Plants and Mankind

    Botany（植物学）, the study of plants, occupies a peculiar position in the history of human knowledge. We don’t know what our Stone Age 1 ancestors knew about plants, but from what we can observe of preindustrial societies that still exist, a detailed learning of plants and their properties must be extremely ancient 2. They have always been enormously important to the welfare of people, not only for food, but also for clothing, weapons, tools, dyes 3, Medicines, shelter, and many other purposes. Tribes living today in the jungle of the Amazon 4 recognize hundreds of plants and know many properties of each. To them botany has no name and is probably not even recognized as a special branch of “knowledge 5” at all.

    Unfortunately, the more industrialized we become the farther away we move from direct contact with plants. And the less distinct our knowledge of botany grows. Yet everyone comes unconsciously on an amazing amount of botanical knowledge, and few people will fail to recognize a rose, an apple, or an orchid 6. When our Neolithic 7 ancestors, living in the Middle Eastabout 10,000years ago, discovered that certain grasses could be harvested and their seeds planted for richer yields the next season, the first great step in a new association of plants and humans was taken. Grains were discovered and from them flowed the marvel of agriculture: cultivated crops. From then on, humans would increasingly take their living from the controlled production of a few plants, rather than getting a little here and a little there from many varieties that grew wild and the accumulated knowledge of tens of thousands of years of experience and intimacy with plants in the wild would begin to fade away 8.

 

词汇：

botany /"bəutəni/ n．植物学

detailed /"di:teild/ adj．详细的，详尽的

property /"prɔpəti/ n．特征；财产，资产

logical /"lɔdʒikəl/ adj．逻辑的，合乎逻辑的

pyramid /"pirəmid/ n．金字塔

welfare /"welfeə/ n．福利，幸福，康乐

yield /ji: ld/ n．产量，收益

marvel /"ma:vəl/ n．令人惊奇的事（人），奇迹

variety /və"raiəti/ n．品种，变种；变化，多样化

accumulate / ə"kju: mjuleit/ vt．积累，积聚

intimacy / "intiməsi/ n．亲近，亲密

 

注释：

1.    Stone Age：石器时代

2.    …a detailed learning of plants and their properties must be extremely ancient.……对植物及其特点的详细了解一定非常久远。

3.    dye：染料

4.    the Amazon：亚马孙河

5.    Yet everyone comes unconsciously on an amazing amount of botanical knowledge,…然而每个人都会在无意识中获得大量的植物知识，……come on:（偶然）遇见；（偶然）发现。又如：I came on this idea by pure chance．我有这个想法纯属偶然。

6.    orchid：兰花

7.    Neolithic：新石器时代的

8.    From then on, humans would increasingly take their living from the controlled production of a few plants, rather than getting a little here and a little there from many varieties that grew wild and the accumulated knowledge of tens of thousands of years of experience and intimacy with plants in the wild would begin to fade away.：从那时起，人类就越来越多地从可控制的IL种植物的种植中获取生计，而不是从野生的众多种类中东采一点，西摘一点。在数万年的经验中积累起来的知识以及与大自然中各种植物的紧密联系也就开始消失。take their living from…：靠……过活

Today people usually acquire a large amount of botanical knowledge from textbooks.

A:Right B:Wrong C:Not mentioned

For a well planned project the project schedule is ______.

A:the agenda for carrying out the plan or a portion of it B:not important, as each team member acts according to plan C:used to generate a time table of major commitments for the project D:both A and C

It's essential that people (be) (psychological) able to resist the impact (brought about) by the transition from (planned) economy to market economy.

A:Be B:psychological C:brought about D:Planned

第二篇

Mental Retardation (智力迟钝)
Mental retardation is a condition in which people have lower than normal intelligence and are unable to function at the level expected for their age. People with mental retardation are usually born with it, or it develops early in their life. They may also have some difficulty with daily living skills such as learning to read and write and caring for themselves.
Doctors and other professionals determine that a person has mental retardation based on their intelligence and how well they can do everyday activities. Intelligence is the ability to learn and understand Levels of intelligence are measured by special tests called intelligence tests. The score a person gets on one of these tests gives a numerical (数字的) measure of a person’s intelligence. This is called an intelligence quotient (智商) or IQ.
An average score on an IQ test is about 90 to 110. a person with mental retardation will usually score below 75 on an IQ test.
The IQ test alone does not determine whether someone is mentally retarded a person must also have trouble with everyday activities such as getting dressed, eating, washing, or learning basic reading, writing, and arithmetic skills.
Mental retardation is not a disease itself. It cannot be cured and it’s not contagious (传染的). This condition can be caused by several things that injure the brain or don’t allow the brain to develop normally. Many times we don’t know why a person has mental retardation.
Sometimes it may be caused by genes. Genes are chemical units found in every cell. They carry the instructions telling cells what to do. Sometimes, children receive abnormal genes from their parents.
a defective gene may also develop spontaneously. Neither parent would have passed on the gene, but the gene changes before the baby develops;
Some other problems that can cause mental retardation also happen before a child is born. It is important for the brain to develop properly if a child is to have normal intelligence. "Planning a pregnancy is the most important decision most of us will make in our lifetime. A healthy lifestyle and good medical care should begin before a woman becomes pregnant and continue throughout the pregnancy," says Jodi Rucquoi, a genetic counselor from Connecticut. If a woman abuses alcohol or drugs or doesn’t eat well, there is a risk to the developing baby. Also, a premature birth or problems during childbirth can sometimes harm the baby’s developing brain. {{I}}While{{/I}} premature babies are generally fine, there is a greater chance that they may have mental retardation.
In some cases, a young child can develop mental retardation after being sick with a serious infection or other illness, or after suffering a bad head injury.

Which is NOT a possible cause of mental retardation（）

A:Alcohol or drug abuse B:Abnormal genes from the parents C:a well-planned pregnancy D:Problems during childbirth

{{B}}第二篇{{/B}}

We can deduce from the fourth paragraph that in former times bus services were

A:eventful. B:irregular. C:efficient. D:well planned.

Questions from 31 to 35 are based on the following passage: China’s entrance into the World Trade Organization(WTO) will benefit not only itself but the whole world, said an article in People’s Daily. For the last nine years negotiations have gone on concerning restoring China’s status in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT),which is replaced by WTO. The negotiation have drawn attention from all over the world. Only when consensus is reached on key issues, can the final decision, involving more than 100 member states , be made. It is expected that China’s bid will eventually pass, though final details and a timetable have not been decided yet, said the People’s Daily. Over the past years, China has taken important steps to conform with international trade regulations based on the Uruguay-round talks. It is clear that China has made its markets more open, both in commercial and tertiary industries. Since 1992, a series of measures has been taken in lowering tariff rates and reducing non-tariff barriers. These reforms demonstrate China’s readiness to join the WTO. Serious disputes, however, still remain between China and some key member states over the obligations China should undertake. China should be responsible for reform compatible with its current development level, the article stressed. In future negotiations, we should insist on this point and give the member states a clearer understanding of the practical situation in China. China has a population of 1.2 billion, which increases by 10 million each year. The government must be very cautious in reforms to prevent dramatic economic downfalls, which may have disastrous results not only in China but around the world. China’s per capita income remains less than $500, there are still 70 million people who do not have enough for basic food and clothing. The negotiators should bear in mind the country’s development level when they decide the obligations China should assume. Otherwise, negotiation results will be meaningless, or worse; they could stifle the Chinese market. It is like the old Chinese saying: “Killing the hen to get the eggs.” China is in transition from a planned economy to a market one. With such a big population and large economic development scale, a transitional period is necessary for any new reform measure. This is also the case when adopting some international practice.

What is the former economy mode in China before its reform（）

A:Market economy B:Market economy and planned economy C:Planned economy D:None of the above

Questions from 31 to 35 are based on the following passage: China’s entrance into the World Trade Organization(WTO) will benefit not only itself but the whole world, said an article in People’s Daily. For the last nine years negotiations have gone on concerning restoring China’s status in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT),which is replaced by WTO. The negotiation have drawn attention from all over the world. Only when consensus is reached on key issues, can the final decision, involving more than 100 member states , be made. It is expected that China’s bid will eventually pass, though final details and a timetable have not been decided yet, said the People’s Daily. Over the past years, China has taken important steps to conform with international trade regulations based on the Uruguay-round talks. It is clear that China has made its markets more open, both in commercial and tertiary industries. Since 1992, a series of measures has been taken in lowering tariff rates and reducing non-tariff barriers. These reforms demonstrate China’s readiness to join the WTO. Serious disputes, however, still remain between China and some key member states over the obligations China should undertake. China should be responsible for reform compatible with its current development level, the article stressed. In future negotiations, we should insist on this point and give the member states a clearer understanding of the practical situation in China. China has a population of 1.2 billion, which increases by 10 million each year. The government must be very cautious in reforms to prevent dramatic economic downfalls, which may have disastrous results not only in China but around the world. China’s per capita income remains less than $500, there are still 70 million people who do not have enough for basic food and clothing. The negotiators should bear in mind the country’s development level when they decide the obligations China should assume. Otherwise, negotiation results will be meaningless, or worse; they could stifle the Chinese market. It is like the old Chinese saying: “Killing the hen to get the eggs.” China is in transition from a planned economy to a market one. With such a big population and large economic development scale, a transitional period is necessary for any new reform measure. This is also the case when adopting some international practice.

The best title for the passage is（）.

A:History of WTO B:From A Planned Economy to A Market One C:Welcome to WTO D:China’s Entrance Into WTO Benefits All

Questions from 36 to 40 are based on the following passage: China’s entrance into the World Trade Organization(WTO) will benefit not only itself but the whole world, said an article in People’s Daily. For the last nine years negotiations have gone on concerning restoring China’s status in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT),which is replaced by WTO. The negotiation have drawn attention from all over the world. Only when consensus is reached on key issues, can the final decision, involving more than 100 member states , be made. It is expected that China’s bid will eventually pass, though final details and a timetable have not been decided yet, said the People’s Daily. Over the past years, China has taken important steps to conform with international trade regulations based on the Uruguay-round talks. It is clear that China has made its markets more open, both in commercial and tertiary industries. Since 1992, a series of measures has been taken in lowering tariff rates and reducing non-tariff barriers. These reforms demonstrate China’s readiness to join the WTO. Serious disputes, however,still remain between China and some key member states over the obligations China should undertake. China should be responsible for reform compatible with its current development level, the article stressed. In future negotiations, we should insist on this point and give the member states a clearer understanding of the practical situation in China. China has a population of 1.2 billion, which increases by 10 million each year. The government must be very cautious in reforms to prevent dramatic economic downfalls, which may have disastrous results not only in China but around the world. China’s per capita income remains less than $500, there are still 70 million people who do not have enough for basic food and clothing. The negotiators should bear in mind the country’s development level when they decide the obligations China should assume. Otherwise, negotiation results will be meaningless, or worse; they could stifle the Chinese market. It is like the old Chinese saying: “Killing the hen to get the eggs.” China is in transition from a planned economy to a market one. With such a big population and large economic development scale, a transitional period is necessary for any new reform measure. This is also the case when adopting some international practice.What is the former economy mode in China before its reform （ ）

A:Market economy B:Market economy and planned economy C:Planned economy D:None of the above