Imagine if your houseplant was thirsty and it could tell you so. Chances are, it can—you just can’t hear it. According to the findings from researchers in Israel, tomato and tobacco plants stressed from lack of water or having their stems (茎) cut make sounds comparable in volume to normal human conversation.
The sound is kind of a snap (咔嚓声) and pop. While the frequency of the plant outcry is too high for our ears, they can likely be heard by insects, other animals and other plants.
The team started with healthy and stressed tomato and tobacco plants—the stressed ones were either unwatered for several days or had their stems cut. They recorded the group in an acoustic chamber (隔音箱) and then in a noisier greenhouse. They also used a machine-learning algorithm (算法) to distinguish between happy plants, thirsty plants, and cut plants.
The team found that stressed plants make more sounds than unstressed plants, with a stressed plant making 30 to 50 clicks per hour at seemingly random intervals. Unstressed plants were much less active.
“Water-stressed plants began making noises, and the frequency of sounds peaked after five days with no water before decreasing again as the plants dried up completely. The types of sound differed with the cause of stress,” according to a press release for the research. “The machine-learning algorithm could accurately distinguish between lack of water and stress from cutting and could also tell whether the sounds came from tomato or tobacco plants.”
The researchers explain that it’s unclear whether the sounds result from an effort to communicate—yet they note that the sounds have ecological and evolutionary meaning. “It’s possible that other organisms could have evolved to hear and respond to these sounds,” says Hadany. “For example, an insect that intends to lay eggs on a plant or an animal that intends to eat a plant could use the sounds to help guide their decision.”
1. What did the Israel researchers find?| A．Plants cry loudly when they are cut | B．Certain plants like to help each other. |
| C．Plants communicate as humans do. | D．Certain stressed plants make sounds. |
| A．Why a noisier greenhouse was used. | B．How the researchers did the research. |
| C．The importance of recording the plants. | D．The varieties of plants for the study. |
| A．The moment they were lack of water. | B．When the experiment began. |
| C．After five days of water shortage. | D．After drying up completely. |
| A．They are of much significance, | B．They help animals escape danger. |
| C．They affect the ecological balance. | D．They are mainly for communication. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Waking Up an Hour Earlier Can Help Fight Depression
Adequate (充足的) sleep is essential for maintaining good physical and mental health. Now, new research has revealed that good health also depends on sleep schedules. In fact, waking up an hour earlier is generally found to help prevent or fight against major depression.
This discovery was made in a study conducted by researchers from the University of Colorado in 2021. They found that waking up an hour earlier helps people who usually get up later improve their mood.
This research adds to other similar studies which suggested that early risers tend to be healthier. At the same time, the fact that waking up an hour earlier improves the mood is associated with enjoying more hours of sunshine to a large extent.
The study started from the assumption that if people go to bed an hour earlier, they'll also wake up an hour earlier. Based on this idea, the researchers came to the conclusion that if people who go to bed at 3 am, decide to go to bed at 2 am, their risk of suffering from depression is reduced by 23 percent.
However, the study indicates that all of this is assumption.
| A．The experts, though, didn't fully understand the reasons. |
| B．It can also reduce the risk of developing major depression. |
| C．However, waking up one hour earlier causes some problems. |
| D．For this reason, experts stress the need for new and extensive research. |
| E．Sometimes they become energetic the next day when they have enough sleep. |
| F．If they went to bed at 1 am, the risk reduction could be as much as 40 percent. |
| G．Therefore, not keeping with that social rhythm can cause certain feelings of inadequacy. |
【推荐2】Forget spending the whole night studying for the exam. There’s another way to cram (突击式学习) for tests. New research by scientists at Northwestern University in Chicago shows people can actually learn while they’re asleep.
In the new study, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, participants were given diagrams that showed them how to play two simple piano melodies, each 12 notes long. They spent an equal amount of time practicing playing each tune, and then took a 90-minute nap (小睡). While they slept, one of the melodies was quietly played on repeat for four minutes. As a result, upon awakening, the participants could accurately play the melody 4 percent more often than the melody that was not played while they slept, considering it resulted from just four minutes of “sleep-learning.”
“The re-activation (重新激活) process in the experiment is thought to affect a naturally occurring memory consolidation (巩固) process that normally happens over months (possibly years),” said Paul Reber, a psychologist at Northwestern and co-author of the study. So, besides piano songs, what kinds of information can you “cram” while asleep?
Clearly, resting your textbook near your dreaming head won’t do any good. “As long as the memory is tied to a specific type of sound, it looks like the sound can re-activate and strengthen the previously learned information,” Reber said. “It is possible that this effect would help with strengthening memories from a lecture and that it could even help speed up second-language learning.”
In other words, if you’re learning a foreign language, it may help to put on recordings of the language while you sleep. If you need to memorize information presented in a classroom lecture, it might also help to record the lecture and play it quietly at night.
1. The first paragraph serves as a(n) _____.| A．introduction | B．background | C．comment | D．conclusion |
| A．the participants had learned to write the piano melodies |
| B．the participants played each melody for about 90 minutes |
| C．the two melodies were basically of the same level of difficulty |
| D．the two melodies were played in turn while the participants slept |
| A．To tell us the importance of sleep. |
| B．To prove sleep-learning is possible. |
| C．To recommend a way for us to learn music. |
| D．To show that music can improve our memory. |
| A．Study music carefully. | B．Record the sound of sleeping. |
| C．Put a book beside our head. | D．Play recordings quietly. |
【推荐3】There have been big changes in the attitudes of most parents over the last few years. Physical punishment is banned in schools in most countries, and in many countries, there are moves to ban all physical punishment of children even at home. However, many parents still believe that they have the right to use physical punishment to deal with certain misbehavior at certain ages.
It's easy to find reasons to allow physical punishment. One issue is that many parents find it very difficult to give up physical punishment completely. Parents argue that this is the way they were brought up and that it didn't do any harm to them. They believe that they have the right to punish the child in any way they consider fit, including using physical punishment. The other one is that physical punishment can be quick and effective. There is not much point reasoning with a screaming child in the supermarket.
However, there are several reasons why we should stop using physical punishment. One point is that most parents are not trained to deal with misbehaving children. They don't have enough resources or choices to handle the situation. As a result, they immediately react by hitting the child even if there are other solutions to the problem. Another point is that unless people are challenged or forced to change their belief, they may keep following negative habits. An example is the use of seat belts-now most people wear seat belts without thinking, while years ago the idea of using seat belts was strange to most people. In the same way, banning physical punishment will force people to change their habits.
In conclusion, parents have to change some of their beliefs and ideas about how children should be raised. It is possible to avoid the use of physical force, and doing so will help us move closer to the dream of removing violence from our society.
1. According to the first paragraph, many parents think ________ .| A．most of the children behave badly in their daily life |
| B．they have changed their attitudes towards their children |
| C．physical punishment is effective when educating their children |
| D．they are free to use physical punishment on their children |
| A．most people are used to wearing seat belts recently |
| B．people won't change their old habits unless they have to |
| C．seat belts are really very necessary and useful for drivers |
| D．it's not difficult to change some of the negative habits |
| A．talk about a ban on using physical punishment |
| B．tell readers that we should educate our children in other ways |
| C．advise parents to give up using physical punishment |
| D．suggest physical punishment should be used only at home |
【推荐1】When you eat out in restaurant, it is not unusual to hear people yelling, “Let me get this one!” and sometimes see them pushing or arm wrestling to fight for the privilege of paying the bill.
These fights are often very loud and active. Each person involved shows an honest desire to pick up the bill, and in the end, all the people at the table give the winner praise and gratitude.
In fact, figuring out who will get the bill is always a headache for Chinese people at formal meals. Although the people hosting the meal are very likely to pay the check, it is common practice to make token effort to pay the bill, but you will embarrass them if you do end up actually chipping in some cash.
In recent years, going Dutch has been embraced by many young people. But older generations who fear “losing face” still find it embarrassing and stingy to calculate each person’s share of the bill. As travel guide brand Lonely Planet noted, it is considered “the height of unsophistication”.
But these days, thanks to digital payment apps, splitting the bill electronically is becoming a widely-accepted idea. Even people from older generations may be tempted to do so.
By scanning a QR code and paying their share via social networking tool WeChat and e-commerce app Alipay on their smart phones in one easy click, urban Chinese are finding it easier to save them the embarrassment of figuring out each perso’s payment when they order a meal.
This function “has made going Dutch less hassle and more fun in China”, CNN noted.
“Because of their convenience, many of us are never without our phones. And person-to-person mobile payment services are incredibly easy to use and save the trouble of dealing with change”, said 18-year-old student in China.
“You can also leave funny notes using emoji like bowl of rice or cup of tea to describe a meal that you have shared.”
1. What is the article mainly about?| A．The Chinese tradition of dining out with friends. |
| B．A new trend of splitting the bill in China. |
| C．How social networking tools have influenced our daily lives. |
| D．Why people in China argue over who pays the bill when dining out. |
| A．figuring out the total payment | B．taking turns to pay the bill |
| C．fighting for the privilege of paying the bill | D．each person paying their own expenses |
| A．they don’t want to be considered unsophisticated |
| B．they want praise and gratitude from their friends |
| C．they consider it an honor to host the meal and pay the bill |
| D．they find it hard to work out how much each person needs to pay |
a. They’re easier to use and more interesting.
b. They save the trouble of dealing with change.
c. They make it easier to figure out how much money each person has to pay.
d. They make people less embarrassed to split the bill.
| A．a, b | B．b, c | C．a, b, d | D．b, c, d |
【推荐2】When thinking about ancient and mysterious animals, dinosaurs may first come to mind. But a new study shows octopuses (章鱼) appeared on Earth before the era of dinosaurs.
Scientists have found an ancestor of octopuses — a 330-million-year-old fossil (化石) unearthed in Montana, United States. The research concluded the ancient creature lived millions of years earlier than previously believed.
Apart from the impressive age, the octopus is also one of the oddest creatures in existence. Their mouths are in their armpits (腋窝); they have three hearts; they have blue blood. And the grace? I mean, who has grace like this?” Sy Montgomery, a German-born naturalist, told CBS News.
Of all the octopus’ oddities, perhaps the most extraordinary one is that the octopus has one large central brain, and eight mini-brains, one in each arm. As a result, the arms can solve the problem of how to open a shellfish while their owners are busy doing something else, like checking out a cave for more edible goodies (可食用的东西), according to Smithsonian magazine.
The ancient creature is also well-known for its disguises. The octopus can change its shape, colors, patterns, even the texture (纹理) of its skin. It can transform itself to look like seaweed in just the blink of an eye. This ability is called dynamic camouflage (动态伪装).
“I would argue that dynamic camouflage is a form of intelligence,” Roger Hanlon, a top octopus researcher said in a TED Talk.
The camouflage may look like a reflex (本能反应), but it’s not. It doesn’t just happen instinctively. They actually think and decide how to best camouflage themselves. “This is a decision-making process,” Hanlon said. “They’re not only taking into account the surroundings for camouflage, but also an approaching threat. And they’re calculating all the time about what they’re going to do next.”
1. What does the fossil unearthed imply?| A．Octopuses and dinosaurs have a common ancestor. |
| B．The oldest octopuses existed 330 million years ago. |
| C．Octopuses appeared on Earth at the same time as the dinosaurs. |
| D．Octopuses lived on Earth much earlier than we previously thought. |
| A．Make decisions more quickly. |
| B．Adapt to different surroundings. |
| C．Find food faster than other species. |
| D．Perform many tasks at the same time. |
| A．It is an instinctive reaction. |
| B．It is connected to its multiple brains. |
| C．It involves a process of making a thoughtful decision. |
| D．It takes too long for the octopus to respond to dangers. |
| A．The Origin of Animals |
| B．The Mysteries of Animals |
| C．The Disguises of Octopuses |
| D．The Exploration of Octopuses |
【推荐3】In an experiment to track the effects of insecticide (杀虫剂) on birds in the wild, scientists caught 24 sparrows as they migrated(迁徙) north from Mexico and the southern United States to Canada. The team fed half of those birds on a low amount of the commonly used agricultural insecticide and the other half with a slightly higher amount. An additional 12 birds were caught and fed on only sunflower oil. Within hours, the birds fed insecticide began to lose weight and ate less food. Birds given the higher amount lost 6 percent of their weight within six hours.
The findings suggest that insecticide, already effective in dropping bee populations, could also reduce bird populations. There is clear evidence that since 1966, the populations of nearly three-quarters of farmland birds have dropped.
The researchers fed the birds with carefully measured amounts of insecticide mixed with sunflower oil. In the wild, birds might feed on seeds coated with insecticide. Christy Morris-sey, a biologist at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada says, "Though the birds fed with the insecticide continued their migration, there's still much we don't know about how repeated exposures to the insecticide might affect a bird. "
After observing the birds in the lab, Morrissey and colleagues tracked the birds with lightweight trackers and kept records as they continued their spring migration. The highest fed birds stayed 3. 5 days longer near the site where they were caught-possibly to recover and regain strength than birds that weren't fed with the insecticide. Birds given the lower amount of insecticide stuck around for three days, and those which weren't fed with insecticide flew away after half a day. Tracking the tested birds showed that they all fell behind the others in their migration.
1. Why did the researchers catch the birds?| A．To protect them from their enemies. |
| B．To study the rules of their migration. |
| C．To study how insecticide influences them. |
| D．To give them a complete medical examination. |
| A．12. | B．24. | C．36. | D．48. |
| A．People should be prevented from using insecticide. |
| B．Researchers should observe the migration of birds further. |
| C．More research is needed on the seeds coated with insecticide. |
| D．More research is needed on the ill effects of insecticide on birds. |
| A．They lost the ability of flying. |
| B．Their desire for food all increased greatly. |
| C．They stayed 3 days where they were caught. |
| D．They arrived at their migration place later than usual. |
【推荐1】Plants are boring. They just sit there photosynthesizing (光合作用) while animals have all the fun. Right? Not so much. A new study has found that there is along history of interactions between ants and plants. The ant and plant co-evolution (协同进化) started with ants feeding on plants and plants evolving ant-friendly features.
Plants make a number of different structures that are specific for ant use. Some plants have evolved features that persuade ants into defending them from attack from other insects and even mammals. These include hollow thoms that ants will live inside, or extra nectar (琼浆) on leaves or stems for the ants to eat. Some ants will just cheat and take the nectar and run, but some will stick around and attack anything that tries to hurt the plant. Other plants get ants to help them move their seeds around, by providing them with rich food packets attached to the seeds. The ant will pick up the seed and carry it away, eat the food packet, and leave the seed -often in a nutrient-rich area where it’ll grow better, and since it’s farther away from its parent, they won’t have to compete for resources.
But scientists weren’t sure how the evolutionary relationship between ants and plants got started.
If evolution is an arms race between species developing ways to make use of their neighbors, then scientists wanted to know whether plants or ants fired the first shot. It was a chicken-and-egg question, whether things started with ants developing behaviors to take advantage of plants, or plants evolving structures to take advantage of ants.
The history of ants and plants evolving together goes back to the time of the dinosaurs, and it’s not easy to tell from fossils who fired the first shot. However, it is a question of little significance Scientists say their study maters because it provides a look at how these widespread and complex interactions evolved.
1. Some plants attach food packets to their seeds in order to __________.| A．reward the ants | B．make a fool of ants |
| C．get the seeds moved around | D．provide nutrition for the seeds |
| A．What ants do to protect plants. | B．How plants and ants interact. |
| C．How plants and ants survive attacks. | D．Why plants and ants need co-evolution. |
| A．Ants depended more upon plants. | B．How it got started was uncertain. |
| C．It caused a race for better evolution. | D．It was of little value for future studies. |
| A．To introduce a science research method. |
| B．To arouse readers’ interest in science research. |
| C．To inform readers of a latest research finding. |
| D．To criticize people’s traditional views about plants. |
【推荐2】Do you know forests are one of our planet’s greatest carbon sinks? This means that they absorb an enormous amount of carbon released into the atmosphere, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change and the earth’s rising temperature.
The poplar tree, standing tall and regal, is known for its fast-growing nature and its gray, white, or black bark. A biotechnology firm in San Francisco, CA, genetically modified poplar trees. According to a four-month study conducted in their greenhouse, the engineered trees grew 53% larger than their normal counterparts and stored 27% more CO2. In February 2023, the company also planted modified poplar trees in southern Georgia. This marks the first time in the United States that engineered trees have been planted outside of a controlled lab setting!
All plants experience photosynthesis (光合作用), where sunlight, water, and CO2 are transformed into glucose and oxygen. However, almost all trees release a poisonous substance in the process. To remove this substance, trees must use up newly-produced energy in another step known as photo-respiration (光呼吸作用), which does not produce any energy and releases CO2 back into the atmosphere. To prevent plants from wasting their energy, the biotechnology firm engineered their poplar trees with genes found in green algae. First tested in tobacco plants, the foreign genes change the poisonous substance produced by trees into sugars, so that more energy can be used for removing carbon and tree growth.
Researchers from the company are planting their poplar trees on private land that has been previously disturbed, such as abandoned coal mines in Pennsylvania. The modified trees will be planted between natives like sweet gum and bald cypress to boost biodiversity and maintain soil fertility (肥沃).
Plant biologist Norberto Martinez from the University of Illinois suggests the engineered poplar trees may not thrive outdoors or will require more water and fertilizer to maintain their fast growth. Many sustainable forestry organizations have also banned engineered trees from being planted in forests. The Global Justice Ecology Project argued that these trees could interfere with efforts to protect and regenerate forests.
Though there may be opposing opinions regarding genetically modified poplar trees, one thing is for sure: they hold the potential to lower greenhouse gases in our environment at a faster rate. This company’s attempt is certainly an innovative approach to the ongoing climate crisis.
1. What is Paragraph 3 mainly about?| A．The necessity to absorb CO2. | B．The basic idea behind engineered trees. |
| C．The effect of photosynthesis on plants. | D．The importance of energy transformation. |
| A．Save. | B．Measure. | C．Interrupt. | D．Strengthen. |
| A．Their first planting state was Pennsylvania. |
| B．Their potential to absorb CO2 outweighs concerns. |
| C．They can release more oxygen than normal poplar trees. |
| D．They will grow better if planted away from normal plants. |
| A．inform and argue | B．analyse and advise |
| C．argue and discuss | D．examine and assess |
【推荐3】Research has revealed many benefits to being in the presence of nature, whether that’s walking in a forest, having a small garden or keeping a few household plants.
“One study showed that patients in a hospital who had plants in their rooms reported less pain, lower blood pressure, less tiredness and less anxiety than patients without plants in their rooms,” says Jenny Seham, founder and director of AIM (Arts and Integrative Medicine) in New York. She explains,“Cortisol (皮质醇)，the stress hormone, has been shown to lower with plant interaction, lowering tiredness and blood pressure. Gardening and caring for plants can help turn people away from negative thoughts or emotions.”
Houseplant collections have become a popular social media trend. Jamie Keaton Jones, a psychologist, says, “For many people, tending to plants has become a hobby. This hobby enables them to experience greater comfort and beauty from the presence of living things sharing their space.”
“Plants and exposure to greenery have been found to have many mental health benefits, such as lowering stress, decreasing feelings of depression, increasing sociability, restoring focus, improving cognitive performance, improving mood and increasing self- confidence,” says Jones.
Studies have also shown that plants and gardening increase productivity and levels of serotonin (血清素), which is responsible for uplifting mood.
“Rather than focusing on the past or worrying about the future, plant care helps one concentrate on the present moment and provides a feeling of accomplishment,” says Gayle Weill, another psychologist in Washington.
Like any new skill or hobby, taking care of houseplants comes with a learning process. Anyone starting to care for plants should be patient and allow themselves time to learn the basics, leaving room for a little trial and error.
1. Where can the passage be found?| A．In a science magazine. | B．In a novel. |
| C．In a history book. | D．Ina biography. |
| A．Many hospitals keep plants in the patients’ rooms. |
| B．Doctors will use plants to cure the patients’ illness. |
| C．Keeping a few plants can get u out of tiredness. |
| D．Caring for plants can keep us away from bad mood. |
| A．Houseplant collections are not popular in recent days. |
| B．Keeping plants has many physical health benefits. |
| C．Studies have proved that plants are beneficial for uplifting mood. |
| D．For many of us, plant care is difficult and takes time. |
| A．Benefits of Keeping Houseplants | B．Research on Keeping Houseplants |
| C．Ways to Take Care of Houseplants | D．Opinions About Caring About Plants |
