I don't think we can complete the task ____________ (顺利地) without your support.
Though it is _________ (令人疲倦的) to prepare for the High School Entrance Examination, we will “keep calm and carry on”.
Spring is here, the colourful flowers are seen everywhere but it is a pity that many of us are not able to smell them while enjoying the colourful flowers.
Growing levels of air pollution from the factories and cars have reduced flower fragrances(芳香) by up to 90 percent in the US, compared with pre-industrial levels 100 years ago.
But if the trend is simply unpleasant for human noses, it may be life-dangerous for bees and butterflies.
Many insects find flowers by following the scent produced by those flowers.
The increasing pollution makes it difficult for them to find the flowers and feed on their nectar (花蜜).
Scientists have already found that flowers produce scent molecules (气味分子) that mix with polluted things, which breaks down the plants’ sweet smell.
With more pollution in the air, the scent molecules don’t remain powerful as long and travel shorter distances on the wind. In the mid-19th century, when pollution levels were first recorded, scent molecules would have been able to travel some 1,000 to 1,200 meters. Today, in the polluted air of large cities, scents may only make it some 200 to 300 meters.
Also, pollution from polluted air may fool the bee’s “nose”, making their search for flowers all the more difficult.
In a paper published recently in Scientific Reports, scientists said that the nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in polluted air could change many chemicals that work together to give a flower its special smell.
“This”, researchers said, “could prevent honeybees from reaching their flowers and prevent the pollination (授粉) of some of the world’s food crops.” Or, this could put in danger agricultural harvests worldwide.
But the bees seem to have learned to get used to the changing world. “In nature honeybees use their special eyes and flower smell to find out where a flower is for the first time,” the researchers said.
1.According to the article, researchers have recently found that ________.
A.reduced flower fragrances have resulted in the dying out of many bees and butterflies
B.reduced flower fragrances are connected to growing levels of air pollution
C.polluted things in the air prevent flowers from producing scent molecules
D.flowers today can’t produce enough nectar because of air pollution
2.What do the underlined words “the trend” in Paragraph 3 refer to (指的是)?
A.Increasing air pollution.
B.Reduce flower fragrances.
C.Human beings’ worse sense of smell.
D.A growing number of power plants and cars.
3.The scent molecules a plant produces are mainly to ________.
A.help flowers to produce nectar B.prevent insects from eating the plant
C.draw attention from bees and butterflies D.clear up polluted things in the air
4.We can infer (推断) from the article that ________.
A.future food crops won’t depend on bees to complete their pollination
B.bees have great advantages in their senses compared to humans
C.world food crop production is likely to fall greatly in the near future
D.some bees have successfully get over the challenge of reduced flowers fragrance
Characters:
Buck —a dog
Judge (法官) Miller—Buck's owner
Buck did not read the newspapers, or he would know that trouble was coming.
In fact, trouble was on its way for every strong dog with warm long hair. This was because men, going throw the Arctic (北极的) darkness, had found a yellow metal—gold. And because shipping and transportation companies were advertising the discovery, thousands of men were rushing into the Northland. These men wanted heavy dogs, with strong muscles for working and thick coats to protect them from the cold.
Buck lived at Judge Miller’s house in the sunny-kissed Santa Clara Valley. There were big stable (马厩), long grape fields, fruit gardens and a big swimming pool. Buck ruled over the whole kingdom. Here he was born and here he had lived the four years of his life. He protected the judge's sons and daughters on long midnight or early morning walks. On cold winter nights, he lay at the Judge's feet in front of the warm library fire. He was king—King over everything, crawled (爬行), walked, or flew at Judge Miller's place, including humans.
Buck was this kind of dog in the autumn of 1897 when the discovery of gold in the Klondike pulled men from all over the world into the frozen North. But Buck did not read the newspapers. He did not know that Manuel, one of the gardener's helpers, was not to be trusted. Manuel loved to gamble (赌博). He believed he could win but he was doomed (注定) to failure.
On the night of Manuel's betrayal (背叛), no one saw him and Buck go off through the fields. Buck imagined it to be a relaxing walk. They arrived at a little train. A man talked with Manuel and money passed between them. Manuel tied a piece of thick rope around Buck's neck. Buck accepted it quietly. To be sure, it was unwanted, but Buck had learned to trust men he knew. However, when the ends of the rope were placed in the stranger's hands, he barked. Then, the rope tightened (收紧) painfully, his tongue hanging out of his mouth. Then his strength disappeared, his eyes grew dim (浑浊), and he knew nothing when the train pulled up. Two men threw him into the baggage car.
(Adapted from The Call of the Wild by Jack London)
1.Why were thousands of men rushing into Northland?
A.Because they could live a better life there.
B.Because they might discover gold there.
C.Because they could find the dogs they needed there.
D.Because they wanted to enjoy the beautiful views there.
2.Which description about Buck is NOT TRUE according to the story?
A.The Judge's family betrayed him so he ran away quietly.
B.He had lived in Judge Miller's house since he was born.
C.Life before the autumn of 1897 was enjoyable for him.
D.Manuel could take him out of Miller's house because he trusted Manuel.
3.The story is mainly about ___________.
A.animal's trust in humans B.people's discovery of gold
C.Buck's early life at Judge Miller's D.the turning point of Buck's life
It's believed that people reach their mental peak (顶峰) in their 20s. However, this isn’t completely true. According to a recent study by scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US, people are best at doing different things at different ages. They studied many people aged 10 to 90 years old, who were asked to take part in different memory tests.
1.At what age can people reach the peak of their attention?
A.2. B.18. C.45. D.50.
2.Which fact does the passage provide?
A.The younger people are, the better memory they have.
B.The study is based on some research on people of all ages.
C.People in their 40s can understand others' feelings best.
D.Different people are good at different things at the same age.
3.This passage is probably a(n) ________________.
A.novel B.report C.advertisement D.notice
1.The pictures above are ___________.
A.a poster B.a notice C.a news report D.a comic strip
2.What do the girl's friends really think of her hat?
A.Attractive. B.Strange. C.Lovely. D.Beautiful.
3.Which of the following has the closest meaning as "Don't beat about the bush"?
A.Don't tell lies. B.Don't laugh at me.
C.Don't avoid getting to the point. D.Don't play jokes on me.
