【题目】Talking plants might sound like characters in a fairy tale. But recent scientific studies have shown that plants communicate with each other and with other living things in a surprising number of ways. To understand them, scientists say, we just have to learn their language. Farmers are especially interested in what plants have to say.

“Plants are able to communicate with all sorts of organisms(有机体). They can communicate with giant bacteria, with other plants and with insects. They do this chemically, ”said Cahill, an Ecology Professor of the University of Alberta in Canada.

Plant scientists are just beginning to understand this chemical “language”. Cahill says studies have shown, for example, that plants can evaluate conditions in their immediate environment and take appropriate actions. Plants have an ability, for example, to signal pain or discomfort caused by anything from temperature extremes to an insect attack. Jack Schultz, a professor of chemical ecology at the University of Missouri, says when a plant senses that it’S being eaten, it cannot walk away from trouble;on the contrary, it will release a chemical vapor that alerts other plants nearby.

“Their language is a chemical language, and it involves chemicals that move through the air, which are easily to be changed, and most of all are smells that we are familiar with, Schultz explained.

“All plants responded to the attack by changing their chemistry to defend themselves, Schultz recalled. “But we were quite surprised to find that nearby plants also changed their chemistry to defend themselves, even though they were not part of the experiment.

Studies have also shown that plants under attack release pleasant chemicals. Those chemicals attract friendly insects that attack the pests eating the plant.

In the end, plants’ability to communicate their needsand our ability to understand themcould help farmers reduce the use of poisonous chemicals, cut operating costs and limit damage to the environment.

1The recent scientific studies have shown that plants can __________.

A. communicate with other living things in a chemical way

B. hardly react to any sudden change in temperature

C. use a very special chemical language which is familiar to us

D. respond to the attack by giving off poisonous chemicals

2When being eaten by a pest, the plant will ___________.

A. walk away from trouble

B. change its chemistry to kill the insect

C. release a chemicaI vapor to “ask” other plants for help

D. give off nice chemicals to attract friendly insects to a tack the pest

3The underlined word “alerts” most probably means “___________”.

A. warns B. protects

C. threatens D. allows

4Which would be the best title for the passage?

A. Communication between Plants

B. A Chemical “Language”

C. Plants Can Talk

D. How Plants Protect Themselves

【题目】With all the wars, fighting and sadness in the world today, it's not only necessary, but also essential to have a good sense of humor just to help us get through each and every day of our lives. Putting a smile on someone's face when you know they are feeling down in the dumps ( 处于沮丧中), as the saying goes, makes me feel good and warms my heart.

How would you feel if you could not joke around with your wife, husband, child, co-worker neighbor, close friend, or even just someone that you are standing in line with at your comer store? I am always saying things that make others smile or laugh, even if I don't know the person I'm joking around with.My Grandma always found humor in everything she did, even if it was the hardest job anyone could imagine.This not only relieves stress in any situation, but also is common courtesy (礼貌) to speak to others that are around you.

I know of a few people that don’t have a funny bone in their bodies, as they say.Everyone around them could be rolling on the floor after hearing a great joke and they would sit there without the slightest smile on their face.They don't get the joke that makes others laugh. I am busting a gut while they just sit there, looking at me as if I were from outer space. How can people not get a really funny joke?

Laughing is essential to keep your stress levels under control. Without humor we would find ourselves with a lot of psychological problems, or on a lot of medications to keep us from going crazy. There is too much sadness in this present world. It drives people crazy. We all need to find a way to bypass the sadness and bring a little light into our lives. So, I believe our best medicine is to get together and tell some jokes and have some fun laughing together.

1According to the author, humor is useful in the aspect that ____________.

A. it makes people more confident

B. it can pick up people' s spirits

C. it can help get rid of the cruelty in the world

D. it can help people get on well with others

2The phrase “busting a gut" in the third paragraph can be replaced by __________.

A. explaining carefully B. speaking loud

C. keeping silent D. laughing hard

3In writing the passage, the author mainly intends to __________.

A. talk about his own understanding of humor

B. encourage people to be humorous in daily life

C. introduce a practical way to get through daily life

D. convince people of the power of being optimistic about life

4What is the author' s attitude towards the present world?

A. Positive. B. Critical.

C. Satisfied. D. Indifferent.

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