No matter where you go in the world, you will notice something unusual about the trees —their trunks (树干) are painted white.
People whitewash trees for a variety of reasons, depending on the area they live in. In Mexico, the purpose of whitewashing is to protect the tree and fight against a specific type of ant. Greece is another country where you can find trees painted white. According to tradition, during Easter, everything gets whitewashed. Make sure to plan your next trip to Greece if you won’t want to miss this interesting and unique tradition.
Generally speaking, the main purpose of whitewashing is to protect the tree from heat and insects (昆虫). And few are as effective and accessible as whitewashing. When the tree is exposed to too much sun in the daytime, the tree cells become more active; however, the roots as well as the other unexposed areas of the tree remain inactive. If the water that the tree needs cannot be provided from the roots, the tree will have a dry surface. Once you whitewash them, the surfaces of young trees won’t get dry easily. If the tree is suffering from being sunburned, the wound can also allow the insects to enter the inside of the tree. Moreover, relative diseases can influence how the tree grows. Whitewash prevents any access to the inside of the tree.
Pure white paint works efficiently (高效地) when it comes to reflecting both heat and sunlight away from the tree. White paint allows the tree to spend more time taking in carbon dioxide (CO2). The more carbon dioxide the trees take in, the more energy they create. Gardeners whitewash trees not only for protecting their trees but also helping produce more fruit.
Painting the trees white won’t stop traffic accidents, but it can make them less frequent, because drivers can see the trees much more clearly, even during the night.
1. Why do people in Greece paint the trees white?| A．To see the trees more clearly. | B．To protect the trees from ants. |
| C．To make their cities beautiful. | D．To celebrate a traditional festival. |
| A．By influencing the growth of trees. | B．By helping supply water to trees. |
| C．By preventing access into trees. | D．By drying the surface of trees. |
| A．Whitewashing trees may increase fruit production. |
| B．Painting trees white helps stop traffic accidents. |
| C．White paint provides more energy for trees. |
| D．White paint helps trees create more CO2. |
| A．A health report. | B．A travel handbook. |
| C．A scientific magazine. | D．A product advertisement. |
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【推荐1】Andy lived high in the Rocky Mountains. He hunted wild animals there and he also took other men to hunt, which was his work.
One day a letter brought Andy a new job. This job changed both his feeling about animals and his way of hunting. The letter said, “I want to write a story about bighorn sheep（大角羊）． I need pictures to go with my story. Will you get pictures of the sheep for me?"
Andy's two sons wanted their father to take the job. "We will help you!” they said. Bighorn sheep are very wild. Andy knew it would be hard to get their pictures. “But why not try?" they said.
For days, Andy and his sons tried to get their pictures, They did not want the sheep to hear them or see them, so they walked softly. They hid behind rocks, but the sheep always ran away.
Then one day, Andy and his sons walked around a big rock. They met some sheep face to face, but they didn't run. "Now I know why the sheep run away," Andy said. "They run because we come up behind them. From now on, we will stay where they can see us."
The next day; Andy saw some sheep right out in the open. He and his sons walked toward them. They did not try to hide, and they did walk slowly. They knew that any fast move would frighten them away．
"Don't look direct at the sheep," Andy said. "Wild animals do not like to be looked at. They will run away. " They looked off to this side and to that side, and they walked closer and closer. And soon they were close enough to get good clear pictures.
They made good friends with the wild sheep—and sent many fine pictures to the writer for his story. Since then, they have never hunted the bighorn sheep again.
1. What was the new job Andy got?| A．To hunt bighorn sheep. |
| B．To protect bighorn sheep. |
| C．To take pictures of bighorn sheep. |
| D．To write a story about bighorn sheep. |
| A．Looking directly at them. |
| B．Walking slowly to their faces. |
| C．Running to them from one side. |
| D．Following them from behind. |
| A．He won respect from his children. |
| B．He was well paid by the story writer. |
| C．He knew better how to use a camera. |
| D．He learned more about bighorn sheep. |
【推荐2】To the human ears, a field of flowers is silent, except the noise of birds and insects. To certain animal ears, however, a field of flowers is full of conversation. Now, scientists have discovered that plants actually make noise as a way of communicating. In other words, they talk!
It has long been known that plants communicate when they are stressed. You need only watch a houseplant to realize that a plant lowers its head when it needs water, or turns yellow when it has been watered too much. Some plants also send out a bad smell when stressed to try and stop insects from taking advantage of their stressed state and eating them up.
Now, a new study that was published in Cell and conducted by researchers at Tel Aviv University, shows that not only do plants express themselves in the above ways when stressed, they also make sounds, like talking.
According to NoCamels, plants send out sounds at frequencies (频率) between 40 to 80 kilohertz—out of the range (范围) of human ears, but within the range of some animals. “Bats (蝙蝠) make sounds in these ranges all the time, and mice, dogs and cats can partly hear within it,” Dr. Lilach Hadany, one of the authors of the study, told NoCamels.
What is surprising about Hadany’s study is that the researchers have managed to understand and group the sounds that plants make for the first time. Plants that are not stressed make about one noise per hour, but plants that are stressed, thirsty, or injured make many hundreds of sounds per hour; and each of these sounds seems to show the certain type of stress the plant is under.
This type of information could be key for agriculture (农业). Knowing what sounds their plants are making will help farmers determine whether their plants are in danger or disease and allow them to make the necessary changes to allow their plants to grow well.
1. Why do some plants send out a bad smell?| A．To show they hate birds. | B．To say they are in need of water. |
| C．To protect themselves from danger. | D．To tell people to stop watering them. |
| A．Humans. | B．Cats. | C．Dogs. | D．Bats. |
| A．The big problems farmers have been facing. |
| B．The possible application of the new study. |
| C．The ways for farmers to learn plants’ languages. |
| D．The points needed to be improved for the study. |
| A．Plants Change Their Looks to Ask for Help |
| B．Necessary Changes Are Made to Agriculture |
| C．Plants Can Make Sounds to Communicate |
| D．A Field of Plants Is Silent to the Human Ears |
【推荐3】The alarm clock rang, and I reached over to turn it off. As I laid my face back down on the pillow (枕头), I felt wet drool (口水) on my pillow case. I opened my eyes and saw a smiling face looking at me. I tried to get up, but she was too fast. My face was suddenly covered in kisses with one going straight up my nose and another right in my ear. I laughed, reached out and picked up the eight-pound love machine and held her away from my face. It was just another morning in a life with my dog.
Why do we welcome them into our homes and our hearts? We know that we are most likely going to live longer than them and have our hearts broken when they age quickly and pass away after ten to fifteen years. We know that our ears will ring from the barking, that we will be picking up poop (大便) every single day and that we will never get to finish a full sandwich again. Yet, when we are feeling down or blue, there will always be a soft head on our lap needing to be petted. When we get home after a long day’s work, there will be a happy face at the door waiting for us, which will warm our hearts and lift our spirits.
For thousands of years, dogs have been our best friends. They remain one of the greatest gifts life has ever given us. Even if they can’t love us for the rest of our lives, they will always love us for all of their lives.
1. What do the underlined words “love machine” in paragraph 1 refer to?| A．Clock. | B．Toy. | C．Baby. | D．Dog. |
| A．Because they wake us every day. | B．Because they live shorter than us. |
| C．Because they can keep us safe. | D．Because they can lift our spirits. |
| A．Life is never perfect without dogs. | B．Dogs are devoted to their owners. |
| C．Dogs’ owners can pet them forever. | D．It is troublesome to keep dogs at home. |
| A．Noisy. | B．Friendly. | C．Dirty. | D．Quiet. |
【推荐1】Hundreds of children are being treated for sleep problems in Wales every year. In some cases，babies，infants (婴儿)and teenagers have been admitted to hospital in north Wales alone.
The Children’s Sleep Charity said many children were suffering from lack of sleep mainly because of technology use. Public Health Wales said sleep was as important to a child’s health as healthy eating and exercise，and children with poor sleep patterns were more likely to be fat.
Statistics obtained (获得) under the Freedom of Information Act by BBC Wales found at least 408 children have been admitted to hospitals across Wales suffering from sleep disorders since March 2013.
Children aged between 0 and 4 made up the highest number of inpatients (住院病人)，with some newborns being treated for sleep-related problems from the day of birth.
Vicki Dawson，who set up the Children’s Sleep Charity (CSC)，said sleepless nights were putting both children and parents in anxiety. “Their weight and growth may also be affected as well as their mental health，”she said.
Teachers said children showing signs of sleep shortage and tiredness in class were a concern as they couldn’t concentrate for long periods.
Psychologist Amy McClelland，of Sleep Wales，saida common problem was that children were “over excited”before bed and that families should get back to basics. “Think 1950s family home. Dinner as a family，read，chat，a film maybe，lights off and then bed. ”She added.
1. What’s the main reason why children are short of sleep？| A．Less exercise. | B．Eating habits. |
| C．Technology use. | D．Sleep patterns. |
| A．Infants. | B．Teenagers. |
| C．Teachers. | D．Parents. |
| A．Chatting and films make children sleep more. |
| B．It is difficult for children to read before bed. |
| C．Being too excitedis good for sleep habits. |
| D．Relaxation has a bad effect on children. |
| A．Ways to Treat Sleep Problems | B．Sleep Problems of Welsh Children |
| C．Sleep Habits of Welsh Children | D．The Problems of Welsh Children |
【推荐2】Every day, there are 25, 000 flights in America. Accidents are so rare that flying is much safer than car travel. But that doesn’t stop many people from panic when they are moving at 500 miles per hour, 33, 000 feet above the ground. Not being at the controls makes us feel a bit helpless. When the negative thoughts begin to swirl (打旋), even in a very safe place, we will suddenly feel panic.
That’s what happened recently to a woman flying on a commercial airline. Many of us can go along doing ordinary things and suddenly be overcome with fear. The physical symptoms are real, and it requires a calming force to steady our emotions. In panic mode, every sound and movement feels like a threat. The passengers responded accordingly, jumping at every sound and the slightest turbulence (骚乱).
Floyd Dean - Shannon noticed a woman’s distress. As a flight attendant, he has plenty to do during a flight. But he stopped and spoke comfortingly to the woman. Floyd calmly explained what the noise was and that it was normal. As the woman began to calm down a bit, Floyd sat down in the aisle beside her and held her hand. He told her she was safe. He made her feel safe. He sat with her through the entire flight. At one point, Floyd learned it was another passenger’s birthday, so he led the plane in a song to celebrate — another way of making the woman feel safe by distracting her from her fears. He stayed by the woman’s side until it was time to land.
We all have friends who become distressed, who over worry, who may struggle with some difficulties that keep them from enjoying life. Like Floyd, we can be open enough to see, and to be there. We don’t have to be professional counselors; we just need to be friends.
1. Why do some people feel fearful when on a flight?| A．They have a negative memory. | B．There are 25,000 flights at the same time. |
| C．There are more plane accidents than car accidents. | D．The speed and height make them feel helpless. |
| A．Anger. | B．Worry. | C．Surprise. | D．Sorrow. |
| A．Brave and sympathetic. | B．Ambitious and determined. |
| C．Patient and considerate. | D．Sensitive and modest. |
| A．Overcoming fear sometimes requires a patient friend | B．Why do we suddenly feel scared when flying |
| C．How should we deal with the sudden fear | D．Airline travel is much safer than car travel in America |
【推荐3】Loneliness is spreading in our times. According to research conducted this year, nearly 50% of people aged 55and above in the Netherlands experience loneliness. There may be friendly neighborhood, but during the pandemic the elderly suffer a lot as their immune system does not permit them to step out for shopping or any type of activities.
Dutch Local Jumbo Supermarket in Vlijmen is working to make their community less lonely. They recently launched two initiatives(新方案) in the supermarket for seniors: All Together Coffee Corner and Chat Checkout. All Together Coffee Comer is opened as a social coffee corner where elderly people meet with other locals just for a chat or to ask for help with small tasks. The goal of the coffee corner is to act as a meeting point for elderly people with locals as well as volunteers who can help them. The initiative is a huge success. Volunteers help elders in shopping, walking, etc.
Also, Jumbo introduced 200 chat registers in its stores for customers who are not in a hurry and want to talk or chat during checkout. They piloted the first chat register in 2019, which was received positively by customers. The government has introduced Chat Checkout under government-sponsored One Against Loneliness program which also established a 24/7 loneliness hotline for people who are lonely. According to Jumbo representative, this is a small gesture but a very valuable one, especially in a world that is digitizing and getting faster and faster.
Jumbo supermarket is considering opening more chat registers where loneliness is a major issue in the Netherlands. In addition, it will be introducing “cozy chat corners” where customers can sit and have a coffee with others. And it will donate materials to Oma’s Soep, an initiative that brings university students with elders to prepare soup.
1. What can elders do in All Together Coffee Corner?| A．Meet family and friends. | B．Volunteer for small tasks. |
| C．Receive help in shopping. | D．Provide customer service. |
| A．It offers lonely elders online help. | B．It goes down well with customers. |
| C．It is a way to fight quick pace of life. | D．It was sponsored by the government. |
| A．Culture. | B．Health. |
| C．Opinion. | D．Entertainment. |
| A．Loneliness spreads among the elderly |
| B．Elders need more care in the pandemic |
| C．A small gesture makes a big difference |
| D．Initiatives help elders tackle loneliness |
