For people, many other animals, family matters. Consider how many jobs go to relatives. Or how an ant will cruelly attack intruder(入侵的)ants but rescue injured, closely related nest-mates. There are good evolutionary reasons to aid relatives, after all. Now, it seems, family feelings may stir in plants as well.
A Canadian biologist planted the seed of the idea more than a decade ago, but many plant biologists regarded it as heretical—plants lack the nervous systems that enable animals to recognize kin(家族), so how can they know their relatives? But with a series of recent findings, the belief that plants really do care for their most genetically close peers—in a quiet, planty way—is taking root. Some species control how far their roots spread, others change how many flowers they produce, and a few tilt(倾斜)or shift their leaves to minimize shading of neighboring plants, favoring related individuals.
“We need to recognize that plants not only sense whether it’s light or dark or if they’ve been touched, but also whom they are interacting with,” says Susan Dudley, a plant evolutionary ecologist, whose early plant kin recognition studies sparked the interest of many scientists.
Beyond broadening views of plant behavior, the new work may have a practical side. In September 2018, a team in China reported that rice planted with kin grows better, a finding that suggested family ties can be used to improve crop yields. “It seems anytime anyone looks for it, they find a kin effect,” says Andre Kessler, a chemical ecologist at Cornell University.
1.Why are ants mentioned in the first paragraph?
A. To show how cruel ants are to their enemies.
B. To lay foundation for the idea of plants’ family feelings.
C. To introduce the topic of how family matters to animals.
D. To explain why people usually give more jobs to their relatives.
2.Which of the following words has the closest meaning to the underlined word “heretical”?
A. Indescribable. B. Understandable. C. Impossible. D. Traditional.
3.What may be the plants’ way of expressing their care for relatives?
A. They stop producing flowers to avoid competition.
B. They spread their roots far so as to protect their peers.
C. They care for their injured peers by silently taking roots.
D. They move their leaves to share sunlight with their close peers.
4.What can be inferred from the text?
A. Different plants mustn’t be planted together.
B. Corn planted with corn can produce more than that with rice.
C. China has put the idea into wide practice and achieved great success.
D. The closer rice is planted with their relatives the more they will produce.
You’re so young right now, but I hope this letter will be helpful to you one day when you’re older. I feel it is my responsibility, as a mother of two little girls, to lead you down a path that is relatively healthy when it comes to beauty and self-image. In a lot of women’s eyes, I’ve probably already failed in this aspect due to a lot of pink Barbie dolls in Vera’s room right now.
But I will say this about Barbie dolls: I played with Barbie dolls for many years when I was growing up and here I have a healthy body and a positive image. I have a master’s degree, a successful career and a published book. If Barbie dolls were really so damaging to my femininity(女人气质) and self-image, I highly doubt whether I could list all of these achievements.
It’s hard for women not to worry about our weight or to wish we could afford more stylish clothes. It’s hard not to want someone else’s hair or eyelashes. We women go round and round in circles, holding hands and trying to be one another sometimes. The thing I’ll tell you is this: not even the prettiest of us feel settled. The girl you think looks the most perfect in all the world is probably the girl who wants to change herself more than anyone else.
Don’t let that message carry any weight within yourselves. You are not worthless. You are so full of love and light and you should let it shine through your every second. If someone pushes you down for standing tall then just push yourself back up and stand even taller, and know that the reason why they pushed you down in the first place is just that they’re scared. I want to tell you that I have never in my life felt more beautiful than when I have stood my tallest.
1.What does the author think about Barbie dolls?
A. They did no harm to her image. B. They enable her to achieve a lot.
C. They prevented her development. D. They contributed to her promotion.
2.What can we learn from the third paragraph?
A. It’s women’s nature to be envious. B. It’s easy to read women’s thoughts.
C. Women like to be close to each other. D. Women tend to pursue a perfect appearance.
3.What does the author suggest her daughters do?
A. Try to be the most beautiful. B. Stand tall with love and toughness.
C. Compare themselves with others to improve. D. Push others down on the way to be the tallest.
4.What’s the author’s purpose in writing the letter?
A. To tell her daughters what real beauty is. B. To warn her daughters of the trouble in life.
C. To share with her daughters all her experience. D. To persuade her daughters to follow her example.
Tsinghua University Careers Fair 2019 Notice
More than 300 employers will attend the 2019 careers fair. A variety of international occupations including those related with The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) will be provided for all graduates, comprising international students. The details are notified as follows.
1.Procedure
Time: 13:30-17:00, Thursday, March 21st.
Venue: Main Gymnasium (Sports Center), Tsinghua University
13:30-14:30 Only open for Tsinghua students
14:30-17:00 Open for all students across universities
(To help the students with precise information, those international positions related to BRI and the like or recruiting international employees will be marked with red signs, while others marked with blue signs.)
2.Materials prepared
CV, student card, ID card (international student please show passport), employment reference letter, copy of certificate, etc.
3.Notes
①Priority(优先权) is given to Tsinghua students between 13:30 to 14:30. Please enter the gymnasium with your student cards and ID card.
② All students could enter the gymnasium between 14:30 to 17:00.
At 14:00-16:30, March 21st, every non-Tsinghua student can get a ticket for free and enter at the south gate on the second floor of main gymnasium with valid student card and ID card (international student please show passport).
③ Student can only enter gymnasium through the south gate on the first floor, and exit through the north gate. The east and west are emergency exits, which are only open for emergency circumstances.
④Please take care of your belongings and do not smoke in the crowded venue.
⑤In order to ensure the security of students, no entry shall be allowed temporarily once the venue of the careers fair is crowded. Please understand, cooperate actively and follow the instructions of the staff.
⑥There are emergency exits in the venue, in case of an emergency, please remain calm, follow the instructions, and exit orderly.
1.What is the time for students from Peking University to enter the 2019 careers fair?
A. 13:30-17:00, Thursday, March 21st B. 13:30-14:30, Thursday, March 21st
C. 14:30-17:00, Thursday, March 21st D. 14:30-17:30, Thursday, March 21st
2.International students can enter the Sport Center with _________.
A. CV and student card B. ID card and passport
C. student card and passport D. student card and ID card
3.What can we learn from the notice?
A. Tsinghua University Careers Fair 2019 is intended for Tsinghua students only.
B. Students should enter the gym through the west gate and exit through the east one.
C. More than 300 employers except those related with BRI will attend the 2019 careers fair.
D. No entry shall be allowed temporarily once the venue is full to make the Fair go on smoothly.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.How many brothers and sisters did Jin have?
A. Two. B. Six. C. Seven.
2.What was Jin’s first martial arts(武侠)novel?
A. The Book and the Sword.
B. The Deer and the Cauldron.
C. The Smiling, Proud Wanderer.
3.When did Jin start working at a film company?
A. In 1955. B. In 1957. C. In 1959.
4.Who gave Jin Doctor of Philosophy degree?
A. Soochow University. B. Cambridge University. C. The Central University of Political Affairs.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Why did the man arrive late?
A. He got stuck in traffic.
B. He was unable to find parking.
C. He had to take a different route.
2.What was the weather like in the morning?
A. It was raining. B. It was sunny. C. It was cloudy.
3.What event did the man miss?
A. A sports event. B. A food fair. C. A concert.
4.Where are the speakers?
A. At a park. B. At a stadium. C. At a television station.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What will be banned to wear in school?
A. Jeans. B. A tie. C. Dress pants.
2.What time of the year is it?
A. Fall. B. Winter. C. Spring.
3.What homework does the woman have for the holiday?
A. Finishing an English report.
B. Studying for a geography test.
C. Reading chapters from her science textbook.
