1 . There are around 100 tribes(部落)that live in global isolation, mostly in South America and India. The Sentinelese have lived on one of the Andaman Islands in Eastern India for 60, 000 years. They protect their island by fighting against people from outside. Their language is different from any other known language. Another Andaman tribe is the Jarawa. In the past, they were independent and fought against anybody trying to make contact with them. But in 1998, the Indian government built a road across their land, and since then, they’ve had more contact with the outside world.

Some Amazon tribes avoid contact because of unhappy memories. The Mashco-Piro left their vegetable gardens after rubber companies killed most of their tribe at the beginning of the 20th century. Those who survived became nomadic(游牧的)and started hunting animals in the forest.

The Awa live in the Amazon forests ofBrazil. Out of 350 members, 100 have no contact with the outside world. They left their villages and adopted a nomadic lifestyle around 1850 to escape attacks by Europeans. In the following years, farmers in nearby communities started cutting the trees to expand their farmland. The Awa lost most of their hunting land. The few Amazon tribes that still exist are fighting to keep their traditional way of life.

Survival, an organization that fights for the rights of tribal people, says that uncontacted tribes are the most vulnerable(弱势的)humans on the planet and that’s why their environment should be unavailable to the rest of us. After years of pressure, the organization got Brazil’s government to clear non-natives from the Awa land. All non-Awa people are leaving so the tribe can get their forest back.

But some think it's impossible for tribes to stay isolated forever in a connected world. Contact will be made one day. So the question is：Whose choice should it be, ours or theirs?

1. What can we learn about the Sentinelese from the first paragraph?

A．They resist contact from the outside world.

B．They speakthe same language as the Jarawa.

C．They are wild about fighting with other tribes.

D．They have got help from the Indian govemment.

2. Why did the Awa choose a nomadic lifestyle?

A．To protect their hunting land.	B．To search for food sources.
C．To avoid threats from Europeans.	D．To maintain their original way of life.

3. Which of the following would Survival probably agree with?

A．The tribes should be left undisturbed.

B．The tribes should fight for more living space.

C．The cribes should live in harmony with nature.

D．The tribes should adapt to the connected world.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．The Nomadic Tribes in the World	B．Seeking Survival of Tribes
C．The Unavailable Tribal Environment	D．Protecting the Tribal Forests

2 . What is the best part of a typical relaxing summer day? Nothing is better than sitting in an armchair with a beer and some chips in your hand, enjoying the great comfort.

The much-loved combination of beer and chips is being exploited for the first time to deal with climate change. Chips firm Walkers has adopted a technique it says will cut CO₂ emissions (排放) from its production process by 70%.

The technology will use CO₂ captured from beer processing in a brewery (啤酒厂), which is then mixed with potato waste and turned into fertilizer. It will then be spread on UK fields to feed the following year’s potato crop. Creating fertilizer normally produces high CO₂ emissions, but the technology adopted by Walkers makes fertilizer without generating CO₂. So, the beer-and-chips combination performs a double function. It stops the emission of brewery CO₂ into the atmosphere — and it saves on the CO₂ normally generated by fertilizer production.

This Creative win-win solution was developed with an approval from the UK government by a 14-employee start-up called CCm. The fertilizer was experimented on potato seed beds this year, and next year Walkers will install CCm equipment at its Leicester factory to prepare for its 2022 crop.

A decision has not yet been made on which brewery Walkers will work with on this. The new technology adds to carbon-saving techniques already under way. The firm has installed an anaerobic digester (厌氧消化池), which feeds potato waste to bacteria to produce a useful gas. The gas is burned to make electricity for the chip-frying process — so this saves on burning gas or coal.

The new system will go a step further by taking away potato “cake” left after digestion — and mixing the brewery CO₂ into it to make an enriched fertilizer which will help put carbon back into the soil as well as encouraging plant growth.

It’s an example of scientists finding ways to use CO₂ emissions which otherwise would increase the over-heating of the planet.

1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?

A．To draw readers’ attention.

B．To entertain readers.

C．To show how useful beer and chips are to our life.

D．To introduce a way of life.

2. Which of the following is an advantage of the system?

A．It will be totally cost-free.

B．It doesn’t consume any energy.

C．It will be a perfect solution to climate change.

D．It is environmentally-friendly.

3. What is Paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．How CO2 is turned into fertilizer.

B．How the technology stops CO2 emissions.

C．How an energy-saving green technology works.

D．The advantages of a new technology.

4. What can be inferred from the text?

A．The technology will fix the problem of global warming.

B．Walkers has a wide range of partner choices.?

C．This technology will be adopted by many chips firms soon.

D．Scientists are seeking solutions to climate change.

3 . Biologists from the John Innes Centre in England discovered that plants have a biological process which divides their amount of stored energy by the length of the night. This solves the problem of how to portion out（分配） energy reserves during the night so that the plant can keep growing, yet not risk burning off all its stored energy.

While the sun shines, plants perform photosynthesis（光合作用）. In this process, the plants change sunlight, water and carbon dioxide into stored energy in the form of long chains of sugar, called starch（淀粉）. At night, the plants burn this stored starch to fuel continued growth.

“The calculations are precise so that plants prevent starvation but also make the most efficient use of their food,” said study co-author Alison Smith. “If the starch store is used too fast, plants will starve and stop growing during the night. If the store is used too slowly, some of it will be wasted.”

The scientists studied the plant Arabidopsis, which is regarded as a model plant for experiments. To give the plants some math tests, the biologists let night arrive unexpectedly early or late for them.

During one of the exams, they shut off the lights early on them that had been grown with twelve-hour days and nights. Putting them into darkness after only an eight-hour day means they didn’t have time to store as much starch as usual. And this forced the plants to adjust their normal nightly rhythm.

Amazingly, even after this day length trick, the plants did very well in their exams and ended up with just five percent of starch left over at the end of the night. They had neither starved, nor stored starch that could have been used to fuel more growth.

The authors suggested that similar biological calculators may explain how a migratory bird, the little stint, can make a five-thousand-kilometer journey to their summer habitat in the Arctic and arrive with enough fat reserves to survive only approximately half a day more, on average.

The results of the study were published in e Life.

1. According to the passage, plants _________.

A．use little energy during the day

B．usually stop growing at night

C．waste a lot of energy at night

D．store starch during the day

2. What did the scientists do when studying Arabidopsis?

A．They changed the plant’s light conditions.

B．They provided the plant with more starch.

C．They tried to keep the plant’s natural rhythm.

D．They attached a biological calculator to the plant.

3. When morning arrived, the experimental plants ________.

A．nearly died of lack of food

B．used most of their stored energy

C．began to regulate their food store

D．stored enough starch for the next day

4. What can we learn about the little stint?

A．They may have a system to control energy consumption.

B．They often die during their long and difficult journey.

C．They leave the Arctic in summer every year.

D．They are unable to calculate the distances.

5. The passage mainly tells us _________.

A．plants feel hungrier day by day

B．plants are good at storing energy

C．plants do math to survive the night

D．plants use starch to fuel their growth

4 . I'd done it before, and so I had no reason to believe that this time would be any different. I was sure that when I returned home from my mission trip, as always, I'd bring back nothing more than some mud on my boots, a hole or two in my jeans and, of course, a lot of great memories.

The summer before my high school graduation, I went to West Virginia with others as volunteers to repair the homes of those in need. Arriving at our destination, my group was assigned the task of rebuilding sections of a home that had been damaged by fire. No sooner had we parked on the home's dirt driveway than we saw an excited little girl, no more than six years old, standing in the doorway of the family's temporary home. Shoeless and wearing dirty clothes and the biggest smile I'd ever seen, she yelled, "Ma, Ma, they really came! " I didn't know it then, but her name was Dakota, and four more days would pass before she’d say another word near me.

Behind Dakota was a woman in a wheelchair—her grandmother, we'd soon learn. I also discovered that my job that week would be to help change a fire—damaged dining room into a bedroom for this little girl. Grabbing our tools, we went to work. Over the following days, I noticed Dakota peeking at us every now and then as we worked. A few times. I tried talking with her, but she remained shy and distant, always flying around us like a tiny butterfly but keeping to herself.

By our fifth and final day, however, this was about to change.

Before I went to work on her home on that last morning, I spoke for a moment or two with the grandmother. I was especially pleased when she told me how much Dakota loved her new room so much, in fact, that she'd begged to sleep in it the previous night, even though it wasn't quite ready. As we talked, I noticed something I hadn’t seen before—Dakota was hiding behind her grandmother. Cautiously, she stepped into view, and I could see that just like her clothes, her face was still dirty. But no amount of soil could hide those bright blue eyes and big smile. She was simply adorable. I wanted so much to hug her, but respecting her shyness, I kept my distance.

Slowly, she began walking toward me. It wasn't until she was just inches away that I noticed the folded piece of paper in her tiny hand. Silently, she reached up and handed it to me. Once unfolded, I looked at the drawing she'd made with her broken crayons on the back of an old coloring book cover. It was of two girls—one much taller than the other—and they were holding hands. She told me it was supposed to be me and her and on the bottom of the paper were three little words that instantly broke my heart. Now almost in tears, I couldn't control myself anymore—I bent down and hugged her. She hugged me, too. And for the longest time, neither one of us could let go.

By early afternoon, we finished Dakota's bedroom, and so I gladly used the rare free time to get to know my newest friend. Sitting under a tree away from the others, we shared a few apples while she told me about her life. As I listened to her stories about the struggles she and her family went through daily, I began to realize how boring various aspects of my own life were.

I left for home early the next morning. I was returning with muddy boots and holes in my jeans. But because of Dakota, I brought back something else, too—a greater appreciation for all of the blessing of my life. I’ll never forget that barefoot little butterfly with the big smile and dirty face. I pray that she’ll never forget me either.

1. From the appearance description of the little girl, we know _______.

A．she formed a bad living habit

B．she hoped for a better education

C．she was an innocent and lovely child

D．she was strong and calm in the inner world

2. What were probably written on the bottom of the paper?

A．Enjoy your help.

B．Please don’t leave.

C．Help me, please.

D．Hug me close.

3. How did the author feel after unfolding the piece of paper?

A．She worried about the little girl’s future.

B．She decided to keep helping the little girl.

C．She felt a greater affection for the little girl.

D．She got surprised at the little girl’s worthless gift.

4. What does the passage mainly tell us?

A．One must learn to share life experiences.

B．One often wants to lead a meaningful life.

C．One occasionally benefits from the poverty.

D．One should be more grateful for the gift of life.

5 . Studying a subject that you feel pointless is never a fun or easy task. If you're studying history, asking yourself the question "why is history important "is a very good first step. History is an essential part of human civilization. You will find something here that will arouse your interest, or get you thinking about the significance of history.

History grounds us in our roots. History is an important and interesting field of study, and learning the history of our home country can give us a deeper, more meaningful glimpse（一瞥）into our ancestral pasts, and how we got to where we are today. Many people feel like they need a sense of cultural belonging, which is something that studying your roots and being open-minded to the evolution of your culture can provide.

History enriches our experience. Reading history is an amazing experience because it enables us to reflect on the social and economic life of the people living long time ago. According to the experts, problems faced by people regardless of the past and present are the same. With the information about the ancestors, one can become more experienced in handling challenges of life.

History makes us more empathetic（具有共情能力的）, Studying history can give us insight （洞察力）into why our culture does certain things, and how the past has shaped it into what we know now. It also provides a rather strong foundation for empathy across cultures. Fear and hate for others is usually caused by ignorance （无知）. We're scared of the things that we don't understand. History has the potential to break down those boundaries by offering us insight into entire worlds that would otherwise be foreign to us.

History can inspire us to learn more. what's fantastic about history is the way it broadens our horizons. It's almost impossible to learn about one historical period without having dozens of questions about related concepts. Study the 19^th century England, and you might catch a glimpse of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist. Look up Charles Dickens, and you might learn a thing or two about realism. Or maybe you end up switching your attention away from novels, and discover the history of romantic poets in England. It can go anywhere, and there is something in there for absolutely anybody.

The value of history cannot be underestimated. We don't have to live in the past, but we can definitely do better by learning from it and using the lessons learnt to lead more meaningful lives.

1. The underlined part "where we are today" in Para. 2 probably means __________.

A．the turning point in our history

B．the present state of our nation

C．the location of our homeland

D．the total area of our country

2. According to the experts, why is history useful for people to handle challenges of life?

A．The problems at present are similar to those in the past.

B．Ancient people laid economic foundations for people today.

C．The current challenges of life were predicted by the ancestors.

D．People living long time ago knew more about how to solve problems.

3. What can be concluded from Para.4?

A．It is difficult to get rid of cultural barriers.

B．People are willing to accept foreign cultures.

C．Cultural conflicts in history are difficult to ignore.

D．History helps us improve our cross-cultural awareness.

4. With the example in Para.5, the writer intends to show that______________.

A．Charles Dickens contributes much to British literature.

B．Oliver Twist can satisfy our curiosity for romantic poets.

C．reading novels is a way to learn about a historical period.

D．studying history can arouse people's interest in other fields.

5. What could be the best title for the passage?

A．How to Build Cultural Identity

B．Why Studying History Matters

C．Know the Past, Know the Present

D．History: a Way to Broaden Horizons

6 . Transport has a lot to answer for when it comes to harming the planet. While cars and trains are moving towards greener, electric power, emissions from air travel are expected to increase massively by 2050. If we want big green sky solutions, we need blue sky thinking Fortunately, there's plenty of that happening right now, particularly the short-haul flights powered by batteries.

Harbour Air is the largest seaplane airline in North America, flying 30, 000 commercial flights in 40 seaplanes each year. Significantly, all Harbour Air routes last less than 30 minutes, making it perfectly fit for electric engines. “As an airline, we're currently in the process of turning all our planes into electric airplanes. says CEO Greg Mc Dougall. To make this happen, the airline has partnered up with MagniX to create the worlds first commercial flight with an electric engine.

Making the skies electric isn't just good for the environment, it also makes sound financial sense: a small aircraft uses $400 on conventional fuel for a 100-mile flight, while an electric one costs $8-12 for the same distance, and that's before you factor in the higher maintenance costs of a traditional engine. There's also the added bonus that electric planes are just much more pleasant to fly in. No loud engine noise, no smell of fuel, just environmentally friendly peace and quiet.

While there has been real progress in the e-plane industry, the technical challenges that remain are keeping everyone's feet firmly on the ground. A battery, even a lithium one, only provides 250 watt-hours per kilogram; compare this to liquid fuel, which has a specific energy of 11, 890 watt-hours per kilogram. Carrying adequate batteries, however, would make the plane too heavy to get off the ground. In aircraft, where every bit of weight counts, this can't just be ignored.

The transition （过渡） from gas to electric in the automobile industry has been made easier by hybrids-vehicles powered by both fuel and electricity. Many believe the same pattern could be followed in the air. Fuel consumption could be reduced as the electric component is switched on at key parts of the journey, especially on take-off and landing.

It's certainly an exciting time for electric flying. With companies like Harbour Air taking the lead, battery-powered planes, especially on short-haul journeys, are set to become a reality in the next few years.

1. According to Para. l, what is happening in air transport?

A．New explorations of the sky are being launched.

B．Pollution caused by batteries is being controlled.

C．Efforts are being made to make air travel greener.

D．Demand for short-haul flights is increasing massively.

2. Why is Harbour Air fit for electric flights?

A．It runs short route

B．It has a strong partner.

C．Its planes can land on the sea.

D．It has planes with powerful engines.

3. The expression "added bonus" refers to the fact that electric planes___________.

A．give passengers more pleasant views

B．bring airlines more financial benefits

C．offer more enjoyable flying experiences

D．cost less in maintenance than traditional ones

4. What might be the biggest challenge of electric flying?

A．To improve the ground service for e-planes.

B．To find qualified technicians for e-plane industry.

C．To calculate the energy needed to power e-planes.

D．To balance power and weight of batteries in e-planes.

5. What could be done during the transition from gas to electric in air flight?

A．To produce new electric components.

B．To increase battery consumption.

C．To use mixed-power technology.

D．To expand the landing field.

6. What is the author's attitude towards the prospect of electric flying?

A．Short-sighted.

B．Wait-and-see.

C．Optimistic.

D．Skeptical.

7 . Race walking shares many fitness benefits with running, research shows, while most likely contributing to fewer injuries. It does, however, have its own problem.

Race walkers are conditioned athletes. The longest track and field event at the Summer Olympics is the 50-kilometer race walk, which is about five miles longer than the marathon. But the sport’s rules require that a race walker’s knees stay straight through most of the leg swing and one foot remain in contact (接触) with the ground at all times. It’s this strange form that makes race walking such an attractive activity, however, says Jaclyn Norberg, an assistant professor of exercise science at Salem State University in Salem, Mass.

Like running, race walking is physically demanding, she says, According to most calculations, race walkers moving at a pace of six miles per hour would burn about 800 calories(卡路里) per hour, which is approximately twice as many as they would burn walking, although fewer than running, which would probably burn about 1,000 or more calories per hour.

However, race walking does not pound the body as much as running does, Dr. Norberg says. According to her research, runners hit the ground with as much as four times their body weight per step, while race walkers, who do not leave the ground, create only about 1.4 times their body weight with each step.

As a result, she says, some of the injuries associated with running, such as runner’s knee, are uncommon among race walkers. But the sport’s strange form does place considerable stress on the ankles and hips, so people with a history of such injuries might want to be cautious in adopting the sport. In fact, anyone wishing to try race walking should probably first consult a coach or experienced racer to learn proper technique, she says. It takes some practice.

1. Why are race walkers conditioned athletes?

A．They must run long distances.

B．They are qualified for the marathon.

C．They have to follow special rules.

D．They are good at swinging their legs.

2. What advantage does race walking have over running?

A．It’s more popular at the Olympics.

B．It’s less challenging physically.

C．It’s more effective in body building.

D．It’s less likely to cause knee injuries.

3. What is Dr. Norberg’s suggestion for someone trying race walking?

A．Getting experts’ opinions.

B．Having a medical checkup.

C．Hiring an experienced coach.

D．Doing regular exercises.

4. Which word best describes the author’s attitude to race walking?

A．Skeptical.	B．Objective.
C．Tolerant.	D．Conservative.

8 . Hibernation

For people who aren’t fans of winter, animals that hibernate seem to have the right idea: It’s the equivalent of burying your head under the covers until spring comes — isn't it? Not quite.

“Most of the physiological functions are extremely slowed down,” says Marina Blanco, a postdoctoral associate at the Duke Lemur (狐猴) Center in Durham, North Carolina. For example, when lemurs hibernate, they reduce their heart rates from over 300 beats per minute to fewer than six, says Blanco. And instead of breathing about every second, they can go up to 10 minutes without taking a breath. Their brain activity “becomes undetectable.” This is very different from sleep, which is gentle resting state where unconscious functions are still performed.

Put simply: “Hibernation is a means of energy conservation,” says Kelly Drew, a neuropharmacologist   at the University of Alaska Fairbanks who studies the brain chemistry of hibernating Arctic ground squirrels.While hibernation is often seen as a seasonal behavior, it’s not limited to cold-weather animals. There are tropical hibernators that may do so to beat the heat. And “some species hibernate in response to food shortages,” notes Drew. For example, echidnas ( 针 鼹 ) in Australia will hibernate after fires, waiting until food resources rebound to resume normal activities.

To slow their metabolism (新陈代谢), animals cool their bodies by 5 to 10 °C on average. The Arctic ground squirrels Drew works on can take this much further, supercooling to subfreezing temperatures. Drew’s research has shown that cooling is likely regulated by levels of adenosine (腺苷) in the brain. Not only does adenosine increase in winter in ground squirrels, the receptors for the molecule become more sensitive to it.

But species don’t stay in their cold, sleeping state for the duration of their dormant period. About 80 percent of their energy is spent intermittently (间歇地) waking and warming up. Why they do this is “one of the greatest mysteries” of the field, says Thomas Ruf, a professor of animal physiology at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna. Some think they need to turn back on their immune systems to fight disease, while others think they may simply awaken so they can sleep.

One bird and a variety of amphibians(两栖动物), reptiles and insects also exhibit hibernation-like states. There is even at least one fish — the Antarctic cod — that slows down its metabolism in winter, becoming   20 times less active. And, of course, there are lots of mammals. While bears might be the first that come to mind, most mammalian hibernators are on the smaller side. “The average hibernator weighs only 70 grams,” says Ruf. That’s because little bodies have high surface area to volume ratios, making it more taxing for   them to stay warm in cold weather — so they need the seasonal energy savings more than larger animals.

1. How does the author distinguish between hibernation and sleep?

A．By highlighting reasons.	B．By presenting definitions.
C．By introducing arguments.	D．By comparing the data.

2. “Echidnas” in Paragraph 3 is introduced to show ______.

A．animals cool their bodies by 5 to 10°C on average

B．tropical hibernators may hibernate to beat the heat

C．some species hibernate in response to food shortage

D．hibernation is most often seen as a seasonal behavior

3. The last paragraph mainly discusses ______.

A．when certain animals hibernate	B．what kinds of animals hibernate
C．why some animals hibernate	D．how animals hibernate

4. The passage implies that ______.

A．It is harder for smaller animals to keep warm in winter.

B．The cooling of bodies may influence the levels of adenosine.

C．Scientists don’t agree on the reasons of intermittent hibernation.

D．Body functions are still unconsciously performed during hibernation.

9 . What was the best gift I ever received? Well, I’m a music lover, so I’d have to say it was either a Spotify subscription or my top-of-the-range Sony MDR-7506 headphones. Together they’ve provided me with countless hours of high-quality audio accompaniment. Growing up in a loving, well-off family in one of the richest countries in the world, what more could I want?

Giving gifts to loved ones is great: it’s a rewarding way to spread joy and strengthen friendships and family ties. But at this time of year I’m always reminded of how many people not only get no presents but also lack the basics to allow them to live healthy lives. For me, luxury headphones were the perfect gift; for the world’s poorest, it would be nutritious food, clean water and health care.

The poorest 10% of the world’s population, some 700 million people, live on less than $1.90 per day. And that’s adjusting for local purchasing power: they live on what $1.90 would buy in the

U.S. Faced with this kind of budget, and often geographically isolated, they are forced to eat whatever they can find and drink and wash in unsafe water. They can only pray that they don’t succumb to malnutrition, malaria or any number of other diseases that, while perfectly curable in rich countries, frequently ruin or end lives in the developing world.

I don’t seek to make anyone feel guilty for exchanging luxury goods with the people they love. But it seems to me that there’s another type of giving that is, if anything, even more profound: giving the basics of life to those most in need. Sure, you might not get a thank-you letter(who does these days?), but you’ll have done something extraordinary.

However, I’m not just interested in people giving more to charity(although that is important). I’m also passionate about people giving smarter, because where you give can make a huge difference on the impact you’ll have.

What do I mean by that? Well, to start with, there’s a reason I’ve been talking about the developing world. Even average earners in the West are incredibly rich compared with the global poor, so a sum of money considered moderate for some could make a huge difference in the poorest countries.

That’s not to say that all developing world poverty-relief charities ate good at making a difference—that’s certainly not the case. Plenty of money donated in good faith is lost to local corruption, poor administration or programs of intervention that sound great in theory but don’t achieve much in practice. As a result, it’s crucial to look at the effectiveness of the work a charity does before committing your money. How much good does it achieve for each dollar donated? Is there robust evidence for the impact of its programs?

It’s not always easy for people to find the answers, but they are vital questions to ask. That’s why there are now organizations devoted to finding and promoting the best charities. As part of the   effective-altruism(利他主义)   movements,   they   are   dedicated   to   helping   people   make   the biggest possible difference with their donations.

I love my music, and I love my headphones. But this year, the best gift I could get is to see as many people as possible giving generously to the most effective charities in the world.

1. What does the phrase “succumb to”(paragraph 3, line 5)mean?

A．be unaffected by	B．cease opposition to
C．be unconnected with	D．help to cause

2. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The author thinks that people giving luxury gifts to the ones they love should feel guilty.

B．The author believes that there is nothing more he wants because he grows up in very rich family.

C．The author argues that compared with those poor, an ordinary worker in the West doesn’t earn much.

D．The author says that some diseases which might be deadly in poor countries can be cured in developed countries.

3. Which of the following statements can you possibly infer from the passage?

A．People used to receive a letter of compliment from the receiver after they donated money to charities.

B．Giving smarter means that those who donate should know clearly how the charity works with the government.

C．Some charity programs fail to achieve much and seem to be less effective because they are not very practical.

D．The organizations devoted to finding the best charities aim to appeal to people to donate more money.

4. Which of the following is the best title of the passage?

A．Giving the basics of life to those in need

B．Giving best gifts to your beloved ones

C．Making the best gift count

D．The effective-altruism movement

10 . Money doesn’t grow on trees but gold does. Scientists in Western Australia claim to have made a new discovery—they have found gold in the leaves and branches of trees. The researchers believe that the trees suck up the gold from deep underground, over 30 metres down. The discovery has been described as the first of its kind in the world.

Australian gold exploration companies are pleased because it will make finding gold cheaper. Rather than drilling deep holes to find gold, they will be able to examine tree leaves and branches. The trees show what is happening under the earth’s surface. There is only a tiny amount of gold in the leaves. It would take 500 trees to make one gold ring. The gold is found using a special X-ray machine and a powerful microscope, which scan the leaves and branches.

The claim is that this is the first time that gold particles have been found in living material. However, this might not be true. Ancient Chinese wisdom understood the connection between plants and the precious stones and minerals underneath them. They used plant life to find minerals — and that was thousands of years ago. In the Zhou Dynasty, it was written in a book that a certain plant grew only near deposits (矿床) of gold. Over the next 2,000 years, Chinese people wrote about different plants and how they grew, showing where minerals and precious stones such as jade, copper, lead, silver and gold were Even more importantly, in the 1000s, Su Song described how Portulaca plants could yield mercury if crushed, dried and allowed to decay (腐烂). That was certainly the first time ever that a metal was obtained from a plant.

The Previous Secrets of the Realm of the King of Xin, written during the Ming Dynasty, described how different metals were observed and extracted (提炼) from certain plants. This knowledge was unknown in the rest of the world until about 1600, when a British man realised that oak trees grew larger and greener where there was alum in the ground. Maybe ancient Chinese knowledge has more to teach modern scientists.

1. According to Australian scientists, where can gold be probably found?

A．In the roots of trees.	B．In the leaves of trees.
C．In the trees everywhere.	D．In the underground near trees.

2. How can we tell whether there is gold or not?

A．By drilling deep holes in the trees.

B．By cutting the leaves of trees into pieces.

C．By examining the surface of the ground under the trees.

D．By scanning the leaves and branches using a special microscope.

3. Who first found the link between plants and minerals?

A．Australian scientists.	B．Su Song.
C．Ancient Chinese people.	D．A British man.

4. The author develops Paragraph 4 mainly by ________.

A．using examples	B．making comparisons
C．listing figures	D．analyzing effects