A towering South American plant that is believed to kill animals with its spikes(尖刺) and use their rotting bodies as fertilizer is about to bloom(开花) in England. A rare Puya chilensis was planted at a greenhouse in Surrey, a county in the southeast of England about 15 years ago. However, despite its frightening description, the tall, spiked plant is considered a threatened species.
The Royal Horticultural Society has been feeding the plant a diet of liquid fertilizer. “In its natural habitat in the Andes it uses its razor sharp spikes to snare and trap sheep and other animals, which slowly starve to death and rot at the base of the plant, providing it with a bag of fertilizer,” reads a description on the RHS website, which adds that the plant gives off a “gruesome scent.”
But does the plant actually trap and eat sheep? Other sources have simply said it is “believed” that the plant traps small animals with its spikes. After the animals die of starvation, the plant is "believed" to then use their rotting bodies as fertilizer to feed itself.
"I'm really pleased that we've finally persuaded our Puya chilensis into producing flower," horticulturalist Cara Smith said in a press release on the RHS site. Regardless of whether it actually traps sheep, the plant does have sharp spikes that can grow up to 12 feet high and 5 feet wide. However, it’s not all death and danger for this plant. Its flowery blooms reportedly provide nectar(花蜜) for bees and birds.
The Puya chilensis blooms annually in its native land of Chile, but this is the first time it has done so after more than a decade of cultivation efforts from the RHS. "We keep it well fed with liquid fertilizer as feeding it on its natural diet might prove a bit problematic,” Smith said. "It's growing in the dry section of our glasshouse with its deadly spines well out of reach of both children and sheep alike."From the passage we learn that in England the Puya chilensis _____.
| A．feeds on man-made liquid fertilizer |
| B．often kills sheep and other animals |
| C．has once bloomed 15 years before |
| D．uses animals' rotting bodies as fertilizer |
The underlined word “snare” in the second paragraph probably means“_________”.
| A．catch | B．stop | C．fight | D．kill |
We can infer from the passage that _____.
| A．it's dangerous to feed the plant |
| B．it's certain that the plant kills sheep |
| C．it's difficult for the plant to bloom in England |
| D．it's rare for the plant to bloom in South American |
What does the writer mainly tell us?
| A．A new plant is discovered in Chile. |
| B．How a rare plant is fed in England. |
| C．A rare plant is going to bloom in England. |
| D．How a plant traps animals in South America. |
CANBERRA(Reuters)—Australia’s kangaroos are genetically similar to humans and may have first evolved in China, Australian researchers said Tuesday.
Scientists said they had for the first time mapped the genetic code of the Australian marsupials(有袋类)and found much of it was similar to the genome for humans, the government backed Center of Excellence for Kangaroo Genomics said.
“There are a few differences, we have a few more of this, a few less of that, but they are the same genes and a lot of them are in the same order,”center Director Jenny Graves told reporters in Melbourne.
“We thought they’d be completely scrambled, but they’re not. There is great chunks of the human genome which is sitting right there in the kangaroo genome,” Graves said, according to AAP.
Humans and knagaroos last shared an ancestor at least 150 million years ago, the researchers found, while mice and humans separated and went in different ways from one another only 70 million years ago.
Kangaroos first evolved in China, but migrated across the America to Australia and Antarctica, they said.
“Kangaroos are hugely informative about what we were like 150 million years ago,” Graves said.
68.Where does the kangaroo first develop according the scientists?
A.In China. B.In America. C.In Australia. D.In Antarctica.
69.What does the passage mainly tell us?
A.How the Kangaroo first evolved. B.Kangaroo’ genetic code have been mapped.
C.Kangaroos’genes are close to humans’. D.Scientists did much research into Kangaroos.
70.What does the underlined word “scrambled” probably mean in the fourth paragraph?
A.Funny. B.Wrong. C.Curious. D.Right.
About a year ago, I went to stay at a Detroit hotel. I didn’t want to carry too much money with me, so I asked the desk clerk(职员) to put a hundred dollar bill in the safe for me.
The next morning, however, the clerk said that he knew nothing about my money. I didn’t have any proof(证据) that I had given the man the money. There was clearly nothing left to do but to go to the nearest lawyer.
The lawyer advised me to return to the hotel with him and give another hundred-dollar bill to the desk. So we did. An hour later, I went back to the desk and asked for my money. Since I had the lawyer as an eyewitness to the second hundred-dollar bill, the clerk could not say he knew nothing about it.
Another hour later, I put the second part of the lawyer’s plan into action. This time both the lawyer and I went to the hotel to ask for the hundred-dollar bill once again. And when the clerk insisted that he had given it to me, I said it was not true. The lawyer said to him, “ I saw this gentleman give you a hundred-dollar bill. If you don’t hand it in immediately, I will be forced to call the policeman.” The clerk realized he had been cheated, so he gave me back the first hundred-dollar bill.
“I don’t know how to thank you enough for getting my money back.” I said to the lawyer. And what do you suppose he answered? He said, “oh, don’t thank me. That will be one hundred dollars, please.”
64.What do you think a “safe” is?
A.a box to put money or other valuables in B.a desk at the checking counter
C.a drawer in which guests’ money is kept D.a public purse to put money in
65.The clerk finally returned my money to me because________.
A.the lawyer had seen everything B.he was afraid of going to prison
C.the bill was not real money D.I had called the police
66.Which of the following would be the best title for the story?
A.How I lost my money! B.Cheated by a clerk
C.Don’t believe in lawyers! D.At a Detroit hotel
67.How much did the author lose in all?
A.100 dollars. B.200 dollars. C.300 dollars. D.400 dollars.
My grandmother was from a town in Michigan. Summer after summer, I enjoyed staying with my grandparents as a young child. I was from the city and loved the small town they lived in. People knew everyone, their kids, their pets, their ancestors. The bond with them continued to grow as I grew and they got older. Grandma was always using her hands for something exciting. She would make little sandwiches and we’d have tea parties. She’d make beautiful quilts for each one. I remember the small thimble(顶针) she would use while doing her needle work.
A few years ago, when Grandma left this earth, I bid farewell to a loving grandmother. How quickly our lives can change. We had just had tea together a couple of months earlier, on her 91st birthday.
I missed her very much. On one particular birthday, when I was feeling a little low, something happened to make me feel like she was sharing that special day with me. I was arranging some colorful pillows that she had made, and suddenly I felt something inside one pillow. It was small and hard. I moved the object to a seam(接缝) that I carefully opened, and to my delight out came a tiny silver thimble! How happy I was to find something that had been a part of her. Not realizing it had fallen off her finger, I pictured her sewing it in that little pillow that I just happened to place on my bedspead that day. I carefully laid the thimble alongside the others I’ve collected over the years, where I could continue to see the gift God chose to reveal to me. What a precious memory of a very special lady who somehow, I knew, was laughing in delight at sewing her thimble inside my pillow.
I made some tea, using my best china, as Grandma always did, and enjoyed my tea and Grandma’s thimble. What a wonderful birthday that was!
60.The author liked staying with her grandparents because________.
A.they often bought her some gifts
B.she was curious about people and things there
C.she could have tea parties and eat sandwiches
D.she could learn to sew quilts
61.How did the author feel when she found the silver thimble?
A.Sad B.Proud C.Lucky D.Cheerful
62.It can be inferred from the passage that the silver thimble________.
A.was the item the author had been trying to find
B.was the most treasured possession of Grandma
C.was very precious to the author
D.was a birthday gift Grandma had given the author
63.What is the best title for the passage?
A.A little pillow B.Grandma’s silver thimble
C.My grandparents D.My childhood
第三部分：阅读理解(共两节，满分40分)
第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30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。
The best diet for you is the one that you can follow for the rest of your life. Most diets can get you to your goal if you do exactly what they say.
The first thing to do is to look at what you’re doing now. If it’s easier for you to see where you’re going wrong by writing down what you eat for the next week, then do that.
When you become familiar with the foods you choose to eat every day, it’s easy to start to subsitute(用…代替)healthier alternatives and make better choices. Let’s take a look at some common lifestyle choices that could help you lose weight easily.
Got a soda habit?
Drink a lot of soda or fruit juices? Substitute water and tea instead. Studies show that just this one substitution can help you drop 20 pounds in a year.
Spending a lot of time buying food at the drivethrough fast food joint?
Avoid anything that you can get through a drivethrough window. Bring your lunch instead. Home cooking almost automatically guarantees a meal that’s lower in fat and calories than anything you could get through a window.
Never finish a meal without grease(油脂) on your hands?
Deep-fried foods are loaded with calories and fat. Fry in a little olive oil, instead.
Always having a lot of sauces?
Holding the mayo(蛋黄酱)or anything else that’s creamy(含乳脂的)? If you’re ordering sandwiches with special sauce or mayo, then you’re eating a lot more calories and fat grams than you think you are. Some sauces can add more than 20 grams of fat, and hundreds of calories to your lunch. Mustard(芥茉)is a good alternative. It’s flavorful, and has virtually no calories or fat.
Take a look at what you’re doing, and make changes you can live with.
56.All the following will help you lose weight EXCEPT________.
A.mustard B.soda C.tea D.olive oil
57.According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A.To make a list of the food you like best can lose weight.
B.To get a good idea of different foods is necessary.
C.Home cooking is more delicious than snacks.
D.Dropping 20 pounds in a year is difficult.
58.We can learn from the passage that________.
A.mayo is beneficial to people’s health B.most people think that mustard tastes bad
C.cooking is a waste of time D.drinking water contributes to weight loss
59.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A.The best diet is a lifestyle change B.Stop buying fast food
C.What to do for the rest of your life D.Lead a healthy lifestyle
A good way to pass an examination is to work hard every day in the year. You may fail in an examination if you are lazy for most of the year and then work hard only a few days before the examination. If you are taking an English examination, do not only learn rules of grammar.
Try to read stories in English and speak English whenever you can. A few days before the examination you should start going to bed early. Do not stay up late at night studying and learning things. Before you start the examination, read carefully over
the question paper. Try to understand the exact meaning of each question before you pick up your pen to write. When you have at last finished your examination, read over your answers.
Correct the mistakes if there are any and make sure that you have not missed anything out.
68.If you want to improve your English, you must .
A.learn rules of grammar by heart B.speak Enlish all day long
C.do a lot of exercises D.practise it as often as possible
69.A few days before the examination it is suggested that you should .
A.go to bed early B.stay up late C.get up late D.work deep into the night
70.Before you begin to write in the examination paper, you should .
A.read over the examination paper carefully
B.try to understand the exact meaning of each question
C.correct the mistakes you may have made
D.pay attention to the rules of grammar