1 . Ylang-ylang is the name of a tropical (热带的) tree that is native to Indonesia but has been naturalized in many tropical locations. It is commonly found in the Philippines, Java, Sumatra, the Comoros, and Polynesia.It can grow 5 meters per year, and reaches and average height of 12 meters. The evergreen leaves are smooth and shiny, about 13-21 cm long. The flower, for which the plant is particularly famed, hangs downwards, with six narrow, greenish-yellow petals (花瓣). It has wonderful smell and can produce a highly powerful essential oil (精油) that has been linked to number of medicinal benefits.
Ylang-ylang has one of the strangest names in the entire natural health world, leading many to wonder where it comes from. In the Tagalog language, native to the area “where the ylang-ylang tree is found, the word “ilang” means wilderness. Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by the Tagalog people, who make up a quarter of the population of the Philippines, and as a second language by the majority (大多数). Ylang-ylang is pronounced EE-lang EE-lang, so if you’ve been pushing a strong “Y” sound when asking for this oil at your local store, now you understand why you got so many funny looks.
Ylang-ylang oil taken from its flowers is most commonly used in women’s beauty products and men’s personal care products, because of its special and powerful smell. This oil is a popular room freshener and can also be used in an essential oil diffuser, which is an easy and inexpensive tool to encourage relaxation. It is often filled into a steam bath and the pleasant smell helps free you from stress and worry. And it can also be used to improve your hair growth. In addition, the pressed flowers of the ylang-ylang tree can be drunk as a tasty tea.
1. What is the ylang-ylang tree best known for?| A．Its leaves. | B．Its flowers. | C．Its unusual size. | D．Its growth speed. |
| A．It has several strange meanings in local areas. |
| B．It is widely used Austronesian languages. |
| C．It comes from the Tagalog language. |
| D．It has a very silly pronunciation. |
| A．Keeping food fresh. | B．Calming you down. |
| C．An enjoyable tea. | D．A cloth cleanser. |
| A．To introduce a useful tropical tree. |
| B．To describe a large language family. |
| C．To discuss the uses of a special plant. |
| D．To explore a strange word’s meaning. |
A． | B．  |
C． | D．  |
2 . The Bridegroom's Oak, a 500-year-old tree just outside of Eutin, in Germany, has its own postal address and receives around 40 letters every day. They're sent by love seekers from around the world, in the hope that someone will read them and write back.
With so many dating apps and services available nowadays, sending letters to a tree hardly sounds like the best way to find love. However, there's something charming about sending a letter and allowing fate (命运) to work its magic, so the Bridegroom's Oak remains popular even now.
In 1890, a local girl named Minna fell in love with a young chocolate maker named Wilhelm, but her father didn't allow her to see the boy. Instead of giving up on each other, the two started exchanging love letters secretly, by leaving them in a knothole (节孔) of an oak tree. After about one year, Minna's father found out about their continued relationship, but instead of punishing them, he gave them permission to marry. The two lovers got married on June 2, 1891, under the oak tree that helped keep their romance (罗曼史) alive.
The couple's story spread around Eutin, and soon, people unable to find love started writing romantic letters and leaving them in the tree's knothole. By 1927, it was already known as Bridegroom's Oak and was so popular that it had its own address and postal code, allowing people from all over Germany and even abroad to send in their letters.
Love seekers visiting the Bridegroom's Oak need respect only one simple rule. They can check all the letters in its knothole, and take with them the one they wish to reply to, but they have to put the others back for other people to find.
So far the Bridegroom's Oak has been responsible for at least 100 marriages and many other romantic relationships.
1. What's the Bridegroom's Oak popular for?| A．Its long life. |
| B．Its special function. |
| C．Its good position. |
| D．Its rare species. |
| A．The best way to find love a century ago. |
| B．What sufferings the two lovers experienced. |
| C．How the two lovers kept their romance alive. |
| D．The love story behind the Bridegroom's Oak. |
| A．Reply to all the letters in its knothole. |
| B．Read each letter in its knothole. |
| C．Put their name at the top of each letter. |
| D．Take as many letters away as they like. |
| A．Writing to the Bridegroom's Oak does work. |
| B．Germany needs dating apps and services. |
| C．Germans hold a firm belief in fate. |
| D．Foreigners have little idea of the Bridegroom's Oak. |
3 . What is the smelliest fruit on earth? Durians (榴莲), of course. But what makes this large spiky fruit from Southeast Asia so smelly? A team of researchers discovered the answer to this question recently. Their study explained which genes (基因) are responsible for the fruit's unique smell.
Thanks to the work of the scientists, we finally know why durians smell so unique. It's because of a gene called MGL，which can be found in other crops like cacao and cotton. Unlike other fruits that have just one copy of the gene, the durian has four, which are activated when the fruit is ripe.
According to the study, the MGL genes are involved in sulfur (硫磺) production. Indeed, they are the secret code to unlocking the smell of durians. In the wilderness, the smell serves an important purpose - survival. The fruit's special smell attracts animals, which eat and spread its seeds.
But of course, humans don't do this. So why do so many of us enjoy eating this unusual fruit? “It has a very rich and creamy taste. To us, it has a heavenly smell, and it melts in your mouth,” said professor Bin Tean Teh, the leading author of the study.
In some Southeast Asian countries where durians grow, the smelly fruit is not allowed on public transport and in many hotels. By identifying this MGL gene, scientists believe they could produce durians that don't smell as strong. This could increase its popularity. Those who hate it may love it, and those who love it may love it more.
However, not everyone is happy about the possibility of changing the smell of their favorite fruit. “A durian without its smell is nothing but an empty shell without its properties,” wrote Singaporean Richie Liang.
1. What did the study find?| A．Why people don't like durians | B．What kind of fruit smells good |
| C．How we make durians smell better | D．Which genes make durians smelly |
| A．The benefits of eating durians | B．The code to unlocking the MGL genes |
| C．The function of durians' smell | D．The disadvantage of the MGL genes |
| A．Smelly | B．Odd | C．Inviting | D．Familiar |
| A．To help them survive better | B．To make them more attractive |
| C．To increase their profits | D．To protect them from harmful insects |
| A．Opposed | B．Doubtful | C．Unconcerned | D．Supportive. |
