Would it surprise you to learn that, like animals, trees communicate with each other and pass on their wealth to the next generation?

UBC Professor Simard explains how trees are much more complex than most of us ever imagined. Although Charles Darwin thought that trees are competing for survival of the fittest, Simard shows just how wrong he was. In fact, the opposite is true: trees survive through their co-operation and support, passing around necessary nutrition “depending on who needs it”.

Nitrogen (氮) and carbon are shared through miles of underground fungi (真菌) networks, making sure that all trees in the forest ecological system give and receive just the right amount to keep them all healthy. This hidden system works in a very similar way to the networks of neurons (神经元) in our brains, and when one tree is destroyed, it affects all.

Simard talks about “mother trees”, usually the largest and oldest plants on which all other trees depend. She explains how dying trees pass on the wealth to the next generation, transporting important minerals to young trees so they may continue to grow. When humans cut down “mother trees” with no awareness of these highly complex “tree societies” or the networks on which they feed, we are reducing the chances of survival for the entire forest.

“We didn’t take any notice of it.” Simard says sadly. “Dying trees move nutrition into the young trees before dying, but we never give them a chance.” If we could put across the message to the forestry industry, we could make a huge difference towards our environmental protection efforts for the future.

1.What would be the best title for the passage?

A. Old Trees Communicate Like Humans

B. Young Trees Are In Need Of Protection

C. Trees Contribute To Our Society

D. Trees Are More Complex Than You Think

2.In Simard’s opinion, trees .

A. protect their own wealth B. depend on each other

C. compete for survival D. provide support for dying trees

3.We can learn from the passage that .

A. if “mother trees” are cut down, the survival for the entire forest will be affected

B. “mother trees” are usually of no use to other trees

C. Charles Darwin had the same thought as Simard

D. people know much about the complex “tree societies”

A poem starts with a thought, an idea, or an emotion felt from the heart.Poems can be happy or sad, deep-thinking or even humorous.The choice is up to you and your imagination as to what you will create.

Your first step is to write down the idea or thought that you have and you want to turn into a poem.Next, you should turn the thought into a free verse(自由诗体)poem.Free verse poems are much easier to write as there are no steadfast rules to write them.Some free verse doesn’t even have any rhyme or meter.

Now, rewrite your thoughts into lines.Now is the time to look at your lines and remember that the poem should have a beginning, a middle, and an end, just like a story, a book, or a movie.

Reread your poem several times and listen to the words and to the rhythm of each line.Now is the time to shorten or lengthen each line in order to create a smooth-sounding poem.Even though it is a free verse poem, you can choose to make each line rhyme with the next line if you want to.

Now go back and reread your poem again. Check for proper punctuation(标点)as well as for the proper spelling of each word. Think up a suitable title for your poem. It would be a good idea to set your poem aside for a while and then return to it later.

Then, reread it again with a fresh mind and make some necessary changes.

If you decided to continue writing poetry, it would be a good idea to investigate(研究) some books about creating poetry, and to attend some local workshops. Check out the available resources on the Internet as well as what is available at your local public library.

1.The underlined word steadfast in Paragraph 2 is similar in meaning to______.

A. advanced B. strict

C. changeable D. reliable

2.In the author’s opinion, what is the right order of writing a good poem?

a.Turn an idea or thought into a poem.

b.Check for proper spelling and think up a title.

c.Rewrite your thoughts into 1ines.

d.Reread it and try to make your poem sound smooth.

e.Reread it again with a fresh mind.

f. Write down the idea or thought.

A. a-f-d-b-c-e B. a-f-c-d-e-b

C. f-a-d-c-e-b D. f-a-c-d-b-e

3.What can we infer from the end of the passage?

A. There is still a lot to learn about writing good poems.

B. Poems must depend on the Internet, workshops and libraries.

C. Writing poems is meaningful but rather difficult.

D. Not all people can succeed in writing poems.

Liverpool, my hometown, is a special city. It is so unique that in 2004 it became a World Heritage(遗产)Site.

I recently returned to my home city and my first stop was at a museum on the River Mersey. Blanketed in mist(薄雾),Victorian architecture rose from the banks of the river, responded to the sounds of sea-birds, and appeared unbelievably charming. When I headed toward the centre, I found myself surrounded by buildings that mirror the best palaces of Europe. It is not hard to imagine why, on first seeing the city, most visitors would be overpowered by the beauty of the noble buildings, which are solid signs of Liverpool’s history.

As if to stress its cultural role, Liverpool has more museums and galleries than most cities in Britain. At Walker Art Gallery, I was told that it has the best collections of Victorian paintings in the world, and is the home of modern art in the north of England. However, culture is more than galleries. Liverpool offers many music events. As Britain’s No. 1 music city, it has the biggest city music festival in Europe, and its musicians are famous all over the world. Liverpool is also well-known for its football and other sports events. Every year, the Mersey River Festival attracts thousands of visitors, making the city a place of wonder.

As you would expect from such a city, there are restaurants serving food from around the world. When my trip was about to complete, I chose to rest my legs in Liverpool’s famous Philharmonic pub(酒馆). It is a monument to perfection, and a heritage attraction itself.

Being a World Heritage Site, my home city is certainly a place of “outstanding universal value”. It is a treasure house with plenty of secrets for the world to explore.

1.Visitors who see the city for the first time would be deeply impressed by__________.

A. its charming banks B. its famous museums

C. its wonderful palaces D. its attractive buildings

2.Liverpool has important cultural role because __________.

A. it has the best collections of Victorian paintings

B. it has museums, galleries, music festival and sports events

C. the Mersey River Festival attracts thousands of visitors

D. the best palaces of Europe are in Liverpool

3.The author uses the Philharmonic pub to prove that__________.

A. Liverpool is a well-known city for its restaurants

B. Liverpool is an impressive place full of attraction

C. a pub is a wonderful place for visitors to relax themselves

D. a pub is a perfect choice for visitors to complete their journey

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