Question

    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.

Answer

1.D

2.A

3.B

4.C

【解析】

本文是说明文。科学研究发现大多数植物对触碰是非常敏感的。反复的触碰会阻碍植物的持续生长。

1.

推理判断题。文章第一段提出观点“Your plants really dislike it when you touch them.”植物不喜欢被触碰。第二段首句提到“A new study …has found that…；第三段首句提到“Whelan and his team are still trying to find out…”，第四段首句提到“Until more research is done, it’s just a guess…”，第五段首句提到“while the study found that…”。根据文章每一段的首句可知，文章是通过展示Jim Whelan和他的研究团队对这个问题的研究结果来展开的。故选D项。

2.

细节理解题。根据文章第二段中Jim Whelan和他的研究团队的发现“‘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.’（被触碰30分钟内，10%的植物的基因组就会改变。这消耗了巨大的能量，而这些能量是从植物生长中夺走的。）”可知，触摸会阻碍植物的生长是因为它会导致植物的能量消耗。故选A项。

3.

细节理解题。根据文章第四段中“the findings might already lead to new methods for how agriculturalists deal with their crops, to best promote healthier growth.”可知，Whelan和他的团队的研究重要性在于他们的发现帮助农业学家找到如何对待他们的作物的新方法，以便促进植物更健康的生长。故选B项。

4.

主旨大意题。通读全文，文章第一段提出观点“Your plants really dislike it when you touch them.”植物不喜欢被触碰。第二段说明Jim Whelan和他的研究团队的研究发现“A new study …has found that most plants are extremely sensitive to touch, and even a light touch can significantly stunt(阻碍) their growth.”大多数植物是触摸是非常敏感的，甚至一个轻触可以阻碍他们的生长。下文是说明关于该研究的更进一步的细节。因此文章是说明关于“植物不喜欢被触碰”这一研究的情况。故选C项。