Animals can move from place to place, but plants cannot. When an animal is under attack, it can run away or fight back. Plants certainly cannot run away, and they lack teeth and claws. But plants can defend (保护) themselves by using both physical and chemical means.
Some plants have their own ways to keep animals away. For example, the leaves of the holly plant have sharp spines (刺) that discourage grass-eating animals. Holly leaves on lower branches have more spines than leaves on upper branches. This is because the lower leaves are easier for most animals to reach.
Some plants, such as the oak tree, have thick and hard leaves that are difficult for animals to eat. Some grasses may contain a sandy material; eating such grasses wears down the animal's teeth.
Many plants also have chemical defenses. Some plants produce chemicals that taste bitter or cause an unpleasant reaction. Some plants may fight against an attack by increasing the production of these chemicals. When a caterpillar (毛虫) bites a tobacco leaf, the leaf produces a chemical messenger. This messenger sends to the roots the information to produce more nicotine. The higher levels of nicotine discourage the caterpillar.
Many plants depend on both physical and chemical defenses. A certain plant in China, for instance, has prickly (多刺的) leaves, and each prickle contains poisonous venom (毒液) A single experience with this kind of plant will teach an animal to stay away from it in the future. To defend themselves, oak trees use________.
| A．chemical means | B．physical means |
| C．bitter chemicals | D．sandy materials |
How does tobacco protect itself against an attack from a caterpillar?
| A．Its leaves fight against the attack by physical means. |
| B．Its roots send a messenger to discourage the caterpillar. |
| C．Its roots increase the production of nicotine when it is attacked. |
| D．Its leaves produce poisonous sand to drive the caterpillar away. |
What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．Plants and Animals |
| B．How Plants Defend Themselves |
| C．Attacks and Defenses |
| D．How Animals Eat Plant Leaves |
Lady Bird Johnson was born Claudia Alta Taylor in nineteen twelve. The Taylor family lived in the small town of Karnack, Texas. Claudia's father, Thomas Jefferson Taylor, owned two stores as well as thousands of hectares（公顷） for cotton production. Her mother, Minnie Taylor, died when Claudia was only five years old. A woman who worked for the Taylor family gave Claudia her nickname. Alice Tittle said the small child was "as purty as a lady bird."
As first lady, Missus Johnson became an energetic activist for educational and environmental issues. She helped support Head Start, a public program aimed at giving educational and health services to young children from poor families.
She started the Society for a More Beautiful National Capitol. Its aim was to improve the beauty of Washington by planting trees and flowers in public areas and parks. Missus Johnson understood that these improvements were also linked to important issues such as pollution, public transportation, mental health, and crime rates.
Lyndon Johnson and Lady Bird Johnson had a difficult four-year term. The president faced strong opposition about the United States involvement in the war in Vietnam. In nineteen sixty-eight, President Johnson surprised the nation by announcing that he would not seek reelection as president. The Johnsons left politics and returned home to Texas. Mister Johnson died of a heart attack in nineteen seventy-three.
Lady Bird Johnson continued her tireless work to improve the country's natural environment. She created the National Wildflower Research Center in nineteen eighty-two. The center helps to educate people about the environmental importance and value of native plants. Missus Johnson died in two thousand seven at the age of ninety-four. Her memory lives in the many fields of wildflowers that color the roads of America.What happened to Claudia in 1917?
| A．She was born | B．She got her nickname |
| C．She got married | D．Her mother died |
From the passage,we know that The Beautifieation Act is a(n)____.
| A．activity | B．ornanization | C．Law | D．center |
Which of the following statements is true according to the article?
| A．Lady Bird Johnson had an unhappy childhood |
| B．Lady Bird Johnson was brough up by Alice Tittle |
| C．Mrs. Johnson was devoted to education and environment |
| D．Mrs. Johnson did not support her husband during hiw four-year term |
The passage inicates that Mrs. Johnson was the best know for ___
| A．the National Wildflower Research Center |
| B．her contribution to environmental improvement |
| C．her concerns about the helth of poor young children |
| D．her influence on other activists |
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☆Read more about Building MaterialsIf you want to do self-builds, the first step to follow is to________ .
| A．get permission; cost project; finish touches |
| B．cost project; build project; finish touches |
| C．find land; cost project; build project |
| D．find land; get permission; cost project |
Where will you click when you need to hire tools?
| A．Use Our Estimating Service |
| B．Use Our Branch Finder Service |
| C．Visit the Travis Perkins Hire Website |
| D．Read more about Building Materials |
What does Code For Sustainable Homes do?
| A．Assists with self-builds. |
| B．Sets national standards for design and constructions. |
| C．Offers help on costing your project, and so on. |
| D．Offer the information on all aspects. |
What’s the aim of Build the Dream?
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| B．To supply building materials. |
| C．To help leading manufacturers. |
| D．To attract people to do self-builds. |
It remains a curiosity and a bit of a historical mystery why we don't all drive on the same side of the road. The fact is that most people are right-handed; that's why, for much of history, drivers have stuck to the left. Ancient Romans using two-wheeled carriages are believed to have held the reins(缰绳) with their right hands and a whip with their left; to avoid whipping the near drivers, they favored the left-hand side the road. It's also easier for right-handers to get on a horse from the left, so riders were attracted to that side to avoid the near traffic as they climbed on and off. Finally, knights(骑士) and the other drivers favored the left so they could do battle, if necessary, with their good hand.
So why does most of the world travel on the right side today? Theories differ, but there's no doubt Napoleon was a major influence. The French have used the right since the late 18th century. Some say that before the French Revolution, people in upper class drove their carriages on the left, forcing the peasantry to the right. During the violence, fearful rich people sought to mix with the peasantry by traveling on the right as well. Regardless of the origin, Napoleon brought right-hand traffic to the nations he conquered, including Russia, Switzerland and Germany. Hitler, in turn, ordered right-hand traffic in Czechoslovakia and Austria in the 1930s. Nations that escaped right-handed conquest, like Great Britain, kept their left-handed tradition.Who had a major effect on “keep-right” traffic law?
| A．Ancient Romans | B．Hitler |
| C．Napoleon | D．Austrians |
What does the second paragraph mainly tell us?
| A．Napoleon brought right-hand traffic to the nations he conquered. |
| B．Hitler ordered right-hand traffic in Austria. |
| C．Great Britain escaped right-handed conquest. |
| D．The reasons that most of the world drives on the right side. |
What does the word peasantry in the last paragraph mean?
| A．People in upper class. |
| B．Right-handers. |
| C．Drivers. |
| D．Poor people. |
Apart from Great Britain, which country mentioned in the text keeps left-hand
traffic?
| A．France | B．Ancient Rome |
| C．Russia | D．Germany |
A jobless man Hambley applied for the position of "office boy" at Microsoft. The HR manager interviewed him then watched him cleaning the floor as a test.
"You are employed" he said. "Give me your e-mail address and I'll send you the application to fill in, as well as date when you may start."
Hambley replied "But I don't have a computer, neither an email."
"I'm sorry", said the HR manager. "If you don't have an email that means you do not exist. And who doesn't exist, cannot have the job."
The man left with no hope at all. He didn't know what to do, with only ten dollars in his pocket. He then decided to go to the supermarket and buy ten kilograms tomatoes. He then sold the tomatoes in a door to door round. In less than two hours, he succeeded to double his capital（本金）. He repeated the operation three times, and returned home with sixty dollars.
Hambley realized that he can survive by this way, and started to go earlier every day, and return late. Thus, his money doubled every day. Shortly, he bought a cart, then a truck, and then he had his own fleet of delivery vehicles. Five years later, Hambley is one of the biggest food retailers in the US.
He started to plan his family's future, and decided to have a life insurance. He called an insurance broker(代理人), and chose a protection plan. When the conversation was concluded the broker asked him his email. Hambley replied, "I don't have an email."
The broker answered curiously, "You don't have an email, and yet have succeeded to build a company. Can you imagine what you could have been if you had an email?" Hambley thought for a while and replied, "Yes, I'd be an office boy at Microsoft!" Hambley was refused by the HR manager because he________.
| A．didn’t have an email |
| B．didn’t exist |
| C．couldn’t clean the floor. |
| D．was dishonest |
In less than two hours, Hambley succeeded in earning ________ dollars.
| A．twenty | B．sixty | C．ten | D．thirty |
What do the underlined words “the retailers”refer to?
| A．People that sell insurance. |
| B．People that sell goods to the public. |
| C．People that double their capital |
| D．People that have their own truck. |
What is Hambley’s opinion on Network?
| A．It’s helpful |
| B．He wanted to use it later. |
| C．An office boy should use it. |
| D．It doesn’t mean everything. |
（共15小题，每小题2分，满分30分）
Elephants are trained, at an early age, not to escape. One leg of a baby elephant is tied with a rope to a wooden post planted in the ground. The rope limits the baby elephant to an area determined by the length of the rope. At first the baby elephant tries to break free from the rope, but the rope is too strong. Soon the elephant learns that he cannot break the rope in any case. This space defined by the rope becomes the elephant's comfort zone.
As the elephant grows up it could easily break the rope, but it does not even try because it was conditioned as a baby to think that it still could not break free. As a result, the large elephant remains tied and stays in a small space.
This metaphor(隐喻) can be used to describe what happens to human beings as we become trapped in a comfort zone. Just as the elephant's space determines what it can do, our comfort zone determines what we are able to achieve. Fortunately, humans are born with the ability to make conscious choices. The elephant doesn't try to break the rope free while we can easily leave our comfort zone.
In order to expand our potential and succeed in life, we must expand our comfort zone into unfamiliar fields. You will never realize what you are truly able to achieve if you remain in your comfort zone. The area where the baby elephant can move around is decided by ________.
| A．the space covered by the elephant |
| B．the length of the rope |
| C．the elephant’s comfort zone |
| D．the wooden post planted in the ground |
The large elephant does not try to break the rope, because ________.
| A．the rope is too strong |
| B．a wooden post is planted in the ground |
| C．the elephant likes the small space |
| D．the elephant thinks it still could not break free |
What can be the best title for the text?
| A．How to train elephants |
| B．A cautious elephant |
| C．A comfort zone |
| D．Expand your comfort zone |