Question

Would it surprise you to learn that, like animals, trees communicate with each other and pass on their wealth to the next generation?

UBC Professor Simard explains how trees are much more complex than most of us ever imagined. Although Charles Darwin thought that trees arc competing for survival of the fittest, Simard shows just how wrong he was. In fact, the opposite is true: trees survive through their co-operation and support, passing around necessary nutrition “depending on who needs it”.

Nitrogen（氮） and carbon are shared through miles of underground fungi（真菌） networks, making sure that all trees in the forest ecological system give and receive just the right amount to keep them all healthy. This hidden system works in a very similar way to the networks of neurons（神經元）in our brains, and when one tree is destroyed, it affects all.

Simard talks about “mother trees”, usually the largest and oldest plants on which all other trees depend. She explains how dying trees pass on the wealth to the next generation, transporting important minerals to young trees so they may continue to grow. When humans cut down “mother trees” with no awareness of these highly complex “tree societies” or the networks on which they feed, we are reducing the chances of survival for the entire forest.

“We didn’t take any notice of it.” Simard says sadly. “Dying trees move nutrition into the young trees before dying, but we never give them chance.” If we could put across the message to the forestry industry, we could make a huge difference towards our environmental protection efforts for the future.

1.The underlined sentence “the opposite is true” in Paragraph 2 probably means that trees .

A. compete for survival

B. protect their own wealth

C. depend on each other

D. provide support for dying trees

2.“Mother trees” are extremely important because they .

A. look the largest in size in the forest

B. pass on nutrition to young trees

C. seem more likely to be cut down by humans

D. know more about the complex “tree societies”

3.The underlined word “it” in the last paragraph refers to .

A. how “tree societies” work

B. how trees grow old

C. how forestry industry develops

D. how young trees survive

4.What would be the best title for the passage?

A. Old Trees Communicate Like Humans

B. Young Trees Are In Need Of Protection

C. Trees Are More Awesome Thart You Think

D. Trees Contribute To Our Society

 

Answer 1

1.C

2.B

3.A

4.C

【解析】文章大意:本文主要講述了森立的樹木會通過“tree societies”把自己的財富交給下一代。并詳細說明了這一發現的具體內容。

1.推理題。根據本句Although Charles Darwin thought that trees arc competing for survival of the fittest, Simard shows just how wrong he was. In fact, the opposite is true: 可知達爾文認為樹是相互競爭以獲得生存。但是Simard的實驗發現達爾文是錯誤的。實際上：與達爾文的理論相反的觀點是正確的。也就是說樹不是競爭生存，而是考相互合作，相互依靠生存下來的。故C正確。

2.推理題。根據文章第四段Simard talks about “mother trees”, usually the largest and oldest plants on which all other trees depend.可知“mother trees”通常都是其他的樹依賴的大樹，它承擔這向小樹輸送養料的作用。ACD三項都是片面的理解。故B正確。

3.推理題。根據第四段最后三行和最后一段第一行When humans cut down “mother trees” with no awareness of these highly complex “tree societies” or the networks on which they feed, we are reducing the chances of survival for the entire forest.

“We didn’t take any notice of it.”當人們意識不到這種復雜的“tree societies”情況下砍倒了mother trees，我們就減少了整個森林幸存的機會。最后一段第一句中的it就是指complex “tree societies”。故A正確。

4.主旨大意題。根據文章主題段第一段Would it surprise you to learn that, like animals, trees communicate with each other and pass on their wealth to the next generation?可知樹和動物一樣，能夠把自己的財富交個下一代。這比人們原來的看法完全不一樣，樹比我們認為地更聰明。故C正確。