Many gardeners believe that “talking” to their plants helps them grow---it turns out that they may not be crazy after all. According to the scientists from the University of Exeter, plants may keep communicating with each other through a secret “unseen” language.
For their experiment, the scientists picked a cabbage plant that is known to send out a gas when its surface is cut. In order to get video evidence of the communication, they changed the cabbage gene by adding the protein---luciderase(虫荧光素酶), which is what makes fireflies(萤火虫) glow in the dark.
When the changed cabbage plant was in full bloom, they cut a leaf off with a pair of scissors, and almost immediately, thanks to the luciderase, they could see the plant sending out “methyl jasmonate(茉莉酸甲酯)”.
While this was a known fact, what was surprising was the fact that the minute this gas began to give out, the nearby cabbage plants seemed to sense some kind of danger and started to send out a gas that they normally have to keep predators(捕食者) like caterpillars(毛虫) away.
What the scientists are not sure is whether the plants are trying to warn the other leaves or the near plants about the danger---something that will require further research However, the team, which is led by Professor Nick Smirnoff, is quite excited about the findings because this is the first time it has been proved that plants do not live a passive life, but actually move, sense and even communicate with each other.
However, before you get all concerned, they are quite sure that plants do not feel the pain when they are cut, since they do not have nerves---so go ahead and bite into that juicy carrot!What’s the best title of the passage?
| A． Plants Can Send Some Gas |
| B． Plants Can Communicate with Each Other |
| C． The “Unseen” Language of Plants |
| D． Plants Can’t Feel Pain |
What does the underlined word “they” in Paragraph 1 mean?
| A． Gardeners | B． Plants |
| C． Scientists | D． Fireflies |
When the plant sent out methyl jasmonate, which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?
| A． The nearby cabbage plants seemed to sense some kind of danger. |
| B． The nearby cabbage plants started to send out a gas. |
| C． The nearby cabbage plants tried to warn the near plants. |
| D． The nearby cabbage plants communicated through a secret language. |
According to the experiment, plants ________________.
| A． don’t live a passive life |
| B． can feel pain when they are cut |
| C． can warn the other leaves about danger |
| D． can talk with each other |
From the earliest times, man has been interested in art. People have often worked together to collect and save the world’s art treasures.
Fine art treasures from many countries are kept in an art museum called the Louvre in Paris, France. The works of art have been collected by the people of France over many centuries. The Louvre has not always been a museum. The first building was a fort(炮台). In 1190, it was the king’s castle with high walls and a round tower. It had a moat to keep out his enemies.
Over the years，the number of buildings around the castle grew. By 1350, the castle was no longer needed as a fort. The Louvre became a palace home for French kings and queens.
During times of peace, new treasures were brought in. During days of war, many treasures were stolen, and the buildings were damaged.
When Francis I became king of France in 1515, he brought in artists from many countries. One of the artists was Leonardo da Vinci from Italy. Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa is the best known painting in the museum today.
In 1793, the Louvre became a public museum, just as it is now. It is a place where art treasures have been saved for everyone to enjoy.
On the whole, this passage is mainly about__________.
| A．an art museum called the Louvre |
| B．an Italian artist named Leonardo da Vinci |
| C．a king of France named Francis I |
| D．the best known painting in Louvre |
Which of the following is not true according to the passage?
| A．The Louvre used to be a fort a very long time ago. |
| B．French kings and queens once lived in it. |
| C．The Louvre was taken by enemies in 1190. |
| D．Many treasures were brought into the Louvre over the years. |
Why is it good for great art to be kept in public museums?
| A．It helps people remember who the King of France is. |
| B．It keeps people out of the palaces. |
| C．It gives everyone a chance to enjoy good art. |
| D．It helps people to know who is the greatest artist. |
In the third paragraph the underlined word moat probably means________.
| A．a high tower built in former times where soldiers watched out for enemies |
| B．a long and deep ditch(渠) dug round a castle and was usually filled with water |
| C．a cart pulled by horses on which soldiers fought |
| D．a long and high wall around castle |
Musuems
Skyscraper Museum
Wednesday - Sunday: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Adults: $5
305-756-2385
Interested in tall buildings? Design? Then this museum is for you!!! Check the historical buildings and their special design right in lower Manhattan.
Madame Tussaud’s Wax(蜡像) Museum
Sunday - Thursday: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday - Saturday: 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Adults: $29 Students: $13
305-532-9623
The students in Manhattan had an exciting experience at Madame Tussaud’s! They met hundreds of famous people at a discounted price! This museum is your chance to meet your idols and have a picture taken with them.
Bass Musuem of Art
Tuesday - Saturday: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday: 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Adults: $8 The old / Students: $6
305-673-7530http://www. bassmuseum.org
Enjoy European paintings, and sculptures. It also includes exhibitions of modern artists from different parts of the world. You will also enjoy visiting its beautiful museum shop and media center.
World Art Museum
Daily: 11:00 AM – Midnight (including holidays)
Cost: $15
305-532-9336http://www. weam.com
Located in the heart of the South Beach Art Deco district, this museum shouldn’t be missed! It is currently one of South Florida’s hottest new attractions.
If you are into how to build a house, you may go to_______.
| A．Skyscraper Museum | B．Bass Museum of Art |
| C．World Art Museum | D．Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum |
If you want to go to a museum, but you are only free after 10 pm, you can phone_______.
| A．305-673-7530 | B．305-532-9336 |
| C．305-532-9623 | D．305-756-2385 |
If you go to Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum, you ______.
| A．are free to go at any time | B．will have a talk with famous people |
| C．can shake hands with your idols | D．will have the chance to enjoy the art of wax |
If your classmate is going to Bass Museum of Art with his grandparents, how much will they pay?
| A．$22 | B．$24 | C．$18 | D．$20 |
As one comes to some crossroads, he or she sees a sign which says that drivers have to stop when they come to the main road ahead. At other crossroads, drivers have to go slow, but they do not actually have to stop unless, of course, there is something coming along the main road; and at still others, they do not have either to stop or to go slow, because they are themselves on the main road.
Mr. Williams, who was always a very careful driver, was driving home from work one evening when he came to a crossroad. It had a “SLOW” sign. He slowed down when he came to the main road, looked both ways to see that nothing was coming, and then drove across without stopping completely.
At once he heard a police whistle, so he pulled into the side of the road and stopped. A policeman walked over to him with a notebook and a pen in his hand and said, “You didn’t stop at that crossing.”
“But the sign there doesn't say ‘STOP’.” answered Mr. Williams, “It just says ‘SLOW’, and I did go slow.”
The policeman looked around him, and a look of surprise came over his face. Then he put his notebook and pen away, scratched his head and said, “Well, I’m in the wrong street!”
Mr. Williams was driving ________ one evening.
| A．to a party | B．to his office |
| C．home after work | D．to work from home |
When he was stopped by a policeman, he ____.
| A．was driving at a high speed | B．was driving onto the main road |
| C．was going to stop his car | D．was pulled into the crossroad |
Though slowly, Mr. Williams continued driving at the crossing because________ .
| A．he saw a “STOP” sign in the opposite street |
| B．he paid no attention to the traffic rules |
| C．he didn't have to stop |
| D．he was eager to get home |
Looking round Mr. Williams, the policeman was surprised because__________ .
| A．he met a mad man |
| B．he realized that he himself was mistaken |
| C．Mr. Williams dared to speak to him like that |
| D．Mr. Williams would not apologize to him |
People bury treasure to stop other people from taking it. They choose a quiet place, dig a deep hole and bury the treasure in it. Then they make a map of where the treasure is or write down other clues（线索）that will help them or someone else to find it again.
In Britain a few years ago, a writer wrote about some treasure that he had buried. He put clues in the story to help readers find it. Thousands of people hunted for the treasure. They dug holes all over Britain, hoping to find it.
One of the most popular adventure stories ever written is Robert Louis Stephenson's “Treasured Island”, an exciting story about a young boy, Jim Hawkins, who is captured by pirates (海盗) and later finds some buried treasure.
Then there is the true story about a man who had to travel overseas for a year. He did not trust
banks, so he buried his life savings in a park. Then he went away. On his return, he went straight to the park. But the park was no longer there. In its place there was a huge building.
And then there was the man who buried his savings, all in bank notes, in a waterproof（防水的）bag. When he dug it up years later, there was nothing left. Worms and insects had eaten the bag and everything in it.
And of course, these are stories about people who bury things and either forget where they have buried them or lose the map.
Although it is true that people sometimes lose their money because a bank fails, banks are still the safest place to keep our savings and treasures.
People who bury treasure usually.
| A．do not trust banks |
| B．have a little money . |
| C．want to live in a quiet place. |
| D．expect to lose it |
The writer in Britain.
| A．really had buried something. |
| B．started a nationwide treasure hunt. |
| C．had lost his treasure and wanted people to help him find it. |
| D．caused trouble because people dug holes everywhere. |
. “Treasure Island”.
| A．is a story about pirates. |
| B．is about the adventures of Jim Hawkins. |
| C．is the most popular story ever written. |
| D．is a well-known fairy tale. |
The man who buried his money in a park.
| A．thought his money was safer there than in a bank. |
| B．travelled on the sea for a year. |
| C．got his life savings back again. |
| D．stayed away longer than he expected. |
From these stories we understand that.
| A．we cannot trust banks. |
| B．we should not trust anyone. |
| C．a waterproof bag is not proof against worms and insects. |
| D．insects eat anything. |
In one way of thinking, failure is a part of life. In another way, failure may be a way towards success. The “spider story” is often told. Robert Bruce, leader of the Scots in the 13th century, was hiding in a cave from the English. He watched a spider spinning a web（蜘蛛织网）. The spider tried to reach across a rough place in the rock. He tried six ti
mes without success. On the seventh time he made it and went on to spin his web. Bruce is said to have taken heart and to have gone on to defeat the English… Edison, the inventor of the light bulb, made hundreds of models that failed before he found the right way to make one.
So what? First, always think about your failure. What caused it? Were conditions right? Were you in top from yourself? What can you change so things will go right next time?
Second, is the goal（目标）you’re trying to reach the right one? Try to do some thinking about what your real goals may be. Think about his question, “If I do succeed in this, where will it get me?” This may help you prevent failure in things you shouldn’t be doing anyway.
The third thing to bear in mind about failure is that it’s a part of life. Learn to “live with yourself” even though you may have failed. Remember, “You can’t win them all.” This passage deals with two sides of failure. In paragraph 1, the author talks mainly about __.
| A．the value of failure |
| B．how people would fail |
C．famous failure s |
| D．the cause of failure |
The underlined phrase “made it” means ______ .
| A．succeeded |
| B．failed |
| C．gave |
| D．got |
The lesson the spider taught Robert Bruce seems ______ .
| A．productive |
| B．straight forward |
| C．sorrowful |
| D．deep |
The author tells you to do all things except ______ .
| A．The think about the cause of your failure |
| B．to check out whether your goals are right for you |
| C．to consider failure as a part or life |
| D．to bear in mind that you will never fail in your life |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Bruce and Edison were successful examples. |
| B．Failure may be regarded as a way toward success. |
| C．Edison learned a lot from the lesson the spider taught Robert Bruce. |
D．One may often raise a question  whether his goals are worth attempting. |