problem. They make their watermelons grow in square glass boxes so the watermelons become square. The only problem now is the price. The square watermelons cost about 80 dollars each.
Many people know the saying “Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet and so are you”. Well, today the poem needs to change to “Roses are red, roses are blue”! Australian scientists have just recently discovered that when they put a chemical from a blue flower into a rose, they can create a nearly 100% blue rose. Some of science’s inventions are beautiful, not just useful!
Since the mid-1990s, many Chinese farmers have had amazing rice harvests. For many years Chinese scientists have been working on developing new kinds of stronger rice and now they have produced a new kind, called super rice. Super rice not only can protect itself against insects and diseases, but it also produces more than any other kind of rice. Today farmers can grow almost one and a half times more rice than they could grow in the past.
Doctors might be able to use vegetables to fight cancer now. US scientists have discovered a way to put a chemical into tomato plants while they are growing. When cancer patients eat the tomatoes, the tomatoes will fight the cancer in their bodies. These cancer-fighting vegetables are not yet for sale, because scientists have not finished testing them. If study finds no problems with the tomatoes, then patients can begin to use this easy and delicious new treatment. 51. The square watermelons look like ____________. A.
52. Which of the following is true? A. Super rice can keep itself from insects. B. Blue roses are more beautiful than red ones. C. The tomatoes can fight many kinds of diseases. D. The square watermelons cost less than ordinary ones. 53. The main idea of this passage is ____________. A. how scientists discover new plants B. how science makes plants produce more C. how science has changed plants and people’s lives D. how technology makes our world more beautiful
B
For most of us, Hawaii begins to show her charm little by little. A friend describes a sunset of Waikiki. We hear the twang (弹拨) of a guitar. We see golden beaches and golden people; we see sun, sand, sea, and surf… or somewhere between the blue skies and the palm trees. We’re completely attracted.
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B. C. D.
The Hawaiian Islands are one of the most beautiful places on the earth. The weather is friendly. The temperature changes from 60-90 degrees all year long. It’s a little warmer in summer, and a little cooler in winter, but every day is a beach day for somebody.
The environment is friendly. The beauty of Hawaii is almost unparalleled. Amazing mountains were created millions of years ago by volcanic activity that pushed these islands three miles away from the ocean floor. Wave action created coral reefs (珊瑚礁) and then broke them to create miles of white sand beach. The position (地理位置) at the center of the Pacific Ocean made sure that almost every plant and animal that would find a home here would come as an invited visitor.
There are no strangers in Paradise. Perhaps the most beautiful part of Hawaii is the sincere warmth of our people. We call it the spirit of Aloha. It has allowed people from all over the world to find common ground, and a new home, in this most gentle place. 54. What is the best title for the passage? A. The beauty of Hawaii. B. Friendly people in Hawaii. C. Hawaii — our paradise. D. Everyday is a beach day.
55. The underlined word “unparalleled” probably means “________’’. A. unmatched B. unnoticed
C. uncomfortable D. unimportant
56. What is implied (暗示) but not described is that________. A. the people in Hawaii are very friendly B. the writer’s friend has been to Hawaii C. the weather is very pleasant here D. Hawaii is at the center of Pacific 57. The underlined sentence means________. A. the strangers aren’t allowed to come here B. people in Hawaii know each other very well C. Hawaii makes people feel at home D. the strangers find it hard to live in Hawaii
C
An American exploration company, the Nauticos Corporation, has found the wreck(残骸) of an ancient (古代的)Greek ship in a very deep area of the Mediterranean Sea. It may be the deepest ancient shipwreck ever found. The discovery questions a long-held idea that ancient sailors didn’t have skills needed to guide ships in open seas.
The ancient ship lay more than 3000 meters below the surface of the Mediterranean. The wreck was more than 489 kilometers from the Island of Corsica. Scientists believe the ship is about 2300 years old.
The company was looking for an Israeli submarine(潜水艇) that had disappeared more than
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thirty years ago. Nauticos official Thomas Dettweiler said two company ships were searching for the Israeli submarine. He supervised（监督）the operation from a ship with sonar equipment. A sonar system uses sound waves to find and identify objects under the water. A second ship carried a vehicle for deep-sea searches.
During the search, one ship’s sonar began making strange sounds. Mr. Dettweiler thought this meant they had found the lost submarine. He ordered the other ship to send down the deep-sea vehicle to search.
But a video camera on the vehicle did not show a submarine. Instead, it showed many large clay containers lying on the bottom of the sea. These containers are called amphoras(古罗马和希腊的两耳细颈酒罐). Mr. Dettweiler was excited. He says he knew that the 2000 amphoras they had found meant they had discovered an important shipwreck. In ancient times such containers held wine, olive oil and other goods.
Nauticos and the scientists hope to do more research in the area soon. Mr. Dettweiler believes four other ancient ships may be nearby. He says finding shipwrecks from different time periods could be especially important. It could be the first evidence of continued open-sea trading in the ancient world.
58. Which of the following is NOT true?
A. It is still believed that ancient sailors didn’t know how to guide ships in open sea. B. The ancient ship was discovered by an American exploration company. C. The ancient ship was found by chance. D. Four other ancient ships may be nearby. 59. A sonar system __________. A. helps people to find any object B. can only be used to look for ships
C. is a technology related to sea waves D. can only be used under the water
60. How did they know they had found an ancient shipwreck?
A. The sonar system began to make sounds.
B. The video camera showed the picture of a wrecked ship. C. They found amphoras.
D. They found wine, olive oil and other products under the sea. 61. Mr. Dettweiler hopes to find more ancient ships because _____.
A. the ancient ships are useful
B. these ancient ships show the importance of open-sea trading C. they are important in the Greek history
D. they may prove there was open-sea trading in ancient times.
D
Looking back on my childhood, I am sure that naturalists are born and not made. Although
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we were all brought up in the same way, my brothers and sisters soon left their pressed flowers and insects. Unlike them, I had no ear for music and languages. I was not an early reader and I could not do mental arithmetic (心算).
Before World War I we spent our summer holidays in Hungary. I don’t have a clear memory of the house we lived in, of my room and my toys. Nor do I recall clearly the large family of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who gathered next door. But I do have a clear memory of the dogs, the farm animals, the local birds, and above all, the insects.
I am a naturalist, not a scientist. I have a strong love of the natural world and my love had led me into different observations (观察). I love discussing my favorite topics and enjoy burning the midnight oil reading about other people’s observations and discoveries. Then something happens that brings these observations together in my mind. Suddenly you think you see the answer to the riddle, because it all seems to fit together. This has resulted in my publishing 300 papers and books, which some might honor with the title of scientific research.
But curiosity, keen eyes, a good memory and enjoyment of the animal and plant world do not make a scientist: one of the excellent and essential qualities required is self-discipline (自律), a quality I don’t have. A scientist, up to a certain point, can be made. A naturalist is born. If you can combine the two, you get the best of both worlds. 62. The first paragraph tells us the writer ______.
A. was interested in flowers and insects in his childhood B. lost his hearing when he was a child C. didn’t like his brothers and sisters D. was born into a naturalist’s family
63. The writer can’t remember his relatives clearly because _______.
A. he didn’t live very long with them B. the family was too large
C. he was too young when he lived with them D. he was fully busy observing nature
64. It can be implied from the passage that the writer was _______.
A. a scientist as well as a naturalist B. a naturalist but not a scientist
C. no more than a born naturalist D. first of all a scientist
65. The writer says that he is a naturalist rather than a scientist probably because he thinks he
_______.
A. has a great deal of trouble doing mental arithmetic B. doesn’t have some of the qualities required of a scientist C. just reads about other people’s observations and discoveries D. thinks of how to solve problems in a most natural way
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