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!

1.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

2.What does the underlined word “they” in Paragraph 1 mean?

A. Gardeners B. Plants

C. Scientists D. Fireflies

3.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.

4.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

阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（一个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

Animals have been killed for their fur and feathers, and 1. (thousand) of kinds of animals have disappeared from the world forever. About 170 kinds in the US alone 2. (consider) in danger.

Why should people care? 3. we need animals, and if they are gone, there will never be any more. Every animal has its place in the balance of nature. 4. (destroy) one kind of animal can create many problems. For example, when farmers killed large numbers of hawks (老鹰), the farmers’ stores of corn and grain were destroyed 5. rats and mice. With no hawks to keep down their numbers, the rats and mice multiplied (繁殖) 6. (quick).

Luckily, some people are working 7. (help) save the animals. Some groups raise money to let people know about 8. problem. And they try to get the governments to pass laws protecting animals in danger. Quite a few 9. (country) have passed laws. These laws forbid the killing of any animals on the danger list. Slowly, the number of some animals in danger 10. (be) growing.

Barack Obama has really gone wild. The US president has taken part in the survival television show Running Wild With Bear Grylls, which will air on NBC later this year. In the show, Obama goes on an adventure with host Bear Grylls, learning how to survive in the Alaskan wilderness.

Edward Michael “Bear” Grylls, 41, has become known around the world as one of the most famous outdoor adventurers. The Briton has appeared on a number of wilderness survival shows in which he has climbed, sailed, and eaten bugs or cow tongue.

Obama doesn’t have to eat bugs or cow tongue on his adventure with Grylls. But he does have to eat leftovers - a bloody salmon (三文鱼). It was partly enjoyed by a bear that left some meat behind.

Although he is far from the White House kitchen, Obama seems to enjoy the outdoors. “As president, I am in what’s called the bubble（保护膜）, and the Secret Service makes sure that I’m always out of danger ... but I sometimes want to get out,” he said in a video.

However, Obama’s appearance on the show isn’t just for fun. He took part to raise awareness of the effect global warming has had on the US’s largest state, Alaska.

1.On his adventure, Obama______.

A. has to eat something strange like bugs

B. enjoys cow tongue with Grylls

C. takes in some unusual food

D. never has any difficulty

2.It can be inferred from the passage that _____.

A. Obama has been tired of the life in the White House

B. US presidents have never been in danger because of the Secret Service

C. the food prepared in the White House is not as good as the food outdoors

D. The life outside the White House is sometimes attractive to the president

3.The purpose of Obama’s appearance on the show is _____.

A. to have some fun

B. to promote environmental protection

C. to enjoy the wilderness in Alaska

D. to get out of the White House for a change

4.Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A. Grylls is the most well known outdoor adventurer around the world.

B. The TV show with Obama’s appearance is now on air on NBC.

C. Obama learns how to survive with host Bear Grylls in African wilderness.

D. Grylls has special abilities to survive in the wild

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

●Does failure really exist ?

If you believe you have failed, then you have. If you believe you don’t have the ability to succeed, then you don’t. 1. The moment you decide to give up or stop working toward your goals, failure is born.

● 2.

Most people give themselves an out without even realizing it. They are willing to work hard on reaching their goals, but only until the going gets too rough or their energy dies down. Don’t do that! 3. Never quit, never admit failure, and never lose heart.

●Don’t believe in a clear finish line for goals.

It’s a good idea to set a general timeline, but remember that something will be beyond your control. 4. If you lock yourself into a given timeline, you might make yourself feel like a failure! Instead, get a general idea of when you’d like your goal to be completed. Then take it one day at a time and focus on making progress instead of reaching the finish line in as little time as possible.

●Be sure that you don’t see difficulties as failures.

Difficulties mean only one thing: it’s not time for your goal to be completed yet. That’s it! It doesn’t mean you failed; it doesn’t mean you’re weak; it doesn’t mean you’ll never achieve your goals. 5. You’ve got to keep moving forward and find a way over, around, or through the difficulties.

A. Never give up on yourself.

B. Failure only exists in your own mind!

C. That’s exactly how failure makes us feel.

D. It simply means you have not done enough yet.

E. You can never say exactly when your goal will be reached.

F. Instead, make up your mind to make your goal happen, no matter what!

G. Work hard towards your goal, and you will be likely to get good results.

假如你是中学生李华，你收到正在学习汉语的美国笔友Peter的电子邮件，说他在汉语学习中遇到了困难，感到非常着急。请根据以下要点给他回信并提出建议，帮他来解决这方面的困难。

1.不要担忧，要有信心。

2.给自己更多练习汉语的机会。

3.让自己浸泡在汉语的环境当中。

要求：1.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。 2.词数：100词左右。

3.邮件的开头和结尾已经给出，不计入总词数。

Dear Peter,

I have received your letter.

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

Yours truly,

Li Hua

While working in Southeast Asia in the mid 1990’s, I became a branch manager in a factory. At the beginning, I used human relations principles, such as putting myself into the others place to help gain trust. After a few months, I was told that the factory team members liked and trusted me.

Then the owner, seeing how everyone thought well of me, believed that I could become an instrument of change to carry out his several unpopular programs. The factory members resisted and eventually saw me as a puppet controlled by the owner. The more I insisted that they ‘follow orders’ the more they found ways to weaken the new changes.

Finally, I was replaced by a manager who knew enough to please both masters. Even though the owner did not like the fact that his new changes were not immediately applied, the new manager gained his power by the support received from his team together with an intention to find a way. What I learned was that your team must always see you as supportive of their needs, even to the extent that the owner may not be pleased that you are unable to follow their wishes. At the end of the day, if your people do not follow you then you are no longer in charge and will be replaced.

At first I blamed my boss for putting me in such a position. Then in honest reflection, I began to realize that he had probably hoped that I would have found some middle ground. What I could have done was to first obtain their advice about why they did not wish to follow the new policy changes, and then I should have used my influence with both the owner and team members to find a better way.

Though, in fact it is a painful lesson for me, it has served me well along my career path!

1.What can we learn from the passage?

A. Obeying is the best quality.

B. Giving is always a pleasure.

C. Appreciating others will benefit a lot.

D. Dealing with relationship is important.

2.The underlined word “puppet” has the similar meaning to .

A. instrument B. assistant

C. wretch D. winner

3.Which is the right order according to the passage?

a. He was removed from his position.

b. He got on poorly with the coworkers.

c. He carried out the orders of the owner.

d. He became a branch manager.

f. He was believed in not only by coworkers but leaders.

A. a, b, d, c, f B. f, d, c, b, a

C. d, f, c, b, a D. d, c, f, b, a

4.From the third paragraph we can infer that .

A. the new manager carried out the programs at once

B. the new manager got on badly with workers

C. workers need to be recognized and supported

D. you should make full use of your power

阅读填空

I used to be the messiest person alive. Over the years, through watching others and by trial and error, I have finally found ways to come up with plans, organize them and follow through with them.

Make an outline of everything you need to have and do to make your plan happen. Make a list of all of the steps that need to be accomplished and think about what needs to be done.

Detail everything thoroughly and read over it so you can start coming up with some mental solutions of how to carry out your plans.

You should ensure that if for some reason way one doesn't work, you have way two and way three to lean back on. Therefore, different ways are needed at hand. It's just a matter of being organized. Chances are that there is always more than one way of doing things, and chances are that if one of those waysdoesn't work,one of the others will.

Committing yourself to finishing at least part ifnot all of your plan at once is also necessary. It willshow that you not only have initiative to get thingsrolling, but that you are interested in the resultsobtained with making the move to get everythingdone.

If you make a commitment to finish before aspecific time, make sure that you carry that out, andbe sure to do everything in the way you said youwould, within the time-frame you set for yourself.

Don't try to tackle (处理) more things all at atime. All that does is delay your progress, distract youand make you lose your interest, motivation andenergy.

Carrying out an effective plan requires being as organized as possible. You will only achieve this bysticking to the order of the plan and not deviating ortrying to do more at a time.

Last but not the least, you should never abandon things mid-project. It will only annoy everyonearound you including yourself. Unfinished plans are awaste of time, energy and, in some cases，evenmoney.

So,don't be afraid of organization. The older weget,the more necessary it becomes to have the skills to follow through with confidence and to be able tocarry through plans in an organized and manageable way. It pays to be organized, after all.

If you see a group of people dancing and singing on the street or in the railway station, you don't need to feel surprised. They are a flash mob(暴民). Who are they? Are they mobs? Don't be confused by their name. Actually, a flash mob is a group of people who gather suddenly in a public place, do something unusual for a brief period of time, and then quickly disappear.

They are usually organized with the help of the Internet or other digital communications networks. The messages may be sent to friends, who send to more people. At a predetermined time, they gather and perform some activities such as exchanging books, coming together to look at the sky, waving their hands and yelling something at the top of their voice for 30 seconds. Then, they quickly disappear before the police can arrive. Using mobile phones, the flash mob can change its place if the first one has been cancelled for any reason.

Bill Wasik, senior editor of Harper's Magazine, organized the first flash mob in Manhattan in May 2003 and the first successful flash mob gathered on June 3, 2003. Wasik claimed that he created the flash mob as a social experiment designed to laugh at fashion seekers and stress the cultural atmosphere of wanting to be an insider or part of “the next big thing”.

Flash mob gatherings can sometimes shock people. Such an activity might seem amusing and magical, but it also might frighten people who are not aware of what is taking place. Undoubtedly, flash mob can serve as good political tools and have great potential, such as using flash mob to advertise a product.

The flash mob is now becoming more and more popular. People use it to do many things. For example, in 2009, Michael Jackson’s fans took part in a flash mob to remember him. Hundreds of his fans gathered singing and dancing Michael’s famous song “Beat It” together. Flash mobs give people from all walks of life an opportunity to come together to create a memory.

1.What is NOT the feature of the flash mob?

A. It can get together quickly.

B. It can change its place freely.

C. It can do activities suddenly.

D. It can injure people seriously.

2.How do flash mobs inform one another?

①By using the Internet.

②By writing letters.

③By yelling.

④By waving hands.

⑤By using mobile phones.

⑥By holding a meeting.

A. ③④ B. ①⑤ C. ②⑥ D. ⑤⑥

3.Why did Bill Wasik create the flash mob?

A. To advertise some products. B. To help people make friends.

C. To laugh at fashion seekers. D. To create some memories.

4.What can we learn about the flash mob from the passage?

A. Bill Wasik organized the first successful flash mob in May, 2003.

B. People are encouraged to take a more active part in an activity.

C. Flash mobs tend to do something illegal for a short time.

D. Flash mob gathering can frighten all the people present.

书面表达

假如你是李华，你的美国网友Peter打算到中国留学，他写信询问怎样才能受到中国高校的青睐。请你根据下列要点给对方写一封回信：

1. 语言是道硬门槛； 2. 适应能力很重要； 3. 看重兴趣爱好。

注意： 1. 词数100左右；

2. 开头语和结束语已为你写好，不计入总词数。

Dear Peter,

In your letter you mentioned how to get the preference of Chinese iniversities.

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Best wishes and good luck!

Yours,

Mike

Humans have been keeping animals as pets for tens of thousands of years, but Dr Jean-Loup Rault, an animal scientist at the University of Melbourne in Australia, believes new companions are coming: robot pets.

“Technology is moving very fast,” Rault told ABC News, “The Tamagotchi in the early 1990s was really the first robotic pet, and now Sony and other big companies have improved them a lot.”

This may not sit well with pet lovers. After all, who would choose a plastic toy over a lovely puppy? But Rault argues that the robotic kind has a lot going for it: “You don’t have to feed it, you don’t have to walk it, it won’t make a mess in your house, and you can go on a holiday without feeling guilty.” The technology also benefits those who are allergic to pets, short on space, or fearful of real animals.

It’s not clear whether robot pets can replace real ones. But studies do suggest that we can bond with these smart machines. People give their cars names and kids give their toy animals life stories. It’s the same with robots. When Sony stopped its repair service for its robot dog Aibo in March 2014, owners in Japan held funerals.

As an animal welfare researcher, Rault is concerned about how robotic pets could affect our attitudes towards live animals. “If we become used to a robotic companion that doesn’t need food, water or exercises, perhaps it will change how humans care about other living beings,” he said.

So are dogs and cats a thing of the past, as Rault predicts? For those who grew up with living and breathing pets, the mechanical kind might not do. But for our next generation who are in constant touch with smart technology, a future in which lovely pets needn’t have a heartbeat might not be a far-fetched dream.

1.What does the underlined phrase “sit well with” means?

A. be refused by B. be beneficial to

C. make a difference to D. receive support from

2.What are the advantages of robot pets?

a. They are plastic and feel smooth.

b. Owners needn’t worry about them when going out.

c. They can help cure allergies（过敏）.

d. They save space and costs.

A. ab B. bc C. bd D.cd

3.We can learn from the passage that___________.

A. Sony is the first company to produce robot pets Aibo.

B. People can develop strong bond（联系、关系） with their robot pets.

C. Rault thinks robot pets still have a long way to go.

D. Robot toys may help people care more about living beings.

4.The passage mainly tells us___________.

A. the advantages of robot toys

B. the popularity of robot pets

C. living pets are dying out

D. robot pets are coming