Shanghai.
Huntsman’s nomination has been met with praise in both countries.
“Jon Huntsman is a well-regarded politician (政治家) in the US…… his experience as ambassador to Singapore and his knowledge of China, plus his wonderful Chinese language skills singled him out from the large number of candidates,” Dai Min, president of the US-based Center for America-China Partnership (中美合作中心), told China Daily.
Obama appointed Huntsman “in order to seek China’s help and cooperation” on several international and regional issues, said Yuan Peng, professor of American Studies at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations (中国现代国际关系研究院).
Some people say that President Obama’s decision to name John Huntsman is a well thought out political strategy. Huntsman is a big player in the Republican Party, and a possible presidential candidate for 2012. If he really has joined the Obama administration, he has lost that possibility. Now, when Obama kicks off his re-election campaign, “ambassador” Huntsman won’t be a threat.
64.The nomination of Huntsman won praise on both sides for the following reasons EXCEPT that _________.
A. he has business ties with China
B. he can speak Chinese fluently
C. he is a very experienced politician
D. he knows China very well
65.Which of the following facts about Huntsman is NOT true ?
A. He was once ambassador to Singapore.
B. He was elected governor of Utah twice.
C. He has served two presidents as governor.
D. He spent part of his youth in Taiwan.
66.From the last two paragraphs, we can conclude that ____________.
A. Obama considers China America’s top trade partner.
B. By choosing Huntsman, Obama kills two birds with one stone.
C. Huntsman will probably run for president in 2012.
D. Huntsman will settle several international and regional issues.