Questions 01-13 How does water get to the tops of trees？ (全對！)

      Atmospheric pressure can support a column of water up to 10 meters high. But

__plants can move water much higher__, the sequoia tree can pump water to its very top,

more than 100 meters above the ground. Until the end of the nineteenth century, the

movement of water in trees and other tall plants was a mystery. Some botanists

hypothesized that the __living cells of plants acted as pumps__, but many experiments

demonstrated that the stems of plants in which all the cells are killed can still move

water to appreciable heights. Other explanations for the movement of water in plants

have been based on __root pressure__, a push on the water from the roots at the bottom of

the plant. But root pressure is not nearly great enough to push water to the tops of tall

trees, Furthermore, the conifers, which are among the tallest trees have unusually low

root pressures.

      If water is not pumped to the top of a tall tree, and if it is not pushed to the top of a

tall tree, then we may ask: How does it get there? According to the currently accepted

__ cohesion-tension theory__, water is pulled there. The pull on a rising column of water in a

plant results from the evaporation of water at the top of the plant. As water is lost from

the surface of the leaves, a negative pressure or tension is created. The evaporated

water is replaced by water moving from inside the plant in unbroken columns that

extend from the top of a plant to its roots. The same forces that create surface tension

in any sample of water are responsible for the maintenance of these unbroken columns

of water. When water is confined in tubes of very small bore, the forces of cohesion

(the attraction between water molecules) are so great that the strength of a column of

water compares with the strength of a steel wire of the same diameter. This cohesive

strength permits columns of water to be pulled to great heights without being broken.

1. How many theories does the author mention?

   (A) One

   (B) Two

   (C) Three

   (D) Four

2. The passage answers which of the following questions ?

   (A) What is the effect of atmospheric pressure on foliage?

   (B) When do dead cells harm plant growth?

   (C) How does water get to the tops of trees?

   (D) Why is root pressure weak?

3. The word "demonstrated" in line 6 is closest in meaning to

   (A) ignored

   (B) showed

   (C) disguised

   (D) distinguished

4. What do the experiments mentioned in lines 6-8 prove?

   (A) Plant stems die when deprived of water.

   (B) Cells in plant stems do not pump water.

   (C) Plants cannot move water to high altitudes.

   (D) Plant cells regulate pressure within stems.

5. How do botanists know that root pressure is not the only force that moves water in plants?

   (A) Some very tall trees have weak root pressure.

   (B) Root pressures decrease in winter.

   (C) Plants can live after their roots die.

   (D) Water in a plant's roots is not connected to water in its stem.

6. Which of the following statements does the passage support?

   (A) Water is pushed to the tops of trees.

   (B) Botanists have proven that living cells act as pumps.

   (C) Atmospheric pressure draws water to the tops of tall trees.

   (D) Botanists have changed their theories of how water moves in plants.

7. The word "it" in line 13 refers to

   (A) top

   (B) tree

   (C) water

   (D) cohesion-tension theory

8. The word "there" in line 15 refers to

   (A) treetops

   (B) roots

   (C) water columns

   (D) tubes

9. What causes the tension that draws water up a plant?

   (A) Humidity

   (B) Plant growth

   (C) Root pressure

   (D) Evaporation

10. The word "extend" in line 19 is closest in meaning to

   (A) stretch

   (B) branch

   (C) increase

   (D) rotate

11. According to the passage, why does water travel through plants in unbroken columns?

   (A) Root pressure moves the water very rapidly.

   (B) The attraction between water molecules is strong.

   (C) The living cell of plants push the water molecules together.

   (D) Atmospheric pressure supports the columns.

12. Why does the author mention steel wire in line 24?

   (A) To illustrate another means of pulling water

   (B) To demonstrate why wood is a good building material

   (C) To indicate the size of a column of winter

   (D) To emphasize the strength of cohesive forces in water

13. Where in the passage does the author give an example of a plant with low root pressure?

   (A.) Lines 3-5

   (B) Lines 6-8

   (C) Lines 11-12

   (D) Lines 13-14

註釋

• Paragraph 1
  • plants can move water higher than atmospheric pressure can
  • the movement of water in trees?
    • living cells of plants acted as pumps?

      but the stems of plants in which all the cells are killed can still move water to appreciable heights

      → reject!

    • root pressure?

      but it is not nearly great enough to push water to the tops of tall trees, ex: the tallest, conifers have unusually low root pressure

      → reject!

• Paragraph 2
  • not pumped, not pushed, How does it get there?

    → currently accepted cohesion-tension theory

題解

CCBBA DCADA BDC

1. 3 theories: pump, root pressure (第一段), cohesion-tension (第二段)

2. 兩段的主旨句都一樣：the movement of water in trees、how does it get there?

3. demonstrated ≒ showed

4. (A) 沒提到，(C) 與主旨相違背，(D) lines 6-8 沒提到 pressure

5. confiers 那個例子：the conifers, which are among the tallest trees have unusually low root pressures

6. (A) pushed 是被反駁的，(B) act as pump 是被反駁的，(C) 開頭就講：but plants can move water much higher

7. 該句第一次出現的主詞為 water

8. 該句 there 是 "How does it get there?" 的 there，再往前追溯則是 "If water is not pumped to the top of a tall tree, ..."

9. 第二段有句：The pull on a rising column of water in a plant results from the evaporation of water at the top of the plant

    題目的 draws water up a plant 就是該句的 pull on a rising column of water in a plant

10. extend ≒ stretch

11. 題目的 unbroken columns 出現在：

      "The same forces that create surface tension ... are responsible for the maintenance of these unbroken columns of water"

      然後下一句： "When water is confined ... , the forces of cohesion (the attraction between water molecules) are so great ..."

      則可視作補充該句的句子，補充解釋 "the same forces that create surface tension"，

      而 When water is confined ... 表時間 adv 子句則說明產生 the forces of cohesion 的背景條件

      於是過程即為：the attraction between water molecules → the forces of cohesion → the forces that create surface tension

      套回原句即可得： the attraction between water molecules is responsible for the maintenance of these unbroken columns of water

      不過，此題還是除錯法最快： (A) root pressure 錯！ (C) living cell 無關！ (D) atmospheric pressure 無關！

12. the forces of cohesion are so great that the strength of a column of water compares with the strength of a steel wire of the same diameter

13. Furthermore, the conifers, which are among the tallest trees have unusually low root pressures.

單字

• sequoia (產於美國加州的)紅杉
• appreciable 相當可觀的

  large enough to be noticed or considered important

• cohesion 內聚力

  molecular attraction by which the particles of a body are united throughout the mass

• tension 張力

  the stress resulting from the elongation of an elastic body

• bore 孔,(槍砲,管道等的)口徑,內膛

  the long usually cylindrical hollow part of something (as a tube or gun barrel)

• be deprived of 被剝奪的

  not having the things that are necessary for a comfortable or happy life

• regulate 調整,使規則化,使條理化 (regular)

  to make a machine or your body work at a particular speed, temperature etc

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Questions 14-22

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Questions 23-33 The preservation of embryos (全對！)

      __The preservation of embryos and juveniles is a rare occurrence in the fossil record.__

The tiny, delicate skeletons are usually scattered by scavengers or destroyed by

weathering before they can be fossilized. Ichthyosaurs had a higher chance of being

preserved than did terrestrial creatures because, as marine animals, they tended to live

in environments less subject to erosion. Still, their fossilization required a suite

of factors__: __a slow rate of decay of soft tissues__, __little scavenging by other animals__, __a lack

of swift currents and waves to jumble and carry away small bones, and fairly rapid

__burial__. Given these factors, some areas have become a treasury of well-preserved

ichthyosaur fossils.

      __The deposits at Holzmaden, Germany, present an interesting case for analysis.__ The

ichthyosaur remains are found in black , bituminous marine shales deposited about

190 million years ago. Over the years, thousands of specimens of marine reptiles, fish,

and invertebrates have been recovered from these rocks. The quality of preservation is

outstanding, but what is even more impressive is the number of ichthyosaur fossils

containing preserved embryos. Ichthyosaurs with embryos have been reported from 6

different levels of the shale in a small area around Holzmaden, suggesting that a

specific site was used by large numbers of ichthyosaurs repeatedly over time. The

embryos are quite advanced in their physical development; their paddles, for example,

are already well formed. One specimen is even preserved in the birth canal. In addition,

the shale contains the remains of many newborns that are between 20 and 30 inches

long.

      Why are there so many pregnant females and young at Holzmaden when they are so

rare elsewhere? The quality of preservation is almost unmatched and quarry operations

have been carried out carefully with an awareness of the value of the fossils. But these

factors do not account for the interesting question of how there came to be such a

concentration of pregnant ichthyosaurs in a particular place very close to their time of

giving birth.

23.The passage supports which of the following conclusions?

   (A) Some species of ichthyoeaurs decayed more rapidly than other species.

   (B) Ichthyosaur newborns are smaller than other new born inarine reptiles.

   (C) Ichthyosaurs were more advanced than terrestrial creatures.

   (D) Ichthyosaurs may have gathered at Holzmaden lo give birth.

24. The word "they" in line 3 refers to

   (A) skeletons

   (B) scavengers

   (C) creatures

   (D) environments

25. All of the following are mentioned as factors that encourage fossilization EXCEPT the

   (A) speed of buring

   (B) conditions of the water

   (C) rate at which soft tissues decay

   (D) cause of death of the animal

26. Which of the following is true of the fossil deposits discussed in the passage ?

   (A) They include examples of newly discovered species.

   (B) They contain large number of well-preserved specimens.

   (C) They are older than fossils found in other places.

   (D) They have been analyzed more carefully than other fossils.

27. The word "outstanding" in line 15 is closest in meaning to

   (A) extensive

   (B) surprising

   (C) vertical

   (D) excellent

28. The word "site" in line 19 is closest in meaning to

   (A) example

   (B) location

   (C) development

   (D) characteristic

29. Why does the author mention the speciment preserved in the birth canal (line 21-22)?

   (A) To illustrate that the embryo fossils are quite advanced in their development

   (B) To explain why the fossils are well preserved

   (C) To indicate how the ichthyosaurs died

   (D) To prove that ichthyosaurs are marine animals

30. The word "they" in line 25 refers to

   (A) pregnant females and young

   (B) quarry operations

   (C) the value of the. fossils

   (D) these factors

31. The phrase "account for" in line 27 is closest in meaning to

   (A) record

   (B) describe

   (C) equal

   (D) explain

32. Which of the following best expresses the relationship between the first and second paragraphs?

   (A) The first paragraph describes a place which the second paragraph describes a field of study.

   (B) The first paragraph defines the terms that are used in the second paragraph

   (C) The second paragraph describes a specific instance of the general topic discussed in the first paragraph

   (D) The second paragraph presents information that contrasts with the information given in the first paragraph

33. Where in the passage does the author mention the variety of fossils found at holzmaden?

   (A) Line 1

   (B) Lines 3-5

   (C) Lines 13-15

   (D) Lines 21-23

註釋

• Paragraph 1
  • The preservation of embryos is a rare occurrence
  • The fossilization of ichthyosaurs required a suite of factors:
    • a slow rate of decay of soft tissues
    • little scavenging by other animals
    • a lack of swift currents and waves to jumble and carry away small bones
    • fairly rapid burial
• Paragraph 2
  • An interesting case: the deposits at Holzmaden
  • What special？ the number of ichthyosaur fossils containing preserved embryos
• Paragraph 3
  • 自己問了一個問題："Why are there so many pregnant females and young at Holzmaden when they are so rare elsewhere?" 卻沒回答！

題解

DAD BDBAA DCC

23. (A)、(B)、(C) 文中都沒提及

24. 該句第一次出現的主詞是 skeletons

25. (A)、(B)、(C) 文中都有提及

26. (A) newly-discovered 沒提到！ (C) older 沒提到！ (D) more careful 沒提到！

      (B) 在 "Over the years, thousands of specimens of marine reptiles, fish, and invertebrates have been recovered from these rocks." 有提到

27. outstanding ≒ excellent

28. site ≒ location

29. 該句有 even 一詞，表示該句其實是加強上句而來，而上句即是：

      "The embryos are quite advanced in their physical development"

30. 該句第一次出現主詞是 pregnant females and young

31. account for ≒ explain

32. 第一段說了 the preservation of embryos is a rare occurrence，第二段則舉了個特殊例子: the deposits at Holzmaden

33. Over the years, thousands of specimens of marine reptiles, fish, and invertebrates have been recovered from these rocks.

單字

• embryo 胚胎

  an animal or human that has not yet been born, and has just begun to develop

• juvenile 幼苗;幼體 (junior)

  juvenile birds or animals are young

• scatter 使消散;使分散

  to cause to vanish

• scavenger 食腐動物
• wethering 風化(作用)
• ichthyosaur 不知道是啥，自己看
• terrestrial 陸棲的 (territory)

  living on or relating to land rather than water

• jumble 使混亂;使雜亂

  to mix things together in an untidy way, without any order

• deposit Vt: 使沈澱;使沈積、Vi: 沈澱、N: 沈澱物;礦床

  V: to leave a layer of a substance on the surface of something, especially gradually;

  N: a layer of a mineral, metal etc that is left in soil or rocks through a natural process

• bituminous 含瀝青的
• shale 頁岩;泥板岩
• specimen 標本,樣本,典型

  a single example of something, often an animal or plant

• advanced 年邁的;後階段的

  having reached a late point in time or development

• birth canal 產道 (canal: (動植物體內的)管,道)
• unmatched 無比的,無與倫比的

  better than any other

• quarry (採)石場;露天礦場

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