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.
My wife Julie and I were out on the road that runs around where we live, when we saw an old worn-out dog stumbling (蹒跚) painfully up the road. We stopped, bent down, talked gently to the dog and patted it. I checked and there was a collar with a phone number. I called but no one answered.
The dog was painfully thin. So Julie ran home to get some of our dog’s food while I tried to encourage the dog. After Julie came back, we sat down on the sidewalk while our new friend made short work of the food. Eventually we got her home.
After trying for many times we got a response from the number. A lady came around with a bunch of flowers for us. She explained that Tara had been her father’s dog. She was very old and got lost that morning. So, Tara was safely returned home.
Here is the truth of the story:
Actually Julie and I were out that morning because I was leaving. She was trying to persuade me to come back, but I wasn’t hearing anything that made that sound likely.
I was about to turn and go when an old black dog walked between us and almost fell down. Suddenly we had something more important than our problem to worry about. There was a creature in need right before us and we had to work together to help it.
We did help it. And here I am writing the story in my own home, in my own family.
In the song “Love Is Not a Fight” Warren Barfield talks about marriage. At one point he sings, “And if we try to leave, may God send angels to guard the door.”
Sometimes angels come disguised (伪装) as dogs.How was the dog when found?
| A．Too weak to walk. |
| B．Thin and worn out. |
| C．Unable to eat food. |
| D．Homeless but gentle. |
From paragraph 2, we know that_______________________.
| A．the dog didn’t go with the writer |
| B．the writer had his own pet dog |
| C．the dog belonged to one of the couple’s friend |
| D．the dog didn’t eat any of the food |
The underlined part “our problem” in the passage refers to the fact that .
| A．the writer didn’t want to take Julie’s advice |
| B．an old black dog appeared in front of them |
| C．Julie disagreed with the writer’s travel on business |
| D．the couple had some trouble with their marriage |
We can infer from the passage that ___________________.
| A．the couple finally took the dog home |
| B．the dog was abandoned by its owner |
| C．the couple also solved their own problem after helping the dog |
| D．it is God that send the dog to help the couple |
Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
| A．An Angel Dog |
| B．A Helpful Couple |
| C．Saving the Dog |
| D．A Famous Song |
Obviously television has both advantages and disadvantages.
In the first place, television is not only a convenient source of entertainment, but also a very cheap one. With a TV set in the family people don’t have to pay for expensive seats at the theatre, the cinema, or the opera .All they have to do is to push a button or turn a knob, and they can see plays, films, operas and shows of every kind. Some people, however, think that this is where the danger lies. The television viewers need do nothing. He does not even have to use his legs if he has a remote control. He makes no choice and exercises, no judgment. He is completely passive and has everything presented to him without any effort in his part.
Television, it is often said, keeps one informed about current events and the latest developments in science and politics. The most distant countries and the strangest customs are brought right into one’s sitting room. It could be argued that the radio performs this service as well; but on television everything is much more living, much more real. Yet here again there is a danger. The television screen itself has a terrible, almost physical charm for us. We get so used to looking at the movements on it ,so dependent on its pictures, that it begins to control our lives. People are often heard to say that their television sets have broken down and that they have suddenly found that they have far more time to do things and that they have actually begin to talk to each other again. It makes one think, doesn’t it?
There are many other arguments for and against television. We must realize that television itself is neither good nor bad. It is the uses that it is put to that determine its value to society.What is the major function of paragraph 1?
| A．To cause the reader’s discussion |
| B．To introduce the theme of the whole passage |
| C．To summarize the whole passage |
| D．To tell the primary uses of TV |
Television, as a source of entertainment, is ______.
| A．not very convenient | B．very expensive |
| C．quite dangerous | D．very cheap |
Why are some people against TV?
| A．Because TV programs are not interesting. |
| B．Because TV viewers are totally passive. |
| C．Because TV prices are very high. |
| D．Because TV has both advantages and disadvantages. |
One of the most obvious advantages of TV is that ______.
| A．it keeps us informed |
| B．it is very cheap |
| C．it enables us to have a rest |
| D．it controls our lives |
According to the passage, whether TV is good or not depends on _______ .
| A．its quality | B．people’s attitude towards it |
| C．how we use it | D．when we use it |
Doctors say anger can be an extremely damaging emotion, unless you learn how to deal with it. They warn that anger can lead to heart disease, stomach problems, headaches, emotional problems and even cancer.
Anger is a normal emotion that we all feel from time to time. Some people express anger openly in a calm reasonable way. Some burst with anger, and scream and yell (大叫). But others keep their anger inside. They can not or will not express it. This is called repressing anger.
For years many doctors thought that repressing anger was more dangerous to a person's health than expressing it. They said that when a person is angry, the brain releases the same hormones . They speed the heart rate, raise blood pressure, or sugar into the blood, etc. In general the person feels excited and ready to act.
Some doctors say that both repressing and expressing anger can be dangerous. They believe that those who express anger violently may be more likely to develop heart disease, and they believe that those who keep their anger inside may face a greater danger of high blood pressure.
Doctors say the solution is learning how to deal with anger. They say the first step is to admit that you are angry and to recognize the real cause of the anger, then decide if the cause is serious enough to get angry about. If it is, they say, "Do not express your anger while angry. Wait until your anger has cooled down and you are able to express yourself calmly and reasonably."
Doctors say that a good way to deal with anger is to find humor in the situation that has made you angry. They said that laughter is much healthier than anger."Damaging emotion" means that _____________.
| A．the emotion is harmless |
| B．the emotion is harmful |
| C．the feeling is very strong |
| D．the feeling is hard |
Which of the following statement is right?
| A．If you were angry, you would be cancered. |
| B．Once you are angry, you must be cancered. |
| C．Angry as you are often, you can't be cancered. |
| D．Anger may cause you to suffer from a cancer. |
Expressing anger violently ________ repressing it according to some scientists.
| A．is not as danger as | B．is more harmful than |
| C．is no better than | D．is much better than |
According to the author, you'd better __________
| A．never be angry |
| B．cool down your anger before you express it |
| C．laugh and laugh when you get angry |
| D．admit you are wrong when you are angry |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The types of anger. |
| B．How to release anger. |
| C．Causes of anger. |
| D．The damage to health caused by being angry. |
All the housewives who went to the new supermarket had one great ambition: to be the lucky customer who did not have to pay for her shopping. For this was what the notice just inside the entrance promised. It said: “Remember, once a week, one of our customers gets free goods. This May Be Your Lucky Day!”
For several weeks Mrs. Edwards hoped, like many of her friends, to be the lucky customer. Unlike her friends, she never gave up hoping. The cupboards in kitchen were full of things which she did not need. Her husband tried to advise her against buying things but failed. She dreamed of the day when the manager of the supermarket would approach her and say: “Madam, this is Your Lucky Day. Everything in your basket is free.”
One Friday morning, after she had finished her shopping and had taken it to her car, she found that she had forgotten to buy any tea. She dashed back to the supermarket, got the tea and went towards the cash-desk. As she did so, she saw the manager of the supermarket approach her. “Madam,” he said, holding out his hand, “I want to congratulate you! You are our lucky customer and everything you have in your basket is free!”The housewives learnt about the free goods _______.
| A．on TV | B．at the supermarket |
| C．from the manager | D．from the newspaper |
Mrs. Edwards ________.
| A．is always very lucky |
| B．had no friends |
| C．hoped to get free shopping |
| D．gets disappointed easily |
Mrs. Edwards’s husband tried to ________.
| A．make her unhappy | B．cheer her up |
| C．buy things with her | D．stop her buying things |
Mrs. Edwards went back to the supermarket quickly because she had to _______.
| A．buy another thing | B．talk to the manager |
| C．pay for her shopping | D．find her shopping |
Mrs. Edwards must have been ________.
| A．pleased | B．delighted |
| C．proud | D．disappointed |
Computer technology has its own special words. One example is the word “mouse”. A computer mouse is not a small animal that lives in buildings or open fields. It is a small object that you move around on a flat surface in front of a computer. The mouse moves the pointer on the computer screen. Computer expert (专家) Douglas Engelbart developed the idea of the mouse in the early 1960s. It was called a mouse because it had a tail at one end. The tail was the wire (电线) that connected it to the computer.
Using a computer takes some training. People who are experts are sometimes called hackers. A hacker is usually a person who writes software programs in a special computer language. But the word “hacker” is also used to describe a person who tries to steal information from computer systems.
Another well known computer word is Google, spelled g-o-o-g-l-e. It is the name of a popular “search engine(引擎)”for the Internet. People use the search engine to find information about almost any subjects on the Internet. People who started the company named it Google because in mathematics, googol, spelled g-o-o-g-o-l, is an extremely large number. It is the number followed by one hundred zeros.
When you “Google” a subject, you can get a large amount of information about it. Some people like to Google their friends or themselves to see how many times their names appear on the Internet. If you Google someone, you might find that person’s name on a blog. A blog is the shortened name for a Weblog. A blog is a personal Web page. It may have stories, opinions , pictures and links(链接) to other Web sites. Some people add information to their blogs every day. People who have blogs are called bloggers.
Blogs are not the same as spam. Spam is unwanted sales messages sent to your electronic mailbox...
According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．A mouse didn’t have a wire at the beginning. |
| B．Hackers steal information from computer systems. |
| C．Hackers can only write special computer language. |
| D．A mouse attracts more people to play computer games. |
The company was named Google mainly because __________.
| A．this name was very interesting |
| B．there were many zeros in this name |
| C．it was very easy to remember this name |
| D．it stands for an extremely large number in mathematics |
What would most probably be talked about next?
| A．More about the word spam. |
| B．More about sales messages. |
| C．More about blogs and bloggers. |
| D．The use of an electronic mailbox. |
What would be the best title of the passage?
| A．Google and Blog. |
| B．What’s Google. |
| C．Computer Technology. |
| D．Special Computer Words. |