【题目】Humans aren’t the only ones getting a buzz from coffee.Caffeine can improve memory among honeybees and lead to better pollination(授粉).According to a recent study published in the journal Science.

The study was conducted by a team of researchers at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom.They found that the nectar(花蜜)of some flowers,such as those from grapefruit and lemon plants,as well as certain coffee flowers,contains low doses of caffeine.To get bees to feed on these flowers,the team trained the insects to associate food with the smell of the flowers.They also trained another group of bees to feed on nectar from flowers that were sweetened with a sugar, but did not contain caffeine.After 24 hours,the bees trained on caffeinated flowers returned to these plants three times as often as those trained on the sweetened flowers returned to the uncaffeinated plants.

Professor Geraldine Wright led the researchers.“Remembering floral traits(花部特征)is difficult for bees to perform at a fast pace as they fly from flower to flower and we found that caffeine helps the bee remember where the flowers are,”Wright said in a statement.

Improved memory led to the better pollination.That’s because once bees sip the caffeine nectar, they continue to look for more coffee plants to pollinate.This also suggests that caffeine plays a role in improving the bees’ability to search for food.

Researchers found that caffeine’s effect on the bee brain is similar to its effect on mammals.“The change is similar to that produced by caffeine in neurons(神经元)associated with learning and memory in the rat brain,”Wright said.

span>Bee populations have declining since 2007.The dramatic drop in the insects’numbers has serious effects for ecosystems and the farming industry.Bees are needed in the reproduction of crops and spreading wild flower species.Understanding what keeps bees buzzing could help to make sure that the insects are able to remember and pollinate their favorite flowers.

【1】Which of the following is mentioned in the passage?

A.Caffeine has no effect on the rat brain.

B. Bee population has been increasing.

C.The nectar of lemon plants contains caffeine.

D.Bees dislike nectar from sweetened flowers.

【2】After reading the passage,John,who works in the farming industry, will probably feel________.

A.annoyed B.angry C.nervous D.excited

【3】Which of the following relationship is correct according to the passage?

A.improved memory—caffeine nectar—better pollination

B.caffeine nectar—improved memory—better pollination

C.improved memory—better pollination—caffeine nectar

D.caffeine nectar—better pollination—improved memory

【4】What section of a newspaper may this passage be taken from?

A.Science B.Education

C.Culture D.Sports

【题目】Babies born in summer are more likely to become short-sighted in late life, a study has shown.

As many as a quarter of all cases of short-sightedness are caused by too great an exposure to sunlight in the first weeks of life, say eye experts.

They are advising all parents to put sunglasses on their babies during the first weeks.

Scientists had already established that over-exposure to sunlight caused shortsightedness in animals.

Researchers who compared the months in which babies were born with whether they needed glasses later on say the principle also applies to humans.

A study of almost 300,000 young adults-the largest of its kind-showed that those born in June and July had a 25 per cent greater chance of becoming severely short-sighted than those born in December or January.

Research leader Professor Michael Belkin, of Tel Aviv University, said it was because prolonged illumination(光照) causes the eyeball to lengthen-causing short-sightedness.

Hence the more light a newborn is exposed to, the more the eyeball lengthens and the worse the short-sightedness will be.

The mechanism which lengthens the eyeball is associated with levels of melatonin(褪黑激素), a pigment (色素) which protects the skin against harmful rays of the sun.

In young babies not enough melatonin is released as protection, meaning they are more vulnerable to sunburn and changes to eyeball shape.

Sight expert Professor Daniel O’Leary, of Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, said “At the moment we don’t know the precise cause of why light exposure affects sight, but the evidence seems to prove that it is one of the reasons for people becoming shortsighted.”

1Babies born in summer are more likely to be shortsighted ____________.

A. because the summer sun is too strong for babies

B. because babies born in summer have lengthened eyeballs

C. if they are exposed too much sunlight in the first weeks after they are born

D. if parents don’t know a proper way to protect their babies’ eyes

2Melatonin is a kind of material to ___________.

A. prevent the eyes from becoming near-sighted

B. protect the skin from harmful sun rays

C. make our body strong

D. protect babies’ eyes from summer sun

3】From what Professor Daniel O’Leary says we can conclude that ___________.

A. there is no evidence that shortsightedness is related to exposure to sunlight

B. whether light exposure affects sight still needs to be further proved

C. he believes that light exposure can cause shortsightedness

D. he tries to give the cause of why light exposure affects sight

4】The underlined word “vulnerable” in the passage probably means __________.

A. easy to be harmed B. resistant

C. protective D. changeable

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