As the sun rose, a dewdrop (露珠)woke up. There it sat on a leaf, catching the sunlight. Proud of its simple beauty, it was very happy. Around it were other dewdrops, some on the same leaf and some on other leaves. The dewdrop was sure that it was the best, the most special dewdrop of them all.
Ah, it was good to be a dewdrop.
The wind blew and the plant began to shake, tipping (使倾斜) the leaf. The dewdrop became frightened as it started to move towards the edge (边缘)of the leaf. Why was this happening? Things were comfortable. Things were safe. Why did they have to change? Why? Why?
The dewdrop reached the edge of the leaf. It was sure that this was the end. The day had only just begun and the end had come so quickly. It seemed so unfair. It seemed so meaningless. It tried hard to do whatever it could to stay on the leaf, but it was no use.
Finally, it fell. Below there was a mirror. A reflection of the dewdrop seemed to be coming up to meet it.  Closer and closer they came together until finally.., the small dewdrop became a part of the great pond (池塘). Now the dewdrop was no more, but it was not destroyed.
It had become one with the whole.
【小题1】According to Paragraph 1, we know that the dewdrop _____.

A.didn’t get on well with other dewdrops
B.thought its beauty was too simple
C.couldn’t get any sunlight
D.thought itself as the best dewdrop
【小题2】The dewdrop became _____ as it started to move towards the edge of the leaf.
A.scared B.happyC.proudD.comfortable
【小题3】Which of the following is TRUE according to the story?
A.There was only one dewdrop on the leaf.
B.The dewdrop did nothing before falling.
C.The mirror in the story refers to the pond.
D.The dewdrop was actually destroyed.
【小题4】What does the underlined word “reflection” mean?
A.反映B.考虑C.沉思D.倒影
【小题5】The story mainly tells us that _____.
A.we should work together against difficulties
B.people should not be too proud of themselves
C.one should work hard for his/her goals
D.it’s good to become one with the whole

You are probably familiar with the saying:An apple a day keeps the doctor away. A recent research carried out by the Chinese University of Hong Kong may change the saying:

An apple a day may keep aging away.

The research chose fruit flies(果蝇), as they share many genes(基因)with humans. The fruit flies were either fed normally or had an apple extract(浓缩物) added to their diet.

It turned out that those fruit flies that were given apple extract lived about 55 days—five days longer than the flies that were normally fed. The research group also found it easier for the flies to walk,climb and move about as they aged.

According to the result, the researchers believed that the antioxidants(抗氧化剂) in the apple extract helped clean up dangerous chemicals(化学物质) that cause illnesses,as well as aging.

In another study,researchers examined diets of thousands of women. They discovered that those who regularly ate apples were 20 percent less likely to suffer heart illnesses and stroke.

The apples’ genetic code(遗传密码) was discovered recently. It allows scientists to develop nicer and healthier fruits. Researchers are already using the information to grow a kind of apples full of antioxidants that can keep eyes and joints healthy and protect humans against heart illnesses and cancer.

Apples that kill the desire(欲望) to eat could also be produced, with the first“extra-healthy’’apples on supermarket shelves within just four or five years.

The team that keeps studying apple DNA includes 100 scientists from five countries. Their research also suggests that around 65 million years ago, when dinosaurs began to die off the plant,which would finally become today’s apple tree, experienced a great genetic change. The number of many of its genes doubled. The extra genes allowed the apple to get used to worse conditions and go through a different development from peaches,strawberries and other related fruits.

1.Why were fruit flies used for the research?

A.Because they have a similar diet to humans.

B.Because they have a history as long as apples.

C.Because they share a lot of genes with humans.

D.Because they feed on nothing but apple extract.

2.What result did the researchers find out?

A.Apples produce chemicals that can change human genes.

B.Apples have antioxidants that kill chemicals that cause aging.

C.Apples are rich in vitamins that are needed in humans’bodies.

D.Apples produce chemicals that make apples taste more delicious.

3.What happened to apples around 65 million years ago according to the research?

A.Their genes stopped their development as the environment got worse.

B.Their genes became twice in number but they finally died off like dinosaurs.

C.They experienced a great genetic change making them used to worse conditions.

D.They went through a similar development to peaches, strawberries and other related fruits.

4.What can we infer(推断)from the passage?

A.Eating apples may bring us more advantages than we might believe before.

B.People who have the habit of eating apples don’t need to see a doctor.

C.Apples that kill the desire to eat are already available in supermarkets now.

D.People will eat apples instead of peaches and strawberries from now on.

 

 

 

George Washington Carver was born in 1864. He was born a slave(奴隶). When he was still a baby, his mother was stolen. He was kept by his master.

All his life George loved  31  . When he was only seven years old, he already knew so  32   about plants that people in his hometown called him “the plant doctor”.

George wanted to learn as much as he could, but there was no   33   for black children where he lived. When he was ten, he left home to find a town that would allow   34   children to attend school. He studied in Missouri and Kansas   35   he finished high school. All this time he had to work to   36   his own expense(费用). He worked as a cook and opened his own laundry.

In 1890, George began college. At first he studied art, but he still had a   37   of plants. He began to study agriculture(农业). After he graduated, the famous inventor Thomas Edison asked him to work in his lab but George   38   . He had other   39  . He started an agricultural organization for black students in Alabama.

In those days, many   40   in the south grew only cotton. This was   41   to the soil(土壤). After a while the   42    would not grow as well. George Washington Carver wanted to help farmers in the south to grow plants like peanuts and sweet potatoes. These plants helped the  43  . Over the years he invented hundreds of ways to use these two plants.

George Washington Carver invented so many things that he was   44   “The Wizard(能手) of  Tuskegee”. He died in 1943 at the   45   of 79.

1. A. animals      B. plants       C. buildings       D. photos

2. A. much        B. many       C. little           D. few

3. A. house        B. farm       C. hospital        D. school

4. A. brown       B. yellow      C. black          D. white

5. A. when        B. until        C. for            D. since

6. A. cost         B. spend       C. pay            D. take

7. A. love         B. hate        C. question        D. surprise

8. A. accepted     B. refused      C. understood      D. cared

9. A. situations    B. suggestions   C. plays          D. plans

10. A. farmers      B. scientists     C. doctors        D. inventors

11. A. helpful      B. harmful      C. careful         D. wonderful

12. A. pumpkin     B. peanut       C. cotton         D. potato

13. A. soil         B. water        C. air           D. weather

14. A. seen        B. look         C. found         D. called

15. A. time        B. year         C. age           D. season

 

Can plants eat people? Probably not,but there are many plants that eat meat.Some of them are big.And they can eat small animals.One famous meat-eating plant is the Venus flytrap(捕蝇草).

    The Venus flytrap is a very strange plant.It grows in dry parts of the United States.Its leaves are like the pages of a book.They can open and close very quickly.Inside the leaves,there are three small hairs.If a fly touches one of the hairs,the leaf closes quickly.The fly cannot get out.In about half an hour,the leaf presses the fly until it is dead.Then,the plant covers the fly.Slowly,the plant eats the fly.

    Why do plants do it? Most plants get what they need from the sun,the air,and the ground.In some places,the ground is very poor.It doesn’t have all these important things,

especially nitrogen(氮).Animal meat has a lot of nitrogen, so some plants eat meat to get what they need.Let’s hope that some of the bigger plants don’t get the same idea !

1.The Venus flytrap is a kind of_________.

    A.plant            B.animal           C.food       D.meat

2.The Venus flytrap grows in_________.

  A.most parts of the world                  B.some parts of Africa

  C.dry parts of the United States             D.wet parts of England

3.From the passage,we learn that_________.

A.all plants can eat people                 B.all plants can eat animals

    C.some plants can eat people               D.some plants can eat animals

4.The underlined word“presses”probably means________ in Chinese.

    A.挤压            B.关上             C.打开          D.松开

5.—Why do some plants eat animal meat? —Because_________.

A.plants are dangerous to animals

    B.animals are dangerous to plants

C.plants want to get what they need from animal me

D.plants want to protect themselves against animals

 

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