Would it surprise you to learn that, like animals, trees communicate with each other and pass on their wealth to the next generation?
UBC Professor Simard explains how trees are much more complex than most of us ever imagined. Although Charles Darwin thought that trees are competing for survival of the fittest, Simard shows just how wrong he was. In fact, the opposite is true: trees survive through their cooperation and support, passing around necessary nutrition “depending on who needs it”.
Nitrogen (氮) and carbon are shared through miles of underground fungi (真菌) networks, making sure that all trees in the forest ecological system give and receive just the right amount to keep them all healthy. This hidden system works in a very similar way to the networks of neurons (神经元) in our brains, and when one tree is destroyed, it affects all. Simard talks about “mother trees”, usually the largest and oldest plants on which all other trees depend. She explains how dying trees pass on the wealth to the next generation, transporting important minerals to young trees so they may continue to grow. When humans cut down “mother trees” with no awareness of these highly complex “tree societies” or the networks on which they feed, we are reducing the chances of survival for the entire forest “We didn’t take any notice of it.” Simard says sadly. “Dying trees move nutrition into the young trees before dying, but we never give them chance.” If we could put across the message to the forestry industry, we could make a huge difference towards our environmental protection efforts for the future.
1.The underlined sentence “the opposite is true” in Paragraph 2 probably means that trees ________.
A. compete for survival B. protect their own wealth
C. depend on each other D. provide support for dying trees
2.“Mother trees” are extremely important because they ________.
A. look the largest in size in the forest
B. pass on nutrition to young trees
C. seem more likely to be cut down by humans
D. know more about the complex “tree societies”
3.The underlined word “it” in the last paragraph refers to ________.
A. how “tree societies” work B. how trees grow old
C. how forestry industry develops D. how young trees survive
4.What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Old Trees Communicate Like Humans
B. Young Trees are In Need Of Protection
C. Trees Are More Awesome Thart You Think
D. Trees Contribute To Our Society
As Internet users become more dependent on the Internet to store information, are people remember less? If you know your computer will save information, why store it in your own personal memory, your brain? Experts are wondering if the Internet is changing what we remember and how.
In a recent study, Professor Betsy Sparrow conducted some experiments. She and her research team wanted to know the Internet is changing memory. In the first experiment, they gave people 40 unimportant facts to type into a computer. The first group of people understood that the computer would save the information. The second group understood that the computer would not save it. Later, the second group remembered the information better. People in the first group knew they could find the information again, so they did not try to remember it.
In another experiment, the researchers gave people facts to remember, and told them where to find the information an the Internet. The information was in a specific computer folder (文件夹). Surprisingly, people later remember the folder location (位置) better than the facts. When people use the Internet, they do not remember the information. Rather, they remember how to find it. This is called “transactive memory (交互记忆)”
According to Sparrow, we are not becoming people with poor memories as a result of the Internet. Instead, computer users are developing stronger transactive memories; that is, people are learning how to organize huge quantities of information so that they are able to access it at a later date. This doesn’t mean we are becoming either more or less intelligent, but there is no doubt that the way we use memory is changing.
1.The passage begins with two questions to ________.
A. introduce the main topic B. show the author’s altitude
C. describe how to use the Interne D. explain how to store information
2.What can we learn about the first experiment?
A. Sparrow’s team typed the information into a computer.
B. The two groups remembered the information equally well.
C. The first group did not try to remember the formation.
D. The second group did not understand the information.
3.In transactive memory, people ________.
A. keep the information in mind
B. change the quantity of information
C. organize information like a computer
D. remember how to find the information
4.What is the effect of the Internet according to Sparrow's research?
A. We are using memory differently.
B. We are becoming more intelligent.
C. We have poorer memories than before.
D. We need a better way to access information.
Our planet is home to about seven billion people. Since the 1990s, population experts have predicted the number would grow to nine billion before it begins to slow down and possibly decrease.
But a new report predicts the world’s population is likely to increase to almost 11 billion by 2100. Based on the most modem statistical tools, the new report makes use of government records and considers expert predictions, including death rates, birthrates and international migration, or people moving across borders. The report says during the rest of this century, Africa’s population will grow from about 3.5 billion to 5.1 billion over the next 85 years.
John is director of the United Nations Population Division. He says that in the past, researchers thought population growth in Africa would be similar to that of other areas. They expected slower growth rates as birth control use became more widespread. But he says those ideas were wrong.
“The level of contraception use has continued to increase but slowly — more slowly than expected, and birthrate therefore has been falling less rapidly than expected, and the population therefore continues to grow somewhat more rapidly than we expected.
The new findings are based on a joint research project of the United Nations and the University of Washington,
The researchers believe the population of Asia will reach five billion by 2050. That is up from the current 4.4 billion. And then begin decline. The researchers also believe that North America, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean area will have a total population of below one billion.
John says the pressure of feeding the rising population is likely to be less than that might be expected.
“The relatively good news is that the world has been winning the race between population growth and food production. If you look back historically over the last 50 years, certainly for the world as a whole and for many, most individual countries and regions, the increase in food production has outpaced the increase of population.”
1.Which area will experience the largest increase in population at the end of the century？
A. Asia. B. Africa.
C. Europe. D. North America.
2.“Contraception use” in the fourth paragraph refers to ________.
A. a method of expert predictions
B. a way of avoiding growth in population
C. a joint research into the rising population
D. a potential technology for food production
3.Why is the pressure of feeding the rising population less than expected according to John?
A. Expert predictions are not exactly like what the facts happen.
B. Birthrates have always been falling less rapidly than we expected.
C. The population grows less rapidly than population experts expected.
D. The increase in food production has outpaced the increase of population,
4.What can be inferred from the passage?
A. The world’s population will increase constantly.
B. The population of Asia will rise by 5 billion by 2050.
C. John is optimistic about feeding the rising population,
D. Population growth in Africa was much slower than expected.
When you go to St. Petersburg, the number of attractions can seem large. If you are short of time, or just want to make sure to hit the highlights, these are the top must-see sights in St, Petersburg.
● The Hermitage Museum
The Hermitage Museum is one of the most important sights to see for any visitor to St. Petersburg. There are lots of different paintings by the old masters in the Hermitage. Prepare to come face-to-face with classic Western artists.
● Kizhi Island
Kizhi Island is an open-air museum of wooden architecture from the Karelia Region of Russia. These impressive structures are made entirely without nails - the wood fits together with joints and grooves (沟槽）.
● Peterhof
Peterhof is as beautiful as it is fun. You’ll be charged for admission, but go to Petethof when the fountains are working-during the day in the summer. They are shut off in winter evenings,
● The Church of Our Savior on the Spilt Blood
Love it or hale it, the Church of Our Savior on the Spilt Blood in St. Petersburg is an enthralling must-see sight. The beautiful look may make y our eyes brighten, and the painting inside the church will make you say “Wow!”
● The Bronze Horseman Statue
The so-called Bronze Horseman is a part of Russian culture and a symbol of St, Petersburg. Made famous by Alexander Pushkin, this statue of Peter the Great sitting on his horse can truly show Peter the Great’s influence on the Russian idea of greatness.
1.If you are interested in paintings, you'd better go to ______
A. Peterhof arid Kizhi Island
B. the Hernatage Museum and Peterhof
C. Kizhi Island and the Church of Our Savior on the Spilt Blood
D. the hermitage Museum and the Church of Our Savior on the Spilt Blood
2.We can learn from the passage that ______
A. visitors can visit Peterhof for free
B. the buildings of Kizhi Island are made of wood
C. the fountains in Peterhof can be seen all year round
D. the largest collection of Russian arts is in the Hermitage Museum
3.The main purpose of the passage is to ______
A. show the wonderful history of Russia
B. persuade artists to study St. Petersburg
C. recommend the famous buildings in Russia
D. introduce the must-see sights in St. Petersburg
请用英语简单地介绍一下网络好的一面和不好的一面。要点如下：
1. 可以帮助我们更好地了解外面的世界，开阔我们的视野；
2. 课后可以和老师在线交流，及时解决课堂上不明白的问题；
3. 网络上有很多不良信息，比如暴力、色情等，给学生造成不好的影响；
4. 很多学生沉迷于网络，影响了学习；
5. 长时间上网影响视力和健康。
注意：
1. 短文必须包括所有的内容要点，但不得逐句翻译；
2. 词数：120左右。
参考词汇：开阔视野broaden one’s horizons 暴力violence 色情porn 沉迷 get addicted to
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
短文改错
I am a android. My owner is an eight-year-old boy. 1.
His mother buys me from a store last month and 2.
gave me to him for a birthday present. He likes me 3.
very much, so I can do a lot of things. For example, 4.
I can tell him stories and helps him with his homework. 5.
When he feels alone, I play with him. However, 6.
there was a problem now. He has become lazy. 7.
He likes asking me questions instead thinking by himself. 8.
I’m really worried about that. I do think he should 9.
learn how to solve the problem on his own. Only in this way 10.
will he really master what he has learnt.
