Plants may not have eyes and ears,but they can recognize their siblings (兄弟姐妹),a

Plants may not have eyes and ears,but they can recognize their siblings (兄弟姐妹),a

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Plants may not have eyes and ears,but they can recognize their siblings (兄弟姐妹),and researchers at the University of Delaware have discovered how.The ID system lies in the roots and the chemical signals they secrete (分泌).
Canadian researchers published that sea rocket,a common seashore plant,can recognize its siblings.Susan Dudley observed that when siblings are grown next to each other in the soil,they “play nice” and don’t send out more roots to compete.However,the moment one of the plants is thrown in with strangers,it begins competing with them by rapidly growing more roots to take up the water and mineral nutrients in the soil.
After reading Dudley’s study,Bais decided to find the method behind the sibling recognition.Working in his laboratory,Bais and his doctoral student Meredith Biedrzycki set up a study with wild populations of Arabidopsis thaliana.In a series of experiments,young seedlings were exposed to liquid media containing the root secretions from siblings,from strangers,or only their own secretions.The length of the longest lateral (侧面的) root was measured.The exposure of plants to the root secretions of strangers induced (引诱) greater lateral root formation than exposure of plants to sibling secretions.Strangers planted next to each other are often shorter,because so much of their energy is directed at root growth.Because siblings aren’t competing against each other,their roots are often much shallower (浅的).
Biedrzycki did the painstaking laboratory research,observing more than 3,000 plants involved in the study every day for seven continuous days and documenting the root patterns.“Arabidopsis roots are nearly translucent (半透明的) when they are young and were also twisted when I removed them from plates,”Biedrzycki notes.“This manuscript (手稿) is very important for my research since the focus of my thesis project is understanding the biochemical ways behind root secretions.”
The research also may have implications for the home gardener.“Often we’ll put plants in the ground next to each other and when they don’t do well,we blame the local garden center where we bought them or we attribute their failure to a germ,”Bais says.“But maybe there’s more to it than that.”
小题1:Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
A.A Great Biology Researcher
B.Plants Recognize Their Siblings
C.Plants’ Roots and Secretions
D.A Research on Plants
小题2:What encouraged Bais to study the sibling recognition?
A.Sea rocket.
B.Plants’ sensing system.
C.Biedrzycki’s thesis project.
D.Dudley’s study.
小题3:What does the underlined word “painstaking” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
A.Important.B.Adventurous.
C.Careful.D.Hard­working.
小题4:What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A.The local garden center should be blamed when plants can’t grow well.
B.The local garden center often sells low quality seeds to customers.
C.Plants in the home garden can’t grow well because of the germ and seeds.
D.Competing against strangers,plants in the home garden can’t grow well.

答案

小题1:B
小题2:D
小题3:D
小题4:D
解析

小题1: B
解析 标题归纳题。文章第一段第一句就开篇点题,植物可能没有眼睛和耳朵,但他们认识自己的“兄弟姐妹”。下面所有内容都是围绕这一中心展开的。
小题2: D
解析 细节理解题。根据第三段第一句可知,在看了Dudley的研究发现后,Bais决定找出植物识别同胞的方法,故D项正确。
小题3: D
解析 词义猜测题。文章第四段第一句指出,Biedrzycki连续花费7天时间来研究、观察3 000多种植物,由此推知painstaking为hard­working之意。
小题4: D
解析 推理判断题。在文章最后一段作者提到,当家中花园里的植物生长得不好的时候,人们经常会责怪花卉商店或者认为细菌太多。而最后一句作者又暗示,花园里面的植物生长得不好有可能是因为花园里种植了不同种类的植物,它们之间相互竞争,注重根部的生长,从而生长得不好。
举一反三
Mom was right!If you say thank you,for even the smallest gift or slightest show of kindness,you’ll feel happy.
Gratitude(感谢),says Robert A.Emmons,a professor of psychology at the University of California,is an important element of happiness.In his recent book,Thanks!,Emmons uses the first major study on gratitude to prove mom’s point.In acknowledging and developing this much­ignored expression of thankfulness,he explains how people have benefited—even improved their health.
As one of the leading scholars of the positive psychology movement,he admits gratitude may be difficult to express.He advises you to begin by admitting that life is good and full of events and elements that make daily existence a wonder.Second,recognize that the source of life’s goodness is more than just you.That source may be your mom,a friend,partner,child,colleague at work or play,or any combination of these.
Gratitude is always other­directed,notes Emmons.You can be pleased or angry with yourself and feel guilty about doing something wrong,but you can never be grateful to or for yourself.
Expressing gratitude shouldn’t be a reaction;it should be a state of mind.To feel grateful when life is a breeze and you have more than you need is easy.To feel grateful in time of crisis—anger,hatred and bitterness—is easier.Also,too many people are aware of life’s blessings only after these are lost.The voices expressing gratitude from his studies of individuals are many.
It’s crisis and chaos—danger,disease,disability and death—that bring many individuals to realize just how dependent they are on others.Yet it’s the way each of us begins life and ends it.It’s too bad that so many people waste those decades in between labouring under the illusion(幻觉) they are self­sufficient,says Emmons.
To enable and embrace gratitude,Emmons encourages the readers of Thanks! to keep a gratitude diary.He even provides easy­to­follow directions on how to practise and develop gratitude.
I’m not a reader or advocate of self­help books,but I am thankful for the reference I found in a newspaper article to the research Emmons was conducting on gratitude involving organ donors and recipients(接受者).The chance discovery led me to this book.
Mom implied that kindness seems to find its way back to the giver because life really is all about giving,receiving and repaying.So I’ll pay attention to her professional advice and say:Thank you,professor Emmons.
小题1:What is the text mainly discussed?
A.There are many ways of being thankful.
B.Gratitude is important to happiness.
C.Mom is great for her being thankful.
D.Being thankful will keep you fit.
小题2:The author mentions Robert A.Emmons’book Thanks! in order to prove that ________.
A.Professor Emmons supports mom’s study on psychology
B.mom is as great a psychologist as Professor Emmons
C.Professor Emmons is a famous psychologist
D.mom is right about her viewpoint on gratitude
小题3:It will be easier for you to feel grateful when ______.
A.you live a comfortable life
B.you receive gifts on your birthday
C.you get help during your hard times
D.you are congratulated on your success
小题4:What is the opinion of Professor Emmons?
A.It is enough to thank others orally.
B.Whether you are thankful is always up to you.
C.Remember to be thankful anytime and anywhere.
D.It is easier to be thankful for yourself than for others.

题型:不详难度:| 查看答案
One day,while I was walking to work,I decided to bring some flowers that I had picked from my garden that morning.On the way,I ____ a stranger and presented the bunch to him with a smile card.____ by the sense of joy I felt from giving flowers to another person,and may be ____ his day,I wanted to do it again.
When I got to my office,I had the ____ of anonymously(匿名) leaving flowers around the workplace.The impersonal(无人情味的) ___ of the building where I work makes me ____.It just feels a little boring sometimes,____ it’s a nice building with great light.I __8__ lots of people might feel the same way,so why not put a little ___ there,and throw in an inspirational quote while I’m at it?____,who doesn’t like flowers?
So,for the past month,I’ve been ____ flowers in a little cup on the sink in the bathroom.Each week,I ____ the flowers and the quote.It always feels ____ for me to read quotes like Henry David Thoreau’s “If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams,he will meet with a ____ unexpected in common hours.” and Gandhi’s “The fragrance(香味) always ____ on the hand that gives the rose.” If anything,I figured,it at least makes me ____ each time I visit the bathroom.
Then today,when I walked in,I noticed ____ flowers in the cup,and a quote that someone else had written!It ____,“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”—Gandhi.
This little act ____ me that,at the end of the day,we’re all just people with hearts ____ the various roles and different hats we may wear in the workplace.
I did a little dance and I am smiling wide for the rest of the day!
小题1:
A.picked outB.came across
C.called upD.pointed at
小题2:
A.StruckB.Informed
C.SurprisedD.Honoured
小题3:
A.calmingB.determining
C.reflectingD.brightening
小题4:
A.beliefB.way
C.ideaD.aim
小题5:
A.designB.atmosphere
C.decorationD.regulation
小题6:
A.uncomfortableB.impolite
C.impatientD.unconscious
小题7:
A.whenB.unless
C.becauseD.though
小题8:
A.concludedB.considered
C.doubtedD.expected
小题9:
A.mysteryB.adventure
C.beautyD.courage
小题10:
A.More or lessB.After all
C.At mostD.In no case
小题11:
A.growingB.watering
C.puttingD.arranging
小题12:
A.countB.checkC.cleanD.change
小题13:
A.refreshingB.interesting
C.satisfyingD.puzzling
小题14:
A.prizeB.truth
C.successD.miracle
小题15:
A.holds B.attaches
C.remainsD.focuses
小题16:
A.strongB.happy
C.excited D.shocked
小题17:
A.goodB.newC.smallD.special
小题18:
A.printedB.asked
C.repliedD.said
小题19:
A.introducesB.warns
C.suggestsD.reminds
小题20:
A.regardless ofB.in terms of
C.in addition to D.instead of

题型:不详难度:| 查看答案
The concept of solitude(独处) in the digital world is almost non­existent.In the world of digital technology,e­mail,social networking and online video games,information is meant to be ___.Solitude can be hard to discover____it has been given up.In this respect,new technologies have___our culture.
The desire to be connected has brought solitude to a(n)____as we’ve known it.People have become so____in the world of networks and connections that one can often be contacted____they’d rather not be.Today we can talk,text,e­mail,chat and blog(写博客),not only from our____,but from our mobile phones as well.
Most developed nations have become ____on digital technology simply because they’ve grown accustomed to it,and at this point not____it would make them an outsider.____,many jobs and careers require people to be____.From this point of view,technology has changed the culture of work.Being reachable might feel like a___to those who may not want to be able to be contacted at all times.
I suppose the positive side is that solitude is still possible for anyone who____wants it.Computers can be shut____and mobile phones can be turned off.The ability to be “connected” and “on” has many____,as well as disadvantages.Travelers have ended up____on mountains,and mobile phones have saved countless lives.They can also make people feel ____and forced to answer unwanted calls or____to unwanted texts.
Attitudes towards our connectedness as a society____across generations.Some find today’s technology a gift.Others consider it a curse.Regardless of anyone’s view on the subject,it’s hard to imagine what life would be like____daily advancements in technology.(2012·江苏)
小题1:
A.updatedB.received
C.sharedD.collected
小题2:
A.thoughB.until
C.onceD.before
小题3:
A.respectedB.shaped
C.ignoredD.preserved
小题4:
A.edgeB.stage
C.endD.balance
小题5:
A.sensitiveB.intelligent
C.considerateD.reachable
小题6:
A.even ifB.only if
C.as ifD.if only
小题7:
A.mediaB.computers
C.databasesD.monitors
小题8:
A.bent B.hard
C.keenD.dependent
小题9:
A.findingB.using
C.protectingD.changing
小题10:
A.AlsoB.Instead
C.OtherwiseD.Somehow
小题11:
A.connectedB.trained
C.recommendedD.interested
小题12:
A.pleasureB.benefit
C.burdenD.disappointment
小题13:
A.slightlyB.hardly
C.merelyD.really
小题14:
A.outB.down
C.upD.in
小题15:
A.aspectsB.weaknesses
C.advantagesD.exceptions
小题16:
A.hiddenB.lost
C.relaxedD.deserted
小题17:
A.trappedB.excited
C.confused D.amused
小题18:
A.turnB.submit
C.objectD.reply
小题19:
A.vary B.arise
C.spreadD.exist
小题20:
A.beyondB.within
C.despiteD.without

题型:不详难度:| 查看答案
A woman from Japan was telling a friend about her trip to the United States.The woman had visited major businesses and investment companies in New York City and Chicago.
“I studied English before I left home,”she said.“But I still was not sure that people were speaking English.”
Her problem is easy to understand.Americans in business are like people who are in business anywhere.They have a language of their own.Some of the words and expressions deal with the special areas of their work.Other expressions are borrowed from different kinds of work such as the theater and movie industry.
One such saying is “get your act together”.
When things go wrong in a business,an employer may get angry.He may shout,“Stop making mistakes.Get your act together.”
Or,if the employer is calmer,he may say,“Let us get our act together.”
Either way,the meaning is the same.Getting your act together is getting organized.In business,it usually means to develop a calm and orderly plan of action.
It is difficult to tell exactly where the saying began.But,it is probable that it was in the theater or movie industry.Perhaps one of the actors was nervous and made a lot of mistakes.The director may have said,“Calm down,now.Get your act together.”
Word expert James Rogers says the expression was common by the late 1970s.Mister Rogers says the Manchester Guardian newspaper used it in 1978.The newspaper said a reform policy required that the British government get its act together.
Now,this expression is heard often when officials of a company meet.One company even called its yearly report,“Getting Our Act Together.”
The Japanese visitor was confused by another expression used by American business people.It is cut to the chase.
She heard that expression when she attended an important meeting of one company.One official was giving a very long report.It was not very interesting.In fact,some people at the meeting were falling asleep.
Finally,the president of the company said,“Cut to the chase.”
Cut to the chase means to stop spending so much time on details or unimportant material.Hurry and get to the good part.
Naturally,this saying was started by people who make movies.Hollywood movie producers believe that most Americans want to see action movies.Many of their movies show scenes in which the actors chase each other in cars,or in airplanes or on foot.
Cut is the director’s word for stop.The director means to stop filming,leave out some material,and get to the chase scene now.
So,if your employer tells you to cut to the chase,be sure to get to the main point of your story quickly.
小题1:After the woman visited the United States she might feel that ________.
A.her English was poor
B.it’s easy to master English
C.it’s difficult to make money
D.people there weren’t very friendly
小题2:In which situation could the words “get your act together” be used?
A.A task is completed successfully.
B.Players perform badly in a match.
C.Audience is satisfied with the actor’s performance in a movie.
D.Visitors make a tiresome and unpleasant trip to someplace.
小题3:According to the text,the expression “get one’s act together” ________.
A.was first used by a Japanese businesswoman
B.was forbidden to be used in the government policy
C.originally came from a yearly report of a company
D.was commonly read by readers in a newspaper in 1978
小题4:What do the sayings “get your act together” and “cut to the chase” have in common?
A.Their use.B.Their meaning.
C.Their origin.D.Their popularity.

题型:不详难度:| 查看答案
In Asia,there are special competitions where kites have complex designs and are fitted with instruments that make musical sounds as the wind blows through them.Although all kites have a similar structure(结构),they are widely different in size and shape.Kite­fighting competitions are also held,in which competitors use their kites to attack and bring down their opponents’(对手) kites or cut their strings(线).
For more than 15 years,the Big Wind Kite Factory has been giving kite­making and kite­flying classes for the children on an island in Hawaii.In its kite­making lessons,students can make kites in as little as 20 minutes!Children as young as four years old can learn how to fly a kite.Jonathan Socher and his wife Daphne started the kite factory in 1980.Their kites are made of nylon(尼龙).Their designs are Hawaiian themes created by Daphne.The designs are cut out of the nylon with a hot knife that seals the edges and then fastened directly onto the kite.
The kite that is used to give lessons is a regular diamond kite with a rainbow pattern.The difference between this kite and the ones they make during the lessons is that it is a two­string controllable kite.Big Wind employees fly the kite and for a few minutes show students how pulling on one line and then on the other controls the direction the kite goes in.Then the controls are given to the students.
Jonathan insists that it is not necessary to make a huge impressive kite to have fun making and flying kites.Even the simplest structure can work,and can give hours of fun.Go on,give it a try!
(2012·安徽,D)
小题1:Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
A.A hot knife is used to iron the nylon.
B.Children never fly kites on their own in flying lessons.
C.Kite strings must not be cut in kite­fighting competitions.
D.Daphne designs kites for the Big Wind Kite Factory.
小题2:What is different about the kite used for flying lessons?
A.It has two strings.
B.It is simple in design.
C.It has a rainbow pattern.
D.It is shaped like a diamond.
小题3:According to Jonathan,what do you need to have fun with kites?
A.A large kite.
B.Any type of kite.
C.A complex structure.
D.A kite that impresses others.
小题4:What is mainly described in the text?
A.A kite factory.
B.Kite­flying lessons.
C.Special competitions.
D.The kite­making process.

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