Read the article and select the best answer. Article: We often consider plants as the furniture of the natural world. They don't move; they don't make sounds;they don't seem to act on anything. But as is often the case, plants talk to each other all the time. And the language is a chemical . Over the years, scientists have reported that different types of plants, from trees to tomatoes, give out chemicals into the air to help neighbouring plants. These chemical warnings can spread information about one plant's disease or infestation ,so other plants can protect themselves. But how plants receive and act on the information exactly is still mysterious . In this week's Science Magazine, researchers in Japan offered some explanations. They have found out one chemical message and traced it all the way from beginning to end. The scientists looked at tomato plants infested by a common pest . To start out,they grew plants in two separate plastic spaces connected by a tube . One plant was infested and placed upwind and the other was uninfested and placed downwind. The downwind plants were later exposed to the pest. The results showed that plants near sick neighbours before were able to protect themselves better against the pest. They found one chemical appeared more often in the exposed plants. The chemical is called HexVic. The scientists discovered where HexVic came from, and put it over healthy plants. Those plants were then able to produce HexVic. Researchers made sure that uninfested plants could fight off bugs and diseases. How do they know when to protect themselves? They are warned first by their friendly plant neighbours. It is not a simple story , and it may be happening in many other plants besides tomatoes. It may also be happening with more chemical signals that are still unknown to us. In a word, we know that plants not only communicate, but also look out for one another. Question: Which of the following can be the best title of this passage? Options: A: Communicating Plants and Terrible Diseases B: Talking Plants and Friendly Warnings C: Protecting Plants and Clear Information D: Growing Plants and Mysterious Chemicals
B

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: After eleven years of marriage, a couple had a boy. They were a loving couple and the boy was a gem of their eyes. When the boy was around two years old, one morning the husband saw a medicine bottle open. He was late for work, so he asked his wife to cap the bottle and keep it in the cupboard. His wife who was busy in the kitchen forgot the matter. The boy saw the bottle, playfully went to it, was fascinated by its color and drank it all. It happened to be a poisonous medicine. When the child fell to the ground, the mother took him to the hospital in a hurry, where he died. The mother was stunned. She was terrified at how to face her husband. When the father came to the hospital and saw the dead child, he looked at his wife and just said, "I'm with you, darling." The child is dead. He can never be brought back to life. There is no point in finding fault with the mother. Besides, if only he had taken time to keep the bottle away, this would not have happened. No one is to blame . She had also lost her only child. What she needed at that moment was consolation and sympathy from the husband. That is exactly what he gave her. Question: Who opened the medicine bottle? Options: A: The husband. B: The wife. C: The boy. D: The passage doesn't tell us.
D

Read the article and select the best answer. Article: Six people are talking about two pie shops in a TV program. Lily: I've been going to Pie House for twenty years. Now Marie's son is taking care of the business, and he makes pies as good as his mother's. I enjoy my stay there as before. My family also like the pies. We feel relaxed while staying there. *** Olive: I went to Pie Corner once. Their pies were great, too. But I feel more comfortable at Pie House. I am used to the taste there, which makes me feel happy. I'm really a fan of Pie House. *** Ned: Uncle Roy used to work for my mom. Later he opened Pie Corner on the next block after he got married. At the beginning, it's not easy for him, but it is becoming more and more popular especially among young people. They think Pie Corner can often give them a surprise. *** Marie: Roy was already quite _ when working with me. I mean he had different, sometimes even strange, ideas about pies. There were times I thought his pies wouldn't taste good, but they turned out magically delicious. He is really creative and can always make new pies, which attract many people. *** Lee: Ned has done quite well with Pie House. His pies make you feel warm. But if you want to try something interesting, you should go to Pie Corner. *** Chuck: The two pie shops are really different from each other. If eating Roy's pies is like taking an exciting trip, then Ned's pies are just like a sweet home you go back to after a long trip. Which one to go to depends on what you like. Question: What does 'avant-garde' mean in the reading? Options: A: Having a new and surprising way of thinking. B: Trying to find out where the problems come from. C: Trying to act like someone who knows everything. D: Having many exciting life experiences.
A