【題目】 When I was young, I lived in Scotland with my parents. I had a good time there.
One morning, I ran to the garden, and said to the old Scotsman who worked there. “Today I am going up the mountain for berries. ”
“No, no, Missey, not today. ” he said , “It will rain. ”
“No, it will not rain. ” I said, “The sun is up. The cook says it will be fine. The glass in the hall does not say rain. ”
“Tuts, tuts. ” said the old man, “I care for no suns, or cooks, or glasses. The pimpernel (海綠) says it will rain, and so it will rain. Flowers, Missey, always tell the truth. When they say rain, go and get your umbrella.”
Sure enough, by noon the rain was pouring down. After that, I looked with great respect at the tiny flower, sometimes brickred, sometimes blue, which could tell about the weather. But the pimpernel is not the only plant that is a weather prophet.
If you go into the garden, and find the African marigolds shut after seven o’clock in the morning, you may be pretty sure that there will be a rainy day. There is a little single marigold which shuts up in a hurry if the sky becomes clouded. It is called the “rainy-marigold”.
Most plants which we call “weather prophets” shut up for rain. But some plants open for rain. The cause of the opening and closing is probably the difference in light. Most likely these plants shut their flowers because there is too little light.
But you know there are some plants which become smaller in a strong light and love the shade. You will find that most shade-loving plants, as the verbenas, do not close for rain.
Lilies, tulips and other flowers that love the sun shut for rain. Tulips are careful not to open their cups very wide in the morning if it is likely to rain. The roses make no change. They seem not to fear wet.
On the whole, you may be pretty sure, if you go into your garden, and find many flowers-as tulips, marigolds and morning glories-shut, it will be a stormy day, unfit for picnics or long walks.
【1】The plants which are “weather prophets” .
A. become smaller in a strong lightB. tell about the weather
C. open for rain and fear lightD. love shade and wet
【2】You can go out for a picnic when .
A. the morning glories and lilies do not shut
B. the African marigolds shut after 7:00 a. m.
C. die pimpernels open wide in the daytime
D. the roses and tulips shut in the sunshine
【3】What do we know from the passage?
A. The flowers have four ways to help people to get information about weather.
B. The glass in the hall has magic for the writer’s family to know about weather.
C. We can know about weather by keeping many roses at home or in the garden.
D. Missey will probably know about weather by watching flowers from now on.
【4】The passage is mainly about .
A. watching flowers carefully before going out
B. learning to watch flowers from the old Scotsman
C. the importance of growing flowers in the garden
D. the relationship between some flowers and weather
