There are many gardening tips. Some suggest playing music for your house plants, having conversations with them, or even giving them a gentle touch now and then. Most of these practices are probably more for the benefit of the gardener than the garden, and generally harmless enough but except the last one. Your plants really dislike it when you touch them.
A new study out of the La Trobe Institute for Agriculture and Food has found that most plants are extremely sensitive to touch, and even a light touch can significantly stunt(阻碍) their growth. “The lightest touch from a human, animal, insect, or even plants touching each other in the wind, can cause a huge gene response in the plant,” Jim Whelan, who led the new study, said. “Within 30 minutes of being touched, 10% of the plant’s genome(基因组) is changed. This involves a huge expenditure(消耗) of energy which is taken away from plant growth. If the touching is repeated, then plant growth is reduced by up to 30%.”
Whelan and his team are still trying to find out why plants respond, at the genetic level, so strongly. They do have some theories, however. We know that when an insect lands on a plant, genes are activated(激活) preparing the plant to defend itself against being eaten ,” said Dr. Yan Wang, co-author of the study.
Until more research is done, it’s just a guess at this point. Still, the findings might already lead to new methods for how agriculturalists deal with their crops, to best promote healthier growth.
It’s worth noticing that while the study found that plants often respond to just a single touch in negative ways, it’s really repeated touching that causes lasting stunted growth. That’s because the plants are looking for patterns in the touching, to tell harmful touch from random touch. So it doesn’t matter if you accidently brush up against a bush during a walk through the woods.
1.How is the passage mainly developed?
A.By comparing
B.By giving examples
C.By listing numbers
D.By showing results of studies
2.Why can touching stunt a plant growing according to the study?
A.It leads to the plant’s energy expenditure.
B.It makes the plant sensitive to threats.
C.It causes a genetic disorder in the plant.
D.It prevents the plant absorbing nutrients.
3.What’s the importance of the study by Whelan and his team?
A.It gives us more useful gardening tips.
B.It helps find ways to ensure plants’ healthy growth.
C.It contributes to the further study on genes.
D.It uses data to warn people not to touch plants.
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A.Something is done to help plants grow.
B.Plants’ genome can be changed easily.
C.Plants don’t really like to be touched.
D.What we do every day may destroy plants.
Typically, a person sitting in the driver's seat of a car opens the door with the hand closest to it. It makes sense since doors are designed to be opened that way. Pull the handle(把手) and immediately the door is open. But if you happen to do that at the wrong time, you may create an obstacle(阻碍) for a passing cyclist without knowing it. Then the cyclist will be sent falling off the bike, and the car door is likely to be damaged by the fast-moving bicycle.
The car door design and long-time habits have made the process instinctual but clearly the solution is for the person getting out of the vehicle to check for traffic. Luckily, there's a simple way to solve the problem: the Dutch reach. In other words, instead of using your left hand, reach for the door latch(门锁) with your right hand. This will force you to turn your body and look into your side view mirror to see whether any car or bike is coming.
''It's just what Dutch people do,'' said Fred Wegman, the former managing director of the National Institute for Road Safety Research in the Netherlands. ''All the Dutch are taught it. It's part of regular driver education.''
The technique dates back about 50 or 60 years, and it was very popular between the 1960s and the 1980s. But it didn't really become known as the Dutch reach until American physician named Michael Charney started the Dutch Reach Project in 2016 in an effort to popularize the practice in the United States. According to The Times, he was motivated by the death of a 27-year-old who rode into an open car door and died just five blocks from his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Charney's efforts may be paying off. Both Massachusetts and Illinois now include the Dutch reach in their drivers’ manuals(手册).
1.What is the first paragraph intended to show?
A.The poor design of the car door and handle.
B.A common conflict between cars and bicycles.
C.A main cause of traffic accidents related to cyclists.
D.Possible risks connected with opening the car door.
2.What does the underlined word ''instinctual'' in Paragraph 2 mean?
A.Difficult B.Possible
C.Natural D.Dangerous
3.How does the Dutch reach help to reduce traffic accidents?
A.By making the person open the car door more easily.
B.By forcing the person to check for approaching traffic.
C.By reminding the person of the traffic lights frequently.
D.By helping the person see the side view mirror more clearly.
4.What made Charney introduce the Dutch reach into America?
A.Its popularity among Dutch people.
B.Its appearance in drivers’ manuals.
C.A project started in the year 2016.
D.The death caused by a traffic accident.
It was my first year of teaching. I was young and inexperienced, and had class after class of twenty kids just waiting for me to make a mistake.
After a particularly long night of grading papers and thinking about how many weeks I'd left until I could breathe, I had one of those mornings when I began to question my job choice. I'd become a teacher to help kids. Instead, I felt like I couldn't even help myself anymore. It was just Mother's Day, and as I sat at my desk surrounded by lesson plans, I wondered how I'd ever have enough energy to have children of my own.
That was when I heard a knock at my door. One of my students came in — the cool basketball-playing country boy who had accidentally broken my favorite snow globe so that I couldn't display nice things in my classroom. He handed me a large flower that probably came from his family's farm. He'd stuck a bird feather in it.
''I got you a Mother's Day gift,'' he said in a low voice. Most middle school and high school teachers don't receive presents. Christmas and Teacher Appreciation Day had already come and gone without any gifts. I was so shocked that I just stared.
Made nervous by my silence, he said, ''You know…since you're like a mother to us, I thought you should get a present, too.''
I smiled and told him he was the sweetest person in the entire world, and that I just loved it. Based on his smile, I knew I'd done enough work of making him feel quite proud of himself. What made that twelve-year-old bring me a homemade present? I'll never know. Once he left the room, I locked the door. And I cried. That moment helped me get through the rest of the school years.
1.What did the author think of her job as a teacher at the beginning?
A.Interesting. B.Tiring.
C.Rewarding. D.Demanding.
2.How did the boy feel when he gave his teacher the present?
A.Excited. B.Shocked.
C.Unwilling. D.Shy.
3.How did the author react when she was given the flower?
A.She was moved to tears.
B.She didn't accept the present.
C.She was too surprised to say anything.
D.She stared at the boy in puzzlement.
4.Which of the following encourages the author to continue teaching?
A.The sincere love from students.
B.Her positive attitude to life.
C.Her strong interest in teaching.
D.The achievements in her work.
Lancaster Castle is open daily for guided tours, special events and group bookings. Visitors can enjoy the courtyard spaces, external (局部的) views of the historic building, two small exhibition spaces, and the gift shop without charge, but public access to the interiors(内部) of the castle buildings is for guided tours only.
Please note that dogs are not allowed inside the Castle, but assistance dogs are the exception to this rule. All areas are also smoke-free.
OPENING TIMES
We are open 7 days a week (except for the Christmas/New Year period) from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with guided tours running throughout the day. Tours last about 60minutes.
Please note: While every effort is made to open these buildings up for public viewing, Lancaster Castle is still used as a Crown Court. If the Court is sitting, it may not be possible to view all rooms.
TICKET PRICES
Adult: ￡8
Concessions（优惠） ( children, students and people aged over 65): ￡6.5
Family: ￡20 (Our family tickets are flexible(灵活的): two adults and two concessions, one adult and three concessions, or a group consisting of four concessions, all qualify)
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
PHOTOGRAPHY
Due to the fact that these rooms are still used as a working court, photography is not permitted anywhere in the Shire Hall/ Crown Court complex. Photography is permitted in those areas of the Castle not classified as court buildings.
LUGGAGE
For security reasons we are not able to store any luggage on site.
THE GIFT SHOP
The gift shop closes at 4:30 p.m. Visitors can explore our gift shop and buy special souvenirs designed according to their own preference. The designs are done by professional designers without charge.
PARKING
Unfortunately we’re unable to provide visitors parking on site. However, if you have a disability, please call 01524 64998 to arrange access to the Castle.
1.What do we know about Lancaster Castle?
A.Admission to two small exhibition spaces is free.
B.Castle buildings are accessible to all visitors.
C.Smoking is allowed in the courtyard spaces.
D.Pet dogs are allowed into the Castle.
2.How much will a couple and their 10-year-old twin sons save if they buy a family ticket?
A.￡2.5 B.￡29 C.￡9 D.￡20
3.Which service does Lancaster Castle provide for its visitors?
A.Free professional photography.
B.Free souvenir designing.
C.Free luggage storage.
D.Free parking.
The twins, who ______ their homework, were allowed to play badminton outside.
A.will finish B.finish C.have finished D.had finished
Two fifths of the highway ________ so far.
A.has been completed B.was completed
C.have been completed D.has completed
