1 . It has always been assumed that noise is a problem unique to animals. But a new study by Dr. Ravandi, a botanist at Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, has revealed that plants suffer too.
That plants can be affected indirectly by noise pollution has never been in doubt. What has remained unknown is whether or not plants themselves suffer directly from noise pollution.
Sounds are pressure waves transmitted (传播) through gases, liquids and solids. Scientists have previously assumed plants may be able to sense these waves as they are struck by them. A number of experiments have confirmed this in recent years — plants exposed to ultrasound in the lab have shown a range of negative responses including the expression of stress-related genes, slow growth and reduced seed development.
Yet exposing plants to ultrasound is not the same as growing them in the presence of actual traffic noise. To this end, Dr. Ravandi decided to set up an experiment to explore it.
Working with a team, Dr. Ravandi grew two species in his lab that are commonly found in urban environments — marigolds and sage. The plants, grown from seed and allowed to mature for two months in the same space, were divided into two groups. One group was exposed to 73 decibels (分贝) of traffic noise recorded from a busy motorway in Tehran for 16 hours a day. The other group was left to grow in silence. After 15 days had passed, samples were taken from the youngest fully expanded leaves on every plant in the experiment and studied.
None of the plants exposed to the traffic noise did well. Analysis of their leaves revealed all of them were suffering. Chemical compounds (化合物), such as hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and malondialdehyde (MDA) , are indicators of stress in plants and both were found at much higher levels in the plants exposed to the traffic noise. Most notably, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in the sage plants exposed to noise were double what they were in those grown in silence and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) levels were three times higher in marigolds grown with the noise than those grown in silence.
Dr. Ravandi’s findings make it clear that, though plants lack ears, the vibrations (震动) generated by the noise of traffic still bother them enough to give rise to dramatic stress responses that are not much different to those that would be found in plants exposed to drought, highly concentrated salt or heavy metals in their soil.
The question now arises whether all species are affected similarly by noise pollution. Nature is not silent. It remains a mystery if certain plant species have developed mechanisms to address noise pollution, which could potentially be transferred to urban plants in the future.
1. What did the new study focus on?| A．Plants’ exposure to ultrasound. |
| B．Plants’ sensitivity to pressure waves. |
| C．The direct impact of noise pollution on plants. |
| D．The seed development of plants grown with noise. |
| A．The facilities of the experiment. | B．The analyses of the experiment. |
| C．The process of the experiment. | D．The background of the experiment. |
| A．Noise pollution had a little impact on plant leaves. |
| B．Noise-exposed plants showed certain levels of stress. |
| C．MDA levels in sage plants grown in silence were higher. |
| D．Traffic noise caused rapid pressure responses in all plants. |
| A．Building barriers to protect plants from traffic pollution. |
| B．Studying the relationship between soil quality and plant health. |
| C．Exploring strategies to preserve plant ecosystems in rural areas. |
| D．Developing noise-resistant plant species for an urban environment. |
One day when I was 12, my mother gave me an order: I was to walk to the public library, and borrow at least one book for the summer. This was one more weapon for her to defeat my strange problem — inability to read.
I n the library. I found my way into the “Children’s Room.” I sat down on the floor and pulled a few books off the shelf at random. The cover of a book caught my eye. It presented a picture of a beagle (小猎犬). I had recently had a beagle, the first and only animal companion I ever had as a child. He was my secret sharer, but one morning. he was gone, given away to someone who had the space and the money to care for him. I never forgot my beagle.
There on the book’s cover was a beagle which looked the same as my dog. I ran my fingers over the picture of the dog on the cover. My eyes ran across the title. Amos, the Beagle with a Plan. Unknowingly, I had read the title. Without opening the book, I borrowed it from the library for the summer.
Under the shade of a bush, I started to read about Amos. I read very, very slowly with difficulty. Though pages were turned slowly, I got the main idea of the story about a dog who, like mine, had been separated from his family and who finally found his way back home. That dog was my dog, and I was the little boy in the book. At the end of the story, my mind continued the final scene of reunion, on and on, until my own lost dog and I were, in my mind, running together.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
My mother’s call returned me to the real world.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Believe it or not, what I experienced in that day changed me completely.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3 . After my mother suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, the plants in our house began to die. In years past, I remember the deep, earthy smell that would
But now, leaves were
I began her old rounds, pouring water into the thirsty soil, and soon the plants
Though Alzheimer’s disease
I look at plants
| A．pile on | B．come over | C．rise up | D．wander off |
| A．shared | B．connected | C．filled | D．described |
| A．waving | B．appearing | C．turning | D．dropping |
| A．demands | B．possibilities | C．goals | D．processes |
| A．desire | B．memory | C．protection | D．notice |
| A．dried | B．absorbed | C．recovered | D．shone |
| A．thirsty | B．helpless | C．lonely | D．anxious |
| A．contributions | B．attempts | C．choices | D．explorations |
| A．collection | B．love | C．sharing | D．amusement |
| A．recalls | B．hides | C．steals | D．escapes |
| A．deep | B．passing | C．slight | D．longing |
| A．live with | B．find out | C．care for | D．focus on |
| A．definitely | B．curiously | C．strangely | D．differently |
| A．quiet | B．final | C．permanent | D．quick |
| A．seeking | B．growing | C．expecting | D．saving |
Tripod’s story started one spring morning as I was finishing a morning surgery at the veterinary clinic (兽医诊所) I owned. I was writing up medical records of the surgery patients when my receptionist (接待员) stuck her head into my office. She told me there was a big cat lying outside with a seriously injured front leg. What’s worse, nobody knew whom it belonged to.
Then I sent two of my pre-vet students to pick up the poor cat while I went back to my record-keeping. But it wasn’t long before I heard the students returning with this newest patient who seemed to be in pretty bad condition.
I carefully checked up the injuries which seemed to be caused by the pressing of a heavy object. With the extremely horrible smell, I knew from years of experience this cat didn’t have an owner. “Well, then,” I sighed, “I’m not sure whether we are able to bring this cat back to life, but let’s give him our best shot anyway. Afterwards, let’s see if we can find a home for him. ”
Just then, when one of the students began touching the cat’s head gently, somewhere deep in the cat’s throat, a weak purr (呼噜声) began. As the student continued to pet the cat, I noticed the cat’s breathing became less laboured (缓慢而困难的).
When I performed the complicated operation, I whispered, “You’re a fighter, aren’t you, boy? You deserve a chance to live.” However, after the surgery, he lost one leg, and still struggled with life and death. Over the next few weeks, Tripod, the cat, went through many ups and downs, but I was sure about his resilience (快速恢复的能力). News about Tripod spread. A number of customers stopped by regularly to check on the progress of his recovery, including Mrs Melson, a pet lover.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
The day finally came when I decided Tripod had really recovered.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Though unwilling to part with Tripod, we were happy to see Mrs Melson come for him.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1. How long did Roger Federer’s professional career last?
| A．14 years. | B．17 years. | C．24 years. |
| A．He got a sudden knee injury. |
| B．He had a hard-fought victory. |
| C．He faced a series of losses. |
| A．Determined. | B．Kind-hearted | C．Humorous. |
1. What does the speaker say about running?
| A．It is a sport with low cost. |
| B．It is the most popular in Australia. |
| C．It attracts fewer people than before. |
| A．Reducing stress. | B．Lowering blood sugar. | C．Keeping healthy weight. |
| A．By running long distance. |
| B．By running every two days. |
| C．By running very fast. |
| A．15 km/h. | B．10 km/h. | C．5 km/h. |
In the heart of a small village located near a thick bamboo forest in China, there lived a young girl named Lin. Lin lived with her grandmother in a small house that her grandfather had built with loving care before he passed away. Unluckily, Lin’s grandfather died before she was born. Lin never met her grandfather, but the stories her grandmother shared painted a picture of a man who was deeply loved and respected by the community.
Every day, Lin felt a great curiosity about the grandfather she had never seen but always felt close to. Her home, filled with his books and the very walls he built, stood as a living example of his hobbies and craftsmanship (手艺). The villagers often shared tales of her grandfather’s good deeds (行为), and they showed deep respect and support for Lin and her grandmother. This deep connection to a man she had never known filled Lin with a mix of sadness for never having me t him and pride for being his granddaughter. Driven by a desire to feel closer to her grandfather, Lin often explored the house and its surroundings, hoping to find something he had left behind — something that might deepen her understanding of the man who she had never met.
One autumn morning, while Lin was helping her grandmother clean the attic (阁楼), she found a beautifully carved wooden box hidden under a dust y floorboard. The box was locked, but to her surprise, she discovered a small note hidden in a crack of the box. It was written in lovely handwriting and said, “To my dear granddaughter, inside this box, you will find treasures of my heart, saved just for you.”
Lin’s fingers shook with expectation as she showed the note to her grandmother, who then handed her a small, old key. “Your grandfather wanted you to find this when you were old enough to understand the depth of his love,” her grandmother said, her eyes shining with tears.
注意：1.续写词数应为150个左右;
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
With a deep breath, Lin unlocked the box.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________From that day on, the diary became Lin’s most cherished (珍爱的) item.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1. What happened to Maya at age eight?
| A．She became speechless. | B．She went blind. | C．She lost her hearing. |
| A．To enter a competition. |
| B．To become a famous poet. |
| C．To influence others positively. |
| A．Still I Rise. | B．Phenomenal Woman. | C．Life Doesn’t Frighten Me. |
9 . When I was a little girl, I knew that I had a gift for music. Playing was my love. While most kids were outside in the burning summer sun, playing childish games, I was happy to sit in the cool indoors for hours practicing my beloved piano. When I played, I felt like I was in a whole new world where I was free and easy. All I had to worry about was my music. Playing was never boring for me.
I had spent months practicing and the big day finally came. It was the day of the Alberta Music Competition. The music hall was packed with excited audience. I sat in the first row with my mother seated beside me. As the fellow competitors were playing, I couldn’t keep my mind on their music. I was just memorizing the notes and practising the fingerings. I had known my music was like the back of my hand. But this time, to my great surprise, I found my fingers completely out of my control. They kept shaking. I nearly burst into tears. Seeing this, mom held my hands tightly in hers. She even breathed into them as if she wanted to warm them up. Then she whispered to my ear, “Sweetie, take it easy. Just listen and enjoy the music.”
I looked up and turned my attention to the competitor in the center of the stage for the first time. A thin and tall boy was sitting at the beautiful red piano. He looked calm and confident. His fingertips danced on the keyboard. The soft and gentle sound of the piano flew in the air. For a moment, I totally forgot my nervousness.
注意：1. 续写词数应为100左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
温馨提示：
1. 续写内容少叙事，多描写，可适当加入人物语言，动作，心理和环境描写。
2. 内容讲求真善美，适当提升文章立意。
Then I was announced to play next and I felt anxious again.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dora is a seven-year-old girl. One day, when she visited her friend Alice, she saw a beautiful bird in a cage on the balcony of the house. Alice told her it was her new pet. “How beautiful it is!” Dora said. “I also want to have such a bird as my pet.”
That day when Dora returned home, she told her mother about Alice’s bird. Then she asked, “Mom, can I also get a bird?” “Of course, you can,” her mother replied. “But you need to wait because I have no time to go to a pet store these days.” Dora agreed. One day, when Dora was back home from school, she saw a cage in the living room. In the cage was a beautiful blue bird. Her mother was standing next to the cage, smiling. “Oh, a bird!” Dora shouted happily. She ran to it and looked at it happily. “It’s a birthday gift for you,” her mother said. “Thank you, Mom. I love it so much!” Dora shouted excitedly.
The following day, Dora invited her friends to come over to see her bird. All of her friends said it was a really beautiful bird and Dora was very glad to hear that. She and her friends played with the bird for a long time that day. Her friends all wished they could have such a bird as their pet.
Sadly, a few weeks later, Dora became sick. The doctor told her parents that she got the flu and had to stay at home. In order not to make her friends sick, her parents asked her friends not to come to play with her. Dora felt very sad. How she wished her friends would come and visit her! But she knew her parents were right. She’d better stay alone. Since Dora had no one to play with, she could only play with her bird. However, she felt that her bird didn’t seem to be happy either.
注意：1. 续写词数应为 150 左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡上的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1:
Dora watched her bird in silence and found it looking out of the window.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
When her mother came inside, Dora told her mother about her decision.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
