For most of history scientists and mankind in general considered plants to be passive organisms just with no reason or means of communicating with one another. But new research has revealed that many plants actually 'chat' quite a bit over their own networks, which may also indicate that your auntisn't quite as crazy as you thought. You know, the one that talks to her petunias and expects an answer. In fact, many plants form internal communication networks and are able to exchange information efficiently. These connections enable the plants to share information via internal channels in a manner very similar to computer networks. So what kind of things do plants tell each other? Researcher Josef Stuefer found that one purpose for plants having their own "chat systems" is to warn each other. He and his colleagues were the first to prove that clover plants do indeed warn each other via these network links if enemies are nearby. For example, if one of the plants is attacked by caterpillars , it will warn the other members of the network via an internal signal. After receiving a warning, the other plants will strengthen their protective chemical and mechanical resistance so that they are less attractive to advancing caterpillars. This early warning system allows the plants to stay one step ahead of their enemies. Experimental research has revealed that this communication significantly limits the damage to the plants. It is also known that plants have "family values", with new research revealing they have the ability to recognize close s in order to help each other survive. Research found plants from the same species of beach-dwelling wildflowers, for example, grew aggressively alongside unrelated neighbors but were less competitive when they shared soil with their siblings. Some researchers think that plants must communicate through their roots, identifying themselves using tiny chemical signatures specific to each plant's family. The research shows that our current concept of plants is... The best title for this passage may be _ . A) Existence in the prefix = st1 /GreenKingdom B) Competition in the GreenKingdom C) Communication with Green Plants D) Communication of the GreenKingdom
D
(Question)
If parents bring up a child with the aim of turning the child into a genius , they will cause great damage to him. According to several leading educational experts, this is one of the biggest mistakes that some parents make. Generally, the child will understand very well what the parents expect, and will fall. Unrealistic expectations of the parents can cause great damage to children. However, if parents are realistic about what they expect their children to do, and are hopeful in a sensible way, the child may succeed -especially if the parents are very supportive to their children. Michael Li is very lucky. He is very fond of music and his parents help him a lot by taking him to concerts and let him attend piano and violin lessons. Although his father is a good musician, he never makes Michael enter music competitions if he is unwilling to. Michael's friend, Winston Chen, however, is not so lucky. Both his parents are successful musicians, and they set too high a goal for Winston. They want their son to be as successful as they are and so they enter him for every piano competition held. They are very unhappy when he does not win. "When I was your age, I used to win every competition I entered." Winston's father tells him. Winston is always afraid that he will disappoint his parents and now he is always quiet and unhappy. This passage is mainly about _ . A) how parents should bring up their children B) what aim can be easier for a child to achieve C) how parents should make a child a musician D) what differences there are between parents
(Answer)
A
Ques: Let's say you have a piece of wood, a nail, and a hammer. Pretend the wood is a person, and the nail is a mean rumor about that person. If you hammer in the nail, you're obviously hurting him or her. If you then pull out the nail, there's still a hole in the wood, and the damage has been done. There are many reasons why that nail of a rumor can be so harmful. Rumors are, quite simply, a form of bullying . When a person or a group makes up a rumor about someone or decides to spread gossip, it's usually to hurt someone, break up a friendship, or make someone less popular. It's the same thing as teasing, only it's done behind someone's back instead of to his or her face. When you spread a rumor about someone, you're sending a signal that the person is outside of the group, and somehow less worthy of friendship than others. You're making fun of that person or pointing out negative things about him or her. This can let others think that it's okay to make the person feel bad, and make him or her an outsider. We need to be able to trust our friends, and gossip and rumors can break this trust. If you tell a personal secret to a friend, and he turns around and tells it to someone else, you might feel like you will get burned if you ever get close to him again. Letting a rumor influence your behavior is like letting someone else make a big decision for you. Let's say you hear that the teacher plans to call a Snow Day tomorrow because a blizzard is coming. Expecting a day off, you don't do your homework. The next morning, the blizzard turns out to be nothing more than a drizzle , and school isn't off after all. You get zeroes on your work. To tell a rumor and a tease apart, you depend on _ . A) whether it is done behind someone B) whether it is painful or not C) whether it is a kind of bullying D) whether it is spread fast.
Ans: A
Next autumn, studying for a degree in Britain will become more expensive, and the results are already clear. This week, figures from UCAS(the Universities and College Admissions service)show a 15-percent downturn in applications from this time last year. With fees having reached PS9,000 a year, some students are beginning to consider other ways of getting higher education--including distance learning, which allows them to get a degree while still living, and earning money, at home. That is important, because fees are only part of the picture. The National Union of Students says that UK students pay an average of PS4,900 a year for basics such as rent, food, books, equipment, field trips and the like. If those costs can be reduced, the burden of fees will be lessened. Therefore, many people are thinking not only about what and where to study, but how--that is, whether they have to be on campus to get a degree. Distance learning is best suited to certain subjects and to ultra-motivated student, according to Carrie-Anne Rice of Resource Development International(RDI)."The advantage is that the fee system is more flexible , and you can have full-time work while studying, Rice says.""You graduate three years ahead of possible competitors -- with the same degree, but with three years of work experience and without the debt." "I left school and went straight into work. But at the age of 23, I changed career and soon realized I needed a degree to advance. Because of lack of money ad time, full-time university wasn't a good choice, but I discovered that distance learning was financially flexible and enabled me to work and gain skills from my workplace without affecting the quality of my life," Andy Cain, a distance learning student says. Although distance learning has many advantages, a campus-based university experience remains the dream of most school-leavers. There is no question that "being there" is not only fun, but rich in shared experience, pooled knowledge, and--perhaps most importantly--friendships that... Which of the following is NOT the benefit of distance learning? A) Lower debt levels B) A head start on the job market. C) Valuable friendships D) A flexible fee system.
C