【推荐1】Music has a great effect on everyone. But does music affect plants, too? People have been experimenting with music for almost three decades. From school-level projects to higher-level scientific experiments, the effect of music on plants has been a confusing and debatable topic.

We know music is sound and sound is nothing more than a wave. Plant growth is a result of the cell division that takes place within the cells. But why is music associated with plant growth? In humans, music has a strong effect on our health and mood, and over the years, people have claimed that the same effect has been observed on plants, too. Plants are sensitive by nature, and many people claim that they have feelings just as humans do. There are stories about plants shedding tears. Although scientists do not support these as facts, these myths have led them to take up various experiments on plants.

Various studies have proved that plants respond to acoustic (音响的) energy. It increases their rate of growth and their size, and influences their overall health. Dan Carlson, after a thorough study over a span of many years, has reached a conclusion that music helps plants absorb nutrients(养分) more efficiently.

It took Dan about fifteen years to develop a foliage spray (叶面喷剂) that is used beneficially with the sound frequencies. Carlson calls this spray “Sonic Bloom”. His findings have proved to be beneficial for countless farmers and have resulted in－according to Guinness Book of World Records－the largest indoor plant on record.

The Purple Passion was treated with the Sonic Bloom process. It grew to be 1,300 feet tall and was alive even after 25 years. Its normal lifespan(寿命), however, is 18 months and it grows not more than 18 feet tall. The book, Secret of the Soil, writes about Sonic Bloom and its results. Sonic Bloom is also sold in the market.

1. What inspired scientists to experiment with plants?

A．The effects of music on humans.

B．Plants are sensitive by nature.

C．The cell division taking place within the cells.

D．People’s debatable opinion of the effect music has on plants.

2. What is the main idea of Para. 3?

A．Nutrients are important to plants.

B．Music can have some good effects on plants.

C．How the rate of growth of plants can be improved.

D．What kinds of music can contribute to the growth of plants.

3. What did Dan Carlson develop?

A．A spray called “Sonic Bloom”.

B．A method to grow larger plants.

C．A special plant that grows very fast.

D．Acoustic energy that plants respond to

4. Why is the Purple Passion included in Guinness Book of World Records?

A．It is the oldest indoor plant.

B．It is the largest indoor plant.

C．It gives off the most pleasant smell.

D．It can grow in the toughest conditions.

【推荐2】Lying alongside mountains of smelly garbage under the South American sun, Cateura is a long way from the conservatories of Prague or Vienna. Yet the township, which grew out of Paraguay's largest dump(垃圾场), is gaining a reputation as a hothouse for musical talent and for its youth orchestra(管弦乐队) that plays instruments made from garbage. "The world sends us garbage. We send back music," says Favio Chavez, leader of the "Recycled Orchestra," during a recent visit by the group to Los Angeles. Orchestra members, poor children from Cateura, play violins fashioned from oven trays and guitars made from dessert dishes. The orchestra provides the youngsters an outlet and an escape, a chance to go beyond the mess of their slum(贫民窟) through the music of Mozart, and even Sinatra. "In the beginning, it was difficult to play," says the l0-year-old violinist Celeste Fleitas." But Favio helped me learn over time. From Favio, I have learned to be more responsible and value the things I have."

The destination for more than 1,500 tons of waste each day, the community has no safe drinking water and little access to electricity or sanitation(卫生设施). Illiteracy is severe, and the children of the township often fall into drugs, violence and crimes.

Favio Chavez, a musical talent, came to Cateura as an environmental technician in 2006 and started a youth music school. He knew shop-bought instruments were beyond the means of villagers whose sheds are worth less than a violin, so he approached a carpenter to make some out of waste from the dump.

The orchestra caught the eye of Paraguayan filmmaker Alejandra Amarilla. She uploaded a short piece of the orchestra to YouTube in 2012, hoping to secure crowdfunding for what would become Landfill Harmonic, a documentary released across the United States this month and promoting the youngsters on a tour of the world's music halls later on.

1. What is the best title of the text?

A．Youngsters carry tunes from garbage to victory

B．A music talent hit the road to the world stage

C．A town for music fans

D．An orchestra on a global tour

2. What do we know about Cateura?

A．It has raised people's awareness of recycling trash

B．It has caught more attention through the orchestra

C．It recycles more than l,500 tons of rubbish per day

D．It provides its children with better schooling conditions

3. Why did Alejandra Amarilla upload a piece of the orchestra to YouTube?

A．To assist the youngsters with a world tour

B．To collect funding for a documentary

C．To organize carpenters to make instruments

D．To catch the eye of the Paraguay government

4. What can we learn from Favio Chavez?

A．To work in a team weighs more

B．To recycle things is to conserve things

C．To be creative is a quality of a leader

D．To own nothing is no excuse to do nothing

【推荐1】Yvon Chouinard, who started the company Patagonia, gave all the stocks of the company to a trust and a non-profit group in September 2022.

Mr Chouinard is a rock climber who began climbing in the 1960s. Back then, he created a company that made climbing equipment. The business closed, but Mr Chouinard was left with a lifelong love of the outdoors and a respect for the environment.

Mr Chouinard began Patagonia in the 1970s. Patagonia sells clothes aimed at outdoor activities. Over time, the company changed the way it did business to do a better job of protecting the environment. Since 1986, Patagonia has given 1% of the money it makes from sales to groups that work to protect the environment.

Mr Chouinard, who is now 83 years old, was worried about what might happened after he died. He made the decision after considering other options, including selling the company and donating the profits. “But we couldn’t be sure a new owner would maintain our values or keep our team of people around the world employed,” he said. So he came up with a new and unusual plan: he gave his company away. And he did it in a way that helped protect both the company and the environment.

Mr Chouinard gave away all the voting stock of the company(2% of the total stock)to a small group called the Patagonia Purpose Trust. It will make all the decisions about the way the company is managed. The other 98% of the company has been given to a non-profit group called the Holdfast Collective and it will use every dollar received from Patagonia to protect nature and biodiversity.

1. What do we know about Patagonia?

A．It has a history of more than 60 years.

B．It is a company making climbing equipment.

C．It pays special attention to environmental protection.

D．It is a non-profit organization fighting against climate change.

2. What was Mr Chouinard’s concern about selling the company?

A．Patagonia would become non-profit.

B．Patagonia would be run in a different way.

C．Patagonia would be managed in the wrong hand.

D．Patagonia would encounter a great economic challenge.

3. What are Mr Chouinard’s personalities?

A．Tolerant and generous	B．Caring and far-sighted
C．Hardworking and warm-hearted	D．Optimistic and perseverant

4. Which proverb can best describe Mr Chouinard’s plan?

A．Kill two birds with a stone.	B．Two heads are better than one.
C．Actions speak louder than words.	D．Where there is a will, there is a way.

【推荐3】Australia’s government has promised to pay “whatever it takes” to help communities recover from ongoing wildfires. Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced Monday an additional billion in government aid for recovery efforts. Officials had already promised tens of millions of dollars to help rebuild from the fires.

About 200 wildfires have burned more than 6 million hectares of land in the southern Australian states of New South Wales and Victoria. At least 24 people have been killed. More than 2,000 homes have been destroyed by the fires.

The government assistance is to be used to help rebuild towns and repair basic facilities damaged by the fires. Morrison said the military was now attempting to get food, fuel and water to burned-out communities. Engineers were working to reopen roads and resupply relief centres.

Dry conditions and strong winds fed more than 135 fires burning across New South Wales. The fires hit earlier than usual this year after a severe lack of rain led to Australia’s hottest and driest year on record. Scientists partly blame global warming caused by human activity for creating a high fire danger.

On Monday, rain and cooler temperatures provided a short break to some communities battling the wildfires. But the rain also made it more difficult for fire crews attempting to carry out controlled burning operations. The latest weather was welcomed in Victoria state. However, at least 20 centimeters of rain would be needed to put out the fires. That is about 20 times the amount of rain that fell during the past day.

Drier conditions and higher temperatures were expected to return to the area later this week.

“We’ve got big fire danger coming our way toward the end of this week，”Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews said. “We are by no means out of this. And the next few days, and indeed the next few months, are going to be challenging.”

1. What’s the main idea for the passage？

A．Australia s government has been making great efforts in putting out the fire.

B．Dry and hot weather made it more difficult to put out the fire.

C．The wildfire has caused great damage to wild animals and people.

D．We need to pay more attention to the environment to avoid more fires.

2. Which of the following is NOT the factor that leads to wildfires？

A．Winds.	B．Lack of proper preventive measures.
C．Lack of rain.	D．Human activities.

3. What can be inferred from the passage？

A．The military was now trying to reopen roads and build shelters for those affected.

B．The rainfall amount was far from adequate to control fires.

C．The weather promises to cool down in the following days.

D．A total of $1.4 billion in government aid has been used for recovery efforts.

4. What is the attitude of Daniel Andrews towards the fire control？

A．Promising.

B．Positive.

C．Doubtful.

D．Concerned

【推荐2】
When Allison Winn was eight and her family adopted a dog named Coco, they had no idea how much the little creature would change her life. “Coco helped me feel better,” says Allison, who was recovering from l4 months of treatment for a brain cancer at the time. “She would cuddle（偎依) with me when I didn't want to play.” Allison loved Coco so much that she told her parents she wanted to help other sick kids find the same kind of comfort.
She started small, raising money by selling lemonade and home-made dog biscuits in front of her house. Her first customer was the mailman. By the end of that summer, she had raised nearly $l,000, enough to adopt and train two dogs and give them to children with cancer. Now, a little more than two years later, some groups gather to make dog treats for Allison's cause.
Her organization, the Stink Bug Project, named after a picture she drew in memory of the end of her treatment, is run and managed in partnership with the Morgan Adams Foundation. Stink Bug helps families adopt pets from the Trained K9 Companion Program, where the rescued dogs are taught commands. Allison's mother, Dianna Litvak, who helps run Stink Bug, hopes to extend the pet-adoption program statewide and continue donating some of the money to help fund children's cancer research.
“Allison has figured out how to help - in a way that no one else has,” Litvak says. “We involve her younger sister, Emily, her friends, the adopting families, and some others. It took the love of a little girl to wrap all that together into one amazing package.”
Go to stinkbugproject. org to donate or to buy Allison's dog biscuits.
1. At the beginning, Allison's family           .

A．wanted other sick children to get the same comfort

B．didn't know the sufferings of fighting a cancer

C．thought a dog's company would harm her health

D．didn't expect a dog could change her so much

2. How did Allison start her cause?

A．She helped advertise lemonade and home-made dog biscuits.

B．She earned some money by doing small business.

C．A mailman donated some money to her.

D．Some groups gave her a hand.

3. According to Paragraph 4, Allison's mother feels           .

A．calm

B．worried

C．embarrassed

D．proud

4. What's the passage mainly about?

A．Helping to make dog treats.

B．Adopting a dog for your child.

C．Giving dogs and love to kids with cancer.

D．Raising money to train pets.

【推荐3】One evening last summer, when I asked my 14 year old son, Ray, for help with dinner, his response shocked me. “What’s a colander (漏勺)? ” he asked.

I could only blame myself. In the family, nobody else’s hands went in the sauce except my own. But that night, as I explained with a touch of panic that a colander is the thing with holes in it, I wondered what else I hadn’t prepared Ray for.

As parents, while we focus on our sons’ confidence and character, we perhaps don’t always consider that we are also raising someone’s future roommates, boyfriends, husbands, or fathers. I wanted to know that I’d raised a boy who would never ask the woman in his life, “What’s for dinner?” So I came up with a plan: I would offer Ray a private home economics course. I was delighted to find that he didn’t say no. For two hours, three days a week, Ray was all mine. One day, as his tomato sauce reduced on the stove, he washed and seasoned a chicken for roasting. Then he rolled out the piecrust (馅饼皮) and filled it with apples, all while listening to my explanation on the importance of preheating an oven.

I knew that he would rather have been shooting hoops in the driveway than learning to mend socks with his mother — he tried to beg not to have sewing lessons, even though I insisted that one day, someone would find the sight of him fixing his own shirt very attractive — but it couldn’t be denied that he was learning, and more than just housekeeping. “I appreciate what you do as a mom,” he told me one day. Ray now understands the finer points of cooking, and more importantly, he realizes there’s nothing masculine (男子气概的) about being helpless.

Now, not only can he make his own dinner, but he can make a big meal for his family. That’s what I call a man. I’m glad I prepared so great a present for my future daughter in-law.

1. Why was the author shocked at her son’s response?

A．Because he was not well behaved.

B．Because he refused to help with dinner.

C．Because he didn’t know the common kitchen tools.

D．Because he was very curious about kitchen tools.

2. In the author’s opinion, some parents pay little attention to _________.

A．building up children’s confidence	B．telling kids what is right and wrong
C．preparing children for their future life	D．making children live a hard life

3. We can infer from the text that Ray _________.

A．made great progress in cooking	B．always thought housework interesting
C．preferred sewing to cooking	D．was unwilling to learn cooking at first

4. What would the author like to convey in the text?

A．Useful education for boys.	B．The importance of housework.
C．Cooking and sewing make boys masculine.	D．Boys should be involved in housework.