1 . In a new study published on the Journal of Auian Biology, researchers at the National Autonomous University of Mexico tracked the behavior of house finches(雀) on the main campus of the university, in Mexico City.
The team created an artificial nest lining(内衬), which includes feathers, cotton, hair and cigarette ends. Then, after the birds 'eggs had hatched, they replaced the original lining with the new one, to make sure the nests were pest free. The researchers then added live ticks to the mix, while dead ticks were added to other linings.
It seems that urban house finches use more cigarette ends to line their nests when they've been invaded by ticks. And, those whose nests were given live ticks increased their cigarette end weight by about 40 percent more than those where dead ticks had been used, according to New Scientist. The technique is likely a form of self-medication, the experts explain, as it's thought that the chemicals in cigarette ends can help to keep off the pests.
While this behavior may have its benefits, the researchers say it's also possible that the use of cigarette ends in the nests could have negative effects. "It is a matter of concern that cigarette ends, being poisonous, are part of house finch nests in Mexico City," the authors explain in the paper," but we have not come across evidence of long-term costs of using this material."
According to the researchers, a thorough evaluation will be necessary to determine the real effects of using cigarette ends, whether they are positive or not. But they explain, the findings do suggest that the cigarette ends are linked to the presence of ticks and likely play a role in keeping them away.
1. What does the underlined phrase" the mix" in paragraph 2 refer to?| A．The former nests. | B．The artificial lining. |
| C．The cigarette ends. | D．The original lining. |
| A．The findings of the experiment. | B．The application of the research findings. |
| C．The theory related to the recent research. | D．The reasons for house finches using cigarette ends. |
| A．Eat them out. | B．Dust them off. |
| C．Build firmer nests. | D．Use more cigarette ends. |
| A．Skeptical. | B．Conservative. | C．Objective. | D．Tolerant. |
2 . I just had a snowstorm that piled up eight inches of snow. It truly was a winter wonderland, and there was white beauty everywhere. Since I didn't have anything to do that day, I really enjoyed it.
But then the second snowstorm arrived that night, piling additional inches of snow on top of the snow banks that were already there. And then on the evening news, the weather cast gave us a notice that still another snowstorm was headed our way. Then I felt despondent. I had things to do and places to go. After days of being snowbound, I felt like I was under house arrest. I was stuck.
A place stuck isn't a fun place to be, whether it's from a snowstorm or from life circumstances such as a bad relationship, bills that seem to tower over our heads, or situations where we see no way out. All of us will feel stuck at one time or another, but it's how we respond that makes the difference.
I had a friend named Hannah. She was stuck in the heartbreaking world of infertility (不孕). She longed for a child more than anything. Instead of accepting defeat, she acted sincerely. Think about Nelson Mandela in a dark prison. It was a seemingly hopeless place, but instead of becoming depressed or bitter, he kept fighting for freedom. Yes, he kept fighting to get the success.
Circumstances cannot define us, but our reactions do. Each of those men and women learned important lessons in their "stuck" situations, and we can as well.
1. What does the underlined word" despondent" in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Unhappy. | B．Unusual. | C．Ambitious. | D．Energetic. |
| A．Summarize the previous paragraphs. |
| B．Provide some advice for the readers. |
| C．Introduce some background information. |
| D．Form a connecting link of the context. |
| A．To introduce two great celebrities. |
| B．To introduce the way to be famous. |
| C．To show their different circumstances. |
| D．To show how to respond to difficult situations. |
| A．Don't be defeated by failure |
| B．Don't be trapped by snow |
| C．Enjoy the white beauty |
| D．Keep calm in the winter |
3 . Like you and your pet dog, plants are living things: they eat, drink, and grow. Unlike you and your dog, they can't run away, use fists or teeth, or hide under the covers when they're threatened. But they can fight back.
Why would a plant need to fight back? To avoid being eaten, of course! Plants have several ways of protecting themselves. A plant can grow in a hidden or hard-to-get-to place. Think of plants you've seen growing on steep, rocky cliff (悬崖). Or, a plant could make only some parts of itself attractive to hungry insects and animals. For instance, if a plant produced really tasty leaves, herbivores (creatures that eat only plants) might eat the leaves instead of the seeds, which the plant needs for making more plants. Some plants have sharp or slippery (滑的) parts that discourage insects and other animals from getting too close, like the thorns(刺) on a rosebush.
But the most interesting way that plants fight back is by using chemicals. Plants take minerals from the soil and combine them into chemicals that do a lot of work. For example, plants produce chlorophyll(叶绿素), which helps convert sunshine and water into the sugars that plants eat.
They also produce chemicals to help protect themselves. One kind of tobacco plant releases a chemical into the air whenever small bugs begin to eat it. The chemical signals large bugs, saying "Dinner's ready!" The big bugs come to eat the little ones and save the plant.
Most plants use chemicals in a more direct way against their enemies. In other words, plants make poison.
1. What does the underlined word "convert" mean?| A．Change | B．Separate |
| C．Form | D．Produce |
| A．Some plants hide under the covers when faced with threat. |
| B．A plant grows in a hard-to-get-to place to draw people's attention. |
| C．Some plants produce tasty leaves to protect their seeds. |
| D．Plants produce chemicals to meet the needs of big bugs. |
| A．Different effects that different plant poisons cause on plant eaters. |
| B．Different kinds of plants in the world. |
| C．Why plants make poison? |
| D．How to protect plants? |
| A．Plant information. | B．Plant enemies. |
| C．Plant poisons. | D．Plant protection. |
