1 . Plastic is everywhere in our modern world. Its toughness makes it an extremely useful material from household items to vehicle parts, but that same toughness makes it hard to break down for recycling or disposal (处理). However, Japanese scientists at the University of Tokyo have developed a new plastic material that can be broken down more easily and can self-heal and remember past shapes.
Based on a kind of plastic called an epoxy resin vitrimer, which is brittle (脆性的), the new plastic boasts a huge range of advantages. Once scratched with a knife, it can completely patch itself up after being heated to 150 ℃ for just 60 seconds. When shaped into the shape of a crane, then flattened, it can fold itself back into the crane shape by being heated up. It does all of this much faster than others of its type.
The new plastic can also break down easier. Even if it’s discarded (丢弃) into the environment, it still poses less of a, problem than other kinds of plastic, which the team demonstrated by placing it in seawater for 30 days. It biodegraded by 25% and released molecules (分子) that are essential food for marine life.
The new plastic is more resistant to breaking. It can also repair itself, and can recover its original memorized shape. It even biodegrades safely in a marine environment, according to Shota Ando, a researcher of the study.
The material can be used in a variety of applications, “Infrastructure materials for roads and bridges are often composed of epoxy resins mixed with compounds such as concrete and carbon,” said Ando. “By using the new plastic, these would be easier to maintain as they would be stronger and healable using heat. Unlike conventional epoxy resins, this new material is hard but stretchable, so it could also be expected to strongly bond materials of different hardness and stretch.”
1. What is the author’s purpose in writing paragraph 1?A.To introduce the topic of the text. | B.To show the disadvantages of plastic. |
C.To highlight the importance of plastic. | D.To indicate his views on previous plastic. |
A.Change itself. | B.Shape itself. | C.Repair itself. | D.Burn itself. |
A.It is safe for animals in the ocean. | B.It can provide nutrition for animals. |
C.It can change its shape when frozen. | D.It is more brittle than previous plastic. |
A.Research Of New Molecules | B.An Interesting Scientific Study |
C.The Widespread Application Of Plastic | D.A New Environmentally Friendly Plastic |
2 . Landscape architect Kotchakorn Voraakhom has designed a new green roof on the Rangsit Campus of Thammasat University, about 25 miles north of central Bangkok, Thailand. Her imaginative work challenges the common thinking that urbanization has a negative impact on the planet, whether flooding, excess (过度的) energy use, disrupted (扰乱) biodiversity or the heat island effect.
The 236, 806-square-foot structure, which opened in December 2019, includes a flood water management system and Asia’s largest rooftop organic farm. It combines modern landscape architecture with traditional agricultural knowledge, creating a green and friendly environment.
The green roof, containing an H-shaped landscape, looks like a futuristic hill with a brick building beneath it. The hill features a complex pattern of zigzagging terraces (之字形梯田) of planted beds, leading all the way down to the bottom. When rainwater hits the roof, it flows down the zigzags while being absorbed by the soil in the beds, The excess water is directed into four storage ponds — with a capacity of up to 3 million gallons. The process slows down the flow speed of rainwater runoff compared to a normal concrete rooftop. This keeps the area from flooding during heavy rains.
The roof’s terraces are filled with organically grown crops, including a drought tolerant variety of rice, many local vegetables and herbs. The farm can supply the canteens on campus with a large amount of rice, herbs and vegetables a year. The food waste is composted (把……制成堆肥) to fertilize the farm, and water from the storage ponds is used to water plants, creating an entirely localized and circular system.
The farm serves as an outdoor classroom and a source of local jobs, too. Farmers offer workshops on sustainable agriculture and nutrition as part of the university’s sustainability curriculum. “Students and community members are invited to participate in seasonal seeding, harvesting, and so on,” says Voraakhom. “The urban farm is training a new generation of organic farmers with real-world skills. It also promotes a sense of community.”
1. What can we say about Voraakhom’s work?A.It’s short-lived. | B.It’s creative. |
C.It’s demanding. | D.It’s time-consuming. |
A.To store more water. |
B.To plant diverse vegetables. |
C.To slow the speed of water flow. |
D.To make it look more attractive than other buildings. |
A.It uses food as fertilizer. | B.It benefits the environment. |
C.It improves students’ lifestyle. | D.It produces vegetables and fruits. |
A.Students can learn hands-on knowledge on the farm. |
B.Farmers working on the farm can become professors. |
C.The farm prevents government from offering people jobs. |
D.The farm harms the relationship between university and community. |
3 . Scientists have known for years that plants respond to sounds around them. For example, flowers make sweeter nectar (花蜜) to the sound of buzzing bees. But now scientists in Israel have shown that plants also seem to be doing some “talking”.
Professor Lilach Hadany and her team at Tel Aviv University set up microphones to record tomato and tobacco plants under different conditions. Their recordings showed that the plants made ultrasonic (超声波的) sounds.
When the researchers adjusted their recordings so that humans could hear them, they heard sharp clicking noises. Plants clicked hardly at all when they had enough water. But as their soil got drier, they clicked more and more. When scientists cut off a stem (茎) from the plants, the plants also clicked more. But the clicking wasn’t the same as when the plants needed water.
It’s not clear how the plants make the sounds and whether the plants are making the sounds on purpose. But the plants are definitely making noises, and creating much more noises when they’re stressed (not enough water, stem cut off) than when they’re not.
The researchers trained an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system to identify the different kinds of clicking sounds. The system was able to tell the difference between plants that needed water and plants with cuts about 70% of the time. The result suggests that researchers may one day be able to use a plant’s sounds to figure out when it is having trouble, and what trouble it is having. That could be very helpful to farmers.
The new discovery raises many more questions. One important question is: Do plants make sounds to communicate with each other? Other research has shown that plants do seem to communicate in some ways. Plants being attacked by insects send chemicals into the air. Soon, nearby plants (that haven’t been attacked yet) start to make other chemicals that don’t taste good to insects. It’s possible that the ultrasonic sounds could work in a similar way.
1. What do the researchers find in their recordings?A.Plants’ stems click less when they are cut off. |
B.Plants click harder if they have enough water. |
C.Plants make more noises when they are thirsty. |
D.Flowers make sweeter nectar to the sound of bees. |
A.There are still some unknown issues. |
B.Not all of them are able to make sounds. |
C.There are ultrasonic sounds around them. |
D.They make less noises when they’re stressed. |
A.To help farmers drive away insects. |
B.To identify people who are in trouble. |
C.To show the growing process of plants. |
D.To distinguish types of clicking sounds. |
A.Methods for plants to protect themselves. |
B.Other questions raised by the new finding. |
C.When plants communicate with each other. |
D.Under what conditions plants attract insects. |
4 . A powerful earthquake hit Morocco on Friday night, killing over 2,500 people and causing huge damage over a large area. The quake was one of the most powerful ever recorded in Morocco. It’s also the country’s deadliest earthquake in over 60 years. So far, the earthquake is reported to have killed over 2,680 people. It has injured over 2,500 others. The earthquake was especially dangerous because it happened at night, when people were asleep in their homes.
Marrakesh is a big city that’s popular with tourists. Many of its modern buildings seem to have survived the earthquake, but the old part of the city, Medina, was hit hard. It has buildings that are over 1,000 years old. Many of those buildings were demolished.
Outside of Marrakesh, the earthquake caused even more damage. In the Atlas Mountains, the earthquake’s center, there are many small villages, some of which were nearly destroyed.
Many of the people in the area live in simple houses made of mud bricks, which is a traditional way of building in Morocco. But it’s not strong enough to protect against earthquakes. Although the Moroccan government has laws that require buildings to be built more safely, these rules are often ignored.
Rescue workers have been working hard to save those affected by the quake. In larger cities, rescue efforts seem to be going well. But it has taken a lot longer for help to reach remote areas in the mountains. Many of these villages are difficult to get to. The earthquake caused landslides, blocking roads, and making these places even more difficult to reach. In some areas, phone and electrical service were also knocked out, leaving these places completely cut off. That means that the local people in some remote areas have had to deal with the situation on their own. In some areas, people have been digging through the broken stones or bricks with their hands, trying to find survivors. Many people are sleeping outside, unsure if their houses are safe.
Many outside countries have offered to help Morocco. Some countries have offered teams of experts; others have offered supplies.
1. What do we know about the earthquake in Morocco?A.It killed 2,680 people. | B.It occurred during the day. |
C.It was the deadliest in recent decades. | D.It injured less than 2,500 people. |
A.destroyed | B.decorated |
C.protected | D.constructed |
A.People living the quake-hit area are in urgent need of help from other countries. |
B.The current serious situation faced by people in disaster areas. |
C.Possible causes of the earthquake happening in Morocco. |
D.Reasons why the earthquake caused so much damage in Morocco. |
A.A news report | B.A short story |
C.A research article | D.A diary entry |
With global events like the UN Climate Change Conference
Devices like monitoring tools can
Fixing automated equipment that runs on minimal electrical power is libraries’ another effort
6 . We all love butterflies. Their beautiful wings attract us, and their presence lights up our garden. Well, that’s our view of butterflies, but have you ever wondered what plants think of them?
The butterflies’ eggs lie on the underside of the leaves. The eggs themselves don’t damage plants. However, upon coming into contact with the eggs, the plants become oversensitive. It means that once a plant recognizes a pest, it will cause death in the contacted plant part. When these dead leaves or partial leaf parts break away from the plant, the eggs on them fall off. Along with the hypersensitivity response, plants also produce something special, which can attract animals to cat the eggs, thus preventing damage in the future.
After the baby butterflies come out of their eggs, the caterpillar (毛虫) stage begins. Most caterpillars feed on the leaves of the plants, damaging some of the plants in your own garden. Incredibly, they are major plant pests that bring about major losses to farmers. The next stage is pupa (蛹). The caterpillars begin their change into an adult. They don’t depend on the energy that the leaves provide. Finally, they become adult butterflies that have wings and move from one plant to the other. They feed on the sweet liquid produced by flowers.
While on their search for food, the butterflies carry pollen (花粉) on their body. They are key pollinators that place pollen from one flower to another in ecosystem. Plants that have flowers will create some special features to draw these pollinators’ attention. Certain plants have flowers giving off smells that can charm butterflies when they are looking for a mate. Some plants even have flat flowers to assist butterflies when landing.
Butterflies aid in pollination during their final adult stage. Thus, they change into beneficial insects to plants. This change makes butterflies an important friend of plants, despite being a hated enemy in previous life cycle stages!
1. How does a plant respond to butterflies’ eggs?A.It tries to get rid of them. | B.It tries to appeal to them. |
C.It grows a little better with them. | D.It protects them from being eaten. |
A.In the period of egg-laying. | B.In the period of pupa. |
C.In the period of caterpillar. | D.In the period of adult. |
A.Describe the process of pollination. |
B.Show how flowers attract butterflies. |
C.Stress the importance of pollination. |
D.Explore how adult butterflies develop. |
A.Why do flowers need butterflies’ pollination? |
B.How do plants defend themselves from pests? |
C.Are butterflies’ life cycles similar to the plants’? |
D.Are butterflies beneficial or harmful to plants? |
A vast region with beautiful scenery, lush plants, a lot of rivers and lakes dotted around, Hulun Buir Grassland is like a huge, green picture scroll,
With the most plentiful and excellent pastures and
With the irrigation of thousands of rivers, the grassland presents
The region’s location makes it warm and pleasant in the summer, while cold and
8 . Trees are one of the oldest “citizens (公民)” of our Earth. They keep our air clean, reduce noise pollution, improve water quality and provide food and building materials.
Just like us, trees change a lot as they grow. At 1 to 3 years old, young trees learn how to protect themselves. For example, many trees grow thorns (刺) to warn animals not to go near Most young trees have large, deep green leaves so that they can catch enough sunlight and change it into their food and energy.
When trees are 4 years old, they begin to grow very rapidly and become strong enough to face challenges later in life. At the age of 15, trees become young adults. Afterwards, they grow more slowly and begin to produce flowers and fruit.
It is not until the tree is 20 to 25 years old that it becomes a real adult. The tree reaches its largest size. The adult tree gives us shade, oxygen and natural beauty; it is also a great place for a tree house, or a place for us to read a book, listen to music and so on. If we give the adult tree proper care, it will go on to live healthily for many years.
Gradually, trees begin to grow older and older and even die. At this time, they still have their important place in nature. When a tree becomes hollow (空心的) or part of it becomes dead, it provides a home to small animals and is a source of food for many other animals.
In many ways, the life of a tree is like our own life experience. When we are looking at the life of a tree, we learn that each period of life brings its own form of joy and challenge. So, let’s enjoy every minute of our life and take care of it like planting a tree!
1. When the trees are very young, some of them grow thorns to ______.A.catch enough sunlight | B.protect themselves |
C.become more beautiful | D.produce food and energy. |
A.The tree produces flowers and fruit before the age of 15. |
B.The tree becomes a young adult when it is 20 to 25 years old. |
C.When part of a tree becomes dead, it still plays an important role in nature. |
D.The young adult tree is a good place for a tree house and for us to read a book, |
A.Because our life is becoming better and better. |
B.Because trees give us so much and make our world beautiful. |
C.Because the life of a tree is similar to our own life experience. |
D.Because each period of life brings its own form of pleasure and challenge. |
A.The growth and life of trees. | B.Different kinds of Trees. |
C.The mystery of a tree. | D.The advantages trees can bring us. |
Placed among the busy streets of Washington, D. C. is a large public garden that many Americans have never heard of. The U. S. National Arboretum (植物园) includes
Government scientists are in charge of the 180-hectare area. Their main goal is
The arboretum is home to one of the
While the scientists do their work, the public
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删除:把多余的词用斜线(/)划掉。
修改:在错的词下划一横线,并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意:1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词;
2. 只允许修改10处,多者(从第11处起)不计分。
Last Sunday, I walked my dog, Zuma, in a small square near my home, when there was a little blond-haired boy. She looked kind of lonely and was kicking a football by himself. For my surprise, Zuma, who had been afraid of other child before, was drawn to the little boy. So, I would asked permission for us to watch his football practice. He was shyly but said OK. Later, Zuma got so exciting watching him kick the football that he ran up to the boy. We are extremely happy to cheer on little boy. And I felt he had a good time with us, either.