Most people may not think that there are any problems. With watermelons, but some Japanese sellers do. There is often wasted space when they store watermelons, because round watermelons do not sit nicely on shelves. So some clever farmers have solved the watermelon 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.

46. The square watermelons look like _______________.

47. __________ find a way to make blue roses.

A. Chinese scientists　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. English scientists

B. Australian scientists 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. American scientists

48. What’s the meaning of the underlined word “super”?

A. 晚餐　　　　　　　　 B. 超级的　　　　　　　　　 C. 伟大的　 　　　　　　 D. 可爱的

49. 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 price of the square watermelons is very low.

50. 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 useful the scientists are

Plant scientists consider them as fruit. Most other people think of them as vegetables. Whatever you call tomatoes, there are many different kinds of this popular and healthy food.
There are two groups of the plants. Small tomato plants grow to about one meter. They can be planted rather close together. Some short kinds do not require special care and are often gotten crop by machines. Large tomato plants can grow over two meters tall. They also produce larger fruits.
People who grow only a few plants can place wire cages around each one. The cage can be made of wire fence material. The cage helps the plant grow taller and produce a better crop.
Tomatoes often need extra calcium (Ca), or the fruits may be ruined. Add lime to the soil can solve this problem. Dry lands may also ruin the fruits. Tomatoes need water regularly. The soil should never dry out completely. Dried grass or leaves placed around the plant can help hold water in the soil and stop the growth of unwanted plants.
Tomatoes are native to South America. The tomato is a member of the potato family. The leaves of the plant are poisonous, like the leaves of its relatives. Before the 18th century, people grew tomatoes only as pretty plants. They called the bright red fruit a “love apple”, but would not eat it

1. 1.

   Which of the following is right about the small tomato plants?

   1. A.
      They can grow to about 2 meters
   2. B.
      They can’t be planted close together
   3. C.
      Some of them don’t require special care
2. 2.

   People place wire cages around the plant in order to______.

   1. A.
      protect the plant from being taken by others
   2. B.
      help the plant grow taller and produce a better crop
   3. C.
      keep the plant from being eaten by animals
3. 3.

   The underlined word “ruin” probably means “______”

   1. A.
      grow
   2. B.
      destroy
   3. C.
      stop
4. 4.

   People often give tomatoes extra calcium by ______.

   1. A.
      adding lime to the soil
   2. B.
      watering the plant regularly
   3. C.
      putting dried grass around the plant
5. 5.

   What can we learn from the passage?

   1. A.
      Tomatoes are native to North America
   2. B.
      The leaves of the plant can also be eaten
   3. C.
      Americans began to eat tomatoes from the 18th century