Talking to plants makes them grow, especially if you ‘re a woman ,according to an experiment by the Ryal  Horticultural Society(RHS皇家園藝學會).
Women gardeners’ voices speed up growth of tomato plants much more than men’s, it found.
In an experiment that ran over a month, they found that tomato plants grew up  two inches taller if they were serenaded by the sweet tones of a female rather tha a male.
Appropriately the most effective talk came from Sarah Darwin ,whose great-great grandfather was legendary botanist(植物學家)Charles Darwin, one of the founding fathers of the RHS’ Scientific Committee. She read a passage from On the Orgin of Species and beat nine other”voices”.
Her plant grew nearly two inches taller than the best performing male and half an inch higher than her nearest competitor.
The experment began in Apirl,2009 at RHS Garden Wisley in Surrey. A variety of recorded voices were picked to play to 10 taomato plants over a month. Every plant was played a voice through headphones connected to the plant pot, and the conditions for all the plants remained the same throughout the experiment. To ensure the experiment was fair, two control plants were also left to grow in silence.
The results showed that women on average saw their plants rise by an inch on their male competitors. Some men were so bad that their plants actually grew less than a plant that was left completely alone.
Colin Crosbie, the leader at RHS, said:”We’re not sure why the female voice is more effecitive, It could be that they have a greater range of pitch and tone that affects the sound waves that hit the plant. Sound waves are an emvironmental effect just like rain or light.”
67.What is the best title for the passage?
A. Plants can’t grow faster without female voices
B. Women’s voices are more useful than men’s
C. Women’s voices make plants grow faster
D. Voices have positive effects on the growth of plants
68.The underlined word”serenaded” in Paragraph 3 most probably means”________”.
A.sung songs to
B.spoken to
C.talked about
D. played music to
69.According to the passage, ten_________were used in the experiment.
A.tomato plants
B.headphones
C. tape recorders
D.plant pots
70.What can we know about the findings of the experiment from the passage?
A. The women’s voices made the palnts grow faster by half an inch than the men’s.
B.Sarah Darwin’s plant grew 2 inches taller than her neraest competitor’s.
C. The plants which grew in silence did not necessarily grow the slowest
D. The women’s plants grew 2 inches taller than the men’s on average.

小題1:C
小題2:D
小題3:B
小題4:C
         
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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解


A 1.6-meter tall robot may soon become the best friend for lonely elderly people,as Chinese scientists are making the final sprint(沖刺)toward its market launch(投放),said a senior researcher on the robot project on Saturday.
“We are working on testing the exact functions and ways to reduce the cost in preparations for an expected market launch of the robot in two to three years,”said Li Ruifeng,a member of  the project.  
He said the team hoped to reduce the cost so that the robot can be priced at 30,000 to 50,000 yuan,which is expected to be an affordable price for most of China’s better-off families.
The robot has been developed with the functions of fetching food,medicine,sounding alarms in case of water or gas leakage,sending texts or video images via wireless communications,and even singing a song or playing chess to entertain its masters.
Li said that the robot,developed independently in China, has technology at the same level as those in western labs.   
China set about the research of the robot in 2007,when it was listed as a national key project.It is backed by government funding(撥款).China has the world’s largest elderly  population with 159 million people over 60,accounting for 12 percent of its total population. According to a survey by the Ministry of Civil Affairs,more than 10 million caregivers and nurses are needed to attend the elderly population,as most of Chinese elderly prefer to live their retired lives at home.   
61.The passage mainly talked about         
A.the problems of Chinese elderly population
B.the advantages of the Robot caregivers
C.robot caregivers for the elderly to lilt market
D.the government’s attention to the elderly
62.The underlined word “backed” in the last paragraph means     
A. supported  B.suggested C.controlled       D.stopped
63.From the last paragraph we know that       
A.our government pays no attention to the elderly people
B.China has the world’s largest elderly population
C.Chinese elderly people prefer to be looked after by robot caregivers
D.robots are the best friends for the lonely elderly people
64.Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A.Robot caregivers will appear in the market in 2 or 3 years.
B.Robot caregivers can help elderly people do everything.
C.The robot needs some technology from western labs.
D.The robot is expected to be bought by every people.
65.The author wrote the passage to        
A.a(chǎn)dvertise a robot caregiver to the elderly
B.tell China elderly not to worry about their life  
C.explain how robot caregivers work in the future
D.introduce a newly-developed robot caregiver

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解


Under normal conditions the act of communication requires the presence of at least two persons: one who sends and one who receives the communication. In order to communicate thoughts and feelings, there must be a conventional system of signs of symbols which mean the same to the sender and the receiver.
The means of sending communications are too numberous and varied for systematic classification, therefore, the analysis must begin with the means of receiving communication. Reception of communicatio isachievedbyourenses.Sight,hearing,andtouch play the most important roles. Smell and taste paly very limited roles, for they cannot receive intellectual expression from fully developed systems of signs and symbols        
Examples of visual communication are gesture and mimicry (模仿). Although both frequently ac- company speech, there are systems that rely solely on sight, such as those used by deaf and dumb per- sons. Another means of communication visually is by signals of fire, smoke, flags and flashing lights. Feelings may be simply communicated by touch, such as by handshaking or backslapping, although a highly developed system of handstriking has enabled blind, deaf, and dumb persons to communicate intelligently. Whistling to someone, applauding in a theater, and other forms of communication by sound rely upon the ear as a receiver. The most fully developed form of auditory communication is, of course, the spoken language.
The means of communication mentioned so far have two features in common: they last only a short time and the persons involved must be relatively close to each other. Therefore, all are restricted in time and space.
64. The author explains he will deal with reception of communication first because   
A. communication actually takes place when the message is received
B. there are more means of receiving than of sending cmmunication
C.reception of communications involves use of the senses
D.it is difficult to organize by type the means of sending communication
65. Persons who cannot see, hear, or speak are able to communicate through a system of
A. gesturing       B. handshaking      C. backslapping       D. handstriking
66. A form of visual communication often used with a type of auditory communicati      
A. gesturing     B. handshaking        C. backslapping       D. handstriking
67. The author specifically mentions that speech is
A. often used when communication by touch
B. necessary for satisfactory communication by gesture
C. the only highly developed system of communication
D.the most developed form of communication based on hearing
68.Which of the following statements about communication by touch is true?
A. Touch is less important than taste as a means of communication.
B. There is no well-developed system of communication based on touch.
C. It is possible to communicate intelligently by touch alone.
D. Touch must accompany visual communication.

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

A robot is a computer-controlled machine that is programmed to move and handle objects. Robots are able to perform repetitive tasks more quickly, cheaply, and accurately (精確的) than humans. In 1995, about 700,000 robots were used-including over 500,000 in Japan, about 120,000 in Western Europe, and about 60,000 in the United States-all in the industrialized world. Many robots applications are designed for tasks that are either dangerous or unpleasant for human beings. Now, robotic technology can be used in more and more fields. Experts say in the future robots will be able to make new highways, constructsteel frameworks of buildings, clean sewage (污水系統(tǒng)), and such physical work. Besides, another possibility is the development of robotic technology in medical surgery operations.
Perhaps the greatest changes in future robots will improve from their increasing ability to reason. The field of artificial intelligence is moving rapidly from university labs to practical application in industry, and machines of a new kind of robots are being developed, which can perform something involved in the process of understanding and planning, such as the management of a battlefield. Even the control of a large factory will be performed by intelligent computers. And there might be a possibility that these computers can design and make robots of their own.
Is there anything dangerous involved in this artificial intelligence progress then? Robot technology has been making people nervous ever since it was invented. Is it unreasonable to worry that robots will someday become too clever? Is it impossible that these human-like robots will start to think and plan for themselves? Will robots take over the world and force humans to give them energy to survive?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
小題1: In 1995, about 700,000 robots were working in _____________.
A.JapanB.the United StatesC.Western EuropeD.the industrialized world
小題2:Which of the following do experts say robots won’t be able to do in the future?  
A.Take care of roads.B.Be used as medicine.
C.Used as underground pipeline cleaner.D.Take up jobs of building construction.
小題3:What does the underlined word “which” in Paragraph 2 refer to? 
A.Greatest changes in future robots.B.The field of artificial intelligence.
C.Machines of a new kind of robots.D.Practical application in industry.
小題4:What can we know from the 2nd paragraph?
A.It is possible that robots will be able to think like human beings.
B.It is sure that robots might be able to manage battlefields.
C.There is no doubt that computers can design and make robots of their own.
D.It is proved that computers can’t reason like human beings.
小題5:Which of the following makes people worried most?
A.Future robotic technology might cause dangers.
B.Future robotic technology might make people too clever.
C.Future robotic technology might help to do all dangerous jobs.
D.Future robotic technology might not survive because of its shortage of energy.

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解


Some fish form huge schools. Could fish set up schools and teach their children how to survive in the ocean? You may ask. No. Here the “schools” are not the places where you study. They are fish shoals (魚群) that cover tens of kilometers. What causes hundreds of millions of fish to gather and move together is one of biology’s mysteries.
Darkness appears to be the first step to the creation of shoals, according to a study published in the March 27 journal Science. A team of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and five other institutions studied Atlantic herring (鯡魚), which forms shoals on a fishing ground off Massachusetts. They used an underwater imaging technology and fish-finding sonar (聲納) to observe the herring over several days in autumn when they spawn (產(chǎn)卵).
They found that, as the sun set, fish in scattered (分散的) groups began swimming much closer to one another than they normally do. When the number of fish reached a certain point in an area, this set off a chain reaction of similar behavior that spread like a sound wave through the water.
The herring’s movement seemed to be started by sunset. The team didn’t record the breakup of these shoals, but a previous study suggested that as the sun rose, the shoals fell apart.
“When the light fades (逐漸消失), it’s safer for the fish to move away from the seabed,” says Nicholas Makris, a professor at MIT who led the research. “Once they have a certain number of other fish, they suddenly come together - forming a shoal covering tens of kilometers within tens of minutes.”
Herring form shoals to migrate during the autumn spawning season. Some shoals were 40 km across and 30 m from top to bottom. They formed in deep water and moved into more shallow waters to spawn.
Forming shoals helps protect them from predators (掠食者) by giving them simple strength in numbers. The ordered movement of the shoal means the fish can reach their spawning ground more quickly and more safely.
Scientists have never before gathered information on so many animals acting together. Understanding these herring shoals could lead to more ideas about what causes animals to move in schools, says Iain Couzin, a biologist at Princeton University, US.
1. Which school in the following expressions is used the same way as the underlined one in the first paragraph?
A. schools of thoughts       B. school a horse   C. a school of whales       D. a medical school
2. Which of the following statements is true?
A. There are more large shoals of herring at night than in the daytime.
B. The research on Atlantic herring was conducted independently by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
C. The larger the shoal of herring is, the more slowly it moves.
D. Scientists have found out the reason why fish gather and move together in huge shoals.
3. According to the research, herring tend to get together except ______.
A.when there are predators around  B. when they spawn C. when the sun sets  D. when the sun rises
4. What seems to be the main reason for herring to gather and move together?
A. To avoid the darkness.
B. To keep other kinds of fish out of their spawning ground.
C. To spawn in the shallow waters.
D. To make themselves feel safe.

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Against the assumption that forest fires in Alaska, Canada and Siberia warm the climate, scientists have discovered that cooling may occur in areas where burnt trees allow more snow to mirror more sunlight into space.
This finding suggests that taking steps to prevent northern forest fires to limit the release of greenhouse gases may warm the climate in northern regions. Usually large fires destroyed forests in these areas over the past decade. Scientists predict that with climate warming, fires may occur more frequently over next several centuries as a result of a longer fire season. Sunlight taken in by the earth tends to cause warming, while heat mirrored back into space tends to cause cooling.
This is the first study to analyze all aspects of how northern fires influence climate. Earlier studies by other scientists have suggested that fire in northern regions speed up climate warming because greenhouse gases from burning trees and plants are released into the atmosphere and thus trap heat.
Scientists found that right after the fire, large amounts of greenhouse gases entered the atmosphere and caused warming. Ozone(臭氧)levels increased, and ash from the fire fell on far-off sea ice, darkening the surface and causing more radiation from the sun to be taken in. The following spring, however, the land within the area of the fire was brighter than before the fire, because fewer trees covered the ground. Snow on the ground mirrored more sunlight back into space, leading to cooling.
“We need to find out all possible ways to reduce the growth of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.” Scientists tracked the change in amount of radiation entering and leaving the climate system as a result of the fire, and found a measurement closely related to the global air temperature. Typically, fire in northern regions occurs in the same area every 80 to 150 years. Scientists, however, found that when fire occurs more frequently, more radiation is lost from the earth and cooling results. Specifically, they determined when fire returns 20 years earlier than predicated, 0.5 watts per square meter of area burned are soaked up by the earth from greenhouse gases, but 0.9 watts per square meter will be sent back into space. The net effect is cooling. Watts are used to measure the rate at which energy is gained or lost from the earth.
小題1:According to the new findings, taking steps to prevent northern forest fires may _______.
A.result in a warming climate
B.cause the forest fires to occur more frequently
C.lead to a longer fire season
D.protect the forests and the environment there
小題2:Earlier studies about northern forest fires ________.
A.a(chǎn)nalyze all aspects of how northern fires influence climate
B.indicate that forest fires will pollute the atmosphere
C.suggest that people should take measures to protect environment
D.suggest that the fires will speed up climate warming
小題3:The underlined phrase “soaked up” in the last paragraph most probably means ________.
A.releasedB.a(chǎn)bsorbedC.createdD.disturbed
小題4: From the text we can draw a conclusion that forest fires in Alaska, Canada and Siberia may ______.
A.warm the climate as the assumption goes
B.a(chǎn)llow more snow to reflect more sunlight into space and thus cool the climate
C.destroy large areas of forests and pollute the far-off sea ice
D.help to gain more energy rather than release more energy .

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解


There was great excitement on the planet of Venus(金星) this week. For the first time Venusian scientists managed to land a satellite on the planet Earth, and it has been sending back signals as well as photographs ever since.
The satellite was directed into an area known as Manhattan (named after the great Venusian astronomer Prof. Manhattan, who first discovered it with his telescope 20000 light years ago).
Because of excellent weather conditions and extremely strong signals, Venusian scientists were able to get valuable information as to feasibility (可行性) of a manned flying saucer (碟) landing on Earth. A press conference was held at the Venus Institute of Technology.
“We have come to the conclusion, based on last week’s satellite landing,” Prof. Zog said, “that there is no life on Earth.”
“How do you know this?” the science reporter of the Venus Evening Star asked.
“For one thing, Earth’s surface in the area of Manhattan is made up of solid concrete and nothing can grow there. For another, the atmosphere is filled with carbon monoxide (一氧化碳) and other deadly gases and nobody could possibly breathe this air and survive.”
“What does this mean as far as our flying saucer program is concerned?”
“We shall have to take our own oxygen with us, which means a much heavier flying saucer than originally planned.”
“Are there any other dangers that you discovered in your studies?”
“Take a look at this photo. You see this dark black cloud hovering(盤旋) over the surface of Earth? We don’t know what it is made of, but it could give us a lot of trouble and we shall have further tests before we send a Venus Being there.”
“Over here you will notice what seems to be a river, but the satellite findings indicates it is polluted and the water is unfit to drink. This means we shall have to carry our own water, which will add even greater weight to the saucer.”
“If all you say is true, won’t this set back the flying saucer program several years?”
“Yes, but we shall continue as soon as the Grubstart gives us the added funds.” Prof. Zog replied.
43.During the week of great excitement the Venusian scientists succeeded in getting important information as to ____.
A.the feasibility of landing a satellite on Earth
B.the possibility of making a first-rate flying saucer
C.the feasibility of sending a Venus Being to Earth
D.the possibility of directing a flying saucer into Manhattan
44.According to Prof. Zog, the Venusians will have to take their own oxygen with them when they carry out their flying saucer program because ____.
A.they need it in their way to the planet of Earth
B.the Earth’s atmosphere is filled with deadly gases
C.there is a low level of oxygen for Venusians
D.there is no air on the planet of Earth
45.The “dark black cloud” on the photo refers to ____.
A.the polluted air hovering over the surface of Earth
B.the mass of tiny drops of water floating above Earth
C.the mass of small things moving through the air
D.the dark clouds gathering before a storm breaks
46.The author wishes to call our attention to the fact that ____.
A.that modern man has polluted his environment to such an extend that he might destroy himself if he went on like this
B.that there is a point in spending billions to land a flying saucer on Earth
C.that pollution has become so serous a problem on Earth that even Venusians find life there unbearable.
D.that it is difficult if not altogether impossible, to land a manned flying saucer on Earth

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解


An annularity(日環(huán)食) is expected to cross China Friday afternoon, a researcher with the Purple Mountain Observatory under the Chinese Academy of Sciences said Wednesday.
The phenomenon, predicted to be the longest annularity of the next 1,000 years, can be seen in some areas of Yunnan, Sichuan, Guizhou, Shaanxi, Hunan,  Hubei,  Henan, Anhui, Jiangsu and Shandong provinces as well as Chongqing.
A partial eclipse(日偏食) would be seen in most of the rest of China, except for the northeast tip of Heilongjiang Province, said Cheng.
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States, the annularity will begin in Africa and pass through the Indian Ocean, where the maximum duration(持續(xù)的時間) of annularity will reach 11 minutes and 8 seconds.
It will continue into Asia through Bangladesh, India, Myanmar and China. Cheng said the annularity will end at Jiaodong peninsula in Shandong Province, China.
The longest duration of the annularity on China’s territory would be 8 minutes and 17 seconds in Ruili, Yunan Province. A sunset with the annularity would be seen in some areas of Shandong, Guangdong and Taiwan, said Cheng.
An annularity occurs when the moon does not cover the entire disc of the sun so that a ring of light encircles the shadow of the moon.
Another expert said that though an annularity was not considered as wonderful as a total solar eclipse and was of little value in scientific research. It was interesting for the general public to watch the phenomenon, though.
60.The annularity mentioned in the passage is unusual because        .
A. it is expected to cross all over China
B. it begins in Africa and passes through Asia
C. it is of great importance in scientific research
D. it lasts the longest in the next one thousand years
61.From the passage we may conclude that people in Fujian can only enjoy the scene of      .
A. an annularity            B. a partial solar eclipse
C. a total solar eclipse           D. a sunset with the annularity
62.People       can enjoy the longest duration of the annularity on Friday.
A. in Africa    B. in India      C. in China     D. on the Indian Ocean
63.Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
A. The annularity will end in Shandong Province.
B. The annularity can be seen by people all over China.
C. The phenomenon is an exciting one to the astronomers only.
D. A partial eclipse occurs when a ring of light encircles the shadow of the moon.

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解


第三部分:閱讀理解(共20小題;每小題2分,滿分40分)
閱讀下面短文,從每題所給的四個選項(A、B、C、D)中,選出最佳選項,并在答題卡上將該項涂黑。
We used to go into different chat rooms on different websites . If you wanted to meet someone on the net , you had to go into the same chat room . But now regular net surfers chat on OICQ .
OICQ is an online chat software which is invented by Tencent Computer System Company of Shenzhen in February , 1999 . Since then it has swept the country . Its symbol is a penguin wearing a red scarf .
Net friends can be divided into a buddy list (for good friends ) , a stranger list ( for people you want to avoid on the Net ) . You can also build family lists , co-worker lists , etc .
You can know whether listed friends are online as long as you use it . The cartoon portrait(肖像,畫像) of the person turns bright if he is online . And the portrait turns dim(灰暗的) if he is not there .
Traditional public chat rooms are chaotic . It is difficult to focus on a conversation . OICQ can conduct a focused talk without interruptions by other chatters . OICQ has become a regular daily communication tool . “What is your OICQ number ? ” has become a modern topic .
1. OICQ is________.
A. a special chat room for all the cyber citizens(網(wǎng)民)
B. a cartoon portrait to make friends on the Internet
C. an online chat software that helps you talk on the Internet more freely
D. a modern phone number used by more and more people
2. If you don’t want to chat with someone , you can put him in_______with the help of OICQ .
A. a buddy list                   B. a stranger list      
C. family lists                    D. co-worker lists
3. The passage mainly tells us____________.
A. how to chat with people on the Internet
B. how to use OICQ
C. how to choose a regular daily communication tool
D. some advantages about OICQ

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