| A．capable; extensive | B．flexible; extended |
| C．available; extensive | D．tolerant; extended |
| A．only if | B．what if | C．as if | D．even if |
| A．Instead of; tied | B．In terms of; belonging |
| C．Apart from; attached | D．In addition to; appealing |
— No. It can only ________ the air fare.
| A．sufficient; cover | B．enough; cost | C．precise; pay | D．plus; spend |
| A．Despite his lack of | B．Although lacking of |
| C．Despite short of | D．Though a shortage of |
| A．defend; explain | B．forgive; apologize |
| C．criticize; comment | D．forget; complain |
7 . Plants might be able to hear their neighbors, according to a study that suggests plants use the sound signal to communicate with one another.
“We have shown that plants can recognize when a good neighbor is growing next to them,” said study co-author Monica Gagliano, an evolutionary ecologist at the University of Western Australia. “We found that this communication can be based upon an acoustic (声音的) exchange.”
The findings suggest that plants can not only “smell” the chemicals and “see” the reflected light of their neighbors, they may also “listen” to the plants around them.
“Plants are more intricate organisms than we’ve given them credit for,” Gagliano said.
In the study, Gagliano and her workmate Michael Renton showed that chili plants sprouted faster and were healthier, compared with those grown in isolation, when they were grown next to “good neighbors”, such as basil.
Remarkably, the scientists got the same result even when the plants were separated by black plastic so that they could not exchange light or chemical signals.
The scientists said the study is groundbreaking but still in its early days, and admitted there are still many unanswered questions. For example, are plants intentionally (有意地) communicating with one another? And if they are, do they all speak in a universal (通用的) “plant language”? To these questions and more, Gagliano said, the answer is “we don’t know”.
Gagliano thinks learning the secrets of plant communication could have practical applications (应用) that could benefit humans. She imagines farmers using music to encourage or discourage the growth of certain plants, reducing the need for pesticides.
Study co-author Renton warned, however, that the effects in their study were fairly small. “Whether it would be economically viable (经济上可行的),” he said, “for a farmer to play music to get that little extra growth speed, I think it’s pointless and costly.”
1. What did the study find out about plants?| A．They have a great influence on their neighboring animals. |
| B．They can sense their surroundings through sounds. |
| C．They can control their own growth in the dark. |
| D．They grow much healthier in isolation. |
| A．Endangered. | B．Natural. | C．Complex. | D．Productive. |
| A．It is inspiring but the findings are limited. |
| B．It is a failure but the methods deserve praise. |
| C．It can help plants send signals more effectively. |
| D．It will draw public attention to the protection of plants. |
| A．Hopeful. | B．Supportive. | C．Uncaring. | D．Opposed. |
8 . As a professional artist, people ask me all the time where I get inspiration.
If there’s a particular subject I know I need to paint or some color inspiration I can’t find in my local area, I’ll search the Internet.
Sometimes books are my great inspiration. And my favorite book for digging yourself out of a creative rut (一成不变的状态) is The Artist’s Way.
| A．What are your favorite art books? |
| B．Why do we need to find inspiration? |
| C．This will help you keep your eyes open. |
| D．If you’ve never read this book, I highly recommend it. |
| E．When I need some inspiration for a new painting, I always go outside. |
| F．This might seem strange, especially if you’re not familiar with painting. |
| G．I’m not talking about looking at other artists on the Internet and copying what they paint. |
9 . A new study finds that getting a family dog is linked with a big jump in physical activity in younger kids — especially in young girls.
In the study, Australian researchers followed 600 children over a three-year period, starting at preschool age. They tracked the kids’ physical activity and surveyed parents about their children’s activities — and whether they had a family dog. Half of the children didn’t have a dog. About 204 kids had a dog the entire time, while 58 kids got a dog during the study period — and sadly, 31 kids lost a dog.
Both boys and girls in the study engaged more frequently in activities like dog walking and playing in the yard after getting a dog. But the impact was pronounced in girls in particular. It showed that adding a dog to the household increased young girls’ physical activity by 52 minutes a day — or almost an hour. In contrast, girls whose dog died during the study saw a big drop in their daily physical activity — by 62 minutes a day.
Katie Potter, a professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, who led the study notes that while the body of research is limited, other studies have also suggested that dogs may have a bit more of an impact on girls’ activity levels. “We’re not sure why — if it’s something about how girls and boys differently communicate with or connect with their dogs. So we certainly want to learn more about this,” Potter says. Studies show girls experience a bigger drop in physical activity as they get older than boys do. “If researchers can find ways to use dogs to get — and keep — girls moving more, that could have a real impact on public health.”
Dogs are a big responsibility, and owning one is not for everyone. But for dog lovers, welcoming a furry friend into the family could have many benefits. “There’s just something about the connection between humans and animals that I think people just can’t get enough of,” Potter says.
1. How does the study get its finding according to the passage?| A．By comparing boys’ school activities with girls. |
| B．By tracking kids’ long-term physical activity levels. |
| C．By studying the number of owning dogs in children. |
| D．By observing the relationship between kids and dogs. |
| A．Noticeable. | B．Accessible. | C．Measurable. | D．Reliable. |
| A．It can reduce girls’ physical activity as they get older. |
| B．It can help drive girls to be more physically active. |
| C．It would help strengthen boys’ sense of responsibility. |
| D．It would make more and more girls ready to buy dogs. |
| A．To encourage more families to adopt dogs as pets. |
| B．To understand the effect of dogs on public health. |
| C．To figure out the different effects on boys and girls. |
| D．To prove that dogs are important for physical well-being. |
10 . I adopted Motley from the SPCA six years ago. When I first brought him home, he was scared of everything. Cars terrified him because he had never experienced traffic before. Toys were so foreign to him that he would shake in fear. He would often spend hours by himself hiding in rooms that I wasn’t in, or in his corner. Play was something he didn’t understand either.
Two years ago, my husband and I adopted a Bichon named Freddie. Freddie is the polar opposite of Motley. He is vigorous and cannot stay in one spot for more than a minute or two. He loves chasing toys and playing with us. He is interested in everything. Taking walks is his favorite activity.
At first, Motley wanted nothing to do with him. Freddie was determined. He kept trying to play with Motley, until Motley finally caught on, and for the first time in his life he engaged in play. Motley was confused as to why Freddie was interested in chasing toys. One day, Motley ran after one of them and held it in his mouth. He didn’t know what to do with it, but it was a start. Motley began chasing Freddie around, so he wasn’t in a corner by himself as much. As soon as Motley figured out that Freddie was getting to spend more time outside, he became interested in walking. Some days he is excited enough to walk that he is suddenly pulling us to the sidewalk. Motley learns new things from Freddie every day and is a completely new dog. We adopted Freddie as a present for ourselves, but he turned out to be more of a present for Motley.
1. Which of the following can be used to describe Motley from Paragraph 1?| A．Playful and curious. | B．Brave and loyal. |
| C．Frightened and distant. | D．Rude and unfriendly. |
| A．Sharp. | B．Energetic. | C．Lovely. | D．Smart. |
| A．He became active. | B．He was better at hiding. |
| C．He was loyal to his owners. | D．He became a quicker learner. |
| A．A Journey to Joy | B．A Story of Self-discovery |
| C．An Unexpected Gift | D．A Tale of New Adventures |
