Ques: It is easy for us to tell who our family members are, but do plants recognize their own family? Some do, scientists say, according to a report by Science News in early 2010. Guillermo P. Murphy and Susan Dudley are two plant scientists from McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada. They did a few experiments with Jewelweeds, a kind of flower that grows in wet, shady spots. They found that the flowers seem to know their own flower family. In their experiments, Murphy and Dudley planted jewelweeds in pots with either _ or strangers. When jewelweeds were planted in pots with strangers, the plants started to grow more leaves than if they had been planted alone. This response suggests that plants are competing with strangers for sunlight, since a plant with more leaves can receive more light and make more food. Jewelweeds usually grow in the shade, where sunlight is not enough. When jewelweed seedlings were planted with siblings, they grew a few more branches than they usually would if they were alone - but they did not start growing lots of extra leaves. This behavior suggests the plants are more likely to share resources, rather than compete. According to the Science News report, Jewelweeds are not the first plants that plant scientists have studied for family recognition. In 2007, Dudley and her team studied the Great Lakes sea rocket, a plant that grows on the beach - where it may be hard to get fresh water. In that experiment, the scientists found that when sea rockets were planted with siblings, they tolerated each other. But when they were planted with strangers, the sea rockets reacted by working extra hard to grow lots of roots. Dudley says this just because sea rockets, on the beach, get plenty of sun but struggle for water - so when they're threatened, they compete for water. Jewelweeds have plenty of water but have to compete for sunshine, so they grow more leaves. What can be the best title for the passage? A) New Discoveries about Plants B) How Plants Compete with Each Other C) Family Recognition among Plants D) Jewelweeds and the Great Lakes Sea Rockets
Ans: C

Ques: Sixteen years ago a boy gave me an important gift. It was a smile. It was the early autumn of my first year at a middle school, and my old school was far away. As a result, no one knew who I was. I was very lonely, and afraid to speak to anyone. Every time I heard the other students talking and laughing, I felt my heart break. I couldn't talk with anyone about my problems. Then one day, when my classmates were talking happily with their friends, I was sitting at my desk unhappily as usual. At that moment, a boy entered the classroom. I didn't know who he was. He passed by me and then turned back. He looked at me, with a smile. Suddenly, I felt the touch of something bright and friendly. It made me feel happy and warm. That smile changed my life. I started to talk with other students and made friends. Day by day, I became closer to everyone in my class. The boy with the lucky smile has become my best friend now. One day I asked him why he had smiled, but he couldn't remember doing so! It doesn't matter because all the dark days have gone. I believe that the world is what you think it is. If you think it is lonely, you might always be alone. So smile at the world and it will smile back. Why didn't the writer talk to anyone in her new school about her problems? A) Because she was always unhappy. B) Because she didn't know anyone at the time. C) Because she was in the first year at the junior high school. D) Because she didn't want her parents to worry about her.
Ans: B

Ques: China has Mid-Autumn Festival. Canada and the US have Thanksgiving Day. Many countries around the world have harvest festivals. This is the best time for the harvest. Every year in the United States, Thanksgiving Day is on the fourth Thursday of November. But in Canada, people have Thanksgiving Day on the second Monday in October, because Canada is north of the United States, and it is colder, the harvest comes earlier in the year. The harvest brings a lot of food to the people. On Thanksgiving Day, people in Canada and America like to have a big meal with their friends and family--just like Chinese people do at Mid-Autumn Festival. Many Canadians and Americans put flowers, vegetables, and fruits around their homes to say "Thank you" for the harvest. Canada has Thanksgiving earlier in the year because _ . A) they like flowers B) the harvest comes earlier C) they have a big meal D) people like it earlier
Ans: B

Ques: Every day in China, about 200 million children go to school. Many of them take school buses. What should we do to keep these students safe on the road? On April 5, 2012,the State Council published new rules about school bus safety. These new rules are stricter than the old ones. Under the new rules, local governments must make sure that students go to nearby school or _ schools to reduce traffic risks . Also, local governments must help kids in the countryside reach their school buses. From now on, school buses have a speed limit of 80 km/h on highways and 60 km/h on normal roads. While on the road, other cars must let school buses go first. The new rules also say that school buses must never be overloaded . There are many other rules as well. A school bus must have more than seven seats. On each bus, there must be at least one adult to keep an eye on the kids. Each school bus must have a fire extinguisher , a first aid kit and a GPS. A series of school bus accidents happened in China in 2011. To stop such accidents, the Central Government decided to strengthen the rules for school buses. The most serious accident happened in Gansu in November,2011. When a nine-seat minibus crashed. There were more than 60 children inside, and 21 of them died. I hope such terrible things won't happen again and all of us can pay more attention to the safety of the students. According to the passage, the government made new rules because _ . A) 21 students died in school bus accidents in 2011 B) School buses in China were not safe enough before C) 200 million children in China go to school by bus every day D) the government encourages all students to take school buses
Ans:
B