1 . Many people want to grow their own food in their own backyard, but they don’t know how to start. This article will teach you how to start!

Find out what plants to get. Get plants that can grow in your area, and make sure you plant them at the right time of the year.     1     Usually you should start your garden after the last frost date in the spring t While they’re technically fruits, a good starter plant to grow is tomatoes. You can plant these in a pot or in your garden.

    2     Make sure there is enough space to grow your plants. Use a tiller (犁) and till the whole space you will be gardening. Then pull out any weeds and move any large rocks. Find out how big your plants get and space them accordingly. If your plant needs slightly acidic (酸性的) soil, get an acid metre and make sure the soil has enough acidity.     3     To grow them well, you can buy fertilizer that can add acidity to the soil.

Buy your plants and fertilizers. You can either get seeds or get plant seedlings. Go to your local nursery and see what they have. Get fertilizer as well.     4     This will make your plants grow, better and faster!

Plant your plants in the garden. Use a hand shovel and dig a small hole big enough to put your plant in. Water your plant before you put it in so you can wet the root ball. Sprinkle (撒) in a little bit of fertilizer and put your plant in.     5    

For seeds, stick your finger into the dirt where you want to plant the seed until the dirt reaches the second joint on your finger.

A．Learn how to start a garden.

B．Plan out your garden wisely.

C．Make sure to get the right fertilizer for your plants.

D．Some plants that need acidity are tomatoes and blueberries.

E．You should grow and water them in spring if you want to have a good start.

F．Then surround the plant with dirt and make a small circle around it for water.

G．If you plant them too early or too late, they could freeze and die before you can harvest vegetables.

2 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

In an age of rapidly growing urbanization, rooftop farming has emerged as a sustainable response     1     the challenge of creating green space in cities. This innovative practice transforms rooftops into mini farms, where vegetables, fruits, and even flowers     2     (plant), providing local residents with fresh produce and adding a touch of nature to urban environments.

Rooftop farming, also     3     (refer) to as vertical agriculture, is more than just a trend; it’s a step towards environmental conservation. Green roofs with vegetation help to absorb sunlight and release moisture, cooling the air and reducing the demand for air conditioning,     4     in turn lessens energy     5     (consume) and carbon emission. Meanwhile, rooftop farms serve as educational platforms,     6     (teach) city dwellers about sustainable agriculture practices and the importance of locally     7     (source) food.

As urban populations continue to grow, rooftop farming fosters community engagement     8     promotes healthier lifestyles by providing access to fresh and organic produce. When we look towards     9     future where environmental consciousness and sustainable practices become increasingly vital, rooftop farming stands as a testament to our ability to cultivate more than just food—we cultivate hope for a     10     (green) and more resilient world.

3 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

“A decade-long moratorium (中止) on fishing was imposed on the country's longest river in 2021     1     the aim of restoring its ecological health. After three years, the fish population in the river has recovered obviously, but the moratorium still faces constant threats from illegal fishing,”Tang Renjian, minister of agriculture and rural affairs, said at a news conference.

In     2     (respond) to that, Tang said, “Authorities will step up nighttime surveillance (监视) as well as patrols near river sections close to provincial borders. Relying on automatic and     3     (intelligence) monitoring methods, we are strengthening round-the-clock monitoring and supervision of critical water areas.”

Ma Youxiang, a vice-minister of agriculture and rural affairs, told the news conference,     4     it has increased by a quarter since 2021,     5     total fish population in the Yangtze is only     6     (slight) more than a third of the preindustrial (工业化前的) level. To restore fish populations is a long task. Tang described the ban as a long-term, complex and hard historical task closely     7     (link) to the Chinese nation's sustainable development.

“    8     you may see, the current state of the Yangtze can     9     (regard) as being in the early stages of recovery from a serious illness after decades of overfishing and pollution,” Tang said.

Ministry of Public Security data show it has solved more than 20,000 cases     10     (involve) violations of the ban since 2021. Over that period, illegal fishing in the main waterways of the Yangtze has decreased by almost a third, and less than 10 percent involves more destructive organized crimes.

4 . In the eyes of many environmentalists, the world appears to be getting worse. They believe, the natural resources are running out and the air and water are becoming ever more polluted. But if we check the facts, things look different. Energy has become more abundant, not less so. Fewer people are starving. What seems to cause this gap between perception and reality?

One factor is the prejudice in scientific research. Scientific funding goes mainly to areas with many problems. That may be wise policy, but it will also create an impression that there are more potential problems than actually exist.

Secondly, environmental groups seek attention from the mass media. They also need to get continuous financial support. Understandably, perhaps, they sometimes exaggerate (夸大) their arguments. In 1997, for example, the World Wide Fund for Nature issued a statement titled: “Two thirds of the world’s forests lost forever”. The truth turns out to be near 20%.

The media can add to confusion too. People tend to be more curious about bad news than good. Newspapers and broadcasters are there to provide what the public wants. That, however, can lead to significant misinterpretations. For example, when a natural disaster happens, the media usually highlights the negative parts, giving more attention to the disaster’s details and what happens afterward. This flood of bad news can make people think that such events are more frequent or serious than they actually are. Consequently, people may develop a sense of insecurity, despite statistically low probabilities of similar events happening to them.

Another factor is people’s poor perception. People worry that vaccines can cause severe side effects or long-term health problems. Despite extensive scientific evidence demonstrating their safety and effectiveness, some individuals remain hesitant due to unfounded fears.

It is crucial that we look at the facts if we want to make the best possible decisions for the future. It may be costly to be overly optimistic – but more costly still to be too pessimistic.

1. What aspect of scientific research does the writer worry about in paragraph 2?

A．The need to produce results.	B．The selection of research areas.
C．The lack of financial support.	D．The desire to solve research problem.

2. Why does the writer quote the example from the World Wide Fund for Nature?

A．To show how influential the mass media can be.

B．To show how effective environmental groups can be.

C．To show how the mass media can help groups raise funds.

D．To show how environmental groups overstate their claims.

3. The writer suggests that newspapers publish articles that are intended to ________.

A．educate readers	B．mislead readers
C．meet readers’ expectations	D．encourage readers’ feedback

4. What does the author try to convey in the last paragraph?

A．Making decisions based on reality.	B．Balancing optimism and pessimism.
C．Being optimistic to avoid costly mistakes.	D．Addressing the environmental crisis gradually.

5 . The birth of a male white-tailed eagle signals the success of the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation (RDWF) and Forestry England project to return these iconic birds to their original widespread locations along the southern coast of England. The last time a white-tailed eagle chick grew in England, Mozart was working on his opera Idomeneo in Germany

For two centuries these amazing birds were missing from most of the UK, having been wiped out by human persecution by the early 20th century.

In 2020, the parents of the landmark bird were translocated from the Outer Hebrides and north-west Sutherland in Scotland to the Isle of Wight. This is an area with plentiful food to sustain them. It is also a location from which the birds could spread out to cliffs, lakes and forests.

Female G405 and male G471 were two of 25 eagles (16 are still alive) released by the RDWF and Forestry England as part of the ongoing project. And they are one of three pairs to have now established breeding territories in the south of England.

The chick hatched earlier this summer at a nest on private land, the exact location of which is being kept a secret to ensure the welfare of the young bird.

“This is a very special moment for everyone who has worked on, supported and followed this ground-breaking project,” Roy Dennis says, founder of the RDWF. “Restoring a breeding population in southern England, where the species was once widespread, has been our ultimate goal. Seeing the first pair reach this stage is truly incredible.”

The young white-tailed eagle has now been ringed and fitted with a satellite tag (标签) so that its progress can be tracked. A further release of young white-tailed eagles is planned for late summer from the project team’s base on the Isle of Wight.

1. What is the author’s purpose in mentioning Mozart in paragraph 1?

A．To admire the musician’s great works.

B．To celebrate the birth of the white-tailed eagle.

C．To compare the situations of England and Germany.

D．To emphasize white-tailed eagles’ centuries-long absence.

2. Which word can replace the underlined word “persecution” in paragraph 2?

A．Hunt.

B．Exploration.

C．Disturbance.

D．Training.

3. Why is the accurate position of the chick kept secret?

A．For privacy.

B．For safety.

C．For territory.

D．For support.

4. Which may be a suitable title for the text?

A．A Splendid Bird	B．A Successful Wildlife Project
C．Milestone for White-tailed Eagles	D．Restoring a Breeding Population

6 . 近年来，国内因各种原因导致的火灾频发，造成不少人员伤亡。为了增加学生的安全自救常识，提高防火安全意识，请你根据以下提示，以“How to Survive a Fire”为题为学校英语时报投一篇英文稿件。内容包括：
1. 目前火灾事故现状；
2.火灾逃生的自救建议措施；
3. 呼吁号召。
注意：1.写作词数应为120词左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节以使内容信息丰富；
参考词汇: 爬行 crawl; 电梯 elevator/lift; 消防演习 the fire drill
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7 . Weighing a dinosaur is no easy task. These extinct creatures were massive, and for the most part, all that remains are their bones, as their organs and skin have long since disappeared. However, new research has found more than one way to measure the mass of these creatures.

In a paper published recently in Biological Reviews, scientists evaluated the two existing ways that calculate how much a Tyrannosaurus rex (霸王龙) might have weighed. Led by Nicolas Campione from the University of New England, they examined an extensive database of dinosaur body mass estimates from as far back as 1905, with weight estimates for an individual ranging from 3 tons to 18 tons.

In an essay published by The Conversation, Campione explains that for years, scientists followed two rival (对立的) approaches for calculating a dinosaur’s weight. These methods were long thought to be at odds with each other, but Campione’s team found that both techniques are actually quite accurate.

Using limb circumference (肢体周长) to work out an animal’s mass is already widely used across a variety of modern land animals. The same method can be applied to dinosaurs: Researchers essentially measure the bones in living animals, such as the femur (股骨) in an elephant’s leg, and compare that figure to a dinosaur’s femur.

The second method involves calculating the volume of 3D reconstructions of dinosaurs, which serve as approximations (近似值) of what the creature would have looked like when it was still alive. Occasionally, these methods have come to very different conclusions.

David Evans, a researcher at the Royal Ontario Museum, in Toronto, says it’s important to use both methods because dinosaurs, like humans, did not come in one neat package. “There will always be uncertainty around our understanding of long-extinct animals, and their weight is always going to be a source of it,” he says in a statement. “Our new study suggests we are getting better at weighing dinosaurs, and it’s paving the way for more realistic dinosaur body-mass estimation in the future.”

1. Why is it difficult to weigh dinosaurs?

A．Their organs were massive.	B．They have long disappeared.
C．There is no way to find their bones.	D．Their skin is hard to measure.

2. What can we infer from Paragraph 3?

A．Measuring a living animal is not challenging.

B．Either existing technique is quite precise to weigh a dinosaur.

C．Scientists have found a new way to calculate a dinosaur’s weight.

D．There is a heated debate about the two different approaches.

3. How can one accurately measure the dinosaurs according to David Evans?

A．By measuring limb circumference.

B．By combining different methods, together.

C．By working our-3D reconstructions of dinosaurs.

D．By comparing the figure of a living animal to a dinosaur femur.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．How to Weigh a Dinosaur Properly	B．Ways to Distinguish the Dinosaurs
C．Equipment Used in Estimating a Dinosaur	D．How to Get Data About Dinosaurs

8 . Artificial Intelligence (AI) has greatly sped up how long it takes to sort, label and analyze(分析) animal sounds—as well as to figure out which aspects of those sounds might carry meaning. One day we’ll be able to use AI to build a chat box that translates complex(复杂的) animal sounds into human language. Project CETI is just one organization working toward this goal.

“AI could eventually get us to the point where we understand animals, but that’s hard to deal with and long-term,” says Karen Bakker, a researcher at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. “Some species have been on the planet longer than humans. Some species could go extinct before we figure out their language,” Bakker adds. “Besides, the idea of walking around with an animal translator may seem cool, but many animals might not be interested in chatting.”

“Why would a bat want to speak to you?” she asks. What interests her is what we can learn from how bats and other creatures talk amongst each other.“We should listen to nature and ask the animals’ requirements in order to better protect them,” she argues. For example, a system set up to record whales or elephants can also track their locations. This can help our boats avoid whales or protect elephants from poachers (偷猎者).

Protection is one goal driving Project CETI. “If we understand sperm whales better, we will be better at understanding what’s troubling them,” says Gašper Beguš, a linguist at the University of California, Berkeley. Learning that a species has something very similar to language or culture could also inspire people to work harder to protect it.

When we protect an animal that has some version of language or culture, we’re not simply protecting nature and we’re also saving a way of life. Marine biologist Denise Herzing says that animals are supposed to have a healthy environment so that their cultures can develop well.

1. What can we infer from Paragraph 1?

A．We can tell the complex animal behavior.

B．We will find ways to talk with animals.

C．We can share our language with animals.

D．We need conduct more research on animals.

2. Bakker thinks that understanding animals’ language fully is ______.

A．difficult.

B．costly.

C．harmful.

D．worthless.

3. How can we protect the animals effectively according to Paragraph 3?

A．By learning about their needs.	B．By setting up shelters for them.
C．By mapping out their locations.	D．By living peacefully with them.

4. Which statement does Herzing probably agree with?

A．Animals’ culture should be given up.

B．Saving nature means saving ourselves.

C．Short-term and long-term goals need to be set.

D．Animals should be in a healthy natural world.

9 . A group of clams (河蚌) recently caught people’s attention after an article was posted by China Science Communication online. Although these clams are usually regarded as nothing more than delicious food, they work to monitor the local water quality in Poland.

Gruba Kaska pumping station, which stands in the River Wisla, helps provide millions of liters of water to Warsaw, the capital of Poland. However, one particular concern for the water quality has been heavy metals, and researchers sought help from nature to solve this problem.

Clams are sensitive to pollutants in their environment as they filter (过滤) water to feed on microorganisms. They shut their shells immediately after detecting “dangerous” water.

Based on this, the researchers selected eight clams at a time and recorded the natural opening of their shells. After the clam “employees” become accustomed to the local water, they are placed in a specially designed container. With sensors stuck onto their shells, the clams are connected to a system that records how wide the shells are open. If four or more clams close their shells at the same time, an alarm will be set off and the water supply will be shut down. The result is reliable because the creatures are considering many different factors at the same time, according to ZME Science.

Animals have long been helpers for human activities. Farmers in north Queensland, Australia, have been ordering different species of dung beetles to help clean up cattle waste, according to ABC News. As the number of cattle grows, their waste increases, leading to an enormous population of flies and a worsening environment. Dung beetles, however, take the waste and bury it. This way, they help improve soil quality.

Similarly, cockroaches are used to deal with kitchen waste at several firms in China, according to a report of The Beijing News. About 300 million cockroaches are fed 15 tons of food waste on a daily basis, and they themselves are a good protein resource for livestock.

1. Why did the researchers turn to nature for help?

A．To solve the food shortage.	B．To attract people’s attention.
C．To supervise the water quality.	D．To remove heavy metals sooner.

2. What is the paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．The reason for the study.	B．The result of the research.
C．The purpose of the study.	D．The process of the study.

3. How can dung beetles help farmers?

A．By cleaning up food waste regularly.

B．By dealing with cattle’s waste properly.

C．By digesting and burying the waste of flies.

D．By using kitchen waste to improve soil quality.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．Animals, Good Helpers of Humans	B．Three Kinds of Amazing Animals
C．A Special Way to Test Water Quality	D．Animals, Far More than Tasty Food

10 . Sargassum is a kind of floating seaweed (海草) that has been growing in size every year. It looks pretty in the ocean. However, sargassum can almost completely block out sunlight. Important kinds of seagrass suffer when light is blocked by seaweed. As sargassum piles up on beaches, it makes it hard for mother sea turtles to lay eggs, and nearly impossible for baby turtles to return to the sea.

So much sargassum piles up on beaches, and it breaks down slowly, giving out a bad smell like rotten eggs. “Even when governments clear the seaweed from beaches, they face problems of getting rid of it. Heavy machines can put turtle nests in danger. Some people have thought about using sargassum as a fertilizer (肥料), but it contains harmful heavy metals. So far, removing these harmful metal s costs too much to make it worth doing,” said the scientist Steven Kelley.

Sargassum grows faster in warming oceans, so climate change is definitely part of the problem. But scientists believe the unusual growth of the seawood is also caused by huge quantities of fertilizers washed into the ocean from farmlands.

Scientists and students are working hard to figure out how to deal with sargassum. Some suggest using sargassum as a building material, or possibly a fuel. One unusual solution is to drop it deep in the sea by using robots. Sargassum takes in huge amounts of carbon dioxide (二氧化碳) as it grows. Removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is one important part of fighting the climate crisis. Sargassum could deal with this carbon dioxide in the deep ocean. Scientists are still testing this idea to see if it will work.

For now, scientists say the quickest solution is to stop filling the ocean with fertilizers. It is wise for farmers to change the way they farm. Moreover, the seaweed’s growth can have serious effects on islands that depend heavily on tourism and fishing. Island communities play a role in cleaning up the seaweed and promoting responsible tourism. At the same time, officials have to work towards changing policies to solve the issues.

1. What can we know about sargassum according to the first paragraph?

A．It affects the ecosystem negatively.

B．It adds to the variety of life in the ocean.

C．It causes a shortage of food for sea animals.

D．It creates a good living environment for seagrass.

2. What does Steven Kelley mean in Paragraph 2?

A．Reusing metal s from sargassum is a wise choice.

B．Fertilizers can help sargarrum break down quickly.

C．Dealing with sargassum safely is challenging work.

D．Practical ways have been developed to remove sargassum.

3. How can the unusual solution mentioned in Paragraph 4 do good to the environment?

A．By spreading sargassum widely to increase sunlight.

B．By changing sargassum into a renewable energy source.

C．By employing sargassum as a cleaner for ocean pollution.

D．By making use of sargassum’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．Public attempts to recycle seaside sargassum.

B．The change in sargassum’s living environment.

C．Challenges and approaches concerning sargassum.

D．The influence of sargassum’s growth on climate change.