400-year-old plants from the Little Ice Age were brought back to life, which could help us understand how the Earth will deal with climate change.
Moss(藓类植物) found buried beneath the Teardrop glacier(冰川) on Ellesmere Island in Canada has been brought back to life. Findings suggest that these plants could help repopulate regions exposed by melting ice caps. Plants that were buried beneath thick ice in Canada more than 400 years ago and were thought to have frozen to death have been brought back to life by Canadian scientists.
Samples of the moss plant, covered by the glacier during the Little Ice Age of 1550 to 1850 AD, were replanted in a lab at the University of Alberta and grew new stems(茎). Researchers now think these findings can give indication as to how regions can recover as the ice covering them melts.
Biologist Dr. Catherine La Farge and her team at the University of Alberta were exploring the region around the Teardrop glacier on Ellesmere Island. Ice on Ellesmere Island region has been melting at around four meters each year for the past nine years. This means that many areas of land that were previously covered by ice have since been exposed. Many ecosystems that were thought to have been destroyed during the Little Ice Age between 1550 and 1850 AD can now be studied, including many species that have never been studied before.
While examining an exposed area of land, La Farge and her team discovered a small area of moss called Aulacomnium turgidum. It is a type of bryophyte(苔藓类植物) plant that mainly grows across Canada, the US and the Highlands of Scotland.
Dr La Farge noticed that the moss had small patches of green stems, suggesting it is either growing again or can be encouraged to repopulate. Dr La Farge told the BBC, “When we looked at the samples in detail and brought them to the lab, I could see some of the stems actually had new growth of green branches, suggesting that these plants are growing again, and that blew my mind. When we think of thick areas of ice covering the landscape, we’ve always thought that plants have to come from refugia(濒绝生物保护区), never considering that land plants come from underneath a glacier. It’s a whole world of what’s coming out from underneath the glacier that really needs to be studied. The ice is disappearing pretty fast. We really have not examined all the biological systems that exist in the world; we don’t know it all.”
Dr La Farge took samples of the moss and, using carbon-dating techniques, discovered that the plants date back to the Little Ice Age. Dr La Farge’s team took the samples, planted them in dishes full of nutrient-rich potting soil and fed them with water.
The samples were from four separate species including Aulacomnium turgidum, Distichium capillaceum, Encalypta procera and Syntrichia ruralis. The moss plants found by Dr La Farge are types of bryophytes. Bryophytes can survive long winters and regrow when the weather gets warmer.
However, Dr La Farge was surprised that the plants buried under ice have survived into the twenty-first century. Her findings appear in proceedings（论文集）of the National Academy of Sciences.
1.Dr La Farge’s research is of great importance to ________.
A. knowing what the plants during the Little Ice Age were like
B. understanding how ecosystems recover from glaciers.
C. regrowing many species that have been destroyed before.
D. figuring out the effects of melting ice caps on moss.
2.The underlined part “blew my mind” in Paragraph 6 can best be replaced by “________”.
A. surprised me B. greatly frightened me
C. put my doubt out of my mind D. was exactly what I had in my mind
3.According to the passage, Aulacomnium turgidum ________.
A. lives better in small groups
B. is very active in hot weather
C. is strong enough to survive coldness
D. is chosen from Canadian refugia
4.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A. Bryophyte ecology is greatly affected by climate change.
B. 400-year-old moss’s survival is a mystery to solve.
C. Moss in ancient times was discovered in Canada.
D. 400-year-old plants were brought back to life.
The power of humor and laugher is numerous. They entertain us and make us feel good. But, above all, we have discovered that humor and laughter are the best medicine. They relieve pain, reduce stress and anxiety, and are anti-aging and longevity facilitators（促进者）.
They are extremely necessary for helping us to find and maintain a balance between life and work. However, they are slipping away from us. We have become far too serious. The only ones who still enjoy humor, laughter, fun and play to the fullest are young children. Children tend to laugh an average of 200 times a day. For adults, however, it is a totally different story.
In the 1950s people laughed on average 18 times a day. Today, we are lucky if we average between 4-6 times a day.
As a matter of fact, a recent study found that people laugh 6 more times in the presence of one person but 30 more times in a group of people. You can get a chuckle(咯咯笑) from jokes you get on the Internet, but it is not the same as belly jiggling laughter (a deep laugh) you get when you interact with others.
Socializing(交际) with friends and relatives was much looked forward to. However, this is no longer the case. In fact, the majority of people can hardly find time, nor do they have the inclination towards socializing outside home. They turn to electronic media such as television, computers, the Internet, videos, CDs, and audio equipment, which can provide them with instant self-entertainment at the push of a button.
The workplace does not fare(进展) much better. Due to the pressures to produce more in the same or fewer hours available and to compete, for example, in a manufacturing field with cheaper labor elsewhere in the world, humor and laughter in the workplace have gradually eroded（逐渐毁坏） away.
I have developed a real appreciation, perhaps closer to a strong desire for the power of humor and laughter. This encouraged me to write my first book titled “The Power of Humor” and subsequently my second book titled “Kids Say the Goggonest Things” based on the natural humor, laughter, play and fun that kids experience and they freely share with parents, grandparents and teachers.
From writing about humor and laughter, people start to ask me to speak up for them. To date, I have developed a number of humor-laughter topics that I use in my keynote presentations. You are invited to subscribe to my free monthly e-magazine “The Humormeister’s Forum” by clicking on the Free Humor E-zine navigation button on the website.
1.According to the author, laughter is leaving us partly because ________.
A. the pace of change in our lives is becoming faster
B. we fail to reflect on fun times in our lives
C. we treat everything in a serious way
D. humor of situations lies beneath
2.The fourth paragraph mainly tells us that ________.
A. researchers have made a new discovery about the effect of laughter
B. people laugh more heartily when spending time with others
C. we can entertain ourselves with the help of the Internet
D. getting a deep laugh nowadays is difficult
3.The underlined word “inclination” in Paragraph 5 most probably means “________”.
A. destination B. tendency C. attitude D. approach
4.Which of the following articles can we most probably find in “The Humormeister’s Forum”?
A. The power of honesty.
B. Don’t be your own worst enemy.
C. Live life purposefully: The relationship within.
D. Funny Christmas stories to share with your loved ones.
Feeling exhausted and hopeless, I began walking to my car. Every step seemed tiring, and every step was another to survive. As I looked up into the sky I thought about how my grandmother had left me, and my anger began to return. I was annoyed by the loss, and my belief in God was beginning to fade. I couldn’t understand why these things happened. So as I stood in a public parking lot a million questions formed in my mind. Why did this happen to me? Aren’t we supposed to get signs from the people that pass on? Why did I not feel her presence anymore? Is there a heaven?
Suddenly, a woman driving right by my side rolled down her window and distracted my unanswered thoughts. “Excuse me, excuse me, excuse me,” she said loudly. Thinking she was going to ask for my parking spot, I simply pointed to my car. The thought of having to say where my car was seemed like too much to bear. “No, excuse me,” she said again.
At this point, I felt I had no choice but to see what this annoying lady wanted. As I got closer, I was startled—was this my grandmother’s nurse, Adu, who lived with her during her final months? I soon realized that she wasn’t, although the resemblance was unusual. Then, I realized that this Adu was searching for something in her bag. Surprisingly, I was overcome by a sense of relief that led me to be patient the entire time the lady was searching. Others would be nervous by a stranger reaching in their bag, but I wasn’t. She finally reached to the very bottom of her bag and handed me a three-page booklet. “It looks like you need this,” she said calmly with a warm smile on her face.
I looked down at the mysterious and obviously used booklet and on the front cover in big bold letters read “What Hope for Dead Loved Ones?”
It took me only a few seconds to comprehend the exchange with this woman, but by the time I looked up, she was gone.
I walked slowly into my car holding the tiny little book that was given to me with fear that it would fly away in the wind. I didn’t know what it was exactly, but I knew that if my grandmother had anything to do with that I didn’t want to let it go.
I felt a sense of relaxation as I opened the first page. It explained how people pass on, but their spirit remains with us. This was the first time since my grandma had passed that I felt her with me, just like I had wanted. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but I did know that I finally felt happiness from the surprising change in events.
I couldn’t, and still can’t, believe what had happened to me on that day. I don’t remember the specific details that you usually hear about like what the person was wearing, the time of day, or even the weather, but it doesn’t matter. It was a random day in November when my life turned back around and I began to feel hope again. It was real. It was a miracle. And, I’ll remember it for the rest of my life.
1.The author refused to say anything to the woman but just pointed to her own car at first mainly because ______.
A. the author did not know the woman
B. the woman interrupted the author’s thoughts
C. the author thought she wanted to use the vacant parking space
D. the author was too weak to say anything
2.What can we learn about the author’s grandmother?
A. She often made the author angry. B. She left nothing to the author.
C. She was kind to the author. D. She lost faith in God.
3.What can be inferred from the passage?
A. The author and the woman became good friends later.
B. The woman turned out to be the author’s grandmother’s nurse.
C. The author knows the specific details about this experience.
D. The author was very grateful to the unknown woman.
4.What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Miracle at the Parking Lot B. What Hope for Dead Loved Ones?
C. True Love for My Grandmother D. Adu, My Grandmother’s Nurse
It was the golden season. I could see the yellow leaves falling with the cool wind. For others, it is a/an season, while for me, it is an annoying season. Tired from preparing for Postgraduate Entrance Examination, I decided to have a along the Yanjiang Road in my university.
“Autumn is a lonely season and life is . The days in this season always get me down ”, I was in deep thought when the sound of a guitar into my ears, like a stream flowing from the mountains. I was so surprised that I ran to see what it was. A young girl, sitting on the lawn, was in playing her guitar. The music was so attractive that I listened quietly.
Lost in the music, I did not realize that I had been standing for so long. But my _ __ did not seem to disturb her. Leaves were still falling. Every day when I passed by the lawn, I would see her playing her guitar. During the rest of the days in the season, life became interesting and I could _ _ the courses carefully. Though we did not know each other, I thought we were always good friends.
Autumn was nearly over. One day, when I was listening _ _ , the sound suddenly stopped. To my astonishment, the girl came to me.
“You must like the music,” she said.
“Yes, you play very well. Why did you stop?” I asked.
Suddenly, a __ _ expression appeared on her face and I could feel something unusual.
“I came here just to have a rest because I failed in the college entrance examination. I felt very disappointed. And it was your listening every day _ _ encouraged me,” she said, “and I have to go tomorrow.”
“__ __, it was your playing that gave me a meaningful autumn and helped me believe that I have the ability to pass the Postgraduate Entrance Examination.” I answered, “I think it was God who gave us the chance to know each other and we should be good friends
She smiled and I smiled.
Since then, I have never seen her again. I no longer passed by that __ _. Only thick leaves were _ behind. But I will always remember the __ _ of the girl. It was her appearance that helped me passed the Postgraduate Entrance Examination.
We may encounter many people in our lives. Some are like a shooting star, but so much light that they guide you in the correct _ ; some are like _ in you, they are always with you, but do not understand you. Just as a famous saying, many people in your life, but only true friends leave footprints.
I shall always __ __ the autumn, the girl and the sound of her guitar. I know she will always be my best friend.
1.A. irrigation B. harvest C. rainfall D. adventure
2.A. walk B. nap C. rest D. glance
3.A. stressful B. aimless C. uninteresting D. desperate
4.A. flowed B. floated C. flew D. fled
5.A. devoted B. addicted C. engaged D. absorbed
6.A. exposure B. movement C. existence D. enthusiasm
7.A. get over B. take over C. pull over D. go over
8.A. casually B. devotedly C. roughly D. thoroughly
9.A. along B. down C. over D. back
10.A. strange B. happy C. special D. sad
11.A. when B. which C. that D. what
12.A. In consequence B. In reality C. In addition D. In detail
13.A. mountain B. stream C. road D. lawn
14.A. left B. thrown C. fallen D. piled
15.A. figure B. face C. hair D. eyes
16.A．give away B. give up C. give in D. give off
17.A. direction B. destination C. position D. situation
18.A. clothes B. shadows C. footprints D. wrists
19.A. broke B. stepped C. approached D. participated
20.A. remind B. review C. remain D. recall
We human beings experience a great liberalization and open-mindedness, which is ______ in our daily attitude to the disabled, olds, females, especially homosexual populations.
A. distinguished B. mirrored C. declared D. substituted
At the initial stages of postwar, _______ maintaining of cooperative relationship with USA and strengthening Soviet’s interest, Stalin adopted negative attitude to the Communist Party of China.
A. in the possession of B. for the sake of
C. at the mercy of D. on the occasion of
