1 . In times of stress, particularly when the water gets too warm, the coral(珊瑚)erupts the algae(海藻), and the coral turns white, causing a state called coral bleaching(漂白). Just a few degrees of heat can lead to coral bleaching, putting the coral on a path to starvation and death.
Driven by climate change, marine heat waves are becoming one of the greatest threats to the existence of coral, which is important to the ocean ecology. But in some rare good news researchers have discovered coral can recover from bleaching even before a heat wave ends, suggesting it has the potential to survive long heat waves. Coral was thought to survive only if a heat wave lasted just a few weeks.
But no one had studied this process during a longer heat wave. Then in 2015, Julia Baum, a marine ecologist at the University of Victoria, began a survey of two common species: brain and star coral around Kiritimati in the central Pacific Ocean. They checked the condition of the coral as the heat wave struck and disappeared.
Starting in May 2015, the temperature rose about 1 ℃ within 2 months. As expected, coral that housed heat-sensitive algae bleached sooner than those housing the heat-tolerant kind of algae. As the water continued to warm, even heat-tolerant algae erupted.
Many brain and star coral on Kiritimati recovered from bleaching while the water was still unusually warm. Baum said, "The unexpected recovery provides new hope, because it means that even under lasting heat waves, there's a path forward for some of them."
An unusual feature of the recovery is that brain coral that started out with heat-sensitive algae had a higher survival rate(82%)than coral that began with heat-tolerant algae(25%). "That finding is surprising," said Baum, expecting that heat-tolerant algae would be better suited for helping coral survive a heat wave. But during a longer heat wave, it might be more advantageous to start with a heat-sensitive algae.
1. What results in coral bleaching?| A．The white algae. | B．The coral's death. |
| C．An attack of waves. | D．A rise in ocean temperature. |
| A．To prove that coral can stop climate change. |
| B．To study how coral bleaching comes about. |
| C．To figure out whether coral survives long heat waves |
| D．To explain why coral bleaching is a big threat to coral |
| A．Ashamed. | B．Confused |
| C．Worried. | D．Astonished. |
| A．Protect the ocean environment. | B．Reduce coral bleaching. |
| C．Grow more different algae. | D．Regulate the heat wave. |
2 . I bought several packs of seeds, 24 small plastic seed pots, plant fertilizer and potting soil. I made sure the soil didn't contain added fertilizer. I wanted something that I could grow quickly, that wouldn't take up a lot of space and that wouldn't get too big. I ran this experiment in early fall in Maryland. So I knew I needed a plant that could grow when it's cool. I picked radishes (小萝卜), which grow well in the early fall or spring. Some varieties can grow a full radish in only 21 days.
I kept 12 of the pots and one pack of seeds for myself. I gave the other 12 pots and the other packet of seeds — along with some fertilizer and soil — to my editor, Sarah. This was to provide an additional control for location. After all, what if my yard just happens to be much better for growing plants? What if it's worse? By dividing the plants up between my yard and Sarah's, I hoped to make sure that any difference with the plants came from the fertilizer.
Sarah and I planted our seeds. Sometimes, seeds don’t sprout (发芽). So we carefully planted four evenly (相等地) spaced seeds in each pot. Six of my pots (and six of Sarah’s) served as controls — pots that would not get fertilizer. Our other six were treated with fertilizer. For each of us, this added up to 24 control seeds, and 24 seeds that would get fertilizer.
We watered all the plants equally with clean water every other day (unless it rained). Once a week, we applied fertilizer to half the pots. We also took pictures every day, so we could see the plants change over time. As I expected, many of our seeds didn't sprout. In fact, only about a fourth of mine sprouted. Sarah has a greener thumb. She successfully grew half of hers.
1. Why does the author want to grow such a plant?| A．To enjoy it. | B．To make it very cool. |
| C．To take up more space, | D．To make an experiment. |
| A．From the fertilizer used. | B．From the different way. |
| C．From the different soil. | D．From the seeds used. |
| A．The experiment is successful. | B．The author is respectful to her editor. |
| C．The author is considerate. | D．The process of the experiment is complex. |
| A．She's fond of growing plants. | B．She's smarter than the author. |
| C．She has a gifted for growing plants. | D．She's a devoted and friendly woman. |
3 . I stood behind the curtain, my hands shaking. As I listened to the crowd laugh at the host's jokes, I thought about why I believed I could do that. Two months earlier, I had signed up for improv（即兴表演）classes at a local theater, along with four other graduate students.
When I first heard about the improv classes, I was torn. I feared getting on stage and performing in front of strangers. However, I knew I wanted to work as a science communicator after finishing my Ph.D., so it seemed like a perfect opportunity to improve my communication ability and gain confidence thinking on my feet.
During our first class, we learned the key concept of improv: “yes, and”. If someone says that rhinos are librarians, for example, then rhinos are librarians. We don't question the logic; we say “yes” and continue with the scene as if nothing is wrong. To do this effectively, we have to avoid second-guessing ourselves. Sometimes scenes go in unexpected directions. The best improv happens when performers stay open to different possibilities. Over time, I started to enjoy our classes. I also became better at listening and communicating clearly in the moment.
That training came in handy 6 months ago, when I was giving a seminar about my science research. An audience member surprised me with a question that didn't grow out of the information I had presented. Instead of getting perplexed, I used that approach, and it helped me find an appropriate answer.
Last year, I used that approach when dealing with confusing data. Instead of getting discouraged, I kept exploring the data and ended up identifying a new type of cell — one that wasn't behaving as expected. If I hadn't stayed open to the possibility that the results were real, I would have missed out on the most exciting finding of my Ph.D. program so far.
1. The author expected that the improv classes could help him ________.| A．gain better skills in communicating |
| B．rid his fear of appearing on the stage |
| C．recover from a mental illness |
| D．learn how to think independently |
| A．Pretending to be clever. |
| B．Understanding different scenes. |
| C．Accepting unexpected possibilities. |
| D．Asking others some questions. |
| A．Amused. | B．Confused. |
| C．Surprised. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．He failed in exploring the new cell. |
| B．He got stuck after finding unexpected data. |
| C．Science research made him more confident. |
| D．The improve skill helped him a lot in his Ph.D. studies. |
